A/N:
Oh my gosh, you guys! It has been too long and I'm sorry! I have a couple excuses:
One: My internet is kind of wonky and I need a new computer.
And two: Writer's block. :(
However, I have had help! V-quez is wonderful! She read a few parts of this chapter and gave me some suggestions that helped me sooo much! So a great big thanks to her! I also got some awesome reviews that really kicked my butt into gear. And guess what? I've had a breakthrough! We are back in business.
I worked hard on this chapter and I hope it was worth the wait! Please enjoy. :)
The Kurohara dancers would have surely been a sight to behold if Tenten had been paying attention to their performance. In the darkened room, everyone sat in awe of the magnificent performance except for two alert shinobi—and the man who had slipped quietly into the room while he thought no one was looking.
It was Jin, and Tenten recognized him easily now that she knew his name. His hair was slicked back into a black ponytail and he wore his glasses on the tip of his nose. He didn't look entertained in the least by the dance performance. Instead, he stood in the corner, looking annoyed with his arms crossed and a deep frown on his lips.
His black eyes slid to meet hers, as if he knew that she'd been staring at him the whole time. She broke eye contact immediately. There was no concrete evidence that he was a shinobi - much less a powerful missing-nin - but something about him disturbed her. The more she thought about it, the more nervous she felt. She leaned toward Shino a little, hoping to get his attention and direct it toward Jin.
She risked another glimpse at the dark figure in the corner. He was still looking at her, something indefinable in his dark eyes. She looked away once more, resolving not to look at him again.
Shino glanced down at the woman who had suddenly taken hold of his arm. To the casual observer, she looked like she was enjoying the performance, but her eyes weren't focused on the dancers before them and her jaw was slightly clenched. One hand gripped his elbow and the other was discreetly reaching for her thigh, where he was sure she hid a weapon.
She was showing signs of distress, but he couldn't identify the reason why. Before he could ask her what was going on, the last dance ended and the small crowd began clapping.
Her hand left to clap, leaving his arm empty and tingling from the bugs that resided inside.
"What a marvelous performance!" "How beautiful!" Cries of delight came from the party as the lights came back on.
Tenten looked up at him with a smile, and her eyes gave him the answer. She ever-so-slightly glanced toward the corner of the room. From behind his sunglasses, he looked over to see the man that they knew as Jin, the manager of the Main Inn.
He was staring at Tenten. For a moment his eyes met Shino's, but it took no time before he began once again to stare at his partner. After a moment, though, he seemed to get bored and he looked away.
Ah. So that's why she was uncomfortable.
Only a moment went by before plates of food and jugs of sake were being passed around. The party was going to be in full swing now, and Shino suspected that the greatest potential for danger had passed. A logical time to attack had presented itself in the darkness, yet no chances had been taken.
The only thing that did seem out of the ordinary had been the scrutinizing stares directed at Tenten—but even then, Shino supposed that she was a moderately attractive woman. Although he had no doubt that Jin deserved some scrutiny, it was not unusual for strange men to stare at women.
There wasn't too much time to muse over what he'd just seen. Suki had found her way right back to where they were, chattering about how brilliant the performance had been.
"How did you like the dance? Wasn't that just enchanting?" the black-haired woman asked, taking a seat on a cushion near to them.
"It was just wonderful," Tenten gushed, a big smile on her face. It was almost as if she hadn't been so very anxious moments ago. "Kurohara is so special. We don't have anything like that in Hiroshi."
"I don't imagine you do," Suki replied. "Is Hiroshi a small town, Nanami-san?"
"Yes, very small," the kunoichi replied with a nod. "Right on the edge of a swamp."
"Oh, my," Suki laughed. "I couldn't imagine. Does your town see very many people passing though?"
"We're right next to a Hidden Village, so you can imagine all of those shinobi…" Suki laughed and covered her mouth once again.
"Nanami-san! So scandalous!" she exclaimed with a wave of her hand. She turned her attention to Shino.
