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Bee-uty & the Beast

Kraen

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Chapter Eighteen

"Guh!" winced Gai as he struggled to tape the bandage around his chest. Hani was right, it was nearly impossible to tape your own ribs correctly.

After a few long, pained breaths, Gai looked at the simple roll of tape in his hand. His eyes were still puffy from his emotional outburst at Hani's exit -- the pain of seeing her leave was one thing, but lacking the strength or the resolve to run after her was more painful than the sore ribs he had just finished binding.

How could he have let her go? What's the point of training his body to exhaustion if he can't even stop a 100lb woman from running away?

But worst of all, even though he had the ability to go after her now, he was horrified to find he lacked the courage to do so.

He tightened his grip on the roll of tape and hesitated only slightly before throwing it as hard as he could at the wall before him. It bounced against the pine boards and quickly shot under his bed; but Gai didn't care. He promptly buried his face in his hands and dug his palms into his sore eyes.

That night he had experienced one of the most beautiful moments of his life. He had given of himself and had united fully with a woman he had grown to care deeply for, even in the short time they had known each other.

He couldn't explain his feelings for her or how they had developed so quickly. When he first met her he assumed she was a geisha, or an entertainer. Then when he found out she was a ninja, he figured she would be nothing but deadweight. After that, he was practically fearful of her since her area of expertise exploited his greatest weakness. And now, it had become abundantly clear to him that he had committed a crime that he himself was often a victim of; he had judged her based-off appearances.

Gai ran his hands down his face and rubbed his cheeks. Maybe she was right? Maybe it was best they didn't let their relationship become anything more than casual friends. He had a genin team that absorbed most of his free time and being a jounin -- he could be called to go on a mission at a moment's notice. He didn't exactly have a good schedule for starting a new relationship. The same could be said for Hani. Her missions often sent her off to other countries for months at a time. And not to mention the nature of her work …

Gai wasn't ignorant to the combination of the ninja arts and seduction. Most kunoichis were trained in some seduction techniques in order to accomplish their missions or to save their life when in a pinch. Most of it never goes beyond a sultry look or a little over-exaggerated body language. Hani, on the other hand -- he could only imagine how far she's had to go to complete her missions. A hand shot to his stomach as he pictured her in the arms of another man; kissing him and being groped and fondled.

"She's not yours, Gai," he told himself as he sat up and began pacing his room. "You just met her a week ago – get over it!" He pivoted on the ball of his foot sharply and tensed his shoulders as he continued his pacing. "You are just enamored with her," he said through gritted teeth. "To say you are anything more would be foolhardy and naïve!" He clenched his hands into fists, "She isn't right for you. You live in two different worlds!" He halted suddenly as a thought occurred to him. He has said very similar things before, though he was a good deal younger at the time.

He released a deep sigh and shrugged his shoulders in defeat. Yes … Gai did only meet Hani a week ago and he probably was just enamored with her; but she was the first person he'd had these feelings for since Rin and try as hard as he might, he would never be able to deny that fact.

He liked seeing Hani by his side. He liked looking next to him and finding her there, even if she was just playing a prank on him. He enjoyed seeing her face in the morning, even when she was tired and grumpy. He liked seeing her in the day, eating lunch with her, visiting about shared interests and laughing at silly jokes. He loved how she would occasionally dip her chin and give him a mischievous grin. And he loved seeing her face even when she was dirty and covered in grime, or scowling and chastising him. His heart would jump when he was able to make her laugh and that sensation alone would be enough to make him addicted to her company for a lifetime.

He loved his students, but they would never be able to fill the part of his heart reserved for a lover; an intimate companion. He had tried to fill that space before – the part of him that was left wounded and scarred from the loss of Rin; but no other woman felt right.

Hani complemented him. Where he was tough and harsh, she was soft and delicate. In a sense, she trimmed his rough edges. Was she perfect? Of course not. She seemed to have little patience for him and absolutely loved to tease him relentlessly. She was the weakest woman he had ever met and was completely opposed to accepting any help in remedying the matter. And it would be highly likely that if they were to ever establish a relationship, Gai would be constantly paranoid about her safety while she was away on missions. But honestly, he would rather live a life of her taunts, jeers and sleepless nights, than live another moment without her.

He could offer her a warm embrace on cold, lonely nights. He would defend and protect her with more determination than a squad of royal soldiers. He may not be able to give her a luxurious place to live, but he would be sure she had a good, sturdy home with everything she would need. And if she ever wanted a family, Gai would be sure to be the best damn father in all the ninja nations.

He took a deep breath as a wave of excitement rushed over him and made him feel somewhat lightheaded.

Having such a close relationship with his own parents, Gai had wanted to be a father for as long as he could remember. But, with the possibility of never finding love again – he honestly thought a family would be something he'd never have. And perhaps that's why he sort of "adopted" Rock Lee and had become so fond of him. The boy reminded him a lot of himself and even though Lee was too old, Gai sometimes liked to think of the boy as being his own child – someone he could pass his knowledge on too and in some way, continue his family's legacy.

It was possible Hani didn't want children, but just the prospect made Gai's heart burn a bit brighter. However, his hope quickly waned as he remembered he was still standing in his room alone.

