A/N:

Ooohh here we are again! Another update, yay!

I am genuinely sorry it took so long. But I'd just like everyone who reads this story to know that I will update! Even if it takes a while, it doesn't mean I have given up. Life has just gotten crazy and my brain is basically mush. But in the meantime I have brushed up a little on the existing chapters and fixed some grammar/spelling issues.

Also, the website has been acting a little crazy and I am aware that there were two 'chapter 3's for a while. Uhh, I don't know what happened? But hopefully the problem is fixed!

Oh, and LC: Have you gotten an account yet? It's worth it for the authors who want to reply to those wonderful reviews! ;)

I'd like to give a shout out to V-quez who is helping me all the time! Thank you!

There was very little relief to be found in the warmth of the bathhouse. His muscles were relaxing and the warm water seemed to have a soothing effect on his kikkai, but he still couldn't get past the utter mortification he felt when he thought of what had nearly happened with his mission partner.

What had come over him? What had possessed him to think that letting her touch, even kiss him would be a good idea? Not only was he sorry that he'd tossed her out of his lap—he was ashamed that he had exercised poor judgment. He should never have agreed to her plan. He knew better, and yet he had rationalized until it seemed like a good idea.

It was not like him not to think these situations through. So why hadn't he? Was it possible that he had wanted to kiss her?

He sunk down a little deeper into his bath and, with little success, tried to push the nagging thoughts away.

Her beauty was the kind that had snuck up on him and caught him unaware. She was charming and pretty and she had nearly kissed him, and that made it difficult for him to separate his hormones and his true feelings.

But he needed to think objectively—romantic entanglements were all too common on missions like this, and they never ended well. This fact helped him to settle his nerves and think more clearly—his reactions were clearly a result of hormones and natural biological functions. Tenten had many pleasing qualities, but he only admired her as a kunoichi. It wouldn't have even mattered if he was attracted to her—as mission leader, it would be unethical to pursue any kind of relationship (not that he believed she would be open to those kinds of advances, anyway).

They had a mission to complete, and there was no time for distractions. He was determined to solve the new mysteries their investigation had uncovered, and dwelling on inconsequential matters would not help.

That logical train of thought put his mind at ease and he was finally able to put the matter to rest. After his bath, he would go back to the room, make an apology (as awkward as that would be), and get some sleep. From now on he would guard himself more carefully around her.

When he returned to the room, he found his teammate already fast asleep in the bed.

The next afternoon, the sun had finally come out to reveal a new, fresher-looking Kurohara. Shino stood at the balcony and took a few deep breaths, enjoying the mountain air. It was getting colder, but the chill felt good against his cheeks.

"Are you ready?" Tenten's cheery voice penetrated his thoughts. He turned to look at his teammate, who was finally dressed and ready to go.

"Do you remember the address?" he asked.

"It's all up here," she replied with a grin.

"That is… impressive. You memorized it after one glance?" he asked. He'd known that she had a good memory, but he hadn't known it was that good.

"If only," she laughed. "I actually wrote it down as soon as I got a pen and paper," she confessed, grasping a paper out of the folds of her yukata.

It took a little bit of self-restraint not to roll his eyes at her, but he was truly glad that she was still herself, making jokes and talking to him like nothing uncomfortable had happened. She had not acknowledged the tension from their almost-kiss at all, which he was grateful for. When he'd made an official apology for throwing her off his lap the night before, she had told him that he had nothing to be sorry for.

In fact, she had apologized for pressuring him into something he didn't want to do.

He had not known what to say to that. He'd wanted to tell her that he hadn't felt pressured at all, and even apologize for making her think she'd done something wrong… but that would have only led to an unproductive apology-marathon, and he couldn't think of anything more annoying. So he'd just nodded his head and moved on with the day.

Tenten, for her part, was just happy that the whole thing was done and over with.

The day before when they had been sneaking through Jin's office files they had come across the file of a man name Haru Tendo, who had been the manager of the hotel before he'd died of heart complications. In this file was listed his home address and the contact information of his wife. It was their plan to go out and find where he used to live, and perhaps talk to his wife if she was still there. Maybe she could reveal some clues about his life and suspicious death.

They left the inn as quietly as they could, careful to try not to attract the attention of anyone who could be watching. Tenten was worried that Suki would pop up out of nowhere like she usually did, and Shino employed his kikkai to watch for anyone who could be following them.

