Harbinger

by tigerowl

Naruto's friendship with his teammates Gaara and Haku is put to the test as they prepare to deal with the threat of the Akatsuki. The secrets Jiraiya has kept come to a head, and Naruto must shoulder the responsibility of protecting much more than the Leaf Village. Continuation of Forlorn. AU NaruHina, GaaSaku, NejiTen, ObiRin, OCs *Taoism, Self-Indulgent World Building, longfic

20. Youth Ignited

Note: Hi! Please join me in the review parlor at the end.

Chapter Soundtrack: "Best Friend" by Foster the People

Chapter 20- Youth Ignited

"Wait, hold on a second…" Obito reordered Yuma's knuckles in the proper position, "There. That's a perfect Horse seal now."

The boy studied his hands, the Sharingan flashing in his eyes, and then committed it to memory.

"So then what's next? Do you remember?"

"The last one is Tiger!" Yuma grinned. He had no problem with the final seal required for their clan's staple jutsu.

The man proudly nudged his son's cheek, "Great job! We're just about ready to use chakra and start practicing!"

"Yeah!" Yuma jumped like a happy lamb. He settled down and then turned his head in all directions, assessing the budding, mountainside forest, "Dad…why did we come all the way out here?"

"Well…remember when I gave you the first demonstration, a few days ago?" Obito reminded him and the boy nodded affirmatively, "Your mother was watching. She said she didn't want any fireballs near the house…and she's right. We don't want any accidents." He gestured to the lily pond, "When I think back to how I was taught, long ago, the Uchiha clan always trains children near a lake at first. That way you won't set anything on fire..."

"I won't do that, Dad."

He laughed at the declaration, "You probably will, even if you don't mean it."

"I'm going to practice 'til I get it right!"

"I know, Yuma, and once you have the hang of it then you can go where you please."

Yuma puffed in reluctant agreement. His mother always sent him out into the woods when she didn't trust him to not to destroy things. Kunai and shuriken…Inuzuka-style Taijutsu…and now Fire Jutsu; he was banished to the mountainside whenever there was a possibility of shattering glass or wrecking the porch. Rin never chanced it. Six-year-olds, you know? They explode.

"Okay then! Now you've got the hand seals to use the Fireball Jutsu. We're going to work on molding your chakra properly next," Obito pointed to his abdomen, "In here you've got that furnace we talked about."

The boy poked his own stomach, "Yup."

"I know that you've been using a bit of your chakra already…but you don't want to overdo it with this technique. You don't need all that much. You'll feel a twinge, or something like it, when you've used enough. Measuring chakra is mostly about intuition, but I bet you'll know it once you do it. So…" Obito traced a path lightly from Yuma's solar plexus, up his stomach and throat, then to the mouth, "While your hand seals direct the jutsu, chakra that you build up will funnel this way through your pathways. It's gonna be a little weird the first time since you haven't done this before."

"It won't hurt." Yuma supposed.

"No, your chakra won't hurt you." Obito's brow furrowed, "But breathing fire might. That's what you need to be careful about."

The child moved through six seals quickly, imagining the next step. His face belied some anxiety. Frowning, Yuma folded his arms, "I want to see you do it again, Dad. You know…before I use my chakra."

"Sure." Obito stepped over to the pond and stood on the water's surface, "Watch carefully! I'll try to do it slowly."

"Okay!"

There was no need to move through the sealing slowly; Yuma had grasped that aspect of the lesson. But Obito lingered on the inhale and viewed his son from the corner of his eye; filling his lungs, holding the Tiger Seal, carefully stringing chakra along… The boy was watching studiously and breaking it down in his head. When there was no point in delaying the exhale any longer, Obito breathed out, guiding the flame with a cupped hand beside his lips. The sphere of flame smoldered over the pond and singed cattails at the water's edge. He stopped and turned to Yuma who was tapping his foot.

"How was that?"

"You did it so slow…"

"You don't have to do it that slowly. Use the pace that feels best."

"Okay." Yuma stood beside his father who had returned to the grass, "Maybe…could you do it again? I'll try it…at the same time."

"Together?"

"Yeah."

Obito was amused that he had butterflies in his stomach while watching the boy's first attempt at Ninjutsu. He moved through seals again, noticing Yuma had performed them just as quickly, then inhaled, 'He's looking good!' And Obito breathed out a healthy fireball while his son sputtered a rather sad one, which was evidently a mixture of apprehension and inexperience.

"Ow!" Yuma had ceased the jutsu and hissed, shaking his hands, "I think I got a little-!"

"Let me see." Obito kneeled down and held the child still, inspecting the minor burns and heat-wear to Yuma's shirt, "This is okay. It can be worse! Do you want to try again?"

He nodded. Without waiting for his father's guidance, Yuma made his second, more confident attempt. 'Huh, he's using more chakra…he's pretty close!' Obito thought as the child's fireball was substantially larger but spewing stray embers. Yuma stopped with another screech of pain.

"Ooh, ouch…" Obito could see there was a glossy patch of skin on the boy's chin and hands, "Do you want to call it a day? I'll get you fixed up."

"Wait!" He caught his breath, "Show me how you do that…" Yuma gestured with his hands towards his mouth, determined, "After the Tiger seal! I saw you made the fire skinnier, or something! Can you show me again?"

"Skinnier?"

Yuma cupped his hand next to his mouth, raising his eyebrows as if to say, This! Do you remember when you did this?

"Oh! Okay, yes, if you can't get the hang of it simply by breathing it out," Obito mimicked the hand gesture, "You'll see shinobi narrow a breath of fire with their hands like this. It's a subconscious thing that happens with Ninjutsu."

"That means…you don't know you're doing it?"

"Right. It's called channeling. I think teachers often forget to mention it." Obito explained, "Let me show you again."

And again, after the final seal, Obito made sure to emphasize that he could direct the flame further away from his face with the simple motion. The spout was narrow for a few feet past his lips and then ballooned over the water into a sphere of fire. Yuma pointed and nodded, "Yeah, that's what I meant!"

Obito stopped and chuckled, "Give it a try. It's pretty easy. You're just taking more careful aim at your target with that kind of channeling…but you can still do it if you hold a hand seal too."

"Well it was burning my face that way…"

"You'll figure it out."

"I'm going over here, Dad!" Yuma ran around the circumference of the pond to its opposite end, "I'll try it again and you watch, okay?"

"You got it."

It was like reliving a moment of his childhood. Obito watched as the boy moved through the seals, channeled and exhaled, producing a better-than-average fireball that did not sear him. What was a rite of passage to bear the clan crest of the Uchiha, in Obito's day, was now just another technique Yuma had learned for survival training. 'He picked it up faster than I did. They'd make a big deal of him! Though…no one really congratulated me when I did...' Obito thought, 'Well, I also didn't have my Sharingan at the time. Yuma isn't as mediocre as his Old Man.'

Yuma generated another fireball, no longer fearful of being burned. It glowed with the same childish exuberance the little boy did. Obito waved him over and Yuma scampered back to him while laughing triumphantly.

"Dad! I can do it!"

"I know!"

"So is this," Yuma indicated the channeling hand motion, "Something we only use with Fire Jutsu?"

"Hm. Well no…channeling goes with all parts of Ninjutsu. Like I said, most ninja don't realize they're doing it," He stood back and made hand seals for an Earth Jutsu. Obito laid his hands on the ground and overturned a linear portion of rock and soil, "See? Earth Release is another common example. Sometimes it's just easier to perform jutsu this way, but there are some people who can focus so well that they flat-out direct it with a thought!"

"Can you, Dad?"

He smiled proudly, "Sure I can."

"Show me!"

"Fine, but please understand that this is more difficult. Don't you dare try this kind of thing yet," Obito made seals for a fireball but bent at the knees, freeing his hands as if they had something better to do, and roared a jet of flame over the pond with a gaping mouth. He actually had to try a little, 'Or I might burn the hair off my head doing this kind of shit…' Vapor rose wearily from the water while Yuma clapped in amazement.

"Seriously…don't do that." Obito warned him again, "That's something only a seasoned ninja should try and they can still mess it up!"

"I got it."

"Good! Now come here," He scooped Yuma up and settled him on a bed of moss a few paces away, "Let me take a look at you…"

"I feel okay! I want to keep practicing…"

"We'll practice more tomorrow. I just wanted you to get your toes wet today." Obito gently shot the idea down, "Though I was impressed by what you did, Yuma."

"Thanks, Daddy."

Much like how his child was learning a new jutsu, Obito had been taught an important technique by Rin. After a discussion about accidents, emergencies and how to handle them on their own, Rin proposed, "Why don't I teach you the Palm Healing Jutsu?"

"I don't know if I have a knack for it…"

"You're chakra control is…" She refrained from laughing, "So much better than it was when we were kids. You've got a better chance now."

"Thanks."

"So do you want to try it?"

And he did. Or at least, he was still trying. Obito had a full day of explanations and lessons from his wife, who was a very good teacher (he told her). The days that followed were filled with little tests and exercises. Rin made him practice all the time on small, meaningless things: paper cuts, puncture wounds, bruises and such. She told him that he ought not to tackle a broken bone or any severe injury without her supervision, Because it is possible to screw up, she warned him. The precision and care he needed to take with his chakra was utterly unlike breathing fire and destroying things with powerful Ninjutsu. But he was getting the hang of it.

"Hold still, Yuma," He wrapped an arm around his son and pressed his hand to Yuma's chin, erasing a sting-pink burn. Faint green, glowing chakra wiped away the marks on the boy's skin as Obito passed his hand over them, and Yuma sighed in relief while hugging his father.

"I'm glad you can do what Mama can do."

"Me too." Obito took a seat and just held him, enjoying how Yuma was neatly tucked under his chin, "She's much better at it than me…but it's good for when I stub my toe, I guess; or when you knock me over during Taijutsu practice."

The boy giggled wildly.

"You've gotta be gentle with your Old Man. I'm getting frailer every year."

Yuma shook his head, "No way. I can't go easy on you!"

"Really? Not even when I ask nicely?"

"You're the strongest ninja there is, Dad. I want to be better than you!"

"Oh, I see," Obito nodded in understanding, "Then that's okay. Don't get mad if I win, though. I've got my precious reputation to defend."

"Ha! Mama can beat you too!"

He grinned, "In more ways than one, she can."

"Two versus one!"

"You guys would beat me to a pulp. That's no fair."

"Fair."

They cuddled and mused beneath the golden trees.

"You're much more talented than I was at your age," Obito observed, "The Uchiha clan will welcome you."

"They'll like me?"

"Without a doubt."

"Will I get to see my grandma and grandpa, just like Fumitake does?"

"Well…" Obito sighed, "Your grandma and grandpa have been dead since I was a little boy. You can meet your aunties, though. They're my big sisters. There are many people in the clan who will want to meet you."

"Oh!"

"And the leader of the clan too, Fugaku-sama."

"Hmm."

"You'll definitely get to meet everyone from Mama's family. Gosh…there's going to be a lot of people who will want to see you."

"When can we go? Can we go soon?" Yuma's eyes were pleading, "I don't want to be lonely anymore. No one around here really likes me."

"Hey! There are plenty of people who think you are super cool!"

"But…kids my age…"

Obito stared out into the sea of straight tree trunks ahead of him, deep in thought, "I don't know exactly when…but we'll get there. I promise you that we will. Your mother and I don't want to coop you up here forever, so don't worry."

A soft sigh, "Okay..."

They lounged until Obito heard the distinct gurgle of Yuma's empty stomach, 'Oh. It's lunch time.' And they marched home along the forest path.

"Dad! Which jutsu can I learn next?"

"You just tried out the Fireball Jutsu. We can think about that after you've mastered it."

"Oh, come on…"

Obito smiled slightly, "You're being pushy. There isn't much you need to learn right now. If anything, your mom and I might teach you Supplementary Jutsu. Remember that we said we only teach you things that can keep you safe?"

"So no more fire jutsu?"

"When you're older, sure. And not a moment before you've gotten all the Supplementary techniques down."

"I bet Mama will teach me!"

"She will," Obito winked at him, "When you're older."

"Bah."

He lifted the boy up by his arm pits and helped Yuma avoid the coiling vines of a thorn bush. Obito set him back down and watched him cross a log carefully, 'He's at about the age when he could take the entry exam for the Academy. Yuma would be accepted in a heartbeat.' It was another fleeting daydream of his, 'I just don't know how I'm going to go about it. Rin promised she would take Yuma to Konoha if something ever happened to me…but otherwise she won't entertain the idea.'

Obito often wondered if her reluctance stemmed from not wanting to face her family, 'Or Kakashi…' He had vowed that he would stand by her side and make the process easier; after all, he was due for a lot more harassment than she was. No. Rin hated the idea. She insisted that there was no way their peaceful life could continue in the Leaf Village, 'Everything will be ripped apart all over again. Even if we did our best to rebuild there, people won't understand.'

He worried a little bit that she could be right.

'Maybe I can ask Jiraiya-sama for advice. He suggested that we go back anyway…' Obito frowned anxiously, 'Though I haven't heard from him in a long time. I hope he's alright…I may need to track him down to make sure he's still in one piece.'

The forest thinned out as they approached the house. Beyond the line of trees that stopped at their front yard, Obito could make out a shape lying down in the grass. A bit closer still he could see that it was Rin, asleep on her back with her hands folded on her stomach. Sesshu was slumbering beside her.

Yuma turned to his father and gave the "shhh!" signal before sneaking over to his napping mother. He stopped and crouched beside her, trying to hold back his giggles.

Rin stirred, keeping her eyes shut, "You're laughing."

The boy hovered over her face, "Mama! Only babies take naps."

"Oh?" She opened her eyes, smirking, "Well you should tell your father that."

"Hey!" Obito had settled on Rin's opposite side, "If that's true then that makes the two of us babies."

She smiled at Obito, sat up, and then began to look Yuma over. Rin had been expecting a burn or two after the first day of practice but he appeared to be unscathed. She plucked at his crispy t-shirt that had a few holes in it, probably caused by the heat, "You'll need to change, mister. Go put a new shirt on and then have some blueberries. I put them on the table for you."

"Okay Mama." He pressed a wet kiss to her cheek and then took off again, leaping over Sesshu.

"Hmm." Rin's chuckle resonated in her chest, "I thought maybe the Fireball Jutsu would have left that boy worse for the wear," Her chestnut eyes met her husband's, "But he was in capable hands. You did a good job healing Yuma."

Obito sighed quietly, leaning back on his hands, "Thanks for the compliment. I'm not nearly as good as you though, Rin."

"Oh. Then would you like some extra training?" She had turned towards him on the grass, wearing that puckish smile of hers. Obito could tell that she was not referring to medical techniques.

Intrigued, he bent down over her, "You've got something to show me?"

"I do."

"Can you show me out here?"

"Maybe." Rin pulled him gently by collar of his shirt and pressed her lips to his. A warm rush rolled down his neck and back and Obito pressed against her, tracing down her tunic with fingertips that were curious about the skin beneath.

The harsh breaths of their kissing disturbed Sesshu and the dog flattened his ears. With a short growl, he rose and then stalked off, seeking his favorite rug back inside the house. After tousling briefly, Obito lifted his wife up and proceeded across the yard, deciding it was time to bring things inside after all.

Rin, who was compliant with this unspoken decision, smiled to herself while she kept her arms properly looped around Obito's neck as he transported her. They passed Sesshu at the entryway who muttered in annoyance at the sight of them.

