AN: Not my characters

The Konoha Tribune, Friday, September 20, 2017

Reporters collected at town hall today for a press conference on the status of the Sarutobi Abduction case. Chief of Police Danzo Shimura confirmed that due to the tireless efforts of the Konoha Police Department and the outside help of several private investigators, Konohamaru Sarutobi has been reunited with his family. Chief Shimura reports that Sarutobi was returned by the perpetrator after a 36-hour negotiation. He sustained several injuries requiring medical attention but is in stable condition.

In a statement today, John Sarutobi tearfully thanked the KPD and Konoha community for reuniting him with his son. "Deborah and I are so grateful to you all for bringing our child back into our arms. This week has been unthinkable, and we are so relieved to have our son home."

Hirutzen Sarutobi shared similar sentiments and emphasized that he would spare no expense to ensure his grandson's abductor is apprehended and brought to justice.

Hinata had been anxious but overwhelmingly excited when Tenten had texted her earlier in the week asking if she'd go to the game with her on Friday. She had explained that her roommate, Sasha, had a date, and she wasn't quite ready to take on the KPA football stadium alone yet. Hinata had only ever gone to the games with Kiba and Shino, so she was excited to have another girl to hang out with- maybe even make a new friend. Kiba had whined a bit when she told him she'd meet him at the game, but he recovered when she promised to go to his party that night.

"So, do you know Chouji Akimichi?" Tenten asked her as they found a spot in the dense crowd on the bleachers. "He's the one my roommates hanging out with, and I think he's in your grade."

Hinata's eyes widened. She was a little surprised Chouji was on a date. She had gone to school with him since preschool, but she didn't know him that well. All the interactions she'd ever had with him had been enjoyable, though. He was sweet and sensitive and had always been kind to her. He had been bullied a bit when he was younger and chubbier. Hinata had felt sympathetic for him (kids had bullied her for her stutter) but knew he had friends fiercely protective of him. Hinata found his friend Ino Yamanaka to be immensely intimidating and not always pleasant. She had earned some of Hinata's respect, though, by boldly defending her friend when other students were mean. It reminded her of the way Kiba watched out for her.

"I do know him." Hinata smiled, "We've never been close, but he is one of the n-nicest people in my grade."

"Sasha said that he was really sweet," Tenten nodded.

"Do you think she likes h-him?" She asked, hopeful for Chouji.

"I think she might. She said it was kind of weird to be going on a date with a Freshman. She knows not to let that change her mind, though. I think tonight will either make or break things…."

"What about you?" Tenten asked, changing the subject. "You said there's nothing going on between you and Kiba. Anyone else you've got your eyes on?"

Hinata couldn't prevent her face from flushing crimson. It was the quality she resented the most about herself.

"No-no," she shook her head quickly. "I've never dated." Tenten gave her an understanding look.

"I haven't dated much either. Just this one guy back in Suna. It didn't last long, though."

"Do you miss home?" Hinata asked, anxious to keep the conversation going. She had never been good at talking to people unless they led the discussion. She was trying harder to ask questions and to be daring tonight. She didn't want Tenten to think she was uninterested or irredeemably awkward.

"I do," she nodded, "my best friend might come to visit soon, though. We're playing Suna for the homecoming game. Her brother's on the football team, so she said she'd drive down with him."

"That will be nice," Hinata smiled warmly, "I'm sure it will be good to see someone from home."

Hinata found that their conversation flowed easily throughout the game. At one point, they spotted Sasha and Chouji and tried to decipher their interactions from far away. They laughed as they guessed what they were saying to each other. When they watched Chouji slyly move his hand a few inches just so it touched Sasha's where it was resting on the bleachers, they squealed in excitement. It was a different kind of fun than she had with Kiba and Shino, and she was utterly giddy about having a new friend. She almost felt silly by the excitement she felt.

About 20 feet away, Chouji was feeling his own giddiness. He had always been the friend of the most intelligent boy and the most beautiful girl in the grade. Meanwhile, Chouji had always felt perfectly unremarkable. He still couldn't believe his luck that this pretty, funny girl was sitting next to him, laughing and eating snacks. Best of all, she hadn't even asked to share is snacks. She had wanted her own supply. She hadn't brought up dieting once. He didn't know what he'd done to deserve the last few hours of his life. Even if she ended up not liking him back, he would be okay. For one night, she had made him feel remarkable, and that was more than he could have hoped for. It was this resolution that gave him the resolve to make an infinitesimal move. He nervously slid his fingers closer until his thumb hit her little finger. He couldn't stop a slight grin from spreading on his face when she didn't move her hand. Maybe he really did have a shot.