They walked half a mile until they reached a small residential area that was significantly quieter than the town square. There were several houses in the quiet neighborhood. Not many people were out, and no one paid them any attention. Trees and grass grew wildly along the unpaved road, casting a nice contrast to the hustle and bustle of the red light district. It was a gentle reminder that Kurohara was a village filled with ordinary people, not just brothels and bars.

"What do you think his wife is going to be like?" Tenten asked once they were outside and far away from the Main Inn.

"I do not know," Shino replied, keeping his eyes straight ahead to watch the street signs. They were only about a hundred yards away from the address Tenten had written down.

"Her home is connected to that shrine," Tenten realized as they drew closer. Surely enough, it was—it seemed that the former manager of the hotel had lived right next door to an old, abandoned temple. It was a small one, and obviously very old. It was clear that no one had worshiped at it for a very long time. It almost looked condemned.

She wasn't particularly religious, but it was still a little sad to see such a beautiful place in disrepair.

"Suki once mentioned that Kurohara had mountain spirits," Shino told her quietly. "Perhaps this was a shrine built for them."

They stopped for a few minutes in front of the dilapidated shrine. The home that sat next to it didn't look like it was in great shape either, and Tenten began to doubt that anyone lived there at all. Maybe the address she'd written down was an old one.

A shiver ran up her spine and she looked around slowly and quietly. The air had gone still. The wind in the trees and the chirping of the birds had gone quiet, and she looked to her partner to see that he had stiffened as well. So, you feel it too, she thought, keeping her eyes sharp and reaching discreetly to find one of her hidden kunai should she need it.

Shino silently asked his kikkai to spread out and see what they could find, and it took no time for him to detect someone from inside the dilapidated little house.

"Nanami," he said, a clear warning in his voice. She stood up straight at the use of her cover name and turned her sharp eyes toward him with an unvoiced question. Who is it?

The answer came before he could tell her anything more.

"Are you here to worship at the shrine, my dears? I'm afraid that it's in bad shape these days. No one comes to fix anything up."

They both turned toward the source of the voice: a wrinkled old lady dressed in a simple mustard yellow yukata stood on the porch of the tiny dwelling. Her straight hair was completely gray and tied into a low, lady-like bun at the base of her neck.

The feeling in the air seemed to evaporate with her sudden appearance. It took a little effort to remove her hand from her hidden knife and give the old woman a polite smile.

"That's really a shame," Tenten was the first one to speak, "I can tell that it used to be very beautiful."

"It really was!" the older woman confirmed. "It's been such a long time since I've seen anyone come around here! Are you two from around here? What a silly question, of course you're not. Why don't you two come in and tell me about yourselves? It's so rare to have visitors these days…"

The two shinobi shared a look. There was no reason not to follow—after all, hadn't they hoped for a chance to speak with Haru Tendo's wife? This certainly seemed to be her.

"We'd love to," Tenten said, and they followed her inside.

It was warmer in here than it had been outside, but there was still a slight draft. The living room, where they now sat, was cluttered and filled with trinkets hanging on the walls, clashing with each other and not lending themselves to any kind of decoration theme. A black cat was peering at them from the one chair in the room, and instead of shooing it off so she could sit the old woman sat on the floor in front of a short table.

"Come and sit, dears," she told them, waving to the pillows that were strewn across the faded carpet. "I'm afraid that the house isn't in any shape for visitors, but you'll have to excuse me. I haven't had anyone over in quite some time."

"Don't worry, it's perfect!" Tenten said cheerfully, giving Shino a look to indicate that he should follow her lead.

"Just being invited into your home is hospitality enough," he supplied. The older woman looked completely delighted.

"You two are just so sweet," she gushed, running her hands quickly through her hair to fluff it up a little. "Please, tell me about yourselves. Where are you from? What brings you here to Kurohara?"

"I'm Nanami, and this is my fiancé, Souza," Tenten said, thinking that the cover story they used at the brothel would not be good for this older woman. She'd be more comfortable revealing information to a decent young couple rather than a sleazy guy and his call girl.

Shino, to his credit, didn't even blink at this new plan.

"What is a young couple about to wed doing here?" she asked, furrowing her eyebrows in confusion.

Tenten gave a laugh, "We know, it seems strange, doesn't it? But my sister works here and I wanted to bring her back so she could watch me get married."