Yuma was seated in cross-legged fashion at the kitchen table with a green t-shirt on. He looked at his parents curiously while he scooped blueberries into his mouth by the handful. 'Sometimes Dad just picks up Mama like that and takes her everywhere. He won't put her down.' And of course, Obito did not set Rin down again. He liked her where he had her.

"I'm glad you changed," Rin addressed her son, "Yuma, would you mind giving me and your father an hour alone? Sesshu will take you into town."

The dog protested weakly in the background.

"Well…okay." He chomped one last handful of fruit before hopping to his feet. As an afterthought he asked, "Hey Mama, what do you and Dad do while I'm gone?"

Rin opened her mouth to answer, stopped herself when she thought better of it, and then burst into a fit of wild laughter. Yuma stared with wide eyes, not comprehending. Obito shook his head at Rin's hilarity.

"Just husband-wife things." Obito assured him, "Totally normal."

Yuma nodded. That was the answer. If anyone ever asked him, that was the explanation he could use. He was not a child who desired details; at least not yet.

Rin composed herself for a moment, "That's right. Have a good time in town, sweetie."

The boy grinned at her before darting through the living area and shouting for the ninken to wake up, "Race me into town Sesshu!" The golden dog sluggishly complied.

"He had…blueberry bits in his teeth." Rin lamented, "Oh…I don't want him walking around looking like that! I should have told him to brush first…"

"He's a kid." Obito reminded her, progressing down the hallway, "Kids are messy."

"Yeah."

---

A few minutes after sunrise beside the Toad Oil Pool, Naruto was seated on the top step, drifting harmoniously with nature and the energy all around him…

"You moved."

Naruto held still, keeping his eyes shut.

"You definitely moved."

"No."

"Well now you did, because you spoke." Gamakichi teased him from where he lounged a few feet away on a large mushroom top.

The young man's head snapped towards the antagonizing toad, eyes fiery and nostrils flaring, "Gamakichi, I told you before to stop talking. Seriously."

"Jeez! I just want to hang out with my best human friend."

"I am here to work on tranquility. Pa asked me to relax and try meditating without oil," Naruto added pointedly, "OR distractions. We can hang out later."

Gamakichi propped his head up with a webbed hand, "Fine."

He did not wish to leave, but it was best not to pester Naruto any further. Fukasaku had explained to many of the toad residents in the valley that they were not allowed to hinder Naruto's training. It was hard enough without interference, but due to Naruto being very friend-minded and attentive, he was sure to be distracted by any type of companionship. It had to be cold-turkey, silent work.

By calling upon some inner-strength, Gamakichi managed not to disturb Naruto for a full hour. The sun gradually crept upwards over the valley. Naruto had not moved a muscle all the while. The toad found his concentration truly remarkable.

"Naruto!"

Gamakichi glared across the clearing at the offending newcomer, Kosuke, who was shouting as he hopped towards the pool.

"Keep it down! He's trying to meditate, you twerp!" Gamakichi hissed.

"I'm sorry," Kosuke stopped on the steps, distraught, "I know Pa said we shouldn't hold up Sage Training but, but…"

Naruto had snapped out of his trance and addressed his small friend, "What's the matter?"

"I was in the Leaf Village the other day, checking out the comic book shop and all that…then Hinata-sama came looking for me. I don't know how she found me so fast…"

Naruto suspected she had used the Byakugan to find the toad.

"She was upset! I couldn't tell why but I promised that I would get her letter to you," Kosuke offered up a scroll apologetically, "I'm sorry, Naruto. I know you're working hard…"

"Hey! It's okay! I'll take that," He accepted it, "It must have been important. This is a situation where it is totally fine if you interrupt me, just so you know."

"Gotcha."

Naruto laid eyes on the words that had been scrawled in a frantic rush:

Naruto,

I am so frightened. I wish you were here. The past few days have been absolutely terrible. My eldest cousin was killed just outside of the village as he was returning from a mission. He was mistaken for Neji-niisan, and my father was told that the attacker introduced himself as an outlaw from Iwagakure, Shimofuri Koinyu. Most of my clan is in shock and even I am unsure of why this happened. My cousin's teammate told me that Neji-niisan and his team were targets.

Why on earth would someone want to hurt them? I feel so worried, like we all need to look over our shoulders now. Father says that this kind of grudge is unheard of these days, because the Rock Village and Leaf Village are no longer at war. I just don't understand. Perhaps you can ask Gama-sennin if he knows about this person? And please…

Her writing had a small cross out and what looked like a water-droplet mark

Be very careful, Naruto. I was fearful enough of the Akatsuki, but it seems that our village still has many more enemies than we thought. I don't want you to be so far away. I don't want you to encounter people like this who can hurt you.

His chest felt tight as he read about her heartache.

I know that when I am by your side I won't let anyone hurt you. Not with their words or actions, I will always stop it from happening. It sounds selfish, but all I can think about is you coming home to me. I don't think I could go on in this world if anything ever happened to you, Naruto. Please be safe. Please come home.

Love,

Hinata

Dizzy, Naruto looked up from the parchment and got his bearings. His skin had gone cold. The Akatsuki was not the only coalition trying to sink its claws into the Leaf Village. Hinata's alarm had dislodged his peaceful mindset and essentially halted any progress he might make with meditating that morning.

Naruto stood and spoke sidelong to Gamakichi, "I'll see you later."

"You're not going to keep going? Is your girlfriend okay?"

"She's not, but I want to make sure that she will be." Naruto rolled up the scroll and thanked Kosuke for notifying him.

The toads blinked and Naruto had teleported back to his anchor in Fukasaku's house.

Naruto found Jiraiya seated at the dining table, drinking tea while editing a draft of Icha Icha Paradise.

"Ero-sensei," Naruto took a seat across from him, still frazzled, "Can I bug you?"

"Sure, you're doing it already so feel free," The man chuckled, "Do you have a question about Sage Training?"

"No. Hinata sent me this," Naruto handed the scroll to his mentor; "It's not good. I was hoping you could weigh in on it…"

Finishing a sip of tea, Jiraiya opened the scroll and flattened it, scanning over the short but pleading message. He looked up again after a minute and sighed, "Oh boy…"

"Well?"

"I was aware of this. Tsunade sent me a message too, although she's piecing together a lot of reports. She was hoping I could tell her more about these assholes and how they've messed with us in the past." Jiraiya fidgeted his bad arm, which was not nearly so bad anymore, "This fellow from Rock is a servant of Dintei Bi's, without a doubt. He's not really hunting down Gai's team, because it's the girl that he wants. Tsunade can probably already tell."

"Tenten? Why just her?"

"She's Takaharu's only child; a loose end. Those lunatics will do anything to wipe out the true line of succession to put themselves on top." Jiraiya scratched his chin, "They probably won't kill her until they have what they want…but I wouldn't put it past them to execute any Leaf shinobi they suspect might be affiliated with her. They've done it this way for years. They smoke out their targets until they're inescapably cornered."

Naruto sat in troubled silence, staring at the flower vase on the table. Jiraiya casually sipped his tea. He had a better hold of the crisis than his student. Jiraiya had always known that the list of Konohagakure's enemies was a few miles long, but now it seemed that the overlap of threats and violence was overwhelming Leaf. In his opinion, Tsunade had chosen a decent time to make new allies, 'We're going to need Sand and Star to be on their toes when this shit hits the fan and blows all over us.'

"You were right." Naruto spoke suddenly.

Jiraiya, wide-eyed, regarded the teenager in delighted bewilderment, "I was?"

"Hinata will make me forget. As soon as I'm back in the village with her…I won't be able to leave." He confessed, "When I read all of that…I wanted to get to her. Just for a second, I thought I might make a run for it. I don't want her to feel like that. I'm never gonna let her feel so low all on her own like that!"

Jiraiya patted his shoulder, "I know it's super hard for you, kid. Think of it this way…her clan is supporting her. She's safe and she won't feel crappy and scared forever. And you? When you finish up here you can look forward to being with someone who really does love and connect with you back at home. I didn't have that. It'll be worth it, you'll see. Sage Training will save your ass and then neither of you will have to be paranoid like this."

He poured Naruto a cup of tea and pushed it in front of him. The blonde took a tentative sip of it, absorbing Jiraiya's words, "You can write back to your princess this evening. Do me a favor…and relax. Please try. Tsunade and I are still a team, and I am going to work on this with her. There's nothing you can realistically do at this point other than master Senjutsu." He smiled, "Go back to the pool and meditate."

Naruto groaned, releasing some pent-up stress.

"Let it all out, kid." The man nodded in approval, "Yeah, go and master Sage Training in record time, like you planned. I want to be astounded. I want to be dazzled."

A small laugh escaped Naruto, "I've already done that."

"Well, yeah, I'm pretty impressed. But like you said, you're not going home until you get this right…since you're so excited to put on the old ball and chain for your girlfriend."

"Damn right." Grinning, Naruto flashed away to the Toad Oil Pool.

---

Kakashi had the distinct look of having finished a marathon. Disheveled and slightly dehydrated, he walked beside Sakura down the road towards the center of the Leaf Village. He listened as his resilient student recapped the few events of the Tide Village he missed.

"I finally got to meet Matsuri after the whole, you know…" She was wincing at the memory, "Gaara losing his temper thing."

"It was spectacular, wasn't it?"

She frowned, "Don't joke! I was worried he'd make headlines when he started screaming. It just did not go how it was supposed to. Honestly, I'm glad that the Sand ninja didn't need help stopping those bandits…and that the students were safe. It was all we could hope for when we hurried to the Tide Village." Sakura shook her head, "But if Kankuro had somehow resolved everything…inexpensively...it would have been the perfect outcome!"

"Yes, that one little detail…" Kakashi agreed, "Better that he prevented casualties than fret about a pristine thoroughfare."

"Gaara said it would cost Sand a bit less than half of what is spent on funding a Chunin Selection Exam."

"That was just the first estimate. That's only if Tazuna doesn't choose to fine them."

Her chin dropped for a moment, troubled, but then Sakura livened up again, "Matsuri was great. She seemed so happy…and Gaara said that she was the first shinobi to track down the Shin clan."

"So that's why she had that little Sound ninja following her around?"

The girl grinned, "I heard he took her on a date! Gaara wasn't very pleased about that."

The pair detoured down a side street and stopped in front of Sakura's house. She sighed, hesitating to go up the steps, "Thanks, Kakashi-sensei. If Tsunade-sama needs me to debrief for a mission report I'll stop by her office later. My parents aren't going to be happy I was gone for an extra three days…"

"I don't think you'll need to. Take it easy for now, Sakura."

Before he set out again he could see Sakura fiddling with a key on a lanyard around her neck, 'That isn't for her house…' The pink haired girl steeled her nerves and went inside, "I'm home!" and then endured a string of complaints from her irate mother. The woman pounced like a wildcat when Sakura tried to make a break for her bedroom.

Kakashi returned to the main road and was debating whether or not to catch lunch. Asuma caught his eye as he appeared, traveling in the opposite direction. They stopped to greet each other.

"Hey. Where have you been, Kakashi?" His friend wondered.

"All over. First I was in Suna with Sakura and then the Kazekage asked me to help him neutralize a threat in the Land of Waves," He let out a long breath of relief, "I need a day off."

Asuma tossed a spent cigarette butt to the ground and extinguished it, "You're not the only one."

"You too?"

"Nah, I'm fine. It's Gai." He clarified, "He's been very out of it since the Hokage splintered his team."

"She what?"

"It was a huge debacle. I saw him for a minute just before he left for a mission with Lee and Neji. Looks like he aged thirty years in one night…" Asuma sucked in his cheeks to appear gaunt, "Not good. The Hokage's not talking either. She said she'll have a meeting with the Jounin Council after the next report that comes in. Maybe in a few days."

"She removed Tenten without telling Gai?"

"Yeah."

Kakashi stared blankly down the avenue as citizens strolled by, carefree and content. His stomach churned. When Sasuke had detached himself from the team, not too long ago, Kakashi had gotten a very unique feeling after the Retrieval Mission failed. If evisceration had an emotional equivalent, that's what it felt like to watch a student disappear.

'Of course, if Tsunade-sama is trying to get a handle of an emergency implicating Gai's team, then she obviously doesn't care how Gai feels about it,' Kakashi supposed, 'I ought to drop by and make her care.'

It's what his friend deserved, at the very least. Hokage be damned, Kakashi thought. Students were so much like children to him and his fellow Jounin, and it hurt to be apart from them.

Kakashi thanked Asuma for the warning and then continued. He poked around the plaza for ten minutes and got a sense that Gai had not returned yet. He went home.

When the door of the apartment chunked shut behind him, Kakashi could hear the yawning of his ninken from their bedroom. The clattering of dog nails on the wood floor followed. Pakkun and Biscuit arrived first to welcome him home.

"Hello boys. Is everyone else napping?"

"Yeah. Bull rolled on top of the rest of the pack, so don't expect them to come out here anytime soon." Pakkun reported, "You were gone for longer than you said you'd be, Kakashi."

"Sakura and I got sidetracked. We ended up going to the Land of Waves as Gaara's backup." Kakashi explained, kneeling down to scratch Biscuit's chin, "I left plenty for you guys to eat, right?"

"We were fine." Pakkun assured him.

"Good. Will you please do me a favor and hang out around the Administration Building? I want you to let me know when Gai gets back. I need to talk to him."

"Sure," Pakkun turned to his floppy-eared companion, "Come on, Bisky." He trotted over to the door and pulled on the rag tied to the handle. It clicked open and the two dogs let themselves out.

Kakashi moved down the hall and stopped at the dogs' room. As expected, Bull was nestled happily on top of his smaller companions on the large, cushioned bed they shared. They were sleeping through it, and maybe being slowly crushed to death. Kakashi smiled happily. His dogs were his other children.

He arrived at his bedroom and unpacked his travel bag, lost in thought. 'Why would the Hokage do something like this? Asuma made it seem like it was a response to some kind of threat…but Tsunade hasn't told the Jounin anything yet.' It perturbed him immensely. For the most part, Kakashi quite liked the Fifth Hokage and agreed with her policies. She had made admirable strides to improve the village. There were also some habits of hers that did not go over well with him. For example: not sending replies or being courteous with low-priority (in her book) clients and communications. Hiding alcohol in the bottom drawer of her desk. Taking her temper out on the shinobi who worked closest to her. And severing teams unexpectedly. He could not give her top-marks for any of that.

After putting clothing and tools away, Kakashi migrated to the bathroom. He took a hasty shower and then redressed. 'Gai probably didn't fight her orders.' It was difficult to speak out against a superior's command, much less the Hokage's, and Gai had never in all his years combatted authority. A good-natured competition was customary, once in a while, but he never outright objected orders. While he may have wanted to speak up, Kakashi knew that Gai had bottled up his concerns instead. He was respectful to a fault.

'And arguing with Tsunade is a Herculean task.' Kakashi noted. The Hokage was very aware of the fact that she was a woman, and that, initially, she had caught flak from stupider members of the village council because of her sex. She didn't put up with it. Well, she didn't put up with any type of argument, truth be told. Her defensive reflex was so inflamed from critics and village crises that Tsunade was quicker to slam a door in someone's face than show even the remotest bit of sympathy.

And he totally understood.

Pakkun barked from outside the front door and Kakashi opened it, letting him and Biscuit inside.

"We just scented 'em. Gai and his team entered the Hokage's tower. You can catch them if you go over there now." Pakkun informed his human.

"I'll find him now. Thanks, boys."

"No prob. We're going to the dog park later for some exercise. Don't wait up."