With a face set in determination, Gai clenched his fist. Moping in his room would get him nowhere. It was time for him to take on a new pupil: Hani and teach her the beauty of love. He brought his fist down into an open palm, "YOSH!"

If he was to give up on her now, then he would be going against everything he's ever stood for.

"Gai, I don't want to talk right now," came a soft voice from across the courtyard.

Gai stilled – he could barely make out what was being said, but he was sure the voice had belonged to Hani.

"I'm sorry, Gai. But I don't want to talk. Please leave."

Gai's eyes widened – she was talking to him? Or at least, thought she was?

He dashed to the door; his instincts screaming something wasn't right.

"Hakanza?!" she gasped.

Gai's eyes doubled in size – the Lord wasn't due to come back till tomorrow. And if he arrived early, why was he at Hani's door and not Gai's?

He grabbed his door and threw it open just in time to see Hani jump back into her room and three dark figures dash through her doorway.

"HANI!" cried Gai. He took one step through his bedroom's threshold when three flashes caught his sight. He was just barely able to duck back through his door in time to keep from becoming a kunai-pincushion.

"Grrr!" growled Gai as he brought his hand up. He held out three fingers and traced the projectile's route through the air and quickly calculated their owner's location. After only a couple seconds, Gai sprinted to his bathroom.

The rogue shinobi tucked himself tighter against the wall and pulled out another array of kunai. He wouldn't miss this time.

But before the ninja could react, two arms burst through the wooden wall on either side of him. One hand quickly grabbed his chin while the other grabbed his shoulder. The shinobi could do nothing as his head was jerked harshly to the side and a sickening "crack" echoed through the courtyard.

Before he dropped the disabled, soon-to-be-dead shinobi, Gai grabbed at his victim's headband and yanked it off in one swift movement.

The sound of "ker-thunk" sounded as the body hit the floor and Gai pulled his arms back through the wall. He examined the forehead protector and snarled, "Rogue Grass-Nin."

Hani back-stepped like a lioness sizing up her prey and eyed the three shinobi as they slowly encircled her. She spread her fingers and held her hands at her side. She was unarmed – still in her housecoat and if she made any attempt at going for a weapon now, her attackers would strike. But it immediately became clear she had run out of time as one shinobi looked to his two compatriots and gave them a quick nod.

The ninja on Hani's left unsheathed a small sword from his belt and lunged for her. She shifted her weight and brought her right leg up and hooked it around his forearm. The man screamed in pain as his body continued to move forward while his arm popped and bent back the wrong way at the elbow.

As the first assailant collapsed to the ground and cradled his dislocated arm, his teammate dashed forward and threw a punch. Hani ducked to the side, caught his wrist halfway through his strike and pulled on him towards the direction of his movement. As his weight was thrown off balance, Hani took advantage of her short stature and tucked her left arm under his extended one and struck him square on the nose with her elbow.

"Gah!" cried the ninja as the cartilage of his nose popped away from bone. Hani may not have a lot of strength, but a well-placed strike can still do a fair amount of damage. Unfortunately, it would still take more injury to disable this battle-hardened shinobi. He quickly pulled his extended arm back, yanking her over his leg and sending her backwards to the floor.

She grunted as some of the wind was knocked from her lungs; but she wasn't given any time to recover as her opponent immediately pounced her. His hands were big – big enough to encompass her whole neck easily. She choked as he jabbed his thumbs into either side of her throat and pressed against her already bruised jugulars. He was clearly trying to incapacitate her; not kill her.

Hani opened her mouth in a muted cry and took a quick, strained glance over to her side to see what the third assailant was doing. He was ducked behind the doorway, looking out into the courtyard and standing guard. Apparently Hakanza didn't enter the room like she had feared.

She quickly turned her attention back to her attacker; her vision growing steadily blurrier. She winced as he pressed against her vital arteries even harder. Apparently he was getting impatient with her maintained consciousness.

She stretched out an arm towards his bloodied face, but he was out of her reach. She clung to his wrists and bit at her lip as she wrapped a leg around his upper arm and jammed her heel into the man's larynx as hard as she could. Now it was his turn to make a choking sound.

The man quickly grabbed for his neck as he gasped desperately through a crushed throat. Unless he saw a medic immediately, he was going to die – and he knew it.

Hani rolled onto her side and struggled to regain her breath. Apparently, living in the palace for two years made her a little out of practice in combat. She could only pray it wouldn't take her much longer to get back into the swing of things.

She looked up and quickly scrambled backwards on hands and knees to avoid a downward strike from the third ninja. She then jumped to her feet and ignored the wave of dizziness that flooded her still woozy head. She was just barely able to brace herself as the ninja charged her, catching the man's wrist in time to stop him from stabbing her with a kunai, but the strength behind his charge forced her back against a wall.

Her attacker eyed her with a bit of humor as she struggled to hold him at bay with two trembling arms. She furrowed her brows and grunted in frustration as the kunai came closer and closer to its target. She was not going to be able to overpower these men with taijutsu alone -- she needed to step-up her level of attacks.

