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Chapter Text

A/N: Updated August 2017: I reserve the right to overhaul my fics every 3 years or so - for more please see notes at the end.

"You must Believe in Spring" is a song by Michael Legrande. The chapter titles are other titles by the composer

You Must Believe in Spring
Chapter One: Rain must fall

Friday, March 20th, 10:56 PM Konoha Standard Time
Yugakure, Land of Steam

Rain pelted against the thick glass of the hotel window, making it impossible to see much beyond the courtyard below. The onset of the storm was sudden and fierce, as it spiraled out of an atmospheric anomaly and erased what had been a cloudless first day of spring.

He was grateful.

He much preferred the torrential harsh power of the thunderstorm to the cloyingly perfect weather that it replaced. It reminded him too much of another time and another place with her.

He leaned his forehead against the cold glass, and felt the tiny reverberations of the thunder against his skin and the burn of the memory underneath it. He doubted that he would live long enough to ever forget; then again, in his line of work, he probably wouldn't live long enough to do a fair number of things.

Closing his eyes for just a fraction of a second, he slowed his breathing and let the storm overtake his senses.

Laughter echoed in the depths of his memory.

"Hurry!" the voice danced in his ears, "Or you'll be soaked!" A small hand grabbed his wrist with surprising force and hauled him behind her. "Might as well warm up," she sighed pulling him into the tiny bohemian bistro and waved to the girl behind the counter. Before he could protest, they were seated in front of a fire eating tomato soup with grilled cheese. "Not gourmet," she tilted her head and smiled at him, "but it'll get the job done." He had smirked and nodded while she laughed. That was how they always were – he was quiet and dark; she was laughter and light.

His eyes snapped open as lighting struck close and the air pulsated with energy from the storm. He bit off a silent curse as he shoved away from the window.

There was no use remembering these kinds of things.

They were done.

She was gone.

He had work to do.

As if in response to his redirection of thought, his phone vibrated next to his laptop.

"Uchiha."

"I just heard back from HQ," the man on the other man began without preamble. "The storm system is far more extensive than they originally believed it to be. All flights out of Yugakure were cancelled, and it is a busy time of year for them. The soonest we could get you on is Sunday morning."

He made a scoffing sort of sound.

"I can get there under my own power before then."

"Oh, easily," he agreed pleasantly. "But that would hardly work for your cover, or that paper trail we've gone through the trouble of creating and maintaining, now would it? By the way…," the sound of shuffling papers filtered over the phone. "The storm system has taken down quite a few networks. It will take our guys some time to restore a secure enough connection to support the encrypted files. Work offline until you hear from me."

"Ah."

"That should about do it, Sasuke. Briefing has been moved to Monday. I'll see you then, 7:00 AM. Sharp."

"Hn." He half smirked and half snorted before adding "And what time will you be there, Old Man?"

"What? Sorry - bad connection – must be the storm. See you Monday."

The perfectly clear connection was severed, leaving Sasuke to grimace into nothing but dead air.

Punctuality was as much an Uchiha trademark as his piercing eyes and signature smirk. Sasuke didn't like to wait, and he didn't like to keep others waiting. That made being on a team with Kakashi particularly frustrating.

He sank on his bed and took a few, meditative breaths while pinching the bridge of his nose between his thumb and middle finger. He had traveled extensively in a short amount of time, and was understandably fatigued. His gaze drifted to his carry-on where his mission scroll was sealed away. As much as he would like to simply surrender to sleep, he estimated his report would take no less than an hour to complete. With grim determination, he resumed his work – he owed it to his comrades.

The next morning, the aftermath of the storm was widespread. There was little to no true damage done, but city crews were already out and removing fallen branches.

The streets surrounding the hotel were littered with cherry blossoms blown by the storm. Yet a small grove of trees sheltered by hotel still stubbornly held their blooms.

And he couldn't help but smirk at the tenacity of spring.

8:32 PM Suna Time/11:32PM KST
Suna, Dancing Wind Restaurant

"I have to say, my dear," Master Sarutobi said, sitting back at the table with a wistful smile, "that even I could not have guessed how incredibly well you would've adapted to Suna. You are a remarkable young lady, Ms. Haruno – excuse me! Dr. Haruno."

"Thank you, sir," Sakura tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. "That means quite a lot coming from you."

"It would be true not matter who said it," his eyes twinkled merrily. "I know a thing or two about your teacher – I feel quite confident in saying that whatever success you currently enjoy, it is the result of tireless effort and dedication. Would you not agree, Neji?"

"How could anyone not?"

Sakura shot him a sweet smile as Master Sarutobi took a long draw from his pipe and exhaled happily.

"I am thankful that Lady Hyūga thought to invite an old man such as myself to accompany her on her visit this new hospital – it is quite a stunning facility. You and Neji here have been working at this for – what – six? Eight months now?"

"It was a year ago that Dr. Haruno kindly agreed to step in as acting chief medic until we got the hospital well under way," Neji answered smoothly. "We have both traveled back and forth to Konoha since then, but she has spent the last six months in Suna."

"As my roommate never lets me forget," Sakura grinned. "By the time I get back to Konoha, my side of the apartment might very well be a greenhouse."

"I don't know that I would put anything past Ms. Yamanaka," the old man chuckled warmly. "She has a singular determination in all things. Ah, Yori. Did you escort Lady Hyūga back to her room?"

Yori gave a single nod.

"Was she alright?" Sakura asked, concerned. "Sounds like your flight caught part of that storm system that is moving across from here to the Land of Fire. Even a few hours later and the flight would've been canceled."

Yori murmured something, but either the ambient noise of the cheerful restaurant, or the high collar of his med-nin uniform prevented her from understanding him.

"He says she was simply fatigued. If she is unwell in the morning, we will postpone the tour."

"I doubt that will be necessary," Neji's lips tilted into something reminiscent of a smile. "Hinata is exceedingly fond of you, Master Sarutobi. I doubt anything less grave than mortal illness would prevent her from keeping her appointment tomorrow."

"Just as you say," he smiled kindly. "Well then," he lifted his glass. "To your excellent work, Dr. Haruno, to your foresight, Neji, and to Hinata's good health."

"Cheers," they chorused, and spun the rest of the evening away in good will and laughter.

11:25 PM KST
Konoha, Hyūga Residence

Hyūga Hanabi sat on the edge of her bed, her mobile pressed to her ear, her words rapid and earnest with concern.

"But are you feeling alright? I know how you hate to fly, and to be caught in this storm! Kō has been glued to the weather channel and watching the radar since the minute your flight took off."

"I'm fine, Hanabi," Hinata laughed gently. "Just a little tired from the journey."

"Just a little tired," Hanabi repeated, clearly unconvinced.

"Well, I can't say my opinion on flying has changed," she admitted ruefully. "But I can say that both Neji and I will be back in time for your birthday."

"Maybe my newest set of bruises will have healed by then," she muttered. "I bet Neji will figure out my new techniques from studying their pattern or something equally as annoying and prodigy-like. I have to get in the last of this round of special training before he comes home."

"Perhaps it is a good thing he has been back and forth to Suna so much," Hinata's voice held the promise of a smile.

"I wish that Tokuma was back from his mission. Then I could really put some of my strategies to the test. Have we heard anything from him?"

"Not yet," Hinata sighed. "But he said he would try to be back for the Solstice and your ceremony."

"Do you ever wonder what it would be like to just have normal birthdays?" Hanabi laid back on her bed, curling on her side with a favorite pillow.

"Sometimes."

"I don't mind, really," Hanabi stared up at her ceiling, "But it can be a little...daunting."

"I'd venture that this particular birthday's customs are daunting by anyone's standards," Hinata said dryly. "But I am certain you will be exceptional, just the same."

Hanabi's smile was gentle.

"Thanks, Sis. Get some sleep, okay? I can practically hear the yawns you probably meditated out of your voice."

"Alright," her chuckle was good-natured. "You, too."

"Love you, Hinata."

"I love you, too, Hanabi."

11:37 PM KST
Konoha, Hyūga Residence

The storm showed no signs of letting up. Hyūga Hiashi flicked his eyes out of the large window and then back to his paperwork with little interest. He had several things to finish before he could rest this evening.

The Hyūga family owned one of the two largest medical research corporations in the Allied Shinobi Nations. Their research hospital was the best in the Land of Fire, and the one they'd recently acquired in Suna was rapidly becoming just as recognized.

The only company that could rival Hyūga Enterprises was Uchiha Industries. The latest issue of Konoha CEO laid on his desk, open to the article touting the genius of the head of UI: the enigmatic and elusive Uchiha Sasuke.

He sat back, his elbows on the arm rests of his chair, rolling a pen between the first three fingers of both hands.

The article glossed over the circumstances precipitating Sasuke's premature inheritance, although that year the papers had been full of the news that Uchiha Fugaku and Mikoto had been found murdered, ostensibly at the hands of their son Itachi.

Uchiha Sasuke, the second son, and widely considered to be the last of his clan, inherited the entire company. It had been held in trust for him until he could finish his education, but Sasuke had made quite a name for himself in the short years that he had been in charge, and Uchiha Industries was as solvent as ever.

Hiashi leaned back in his chair and looked up at the ceiling. There was mutual respect between Hyūga Enterprises and Uchiha Industries, but there was no love there. They were competition – healthy competition, but competition nonetheless.

He found his gaze resting on the same photo it so often did. He reached for the frame, absently, taking in the details he had long ago committed to permanent memory. The photo itself was unremarkable, if not endearing; a kind looking woman with shining dark hair held a bundle of a baby, while a small girl looked shyly to the camera between the woman and himself. He allowed his finger to trace the curve of her cheek.

It had been a long time since her illness had taken her from their lives.

His focus trailed to the small girl in the middle. She was so like the woman in the picture - so like her mother.

Hiashi sighed deeply.

He was not an unkind man, but he was the leader of his clan and his business – and neither position afforded him the luxury of weakness or indecision. He had long known that his elder daughter did not have the disposition to lead in a cutthroat business world. She was far too kind and gentle, and would be bullied and undercut and shut out before she even began. No. The business would go to Hanabi when the time came.

That wasn't to say that Hinata wasn't an heiress in her own right. She assumed her mother's role as Clan Mother, and would continue in that role even after her sister became the heir.

Still, he wanted to be certain she was taken care of. Protected. And to Hyūga Hiashi, that meant Hinata should marry.

And Hiashi was considering Uchiha Sasuke as a candidate – something he had once proposed to his wife, who surprised him by emphatically disagreeing.

"Imagine what that could mean for the families if our companies combined," he had argued.

"Imagine what that could mean for your daughter if she was forced to do something only for her family's company."

That had been the line that had won her argument, followed by the gentle admonishment of "She deserves better than that, Hiashi."

Hiashi couldn't agree more: Hinata deserved the best. She deserved everything. The companies aside, he saw multiple reasons the match would be beneficial to both parties.

As an Uchiha, Sasuke shared their world of traditions and societal obligations. He would understand how to navigate the social complexities and would undoubtedly allow Hinata to continue on in her clan position. Moreover, his wife would be expected to become the Uchiha Clan Mother. Hinata was very likely the only person in Konoha with the experience to revive that position effectively.

Then there was the matter of their individual wealth. As the only member remaining of his family, he could only benefit from having a wife with no need of his fortune, and their respective legacies could pass on to the next generation untouched. Ironically, as both had inheritances, both parties could be certain that neither party was seeking marriage simply for financial gain.

However, Hiashi's most important reason was astonishingly simplisic.

In their own way, they were both alone.

The Uchiha had lost all family and inherited all of the obligations. He did not participate socially, and was distanced from the other Noble Clans.

Conversely, Hinata had extensive family as well as a bevy of obligations, but those closest to her – her sister and her cousin – also had their own duties to perform.

The role of a Clan Mother demanded constant consideration of others – something that came to Hinata with preternatural ease.

And because of that, she would never be a priority – she would never allow herself to be.

Hiashi was incredibly proud of his daughter; it just wasn't his way to say such things.

He had to show her by making sure she was cared for.

The knock on his door was respectfully muted.

"Come in."

"Sorry to bother you," Kō bowed politely. "But we just heard from Neji. Lady Hyūga has retired for the evening, and is fatigued but well."

"Thank you, Kō. That will be all."

Kō exited as unobtrusively as he entered, leaving Hiashi to watch between the rivulets of water running down the window as the storm streaked across the Konoha skies.

Silence settled thickly over the room, filling the spaces between doubts and obligations, until all that remained were the concerns of a father for his elder child.

His wife continued to gaze quietly from the picture frame now reflected in the thick glass and darkening skies.

"I'm sorry," he closed his eyes, his voice heavy and resigned. "But I think I need to consider my original idea again. You understand. Things have changed, now. It will be for the best." It was some moments later before he tucked his concerns back in the corners of his heart, and allowed the rest of the world to reenter his reality.

He worked that night as he did every night – until he was certain he was too tired to dream – before surrendering to peaceful oblivion of sleep.

9:31 PM Suna Time/12:32 AM KST
Suna, Trigram Apartments

Assured that Master Sarutobi's chauffer knew where to take him and his medic, Neji and Sakura bid the former ASF director a good evening, and headed home.

"Thanks for walking me home," Sakura pulled her key out of her pocket.

"Hardly a trouble, considering your current apartment is two floors below mine."

"Well, then thank you for sharing your walk home to our hospital subsidized housing."

Neji's smile was small and fond.

"You are welcome. Will we see you during the tour tomorrow?"

"Should be an admin-only day," she nodded. "I've backed off to let the staff run the hospital while I am there to help them. Hinata said that she wanted to be there early to take a look at the medicinal gardens. Do you think that is still the case?"

"I am sure that it is."

"Good – I can't wait to see her face when she sees how much everything has grown!"

"I am sure that she will be very pleased." His eyes traveled over her face, and when it appeared that he might say something else, he simply rested a hand on her shoulder and said:

"Get some rest."

"Thanks," she smiled. "I think I will."

And by rest, she decided to treat herself to a rare bubble bath.

The storms had just reached Suna by the time she slid into her bath with a contented sigh. She scooped up a handful of bubbles and blew them into the air, playfully.

She could hear his deep, sedate laughter as she blew bubbles in the park. "What," she asked, green eyes sparkling as she adjusted her seat on the picnic blanket. "Didn't you like doing this as a kid? Think of it as inner-child therapy." She chirped as she dipped the bubble wand back into the bottle for another round.

Arms reached around her and held her wrists as she moved. Arms that brought their faces closer together as he peered over her shoulder from his seat on the blanket, and positioned her to lean against his chest. Arms that brought the wand just next to her cheek so he could blow the bubbles into the lazy wind. She looked at him over her shoulder and stared into his endless ebony eyes and his trademark smirk.

"Not bad," he said quietly – almost too quietly to be heard over her thumping heart. She swallowed nervously as their faces inched closer together, bodies turning to face one another. Absently, she noted he smoothly took the bubble paraphernalia from her hands and guided them to clasp behind his neck before kissing her tenderly, his own hand at her waist.

Her eyes snapped open. Where did that come from?!

She squeezed her eyes shut, took a deep breath and sank under the water and bubbles, letting the warmth wash over her until her pulse rang deafeningly in her ears. She stayed until her lungs burned with the need to breathe, focusing only on calming her heartbeat.

When she rose out of the water, she brushed the bubbles, soap, and tears from her eyes. He was gone, now. He had been for a long time. She had almost returned to Suna permanently after graduation, but at the last minute accepted a job working for his competitor. The chance of seeing him anywhere other than the tabloids was slim to none. She just had to keep reminding herself that she was over it all – that she had moved on.

If she kept saying it, she might even begin to believe it.

She sank into the bath water, determined to relax. Nothing – not even the memory of Uchiha Sasuke was going to take this rare moment of rest from her. She owed herself that much, at the very least.

She made it a whole fifteen seconds before sighing in resignation. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath and slipped into the familiar meditation.

Sakura let the warmth of the bath and the cadence of her pulse take her far, far away until the memories faded and her heart was at peace.

Saturday, March 21st 2:04 AM ST/5:04 KST
Suna, The Kazekage Palace

The hours between sunset and sunrise can be bitingly cold in the desert – something that had long deterred any kind of serious nightlife in Suna. All resources were conserved here, and the city lights had largely given way to the vast sea of stars overhead.

The assassin considered himself lucky that there was no moon, as it would have seriously hampered his efforts. Not that his target would be an easy one, regardless of the phase of the moon or the light in the sky; but there was a reason he had been sent rather than one of the others.

With a few more concealment jutsus, he was ready.

In a few more hours, he would be finished here.

And the Kazekage would be dead.

Chapter Text

Still deciding on a day for weekly updates; will let you know when I figure it out.

You Must Believe in Spring
Chapter Two: After the Rain

Saturday, March 21st Suna, 5:42 AM ST/8:42 KST
Suna, Hyūga Hospital – Suna Branch

Sakura relied on the instincts honed by years of training, and about four different alarms to get her to work the next morning. Despite the early hour, she was only marginally surprised to see a familiar silhouette on the other side of the indoor medicinal garden.

"I thought I might find you here."

Hinata turned, startled, eyes wide and apologetic.

"I hope I am not disrupting anything – I got plenty of sleep, and am used to being up early, so-"

"Stop," Sakura waved her apology aside, and wrapped her in a friendly hug. "It is so good to see you."

Hinata's smile was - as all things Hinata were – gentle.

"Good to see you, too. Ino sends her love."

"And her demands that I return home, immediately?"

Hinata shrugged with a grin.

"She really misses you."

"And I miss her," Sakura smiled. "But the hospital has come such a long way in such a short time – I don't think I could've been nearly as effective if I had stayed in Konoha or tried to go back and forth like Neji does."

"You have done amazing things," Hinata beamed. "Just look at the gardens!"

Pride justly swelled under Sakura's heart. "The gardeners took everything you recommended to heart. And look," she motioned for her to follow, pulling her to step outside. "We created a garden from the native Suna plants as well. Hard to believe there are so many that aren't cacti!"

Hinata's laugh was lighter than air.

"Who would've guessed?"

"Not me, that's for sure," Sakura looped an arm around Hinata's as they walked back into the hospital. "At least not until Lady Chiyo made me study pages upon pages of that sort of thing – antidotes and the like. Have you eaten?"

"A little," Hinata dipped her head. "I'm not really one for breakfast."

"Are you still one for tea?"

"Well, I am a Hyūga."

Sakura laughed and lead Hinata to her office, enjoying her company immensely. They had just contemplated a second cup of tea when the door to her office flew open.

"Dr. Haruno!"

"Matsuri?" Sakura blinked. "What is wrong?"

"There was an attack – somebody tried to kill Lord Gaara!"

Sakura and Hinata were both instantly on their feet.

"Where is he?"

"He's back at the Kazekage residence," she hurried. "He fought the attacker off, but Lord Kankurō went after him, and when he didn't come back, Lady Temari went to fetch him, and –"

"And where are they now, Matsuri," Sakura interrupted, her voice even and sure.

"That's just it. Lady Temari just arrived with Kankurō – he's in a very bad way – and says it's poison!"

"Where are they?"

"OR-2."

Sakura looked at the clock. "My team isn't ready for this yet. We'll have to round up some people"

"Can I help?"

Matsuri blinked at Hinata.

"I'm sorry, Lady Hyūga," she bowed quickly. "I didn't see you there."

"Your Byakugan might come in handy," Sakura jammed her arms into her white coat before tossing an identical one to Hinata. "Congratulations, Hinata – you've just been promoted!"

6:16 AM ST/9:16 AM KST
Suna, Hyūga Hospital – Suna Branch

They had barely made it down to the OR when a familiar voice cut through the air.

"Where the hell did she go? Konoha? MATSURI!"

Temari rounded the corner looking like she was running on no sleep and fighting phantoms.

"Sakura! Hinata! Finally, someone competent!"

Sakura motioned for her to follow into the prep area of the operating room. She glanced at Hinata.

"Remember how to scrub in?"

"It's been a while," she pulled her hair back, "but I think I'll manage."

"Excellent. Nurse," she motioned to the scared woman trying to blend into the sterile wall behind them. "Help her. Now. Temari. What happened?"

"Someone attacked Gaara," Temari said bitterly, her face etched in worry "My idiot of a brother insisted on going after the person alone and got himself poisoned."

"When was this?"

"Around two in the morning. Maybe three. Once I realized what had happened, I went after him. I saw something near him, so I attacked with my fan, but no one was there when I arrived. Carried him back halfway before the rest of the team caught up," she muttered. "Useless."

"Sakura," Hinata put gentle fingers on her arm. "Do you think Temari could wait this out in one of the rooms on the seventh floor? Maybe Q-4?"

"Q-4?" the nurse blinked, "But that's-"

"Yes," Sakura interrupted. "Temari, I am sorry, but I have to ask you to follow my nurse. As soon as I know anything, I will send word. Nurse – please find an appropriate room to accommodate our guest."

The nurse nodded, standing taller in the face of clear need, and Temari graciously accepted her dismissal.

"Take good care of him," she flicked her eyes to the prone figure on the other side of the swinging doors. "He's a pain in the ass, but he's still my brother."

Sakura waited until she was sure Kankurō was sedated and her young nurses were assembled before turning to Hinata.

"What did you see?"

"His chakra network is being attacked and disrupted," she said quietly, her Byakugan activated. "I can make out clusters of a foreign chakra signature - some kind of pathogen or parasite, perhaps. Whatever it is, it is digesting and processing his chakra."

"And Temari?"

"She has similar hints of the foreign chakra, but they didn't appear to be processing her chakra as aggressively."

"So, you asked that she be quarantined. Clever," Sakura ran a glowing palm over Kankurō. "If it is a true pathogen, she might have been exposed but not affected. It could also be that her chakra isn't as conducive to the pathogen. Or," she grimaced at Hinata, "it just hasn't started yet."

Sakura shook off her trepidation and squared her shoulders.

"I'll take care of the poison and you mind his chakra network. Let me know the minute you see anything unusual."

They worked together with an uncanny synchronicity, considering it had been quite some time since Hinata had worked in an OR setting, and had never worked with Sakura in that capacity.

Using her Byakugan to monitor Kankurō's chakra pathways as Sakura worked, Hinata quietly hovered a glowing green palm near the site of the poison extraction, stimulating the muscles to release the toxin.

Sakura nodded her approval and thanks, even as they continued to work largely in silence.

The next hour flew by for them both as Sakura used a highly specialized jutsu to both force the poison out of Kankurō's system and preserve it for analysis. Sakura gave the order for one of the nurses to fetch Neji as she extracted the last of the toxin.

"There is extensive muscle damage," Hinata murmured.

"It's the toxin," Sakura frowned. "It is destroying the muscle at the cellular level. I've seen this kind of damage from poisons refined with heavy metals, or from venom, but never from a pathogen."

"I can't determine if the pathogen is still generating the toxin," Hinata scanned the length of the patient, "but it is still actively digesting chakra."

Sakura grimaced behind her surgical mask, turning as Neji walked in, properly attired in protective clothing.

She waved him over and explained the situation, watching as his Byakugan flared and then receded.

"He is stabilized for now," Sakura said, "but I can't do much more. If I repair the muscle tissue and it is reintroduced to the toxin too quickly, I might not be able to repair it a second time. I estimate we have about a two to four hour window before the toxin builds back in his system."

"What are your orders?"

"I have to either counteract the pathogen or the toxin. I can't just keep extracting it; it is too taxing on all of us, and I can't repair any damage without risking irreversible damage."

"How do we counter them?"

"I'll know better after I analyze the toxin – but I can't do that here. I need to get our samples back to Konoha. Really," she looked down to Kankurō, who was grimacing in his sleep. "I need to get him to Lady Tsunade."

"The storm system should've moved on enough to let us fly," Neji nodded once. "I'll have them prepare a life flight from the helipad."

"One more thing," Sakura glanced at the time. "I need Hinata to scan Temari and anyone else that might've come into contact with Kankurō. We may have to quarantine the others."

"I can do it. Show me what to look for."

Hinata explained quickly, and in moments, Neji was gone to both carry out his orders as well as to order the sealing and flight teams to prepare for immediate departure.

Assured that none of the nurses had been contaminated, Sakura and Hinata dismissed them until the emergency transport team came for Kankurō. Once he had been secured, they hurried to join him.

"Well," Sakura sighed as she and Hinata strapped into their seats "looks like Ino is going to get her way after all."

The smile they shared was bittersweet – as was the taste of the word "home" on the back of her tongue.

9:16 AM KST
Konoha, Hyūga Hospital – Main Branch

Tsunade had been doing routine paperwork when Gaara alerted her that Temari had taken Kankurō to the Hyūga hospital in Suna to be treated by her protégé. She had immediately contacted Neji, who assured her he would make any and all information available to her as it became available to him. He alerted her when the emergency flight left Suna, and she was finalizing her preparations for their arrival. Shizune was a noted expert in poisons, and was already pouring over several scrolls, trying to piece together a possible antidote file - thus far to no success.

Shizune paused, quickly touching a finger to her earpiece. "They will be here in ten minutes. A medic is going to meet them at the helipad and bring the samples of the toxin directly to the lab."

"You said toxin," Tsunade looked up sharply. "Not poison."

"It appears that what we thought was poison is a toxic byproduct of the infecting organism; or perhaps the organism itself was designed to release this toxin, and just happens to feed on chakra networks to their detriment. Either way, the pathogen is still present in both. Temari does not yet show any symptoms of being affected."

Tsunade frowned.

"Then how do we know she has been infected before we run the diagnostics?"

"Hinata was checking Kankurō's chakra network when she noticed Temari had the beginnings of a similar disturbance, albeit in the very early stages."

"Hinata did?"

Shizune nodded.

"Hm." Tsunade paused to consider. Hinata's chakra control, like most of the Hyūga's, was exceptional. However, she was uniquely perceptive to subtleties that escaped even highly trained medical-nin. "She has good eyes."

"And a good memory," Shizune added, reaching for another scroll. "You can ask her just about anything about those plants of the Hyūga's, or where to find something in the clan archives."

"She'd have to, to be able negotiate all of the Hyūga formalities," Tsunade scoffed. "Those old farts in the clan council have entirely too much time on their hands."

Shizune hid a smile – well aware that the "old fart" Tsunade had in mind was Hinata's Grandfather, Elder Hyūga, who definitely had more opinions than obligations.

"Hinata does not fly well," Tsunade stood, closing her files. "Anxiety. After you help me prep the OR in the quarantined area, I want you to meet them at the helipad. Make sure she is alright."

"Should she go home?"

"She should," Tsunade allowed, "but she can't. Sakura already made it clear that she needs her, and Hinata won't leave a friend in need. I am counting on you to make sure she is stable before we risk subjecting her to more stressors."

Tsunade waited a beat before adding. "Mind her heart. Her mother had problems that presented later in life, and Hinata has been identified as being at risk."

When Shizune led Sakura and Hinata into the OR, did as bidden, she gave Tsunade the slightest of nods over their heads. Assured that she would not have two patients in the OR instead of one, Tsunade wasted no time getting to work.

"Ladies," she nodded to each. "Good to have you. Now shall we see what kind of mess this little scamp has gotten himself into this time? Sakura. Hinata. Show me what you have found."

The women exchanged a quick glance before Sakura took a deep breath.

"It all started this morning..."

9:27 AM KST
Konoha, Hyūga Hospital – Security Office 3

Hyūga Neji had arrived at work to the news that his cousin and best doctor were in the middle of trying to save the life of the brother and bodyguard of the Kazekage. He'd since had to scan anyone that had come into contact with Kankurō for chakra disturbances (only Temari appeared to be affected), ordered the emergency transportation of said brother and bodyguard of the Kazekage to Konoha where Sakura could better treat him and analyze the poison, (and arranged for his cousin to go with them, as Sakura required her help) and just managed to get everything he needed to get for Tsunade in time to join them on the flight.

All in all, he'd had better mornings.

He stopped in his office on the civilian side of the hospital just long enough to gather what he needed before slipping back out again and making his way to the security room monitoring the quarantined area.

Once inside, however, he found perhaps the last person in the world he expected to see on the civilian side of the hospital if not admitted as a patient.

"Tenten," he flicked a glance over her, dubiously. "Are you lost?"

"Nice to see you, too, Neji," she stood with arms crossed, and eyes on the various monitors. "What do we hear about the med crew from Suna?"

"All clear," one of the techs leaned back to report, sitting straighter when he saw Neji. "Dr. Haruno and Lady Hyūga detected no threat. They have been released to return to Suna as soon as Lady Tsunade gives her approval."

"And Kankurō? Temari?"

"Dr. Haruno lists Kankurō as having stabilized, but is still in critical condition. Temari is showing no symptoms, but is remaining in quarantine until Dr. Haruno or Lady Tsunade say otherwise."

"Good," she gave a sharp nod. "Keep me posted," she tapped her earpiece then turned to Neji. "A word?"

He followed her from the main security room to the adjoining office, where she walked behind the desk and sat down, logging onto the workstation.

She nodded to the chair across from her.

"Have a seat."

He closed the door and sat down, eyeing her suspiciously.

"I suppose it would be too much to hope that you are unarmed?"

"Of course I'm armed," she snorted, eyes scanning across the screen. "I'm here on security detail, per Lady Tsunade, who – by the way – asked for you to make your way to the other side of things as soon as you are able. But first," she reached into the desk and pulled a file, "Genma asked me to get you up to speed."

"On?"

"We've had intel indicating there is an increased interest in Hinata and Hanabi as of late."

"Unsurprising, seeing as Hanabi comes of age as the heir this year," Neji ventured.

"True. That isn't so unusual. It is the intel re: a renewed and widespread interest in dōjutsu users in general, and the Byakugan specifically that is troubling. With Hinata's unexpected return to Konoha, I've been assigned to her security detail."

"And Hanabi?"

She slid him the folder, "This is the agent he feels is best suited to the case."

"Sarutobi Konohamaru?" Neji arched an eyebrow. "Biggest-brat-in-Konoha-Naruto's-number-one-fan-who-almost-got-thrown-out-of-the-academy-for-trying-to-get-out-of-a-test-via-sexy-jutsu Sarutobi Konohamaru?"

"No," her grin was slow. "Best-in-his-class-third-year-KU-student-no-longer-six-years-old Konohamaru. And we both know that Ebisu is a closet perv, and had that coming."

Neji's frown deepened.

"I heard he is involved in Konoha House."

"You object to his being in the university's honors program and its affiliated dorm?"

"No," he scoffed, "I object to his being a party to the system in place that essentially turns an on-campus base into a frat house."

"Think of it as maintaining a cover," she shrugged. "Who would suspect that the party-loving-frat-boy is actually a deadly agent in disguise, assigned to protect the enigmatic Hyūga heir?"

"The fact that those rags use the word "enigmatic" to describe Hanabi is proof that they've never met her."

"Fair point," her smile flashed mischief.

"How will this fit in with your duties?"

"Probably rather well," she ventured. "As I am betting that Hinata will be a registered agent by the end of the day."

"Impossible. She has immunity."

"From forced enlistment. Not recruitment."

Neji looked over the top of the file. "Tsunade is planning on recruiting Hinata?"

"She's making an offer to both her and Sakura."

A thick silence settled in the office while Neji worked a muscle in his jaw. Naturally, Hinata was aware of their organization - and had been on some level since that first kidnapping attempt when she was three years old - but both her father and Neji had worked hard to limit her involvement.

"We need her, Neji," Tenten said quietly.

"Precisely," he snorted. "And what does Hinata do any time that something is needed of her?"

"Is it the same thing her stubborn cousin always does?"

"Hn."

"You know…," a smile crept into her voice that made him instantly wary. "This could be good for Hinata. I mean – she is always so bogged down by her Clan Mother duties. She might even find a few new friends – or better yet, a boyfriend!"

"Congratulations," he said flatly, flipping the file closed. "You managed to make it worse."

"Glad I could help," she smiled, watching him gather his things, her chin in her hand.

"I'd better wrap up things on this end of the hospital. Clearly I will be busier today than I thought."

"Lot of that going around," she looked him over. "Hey… Neji?"

He paused and raised one eyebrow to her – clearly not trusting her to not make fun of the situation.

"You of all people know how important it is to have the room make and stand by your own choices. I get that you're not pleased, but talk to her about all of this before you get yourself all worked up, okay? She's going to need us, too."

Neji's sighed and gave a single nod.

"Fine."

I'll keep an eye on everything here," she nodded to the smaller security monitors on the office wall, "and let you know if anything changes."

"Do that," he reached for the door. "And while you are at it, try to resist skewering anyone while you are here. The paperwork for that kind of thing is staggering."

Tenten rolled her eyes. "You take down one guy in a hospital, and they never let you live it down." It was Neji's turn to smirk.

"No," he assured her, "we won't."

10:53 AM KST
Konoha, Hyūga Hospital - 'The Small Office'

Dr. Haruno Sakura loved her job. She loved getting up every morning to be somewhere she was needed, and had worked tirelessly to earn her well-deserved reputation. She had always been an excellent student in the academic sense, but her direction and determination had crystallized all of those years ago when she woke up to find herself left behind. Again.

"You can't help me," he had told her, his back rigid, his eyes on a target too distant to see. "You'll only slow me down."

Those words replayed in her mind countless times as she undertook her grueling training with Tsunade. They echoed in her ears as she punished her body, draining it of chakra and depriving it of rest. They stuck in the very core of her being, and were the wound that kept healing only to reopen time and time again. Eventually, she gave up trying to heal and just decided to forge ahead, certain in the knowledge that the only cure she needed was time and distance. She wasn't going to sit around and wait to one day wake up fine. She was going to run at the head of the pack, and give everyone else a good look at her back.

It was that tireless determination that had raised her to be recognized as the most promising medical-nin in the Allied Shinobi Nations, renowned for her quick mind, her analytical skills, and her ingenuity.

She and Hinata were sitting in what was officially the office reserved for the Hyūga Clan Mother, but was lovingly referred to by the hospital staff as the "Small Office."

Hinata's mother had been a familiar and well-loved presence at the Hyūga hospital, coming by at least once a week to visit, often with her elder daughter in tow. She headed the Hyūga medicinal gardens, and liaised with the R&D department, but she also did quite a bit to interconnect all levels of staff. She often visited patients, checked in with families, and provided assistance (sometimes financially, and then always anonymously) where it was needed.

Hinata had long been instated as Clan Mother when Sakura joined the hospital staff, and welcomed her as a colleague and friend. They had several classes together at Konoha University, as Hinata had studied as a medic-nin with a focus on homeopathic medicine and remedies. She was fully instated as a nurse and had stepped in to help at the hospital on more than one occasion – but her clan obligations prevented her from taking on a permanent position with the medical staff.

"Here," Hinata said gently, handing her a steaming mug of tea. "Drink this."

"Is this another Hinata original?"

"It is a blend I made from our gardens. I thought you might need it after the morning you've had so far."

"The morning we've had," Sakura corrected. "And it's not over yet." She took a long sip of the hot liquid, inhaling the subtle fragrance.

"I checked Kankurō on my way over," Hinata offered. "His chakra network is still disrupted, but it appears that the clusters of the pathogen are smaller and less actively processing his chakra. Temari's network does not appear to have changed from when I first saw her this morning."

"That is good," Sakura murmured, turning the puzzle over, and over again in her nimble mind. "We should probably quarantine them both for twenty-four hours just in case."

"Mm," Hinata hummed into her cup. "Any word from the labs yet?"

"No, not yet. Soon, though."

They sat for the space of several restorative sips of tea

"I really appreciate your help today," Sakura continued. "If you hadn't been there, we wouldn't have known about the pathogen until Kankurō's bloodwork came back."

"Were any of the others affected?"

"No," Sakura shook her head. "Temari encountered Kankurō first, and traveled quite a way with him before intercepting the others. If I had to guess, the pathogen had been either airborne or required contact within a specific window of time."

"Strange that this person did not use the specific attack on Gaara," Hinata mused.

"Maybe he didn't get the chance," Sakura drummed her fingers on her leg – a clear sign she was thinking.

Her train of thought was interrupted by the sharp rap at the door, followed by Hinata's soft, "Come in."

The door had barely opened before Sakura was on her feet and pulled into a huge hug.

"Geez, Ino," Tenten leaned against the doorframe. "Let the girl breathe."

"What the hell, Forehead," Ino pulled back, still holding tightly onto Sakura's arms. "You can't visit like a normal person? You have to arrive by helicopter during a medical emergency?"

"I missed you, too," Sakura grinned at her roommate and best friend.

"How about you," Tenten looked over to Hinata. "You doing alright?"

"A little tired," Hinata admitted, "But I am well. Would either of you care for a cup of tea?" she motioned to the electric kettle on the counter behind her.

"Unfortunately, we don't have time for one," Tenten gave an apologetic smile. "Lady Tsunade asked that you be brought to her office."

"Just let me get my things," Sakura broke away and gathered the messenger bag she'd hastily thrown together before leaving Suna. "I have some notes, and other files on my laptop that might be helpful."

"Bring anything you think you might need for the next few hours," Tenten flicked a look to the clock. "Lady Tsunade said she wanted to go to the labs after your meeting. Here," she handed Hinata what looked like a short fat pen. "Shino asked that you have that vaccine before coming down to the labs."

Hinata recognized it as the kind of syringe used by field medics to deliver antidotes and antitoxins. She deftly rolled up her sleeve and delivered the vaccine into the top of her arm without question.

In moments, Hinata had locked the small office, and they were stepping into one of the smaller staff-only elevators that connected the administrative offices of the hospital.

Tenten slipped her ID card into the slot below the illuminated numbers and keyed in her code.

The elevator went below the lowest marked level, and opened to an abandoned parking garage. There were no placards – only the dirt outlines of where some might have been on the wall and cement poles.

Sakura peered into the dim light, but there was literally nothing to see.

"They closed this garage off after they renovated the hospital, right?"

Tenten gave a small smile. "More like repurposed. Hey," she pressed her security earbud. "I've got Tsunade's next appointment with me."

Sakura looked at Ino, eyebrows raised.

"Did Tsunade move offices while I was away?"

Ino's smile tipped into something almost regretful.

"Not exactly."

"We got the all-clear, Ino," Tenten said, motioning them forward.

They took a few steps before the familiar sizzle of a barrier passed over their skin. Musty concrete gave way to the brightly lit waiting area for a highspeed underground shuttle.

The air pressure shifted as the shuttle arrived, the glass doors parting to allow them entrance. A guard stepped out to stand sentinel as they boarded - a porcelain mask over his face, a curved tattoo bright on his upper arm

"Oh," Sakura exhaled. "That office."

"Dr. Haruno, Lady Hyūga," his voice was muffled behind his mask. "This way, please."

As Sakura and Hinata stepped onto the shuttle and the doors closed behind them, they shared a glance.

They were officially on a train to nowhere.

Because to the rest of the world, ANBU didn't exist.

11:41 AM KST
Konoha, ANBU base - Tsunade's Office

The Allied Shinobi Force was forged in the fires of the Fourth Shinobi War, fought and won generations ago. The leaders of what history books would later call the Allied Shinobi Nations were wise enough to know that without a common enemy, the bonds holding the alliance in place were tenuous at best, and would be tested by aftermath of war.

Thus, the Allied Shinobi Force transitioned from an army to an international task force intended to keep the balance of power between the Five Great Nations and the smaller independent lands under their care. Each of the Five Great Nations had a keystone, physical division of the ASF that employed civilians and shinobi alike, all working toward strengthening and maintaining the new-found peace.

However, the leaders and elders of the Five Great Nations knew that the ASF alone wouldn't be able to police those that wanted to disrupt the tenuous bonds between nations. They created ANBU; a secret division specializing in intelligence and counterterrorism, comprised of individuals from multiple nations stationed throughout the territories. It was the silent arm of the ASF that discovered and dispatched threats too dark and shadowed to face in the light of day.

Very few non-members were even aware that ANBU existed, but both Hinata and Sakura were exceptions to that rule. Hinata's position as Clan Mother to one of the oldest, most established, and powerful clans in the Land of Fire meant she had to be able to handle the clan's affairs, even if the leader or heir were not present. Sakura had worked on ANBU level research, and been privy to its existence since her time with Lady Chiyo, and more intimately so after the attack on Gaara's life when they were teenagers.

Neither could say they were surprised when Tsunade extended the invitation to join.

"Is the situation that serious?" Sakura asked quietly.

"Unfortunately, yes," she sighed. "I had hoped to avoid this, truly I did. Hinata," she looked over to her. "From the time you were sixteen, your father asked specifically that you not be considered for ANBU - that we honor your immunity as the Clan Mother. I understand if you do not wish to accept."

"I am loyal to my village, Lady Tsunade," Hinata shook her head. "And my immunity is mine to ignore. I will join."

Tsunade turned to Sakura. "And you?"

"I've always been willing," Sakura considered her mentor. "But my village affiliation is still Suna. I'd have to get permission from my superiors."

Tsunade's smile was faint.

"Considering you are coming on board to help treat the Kazekage's brother, I doubt there would be an objection – but even so, you have been approved for quite some time. Frankly, it was my hope that neither of you would be needed. Sadly, that is no longer the case. Our intelligence shows that this threat is classified under our biological warfare and counter-terrorism divisions. I'm sorry, Sakura. Hinata. But we need you both."

Sakura drummed her fingers on her crossed arms.

"I'm guessing Shino works under the ASF and ANBU? Like Ino does?"

"Yes," Shizune nodded.

"Good," she glanced down at the files Tsunade was reading. "Because I am going to need his expertise if I am going to crack that toxin. Do you think he is done with my lab results?"

"Let's go find out." Tsunade stood, leading them down to the laboratories. She did not bother to alert him of their arrival (luckily Shizune had let him know) and strode in directly, the others following in her wake.

"How's the mad scientist today?" Ino asked innocently, her eyes trailing over the long work bench with several microscopes, test tubes, and requisite bubbling vials of liquid coiling through distillation tubes.

"That is an inaccurate question, in addition to not being that funny," Shino stated. "Why? That is because, I am neither a mad scientist, nor are you interested in my personal well-being. Rather, I am a researcher and entomologist specializing in the pathology of infectious diseases, and you want to know what my relevant findings are."

Sakura cleared her throat (it might have been poorly hidden laugh), interrupting before Ino could retaliate.

"Good to be working with you again, Shino. Please, tell me what we are dealing with."

Shino nodded. "It seems that we are indeed looking at a bioengineered pathogen," he motioned to the microscope. "It is a simple organism that has been designed to produce this specific toxin when exposed to the refined chakra flow of a trained shinobi. It feeds off of the chakra and creates the toxin."

"How did it get in Kankurō?"

Shino indicated another microscope. "It appears it was an airborne pathogen with a limited lifespan. The organisms affecting Temari must have been breathed in while she transported Kankurō, but only a few of the inhaled pathogens were viable. They appear to already be dead within her system."

Sakura listened, thoughtfully. "So, an airborne pathogen targeting and feeding off of an advanced chakra system. Any modification to the surface receptor molecules?"

Shino might've smiled at her hypothesis - or he might have done absolutely nothing. It was hard to say.

"No. This pathogen was designed to feed once it interacted with a well-developed and strong chakra network. It is not seeking out specific genetic markers."

"So, it isn't why Hinata needed a vaccine. It isn't targeting Kekkei genkai?"

Shino looked to Tsunade for a second before answering. "There appear to be some pathogens that target that particular attribute – but this isn't one of them."

"Have we analyzed the toxin?"

"Hai," Shino brought up a 3-D projection of a detailed analysis of the poison and its molecular structure.

Sakura sucked in sharply. "Lady Chiyo."

Tsunade shook her head, "This isn't one of hers."

"No," Sakura agreed, "It isn't. But I've seen this poison analysis in her research."

Shino pulled up another two projections. "This appears to be the antidote," he noted. "And this," he nodded "is a list of the Suna plants that would have been needed to create it."

"Why Suna plants?" Shizune asked.

"The originator of the poison must have been from Suna," Shino explained. "Why? That is because, if you look closely, there is a single naturally formed compound found only in a specific cacti variation. The antidote requires the same compound. That is how I determined the origin of the poison as well as the most likely components."

Sakura nodded. "Very impressive, Shino. Lady Chiyo actually used this compound as a case study when I began working with her."

Tsunade frowned.

"Was it a well-known study?"

Sakura remained focused on the 3-D image. "Just the opposite. I had to sign about a million pages of confidentiality agreements as well as listen to daily threats about how if I broke the agreements she could poison me and no one would be able to trace it. I can't imagine that Chiyo would have let that research be public; I'd be willing to bet the only record of it is in her sealed archives at the Kazekage residence."

"Do we need to order those records to make the antidote?"

"No," Sakura shook her head. "Shino got it right. Ino," she turned to her friend. "Do we have these plants in the R&D center?"

Ino looked over the list. "Some of them," she nodded. "I have to check on the cacti. We should have several pre-extracted samples from cacti in the lab. We simply can't reproduce all of the optimal conditions for those kinds of plants, and they often have to be full grown before you can extract those components in any usable quantity."

Hinata also looked at the list. "I think we have those, Ino," she offered. "We got shipment in from the Suna gardens last week, and I am almost certain those varieties were on there."

"Excellent," Tsunade interjected. "Now, Shino. The pathogen itself; you said it has a very short lifespan – is it your opinion that we do not need to treat this with an antibiotic?"

Shino nodded "Ah. The poison is so potent, the engineer must have been counting on the microbe being able to introduce a critical and fatal level before it could be killed off. The design isn't perfect. Not only does the pathogen become non-viable if left without a host chakra network, the poison itself is actually toxic to it. The good news is that once the poison reaches the optimal level to incapacitate the victim, the pathogen can't sustain itself. The bad news is that the poison has to reach that high of a level to eliminate the problem."

"Not as long as we have an antidote," Sakura nodded to the third projection. "We just have to let the infection run its course while keeping the toxin level down in the system. Next question," she looked to Shino and those around her. "Why Kankurō?"

"He was hunting down the person who tried to assassinate Gaara," Ino offered.

Sakura shook her head. "It's like Hinata and I were discussing; if the attacker wanted to get Gaara, seems to me it could've been done pretty easily with an airborne pathogen. Lady Chiyo is gone now; chances are the poison would've gone unrecognized and untreated. Looks more like they lured Kankurō away, and infected him with a pathogen that generates a potent but slow acting toxin. It doesn't add up."

Everyone was very still, mouths slightly agape. Ino turned to Tsunade, "And she wasn't working with us before now, because why?" she arched an eyebrow.

Sakura met her teacher's approving look with one of determination and smiled. She was pretty sure she was going to like working here.

10:36 PM KST
Konoha, Huyga Hospital

The breakthrough might've come earlier rather than later, but the work still had to be done.

Shizune and one of the Hyūga medics took over for Sakura and Hinata, carefully monitoring his response to the antidote and other treatments.

"Keep his chakra flow suppressed," Sakura said, trying to hide her yawn. "That should limit the pathogenic activity."

"We know," Shizune tsked. "The two of you get out of here, alright? It's long past when both of you should've been home and asleep."

Sakura was too tired to disagree – but she would've mustered the energy had she not been certain that Kankuro was in the clear. Tsunade had agreed to stay, and Sakura would return early in the morning.

They stumbled back into the 'Small Office,' where both Ino and Neji were waiting.

Hinata looked Sakura over.

"Are you sure it is alright if we go home? I am happy to stay tonight and assist however I can."

"No," Sakura shook her head sleepily. "Shizune and Lady Tsunade are more than capable, and we both need rest."

"Both of you get ready," Neji handed them their coats. "I'll be back for all three of you momentarily."

He discreetly disappeared while the women gathered their things.

Sakura looked at her roommate. "Walked today?"

"Yeah. Can't say I'm opposed to a ride home now, though," she stretched. "I called over to Chōji. Food will be waiting for us when we get home."

"Thank goodness," Sakura's grin was wan. "I'm exhausted and starved. Not a good combination."

Their conversation was minimal on the ride home, and Neji got out of the car to let them both out.

"I'd see you to the door," he started apologetically, "but –"

"Stay with Hinata," Sakura put a hand on his arm. "Ino and I are fine."

His smile was small but fond.

"Get some rest. Both of you."

He kissed Sakura's forehead, and waited until they were safely in their apartment before driving away.

Ino made sure Sakura was well fed before shooing her into the shower. By the time she was done, her roommate had put fresh sheets on her bed, and a cup of her favorite tea on the night stand.

"You're the best," Sakura sank onto her bed with a happy sigh.

"Remember that when I insist on being filled in tomorrow," Ino snorted pointedly.

"Fine, fine," Sakura yawned, waving her away. "Tomorrow."

Ino shook her head as she closed Sakura's door, knowing she'd be asleep before her head hit the pillow.

"Welcome back, Forehead," she murmured, a sad wistful smile on her lips.

Her phone chirped with alerts.

'New photos! Uchiha Sasuke spotted in Yugakure! Konoha's most eligible bachelor seen travelling alone – or was he? Back to Konoha, or on to more fun in the sun?'

Ino grimaced and glanced at Sakura's door.

Tsunade hadn't given her clearance to discuss everything with her yet… but certain topics were going to be hard to avoid.

"Later," she murmured to herself. "It can wait one more day."

Sunday, March 22nd, 8:20 AM KST
Konoha, Huyga Hospital – Quarantine Room 125

Temari was, as a rule, an early riser who snapped to wakefulness with the same brisk efficiency that characterized everything else she did. It was surreal to drift from sleep to a suspended, disassociated state, her mind lagging behind her senses by a few moments. She knew she wasn't at home, but it took a moment to register the ceiling and surroundings for what they were: a hospital room.

It was another moment before she decided she was in a Hyūga hospital and she must be in Konoha because nothing in the room held the bite of wind – a scent and a sense that permeated all things in Suna.

It was perhaps two more moments before she sensed another presence, and made out the figure draped across the tiniest of tiny loveseats and covered in a thin hospital blanket.

She stared, waiting for her mind to catch up interpret the sight, even as two intelligent eyes dark in the dim light and darker with worry met her own.

Her eyebrows knitted together, and she willed her mind to work.

"You're supposed to be with General Mifune."

"I was," he answered easily, his voice rough with sleep, but clear. "When he got word about the attack, he asked if I'd be willing to go to Konoha and report back to the council if the incident merited its attention."

"But you were in the Land of Iron…"

Shikamaru shrugged.

"Nothing a military helicopter couldn't handle. I didn't get in until quite late – you were already asleep by then. It's a drag, but I volunteered for security."

"Does Tsunade know you were sleeping on the job?"

"Not sure," he shrugged again. "She was probably counting on my shadow jutsus to keep me alerted."

"Does that mean I'm not contagious?"

"Seems that way. Shino didn't find any traces of active pathogens or toxins in your bloodwork, and Hinata didn't see anything."

"What about Kankurō?"

"Not in the best of shape," he admitted, "but as of five this morning he was toxin and pathogen free."

"What time is it now?"

"Probably about eight. Five your time, which is probably why you woke up." He looked her over. "You should get more sleep, you know – Tsunade didn't want you waking before nine. Your time."

"Can't," she pushed to sitting. "Lots to do."

Shikamaru stood, stretched, and yawned widely.

"You Sand Siblings are as troublesome as ever."

"How am I troublesome?" Temari muttered darkly. "I'm not the idiot that went after an unknown assailant and ended up being nearly killed by some superbug that makes a toxin that only Sakura could figure out. I only ended up in Konoha and spending the night in quarantine in an induced sleep because Kankurō has the impulse control of a three-year-old near too much candy."

"Mm," he sank onto the edge of the bed, resting his hands on his thighs. "Can't really argue there."

She watched him carefully as she asked, "How is he?"

"Sore. Groggy," he allowed, "but expected to make a full recovery. Sakura and Shino worked all day on an antidote, and Sakura was confident enough to go ahead with healing the muscle damage done. She and Lady Tsunade and Shizune all took shifts; he's been downgraded from critical care to recovery. He was too fragile to put into a medically induced sleep before, but Lady Tsunade says he's stable enough now and it will speed his recovery. He'll be moved to the ANBU side of the hospital tomorrow."

"And the others?"

"No one but the two of you showed any sign of exposure. Gaara is safe, and there have been no reports of other attacks. The assailant appears to have either been working alone, or was the only person sent for the job. Kankurō won't be released to return to Suna for a few days. Gaara ok'd you to stay on in Konoha on protection detail as a liaison to the Kazekage."

"So, I have to stay in the hospital?"

"No. Other arrangements have been made."

She watched quietly as his larger hand reached over and covered her own. She allowed herself a moment before sighing heavily and letting her fingers twine with his.

"Guess I might as well get a little more rest, then," she murmured.

"Probably not a bad idea. Shove over."

She blinked up at him, all of her still moving too slowly to do much more than make room so he could stretch out on top of the covers and fold his hands behind his head.

"Aren't the quarantine rooms monitored by video surveillance?"

"Turned it off. Not needed when an agent is on active duty."

"Even if he is sleeping on active duty?"

"Temari," he met her eyes with a tired, exasperated smile. "Get some sleep."

She saw it then – the weariness around his eyes, and the shadows below them that spoke of worry, fatigue, and little sleep.

Without another word, she shifted under her blanket (it didn't matter if she was inside; she was always colder in Konoha) and curled into his side as he wrapped an arm around her.

Sleep was closer than she thought; her eyelids sank closed as she gave a small sigh of relieved content.

"I missed you."

"Hn," he hummed. "Like I said," he pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "Troublesome."

* Room 125 after eps 125 where Temari saved Shikomaru.

Thank you for reading, friends! - GL

Chapter Text

Notes at end

You Must Believe in Spring
Chapter Three: Interlude

Monday, March 23rd, 6:22 AM KST
Konoha, Hokage Outlook Apartments #1108

The mess on the floor, the empty boxes of food all over the counters and table, the laundry indiscriminately strewn about the apartment – it was a black and white photo and a toll-free number away from being an official national disaster. The man grimaced as he picked his way across the room until he spotted his target sleeping with the same reckless abandon as he lived – mouth open, arms flung behind his head, and odd-cartoony-character-hat perched on his messy blonde hair.

He sighed. Why did he agree to this, exactly?

He took a chopstick from a nearby bowl and reached over to poke the sleeping man. When that resulted in the haphazard slapping away of the chopstick, he lost patience and shoved it up the idiot's nose. One good snore-snort and Naruto shot upright in confusion, chopstick dangling from his nostril.

"What the hell…?" he asked, fishing the utensil out of his nose. "What gives, Sai?" He tried to ask angrily, but was interrupted by a yawn.

"It appears alarms, yelling, and prodding with a chair didn't work," he motioned to the alarm clock that had been thrown against the wall, the red mark on his cheek, and the broken chair in the corner. "So I resorted to an unconventional method," he smiled his large, fake smile. "You are very hard to wake up. Much like your penis."

Naruto's eyebrow twitched as he tried to keep from hitting Sai. There were only so many people left who were willing to make sure he was awake for things in the first place; he couldn't afford to lose one of them...not even Sai

"Of course, it makes sense that you would be hard to arouse if you have nothing to arouse." Sai continued logically. "Which also explains why you do not have a girlfriend, although this," he gestured to the red-cross-intervention-pending disaster around them, "might have something to do with it. Perhaps you had a girlfriend and you lost her in this mess. That would certainly explain the smell –"

Sai grimaced at the blow to the head before eyeing a seriously irritated Naruto. "Well at least you are up," he muttered.

"Baka!" Naruto shot over his shoulder as he ran to his shower. "You're as bad as Sasuke-teme."

Sai was not sure whether to be pleased or distressed by this comparison. On one hand, he knew Naruto and Sasuke had a close friendship, and he wanted to be better friends with the energetic, orange-loving knucklehead. On the other hand, that had not sounded like a complimentary comparison, and he might have just been insulted. The sound of water burst from down the hall where, presumably, Naruto was now rushing to get ready. Sai checked the time. It had been a good idea to re-set all of the clocks in this place last time he was here. They weren't nearly as late as they could've been – although as he looked down at the smashed alarm clock at his feet, this was Naruto they were talking about. It was too early to celebrate.

Much to Sai's surprise, it was mere minutes before Naruto emerged dressed in jeans, a black underarmor shirt and a bright and orange jacket with black piping.

"Well at least we will be able to see you coming," Sai fake smiled as he opened the door, "which is more than I can say for any girl you –"

"Shut it, Sai."

7:00 AM KST
Konoha, ANBU base – Interrogations Division

Sakura was sitting opposite Yamanaka Inoichi - the man she had known her whole life as the father of her best friend - who she just learned was a leading figure in the intelligence and interrogation units of ANBU.

"No wonder we never got away with anything as kids," she muttered.

"You were good kids," he flipped through her file with a sympathetic chuckle. "We never had to interfere too much."

Sakura sighed and leaned back in her chair. "So, if I understand correctly, you are going to use a jutsu known only to your clan to go flipping through my memories to make sure that I am psychologically fit to be a member of ANBU."

"That is about it, yes."

Sakura continued to stare up at the ceiling. "And you can pretty much see everything that my mind has recorded?"

"Yes."

"Then I hope you like medical textbooks; I spent the better part of the last decade cramming them into my skull." She transferred her gaze from a fascinating speck on the ceiling to the face of her friend's dad. "Ino can do this too, can't she?"

"This particular jutsu is not one she uses. I am guessing you are about to ask me why you and my daughter seem to be able to 'get inside each other's heads,' am I right?"

Sakura's eyes widened.

"No," he put his hands up with another soft chuckle. "I didn't just go snooping through your thoughts. I am an expert in reading body language and I've known you most of your life."

He took a moment to fold his hands in front of him in a gesture she didn't know was so familiar until he did it.

"Remember who your friends are," he said, holding her gaze steadily. "Remember the relationships you have and hang on to them tightly. These will pull you through more than any training or jutsu you might learn here."

His sincerity startled her, and for a moment she saw the kindness of a father reaching out to a daughter, not a higher up advising a new hire. She saw the encouragement there - the same expression he'd given her when he'd assured her she'd do well in Suna, and he said the same thing to her now that he said then.

"We're already proud of you, Sakura. You can do this."

She swallowed the prick of tears at the back of her throat, and shook her head with a small huff of a laugh. How many times had those words had replayed in her mind when she was nearing the end of her patience or her strength? How many times had they pushed her forward when she was certain she didn't have anything left to give? She grinned crookedly up at him.

"Yes, sir."

Her last thought before his jutsu slipped over her was at once hopeful and determined

"I'm won't be left behind. Never again."

7:20 AM KST
Konoha, Uchiha Industries – Conference Room 7

Kakashi walked into the meeting room at Uchiha Industries, and was met with looks from three different agents in varying shades and degrees of annoyance, exasperation, and acceptance.

"Only twenty minutes late," Sai noted. "You are improving."

Kakashi shrugged and took a seat at the table. "Did you read the file I of sent each you?"

"Yes," Sai said promptly, while Sasuke nodded, and Naruto mumbled behind a mouthful of something snagged from the buffet of food just behind them.

Kakashi arched an eyebrow at Naruto.

"What?" he frowned defensively. "I read it – Teme went on a business trip to inspect one of his company's labs in Land of Frost because some blank cells went missing."

Kakashi held his stare.

"Okay, fine," Naruto speared another chunk of food. "I skimmed it."

"Your summary is inadequate and unsatisfying," Sai smiled, "Like your-"

"Insult less, sum up more," Naruto interrupted.

Sai looked to Kakashi, who gave a nonchalant shrug. "Go ahead."

"Alright," Sai sat up straighter. "For starters, Sasuke didn't go to just any lab. The genetic engineers on staff at that facility are, according to the report, among the most advanced in researching non-viable pathogens for the treatment of disease. They developed what is essentially the equivalent of stem cells for bacterial and viral treatments - pathogens turned blank slates for DNA treatments. Naturally, when a sample of a breakthrough innovation is reported missing – presumably stolen – it's worth investigating."

"Why?" Naruto scoffed. "What is wrong with a few missing germs that can't even get you sick?"

Kakashi did well not to smile.

"These particular 'germs' as you call them are designed to be manipulated. In short, you could use them to treat an illness or cause one. There is a strong likelihood that this incident is connected to the recent attacks on shinobi and Kekkei genkai."

Sai cocked his head to the side. "Strange that I've never heard of Sasuke having to go to this particular facility before now. It isn't the main UI facility in the Land of Frost – and from what I can tell it isn't actually in Shimogakure."

"You're right. It isn't a main UI facility. In fact, it isn't a UI facility at all. It is an ANBU outpost and research center. Sasuke lets us list it under UI for the sake of a paper trail, and to deflect suspicion. It is isolated outside of Shimogakure to eliminate civilian interaction."

Naruto's face scrunched in confusion. "Shimogakure is pretty isolated as it is," he scratched the side of his head. "Why bother having an outpost outside of Shimogakure? Is there anything even in the Land of Frost outside of Shimogakure?"

Sai stiffened. "Two villages are nearby. Yugakure," he held up one finger, "and Otogakure."

Naruto sat bolt upright, not at the first location – Yugakure had long ago turned away from its shinobi roots was not a threat. But Otogakure…

"No," his words were hard, with an edged finality. "We shut them down – there is no way that they are back up and running."

Kakashi's expression remained unchanged.

"There have been several disturbances lately that warranted our attention, so a team was deployed to investigate. When we lost contact with the team, Sasuke was sent to check in. His ties to the company make his travels and presence in the Land of Frost – and even a visit to the Land of Steam - the least suspicious, allowing him cover to proceed to Oto."

"Why not send him in the first place? Teme here is the best person to send sniffing around for anything Sound related - "

"I'm an Uchiha," Sasuke glowered. "Not an Inuzuka."

" – even the old farts on the council don't hate him as much anymore!" Naruto continued, ignoring him. "Who else could you possibly send?"

"The team was captained by Mitarashi Anko."

Naruto's eyes widened, and this time even Sai had no trouble interpreting his reaction. Anko had gleefully terrorized his class during their first Chūnin exams. There wasn't a time Naruto worked with her that he a) didn't think she was still as scary as hell b) was secretly relieved she was on their side. Kakashi never could bring himself to correct Naruto's opinion of Anko, as it was well founded.

"She led an infiltration and reconnaissance team into the Otogakure area two months ago," Kakashi folded his hands over the report. "Her last communication was three weeks ago."

"Who was on the team?" Sai asked.

Kakashi ticked the members off on his fingers. "Aburame Muta, Hyūga Tokuma, and Ranka."

Naruto's eyes went wider.

"Tokuma, the go-between between the Hyūga and ANBU? That is the mission that he left for a while back?"

"The word you are looking for is liaison," Sai offered.

"But those are some seriously experienced agents," Naruto ignored his teammate. "Why are we worried that we haven't heard from them in just three weeks? If they did infiltrate somewhere, maybe they can't communicate with us easily."

Kakashi drummed his fingers on the table. "There were some… extenuating circumstances that raised suspicions here. That isn't the relevant part of the mission for this discussion."

Naruto looked up at Sasuke, "Did you find them?"

Sasuke crossed his arms before answering. "We aren't sure."

Naruto looked at him, confused. "How can you not be sure if you found a bug user, a white-eyed sensory type, a squinty eyed shinobi, and a psychopathic-dango-obsessed kunoichi?"

"Because they haven't finished the autopsy."

Naruto's face immediately became something far more serious.

"It was a recovery mission."

"It became one."

"There's more," Kakashi continued. "There is a chance that this is tied into the recent attack on the Kazekage."

"On Gaara?" Naruto sat up quickly. "Where? When – is he alright? Is-"

"Suna, Saturday, and yes" Kakashi interrupted. "It was a largely an unsuccessful attempt. Kankurō pursued the attacker and was poisoned. He was flown in Saturday, and spent a long twenty-four hours in quarantine, but is currently in recovery."

"In quarantine?" Sai frowned. "From poison?"

"It is being classified as a biological attack."

"And did they use those germs that Sasuke was pretending to look for?" Naruto frowned.

"Possibly," Kakashi allowed, folding his hands. "According to Shino, we are seeing a rise in pathogenic attacks on shinobi. Furthermore, several of our operatives have been hit with some aggressive poisons that appear to be the result of bioengineered pathogens – Kankurō being the most recent and by far the most severe case."

Kakashi pointed a remote at the center of the conference table, and a holographic image appeared, floated, and rotated– a genetic profile and enlarged images of the pathogens under the microscope.

"It appears that these organisms have been genetically modified to target the advanced chakra systems of shinobi," Several partitions of the rotating DNA helix and structures on the surface of the pathogen were highlighted in quick succession. "This allows them to be introduced indiscriminately over the civilian population and still eliminate a shinobi target. There is evidence that some are being modified to be air or water borne. Further research shows that some of the DNA of these organisms has been altered to allow them to target and attach to specific DNA markers."

"What kind of DNA markers?" Sai asked.

"The ones for Kekkei genkai. Specifically, the Byakugan and Sharingan."

"So, they are after you two and the Hyūgas?" Naruto waved a finger between Kakashi and Sasuke.

Sasuke shrugged.

"Seems that way."

"Did you know about this before now?"

"I'd heard rumors."

"And you didn't think to mention them?"

Sasuke shrugged again.

"Well, I guess you being a jerk isn't so surprising," he muttered, crossing his arms. "But Gaara?" – he looked to Kakashi – "Why didn't Gaara tell me he'd been attacked?"

"By the time he was in a position to tell you or anyone else, the incident had been classified as top secret. Lady Tsunade asked that we notify our individual teams per ANBU protocol."

"Then why didn't she say anything sooner?" Naruto grumbled. "I would've checked in on Kankurō for him, or at least have joined the security team."

"You couldn't have checked on him," Sai interjected cheerfully. "He was in quarantine, remember? Or do you not know what that word means?"

"Kankurō was in good hands," Kakashi spoke before Naruto could start on Sai. "Which leads me to my next point," he pressed the remote again. "Due to recent developments and the severity of this situation, two integral members of the Hyūga Hospital have been asked to join ANBU on a permanent basis."

Two profiles flicked up side-by-side, the pictures labeled 'Haruno Sakura' and 'Hyūga Hinata.'

Naruto's eyes went immediately to Sasuke, but he remained focused on the images while Kakashi continued narrating.

"Dr. Haruno is the acting head at the Hyūga Hospital in Suna, but has agreed to return to Konoha for the duration of this assignment. Lady Hyūga is the current Hyūga Clan Mother and certified med-nin. Both were both instrumental in not only treating Kankurō, but in analyzing and devising the antidote. Dr. Haruno will be heading the research, and Lady Hyūga has agreed to be a member of her team."

"Will they be full agents?" Naruto asked, a frown etched between his brows. "Like, expected to go on missions and field duty rotations?"

"They will be fully instated as Agents with all of the rights and benefits therein, but their orders will pertain strictly to their assignment as we currently know it to be."

"That is a rather quick induction," Sai commented idly. "Usually there are months of investigations, and committees and evaluations before even alerting the candidates to ANBU's existence."

"Special circumstances," Kakashi raised one shoulder. "Dr. Haruno is Lady Tsuande's apprentice, and Lady Hyūga has had cause to interact with ANBU on behalf of her clan. Their psych evals are today. Which reminds me - although both of the candidates were aware of ANBU before this, they are not familiar with our entire roster. Lady Tsunade asked that any social introductions wait until after the combat evaluations."

"That is a shame," Sai frowned. "I have heard much of this Dr. Haruno. I had hoped to meet her."

Naruto flicked glance at Sasuke. "Maybe another day, Sai."

"Well, if she is joining ANBU, I am sure there will be other opportunities," he shrugged. "The two of you know her, don't you?"

"Is that all?"

Sasuke stood, his fingertips pressing into the table until they were white.

"Because if this meeting is over, I have a full work day ahead of me."

"That is all the news I have for now," Kakashi allowed.

"Fine," Sasuke gathered his things quickly, and tossed out his trash. "Finish the food," he gave a cursory nod to the tables. His hand was at the door when Naruto blurted.

"Training. First thing tomorrow."

Sasuke gave a single nod, and disappeared.

Naruto gave a heavy sigh.

Sai looked between them all.

"Did I miss something?"

"Yeah," Naruto's smile was tight. "I'm going to go check on Sakura."

"Is that wise?" Sai questioned. "Lady Tsunade specifically ordered –"

"We will catch up with you later."

With a single nod, Naruto left the room.

"Figured it would come to this," Kakashi pulled out a scroll. "I need to fill you in on a few things, Sai, and I need you to pay close attention. We don't need another agent in critical care."

Completely bemused, Sai nodded, his mind still half on his teammates, and the strange turn their attitudes had taken.

9:06 AM KST
Konoha: Hyūga Hospital – Quarrantine Room 126

Despite the upheaval of recent events, Hyūga Neji still had a hospital to run.

Kankurō had just been cleared to leave quarantine, and a team of Tsunade's medics were transporting him to the ANBU side of the hospital for rehabilitation and observation.

When he finally coded his way into Kankurō's secure room, he had about a nanosecond between hearing "Duck!" and hearing a senbon go whizzing past his ear.

Neji turned just in time to see it hit, completing a perfect outline of the Konoha shinobi symbol, next to a similarly constructed Suna symbol on the wall.

Tenten waved unapologetically to Neji. "'Bout time you got here," she left her perch on the arm of the chair next to Kankurō's bed, standing and stretching her arms above her head with a sigh. "Kankurō and I were getting bored." The Suna shinobi gave a dry grunt of what was probably laughter tempered by his extremely weakened state.

Neji crossed the room and looked down at Kankurō. "How are you feeling?"

"Like hell," he answered truthfully. His face was devoid of his Kabuki make-up and he looked haggard. "Where is Temari? Is she alright?"

