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-o-o-o-

The waning warmth lingering from the summer months quietly drifted, aimlessly through the night breeze, stirring restlessness in the swaying branches of the red maples reaching over the tavern's rooftop. Through a veil of crimson, the full glory of the moon rode overhead, watching, silent and vigilant over the quiet earth below, as if listening to the twanging notes of the samisen, drifting solemnly from the tavern's depths. An skillful string of notes, unbothered, and unbroken by the sudden eruption of violence that had begun within.

Bodies moved, disjointed and melded into one churning mass as fists and flashes of steel cut through the air. Clay and porcelain shattered, crashing with sharp cracks and dim, trickling notes as they struck steel, wood and flesh alike. But still the samisen played its notes, never rushed, never interrupted, a sea of tranquility in the madness marked by the single figure sipping, quietly at his saucer of sake.

He bore a jacket of faded glory, a once vibrant crimson, bleached and muted until it seemed almost orange, with once austere, black lines creased with permanent wrinkles with a hue now more like dark ash. On leg, curled back, was clothed in a similarly muted black, wide and loose, with only a simple line of that faded red into orange down to ragged, tattered hems. Resting on that lifted knee, an elbow curled back, bringing a wrist, a bracelet of tarnished brass coins hung about it, into position to carefully lift his saucer just enough to send its contents spilling past his waiting lips.

Eyes drifted half shut, watching, perhaps, the rippling reflections cast onto his wine. Thick, wild and tangled hair, a color close to sunshine spun into thread brushed against the thick swath of cloth pulled across his brow holding it back and at bay from catching in his eyes. At his side, there rested only a small pack, oiled and worn leather, latched shut, but conforming to the visible contours of three, thick scrolls.

A crash snapped through the air, a body smashing into the waiting surface of a table, bringing it down in a sudden burst of dust and debris. But a few feet beyond it, he remained as he was, a sip taken once and again. Then his body curled forward, free hand spreading out, fingers splayed to catch the waiting neck of the short, ceramic bottle, and drawing it up.

It was one, careless motion, carrying a dulled edge of steel that caught into cloth and tore into flesh beneath it. Thrown along it's length, a line of glistening crimson flowed, moving with the final echoes of the slashing momentum, before in and instant it snapped to a halt. From the tip, a single drop snapped out, a gleaming ruby that moved through the air in a flash, only to find its way into that single saucer of sake, just before it touched his lips.

The blade fell from suddenly limp fingers as the saucer suddenly exploded against the temple of the man weilding it. With that sudden crash, a heavy silence fell across the room, engulfing everything as the air went cold and suddenly fell like a great weight on their shoulders. His head turned, the man had opened his eyes into only bare slits, and for an instant, the light seemed to catch them just right where they seemed to suddenly glow a malevolent bloody crimson.

Silence was broken was weapons, forged and makeshift, clattered to the ground as brawlers slunk back, abandoning the fallen bodies of friends and foes alike as they pulled themselves into the shadows. Then his eyes fell closed again, and again the lingering warmth of summer flowed through the tavern air with a soothing rustle of the breeze. His head turned, expectantly waiting, as again the samisen's sounds quietly flitted through the air.

"My, so, so forceful, all for a simple saucer of sake?" The words rolled with a smokey sweetness as a new saucer found itself casually slipping down onto his table in the grips of slender, pale fingers. "One could say that was even... overkill as it were, shinobi-san."

One eye cracked open, revealing a wide, brilliant blue that casually caught a glimpse of the creamy, alabaster flesh that vanished into the sleeve of a off white kimono, trimmed in a warm, sea green that matched the teasing sparkle in her eyes. Thick, black tresses, like the dead of night spun into silken strands was pulled back into a simple, elegant bun, save for a single lock, left, artfully across her cheek. Soft, painted lips glistened, as if kissed by the morning dew, as they drew back into a half curved smile.

He studied her for a moment, his lips pursed in silence before he took hold of the saucer and brought it back to curling before his lips. "To ruin good sake with fresh blood is hardly something one forgives so easily."

"Ah." She nodded her head as if in perfect understanding as she gracefully kneeled in one, fluid motion before she tilt her head just slightly to the side. "And are you the type that does not forgive easily, shinobi-san?"