Hinata and Tenten had been able to get a ride over to Kiba's with a few sophomores Tenten knew from her hall. She was surprised by how much she enjoyed spending the evening with Hinata. She had initially asked her to hang out because of her conversation with Neji several weeks ago. She knew the girl needed a friend, and she had figured it would be a good night to ask with Sasha occupied. She had been surprised by how well they had gotten along. She was struck that she was almost the opposite of Tenten's best friend back home. Hinata was gentle, shy, and hesitant, whereas her friend Temari was bold, loud, and crass. She liked Hinata, too, though. She could see herself being friends with her because she wanted to, not just to do Neji a favor or out of some magnanimous gesture.

The girls walked through the crowd, and they spotted Kiba easily. He grinned when he saw Hinata approaching.

"Hey," he said, hugging her and smiling at both girls. Tenten, right?" He asked.

"Yeah, good to see you, Kiba."

"Do you want a drink?" He asked her. Tenten thought it was sweet when he wordlessly opened a cooler and handed Hinata a water.

"Yes, please," she said. Kiba showed her a few options, and she thanked him as he poured her a rum and coke.

He convinced them to walk outside with him as he smoked a joint, and Tenten laughed to herself, bemused that he and Hinata were such close friends.

They had only been outside for a moment when they spotted a familiar face. Neji was sitting on the steps where Tenten had talked to him a few weeks before. He wasn't alone this time, though. He was talking with some football friends, and Tenten didn't want to interrupt.

"Did you guys see they found Konohamaru?" Kiba asked, blowing smoke into the night air. "My dad said the Sarutobi's paid a 750 grand ransom, and the cops still haven't found the guy."

"That's awful," Hinata frowned, and Tenten nodded in agreement.

"I don't understand how they could possibly have gotten the money and not gotten arrested." Tenten furrowed a brow.

The three continued to discuss the night's big news until Kiba said he was going to go see how everyone was doing. He took his job as host very seriously.

Tenten noticed that Neji was no longer surrounded by football players. He was still sitting on the steps with his ever-present AirPods in. She walked over and nudged his thigh with her sandal-clad foot.

"Watcha listening to?" She asked as he looked up at her. He instantly took the earbuds from his ears and shoved them into his pocket. Hinata had come up behind her and smiled at her cousin in greeting.

"Hey, Neji," she said before turning to the other girl.

"Tenten, I'm gonna go help Kiba for a few minutes, but I'll be back," she said before turning around to walk inside. Tenten turned toward Neji and sat beside him on the patio steps.

"You totally killed it today." She beamed, referring to their debate that afternoon.

Neji smirked, arrogance washing over his face, "yeah, we annihilated them."

"It was all you. Lee and I talked about it earlier. You did a lot of the legwork this week. We'll try to make it up to you next week." She watched as his smirk grew into a more thoughtful expression in the dark. His face was covered in shadows, making the opaque light color of his eyes even more noticeable. The Hyuugas certainly were one of the most striking families she'd ever met.

"You were hanging out with Hinata tonight?" He asked, looking up at her,

"Yeah, it was fun." She smiled at him, knowing he was remembering their previous conversation on the same steps.

"Thank you." He said quietly.

"You don't need to thank me. I wanted to. I really like her." She assured him.

They sat in silence in the dark for a few minutes, Tenten enjoying the light summer breeze. It would probably get cooler soon, and she'd mourn the perfect Konoha summer evenings. Looking at her empty cup, Tenten decided she'd get up to get a refill and find Hinata. She was startled by Neji's deep voice in the silence.

"Tenten," he started, meeting her brown-eyed gaze. She slowly turned to face him. "Yeah?"

"I... " he looked away with a slight frown, marring his striking features. His pause dragged on, cultivating curiosity and mild tension,

"It was my dad." He spoke softly. She watched him look out into the trees, and she could tell he was deep in thought, his brow furrowed. "I'm sorry if I made you feel bad earlier this week." She grabbed his hand momentarily and shook her head,

"Neji, it's okay. You don't need to say anything."

