Part II | Chapter 2

The three chunin had agreed to go out for drinks to celebrate the end of their time at the Academy. Nothing like getting drunk after a punishment for getting drunk, Nikato had shouted. They had obviously invited Hansuke, he helped mediate the team members. Nikato still wasn't keen on Gohama's presence, even if they seemed to get along when drunk.

Friday night meant the bars were lively. They had chosen the first they had gone together as a team the day they met, Ippon. It was frequented by ninja mostly, especially jonin and ANBU, although no one really knew who was in ANBU or not. At eleven, most of the tables were already full. There was a hierarchy. The tables across the door were reserved for the most respected Konoha shinobi, because they held the safest spots on the bar, especially the corner one.

Once the three arrived, already out of their rank's comfort zone, they let Gohama take the only seat left at the counter and stood, waiting for their drinks. Ippon was always loud, the background music drowning in animated shouts and chatting. The air smothering with smoke and sweat, although the space was wide enough not feel claustrophobic. The wooden tables and chairs were old and creaking. The floor worn and sticky. The alcohol was cheapish when compared with more fancy bars and good quality, which only meant it wasn't watered down. The taste mattered little to nin out for a distraction. Nothing beat down the vegetable kushikatsu. Everyone knew the place had gained its fame for the deep-fried vegetables.

For Gohama, the bar was too sociable. People went there to hang out, maybe find someone for the night, and not drink in peace. She preferred quieter bars with fewer customers. Crowds always made her overwhelmed, especially highly skilled ones. The amount of chakra signatures fighting for supremacy over her senses was draining and dazing. It made her anxious not to be able to distinguish all signatures. On a higher note, she could use the bar to train her sensibility. At that moment, she could differentiate about fifty chakra. The familiar ones were Kakashi's, at the corner table and corner seat, not surprising for the Copy nin, Iruka's, at the same table, two from other sensei that had been at the Chunin Exams, and Bear's, now she could see his face. Discretely turning her head towards his table across from the door, she searched for his face. There the man was. As big as before and more good-looking than she had expected. But only because she had expected a jagged looking guy and he was actually quite plain, with chubby cheeks hidden behind his full beard.

They were on the third serving and Hansuke still hadn't arrived. There was no conversation flowing, so they decided to just keep on drinking. Kisamaru assured that soon enough Nikato would start chatting and not shut up until passing out.

When she began asking for a fourth glass, Iruka's chakra signature crept in behind her. She really did not want to confront him after her little predicament with his student. She knew he was very protective of them. It felt ridiculous to care so much what he thought of her. Especially when it had nothing to do with her skill, but him not looking down on her. She was ready to drown the next round.

"Gohama-san!" he called, tapping on her shoulder.

Obviously hiding behind her hair hadn't worked. "Gohama." she corrected.

"Yes, I'm sorry. Gohama." he brushed the hairs of his nape. "I have to offer you and your team a drink!" he said gleefully.

Behind her, Nikato cheered. That had surprised her. Of course he wouldn't look down on her, he was too kind. If he ever did, then that person had to be extreme. Maybe that was why she was so worried about his opinion. His cheeks were reddened and his speech slightly slurred. Gohama had never expected to see drunk Iruka. He got their orders.

"Come on, let's get to the table." he said while juggling the glasses in his hands.

"What…?" the red-head whispered in disbelief "the corner table…?"

"Yeah, that's where I was."

"But… but that's the corner table…" he tried explaining.

Gohama patted him on the cheek. "They're people just like us."

Honestly, Gohama couldn't help but feel slightly intimidated by the chakra waving off that table. They walked behind Iruka, trusting him reluctantly with the drinks.

"I brought Hansuke's kids" Gohama cringed at that denomination "with me as a thank you for taking care of my class."

The woman and Kakashi raised their glasses as greeting and the man sucking on a senbon smirked at her. She frowned at him. "So, you brought the Kyura to us." the guy said. He patted the spot on the bench next to him and winked "You can sit here."

Gohama moved to the other bench, ending up between Kakashi and Iruka. Nikato and Kisamaru sat on the chairs, their backs towards the bar's door.

"Oh, yeah, I forgot you two were friends." he pointed to Gohama and Kakashi with his beer.

"Best friends." she deadpanned.

"Well, Kyura, we can be more than friends." he extended his hand to her over the table and she shook it "Genma."

"Gohama."

"This is Anko." he nudged the purple haired woman beside him.

