Arrivals
Sonnie
For the third time that week, Tenten hopped out of bed about five minutes before her alarm went off, immediately slipping out of her pajamas and into a sports bra and a pair of running tights. She applauded Lee; spandex was a lot more comfortable than she realized until he bought her a pair of spandex pants. Granted, they were green and she never wore them out in public much (or ever), but she bought herself a black pair for her early morning runs.
The sports bra she wore was pink, the edge of a thick strap visible underneath her white tank top until she pulled on a purple hoodie and grabbed her Walkman from the nightstand. Before heading to the door where her running shoes were, she brushed her teeth, washed her face, and pulled her hair back into a quick ponytail.
Jou's still asleep, Tenten glanced over to where her friend was unconscious on the couch. The room they had was small, but it was more cozy than claustrophobic. It had only one bedroom, which Jou (of course) insisted that Tenten take, and she'd been more than happy to say yes. As she tied her sneakers, Tenten glanced at the clock.
Five forty one. I might just beat him there, she thought, smiling.
-O-
On the other side of town, Asazaki was similarly tying his running shoes and glancing at a clock. He wondered if she'd beat him to the square today, whatever her name was (because he'd never really asked), and half-hoped that she might this time. He put his headphones on and rushed out the door.
-O-
Tenten scowled when she saw the familiar silhouette jogging in place. Snow Country was beautiful, its capital city even more so. Yukimura wasn't large, but it was elegant. It mostly catered to rich tourists during this time of year, but no one was out this early.
It's the crack of dawn…no one but you and me, Tenten smirked, quickly approaching the lone figure.
As Tenten neared the square, she was struck again by how handsome her unnamed running partner was. He was about six feet tall, muscular but sleek, and had incredible, piercing blue eyes. His hair was inky black, so dark it almost shone blue, and he had the most openly flirtatious yet oddly innocent smile Tenten had ever seen. She knew enough egotistical ninjas to know he wasn't similarly and insufferably arrogant but rather confident and spirited, a rather refreshing trait.
He is, however, the most excruciatingly competitive person I've ever met, Tenten thought darkly, bracing herself for eye contact. We never talk but we always end up racing around the city until we both drop breathless at the finish line. I'm going to beat his ass this time!
The stranger smiled at her, a challenge apparent in his grin. The glint in his eyes, though, reaffirmed that this somehow was not a simple contest of speed. He broke into a sprint, Tenten right behind him. It felt good to run even though the wind was bitingly cold. It felt thrillingly sharp in her lungs as she panted feverishly.
The terrain was unfamiliar but becoming more natural every day. She had missed the pure exhilaration running brought on, the "runner's high" it was dubbed. It was pure bliss, her feet flying over the ground and wind whipping loose strands of hair in her face. Nothing beat the feeling of contentment that crept in when she did something she loved, something simple and uncomplicated. She narrowed her brown eyes at her opponent.
You are so on.
-O-
Damn, what is up with this chick?
Izari was staring at where Tenten had collapsed on the sofa; Jou had recently vacated only to have her place taken by her brunette friend. Chest heaving, sweat pouring, and breaths ragged, Tenten told the older woman what she'd been doing all week.
"Sounds like you've been meeting up with Asazaki," Izari said quietly after a moment. She and Yoshida had agreed that he wouldn't reveal her presence to any Lightning nins; as far as they knew, she was dead. Some of those Lightning nins had, however, met and formed friendships with Jou and it was soon becoming apparent, Tenten.
"Jou told me about him…he's supposed to be a real ladies' man but this guy is pretty focused and serious about working out." Tenten leaned forward as she downed a good portion of the water in her bottle before falling back on the sofa.
"No, he's focused and serious about beating you at something. He's the most insanely competitive man on the planet when it comes to being physically fit…or anything, now that I think about it. The fact you challenge him is quite a feat, Tenten."
"You think?"
Izari didn't miss a beat. "Yes."
"Oh, well it's all in good fun, I suppose," Tenten said with a shrug. She cast a sideways glance at Izari.
"So…you and Kankurou, eh?"
Izari visibly started.
Maybe she's not so tough after all, Tenten thought, watching the rather dismayed blonde mutter something unintelligible that ended with something to the effect of "I'm going to get some fresh air outside…for a couple of hours or so…"
That's not how you act when you're embarrassed about being caught, that's how you act when you like someone, Tenten pursed her lips, mulling this over. Well, Kankurou was always perfectly nice to me…
"Tenten, is that you?"
Jou emerged from the bathroom, her hair wrapped in a fluffy red towel. She wore a green terrycloth robe and red slippers as she traipsed rather sleepily out to the living room area.
"I'm just curious…where is Izari sleeping?" Tenten asked. "She's supposed to be staying with us but I've barely seen her in here."
"Oh, she's been at the library every day."
"The library?"
"Oh yes, Izari loves to read."
"…Okay…" Tenten was having a hard time envisioning the rather high-maintenance woman sitting in an institutionalized center of learning calmly paging through a novel. "Are they letting her stay overnight or something?"
"No, but she doesn't really have consistent sleeping hours so she crashes here whenever."
"It sounds like she's a bit anxious about staying in one place," Tenten ventured neutrally.
Jou shrugged. "Well, there's a lot of Lightning nin around," she said after a moment of unusual awkward silence.
Tenten looked thoughtful. She knew there was some mission going down but didn't know any details. It kind of stung, to be left out of the loop, but she realized that diplomacy was never her strongpoint. "Do you think she's ready to see them?"
"I honestly don't know," Jou said. "Yoshida never told them she came with him to Snow Country; they think she's dead. She would rather avoid contact."
Tenten nodded. "That'd be the smart thing to do, I suppose."
Jou smiled faintly. "I can't see anything good happening if she were to run into one of them."
Especially Shikami.
-O-
Gaara sat by the largest window of his luxury suite. He stared briefly out at the snow, watching how its icy expanse was eerily similar to the stifling hot sand that covered everything in Suna. It made the land unforgiving and the people hard, at least in his experience. The sense of forbidding he felt from the atmosphere was not at all unfamiliar.
"Are you still filling out paperwork?"
Gaara shook his head negatively at his brother. "Some of the Lightning nins are here. I feel their energy moving around; they're on the same floor as us."