"Oh, your sister? How sad," she muttered under her breath. "Well, that's just the way it goes, isn't it?"

"What's your name?" Tenten asked, leaning forward and turning up the charm. Shino was almost amazed at the ease of which the lies rolled off her tongue. She was a quick thinker and she knew exactly how to make people comfortable enough to open up to her.

"Yuki," the old lady replied. "My name is Yuki Tendo. My husband used to live here with me, but he's no longer with us," she said softly.

"I'm so sorry," Tenten said sincerely.

Yuki gave an awkward laugh and waved her hand. "Oh, it's been a while now, though. It does my heart good to see a young couple like you. Oh my! I've completely forgotten, would you like something to drink?"

"I'm fine," Shino said with a patient smile that felt awkward on his face. "How about you, Nanami?"

"I don't need anything," she said sweetly.

"Nonsense! I'll go get you some tea. I couldn't have guests over without giving them anything." With a little effort she stood, wobbling a little on her weak legs. Tenten almost wanted to ask her if she needed help up, but she kept her mouth shut. Once Yuki was out of the room, she and Shino shared a significant look.

Something here is off.

The black cat that had been curled up in the chair just moments ago had hopped down and was slinking toward them when Yuki returned to the living room with a teapot on a tray.

"I'm afraid I only have green tea, I hope that's alright," she said as she set down the platter. "And no honey, just sugar."

"That's no problem at all," Tenten chirped. "Thank you so much." Yuki sat back down on the floor and poured them each a cup. "So, Yuki-san, how long have you lived next to this shrine?"

"Oh, Haru and I moved here when we first got married," she said, daintily sipping her tea. "Those were such good years. Back then we were the ones who took care of the shrine. It was hard work, but it was fun when we did it together."

Shino listened as Tenten spoke to Yuki, using her charismatic way of speaking to charm her into opening up about the life she'd led with her husband before he died. The cat had wound its way across the room and he reached out to let it sniff his fingers before it rubbed its head against his hand.

Before he knew it, Yuki was addressing him: "Oh, I see you've met Yato."

"He's a friendly cat," Shino commented as it purred and rolled over on its back.

"He's getting on in age, you know. A lot like me," she said with a small smile.

He felt Tenten stiffen beside him and he looked up at her to see what was wrong. She had a teacup in one hand and was covering her mouth with the other. Her eyes were watery and she was trying to blink tears away.

"Oh, are you alright, dear?"

Tenten swallowed and coughed. "Oh, I'm just fine, I… I just choked a little, is all." She cleared her throat. That 'sugar' that Yuki had served with the tea was actually salt, and she'd just found out the hard way. She watched as Yuki held up her own cup of tea and sipped as if nothing was wrong.

That was when she realized that Yuki Tendo was probably totally crazy.

She looked toward Shino who was busy playing with the cat. If she hadn't been so worried about the sanity of their host, she would have thought that it was kind of cute.

Yuki clapped her hands together. "But of course, I've forgotten! I baked some cookies last night, would you like some?"

"Oh, I really shouldn't," Tenten said, desperately not wanting to have to eat cookies that had probably been baked with salt rather than sugar. "I'm watching my weight. Gotta fit into the wedding dress, you know!"

"A girl like you wouldn't gain an ounce," Yuki said kindly. "But I understand. You must be so nervous!"

"A little," the brunette confessed, and Shino couldn't help but gape at her. She really was the perfect picture of a blushing bride. She had slipped so easily into that new role that even he could have been fooled had he not known the truth.

"Not too nervous, I hope," Shino supplied with a smile. She looked surprised but pleased that he had said that, and it seemed so real that he almost believed she was being sincere.

"Of course not," she said with an adoring smile and a quick brush of the cheek. His kikkai threatened to roar into activity and he had to remind himself that they were right in the middle of gathering information—this was not the time to reflect on feelings that he had already put to rest.

"So how are the wedding plans coming along, Nanami-san?" Yuki asked. "You must be so busy with preparations…"

"Yes, yes we are," she said with a nod, trying to think of a polite way to leave. "Of course, he isn't as stressed as I am. You know how men are," she laughed.

"Isn't that the truth?" the older woman agreed. "You know, Haru was the same way—he was always too busy with work to pay attention to the important things."

"Oh?" Tenten asked. Shino straightened up—this was what they came to hear. He continued to pet the cat as he listened.

