"Why are you so suspicious of me? What have I ever done to hurt Konoha High?"

"You were his student. His favorite. It must matter to you that he left."

"I'm not a traitor! I wouldn't follow him, not ever! He wasn't some kind of trusted mentor, he was an abusive, domineering…"

"You say that, but how can we know if it's true?"

"What, are you going to try to beat it out of me? Like you do to everyone else?"

--

Sakura shook her head. "Naruto is such a jerk sometimes. And I don't even think he realizes it. Poor Hinata…"

Tenten laughed. "Well, it was funny to watch him follow you around all day, apologizing and trying to make sure that you two were 'okay.'"

Sakura pondered that. "Maybe if I tell him that we're over, he'll focus on Hinata." She sighed. "What a disaster."

"Tenten." Neji came up behind them. "Ready?"

Tenten nodded. "You don't mind, do you, Sakura? I mean, you can just walk home with Lee, right?"

Sakura forced a grin. "Sure!"

But Lee wasn't walking her anywhere today. "It's too dangerous, Sakura. I can't allow you to go back to Oto! Your flowering youth must be kept safe."

Sakura sighed. Sasuke would not be happy if she showed up alone, and there was no way he'd actually come to visit her. Which meant.... There'll be other days. Lee will agree eventually…

Sighing, she headed home.

Lee emerged from the school moments later. It was a mistake to tell Sakura no! She's not going to let that stop her… "I must find her myself!" he declared out loud, striking the "cool-guy pose." "I will rescue her from the unyouthful Kabuto and students of Oto!"

He raced out toward the path to the other side of town.

--

Anko and Kurenai were the last two teachers to leave that day. "Let's go to a café and get something to eat!" Anko suggested, bouncing over to Kurenai.

Kurenai smiled. "Dango, huh?"

"How'd you know?" Wide, childlike eyes stared up at Kurenai in mock wonder.

Kurenai stifled a laugh. "Just a hunch."

They drove down to the Konoha Café, just at the edge of the neighborhood. Konoha students didn't usually go there, unless if they were looking for a fight, so Kurenai and Anko would be undisturbed.

Unless, of course…

"Asuma! Good to see you! We were just about to talk about you!" Anko grinned. Kurenai stifled a groan. Lovely…

"Good to know," Asuma said dryly. "Shikamaru and I were about to start a game of shogi. Try to keep your voices up, so I can hear what you're saying."

"Will do!" Anko beamed. "Come on, Kurenai. Let's get some dango!"

While Anko went to interrogate the cook about the quality of the dango, Kurenai kept an eye on Asuma's shogi game. It only took Shikamaru eight moves to win the first time, and he seemed to have the upper hand for the next game.

"You're pretty good at this," she commented. "Asuma's a tough opponent."

Shikamaru sighed. "It's so troublesome… and Asuma isn't very good at this."

Asuma just laughed. "Don't mind him, he's using up all his energy moving the pieces." He poked the boy. "Lazy bum." Shikamaru didn't respond; all his focus was on the game.

"How are you?" Kurenai murmured. "Or rather, how are we?" They were still in that period of awkwardness after each time she rejected him.

Asuma shrugged. "Fine, I guess. This isn't exactly the first time we've been through this. I guess I'm getting used to it." He didn't ask her to explain herself, like last time, for which she was intensely relieved. She didn't know if she even had an explanation.

"You're still my best friend," she told him, leaning her head on his shoulder.

"Checkmate," Shikamaru announced. Asuma didn't seem to notice. Disgusted, Shikamaru put his head down to take a nap.

Kurenai picked up her head. "Who's that?" Three teenagers had just walked through the door.

"Wha-? Oh, I think they're from Suna," Asuma said thoughtfully. "Kids like that are the ones that build another generation of murderers."

Kurenai frowned. The three looked very familiar. "Were they there at the big Chunin sports playoff last year?" That redhead certainly had been. He was the one that had almost killed poor Rock Lee during one of the competitions. Strange how a child that young could already be a cold blooded killer…

"I think you're right," Asuma agreed. "Hey! Didn't that girl fight you, Shikamaru?" Shikamaru chose to not respond.

"Hey! Pineapple Head!" But apparently, the girl knew exactly who he was. "Who are these, your parents or your babysitters?" She smirked down at Shikamaru.

Shikamaru sighed. "Troublesome Woman again."

