Yay! Fun chapter as well. Hope you enjoy! Please read and review! PS didn't get enough time to proofread very well. please don't be mad. lol
Yuka raced into the house after shutting the door and locking it, her mind reeling. Not only were Shikamaru and Ino coming to her home, but Kiba. This wasn't necessarily bad because she needed his cells. She needed to fulfill Orochimaru's orders but for now she had to warn him. She raced up the stairs and came to a thundering halt at his door, knocking as softly as she could, her voice as even as possible. "Orochimaru-sama? Please, may I come in? It's urgent business."
"Come," he said before she could take a breath, the door sliding open with a flick of the wrist. She closed it behind her with a snap, turning toward her master. He was sitting in his chair, his eyes lazily roaming her face. "What is so urgent, Yuka?"
"Tonight, there will be some shinobi, all Jonin level, coming to my home. One of them being Kiba Inuzuka. We have to erect a barrier and seal around this room to-," but he cut her off, her eyes widening as he held up his hand.
"Who all is coming?" He asked, his chest heaving slightly. She bit her lip, moving to kneel before him. She placed her hand on his chest and focused her chakra. She could feel his lungs were weak, barely able to expand against his protruding ribcage. She sent her chakra to his neurons, easing the pain and sending some chakra to his lungs, alleviating the pressure on them. "Yuka," he wheezed. She stopped, pulling her hand back and resting it on her thigh.
"So far," she whispered, looking from her knees to his face. "I know that two of the Hyuuga, the current heir Hinata and her cousin Neji are coming. As well as Shikamaru Nara, Shino Aburame, Ino Yamanaka, and a weapons expert named TenTen. There may be others that show up, I am not entirely sure of that."
"Ah, many of the remaining members of the legendary Konoha 10? As I am aware, Sakura Haruno, that pink haired protégé of my old team mate Tsunade, was the tenth member?"
"As I understand it," Yuka agreed. "What would you like done sensei? They will be here within the hour."
"Put up your barrier," he said, his eyes roaming from the window to her. "I will reverse summon to a safe location for the night. I cannot take my chair but I will require some of you're chakra before I go. It will sustain me for the night. In the meantime, get the Inuzuka's blood if at all possible. If not just a cell sample; either hair or flesh. I don't care."
"The others?" she asked, her eyes concentrated on his frail form. She didn't want him to reverse summon in his condition.
"Get what information you can but do not make them suspicious. You're excellent at lying so lie," Orochimaru said, waving his hand.
"As you wish sensei," she said, standing and walking up to him. She placed her hand on his forehead, making hand signs with her one hand. Her hand started to glow green, her chakra funneling in mass amounts into his body. It started to rapid heal, his old form taking more sold form. Instead of looking frail and weak his body gained more muscle tone, more mass and his worn face became better defined, the bags under his eyes seeming less puffy.
He sighed in relief and the haggard huskiness of his voice disappeared replaced by his former, hiss like dominance. "This will do," he said, standing slowly and stretching out his arms. "I will be back sometime before sunrise, before the barrier releases. Do your duty Yuka, I count on it." And then he weaved a few hand signs before disappearing in a puff of smoke.
Yuka sighed, turning from his chair and left the room. She crossed the hall and went into her own room, grabbing a set of scrolls and ink from her box she kept hidden in her room. She went back across the hall and started drawing, the seal coming to life as she fed some of her chakra into it little by little. When it was finally done, ten minutes later, she placed it in the center of the room, weaving hand signs before placing her destruction hand on it. She felt a surge of chakra and the seal spread rapidly across the room.
Just like that it was done. The room was disguised as if it weren't even there. She quickly left the room, weaving one last hand sign. The door to the room disappeared and she grinned. They'd have no reason to come up stairs and now that it looks like a plain wall she was sure it was well hidden.