Tenten rolled her eyes. "Maybe he'll believe you," she crossed her arms. "I told him multiple times that she is fine."

Neji nodded. "She is fine. And," he turned to Tenten, "you are here because…?"

"As a favor to Temari," she grinned. "She showed up to escort Kankurō, but Tsunade didn't want her back in this section of the hospital, purely as a precaution. So, we made a swap."

"A swap?"

"I'm making sure Kankurō is alright, and Temari is hanging around while Hinata begins her psych evals."

Neji was spared a response, as the ANBU medical team arrived.

"Surveillance feed is on loop," the head medic informed him. "We have three minutes to get to the shuttles."

"See," Tenten put a reassuring hand on Kankurō's shoulder. "Told you it wouldn't be much longer. Let's get you to where your sister can see you."

She stepped back as the medical-nin began to prepare to move Kankurō.

"I believe," Neji pried a senbon from the wall, "that these belong to you?"

"Oh yeah," she grinned crookedly. "I almost forgot."

She spun a string of chakra between the weapons and pried them all out at once before returning them to her scroll.

"That's a new trick," Neji eyed the scroll as she tucked it away.

"Something I picked up a while back," she shrugged.

"Still needs work," Kankurō rasped.

"True," her lips quirked in a wry smile. "When you look a bit less like death warmed over, we can work on it."

"Deal."

"We're ready," the medic released the brake on the gurney.

"Then let's get to Temari before she gives Shikamaru a harder time than usual. You coming, Neji?"

"No," he shook his head. "I have to clear up a few things on this side of things before I collect Hinata from Ibiki."

"I'm switching back with Temari, so I'll see you there."

She peered at him.

"You okay?"

"I'll be better when today is over. I am expecting to have to ban Uzumaki from the hospital once he realizes Sakura is back in town."

"Sounds about right."

He shrugged.

"Just one more thing to deal with."

"Well, make sure in "dealing with it" you try and keep from maiming Naruto. Take it from me - incident reports aren't any more fun to fill out on the ANBU side of things."

A small smile tugged at Neji's lips.

"Noted."

2:06 PM KST
Konoha ANBU Base – Interrogations Division

The short nights and long days were beginning to take their toll on Hinata. The heavy door to Ibiki's office clicked shut with a resonating finality, punctuated by her weary exhale. She leaned her back against the door, wrapped her thick gray cardigan around herself, closed her eyes, and took a deep, cleansing breath.

The medical and psych evaluations had gone rather smoothly, probably because so much of her life was already neatly documented in the file that followed her to the desk of each interviewing ANBU agent.

She smiled to herself, wryly.

For being such a private person, it would seem she had no secrets here.

It wasn't anything new to her, really. Growing up as a Hyūga – and the daughter of the headman at that – meant that her life had always been open to the public eye.

Despite the comprehensive documentation, her life hadn't been particularly exceptional.

She had gone through both her clan's and the academy's training.
She had been assigned under Yuhi Kurenai as a genin.
She had been teamed with Kiba and Shino from the time she was twelve, and had been considered for the tracking/search and rescue division of the ASF.
She had continued her clan's training, even when her father would not work with her directly unless Hanabi or Neji needed a sparring partner.
She spent her time quietly building her friendships while trying to find her own small place in the sun.

That had been when her mother was alive.

After her mother was gone, she had to take on a whole new world of responsibilities and challenges. She shelved her own life and channeled her grief into supporting her father, her sister, her cousin, and her clan.

The paradigm shift from sixteen-year-old daughter to the role of clan-mother was drastic, but she was not wholly unprepared. Knowing Hanabi would take over as the heir, her mother had always included her elder daughter in her own affairs, and had done more so long before she let on how sick she was to her family.

The day her mother died, Hinata quietly packed up the life she had known and tucked it away in place of the life that would be.

She was later able to attend KU, but lived at home and rarely had time outside of studying and clan duties to socialize with her friends.

Hyūga Hinata had lived a life that could be neatly and succinctly cataloged and put into manila file folder of moderate size on Morino Ibiki's desk. A life that generated a file of a girth commensurate with the length of time it had been recorded, not the expanse of material it covered. In twenty-five years, her life was so unobjectionably uneventful that her security clearance was granted in record time.

That is what flitted through her mind in the few seconds she gave herself to collect her thoughts against the door of Ibiki's office.

"Better go find Neji," she murmured, rubbing her temples with eyes closed, wincing at the headache forming behind her eyes.

"Hey, are you okay?"

"Yes, thank you, I-"

She lifted her eyes, but her words stuck in her throat as she found herself looking straight into the bluest eyes she had ever seen in her life. Blinking twice, she stared dumbstruck as her heart raced, waiting for her mind to catch up with the recognition that seemed to be forming in the back of her consciousness. The warm chakra signature washed over her, and her eyes widened slightly as the context clues finally fell into place in her mind and opened up memories long since buried.

"Naruto?"

"Hinata?" he smiled brightly. "Is that you?! Man, I haven't seen you since - Oh, shit!"

The last part was blurted hastily as he lunged forward and grabbed the tops of her arms before she could slide to a heap on the floor.

"Hey, are you ok?" he asked, concerned, stepping in to support her against the door. With nowhere to go, her face flushed, her head swimming, and her eyes down cast, she tried to nod and form a response.

"Yes..I … just dizzy…Ibiki said I'd be…"

Naruto leaned forward, "I didn't catch that," he said, angling his ear closer to her face. "What did Ibiki say?"

"Uzumaki!" the voice was muffled by the heavy door at her back, "Why is your chakra lurking outside of my office?!" Ibiki yanked open the door, and barely jumped out of the way of the two bodies that went tumbling to the floor. "What the-?!" He looked up for an explanation – just in time for Neji and Tenten to the corner and stop abruptly at the sight.

For a moment, the three agents could do nothing but stare at the prostrate couple; Ibiki and Tenten in exasperated amusement, and Neji in dawning mortification.

Neji opened his mouth, vitriol clearly pooling on his tongue, but Tenten put a hand on his arm.

"Remember. Paperwork."

He shot her a venomous look before kicking the bottom of Naruto's shoe.

"Get off of her, Uzumaki."

Naruto's cheeks were warm as he gingerly negotiated rolling off the angry Hyūga's cousin. "Sorry," he came to sitting. "You okay, Hinata?" he nudged her. "Hinata…?" He looked down to find the girl was unconscious. Leaning over her and shaking her shoulder lightly, he repeated "Hinata?"

Nothing.

Apparently, he hadn't been able to brace the impact fast enough, so while his fall had been broken by Hinata, her fall had been broken by the floor.

Tenten dropped down to her side, purposely putting herself between Neji and Naruto as she checked over Hinata.

"So, you're a medic too, now?" Naruto joked.

"Not even close," she snorted, gently turning Hinata's head to the side and feeling under her hair. "But I am on a team that regularly beats the crap out of each other." She winced. "She has a decent bump on the back of her head. Can't tell if she has a concussion."

"Take her down to the infirmary," Ibiki directed. "Standard protocol for any reaction following a psych eval." He crossed his arms over his massive chest, "Although I don't think any protocol can account for you, Naruto."

"Y-yeah," he rubbed the back of his neck with a nervous laugh. "Number one unpredictable ninja – that's me."

"Grab her, Naruto," Tenten stood. "Neji, do you want to go ahead and alert the infirmary? Tsunade said something about putting the girls in an overnight restorative sleep; looks like we upped her schedule."

Neji eyed Naruto angrily, but gave a single sharp nod.

"Stay with her," he directed. "Don't let this idiot do anything else stupid."

"Tall order," Tenten shrugged. "But I like a good challenge."

Neji flashed away, leaving Naruto and Tenten to exhale their own sighs of relief.

Ibiki shook his head.

"Hell of a way to welcome the newest recruit, Uzumaki." He closed his door, leaving Tenten and Naruto to make their way to the infirmary.

"So," Tenten side-eyed Naruto, "guess you didn't get the 'forgo unnecessary introductions to the new recruits' memo?"

"I was looking for Sakura," he muttered, carefully adjusting Hinata in his arms.

"She is still in her evals," she checked her phone, flicking through updates. "She's a genjutsu type so those take longer."

"Why was Baa-chan going to put them to sleep?"

"We have got to work on your phrasing," she muttered. "The short version of the story is that they had to go through really intense evaluation in short amounts of time, and that can be very jarring. Those kinds of evals require overnight observation, and the mind copes better with the process if the body is asleep."

Naruto looked down at Hinata, worried.

"Are they okay?"

"They're both exhausted," Tenten admitted. "They've barely stopped since Saturday. I'm guessing part of this is to force them to get rest before their combat evals."

Naruto's eyes widened.

"They'll have those?"

"Have to," Tenten shrugged.

"Wow," he looked at Hinata again. "Isn't Hinata big in her clan now? Clan-Mother, or whatever? How will that work?"

"Guess we'll find out," she opened the infirmary door for him.

Naruto entered, and stuttered to a stop.

"Naruto," Tsunade folded her arms across her chest, and raked a look over him and the unconscious Hyūga. "I see you've been busy."

"Very," Neji's voice was smooth and his eyes glinted smugly. "I'm sure he'd love to fill you in on it all. Tenten?" he nodded to the door. "Shall we?"

Neji swept past, leaving Tenten to follow after giving Naruto a half 'sorry!' shrug.

Their last glimpse of Naruto was of him swallowing hard, holding Hinata protectively and offering Tsunade a shaky smile.

"Heeeeey, Baa-chan. What's up?"

"Well," Tenten watched the door close behind them. "If she kills him, the morgue isn't that far away."

"He'll live," Neji grunted. "Tsunade doesn't like paperwork any more than you do."

"Guess I grew up to be like my hero after all," she grinned.

Neji's smile was small but amused. "I suppose so."

7:45 PM KST
Konoha ANBU Base - Morgue

Tsunade would never admit it, but she was grateful that Naruto being Naruto brought some amusement into an otherwise grim day.

It had been late last night when Uchiha Sasuke arrived at her office, fresh from his mission to hand over the kind of scroll nobody wanted to see. Used by the sealing corps to store and transport the bodies of the fallen – usually those with a valuable Kekkei genkai – they were a macabre rarity in her world. Every ANBU agent knew to leave no trace of their own bodies, should they fall in battle. The fact that there was anything to transport back was grimly telling.

Tsunade set her jaw and strode through the heavy double doors to find Yūgao preparing the scroll while several medic-nin stood by. Tsunade nodded to the woman before stepping back to oversee the preparations. She looked sadly at what was before her. Four seals - each placed on a different examining table, and released by the medic-nins. The bodies summoned were disfigured and burned; extensive testing would be required. Tsunade went from station to station, casting an expert and critical eye over each corpse.

"When was the last time we heard from Anko," she asked over her shoulder.

"Three weeks ago," Yūgao said, eyes sweeping over the bodies. "But there was suspicion that the last transmission wasn't actually from Anko."

Tsunade was aware of this, but the bodies didn't make sense to her. "These bodies have been dead longer than that," she crossed her arms. "I want a full autopsy. Find out who these people are, and how they died."

She flipped through the charts of the missing team. They had the means to identify the dead at ANBU, but protocol demanded that members of certain families like the Aburames and Hyūgas be notified and a clan representative sent to make a formal verification. Shino would be authorized to identify any of his clan's dead, as well as run a cross scan on any insect matter to make sure there was no mistake. She absently flipped to Tokuma's file.

"Is this a mistake?" motioned to the clipboard.

Yūgao shook her head. "Those were his wishes specifically. It has been a long time since anyone invoked the right to request the Clan Mother."

"Did the give a reason?"

"No. But he did leave this," she took a scroll out, "to be given to Lady Hyūga in the event his body was recovered."

Tsunade recognized chakra seal; chances were only Hinata would be able to open it and message could only be read by the Byakugan.

Yūgao shrugged. "It wasn't like Tokuma to make special requests. He must have had a very good reason."

Tsunade handed back the scroll.

"It had better have been an excellent reason."

Wednesday, March 24th 12:01 AM KST
Konoha ANBU base/Infirmary

Naruto watched the recovery area covertly, straining strained to hear the conversation between two of the medical-nin on duty.

"…and Naruto is not allowed in the recovery wing until we hear from Tsunade."

"When will their sleep end?"

"Lady Tsunade set the jutsu to lift sometime after 9:00 AM. Usually they are twenty-four hours, but apparently she put both patients into extremely deep sleeps."

"Seems unusual, doesn't it?"

"Lady Tsunade gave the order, so there must be good reason."

They went about their business, leaving Naruto to wait until the hall was empty to steal back to the recovery area.

He found Hinata first, her long hair in a loose braid over her shoulder, the shadow of her lashes dark against her pale skin. Her breathing was almost unnaturally slow, and the lulls of silence between the quiet blips of her heartrate were far longer than normal. He watched the slow progression of waves glide across the screen.

"Wow," he looked from the screen back to her. "They must've really knocked you out." He winced. "Speaking of knocked out," he rubbed the back of his neck. He heaved a sigh and sank into a chair next to her bed, rubbing his palms on his thighs.

"I owe you an apology." He folded his hands and leaned forward on his elbows. "I heard more about how nuts your last few days have been, and I'm pretty sure that this," he motioned to the room, "was the last thing you needed to deal with today."

The heart monitor beeped steadily.

"Anyway, I'll make it up to you," he resolved. "Been a while since you've been around. "Most of the old gang is ANBU, now. If you stick with the medic division, you'll probably see all of us one time or another. We all get together when we can." His eyes skimmed over her, considering. "You were always busy with stuff for your family, but maybe you can join us now. Tell your dad it's a work thing."

Naruto smiled to himself at the image of anyone, much less quiet Hinata telling Hyūga Hiashi that they had a 'work thing' to attend over some clan commitment.

"Sakura's birthday is Saturday - I bet we'll all go out. Well." He paused. "Assuming she and Teme know about each other by then and are speaking." He sighed and rubbed his head. "You think that situation will ever be right?"

"She knows I keep in touch with Sasuke. She doesn't know that I never really lost contact. Just like he doesn't know the whole story behind her job in Suna. Considering it meant she was working for your cousin, that wasn't a story I was in a rush to tell. Sorry," he added. "But I'm sure you know that those two never really got along…"

That was a gross understatement of laughable proportions.

In some ways, Neji and Sasuke were far too similar. Sasuke acknowledged that Neji had been the best in his class, and a highly capable agent; but one to combat rather than to befriend.

Neji respected Sasuke – or at least Sasuke's situation – enough to go on that retrieval mission when they were sixteen (Neji was seventeen), but after that?

They barely, if ever spoke.

Sasuke returned Konoha shortly before they started at University, and it seemed like all of the rifts within their group of friends were, if not healed, at least patched. The day Sakura transferred to Konoha University had been the beginning of the good times. Back then, he was certain that nothing could ever separate their group of friends.

Even when Neji and Sasuke had both taken an interest in Sakura, (and Sasuke ultimately succeeded and Neji bowed out, gracefully) they'd all remained close.

And then the unthinkable happened.

And nothing was the same.

The last five years were a blur of missions and rebuilding ANBU from the bottom up while flushing out any remnants of Danzo's treachery. It was only in the last two years that he and Sasuke had been more on the regular rotation of agent assignments and not gone for weeks at a time on solo or dual missions, or teaming up with Sai and Kakashi.

The heart monitor gave an offbeat rhythm and Hinata shivered in her sleep.

Naruto frowned and looked around until he spotted an extra blanket over the back of one of the chairs.

"There," he whispered, gently draping it over her. "I remember Shino saying you tended to be cold. Feel cold," he corrected himself.

She didn't stir, but at least she didn't shiver again.

The room was silent except for her soft breathing coupled with the occasional electronic punctuation marking the return to the regular cadence of her heartbeat.

Even in sleep, she was steady.

Naruto shoved his hands in his pockets with a dry chuckle.

"Guess all we can do is make sure that Sasuke is as little of a jerk as possible, and that Sakura's transition to ANBU goes as smoothly as possible." He half smiled. "Don't know why, but I get the feeling that you might be the perfect person to help with all of that."

A noise down the hall caught his attention, and he quietly backed himself into the corner and listened. When no one arrived, he stepped away from the wall with a small breath of relief.

"Better get a move on," he murmured. "I'll check in with you later, Hinata" he whispered, touching her shoulder gently before slipping past the curtains and over to where Sakura slept, her heartbeat slowed but stronger and clearer than Hinata's had been.

"Long time no see," he said quietly, giving her hand a squeeze as he perched on the chair next to her bed. "Sorry I couldn't come before now."

He looked her over – she looked like she could wake any moment and laugh, or sit up and get back to work. If he wasn't so sure that she was deep in REM sleep, he'd be more nervous of waking her.

"I heard about how amazing you've been," he said warmly. "Can't say I'm surprised, really. You've always been pretty incredible. You know there'll be no living with Kankurō now, right? He's already telling everyone that it took a Suna-nin to crack this poisoning thing. I'll wait until he's better to remind him that you graduated to genin in Konoha, and therefore it still counts for our team."

He checked the clock and winced.

"I have to get out of here before the next shift comes by," he said apologetically, "but I want you to know that I'm here, okay? Transitioning to ANBU can be some scary shit, but I'm gonna be with you every step of the way. I promise." Naruto knew that Sakura would understand. He never went back on a promise.

With a final squeeze of her shoulder, he slipped away, unnoticed by the medical staff.

There was nothing to disturb the remaining silence of the recovery room. There was no one conscious to see one of the shadows melt away from the wall and approach Sakura in human form. A hand to her head. Fingers to her pulse. A gentle touch on the diamond mark on her forehead. A careful examination of her wrists. A satisfied half smile. Like a ghost, the figure moved silently to Hinata's side. A hand to her head. Fingers to her pulse. A gentle hand tipping her chin upward. A careful examination of her wrists. Another satisfied half smile. A feather-light kiss on the forehead. Assurances that both girls were safe. With less than a thought, the figure vanished, leaving the silence undisturbed.

* Naruto's apt # is Kishimoto's birthday. Temari's room was  Room 125 after eps 125 where Temari saved Shikomaru, so I put Kankurō next door in 126.

Chapter Text

Finding time to actually sit and post has been a challenge! Thanks for your patience friends!!

You Must Believe in Spring
Chapter Four: Can You Tell the Moment

Tuesday, March 24th 8:59 AM KST
Konoha ANBU Base/Infirmary

Sakura had never woken up feeling as refreshed as she did at 8:59 AM, sharp. She allowed herself an entire 35 seconds to revel in the sensation of being well rested, clear-headed, and serene. At precisely 8:59:36 AM, she sat bolt upright, snapped the blankets off of her legs, and began to remove monitors from her chest and arms with an efficiency born of practice. She'd just managed to brush and toss her hair into a long ponytail when the curtain snapped back, startling her.

"Told you she'd be in a rush to get out of here," Temari crossed her arms while Tenten retrieved the brush that had clattered to the floor.

"You're right," Sakura tucked the brush into her bag and shouldered it. "I've got to go check on Kankurō."

Tenten shook her head. "Tsunade checked on him herself, and sent word that you are not return to work today."

"Sorry," Sakura shrugged. "I've got too much to do."

"It wasn't a suggestion," Temari snorted. "It was an order. Come on," she nodded to the door. "We're going to breakfast."

Understanding broke over Sakura with an impish smile.

"So you've been kicked out, too?"

"Yup!," Tenten grinned. "But don't worry – you can both see Kankurō later today. Tsunade made a deal with him; if he takes it easy this morning and afternoon, she'll have food brought in for him from somewhere not serving jello." At their look, she shrugged. "His words not mine."

"Where is Hinata?"

"She has some things to tend to before Neji is takes her home to rest."

Sakura turned to Temari.

"Guess it's just us?"

"Guess so," she crossed his arms. "The good news is that this is on ANBU's tab and I'm starving."

"Pancakes?"

"Pancakes," she nodded.

"Have fun, girls," Tenten grinned. "Oh, and stop by the armory later, Sakura. I've got something you're gonna like."

"This isn't going to be something that involves explosions, is it?"

"Not this time," she grinned wickedly. "I've got your number, Haruno – just come by and see me."

Sakura looked mistrustful, but agreed, and soon she and Temari were seated at a breakfast diner full of the greasiest food and best pancakes.

"This is the only good thing to come out of my brother's stupidity," Temari shoved a bite of buttermilk deliciousness into her mouth.

"Really?" Sakura asked, hiding her smile behind her glass of water. "Haven't you been staying with Shikamaru?"

"Pass the syrup," she ignored her friend, and the telltale heat at the top of her cheeks.

9:05 AM KST
Konoha ANBU base/Training Area 3

The team training exercise came with an agenda set by Kakashi – but his subordinates took it as a suggestion at best.

Sai leaned against the wall, watching Sasuke and Naruto attack each other over and over again.

"Not quite how I envisioned our training exercise playing out," he remarked to Kakashi. "But entertaining just the same."

Kakashi stood with arms crossed, and good eye narrowed.

It seemed that the two of them were having one of their 'heart to hearts' the way only two ninja best friends could do – by beating the snot out of each other.

Sasuke was still tired from his extended missions, but he was skilled enough not to let it show in his movements. Still, he would never out do Naruto's stamina, even on his best day. Kakashi idly watched Naruto fly past him and slam into a wall, leaving a sizable crater behind him. "Looks like they're making real progress."

"Whoa."

Kakashi turned to the young man who had just walked in and was trying to follow the motions of the flying ninjas. "What set them off this time?"

Kakashi shrugged airily. "Who knows? Did Shikamaru give you any details about your assignment?"

Sarutobi Konohamaru dragged his eyes away from the spectacle ahead of him, wincing when Naruto bounced Sasuke off the floor before dodging the Uchiha's fireball. "Sort of," he took the file from Kakashi's outstretched hand. "I'm supposed to pick up a bodyguard detail over at Konoha U. Oh, wait, no way," his eyes went wide. "You want me to guard her?!"

Kakashi still didn't look at him. "Problem?"

"Oh, no, not at all," the younger man grimaced as he flipped through the file. "Just looking after the Hyūga heir, and probably having to sign up for all of the same classes mid semester – none of which are even remotely close to my major, by the way – AND I have to somehow watch over this chick who talks to no one, and always has one of those creepy-white-eyed clansmen of hers hanging around. Should be a frickin' cakewalk."

"Good to hear," Kakashi turned his head to the right to dodge an electrified kunai. "I expect you to make contact with her by tonight, Konohamaru."

"By toni- are you kidding me?" he spat out. "Do you know how many guys try to talk to this girl a day? Can't I just do the whole 'watch over you without introducing myself,' thing?!"

Kakashi slid his eyes over to him. "Chicken?"

"He did study under Naruto," Sai chimed in. "Perhaps in his training he learned to also not have a penis."

Konohamaru's eyebrow twitched as he flexed his jaw. "Fine," he spat out between clenched teeth. "I'll report in tonight." With that he exited, cursing under his breath the whole way. No sooner had the door closed when five or six Naruto clones went slamming against it and popped out of existence.

"It's a good match today," Sai smiled brightly.

"Where do you stand in the pool?"

Sai watched a Sasuke clone get cut down by a rasengan. "I've got bets on at least 4 broken ribs, and am hopeful for a concussion. That would put me over Shikamaru's win last week." They both ducked to avoid Naruto careening over them to bounce his head off of a training dummy. Kakashi frowned when he realized it wasn't a clone.

"Well there goes my five bucks," he muttered.

"Should we stop them before they do any more damage?" Sai asked, still grinning.

Kakashi rubbed his chin. "I've got 100 ryō* riding on at least one good injury from a summoning. Let's give them 5 more minutes."

Sai nodded. Who said that Shinobi don't know how to have fun?

10:25 AM KST
Konoha, ANBU Base/Morgue

Neji had insisted that Hinata eat before he would release her to Shino's care.

"Are you certain you don't want me to come with you?" he asked, worried.

"No," she assured him. "Shino is with me. I will be fine."

Neji gave a reluctant nod, but the time for arguing had past; Shino had arrived at his office.

"Take care of her," Neji murmured, waiting until she turned her back to catch Shino's eyes and tap two fingers over his heart. Shino gave a single nod, and led Hinata toward the morgue.

"What have you been told about this?" he asked, his tone as neutral as ever.

Hinata took a deep breath.

"Tokuma was part of an infiltration and reconnaissance party that went missing, along with your clansman Muta. Uchiha Sasuke found four bodies and brought them back to base. The two from the arena were part of the original party, so it is hoped that Tokuma and Muta aren't among the recovered bodies."

"That is correct. In these affairs, though, it is required for members of the Four Noble Clans to verify any bodies found. Why, you ask? That is because we each have jutsus and measures in place that helps us identify our own clansmen, as well as techniques for sealing the bodies. The Sharingan and Byakugan are closely guarded by their respective clans, and require consideration by the clan members. Ultimately, remains have to be returned to the family. I am the contact for the Aburames, given my relationship with ANBU. I am surprised that you have been called upon in this matter, Hinata, as you were listed as the contact before you were admitted to ANBU."

Hinata kept her eyes focused ahead. "Before he left, Tokuma came and spoke with me. He told me that he was going on a mission and needed the Clan Mother to act as his contact."

"That seems to be an oddly specific request," Shino said. "That is because, I cannot think of an instance wherein which the Clan Mother as a position serves any differently than the appointed family member, nor can I think of a reason that your talents would be particular to this assignment. That is not to say that your talents are not valuable; but this kind of assignment does not require a specific acumen. Familiarity with the deceased and ANBU are factors that bear more consideration in this case."

Hinata took no offense. "He must have had his reasons."

Shino opened the large, double doors to the morgue where Yūgao was waiting.

"Thank you for coming," she said to them both with a bow. "Aburame Shino, please make your way in. Lady Hyūga," she motioned to a side door, "I am Uzuki Yūgao. If you would?"

Hinata nodded, and stepped through the door, only to be met with the familiar, reassuring presence of Master Sarutobi.

"I hope you do not mind, Lady Hyūga," he stood to greet her, "but I asked to be here."

"I am grateful to see you," her relief was gentle on the back of her gratitude, and he offered her a kindly smile as Yori held out a seat for her.

"Then I am glad I came," he took his own seat. "Yūgao?" he turned to the medic-nin. "If you would?"

She gave a small nod and cleared her throat. "I am sorry to have to speak to you under these circumstances, Lady Hyūga," she began, "but Tokuma asked for you specifically should this scenario present itself. He also left this," she handed Hinata a scroll, "and asked that it be given to you should there be a need to identify his body."

Hinata traced careful fingers over the intricate seal and studied the scroll, a small line deepening between her brows. "I haven't seen this before."

"I'm not surprised," Master Sarutobi laced his fingers together. "That type of scroll is unique to your clan, and very much a rarity. In fact," he looked to their host. "Would you be so kind as to excuse us, Yūgao?" he asked kindly. "I believe that Lady Hinata would like to consult this scroll in private."

"Of course, Master Sarutobi," Yūgao ducked her head deferentially. "Please call on me if you need anything." With a polite haste, she exited the room and closed the door behind her.

Hinata had not yet looked up from the scroll. Master Sarutobi watched her carefully, and nodded to Yori who remained close to them both.

"Do you know what this is, Lady Hinata?"

She nodded slowly. "My Mother told me about some of these types of scrolls," she said, turning the scroll in her hands. "Although I have never seen one before today. I understand that she approached you about modifying some of the old clan jutsus to create these?"

She turned her pale white-lavender eyes to him, and for a moment he was struck by how much she truly resembled her mother. Her mother had those same delicate features, the same graceful hands with long, beautifully tapered fingers, and those same kind eyes. There was also a sort of unassuming intelligence in the women that could so easily go under-appreciated.

Master Sarutobi knew first-hand how foolish it was to underestimate the intelligence and loyalty of the Hyūga women. Hinata's mother had been a steadfast friend to the village, assisting in many matters not clan related, but in secret and never with the intent to be thanked. She had been a kind, brave woman.

"Yes. I helped to create the jutsu inscribed in that scroll. In fact," he pulled out his pipe, "That looks like one I helped make. Tokuma, was it?" he asked, lighting his pipe and sitting back to inhale the dry, sweet smoke. "I believe I made this for him at your Mother's request."

"And that is why he needed the Clan Mother?"

Master Sarutobi gave a single, deep nod. "Only the Clan Mother can read that scroll."

Hinata understood. With careful but concise movements, she released the scroll and unrolled it. There was nothing on the paper.

She looked over to him, the question in her eyes.

"Look again," Master Sarutobi encouraged.

Hinata activated her Byakugan and took in a sharp intake of breath. She understood now. She performed a series of hand signals and placed her palm on the scroll. Green chakra rolled out from her hand and illuminated the spot on the page.

A cage appeared.

It was empty.

"He's alive," she breathed, relief washing over her. "He's alive and his Byakugan isn't sealed. This is what the scroll means, isn't it? You found a way for us to use the caged bird sealing jutsu to track if an operative was alive and to seal their Byakugan if they died."

"We did," he corrected her. "Your mother and I. She came to me after the Clan Plague, concerned that perhaps the Byakugan and Sharingan were being targeted. She wanted to see if there was a way to protect the families form having their eyes stolen and used against them."

"Can we use it to track him?" she asked hopefully. "To recall him?"

The old man shook his head. "Unfortunately, no."

Hinata swallowed her disappointment, smiling gently at the warm, sure hand on her shoulder. "At least we know he is alive," she said, covering the hand with her own.

"Nevertheless, we should inspect what is in there," he pointed to the door with his pipe. "I've asked Kakashi to examine the remains with his Sharingan – perhaps you could do the same with your Byakugan."

"Alright," Hinata gave a single nod. "If you think it will help."

They filed out of the small room, and entered the morgue quietly, not wishing to interrupt Shino as he spoke with Yūgao.

"I do not think that this is Muta. That is because, there should be some trace of his insects or their chakra, no matter what the damage. The insects I have found are indeed his, but I believe they were part of the battle, not killed with their host. Furthermore - "

"Lady Hyūga?" Yūgao caught sight of Hinata as she surveyed the remains. "Is something wrong?"

Hinata stood stone still, listening as she hovered a hand shimmering with chakra over one of the corpses.

"These bodies," she said, quietly. "We were meant to find them. Can you scan them with your Sharingan?" she asked over her shoulder.

Kakashi nodded and pushed up his hitai-ate with his thumb.

"Do you see it?" she asked. He shook his head. She pumped chakra through the distorted, dried systems. "Now?" she asked. His eyes widened. She went from body to body, and each time Kakashi gave a single nod.

"What are you seeing?" Yūgao asked, looking to the charred, twisted shapes on the examination tables.

"The bodies," Hinata half whispered. "They… they hold a message. It's… It's been encoded in their chakra systems. Tokuma must have managed this somehow. They must have battled these beings and the remains were left behind as a warning."

"What message?" Yūgao asked, darting her eyes between Hinata and the charred bodies.

Hinata grimaced and Kakashi crossed his arms before answering: "The real one is not among them."

11:26 AM KST
Konoha ANBU base/Armory

Sakura found Tenten in the armory, just as she said she'd be. Her friend greeted her with a smile.

"You're earlier than I thought you'd be."

Sakura smiled back. "Shikamaru is timing me. I have dispensation for one hour to check in with you, and then I have to disappear until dinner. After that, I promised to just eat dinner, grab some files, and then go home."

"How is everyone doing?"

"Kankurō is reassuringly cranky, and Temari is finally less on edge." She watched Tenten haul a large bin to the counter. "What's all that?"

"Stuff you're going to need for your field/combat evaluation," she began putting items on the counter for her. "Here is your field uniform; you wear it to your eval – tomorrow, is it?" she handed over the same navy and green ensemble she was wearing.

"Tomorrow," Sakura agreed, taking the outfit.

"The armory takes care of any uniform concerns, so if this isn't your size, you come talk to me. Don't bother with asking if it makes your butt look big; the answer is: yes. They all do." She reached behind her and scooped up a handful of shuriken and kunai. "You'll need these," she placed them next to the pouches. "And a ration of soldier pills, canteen, etc."

"Where is this field test, exactly," Sakura asked dryly. "Kumogakure?"

"Try these on," Tenten handed her a box with a grin.

Sakura took the package with a suspicious look at Tenten, but smiled as soon as she lifted the lid. She pulled the black gloves on and flexed her fingers inside of them. "These are perfect," she said with a gleam in her eye. "How did you know?"

Tenten looked smug. "I told you I had your number, Haruno. Those are made of a special fabric that conducts chakra. The inside will better allow your chakra out, but the exterior will absorb impact. I had Tsunade test the prototypes."

Sakura looked up in surprise. "She hates gloves."

"So, I heard," Tenten said wryly. "Repeatedly. But they do work."

"But why develop something for Tsunade that she wouldn't use?"

Tenten arched an eyebrow. "Who said I developed them for Tsunade?" She laughed at her friend's dumbstruck expression. "C'mon Sakura, it was only a matter of time before you joined the team. She wouldn't have bothered teaching you all that she did about field work and combat – or evading combat – if she didn't think you might have to use that training someday. What kind of weapons specialist would I be if I didn't prepare for Tsunade Mach II? We have to protect those hands of yours."

Sakura looked down to her gloved hands, and then back up to Tenten wickedly. "Does this mean that these," she held up her hands, "are registered as weapons?"

"Damn straight," Tenten smirked. "And I always look after my weaponry."

The girls giggled as Tenten pulled a few more things out to add to Sakura's bin. "Let's get the rest of your gear, and I'll show you to the locker room so you can try that stuff on," she smiled. "I'll give you a half tour while we go, and fill you in on what's going on tomorrow."

Sakura grinned and pounded her fist into her palm. "Bring it!"

12:45 PM KST
Konoha ANBU base/Men's Locker Room

Naruto wandered out to the locker room area where Sasuke was sitting with this elbows on his legs, fingers steepled under his chin, staring into space. Naruto busied himself in his locker, watching his friend from the corner of his eye.

He knew Sasuke remembered. He had seen flashes of what was on his mind in their fight – that was how they communicated. He winced and eyed a nasty bruise forming on his arm, certain that with Sakura around, there were many more "chats" in his future.

He dressed in silence, tossing his towels into the hamper before closing and leaning against his locker to face the stoic Uchiha.

"What are you going to do?"

"I don't know yet."

"Yet?" Naruto sat down on the bench next to him. "You mean the last couple of years weren't long enough to think it over?"

Sasuke sighed heavily.

"You aren't going to let this go, are you," he muttered, too depleted of chakra and energy to even manage his normal emotional barriers.

Naruto put a hand firmly on his shoulder. "You don't want me to," he said simply, ignoring when Sasuke's eyes flashed red briefly before returning to obsidian.

"Hn."

"And you are sure you aren't gay for each other?"

They snapped their heads around to see Sai leaning against the lockers with his idiotic fake grin in place.

"Give it a rest, Sai," Naruto muttered, heading out to the small adjoining lounge to make some instant ramen.

Sasuke began gathering his things, pointedly ignoring Sai who leaned against the lockers, arms crossed, no doubt waiting for the first opportunity to begin awkwardly questioning his teammates about their relationship. A microwave from the small adjoining lounge area gave a shrill cry, followed by Naruto's muffled:

"W-wait! You can't go in there!"

The door to the lounge flew open and Ino stormed in, followed by a scrambling Naruto trying not to drop his too-hot bowl of ramen. Sasuke watched with what might have been confusion as she crossed the room to him in three quick steps, inadvertently taking a half step back into the locker room bench.

"Sit," she instructed with a quick shove, her eyes boring into his as he plopped unceremoniously onto the bench. Sasuke was nothing if not surprised. Had he not been so distracted today, she never would have been able to even touch him, much less catch him off balance. He hid the wince as her strong hand happened to shove right into a particularly large bruise Naruto had given him.

He glared up at her, Naruto choked on his ramen, and Sai smiled politely. He raised his dark eyebrows with a murderous look, giving her a chance to explain before he retaliated.

"Spare me," she bit back, tossing her ponytail over her shoulder. "I only have about five minutes before I have to get back to the lab, so listen carefully." She crossed her arms and stared at him coldly. "It's about Sakura."

Black eyebrows went, if possible, higher toward his hairline.

"You heard she is joining ANBU?"

"Kakashi told us," Naruto ventured. "Does she know you're a member?"

"Yes. And she knows you work with the ASF, so your being a part of it won't be a shock. But you?" she looked at Sasuke. "She doesn't even know you are in the country."

Sasuke arched an eyebrow, and the question slid off of his tongue before he could stop it.

"What does she know?"

Ino crossed her arms with a snort. "You want to know what she knows, Sasuke? She knows that you left five years ago to chase after the people that murdered your family. She knows she hasn't heard from you since. She knows she saw the news in the paper when the "murderer" was caught and the months' worth of news and tabloids when you took over Uchiha Industries. She knows you travel around the world for business and are rarely in Konoha, and frankly is relieved that your schedule coupled against her own insane one makes the risk of running into you negligible."

Ino's eyes hardened.

"She knows that five years ago, you walked out of her life, and never looked back."

"Ino," Naruto jumped in, "you know that what he did – what we all did – it couldn't be helped! And most of what Sasuke did was to protect Sakura."

"I'm not saying there weren't justifications," she flicked a glance at Naruto, "but there were consequences."

"Why didn't she go back to Suna?"

They both looked at Sasuke.

"Last I heard she was relocating to take over the medical program at their University's learning hospital."

"Change in plans," she lifted one shoulder, elegantly dismissing his question. "Unfortunately, we all have to work together now. She is going to be key in the upcoming investigations, which means that she will probably be working with you, specifically."

Sasuke had no idea what expression registered on his face to make Ino sigh in weary exasperation.

"Look. Even though you left. Even after everything, she made it. She's probably even forgiven you. She will forgive you when she knows why you went," she held up a hand to stop whatever comment he had, "and she deserves to know why you went."

Sasuke couldn't argue.

"Hn."

Ino looked at him before continuing. "That part won't be so bad." He looked up to her with some unidentifiable emotion. "The bad part will be explaining why you never told her you were back."

Sasuke's eyes widened fractionally as she leaned in closer, her face directly in his, invading his personal space with a total disregard for the venomous aura gathering about him. When his Sharingan flared to life, she didn't even flinch.

"Sakura is my roommate, and best friend," her whisper was threaded in steel. "You have no idea what those five years were like for her, but I do. So, let me make this perfectly clear to you. You might be one of the best agents we have around here, but make one fucking wrong move, and I personally guarantee that nobody will be able to piece your mind back together. Ever. Do you understand me?"

Her blue eyes bored malevolently into his, her naked threat hanging in the air between them. Sasuke held her fierce stare for what seemed to his teammates to be an eternity before giving the most imperceptible of nods. Sai and Naruto visibly exhaled as Ino straightened up slowly.

"Good. I'm glad that we understand one another." With a final knowing glare, she turned on her heel and made the kind of exit that would have had most men staring whether or not their lives had just been threatened. Sasuke stared at the door that swung closed behind her, and perhaps the first time in his life had a begrudging but healthy respect for the inheritor of the Yamanaka bloodline

Sai watched with an open mouth while Naruto gave a low whistle, absently poking at his ramen. "Wow."

The word seemed to hang in the air between them all, as if it was all any of them could say while they all stared dumbly at the now-still door.

"Better not screw this one up, Teme," Naruto advised as his team mate looked over to him stone-faced, his Sharingan fading. "That's the first time I've ever worried that someone might beat me or Tsunade to kicking the crap out of you, much less do a better job of it."

Sai was still staring at the door, blinking wildly. Clearly, he had no idea how to process what he had just seen. He turned back to his teammates, desperate for some kind of explanation, but found nothing but silence from either of them.

A low chuckle broke the silence, and both Sasuke and Sai stared at Naruto. "I can't believe Ino just waltzed into the men's locker room to bust your balls," a slow smile spread across his face. "I've never seen anything like that."

Sai suddenly snapped his head up and quipped, "That's what she said!"

Both men turned to stare at him. "Did I do that wrong?" he asked, frowning in confusion. "Tenten advised me to try to stop always talking about how you two don't have penises and perhaps use that particular line instead."

Naruto gaped at him. "Advised?"

Sai nodded. "Most emphatically. She was brandishing multiple shuriken at the time– I assume that she meant the advice most sincerely."

Naruto kept barely his face composed. "I'll bet."

"Idiots," Sasuke gave a sigh of frustration and stormed past the two of them, for once grateful for Sai's glaring social awkwardness. There was no telling how long he would've sat there in shock that Ino of all people had threatened him, and that he knew she was deadly serious.

Sai was clearly going to ask for an explanation, so Sasuke paused at the door.

"The Dobe will explain it to you."

He left, ignoring Naruto's groan.

3:47 PM KST
Konoha ANBU base/Laboratories

Sakura enjoyed her visit with Temari and Kankurō, and swore to Shikamaru and Tsunade and anyone who asked that she only had a few things she wanted to ask Dr. Aburame before she went home.

Sakura respected Shino and his keen intellect, and had cause to rely on his skills many times before today. Looking back on everything, it made sense that he worked with ANBU; he had an uncanny ability for figuring out answers from even the most minute and obscure bits of data. He would be a real asset to the research end of her work.

"Shino?" she called, entering the lab.

He rounded the corner and indicated that she should follow him. "It is good that you came back," he said in his deep monotone. "Why? That is because, I believe I have compiled more accurate data from our samples."

"Excellent," Sakura followed him, tucking a wayward piece of hair behind her ear. "Tell me more about the targeting of Kekkei genkai."

"It is impressive that you deduced that different Kekkei genkai were being targeted by analyzing the fact that we were dealing with a biological threat and that I insisted that Hinata be vaccinated before entering the lab."

Sakura smiled at the compliment. "They don't pay me to sit around and be pretty, Shino."

"This will be your office in our division," he waved her into the small office off of the research area. "You haven't been issued a formal login with the appropriate clearance yet, but I asked Shikamaru to authorize a workaround until tomorrow."

He paused as she sat behind the desk using the login information to access the ANBU database. She gave a low whistle. "This is some pretty high-tech stuff, Shino." He took the next 15 minutes to show her the basics of navigating the research and medical database and record systems, which were like the hospital's systems but taken to the nth degree.

"I can't believe how far some of these records go back!" she said for possibly the tenth time.

"You know Hokage-iwa," he stated.

"The Hokage Monument? Sure – I am from here originally; what of it?"

"The Konoha Archive Library is there, and has been since long before the time of the Fifth Hokage. Its location within the mountainside is what allowed it to survive the many destructions of Konoha intact. Many of those records have been transcribed into our electronic databases. The Four Noble Clans also keep their own clan records. In addition to that, the Nara Clan has kept extensive research and medicinal records for generations, detailing even the particulars of the Akimichi clan. We have an amazingly intact written record database from which to pull this information."

Sakura stared for a while at the screen. "The Aburames are one of the Four Noble Clans, aren't they?"

"We are; as are the Akimichi, Hyūga, and Uchiha clans. The Hyūga clan has the most extensive archive next to the Naras. After the Fourth Shinobi War, the Hyūga Clan-Mother made a point to safeguard the archives of the village and the surrounding clans. The Uchiha Clan was rebuilding at the time, and there were many smaller clans without the means to archive their own histories. The resulting records have been invaluable in treating and preventing ailments for all of Konoha."

"I remember learning about that," she thought of her Academy days. A perplexed look passed over her face as if she suddenly remembered something else. "Shino, wasn't there a time when we were kids when many members of the clans were sick? Some kind of plague?"

Shino nodded "When we were eight years old, there was a sickness in Konoha that happened to affect many members of the more prominent clans. It was dubbed 'The Clan Plague' by the medics at the time."

"Were the Aburames seriously affected by the Clan Plague?"

"No," he shook his head. "It seems that the Uchihas and the Hyūgas were particularly susceptible to illness. In the end, the critical difference was that the Hyūgas went to Hinata's mother when the symptoms first presented themselves and before they became serious enough to warrant professional medical attention. The clan remedy she had given them curbed the progression of the disease, and they responded much more rapidly to treatment. In the end, of the Four Noble Clans, only the Uchihas suffered any major loss of life. The only known survivors were the headman Fugaku, his wife, and two sons."

"Sounds suspiciously familiar, doesn't it?" Sakura asked, crossing her arms.

"That thought had crossed my mind. Which leads me to my next question."

She looked to Shino expectantly.

"In the time that I have worked with you, it has been my observation that you prefer to gather all available data on your own, and then formulate your own conclusions. Would you say this is correct?"

"I'd say that is a fair statement."

"Is it also a fair statement that you prefer this type of solo data mining to explanations, or filtered presentations of data?"

Sakura folded her hands and leaned on the desk, suddenly aware that Shino might not be discussing their current research. "I have always been one to form my own opinions," she said carefully. "Might I ask to what this pertains, specifically?" tried to keep her tone light.

"There are several levels of files kept though the ASF and ANBU," he picked up a small stack of files from the corner of her desk. "The general files available through the ASF have the least sensitive information, as they may be handled by civilians. The medical files available through the ASF are more specific with a level of chakra encoding to keep them secure, but include access to more sensitive information so as not to jeopardize the life of the agent, should they not be able to be treated by ANBU. The personnel and medical level files for ANBU are more detailed. Only the Hokage has access to the most detailed and comprehensive of the files; these detail entire medical and personal histories, as well as psychological evaluations, and mission records. The files are indecipherable in their physical or electronic forms without her clearance."

He gestured to the folders in his hands. "These are the ANBU research and medical versions of the files. They are the most comprehensive and unfiltered presentations of data available under our security clearance."

The quiet man stared at her from behind darkened lenses. "I believe you will find these to be helpful," he handed her several files. "I will be leaving early today; you are on my security clearance until morning," he said, making his way to the door. "I presume you will use this knowledge at your discretion, and to your advantage."

And with a polite nod, he was gone.

Sakura watched him leave with the odd sense that she had just been told far more than what was said. She shuffled through the files, laying them on the desk as she went.

Hyūga, Tokuma (MIA)

Hyuga, Hizashi (dec'd)

Kakashi, Hatake

Terumī Mei

Uchiha, Sasuke

Sakura's heart stopped. Instinctively her eyes darted around the room, alighting on the large, illuminated numbers of the digital wall clock.

4:26 pm

To say the day had been tiring would be one of the grandest understatements that Sakura had ever had the pleasure to make. She stared at the file on her desk, waiting for her mind to make sense of what she was seeing, and her heart to start again. There was a distant, oddly dissociative sense of being at a precarious and critical crossroad – bigger than analyzing what happened with Kankurō, than being recruited by ANBU – bigger than anything she had ever done. She closed her eyes as if trying to commit her life up until this point to memory, because she knew, innately, that it was all about to change irrevocably.

She needed more time.

There was no more time.

Sasuke.

Sasuke was being targeted.

Sasuke was a member of ANBU.

Sasuke was back in her life.

A million and three questions circled in her mind as her fingers traced over the familiar name as if trying to translate it from some long forgotten, half learned language.

She could ignore the file.

She could pretend she didn't see it and go home.

She could have Ino explain.

But she knew she wouldn't.

She did exactly what she knew she would do.

She sat down at her desk, opened the file, and began to read.

4:26 PM KST
Konoha, Infinte Tsukyomi Restaurant

Sasuke reminded himself to never again think the words "Well, at least that is over," ever again.

He had survived a brutal mission, sleepless nights, handing over a scroll that could have the bodies of four comrades sealed within it, a morning debriefing with Sai, a sparring match with the dobe that would've killed a lesser man, an unprovoked and unexpected dressing down by Ino complete with threats to shatter his mind, and the confirmation that not only was Sakura 'around,' but that she was about to be back in his life in a big way.

But this? This might be enough to send him over the edge.

He stopped, held the bridge of his nose between thumb and first two fingers, and swallowed a sigh, a colorful epithet, and a bevy of homicidal urges.

"Tell me again," he demanded, looking up harshly at the ghost-pale man across from him, "what exactly you are doing here?"

Sai blinked before answering. "Kakashi suggested that I find you to and discuss what happened five years ago. So, I followed you here."

Sasuke's eyebrow twitched in irritation.

In an effort to forget everything today, he went to an out-of-the-way restaurant that she would have hated. It was too dark, too formal, too expensive, and far too stuffy to ever justify bringing her here. He requested the room that had been specifically built for the Uchiha executives, complete with ANBU level security capabilities. Here he could feel isolated from the impending doom that was their inevitable reunion looming on the not-so-distant horizon. Here, he was left alone by the discreet wait staff, and he was attended to by only a select few waiters that one: only came when summoned, and two: wouldn't spend the afternoon flirting with him or trying to eavesdrop. Here, he was safe.

Correction.

He had been safe.

He had also been unaware that Sai had an ink-creature stashed in his jacket pocket until he looked up over his menu and saw a stylized hummingbird spring from the back of a business card to settle into an open scroll next to the elbow of the man sitting across from him. It turns out that ANBU level security is not as effective against a top ANBU Agent; particularly when he has been sent by your team captain who undoubtedly instructed him on how to bypass said security.

He scowled fiercely; an expression that usually sent people running out of the room as if the phrase "staring daggers," was about to become a literal possibility.

Sai, however, was not to be deterred. "He also suggested that you explain how this Dr. Haruno figures into your respective pasts, as it will affect our team dynamic," he tucked away the scroll.

"He did, did he?"

Sai nodded, taking out two more scrolls. "When I asked, he said those were questions for the two of you. As Naruto was not available, I turned to you instead. So, who is this Dr. Haruno whose return has you so upset? Is she an enemy?"

Sasuke worked a muscle in his jaw. "No."

"So, she is a friend."

"Not exactly."

"An ally?"

Sasuke crossed his arms over his chest and glared at Sai. "We apparently all work for the same people, so I guess that is a fair statement."

"It seems you both have worked for the same people for quite some time," he unrolled a scroll. "I asked Kakashi for more information so I could better understand my teammates. He gave me this."

"What is that," onyx eyes zeroed in on the parchment in his hands before flaring red.

"A confidential file coded, redacted, and otherwise made illegible to civilians." He didn't need to mention that he knew how to read it, or that his ability to read it came from his training with ROOT. Sai never mentioned ROOT or Danzo around Sasuke without a damned good reason and at least two witnesses.

Sasuke snatched the file. "Let me see that."

A few moments later, he tossed it back in frustration, his Sharingan fading.

Sai looked down at the file, and then up at the annoyed Uchiha. "This… this Sakura," he said slowly, watching Sasuke's minute reaction to the use of the doctor's first name. "She was… she was once important to you, yes?"

Sasuke stared at him a long time.

"Hn."

Sai nodded, and gave him an appraising look before continuing. "I had a brother." The change in topic was abrupt, but something in the man's tone made Sasuke pay closer attention. "We were ordered to fight to the death or be killed by Danzo. In the end, my brother kept a terminal illness a secret so that I could survive." He met the Sasuke's glower with his own dark-eyed and penetrating stare. "I know something about loss and making the difficult choices."

Something like the beginning of an understanding passed between the two silent men.

"Kakashi said she is undergoing her initial medical and psychiatric evaluations today," Sai said quietly. "I have already requested that he update me with any pertinent information." He tapped a finger on the scroll, as if making a decision. "In the meantime, we should look over this together."

"Why."

It wasn't a question, it was a demand for an explanation. Sai remained unruffled.

"Because I feel it will strengthen our bonds and make us more compatible as teammates and shinobi."

Sasuke stared at him. "That's it?"

Sai managed to look slightly uncomfortable. "No. We have been on the same team for several years. I consider you a trusted comrade. I'd… I'd like to be your friend. More like how Naruto is your friend."

Sasuke waited a few moments, expecting the artist to make some comment questioning Naruto's sexuality, or his preferences – anything that typical Sai would say to ruin the moment. When nothing came, though, Sasuke gave a short nod.

Sai unrolled a blank scroll and quickly drew several dozen mice with efficient and beautiful strokes. He released them from the paper and they swarmed over the encrypted file, much to the disgust and fascination of Sasuke. In mere moments, they returned to their original scroll. Sai performed a series of hand signals and the mice melted into a sea of words, no longer coded, redacted, or otherwise encrypted. He carefully rolled the scroll, and handed it to Sasuke.

He took it tentatively, but at a nod from his cryptic teammate, began to read. The first entry was dated more than a decade ago, where it all began.

The Academy.

8:27 PM KST
Konoha, Kunoichi Garden Apartments #2822

When the key finally turned in the lock, Ino looked up from the couch, took one look at her best friend and roommate, and sighed.

"You know."

Sakura nodded. "I know."

Ino came over to her, took her bag, closed the door, brought her to the couch, and wrapped her in the fiercest, tightest, most bone-crushing-best-friend-hug she could offer. They rested their foreheads together for a long time before either spoke.

"He's in ANBU." Sakura stated.

"He is."

"And you are in ANBU. And I am in ANBU. And he is going to be involved in the same stuff we am involved in. There isn't going to be any avoiding him."

Ino shook her head.

"And I don't suppose he even had the common decency to become gruesomely unattractive?"

"No," Ino conceded, a tiny smile twitching her lips. "Sorry."

"Bastard."

"Agreed," Ino pulled her to the living room and waited until she settled into the crook of their shared couch before handing her a scroll and a bottle of sake. She took her seat on the other side, and said the one word Sakura needed to hear.

"Ask."

Sakura took a deep breath, opened the bottle, drank from it directly, and opened the scroll.

Wednesday, March 25th, 1:47 AM KST
Konoha, Hokage Outlook Apartments #1108

The vibrations of his phone jarred him out of his deep sleep. He fumbled for the obstinately buzzing appliance, bringing it to his ear with only about a third of his neurons firing coherently.

"Yeah?" he mumbled.

"When."

"When, what," he asked, raking a hand over his face.

"When were you going to tell me she didn't take the job in Suna? That she didn't go back?"

Naruto sighed. "Seriously?" he flopped onto his back. "You should be asking me when I was going to tell her you were back. Or how long I knew about her working at the Hyūga hospital. Or how I know that you have been drinking or you wouldn't have called me."

"Fine. How long did you know about her working at the hospital?"

"Since she started."

"You said she went to Suna."

"She went," Naruto allowed. "They wanted her at that other hospital real bad - made her some insane offers. In the end, working at the Hyūga hospital gave her the chance to start up a new hospital in Suna, while guaranteeing a position in Konoha if she wanted it, so she took their offer. Simple as that."

Silence. Silence he instinctively knew was filled with the grinding of teeth and the pulsing of that muscle in his jaw.

"Look, man, can we talk about this tomorrow? If you are finally ready to hear what I've been trying to tell you for the last five years, I'm happy to go over it again."

"I have her file."

"I have her number. What's your point?"

"Her file, dobe," the snide retort snaked its way into his brain. "And her number might have been helpful four years ago."

'Only four years ago? Allowing yourself a whole excused calendar year?"

"Given the circumstances?"

"Yeah, yeah. Circumstances. And stuff. Stuff that has waited five years and can wait a few more hours, Teme."

"Go back to bed," Sasuke grunted, knowing full well the idiot wouldn't even remember their conversation in the morning. In fact, that is why allowed himself to call, sake or no sake. He couldn't sleep, but he would swallow a rusty kunai before he admitted he wanted to talk to anyone about all of this.

"Right. Bed" Naruto sighed, already halfway to back asleep. "Tomorrow we'll discuss ways for you not to be a jerk so that you can have Sakura back again," he yawned. "I'm going to have Hinata help us."

"You're going to what, now?" Genuine surprise flooded over the line.

"Night, Teme," and he hung up.

He absolutely would not recall the phone call in the morning.

He also wouldn't remember dreams of a sweet, sad smile, long, dark hair, and the intriguing pressure of an alternately hard and soft body pressed underneath his own. He wouldn't recall the smell of lavender or jasmine, or the sound of soft breathing and a steady heartbeat. Those thoughts and memories were still too young and tentative to exist outside of dreams and half-hearted recollections. They kept him company in sleep though, which might be why he had been so eager to return to them. When he woke to destroy another alarm clock, they were gone, leaving only a sense of well-being and promises of things to come in their place.

A/N

*In Boruto they have cheeseburgers. I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that at some point they got a good greasy spoon/pancake house, and that Temari secretly loves pancakes, so she and Sakura go. I especially like the idea because I imagine Temari to be very regimented in everything else she eats, so this would be the strangest indulgence for her.

*Ryō is the currency used in Naruto (although later it switches to yen.) 1 Ryō is roughly ¥10 /$0.10 so 100 Ryō is ¥1000 or $10.00. A note to the economically savvy: these are approximations, and not based on current exchange rates, but on average information. Also, Wikipedia.

*The Konoha Archive Library is canonically inside of Hokage Rock, and survived Pein's attack.

*The girl's apartment # is a combination of their birthdays

*Konohamaru's scenes with Hanabi will be posted in a separate work :)

As always, thanks for reading!

- GL

Chapter Text

Chapters 5-8 move fast, friends, and will look the most familiar...except for at least one very critical difference.

You Must Believe in Spring
Chapter Five: No Matter What Happens

Wednesday, March 25 th , 5:27 AM KST
Konoha, Nara Forest

Shikamaru had an apartment in town, but preferred to stay at his cabin deep in the Nara forest, perched at the edge of a clearing just large enough to watch the clouds drift over the swaying trees. Many mornings, Temari found him lying on the roof, his hands behind his head while the deer grazed peacefully in his lawn.

That morning, however, she was the one sitting on the roof with her face tilted to the still-dark West. The sun was not yet visible over the trees and hills of Konoha, and it would be some hours before the light was strong enough to dissipate the mist hovering through the forest.

"For someone who always complains about being cold, you pick some strange places to spend your alone time."

Shikamaru dropped a blanket around her shoulders before lying back on the roof, looking up at the sky and the last of the fading stars.

"Why up so early?"

"I'm always up early. What's your excuse?"

"That you're always up early."

"You knew that when you asked me to stay."

"True," he yawned widely. "I was hoping the time difference would work in my favor."

She smiled at that. "Usually works better when you come to Suna."

Her gaze shifted, locking onto a point in the distance.

Shikamaru followed her gaze from his position and frowned as he raised himself up on his elbow. "Is that…?"

"Takamaru," she grinned roguishly, jumping to catch the scroll that the hawk dropped to her before heading to the aviary. She read the seal on the scroll, and her smile became positively wolfish.

Shikamaru was officially uncomfortable.

"...Why is Suna's fastest messenger hawk contacting you?"

"It's a message from Gaara."

"Is he aware we have phones in Konoha?"

She shrugged, but offered no explanation as to why Gaara would communicate via messenger hawk.

She had a calculating gleam in her eye that he knew better than to trust.

"What's the matter, Nara?" she held a hand out to him to help him up. "Can't figure this out?"

He took her hand and stood with a snort.

"The day I can figure out women is the day Naruto gives up ramen."

"Then I guess it won't be today," she tapped him on the shoulder with the scroll and made her way back inside. "Meet you out front."

When she came out of the cabin – her fan on her back over her cloak, her forehead protector dangling in her hand – he was waiting.

They stared in silence at each other for a moment before he held out his hand to her. She took it without hesitation and allowed him to pull her to his side. They were both people that valued their privacy, and neither one was comfortable with overt signs of affection; at least with witnesses. But here, in the solitude of the forest, she twined her fingers in his and allowed her eyes to drift closed as Shikamaru rested his forehead against hers, and gathered his thoughts.

"Whatever it is you are planning," he said quietly. "Please tell me it doesn't have anything to do with going after any potential poisoners."

She shook her head, and she did not tease him in the slightest. When he asked for honesty in this tone, that is what she gave. "It has nothing to do with that," she assured him calmly. "I promise I won't leave Konoha without telling you."

Her word was enough for him, just as his was for her.

He gave some hum of agreement before stepping back and flicking a glance at the forehead protector dangling in her hand. She gave a single nod in response and put it on. He did not joke or call her troublesome. She did not tease him about doubting her abilities or his being a worrier. It was part of their intricate and ever-evolving dynamic that allowed them moments of absolute transparency in lives that relied so heavily on obfuscation.

A moment later they were gone, leaving nothing but a few stirring leaves in their wake.

5:28 AM KST
Konoha, Hyūga Residence

Hinata went through her early morning routine even earlier than usual, slipping out of the house before Neji had even come to the kitchen for breakfast.

It was not, however, early enough to surprise Kō, who after offering her a ride and being politely declined, bid her a good morning.

Hinata had no sooner cleared the front gate when she was met with three familiar faces.

"Oi, Hinata," Kiba smiled wolfishly, getting off of Akamaru. "Let me take that," he easily swung the bag over his shoulder before draping an arm across her shoulders. "Can't believe our little girl is all grown up and playing with the big kids," he teased her, squeezing her in a one-armed hug.

"That is a stupid comment," Shino intoned, "Why? That is because –"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Dumb comment, because reasons. Noted. Now let's go," Kiba put Hinata on Akamaru and better adjusted her bag. "Or you want to explain to Tsunade why we are late?"

Not even Shino had something to say to that.

5:38 AM KST
Konoha, Kunoichi Garden Apartments #2822

Sakura woke up with a headache. It might even have been a hangover. She sat up in her bed, and rubbed her temples, dimly noting time on her bedside clock. With a small burst of chakra, she pushed the pain away, knowing she needed at least an hour or two more of good sleep.

A familiar face came swimming before her eyes; and she shoved it aside. She had read through two versions of Sasuke's file and had about a million questions to ask. He had been a Jōnin before he turned sixteen. He left the village after his parents were killed, presumably by his brother, and joined up with S-rank criminal Orochimaru. Orochimaru had infected him with the Cursed Seal of Heaven. He was gone almost two years.

Naruto worked actively to bring him back and stuck by him through the whole ordeal. He had returned after defeating Orochimaru, but it did not appear that he managed to find his brother. He returned to ANBU shortly before enrolling at Konoha University with the rest of their friends to keep up his civilian cover.

At the beginning of his third year at KU he left again. She read the notes of her own statement, detailing how he had left. She didn't know that Inoichi had done a mental scan to make sure her memories were accurate. She didn't know that his departure had been cause for alarm in ANBU, and launched a recovery mission. She didn't know that he had knowingly and willingly gone headlong into a certain death situation, not only for revenge, but to protect his friends. She didn't know it took him and most of ANBU to take down an internal organization known as ROOT headed up by someone named Danzo. She didn't know he had then spent the next several years working with his fellow agents to rebuild ANBU from the inside out.

In the end, she hadn't known anything.

"He was right," she whispered, a tear trailing down her face. "I would have only slowed him down."

5:38 AM KST
Konoha, Uchiha Towers. Penthouse

Sasuke sat up on the edge of his bed, raking his fingers through his hair. It was not usual for him to drink alone, but the two empty bottles of sake in his kitchen and a late-night call to Naruto indicated he had made an exception.

Despite being an early riser, he was not particularly a morning person, and he definitely wasn't a pre-morning person. He willed his headache to vanish, closed his eyes, only to be taunted with a visual of the file that his photographic memory wouldn't let him stop rereading.

Sakura had left for Suna when her father transferred for his job with the ASF, shortly after they became genin. She was not assigned to a new genin team initially. She did not attend the chūnin exams the first time around.

She was immediately taken to work under Chiyo. Given his family's connections in the medical world, he knew this was virtually unheard of, and was duly impressed. Sakura had worked on top secret ASF/ANBU level research, although he doubted she'd been given the particulars at the time. Chiyo's lab had been responsible for analyzing the Cursed Seal of Heaven, and helped isolate the biological nature of the mark. He stared into the dark room. She had been helping him long before they had reconnected.

The account of her time in Suna was a long list of academic accomplishments and distinctions. There was no mention of her shinobi team in Suna, but the file did note that before she left Konoha, she had been slated to be on a team with him and Naruto. He closed his eyes. What would it have been like if the three of them had been on a team together as genin? He smirked. He knew exactly what it would have been like. They had all been obnoxious in their own way. Kakashi would have had a hell of a time.

She was still registered as a Suna-nin – something that gnawed at him.

She did not belong in Suna; no matter what the paperwork said. No matter if she went to train with her team once a month. No matter if she was part of Neji's little pet project.

Sakura belonged to the Leaf. She belonged in Konoha.

Inevitably, his memory went to the night that he left. Inoichi had to verify her memory, and a transcription of what he had seen through her eyes was in her file. Sasuke didn't bother to read it; he knew what she had seen.

He looked over his shoulder at the pale light and sighed heavily. He was done sleeping, he knew that. He padded into the bathroom and washed his face before searching the eyes of his reflection. There was no outward sign of his inner turmoil, if you ignored the very slight darkness under his eyes, the stress in his frame, the disheveled hair... He shoved away from the counter and moved purposefully back into his room. In less than a minute, he was dressed in workout clothes and taking a private elevator down to his exercise facility. He went immediately to the punching bag and let his fists fly. It was a particularly satisfying way to battle old demons.

7:45 PM KST
Konoha, Kunoichi Garden Apartments #2822

After an hour of drifting in and out of sleep, Sakura knew she wasn't going back to bed. Normally she'd burn off her frustration by taking a run – maybe punch a few trees to smithereens - but her physical/combat trials were slated for that morning, and she'd been advised not to expend her chakra unnecessarily. She settled for stretching while she mentally reviewed the basic breakdown Ino had given her about how today would go. Both she and Hinata were going to be evaluated individually and within the team context. Since Sakura was still registered as a Suna Shinobi she would be put on a makeshift team for the exercise. That wasn't suprising; as a medic-nin, she had to be ready to work with a variety of teams and at any given time, and she had lots of practice doing so.

She lightly touched the pale diamond on her forehead. It had been a long time since she had to really fight. Tsunade had flicked her in the forehead yesterday saying, "You won't need that." Still, she settled into a meditative pose and focused on gathering chakra into her seal.

"You can't help me," the voice floated up from her subconscious. She gritted her teeth and forced herself to focus.

"Here," Ino entered her room with a cup of coffee and pressed it into her hands. "I figured you'd be up."

Sakura opened her eyes in surprise. "Why are you up?"

Ino shrugged. "My best friend had a crappy night and is about to go kick some major ass today. Where else would I be?"

"You're the best," Sakura sighed as Ino took a seat next to her on the floor.

"You ok?"

"I don't know what I am today," she said, wrapping her fingers around her mug. "I have a lot in my head."

"That's nothing new," Ino teased, pushing her finger playfully against Sakura's forehead. She hesitated a moment before offering "You don't have to see him right away, you know."

"Well there's a relief," she snorted. "What would I even say to him? 'Oh, Sasuke!'" she slapped a hand to her cheek comically, "'Is that you? It's been simply ages! Why the last time I saw you, you left me to freeze my ass off on a stone bench in the middle of the night. So, how've you been?'"

Ino had to laugh while Sakura lifted her mug with a wry smile. "Sounds the reintroduction you've always wanted," Ino nudged her with her shoulder.

"Never thought about it."

She glanced over at Ino's perfectly shaped and currently skeptically arched eyebrow.

"Okay, fine, I did, but never realistically." She leaned her back against her bed. "In the beginning, I was so sure he'd come back and tell me it had been an awful mistake. Later I dreamed he'd show up, but I'd've grown too strong to care, and send him packing. Finally, it just hurt too damned much, so I stopped thinking about it altogether."

"Altogether?"

"You'd be amazed what I can do when I really put my mind to it."

"No, I wouldn't," Ino scoffed. "I've been watching you put your mind to things for about forever. I know what you can do." She put an arm around her best friend. "I wish we could have told you sooner. I hate this for you."

"It's okay," Sakura sighed rested her head on Ino's shoulder. "It was never going to suck any less, right?"

Ino's smile was sympathetic. "I guess not. But I can tell you that I am certain he isn't going to give you a hard time."

"So, you already laid into him?"

"We might've had a few words…"

"I'd've loved to have seen that," Sakura said wistfully.

"Oh, yeah?" Ino grinned. "Because I can show you; here –" she tapped her own forehead "—to here."

"I'm not sure that is something I can handle on just one cup of coffee," Sakura muttered.

"Oh, you definitely want to have all synapses firing to appreciate this. His face was priceless," Ino stood and held out her hand. "C'mon. Let's get you a second cup of coffee, some breakfast, and go from there."

"Breakfast is good," Sakura agreed, and let Ino pull her up. "Priceless you say?"

Ino's eyes shone.

"Well…" Sakura's grin sharpened. "Maybe just a little peek…"

8:00 AM KST
Konoha, ANBU Base/locker rooms

Hinata would be the first to admit that Shino and Kiba had been her only real friends for a very long time. She was grateful that the village required its shinobi to continue to train, and that her father never questioned this. It became more complicated once she became the Hyūga clan-mother. Technically she could be exempted from her shinobi duties, but she convinced her father that she would be a better example if she continued in her service to the Leaf.

"This will have to change when you marry," he had said in a lofty tone.

"That would be my husband's problem then," she had said with a half-smile that caught him completely off guard. "Or at least that is what Mother told me."

He had been too stunned to contradict or reprimand her, and Hinata was pleased to note that the mention of any future marriage had disappeared. Unfortunately, with Hanabi coming of-age in the clan, it was bound to come up again, and soon.

Kiba and Shino stepped out of the men's locker room, unsurprised to find Hinata already dressed in ANBU's standard issue navy blue field uniform with the green flack vest.

"Yo, Hinata," Kiba smiled. "Just like old times! Let's go eat."

They went to a common area and broke out the breakfast including some cinnamon rolls, as well as some jerky for Kiba and Akamaru. Shino was taking another helping of wintermelon as he discussed the day's agenda.