Hani flared her nostrils and took a giant breath; the eyes of her assailant quickly doubled in size. There was a series of very dangerous jutsus that involved the mouth and being only a foot away from her face, he was in the worst possible position to counter anything she might throw at him.

In one sharp exhale, Hani blasted the shinobi at point-blank-range with a purple-colored poisoned mist; seconds later, the whole room was completely filled with the noxious fog.

Gai donned a kimono jacket quickly as he ran to his bedroom door. He was more cautious this time with exiting, not wanting to be the victim of another surprise attack. He looked around the courtyard and strained to see the darkened corners as best he could … the coast seemed clear.

He rushed out to the garden – eager to get to Hani's side. She was in trouble and he would be damned if he was about to let anyone harm a hair on her head.

He made it halfway across the courtyard when a half dozen shadows cast themselves across the garden. Gai jerked his head up to see six ninja posed on top of the awning, eying him like a flock of vultures.

Gai's eyes darted to Hani's door – he didn't have time for this! She could be in trouble and he has to deal with these scrubs?! He glared up at his soon-to-be opponents and shook an angry fist at them, "Attack already, Goddamnit!" The ninja sprung from their posts before his command finished echoing throughout the courtyard.

Three of them were unconscious before they hit the ground; the fourth was only able to make one hand seal before his jaw was busted. The fifth would never walk again. The sixth was caught and thrown back through the opening of the awning. His unconscious form would serve as a warning to anyone else feeling brave enough to attack Konoha's Prideful Beast.

Gai's heart sank as he looked back at Hani's room and saw the unmistakable sight of poisoned mist billowing from her door. "HANI!" he cried as he sprinted towards her room. He brought an arm up to his face and pressed his mouth against his sleeve. "Hani! I'm coming!" he shouted.

"Gai!" came a quick reply. "Step away … from the door!"

Gai blinked a few times in confusion but quickly ran back to the center of the garden and waited for what she was about to do. He only had to wait a few seconds before a large gust of wind exploded in her room, dispersing the poisoned mist and blasting the paper from her shoji doors.

"Hani, are you alright?" called Gai as he ran to her doorway. He surveyed the room and noted three unconscious, possibly dead shinobi.

Standing on top of her bed, Hani finished intertwining her hair in a set of hair sticks. "I'm fine – they just caught me off guard," she said with a noticeably hoarse voice.

Gai looked her up and down; she was dressed in a dark blue, half kimono held closed by a white wrap. On her feet was a pair of long, dark blue leather boots. "Did they injure you?" he asked as he looked for any visible wounds.

Hani rubbed lightly at her neck as she stepped down off her bed. "No, I'm fi –" she cut herself off as she was struck with a wave of dizziness and struggled to maintain her balance.

Ever vigilant, Gai caught her in an instant. "What's wrong?" he asked as he held her steady.

Hani held her throat and furrowed her brows slightly; each pulse of her heart pumped blood painfully through the vital arteries of her sore neck. Gai immediately noticed how she favored her throat and quickly moved her hand so he could see her injury.

"I'm fine," winced Hani as he tilted her chin up for a better look.

Secretly wishing he had his glasses, Gai squinted at her neck, "Let me check anyway."

"Damnit Gai, I said I'm fine!" snapped Hani. She smacked his hand and turned away from him sharply. "I'm a kunoichi and I can take care of myself!"

"I can see that," said Gai softly.

She balled her hands into fists, "And I don't need some man with a ridiculous haircut and bad fashion-sense to mother over me!"

"I agree."

"Especially a man with the cheesiest smile ever! And … and huge bushy eyebrows!"

Gai closed his eyes and gave a sympathetic smile, "You're right."

Hani crossed her arms and did her best to speak through a strained, cracking voice, "So when I say I'm fine, I'm fine!"

Gai watched the back of her head in silence for a few moments before speaking. "Hani," he said gently. "Even though this isn't a good time to talk about what happened between us tonight, I still want to say this: I know what you're doing. You are trying to … well," he took a calm breath. "Lower your opinion of me." Noticing the sudden tension in her shoulders, he quickly spoke his next words, "I respect you as a kunoichi with her own set of specialized skills. And I know you are, in your own way, a strong woman. Hell, you have proven it to me by putting me in my much deserved place multiple times." He walked up behind her slowly, "I'm not going to tell you what you should and shouldn't be feeling right now. If you need to vent your frustrations out on me, that's fine because I can take anything you can throw at me. But please," he moved to her side so he could see her face. "Don't think less of me because I can't bring myself to stop caring for you… it isn't fair." He watched as the hard stare she was giving the wall softened. "Now, please let me examine your wounds," he said gently.

Hani closed her eyes and took a long breath before she dropped her arms and turned to face him.

"Thank you," he said as he started to reexamine her neck. He squinted at the clear signs of two dark bruises forming on either side of her throat. "They tried to take you alive?"

Hani made a faint choking sound as he fingered her injury. "Yes, though I don't know why." She tried to turn her head but Gai's hold prevented her, "Did you take care of Hakanza?"

Gai struggled to get a better look at her neck, "He wasn't out there."

Realizing the Lord was still a threat, Hani tried to step away, "I saw him," she said, her voice cracking painfully. "And if you didn't take care of him then he's still out there!"