Kakashi set out again. He passed by his favorite tea house and longed to stop for a pick-me-up, but he walked on dutifully. The aroma of snacks tempted him all the way down the street. As he passed shop windows, the glass reflected the tower-high cumulus clouds suspended in the blue sky. It didn't feel like a tragic day, but Kakashi prepared himself.

When he reached the entrance of the tower Team Gai was leaving. It was a sight to behold. Today, Gai stood behind his students, looking just as defeated as what Asuma described. Wilted. Lee was in front of him, looking far too timid by Springtime-of-Youth standards and was supremely aware of Neji, who was at the lead. His anger was razor-sharp and permeating the air. Lee was absorbing it and converting it into grief.

Kakashi wanted to shake his head; reproachful of how they had fallen apart, but instead he waited on the sidewalk as they exited. Neji's stone-faced expression harkened back to his Academy Days. He had become an island again.

Without a single word to the rest of his team, the young man stalked off towards the west side of town, towards the Hyuga Estate. Lee paused on the road; his expression had gone from sad to contemplative. Kakashi could see the boy draw a conclusion, watch how the idea brought him back to life, and then he waved goodbye to his sensei. He ran after Neji.

For once, Gai did not have a spirited greeting for his rival. Kakashi stopped beside him and they observed the foot traffic of the village circulate for a few moments.

"I heard that the Hokage subtracted a student from your team." Kakashi began, "What happened, Gai?"

There was a hard expression on the man's face. A little bit of rage had drifted to the top of the pool he had been drowning in. Gai settled down and exhaled, "From what I understand…the Hokage thinks that we are in danger at the present time. Tenten most of all, it seems. She has forbidden my students from participating on missions outside of the Fire Country. Communicating with Tenten is also prohibited."

"This feels like a reaction to something." Kakashi pointed out.

"A young Jounin from the Hyuga clan was killed recently by a rogue Rock ninja. My team was the original target."

"Hm." He nodded, getting a grasp of the tale, "Did the Hokage have a briefing with you before she made such a major decision?"

"No," Gai's thick eyebrows furrowed, "She blatantly cut me off! The Hokage doesn't trust me. She rendered me powerless before I could do anything to protect my students. Really…it was a shameful thing to do."

"I agree," With his hands in his pockets, Kakashi strolled towards the building, "Let's go give her a hard time about it."

"Don't be a fool, Kakashi."

"I'm serious. You really won't stand up to her order?"

"Tsunade-sama said I can't appeal it. She'll terminate my activity and reassign me if I try."

"She won't bust your chops if I'm around." Kakashi asserted, "Now come on."

And so they went together, as two good friends often do, to a dangerous place.

Kakashi hoped, as they climbed the staircase, that Tsunade would not punish Gai harshly if he personally took credit for the visit. It just didn't seem fair. He got the feeling he could squeeze some information out of her if he held on and pissed her off just enough. That was the Hatake method, Sato would attest.

The door to the Hokage's office was open and so they stepped inside. Kakashi cleared his throat to get Tsunade's attention.

Without looking up from a push-hole ballot, she spoke, "Back again, Gai?"

"Yes ma'am." He uttered her favorite phrase. It was probably a smart idea.

Tsunade regarded Kakashi with a short glance and then went back to voting, "You're overdue, Kakashi. Shut the door."

Kakashi shut it and then approached her desk. Gai worked up enough bravery to do the same.

"What have we here? The dream duo. What can I do for you?" The Hokage quipped.

"I'd like to ask a few questions, Hokage-sama." Kakashi took the reins for the time being.

"Fine. But first, answer mine: How is the Tide Village?"

"Stable. All students accounted for and no casualties. Gaara's paying out of pocket for cosmetic damage to the city, though."

"Delightful. His first lesson in accountability. And Sakura?"

"Outstanding."

"Good." Tsunade looked up from the paper and smiled slyly, "Now what do you want to know?"

"Do you honestly believe…that I would stay silent if you removed a student from my team without a proper explanation?" Boldly, Kakashi added, "And how could you expect Gai to do so? If it's serious, a Jounin has the right and level clearance to be told what you know. Just send the Genin away."

The irritation she had been concealing inched back into her features, "Are you telling me how to do my job?"

"No. Those were questions."

Her eyes fell on Gai, "I already explained that I won't hear your objections to my order."

"I haven't objected, Tsunade-sama. Kakashi has."

She gritted her teeth, "You two!"

"Though I do believe Kakashi is right…you should not have denied me information." Gai worked up a backbone.

"YOU are too close to your students. You would have tried to prepare them for the worst. Am I wrong? If I had told you beforehand: I am removing Tenten from your team, would you or would you not have braced your students for the change?"

Frowning, he admitted, "I would have."

"That's why I couldn't disclose much right away, Gai." She folded her hands on her desk, "Please try to understand…I didn't want to do that to you. I just knew I had to."

Kakashi was slightly surprised that he saw her point.

"As an apology, let me tell you what I know now." Tsunade offered, "Since I have the both of you here, I might as well keep you in the loop."

Finally, some cooperation. They listened.

"This kind of attack fits a pattern that has existed for nearly 30 years. Targets are taunted in various ways, but it isn't unusual to see friends or loved ones killed should they step outside of the village. Then these rogues work their way in," She took a steadying breath, "I'm not sure how they do it. Nukenin like this should not have an intimate knowledge of Konoha…but I am starting to get the impression they have contacts on the inside." Tsunade lowered her voice, "But you didn't hear that from me. I don't have the evidence I need yet."

"Is this the same group that killed Takaharu?" Kakashi had a hunch.

The Hokage folded her arms, "I have no illusions about that. It must be so. Jiraiya has warned me to be wary of this faction's movements."

"And this blood feud involves my student?" Gai was distressed. He could draw a connection between Tenten and her father.

"It does. That was why I had her relocated. Forgive me for not explaining it to you sooner, Gai."

"Keeping her hidden will not work for long. Everyone of that blood line who sought refuge here was killed." Kakashi had to express the facts, even if they were morose, "The sooner the Jounin Council knows about this, the better. We don't need anyone else getting caught in an ambush."

"Leave that to me, Kakashi." Tsunade's voice became gentler, "I trust that you won't reveal this information to your students, Gai. They can't be involved in this matter presently, but in the future I know I will have to depend on them to counter this menace. Take care of them for now. I know it hasn't been easy."

Some of Gai's fire returned, "Understood, Hokage-sama. I don't want them going soft on me at a time like this…"

The Hokage fiddled with the ballots on her desk and then organized them into a pile, "There are a few other Jounin I want to speak to about these disquieting circumstances. I think they may know just as much about this enemy as you do, Kakashi. The two of you are free to go," The men looked relieved up until she continued, "But I have a D-Rank mission I want you to complete together."

"Tsunade-sama…I just returned from a mission." Gai pointed out. Moreover, such a low-level task was not befitting of a pair of Jounin.

"I know. Kakashi, I realize you meant well by coming to Gai's defense…but that condescending tone of yours was not conducive."

He smiled, thankful that it was not a cruel punishment, "Sorry. I couldn't help myself this time."

"Thank you for your candor, gentlemen. I'm glad we had this talk." Tsunade smiled, "Go scrub the bathroom on the first floor. There's a utility closet down there you can use. I feel that is a fair trade-off for your heckling."

---

The very first friend Lee had ever had in the Academy had been a boy in his class named Ageru. Lee, young and impressionable as he was, was truly ecstatic to have a friend. They attended class together and shared lunches. Though they were not part of the popular crowd, their social standing while together sustained them in the child-hierarchy of the school.

Ageru was by all accounts as average as they came. He was a dark haired fellow and the only child of two well-meaning, non-shinobi parents. He had been a friendly and welcoming boy.

Even while it became increasingly clear that Lee was falling behind with each course in basic Ninjutsu, Ageru encouraged him and always chided, "Don't worry!" He had thought Lee would catch up. They sat through History and Strategy class together in the beginning. Ageru fended off bullies who had called Lee "talentless" and the two initial years at the Academy were not nearly as awful as they could have been.

The day that Lee found out that his only friend had left the program was sudden. That solitary day of class, transitioning into "singlehood" made him feel terribly uncertain. More uncertain than Lee had felt about his own obvious lack of ninja gifts, or that he did not receive letters from his parents anymore while they were abroad. His only confidant was gone. Lee had sought Ageru out at the lobby of his father's business one day and asked why he no longer attended the Academy.

"Your marks were very good! You would have graduated near the top of the class!" Lee, with his long braid thrashing, made clear how upset he was.

"I think I would have been a decent ninja, but I decided that I don't want to grow up and be one." The boy shrugged, "My Dad says I can take over his business so I need to start learning now. Go make more friends at the Academy, Lee. They'll help you practice."

The average boy proved that even he did not have the time to spend on a below-average friend.

Ageru fell out of touch, and Lee, desperate to survive the days of preliminary training and near failures, completely forgot about him. He forgot what it felt like to have a companion; to hear kind words from children his age.

The relentless bullying reached a fever pitch. His determination was mocked. Teachers went easy on him and lowered their expectations with every test. He was aware of how out-of-place he was in an environment that demanded excellence.

It turned out that being rejected by classmates sometimes worked in his favor. One day in class, a boy denied him a free seat, "Beat it, loser!" and so Lee went to the available chairs in the middle row. It was the first time Tenten had ever spoken to him. He took the seat next to her quietly and set his books down.

"I like your Han braid." She told him just before a lecture began.

"You know what it is?"

"Sure. My mom ties my hair like that sometimes. Our family has those traditions too."

He smiled and then faced front, nervous, fearing that she would make a remark about how he'd lagged at the back of the jogging troupe that morning. He recalled seeing her closer to the front. Not a good sign.

"Look at him." Tenten whispered, indicating a boy in the front row. His right arm was in a cast, "Habara is such a klutz. He promised he would practice shuriken throwing with me today. Now he's weaseling out of it."

"Well…his arm is broken."

"So use the other! I can do it. He told me that he didn't want to try." Tenten scoffed, "If he just tried, he'd probably find out he could do it." She looked at Lee, her pretty eyes questioning, "Will you practice with me later, Lee?"

He accepted the invitation, wagering his aim was quite good compared to his other abilities.

And from that day on, even though Tenten was critical of his throwing technique, she spent every afternoon with him at the target practice yard until her father brought her home. She was not malicious like the other children, Lee theorized, she just disliked nonsense. When he didn't give her nonsense she was actually a pleasant companion. She never said a word about his struggles. He had plenty of people discussing his failing marks already.

Mercifully, at Graduation time, the Chunin Instructor who was organizing Genin cells noticed that Lee (who had against all odds passed) was compatible with the kunoichi who spent afternoons practicing with him. By "compatible", he clarified to his Instructor peers; he meant that Lee would not be wickedly ridiculed every few minutes by this particular trainee. He then paired the oddballs with the student who had graduated at the top of his class and dusted his hands; mission accomplished! A balanced squad: sure to function.

At any rate, it wasn't the school's problem anymore.

Neji was the embodiment of Lee's many Academy torturers compiled into one, compact, snobbish teammate. He did not filter himself. With simplistic, scathing language, Neji frequently knocked Lee down. When words did not suffice, Neji would physically knock him down when they sparred together. It was only natural to prey on Lee's weakness.

Had Gai-sensei not been nearly so enthusiastic with his tough-love training, Lee might've given up. Even Tenten, who was his friend (as they had mutually established over dumplings one morning) could not protect him from Neji's malice. All she could do was distract him by becoming the Hyuga prodigy's dedicated training partner. It reduced the assaults just enough for Lee to thrive under Gai's tutelage.

Lee and Tenten fostered their friendship through their shared heritage. They went out to eat and spent short amounts of time (he was preoccupied with laps) and generally nurtured their bond off of the training field.

By the time Lee had learned Front Lotus, Neji was not exactly a tormenter anymore. He had cooled off.

No one on the team would use words like "nice" or "outgoing" to describe him, even during his improved days, but he had become a trustworthy teammate. It made the missions more workable. It strengthened communication and productivity. After another year of training together, growing up and surviving close-calls, they had all achieved a balance and become "comrades," as Gai put it with a jubilant laugh.

'And now,' Lee thought as he followed the heir to the Hyuga clan across the village, 'It feels just like old times. Neji is behaving the same way he did when we first became a team…'

Lee was sure that he would be bearing the brunt of Neji's misery. He was mentally fortifying himself for the attacks. What was different this time around, Lee decided, was that he would choose to put himself in harm's way. He had a gut feeling that his teammate would not benefit from being left alone. They had barely functioned as a team on the brief, D-Rank mission they had finished that morning.

'The channel must be left open!' Even if Neji only had negative things to say, at least he had the ability to voice them. After all, Lee had an incredibly clear picture of what was irking his friend the most. If the person who understood his pain walked away from him at a time like this, who in the world would truly be able to listen?

When he passed through the gate of the Hyuga estate, Lee spotted Neji taking his shoes off at the veranda of the Main House. It would stand to reason that he wanted to shut himself indoors and mope. He swiftly slid the door shut behind him.

'What is my next course of action?' Lee cupped his chin while he walked across the courtyard.

He simply wanted to convey the message: I am here for you! It seemed straightforward enough, but Neji's disappearing act could silence any and all supportive comments. Neji also wanted to go somewhere he wouldn't be followed. Lee knew better than to waltz into the Main House uninvited.

Staying outside on the gravel path, Lee bypassed the front of the building. While Lee debated how he could gain access to the house, or just storm inside (he knew where Neji's room was) he entered a yard that was green with grass and clover. Just beyond the lawn, a meticulously kept garden was fragrant with gardenia. He blinked. A small red toad with goggles on its head hopped out of the flower patch and towards the porch of the house.

Toads were a telltale herald of Naruto, Lee recalled. He rapidly deduced where the little creature was headed, "Excuse me!"

The toad stopped; surprised that it had been addressed, "Huh? You mean me?"

"Yes, I do. Are you a friend of Naruto's?"

"I am! The name's Kosuke."

"So then perhaps you are delivering something to Hinata-sama?" Lee deduced.

"You're sharp! That's right. She told me she would wait for me in that tea room over there."

"Ah, I see! Maybe she will not mind two visitors?"

Through a door that had been left ajar, Kosuke made a noisy appearance into the sitting room. Hinata was by herself with a stack of books, pressing flowers between pages. She looked up with a small smile, "That was so quick, Kosuke-chan!" She chirped in surprise when Lee appeared at the doorway, "Lee-kun, hello."

"Good morning, Hinata-sama! Do you have some time to spare?"

"I do. Please sit down." She turned to Kosuke and accepted the scroll he offered up, "Thank you," And patted a cushion beside her so the toad could rest. Kosuke made himself comfortable and Hinata regarded her human visitor curiously, "Is everything alright?"

Lee took a spot on the opposite side of the table, "I am not sure. Neji is distraught and I do not know what I can do about it."

"Did something happen?" Her shoulders were rigid. She had known from the start that Lee's presence meant something serious. Typically, it was Tenten who gave her updates.

"Tsunade-sama removed Tenten from our team," Lee announced, his hands gripping his knees tightly, "It is part of an investigation. Gai-sensei and I are upset about it…but Neji is the worst affected."

Hinata stared at him for nearly a full minute. She was working out the problem in her head.

"I know that he has become very close to her. I think…that Neji wanted to be closer to her," Lee figured it was safe to discuss it with Hinata, who was more than likely aware of her cousin's feelings, "He is frustrated that the Hokage has forbidden us from speaking to Tenten."

