Summary:
Tsunade has an unexpected visitor with an even less expected determination to gain information that was not meant for him.
Sakura has something important to share with Kankuro. He is not thrilled at all, but it's too late to do anything about it. He can just go with the flow and hope for the best.

Chapter 15: A Bribe

Tsunade waited a few seconds and opened the window.

"So… It's been you," she said, taking a step backwards, leaving enough space for the shinobi to land in front of her. "I've been wondering who dares to eavesdrop on the hokage's office," she added; there was a hint of amusement in her voice.

"Well, one needs to use all sources of information they can get," the man replied, calmly circling the desk to settle himself on the chair for visitors.

"And what would you be doing with the information that you'd eventually get?" Tsunade asked as she sat down opposite him. Her face had turned serious, and a dangerous flame shimmered in the depths of her amber eyes. "You do realise, young man, that this is illegal, and I can throw you in jail because of it?"

"I know that." He nodded and relaxed his hands on his lap. "But I'm not here to stir up trouble. I hate trouble."

"Yet," she leaned in, "here you are." The woman tilted her head. "Why?"

"I'm here to offer you a deal."

"You have three minutes before I call security. It might turn out too messy if I end up dealing with you myself." She crossed her arms. "Three minutes. Go."

"I want to come to Suna with you," he said seriously, not losing time fidgeting.

Tsunade narrowed her eyes. "Why?"

He let out the breath he had been holding. "It's personal."

The man knew that she wouldn't accept a reason like that — more precisely, "no reason" like that. She would forcefully pull answers from him until she was satisfied. In theory, he was prepared for her persuasion.

"Personal? There is nothing personal for you there," she stated.

"On the contrary. I have a very personal connection to one very consistent sand shinobi I've worked with for years. She disappeared mysteriously. But I know she's not one to leave business half-done." He also crossed his arms. "But here it is — her work for the exams half-done and tossed away."

"If you're referring to Temari, she's currently indisposed. If you're worried about the exams, Kankuro will take things over, and the work will be done in time."

"Yeah, she probably is… indisposed…" He nodded, his expression thoughtful. "But, you see, there is something that doesn't add up."

"Time's ticking, Shikamaru." The woman pointed at the clock. "Stop beating around the bush."

Half-truths… That was the right tactic here. "I suspect that Kankuro and Tenten most likely play a masquerade with this rushed wedding for the sake of a union between Konoha and Suna, and—"

She chuckled, interrupting him. "So, that's what you've been doing in that inn. Making a little check on them, weren't you?"

Shikamaru's eyes widened for a moment before he huffed. Of course she'd know. Her sources were better than his. He only had his head, while she had power and a lot of subordinates.

"Why," she emphasised, "are you going through all the trouble to get information that doesn't concern you, Shikamaru?"

"I told you. It's personal." He pressed his lips tightly together.

Unfortunately, he felt like he was losing ground under her piercing amber gaze.

"Let me tell you how this conversation will go from this point on." Tsunade's lips curled up in a predatory smile. "You will tell me everything you know. And you will tell me the real reason you're sticking your nose in that particular matter."

He stared at her for a few moments.

"Start talkin'!" She commanded.

His lips' edges tugged in a grimace of irritation, but he sighed and started in resignation. "What I know is that this wedding looks fishy. And the union that's coming after it, too. I think it's somehow related to Temari suddenly being indisposed and pretty much missing."

"Now, why would you think that?" She inquired.

"She's been informing me about..." her life and what has been going on in Suna, "about some formal and not-so-formal events in Suna. She has been dedicated to sending letters regularly for a long time. The letters have stopped without a warning."

"Letters, eh?" She huffed. "I should've foreseen this," she added under her breath. "Continue."

He shook his head. "I've been wracking my brain about why it's so important for this union to happen right now. Why does it need to be rushed? Do we need their help, or do they need ours? Or both?" The man chewed his bottom lip. "Is Konoha facing an immediate threat? Are those missing ninjas giving us a hard time?" He went quiet after his last question, hoping she would say something. "And if yes, why? Why is this kept in such secrecy that I haven't even heard gossip about it?"