He frowned and looked down at his knees.

"When you said you would want to spend as much time as possible with your family member…" he shook his head and then lifted his head to meet her eyes, "I would have thought that too before."

"I'm sorry, Neji," she whispered, her eyes trapped in his sad gaze. She was confused but knew better than to ask any more questions. She willed him to continue but knew he probably wouldn't.

She indulged in his moment of relative openness until he shook his head as if ridding himself of the thought. His face returned to its typical stoic demeanor. He stood slowly and looked down at her,

"Goodnight, Tenten," he said before walking back inside to the party.

Hinata stood inside a few feet away from a window, trying to make out Tenten and Neji in the dark. She knew she would be more visible to them than they were to her, so she tried to act casual. When they first saw Neji that night, Hinata watched Tenten look back at him several times as he talked to the football players. She mainly seemed engaged in the conversation with her and Kiba. Still, every minute or so, her eyes would travel across the patio to Neji.

When she finally watched Tenten approach him, she knew better than to stand around and ruin a potential moment between them. She was still curious to see how they would interact, though, so she watched them as inconspicuously as possible through the window.

"Do you think there's something going on there?" Hinata gestured to Kiba. He looked out the window with surprise like he hadn't considered it before.

"No way Neji pulls a girl that hot." He said definitively.

Hinata frowned at him and gave him a gentle shove, "that's a terrible thing to say." She scolded.

"I'm sorry, but the guys got a major stick up his ass. I wasn't even aware he liked girls."

"You think he's gay?" Hinata asked, surprised.

"Nah, I just assumed he was only attracted to himself." He laughed at his own joke as Hinata gave him a look.

"For real, Kiba, look at them. D-don't you think they must like each other? He never hangs out with girls like that!"

"I dunno, they've only been there for like five minutes, and she initiated it- which means a lot less because she's super friendly and trying to meet people since she's new."

"Yeah, m-maybe- OH LOOK, she grabbed his hand!"

"Okay, you're starting to creep me out. We're moving you away from the window," he mocked.

"I bet you 50 bucks they get together," she gave him a resolved look.

Kiba raised a brow in mock astonishment, "Sweet little Hinata Hyuuga is gambling?? Well, if that can happen, I supposed anything could happen." She rolled her eyes at him before he reached out to shake her hand.

"I'll take that bet. No way Neji's got enough game to get a girl like that." He said smugly. Hinata grinned. She had a gut feeling that she was going to be a little richer.

Sunday, September 22, 2017

Jane Haruno had had an exhausting weekend. After a long negotiation, the KPD reunited Konohamaru Sarutobi with his family. The Sarutobis had hired Jane to join Konohamu's interviews with law enforcement as emotional support and protection. The social worker provided by the state seemed mildly irritated by this. She didn't mean to step on the other woman's toes, but she'd done what she felt she needed to do for the job. The interviews had been long and frustrating. Konohamaru had remembered almost nothing, which was both a blessing and a curse. From an emotional standpoint, it was better that Konohamaru didn't remember what had transpired. From an investigation standpoint, it was a disaster. The interviewers became frustrated and pushed for more answers than the poor boy could give.

Konohamaru's mother had confided in Jane that he seemed distressed in his sleep and believed he was having nightmares. Although he had no conscious memories, his subconscious still seemed to be battling the stress and fear.

The weekend had been troubling for Jane. She couldn't stop imagining her own daughter in Konohamaru's shoes. Or worse- she imagined she'd be taken and never returned. She had wept on her drive home Saturday, thinking about the fear Mrs. Sarutobi must have felt. She couldn't shake the anxiety that never seemed to retreat from the forefront of her mind.

It was Sunday morning, and she was trying her best to ease her worries and spend much-needed quality time with her daughter and husband. She was finishing making a beautiful brunch, and she was determined to stop worrying as soon as her husband returned from picking up Sakura from her dorm.

"So, how's Ino doing with everything?" Jane asked 20 minutes later when they were all seated on the patio eating brunch and sipping coffee.

"She's okay," Sakura said, taking with a small frown forming on her lips. "She's been refusing to talk with her parents, but she might go see her mom today."

Tim Haruno set his coffee down and furrowed his brow, "Hasn't it been several weeks now? I can't believe her parents have allowed that."

"I think they feel kind of guilty, so they're not pushing her much."