She nodded slowly, "That is true. I could tell. Did he talk to you at all, Lee-kun?"

"He has not."

Hinata used her Byakugan to check the house and spotted her cousin. She pursed her lips, "He needs someone to talk to."

"Neji might prefer speaking to you more than he would to me." Lee presumed.

Her eyes fell on the scroll that Naruto had sent. She glanced back to Lee, sympathizing with his plight, and then she stood, "Kosuke-chan, will you please wait here for a while? I am going to pay my cousin a visit." The toad was happy to oblige.

"I will try to help him feel better, Lee-kun," She was smiling hopefully, "And then maybe he will be comfortable opening up to you. In the morning I will let you know how he is doing."

Lee thanked her profusely and asked Kosuke to wish Naruto well for him. Lee departed from the house, optimistic that he might have found a way to soften the shell that Neji was retreating into.

---

The next day, Lee had spoken to Sato, who had heard from Shikamaru (and he from Asuma) that there was some strife between the Hokage and Team Gai.

"More specifically, Neji." Sato announced.

Lee, who had been in great need of some therapy as well, spoke about how they barely even knew how to speak or make eye contact without Tenten around. Shikamaru and Chouji listened from a picnic bench as Lee orated the sad tale to Sato (and Shino too, though he had not solicited the story from his place against an alleyway fence.) Lee got it out of his system. He had even selfishly wondered if he cared more about Tenten's absence because he had been her friend for a longer period of time.

"You can spout blasphemy like that in front of us," Sato comforted him with a pat on the back, "But Neji might kill you if he heard that. He's got a thing for her, after all."

Downtrodden, Lee nodded, which was tantamount to confirmation in Shikamaru's opinion.

He held up a finger to halt the conversation, "Hold on a second."

Lee, Sato and Chouji gave him their attention. Shino might have, but behind those glasses who knew?

"Sato just said he has a thing for her."

"Yeah." The Hatake nearly rolled his eyes, "Why do you think he's so pissed?"

"Because they're friends?" Chouji supplied.

"Sorry, but I'm right this time. Even Lee would tell you that's the case." Sato insisted, nodding as if he had some authority on the matter.

Lee felt his friends' gazes shift back to him. "It is possible," He conceded, "But Neji does not possess the emotional vocabulary to articulate such a thing. If he does feel that way, then we may never see evidence of it."

"There's evidence." Shikamaru assured him, "Tenten is the only unattached kunoichi of our group. That's not an accident."

"It's Neji's fault." Sato agreed.

Chouji interjected, "She could just, you know, not want to date anyone."

There was a pause as they considered it.

"Well, whatever the problem is, Neji needs to know that he's welcome to come to us," Shikamaru offered, "It's a huge burden on you, Lee, to put up with him all on your own."

"We'll meet with you whenever you guys want." Sato's affirmation came with a thumbs-up.

Lee was most appreciative of their support. Feeling superbly equipped to deal with his teammate's wretched mood, Lee dropped by the Hyuga compound to see how Hinata had fared.

He found her in the garden he had passed through the day before. She held up her hands apologetically, which were covered in large, dirty work gloves, "It did not go as well as we hoped…"

"Why not, Hinata-sama?"

"Neji-niisan…did not want to discuss it at all. When I pressed him, I think it made him more upset. He told me to leave." Hinata explained, "I'm sorry, Lee-kun. I will try again later today. Maybe he needs a little more time."

"I see. I am grateful that you tried." Some of his confidence ebbed. If Neji wasn't meeting people halfway in terms of feeling better, then Lee couldn't do much for him, even if he was bursting at the seams with support and compassion.

He consulted with Gai at their training field…which was looking woefully empty that day.

"Lee, it is simply a matter of being present." Gai proclaimed, a bit more sedate than usual, "There was a time when Kakashi was withdrawn…when he too was lamenting the loss of his team." He folded his arms and continued, "I did the opposite of what others did. When they told me to give him space I tracked him down on every corner. Every street and hole in the wall! He didn't like it…but after a time Kakashi told me that I had helped him."

With wide eyes, Lee was captivated by the advice.

"Yes…Kakashi told me I was a bug up his butt. That I was insufferable. That he hated seeing me. He practically never accepted my invitations out to be with friends. For a time I thought I had done more harm than good…" Gai grinned, "But my dour rival worked his way out of it. When his sadness became more exhausting than my challenges he decided to free himself of it. Kakashi valued my friendship and he told me so."

"Gai-sensei…" Lee covered his eyes with his arm, choked up, "Will I…be able to do that?"

He clapped the boy on the shoulder, "Without a doubt, Lee! It will be painful. It will seem pointless…but you must do this for your teammate. Tenten would want us to."

Lee nodded and let his tears dry up. He was fortified. He and his teacher shared an optimistic hug before spending the rest of the day sparring. Kicks only.

---

Shockingly, Neji turned up for training the next morning. Of course, there was a scowl plastered to his face.

Lee frantically tried to summon up the wisdom that Gai had imparted. How to be "present," even if he came across as annoying; he scrambled to extend some form of goodwill that was not overtly youthful.

"Neji! You're joining us today?"

With a hand on his hip, the Hyuga remained mute. His face indicated that it may not have been his idea to participate, but he had showed up nonetheless. Lee had an inkling that Hinata had succeeded.

"Are you feeling better?"

Neji arched an eyebrow at him. No.

Gai would arrive in a few minutes, Lee estimated. He shifted gears, hoping that reinstating the routine, i.e. training might help his friend feel things were like business as usual. When he asked if Neji was interested in sparring he did get a verbal response.

"What else would I be here for?"

Lee was wounded by the comment, but he soldiered through it and took a stance. Neji commenced. He had feinted and spun, coming from Lee's left, and a flat palm shot towards him like a bolt of light. Lee blocked appropriately, anticipated Neji's counter, and then leapt back. His kick was perfectly level with Neji's cheekbone when the Hyuga brought his arm up in time to stop it, buffering the hit. They skidded in the dust where grass no longer grew on the field, escalating the furious close quarters match.

Gai came upon the scene and was surprised to see that his students were early. He was tempted to greet the boys sunnily but stopped himself. Lee had a black eye and a swollen lip. Neji looked nearly untouched. Gai stood by and watched in silence as Lee, at a plain and stylistic disadvantage, kept up with Neji.

Lee took every blow graciously. The Jyukken was the most painful that Lee had ever recalled experiencing, and while he certainly wasn't pulling his punches, he could not bring himself to inflict true injury to Neji.

'I am not only listening with my ears…but my heart can hear as well!' He endured for a while, losing track of the time, and had barely noticed that Neji had slowed down and was straining for breath. There were intermittent pauses every twenty minutes or so. The boys used them to uncross their eyes and get the proper amount of oxygen to their brains. Then they dove in again.

After a heated exchange in which Lee took a clean shot to the stomach, he rallied, dropping his elbows down on Neji's forearms. It might've broken a bone and was essentially an illegal move, but Lee could see as Neji retreated, at last injured, that it probably hadn't done serious damage.

Without agreeing to it out loud they took a break.

Gai approached them while soaking a towel with cold water from a bottle. He folded it up and pressed it to Lee's purpling, bruised face, "Well done, Lee…" He turned to Neji, "I'm glad that you came here today, Neji. I'll have you know that I expect you here every day at our regular time, in spite of recent events. I am sure you can manage it." Neji didn't dispute it so Gai added, "For now, I will beg your pardon. The Jounin Council is having a meeting at noon that I must attend."

He reminded them to not kill each other while they trained and then Gai was off.

Lee held the cold cloth to his face and sighed. This was essentially what he had imagined would happen. Just like the old days, Neji would blow off steam and beat him until he was unrecognizable. Lee was feeling a little dizzy and so he took a seat on a fallen log at the side of the field. Neji crossed over and took the spot next to him. He looked much calmer.

The quiet spring day was punctuated by songbirds weaving melodies in the forest.

"This could be our new normal." Neji suggested. He didn't sound happy about it. His voice carried a tone of resignation.

"I hope not." Lee told him, lifting the cloth from his face to reveal his darkening bruise.

A tiny flash of humor buzzed on Neji's face, tilting the corners of his mouth up, and then he was sullen again. "I apologize for hurting you." Neji told him. He really did mean it.

"You have been upset. This is not something you would normally do."

"It is something that I used to do." Neji noted.

Lee smiled. He recalled vividly. "Did Hinata-sama speak to you?"

"Last night I heard her out. She was insightful." He conceded, "She wished that I would not take my anger out on anyone who was going through the same trauma that I was. I could only assume she meant you."

"I did ask her to help me." Lee acknowledged.

"I saw you do it," Neji sounded slightly amused, "She even tried to get me to cooperate by using leverage. It was a poor excuse for coercion, though."

Lee's thick eyebrows rose, "She did?"

"Hinata-sama said she would not read Naruto's reply to her until I returned to my team again. I don't think she understands how to properly threaten people."

"Ah, but it worked, did it not?"

Stymied, Neji admitted, "It did."

Lee removed the cloth since it had gotten warm. Deciding to take a risk, Lee thought he should extend an invitation now that Neji appeared receptive. It was one of Gai's methods, which of course boded well. Training wasn't doing either of them a whole world of good, but Lee knew that Shikamaru and his counterparts wanted to console Neji too. It might distract just enough from the fact then Tenten was not hurling weapons at Neji's head, and wouldn't be doing so for a long time.

"Shikamaru asked us to stop by and-"

"No."

Crestfallen, Lee prodded, "You do not want to see our friends?"

"They'll ask questions."

'At the very least Sato will.' Lee thought to himself, "But Neji-!"

"They already know, don't they?"

"Well-"

"You spoke to them."

"I had to speak to someone. I miss Tenten and the Hokage has prevented me from seeing her." Lee elucidated; a bit ruffled, "Being with friends is a natural thing to do at a time like this."

"I would rather see her." Neji tilted his chin up, still protesting the Hokage's mandate, "I planned to find her later today."

Lee felt a headache starting at the very center of his forehead. Neji was out to make trouble again.

"You cannot-"

"The Hokage wouldn't seriously stop me, and there's nowhere she could hide Tenten from me." He stated matter-of-factly.

"You will be punished for it."

"She won't know."

"The Hokage has a way of knowing things! Gai-sensei once said that Sarutobi-sama had a crystal ball that-!"

"Those are just stories. Tsunade is all bark." Neji insisted, "She won't follow through."

"You are not thinking clearly!" Lee chucked the cloth, frustrated, "If you cross the Hokage again she might reassign you, or worse!"

Neji was quiet for a time as he thought it over. Part of him knew that Lee was absolutely right, and that there was always a decent chance someone might rat on him to the village leader. If Tsunade didn't javelin-toss him into the next century in retribution, he very well could get shuffled into a new team. While reflecting on that, he realized that it turned his stomach. Gai and Lee, for all of their silly, hyperemotional passion, were the only teammates he was comfortable with. They were trusted people.

A paradox deep within his mind exploded upon thinking it.

But no, there was no way he was going to learn to put up with new people all over again and try to pretend he liked them. It could permanently transform him into a snooty, hotheaded, and malcontented jerk. The Hyuga clan wouldn't thank him for that reputation. And also, he leveled with himself; he did not want to live his life as that person. Part of him truly desired…dare he say it…to be happy.

He conjured up two plans. The first was that he would stick with Lee and try not to be an asshole. The second plan was to secretly find a way to reach Tenten without risking punishment. Solid.

"You're right." Neji conceded to Lee's point and nearly stopped the boy's heart, "Let's find something to do." He reminded Lee that something to do meant he still didn't want to hang with Shikamaru's group.

And so Lee proposed lunch. At his place.

---

What followed was by far the strangest and nearly the most eye-opening experience of Neji's young life.

One would hardly bother to remember that at the end of every long day of training, after hundreds of pushups, laps, forms, jump rope hops and other flimflam; that Lee went home to sleep somewhere. What a concept, Neji thought as they arrived at Lee's small, wooden, box-like house downtown. At least he wasn't paying for lunch.

He followed Lee inside to an unfamiliar, three-room living space. He used his Byakugan only for a moment to acquaint himself with the immediate room. Odd, velvet upholstered armchairs were to the right of the room on an oriental rug. On the opposite side was a small table with folding chairs, a teensy kitchenette with a steaming tea kettle, and a cabinet full of porcelain dinnerware. Hung decoratively from the walls were scrolls with characters that Neji could not read. Beside them were red tassels tied to gold medallions and a paper lantern suspended from a string. There was a tall, twist-neck floor lamp in the corner.

Seated in the armchair beside the lamp was a tiny old man. His brow was heavy with age and it folded over his squinted eyes, concealing them under tufted, snowy brows. At first glance he looked bald, but Neji had spied a long white braid on the back of his head, where the rest of his hair had receded. He was wearing a black brocade jacket and matching pants. Motionless in his chair, the old man's lips moved.

And Neji had no idea what he was saying.

Neji stood beside Lee, perplexed beyond measure, as the boy began speaking to the old man in a foreign tongue. He delivered the words with such sublime diction, alien though they were, that was stark-bare proof of his fluency. Lee was bilingual.

Before Neji could start scratching his head and pondering how he had never noticed this trait, Lee turned to him, providing an explanation, "Neji! This is my grandpa, Wong Leung."

Stilted, he managed, "How do you do, sir?"

The old man regarded him blankly, unaffected by his words. Lee parroted the same greeting in the appropriate language and then Wong Leung nodded.

"It's alright." Lee assured him, "Grandpa understands most Nihongo, but not that phrase, I think. He only really likes to speak Hanwen."

"Hanwen?" Neji muttered under his breath.

"Han is where my entire family is from. I am the first generation to live only in the Fire Country." Lee filled him in, motioning for him to move towards the kitchen, "Let us eat." He fetched a basket of dumplings and pickled vegetables resting on the counter and then set it on the table, uncovering it. Lee poured two cups of tea and took a seat across from his friend.

Neji thanked him for the meal and helped himself. The boys tucked into lunch together. Wong Leung stood from his chair and crossed the room with short steps towards the table. The old man's interest had been piqued. He stood about a foot away from them with his arms folded behind his back, and he took stock of Neji's appearance.

He then turned to Lee, inquiring, Where is she?

Who do you mean, Grandpa? Lee wondered, setting his tea cup down.

The young lady.

Oh! Tenten. She is not with us because of the Hokage's order.

Hmph! She needs to come around more often. She'll make you a good wife. And she understands me when I talk!

Flushing bright red, Lee objected, She is my friend, Grandpa!

Neji, clueless about the exchange, kept eating while they jabbered.

Who is this boy? His eyes are strange. Is he blind? Why is his hair loose like that? Real men tie it back tight so they can fight properly. Tell him that. He frowns too much. What's his problem?

GRANDPA. Lee cut him off, raising his voice slightly; Do not be rude to my friend. His name is Neji.

Neji perked up at the mentioning of his name. He got the gist that maybe Wong Leung was not giving him a rave review.

I thought Tenten was your friend. I like her.

Neji is my friend as well. We are all teammates! He is most upset that Tenten cannot be with us. He does not know what to do without her. That is why I am keeping him company. I want to make sure he is alright.

Wong Leung stared at his grandson, or at least, he was probably staring from beneath that brow. The old man went back to his arm chair. He was out of Lee's hair for the time being.

"You call him Yéye." Neji observed, "Does that mean grandfather?"

Lee nodded cheerily, "That is what it means."

"You used my name. Was he saying something about me?"

