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

50. Knife and Toad

Note: Many thanks to SpiceyWifey, dreaddragonknight, tashrivastava, Connington, arsenicminds, jerniman, Morlin, fiveflyingsquirrels, samsaraknight, guest, anonymous, and all you beautiful folks who reviewed the last chapter. And thank YOU for tuning into this chapter, reader. Pace yourself, bookmark, take bathroom breaks and all that.

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Mature Scene Advisory: There will be sexually explicit material near the middle of this chapter, marked ### for your convenience.

Chapter 50- Knife and Toad

Chapter Soundtrack: "Prom" by SZA

Eleven children scampered around the preschool's yard, released from a small classroom and into the autumn air to play. From the corner of his eye, Zabuza watched them as he stalked past. What rare creatures they were. They were probably the sum total of all people under age five in this lonely hamlet on the tip of the main island. Children were a fragile commodity in the Land of Water, particularly within Kirigakure's walls, but on outskirts such as these they seemed to do better.

At the rear of the preschool building he came to a metal door, marked as the entrance to a utility room. He glanced left and right, confirming that no witnesses were watching, and then pounded on it four times. The door swung open, and after Zabuza entered it lumbered shut behind him.

The sole occupant of the utility room was a handsome man— peachy and young in manhood, dressed in a dark blue uniform and a preschool smock splattered with paint and stickers. He was unenthused by Zabuza's visit, and resumed his work at a large hydraulic press installed in the corner of the concrete, pipe-patchwork room. Without exchanging formal salutations of any sort, the swordsman dropped a stack of money notes on a wooden workbench.

And then Zabuza posed one question, "Did you go to Hidden Mist?"

"How about…?" The man huffed as he pulled down on the machine's lever, "Nice to see you, Do-yeon. Or, Glad you're not dead, Do-yeon…"

"Sure." Zabuza agreed, unflappable.

"Keep your money." The school worker spat over his shoulder, lining up sizeable, white bricks beneath the press.

"You got another job in a better location, and you're still going to be pissy about what happened in Moji?"

"Three of my friends died because you made an unwelcome appearance and a Mist hunter-nin noticed. How do you make up for that?" Do-yeon wondered.

"That's twice your annual salary sitting there, plus a thirty percent bonus."

"Oh, so you know some math? Inagawa's put you in front of a chalkboard for practice."

"Take it and feed the kids with it." Zabuza suggested.

Do-yeon froze in his work, then turned slowly to face the nukenin, "Fine. I'll feed my students and their families with the money you got from killing people. I can expect to launder filthy money all my life, so long as I'm here…"

"Did," Zabuza repeated harshly, "You go to Hidden Mist?"

They stood in rigid, unfriendly silence, watching each other.

"I did." Do-yeon admitted, "All of the standard forces there are looking rather dour and underfed. About half as many as I remember seeing a year ago. They've been purging whoever they deem "disloyal." So I didn't really talk to anyone; I just made my sales and left."

"The report?"

"It was cheap, surprisingly. It was on record that Hōzuki Mangetsu was attacked and mortally wounded in the east marshland." Do-yeon went on, "But he didn't die there. The archived report said the ambushing squad retreated and saw him flee into the birch forest."

Such a place, as far as Zabuza remembered, was an old battleground littered with unclaimed corpses from Mist's civil war, and strung with thousands of fatal traps that had never been disarmed.

"So it was assumed that he succumbed to his wounds in the birch haunt. No one tried to recover his body, or…puddle seems more accurate." He quipped, "I don't see why you want to attempt it in such a dangerous place."

"It's not like I'm mourning that know-it-all." Zabuza corrected, "I just need what he had with him."

"Your undying affection?"

"The Master Scroll, you fucking idiot."

"Of course. How can you give something that was never given to you in the first place?" As if remembering a silly truth, Do-yeon gaped in mock-mortification.

"That scroll acts as a container for all the other blades."

"Yeah, yeah. I know that's what you want." He muttered under his breath, "I always know what you want."

Zabuza pressed on, "And the auction?"

"The most recent rumor is that is was scheduled for the end of next month, the 31st. It will be hosted at the Keiseki House in the Land of Mountains. Do you—?"

"I know where that is." Zabuza snapped.

"Everyone will be there."

"Which means every piece of shit not behind bars will be there."

Do-yeon heaved again on the press's lever, smirking with the effort of the task, "Give or take a few."

"I need to sell some ill-gotten baubles." The swordsman leaned against the workbench, "Otherwise I wouldn't bother."

"Obviously. Black market auctions are not your specialty."

"Any other news of consequence?"

"Pft. About how wonderful the Mist Village is?" Do-yeon moved several of the bricks to a packing pallet in the corner, "Well, it's worse off than it was, like I told you. Anyone even suspected of dissenting from the Mizukage's rule is locked away, tortured, or executed. It's really thinning the numbers and padding the forces of the Hunter Corps. And the Hunter Corps are just a bunch of spineless killers who'll do what they're told to lead a comfy life." He returned to the press, frowning as he went on, "But the kunoichi…not so much."

"…kunoichi." It was not quite what Zabuza expected from an update.

"Not a single one of them joined the Hunter Corps after…" Do-yeon glanced over at Zabuza, "You know about Karatachi Kaigara, right? The Fourth Mizukage's wife? People said she went crazy, spouting nonsense that Yagura-sama was replaced with an imposter— that he was killed in secret. She insists that a fake is being pupetted around. Many of the kunoichi in the standard forces believed her tale."

While Zabuza listened in silence, Do-yeon continued, "They support Kaigara fully. A miller told me close to 30 kunoichi have been executed for trying to help her and her son escape captivity. It's like a Joseon drama, I tell you! And he said that those kunoichi are alleging the shadow cabinet was installed by the Akatsuki. There's even a shinobi who appears every so often…giving directions to hunters and threatening Kaigara when she fusses."

"Which one?" Zabuza was familiar enough with the Akatsuki to identify a member or two by name.

Do-yeon shrugged, "No one could tell me. This Akatsuki director stays out of the public eye and wears a featureless mask. Not someone you could pick out of a bingo book anywhere…" He pulled down on the press lever again, "I heard a rumor that he has white hair. Nothing else was recognizable."

"So he's the one using the fake Yagura as a figurehead?"

"That's what they say." He pushed another pressed brick to the side, "Though how can you and I confirm any of that? Could be pure bullshit."

"Doesn't sound like it."

"Nah, it doesn't." Do-yeon agreed, "But no matter what happens, I am never going back to Kirigakure. It's too risky now."

"Suit yourself." Zabuza pushed off of the workbench, "I'll come back before the auction."

"Bring more money." Do-yeon called after him as he exited, "I need to pay my dealers for deliveries."

Out in the sunshine, Zabuza took a less-traveled route away from the school. Do-yeon had always been a good informant, even back during the days he'd worked in the pleasure house in Moji. It seemed that he was putting his information peddling days behind him. Not that secretly prepping cocaine bricks in the back of a preschool was more wholesome of a profession, but Zabuza yielded it was a change of direction.

Down the beach hills beyond the seaside town, Zabuza returned to a small motorboat where it had been moored earlier. Above the engine's starting purr, he could hear the last peals of laughter from schoolchildren across the dunes. He unmoored and pushed off, preparing for an hour-long crossing back to the small island of Nanakusa. He strayed into his thoughts.

It was a relief to hear that the Master Scroll would likely be tucked away in one of the most deserted, treacherous areas of the main island. Few ninja dared set foot there, though he supposed Kirigakure ordered patrols to skim past the perimeter to make sure no one was lurking. 'Just to avoid getting caught, I might have to instigate a diversion and draw Mist's attention away from that area.' He had the kindling of a plan on his mind, prepared to retrieve the hosting scroll for the Seven Swordsmen's blades. And of course, he would have Haku come with him. Though Haku would be unfamiliar with the perilous terrain, he was endlessly helpful.

What was most surprising to learn was that Kirigakure was experiencing internal pushback from its kunoichi population. Though it was only a hunch, Zabuza suspected that the group was galvanized by Terumi Mei's open rebellion against Hidden Mist, and was trying to emulate her resistance. Do-yeon indicated the movement began thanks to Karatachi Kaigara's revolt against false leadership, but surely the causation was a multi-faceted. Until today, Zabuza had also had no idea that Yagura welcomed a child before his untimely (alleged) demise. Such were significant hostages for the Akatsuki to take while oppressing Hidden Mist.

'If the women are courageous enough to die for the Mizukage's widow…then maybe they are the ones I need for a coup.' Zabuza thought to himself. It would be a matter of contacting them, and then organizing an attack. Arresting that idea was the possibility that Terumi Mei had already beaten him to recruiting such a population. From any angle he looked at it, Zabuza found that he could only take silver in this race. With Mei in the lead, it was starting to feel inevitable that another tense, contrary meeting with her would have to take place…wherever she was hiding these days.

He had enough money to buy out Mei's current men, an estimated 105 shinobi of Chunin and Jounin level. That, unfortunately, did not count the dozens of kunoichi that had joined Mei's ranks, and Zabuza doubted there was anything he could give them in exchange for forsaking their woman-leader. Even if he paraded around Haku and his virtuous grandstanding, few would bat an eyelash at his bid. He would forever be other and untrustworthy to those seeking a brighter future…even though he was every bit as thirsty for it as they were.

After crossing the bay and landing on Nanakusa, he moored at a small private dock that did not belong to him. Zabuza pushed the defeatist thoughts from his mind. It was making him sick. The deep-seated frustration and helplessness curled within the pits of his stomach scratched closer to the surface. There was nowhere he could belong. No one would listen to the likes of him. Even Haku was too smart to trust him to be something decent, for even Zabuza could scarcely see such conduct in himself. At least he'd not started any fights or made threats in the past week. Haku and Migawari were tolerating him again, for the most part.

His gut growled and clenched, 'I'm hungry as fuck…' He turned left down the lane that would take him towards Main Street, where Hiroshi's café was located. The foot traffic ahead was minimal, and flea market stands were just being set up in the center of town.

He was only able to take two steps on the gravel walkway when something sinewy and powerful wound tight around his midsection. Barred from continuing, Zabuza's eyes skirted down in a moment of dubious recognition, taking in the sight of something fleshy and pink. It had snared him from behind, whatever it was. Before he could even attempt to wriggle loose or form hand signs, the fleshy lasso pulled back with force, flattening him to the ground. Then, he realized it, 'A tongue.' He was wrapped up in a tongue.

With a whoosh, he was pulled back again by a power he could not place, and daylight disappeared. All of Zabuza's mental capacities scrambled, trying to make sense of the unexpected predicament. For the time being, he'd been swallowed by whatever thing the tongue belonged to. Fantastic.

'This motherfucking animal never thought it'd get dissected from the inside...' He reached for a leg holster, hoping a kunai could be of use, but, no. The pressure of esophageal walls coated in mucus was smothering him— crushing him. An apex moment of lost dignity collapsed upon Zabuza. He had never suspected he was about to die while minding his own business. Or what ate him. Or why. 'I didn't work this hard just to blink out without a goddamn explanation—!' He was going to be unconscious in a second.

Then, the digestive pressure let up, and some daylight squeaked in. He was pushed from fleshy innards just a bit, still bodily constricted…but his face was free to see out of the open maw of, well, whatever it was. From there he could see the sidestreet's gravel and garden boxes. He also saw a man leaning down to take a gander at him— hair long and white, a face distinct with age and experience. There was a lit tobacco pipe in the voyeur's hand.

"Didn't think that I'd swing by to fuck you up, did ya?" The man announced merrily, "Well I did."

"—who are—"

"Jiraiya." The old ninja exhaled a line of smoke in Zabuza's face, "Of the Legendary Three. Not so pleased to make your acquaintance, Momochi Zabuza."

Oh.

The insane circumstances made far more sense. Zabuza was a well-informed individual. He had been trapped and swallowed by a toad, unable to defend himself or escape. The Toad Sage must have heard about some recent misfortunes that had befallen his student. More specifically, Zabuza's recent extortion attempt against Haku.

Perhaps this had been his most epic misplay on the game board yet.

Default response was set to intimidate so Zabuza went with, "Do you want me to kill this toad, Old Man?"

"Hey. I've been eaten by toads before, so I know you can hardly move." Jiraiya shut down the bluff, "And really, I'm not so old. Have a bit of respect for someone who grinds your types into dust on a regular basis. I might've had more respect for you if I didn't hear about how you've been messing with Haku." He added pointedly, "He's one of my shining star pupils. He's probably your star pupil too. Why treat him like garbage?"

"Because his philosophy doesn't get very far in the Land of Water." Zabuza was willing to protest, even though it was starting to feel like the toad's digestive fluids were nipping at his feet.

"Ah." Jiraiya hung the pipe from his lip and puffed, "So your philosophy works better around here? Hmm. Where are your adoring comrades? The glowing testimonials? How about honor? Got that tucked away somewhere?"

"If you're going to kill me, I'll skip your allocution, Toad Sage."

"Wow. I got a formal address out of you." This time, Jiraiya exhaled smoke away from the peeking face in the toad's mouth.

Jiraiya interrupted Zabuza when he tried to issue another feeble threat, "Listen. If I wanted to kill you, I'd let you stand on your own two feet with that stupid-big sword of yours in hand, with all of your strength. And I'd squash you in your prime, Momochi. That's what you deserve." He was as sincere as could be, "That'd be a wrap, but, I've noticed some disturbing trends in the Land of Water…and I have a feeling you've got your finger on the pulse. So I would prefer to hear your take on what's going on down here before I issue a punishment befitting of Haku's mistreatment. If that sounds reasonable to you, what do you say this toad spits you out and we discuss that matter over tea?"

"It's a deal." Zabuza felt his feet stinging. Abruptly, the toad heaved him up and out, splattering gracelessly to the stony walking path. He slicked what mucus he could from his arms and torso. Then, he goggled up at the sight of a huge, canary yellow toad. As Jiraiya thanked it for its help, the summoned creature disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"Might want to dry yourself off before we go to a sit-down place for lunch." Jiraiya suggested, "You look gross."

"I can't be blamed for how I look right now." Gritting his teeth furiously, Zabuza marched into a neighboring backyard and pulled down a dry towel from a laundry line. He mopped up the saliva while contemplating just how foolish it would be to try to take on the Legendary Toad Sage in a fight without the Seversword. It was sitting in his bedroom at the hideout. He did happen to have a Tool Scroll filled with reliable weapons, however…good sense assured him it was a duel he could never win.

Tossing the soggy towel aside, Zabuza led the way toward the Main Avenue as Jiraiya tagged along beside him fearlessly. It was bizarre to have a living legend appear unannounced, and more so to be effectively trounced by said legend in all of three seconds.

"So, where is Haku?" Jiraiya asked, "I looked for him."

"He went out to train. Comes back around noon to help the old folks, eat, medical training, then usually I put him through his paces." It was true. Zabuza saw no reason to lie about the schedule they established, "He's going to inherit the Nuibari sword, as soon as I get it back."

"Is he?"

"He agreed to it."

"Haku agreeing to be a swordsman doesn't mean that he volunteered." Jiraiya noted.

"What? So you want to override his commitments? I'm not just going to mosey up to the Yuki clan and introduce them for free." Zabuza sniped, "It's nearly impossible to track that clan down. They hide like door mice and change locations. It'd take weeks."

"You've had ample weeks to do that." Jiraiya pointed out, "And you've taken even more of Haku's time in exchange. I don't appreciate you demanding so much of someone you are not even fit to kiss the boots of."

Zabuza established, "I don't bow down to his goody-goody disposition. He's benefited from my training, and that isn't free either."

"If it isn't, it should be. It's not like apprentices flock to you these days."

"In here." Zabuza ducked into the tea shop and Jiraiya followed.

Behind the counter of the shop, Hiroshi was replacing display signs and prices. He barely looked over his shoulder, "You got back late, Zabuza. I can't promise fresh rolls at this hour…"

The beleaguered swordsman dropped heavily into a seat at a small table, "It doesn't fucking matter, Roundy. I'll eat whatever. And a pot of tea, too."

Hiroshi was rattling off the specials menu as he turned around, then stopped dead in his tracks. His beady eyes darted between Jiraiya and Zabuza, trying to grasp the purpose of such a conference. Hiroshi's memory was sharp, and since Jiraiya did not look much older than he remembered, he bowed reverently for the visitor, "It's nice to see you again, Gama-sennin."

Harried, Zabuza slammed his hand flat on the table. If he rolled his eyes they might roll plumb out of his head and out the door. He could hardly believe so many people were familiar with and willing to kiss up to the Toad Sage.

"It's Hiroshi, right? My memory is a little foggy on our first meeting, but Haku always talks about you fondly in his letters." He smiled warmly at the man, "I appreciate you putting up with these knuckleheads. I've come by to provide some counseling to this basket case here. Do you mind if I-?"

"Please, please have a seat and relax!" Hiroshi gestured to the free seat across from Zabuza, "Let me fetch that tea. I'll just be a moment." His dark clothing was streaked with white flour, which Jiraiya found endearing as the stocky man retreated to the kitchen.

Once seated, Jiraiya got a read on the antisocial, embittered body language Zabuza was displaying. He was slouched back and away from the table, eyes narrow and glittering. Clearly, he was livid that violence was not a viable option. And though Zabuza may have thought himself clever on a good day, there was no way he could outmaneuver Jiraiya in verbal negotiations.

"Before Haku comes back and I go to speak with him, let's get a few things straight." Jiraiya offered.

"Better than being eaten." Zabuza allowed.

Jiraiya dove into it, "Is it true that the Akatsuki are controlling the Mist Village?"

There was a long pause of thought before Zabuza answered, "To the best of my knowledge, that's the case."

"Are you aware that the Tide Village was attacked by the Akatsuki less than a week ago?"

"No. What the fuck village is that?"

"A new shinobi village that was established in the Land of Waves. One of Hidden Mist's former jinchuriki, Awa Utakata, was living and working there. After a tremendous fight, he was captured by the Akatsuki." Jiraiya took out pipe cleaner wire from a linen bag tied to his hip, "Did you know him?"

"Not well."

"We fear after this much time has passed, and after losing four search party teams…" Jiraiya sighed, "He's dead."

Zabuza grunted in acknowledgment, but his reservoir of sympathy was nearly bone-dry. He didn't say anything.

"If you knew Utakata, you probably know about Hidden Mist's other jinchuriki." Jiraiya steered the conversation smoothly, "What can you tell me about him?"

"I can tell you that he's a small shit-turtle with some nasty reflective jutsu, the Coral Palm technique, and moderate control over his Tailed Beast." He said that with certainty, "At some point he got married and had a kid. That's what I hear. What I've been told more recently is that Karatachi Yagura is dead." Zabuza added in a low voice, "In all likelihood the Akatsuki is responsible. They've been parading around a cipher that looks and sounds like him to keep up the ruse…but it's not fooling everyone in Mist. Certainly not the missus…"

"Another proxy, eh?" Jiraiya wondered, "I wonder if Pein is controlling it."

"Who?"

"The leader of the Akatsuki. He's the one who attacked the Tide Village."

"Never heard of 'em."

"I'd be surprised if you did. He's been very secretive until now. He can use the Rinnegan to control up to six repurposed proxy bodies at once to fight." Jiraiya shared what he knew, "Pein is a threat that has many of the great villages on edge right now. I think he might be hiding out in Hidden Rain, but I'll have to confirm that before I put it on the record."

"For the uninitiated, what the hell am I supposed to make of the term Rinnegan?"

"It is the ancestral Kekkei Genkai from which the Sharingan is descended. Those are some powerful eyes and jutsu that, quite frankly, shouldn't exist in these times." Jiraiya finished cleaning the stem of his pipe, "And yet here we are discussing it."

"Fuck. Might as well give that new dipshit village some credit, taking that on." That was as generous as Zabuza was going to get with an appraisal.