Suddenly she felt light headed, her eyes going wide as she leaned against the wall, trying to balance herself. She used up too much chakra. It would take a lot of time to gain it all back so if an altercation did occur she'd be too weak to do anything about it. She took a few deep breaths, slowly funneling what little chakra she had left to her feet so she could move. She moved to the stairs, slowly grabbing the rail and lowering herself down them. It was a long process and by the time she got to the living area to lay down on the couch it was starting to get darker. The sun was lowering in the sky, the glare from it shining into her home and over the clean hardwood floors.
This home was expansive and too nicely decorated for Yuka's taste. Rich white's and creams adorned the wall and light pinks and greens graced the accents. It was dainty, peaceful and this didn't set well with her. She'd be happier in a two room shack like her old home. She sighed, leaning back on the couch and staring at the ceiling. Soon they would be here, inside the one place she could control, the one thing that, even though it was in enemy territory, could be hidden and changed to her liking.
However, as her mind wandered she wondered what would be her best option to illicit information from them. She didn't want to seem nosey and suspicious but at the same time she needed all the information they could give. It was frustrating and the longer she thought about how to go about it, the more impossible it became. There was no direct way to just get info. She couldn't be sly about it because Shikamaru wasn't stupid; Ino acted flighty but her powers over the mind were no comparison to the tricks Yuka tried. Ino was experienced, trained in the way of the mind by her father, the legendary ninja Inoichi Yamanaka. If this weren't enough both Hyuuga heirs would be here, the heir to the most powerful byakugan in generations and the actual heir who not only picked up on Yuka's quips but tried so earnestly to become her friend.
All of this was dangerous. Not to mention Shino, who had spent the most time sparring and fighting against her, had probably already figured out her jutsu and fighting style. It was nerve racking and as she mulled over her options she realized that not only was she vastly overpowered but she was unintentionally lured into a corner. She sat up quickly, shaking her head and running her hands through her hair.
This was going to be a problem. She would have to deactivate the outer barrier before they got her and she didn't know if using up even more chakra would be wise. She groaned, standing up and making her hand signs before placing her hand on the floor. "Release," she said, the shock of the chakra hitting her so hard she needed to sit down. As the seal deactivated she sat down on the couch, taking a few more deep breaths. She didn't have any food pills and the more depleted she was the more obvious it would be to the others.
The others would bet here in less than a half an hour and the only option she had was to hurry up and find something to eat before they did. It would make her less inclined to eat the horrible food Kiba said she'd probably get anyway. Kiba probably ate a lot of those meals for their sake. Yuka then stopped and mentally kicked herself. She hadn't realized it until now but she knew it didn't happen often. She had a cheesy grin on her face, one of those nostalgic idiotic looking grins that the others gave each other. She quickly shook her mind from it, standing again and gaining her strength. Her head felt light but she knew she had to have had some sort of food in the kitchen.
After making two bowls of oatmeal, eating an entire personal tray of sushi, and munching down on some chips worthy of Choji himself, she was feeling better. She washed it down with a large cup of milk and another cup of water. She was surprised at how much better she was feeling now, her eyes feeling heavy. She didn't know how long she'd taken to eat but she hadn't heard any knock on the door. She quickly threw away the remainder of her trash from the impromptu meal and made her way to the living room again, lazily falling into the comfortable plush couch. She sighed, her eyes closing as her mind wandered over what would happen when they got here.
She still needed to gather information from them but the only way she could seriously get anywhere close would be to tell them the same story she told Kiba. It would be more difficult because the time she told Kiba she really got emotional. She'd never spoken to anyone of what happened to her parents. It was true they were cut down but only she and Orochimaru knew the truth of how. Hanzo and Danzo were to thank for that as well as all of Konoha. But she wouldn't reveal that.
No, she'd have to drag up those emotions again and make her pain visible to all of them. This would have to be done and she knew the only way to convince them was to show her emotional and irrational side. To let them see why she kept things controlled and secret; this would be her greatest performance yet.