"Depends on the sin against me, as with most people, I'd imagine." He quietly tilted back the saucer, taking the barest sip as he lightly held it behind his lips before taking the lightest of swallows.

"I'd imagine that you are a bit different from most people, shinobi-san." She shifted just slightly, her shoulders cocked as he would catch just the slightest glimpse of the nape of her neck before it again vanished into the folds of silk. "They say the grudges of ninja are terrible things to behold."

"I always prefer to think of myself as a man first, before I'm a ninja." That blue eyed gaze fell shut again as he would take another slow sip, letting the warm liquid lightly pour down his tongue. "To live for nothing but the honor and glory of the ninja life seems to make one forget where one comes from, and the debts of the past."

Her lips pursed a moment, as she tilted her head in consideration, before her chin tilted down, offering the slightest of bows. "I see. You seem to have quite an interesting view for one of such renown, Uzumaki-san."

"Hmph, giving in already? And here I was just starting to enjoy myself." He shook his head slightly causing a portion of the golden hair to rise up to reveal a black masked pair of glittering onyx eyes.

The woman seemed to start slightly at the appearance of the furred creature, before her cool green eyes relaxed and she would lightly tap on the lower curve of her lip. "Mmm, a weasel? I was under the impression you favored less… furred animals."

"Not every rumor is true." He answered back easily enough as he would casually shift the saucer up, bringing it up to just below the creature's nose.

It clutched lightly at the edge of the saucer before sniffing, curiously at the surface, before snout lifted in the and it left out an audible snort of dismissal. Chuckling softly the man nodded his head as the weasel turned and suddenly seemed to vanish back into the man's hair, its fur blending almost seamlessly into the mane. Satisfied the creature was disinterested, it was a simple motion to bring the saucer back to his own lips.

"I take it your… companion isn't fond of sake?" The bowed curve of the woman's lips pulled back, drawing itself into the lightest of smiles as she drew out a fan tapped it against her chin.

"Oh, he's very fond of sake." His words were chuckled out with a crooked smirk. "He simply has very… specific tastes. He likes to think he has an air of… refinement."

"And you? Your tastes aren't so specific?" Her brow arched up as her eyes followed him, lazily through a veil of half thick, black, half fallen lashes as her body moved just as the

"Depends on what we're talking about." The saucer covered his lips from her sight, leaving her to wonder if the words were said with a smile. "If its sake? I enjoy it when it's good, in all the variety that implies. Apparently that means the subtleties are lost on me, but good sake is good sake."

He set the saucer down directly on the table in front of him, before his free hand caught on the neck of the bottle and brought it to carefully fill it again. "If we're talking about women, I've always been partial to red heads." There was a pause as he smirked at her, his head tilting lightly to the side as he brought the saucer to his lips. "Oh, and blondes. For some reason, I invariably find myself entangled with blondes who are entirely… troublesome."

There was only the slightest of motions in her left eye, a brief fleeting twitch as her half smile seemed to fade slight as her fan suddenly snapped open, masking her face below her eyes with an artful display of a cloud capped mountains. "Oh, truly Uzumaki-san? That is certainly… disappointing, I had hoped things might be more… interesting between us."

"Well, you never know." His lips curled back into a smirk as he would lift his saucer in half salute. "I have been known to make exceptions… when it comes to sake and women at least." Another sip was slowly taken. "You'll find I'm far less flexible when comes to the missions I take."

"Ah, of course, of course, you are known as a shinobi of strict morals." Her fan lightly shifted enough to reveal the curling corner of her smile. "I'm sure that you would find me… flexible enough for us both."

"Generally, I've found those who find their morals so flexible, are hardly the kind I like to do business with." He sipped at his sake once more, his eyes slits of blue as he regarded the woman with a sudden coolness.

"Oh, I was never referring to my morals being the flexible part." She smiled an innocent thing as her eyes fluttered lightly, lashes kissing.

"Of course not." His voice dipped slightly as his eyes went as flat as his tone. "I'm sure you prefer the stiff, rigid lengths… one goes to, when they keep themselves to their morals."

Her brows lifted, only the barest fractions of an inch with her eyes, before banishing themselves behind the curling smile that rose along her lips. "My, you are ever so surprising. Do you often enjoy exploring such… depths?"