"Those two are Nikato and Kisamaru." she pointed with her scotch.

"Only Hansuke to accept both a Hyuga and Kyura in his team..." Anko commented "Aren't you always lashing at each other?"

"Oh, Kisamaru doesn't need to be a Hyuga for us to do that, right, Kisa-kun?"

He gave a fast awkward nod.

"Take a drink, kid, relax a little…" Genma coaxed "I swear I don't bite, at least not the men. I can't vouch for Anko here, though."

"Thank you for your offer, Genma-sempai, but last time I drank—" he glanced at Kakashi and lowered his eyes.

"You don't need to be scared of Hatake," he clasped Kakashi's shoulder "he acts all tough but he's too lazy to care."

"He's not scared." Gohama defended "It's respect."

"What does drinking as anything—"

"The three got drunk on a mission with me." Kakashi explained.

That obviously didn't help Kisamaru's embarrassment, who was now red throughout his face and neck. Genma and Anko started laughing.

"So that's why you were stuck for a month at the Academy." Iruka realised.

"Suke-kun's team is wild." Anko said between laughs.

"Where is he?" Kakashi asked Gohama quietly.

"Have now idea. He was supposed to meet us here, but is obviously very late."

"How late?" he raised his voice so she could hear him above Anko's and Genma's amused mocking.

"An hour and a half, give or take."

He flinched. It was small, but Gohama was already studying him. Why would he ask how long unless he knew where Hansuke was? He drank the rest of his beer and started ripping off the label with his nails. She pretended not to notice his tense state. After a few minutes, he excused himself saying he was tired and had Icha Icha waiting for him. Gohama followed him. Genma joked about them sleeping together. She didn't care about that. Before she could reach Kakashi, a strong hand grasped her arm. She turned to the man with a scowl. Fucking Bear.

"What the fuck do you want?"

"Always so feisty, Kyura." he leered.

"Don't touch me, Bear." she tried squirming away from his hold. He responded by squeezing her arm harder.

"How do you know?" he growled threateningly.

"Slow in mind and body. How are you even in ANBU?"

"Who told you?!" he shook harshly her "Was it dear Hansuke-sensei?"

"Get the fuck off me!" she hissed, her other hand trying to open his ruthless grip.

"That's enough." Kakashi ordered beside them.

Just with that he let her go, but too late. Hatake was already out the door. She ran to catch him. Stupid man, what was he hiding? She followed his signature and caught up with him when he dropped down from a roof.

"Where is he?" she demanded, still running to reach him "Answer me, Hatake." He obviously ignored her. Exhaling an exasperated curse, she locked him on a chakra field. "Don't you dare puff away, again. Is it a mission?"

He finally turned to her, his eye crinkled in a smile. "It's nothing. I just really need to go to the bathroom."

"So you run from me."

"Pooping is embarrassing."

"Yeah, you do seem to be full of shit." she retorted in anger.

"That's why I need to go to the bathroom."

"For fuck's sake, Kakashi!" with a flick of her wrist, she pulled him to her. Stabbing a finger into his chest, she hissed "You told him, didn't you? If it was a mission you'd just say it was a mission. Where the fuck is he? Answer me!"

His fake smile disappeared. "That's what I'm trying to find out." he explained seriously.

She shoved his chest. "I told you! Why did you have to tell Hansuke? Do you have any idea how guil—" she turned away from him and jumped onto a high roof. He followed her.

"What are you doing?" he looked down on her confused.

"Finding him."

"I have ninken that can follow his trail."

"I'm faster."

She sat down and closed her eyes. With the amount of alcohol she had drunk, it was likely she would throw up. Kakashi's feet were standing in the perfect place. Just when she started, Hansuke's chakra entered her sensorial field. Relief released the cold hand pressing against her stomach.

"He's coming."

She watched him for any tell-tale of relief. He was as slouched as always, hands shoved into his pockets. Hansuke went to them.

"Hey—" he started with a wave.

"Where have you been?"

"Home, mum. Shouldn't you be at Ippon?"

"Not after he" she pointed to Kakashi over her shoulder "freaked out when you were late. And stop making gestures behind my back, Kakashi." she stepped to the side to talk to both of them "What the hell is going on? And why don't you tell me anything? It is me he is interested in. I deserve to know whatever you're hiding from me. So, just start talking."

The two shared a meaningful look and sighed at the same time.

"My place." Hansuke said.

