A/N:

Whoa, another update? And in a reasonable amount of time? Wow!

Please read and enjoy. :)

The days and nights were becoming unbearably lonely.

Suki rarely spoke to Jin, but she could sense that little was left of her once long-time friend. There was once a time when he'd confided his deepest secrets to her, but now he only looked her way to give her orders.

Orders. What made him think he had the right, the authority to give her orders?

But she followed them anyway, knowing in her heart that her loyalty would only hurt the both of them in the end. Days like this made her wonder what she was doing in the first place. Where had her common sense gone? What had happened to her decency, her self-respect?

"Jin-sama?" she asked quietly, sitting with her hands folded on her lap as he stared at a piece of parchment. They sat in his quiet office, nothing in the way of light but a slow-burning candle.

"I'm worried, Suki," he told her after a few silent moments. "More so than I was before."

"Are you sure it isn't just stress, Jin-sama? You have a lot on your plate," she said. Of course, he probably had every reason to be paranoid, but by now she knew that he neither valued nor desired her input. He just wanted someone to talk at.

"That's certainly true," he acknowledged distractedly. "But you see, our spy guests haven't checked out yet."

Suki bristled, were they really going to talk about Souza and Nanami again? "I'm sure they'll leave in their own time," she assured. "They'll grow tired of us soon enough. Besides, I'm sure there are more pressing issues to worry about—"

"Are you suggesting that I worry for nothing?" he cut her off with a hard glare.

"No, not at all," she said quickly, prickly fear running down her spine. "I just meant that—"

"If you were in my position, Suki you would be just as concerned. In moments like this, your lack of knowledge shows." His harsh reprimand robbed any words that she would have said to defend herself.

"I… I'm sorry, Jin-sama," was all she could say. "Wh-what would you have me do?"

"Absolutely nothing," he said, still irritated. "What use could I possibly have for you? I sometimes wonder why I keep you around."

She blinked a few times but kept her eyes on the floor. He said things like this more and more often lately, but keeping her job was the least of her worries. Getting fired would be a blessing, she thought. But I know too much. I'm not getting out of Kurohara alive.

"They've been here far too long," he was mumbling, as if forgetting that he was scolding her.

"They're still paying for their room, though," she said meekly. "And they haven't caused trouble…"

"Hiroshi Swamps," Jin suddenly spat, tossing the folder he'd been looking at on his desk. She jumped a little. "She's not just any whore, anyone can see that," his voice became soft once again, and Suki shifted uncomfortably. He was so unpredictable when he got like this. "You can see something in her eyes, something calculating, and that man she came with—her bodyguard, most certainly."

Suki sat very still as he mumbled to himself, afraid that any tiny movement might make him remember that he was mad at her. She'd heard all his manic theories before, but he was becoming fixated on Souza Nakamura and his lady friend, Nanami. Yes, anyone with a brain could tell that they weren't who they said they were, but really—who in this town was?

Yes, it was obvious that they weren't average clients. They probably were spying on them. After all, many of the hotel's competitors sent fake 'patrons' to the Main Inn all the time to see how they ran the place and to try to duplicate their success. Jin's most recent—and most plausible—theory was that Nanami was really a madam from Hiroshi and Souza was her bodyguard.

Who cares?! she wanted to scream. It was a common thing, and they'd be gone soon enough. Jin was so cripplingly paranoid that she wasn't sure how he slept at night. It was true that he held many secrets, but sometimes she wasn't even sure that he remembered why. He kept secrets for secret's sake, and it was driving him mad.

"Suki, there is something we can do," he was saying. She snapped back to attention—he seemed to be over his manic rambling and back to normal. "We have to end it."

She felt her insides grow cold. "End it? I suppose we could ask them to leave," she said hopefully, although she knew what he was really thinking. His mocking laughter told her exactly what she'd suspected.

"I remember why I keep you around now," he said with a Cheshire smile. "You're adorable. Suki, you know what I mean, don't you?"

"Sure," she said, dread making knots in her stomach. "But… but I'm sure they'll leave if we ask. If they're up to no good they'll probably know exactly why and they'll leave without complaining…"

His teeth gleamed in the darkness, his smile too wide and too joyful for what they were talking about. "They may know too much already. We're well within our rights to get rid of them—besides, the world will be a better place without dishonest people like that." He seemed almost gleeful at the excuse for bloodshed.

"Okay," she said quietly, her mind racing.

"Don't tell me you have doubts, Suki?"

She shook her head quickly. "Never, Jin-sama."