Gai leaned back, "Did he attack you?"

"No, but I think he set these goons on me."

Gai pressed a gentle finger to her larynx to test for any serious injury, "Are you certain it was him?"

"It looked just like him," she said with difficulty. "And just like you."

"Are you sure it wasn't someone under a transformation technique?"

Hani looked off into the distance as she considered his words, "I … don't think so …"

"Did you sense his chakra? Was it the same as when we met him earlier?"

Hani took a step away from Gai and closed her eyes as she tried to remember the feel of Hakanza's chakra when they had met him. Hakanza had even touched her, so if anyone had any idea of what his chakra felt like, it would be her. Unfortunately, the only chakra she could feel in that moment was her own and Gai's, whose chakra had become disturbingly familiar. "I … don't know for sure," she said softly.

"It's alright," said Gai. "Though I don't doubt you – we still need to take into consideration that who you saw was an imposter or even a genjutsu."

"What should we do?"

"The mansion is clearly under attack -- how big this attack is, I don't know. But I think we should go and make sure everyone else is alright."

Hani nodded, "I agree."

Gai lead the way to the wing's exit, "I'll continue to assume the disguise of Hakanza until we find out what's going on here."

"What about me?"

"We'll just say you're a specialized bodyguard I had hired for protection and you had taken the guise of my concubine."

"Good idea."

"Keep your eyes peeled – I encountered a Rogue Grass-nin before making it to your room. They are experts in camouflage."

"Understood."

As they neared a door, something caught Hani's attention. There was a small gossamer-like shimmer between the shoji doors; it was faint, but definitely something that didn't belong there. "Gai, wait!" she cried as her partner reached for the handle. Unfortunately, as Gai's finger caught on the metal ring of the door, a small "twang" cut through the night air.

Both ninja froze for an instant and exchanged a wide-eyed stare before Gai whirled around, wrapped an arm around Hani's waist and dove a good 20 feet to the ground. The moment they hit the dirt, the doorway exploded and a deafening blast echoed throughout the countryside – if the rest of the mansion wasn't alerted to an attack, they were now.

"Damnit," coughed Hani as she struggled to breathe through the smoke and under the weight of Gai's heavy form.

"Are you okay?" asked Gai as he shook his head a few times to clear his ears.

"I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say, 'I think someone is trying to kill us,'" winced Hani as she adjusted her position to avoid the rock that was poking her in the back.

"I agree," grunted Gai as he lifted himself off her. "Question is, are they trying to kill us specifically, or Hakanza?" He held out a hand to help her up.

"And why did they attack me first?" asked Hani as she stood.

Gai brushed himself off, "Kidnapping? They did try to take you alive."

"Hakanza clearly doesn't care about anyone but himself. What makes them think he'd try to save a concubine?"

Gai turned and gingerly walked back towards the gaping hole in the wall, "Human trafficking? I wouldn't put it past Hakanza to have a hand in some sort of shady business like that."

"Maybe …" said Hani as she considered his words and the coincidence of Nishin being at the banquet the night before. Perhaps that was the connection Hakanza had with the brothel owner?

"Alright, I think it's safe now," said Gai as he stepped through the destroyed doorway and negotiated around the debris. "We should hurry – others might be in danger."

"Right," said Hani as she followed in his footsteps.

They jogged down the hallway; their eyes scanning the area diligently. But as they reached the end of the hall a disturbing thing became very clear.

"Gai … where are we?" asked Hani as she looked down both ways of a dimly lit "T" intersection.

Gai did the same, "I'm … not sure. Oda did say that they could rearrange the walls incase of an attack."

"Then that means the house staff has been alerted."

"It would seem so," said Gai as he furrowed his brows. "Do you sense that?"

Hani's boot heels clicked on the hard pine floor as she widened her stance, "Yeah."

"Six on my side."

"And four on mine."

"Need help, Hani-chan?" He flinched as she immediately smacked his shoulder.

"Don't call me that, Chimp-nin!" she growled. She shot him a glare but her expression quickly softened at the sight of his impish grin. "Don't get hurt," she said softly as she turned to face the hall closest to her.

"Same to you – I'll watch your back," said Gai as he turned.

Hani smirked, "I'm sure you will ... pervert."

Gai's grin widened, "I didn't say I wouldn't enjoy it."

"Well, well, well," came a slightly familiar voice. "What have we got here?"

"Don't they make a cute couple," said another.

The last voice echoed down all three corridors, "Shut up, you two!"

"Yamada, Sugi and Kazuo," said Gai. "Is this the proper way to treat your host?"

The three monk imposters stepped into the light, Yamada, who had a large welt on his head was on Hani's side, Sugi and Kazuo, both covered in numerous bandages, were on Gai's; with them where a small handful of shady, rogue ninja. "You must think we are daft," said Yamada. "The three of us have shed blood, tears and decades of our lives with Toki Hakanza." He pointed a sharp finger at them, "We would no sooner mistake you for Toki, than we would our own reflections!"

Hani tilted her head to the side, "Gai?"

"Yeah," he replied with a clenched jaw. "They've been on to us the whole time."