"They fared better against Pein than I anticipated, but the toll it took on Shiogakure was much too steep." Jiraiya stopped to thank Hiroshi for bringing a teapot and sweet buns to the table. The café owner then politely excused himself to count a cash drawer, not inclined to insert himself into the conversation.

"The Akatsuki's making moves elsewhere, meaning less of their attention will be on Hidden Mist." Zabuza interpreted the news, "So now would be a great time to pull the rug from under 'em."

"I agree whole-heartedly." Jiraiya poured his companion tea, "How do you intend to do that?"

With that cue, Zabuza outlined his plan to buy off as many of Terumi Mei's rebel force of Mist ninja as possible. He also listed the complication of the kunoichi faction's loyalty and likelihood of sticking with Mei. He included his intention to fully train Haku, have Kurosuki Raiga and Raiga's apprentice, Ranmaru, assist in the coup. Zabuza extended the possibility of recruiting disgruntled mercenaries in the area, as well as mercenaries from the mainland for added muscle. He had access to an intelligence network observing weaknesses in the Hunter Corps' patrol routines, and Zabuza was confident enough to disarm the alert barrier on Kirigakure's fringes.

"I just need to pick a time to move that group in and ambush the Hunter Corps from within their base." Zabuza forecasted, "Because without Hunters around, most of Kirigakure fucking hates the leadership currently in place. They'll turn on it too. The Akatsuki scum who's running the show— we'll decimate him after the raid."

"Why are you so sure that Mist's non-Hunter standard forces will cooperate with you?"

"They will. They need the external opportunity to strike, so I'll provide that."

"And all of this you do without Terumi Mei's help? Someone who has two Kekkei Genkai?" Jiraiya was aghast.

Zabuza chomped on a bun, "Yeah."

"That idea is top-tier shit."

He chewed in odious silence, hating Jiraiya from across the table.

"The truth is a bitter pill to swallow." Jiraiya could tell how the nukenin felt, "But really, how the hell do you expect to get anywhere with a plan that excludes major resources?"

"I don't need Mei."

"You don't want her around." Jiraiya gathered, "Because you expect the people to elect her Mizukage."

"No. I just don't fucking need her."

"No one is going to prefer you over her, when it comes to leadership. Even if you spearhead the whole operation and free the village, they still won't choose you. You come with too much baggage." Jiraiya shot him down, "Demon of the Hidden Mist."

Somehow, Zabuza kept calm enough to pour more tea. He wanted to toss the pot of hot water in the visitor's face.

"At the very least, you need to sketch Terumi Mei back into your plans. When it comes to the Akatsuki, you'll have no idea what you're getting into until you finally re-enter Kirigakure. I won't object if you use that woman as a shield, or convince her with a silver-tongue to champion you for the top job…but the more talent you go in with, the better off you'll be." Jiraiya raised a hand nonchalantly, "Another option is to petition with the other great villages to back you. If you use me as a channel, you might possibly get some extension of aid from Sand and Leaf. It'll cost you, though."

"Cost me…fuh. It'd never happen. If you applied for clearance to give me back up teams that will infiltrate Hidden Mist, they'd have you institutionalized." Zabuza rejected the idea on principle, "The Kazekage hates me because I, uh, nearly killed someone related to him. The Hokage has no reason to trust me either, since she'll go off of what the Kazekage says."

"True. You've shot yourself in the foot when it comes to applying for outside consideration." Jiraiya nodded while cleaning the bowl of his pipe with a rag, "But you'd be amazed by the strings I can pull."

"Nothing amazes me."

"Haku does." Jiraiya reminded him.

Zabuza stared at him silently, more bewildered than angry.

"Why have you bent over backwards grooming someone who is so unlike you? So unlike a swordsman." Jiraiya wondered, "You said it yourself: the Yuki clan are a bunch of cowards."

A swift counter, "He wasn't brought up with their ilk."

"No. And so I guess you took that to mean he has more potential." Jiraiya probed a new curve in the discussion, "So do you."

"I am what I am. I've plateaued." Zabuza demolished another bun in two bites.

"Is that the kind of talk that should come from someone who wants to be Mizukage?"

"I don't know what kind of talk people want to hear from me." Zabuza griped, "As it is, Haku's stronger than me now."

"And smarter." Jiraiya vouched, "Though there are still gaps in his education. Big ones. At least in this region, you know how to fill him in."

"Where are you going with this?"

"I am going to give you a set of terms, and should you agree to them, you can rest assured I will follow through on everything I've promised." Jiraiya proposed, "Or you can decline in two ways: you stay on as a consultant to get Haku up to speed on the Land of Water, accept Haku's refusal to be a swordsman, and then you leave. I'll keep Haku here for a short while as a liaison with Terumi Mei and those who will liberate Kirigakure." Jiraiya further added, "If that doesn't sit well…you leave immediately. Depending on your tone, I may or may not send Special Ops squads to apprehend you. Got it?"

Zabuza could only stare moodily and hear the Toad Sage out.

"Good. I intend to temporarily install Haku as a "kiting" shinobi down here to relay information to me, the Kazekage, and the Hokage. A spy, in fancier terms. He wouldn't be the first ninja I have doing that for me. I will send him into dangerous areas, and allow him to collaborate on a coup in Mist. I need him to collect as much information on the Akatsuki as he can, and whatever else is going on out here. When his assignment ends, he comes back to Leaf. He can apply to work in Hidden Sand, if that's what he wants. At that point, you leave him alone." Jiraiya explained, "But until that times comes, you will just as much be my informant as Haku is."

"Paid work?"

"Paid. In coin or jutsu, or a combination thereof. You can stand to learn a few more tricks, no? How about a few of mine?" Jiraiya offered, "And if you need more muscle to get into Hidden Mist, I can follow through on sending Sand or Leaf teams when the time comes."

Zabuza crossed his arms, "Great. Though I don't know how the hell you are going to word that mission request."

"I'll use some flowery language. Do I have you so far?"

"You do."

"Let's see if this throws you: the caveat is…you answer to Haku from now on."

The blank look on the nukenin's face did not bode well.

"If you want to check in with a crime syndicate for leisurely purposes, as opposed to information-gathering, and Haku pans it— you don't go. If you ask things of him that he will not do— you square yourself with that. If you attempt anything that Haku does not approve of— I will give him the means to make you wish you'd never been born." Jiraiya warned, "Are we clear?"

"I'm no one's lieutenant."

"If you want all of the handouts I just described, you will be."

After sucking down the last sip of tea in his cup, Zabuza crushed the porcelain beneath his flat palm, grinding bits of it against the table.

"You'll work with Terumi Mei, if Haku finds that alliance favorable. If you want endorsements to become a candidate for Mizukage, you face down your competitors fair and square. Treat others well. Just because you don't think you can make people like you doesn't mean it's impossible. Look at me for some inspiration." He pointed at himself with his pipe, "I'm not gonna stop you from slamming your head against the dead-end brick wall that is your life. Do that if you must. Alternatively, you can take some direction from someone who's won two wars and trained multiple Kage." Jiraiya smirked, "And see where that gets you."

"You don't think the Snake Sannin would offer me something better? I could dangle Haku in front of him." Zabuza could not help but play the traitorous chords of the song.

"Heh." Highly amused, Jiraiya tucked his pipe away, "By all means do. Tell Orochimaru about my offer and watch how quickly he kills you because you don't fit into his agenda. He's got little to provide, as hard as that is to believe. No village backs him."

Fascinated by the bloody pricks in his hand, Zabuza pulled a few shards of the broken cup from his skin, "…I will say…this is the first time I've been trusted in a while."

"It's not fond trust, but it has a purpose."

"The cliché? The enemy of your enemy?"

"All self-proclaimed enemies are going to wake up one day and realize the Akatsuki will dominate them equally." Jiraiya put a fine point to it, "I have one enemy, and you are not it. You're just a bad-tempered shit stain."

The silence of the café was interrupted by Hiroshi knocking over a stack of plastic drums in the back room. He muttered while picking them up.

Zabuza rolled his neck and recapped the terms, "You want Haku taken care of and respected? Fine. You want detailed information? Fine. A better planned and backed coup? I'll do it your way." He leaned forward and growled, "But you can't roll up in here and postpone my plans completely so that I can execute your plans. There's an auction in a month that I can't show my face at, so Haku is going to sell spoils there to fund the rebellion."

"What auction?" Jiraiya scrunched his face at the thought.

"Keiseki House."

"What a cesspool. How'd you get kicked out of that crowd?"

"By not actually following through on a sale, last time."

"Cheapskate." Jiraiya simpered, "Where's that again? The Land of Mountains?"

"Yeah."

"I've got another ninja kiting out in that area. Who'll be going to that soiree?"

"Magnates from the Kingdoms of Han and Joseon. They fund it. A few undisclosed, aristocratic houses from shinobi nations do arms-dealing there. A few Mist clans go to it, some from the Lands of Lightning, Earth, and Snow. Thieves and entrepreneurs. Scientists."

"Scientists? What's at Keiseki House that they'd want?"

"What they don't already have, and the other side of the world does." Zabuza imagined.

"Hmm. You don't suppose Orochimaru would appear there?"

"I don't know. It's not like they put me in charge of attendance lists. It's all hearsay."

"Sending Haku isn't ideal. I'll ask my guy to—"

"He's going to prove himself. If I handle everything else you demand, Haku goes." Zabuza insisted on it, "I'm not going to count on your mystery middle-man to make a sale this important."

"It's a lion's den of dangerous, rich assholes."

"Haku should be strong enough to handle himself." Zabuza crossed his arms again, "I believe in him. I don't believe in your "guy". Alright?"

"This is not a concession I'm comfortable making, but I'll make it." Jiraiya granted with a sigh.

No other points of contention were raised as Jiraiya finished the final sweet bun on the plate. He dusted the crumbs from his hands, and then offered a clean table napkin to his brutish associate. Zabuza pressed it to his bloody palm.

"I get the feeling this sucks for you." Jiraiya acknowledged, "But it could be much worse."

With a half shrug, Zabuza did not disagree.

"You've terrorized Haku and the people of Nanakusa. Even that man over there, Hiroshi— he saved Haku's life when he was a child. You've bullied him too, I bet." The Sage scanned around the space of the shop, "Coerced your fellow swordsman to work with you, most likely. Rejected those from Mist who might actually be of help to you… It must be hard when things don't go the way you intend." Jiraiya could put himself in the rogue's shoes, "When all of this is over, I never said I wouldn't put out the order to have you executed. I'm sure you've done enough to merit it."

"Mist will handle that for you. No need to waste your pen ink." A morbid forecast on Zabuza's part.

"…If you had no choice but to die or rehabilitate yourself, which would you choose?" The older man wondered as he emptied the tea pot, "Which path yields you more dignity?"

"Are you going to inflict your Sage teachings on me?"

"I've been doing that since I caught you in that alley. Try answering the question, Zabuza."

"…" He gazed up at the pendant lights of the café, softly glowing, "I don't know how to not die as I am."

"And what are you?"

"The scourge of my village."

"No, no." With a shake of his head, Jiraiya asked again, "What are you really? Not what they say, but when you look at yourself?"

The lull of the dining room was dense and noiseless. Perhaps there was an answer, or maybe there wasn't— Zabuza said nothing to affirm Jiraiya's suspicion. And so Jiraiya ceremoniously rose to riffle around a wallet, drawing out money notes in excess of the meal they had just eaten. He crossed over to the counter and set payment down beside the register, then explored past the egress of the dining room to the kitchen. Hiroshi looked up from the intense work of delicately icing a design on a pastry.

"Thanks for the pick-me-up. I left you some money on the counter. Everything's fine, by the way." Jiraiya made his appreciation known, "Also, thanks for entrusting those kids to me. Never got around to finding you and thanking you, did I? I wasn't much to look at back then, but I've cleaned myself up. I hope Haku's brought some joy back into your life."

A hearty chuckle rumbled from Hiroshi, "Like the child I always wanted, he has. Though he came with a few barnacles attached, I guess those oddballs became my friends as well…in their own grumpy ways."

"Heh. I'd love to bring Gaara and Naruto by, sometime."

"My god, they must be a sight..."

"Wait 'til you strike up a conversation with them. Naruto could talk your ear off, unless you stop him. Gaara's more refined these days."

"What are they up to while you are here on these isles?"

And so Jiraiya, who was a gabber much in the way Naruto was, got to chatting with the friendly tea shop owner. The Sage hung around the edge of the door frame, half-in, half-out of the dining room while Zabuza stewed in his seat with his eyes shut. He vacillated between the turmoil of his thoughts and eavesdropping on the gossip.

He peeked an eye open when the entryway chime signaled a new visitor, who barged in mid-way through a rant: "—you can't keep stealing boats and leaving them at docks that aren't yours." Haku was huffing, "Zabuza, move it off of Hasekura-san's—"

Whatever Haku was indignant about, he forgot. There at the far end of the tea shop was Jiraiya making small talk with the kitchen's occupant. Mere paces away, Zabuza was seated at a table, worn down and milder than he usually appeared.

Haku could not negotiate the wild surge of elation and anxiousness that hit him, or deduce the meaning of the gathering before he'd crossed the distance between them. Jiraiya's turn was slow as he beamed at the sight of a handsome young man approaching him, who then sunk into a deep, back-bending bow.

"I've dishonored you." Haku quickly addressed the mea culpa.

Jiraiya raised his eyebrows, "Your detour, you mean? It's no personal offense to me, kid."

"Please accept my apology, Sensei. To you, and to everyone I've neglected."

"Let's call it even." Jiraiya suggested, "I'm sure you weren't served well by an alcoholic escorting you and then dumping you in Hidden Leaf. Did I ever apologize to you about that?" He was smiling, "Don't worry about it, Haku."

Rising up again, he shed the formality and embraced Jiraiya with a squeeze of relief. An affectionate pat started atop Haku's head, middled at his back, and then rubbed a rough circle there. Jiraiya had not forgotten that, of his three diverse pupils, Haku was most inclined to show physical affection. So it was a high-quality, uncommon hug by Jiraiya's standards. They stepped back to look at each other, shiny-eyed.

"Whoa. You are what young manhood longs to look like in fairytales." Jiraiya estimated, "Been busy breaking hearts while you're out here, hm?"

"If so, only my own. I've made many mistakes—"

The Sage waved it off, "Lighten up a little, you don't need to confess your sins to me. But we should sit down and talk for a bit. Zabuza and I finished our discussion."

Dumbfounded, Haku gaped briefly at Zabuza who scooched aside, freeing up a chair for him. Hiroshi poked his face around the doorway's corner, "Welcome back, Haku! I won't need any help today. I think it's best if you catch up."

"Hiroshi-san—"

"Quit gawking and just sit down already." Zabuza gruffed.

He did. Haku took the space beside Zabuza, still marveling at Jiraiya looking so put-together and composed across the table.

"I've left Naruto and Gaara back in Hidden Sand, though I can tell you they desperately wanted to come along for this trip." The Toad Sage announced, "But that scenario was canned as soon as we learned about the Akatsuki's recent attack on the Tide Village. The organization is active again, so I can't let those two travel together…at least not without a heavy escort."

Zabuza sniffed at the explanation, "Why the escort?"

"Because, Zabuza, they are both jinchuriki." Jiraiya pointed a finger in the man's face, "In case you didn't notice when you fought them as children; pretty unusual for kids to tote so much chakra, right? When you got whooped on the great bridge, I'm not sure what you attributed it to. Those are just the facts."

"Both of them?"

Haku nodded, "Yes. I wouldn't want them to needlessly jeopardize themselves. I'll be fine. Tell them I'll come back as soon as—"

Jiraiya then shushed Haku with a hand gesture, "Don't make pledges to them just yet. I have work for you. Only you can do it."

That quieted the young man while Zabuza, again, was boggled by the circumstances of Jiraiya's peculiar trio. It turned out that Zabuza was so surprised by the revelation, that he missed two-thirds of Jiraiya's relaying of "the terms" to Haku.

Haku's ears were tuned into Jiraiya's every word: each detail about the Akatsuki in Mist, what happened to the Tide Village, the objectives, responsibilities, hazards, and Zabuza's own rebellion-funding request via the Keiseki House auction. When Jiraiya came to the projected afterward, when Mist's administration and ruling party turned over into new hands, Haku might be expected to liaise here and there, "But you can live and work in Leaf primarily…or Sand, if you want." Jiraiya detected that his mind was not made up between the two.

"I'm not sure. Is it possible to get clearances for both?" Haku asked.

"Gaara will probably approve the extra paperwork so you can accept missions from either. There's reciprocity between both villages' Medical Corps, if you want to start there. Though you will have to swear allegiance to just one, formally. I ain't gonna tell you which to pick." Jiraiya assured him.

Excitement was dusted on Haku's face, eyes expressing that his mind was living far ahead of the present— grateful to be an ambassador between the villages of his two dearest friends. As Jiraiya chronicled some current events involving Gaara and Naruto, such as Naruto's success in the Chunin Exam, and Gaara's intent to educate him about civic engagement; Haku was riled. He wanted to see them. To do everything and nothing with them. To get reacquainted with life and friends there. While Haku prattled about his expectations, Jiraiya was half-listening: he kept an eye on Zabuza.

He had been warned by Temari that something was atypical about Zabuza's attachment to Haku. It was evident in the man's posture and nondescript watchfulness. Low-key as it was, he was reacting to Haku's optimism. Steely eyes were trained on the young man, studying him. So there it was, Jiraiya thought, as he witnessed it for himself. Even if Zabuza did not want to play second fiddle to anyone in this lifetime, Jiraiya suspected that he probably would for Haku. Jiraiya logged the furtive response away in his mind, just in case it needed discussing on a later date.

"How about you show me around town for a bit? I noticed that this is a charming place, in spite of its few seedy inhabitants." Jiraiya redirected Haku's babbling, "And you…" He turned to Zabuza, "Read and sign this if you truly agree with what we've laid out." He placed a scroll in front of Zabuza on the table top.

Brooding, Zabuza flicked his eyes down at the contract. He said nothing as Haku led the way out of Hiroshi's tea shop with Jiraiya in tow.

Halfway down the street, Haku observed aloud, "He's furious."

"Oh I know." Jiraiya was unruffled by it.

"How did you avoid a fight with him, Sensei?"

"It was pretty simple, actually. I got here and tried to find you— and couldn't. Had a cup of tea and read a magazine on the corner while waiting. When a few of my toads noticed Zabuza disembark from a boat…" He puffed up with pride, "I conducted a preemptive strike. That sure got his attention."

"I am genuinely shocked." Haku confessed, "And also so glad you did that."

Jiraiya clapped his student on the back, "Anytime. I get the impression he thinks I'm just going to stroll out of here with you and not abide by anything I just told him. In all honesty, I can. I'd like to see that brute try and stop me…" He halted in front of the single neighborhood liquor store on the road, "Oh, this reminds me…meant to pick up Daiginjo while I was out…"

It was only natural to follow Jiraiya as he casually shopped for wine.

"Sensei…you mean to tell me that we're following through on that agreement?" Haku verified.

"Even if we can force our way out of here…that won't do a lick of good in the long run. We need intelligence on the Akatsuki and what's happening in the Land of Water." Jiraiya confirmed, "I meant what I said: I need you to get this done. To protect Naruto and Gaara."

Heartsick, Haku hovered aimlessly between rows of bottles, and snapped out of his thoughts when Jiraiya tucked a bottle of sake in his arms, "Here. I'll get this one for you."

"No thank you, Sensei."

"It's not exactly for you, it's just that you're going to need it in a short while." Jiraiya spoke absently, and if he had a point Haku certainly did not get the message. The boy carried around the unnecessary premium sake as they traipsed two minuscule aisles, and Jiraiya picked out a few vintages for himself.

"It'll be fine, Haku. You're cut out for this sort of work, and you have good instincts. Since no one down here knows who you are, you'll be working with an advantage." The Toad Sage encouraged him as he paid at the register and picked up a new book of matches, "You know who you remind me of?"