"Yes, he was—well you see, he really was so involved with the business at the Main Inn. You've heard of that place, haven't you? Well of course you have, that's why most people come here—but he was so ambitious, you know. He was the boss there before he died." Yuki seemed proud, despite the fact that she seemed to disapprove of what went on there.

"That would take a lot of hard work," Tenten agreed.

"Of course, every good man has a woman standing behind him," Shino said, giving Tenten a pointed look. She gave him a wink.

Yuki laughed. "You certainly know how to flatter, dear. But it's true—my Haru was such a hard worker that eventually his heart gave out. At least that's what they said…" she mumbled the last part so quietly that she almost didn't hear it.

"We're very sorry for your loss," Shino said, finally speaking. "He sounded like a good man."

"Sorry, indeed, certainly," Yuki continued to mutter under her breath, and her eyes wandered past Tenten as if she were looking at something behind her.

Then that feeling came once again; that prickly, creepy feeling that was familiar but undefinable. Tenten felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand straight up and she wondered if Shino could feel it too. She glanced over at him but he seemed completely normal. Then again, he was usually about as expressive as a rock.

"My uncle also died of a heart condition," Tenten pressed on. "He was born with a defect and they only found out when he died. It was so sudden, I can only imagine how you feel." She said this carefully, knowing full well that she was pushing it. Maybe if she could get Yuki to open up about her husband's death they could find out something useful.

"Yes, yes," Yuki mumbled as if she hadn't heard a word she'd said. Tenten looked to Shino in alarm. His eyebrow was raised as he stared at their hostess, wondering at the sudden change in countenance.

"Yuki-san, are you alright?" she asked tentatively, reaching a hand out toward the woman who seemed to be in a trance. The black cat that Shino had been playing with suddenly hissed, making them both jolt a little in their seats. Its bright yellow eyes were glaring at Yuki's form and its jet black hair was standing straight up.

"Hush, hush," Yuki muttered, making a weak swipe-and-miss toward the irate feline. It made a loud yowling noise and rocketed out of the room. "Maybe the two of you should go," she said, her voice taking on a serene quality.

"O-okay," Tenten said quietly, feeling a knot of dread form in her stomach. "We'll go now, thank you for the tea," she said hastily as she stood. She grasped Shino's hand and all but rushed out of there, something deep inside of her wanting to get as far away as possible.

He followed her outside, letting her keep her tight grasp on his hand—not because they needed to keep up appearances, but because she truly looked like she needed it.

"We should hurry," she muttered, looking truly scared. Shino had to admit that even he was disturbed—he was not superstitious in the least, but he could feel… something. His logical mind could not, would not allow him to think on it further.

Tenten kept a tight grasp on her companion's hand, knowing that it probably made him uncomfortable but not caring. She walked quickly away from the house. She wanted to start running, but she had the eerie feeling that she shouldn't. Gai-sensei had once taught them that you didn't run away from a dangerous-looking animal because it only prompted them to chase after you; that was the same feeling she was getting now.

They braved a glance back toward the shrine to see if there was anything there. All they saw was the rustling of the trees in the wind.

They didn't speak until they got back into the busy center of town. The crowds of people offered a sense of security that had been impossible in the empty residential streets. They bought some food at an outdoor ramen cart and returned to the relative safety of their hotel room.

They ate silently for a little while, but Tenten eventually spoke.

"I think… I don't know, maybe we've hit a dead-end," she said softly, voicing the worry that had been forming in her mind over the last few days. "We haven't been able to find our missing team. We don't have any more leads to follow. Not even weak ones." Like the one we just followed today.

Shino was actually shocked that she'd said such a thing. Hadn't she been the one who'd been eager to solve this mystery and take down the missing nin while they were at it? He found her sudden lack of determination disturbing and out of character. "I disagree. We have not yet done all we can."

She looked up from her ramen and directly into his eyes, or his sunglasses. "What is there left to do? All we have in the way of concrete evidence is one suspicious death. And even if he was murdered, it might not have anything to do with the team from Suna. The back-stabbing politics in this hotel aren't any of our business."

"Do you suggest we return home and tell the Kazekage that we have no news of his shinobi?"