"Well, I'm not giving you anything, Shikamaru. The information is flowing my way. Just keep talking," her voice hinted at a threat.

He huffed, reconciling.

Then, if that's not it, is Suna in trouble? Is Gaara trying to form an alliance in order to protect his people? Or get revenge for his sister if she's been killed?" He couldn't suppress a shudder. "Is she kidnapped, and her brothers're trying to get her back? Is she really on a secret mission somewhere?"

Tsunade kept her unblinking eyes on him for a few moments before nodding at herself.

"You seem overly concerned for her," she noted, her expression blank.

"I'm very fond of Suna's gale caller."

The woman furrowed her brows. "Temari is a big girl, Shikamaru. She can take care of herself."

"I know. But she has become a good friend of mine over the years. And she's... one of a kind," he admitted, as honest as he could afford to be.

"That she is." The woman tapped her nails on her arm, still staring at his face and assessing him. "You were going to offer me a deal, was that right?" she asked more calmly.

"I was."

"You want to come to Suna. What do you offer in exchange?"

He sighed and pulled out a scroll and two bottles of sake. Placing them down in front of her curious eyes, he said, "The scroll holds an old family recipe for a rejuvenating face cream. It's one of the Nara secrets, which a lot of vain women have tried to steal over the years."

He was well aware she had been trying to get her hands on that recipe for quite some time already.

"And the other thing... You know better than me what's that."

She stared at him with apparent disbelief. "Are you bribing me?" She laughed.

"That… I'm doing that, I guess." A shy smile graced his young face.

Tsunade glanced at the clock. There were twenty more seconds until the set time for calling security expired.

"Very well," she said. "Be here tomorrow at noon. You'll be going through the prenup with me and witnessing the signing."

The man got up on his feet.

She continued, "Also, you may want to pack up; you're coming to Suna with me as a temporary ambassador of Konoha."

He bowed; relief was written over his features.

Honestly, Tsunade had never seen so many emotions in such a short time on his face. His usual expressions were limited to blank or pure boredom.

Shikamaru headed to the window. The good manners suggested he shouldn't use the door to leave if he didn't enter through it. With his foot on the frame, he stilled. Hesitant and cautious, he looked at Tsunade over his shoulder.

"It'll be very cruel if you want me to attend her funeral without warning me," he whispered.

"It would be," she agreed. "We're leaving in a hurry to try to save her. I, too, hope we won't be attending her funeral."

Shikamaru's insides tensed tightly, twisting into a painful knot. Temari being dead was just one theoretical option in his head. The way the hokage offered that little piece of information made her death sound far too real. It dawned on him that a world without Temari wasn't something he was prepared for.

"See you tomorrow, then." Tsunade dismissed the man and got up to close the window after his departure. "Don't forget to buy a present for the wedding."

He snorted and rolled his eyes before he dashed out of the window.

Her eyes focused on the scroll. She contemplated giving it back, but, eventually, she decided to keep it. Shikamaru had to learn to offer only what he was ready to part with. Tsunade rounded the desk to take the scroll and tuck it in her pocket. After that, she put the bottles into her locked drawer.

She couldn't deny that Shikamaru had found the right, profitable way in politics. Usually, everything could be acquired via plain threat, blackmail, or bribery. The last one was always the least painful for all sides. It was well known that the young Nara hated trouble, and sometimes… that was a good thing.

Kankuro and Tenten were yet again walking on the streets, but this time they didn't rush through the village.

The woman's head buzzed with all the things that needed to be done by tomorrow. There was literally one day and a half more — tomorrow, Tuesday, they were going to sign the prenup and add an annex for further discussion in Suna; then it was just one morning left. The departure had been scheduled for around late afternoon on Wednesday.

Once in Suna, she was going to turn into a wife, the plain wife of one of the Suna princes. No one would know her from before she entered the kazekage's family. Even if it was only valid on paper, she would be trapped in this new reality for quite some time.

"Are you alright?" Kankuro asked, snapping her out of her thoughts and refocusing her attention on him.

She shot him a glance. The colour of his eyes looked softer.

