Sulamon sat there and listened to her narrative. He asked a few pointed questions, but was otherwise silent. She was by far one of his most useful agents. She had provided him valuable knowledge on the comings and goings of the Kazekage. Now she was giving him important information on what was becoming a very real threat to Suna.

"When I left Shikamaru was sitting down to have dinner with Temari-sama and Gaara-sama, Kankuro-sama was not at home."

"I see," he said quietly. He was used to hiding his feelings and had no problem keeping his passive exterior. Inside he was worried. This Chunin was sitting down to dinner with Gaara? He had known the current clan head of Sabaku his entire life of course. He had never been one for pleasant meals or conversations. Since the death of the Kazekage and his ascension to clan head he'd had a handful of meals with anyone outside his family. All of them had been centered on important business or ceremony. Yet somehow this Chunin had gotten Gaara to invite him to dinner? Of course Temari would have encouraged it, but he knew no one could force Gaara to do anything he did not want to. He would need more information before coming to a firm decision. But it was time to move the pieces into the proper position if he decided to play them.

He stood up. "You have done very well Tanya and your services are appreciated." He reached into a pocket and took out a thick wad of ryu notes. "Here is 5,000 ryu, which is I believe about two months' pay?" He handed them to her. She accepted them and kept her eyes on the floor. He waited, but she said nothing. "Am I not generous?" He said quietly.

Her face shot up. He was pleased to see the look of fear. "Most generous Sulamon-sama!"

He looked at her without expression. He knew what was going through her mind. He knew what strings to pull with her. He gave her a very small, friendly smile. "Is it perhaps that you would rather have this?" From a different pocket he took out a simple envelope. He held it out so she could see her name was written on it. Of course she recognized the hand writing. Instinctually one hand reached for it, but she drew it back.

"Is that?" There was a strangled hope in her voice.

"A letter from your brother? Yes, it is, I just received it a few days ago." That was a lie. He'd had it for close to two months. But there were no dates on it, no way for her to know when it was written. He had held on to it. It was a piece to be played when she needed some extra motivation. He judged now to be that time. He gave her a slightly wider smile and held it out to her. "Take it by all means Tanya; it is for you after all."

With shaking hands she reached out and took it from him. He watched as she pulled out the single sheet and read the words there. "He says he is being fed and that they are no longer hurting him." Her voice ached with relief, she had tears.

"Even the mist nins can be civilized at times. They know now he has no valuable information. So there is no reason to torture him."

She looked at him with just the faintest glimmer of hope in her eyes. "Does that mean they will let him go?"

He shook his head. "No, of course not."

"Why?" she wailed. "If they know he has nothing to give them why won't they let him go?"

"Because he is a criminal." He said simply.

"A criminal? My baby brother was a shinobi on a mission!"

"He was caught committing an act of espionage in Mist territory."

"But he was just following orders!"

"Orders from whom?" The man said coldly. "Surely you do not suggest he was ordered to spy by the legal authorities of Suna? Spying is considered an act of war, and of course the five great villages would never spy on each other."

"So Suna will just abandon him?" She asked bitterly. "He will just be left to rot in a Mist prison?"

"Every shinobi understands the risks they face. Your brother knew he might be called upon to make a sacrifice for the greater good of his village." He saw the frustration and the look of hopelessness. It was exactly what he wanted. "However…" A look of interest flashed to her face at the sound of that one word. "Something might be arranged."

"What?" She tried to keep the eagerness from her voice but couldn't.

"A mist nin was recently captured by us under similar circumstances and is currently enjoying our hospitality. He is a very powerful Jonin and the authorities in Mist have made it clear they are prepared to exchange all prisoners for his return." He saw the sudden look of real hope and gave her a few seconds to let it grow. He had given, now he would take away. "Unfortunately, all the prisoners they hold are Genins without any special or unique abilities. Not only is this Jonin powerful, he may have access to valuable information. Information that will take time to squeeze out."

She ground her teeth. "If he were noble you would move heaven and earth to save him."

"That is true." He saw no reason to pretend otherwise. "But he is not. Yet, if I were to receive a service of some very great value that might warrant making the exchange."

"What service?" She asked, torn between hope and despair.

He proceeded to tell her in detail just what he had in mind. "Were you to do this for me I would be extremely grateful and your reward would be your brother's freedom."

She looked at him in horror. "I can't do that! I can't help you murder someone."

"Why not?" She could only stare open mouthed at him. "What I will actually require of you will be very simple, and will only take a few minutes of your time. I do not expect you to perform the actual killing."

"Blood will still be on my hands."

"So you would not kill to rescue your brother from his cell?"

She shut her eyes and sobbed. "Don't ask me that please! Isn't there any other way?"