"Uh…" He hesitated, "He was interested in you. I told him why you are with me today. He wanted to see Tenten."

"So he has met her?"

"On a few occasions. Grandpa likes that she can understand him."

"Does she speak Hanwen too?" Neji had to stop eating. The news was rushing in so fast he wouldn't be able to swallow safely.

"Tenten does not speak it well. She understands whatever we say, but she does not practice conversation as much as she should." Lee rated her ability, "She has ancestors from the Kingdom of Han. I know that her parents spoke it very well, whenever they came to the Academy training yard."

Neji was floored.

"Would you like some more tea?"

"No," Neji waved the teapot away, a touch affronted, "Why didn't you mention any of this?"

"I…did not think that it would matter." Lee replied sincerely, "We had to focus on training! No one ever asked about Grandpa before. Not even Gai-sensei."

Gradually comprehending it all, Neji finished his last dumpling. He could feel Wong Leung watching him from behind.

"So is he a shinobi?" Neji asked, "What made your family come to the Leaf Village?"

"Our people immigrated here a long time ago. Merchants found better business in these lands, taking care of services that ninja could not," Lee explained, "Grandpa is not a shinobi…but he is a master."

"Of what?"

Lee stole a peek at his grandfather who had busied himself with a newspaper. He whispered, "We should…discuss that outside…it is a sensitive topic in this house."

Lee cleaned up the table and thanked his grandfather for cooking the food. Wong Leung did not look up, almost as if he had not heard Lee's acknowledgment. As he and Neji went outside, Neji asked about it.

"Does he ignore you often?"

"Han grandparents are like that. Grandpa is strict with me." Lee divulged, "Ever since I was young, Grandpa reserved his caring comments for two times during the year. My birthday and the New Year."

"You're…serious?"

"Yes. Even you have a greater frequency of kindness than him."

It was both flattering and disconcerting. Neji knew without people having to tell him that he was no peach. Lee had most likely built a thick skin because scornful comments were typical in his daily life. 'It's no wonder why he worships Gai…' Their sensei was far and away the most sanguine creature in the village.

They stopped underneath an oak tree on the side of the property. Its long limbs shaded the house and sidewalk.

"So what is he a master of?" Neji repeated.

"Grandpa, long ago, was a master of Wushu. Those are the martial arts practiced in Han. He owned two schools as a young man and trained many students. He told me that he retired and came here with his son to help with business. That was my father." Lee summed it up, "When my parents…did not come home…Grandpa raised me and sent me to the Academy here. He wanted me to learn Ninja Arts."

"Why didn't he train you in your family's techniques?"

"He said I was unworthy."

Neji glanced over his shoulder back at the house. He was indignant for Lee. The last thing he needed was to live with a person who belittled him.

"It is alright, Neji."

"Surely he believes that you are worthy now. Has he seen your Taijutsu?"

"Grandpa says Taijutsu is heathen Wushu."

"Why would he encourage you to learn heathen arts?" Neji growled, "He should be proud that you are a shinobi."

"Grandpa thinks that warriors of this country are more barbaric than in his homeland. He used to say that he only intended for me to learn to defend myself and work hard." Lee smiled, "But I know that he cares about me. He just longs for his former life."

It was not entirely unlike Neji's situation. He wanted things to be the way they once were…and at times he would lash out. He killed the thought. Neji was no foreign grandfather; he was a young shinobi forging his career. And at the very least he would give Lee a bit more credit. His Taijutsu was something to be proud of.

The two boys jumped in surprise when Wong Leung cleared his throat behind them.

Grandpa! When did you get out here? When Neji heard Lee speak he only heard frenetic, indecipherable, multi-tone phrases.

You two are gossiping about me. My nose was itching.

Neji wanted to know about my life.

What's it to him? Why does he care?

Some fiery youth trickled into Lee when he replied, Grandpa…when I talk to him it makes him feel better. He cares about Tenten and he does not want to be apart from her. I need to keep him company. I do not want Neji to turn back into what he once was…someone who was lost. And unhappy. As his friend, it is my duty to stand by him and prove that his feelings matter!

Good. Wong Leung said, folding his arms behind him. He strode forward and then eyed Neji up and down again.

While observing the confused, frowning Hyuga, Wong Leung sidelong asked Lee, What does he do? Can he fight?

He is the heir of the Hyuga clan. Neji uses Jyukken.

Fuh! The old man laughed, amused, What a watered down technique that is…those oafs. Tickling each other! It used to be the Not-So-Gentle-Fist style at its inception! I remember it. Make him fight me. I'll teach him.

Grandpa…

Lee, Wong Leung's eyes were tiny crescents on his face, commanding, I will teach both of you. It is time I taught you what I know.

What? He cried, shocked.

Tell him what I am about to tell you. I want you to understand. You silly ninja almost never grasp such important lessons…

Lee turned to Neji, "Grandpa wants to teach us."

"Why the sudden change of heart?" Neji grimaced, "Perhaps I do not want to learn his contemptuous ways."

I KNOW what he's saying! That conceited mousefart!

Lee quickly did damage control, "Neji, please listen. He wants to tell us something."

Reluctantly, Neji gave them his attention.

As I was saying…I will teach you now. Why have I not done so already? It is because you were unworthy. I watched you pathetically stoop and flap in that confounded Academy. You tried to become what they are. A ninja. You were desperate! All you could think about for the longest time was yourself! Your failures! I was disgraced.

Lee's face dropped, abashed.

Go on and tell the mousefart that. Go on!

"Grandpa says…that he did not want to teach me because I was desperate. All I cared about for so long was becoming a ninja." The words did not come easily, "I thought of nothing else."

Lee gave his grandfather an inquiring look, Why am I worthy now?

You are not thinking of yourself anymore. You are protecting your friend. Whenever you begged me to teach you my techniques, you only had your own interests at heart. Now that you are caring and protecting others selflessly…I would be honored to teach you our family's prestigious style.

"He says that I am worthy now because I am thinking of others."

Neji still did not buy that the old man had a nice bone in his body. He was wary. He nodded to show that he understood.

Lee…your father was obsessed with his own betterment. He used my Wushu to act despicably and pursue his interests. He found a woman who was just as self-absorbed as he was! Then the pair of them shamed my house. And when they left you behind…I vowed that I would raise you to be a worldly person. No matter what, I would not let your heart become black like his. Your precious people are the greatest fortune you will ever know. There is no other treasure worth chasing.

Grandpa… His eyes moistened at the proclamation. Lee had always suspected that his parents, who he had nearly no memory of, did not have respectable professions. He could agonize about how they had not looked back so much as to blink at him when they ran away, but Lee never could have asked for a better caretaker than his grandfather.

"What did he say?" Neji asked.

Lee shook his head, "I will tell you…some other time…"

Hmph! Wong Leung flicked his braid over his shoulder and bustled across the quiet road. Now tell your friend to come along. The two of you hurry up!

The boys followed him to the narrow river that cut through the upper quadrant of the Leaf Village. Lee frequented the river's edge on sunny days, sometimes to do handstands. After walking upstream to a more private patch of grass, Wong Leung faced them expectantly.

I will test you later to see which style you are best suited for, Lee. For now, let's see what this milk-eyed child can do. I bet he hits like a newborn kitten! "Gentle Fist". That's what these shinobi call it nowadays. In our land it is called Baguazhang; the way of the Eight Trigrams and the canon of the old religion. Shifu Dong taught me for ten years, and I taught my disciples for another sixteen…

"Neji, Grandpa wants to see you use Jyukken."

He was incredulous, "And when I am held liable for hurting a seventy-year-old man-?"

"Seventy-nine."

"Whatever. I'll be imprisoned. I know better."

Wong Leung sensed his hesitation. He bent his knees, his stance lighter than air, and positioned his hands with dignified purpose. His palms were relaxed and facing outward. Neji recognized it as a Gentle Fist stance of some kind, but it totally lacked energy. There was no tension in his upper body. His arms too loose. With his guard lowered so, Neji felt that it would be a crime to attack an elderly man's chakra points.

I dare this mousefart to try to hit me.

Grandpa, he is hailed as the genius of my generation…

You know what else is genius? Toilet paper. And I wipe my butt with that.

Lee balked and then grinned. He took a few steps back so that Neji was directly facing his grandfather. Perhaps he was not as frail as his short stature made him seem.

"I do not think you will hurt him, Neji. He is too proud to report you to police anyway." Lee encouraged.

It was not a good reason, but Neji fell into a stance. He'd give it a go. He might need to explain to Hiashi why there was a warrant out for his arrest later, but he was curious to see if Wong Leung did indeed have something to teach him. He swooped forward for a traditional Jyukken slap, Byakugan and all, with a side of guilt.

The old man treaded as if there was a floor mat guiding his steps, offsetting Neji's movements. They had the look of a spinning, lazy-wheel on a dinner table. Neji would strike and Wong Leung would step, rotating away with the perfect ease of pollen in wind. Wong Leung circled, without attacking or defending. Neji could hardly believe the nimbleness of the grandfather. He was goaded into keener attacks.

Like a kitten. Wong Leung assessed.

He moved faster as Neji picked up speed, whirling, watching the chakra points revealed by his Kekkei Genkai dance away from him as he drew near. It was maddening. He was striking as if Tenten was about to run a sword through his throat; as if Kakashi would lobotomize him with Raikiri. It was the most effective and vicious Jyukken he could muster against anyone who might possibly kill him. Thankfully that was not Wong Leung's intention, but his predictive motions made a mockery of his Taijutsu.

Certain that he was prison-bound, Neji rushed in for a Sixty-Four Palm strike. Lee's grandfather seemed to recognize his goal, slid his hand cleanly along Neji's arm, below the elbow and up to his chest, avoiding the boy's lunge for his chakra points. Swiveling his hips, Wong Leung's feet followed beautifully, completing the stride, and folded Neji's arm up like a letter to dear mama. Wong Leung directed Neji's other arm up, useless; his face was aghast like a schoolchild's, and then pushed the boy down like a plaything. All in one breezy motion.

While Neji recovered safely in the grass, trying to replay the exchange in his head, Wong Leung gave his comments to Lee.

Does he not sense energy flow?

He can see it, Grandpa.

Well you'd never know, with how aggressively he attacks! He's blinding himself. He obviously doesn't understand how a body moves. This kitten wasn't countering me; he was watching my qi flow! What good does that do? I can project my energy and trick him. I know how to move around silly children…what to expect… Gracious, these clans don't know a thing about fighting...

Neji rose to his feet and dusted blades of grass from his backside, "Is he done criticizing me, Lee?"

"Almost."

If he wants to learn the true way…I will have to put a lot of work into him. He's as stiff as a wooden plank. And he doesn't really see. He needs to see with more than just his eyeballs!

Do you wish to tutor him?

If he is a willing learner, I certainly can. But one ought not to compete in a shit-throwing contest with a monkey. There's no winning that.

Right… He addressed his teammate, "Neji, Grandpa says that he would like to help you refine your technique."

"That's not all he said." He pointed out archly.

Wong Leung came up beside Neji and hooked his foot around the young man's ankle, pulling it back half a pace. Neji shifted his weight, disgruntled by the geezer's method. Wong Leung rearranged Neji from his feet up to his chin (his arms were pretty good) and then poked him roughly in the back between his shoulder blades; Lee, make him relax.

"He says you need to relax."

Neji tried.

Melt like butter. Sink down into your stance, softly. Be as soft as the mochi people stuff their faces with around here!

"Be soft like mochi!"

He didn't get it.

But for the rest of the day, Lee shouted bizarre translations while his grandfather puppeteered Neji's body into a classical style of martial arts long forgotten in shinobi nations.

---

At the same time as Neji's Baguazhang lesson, across the village, Ino was having her morale boosted in the Yamanaka flower shop by her cherished teammates.

Five simultaneous flower orders: about 60 blooms each. Three orders were from the same customer. Those were going to the Hyuga estate. If she remembered what the invoice said, they all were.

"When is this going to stop?" She was seething, "Hinata had one free week and now those middle-aged men have lined up again! That clan is turning into a circus; putting her on a pedestal like some sacred savior or whatever! Just leave the girl alone!"

"Chill, Ino." Chouji advised while tying ribbon to a flower basket, "You're doing a nice thing. It's like you're sending flowers to your friend…"

"In the hands of creepy men, I am."

"You should know…" Shikamaru chimed in from the far end of the prep-table, glancing at a clipboard, "That those two other orders we haven't filled yet…those are condolences for the Jounin that died."

"Oh." Ino fluttered her lashes, taken aback, "Let me start those now. Thanks for helping me, guys."

Chouji smiled, completing a bow, "No problem!"

Ino scurried to the greenhouse and then returned with two armfuls of uncut flowers. She set them down on the table and then retied her apron, focusing on the order that really mattered.

"Chouji told you what happened to Team Gai, right?"

Ino nodded, "Yeah, he said you spoke to Lee. I have no clue why that happened...I feel so bad for them."

"It has something to do with Hikune's death. The Hokage is looking into it," Shikamaru lowered his voice, "She removed Tenten from the team as a precaution and then Neji lost it. Lee was having a nervous breakdown when he found us."

Chouji agreed, "Neji was stressing him out."

"Well did you help him?" Her voice rose in pitch, "When Neji stresses people out, sometimes they wind up in the hospital!"

"We offered. They can come to us anytime. Sato was cool with it. Shino and Kiba probably won't mind."

"Good, because we kunoichi won't do much good consoling him. He'll just be reminded of her." Ino tapped her chin in thought, "Actually, Sakura and I should talk to Tenten. She's probably not doing any better."

"Have you seen her?" Shikamaru asked.

"No. Not for a few days."

"Jeez."

"We're pretty lucky, when you think about it," Chouji mused, "We form the Ino-Shika-Cho trio. The Hokage couldn't find a good enough excuse to divide us even if something bad happened."

Ino smiled faintly at the idea, "There are other ways…we could lose each other…"

"Stop." Shikamaru said crossly, "You go straight to the macabre these days, Ino."

"It's not because I regularly think about any one of us dying, it's because…" She fumbled over the words, "I-I'm grateful, for the two of you. I love you both so much."

The boys wore deer-in-the-headlights expressions while she resumed flower arrangements.

After a minute Chouji skirted the tall table and along the way he pushed Shikamaru, who was seated on a rolling stool, towards Ino. The three collided gently and immediately stretched out their arms for a wordless hug.

---

Meanwhile, in Sato's apartment:

The silver haired teen was looking out the wide-open window of his living room, bent slightly to peer down at the units below his own. He and many of his friends were concerned for his neighbor downstairs. His teammates had joined him for a mini-meeting and fresh cinnamon buns.

"She hasn't stepped outside in days! I bet she's started decomposing." Sato wagered.

"Sato-kun!" Hinata screeched, "That is not funny. Do not say things like that!" Hinata only displayed two types of ire: Byakugan-fueled rage and scarlet-cheeked, adorable anger. Today it was adorable.

"One of my insects detected her alive a few minutes ago." Shino reported, "There is no need to worry."

She was not pleased that Shino had interpreted Sato's statement literally.

"You both know that Tenten-neesan is alive." Hinata reprimanded quietly, "But this is a sad time. I know that she is just as upset as Neji-niisan. I was watching her earlier and she looks terrible…"

"I heard from Lee that Neji is unraveling. And we wanna help the poor man, of course, but you know…he's got to promise not to knock our heads off. I guess Lee will bring him around when he's ready."

"Lee-kun is doing his best." Hinata agreed.