"So, Nakamura-san. Or can I call you Souza?"
"Of course," Shino replied with a nod and a crooked smile.
"Souza," she said, seeming to relish the name on her lips. "How did you happen to pass through Hiroshi?"
"I have many reasons to visit," he replied. "My father is a fruit merchant—he sells his products to places where fruit won't grow easily, like the Hiroshi Swamps. My business there is to oversee land negotiations. Soon I'll be taking over my father's business."
"How exciting! So you and Nanami-san are well-acquainted, I take it?" she asked, almost leering.
"Souza-san always visits me when he's in town," Tenten said with a grin, sliding her arm into the crook of his elbow.
"That's wonderful," Suki said. "Oh, have you two had the opportunity to meet Jin-sama?"
"We haven't yet," Shino replied. "We really should pay our respects to the person who invited us to this party."
"Of course you should! Here he comes right now," Suki said happily, pointing to where her boss was. He was just finishing speaking with another small group of people from the party and beginning to walk toward them. He looked completely different from the brooding man who had stood in the corner with his arms crossed.
"Good to meet you, Nakamura-san. I'm glad you could join us tonight," he said with a warm smile. The fact that he could switch so fast from cold and collected to bright and charismatic worried Tenten even more.
"Of course. Thank you for inviting us to this little get-together," Shino replied, looking up at Jin's tall and imposing figure from his position on a cushion.
"Why don't you join us, Jin-sama?" Suki asked. "Souza-san and Nanami-san are such interesting company."
"I have some time," Jin said, kneeling to adjust a cushion. "Of course, I invite only the most interesting of guests to my parties." His eyes darted briefly in Tenten's direction. "Tell me, Nakamura-san. How are you enjoying your stay?"
"It's been excellent so far," Shino replied, sounding totally confident and cool—completely unlike himself. Tenten knew that they were undercover, but Shino acted so different that it never ceased to surprise her. "It may be one of the most extravagant hotels I've ever stayed in."
"We aim to please." Jin looked openly at the kunoichi. "And you, Nanami-san? How do you find the Main Inn?"
"It's just wonderful. Thank you so much for inviting us to your party!" she replied, smiling through her nerves. He made the hairs on the back of her neck stand straight on end and she couldn't figure out why. She could feel something coming from him, something like chakra—something she couldn't quite place. She wondered if Shino could feel it too.
"I should move along," Jin said. "But help yourselves. Suki, pour them some sake." His request came out more like a firm order than a suggestion, and for a moment, something flashed across Suki's features—hurt? But it was gone before Tenten could see for sure.
"Of course, Jin-sama," she said with a small bow. She began to pour the drinks as he stood up.
"Our sake is excellent," he said, looking even more imposing now that he was standing. "Some say that the mountain air is what makes it unique. I urge you to try it." And then he was gone, busy attending other guests and making conversation elsewhere.
Before they could think too much about the strange appearance, Suki was offering them cups of sake. "It's true. I've tasted sake from everywhere, but this is truly the best," she said with a smile. "You'll have to tell me what you think."
A cup was poured for each of them. Tenten picked up her glass and knocked it back as quickly as she could. Before anyone could say a word, she smiled and wrapped her fingers around Shino's glass, as well. She set it down with an exhale. "It's very good sake," she joked. Suki laughed at what looked like a mischievous antic and poured more.
Every time a cup was poured for Shino, she was always quick to slip it away and replace it with an empty cup. With a discreet hand and witty conversation, she would ensure that no one would figure out that the man in sunglasses wouldn't take a drop of alcohol.
.
...
.
An hour and a half passed before they could politely leave the party, and in that time Tenten had consumed more alcohol than he would have thought advisable. She'd also grown handsy. They walked side-by-side back to their room, and even though they were alone she still clung to his arm. She leaned on him fully now, seemingly unaware of the bugs that crawled contentedly beneath her touch.