Haku's interest was piqued, "Who?"

"My last set— the Fourth Hokage's teammate— Namba. You remind me so much of him." Jiraiya shook his head, fuzzy with nostalgia, "A charmer. Good-looking and intelligent, worked best behind the scenes…he spent much of his time roaming far and wide to resolve crises during war time." Jiraiya recalled as they exited the store, "I had a much closer relationship with Minato…ah, but Namba would show up once in a while to party."

"Did he pass away in the last war?"

"Eh? No!" Jiraiya clacked his geta on the ground, flabbergasted with Haku missing the point again, "He's not dead, Haku. He's still working. Namba is one of my oldest informants, he just doesn't live in Hidden Leaf anymore." He clucked his tongue, "He settled down in Kumogakure and has a family now. Every now and then he picks up a task for Tsunade and I."

"Oh. I see." Haku backtracked, "I'm sorry, I thought you brought it up because—"

"Because…past students of mine aren't exactly plentiful." Jiraiya then muttered under his breath, "That's what I thought."

"Are there other spies you rely on?" Haku was curious about the new role he was entering, "For other regions?"

"Absolutely. An old lady in the Apple Village…a few commercial fisherman based in the Tea Country…a new fella named Sumaru in Hidden Star…Pitekuyo in Hidden Grass…" Jiraiya rubbed his chin, "You and Zabuza, now. And Obito."

"The one who helped in the Tide Village?" He recalled the story that'd been summarized for him.

"Yep. Naruto and Gaara can tell you about him on a later date. He's a sensitive asset."

"Sensitive-?"

"Anyways…" Jiraiya changed the subject, "I left some supplies on that footbridge outside town…the one in the forest. Can you pick them up for me? I didn't want to schlep everything here while I was looking out for your esteemed tutor."

Frowning, Haku did not approve of the intentional misdirection, "Did you really leave supplies on a public footbridge where anyone can take them?"

"I really did— hey. Don't snark at me. I get enough of that from Naruto…and Gaara just wouldn't let up back in Suna." The Toad Sage grumbled, "I'm bringing a bottle back to the tea shop as a peace offering. You can find me there."

No further inquiry was conducted once Haku parted from his master with a sigh, turning right off of the main avenue and toward the surrounding forest's treeline. For all of the information Jiraiya could so casually dump on others, Haku was peeved by the withholdings and evasive language he wielded. Better still, he was walking around with an unwanted bottle of sake in the crook of his arm. 'Because he came all the way here to help me…I feel like I can't decline what Sensei has asked me to do.' When he thought of the magnitude of the assignment, and who it benefitted, refusing was impossible. 'But more than anything I want to go home. I want to see them…'

At a grassy crossing near the stream, Haku paused and found that he had been hoodwinked. There was no supply bag or travel gear or anything of the sort. The bridge was empty as he set foot on it, 'What a cheap diversion…' He could hardly believe Jiraiya sent him on a goose chase.

Movement in his peripheral vision bade him to turn, and Haku looked out beyond the bridge and upstream, where Temari was water-walking and surveying the bubbling brook. Her back was to him as she kneeled down and plucked a small crustacean from the water, holding it up to her face to examine it. No such thing existed in the desert. The white sheen of her short dress, brightened by the watercolor designs of blue and copper at the shoulders was airy and free. Temari's fan was wrapped up in a blue sash 'round her back and waist.

Seeing her there confirmed, no, Jiraiya had not exactly left supplies behind…though it was still a thoughtful gift. Haku vaulted over the bridge's railing, and his footfalls on the water's surface drew attention. When she saw him, Temari tossed the zarigani back into the stream and hurried to him. There on the rill that cut through the island's lonely woodland, they folded their arms around one another, and Haku rested his forehead against hers. He remembered belatedly to breathe. Everything seized up and stilled— to see her alive and well was an exquisite way to be astonished.

"What?" Temari's voice lilted with satisfaction, "Missed me already?"

"Yes."

"Aww."

He noticed that her hair was fastened with the glistening pin he had sent to appease her. Haku trolled his eyes down to spot that the pilfered, priceless ring sent with it, fitted on the middle finger of her right hand. "Hm. Where did you get those?" He had to tease a little.

"Some lovesick scrub sent them to me."

"He must be rich."

"He's not, but he'll do." She was smiling.

"May I?"

"Yeah."

Unable to wait another solitary second, his hand slid up to the back of her head and drew Temari in for a kiss.

"Hmm." Pleased with the greeting, Temari then usurped the bottle of sake from his grip, "Is this for me? Thanks."

Jiraiya was two for two when it came to gift-giving, Haku noted. He then had to ask, "Temari, why did you come back here?"

"I was in the Tide Village the same time your Sensei was, so I suggested that I accompany him to Nanakusa. In case anything unexpected happened. Though I think he was just being nice…then he filled me in on this plan he wants you to work on." She explained, "And come on, you know why I'm here."

"I have an idea."

They turned back in the direction of town, and Haku only gave half a thought to what could happen if Zabuza and Temari encountered each other again. The swordsman was thoroughly occupied at the moment.

Temari added as they passed through back-end alleys of humble buildings, "Gama-sennin came up with a decent enough strategy…and the results will be valuable…but I'm honestly not feeling good about you spying on Hidden Mist. Or infiltrating it."

"Me neither, though Sensei would say someone has to. Which is true." Haku countered.

"I don't know how trustworthy Momochi is going to be…"

"He'll do what we ask." Haku predicted, "Just not with a smile on his face."

"Uh huh. But what if you're caught, or scrubbed by Mist's Intel Corps after you sneak in?" Temari had a habit of zeroing-in on uncomfortable scenarios.

"…then that'd be terrible."

Her tone was serrated, "Don't let that happen."

"I won't, I won't…" He led her up a flight of stairs toward the flat he shared with Zabuza, "Did the trip here tire you out?"

"Not quite. I had to slow my pace so your Sensei could keep up." She smirked and followed him indoors, slipping her gaze around the modest space of the home. It was a bit more disordered than she remembered: throw blankets and articles of clothing tossed around, empty bottles and shuffled periodicals on the table— not Haku's type of mess-making, she guessed. A pot of stew simmered on the stove top and warmed the air with its aroma.

Sighing happily, Temari set her fan aside, slipping her travel bag from her shoulder, and sank down on the sofa. Haku worked around her to tidy things up, smiling like an idiot.

"It's a mess in here."

"Not my typical standard of living, I must admit." Haku confessed.

"Can I eat whatever's cooking?"

"Of course. It'll be ready soon. I'll make some rice."

"And do you have wine glasses?"

"It's a bit early to—" Haku was interrupted by the sound of the woman unscrewing the bottle's cap, "I'll find some."

"Good. Split this with me."

"I don't like to drink, Temari."

"No? You must not be doing it right." She set her prized sake down on a sitting room table, and folded a stray blanket to make Haku less obsessive-compulsive. Temari then searched cupboards for rice. When she found it, she waved him away, "I'll do it. The cooker's right here. Look through my bag, Haku. I brought some things for you."

Since she clearly knew her way around a kitchen as well as he did, Haku retreated to the sitting area to curiously rummage through the satchel Temari brought with her. He extracted clothing that looked familiar.

"Those are yours." She spoke over her shoulder, "You let me take them when I high-tailed it out of here, last time."

"Ah. That's right." He simpered at how the outfit had been cleaned and folded. Haku set it aside and cheerily carried on the investigation, pulling out a large, narrow gift-box next, "What's this?"

"Open it." Not only did she have the rice going, she also found wine glasses. Temari returned to sit down as Haku lifted the lid free and discovered a dark, metal tessen packaged reverently.

His squirrely gaze went between Temari and the war fan before he raised it up and unfolded it. If he had to estimate, it was nearly 44cm in length; rather plain with the exception of a single white snowflake design etched into the centerfolds. Speechless, he looked at her again while Temari nonchalantly poured wine, unimpressed with her own gift.

"I know you can use Wind Release when you want to, so you can channel it with that." She set a glass down in front of him on a low table, "You can't exactly fly with it either…it's too small. But I felt that it was fair to get you something since you're so fond of sending me tokens."

"Temari…"

She gave him an expectant look as she raised her drink to sniff the aromatics.

"This is excellent." He was thrilled by her thoughtful gesture, "I'm truly not deserving."

"Maybe." Smiling impishly, Temari crossed her legs in a ladylike manner. When she toasted, "To your new job." Haku was compelled to raise his glass and, per the custom, he drank to it. He discovered that the wine was terrifically palatable. He would be partaking after all.

"Before I dive into some Kazekage-mandated directives…" Temari prefaced the discussion to come, "I want you to know: I think we should date."

It took Haku a beat to reply, "We should?"

"I think we did. For like a month."

"Slightly longer than that." He was crestfallen by her shoddy recollection of their courtship.

She shrugged at him and sipped.

"It won't be easy. I'll still be here doing reconnaissance work." Haku reminded her, "And I'm of the opinion you would benefit from someone who can see you more often than once a month."

"Make it twice a month and we have a deal. I can tell you this: I've dated men who I saw every day…and it wasn't so great. Time in quantity is not my primary concern." Temari corrected him, "Contrary to what I may look like right now," Haku observed her and assessed: authoritative, collected, elegant, "I've been the most susceptible to you. I try not to look it, but I don't…feel this way…with any—"

"I know." He understood and was very encouraged, "I've been hopeful…"

"So it's a good idea. That is," Temari concluded with a glint in her eye, "If we're still attracted to each other."

He didn't mean for a hungry look to convey his sincerest answer to Temari's bait, much faster than words could convey his sentiments. Haku was not about to beat himself up over it. She was teasing, after all. She already knew how he felt. She would not have suggested such a thing if she wasn't interested to begin with. He took a few deep breaths and his cooler head prevailed, resolving not to pounce on her even though Temari seemed to be inviting it.

They toasted again to dating because it seemed like the best (stupid) idea thus far. Temari's self-congratulatory snickering included mumblings about a hot boyfriend and emotional intelligence. She then retrieved a manila folder from her bag and handed it to Haku, "Here. Gaara wants you to have this information on the Akatsuki that he and the Hokage have compiled. We'll want you to add to it and fill in the blanks."

Right away, Haku came across a detail that curdled his stomach. Page one indicated the objectives of the organization, and the next page displayed the identifying uniform of Akatsuki members which, until that moment, Haku had not given much consideration, "This cloak…"

"Yeah…?"

He recalled his travels beyond the Land of Water, through the Land of Snow and back again. Haku locked eyes with her, "I remember meeting a shinobi who wore this."

"You met one of the Akatsuki?"

"Yes, on peaceful terms."

"How?" Temari was disconcerted.

"While I was traveling south to the Land of Snow, on a stopover island. It was a woman. I'm not sure how old…forty? She was beautiful and had blue hair. She was wearing this." Haku indicated the file's stock photo of the Akatsuki cloak, "She seemed to be in charge of subordinates and…she was traveling with a partner."

"That's not good." A tinge of suspicion crept into Temari's voice, "And what were you doing with some strange woman?"

"I was trapped by the Cursed Seal of Heaven." Haku rubbed his neck tenderly, fearful just thinking about it, "I haven't used it since…but I was attacked by someone who was sent by Orochimaru. I couldn't shed my Cursed Seal form after a seal-tag was stuck to me. This woman helped get it off of me when all else failed."

Leaning back into sofa cushion, Temari sipped sake and noodled on the tale.

"She can control paper." Haku recalled as much as he could, "And she was not hostile towards me. Which would be unusual for an Akatsuki member, no?"

"Maybe not. Some of them might be more level-headed." She then ventured, "By any chance, was it a Rain ninja?"

Confused as to how she could guess correctly, Haku confirmed, "She was."

"Hmm. Gama-sennin said he's worried that the Akatsuki may have a base of operations in Hidden Rain." Temari informed him, "I guess he's on the right track."

"I'll have to talk to Sensei about it." Haku supposed as he flipped through the file. It took some time to sift through it, and he was boggled by an extensive section on the one called "Pein" that had been compiled from various reports.

They took a break to eat a late lunch, glad not to be disturbed by Zabuza, Jiraiya, or any of Nanakusa's inhabitants. Between their combined efforts, most of the Daiginjo had been consumed by the end of the meal. Too sloppy and buzzed to clean properly, Haku committed heresy by leaving dirty bowls in the sink with no intention of washing them. He toddled back to the couch to stretch out on it lengthwise, and the trickle of his thoughts concerning Hidden Mist and spying on the Akatsuki halted altogether when Temari overlapped herself with him. Her cuddling was welcome. They were a sedate sort of drunk.

"Good food."

"Thank you."

"Did we leave any for that douchebag?"

"Yes." Haku thought so, at least.

"Hmf."

An edge of worry in his voice, "Are you leaving tomorrow?"

"I have to. Gama-sennin and I can't stay."

"You can stay."

"Not for another bloodbath. I'm taking a risk getting drunk and being defenseless here of all places." She chuckled at her brashness.

"I'll protect you." By that, he meant he would gladly kill Zabuza if he so much as stepped in her direction.

"I know." She yawned, "I think…we should wait before Gaara finds out."

"About us?"

"Yeah."

"Give it a week." Haku suggested.

She shook her head, "Two weeks, at least. He has hissy fits like you wouldn't believe when the subject comes up…"

"Alright." He let his eyes drift shut for a superb, fuzzy feeling of impending sleep, "I don't want…him to be angry."

Her head was heavy on his shoulder, "He shouldn't be, y'know. He knows that you love me, and that I love you. Gaara's got issues."

That procured a sharp snort of laughter from Haku that subsided back into his half-conscious state.

"He said he's upset that he let you go. He wanted your support when he went through all the shit in the beginning for Kazekage candidacy." Temari went on after another long yawn, "But he knows me well. I think he's just fucked up about knowing I want to do you."

Haku woke up slightly, "…is…that why…?"

Her languid position seemed more purposeful to him than it had moments ago. The way her leg draped over his, the slow exploration of her free hand over his shirt was almost beneath his notice. A flighty sensation pattered in his chest. Haku could feel her warm breath against his neck, and it was difficult to concentrate on anything else.

"Mmm." She shared her perspective on the matter, "You're too gentle and innocent." Temari could only communicate in sleepy mutters, "Virtuous people are— psh. What am I supposed to do? I've got to…handle you with kid gloves. Treat you super well. It's weird and scary."

Those observations were muddled, so Haku asked, "…what's weird and scary?"

"Not being…cavalier about it. I always was." Temari's cheek bunched as she curled into him, "I don't want to hurt you. It'll sit on my conscience if I did."

"Even if you do, I hold no grudges. And how fragile do you think I am?" Really, Haku thought, how much physical or emotional damage could she inflict?

"You are." Temari insisted, "Fragile. Better said; naïve, inexperienced. Have you ever let a woman prey on your insecurities or maltreat you before? Doesn't seem like it. That was one of my habits when it came to past guys." She added, "They kind of deserved it, though."

"Well, try not to maltreat me or abuse my insecurities." He was amused by her locution.

"Try is the operative word."

"I have faith that you mean well." He wasn't going to worry about possible disagreements. Mature communication was one of his prided extracurricular activities.

"You…" Bemused, Temari tilted her head up to glimpse him, "Why are you like that?"

"Like what?"

"You might've noticed, but your two best pals can get very hot-blooded and melodramatic."

"So can I."

She scrunched her face, "Right. But you're on a different wavelength than they are. Less bull-headed."

"I am not sure how you are measuring that quality in us. You sound biased." Haku accused.

"From what I do know, you've never been overtly masculine." Temari brought up a buzz word that Haku heard rather frequently, "Not like them. You know what I'm talking about. See, you're still a guy…but you have capacities others don't."

"Feminine capacities, you mean?" He tried to interpret where she was going with the topic.

"Would you call it that?"

"I understand what you mean, and frankly, it doesn't matter to me what it's called. Society wants to classify recreation, work, and behavior by gender roles so badly…but those classifications never did suit me." Haku smiled a little, "I might like and do many things women generally do, true, though I'm no poorer for it. While I grew up in Hidden Leaf, no one was pressuring me to be a certain way. Naruto and Gaara always accepted me as I am."

She settled her head back to relax, "Yeah, they're all about acceptance."

"They are. I've been free to express myself however I want. I'm sure others in this world haven't been as fortunate."

"So identity-wise, does it matter?" Temari rolled to adjust herself front-to-front with him, "I'm genuinely curious. It's not like I could interview you about your sexuality before this."

"Oh, so you're asking?"

"Inquiring minds want to know. I'm a woman and reasonably sure I appeal to you…but how do I fit into your preferences?" Her eyes were narrowed playfully. There was no judgement in them.

"I…" His eyes traced the ceiling and then peeked down at her, "Think…"

"Hm?"

"All." Haku said finally, "I like everything."

"I had a feeling."

"That's not to say I've met a man I like. I haven't." He added candidly, "But I could, I know that. So far I've preferred girls…it must be the mental chemistry."

"Pff. What are you doing with me, then?" She joked.

"I want to chase you. You've always challenged me to be better, braver." He was poetic, "You are beautiful in form and thought. It's hard to resist."

"Who knew I could be loved for my brain too? For a while I thought it was just being blonde and having B+ curves."

"That grade is more of an A-."

Temari flicked his chin in annoyance, "I'll grade myself, thank you very much."

Chuckling contently, Haku played with her plaited hair and shut his eyes again.

After a yawn she wondered out loud, "Maybe it will feel good…with someone I really like."

He got fidgety again. Her casual way of expressing her intentions rattled him. Temari was interested, there was no mistaking that. If he was honest, Haku would admit that he could never rebuff such advances and would most likely enjoy them. But at present he was drunk, sleepy, and in no physical condition to impress. He was melding with the couch. His best cautionary tagline was, "It's much too soon for what you're asking."

She squashed that train of thought, "Don't get all hot and bothered, Haku. I need a nap." As good as her word, Temari was asleep after a few minutes.

Haku estimated that he only dozed off for ten minutes at most, but when his eyes batted open again the sun was setting beyond the window. And Zabuza was standing over the room's table after he had just gotten back from negotiations with Jiraiya, as tense as a tiger fit to spring on a cornered deer. Haku was not precisely sure how long the swordsman had been standing there— how long he had chosen to fester over Temari's unannounced visit. Haku sidled free from beneath the sleeping kunoichi, and rose groggily to his feet.

"Since I've been fucked back to front today in terms of free will, you had better get this bitch out of here before I collect her head." Zabuza warned. His face was uncovered and plainly irate, veins protruding from his neck.

"You didn't have to agree to anything Sensei proposed, you know." Haku reminded him, resting his hand gently on Temari's shoulder to stir her.

"I had no choice. There's no sense in declining the offer for reinforcements. But I pay either way." When Zabuza came nearer, Haku stepped forward as well, bodily barring him from approaching, "You really let that witch come back here?"

Awake and sitting up, Temari groused, "I can hear you."

"Leave."

She rubbed the crust from her eyes and did not grace Zabuza with a retort.

"If your verbal abuse is anything to go by, you've had a difficult day." Haku granted him that, "So we'll both leave. Try to relax. There's stew if you want it."

"And go where?" The swordsman wanted to keep a short leash.

"Why does that matter? Did Sensei ask to see me?"

"In the morning. He's spending the night at Roundy's place."

Roughly translated, Haku worked out that Jiraiya would probably be dining at the tea house and stay as a guest in Hiroshi's home. Unlike Temari, who had gathered her bag and fan to see herself out of the flat, Haku was marginally compelled to protest against Zabuza's spiteful banishment. If this was the only instance within which Zabuza could assert himself, and Jiraiya touted that the power balance was now to shift in Haku's favor— the young man was more inclined to put the brute in his place. He could've argued until the sun came up, but whoa, Temari was well out the door and pressing on.

He gathered his war fan from the coffee table while watching Zabuza, "Tomorrow, then." Haku left and clicked the flat's door shut behind him. The goal for the night would be for Zabuza to meditate on and accept his new position. Only Heaven knew if he could.

