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

25. Threads that Stretch 'Round the World

Note: Sorry for the wait! I was working a stock deal that deactivated the creative writing area of my brain. We're back on track and I appreciate your patience.

Chapter Soundtrack: "Kids" by Childish Gambino

Chapter 25: Threads that Stretch 'Round the World

With the recommendation that mid-Spring was an ideal time to enjoy the beach in the Land of Waves, Temari had settled herself on a reclining chair on the sandy shore that morning. She was promised that there would be no tourist crowds and the weather would be at the peak of loveliness. Temari had concluded preliminary advanced-placement exams as well as kept timely correspondence with Gaara each morning. With nothing urgent pending, she decided that she could afford a short break.

'This is the first time I've worn one of these.' Temari acknowledged while fiddling with the tie of a simple black bikini, 'Luckily no one gets to see me in it.' She had been very liberal with sunscreen and had tugged on a wide-brimmed sunhat before laying back in the recliner. Her trusty fan was beside the chair, just in case she needed to deal with a peeper.

As she had explained to Gaara before leaving Sand, she had every intention of staying in a luxury suite of the Star Notojiso hotel while she oversaw the training program. 'I paid for it myself and I have to admit…' She smiled smugly, 'It was completely worth the money.' The private beachfront behind the inn was included and she was taking advantage of it.

While she had settled in the hotel lodgings away from the barracks, Ebizo and other Suna shinobi had to extricate Chiyo from the prestigious boardinghouse. She had been most reluctant to leave. After much hassle, Chiyo was escorted home with the first wave of returning Sand ninja Kankuro had supervised.

The initial 'changing of the guard' had been a tad awkward. Matsuri had discovered that a boy she was smitten with likely did not return her sentiments. The girl had recovered from her bout of despair and reappeared the next morning entirely blank. She was slate-like and serious, but her compassion for others was still evident in small ways. What was markedly different, Temari noticed, was that the girl refused to speak about her personal thoughts or feelings. Matsuri had not attempted to contact Inari or Menma before returning to Sunagakure. From an update Temari had received from Gaara days later, he confirmed that Matsuri had entirely invested herself in training and nothing else. He was happy to oblige her, but he worried that his student's ambition to improve was for the wrong reasons.

For a brief time, maybe a whole ten minutes, Temari had thought about sticking her nose in the young kunoichi's business. She could have gotten to the bottom of it all. Quickly. She would have had no problem marching up to the ninja called 'Menma' and inquiring 'what the hell his problem' was. Maybe it was all a misunderstanding. Or maybe he was a tried-and-true schmuck. But after considering her involvement in mending Matsuri's crush problem, Temari had thought better of it. She had spied Inari walking with the blonde haired, heart-breaking suspect a few times, but she had never said a word. 'It's not my place to meddle in other people's relationships.'

Though she remained mildly curious as to whether or not Menma had genuinely misled Matsuri, Temari kept her distance and went about her duties.

'What do I know about relationships anyway? I'm terrible at it.' She thought while closing her eyes, 'I am not the kind of person who's qualified to vouch for the hearts and feelings of others. I barely know my own.'

The breeze trickled across her bare skin as Temari dozed, setting aside her cares. She had put in motion the beginning stages of the second training program, and soon enough the Tide Village would be in control of its own affairs. So long as she did not repeat Kankuro's escapade and damage the city while rooting out miscreants, she would call it a job well done.

A soft sensation that was decidedly not wind traced along her right leg below the knee. With a jerk, Temari tipped the hat up for a clear view of her surroundings and stretched out her hand for her fan. Then she stopped. Nosing around at the foot of the chair was a rabbit. It looked an awful lot like the white rabbit that delivered mail to Gaara sometimes.

After the creature had her attention it hopped closer and nudged a scroll towards her across the sand.

"I'm on a break. Come back in an hour." The woman grumbled.

The rabbit remained stationary.

"Hmph. What's your name again?"

After a beat of silence the animal replied in a soft voice, "Pua."

"Huh, that's right. I remember that Gaara said you can talk."

"Pua." The animal agreed.

"Not all that well, though…" Temari picked up the scroll, "What is this? Is Haku sending correspondence again? I thought he said he'd stop. Tch!" She opened the parchment to see that it was blank, "Oh…"

The rabbit fussed at one of its long ears.

"What's the deal? Is he expecting a reply?" Annoyance pricked at her voice, "He said that I didn't have to."

"Ramen."

"Wow, you really can't talk. I bet he put you up to this."

Pua looked at her with an expression of unfettered innocence.

Temari laid back and adjusted her hat again, "I was trying to enjoy this morning before going back to work later. Thanks a lot. Just buzz off." She snickered, "Can you learn how to say that? Buzz. Off. Say that one to Haku."

Silence prevailed again for several minutes as the ocean winds swept down from blue skies. When Temari suspected that she still was not being left alone, she glimpsed down beneath the rim of her hat again, noticing that Pua had not budged.

"Did you follow me here all the way from Hidden Sand?" She rolled to her side, letting her irritation ebb away, "That was a long trip for a little puff like you."

"Pua."

"Yeah, I know." Temari sighed, "You're probably used to it. You go between Gaara's teammates to deliver their letters. You might be the only example of a rabbit worth your salt."

Upon receiving the praise, Pua procured a ballpoint pen that had been pinned beneath her bandana. She replaced it on the armrest of the chair with her mouth, to Temari's surprise.

"It seems like…you're a pet of many talents." The woman yielded, "But I already told you I don't want to reply. I've got nothing good to say."

The rabbit's nose twitched as if to indicate: even if you respond as scathingly as possible, Haku will still appreciate the knowledge that you read what he wrote.

"It's nothing against you, bunny. I planned to disappoint him from the start, because that's what he did to me."

She had a lengthy stare down with the animal in which Temari realized she was wasting precious sunbathing time.

"Alright." She lifted the pen and sat up, positioning the scroll flat on the stretch of the chair, "I'll disappoint him with words then! The only crime is that I'm not as eloquent a writer as he is. If you bring this back…then that should be the end of it." Temari frowned down at the parchment. Words would not come easily.

The rabbit's quiet voice came again, "Maybe."

From the corner of her eye Temari glanced at Pua, "Unless you can tell me what to write, don't distract me, cotton-tail."

But of course, Pua was no such distraction. Temari knew full well that she was getting in her own way. Her brain raced for a short while, reviewing possible worthy answers to the heartfelt letter she had read. It covered the spectrum all the way from, 'Please don't bother me again' and 'Go die' to 'I accept your apology and I am relieved that you told me.' Nothing seemed quite effective enough when she hesitantly pressed the pen to paper.

She scribbled a response with handwriting that was not her best. She only needed one line to get her feelings across. Temari closed the scroll and returned it to the courier rabbit, "Here, Pua."

Temari settled down again and added, "That ought to shut him up."

---

While on their way to Tanzaku Quarters for a mission, Neji iterated to Lee in a quiet voice how he learned of Sai's fate. The boys followed behind Gai who was gradually picking up the pace of their trek.

"The ANBU agent told you about Sai's reassignment?" Lee was genuinely surprised, "Is that not something that should have been kept confidential?"

"Tenzo told me about it in the hope that you and I would help facilitate Sai's transition into…" Neji searched for the word, "Citizenhood."

"Wah?" Lee was aghast, "And he told you his name? What an unprofessional agent!"

"Don't you care about any of the content I just told you?"

"I do care, Neji." Lee clarified, "But I cannot imagine why a Black Ops agent would so easily confide in a Genin who defied him multiple times…"

Neji snorted at the thought, "I was not in violation of the Hokage's request. I just needed fresh air."

Lee nodded. Fresh air was synonymous with getting a glimpse of Tenten, he knew. Lee then went on to suppose how they could possibly assist Sai after taking into consideration their first encounter with the uncouth ex-Root. Lee guessed that introducing Sai to their extended group of friends would be a fair start.

"He'll insult them all." Neji warned.

"Yes, he will," Lee acknowledged, "But you have insulted all of our friends many times over, and they still spend time with you, Neji."

Peeved, he replied, "…then it's of no consequence…"

"Exactly. With time Sai will surely become as dependable as you have."

Lee did not realize that was raking his friend over the coals, but as a more self-aware person, Neji discovered that he was force-fed humble pie whenever friends shared their opinions of his former attitude. He was a recovering jerk and he knew it, but Neji didn't want to hear Lee say it every day like it was the only topic of discussion.

"My, you boys are awfully chatty back there!" Gai remarked in a lilting voice, "Your bonding is getting me fired up!"

Of course Lee was quickly inspired by the declaration and rushed forward, joining his Sensei for overly enthusiastic musings and a pre-mission pep talk. Neji was still listening and kept his irritation in check. He had no right to object to their youthful outbursts and he was becoming more tolerant of them. Reciprocally, Gai and Lee were more careful these days not to get on his nerves as Neji was, still, slightly hair-trigger without Tenten around.

While proceeding through thick forest towards their destination, Gai reviewed what Tsunade had explained to them earlier. The mission to Tanzaku Quarters was to address some growing unrest between an original founding family of the tourist town and the mortgage lenders they were quarreling with. Gai had glazed over the financial furor because it so happened that his brother, Maito Ken, was already visiting the office in Tanzaku to provide legal counsel. Team Gai had been sent to preside over discussions and dissuade any violence.

"The Shibusawa family may have monetary troubles, but I was told that they have many friends throughout Tanzaku Quarters and shinobi nations far and wide. If they are in distress, it would not be out of the question for them to ask shinobi to intervene on their behalf." Gai elucidated, "And if any strife erupts we will extinguish it like a storm!"

Lee liked the sound of it and was impressed that his mentor's brother was involved. Neji recalled that Ken, Tama's father, was a generally unfriendly and stubborn man. He was also an unrivaled businessman in Konoha.

By late morning they had arrived and did not make their presence known to the warring parties. From an observation deck near a landmark building, the team peered into a window and watched Ken duke it out with the head of the Shibusawa family. Neji was no lip-reader, but he could tell that the portly bald man in lavish robes was making liberal use of profanity. Across the desk from the Shibusawa head, Ken remained calm and used an acid tongue to eat through his adversary's arguments, citing law and regulation. The family, no matter how big or influential, had defaulted on multiple loans. The Shibusawa estate was bank property now.

"What do you suppose he is saying?" Lee wondered after a while.

"My brother likes the words delinquent and foolish." Gai spoke from experience.

'It's because he deals with Sato.' Neji thought to himself.

The stakeout persisted for nearly an hour until Gai excused himself for a bathroom break. Neji watched him enter the office building and ask a secretary to point him towards a lavatory.

"Missions have been uneventful lately." Lee remarked.

"Compared to Oga Castle, we could nap through our assignments now."

"Gai-sensei said that he would try to persuade the Hokage to give us higher-ranked missions."

"I doubt that Tsunade-sama will revoke her limitation. We don't have a fourth teammate."

Lee's eyes glimmered hopefully, "Do you think she will return Tenten to us?"

"I have no idea." Neji was somber, "Fujita told me the other day he was nearly considered a replacement for our team, as he is waiting to receive teammates as well. The Hokage only denied him because his abilities are too similar to my own."

"I see…"

"Perhaps Sai..." Neji shrugged, "But Tenzo indicated he met qualifications to join the ANBU Black Ops."

"He may still be interested." Lee tapped his chin.

"Even if he was interested, even if there was someone else who could join our team," Neji was resolute, "I will never accept it."

Lee's sidelong smile at him was small, "I know. Neither could I."

Neji scanned over the building with the Byakugan again and was shocked to see Gai had reappeared on the third floor. He was making haste towards the office his brother was negotiating in. Before Neji could begin articulating to Lee that there was a possibility of danger, Gai had engaged in a four versus one brawl in the hallway. Thugs had been discreetly lined up outside of the loan department office, but Neji was unsure of how Gai realized it before he had.

