The evening Lee had planned was pure delight. He started by taking her to a kabuki show; he had gotten tickets as well as a meet-and-greet with the actors, the Hermit knew how. After that, he guided her through the village's streets to a restaurant Chōji's mom herself managed, one of those where a reservation was needed. Later, he admitted one of the waiters owed him one and had placed a favourable word so they could get a table. The meal was as delicious as it always was when Akimichi were cooking.

However, Lee wasn't done. He had purchased spots to a dance night hosted by one of the noble families that had the Hokage's ear. They weren't quite as dressed up as the other dancers, but the two teenagers had fun and, close to her curfew, Hitomi felt like her sense of touch was oversensitive. She knew it was a mix of hormones and attraction speaking, but still… She would have been lost if she hadn't understood what adolescence did to her body, to her mind. When Lee took her home, with a kiss that almost swayed her on her feet, she went deep into rereading Icha Icha Paradise, so words would be put on her desires.

And she was careful to hide the book where her mother wouldn't find it by accident, so Kakashi's head could stay on his shoulders an' all.

Three days before the tournament, a Chūnin came to tell Hitomi that Naruto had been brought to the hospital by a giant toad and she knew the canon was on tracks again – or as on track as it could be anyway. She went into her brother's room and prepared a bag with a change of clothes, toiletries and a few books so he would have something to do. She walked to the hospital, found his room and paid him a visit. He looked bruised all over, his muscles twitching with chakra exhaustion, but okay overall.

"I have something to tell you," she announced as she skinned an apple with the edge of a kunai. "There's a girl in the hospital… Her name is Karin. Uzumaki Karin. She's your cousin."

"Are you…" He stared at her, shook his head, then stared again. "Are you serious?"

"Hm hm. I'm going to see her everyday after paying a visit to Hinata. She's from Kusagakure, but she requested citizenship and the status of village ward. Her mother has been dead for a few years and her father doesn't want her, so she doesn't have any tie to the Land of Grass… And she really, really wants to meet you."

"Y-you told her about me?"

"Of course I did! I told her so much about you but nothing embarrassing, promise. She's very lonely here, I'm the only one visiting her. Are you allowed out of bed?"

"No one forbade me out of it."

"Great! Wanna go see her?"

Of course, the blonde boy was more than happy to go and impatient to meet a member of his family. Hitomi handed him a more decent outfit than the hospital gown he was wearing – a low bar – and turned her back as he changed. When she looked at him again, she saw how nervous he was, as plain as day in his blue eyes. It was the same kind of look he had in the beginning, when Kurenai had adopted him. He didn't dare believe someone wanted to be part of his family – for that, Hitomi despised the civilians stupid enough to refuse him any sort of affection when he had been a frightened, lonely little boy.

She took his arm and led him through the corridors, mindful of his strength or lack thereof. She held on to him as much to touch him as it was to help him walk without him noticing: she knew how proud he was, knew he wouldn't ask and would refuse if she overtly proposed to lend him her own body as a crutch. Even with this, he tripped sometimes and, when he managed to walk in a straight line without staggering, he fidgeted with the hem of the obnoxiously orange t-shirt she had brought him. The Uzumaki spiral that decorated the back of the shirt made it particularly fitting. When they were there, Hitomi knocked at the door and opened it after a moment. "Karin-chan? I brought you a surprise!"

She gently pushed Naruto inside then followed and stifled a laugh when she saw his wide eyes and the amazement on his face as he took in the redheaded girl who was sewing two pieces of red fabric together on her bed. "Karin-chan," she continued with her warmest beam, "this is Uzumaki-Yūhi Naruto, your cousin. I have stuff to do, so I'll let you get to know each other!"

She left then, closing the door behind her. Her heart was racing as if she had just run twenty laps around Konoha. She knew she had done something good, just there. Karin and Naruto needed each other, even if they didn't know that yet. She almost felt proud behind the dullness that was starting to dissipate, for the first time since the attack on Hayate. The feeling of cold and distance had never totally left her; she could put it away, but only for so long, and only when she was with her loved ones.

At the ground floor, she saw Shikamaru and jumped in his arms, hugging him with all her might. He sighed, pretending he was annoyed, then hugged her back. He tried to act like he didn't care, like nothing could faze him, and yet he pressed his cheek against hers and combed his fingers through the ponytail that now reached his cousin's hips. They hadn't seen each other since the exam, even though they were neighbours. They had been so busy training they had only got news from each other through Yoshino, who wasn't psyched about playing messenger. The communicating notebooks had helped them to stay in touch, but it just wasn't the same as being face to face.

"Why are you here?" she asked when he pulled away. "Are you injured or here for a visit?"