She turned away. She had no answer for that. Was she actually suggesting they give up? She wasn't sure. It seemed hopeless, and the visit they'd just had with Yuki had left her inexplicably drained. The thought of that visit actually made her shiver; the memory of the shrine was still fresh in her mind. The way the air had turned heavy, the way Yuki had started acting before they'd left. How that black cat had gone ballistic.

She looked down to see that her hands were shaking.

That was… unusual. She took a deep breath and clenched her fists. "I'm sorry," she said, still not able to shake the strong feeling that they needed to return home. She knew she was being irrational. She wanted this mission to succeed as much as Shino did. So what had gotten into her?

"Perhaps you are feeling frustration at the lack of information. This, I can understand," Shino said, studying her. She didn't seem like she was hearing him. Her face was pale and she looked jumpy, maybe even sick.

"Shino," she whispered, her voice almost inaudible. "Do you believe in…" she trailed off there, suddenly feeling embarrassed of what she was thinking about. She was just unsettled from the creepy encounter they'd just had, that was all. If she asked him if he believed in evil spirits or haunted houses, he'd lose any respect he may have had for her.

Unfortunately, he seemed to know exactly what she was talking about. "I do not," he replied, his voice soft. "Why? Because it is impossible." Thankfully, he didn't sound incredulous or irritated at all—his voice was soothing, like he was comforting a person who'd just had a bad dream.

"Yeah, you're right," she replied, feeling like an idiot. "I think that I'm just tired and I wanna understand what the heck is going on here. Let's work extra hard to figure this out, okay?" He knew she was trying to be her cheerful self, but he could see right through her.

"Yes, we will," he agreed. He didn't understand what she was doing and why she was feeling so hesitant, but he knew that she was probably recovering from what had taken place at the shrine… whatever it was. He had to admit that he was also perturbed, but not nearly as much as she seemed to be.

"Tenten. I must ask you a personal question."

She raised a brow. "Yeah?"

"Are you… a superstitious person?" He didn't know a very polite way to ask that question, but thankfully she didn't seem very offended.

"Um, no, not really. But I mean, we can both agree that that was creepy, right?"

"Perhaps," he answered.

"But it's no big deal," she gave him a thumbs-up that she must have learned from Gai. "Honestly, forget I ever said anything. I don't know what got into me."

He wanted to object. He didn't want her to brush away her fears like they were nothing, but what could he really say to comfort her? He wished he could offer her his hand or lend her his shoulder, but there was only so much he could do. He had nothing to offer her but words that didn't seem good enough. "It is natural for human beings to fear things they do not understand. Why, you ask? It is in our nature, an instinct that keeps us safe more often than not. If you were afraid, that is because you are human."

"You're right," she said with a half-hearted smile. He knew that his words had done little to help her, and that realization felt worse than he could have predicted. "You're totally right. I think I'm going to go to bed. I'll definitely feel better in the morning."

That night Tenten fell asleep long before he did.

Shino lie awake on his bedroll, deep in meditative thought. His kikkai pulsed under his skin with every heartbeat, their constant presence helping him to focus and think.

He didn't understand.

They had gone to Haru Tendo's old home to find answers, but they'd only left with more questions. The old woman, Yuki, hadn't helped them at all, even though it was clear that she had suspicions about her husband's sudden death. But how seriously could they take a woman who had clearly lost her mind?

And now he had a teammate who was clearly spooked. She was above him on the bed in a restless sleep, hugging the blankets tight around herself instead of relaxing on top of them like she normally did. That observation worried him, if not just because he knew her sleeping habits. He really was a creepy bug-boy, wasn't he?

A groan and a sniffle jarred him out of his thoughts and he looked up at the woman he'd just been wondering about. She shuddered a little bit in the blankets and he turned away. She was obviously not getting very good rest.

His partner had been right about one thing. They had nearly exhausted all of their leads. They'd been focused of Jin and Suki from the beginning, and for good reason. Suki had obviously been following them around, and probably at the behest of her counterpart, Jin. There were things that were undeniable suspicious about the pair, but it was entirely possible that their activities had nothing to do with shinobi business.

Perhaps they had conspired to murder Haru Tendo in order to gain control of the Main Inn. It wasn't impossible—this place brought in untold amounts of money, and people had killed for less. And as reprehensible as that was… it was none of their business. Their only responsibility was to find the missing team and leave.

He felt a stab of disappointment. If Jin and Suki had nothing to do with the missing team from Suna, then they had wasted their time.