"Today you will be tested individually and with us as your team. This is important. Why, you may ask? It is because, that with the targeting of kekkai genkai, you will also be targeted. This will show that you are capable of defending yourself, and that if you are given any field work that it be imperative to keep our team intact."

Hinata looked up from her cinnamon roll. "I don't think I will be given much field work. Lady Tsunade wants to me to stay as a part of Sakura's research team."

"Field medics are a commodity," Shino pointed out. "A sensory type medic is a rare commodity. This makes you more likely to be assigned. It is just something we have to keep in mind."

"God, I missed your cooking," Kiba said warmly, earning a stare from Shino. "What?" he shrugged. "You already said everything she needed to hear on the other stuff. Don't worry, Hinata," he reached over and put a hand over hers protectively. "We're going to be with you all the way today. Team Eight is back!" he smiled broadly.

She smiled gently at them both.

It was good to be back.

7:00 AM KST
Konoha, ANBU Base/Meeting room 9

Naruto yawned in his seat across from Kakashi and Sai. "What is it with you people and early morning meetings this week," he griped, rubbing the heel of his hand into his eye. Sai had shown up at his house shortly after he decimated and yet another alarm clock, saying that they had an urgent meeting. Naruto had almost broken his neck trying to get ready, and was unnerved that a very pleasant night of sleep had given way to that kind of chaos.

"I was wondering the same thing," Kakashi drawled, not looking up from his book.

Naruto's eyes widened. "You don't know what this is about?"

"I called you here," Sai said, sitting at the table and taking out two scrolls.

"You did?" Naruto gaped at him. "What the hell, Sai? And why isn't Sasuke here? Isn't this a Team Kakashi thing?"

"It is," he said calmly, "but there is a very good reason he isn't here. I want to go over my research from yesterday with you both."

"What research?" Naruto stared at him.

"This scroll is the mission file Kakashi gave me yesterday before instructing me to consult with you and Sasuke about Dr. Haruno. And these," he gestured to a second scroll with a series of drawings scattered oddly about the page, "are my notes from my conversation with Sasuke." He flew through the hand seals that released the ink to scramble across the page and resettle into a loose outline form of his questions and answers from yesterday. "I didn't think Sasuke would allow me to take notes," he explained to his team mates. "He seemed more comfortable if I sketched while he spoke."

"He spoke?" Naruto sputtered. "About Sakura?!"

Sai nodded. "Extensively – for him."

Naruto and Kakashi exchanged glances and the white haired Jōnin slowly closed his book and put it away. This was promising.

"As I understand it, it would be unfair to reveal the totality of our conversation," Sai said, "but I do have some questions."

"Shoot," Kakashi folded his hands on the table.

"Kakashi – you said that you knew of Dr. Haruno because she was supposed to be on Team Seven; the precursor to Team Kakashi."

"No way!" Naruto blurted. "Sakura was supposed to be on our team? Man, that would've been AWESOME! I bet-"

"Focus, Naruto," Kakashi narrowed his visible eye at the suddenly wide-awake man.

"Y-yeah. Sorry, Sai."

"Her father was transferred to the Suna branch of the ASF before she could join your team, though, so you didn't have any contact with her, really. Are you acquainted at all?"

Kakashi rubbed his chin. "I accompanied the previous Hokage to Suna several times, but I did not directly interact with Sakura. I had no direct personal contact with her before she joined the hospital staff. I had to go to the hospital once or twice for treatment, or to deliver things to Tsunade, but we are acquaintances at best."

"And you, Naruto," Sai continued. "I understand you were classmates and remained in contact and as friend during her time in Suna. She attended Suna University early, and then transferred to Konoha University during the second half of your first year there. Was her reintegration into your circle of friends difficult?"

Naruto smiled fondly. "Nah. She slipped right back into our group of friends like she had never left. We were all glad to see her back, and she was over the whole Sasuke 'Fan girl' thing." Naruto put his hands behind his head smugly. "I knew that they'd have a relationship from day one," he winked. "It took them a while, but they got there in the end."

Sai looked confused. "Did she learn Temari's technique while in Suna? And should I be numbering the days from her arrival sequentially to better follow the progress of this discussion?"

Naruto stared at Sai blankly while Kakashi sighed.

"Sakura and most of the girls in her class were kind of obsessed with Sasuke when they were kids; it doesn't have anything to do with her choice of weaponry." At Sai's blank stare, Kakashi waved his hand. "I'll explain later. No need to number the days. What did Sasuke say when you asked him this question?"

Sai looked at his notes. "'Friends first; more later.'" He stated. "I asked him what 'more,' meant," he continued, "but-,"

"Let me guess," Naruto rolled his eyes. "He said they were 'close.'" Naruto punctuated 'close' with exaggerated air quotations. Sai's eyes widened, and he gave a soft bark of laughter. "Bastard never changes." He cracked open a bottle of water and took a hearty gulp. "Like you said, Sakura came to KU from Suna. It's not really my story to tell, but the short version is that they slowly became friends, and eventually started dating."

"Dating," Sai sat up straighter. "I have read about dating. That is where individuals spend time together building and testing the viability of a relationship. I understand that it is characterized by planned activities, fights, making up from fights, and engaging in various and escalating levels of physical contact, up to and including physical union of male and female genitalia accompanied by rhythmic movements."

Naruto stared at him, open mouthed, while Kakashi smothered a giggle.

"Coitus," Sai clarified.

"…?!"

"Intercour-

"I know what it is, Sai," Naruto blushed fiercely. "I'm just not sure I've ever heard it put… quite that way. And before you ask me," he held up a hand, "I will not discuss Sasuke or Sakura and sex. Ever. That goes way past anything I want to think about, and I sure as hell don't want to be thinking about it with you. That topic is off limits." Naruto shuddered.

Sai frowned. From what he had read, the presence or absence of sex in a relationship could be a major factor in the dynamics of said relationship. It seemed to him that if there was intelligence regarding that factor, it would be of mutual benefit to the team to know about it.

Naruto shook his head, guessing his train of thought. "Trust me," he said, punctuating each word with an index finger jab on the table. "Not. Our. Business."

Sai shifted uncomfortably. "So, they were dating. Without inquiring as to the physical implications, am I to assume that their relationship was rather involved?"

Naruto blew out a sigh. "He loved her, Sai," he said, looking up at the ceiling. "And she loved him. It was the most normal I saw him act since, well, ever. Growing up, he was a pretty big jerk – haughty, cocky, and a pain in the ass. He came from an elite family inside of an elite clan, and was younger brother to the youngest person to make Jōnin since a clan prodigy in the Third Hokage's time. When we were about eight years old, a bunch of people got sick in Konoha, and all of his family died except for his parents and brother. We were recruited to ANBU really early and were full Jōnin before we turned fifteen. We were comrades and friends. The year we turned sixteen, his parents were killed, and his brother was blamed. He lost everyone he cared about, then."

Naruto pinned Sai with a look. "You were in ROOT. How much do you know?"

Sai folded his hands and met Naruto's eyes evenly. "Sasuke swore revenge on his brother. He was persuaded to defect from Konoha and the ASF and join Orochimaru and the Sound. The cover story was that he had gone elsewhere to finish his education. Since the public is unaware of ANBU, there weren't suspicions on that front, but the event was big news in Konoha. The last of the Uchiha was gone, Sasuke left town, and Itachi became a rogue-nin and known criminal. Internal to ANBU, though, it was a massive deal; ROOT was aware of the situation."

"I'll bet," Naruto snorted. "Orochimaru was directly threatening Konoha and the Allied Shinobi Nations. He became the top target for all ANBU, and as it was assumed he would be using Sasuke against us, he was right up there in the bingo book - as you are well aware."

Sai nodded.

"It took us almost two years to get him back, and there were still more questions than answers. He was not an easy person to know. Sakura, though…" He trailed off with a fond smile. "She got under his skin. She was the only person smart and strong enough and kind enough to keep up with him on all the levels he needed."

"She was his girlfriend." Sai stated.

Naruto winced. "She never liked that word," he rubbed the back of his neck. "I think it reminded her too much of her fan girl days. She said that 'boyfriend and girlfriend' sounded too soporific."

Sai blinked twice.

"Probably sophomoric," Kakashi interjected, knowing that Naruto would never use either 'soporific' or 'sophomoric' unless he had overheard it somewhere.

"Nah, we were freshmen."

Sai looked to Kakashi blankly, who just shook his head. "Let it go," he muttered.

"But yeah," Naruto continued, oblivious to the side discussion, "she was his girlfriend. I think if all of that stuff hadn't gone down during our third year, he never would have left. They'd probably be married by now."

"You think Sasuke would have married Dr. Haruno?"

Naruto shot a look at Kakashi before looking back at the table. "Yeah. Yeah, I do," he said quietly.

"So," Sai looked to him openly, "What happened?"

Kakashi took up the narrative. "Sasuke got word that there was information about his parent's killer."

"Actually, he got a warning that he was still being targeted, and that the killer was dangerous." Naruto jumped back in. "He didn't tell anyone that part." He mumbled.

"Who gave him this warning?" Sai asked.

Naruto shook his head and Kakashi continued, "He never said. If had to guess, it was Itachi."

"His brother?" Sai furrowed his brow. "I thought he didn't trust-"

"Another story," Kakashi waved a hand impatiently. "I don't know for sure, but whatever information he got, it riled Sasuke up pretty badly. He made plans to leave pretty much immediately. We only found out after the fact."

"And Dr. Haruno tried to stop him," Sai stated. "Explain this to me," he handed a small portion of the translated scroll to Naruto.

Naruto saw the date and grimaced.

"Haruno Sakura admitted under the care of Lady Tsunade. Was found on the bench of the road leading out of the village at approximately 4:00 AM by Hagane Kotetsu and Kamizuki Izumo. When questioned, she gave the following account:

'I was supposed to meet Sasuke, but couldn't find him. It was late. I was worried, and went searching for him. I stumbled upon him on the road out of town. He told me he had sudden news about his family's murder, and he was going after the people responsible. Nothing would dissuade him. I tried to stop him; he must have knocked me out. When I came to, it was morning and I was on the bench.'

She was found disoriented. Given the nature of the information she might have inadvertently gained, she was placed in a restorative sleep, and her memories searched by Yamanaka Inoichi. Uchiha apparently gave no clue as to what information he had found, or his suspected perpetrator."

Naruto sighed, heavily. "Sakura told me she had been having an early lunch with Sasuke, when he got a strange text message. He had become agitated and told her he had to take care of something, and he would see her later. He kissed her goodbye, and walked out of the restaurant. She never knew what it was about. Several people saw them there, though, and said he looked agitated. Inoichi even tried to see if she remembered any details subconsciously, but there was nothing helpful. She went back to her apartment but didn't get worried until later. She said she had a strange feeling and went looking for him. She made it to the outskirts of the village where she saw him on his way out of town. How she stumbled upon him, I'll never know. He must have been too preoccupied to notice she was there. She saw him leaving town, they had words, he thanked her, knocked her out cold, and left her on the bench before getting the heck out of dodge."

Sai put on his best fake smile and raised an index finger. "I don't know what dodge is or why he had to get out of it, but I believe this is where Kiba would say 'I call bullshit."

"Eh?" Naruto raised his eyebrows.

"You are telling me an elite Uchiha genius ANBU member even in the middle of emotional distress couldn't have sensed a kunoichi who was making no attempt to conceal herself as she searched for him on the only main path out of town? Why would he even take a footpath? You told me before he wanted revenge; you think he would have just leisurely walked out of town after getting that kind of news? His speed is incredible; if he wanted to go undetected, it would have been less than child's play for him."

Naruto continued to stare at Sai and opened his mouth to argue, but Kakashi stayed perfectly still.

"B-But Sakura was a wreck for ages after it happened," the blonde sputtered. "Kotetsu and Izumo found her on that bench at four in the morning. She was so disoriented, they even had her memory scanned to make sure she was recalling it accurately. Inoichi saw the same thing she described. Ino, too." Naruto grimaced, fairly certain his ears blistered for weeks once the Yamanaka woman had told him everything, including some words he had never heard so creatively combined before. "It might not make sense, but that is what happened."

Sai couldn't believe his luck. This was it. He had waited for months to copy the following move, and was never so certain that he was about to nail a socially appropriate gesture in all of his life.

Deliberately, he raised a hand to his mouth and coughed "Bullshit!"

Kakashi looked between them both and smiled behind his mask.

Sai silently congratulated himself with another of Kiba's trade phrases.

"Nailed it."

"And now you know why I gave Sai that scroll," Kakashi said lazily as he leaned forward on the table. "He's right. It makes no sense. The only plausible explanation is that someone has altered Sakura's memories. She is highly resistant to genjutsu, and it would have taken someone with incredible skill to rewrite her memory so completely that neither Yamanaka could detect it. We need to find out what really happened five years ago, and why someone would go to all of this trouble."

Naruto stared at Kakashi "I know why I want to find out," he said bluntly. "Sakura is my friend, and so is Sasuke. But why is this only coming up now? And why aren't we asking Sasuke about this?"

"Sakura is formally a member of ANBU now," Kakashi said, "or at least she will be by the end of today. I said I didn't have personal contact with her before she started working at the hospital, and that is true. What I didn't tell you is that I was assigned by the previous Hokage to keep tabs on her."

"Why?" Naruto questioned, frowning. "Why would Master Sarutobi concern himself with Sakura?"

"Her father's transfer to Suna," Sai finally said, his dark eyes serious.

Naruto looked between Sai and Kakashi, exasperated. "What the hell does her dad have to do with anything?"

"I read his civilian file just in case. His work record was solid, but not exceptional. When the request for transfers came from the Suna branch, he was one of the members that accepted a position. Both he and his wife were competent enough to be of help in Suna, but not integral enough in Konoha to be irreplaceable." Sai looked to Kakashi, who nodded. "So… He wasn't sent to Suna for the ASF."

Kakashi gave Sai an appreciative look before nodding. "Kizashi is a good man, but unexceptional. The kind of employee that might be briefly missed, but easily replaced. There is only one reason he was sent to Suna."

Naruto finally caught on. "To get Sakura out of Konoha," he breathed. "But, why?"

"Master Sarutobi suspected Danzo was building up ROOT to threaten the ASF. A spy in the organization indicated he was tracking several of your class, and Sakura was one of them."

Sai frowned. "But there is nothing in her file that indicates why he would have wanted her then. There is no way she would be at the level she is now if she hadn't studied with Chiyo and Tsunade, and that training would not have been at his disposal." Sai knew the kind of potential that would have attracted Danzo – he knew better than anyone.

"Exactly," Kakashi sighed. "Of all of the people that gained his interest, she made the least sense. For that reason, she would be the hardest to protect. Master Sarutobi arranged for her to transfer and work with Chiyo where she would be safe. His intuition was found to be correct. Extensive files were found on her when we searched Danzo's base. They had been tampered with, however. Someone erased themselves from that file after Danzo's death."

"Don't tell me-," Naruto stared.

"I told you that Sakura is highly resistant to genjutsu. There are only a few people that could have rewritten her memories of that night so completely, and before you ask," he looked to them both, "That does not include Sasuke. Of the agents we rounded up, none of them would have had that ability. Someone did not want to be found out. Chances are, they are still out there."

"A spy?" Naruto gasped. "Are you serious? What did the files say?"

"They tracked her progress from the time she was eight years old until the day we took down Danzo. You understand, don't you?" Kakashi asked seriously. "There was information about her time with Chiyo, her ties in Suna, her relationship and friends at Konoha University. There is only one way someone could have gotten that information."

"They were on the inside," Sai narrowed his eyes. "You had a spy in ANBU."

Kakashi's jawline tightened. "HAVE a spy in ANBU," he corrected. "The spy was never caught. It is unlikely that he or she ever left. Now that Sakura is back,-"

"She could be in more danger than ever," Naruto finished grimly. "And if she is in danger,"

"Then Danzo's work might not be done yet," Sai concluded. "Which is why we can't tell Sasuke."

Kakashi nodded to his team. "As of today, you have both been assigned to a classified team to investigate these matters regarding the possible resurgence of ROOT. You will work with me."

"With you?" Naruto raised his eyebrows. "Then who is captain?"

"Well at least you can ask some of the right questions," a voice drawled from the corner. The two younger men turned in surprise to see a white-haired man stand to his full height with a lazy stretch. "Guess I didn't waste too much time teaching this knucklehead," he rubbed his fist into the top of Naruto's head.

"Jiraya," Kakashi nodded his head as Naruto rubbed his gingerly. "I'm glad you made it back. The field/combat evaluations are today."

"Don't I know it," Jiraya smiled lasciviously. "I'm looking forward to seeing how the two kunoichi have … improved." He laughed a bit too loudly and Naruto shook his head.

"Same old pervy sage," he muttered.

8:26 AM KST
Konoha, Uchiha Towers. Penthouse.

The file on Sakura began with her entrance to the academy.

Sai had asked what she had been like.

He hadn't really paid much attention to her back then. He hadn't paid attention to anyone back then. He had only wanted recognition from two people: his father and his brother. Of course, he remembered her being one of the girls that tried to fawn over him, but he also remembered that she had been one of the only ones to keep up with him academically.

As he slipped behind the wheel of his car, he decided that there were things about her file that bothered him.

For instance, Sakura was listed as a genjutsu type – a talent that normally got picked up on right away and developed – and yet there was no record of her ever using or attempting to use genjutsus.

All applications of her abilities appeared to be passive. Her scores showed she detected and dispelled genjutsus with great skill.

There was absolutely no record of her developing the skill beyond that.

This puzzled Sasuke, and he didn't like to be puzzled.

He parked his car and keyed his way into the elevator, using his keycard to go below street level so he could take the shuttle to the base.

When he passed the stop for the Hyūga hospital, he was reminded of Naruto's strange conviction that Hinata would somehow be an ally to their cause.

He scoffed out loud.

The idea that any Hyūga would willingly help an Uchiha was completely foreign to him.

He crossed his arms and tried to remember anything about the former Hyūga heir.

Sakura's files showed their class rankings. He remembered that he, Shino, Ino, and Sakura consistently scored well, but was genuinely surprised to find the Hyūga girl was listed right with the rest of them at the top of the class; at least academically speaking. That had taken Sasuke aback; he had no recollection of her accomplishments, but according to the file, she consistently scored as high as or sometimes higher than Sakura and Ino.

Ino, he remembered. Ino was the most accomplished kunoichi in their class. Her battle sense, jutsus, weapon usage, and practical intelligence set her apart. Sakura consistently answered questions correctly in class and could spout off random minutia regarding ninja laws and codes, but was only average with weapons and shinobi skills.

And Hinata….?

Sasuke found he had not a single memory of Hinata as a student.

He frowned. Their clans were not known to be much more than civil to one another, so he wasn't really surprised that he was dismissive of her. No. What unnerved him was that while he prided himself on noticing the world around him, he had little more than a cursory recollection of the Hyūga girl.

Unsurprisingly, he was first to the meeting, so he flicked on the kettle to make himself a cup of tea, picking through the available teabags. He would've preferred a stove-top kettle and loose-leaf tea; he was old-fashioned when it came to tea, and had a deep appreciation for it. He supposed it was left over from his mother, although if he thought about it, Itachi had always been fond of a good pot of tea.

"Drink this. It will make you feel better."

He jolted away from the counter as fragments of memories came bubbling up to the surface from depths unknown.

Walking home from school with Itachi. Not feeling well... A Hyūga woman approaching… The small figure standing – no – hiding behind her…his brother shoving him down into a polite bow.

"Lady Hyūga. How may I help you?"

A gentle smile, and a voice like kindness and gentle rain.

His brain was muddled with the early stages of fever, and he looked to his classmate for an explanation, but she kept her head politely lowered and her hands clasped in front of her.

The world tilted on its axis.

Dizziness. Disorientation.

A cool hand on his forehead.

"Drink this, little brother."

Three days in and out of a delirious state. Waking in a cold sweat the night his fever broke to find Itachi sitting on his bed, staring out of the window. Itachi turning to look at him with a pale, tell-tale trace of a tear damp on his cheek

The Clan Plague.

The strange illness that had swept through Konoha, leaving his immediate family as the only Uchiha survivors. They were also the only family that hadn't needed to go to the hospital…

Sasuke tried to call forth any memories from that time, but found nothing more than a vague recollection of a girl with short hair and the Hyūga eyes.

"Uchiha," a commanding voice interrupted his ruminations. He turned to find Tsunade standing in the doorway with her hands on her hips. "With me," she motioned before striding down the hall.

Sasuke gathered his tea while her "I don't like to be kept waiting," rang with irritation from down the hall.

"In here," she ushered him into a room. "One-way observation area of the training and testing arena. I expect a full report on the new recruits. Put those famous eyes of yours to good use," she pinned him with a stare. "I don't want you to miss a second." Sasuke maintained eye contact ignoring the niggling suspicion forming at the back of his mind. "Your team will join you shortly," she turned to leave. "You will not quit this room until you are released. This is an official mission, understand Uchiha?"

"Ha," he nodded. (She smirked. It wasn't a full 'hai,' but it was a half-step up from his normally grunted 'hn.')

"Enjoy the show," she grinned wickedly, and he knew in an instant what that gleam in her eyes meant. "Every. Damned. Second." The soft click of the door behind her resounded ominously in the silence of the room. He took a deep breath and turned to face the one-way glass behind him. The speakers in the room began to buzz quietly, and the room was soon filled with the white noise from the area below him.

"Report to the holding area for the Training Arena, Hyūga Hinata and Haruno Sakura."

Sasuke's world spun and collided in a burst of light before his eyes as the dark arena lighting flared to life. A series of monitors flicked on in the room, casting an eerie glow on the dark walls. His eyes darted to the screens; there were close-ups of several of the areas below. He snorted. With his eyes, he didn't need the monitors. He might need something to punch, but he didn't need the monitors.

A familiar hand was firm on his shoulder. He didn't bother to turn around, and was glad the idiot had been smart enough to allow himself to be sensed before he did something as potentially lethal as touching him. He flicked a menacing glare at Naruto, but the serious look in his blue eyes placated his building rage. Sasuke had been ready for the jibes and the jokes. He had not been ready for the fierce determination and loyalty that met his piercing stare. A second of innate understanding passed between the long-time friends and rivals, and Sasuke gave a sharp nod.

He wasn't in this alone.

*Worth noting that the order of events/timeline in this AU is different than canon.

When Naruto and friends were:
8: Clan plague - wiped out Uchiha clan except for Sasuke/Itachi and parents (canon timing of the massacre)
12 - graduated from genin, and Sakura left for Suna
15 - Sasuke/Naruto recruited to ANBU/already Jonin.
16: Fugaku and Mikoto murdered, presumably by Itachi. Sasuke defects and joins Orochimaru/Sound
16/17: Sakura goes to Suna U early, Sasuke retrieval efforts
18: Sasuke returns to ANBU, enrolls at KU (Sakura transfers to Konoha U 2nd half of year to study with Tsunade)
20: Sasuke leaves Konoha to go after Danzo
20-22: efforts to break down ROOT/eliminate Danzo (Sakura at KU)
22-present: rebuilding ANBU after Danzo's attempted coup. 
They are all turning 26 this year, Konohamaru will be 22 in December, Hanabi is turning 20.

**Also worth noting: Sakura in canon was a full medic ninja by the time she was 16. The University system would be a relatively young thing in the Naruto world; becoming a doctor wouldn't be the massive, extended educational commitment it is today. It would be structured more as a very intensive internship, and would rely heavily on a combination of technology and advanced chakra techniques. No "Med school" as we would think of it. Just things I think about and thought I'd share.

Thank you so much for returning to this story, friends! - GL

Chapter Text

The original chapter six was 18, 876 words long. It contained bits of the last two chapters, and this chapter, as well as some things going forward. (Chapter seven was the shortest at only  2793 words long, and it is part of the end of this chapter now.) Pretty hefty, right? Still not the longest of the old story. The longest "chapter" was 49,200 words, and I split it into chapters 10, 11, 12, and 13. Not happening this time around, friends!

**So where did Konohamaru go after talking to Hanabi? To the story Bonfire Nights. That story will run concurrently with this one. You don't have to read both... but you might miss a few things if you don't. NejiTen friends - you will want to read both. Just sayin'

You Must Believe in Spring
Chapter Six: Watch What Happens

Wednesday, March 25 th  9:00 AM KST
Konoha, ANBU Base/Training Arena

Hinata stepped into the training arena and blinked at the bright lights, willing her heartbeat to regulate.

She soon found a large, furry nose pushing her hand up to rest on his head. She smiled at Akamaru and tightened her fingers in his fur. "Thanks, Akamaru," she whispered to him, taking comfort in the feel of his fur between her fingers.

Something in the air buzzed, and she instinctively activated her Byakugan. Out of nowhere, trees shot up from the ground, the training posts disappeared, and the entire terrain of the area morphed into something out of the forests of Konoha. A man with dark, widely spaced eyes appeared before her.

"Yamato-sensei," she nodded, "Forgive me for not greeting you properly," she kept her eyes on him. Although she recognized the man as one who had collaborated with her team on several occasions, she knew better than to bow to someone that might, for today's purposes, be an enemy.

He bowed to her with an approving smile. "You have two team mates to find, and another team to beat," he informed her. "Several ANBU members will be evaluating your performance. At this level, there will be no intervention unless an agent is near death. Do you understand?"

"Yes," she nodded again, and his smile widened.

"Good luck, Hinata." He disappeared just in time to for her to artfully dodge several kunai that buried themselves in a tree behind her. Hinata felt her heartbeat level out as she focused on her goal.

"Are you ready, Akamaru?"

He gave two, short, sharp barks.

"Find Shino first," she said, her eyes scanning the area. Akamaru could always find Kiba; she needed to be sure that she secured the ally that would be harder to find on her own. She saw his familiar chakra pattern ahead and to her left. Akamaru bobbed his head once - he sensed the same thing. "Good boy," she murmured.

They wasting no time following their respective senses to where Shino waited, leaning against a tree.

With less than a thought, Hinata leaped at her teammate rather than next to him, effectively knocking them both away from a rain of senbon that embedded in the tree. She saw the grouping and looked up to Shino. "Tenten?"

"It would appear so."

Hinata set her jaw more firmly. Without a word, they both made their way to Kiba who waved cheerily at them.

"Good job!" he gave her a thumbs up. "Now let's go-" POOF!

He disappeared as her kunai sailed straight through him.

"Good eyes," Shino complimented her as she retrieved her weapon from the ground. It was only a moment later that they found the real Kiba, grinning wolfishly from where he leaned up against a rock formation.

"Nice," he complimented her before the three of them took off to where three other chakra signatures were gathering.

Kiba sniffed the air and looked sidelong at Hinata.

"I know," she said, pounding her foot off of the tree branch to leap forward.

Team Kurenai operated with a seamless synchronicity borne of countless hours of training, and an ironclad trust in one another. When a smoke bomb sailed over their heads to smash into a tree just in front of Kiba, Shino jumped back to cover as Hinata charged ahead, ripping a piece of fabric out of her pocket and breaking a vial of liquid she had stashed inside of it. They each carried one, anticipating an attack on Kiba's heightened senses. Kiba tripped on the next tree branch, and she dove to break his fall before covering his mouth and nose with the fabric. His eyes were at half mast, but she could tell from the way they crinkled at the corner, he was trying to smile at her. She gave him a small smile in return, but felt his body tense as he darted his eyes to the side. She ducked just in time to miss a flying kick from Lee.

"I am sorry, Hinata," he said apologetically. "I have to fight with the full power of youth against you."

Shino dropped in front of her. "He knows how to counteract Neji. Get Kiba up and running and then go find Tenten."

Kiba stood on his own. "I'm good," he said, retying the mask around his face. "Shino, you go after Neji." The two shinobi flickered out of sight.

"I'd much rather spar with you, Kiba," Lee smiled brightly. "I don't feel nearly as guilty unleashing the Blue Beast of Konoha on a fellow male!"

Kiba grinned behind the mask. "Just try it."

.
.

Tenten was in the trees setting a trap, swiping impatiently at something that flicked across her face. She had heard Shino; she had to finish this and get to Neji before Hinata got over to her. "They are headed your way," she said into her earpiece. A detonation resounded off to the left - one of her traps had been triggered. Her grin was sharp.

"Got one!"

"Sounds like they found one of your gifts," Neji's voice was smug over the earpiece. "You do remember that when this is over, I have to return Hinata to my Uncle intact?"

"I remember," she said dryly. "You ready for your part of the plan?"

Neji's voice crackled in her earpiece.

"Interference," she frowned. "Repeat."

Neji's voice devolved further into unintelligible nonsense, the crackling giving way to a high-pitched feedback.

"Damn it," she yanked out the earpiece, jamming a finger against her ear canal. "What gives?"

She inspected the communicator and almost scrambled halfway up the tree when several bugs crawled out, lazily chomping on some sparking electronic components.

"Son of a-!"

"Apologies, Tenten," Shino's sonorous voice distorted by the ringing in her ears was the last thing she heard before everything went dark. Shino carried her down and carefully placed her at the base of the tree while Hinata put a hand to her head. With a pulse of chakra, she placed Tenten into a suspended sleep to eliminate her from the round. She lingered a half moment longer to heal what would have been a bruise at the back of her neck. In this instance it was a kindness paid a comrade. In the field, it was a way to obscure that the person had been attacked in the first place.

Akamaru and Kiba sailed overhead, with Lee in close pursuit. "You cannot evade my YOUTH!" he cried out.

"I'm sure as hell gonna try," Kiba called back over his shoulder, leading Lee away from them. Hinata and Shino said nothing as they moved on to find Neji. They were not generally long range fighters; once they realized that they were fighting Gai's team they knew that Tenten had to be taken out of the equation. Lee and Neji depended largely on close range for their attacks, and would leverage her skills against them to either force them into or away from an opponent.

Hinata kept a sharp look out for traps; Tenten might be knocked out, but that didn't take her fully out of the game. She remembered her as being cunning and lightning fast at setting traps. As if to verify her train of thought, she spotted a web of tripwires with her Byakugan.

"Trip wires ahead."

They veered to a different path but an explosion prevented them from changing direction.

"She is pushing us to that clearing," Shino nodded to the area ahead. "Why you ask? Because my insects have verified that there are traps surrounding this area. That means that the objective is to force us into combat with-"

"Behind you!"

Shino barely had enough time to evade the kunai/explosive tag combination that launched toward him.

Separated, Hinata was forced into the clearing while Shino was forced back into the trees. Shino tried to join her, but grimaced as he realized he was mired in some sticky substance that slowed his insects and prevented him from moving. He tapped his earpiece, "Trapped," he said in a clipped tone. "It will take me some time, Hinata."

"Understood," she turned to the center of the clearing, certain about what was coming.

Neji did not disappoint.

"Hinata," he dipped his head.

A smile flitted across her lips.

"Neji."

They were not "Lady Hinata" or "Brother Neji" here.

Here, they were opponents.

Here, they were equals.

They stood quietly for half a heartbeat longer before dropping into their respective stances. Hinata's chakra pooled and flared around her hands as they circled one another. Neji warned her that he may have to fight her, and he would not be able to hold back. She understood that, just as she knew he was the better fighter. A protracted, drawn out fight would not end in her favor. Luckily, she wasn't planning on one.

Their fight was an agile ballet, deadly in its grace. He'd nearly shut off the chakra in her left arm; she nearly did the same to his right. She felt her heart hammer in her chest, and she willed it to regulate.

"Just a little longer," she thought.

Neji was stronger and faster, that was certain, but she was quick and more flexible. She leaned back to a ridiculous angle to allow his attack to sail over her.

He dropped into an all-too familiar stance, and met her eyes in challenge.

"You're in range."

She leaped backward, flinging several kunai in his direction as Shino did the same from his perch in the tree. Neji knocked the first few away with his own kunai before beginning his Eight Trigrams Palm Rotating Heaven technique. Hinata and Shino returned fire just as Kiba exploded onto the scene, jumping toward Neji with Lee right behind him. At the last second, Akamaru jumped and knocked Lee into Neji's ultimate defense before carrying Kiba to safety. Lee was sent flying back into a tree and knocked out, leaving Neji to find two of the three members of Team Eight with kunai pointing to his throat, the third had deployed a swarm of insects to hover nearby. He slowly raised his hands and smiled at his cousin with obvious pride.

"I concede victory."

Tsunade's voice came over the speaker.

"The exercise is over. Team Eight Wins."

.

Kiba lowered his weapon. "Too bad that worked," he pocketed his kunai. "Next up was dynamic marking." Neji grimaced while Hinata smiled. "Better go round up the others," Kiba continued. "I'll get Tenten - you check on Lee, Hinata."

Lee hadn't taken long to recover; they had managed to knock him out just long enough to be neutralized. He was already standing when Hinata crossed the short distance to him. "Ah, Hinata!" he grabbed her shoulders enthusiastically. "Well done! I am not surprised that Neji's beautiful cousin was so youthful in her performance!"

"Lee…," Neji warned.

"Right!" he snapped to with a salute. "See you in the observation area!" he gave his signature 'Nice Guy' pose before disappearing from the arena.

Shino dropped down from the tree as Akamaru bounded over carrying Kiba who was holding an unconscious Tenten. Hinata released the induced sleep with a press of a hand to her forehead. Tenten's eyes fluttered open, and she woke to Kiba's slow smile. "Well hello there, Sleeping Beauty."

"Hello, yourself," she let him help her to standing. Shino coughed discretely, while Neji narrowed his eyes. "You got me good," she gave Shino a wry smile. "Both of you," she amended, with a nod to Hinata.

Yamato appeared next to them.

"We need to reset for the next match," he informed them. "A medic is waiting or you in the holding areas. Tenten - are you alright to proceed?"

"Yeah. Still a little creeped out by Shino's trick but other than that, I'm alright. You owe me a new earpiece, by the way," she turned to Shino.

"Noted."

"Then we shall proceed," Yamato ignored their exchange. "I shall repair the arena. Tenten, set up the artillery and basic skills area. Since Haruno Sakura is a registered Suna-nin, we will be doing a brief skills check before her field evaluation. Neji, for the purposes of this exercise, you are officially her sponsor. You are to remain in the arena for the duration of her testing. She is being escorted down as we speak."

"Understood."

"Team Kurenai, dismissed." With that, he melted back toward the trees.

"Welp!" Kiba clapped his hands together, "Guess that's our cue. Stay out of trouble," he winked at Tenten before following his team from the arena.

Tenten turned to find Neji scowling deeply at Kiba's retreating back. "He didn't get you with dynamic marking, did he?" she sniffed delicately, ignoring his murderous glare. She shrugged and fished a new earpiece out of her pocket. "Stupid bugs," she shuddered.

"I'm going to go set up the artillery. You get Haruno in place," she nodded to the pink-haired kunoichi that was approaching them before she flicked out of sight.

Neji met Sakura part way. "Are you ready?"

"Absolutely," she smiled as she cracked her knuckles. "Been a while since I could cut loose!"

"Well then," he gave a knowing smirk, having spotted a familiar chakra signature in Observation Deck 7, "show them what you've got."

9:25 AM KST
Konoha, ANBU Base/Observation Deck 7

"Aw, man, did you see that?" Naruto slapped his palms on his thighs. "Man, I was worried about Team Eight going up against those guys, but that was great!"

"I am surprised that Neji and Hinata did not spar more," Sai frowned. "I had been looking forward to a duel between gentle fist users."

Kakashi shook his head. "Neji is one of the best agents we have, and a genius in his own right, well on his way to surpassing even Hiashi. By all accounts, Hinata is excellent with their clan technique, but she was smart enough not to have the exercise devolve into a one-on-one with her cousin. She is supposed to be quite clever." He added.

Sasuke only half listened to the chatter around him.

He was still considering the pale, raven haired Hyūga, and his vague, recently unearthed memory from the Clan Plague. While she clearly was no longer the same child from the Academy, there was a gentleness in her face that seemed to have remained the same. He found himself thinking: "She looks like her mother." Still, he could not but wonder what use Naruto thought she was going to be to their - his - cause.

It was the collective and sudden silence from his team that broke his concentration, and drew his eyes back to the arena.

Sasuke would know that walk anywhere, pink hair or no pink hair. Without thinking, he activated his Sharingan, occasionally flicking his gaze to the monitors in the room.

Her hair was longer than it used to be, and was pulled into a ponytail. He focused on the lavender diamond on her forehead, proof that Tsunade's disciple had completed her training. He memorized every detail, his face completely impassive. That was, until Neji spoke with her. Until she smiled at Neji. Until Neji touched her. Until Neji looked to where he must have known they were standing. Sasuke worked a muscle in his jaw and willed himself to stay calm. Five years had been a very long time.

"Haruno, Sakura." Tsunade's voice boomed over the speaker. "As you are officially registered as a Suna shinobi, there will be a quick battery of tests to assess basic skills. Hyūga Neji will proctor."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes, and pretending he didn't feel the color rise to his cheeks. Neji must've spotted him with the Byakugan, since he subtly, and intentionally mouthed the words "Watch closely, Uchiha."

"It's not fair," Naruto complained. "You can both use Sharingan to get a better view."

Sasuke shot a look to Kakashi, who met his gaze, one eye a spiral of crimson and black.

Sasuke knew that look.

That was the "Calm the #$%^ down, Uchiha" look.

Sakura went through a fast battery of shurikenjutsu, evading a barrage of weapons undoubtedly fired from Tenten, running across water and up trees, and executing basic jutsus.

"C'mon, get to the good stuff," Naruto grumbled.

"Strength testing," Neji called out.

Sakura looked around as if waiting for permission. Neji put a hand to his ear before stepping back. "Go ahead," he sighed. He signaled and soon Tenten was by his side, and they flicked out of sight.

"What is she up to?" Naruto went up to the window and practically pressed his nose against the glass.

Sakura's hand began to glow brightly as she strode confidently to the middle of an open area.

"I-Is the ground breaking under her feet?" Naruto asked incredulously.

Sakura pulled a fist back and slammed it into the ground with a triumphant "SHANNARO!" There was a deafening and resounding blast as the earth crumbled and buckled under the force of her blow, the shock emanating out from her fist to rumble through the training ground, uprooting trees, throwing dirt and debris into the air, and disrupting the sound feed to the observation rooms. A tree slammed into the window, and Naruto fell on his backside, trying to dodge, much to Sai's amusement.

When the dirt and air cleared, the entire training ground was destroyed. Trees were uprooted, debris was everywhere, and Sakura stood triumphantly at the midpoint of the blast radius. Neji and Tenten flickered back in behind her; apparently, they had known what to expect and gotten the hell out of the way.

"Strength testing complete," Neji said dryly.

"What the hell was THAT?" Naruto asked, standing up shakily.

"That," Kakashi pulled his forehead protector back over his eye, "was what happens when you let Tsunade's apprentice loose. You should see what her teacher can do."

"O-obaachan can do that?" Naruto stuttered.

"Not exactly," Kakashi shrugged.

Naruto began to sigh in relief, "Oh, thank-,"

"She's worse." Kakashi finished.

A collective shudder passed through them all.

Sasuke said nothing, but a single bead of sweat rolled down the side of his face. He fought to control his racing pulse and to reign in a heady mix of surprise, dread, fear, and quite possibly excitement. He frowned, displeased with his own reaction - which is to say, he was displeased he reacted in any capacity - and quickly reasserted his icy self control.

"Yamato. Report and reset the Training Arena," Tsunade's voice rang proudly over the loudspeaker. "Proctors, take Haruno Sakura back to the holding area."

"How do you even follow that up?" Naruto motioned to the destruction in the arena. "If that doesn't say 'she's in, let's go home,' I don't know what does."

"Dr. Haruno still has to complete the team exercise," Sai interjected.

"It should be a good match," Kakashi rubbed his chin.

"Yeah?" Naruto's eyes brightened. "What makes you say so?"

"Well," Kakashi crossed his arms, "or starters..."

Sasuke tuned out their conversation, his calm restored. In moments, the exercises would be over and he could get home, and clear the day from his mind. He grimaced as Neji touched Sakura's arm to lead her to the exit with Tenten right behind them.

It might all be over soon, but couldn't be over soon enough.

9:45 AM KST
Konoha, ANBU Base/Training Arena Holding Area #3

Sakura, Neji, and Tenten did as asked, running into a sighing Yamato on his way to reset the arena.

"Sorry!" Sakura called after him.

"Don't lie, Haruno," Tenten snorted. "You loved every second of that."

"Yeah," she smiled. "I kinda did."

"Very impressive," Neji smiled smoothly down at her.

"Thanks, boss," she nudged his arm, her smile brilliant.

"Man, and you get mad about me bringing weapons into the hospital," Tenten eyed them both. "How are you classified; as a tank?"

Sakura laughed as Tenten opened the door to the holding/observation area.

"Sakura!" Kiba jumped up. "That was amazing!"

"Well done," Hinata beamed.

"You, too," Sakura hugged her friend. "I knew you'd be great."

Hinata flushed at the compliment. "Thanks."

"That's our team mate," Kiba gloated. He nudged Tenten. "How's the head?"

"Fine, thanks to your teammate," she looked to Hinata. "Or no thanks to your teammate," she shot Shino a look.

"Yeah," Kiba looped an arm over her shoulder. "You have to watch Shino – he gets wild when he's in the field."

"That is an incredibly stupid and untrue remark," Shino muttered. "That is because-,"

"Neji," Shizune's voice came over the intercom. "Please escort Sakura to the arena when she is called. Tenten, please remain with Team Eight for the remainder of the exercises."

With an "Understood," from Neji and a "Got it" from Tenten, the speaker went silent.

"Hanging out with the cool kids?" Kiba looked down at Tenten, his arm still draped easily over her shoulder.

"Looks like it," she grinned back. "We going to take bets on the next match?"

"You know it." Kiba looked at Sakura. "Got any tips, Doctor? I'm guessing you'll end the match in under five minutes."

Sakura laughed. "We'll see. Neji?" she looked over to her friend. "Are you alright? Your color is a little off."

Neji snapped his attention back to Sakura with a curt nod. "Sorry. My mind was… somewhere else."

Tenten snorted and headed over to the small fridge in the corner of the room grabbing out bottles of water and tossing them to her friends. "He's just getting old and out of shape, Sakura," she chucked a bottle of water at him that he caught easily. "Can't keep up with the young kids."

"Says the team mate that was unconscious the longest," he drawled.

"Not my fault that they were smart enough to go after the biggest threat first. At least I didn't have to hear anything about 'youth' for a while. I needed a break."

Sakura laughed at the banter between the two before running a green palm across Neji's forehead quickly. "You seem fine," she smiled. She turned to take the water bottle Tenten handed her. "You ok?"

"Hinata took care of me," Tenten waved her away. "Alright!" She whipped out a pad and a pen from one of her flack vest pockets. "Let's figure out what we're betting on for this fight. And don't think you are getting out of this, Hyūga," she pointed her pen at Neji. "You still owe me from the last time we bet on a match. I'm counting on a hell of a fight," she winked at Sakura. "At least five minutes and one second's worth."

"Hey!" Kiba called out. "No fair!"

Sakura pulled her gloves more firmly onto her hands. "I'll see what I can do."

9:50 AM KST
Konoha, ANBU Base/Observation Deck 7

"Okay, but did you SEE that?!" Konohamaru whipped around, pointing out the window for possibly the tenth time

"I think we caught it," Shikamaru sighed.

"I knew she could do it," Ino crowed. "That's our girl!"

Shikamaru glanced over to Temari who had watched everything in silence. He had been expecting more proprietary remarks about Sakura being a Sand Shinobi, or not needing to prove anything to the Leaf, but she had remained mute. The glint in her eyes had yet to fade from their early morning encounter with the messenger hawk; that combined with her unusual silence made him increasingly wary.

"She's sure come a long way," Chōji said, drumming his fingers on his leg. "When are Kiba and the others coming up?"

"They won't bring Hinata up here until Tsunade gives the final word," Ino nodded to the arena. "She isn't fully ANBU until this exercise is over."

The door flew open and Guy and Lee came running in. "DID YOU SEE THAT FANTASTIC DISPLAY OF YOUTH?!" Guy bellowed, his eyes wide, his volume set to eleven.

Shikamaru sighed. Temari flicked a gaze down to the arena and then over to Ino. "Little Kunoichi's room?" she asked.

"Down the hall, to the left," Ino jerked her head. "You want me to show you?"

"Nah – I just get turned around in this part of the base. See you in a bit." She headed out of the door, and Shikamaru felt a very specific pain in the side of his head. She was up to something – of that he was certain. It wasn't as if she was going to lead an assault on Konoha, but he knew without a doubt that that woman had a plan, and he wasn't going to like it. He smothered a sigh, and watched Yamato reconstruct the training ground as his mind began similarly constructing and discarding a myriad of potential scenarios from the data she had given him so far.

"Proctor Hyūga, please escort Haruno Sakura to the training area," Tsunade's voice rang in the room, and they all eagerly took their seats.

"How are they going to do the next test?" Chōji jerked a thumb toward the window. "I thought Sakura's team wasn't even made up of ASF members; will they team her up with one of our teams?"

Ino looked out over the training grounds. "There are two teams ready to go - Genma's and Aoba's. Shizune and Sakura will draw lots to see who goes with what team."

"Oh?" Chōji cocked his head to the side. "I can see where including Shizune makes sense - she's probably the only medic-nin that can really match Sakura - but why draw lots for the teams?"

"The medic-nin is often assigned to a team at random, and has to learn that team quickly," Konohamaru explained. "Grandfather says that Lady Tsunade is meticulous in teaching her students about how to analyze and unify a team."

Everyone stared at him.

"What?" he crossed his arms petulantly. "I know things. I pay attention."

"Hm," Guy rubbed his chin, oblivious to the side conversation. "I heard something about a request for clearance from the barrier corps to allow a team to transport in if need be. Of course," he folded his arms, "I was on my 300th lap around the base on my hands at the time. I might have heard incorrectly."

Shikamaru's eyes snapped open wide, and the pieces of the puzzle suddenly fell into place.

"Shit," he jumped up – surprising everyone in the room – and darted over to the window overlooking the training area. He saw Neji standing next to Sakura with his hand on his earpiece. He turned to relay a message to her.

"Haruno Sakura. As your team was unable to attend this exercise, a team will be assigned to you for-"

Suddenly, there were two more people on the training ground. "Who said her team couldn't attend?" A familiar voice challenged. With a groan, he saw that both Neji and Sakura were staring in surprise at Temari and Kankurō.

"You shouldn't be up," they could hear Sakura admonish the puppet master, who folded his arms with an inelegant snort.

"You think I'd miss this?" he asked, ruffling her hair.

Konohamaru frowned. "That doesn't make sense. Aren't they the Kazegage's body guards? Why would they be part of one of the random teams?"

Temari took out a scroll and in one swift motion broke the seal. There was a burst of light and wind that sent the dust in the arena flying.

Shikamaru stared down at the arena, gradually able to make out the people standing next to an unusually perplexed Hyūga Neji.

Sakura, apprentice to Chiyo and Tsunade.

Kankurō; The Sand and ANBU's most accomplished puppet master.

Temari; one of the most fearsome kunoichi's in ANBU.

Gaara: Jinchuriki, Kazekage, and one of the top rated and deadliest members of ANBU.

"Because," Shikamaru grimaced as he took in the pale man with the red hair, the eerily blue eyes, and the giant gourd of sand on his back. "They ARE her team."

10:02 AM KST
Undisclosed Location

The towering cylindrical vats of bubbling liquid glowed an eerie green in the dark room. On paper in some official file in Konoha, this facility had been destroyed by fire, gutted, and abandoned ages ago. That was the beautiful thing about paper – it didn't know whether or not it told a lie, and neither did the reader. Deep in the underground lair, though, the hum of machinery was low and constant. Each cylinder held test subjects suspended in viscous liquid, their mouths and noses covered by a breathing apparatus, and bodies crisscrossed with a bazaar and sinister network of wires and patches.

The figure that walked the main aisle of the disturbing glass menagerie darted a gaze over the rows of specimens, watching his reflection bend and warp across each vessel passed. He paused and raised a hand to the glass, touching it ever so gingerly before breaking contact and striding to the end of the hall.

He pushed through the large double doors, allowing his eyes to adjust to the bright lights and white walls of the sterile laboratory. The specimens fared better if they were stored in dark, cool areas where their life support chambers could function in quiet and macabre efficiency. It was here, though, that he did his work. Here he devoted hours and hours to his research and obsessions. He checked the equipment for possibly the hundredth time before jotting down a few key notes in a notebook and sealing it in a scroll.

The main door to the laboratory opened, and he turned to face the newcomers. "Ah," the light glared off of his glasses as he pushed them up his nose. "Madara. Rokuro. How good of you to come." The masked man came forward, the one eye visible in his orange mask glowed red and the older, cloaked man stepped behind him.

"What do you want, Kabuto," Madara asked, his voice stern. "I told you I was not to be disturbed."

"I understand," Kabuto said, all polite smiles, "But I think you are going to be pleased with our latest experiment." Kabuto lead them through another giant set of doors, this time taking them down a winding path. They came to an opening underground and looked up to the figure of a man encased in the wall; his torso jutting out as if he had been planted there. "It took years of searching," Kabuto said in a hushed and reverent tone, "but we finally found the right base. It coincides with the research I found; this is indeed Hashirama. His cells have been implanted here. Somehow this place escaped discovery after the fourth shinobi war; it faded into legend."

"This is not news, Kabuto," Rokuro spoke up, his voice sharp. "We validated this location over a year ago. What is your point?"

Kabuto gave a gleeful, dark chuckle. "It means that I have finally been able to culture and harvest those cells, and I made a remarkable discovery. I can recreate the experiments detailed in my research, and begin building our army."

"No reanimations," Madara said unequivocally. "The dead have earned their peace."

Kabuto's smile was disturbingly smug. "This doesn't require the dead." He didn't have any qualms about using the dead, but it did make his job easier to avoid it. "But it does mean one crucial thing."

"And that would be?" Rokuro asked peevishly.

"It means that we can finally begin the last phase. It is time to infiltrate ANBU."

Madara looked back and forth between the men.

"Then let it begin," he said darkly. He turned on his heel and left them to watch his back as he made his way back through the lab and down a separate corridor.

He opened the door to the smaller, private lab and locked it firmly behind him. It was here that he removed his mask, his gloves, his cloak, and his weariness. He rubbed his hands to his eyes. He looked older than his years; one side of his face smooth and unmarred, the other scarred and wrinkled. He laughed mirthlessly to himself. It was a fitting representation of what his life had become. He was half who he had been, and half what he was forced to become. This new whole was a person no one truly knew, and he used the mask and borrowed identity to keep it that way.

But he would not hide his true self here. Not in front of her.

The soft, pale white light that danced across his skin came from the machinery housed in the laboratory. There, encased in a larger and more elaborate apparatus than the cylinders of the main lab, a woman floated peacefully. Her hair was long and brown, her eyes were closed. Where the other tenants in the lab had appeared to be vegetative, she appeared to be no more than asleep. Where their color was a sickly, pale green, hers was healthy. The purple markings on her face were vibrant, and her smile was gentle. She looked for all the world that at any moment she would wake up, stretch from a long sleep, and laugh.

He traced his hand over the glass, longingly.

But she wasn't going to wake up.

She wasn't going to wake entwined in his arms, her smooth, pale skin warm satin against his own. She wasn't going to roll over in their bed and look to him with those wide, gentle eyes before smiling a slow smile and kissing him good morning. She wasn't going to fill his days with the gentle tenderness that was so uniquely her as to still haunt him even though he had not held her to his heart in years. She wasn't going to gently tease him to be on time, or ask him about the old ladies that seemed to always need his help, or just sit with her head on his shoulder and listen to the rain. She wasn't going to lie in the moonlight, her hair spilling across the pillow, her skin glowing like some other-worldly being before enveloping him in her love and sealing her place in his soul.

That had been their life once.

It had been a quiet life.

It had been a loving life.

It had been a life that was stolen.

She had suffered a betrayal and an attack that had nearly ended her life. It was all he could do to bring her back to the man who promised to save her. In the end, all that could be done was to put her in a semi-stasis to protect her. She had been his everything once, and she would be again. Just as soon as he could make the trade.

He paused.

That was not true.

She was still his everything.

That had never changed.

His promise to love and protect her above all others was as true at that very moment as it had been the day they were married.

"I promise, Rin," he said with a quiet and reverent tone. "I will bring you back."

10:15 AM KST
Undisclosed Location

The bright, harsh, white light was glaring, penetrating her closed eyelids. Low mumbles of voices were ringing in her ears as she fought to swim to the top of her consciousness, and out of the depths of the drug induced stupor into which they had submerged her. She focused all of her strength and will – which was considerable – on fighting whatever it was they were pouring into her system. She had an incredible resistance to toxins; if they didn't know that, they might not have dosed her properly. She was careful not to open her eyes or allow her breathing to show that she was regaining control over her body. She focused on her breath, systematically going through her own body from head to toe as she focused her chakra and attempted to assess her physical state. She was just determining that she could actually feel her fingers when the conversation between the two men caught her undivided attention.

"How long until the subject's next dose," a voice asked somewhere off to her left.

"Not for at least another hour. At her height and weight, any more could be detrimental."

"Fools," she thought as she began to feel sensation return behind her eyelids and along her hairline. "Never, never underestimate your enemy."

"What about the others?"

She felt her heart beat in her ears and willed what chakra she could muster to sharpen her hearing. She heard the rustling of paper and the general sounds of the two men at their work.

"Looks like…. the other two are being held for later research; they are rare specimens, and not to be harmed. The third is of little use to us; a decent shinobi in his own right, but of no scientific interest. He will be used for experimentation."

"Is that the one in Exam Room Three?"

She could more shuffling of paper. "Yes. I don't expect him to live through the night."

The other voice grunted. "He'll be lucky if he makes it through the procedure. It's not like the useless ones are afforded any … did you hear something?"

"Probably the instruments again. He has all kinds of things brewing and cooking in there. Sounded like a centrifuge."

"Should we go check?"

"Are you kidding? It's not worth either of our hides to touch any of his experiments without a direct order. Do you remember what happened to the last guy who-"

He never heard what happened to the last guy. He looked up from his clipboard in just enough time to see the body of the other man heaped oddly on the floor before feeling the jab of something in his neck.

"Heart monitor," she said, as he fell to the floor, unconscious. "That's the sound it makes when you start to take the patches off." She searched his pockets and quickly relieved both men of anything that appeared to be useful, including their keys and swipe cards. She dragged the second one to where she had been laying and hooked him up to the monitors. She knew enough to know that the drug she had given him would keep him out for several hours; it was what had been laid out for use on her. Since she had doubled the dose, she didn't know enough to know if he'd die after that, but couldn't bring herself to be concerned about the matter. Right now, she needed a body and a heartbeat on that slab, and that was what he was providing her. She might have felt sorry for his friend if she had been in a more charitable mood, but she was decidedly not in a charitable mood. She shoved the body of the dead man into a corner where he would go unnoticed, put on his lab coat, and filled her pockets with anything that could pass for a weapon, including scalpels, syringes, and the vial of the sedative they had been giving her.

She moved quickly and quietly along the wall and went into the first room off of the main laboratory.

Walls and walls of shelves and files sat ominously in the dim light. She made her way to the first shelf. It was filled with bins labeled with names and 'personal effects.' With a sickening horror, she realized this was where the items of the victims were stored. She saw her own name and reached for the bin, surprised to find all her clothes, weapons, and supplies were accounted for. She didn't have time to question her good luck as she hurried to exchange her hospital gown for her own clothes, replacing the bin as she found it, but significantly less full. She began filling the pockets of her trusty trench coat, stealing as many weapons as she could logically take and carry. She fished a soldier pill and blood replenishing pill out of her supplies and bit down on them, ignoring the bitter combined taste. She felt her strength returning as she flexed her fingers; the drug was quickly being metabolized by her system. She was hoping that her chakra levels were going to be up to the task of getting her and her team out of here.

With the thought of her team, she immediately scoured the faces of the bins for the names of her comrades. She found only one.

"Ranka," she breathed, and fished out his belongings. Weapons, no clothes.

"Oh, sure," she muttered. "Leave him dressed."

She had to hurry; the drugs were still in her system, and it wouldn't be long before her absence was discovered. With a silent apology to the dead and a promise for retribution at a later date, she went in search of her teammate and Exam Room Three.

She moved quickly and silently. The base was clearly underground. It did not appear to be densely populated. The laboratory partition of the base appeared to be newer than the surrounding walls, and she soon backtracked; if there was an 'exam room' it would be in this newer part of the base. She checked the watch she had stolen. Ten minutes had gone by. Assuming the man was actually one of those people that remembered to change the date on his watch, they had been missing for far longer than she realized.

With no small amount of luck, she found the examination room she was looking for, and it appeared to be unoccupied. She entered silently, and stayed close to the cool, sterile walls. The lights were lowered in the room, and she would have thought it was empty had she not heard the low, guttural moan. She made her way to the examination table and ripped back the blanket to find her teammate strapped down.

She swept her eyes over him as she cut the straps away. His sleeves were rolled up, and she could see the pinpricks all along his arms. He was bruised and bloodied; clearly, he had put up a fight before they strapped him to the table. He let out a low groan as she unplugged his monitors and began to free him from the array of wires and sensors.

He fought to open his eyes and focus on her.

"A…Anko?"

"Hope you got enough beauty rest. We're getting out of here."

"What about the others?" he asked, trying to sit up and failing miserably.

"We'll come back for them," she said grimly, helping him sit at the edge of the examination table.

Ranka looked around, wearily. "But… where are we?"

Anko's mouth set in a thin, firm line. "No idea." An alarm blared somewhere in the not-distant-enough distance. "But I'm guessing we should figure it out as soon as possible; while we are on the run."

"Leave me here," he rasped. "Get back to base."

"Not an option," she said, pulling him onto her back.

"That's suicide, Anko," he choked out.

"Still not the craziest thing I've ever done," she muttered as she slipped out of the doors of the lab and down a winding hall. As she heard the tell-tale sounds of pursuers closing in, she bit her thumb, "but it might be right up there," she admitted.

NGL: the last bit with Anko was one of my favorites from the original.

Sakura of the Sand is up! Short, backstory story, will post probably every other day.

Settling into an "every-two-week-or-so" update pattern with this 'You Must Believe in Spring.' Thank you so much for the feedback, friends; it very much keeps me going. Just an FYI...you're gonna like the next one!

Happy Fall, Friends!

- GL

Chapter Text

**If you didn't read "Sakura of the Sand," I highly suggest that you do. 5 chapters, about 14K words. Animequeen100 - this one's for you! xoxox - GL

You Must Believe in Spring
Chapter Seven: Promises to Keep

Wednesday, March 25 th  10:47 AM KST
Konoha, ANBU Base/Training Arena

She should've known better, really.

When Lady Tsunade informed her that she would be participating in this exercise without her team and neither Kankuro nor Temari raised a fuss, she should have known something was up.

Still, Gaara's sudden appearance completely takes her off guard, and judging from Neji's expression, she isn't the only one.

"Gaara!" she stammered. "What are you doing here?"

"What," Kankurō scoffed. "You think your team wouldn't come for this?"

"You know us better than that, Pinky." Temari grinned.

Sakura looked doubtfully at Gaara.

He raised his eyebrows to her, even as amusement tugged at the corner of his mouth.

"I could hardly be expected to release the medic of Team Kazekage to be assessed without her team, now could I?"

Sakura met Gaara's eyes, and understanding passed between them. Those words from so long ago echoed in the back of her mind.

" Just as you came for me, I will always come for you."

"No," her smile was slow. "I suppose not."

Kankurō slung an arm around her shoulder. "Hope you've got someone good for us to go up against, Hyūga," he nodded to Neji. "Because you ain't seen nothing yet."

Neji is spared from trying to formulate a response.

"What a pleasant surprise, Kazekage," Tsunade's voice came over the speaker with a dry attempt at cordiality. "I presume this means that you will not be releasing your team mate to participate in this exercise outside of your team?"

"Damn straight!" Kankurō called out.

Gaara gave him what should have been a warning look, but it never quite reached his eyes. "I do not wish to compromise this evaluation, Hokage," he said calmly, "but I would consider it as a personal favor if we could participate in this exercise as an intact team. It is not often we are granted the opportunity to conduct our training with such elite opponents."

There was a pause over the loudspeaker. "An interesting proposition, Kazekage." Tsunade said slowly. "But doable. I don't suppose you have any other requests?" she asked, a mild hint of irritation in her tone.

Gaara seemed ready to decline, but changed his mind. "For the purposes of this exercise, would it be possible to have Uzumaki Naruto as one of the opponents?"

"Forgive me, Kazegage, but Naruto-," Tsunade started, even as the man in question appeared in front of Gaara, arm outstretched. "…is apparently going to partake in this exercise," she finished flatly.

There was little in Gaara's expression that shifted, yet it was obvious he was pleased to see his friend. "It has been a long time," Gaara said simply, shaking Naruto's offered hand.

Naruto began to reply when he froze in place, an eerie sensation prickling at his skin. He looked at Gaara who seemed to be having the same reaction, and immediately released his sand to swarm protectively around his siblings as Naruto prepared multiple clones.

"Scatter," he directed, and several of the clones surrounded his friends, while others formed a perimeter around the training area. Temari crouched with her fan at the ready while Sakura stepped in front of Kankurō and Neji activated his Byakugan. "Kurama says something is coming."

"Naruto," Tsunade's voice barked over the system, "What-"

"Barrier Lockdown," a voice came over the system as an alarm blared, and lights flashed around the training arena. "Emergency incoming."

Sakura's eyes snapped around the arena as she drew a kunai from the pouch at her leg, and dropped into a battle-ready stance alongside Kankurō. "What's happening?"

"Barrier Corps is sealing the arena," he spun chakra between his fingers. "In a second, the only thing that will be able to get in or out of this arena is whoever or whatever is about to show up."

Any further questions had to wait; the ground began to shake, and she felt a static sizzle whisper over her skin.

She glanced at Naruto and Gaara as they stepped forward, and trusted that Neji and Temari were in place behind her.

Gaara half turned over his shoulder, his eyes never leaving the arena in front of him.

"Formations as usual," his command was low and final. "Sakura, Kankurō – stay together. Temari, on the ready. You - provide support, and stay out of the way."

Sakura blinked, and was about to turn and give Neji a "sorry about that" look, but her concentration was snagged by the sharp hum in the air followed by a monstrously large puff of smoke.

A giant serpent appeared, already engaged in battle: mouth open, fangs glittering, head reared and poised to strike. Several shinobi were thrown from its writhing body while others clung to it, attacking the beast.

Sakura flicked a glance to Gaara.

"A summons?"

"One of ours," he nodded.

"And the hitchhikers?"

"Enemies."

He gave a nearly imperceptible nod, and everyone sprang into action.

Temari immediately created a vortex with her fan, into which Gaara poured his sand, confusing and blinding his opponents. Protected by the sand, Sakura was suddenly leaping above and hurling kunai at the intruders, who dropped one by one. One managed to spit off a water jutsu, dampening the sand, before flinging his own weapon straight for her heart. At the last instant, she was yanked back by Kankurō's side, who grimaced.

"No time for the usual tactics," she flicked his chakra strings off of her. "You okay?"

"I'm good," he gave a terse nod. "Give 'em hell."

A wicked grin bled across her lips, and she ran back into the fray. Her smile was fierce and feral, and she relished that first feel of fist to jaw. "Should've taken your chances with the snake."

Her assessment was that these were trained shinobi, but not organized.

"Mercenaries," she decided. She noted that Naruto and Gaara were leaving them alive – that meant they might have valuable information. "Like why they arrived in a training area via an ANBU summons."

She realized that the intruders weren't just fighting the summons and Team Kazekage – there was a skirmish going on near the serpent as well.

Sakura charged forward, calling to the others "Someone arrived with the summons – someone on our side!"

She saw the attacker in her peripheral vision, and turned to roundhouse him solidly across the face. What she didn't see was the one behind her leaping for her back, a massive double-bladed battle ax hoisted above his head, poised to strike her down.

"Sakura!" Naruto called out, and she had just enough time to realize she didn't have enough time to dodge.

She gritted her teeth and braced for the impact, when something else flashed on the edge of her periphery. The battle ax fell without its owner, the blade sinking deeply into the ground, but missing her.

"That was close," she breathed, resting a hand on the thick wood of the ax handle. "Thanks for the souvenir, Naruto."

She hefted the axe in one hand, and turned with a satisfied gleam in her eyes. "I can make good use of this."

But the eyes that met hers weren't the blue of the endless summer sky. They were coal-black and fathomless and arresting as she wish she didn't remember.

"I am sure you can… Sakura."

And although she willed her mind to remain blank, her mouth traced the familiar taste of a name - so long banished from her tongue - without her cognition or consent.

"Sasuke."

He held her gaze, and although she felt a twist of metal in her chest, she stood her ground and returned his stare unwaveringly.

The flick of her eyes to the side was all the warning she gave before she took the axe in both hands and swung it, broad-side-flat, to bat an unfortunate shinobi twenty feet or so before skidding another ten or more in the dust of the arena floor.

"Your file was right," she said flatly. "You are fast."

"Hn," a subtle and heart-wrenchingly familiar smirk tugged at his lips. "Good thing."

For a brief second, she thought her world had actually shattered – or that she was in the middle of an aneurism – but the sudden seismic activity and reverberating roar in her ears were not psychosomatic. The summons was bellowing in pain as it jolted and flailed against the electricity dancing around it.

"The summons," she gasped.

Another shock of pain lanced through the creature, and it arced its tail high in the air before slamming iy down - right where they were standing.

Someone (Sakura thought it might have been Temari) yelled "Watch out!" just as the words "Hold on" were warm in her ear. She hoped she didn't actually 'eep' in surprise, but she did lose her hold on the battle axe as she was scooped up and whisked away in the nick of time.

The contact was swift - one second the tail of the snake was looming high above them, and the next it was crashing down where they had been standing – but every neuron in her body was firing with an unfamiliar energy. She didn't think there had even been a heartbeat's space between being picked up and being set carefully back on her feet, but that might've been because her heart had stopped beating. The sparks coursing through her were settled by a grounding arm across her shoulders– a still familiar but less unsettling touch. Naruto stood with her, and Sasuke was approaching the serpent.

"Stay here, Sakura," Naruto said quietly, squeezing her shoulder. "Something is wrong with the summons."

She darted a look around the arena – the enemy had been subdued and were already surrounded by a barrier of sand.

"How …?"

"Teme," Naruto muttered, eyes remained fixed on Sasuke and the summons. "He always was freaky fast."

Sasuke needed every bit of that speed. One moment he was in front of the serpent, the next he was on its back, or behind it. The creature continued to thrash unpredictably, and he countered each time – clearly trying to speak to the beast, with no success. The snake gave one more horrific, bellowing cry before it contorted, and disappeared in an acrid cloud of roiling black.

The smoke vanished, revealing two bedraggled and bloodied figures, one unconscious, the other dropping to their knees.

Naruto's eyes went wide.

"That's Anko!"

He didn't bother to ask; he muttered "Sorry" as he slung an arm around Sakura's waist and bounded over to Anko's side. Blood was dripping down her arm and from a gash in her forehead, but she shook her head stubbornly.

"Ranka first," she directed, her voice harsh, and her breathing uneven. She tried to push to standing, but failed. Sakura caught her and gently guided her to sitting on the ground.

She didn't see Naruto meet Sasuke's eyes over her head; her professional instincts had already taken over, and time was a quickly evaporating luxury.

"I need you to remain still," she said, her voice calm and steady. "You have multiple severe injuries, and I'm betting some internal bleeding."

Anko blinked away the blood that was stinging her eye, and gave a snort. "Not a bad guess."

"Somehow, I still feel sorry for the other guys," Naruto said.

Anko's eyes glinted.

"You should." Her gaze – quickly growing less focused with the drop in adrenaline – drifted up, and landed behind Sakura. "Uchiha. Just the asshole I needed to see."

Sasuke dipped his head.

"Anko."

"It's Kabuto. He's got a way to bring back Orochimaru."

Sakura's eyes flew to Sasuke involuntarily, even as Naruto gasped "No way!" while Sasuke leveled a flat: "How."

Anko shook her head, wincing at the sizzle of electricity that passed over her skin with the release of the barrier.

"Don't…don't know. But they're close. Felt it," she clutched at the fabric bunching around her neck, even as she fought to remain conscious.

Shizune, Tsunade, and Yamato appeared next to them, and Anko flicked Tsunade a nod of greeting before pinning Sasuke with a rapidly fading gaze.

"Doku," she gritted out. "Find him, find the others. I …didn't release."

"I understand," he cut her off – not unkindly.

"That's enough for now," Sakura said, running a glowing palm over the gash on her forehead. "I'm going to put you into a suspended state. That's your best chance to stabilize you while retaining whatever memories you have that can help us find the others."

"Fine," she gritted her teeth. "And you," she shot a glance at Sasuke. "Watch your back. I'm not the only one they're interested in."

Anko glared at Sasuke until he nodded once. Then she looked at Sakura with a wan smile. "Tsunade's protégé right? Sakura?"

Sakura's smile was quick "The hair give me away?"

"Do your thing, kid. Let's bring the others home."

Sakura nodded and pressed a hand to Anko's forehead. Something like gratitude flickered across her face before her body went limp.

Several medics were already standing by with a gurney. Sakura stood up easily, holding Anko in her arms. They stepped back to let her lay the wounded Jōnin on the gurney.

Tsunade looked them all over.