"Most men enjoy exploring a number of depths, especially when they involve a beautiful woman." He took another slow sip, his eyes fallen shut before he tilted his head to the side. "Though, generally I've found several prefer to do that behind closed doors."

The faintest tinge of heat spread across her cheeks a moment as she quickly snapped her fan shut and hid her face behind her sleeve. "Oh, Uzumaki-san! So forward! Will you at least, be gentle?"

A motion started with his eye's opening, locking one blue orb onto her before it flowed up, lifting his brow into a curious arch before he took another sip. "Sorry, I've been told it's a bad idea to mix business and pleasure. That was why you wanted to talk to me, wasn't it? Business?"

"Ah, so the game is over already? I thought you wanted to play a bit more." She let out a throaty chuckle as she lay the side of her fan down across the table before her. "And they said you were a man of stamina."

"… And if I wanted to be subjected from something straight from Jiraiya's work, I'd just pick up a copy of one of his Icha Icha books." The man shook his head with a half sigh of irritation. "At least he has some idea of how to use it right."

There was a flash in those eyes, a tightening that rippled down her cheeks to press tightly on her lips as setting the curve of her nostrils to flare out. Then they rippled away, melting as her mouth vanished again behind her sleeve and a light chuckle lifted half hearted through the air. "Oh, such an interesting sense of humor you have, Uzumaki-san!"

"If you say so." He took a quiet sip again as he settled back against the wall.

There was again, that brief flash of a frown before she spoke again. "Would you be willing to listen to the offer, Uzumaki-san?"

"I'm still here, aren't I?" His eyes once more closed he tucked his hand back into the folds of his jacket.

"So you are." Her voice was softly, almost a whisper before she reached into her sleeve and withdrew a single black scroll, an unmarked seal of crimson wax its only adornment. "I do believe you'll find this scroll quite…"

"How about you just tell me exactly what you want?" The words cut quickly and succinctly through the air as he let the empty sauce drop down onto the table in front of him, making a rumbling clatter as it wobbled back and forth before settling into place.

"Finished with the games so quickly?" She tilted her head again, the scroll brought back to lightly tap against her chin as her lips starting to pull back into a sultry smirk of victory. "Mmm, and here I thought you'd like to play a bit longer."

"I've never been the most patient of people." A shrug of his shoulders brought a weasel's head up again, this time from the other side of his head, its eyes blinking away the film of sleep as it tilted its head to the side, looking from the woman, to the man, then back again.

"You seem to have woken up your companion." There was a note of amusement in her voice as she quietly set the scroll down, parallel to her fan with a quiet precision.

"She's a light sleeper." His fingers reached back, and quietly ran against the suddenly preening head of the weasel, stroking lightly against her silken fur. "Now... I repeat, what do you want?"

The woman canted her head to the side, her lips pursed back as she would bring one, delicate finger up to tap on the point of her chin. "Ah, really now, Uzumaki-san, are you sure you want to know that? I've been told I have quite the… vivid imagination." Her lips curled back, almost predatorily as she smirked, letting her eyes trace along his form with the subtlest of motions of her head dipping and rising. "And you do so provide plentiful… inspiration."

The weasel turned her head, staring at the woman, before making an audible sound, tinged with disdain as she canted her head back up at the man. Chuckling lightly, he continued to run his finger down along the back of her head. "Yes, I know. She still needs a lot of work."

The woman's eyes, narrowed just slightly again, her smile never wavering, though it took on a hardened, almost plastic appearance. "And there's that famous sense of humor again."

"If you insist." He continued to lightly stroke the weasel's head, his finger running down her fur as she seemed to puff and preen at the attention while his free hand reached out and took hold of the saucer, examining the way it's smooth surface caught the light. "So, do you have anything to actually say, or should I just go?"

"Do you always treat your potential clients like this, Uzumaki-san?" The smile never left her lips, though it seemed to dip slightly in strength, becoming visibly forced and brittle on her lips.

"If you wanted me to play nice…" The fingers flicked out, and the saucer was launched across the room to strike against the plain looking samisen player sitting with head bowed, face covered by limp, boring brown hair. "You shouldn't have brought her."