"Visit. Dad finally gave me some free time and Chōji got taken in for food poisoning, the poor guy. He can only eat what they cook for him here, so I'm bringing him a puzzle book instead."

Their arms linked together, the two cousins walked back up the corridor. Shikamaru guided Hitomi to the third floor, to a little room full of sunlight. Their friend was alone but not bored: he had an open sketchbook on his knees and was drawing the trees he could see through his window. His face lit up when he turned his head and saw them in the doorframe. Soon enough, they started chatting, finding back the comfort and friendship that had linked them even before the Academy.

Night was falling upon the village when Hitomi left the hospital. She felt quieter and more attentive now that she had been these past few days, thanks to her friends. She stopped at the market to buy ingredients then went home and got to work. She hadn't cooked gyozas in an eternity but, once her hands got started, her mind was free to wander. She had to prepare for the invasion. Her poisons and traps were already stocked and in place, and she had a good enough reserve of them, but she wanted to sharpen her weapons once more and make sure her cats were ready for battle. She also had to replenish her medical supplies, to draw some seals and to buy ink for more if needed. Who knew how long it would be before she could buy more after the invasion?

When her mother came home, holding hands with Asuma, Hitomi told her about her date with Lee, and they both marvelled at the teenager's gallant behaviour under Asuma's eyes. Would he soon become Kurenai's fiancé? Hitomi couldn't help but hope it would be the case. They went along so well and were so good for each other. She wasn't blind, she knew the Jōnin helped her mother cope with a lot of things these past few weeks, as destiny seemed to go after her loved ones.

She cleaned the dishes, went to her room and got to work. Soon, she was joined by Hoshihi, who had trained Hai the whole day. The little cat was so exhausted her mentor had to carry her on his back. Hitomi, a smile on her lips, took the feline in her arms and put her on her knees, so she could pet her as she talked. "I think we ought to work on riding maneuvers," she suggested. "Very few ninjas fight on mounts, be they horses or summons. They think it lacks stealth, but you are very stealthy."

"It could work, yes. Do you have any ideas?"

Her smile turned feral as she started drawing diagrams to illustrate her ideas. Hoshihi commented on them one after the other. They declared some impossible, but some others had their favour. She also decided to add his mastery of Fire Release into their pool of strategies, since he was becoming quite proficient with it. She knew that Sasuke would turn to his true affinity, lightning, now that Kakashi trained him one on one. He probably felt like he was giving up his Uchiha heritage… But such considerations didn't count when life and death were at stake, as they often were during missions, fights and battles.

"I also want to learn several techniques during the next few months. I think I'm ready for a B-ranked Water Release, and I want to explore my secondary affinity."

"Lighting, right?"

"Hm hm. Very deadly when combined with Water Release. I won't always have Sasuke with me and he can't navigate on and under water as easily as I do."

"You… you're sure you want to learn deadly things? You weren't yourself after the Forest of Death."

"I know," she sighed. "Honestly, no, I don't really want to, but I need to. The other ninjas, from other villages or deserters won't go easy on me until I'm ready to grow up, they're gonna mess with me either way, right? They already know how to kill as easily as batting a fly away." And, she had to admit it, it wasn't the act of killing that made her hesitate, but the power and euphoria she felt while doing so. It was so hard to resist those feelings, to stop their spread inside her mind before they turned her into a monster. She liked fighting, and didn't mind killing. But she wanted to stay true to herself and to make her dreams reality. Bloodlust wouldn't allow her that victory if she didn't overcome it.

"I see," Hoshihi said, licking his shoulder with application. "We teach the same to our apprentices, even though killing cats from the other clan is frowned upon. It can always happen, especially in the fire of a battle."

"The other clan?"

"Didn't I tell you about them before? I thought I had. The cats in your contract are only from my clan, the Hikari clan. There's another one, the Yami clan. They share our hunting ground, the Nekomadake forest, but it's cut in half so we don't mix. We're at peace for now, have been since the two contracts were created, but there are skirmishes at the border from time to time."

"What has become of their contract, then? I'd know if someone else used giant cats in battle."

"It's been lost for centuries. They don't know where it is either, I don't think, but they seem okay with that whole situation. I'm not surprised. They're very proud as a clan, they don't like to serve a Lord or Lady Summoner like we do."

"I see… Well, let's come back to our own affairs, shall we?"

Hoshihi seemed relieved to change subjects and nodded with enthusiasm. He bent his large, ginger head over Hitomi's notebook and suggested improvements and new ideas. Hitomi let a darkly satisfied smile bloom on her lips. She didn't know if she was ready for what would happen the day of the tournament, but Hoshihi was doing his damned best to give her all the weapons she could ever dream of.