Before she knew it she heard a knocking on the door. She flew up, realizing that she had fallen asleep. Her body felt better energized and her chakra had been restored to an acceptable level. She straightened her hair and quickly paced to the door, throwing it open to a group that was larger than she expected.
"Hi!" Ino said pushing past her into her home with two bags in her arms. Choji followed carrying two more bags, an apologetic look on his face. TenTen grinned.
"Hey Yuka-chan, you look refreshed," she said, a grin on her face. Apparently Neji or Hinata had used their byakugan before they got here.
"Yeah, you caught me," she said, a grin on her face. "Come in."
TenTen nodded grabbing Neji's arm and following him inside. He politely nodded to Yuka followed by Hinata, Shino, Lee, and finally Shikamaru. He paused, grinning at her.
"Guess it's more of a party than expected," he drawled, rolling his eyes. "Ino insisted on wine, beer, and barbeque. Naturally Choji's cooking. We all know how bad Ino and TenTen are at it."
"I've heard," she said, a grin on her face. He stepped past her and slipped off his shoes, placing them in a rack before looking back at her.
"Some place you've got here," he said, his eyes roaming the ceiling and walls. "Didn't think this was your style."
"It's not," Yuka professed, wrinkling her nose. "It's not yet fully mine. I want to prove my worth as a Hidden Leaf nin before I truly call this place mine."
"Admirable," Shikamaru admitted. "So, do we all get a tour?"
She just nodded, a grin on her face as she turned to shut the door. "Yeah, there are just an extra room up stairs and my room. The downstairs is pretty vast though."
"Oh, so no personal tour of your room?" he asked, and when she turned around to answer him she realized he was standing right behind her, a smirk on his face as he placed a hand on the wall to her right. She bit her lip, shaking her head.
"That's not very proper, Shika-kun," she said, playfully winking. "Not today at least."
"Suit yourself," he said, leaning back on the heels of his feet and placing his hands in his pockets. "At least give me a tour of the downstairs."
"No problem," she grinned, walking past him toward the commotion in the kitchen down the hall. She was about to open the door to the kitchen when she froze, her eyes wide. She looked around, unsure why her body had suddenly stopped. Then she felt her body turn to face Shikamaru. He was standing in front of her, his hands in some sort of hand sign.
"It's shadow paralysis," he said, approaching her. He grinned, taking a few steps forward until they were face to face. "It's no fun to tease Yuka-chan," he whispered. "I know Kiba-kun and Shino-kun have a thing for you but I'm sure you can appreciate this when I say it's no fun for any of us to be strung along."
She swallowed hard, her eyes slightly wide. Shikamaru noticed and wrapped an arm around her waist, her opposite arm doing the same to him. Soon their lower halves were touching, his hand trailing up her side as her's mimicked.
"I just wanted to make a point, Yuka-chan," he said, releasing the jutsu and holding her there still. "I think you should decide what you want." He trailed his hand up over the sides of her ribs, tracing the swell of her feminine curve. She whimpered slightly biting her bottom lip. He just chuckled a bit before letting go of her and stepping back.
"You definitely don't waste time in telling me what you want," she hissed, turning back around with a slight smirk. She opened the door of the kitchen and walked over to Hinata who was grinning at what Ino was saying.
"It's just so stupid. I'm a medical shinobi! Not to mention an amazing dresser and interior designer. Why should cooking be on my list of things to learn?"
"Ino," Choji groaned, chopping some cuts of beef and pork. His sleeves were rolled up and his hands were making quick work of the knife and meat in his hands. "How do you eat healthy? Just prepared salads and sushi?"
"No, I get healthy dishes from my favorite restaurants!" she protested, crossing her arms.
Hinata just chuckled and so did everyone else around the room. "It's no wonder you've got such extravagant taste. You blow through money like a wino or impulsive gambler!" TenTen said, smirking. "Seriously Ino, learn to cook. It's just something you should know."