"You, two," she pinned Sasuke and Naruto with a glare. "Go wait for me in the Hokage deck, and stay there until I send for you."

Naruto flicked a glance at Sasuke. "Sure. We can do that."

"What did you do to Neji?"

Sasuke arched an eyebrow at Sakura, but she cut him off with a terse "Don't." Her eyes were cold and shuttered. "Where is he?"

Sasuke considered her.

"Observation deck."

"And he is safe?"

"Quite unharmed."

She gave a short nod of satisfaction before turning to Tsunade and Gaara. "As Team Kazekage's medic, I request to be formally released to cooperate fully in this and any connected investigations."

"Granted," Gaara nodded once. "We shall pick up our exercises another time."

"When I return to Suna," Sakura said evenly. "By the end of the week, presuming the patients are stable. After all," her back was straight, and her chin stubborn. "That is home."

Tsunade stepped forward. "Sakura – go with Ranka and Anko to the infirmary. Shizune, on your way contact Yori and have him bring Hinata; I will join you shortly."

Gaara turned to his siblings.

"Temari. Kankurō. Accompany Sakura and provide her with any assistance she needs. Stay with her until I send word."

"Yes, Kazekage," they chorused, glints of steel in their tone. They flanked Sakura, and with a nod from Tsunade, that set of agents was dismissed.

Gaara faced Tsunade.

"I shall stay until this is sorted out," Gaara offered solemnly. "This level of a threat will affect all ANBU; it is best if I am here to get all information first hand."

"Agreed. Your office is, as always, ready for your immediate use. As for you, two," she turned back to Sasuke and Naruto, crossing her arms. "What the actual fuck were you thinking?"

Naruto's jaw tightened into a hard line, but he did not reply. It was Sasuke who offered:

"Naruto was not involved in this."

"Quite the gamble Uchiha," she drawled. "You were just fast enough that you displaced Neji to the observation room. A fraction of a second later, and the shifting barrier would've recognized him as an enemy agent, and sent him directly to the detention area."

"That would have been a shame."

"I can only assume that you sensed something in relation to the summons – what other reason could you have for doing something so monumentally stupid?"

Sasuke didn't respond.

"I recognized Doku," she flicked a glance to where the giant serpent had been moments ago. "Am I right that he wasn't dispelled, but forcibly released?"

Sasuke nodded.

"Can you contact him?"

"Possibly."

"Then," her smile curved wickedly. "You have work to do. Report immediately to the Zeroth Training Ground and find out anything you can. That summons might be our only way of pinpointing where Anko and the other were being held. Naruto, will go with you and help however he can. Neither of you will be returning to my infirmary today. Am I understood?"

Sasuke gave a single nod.

Tsunade squared her shoulders. "Yamato: send Kakashi to me, and then have Tenten, Shino, and Kiba help you transport the prisoners to Ibiki."

"Yes, Lady Tsunade."

"Thank you. Gentlemen," she gave a cursory nod – and a warning glare – to Naruto and Sasuke. "Kazekage," she inclined her head – and then turned on her heel and strode out of the arena.

There was a tense silence between the remaining three men.

It was Gaara who broke it.

"Sakura is a Suna shinobi, and a member of my team," he said without preamble. "The Hyūga was more than capable of holding his own in that skirmish. You could've jeopardized my teammate by inserting yourself where you were not needed, nor wanted. I trust I do not need to worry that you will repeat that mistake."

Gaara expected no answer, but held Sasuke's gaze a moment longer, before taking his leave.

A muscle in Naruto's jaw twitched.

"Why, Teme?"

Sasuke looked up to his oldest friend. He could ask what he meant. He could pretend he didn't know Naruto was questioning his decision to intervene.

He didn't bother.

"Because it was her."

Naruto swore under his breath. He made a couple of clones. "Let's go."

"What are those for?" Sasuke jerked his head toward the extra Narutos that were now leaving the room.

"To keep an eye on things here. She never said my clones had to stay away from the infirmary."

Sasuke arched an eyebrow.

"Don't bother," Naruto scoffed. "I know I'm the best friend a jerk like you could ever have. Beat you to the Zeroth Training Ground."

Naruto disappeared, and Sasuke followed, a smile pulling at his lips.

Thursday, March 25 th  11:24 AM KST
Konoha, ANBU Base/Infirmary

Temari and Kankurō escorted Sakura as far as Shizune would let them.

"Sorry," she apologized as Sakura disappeared to into a prep area. "But I can't have you in there with us. Iō is one of our upper-level medics," she gestured to the man next to her. "Temari, you are free to stay just there," she pointed to a lounge not far down the hall, "but Kankurō, I want Iō to look over you. When he is done, you are to rest; and before you argue, just know that Lady Tsunade has the same opinion."

"Fine," he grimaced. "Temari. Come get me if the kid needs anything?"

"I will."

Shizune dismissed them all, and Temari blew out a sigh as she made her way to the small, out of the way lounge that was rarely trafficked in this wing. She was about to reach for the small refrigerator to get a bottle of water when she suddenly noticed the sharp outline of her shadow. Instinctively she tried to step away, but she found she was frozen in place. She heard the door behind her click shut, and the blinds were pulled down over the windows. Slowly, she felt her body turn to put her eye-to-jaw-bone with one pissed Nara.

Shikamaru was not one for words, really. He was more than capable of saying what he need to when he needed to, but beyond that, it was unnecessary effort to talk the way Naruto or Ino could talk.

However, when the occasion called for it, he was more than capable of stringing together quite a few words, and he didn't wait for an invitation to speak.

"That scroll arrived without explanation or warning," he said, his voice low and even (definite cue he was pissed)."You must have recognized it as a summoning scroll. At what point, exactly, did the three of you decide to pull this little stunt."

Temari arched an eyebrow. This she hadn't been expecting. "It was hardly a stunt," she scoffed. "We use summoning scrolls for the Chūnin exams all of the time; this isn't any different."

"That isn't the same kind of scroll," Shikamaru fisted his hands on his hips, inadvertently causing her to mirror him. "That kind of jutsu is not long range - or at least not Suna to Konoha long range - but to send an article capable of summoning the Kazekage unsecured? What if it had been intercepted? What were the three of you thinking?" he crossed his arms, which crossed her arms. She glowered at him.

"We were thinking that we had to be in place for Sakura whenever she joined ANBU," she narrowed her eyes. "She is just as much a member of the team as any of us. Has been for a long time."

"That isn't the point," he gave a frustrated sigh. "Those scrolls take time to make up. That means you had it ahead of time. I'd bet anything that there is one for you and for Kankurō, too," he looked at her. "Am I right?" She didn't reply right away. "And probably an emergency one for Sakura? A scroll that lets someone summon any of you whenever to wherever they pleased? What if someone got a hold of those things? They could take out an entire elite ANBU team in an instant."

"We could also recall one of us if captured," she countered, "or more easily infiltrate by putting the whole team with one person. Chiyo made them," she continued hotly. "They can't be released by just anyone, and they are in a secured location."

"How many of them?" he grimaced.

"Undisclosed," she returned the stare.

"Too big of a risk," he said, swiping his hand in front of him, their fingers almost brushing mid gesture as she mirrored him.

"Whoa."

They both turned and glared at Naruto, who froze awkwardly in the door.

"Am I interrupting something?" his eyes darted between them.

Shikamaru turned his head back to Temari, their motions still mirrored. She could normally read him with relative accuracy, but for once his face was a hard, blank slate.

"No," he said evenly, his shadows slipping away from her, leaving an icy chill in their wake. "We're done here."

Temari's eyes widened fractionally, but she did not otherwise move.

With a "tch" worthy of any Uchiha, and a sharp shake of his head, he strode out of the room, leaving Temari to stare after him, her heart stone in her chest.

Naruto stood there for a moment longer.

"You okay?"

"Fine," she said, her voice a distant thing, cool and collected in her own ears, even though there was shrapnel in her lungs. "What are you doing here?" she finally met his eyes, crossing her arms. "Thought you got sent to babysit your asshole of a friend while he went snake hunting."

"I'm just a clone. And don't worry. The real me is ready to give Teme some serious shit about today."

"Lucky bastard," she grumbled. "Don't let Tsunade catch wind that you are in this part of the hospital. And leave Sakura alone – she's had enough of a mindfuck for one day."

"I'm going to check in with Gaara and then dispel," he crossed to the fridge and got out two bottles of water, handing one to her. "You?"

"Keep watch on Sakura until I'm told otherwise," she snapped the water bottle open with a little more force than was strictly necessary.

Naruto winced.

"I'll leave you to it, then."

He got to the door, and paused long enough to say, "Shikamaru is too lazy to get upset about things. Only something really important to him would get that kind of reaction." he flicked his gaze to where their stand-off had been.

With another half-smile, he slipped out of the room, closing the door quietly behind him.

Temari sank into one of the chairs with a sigh, staring up at the ceiling and blinking away the Konoha humidity gathering in her eyes.

Her breath escaped on a sigh, and on the back of the only word she had for everything so far.

"Fuck."

7.7 Hta/Sakura ER

11:35 AM KST
Konoha, ANBU Base/Infirmary – Operating Room #9

Hinata and Master Sarutobi's medic-nin Yori made haste to the infirmary. The nurse waiting for them sent Yori straight in to the OR, while directing Hinata to a locker room with the words:

"Doctor Haruno is waiting for you."

Hinata found her sitting on one of the locker room benches, her fingers laced together, her elbows on her knees. She looked up with a tired smile when Hinata entered.

"Tsunade says she doesn't want any arena dirt in her OR," she offered, motioning to the area just outside of the showers. "I just set up the sanitation jutsus – or, as Ino always called them, the Magical Girl Transformation jutsus."

Hinata's Byakugan flared and she hovered a glowing palm over Sakura's shoulder. "May I?"

Sakura nodded. Several well placed – but unerringly gentle – touches later, Sakura felt her shoulders loosen, and some of the tension unwind in her neck.

"I left the points near your eyes alone," she said quietly, her Byakugan fading. "I'll tend to them after we finish up here."

"Thanks."

Every medic knew how to do some form of suppression jutsu – particularly those who worked in surgery. Vision blurred by tears could mean a life lost – although Hinata had never seen Sakura employ such a jutsu before now.

Sakura directed Hinata to one of the two large tiles that glowed with markings. Once activated, the sanitation jutsu sealed any dirt or contaminants. At this level of practice, it also sealed away whatever clothes the person was wearing and exchanged them for OR garments. The jutsu itself was bounded by a privacy barrier, giving any onlookers the sensation of watching a cartoon heroine transform in silohette.

Hinata pulled back her hair and stepped on the tile. Less than a minute later (but sadly, as Ino always lamented, with no accompanying theme music) both she and Sakura were ready.

They went directly to the OR where Tsunade and Shizune were already working on Ranka and Anko. Kakashi was there, careful to stand out of the way

"Better," Tsunade nodded to them both.

"What is that?" Sakura pointed to the cart full of medical supplies – clearly not intended for their use.

"That is what was stashed in Anko's coat. She must have relieved her captors of a few supplies before escaping."

"So, they were held in a medical facility?"

"Possibly. Hinata: how are their chakra systems looking?"

Hinata's Byakugan spiraled to life as she examined the patients.

"Ranka's chakra is low. Possible disruption of flow; hard to tell with so little running in his system. Looks like he is still drugged. As for Anko…" She paused, and considered the other patient. "There is an anomaly in the chakra on her left trapezius. It looks like a seal has been placed there, anchored with a cluster of three tomoe."

Sakura frowned.

"Impossible," she murmured, and stepped forward to examine Anko, her eyes widening with surprise as she rubbed a gloved finger over the mark. "This is the Cursed Seal of Heaven," she breathed.

Hinata raised her eyebrows. "You know of it?"

"I studied it with Lady Chiyo – there had been someone trying to resurrect the technique when we were sixteen or so." She looked up at Tsunade. "This could complicate things, greatly."

"Anko's mark has been sealed for now," Tsunade said frankly. "But yes, it is still an area of concern. Hinata, make sure you monitor the chakra flow around that point. Be on the lookout for any abnormalities."

Hinata and Sakura worked in efficient silence as they tended to Anko.

"Hinata, any changes?" Sakura asked nodding to the curse mark as she gently prodded it.

She focused her Byakugan. "Not that I can see," she said quietly. "The chakra does pool differently in that area, but it hasn't altered since we started."

"I wish we had you when I was researching this," Sakura muttered. "Having someone able to visibly monitor the chakra flow would have been immensely helpful." She began to channel chakra into her palm while Hinata watched.

Hinata suddenly slapped her hand away, just in time for a glassy-eyed Sakura to see the chakra arcing from the mark. Hinata narrowed her eyes and hovered her own glowing palm over the mark. She gasped and pulled her hand away, her own chakra arcing more strongly.

"What is it?" Sakura asked as another, lower voice asked, "Are you alright?"

She looked to Sakura and Yori. "I-I'm fine," she stammered slightly. When Yori began to reach his hand toward Anko, Hinata immediately pushed it away. "No!" she said sharply, before taking a deep breath. "Did you see anything?" she asked Sakura. "Your eyes went glassy."

Sakura shook her head. "Nothing."

Hinata didn't need her Byakugan to know Tsunade was behind her, arms crossed, drumming her nails on her bicep.

Hinata glanced to Yori and then to Tsunade. "We need to seal this, immediately. There is something there – something is watching."

Tsunade raised her eyebrows. "Watching?" She put a glowing hand over the mark. Her chakra did not arc, but Hinata saw the disturbance in the mark as the chakra signature greedily swirled at the base of Anko's neck. No. Slithered. The strange chakra signature was coiling and wrapping, trying to feed on the outside chakra. Instinctively she used her 360 vision to check Ranka – but found no such disturbance in him.

She relayed what she observed.

Tsunade turned to Shizune and one of the medics standing nearby.

"Take Ranka to an isolation room immediately." she commanded. "Sakura, go and assist Shizune with Ranka. Hinata, Yori, you stay." Tsunade looked to Sakura. "You are not to tend to Anko until I say, do you understand?"

Sakura nodded, then she and Shizune rushed Ranka out with the help of two other medics.

"Kakashi," Tsunade waved him over. "What do you see?"

He examined Anko with his Sharingan, grimacing behind his mask.

"It is just as Lady Hyūga described."

"It became more active when you activated the Sharingan," Hinata observed. "Why would that be?"

"I am afraid I can not say."

"All the more reason to seal it immediately," Tsunade squared her shoulders. "Kakashi? If you would?"

They both knelt and after a series of synchronized hand seals, pressed their palms onto the floor. Writing appeared, glowing brightly on the floor. She nodded her approval as they stood.

"Glad I had you prepare this room last time we had to seal a curse mark," she muttered.

"Last time?" Hinata looked between them.

"Uchiha Sasuke," Tsunade said. "Nearly ten years ago."

"Tell me what you see now, Lady Hyūga." Kakashi came alongside her, his eyes focused on the ominous marking on Anko's neck.

"It looks like a snake," she grimaced. "It is feeding on the chakra, but it was looking for information – I felt it trying to scan my thoughts. Lady Tsunade's chakra is probably too much for it to try to overcome. Sakura's perfect chakra control probably prevented it."

Kakashi's Sharingan was still glowing. "If I seal it, it will be trapped inside Anko. There's no guarantee it will be incapacitated."

Hinata took a deep breath.

"It responded to my chakra. I'll use that to draw it out so you can seal the mark."

"I'm not sure that I want to give any potential enemy access to the Hyūga clan's secrets," Tsunade grimaced. "You might not have been in ANBU enough to have intel to share, but you have plenty of sensitive information that shouldn't leave Konoha."

"The chakra needs to backflow to gain that information," Hinata reasoned. "I can regulate my and Anko's tenkutsu long enough to interfere."

Tsunade looked between her and Kakashi.

"Alright," she grimaced. "But the second I don't like what I'm seeing, I'm stepping in."

Two of the attending medics helped to maneuver Anko into a siting position while Hinata stood behind her.

Hinata took a deep breath, activated her Byakugan, and hovered her cupped palms over Anko's neck. Her chakra arced; green ribbons dancing and sparking between her palm and the ominous black markings. Kakashi focused his Sharingan, surprised to see the outline of a snake sharpen with startling clarity. It was coiled and ready to strike.

"Lady Huyga," he warned.

"I see it," she said, determined. Without explanation, she quickly isolated and struck several points on Anko's back and shoulders before executing rapid series of hand seals. A glowing orb of chakra grew between her hands, and she shoved it into Anko's curse mark, pressing her hands against her back.

There was the space of two or three heartbeats before chakra glowed under her hands, building in intensity. In a sudden, bright burst of chakra, a slithering white shape rocketed out of the curse mark and sailed upward before jackknifing and diving for Hinata's neck with fangs bared.

Yori moved with lightning speed, intercepting and slamming the snake into the ground even as Kakashi pulled Hinata away, and stepped in between her and the threat.

"Now, Kakashi!" Tsunade ordered.

Kakashi activated the seal on Anko.

The ink burned bright on the floor and then swarmed toward the curse mark, running over the snake as it writhed under Yori's palm. The creature hissed violently and then gave an unearthly cry – a human cry - before disintegrating into a blackened smudge of ash. The writing poured into Anko, causing her body to jerk violently. Kakashi kept his hands firm on either side of the curse mark while Hinata hurried to help the other medics hold her steady. As the last of the writing cascaded under Kakashi's palm, Anko's body stiffened, until, with a final, gut-wrenching groan, she collapsed against Kakashi.

The room was deathly still. No one moved.

A quiet sound, like the sigh of a sparrow, gently broke the eerie silence. Anko took a relieved breath as her eyes fluttered open to see Kakashi with his hands still firmly on her shoulder, and the curse mark ringed in a circle of writing that was fading into her skin. She gave him an exhausted, crooked smile. "Long time no see."

"Welcome back," he put friendly pressure on her shoulder.

Her eyes trailed to Tsunade as the woman came into her field of view.

"Ranka?" she asked, her breathing slowing, her eyes heavy.

"Stable."

"Good," Anko sighed. "Must've picked up a hitchhiker in Oto," she said, fighting to keep her remaining shreds of consciousness intact. "Thanks for getting rid of it."

"Releasing the jutsu also released you from your suspended state. I am going to put you into a deep sleep, now." Tsunade said firmly. "You can tell us the rest later."

Normally Anko would have protested. She would have had some smart assed reply, or given a show of bravado and exuberance that would do even Naruto proud. She didn't have the strength for it. Her face was wan and tight, the circles under her eyes were deep and almost bruise-purple. "I… I think the others are alive," she said trying to fight physical collapse just a little longer. "Being held. Specimens. Valuable. But alive. Get Inoichi… Ibiki knows; Inoichi has to be careful when scanning."

"Enough," Tsunade said, putting a strong but gentle hand on the woman's forehead. "You've done well, Anko. Rest."

Green chakra glowed on the woman's pale, sweat-sheened skin and her eyes closed as her breathing became slow and even. It was the first rest she had in nearly a month.

Kakashi put his hitai-ate back over his eye as Tsunade checked Hinata for any ill-effects, and then dismissed her into Yori's care.

The doors swung closed behind them and Tsunade put her hands on her hips looking over Anko.

Kakashi stood with his arms crossed. "That was a surveillance jutsu," he said, his voice serious. "But that chakra; that wasn't Anko's."

"It was a blend," she agreed. "I am sure it was a jutsu originally created by Orochimaru, but I don't think he set it. That wasn't his chakra." She sighed, looking at the black smudge on the floor where the snake had incinerated. "I didn't have time to identify the signature, but it felt familiar."

"Kabuto?" he suggested.

"Maybe. That would make the most sense."

"That's the problem, isn't it?" Kakashi sighed, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Anything coming out of Oto almost never makes sense."

"Anko said Orochimaru is back. We can't take that lightly. And with Anko out of commission," she nodded to the sleeping woman, "the agent best suited to find him - "

" - Is Sasuke," Kakashi finished.

"That can't be coincidence," Tsunade continued. "Orochimaru was obsessed with obtaining Uchiha. Who's to say Kabuto hasn't taken on the same obsession? If he ever did manage to bring back Orochimaru in Sasuke's body, he'd be damned near invincible."

"And by taking out Anko's team out of the equation, that means our team will be assigned," Kakashi guessed. "You think the motives run that deep?"

Tsunade drew her eyebrows together. "With Kabuto and Orochimaru, you can never tell."

"There is one more thing," Kakashi scratched his chin through his mask. "I was able to see the snake using my Sharingan. I can't normally see chakra as clearly as that."

Tsunade waited for him to continue. "So maybe the person that set the jutsu wanted the Sharingan to see it," he reasoned. "Maybe it was a trap for Sasuke. It might have attacked Hinata by mistake."

"There is another possibility," Tsunade mused. "It could have been set by a Sharingan user."

Kakashi shook his head. "Itachi helping Kabuto? I can't see it."

"We don't know what happened to Itachi. Or his eyes," she pointed out.

Kakashi remained unconvinced. "No. Wrong chakra…" he mused.

"Lady Tsunade," one of the medics approached her. "Yamanaka and Morino are here. Shall I bring them in?"

"Yes," she motioned them forward. "Gentlmen," she nodded to Inoichi and Ibiki. "Come in. We need to discuss how to catch a snake."

3:00 PM KST
Konoha, Zeroth Training Ground

The summons appeared in a giant puff of smoke; wind rushed over them, and Naruto instinctively covered his face.

"Who dares to summon me?!" the snake demanded. "I am not contracted to you, Uchiha brat – I demand a sacrifice of 300 humans before I will assist you!"

Sasuke sighed, and Naruto stared.

"Not sure you are in a position to make demands," Naruto said, eyeing the summons. "What would a pipsqueak like you do with 300 humans, anyway?"

The tiny snake reared up its small body, its eyes glittering in what was its best menacing glare. The whole effect was somewhere along the line of 'indignant over-sized worm.'

"The Great Manda once demanded 100 humans of his contract! I am inheritor to that great line, and if the Uchiha has the insolence to summon me and all my greatness, he shall have to pay greatly!"

"Sounds great," Naruto said trying not to laugh while Sasuke's eyebrow was now starting to twitch.

"Manda was killed long ago," Sasuke said. "I don't need you in battle. I need information."

"And why should I give it to you?!" the runt of a snake demanded insolently.

"Because Sasuke will tell Anko if you don't?" Naruto suggested, "Or maybe Aoda? Didn't we see the other Manda earlier?" he asked Sasuke. "This is the last guy before you go talk to the Sage one, right?"

If a snake can go pale, then this one did.

"Y-you would dare to go speak with the White Snake Sage?!" it sputtered.

"He trained with the White Snake Sage," Naruto said, bored. "Speaking shouldn't be a stretch."

The glittering eyes bugged in the snake's head. "Trained?!" it squeaked.

Sasuke arched an eyebrow at the snake. "You are wasting my time," he said, preparing the hand seals to release the summons.

"WAIT!" it cried. "I… I can help! Just…" it seemed to be struggling with a decision. "In lieu of 300 humans, you can tell the Sage how well I assisted you."

"That depends on if you prove to be of any use at all," Sasuke scoffed.

Naruto watched the two of them – it seemed that both snakes and Sasuke had "rude" as a default mode. Weird.

The small snake did its best to look imposing. "I am the fastest and best at infiltration of my generation. I can find out what you want to know."

"I can't reach Mitarashi Anko's summons," Sasuke said. "I need to know where she was recently held captive. We have other operatives that may be there. I need to find the base."

The snake seemed to consider this. "That would be Brother Doku. I shall see if I can find him."

"Brother?" Naruto asked, recalling the giant summons he had seen earlier that day.

"Yes," the small snake puffed out his chest. "He is my elder brother."

"Alright, chibi-Doku" Naruto smiled. "You find Doku, and where they are holding our friends, and Teme here will put in a good word for you with the Snake Sage."

Sasuke kept his face impassive even as the snake's features contorted into the reptilian equivalent of haughty-masking-hopeful.

"I shall let you know what I find out," he promised, and without another word, he disappeared.

Sasuke slid a glance over to Naruto. "You know I don't really go in too much for senjutsu."

Naruto shrugged. "He doesn't know that." He suddenly stood a little straighter as if hearing something in the distance, then he winced.

"What's wrong?" Sasuke narrowed his eyes at him, his hand reflexively moving to the hilt of his sword.

"Baa-chan just… released one of my clones." He rubbed his head absently. "Sounds like Anko and Ranka are stable for now. Maybe we should make our way back."

"Hn," Sasuke nodded, relaxing his stance.

Naruto's eyes widened. "Too soon to relax, Teme," he said warily.

Sasuke followed his gaze. "Is that-?"

"Yup."

"You gotta be fucking kidding me," Sasuke hissed through gritted teeth.

"Nope." Naruto said, crouching for an attack. "Although, given the number of snakes we've had to deal with, an ostrich might be a nice change."

"Yeah." Sasuke reached for his sword. "Right."

12:01 PM KST
Undisclosed Location

Kabuto sliced a glowing green palm through the rogue-nin, leaving the body fall to the floor in a heap with less than a gurgle of protest.

"Was that necessary?"

Kabuto pushed his glasses up his nose as he turned to face Rokuro. "Just tying up some loose ends," he said with a shrug. "You never know when it will be good to have a body or two around."

Rokuro looked down the bloodied hall, and the carnage that had been wrought within it. "Sloppy," he grunted, folding his arms over his chest.

"Perhaps," Kabuto continued with his unaffected smile. "But then again, Anko was always very thorough. A true student of her master."

"I meant allowing the vermin to escape with them."

"The shinobi that were inadvertently transported with Anko were recently acquired, and they have no information worth sharing. And these men," he looked down to the pile of corpses at his feet, "had outlived their usefulness. Shame about my lab assistants, though," he sighed. "I could use the help and they are harder to replace."

Rokuro made some sound of disgust. "Clearly you weren't that worried when you let them underdose that woman. You practically signed their death warrants."

"Sacrifices have to be made," Kabuto's shrugged coolly.

"True," Rokuro's

"Just make sure those 'sacrifices' aren't synonymous with a betrayal," Rokuro warned him menacingly.

Kabuto let out an eerily lighthearted laugh. "Still don't trust me?" he asked.

"I'm not that stupid."

"Indeed, you are not," Kabuto agreed. "Which is why we continue to coexist peaceably while we each further our own agendas. Isn't that right, Rokuro?"

Rokuro raked his eyes over Kabuto, calculatingly.

"Clean up this mess," he finally said, turning to walk back to his quarters. "Madara doesn't have time for your folly, and neither do I."

Kabuto watched the man disappear down the hall with a wicked grin.

"We'll see what is 'folly' soon enough," he murmured his promise to the retreating man's back. "With the spies in place, it won't be long now. Lord Orochimaru will return, and then we shall see what further sacrifices will have to be made."

He looked down and absently toed the cooling body of the dead man at his feet. "Let's see what use you can be to me," he said with a sadistic cheerfulness worthy of the frozen look of horror etched on the man's face by death. "After all," he looked around the blood-splattered walls and the floor littered with the carnage of battle, "we all have to do our part."

And there you go, friends! The major shift in old story to new. Life is crazy, and I so appreciate those that have left words of encouragment. With all of my heart, I thank you!

Chapter Text

A/N:  She lives! And she is closing out the Spring Arc! Notes at the bottom, friends! 

You Must Believe in Spring
Chapter Eight: Between Yesterday and Tomorrow

Wednesday, March 25th 11:15 AM KST
Konoha, ANBU Base

If Sai had to categorize Neji Hyūga's reaction to being displaced from Dr. Haruno's side to Observation Room 7, he would have to go with Kiba's description of "Royally Pissed."

"Uchiha," he growled, and his eyes flashed dangerously as he spotted Sasuke in the arena below. Sai watched him grapple his anger into something just-under-the-skin seething, as he followed the fight with clenched fist and jaw. Neji was silent until Sasuke's last-minute save of Doctor Haruno, at which point he spat out:

"What is he thinking?"

"I do not think this was strictly a tactical decision," Sai ventured, one eye on Neji, the other on the chaos below. "Although you would not have been fast enough to save her as he did, just then."

"I wouldn't have left her side in the first place," Neji snapped. "A lesson you'd thought he would have learned by now."

Sai might have winced, but all conversation stopped. As soon as the summons was gone and the barrier was lifted, Neji strode to the door.

"Tell him what I said," he flicked a glance to Kakashi before locking eyes with Sai, ice in his glare and words. "Remind him that he isn't needed."

The heavy door closed with a dull click and Sai looked immediately to Kakashi.

"Am I to assume that kind of attitude from Neji is not like Sasuke when showing friendship?"

"That was text-book Hyūga unfriendly," Kakashi shook his head. "Do not pursue or otherwise attempt to engage. I'm going to report to Lady Tsunade; stay close in case we have need of you."

Sai nodded, and removed himself to the archival library.

Upon discovering that there was not actually a text book on the Hyūgas that would better have explained Neji's actions, he decided to work on his own project.

Put simply, Sai had a problem: he needed to get close to Dr. Haruno Sakura to better assess and analyze the current situation, as well as to begin looking for the spy.

After consulting every book and magazine at his disposal, (and after watching her decimate an arena) he decided consulting her directly could only end in disaster. If he was introduced to her by Naruto, she might speak with him, but gaining her trust could take too long, as well as alert any potential spies as to his interest.

What he needed was a more direct route; a way to get the most information for his efforts while simultaneously arousing the least suspicion.

Sai studied his list of their mutual acquaintances, weighing who had the best information against who was the most likely to share it.

He suspected that Sasuke had already shared all he intended to share on the subject. If the need arose, he might get away with asking a direct, on-topic question, but that was not something upon which he could depend.

Sai crossed Sasuke off of the list.

Naruto was another matter. It was clear he had more contact with Dr. Haruno than he was comfortable discussing with Sasuke, and expressed surprise that neither Dr. Haruno nor Gaara entrusted him with their team secret, implying that he considered their level of friendship to warrant his being entrusted with said information. As a friend of Gaara's, he was potentially good resource for information on her life in Suna.

That led him to consider her fellow members of Team Kazekage.

Sai had no relationship with Temari, Kankurō, or Gaara, so any attempts to engage them in conversation about Dr. Haruno would almost certainly arouse suspicion.

Tenten was close with Temari, and her files stated she spent time in Suna, but Sai hadn't finished cross-referencing to see if her time overlapped Sakura's with any significance. However, she was also on a team with Neji – Sakura's current employer and closest thing to known romantic interest. Team Guy was famous for their teamwork and loyalty, so Sai could not reasonably assume Tenten would be of any assistance to him, should she feel his interests were at odds with her teammate's.

Lee was a friend, but Sai had no reason to believe he had any information pertinent to this mission. For that matter, neither did Kiba, but his conversations were goldmines for socially saavy expressions. Sai made a note to speak with Kiba soon, for continuing education purposes.

His research showed that Hinata had held the title of Lady Hyūga from the time she was sixteen, so he had no reason to think she has information of Dr. Haruno's time in Suna. Belatedly Shino crossed his mind, but Sai dismissed the thought of speaking with him.

That only left their generation of the Ino-Shika-Cho trio.

He wanted to hold off on speaking with Shikamaru. He was far too clever not to wonder why Sai was interested in finding out more about Dr. Haruno's past. If there really was a spy in ANBU, at some point one of the Naras would surely be alerted. Sai would wait to access that resource.

Sai doubted that Chōji had anything to offer in terms of information, but Ino…

Ino was Dr. Haruno's best friend.

They were roommates.

She cared enough to threaten Uchiha and clearly knew what had happened in their relationship, and what was still going on. She was a dangerous and accomplished kunoichi who probably didn't like him.

Sai paused and circled his next words.

Best resource.

He took a deep breath and added:

Goal: gain trust/confidence. Plan of action…?

And there, Sai was stumped.

He didn't know Ino, and had no immediate reason to engage her in conversation or a social setting. There were plenty of reasons Sai could come up with to speak with her – ROOT saw that each of its members was familiar with plants and their toxic or healing properties – but no obvious way to gain her confidence, and certainly no way to broach the subject of Dr. Haruno.

His thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of the archival librarian Shiho, who came to the table where he worked, and peered at him from behind her large, thick glasses.

"Here are the resources on genjutsu that you asked for."

"Thank you," he took the scrolls from her. "This one isn't mine," he handed it back to her.

"Jiraiya asked that I get that one to you," she adjusted her glasses. "I didn't assemble it, so I don't know what it contains, but he indicated it was urgent."

Sai thanked her and broke the seal on the scroll. He'd barely unrolled it when a note from Jiraiya fluttered out.

"If you really want to get to know a woman, you speak with her best friend. The Yamanaka girl is quite fearsome when she wants to be, but she is probably a better source of information than any scroll you can read. I would make a point to speak with her – preferably over coffee or a casual meal. Do this carefully, though, and do not under any circumstances attempt to ask her to dinner, a date, or out for drinks. Consider this an A-ranked mission. No. In your case S-ranked. I am available for pointers."

"Fearsome," Sai murmured, scanning the scroll.

That puzzling image of Ino "busting Sasuke's balls" (as Naruto had called it) came to mind. Even now he felt his pulse quicken, like before he had to spring at a target, or evade a projectile. His heart often raced around Tenten, but that response had a direct correlation to the fact she normally threw something deadly at him when he was in her company, forcing him to take evasive maneuvers. The same could be said for Tsunade who was known for her quick bursts of temper; but other than that, the few women with whom Sai interacted were no different to him than anyone else.

He did not generally respond to women; he was curious why he had reacted physically to Ino. Was he, perhaps, sympathetically concerned for the fate of his own "balls?" Having lately learned that those were testicles, he definitely did not think having them 'busted' intentionally or during friendly fire would be advisable.

He paled, and hastily jotted down:

"Find way to protect balls."

Faced with a completely new set of challenges, Sai got straight to work, and controlled his breathing until his pulse settled back into its normal cadence. He ignored the unusual and lingering sensation in his abdomen and his chest – resolving to make an appointment with a medic if they persisted.

5:06 PM KST
Konoha, ANBU Base/Locker Room

The interior locker room door swung open, and a muddy Naruto strode in ahead of a not-quite-as-muddy-but-still-pissed-off Sasuke, both looking like something had been pecking at their heads. Something large.

Kiba flicked his eyes over the two of them.

"Lover's spat?"

Sasuke grunted something irritated and unintelligible, while Naruto just shrugged.

"Snakes are ill-tempered summons, and … we might have had a run-in with an ostrich."

"An ostrich." Kiba repeated, flatly. "That's the best you could come up with?"

"It is plausible," Shino intoned. "Why you may ask? That is because, they went to the Zeroth Training Ground, which is also an animal sanctuary for creatures with shinobi skills."

"Yeah, well, if anyone was going to get their ass kicked by a Shinobi ostrich it would be Naruto."

"Teme was there, too," Naruto muttered.

"I'd love to stay and bask in that bit of information," Kiba rocked back on his heels as he took in Sasuke's appearance, "but I got places to be, and women with sharp objects to not disappoint. Let's go, Akamaru."

The door swung behind him, and Naruto looked up to Shino

"Does he mean Tenten?"

Shino nodded once.

"Man," Naruto breathed. "I think I'd rather take my chances with the ostrich. At least if you piss Condor off you'll see the attack coming."

"Sasuke," Shino intoned. "Did you respond to your invitation to the Hyūga event?"

"This guy?" Naruto laughed, jerking a thumb at Sasuke. "Why would any Hyūga invite him anywhere ever?"

"He is the head of one of the Four Noble Clans," Shino shrugged one shoulder. "He is invited to all of the important events."

"And I always decline the invitations," Sasuke added. "Much to the relief of all involved."

"So, what is this event?" Naruto looked between them.

"Hanabi's birthday," Sasuke undid the chakra lock on his locker.

"And… what… you show up and play games?"

"It's her twentieth birthday, not her fifth, Dobe."

"That is correct," Shino pushed his glasses up his nose. "And that is significant. Why, you may ask? That is because she will be officially 'of age' in her clan. At the upcoming celebration, she will declare her intention to accept her place as heir in front of her clan and the Four Noble families. She'll be formally installed as heir at the summer solstice."

"Following a much larger, needlessly elaborate celebration," Sasuke added. "Presuming she makes it through the ceremonial spars and other gauntlets the Hyūgas are so fond of throwing."

Naruto blinked.

"Just how big of an event are we talking?"

"The celebration on Friday will be a formal dinner at the Five Kage's," Shino replied. "And the building has been shut down for that purpose. The event in June will be held at the Conservatory and will have a guest list in the thousands."

"Thousands," Naruto blinked. "Counting the Hyūgas?"

"Counting half of the land of Fire," Sasuke scoffed. "Hence my sending my regrets within three minutes of receiving that particular invitation."

"That's a shame. I hear the Hyūga events are lovely."

The three men looked up to see Kakashi leaning lazily against a locker, reading an Icha Icha book.

"Gentlemen."

Shino nodded to him, Sasuke did nothing, and Naruto muttered "Here we go," under his breath.

"Sasuke," Kakashi tucked his book away. "We need to have a word. No need for moral support," he added when Naruto might have spoken up. "I'll keep the lecture on how monumentally stupid you were for another time. As for you," he tossed Naruto a scroll. "Better get packing. You are leaving town tomorrow.

Naruto caught the scroll and opened it. "For where?"

"Suna."

"Suna?" Naruto repeated, snapping his head up, but the door had already swung closed behind them.

He quickly scanned his mission scroll, sinking onto a bench.

"Kakashi should not have announced where you were going," Shino muttered. "Why? That is because, a scroll of that nature indicates it is a covert mission and should not be discussed freely."

Naruto swallowed, and refrained from saying Kakashi had probably forgotten Shino was there.

"I'm sure he knew you could be trusted with the information. You're a Jōnin after all."

"Mm." Shino hummed, but Naruto thought perhaps he sounded pleased (or as close to sounding pleased as Shino got.)

"Your team was pretty amazing today, by the way," Naruto added, tucking the scroll away. "Hinata's really come a long way, hasn't she?"

"Yes. She performed excellently today, despite the upheaval her last few days proved to be."

"Yeah, about that," Naruto rubbed the back of his neck. "As her smartest teammate, I don't suppose you can suggest of a way I can politely say "sorry about landing you in an ANBU infirmary on the first day I saw you in years?"

"I'd suggest a card, but I doubt you'd find one with that specific sentiment."

Naruto blinked.

"Did…did you just make a joke?"

"Of course. Comedy comes quite naturally to me."

Naruto blinked again, wondering if it was safe to laugh, and settled for a shaky "Right."

Shino sighed.

"The cinnamon rolls from Amaguriama. They've long been a favorite of hers and would be a better choice than flowers."

"Oh? Why is that?"

"Because Ino doesn't work at Amaguriama."

"Wow…" Naruto breathed, realization dawning on him. "You really are clever."

"Don't sound so surprised," Shino muttered, closing his locker, but Naruto was too busy re-reading his assignment scroll.

"Got it!" he grinned, sealing and tucking the scroll away. "Thanks, Shino!"

He hurried out of the room, leaving Shino to shake his head at the majority of people with whom he worked.

Except for Hinata – for her he spared a kind thought and a genuine moment of affection… before deciding that if Naruto messed up again, he'd infest his apartment for a month.

Thursday, March 26th 5:40 AM SST/8:40 AM KST
Suna, Kazekage Residence

Gaara was an early riser.

Mornings in Suna were stark and beautiful and cold until the sun gained enough purchase over the glittering expanse of sand to bathe it in its heat. Shinobi here had long trained in those morning hours before the sun burned too brightly and sapped the body of strength, and Gaara was no exception.

There had been a time when insomnia drove his training at such an hour as much as the sun, but his relationship with Shukaku had stabilized, and his sleep much improved.

The same, he feared, could not currently be said for his sister, who was trying to hide her yawns as she joined him in the kitchen shared by the members of the Kazekage's family.

He watched her as she made a strong cup of black tea – Suna's own version of coffee - and took a seat across from him. There were circles under her eyes, and a heaviness in her limbs that he knew all too well. While Temari was also a habitually early riser, she rarely had trouble sleeping. In fact, he noticed that her rare bouts with insomnia came only upon returning from Konoha, or when Shikamaru left Suna.

She glanced up and looked around the room.

"It's too quiet without Kankurō."

"Agreed," Gaara's lips tipped up at the corners. "Did you sleep well?"

"Fine," she lied, glancing at the clock. "Did we get the final word on how long Sakura will be in Suna?"

"Hard to say," Gaara folded his hands. "Neji will not be able to leave Konoha until the Twenty-Eighth. He and Sakura will assess the situation at the Suna hospital and determine a time she can formally return to the main Hyūga hospital in Konoha. It will be less suspicious this way."

"Time frame?"

"Lady Tsunade would prefer if she returned within two weeks." He studied his sister before venturing, "You had a chance to speak with her last night. How is she?"

"You know Sakura," Temari half-shrugged. "She is treating all of this like a mission and has compartmentalized it accordingly."

Gaara gave a ghost of a smile.

"Naturally."

"Tenten told me that Hinata wants to fly back with Neji and finish the tour with Master Sarutobi, but we are waiting to see if that is feasible. I think Neji is urging her to wait and fly out closer to when he and Sakura will leave Suna, that way they can all travel back together."

"That would be wise," Gaara agreed. "Sakura has often told me how anxious flying makes Hinata – I can understand her wanting to be there. And have you spoken with Shikamaru since we have returned?"

Temari swallowed her tea before answering with a calculated nonchalance:

"Haven't needed to."

"Mm," Gaara hummed into his tea. "Would your reluctance to speak with him have anything to do with your recent discussion of my latest mode of transportation?"

Temari stared at him, and Gaara gave his standard ghost of a smile.

"Naruto might have overheard more of your conversation with Shikamaru than he let on."

"Nosy little shit," she muttered.

Gaara shook his head. "He saw Shikamaru looking for you, so he followed. He was worried."

"Why?" she scoffed, "I can take care of myself."

"Worried for Shikamaru."

She made some sound - it might've been dismissive, or it might've been an agreement – and drained her tea. Gaara watched as she stood and flicked the kettle on in irritation.

"Nara had valid points on all counts," he offered. "He repeated them to Naruto and me."

Temari looked up sharply. "Repeated?"

"There is just one thing he left out."

"Which one thing," she bit back, ripping open the teabag with more force than was strictly necessary. "That maybe we had not taken the choice to use that scroll lightly? That it was the most secure and reliable way to get you here in time, unscathed, and with full chakra reserves? That his reaction was completely unreasonable?"

He wisely hid his smile behind his tea.

"No."

"Then what?"

Gaara considered his sister, holding her gaze for several moments in silent communication.

"Make me a promise."

She arched an eyebrow at him, listening.

"When he comes to tell you his final argument, you will listen to what he has to say."

Temari stared at her brother. Gaara stared back.

"Do I have to phrase this as an order, Temari?"

Her jaw tightened, and her eyes narrowed, but in the end, she expelled a deep breath with a sharp, single nod.

"No, Kazekage," she replied with only a tinge of sarcasm as she turned back to her tea. "I promise."

"Excellent," he reached for the agenda Matsuri had let for him. "Now, about today…"

He watched his sister settle into her role, and refrained from further bringing up the one person that annoyed her into fidgeting.

6:45 AM KST
Konoha, Hyūga Hospital/Hyūga Neji's office

Naruto was late.

"He's spent too much time with Kakashi," Neji grumbled as he signed off on the last of the paperwork. There was a light knock on the door that could only be his cousin, so he stood to open it.

"Good morning, Neji," she smiled.

"Good morning," he stepped back to let her in his office. "Not that I am not glad to see you, but you didn't have to come. We have plenty of people on hand for this."

"The brother of the Kazekage was a guest at our hospital," she shrugged. "It would be a slight if the Clan Mother did not come to bid him safe travels."

Neji just shook his head, because he knew what his cousin really meant was "My mother would have wanted me to be here."

"I was just going to Kankurō's room to have Sakura sign these release forms," he checked his watch. "Would you like to come with me, or go to the helipad?"

"I'll go on ahead of you," she offered. "Genma should be up there, right?"

"Should be," Neji nodded, holding the door open for her.

"Then I shall let them know you are on your way, and stay in the waiting area until you arrive."

Neji agreed, and they parted ways – just in time for him not to see the man in the doctor's coat hurry after Hinata, only to miss the elevator. With a muttered curse, he threw a nervous look over his shoulder before watching the elevator numbers climb.

"Helipad," he whispered to himself, and recalculated his route to intercept Lady Hyūga.

7:00 AM KST
Konoha, Uchiha Towers. Penthouse

Sasuke returned from his morning run, and found his reissued invitations to the Hyūga events right on the counter where he left them. He decided it was only slightly less disconcerting to see the formal salutation denoting his position as Head of Clan in the daylight than it had been the night before.

He ignored the missives a little longer, but neither a shower, nor strong coffee made them disappear. With a heavy sigh, he sat at his table, and opened the envelopes. There was a handwritten note in the one for tomorrow's event, tinged with the formality of tradition appropriate for addressing the Headman of one of the Four Noble Clans, but otherwise of no use in the parlance of every-day Konoha.

The beautiful penmanship flowed across the page.

Lord Uchiha Sasuke,

Thank you for graciously accepting the invitations to the upcoming events honoring my sister. It has been many years since the Uchiha Clan and the Hyūga Clan have been able to celebrate together. I humbly request you take your rightful place at the head table for these events as is befitting both your status, and the longstanding ties between our clans. It is my sister's intention as future Clan Head and mine as Clan Mother to honor those bonds, and see them strengthen and grow.

With sincere gratitude,
Lady Hyūga Hinata

Sasuke considered the signature and the raised seal at the bottom of the page. His fingers ghosted over the ink as he imagined what his parents' response to such an invitation might have been.

"How kind," his Mother would have smiled. "You must accept – and be on your best behavior." He had no doubt these would have been her words if he were eight or eighty.

"They're up to something," His Father would have muttered behind his paper. "'Seats of Honor' always come at a cost."

While Sasuke was inclined to agree with his Father, he knew he would follow his Mother's advice. He accepted the inevitability of it all with a heavy sigh.

His watched buzzed against his wrist, and he reflexively looked down at the message.

"At hospital. Will let you know when we arrive in Suna."

Of course, Kakashi had told him about Naruto's mission – probably because he knew Naruto would tell him about Naruto's mission. "Top Secret" was never a term Naruto had bothered embracing.

Sasuke sat back in his chair looked out of the large window to the blue of the morning sky.

Naruto wouldn't have bothered keeping him posted on his own travel plans, had Sakura not been on his flight. The idiot had been surprisingly not-meddlesome, but Sasuke doubted that would last – especially the longer they were both in Konoha.

But for now, she had made it very clear she was returning to her own life, and would only be back in Konoha for her assignment. He could hardly begrudge her that.

He looked back to the clear skies of the early morning.

"Safe travels," he murmured the old blessing, for such things were more powerful when spoken into existence. "May you be not long from your hearth, and always in good company."

Feeling his mother's nod of approval, he washed his dishes, and began his day.

7:00 AM KST
Konoha, Hyūga Hospital/Helipad waiting area

Naruto was late.

Well.

Technically, he had been on time, but he had to finish something over on the ANBU side of things before heading over to the hospital. In an attempt to mitigate disaster, he had sent several clones ahead of himself on a secured ANBU shuttle – especially the clone henged as Temari.

That was the important part of his job today, really. Since Temari had been seen leaving Suna, she had to be seen returning. And since she had gone back with Gaara last night as part of his guard, someone had to henge a clone.

He was the most obvious choice, as he was also going to Suna and had loads of extra chakra to sustain a hearty shadow clone while they traveled.

Despite all logical reasons, Naruto strongly suspected Tsunade arranged this less so that he could be extra protection for the Kazekage family, and more to be there for Sakura; sort of a "contain the clusterfuck" strategy.

Per his instructions, Naruto had since left the ANBU side and re-entered the civilian portion of the hospital via the conventional means, and was being led to the waiting area up on the helipad.

"Just in here," the orderly said, indicating the door. "Dr. Haruno and the patient are on their way."

"Thanks," Naruto grinned, and made his way inside.

He had not expected to have company.

And he definitely didn't expect that company to turn and meet him with eyes pale as moonlight, and a kind smile.

"Good morning," Hinata's soft voice somehow traveled above the thrum of his heart in his ears. "Thank you," she said to the orderly. "I can manage from here."

The orderly nodded and left.

"Neji said he and Sakura will be up shortly," she offered, nodding to the large windows overlooking the helipad. "I understand the security team is almost ready for them."

"Good to hear," he said with an overly bright smile.

"Genma just stepped out," she gave a small frown as she consulted her phone. "He said to keep an eye on my phone."

As if on cue, the device buzzed in her hand.

"Hello, Genma," she answered. She listened for a moment or two, glancing at Naruto. "Yes, he is here. Yes. I shall tell him. Thank you, Genma."

Naruto raised his eyebrows to her as she tucked her phone away.

"Genma says there is a delay in releasing Kankuro. Something nominal on the security end. It does mean Neji will be a moment getting back here; he asked if you would mind terribly staying in the waiting area."

"That's fine," Naruto shrugged, wondering if Genma was only polite to Hinata, as none of that sounded even remotely like him. His own phone buzzed and he scanned the message.

"Unidentified person seen following Hinata with equally unidentified package. Do us all a favor and stay put and out of trouble. Keep her safe or even Tsunade won't be able to undo what Neji does to you."

Naruto smirked to himself. That sounded way more like Genma.

"Just my alert," he said, pocketing his phone. "So," he looked around the room, automatically scanning for exits, and mentally cataloging the surroundings. "I hear you are heading back to Suna soon, too."

"Hopefully," she agreed. "I tour our various facilities a few times a year, and Master Sarutobi was our guest. I would like to finish our tour. I'm counting on the next one being less eventful than the last one."

"I bet," he snorted. "Be hard to top that one."

"I'd rather not try," she smiled wryly.

"Pretty sure we all feel that way," he chuckled. "I think Temari lectured Kankurō to the point I'll be shocked if he leaves the Kazekage residence ever again."

"Oh?"

"Nah," Naruto's eyes danced with mischief. "I'm betting he'll sneak out on the first day back. And if I know Temari, so is she, and someone will shadow him."

Hinata shook her head with a smile. "Sounds complicated."

"Welcome to ANBU," he said with a shrug, and she laughed lightly.

"It has been a rather eventful introduction."

"Yeah," Naruto rubbed the back of his neck. "About that…"

The door to the waiting area flew open, and Naruto immediately stepped in front of Hinata, his chakra flaring with an instant and overwhelming intensity.

"It's me – It's ME!" the intruder hissed.

"You?" Naruto's chakra flickered back into something latent. "What are you doing here?"

"Just take this, okay?" he shoved a box at Naruto. "And next time, you take the crazy job."

"Naruto?" Hinata peered around him. "Is it someone you…oh?"

Hinata looked between Naruto and… Naruto.

"I don't understand?"

"Shadow clone," Naruto nodded to the irritated version of himself. "I have several here on assignment with me."

"Yeah well, my part is done," the other-Naruto snorted, yanking off a pilfered doctor's coat and tossing it onto a nearby chair. "Dispel me, please."

Hinata raised her eyebrows at the clone. "You can't dispel?"

"The clones I make for missions are much harder to dispel," Naruto explained, putting the box to the side. "Kakashi figured out a way to add an extra seal to them, but they can't dispel themselves."

"Yeah, and I can't get the seal off," the other Naruto tugged at the collar of his jacket. "A little help?"

There was a loud clatter, and suddenly there was a third, very harried, very disheveled Naruto with them.

"Get out of here!" he gasped, "she's right behind me!"

The first clone bit off a curse, and darted out of the waiting area, and through the series of doors leading outside to the helipad.

Tenten appeared half a second later, eyes gleaming, jaw set. She entered the waiting room just long enough to bite out. "Clone?"

"Yeah."

"Yours?"

"Yeah."

"Good." She raced out of the doors and multiple kunai flew from her hands, tags streaming behind them.

The clone dispelled in a puff of smoke, and Naruto winced.

"Was that necessary?" he rubbed his head.

"Was sending clones - one with a suspicious package! - sneaking around the restricted areas of the hospital and asking where to find the Clan Mother on the day we moved an figure of international importance necessary?"

"...Yes?"

"Then yes." She snapped. "You," she rounded on the remaining clone. "Get down to Neji and tell him everything is fine. Do whatever he asks you to do. Understand?"

"Yes ma'am!" Clone #2 saluted and hurried away.

Tenten took a deep breath and pressed a hand to her forehead before letting out a controlled exhale.

She turned to back to Naruto, her temper clearly being held under a rigid control. "As for you…" She flicked a glance at Hinata and swallowed some of her more colorful vocabulary. "Genma seems to think that Hinata is safe with you, so I'm going to go tell the security team to stop wetting themselves. Am I going to regret this decision?"

"I'm sure it will be fine," Hinata interjected kindly. "It was all just a misunderstanding."

"Yeah," Naruto was quick to assure her. "Hinata will be fine with me… from me…all the mes…not that there was ever a problem in the first place...?" He trailed off with palms up and a hopeful smile.

Tenten looked between them and sighed.

"I already regret this decision," she muttered, but with one last stern look at Naruto, she left to report to the security team.

Hinata looked up at Naruto curiously. "You were looking for me?"

Naruto turned to Hinata, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah. Didn't figure it would cause such a problem. Guess maybe I should've thought that one through a little better."

"But why were you looking for me?" the crease between her eyebrows deepened. "Was everything alright.

"Guess I skipped that part," he grinned crookedly. "These are for you," he handed her the small, white box, tied with white twine. "I wasn't sure if I'd get the chance to apologize about the other day in person, so I thought it might not be a bad idea to hedge my bets, and…I might have heard that Amaguriama's cinnamon rolls are your favorite…?" he trailed off hopefully.

Understanding broke over her features, and she offered him a kind and reassuring smile.

"You didn't have to do this."

"Didn't have to do this as in… you don't like them?"

"Quite the opposite," she assured him with a small laugh. "But, really, there isn't anything to apologize for; it was all an accident."

"Yeah, well, that 'accident' left you unconscious, so I feel like the least I could do is offer you some cinnamon rolls."

"Then I thank you, Naruto," she smiled. "This is a kind and thoughtful gift and I am touched that you made such a personal effort." she met his eyes, and her own were large and shimmering and full of gratitude, (and when she said his name, something inside of him jolted pleasantly).

"Wow," he grinned crookedly. "When you put it like that, it sounds way cooler than 'Sorry I screwed up, please forgive me.'"

"Just one thing?"

"Name it."

"The next time you need to get a hold of me," the corners of her mouth twitched up in amusement, "start with a call or text. Maybe save the shadow clones as a last resort."

"Fair enough," he held his hands up. "No clones."

She laughed, then – a light silvery thing that invited him to join in.

"So… We are good?"

"Yes," she agreed. "We are good. Here," she opened the box and handed him a cinnamon roll. "As a show of good faith."

He took a bite and his eyes grew wide.

"We must be better than good – this is amazing!"

"They are pretty amazing," she agreed.

"Hinata? Are you ready to…" Neji paused in the doorway and looked between his cousin and Naruto, narrowing his eyes at the latter. "Don't you know if you feed the pests they'll never leave?"

"Ouch," Naruto snorted with zero remorse. "Except I have a flight to catch which you," he checked the large clock on the wall. "Are late for."

"There was a security delay. You wouldn't know anything about that, would you?"

"Naruto was here when Genma alerted us to the problem," Hinata offered. "He was kind enough to agree to stay here until me until we received the all-clear."

As if by magic (or, if Naruto had to guess, as if by monitoring a security feed) a message giving the all-clear blipped across all their phones. In that moment Naruto blessed Tenten for not telling Neji exactly what had happened, and resolved to bring her back a souvenir from Suna. Something pointy.

"Tenten and Genma have just escorted Saukra and Kankuro to the helipad," he motioned to the window where they were loading Kankuro into the medflight.

"Guess that's my cue," Naruto popped the last bit of cinnamon roll into his mouth and dusted off his hands. "Nice to see you, Hinata," he smiled warmly at her. "Thanks for being such good company."

"Likewise," she returned his smile. "Safe travels."

"Excuse us, Lady Hinata," Neji stepped closer. "I need to get Naruto to the flight.

Naruto gave Hinata a final wave before following Neji to the helipad.

Neji kept throwing him suspicious glances, but Naruto didn't pay it any mind. Tenten stepped out and let them by.

"They're waiting for you," she said neutrally, and moved to speak with the pilot. Naruto got in to his seat - next to his clone henged as Temari, as Neji bid Sakura goodbye.

"I'll call when we land," she assured him," and he murmured something in her ear before kissing her cheek.

Everything wrapped up quickly, and they were soon winging their way to Suna and the Kazekage palace.

It wasn't until Naruto got back to his rooms that he had the chance to let Sasuke know they'd all landed safely. He was about to put his phone away when he received another message.

'Thank you again for the cinnamon rolls. I appreciate the thought!'

Naruto beamed.

'Happy to do it.' He paused before adding. 'You know there's a sweet shop here in Suna – tiny and tucked away. They have a local pastry kinda like a cinnamon roll. Will have to show you when you come.'

He held his breath after he hit send, wondering if maybe he was pushing the 'hey we are okay right? Right!' envelope too far too soon.

But she surprised him by replying. 'I look forward to it.'

"Holy fuck," Kurama stirred lazily, cracking open one eye. 'Was that you asking out a girl?'

"No," Naruto said too quickly. "That was me still making up to the girl that I knocked unconscious."

"Those better be some pastries," he shrugged, and went back to stillness, leaving Naruto with a goofy smile and a racing heart.

1:00 PM KST
Konoha, ANBU R&D offices

Neji had received word that Sakura and the others had arrived in Suna (thanks or no thanks to Naruto), and felt a small weight lift from his chest. His morning meeting with Genma and his Uncle had gone well, but he wanted to touch base with his and Hinata's teammates, as they were handling the most sensitive of the security for tomorrow's event. Genma had already told Tenten, and Lee; that left Shino and Kiba to Neji. He checked his watch. It was early; Shino was probably in the lab. If he found Shino, Shino would tell Kiba about the meeting and that would free him up to get some more things done before another meeting.

Neji wasn't trying to avoid Kiba per se, but he wasn't anxious to see him either. Kiba had never been his favorite person, but he was good to his Cousin. Curiously, he found himself wondering about the dinner with Tenten last night. She hadn't mentioned anything, but he also hadn't asked. He flushed. He refused to ask such questions as they were unbefitting of a Hyūga. However, if Kiba or Tenten chose to tell Hinata about the evening, and she chose to share that information, he would listen out of politeness.

As luck would have it, Kiba was sitting with Shino in his office. Neji recognized the bento box between them as one of Hinata's.

"Thank you snacks," Kiba said nodding to the box. "From your cousin. You want some?" he offered the box filled with Hinata's homemade treats. Neji politely declined. "Your loss, man," Kiba grinned. "Shino and I always knew we had the best kunoichi on our team, didn't we, Shino?"

"That is correct. What brings you down to the lab, Neji?"

"I need you both at a meeting today to go over the changes in security for the upcoming clan events."

"Oo," Kiba made a face. "What time? I kinda have plans for tonight."

"Oh?" Neji asked, fully prepared to dismiss any plans outright.

"Yeah," he confirmed, reaching for a muffin out of the box. "Didn't Tenten tell you? I'm taking her on in pool tonight."

Neji arched one eyebrow.

"So you are to be the latest in her long line of victims? I wouldn't have thought that hustle would have worked on you."

"It didn't," Kiba grinned a slow, easy grin. "No way is a girl like that is not a pool shark. But losing means I get to take her to dinner again; so, I win."

"And if you win?"

"I still win – she takes me to dinner. Not that I'll let her pay, of course," he shrugged.

This confused Neji. "Then why not just ask her back out for dinner?"

Kiba's grin grew wider. "Where is the fun in that? Man, do you even know your team mate? She jumps at the chance for friendly competition and bets and hates to lose. She might turn down dinner, but she'll never turn down a challenge. Besides, have you ever watched a girl play pool, Hyūga? I mean really watched?" He asked before leaning back in his chair with his hands behind his head and giving an appreciative sigh. "Best sight around. Totally worth getting beat at the game."

Shino hmphed, preventing Neji from having to make a reply. "You are quite good as well. Who is to say you won't win?"

Kiba shrugged. "I already can't lose. I just have to keep the game going long enough to enjoy the view."

Neji's face was impassive, even as his tone dropped several degrees.

"Meeting. Three o'clock. We'll be done before four."

And he left.

Shino sighed. "That wasn't very wise, Kiba. Why? That is because, you intentionally tried to annoy Neji with your insinuations about your plans with and designs toward his teammate."

"I know," Kiba's grin was positively wolfish. "Fun, wasn't it?"

11:26 PM SST
Suna, Kazekage Residence

Temari couldn't sleep.

She'd barely slept three hours together since Sakura's ANBU trial (since her fight with Shikamaru, her subconscious reminded her) and it didn't look like sleep would be coming any time soon.

Frustrated, she threw off the covers, dressed, and climbed up on to the roof.

She'd thought about going on a perimeter check, but with Gaara recently attacked, and Kankurō recently recovered, she couldn't bring herself to go far from the Kazekage residence.

The desert cooled quickly after the sun went down, but she forewent her usual calming cup of tea. Instead she stood at the railing of the small, private observation deck on the roof. Temari closed her eyes, and on her exhale, lifted her face to the sky.

The sky is where she could find her peace.

She had never cared for closed spaces, or for crowded areas. In Suna, the people had to be fairly close together; the city could only expand so far into the desert. Suna was both home and obligation; a people and a place. As the daughter of the Kazekage, Suna was her heritage, her burden, her joy, and her pride. But it was the sky over Suna that was her love.

As a child, she had watched the wind blowing for miles across the expanse of glittering hot sand and remind herself that the wind would always be free. It would always find a way – even when her father grew colder, her brother fought the madness of a demon, and her world closed in around her. She could breathe and pretend she was the wind – light, carefree, and untamable. At night, the enormous expanse of clear sky was an explosion of brilliant stars, and the view from horizon to horizon 360 degrees of unending. She had often spent nights alone in an isolated and desolate location, trying to count the sparks of cosmic light that flew across the ink-black of a desert sky.

Even now, she was able just to gaze over the vast sand-sea that was her homeland. It was in those moments that she felt balanced and at peace. She was at home.

She was so lost in thought that he was sitting just behind her before she even noticed he was there.

"Bit late for you to be stargazing."

"Shikamaru," she visibly started. "I… I didn't see you there," she finished lamely before lapsing into silence and turning her back to him

"Not like you to have your guard down."

His voice was right behind her now, and quiet. She lifted her eyes to the sea of stars above her, and began mentally tracing constellations to focus her thoughts. "No," she agreed. "It isn't."

A few more heartbeats passed before she offered: "Not like you to lose your temper."

"No," he agreed. "It isn't."

Shikamaru's hands were in his pockets, and he stood a hairsbreadth behind her. Temari's arms were crossed, and she was a hairsbreadth in front of him. It might as well have been the entire distance from Suna to Konoha.

She swallowed thickly.

"What are you doing here, Shikamaru? Why have you come?"

He exhaled softly.

"Every damn time."

Temari stiffened but couldn't bring herself to leave. Not when he'd come to her. Not after he'd said they were done.

"Every damned time something happens. Or doesn't happen. Or you go on a mission. Or you go to Suna. Or you come back to Konoha. Every damned time…" he sighed. "I worry."

"I know you can take care of yourself," he cut off her response before she could make it. "You can probably take care of yourself better than I can take care of you, and your siblings even better than that. Hell, now that I know Haruno is on your team, I shouldn't worry at all. The four of you are easily one of the strongest teams in all of ANBU." He let his gaze drift across her face, searching, and she realized she must have turend around at some point.

"Even knowing that summons was ours and the shinobi were clearly no match for your team plus Neji and Naruto – I still worried."

"When it comes to you," he shrugged. "I'm always going to worry. It is unacceptable to me that any risks be taken where you are concerned." He tightened his hold on her fingers. "That's just how it is."

And it was then that Temari had a startling burst of clarity. The peace she had felt – the calm – was a sense of home. It was something she had learned to find in Suna – but she'd felt it in Konoha, too. In those early mornings when they drank their tea in companionable silence. When they worked together. When they trained together. Home wasn't just the sparkling sands of Suna. Home was here. Home was now. Home was with him.

Temari was an excellent strategist in her own right, and with this new and pertinent information, she suddenly understood what his tirade had really been about. She did the only logical thing.

She snaked her arms around his neck and pulled him into an ardent kiss that he instantly and equally returned. "I am sorry I made you worry." She said softly against his mouth and kissing him again gently. "I am sorry I couldn't tell you about Haruno before now."

He had one arm circling her waist, and the other threaded in the hair at the base of her neck, holding her to him tightly and tucking her head into the crook of his neck while he kissed her forehead. "And I'm sorry I lost my temper."

He held her for a moment longer before she poked her head back up, remembering her conversation with Gaara. "Did my brother know you were going to do this?"

"Temari, I didn't even know I was going to do this," he responded wryly.

"Some genius you are," she smiled up at him. His reply was a kiss that left her breathless. She looked back up at him, her breathing uneven, her composure in tatters.

"That I knew about," he said slyly.

She swallowed hard. "Troublesome."

Friday, March 27th 7:55 AM SST
Suna, Kazegage Residence/Sakura's Quarters

Since Kankuro didn't return to the hospital, neither did Sakura. She was "assigned" as Kankuro's personal physician for the next twenty-four hours, although she would not need to spend the night again if she didn't want to.

It had been a little surreal waking up in those rooms where she had stayed so long ago, but it hasn't been unpleasant. She was greeted by a tray that had been left in the outer room by one of the staff, and on the table was a lovely bouquet of white roses.

They were breathtakingly beautiful, and she buried her face in them, inhaling their delicate fragrance before reading the card. The handwriting was clear and precise. 'Let's celebrate your recent successes and birthday with dinner when I return to Suna; anywhere you choose. – Neji'

Her lips tilted into a thoughtful smile as she prepared her coffee and sank into her favorite thinking chair.

Sakura grew up with Ino, and was well versed in the language of the flowers – just as she knew Neji was. Per the traditions set forth by the hanakotoba, white roses could mean innocence, silence, or devotion.

Neji was strong and steadfast – it wasn't hard to believe he was devoted to her. They had become very close over the last couple of years, their professional relationship fostering a personal one.

However, as much as she cared for Neji - and she did care for him greatly - she realized she was relieved that there was no implication of love anywhere in his note. He was careful with his affections because of his history with his clan, and she was careful because of her history with Sasuke. Their handful of dates had been companionable and comfortable, but neither she nor Neji trusted surges of emotion. She'd have to be comatose to not be physically attracted to Neji; and she was attracted to him. He was kind and caring, he was solid and steady – they had good chemistry, even. It would not be difficult to imagine their relationship growing into something more serious and permanent.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the familiar research she'd retrieved from Chiyo's records; the one detailing her research on the Cursed Seal of Heaven.

How strange to think that in the last several days she had encountered the only two known survivors of the mark – and one of them was Sasuke.

Sasuke, who at sixteen and redolent with rage and an insatiable drive to avenge the death of his parents, had willingly allowed Orochimaru to infect him with the Cursed Seal.

Sasuke - who while she was working on her research with Chiyo, and then later mourned her passing with Gaara as they sought solace and refuge in one another – was being hunted by ANBU and a determined Naruto dead-set on bringing him home.

Sasuke, who was finally retrieved and cured of the Cursed Seal and brought back to Konoha shorty before he began his first year at Konoha University.

Sasuke, who was excelling and rapidly recovering when her offer to transfer to Konoha and study with Lady Tsunade arrived in Suna.

Sasuke who had been completely dismissive of her when she arrived at KU (and she of him).

In fact, up until the moment Sasuke kissed her for the first time, she had always assumed that she and Gaara would one day reunite. After that moment, though, she had known with equal certainty that there would never be anyone else.

Sasuke consumed her. He was a heady and life-altering drug that coursed through her system and buried itself in the helices of her DNA. He would always be a part of her, and she of him.

Or so she had thought.

A knock sounded against her door, and she shook herself out of her memories.

"Come in?"

"Hey," Kankurō gave a half wave and stepped in the room. "Thought you'd be up."

"Kankurō?" she blinked up at him and then paused. "What are you….Do I smell bacon?"

"Not just any bacon," Kankurō produced a large paper bag from nowhere. "Secret bacon."

Her eyes grew wide. "You didn't..!"

"Sakura," he said loftily. "Secret bacon is sacred. I never joke about secret bacon. Besides, after all of that hospital food, I earned this."

She sighed happily as he handed her a bag (probably bought while henged and stored in one of those scrolls he'd scored off of Tenten.) "I'm sorry I ever doubted you."

"Forgiven," he dove into a singularly unhealthy-looking breakfast sandwich. "So," he reached for his coffee. "Who's sending you flowers? Hyūga?"

"Yeah," she gave a quick smile. "Sweet, aren't they?"

"So, what's the deal with you two? Haven't you been dating for about a month now?"

"I don't know that I'd call it dating," she frowned as she stirred her coffee. "We've gone out a couple of times," she shrugged. "I haven't had time for anything more than that."

"That's it?"

She arched an eyebrow. "What else were you expecting?"

"I don't know? Seems to me you wouldn't even bother on going on a couple dates if you didn't at least consider taking it somewhere."

"I've considered," she said airily.