"Yeah, I was just… thinking."

"I could see that. I could literally hear the clicking and clacking of your brain," he said matter-of-factly, a teasing note crawling into his voice.

Her answer was a crooked smile.

"You seemed worried," he added more seriously.

Tenten didn't want to explain her worries, so she went for the most pragmatic point. "I need to pack up. I still haven't prepared my luggage."

"Ah, I see. Do you intend to bring a lot of things?"

She puckered her lips before nodding. "You may be going home, but I'm leaving mine. My personal belongings will be the only consolation I'll get. You don't expect me to only pack up some clothes, do you?"

Kankuro frowned. "Honestly, I haven't thought of this at all." He shrugged. "I guess that's only fair."

Tenten nodded.

"I didn't pin you for a sentimental girl."

"You've got no idea." She huffed. "I can be creepily sentimental."

He shivered dramatically and stepped away from her. "Meh. Obviously, I didn't know that," he said matter-of-factly.

"Ah, are you saying you would've refused to marry me because of that minor thingie? I'm sure you also have metaphoric, dirty socks under the bed." She gave him a toothy grin.

"You'd be disappointed to know that my underbed space is clean of any socks, both metaphoric or real."

"Ha!" She exclaimed in disbelief.

"Anyway," he emphasised, "you'll have everything you need in Suna, so technically, you can pack up only clothes," he added.

She looked at him with irritation. "Even though… I'm taking my weapons, tools, and my favourite books. In addition to 'some clothes'."

"Ok, ok!" He lifted his hands as if he were surrendering. "Have it your way. Just don't expect me to carry them."

"You won't carry them?" She feigned hurt, taking a raspy breath and placing a hand on her heart.

"Of course not!" He turned to her. There was a playful smile on his face when he poked her shoulder. "You're a big girl; carry your toys yourself."

"You two are so painfully cute," Kiba's voice sounded from behind them,forcing them to turn.

They'd been so engaged in their banter that they didn't notice Kankuro's new teammates approaching.

Tenten's cheeks flushed red.

Hinata smiled at her; sympathy sparkled in her pearl-coloured eyes.

"We're looking for you," Kiba said, handing a scroll to Kankuro. "We've been assigned to a mission, a retrieval one. You're coming too."

"All the details are in the scroll," Hinata added seriously.

"Yeah, make sure to read it," the man grinned.

"I'm never attending a mission unprepared." Kankuro frowned. "But I'll have to decline." He left Kiba's hand hanging in the air, still holding the scroll.

"What?! You can't decline!" The man almost shouted, his annoyance evident in his whole appearance.

"We're coming back from a conversation with Lady Fifth," Tenten interjected. "She instructed him to decline the mission he's been assigned to."

"Oh…" The man with the red face marking looked puzzled. "Ok… Why?"

Tenten and Kankuro exchanged gazes as if they were having a silent conversation. The woman pressed her lips together for a moment and crossed her arms.

"My plans for the stay in Konoha have changed," the sand shinobi said and corrected himself right away, "our plans have changed."

"What's going on?" Hinata whispered, obviously alert. "You need to attend something else?"

Kankuro looked at Tenten before turning a mischievous smile at his teammate. "Actually, I do. And it's not something I want to miss."

Tenten rolled her eyes. "The official prenup signing has been moved to tomorrow," she explained.

"Oh!" Hinata stepped closer to her and grabbed her arm. "Are they adding an annex?"

The brown-haired woman was stunned at the question but still succeeded in nodding. That prenup thing was something quite normal for big clans and arranged marriages, it seemed — something that Tenten had never known about nor given a thought to.

"Are you leaving sooner?" Hinata inquired, her fingers clutching tightly to Tenten's biceps.

"Yes. And I was going to ask you girls if we could gather tomorrow evening? Instead of Thursday?"

"Of course! I have plans with Hanabi, but she'll have to understand."

"You sure?"

"Yes." The Hyuuga heiress nodded with determination. "I'll clear my evening. And I'll notify Ino, since I am going to the flower shop anyway."