"Oh really?"
"There's at least seven of them."
"It's too bad we left Temari back in Suna, then."
"There's still three of us." Gaara's third was seated at the desk filing a report. She was one of the only kunoichi in his age range that didn't fawn over him ridiculously; some kind of oddity in Suna, he discovered. Kankurou had mentioned several times that the two of them had gotten on rather well, but always left it at that. She was about five-foot-seven and had strawberry blonde, very chicly-cut and perfectly-styled hair, the only vanity Kankurou had ever found on an otherwise practical ninja. Her name was Mura.
"Seven, though…" Kankurou allowed a bit of negativity to seep into his voice.
"Three are children."
"They brought children?"
"There are two girls and a boy. All three are less than ten years old. I suspect they are genin students."
"Do you know what they've been up to?"
"They're split up in four rooms…all the adults are male and three of them have very strong auras. The forth one…I can't seem to get a reading on and he's rarely around. Trying to read him is like attempting to look through a wall."
"So he's aware of your intent?"
"I think he's got some kind of natural shield against such elementary probing. They've all been out and about since arriving yesterday."
"Rather unusual for people preparing for a diplomatic meeting."
"I've read the files Izari wrote…I get the feeling they're rather unusual people."
Izari. Right.
"If that big-shot Yoshida died, maybe some of the people came along because of that. He has two nephews, right?"
"Kenji and Shikami."
Kankurou glanced up when Mura supplied the names. Apparently she'd been privy to the information inside. Interesting.
"There could be some type of memorial service they need to attend," Mura continued.
"Or they might be wondering if he left them a healthy chunk of cash," Kankurou suggested, a cynical grin splitting his painted face. He pointed to the folder. "They exactly don't sound like nice guys."
-O-
Sakura blew strands of hair out of her eyes loudly, not particularly caring if someone found her behavior rude. Medical conferences and seminars were always boring; for the sake of appearances she always attended, but when it really came down to it, it was basically Tsunade-sama making her.
I already know how to do this! Sakura huffed indignantly when she received a piercing glare from the medical kunoichi speaking. Satisfied she'd irritated the pink-haired woman, she continued smugly. Sakura scowled, eyes lifting from her doodle to glance at the room's occupants for what seemed like the hundredth time.
Old guy…old guy…old guy…old lady…kunoichi whose shirt is way too low-cut…another kunoichi whose shirt is way too low cut…good-looking but somewhat bland shinobi male…a really ugly and bland-looking shinobi male…cute kunoichi who's lucky if she's got two brain cells to rub together…good-looking shinobi male who looks just as bored as me…
Sakura studied this one a little more closely. They actually weren't sitting that far apart; Sakura could have reached out and touched his arm if she desired. At first glance he appeared to be taking notes, but Sakura noticed that his pencil practically flew over the paper.
There's no way he's getting all that from her, Sakura thought, glancing at where the speaker was droning on about cell multiplication. Every ninja here has heard this stuff before…this is just review, basically. What on earth is he doing?
Almost as if he read her mind, the shinobi absently tilted his notebook to his right, affording her a glimpse. To her surprise, it was a very rough sketch of her, slouching rather grumpily in her chair. Kind of embarrassed a stranger (and an incredibly handsome one at that) had caught her in such an unflattering light, she straightened up considerably.
I can be pretty too, you know! Sakura thought wildly, face falling when she realized he was working on another sketch. It was the speaker this time; even an arms-length away she could tell who it was after less than a minute.
He's pretty good, Sakura conceded before coming to a realization. Damn, his doodles are better than mine…
The next series of drawings must have been from memory because Sakura didn't recognize any of the subjects. After a few minutes he shifted in his chair and Sakura lost her visual. As the lecture was winding down, Sakura counted and realized he must have done an upwards of ten different pictures. Shrugging off the look the speaker gave her as she left, Sakura milled around so she could get another look at the shinobi.
His coloring is unusual, Sakura thought, following him closely in what was ostensibly a rush to reach the door. Most blondes have really cool skin tones but his skin is a light, golden tan…and his eyes…they're…amber? Or they're a warm green…I can't tell with his back turned to me. Oh, and he's so tall!
Sakura knew she was being superficial, but really, how could she not be? There was something about his presence…Everything about him was very pleasant and serene, quiet but not quite understated. She extended her aura a bit to get a better reading on him and was surprised when all the warmth she'd been sensing was somehow undetectable on this level.
That's odd, she thought, frowning. It's like hitting a barrier…
Deep in thought, she wasn't paying close attention to his actions anymore. He turned around suddenly and the pair collided, papers flying everywhere. She let a curse escape at the force; she'd jammed her wrist against him and it was throbbing like mad, but not nearly as badly as her heartbeat.
Damn, what an embarrassing way to get hurt, ogling some guy, Sakura's mind was racing as she numbly bent to pick up papers. To her surprise, she found them all in the hands of the man she'd run into, held out in a very kind offering. She took them without looking at them, her eyes fixed on her freezing cold toes.
I should have worn more sensible shoes, and my toenails haven't been painted in over a month, she thought with dismay. What is he going to think?
"I'm so sorry, I'm just—" Sakura attempted to stammer an apology (they both knew she'd been following way too close) but to her surprised he gave her a small smile and a brief apology before brushing past. His hand patted her wrist comfortingly (the sore one!) and before she knew it, he was gone.
That was…different. Sakura felt her senses swimming; what had he done to her? She stared after him, glancing at her arm where he'd touched it briefly with his hand. The skin beneath her coat almost sang in some foreign, glorious feeling.
He's got weird chakra, Sakura thought, flexing her wrist. It doesn't hurt anymore, either. He barely touched me and I didn't see any jutsu being performed. I didn't even sense any unusual chakra from him when he did, though overall he's just…I don't even know. I've never felt anything quite like it. It was overwhelming…but then it was gone the next minute…
He had to be one of the Lightning nins…but which one is he? Takayori, the med nina? I thought if anything he'd be one with the most diplomatic power…why the hell would he be attending a boring medical conference? Asazaki's file mentioned some medical training…and he's supposedly friendly just like Izari said Rikichi would be…but Asazaki's got dark hair like Shikami does…but he certainly can't be Kenji, can he? Kenji's got blond hair…but this guy…he's too…nice? For all you know, Haruno Sakura, it could all be an act.