Ino just rolled her eyes at her before turning to Yuka. "What about a tour Yuka-chan?" she asked, grinning.
"I've already seen it so I'll stay and help Choji," Hinata said, standing up to go over to the counter where Choji was working.
"Great! Let's start with the garden," Ino said, pulling Yuka into an arm lock like earlier that day. She crossed the kitchen with her to the back door.
"Well, I guess this is the garden," Yuka said, waving her other arm at the willow and the flowers. "It's relaxing and all that."
"It's amazing," Ino said, gushing and naming off almost every flower in the yard. "Whoever planted this went all out."
"Hinata told me that it used to be Mito Uzumaki-Senju's," Yuka said, shrugging. "She told me that because of that it was technically mine."
"That explains the décor," Shikamaru said looking about. As they came to the door into the dining room she pushed it open, revealing the well stocked dining set and table. TenTen gasped and Ino gripped Yuka's arm tightly.
"Oh my! It's a western style table and dining set. It's beautiful and an antique. Look at the wood work and detail," Ino gushed, touching the top of one of the chairs gently. She grinned as the 7 of them made their way around the lushly decorated dining room into the hall. Across from it was the doorway into the living space. It stood ajar and she pushed it all the way to the side, revealing the large room.
They all took in the detail, the high windows, and plush pastel furniture and décor. She could hear TenTen whispering things to Neji, things about colors and styles no doubt. Shikamaru was examining the old books stacked on the far wall's bookshelf. Shino was staring at the view of the beautiful green, red, yellow, and white bushes outside the window that lined the fence row.
"It is a grand home indeed," Lee said, looking about. "It's bright, alive, and youthful!"
"Settle down Lee," TenTen said, grinning.
"It is remarkable. All the furniture is so plush and clean. And the old paintings and photos are beautiful as well," Ino said, looking at an old cabinet along the wall filled with china and tea sets adorned with small pink and gold flowers.
"Most of this was here when I moved in," Yuka admitted, looking about. "This is basically it. The up stairs has a spare room and my room; nothing fancy."
"Ah," Shino said, nodding. "Well it is a beautiful home Yuka."
"Thank you Shino-kun," Yuka said, nodding at him with a smile.
"Come on then, we'll have dinner in that lovely dining room and overlook the garden," Ino said pulling Yuka out of the room with her toward the kitchen. "We'll let Choji and Hinata know."
Yuka nodded, glancing over her shoulder to see that Neji and TenTen were following. The others were behind them eyeing the dining room one last time before entering the kitchen.
"So, we're having dinner in the dining room," Ino said with a grin. "The dining set and view is to die for."
"I was thinking that actually," Hinata admitted. "Sounds like a plan."
"Do you know how long it will take?" Ino asked. "We can get the drinks ready and what not."
"Go ahead," Choji said with a nod. "Shouldn't take any more than twenty minutes to cook this pork and beef and assemble the salad. You bought a family size sushi platter and some sweets right?"
"Yeah," Ino said picking up a bag and pulling out a couple boxes and a larger box with many multi-colored sushi. "It's so good."
"I agree," Hinata said. "So, get those chilled and ready and we'll do the salad and meat."
"Right!" Ino said, grabbing the drinks and going for the refrigerator.
"Neji and I want to enjoy your living room while we wait, is that okay Yuka-chan?" TenTen asked, looking over at Yuka with a grin. Yuka just nodded at them. Lee was enthusiastically offering to help Ino with the drinks which she allowed.
"Yuka-chan," Shino said coming up beside her. "Would you like to go wait on the veranda while the food is being prepared?"
"Sure Shino-kun," Yuka said with a smile, walking around the bar and moving to the back door. "It is quite beautiful in the garden." Yuka opened the door for him and let him pass her out the door. She spotted Shikamaru eyeing her cautiously and she couldn't help but shrug and bite her lip before closing the door with a quiet snap. Shikamaru could try and play the game like that but he'd have to realize that this wasn't shogi. This was her game and she'd play by whatever rules she saw fit.