"When a new Kazekage is chosen you can petition him. How much good that will do you I cannot say. But that is unlikely to occur for a year or more. In the meantime, as Director of Internal Security I alone have the authority to approve prisoner exchanges. I am the only one who can have your brother released and returned home." He recast his henge, showing her their time was at an end. "All this is merely a contingency; I will need more information before choosing the proper course of action. I do not require an answer yet, but think well on what I have said." He dispelled the sealing jutsu. "You may go."

She gave him a formal bow and wasted no time in fleeing.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Wow, you sure were cute as a kid." He teased her.

She gave him a flat look. "You know I've seen your baby pictures."

He shrugged. "I'm not surprised, mom loves showing those." He was not going to mention the little fact he had used his camera on some of the pictures he'd seen of her. He would save that for the next time she visited him.

"If you tell anyone about the doll I am going to kill you."

He smiled at her. "I would never tell." Showing would be so much more fun.

"Fine, good night." She turned around and started heading back to the house.

"No kiss good night?" He sounded hurt.

She turned around and faced him with her arms crossed. "Do you really think you deserve a kiss?"

"You mean after making that huge effort to get along with your brother, the one who has a reputation for killing people he doesn't like?"

She had to admit he had a point. She went over to the gate. "I suppose I do have to thank you for that."

He smirked at her. "Is that the only reason?"

"No." She kissed him. She had meant to give him just one, but he put his arms around her and refused to let her go. Not being too upset by that she gave him a few more, before gently pulling away. "Lunch tomorrow?"

"I'll be here by noon."

"Be here by eleven or you don't get anything to eat."

He shook his head and laughed. "It's troublesome but I'll be here by eleven." He headed out the gate.

She went back inside where Gaara was waiting. He was too polite to watch as they said good bye. "He is very interesting."

She nodded her agreement. "I've always thought so."

"He refused to say that he loved you. But he did say he cared for you, and I believe him."

She smiled. "That's enough for right now." She went up to bed happy with the world.

XXXXXXXXXX

Back at the hotel Shikamaru spotted a familiar figure sitting in the hotel restaurant. He decided to stop in and join his friend. As soon as he approached the table he knew something was seriously wrong. Chouji was just sitting there glumly staring at an entire plate full of barbecue.

"Hey Chouji." He sat down at the table.

Chouji looked up and nodded. "Hey Shika, how did things go? Have you been with Temari this whole time?"

"Yeah," a waitress came over and he put in an order for tea. "Things went surprisingly well, I'll tell you about it later. What's wrong?"

"What? Nothing's wrong." He replied glumly.

Shikamaru smiled. "Well in that case would you mind if I have the rest of your food?"

He had been joking, but Chouji pushed the plate towards him. "Here."

He stared at his friend. "Chouji what's wrong, are you sick?"

He shook his head. "I'm just thinking of going on a diet."

"Why would you do that?"

"Because I'm fat." He said simply.

He could not believe that Chouji had just used that word. "No you're not, you're just pleasantly plump."

He sent his best friend a grateful little smirk. "Thanks Shika but we both know the truth. I'm not plump or big boned, I'm just plain fat. I'm fat and disgusting and no girl would ever want to be seen with me." They were both silent as the waitress brought over the tea. "She is on a date right now." He said quietly.

"Ino?"

Chouji nodded and just stared at the table. "One of the boys she danced with asked her and of course she said yes. She spent a whole half an hour telling me how excited she was."

"You can't get depressed over this, it doesn't mean anything."

"It means she'd rather go out with a guy she just met than with me." He lifted his eyes. "You know you're really lucky to have a girl like Temari who wants to be with you."

He tried to lighten the mood. "You can say that, but you've never had her hit you with her fan."

"But you're not sorry you came here though, are you?" Shikamaru shook his head. "I watched how other guys came up to you two and how she kept telling them no. You don't know how lucky you are."

"I know I'm lucky."

"Do you want to hear something really funny?"

"Sure."

"I really thought that now that Sasuke was gone that I might actually have at least a chance to go out with her. I thought that maybe she would start to see me as more than a friend. I thought that if she knew I was a good guy, if she knew she could trust me, if she knew I would never ever do anything to hurt her, that maybe, just maybe, her feelings might turn into something more. But she'd rather go out with some guy who's a complete stranger because he's, 'cute just like Sasuke.' That's how she put it, kind of says it all doesn't it?"

"Chouji, you are a hundred times better than that traitor! If Ino can't see that then it's her loss."

"Thanks Shika, you've always been my best friend and I appreciate it."

"Chouji you are the best. Don't let it bother you that Ino can't see that. Someday you are going to meet a girl who will appreciate you and all this won't matter anymore."

He nodded. "I just wish it didn't matter now. Do you know what I am Shika?"

"A good guy."