What was more remarkable: Gai had managed to quietly subdue the would-be interlopers. Ken and the Shibusawa family head continued their argument without an ounce of concern for the muffled sounds outside the door. After about a minute, Gai had either knocked out or choked out the hired brutes and piled them neatly at the end of the corridor in an unconscious heap.

Neji tapped Lee's shoulder before moving, "We should probably go inside."

"Why?"

"Gai just omitted us from this mission."

"He did?" Lee was puzzled as he followed Neji, descending towards the street to enter the bank, "Did you watch something happen?"

"He just thwarted an attempted ambush. It took about sixty seconds." Neji explained, "Everything appears stable now."

The look of bubbly admiration on Lee's face made their exclusion almost worthwhile.

In the lobby, the secretary at the front desk let them by without a fuss and Neji led the way upstairs. When they reached the third floor office, the Shibusawa patriarch was sheepishly apologizing for the 'confrontational youths' in the hallway. Gai stood beside his brother, not convinced by the apology, but his presence allowed Ken to serve the man his papers and to 'settle his affairs legally.'

Ken added as he pushed his chair back, "Should you refuse to comply, rest assured that force the Hidden Leaf Village employs can easily overpower any of your coercions. Do not harass your lenders again…or expect the authorities at your door by tomorrow morning."

"Understood, sir." The hefty man bustled out.

Neji and Lee waited outside of the doorway interestedly, beheld as Ken quietly thanked his brother for the intervention, and then he briskly stepped out to the stairwell. Gai sighed heavily before regarding his pupils, "I would have notified you of the threat sooner, boys, but I did in fact have to use the men's room. I was interrupted." And with that he proceeded towards the nearest bathroom.

Lee was still intrigued, "Gai-sensei hardly needed our help for this mission…"

Though Neji did not say it, he completely agreed with Lee. Gai's skills as a Jounin had become tremendously clear to Neji, at least on the last few missions they had been on. While the man could not help his impassioned speeches and motivated attitude, he could neutralize threats with all of the grace and speed expected of a Jounin. His fighting style was incredibly adaptable, his timing precise, and his leadership consistent. Beyond that, Neji had come to silently admire Gai's ability to glean details from minimal information and react swiftly. While he waited in the hallway, Neji was still stumped as to how Gai knew that danger was present without confirmation from a sweep of the Byakugan.

When their Sensei returned he advised that they keep watch in the first floor lobby from then on. Neji decided to ask, "How did you know they were in the building?"

"Ah, you mean the mercenaries?"

"That you bludgeoned, yes."

"Hm," Gai restrained a grin and cupped his chin, "Sometimes intuition serves me well. I know my brother backwards and front, even if we can't get along most of the week…" He explained, "I saw him signal me through the window. He knew about the intruders before any of us did."

Lee gasped in awe.

"He didn't signal." Neji disagreed.

"It was the face he made." Gai elaborated, "He only makes that face when he needs me for something."

"Then naturally we would not recognize it!" Lee concluded.

Gai added, "Never fear, Neji. I expect we will have to deal with more persuaders out on the road, while escorting my brother home. Your boredom will abate!"

Unfortunately, as they made their way back to Leaf with the stone-faced and prim Maito Ken, the remaining thugs hiding out in Tanzaku Quarters all promptly fled in terror. It left Neji terribly bored as they met no resistance while returning to Konoha. The Shibusawa family had not gotten top-quality help, apparently.

So timely was their trip that Tsunade was a touch shocked by their reappearance in her office, "This one was too easy for you, eh?"

Lee took it as a hopeful sign she would give them a more challenging mission, but she turned up her hands, indicating nothing else needed to be done. She dismissed the team after a short debriefing and hurried them out, "I've got a long train of appointments today. Don't bother me until tomorrow!"

The team politely exited before the Hokage's temper ticked up any further. Gai announced that he had a few matters to attend to and that he expected them at the team's training ground at 4 o'clock sharp that afternoon. Judging by the competitive edge in Gai's voice, Neji and Lee could assume he had another silly score to settle with Kakashi. After their sensei had departed, it only seemed right to capitalize on the remainder of the morning. They agreed to get changed and meet Wong Leung.

Once Neji returned in proper attire he got the sense that Lee's grandfather was in a bad mood. The old man raised his chin, grunting, and then commanded the two of them to work on a balancing exercise.

Wong positioned the boys into back-bends that made their shoulders meet like a bridge. He scolded them when their heads bumped together initially. Neji and Lee found that it was a struggle to keep their shoulders pressed for stability. Wong strolled off to pick up magazines from a shop down the street. Lee reported on how long they were expected to hold the non-traditional pose, "He said an hour. That does not seem quite so bad…"

"Most likely because he didn't tell you what he had planned next." The Hyuga retorted, wobbling.

A long silence prevailed as time trickled by without definition or measure. Thoughts passed through Neji's mind as he and Lee got the hang of the exercise and struck a perfect balance. 'I keep returning to this training even when I have clear memory of how onerous it is. I never would have agreed to such a thing if…' He pictured Tenten's face for a moment, 'No. I would never have learned anything about Lee. I would have remained comfortable within my own limitations, and I'd never have the capacity to recognize that I had limitations back then.' He had learned much from Wong's lessons and embraced this new 'sense of self.'

His application of Wong's approach to Jyukken, as well as the development of his Wind Element chakra, was shaping him into a shinobi that would never wince at a Jounin opponent. He was more inclined to spend time with friends, converse occasionally, be more personable with members of his clan, and had acquired tools to cope with his emotions. Most of the time.

Lee had probably benefited the most from Wong's training. His skills were honed sharply and his evasion and speed were unmatchable, Neji admitted. Gai was hard-pressed to challenge Lee these days, and his handling of weaponry would certainly have made Tenten proud. But what may have been the most decisive improvement of all, Neji noted, was that his perception of Lee had changed.

He had once balked at the thought of being on a team with Rock Lee. The dead-last student was thought to be talentless. Hopeless. Neji never viewed him as an equal in any respect. While it had been a covert occurrence, the moment Wong Leung had been introduced was when Neji had stopped doubting Lee altogether. Quite suddenly, Lee was the one to turn to for answers and guidance. He understood every word and task and did not shy away from the unknown. When nothing made sense in a world without Tenten, it was Lee who listened and unscrambled his brain, navigating their new environment. Wong's training bordered on punishment, but Neji returned each day because Lee's presence made all the difference. They were both undeniably better for it.

Aside from the figurative support they gave each other, Lee also provided literal support, thirty minutes into the balancing act. Wong made sure to give them exercises that frequently required two people.

Lee made a puffing sound, snapping Neji out of his thoughts.

"What?" Neji's eyes rolled up to get a glimpse of Lee's scrunched face.

"Your hair. It is tickling my nose."

"The wind must have blown it."

"I do not know if-"

"Do not knock us over. He'll make us do it again for twice as long."

"I know, but, ah…achoo!" The hair strand remained after the sneeze and their maneuver had nearly capsized.

Neji had the decency to shift his head until Lee was no longer tormented by errant hair.

"I apologize for sneezing on you."

Neji only sighed.

"I find this easier than prayer-crouches." Lee mused out loud.

"Perhaps by a tiny margin." Neji yielded.

"Maybe Grandpa will let us try something else today?"

"He looked irritable. Would he allow it?"

"I cannot say. He may have been annoyed that we took a mission before this."

Neji shut his eyes to scoff, "Ninja activity is so off-putting. Aren't you the only one with income in your house?"

"Yes, but that is irrelevant. I do not think Grandpa is bothered that we are shinobi…I suspect it is because…" Lee permitted himself to speculate, "He enjoys spending time with us."

Neji's eyes rolled back again to look at his friend, "How did you draw that conclusion?"

"It is a feeling I have when I speak to him. He is a very nostalgic man…" Lee supposed, "He must miss having students. Grandpa looks forward to training us."

"He is a wretched teacher." Neji added, "And very wise."

When an hour was up Wong returned with his magazines. He immediately offered criticism, What is this? Why are you talking? I never said you could speak during this training!

Lee countered, You did not say that we couldn't, Grandpa. Neji and I have a lot to discuss.

Like gossiping wives, the two of you! Stand up now.

Lee notified his teammate and they disentangled themselves, glad to be upright again.

No more chatting from here out! When I am not here you practice your mindfulness!

Yes, Grandpa.

Wong stepped up to Neji and gave the space above his heart a solid poke, So…this kitten has improved a bit. He's stronger in the mind than he was. We shall brush up on Baguazhang today to see if he is meeting my standards…

Lee passed the message along to Neji, "Grandpa wants to review Ba Gua forms with you."

"I don't object." It still beat prayer-crouches.

He will not be using his Bloodline Gift either. He must feel the energy and momentum of an adversary.

Lee relayed that as well.

Neji consented and mimicked the circling motions that Wong approached with. It was a fairly decent effort and he did not make the old man correct him too much. For a while Neji was confident that he could keep up even without the Byakugan. Then Wong commanded Lee to attack from the rear and Neji got annoyed. Turning and wheeling away from two people was tremendously difficult, 'But maybe that's the point.' He would not always be pitted against a single opponent.

When Wong was mostly satisfied with testing Neji's evasion he asked Lee to sit out again. The old man appreciated Neji's sincere attempt to strike him. They batted and spun, and Neji had prioritized turning Wong's momentum against him rather than actively trying to drill tenketsu shut. The defensive strategy worked well for a little while until Wong got in close, using clever footwork and a brush of his arm to sweep Neji's block aside like dust. With his pinky finger, Wong poked a fleshy spot behind the Hyuga's ear and watched as he dropped to the ground on liquefied legs.

Spooked, Lee rushed over to his friend to help him up, but Wong stopped him.

Relax, grandchild. He'll be up in a few moments when the nausea wears off.

What did you do, Grandpa?!

I used a Tao Nerve Strike. A small one, I assure you. This one very handily shuts one-fourth of the chi points below the left hemisphere of the brain. It is a reactive closing. I bet his right side feels like jelly! Ha ha!

Lee kneeled beside Neji and asked quietly, "Do your limbs feel like jelly?"

Neji sat up with a very aggravated expression, "I did not assign this feeling a specific quality yet, Lee."

"Grandpa used a Tao Nerve Strike! He said it can close many tenketsu at once!"

"Terrific." Neji growled, and with the Byakugan proceeded to locate his violated tenketsu in order to open them again.

Give him a moment. Wong insisted; He'll be up. He's very sturdy.

And sure enough, after Lee patiently waited a few paces away, Neji was able to mend himself and stand. He was still irritated that he had been schooled again, but he managed to keep his comments to himself.

Wong's mood was much improved. He gently rotated Lee around to reveal the back of his grandson's head, indicating that Neji move in close to inspect it. Lee made an uncertain sound but did not protest. Neji understood with slight astonishment that Wong intended to demonstrate to him what had happened, and maybe even how to perform the strike himself.

Wong gestured at his eye orbital, suggesting what Neji took to mean: use your Blood Limit. He obliged.

Good, you're a smart boy after all. I know you don't really understand me, but Lee will help. Look here. Wong said, pointing out the bundled nerves near the top of his grandson's neck, This is what I did to you. I bet your clansmen don't take advantage of this area because of the high margin of error. If you mistakenly touch a cranial nerve…it doesn't end so well. But right here is a 'lock' that you shinobi don't pay attention to. These connect our 'Gates.' Lee uses these, no? It is one of the few ninja talents that overlap with Tao teachings.

While observing with the Byakugan, Neji asked Lee for a translation.