"Mm," he hummed, flicking his eyes to the nearby scrolls. "Looks like you were up reading Chiyo's stuff."

"Yes. Brushing up."

"Reading about Uchiha?"

Sakura shrugged noncommittally and took a large bite of her sandwich to avoid commenting.

Kankurō gave a gruff grunt.

"Still miss him, huh?"

She gave a small, surprised, bitter laugh.

"How fucked up is that, Kankurō? I would understand if I was angry or shocked or dismissive, or even apathetic...but after five years I would've have sworn I was done missing him."

Kankurō snorted. "You never stop missing some people. That is the sad, fucked up truth of it. There are some people that get under your skin, whether they know it or not, or whether you like it or not, and that's where they stay."

"So does a fungus."

"You know, normally," he leaned back to consider her, "This would be Temari's territory, but seeing how Shikamaru snuck into the palace last night to make up, it's gonna have to be me."

"He what?" Sakura sat up. "Did he make up? Are they okay? Did-"

"I was able to leave and return - completely undetected - with secret bacon in hand. What do you think...?"

"Oh," she blinked, her cheeks turning a bright red. "Oh, wow."

"Yeah," he snorted. "Must've been some apology. But lucky for you, I got this. As half of the secret bacon pact, I am going to let you in on the secret of how to handle all of this shit."

Inexplicably, Sakura held her breath as he paused.

"Ok. Here it is. 'Be happy. Fuck everything else.'"

Sakura blinked twice. "That's... that's it?"

"That's it."

"Well, that clears it up entirely," she muttered, taking a bite of her sandwich. "Problem solved. On to cold fusion and immortality."

"Look, don't make this more complicated than it has to be. The last week-and-a-bit has been beyond insane for you, right? Well you can't fix that. You're in ANBU now, and life is going to get a hell of a lot weirder before it gets saner. Actually, I doubt it will ever get saner. But that's just life. Uchiha is around, but that might not mean shit. Hyūga is clearly chasing after you – you decide if you want to be caught, but know that you don't have to be." Kankurō shrugged. "You know how to make your own stands. Decide what's up in your own head."

"Oh, my head's not the problem," Sakura said dryly, "I know exactly what makes sense. Leave the past in the past, and keep living my life like nothing is different. See where things go."

"But things are different," he reached in his bag for a second sandwich. "And let's not pretend you won't think about it, because you already are. You can't just bury that in some file in your head without it seriously coming back to bite you in the ass."

"So what should I do, Kankurō?" she sighed wearily.

"Let it happen," he said emphatically. "It isn't in your nature to just dismiss someone, and he was important to you once. Probably still is. So just let it be that way. Don't try to analyze it or break it down into a logical explanation, because like you said, what you feel isn't logical. It's not supposed to be," he shrugged. "You get it?"

"So… basically just accept that this is fucked up and go with it?"

"Yup."

Sakura looked up to the man she considered a big brother, and a slow grin spread across her face. "Your delivery needs some work, but you've got some smart things to say."

"The other two do the diplomatic shit," Kankuro grunted. "I just call it like I see it. So. What have we learned?" He raised his eyebrows expectantly.

"That it's alright to be confused, and to just roll with it?"

"Very good. And what do we say?"

"Be happy. Fuck everything else."

"And are you happy?

She thought about all of the confusion and insanity that had been her life in the last few days, but then she thought about all of the good things that were now back in her life. Somewhere between what had been and what was coming, there was a whole lot of room for 'happy.'

"Yeah," she decided. "I am. Very happy, actually."

"That's my girl," he grinned. "P.S. The footnote is 'and if anyone fucks with you, you let us know and they will never see the light of day ever again,' you feel me?"

"Yeah. I feel you."

"Alright then," he stood up and gathered up his garbage. "Good talk. I'll see you later today, and remember what I said. There'll probably be a quiz."

"Got it," she smiled fondly. "Thanks, Kankurō."

"Any time," he grinned. "Especially that last part. I could use the entertainment. I've got some new toys I've been dying to try out."

"You almost did," Sakura said flatly. "A couple of days ago."

"Details, Sakura," Kankurō waved it off. "Stick with the mantra."

The door closed behind him, and Sakura stared at it for a few moments, collecting her thoughts. Her eyes fell on the white roses, many of which had yet to fully open.

"I guess you deserve a chance to blossom," she brushed her fingertip across the velvety bud, and took a deep breath.

Her text to Neji was short and direct.

Thank you for the flowers. Looking forward to dinner."

A few moments slipped by before he replied. "You are welcome – and so am I. See you Saturday."

Saturday was her birthday, and Neji did return to Suna, as did Ino. They all celebrated her birthday in style, with Naruto keeping her spirits buoyed and lively. Ino helped her pack in Suna, and when she left for Konoha, Hinata flew back with Master Sarutobi and Yori.

When they all returned to Konoha, Sakura embraced the weightlessness that comes with a hopeful heart. They celebrated her birthday again with all of her Konoha friends, and it took her and Naruto and Ino to get her gifts back to the apartment.

When she finally sorted them, she found one, unopened scroll that she had missed.

Laying it on her bed, she unsealed it, her eyes widening with recognition.

The battle axe had been sharpened and regripped, and looked even deadlier than it had in the ANBU arena two-and-a-half weeks prior. The note inside was simple.

"I believe you can continue to make good use of this. Here's to fighting on the same side. - Sasuke."

She stared at the note the corners of her mouth twitching upward without her consent.

"You really are a bastard," she breathed, testing the balance of the weapon. "But you've always had good taste."

She weighed her options as she shifted the axe in her hands. Did she thank him? Did she refuse the gift? Did she ignore it all together?

Did she…?

Sakura shook her head to clear her train of thought, and allowed her lips to curve wickedly at the thought of putting her new toy to good use.

"Be happy," she said, catching the eye of her reflection. "Fuck everything else."

She nodded in satisfaction, sealed away her gift, and proceeded to have the best night of sleep she'd had in years.

Wednesday, April 15th, 12:05 AM KST
Konoha, ANBU Base/Morgue

The keys to a successful infiltration are to have a believable, sustainable cover, and a corresponding base of operations that invites no suspicion.

To that end, being a dead body in a morgue drawer was pretty much perfect.

He heard them during the autopsy.

"Died from injuries. Impossible to tell if the injuries were sustained prior to or after arrival in Konoha. Subject's age, approximately thirty-seven. Matches description of missing-nin from Ame."

The woman with the purple hair had continued her monologue into the microphone and found nothing unusual about his person. This body was to be cremated by the end of next week, assuming no next of kin could be found.

Of course, there wouldn't be any - he'd killed them all years ago.

His specialty in life had been infiltration, and it seemed that his specialty in death was no different. He dissolved into a dense smoke that drifted out of the morgue drawer to collect and reassemble around the seal he had warped into the cold, sterile metal of the autopsy table. He looked around the room, satisfied that he was out of sight of all cameras.

He found the ANBU's file and paperwork for his comrade in the next drawer. He unsealed the documents that had been inscribed into his flesh, and placed them in the folder.

The new information contained leads about the other dead man's next of kin that would delay the disposal of the body for at least three months. The leads were, of course, completely fictitious, and would do nothing more than buy time. He then placed a few more seals around the room in inconspicuous places and verified that the one on the neighboring corpse was still intact.

When his work was done, he returned to the drawer and released the jutsu that would alert his Captain of his success. Mere moments later, the edo tensei was lifted. The infiltrator returned to his death sleep, leaving behind the corpse of the man that had been killed to provide a body for his resurrected form.

His last thought was that this mission wasn't particularly difficult, but it was a nice change from being dead.

He hoped that Kabuto would call upon him soon to complete the job; the afterlife was far less interesting than sabotaging Konoha.

And there you have it, friends! The Spring Arc is done!

But wait, Giada! What about Hanabi's birthday party? What about Kiba V. Tenten? Did Sasuke actually have to go to a social function and interact with people?!

Catch the story "Bonfire Nights" for answers to those and other questions. That work will have shorter updates, and run a bit more like my Sakura of the Sand story. Gonna be a fun time, I promise!

Thank you for reading friends - See you back here after a few updates to Bonfire Nights for the Summer Arc!

With a sincere and grateful heart, - Giada

PS: Shino was totally channeling Maude Pie... Good luck getting that comparison out of your head... ;)

Chapter Text

I swear I've been writing this whole time...

You Must Believe in Spring
Chapter Nine: The Friday Fugue

Friday, May 29th 8:45 AM KST
Konoha, ANBU base: Dr. Haruno's office

Sasuke sat still, his expression cool as Hinata took his blood pressure. She listened intently, her pale fingers applying firm pressure to the stethoscope on the inside of his arm. A hint of a smirk tugged at his lips.

"Still beating?"

She removed the stethoscope and put it around her neck. "Still beating," she agreed with a small smile.

When Tsunade had approached him about wanting to do more research on the Sharingan, he had been hesitant – especially since Sakura would be heading up the research. However, when Hinata had also been approached and agreed, making it a comparative study of the Sharingan and Byakugan, he had consented. It was, after all, in an effort to protect both dōjutsus, and could lead to a better understanding of his own powers. He would absolutely not admit that having Hinata in the appointments with them made him feel more comfortable than being alone with Sakura. Sakura was blameless of the rift between them, and as desperately as he wanted to mend it, he did not wish to cause her unnecessary discomfort in the process.

Luckily, his initial concerns proved to be pleasantly unfounded. The first appointment with Sakura had been professional to the nth degree, as had every appointment thereafter. She went through his patient history with him, and asked informational questions about the Sharingan. She quickly analyzed the results of his bloodwork, and gave him a rough idea of what she felt their meeting schedule would look like.

That had been almost two months ago.

Hinata finished up taking his vitals and updating their charts - something she did to save Sakura time, and limit everyone's discomfort. A small timer dinged just as she put the file on Sakura's desk. Wordlessly, Hinata put a tray on the side table between their chairs and poured his tea. As one who abhorred small talk, her quiet nature was a welcome respite.

A vague smile pulled at Sasuke's lips. "Thank you, Hinata."

"You are welcome."

They sat in comfortable silence for a few moments before a perfunctory knock sounded on the door, and Dr. Haruno Sakura strode in, files in hand, white coat over professional attire.

"Thank you for waiting," she gave a quick smile, walking to her side of the desk. "It is a busy day." She put her stack of files on her desk before hanging up her coat. Her movements were efficient and perfunctory without being jarring – no gesture was wasted.

Sakura sat at the desk as Hinata placed handed her a mug of tea. "Thanks," she said, as Hinata returned to her seat.

They waited in silence while Sakura took a sip of her tea, and scanned through the files. After a moment or so, she leaned back, and met both of their eyes. "So!" she said brightly. "It seems we've made some breakthroughs this week, and I have good news for you, Sasuke."

"Oh?"

"I have completed every test possible," she said. "There are absolutely no remaining traces of the Curse of Heaven seal anywhere on your person or in your bloodwork. In fact," she leaned back in her chair. "It appears the integrity of genetic material that constitutes the "curse" has degraded in all remaining cell cultures."

Sasuke arched an eyebrow. "What does that mean, specifically?"

"It means that it is no longer possible to culture and extract cells capable of passing on the necessary genetic information stored in the cursed seal. They are too far removed from the original source, as would be any remaining specimens collected."

"What if the cell cultures were stored cryogenically?" he asked, leaning forward. "Orochimaru had multiple facilities and ways of storing his specimens."

Sakura shook her head. "My research shows that these cells do not preserve well cryogenically. At this point, if anyone wanted to recreate Orochimaru's work, the original specimen would have to be found, and new cells harvested and cultured."

"Jugo is dead," Sasuke said evenly. "And he was the last of his clan. There are no more original specimens."

"Then, aside from Anko," Sakura mused, "nothing remains. I have been working with her to see about removing what remains of her mark. The mark itself appears to have been sealed into dormancy."

"Trust nothing you know when it comes to dealing with Orochimaru or his work," he warned darkly. "The man was twisted, but brilliant."

"So, I am finding."

"And don't underestimate Kabuto. He is a considerable threat."

"I have heard that as well," Sakura reached for her tea. "But we are learning quite a bit from studying the pathogens we have found. The more sophisticated versions appear not only to be targeting the DNA responsible for the Byakugan or Sharingan, but even more specific parts of the coding. If we can figure out what they are targeting, we can not only better protect everyone, but get a better sense of what their true objective is."

"Makes sense," Sasuke sat back in his chair.

"Still," Hinata offered, "that is quite a bit of information – much more than we had before."

"True," Sakura offered her a grateful smile. "I am hopeful we will know even more after the team comes back from Iwa."

"Team," Sasuke sat rigidly. "What team?"

Sakura and Hinata exchanged a glance.

"There is a team of trackers being sent to Iwa," Hinata supplied. "It was just decided a day or so ago."

"When do they leave?"

"They haven't yet," Sakura frowned. "The assignment will be issued today, in fact I think Lady Tsunade will give the go-ahead after her meeting with-"

"When is her meeting?"

Sasuke stood, his tone urgent.

"Now, I think," Sakura checked her watch. "She should be-"

"Forgive me. I must cut this short."

The words were no sooner out of his mouth, than Sasuke was gone.

Sakura looked at Hinata, "What just happened?"

"I'm not sure," Hinata blinked. "But I suspect Sasuke just invited himself to Tsunade's meeting.

"Oh, no," Sakura breathed. "That can't be good."

"Too late to stop him."

"Say, Hinata?" Sakura laced her fingers. "Did I ever tell you there is a wonderful little place for brunch that is incidentally not anywhere near this particular base?"

"Sounds lovely," Hinata grinned. "I'll get my things."

9:24 AM KST
Konoha

Naruto was drumming his fingers on the gearshift, mentally urging the light to hurry-up-and-change-already. He leaned forward with a growl, gripping the wheel with both hands. He hated waiting, no matter for what or how short of a time.

When the light changed, he muttered "Finally," before driving through the intersection.

"You know," Sai said from the passenger seat. "The lights in this area are timed. If you go exactly the speed limit, your chances of catching a red light are statistically insignificant. In fact, if all drivers utilized this knowledge, it would optimize the traffic flow of this area, reducing congestion considerably.

"Is that a fact?"

"Yes," Sai agreed. "It is. And what you are doing now by nearly doubling your speed is the exact opposite of the strategy I am suggesting. In fact, the light ahead of us is about to turn red. You are going to have to forcibly apply the brakes in order to stop in time."

"Oh, am I?" Naruto asked with a wicked grin and a heavy foot on the accelerator.

"Well, yes," Sai said blankly, "Assuming you wish to observe traffic and safety laws-"

They flew through the intersection, and the light turned red behind them.

"-…which clearly you don't."

"Lighten up, Sai," Naruto rolled his eyes, but reduced his speed. Getting out of tickets was a pain in the ass, and usually required favors.

Sai cocked his head to the side. "How so? I am already far lighter than you, pigmentation wise – especially now that there has been more sun and you are tan. I do not believe my weight to be excessive, and have passed every physical I have ever been given. I am not overly dressed-"

"I mean, relax a little," Naruto interrupted. "Don't get so hung up on all of the details of things."

"I am an artist," Sai shrugged. "Details are a large part of what I do."

"I guess that's true. So," he flicked a gaze to his rearview mirror, before glancing over to his teammate. "For someone that said they wanted to talk, you didn't have much to say much over breakfast."

"I thought it best that you have a meal first. You do not pay much attention when you are hungry."

"That's fair," Naruto reached for his large to-go cup and slurped noisily through the straw. "So what's up?"

"I wanted to ask you some questions about your time at Konoha University, and Sasuke and Sakura."

Naruto gave a half of a shrug. "Unless you have some new questions, I don't know that I have much to tell you."

"I have several," Sai pulled a notebook out. He asked Naruto a series of innocuous questions that were answered easily and quickly. He then had Naruto drive him around campus and the rest of Konoha as he noted locations that were important to his friends during those times. Naruto's face was more somber as he parked to lead Sai down the old path out of Konoha.

Naruto stopped in front of the stone bench. He shoved his sunglasses on top of his head, not needing them in the shade of sun-dappled path. The late May breeze that drifted by hinted that summer was just around the corner, but this spot never felt like summer to Naruto.

"It was here?" Sai asked, looking around.

"Yeah," Naruto nodded to the bench. "That is where they found her."

Sai scanned the wide, cobbled path, and the trees banked behind the old cement walls. The stone bench was built into the wall, worn and weathered by time. Long ago, this had been the only path out of the village. That could not be stated now – the village was no longer "Hidden" and there were many ways to exit the city. The towering ancient gates at the end of the path no longer served as the border between Konoha and the rest of the world.

Sai sat on the bench and surveyed the area. He went farther down the path and looked back at the bench. He went to the other side of the bench and looked up the path. Naruto leaned on the wall opposite the bench, his foot propped against the concrete, his arms crossed. Sai stepped back and made a viewfinder by touching his thumbs to the opposite pointer fingers, and surveying the area. Finally, he pulled out a professional digital camera and repeated the process.

When he finished, he sank onto the bench and paged through his pictures on the back of the camera.

"So what are you doing, exactly?" Naruto peered over his shoulder.

Sai continued to flick through the images. "I am trying to see what they saw."

"Well unless you are a Yamanaka, that won't happen. I guess Sasuke could show you with his Sharingan, but the chances of that happening are less than zero."

Sai paused.

"Wasn't he also scanned by Inoichi? When he returned?"

"Probably," Naruto shrugged. "But I don't know if they bothered scanning that particular memory. By then, it didn't matter. He was back. There wasn't anything to see or say. Besides," Naruto kicked a pebble with his shoe. "They already saw it from Sakura's memories. They didn't need it from his point of view."

A glint of an idea formed in Sai's mind. "It's all a matter of perspective," he mused. He fished out his phone and sent a text before returning it to his shirt pocket. "Perhaps," he looked to Naruto, "It is in the details, after all."

"Huh?" Naruto quirked an eyebrow at his friend. "What do you mean by that?"

"I have another question," Sai said, a shadow of concern slipping across his face as he put his camera away. "As Sasuke's teammates, we are his friends, yes?"

"I mean, he'd probably never admit it, but yeah. We're his friends. Even you," Naruto kept a straight face, but mischief pulled at his lips.

"And Haruno Sakura was friends with all of you, and as she is a friend of my friends I am to treat her as if she is a friend of mine, correct?"

"Yeah. Sure. Let's go with that. Why?"

"Then, perhaps you can help me to understand where I should stand in regards to their particular agendas," Sai asked. "You have indicated to me that Sasuke wishes to reconnect with the Doctor, potentially on a romantic level, but she is currently in a relationship with Neji, correct?"

"Well, that's two questions, and a crap-ton of problems," Naruto muttered, sinking onto the bench next to Sai, trying to think how to explain. "Sasuke wants to make things right, but I am sure that he wants to get Sakura back. He hasn't said too much about it, but it sounds like his meetings with her at the hospital have gone well. As for Neji, I guess he and Sakura are official now."

"I was unaware they had filed the paperwork," Sai scribbled a note. "I must remember to request a copy."

"Not necessary," Naruto swallowed a grin. "But why are you asking?"

"Well, they each appear to have different goals that are at odds with each other. As they are both in our circle of friends as well as fellow employees, should we not help them move toward their respective goals? And if that is indeed the case, how do we work with one and not against the other?"

"We don't have to take sides, Sai," Naruto said firmly. "We can stay out of the personal stuff."

"But, according to my notes," Sai flipped back through his notebook, "Ah, here it is. The appropriate philosophy is 'Bro's before ho's,' which, I am led to believe, means that our allegiance must be to Sasuke and his cause, because of our mutual possession of penises. Or," he flicked a glance to Naruto's lap dismissively, "whatever passes for one."

"How does it always come back to penises with you?" Naruto shook his head in amazement. "Seriously? It's got to be unhealthy."

"No," Sai shook his head. "I told you before. I have passed every physical. There is nothing wrong with my penis, and, if the extra attention the nurse was paying to me that day is any indication, there are quite a few things right with it."

"Okay," Naruto cut off the conversation. "No more penis talk. Seriously. Whatever else you have to ask me, skip that part."

"That is fine," Sai shrugged. "I was mostly done anyway, although you did not really answer my question."

"When you were in ROOT," Naruto said evenly, "and you were undercover. You didn't do anything to hinder our movements, and you couldn't be caught promoting Danzo's agenda, right? You stuck to your mission."

Sai frowned. "I suppose. Although considering assassination was part of my orders, I clearly didn't adhere to the mission."

"But you kept yourself neutral for a long time," Naruto said pointedly. "You stayed out of things, and just watched."

"More or less."

"Well, then here are your orders," Naruto said firmly. "Your friend's romantic lives are not your concern. If your friend needs you or your support, they will come to you. Other than that, step back, and let it ride."

"Hm," Sai rubbed his chin. "I was expecting some talk about the bonds of friendship and the responsibilities we have toward one another. This is unexpected." He looked around one last time before nodding to himself. "We are done here. Thank you for your assistance."

"No problem. Need a ride anywhere?"

"No, thank you," Sai stood, pocketing his phone. "My next appointment is at Yamanaka Hana, and I can walk there from here."

Naruto's grin was sly.

"Been spending quite a bit of time with Ino, haven't you?"

"She has been a valuable resource of information," Sai agreed. "It has helped me, as she puts it, 'fill in the blanks' to some of your shared past, which helps me navigate the intricacies of the social construct that is our group of friends."

"Uh-huh," Naruto said flatly. "I'm sure the fact that she's smokin' has nothing to do with it."

Sai frowned.

"Ino does not smoke. She considers it to be a disgusting habit."

Naruto chuckled. "Whatever, Sai," he took out his keys. "I'll see you later." Naruto headed back toward where he was parked, not even stopping to call over his shoulder. "You two behave yourselves, now," he waved. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do!"

Sai watched Naruto swing up into his truck, grinning smugly all the way. As the truck rumbled away, Sai shook his head.

"And people tell me I say the strangest things."

10:30 AM KST
Konoha, ANBU Base: Rehabilitation Unit

Shizune flipped through another page on her clipboard, watching carefully as Anko lowered the weight back into position on the machine.

"Good," she smiled, scribbling something down. "Your strength and range of motion are steadily improving."

"Just have to work on endurance next," Anko grumbled, swiping at her face with a towel. "I shouldn't be breaking a sweat over this kind of stuff."

"You won't for much longer," Shizune assured her. "You had almost a month where you were totally incapacitated, and only about two months to change that. Not even that long," she added, "because we couldn't start your rehabilitation right away. Cut yourself some slack."

Anko snorted at the idea. "The sooner I can get back on my feet, the sooner I can help find my teammates. Any luck contacting Doku?" she asked hopefully.

"Not yet," Shizune reported. "From what Uchiha tells us, Doku was summoned away again shortly after returning from the ANBU base."

"That doesn't make any sense," Anko grimaced. "I don't think there are any contracts with anyone that isn't me or Uchiha, and Orochimaru is dead. No one else should be able to summon the snakes."

"It should be impossible," Shizune agreed, "but that's all we have to go on right now."

Anko stared at her hands. "They did something to my chakra network," she sighed bitterly. "I don't have the control to attempt the summons right now."

"I think they purposely blocked you from being able to do a summons," Shizune said pointedly. "I had a Hyūga medic examine your tenketsu, and we've been monitoring them daily. I have Hinata checking her clan archives for any information that might help us reestablish and reopen those points."

"Is that why my progress has been slow?"

"It is why your progress hasn't been as fast as you'd like," Shizune rolled her eyes, "but considering you were half dead when you got here, I'd hardly call your progress 'slow.'"

"But Ranka is doing better now, isn't he?"

"Much," Shizune smiled. "Apparently they didn't think he would survive whatever they were doing or were going to do to him, so they didn't bother incapacitating him as much as they did you. He's been moved to one of the long-term care wards, but he is out of the critical care unit. Admittedly, he still gets tired," Shizune shrugged, "but he was in a pretty awful state when he arrived."

"At least he is doing better now," Anko fiddled with the towel. "Do…do we know anything more about the experiments they did on him?"

"We know more than we did," Shizune said carefully, "but we are still piecing the evidence together." She glanced at the clock "We're finished for today," she flipped the sheets on her clipboard back down.

"Alright," Anko sighed, standing up. "I've got to get going anyway. See you later, Shizune." She waited until Shizune left for her next appointment to head to the locker room. She changed quickly and made her way out of the base and to the old training ground.

"How did your appointment go?"

She looked up to where Kakashi was sitting lazily in a tree.

"Frustrating," she tossed her bag down. "Slow, boring, pointless, I hate it, and are you going to stay up there all day?"

Kakashi tucked his book away and jumped down, hands in his pockets.

"That's better," Anko muttered. "I kept my end of the deal. I've been going to these stupid sessions. Now it's your turn."

Kakashi shrugged. "I set up some target practice today. We'll do a light spar if you can hit enough of the targets."

"Fine, fine," she said impatiently, crossing to the long table where Kakashi had laid out some weaponry. "Anything to get some decent training in for a change."

Kakashi smiled to himself.

A cantankerous Anko was a recovering Anko.

It was good to see her spirits rising, and watching her return to her normal attitude, even if it occasionally bordered on scary. That was probably why Tsunade had okay'd his covert sessions with her, even if Shizune didn't know about them.

"Don't let her push herself too hard," Tsunade had warned, "but I know she needs a harsher challenge than we can reasonably give her here."

What Tsunade really meant, was that if they officially greenlighted Anko to do this level of training, she would push herself way beyond her current limits, and probably insist on going back in the field. Making a deal with her to attend her therapy while getting in some covert and more satisfying training both kept her in the village, and from overexerting herself.

As she tested the weight of the various weapons, she smiled. "This is more like it," her grin curved wickedly. "I'm so going to kick your ass, Kakashi."

Kakashi shrugged, and nodded toward the targets, some of which were now moving. "I look forward to it."

11:25 AM KST
Konoha, Yamanaka Hana

Kiba entered Yamanaka Hana, and walked past Ino's cousin at the counter.

"It's an emergency," he assured her before waltzing into the large workroom, Akamaru on his heels.

"Wow," he stood, taking in the multitude of floral arrangements. "Guess it's a good thing you drafted Sai for more help in here. Looks like you guys have been busy."

"Kiba?" Ino looked up in surprise. "I didn't think you were going to be back yet."

"I wasn't," he admitted. "I managed to wrap things up a little quicker than anticipated, and was trying to get back to surprise…" Ino met his gaze sharply, and he faltered. "Well, anyway," he cleared his throat, "I just left the assignment deck."

"Kiba, if you are not too exhausted from your mission, I would very much like to discuss it and your travels over a beer this evening," Sai offered.

Kiba's smile was kind, but apologetic. "Sorry, man. Gonna have to take a raincheck on that one."

"I understand," Sai said promptly. "Perhaps another evening would be better."

Kiba rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, you see, it turns out that a team is being sent to investigate the missing members of Anko's team."

"Oh?" Ino frowned, "I hadn't heard anything."

"Brand new mission. I was just turning in my report when Yamato came on deck with his team. They're going to check out the missing team's last known location and see if there is anything more they can find."

"Then I am sure your skills will come in handy," Sai offered.

"Yeah, well," Kiba stretched, "they were going to send another tracker, but Shino is going and he's my teammate. Plus, one of Hinata's clan members is also missing, so I feel like I should help out."

"Are they sending a Hyūga?" Ino asked.

"Hyūga Hoheto."

"When do you leave?"

"First thing tomorrow," Kiba sighed. "That gives me just long enough to unpack, repack, check in with Tsume, maybe have dinner with Tenten, and meet up with them at the assignment deck in the morning."

"Oh, wow," Ino breathed. "That's a heck of a turn-around, Kiba."

"No kidding," he snorted. "That's why I'm here. I need a hand."

"With?"

"I need some flowers. Something that says 'sorry-I-am-leaving-just-as-soon-as-I-got-back-but-I-can't-leave-my-teammate-hanging-so-please-give-me-a-chance-at-the-whole-let's-take-a-weekend-off-and-just-hang-out-thing."

Sai blinked twice before reaching for a book.

"I'm not sure the hanakotoba has anything that specific," he murmured as he flipped through the pages.

"Thing is," Kiba rubbed the back of his neck, "I need it kinda quick. You don't risk pissing off someone that carries that many concealed weapons by walking in empty handed." Kiba fished out some money and handed it over to her.

"Wow," she counted it quickly. "Must be a pretty big apology."

"I mentioned the weapons, right?"

"Here," she pulled a few bills from the stack and handed the rest of it back to him.

Kiba looked at the outstretched money. "So…you want me to get skewered?"

"No," Ino laughed. "You gave me too much. Tenten isn't a huge flower person, but she does love to get them. Use what I gave you back to make dinner nicer tonight, especially since you guys are on limited time. I'm already taking her an order from Gai – I'll get this done right away, and have it delivered before dinner.

"You're the best, Ino," Kiba grinned his lopsided, fanged grin. "And Sai, when I get back, count on a night out to catch up. Beer and everything."

"I would like that," Sai said promptly.

"Stay out of trouble, you two," Kiba's grin turned wolfish, unhindered by Ino's narrow-eyed glare, or Sai's open confusion. "Later," he smirked, and strode out of the store.

"Trouble?" Sai cocked his head to the side, and looked at Ino. "What 'trouble?'"

"Oh, that's just Kiba," Ino dismissed the comment with a light blush.

"Strange," Sai mused. "Naruto said something similar earlier today. I assure you," he met Ino's eyes surely, stepping into her personal space as one of his books told him assured another party in the conversation of his sincerity, "that I have no intention of causing or engaging in any troubling behavior."

"Good to hear," Ino swallowed quickly. "Now. Let's get this order pulled together."

Sai stepped back and went back to the work room, mentally adding to his "things to ask Kiba when he returns" list.

7:17 PM KST
Konoha, The Starling restaurant

"You seem distracted."

"Do I?" Sakura looked up, eyes wide with apology. "I'm sorry, her gaze dropped to her plate. "I don't think I am very good company tonight."

Neji reached over and put a hand over Sakura's. "That isn't true," his palm was warm and sure over the back of her hand. "You are always very good company – it is just that there is clearly something on your mind." He raised his eyebrows. "Do you wish to talk about it?"

"Not really," she gave him a crooked smile. "My research is just heavy on my mind these days, and I'm not very good at letting go during off hours."

"Well I certainly can't question your dedication," he said easily, "but you do need to step away from the job now and then, Sakura."

"You're right," she admitted with a knowing twist to her smile. "Sorry." She took a deep breath and then put her other hand over his. "Okay. For the rest of this evening, I'm just going to enjoy being with you, and being present."

"Thank you," his tone was warm and fond. "That is quite the compliment."

They chatted about this and that, and Sakura really did try to keep her mind on the conversation, but she could feel herself separating from the situation. Truth was, she'd had a couple particularly lousy nights of sleep, and several long nights in the lab. This was the first night she and Neji both had free in a while, and they'd taken advantage of the opportunity to have dinner together.

For his part, Neji knew how intense her schedule had been lately, and at the next opportunity, he asked for the check.

"Sorry," Sakura sighed, her arm tucked into his as he walked her home. June was around the corner, and Konoha was green, and lush, and warm, even in the evenings. "I really did have a nice time and all – I'm just-"

"You're tired," Neji supplied. "When even Shino comments on how long your lab hours have been, it is time for a break, Sakura."

"You're probably right," she chuckled. "Thanks for making sure I got one tonight."

"My pleasure," he patted her hand.

"I hear Naruto is determined to get a bunch of us together," she offered. "Something about ice cream, and maybe going to one of the summer festivals?"

"I've heard rumblings," he said dryly. "Lee has made me promise to join 'the rest of our friends in at least one youthful activity,'" he air quoted.

She laughed as they climbed the outside stairs to her apartment. Neji held open the door for her, but declined her offer for tea, as he was certain she'd be asleep in little to no time. As soon as she closed the door behind Neji, Sakura leaned against it with a sigh. She must really be slipping if a little thing like fatigue was affecting her this much these days.

In no time at all, she'd changed into pajamas, washed her face, and curled up with a familiar book. When she couldn't keep her eyes open any longer, she allowed herself to drift to sleep, her soul too tired to dream.

7:25 PM KST
Konoha, Genin's

Naruto hadn't been expecting to hear from Sai, considering they'd met just that morning. He definitely didn't expect him to invite him for dinner and drinks, at a restaurant that opened just a couple of months ago, but there he was, sliding into his seat, and (reasonably) on time.

"This place isn't bad," he looked around. "What made you decide to come here?"

"I investigated it beforehand," Sai answered, folding his hands neatly on the table. "I got a few good recommendations, and researched them fully. I have read that it is good for friends to have a place that they frequent often, and together. I decided we need one of those places."

"Why? We already have Ichiraiku's."

"True, but not everyone in our acquaintance is as enthusiastic about that particular form of cuisine. This venue has a wider menu, more options for drinks, a suitable ratio of clean to available restrooms, and-"

"Wait, a what now?" Naruto's eyebrows shot into his hairline.

"My time with Ino has taught me that when it comes to restrooms, not all venues are created equal. For instance, the number of occupants that can utilize the facilities at a time, coupled with the available space for waiting, or washing hands or fixing one's make-up varies widely from place to place. Also, the level of supply maintenance, cleanliness, and accessibility is apparently another important set of variables."

"And… you know about the bathrooms here, how?"

"I borrowed a page from your book," Sai smiled brightly. "I henged some ink clones and inspected the restrooms of all of the facilities I was investigating. It turns out that my ink animals – mice in particular – caused more of a disturbance than I had thought." He pulled a notebook out of his satchel. "I now have a comprehensive review of all of the restrooms of the places our group has frequented in the last year, as well as some new options I thought were worth exploring."

"Just stop the story there, okay?" Naruto held up a hand. "I really don't need to know any more than what you've already told me… and I'm pretty sure I didn't need to know that much.

"You did ask," Sai shrugged. "I think after you have tried some appetizers, you will be in a better mood. I took the liberty of ordering several. Ah, here they are."

A friendly waitress set down the appetizers and placed a beer in front of each of them.

"Anything else?" she asked, eyes sliding over Sai.

"No, thank you," he said politely. She left and he turned back to Naruto. "Chōji recommended the appetizer/beverage pairing," Sai admitted. "I have never known him to be wrong in these things."

Assured by the Akimichi stamp of approval, Naruto helped himself to a sample of each appetizer. He was pleasantly surprised; the food was good, and Sai (or, rather Chōji) had been right. The beer went great with what they were eating.

"Not bad," he gestured to his plate. "Although, it seems like a lot of trouble to go through just to have a drink or meal with your teammate."

"Oh, I did not do all of this research for you."

"Planning a big date?" he waggled his eyebrows.

"We have several engagements coming up," Sai dabbed at the corner of his mouth with a napkin. "When Lee returns to town, I am certain he will want to get everyone together. Also, I have been assured that there is a 'guy's night' in the planning, and I want to have an informed opinion on where we should go."

"I was hoping to get your opinion on a few places around town," he continued. "I thought this was a good place to start. We do not have any birthdays to celebrate in June, but there are three in July, and, one of them belongs to our teammate."

"Oh yeah," Naruto rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I guess Teme's birthday is coming up."

"Yes, and as his teammates, it is our duty to make sure that we celebrate."

"What did you have in mind?"

Sai was clearly surprised. "You are actually going to defer to me in this matter?"

"I want to know what you have to say," Naruto smiled. "I'm sure that between the two of us, we'll come up with something," his blue eyes danced with mischief.

Sai sat up a little straighter, and tried to hide how much Naruto's words pleased him. He began to flick open a notebook, but paused as he looked over Naruto's shoulder. He quietly put the notebook away.

Naruto felt his presence on the edge of his own energies, and winked at Sai. "Later," he promised.

A minute later, he lazily pushed out a chair with his foot. "Long time, no see, Teme," he grinned as Sasuke pulled out the chair. 

Sasuke ignored the remark.

The waitress rushed over to bring him an empty plate for appetizers and take his drink order.

Naruto smirked as she walked away. "Sorry, Sai," he chuckled. "She'll be flirting with Teme now instead of you."

Sai blinked twice.

"She was flirting with me?"

"Um, yeah."

"It seems I still do not understand 'flirting,'" Sai mused.

"Don't worry about it Sai," Sasuke said coolly. "Neither does Naruto."

"Oi!" Naruto pointed at Sasuke and narrowed his eyes. "I know way more about it than you, Mr.-cold-fish-I-never-bother-with-anyone-Uchiha."

"Don't confuse not needing to flirt with not understanding how it is done," Sasuke smirked. "And I actively ignore it, which means I recognize it. Something neither of you are capable of."

"I know when a girl is hitting on me," Naruto crossed his arms grumpily.

"I don't," Sai piped up.

"True, you don't," Sasuke nodded to Sai. "And he," he jerked a thumb at Naruto, "doesn't realize when he is flirting. Or trying to date someone."

"Oh, you mean Hinata," Sai said sagely. "Yes, I had heard that Naruto did not realize he was asking her on dates. To be fair, I do not think Hinata realizes it either."

"Hinata won't assume," Sasuke shook his head. "That would be impolite. Manners have nothing to do with Naruto's problems."

Sai cocked his head to the side, curiously. "Does Naruto even have manners?"

"Barely," Sasuke scoffed.

"Wow. Good thing I'm not sitting. Right. Here," Naruto grumbled. "Otherwise this might be awkward."

"Awkward. Like your-"

"Shut up, Sai," Naruto interrupted. "And what brings you out tonight, Sasuke," he eyed his teammate skeptically. "I know I didn't invite you."

"And I was unable to reach you to extend an invitation," Sai added.

"I was in the area," Sasuke said dismissively.

Naruto and Sai exchanged glances. That was hardly an explanation.

"Heard you are heading to Iwa?" Naruto asked, eyeing him over the top of his pint glass.

"In the morning."

"I spoke with Kiba, briefly," Sai interjected. "It sounds like he is also on that mission."

"Bet Yamato's gonna love that," Naruto snickered. His phone buzzed in his pocket, and he checked the screen. "Jiraiya," he muttered. "Be right back, guys," he stood and excused himself.

Sai waited until Naruto was out of earshot before turning back to Sasuke, a line of socially acceptable dinner conversation already in his mind.

"I think these belong to you," Sasuke said, reaching into his bag.

Sai watched in anticipation, and then surprise, and then embarrassment as Sasuke plucked several ink mice from his satchel and held them up by their tails.

"Some associates of mine found these at the hospital," Sasuke handed them over. "I didn't bother to tell anyone that I was fairly certain I recognized them."

Sai carefully sealed the mice into a small scroll that he then stuffed into his bag. "That is why you found us. Well, me," Sai guessed.

Sasuke's not answering was an answer.

Sai remained impassive as Sasuke studied him calculatingly.

"Hn," he finally said, before finishing off his drink.

He laid some money on the table, and stood.

"When I return," he said coolly. "I look forward to hearing about this. This time, don't bother breaking into the private dining room. I'll let the waiter know you are coming."

Sai blinked twice.

"You… you are inviting me?" he asked, the incredulity clear in his tone.

"When I return," Sasuke repeated, and left without another word.

Sai was still deep in thought when Naruto returned.

"Figured Teme would skip out on us," he snorted. "Oh well – means we can get back to our original discussion. Tell me what's up, Sai."

Sai shook off his confusion, and fished out his notebook.

"Right. Birthdays."

"Okay, before you get started?" Naruto began to tick options off of his fingers. "No strippers, no karaoke, no dance clubs, no open mic nights, no martini bars, and nothing with a mechanical bull."

Sai looked at his list, and crossed out two pages worth of writing.

"Well that already narrows it down significantly," he said, eyeing the list. "Here are some of the venues I think would be appropriate," he handed the notebook to Naruto. 

"These are some great options," Naruto said in surprise.

Sai silently patted himself on the back. Kiba told him that some of their best parties at KU had started as an off the wall idea from Naruto that they then ran with. "You know what?" Naruto fished out his phone. "This might be a job for our secret weapon." He took pictures of Sai's lists, and sent them off in a text. "There," he handed Sai back the notebook. "That ought to do it."

"Who did you contact?"

"All in good time, Sai," Naruto wagged his finger. "Now," he waved the waitress over. "Let's have another round and talk ideas."

Sai nodded solemnly. This, he heard, was another part of the ritual - the proposal and speculation of different ideas that would become increasingly ridiculous, as well as oddly plausible.

He took a deep breath, and the first step.

"What if....?"

Saturday, May 30th 2:06 AM KST
Konoha, Kunoichi Garden Apartments #2822

Sakura woke up and checked the time. With a sigh, she went to the kitchen and took a beer from the fridge, before padding back to her room and opening the sliding door to the balcony. The thin cotton robe she wore open over her small cotton shorts and tank top fluttered in the warm breeze, and she leaned in the doorway, cracking open the beer.

"This doesn't seem like you."

She didn't break her stare from the stars. "Want one?"

"No. Thank you."

She checked her watch.

"Punctual as always," she slid into a chair and propped long, creamy limbs on the glass table. "But then again, I guess in dreams you arrive at whatever time I think you do."

He bowed his head and she sipped from the glass bottle before pressing it to her forehead and rolling it back and forth.

"So," she said taking another long pull at her beer. "What are we talking about this time, Sasuke?"

"That depends entirely on you."

"Well at least have a seat," she grumbled as she kicked out a chair for him. "Makes me nervous when you hover like that, so damned dark and tall. Must be what it feels like to have a vampire lurking after you."

"I'm not a vampire," he narrowed his eyes, "and I do not lurk."

"You so lurk," she scoffed. "And not just here in my dreams. In general. I almost ran face first into you the other day. Why the hell didn't you tell me you were behind me?"

"How did you not notice? It wasn't as if I was hiding."

"I was reading a medical file," she waved away his objections as if they didn't even apply to her scenario. "That's how I get. Ask anyone."

"Whose file?"

"Yours, believe it or not," she snorted. "Some of your data strikes me as incongruous. I keep going through, and I am sure I'll figure it out sooner or later."

"I'm sure you will," he looked her over. "I might take that beer," he said, and disappeared back into her home.

He sat in his chair and took a deep drink of the beverage before meeting her gaze. "What's on your mind tonight?"

"Why are you so cold?" she asked suddenly. "So clinical? I mean – I know you are professional and everything, but your detachment is on a whole different level, and by all rights the subject matter we are covering lately should be something that strikes a chord with you."

"Ah," he mused. "So that's it. You don't feel I've been properly emotionally invested in our recent discussions."

"Well, I long ago gave up you reinvesting in us, emotionally," she waved her hand between them, "But all of this research and your family...? I really expected it to hit a nerve."

"Who says it didn't?" He replied quietly.

"You can talk to me, you know," she blurted out. "You are my patient, too, and I have to safeguard your health - that requires a good familiarity with your history and how it affects you on all levels. Physical, psychological, emotional – all of that..."

"You've read my history," he said tonelessly. "How do you think I feel?"

"I can't even guess," she took a swig of the brew and leaned her head back on the chair. "Pretty sad, considering I once thought I knew you better than anyone," she said bitterly.

He remained silent as she stared out over Konoha

"I don't hate you, you know," she sighed, tracing the label on the beer.

"No?"

"No. I wish I did," she chuckled mirthlessly. "It would make things so much easier… but no. I don't. I was your friend, Sasuke. I cared about you long before I came to know you enough to love you. I can still listen."

"I don't doubt it," his reply sounded with a hint of amusement, "but isn't that a bit cliché? Crying on the shoulder of your ex?"

"Who said anything about crying?" she scoffed. "And you might be a figment of my imagination, but Sasuke isn't a crier – in the figurative or literal sense."

"Then maybe it's that I don't deserve the right of handing you more of my burdens," he said a hint of regret in his tone. "You carried so many."

"Okay, I must've picked that up in one of those stupid romance novels Ino made me read," she muttered. "Because Sasuke would never say anything like that."

She finished her beer, put it on the table, and stood to stretch.

"Well," she sighed. "That's about all the time I have for this part of the dream. I'm headed out. Be a dear and put the bottles in recycling, won't you?"

"Of course," he nodded his head, watching as she went back to the balcony door.

"This is an interesting way to work through my issues with you," she commented, hand on the door handle. "I am surprised I haven't tried it before. Maybe I should bring it up with Ino."

Sasuke arched an eyebrow.

"And tell her that you have been dreaming of me every night since you returned from Suna in April? I suspect that would not go over well."

"Yeah, you're probably right," Sakura grinned impishly.

"It is telling," he said, and she paused. He crossed to her by the door. "It is telling," he said in a low voice, reaching out and brushing a tendril of hair away from her face and behind her ear, "That you dream of me and not Hyūga."

Sakura arched her eyebrow.

"Who said I don't?" she asked archly.

"Do you?" he asked in a whisper.

"Dreams are part of the past," Sakura said evenly. "Maybe a way of dealing with the present. If Neji has a place in my life – it in the future. In waking dreams."

That familiar smirk.

"I think that answers my question," he said, stepping closer. "You don't dream of him. Not like this."

"It doesn't matter, Sasuke," she said, her voice breathy. "None of this is real."

He stood close enough that his heat radiated to her skin. She could feel the molecules tumbling in the small space between them. He lowered his head until his lips hovered over hers.

"I don't believe you," he whispered, a finger trailing down her cheek to hook under her chin and tip it up. He was millimeters away, and she could feel the brush of his fingers as he trailed his hands to her waist to pull her in.

Lightning cleared her senses, and she shoved him back, her heart pounding, her breath coming in shallow gasps.

"Well lucky for me," she watched him, eyes cool. "I don't believe in dreams. Not anymore."

She turned and yanked the sliding door open, and almost missed his soft reply.

"All dreams, or just the ones with me in them?"

The question hung between them, but she did not turn around.

"All dreams," she finally admitted. "But especially the ones with you in them."

With that, she slipped back inside and closed the door and the blinds without looking back.

It might have been seconds or it might have been hours later when she was jarred awake with a gasp. She sat up, clutching the sheets to her chest, her heart pounding erratically, her breathing unsteady. She groggily checked the time, before reaching for the water next to her bed and gulping down about half of it. With a shuddering breath, she ran a hand through her hair, and forced her breathing to stabilize. She finished her water, and returned to sleep, determined not to dream of him again.

*Wait, when did Sai get close to Ino? What emails? Want to see what happened when Sasuke went to Tsunade's meeting? Head over to the YMBiS "Seasons In-Between" Collection!

Chapter Text

You must believe in updates....
Ooops! forgot the last scene - added it back.

You Must Believe in Spring
~Summer~
Chapter Ten: La Musique des Etoiles

Thursday, June 4th 10:45 AM KST
Konoha, ANBU base: Shikamaru's office

The last few days of May slipped by one another, and June arrived in the village on the back of calm breezes and gallons of sunshine. The weather was mild and perfect, as the days grew longer and warmer with the approach of Summer in the air. There was a pick-up in every one's schedule, especially Hinata's.

It was making Naruto crazy.

"It shouldn't be this hard to just get friends together," Naruto sighed, flopping onto the couch in Shikamaru's office.

"You know how busy everyone is," Chōji offered, snacking on a bag of chips. "It's probably a week before we will see the team from Iwa back," he looked to Shikamaru who gave a single nod as he scanned his computer screen, chin in hand. "And if you want to get everyone together, Kiba will need to be back."

"But now we're already into June," Naruto stared up at the ceiling. "All of that stuff leading up to Hanabi's big ceremony on the 21st means everyone is busy. Ino and Sai will have to do flowers," he ticked off on his fingers, "Sakura is supposed to be on hand for the spars as a medic, obviously Neji and Hinata are busy, Kiba and Shino are involved somehow, Tenten is always with Hinata, Lee is Lee, and Sasuke has some odd clan-head duty I can't understand."

"It's not a total loss," Chōji pointed out. "There's always a few of us together for lunch, and I know the girls have been spending more time with Hinata."

"But it's not all of us," Naruto pouted. "It's not the same."

"Well," Shikamaru's eyes slid over his monitor, "Your best shot is the weekend of the 26th."

"Oh, yeah?" Naruto sat up quickly. "How come?"

"It's the weekend after the Hyūga event, so Kiba and Sasuke will be back. Genma and Kakashi blocked off some down time for anyone involved in the Huyga event, and most of us are involved in at least some capacity. And," he clicked through two more screens, "both of them want Friday's debriefing to end on the early side of things, because neither of them want to hang out on a Friday."

"Sounds like them," Chōji gave a good-natured smile. "Where are you thinking, Naruto?"

"Dinner?" he shrugged. "Or maybe dessert. Depends on how much time everyone has."

"The 26th," Choji mused. "Isn't that the kickoff to the Summer Festival this year?"

"You're right," Shikamaru nodded. "That might be another reason Kakashi and Genma planned things the way they did. They hate working that event."

"Well, then that's perfect!" Naruto beamed. "There's lots to do, there's music, and things to see – you guys were planning on going anyway, right?"

"Definitely," Choji nodded. "We never miss it."

"That's settled, then!" Naruto pumped his fist into the air. "We're all going to the Summer Festival!"

Choji cheered along, and Shikamaru hung his head.

Some friends were just troublesome.

Tuesday, June 23rd 8:06 AM KST
Konoha, ANBU base: Shino's office

Kiba walked in to Shino's office unannounced. As his teammate had been expecting him, his annoyance was minimal. Hinata was seated at one of two chairs facing Shino's desk, and she swiveled in her seat to greet her teammate.

"Kiba," she said warmly. "I am so glad you are back!"

"Don't get up," he put a friendly hand on her shoulder, giving it a squeeze and sinking into the empty chair beside her. "It's good to see you, too."

"I was worried when the Captain and Hoheto returned without the rest of you."

"We just had a few things to clear up," Kiba shrugged. "Nothing to really worry about."

"Shino was just telling me what he could about your mission," Hinata said, angling in her seat to better see them both.

Kiba flicked a glance at Shino and sighed. "So he told you we didn't really find much more about Tokuma." He raked a hand through his hair. "I'm sorry Hinata. We looked – really, we did – but there just wasn't much to go on. Even Uchiha summoned some snakes and hawks to help. We know more than we did," he offered, "but we still don't know where they took him."

"It's alright, Kiba," Hinata said gently. "We know he is alive – that is enough for now."

Kiba and Shino exchanged glances, and Shino gave the most microscopic of nods.

"Dinner," Kiba said firmly. "We're going to get dinner. Tonight. Team Eight."

Hinata looked between them both, and nodded her acceptance. "Should I invite Tenten?"

"Not this time," he shook his head. "Just the three of us. We're going old school."

Hinata's pager buzzed at her side, and she checked it quickly. "I have to get back," she said apologetically.

Kiba stood up and ruffled her hair. "We know. I'll call Kō. Shino and I will pick you up tonight, alright?"

"Yes," she smoothed her hair. "I'll see you both tonight."

Kiba waited until he heard her footsteps move down the hall.

"Tag her," he told Shino. "Then we won't need any extra surveillance."

Shino arched an eyebrow. "I would have thought you would have liked to have the added surveillance," he said dryly. "Considering you haven't seen Tenten in a while."

"Hinata needs us tonight," Kiba said with a shrug. "That comes first."

"Mm," Shino hummed, but Kiba detected his approval.

"We've got about twenty minutes until our debriefing," Kiba crossed to the door. "I'm going to tell Sai we can have a guy's night next week if he keeps Naruto busy and out of our way tonight. That should take care of the major distractions."

"Sounds reasonable," Shino agreed. "We should also-"

Kiba's phone sang loudly in his pocket, and he smiled wolfishly before answering.

"Hey, beautiful," he said warmly. He gave Shino a 'sorry, man' look, and headed out into the hall with a half-apologetic wave.

The door swung shut behind Kiba, and Shino sighed.

"Ignored again."

8:06 AM KST
Konoha, ANBU base: Sakura's office

Sakura was deep in reviewing a file when the knock came at her door.

"Come in," she said absently, her mind busy with the details of her patient's case.

The door clicked shut, and she hurried to read the last few sentences before tearing her gaze away to greet whoever had just entered.

"How can I help… Sasuke?" she asked in surprise. "What brings you here?"

She flicked her eyes to the chair in front of her desk, indicating he should sit.

He accepted the seat with a nod.

"Have you just returned from your mission?" she asked.

She looked him over.

"You don't appear to be injured," she said casually.

"I am not," he agreed.

"Then, why the visit?" she asked, closing the file in front of her and putting it carefully to the side. "Are you feeling unwell?"

He shook his head.

"I am not."

She folded her hands and rested them on her desk, studying him as she leaned back in her chair.

She raised both eyebrows, inviting him to explain.

"I revisited the research facility in Iwagakure," he said, in his cool, even voice.

Sakura's sharp mind made an immediate connection. "The lab with the stolen samples?"

He inclined his head.

"Was that part of your mission?"

"Not specifically."

"Then why return?"

"I believe it is relevant," he said simply. "I inspected the facility. It would have been difficult to steal the samples without being detected, but not impossible. At the very least, detection could have been delayed with a bit more planning on the side of the thief."

"Impatience?" Sakura offered.

"No," Sasuke shook his head. "No, there was a large amount of planning, care, and precision that went into securing those samples. Anyone capable of that level of strategy could have avoided the easy mistake. Anything done had to have been done intentionally."

"So what is your point?" she asked, not unkindly.

"I think it is highly likely we were meant to find out about those missing samples. Tying it in with the recent attacks keeps our attention on that component of the crime."

"And you believe there is another component," she stated.

"Yes."

"And you are sharing this theory with me because…"

"I need your help to look through the records for the anomaly. You and Shino, both."

"Oh?"

"Uchiha Industries uses the ANBU system for coding our samples and products," he explained. "I am familiar with much of what I am looking at in records. However, the two of you are familiar with the classified biological components, and will be more likely to spot a discrepancy."

"I'll buy that," Sakura crossed her arms and eyed him cautiously. "But what are we looking for?"

Sasuke shook his head.

"I'm not sure. I am certain, though, that while whoever took the blank cells intended to use them, that there was another angle to the infiltration and theft."

"Interesting," Sakura mused. "Have you relayed all of this to Lady Tsunade?"

"Not yet."

"Not yet?" she asked, incredulously. "Why ever not?"

"Our mission debriefing isn't until this afternoon. I wanted to be certain you would be willing to work with me before I brought all of my suspicions and proposed action to her attention."

Sakura held his gaze before half laughing. "You always were rather direct when you wanted to be," she muttered to herself. "Alright, Sasuke," she nodded. "I'll help."

"Then I shall stop taking up your time," he said, standing. He paused at the door. Feeling her eyes on his back. "And… Sakura…" he looked over his shoulder to her expectant expression.

"I look forward to working with you."

Without waiting for any reply, he nodded curtly, and strode from her office.

Sakura stared at the door long after it had closed behind him.

She wasn't sure what to think about this new development.

"Well," she slid her chair back, and looked under her desk. "What do you think?"

A cat blinked lazily and stood and stretched from the soft makeshift bed Sakura had put there this morning, and strode out only to jump gracefully onto the desk.

She gently brushed her forehead against Sakura's and purred.

"You're sweet," Sakura grinned, nuzzling the cat. "Can you keep a secret?"

The cat blinked one eye at a time and then settled onto the desk, cocking its head as if listening.

"Then let me tell you," Sakura whispered, "I've been having thestrangestdreams…!"

11:46 AM KST
Konoha, Hyūga Hospital – Neji's Office

Neji scanned the file on his desk as he tapped his pen on his notepad. He didn't look up at the soft, quick rap of knuckles on the door, as he immediately knew who was on the other side and she'd be inside before in short order.

He gave a brief nod, before darting his eyes to the phone pressed to his ear. Tenten gave a shrug and closed the door behind her, absently taking in some of the photos on Neji's wall.

"Yes, that's fine," Neji said into his phone, as he scribbled a few words onto his notepad. "I already spoke with our research department and approved their request for the supplies."

Silence.

"Yes, I am aware that none of our internal vendors manufacture that particular product," Neji said dryly. "I am equally Uchiha Industries manufactures the best one on the market. Process the order as submitted."

Judging by the way Neji pinched the bridge of his nose, the person on the other end of the line had run out of anything useful to say quite some time ago, yet would not stop talking.

He glanced up to Tenten, with a half exasperated, half apologetic look. She gave him a short "Take your time" shake of the head, and he gave a brief, resigned nod.

"Yes. Yes. Thank you….Yes." He listened for a few more seconds. "Thank you for your attention to this matter," he said in that tone that told Tenten he was officially ending the conversation. "Have a good afternoon." Whoever was on the other end of the line had about four nanoseconds to acknowledge their dismissal before he pressed 'end.'

Neji closed two books and several files and stood to put them away.

"Supporting the competition?" Tenten asked lazily.

"It is hardly competition when we do not manufacture the same product," Neji replied, sliding the books back into the shelf behind his desk.

"Oh?" Tenten extended a steaming to-go cup to him. "And here I thought everything between you and Uchiha was always a competition."

Neji gave a dismissive grunt, but there was no malice in her tone, or stiffness in his response. He took the cup, and returned to his seat with an efficient, punctuated grace.

He took a sip of the steaming beverage, watching his teammate as she perched on the arm of the chair across from him.

He quirked an eyebrow. "Catching a train?"

Tenten rolled her eyes and slid around to sit in the chair.

"To what do I owe the honor?" he motioned to her and the to-go cups.

"You've been in meetings all day, so I figured you'd need a pick-me-up," she shrugged. "I grabbed it on my way back from lunch."

Neji glanced to the clock and raised his brows slightly. "Not your usual lunch time," he remarked.

"Impromptu date with Kiba," she shrugged again. "More like brunch."

"I heard that the rest of that team returned this morning," Neji watched her over the lid of his drink.

"You heard right," she replied easily. "I caught up with him after the team debriefing with Tsunade. Just a quick bite before he went home to catch a bit of rest, nothing special."

"Odd that you didn't just wait and go to dinner," Neji offered.

"Team Eight is going to dinner tonight," Tenten replied. "The boys are taking Hinata."

"'The boys?'" he arched an eyebrow at the strange and overly comfortable nickname. "And you aren't invited?"

"They are going for Hinata," she shrugged again. "Every team needs their time together. Speaking of," she crossed her legs, "Gai and Lee expect to see us both when they get back into town."

"I heard," he replied grimly. "I also heard about the curry."

"Sai told me he was with you when you got the message from Lee," Tenten laughed. "He said he was 'most confused' by your reaction. He is curious though, so with any luck he and Naruto can eat our share."

Neji suppressed a shudder.

"Don't worry," she grinned. "I'll take care of it." She toyed with the stirrer, winding it through her fingers. "Have you had a chance to speak with anyone about the mission yet?" she asked.

"Like you said, I've been in meetings all day," he sighed. "Captain Yamato already told us about the bulk of the mission, and I didn't think any side investigation would change much. Genma will probably drop by later and fill me in. He has already contacted Uncle Hiashi. What have you heard?"

"As expected, no solid leads," she sighed. "At least not about the missing shinobi. Too early to say if anything has panned out from the team splitting. Doesn't sound like anyone really knew exactly what Sasuke was up to."

"Whatever Uchiha is, he isn't a fool," Neji said evenly. "If he went through the trouble of taking on additional investigations, there must be a good reason."

"Why Neji," Tenten gasped in mock astonishment. "Was that a compliment?"

"Hardly," he scoffed. "I respect the man as an intelligent and capable agent. That is as far as I am willing to go. He is still an arrogant ass."

"Hm," she hummed into her coffee. "It is a nice ass, though."

She laughed at Neji's look of utter distaste.

"I didn't ask you to agree, Hyūga," she teased.

"What of tonight, then?" he changed the subject. "Will you be on assignment?"

"Depends on Hanabi," she sighed. "Hinata will be with her team, so if Hanabi is staying in, I should be off of the hook for tonight."

"I understand Hanabi and my Uncle are having dinner and discussing the business guests coming into town this weekend."

"Wait, the same ones that you traveled to meet with last month?" she asked.

Neji nodded.

"I thought that project was your deal?"

"It is better for Hanabi to have the experience," he said, the slightest tug of a smirk pulling at the corner of his mouth. "I deferred the honor to her."

Tenten stared at him, and blinked twice.

"You mean you pawned it off on her," she said flatly.

"That is a matter of interpretation," Neji sipped his tea.

"Devious, Hyūga," she smirked. "I like it."

She shifted in her seat, and looked down at her hip. Her phone buzzed in her pocket in a pattern Neji recognized.

"Genma?"

Tenten swiped in her security code and scanned the message. Locking the screen, she stood and stuffed the phone back into her pocket.

"Gotta go," she said, draining the rest of her drink quickly.

"That is sudden," Neji's brow creased. "Is everything alright?"

"Yeah," she tossed the empty cup into his garbage can. "Probably just a general security team update. Lots of people in Konoha for the Summer festival kick-off."

"I'd almost forgotten," Neji admitted with mild surprise.

"I don't know how," Tenten snorted. "Naruto has been on all of us about going because Hinata's never been. And don't try and get out of it," she warned him. "Sakura is already committed to going, so you have no excuse."

"I promised to go," he sighed.

They both knew what his promises meant; there was no need for further discussion.

"Here," she tossed him a wrapped bar from her pocket. "Quit skipping meals. It makes you cranky."

"How do you know I-"

"Bye, Neji," she waved over her shoulder, and was gone.

Neji peeled open the meal supplement and muttered, "I'm not cranky."

But he had been hungry.

Replenished, he dove back into his work, determined to get out in plenty of time to take Sakura out for the evening.

4:00 PM KST
Konoha, Hokage Outlook Apartments #1108

Naruto opened the door for two of his clones, who had arms full of bags. After a few not-so-subtle comments from Sai, Naruto had finally bit the bullet, and spent a weekend with himself and his six closest clones as he cleaned the apartment. He had to admit, coming into a place that was tidied up was nicer.

He checked to make sure his table was clean before putting down the grocery bags. He put the new carton of milk in the refrigerator, and took the old one out. Remembering to check the expiration date (a lesson learned the hard way back in the genin days, and a few times while at KU, and, admittedly, once last month), he opened the container and chugged.

"Classy," Kurama snorted.

Naruto finished off the carton and tossed it in the trash, before leaning his back against his kitchen counter and pulling out his phone. He considered it for a minute or two before checking the time. It was early afternoon, so that meant she was probably unable to take a call.

He decided it made more sense to text, so he typed out a quick message.

N:'Hey, Hinata. Don't want to call and catch you at a bad time.'

He winced. "Lame," he muttered, and deleted the message.

'Hey, if you aren't busy tonight, there is a …'

He deleted the line again. "She's a clan mother," he scoffed at himself. "She'salwaysbusy."

'Up for a small adventure? Tonight?'

There. That sounded more fun. He hit 'send.'

He fidgeted until his phone buzzed with a reply.

'Maybe just a small adventure. When/where/how long?'

Naruto grinned.'Post dinner adventure, not super long. Can have you back 10pm at the absolute latest.'

He glanced up at the clock. It was barely past 4:00 PM, so he had some time.

'I have early dinner plans with Kiba and Shino in Old Konoha. May I meet you after that?"

"Perfect!" Naruto said under his breath. That meant that they'd finish up with dinner in plenty of time for what he had planned.

'That works. Just let me know where you are, and I'll pick you up.'

'Alright. See you this evening. Thank you for thinking to include me!'

Naruto was confused. "Include her?"

"She thinks you are inviting her out with all of your friends again,"Kurama grumbled."She doesn't know you were only inviting her. Like a date."

"It isn't a date," Naruto flushed. "But… maybe I should let her know I haven't asked anyone else to come with us," he continued reluctantly. "I don't want her to think I am tricking her."

"Asking a member of the opposite sex to come out with you for the evening when you intend to pay for the evening is, in fact, a date,"Kurama said dryly."Well. Unless you prefer the same sex, in which case-"

"You're as bad as Sai," Naruto groaned, ignoring the Kyubi's chuckle. "Shut up and help me out."

"She already has plans,"Kurama reasoned."When you meet up, tell her it looks like it will just be the two of you. If she isn't alright with that, offer her a ride home."

"I guess that could work," Naruto mused. He checked the clock again. "Should I bring flowers?"

"Is it a date?"Kurama asked sarcastically.

"Well… sort of…maybe…?" Naruto fumbled around for an answer.

"In your case, you need all the help you can get,"the giant fox sighed."Go with whatever Ino suggests."

"Ino," Naruto groaned. "I forgot about Ino."

Naruto shoved that thought to the side, deciding he could worry about it later. He tossed in another load of laundry, did what few dishes were in the sink (weird, right?) and decided he might as well shower. By 4:30, he couldn't think of much else to do to waste time, so he got dressed, and decided to head into Old Konoha and poke around until Hinata called him. A quick check in sage mode told him she wasn't with her team yet.

Excellent.

He didn't bother driving. Leaving a clone behind in case he needed his car, he headed out of the door. When he was across the street from Yamanaka Hana, something made him pause. He wasn't sure why the hairs on his neck were standing up, and he looked around suspiciously. He ducked into a store across the street, and waited. Within thirty seconds, Neji came into view, and headed into Yamanaka Hana.

"That was close," he exhaled.

"Chickening out?"Kurama taunted.

"Rethinking," Naruto corrected. He glanced around the store he had entered at random, gauging how long he should hang out. Something caught his eye, and a slow smile crept across his face. "On second thought, I've got a better idea."

4:37 PM KST
Konoha, Yamanaka Hana

Sai was helping Ino organize the completed orders for delivery, when the bell above the door rang. Ino's cousin had gone home already, so she was also manning the front desk.

"I figured it was you," Ino said with a friendly smile. She raked a quick eye over Neji. "So, where are you taking my-best-friend-in-the-whole-world tonight?"

"I am picking her up shortly, and we are going to The Bistro. We'll have tapas and drinks, and stay for the live music."

"She'll love that," Ino grinned, a sparkle in her eye. "I hope you like to dance."

"I can manage a few steps," Neji said with a wry smirk.

"Well, just don't keep her out too late," Ino handed over the flowers. "You know how I worry."

Neji gave an amused smirk, but no promises.

"Ever the enigma," Ino teased. "Have a good evening."

"We shall," he promised, and left the store in good spirits

7:25 PM KST
Konoha, Hokage Outlook Apartments #1108

Hinata had arrived breathless at the center of the small park, just as the last of the sun left the sky.

"I am so sorry," she apologized. "Did I keep you waiting?"

"Relax," Naruto said easily, holding up his hands. "Here," he pointed to the bench. "Sit down a second. It isn't good for you to get out of breath."

Hinata complied, sinking onto the bench and smoothing the fabric of her gray trousers. Her modest pink shirt did little to hide the too-rapid rise and fall of her chest as she focused on slowing her breathing.

"I would have picked you up, you know," Naruto frowned, taking in her condition. "And there was no need to rush."

"We were just there," her voice was still airy as she looked back over her shoulder to the bank of restaurants not far from where they sat. "It would be silly to drive." She swallowed, and reached a hand into her bag to pull out a bottle of water, and take a sip. "I'll be fine in a minute," she assured him.

"When you've caught your breath," Naruto said sitting next to her, "you can decide if you want to walk or ride."

"How far are we going?" Hinata asked, a note of curiosity in her voice.

"Not very far," Naruto shrugged. "A few blocks past the other side of this park."

She nodded and took another sip of water, and her breathing fell back under her control.

"Thank you for your patience," she said with an apologetic smile. "I'm fine now. A little walk will do me good."

"Alright," Naruto said warily, "but speak up if it gets too hard."

"I'll be fine," Hinata assured him sweetly. She fell into step with him, and looked around. "So what is this adventure?" she asked.

"You'll see," Naruto grinned.

"Anyone joining us?"

"Erm, well,…" Naruto rubbed the back of his neck. He had totally intended to tell her it was just them, but then she had trouble breathing, and he got worried, and… "Looks like we were the only ones that could make it," he said vaguely.

Hinata, however, did not look surprised. "I knew that Neji, Sakura, Kiba, Tenten, and Shino had plans tonight," she offered. "Neji told me Lee isn't back in town yet, and the rest of our friends had full weeks."

"So…" Naruto glanced over nervously, "You're okay? With it just being you and me, I mean?"

Hinata looked at him curiously. "I don't see why I wouldn't be," she said.

"Good to know," Naruto shoved his hands in his pockets. In minutes, they were on the other side of the park and walking down one of the brightly-lit-still-bustling streets of the old city.

"Quite a few people out tonight," Hinata remarked with mild surprise.

"Yeah," Naruto looked around, keeping a sharp eye on their surroundings. "The summer nights in Old Konoha stay busy until late. Just waitwhen the Summer festival kicks off, then you'll really see this place come to life."

"I've never been," she said casually.

"Wait, what?" Naruto stopped in his tracks and looked down at Hinata in confusion. "What do you mean 'never been?' Like, never-ever never? As in you've never-ever gone to the Summer festival?! EVER?!"

She shook her head.

"How…how is that evenpossible," Naruto asked, gaping with sheer incredulity. "It's, like, the biggest summer event in Konoha. Even Konoha House, won't schedule anything for that whole weekend – that's how big of a deal this thing is."

Hinata shrugged. "I just never went," she said. She looked at him quizzically. "Is that a problem?"

"Is that a-" Naruto cut off his own sentence. "It's a HUGE problem!" he shook his head. "Gotta add that one to the list," he mumbled to himself.

Hinata was still bemused by this whole conversation, but Naruto picked up the pace with a new determination. In about five minutes, they were crossing street to a corner restaurant with a patio full of patrons. Making sure to keep close by her side, he guided her inside. He flicked a glance to the wall behind her. "Anything look familiar?"

