Chapter Thirteen

A/N: Dang, it's been a while.  I wanted to upload this for a while, but there was something about this chapter that bothered me, but, I guess it works.

Things had not been easy for TenTen the last few days.  She just couldn't stop thinking about the kiss she'd nearly shared with Neji.  It was nothing personal against him, she just couldn't carry out such an intimate act with anyone at that moment.  And it didn't help that the Phoenix was threatening her with bodily harm inside her own head.  She wanted to explain to him so badly what had happened, but he'd completely ignored her since then, spending his time brooding.  Because the two of them were no longer communicating, that made the journey back to Konoha difficult for both of them, and it didn't take much for Temari to pick up on it as well.

Temari noticed their strange behavior at the very beginning of the trip, and had ignored them for the most part, up until it started to grate on her nerves.  TenTen was constantly complaining about the most miniscule issues and Neji avoided making any verbal comments.  Every time she tried to initiate conversation with him he would grunt noncommittally and turn away.  Frankly, they were both more irritating than they were worth and she was starting to see why Kankuro hated children.  At least they'd finally made it to Konoha and she wouldn't have to put up with them much longer.

TenTen adjusted the uncomfortable wooden mask as she walked through the streets of Konoha.  "I hate this."

"Stop complaining." Temari ordered.  "And disguise your voice better." She was still upset over being assigned to them and the fact that they'd parted ways with her brothers several miles out of Konoha hadn't improved her mood at all.

Neji ignored both of them.  "The exam's tomorrow at three.  We'll stay at the inn until then."

"Are you two going to grow up and get over your little lover's quarrel?"

TenTen and Neji growled at her in unison.

"Fine." She replied.  "I'm going on ahead.  I'm sure you two will want time alone to reminisce." She smirked and walked ahead of them.

TenTen snarled at her departing figure, fire leaping at her fingertips.  "I want to kill her so bad."

"Then why don't you?"

She eased her hand back down to her side.  "Her fan." She didn't know what it felt like to have fire licking at her flesh, but she was sure that she didn't want to know.

Neji reached under his mask and scratched his itching nose.  "Be careful TenTen.  I'm sure they already know we're in town."

"My brother won't hurt us."

He wasn't so convinced.  "Believe whatever you want."

"He won't hurt me.  I'm his sister."

"The minute he learned about the Phoenix you stopped being his sister and became his enemy."

"You don't know that."

"I've been nice about this and considered your feelings because of what happened to you, but this is ridiculous." He stopped her forward motion and grabbed both of her forearms.  "Kotetsu hates you.  If he got the chance he'd kill you."

"Let go of me!" She pushed the blind boy away and he tumbled backwards into a stack of barrels.  The topmost barrel teetered precariously on the edge and then plummeted, smacking the fallen boy on his back.

Across the street a dark-haired boy winced at the young ninja's pain.  "I don't want to be that guy."

Ino shoved the boy in the direction of the scene.  "Help him."

"Hell no.  That's way too troublesome, and besides, that girl is already helping him."

The blonde girl rolled her eyes at him.  "You really are too lazy for your own good."

Shikamaru smiled.  "You like me that way."

His remark caught the girl completely off guard and she wasn't able to hide the blush that spread across her face.  Wanting to avoid further embarrassment, she quickly changed the subject.  "Are you going to invigilate the exam tomorrow?"

He shook his head.  "I'll be patrolling the town in case there's a repeat of last time."

"You really think you'll be okay?"

"Yeah.  I'm not really worried about Sand or Sound.  They won't try something like that again." He scratched his head.  "I'm concerned about something else."

"What?"

"Neji and TenTen are rumored to be in town to take the exam."

"Oh."

"Some of the extra security is for them.  I never thought of either of them as dangerous, Neji was maybe a bit insane, but not dangerous.  Listen Ino, I don't want you to worry about them or me.  You've been training really hard lately and as long as you do your best you'll make Chuunin for sure."

"I won't be able to sleep tonight."

"That excited huh?"

She shook her head negatively.  "Scared.  About a lot of things."

"Ino, all you have to do is relax and let me worry about everything else."

"The Shiratori brothers were the one's who did it, weren't they?"

Shikamaru nodded.  "They raped her."

"They saw us that night.  They have to know that we overheard them."

"I promised to protect you."

"I know you did."

"Neji will finish them off for everyone.  And then he'll be arrested for murder."

"I should go home and get some rest."

"Yeah." A serious expression crossed the boy's face.  "What are we?"

Ino stopped in her tracks and faced him.  "What?"

He shrugged.  "I thought we were friends at first, but lately things have been different.  I couldn't stand thinking about it anymore, so I had to ask you."

Ino looked nervous.  "What do you mean, different?"

"You talk to me a lot more and tell me things you wouldn't tell anyone else, so I guess that would make me your new best friend, but best friends don't go around kissing each other." He leaned back against a nearby wall.  "Maybe I'm just thinking about it too much."

"Shikamaru, we're no more than we've always been."

He shook his head.  "That's not logically possible."

"So we're close friends.  Big deal."