"Look me in the eyes when you speak to me." Slowly, she lifted her eyes from the floor to his face. His smile was gone now, and he rested his chin on top of his pale hands. "Now, do you have doubts?"

She didn't see anything when she stared into his eyes. No light gleaming, no love, no anger, and no life. There was nothing behind them and it filled her with terror and sadness all at the same time. "No. No doubts."

.

...

.

That night, the sky clouded over and it began to snow. Perhaps it was the cold from the mountains, or the fact that she was slightly sick, but Tenten found herself shivering in bed until she finally had to wake up.

Wrapping the blankets more tightly around herself, she wondered how Shino was faring. He was just on a thin mat on the floor—surely he was freezing? It took a few moments for her to gather the courage to move, but when she finally leaned over the bed to check on him she was greeted with an empty bedroll.

Where had he gone?

She sat up and peered around. "Shino?"

"I'm here," he answered. She turned her head toward the bathroom door where he stood. He made his way over to her, his socked feet not making a sound.

"I thought you disappeared for a second," she tried to joke, but she really had been worried.

"I was only getting a glass of water," he told her, his voice soft. He wasn't going over to his bedroll—just standing very close to the bed, leaning over to examine her. "How are you feeling?" His hand reached out and touched her forehead. She froze in surprise; Shino was rarely the one to initiate physical contact.

"I'm okay, just cold," she answered, feeling her face burn up. "How about you, aren't you freezing on the floor?"

"It is cold," he agreed, not removing his hand from her face. In fact, it moved from her forehead to her cheek. Her heart began to pound.

"My offer still stands," she heard herself saying.

"What do you mean?"

"When we first came here I said we could… you know, sleep here together. In the same bed. Remember?" It was almost as if she wasn't the one saying the words, but another person who had taken possession of her body.

He didn't respond for a few moments, just stood there over her with his hand on her cheek.

"Are you sure?" he finally asked.

She answered with a nod.

He slipped between the covers without a word, his body brushing against hers and providing a burning heat that she wanted to melt into. How could he be so warm? Or was she just that cold? It felt so wonderful that she forgot to question what he was doing here in the first place.

"Shino," she mumbled, burying her face into his shoulder as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

"Your nose is cold," he remarked, pulling back and little a ghosting a thumb over her cheeks and nose. "Come here." He pulled her close, enveloping her body in his intense heat. "Warm up," he commanded and her body obeyed.

"You're so warm," she tried to say, but her voice came out in a tiny whimper.

"Warmer," he said, pulling her closer, winding his arms around her in a suffocating embrace. She continued to grow hotter.

"It's too much," she breathed, her body beginning to burn. He just pulled her closer and held her tighter. Her chest felt heavy and she struggled to breath. "Wait," she mouthed, unable to speak. Her head was searing hot.

"Warmer," he repeated. Suddenly, she was finally able to move again.

She sat up gasping, her forehead soaked in sweat. She looked around to see that Shino was not, in fact, lying in bed with her, and he most certainly didn't have her wrapped in his arms. "Shino?" she asked and cringed at her voice. She sounded desperate and stupid—what would he think with that being the first thing to come out of her mouth when she woke up?

"Yes?" a voice responded from below the bed where his mat lay. She peered over the bed to see him lying there, right where he belonged.

"Just… wondering where you were," she responded lamely, relieved that he wasn't in the bed with her but disappointed at the same time. What was wrong with her? That dream must have really disoriented her. She rubbed her eyes and finally realized why she was dreaming about overheating—she was covered in layers and layers of blankets. "What—why are all these blankets here?"

"You were shivering in your sleep," Shino explained from his place on the floor. "There were extra covers in the closet."

So he'd placed them on her while she was sleeping. It was… really sweet, actually, but she still felt guilty. She wasn't usually the type that needed caring for, especially on a mission.

"Thanks," she said softly, feeling pathetic. "I'm really sorry."

She heard him sit up. "There is no need to apologize. It was my own carelessness that made you fall into the lake, so I am partially responsible for your illness."

She rolled her eyes. She'd been hearing this since yesterday morning when she'd woken up with a full-blown fever. "Again, it's not your fault," she replied flatly. He'd been fussing over her since she'd first sneezed. It wasn't really all that bad, but she felt like she was seriously hindering the mission. If they hadn't been making much progress before, they certainly weren't making any now with her being laid up.

"I think my fever broke, though," she remarked, wiping some of the sweat off her brow. The cold air in the room made her shiver, but she was warm if she burrowed beneath the covers.