The pair hopped over to the next rooftop, observing a sunset that was every shade of a sherbet dessert. Temari spun the flat bottom of her fan beneath her palm against the gable she stood on. Without speaking, they lingered as the island's cricket songs gradually intensified.

"Shall we go talk to Sensei?" Haku broke the silence with a sensible offer, "I can arrange for you to stay with Hiroshi-san as well."

"No need. I don't want to be involved in any strategy discussions while I'm drunk." As Temari tottered eastbound and somehow cleared the gaps between buildings, Haku worriedly tailed after her.

"-careful—"

"I won't fall."

"Where are you going?" He stifled a burp. He was not sure where else to go if not Hiroshi's residence, or possibly convince the landlord who housed Raiga and Ranmaru down the road to let them stay for the night.

"Here." Temari landed and slid on the truss of a tall house, prying open an unlatched window.

Haku swayed beside her, but he caught himself while batting at her hands, "What are you doing? You can't just break into someone's house-!"

"I didn't break anything. And we've been here before." Unconcerned, she swung the panel open and clumsily heaved herself through. Her fan stuck on the jamb so she returned to pull it free.

Stomach swirling, Haku glanced around and realized that it was the office/house that belonged to Migawari. The retiree medic-nin was currently on the other side of town to gamble the night away with Oguni-san and other old gamesters. Haku half-fell into the top level room, which had recently been dusted. The lack of cobwebs was remarkable, 'He must have put Ranmaru up to cleaning…'

Temari set her belongings down on an upholstered bench, then grandly stretched her arms over her head. She watched Haku scuttle downstairs quickly to explore the house, shouting back up to her, "This is breaking and entering—"

"He's not here?" She gathered. Temari turned her ear toward the doorway of the room, hearing only drunken bumbling downstairs. No. The medic-nin who resided here was probably out. Triumphant, Temari laid cross-wise on the room's bed and yawned. She had to sleep off the sake and stew.

Eventually Haku returned with a tray, noticed there was no space for it on the cluttered bureau, and so he settled on the wood floor, clacking the tea platter down. Dizzy, he sat down cross-legged beside it and poured himself a cup of tea, "Temari, get off that bed. You are an intruder in this house."

"Says the one who's stealing an old man's tea set."

"I'm not an intruder. I am an employee in this office, and I'm permitted to make tea." Haku defended, then he noted in an afterthought, "I have a stomach ache."

"Because you are needlessly worrying about stuff." Temari assessed, unmoving.

"I shouldn't have—"

"The sake didn't make you sick. That wasn't low-grade swill we were drinking." She disarmed his complaints.

He sat there and sipped ginger tea, which was the exact prescription for his malady. Yes. It was the worry, not the alcohol. Haku relaxed slightly, and gave up on being cross with his girlfriend as she laughed like a kookaburra nearby. Mischief delighted her, he already knew this. As he was not exactly a purveyor of mischief, Haku had to get his kicks by indulging in it vicariously. He poured another cup of tea and struggled across the floor. Temari slid down from the mattresses' edge and took the outstretched drink.

She had to fight back ongoing chuckles.

"Is this really funny to you? It won't be when we get caught." Haku warned, but he couldn't suppress a contradictive smile.

"He's not gonna care if we don't mess anything up. All I want…" She leaned her head back and stretched her legs out in front of her primly, "Is to not get killed by Momochi, and have some alone time with you. Then it's back to Suna and back to work." She took a noisy sip of tea.

"Back to work." He echoed with a sigh. Back to risking his life in strange places, among strange people. The payoff could be substantial, but Haku hesitated to get his hopes up.

"Blech, this tea is not my favorite." Temari poured more for herself, "But if it keeps that stew from biting back— bottoms up…"

Haku shimmied around the tray to sit side-by-side with the woman propped up against the bed. He admitted that on a few past missions with Zabuza, they had broken and entered into spaces with malicious intent, "So I suppose this pales in comparison…"

"It really does." She leaned her head against his shoulder, "Hey. Do you like my dress?"

"It's lovely."

"I got it in the Tide Village. A bit of a departure from my usual colors."

"And those are?"

"Burnt reds. Black. Navy."

"Fearless colors." Haku assessed.

"Is that what they mean?" She gulped down another pungent cup of stomach-soothing tea, "And you, in blue."

"Always blue." He confirmed.

Temari set the cup down on the tray and sat back again, "Why?"

"To remember." Haku told her, "It's the color of fidelity."

As she sat there and pondered the soft look on his face, a memory from her Genin days sifted up from the annals of her memory. When she had been a rather lonely, brusque child at the time— she recalled what it had been like to feel the first monumental push of air raise her skyward, when at last her proficiency for Wind Release lent her fan the gift of flight. A miracle of her own making. It was freedom and fear and satisfaction. The new frontier she would master for missions and battles. But above all, Temari remembered how nothing had ever felt like that again. Not the hundreds of times she took flight afterward, not her achievements, friendships, trysts or anything else could replicate that joy… Though this did. Being with him felt just like it.

'The sky.' She shut her eyes and thought that, ah, so it too reflected his color. The hue that mattered most to him. Flying home tomorrow, it would be all she could think about. Always, he'd said. Steadfast and beautiful. A vast sea.

If she could open up his head to ascertain what Haku was thinking about, she was sure the reflection would be there too. All of the same feelings. This sentimental mush she was thinking about— that she worked to suppress most days…he emitted it non-stop like a heat lamp. Though fuzzy-brained and in a stranger's home, she gladly titled her head to reach him when he moved to kiss her. His fingertips pressed softly against the side of her face. It was a slow kiss. Temari leaned into him and enjoyed everything about it, then broke it off suddenly.

Haku watched with wide, fretful eyes when she climbed away from him, ascending to the bed and flopping down, "Get up here. Sitting there was killing my back."

Part of him knew that she had cast a line expecting him to bite. She was very good at this, so of course he wasn't going to ignore her request even if he had an idea of where it could go. Haku followed after her and reclined, noticing how the last rays of sunset cast his shadow over her as she laid parallel to him. Temari was sighing, "Ah, that's better."

"I don't suppose you intend to stay the night here?" He correctly guessed.

"Will your Medic-nin pal even notice we're up here in this dustbowl?"

"No, but I don't want to abuse his trust."

"Then," Temari scooched closer and fiddled with the neckline of his tunic, "Send me to that tea house to sleep, next door to your perv Sensei."

"In spite of Sensei's old pastimes and favorite literary genre, I can promise you he's quite respectful. Of anyone he knows well, at any rate." Haku countered with a small smile.

"Yeah, Gaara and Naruto told me that too." She rose up groggily, "Well, I'll go. A cold, empty bed works for me…I can hug a pillow-"

Before she rose completely, Haku tugged her back down, slightly annoyed with her theatrics.

"Make up your mind you rulebook-thumper." Fighting back her grin, Temari settled again.

Haku palmed her shoulder to give her a small shake, "How would you feel if a drunk hooligan couple invaded your home while you were out, and desecrated one of the spare rooms of your house?"

She beamed, "Wow!"

"No, no. 'Wow' is not the correct—"

"I don't know anyone in Suna that bold, so I'd be impressed."

Harried, Haku painted a clearer picture, "You wouldn't. Think of it: mid-act. No regard for law or common decency."

"Gaara would probably find them first, honestly. Then he'd smother them with sand."

Her wild chuckling got him going for a second, but Haku tried to shake it off. He gave up on trying to persuade her to leave, and instead let his hand travel down the slope of her shoulder to the column of her neck. He wore a pensive look as he touched the soft skin there.

"What?" She was aware of how fraught he was.

"When I first met you, I didn't trust you. I even wanted to…" Tripping over his words, Haku got on with it, "I wanted to hurt you." He found the spot he had struck with senbon needles, rendering her helpless in a past duel, "I'm sorry."

"It's fine. You were trying to protect Gaara. How could you have known my actual intentions? And besides, I did participate in Leaf's invasion, however reluctant my involvement was." She confessed guilt with ease, "You were right not to trust me. I could've gotten my baby brother killed by going along with my superior's idiotic plans."

"That still doesn't make me feel justified." He murmured against her forehead.

"I appreciate that you came at me with no mercy. It made sense. You did what you had to. You were someone I could trust, given the circumstances." She tapped a tune against his knuckles, knowing the site of her old injury still bothered him, "No hard feelings here."

"Yes, there are." Haku disagreed.

This was news to her, so she raised her eyebrows at him.

"I left." He reminded her.

"Ah." She still felt lingering frustration over that fact; he knew it as well as she did, "You left."

He could not speak out loud about the disastrous mistake and its cost, though she could read it all in his eyes. What he sought to do had been utterly obstructed, his time and effort had been extorted, his life threatened repeatedly, and those who truly depended on him were left to wait and wonder. Their pain was what shamed him the most. Gaara and Naruto's pain, and hers.

"Still…" She tipped her head up to brush her lips over his brow, "No hard feelings."

"If I had stayed…"

"There's no point in speculating, is there?" Temari thwarted his contemplation, "Because you were down here mixing with the wrong crowd, it provided an opportunity. What could you do against the Akatsuki in Kirigakure if you were some clueless Medical Corps officer in Hidden Sand?"

"Something, I'm sure." He smiled wanly.

"You might've gone soft, living safely among friends…gotten weak or complacent. Imagine: Things between us might've gotten dull, and I might've dumped you if you'd stayed."

Haku was amused, "Weren't you the one who said there's no point in speculating?"

"Oh yeah."

Sometime between drinking ginger tea and curling up on the bed, the dark of nightfall overtook the room. A tranquil lull kept them from overreacting to Temari's suggestion that Zabuza could stop by later to kill them, if his mood didn't improve. Haku would not write off the risk, but he yawned and supposed, "He probably won't."

"Spoken like someone who really knows the guy."

"Better than anyone…and that's not saying much." An afterthought dawned on Haku, "Oh. I never fed Pua."

"Can't she feed herself? You let that rabbit roam free." Temari pointed out.

"She can graze, yes, but she makes trouble in this neighborhood. Pua will go door to door begging if I don't feed her." Haku sighed, "She may be cute, but she is a glutton the likes of which I've never seen. I've had reports on how bad her food thievery gets around here."

She snickered, "You're raising a monster."

"A small one."

"Hmm. Before I forget, I wanted to tell you…" Drowsily, Temari traced her fingers along his arms and front, tugging at the opening of his tunic, "I bought a place in the Tide Village, so you can meet me there when you have time off. You know, like a halfway point."

"You bought a house?"

"With my hard-earned money, that's right." Temari took pride in the announcement, "I've had it for a little while already. Just a small beach cabin. I couldn't believe it was undamaged after the recent attack when I went to check it. Phew. What a relief…"

Haku did not bat an eyelash as she slid half of his gi down, hooking a fabric belt with her pinky to undo the tie at his waist. He noted, "You weren't going to tell me you invested in a vacation home."

"No. I was still angry at you, at the time." Temari confirmed.

"How generous of you to invite me." His smile had a satisfied feline quality to it.

"It's not like I put a welcome mat on the front step for you…" She pulled the unknotted sash free, somewhat surprised that he shrugged off his open shirt just like she wanted, "And…I'm not keeping an…extra toothbrush around…"

"Right, I understand. You wouldn't want me to mistakenly get comfortable in any home of yours." Haku watched her survey the landscape of his chest and shoulders with her hands, dipping down his abdomen toward his waist, which felt much nicer than personal attentions he paid himself on lonely days. She idled over the brutal scar below his ribcage, where a strike from the Chidori had run him through.

As delightful as Temari's expert touches were, she was still a bit too daring for his livewire nerves. His wish for a gradual introduction was more or less lost on her. This he gathered once she slipped free of her white sheath dress so swiftly it could have been a magician's trick.

Balking, words failed as he sat up, face-to-face with a woman kneeling in her underclothes. Temari plucked the hair pin and ties from her tresses, shaking her hair loose, "I don't know about you, but I don't sleep in clothes when I have the choice."

A gulp, "Ah. Good to know."

With a stretch, she reached the edge of a bedside table to set her finery down, and sort of flung her white dress into the darkness of the room. Temari then lowered herself front-ways onto the mattress, and mashed her face into a pillow. If he wasn't mistaken, it was as if she was trying to give him space. Haku's gaze may have lingered a second too long on the skintight, café-colored shorts on her impeccably round bottom.

"Relax." Her command was muffled by the pillow.

"I am." He laid back and uh, no, he wasn't exactly relaxed.

"I wanted to touch you, but it seemed to freak you out." Oh, so she'd noticed. Temari told him, "You're interested, and also not interested…so I'll err on the side of caution and leave you be."

"I'm not sure that I want you to—" Haku clarified while staring at the ceiling's wooden beams, "To leave me be, I mean."

She rotated her face to glimpse him from the corner of her eye, "I don't do things to people who aren't sure."

"What I mean is, I want to, but I don't know what I want." He was clearer with the issue, "I don't know anything about this."

"…hm." She rolled her shoulders and turned her face away again, "Sleep."

After that she was quiet, her back rising and falling slowly as she took calming breaths. Haku felt strangely sidelined by the dismissal.

It was not news to him that she'd gone out and gotten plenty of experience during their time apart, and he didn't need the numbers or specifics. Likewise, in spite of his knowledge of the body and physiology, Haku had been in no hurry to apply that education in pursuit of pleasure. Yet from what she'd said, Temari had gleaned her most valuable lessons from the failure of connection. The irrelevance of intimacy in her dating environment had made her forsake men like that. Neither did she quite know how to coach a tender-hearted neophyte, Haku supposed. Even if she couldn't figure out how to progress things, she refused to pressure him into anything.

For such demanding a person, Temari was remarkably attuned to the feelings of others. He smiled to himself, gliding a finger down the span of her bare back, noticing a minuscule twitch of muscle. She otherwise did not react. Haku shifted nearer on his side, tracing an ellipse over her skin with his fingertips. The orbit narrowed at the nape of her neck and widened at the base of her spine. If there had ever been something so exquisite to look at and feel, he'd certainly never found it. He edged closer to feel the heat of skin against skin.

Haku spoke softly in the dark, "I don't want you to leave."

Temari's weak affirmative mumble acknowledged how he felt. Her conscious mind teetered on the edge of sleep, even though she was silently preoccupied by his migrating hand along her back and neck.

He then said, "Or…it's more like I don't want to stay here. To do all of this."

"…who could…blame you?" She pressed into him more, savoring the touches, "That kind of work sucks."

Yes. It was going to be dismal, borderline thankless work. But the way Temari aligned herself against his front, golden hair furling off the edge of a pillow; she would be thanks enough for now. The last vestiges of hesitation slipped away from Haku, because there was no denying a neck so perfect, and to not put his lips there and taste dwindling sunlight on her skin. He heard the small sound she made and felt his blood get hot. Oh. Oh. It was not nearly as intimidating as he first thought; getting close to her. Perhaps her lowered guard and lake-calm state had helped. Temari had a sense of what enticed him.

###

His kisses drifted northward, where there was delicate skin behind her ears, and then down again over downy tufts of blonde hair. She smelled so vibrant and alive, like yuzu and peony and wind.

"Watch where…you put that hand." Temari's throaty warning snapped his attention back to a most inquisitive palm, which had found the curve where her thigh and bottom met. Before Haku could contritely relocate, she rubbed her backside into him, amused, "Good. You looked." She explained, "I'm joking. Thought I'd have to bribe you to touch me like that…"

"Temari…" On the inhaling breath, his voice rasped, which was a first to Haku's ears. "Don't confuse me." He moved his hand anyway, but slid it over her hip and up her strong stomach.

His memory was still fresh with the day Temari had been injured. It was hard to linger on the thought. It stung to remember how narrowly she had avoided death; the blood— how it stole his breath and made him wince. When Haku thought of how vulnerable she had been, lying naked and unconscious in his arms, the sight was burned into the back of his eyes. Though, at the time he'd been overcome with horror and panic. There had been no element of attraction nor untoward advance, not while she was blood-splattered and frail. Maybe it was wrong to have that incident as a frame of reference? For what he was doing now? Maybe he was a degenerate for recalling it at all, or to be excited by what he'd seen?

After all, he'd come to a conclusion some weeks ago that he was not, in fact, good. The revelation snuck up on him, but Haku processed the facts as they turned over in his head, certifying that really he just acted as if he were principled. He was an actor. A fine one. Prudent and honorable to the bare, untrained eye. This was his best friend's sister. What decent man did this sort of thing?

Haku rolled onto his back to grapple with the thought, staring upward and inhaling deeply. 'I still want to.' He was undaunted. If at some point he'd fully embraced being a dirty, envious, promise-breaking assassin type who dabbled part-time as a healer for some shabby cover— to veil what he'd actually become…he couldn't take it back.

Why should he? Haku smiled wryly to himself. Temari seemed to like what he was. Whatever he was. No, he wasn't going to reverse his course. To correct these transgressions or abruptly comport himself like a saint. When he turned again onto his side and wound his arms around Temari, she felt the difference. His mind was made up. So she melted into him with a sigh, more responsive than before, her back still warm against the front of his body. Haku traced a finger below her chin, down her neck, through the valley of her chest, the plane of her stomach. Everything about her lit his senses.

"That's…nice," Temari was muttering, "You don't feel nervous now, huh?"

He removed his lips from her neck for a single word, "No."

"-ah." She was feeling clearer after having tea. And jittery.

Haku had set the starting line high on her body, his lips toying with her earlobe, hands fiddling mindlessly with the front closure between her breasts. Intermingled with the heady feeling was a dash of frustration, Temari found, since she couldn't really get her hands on the strong body curved splendidly behind her. The most she could manage was to reach her arm back and feel Haku's smooth, unbound hair slide between her fingers. If she ground into the erection pressed against her bottom any more, she'd probably shove him clean off the bed. It was tougher than she thought to exercise self-restraint. As for Haku, he seemed to be innately suited for such gentle, electric attentions…but hell if he could ever figure out how to open a bra. She'd have to wait for her watch to strike never O'clock.

All along her skin, descending down between her shoulder blades, he was whispering, "Don't go without showing me…without touching me—" Peppering kisses along the way, he rolled his hips into her to feel the stellar pleasure halted only by a thin buffer of fabric, "-Temari." She had shrugged out of her unhooked bodice, a courtesy, and then placed her hand on his to direct it south along her waist. In a practiced motion, Temari slid his hand beneath the band of her shorts. They bunched before slipping free and down her hips. Haku trained his gaze on the bloom of pale, undressed skin.

"…I'm not a passive player." She issued a warning as she rolled onto her back, bare beneath his eyes, "You want to. Right?"

Fuddled and staring, it took several seconds for Haku to form a reply, "Very much."

To that, Temari rolled over to her hands and knees, setting her mouth on the smooth planes of his body. He was not tense— not like before. Eyelids fluttering, Haku felt her nip at the trapezius muscle at the intersection of his neck and shoulder, her fingertips drumming down his pectorals and stomach. Touching her was a frantic matter, the kisses short and teasing his patience. She faltered slightly when his attentions converged at her chest, palming the rounds of her breasts. Temari's whine and grinding against his groin was an equal distraction.

Restless for instruction, Haku slowed down to ask, "What do you like? I'll do it."

"We're getting to that." She was occupied by divesting him of pants, pulling them down and free with a helpful shimmy of his hips, "There. That's an improvement. Huh." Temari scratched a fingernail down the sable trail of hair middling his stomach, fine and byssine, "You know, I didn't expect any hair to be on you." His muscles jolted under her touch, eyes trained on her face, "Not after finding those three measly hairs on your chest."

"Don't understate." A breathy admonishment.

"Okay. Eight or nine." She pawed at him, scanning her eyes down again, "You've got a little star right here." Temari poked at the down around his belly button, "I almost want to turn the lights on to get a better look."

"You can if you want to be caught red-handed."

