Chapter 4: Office fight

"You look different" The Hokage mussed when Mami wondered into her office with Naoki trotting along by her side.

"How so malady?" Mami asked as she wondered what lady Tsunade was going on about, she hadn't done anything different this morning, she had the same clothes she normally wore; a pair of grey trousers with her blue headband wrapped around the top of her left thigh, a blue strapless top with two cut-off sleeves, the right fishnet armour and the left made of the same blue fabric as her top, she wore a pair of black boots on her feet and a pair of grey fighting gloves with the leaf symbol imprinted on the back, her long brown hair was down like normal.

"I can't put my finger on it…" The Hokage mussed as she tapped her chin with a thin finger "…but you just look different"

"Thank…you" Mami thanked unsure if it was a compliment or an insult from the leader of the village. Mami stood there with Naoki sitting beside her as they waited for the Hokage to speak, they had been summoned after all but the Hokage just sat there pondering with her head tilted slightly to the side, her pink manicured nails drumming on the wood of her desk.

Lady Tsunade seamed to have forgotten why she had called Mami to her office until Shizune entered the room with her arms full of documents.

"You did call Mami for a reason malady" Shizune reminded with a huff as she dumped a load of paperwork on the desk in front of the sighing older woman.

"I know, I know Shizune, no need to remind me…" Lady Tsunade snipped as she flipped one blonde pigtail behind her back before her eyes focused back on Mami "…anyway Mami we need to talk about the mission you were sent on"

"But malady I told you everything I possibly could…" Mami desperately begged, why won't this women take a hint "…I told you everything even if it had no importance over the last two three days. What more could I possibly do?" Mami was tired of this, the constant asking, the mission and even the Hokage, she had been drilled over and over again about the mission but the Hokage was still wasn't satisfied with what she got.

"Don't get smart with me young lady" Lady Tsunade warned with a pointed finger as her eyes glanced at the worn out kunoichi before her.

"I'm not lady Tsunade…" Mami moaned loudly as Naoki gave a sympathetic wine to his mistress "…there is nothing else to tell you"

"Malady?" A small voice interrupted, the voice's owner looked worried as they took a step forward.

"What Shizune" Lady Tsunade snapped as her annoyed brown eyes turned to her right hand women who now looked really scared.

"The other two you summand for have now arrived" Shizune was a full grown women and had been with Lady Tsunade for most of her life but even she hid behind the file clutched tightly in her hands, the ever faithful pig Tonton was also hiding behind Shizune.

"Send them in" Everyone was on tender hooks as tempers in the room rose to any all new level, they had been over this again and again, all of them worn out to the point of mental exhaustion, going over every detail with a toothpick and looking for things that weren't there.

Mami wondered who could have also been summand and turned as the door behind her creaked open, Shizune was in the way but once she moved there were two very familiar faces standing there, one had a rough animal like appearance but had a heart of gold while the other looked manly but it didn't really work he had a ponytail and a flower shop.

"Tsume, Inoichi would like to come in" The Hokage greeted as the two entered, they looked to the Hokage before looking to Mami, you could see the confusion I their eyes.

"What is this about?" Inoichi asked politely as Tsume happily greeted her stressed daughter.

"It's about that one…" Tsunade answered while she pointed at the guilty person in her mothers arms "…she is withholding information about the mission she was sent on"

"What?…" Tsume exclaimed as she pulled her daughter closer "…are your sure malady?" All three of her children had been raised on the straight and narrow, they had all been raised as ninja and all three were very good at their jobs so this was shocking news to the mother.

"Yes I am" Tsunade sighed as she slouched in her high backed chair, a look of distress crossed her saddened face before she glared at Mami.

"Are you Mami?" Tsume unsurely asked her daughter as she gently moved a stray stand of light brown hair out of her face.

"How can you doubt me mum…" Mami cried from her mothers tight hold, she wanted to scream out her frustrations, her body called out for a relaxing massage to get out the knots that formed from the mission, a mission that put her heart, body and mind to it's limit and back "…I have told Lady Tsunade every little detail of the mission, there is nothing more I can do"

"No you haven't…" The Hokage snapped as she stood from her seat "…I don't know what it is but there is defiantly something your not saying"

"I'm telling the truth…" Mami sobbed as tears of frustration rolled down her face "…there is nothing else to tell"

"Mami…"

"NO" Mami shouted as her mum tried to reach out and comfort her crying daughter, Mami just stood there sobbing as Tsume felt helpless, her daughter was crying and she was refusing comfort in any way. All Mami wanted was to talk to Shikamaru, he would listen to what she had to say, he would listen and then think of the best way to help her. Mami could see it now, Shikamaru telling her that everything would be ok and to just forget the stupid Hokage, to forget everything.