Her fingers still digged in Tenten's arm painfully, but it seemed she didn't realise it. The brown-haired kunoichi swallowed, laying a hand over hers in an attempt to turn nonchalant attention to the death grip. It didn't work…

"Do you know if Sakura has a shift in the hospital?" She asked instead.

"She should be in the library, I think." Hinata tapped her chin with her free hand.

Tenten shrugged. "It's on the way, so I'm just going to check if she's still there."

"Ok, then…" The black-haired woman nodded before her eyes darted in the general direction of the Hyuuga compound. "We'll be at my place. It's my turn to host it."

The kunoichi's jaw clenched reflexively because of her hurting limb. "Cool."

As Hinata still seemed unaware of what she was doing, Tenten carefully unclutched one of her fingers.

She instantly jolted and released her friend's arm.

"Sorry," she whispered, her face, neck, and ears painted red.

"No worries." Tenten laughed heartily, but a betraying drop of sweat descended over her forehead. "See ya tomorrow. Good luck on your mission, you two."

"See you!" Hinata suddenly leaned in and pecked the other woman's cheek.

She also kept fidgeting with her fingers, and her face looked somehow strained and even more pale all of a sudden. She looks so scared, Tenten thought, anxious.

"Have a good night, Tenten. You too, Kankuro." She smiled at him.

A realisation had dawned on Hinata that her friend was actually leaving for good. She was convinced that Tenten wouldn't come back, and her caring nature was so disturbed that she appeared terrified. The young Hyuuga let out a sharp breath. Her pearl eyes disappeared briefly behind delicate eyelids. Then she attempted to pull herself together and looked at her teammates. "Come on, boys."

Kiba's face looked sympathetic as he laid a hand on her shoulder blades and spoke unnaturally softly, "Let's go, Hinata."

She nodded and allowed him to lead her down the street, incapable of looking at either Kankuro or Tenten.

Kankuro waited for his teammates to be out of earshot and slightly leaned towards Tenten.

"It felt like... waves of worry and panic rolled from her," he confided. "Do you think she's gonna cry?"

"Most likely," Tenten replied, still watching after Hinata. She pressed her lips in a fine line.

"Are you like that too?"

She snapped her head at him and assessed his face. "You mean, do I cry?"

He squared his shoulders. "Yes."

Tenten opened her mouth to decline but shut it right away. There were some things that could be used as a base in their friendly relationship, whatever stage it may have been. He had seen her cry, and they both knew that. It would be a plain lie if she claimed otherwise.

"Sometimes," she admitted after quietly clicking with her tongue.

Kankuro narrowed his eyes, saying nothing.

"What about you?" Tenten tried to lift the mood with a light mock. Men didn't really cry, right? At least most of them. And this particular one didn't look like the crying type.

"I do cry," he stated, causing her to wince involuntarily.

"Oh?"

He moved his eyes away from her face. "I cried when Gaara died."

"That's a good reason for a cry," Tenten said in a few moments, hesitant about how he would accept her words.

"I know." Kankuro glanced at her. "I'm not ashamed of it."

And he didn't let her make another comment as he started to stride ahead. She needed to run to catch up with him.

The librarian greeted Tenten as if they were old friends. Which was pretty much the case, considering the amount of time the young kunoichi had spent in there for her research of new techniques. Then, the older woman directed her and Kankuro to Sakura's usual reading spot.

The man looked around when he spotted something, making him take a sharp breath — the engineers and inventors' section. He abruptly stopped, and when their gazes met, Tenten saw the way his eyes flashed with children's enthusiasm. He opened his mouth, but she waved dismissively, already predicting what he would ask.

"Go," she whispered. "I'll pick you up when I'm done."

Kankuro smiled and swiftly turned to the books that interested him most. Tenten chuckled quietly. It may not be so hard to get used to his company.

She walked further, reaching the pink-haired woman who had opened a really thick medical tome and was taking notes in a worn-out notebook. Tenten sat opposite her and patiently waited.

"Hold on," Sakura muttered and scribed a few more words down before lifting her eyes. A beautiful smile bloomed on her face. "Hi."

"Hello," Tenten replied, returning the smile.