"Duh!" blurted Sugi. "It took all our effort not to laugh our asses off at your ignorance during the banquet!"

Hani furrowed her brows, "Why? Why play along?"

"That's funny," said Yamada as he brought a finger to his chin. "I don't recall giving the bitch permission to speak."

Hani gave the imposter monk the nastiest look she could muster.

"Ho,ho," chuckled Yamada. He took the finger from his chin and pointed it at her, "You are ugly, when you're angry."

"Watch your mouth, Yamada," said Gai with a hint of venom. "Or I'll rip that flapping jaw of yours off and beat you with it."

"Aw, look-it," said Kazuo in a pouty voice, "He's defending her honor – how cute!"

"From what I've heard, she ain't got much honor left," laughed Sugi as he socked his friend in the arm.

Hani felt her partner's weight shift and spoke quickly before he acted, "Ignore it, Gai. Don't let them goad you."

He clenched his hands into white-knuckled fists, but stood his ground.

"Now," said Yamada as he slowly unsheathed his sword. "I believe we owe you for our recent injuries, and having us thrown out of our friend's home."

Sugi and Kazuo mirrored their friend's action and pointed their blades at their soon-to-be opponent. "You bruised my tailbone so bad, it hurts to take a shit!" spat Sugi.

"And I can't hear out of my left ear!" added Kazuo.

"You never answered her question," asked Gai quickly in an attempt at gathering more information. "Why did you play along? Why not call me out as an imposter at the banquet?"

"You're right, Yamada," said Sugi. "He does think we're daft."

"I have no intention of answering any of your questions, Maito Gai," said Yamada with an eerie air of seriousness. "Now … do us all a favor, and die quickly." He took his sword in both hands and widened his stance.

"Hani?" asked Gai over his shoulder.

As if she was reading his mind, she answered, "I'll be fine – have fun."

Gai directed his attention to the two imposter monks before him and beamed devilishly – dealing a good thrashing is what he's been craving all week.

"I think we should cut his arms off and throw him in a pen with one of Hamada's horny stallions!" laughed Kazuo.

Gai's eyes shot to the floor and quickly traced one of the boards.

"That's a brilliant idea!" agreed Sugi. "Fitting for the likes of him." He turned towards Gai and jutted his chin at him, "What freak names a sword "Suibou" anway?"

Gai gave the man a mischievous grin, "Me." Then he brought his foot up and slammed it as hard as he could against the tip of the floorboard he had been eying. The other end of the board instantly popped free of its nails, flew up and rammed Sugi right between the legs. It hit him so hard, the man was airborne for a good second.

"Sugi! Are you alright?!" shouted Kazuo as he stared in shock at his gapping, doubled-over friend.

"Avenge … me," was all the man could mutter before falling unconscious to the floor.

Kazuo bared his teeth at his opponent, raised his weapon and shouted so wildly, spit was flying from his mouth, "CHARGE!"

Gai flashed his own teeth, only his were through a smile.

Hani reached into her sleeve, extracted something and threw it before anyone could get a good look at it. The object soared through the air past Yamada, and past the rogue ninja.

"Heh … bad aim," said Yamada snidely.

Hani gave him a small wink in return.

Yamada's expression fell as he quickly jerked around to see the kunai she had thrown was now stuck in the wall behind him … with three explosive notes tied to it.

"EXPLOSIVE TAGS!' cried one of the rogue shinobi and a mini-stampede formed as they all charged down the hallway towards Hani and away from the explosives' blast range.

With her opponents doing exactly what she wanted, Hani dashed forward and formed a series of hand signs. Then, like before, she took a large breath and filled her half of the hallway with noxious purple fog. Her enemies had no choice but to endure the mist, or else be blasted by her bombs. Everyone, including Hani, disappeared from sight within the haze.

"Answer the question," said Gai as she pressed his foot down harder on Kazuo's head. "Who alerted you to my identity and why didn't you call me out?"

Kazuo struggled to talk with the pressure on his head. "I don't know anything," he blurted with a puckered face. He tried to push Gai's foot off, but it would have been easier moving a mountain.

"You're trying to tell me that one of Hakanza's old buddies isn't in the loop? I don't believe you."

"Ha, ha!" laughed Kazuo. "You're so fucking clueless! Fine! Go ahead and kill me! Anything you do, he'll do three times worse!"

"Who! Who will do it worse?!"

"No chance in hell, Konohan! You're gonna have to kill me!"

Gai rolled his eyes and sighed. "Fine." He then picked up his foot and promptly kicked Kazuo in the head just hard enough to knock him out. Killing a prone man wasn't his style. He then surveyed his handiwork: Kazuo and Sugi were both unconscious, one of the rogue shinobi was hanging through a hole in the wall, two other shinobi were laying in a heap after he had forced the two to head butt the other, and his last opponent was knocked-out at the end of the hall after Gai had tossed the man down there. All-in-all, they were not much of a challenge for the high-ranking jounin.

He looked over his shoulder at Hani's poisoned cloud. He could sense her chakra – it was still pulsing strong and the sight of one downed shinobi told him her work was almost finished.

Within seconds, Hani stepped out of the mist and fanned at the air like there was an annoying bug.