Sighing when she realized this was very, very true, Sakura glanced down at her messy notebook. A picture sat on top of all of her papers, the portrait smiling back at her sweetly. Sakura gaped at the pink-haired girl in the picture and once again stared off to where the mystery man had disappeared.
-O-
"I want you to tail a woman, a civilian, with dark hair and eyes. She's on the small side and you'll most likely find her talking. She'll be wearing either green or red; it's nearly Christmas so she'll probably be wearing both. Her name is Jou."
There had been a pause, the hint of a memory coming to the surface.
"…She's rather clumsy."
Mura blinked as she watched her potential target clip the doorway to the boutique she was entering. A rather surprising string of swear words followed as she hopped into the store, rubbing her knee furiously.
Bingo.
The reason for the tail was obvious when she saw the company she was attracting. Tenten was no surprise – Mura knew they were friends, but it was the two strange people that were attempting to sneak up behind her, a man and a woman, that caught her attention. She quickly made her way into the shop, expecting the worse.
-O-
This is the most depressing, antisocial group of human beings in existence, Shikamaru thought sullenly, glancing back and forth between Neji and a newcomer, a man with pale hair and grey eyes. While it wasn't quite recognition, they definitely sensed something almost familiar about the other.
I suppose he's one of those nobles Izari mentioned in her report, Shikamaru thought, noting the coolly appraising way that Neji was being observed. The latter was attempting to look disinterested.
Hyuuga, you're not fooling me, Shikamaru thought, sighing. The noble houses of Konoha know a lot about the noble houses of Kumo. They even tried to kidnap the Hyuuga heir. You know more than you're saying, but Tsunade-sama didn't push you, at least not in front of me. The way you two are looking at each other…Do you know this guy or something?
"I believe you're a Hyuuga, are you not? My name is Kotabe Kenji." His voice was unnaturally loud in the empty hotel lobby; the acoustics such a grand establishment afforded made it easy to be overheard; Kenji seemed confident enough that such things didn't matter.
Not expecting such straightforwardness, Neji paused a brief moment. "My name is Hyuuga Neji."
Kenji leveled a glance at Shikamaru briefly before returning to Neji. "It's nice to see that your assembly has some pedigree."
Shikamaru didn't rise to the bait of what was most clearly an insult. This guy wasn't just rich, he was outright rude. Shikamaru knew it was all a test; plenty of other ninja had certainly jumped up and attacked at far less, he was sure. He ignored the comment, returning his gaze to the window and the clouds beyond.
I don't care if I fucking freeze, I'd rather be outside right now, Shikamaru thought wistfully. The clouds look so nice today…
"I can't say that Shikamaru's implied lack of pedigree has ever prevented him from performing his duty," Neji said quietly.
Well, that's a first, Shikamaru thought. I never thought Hyuuga Neji would stick up for me, if only because some arrogant prick wants to push us around.
Shikamaru was glad that Kenji decided to keep his mouth shut for the time being. Kenji's attention returned dutifully to his book.
What on Earth…? Shikamaru lifted a brow when he glimpsed Kenji's reading material. It was some kind of philosophical book, every word still in its native Greek. It was well-worn, apparently a favorite.
I guess I know what some people were doing when I was goofing off with Chouji at the Ninja Academy, Shikamaru frowned. These guys don't mess around with their education; the richest ones are privately tutored at a very young age. The fact he's reading Greek, of all things, proves that.
Shikamaru sighed impatiently. I have a bad feeling about this trip.
And though he had no way of knowing it, Neji, less than ten feet away, was thinking the exact same thing.
-O-
Jou was browsing the CD rack innocently, completely oblivious to the pair of shinobi sneaking up behind her. Tenten, a few aisles away, felt that something odd was up and glanced up. A very tall man and a very short woman were edging towards her friend intently. Before she could stop them, the woman crashed into her, sending her flying into her companion.
"God, get out of my way!" The short girl was standing with her hands on her hips, glaring sharply and menacingly at the slightly taller woman.
"Wha—?" Jou stumbled back, the wind knocked out of her.
"Geez, Chiie, watch who you're running into! Stop pushing ugly girls at me!" The man Jou bumped into practically shoved her arms-length away.
"Ugly?" Jou glanced up at her captor, indignant.
"Yeah, ugly," the guy whistled lowly. He glanced at his friend. "Who is this ugly girl, anyway?"
Expecting an outburst, Tenten was surprised when Jou laughed. "You're so mean, Rikichi. What would Mihana-san say?"
The tiny girl perked up suddenly and a devilish look overtook her elfin features. "Gee, I wonder…"
"Aw, shut up, Chiie," Rikichi snapped good-naturedly.
As their banter continued on, Tenten relaxed slightly. The three of them were obviously friends; Tenten really wasn't fazed by anything she heard when she took into consideration how odd Jou was sometimes. All three were very talkative and friendly, it seemed.
"Chiie, Rikichi, this is Tenten," Jou said, shaking Tenten from her musings. "I told you about her, remember?"
"The one with the smokin' bod?"
"Somehow I don't think that those were my words," Jou said flatly, eyeing Rikichi skeptically.
"Umm…I think Asazaki mentioned her," Chiie exclaimed. "They run together, remember?"
"You're jogging hottie!" Rikichi wore the expression of one who just got it. "You've been getting up before dawn and racing him…he says it's a lot of fun."
Tenten blushed slightly. "And he called me 'jogging hottie?' "
"Yep. He said you've got excellent form, and I don't think he was referring to your running technique."
Tenten blinked. "I'm flattered."
"Asazaki's always on the lookout for beauty. I don't think he was expecting to find it here."
"Why's that?"
"Most of the people that live up here are fair-haired. Asazaki digs brunettes. I mean, he's usually about casual flings; I can't say I really remember him talking about a girl at length before. You should feel lucky…he's a very popular guy."
Tenten didn't really know what to say to that, but instead of allowing awkward silence to kick in, Rikichi grinned at her.
"Ah well, it's clear there's more to you than just Asazaki's diversion. If you're friends with Jou, you've got to be downright amazing. Running aside, what do you think of this place? Isn't it great?"