"That is good news," he replied, sounding genuinely relieved.

"Aren't you freezing down there?"

"My kikkai regulate my body temperature. Rarely do I freeze or overheat."

She knew it. "Lucky." She sat up and peeled two of the thin blankets that rested on her feet. "Take these anyway," she said, tossing them down so that they would land on him gently.

"I do not need them."

"Just humor me?" she asked. She wasn't sure she bought all that body-temperature regulating stuff, not when it was this cold.

"… Very well." He adjusted the covers so that they were on top of him and lay back down, watching as she disappeared from the edge of the bed to fall back asleep. Kurenai-sensei had once told him something: 'You always find out who a person really is when they're sick or hurt'. He'd never before had the chance to test that theory, but now he understood what she meant.

Tenten was the type of person who would humbly accept help but hate every second of it. He could clearly see that she felt useless and frustrated, and there was no convincing her otherwise. Even though he'd told her it was no trouble, she didn't believe him. She was under the impression that she was inconveniencing the mission, and she apologized every time he went out to get her some tea or extra tissues.

He suspected that she was so used to caring for her teammates that she'd never realized it was okay to be taken care of herself.

Truthfully though, it was not an inconvenience at all. He'd cared for sick teammates and family members before and he understood that people never got sick on purpose. There was no need for her to apologize, ever.

She had just mentioned that her fever was broken, though, which was a good sign. All that was left to do now was ensure that she didn't try to push herself too hard—and he had no doubt that she would. She was eager to get back to their mission.

For now, Shino had been able to get along without her—although it had proven somewhat difficult. Tenten really was the social butterfly of the two; making rounds in the hotel, greeting familiar guests and employees and holding lively, informative conversations.

His kikkai were incredibly useful, but they couldn't very well socialize at parties, much less ask leading questions to gain useful information.

And without her, he had to constantly rotate his kikkai. It wasn't too complicated, but a number of them had been out for the last 36 hours and it was a drain on his chakra and energy. The constant sounds and sights blurred into a faint image behind his eyes and he could see what they saw: outside the door, in the kitchen, near the manager's office. They were constantly watching and spying and listening.

And yet, since their visit to the shrine a few days ago, they had learned nothing.

There had been a couple of weeks when Suki wouldn't leave them alone. She was always following them and giving them invitations to parties and festivals, and it had seemed like she was keeping an eye on them. But since the shrine visit—nothing.

Was it just a coincidence? Had Jin and Suki simply decided that they were not a threat? Shino couldn't help but wonder…

"Are you sure you're not cold down there?" Tenten's voice distracted him from his thoughts and he opened his tired eyes to see that she was leaning over the bed once again with a frown.

"I am comfortable."

She snorted. "Really, I know you might have a temperature thing going on with your bugs, but you're gonna pretend you're comfortable down there?"

Well, she certainly sounded like she was feeling better. "I am," he told her.

"Are you positive? It is seriously cold in here."

"I assure you, I am fine," he promised. A frown marred her delicate features and her eyebrows creased with worry.

"You're not just trying to be tough, are you?"

He gave her a small smile from the floor. "I would never."

"Because that's something Lee or Neji would do," she said playfully.

"You have nothing to worry about from me," he promised.

"Really, if you ever do get uncomfortable down there, I don't mind if you want to use the bed. I'm barely using any space up here."

"That isn't necessary," he said stiffly. It was one thing to share a room with Tenten, but to share a bed with her… it would be too much. Yes, the offer was tempting; the bed was more comfortable, it was warmer, and they were supposed to be… sexually involved. At least their covers were. But it was better to draw the line here so that they could keep some semblance of professionalism between them.

If he had to lie beside her every night, he wasn't sure he'd even be able to sleep.

"Are you worried I'll try something?" she joked.

He didn't even have a reply for that.

"Kidding," she sighed, sounding tired again. "I don't mean to bug you about it. I just… feel kind of guilty with you down there on the hard floor while I get to sleep on this comfy bed."

"Do not feel guilty," he replied. "This sleeping arrangement is ideal. Why? Because you and I have spent countless hours together on this mission, and we are likely to spend more. A degree of separation, as small as it is, is necessary for our team dynamic to run smoothly."

Tenten blinked a few times, trying to comprehend what he'd just said. She used to think that Neji was one of the most calculating people she knew, but Shino really gave him a run for his money. He'd really thought out every little detail of this mission, even down to their sleeping arrangements. "So basically you're just worried we'll get sick of each other?"

"In fewer words, yes."