With a pine Naoki started to creep towards his mistress, his feet padding along the bare floor as he got closer and closer, Mami was hurting and Naoki wanted to help his owner, his friend.

"What was the mission if you don't mind me asking Lady Tsunade?" Inoichi asked as he watched the desperate mother trying to comfort her daughter.

"I sent Mami and Naoki to track an S class missing-nin…" The Hokage sighed as she rubbed at her temples, trying to rub away her growing headache "…once they had found his location they were to send word but when she turned up six months later with no leads I knew something was up" Naoki pinned for his master and took another step forward with his head bowed, he moved closer and closer to his distressed mistress who was still refusing comfort of any kind.

"Then why did you send for us?" Tsume asked as she once again was rebuffed by a tearful Mami, as much as she tried Tsume was just not getting though.

"If you couldn't persuade Mami to talk Tsume then I was going to ask Inoichi to probe Mamis mind, it was the only thing I could think of" At hearing this Naoki stopped his creeping and turned to growl at the Hokage behind her desk, he snorted at the older women before he took a few firm steps and nuzzled his wet nose into Mamis leg, offering what comfort he could.

"Can't you see this mission has put a lot of stress on Mami…" Tsume started as she looked to her daughter.

"I don't care, we need this information now. I will take it by force if we have to"

"YOU KNOW NOTHING…" Mami screamed as her piercing eyes turned to the Hokage, her emoticons snapped and all of hell broke lose as the girl glared at the women behind her desk "…YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT IT WAS LIKE TO CHASE THAT CRIMINAL AROUND THE WORLD AND END UP WHERE YOU STARTED, YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT IT'S LIKE TO SEE THE TRAIL OF DEAD BODYS HE LEFT BEHIND. YOU KNOW NOTHING"

"Don't you shout at me…" Tsunade warned as her eyes glaring at the shouting girl "…you have ten seconds to tell us what really happened or I will have you thrown into Konoha Strict Correctional Facility"

"Wait…" Tsume urged as she looked at Lady Tsunade and then at her daughter. It was what was known as a light bulb moment, everything fell into place and Tsume now knew why Mami was so upset "…did you send Mami to track…HIM?" His name was taboo within the Inuzuka family, he was often referred to as him or that git.

"Yes I did send her after…"

"Don't…" Shizune interrupted as she held the file in her hands tightly "…don't say his name"

"Do you really know what it was like?" Mami whispered in a deadly voice as she had a maddening smile on her face, her beast looked up at the Hokage and her true pain shinned like a million stars.

"Yes I do…" The Hokage replied calmly as she looked into Mamis dark orbs "…I have read your report"

"The report is nothing like it was being there…" Mami whispered "…why don't you look at my file, it will tell you everything you need to know and maybe you will stop seeing things that aren't there. I can tell you know this mission was a blast from the past but there was one difference like you know, the girl got lucky, she died" Mami smiled calmly as she turned to walk out of the Hokages office with Naoki right by her side, Mami gave a quick bow to the room before disappearing.

"Shizune get me Mami's file" Lady Tsunade called as she watched the door slam behind the distressed kunoichi.

"No need malady…" Tsume interrupted as she stepped forward with a look of sadness in her eyes, she quickly looked back at the now closed door before turning back to the Hokage "…I will tell you everything" She said with a sad sigh.

"Did you want me to leave Tsume?" Inoichi asked as he stepped towards the door.

"No it's ok, you know the whole story anyway"

XxX

How had everything gone so wrong when last night had been so good, the guy that she liked had kissed her and he asked her out, he really asked her out. Mami couldn't believe that Shikamaru liked her back. They kissed some more last night and he never pushed to go further then that, he was just happy sitting there kissing Mami like there was no tomorrow; Shikamaru just blew her away.