"No one can see my hands when it's this dark." Her smile was sly and almost audible, lowering herself to be front-to-front with Haku, "Neck again, please." He tipped his head back to present it to her, and she scaled the smooth column with her lips up to his jawline. Dizzy, he could only rub himself against her stomach and knead her back like a cat, hoping, praying for some relief.

Temari angled to level her chest with his face, resettling his hands on her backside while she hovered over him, "This is something I like, so start here. I want a lot of attention—" Her announcement crumbled apart when he took the offering in his mouth, hands boldly studying her.

Silk made flesh, like fragrant petals beneath his lips. Oh why had he ever shied away from this? It'd only ever been presented to him in the most obscene, unwelcome of ways— how Zabuza could partake of such a ritual, wholly impartial and unemotional.

If he had to share his opinion on the matter, Haku was now sure that the cardinal appeal of sex was the other person. Not himself. What did she feel when he tasted her like this? When his mouth roamed? It was so good, but her soft mewls made it better, made it all make sense. When solitary nights were too much to bear on occasion, his brain and his hand were enough. Yet this sweet, pliant body he tasted; rolling a budded nipple along his tongue, soft brushes and sounds... There had never been a temptation like this before. He was going to burst before long.

Fidgeting and murmuring, Temari raked her nails along his scalp and folded into his nuzzling licks. When it crossed her mind, she repositioned his hands where she wanted them to guide his caresses. After a while his mouth carried on to explore parts undiscovered, and Temari obliged his travels. Even though he only merited a scant few words of encouragement or hums, the performance echoed in his blood, boiled with longing. It didn't matter what he did so long as she wanted him to. Well. Haku wanted something for himself, but Temari was not keen on giving him much beyond stray touches.

Their bodies flattened after a while and she tested him, finding nerves along his chest and flanks, down the trail of stomach hair she'd complimented. Temari made all of him sing. What a devil she was. Death might take him soon; the withering thought in Haku's bloodless head panged, so hungry to slip past the wetness between her legs. He'd never endured such a pressure, nor the radical softness waxing all along his body. While he braced her thighs with wide-splayed palms, Temari nearly undid him by slicking along his length with the most subtle buck of her hips. He wanted to kiss the grin off of her face and beg, but she spoke first, "Haku."

Now. Yes, of course now. She was too crafty and skilled for her own good. There ought to be a shrine constructed in her honor and he'd pay tribute there daily. Her next words had to unscramble in his ears: "You can't go inside. I'm not going to let you do that."

And thus his faculties splintered while nodding to her in acknowledgment. Haku was further tormented when Temari stamped a wet patch on his leg, curved over him while determinedly kissing his mouth. No, oh no, it was no good to lay vulnerably and let her continue to tease after establishing such a limitation. He'd want in. That option was off the table.

"I won't." Haku rose up from beneath her, taking the top as she was spilled to her back, and he pinned her wrists above her head, "We can do whatever you want."

"Ah, good, but was that something you wanted?" Even breathless from his kisses, Temari was still impish. She knew full well how hard he was since she had not stopped rubbing against him.

Reassembling some of the shattered expectation of a minute ago, Haku told her, "Yes. But it can wait. Especially if you say so."

"Especially if I do." She agreed, wriggling her hand free, "Here. I need this." She brought her fingertips down to the slip of skin cowling his length, "Though…you know I still want you to cross the finish line, don't you? Whoa now," Haku thrashed at the touch, "Relax. Get down lower on your knees, it's alright. I have you."

Easing down to nearly overlap with her, he took a rickety breath, his hands seeking the sides of Temari's face and neck. He kissed her bottom lip and felt his body aching. Since when were there so many nerves to dynamize him? Were they always there? No, it must've been that another's touch bears a certain degree of magic his own can't. That was it. But then, when a bold swirl of her fingers overwhelmed his exposed tip, Haku's hackles raised at the discomfort. It was supposed to feel good, but that didn't, so he had to mutter the admission.

"I see, no, don't sulk— I need you to tell me." Temari rearranged her hand, borrowing a bit of loose prepuce to slide between her fingertips and the sensitive bulb, rolling down so slowly and getting it right, yes, that was better. Down, firmer; then the pad of her thumb so knowingly zeroed-in on the underside nerves that felt so good. Haku bowed his head to rest at the curve of her neck, small puffs of sound escaping him as he exhaled. Her free hand migrated to the small of his back, independent of her working hand.

Stopping the short bucks of his hips was not possible by then, and really, she adapted well to that pace with her strokes— equal parts talent and cue-reading. Haku's kisses along her neck were wet and decadent, interspersed with clipped moans. Temari had reliable reference notes from past hay-rolling. How fortunate for him; the idea eclipsed any remnant of jealousy that lingered in his gut. She slid the tissue with precision up and down, with an exact firmness and surety that allowed her to wander, kiss his temple, and notice other things about him while she endeavored. A few stray droplets of his dewed on her stomach.

Haku estimated he could endure the contact for a while more if she let up just a bit, and he wanted to recommend it so he could extend the sublime buzz of sensation…but Temari's right hand descended past the buttock she was squeezing, lightly skimming her nails along his thighs. By then every exhale of his was laced with breathy, astounded mutters, and it made her bold. Temari's touch traveled lower, stroking glands tightened by oversensitivity. He shook with a groan that was much too loud for a house intruder to get away with. Try as he might to nudge her, Temari did not withdraw her supplementing hand. It was too much. The feeling. He bit her shoulder and even then she did not relent. She kept pace, rubbing and prodding.

So words would have to do, somehow, "Temari, please don't—"

Her hand retreated from his underside, "Sorry. Was that no good?"

"It was…" He kissed the spot where his teeth had nearly broken her skin, "—felt…I-I can't…" Haku was less eloquent, not that she'd fault him for it.

"Nearly there?" Temari understood, "Just a second." Like a luge athlete she slipped below him, between the bracket of his legs, and gripped his bottom to bring him closer to her face. He yelped in surprise, then hissed when she acquainted her mouth with his erection. She misunderstood-! his fried brain insisted. He wanted to prolong this, not expedite it. But if he asked her not to play at the rim of skin with her tongue, or disregard how she took him in so skillfully, he would have to be certified insane. If he lasted for more than three of her masterful bobs he could never know. Haku's arms were ramrod straight on the bed, holding himself in a near Cobra pose out of necessity, his neck craned to look down at her out of desperation.

And when Temari's eyes flicked up at him, so self-assured and greedy for what she was doing, that was all. Haku could bear no more. A slight bend in his arms and hunch of his shoulders helped brace him, gasping. He paid close attention to his shudders as he came, the spike of pleasure needling his core. He had to look at her face while feeling the slick of her tongue still working, and she gradually drew her lips further back with each throb. As an aesthete, Haku had to appreciate her grace while she freed him from her mouth. She concluded the act with the most perfect tongue flick as to not waste what remained at the tip. Temari held his stare while he tried to survive the full-tilt pounding of his heart.

Steady as a noodle, Haku then keened sideways and reached to caress her face. For a moment he was shocked that she swallowed the proceeds of that transaction. Temari patted his hand against her cheek as she settled on her side, "Hm. Not bad. Kind of an unexpected volume, but I guess you haven't been up to much lately." He was blushing though she couldn't really tell.

Haku encircled her in his arms, "I haven't ever…that was…thank you." His synapses were reconnecting as he added, "That was probably ill-advised. This probably breaks every rule…"

"Probably." She agreed in a chuckle, "I've never been thanked for doing that before…that's a first."

Haku felt indignant about past flippant partners she might've had, "Thanks should be in order for—"

"Calm down, Haku. Not everyone feels gratitude the way you do. I'm glad you liked that. We can try something else next time, if you like, or we can stick to blowjobs." Temari's smile was satiated.

"That is the crassest thing I have heard all day."

"You're welcome. Just get used to the terminology."

"I'll have to." He returned her smile tiredly, "I've never felt like that."

"Oooh," She stretched, "I really wanted to hear you say so."

Pressed into her body, his fingers mapped the geography of her smooth stomach, up to the underside rounds of her breasts and down again. Temari's kisses landed on random points on his face, as if to annoy him, "Don't sleep. Stay awake."

"That's…harder to do than I thought."

"We're not done." She notified him.

"…oh."

"On your back, please. I need to show you a few things, my routines…" Temari pushed him flat, clambering over him, "Can you breathe through your nose?"

"I…what an odd question." Haku was perplexed.

"Your mouth will be busy once I show you what to do."

"I can try." He fought his drooping eyes, hands settled on her waist.

Temari lightly slapped his cheek, "Don't you want to get me there? Pay attention."

"I am, I am…"

###

---

Morning sunlight didn't budge them. The only two things Haku was even slightly aware of were: 1) something on top of his head that didn't belong there, and, 2) his arm had numbed while wound underneath Temari. There was no need to open his eyes. He could feel her curled into him, tucked beneath his chin and snoring quietly. Since the embrace was too sublime to disengage from, Haku blearily reached up to pat his head…feeling a small, bumpy amphibian occupant there.

"Ah." Dear lord, what happened to his voice? It cracked like gravel. "Did…Sensei send you?" With a sluggish pluck, he replaced the toad at the bed's edge. The creature hopped away without comment, since, he gathered, it was not yet capable of speech. Such evidence was enough to indicate that Jiraiya expected him soon.

He sighed, puffing air against the top of Temari's head. He replaced his arms around her, recalling the things he had been taught in the night. Pale scratches on his back were a rather pleasant reminder, almost done stinging. Her taste was still on his lips. Haku peeked his eyes open, fighting off the mental and physical fog.

Maybe he would get through this.

Zabuza would cooperate and no longer protest negotiations with Terumi Mei's rebel faction. Combined, those would be solid numbers to attack Kirigakure with, and gouge out the corrupt Hunter Corps colluding with the Akatsuki. He'd sell stolen gems and line the pockets of indecisive rebels and mercenaries. As soon as was appropriate, he and Zabuza would retrieve the Master Scroll that stored the blades of the Seven Swordsmen, and he would learn how to wield Nuibari. When the day was won in Hidden Mist, and a functional republic restored there, Haku would bow out to resume life on the mainland. He could concentrate on the goings on of Naruto and Gaara's lives and safeguard them from direct harm.

It would probably take a miracle to tick off the boxes on that checklist, though Haku felt it was the most prudent and workable checklist he had thus far received. And if Temari was willing to cheer him through the hardships, these goals didn't seem so far-fetched. His blood was fresh and alive, never so willing to cut obstacles down before.

Stirring and ruffling the sheet draped over their bottom halves, Temari quietly woke, mostly aware of where she was. She tugged Haku's hand up from the space between them and pressed it to her lips, "You know…these hands might be able to do a lot of damage," She paused to place two long, reverent kisses on his knuckles, "But they are much better suited for love than they are for violence."

"I tend to agree." He scooted down lower to reach her mouth, greeting her in kind, "Did you get enough sleep?"

"No. We were up most of the night."

"I didn't either…and I can't recall hearing if Migawari-san came back. I should probably find out." He was delayed from sitting up by a fusillade of loving pecks, claiming his face, chin, and the bump of his throat. Haku dared not laugh out loud in case the homeowner had indeed returned, "Temari…ah…" He pushed back lightly on her shoulder, "Sensei will want to see me today."

"Yeah, he will." She relented and tipped back to stretch her arms, "I'll get dressed." When she rose, Temari glanced down at her stomach, "Oh. Some of it dried. Do you think I can wash this off here?"

"You can." He pushed aside the curtain of her hair to plant a final kiss on her neck, "I'll dress first and see if Migawari-san is here…then make up some falsehood about why I stayed over…"

"Heh, the truth might sound like a fabrication at this point…" Amused, Temari gained her feet, shaking sleep from her limbs and tossing her hair. Haku watched for the twelve paces it took her to walk naked to the attached washroom.

Oh, this morning felt better than all the others that had come before it. Each muscle was vibrant, bones cracking into place with a sunrise stretch, his hair half-wound in a sleeper's bird nest. He scooped up discarded garments on the floor as if he were the singular most effervescent person alive. Haku dressed and then folded Temari's clothing over his arm, waiting at the doorway as she concluded cleanup at a sink. Piece by piece, she snatched her clothing and pulled it on in front of his watchful eyes, "Uh…your hair is destroyed."

"I fear for my life trying to untangle what is on the back of my head." He admitted.

She pulled on her dress and finished tying the sash around her midsection. From her tossed satchel, Temari drew out a comb and motioned for him to approach, "Might as well get it over with…" She dropped a spare hair tie in his hand and then set to work, ignoring Haku's grunts of discomfort as his hair was wrenched free of the knot. When all was smooth again, he put it up in a merciful ponytail.

"I'll wait out front." Temari informed him as she collected her belongings, "Make the bed if it matters…and maybe get that medic friend of yours to come outside—? So I can thank him for saving my life."

He nodded, "He does deserve the lion's share of the credit." Haku trotted down the stairs to the first floor while Temari retreated out of the second story window.

He paused and got the sense Migawari had returned home, although he could not hear the heralding snores of the retiree. In the living area, winnings, knickknacks, and a depleted bottle of Shochu from Migawari's late night gambling bonanza were scattered on the low table. He was seated and folded face-first on the chabudai, and his legendary snores were absent. 'If he came back impaired, how did he remember to use an apnea mouth guard?' It was remarkable what habits some drunken folks could stick to.

Haku kneeled down beside his tutor and patted his back, "Migawari-san, you shouldn't sleep like this."

The old timer started awake, feeling around the table for his glasses, then pressed his spectacles on. He spat a mouth guard out before speaking, "Pleh…what are you doing here?"

"I stayed over to avoid Zabuza. He's been in a foul mood since Jiraiya-sensei arrived." Haku maintained two-thirds of the truth.

"Really!" Migawari chuckled as he sat straight and ordered the table, "One of the Sannin showed up to punish him, heh! That's comeuppance! You actually did train under Jiraiya-sama, how about that…"

"You can meet him, if you want. I'll see him for breakfast at the tea shop."

"Eh…I should wash my face. I won by a landslide last night at Oguni-san's, but I may have celebrated too much…" The medic-nin hobbled to his feet, "I can tell Jiraiya-sama all about what a sucker his beloved Tsunade-hime is."

"Meet me at Hiroshi's shop in ten minutes. There are a few things I have to do." Haku turned to go as Migawari toddled around to organize himself into a socially-acceptable appearance.

Leaving through the back door, Haku travelled several blocks to the hideout, and was glad to see his rabbit had returned to the flat. Beside the sofa, Pua was curled up in her sleeping basket. He rubbed between her ears to wake her, "Did you eat everyone out of house and home yesterday? I'm sorry I didn't feed you."

Her yawn revealed a long set of teeth, and her nose jiggled wildly at the sight of him.

"Are you hungry?"

"Maybe." Pua assessed.

He fetched a handful of timothy hay from a container, which she gladly accepted as a morning meal. Haku pointedly did not acknowledge Zabuza as he stalked around in the periphery, freshly woken and shirtless. Haku paid loving respects to his furry companion before venturing on to his room, gathering weapon holsters and the scroll that depicted the Hokage's Yin Seal. He switched outfits, tucked the tessen in his belt, and then couldn't get past the living area when Zabuza confronted him.

"I'm going out." Haku told the brute flatly, "Let me pass."

"I can smell her on you."

"I don't care."

"Don't," Zabuza growled, "Get used to this. No matter what he says, you don't own me."

Haku regarded the man and thought that, maybe, that kind of appeal was the inverse of what he'd actually said. Zabuza seemed upset for reasons other than being strong-armed into a deputy role, Haku could tell.

"If you say I don't own you, then that must be true." With his folded fan, he flicked it against the man's arm to move him aside. Haku crossed to the door and let Pua out ahead of him, before telling Zabuza, "You don't have to admit what you really think."

The man sank down on the couch with a mug of hot tea in his hand, scowling at Haku, "What I think-?"

"That you want me to." Haku said simply, "Own you."

He shut the door.

There was a chance that suggestion reached too far, Haku guesstimated as he trotted down the stairs with Pua. But if he was going to get that demon to cooperate, psychological devices might just keep him in check. By then, Haku had learned plenty on the subject of manipulation. If he told Zabuza what he wanted to hear, if that was what he wanted to hear, it could stay his baser behaviors. Hopefully.

A warm sea breeze swept up streaming koinobori suspended from rope lines across the street. The colorful carp windsocks waggled above Haku's head as he came to a stop outside of the tea shop, where a most unusual congregation was conversing. Either Raiga had no idea who he was talking to, or his aggressive tendencies had been muted by Ranmaru's outgoing disposition. It seemed as though Migawari had arrived sooner, and introduced Temari and Jiraiya to the other half of the current swordsmen troupe. Ranmaru peppered the newcomers with questions. Pua scurried around their legs, sniffing and identifying.

Haku came to stand beside Temari and greeted his teacher, "Good morning, Sensei."

"Slept in a little, did you? Hiroshi already set me up with breakfast. Nice guy…" Jiraiya handed a bento box to his student, "Here. You can take this with you and eat, before we train."

"We're—?"

"Haku-kun, Temari-san says that she has a Wind Nature just like mine!" Ranmaru was buoyant.

"You can use more than one element, so what's the big deal?" Raiga's defense of passing Lightning Release down to his student was brittle.

Temari shrugged when Haku looked between them, astonished that the meeting had been amicable.

"Nice to see you all, but frankly I didn't come here to stand around outside on an empty stomach." Migawari shooed Raiga and Ranmaru into the tea house, "You come along, Miss. Hiroshi will be delighted to meet you. And I can retell the story of my heroism when you nearly died on your last visit."

"Sure. Seems to be your favorite topic…" Temari turned to Jiraiya and Haku, "Don't be long, please. I don't know any of these people and they all seem like busybodies."

"They are." Haku confirmed.

"Have a good time. We'll be back before noon, then you and I can return to Hidden Sand later." Jiraiya assured her.

They parted with that promise and Haku exhaled heavily, letting his shoulders rise and fall. Watching him from the corner of his eye, Jiraiya blew a small raspberry of amusement.

"Sorry that I had to shake things up so much." The Toad Sage's apology was lighthearted, "You can manage, I'm sure. Also, you understand why I couldn't broadcast the fact that Temari made this trip with me?"

"I'm glad you didn't." Haku added, "Yet Zabuza noticed, regardless."

"It'd be tough to sneak something past him. He's quite smart." Jiraiya noted, "For a misanthrope."

Per Jiraiya's request for a more secluded area, Haku ventured toward a section of forest that bordered on the innermost reaches of beach dunes. Pua hurried toward purple-flowered clover to have brunch. Beside the clearing were six honeybee boxes, recently smoked and tended to. Seated on the grass, Haku took a few minutes to eat the morning bento he'd been given.

"It's like a little patch of paradise back here." The Sage rested his hands on his hips, looking around while turning in gentle trunk-twists, "Not to put down Gaara's home or anything, but this has it beat by a longshot."

"If one overlooks Nanakusa's tactically poor position relative to Kirigakure, then maybe you're right." Haku wagered as he finished eating.

"Well yeah, Sunagakure is more defensible." Jiraiya agreed, "Speaking of defenses, why don't you show me what you can do? Call it a skills assessment. I'd like to tailor our lesson to cover your weaknesses for now."

It was not an unexpected request. To confirm that Haku could handle the Mist espionage project, Jiraiya would need to glimpse the portfolio of techniques his student had built up.

"Any handicaps?" Haku inquired.

"Eh…just hold off on using your Kekkei Genkai against me. Other than that, anything goes—" Jiraiya was immediately bowled over backwards. It wasn't that he properly had to speak the word go before being saluted by an obnoxiously strong, single whirlwind of Wind Nature. No. Or less that he was already peeved at Haku for fanning himself with an innocuous looking hand fan— like some overheated fair-goer on a summer day. Smiling too, that scamp. Jiraiya had a few shreds of pride left though the sucker-punch technique had flattened him.