Well, that kind of hurt. She wasn't sure why, because his reasoning did make sense. Why push themselves to sleep together when it wasn't even necessary?

"Yeah, that makes sense," she agreed, trying not to feel so dejected. It was stupid to dwell on something so petty, especially since she knew he was right. She rolled onto her back and shut her eyes. "Sorry if I woke you up before."

"It is no problem. Perhaps we should both get some sleep?"

"I'm with you on that," she said. "Good night."

"Good night."

The next morning, Tenten woke up feeling much better. She was ready and rearing to somehow make up for their lost time. Shino was still asleep, which made sense—she'd been lying around in bed for a whole day while he'd been taking care of her. She showered and dressed as quietly as she could, figuring that he could use the extra sleep.

She felt almost a hundred percent better today, physically and mentally. She was ready to complete this mission.

It didn't take long to get ready, even while she was taking her time. She let her hair air dry and styled it carefully, and she slowly put on minimal make-up for the day.

The room was still cold, so she wrapped a light shawl around her shoulders. It was a little irritating, having to wear this fine clothing. It was pretty, sure, but impractical. She would have killed for a sweater in that moment. She walked quietly toward the balcony, stepping quietly past Shino to push the curtains aside.

There were maybe two or three inches of snow on the ground—it wasn't much, but it was still falling. No wonder it was freezing! She glanced at Shino, her only connection to home, and wondered if it was cold in Konoha.

He was still lying on his bedroll, fast asleep. Quietly, she stepped over to where he lay and bent over to look at him. It was probably time to wake up, although she did feel a little bit guilty. Why was he sleeping for so long, anyway?

"Shino?" she whispered, hoping to wake him as gently as possible. When he didn't stir, she placed a hand gently on his shoulder. "Shino, it's time to wake up," she said a little louder. The kikkai were murmuring gently under his skin, pulsing in what she supposed was a soothing rhythm. They must put him to sleep every night, she thought, wondering how it would feel to have something like that.

It was bizarre and intriguing at the same time. She kept her hand on his shoulder for a moment, feeling the bugs that resided beneath the surface. "Shino," she called again, shaking him a little. She'd wanted to wake him up as nicely as she could, but he hadn't even stirred yet.

Then she began to worry. Was he okay?

"Hey, can you hear me?"

He moved a little, but she couldn't be sure if he was waking up or just tossing in his sleep. His shades kept her from seeing if his eyes were beginning to open or not.

"Shino, if you don't wake up I'm going to take off your sunglasses and see what's under there, okay?" she teased, placing her fingers on the rim of his goggles. His hand automatically snapped up to catch her wrist and she grinned.

"Please don't," he deadpanned.

"Oh, darn, you caught me," she replied. His grip loosened and slipped away as he sat up. "I was just trying to wake you up. Are you alright? I thought you were a pretty light sleeper."

He looked toward her, and she imaging that he was probably trying to blink the sleep out of his eyes. "I usually am," he said, his voice groggy.

"You slept in for a while. I wasn't sure if you wanted to wake up or keep snoozing." She shrugged. "Did you sleep okay last night? I don't think I've ever actually seen you so tired."

Shino seemed to be fighting off the fog. "I did sleep well," he informed her. "But my chakra is drained. That is most likely why I slept in."

She furrowed her brow. "What? Why is your chakra drained?" she asked, concerned.

He regretted telling her the moment he saw how worried she was. She'd feel guilty if she knew that he'd been sending out his kikkai for extra surveillance while she'd been sick. "My kikkai are sensitive to changes in the weather," he told her. It wasn't exactly a lie, but he still felt guilty telling it.

She didn't look like she bought it, but didn't pursue the matter any further. "Alright. Do you want to sleep longer?"

"I will be fine. And you? Are you feeling well?"

She nodded. "Much better, thank you."

"I am happy to hear it," he said. He made to stand up, but she was still sitting in front of him, hands folded on her lap.

"Listen," she said, her brown eyes studying his face. "I wanted to say sorry. For being sick."

"Apologies aren't necessary—"

"Yeah, yeah, I know," she said quickly. "But I'm sorry anyway. I've never been sick on a mission before and it sucked. I just wanted to say thank you for being patient with me."

"It was not a problem," he said, and he truly meant it. Tenten wasn't a demanding person; in fact, she was just the opposite. The way she spoke now only confirmed his suspicions that she was not used to being taken care of.

"I'm glad," she said with a smile. "So while I was lying around, I had some time to think."

He raised an eyebrow. "Yes?"