He couldn't help but feel deeply annoyed at her for the moment. Once the sake had come out, she'd begun drinking non-stop. It had started out normally enough—he knew that it would have been rude if both of them had refused a drink. However, he could not see a good reason for her indulgence.
From the moment the first drink was poured, she'd been the center of attention. Every time a drink was poured for either of them, she'd been quick to grab it up for herself. She laughed and made conversation with Suki, who was amused by her antics. Even while intoxicated, Tenten was funny and flirtatious. She spoke to other guests, to Suki, and to him, although he wasn't too keen on talking to her.
She'd made a fool of herself.
When it had finally been time to go, Shino had to help her to her feet and Suki gave them a smirk.
"You're sure the two of you won't need help to your room?" the woman asked, her voice smooth as silk and filled with suggestion.
Before Shino could answer, Tenten said, "Oh no, I think I'd like Souza-san all to myself tonight." She leaned in close to Suki and whispered, "He likes it when I'm a little tipsy."
Suki had been amused and had let them go without any more questions, but he still couldn't help but feel utterly embarrassed for the way she'd acted. They were undercover, but it was no excuse to let all inhibitions go.
"Would you like assistance?" he asked lowly, trying to keep the edge out of his voice. It wouldn't do to reprimand her now, but when she was sober he was planning on having a talk with her, mission leader to subordinate.
"I'm just tired," she admitted, fighting off the sleepy, nauseous feeling that came with overindulgence. It was all fun and games until she had one too many, and then she always got tired and sick. She forced her legs to keep walking—she'd make it into bed and deal with the hangover later. "I'm alright."
She straightened up so that she wasn't touching him anymore. She could sense that it bothered him, and she didn't want to step over any boundaries. Unfortunately, she overcompensated and leaned a little too far forward.
She felt a cool arm slide around her waist and keep her standing straight. Okay, so maybe she did need a little help.
"It was unwise to drink that much," Shino said quietly. He didn't sound angry, but the criticism still didn't feel good.
"Sorry," she sighed, closing her eyes. "'m just really tired."
She was walking too slowly. He was beginning to feel more than irritation—he was feeling almost desperate to get into the room and end the day. Without a sound, he bent over and swept her up from her knees to carry her bridal-style.
It seemed to jostle her from her lethargy. "Hey," she chirped, her face turning a bright pink—whether it was from embarrassment or the alcohol, he didn't know.
"This is faster," he said bluntly, picking up a brisk pace with her in tow. Her arms wrapped around his neck in an attempt to stable herself, and he ignored her as well as he could with his bugs going crazy beneath her touch.
Tenten had leaned on his arm enough to know that Shino's bugs liked to buzz beneath his skin, but she had never had this much contact with him. She could feel a slight vibrating wherever their bodies touched. Her inebriated mind wondered how it would feel to be constantly vibrating.
"How…?" before she could ask her foolish question, they were in the room and he had set her abruptly down on the bed. It was probably good she hadn't had the chance to ask about his kikkai. "Shino-san?"
"Sleep," he said, his voice terse. She frowned. What was his problem?
"Uh, Shino-san. Did you want to write a report—?"
"We'll resume tomorrow. For now we must rest. Why? There is still work to be done tomorrow," he said.
She rubbed her eyes and frowned. "I wanted to ask you about Jin, did you see—"
"That's enough," his quiet voice cut right through her statement and her eyebrows furrowed.
"What?" Her surprise at his interruption drew a strange satisfaction from him.
"As mission leader, I insist that you sleep," he continued. A flash of hurt spread across her face but it was quickly hidden when she turned away from him and hauled the covers up to her chin.
"Yes, sir," she mumbled, temporarily defeated. If she hadn't been so drowsy, she would have pursued the matter further. He sat down on his mat by the bed and turned away from her to meditate.