And then the day came. Hitomi was pale, hadn't slept quite enough, but her face was set in a determined expression – some would even have described it as ferocious. She dressed in her battle outfit, since her kimono had been mended. She had grown and changed during that month of so-called rest, the fabric was tight around her chest and hips, but it wouldn't be too much of a hindrance for one day. She made sure to have all her favourite arsenal on her. Hoshihi had gone back to the spiritual world to rest and gather their comrade so they could be ready to answer her call if need be.

Hitomi had pretended to have a bad feeling to explain why she prepared like this. Everyone, even Ensui, thought it had to do with her reaction to the attack on Hayate. They weren't totally wrong, and it suited her plans that they thought both events were linked. Anyway, and maybe in hope it would reassure her, her mentor had followed her example: when he came to pick her up, he looked ready for battle, his katana at his side and the traits of dark green eyeliner drawn on his eyelids. He looked tough, dangerous, every bit the mentor she knew and loved.

They were amongst the first to arrive in the stadium. The only other people present were some shinobi and the parents of several contestants. Yoshino and Shikaku were there, in the honour tribune reserved to clan leaders from Konoha; Akimichi Chōza and his wife were there too. Ymanaka Inoichi arrived then, alone. Rumour had it that he had had a big fight with Ino's mother. He looked tired, with dark shadows under his blue eyes and creased features.

Hitomi greeted her uncle and his allies with a smile then walked away, Ensui by her side. The clan leader's eyes stopped on their clothes, their weapons, the severity in their features. He didn't say anything, though. Yoshino had told him about Hitomi's misadventure, and Inoichi had personally interrogated all the ninjas on watch that night, including ANBU Fox and Boar, but no one had seen the attacker. Shikaku didn't say anything, because he didn't have any satisfying answer to bring to the table despite his frustration, his anger at the idea that one of his children – he saw Hitomi as such and Kurenai as a sister – had once more been in danger inside their village, where she should have been safe and protected.

The seats filled slowly. Kiba ran to their side, Hinata walking behind slowly. The Inuzuka boy looked cheerful and eager to see Naruto avenge his teammate – more importantly, he seemed sure Naruto would win. Hitomi trusted her brother for that too. She had seen the muscle mass he had gained when he had been at the hospital. He hadn't slacked off for a moment of his training. Had he gained the Toad Contract? He hadn't spoken of it, but it was a giant toad that had dropped him at the hospital. Of course, as soon as he'd been cleared, Naruto had gone back to Jiraiya for more training. In truth, nothing could stop him. As for Sasuke, he hadn't been seen once in the village for the whole month.

Gaara was the first of the contestants to arrive. He went to the tribune that was reserved for them, walking around like nothing could stop him. His siblings soon joined him and they started chatting quietly. A faint smile appeared on the jinchūriki's lips when he met Hitomi's eyes; he showed her his communication notebook and started to write. A moment later, her own turned cold in one of her pockets. Gaara had written a few sentences, promising her that everything would be alright, and invited her to go eat somewhere in town after the tournament. She had to pretend like she didn't know what was going to happen, so she forced a smile on her lips and nodded in his direction. The smile on his lips grew wider, then he turned away to answer a question from Kankurō.

Carefully, she opened the cage where she kept her meridians in and took the time to feel the shinobi in the stadium. She couldn't find Kabuto – she had been stupid enough not to open her meridians during the first stage of the exam or before the preliminaries, when he'd been close enough – but she knew he was there. There were a lot of Chūnin and Jōnin. How many were impostors? In the rows upon rows of civilians settling down, she noticed several of them who hadn't been careful to muffle their chakra signature. Without her sickness, she couldn't have sensed them, not with so many people around. When her head started to pound, she opened her eyes and left her Library.

Ensui's hand was on her shoulder, warm and comforting. Kurenai wouldn't join them: she was in the contestants' tribune with Shino, a trustworthy and quiet lady hiding her ferocity under a polite smile. And if someone targeted her children… Hitomi had never seen her mother truly angry, but a lot of Jōnin were still talking about the time when she had almost beaten up the Hokage to obtain Naruto's guardianship.

They talked about how well it had worked out, too.

Shiranui Genma arrived, walked to his spot out of the combat zone but still in the arena itself. All the contestants had arrived now, except for Sasuke and Kakashi, but Hitomi had expected it. The Hokage entered, then, followed by the Kazekage – Orochimaru? – and lords from the Land of Rivers and the Land of Birds. Everyone stood up in the stadium, even the civilians, then sat down after the leaders settled in the diplomatic tribune. The stadium's doors were closed. The tournament could start.