A startled, feminine squeak filled the air, as the player's body was knocked solidly into the wall. In an instant, her appearance seemed to shatter. Limp, brown hair grew silken and black, as her skin took on an almost glowing alabaster hue. Plain features gave way to a curving, delicately boned beauty as dull, brown eyes vanished into an off white, offset by wide, thick black lashes.

With a second flick of his wrist, a kunai hissed through the air before down into the woman's chest. Her white seemed to widen a moment, her body frozen, rigid in appearance, before a single white moth crawled up from the collar of her kimono, then quickly fluttered away. Then, suddenly they rose out of her body, a growing cloud of fluttering white wings dancing out of her shrinking kimono.

Locks of silken black hair turned white, from the tips in a flowing wave, turning it entirely white before coming to life as moth after moth joined with its brethren filling the air. Her eyes, however, stayed locked onto his, fearful, pleading as her body vanished into the dissipating cloud. When he only glared in turn, she flinched back, and exploded into a final, retreating group that soon left behind a rumpled kimono, a discarded samisen, and a kunai, buried in the wall.

"Tsk, man, so she is her teacher's student after all. That was a damned good throw too." His face twisted into a grimace as he almost pouted in disappointment.

The woman struggled to pull back the sudden wave of shock that had spread across her face. Wide, blinking eyes turned from the spot the woman had vanished from, back to him, then repeated the action twice more. When her mouth opened to speak, only a hiss of silence left in a strangled squeak.

"What? There something on my face, Ino?" His head cocked to the side, a familiar, toothy smirk blossoming on his teeth.

For a moment, the woman stared back at him, disbelief written across her pale features, before she slumped forward, and suddenly a ripple rolled over her flesh, letting it grow to a healthy tan, as black hair lightened into a light, creamy blonde that fell down her shoulders. Deep, indigo eyes turned onto him, and in a tone tinged with disbelief, spoke out in accusation. "You just tried to kill Hinata!"

"… Yes?" He blinked a moment, head cocking to the side, before brows seemed to furrow in thought. "At least, I thought I did. Was I not throwing the kunai hard enough or something?"

"You… You're Naruto! And you just tried to kill Hinata!" Even her voice was different, rougher, though not unpleasantly so as it poured past her lips in a tone of shocked disbelief.

"And you're Ino. And you just tried to seduce Naruto." He spoke the words, with a carefully enunciated patience, as if addressing a small child. "You started out great. Really, you did, but then you just went and lost me with that whole flexible line."

On his shoulder, the weasel nodded her head in agreement, letting out a gurgling murr of agreement, before settling back down, her eyes locked onto Ino with an unblinking gaze.

For a moment, her mouth opened to retort, before she let her fall shut a moment as her eyes drew into narrowed slits. "How did you know?"

"She kept playing the same song, every so often." He reached down and in one fluid motion lifted up the bottle of sake and took a swig. "The Lament of Princess something or another. Koiyuki-hime would be able to tell you." He shook his head, letting the rim of the bottle dangle from his lips. "Whenever it got to the parts where the princess betrayed the loyal samurai, she hesitated just a bit, her fingers almost flinching from the strings. Then she'd play too eagerly to reach the parts where the samurai eventually forgives the princess."

There was nothing she could say to that, her mouth, hanging open a moment, before closing back as her lips pursed into a thin line. "How would that tell you it was Hinata?"

"Because she's the only person I know who'd pull that while doing her best to look everywhere but at me." He reached up, his finger lightly stroking against the silken fur of the weasel on his shoulder, focusing his attention down onto it. "So what does Konoha want?"

"They're worried." Ino frowned lightly as she studied the way Naruto's whole body simply screamed a bored disinterest, the coins on his wrist, flashing a moment, revealing the curling swirl inscribed on their faces. The symbol of a dead village, and a dying clan. "Akatsuki has managed to capture…"

"The sanbi and Rock's two jinchuuriki." Naruto finished for her. "Waterfall's jinchuuriki has vanished entirely, same with the one who fled Mist. Cloud's on a lock down so tight, you don't know about theirs, and Gaara only just barely managed to escape them when they attacked Suna the first time."