She nestled under the covers and loosened the knot on her obi. She too tired to change out of her kimono, but still desired comfort. For now, she was too tired to try and figure out what was going on inside that bug-brain of his. She didn't want to deal with it anyway. Between Lee and Neji, she'd had enough pouty males to last her a lifetime.
It didn't take long before she was floating away into sleep, listening carefully for the buzzing of kikkai that she swore she could still feel on her skin.
.
...
.
He found himself awake early that next morning. He sat outside on the balcony again to watch the sunrise, deep in thought.
The mission was going as planned, but he was beginning to feel the stress of being undercover—feeling exposed without his coats and having to act the part of Souza Nakamura. Added to that was the stress of having to work with someone who wasn't a part of his normal team.
Tenten wasn't bad. In fact, she was the one person that he knew to be the best undercover. After some refelction, he'd had to admit that last night had been played perfectly. No matter how much he wanted to reprimand her for her behavior, he realized that she had done exactly what needed to be done. She'd been social and drawn attention to herself so that no one would notice that he wasn't drinking—just as he had asked her to.
He was just so unused to being touched, and he was frustrated with the social situations that she made look so easy. She had made remarks that had made him uncomfortable, but it had all been for the mission. He had been harsh with her because of his own insecurities, and that was unacceptable.
He turned to glance at her from outside. She'd shoved the covers off, as seemed to be her habit. The outer layers of her kimono had been shed in her sleep to avoid overheating, revealing only off-white under shirts beneath. It was not any more revealing than her regular clothes, but it felt like he was seeing something intimate. Her hair curled and framed her face, unbound from the pins and ties that had trapped it before. He was suddenly aware of her, as if he hadn't truly noticed her before.
He averted his eyes, not wanting to stare for too long. He was being incredibly unprofessional. He couldn't make a habit of watching her sleep in the early mornings. It was too awkward, too strange, too... comfortable.
He turned away once more to look out to the garden. They had a mission to complete and he didn't need to be distracted.
So far, any scouting or searching they could have done had been railroaded by Suki. That couldn't be an accident. She was always there, always distracting them with parties or dinners. So far they had been able to avoid suspicion, but their efforts to find the missing Suna team were being thwarted at almost every turn.
That was surely her goal, Shino decided. Her constant presence was no coincidence.
He was also wary after last night's private dinner. Jin was probably pulling the strings, and Shino couldn't figure out what his goals were. What would Jin have to do with the missing team? Shino was positive that he wasn't the criminal they had been after—so how did he factor in to all of this?
They had somehow caught Jin's attention. It seemed that whoever was in charge hadn't figured out the true nature of Shino and Tenten's presence in Kurohara, seeing that they were still alive… but now the stakes were higher. They were most certainly being watched.
A soft groan broke him out of his thoughts. He turned to see Tenten sitting up in bed, pulling her untied robe together and rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.
"Shino-san?" Her voice was hoarse. "Could we close the curtain, please?"
The light streamed in from the window and cut right through her brain.
Or at least that was what it felt like. She could hardly move except to cover her eyes with her arm. Waking up after a night of drinking was the worst, although she was glad to realize that this morning wasn't as harsh as some others she'd experienced.
After a few long moments, she rolled over and opened her eyes a little to see that the glass door to the balcony was open, and that Shino was outside, holding tight to the rails as he looked out to the garden.
She sat up slowly to avoid dizziness. She ran her fingers through her messy hair, thankful that her teammate was facing away. She frowned as she remembered last night.
She'd had quite a bit to drink. She silently assessed whether or not she would need to vomit, and was thankful to note that wouldn't. Her mouth was dry and her head hurt, but besides that she was no worse for the wear.
She supposed that Shino was mad still at her, though for what she didn't know. She had thought for a while as she lay in bed last night—what had she done wrong? Had she overstepped some kind of boundary?