He grinned. "I'm a back up plan. I'm the last option when there are no better choices. When she needs me I'm there, and when she doesn't I get forgotten. And seriously, what girl wants to have to date her back up plan?" Chouji stood up from the table. "Good night Shika, I'm going to bed."

XXXXXXXXXX

He waited outside her door. One thing no one could ever say about him was that he lacked patience. He simply sat down and relaxed. Patient or not he was surprised to still be sitting there well after midnight. It was close to one when he saw the elevator doors open. Ino came spilling out, her arms wrapped around an older and taller boy. She walked unsteadily and had to lean against him to keep from losing her balance. By the look on his face the boy didn't seem to mind. Grunting Shikamaru stood up and took out his camera.

"Smile." He snapped a picture and made the camera disappear.

"Huh? Shikamaru, what are you doing here?" A smile split her all ready blush face. "Are you jealous?"

Ignoring her he looked at the boy. "Go home."

The boy was older and bigger. He frowned at Shikamaru and stood taller. "Who are you?"

He smiled. "Me? I'm a Chunin from Konoha and the teammate of the girl you've got your arm around. I'm also pissed off so you had better leave."

"I don't…"

Shikamaru pulled a kunai and without effort tossed it at him. The boy's eyes expanded and he put his hand to the cheek that had been barely cut. In the back of his mind he imagined Anko would be proud. "You a ninja?"

"Shikamaru! What are you doing?!" Ino demanded.

Both boys ignored her. "No." The suddenly cautious local answered.

"In that case you had better go home. Believe me when I say you don't want to mess with me right now."

The boy sent Ino a regretful look before nodding and going back to the elevator.

Ino glared at her teammate and crossed her arms. The effect was somewhat diluted by her swaying. "What the hell was that?"

Shikamaru frowned at her. "Are you drunk?"

"No! I only had a couple glasses of wine!"

"You're thirteen you shouldn't be drinking."

"Who the hell are you, my dad?! You're the same age."

He nodded. "That's right and I've never had alcohol."

"Well good for you! I actually have a social life and I've had sake and beer before. This was just the first time I ever tried wine." She smiled and tapped her hitai-ite. "Besides, we're all adults right?"

"With you I wonder. Does your dad know?"

She shook her head. "So what? You're going to use that as some fresh dirt on me?" He was always threatening to release one of the many pictures he had taken of her over the years.

"No, I have enough of those. I think I'll give your dad this along with an explanation of the circumstances it was taken under."

She gaped at him and suddenly seemed much more sober. "You wouldn't!"

"Wrong Ino! I am more than pissed off enough to do exactly that. What the hell are you thinking inviting someone you barely know up to your room?"

"Oh! I like that! This from the boy who spends all day and night with the sand bimbo!"

"There's a difference."

"Oh really?"

"Yes, Temari has never tried to get me drunk and take advantage of me." With those words came several hilarious one liners, but now was not the time.

"I am not drunk it wouldn't have been taking advantage!" He just stared at her. If it were possible her face would have gotten darker. "I don't mean it that way! We wouldn't have done anything more than a little making out."

He shut his eyes and tried to reign in his anger. "Ino you need to have a talk with Chouji."

"Chouji? Why, what's wrong?"

"He is hurt, and you're the one who has hurt him."

She looked at him in shock. "What do you mean? What did I do?"

"You took him to the dance and then you spent the rest of the night ignoring him."

"I would never ignore him! I just spent most of the night talking with other boys!"

"You know Ino, in some ways you're about as clueless as Naruto. Let me spell this out for you. Chouji likes you."

"I know that, I like him too."

"No, I mean he likes you in the way you wish Sasuke had."

She nodded. "I know he has a crush on me, I think it's sweet. But he knows I don't like him in the same way."

"So you've known about his feeling all along?" She nodded. "Then why are you leading him on? Why are you giving him hope when he has no chance with you?"

"Hey! I've never led him on! I've never told him I wanted to date him or that I was interested in him in that way."

"No, you just ask him out to a dance and then drop him the second someone else comes along." She stared at him obviously not getting it. "Ino tomorrow you are sitting down with Chouji and explaining to him that he will never be more than a friend to you. Afterwards you will never ask him to bring you to a party or dance or anything else that might resemble a date." She opened her mouth. "And if you don't your father gets that picture along with an explanation. Do you understand?"

She nodded. "Ok Shikamaru I'll do that, but I don't get why you're so angry. What did I do?"

He shook his head. "Ino I am going to tell you something that Chouji should have but never would. Yamanaka Ino you are a complete and utter bitch." With that he went to his room to get some sleep.

She stayed in the hallway and stared at his closed door. They'd had plenty of fights, plenty of arguments over the years. But he had never ever called her anything like that. She got into her room and hurried over to the bed. She curled up on the bed and slowly cried herself to sleep.