Ino stared at him for a moment, before reaching out and practically ripping the sake bottle from his hand as he blinked in confusion as she threw it back and took a deep gulp before almost slamming it down on the table.

"… Thirsty?" Naruto blinked, then, blinked again as a the first weasel popped its head back out, then made a rather disdainful sound.

"You just tried to kill Hinata, you insult my seduction skills, after flirting heavily with me, then you casually throw out intel it took us months to find out, and you expect me to not need a drink?" Ino snapped back as she glared at the man as she slumped back and pointedly loosened up her kimono so it almost hung off her shoulders.

"Um, no. I expect you to get your own damned sake." He reached out, trying to snatch the bottle back, only to have it pulled just out of his reach.

"Nuh uh." She let a bit of a smirk curl over her lips as she took another, long, exaggerated drink. "The least you can do for pulling that on me is buy my drinks tonight."

"Why the hell should I do that?" Naruto's lips curled down into a frown as he glanced around, noting how incredibly empty the tavern had become. "How could I even do that? Everyone seems to have been scared off."

"That's your fault, not mine." Ino pointed out with a slight smirk as she held the bottle just before her lips. "I was the hot woman, you were the violent ass that threw sake saucers at people and tried to kill the musician."

"She deserved it." Naruto muttered darkly before he looked, speculatively back at Ino. "You're awfully calm about the fact I just tried to kill her."

"I'm not. Why do you think I need sake?" She snapped back, as she took another sip, bringing attention to the way her hands were trembling in their hold. "I mean… they figured you'd want to see Hinata! That's why they sent her!"

"And they didn't think I'd want to see Sakura-chan or Sasuke?" Naruto blinked slightly as he tilted his head to the side.

"Forehead and Sasuke-ku…. Sasuke have a few… Issues to work through." Ino muttered softly as she glared down at her bottle, before she leveled him with a shaky glare. "What with you abandoning them like you did."

"Abandoning them?" Naruto scowled as he brought his arms back across his chest and glared a bit back at Ino. "Oh, sure, Sasuke can be all 'I must avenge my clan!' but if I try and honor my clan, I'm abandoning them."

"You left them." Ino pointed out with a twisting grimace as she stared down into the bottle. "You left us. Kiba still wants to kill you, you know that right?"

"I left Konoha, not you guys." Naruto corrected as he reached up and rubbed his temples. "But of course, I'm the big, bad traitor, huh? Any of you ever wonder why I'm not listed as a Missing-nin? Why I don't have hunters after me?"

"Tsunade-sama." Ino answered flatly as she gave him a look, before tilting back the bottle and frowning as it came up empty. "Dammit, empty already?"

"I've been drinking out of it for the better part of an hour, what did you expect?" Naruto shook his head and snorted a bit. "What's she got to do with me not being labeled a missing nin."

"Because she likes you and is letting you get away with being a traitor?" Ino lazily threw the sake bottle away, not even caring as it bounced, audibly over the floor.

"Heh, of course the old bats would keep it a secret." Naruto shook his head, the chuckle that escaped his lips cold and bitter as he rested his head back against the wall. "I'm not listed as a missing-nin, because I'm not one. Ino. Everything I did was totally legit. Got the papers to prove it in fact."

"You can't be serious." There was sheer disbelief on her face before she looked at him a moment and rubbed at her face. "You're serious. You do know just having papers doesn't mean much, right Naruto?"

"Mmm, it does when they're the right papers." He rolled his shoulders back as the weasels made small sounds of irritation. "Though, helps to have a couple of summon clans that would... disseminate information about certain facts that Konoha wants to keep locked up and forgotten."

"... You're blackmailing the council with stolen secrets?" Ino's face twisted in disgust as she recoiled back from him. "You..."

"The secrets I have are my secrets." Naruto cut her off with a snap and a cool, cutting tone. "About the wrongs Konoha has done to me, and by extension, my family. Secrets about the way Konoha has spit on the honor and legacies of their heroes, and greatest allies."

Ino stared at Naruto for a long moment, before slowly shaking her head. "Right, Naruto... Sure."

"I'm not asking you to believe me." He shook his head and glanced around for a moment. "Besides, you're the one that came to me, wanting me to do something for you. Which is what, by the way?"