She didn't know what information Shino possessed but she'd enjoyed his company most, out of all the others. She didn't know why but he was the most settling of all the nin she had met in Konoha. He didn't ask too many questions, didn't pester her with professions of love and devout sentiments, and he didn't mind sparring with her to his maximum potential. He'd even stomached a few blows from her jutsu. This she was sure gave her the feeling of comfort she felt around Shino. She knew his jutsu, knew that he housed within him a hive of all kinds of insects that could devour you whole or poison you with one bite.
Sure, she knew he felt something for her and according to Shikamaru it wasn't fair to string them along. She didn't care either way. She wasn't promising anything to anyone no matter how much they professed their love and devotion. They all set her on edge and her greater devotion to her master and his plans overshadowed all of them.
"Yuka-chan," Shino said, walking with her around the corner of the house. He paused, looking at the garden below. It looked like he was going to say something but he looked away now, sighing lightly.
"What is it Shino-kun?" she asked, the soft singsong quality of her voice dropped to normal. "You've never had problems speaking what's on your mind before."
"That's true however what was on my mind is inconsequential compared to what is on my mind now. I feel as if these thoughts should just stay that; thoughts."
Yuka nodded, looking out over the garden now. She could be more of herself with Shino, even though her true self would get her a one way ticket to a cell. She bit her bottom lip and shook her head, glancing up at him. He seemed to be staring at the garden still but Yuka really couldn't be sure. He did have on his thick dark sun glasses.
"Shikamaru said something to me," Yuka said, turning toward him now. She then grinned. "And we know how Shikamaru is. If something is bothering him he'll figure out a way to get it to stop and quick. Naturally the best way to do this was to tell me that it wasn't fair to string Kiba, himself, and you along. Do you think I'm doing that, Shino-kun? Be honest."
"He has his ways of dealing with things," Shino said, turning toward her now. He leaned up against one of the wooden posts with a shrug. "Personally I think that if you've taken this much time to make up your mind than there can be three simple explanations. Stop me if I'm becoming too personal," Shino said, waving his hand.
"One; you really are clueless about how you feel because your past wasn't exactly one where you had to deal with others, especially peers."
Yuka shrugged, peering out over the garden. "Two?" she asked.
"You have an interest in one of us and can't figure out how to break it to the others," Shino said, putting a hand in his pocket.
"That must be maddening," Yuka said, grinning over at him.
"Somewhat," Shino replied, a tug on his lips threatening a grin. "And the third, well the third is a really interesting theory that I've taken some time to mull over."
"What could that be?" she asked, crossing her arms over her stomach and moving to sit on the edge to hang her feet into the garden. Shino followed, sitting next to her.
"The third theory is that you're not interested in any of us because you either plan on leaving as soon as you can or you have ulterior motives."
At this Yuka just sighed, shrugging. "You too huh?" she asked after a moment, glancing over at him. "Kiba has the same theory. He told me so himself when I was tending his wounds. Nearly broke my wrist," she murmured, wrapping her hand around the wrist in question.
"He did what?" Shino asked and she could see his eyebrows rise up over his glasses. "He hurt you?"
"Not really. I could have gotten out of it. It's nothing; he really couldn't help it. It is part of the Inuzuka clan's powers I'm assuming," Yuka said, shaking her head. "He changed while on the operating table too. That was scarier."
"What did he say?" Shino asked still looking at her.
"He said I was dangerous, that my way of thinking and the way I control my mannerisms and movements is like a mask. I think he also said that he knew I was here for reasons that had nothing to do with becoming a leaf nin. He basically accused me of being a terrorist," Yuka surmised, shrugging. "I guess that's just the paranoia of war and enemies."
"He said all that?" Shino asked, his voice sounding exasperated. He then shrugged, shaking his head slightly. "That guy can be a moron sometimes. He's been my teammate for over ten years and I swear… he's just as clueless as he was back then."