"Stop calling me that!" she said, annoyed. "What are you doing out here, anyway? Good little Konoha kids don't hang out this close to the border."

"All right, you've had your fun," Asuma said irritably. "Give Shikamaru a break. We're trying to play shogi."

"I play shogi," the girl announced. "Come on, Pineapple Head. Let's do this." She pulled a chair over to the table, moving it away from Asuma. "Pick your lazy head up!" she ordered.

Asuma watched, bemused. "I think that girl's going to be good for Shikamaru."

"Maybe," Kurenai agreed, smiling. "And for Suna and Konoha. It's a start, anyway," she added hastily at Asuma's dubious look.

He laughed. "How unusually optimistic of you."

Kurenai's phone beeped. "Text message from Anko," she said, opening it.

Was that enough alone time with Asuma? Can I come back yet? The cook says that he's going to kick me out if I eat any more dango from his kitchen…

Kurenai laughed. "That Anko…" She really does understand more than you'd expect from a loudmouth…

Once Anko returned, the meal really did become enjoyable. The Suna girl lost three games to Shikamaru, but instead of getting frustrated, kept tackling the shogi board with renewed energy. The older of her companions came over to watch, but was shooed off immediately. They were making a bit of a scene in a café where people generally kept to themselves, but no one complained. No one messed with the infamous Suna redhead, who glared at anyone he saw watching the girl.

Then it all went sour.

Anko was the first to see. Her eyes narrowed in that dark way they always did when she saw one person.

"Orochimaru," she spat out, her voice cold with hatred.

Kurenai turned. Orochimaru had just walked in, his eyes gleefully meeting Anko's. "Ah, perfect! Konoha brats!" He turned to the door, where a few other tall figures lurked. "I believe that I have something that belongs to you. Kabuto!"

Kabuto walked in, his glasses hiding his eyes but not his smirk. Behind him, a tall, sickly-looking man carried in a limp…

"Lee!" Kurenai jumped up, horrified.

"What did you do to him?" Anko demanded furiously.

Orochimaru cupped her cheek in his hand and laughed when she recoiled. "Now, now, Anko dear, we would never go out of the way to hurt one of your students. "No, this one came to us and tried to start up a fight with Kimimaro."

The tall man moved closer to Orochimaru. "He insulted our principal," he told them coldly. "I defended Orochimaru's honor."

Orochimaru laughed. "Isn't he just adorable?" He took Lee from Kimimaro and shoved him roughly at Kurenai. "Take your little brat. Kabuto, get me a drink."

Kurenai grabbed Anko's hand, which was balled up into a fist. "Not now," she hissed. "Not here."

"Yes, listen to your friend," Orochimaru smiled coldly. "You're no match for me."

It took both Kurenai and Asuma to calm Anko down and have her sit at the table.

Kurenai checked Lee's heartbeat. "He seems okay, just bruised. I don't think anything's broken." She stared down at the boy. "I wonder why he went to Oto. It's not like him to do something so stupid." Asuma gave her a look, and she corrected herself. "It's not like him to do something so stupid because of these interschool rivalries."

The redheaded Suna boy walked over to them to inspect Lee's damage. No one dared to tell him to leave, though Asuma kept a suspicious eye on the oddly shaped backpack he wore. After a minute or two, the boy seemed satisfied. He nodded to himself and addressed the girl, who had just taken one of Shikamaru's knights and was doing a victory dance. "Temari. We're leaving."

Temari pouted. "Do we have to, Gaara?"

The boy glared at her. "Now."

Immediately, she rose. Kurenai smiled inwardly. Even his friends are terrified of him… "Bye, Pineapple Head," she said sulkily.

Shikamaru smirked. "We should play again." Everyone present's jaw dropped.

"Did Shikamaru just…?" Kurenai asked disbelievingly.

Asuma laughed. "I don't believe it! He actually likes her!"

Shikamaru let out a long-suffering sigh, and Temari gave him a friendly shove. "See you around, Pineapple."

Gaara moved back to Lee. "You."

Kurenai raised an eyebrow. "Yes?"

"He's a good fighter. Tell him that I'll kill that other guy for him."

These Suna kids are full of surprises… "I think he'd appreciate the sentiment, but disapprove."

Gaara shrugged. "I don't care."

Then the two and their last companion were gone, leaving the Konoha group simultaneously horrified and bemused.