"Good work," said Gai as he gave her a thumb-up.

But before anything else could be said, a figure dashed out from the fog; it was Yamada who had tied a rag around his head to protect himself from the poisoned mist. "DIE BITCH!" he roared as he thrust his sword into Hani's back, clear through her torso and out her stomach.

"UNGH!" winced Hani; her eyes wide in shock.

Gai's own eyes mirrored hers as he saw the blade impale clear through her body. "NO!" he cried as he staggered forward – his legs feeling heavier than they had ever felt before.

Yamada laughed gleefully as he yanked the rag from his face. "Now you'll become a plaything for the demons!" he spat.

"You … first," said Hani with a strained voice. Then she disappeared with a "PON" and in her place was another small cloud of poisoned mist.

"GAH!" choked Yamada as he grabbed at his throat and hacked.

Gai blinked in surprise, she had used a poisoned mist clone? He didn't know she even had that ability.

In a flash, a bronzed object soared through the air from the initial poisoned cloud and struck Yamada in the back of the head.

The imposter monk's body froze as the bladed fan cut into his spine and lodged between two of his vertebrae. Then, just as fast as it had appeared, the fan was yanked back into the cloud by its tiny chain. Yamada's body quickly collapsed to the floor in a heap.

"Bursting Gale!" came Hani's voice from within the mist.

Gai watched as a large gust of wind erupted within the poisoned fog, close to the ground and rushed up; dissipating the mist. In the center of the jutsu was Hani's bent form. Her palms were extended downward and every loose part of her clothing and hair was caught up in the gust and being blown upward.

Gai sighed in relief at the sight of her – she was unharmed. Fighting as a team with Hani was going to be a challenge. She was clearly use to working alone, and her fighting style was a fair amount different from his own and the rest of his team. Fighting within a poison cloud certainly balanced the playing-field for her when going up against a stronger opponent, but it just wasn't an option for Gai.

After she completed her jutsu, Hani looked up at her partner and gave him a concerned look, "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," said Gai with a relieved smile. "You had me fooled there for a second."

"Oh," said Hani with a sympathetic expression, "Sorry about that."

"It's … it's alright." He looked at the explosive note kunai stuck in the wall past her, "Duds?"

Hani followed his look and grinned, "Yep, works every time."

"Hmm," he said as he lifted his hand and scratched at his chin.

Hani fixed a few stray strands of hair as she walked to his side, "What is it?"

"Just thinking how well you would work being teamed with one of my students."

Hani narrowed her eyes at him, "Don't get any ideas."

"Eh heh," chuckled Gai as he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "I didn't mention anything about training--"

Both ninja jumped as a bloodcurdling scream echoed from one of the halls.

"That must be one of the house staff," said Hani as they both sprinted down the hallway towards the voice. They ran a few dozen yards, having to occasionally double-back with the unfamiliar turns and twists with the rearranged corridors. Regardless, no matter how many rooms they checked or hallways they cleared, they couldn't find the owner of the scream.

"We must be too late," said Hani gently; not wanting to say it in front of Gai.

He gritted his teeth and looked down all the corridors desperately. This was one of those times he was grateful he had a Hyuuga in his team; unfortunately the boy wasn't with him. "Damnit," he growled. He balled his hand into a fist and started to lift it but Hani was faster.

"Gai, don't!" she whispered forcefully as she wrapped her arms around his flexed one. "You beat down these walls and you'll alert the attackers to our whereabouts."

"Then they'll be attacking us and not innocent civilians," snarled Gai.

Hani frowned, "And then we'll be too busy fighting them off to be able to help others in need." She clung to his arm tighter, "Gai – please. We will be able to do more if we use the subtle approach."

Gai tried to relax the building tension in his neck. She was right and he knew it – so would any other ninja. Subtly, though not one of his strengths, was always the right answer. He sighed heavily, "Fine."

Hani patted him lightly on the shoulder, "I'll make it up to you someday, Big Guy."

"You better make it good," said Gai, still feeling frustrated.

"We'll … see …" said Hani softly.

Gai turned to her in question and noticed her staring at something at the end of the hall. "What is it?" he said as he turned to see what she was looking at.

"MROW?!" came a frantic call, followed by a white fur ball scurrying up the hallway. On his heels were nearly a half-dozen rogue ninja.

"Who the hell chases a cat?!" said Hani as she ran forward and stretched her arms out. "Here Muta!"

At her words, the cat charged forward in a full sprint.

There was something about the creature that rubbed Gai the wrong way, "Hani?"

Muta came within 10 feet of the Konohans and jumped into the air – far higher than an animal of his girth and weight should have been able to.

Hani's eyes doubled in size as the animal disappeared in a puff of smoke and in his place was a giant man, with a long white mane for hair, flat face and large emerald eyes. On his belt was the unmistakable symbol for the village of Iwa; crossed out with a deep scratch across the metal.

The man stretched his arms high above his head, his fists adorned with animal skins and long claw-like blades.

Hani's jaw dropped in shock as she was enveloped completely in his massive shadow.