"So…is it wrong to spy like this?" Sato wondered.

Shino had the answer, "It isn't if the objective is to determine whether or not the target is deceased."

"Shino-kun!" Hinata peeped.

A Kikaichu insect floated in through the window and landed on Shino's cheek. He relayed its report, "Someone is visiting her now."

Surprised, Sato suspended himself out the window again and Hinata shamelessly used her Byakugan.

A caller was knocking at Tenten's door.

---

And about fifteen minutes later, after a stalemate of one person knocking and the other refusing to answer…the deadbolt lock was turned with a loud clack and the door thrust open. Tenten stood in the entryway, her eyes frenzied, frustrated with the visitor.

"How rude…" Hayate told her.

"Not answering the door of my home? That's rude? I think it's rude when you can't take a hint!"

"Your father didn't raise you to keep a guest waiting at the door."

"He's dead." Tenten said dryly.

"Oof. Tsunade-sama said you'd be petulant. It's been two days. You need to stop being such a crybaby and rejoin the world of the living." Hayate admonished her, "Worse can happen to you than simply being removed from a team."

"You're wrong. They are everything to me." She hissed in disagreement. She slammed the door shut.

Tenten turned and leaned back against the heavy wood, exhaling deeply. Some wrath seeped out of her. The rest of her anger quickly turned into shock when she laid eyes on Hayate standing in her kitchen, fixing himself a glass of peach juice at the refrigerator.

He glanced over his shoulder at her, "Are you going to keep yelling at that Shadow Clone? You sure do know how to waste time."

Unwilling to surrender her privacy, Tenten stomped into the dining area and seized a chair roughly. She thought about hurling it at him. She insisted, "You need to leave!"

Hayate held her gaze while he sipped his beverage, then he spoke, "The Hokage had a talk with me. About you…and your situation."

"Wonderful. Get out."

"You don't have the luxury of dismissing someone who was assigned by the Hokage to train you." He informed her unflappably, "If it really is a point of contention, Tenten, then you can take it up with Tsunade."

She eased up on the chair a little, realizing his visit had a purpose beyond merely antagonizing her.

"I am not here because I personally feel I need to be. I was ordered to be here." He took another sip, "Hm. The Hokage wants you to be able to protect yourself from assassins. Training with a melee combat team just isn't going to cut it for you. You need to learn from someone who's dealt with them before."

"And you were at the top of Tsunade-sama's list?"

"Yeah. No one else can teach you the techniques your father knew, because he's dead," He repeated the dismissive phrase she had used before, "So Tsunade-sama picked his student. It makes sense, doesn't it? If you want half a chance of surviving an ambush by a notorious crime group, you should take the time to learn jutsu that your family used." Hayate set the empty cup down on the table, "Quit your bitching."

Tenten settled down. It was completely reasonable. At any rate, if she could not be with her teammates until the Hokage approved it, she ought to do something constructive with her time.

Hayate took stock of her disheveled clothes and hair and then regarded to the clock on the wall. He sighed, "So when do you want to get started?"

"You mean now?"

"I've got nothing better to do. The Hokage froze my mission activity because of you." He grumbled, "At least it's paid leave…"

Tenten smiled to herself, "I wonder if she'll compensate me for my relocation?"

"She might if you pester her about it. That's what I did. Anyway," Hayate gave her a critical look, "You should clean up and change. You look like hell."

"Thanks."

"I'm just saying that if you go outdoors you might want to look like you belong there."

"Fine! Just sit down. I'd offer you something to drink but…" She pointed to the glass he had procured, "You're all set." Tenten moved on and down the hallway, picking up fresh clothes from her bedroom and then ventured to the bathroom attached to it. She was sure that leaving Hayate alone with the last of the fruit juice would do no harm.

She rinsed herself off and then washed her hair (which had been neglected for a while) and got herself back to her previous standard of care. Tenten had wallowed for a few days without eating, devastated that the village leader she so adored had wrenched her away from her team. She had cried once, much like the singular, loud, and teary tantrum she'd had after the Third Hokage had sent her home with the news of her parents' murder.

As a girl who cried once a year, Tenten knew she always saved it for the appropriate occasion. Being separated from her close friends felt marginally worse than the loss of her mother and father. Tenten supposed that was because she had replaced her parents with her teammates, focusing all of her energy and love on them. While the substitution was not complete and certainly not equal, it sufficed, bringing her happiness and purpose.

Tenten lathered up.

'Now look at me.' She mentally sneered, 'I never tried to be on my own. I can't handle it. I need Lee and Neji. This is the first time I have been away from them and I am not the picture of composure anymore…'

She had been whittled down, she conceded. Hikune's death had emotionally weakened her, but losing her team had tossed Tenten from the 'bridge of security' into the 'waters of the unknown.'

'What do I even do by myself?' She wondered while scrubbing.

Well, she took showers alone. She also ran the forge and shop on her own. Sometimes dinner was a lonely affair.

But nearly every other activity involved a friend, and more often than that, her team.

She rinsed once more and then shut the tap off. She towel-dried quickly. 'The last person I need right now is Hayate. He's coarse and indifferent. He was cooler when he was younger…now he's a rock.' She remembered when her father had trained him how he had been sprightly and even friendly, but in the years since he had seen things as a Jounin. 'He never would have shown his face if Tsunade-sama hadn't told him to! He barely checked in even after Mom and Dad died!'

Alas, they were stuck together now. Tenten threw her clothes on and tied up her damp hair.

She was startled to find him rooting around her parents' bedroom (now her bedroom) and examining the wall-arsenal they had proudly assembled. Tenten put her hands on her hips, miffed, "Are you looking for something?"

"Yeah." He took two, dusty Ninjutsu scrolls from the top shelf and tucked them under his arm, "Have you seen your dad's black scroll?"

"What?"

"The one that stays in your family? The contract? He must've told you about it."

"No." She then admitted, "I don't know where it is…but I know he wanted me to have it."

"Come on, you've got to help me out with this junk. I'm not in charge of your life and well-being. I'm just a supplement." He lifted her mother's famous Han sword, Hok, from its display, "Get looking dammit."

"I did look! I've turned this place inside-out three times! Then the forge twice!"

Hayate walked up to her and dumped the items he had collected into her arms, ignoring her indignant bark. He got down on his knees and checked under the bed, cursing, and then opened every drawer in the dresser, "Hey! That's for underwear! Beat it!" And then with a grunt he exited the room and stormed down the hallway.

Tenten followed, frowning, "What are you doing?" She located him in her former bedroom. Its use had been discontinued since she passed the Graduation Exam.

Hayate was standing on her bed from her childhood, messing up its pristine, untouched innocence. The pink-duvet was mucked up. She shrieked. Then she noticed that he was ransacking an old, forgotten shelf of children's stories, dust blowing everywhere, until finally he stopped. He withdrew a seemingly ordinary scroll, most definitely black, from a nook nestled in with the literature. Hayate brushed it off and then hopped down from the bed. He handed it to her, "You need to think more like your dad. Where is he going to put something important for his little girl? In her room."

"O-Oh…thank you."

The man brushed dust from his shirt and vest as he proceeded into the corridor again. He stopped, declaring, "Here's what we're going to do, Ms. Can't Cope. Clean up that sword. You'll be using it from now on. Then you're coming with me to my training spot and I'm going to help you learn those jutsu. The black scroll is absolutely last."

Tenten held up the Ninjutsu scrolls, supposing that's what he meant.

"Yeah, those." He turned, hoping to get another glass of juice, "They're classics."

---

Following Neji's enlightening introduction to Lee's grandfather, the whole afternoon had been spent on Baguazhang lessons. As the sun set it was supper time at the Hyuga house, and so Lee and Neji parted.

He made sure to thank Lee for his determination. It had helped. It had also showed him the glaring weaknesses of modern Jyukken. At the very least, Neji knew that he was not alone and that Lee was a very good listener.

At the evening meal with family, Hinata was positively overjoyed to hear that Neji had spent the day with Lee. When she asked if he would be spending more time with him he confirmed it. Neji then went on to recount Lee's heritage and his immigrant grandfather.

Hanabi had quickly labeled foreigners "weird" and proclaimed "I can barely understand them!"

Hiashi had been intrigued, "His grandfather tried to teach you Han Arts?"

"He claimed it was the origin of Jyukken."

The clan Head raised his eyebrows while finishing a bite of fish, "Well then…by all means learn it. Their kingdom predates ancient shinobi ancestors by nearly two thousand years. I would be surprised if there wasn't some similarity between our Taijutsu and an antiquated forme."

With his uncle's blessing, Neji became even more interested in learning what Wong Leung had to offer. Hinata and Hanabi then chimed in, requesting lessons at a later date.

Night fell and the Main family scattered after dinner. Neji killed time in his room, intending to wait until late before sneaking off to begin his secondary plan. He picked up the novel The First Shinobi from his desk, thinking that perhaps he would like to continue with it. He recalled the plucky protagonist, Tian Tian, and imagined that she looked much like Tenten. When a feeling of deep irritation overcame him, tightening his chest, he set the book down again. It was difficult to find any object that did not remind him of her.

He went through the porch door of his room to the deserted patch of grass outside. While the moon rose higher, he practiced the forms that Wong Leung had showed him.

Neji sort of understood what Lee's (his grandfather's) remark about being soft like mochi meant. He had swapped tension for lightness. He stepped in elegant circles and prevented his body from moving or responding as it would with traditional Gentle Fist. He was mindful but free.

Some Jyukken forms, according to Wong Leung, were completely wrong. He had watched Neji and shook his head in great distaste. They probably only work for people who can see qi, the old man asserted, referencing the Byakugan, Those that cannot see the body's energy flow…they learn the true way and can feel it through motion, through air, through intuition…

He was truly very impressed. The man had a mouth on him (Neji could tell even though Lee edited the comments) and he was the scrutinizing sort, but he was obviously wise. It was not every day a near-octogenarian beat the pants off of him.

After a couple of hours he went inside for tea, enjoyed it, ignored the novel on his desk that was beckoning him, and then went to his closet. He shed any costume-evidence that would link him to the Hyuga clan. Neji redressed in all black, including ninja tabi that were rare but still circulated footwear in his generation, and concealed his face with a tall-necked sweater that stopped at the bridge of his nose. Once he was disguised he set out into the dark.

Neji supposed, as he slinked southeast through low-traffic alleyways, that Tenten may not be expecting him…least of all suspiciously dressed head to toe in black. It might startle her. Or she might just comment on it sarcastically. No matter how she reacted, he was sure that they would both be happy to see each other after the initial shock wore off.

He took a hard left into the business district and avoided the street lamps. He leapt up an awning and to the roof of a building, deciding that he would not be noticed if he skirted along carefully. Neji crossed over the top of the forge and then leaped, catching a sturdy, horizontal flag pole protruding from the adjacent structure. He hoisted himself up in silence and scaled the brick face of an apartment building. Two blocks away, the next building was the one Tenten lived in. Not too far away. He wasn't sure which floor she dwelled on, but he was confident he could weed her out among the other residents with his blood limit.

It was at the top of the first high-rise that Neji felt a pair of eyes on him. He had been cautious. He slipped behind a metal air duct and used his Byakugan to confirm if he had been spotted. His instinct had been correct. On the next building over, a Black Ops agent was perched in a crouch on top of a billboard. Red neon on the advertisement glowed beneath him, illuminating a cat mask. Neji's Kekkei Genkai, from that distance, could make out the indistinct features of a male face beneath the guise. The agent was waiting patiently, most likely expecting him to 'pop' back up again so he could be tailed.

So the Hokage had been sincere.

Neji smiled to himself, gratified that a member of the ANBU Black Ops had been tasked with stalking him. Any other rookie might have shrugged and gone home after realizing such an elite ninja was watching…but Neji was delighted. What an electrifying challenge.

If he was going to be chased, he wanted to make it tremendously difficult for the pursuer. The Hyuga heir took off like a shot.

Watching his back with the Byakugan, Neji could see the agent spring from his position, hurrying after him. Blood surging, he dove off the stone trimming of the building and caught a rainspout, his hair whipping in the wind, and slid down the pipe until he was level with a telephone wire. He ran across it like a shadow. Agile and well-acquainted with his surroundings, Neji soared over obstacles of the patchwork city.

The agent was slower but was keeping him in his sights.

He was starting to forget what he wanted to say to Tenten. Neji supposed he would remember once he had the chance to see her. He needed to shake the masked shinobi off his trail.

Coming in from his right Neji spied what he could only assume was a clone. The duplicate of the Black Ops ninja was engaging a standard pincer-movement, hoping to drive him closer to his hunter. It nearly worked. Neji raced across a tin and tile overhang, jumping to safety, avoiding the clone, and was confronted on the next roof by the annoyed ANBU agent.

"Hyuga Neji, you are disobeying a direct order from the Fifth Hokage." The shinobi warned him, standing tall on the building's ledge, "If you do not comply and return home immediately I have been instructed to take necessary action."

Neji got a clear, frontal view of the man's face beneath the mask, studying him with the Byakugan. He looked tired. The man had bags under his eyes, but there was not a trace of malevolence on his face. He simply looked like a person trying to do his job. Neji would have felt sorry for giving him a hard time, but then he reminded himself that he never felt sorry about giving people a hard time. It was one thing he and Tsunade had in common, strangely enough.

Thanks to his spherical field of vision, Neji could see the clone inching forward carefully from behind. He also saw the ANBU agent in front of him folding his arms, exasperated, giving Neji his rights and whatnot. Then there was Tenten's apartment building diagonally ahead: a healthy, 12-foot leap away from the rooftop they had all gathered on. The wide open window into a stranger's apartment, handily enough, was home to a man who was trying to air out the smoke caused by his burning bag of popcorn. He was fanning a towel to disperse the smoke while in his kitchen. With the Byakugan relaying all of this tactical information, Neji had almost instantly mapped out his escape route. He took flight suddenly.

Tenzo immediately got an upset stomach when Neji bolted, doing the unthinkable; a true taboo of society's good manners…Neji leapt into the window of a random person's home. 'That brat!' The ANBU veteran hurled himself after Neji, realizing that he had already escaped the stranger's apartment through the front door, carrying on into the building and was most certainly headed upstairs to the next floor.

A confused, "Hello?" sounded from the kitchen as Tenzo rushed after the reckless Genin, extremely embarrassed he had no alternative route to choose. He ran out the door of the apartment, slid on the corridor's linoleum and then threw himself forward, afraid that he was going to actually lose the rascal.

Rather than taking the stairs, as the rookie had done, Tenzo leapt up and used his blood limit, melding with the ceiling as he simplified his cells with the Mokuton's power, and he passed through to the next level into the third-floor hallway, cutting Neji off from Tenten's home at the end.

Genuinely surprised, Neji skidded to a halt when he arrived at the top of the stairs. He regarded Tenzo interestedly.

Tenzo heaved a sigh, "Well now…you clearly have no regard for the trouble you are causing residents!" He was like a disapproving parent, clucking his tongue.

"No one noticed me. That man probably saw you, though." Neji replied, stepping forward guardedly. Tenten was close. He needed only to get around the Black Ops agent. Second to last door on the left. She would hear him if he shouted. She'd come to the door. She'd stop all this nonsense!

"He did," The masked man was ashamed he had been spotted, "For a moment…but the point is that no one would need to see anything if you would just do what you were told. The consequences will be greater than you expect, if you continue this."

"This is the worst consequence."

"Children can be so dramatic." Tenzo observed, almost as if he had to recall a time when youngsters horsed around.