"I haven't really explored all my options yet," Tenten admitted somewhat shyly, blushing a bit from his compliment. "I didn't expect to find so much to do."
"Have you checked out the ski slopes yet?" Chiie was practically chomping at the bit; Tenten was reminded very suddenly of Rock Lee…something about her exuberance and energy.
"Not yet."
"Why don't you come with Rikichi and me?"
"You're not coming, Jou-chan?" Tenten asked.
"Umm…I think I'll pass today," Jou was staring blatantly at the ceiling, wringing her hands nervously at the prospect. "You should definitely go, Tenten."
"I don't want to inconvenience you…" she trailed off, eyes darting back and forth between Chiie and Rikichi, somehow getting the impression she was doing anything but.
"We were just on our way there after we picked up some new tunes," Rikichi explained. "You could come back to the hotel with us; I'll just…um, borrow some of Shikami's skiing gear. The two of you are about the same height."
"Um, Shikami sounds like a man."
"Eh, details, details. Shikami's been a little restless lately, but he's cool." Rikichi was fairly reassuring, but Chiie's face was carefully neutral.
"You sure you don't want to go, Jou?"
Jou nodded vigorously. She was slowly tiptoeing towards the door. Before she darted out, she added, "Have fun, Tenten!"
Tenten balked at the abandonment. She realized that she could trust these people, but that wasn't the point. Realizing that there was little else she could do at this point (and that she really did want to go), she acquiesced.
"As long as this Shikami guy doesn't have a problem with it…"
-O-
Takayori glanced over where his former student Kenji sat with what appeared to be two Leaf nins.
"The cheer over there is simply staggering."
He smiled at the speaker, an eight-year-old boy. "That sounds a little cynical for someone your age," he said good-naturedly, ruffling the boy's hair. Rolling his eyes, the boy merely smoothed his blond hair back into place.
"Yoshida-san is—was always complimenting me on my observational skills," Shukuchi corrected himself.
Takayori frowned. "Yoshida and I were best friends, but some of his…ah, methods and such were always a little on the morally questionable side."
"I like them."
Sighing, Takayori leaned forward and rested his forehead against Shukuchi's. "I was a little less than thrilled when you carved the kanji for your name into your opponent's cheek in last year's chuunin exam."
Shukuchi merely leaned back and shrugged.
"He insulted you – he said something absolutely ridiculous, too! If you're going to resort to slander, at least make it halfway true. I simply recalled what Yoshida-san said about how humiliation works best for preventing negative behavioral patterns. That kid's never going to say something like that again. Granted, just killing him would have been easier…"
"Shu…"
"I'm joking. Killing him wouldn't be worth the effort." With this, he broke into a wide smile, causing Takayori to roll his eyes.
"You're really going to miss him, aren't you, Shu?"
"He was definitely unique," Shukuchi said thoughtfully. "I was really anxious to meet this woman he kept telling me about. He said she would instruct me on how to play the piano."
"He was our country's finest piano player," Takayori muttered in reminiscence. "I wonder why he didn't just start teaching you himself."
"Yoshida's always doing things for mysterious reasons," Shukuchi said quietly.
"What's this woman's name?"
"Rock Jou. I've never heard of her, have you?"
Takayori shook his head negatively. "No, but I can't say I'm very familiar with Yoshida's acquaintances since leaving Hidden Cloud."
"Perhaps Shikami-san knows something about her; he and Yoshida were always very close. I think I'll ask him."
"He left over an hour ago. I don't know where, to be honest."
Shukuchi looked untroubled. "I'll go get my teammates. We'll find him, don't worry."
-O-
Gaara sat in the musty basement of the library leafing through documents that were more than five times his age, part of a collection donated long ago by noble families in Konoha before the five shinobi villages had even officially organized. Because of its historical significance, none of the material was permitted to be loaned out; however, his status as Kazekage afforded him access to it. It was research he didn't trust to anyone else, not even his assistant, Mura, or if she'd been along, Temari. Gaara hadn't been there long when he detected a familiar presence.
Zan Izari.
Gaara figured this was worth an investigation. A few hand seals later and a green eye was materializing a few bookshelves away from the blonde woman two stories up. As he suspected, with her waning shinobi abilities she did not detect his presence.
Izari was perched in what appeared to be a rather uncomfortable chair, paging contently through The Count of Monte Cristo. Kankurou would laugh; she was wearing glasses with red plastic frames. His sister might joke they were "geek chic" or something; her very fine features did more for them than most people's could have. Next to her was a whole stack of books on all subjects: physics, biology, chemistry, calculus, and anatomy.
Even if she's not a practicing shinobi she's keeping up with her studies. Maybe the arrival of so many Lightning shinobi is making her a bit leery. She's looking even thinner than usual.
Gaara was able to tell a lot from physical appearance. Assessing his prey's status at a glance was an ability every predator had, and every shinobi could do it too if he or she was half-way decent. Zan Izari was tall and thin; while not emaciated she never looked quite as healthy as Jou, even though the latter was not very physically fit. Gaara knew from her muscle tone that Izari exercised regularly but never looked particularly well-rested or well-fed.
The times spent in Jou's house had confirmed his belief that she ate no meat, a highly unusual choice for a shinobi, whose diet usually consisted of the most nutritiously beneficial food. Izari was also quite cranky; his brother would write this off as bitchiness, but Gaara had been through too much himself to write off such a thing as a mere personality flaw. He saw it for what it was: chronic fatigue.
She's been running on empty for a long time, Gaara noted that this was not so visible now, as she even looked comparatively peaceful.
Izari looked up suddenly, her gaze fixed on where Gaara's eye had been only seconds before. He was way ahead of her, but her guard was back up. Picking up her stack of books, she headed up the stairs to another section of the library. Gaara didn't follow; he returned his attention back to his work. Though it had been brief, the encounter had been very enlightening.
She has to know something more, he thought darkly. Eight years of no shinobi activity and suddenly Lightning nins are in the area and it scares her off to a library to brush up on her skills? The reports she wrote were fragmented and incomplete…surely she knows more than she's telling us. I don't have the will or the desire to force information out of her, but it's just one more reminder not to underestimate these ninjas.
Gaara's green eyes moved briefly over the scrolls and books spread out all over the table, thinking how akin all this was to paperwork. He sighed; whether he liked it or not, the answers to his questions were somewhere in the pile of paper before him. It was more than a day's work, that was certain.