He grabbed her by the waist and pulled her to him. Then, they were both sucked into a whirlpool and came out inside a traditional Japanese house. Its charm reminded her of her own destroyed home.

"Thanks for the warning." she deadpanned and pushed him away.

"Welcome to my home." he wished with a kind smile. Why did Hansuke had to smile so much? "Tea?"

"Stronger."

"Sake it is."

They had landed in the kitchen-dining room combo. A long counter separated a wide wooden table from the kitchen itself. Hansuke was fetching glasses from the cupboard and heating some leftovers. Kakashi, for some reason, was late. These left her to entertain herself with rummaging through the papers spread on the table. Nothing interesting, just the report from the mission she hadn't been allowed to partake.

"Stop snooping around, Go-chan."

"Don't call me that."

His reaction was to chuckle. She let the papers slid from her fingers onto the table. A wide shoji door was slid open and led to a poorly maintained backyard. The grass was wild, although cut. Apart from a peach tree at the end, the terrain was barren. He was in his early twenties, the house had to be inherited.

"You live alone?"

"Yes."

"In a civilian neighbourhood? Is your family civilian?"

"My mother was. My father was from Kumo. That's why I have what you describe as a flawless golden tan."

Was.

"I'm sorry." she said quietly.

"Don't be. The women find it quite attractive."

She didn't doubt him. He was an attractive man, with his intense hazel eyes surrounded by dark lashes and kind smile.

"Never took you for a man that would ignore grief."

"It was just a joke, Gohama, there's no need to look so much into it. They died when I was really young, all the grief I had to do is already done." he served a plate of food "Hungry?"

She shook her head. He brought the plate and bottle of sake onto the table, shoving the papers away and then sat. She took the seat in front of him.

"Isn't grief for the rest of someone's life?" she asked.

"Loss is." he served her a glass of sake "Once you find peace with someone's death there's no more need to grieve."

She served him back. Before she could take the sake to her lips, he clinked his glass with hers. Gohama doubted he could have accepted his parents' death. The anguish she felt for her family would never disappear, she would never find peace over her slaughtered Village. Loss was too painful, too holing.

"You don't believe me." he stated. "You should."

"Do you have any other family?"

"In Kumo. The Harada clan. But it's not really family, I never met them. They only know I exist because of my recognition as the Void of Konoha. It's a clan's jutsu. My father defected."

"Why?"

"For my expecting mother. For love."

"What about his duty?"

"He also had a duty to my mother and me, don't you think?"

"Yes… but…"

"The Harada men are known for devoting themselves to their women above anything else."

"Do you?"

"Not yet." he said with a charming smile "Or maybe I just took after the Giranai blood."

It was the same as in their first mission together. He just shared freely and honestly. Something swelled in her chest, both warm and piercing. This time there was no pain when he spoke about his parents, unlike with Ayame. Maybe it was true, maybe he was past grief.

"Why are you telling me this?"

"You asked."

"Yes, but you didn't have to answer."

"I wanted to. Can't I just want to talk about myself?" he smirked "Don't you want to know me better, Gohama?"

She did. She really did. Something about him made her curious to know more. Was it fascination? Hansuke was a skillful shinobi, but her interest went beyond that. Gohama wanted to understand him and she had no reason behind simply wanting to.

"Do you want to know me better, Hansuke?" she asked back with a mimicking smirk.

"Yes, but you don't make things easy."

"Poor Suke-chan."

"Don't call me that."

"Why not? It's so cute, little Suke-chan."

He stood up, settled his hands firmly on the table, and leaned menacingly over her. She stared up at him in amusement. With a condescending voice, she mocked, "Ooh, very scary, little Suke-chan."

In a flash, Gohama hit his arm and Hansuke lost his support, almost falling face first against the table, if he hadn't supported himself on his elbow in time. His yelp of surprise loosened her laughs. He glared at her, his position tense and muscles taunt. He was going to attack. She fled from her spot and, as expected, he ran after her. When she jumped over the counter onto the kitchen, he managed to grab her cloak. To escape, she let the fabric slide off her arms. His disappointed face made her laugh even more.

"Very clever. I'll catch you."

They ran around the room like two little children, giggling over a simple game of tag. Gohama used the furniture as safe barriers. Hansuke was extremely fast, she knew this first hand from their spars. It was only a matter of time until he reached her, but it was fun, even exciting, all the same. It happened when she jumped over the counter back onto the dining room and he circled around it before she even touched the floor. He shoved her into the table. Now was her time to yelp, as a pen stabbed into her back. He laughed just as she did. She tried to shove him away, but he held her hands against his chest.