"Still," Jane sighed, "it's hard to be away from your kids right now. I think after this week, everyone just wants their kids right under their noses," she gave Sakura a pointed look.

"I'm sorry I couldn't come home last night. I had a ton of homework." Sakura said somewhat defensively.

"Homework on a Saturday night?" Her father asked skeptically.

Sakura glared at him for the implied accusation. "Yes, I'm in class eight hours a day, then I have cheer 4 days a week- a full game Friday. I have too much homework to do only on weeknights, and I was busy during the day Saturday." She defended herself

Jane listened worriedly. Sakura had always been a hard worker. She insisted she had to make all A's to get into honors classes to get into AP classes to get into a good college to get into medical school. She hated how much pressure teens were under these days.

"So I suppose you wouldn't want to add one more thing onto your schedule?" Her mother asked trepidatiously.

"What are you talking about?" Sakura asked suspiciously.

"Krav maga." Jane said casually, taking a sip of her coffee, "7:30 on Thursdays."

Sakura wrinkled her nose, "what?"

"It's supposed to be the best martial art to learn self-defense. I thought we could take it together. We'd get to spend some time together during the week, get some exercise, and feel a little safer."

"No one takes Krav Maga, Mom," Sakura said with a bit of disdain. Jane knew she would take some convincing.

"I'll send you the link, and you can look at it yourself," Jane said, deciding not to push too hard right now. "I did get a few other things for you, though," She said, rising from her seat and walking inside briefly to find several Amazon boxes. When she returned, Sakura was still giving her a distrustful look.

"Okay, so we've got pepper spray," Jane started, pulling the canisters out of the box, "…and then, this little contraption… it makes a super loud noise if you press a button, hopefully, to scare off your attacker."

"Mom, this is so extreme. How much stuff did you order?" Sakura looked at several objects still in the box, "I don't think I can fit all of that on a keychain,"

Jane smiled excitedly, "look, I thought this was a great idea. I bought Airtags. I figured you could put them in your shoes. That way, we can always locate you!"

Sakura stared at her mother, instantly making her feel like an idiot, the only way teenagers could do.

"Mom, just find me on Find My Friends…."

"Sakura, if you're abducted, they'll take your phone away. They'll probably leave you with your shoes. At least for a while."

She heard her husband snort unhelpfully and looked up to see Sakura rolling her eyes.

"I don't think that's how they work, honey," her husband said, stifling a laugh.

"You clearly don't understand AirTags." Sakura gave a judgmental look.

"Why exactly would they not work?" Jane demanded.

"I think they have a shorter range. Like 20 feet or something." Tim explained.

"Well, that's stupid," Jane huffed with a twinge of embarrassment. "Look, Sakura, you need to be very careful. You're an adorable young woman, and there are perverts out there who wouldn't think twice abo-"

"MOM." Sakura interrupted her, annoyed. "I get it." Jane looked toward her husband for support. He was digging a fork into his frittata, looking like he would not get involved."

"I know you're very smart, Sakura. I just want you to be alert. I know you go to those parties on Friday nights. If you EVER need us to pick you up, you call us."

"Ino has a driver, so it's not a problem," Sakura said, reassuring her mother.

"Well, if you ever get separated from Ino, call us. I don't want you taking Uber alone at night."

"Mom, I can't even take Uber alone. I'm under 18." Of course, her daughter always had to have an argument. She couldn't just say, 'Okay, Mom.' Jane brushed her daughter's comment off. She doubted it was difficult for a teen to get an Uber.

"Well, don't take one with your older classmates, just call us. And I'm you absolutely have to, make sure to check the license plates and share your location."

"I get it," Sakura said irritably. Jane knew she was being a bit overbearing, but after her weekend, she had to know her daughter was being safe. She couldn't tell Sakura she had worked on the Sarutobi case without violating HIPAA and a terrifying non-disclosure agreement. Her fear might have seemed over the top. She knew she seemed intense but couldn't bring herself to care.

"I know there's drinking at that party Sakura," she resumed lecturing, "I know I'm not going to stop you, but you know you always need to pour your own drink and never lose sight of it. You and your friends need to watch out for each other."

"MOM," Sakura scowled, "I know. You've said this stuff one hundred times.