"Grandpa is explaining that locks stand between the Inner Gates!" Lee, who was turned away from them, was excited, "He is saying that they are not frequently used because of the margin of error. I suppose the Hyuga clan does not attack them?"

"If we did, Jyukken that is not precise enough will damage all the nerves in this area, and will likely result in death." Neji reported, "I imagine a bad track record is why this isn't taught in my clan, if it was ever taught at all."

But if you see with more than just your eyes, you will not make a mistake. Wong encouraged, privy to the youngsters' discussion, We will talk about this lock and look at it today. In the future, I will help you strike it with confidence. Then you can learn about the others.

Lee passed the message to Neji, "Grandpa can teach you how to correctly manipulate them. He can introduce it to you today. He is certain you can learn it!"

It was somewhat flattering.

The right and left hemisphere locks will free or restrict the Opening Gate and Healing Gate above. It will signal chi points and 'lift' bodily limitations. Wong went on, This is a way to assist my grandson, should you ever need to. His Capitate Locks have been shut since he was born. His parents should have taken greater care…

Stunned by the diagnosis he had never known about, Lee looked over his shoulder at Neji, "I have…faulty locks."

Neji blinked curiously at him, "Meaning what?"

"My ability to use jutsu is hindered by it, I gather." Lee was a bit dismayed, "Grandpa never explained it to me before."

Now, now, Lee…a tremendous warrior like you should not be insecure over something as trivial as two closed locks. Ninjutsu is not a vital skill. But if you must talk about it with Neji, as you two have a proclivity for conversation… Wong folded his arms, Then we'll do it over lunch. Let's go inside for now.

The old man abruptly interrupted the start of the lesson and spun on his heel, walking back in the direction of his home.

Stupefied, Lee stared at his friend.

"Why is he going inside?" Neji was confused; he also responded to Lee's expression, "What?"

"He said your name!" Lee moved to follow, "He usually calls you something else…"

---

Lunch was informative. The stewed cabbage and beef was filling. All the while they talked about Neji's opportunity to learn about locks, which acted as connectors between chakra points and the Eight Gates. Wong lectured through Lee's translations about "chi flow," better known to them as chakra, and how it was not too distantly related to the physical changes stimulated by Inner Gates. Formerly unrelated subjects were sewn together through old Tao ideas. Neji was amused to learn that Jyukken and Gouken were not mirror-image approaches to combat as he had thought. They were expressions of the same 'way,' as Wong described the styles as two adjacent spokes that supported a 'wheel.' Nothing could be definitively different while everything is connected, the old man put it.

Lee's handicap was briefly discussed, but Wong had a 'could-give-a-fuck' attitude about it. Lee was a spoke on a wheel like everyone else, Wong insisted, and there was nothing broken about him.

When the meal was over and the old gentleman was tired of expanding the minds of young people, he commanded them to take their questions elsewhere. At least for today…I haven't had my nap yet.

That made them right on time for Gai's 4 o'clock rendezvous as they crossed town in Han clothes. The two boys had never felt their camaraderie so strong, nor had they ever expected a friendship with each other to flourish like it had. Though it went unsaid, both Neji and Lee had thought about it at different times. Life, while not perfect, was still quite enjoyable these days.

Gai commended them for their promptness. He was eager to announce another arm-wrestling victory against Kakashi that had secured them a double-training session at the end of the week. Team Gai's students versus Team Kakashi's students. Neji had a suspicion that Gai was aware of the impending date of the next Chunin Exam but was not at liberty to announce it. Their sensei wanted them prepared regardless.

Added to the itinerary was more melee weapon testing and, after that, hand signal review for stealth missions. Team Gai was fond of radio communications, but Neji had astutely pointed out that Gai and Lee could not be shouting at each other during every mission.

"I believe we do need new radio headsets." Lee announced, "I recall that mine has not worked in weeks."

Gai made note of it, "Very well, Lee. And you, Neji?"

"I suppose I could use something more current."

"It seems I have a bit of shopping to do then. I don't suppose we'll need a fourth…" Gai trailed off sadly, "A set of four is fine."

It occurred to Neji that he had left behind the Tool-Summoning scroll that housed Lee's nunchaku. He would have to fetch it before proceeding with their lesson. He tried alerting Gai to this minor blunder, but the man paid him no heed while gawking across the grassy field. Neji slowly followed the gazes of Gai and Lee to determine what was so distracting.

Gekko Hayate had stepped into the training area while blowing his nose into a tissue. He was prone to spring allergies. What was the actual subject of concern was the kunoichi following behind Hayate. The men of Team Gai were at a loss for words, although Tenten did not look nearly as flabbergasted as they did.

"Hey, Gai," Hayate cleared his throat, "Sorry. I was given a mandatory evaluation day for my student. I already matched her with Kurenai's team but they weren't enthusiastic opponents. Do you have some time for a combat test?"

Gai inhaled a large portion of air through his mouth before managing a reply, "Of course we have time!" Then added cautiously; "Is this arrangement approved by the Hokage?"

"I guess it is when she demands that I get out of her office." Hayate shrugged, "Other teams were preoccupied so I thought I'd check with you."

Neji registered Lee's transitioning facial expressions for a few seconds before looking back to Tenten. She was dressed in the new attire he had seen her in before: a white cheongsam dress over dark pants and her customary weapons holsters at her sides. Her hair was more elaborate, her posture relaxed, and she had a large weapon's scroll secured low on her back. Above that was the scabbard of a small sword he had not seen before. Her eyes and mouth were serene, distant, and Neji could not help but feel like he was looking at a stranger.

She was here for nothing more than a training assessment. It was almost cruel to parade her around as someone else's student, Neji thought, and watch Gai struggle to remain pleasant. While his blood pressure assured Neji that he was excited and astounded to see the girl, he was unhappy that she was a wholly separate entity now.

Gai approved his team's participation for a one-on-one test and Hayate gave a nod of his head, prompting Tenten to step forward. She had zeroed-in her attention on Gai, which was immediately perplexing.

When Gai stepped back uncertainly Hayate clarified, "I always pit her against Jounin first. Have at it!"

Maito Gai quailed for a moment before pulling himself together with a stupendous burst of gusto. This former student was still his student, and he could not think of the last time Tenten had been willing to challenge him.

With a roaring laugh Gai charged. Neji and Lee remained at the edge of the field, silent and mouths hanging open in dumbfoundment. There was no previous recorded confrontation between Gai and Tenten to serve as a precedent, and so naturally they had no idea what to expect.

Without a quip or emotional signal of any kind, Tenten executed a cartwheel towards the charging bull of a Jounin, pulling open the tool summoning scroll with her heel. Her free hand conjured up a chain-bola while she tumbled and flung it in the same motion. The weighted chain struck Gai's legs, snaring him. He began to topple and rolled out of the way of the follow-up onslaught of projectiles. With pent up momentum Gai went in for a sliding-tackle, but the kunoichi leapt cleanly over him and kept throwing.

Gai took evasive actions while freeing his legs. He about-faced quickly enough to see the girl's silhouette against the sun as she sprang. He had the foresight to pick up a discarded kunai from the ground as Tenten bore down with the jian that had been at her back. Metal rang as the weapons met, and there was a tearing sound of fabric that followed, tipping Gai off to a second sword that was slicing through his flak jacket from behind. Eyes wild, Gai quickly identified the clone behind him. He had no idea when or how Tenten produced it, but he was barely fast enough to knock it back with a superficial elbow nudge to the chest. Its hardiness revealed that it was a Shadow Clone, 'Amazing! I might've fallen for it if Kakashi hadn't done something similar to show me up! Ha!'

He then smartly ducked when the Shadow Clone swung in during another pounce, and in a concerted act of coordination, rolled across Tenten's back and away as the original kunoichi slashed forward. The speed with which she struck and dashed would have easily cleaned even Lee's clock had he not stayed on his toes. Grinning, Gai countered as appropriately as possible with a kunai, blocking the two circling kunoichi. He would have blinked and missed the third copy that snuck in from, well, he didn't know where. The mounting pressure called for a bit more aggression, but the moment Gai took the offensive with his single kunai he was immediately punished for it.

Part of his bowl-cut was hacked by a brush of two jians, and the third sword nearly went straight through his foot while he hollered in outrage. He had to hop away and watch his back. The Shadow Clones were too fast to predict, lacking any kind of pattern he could exploit, and Gai realized that he was not facing a basic Kage Bunshin barrage, 'The Dance of the Crescent Moon! This jutsu gives purpose and direction to clones that far surpass a traditional attack- whoa-!' That was nearly his head again, 'A fourth?'

He was mildly alarmed. Two was the typical cap, but to pigeonhole Tenten as typical at this point would not make sense.

At about the point he felt a drop of sweat streak down from his temple; he thought it proper to counter more seriously. Gai drew out his nunchaku from a holster and tossed it over his shoulder, below his elbow and let it smash viciously into the nearest Shadow Clone's head. It exploded into smoke and Tenten changed directions, her replications staying at the front while she provided covering fire with projectiles. Gai blocked everything that was tossed at him but had to retreat from the advancing clones. It was a bit of a goose chase until Gai found another opening, somersaulting over clones, hearing the ring of sword metal against his nunchaku. He came within a few feet of the real kunoichi, who had swapped out projectiles for her jian again in an instant.

After pummeling a clone that wedged itself between him and Tenten, Gai took advantage of the brief smoke buffer. With a burst of speed, he worked his way around Tenten's back, looped the threshing chain around her neck and pulled it taught. There was a hiss of breath as the kunoichi froze, recognizing that she had been caught unaware.

"Hm, hmm, hmm!" Gai was laughing to himself, very pleased, "What incredible fortitude! Tenten you have-" He stopped speaking self-assuredly when he felt the tip of a jian press threateningly against his throat. The clone that had been caught in the nunchaku was dispelled.

"I know you are probably quick enough to block and keep going, but…" Tenten's voice was stern, "I don't think you should."

"Oh! Hmm!" He laughed again, "Well met on a spring day! You have bested me, Tenten." It was a sunny surrender and the sword was withdrawn, ending all hostility.

Tenten sheathed Hok at her back again and the dip in her eyebrows suggested sadness. Before Gai could offer any more booming congratulations, Hayate had come up beside the kunoichi, "Not bad. The two of you took advantage of the same moment of distraction. Great minds think alike, huh?"

She gave Hayate a sidelong look, "That's how students and teachers are supposed to think."

"Hey, don't get snippy with me again."

"I am not."

"You've been bent out of shape about this evaluation. You were dragging your heels with Kurenai's team too. Can you stop giving me a hard time?" The man groused, "Are you going to continue the assessment or do you refuse to fight those two basking sharks over there?" He was referring to Lee and Neji, whose mouths were still agape, "You declined to fight Hinata earlier and that pissed me off."

"She's my friend!"

"Aren't they all your friends?"

Tenten puffed her cheeks, "She's different. I couldn't hurt her even if the Hokage ordered me to…"

"Psh, what a softie. Looks like you've got a way to go…" Hayate grumbled, "So I'll take that as a 'no'?"

"No, I refuse." She affirmed.

Across the way, it was a bit hurtful to her friends that she was unwilling to test herself against them. It was a short encounter. Just like that she would be on her way again, probably to apply her skills against other Genin who she didn't mind clobbering.

"Alright, fine, listen up then." Hayate folded his arms and frowned, "I had to put up with a lot and follow strict rules while working with you. I cleaned you up and pointed you in the right direction, Tenten. I guess I shouldn't expect a thank-you, but the reason why this evaluation was slated for today was because I delayed it to be today. The Hokage only said it had to be completed within the suspension period." He sniffed, staving off an allergic sneeze, "Remember when I got kicked out of Tsunade's office earlier? That was her confirming the suspension has ended. I could complete the evaluation and then turn you over."