The Sage stood up and brushed his clothes off, "Yeah, nice, ya sneak. I expect it from Gaara, since it's his bread and butter to ambush me…"

"I can abstain from Wind Jutsu if it's—" Haku was punished with reciprocal retaliation as his teacher exhaled a fireball at him. He leapt and rolled out of the way of the attack, "-annoying."

From there, there was a single, test-flurry of projectiles from Jiraiya to verify that no such weapons could get past Haku's windy defenses. They plinked back and scattered once caught in a gust. He was just too quick. 'Heck, and I thought Naruto's speed was a pain before this…'

Jiraiya feared he might break his back trying to duck and weave away from the elegant Taijutsu that Haku employed. The young man was pulling his punches to be polite. And the blasted tessen was another obstruction, Jiraiya noticed. With simple gestures and flicks, Haku diverted his teacher's strikes and punches, rolling Jiraiya's wrists in useless directions. He had a keen sense of how to ward away incoming attacks with tools.

'I guess I don't want to see him use a sword, knowing that he's already this good.' Jiraiya thought to himself, 'But I still need to test him.'

Jiraiya summoned a pint-sized toad to make a nuisance of itself, and then easily blocked Haku's volley of senbon with the head-to-foot protection of Hari Jizō, hardening his hair to points. In a smooth counter, sharpened hair fired out of the conical defense en masse, forcing Haku to swing his fan for a repelling wind. 'There!' Jiraiya was waiting for his toad to snatch his student by the ankle and trip him, prepared to disarm Haku…but it didn't happen.

"Hey, Sokobi!" Jiraiya shrugged off his needle defense while barking at the distracted toad. The animal was lollygagging beside the hive boxes, trying to eat bees, "Is it so much to ask for an assist?"

The amateur toad goved at Jiraiya, "Um…"

"If this were a real fight, Haku would've stuck me up in a tree by now and stomped you back to the Toad Valley!" He admonished the unhelpful summon.

"I'm sorry, Jiraiya-sama-!"

"That's okay," Jiraiya crossed his arms and watched Haku, who was adequately distracted by the spectacle, get tackled from behind by Kosuke the toad— lying in wait the whole time, "Even cheap gimmicks will work this morning. But seriously, Sokobi, get over here!"

He'd been working with youngster toads as of late. It was a favor to Gamabunta and his contemporaries, who wanted the newer generations to build up more practical experience on the battlefield.

Haku could not for the life of him shake Kosuke off while stumbling to his feet. The toad's knife skills were, admittedly, remarkable as he sliced the tender web of skin between the human's thumb and forefinger. Haku dropped his fan with a cry. Bouncing on the up-step, Kosuke bashed his foot into the young man's face while escaping with the folded fan. Haku had to give the speedy fellow credit while healing his injury and ducking beneath Jiraiya's opportunistic Rasengan. The assault blew over a row of decade-old trees.

And though it took a bit more effort than he would've liked, Jiraiya caught up to his nimble pupil and was rather proud that, punch for punch, he was stronger. Or at least, much less shocked by the environmental damage they were causing. It couldn't last, of course. Haku had been training with Momochi Zabuza for quite some time. A whip-fast combination of joint locks stilled Jiraiya's extended arm, and with enviable flexibility, Haku's high-kick caught him in the sternum. The man tumbled back into the crimson, leafy boughs of a pieris shrub. He had to struggle out of the bramble while Haku warned him to watch out that's a toxic plant—Kosuke was on him again, this time accompanied by Sokobi as they tried to wrestle Haku to the ground.

To the brave red toad's surprise, Haku let Kosuke's small knife stick into his forearm. He wrenched it out of the toad's grip, then pulled it free to confiscate it. There was a glint in Haku's eye, intending to retrieve his fan from the thieving toad. Unfortunately, Sokobi the distractible summon had a nerve-stinging agent on his tongue, and he'd already gotten a few good licks on Haku. And so the young man retreated and procured a Tool Scroll from his belt, watching as Jiraiya heaved himself upright again. With a dash of blood from his arm, Haku summoned the knock-off of Nuibari. He spun the needle sword once in his hand, tugging wire line loose from the spindle.

Jiraiya steeled himself at the sight. He personally had never stood face-to-face with any of Mist's swordsmen. Excluding Zabuza, Jiraiya yielded, since the bastard had been unarmed and ambushed technically. Though the same calm, gentility, and humanity was evident in his pupil, Haku had been redrawn in darker, stronger lines; calculated and predatory in a way that Jiraiya hardly even saw in Gaara at his most menacing. Maybe he had not willingly agreed to represent the now defunct division of blade-wielding vagrants, but Haku's posture and aspect whispered that he was wholly suited for it.

Clapping his hands, Jiraiya got Kosuke and Sokobi's attention, "Time for you to go, kiddos. Good hustle today…"

"Our practice is over?"

"For now. Go help Kinji reset those pavers at the theater, if you've got nothing better to do." With that send-off, Jiraiya sent the novices away before forming hand signs again. He summoned another small toad, though much older and worldlier. Jiraiya held up a hand to Haku for a time-out, "Just for a quick introduction, Haku— pay some respect to an old instructor of mine, Fukasaku. He's one of the Sages of Mount Myoboku."

Blinking wildly, Haku knew to bow and greet the visitor, "It is very good to meet you, Fukasaku-sama…"

The green toad ruffled his cloak, looking between the young man and Jiraiya, "Ah…is this another one of them, Jiraiya-boy?"

"Haku is also one of my students, yes."

Hopping closer, Fukasaku scanned Haku from bottom to top with a discerning frown, and then nudged the lowered needle sword, "Mercy me, there's nothing gentlemanly about a weapon like this! What unsavory sports young people get up to, these days…"

"It isn't a weapon I would have chosen for myself, Good Elder." Haku assured him, "I've just been told to learn how to use it."

"That's a relief. You seem like a nice fellow. Have you a warm heart like Naruto-boy?"

A chicken-headed reply, "I-I hope so."

"Here." Fukasaku reached up his hand, squeezing Haku's fingers appraisingly, "Let's see. Chilly. Clever. You've been up to trouble, lately."

The young man blanched.

"There's nothing extraordinary about that. Jiraiya-boy never grew out of his mischief, if you want my informed opinion." Fukasaku crossed the clearing again, "You would be welcomed in the Toad Valley should you ever desire to learn more about it." He gave Jiraiya a knowing look, "I take it that we are going to test this young soul?"

"Yup." Jiraiya rolled his shoulders, "I don't want to make this too easy on him. If he ends up fighting elite ninja down here, I want to know he's got what it takes to win…" He picked up the discarded tessen from where Kosuke had dropped it on a moss bed, then tucked it in his belt. Standing prone and at peace, Jiraiya paid no mind at all to his student after that. The old toad was another matter.

Like a green bullet in the bramble, Fukasaku feinted to the left before charging at Haku, opening his maw to conduct a sound-based technique. Haku took to the narrow tree limbs above to avoid the Frog Call, which he suspected had a stun-quality to it, 'And Sensei is just standing there…' It was a familiar scenario based on correspondence Naruto had shared with him, 'That is how Sages collect natural energy to form Sage Chakra.' Such a meditative state was famously easy to interrupt. As Haku vaulted over a branch and wound a length of wire around the limb, pitching his needle sword down at his pursuer, it occurred to him that Fukasaku wasn't going to let him interrupt anything.

The toad's strikes were disproportionate to his size, hacking treetops apart, tumbling thick trunks with the strength of his punches. Haku spun and dove, pulling back on the line like a fly-fisherman to redirect the needle that skimmed but never struck the old master, 'Sensei fully intends for me to face him in Sage Mode!' He had to muster some nerve. Fukasaku's soaring kick landed because Haku allowed it, tumbling down to the ground again while simultaneously ensnaring the toad's ankle. The old sage realized his mistake as he spilled down toward the earth's fronds and ferns— then swung up as if on a bungee-line. He'd been strung up like a piñata. He shrieked and struck the bark of a chestnut tree face-first.

Upside-down, Fukasaku twisted to get a clear view of the quick swordsman, and with a thousandth of a second to spare, the toad caught and halted the pointed tip of the needle between his webbed palms. It would have made an embroidery project of his gut.

"-ho, heh-!" He cut the wire that had snagged his foot, freed just as soon Haku reeled his weapon back, "Barbaric tools like that have no place in friendly contests!" Fukasaku ducked. Haku and a complimentary Shadow Clone of his were exchanging positions around their opponent, pitching, winding, tangling the needle and its wire through the clearing. The option of close-quarters combat dwindled as Fukasaku bounced for his life.

While he had the toad on the run, Haku side-stepped to the right as the needle sailed passed him (thrown by his Kage Bunshin) and towards Jiraiya. His stomach churned for a second, wondering if the attack had been premature. Not quite. His teacher was a sudden flash of motion imbued with energy, front-flipping up to alight upon the taught line after Haku's sword stuck fast in a tree. Jiraiya dashed across the wire toward him.

Haku might have noticed elongated red facial markings, or an unusual amber coloration of his teacher's eyes the moment before a Frog Kumite hammer arm hurled him dozens of meters back into thickets. The tree he struck at the end of his trajectory rained ripened chestnuts down, clocking Haku in the head as he wheezed, trying to catch his breath. Falling off of a tall building would have hurt less. On all fours he hacked and waited for double-vision to pass. 'He truly expects me…to deal with Sage Mode.' Haku wasn't exactly brimming with ideas, but he'd work on it. He wobbled to stand and formulate a counterattack.

There was a high-pitched tenor of wire straining with pressure, flying and wrapping around branches and trunks; as though a violin spider had spun a web for defense in the forest. It seemed at first blink that Haku and his assistant clone had made the area nearly impassable for Jiraiya. In the next blink he could see his teacher's hair extend fantastically, a so-called Raging Lion's Mane weaving through the wire labyrinth to reach its target. Haku plucked a particular length of line that cut the advancing hair mass like a buzz-saw…but the regrowth was instant and continued to reach. When Haku turned to retreat, Fukasaku socked him in the stomach. He hit the ground hard, rolled, and was immediately on his feet again while the toad chased him.

"I am not even using my Sage abilities, dear boy! I can hit much harder!" Fukasaku formed hand seals and then exhaled a hyper-pressurized jet of water while Haku's back was turned.

Jiraiya's warning shout came a bit late for the toad.

In a perfect counter, Haku turned on his heel, fingers folded in a single Urchin hand seal to freeze the water jet. As the ice rebounded on the jutsu's originator, a frozen spike nearly took Fukasaku's head off. Leaping and descending in a panic, thick icicles rained down on Fukasaku from all sides, "Bwah! What is this? Jiraiya-boy, that jutsu—!" Haku had caught him.

There was a pained yelp as the needle sword's line wound around Fukasaku, pulling him back to be flush with a tree trunk. The wire spun round and round to trap him, arms and legs pinioned. The toad screeched for assistance, "Jiraiya-boy, I'm too old for this! You should've called Shima instead! A dual nature— Heaven almighty! Do you want to kill me—?"

Usurping the ladder of Ice Release material remaining, Haku shattered it and fired upon the Lion's Mane, eventually buffering it with frozen projectiles. Not that he felt much safer. In a heart-pounding moment of awe and terror, Haku watched an enormous Senjutsu-fueled Rasengan tear down most of the forested area and all of his cross-hatched wire work. Dust and debris kicked up, twigs everywhere, and Haku tumbled away from the crushing force. Somewhere in the cloud Fukasaku was still clamoring for help.

Almost instantly, Jiraiya was upon him. Haku swallowed a yelp of terror, 'He could find me that fast—?' He ducked under another hammer–arm on pure instinct, since he remembered the sting of Jiraiya's previous punch. 'I can barely see anything, and he-!' Ah, yes. This predicament had also been foretold by Naruto. Visibility would become a non-factor now that Jiraiya could sense the energy of other organisms, as far as Haku understood it. 'The assumption now is: he's going to be able to catch me no matter what. I need to maintain distance! Our Taijutsu isn't equal.' The close-quarters squabble skidded in bramble and shards of shattered trees. Haku slid down an embankment, taking backwards steps in retreat as he kept his guard up. His teacher's counters were wicked, anticipating movements a breath before they were made. It was a waste of energy to stage an offensive against Jiraiya, who ducked under the point-blank jabs of the needle, side-stepped wire trap knots on the ground when Haku thought his clockwise dance could get away with such a trick.

And when his offensive maneuvers shifted to strict defense, Jiraiya stole the momentum— a toady hand cemented to a thick tree trunk to rotate about it, hooking around to kick his student in the back. The needle sword flipped and then stuck in the ground several paces behind Haku when he somersaulted to his feet, eyes watering in pain. Jiraiya was on him again, making a mockery of his arm locks, "What's the matter, kid! You can handle this, right?" A miscalculation; a sloppy strike— Haku's extended arm missed Jiraiya's elbow when he dodged with his Toad Sense, and then came Jiraiya's counter: he whirled another hammer fist into Haku's exposed forearm and smashed it flat to the island's oldest chestnut tree with a crack.

Cross-eyed with pain, Haku backpedaled and muffled a screech. That was most definitely a break, perhaps multiple fractures on both ulna and radius. Right about then Jiraiya's message got across. 'There won't be mercy. Mistakes won't be overlooked…' Haku had to expect only the most ruthless of encounters ahead. He had to cope.

Haku kicked the needle sword that popped up with a spin, and caught the hilt in his right hand. He dodged another massive blow and scaled the tree with Jiraiya in swift pursuit. Wire stretched and wrapped around two branches a moment before Haku slipped away from his teacher's rising kick, plummeting down with the ease of a pulley system, wire extending.

Below on a thicker tree limb, Jiraiya presumed he had the boy cornered. His lunge was a bit careless— Jiraiya could later admit; Haku ducked low, sticking with chakra as his footwork turned him 180 degrees around the branch. He correctly guessed his teacher would retaliate with a Frog Kumite right hook. It came as a small shock to the Sage when Haku successfully ducked his punch and then stabbed the needle down. Jiraiya grunted and took a few milliseconds to adjust to the awful sensation of his foot being pinned to a tree branch, immobilized.

Haku crouched so that his Shadow Clone could leap over him, racing down the limb to beset Jiraiya with a finishing tactic. Jiraiya swung a powerful arm in a wide arc, "Heh! Not today—!" The hit connected and, to his surprise, the clone erupted into a ball of ice spikes. Jiraiya sputtered a curse, barely able to launch chakra-infused hair over his shoulders to deflect the ambush of Ice Release with his Lion's Mane. "Huh, shoot. Coulda had me there…" His Toad Senses tingled. Haku had snuck up behind him and retrieved his fan, "Wha— don't you dare-!" A hasty Wind Release strike hacked the top of the chestnut tree into fifths, careening down to the ground.

Kneeling below on the forest floor, Haku took a chance to heal his broken arm, sucking in labored breaths. His ears were pricked for any activity near where Jiraiya had fallen. With his arm mended enough to function, Haku pushed to his feet and skirted around the wood pile. There he discovered Jiraiya pulling the needle sword from his foot, "-jeez-! Ack!" His Sage Mode markings had vanished.

Haku asked with an inquisitive blink, "Is that…how long it lasts?"

"Yeah. When I gather Natural Energy on my own, Sage Mode will only last a few minutes." Jiraiya tossed the sword into leafy nettle, aggravated, "You are one big pain in the neck, Haku. But that's what I was hoping for…"

"Should we-?"

"Oh, no, no. We're not done." The man rose, standing tenderly on his bad foot. Fukasaku leapt up to roost on his shoulder, "I wonder what you'll do when Sage Mode doesn't expire…"

Petrified by the prospect, Haku pulled back on wire that had been discreetly threaded through his sash, reeling the needle sword in rapidly with a twinge of chakra. Even armed with both sword and fan, he doubted if he could withstand a never-ending gambit of Sage shenanigans. He'd only lasted by the skin of his teeth earlier.

A preemptive move seemed advisable, and so Haku lashed out with an exorbitant gust of wind from his fan. Jiraiya avoided the move to retreat further into the grove. 'Why is he still moving if he's gathering Natural Energy? That can't work, can it?' He was puzzled, dashing into shade and foliage. Fukasaku had reappeared to directly assist Jiraiya. Could the toad accumulate energy for Jiraiya? Haku would wager a hefty sum on that bet.

Then came the proof: Jiraiya's Sage markings and toad-like features returned. As if it were a casual thing, Jiraiya began to swirl and condense another gargantuan Rasengan in his palm.

'He's going to tear down this whole forest if he keeps doing that!' Haku was not appreciative of such collateral damage, 'This time…I don't think he'll let me avoid it.' Like a charging bull locked-on to his student's position, Jiraiya rushed for him. If the Sage was going to sense wherever Haku decided to flee to, perhaps the wiser way to defend himself was to make it as difficult as possible for Jiraiya to get close. Haku created two Shadow Clones and handed off the needle sword to one of them. He then tossed his tessen into the air, and before it dropped again he completed a string of hand signs. Haku funneled as much of his Blood Limit's dual nature affinities as possible into the tool, and swung the hand fan to unleash a veritable blizzard.

A dune of snow and compacting ice washed into the battle-worn wood, whipping wind stripped most tree branches naked of their leaves and fruits. A hundred paces beyond them, bees flitted into their hive boxes to avoid the unseasonal chill. On his front-side, Jiraiya was rendered in artic textures, blanketed in crystalline white from crown to toe. His pace reduced to a slow trudge through snow banks as he pressed on, balancing a glut of spiraling energy on his hand— and Haku was a few long paces away from him. He swung his fan again, propelling a singular gust of wind that Fukasaku took upon himself to counter.

"Keep going, Jiraiya-boy! I'll handle this!" The perching toad exhaled a breath of flame that devoured the Wind Nature walling them from the way forward, heating a portion of frozen forest. Flanked on the side, one of Haku's creeping Shadow Clones pitched senbon needles aimed for Fukasaku's neck. Jiraiya handily dodged and had the misfortune of slipping on an icy patch, where a grounded tendril of needle-sword wire pulled taught. And suddenly, the Sage's inability to stick the landing pitched him forward, where the giant Rasengan crushed the sword-wielding clone back into nothingness. The resulting crater was filled with bramble and slushy mud. To the right, Haku's final clone retrieved the sword while its originator swung his fan again.

Fukasaku's fire counter to the young man's Wind Release was expected, and Haku immediately freed his hands to perform a Colliding Wave technique. It drained the empowered tornado of flames to flood the forest, too quick for Fukasaku to capture with a contrary Earth Style jutsu. Jiraiya hollered irately, "Pa! How'd you fuck that one up?" This much water was a worst case scenario when it came to battling his ice-inclined pupil.

"Jiraiya-boy, don't chide me as if I purposefully—!"

Jiraiya whirled around to launch a barrage of Needle Hell from his overgrown hair, sniping off the ambushing Shadow Clone that pounced. The needle sword was reeled in by Haku once more, tucked away in a harness on his lower back for later use. He was keeping his hands free for Ninjutsu, which had summarily turned the tables. Or, so he thought.

A second flurry of Needle Hell prompted Haku to retreat underwater, a withdrawal that Jiraiya and Fukasaku took advantage of. The pair combined Toad Oil and a fireball to ignite the flooded stream's surface. It was a quasi-Bath of Boiling Oil that lacked Shima's participation. Some oil slick washed up on surviving trees, many of which burned and became additional environmental casualties. When the underfoot watercourse froze solid, only a few oleaginous patches continued to burn. Hexagonal sheets rose up to surround the Sage and toad with ice panels.

"Great. You gave him fuel and now Haku's prepared his coup de grâce." Jiraiya stretched his senses wide, hoping that he would be able to detect Haku exiting from an Ice Mirror in time to counter him.

"Gave him fuel? He gave my technique fuel! His Wind Jutsu—"

"Was a set up! He knows elemental weaknesses better than most. Since you knew Haku is a dual nature, you shouldn't have gotten played by using an element he can still exploit!"