"Sakura, don't be rude to your mother. You're lucky we let you go to these parties." Her husband cut in. Damn, he was sexy when he came to her aid like that…

Sakura sat scowling in her chair with her arms crossed. Jane took a deep breath. She supposed she needed to lighten up.

"We trust you implicitly. It's the people around you we don't always trust. I know you make good decisions. We're just trying to say that you can call us anytime. It doesn't matter if it's the middle of the night or if you've been drinking. I promise you won't be in trouble. We just want you safe."

She watched her daughter fiddle with the pepper spray in front of her and sigh.

"I know." She repeated.

Her daughter didn't know how lucky she was. Jane couldn't imagine a planet where her parents would have picked her up in the middle of the night, much less drunk. They would have disowned her. But it didn't matter. It wasn't about that.

"Krav Maga Thursday?" She dared to poke the bear one more time.

Sakura sighed again as if she'd asked her to clean the entire house.

"Fiiinnne."

"It was truly the day from hell," Ino whined to all who would listen. She had texted Chouji and Shikamaru on her way home from her parents to demand they meet her in her dorm with Ben and Jerry's. Chouji had been with Sasha, so she impatiently told him to bring her. Now Chouji, Sasha, Shikamaru, and Sakura all sat in the small dorm room listening to Ino vent about meeting her mother's boyfriend, Kent, for the first time.

Ino had been ignoring her parents as much as possible. It had almost been a month since her parents had announced their divorce, and her mother told her she wouldn't tolerate her behavior anymore (Ino found this ironic).

Since her father would soon have a new offspring, her mother was the one to move out of the big family home. She moved into Kent's high rise, about 20 minutes away, and wanted Ino to see the place. To say Ino didn't give a shit about her mother's new place was the understatement of the century. Her mother also wanted her Kent, a fifty-year-old amateur bodybuilder, which was an agonizing experience.

The first hour she spent with her mother and Kent was full of awkward introductions and a very much undesired tour.

"This will be your room when you visit," her mother smiled, showing her a newly furnished guest bedroom.

"Delightful," Ino said dryly with an ironic smile plastered to her face.

Her mother dragged her further into the bedroom, away from Kent's ears.

"Ino, I understand you're upset," she spoke lowly, "but this attitude of yours has got to stop. I am your mother. I deserve respect."

Ino had an arsenal of comebacks prepared for that, but she willed herself to stay quiet. She was not in the mood to be lectured.

"How long have you been dating Kent?" Ino asked. She kept her voice calm, but the accusation was clear.

Her mother swallowed and looked away from Ino's piercing stare.

"Two years." She said softly.

Ino took a deep breath, trying to get rid of the dizzy feeling overtaking her.

"Two years?" She whispered in disbelief.

Sharon sighed, "Honey, your father and I haven't been… a true couple for a long time now. Much longer than that."

Ino's eyes burned, but she didn't let any tears fall.

"Why?" She asked despondently.

"Well…. We married so young… perhaps we weren't ready for it," she gulped and looked away from her daughter's vulnerable gaze. "We never had the opportunity to sew our wild oats."

Ino was overcome with nausea. Was that an old-people phrase for sleeping around? Dear God, she couldn't have this conversation.

When Ino told her friends this part of the story, they collectively shuddered.

"That is truly not what you want to hear from your parents." Sakura empathized.

"Honestly, that horror was better than spending time with Kent," Ino lamented.

"I swear, he would not stop talking about his freaking branched-chain amino acid supplement."

"What's that?" Sasha asked, hesitant but doing her best to keep up after being dragged into such a personal conversation with the already-established group of friends

"A protein powder with a higher proportion of certain amino acids," Sakura recited with a sigh.

"What are amino acids?" Chouji asked.

"Protein. Like in meat." Shikamaru summarized for his less school-oriented friend.

"Why doesn't he just eat chicken?" Chouji questioned slowly. Sasha nodded earnestly beside him.

Ino dropped her face in her hands in exasperation, "Because the branch chain amino acids, particularly leucine, stimulate more muscle synthesis… AGHHH, why do I even know that!? He's in my head now! Motherfucker!" She cried.

"No pun intended…." Sasha murmured quietly to no one in particular.

It was Shikamarimu who laughed delightedly and beamed at Chouji. "She a keeper, bro. Chouji blushed furiously but couldn't keep a sweet smile from tugging at the edges of his lips.

AN: Please review, etc :)