I'm glad I sent Mura out to do some reconnaissance, he thought tiredly, picking up a book wearily. Maybe she'll find out more about these Lightning nins.
-O-
Jou wished, and not for the first time, that she was in shape as she navigated the streets of Yukimura.
Damn it, when Izari told me she gave them a list of the possible nins they'd be encountering here, I don't think she seriously considered that they might all be here at the same time!
"I told Tsunade-sama about Shikami," Izari muttered, "but I don't honestly believe that he'd be involved, regardless of what her intelligence has gathered. It's probably just a false alarm. He cares nothing for political games, especially when it comes to their consequences for shinobi. His childhood sucked just as bad as mine did because of politics…he's always distanced himself from them, even though his father is the Raikage."
Oh Izari, you didn't even think that he might be here to mourn his uncle, Jou sighed. You've spent too many years ignoring and suppressing your emotions to realize that for as much as you claim to supposedly loathe Shikami, he's very much in tune with his own emotions and your own. You came here with your guard down and if you're not careful, you'll get caught.
Izari can hide herself from Chiie and Asazaki, but she sure as hell can't hide her presence from Shikami or Rikichi, not even if she tries. They grew up together, spent nearly every day of ten years together…and they've been practicing shinobi for the past eight years and she hasn't. She needs to get out before one of them finds her!
Jou's shaky breath barely disturbed the chilly air around her. She'd only been to the library in Yukimura a handful of times, and had never attempted to go there from the record store on the other side of town. As much as she hated to admit it, she was lost.
Please let me find Izari before Shikami does, she thought frantically as she ran.
-O-
"Hey, you know each other? That's great!"
Mura winced beneath Rikichi's enthusiastic slap on the back. Despite being extremely thin (Mura estimated that he was about one hundred and fifty pounds but he was six feet and six inches tall), he sure packed quite a bit of strength in his frame. She knew that Hatake Kakashi's namesake was a scarecrow, but this man looked a lot more like one than the Copy-Nin did. He wore patched clothing and had messy brown hair held back by a tattered bandana.
"I wouldn't say that Tenten and I are friends," Mura informed him. "But yes, we do know each other." She looked up at Tenten, trying to gauge the woman's reaction. Mura hadn't taken any efforts to hide her presence, and when Jou noticed Tenten's repeated glances to the red-haired woman, she had spoken up quickly. Before Mura knew it, one thing led to another and she was neck-high in Lightning nins.
This could get pretty rough, Mura thought cautiously, eyeing the shorter nin suspiciously. Chiie was tapping her feet anxiously; Mura wasn't sure what to expect.
"So…do you want to come skiing with us?" Chiie grinned at her hopefully.
Mura blinked. She'd gathered that these two Lightning nins were exceptionally friendly, but it was a little foolhardy to trust the barest acquaintance of someone they just met. The man's personality was very laid-back and kind, and the woman was highly-energized and sweet. Mura knew appearances could be deceiving, but the two genuinely seemed to be good people; she wouldn't haved pegged them for ninjas except for the very strong, vibrant auras they possessed. It wasn't something they were making any effort to hide or show off either way.
"I'm rather busy, but thank you," Mura told them politely. Both Chiie and Rikichi looked visibly disappointed. Tenten appeared undecided and Jou simply looked perplexed; she didn't know Mura at all.
"That's too bad, I hope your boss isn't working you too hard," Rikichi said consolingly.
What does he know about my boss? Mura's pulse jumped.
"Yeah, Kage's are hardasses, aren't they?" Chiie smirked. "That's why Asazaki and I moved to Snow Country."
Lightning nins actually operate out of Snow Country? Mura could see Tenten was taking in all this information, too.
"You don't live here, too, do you?" Mura asked Rikichi.
"No, of course not," he shook his head. "I'm just here on vacation."
"Vacation?" Mura didn't picture a snowcap to be an ideal place for relaxation.
"Well, see, there's this guy named Yoshida, and he just died recently," Rikichi began awkwardly but good-naturedly. "A bunch of us are here to say goodbye, I guess you could say. But I'm calling it a vacation because it sounds nicer and it's not like I came here to bawl my eyes out over the guy. Yoshida used to be our instructor years and years ago."
" 'Our' is who?" Mura asked innocently.
"Shikami, Izari, and I," Rikichi explained, "though Izari died a long time ago."
Tenten blinked. "What are you talking about?"
"Ah, what she means is, could you tell us what happened," Jou corrected, taking her friends arm tightly and giving her a squeeze.
"Um, sure…" Rikichi trailed off a second before sighing deeply. "I know that people always hear rumors about us…and if they know what's going on, it makes little difference anyway, at least in my opinion. Things have been screwed up for ages, but it only got real bad in the past ten years or so."
"What happened?" Mura asked quietly.
"To Izari," Tenten quickly added, hoping to satisfy her curiosity.
"About eight years ago, the daimyo and his entire family were murdered. Izari-chan was his wife."
Tenten felt her blood run cold; Jou's pressure on her arm was the only thing preventing her from speaking up.
Mura's mind was racing. She did some quick math before venturing, "If she was on your genin team, she'd have only been a teenager at the time. And you're saying that she was married?"
Rikichi nodded. "The aristocracy where I'm from is a funny thing. Arranged marriages are commonplace; Takayori-sensei arranged it after his mother died. Izari got married on her sixteenth birthday, the typical age for this kind of thing."
Sixteen!? Tenten hoped her surprise wasn't apparent, because this was truly shocking.
I know Tenten didn't have access to the information that our diplomatic groups did, but even I didn't know about this, Mura thought as she watched the emotions play across the brunette's face. These Lightning nins are extremely forthcoming about their information…
"Izari wasn't even married a year before she and her husband were killed," Chiie said quietly. "I still miss her."
Mura didn't miss how still Jou was as Chiie said this. It must be difficult, trying to keep secrets like you do, Mura mused. It's fortunate that grief for Yoshida-san has loosened their tongues…
"It must have been quite a fight; if Izari was a ninja, it was a wonder she wasn't able to protect her husband," Mura said carefully. She was observing Chiie and Rikichi, but neither seemed that bothered by the turn of the conversation. She got the impression that they didn't have normal boundaries when it came to comfort zones, something she might find oddly refreshing if the situation were different.