She couldn't help but think that she and Shino still weren't quite meshing together as a team. She liked to think of herself as a versatile and sociable person, having worked with all types of people in her career as a shinobi… but something between them was still off. It was his first time as mission leader in an undercover operation, and also the first time they had ever worked exclusively with one another. Maybe that's what the problem was. Maybe they would be able to work together more effectively with a little more time…
But in the meantime, her head was pounding.
She cleared her throat to get his attention. He still stood quietly at the balcony, too deep in his thoughts to hear.
"Shino-san? Could we close the curtain, please?" He turned toward her and stepped inside, closing the curtain on his way back inside. "Thanks," she half-whispered, trying to avoid making too much noise.
"I see that you are awake," he stated, his voice soft, as if he didn't want to aggravate her head either.
"Uh, yeah," she muttered, rubbing her temples and shutting her eyes.
"How are you feeling?" The question surprised her.
"I could be better," she replied. She wasn't going to complain if he wasn't angry with her anymore.
"Tenten-san," he continued, adjusting his sunglasses and sitting down on the chair near the bed. "I was harsh with you last night when you did nothing. Please accept my apology."
She blinked, trying to get the wheels in her brain turning again. "You're… sorry?"
"I am. Why? Because I let my personal feelings stand in the way of logic."
"... Personal feelings?" she asked, wishing she had the mental energy to stop repeating whatever he said.
He let out a soft sigh that she could barely interpret. She'd had a lot of experience trying to read unreadable men, but Shino baffled her.
"I was uncomfortable last night at the party. Talking with Suki, Jin, and you. I am… not used to social situations." He adjusted his sunglasses, something that she noticed he did when he was tense. "At the time I thought your drinking was excessive and unnecessary. Now I realize that you chose the correct course of action."
Tenten really wasn't sure what to say. "Thanks," she started, relieved. "I didn't know that was what was bothering you. You should have just said so in the first place!"
"I apologize."
"It's okay," she said, leaning her elbows on her knees and summoning a smile through her hangover. His face was still stoic. "You're not used to social situations? Haven't I seen you at a few Hyuga functions?" she asked.
"I have gone to keep Hinata company, yes," he replied, sitting back and folding his arms. "Kiba and I both."
"And some village festivals, too? Maybe you're a little more social than you thought," she teased, trying to lighten the mood a little.
"Once again, with Kiba and Hinata."
When she really thought about it, it was true; she almost never saw him without one or both of his teammates. Even though he was a person who seemed to prefer solitude, he would still keep his teammates company. It was… really nice of him.
"Perhaps you can relate," he said, surprising her. "I rarely see you without your teammates. I'm not sure how they are managing without you."
She was silent for a moment, trying to figure out what he meant. Had he just… cracked a joke? A twitch of his lips confirmed it and she grinned. "Gai-sensei will just have to keep them in line for me," she said with a laugh. His mouth almost quirked into a real smile, but the expression was gone just as soon as it had appeared.
"Even so, forgive me, Tenten-san. I shouldn't have spoken so harshly last night."
She felt her face flush—he was being so nice. Since when was Shino Aburame nice? Maybe she didn't know him at all. "It's no big deal," she said with a smile. "And it's just Tenten."
"I use the honorific out of courtesy."
She rolled her eyes. Duh. "You don't call Hinata 'Hinata-san', do you? And I know you don't use an honorific with Kiba. We're teammates, so just call me Tenten."
He was silent for a moment, as if he was trying to process her words. "Then you may call me Shino," he said quietly.
"And next time there's a problem, you can just tell me, okay?" she asked gently. If they were going to work as a team, they had to trust each other.
"I doubt there will be a next time. Why? I plan to avoid all unnecessary social interactions. We will redouble our efforts to find Suna's missing team."
And just like that, they were right back to business.
"I like the sound of that," she agreed. All of the parties and dinners and festivities that took place in Kurohara wore her out. "What's our next move?"
"Continued intelligence-gathering. We've been distracted by Jin and Suki, and I don't believe it's a coincidence."