Sakura placed her palms on the table and leaned forward, her attention sharp. "What's up?"

"Temari…"

That one name was enough to put a worrying shadow on the woman's placid face. She didn't have to ask anything, as Tenten laid out all the facts straight and concisely. Sakura kept silent despite her curiosity. She had some questions regarding Temari's condition, but she kept them for the conversation she surely was going to have with Tsunade-sama.

What she did ask were a few side questions about the gathering: when, where, and if there was anything specific she had to bring. In the end, she nodded — tomorrow at seven, at Hinata's. As usual, she had to bring alcohol if she wanted to drink.

"Where is Kankuro?" The pink-haired woman frowned and looked around. Her tone hinted at some urgency.

"He… He's in the engineering section. I left him there on the way. You need something with him?" Tenten frowned in confusion.

"I never got to speak with him about Temari." Sakura smiled sweetly.

Her friend shrugged. "You can do that now. It's as good a time as any."

"You don't mind if I hold him here for a bit?"

Tenten's brows furrowed. "Why would I mind? I gotta go and start sorting my things. I don't have much time. I don't really care where he is in the meantime. If I can count on you to escort him back, then I can happily leave him in your hands."

Sakura chuckled, shutting her notebook. Getting on her feet, she waited for Tenten to stand up as well. The two women didn't have any difficulties finding Kankuro — his nose buried in three books, comparing seemingly the same at first glance blueprints. He was so focused that he only noticed the kunoichi when they were standing right next to his table.

"Something interesting?" Sakura asked, curiously peeking at his choice of reading material.

"Surprisingly, yes." He returned a smile and looked at Tenten right away. "Ready to go?"

"I'm, yeah." She paused, exchanging glances with the other woman. "But you can stay. Sakura will accompany you later."

"Oh, joy," he said, hiding sarcasm in his merry words. He looked down at the books, adding more genuinely, "Thanks."

Tenten gave him a crooked, disapproving smile before she waved and attempted to turn to the door.

His voice stopped her. "Want me to grab something for dinner on my way to you?"

She couldn't react right away, so he elaborated, "You're gonna pack. It'll be easier if we skip the cooking tonight."

Her face brightened. "Oh, yes! Please do."

He mockingly raised a thumb, setting an impossibly large grin on his face. When he spoke, he was whispering, not forgetting for a second that they were in a library. "Everything for the youthf—"

"Don't you dare!" Tenten hissed, leaned forward, and quickly slapped his shoulder. She barely succeeded in holding in her laughter while retracting her hand. Then she lost it. "You make a terrible Lee!" Both her palms covered her mouth.

Sakura giggled. "I think your impersonification of Lee was very good," she disagreed.

"Thank you," he said, still smiling.

"I'm going," Tenten informed, wiping happy tears with her fingers.

"See ya tomorrow," Sakura replied.

The man waved. "Laters."

The brown-haired woman shook her head and headed for the exit. Kankuro's imitation caught her off guard, and, even though she had refused to admit it, it had been good. Very good, even. She wished the librarian a good night and left the building.

Sakura sat opposite Kankuro under his still-amused gaze.

"You two get along pretty well, I see," she noted.

"She's alright," he agreed.

"She is," the woman confirmed, her eyes gleaming with warmth and deep concern.

"What's going on?" He asked. The man was flawlessly reading body language more often than not, and hers was screaming worry.

She took a breath and looked aside, biting her lower lip; her whole demeanour changed in a flick, making her look distressed and anxious.

"I… need to talk to you," she whispered, glancing back. "And since your time here is almost up..."

He pursed his lips just briefly, consciously relaxing his shoulders, even though he felt tense. "What about?"

She took a deep breath and let it out. "Tenten."

"Alright. I'm all ears." He felt an urge to cross his arms. But seeing how uncomfortable the woman in front of him was, he knew better. It would've become even more difficult for her to speak if he had set up an additional barrier. Instead, he carefully placed his palms on the books and leaned forward, expectant.

"She…" Sakura gestured helplessly with a hand, as if to coax the right words out. "She's… unique."

Kankuro looked into the green eyes in front of him.