"You have to learn how to respect your superiors."

"Very threatening, Suke-chan."

"You call me cute, but you look like a doll, you know, Go-chan. With your pale skin and rosy cheeks."

"No, I don't." she riled up at the comment and pushed against him again "It's enough. Get off me."

"Only if you treat me right. Honorific and all." he bargained with a self-satisfied smile. "Beg, "please, Hansuke-sensei"."

"That's very kinky, Suke-chan."

He lowered himself closer to her. The pressure of his weight was becoming too uncomfortable, she could barely reach the ground with her feet. He knew this and used it against her. She wouldn't give in, though, choosing to tilt her head to the side, away from him. What was up with people using her discomfort with closeness to get their way? That sounded very wrong.

"What's this?" his change of tone surprised her.

She looked at the place where his fingers were trailing feather lightly over the skin of her upper arm. Fucking Bear had actually bruised her.

"Nothing." she answered harshly, impatience making her push more forcefully against his hold.

He pushed one of his hands onto her lower stomach to stop her movements. "Stop squirming." he hissed, his voice strained "Who did this?"

She gave an exasperated sigh and let her head fall back against the table. "Just get off me, Hansuke."

A puff made them snap their heads to the side. Good. He was finally there.

"Am I interrupting something?" Kakashi asked while brushing the back of his head.

"Yes." Hansuke answered.

"No." she said at the same time. "You're late." she added while finally being able to move up.

"Well, you see… I was on my way to—"

"Save it, Hatake." Hanuke cut him off harshly. "And sit down."

"Bad mood, huh?"

"You'd also be if your subordinate was injured and wouldn't tell you why."

"Injured" she scoffed and put her cloak back on "it's a little bruise. You've left me in a worst state many times."

"While sparring."

"Who says this wasn't while sparring?"

"It's obvious someone grabbed you."

"Ah." Kakashi interrupted their petty discussion "That was Bear from my ANBU team back at Ippon. Now, that that's solved can we actually do something proactive?"

"You better put your damn team in place, Taicho."

Kakashi's carefree pose didn't change, with its slouched shoulders and hands stuffed into his pockets, but he raised his lone eye to Hansuke with an intensity Gohama hadn't seen since they both had fought at the Uchiha compound.

"Don't tell me how to lead my team."

Hansuke became slightly submissive at his commanding vibe. "Then make sure it doesn't hurt my own team."

"Can we start on the something proactive now?" Gohama almost whined and sat on her spot from earlier.

Hansuke took the head of the table and Kakashi the seat in front of her. She decided it was best to refill everyone's glass with sake.

"Someone start talking."

Kakashi sighed and brushed his hand through his hair. "We still don't know why Danzo is interested in you. Danzo himself is probably the only person who knows."

"But who is he?"

"He's the most powerful and influential person in Konoha besides the Hokage. He fights for the safety of Konoha, but he fights dirty, not caring about the means to reach the ends. He has a secret brainwashed elite division inside ANBU, they're called Root. He'll probably get some of them tailing you, so watch out for that."

"What do you two think he wants from me?"

The men shared another privy look.

"He thinks you're a threat to Konoha, as an outsider, but he can't downright kill you. You're the last with one of the most precious bloodline limits. He's interested in your power. He was the one that convinced the Council to enforce your memory interrogation, Tsunade said so herself."

Gohama chuckled dryly. "He wants to know if I'm the Kyura jinchuriki."

"Are you?" Hansuke asked.

"The jinchuriki died with the Arms."

"The truth doesn't really matter." Kakashi said "He'll try to find out anyway. This can mean a more passive approach, such as surveillance, or—"

"…torture."

"We don't understand how he would react to such information. He could either kill you or try to recruit you."

"If he's following such close tabs on me, he has to know I won't submit to him and I'm too old for brainwashing. He'll probably want to kill me either way, which, considering how powerful he is, doesn't seem very challenging."

"We'll protect you, Gohama." Hansuke reassured with a hand on her shoulder.

She responded with a blank condescending smile. "That's sweet, Suke-chan." he let his hand fall away "You said he wouldn't give up on my bloodline limit so easily. Maybe he wants to experiment on me."

"That is the most likely scenario. That's where I was this evening. Root has a secret research facility, it's nearly impossible to infiltrate it, but the waste has to be put somewhere. Danzo is obsessively careful, even trash disposal is well guarded."