Hinata followed his line of sight to a wall of pictures. Her eyes grew wide, and she couldn't help her small gasp of surprise as a particular framed photo caught her eye. It was outside of the Academy, and a whole band of children were smiling for the camera, each proudly hoisting their own ice cream cone or frozen treat.

Well. Most of the children were smiling.

One dark-haired boy was more smirking than smiling. One boy with sunglasses didn't appear to have any expression. One boy was making faces at the camera while petting his dog. The boy with the ponytail sticking out of the top of his head looked bored beyond belief.

And one small, dark-haired girl, was shyly standing as far from the camera as possible, unlike the brash blonde that was dead center and loving it.

Naruto watched her expectantly as she put the pieces of the puzzle together.

"Choji's cousin, Shitō... he used to sell ice cream from a cart during the summer. He always visited the academy at the end of the school year."

Yeah!" he beamed. "It was always the kick-off to summer for us as kids!"

"But ...when did it become a restaurant?"

"Mmm," Naruto looked up to the ceiling as he thought, jamming his hands into his pockets. "Maybe around the time we started at KU," he said. He pointed to another picture. "Look at that crew."

It was a picture of Naruto, Choji, Shikamaru, Kiba and Akamaru, standing around a small, brightly painted ice cream cart, giving victory signs to the camera.

"We used to sneak out of school," Naruto admitted sheepishly. "It used to be just Shitō and that little cart. Turns out that since his cart was small, he could navigate the places in old Konoha the trucks couldn't go. That was great for business. He's the one that took all of these pictures," he looked over the wall. "Lots of customers over the years."

Hinata's expression was wistful. "Such a long time ago," she murmured, hovering her fingertips over their class picture. "I had forgotten all about it."

"Then let's refresh your memory," Naruto jerked his head toward the counter.

The line was long but moved quickly. Shitō's business was a far cry from the simple cart kids used to eagerly chase on hot, Konoha nights. Now there was a wide variety of frozen novelties and ice creams in flavors ranging from plain vanilla to salted caramel to cherry blossom to green tea to chili pepper.

"I don't even know what to try," she half laughed, staring at the wide range of offerings. The Akimichi girl behind the counter sized her up with a practiced eye. She grabbed three small spoons, scooped out three different samples and handed them over. They were all delicious, but Hinata only picked one, and ordered a single scoop.

"To-go," Naruto added over her head.

"Not a problem," the stout girl grinned, and quickly scooped and packaged up the order. Hinata went to the counter to pay, but the attendant waved her away.

"Already taken care of," he smiled and nodded to where Naruto stood a few feet away.

"You didn't have to do that," she said as he put his phone back in his pocket.

"Is it alright that I did?" he asked, his blue eyes more serious than she was used to seeing them.

"Of course, it was very kind of you, but-"

"But it was alright?" he asked.

"I…yes. Yes, it was fine," she said, a light flush on her cheeks. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," he said warmly. "C'mon. We still have one other place to go."

Hinata followed mutely, and they walked half a block before a large, bright orange truck pulled up to the curb.

"There's our ride!" Naruto said happily.

"Who is driving?" she asked, confused.

"I am," Naruto opened her door, and motioned inside.

Hinata looked past him to see an identical smile.

"Hi!" Naruto's clone waved to her.

"Hi?" she said half asked with a laugh.

"Here," Naruto took their bags of ice cream and reached over her to hand them to his clone. He turned back and sized her up.

"Guess it's a good thing you aren't in a skirt," he looked between her and the seat. "But it's still a bit of a stretch for you. I should probably give you a boost."

"A boost?" She asked.

"If you can reach that handle," he indicated the large plastic curve inside the door, "You'll be able to steady yourself while I help you in."

Hinata could just reach the bottom of the smooth handle. She wrapped her fingers around it and looked over her shoulder to Naruto.

"Like this?" she asked.

"Yeah," he nodded. "Now pick a foot to put on the running board - right might be easier - that's good," he nodded. "Now. Hold on."

"Hold on?"

Two strong hands were at her waist, and Hinata instinctively followed their momentum. In seconds, she was seated in the cab of he truck. She blinked twice, and looked over to Naruto who was handing her the seatbelt. "Buckle up," he instructed before carefully closing her door.

He raced around the back of the truck, as his clone hopped out, leaving the engine running.

"Get in the back," the original nodded to the bed of the truck. "When we get where we are going, go find a place to hang out and gather nature energy in case I need to shoot into sage mode for any reason."

"Got it," his clone smiled, and hopped into the back of the truck.

Naruto climbed into his seat and smiled at Hinata. "All set?"

"I think so," she looked around the spacious cab of the truck. "I've never ridden in anything like this," she said honestly.

"Then hold onto your ice cream," he handed her the brown paper bag. "We're heading out!"

He checked the rearview and pulled out, just missing the random Huyga bodyguard racing toward the truck, desperately trying to keep Hinata in sight.

His clone spotted him, though, and gave a cheeky wave as they shot off into the sultry summer night.

7:56 PM KST
Konoha, The Bistro

Neji had been having a lovely evening with Sakura when he had excused himself to take the call, and was now regretting it.

The distant cousin assigned to keep an eye on Hinata tonight was stumbling over an attempt of an explanation that was sounding more and more like a litany of excuses.

"And that's when she got in the truck," he lamented. "I had no way to follow, and then I lost sight of her."

"What do you mean she got in a truck and youlost sight of her?" Neji asked, clenching his jaw.

"That's just it," the cousin said in bewilderment. "I was tracking their progress until they got near the old training grounds, and then, nothing! Just…nothing!"

Neji resisted the urge to voice the multiple issues he had with this explanation.

"Report back to the compound," he said tersely. "We shall discuss this tomorrow."

He didn't wait for a reply, opting instead to hang up and immediately contact Genma.

"Shouldn't you be on a date?" Genma answered.

"Shouldn't you be preventing Naruto from abducting my cousin?" he retorted acidly.

"Relax, Hyūga," Genma said easily. "She was never off of our radar, and Naruto cleared their destination ahead of time. I have all of the necessary people in place. At the moment, your cousin is probably safer than just about anyone in Konoha."

"Fine," Neji gritted out. "Just have Tenten report to me the moment anything looks suspicious."

"Tenten isn't in the field tonight,"Genma corrected him."And nothing you say or do is going to coerce me to…interrupt her tonight."

"Thenyoualert me the moment anything looks suspicious," Neji seethed.

"Can do," Genma grinned. "For what it's worth, Hinata is in excellent hands. And between you and me, from what I hear about Kiba, so is Tenten. So just go and try and enjoy the rest of your date, Neji."He instructed cheerfully. "Leave this to the professionals."

Genma disconnected, and Neji glowered at his phone. Genma was impossible when he was in these kinds of moods; there was no telling what he would do or say. Why did his teammate have to be off tonight of all nights? Didn't she say Kiba was going to dinner with his team? Why was Hinata with Naruto now?

He put his phone away and rubbed his temples, and tried to refocus.

Since Naruto was known for doing the unpredictable and the impossible, Genma and usually Kakashi kept close tabs on things when he was involved. They also tended to bet on ridiculous outcomes, but that was neither here nor there.

"Let it go, Hyūga,"he could hear his teammate rolling her eyes. "You can't control everything all of the time. Have some faith in the people that do this for a living."

Neji exhaled slowly through his nose.

Irritating as Genma could be, he was in his job for a very good reason. Neji's own father had respected Genma greatly, and worked with him closely during his time as the head of the branch family. Genma might be an instigator, but he was never negligent in his work.

Neji took another deep, meditative breath, and allowed himself a full 60 seconds to re-center.

Feeling more focused, and remembering that he had a wonderful and beautiful woman waiting for him, he returned to their table.

Sakura looked up when he pulled out his chair.

"Everything alright?" she asked.

"Yes," Neji said smoothly, the picture of composure as he slid into his seat opposite of her. "Sorry for the interruption."

"That is alright," she smiled kindly. "The musicians were between sets, so I took the obligatory run to the ladies' room. You couldn't have timed it better." The lights began to lower, and she glanced around. "Speaking of timing," she chuckled. She angled her chair to face the stage area, reaching for her glass of wine.

Neji frowned.

"I wasn't here to watch it," he said, looking to her drink.

"I'm sure it is-"

"Please," Neji put a hand over hers. "In light of recent events, I wish to be cautious. Especially where it concerns your well-being."

"Alright," she pushed the glass away. Neji waved the waiter over and ordered another bottle of wine, asking that the other bottle and glasses be cleared.

"Not to your liking?" the man asked with concern, eyeing the glass remaining in the bottle, and the unfinished glass from Sakura.

"It was fine," Neji said dismissively. "Thank you."

The waiter scurried off, and Sakura turned back to the music. It had been a sobering reminder of the darker edges to their lives.

"Was everything alright?" She asked conversationally. "You appeared concerned when you took that call."

"It was a security check in," Neji said evenly, before giving her a small, wry smile. "Not my favorite kind of call to take."

She nodded in understanding. The waiter returned with the unopened bottle, and Neji examined it. He checked the top of the wax covering the cork, and saw no tampering. A quick scan with his Byakugan verified this. He watched as the glasses were poured, and replaced the cork in the bottle with his own hand, keeping it in his peripheral vision.

Sakura accepted her glass of wine gratefully, and they both turned their attention to the music.

Neji took a deep breath and tried to calm his mind.

As the music played, though, he felt his thoughts drifting. He was annoyed with Naruto, and Tenten, and Kiba, and Genma, and just about everyone that wasn't Sakura or Hinata. Even Sai, in all of his awkwardness, didn't get under his skin like Kiba had today, or like Naruto did in general.

Neji pinched the bridge of his nose and willed his focus back to the immediate present. He took a deep breath and corralled his wandering mind.

He opened his eyes and smiled fondly, watching as Sakura swayed gently in her seat in time with the music.

Yes.

It was definitely time to get is mind back into the present, and on more enjoyable things.

He finished his wine, and stood, holding his hand out to her.

She looked up in surprise. "Neji? Is something wrong?"

"May I?" he asked, glancing to the dance floor.

A smile blossomed on her lips.

"You may," she said cheekily, taking his hand, and following his lead.

As he spun her lazily into position, and watched her smile up at him, he felt his spine decompress.

His father had been strict about manners when he was growing up, and it had been impressed upon him that no girl should be left without a dance partner.

Luckily for Neji, it was no hardship to when his partner was the prettiest, and probably smartest, girl in the room.

He decided to enjoy the rest of his evening, and to bask in the unique light that Sakura brought to everything she did.

Perhaps the rest of the world could take care of itself for just a little while longer.

8:15 PM KST
Konoha, 'Abandoned' training grounds

The sign along the dirt road declared "city authorized vehicles only."

Hinata glanced over to Naruto.

"Aren't these the old training grounds?"

"Still are," Naruto reached into his pocket to retrieve a card on a lanyard. "ANBU uses them." He leaned out of the truck window and slid his card into a rusted ticket machine.

"That thing is just for show," he nodded to the red-and-white striped mechanical arm that raised slowly to let them by. "We have barriers around here to keep people from wandering in accidentally, or on purpose."

"Is it dangerous out here?"

"Depends who is training and with what," Naruto laughed. "But there's no worry of that tonight."

The truck rumbled down the dirt and gravel road until Naruto pulled into a clearing and parked. "Sit tight," he grinned, turning off the engine, grabbing the bags of ice cream, and hopping out. She could hear the tailgate of the truck go down, and the scuffling sounds of people in the bed of the truck. A muffled conversation could be heard, and then Hinata saw several streaks of orange dart off and into the surrounding forest. About two minutes later, Naruto came and opened the door for her.

"Come on out," he beamed. "It's all set!"

Hinata turned in her seat and paused, trying to decide if getting out of the truck was going to be easier than getting into the truck.

"Sorry," he rubbed the back of his neck "I should've brought something easier to get in and out of. Here," he chuckled at her look of concentration. "Hand me your bag." He reached for the totebag she'd pulled onto her lap and slung it on his shoulder before stepping in and offering her a hand.

She took Naruto's hand with a grateful smile, stepped onto the running board, and then stepped down.

"Good?" he asked, a hand lightly on her back making sure she was steady.

"Good," she smiled, straightening.

She followed him around the truck, and gasped in surprise. Under the clear, dark sky and bright stars, all of Konoha valley stretched out before them.

"I've never seen Konoha from this angle," she breathed, "or the stars quite so clearly."

"Neat, huh?" he asked, carefully putting her bag over the side and into the bed of the truck. "We're as high up as we would be on the monument, but I like the view from here better. No interference from the city lights."

He stood by her side looking out over the view. "Like it?" he asked, watching her profile.

"Yes," her smile was gentle but warm. "Very much."

"C'mon," he nudged her with his arm. "Your ice cream will melt."

He looked between her and the bed of the truck, deciding how best to help her up.

Hinata was already moving, though. She leaned her back against the tailgate, and putting her hands behind her, pulled herself up to sit on the edge, and then gracefully swung her legs up with her.

At Naruto's wide eyes, she gave a small chuckle. "You know, Iama shinobi," she teased.

"Yeah, yeah," Naruto scoffed playfully. "Showoff."

She laughed as he jumped into the truck and retrieved their ice cream.

"Have a seat," he offered as he adjusted the LED camping light. Finished, he took a seat on the large blanket spread out in the back of the truck.

Hinata sat gingerly on the blanket, using the light from lantern to pull the napkins and cup of ice cream out of the brown paper bag.

Naruto leaned back against the giant toolbox that sat under the cab window and spanned the width of the truck bed. "Too bad there aren't any fireworks. This is the absolute best place to watch them."

"I can see why," Hinata said appreciatively. She pried the lid off of her dessert, closing her eyes when the sorbet melted on her tongue with the delicate hint of lemon and blueberries.

She opened her eyes to find Naruto watching her, and he quickly shifted focus to his own dessert. "Yeah, well," he cleared his throat. "The last few times the gang has gotten together, it seems like there is a bunch of stuff we take for granted that you didn't get to do." He looked up quickly. "Not that there is anything wrong with that, since you were probably way busy doing things for your clan which is way more important than any of that kind of stuff."

He stabbed at his ice cream and shoved a scoop of it into his mouth.

"So, I figured," he tried to hurry and swallow so he could talk, "that we could take you on a series of small adventures. Y'know – nothing huge, just little things here and there, although, we totally have fix the part where you've never been to the Summer Festival, because that is just unacceptable."

He looked up again with wide eyes. "Again, not your fault," he rushed on, "but you shouldn't be missing out. At least," he tried to ignore the impending brainfreeze with a wince. "Not anymore." He blinked rapidly, sighing as it passed. "That's better. So," he smiled crookedly at Hinata, "What do you say?"

"That…" she watched him incredulously, "that is so kind."

"Nah," Naruto waved the comment away. "But it will be fun. Are you in?"

Her smile was slow, but her eyes danced. "I'm in."

"Awesome!" Naruto beamed, and dug into his dessert. He finished his three scoops in the time it took Hinata to finish her one. Stashing the trash neatly in a bag in the backseat of the truck, Naruto fished out two bottles of water, a map, a Konoha guidebook, two pencils, and a notepad.

"So," he handed Hinata a bottle of water and spread the map on the floor between them, "I've been thinking."

Hinata took in the notebook and the map with various circles on it.

"I can see that," she said with light amusement.

He tapped his finger on his notepad. "These are the places that have come up in conversation with the gang that I don't think you've been to," he looked down the list, "and I checked in that book to see if there was anything else I could think of."

Hinata reached for the book, and flipped through it. "Was this helpful?" she asked, and he heard the smile in her voice.

"Yeah, but probably not how you'd think," he cracked open his water and took a drink. "I used it to help me jog a few memories. We covered a lot of ground as kids."

Hinata chuckled lightly, leaning back against the side of his truck, and fishing something out of her bag.

Naruto watched her carefully. "Cold?"

"Slight chill," she said, pulling on a summer cardigan in pale lavender. "There," she smiled. "Much better."

She flushed under Naruto's uncharacteristic scrutiny. "Really," she assured him.

"I've got a jacket in the truck," he said. "Just let me know if you need it."

"I'm fine," she turned to his map. "What is this place, here?" she asked.

Naruto turned his attention to the map, and answered some of her questions. They tossed around ideas of other places to see, or things to do, largely guided by Naruto's list, map, and memory of summers past. It was almost twenty minutes before Naruto checked his watch. "This is a good start," he looked over the list before handing it to Hinata.

Hinata's eyes slid down the page, with a small shake to her head. "This is so thoughtful of you," she said, as if she still didn't believe the offer. "But with everyone's schedules, and how busy things at… work are," she hesitated, not used to mentioning ANBU yet, "…I just don't want you and the others to go to any trouble," she looked up at him hesitantly.

There was something that echoed in that expression – something so kind and shy and selfless and utterlyHinatathat Naruto could only smile.

"We'll see who can come when," he offered. "I can't guarantee you won't get stuck with just me," he shrugged playfully, "but I can guarantee I won't stick you with just Sai or Teme."

Hinata laughed, then, and Naruto felt relief wash over him. She wasn't opposed to being with just him after all.

"Congratulations,"Kurama grunted. "You are slightly less chicken shit than I thought you were thirty seconds ago. Still haven't asked her out yet, though."

Naruto's internal retort was interrupted by Hinata's sharp gasp.

Her eyes suddenly shifted above him, and she pointed overhead. "There!"

Naruto turned just in time to see a bright streak sail across the night sky. He checked his watch. "Right on time," he smirked.

Hinata looked confused. "On time?"

"Extra blankets in here," Naruto thumped the side of the toolchest as he lifted the lid to put away their list, map, and pencils. He handed her a blanket before grabbing one and wadding it up like a pillow. He lied down in the bed of his truck with a contented sigh.

"It gets cooler up here, but this won't be a long meteor shower." He glanced over to her. "Get comfy – I'll still have you home before Neji can send out a search party."

A slow smile spread across Hinata's face, and her eyes brimmed with something Naruto would be hard pressed not to call joy. She carefully folded her blanket, and put it between her back and the toolbox. She leaned back with her legs extended and crossed at the ankles, and turned her face to the night sky.

Naruto pushed the button on his LED camping light, and it flicked off.

Pinpoints of light glimmered in the sky before shooting across the canopy of stars. The air was mild and cool, with just enough of a breeze to rustle the trees surrounding the clearing. Konoha nights were never silent – too many small creatures dwelled in the surrounding forests. The crickets, frogs, and owls punctuated the night with their songs and scratches and croaks. Fireflies occasionally drifted lazily above them like floating lights.

Naruto put his hands behind his head and relaxed. He was able to stay so still, he gathered enough energy to slip into sage mode, and survey the area around him.

He smirked when he realized there were no Hyūgas lurking in the trees. Just a few of his clones and an ANBU or two stationed farther out. Genma agreed to this part of the adventure because the ANBU grounds could be sealed, and it was impossible to enter them without clearance. There was even a barrier above the training grounds, meant to help contain any explosions or destruction that might come up during exercises.

All in all, it was secluded, but it was still one of the safest places Naruto could have taken Hinata. It irked him slightly that there were ANBU hanging around, but he guessed it was to be expected. Besides, if anything happened to Hinata on his watch…

His gaze drifted over to Hinata.

Her chin was tilted up to the sky, and her eyes trailed after the stars. Her pale skin glowed gently in the moonlight, and there was a peace and tranquility around her that made the lights and hustle of Konoha seem that much farther away.

He could almost envy her serenity. Still, he couldn't imagine actually begrudging Hinata anything – she was too nice.

"Pretty, too," Kurama said slyly. "Just in case you hadn't noticed."

Naruto's grin was small.

"I noticed."

Kurama was silent after that, perhaps lulled by the peace of the evening, perhaps just cutting Naruto a rare break.

Aside from the occasional gasp at a star, or comment on the celestial light show, Hinata and Naruto didn't speak much. Naruto found, as he always did with Hinata, that he didn't mind the silence. He did take advantage of his sage mode to more carefully watch her breathing. He wondered what it was that triggered her episodes. She hadn't been short of breath during her ANBU exams, had she?

So why had just rushing from barely a block away winded her?

He made a mental note to ask Sakura about it.

Of course, thinking of that made him think of Sakura and Sasuke. He'd meant to ask Hinata more about how she thought those two were doing, since she saw them both at the hospital…but he wasn't sure he wanted to bring that up just then.

The last streak of light rocketed across the sky barely forty-five minutes after the first, and Naruto sighed.

"That's it for this show," he stayed put, looking at the stars. "There will be longer ones later this summer, and into early autumn." He quickly checked his watch.

"We should probably head back," he sighed reluctantly. "I don't want to get you in trouble."

Hinata raised an eyebrow, and he flushed. "Right. Clan Mother. So maybe it's more like I don't want to getmein trouble," he muttered.

"I think you'll be alright," she said kindly, standing with a stretch. In no time, all of the blankets were folded and stored with the lantern in the toolbox.

They were still at least twenty minutes from Konoha, so Hinata made sure to send Kō a text that she was fine and on her way home.

Naruto was surprised at how fast the drive went, and in no time he was driving through the gated entrance to the Hyūga compound. He pulled the truck to a stop and unbuckled his belt.

"Don't move," he instructed Hinata. "I'll help you down."

He raced around the truck to do just that, making sure she was steady on her feet before handing her her bag.

"Thank you for inviting me out tonight," Hinata adjusted the bag on her shoulder. "I really enjoyed myself."

Naruto smiled brightly at her praise. "I'm glad," he stepped back and jammed his hands into his pockets. "So…does that mean you'll come on the next adventure?"

Hinata's smile was slow, and her eyes sparkled. "I wouldn't miss it."

"Lady Hinata?" Kō's soft footfall approached. "Do you need any assistance?"

"No, thank you, Kō," she said over her shoulder. She turned back to Naruto and smiled. "Thanks again Naruto."

"Yeah," he rubbed the back of his neck. "Sure. No problem."

"Good night," she said, and with a small wave, turned to enter into her home.

"Night," he called after her.

"Bwaaaak, bwak, bwak, bwak, bwaaak." Kurama clucked,

"Hey, Hinata?" Naruto blurted out.

She turned and looked at him quizzically. "Yes?"

"Dinner. Can you join me for dinner tomorrow? Not ramen, I promise."

Hinata glanced at Kō.

"Your schedule is free after four o'clock tomorrow evening," he assured her.

"That would be nice, Naruto," she said with a kind smile. "Thank you."

"Great," he smiled in relief. "I'll pick you up, but not in this," he jerked a thumb to his truck. "Six o'clock okay?"

"It is," she smiled, "I-"

"Hinata? Hey, you're never going to believe…!" Hanabi stopped short, and eyed Naruto. "Oh, sorry."

"I was just going," Naruto said quickly. "Good to see you, Kō, Hanabi," he nodded to them both. "See you tomorrow, Hinata," he beamed.

With that, he jogged around the back of his truck, climbed into the driver's seat, and after a final wave, headed out.

The gate closed behind his tail lights, and Hinata turned to her sister. "I'm sorry," she smiled. "What were you saying?"

"Not much," Hanabi said, linking her arm through her sister's. "Come on in and I'll tell you over tea. Then you can tell me about your date."

Hinata visibly started at that.

"Date? I wasn't on a –"

"Or you can tell me about tomorrow's date," Hanabi said airily, dragging her into the house. "Whichever."

"But I wasn't-"

Hinata's protests faded around the corner. Kō glanced at the closed gates before shaking his head with a small smile.

"Neji is going to love this..." he chuckled, before closing the door behind them.

Wednesday, June 24th 2:09AM KST
Konoha, Kunoichi Garden Apartments #2822

Sakura sat alone on her balcony, idly watching the stars, and humming the last song she and Neji had danced to.

"Did you have a nice date?"

Sakura looked up to find Sasuke sitting across from her.

"Wondered if you would show up tonight," she said lightly. "I did, in fact, have a very nice date, thankyouverymuch."

Sasuke gave an unimpressed shrug. "Couldn't have been that good."

"Why?" Sakura laughed. "Because it was with Neji?"

"No," he met her eyes. "Because yet again, I am here, and Hyūga is not."

"Maybe I'm just in a rut," Sakura shrugged. "Recurring dreams are pretty common. Or maybe," she smiled wickedly, "I subconsciously brought you here to gloat about the wonderful time I had."

"Possible," he said, "But not probable."

"What isn't probable?" Sakura snorted. "That I had a wonderful evening and it had nothing to do with you? That's pretty arrogant, even for you, Sasuke."

Sasuke arched an eyebrow. "Is it?"

"You know, they actually proved the heliocentric model of the solar system," she said archly, "making the Uchihacentric model obsolete."

"Touché," he smiled faintly.

He leaned back in his seat and considered her.

"And what is your sun, Sakura?" he asked.

She quirked an eyebrow at him. "My sun?"

"Despite what anyone may think," he met her eyes, "we both know your world never revolved around just me. And it won't revolve around just Hyūga. So what is it that holds your pieces of your life together in orbit?"

Sakura thought about her life, and the many satellites that crossed her horizon daily. What was her center - that point around which the rest of her life revolved? Her work? Her friends? Her love for those dear to her? Her dedication to her profession, and her active commitment to the well-being of her patients?

"I'm not sure," she said honestly. "Don't know that I've thought about that much since..."

She trailed off, before hesitantly adding "Not for a long time."

Suddenly his gaze was too dark - too familiar. She pushed away from the table, and retreated to lean against the juncture of the banister and the wall. She closed her eyes and let the gentle breeze wash over her. After a few heartbeats, she turned her face to the sky, and opened her eyes to take in the bright stars that danced above the village.

"And where do we fall across your horizon?"

His voice was behind her and low.

She hadn't intended to turn around.

She hadn't intended to yield to the feather-light pressure of fingertips that tipped her head up so she could meet his eyes, fathomless and impossibly dark.

"What is our place in your skies, Sakura? Hyūga and I? What is missing," he brushed the back of his knuckles across her cheek, "that you still bring me here?"

Her lungs filled with him, inundating her senses with that strange hypnotic effect that she had long since dismissed as a hybrid trick of pheromones and hormones and naïveté.

She turned her head and swallowed a gulp of cold, empty air to rid her lungs of his incense. She didn't know why his presence was so sharp in her dreams tonight.

"Clearly I'm a just a glutton for punishment," she muttered.

"No," he made no move to touch her again, but neither did he step out of her personal space. "You are afraid."

Sakura's eyes snapped back to his. "Afraid?" she repeated.

"You and Hyūga both," Sasuke said pointedly. "Neither of you trust romance over reason."

"Tonight was romantic," Sakura said defensively.

"Within reason," Sasuke countered. "Everything measured. Everything precise. Everything in proportion." He shook his head. "That is not you, Sakura."

"Oh, it isn't, is it?" she asked, crossing her arms.

"No, it isn't," he said calmly (something that always made her want to put her fist through something.) "You are intelligent and discerning," he said evenly. "But when you love, it is without restriction."

"As it turns out," she tilted her head, and considered him, "strong emotions can cloud judgement, and override all good sense and logic. The stronger the emotion, the greater it can skew perception. I learned that lesson altogether too well," she met his eyes. "About five years ago."

His expression remained unchanged.

"I was stupid," she admitted with a mirthless laugh. "I let everything I felt for you blind me to what I should have seen. What I should have known."

"And what was that, Sakura?"

"It wasn't one thing Sasuke. It was everything."

"Like?"

"Like how you were a beautiful but broken boy," she offered. "I knew there was hurt and tragedy in your past, but we didn't really address it. I assumed we had time. I was sure that when you were ready, you would tell me whatever you needed to tell me, and we'd work through it together."

She shrugged. "Stupid."

"I should have known everything we had was built on that fragile and vulnerable veneer of normalcy. You were broken, Sasuke. And as much as I loved you, and trusted you, and knew that – you were always honest about it in your own way – I ignored every warning and indication to the contrary. I assumed that what we felt for each other was bigger than the hurt – big enough to carry us through."

"I was arrogant," she confessed. "Arrogant enough to think that what we had was so strong and perfect, it could eclipse the loss of your family, the betrayal of your brother, all of your pain and suffering - everything." She gave a derisive snort. "I was too young and stupid to know that 'love conquers all' calls for a shit ton more work, and hurt, and honesty, and pain than we had invested."

Silence settled between them, and she was suddenly beyond weary. He did not try to stop her when she broke away to stare out over the back garden and collect her thoughts.

"To be honest, Sasuke," she said thickly, "I don't think I am capable of feeling that strongly about anything or anyone anymore. Maybe I am afraid... but I do know that whatever shreds of myself I managed to salvage and piece back together won't withstand that kind of damage a second time."

"So you don't love him."

The statement hung heavy and immovable in the air between them.

"Seriously? All of that, and that is what you think to ask me?" she half laughed, ignoring the pangs in her chest.

"Do you?"

Sakura took a deep, cleansing breath, drawing in peace from the starlight above and the earth below.

Did she love Neji?

Hadn't she asked herself that many times before?

Somewhere in the back of her mind she reminded herself that this was a dream, and therefore she was actually asking herself the question and yet again.

"I do," she said, unclenching her heart. "Just…in my own way, and in my own capacity. So far, what we have has been enough for both of us."

"But… not like before," he said quietly.

"No," shook her head. "Not like before."

"And … until when?"

She shrugged. "Who knows? Maybe for forever. Maybe just until tomorrow. No one can tell you when love will break."

She felt his warmth behind her, even as she kept her eyes on the stars.

"If it is enough," he asked. "Then why am I here?"

"Maybe because you came to find me today," she said absently.

There was a stretch of silence while she weighed her own mind.

"I miss talking to you, Sasuke." she admitted. "Whatever we were or weren't, we could always talk - about anything and everything. When you left, that is what I really missed the most. I lost my best friend, confidante, sounding board, and heart all in one fell swoop."

She shook her head. "But it was more than that," she swallowed the thickness in her throat. "You were…that is I thought you were my soulmate, Sasuke," she said quietly. "I was convinced we'd always be together."

Reminding herself she was dreaming, she gathered what little courage she could find, and turned around.

"Maybe you're right," she said quietly, eyes searching the achingly familiar and yet so different face. "My world never revolved around just you. It revolved around 'us,' and everything I believed that we were and would become."

Her gaze softened to something sweet and sad.

"I never dreamed I'd live a life without you. Now, I can't see it any other way."

"Is that what you want?" he asked quietly. "A life without me?"

"Isn't that what you wanted?" she countered. "You left."

"I came back, Sakura," he met her eyes. "I am here, now."

"But you aren't here, are you?" she said sadly. "Not really."

Her eyes roved over his still-beautiful face, and she reached out to touch the curve of his cheek, but stopped. She curled her fingers tightly, and cradled them against her chest.

"When I wake up," she continued, "you will be gone. This… this isn't real. It is nothing more than a great example of how screwed up my subconscious mind can be." She gave a small shake of her head. "Say what you want about Neji, but whatever he and I are or aren't, he has a place in my life outside of dreams. He is real."

"And that is enough?"

"For now."

"Then," he brushed a wayward tendril of hair from her cheek and behind her temple. "Perhaps you don't need me."

She held his gaze in silence.

"I fear I have overstayed my welcome," he murmured. "I shall not - how did you put it yesterday? - haunt you any longer."

"So you are leaving again," she whispered.

"This is your world," he thumbed across her cheek. "I will always come when you call me."

"Another cruel trick of dreams," she said stonily. "And all the more proof that this isn't real."

His eyes darkened, and he drew her closer to him, leaning down to murmur in her ear.

"Then explain those times I have come when you didn't call me," his breath ghosted across her cheek, and her breath stilled in her lungs.

The press of his lips was warm and dry against her cheek - nearly the corner of her mouth.

She blinked in surprise as his voice was warm and fanning across her lips.

"Good night, Sakura."

She heard him smirk.

"Pleasant dreams." His eyes whorled from ebony to crimson, and her world went black.

She awoke with a gasp, sitting bolt upright in bed. Her cheeks were burning and her heart was racing in her chest. Disoriented, she looked around her room frantically, trying to find an anchor in reality. Her eyes fell on the glowing display of the clock.

The green numbers read 4:06 AM.

She waited out the gallop of a few more heartbeats before taking in a shuddering and grounding breath.

"What was that all about?" she exhaled, blinking rapidly. She brushed her fingers across her cheek, the feel of his touch still lingering there.

She threw off the covers and jumped up, rubbing her eyes. She turned off her alarm and made her bed. She knew she couldn't afford to go back to sleep – she needed space from her dreams – so she splashed cold water on her face and brushed her teeth. Within ten minutes, she was out of the door and jogging into the first shades of the new day, leaving the phantasms in her wake to melt in the light of dawn.

I promise I am always writing - even if I am not always updating. XOXOX - GL

Chapter Text

Some secrets aren't so secret, especially when they involve Naruto; hence we borrow Mssr. Legrand's title 'Everybody Knows.'

I appreciate those of you who keep me company on this adventure! Thank you for letting me share my stories with you.

You Must Believe in Spring
~Summer~
Chapter Eleven: Everybody Knows

Wednesday, June 24th 7:45 AM KST
Konoha, ANBU base: Shizune's office

Shizune was sitting in her ANBU office, combing through the multiple reports spread on her desk as she prepared for her morning de-briefing with Tsunade.

"Looks like you are busy as ever."

Shizune looked up to the familiar figure leaning in the doorway, reading an equally as familiar orange-covered book.

"Kakashi?" she blinked in surprise. "Awfully early for you to be here, isn't it?"

Kakashi shrugged noncommittally. "I had some business to take care of. Getting the morning report together?"

"Yes," she sighed, looking over the mission reports that had been turned in between yesterday and this morning. It was her job to read, organize, and present them all to Tsunade. She glanced up to Kakashi. "You are aware the rest of Yamato's team returned yesterday?" she asked.

"I had heard," Kakashi said easily, closing his book and tucking it in his pocket. Shizune nodded to the chair in front of her desk as she pulled out two different scrolls. Kakashi sank easily into the chair, and leaned back. "The missing Hyūga," he mused. "Tokuma. He specifically requested that Hinata to identify his body, didn't he?"

"Unfortunately," Shizune sighed, unrolling the scrolls. "But she was able to read the scroll he left behind, and that assures us he is still alive…" her voice trailed off, and Kakashi understood the unvoiced 'for now.'

"I wonder if that is all," he mused.

"Oh?" Shizune asked, looking up from her work.

"Both she and I could see the chakra serpent hiding in Anko," he said slowly. "That is not something a Sharingan would normally see. Also, I haven't had a chance to ask her about that jutsu she used to force it out. Yori destroyed the snake before we could examine it, so no answers to be gotten there. But both she and I were able to see the message coded in the bodies left to be found. It makes me wonder who left the message. Was it a warning from Tokuma? Was it a threat? Why could both the Sharingan and Byakugan see it?"

Shizune paused. "All good questions," she said slowly. "But are they questions for the enemy, Tokuma or Hinata?"

Kakashi rubbed the back of his neck. "I think I need to speak with Master Sarutobi first. He is a good, objective source of information, and has a wider knowledge of jutsu than just about anyone."

"He would also know what jutsu Yori used – maybe that information would tell us more about the chakra snake."

"Good thinking," Kakashi agreed. "I don't know how," he admitted, "but I have a hunch all of this ties together. Well," he stood and stretched lazily. "I'll come back by later. Thanks, Shizune." He opened the door, and a cat sauntered in. "What's with the cat?" he asked, curiously.

"Oh, those," Shizune flicked a glance up to the cat, and then back to her work. "Seems we've had some mice in the hospital. These are on loan from a trainer in Sora-ku. They are incredible, really," she continued, making notes on a pad of paper. "You'd hardly ever know they were there."

The cat gazed up at Kakashi, and winked.

"I'll bet," he said, neutrally. "Well, best of luck to you," he nodded to the cat and Shizune, and took his leave.

Kakashi's hunches were rarely wrong, and he now had a second hunch. At least one, but probably two of his subordinates were being idiots, and neither was Naruto.

"Guess I'd better catch up on my reading while I can," he sighed, and flicked open his book.

Sunday, June 28th 12:30 PM KST
Konoha, The Hyūga Residence

It was a bright, sunny Sunday afternoon when Naruto pulled up to the Hyūga compound to pick up Hinata for the Summer Festival. This time, he left the truck at home.

"From work," he answered her unasked question as he opened the door for her. She nodded and slid into the seat of the sleek, black SUV. "Remember," he said seriously. "The second you don't feel well, or you want to go home, let me know, and I'll get you out of there."

"I'll remember," she promised.

Naruto's own enthusiasm was contagious, and Hinata couldn't help but smile as they wandered the festival, taking in all of the sights and smells of Konoha in the summer. They'd occasionally stop for Naruto to show her something specific, but for the most part, they moved from tent to tent, vendor to vendor, exploring everything the festival had to offer.

He found himself watching her as she soaked it all in. He'd caught up with her quite a few times since all of this started, sometimes asking her to meet him for coffee or a meal, or bringing her and Sakura some treats to their office, or going on small adventures. He was learning more and more to read the subtleties in her gentle smiles, and careful speech. Like right now, for instance, she looked genuinely happy.

They were watching some face painters at work when a familiar voice called out to them.

"Hinata!"

Sakura hurried over to Hinata, eyes bright, smile warm. Naruto nodded to Neji, who nodded in return.

"Well, it took a few years, but you finally made it!" Sakura teased her, looping their arms together. "C'mon. Let's go to the little kunoichi's room. That will give the boys time to find us some lemonade."

"It's right there," Naruto pointed to a stand about five stalls away.

"Good job," Sakura tagged his arm playfully. "Then half of your work is done. C'mon, Hinata!" She dragged Hinata away, laughing.

Naruto watched until they were out of sight, before turning back to Neji.

"C'mon," he nodded to the stand. "Might as well get in line."

Neji scanned the crowd before nodding noncommittally. His phone buzzed in his pocket, and he checked the messages.

'Hinata & Sakura both in sight.'

With that simple reassurance, Neji tucked his phone away, and joined Naruto in line.

1:46 PM KST
Konoha: Summer Festival

Tenten wound her way through the crowd, keeping an eye on Sakura and Hinata. She waited by a bench, watching for when they came back out of the bathroom while listening to Genma relay orders in her earpiece.

"Anything new?" she asked.

"A few picture takers," Genma replied, "but nothing major. People are bound to recognize the Hyūgas from the press. Uchiha even had a couple, but he disappears quickly."

"Any press?"

"Minimal. They are more interested in the bands. The end of summer shindigs – that is when they will start to become a nuisance. Generally the end of summer is a slow news time; we get most of our press problems in that lag time between summer wrapping up and KU getting into full swing. By the time bonfire season and the sports catch up, they'll go away again."

"Like roaches," she muttered.

"I'm sending you some stills of the few we've picked up on," he continued. "Look like civilians for the most part."

Her phone vibrated in her hand, and she flicked through the screens of stills from different security cameras, and a few photos from other agents.

"I sent the stills to you, Inuzuka, and Uchiha, since you are our trackers for tonight. We haven't seen anyone that appears to be any kind of direct threat."

"Good."

"You made a good call, by the way," Genma added casually. "Uchiha is a good addition to the team. How did you talk him into it?"

"I told you. He volunteered." She pocketed her phone. "That it for now?"

"Yeah. I'll let you know if there is anything else."

"Got it."

There was a small click in her ear, and then nothing. She knew she was still patched in, but Genma was good about keeping the lines open.

"Hey, beautiful," a warm voice teased before a familiar hand alighted gently on the curve of her hip. "We really have to stop meeting like this."

Tenten laughed, and looked over her shoulder to Kiba. "You mean we have to stop working like this."

"Yeah," Kiba sighed. "It's hell on making plans. But, since I actually managed to get assigned at the last minute," he grinned wolfishly. "That means tonight's bill is on ANBU."

"Nice," Tenten chuckled.

Akamaru's ears perked up, and seconds later, the girls exited the restroom.

Tenten subconsciously began to index their appearance.

Hinata: navy blue maxi dress, sleeveless. White, 3/4-sleeved, cotton, button-down shirt over top, worn open. Standard low-heeled shinobi sandal. Hair down. No jewelry. Largely empty navy slouch bag – the one she brings for shopping.

Sakura: khaki capris, pink tank top, and open button-down pink/blue/white patterned shirt. Ponytail. Silver earrings and chain. Watch on left wrist. Higher shinobi sandal. Small cross-body bag.

She noted these things absently, but her mind catalogued the details and tucked them away. Certain protocols had been ingrained in her so long, she followed them without thinking.

"Always know what your protection target is wearing, who they are with, where they are going-"

Kiba offered her his arm. "Shall we?"

"Will there be cotton candy?" she asked seriously.

"Naturally."

"Then, yes," she beamed, and looped her arm in his.

Determined to enjoy what time they could, working or not, they didn't discuss their mission. Instead, they chatted lightly, enjoying each other's company, while keeping a watchful eye on their friends and the surroundings.

3:12 PM KST
Konoha: Summer Festival

A chorus of greetings went up from their friends as Naruto's clone put the first tray on the table while Naruto helped Hinata step over the bench to sit next to Sakura.

He took a quick survey of the table.

Neji was at the end of the bench, then Sakura, then Hinata, then him, then Chōji (with room for all of their food.) On the other side, it was Ino, Sai, Kiba, Tenten, and Shino. Lee and Shikamaru were on missions, and Teme…. Well. Neji was there, so it wasn't surprising that Sasuke was not. Naruto knew he was around, though, so that was something.

"Oh, man, this is great," Kiba sighed contentedly, digging into his meal.

"Mine is better," Naruto smirked.

"How did you even find ramen," Kiba snorted. "There's like – a hundred different options here, and you found ramen."

"It's a talent," the blonde beamed. "How's your food?" he asked Hinata.

"Very good," she smiled. "Thank you."

"You aren't eating much," Sakura looked over Hinata's conservative selection of food. "Not hungry?"

"There is just so much to try," Hinata smiled. "I couldn't decide what to pick, so I went with a little bit of everything."

"You can always have some of mine," Naruto told Hinata.

"Or mine," Chōji waved. "I always get extra."

"I'm fine, really," Hinata assured them. "Shino how is your food?"

"Quite good, actually. I am surprised. Why, do you ask? That is because-"

A popular local cover band came blaring over the sound system, drowning out whatever Shino was about to say.

Shino sighed as Hinata shrugged apologetically, and everyone had to content themselves with speaking just with the people in immediate earshot for the duration of the band's set.

Naruto and Chōji laughed and pointed to different dishes, and sampled everything. Hinata and Sakura chatted as best they could, pausing now and then to politely decline an offer of food from Naruto or Choi. Sai asked Ino and Kiba questions as he looked around, and Kiba split his time between answering Sai and trying to talk to Tenten. Shino and Neji were silent on their respective ends of the table.

When the set ended, Naruto nudged Hinata.

"C'mon. I've got one more place to take you," he stood and stretched before gathering up their trash and throwing it away. He held out his hand to her. "Ready?"

Hinata nodded, and gingerly took his hand just long enough to extricate herself from the picnic table.

Sakura and Ino exchanged glances, Kiba raised an eyebrow, Shino sighed, Chōji ate another dango, Neji stiffened, and Sai and Tenten had no visible reaction.

"See you guys later," Naruto said, and Hinata gave a small wave.

Neji looked across to where Tenten was sitting. She gave him a small nod, and waited until Hinata and Naruto were at the far end of the pavilion before she stood.

Kiba looked up to her, and she put a hand on his shoulder. He patted it and winked and she headed off.

Neji's back remained stiff.

"Oh, lighten up, Neji," Ino chided. "Tenten is on the job, and she can skewer Naruto from 100 paces."

"Are you that worried about Naruto, that you sent Tenten?" Sakura asked, incredulously.

"No," Neji said smoothly. "Tenten is assigned to accompany Lady Hinata tonight. There is still an elevated threat level."

"So where's your bodyguard?" Sakura looked around.

"I don't need one," Neji said coolly.

"Well, neither does your cousin," Kiba snorted. "Naruto is crazy strong, and she's no slouch, either. Don't see why Tenten has to trail after them all the time. We've had to cancel plans at least twice a week every week for the last couple of months."

"It can't be helped," Shino said philosophically. "Why, you ask? That is because, until the threat level is lifted for dōjutsu users, a female operative has to be assigned to Hinata, and Tenten is the best choice."

"Twice a week?" Ino looked down the table, past Sai to Kiba.

"At least," Kiba huffed.

"I think I have a question," Sai offered.

"Later," Ino promised. "Kiba – elaborate."

"Not much to tell," he crossed his arms. "Been like this for a while. Sometimes it is a planned lunch, other times it is just 'running into each other,'" he made air quotation marks around the phrase, "and then grabbing something to eat. Other times it is planned – like when he asked her to dinner last week, and-"

"When was this?" Neji arched an eyebrow.

"Who knows," Kiba said dismissively. "That time, Tenten and I were already out, so we just moved our dinner to where they went."

"I heard they went on a walk downtown the other day," Chōji said, wiping his fingers. "Asuma saw them."

"He just ran into her running errands," Kiba corrected, "but, yeah, he joined her and carried her stuff for her."

"That's so sweet," Ino said.

"Did he break anything?" Neji asked dryly.

"Not that time," Kiba shrugged. "So, what's the consensus, gang? Does Naruto a) even realize he is asking Hinata on dates," he asked the table. "Or, b), is he still convinced he's just asking her to hang out."

A disjointed chorus of "B," came up from the table.

"You know, the better question might be is what does Hinata think?" Ino said slyly. "Neji? Anything to add?"

"No comment," he said icily.

Kiba checked his watch. "Welp, that ends this round of 'what the hell is Naruto up to now.' Thanks for playing." He stood and stretched.

"Leaving so soon?" Sai asked. "I am sure that there are more polling opportunities to be had from Naruto's tendencies toward idiocy."

"I'd love to," Kiba apologized, "but Akamaru and I are on backup tonight. It's getting to where I have to check with Genma to see if Tenten can go on a date."

"Is tonight a date?" Sai asked, innocently. "I thought you were both on assignment."

"Foreplay, Sai," Kiba said with a remarkably straight face. "Nothing like joint surveillance to set the mood. After all, we have to go home some time."

"I see," Sai dropped his fist into his palm. "That makes sense."

Kiba winked at Ino. "Have fun explaining that one," he grinned, and strode into the crowds with Akamaru at his heels.

"Explaining what?" Sai asked Ino.

"Wow," Sakura breathed. "I didn't realize how complicated this all was."

"You get used to it," Chōji said cheerfully. "And the reality is, we're all friends and would watch out for one another anyway."

"So what did Kiba mean when-"

"Neji, I'm stealing your date," Ino stood quickly. "We have to go check out a couple of vendors. Best friend prerogative."

"Sorry," Sakura stood with a grin, "but I am going home with her tonight."

"It's fine," Neji quirked a smile. "I'll catch up with you later."

Neji stood with Sakura and gave her a hand stepping back over the bench. She thanked him, and the girls linked elbows and wandered off, Neji watching with a small, fond smile.

When he turned back to the table, however, his expression became guarded as he recognized Sai's unmistakable expression that preceded him asking a no-doubt awkward question.

Luckily, his phone buzzed in his pocket.

"It appears my younger cousin is also here," he said with mild surprise. "I should go and greet her. Chōji, Sai, Shino," he nodded to them each in turn, before fluidly stepping away and striding into the crowd.

"Why was I last?" Shino muttered.

"I was closest, then he went from his left to right, Shino," Chōji said kindly, walking his trash to the nearest bin. "He didn't mean anything by it."

"I do not believe that, why you ask? That is because - "

"C'mon, you two," Chōji stood between Sai and Shino, clapping heavy hands on their shoulders. "Let's go check out some more of the vendors."

Both men shrugged their agreement. This part of the festival wound into one of the local parks, and there were tented stalls lining the wide paths.

"Sai, see that gelato tent?" Chōji pointed.

Sai looked down the path. "Yes, I do."

"Well, there are some great indie art stands and supply vendors just past that tent. I saw a bunch of brushes and inks, too. You should check it out!"

"I believe I might do that," Sai said. "Thank you for the suggestion."

"Go ahead," Chōji beamed. "I want to get some gelato."

"Alright," Sai shrugged, and headed off.

Shino peered at Chōji. "Did you just get rid of Sai?"

"Nah," he shook his head. "Sai doesn't bother me. I really thought he might like those vendors."

"Hm." Shino mused.

"Come join me for a gelato," he offered jovially. "It's been a while since we talked. You can catch me up!"

"That will be fine," Shino said stoically, masking his surprise well. After all - It wouldn't do for anyone to know how pleased he was at being considered for company.

3:47  PM KST
Konoha: Summer Festival

"Are you having a good time?" Naruto asked as he led Hinata to another winding row of vendors.

"Yes," she smiled pleasantly. "Thanks for including me."

"'Including,'" Kurama taunted. "There's that word again, Naruto."

"Anytime," Naruto said, flicking a glance at the line of people in front of them. They were too tall for Hinata to see over, but he could easily see the counter from where they stood. "It's good to get out and just relax now and then, y'know?"

Hinata considered this. "I am not very good at making time to visit with friends on a 'just because' basis," she admitted reluctantly. "I make time to see my friends," she added, "but usually it is something scheduled and for a set time. I don't normally go do something spontaneously or without structure." She gave a small, wry smile. "An open-ended evening is a novelty for me."

"I'm pretty much the opposite," Naruto said. "I'm not really one for planning, but spontaneous? I can do spontaneous."

"What a surprise," she smiled – and this time, it was a full smile.

"That's me," Naruto beamed. "Chock full of surprises. Hey, look! It's our turn to order!"

The people in line ahead of them stepped to the side, and Hinata was finally able to see exactly where they were. Her eyes widened in surprise.

"Betcha didn't know that Amaguriama had a booth here," he laughed, rubbing the back of his neck. "I know it's your favorite, so I scoped it out earlier. They have cinnamon rolls and everything!"

"Can I help you?" A girl smiled from behind the makeshift counter. It wasn't the lady from a few months ago – this person was probably a student at KU.

"Yeah," Naruto grinned. "Do you want anything other than cinnamon rolls?" he asked Hinata.

She shook her head 'no', and Naruto turned back to order, missing the gentle flush across the tops of her cheeks.

"Here you go," he handed her a carry-out container with the cinnamon rolls. "I see a spot to sit over there," he looked over the throng of people. He put his free arm around her back to steer her toward a bench, careful not to startle or jostle her. She held her container with both hands, so he kept a protective arm behind her until they navigated the sea of festival-goers and made it across the main path to a bench.

"Sorry if that was forward of me," Naruto said sheepishly. "I didn't want to lose you in that crowd."

"Thank you for looking out for me," Hinata didn't quite meet his eyes.

"Shall we sit?" Naruto asked a bit too brightly. He plopped on the bench, and she sat down gracefully. He flipped open his box with gusto, and she opened hers carefully.

"I got a bunch of their stuff to try," he chatted happily. "I remember you liked a couple of these at Sakura's party."

Hinata looked up in surprise, meeting his sparkling blue gaze.

"Dig in!" Naruto thrust his box forward while popping a small, sweet dumpling in his mouth.

Hinata carefully picked a piece of her cinnamon roll off, and bit into it daintily.

"Good?"

She nodded, and waited until she had chewed and swallowed before answering "Very. Thank you."

"Mine, too," Naruto ate another dumpling. "You gotta try some of this stuff!"

"I'm fine, really," Hinata motioned to her own box. "This is more than enough."

"If you say so," Naruto shrugged.

"Not everyone is a bottomless pit, Naruto," Kurama scoffed.

"Anyway," Naruto said, angling himself on the bench to better face her. "I'm glad you could come out with us today. I still don't get how you had never been."

Hinata chewed a bite of cinnamon roll slowly, considering his question. "I don't either, really," she finally admitted. "It wasn't like I wasn't permitted to attend…I guess there was always something else to do, or somewhere else to be," she shrugged.

"Clan stuff?" Naruto asked, eyebrows raised.

"Probably," she said wryly. She looked around them at the many booths with their bright signs, as the lights that hung over the paths flickered to life with a warm, cheery glow. "I don't think I really knew what I was missing," she admitted.

"The best party in Konoha," Naruto said with a mischievous grin. "And coming from me, that's saying something!"

"So I hear," she grinned. "Or heard," she said, using her plastic fork to spear off another bite of cinnamon roll. "I should've known that there was something more to Konoha House," she grinned, taking a bite.

"Yeah, well," Naruto draped an arm over the back of the bench, still facing her. "Not everyone got in on the act. 'Tem… Sasuke won't admit how much fun he had, and I think I only saw Neji at one party. Your teammates though? Definitely part of the all-star team."

Hinata blinked. "Even Shino?"

Naruto's grin was conspiratorial. "Especially Shino," he lowered his voice. "He said that he hung around to keep Kiba from doing anything too over the top, but always ended up helping out. Some of our best parties came from his ideas."

Hinata shook her head in disbelief. "I would have never guessed. He was always telling me he had to tag along places to keep Kiba out of trouble."

"He did that, too."

Hinata picked at her cinnamon roll thoughtfully.

"It has been so nice to catch up with all of you again," she said with a wistful smile. "I appreciate that you've made efforts to include me."

"Wasn't really an effort," Naruto scoffed lightly.

"But it must be," she insisted. "There are so many schedules to consider! It…" she thought about how to phrase her thoughts. "It is not effort I would have taken on my own," she admitted. "I would've felt like I was bothering everyone, especially given how busy they all are.

"Yeah, well, about that," he rubbed the back of his neck. "When we are planning stuff…is it still okay if the others can't come, and it is just us?"

"Of course," she assured him. "With everyone's schedules and everything, I can't expect-"

"No," Naruto interrupted. "That's not…I mean if…is it okay if it's just …me. Like, just you and me."

The color rose in his cheeks, and she sat very, very still.

"I know we've gotten together to talk about Sakura and other stuff, but this isn't that, necessarily, I mean, I just wondered if we could spend some time together just to… spend time. Together," he finished lamely.

He looked at her before raking a hand down his face.

"Kurama is right," he muttered. "I'm crap at this."

"Absolute crap," Kurama agreed.

"You…you want to spend time…with me?" Hinata asked, confused.

"Well…yeah," Naruto said, a grin stealing across his face. "Why wouldn't I?" He met and held her pale gaze. "You're pretty awesome, after all."

The flush that raced across her cheeks did not belong to the competent, kindhearted matriarch of the Hyūga Clan, but to the shy girl that had lived invisibly so many years ago.

But she didn't look away, or hide from him, and that gave him hope.

"Hinata…I-"

"Hinata."

Both Hinata and Naruto jumped at the familiar voice. It was Neji.

"Neji-niisan?" Hinata looked up in surprise. "What is it?"

"Did you get the message that Hanabi is here?" he asked smoothly. "I thought perhaps we should go and say hello."

"Oh.. oh, of course," Hinata blinked, "Just let me-"

"There you are!" Tenten said brightly, intercepting Neji. "We've been trying to call you - left your phone on silent again?"

Neji fished in his pocket for his phone. "I don't think so," he said, brow furrowed.

"Well, Sakura is looking for you. C'mon – I'll show you where she is. She's actually not far from Hanabi – did you know that she's here, too?" Tenten looked back to Hinata and Naruto. "Naruto, you didn't forget about the new section, did you? They added a whole slew of things on the west side of the festival, and then it opens to the memorial gardens. Kiba and I checked it out earlier, and it was pretty great."

"I forgot about that!" Naruto said happily, and turned to Hinata. "Want to check it out?"

"If it is alright with Neji," Hinata looked to her cousin. "Didn't you want to go find Hanabi?"

"It was just a thought," he shrugged. "Not to worry."

A few more polite words were exchanged, and Tenten and Neji went in search of Sakura, leaving Naruto and Hinata alone.

"That was strange," Naruto scratched his head. He gathered their trash and threw it away, before holding out his hand to her. "Up for another adventure?"

"Sure," she said, accepting the help to rise from the bench. When he didn't let go, she stared blankly at their hands and then up to him.

He raised his eyebrows, and she flushed prettily.

Perhaps the adventure he had in mind wasn't just a visit to the gardens.

Happily, he wound his fingers through hers, and smiled warmly. "Let's go, Hinata."

4:16 PM KST
Konoha: Summer Festival

Neji looked down at Tenten as she led him away. They didn't go far before he turned and scowled at her.

"Sakura didn't try to call – what are you-" he looked back the way they came, and saw Hinata take Naruto's hand, blushing when he wove his fingers between hers. He reflexively started to return to his cousin.

A firm but gentle hand gripped the back of his arm above the elbow, halting him in his tracks.

"Let them be," Tenten said quietly. He looked down at her sharply, but her eyes were trained on Hinata and Naruto. She spoke quietly, the sensitive listening device hidden in her ear transmitting her conversation. "You have visual contact?" A few seconds for the reply. "Understood. We'll trade off in an hour."

She turned to Neji, and nodded to the path winding through a line of vendors. "Let's go," she said. "Sakura is waiting."

He turned with the gentle pressure she put on his arm, but she let go once he fell into step beside her.

"Mind explaining yourself?" he arched an eyebrow.

Tenten smirked.

"I was keeping you from being an ass," she said dryly. "You're welcome."

Neji scowled at her, but she ignored him.

"What are you talking about?" he asked testily.

"Don't play dumb with me, Hyūga," she scoffed lightly. "I know that look. You were going to march over there and read Naruto the riot act."

"I wasn't going to march over there," he grumbled.

Amusement tugged at her lips. "I know you don't want to see her hurt," she continued patiently, "but you of all people know the lengths Naruto will go to when protecting the people he cares about."

Neji had multiple arguments as to why he should intervene, or at least monitor the situation, and furthermore, he should-

"Neji."

They stopped walking, and he met the naked honesty of her gaze.

"Hinata never asks for anything," she said gently. "She deserves her own happiness, and doesn't need our judgement or involvement, okay? Just…Just let her know it is okay for her to be happy."

Her eyes roved over his face, gauging if he was digesting her words.

"Trust her, Neji." Tenten said firmly.

He heaved a frustrated sigh, and looked up to the sky between the trees overhead.

Tenten checked her watch.

"C'mon" she nodded to the lantern-lit pathway. "I'll get you back to Sakura."

They walked a while in silence, and Neji considered his teammate.

"Where is Kiba?" He asked offhandedly.

"The teams are shifting around," she said simply. "I get a quick break, then I am checking in with Hanabi's team."

"You have been busy these last few months," he ventured. "Watching my cousins, I mean."

"Part of the job," she shrugged. "There's Sakura," she looked ahead to where Sakura and Ino were laughing with one another. "You've got it from here."

Neji would have responded, but Tenten quickly halted them both with a hand to his arm, listening intently. Her eyes darted around, coming to rest on a familiar and quickly approaching figure.

Neji's demeanor was cool. "Uchiha," he said.

Sasuke barely acknowledged the other man, eyes fixed on Tenten. Neji looked between the two of them suspiciously, until he remembered they were both on Genma's team tonight.

Tenten craned her neck, looking over the crowds until her eyes settled on something in the distance, and narrowed dangerously.

"I'm on it," she said curtly.

"Neji," she turned to him. "Take the girls. Sai will join the three of you. Stay together."

Neji frowned, but Tenten turned her attention to Sasuke. "You've got Hinata?"

"I'll join her and Naruto," he said smoothly. "Where do you want us to go?"

"Genma will give you instructions," she looked past him.

"What is going on?" Neji asked in a low voice.

"Kiba and Shino are going to escort Konohamaru's team back to campus," Tenten said curtly. "Hanabi is going to be with Moegi in the girl's dorm. Kō will deliver an overnight bag for her."

"Is she in immediate danger?"

"We don't think so," Tenten shook her head. "Let's move," Tenten looked up to Sasuke.

With a final nod to Neji, the two of them vanished into the crowd. In seconds he felt both of their chakra signatures disappear. He looked around cautiously before striding over to where Ino and Sakura were chatting.

"Hey, Neji," Ino said casually, arm still threaded through Sakura's. "We were just about to come find you."

"No need," he shrugged easily, spotting Sai.

"I was hoping I'd find you," the artist said with his overly bright cheerfulness. "I would like to investigate the artisan stalls on the far north of the festival. I thought perhaps we could go together."

"Sure," Sakura chuckled. "I haven't been over there yet."

"Excellent," Sai's grin broadened. "This way."

Ino and Sakura fell back into their happy chatter while Neji scanned the area with his Byakugan. Several ANBU agents were concealed in the trees above them. He checked his phone. Genma had only sent him an 'on alert' notification, so that meant that his group was not in any immediate danger.

His phone buzzed in his hand, and he scanned it quickly.

"Evacuating Hanabi. Hinata safe. No current concern in your area."

Neji took slight comfort at that, and shifted his attention to the people in his immediate care, entrusting the care of his cousins to his friends.

4:31 PM KST
Konoha: Summer Festival

When Sasuke found Naruto, the blond figured something was up. When Sasuke accepted Hinata's polite invitation to join them, Naruto was sure of it. He waited until Hinata was in light conversation with one of the vendors to raise his eyebrows to his best friend.

"Suspicious persons tailing the Hyūgas," Sasuke said quietly. "Sounds like they have left the area, but we are still waiting for the all clear from Genma."

"Do we need to get her out of here?" Naruto asked, flicking his eyes to Hinata.

Not necessarily," Sasuke shook his head. "We've split the group enough that everyone has ample protection should anyone get any stupid ideas."

"So the person you were watching is gone," Naruto surmised.

Sasuke nodded.

"And is that person being followed?"

Sasuke gave a slight shrug.

"Sucks to be them," Naruto said with no real sympathy.

Hinata rejoined them, and smothered a yawn.

Naruto looked her over; her breathing was shallower than it had been, and she looked paler. "It is getting late, Hinata. I can take you back if you are tired."

"Oh, I'm fine, really," she waved the notion away. "Please don't worry on my account."

"I think we've seen just about everything," Naruto looked around lazily. "And I'm getting hungry again. You up for some Ichiraiku?"

"If you'd like," she agreed pleasantly.

"Teme, you want to join us?" he asked Sasuke.

"I have an early morning," Sasuke shook his head.

"Well, more for us," Naruto shrugged. "C'mon Hinata," he put a warm hand to her shoulder. "Car's this way."

"Have a good night, Sasuke," she waved over her shoulder before falling into step with Naruto.

Of course Naruto was well aware that Sasuke would follow, at least until Genma called him off or someone switched places with him. He also noticed that when Hinata got tired, her breathing tended to be affected, and he didn't think it wise to hang around the festival any longer. He had a clone pull the SUV up for them, and in no time at all they were in one of his most favorite places in the whole world.

He rushed around to Hinata's side of the car to open her door, earning a grateful smile and another light blush. He offered an elbow, and she tentatively accepted, letting him guide them inside, and then to a small booth, where he eagerly handed her a menu and told her to get anything she wanted.

"And if you have any questions, don't worry – I can tell you just about anything about this place!"

Hinata smiled genuinely at that, and placed her Naruto-reviewed-and-approved order with confidence.

He looked her over thoughtfully. "So what did you think of the Summer Festival?"

"It was really interesting," her eyes lit up. "Thank you for taking me."

"It was my pleasure," he assured her. "Say, did you ever go to the KU Bonfires?"

"Once or twice," she said, stirring her drink with her straw, "but never for very long."

"But you'll come to this year's big one, right?" he prompted. "It's an anniversary year for KU, so alumni from all years are going to be at the game.

"I had considered it," she admitted. "I thought it would be nice to go with Hanabi."

"Is she going to stay in the dorms this year?" Naruto asked, curious.

Hinata gave a small shrug. "Our family doesn't normally stay in the dorm. Neji stayed off and on when his assignment load was heavy, but I only stayed maybe three times in the whole time I attended KU.

"You know," he said slowly, rubbing his chin, "it might not be a bad idea for her to stay once and a while. Especially if the threat level is still high when the fall semester starts. It is probably the safest place to stay in Konoha."

"I had thought about that when all of this trouble started," Hinata admitted, her eyes taking on a far-away look. "When we were sixteen," she said, looking somewhere he couldn't see. "And Neji was part of the first party sent after Sasuke?" she looked up at him.

He nodded.

That was one memory he had no trouble recalling.

"My mother had just passed, and Father and Hanabi had to travel. I was secured in the girl's dorm of Konoha House for two months."

Naruto's eyes went wide. "I didn't know that!"

"Of course, I didn't know much about ANBU," she continued. "I was there as part of a summer program. I had a fairly full schedule of classes, but it wasn't overwhelming." She half smiled at the memory. "I remembered my mother taking me to Amaguriama as a young girl, so I wandered until I found the campus location." She half laughed. "Despite essentially being put in protective custody, it was the most normal experience I ever had." She gave a small shrug. "Guess that is a little strange."

"Um, you're talking to someone who has been at this game since he was fifteen," Naruto said flatly. "You aren't even close to 'strange' on that count."

"I'd like for Hanabi to have some of that freedom," Hinata admitted. "Something a little more normal and with friends her own age. It can be so important to have those connections – those bonds."

"I totally agree," Naruto warmed to her subject. "I think that is what holds us all together even at work – those bonds we built up as kids and then later at KU."

"It is good to see them still at work," Hinata said, a touch of wistful in her voice.

"You have them, too," Naruto pointed out. "You're just as much one of us as any of us."

"I appreciate that," Hinata's lips curved into a smile. "It makes me feel like I didn't miss out on quite as much."

"Well, you're not missing out on it anymore," Naruto covered her hand with his own, his blue eyes sincere. "That's a promise."

She was spared making a reply, as Ayame had arrived with their food. Naruto kept the conversation light, and it flowed easily between them. While they ate, Genma sent him a text with the all clear, and a friendly 'you probably want to get her home soon.'

Naruto definitely didn't want to get her home soon, but he understood the wisdom behind the suggestion. He was pleased to see she looked less pale, and her breathing had steadied. He wasn't certain exactly what triggered her symptoms, but he remained vigilant.

If Ayame was surprised that Naruto called for the bill before having more helpings, she didn't let on. The evening crowd had filtered in, and he knew it would soon get too loud for polite conversation.

"Stick with me," he said kindly, winding his hand in hers, and keeping her close as they navigated the push of people out of the restaurant. The night air was warm and pleasant, with a gentle breeze keeping it from stagnation. He knew he was probably down to the wire on the amount of time he could keep Hinata out before someone contacting them, so he opted to skip sending a clone for their vehicle in favor for a short walk.

"You probably have to get back now, huh?" he asked, opening her door.

"Probably," she said with an apologetic smile. "I- oh, excuse me." She glanced at her phone and scanned the message while he closed her door and got in on his side.

"Hanabi is staying in Konoha House tonight," she said with a faint trace of surprise. "Neji approved it, so it must have been for security reasons," she mused. She then gave Naruto a sympathetic look. "I hope that isn't why you left the festival," she said with disappointment. "I know how much you were looking forward to it – I am so sorry-"

"It was fine, Hinata," he laughed, waving her apology aside. "Even if we had evacuated – which we didn't – I wouldn't have minded. I told you I wanted to spend time with you, didn't I?"

"Well…yes…" she flushed. "But-"

"No 'buts,'" he interrupted, turning in his seat to whisper conspiratorially. "Don't tell anyone," his eyes danced, "but there is a strong rumor going around that I'm pretty stubborn. There might even be something to the rumor. It is awfully hard to convince me to do something I don't want to do. Some might even say… it's impossible."

He winked, and sat up, starting the car. He gave her a roguish smile, and was soon driving via the route least affected by the alternate traffic patterns from the festival. They lapsed into a comfortable silence, and the miles gradually disappeared under the sleek glide of the borrowed vehicle. When they arrived at her home, Hinata's eyes were heavy with the need for sleep. Naruto opened her door, and looked her over carefully. "Can you walk?" he asked, only half joking.

She nodded, blinking her eyes rapidly as she swallowed a yawn.

"C'mon," he chuckled, stepping in closer to help her, and taking her bag. "You need to get to bed."

Naruto had already seen Kō waiting for them, so he was very conscious of how he handled Hinata. However, he figured she'd fall on her face if he didn't help her, so he kept a sure hand at her back.

"Thank you for a wonderful evening," Hinata said sincerely as she reached for her bag.

Naruto looked past her to Kō, who deftly took the bag and murmured that he would return in a moment. He considered her a moment before asking. "Can I see you tomorrow?"

She remained collected, but he saw the minute widening of the eyes, and the quickening of the pulse in her neck.

"Of course," she said in her gentle way. "I work, but will be available in the evening."

"Then let's plan on me picking you up around 6:00," he proposed. "I'll check in with you tomorrow to make sure it is still alright"

"I'm sure it will be fine," she assured him. "Until tomorrow?"

Naruto was impulsive. He wasn't one to weigh many courses of action against each other and carefully evaluate them. He did really like Hinata, though, so he didn't want to do anything too dumb.

"Aaaaany time, Romeo," Kurama drummed his fingers impatiently.

"Nah – don't want to scare her off or anything – besides, we've got time, and–"

"Oh, for fuck's sake."

Naruto felt himself jerked out of control, completely caught off guard. He felt Hinata's cheek at the end of his fingertips as he brushed a tendril of hair behind her ear, and curved around her jaw to tip up her chin.

"Kurama," Naruto panicked, "what the hell are you-?!"

All thought short-circuited as he felt the gentle pressure of her lips under his, bringing his entire world to stillness.

Something kickstarted his brain again, like the wind up of a neighborhood lurching back to life when the power is restored after a blackout. Small, delicate fingers rested with the lightness of dandelion fluff on his chest, and he cupped the back of her arm with his free hand like cradling a hummingbird that could dart away at any second.