"You've known Kiba-kun that long, Shino-kun?" she asked, pulling her legs up so that she was sitting with them crossed in front of her.
"Longer really," he said. "I was never close with him in the academy. He was closer to Naruto, Shikamaru, and Choji… that's probably why the war and Naruto's death impacted him most. He saw Naruto like Naruto saw Sasuke. Always trying to catch up, always trying to be the best. Like a rivalry."
"I threw that in his face," Yuka said with a soft voice, closing her eyes. "I'm awful. I told him that if anyone was putting a mask on it was him."
"You said that to him, huh?" Shino asked and Yuka opened her eyes to see a smirk on his face. "It's about time someone said something. He's been sulking like a wet dog for a long time."
"You're a lot different than I thought you'd be," Yuka admitted freely, shrugging. "I mean, you're smart, observant, powerful, yet stoic, completely unimpressed either way. How did you do that?"
"Do what? Become a robot?" Shino asked with a slight chuckle in his throat.
"Robot might not be the word I was looking for," Yuka admitted. "But you're extremely level headed." She looked back at the garden again, her eyes staring into some unknown distance. "I mean, just a few seconds ago you pretty much riddled out my entire basis of thought over the three of you boys. You came up with three very probable reasons for my attitude and you've never once showed favoritism to any theory. Not to mention you just complimented and insulted your teammate in the same sentence. You're positively controlled. I wish I had that. That's the mark of a true shinobi."
"You really think that?" Shino asked staring at her.
"Of course; a shinobi is controlled, precise, cunning, resourceful, perceptive, and strong. You're all of these things. The worse part is that you're probably my biggest threat and my biggest aspiration."
"You never have a problem speaking your mind either, Yuka-chan," he said, nodding. "But all those things are not what a shinobi is. That's how you failed that test with Kakashi-sensei."
She looked at him now, her eyes narrowing. "What?" she asked, a little bit of annoyance tinting her voice.
"Don't misunderstand me. A shinobi can be all of these things but what really make a shinobi are bonds."
"Somehow I knew you were going to say that," Yuka said, shaking her head.
"I guess believing it will take some persuasion but soon you'll see, Yuka-chan," Shino said with a grin. "I'm not going to force you to believe it but it is the basis of our village of our entire world."
"I'll try to remember it," Yuka said with an exasperated sigh. She then grinned. "You know, I still don't think Kiba-kun trusts me. Actually, I really don't think anyone does. Sometimes I wonder if Ino-chan is playing mind games with me."
"It's plausible. To you this is still enemy territory."
"Perceptive, as usual," Yuka said.
"But you've only been here a couple weeks. You've grown somewhat close to some of us but you really haven't made your first bond yet. Perhaps that is why you're so conflicted?"
"Do you ever stop reading my mind?" Yuka asked, slapping his forearm. "You know I'm conflicted about all of this. You felt my raw emotion when we battled. Remember?" She traced her finger over a healing scar on his neck. "I won't deny that I have some bitterness left, some anger, and some pent up frustration but I shouldn't have to make a bond right away to gain your trust."
"That would be unfair," Shino admitted, bringing his hand up to rest on her fingers that were lingering on his neck. "But you should know that everyone has their own theories as to what you're really up to. Even Hokage-sama."
She bit her lip, the warmth of his hand surprising on her own skin. "I guess I'll just have to earn the trust the old fashioned way through hard work and kindness."
"That'll be tough for you," Shino admitted, a smirk adorning his thin lips.
"Rude," Yuka admitted, shaking her head. "I can do it; it'll just take some effort on the kindness part."
"You're always kind Yuka-chan," Shino said, moving a little closer to her, not enough to touch her but enough to close the gap between them. She grinned, shrugging.
"Always? I don't think you believe that at all."
"I don't but I know around most people you are and that shows concern for the others at the very least. It's a step in the right direction."