"Oh, well, she did try, so I'm told, but she wasn't able to do a whole lot when she died," Rikichi said distantly.
"Why's that?" Apparently they missed the mocking tone, because the answer she got came out of left field.
"Izari was nine months pregnant."
-O-
"Shikamaru, you sound upset. What's the matter?"
Shikamaru was leaning his forehead against the wall of the telephone terminal; he could care less about germs, as he was convinced that it would be either Kotabe Kenji or Hyuuga Neji or a combination of both that would be the end of him sooner rather than later. The spikes in chakra were starting to physically affect him.
"It's a long story," Shikamaru muttered. He was surprised at how glad he was to hear Ino's voice; it did a lot to distract him from the homicidal urges that seemed to be striking those in his immediate vicinity.
"Let's start at the beginning, then. Where are you?"
"Hell, pick a circle."
"Cute." Shikamaru smiled at the face he knew Ino was making on the other end.
"We're in the hotel lobby. We're supposed to meet the head of their delegation, but he's running late. I guess it's kind of convenient, though, because Sakura's nowhere to be found, too."
"Forehead girl has a horrible sense of direction."
"I'm beginning to think you're right, because she was supposed to be here ages ago. The hotel where she was having that medical conference wasn't that far away. I hope nothing happened to her."
"She probably just got lost. Anyway, I doubt that's the only thing bothering you."
"Eh, Neji and this Kenji guy are staring each other down. It's more than a little tense here."
"Is Neji still mad at you?"
Shikamaru shrugged. "Probably, but I think he's got bigger fish to fry at the moment. I'm not dumb enough to ask, but I'm pretty sure Neji thinks this guy has something to do with his father's death. He's probably right, too."
"Was it really a good idea to send him up there?"
"Hokage-sama seemed to think so," Shikamaru muttered in disgust. "I have my doubts. I just hate being in the dark about so many things. Something bigger than a chuunin exam is going on here…"
-O-
This is amazing, Tenten smiled as she cut a path down the white mountain on her set of borrowed skis. While the jacket was made for someone with broader shoulders, the pants fit perfectly, a fact that Tenten was trying not to frown at. She wasn't an expert when it came to skis but she knew expensive equipment when she saw it.
This Shikami guy must be loaded, Tenten thought, glad that the skis she wore were high quality. Trying something new is always better when the gear's top notch.
Tenten tried not to let a little jealousy slip into her heart when she saw that Chiie was doing some pretty fancy tricks further down the slope.
She's been doing this for years, girl, Tenten reminded herself. You've only been doing this for two hours. There've been no accidents or embarrassing moments yet, so nip this competition in the bud.
Tenten knew she was always too competitive. It was part of the reason why Neji had ticked her off so badly during Lee's birthday party: he had gone with Sakura. It was why she got up insanely early to race the blue-eyed stranger…it was more than his looks, it was the steel in his eyes as he issued a wordless challenge.
Life can suck but at least I don't let it keep me down, she thought wryly. Whether it was intuition or just quick learning, she found that skiing wasn't too terribly difficult. Jou had steadfastly refused; Tenten had guessed rather accurately that the smaller girl wouldn't fare well on a ski slope.
She's lucky she can manage a level sidewalk in a pair of sandals, Tenten thought amusedly. Jou was the type to try anything at least once; the fact she'd declined meant she must have had a pretty rough time on the slopes to say no.
"Hey, that was great!" Rikichi smiled at her as she reached the bottom of the hill. "Are you sure you've never done this before?"
"First time," Tenten smiled back.
"No wonder Asazaki likes you so much," Chiie grinned. "You're a quick learner."
"Only when it comes to physical stuff," Tenten admitted. "I was never that great a student."
Chiie shrugged. "Neither was I. Asazaki and Kenji always beat me on every exam."
"Yeah, but you always picked up techniques faster than both of them," Rikichi pointed out. "It's not like you're the weak link or anything. What was your team like, Tenten?"
Tenten hesitated. It was fairly obvious she was a ninja, even without the forehead protector, but it had never been so directly addressed.
"Oh, well my team is made up primarily of taijutsu users," she sighed, a bit of wistfulness creeping into her voice. "They're both incredible."
"You're no slouch, though," Rikichi complimented her. "I haven't met more than a handful of people willing to tackle that slope, let alone a first-time skier. Don't write yourself off."
He's a really sweet guy, Tenten thought warmly. He's sincere, too, just like Jou-chan is.
"I'm not, it's just that they're really, really amazing. I'm glad I had such a great team."
Rikichi grinned nostalgically. "I miss the good old days. Even though there was a war going on, I still think I was lucky to be with such great people. Shikami is amazingly insightful; I don't think anything gets past him. He always understood me, me and Izari both. And Izari…Izari was special to both of us. She put on this brave face but everyone who took the time to get to know her saw how vulnerable she was. She felt it was her duty to protect us…She tried so hard to be strong all the time; I'm not saying she wasn't, but she just…she just wasn't cut out to be a ninja."
I guess that always explains why Jou's so protective of her, even when Izari gives off every indication that she can take care of herself, Tenten thought.
"Yeah, Izari was a pretty tough sensei, but she was always fair," Chiie chimed in. "She never treated Asazaki and me differently than Kenji, even though it was clear from the beginning that he had a lot more potential than either of us, at least power-wise. His bloodline is the stuff legends are made of yet she spent equal time with all of us; I can honestly say she never favored one of us over the others."
"She got that from her brother," Rikichi said proudly. "Takayori is as fair a person as you'll ever meet. A real nice guy, too."
Coming from one of the nicest people I ever met, that's saying something, Tenten thought.
"I can't imagine what it's like, growing up in the face of war," Tenten said quietly. And Neji has been dealing with the consequences since he was four years old. No wonder I can't understand him.
"Every child was forced to become a shinobi back then," Rikichi said solemnly. "That's a big reason why so many quit and moved away. Not many people are made to be one, I think. I think it's amazing that there are some people out there who know that's what they want to be and never doubt it for a minute."
Tenten smiled as the image of Rock Lee surfaced. Neji, too, came to mind instantly, and surprisingly, herself.