Mami was running though the busy streets of Konohagakure with Naoki beside her as always, Mami couldn't stop, she didn't want to stop; Running had always made her feel better but now it didn't help at all. Why had everything gone wrong. With that thought in mind Mami pushed herself to run a little faster, she wanted to see Shikamaru or even Choji but she run right into a pair of fellow kunoichi instead.

"Mami?" A timid voice wheezed as Hinata propped herself up, the three of them were in a tangled mess on the dusty, hard dirt as Naoki padded around the heap. Mami said nothing as she just laid there.

"What on earth is going on?" Tenten asked as she heaved herself out of the tangled mess and lay off to the side, herself and Hinata were quite happily shopping and chatting when a body ran into them.

"I think there's something wrong with Mami…" Hinata whispered as she lifted herself off the ground, she watched as Mami just lay there her eyes wide as they looked at nothing "…she ran into us and is just laying there" The two women shared a confused look before they went to help the frozen kunoichi, Mami just lay there on the dusty ground as long streaks of salty tears ran down her face as, her eyes unfocused and blank as they stared forward.

"Mami?" Tenten whispered as she gently placed a hand on the woman's shoulder, Mami just lay there not paying any attention to the women with her; Naoki nudged her with his wet nose and let out a pitiful wine but she still didn't move.

"Why don't you take Mami to her flat…" Hinata suggested as she looked up the street and the direction Mami had just come from, she quickly looked back to her companion to see the confused look on Tentens face "…I just need to quickly do something"

"Ok" Tenten said as she looked unsure, what did Hinata have to do so suddenly? With a heave and some help from Naoki Tenten managed to get Mami onto her feet and half dragged her towards her flat, Naoki leapt behind the two watching on with worried dark eyes.

Hinata watched the mismatched group with a gentle smile before she turned and ran towards the Hokages office, with each step a new thought came into her mind. Why was Mami so upset? Why was Mami running? Where was she running? What was Mami running from? At the end of each thought there was only one answer, Lady Tsunade.

"Lady Tsunade…" Hinata all but growled as she stormed into the office, the doors flying back from the force of her shove. Tsume Inuzuka was sitting in a chair in front of the desk with a look of distress on her face and tears in her eyes as Inoichi Yamanaka was standing beside her, comforting Tsume the best he could, Shizune was standing beside the Hokage with a look of shock on her face as the Hokage herself was sat behind her desk.

"What is it Miss Hyuga" Lady Tsunade huffed as she glanced at the female shinobi in the doorway.

"You have some nerve…" Hinata hissed as she glared at the older women "…I just happened to see Mami a moment ago and she is upset beyond belief, she didn't even register that she had run into anyone let alone answer them. WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER?" Hinata shouted as she pointed an accusing finger at the Hokage, she was visibly shaking with anger as her clear lavender eyes watched Lady Tsunade behind her desk.

"This is bad…" Tsume whispered as she stood from the chair, her face focusing on noting as they darted around "…I better go and see if Mami is alright" The women muttered more to herself as she left the room, she didn't bow or wave to anyone as the door closed behind her, Tsumes mind was to occupied at the moment.

"Well?" Hinata asked as Inoichi chased after Tsume with a look of worry on his face.

"This has nothing to do with you" The Hokage spat as she glared at the young kunoichi.

"I may not know what's going on but I can tell when a good friend is struggling to keep her sanity…" Hinata screamed as she stormed over to the desk and slammed her hands down on the hard wood "…a shinobi can't tell anyone any details of a mission unless they are part of it. Mami was on her own and whatever happened on the mission she went though a lot of emotional and mental stress, Mami is falling apart and no one can help her as we don't know the circumstances…" Hinata was on the verge of begging as she whispered the last words out "…you need to lay off so her mind and body can heal can't you give the poor woman a break for once"

"Ok…" Lady Tsunade sighed after a long tense pause filled the room "…I will 'lay off' Mami for the time being, I need a word with her once we have both calmed down" The Hokage shoved her chair back against the wall as she got up, her eyes looked sad as she watched Hinata stand there before her.

"Malady…" Shizune half asked as the small pink pig waddled happily around the room.

"Shizune I feel bad enough as it is…" The two older women forgot Hinata still standing there as they talked "…after hearing what happened it's no big surprise Mami would react that way. Get me Miu, I need a word with her"