"I'm only concerned with those I care about," Yuka admitted. "Though most of you suspect me and think I'm up to some sort of terrorist plot-." Shino opened his mouth to protest but she put her finger over his lips, smiling. "No, I'm sure most of you suspect me so don't patronize me. All I'm saying is that if you really want to know why I'm so controlled, distant, and awkward you'd have to know my past and that is something that I didn't even wish to discuss with Kiba-kun."
"That moron," Shino sighed, shaking his head. He then grinned, placing his hand over hers to pull it away from his lips. "It's your business, your past. We can't offer judgment no matter how suspicious we are."
"Thank you," Yuka replied. She then looked down, swallowing hard. "But I want you to know. I want everyone to know. I mean, it's not like I'm trying to justify myself to you or anyone else. I just want you to know where I'm coming from, what I've had to deal with since I was a child so that you may know who I truly am."
"You'd willingly tell us this?" Shino asked, a bit taken back.
"Kiba knows and Shikamaru knows a little bit so why not everyone else?"
"I won't lie," Shino said. "Shikamaru told us a little bit, mainly why you were so insistent on going on that mission with them."
"I figured as much. You're all comrades so naturally intelligence will be shared," Yuka said shrugging. "I didn't expect Shikamaru to keep it secret. In fact, after dinner I planned on telling anyone who wanted to listen."
"Sorry," Shino said, looking back at the garden. He pulled his hand away now, biting his bottom lip before sighing. "You think dinner is almost ready?"
Yuka couldn't help but grin at him. He was so controlled and nice. His words may be a bit harsh sometimes but he calls it like he sees it. "Can I try something Shino-kun?" she asked now, a soft note in her voice. He eyed her for a second before shrugging. "I don't want you to get offended or anything," Yuka admitted. "But I've tried this with Kiba and Shikamaru too. I not only feel bad about excluding you but I have to admit my natural curiosity has me wondering."
With that she moved so she was kneeling before him on both legs, her body faced toward him. He tilted his head in curiosity before she gently placed both hands on each side of his face. She watched his reaction before leaning in and pressing her lips to his, softly and slowly exploring their warmth.
Shino was still for a moment before she felt his own hands come to her hips, gently holding them in his palms. She couldn't help but smile at this and he took this as an invitation to deepen the kiss. He didn't deepen it much, keeping his distance from her but his mouth gently searched hers before she felt his tongue dart out against her lower lip. It was surprisingly soft and sweet. He then pulled away, a slight red tint in his cheeks. She just smiled at him, moving her thumbs over his blushing cheeks.
"You're something else, Shino Aburame," she whispered before taking his hand and pulling him up with her. She then nodded. "It's been at least twenty minutes. Dinner should be close to done. Let's go inside and get a drink."
He nodded in agreement and they both made their back to the door. She let his fingers slip from her hand and glanced back to see a slight grin on his face and let one spread across hers before going inside.
Shikamaru and Lee were gathering cups from the cupboard and Ino was opening the beer and other drinks as they came in. Neji and TenTen were in the dining room rearranging the plates and dinnerware on the table.
"Ah, good, dinner just got done," Choji said turning to spot Shino and Yuka. "Let's get to it!"
Hinata grabbed the steaming pot of barbeque pork while Choji followed her with the beef into the dining room. "Can you grab the sushi platter and desserts from the fridge Yuka? Shino?"
"No problem," Shino said moving to the refrigerator. He swung it open quickly before grinning over at Yuka. "Sweets?"
"Sure," Yuka said holding out her hands. He handed her two medium size boxes and followed her with the tray of sushi into the dining room with everyone else.
Dinner went by somewhat quietly. They were all too busy enjoying the barbeque and sushi that by the time they were done only a few words of praise were spoken between the nine of them. Shino, surprisingly, was the first to speak between them after they had finished.
"So, Yuka has something she wants to tell us all and I think that it's important that we all listen," Shino said, taking a sip of his beer before taking a drink of his water. "Would you rather tell us now, Yuka-chan, or after we clean up?"