ANBU wasn't for me, but I never wanted to stop being a ninja, Tenten realized. This is what I want to do, but I still want to retain my identity, keep my soul. When I look at Rikichi, he's obviously someone who loves his friends and home, but he's not a soulless man hiding behind a mask, willing to do anything that's commanded of him. He's found a way to do both, to serve his country but stay human…that means I can too.
"So, are you up for another round?" Chiie had picked up on Tenten's competitive streak and injected just enough challenge into her voice to ensure the brunette would say yes.
Tenten grinned at her gamely. "Let's go."
-O-
Kankurou was studying a music box locked away behind glass, marveling at the delicate sterling silver details. He had spent countless hours devoted to his puppets, all of which had involved a steady and careful hand. Respect for fine craftsmanship was only natural. And while music boxes weren't really his taste, it was simply exquisite.
This shop is mostly full of junk, Kankurou surmised, surprised that it actually contained some tasteful pieces. Most of this crap caters to the obscenely rich; not many people would notice a few of the real gems in this place.
A startlingly strong aura stopped his musings in an instant. Before the door handle of the shop even turned, Kankurou felt there was an immense presence on the other side. While not immediately frightening like his brother's used to be, it was certainly powerful. He got the odd feeling it was almost mellow, however, reminiscent of someone holding something loosely as opposed to tightly. Whoever it was, they certainly weren't tense or particularly focused.
Kankurou was surprised at how understated he was when the man finally crossed the threshold. He was about 6'2" and possessed a rather ordinary build. His hair was black and his eyes were grey. He was a good looking man (at least as far as Kankurou was willing to admit) but he wasn't immediately striking.
He looks…remote.
Kankurou settled on the world with some difficultly. He used to think that Sasuke was remote and that was part of the reason why girls were so crazy about him. He later realized that Sasuke was anything but, that Uchiha tried so hard to appear like he didn't care at all but really cared a lot. Kankurou, ever since realizing the depth of his own brother's emotional realm, had since been aware that there was a difference between pretending and true indifference.
I think I might have finally found the latter.
"Excuse me, but could you please tell me more about this piece?"
Kankurou balked; did this guy actually think he worked here? He was about to protest when he realized that he'd been speaking to the manager of the store, who apparently had smelled money on him and followed closely behind. The item in question was a pocket watch Kankurou had been admiring earlier.
"Oh, that has been here for ages. Most people overlook it, to be quite honest with you. You have a fine eye to notice such a worthy piece."
The man ignored the flattery but didn't appear to be bothered by it. "May I ask how you acquired it?"
"Oh, it's been years, but I still remember. Samura Yoshida, a man very famous around Yukimura for his conservatory, sold this to me when he first arrived here about eight years ago. In all the years he's been here since, he hasn't come back once."
The man looked thoughtful. "Did he come here alone?"
"No, there was a young lady with him. My first thought at the time was that she was a mistress or girlfriend, but she was too young for that and he treated her more like a daughter than anything. She barely said a word but she was very polite." Sensing the interest of his potential client, he added in a low voice, "it's normally against policy, but I can look up her name if you'd like."
The man shook his head. "That isn't necessary, thank you." There was a calculated pause before he continued. "Did she sell anything?
"Come to think of it, yes she did, one piece."
"Did you sell it?"
"No, it's actually in the case right in front of that gentleman," the manager said, gesturing to where Kankurou stood. "Another overlooked treasure, I'm afraid."
As soon as the man's eyes fell on the music box, something changed in his eyes.
"Do you happen to remember how she acted when she sold this?" he asked after a moment.
"Well, if you don't mind me saying, I don't think she was in her right mind. She sold this after the gentleman sold me the pocket watch, several days later. She came in alone. Halfway through the transaction she almost changed her mind. She still comes in and looks at it, from time to time, which I find odd because it looks as if she has more than enough money to pay for it now."
"Considering the woman, I don't find it odd for her at all," he said quietly. "Would you mind getting it out for me? I'd like to purchase it."
The manager moved towards the case and was stopped.
"Forgive me, I meant the pocket watch. The music box should stay, in case she wishes to return again."
"I don't think she'll be back for awhile." The manager wrapped the pocket watch carefully in tissue paper before placing it in a small box.
"Why do you say that?"
"She just came in a few days ago."
An unreadable look descended upon the man's face. "How did she look?"
The man launched into a litany of romantic similes and such until the man cut him off. "I'm sorry, I should have clarified. I meant how she appeared health-wise, emotionally, et cetera."
"I can't really say. She never stays for long. I try not to pay too much attention to her; she gives off the impression that she doesn't like to be looked at, if you know what I'm saying."
"I do," the man replied dryly, paying the manager at the counter. He took the box and bid the man a good day.
Somehow I didn't expect to meet one of the Lightning nins on a shopping trip, Kankurou thought to himself. Especially for a pocket watch, of all things…not the usual shinobi fare.
But neither is your love for the violin, a nagging little voice reminded him. Curiosity impelled him to follow the mysterious nin, if only for a moment or two, just to see if he was heading back to the hotel. As he swung the door open, he collided violently with a boy on his way inside. Kankurou didn't budge, but the kid went crashing to the ground.
"My apologies, I should have watched where I was going," the boy said politely, deftly picking himself off the ground and brushing snow off his clothes. He brushed past Kankurou quickly and scanned the interior of the store.
"Don't worry about it," Kankurou grumbled absently, not paying him much attention. His eyes were scanning the streets for the black-haired man.
About a foot below his head, the child nearly collided with him again as he darted outside muttering something about "damned elusive shinobi."
"You looking for someone, kid?" Kankurou asked him, interest piqued.
"Yes, thank you, but he's just gone. I regret almost running into you again, but I'm in a hurry, so pardon my abruptness. Please take care."
He bowed his head politely once again before taking off. Kankurou watched the back of the kid's blond head as he quickly navigated the streets in the direction Kankurou presumed the man had traveled just moments before.
I wonder who that guy was, Kankurou mused, turning to make his way back to the hotel. At any rate, he's pretty popular today. And what a weird kid…A little too nice and articulate for what, a seven or eight year old? Damned Lightning nins aren't like anything I've ever seen before. Why do I get the impression that when we formally meet with them it's going to be anything but predictable?