"I'm not a child."

"You most certainly are," He put a hand on his hip, "No adult would behave like this."

"Some would."

"Those that do," Tenzo told him pointedly, "Are the ones I put in jail."

"If that makes me an adult…then just try it." Neji taunted. He was riding a wave of pride that he had not known since shortly before his fight with Naruto at the Chunin Exam.

The Black Ops shinobi stamped his foot, shouting in frustration, "The Hokage was right about you!"

Neji was giving him shit. Tsunade had predicted it.

And Neji dove ahead, ignoring the fact that his opponent had a sword, and circled around the masked man who swatted at him. Taking Wong Leung's lesson to heart, Neji stepped around the veteran like a spore in the breeze and made a break for it. The doorway was in his sights…the walls were transparent with his superior vision and he could see the outline of…

Something wrapped around his leg.

Neji tripped, catching himself like a cat on the floor, and saw that the hunter's arm had shifted into what could only be a tree branch. It had ensnared his ankle and stopped him from going any further.

"Just knock it off already!" Tenzo hollered, "Do you really want me to-?"

The door to his immediate right opened and a hunch-backed old woman marched out of her apartment. Her glasses, which hung from a chain around her neck, were fitted to her beady eyes so that she could see what raucous had erupted in the hallway.

"What the devil is going on out here? You boys shout at all hours of the night!" Her voice was scratched with age, "Are you fighting out here, young man? I bet it was you!" She lifted her cane and began to whack Tenzo viciously.

"Ma'am! Please!" The ANBU agent struggled to shield himself. She had taken aim at his mask and proceeded to flog him with all the might a grandma could muster.

Taking advantage of the distraction, Neji tore himself free with a spike of Jyukken. He slipped his legs beneath him like a starting track-runner and then launched himself into a final sprint. Behind him, Tenzo was begging for the old woman to "Return indoors" so that he could complete "the apprehension of a juvenile delinquent." Since he was doing all of the shouting, however, the old lady insisted he was the problem. Folks just wanted to sleep!

The door. Neji could see her within, still awake and seated at the table, polishing a sabre. Tenten didn't seem to hear the calamity outside yet. Neji reached out, thinking that maybe he wouldn't knock and just blow the door down at this point, and was cut off by another Mokuton branch. At the opposite end of the hallway nearby, a window beside the fire escape had provided entry for the Wood Clone. It caught Neji around the middle and squeezed the air out of him, silencing his cry before he could make it. Then it reeled him in and they plunged from the window together.

They ricocheted painfully off of the metal of the escape ladder and fell into the leafy treetop of an oak, snagged in the fork of a topmost branch. Neji writhed furiously, knowing that this time he was caught.

From above, Neji could see Tenzo leaving the third floor of the building through the same exit. The old woman was tossing things at him through the window. A few moments later a door slam was heard.

Panting from the exertion, Tenzo and his clone hefted Neji from the canopy and to the ground again. The clone melded with the tree trunk and kept him secure in a binding of wood. Tenzo bent over and gave him a scolding look from behind his dented cat mask.

He shook his head, "You've done it now…"

Neji gave him an even stare. He wasn't scared.

Tenzo tugged his captive to his feet, secure in a ring of timber, and pulled him along the street beyond the earshot of any residents. They sat down on a bench that overlooked a memorial fountain. Tenzo caught his breath and leaned back to stretch. Then he sat with his hands on his knees, trying to relax before giving Neji any explanation of how he was to be processed.

"I read your file. You're the heir of the Hyuga clan. How can you act so irresponsibly?" The ANBU ninja asked reprovingly, "A whole clan depends on you, Neji. As a servant of the village, the least you can do is respect the orders of the Hokage."

"There are other people who need me." Neji retorted, "Just as I would take risks to protect my clan…my teammates are just as important."

"Your teammate is alright. We've been watching over her."

"I don't care what all of you do."

"You can do it better?" Tenzo smiled, "And why is it that you know best?"

"Because none of you…" He trailed off. Frowning deeply, Neji looked away down the street.

"Because…we don't care like you do."

"You don't." Neji agreed pithily, "You would only fulfill the needs of your mission. Beyond her physical well-being, the Black Ops have no other concerns."

"We are supposed to be detached and unseen. It is our role in this village." Tenzo confirmed.

"That is why I can't depend on you. I should be there for her."

"But you can't, the Hokage forbids it." The veteran reminded him, "You need to be patient. You need to trust someone."

"The Hokage doesn't trust us."

"Yes." Tenzo nodded, "Otherwise you and I would not be sitting here. If you were not an unruly individual, she would not have assigned me to watch you."

"I won't trust someone who does not trust me." Neji vowed.

The masked shinobi chuckled, "There are times when you have no choice. It's called putting your faith in people."

"And what do you know about that?"

"I'm an expert."

Neji puffed in disbelief.

"Contractually, I can't give you my name." The ANBU agent explained, "But I can tell you that I have gone through a crisis much like your own. I was probably the same age as you…"

His eyes were shut and he was glowering, but Neji was still listening. He was inquisitive about the life of an ANBU agent.

"I was raised in the Root organization since I was very young. It was not the most hospitable environment." Tenzo glanced at his captive, "Do you know what Root is?"

"It is the 'foundation' that my uncle mentions from time to time. They are ANBU not controlled by the Hokage."

"Yes, they answer to another senior officer. Root performs different duties to protect the village." The veteran went on, "Anyway…when I was a kid, I met someone named Hatake Kakashi."

Neji's eyes flew open in astonishment.

"He was dealing with his own troubles. His teammate had left Hidden Leaf after an argument…and his sensei passed away after battling the Nine-Tailed Fox. Kakashi had dedicated himself to work for the Third Hokage as a member of the ANBU," Tenzo recounted, "He was very unhappy then. When I was a small child and met him for the first time...I saw how gloomy he was."

He continued, "When we met again, years later, he was healthy. It seemed as if he had discovered something new to live for. I was a bit jealous that he was doing so well. I wasn't." Tenzo sighed, "Within Root, I had no real friendships. I had no idea how to enjoy life. Though he and I…clashed initially…in the end I decided that I preferred the way he lived life. I left the foundation and enjoyed the friendships I found as a servant of the Hokage."

He poked Neji's shoulder, "But what I'm getting at is that we do care, Neji. We of the ANBU Black Ops definitely care! We cherish our friendships and bonds. We are not heartless or cruel people simply because we are anonymous. Root is another matter…"

"Then I suppose…you are capable." Neji muttered.

"Just try to believe that." Tenzo encouraged. He stood up and adjusted his arm guards, "Let's see now…typically I would bring you before the Hokage to answer for your defiance. Or I would knock you unconscious and bring you to the ANBU detainment center…"

"Hn." Neji was unflappable. At least at the ANBU HQ he could scope it out and consider future career prospects. As for the other option, Tsunade would spout the same doctrine she had before, if a tad more angrily now. He wanted to get knocked out. Maybe the agent would give him a choice?

Tenzo exhaled and released Neji from his Mokuton snare, "But…I will let you go with a warning, this time. You really shouldn't tarnish your record, Neji. Please go home and leave the rest to us."

Wide-eyed, Neji regarded the beleaguered veteran who was apparently a kind-hearted ninja, despite his profession.

"All I ask is that you do not defy Tsunade-sama's orders. I won't mention any of this if you don't cause trouble." Tenzo promised, "I understand how you feel. I see no point in punishing you."

"Even after you were-?"

"Forget about that." Tenzo added tersely, thinking of the old lady, "I plan to."

"Thank you." Neji said sincerely, "I will not forget what you told me."

The ANBU agent nodded. Neji used his Byakugan again and memorized the man's face before they went their separate ways. If they met again, he hoped that the anonymous ninja's compassion could be repaid in person.

---

The next morning, when the sun rose over Mount Myoboku, Naruto was not at the Toad Oil Pool.

He had slept in.

Jiraiya had mentioned the night before that "One day off never set anyone back that much! Sometimes it actually gets you ahead…"

Naruto had taken the advice and was still nestled beneath a blanket as the valley's sounds of woken toads commenced. After lazing about for a long while, half-conscious, the boy got to his feet and dressed. He discovered Shima and Fukasaku at the table in the dining room. He wished them a sleepy "Good morning!" before taking a seat and helping himself to some bugs.

"Ah! Are you well rested, Naruto?" Fukasaku greeted him, "Jiraiya-boy mentioned that he wanted you to take it easy today."

"Yeah! Where's Ero-sensei?"

"He said he would be waiting for you at the lily pond. It's just beyond the hill," Shima instructed, "Why don't you join him? Pa and I were reminiscing and making fun of what a silly child he once was."

"I don't know…I don't want to miss that."

"You can join us later for round two." Fukasaku offered.

Naruto liked the idea. After a protein-packed breakfast he set off through the toad encampment and up an incline dotted with mushrooms and ferns. The morning air was a bit muggy, heralding the warmth that the mountain would experience later in the day. He made it down the opposite side of the hill and arrived at a lake that was at the foot of a charming waterfall.

Out on the water, several gargantuan lily pads floated beyond the rumbling crash of the waterfall's base. Jiraiya was seated in the curve of an enormous lotus petal, where the behemoth, magenta flower was emerging between the huge green disks. The man was comfortably scribbling notes for his draft; his arm adequately healed.

"You're looking like a fairytale princess over there, Ero-sensei!" Naruto called out to him from the shore.

The lotus bobbed slightly when Jiraiya turned to look at his student, "Well thank you. It smells just like a princess in here too…it put me in the mood…to write."

"You're gross." Naruto reminded him casually.

"Take a dip! The water's great. I was trying out my arm earlier and I actually stayed afloat." He stated proudly, "Watch out for the bottom of the toad-pads, though. They're prickly."

Removing his shirt, and not concerned with the state of his shorts, Naruto dove into the clear end of the pool. It was still tinged with cold, but Naruto decided that it was warm enough. He paddled around, grateful that he wasn't sitting still for hours on end and getting sores on his rump. Naruto stopped beneath the crashing falls and let it pound on his head and shoulders. It was heavenly.

He let a loud, heartfelt sound of relaxation escape him before submerging again. Naruto surfaced around the lily pads, taking care not to get stuck on the spines beneath them. He slipped up onto the waxy, smooth top of a pad adjacent to his master. Naruto folded his arms behind his head and laid back contentedly. They floated silently in paradise as clouds rolled past and dragonflies flitted around. His thoughts roamed.

Naruto turned inward, curious as to what the Fox was up to. He stole a peek at the prison, getting a glimpse of the Biju snoring gently behind his bars. 'He's asleep!' Naruto regarded the peaceful giant for a moment more before quickly retreating. 'I guess he can't be awake and crabby all the time. Huh. Maybe he overheard that I was taking the day off and so he's sleeping in too?' It was possible. The Fox wasn't on alert for a chance to escape or to defend Naruto's (and his own) life for any reason.

The Nine-Tails presented a perplexing issue, Naruto thought. Now that he planned to master Senjutsu, he had anticipated a complete dissociation from the Fox. If he didn't use Kyuubi chakra, then Naruto ran no risk of being overwhelmed or injuring others. Though the Fox had called it a waste and predicted that the Akatsuki would force Naruto's hand at some point, Naruto also felt that it was a missed opportunity; it was not the chakra he was concerned with.

There was another being inside of him, and it was clearly unhappy.

'He tries to act tough and he hates everyone…but he's smart. And he's strong. And he's saved my butt before…' Naruto was conflicted, 'Even though he hurt Ero-sensei…I still want to do something for him. If I can't get him to lighten up, then I at least want to find a way to let him out.'

The rational half of his brain leapt at this supposition, clarifying that his wish to be free of the Fox was selfish on an entirely different level. It would free him of the Akatsuki's torment, of course, as well as the Fox's acts of wickedness, but as the Nine-Tails lumbered away on the horizon, more than likely to be captured anyway, Naruto could tell that the Leaf Village wouldn't be supportive of handing over a powerful force to a criminal organization.

In other words, even if he did find a way to undo his seal safely, it was ethically incorrect to let the Fox go. After all, he had not sealed the Biju inside of him. He could not be blamed for their circumstances. Naruto had never given much thought to his village's military standing and so forth, but now Tsunade would probably shake his hand and say, "Thank you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for seeing it from my point of view! You're so responsible, Naruto!"

'Sheesh.'

He was stuck. He and the Fox were stuck. 'I am damned if I do and damned if I don't…' Naruto kept his eyes shut and twitched his nose, 'I want to do something. But it's like the only thing I can really do besides train is…try to be nice to him.'

That one topped the list of "crazy tasks" he had been compiling.

Did the Fox even deserve compassion?

'He's an ass! He's a liar and he would rather kill people than busy himself with talking to them.'

They made a pretty good team sometimes.

'He made me hurt Ero-sensei!'

Kyuubi chakra had won him several critical battles and even saved lives as a result.

'He treats me like garbage!'

Gaara was also a jinchuriki, and more than likely had to contend with his cranky guest as well.

'Gaara!' Naruto's eyes snapped open, 'I've got to ask him what he thinks! I mean, I know he's got to do something so that the One-Tail keeps cool…he'll probably give me some suggestions!'

He didn't want to get his hopes up. When Gaara had previously asked Naruto for a suggestion with regards to being a Kage, he had not provided Gaara with a single stitch of advice. He deliberately did not reply; his reason being that he was somewhat fearful of answering. That didn't sit well with his friend. If Gaara was the spiteful sort Naruto remembered him being, he was probably going to tell him to eat shit and deal with it.

'Nah! He'll probably have an idea or two.' He was cautiously optimistic, 'And I wonder if he's…if he's ever…'

His thought process came to a grinding halt. A question arose that Naruto would definitely include in his next letter.

'Did he tell Sakura that he's a jinchuriki?' That would be a game-changer. If Gaara had, it was not an unequivocal essential that he have that talk with Hinata.

Was it?

Naruto peered at Jiraiya from the corner of his eye. The man had dozed off in the flower petal and his notebook was tucked in his lap. Naruto felt like he needed several opinions on this.

'If Sakura was okay with Gaara talking about it…Hinata should be okay with me telling her.' He presumed, 'Hinata understands me so well now! We write to each other daily! It's awesome.'

Even from afar, they had bonded on a deep emotional level. She had become a unique type of best friend that had romantically enchanted him. It was a complex feeling. Naruto wanted to believe that Hinata could handle any admission he put before her, but a large part of him was absolutely petrified that he would be rejected if she learned of his secret.

He had invested far too much of his time, love and faith in that remarkable girl only to be labeled a monster…and have his whole world come crashing down. It would ruin him for life. He would never again trust a woman, or really anyone, who claimed to love him without knowing his identity as a jinchuriki. Just as the Kyuubi posed a risk to his physical well-being, so too did Hinata jeopardize his carefully reconstructed spirit and humanity. To think she could save him as a young girl and then destroy him effortlessly as an adult!

Naruto shuddered.

'I don't think that's what would happen…that she'd leave me…or hate me.' Again, he leaned towards the positive side of things, 'But that's not something I'd write home about. As if I could just slip it in there: Hey Hinata, I have the Nine-Tails inside me. Don't worry! You are perfectly safe!' He rolled face down on the lily pad, anguished, 'Psh! If only I could promise her that!'

No, he probably wouldn't bring it up that way.

A crane fly paused on top of his head and Naruto brushed it away in annoyance. He shifted again to his back and looked at the sky, taking a deep breath. 'Hinata might not mind.' He ventured.