He didn't know how long it took for time to restore itself, but when it did, Naruto smiled against Hinata's lips, and brushed them with one last chaste kiss. He watched the the gentle flutter of her lashes as she opened her eyes, pale half moons, heavy lidded and wise.

Words abandoned Naruto, so Kurama shoved some onto the back of his tongue. "Until tomorrow," he said softly. Hinata's cheeks went pink, but she smiled with a sort of dazed happiness.

Naruto looked over her head and spotted Kō. "Get some rest," he told her gently, stepping back and putting his hands in his pockets as his wry grin returned. "Or they won't let me take you out anymore."

Hinata gave a slight shake of her head, as if snapping herself back to reality. "Yes, thank you," she said quickly. "I shall."

With that, Naruto gave a cheerful wave, and drove away. Ko led Hinata back into the house, and urged her to sit for a quiet cup of tea while he checked on something. She sank gratefully into a comfortable chair, lost in her own thoughts.

Kō took a glance over his shoulder before moving quickly down the hall, looking around for any would-be eavesdroppers. A hand wrapped around the top of his arm and yanked him into a laundry room, shutting the door behind him.

"Well?!" he asked in a hurried whisper. "Any development?"

Natsu was beaming and held up her phone, pressing play.

They watched the short video of Naruto and Hinata kissing, and shared a conspiratorial grin.

"Finally," Kō breathed in relief.

"One down," Natsu said brightly. "And one to go!"

"Two," Ko corrected. "Even if we aren't assigned to him, Lord Neji still counts."

"Alright, two then," Natsu agreed, stuffing her phone back in her pocket. "And then one, very long, well-earned vacation. Deal?" she stuck out her hand.

"Deal."

Tuesday, June 30th 8:35 AM KST
Konoha, Hyūga Hospital: Neji's office

Neji glanced at his phone before scrawling the date and time in his file.

8:35 AM, July 1st.

After making a few more notations, he closed the file and exchanged it for another. Business reports were never particularly entertaining, but Neji had learned how to read and digest them quickly. His phone blipped with a notification, and he checked it immediately.

"Are you sure you don't want to come over for curry tonight? We have plenty left!"

Neji shuddered before replying. "Late meetings today. Will stop in to say hello on way home. Sorry I can't stay."

Almost immediately, the reply came back. "See you then!"

Neji flicked through his notifications. No other messages.

That was good, he supposed.

Lee and Gai had returned late on Sunday, and Neji met them the next night for a non-curry. He was surprised to find that it would only be the three of them. Lee showed Neji the note he'd found in his apartment, in Tenten's unmistakable handwriting.

'Called out on a mission. Sorry I'll miss the curry – I promised Naruto my share. Genma will let you know when I am on my way back.'

Neji waited until the conversation was in full swing to surreptitiously send his other teammate a text.

'Assignment or dodging curry?'

He hadn't had a reply.

Of course, they often couldn't be reached via their mobile phones when they were on assignment. He had often left his normal phone at home and used one of ANBU's while on a mission.

Still, he was surprised he hadn't heard anything.

The phone on his desk let out a muted pulse of three tones – the least annoying of the ringer settings. He recognized the extension. It was Genma.

"Yes," he answered, still skimming the report.

"I'm having a security meeting with your uncle in about fifteen minutes. I think you should also attend."

Neji flicked his eyes to the clock. "Short notice," he remarked.

"Just got some new information that you are going to need to see."

The man's tone was casual, but Genma never joked about these kinds of things.

"I'm on my way."

He left word with his secretary that he would be meeting his Uncle, and walked briskly across the street to the ASF building. When he arrived, Hiashi was already seated in one of the large chairs of the small, soundproof conference room, and skimming through a file. His expression gave away nothing, even as he nodded his acknowledgement to his nephew.

Neji sat opposite his Uncle where his own file was awaiting consideration. He flipped it open and scanned the contents quickly, looking for any clue as to why Genma felt he should be included in this meeting.

"On Sunday, my team spotted someone conducting surveillance on Hanabi, Hinata, and Neji," Genma began without preamble. "This person was found and interrogated by an ANBU task force." He handed them each a large manila envelope. "You might recognize him from his pictures."

Neji removed the large photographs from the file, immediately recognizing the man he and Tenten had confronted at Hanabi's party. The mugshot was from that time, Neji noted the date, shuffling the picture behind the others in the stack. There were several of him skulking around the Summer Festival on Sunday, features largely obscured by a hat.

The last series of pictures, however, were not as immediately recognizable, and were clearly taken postmortem.

"What is this?" Hiashi asked, comparing the photographs. "Is this the same person?"

"His name was Sumashi, and he was apprehended at Hanabi's Seijin shiki. After interrogation, he was released and tracked. We know he got to Suna. We have confirmation that he encountered Kabuto, who gave him this assignment."

"Kabuto?" Hiashi's brow creased heavily. "Orochimaru's disciple?"

"The same," Genma nodded. "Even if we hadn't had direct confirmation from the suspect, we would have confirmed it during the autopsy. This is a clear example of his handiwork."

Hiashi's face was grim. "What happened to him?"

"As far as Lady Tsunade can determine," Genma laid out a series of photographs on the table, "he was experimented upon by Kabuto. She is still conducting a genetic analysis, but some of his modifications include nictitating membranes in the eyes, altered skin receptors, a heightened sense of smell, and possibly infrared vision. You can see the beginnings of scales on the arms and legs."

"His neck has been broken," Hiashi said coolly.

"There was apparently another modification," Genma shuffled another picture. "A failsafe, set to kill the spy in the event that he was discovered. The mode of death was highly unpleasant, and the apprehending agent ended his suffering."

What of the other injuries?" Hiashi asked. "The series of thin, shallow cuts marking the body on the cheeks, arms, and legs?"

"Combination of running through the underbrush and dodging senbon," Genma shrugged.

"Not like Ibiki's men to be so sloppy." Hiashi said, studying the pictures.

"That is part of why we suspect infrared vision. If you look here…"

Neji wasn't paying attention to the rest of the conversation. He, like his Uncle, recognized Ibiki's handiwork, but where his Uncle saw sloppiness in the other injuries, Neji saw acute precision.

The myriad of thin, shallow cuts striping the man's body, lining his cheeks, the top of his arms, the sides of his legs, and the back of his calves were all precisely and intentionally made, and probably made while in pursuit of the suspect.

The only plausible explanation that came to mind should have been impossible.

"We are going to have to modify our security plan," Genma's voice cut through his musings. "That is why I needed to speak with both of you."

Suspicion sat raw and bitter on his tongue, but he swallowed it whole and unvoiced. Resolving to revisit those concerns another time, he directed his entire focus to Genma and the protection of his family.

Thank you for reading, friends! Anything pertaining to Hanabi and Konohamaru will be addressed in Bonfire Nights. That is one way I can keep the stories moving. Feedback is always appreciated, and I thank those of you who have so consistently reviewed. I am unable to respond to guest reviewers, so please consider this as including you in my thanks.

Have a good weekend!

- Giada

Chapter Text

I had resolved to release shorter chapters, but 1) it has been a while since I had the opportunity to post and 2) I didn't have a good place to split all of this. This chapter spans Wednesday, July 1st to Tuesday, July are many different questions raised in this chapter, so we borrow Mssr. Legrand's title 'Ask Yourself Why.'

You Must Believe in Spring
~Summer~
Chapter Twelve: Ask Yourself Why

Wednesday, July 1st 10:00PM Suna Time
Suna: Small town a day from the capitol.

Confirmation that Kabuto was still conducting inhumane experiments as well as attempting to infiltrate Konoha was not taken lightly by ANBU. As soon as intelligence uncovered that he had been in the Land of Wind, Tsunade deployed a team to Suna to work with the ANBU unit led by Temari.

The squadron was comprised of elite Jōnin who traveled light, moved fast, and could withstand the less than hospitable conditions of the deserts around Suna. Tsunade had offered to send trackers, but Temari had declined.

"I have people," she said with a shake of her head. "Tracking in the desert is a specialty, and we need to cover more territory than can be reasonably done with ninken."

The northern outskirts of the Land of Wind were sparsely populated and known for being an especially unpredictable and harsh environment. Gaara had been saddened when his friend and former taijutsu instructor left Suna to accept a position there, but understood his wanting to be nearer to his parents.

Shira and Yome had greeted the small group warmly, and had gladly joined their ranks. Two falconers from their village rounded out the party, and combed the vast, desolate territory. Temari's team covered a significant area in not much time, with minimal rest and only the basic comforts.

Eventually, she had split the team, deciding to send the Konoha contingent, a tracker, and a guide back to Suna. They'd check two villages on their way back, and then report to Gaara. Meanwhile, her party went on to several of the smaller, more remote places on the way back to Suna that would require more time to investigate.

This proved to be a prudent decision, as Gaara had reported that the unit she sent had made it to Suna, even as her remaining task force was forced by the arrival of a severe sandstorm to take shelter the ANBU outpost in a small, but tactically advantageous village.

It was the last village for miles with above-ground access to potable underground water, and the last-stop for travelers in this region. Despite having water, there weren't enough local resources to support a significant population. Thus, the remote village never grew into anything larger than a small pack of hardy, solitary shinobi who usually made their living in trade.

From here, Temari's unit would split once more. Shira and Yome would return to their village, checking several more points of interest while en route, and the remainder would do the same as they traveled back to Suna.

Sandstorms were common in this area of her country, and all of her agents were equipped and experienced enough to deal with any that might arise between here and their final destination. Even as she looked out of the window of her shared room, the one storm confining them died down to nothing. In its place were ink-black skies spanning for miles in every direction, and moonlight and starlight bright enough to travel by.

"Nice night," he said, looking over her shoulder. She could see his lazy expression reflected in the old, sloping glass of the window.

"Shouldn't have another storm before morning," Temari said, reading the skies and land around them. "We should be able to make it back to Suna by mid-day, if we leave early enough."

"Mm," Shikamaru hummed. "I think we had better check one more village on the way back. Gaara isn't expecting us for two days."

"There isn't another village between here and Suna," Temari dismissed the idea. "At least not one worth our time to investigate."

"Then we'll check this one again," Shikamaru shrugged.

"I don't think we could have possibly missed anything," she said dryly. "There is hardly anyone here, and-"

A warm, strong hand rested on the curve of her hip as his breath fanned against her ear.

"And?" he prompted.

"A-and…we need to get back." She felt her pulse quicken.

"Why do you think I am on this assignment?" Shikamaru murmured.

"To help gather and analyze the intelligence," she replied automatically.

"Mostly to analyze, but I could've done that from Konoha," his lips grazed the shell of her ear and the side of her neck. "Any other guesses as to why I'd willingly be assigned to a ridiculously strenuous, fast-paced assignment touring the harshest environments the Land of Wind has to offer, under one of the most demanding and troublesome Jonin in all of ANBU?"

Temari's eyes fluttered closed, and she hoped the question had been rhetorical, as she had no words to offer at that exact moment. The flat of his palm rounded over her hip and up her abdomen to the loosely knotted belt at her waist. He tugged, and it fell away, allowing him to slip his hand beyond the folds of her robe to slide against the skin between her pajama top and bottoms. He traced lazy circles against her skin, his fingertips gradually dipping under her waistband to skim over thin fabric separating her from his touch.

A low moan floated on her exhale, and he smiled lazily against her throat.

"So no guesses?" he drawled, tracing patterns on her skin.

She shook her head slowly.

"Show me."

At that throaty instruction, Shikamaru reached for the window shade and pulled it down. Then like a good shinobi, he followed his orders with a professional thoroughness, and did not stop working until the sun chased away the stars.

Thursday, July 2nd 9:00AM KST
Sora-ku

"How much farther is this place?" Kiba asked.

"Not far."

Kiba stopped short, and looked around quizzically. He sniffed the air, and exchanged a glance with Akamaru, who began to whine.

"Uchiha… why do I smell cats?"

Sasuke glanced over his shoulder but did not stop.

"Because we are almost in Sora-ku."

Kiba stared at him blankly. "So … why do I smell cats?"

Sasuke stopped and turned. "Ninneko, actually," he corrected him. "We are meeting with Nekobaa."

"Ninneko," Kiba said flatly. "You brought a ninken trainer out to talk to ninneko. Have you ever heard the phrase 'fight like cats and dogs?' There is a reason it means what it means."

Sasuke arched an eyebrow.

"Nekobaa safeguards my clan's underground arsenal. Given our recent cooperation under Genma, I had intended to bring Tenten with us. Unfortunately, she was called away on an assignment."

"I get wanting her to come," Kiba arched an eyebrow, "but why am I here? You want me to pick out something she likes?" he asked jokingly.

"I brought you with me because you are a tracking specialist," Sasuke returned.

Kiba waited for more of an explanation. When one wasn't forthcoming, he prompted: "And that is relevant because…?"

"I need you to look over some of the tracking supplies here. I think they may come in useful in our overlapping assignments, as well as possibly help us track Doku."

"Doku? That's Anko's summons right?" Kiba asked, puzzled. "What do cats know about finding snakes?"

"That is what we are going to find out," Sasuke shrugged, and resumed walking.

Kiba and Akamaru exchanged one more doubtful look before following. Ten minutes later, Akamaru began to growl low in his throat.

"Easy," Kiba scratched the back of the big dog's neck as his eyes wandered over the area. "We're on their turf."

Ten paces ahead of them Sasuke was speaking to a cat perched on an outcropping of rock. The cat dashed away, and Sasuke continued on, leaving them to follow.

Kiba didn't like descending into an underground path that reeked of cat, but he had to admit, his curiosity was piqued. When they entered a large, high ceilinged room full of weaponry, Kiba looked around, hands on hips and gave a low whistle.

"Wow," he eyed the room. "I didn't think you really meant an arsenal, arsenal. Good thing you are going after Hyūga's girl and not mine, or I might be at a serious disadvantage."

Sasuke looked at him sharply, but the other man just grinned and tapped his nose.

"Ah, Sasuke," an old woman entered from another passage. "I thought Hina was kidding when she said you brought an Inuzuka, but I see she wasn't. I trust you have a good reason?" she eyed Kiba suspiciously.

"I need your help," Sasuke said simply, "as well as to take supplies," he motioned to the stock pile around them.

"Those belong to your clan," Nekobaa waved a hand dismissively. "You don't need my say-so to take what you like." She turned and sized up Kiba. "If you came with a tracker, you must be going hunting," she reasoned. "So," she turned back to the last Uchiha, and crossed her arms "what are you trying to catch?"

"A snake," Sasuke's eyes glinted.

Nekobaa drummed her fingers on her arm as she pursed her lips in thought. "Tricky," she finally said. "Snakes aren't easy to catch on the best of days, and if even you need help, it must be one elusive prey. Come with me," she motioned him forward.

"Grandmother," a woman called down the passage way as she approached. "Hina said that you were down here, is everything…?" She emerged into the main arsenal, and stopped short, eyes growing wide. "Uchiha-san," she said in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"Ah, Tamaki. Good," she waved her granddaughter forward. "Sasuke and I have to discuss some matters. See if you can help his comrade here. He's trying to catch a snake."

With that, the old woman shuffled Sasuke out of the room, leaving her granddaughter and Kiba to stare after them in confusion.

Tamaki looked over to Kiba, eyes widening when she noticed Akamaru. She cleared her throat and composed her features.

"So. You're hunting a snake?"

"Seems that way," Kiba was still watching where Sasuke had gone down the hall. He turned to the old woman's granddaughter and shrugged easily. "Then again, I didn't hear anything about it until about three minutes ago, so I don't know exactly what Uchiha has in mind."

"That sounds like Uchiha-san," Tamaki chuckled. "Then let's start over here, I guess," she motioned to a corner of the arsenal, "and see what we come up with…?" she raised her eyebrows in question.

"Kiba," he supplied. "And Akamaru," he nodded to the large dog at his side.

"Tamaki," she returned.

"Tamaki," Kiba rubbed his chin. "I feel like I've heard that name before…" he shook his head. "Oh well. It'll come to me. So where do we start?"

"I thought here might be a good place," she said, opening a door to a well organized side room filled to capacity with nets, traps, lures, bait, and other tracking supplies.

"Oh yeah," Kiba's slow grin was wolfish. "Here's good."

26.4 Sai ino flower shop

Thursday, July 2nd 9:03AM KST
Konoha: Yamanaka Hana

Sai had arrived early at the flower shop, and let himself into the workroom. He wanted to review his notes before speaking with Ino this morning, and he also wanted to set up for what he knew would be a busy day. Since he had time, he went ahead and made sure the morning deliveries were in order and ready to be picked up by one of Ino's cousins. He had almost finished going through the checklist when Inoichi came in from the greenhouse.

"Good morning, Sai," he said, raising his eyebrows in surprise. "You're here early today."

"We have quite a few orders today," he held up his list. "I wanted to make sure we were prepared."

"Good man," Inoichi gave a smile and a nod of approval. "I'll take the memorial deliveries this morning," he nodded to the case. "They have the Hi no Ishi tags."

Sai began to help him pull all of the deliveries bearing the iconic swirled flame symbolizing the Will of Fire. He noted the potting soil that dusted the edges of the other man's sleeves.

"Are there live arrangements as well?" he asked. "From the gardens?"

"Some," Inoichi nodded, following his gaze. "We cultivate certain flowers year round specifically to honor the fallen."

"Is that why I saw daffodils earlier?" Sai asked, curious.

"Yes," Inoichi nodded, transferring the trays and arrangements to a cart.

"There are quite a few regular orders," Sai noted, going down his list.

"Some of those orders are paid for by ANBU," Inoichi explained. "Others the city hires us to do – like providing seasonal arrangements for the memorials in the cemetery. Most are by the families, though," he said, brushing his fingers across a tag. "Some are paid for years in advance."

"Oh?" Sai asked, surprised. "And why would that be?"

Inoichi studied the pale man for a moment, considering his words carefully. "For many people, honoring the dead is a way to keep their memory alive. It serves as a connection to the person that is gone. For others, it is exactly what they would have done in life. Take Master Sarutobi, for instance. When his wife was alive, she brought in fresh flowers from their gardens at the start of every week. Now, he has flowers placed at her grave every Sunday."

"What a strange custom," Sai mused.

Inoichi gave a small smile. "People are funny creatures," he said with a shrug. They loaded the delivery van with minimal conversation, and then double checked the load against the list on Sai's clipboard.

He paused at a name on the list.

"Who was Hyūga Hizashi?" he asked.

Inoichi looked over his shoulder. "He was the previous head of the Branch Family, and the twin brother of Hiashi."

"So that would make him Neji's father?"

"And Hinata and Hanabi's uncle, yes."

Sai frowned. "I thought Ino told me that the Hyūga family regularly cultivates and harvests flowers from their garden for their family graves."

"They do that as well," Inoichi allowed, straightening one of the arrangements.

"I am guessing this order was not placed by a family member, as neither Hinata nor Ko are listed as the point of contact for the order."

"A fair assumption," Inoichi said mildly. "He was a good man, and well liked in both his civilian and ANBU life. It wouldn't be a stretch of the imagination to presume someone outside of the family would honor his memory."

Sai considered this, and was still turning the information over in his mind when Ino came in.

"You look deep in thought," she said, reaching for her apron. "What's up?"

Sai looked up from the arrangement he was making.

"I helped your father load the memorial arrangements," he admitted. "It made me think."

"Oh?" she tied her apron strings around front, careful not to double knot them. "What about?"

"I am… different," he said thoughtfully.

Ino would've laughed at the obvious statement, had there clearly not been more to it than that.

When he didn't continue, she took up some of the blooms he had laid out for the arrangement, and began to work beside him.

"Different how?" she asked.

Sai kept his eyes on his work as he spoke.

"Most agents come from a civilian life and have to cultivate an ANBU one," he reasoned. "But I never had a civilian life. I have no memory of my life before ROOT, so for all intents and purposes, I was born an agent. A weapon."

He paused and eyed the lines of their creation, giving the vase a quarter turn before resuming his work.

"That is different," Ino handed him some ferns, "but that isn't who you are now."

"Isn't it?" he asked. "The names on the memorial list," he gestured to the clipboard from earlier. "They are people who have family left behind whose lives are different now that they are gone. I don't have a family. There is no one to leave behind."

"There is no one left from your time in ROOT?" she asked gently, although she was fairly certain she knew the answer.

"No," he shook his head. "And furthermore, we weren't close. We all served as an extension of Danzo's will."

"But surely you mourned the loss of your comrades?"

Sai's expression was at once frank and sad. "Who would mourn the loss of a tool?"

Ino started at the brutal honesty in his question. She put down her scissors and the rose she was trimming and took a deep breath. "Not many people, I guess." she conceded. "But ANBU is different than ROOT. We take care of our own. Your team, your comrades – those are your friends. Your family." She nudged his arm with her shoulder. "You don't really think we wouldn't notice if you weren't around, do you?"

She looked at him expectantly, but his expression was unsure.

"We'd notice," she said, gently. Her smile curled impishly. "We might even send flowers; I know a good florist."

Sai blinked twice before realizing she was teasing him. Ino turned back to the arrangement, reaching for her scissors.

Ino froze, looking down at the strong, pale hand covering her own. She trailed her eyes up Sai's arm to meet his, her breath catching in her throat when she saw the curious mix of emotions suspended there.

"Thank you, Ino," Sai said quietly.

Ino's smile was warm and kind.

"You're welcome, Sai."

Friday, July 3rd 7:06AM KST
Konoha: Training Grounds

Neji had gone to the training grounds in search of his teammate almost every morning since hearing she went on assignment.

He had no reply to any of his messages, no answers from Genma, no word from Kiba (via Hinata, of course), or even a secondhand communication from Lee.

He stopped by Yamanaka Hana to buy flowers and perhaps get some information, but Ino wasn't in. It was almost an accident that he ran into Chōji at the market, and learned that Shikamaru was in Suna.

"I think his party got delayed by sandstorms," Chōji said, shifting the large bag of produce in his arms, "but he should be back soon."

"When did he leave?" Neji asked casually.

"Mm," Chōji considered. "Monday, maybe? It came up rather suddenly, but it isn't unusual for him to have to go to Suna on short notice."

Neji gave a polite smile. "Of course. Thank you, Chōji. Give my regards to your family."

"And mine to yours," Chōji gave a friendly smile before heading back into the market, leaving Neji to his thoughts.

His sharp mind was already racing. Chōji had said Shikamaru's traveling party got delayed; that meant it was likely he hadn't been called out for a solo mission. He hadn't heard anything about a party being sent to Suna, but the timing fit with Tenten's departure. Unfortunately, when he checked around at ANBU, there was no roster available for the mission.

That was never a good sign.

His growing suspicions weighed on him, but he did not discuss them with anyone. Sakura, who was fast learning to read his subtle shifts in temperament, asked him if he was feeling well earlier that week. He had assured her over dinner that he was fine, just tired. Their evening ended early, and they parted ways knowing they would not get to spend much time together in the immediate future.

Not only was Neji quite busy, but both Sakura and Shino had both been called in to help analyze the body of the man Kabuto had experimented upon.

They were holding off on a full dissection-level autopsy – it wasn't as if they didn't know how he had died – and were working from carefully collected cell cultures. The man was long dead, but Tsunade had found a way to put the body in a suspended animation to prevent it from beginning to decay. This allowed them to do more research into Kabuto's work and perhaps get a better understanding of their enemy and his objectives.

Because the man was considered as part of the threat to his clan, Neji was kept abreast of these proceedings, and knew Sakura's hours were all spoken for. He left flowers on her desk, and a note offering to bring her dinner if she was unable to leave the hospital in the coming evenings.

It was 5 days before he had any luck in his search for his teammate.

He found her at the remote training ground, surrounded in the early morning mist. There were enough weapons in targets to let him know she'd been here for a while.

He approached without bothering to mask his presence, but she focused solely on her training, unsealing a bow and arrows with no acknowledgment of his arrival.

She tested the weight of the bow in her hands, and the tautness of the string. It was a more old-fashioned weapon – not the compound bow he knew to be in her arsenal. She slung a quiver across her back, and reached over her shoulder to draw out an arrow. He watched in silence as she emptied her quiver, and then went to retrieve her arrows.

On her way back, she met his gaze with raised eyebrows.

"Need something?" she prompted.

"When did you return to Konoha?" he asked.

"Late last night," she replied, filling her quiver again.

When she offered no further information, Neji continued his line of questioning.

"Were you with the party assigned to Suna?"

Tenten quirked an eyebrow. "That is a strange thing to ask."

"Just one of many odd questions I have found myself asking since we last spoke. I had a meeting with Genma this week," he offered. "He filled us in on the man that had been spying on us. I saw the photos of the assailant's body," he continued. "Looked like our friend from Hanabi's party had some poorly thought-out elective surgery. Too late to ask him about it, unfortunately."

"So I hear," she said absently as she slung the quiver over her body and walked five paces to her mark for shooting.

"Not too late to investigate, though," Neji continued. "It is the job of the head of the branch family to monitor the security of the family as a whole, and I'd be remiss if I didn't look into this issue. The report states that there was a gruesome failsafe in place that once triggered, killed its victim in a slow, torturous manner. I can see why Ibiki chose to snap his neck. It's the other markings on the body that make me curious."

He waited a few beats.

She paused with arrow nocked, as if reading the wind, or perhaps waiting to see if he was going to continue.

When he remained silent, she pulled the string back and released the arrow to sail through the morning air and into the heart of the waiting target.

A smirk of triumph fell across her lips.

She did not see his nearly identical expression

She finally looked over at him, finding his features schooled into a mask of impassivity.

"Then I wish you luck on your investigation," she said calmly. "Hope it runs smoothly anduninterrupted." She added pointedly, nocking back another arrow and firing it into the center of the next target.

"Oh, I know how he got that intricate series of shallow cuts." Neji confessed. "And I know it was intentional, and who is responsible."

No response.

He hadn't expected one, really.

Several more arrows sang through the air, and he watched as she emptied her second quiver into the bulls-eyes, one by one. She set the bow down on the small table he was certain came from her insane supply scroll, and crossed the practice ground to the targets.

Something very similar to pride swirled in his chest even as the silence settled thickly between them.

She removed the arrows from the four standing targets before retrieving the ones she had fired into her normal targets. In due time, her archery supplies were resealed, and every target was once again empty. She returned to her table to do some basic maintenance on her weaponry.

He followed, standing directly behind her. In the chill of the early morning, he could feel her body heat as it warmed the thin air between them.

She began to clean her weapons, as she always did after practicing.

"You protected my family," he said softly. "For that, I am grateful."

She didn't look up from her work.

"I'm sure I don't know what you are talking about, Hyūga," she said nonchalantly, using a rag to clean her kunai.

"The last time I saw you was at the Summer Festival when you sent Uchiha to watch Hinata, and me to be with the girls and Sai. That left you to track the person that had been watching my cousins and me. No one can place you anywhere after that; you disappeared into the chaos."

"I stayed with my unit," she said absently. "We tracked down Sumashi. I left the next day on assignment. Nothing more to tell," she picked up another kunai to clean.

Neji shook his head.

"That's not what I think."

He looked over her with his Byakugan and saw the remnants of bruising around her ribs, and hip.

"You were injured," he said, surprised.

"Different incident," she shrugged. "Nothing major."

Neji put a hand on her shoulder, and she paused in her work, gaze fixed on the weapon in her hands.

"I know what I saw, Tenten," he said firmly. "I know the type of marks on the body and how they were placed. I can think of only one person without the Byakugan or Sharingan capable of that level of control and precision. And I am standing behind her."

She remained silent.

"I think the attacker was rounded up by ANBU and interrogated."

"Then talk to a Yamanaka," Tenten said softly.

"More like a Morino," Neji countered.

He looked at her, brow furrowed. "Since when do you work under Ibiki, Tenten," he asked, something heavy in his tone. Whether it was reproof or concern, even he couldn't say for certain.

"I work under Genma," she said plainly.

Neji turned her around, meeting her eyes.

"Since when do you lie to me, Tenten?" he asked, his eyes searching hers for any hint of an explanation.

"Since when do you question me, Neji?" she replied evenly.

A thin line appeared between his brows. "I know our job is secrets," he said in a low voice. "I just didn't know there were any between us. Not like this."

"We both have jobs to do," she said quietly. "You of all people should understand that."

The idea that her job could be so different than his, or what he thought hers to have been disturbed him. Ibiki was a special agent, and if Tenten was involved in his work… It just didn't sit well with him. They were all capable of killing. That didn't mean they were all interrogators. Or assassins.

Before he could voice any of his concerns, she looked past him with a smirk.

"'Bout time you showed up," she called out.

"Well you see, I got lost on the path of life, and…"

"Whatever, Kakashi," she waved aside his excuses. "What training ground are you taking Anko to today?"

"This one is fine," he looked around to the various targets already fixed in place. "Think we can make it more interesting?"

"Sure," Tenten's grin was slow. "Interesting is easy. Not deadly is the tricky part."

"Everything you left me last week was fine," he said easily. "She's ready for some more challenges."

"Come see what I have," she motioned him forward. "I have some ideas for you. Was there anything else?" she asked Neji.

Neji studied her carefully. Instinctively, he knew that the time for discussing any of his concerns had passed.

"No."

"Then if you'll excuse me," she motioned to her scrolls. "I have some work to do."

As he was walking away, he heard her ask:

"So, how do you feel about a series of exploding tags and smoke bombs?"

He couldn't help the small, bittersweet smile that stole across his face as he thought:

"At least some things haven't changed."

Friday, July 3rd 12:17PM KST
Konoha: ANBU Base: Sakura's office

"You didn't have to bring lunch," Sakura looked up from her work with mild surprise.

Sasuke gave a nonchalant shrug. "This is the only chance I'll have to eat until much later today, and it would be rude not to include you."

An email popped up on her laptop, and she scanned it quickly.

"Looks like it is just us," her eyes shuttled over the text. "Shino wants to do some cross referencing with the lab archives, and test a few samples. He sends his regrets."

"Let him know we will alert him if we find anything," Sasuke crossed to the small bathroom in her office to wash his hands. The staccato of her typing flooded the quiet of the office, and continued as he sorted through the large paper bag and separated their meals.

"Done," she said, standing to stretch, and clear several files from her desk before washing her hands.

They moved to the long folding table maintenance had set up in her office, each taking up what had become their customary seat. Sakura retrieved and divvyed up the files, while Sasuke fished out the plastic cutlery from the bottom of the bag.

It was all done with a quiet synchronicity requiring little to no conversation.

Sakura alternated between picking at her food and highlighting samples and information she felt warranted further investigation. Sasuke, however, preferred to eat his meal first and then clear away the mess, contenting himself to sip at something in a large, insulated cup while he worked. Occasionally, they'd exchange short sentences, or bring the other's attention to something they had just run across.

It was all very reminiscent of their joint study sessions at University, but neither brought up the comparison.

Time passed quickly, and soon they both had a list of samples from the Iwa laboratory that bore further consideration.

Sakura took his list and compared it to hers before stacking them neatly together.

"I'll give these to Shino," she said, slipping the stack into a manila envelope. "Maybe he has some ideas about how they relate to each other."

"You have also been comparing the Iwa inventory with the findings from Kabuto's victims, correct? Especially the latest one?"

"Yes," Sakura said grimly. "We've been cross referencing everything new with what we already have. I've looked over Ranka and Anko's files as well as the autopsies from the two missing nin that transported in with Anko. Add that to also considering what we are finding from Sumashi's body, and it is quite a lot of research to compile and cross-reference."

"You might find that he used the 'blank' cells from the Iwa lab," Sasuke tapped a finger on a page in front of him, "but other than that, I guarantee Sumashi isn't related to the other samples. Kabuto was obsessed with Orochimaru. That….That isn't the first experiment I've seen end up looking like that."

Sakura felt her throat go dry. "I see," she said evenly.

"What about the two in the morgue that arrived with Anko?" he asked.

"One body has already been cremated," she flipped through her files. "The other apparently has some family that we have been trying to contact. We are done with our investigation into those particular files."

"I wonder about that," Sasuke folded his hands.

Sakura's pink eyebrows quirked upward in question. "You think we missed something?"

It may have been five years, but it would never be long enough for him to forget that particular edge she got in her tone when she felt she or her work was being called into question.

"No," he shook his head, managing not to smile. "I think that Kabuto is a disciple of Orochimaru in the truest sense of the word. Orochimaru never did anything without multiple motivations and layers. The more I think about it, the more I believe Anko was allowed to escape."

"Allowed?" Sakura asked, creasing her brow. "She and Ranka fought their way out. It was hardly leaving a back door open."

"Anko would never have walked out of an unlocked back door," Sasuke shook his head. "She more than anyone else knows to be suspicious of anything tied to her old Master. But we can verify that Kabuto was in that facility. He is meticulous about his laboratories and his work. Anko reported that she was underdosed with sedatives, and that was how she escaped. Tell me. Why did it take a month to start dosing her incorrectly?"

Sakura tilted her head, and considered his question.

"From what we gathered, it appears that the lab personnel on shift underdosed her. When keeping a person under sedation, you have to monitor it carefully. When doing it long term, you have to be especially careful to avoid harming the patient."

"Precisely," Saskue spread his hands. "Kabuto would never have been so sloppy. If those techs made that low level of a mistake, it is because they were allowed to. If they were allowed to make that kind of mistake, that means they were either new, or had not previously been involved in Anko's care for the month she had been held captive. Otherwise, they would have known how to properly dose her."

Sakura's eyes widened fractionally, as she took in this information.

"And that means that Kabuto considered them to be disposable," she continued with the analysis, "because he set them up to be killed."

Sasuke nodded gravely, and Sakura shuddered. "That is calculating on the psychopathic level."

"That's Kabuto," Sasuke said dryly.

Sakura looked him over, considering. "Then why target the Hyūgas? I can understand going after you, if he is obsessed with you like his master was, but what does that have to do with Neji and Hinata and Hanabi?"

"That, I don't know," he shrugged. "Orochimaru was never as interested in the Byakugan, but perhaps Kabuto is."

Sakura pursed her lips and drummed her fingers on the table. "What if it isn't Kabuto?" she wondered.

"That is Kabuto's work," Sasuke shook his head. "No question."

"No, that's not what I mean."

He watched her get that far-away look that meant her mind was sifting, considering, and discarding a myriad of possibilities at once. "Orochimaru's facilities were destroyed, correct?"

"Completely," Sasuke affirmed.

"That means he had to find a place to do his experiments… but more importantly, he had to find equipment. This level of genetic engineering," she held up Sumashi's file, "isn't something you do without highly advanced technology, and that isn't easy to come by. There is a black market, but it isn't cheap." She began to pull and lay files out in a line. "Look at this," she waved a hand over them. "If I had to put together a budget for even just two of these, I'd be looking at hundreds of millions of ryo." She put palms flat on the table and looked up at Sasuke.

"Where is he getting it?" she asked.

"The money?"

"Any of it!" she leaned forward in excitement. "The money? The equipment? The supplies? If everything Orochimaru had was destroyed, how is he conducting these experiments?" Her eyes gleamed. "Sasuke…He has a backer."

Sasuke's eyes widened fractionally, and she rushed on.

"Think about it," she continued, warming to her topic. "Someone wants to target dōjutsu users – someone with questionable intentions. Who better to approach than someone who worked with one of the only people to have studied the Sharingan? Kabuto is working for someone, and he is doing it because it allows him to continue his own research," she jabbed a finger at Sumashi's file. "I'm sure of it."

"Be that as it may," Sasuke furrowed his brow, "how does it help us?"

"It means someone is financing him; buying his equipment. That much money always leaves a trail. The labs were destroyed, what, roughly ten years ago? Sometime after that someone started buying Kabuto some toys."

"Maybe they already owned them," Sasuke suggested.

"They'd still need supplies," she persisted. "These kinds of experiments require tons of miscellaneous equipment; pipette tips, low lint tech wipes, centrifuge tubes, powdered agarose for electrophoresis gels… things that would have to be bought regularly and in high quantities."

"Uchiha Industries sells millions of those things every day," Sasuke pointed out. "Simply finding someone who buys in bulk isn't very telling – and we aren't the only manufacturer."

"Ah, but there are only two companies that make some of the really sophisticated equipment Kabuto would need to do this level of experimentation," Sakura's smile was predatory, inviting him to make the next leap of logic.

"Uchiha Industries and Hyūga Enterprises," he supplied.

"Exactly," she beamed. "So we begin cross referencing any sales or inquiries after that level of equipment with bulk sales of supplies; see if we have a match somewhere."

"It might not be as simple as that," Sasuke countered. "If Kabuto has a backer, they could be buying from multiple vendors under multiple aliases."

"I'm right about this, Sasuke," Sakura insisted. "Find the equipment. If we find the equipment, we find who Kabuto is working for."

Sasuke held her gaze steadily, but she did not waver. He gave in with a 'Hn,' and a knowing smirk.

"I'll need a list," he said as her smile blossomed triumphantly. "Include any and all equipment, but especially the specialized instrumentation. We'll compare it to UI and HE sales and orders databases. It's a longshot," he cautioned, "but that doesn't mean it is impossible."

Sakura's eyes snapped with excitement. "I'll start right away," she said with determination. "I can have it for you before I leave today."

"I know a thing or two about these products," he said dryly, picking up a notepad and a file. "It'll go faster with the two of us."

They worked for another two hours until Sakura felt satisfied with their progress.

"This will get us started," she compared the printed lists in her hands before handing one to Sasuke. "I'll review the files again tomorrow and let you know what else I come up with. I'll email my final analysis."

"I trust you can get Hyūga his copy?" Sasuke asked, slipping the document into his messenger bag.

"I'll give it to him tonight when I go over for dinner," she tucked her copy away. "I can't wait to tell him about our theory!"

"Your theory," Sasuke corrected.

"You helped," she smiled.

"But it was your brilliant idea."

"It was rather brilliant," she grinned, happily ignoring his probably-sarcastic delivery. "Then again, most of my ideas are." She checked her phone and flicked through her messages. "Uh-oh."

"That sounds familiar," Sasuke put away the rest of his things. "I trust my teammate has been trying to get a hold of you?"

"Yeah," she said, reading through messages. "For a while now…how did you know?"

"Hinata won't be back in town for another hour, and you both have a dinner engagement tonight, do you not?"

Sakura looked up, sharply, but saw no goading in his face. "That's right."

"Hm," he hummed, pulling his bag over his shoulder.

She watched him suspiciously as he made ready to leave. "I shall let you know what I find out," he patted his bag and crossed to the door. He paused with his hand on the doorknob.

"Enjoy your dinner," he said politely. "And happy birthday to Neji."

Sakura blinked twice before answering. "Thank you…I'll pass that along."

Sasuke was gone with less than a nod. She didn't even realize she'd been staring blankly at the door until her phone buzzed in her hands. Snapping to attention, she smiled fondly at the name that popped up on her screen.

"Hello?"

"Sakura – thank goodness! I've been trying to get a hold of you for hours, and-"

"And where do you want me to meet you?" she asked hiding her grin.

"Ichiraiku?"

"No."

"…but…"

"Are you at home?"

"Yeah," he sighed, "I can't figure out –"

"I'll be there in fifteen minutes," she said crisply. "Make sure there is an underwear-free path from the door to your closet."

"Sakura," Naruto whined, "I don't leave my-!"

"Fifteen minutes," she warned sternly.

"Fine," he sighed. "Fifteen minutes."

Sakura hung up the phone and smiled fondly.

"What would I do without you, Naruto?"

Tuesday, July 7th, 7:15AM KST
Konoha: ANBU Base: Men's Locker Room

He hadn't meant to overhear, really.

But when one of the people speaking is Rock Lee, it is nearly impossiblenotto overhear.

His family's celebration of his birthday segued from dinner into refreshments in the garden, under the summer stars. He was returning with drinks for him and Sakura when Lee's voice drifted from one of the side paths.

"But Tenten, you can't leave," Lee insisted. "The evening isn't over."

"Sorry, Lee," she apologized, "but for me it is."

"I know Elder Hy ū ga was not in the best spirits, but he doesn't mean it, not really."

"Don't kid yourself," she scoffed. "He means every word of it. But this isn't about him, or the fact that we pretty much loathe each other."

"Then what is this about?" Lee asked gently, putting his hands on her shoulders.

Neji didn't catch her response, but Lee's eyes widened as he listened and his features softened with understanding.

"Just the weekend?" he asked, and she murmured a reply. "Then I'll see you Tuesday morning."

He'd used his Byakugan, and saw Lee hugging her tightly. He didn't know what was wrong, but several moments later, Tenten came to make her goodbyes.

"Leaving so soon?" Hanabi asked, disappointed.

"Sorry," she smiled fondly at the younger girl. "I've got an early morning."

"I'm sorry you can't stay," Hinata crossed and took her hands. "It was so good of you to join us."

"Thanks for having me," Tenten squeezed Hinata's hands before stepping back.

Neji noted the strain at the corners of her eyes as she made her polite but succinct goodbyes to his father and Grandfather. When his Grandfather might have begun making irascible comments, Sakura distracted him by asking his opinion on a trivial and totally unrelated matter. Those happened to be his specialty; not that it mattered. Elder Hy ū ga had an opinion on everything.

Tenten gave Sakura a grateful wink, and excused herself.

"I'll walk you," Lee came to her side.

"Thanks, Lee," she patted his shoulder, "but I know my way out."

She turned to him, then. It was the first time he'd had a chance to speak with her since the previous morning.

"Happy Birthday, Neji," she handed him a scroll tied closed with intricately knotted mizuhiki. "I'll be out of town for the next couple of days. I wanted to make sure you had your present before I left," she nodded to the scroll in his hands.

Neji arched an eyebrow. "Going away for the weekend?"

"Yeah," she gave a small smile. "I'll be out of touch until Tuesday."

Neji lowered his voice.

"And who is sending you out of town?" he inquired.

"I am."

"Then…" he scanned her face, "I shall see you when you return."

Tenten hesitated for a second before offering:

"The gang will be going out for drinks Tuesday night. If you and Sakura are free, you should join us."

"What's the occasion?" he asked.

"Kiba's birthday," Tenten said nonchalantly. Her watch buzzed against her wrist, and she looked at it before snapping to attention. "Gotta go. See you next week."

And with that, she was gone.

Anticipating a call from Lee requesting a team lunch or training session of some sort, Neji headed into the ANBU training facility early on Tuesday morning. Considering the last time he found Tenten at the training grounds had been less than pleasant, he decided to forego dropping by there.

He pushed into the men's locker room later than any self-respecting member of Team Gai would normally arrive, meaning it was more than five minutes after dawn. He had just put his coat and bag in his locker when he heard voices bouncing off of the tiles from the other side of the locker room.

"…yeah, well, I wouldn't have these marks all over me if you'd left my girlfriend in Konoha instead of dragging her off to Suna," Kiba said dryly. "What the hell, man?"

"Don't blame me. The mission wasn't my idea, and I had no influence on the roster," Shikamaru said lazily. "But what are you complaining about?" he continued. "Didn't you just get back in town from a weekend away together?"

Neji stood stone still.

Shehadbeen in Suna.

That alone was enough to catch his ear.

But that she had gone out of town, not for a mission, and with Kiba - and only Kiba?

That news snagged his undivided attention.

"Yeah," Kiba snorted, "and do you know how long we had to wait to get a weekend together, much less away? I was one more cancelled date away from convincing her to go rogue so we could stage a search and rescue mission."

Chōji's good-natured laugh joined Shikamaru's lazy "heh."

"That wouldn't work," Sai piped up. "If you found her, she'd have to be processed as a missing nin, and as her accomplice, you would both face serious charges and… oh," he faltered. "That was a joke?"

"Only partially," Kiba half laughed. "I was starting to get pretty desperate."

"And is that why you are marked with scratches?" Sai asked.

"Well, if she hadn't been gone so long," Kiba's voice was muffled in a locker. "I wouldn't have had to deal with a frustrated, frisky cat who was a little too good with her claws. "

"That's what she said!" Sai said proudly.

In retrospect was the other men's laughter more than the innuendo that snapped the thin thread of his control.

Infuriated, Neji stormed over to the other side. Kiba was in front of his locker, dressed from the waist down, and toweling off his hair. Multiple sets of four parallel lines were raked down his back in a pattern of scratches that weren't made by any cat.

And he had been joking about it.

Bragging about it.

Neji didn't even remember reaching for Kiba's shoulder, much less jerking him around, fist cocked to punch him squarely in the jaw.

Several things happened at once.

Chōji wrapped an enlarged arm around Neji's waist, and a iron-strong wrist around his raised arm.

Sai materialized at his other side with startling speed, stepping defensively between him and his target.

Jerked backward by Sai's interception, Kiba stumbled and the towel fell around his shoulders…revealing a very startled Shikamaru.

Everything was dead silent in the men's locker room.

"Looking for me, Hyūga?"

Neji snapped his head around to see Kiba standing by his locker. His hands were on his hips, just above his worn jeans. He was also shirtless, and Neji could immediately decipher the series of marks on him as souvenirs from an encounter with anactualcat. Akamaru crouched next to his partner, growling.

"It's okay, Chōji," Kiba said evenly. "I'm sure he didn't mean to go after Nara."

"Sorry," Chōji stepped away and released Neji. "I didn't know what was going on."

Sai eased out of his defensive stance. "I still don't know what's going on."

Neji's nostrils flared as he took in a deep breath and exhaled.

"It was my mistake."

"Would you gentlemen excuse us?" Kiba asked, eyes still on Neji. "I just remembered I have to speak to Neji here about something."

"Y-yeah, sure," Chōji said uncertainly, eyes darting between the two men.

"C'mon," Shikamaru sighed. "Let's go get some breakfast."

"Go with them, Akamaru."

The dog padded reluctantly over to Shikamaru who shrugged into his shirt before reaching down to pat the dog's head. Sai looked over to Kiba for some kind of cue, but Chōji patted him on the shoulder and shook his head. All four shuffled out of the locker room.

"Have a seat," Kiba gestured to the long bench between the rows of lockers.

"No thanks," Neji replied.

"Suit yourself," Kiba reached into his bag and fished out a worn t-shirt and pulled it over his head. "These are actual cat scratches, by the way," he nodded to the markings on his arm. "The ones you saw on Shikamaru, though were exactly what you thought they were."

Neji felt the heat pool in his cheeks, even if the knot in his gut had loosened the instant he realized he was witnessing Temari's handiwork, not Tenten's.

Kiba sized him up as he sat down to pull on socks and shoes.

"I take it Tenten didn't tell you we went away for the weekend?"

"I knew she would be gone," Neji hedged.

"But not with me," Kiba finished for him, tying his shoes before looking up. "And not for 'personal reasons,'" he air quoted. "It was all sort of a last minute arrangement. Genma didn't even give us the all clear until Friday night."

"I'll be unavailable until Tuesday."

Her words came back to him with startling clarity. That was why he assumed it was work related; why else would she be unavailable for contact?

"We both know you didn't mean to go after Nara," Kiba sat up and leaned his elbows on his knees. "So. Any guesses as to why you attempted to attack me back there?"

Neji's features remained composed. "I thought you were disrespecting my teammate by…boasting of your conquests," he said stiffly. "I apologize for the misunderstanding."

The corner of Kiba's mouth twitched ever so slightly.

"You know," he stood up with a sigh, "for someone that meditates as a hobby, you sure suck at self-awareness."

"And just what is that supposed to mean?" Neji asked haughtily.

"You're a pretty cool customer until anyone gets too near your cousin or my girlfriend."

Neji arched an eyebrow. "You mean my teammate?"

"Who is also my girlfriend," Kiba said flatly. "Your problem isn't with me, Neji. It's with you."

"Really?" the other man drawled. "Please. Enlighten me."

"You know there's protective, and then there's possessive, right?" Kiba asked archly.

Neji stared at him like that was possibly the most inane and irrelevant comment he had ever heard. "What are you talking about?"

"Let me clue you in," Kiba offered. "When you are around Sakura, you assume a proprietary posture – It is formal, and pretty clear body language, but not a lot going on here," he tapped his nose. "You like her. You admire her, hell you might even love her, but it's all. Right. Here," he reached out and tapped Neji on the forehead.

Neji batted his hand away but Kiba went on, unfazed.

"Tenten, though?" he continued, "She's another story. Your posture is sometimes relaxed, but often on guard. If I'm around, you swing into a possessive posture real quick. Also – your pheromones are all over the place." He grimaced, as if overwhelmed by olfactory observation. "Even now. You might not notice it, but you've been telling me to back the hell off from day one."

Kiba paused and looked Neji up and down.

"Don't know that I'm the one you should really be worried about, though," he shrugged, turned back to his locker and pulled out his phone. "Uchiha's pheromones go berserk around Sakura. His posture is more subtle, but it can go between possessive and proprietary, and guess what?" he locked the screen and pocketed the device. "She reacts to him."

Neji glowered at Kiba who laughed it off.

"Don't shoot the messenger, man," he zipped his gym bag shut and plopped it on the bench. "And don't take it out on Sakura; it's an involuntary thing. Her head's the same place yours is… well," he snorted, "that's not true. Let's go with 'she's confused, too.'"

"Confused?" Neji frowned.

"See, you and Sakura see each other as safe. Dependable." Kiba leaned against his locker. "Sakura is a sure bet. Tenten is a little more of…"

"A loose cannon?" Neji asked dryly.

"There is that," Kiba grinned. "Girl can get wild and coming from me that is saying something. But she is solid, man. She will always be there for her friends. Unfortunately for you, I'm not a nice enough guy to keep away from a girl I'm into just because some other guy might have a problem with it. In fact," the gleam in his eyes was predatory, "that makes me more likely to stick close. And I'm definitely into Tenten."

Neji's eyes were ice.

"How into her?"

Kiba closed and locked his locker. "You asking emotionally or is that your sly attempt at finding out if we're sleeping together?" Kiba almost laughed at Neji's venomously astonished look. "Relax, Hyūga. I don't know what you heard about me – scratch that; I know what people have heard about me - but I don't go where I'm not wanted. Tsume's first lesson was: 'flirt and date don't mark or mate.' At least not until you are serious about someone. Up 'til now no one was really a candidate for serious attention."

"You expect me to believe that?" Neji scoffed. "I suppose it's just coincidence people have heard what they have heard about you – and have been hearing about you since we were teenagers."

"I didn't take you to be one for idle gossip, Neji," Kiba tsked. "If my being with Tenten bothers you so much, then there are two questions you should be asking yourself." He up a finger. "One: Why does it bother you at all when it's none of your business, and Two," he held up the second finger. "What are you going to do about it?"

Neji glowered, but offered no reply, so Kiba went on.

"Let's be generous, and assume the 'why' is because you are 'protective' of your teammate. I get that. " Kiba put his hands in his pockets. "We are all comrades and friends; so of course I care about what happens to her. That's not new. But I careabouther, too. I've been interested in her for a while," he admitted. "Some of us know when to spot a window opportunity." Kiba gave a slow smirk. "After that, well, things just fell into place. I mean, how could I not take the chance? You've been on the same team for years; I doubt I have to tell you how amazing she is."

"What about Hinata?" Neji asked abruptly.

"Hinata?" Kiba quirked an eyebrow. "What about Hinata?"

"Why didn't you ever date her," he asked acidly.

Kiba's eyebrows rocketed into his hairline. "So, we wouldn't be having this conversation if I was dating your cousin instead of your teammate? Really?"

Neji gave no answer.

"Yeah. After all the shit you've given Naruto, I didn't think so," Kiba's lips twitched into a wry smirk.

"That's different," Neji gritted out, "He-"

"Yeah, yeah, she had a major crush on him as a kid, and you think it broke her heart, and you don't want a repeat performance. We know, Neji. With the way you've acted from the get go, I'm pretty sure the whole damn village knows by now."

Neji began to protest, but Kiba didn't let him interject.

"But as for me, as much as I care about Hinata, we've never been mutually interested. Hinata will always be special to me; she's one of my best friends, and I'll do anything for her. I mean, don't think I didn't consider it from time to time, but our relationship isn't meant to go in that direction."

"When it comes to your cousin," Kiba's rocked back on his heels, "your only worry with me is what I'll do to anyone who fucks with her. And that includes you or any so called family or friends." His eyes glittered dangerously. "Shino and I don't always see eye to eye, but I can guarandamntee you that this is one thing we agree on. You don't fuck with our girl."

Neji held his gaze unflinchingly.

"Making threats?"

"That is an across-the-board promise," Kiba crossed his arms. "I already know where I stand with the kunoichi on my team, Hyūga. What about you?"

Silence.

"If you don't have an answer to that," Kiba drawled "then there probably isn't much point talking to me. There is one more thing, though," he added.

"And that is?" Neji asked coldly.

"I might've asked what you what you intend to do about it, but make no mistake; I'm not moving out of the way for you or anyone else unless Tenten asks me to." He stood toe to toe with the other man. "Thing is, I don't give a flying fuck about what anyone thinks about me or our relationship; it's our business and no one else's. And as long as I'm her choice?" he lowered his voice. "I'll do whatever I need to do to make sure it stays that way. That includes treating her as best I can, taking care of her as much as she'll let me, and not letting anyone get in between us. Understand, Hyūga?"

Neji regarded the other man coolly.

"Am I to assume this is your way of telling me to 'back the hell off?'" he asked, sardonically parroting his words.

"No, not at all." Kiba shook his head. "This is my way of telling you to 'back the fuck off.'"

The air charged between them in a silent battle of wills.

Finally, Neji spoke.

"Noted."

"As long as we understand each other." Kiba held his gaze a minute longer, before stepping back. He shouldered his bag and turned to leave, but stopped and muttered a mild curse. "Look," he turned around. "It would really upset both of the girls if there was bad blood between us. Generally speaking, I don't have a problem with you, Hyūga," he said evenly. "You mind your business and I'll mind mine. Between the two of us, I'm sure we can be civil enough to not upset the kunoichi in our lives. Fair?"

Neji worked a muscle in his jaw, but finally swallowed his annoyance.

"Fair."

"And cut Naruto some slack while you're at it," Kiba shifted his bag on his shoulder. "Having someone just waiting for you to mess up tends to make you mess up."

"Don't push your luck, Inuzuka."

Kiba's grin was slow. "Some of the best things that ever happened to me came from pushing my luck. It's kinda my thing." With that, he headed for the door. "See you out for drinks," he called over his shoulder.

Neji stared at the door that swung closed behind him.

"Talk about pushing your luck," he muttered. He shook his head and packed up his things, deciding to train at the compound instead of on site.

Thirty seconds after he left, Chōji, Sai, and Shikamaru entered the locker room cautiously.

"Well, no bloodshed," Shikamaru said, bending to pick up the nondescript box of matches he'd kicked into place as they left.

Sai frowned. "Ino told me that it was never alright to spy on your friends. So why did you use those matches to keep the door from closing completely? Couldn't you have just used your shadow jutsus?"

"Sometimes the simplest solution is best," Shikamaru said, pocketing the matches as he surveyed the room. "And I did it to make sure that things didn't escalate."

"Then why were Chōji and I listening?" Sai asked, puzzled.

"Because you are nosy," Shikamaru yawned. "It's probably best not to mention any of this to Ino – or anyone else for that matter."

Sai looked between the two men. "Bro code?"

Shikamaru gave a sharp nod. "Definitely Bro code. Let's go get breakfast for real this time. I'm starving."

"Oh, thank goodness," Chōji sighed happily. "Right," he clapped his hands together. "This is now officially an emergency situation. Follow me, men!"

Sai and Shikamaru exchanged knowing smiles and chorused "Yes, Sir!"

Closing in on the end of the Summer Arc

There will be many companion chapters in Bonfire Nights - but I am stepping back from that story to focus on finishing this arc. The cast of characters in this story is massive, so I am trying to keep certain updates limited to Bonfire nights or the Seasons-in-Between drabble series. Just know it is essentially different spinoffs of the same story, if you are ever wanting more content!

- Giada

Chapter Text

Always writing; Summer arc winding down!

You Must Believe in Spring
~Summer~
Chapter Thirteen: Picasso Summer

Monday, July 24th 10:00 AM KST
Konoha: ANBU hospital

Shizune flipped through another page on her clipboard, watching carefully as Anko lowered the weight back into position on the machine.

"Good," she smiled, scribbling something down. "Your strength and range of motion are steadily improving."

"Just have to work on endurance next," Anko grumbled, swiping at her face with a towel. "I shouldn't be breaking a sweat over this kind of stuff."

"You won't for much longer," Shizune assured her. "You had almost a month where you were totally incapacitated, and only about two-and-a-half months to change that. Not even that long," she added, "because we couldn't start your rehabilitation right away. Cut yourself some slack."

Anko snorted at the idea. "The sooner I can get back on my feet, the sooner I can help find my teammates. Any luck contacting Doku?" she asked hopefully.

"Not yet," Shizune reported. "From what Uchiha tells us, Doku was summoned away again shortly after returning from the ANBU base."

"That doesn't make any sense," Anko grimaced. "I don't think there are any contracts with anyone that isn't me or Uchiha, and Orochimaru is dead. No one else should be able to summon the snakes."

"It should be impossible," Shizune agreed, "but that's all we have to go on right now."

Anko stared at her hands. "They did something to my chakra network," she sighed bitterly. "I don't have the control to attempt the summons right now."

"I think they purposely blocked you from being able to do a summons," Shizune said pointedly. "I had a Hyūga medic examine your tenketsu, and we've been monitoring them daily. I have Hinata checking her clan archives for any information that might help us reestablish and reopen those points."

"Is that why my progress has been slow?" Anko asked.

"It is why your progress hasn't been as fast as you'd like," Shizune rolled her eyes, "but considering you were half dead when you got here, I'd hardly call your progress 'slow.'"

"But Ranka is doing better now, isn't he?" Anko asked abruptly.

"Much," Shizune smiled. "Apparently they didn't think he would survive whatever they were doing or were going to do to him, so they didn't bother incapacitating him as much as they did you. He's been moved to one of the long-term care wards, but he is out of the critical care unit. Admittedly, he still gets tired," Shizune shrugged, "but he was in a pretty awful state when he arrived."

"At least he is doing better now," Anko fiddled with the towel. "Do…do we know anything more about the experiments they did on him?"

"We know more than we did," Shizune said carefully, "but we are still piecing the evidence together." She glanced at the clock "We're finished for today," she flipped the sheets on her clipboard back down.

"Alright," Anko sighed, standing up. "I've got to get going anyway. See you later, Shizune." She waited until Shizune left for her next appointment to head to the locker room. She changed quickly and made her way out of the base and to the old training ground.

"How did your appointment go?"

She looked up to where Kakashi was sitting lazily in a tree.

"Frustrating," she tossed her bag down. "Slow, boring, pointless, I hate it, and are you going to stay up there all day?"

Kakashi tucked his book away and jumped down, hands in his pockets.

"That's better," Anko muttered. "I kept my end of the deal. I've been going to these stupid sessions. Now it's your turn."

Kakashi shrugged. "I set up some target practice today. We'll do a light spar if you can hit enough of the targets."

"Fine, fine," she said impatiently, crossing to the long table where Kakashi had laid out some weaponry. "Anything to get some decent training in for a change."

Kakashi smiled to himself.

A cantankerous Anko was a recovering Anko.

It was good to see her spirits rising, and watching her return to her normal attitude, even if it occasionally bordered on scary. That was probably why Tsunade had okay'd his covert sessions with her, even if Shizune didn't know about them.

"Don't let her push herself too hard,"Tsunade had warned,"but I know she needs a harsher challenge than we can reasonably give her here."

What Tsunade really meant, was that if they officially greenlighted Anko to do this level of training, she would push herself way beyond her current limits, and probably insist on going back in the field. Making a deal with her to attend her therapy while getting in some covert and more satisfying training both kept her in the village, and from overexerting herself.

As she tested the weight of the various weapons, she smiled. "This is more like it," her grin curved wickedly. "I'm so going to kick your ass, Kakashi."

Kakashi shrugged, and nodded toward the targets, some of which were now moving. "I look forward to it."

1:00 pm KST
Konoha: Hyūga Hospital

"Any pain, Kaori?" Sakura asked, checking the woman's eyes with a flashlight.

"A slight headache from where I bumped my head," she admitted, "but nothing major. I think the embarrassment was the worst part."

"Nonsense," Sakura flicked off the light and jotted down a few notes. "It could've happened to anyone."

"I guess," she rubbed her arm absently. "I just feel so silly! I'm lucky that one of the volunteers spotted me and got me up off of the floor. I still can't believe I passed out after donating blood!"

"Well, next time, drink your juice and eat your cookie," Sakura chuckled.

"That's just it," she frowned. "I did… or at least I thought I did… it's all a bit fuzzy."

Sakura raised both brows while she listened.

Kaori laughed at herself. "I'm O-, so I've been donating blood as long as I've been old enough to do it. I usually work the blood drives!"

"It could happen to anyone," Sakura repeated, putting a kind hand on her nurse's shoulder. "Don't be so hard on yourself."

"Well thanks for checking me out," she flicked her eyes up to the goose egg on her forehead. "I'm sure my pride will mend in time for the next blood drive."

"You have some time off coming up soon, don't you?" the doctor asked.

"Vacation," Kaori smiled crookedly. "Guess I need it more than I thought!"

"Well take it easy until then," Sakura warned. "Don't over-do it, and take some time on your vacation to just recoup. Doctor's orders."

"Yes, ma'am," Kaori grinned.

The nurse returned to her shift and Sakura returned to her office. She'd been on her way there with an armload of paperwork when she heard the kerfuffle down the hall. Once she found out what had happened, she took the time to give the kindhearted nurse a once-over.

Now, she headed back to her office to continue with her private research.

Sasuke had been true to his word and gotten her the numbers and reports she had asked for. She pegged a couple of vendors for further inspection as well as circled some miscellaneous orders that could aggregate to the kind of volume needed for the experiments.

She studied her findings carefully. "If only I knew what research they were doing," she murmured. She flicked her eyes to the clock. Sasuke had been putting in some face time over at Uchiha Industries and had several business trips over the last couple of weeks. He was still out of town.

Yesterday had been his birthday.

Naruto had once explained to Sakura that they rarely celebrated Sasuke's birthday on his birthday. When his family had been alive, that day had been solely for them. After they died, Sasuke didn't celebrate on that day. Add into the equation that the media knew when his birthday was and tended to be on the lookout for him, and it was just easier to celebrate at some random time. Even that first party at KU had been delayed by a few days or so to allow the weekend to roll around.

Considering the amount of alcohol and everything else Naruto had conjured up for the occasion, she was hardly surprised. Sakura had a vague memory of Lee showing up with a giant bag of sake that someone had the good sense to take from him. Neji hadn't stayed for that party, she remembered. Their few casual dates hadn't amounted to much then, and Neji didn't seem to be the least bit surprised when Sasuke and Sakura officially became a couple.

She often wondered at how strange life was - that this time around she was dating Neji and not Sasuke. looking back on it, Sasuke had pursued her… now…

Sakura gave a sharp shake of her shoulders. "It's not like you want him to," she muttered to herself.

But those dreams…

Those dreams were becoming increasingly real. Sakura wasn't one for superstition, but she was well aware that the psyche had ways of coping. Perhaps she wasn't as confident in her relationship with Neji after all?

Not that their schedules would've allowed for it anyway, but they had held off on physical intimacy. Sakura was 100% alright with that decision… but she wondered if perhaps there was a reluctance they were choosing to ignore.

She smothered a yawn.

The incident last night came on the tail end of a long day, and her dinner with Neji had been quiet and thoughtful. She had insisted on checking him over one more time, but he was uninjured.

Instead of walking to the small restaurant where they'd planned to eat, Neji opted to drive them uptown. It was a more exclusive restaurant, and about fifteen minutes into the meal Raidō made a stop at their table. Their conversation was brief, but the jist was that the while the attack appeared to be opportunistic rather than calculated, they should take precautionary measures and keep their exposure to a minimum for the duration of the evening.

What that translated to was henging their appearance when they left and taking a circuitous route when bringing her home.

Sakura didn't remember dreaming, but she woke tired and suspected she hadn't slept well.

Another yawn supported her theory.

The knock on her door was so soft, she almost missed it, and when it opened she saw why.

"Dr. Aburame," she tried to hide her eyes watering from her yawn.

"Dr. Haruno," he studied her, eyebrows raised in concern. "Are you well?"

"Fine," she gave a sheepish smile. "What brings you here?"

"I would like to go over some findings with you," he indicated the files in his arms, "if that is alright."

"Yes of course," she stepped aside to let him in.

"I brought these in case," he held up a carrier from the cafeteria, and Sakura instantly recognized the blissful smell of coffee. "I know we have both been logging overtime."

"We're close, Shino," she closed the door behind him. "I canfeelit."

"I agree," he intoned. "Why you ask? That is because all of our research is indicating that you are correct." He carefully placed the coffee on the table before organizing his files into two neat piles – one for him and one for Sakura. He placed a third stack of files to the side. "Uchiha has various commitments outside of Konoha, and will be travelling the better part of the next few weeks. I arranged to check in with him via secured email while he is gone, to keep him abreast of our findings. I provided him with the electronic versions of these files," he gestured to the third pile, "and I shall update him with anything we discover."

"Good thinking," Sakura brought over her own files and handed copies to Shino. "Here are all of my latest files, and I'd really like your opinion on these supply lists."

"Drink," he nodded to the coffee when she couldn't quite hide her yawn. "I shall read and catch up."

Sakura grinned. "Excellent plan, Dr. Aburame."

And she welcomed the silence of a steady friend, and the warmth of the coffee with the gratitude of one who knew she was lucky to have both.

11:15 PM KST
Konoha: Neji's office/ANBU

Neji checked his phone as soon as he heard the message tone.

'Hinata back home. Don't stay too late.'

He smiled faintly at Hanabi's note and dutifully replied to her as well as to the other members of the security team that had alerted him. He pinched the bridge of his nose between two fingers and took several cleansing breaths.

As much as he didn't care for Naruto's unpredictability, he was extremely attentive and kind to his cousin. He was an exceptionally talented agent – that Neji could not dispute. His methods on the other hand – those could be grounds for disagreement. Neji was almost bleary eyed with fatigue, and he reached for another cup of tea. He still had several things he needed to accomplish before he could go home for the evening.

The knock on his door was not wholly unexpected, and the security camera verified it to be one of the medics.

"Iō," he nodded. "Good to see you are well."

"Thank you," he bowed in return. "I am. Here are the reports you asked for."

"Ah, excellent," he cleared a space on his desk. "I appreciate you bringing them up."

"Awfully late to be here, isn't it?" Iō asked conversationally.

"It's where I'll be every night next week," Neji replied dryly.

"That can't be good," Iō frowned. "When do you sleep?"

"I nap on the couch when I need to," Neji motioned to the couch in his office. "But I'm accustomed to operating on little sleep."

"Please be cautious," Iō said with kind reproach. "You don't want a first-hand account of how good your staff is to their patients."

"I'll keep that in mind," Neji gave a half chuckle. "Thank you."

Iō bowed, dismissed.

Neji returned to work but not before looking at the couch in his office longingly. Perhaps a small nap would be beneficial.

"Then again, I really am going to be here every night this week," he muttered to himself. "Might not want to start that already."

He resolved to work for another hour before going home, and get what rest he could before the upcoming week.

In Secret: 11:42pm KST
Location: Undisclosed

"This is preposterous," Rokuro slammed his fist on the table. "What is taking so long, Kabuto? This should all have been in place weeks ago."

Kabuto didn't even look up from his notes.

"Imbeciles, all of you," he growled. "I'm done waiting. I'm going to Madara."

"I wouldn't disturb him if I were you," Kabuto's casual reply grated on Rokuro's nerves.

"Keep your advice to yourself," he hissed.

"Suit yourself," he shrugged. "But the last time someone tried to interrupt him while he was with her, they ended up dead. Twice, actually, if you count the part where I used their body for that edo tensei."

"And whatever came of that?" Rokuro scoffed. "You managed to get a dead body into a morgue."

"I managed to get a host body into a morgue where it has been incubating nicely, as well as having one of our agents place several jutsu-shiki to allow for later infiltration," he returned with an infuriating calm. "In fact, I already did a dry run of infiltrating. Our agent got in undetected and with no problem."

Rokuro narrowed his eyes. "What run? What agent? Who authorized this?"

"I did."

Rokuro snapped his head around so quickly, Kabuto thought the man might've spared him the need to eventually dispose of him.

"Madara," he tried to swallow his anger, but it stained his words. "What is the meaning of all of this?"

"Kabuto came to me with the idea," he was unapologetic. "I decided it was worth trying. What have we learned so far?" he turned to his accomplice.

"The medic was a good choice," Kabuto motioned for the other man to take a seat. "He works both the ASF and ANBU sides of things, and has decent clearance, but not high enough to raise suspicion. Our host in the morgue is incubating nicely, and will be ready soon. The other subject, though, he should be ready within the week."

"That soon?" Madara's voice lilted at the pleasant surprise. "What do you propose?"

"A little chaos," Kabuto 's glasses gleamed. "Perhaps release the subjects that are already incubated and create discontent in the ranks. Sow some seeds of distrust."

"Is that all?" Rokuro scoffed.

"This generation of shinobi is incredibly close knit, both as individuals and as agents," Kabuto folded his hands under his chin. "You have to do more than disrupt the terrain – you have to attack the bonds between them. Our only chance of getting anywhere near our targets is to disrupt the chain of command protecting them – and the only way to do that is to disrupt the lines of communication. Shake their faith in one another."