"What is it?" Ino asked curiously, eyeing the two of them.
"Well, I guess telling you now would be okay but you have to understand that it's not exactly a pleasant story to tell you," Yuka admitted. "When I told Kiba I got pretty emotional."
"We are all comrades here, Yuka," Lee said with enthusiasm. "Anything you wish to tell us will be welcomed."
"It's about how you lost your family, isn't it?" Shikamaru asked, his eyes meeting hers across the table. "You don't have to do this."
"I want to, in fact I need to," she said, leaning back in her chair. "The truth is none of you trust me." At this they were all silent, even the talkative and youthful Lee was silent. She sighed now, closing her eyes. "It's understandable," she admitted. "I don't truly trust any of you either." At this she could feel all eyes on her and she opened hers, a cold look in them. This set Ino and Hinata back, their eyes growing slightly wide.
"I'll tell you the exact same thing I told Kiba; you ninja in Konohagakure are so hung up on the notion that bonds and friendship build peace. So blinded by it that you can't see what your bonds and friendships have done to others, what it is still doing."
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Neji asked, his eyes narrowing. "We fought a war and lost thousands of friends and comrades over that stupid and immature notion."
"But here you are, healthy and happy as I can see," Yuka countered, her arms folding over her stomach. "None of you have any idea what it is like to be a seven year old orphan in this ninja world. What's worse is being a seven year old orphan with a powerful clan history. You're peace, your happiness was won from the blood of my clan, or have you already forgotten?"
"Yuka-chan," Hinata said, her hand over her mouth now. "What are you saying? That you intend harm to Konoha?"
"No," Yuka threw up her hands, shaking her head. "No, absolutely not. The only person that I consider family, the only one that I truly care about is your son Hinata. Jiraiya is what is left of my crumbled clan. If I could give my life to keep him safe, to make him strong, I would."
"Then what is the problem? Why do you say such things?" Shino asked.
"Because you don't understand my words; I don't want revenge, I don't want suffering and I don't want anyone else to have to go through what I did. That is why I was so keen on going on that mission with Ino-Shika-Cho."
"This isn't making sense. I mean, we all know Orochimaru killed your family but is that really it? You just said you didn't want revenge," Shikamaru chimed in, watching her.
"I don't. I said that your happiness was won by the blood of my clan. I was simply saying that I don't want revenge for that. I seek revenge for my parents. I don't want to pretend like I'm some sort of clan avenger like that moron Sasuke. That doesn't concern me. I wanted to go on that mission to destroy Orochimaru. As I understand his jutsu allows him to slip his soul into different bodies and extend his life force. So tell me, what do you think of one of the last remaining Uzumaki as live bait?"
"Unthinkable!" Hinata said, her eyes growing wide.
"Not Jiraiya, Hina-chan," Neji said, looking straight at Yuka. "She means herself."
"What?" Choji asked, his eyes going wide. "You're crazy."
"Absolutely crazy," Yuka admitted. "But I'm going to propose this idea to Hokage-sama."
"He won't let you do any sort of S-ranked mission like that," Shikamaru admitted. "You'll have to do some major convincing."
"That's why I'm telling you all this. What a better team than the legendary Konoha 9?"
"All of us? You really think it will take that much to do such a mission?" TenTen asked.
"Not to mention all 9 of us haven't actually been absent from the village simultaneously since the war," Shikamaru admitted.
"If I'm going to listen to some sort of plan I have to know where it is coming from," Neji insisted. "What makes you think all nine of us would just leave the village open to an attack on the whim of someone that we haven't even known a whole month?"
"Because I'm more than willing to tell you about what happened to my parents and me on that day so many years ago. I'm going to tell you how my mother managed to fight and keep Orochimaru at bay whilst pregnant. I'm going to tell you, after I speak to the Hokage, the complete secrets of my palm sealing jutsus."