After giving the man a long, critical look she nearly screeched, "Why didn't you tell me that? I…I wouldn't have been so stubborn about all of this if I had known!"

"Yes you would have. And you know…there are these things called surprises," He grunted, "I was trying to be nice."

"The Hokage approved it?" She asked again, paranoid.

"She did. Jeez, what am I a liar now? You don't have to train with me anymore." He muttered thanks under his breath, "I don't know if you can take missions because that's for the Hokage to decide tomorrow, but you can return to your team."

Gai withheld an excited sob and, meters away in the background, so did Lee.

"I…you…" She struggled to find fitting words, "Thank you."

"Yeah, yeah, I know. You can still visit if you like. Yugao was worried she wouldn't get to see you after this." Hayate nearly rolled his eyes, "Don't let her down."

"I won't! Tell her not to worry!"

"Sure." His lips folded in an impatient smirk.

She dared let happiness bloom in her features, "I'm sorry I was stubborn, Hayate. About as stubborn as you, I guess. You really did help me…"

"Alright, that's enough." He made a shooing motion with his hand, "Off with you. I want to return to my regular mission activity, and I know that you want to return to all those grinning idiots over there."

Hayate gave a short wave to Gai before lumbering off, drawing out another tissue from his pocket. If he stayed any longer Tenten might find more to say, and he frankly did not need to hear what he was sure he already knew.

Lee could no longer hold in his scream of joy, "Tenten!"

She turned around to look at her teammates, not dreading the distance between them (which was considerably smaller) as she did for weeks. She felt the heaviness of Gai's hand on her shoulder, welcoming, and watched Lee and Neji approach in a great hurry. They were on the cusp of being difficult to recognize, 'They're going to be as tall as Gai-sensei! And what's with those clothes?' She would swear Wong Leung had something to do with it, if she knew that old man.

Lee raced up to her and scooped her into a lift. Tenten did not fight the automatic need to laugh in elation while he kept her raised, shouting incomprehensible things, and then slowly lowered her back down to the ground. 'Woo! Oh boy, he's almost a whole head above me!' She estimated, 'And I'm in heels.'

Then she was squeezed into a youthful hug, "Tenten! I knew that you would come back to us! We were willing to wait as long as it took and we worked hard hoping to make you proud!" He sniffled, "Why are you so beautiful and-?" Lee sobbed, "Why did you almost kill Gai-sensei?"

"Lee! I didn't! I would never hurt anyone!" She assured him in an urgent chuckle.

The hug had bunched her shoulders up, one of which Lee was weeping onto, and the other was being patted by Gai who had also begun to cry with joy, "I have never been so happy about anyone coming that close to slicing a major artery!" He added with a tearful, "Welcome back, Tenten."

"Gai-sensei!" She admonished, "I wouldn't. Come on, guys, you know better…"

It took a few minutes for the two of them to dry up, but by then Lee had gently released her. Tenten peeked around her childhood friend to get an eyeful of Neji, who she had only glimpsed from over shoulders and heads during her greeting. Something was decidedly different about him.

Aside from his height and the more muscular broadness that was evident in the clothes he wore, there was a radiance that had not been there last time. It occurred to her that Neji seemed friendlier. Tenten was sure her prediction was accurate when Neji shut his eyes for a moment, overcome by a tiny smile of relief.

"You were gone for too long." He informed her.

"I'm sorry I made you wait." She took a step closer, "I know that Lee has been keeping you company."

Neji nodded in confirmation. He came a bit closer, and as the sounds of Lee and Gai's blubbering quieted down, he too reached to pull her into a sincere embrace. Since he had initiated it Tenten felt she was within her rights to hug back, chin about level with his shoulder, and was entirely aware of the contrast between this hold and Lee's squeeze. Neji's hands had settled in the space between the sword scabbard and summoning scroll at her back. Maybe it was a sympathetic response, but she had mirrored the gesture.

'He must've missed me.' That was certainly a good feeling, 'I wish I could be absent for weeks on end more often…' The sensation of welcome and happiness, while it had been acute with Lee, was exponentially more noticeable with Neji's voluntary touch.

He probably did not mean to brush his face against hers. A rosy flush crept over the bridge of Tenten's nose when Neji spoke again, "Tell me everything." He added, "Later. Gai was about to go over signaling with us."

"Oh!" She took a step back and returned her attention to her sensei, "I can join in, right?"

"Yes! We have not yet begun!" Gai was sanguine, "And you are also right on time for a melee weapon review, Tenten. Lee will be keener to take part now that you're here…"

---

After a successful review of hand signaling, nunchaku, and then a trip to a ninja equipment store, Gai could say that he felt revitalized. Tenten's giddy participation upon her return had assured the man that she was thrilled to be a part of the team again. And also, thanks to a suggestion made by Lee, the team celebrated Tenten's recent birthday as well as her return. They dropped in at their preferred restaurant and caught up on what they had missed. The laughter was loud, the food impeccable, and no alcohol was ordered or accidentally ingested.

Gai was overjoyed to share this news with Tama the next day on an early-morning jog around the village. His niece was an occasional cardio-companion when she had free time.

"I knew that she would be re-assigned! I had a feeling…" The girl smiled thoughtfully, "Tenten was so out of sorts for a while…she butted heads with her tutor and was in such a bad mood…"

There was a spring in Gai's step, "Ah yes…all is as it should be! I am giving my students some space to reconnect for now. We can resume missions again in a few days with the Hokage's permission."

"It's about time!"

They proceeded uphill towards posterior steps near the Hokage monument.

"And how is my rival? I suspect he is very pleased to be your sensei!"

"He is. Kakashi-sensei is always checking to see if we're available for training." Tama reported, "Sakura-chan has a hectic schedule, so we wait up for her whenever we can. Kiba-kun is bouncing back."

Her uncle frowned, "I heard that his family is in turmoil."

"Not exactly. Kiba-kun told me his father was arrested two days ago at a rest house. He was trying to leave the Fire Country, but he didn't make it far. He's been hospitalized again. Tsume tracked him for nearly a week, I was told." Tama explained, "They're trying to hold it together until the court hearing."

"Such deception deserves firm justice!" Gai was climbing the stairs three at a time while he fumed, "Who could ever scheme to use their child that way?"

Tama hurried to keep up, "There are…a lot of rotten people in the world, Uncle Gai…"

"Real men take responsibility!"

"They should-!"

"His karmic track record is ruined!"

"Wait up, Uncle Gai!" She was panting, trying to scale the top of the staircase as he had in a matter of seconds. When Tama arrived at the top her uncle had slowed down to accommodate her.

"I apologize, pretty gem. The thought of such dishonor maddens me."

"That's alright…" She took a deep breath, "It bothered me too."

"Of course. The blood of our family is thick with contempt for disgrace and cowardice. My brother too…" A switch seemed to flip in his head and Gai noted, "I forgot to ask Ken something."

"What did you want to ask?"

"He might've known…I expect Sato must be considering places for you to live. He doesn't have the proper space for you…" Gai grinned, "Kakashi should be able to give him guidance about home-hunting! You two don't have enough room to cohabitate for marriage."

"Uh, Uncle Gai…" Tama was shamefaced, "Are you seriously thinking about that right now? We still have time!"

"It's borrowed time you speak of; that's all that shinobi have!" Gai reminded her, "Tama-chan, surely you are looking forward to the merging of our two esteemed families!"

"I do. We just…don't imagine the future much." She was a tad disappointed to admit, "Short-term goals are about all that we work towards."

"Your betrothed needs to step up! I've seen the maturity of my students grow by leaps in these last few months. All of your comrades are young adults now! Certainly Sato-kun must be prepared?"

"He's…attentive." Tama supplied a word, "But I don't think he's prepared, Uncle Gai. Sato just doesn't think about getting married."

"That kind of attitude won't give me grand-nieces and nephews!" He boomed indignantly.

The idea shocked Tama somewhat. She had to mindfully shut her mouth to be sure bugs would not fly in as she ran. Her uncle's grand vision of the future packed on a lot of pressure.

"Uncle, my attitude has nothing to do with grand-anythings you want to play with."

"Naturally, it's at your discretion, Tama-chan, but what better way is there to bind the Hatake and Maito families?"

"I don't know," She wore a small, impish expression, "Why don't you and Kakashi-sensei get married, then?"

"HA!" That comment stirred Gai up, "We are too competitive for married life, Niece!" He added more seriously as he vaulted over a roadblock, "And I have a dog allergy."

---

Later that same morning, because it was difficult for them to be prompt, Sato and Kakashi had also gotten together for training away from their respective teams. It was a common practice nowadays to meet at the training field.

Kakashi was astounded that, after their close shave with members of the Akatsuki, Sato's jutsu and performance had advanced vastly. On multiple occasions, Kurenai had quietly remarked to Kakashi that she was unable to challenge any of her students lightly. She was nearing the end of personal knowledge she could share with Sato regarding Genjutsu, which he aptly applied thanks to her direction and tests. They would have 'mind battles' at their training field and attack each other with vicious illusions.

"You're a brave woman." Kakashi reminded her.

She had smiled slyly, "It's about time you challenged him. He's employing totems and gestures now, which are among the most advanced ways to cast Genjutsu. You ought to be able to handle it."

So Kakashi had acquiesced to the idea and evaluated his nephew when he could. He was surprised that Sato was able to use a sneaky verbal suggestion tucked within meaningless conversation, and it made his uncle happily stroll over a trap even when his rational mind knew better. Sato's seamless weaving of illusion and tricks made Kakashi grateful that the Sharingan was at his disposal. He was not ashamed to use it.

His nephew had improved in other ways as well. While still a button-pushing extrovert, Sato had gained an unexpected sharpness in his personality. Kakashi had no doubts that his near-death experience had provoked it. This quality carried over into the way Sato fought, decidedly more brutal with Taijutsu and weaponry, and far less shy about melee combat than he had been in the past. He had become well-rounded thanks to his newfound motivation.

"It's a work in progress, but…" Sato announced proudly, "I invented a new type of clone."

"That's nice." Kakashi was taking a five-minute break with a paperback book.

"Want to see it?"

"Not really. You'll probably make it hurt me."

"When you finish reading that section, then, I'll show you what I have so far."

"You know, I doubt you've made something new and original when scores of shinobi who have preceded you, long ago, invented most of the techniques we use today. There are only so many methods of generating a clone, Sato. I don't think it's really new."

"It's new. You can cry about it later."

'He's as cheeky as ever.' Kakashi mentally noted, 'I wondered if it is out of the question to write him a Jounin recommendation letter…but Tsunade wouldn't accept them this early. She'll likely want to read those over after her Exam concludes.'

Sato took a seat beside his uncle on a log, glancing over the erotic page Kakashi was reading, "I bet you've heard already…"

"About Gai's team?"

"Yeah! They looked ridiculously psyched! Tama was talking about it before I stopped by." He looked upward and smiled, "I'm glad for them. They're not supposed to be apart."

"As Gai's friend, I couldn't be happier for him. I've felt the same pain and disappointment he did." Kakashi agreed while flipping a page.

"I can't imagine what it'd be like to be forced away from my friends." Sato mused, "Just about everything I do involves them…"

Kakashi solemnly closed his book, "…it's terrible."

"Huh?"

"Being apart from…Rin…and Obito." His sigh was soft, "Nothing was the same after that."

"Crap, I'm sorry." Sato realized he had approached the topic carelessly.

"It's not your fault."

"I know it isn't," The young man acknowledged, "But it hurts you. It hurts you every day so I try not to bring it up."

"Relax. Many things have hurt me that haven't ruined me," Kakashi patted Sato's shoulder as he stood, "I was thinking about stopping by the Memorial Stone later to say hello."