"What did you find?" Kakashi asked.

"Everything you'd expect from common hospital waste, nothing interesting. Then there were different models of bust down chakra shackles and these." he threw Kakashi two vials with pale translucent liquid "Probably won't lead anywhere we want."

"You still have that contact at the hospital's lab?" Hansuke nodded in confirmation and he threw the vials back "I'll check some of the Village funds, see if there's been some more illicit movement since Gohama arrived."

Surprisingly, the worrying over Danzo's creepy persona faltered at the realisation of how much of a danger he was. There wasn't fear. Her life and clan's blood were threatened and yet dread didn't fluster in her chest. Only vigilance. Fear kept people alive, but it was necessary for a ninja to subside it to controlled alarm. Fear made people impulsive and frantic, a shinobi needed thoughtfulness and steadiness to win a battle. She was playing with her glass, when she looked at the two men beside her. She downed the rest of her sake in an attempt to swallow a growing unease.

"Why are you doing this?" she asked, focused on spinning the base of the glass on the wooden table.

"I'm your teammate." Hansuke explained.

"Are you? I'm your subordinate and in your team, but to be a teammate I need to be a mate."

"Is that how you see us?"

"You don't need to feel obligated because of the first mission."

"That's not why—" he started with a rigid tone.

"The why doesn't matter." she raised her gaze to him and with a steady voice explained "You should now I don't intend on doing anything more for your team besides my duty as a kunochi working for Konoha. Don't expect any reciprocation. This is for the both of you. This is what, who you're risking things for."

"It offends me that you think I'm doing this because I expect something back." Hansuke said.

"There's no other reas—"

"Have you ever thought that maybe I just don't want you to die, Gohama!" he lashed out with a raised tone "Or to be locked away to be pocked and tortured! You don't know Danzo like I do. He does horrifying things to get what he wants. So, please, try to see a little beyond your duty-filled nose!"

She locked a threatening gaze on him. "My duty-filled nose?" she hissed "We're shinobi, Giranai, we only have our duty."

"If that's what you think, I really do pity you, Kyura."

A mix of betrayal and hurt punched her guts at his words. She hated pity. There was nothing worse that pity and having Hansuke pity her made her sick, which translated to outrage. It was always outrage when others affected her deeper than she could allow herself. And the way his tongue had said her last name. Hansuke never called her Kyura. It sounded wrong and painful on his voice. Gohama stood up and grabbed the collar of his flak jacket, he looked up at her defiantly and grabbed the collar of her shirt in return.

"And I pity you for thinking love" she said the word with despise "is above the duty to your Village."

At that, he stood up. Now it was she glaring at him from below, he pulled her collar higher, until she was straining to get both feet steady on the ground. "Don't be so petty, Gohama, you have no right to judge anyone, especially when you say it like you know what love is."

"That's how I am petty and pitiful and fucking cold." She shoved him away with the help of her chakra and fled, but, just as when they sparred or were playing tag, Hansuke was always faster than her and effortlessly caught her arm. "Get your hand off me." She demanded venomously without turning to him.

"That's not what I meant. You know that's not what I meant, Gohama."

"You know," they both tilted their heads to Kakashi, the glares directed at each other now focused on him. He gave a small, uncomfortable cough. "I'm fairly certain there's a scene in Icha Icha Violence that starts just like this." He turned to Gohama with an insinuating glint "The cynical one ends up begging the hero to show her what love is."

Gohama took a long time to finally let some kind of dignified retort. Hansuke didn't even try. "Don't expect us to enact your perverted personal fantasies."

It came out more bashfully than she had wanted to. A flash of her and Hansuke right on that dining table acting that Icha Icha passage had accompanied her words. She couldn't stop the embarrassing blush that warmed her cheeks. Hansuke's hand around her arm burned now, but he was just glaring at Kakashi, his own cheeks tinted pink. She had to pry his hand away from her.

"I didn't. There's a movie for that."

Hansuke finally reacted. "Can you please shut the fuck up, Hatake."

Kakashi responded with an amused and innocent eye-crinkle. Hansuke downed the rest of his sake and poured more into his cup, Gohama took advantage of that and pushed her own cup next to his as a request for another refill. They both sat down again. Now, Hansuke's presence right next to her was vividly clear and marked in her awareness, from his chakra signature, to the sound of his breathing and the fidgeting of his hands on his sake cup. The focus of the conversation desperately needed to be turned somewhere else. So, she decided to give another speech, this time to Kakashi.