"Did you kiss Sakura when you were friends?"

She looked mortified.  "No, of course not.  It's different with you.  You're a boy."

He dropped the topic.  "Forget about it.  It's not important."

"Shikamaru…"

"Forget it.  Go home Ino."

She put her foot down.  Hard.  "Dammit Shikamaru, you can't ask me how I feel about you and then tell me you don't want to know anymore.  I don't like having butterflies in my stomach."

"Then what?"

"Do we have to talk where everyone can hear us?"

"Where would you rather be?"

Ino pulled him behind a store.

He smirked at her.  "I thought you were bold."

"Don't do this to me."

"Do what?"

She bit down on her lower lip thoughtfully.  "I like you a lot Shikamaru, probably even more than you like me.  And I know that I'm not your type, but if you'd just give me a chance…"

"Give you a chance?" Shikamaru echoed, embracing the girl.  "Ino, you're the only girl I've ever wanted to give a chance to."

"So what does this mean?"

"I think this makes me your boyfriend."

~~~

"Thank you very much for your concern Kotetsu, but we've already put some measures in place.  We'll increase the amount of Jounin watching over the exams, as well as keep a few of the older Chuunin as invigilators." Kotetsu was about to protest, but Tsunade continued talking.  "Don't worry, you're on the list and I think you'll approve of the new chief examiner."

The door opened to reveal a male figure hidden in the shadows.  He walked into the room and let the sunlight fall on him.  He was slightly taller than both Izumo and Kotetsu and was built like a bull, all upper body and no lower body.  His salt-and-pepper hair was tied in a neat ponytail that fell a few inches past his shoulders.  His skin was ghostly pale, attesting to just how much time he must've spent in the shadows.  His Leaf village forehead protector hung loosely around his neck, embracing a half mask that covered his nose and mouth.  His eyes were an unremarkable dark brown, however it wasn't the color itself that drew you to them, instead you were hypnotized by the powerful emotions that dwelled within the dark pools.  The painful emotions of anger, sorrow, grief and betrayal.

Kotetsu and Izumo were unable to tear their gazes away from his, no matter how much they willed themselves to turn away.

He broke the silence, his harsh voice startling the Chuunin back to reality.  "Boys."

"What is he doing here?" Kotetsu addressed Tsunade, not the man standing in front of him.

"He's a jounin of this village and is deeply involved in our current situation." The Hokage replied.

"Imagine my surprise to get a message from our new Hokage telling me that my daughter had been raped.  Then to receive the news that she took a fiancé, released the Phoenix and fled the village only a few days later." He didn't appear angry, just hurt.  "That's news that a father should learn from the son he left responsible, not from a perfect stranger."

"How was I supposed to find you?  You never sent any news back to us."

"You never wanted to find me.  You were NEVER to take matters concerning your sister into your own hands!"

"You weren't here.  What did you expect me to do?"

"I didn't expect for you to let her awaken the Phoenix and will her life away to some kid who doesn't even see how special she is."

"It wasn't my fault she found the scrolls you and mother left in your bedroom."

"You let her find out on her own?  You were supposed to be there for, to ease her into her new identity, not reject her the moment she learned who she was."

"Maybe I don't see things the way you do old man."

Tsunade cleared her throat, silencing both men.  "Kotetsu, your father's extensive knowledge of the Fire Clan will help us to put certain precautions in place to prevent chaos.  You and Izumo will assist him with whatever he needs."

Kotetsu didn't respond to her.  "Did you return without our mother?"

"Your mother's dead.  We were returning to Konoha because she had fallen ill.  She died a few days after she learned about your sister."

"Don't try to blame her death on me."

"I'm not blaming anything on you."

"You blame everything on me!"

"That's because you never learned to accept responsibility for your own actions.  You always thought you could just clown your way through life, ever since you were a child.  Well now you'll learned that there are consequences for you actions when the Phoenix has your sister kill you."

"Hagane-san, please.  The boy has already put himself through enough heartache."

His father's stern expression softened.  "Kotetsu, I did not mean to become angry with you.  This past year has been troublesome, to say the least."

"I understand."

"Will you two be able to sleep under the same roof?"

Both men nodded.

"Good.  You may leave."

When they had exited the Hokage's, Kotetsu stopped his father.  "What was the mission that took my mother's life?"

"The mission was not what killed her, it was her illness."

"What took the two of you away from us for nearly two years?"

"I cannot reveal the specifics of our mission until it has been completed."

"It's for TenTen, isn't it?  You told me once that the only way you'd come out of retirement was if one of us were in danger.  That means that you knew something like this would happen!"

The bigger man looked solemn.  "Yes, your mother and I knew that she would eventually release the phoenix.  We were just hoping that we would've returned by then."

"You still haven't answered my question."

"We were trying to find a way to permanently banish the Phoenix, so that our daughter would be able to lead a normal life."

Kotetsu posed his question calmly, an enormous feat for someone whose nerves were completely on edge.  "And what did you find?"

He shook his head.  "There's no cure.  Once she awakens its powers, the phoenix will own her forever.  The only way to free her now is to kill her."