"I'll go with you." Sato offered.

"If you like. I go to keep Obito current on what's happening in my life. I like to think that Rin is still safe out there somewhere."

"That's fine. I've wondered if it'd be right for me to visit when I…" He hesitated to finish, "Think about my dad."

"I'm not so sure of that. We never could confirm what happened, Sato."

"I just wish he had something, like a gravestone or whatever, that I could visit." Sato elaborated, "Mom said that he took a mission one day…and then was gone without a trace. They don't think he even made it out of the Fire Country."

"To tell you the truth," Kakashi replied, "As a favor to my sister, I tracked Riei. We really couldn't find a trail since I suspect he had flown most of the way. There was no body or evidence to be found. Maybe if his summoned owl had been killed we would have spotted something…but we had no way of knowing what happened."

Sato smiled to himself and left his seat, "I think…that I'm getting close to not caring so much about it anymore."

---

Not much more than a week after Haku's bet had gone awry, he and Ranmaru were still conscripted for work at Migawari's office. The two friends cautiously darted into the doctor's office day in and day out, making up excuses to their swordsman mentors for their absences.

For the most part, Raiga had bought Ranmaru's tales of jaunts around town. He did not question his protégée's whereabouts so long as he was on time for training.

Haku had more difficulty keeping Zabuza convinced. While not assisting in Hiroshi's teashop, as he was still expected to do, Haku's time was divided further between training with Zabuza and clandestinely learning from Migawari. When the Demon of the Hidden Mist had heard the sixth explanation of why Haku was not taking a mission, Zabuza decided to stop asking altogether. He doubted it was because the Toad Sage had told him not to. Haku was clearly distracted by something, but the brute stalked off and took missions on his own, supposing that the façade Haku had constructed would eventually fall.

Early one afternoon, Haku had once again evaded suspicion and joined Ranmaru for medical jutsu training. Migawari had ushered them into a room where a young patient was seated.

"You're late for practice. That's one less bathroom break," The beady-eyed man warned, "Ranmaru cared to make it on time!"

"I apologize. But unless you want a famous nukenin to pay you a visit, I suggest you let me sidetrack him first." Haku replied evenly. He then greeted the patient who was waiting quietly; a middle-aged woman on crutches.

Migawari gave brief instructions to his new assistants before standing back, allowing them to mend the lady's leg fracture. He had deduced that while Ranmaru had a more natural talent for healing, it was Haku's exceptionally precise chakra control that made him a candidate for healing. Migawari had taught them 'skills of necessity' that Medic-Nin relied on, but nothing too advanced. Migawari had hesitations about investing in their studies when he was well aware two swordsmen were down the street, and that they might have reason to object, 'I'm too old to get murdered. It just ain't right.'

Haku surveyed the site of the woman's injury with his chakra; laying a gentle hand over her swollen leg. His eyes unfocused while his concentration shifted to the internal mapping of the body, chakra brushing over the fibula, quickly illuminating a hairline fracture above the ankle. Haku had identified the spot and ceased the jutsu, looking up with a small smile, "May I ask how you hurt your leg?"

"I told Migawari-san before, but it's just so embarrassing. It's the same work I do every day." The woman admitted, "I move shipments off of pallets into the depot downtown, but I jumped off of a stack carelessly and…" She sighed, "I'm more fragile than when I was a kid, I swear."

"It's alright. This is a very small break."

"I can't miss work! I have a double shift in three days." She added urgently, "Can you fix it by tomorrow?"

Migawari rumbled with laughter, "We fix worse than this in less time. Shinobi can rarely afford a day to heal."

Ranmaru took a turn to use the System Survey Jutsu, scanning over the injury with his chakra to identify it. When he had a satisfactory image the small boy scooted over and allowed Haku to heal the lady's broken leg. They chatted cordially while the soft glow of chakra bonded bone and soft tissue, the pain remained minimal, until finally Migawari stepped forward to inspect the handiwork. He commended Haku's prowess and waived the woman's medical fee. She thanked them sincerely during another chat, and later was able to leave on her own two legs.

"Migawari-san, you don't pay us for this work because you don't charge patients, is that it?" Ranmaru wondered.

"No. I don't charge people who can't afford to be charged." The old gambler added, "And I don't pay losers for anything."

"There's no need to be rude. You said yourself that you consider our mastery of these techniques to be an achievement." Haku chided.

"Sure, but neither of you can gamble to save your lives. It's no fun."

"There are other ways to have fun." Ranmaru assured him, "Like eating spicy foods."

"…no. I have peptic ulcers."

Haku reminded, "I can take care of those, if you like."

"And then you can try spicy foods." Ranmaru added excitedly.

"I may just have to fire you two after all, since you're trying to sabotage my stomach…"

"Then you might actually have to get some work done." Haku pointed out as they returned to the front of the building, single-file down the hall.

"Damn, you're right. Scratch that. I'll never fire you."

They sighed collectively before rounding the corner to the waiting room. Ranmaru stopped in his tracks and squealed in fright. He quickly ducked behind Haku. The group looked ahead to see Zabuza seated on a cushioned chair, his arms folded in annoyance, glaring ahead without a sound as soft music played on the radio.

Migawari's tiny eyes widened as far as they could go, "Oh my god." He cleared his throat, "Er-hem! Are you in need of medical treatment, sir?"

A growl answered, "Huh…so you want to play dumb?" His Seversword was leaned against the exit of the waiting room, preventing anyone from running outside to save themselves.

Haku stepped forward to take responsibility, "Please don't threaten these people, Zabuza."

"I won't. I don't give a rat's ass about the midget or the old gamester. You are the one who's been lying to me, so my problem is with you." Zabuza clarified, "What the fuck are you doing here, Haku? I suggest you don't bullshit me this time."

"I am learning Medical jutsu."

"You could've just said that from the start." The brute pointed out.

"I know, and you would have called it a waste of time."

"It is a waste of time." Zabuza added with a tilt of his head, "Isn't that Raiga's twerp?"

Ranmaru made a small sound of fear when he was acknowledged.

"So…Raiga's here too?" Zabuza deduced, "Could you fuck up our situation a little more, Haku? If you don't want me to kill anyone, that merits a head's up. Keeping me in the dark won't work the way you hope it will."

"Right…" The apprentice agreed weakly.

The wrinkling of Zabuza's brow indicated great distaste when he observed the tiny, violet-haired boy, his eyes were narrow with criticism, "There's no way a runt like that is going to succeed a swordsman."

"He has a better chance of it than I do." Haku countered boldly, "I'll make this up to you. But whatever you do, please leave Ranmaru and Raiga be. He doesn't even know that we're here."

"That's awfully convenient." He considered it for a long moment, "Fine. I have better things to do than provoke a stupid asshole like him, but…if he so much as blinks at me with the idea of a fight, all bets are off."

The word 'bets' attracted Migawari's attention, "So that's all you care about, eh, Momochi Zabuza? Never imagined the day I would see a monster like you in my office." The old man puffed up, no longer intimidated, "What about the townspeople? Or these two studious boys? Aren't they reason enough not to cause uproar around here?"

"You want to think you have a point, but you don't, Old Man." Zabuza sneered, "There's unfinished business between the Swordsmen, and don't pretend that you understand. Our coup d'état in Mist would not have failed if idiots like Raiga didn't flee from critical battles. The first possibility of loss was enough to change his mind, and I will never let a shinobi with that reputation shit on my plans again."

"You are tremendously self-centered!"

"Tch. Why is that an issue?"

"There's more to life than your half-baked plans to oust the Mizukage, you damned fool." The retired Grass nin huffed, "There are other forces at work! Even you can see that."

"Watch your tongue." Zabuza's hand traced over the hilt of the gargantuan sword beside him.

"Oh believe me, I will. I'll come out and say it: you ought to take the advice of someone like me, a man who's seen a lot of success in his lifetime, ho ho!" Migawari waggled his spectacles, "If you are so dedicated to seeing an apprentice rise and meet your expectations…and thereby help you realize your dreams…Haku can do much better than learning the fastest way to destroy the human body. He ought to learn to fix it too! The next time you're in a tricky battle, you won't regret that he is of both worlds, will you?"

"He's a decent enough healer." Zabuza sniffed, "He's a reluctant killer." He added angrily, "And Haku sure as hell can't heal his way to a new regime."

"The Fifth Hokage did." Haku ventured.

"Shut the fuck up. You're no Hokage."

A poisonous retort, "Neither was she. Tsunade-sama grew into it."

Migawari waved his hands, "Enough of this! Are we hostages or have you concluded what you had to say? You indicated that you need more time to train with Haku, is that it?"

"Yeah. At least you pay attention." He moved the sword aside to unblock the door, "Haku needs more training, and I'm not going to let you get in the way of that."

"Fair enough. I don't intend to cross you." The old ninja yielded, "But I ask that you don't start trouble around here."

As Zabuza rose to stand, his dark, rumbling chuckle unnerved them, "Cheap layabouts don't usually tell me what to do…unless they can afford it."

"Leave him alone, Zabuza-san." Haku intervened, "Seeing that you haven't gone out, I can train with you for the rest of the day. I won't be much longer."

"Good." The man grunted and turned to leave, glancing over Ranmaru, "And you. Not a word of this goes back to that stooge."

"Uh-huh." Ranmaru nodded meekly.

There was a tense stillness as Zabuza exited and left Haku with a lingering glare, and the young man bravely returned it. The office door slowly creaked closed when a white rabbit dashed inside just before it shut. Migawari sat down on a chair to catch his breath, surprised that he had used most of it to argue with the Demon of the Hidden Mist. 'These boys will keep me young whether I like it or not…retirement was supposed to be relaxing…'

Calmer than before, Ranmaru crouched down to pet the rabbit, "This is your messenger, right Haku-kun?"

"Yes," He scooped up Pua and spoke to her directly, "You've been gone for so long. Did you get any responses, girl?"

Pua brandished a particular scroll of the three she was toting and Haku found it odd. He wondered if Jiraiya had written to him again, but upon unrolling the parchment he discovered foreign handwriting. It was not addressed to or from anyone. The message was extremely brief. It dawned on Haku after a moment of consideration that this reply was from someone he truly did not expect to hear back from.

His eyes hurriedly re-read the message:

I don't know what to say to you.

An invisible wrench and socket twisted his torso, making his chest tight with regret and curiosity.

"What is it, Haku?" Ranmaru wondered. Migawari was puffing in the background, trying to return to his senses.

Haku gently set Pua down on the floor and took a seat in the waiting room as well. His best guess was that this was Temari's response to the letter he had sent her. More than likely, it was the only reply he could ever expect from her. 'But she answered when she didn't have to…' Haku noted in astonishment, 'It wasn't a very favorable sentiment…but Temari knew that she wasn't obligated.' He quickly inferred that she might have felt a hint of appreciation that he reached out.

While Haku sat, flummoxed, Ranmaru peered over at the message, "If someone doesn't know what to say to you…then why would they bother writing?"

Haku snapped out of his thoughts and sighed, "It's…complicated."

"Who sent it?"

"Someone I love. She's angry with me." Haku summed it up.

"Oh!" Ranmaru was mildly impressed.

Pua hopped up to take a seat on her master's knees.

Ranmaru sat down between Haku and the wheezing gambler, deliberating on the matter, "Hm…maybe she doesn't want to be mad at you."

"Maybe so, but I don't know how to change things. I am in no position to ask for her forgiveness, let alone a second chance."

"Even Raiga got a second chance." Ranmaru swung his short legs off of the chair, still thinking, "No one will ever forgive him except for me, and he used to do bad things to people."

"This is different."