-O-
Sakura burst through the hotel lobby doors, smoothing down stray pieces of pink hair that had been disturbed by the wind. The trip back had been long and rather confusing; her soggy papers and red nose and ears did little to improve her mood. She practically stormed over to Shikamaru and Neji.
"It is way too cold out there," she huffed, realizing belatedly that her friends were not alone.
"If the elements bother you so much perhaps you should have stayed at home," Kenji murmured quietly, nonchalantly flipping to the next page of his book. "The cold is the least of your problems here, I should think. Perhaps you might want to consider showing up on time before anything else."
Who the hell are you?! Sakura managed to bite her tongue but her glare was withering. Kenji found her easy to ignore; between the pink hair, white coat, and blue scarf, she looked like a giant piece of cotton candy.
"We're waiting on the delegates from Sand and for the leader of our group; it's not her fault the negotiations haven't started yet," a voice said easily. The speaker rounded the corner, blue eyes twinkling merrily. "I hope you you're not letting Kenji get to you, Miss…"
"Sakura," she supplied, glancing down slyly in an effort to escape his stunning smile.
What a hottie, she thought dumbly, trying not to stare at him. I can see his pectoral muscles through his shirt, I swear to God.
"That's a very lovely name, Sakura-san," he complimented. Shikamaru half expected him to kiss her hand, but he shook it politely. "My name is Nii Asazaki."
"It's nice to meet you," Sakura told him sincerely.
"Likewise. You'll have to forgive Kenji's rudeness. He's unaccustomed to waiting for things."
"Well, they say patience is a virtue," Sakura said sweetly, giving Kenji a pointed look.
Before he could retort, the revolving doors of the hotel swung open to admit Kankurou and Mura. Gaara was close behind, well-dressed but not wearing anything official. Instead of the rich, earthy colors he usually preferred, he was dressed in black.
Kazekage-sama cleans up nice, Sakura acknowledged. So does Kankurou, come to think of it. And then there's Mura, who always looks perfect…
"Well, since we've nearly got everyone, how about we all head to the site of the meeting?" Asazaki suggested loftily.
"We're not discussing this here?"
"In a hotel? Surely not." Kenji didn't even glance at her. He still hadn't risen from his chair.
"If it's alright with you, we thought we'd use Yoshida-san's office at the conservatory."
"You want to cram us all in an office?" Kankurou blurted out.
"My uncle's office is obviously larger than you think."
"What about the head of your delegation? Shouldn't we wait for him?" Sakura was trying extremely hard to ignore Kenji, but his behavior was starting to piss her off. She got the impression that he was like that so much that it didn't even bother Asazaki anymore.
"Takayori-san will be with us shortly, I assure you."
Every set of eyes went to the door where a boy was brushing snow from his hair casually. Kankurou instantly recognized him from earlier. The two girls he was flanked by, however, were unfamiliar. They were obviously a three-cell genin team.
"Shukuchi-sama, what's up with Takayori-sensei?" Asazaki addressed the boy.
"This is somewhat embarrassing, but he's currently procuring the keys to Yoshida-sensei's office."
"Oh, that's right, I forgot," Asazaki muttered absently. "At any rate, I suggest we all head to the conservatory in the meantime. Takayori will have the keys for us by the time we get there. It will be a lot more comfortable than anything the hotel can provide, I promise. Any and all formal introductions can wait until then."
"Why not just ask that we all meet there instead of the hotel?" Shikamaru asked him.
"Takayori-sensei didn't want to make you all run around Yukimura trying to find the conservatory in case you decided against convening there. The hotel was a convenient place to meet up and he had planned to propose going to the conservatory himself, at least until he got detained. If any of you wish to remain here or have any objections against going, feel free to decline. We can always hold talks here if it makes you more comfortable."
Wow, you could hear the veritable fucking pin drop, Shikamaru thought grimly. No one said anything, glancing at each other carefully for the tiniest hint of a reaction. These Lightning nins are pretty nice, but they're straight to business.
-O-
I can't believe how much fun I've had today, Tenten thought, ducking a snowball lobbed by Chiie. Her aim wasn't bad, but Tenten deduced that the girl's real strength was in her legs. Jou-chan mentioned you were a dancer; no wonder you thought that ski slope was a piece of cake.
"Hey, Tenten, you're really good at this!" Rikichi's comment was sincere; he'd gotten nine out of ten snowballs to his torso. The tenth had hit Chiie when he used her as a human shield, a move that wasn't so popular with the petite redhead.
"Jerk-face!"
Jerk-face? Tenten paused mid-throw to watch Chiie chase Rikichi around in circles. Her legs are considerably shorter, but she was gaining on him as the chase progressed. They're such a cute couple. Not quite what I'm looking for, but very adorable.
Tenten laughed out loud when Rikichi tripped over the pile of snowballs Chiie had made a few minutes before. Every passerby merely shook his or her head, but Tenten genuinely didn't care what they thought. It was nice to indulge in a little bit of silliness, especially with two people so honest and kind.
"I'll teach you to treat a lady like that!" Chiie had finally caught him and was in the process of climbing him when they paused. Tenten felt it too; familiar chakra signatures were approaching.
It was a large group of ninjas approaching. Tenten recognized Gaara and Kankurou's silhouette immediately. She caught a glimpse of Sakura's pink hair and Shikamaru's spiky head. But what she wasn't expecting was the blue and intense gaze of the mysterious runner from that morning. For a long moment, they held each other's gaze, at least until a low voice ripped her attention away.
"Tenten."
The brunette stilled. The voice, the familiar timbre and inflection…She knew it was only her name, a word she'd heard from his lips countless times, but the way it made her knees weak never changed, not in all the years she knew him.
How silly am I, still getting goose bumps over something so simple? Tenten sighed. Steeling herself, she looked into white irises.
"Hello, Neji."
-O-
Author's Notes: Finally finished with this chapter! What a bitch to write. I think I need to up the rating for language. It's going to get a lot worse. Well…now that Neji finally knows Tenten's in Snow Country (Sakura conveniently forgot to tell him…) he's going to have an interesting time trying to stay focused. I'm sorry the next few chapters are information overload, but the manga is too, at least at the beginning of every new arc. If you review (and I hope you do), please be nice