"Cease that disrespectful chatter you child!" Fukasaku grawped, vibrating on Jiraiya's shoulder, "What will he do now?"

"Well, he'll—"

Haku darted out of a mirror, visible for less than a fraction of a blink, and nearly crashed into Jiraiya's waiting, much smaller Rasengan. At the last moment Haku redirected his course to merge with another Ice Mirror, 'He felt me! Sensei can sense me outside of an Ice Mirror, even if only for a moment. That would be all he needs…' He couldn't sneak by his teacher's Sensory ability. And if he recklessly charged into a jutsu Jiraiya had in store for him…that would look very foolish indeed. No. A degree of caution could make all the difference here. Just because Jiraiya could feel approaching chakra did not mean he was always fast enough to react—

Mirrors were shattering. Haku had only taken three seconds to deliberate his next course of action, but he'd tarried too long. Jiraiya amassed another sizeable portion of Sage Chakra to begin mowing down the Ice Mirrors surrounding him. The force of the spiraling sphere reduced ice sheets to dust-sized flecks, which for practical purposes would be of no use. Except that…Haku could still feel a link to those infinitesimal specks of ice. They were still live as far as his Hyoton senses were concerned. Here on this side in the white dimension, physics operated in peculiar ways. When he took the chance to move through that particle shower of ice, the mass of his body compressed and took on a different quality; not quite energy, not quite matter. Haku traveled even faster than an instant, a warp of light.

Out of the ice shower and into the enfeebled forest, Haku struck Jiraiya so hard and fast in the back that the man skidded in a ferocious face-plant. Both Sage and toad were bewildered by the move. And from there, it finally made sense. The relative size of any ice mirror Haku made had little to do with being able to pass through them— it was the relationship of chakra and matter that made his transience through two realities possible. Haku materialized a small disc of ice about a pace in front of him, and formed six others to encircle Jiraiya, each no bigger than a dessert plate. 'I have him!' Haku hurled the needle sword through the nearest disc, and willed it via chakra to exit from the left, angled perfectly to re-enter other portals of ice. It stretched and knotted line in an insanely small amount of time. The needle returned through another disc beside Haku, retiring in his outstretched hand.

The move was beyond any Sage's ability to detect. Webbed in a wild cat's cradle of metal line, Jiraiya was stuck. Wire was drawn taught from Haku's side, tightening through each mirror as he pulled back on it like an angler. It seemed to be a sorcerer's trick to Jiraiya's bugging eyes. The threat, however, was not imaginary. Haku had tapped into a frightful technique. Wire strained against the Sage with enough pressure to slice flesh.

"Don't cut me up like soft butter, please! You can let go now." With his back turned to Haku, Jiraiya gave up, "That was an impressive demonstration."

Haku let out the slack of the needle's line, and then coiled it back into the spindle. After that, he let each of his mirrors dissolve into water and recede. Fukasaku hopped down from Jiraiya's shoulder and gave his cloak a dusting, "What a mess we've made out here! Is there a community nearby?"

"Yes, and I don't think any of them will appreciate their forest looking like this." Haku stowed his weapons and crossed the muck back to his teacher, "Sensei, are you alright?"

"…I will be once you fix my foot." With a lopsided smile, Jiraiya hobbled toward more stable, unspoiled land and sat down on fallen tree trunk with Haku's help. His student then dutifully went about healing the injury.

"Haku…"

The young man looked up expectantly, his hands glowing.

"What was that?" Jiraiya asked. Fukasaku sat on Jiraiya's opposite side, staring as he too waited for an explanation.

"I…don't really know what to call it." Haku admitted.

"There was nothing for me to counter. No time. I smashed your mirrors and the next thing I knew— I had a face full of slush, watching that sword zip around, tying me up like shoelaces…" Jiraiya wiped some of the dirt from his face onto his sleeve, "When you got behind me, you moved as fast as Minato used to. As fast as Naruto can move."

"There's no way to tell how fast—"

"I know what I saw." The man stated firmly.

After restoring his teacher's foot back to its pre-punctured state, Haku rose to take a look around the space. Though there was plenty more to Nanakusa's woodland, this bit of the island grove would need a decade or more to recover from the damage.

He glanced over his shoulder at Jiraiya and confessed, "I'm still learning the limits of my Kekkei Genkai. I don't think…many other dual-nature affinities allow for dimensional transience. Or if they do, no one has ever said so."

"Transience. Dimensional…uh…? You mean when you're on the other side?" Jiraiya followed.

"Yes. I don't know if…other dual-types, like say Earth and Fire, can move through matter in a way similar to the way I can."

"Hate to break it to you, Haku, but it probably isn't strictly two elemental affinities that are responsible for something like that. So no one else with a Kekkei Genkai of other combined natures can accomplish whatever it is you can do. I suspect." He turned to Fukasaku on the log beside him, "What do you think, Pa?"

"I think the lad should show us again." The toad suggested.

Haku wilted at the prospect, "I don't know if I can do it."

"Just trying to might give us a clue." Jiraiya made a shooing motion with his hand, "Go on. There's still plenty of puddles out here."

Momentary stage fright set in. How was he supposed to recreate those circumstances? Ice that was particle-sized, wafting in air within a dense cloud— that was a structure far more complex than what he normally managed through jutsu. Haku stood beside a lingering pool of water, stretching his hands out to get a feel for the natures he needed. His chakra tapped and tested, trying to mold something that existed in his mind's eye, but had no tool or hand signs for a precedent. His first few attempts failed to manifest anything smaller than coin-sized crystals of ice, which stayed airborne until he dropped them in frustration. Haku ran his hand through his hair and paced.

"You need another component." Fukasaku supposed. He had procured a smoking pipe and held it up toward Jiraiya, indicating he needed a donation of tobacco.

"Which component? The Wind and Water elements are here, but I can't get the measurements—"

"If you're trying to manually guide the size and consistency of that Ice Release trail you made earlier, it's pretty hopeless if you direct it through thought alone." Jiraiya drew out his own pipe to join Fukasaku for a smoke, "Concentrate on breaking down the composition into smaller parts. Sift the sub-units of chakra out of Water and Wind Release to tweak the balance." When Haku looked at him blankly, the man shrugged, "Hey! It's just a suggestion."

"Sub-units?"

"You can probably feel it. Every bit of chakra inside of us is comprised of Yin and Yang."

"Well, how am I supposed to know if I'm affecting the Yin and Yang composition of my chakra?"

"Didn't you do it already? Why would I know what it feels like?" Jiraiya scoffed, "I don't have a Kekkei Genkai. Or a talent for Light or Dark techniques."

The young man flexed his hands at his sides, frowning, "It's different from this side."

"It can still be done." His teacher maintained.

Coupling effort with impatience, Haku harnessed Wind and Water natures again with a snap of his hand. Perhaps there really was something else to it. A subtle, tiny prompt. Like an itch at the back of his mind. For someone who understood how to control his chakra so well, it was maddening to fail to identify what this scintilla of internal energy was. Water crystals froze in air again, smaller than pearls now, but no, something else had to be there. Something had to sustain the fluctuation of states of matter, and it was there behind his eyelids, somewhere in his brain and fingertips. If only could he feel it well enough to identify it! Haku squeezed his eyes shut. What had he done before? Within the nucleus of chakra, a constituent part of it, there resided the axiom of balance. And it could be touched and molded even with a thought.

In the midst of his exploration of chakra in its least refined state, Haku noticed the soft gasp of his companions nearby. He had let his hands daydream their way through the puzzle. Any practical set of watching eyes would assess it was a nonsense hand-sign with no meaning— his right thumb and two forefingers looped around the left thumb, all other digits pointed up towards the sky. But it osmosed light in a way no other conduit could. That was what compressed chakra and made matter flow: tamping down on the Yin to expand the Yang. Not that he could put the concept into words, so Haku went ahead to stretch the dust-line of ice in front of him into a trail that crossed the clearing.

When he passed through it, there was no worldly delay of resistance, gravity, or any such force. The membrane between this reality and the white dimension was almost negligible with atomized portals such as these. Haku reappeared at the far edge of the glade upon exiting the channel.

Jiraiya cupped his hand and shouted over to him, "Yeah, that looked about right!"

Though the cost was workable in the way of chakra, the ice-faring technique demanded the utmost concentration. Giving it another go, Haku navigated a pristine expanse of forest through a comet-tail of ice, arrowing and cambering through the boughs of chestnuts and rhododendron. He could move dynamically, change course and redirect however he wanted. He could maintain the Ice Path with thought and subtle gestures, focusing on the upsurge of light in the jutsu. Haku exited the trail and walked back towards his teacher as exhaustion started to set in.

The toad and sage were a pair of chimneys puffing away while seated on a log. They had reserved their commentary for the end of the demonstration.

"It would appear you can do it after all." Fukasaku commended him, "You should continue to develop that skill."

"I will try, Fukasaku-sama."

Smoke tufted from Jiraiya's nostrils before he noted, "That's a teleportation jutsu."

"It's…" Haku was at a loss.

"If it's not, pffft, how else can I typify it?" Jiraiya snickered, "No one can copy it. No one else can use it, I'm supposing. Much like the Nidaime Hokage who invented the Flying Thunder God Technique on his own, I guess innovation still happens these days."

"It relies on a visible trail, which means it can be tracked. And I don't know if it's an instantaneous warp. So terming it teleportation could be a stretch…"

"Maybe it's not, since technically you're moving through a medium. Or another dimension. Whatever." The man shrugged his shoulders.

"Even if it can't be compared to contemporary techniques similar to it, that does not devalue your jutsu in any sense." Fukasaku assured him, "It's quite remarkable, Haku-boy."

"At any rate," Jiraiya extinguished his pipe, "You've got that new zippy ice thing going for you. Keep that in your rolodex of surprises, kid. As for the rest of my assessment: you've got a clear advantage in long to mid-range fighting. Ninjutsu is still your specialty." He added gravely, "But Heaven help you if a Taijutsu expert has you cornered. You need a boost there."

"I'll do my best. I didn't use any Genjutsu today if you-"

"I'm not concerned about your Genjutsu; it was always above average. I'm saying you need to double down on improving close-range combat. I found it rather easy to break your bones to impede you. You'll slow down even more when you stop to heal yourself. That's not a practical means of survival on solo-missions, or a Mist free-for-all." Jiraiya shared his criticism, "I know you won't be dealing with many who are strong as I am in Sage-Mode, but if you do come across someone on that level…"

Haku nodded his head ruefully, "I know."

"I don't know what's waiting for you in Kirigakure. I need you to be prepared. Zabuza having your back won't be enough if he ends up dead in a gutter." Jiraiya passed cleaning supplies to Fukasaku to tidy up their pipes, "So work on Taijutsu and avoid being out-muscled. It's clear that your hand-to-hand fighting has already been polished drastically from the last time I saw you, but you need to be able to take a hit— or twenty. Develop a tight defense. I've got a jutsu or two to show you that'll clean up those weaknesses."

"Thank you, Sensei. About now I think I should mention…" Haku pulled a technique scroll out of a hip pouch, "That I've also found and studied this."

Jiraiya exchanged a look with Fukasaku before he stretched out his hand to accept the scroll. He unwound it to take a look. After 36 seconds of reading it began to sink in that he was examining something eerily familiar, "This is…Tsunade's Yin Seal. I think."

"I came across it when I arrived here, and I want to return it to her so that it doesn't fall into questionable hands again." Haku explained.

"How very thoughtful of you." Jiraiya's countenance flattened in seriousness, "You didn't apply this to your head, did you?"

"I…"

"You did."

"I did."

"How? Just managing the Sealing work is a chore. Never mind what comes afterward." Jiraiya was curious.

"Zabuza helped me reproduce the formula. Though I've learned charging it with chakra is very difficult."

"No shit. It drains your normal reserves like a leech. Takes a ton of control." Jiraiya rolled up the scroll and tucked it in his belt for safekeeping, "So you fought me today with an undisclosed handicap and still did pretty well, which I've gotta give you extra points for. You don't use Orochimaru's Heaven Seal anymore, do you?"

"Never." Haku confirmed.

Such news surprised Fukasaku, who planted a dubious look on Jiraiya as if to say, What kind of calamity have you allowed your students to get tangled in?

"Good. Because I'd beat you senseless if you did." Jiraiya folded his arms, "And Tsunade's technique is no picnic either…but now that I think about it, it'll be a boon to you if you're ever in dire straits. I kind of prefer that you have that just in case a fight takes a turn for the worse."

Haku held his chin and estimated, "I might need two years or so to finish charging it. Maybe less if I can actively devote more chakra."

Jiraiya shook his head, "I don't want you burdening yourself more than you have to. Go slow. If you're spying on the Main Island near Hidden Mist, why the heck would you want less chakra to work with? Don't prioritize that seal."

Fukasaku concurred with that recommendation, "Yes, self-preservation is paramount."

With a slight bow of respect, Haku acknowledged their guidance, "I understand."

"Now, let's take some time so I can show you those jutsu I mentioned. I might run a bit late for my return to Suna, but this lesson's well worth it." The man stood and stretched, "I guess I'll have to come up with a harrowing tale to tell Tsunade when I return this scroll to her…how I found it and stuff."

"Please omit as much as you need to." Haku did not want to end up on the Hokage's bad side.

"I'll let you know what I say so you can corroborate the details. She may not be thrilled you have the seal on your head, but better you than someone else, right?"

"Right."

"Okay. On to a close-range counters lesson." Jiraiya rubbed his hands together and looked his student over, "So, how long has your hair gotten, kid? Huh. We can work with it."

---

Scents of disinfectant and iron wafted in his nostrils, but he couldn't bring himself to open his eyes. Kakashi did not actually have to wrestle back his conscious state to detect the few relevant details of his surroundings. Stiff linens, static quiet, dry air aggravating a nosebleed: he was most certainly laying in a hospital bed. Even with his head swirling and body inoperative these things weren't so hard to figure out. He even remembered what landed him here.

He'd surged the last of his chakra into a demanding technique in the Forest of Death, possibly hallucinated or actually saw Rin with his rebellious Sharingan eye, and had no confirmation of whether or not Asuma had apprehended the intruder that had killed Ūhei and Shiba. The dog pack had reported that Akino was critical but holding. Tenzo had been there. It was heavy and dark when he tried to plot the chronology of events thereafter. Maybe he'd dreamed it all? The probability of that was low, but he could hope.

It felt like night. That was an educated guess, judging by the lack of atmospheric activity and noise. Being awake and thinking about how two more lives he treasured were forever gone from him was godawful, so Kakashi gladly surrendered his mind to the dark.

Then, there was a gruff, impatient voice fetching him from the fog of sleep, just as a gaff collects a fish from water. He fought and fought and then finally peeked his eyes open. Kakashi painstakingly turned his head a few degrees to the left. Tsunade billowed into view as his eyes adjusted. She was sitting beside the bed on a physician's rolling stool, her arms folded guardedly.

"Kakashi."

"Hokage-sama."

"Let's talk." Her arms loosened and her hands pooled in her lap as she rolled closer, "It took you a while to respond to me. How do you feel?"

"Not particularly good. Full bladder."

"I'll get you a bed pan shortly. You won't be able to move around." Tsunade told him, "It's been two days."

A long, dusty breath escaped him. Yes, his body did feel as though it'd been dead to the world for that long.

The Hokage went on, "You pushed it very near the brink of full chakra depletion and death. Later you'll thank Sakura for the overtime hours she put in to help me keep you stable."

"I will." He moved his index finger; a tiny, bonafide miracle, "What time is it?"

"Just after 5:00AM. I've been checking in frequently. Yesterday and the day before last I reviewed the reports from Security patrols and the ANBU squadron that backed you up."

"You're up this early just for me?" He was touched.

"I haven't slept in over a day. A top-level alert was issued in response to the perimeter breach. Since a Tao Art was able to infiltrate our detection barrier and checkpoints, and we have no techniques that disarm Tao Arts, the council's hysteria has scrambled most of our shinobi forces."

"—Asuma?"

"He's alright. When I last spoke to him yesterday, he regretted losing Shimofuri Koinyu through a Shadow Gate. That's the technique they've tried to describe to me in debriefings, and so I imagine it looks much like the Tao Art we saw at the Chunin Exam." Tsunade took his pulse at the carotid and radial arteries, "You're a bit low."

"Tsunade-sama, the intruder—"

"I know what he did. I'm sorry." Her voice softened, "His escape was incredibly narrow, and there was some debate regarding the ANBU squad's decision not to pursue through a Tao-portal, though it seemed possible. Sai and Mashu very nearly made that choice before Asuma discouraged it. His wounds needed immediate attention anyway…" Tsunade recapped the events, "The way I see it…anyone who pursues a Tao-user through such a gateway has no confirmation of an exit location…or who is waiting on the other side. I'm glad they weren't so foolish."

"I don't think anyone should ever attempt something like that." Kakashi replayed a name in his head that he did not recognize, "Mashu… A new recruit?"

"Yes. Tenzo has been working closely with Yugao and Sai for the last few months. Shimura Mashu completed his practicals and was accepted into ANBU full-time, as of a few weeks ago. Tenzo felt he would be a worthy addition to the team."

Kakashi vaguely remembered the young Jounin named Mashu, who was a generational peer of Tama's and had visited her while she'd been hospital-bound. It did stick out as an oddity that a member of the Shimura clan had enlisted in the ANBU, a chain of command that answered to the Hokage. Since the obvious preference may have been to report to Shimura Danzo, one of the clan's most respected shinobi and the Director of Root, the youth's deviation was an eyebrow-raiser.

"You don't suppose Danzo-sama wants a member of his clan working in your Black Ops…or if it was an indiscriminate assignment?" Kakashi wondered.

"I've asked myself that. I really don't know." Tsunade admitted, "Both Yugao and Tenzo are watching him closely, though thus far he is an ordinary recruit lacking ulterior motives. One can't be too careful, of course."

"Hmm. It's a superficial impression…but that kid probably isn't under any Root orders. He was never qualified for or admitted into the Foundation. He's much too personable." Kakashi recalled, "He's called my nephew The White Wing of Konoha."

"Ugh! Another schmaltzy nickname."

"Did the Council request Root forces to ramp up security checks as well?" He circled back on the unnerving topic, "Because if that's the case, you may want your standard forces double-checking everything Root touches."

Her back straightened, "Are you suggesting that Root allowed this infiltration?"

"Only two groups have in-depth knowledge about sub-passage entries and exits: ANBU Black Ops and Root Black Ops. If you have every member of your ANBU scanned by the Intel Corps and Ibiki's team, I guarantee you that none of them said a word about that sub-passage to anyone without clearance. Huo may have known those tunnels existed, but someone has to disclose where the external access points are." Kakashi concluded, "Maybe I'm presumptuous…but Root has had communications with rogue groups before. Sometimes for our benefit, sometimes to our detriment."

"Regardless, every secret bypass route will have to have maximum oversight from here on out. That's stretching my stretched forces thinner…and you want me to double-check Root's security collaborations? I don't have enough shinobi, Kakashi."

"Sato and Hinata should be tested for Jounin promotions. Maybe even a few of the others—"

"It still won't be enough." Tsunade huffed, "And I don't feel comfortable requesting any of Gaara's squads from Sand as emergency sentinels. His council would notice our internal vulnerabilities if I did, which is not conducive. I also want Naruto and Haku back here soon."

"Ah, well, yes. They'd be helpful." Kakashi supposed.

"Two of the most senior members of my Sealing Corps are also dead, thanks to the Akatsuki's attack on Shiogakure." She tapped the edge of a bright red nail against her teeth, anxious, "Do I ask for a new ANBU commander to be nominated so I can move Netsuke back to the Sealing Corps?"

"As long as I'm not nominated, sure. Do what you have to."

"Maybe Kegon could handle it? Feh! What am I saying? I need Netsuke where he is. He already has a credible case building against Danzo, but I can't weigh him down with additional work…."