"It probably is." His small friend agreed, "But you're not bad, Haku-kun, no matter what you did in the past."

Haku's smile was wistful, "I wish that were true, but I have realized that I am not nearly as good as I thought I was."

Ranmaru paused to look at him, "That's okay." He continued kicking his legs, "If you write again and she doesn't answer…then you know for sure that it won't change."

"I shouldn't."

"But you want to know!"

"And I don't want to make her upset."

"You already did." Ranmaru reminded him, "I had to reach out to the person I cared for, and I had no idea if it would make a difference when I tried. All I know is that…if I hadn't done it, we would have been stuck under those storm clouds forever. I never would have seen the world or met my friends…"

"Hm." Haku shut his eyes and took the thought to heart.

Unexpectedly, Migawari stood and hobbled across the room, "Come on, boys. To the treatment room…"

"Why? Is something the matter?" Haku asked.

"Yeah. I'm going to take you up on that offer to treat my ulcers." Migawari replied, "Your conversation gave me horrible acid."

---

At about roughly the same time, far off in the wilds of the Toad Valley, Naruto was also spending time with a mentor. He was seated once again beside the Toad Oil pool, legs folded in a position of meditation, and his eyes lightly shut. Jiraiya was nearby keeping watch as his student absorbed natural energy.

'This is going to be a long day.' Jiraiya thought to himself, 'He's on the verge of getting it. I wanted to help Naruto out and speed this lesson along, but that went and backfired…'Earlier, Jiraiya had asked Fukasaku to bond himself to Naruto's shoulder and attempt to gather natural energy. It was an excellent way to keep Naruto on his feet in battle while an assistant did the meditating for him. 'It looked great on paper…'

But in practice it had failed. As soon as Fukasaku had nestled onto Naruto's shoulder and tried to quiet his mind, a thundering roar echoed up from inside the boy and hurled the toad across the yard. Alarmed, Naruto quickly apologized for the rejection.

Still not completely convinced, Jiraiya asked his toad mentor to give it a second attempt. Again, Fukasaku was expelled by the Nine-Tailed Fox, staking its claim of space inside his vessel.

Fukasaku rubbed his backside after he had landed on stone steps, "It seems we won't be able to aid Naruto the way we aid you, Jiraiya-boy."

"That's how it looks." Jiraiya rubbed his chin, mulling over the next option. He advised the toad to go home for a rest while he watched after his pupil.

As there were no other methods to indirectly harvest natural energy, Jiraiya set Naruto back to work with his personal meditation. He and a shadow clone focused side by side as Jiraiya kept watch.

Naruto was tapping into the natural energy of the environment more rapidly than he had before. His eyelids were tinged red like the skin of his toad-friends, but almost immediately after that, the shape of his face would widen and his hands slowly developed webbing. Jiraiya was sure to bop him on the head as soon as the transformation passed that threshold.

Over the course of a few hours, he had to interrupt several dozen times. Remarkably, Naruto was not frustrated by any instance of intervention, and occasionally thanked Jiraiya for his swiftness. 'I don't want to end up a garden decoration. Ero-sensei would probably make fun of me every time he walks by…'

As the day progressed, Jiraiya could not shed his desire to chat. He took a seat on a step and fiddled with his pipe, "So…I was thinking…"

"About what?" Naruto opened an eye.

"Fukasaku and Shima might be able to bond with your body after all." Jiraiya suggested, "We just need to persuade the Fox to allow it."

Naruto shut his eyes again, annoyed, "I'm not talking to him."

"Gaara already told you that it was a good idea."

"It won't get me anywhere. I'm better off training on my own."

Jiraiya sighed, "Fine. Today isn't the day. But, down the line you're going to realize that you can't do everything yourself. The Kyuubi doesn't have to be a burden, Naruto."

Naruto said nothing and returned to his quiet state. His mind was restless, unfortunately, 'Great. Now I'm distracted.' He exhaled roughly, 'Ma and Pa don't need to help me. I'll use Shadow Clones to gather energy. They can use jutsu too. It won't make much difference.'

He could hear Jiraiya walking around to stretch his legs. 'The Fox doesn't want to change. Even if I had a heart to heart with him, he'll still have it out for me…' Naruto then acknowledged, 'I guess eventually, though…there's gonna be a time when I can't avoid him. We're going to have to reach an understanding or truce. Something.' He knew for certain it was not a conversation he wanted to have at the moment.

"You're not focusing at all." Jiraiya noticed out loud.

"You don't make it easy, Ero-sensei."

"Yeah, I know." He took a seat beside his student and patted Naruto's shoulder, "Take a break. I can tell you something encouraging for a change, if that'll calm you down."

"Really?" Naruto unfurled and stretched.

"Sure. I think now is a good time to discuss the life of someone who had to deal with the Nine-Tails long before you did." Jiraiya began, "I mentioned this to you before, but the jinchuriki who came before you did not have it easy either."

The blonde young man gave a measured look to his teacher, "Of course she didn't. Can you tell me about her?"

"I promised you I would. Let's see, where do I start? Hm, back to the time when she first arrived…it was the Third Hokage's prime. Huh. I was still a little wet behind the ears then." Jiraiya chuckled at his memories, "Around that time, Uzumaki Mito requested that we begin looking for her replacement. She had been alive for, phew, a very long time while containing the Kyuubi. She outlived her husband by a couple of decades. Naturally, my sensei agreed with Mito's preference to find someone of Uzumaki descent, but, unfortunately, the Hidden Eddy Village had been ransacked shortly before this transition. I won't get into those political details, but you can imagine how it made the search for a successor difficult with refugees scattered to the winds."

"But they did find someone."

"Yes. They found three, actually. Two middle-aged ninja, a brother and sister, and that woman's small daughter: Uzumaki Kushina. After they arrived in Leaf at a safe house it was decided that the girl would become a jinchuriki." The man went on, "Everyone agreed that her mother and uncle were not as suitable. They settled down and tried to adapt as best they could, but Kushina had to endure a lot of bullying and attention at the Academy. She was colorful and unique, so the jealous kids liked to pick on her for it."

"Colorful and unique?" Naruto was puzzled, "Are you talking about personality or…?"

"Figuratively and literally: Kushina was the reddest redhead in red-town. Very pretty. Almost all of the Uzumaki clan had that crazy, scarlet hair. That's how we used to spot them in the old days. Anyway, she also dreamed big and made sure everyone knew what her intentions were." Jiraiya clarified, "Who could forget that girl running around the school and village, proclaiming that she'd be Hokage one day? I never did. She wanted to gain people's respect and have a sense of belonging in Konoha."

"I can relate."

"You sure can. She did great in school and made a few friends…but her torturers relished getting a rise out of her. Kushina fought back hard; more than likely she was struggling to accept her mother's death…and her uncle was a pretty apathetic and useless guy before he bit it." Jiraiya sighed, "Mito consoled her when she could, but soon after the Nine-Tailed Fox was transferred to Kushina, that support was gone too. She probably felt like she was alone most of the time. She had to care for herself, study hard, fight bullies, and try to hold onto her clan's identity as it slipped away. I bet she knew more about Sealing Techniques as a kid that most Jounin do these days, but it still didn't make her life easy. No one knew that she was a jinchuriki, save for the few that needed to know…but it was still an uphill battle."

Naruto lowered his head a fraction, feeling empathy for the girl.

"When she graduated and became a Genin, she had the good fortune of becoming a student to a caring sensei; a member of the Aburame clan. He had more than enough patience for her and her teammates. They all got along quite well, as I understand it. That team was able to survive clashes during the war that had bumped off other young teams. They looked out for each other as best they could, but I know for sure that two of them died. The bullying let up enough for Kushina to make a name for herself. Although, it's not always a good thing when people know who you are…"

Naruto blinked hard, waiting for the other shoe to drop, "Did something happen to her?"

"More than once. Kushina had to stay on her toes to avoid anyone who was 'poaching' for Tailed Beasts, usually other hidden villages. Because the Cloud Village has such a fondness for military fortification, they were hoping that when they ambushed Kushina at her home and escorted her away in the night…that no one would notice." The man laughed, "Heh! It almost worked. They picked a time when the Hokage was distracted and most shinobi were occupied."

"She got captured?" Naruto was horrified, "That's just…"

"Part and parcel of being a jinchuriki: sometimes they'll catch you with pants down around your ankles, kid. That's why we are preparing too, as you know. I'll say this, at the time I was a sensei and sometimes I told my students to bugger off and quit asking so many questions. Minato was the worst. He was always reading and observing things. What I didn't know at the time was that he was watching whatever Kushina was up to." Jiraiya shrugged, "And he noticed when she went missing. 'Course he wasn't especially her favorite person either, because, like I've said before, she had opinions about him…"

"He must've told someone."

"He didn't tell anyone." The Toad Sage corrected, "He followed the trail and saved her himself. That's the man I trained."

"Oh." Naruto raised his eyebrows, "Kind of risky."

"I won't argue with that. Minato had to beat the hell out of that ambush team, but he was happy to do it. He had such a big crush on Kushina that he probably could've made the sun rise in reverse for her. It wasn't until I inquired after the fact, because he did get in trouble for that stunt, that I learned just how bad Minato had it for her."

The young man tilted his head in shock, "He…"

"Yeah. Pretty much as nutty as you, I'd say. Kushina was fine after all of that. It certainly changed her mind about my student! By the end of the next year the two of them had become Jounin and, shortly after that, Kushina was kind enough to teach Minato some Sealing jutsu."

"Whoa! Wait a second; you're saying that the jinchuriki before me was…" Naruto lifted his pinky finger, "Like that with the Fourth Hokage?"

"Naruto, he wasn't the Hokage at that time. Minato was just some blonde chump who impressed her." Jiraiya shut his eyes and snickered, "She still had to fight most of her own battles."

"Were they-?"

"What I wanted to arrive at was this…Kushina put up with the Fox somehow. I don't have much insight as to how she accomplished that, but she went through it too. It's been said that she used its chakra to great effect in battles long ago, and she was by no means afraid to do it. She stayed in control." Jiraiya concluded, "I don't want you to give up yet, Naruto. Just remember that you're not the first person to go through all of this."

"I get that, Ero-sensei." Naruto sighed and leaned back on his hands, "I won't give up on it. I guess I just need to get over how I feel about it."

"Then you work on that. This isn't a bad place to do some thinking and feeling."

"Alright, so tell me the rest of it." He nudged Jiraiya interestedly, "That probably went somewhere! I know you know about it."

"Nah. That's a story for another day." Jiraiya stood and cracked his back, "Ah…I've got to go write some erotic scenes now to get the romance out of my brain."

---

The next morning in the Leaf Village, Neji was promptly informed that before he could leave Hyuga estate grounds his presence was required at a meeting of clan elders. Hiashi added that he was not told the particulars of why the Hyuga heir was slated to join the old folk that morning, but Neji would be free to return to his team after the conference.

Hiashi reminded him to keep breakfast quick before joining the elders in the formal meeting room. He returned down the corridor from whence he came and Neji sat by himself in the tea room, completely detached from eating the meal in front of him. He was absorbed by his thoughts again.

'This is sudden.' Neji noted, curious if his role as a successor of the Hyuga might be in question. Or, the opposite; 'I don't expect that I will be replacing my uncle as leader for…quite some time.' But he had never given it too much thought. The occurrence always seemed to be 'down the road.' It was tomorrow's endeavor. What Neji did not doubt was that his time as leader would be filled with challenges just as Hiashi's had been. He would be the representative that all other clan heads spoke to for matters of cooperation. Neji would need to keep relationships with allies strong and maintain the clan's distance from threats. His overseeing of these sacred responsibilities would have made his father proud, he supposed. 'If I had half an idea of how to do it...' Neji had still not hammered out all of those details.