"Look out!" shouted Gai as he snatched her collar and yanked her out of the giant ninja's path. His claws slammed through the ground where she had been just moments before; the floor splintering from the impact.

Gai tossed Hani behind him and quickly jumped forward; delivering a flawless jump kick to Muta's rotund belly. However, even though his strike landed perfectly, the massive shinobi didn't budge. Gai's eyes widened as he watched his opponent's large belly vibrate from the impact, each wave decreasing exponentially. Gai jerked his head up in time to see Muta grin at him before a massive, clawed arm slammed into Gai and sent him through the nearest wall.

"GAI!" shouted Hani as she witnessed her partner get blasted into the next room. But she wasn't given any time to worry as Muta suddenly charged her.

She quickly scrambled to her feet and dodged one, two, three swipes of his claws. He was fast – faster than anyone his size should be. But fortunately for Hani, she was a small target.

He was extremely strong too; so much so, each swing of his arm sent a gust of wind that made her feel like she would get blown over.

She pressed herself flat against the wall as his clawed arm soared downward and slammed through the floor at her feet. She brought her leg up and kicked as hard as she could at his elbow, trying to break it, but his trunk-like arm didn't budge.

"Ya!" she cried as she dove to the ground to avoid his other arm.

The moment his fist touched the wall where she had been previously, the boards split open and Gai's form came crashing through the wall.

"Dynamic Entry!" he cried as his foot planted directly in Muta's face and sent him through the other wall.

"Looks like he's got at least one weak spot," said Gai as grabbed Hani's sleeve and lifted her back to her feet.

"Look out!" she shouted as she yanked on his arm and pulled him out of the path of an array of kunai.

They both eyed the shinobi that had accompanied Muta down the hall.

"Hani, you go low, I'll go high."

"Gai, I have very little experience fighting with a teammate," said Hani apprehensively as she took her stance.

"You'll have to adapt," said Gai. "We both will."

Hani didn't have time to respond before Gai charged forward. "Go low!" he called over his shoulder. He threw a punch as he came up on the first opponent; the man quickly dodged the strike. But just as Gai was about to retaliate, he felt a small arm wrap around his waist and a dark blue blur come up and strike the man directly on the temple. Gai looked down and beamed at Hani who gave him an excited smile back. Then he rushed forward and sent a knee into the gut of his next victim.

Hani went to her own adversary and easily caught his punch, then pulled the man's extended arm towards her partner. "Gai!"

The jounin didn't even look as he smashed his elbow into the shinobi's face. Then he grabbed the man's shirt and threw him into the next enemy, throwing him off balance. Gai took two steps before jumping into the air, raising his arm high above his head and bringing it down like an axe into the rogue ninja's head. As his opponent collapsed, Gai bent over and called out, "Hani!"

She was already rushing forward. "Hai!" she said as she jumped and used his back like a pummel horse. She performed a spinning kick at the last opponent, striking him in the head and knocking him out before he hit the floor.

Both Konohans panted as they surveyed their handiwork. Gai looked to his partner and quickly pumped his fist into the air. "Hani! That was most youthful!" he said gleefully.

Hani pumped her own fist. "I know! That was awes—" she quickly cut herself off as she realized how silly she was behaving. "Yeah, that was pretty good, I guess," she said as she tucked-back a stray strand of hair and tried to act nonchalant.

Gai beamed his ever-bright smile at her, "Hani, we should commemorate this moment of amazing teamwork." He held open his arms, "Hug?"

She took a cautious step backwards, "What?!"

"Huuuug," said Gai in an impossibly deep voice.

"Stay away, freak!" she said as she held her arms out in an "X".

"I promise not to squeeze too tight this time."

"Absolutely not!"

"Ha-ni."

"No way!"

"Hani-chan?"

"Forget it!"

"… Please?"

"NO!"

A thunderous crash cut through their conversation causing both of them to jump defensively. Both turned to see Muta, or something that resembled Muta come barreling through the wall Gai had sent him through earlier. His upper body was half transformed into a feline, with large fangs and a mane that covered most of his upper body. His hands were now huge animal claws that he dragged along the corridor's walls as he ran, shredding the wood as he went. From his throat came a monstrous roar, similar to a lion's but still with the undertone of a man's voice.

"Hani, stay back!" shouted Gai as he rushed forward.

All she could do was watch as the two men charged each other – it was like watching a train wreck and the comparison could still apply as the two quickly collided.

Gai sent his shoulder into Muta's gut with enough force to burst the man's internal organs. But like before, Muta's fat belly vibrated from the impact before dissipating the energy of Gai's attack.

"Watch out!" cried Hani as Muta raised a clawed hand and slammed it into her partner's back.

"Gah!" cried Gai as he felt his joint's pop and shift painfully from the impact. His knees slammed into the floor hard enough to make the wood splinter.

"Hang on! I'm coming!" shouted Hani as she ran up behind him.

"Stay back!" he cried. He didn't care what jutsu she had in her arsenal – this shinobi was a freaking juggernaut!

Muta brought both of his hands together, raised them high above his head and then sent them down to deliver the final blow. Gai immediately threw his arms up and caught the rogue ninja's wrists in midair. Muta wasn't the only strong man in this fight.