"Uncle Tsukate has nothing to do with me. Just because he sent you that stupid letter it doesn't mean you have to follow me around like a guard dog."

"Stop it, Gohama!" Hansuke snapped with a fist to the table "Stop trying to make us back away. If we're in this is because we want to."

Her comment had worked to dissipate the awkward tension, but she really didn't want to fight anymore. She was still offended with what Hansuke had said and she was sure what she had said before had also offended him. There was no more need to put salt into the wound, much less with Kakashi as an audience. Even if he had helped with his stupid comment. He had certainly said it with that intention.

Relief filled her chest as she felt two familiar chakra signatures entering her sensorial field. The universe decided to be kind. "The boys are coming."

"What? What boys?"

Gohama didn't answer his stupid question. They would enter soon enough. The hysterical laughs of Nikato answered for him, followed by shouts of Hansuke's name. The door to the dining room burst open and the stumbling boys fell inside.

"Are you kids always drunk?" Kakashi asked.

"Sempai! You're like the coolest nin in Konoha."

"I see alcohol makes you lose your mind, Nikato." Gohama joked.

"Don't listen to her, kid. You speak wise words."

"What do you want?" Hansuke asked.

"Sensei! You stood us up, we came looking for you! And we ended up finding Kakashi-sempai and Gohama too! Genma-sempai made us bet on you two. He bet you were gone to sleep with each other. I obviously bet you didn't. There's no way you'd sleep with Kyura, there."

"You bet right, Nikato. I have standards."

"And I'm obviously much too high for them." Kakashi retorted.

Before she could answer back, the redhead's loud slurs narrated their legendary night. How Genma-sempai taught him all about women and how he could get any girl he wanted. He found out Iruka-sensei was the nicest guy. He had bet Gohama hadn't slept with Kakashi, because he didn't think she was the type to fall for his fame and charms. She was extremely pleased with Iruka's opinion on her, Hatake almost pouted. Anko-sempai spent the entire night messing with Kisamaru. According to Nikato, it had been the shiest, most uncomfortable he had seen his friend. The Hyuga ended up supporting himself on alcohol right away. There were other Jonin there but he couldn't remember their names. One of his best nights out. At the end of the rant, Hyuga had passed out on a chair. Hansuke went to lay futon on the living room. They couldn't walk home that night. Her three teammates left for the other room.

"You should let people care for you."

Gohama scoffed and refilled her glass. "Shut up, Hatake. You are in no position to give me lessons about letting people care."

He chuckled. "Stop pretending you know me."

"You can use as many masks as you want but you're not so hard to understand. The mysterious act only sticks to horny women and blind people."

"Spill it, if you know so much." he said with an amused tilt.

"I know you didn't want to train me because of how much it affected you that the Uchiha defected. I know you must have had an Uchiha friend who died and gave you the sharingan. That's why you were at that balcony in the compound that night. He's probably one of the reasons you go to the memorial stone so much. Hansuke said grief can pass, only loss stays. I bet you don't agree with him. I know you, Kakashi. And you know me."

Kakashi answered with a tone as impassive as his expression,"You've given me a lot of thought."

"Of course. I have to understand why Uncle trusts you and if I can trust you."

"Can you?"

"I can't really trust anyone."

He hummed in consideration and stood up, hand signs ready to disappear in smoke.

"I need your chakra." he quirked an eyebrow up in question "so my front door seal can recognise your chakra and let you in."

"Go ahead."

"Lift your shirts." she ordered.

"Very forward girl." He joked but did as she said.

Gohama slid her hand under his clothes to reach his stomach. Laying a hand on his taut skin, she absorbed part of his wild, lightning chakra. She felt it spread through her pathways and shivered slightly at the tingling invasion. When she finished, he raised a hand in a wave and teleported away. Hansuke came back again.

"He left without saying anything to the host, typical Hatake." he whined "Gohama," she turned to face him "About earlier… I got slightly riled up, I'm sorry if I offended you and made things uncomfortable."

She only waved dismissively, without recognising out loud how she had overreacted in a shameful way. She could never apologize as freely as him.

"You can also sleep here if you want. I'd prefer it, actually."

"Don't worry, Hansuke, my apartment is safe. I'll sleep better there." she formed the hand seal to teleport, but hesitated "Thank you."

A push of chakra into her hands and she was in her bedroom.