By the time his train of thought pulled into station, the bowl of food had been emptied. Neji wasted no time in venturing to the far side of the building. He was the last to join the meeting.

The gathering room was where all of the clan, Branch and Main House alike, had space to meet; and did so about once a month, usually the last week of every month. It was that obligatory meeting that Neji was accustomed to attending, not so much the private awkwardness of retired Main House elders. Six of them (all that remained) were seated in a line on tatami mats. To their right, Hiashi was settled beside Hideyasu, still looking annoyed that a morning meeting was necessary.

Neji respectfully took the space in front of the old men, nearest to where his uncle was seated. He bowed his head to the floor in greeting, making sure they could all hear him say, "Good morning." The man on the far left was mostly deaf these days.

"Thank you for coming, Neji." The man who spoke, Haburo, had a quality of coldness that completely outclassed Hiashi at any given time. It seemed that he would be doing most of the talking while his fellow elders spectated.

"It is my honor to be here." Neji said as he rose.

"It is. This meeting was called to address some of our concerns. To start, however, I wish to discuss a subject that is unrelated to our concerns." Haburo inclined his head towards Hiashi and Hideyasu, "Neji's training has recently yielded significant results, I have heard." He was anticipating some kind of explanation, but not from Neji. The young man knew better than to speak unless an elder's eyes were firmly planted on him.

Hiashi had his reply ready, "That is correct. I have endorsed his training with a local Wushu master, which has considerably furthered his prowess with Jyukken. Hideyasu can also confirm Neji's ability with Wind Element chakra."

Haburo's frigid gaze fell on Hideyasu.

"I can confirm it. I ought to mention that is the reason why we don't have the back panel of forest anymore behind the property." The man added sheepishly, "I apologize, but it serves as proof of a Wind Nature Transformation, if you're looking for it."

"It will satisfy. We have no intention of replanting that area, at the moment."

There was an odd moment of quiet. Another elder, Hosuke, spoke up in a quaking voice, "This council of elders' wishes to announce…our complete confidence in young Neji."

Other old men nodded in agreement. Haburo continued the statement in a trenchant tone, "Neji is the clear choice as a successor for leadership. His dedication and skill will undoubtedly bring prosperity to the Hyuga clan." He then spoke directly to Neji, "You are nearing the age at which you must assume this role in its entirety, should anything ever happen to Hiashi-sama. Normally, if an heir is underage or unfit to serve, the standby of the Main House would act as steward." Haburo was referring to Hideyasu, "Understand that this plan will not go into effect with respect to your qualifications, Neji. Be aware that the council believes you to be capable."

"I understand." Neji answered calmly. This was better news than he expected.

"And now we will address our concerns," Haburo went on, looking towards Hiashi, "The council would like to make known their disappointment in Hinata-sama. Her unwillingness to respect the wishes of her elders is most unbecoming."

Neji, upon hearing the statement, was glad that his uncle was in good health with little to no clogged arteries. Otherwise he might have had a stroke just then.

"In what way has she disrespected you?" Hiashi's response was clipped.

"She has denied the appeals of many eligible clansmen and lords who would secure her future with marriage. While the council agrees this outcome is no grave offense, the disrespect we speak of is the rejection of the young lord of the Taketori clan." Haburo explained, "As our most distinguished ally and friend, the Hyuga cannot afford to distance itself from the Taketori. We expect conditions with the Taketori clan to fray because of this decision."

"I saw no such repercussion." Hiashi disagreed, "Magan-sama completely understood."

"Magan's elders will not." Haburo retorted.

"Forgive my ignorance," Hiashi leashed his anger as best he could, "But I find it difficult to understand why marriage is the only reasonable future this honored council of elders can imagine for Hinata. Your great concern is reserved for her advanced Kekkei Genkai, which you expect to manifest in future generations. In the event it does not, her unnecessary squandering of a shinobi career would be most unbecoming."

"Hiashi, we have no intention of forcing your eldest child to neglect the duties of a shinobi. She is a tremendous asset to the Hidden Leaf Village, after all." Haburo countered, "Nor is our concern only for her Bloodline Gift. Your elders seek to strengthen bonds with our close friends in the Taketori, as well as lead the Hyuga clan down the path of prominence. In the history of our clan, our ranks have not seen such talent and power since the times of our ancient forefathers."

"Understood. However, I do not wish these goals to be at my daughter's expense."

"You seem to imply she would suffer if she were to fulfill her obligations to this clan."

"I cannot help but to champion her own decisions."

"She is free to make her decisions based on the guidance of her elders; as do you, Hideyasu, Neji, and all of the Main Branch. Our supervision benefits all of the clan, not just one individual." Haburo lectured, "If we went by such senseless logic…we would be no better off than the Uchiha clan, in which one foolish child was spared from a massacre."

Hideyasu balked at the hurtful comparison but said nothing. Hiashi was not too pleased with it either. Neji kept his mouth firmly shut for fear of an incredulous sound escaping.

Hosuke spoke again, "We elders believe that Hinata is obligated to preside over a family one day, whether or not her children inherit her gift…we expect excellence from them. While there is no strict timeline, we will enforce the choice of a suitable match for her."

"Very well. Let's revisit this matter in a few more years." Hiashi recommended.

"You should be informed…" Haburo cut in, "That the council has deliberated further and recognized another potential spouse, apart from Magan's son. It should be taken into consideration before you postpone this discussion, Hiashi."

"I recall this council assuring me that there would be no more suitors on Hyuga grounds." Hiashi retorted evenly.

"There won't be. A worthy candidate is here with us now." Haburo's lofty eyes went back to Neji, "Your responsibility to this clan may very well include a covenant with Hinata-sama, should she fail to humor our requests."

The weight of eyes on him was an intangible force, but it pushed Neji to the brink of his tolerance. For once, he had thought that he could receive a bit of good news from clan elders and be on his way. He should have known better. He should have expected them to drag him into such petty nonsense.

Neji dared to speak, as he had been given the floor, "And if I fail to honor this request as well?"

"You will not fail. You are in no position to do so." Haburo warned, "If an arrangement cannot be made, you will wed Hinata in accordance with the timeline we set. It is tradition for the Main House to make matches like these; while not always favorable by related blood…it is an option we rely on when certain parties remain stubborn." Hiashi was grinding his teeth furiously off to the side while listening to the pompous comments.

Neji replied, "You will find both parties to be stubborn, Haburo-sama."

The old man was provoked, "Neji, please realize that with certain persuasions…neither of you will remain stubborn. It is in your best interest. I advise that if you care for anything or anyone dear to you…that you do not defy this demand."

Neji detected the threat and decided that, no matter his audience; he could be his genuine self and make use of that attitude Shikamaru always poked fun at.

"You have certain expectations about what a marriage between my cousin and I would entail. Please try to make them more realistic. While we are on good terms, it stands to reason that our relationship would be dysfunctional at best, and at least, it would be a miserable embarrassment for the entire village to see." Neji added, "Such a union would be unhappy and childless. You will forever regret arranging it."

"Silence." Haburo held up a hand, "Your disrespect is incomprehensible."

While he did not want to, Neji quieted down. Thankfully, his uncle intervened.

"Neji is correct. It is true that the Main House has counted on such matches in the past, but make no mistake, these two talented young people have no desire for each other. They are nearly siblings. That is a problem." Hiashi explained, "Furthermore, it makes little sense to afford my daughter a variety of options without extending those same courtesies to Neji. If he were to choose a partner from the Taketori or other noble family, it would eliminate any hostility you fear can occur."

"Enough, Hiashi. This council knows very well what it is asking." Haburo was losing patience, "Neji should heed this resolution or face consequences."

"Death seems gentler." Neji remarked out of turn. His casual suggestion triggered Hosuke and the elder beside him to backpedal on the plan, squawking in panic, fearing a shameful suicide or other such propaganda-storm. Haburo was pressed to get the meeting back under control.

"Perhaps a compromise?" Hideyasu suggested innocently.

"There is no need." Haburo declared adamantly.

"I disagree. There is a great need for compromise here." Hiashi glanced at Neji briefly before saying, "Both Hinata and Neji are entitled to make these decisions themselves."

"If that is so…and they prefer alternatives to what the council suggests…" Haburo was aflame with agitation, "Then so be it. Choose as you will and who you will. However, the council demands prosperity for this clan, and they are both obligated to confer their greatness to a new generation. They will abide by our terms, at the very least, or join the Branch."

Neji could scarcely interpret the growling old man, but he took it to mean that singlehood was out of the question. If he was strictly obligated to find a spouse and have children, it was comforting to know he did not have to do so through incestuous means. It was a tough enough pill to swallow without that detail.

"Neji will abide by the same benchmark you did, Hiashi." Hosuke concluded, "Before he assumes leadership, whether you should perish or abdicate the position, Neji will make a match."

"There should be no great hurry then." Hiashi supposed.

"Hinata must also comply." Haburo chimed in, "While she has no deadline the way Neji does, I expect her to at least avoid old age."

Hiashi nodded woodenly and then had a short, vivid daydream of knocking Haburo's probably-false teeth out.

The hum of tension in the room was broken by Hideyasu's comment, "Ah, look at that…it's already 10:30 in the morning…"

Hiashi capitalized on the statement, "Let us adjourn this meeting."

Most of the elders agreed, disregarding Haburo's storm cloud of rage as the men in the room began to stand and exit.

As Neji entered the corridor his uncle and Hideyasu filed past him, both worn-out, and Hiashi merely shook his head with disdain. Hideyasu smiled wanly, "I did not think that would take a turn the way it did. I hope none of that was too damaging, Neji."

"I now understand…why no one can enjoy those assemblies."

"It is a perpetual nuisance." Hiashi agreed, striding away, "Ignore everything they told you, Neji. I will settle it."

Hideyasu patted Neji's shoulder amicably before following after the Lord of the Hyuga. What a strange relief it was to know that they were on his side, however unlikely a pair they were.

Running a bit late, Neji set out to join his team at their training field, but he did not have an easy time putting the elders' words out of his mind.

---

At the field, Gai was giving parting words to Lee and Tenten. He and a few other Jounin had been tasked with neutralizing a border dispute in the northwest. Landowners-turned-thugs had taken issue with the Hidden Grass Village's domain over the area they operated shady businesses in, disputing calls to cease and desist. When gangs threatened a public bridge with destruction it all went to hell in a hand basket. Tsunade thought she ought to lend helping hands to the Grass ninja in the area.

"You will also report to the Hokage to take a mission, in the meantime." Gai advised, "Be sure to bring Neji along when he arrives!"

Their sensei had been gone for a while before Neji finally turned up. Tenten could immediately tell that he was in a horrible mood. The contortion of his face, simmering with frustration, more than likely had something to do with his clan. 'They can't give him a moment's peace, can they?'

It was a shame. For the past few days that she had been reunited with her teammates, Tenten could say that it had been an especially joyous event. Neji divided his time between training with Lee and Wong Leung, and training with Tenten. She was appreciative that he still went out of his way to work with her, even when she could tell he and Lee had become close in her absence. Challenging each other with new techniques certainly made it exciting.

She could get away with ambushing Neji with Shadow Clones when he did not use his Blood Limit. Tenten got a sense that he enjoyed the task of brawling against multiple opponents, while she simultaneously accosted him with weaponry. It was also fun to demonstrate that Neji did not have as easy of a time hitting her either, since Tenten had become slippery and fast during her time away. 'It's like we're getting to know each other again.'

Even after training, they were compelled to spend time together when they could. There were anecdotes that needed to be shared. Tenten was quite amused by Neji's recounting of the mission to Oga Castle, and was interested in this new person called 'Sai.' Tenten made a point of mentioning her expanded arsenal without demonstrating the deadly effects of her newest sword. She had grown closer to other kunoichi as well. They spoke until late one night before parting, and it had felt perfectly natural.