Gai bared his teeth as he stood slowly; both he and Muta's arms shaking from each man trying to overpower the other. But once Gai was back on his feet, Muta bent down and let out a bellowing roar directly in his opponent's face. The Konohan ignored the streams of spittle that flew at him and promptly head butted the Iwa rogue as hard as he could. Muta staggered weakly as blood burst from his forehead and dripped down into his eyes.

"His head!" shouted Hani. "Go for his head!"

Gai released Muta's arms and quickly slammed his palms into either side of the rogue shinobi's head, forcing the bones of his skull to crack and puncture his brain; his massive body hit the floor like a whale belly-flopping into the shallow end of a pool.

"Gai!" cried Hani as she ran forward and caught her unsteady partner.

"Thank you," he said weakly.

Hani wasn't able to mask the concern in her voice, "How bad are you hurt?"

"I just need a minute," said Gai as she helped him to the wall so he could rest. "I don't think there is too much damage. I just need to give my body some time to recover."

Once he was seated, Hani quickly reached into his jacket and started to feel his torso. "How are the ribs?" she asked as she pressed on his existing injury.

"Guh!" cringed Gai as his whole body wracked from the pain.

"Oh my god," said Hani softly. "These rips are completely fractured."

Gai rolled his eyes as he tried to regain his breath, "Damn this injury."

Hani pulled off his jacket and unraveled his bindings. "I'm going to do this again." She rolled up his kimono and stuffed it behind his shoulders so he could continue to rest and still allow her to wrap his ribs. "Just try to relax."

"We make a pretty good team," said Gai after a few minutes of silence.

Hani gave him a small grin, "Yeah, I guess you're right."

"It's really nice to see you in action. When we get back to Konoha, we should spar."

"Pfft, you'd beat me into a pulp, Gai."

He chuckled and then immediately winced in pain, "Nah. At the very least, I would like for you to meet my team." He gave her a thoughtful smile, "I think they'd love you."

Hani shook her head slightly and grinned, "We'll see."

Gai smiled in return before turning his attention to the fallen Iwa rogue, "This whole time -- that damn cat was a spy."

"And to think I let him spoon with me," huffed Hani.

Gai shot her a look.

"All of this evidence is making Hakanza look like less of a good guy."

"If he ever was one," winced Gai. "But why would he hire us?"

"Maybe he really did need you to impersonate him, or maybe it's for something else."

Gai looked off into the distance as he considered their situation, "Or maybe." He was reluctant to speak his next words, "I'm not the one he wants." He turned his head and gave Hani a hard stare.

She shook her head as she continued her work, "I never met Toki Hakanza before this mission."

"What about your acquaintance from the banquet; the long, dark-haired man?"

Hani froze. "Who told you about him?"

"Makoto. He said you two were acquaintances and that he was … um," he tried to remember what he was told. "A livestock dealer."

Hani closed her eyes and sighed, "That man's name is Nishin, and he isn't a livestock dealer. He owns a brothel on the border between the Fire and Tea countries."

"Then how do you –"

"I worked undercover at his brothel for three months before my palace assignment. He isn't an acquaintance, he was a mark."

Gai tried to understand everything he was hearing, "You … you worked at a brothel for 3 months?"

Hani furrowed her brows as she continued to bind his ribs, "Yes."

Gai slowly turned his head away from her; his mind deep in thought.

Hani stole a quick look at his expression, "Do you think less of me now that you know that?"

He was unhurried in his reply, "As shinobi, we all must do things we're not proud of."

"True."

Gai was quiet for a moment before speaking again, "I'm just glad you're safe now."

Hani frowned slightly … he hadn't answered her question.

After a few quiet, tense moments, Hani finished her work. "Alright, you should be okay now. But try to avoid taking another hit to that area – another impact could cause your lung to be punctured."

"Right," said Gai as he tried to put his jacket back on.

"Are you well enough to stand?"

He took her offered hand and pulled himself up, "No problem."

Hani looked down the corridor as Gai brushed himself off. "I think the kitchens are this way. There might be a chance we'll find Oda and Umeko if we go there."

"I agree," nodded Gai. And they both set off down the hall.

"I think we need to take a left turn up ahead," said Hani as they jogged down the corridor past room after room.

"Are you sure?"

"Not at all," sighed Hani. Directions were not her strong suit – she relied heavily on land markers to find her way. But now that the walls have been rearranged, she was completely lost.

"We're bound to run into someone," said Gai over his shoulder.

In that instant, just as they were running past one of the larger grand rooms, Hani was struck with an overwhelmingly familiar aura; so much so, it stopped her in her tracks and nearly caused her to vomit.

No longer hearing the "clip-clop" of his partner's heels behind him, Gai immediately halted. "Hani?" His face fell at her expression, "Hani, what's wrong?"

She stared at Gai in wide-eyed terror, unable to look away. She felt like a child, cowering under her bed sheets, too afraid to look into the closet for fear of what she might see. Only this time, instead of seeing an empty closet, she knew that if she turned her head and looked into the nearby room, she would see the worse monster of them all.

"Mmmm, Honey," came a disturbing voice. "Just what I've been craving."

--

Thank you, for reading!