She looked at him for a moment, before sighing softly as she lifted up the scroll and flipped it to him. "They want you to find the two missing jinchuuriki and keep them away from Akatsuki. Why, I don't know, but they think you could do the job. With them after all the bijuu, at least we don't have to worry about the kyuubi thanks to the Fourth."

Naruto looked at her, blinking oddly for a half second, before shaking his head. "Right. The whole the Minato Namikaze killed the greatest of the bijuu story."

"It's a fact of history, Naruto. Don't you remember it when Iruka-sensei told us?" She gave him an annoyed, patronizing look as she crossed her arms about her chest.

"I remember." Naruto's eyes grew distant for a moment, before he suddenly shook his head. "Huh, so, I'm supposed to find Fu and Utakate? And what, bring them to Konoha for security's sake?"

"That's the mission, yes." Ino stated flatly and nodded her head.

"Not interested." He tossed the scroll back at her with a flick of his wrist and a shake of his head. "Sounds boring."

She stared at him a moment as she reflexively caught the scroll in her hand. "... What?"

"I'm pretty sure I didn't stutter." He shrugged his shoulders slightly. "I'm not interested. See, nice thing about being in charge of yourself. You can use a two letter word when ever you want to. N-o. As in, I'm not doing going to take the mission from them."

"But, you can't just..." Ino stared back at him, her mouth dropped and hanging in disbelief.

"Can, did." Naruto grinned back at her as he held up his wrist, letting the bronze coins shine. "Note, Uzu, not Konoha."

"You can't just... Fine, you want to play it that way, we just go to this village and get them to tell you to take the mission." Ino gritted out as she glared back at Naruto.

"Well, you can try to talk to the village leader, but I'm pretty sure he won't agree to it." He paused, then put the back of his hand against the corner of his mouth. "He's kind of stubborn."

"Where can I find him then?" Ino straightened up as she crossed her arms about her chest, just beneath the soft curve of her breasts.

"Naruto Uzumaki, the totally awesome leader of the traveling village of Uzu, at your service." Naruto waved his hand in a casual manner and nodded his head. "I'm sure you're sufficiently awed and impressed."

"... You can't just declare yourself the head of a village, Naruto." Ino slowly rubbed at her temples as she fought back the urge to scream at the man in front of her. "It doesn't work like that!"

"Oh, I know. I didn't." Naruto nodded his head back at her agreeably. "It's just mine by default since I'm the last of the Uzumaki that's not a member of another village. Since I'm the only whirlpool ninja left, if I want to make the village a traveling one... not really anyone to argue with me on it."

"It doesn't... you can't just... ARGH!" She threw her hands up in frustration before standing up, dusting off her kimono and glaring at the man. "Fine! I'm sure Team 7, the ones still worth a damn, will be happy to hear about how you're still just a worthless traitor."

Naruto's face took on an icy cast to it as he suddenly narrowed his eyes into slits a she looked back at her. "I think it's time you left, Yamanaka."

"I think you're finally right about something, Uzumaki." She snapped off the words as she around and stalked away. "Enjoy the rest of your life, cowering away, traitor."

He waited a moment for her to fully disappear from view, still glaring in the direction she'd left, before slowly relaxing as a sigh rolled past his lips. "Well, that could have gone better."

"Well, it's hardly your fault she's an ignorant little floozy who doesn't know what's really going on." A feminine voice huffed from the female weasel on his shoulder. "And what she calls flirting? I've known..."

"We get the point." The second weasel grumbled lightly as he shook his head. "Can we get some real sake now, or are you going to insist on continuing to drink that swill?"

"Maiko, Takeo?" Naruto paused a moment as he continued to stare out the door. "Shut up."

It was only much later, after she'd managed to calm down, that Ino realized Naruto had never even bothered to open up the scroll, and yet, he'd spoken of the two missing jinchuuriki with a casual familiarity.

-o-o-o-

Soft, warm light poured off the surface of polished bronze and through glass as a string of oil lamps illuminated the long walk leading to a single man, kneeling silently as he lifted a cup to his lips with an efficient grace with his only visible arm. Tight bandages wound around the right side of his face, covering his forehead and down his cheek, hiding anything that might remain of his eye. His left eye was closed, though whether from savoring the quiet sips of tea, or in quiet contemplation was left uncertain.