Intrigued by such an admission, Kakashi attempted to lift his head from the pillow to engage the matter further, but it flopped back like a bowling ball.

"Oh, right." Tsunade fetched a bed pan, "You'll still need to be monitored for the next 24 hours. I don't expect you to return to duty for another few weeks. Maybe you can be discharged in a week if your mobility returns, but I won't give you missions." She arranged the man with clinical motions and completely ignored the sound of urgent urination. Kakashi, who had been through worse debilitation in his life, was not in the least embarrassed by the leader of the village waiting on him so.

With that business finished, he announced, "I don't really care what I can and can't do this week, Hokage-sama. I'd rather know how my ninken are doing."

She didn't say anything as she cleaned up the bed space, moving to an attached restroom to empty the pan. Ah. This was standard. There always seemed to be a tart pause before someone told him a loved one was dead. Minato and Semi had been among the most jarring announcements. Here came another emotional battering-ram, Kakashi told himself.

Still drying her washed hands with paper towels, Tsunade stalked back into the recovery room and said, "Two confirmed fatalities. A third dog was stabilized. The rest have been spooked and are being watched by Tenzo. I asked him to report to me this morning. Asuma was discharged last night…" She tossed the towels into a trash bin, "Four of my Chunin guarding the northern sector were murdered. To top it off, I was told you nearly killed yourself with a Visual jutsu perhaps used against your better judgement?"

"…my judgement was hairline at that point, I will admit."

"What exactly did you do, Kakashi?"

"From the beginning or-?"

"Asuma said you used a jutsu exclusive to the Sharingan. Tell me about that." She specified.

"It isn't like the kind of Visual jutsu I know that Uchiha Itachi can use, which was Genjutsu-based…mine seems to be…uh, how do I put it-?" He had no elegant name for the technique or simple way of describing it, "Whatever I look at with the Mangekyō Sharingan I can target and warp to another dimension."

"Another dimension." Tsunade echoed doubtfully.

"Near as I can figure it. Nothing I've sent there has yet come back, although I haven't tried retrieving anything. It's another plane that the Sharingan can tear open a rift to, and I can't use it more than three times in close succession." Kakashi reported, "When I first learned I could do it, my aim was terrible and I couldn't deal with quick targets."

Tsunade was staring at his face without really seeing him, since her brain was abuzz with information, "And when did you learn you could do it?"

"Shortly after my team's mission to the Land of Rain. When I lost Sato…I felt something change."

"You didn't think that was worth mentioning to me?"

"I had nothing to show for it then. I've only just become competent with the jutsu." His head flopped tiredly to the side on the edge of a flat pillow, "If I can even be called that."

"You could have lost your life. I'm not going to gamble the well-being of one of my best ninja just because you have a kooky technique at your disposal. Be wiser from here on out." Her admonishment was a bit warmer, though on the fringes her anxiety still prickled him, "I need you to help me sort all of this out, Kakashi. There aren't many I'm willing to trust to drive out whoever is corroding the security of Hidden Leaf."

"Are you going to share what you told me with anyone else? About what Netsuke is doing?"

"Tenzo and Asuma have already been filled in. I've considered a few others with A-level clearances. Naturally, you'll be keeping all of this to yourself unless ordered otherwise."

The man agreed with a soft, exhausted nod of his head.

Tsunade rolled the stool back and stood, "Rest for now. I have another meeting in forty-five minutes. I'll make sure your visitors don't make nuisances of themselves, or if they must, that they'll bring your dogs to see you."

"Thank you, Tsunade-sama."

And no sooner had the Hokage passed the threshold to leave the room, Kakashi slid back into the violet deep of unconsciousness again. What periphery senses lingered afterward detected someone else stopping in briefly, though it could have been seconds or ages later. There was no telling which. It felt like his hair had been mussed.

By late morning when the sun was much brighter and the space far busier, Kakashi had little choice but to wake up again. Voices muttered around the bed in a cluster. Since he was the curious, nondescript sort, Kakashi continued to play dead, or rather, asleep, with his eyes shut.

"He's got a cow-lick."

"You would too if you were bedridden for days."

"My hair's always perfectly styled."

Sakura's voice was distinct and annoyed, "Sato, it's not. It is equally messy. You two look nearly the—"

"I look good don't I, Tama?"

"Consistently good." Tama confirmed.

"Pff. Don't stroke his ego." The sound of a saline bag being changed on the drip device filled the pause before Sakura added, "Did Tsunade-shishou give you two guard detail missions?"

"Yeah, we've got to report in less than an hour." Sato sounded crestfallen, "I wanted to stay with Kakashi longer and make sure he's alright."

"He is alright."

"What if he wakes up addled? He told me he was seeing things a few weeks ago. Maybe he's just noticing multiple personalities he's suppressed, or the PTSD flashbacks are—"

"Kakashi-sensei does not have a personality disorder or, as far as his file details, struggles with PTSD. He's going to wake up and function." Sakura was issuing more of a command than reassurance, "It's just…you know…."

"The dogs are safe now. We'll make sure Sensei is okay too." Tama caught her drift.

"Well he's not going to be okay for a while. There's nothing wrong with not being okay when something like this happens." Sato insisted, "So long as we're around we can make it better, however he wants us to."

Sakura conceded quietly that Sato's concern was surprisingly on-the-mark.

Kakashi cracked an eye open to compliment, "All of you are so caring. It's as if I did something right as a teacher…"

They squawked collectively.

"Ah, shh, not so loud." He winced and tried to wiggle his fingers again. He could drum most of them against his sides and pleased with the progress.

Following that he had to endure a brief medical diatribe from Sakura, blood pressure and pupil response check, mobility check (spoiler: it maxed out at flopping limbs and blinking), and did he need pain meds, food, or reading material? Sato had brought a few Icha Icha copies over, ever the thoughtful nephew.

"I can probably stomach some food. Do I still need this?" Kakashi gestured with his chin at the saline drip.

"Yes, you were low on fluids and chakra. One of those is easier to restore than the other. There were even a few weird burns on you, but Shishou and I took care of those." Sakura filled him in, "I'll have another on-shift nurse bring a meal up. I've got to check on a few other patients this morning."

"Quite alright. I can manage on my own for a bit." Kakashi thanked Sakura before she hustled out with a parting wave. His eyes then flitted over to Tama and Sato, who seemed to have some unspoken, linked energy between them, "Did I scare you?"

"A little. I mean, we know you had a good reason to use the Sharingan, but you pushed it. Asuma said you were upset…" Sato was near the foot of the bed, easily mistakable for Hatake Sakumo to Kakashi's bleary eyes, "So I know why you took some risks. But I can tell you as someone who's fought while in a rage that things never actually end up well afterward."

"I was slightly worried for you…but I have to admit I'm more worried about how an intruder took advantage of those underground passages in the Forest of Death." Tama was honest, "Could someone have learned how to navigate them that quickly by participating in the Chunin Exam?"

"I think it's more complicated than that, how someone could infiltrate sub-passages…but it is a grave concern to our village at present." Kakashi agreed, "Did Kiba-?"

"He's helping his sister Hana treat Akino at her clinic." Tama reported with a small smile, "Her arm is still in a sling."

"Kiba was here and fretting about you, getting all pouty and shit." Sato chirped merrily, "But he said he had to find a more productive way of helping you and the pack. Gotta give him props for that."

"I'm very grateful to him." The man sighed, "Are the boys still with Tenzo?" By boys he meant dogs.

"Yeah. He'll bring them here when he can."

He was sort of listening to what his nephew and student were saying after that. He'd gotten comfortable and dozed off. Sometime later the pair was gone, the room was quieter, and the faint aroma of hospital food wafted in the air.

Kakashi floated through dizzy, prismatic thoughts behind his eyelids. A motley of colors. The faces he had inexplicably seen with the Sharingan. At home, all of the dog hair left behind on the sofa where Ūhei and Shiba often nestled, and how he now could not bring himself to tidy it up. Glowing darkness stretched over a pictogram ring. The scandalous centerfold in the most recent volume of Icha Icha Paradise. The fantastic supermarket sales he had probably missed while incapacitated.

"This'll get cold if you don't eat it soon."

Oh. Another familiar voice. Kakashi pried his eyes open again to spot Asuma seated beside the bed, perching an unlit cigarette on his lip. His left hand was heavily bandaged and his right foot in a splint, but Asuma was otherwise robust. Near the window, Gai was in a handstand performing vertical push-ups to pass the time.

"What time is it?" Kakashi wondered.

"Just after noon." Asuma rolled the tabletop cart over the bed, "Here. Eat."

Kakashi gave his best (read: laughable) effort to sitting up but could only curve and flop like a carp. Gai gave his typical salutations and pulled Kakashi bodily into a seated position, "You're a pitiful sight, Kakashi. Don't make me wait on you— I am already deeply offended that you didn't include me on that patrol." In spite of the admonishment, Gai leaned his rival against the bed's backrest and fastened a cloth bib around Kakashi's neck.

"There was no need to include you on a two man patrol, Gai. The Hokage assigns those anyway." He, remarkably, managed to spoon some onion soup from a bowl and proceeded to spill it all over himself with a wobbling hand.

Disgusted and sympathetic, Gai proceeded to spoon-feed his friend, "Two-man patrols will be insufficient going forward. Intruders are using Tao Arts! Grave robbing! Perhaps mapping the inner workings of our village—!" He noticed Kakashi flinching, "Ah, is this too hot?" Gai blew on the spoonful which was indeed the fix.

"Bit of a kerfuffle between the Hokage and senior advisors this morning too…" Asuma segued, "Seems they have different ideas about how Root should be responding to an incident like this."

Kakashi looked between Asuma and then Gai, who had moved on to cram a buttered roll in his mouth.

"Gai knows." Asuma assured him, "Tsunade told both of us about what my brother is working on."

"Oh good." Kakashi said faintly, noticing both the door and window were shut. As if that were secure enough to avoid listening ears.

"I for one did not find it surprising." Gai opened a juice container and shared, "Some time ago when Neji and Lee were confronted by a nukenin in the Toi Mine…I had my suspicions. During the Chunin Exam as I watched Tenten struggle, it became clearer to me that there is indeed a connection between the offending rogue group and some contact within Hidden Leaf. All three of my students were asked to submit testimony the other day as part of an ongoing investigation."

"Seems only natural that Bi's goons would be on your radar, after what happened to Takaharu." Kakashi supposed, sipping at a drink straw.

"Tell him the other thing, Gai." Asuma suggested.

Kakashi released the straw, "What other thing?"

"Neji was promoted to Jounin rank yesterday." Gai announced, "He and I have been speaking more plainly with one another, and I was pleased to introduce him to the Jounin Council. After the meeting, he told me something that has come to his attention."

"He only told you?"

"Who better to confide in other than one's Sensei?" Gai simmered down to announce, "He believes there to be some level of surveillance over the Hyuga clan."

A slippery piece of watermelon escaped Kakashi's lips, plummeting to his lap, "What?"

"You are a shamefully messy eater." Gai gave the fruit salad another go, this time with a plastic fork, "It's as I said, Kakashi. The Hyuga clan has been scrutinized more closely after the Chunin Exam's conclusion."

Asuma clarified, "By Root."

"Root has no reason to be concerned about the Hyuga clan." Kakashi stated firmly.

"Neji feels otherwise."

"Well, why is that?" Kakashi spoke between mouthfuls of melon and banana.

"He and Tenten heard Hinata-chan's first-hand account of a warning issued by a Hyuga clan elder, requesting that they avoid the suspicion of the Root Foundation. Their promotions and election of Corps positions has been discouraged."

"A clan elder? Just a paranoid old-timer blowing hot air." Kakashi wasn't convinced.

"My clan watches its back around Danzo and his Black Ops because of the rocky history my dad had with them." Asuma contributed, "So what has one of the oldest clans in Konoha got to worry about? Root shouldn't even matter to the Hyuga. Kakashi, why would a clan elder even mention the Foundation unless there was some credible threat?"

"Hmm…" He finished the fruit salad, "Good question. The Hyuga don't care much about anything until there's imminent jeopardy."

"I will pay close attention to this development, though none of it bodes well…" Gai folded his arms and leaned against the wall, "The most pressing concern is whether or not Root has any involvement with Dintei Bi's rogue cell."

"The next most pressing concern is that I'll be having a bowel movement in about twenty minutes." Kakashi estimated.

Asuma grimaced, "Don't worry, we're not sticking around for that."

Perked up slightly by the food, Kakashi looked around the room and noticed a vase of colorful tulips on a bedside table. A large, sealed card was tucked underneath it.

"Which of you was thoughtful? Was it one of my students?"

"Nah. Your nephew thought about buying you donuts but Kurenai talked him out of it." Asuma recalled.

Gai had a better idea of who was responsible, "I have it on good authority that Tenzo-san brought those here this morning."

Kakashi managed to shakily wipe his mouth with a napkin and laid back again, covering his face with a blanket, "Good authority?"

"Hokage-sama noticed the gift and felt Tenzo-san's well-wishing was more than what was necessary. He is already caring for your ninken."

"I didn't ask him to."

"Don't forget to thank him, Kakashi." Gai pushed the rolling food cart away since the meal was over and done with.

"I won't. He's been very sympathetic for my loss."

"You know, I get the feeling it's more than just your loss that's got him buying you flowers and whatnot." While tucking away an unsmoked cigarette, Asuma ventured, "That kid's always got some sentimental gesture for you, at least when you're paying attention."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"You've got a conveniently crappy memory." Asuma assessed.

"Two. No, three years ago." Gai could remember for him, "A book pre-release and signing where you were advanced to the front of the line."

"That's—"

"All kinds of nice dinners. Kurenai never does that stuff for me." Asuma groused.

"Various nights of drinking never at your expense." Gai added.

"And didn't you get that week-long trip to a mountain onsen? I bet Tenzo set that up too."

"He's just a generous kōhai is all." Kakashi dismissed it.

"So are you going to date him again?" Asuma cut straight to the question.

"We never dated." A swift correction.

Gai was pacing and shaking his head in disapproval, "How disreputable to lead him on like that."

"It's really a shame a nice fella like him is hung up on frosty Kakashi." Curious, Asuma plucked up the envelope addressed to Kakashi, "This is even his hand writing, there's no mistaking it. Can I open this?"

"No."

"Bet he wrote something way too nice inside." Asuma muttered an afterthought.

"If I'm frosty, the both of you are equally deluded and nosy."

"Whatever the case may be, Kakashi, you take Tenzo for granted. Such insensitivity could never escape my notice!" Gai gave him a sideways, holier-than-than-thou look, "I must empathize with you at a time like this, but I expect better from someone of your stature."

Asuma was nodding along and wrestling a smirk.

"Gai. Asuma. Thank you for your input. Your ability to stick to relevant topics is staggering." He tried to tune out any further nagging. Since when was any of this their business?

Sharp knocks at the door interrupted them, and in sauntered Inuzuka Tsume of all people. She held the door ajar and pointed her thumb over her shoulder, "Gents, give me a few minutes alone with Kakashi, would you? My kids and I have had a long morning."

Both of the less-senior Jounin respectfully vacated and Tsume sealed the room after them. She tsked when Kakashi tried to prop himself up for the sake of conversation, "Nah. Just lay there if you want. I won't make this too long, since we can both use a break."

"Alright then." He relaxed.

"First of all," The woman didn't ask permission before plopping down at the bed's edge to sit, "My condolences for the ninken who parted from your side. When they shed their mortal cares, our dogs return to the Pure Lands immediately; a straight shot up." Tsume pointed skyward, "It's because their spirits are heaven-sent or so my folks like to say."

Wilted, Kakashi figured, "I guess I'll have to take some comfort in that."

"I hope you will. Second, please know that Kiba and Hana have helped your hurt one, Akino. We can send him home to recover once he clears an overnight observation. If any of the others need anything while you're on leave, they are welcome in my home. Kiba can look after them." Tsume offered, "He's worried about you, Kakashi. Watching this happen to you pains him more than you can know, since he sees part of himself in his teacher. You are realizing one of his fears."

"I hate to do it to him, really." Kakashi could imagine the expression on Kiba's face when he'd gotten the news.

"Ahh, it's just a part of growing up as a shinobi. My boy's heart is softer than his hide…but he's still pretty tough." Tsume's smile curled with pride, "Now…it's a good thing you're sitting down for what I'm about to tell you next…"

In fact he was supine in bed, but hopefully that was just as good of a way to mitigate any shock. Kakashi watched the woman riffle around a pocket sewn inside of her jacket, and pulled free a modest looking correspondence scroll. "See this?" Tsume held it up to him, "Rin sent me this."

His stomach plummeted.

"To be honest, this is the first time she's communicated with me in years. I could hardly believe it." Tsume exhaled a rumbling breath, "I guess I'm happy. Overall. She's alive. I mean, I'm still mad at her, but I am so much happier than I am mad. Do you know what I mean?"

"I…" His brain was booting back up, "Know what you mean."

She stuffed the scroll away again, "Okay. This could be one of the happiest times of my life. Even Nichiyo can't ruin this for me. Rin is more or less thriving, based on what she told me. She makes stellar income as a traveling physician for a few northern towns. Sesshu is fine, which was a relief to hear. She has great friends and neighbors, a garden, and she said that she's happy. But I can tell she's afraid of something…it's like she omitted some stuff. I can see it in the empty spaces on the parchment…some hesitation. Maybe because she isn't sure what I'll think of what she wants to tell me, but I can get the truth out of her when I write back today."

"…can I-?"

"No." Tsume flattened her palms on her thighs, tensing, "Don't screw this up for me, Kakashi. I am going to keep in touch with my sister and hopefully, with some persuasion, I can convince her to come back home. Seems like she'd be receptive to the idea, what with her saying all of that lonely, nostalgic shit in her letter…"

"Could you keep me informed?" He pitched lower, hoping he wasn't going to be completely shut out.

"Yeah, sure. I'll keep you informed." She conceded, "I know this is important for you too. I need to find out more about her life first, and also make sure she isn't some longshot security risk. The whole village is on red-alert right now, so I can't be an idiot and overlook possible schemes my sister might've gotten wrangled into." Tsume pushed off of the bed, "I am not going to mention you in my letters unless she asks."

"That's fine." Yes, that was fine, there was no use in rushing it, "I really want to see her."

"I bet you do." Tsume gave the tulips a sniff and then inquisitively abducted the get-well-soon card, "Wow. You've got gifts coming in already…" With a sharp nail she tore it open and ignored Kakashi's exhausted flapping and protests, "Sheesh, look at all of this writing! Like a freakin' novel stuffed in here." Disinterested, she flipped the card at him and it landed on his face. Tsume then plucked another piece of heavy cardstock from within the envelope, "You got a little somethin' extra too."

Tsume extracted a rectangular card that had ink paw prints stamped onto it. She sucked in a breath of alarm when she understood, "Whoa, whoa, whoa. This is them, isn't it?"

Kakashi's eyes stuck to the card sheet, somewhat sickened and relieved that Tenzo had the wherewithal to preserve something of Ūhei and Shiba. Though it had to have been done after the fact, he was not opposed to the last-minute memento.

"Here." Tsume set the print down beside the vase, "I'll tell Kiba to come see you soon. When you're feeling like yourself again, the Inuzuka clan has two gifts it would like to give to you as thanks for your mentorship of my kid." She cocked a hand on her hip, "That okay with you?"

"I don't need any gifts." His body was feeling heavy. The weight of everything was smashing him. Threats to the village. Rin's correspondence. The paw prints of his lost dogs. Tenzo. So tired.

The woman sighed and moved to leave, "Oh Kakashi, don't sniff at those who know what you really need."

---

Note: The next chapter is in progress and will feature Naruto, his post-it notes, Gaara's tantrum over a calculator, and other assorted melodramas. Hey you! Thanks for reading! *clinks drinking glasses*

Chapter 51- Yin