"Speaking of Jin… Don't you think he's a little suspicious? Almost every time I've run into him he acts weird. Kind of creepy."
"'Creepy.'" Shino repeated, looking deep in thought. The word 'creepy' sounded odd coming out of his mouth.
"There's gotta something up with him," she replied. "He doesn't act like a civilian." She thought back to last night when she'd felt something strange around him. For some reason, Jin really bothered her. There was just something off about him. Something wrong.
"Because he is 'creepy'?" he asked, skeptical.
"Yeah, well, he is," she huffed. "Don't you think? His chakra or something, it feels different."
His lips were set in their perpetual frown, the wheels turning in his mind. "I cannot say I agree with you regarding his chakra. But I do know that we should look into his activities here. Perhaps he knows our missing-nin."
"What if he did something to the team before us?"
"It is possible. I do not know."
She tapped her chin with her index finger. "Could he be an accomplice? He could be helping our missing-nin somehow."
"Hn."
"Can we even follow that lead? Are we allowed to capture him if we find him here?"
"No. We have specific instructions not to pursue him; our only job here is to recover the missing team or confirm their deaths."
"Why not?" she asked. Their orders were specific: recover the missing team and leave the criminal alone. Responsible Hokage or not, it just didn't sound like Naruto. The Naruto she knew would take any opportunity he could to take down a guy like that, so why not this time?
"I suspect the reasons are political," Shino explained. "We are here at the behest of the Kazekage, a close friend of Naruto's. While they may need help, they do not want to appear weak. They are still building their strength as a village. Perhaps our hokage wishes to give them room to grow. He doesn't wish to overstep his bounds." It sounded pretty thoughtful for Naruto, but Tenten knew that he had grown over the years.
"It's getting pretty difficult to investigate the missing team, though. Especially when the missing-nin probably has everything to do with why they're missing," she said with a frown.
"No matter," Shino said. "We will fulfill the obligations of our mission. For now, I suggest we continue investigating the inn. Over the next few days, we'll find out how long Jin has been here. Suki as well." His long fingers intertwined with each other as he thought, and suddenly he looked up at her. "Tenten. Can you speak to anyone on the staff without arousing suspicion?"
She nodded. "Leave it to me. I already have my eye on someone." He raised an eyebrow.
"Good. From now on we must operate with more caution and avoid distractions." She could tell from the tone of his voice that he was talking about Suki.
"Alright," she said. "Well, first things first, I'm going to the bathhouse." Akane, the person who she thought could help, worked in the bathhouse. Not to mention that she was filthy. She held on to her thin under-layer of kimono together to avoid any accidental flashing as she made her way to the small bathroom. She made quick work of changing into a bathrobe and grabbing a towel. "I'll be back soon," she said, giving him a wave and smile as she opened the door.
"I will get food while you're away. Do you have any preferences?"
She stopped in the doorway. "Something mild?" she asked. Shino nodded and she continued on her way.
Tenten walked quietly toward the bathhouse, enjoying the quiet morning despite her headache. Kurohara seemed to be a nocturnal place, awakening at night for parties, drinking, and dining.
She had a plan. While her motives for going to the bathhouse involved actual bathing, she wanted to find Akane once again. When she'd first arrived, she was the only one among the staff who had taken time to talk to her. She seemed sweet—maybe even a little naïve. Tenten didn't feel great about it, but as it stood, Akane was the only viable option as far as intelligence went. Hopefully she would know something useful.
She was nearly at the bathhouse when her feet seemed to slow down on their own volition. She felt something… like it was niggling at the back of her mind. There was a tingling on the back of her neck, as if someone was watching her.
She turned, trying to look casual. There was nothing, no one. The building was quieter than ever. Feeling spooked, she continued on her way. As far as she could see, there was no one. But years of training had attuned her to her instincts. Even if she wasn't able to see anything, she knew that for a moment, someone must have been there, watching her.