It was then, that the soft rustling of a thousand wing beats whispered ever so faintly in the air. Caught in the glowing light of the lamps, a stream of white moths slowly fluttered into place, before beginning to gather in a space a good distance in front of him. It was then, that they suddenly seemed to merge and flow, coalescing from a mass of small white bodies into a single, feminine form still clothed in shadow.

For a moment, there was nothing but silence as the tea cup never left the man's lips, before slowly he brought it down, setting it precisely in front of him before he lifted his face up towards the figure. "Was there something I could help you with, Hyuuga-san?"

For a moment, there was a visible hesitance in the figure, then, reluctantly she stepped forward, the shadows melting away before the lamp light as she looked at him with pale white eyes. "Shimura-san. I... I'm afraid that my presence may have... compromised the Hokage's mission."

"Oh? My, that certainly sounds unfortunately." Danzo Shimura nodded his head slightly as he looked back at her, a bland neutrality on his face. "One can only imagine what happened to result in such a thing. For such a loyal and hardworking kunoichi as yourself."

She flinched, visibly at the words, her eyes falling as she took a step back, her face fading into shadow again. "I... He was able to discover my identity, some how. Yamanaka-san approached him as had been planned... but..."

"My, that must have been quite surprising." He nodded his head, quickly lifting up the kettle of tea with his good hand, pouring carefully, precisely the right amount of tea back into his cup before settling it back down, then lightly giving the cup a light, quarter turn. "I can only imagine what his reaction was."

The shadows flinched with her, before her voice drifted out with a hesitant worry. "He... I... Na-na-... U-Uzumaki-san threw his s-sake saucer at me... Breaking my genjutsu, then he tried to... his kunai... I..."

"I see." He nodded his head lightly as he reached down, taking the tea cup between finger and lifting it up a few inches, before deftly twisted his wrist, sliding the porcelain surface against his finger tips as he cupped it in his hand. "I can't say I'm not disappointed... You were making such progress with your... impediment. I'm sorry to see it's managed to return."

Her head bowed quietly, before a light flash could be seen as her eyes seemed to catch on a thin stream of light just right. "I... apologize, Shimura-san. My emotions... I..."

"I believe I have already made my opinion on how the only thing emotions can do, is degrade a ninja's abilities known..." He took a slow quiet sip of his tea, letting his words sink in, before the cup was drawn away from his lips. "But of course, it is entirely up to you how you take my advice, Hyuuga-san."

"Of course... I understand, Shimura-san." She bowed her head lightly, her voice flattening as it slipped down into almost a whisper.

"I knew you would." He nodded his head quietly, another slow sip taken from his cup before he lifted the glass up, as if examining it under the lamps' light. "After all, I'm sure you'd hate to have all those... Things you've done come to the Hokage's attention."

A frown lightly curled at the corners of her lips, letting the light catch along the rim of the cup. "I, certainly, understand the necessity of someone needing to do them. And I'm quite certain Konoha is only stronger for them. However..."

She shifted slightly under that word, fidgeting lightly as he continued his critical examination of his cup before his voice continued. "However, Tsunade-sama does not seem to share my... understanding, and regretfully, she'd most likely be less than pleased to learn of the things you've done."

"I... Understand Shimura-san." The lump in her throat was forced down as she nodded her head quietly, her chin resting almost upon her chest in submission.

"Indeed." He nodded his head quietly before he brought his cup back to his lips and took another quiet sip. "It is quite a shame that your effort to help keep the young Uzumaki in his home did not... pan out as was intended. I'm sure you're hardly alone in your thoughts that he belongs in Konoha. If only had hadn't... protested so violently when you arranged for that meeting with others of similar thought."

Her entire body went still at that, before he could hear the heavy drawing of a deep breath, before it slipped past her lips again, and she spoke in a tight voice. "Indeed... Shimura-san."

"And I'm sure that there are a number of people interested to find out if there is more to know about what occurred before young Naruto-san's... display of displeasure." He took a sip then looked back at her, his head, tilted to the side in a look of patient expectation.

Slowly swallowing the foul taste forced it's way into her mouth, Hinata slowly nodded her head in agreement. "Of course, Shimura-san."