"I think we need to become more aggressive if we're going to make any progress here." Her face was set with new determination, and he could tell that she'd been thinking about this for a while.

"What do you suggest?"

"When we first arrived, we attracted a little bit of attention. I think it's safe to say that Jin had Suki following us and inviting us to parties to see if we posed a threat."

"That is one theory, yes," he said. He agreed, but he wasn't ready to rule out other possibilities yet. It was possible that Suki was just working them—they were in a brothel, after all.

"I want to start pursuing her. I think that if she's involved in anything criminal it's only because Jin is. If he really did do something with the missing team," she lowered her voice, "then Suki knows about it, and she probably helped."

Shino was silent for a moment. If Tenten was suggesting that they turn Suki, then he had some serious reservations. From what he knew of her, she was very intelligent and very loyal to Jin. It wouldn't be easy to go after her for information, even if they were subtle. Not to mention the possibility that Jin hadn't done a thing with Suna's team.

"I can place kikkai with her permanently," he suggested.

"I'd like to go after myself," she clarified. "It'll be the fastest way to get information."

"It's also riskier," he added.

"I would be subtle, of course," she said with a wave of her hand. "And I would have one of your kikkai with me, right? So you could watch the whole time." Shino considered it. It was a gamble, but it could pay off. In the worst case scenario, Suki knew nothing and their covers could be blown. They'd have to make a hasty and dangerous exit from the village, and their mission would be a failure.

On the other hand, Suki could know everything. They could get their information on the missing team, leave this mountain, and report back to Gaara and Naruto.

"You're the mission leader and it's up to you," Tenten said, pulling him away from his thoughts. "But I have a gut feeling about her and Jin. I'm sure that they have something to do with all of this."

Shino did not ever rely on hunches—only on cold hard facts. But he couldn't deny his own feeling that Tenten was right. There was too much circumstantial evidence that pointed to the hotel manager and his right-hand woman to ignore.

"… I will consider it."

"Thank you," she said, a smile brightening her solemn face. "In the meantime… are you hungry?"

Suki watched their door with a sense of apprehension and frustration. She knew exactly what Jin wanted, but she couldn't stop thinking of ways to go against his orders without him finding out about it.

It seemed impossible. It was like he literally had eyes everywhere.

All he wanted her to do was separate them—she needed to distract Nanami while he took care of Souza. And when Jin was done with the bodyguard, he would come for the call girl. Perhaps it would be a mercy, she thought, if she just killed Nanami before he could get to her.

This particular task was difficult for Suki. Not physically, but mentally. She'd never seen the point in fighting when there was a peaceful option, but this seemed especially senseless. She couldn't be sure if she was worried for the sanity of her boss, or if it was just simple guilt that gnawed away at her gut.

Regardless, she needed to carry on.

"Akane," she called as she wandered into the kitchen. Jin had told her that Nanami had spoken the girl a few times, and if she was going to draw her away from her bodyguard she would need to use someone she trusted.

Akane appeared from behind a counter, wiping away sweat. "Yes, Suki-san?"

"You can take a break from cleaning," she said with a smile. "You've been working so hard, haven't you? How would you like a day off?"

Akane's eyes widened. "Oh, I'm okay," she assured.

"Nonsense, you should take the rest of the day and go to the bathhouse," Suki drawled. "I insist. I just have one more thing I'll need you to do before you go."

The young girl looked surprised and almost suspicious of her good fortune. "R-really? That'd be great, Suki-san! What do you need?"

"It's just an easy errand. You know where room 223 is, don't you?" Akane nodded eagerly. "That's where one of our guests, Nanami is staying. Take her this note." She held out a small envelope and Akane took it and tucked it into her apron pocket.

"Shall I say who it's from?" the girl asked dutifully.

"Tell her it's from the hotel. It's just a coupon for a beauty treatment, dear," she said. "Housekeeping forgot to sweep by their room yesterday morning."

"Of course, no problem," Akane gushed, obviously excited to be trusted with such a thing.

"Go ahead and take that right now, if you don't mind. Then go and enjoy the rest of your day."

"Thank you, Suki-san!"

"Of course," she said with a wink. She watched as Akane practically bounced out of the kitchen with joy, trying to ignore the sickening fear that her attempt at doing the right thing would turn out terribly wrong.

A/N:

So what did you all think? This is the first (and probably only) time in this fic that I've written from Suki's perspective, and it was actually pretty fun. Hopefully it didn't seem too strange or out of the blue!

I hope you enjoyed! Feedback? :)