'Well, he's going to have a hard time talking today.' Tenten thought to herself.

Neji came to a halt near his teammates, frowning deeply.

"What happened?" Tenten asked sedately.

With great annoyance, he made the problem clear, "A pointless meeting."

She took it as a sufficient answer. The team proceeded to the Hokage's office while Lee informed Neji of their sensei's absence. The quality of mission they could get without a Jounin present, if the Hokage's limitation was still in effect, would probably not permit much.

Tsunade seemed pleased to see them reunited, "Ah, here you are! You're slightly behind schedule, but I have something you three can do for me. It will be time-consuming."

Lee made a point to ask, "Are we still confined to local areas, Hokage-sama?"

"No. For now the possibility of danger has decreased, and I know where to keep you away from, at this point." Tsunade reported, "You might have noticed, but your peers' teams are dispatched at the moment as well. You'll be the last to learn that the official announcement for the next Chunin Exam is going out. I've got three months to advertise for it." She smiled thoughtfully, "And that's where you come in."

It was sounding like another bothersome, pack-mule mission but Neji refrained from objecting.

"I've sent every other available team out to spread the word and distribute fliers. Everywhere." She leaned back slightly in her desk chair, "And I mean everywhere. Countries in each direction, stopping at big commercial towns… I want every person who derives entertainment from Final Round battles to stuff that stadium. They need to spend money…it'll help our budget deficit."

"So where would you like us to advertise?" Tenten had been itching for a mission for weeks; even one so simple was enough to get her blood going.

"Well, Kurenai's team is covering a southern route into the Land of Tea. Kakashi's team travelled west and Asuma's north…but there isn't much interest to be found in the west. Another team was moving through the Lightning Country last week…and the Land of Water will attract the wrong kind of spectators to our village." Tsunade tapped a finger to her lip, "But I feel comfortable putting your team on the seasonal labor route."

Neji sensed they might have drawn the short straw, "And what is that?"

"That route extends northeast over the sea. Please board a ship at the coast, preferably the port at Funabashi. If you hand out pamphlets to passengers they'll bring them around to ports they stop at. I want you to disembark in the Marsh Country and put a few fliers up along the harbor. Then, while you're at it, you can do some reconnaissance for me. I've needed eyes over there for a few days now, but no one has been available to go."

Lee was nodding as the Hokage spoke and Neji perked up a little. This sounded more interesting that he had initially thought.

"A report came in last month about a secretive project in the Marsh Country. I don't know when or if it has taken place, but I can confirm that nukenin and thugs have responded to this venture, probably for money." She looked fondly at the team, "Stake out the area and get visual confirmation of what's going on. It should be a brief check and do not confront any ninja you find. Once you have intel, board the ship again and return to the village." Tsunade added with a pointed finger, "And advertise some more! Get those locals over here!"

"Yes ma'am!" Lee was revved up.

Tsunade pushed forward a small stack of folded fliers on her desk and Tenten picked them up, enthusiastic, "We'll get this done for you, Hokage-sama! How much time do we have?"

The Hokage handed out vouchers for ship travel they could use and said, "As much as you need. Just be thorough and cautious."

The teammates gave affirmative answers, bowing respectfully, and then exited the office. They parted ways to pack and prepare for a long journey.

---

That evening, Kakashi and Kurenai's teams concluded their respective advertising ventures. All six students went home, moderately tired, and buckled down for some time off. In Sato's case, he still had pep leftover, and he was quick to reunite with Tama after not having seen her in over a week.

"Ah, I missed you…" He admitted as they walked side-by-side down the road from her house, "You look shorter, Tama."

"I'm not. You're just taller." A smile tugged at her lips, "How was your mission? Did you see anything interesting?"

"A lot of tourists! We must have spoken to a couple hundred people, and we ran out of fliers. Your team went west, I heard."

"Yeah. The Land of Rivers and then the Land of Wind…" Tama sighed at the memory, "It wasn't very busy out there. And the desert was just oppressively hot."

"Ooh, I would have hated that trip."

"I know." She chuckled, "But it was sweet when the Kazekage stopped by to see Sakura-chan."

"Really? You know that you can call him Gaara. We grew up together!"

"Kakashi-sensei always refers to him as the Kazekage, so I guess I can't help myself." She gave a slight shrug.

"True, it couldn't hurt to say it. Did you have dinner yet?" Sato changed the subject, "I was going to pick up some food for home and then cook."

"Hm. That must be an invitation!"

Tama looped arms with him and changed directions, veering left towards the fish market. They prattled for a while before agreeing on snapper, and then moved on to a nearby supermarket for mitsuba, daikon, rice, and the lengthy list Sato had in mind. The sun began to set as they walked back to Sato's apartment with several grocery bags.

"Do you want to know what Uncle Gai was asking me about a few days ago?" Tama asked as they climbed the stairwell of the building.

"If you'd finally wear the jumpsuit?"

"Surprisingly, no." She noted, "He asked about when we'll start home hunting. He said that you don't live in a space that would fit the two of us."

"Sure it would!"

"Not…the way he imagines it. He thinks we'll multiply."

"Oooh." Sato pursed his lips thoughtfully as they crossed a landing, "Then it definitely isn't enough space."

"We've never really talked about this before." The young woman pointed out, "What do you think? Is it worth looking for a new place?"

He sighed quietly before acknowledging, "Realistically speaking…it'd be good to find a new house or something. I know I can afford it now." His shoulders dropped slightly, "But this is the place where my mother raised me. It'd be kind of hard-"

"To let it go." Tama concluded, "I don't know how I feel about it either. Whenever I visit your home it reminds me of your mom. I miss her too."

Sato turned his head slightly, intending for her to not see a quivering, emotional smile that overtook him. "Thanks…for saying that."

"I think we should keep your flat for as long as possible." Tama elected, "And…let's not rush to get married either."

"Totally. You're, like, reading my mind right now."

As they scaled another staircase Tama suggested, "I think we can get into more detail after the Chunin Exam is over. I've wanted to talk about the future with you for a while, but you were never quite grown up enough."

"I can handle it now."

Upon reaching the fourth floor, the couple stopped mid-way through the corridor, regarding what looked to be a new resident.

A pale young man wearing a black, gakuran uniform was standing in front of an apartment door. He had a large scroll tucked under one arm as he fiddled with a key in a lock. On the floor near his feet was a wooden artist's box with various supplies, several canvases, a folded easel, and a large duffle bag.

Sato raised his hand in greeting, "Hi! Did you just move here?"

The resident at the door turned to look at him, almost embarrassed, "I suppose I have." He continued futzing with the key, "Although…I have not yet seen my living space."

Without a word, Tama took the bags from Sato's hands so he could help the new down-the-hall neighbor.

"I'm Hatake Sato." He shook the newcomer's hand and then motioned for the key, "Looks like you're an artist! What's your name?"

"Sai." His smile was small, "You're Kakashi's relative."

"Yup!" Sato managed the old doorknob's lock and then manipulated the deadbolt with the key, using half a revolution, "These stupid things don't open with a full turn. You'll get used to it. I've meant to yell at the property manager about it, but now it's just a force of habit."

"Thank you." Sai said as the keys were dropped into his hand again.

"Can we help you bring all of these things inside? You've got your hands full." Sato offered.

Sai nodded gratefully and allowed the affable Hatake to take his few precious possessions into the darkened flat. After a moment, Sai turned to Tama curiously, "Are you a neighbor too?"

"Not exactly. I plan to live here someday, though." She tilted her head for a friendly salutation, "It's nice to meet you, Sai. I'm Tama."

He stared at her for a long moment, "Legs."

She smiled in shock, completely nonplussed by the word. Sai then turned to watch Sato hefting the duffle bag inside, "And he is Sugar."

It occurred to Tama that Sai was assigning nicknames, "Oh! Well, our regular names are fine, if you don't mind."

"He's sweet and friendly…and you look like the front page of those magazines."

"Right…" Tama thought to herself as Sai moved his belongings inside, 'He's got a weird way of doing introductions…'

She peeked inside the see the sprawling darkness and dusty condition of the apartment. No one bothered removing their shoes in the genkan; the home was too filthy to be barefoot in. Judging by the resounding echo made by Sato setting items down, the place was empty.

Abruptly, a flashlight snapped on at the far end of the room. It illuminated a mysterious face and frightened the youngsters who had entered. They adjusted for a moment and Sai remarked calmly, "Tenzo-san…what are you doing in here?"

"I came by to inspect this place for traps or paranormal phenomena." Tenzo explained, keeping the flashlight level with his chin, "But it turned out to be really boring and dirty."

"How did you get in?" Sai approached the wall to locate a light switch.

"This window." Tenzo pulled back a drape and temporarily blinded the youngsters, "Whoops."

After regaining vision, Sai flipped the overhead lights on. Sato squinted his eyes and regarded Tenzo. For once, the man was in regular Jounin attire and had not concealed his face with a mask.

"You're my uncle's friend." Sato determined, "He talks about you sometimes…and says that you can act unnecessarily creepy to get attention…"

Tenzo illuminated his face again, "Is that what Kakashi says about me?"

Tama nudged her fiancée worriedly when Sai took a seat on the dusty floor, as if he accepted the condition of the apartment, "I don't think he…has anything. Or knows that he should have furniture in here…"

"Yeah…" The Hatake turned back to the veteran, "Is Sai going to be okay here? It looks like this is all the stuff he has."

"It is." Tenzo confirmed, "We're still working on getting him what he needs. I can bring a futon over in a short while."

"That isn't a good idea." Tama disagreed, pulling Sai back up to his feet, "At least, not until this place is cleaned."

Sato leapt at the notion, "Would you like us to-?"

"No, that's quite alright." Tenzo smiled warmly, "Sai is my responsibility for now. Once he's settled in here I expect he can look forward to getting to know his neighbors."

"Of course," The Hatake brushed a gray spot of grit from Sai's sleeve, "Are you sure you don't want us to help?"

"We will clean. You two have all of that food with you." Sai replied, noting the groceries they had, "It's better if you do something with it."

"Then you clean…and we'll bring you something to eat in a little while." Tama offered, "To welcome you to the community, Sai."

Sai stared at the benevolent duo as if they were too good to be true.

Sato broke the silence, "So were you like a missionary? Or a starving artist?" He added as Tama gently slapped her forehead, "You don't have possessions so maybe…"

"He was part of the Foundation, prior to joining the standard forces." Tenzo rubbed his chin in thought, "I guess you could say…the shinobi equivalent of a starving artist, indeed. They have nothing in Root."

"But he's also literally an artist." Sato pointed to the easel.

"And starving." Sai added.

Tama bowed respectfully before walking back to the door, "Then I'll get started. It was a pleasure to meet you both!" She added, "Are you coming, Sato?"

In a whisper, Sato explained to his new acquaintances, "She makes me work and wear the apron. Tama just stirs and measures stuff."

With a chipper goodbye he hurried after the young woman to begin dinner. Sai and Tenzo stood for a minute after that, glancing around to assess how much needed to be swept and mopped. They would have to go acquire those domestic trappings, though.

While following Tenzo to the nearest supplier of cleaning products, Sai asked earnestly, "If the man wears the apron…this means that the woman is dominant, no?"

"I don't want to teach you things based only on generalities, but…" Tenzo shut the door with a shrug, "That could be the case with those two."

---

Note: I hope it was a good read, friends. After leaving a review in the box below, some people have reported clearer sinuses, elevated moods, and positive karmic events. You might benefit too. Hmm, I've got some extra material to post. Soon!

Chapter 26: Adaptation