"Most people are. Your point?"

The kunoichi took another deep breath. She was trying to muster the courage to tell him something that she saw as very important but also as wrong to tell. The conflict was easy to spot on her face.

"I happened to examine her some time ago," she started hesitantly, but shook her head and started over from another place. "She hides it, but she..."

He assessed her face before pronouncing slowly, "Please get to the point, Sakura?"

"On the last medical checkup, she was still..." Sakura paused, her expression tense and painful to look at.

His face turned dead serious. "Is she sick?"

"Oh, no. No!" She waved her hands. "That's not it. She's perfectly healthy."

"Then? What could the problem be?" He lowered his voice, catching with the corner of his eye the librarian, who was peeking around the shelves.

"Her…" Sakura fiddled with the edge of one of the books. "She was still untouched," she sputtered at the end in whispers, averting her face.

Kankuro narrowed his eyes and crossed his hands on his chest. "Tenten is a virgin," he concluded. It was really weird for a kunoichi her age, indeed. But before he let assumptions and hypotheses whirl into his mind, he decided to make something very clear.

"Ok… Why are you telling me this?"

"Because… I'm worried you may expect something that she's not ready to give you… or anyone at all." Sakura skittered her fingers over the paper's edges.

"I appreciate the warning," he said in a hushed voice.

"She," the woman looked down, as if seeking the right words. "I think she loved somebody some time ago. And she… Maybe she hoped that he'd… decide to be with her at some point… And she kept her—"

"Sakura," he said, his tone sharp, making the kunoichi shiver and lift her eyes to him. "I understand you tell me that with the best intention in mind and because you care so much for her." Kankuro leaned forward, almost laying on the books. "But it's not… something that you're supposed to confide in me."

Her eyes opened wide, and her jaw dropped. "I-I..." her face flushed.

"If she thinks I need to know, she'll tell me," he whispered.

Sakura huffed. "Honestly, Kankuro… Would you share in her place?"

He pressed his lips together. "Depends."

Their eyes met above the opened engineering books, and they battled silently for a few moments. Eventually, the woman looked to the side, surrendering.

"Just... please, no matter what, be kind to her."

"I don't want anything like that from her. Not going to." He was referring both to the physical side and Tenten's heart.

Sakura laughed behind her hand. "You think that now." She grabbed his hand and squeezed it. "If your intentions happen to change... promise me that you'll be kind to her!"

Her tone was pleading, but her grip was iron. The green eyes felt like they were burning a hole in him.

"I'll be careful," he uttered. "But if you're right and she has loved someone, or if she still does... I don't think her feelings will just switch, like with a flick of a hand."

Sakura shook her head. "Whoever that might be, he obviously didn't take any serious interest in her."

"In case he knew about her affection in the first place," added Kankuro swiftly.

She looked at him with suspicion. "Do you know something that I don't?"

"How can I know what you may know?" he retorted.

"Just…" The woman sighed. "You'll be the closest person she can lean on. Let's be realistic — it's not like it's impossible she'd fall for you. And honestly" — she gave him a sly smile — "you aren't the worst choice for her."

"I'm flattered," he stated, stifling his laughter. "I see you have made some plans and drawn some conclusions, but... only time can tell."

Sakura nodded and got up. "I still have some work…" She left the sentence hung in the air unfinished.

"I'll be here, reading," he assured, patting one of the books.

The woman nodded and hurried to her reading spot.

Kankuro closed his eyes and tiredly rubbed his face. There was something really wrong with Tenten. But whatever the reason was for her not to let any man touch her, it sure was a good one.

And... no matter that he possessed the knowledge... the right thing was to stay quiet about it. This was something really personal, beyond the mission range of intimacy. He wasn't supposed to know, except if she told him herself. Or hinted well enough.

Her being a virgin didn't have any real impact on the mission, except in case she had to go on health checkups and was discovered. She was supposed to try and get pregnant, so staying pure after they were married would cause a lot of questions, leading to a lot of problems. Still, she was the best shot at helping Temari right now. If needed, they were going to find a solution.

Thank you, mfw_no_gf!