There was a decent chance that his position as the container of Kyuubi would not weigh on her thoughts at all. Part of it could be contributed to the fact that she may not fully comprehend the gravity of his burden, or Hinata might simply not see it as a major influence on the way he treated her, etcetera. The bottom line he reached was that her love for him could be unconditional.

The hot rush of elation shot down from his head to his toes and back up. His brain went on a tangent after having the thought.

Well, a component of his psyche, orbiting around the ego, acknowledged the prospect of unconditional love, That IS something special! Your whole life won't be perfect, but it'll get pretty close, won't it?

Naruto imagined he would wake jovially each day after the declaration. He would sit up in bed and smile. He would be humbled and happy to be alive. She would probably be curled up beside him. He tilted his head back in ecstasy. The teenager's mind could clearly visualize himself kissing her without holding back, envision himself making love to her at every opportunity, accompanying her to any significant or insignificant event that demanded her time, bragging to friends, kissing her again, living overcome with that rapturous feeling of acceptance…a gaggle of children with their hues of hair and eyes…

"Naruto, you okay over there?"

He jolted out of his daydream and nearly flipped off of the lily pad. Jiraiya got a good laugh out of startling Naruto.

"Ha! I caught you. Those must've been some dirty thoughts you were having!"

"No way you Perv! Shut up!" Naruto was red-faced, "I…thought you were asleep."

"Yeah, but I woke up! I took a look at you and I thought, well…" Jiraiya shook his head understandingly, "You'd need some privacy…or maybe an interruption. It's not surprising a young man's thoughts would get carried away out here in this bliss!"

"I wasn't-!"

"Sure you were! You've got a boner for crying out loud!"

Naruto rolled off of the pad and sunk into the water to hide.

"Come on, kid. It's cool. I'm not judging you, honest." Jiraiya told him, nodding self-assuredly, "I am a hundred times worse than you."

Naruto blinked at him, intimidated for an entire two seconds. Jiraiya was right. This kind of thing didn't even phase him. Naruto swam over to the gigantic lotus flower, lost his erection and then climbed out of the water. He settled on a petal nearby his teacher and sighed, relieving some stress.

Jiraiya nodded, "There you go. You don't need to freak out about that stuff."

"Sorry, Ero-sensei."

"It's fine. Just don't try to lie about it to me, Naruto…I know. I always know." He chuckled.

"Right."

"So what's on your mind?" The man amended, "That isn't M-Rated? I don't need to hear any of that."

Naruto stayed quiet for a time. Birds and insects sang, with the occasional solo crooned by a toad.

"I was wondering if…I'd be allowed…" He hesitated, "Ero-sensei…do you think I can marry Hinata?"

"Uh," Jiraiya scratched his upper lip, stewing on the question, "You're a little young to be considering that sort of thing, no?"

"I won't be forever. I was thinking about it."

"That is true."

"I was worried that…that I won't have the chance. I'll never have a family. All those things down the road that people assume they'll have…I can't just expect that I will. I can get rejected at almost any time! What am I supposed to do about that?" Naruto postulated, a bit frantic, "And kids! I realized that I want more than one! Can jinchuriki even have kids?" He made a quizzical face, "Am I, like, chemically balanced? Or has the Fox-?"

"Okay! I'm gonna stop you there," Jiraiya announced, "Take it easy, Naruto. Those are all good questions. A little out of the blue, sure…" He paused, "Actually, I think I know what you were imagining before, so this isn't that strange."

The blonde boy grunted, hoping he'd drop the subject.

"Let's see…well first of all, jinchuriki absolutely can and do have children. Remember our history lesson? The First Hokage and his wife? She was a jinchuriki of our village and those two had a million kids!" Jiraiya cupped his chin, "Well it was more like three…I guess. But it's true! Uzumaki Mito certainly could do it," He smiled, "And other containers of the Nine-Tails have also had children. I know that for a fact. I daresay they have some of the strongest and most impressive kids that a parent can make…"

He exhaled, feeling better about it.

"On the other hand, I don't know how kindly Hyuga Hiashi will take to you marrying his daughter. I mean, you've got your work cut out for you there…winning him over."

Naruto gave Jiraiya an alarmed look, "Does he know the truth about me?"

Jiraiya nodded, "He certainly does, but you know what, Naruto? I don't think he cares so much about that. I think he is more concerned about Hinata being taken care of, and if you can keep her safe. Things of that sort…"

"I will." He was determined to do so.

"Yup. You just need to convince him."

"So how do I-?"

"You have just reached the question that occurs to so many men in your position, dear boy!" Jiraiya interrupted teasingly in the voice of a game show host, "The question is: How do I get her Dad to like me?"

Naruto nodded feebly, losing his resolve.

"I have no fucking clue." Jiraiya admitted, "Look at me. I'm over fifty and still single. You sure as hell don't want to ask me that…"

---

Later that same day, Tenten had appeared in town in a slightly different style of dress.

She had exchanged her typical pink frog-clasp top for a black cheongsam with blue nemophila designs down the front. Slim, black pants stopped mid-calf, a bit tight (her mother had been a petite woman,) the heeled shoes fit well, and she had her standard weapons holsters with her. Tenten had left her large scroll at home. Hayate said it was unnecessary for the time being. The sword called Hok was fitted in a baldric and slung across her back.

It had taken Sakura a few moments to fully recognize her as she proceeded down the street, supposing Tenten would get lunch before training with Hayate.

With thrusters set to good-friend-mode, Sakura rushed into the bakery, signaled for Tama to follow her, and then made a dash for the barbeque restaurant on the adjacent street. She flagged down Ino who was about to enter the establishment with her teammates, "Sorry boys! Go ahead without me!" And Ino met her pink haired friend without hearing a single groan of annoyance from either Shikamaru or Chouji.

The three girls followed Tenten down the road from a distance. The bun-haired kunoichi was debating on which eatery suited her.

Tama turned to her teammate, "Sakura, are you sure that Hinata will find us? I haven't seen her all day."

"Oh she'll find us! Her little toad friend is her spy today," Sakura elaborated, "I just saw him going to report to her."

"She's kind of an evil genius." Ino assessed, "The nicest one you've ever met, anyway. Now keep up! We don't want to miss this chance!"

Tenten was about to ask the greeter at the door of a café to be seated when a cacophony of delightful greetings sounded behind her. She turned slowly; feeling cornered at first, but then guessed that human interaction would do her good. "Wow! What are you all doing here?" Tenten asked, feigning some social propriety.

"You probably don't feel comfortable right now. That's okay." Ino told her up front, seeing through the façade, "Just let us have lunch with you and if it sucks you never have to do it again, Tenten."

She raised her eyebrows and then smiled, "For the first time in a week…someone has actually given me that option."

"You're welcome."

Tama revised the seating arrangement, "A table for five, please!"

"Five?" Tenten was puzzled, "Please realize that I was ordered not to-"

"We know. No boys. None of your boys, is more like it." Ino agreed, "We're saving a spot for Hinata."

"Oh." Tenten was fine with that.

They went inside and were led to a round table in the corner. The restaurant was for the most part empty, and so the waitress was thrilled to hand out menus to the herd of kunoichi. Tenten politely stowed her sword beneath her seat. Tama complimented the handsome weapon.

"Thank you! It belonged to my mom." Tenten replied proudly, "Hayate has been teaching me sword techniques."

"I wanted to ask you about that," Sakura piggy-backed on the subject, "How is your training going? What's Hayate like?"

"It's…fine. He and I don't get along that well. I can tolerate him, though."

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but I was under the impression that you already knew how to use a sword." Ino tacked on, "And just about everything else that's sharp…"

"I thought I knew how." Tenten conceded and then shook her head, "But I'm learning a lot. Hayate learned from my father…and I never had the chance to."

"He learned from your dad?" Ino was enlightened.

"Yes! He would spend a few days away from his Genin team so that he could learn swordsmanship from Dad, as his apprentice. Kind of like what Sakura is doing with Tsunade-sama."

"Ah." Sakura understood, "That's awesome. It's good that he's teaching you."

"I'm appreciative." Tenten pouted, "I just wish he wouldn't remind me of how he used to babysit me when I was a kid. He constantly complains of what I pain I am!"

"Sometimes, that's the only way men can make conversation." Ino observed, "They complain."

The girls nodded and sipped their complimentary glasses of water.

"You must miss your teammates." Tama approached the subject in a gentle voice, "Do you want to talk about it?"

Tenten's eyebrows waggled as she fought the urge to make a sad face. Just thinking about Neji and Lee caused excruciation.

"I don't know if I can talk about it yet." She yielded.

"That's okay." Tama soothed her, "Do you want us to stay in touch with them and relay information to you? That doesn't contradict the Hokage's order; at least I don't think it does…"

"Please."

"Whoa. How come I didn't think of that?" Ino was surprised, "It's good that you have an in with Lee, Tama."

"Then maybe Hinata can also-" Sakura stopped herself when she saw the aforementioned girl peeking into the café, "Hey Hinata-chan! We're over here!"

"Ah!" Hinata had Kosuke secured in her arms. She released him after an affectionate squeeze and then scurried inside, "Hello everyone!"

She took a seat beside Tenten and gave her a quick side-hug, "You look beautiful, Onee-san!"

"Thank you, Hinata." She laughed quietly.

"Kosuke-chan showed me the way. Thank you for waiting for me!" Hinata turned to the pink haired girl, "Sakura, this arrived while I was in the Hokage's tower. Tsunade-sama said it was for you."

Tenten could not help but follow with her eyes as Hinata passed off the scroll to Sakura. Without a doubt it was from Gaara. The jubilant look on Sakura's face confirmed it. A pang of jealousy gripped Tenten as the waitress returned to take their orders. 'It must be nice to have a guy devoted to you like that…' She hid her face with a menu, concealing her discomfort, 'Everyone at this table is lucky. Their boyfriends would do anything for them.' She paused, considering that Tama was the least fortunate of the gathered kunoichi, with a fiancée who had only recently, she had heard, learned how to kiss. 'It still beats what I've got.'

A whole lot of nothing.

On two occasions Tenten had daydreamed that Lee or Neji, maybe even the two of them, would have made an effort to reach her. Knowing how stubborn the boys could be, she half expected them to defy the Hokage and meet with her secretly.

'Nope. Nothing. I stay up late at night thinking that they might show up...I'm so stupid.' It was a puerile wish. And it was difficult to ignore how her heart had longed for Neji to appear, somehow, if only for a single second, to prove that he thought of her.

Tenten ordered rolled rice noodles and tea. While her companions chatted amicably, she dwelled in her thoughts and scolded her own foolishness.

She shouldn't expect them to go against the Fifth. She certainly had not tried to, as she did possess a healthy fear of the village leader. Tenten longed for high-quality companionship, because Hayate was not cutting it, and the resounding ache of loneliness subjected her to more silly-girl fantasies in three days than she had ever humored in her life.

"Hey Tenten, do you think those crullers will be good or should I get something else?"

She was snapped out of her contemplation, giving her attention to Sakura, "Oh. You ordered the Zhaliang?"

"They looked good." Sakura felt comfortable trying out Han food in Tenten's presence. The girl always pointed her in the right direction.

"They're amazing." Tenten assured her, "Make sure you share!"

They were served their tea and the girls twittered excitedly. A small smile tugged at Tenten's lips. It then occurred to her that the high-quality companionship she was craving was available to her after all. It was the expertise of her fellow kunoichi.

---

At the very same time, across town, Kiba had finally finished the doctor-ordered reduced activity he'd been slapped with. No missions or anything entertaining, Tsunade had warned him. Donating bone marrow to his father had taken a lot out of him. He had required nearly two weeks of rest to build his strength back up. Kakashi had visited him a few times at his family homestead, but Kiba had been irked that his friends were all too busy to pay him a visit.

'Well, Sakura visited…' But Tama had not. And that was really upsetting him.

Sakura had also seemed to drop some hints that, quite possibly, Sato was now romantically reciprocating Tama's advances. If that was true, Kiba thought, he'd need to brush up on some assassination techniques. Kakashi probably wouldn't object.

He dropped by the Hokage's office and Tsunade quickly looked him over, "Excellent! You are at the peak of health again, Kiba. By the way, your team has a mission tomorrow."

"Finally! Thanks, Hokage-sama."

"Huh. Thank you," She replied, "You're the first person who's thanked me in a long time…"

Kiba didn't understand. At the time, he still had no idea that Tsunade had been driving his peers nuts.

Kiba left the administration building with the intention of picking up his father's favorite dessert from the bakery, but was sidetracked when he noticed Fujita bustling up the street. He had not seen his young friend in a while. Kiba altered his course, accompanied by Akamaru, and followed the small boy uptown.

After a long walk, Kiba began to doubt that Fujita would be interested in idle chit-chat. They had arrived at a guarded cemetery for shinobi.

He approached and then stopped, waiting alongside his dog near a fence as Fujita arrived at a grave. The boy dusted some soil from the epitaph and then stuck a red and orange pinwheel in the grass. He crouched down and spoke softly in a voice that Kiba could not make out.

Ten minutes passed before Fujita stood again, his conversation with the departed over. Kiba gave him a small wave as he advanced, "Hey kid."

"Hello, Kiba-kun…" His eyes were sad.

"If you're not done visiting I can catch you later-"

"It's fine! I was leaving anyway. Hikune-niisan probably wouldn't like it if I wasted the day here."

Kiba was baffled, "Your brother-?"

"Yes." His small shoulders drooped when he sighed, "He died on a mission." Fujita's lip quivered, "It was sudden…every day that I wake up I wish I had dreamed it all."

"I'm so sorry, kid."

"Thank you."

"Do you have any plans today?" Kiba inquired. Akamaru had pushed his head beneath Fujita's hand, soliciting a head-pat.

"Well…Sensei is going to be at the Medical Lab until two 'o clock, but he promised we could train later."

"What do you say we hang out until then? My Mom made a ton of food," Kiba suggested, looking at his hound, "Right, Akamaru? You would have demolished that whole spread on the table if the three of us didn't tackle you."

The dog wagged his tail.

Fujita smiled faintly, "I would like that, Kiba-kun. If I'm welcome-"

"Of course you're welcome! I invited you, kid!" He steered the small boy away from the gravesite, "We just need to stop for chocolate cake first. My Dad has been praying for it."

"Okay!"

And he and the young boy got to talking about life's twists and turns. Kiba had revealed that he never had expected his father to re-enter his life, much less save the man's life when he had the chance. Fujita understood. He commented on how Hikune had always marveled at the whimsy and luck of ninja who lived to achieve old age. He had predicted that he would not last long, and Fujita was disheartened to remember the prognostication. Hikune had made it in jest, but he had turned out to be right.

"The one thing you should always remember is that your brother loved you." Kiba advised him, "Not everyone has that."

"You're right. That always did make me happy."

What Kiba didn't elaborate on was that he could not stop thinking about Sasuke's parallel predicament. He too had lost an older brother...though "lost" acting as a very figurative word. Perhaps he would have preferred Itachi dying suddenly at a young age than him becoming a murderer for no reason, continuing his life as a criminal. He'd have to ask him, next time.

Like his mother always said: youth is wasted on the young. They live too fast and mess it all up! They forget to enjoy what they have… Tsume would laugh and add, And shinobi are just asking for a tragic end, so we might as well go out with a shit-eating grin!

Kiba brought his new friend home so they could stuff their faces and forget their sorrow for a while.

---

Note: So what are you having? I'll take a review on ice please.

Chapter 21- The Replacement!