"Do to them what was done to my clan," Madara said darkly. "Perhaps then they will know the bitter taste of betrayal – to have what is precious stolen from you by those you trusted."

"And what of the last remaining member of your clan?" Kabuto slid a glance over to him. "Will he be spared?"

"I have need of him," Madara said plainly. "But better that his bonds between the others are weakened. Perhaps, then, he will be more likely to turn to what family he has and leave the others behind. No harm is to come to him," he glared at each man in turn through the hole in his mask, "under any circumstances."

"Understood," Rokuro grumbled. "And what of the others?"

"I need them to be intact," he said emphatically. "When the time comes, we will dispose of the Hyūga boy, but until then, he is of use to me."

"I wouldn't be in a hurry to dispose of him," Kabuto slid a file over to him. "He may prove to be a valuable subject."

"How?" he scanned the papers. "I thought you said the seals are incomplete."

"They are," he agreed. "They didn't fully transfer when Hizashi met his fate, but if there is any chance that you might need those seals, his son is the only one that can receive them."

"Why would we need him?" Rokuro crossed his arms. "I thought that if you had the girl you could do whatever you needed."

"The old systems are complicated," Madara sighed. "Our clan was much the same. The information we need will be in the archives, but there are layers upon layers of security that can backfire and damage the subject, if they are not careful. It can be helpful to have a spare."

"Yes," Kabuto eyed Rokuro. "We can only hope it isn't as much of a mess as that surveillance jutsu you tried."

Rokuro ground his teeth.

"That was as much your fault as mine."

"It cost us a pair of Sharingan," Madara cut in coldly. "You will not trifle with such things again."

"No," Rokuro bowed his head. "No, of course not."

"I will not have anyone or anything interfering with my revenge on Konoha. By the end of this year, the city will know my wrath."

"And if the archives don't have the answers?" Rokuro ventured. "What if she can't be saved."

"Then Konoha's time will have finally run out, and I will not stop until her streets run red with blood."

He left – no doubt to go be with her– and the other two men sat quietly.

"I know why I want him to succeed," Kabuto offered in that chilling false cheer of his. "But I can't figure out what you want from all of this, Rokuro. Somehow I doubt you simply want to see her cured and Madara retreat back into the shadows."

"My business is my own," Rokuro said loftily.

"And as long as it doesn't interfere with mine, I'm happy to let it stay that way," Kabuto's grin grew wicked. "But the moment it does…?" he raised a hand, indicating he clearly couldn't be held responsible.

With that, he left Rokuro to stew. He returned his files to his laboratory before taking a walk down to the specimen room. He liked to check the inventory now and then, and to enjoy the expanse of his collection.

When he was certain that no one was watching, he stepped through the barrier illusion to where he kept a secret stash of 'samples.'

Adjusting his glasses, he unsealed a chart from a hidden place in the wall.

"So," he sat and began to add to his notes. "It appears that you didn't manage to pass your seals on to your son after all," he looked up at the figure suspended in the bubbling vat of liquid. "That means that you can still be of use to me," he put a finger on the cold, smooth glass. "You can stay a little longer."

Thursday, August 6th 10:00 AMKST
Konoha: Neji's office/ANBU

Someone knocked on the doorframe just as Neji swallowed a yawn.

He blinked and looked up sharply, but relaxed upon seeing a smiling Sakura.

"I suppose that answers my question about you getting enough sleep," she handed him a strong cup of tea.

Neji took the cup gratefully, and motioned for her to sit.

"You have ages of time built up Neji," she took her seat. "Why don't you take a personal day?"

"I can't take a personal day for being tired," he sipped his drink.

"Well," she crossed her legs "how about for having been assaulted last week, for having stayed overnight in the hospital every night this week, and for having an incredible workload for the last several weeks – all of which has steadily been wearing on you," she looked him over with concern. "I'm worried about you, Neji," she said plainly. "As a friend and as a physician."

Neji sat back in his chair and pinched the bridge of his nose. He couldn't deny anything she had said – he had barely left his office in the last week, and it looked as if next week would be more of the same.

"I suppose I could take some work home," he glanced over the stack of files at his elbow.

"Well that defeats the purpose entirely," she crossed her arms.

"It can't be helped," he gave another shrug. "The hospital is up for annual inspection and a recertification of its research programs. Unfortunately, those things overlap as will the resulting plans of correction, requests for clarification, grant rewrites…" he leaned back in his chair. "I have many hours of paperwork ahead of me."

Sakura winced.

"So… no personal day?"

"I'll take one," he sipped his tea. "In January."

Sakura tsked at him.

"What about you?" he deftly shifted the subject. "How is your research going?"

"It is… progressing," she allowed. "Dr. Aburame and I have been meeting while our other compatriot has been travelling."

"Mm," Neji hummed into his cup. "I believe you are down two compatriots?"

"Unfortunately, yes," she gave wry smile. "Hinata has also been called away to Tea Country. It's just as well," she shrugged. "I have to report back to Suna for a team exercise."

Neji's eyebrows lifted at that.

"I had forgotten," he admitted. "How long will you be gone."

"A week. I will also see my parents and check in with the hospital there. Dr. Aburame will continue with our research, and Shizune will cover my other duties.

"You will be missed," Neji gave a weary half-smile, "for more than one reason, and by more than one person."

"Sweet-talker," she chided gently. Her hospital pager beeped and she checked the time. "I'll check on you later," she promised, rising to her feet. "In the meanwhile, see what you can do about getting some rest. And don't think I won't be keeping tabs just because I'll be in Suna. I don't want to have to pull the 'Doctor Card' on you, but I or Shizune will send you home if we feel you are pushing yourself too far."

Neji's smile was rueful. "Understood, Doctor."

Tuesday, August 11th, 12:00 PM ST
Suna: Kazikaze training grounds

Suna wasn't anyone's ideal location during the height of summer, but Naruto was glad to be there just the same.

"I can't believe they let us in here," he looked around the massive training dome.

Kakashi glanced up from his book to dart a quick look around the room before shrugging impassively.

Naruto winced as one of his clones went flying across the arena and slammed into a wall before dispelling.

"Still don't see why I can't just train with them," he muttered.

"You are training with them," Kakashi turned the page, not bothering to look up from his book.

"Not the same," Naruto grumbled.

"You are helping," Kakashi assured him – albeit absently. "It is difficult for them to set up live opponents, and their last training exercise got interrupted."

Nartuo snorted.

"Yeah. By a giant snake. Almost makes me miss Sasuke."

Five more clones were sliced down.

"Aw geez – TEMARI! Take it easy, wouldja?" he shook his fist. "And Kankurō – you talk way too much smack for a guy who plays with dolls!"

"That 'doll' just took out six of you," Kankurō yelled back as the group assembled near Gaara and took up another formation. Naruto noticed the group had two classes of formations. One where clearly they were protecting Gaara, and the other where they protected Sakura. Tsunade taught her students that the medic must not engage in battle so that they could stay alive to heal their teammates. Her exceptions to this rule were met and broken by Sakura and Sakura alone.

"Wonder how many times they've had to rebuild this arena?" Naruto mused.

"Twelve, and counting," Kakashi replied, bored. "But that's only since they built this one four years ago."

"We're ready," Temari called over, and Kakashi nodded.

"Naruto? If you would?"

"Glad to," he grinned, and sent in an avalanche of clones.

The melee that followed had even Naruto on his feet, cheering for whoever landed the best hit at the time. When the dust and sand settled, Team Kazekage stood together, fierce and victorious.

Naruto hopped into the arena and jogged over to them.

"That was awesome!" he beamed. "Especially you, Sakura-chan. Ouch, by the way."

"Sorry," she grinned lopsidedly. "You don't absorb the injuries, do you?"

"Nah," he waved aside her concerns. "Just the memories of it. You're pretty scary, you know that?"

Sakura laughed before chugging down some water.

Naruto held out a hand to Gaara. "Kazekage."

A small smile played around Gara's lips as he took his friend's hand.

"Y'know," Naruto's eyes sparked. "We don't have to be back in Konoha for another couple of days."

Gaara did know.

"And what do you suggest?"

"Oh… I don't know," Naruto's grin grew devilish. "Maybe a little one-on-one? J-kid style?"

Gaara's eyes lit up, even if his demeanor remained calm. "I suppose that could be arranged. But not here," he looked around the training dome.

"Yeah," Naruto agreed. "Not big enough."

Sakura's eyes grew wide. "Big enough for what?!"

"Don't you need clearance for that?" Temari crossed her arms. "As in international clearance?"

"You're right," Naruto rubbed his chin. "I'd better ask the Kazekage. Oh. Wait. I just did."

Kankurō snickered while Temari pinched the bridge of her nose.

"What are you talking about?" Sakura put a hand on her hip.

"They're jinchuriki," Temari sighed. "And they want to go one-on-one."

"More like nine on one," Kankurō laughed. "Shukaku is gonnalovethat."

"Shukaku?" Sakura paled. "You aren't serious!"

"It is alright," Gaara assured her. "We are on good terms now."

"Yeah," Naruto grinned. "Took him a while to come around, but Shukaku isn't so bad once you get to know him."

Both Gaara and Naruto flinched as if someone had yelled in their ear.

"And now the tailed beasts are probably yelling at them," Temari added.

Sakura looked warily between the two of them.

"So you two..er… four want to spar full out?"

"Why not?" Naruto gave a half of a shrug.

Sakura crossed her arms.

"How long of a list do you want?" she asked flatly. "Because I can think of fifty or so objections just off of the top of my head."

"You worry too much, Sakura-chan!" Naruto slung an arm around her shoulders. "Gaara here can handle anything I throw at him, and I can take whatever he throws back. It's really rare that we get to spar at that level -oh hey!" His eyes darted back to Gaara. "You think Fuu is free?"

Gaara arched an eyebrow, but Temari cut in.

"No. No she is not," she said flatly. "And even if she was, we-"

"The day after tomorrow," Gaara interrupted. "We can make the arrangements by then."

"I want to be there," Sakura said firmly. "Someone has to make sure you don't kill each other."

"You going to cheer me on?" Naruto grinned cheekily.

"Against my teammate?" she scoffed. "And on our turf?"

"Okay, okay, fair enough," Naruto held his hands up. "Kakashi'll just have to be my cheering section."

The senior Jonin put his book back in his pocket. "We have to meet back at the Kazekage palace in an hour."

"I'll take you back now," Temari slung her fan over her shoulder. "The rest of you go back with Baki."

The quiet captain nodded to them as they exited the arena.

"You called it," Kakashi said idly, hands in pockets.

"Those two always want to spar," Temari shrugged. "It's probably good for both of them."

"Good job of feigning reluctance," he noted. "You can be quite the convincing actress."

"That wasn't acting," Temari sighed. "Especially if what you said about Akatusuki trying to revive is true. Have the other Jinchuriki been notified?"

"Notified and secured."

They didn't say much more until they got back to the Kazekage palace. Temari led them back to where the Konoha guests were staying, bypassing Kakashi's own room. She knocked on the room several doors down before opening the door. Shikamaru looked up from where he was sitting at an oval table, with several files and scrolls around him.

He raised his eyebrows at them both, and Kakashi answered his unspoken question.

"She was right."

"Heh. She usually is," he shuffled some papers. "Then we can work it to our advantage. We already know that whoever is attempting to revive Akatsuki is doing it without the original core members. It is possible that a few former members might have been convinced to rejoin, though." He tossed down a few pictures.

"Konan and Yahiko?" Temari asked. "I thought they were dead!"

Shikamaru shrugged lazily.

"They are. Whoever these people are, they are impostors."

Kakashi caught his eye, and the young strategist gave a barely perceptible nod. Kakashi knew that Konan and Yahiko's "deaths" had been arranged by ANBU; meaning that they were both alive and living under different identities. At the first rumor of Akatsuki activity, Jiraiya had contacted them. It was the first either of them had heard about it.

Shikamaru fanned out the pictures.

"Intelligence shows they have been working the underground bounty hunting angle to raise some money. We don't know yet what their connection to their former group is or isn't."

Kakashi picked up a picture.

"When were these taken?"

"The earliest were at the end of July," Shikamaru indicated the dates on the back of the pictures.

"And are these the first visual confirmations of Konan and Yahiko's involvement?"

"Yes. Prior to those photographs, we had no visual confirmation of either of them. Just rumors and vague descriptions."

"This one was taken nearby," Temari jabbed a finger at one of the photographs. "I know that village." She flipped it over, surprise registering on her face. "This was yesterday." Her clever mind pieced together the fragments of intelligence quickly.

"So, you are hoping that whoever this is will witness Naruto and Gaara sparring so that… what? They'll report back that Naruto and Gaara are allied?" Temari crossed her arms. "Or that they are serious opponents? Or are you trying to draw them out…"

"Yes, to everything," Shikamaru gave a short nod. "It is troublesome, but we are trying to gauge how much of a threat this new group is or isn't."

Temari took a glance at a clock on the wall. "We are due to meet formally on other matters in twenty minutes. We can discuss this again later this evening." She turned to Kakashi. "Do you need anything before then?"

Recognizing a dismissal when he heard one (and judging from the glint in Temari's eye, with just the slightest bit of sympathy for Shikamaru) Kakashi shook his head.

"No. I'll see you there."

As the door closed behind him, he heard "Now tell me again how you want to use my little brother – who is also the leader of our nation - as bait?"

Never mess with an older sister.

Ever.

Chapter Text

Surprise! Another update!

You Must Believe in Spring
~Summer~
Chapter Fourteen: Picasso Summer
Part II

Tuesday, August 18th 9:38 AM
Konoha, Hokage Outlook Apartments #1108

Naruto was dead to the world. Their flight out of Suna had been delayed, and they hadn't gotten back into Konoha until well after midnight. That alone wouldn't normally have been enough to slow him down, but his spars with Gaara had definitely taken a toll on him. The soldier pill that Kakashi had slipped him hadn't helped quite the way Naruto thought that it would, and by the time they pulled up to his apartment, he could barely keep his eyes open.

It was only after he'd haphazardly swatted or thrown everything on his nightstand that he realized it wasn't his alarm going off; it was the sound of a truck backing up at the construction site below.

He sat up, confused, before stretching and yawning. He looked for his phone to check the time, but it wasn't where he left it.

"Uh-oh," he muttered.

He picked up the poor appliance from where it had smacked against his wall and gave a sigh of relief. The phone was intact.

He tapped the dark screen on and then sighed heavily.

If he hadn't noticed the long crack on the screen, he certainly noticed the mushy rainbow of colors that signaled he'd broken and yet another phone. If that wasn't bad enough, the life flickered out of the device, as he'd forgotten to plug it in last night.

'Nara's going to stop giving you phones,' Kurama snorted.

Naruto winced as he fished an anti-static bag out of his dresser drawer. "It's in one piece this time," he said hopefully. "And screens aren't as much of a problem, right?"

He ignored Kurama's sarcastic response and dropped the phone into the bag.

Fifteen minutes later, he was still sleepy, but at least he'd showered and changed into a worn pair of jeans and a faded gray t-shirt.

"Might as well enjoy the break," he placed the phone down on his coffee table next to the remote, and flicked on the TV.

He went to the kitchen, the sound of the local morning program drifting behind him. He grinned to see that there was a fresh gallon of milk and a few new groceries in his refrigerator. The note from Chōji sat on the plate of breakfast sandwiches.

"Ino had me make some stuff for Sakura, and asked if I'd drop some things off to you, too. Thanks for keeping an eye on our teammate while you were in Suna."

Naruto chuckled at that. The Ino-Shika-Cho gang were a good lot, and today he had a whole bunch of deliciousness to back up that claim.

He poured himself a giant glass of milk as the commercials ended and the local news program started again.

"And today's top story" - the perky female host was speaking - "Is the Uchiha Scion finally off of the market? And who is the lucky girl?"

Naruto snorted at this. Every couple of months stuff like this hit the tabloids or morning shows – it was always something ridiculous, and usually a complete fabrication. It had been a while since a story like this had come up, though, so maybe he was overdue. Deciding this would be a great thing to bust Sasuke's balls over, Naruto decided to eat in front of the TV.

"Welcome back," the anchor smiled brightly. "So has Uchiha Sasuke finally been caught? That's what Konoha wants to know this morning. And who would be the lucky – or should we say clever – lady? None other than the Hyūga princess!"

Naruto almost choked on his milk. Were these people trying to say Sasuke was hooking up with Hanabi!?

"Oh this is good," Naruto snickered. It was better than good. This might be the funniest thing he heard in a long while. "Wonder if Konohamaru is watching this." He patted his pockets, looking for his phone while the two hosts traded information back and forth.

"Our exclusive insider information comes from a source close to both parties; it appears that the enigmatic heir to Uchiha Industries has been quietly courting the black-haired beauty since at least March."

Naruto idly reflected that Hanabi's hair was brown just as he spotted the antistatic bag on the coffee table.

"Oh. Right," he rubbed the back of his neck. He picked up his sandwich again, eagerly taking in the gossip so he could bust not only Sasuke's, but Konohamaru's chops about the latest "romantic developments."

"Gonna have to chaperone Sasuke and Hanabi," he snickered. "I'd pay to see that."

"Remember that big Hyūga event for the heir a few months back?" the other host asked cheekily. "Turns out the guest of honor wasn't the only one getting a present."

"Brand new photos show Konoha's newest power couple greeting the Fire Daimyo and his wife, before going on a private walk through the gardens."

Naruto's smirk slipped off of his face when the first picture filled the flatscreen, leaving him in a hybrid stupor of shock and confusion.

It wasn't until the third or fourth picture flashed across the screen that his brain registered what he was seeing.

It wasn't Hanabi.

It was Hinata.

They were talking aboutHinata.

There was a picture of Hinata and Sasuke together at at Hanabi's party, where they appeared deep in conversation.

"Now you might think that the hostess of the party was just being courteous to her guest," one anchor said slyly, "but it looks like this isn't the only place the two have been spotted."

Image after image of Sasuke with Hinata filled the screen – pictures of him leaving Master Sarutobi's. The two of them in deep discussion over a meal. Him leaning low to speak with her. Walking through the market. Attending a festival with him in his clan robes and her in a traditional kimono. Him returning her gentle smile with a rare, small but genuine smile of his own. Them leaving a jewelry shop…

Naruto felt the flush that swept up his neck, and the hot twist of metal in his gut as he involuntarily leaned forward, elbows on knees to listen.

"Sources close to the couple say that they were spotted out of town together, returning from a weekend away - maybe for Sasuke's birthday? - where they apparently attended a local Star Festival. Our insider photos show them getting back into Konoha late last night."

The photos of Sasuke with Hinata at the terminal and of him helping her into a sleek, black vehicle with the license plate blurred out flashed one after the other.

Suddenly Naruto realized that Hinata had been out of town for Sasuke's birthday… and so had he. And Hinata had left Konoha shortly after that. And so had Sasuke. And neither had been in Konoha while he was in Suna. And both had been out of touch while he was in Suna.

"So what are these two up to?" the second host asked, interrupting his thoughts. "Will we be hearing wedding bells? Well, not this year,"she continued."It is a clan tradition not to announce any marriages or engagements during the first year of declaring a new heir. Since Hyūga Hanabi just came of age in March, we can't expect to hear anything before next spring, but after that, all bets are off."

"Well sounds like that won't be an issue by then," the first host chimed in, "our insider source says that while the family can't officially say anything, the match is approved at the highest level of the Hyūga family."

"So we've heard about the Uchiha-Hyūga power couple – what about our other most eligible bachelor?"

"Our source says Neji is in a healthy relationship, so no gossip there."

"Sorry girls!" the other host did a 'palms up' gesture.

"Best we can hope for is that all of these KU grads will come out for the all-class Bonfire Night – or maybe our newest power couple will be out and about in Konoha?"

"If they do, it will be the first we've seen of them in public – but maybe now that the secret's out, they won't be so shy anymore. Coming up next, the latest trends for this year's bonfire season, and-"

Naruto's world whirred to nothing but an uncomfortable stillness punctuated by the sound of his pulse until he felt something crinkle and then crack in his hand. In his agitation, he must've picked up his phone.

"Nara is going to love that." Kurama muttered.

Jolted back to reality with that comment, Naruto snarled out a curse and shoved up to his feet.

Jamming the crumpled anti-static bag and remnants of his phone into his pocket, he snatched up his keys, slammed and locked the door, and jogged down to his truck.

Kurama sighed deeply.

"And just where do you think you are going?"

"To get some answers," Naruto bit back. The truck roared to life, and he paused only long enough to toss the bag with the shattered remains of his poor phone into his glove compartment before peeling out of his lot.

He didn't notice Konohamaru and Inari on the other side of the street, but they sure noticed when he blew past them.

"Shit," Konohamaru swore, watching the truck disappear in the rearview.

"Well, I think that answers our 'did he get our warning' question," Inari muttered, already texting Genma and Kakashi as his roommate frantically pulled the first available U-turn.

"There's no way we're catching him," Konohamaru shook his head.

"You know, given that if we catch him, we'd have to talk to him? I'm kinda okay with that."

Konohamaru stopped at the red light. "That's an excellent point."

"You know what else is an excellent point? There is an awesome breakfast joint just two blocks from here."

Konohamaru sighed and redirected their vehicle.

"You always were the smart one."

"'Bout time you admitted it," Inari sent off one more message. "Also? You're paying."

Konohamaru checked the rear-view mirror and the rapidly disappearing orange truck.

"Still a better deal."

10:24 AM KST
Konoha: Neji's office/Hyūga Hospital

Neji's secretary on the civilian side of the hospital had an official list of people that were to be given access to Hyūga Neji whenever they needed. Naturally, Hinata and Hanabi were on that list as were Lady Tsunade, Shizune, and Sakura. She had her own list of people that she wouldn't stop from going to see Hyūga-san, including Lee and Tenten and few others that she knew respected his time and didn't abuse their access rights.

To all others, she was both the creator and keeper of an impenetrable barrier between the young business prodigy and the rest of the world. Luckily, Kaori had an appointment, and was ushered into the inner sanctum with no resistance.

Neji stood to greet her and offered her a seat.

"I am pleased to see you are well," he began. "No ill effects from your fall?"

"No," she gave an embarrassed half smile. "Dr. Haruno saw to me right away."

"Dr. Haruno assured me that you were fine," Neji flipped open a folder on his desk. "I didn't want to interrupt your vacation plans for something like paperwork, but now that you are back, I need to review the incident report with you."

Kaori frowned slightly. "Isn't that normally an HR thing?"

"Yes," Neji gave a tiny smile. "However, given the concurrent inspection and recertification efforts, I wanted to make sure I had all of the paperwork in hand."

Kaori read through the paperwork and initialed the incident report.

"I wanted to thank you," she reached into her bag and pulled out a canister. "You giving me those extra days off really helped me clear my head. It isn't much, but I hope you will accept a small token of my appreciation."

She was so earnest in her kindness, that Neji didn't have it in him to refuse her.

"That is most kind of you," he said graciously, accepting the canister.

"Well, it is no secret that you enjoy your tea," she chuckled, "and I was in Tea Country. I have it on good authority that this blend will appeal to you."

Neji's eyebrows rose fractionally. "Then your authority must be quite good, as this is indeed a blend I favor."

"Then I hope you enjoy it in good health," she smiled, rising to take her leave of him. He thanked her again, and she stepped out of his office.

"Thank you," she whispered to the secretary, who gave barely a nod of acknowledgment, but smiled smugly to herself. She'd helped a kind, young nurse, gotten to reprimand several people on the phone, and turn away no less than four people who were trying to get to Hyūga-san under the pretense of business in the hopes of selling something to him.

All in all, it had been a good day.

28.5 Suspects

11:00 PM KST
Konoha: ANBU base

Kakashi was sorting through the scrolls and information quickly amassing in his room.

With no warning, Sai appeared with and yet another scroll in hand.

"What have you found?"

Sai handed Kakashi his scroll. "A possible connection to previous infiltrations. Sasori of the Sand has a connection to Kabuto, who is currently connected with the goings on in Konoha. There was a sleeper agent put into place by Sasori that was killed when Gaara was attacked the first time. It is possible that that agent might have been collecting information on Sakura as well, isn't it?"

"Yes," Kakashi agreed sitting back in his seat. "Sleeper agents are tricky," he mused. "So often they appear to blend right in, but behind their cover, they are usually an agent with no known family, no known background, and no traceable past that can corrupt their cover."

Sai cocked his head to the side and gave one of his small, eerie grins.

"Yes," he agreed. "Like me."

Kakashi didn't have a chance to respond, as Sai continued with his report.

"I looked to Sakura's immediate circle of friends to see if anyone fit that description. Naruto, Lee, and Tenten all have no known living family, and made fairly frequent trips to Suna off and on from those first Chunin exams onward. There were others, of course," he allowed, "but I thought it best to look closest first, and then begin broadening my scope."

Kakashi stilled. "And do you suspect any of them?"

"No," Sai's tone was sure. "Naruto isn't susceptible to Sasori's methods because of Kurama, and Lee and Tenten's time in Suna is well documented. None of them were in Suna enough to be the main reporting agent. At best, they could have been tapped to be auxiliary agents, but that is improbable."

Sai crossed his arms.

"According to Temari, this Sasori had a way of creating agents that had no cognition of being used. We are fairly certain that he is dead, but that might still prove to be a problem."

"Because even if he is dead, that doesn't mean his agents aren't still active," Kakashi filled in. "And since we already know the records of Sakura didn't end up in Sasori's hands even when he was alive, he was working with or for someone, who could still use the sleeper agents."

"Correct," Sai nodded. "We also have to consider other methods of manipulation. For instance, Danzo could arrange to instill a false personality and identity into agents, and then use them to gather information. The jutsu had them record and transmit any findings – it usually ended with the agent losing their mind to a split personality disorder, so the final mission was always to eliminate themselves. Because of that, I must also be considered."

"It's not you," Kakashi dismissed the notion. "Doesn't add up. Besides – you were one of Danzo's elite. You are far more sensitive to his work than anyone; I suspect that you would know by now."

"Inoichi did check me for the known versions of the jutsus," he allowed, "but that doesn't eliminate me. Danzo's methods could be very hard to detect."

"And if Inoichi had any doubts about you," Kakashi countered, "you would not have been allowed in such close proximity to his daughter for the last few months."

Sai blinked twice, obviously taken aback.

"I hadn't thought about that," he took the scroll and tucked it at his waist. "Have we heard anything about the former Akatsuki members?"

"Most are dead," Kakashi folded his arms.

"Dead on record or dead actually?

"Dead actually," Kakashi gave a small grin behind his mask. "Jiraiya is going to visit the two that are dead on record to see if they can shed any light on our newest information." He waved his hands over the documents.

"Is there anything else?

Kakashi shook his head. "I have to meet with the others shortly. Continue with your investigations as directed."

Sai bowed and melted into the shadows.

Kakashi glanced at the time. He could leave now and be on time…

…or…

He flipped open his book and took a seat.

"Priorities," he murmured.

11:56 PM
Konoha: ANBU hospital

Neji was doing a 'stay awake' lap around the ANBU side of the hospital when he overheard the call at the nurses' station.

"I'm still going to need to give him his meds," Kaori said, worried. "Yes. Yes. Yes, alright – I'll see if I can find someone with-" She looked up and was visibly relieved. "Never mind. I'll ask Hyūga-san."

Neji quirked an eyebrow as she put the phone back on the receiver. "Ask me what?"

"We're short staffed," she said apologetically. "Mogusa got pulled into the ER, and I need to bring our secured patient his medicine on schedule. He has several injections that have to be given within a certain time frame. The only problem is, I don't have the clearance to do it by myself – Two people have to sign off on it."

"Do you have the patient's chart?"

She mutely handed him a clipboard. Neji scanned the chart before sliding into one of the empty seats at the nurses' station and comparing the chart to the electronic files. Logging off he nodded.

"I can take you back."

The nurse was visibly relieved and moved them quickly down the hall to Ranka's secured room. She was quick and efficient, and the patient remained undisturbed.

"He had to be sedated earlier today," she explained, speaking quietly. "He was quite agitated and practically hallucinating." She made several quick adjustments to the IV drip and changed out the fluids before reaching for the tray of needles. One injection into the IV port. One went in his thigh, and one went in his arm. Neji was not upset when it was time to leave.

"Thank you so much, Hyūga-san."

"Not a problem, Kaori," he repeated. "Happy to help."

He walked away with a small wave, heading back to his office.

Wednesday, August 19th 10:45 AM KST
Konoha: Ganma's ASF office

Genma flipped through the pages of the report, his face unreadable to the two eager shinobi across from him.

"So?" Konohamaru prompted. "What do you think?"

"It's a well-thought-out proposal," he allowed, leaning back in his chair.

Inari exchanged a glance with Konohamaru before venturing "Well thought-out like you're actually considering our proposal, or well thought-out like it's going in the circular file as soon as we walk out. Or sooner?"

"We recycle these days," Genma shrugged, and their faces fell.

"Sorry I'm late. Meeting ran over." Tenten strode into Genma's office, pausing when she caught sight of Konohamaru and Inari. "What did you two do now?"

"They're here with a proposal," Genma offered her the file.

With a suspicious look at the two young men, Tenten took the file and quickly read through the pages. Now and then her eyebrow would quirk, but whether it was in surprise, annoyance, or reflex, they couldn't tell.

She flipped through the pages one more time before handing it back to Genma.

Unable to contain himself any longer, Konohamaru blurted out "It's a good idea, right? You're gonna move her into the dorms anyway, might as well go with the early move-in date."

"It would follow the standard protocol," Inari interjected, possiblyprobablydefinitely kicking his roommate in sneaky ninja fashion. "There are already procedures in place concurrent with the University's early acceptance programs. There would be no cause for suspicion, and it would allow Hanabi to acclimatize to the campus and the dorms in a less populated environment."

"Right," Konohamaru added. "And it also allows for early security checks and a trial run of her living on campus both for her and the security team. If there really is still a threat to her, it would make sense to begin the transition when there are fewer people on campus. If someone wants to strike then, they will be easier to spot. And then later, when everyone is on campus, we will already have our security measures and procedures in place. They can't take advantage of the novelty of Hanabi's situation on her or our account."

Tenten looked to Genma and the two shared some sort of secret silent communication.

"Strong arguments," she offered.

Another second or two passed and Genma shrugged.

"We'll consider it."

Konohamaru started to speak up, but Inari clapped a firm hand on his shoulder. "Thank you. That's all that we ask."

"Yeah," Konohamaru echoed.

Inari stood up and shouldered his bag as Konohamaru did the same.

"So, when do we, uh," Konohamaru began.

"We look forward to your decision," Inari interrupted. "Since the security team would have to mobilize on any plans well in advance of the actual move in date, we'd like to have confirmation one way or the other as soon as possible."

"You'll have it by the end of the week," Genma put the report to the side.

"Thank you for your time," Inari offered a polite bow.

"Thanks," Konohamaru echoed.

Tenten waited until the door closed behind them and the security cameras showed that they had rounded the corner and taken the elevators.

"So," she dropped into the seat opposite Genma. "When are you going to tell them that we already discussed and approved the early move in date?"

"By the end of the week," Genma reiterated innocently. "And how was your meeting?"

"Which one," she snorted. She took a scroll out from her bag. "From Kakashi."

"When did you run into him?" Genma asked, taking the scroll.

"Between meetings," she sat back in her chair again. "So, you said we found the guy that jumped the medic the other night?"

"We did," he turned to his laptop and clicked through a few files. "Here is footage from that night." The footage popped up on the large monitor behind him, and he swiveled in his seat to watch.

"You can see the medic, Iō leaving via the civilian staff exit of the medical facility. Like most medics, he checks in on the civilian side and later takes the shuttles to the ANBU side of things. I checked the footage on either side of the incident; doesn't look like anyone was watching him. Ah – here you can see where he gets jumped."

Tenten leaned forward. "Just on the periphery of our camera network. You don't find that to be suspicious?"

"Might just be coincidence," Genma shifted the senbon in his mouth. "But the actual attack was not on any of our cameras. He doesn't remember much about it. His wallet was found a few streets over and dumped out. Cash was gone but cards were there. So was his security badge."

"A crime of opportunity?"

"Probably," Genma shrugged. "He says he never got a look at the person, and that if they had a problem with him personally, they didn't take the time to let him know about it. Thinks he was grabbed from behind and bear-hugged making him pass out."

Tenten frowned. "Must've been a pretty strong person, then. Didn't he suffer a blow to the back of the head?"

"Possibly," Genma handed her the medical report from the incident. "There was some swelling at the back of his head and bruising around his arms and ribs from where he was grabbed. Didn't go down that way last night, though."

Genma nodded to the monitor, and Tenten turned just in time to see Neji and Sakura exiting the hospital.

They were chatting to one another as they walked side-by-side, already in their civilian clothes. The screen flickered quickly as the view jumped to another camera. A bedraggled figure was hunkered down in a dirty coat, back against the wall.

Tenten's eyes widened.

"I've seen that guy before – he was panhandling a few blocks from here last week."

"He's been in our area lately," Genma shrugged, and they watched as the man raised his head and spoke to Neji and Sakura.

Sakura was clearly asking the man if he was alright while Neji watched him carefully. The man didn't notice Neji's Byakugan flare and recede, but shortly after it did, Neji put a firm hand on Sakura's elbow, checked his watch, and clearly began to steer them away. He must've given her some signal, because she complied without question. As soon as Neji's back was to the man, he leapt up, and latched himself around Neji. He growled something in the other man's ear, knife to his throat. Sakura remained calm and collected as she said something to the large man who had pinned Neji's arms to his sides, his arms easily wrapping around his victim.

Neji's Byakugan flared to life and Sakura took a step back in understanding. The barrage of chakra flew out through the tenketsu points in his throat, back, and arms, forcing the other man's arms to fly open as he was blasted back to slam against the wall. The knife clattered from his hand, and he stumbled to his feet, darting down an alley. Neji held a hand up to Sakura, calmly extracting his phone and making a call, watching the man the whole time. Once he gave her a nod of consent Sakura quietly assessed his injuries. Her chakra was bright even in the grayscale of the security footage, which Genma paused.

"ANBU caught up with him," Genma turned back to Tenten, handing her a slim file. "One of the agents caught sight of him within moments of Neji making the call. Brought him in last night. He's been confirmed as a missing resident at one of the local half-way houses. He was supposed to be with family, but it looks like he told the half-way house the wrong date for coming back. They just figured it out a day or two ago when the family called to let them know they hadn't heard from him since he left. Current verdict is that he forgot to take his medication and got confused. We have witnesses that corroborate his movements. He'll be released back into the care of the half-way house in a day or so, once he's balanced again."

"And is he the one that attacked Iō?" Tenten asked, scanning the paperwork.

"Yes," Genma nodded. "Inoichi performed a mind scan – there were memories of traveling back to Konoha, and then there was distortion. He said it was consistent with the kind of memory distortion experienced by someone in his condition. He had memories of stealing Iō's wallet and shoplifting a few things. He picked up the knife hours before he came across Neji and Sakura, but he caused no real harm to anyone."

"Good to know," Tenten mused.

Genma eyed her.

"What are you thinking?"

Tenten drummed her fingers on the desk, but kept her eyes on the file. "Maybe nothing," she shrugged one shoulder. "Where is he now?"

"He's been transferred to a secure room on the ANBU side of the hospital."

"And who is his attending physician?"

Genma watched her carefully. "Mogusa is the medic on rotation."

"Don't let Sakura near him," Tenten closed the file and put it in her bag. "Or Neji. Not until I've checked a few things out. Who was on their watch last night?"

"Sai. He didn't pursue the man since Neji was tracking him. He said he didn't interfere as Neji clearly had the matter in hand." He studied her. "Would you have done it differently?"

"No," she shook her head and checked her watch. She stood and slung her bag over her shoulder. "I've got to go. Don't keep the dynamic duo waiting for too long – you know they'll just get to be bigger pains in the ass."

"I already sent the orders," Genma shrugged. "They'll know by tomorrow that she's cleared for early move-in, and will be safely installed on campus before Welcome Week. I'd think that Konohamaru and Inari would be busy enough planning all of the Konoha House welcome back activities."

"And Hanabi has been cleared to attend all of those activities?"

"Yeah," he shrugged. "Security will actually be easier there than with something like the Summer Festival. Didn't see a reason not to approve it, from a security standpoint."

"Well then," she pushed her chair in. "Congratulations."

Genma frowned.

"For what?"

Tenten's smile was wicked.

"For greenlighting the Hyūga Heiress' first string of frat parties. Although, I'd suggest you not mention that to Hiashi; he might not recognize that particular accomplishment."

With that, Tenten turned and left the room, leaving Genma to facepalm in peace.

4:00 PM Land of Rivers/6:00 PM KST

"It is good to see you both," Jiraiya sat back in his chair.

He was enjoying the pleasant warmth blooming through his chest, courtesy of the half-empty sake bottle at his elbow, as well as seeing the two people across from him.

"And you," Yahiko said with a smile. "But as much as we have enjoyed your company, I'm guessing you didn't just randomly decide to pay us a visit?"

"Sadly, no," Jiraiya sighed. "There have been some new developments since I last contacted you."

Jiraiya pulled out a file and handed it to them. Yahiko, the more expressive of the two, was visibly surprised. Konan was more subtle in her reaction, but she was also clearly not expecting to see pictures of the two of them in Suna.

She reached out and took one of the pictures, turning it over to check the date.

"That isn't us," Yahiko looked up to Jiraiya with that same earnest look in his eyes that he had shown as a child.

"It couldn't be," Konan's voice was more matter-of-fact. She showed the back of the picture to Yahiko. "Look at the date."

He took the picture, his brows drawn together in concentration. Realization lit his features.

"You're right!" he said brightly, turning to Jiraiya. "Well, not that it was ever us in the first place," he hurried to explain, "but we were at the police station the night before this, and the doctor's the day of.

"Oh?" Jiraiya leaned forward. "What happened?"

"It's silly, really," Yahiko flushed. "It was an attempted mugging, but we were near civilians and had to pretend to not be able to fight back – at least not the way that we normally would."

"Mugging?"

"Three people," Konan supplied. "One large one held me 'captive' while the other two went after Yahiko. I managed use enough chakra to keep him from inflicting any real damage, and they escaped into the crowd once Yahiko let them take his wallet. We spent the rest of the evening giving our report at the police station."

"And did they ever find who was responsible?"

"We gave descriptions to the police, but we haven't heard anything yet."

Jiraiya looked to Konan. "Can you show me?"

Konan held out her hand and several pieces of paper lifted off of her palm and drifted to him. He plucked them from the air and studied the sketches of the people she'd given him.

"I can get you a copy of the police report," Yahiko offered.

"I can get that," Jiraiya waved the notion away. "What did the doctors say when you went to see them?"

Konan glanced at Yahiko and threaded their fingers together.

"That was an unrelated appointment," her eyes were smiling.

"But related to the appointment," Yahiko positively beamed. "We hope you can come back for a visit in the spring. We'll have someone new to introduce to you then."

Jiraiya's eyes darted between them, suddenly registering that Konan had not touched the sake, and that Yahiko was grinning like an idiot.

Something warmer than sake settled under his ribs as he put his hands over theirs.

"I wouldn't miss it for anything."

Thanks for reading friends! I started this story in 2014, as way to take breaks as a new mom. I have so many files for this work, and I hope to finish it out this year. Thank you for your support!

Chapter Text

Buckle up buttercups

You Must Believe in Spring
~Summer~
Chapter Fifteen: F is for Fake
Part I

Tuesday, August 18th 10:03 AM
Konoha, ANBU Training ground

Sasuke was sitting quietly in meditation. Of course, he knew he was coming.

Even if he hadn't felt his surging chakra, he probably would have heard him.

He wasn't subtle on his best days. Right now, he was a one-man parade – and that was saying something considering where they were.

"So, when were you going to tell me?" Naruto demanded, unceremoniously dumping a pile of newspapers and magazines into Sasuke's lap.

Sasuke slowly opened his eyes, and idly glanced down to the assortment of tabloid gold scattered on his lap. He casually picked up one on top, and leafed through the gaudy articles.

"So it's been released," he said, bored.

"Launched is more like it," Naruto glared at him. "What a fucking great way to start my morning – hearing all about the girl my best friend is going to marry, except it isn't the girl that he keeps insisting he still loves. No, it's the girl that he has apparently been dating since March, which is funny, since I was pretty sure I was dating her."

"You're dating Hinata?" Sasuke looked up calmly. "Did you let her know that?"

Naruto's fist connected with nothing but air, and Sasuke leaned against a tree, arms crossed.

"Quit fucking around, Teme," Naruto snarled. "Months' worth of photos – the two of you at dinner, meeting at Master Sarutobi's, taking secret romantic walks," he air-quoted violently. "Travelling together – getting back to Konoha last night. Were you just going to mention it when you handed me the invitation to your wedding?"

"You shouldn't believe everything you read, idiot," Sasuke scoffed.

"I didn't have to read," Naruto launched toward him. "The pictures told me more than what I needed to know."

"Do the words 'composite photo' mean anything to you?" Sasuke ducked a particularly violent kick. The tree that went flying across the clearing was not so lucky.

"Do the words 'fucking traitor' mean anything to you?" Naruto shot back venomously. "How about the words 'lying bastard?'"

He swiped at Sasuke's chest, missing by fractions of a millimeter. The released chakra was enough to slam Sasuke backward. Grunting, he dropped to a crouch, and charged ahead.

"And you know what the worst part is?" Naruto laughed bitterly. "I've been doing everything I can to get you and Sakura back together, and I thought she was helping me. Guess all of that advice about not being able to influence the hearts of our friends was just a real nice way of saying 'mind your own fucking business, because I'm already dating your best friend.'"

Sasuke narrowed his eyes, looking irritated for the first time.

"Hinata doesn't deserve that."

Naruto glowered at him.

Anger radiated from him - anger, betrayal, pain, and distrust - all of the things he should have felt when Sasuke abandoned the village, not once but twice. All of the times he should have doubted his friend, yet staunchly refused to even entertain the thought that Sasuke had turned away from them all.

They poured off of him in waves until the air was thick and charged with pure, raw energy.

"All this time, Sasuke," Naruto's voice was low and razor sharp. "All this time you were lying to me. Both of you."

"If you truly think that," Sasuke raked his gaze over him, "then you are an even bigger idiot than I thought."

Rage tore through Naruto, and exploded as a ragged cry of utter frustration as he hurled himself at Sasuke.

The blows that were exchanged and landed sent shock waves through the forest, sending animals fleeing from the epicenter of disaster.

"I'm not so much of an idiot that I can't see through you," Naruto taunted before they shoved away from each other.

"What have you even been doing this whole time?" he challenged. "All that talk about Sakura and wanting her back – did you ever do anything other than glare at Neji? Is this your way of getting back at them? Date his cousin and her good friend? And then what, Sasuke? Leave them all the way you left her?"

The air crackled with the sound of singing birds, and Naruto nearly didn't dodge the chidori. He flipped backward and dropped in a crouch waiting for the dust to clear.

Sasuke stood perfectly still, the blue lightning still dancing around his fingertips and singeing the air. When he looked up at Naruto, his eyes were sharp, and his voice was deadly calm.

"And that is what you think?" he asked softly.

"What am I supposed to think?" Naruto yelled.

Sasuke's Sharingan spun to life, and his jaw settled with grim determination.

"Then no more talk. Fight me – then we'll see what you really think."

10:17 AM KST
Konoha, ANBU Hospital: Sakura's office

She almost jumped at the gentle knock on her open door.

"Dr. Aburame," she blinked away the yawn-tears and cleared her throat. "What a pleasant surprise."

He studied her from behind his dark glasses. "You are tired."

"A few long nights," she gave an apologetic smile. "What can I do for you?"

"I had hoped to compare some notes on our research," he gestured to the files in his hands. "But if that is not convenient, then I can come back another time."

"No, no," she waved his concerns away. "That is an excellent idea. Please join me."

Shino gave an inclination of his head before placing his files on the long table.

"I hesitate to be premature in my estimations, but I believe I have found something important."

He neatly put three sheets of paper side by side.

"I took several samples and cell cultures from the pathogen you isolated in Kankurō, from Anko and Ranka's blood work, from the experimented-upon thief Sumashi, and the remains of the four bodies found in Iwa. I subjected them to a battery of tests, but most notably to a special class of arthropods that upon metabolizing biological material allows me to better analyze and compare the key components of the organism. Additional tests also help me determine which kind of metabolic processes the cells require for survival. If you'll notice," he motioned a hand over the papers, "we have some interesting findings here."

Sakura looked over his comparisons. "So, the pathogen we found in Kankurō and at the other poisoning sites does correlate with blank cell samples stolen."

"Yes," Shino nodded gravely.

"And these others?" she frowned.

"These others are samples cultured from Anko and Ranka's bloodwork, the remains in the morgue, and an as-yet unidentified cell culture from Iwa."

Sakura frowned. "They all match…why did you test this cell culture?"

"I asked for a small sample of all of them, and they were provided to me. It is unclear to me why this particular sample is a match – none were reported missing."

"And yet," Sakura studied his work, "it appears that Kabuto was using this sample if we are seeing it in Anko, Ranka, and the victims in the morgue. Do we have the Iwa Lab's profile on this sample?"

"We do," Shino handed her a separate file. "But it is not very helpful."

Sakura read over the file again and before lowering it to better see her quiet study partner. "This just doesn't make any sense," she said mused. "Our analysis of the sample doesn't match their profile at all, and I looked over this profile earlier in my research, but ruled it out as being connected to Kabuto or any poisoning attempts."

"Our analysis provided a profile unlike anything I've ever seen," Shino agreed. "I thought perhaps you might have encountered something similar in your research."

"I don't think so," she flicked through the pages again. "Let's cross reference these profiles and see what we find."

When Ino came in several hours later, Shino and Sakura were still deep in their work.

"What is all of this?" she asked "They look like R and D files."

"Sample profiles from the Iwa labs," Sakura sighed, stretching her back. "And this," she handed over a sheet, "is the profile our labs made for one of the samples. It doesn't match any of the paperwork provided to us. We think there is a tie to what's been happening, but we can't make a solid link. They certainly aren't anything we've seen in the pathogens introduced. The samples themselves don't even make sense."

Ino raised her eyebrows.

"Go ahead," Sakura handed over the papers. "I can't look at them anymore."

Ino scanned through several of the profiles, a puzzled look on her face. Suddenly she went very still.

"Sakura," Ino said, picking up another profile and scanning over it. "I don't think these are microbial profiles."

"Tell me about it," she snorted. "They don't line up to any viral or bacterial pathogen I can find. There was mild crossover with some fungal samples, but they didn't pan out."

"Nor did they match anything in my databases," Shino added.

"That's because it isn't strictly pathogenic," Ino said slowly, her eyes growing wider as they shuttled rapidly over the stack of papers.

Sakura sat up. "What do you mean."

"These are botanical."

"What?"

"Sakura – these profiles; the metabolic processes, the main components…. This is a bioorganism… but not human or pathogenic. This is a plant."

"A plant?" Sakura's eyebrows drew together. "How can that be? These are cell cultures – no cell walls, no photosynthetic receptors, no vacuoles, no chloroplasts – nothing to indicate that this isn't an animal or bacterial cell."

"I don't know," Ino worried her lip, "but I do know one thing for certain – you've been looking in the wrong Kingdom. These are absolutely complex and highly engineered botanical cells. "

"But these are almost human, Ino," Sakura blinked. "They don't function at all like plant cells."

"Carnivorous plants," Ino said, eyes narrowing at the paper. "I'd bet on it, Sakura."

"But what about this?" Sakura asked, jabbing a finger at the DNA analysis. "It matches human DNA."

"Not just any human DNA," Ino's eyes grew wide. "I recognize part of this – Sakura, do you know what we are looking at?"

She shook her head.

"This is similar to Captain Yamato's. Those are the markers for wood release."

"This is the Captain's?" Sakura asked.

"No," Ino got to her feet and began gathering the files. "We have to get down to my lab immediately – I'm going to need your help – especially yours, Shino."

Shino looked surprised, but simply murmured. "Of course."

Ino handed a specific file to Sakura.

"This profile is awfully closed to some highly classified samples I didn't even know existed until I'd been here for four years."

"Samples?" Sakura cocked her head to the side. "What kind of samples?"

"Does the name Hashirama ring any bells?" Ino asked.

Sakura frowned. "Like in the first Hokage Hashirama?"

"That's the one," Ino said grimly. "And if I'm not mistaken, his DNA is part of the sample."

"But it isn't marked as something like that," Sakura frowned. "This isn't even a classified sample."

"And the profile you were given wasn't classified," Ino pointed out. "Looks like someone has been tampering with the inventory."

Sakura frowned.

"Should we alert the lab?"

"Not yet. Let's see what Shino and I find first. If someone tampered with the samples, we can't let people know about it. And one more thing."

Sakura didn't even hazard a guess.

"Call Sasuke. We are going to need his input."

"Sasuke?" Sakura frowned. "Why?"

"Because he figured out that something was wrong," Ino said pointedly. "The Sharingan catalogues everything. I'm betting he saw something he didn't even know he saw, and maybe him seeing what we find will help us pinpoint what that was. And if it doesn't, then maybe I can."

"You can what?" Sakura asked warily.

"Jog a few memories," she said grimly, gathering the files. "C'mon. Shino and I can go on ahead while you get a hold of Sasuke."

Sakura grabbed her things and followed, her heart pounding not in fear but excitement.

"Finally," she thought. "Finally, some answers."

12:39 PM KST
Konoha, Hyūga compound

Naruto didn't care that the Hyūga compound was full of people that could see his every move. He didn't care that crossing that many borders and barriers would alert ANBU and just about everyone else on the planet.

No.

What he cared about was he knew where she was.

Hinata was sitting quietly in the garden, reading the old scrolls when he appeared in front of her, scratched and bruised and covered in dirt.

"Naruto!" she gasped. "What happened!"

But before she could get up, he fell to his knees and grabbed her hands. "I'm sorry," he gasped out, resting his head against her knees. "I'm an idiot, and I'm sorry."

Hinata frowned.

"What are you talking about, Naruto?" she asked. "And what in the world happened to you?"

"Nothing, I'm fine," he dismissed her concern over his injuries. "But I owe you an apology. I didn't.. I shouldn't … I never should've believed any of that stuff – I know it isn't you."

Realization sluiced over her features. "I had hoped they would warn you," she said, reluctantly. "I had heard they wouldn't release anything quite yet, but apparently, they decided to up the timetable at the last minute. I suppose I just assumed that you knew…" she trailed off. "I am so sorry, Naruto. I should've told you."

She rested a hesitant hand on his shoulder. "All of those photos are completely out of context, and many were digitally altered. Sasuke has been most kind these last few months, but there is nothing between us. Not like that."

She hesitated before putting gentle fingers to his cheek. "Not like what is between you and I… or what I hope could be-"

The rest of her sentence was abandoned when he swept her lips into a fervent kiss.

Her gentle fingers rested lightly on his chest before curling into the fabric and pulling him closer.

And for the first time since anything between them had started, Naruto abandoned caution and attempts at propriety, and kissed her the way he'd never known he'd wanted to.

As for Hinata, she thought that maybe this once her father's extreme pushiness had worked out for the best.

Wednesday, August 19th 8:43 PM KST
Konoha, ANBU Hospital/Neji's office

Neji was back on the ANBU side of the hospital, sorting through some archives.

"I appreciate your help, Iō," he told the medic sitting at the table.

"And I appreciate having something to do while I'm still on 'light duty,'" Iō smiled.

"Well you aren't officially on light duty any more," Neji admitted. "But considering the workload I've had, and all circumstances aside, I am pleased that the timing of this worked out."

"Did we ever hear more about the person who jumped us?"

"He is well and back in the care of his half-way house. Apparently once his medications were straightened out, he stabilized and returned to normal."

"And does he remember any of the muggings?" Iō handed him a box of scrolls. "Did he jump anyone other than us?"

"His memory is patchy," Neji said carefully. "But it is clear that he meant no actual harm, and we've pressed no charges."

"Well that is good," Iō gave a satisfied nod. "I would hate to see harm come to an innocent – although my ribs can't go so far as to call him harmless."

Neji couldn't quite disagree, and they shared a knowing look.

Iō checked his watch. "Tea?"

"That would be most welcome," Neji resealed several scrolls.

"The usual?"

"Please. I must remember to thank Kaori again for the tea - I've scarcely had anything else since she gave it to me."

Iō smiled.

"I am sure she will be glad to hear it."

Friday, August 28th, 12:01 AM
Konoha: ANBU Hospital

Kaori had just signed the nurse's log when her phone buzzed in her pocket,

Her reply was succinct.

'Final dosage delivered. Incubation complete.'

She looked up to find Iō approaching. He handed her a chart and she flipped through it idly.

"So, he drank his tea," she murmured. Her phone buzzed with a reply.

'Release and integrate with retrieved samples.'

She held up her phone to Iō who nodded.

"I'll take care of the cameras," she said quietly.

He nodded again, and they went back to work.

Seven minutes later, Iō slipped down to Neji's office and knocked. There was no answer, but he opened the door and closed it behind him.

Neji was very much asleep on the couch, his breathing slow and deep. He quickly gathered and disposed of the drugged tea, moving with all possible quiet.

The knock on the door was quiet, and Kaori looked up at him expectantly.

"Right on time," he said smoothly.

"Pardon me, Huyga-san," she opened the door a bit wider. "But I need your help with Ranka again."

And the cameras recorded Neji closing his office door and following Kaori back to Ranka's room.

Ranka's face was tight with pain, and the thin sheen of sweat.

"He's been fighting it all day," Kaori murmured, pulling a needle out of her pocket. She jabbed it unceremoniously into Ranka's leg while Neji restrained him. She stuffed a wad of gauze into his mouth to muffle his groans before joining Neji in holding him down as he writhed in pain, despite the twilight sedation.

Something sinuous began to slide under Ranka's skin, traveling to bulge in his back.

"Sit him up," she instructed.

They forced him to a sitting position, and he promptly wrapped his arms around himself before doubling over.

"Here," she traced a pattern on his back over the area where the mass was growing. "Kabuto called it the triangle of auscultation. This is where they will-"

But she didn't need to say anything more.

The bulge swelled and then burst as a mass of white erupted from his back.

The mass quickly took shape, and in seconds, seven identical humanoid figures stood at attention.

"Heal him," Neji told one of the clones. "The rest of you," he held out his hands. "Come absorb the chakra signatures you will need."

While one clone mended Ranka's wounds and stabilized his chakra, three latched on to Neji and three latched on to Kaori.

The clone healing Ranka finished and then collapsed, considerably weakened, collapsed.

"Consume him," Kaori told another clone, and he devoured his copy.

She and Neji stepped back from the others.

"Change," he directed.

The six white beings morphed into a series of copies – a variety of nurses and staff that had tended Ranka, Neji, Kaori, as well as individuals Kabuto had coded them with before they had been implanted in Ranka.

Neji's smile became predatory. "You have your orders. Move out."

Chapter Text

This chapter runs concurrently with Bonfire Nights, Chapter 12.

You Must Believe in Spring
~Summer~
Chapter Sixteen: F is for Fake
Part II

Saturday, September 5^th, 9:00 AM KST
Konoha: ANBU Base/Tsunade’s office

Tsunade didn’t often make appointments for Saturday, unless she absolutely had to. She motioned for Shizune to answer the door, allowing a stoic Uchiha to enter.

“You summoned me?” his neutral tone did nothing to hide his irritation.

“Have a seat,” Tsunade motioned to the chairs in front of her desk. “Shino, Sakura, catch him up.”

Sakura handed Sasuke a folder, and Shino cleared his throat.

“We suspect more than one kind of sample was stolen from the UI labs, and that one was intentionally mislabeled. It is highly possible that rare and top-secret samples of Hashirama Senju’s have been stolen and manipulated by the enemy.”

“Senju’s?” Sasuke shot a look to Tsunade. “Is that possible?”

“It shouldn’t be,” she drummed her fingers on her desk, “but it appears likely.”

“We wondered if you could go through the paperwork with us again,” Sakura motioned to his folder. “Maybe you will catch something we did not.”

“Then we might as well go through these as well,” he pulled out a file of his own. “I have it on good authority that if we can determine the source of this rogue lab’s funding, we can find the lab.”

“Sasuke,” Sakura breathed, opening the file. “When did you have time to do this? And how did you get the data from the Hyūga sales?”

“Hinata,” he shrugged. “She helped me go through everything and narrow it down.”

“Ah,” Shino looked over Sakura’s shoulder. “Would this be on the same trip you took to the Star Festival?”

Sasuke arched an eyebrow. “Don’t tell me you read the tabloids, Aburame.”

“Of course not,” he scoffed. “But Kiba does, and he quite enjoyed their speculations.”

“I’ll bet,” Sasuke tsked, flipping open his own file. “I’m guessing as he hasn’t threatened me, he figured out it was all for show?”

“We know our teammate better than that,” Shino nodded and Sakura turned the page. “But with the threat to dōjutsu users, it makes sense. Why? That is because, anyone who would think to target Hinata would have to think several times before potentially engaging you in combat.”

“Precisely the point,” Tsunade scribbled some notes on her file. “It also gives Sasuke the appearance of having an alliance with one of the most powerful clans in Konoha. I have to give you credit, Uchiha. You have been oddly tolerant of the whole situation.”

Sasuke shrugged again. “Hinata is easy to get along with, and the clan matters aren’t so different than mine were. The faster we draw out whoever is looking for the Byakugan and the Sharingan, the better.”

“Who is Tobi Nohara?”

They each turned to look at Sakura.

“Tobi Nohara,” Tsunade frowned. “I don’t know that name.”

“Well, the name shows up in several places,” she pointed to one of the pages, “but not always under the same title. Each company alone doesn’t tell me much, but if I look at all of the inventory purchased combined,” she tipped the page closer to Shino.

“Those supplies would definitely be in a lab capable of manipulating those cells.”

“Then this is where we need to start,” Sakura tapped the page. “Sasuke, can you run the data on the UI side of things? I can ask Neji for the HE data.”

“Hinata offered to give me access should we need to revisit the data. I’ll cross check both to make it more efficient.”

“That’s probably smart,” Sakura smiled wryly. “Neji is keeping some crazy hours lately.”

“I’ll look these over as well,” he held up the file she had given him. He stood. “Is that all, then?”

“Yes, yes,” Tsunade waved her hand irritably. “Get to it, you brat.”

With a brief nod to the room, Sasuke left.

“As for you, two,” Tsunade faced Shino and Sakura. “Go home. It is Saturday, and you’ve put in extra time on this. Go, relax, and come back to tackle this on Monday.”  She waited until her office emptied before leaning back in her chair with a sigh.

Shizune was still flicking through the files Shino and Sakura had provided. “I still can’t make heads or tails of what these people are trying to accomplish, here,” she muttered.

“And that is what worries me the most,” Tsunade rubbed her temples. “No one would take these specific samples without a clear agenda, and they’ve already proven to be capable of highly advanced engineering. With Hashirama’s cells, the possibilities are endless.”

“Endless possibilities also means endless research angles,” Shizune added. We are dedicating a significant amount of time to what might be the wrong idea entirely.”

“It’s what we have to go on,” Tsunade sighed and leaned her head back on her chair. “I want you to keep tabs on Neji, Sakura, Shino, and Ino. We need to keep at this, but we can’t exhaust everyone at once.”

“I can already tell you Neji is practically living between the two hospitals,” Shizune flicked through some papers on her clipboard. “It’s that time of year for all of the administrative staff, especially him.”

“And unfortunately, there isn’t really anyone who can help much,” Tsunade finished for her. “I will talk to him; I know Hinata is handling some of the work on the civilian side, so perhaps that will give him some relief. I suppose,” she slid her glance to Shizune, “I can help here and there as well.”

“I’ll let him know,” Shizune hid her smile.

“Dismissed,” Tsunade waved a hand, and Shizune pretended not to hear the clink of glass as she closed the door.

9:33 AM KST
Konoha, Kunoichi Garden Apartments #2822

Tenten did a final check on the balcony before entering the apartment.

"Ino?" she called.

"Hey," her friend came out from her room. "Got everything done?"

"Yeah," she closed the door to the balcony. "I did a quick window check, and I'll go by tonight to make sure it's all good from the outside."

"Thanks," Ino gave her an appreciative smile. "I knew were the one to ask."

"No worries," Tenten pocketed her phone. "So, which one of you sleepwalks?"

"Sakura," Ino said with a wry smile. "She did it more when we were kids, and when she first moved to Suna. It's usually triggered by stress – you should've seen her during exam week at KU."

"I bet," Tenten said, sympathetically. "But don't worry. Those seals will keep anyone from seeing in or hearing anything - and she can't fall out of the balcony," Tenten glanced back to the sliding doors. "They'll activate at dusk. No one in, no one out – not unless you bother to deactivate them. They'll keep sound out, too."

"I know," Ino rubbed her arm. "When we first moved in here a few years back, I found her out there crying a few nights. None of the neighbors could hear, and I usually let her be until she calmed down. I heard her walking around the other night, and I know her sleep is all over the place lately. Just thought it would make sense to check."

"Well, the surveillance cameras for the different buildings I "borrowed" to check the balcony from different angles are back to their positions now," she nodded to the windows. "The ANBU one monitors the building, not your unit specifically. But the seals and your alarm are tied into our systems – if anything does happen, someone will be here in record time."

"I know," she gave a quick nod. "Thanks for doing all of this - Shikamaru always spends half of the time reminding me how much of a pain in the ass all of it is."

"Well, if you want to trade, Lee can tell you how youthful it all is," Tenten winked.

Ino laughed. "How are your teammates?"

"Lee is Lee," Tenten grinned. "He is training for a big charity race. As for Neji, you probably see more of him than I do these days. Last time I really saw him was when he came out for Kiba's birthday."

Ino's grin turned sly.

"And how's Kiba?"

"He's fine," Tenten shrugged. "Said something about meeting up with Sai soon."

"Sai is a big fan of Kiba," Ino laughed. "He always looks forward to seeing him."

"Well then," Tenten's eyes sparked mischief. "We'll have to arrange a double date."

"Oh, ha ha," Ino said flatly. Tenten's phone rang just as there was a knock at the door.

"Balcony," Tenten mouthed while Ino went to answer the door.

"Neji?" she asked, surprised. "I wasn't expecting you."

"Sorry to stop by unannounced," he stepped in as she closed the door behind him. "But I was in the neighborhood and thought I’d bring by some refreshments.” He held up a bag and a drink carrier from the local coffee shop.

“How thoughtful of you,” she smiled, and motioned for him to follow her into the kitchen. “Sakura is meeting with Tsunade right now, she took Sakura’s coffee and put it into the microwave to keep it warm. You are welcome to stay until she returns, if you like.”

“Mm,” Neji took a sip of his coffee and leaned against the counter. “Well as long as I’m here, I have a few things I’d like to ask you, if you don’t mind.”

“Sure,” she shrugged. “What’s up?” Her grin turned teasing. "Planning a hot date?"

Neji might've had something to say to that, but he was interrupted by the slide of the balcony door and the clack of vertical blinds.

"Alright, Ino," Tenten's voice drifted toward them. "I've got to get back to base."

Neji quirked an eyebrow at Ino.

"Tenten was checking out the seals on our balcony," Ino explained. "What ended up being wrong with them, again?"

"The seals were still intact. They just needed to be resequenced," she shrugged. "Happens now and then."

"You made alterations to the security? And you are certain you did it properly?" Neji asked.

Tenten arched an eyebrow at him. "Are you questioning my work, Neji?"

"Let's take a look, shall we?" he brushed past her and headed to the balcony.

Ino instinctively stepped back when Tenten turned to glower at her teammate.

"You touch my work, and I push you off of the balcony, Hyūga," she called after him.

"If you did your work properly, I won't go very far, will I?" he shot back, running a hand over the railing.

"I can deactivate them just as easily as I activated them," she crossed her arms and leaned in the doorway.

He pulsed chakra at several parts on the balcony and frowned.

"This doesn't feel right."

"Which part?" she asked, drumming her fingers on her arm. "The part where you are pretending you are better at sealing techniques than I am or the part where you are actually calling my work into question?"

"The chakra loop is disrupted," he continued. "The seal is incomplete."

"No," she rolled her eyes. "The seal has built in exceptions."

"And how is that keeping anyone safe," Neji looked over the balcony and down to the garden before looking up toward the roof.

"I don't have time for this," Tenten scoffed. "Call Genma if you have a complaint. But leave the seals alone."

"Is that a threat?" he asked coolly.

"That was fair warning," she returned sweetly. "I reset those seals and my seals have anti-tampering mechanisms. So, unless you want your ass blown across the street, don't. Fuck. With. My. Work."

"Who are the exceptions?"

"Again," she did a palms-up. "No time for this."

"I'm not one."

"Of course you aren't," she tossed up her hands. "You are also under protection. Why would you be allowed to cross a barrier that you are more likely to be on the other side of? If you are here, Sakura invited you, and you would be INSIDE. If anyone comes for Sakura they could actually be coming for you. You can't cross the barrier so you can't be kidnapped here."

He stared back at her.

"But security agents can cross it?"

"Specific ones, yes," she narrowed her eyes.

"Specific, like Uchiha?" he asked acidly. "Because that makes you a bit of a traitor, doesn't it, now, Tenten?"

Tenten blinked several times before giving her head a small shake.

"Wow, Neji. Just… Wow."

Without another word, she turned and pressed her hand to the wall. With that, she went back into the apartment, closing the door behind her. He instantly realized what she'd done.

Five minutes later, Ino opened the door.

"Tenten said you wanted to get some air," she handed him a bottle of water. "Thought you might be thirsty."

"Did she mention the part where she sealed me out on the balcony?" he took the water.

Ino's eyes got wide.

"What?"

"It's my fault," he sighed. "I pushed her too far when questioning her about some of her recent behavior. She has been… erratic lately."

"Erratic?" Ino frowned. "Erratic, how?"

Neji's smile was faint. "Unfortunately, one of the people that could best answer you is in the morgue with evidence of an overdone interrogation."

"What?" she gasped. "When did this happen?"

He took a deep breath. "It's been happening." He studied her a while longer. "I'd appreciate if you didn't mention this to anyone. Not until we have the matter a little more well in hand."

"Of course," Ino agreed. "And anything we can do to help - anything at all -" she trailed off.

"Thank you," he exhaled. "I'll bear that in mind - but for now, please..."

"I won't say anything to anyone," she promised.

"Thanks, Ino," he said wearily. "I knew I could count on you."

9:21 AM KST
Konoha, Allied Shinobi Forces/Genma’s office

“Erratic, you say?”

“Yes. Very.”

“Hm,” Genma considered the man across from him. “For how long would you say?”

“Since returning from the Summer Festival, at the very least,” Neji folded his hands over his knee. “At least, it has been more noticeable.”

“How so?”

“You saw the body of that man, Genma,” Neji met his eyes in challenge. “We both know who put those marks there, and that they were intentionally shallow and meant to intimidate. We also both know that didn’t happen under your watch. It was under Ibiki’s.”

“Do we know that?” Genma arched an eyebrow.

Neji stared back.

“Even if it is as you say,” Genma twirled his senbon between his fingers, “if it was under Ibiki, it was at his instruction. Unless you know anyone who would willingly do otherwise while under his command.”

“Make it make sense, Genma,” he countered evenly. “Even if Ibiki was part of the retrieval, there seems to be no cause for her to fall under his command – even if her assigned team was sent to tag along. Those methods are nothing like what she has been trained to do, or is expected to do under your jurisdiction.”

“Do you know what one of the perks of my job is, Hyūga?”

Neji raised his eyebrows, expectantly.

“While I liaise with the Hyūga, I am under no obligation to report to them on situations I deem to be beyond their purview. To put it simply,” he leaned forward, “my agents and their work in the field is of no concern of yours.”

Neji stiffened.

“My teammates will always be a concern of mine,” he said icily. “Just as I extend more courtesy to you as one of my sensei’s former teammates, and you have always kept him appraised of our missions under you.”

“Maybe when you were all younger,” Genma shrugged. “But even Gai knows not to ask about things beyond his concern. I suggest,” he stood, signaling the end of the meeting, “you follow his lead.”

Neji stood slowly, his eyes never leaving Genma’s.

“If I need to file a formal complaint,” his tone was low, “I will do so and appeal to those who outrank both of us.”

“Who am I to stop you?” Genma met his stare unwaveringly. “But consider that it won’t be me coming back to you to discuss it, and you had better be prepared for the repercussions of such actions.”

With that, Genma held open the door.

It was several long moments later when Neji exited, without another word.

Genma closed the door, but stared at it as he took his seat.

He glanced at the calendar on his screen, and the entry for a security meeting that evening.

Perhaps it would be more entertaining after all.

11:42 AM KST
Konoha, ANBU Hospital, Nurses station

“Thanks for those files, Kaori,” Sakura said as she saw the nurse at the desk. “I appreciate your help.”

“No problem,” the woman waved it off with a sunny smile. She flicked her gaze down the hall. “Going to check in on Mr. Hyūga?”

“He has meetings right now,” Sakura checked her phone. “I’ll try to convince him to have some lunch in a little while.”

“You’ve been busy yourself,” Kaori nodded to the files in the doctor’s arms. “Anything I can help with?”

“You’re sweet,” Sakura smiled. “I appreciate it, but these are all things I need to work up and sign off on. You know how crazy it is around here right now.”

“I do,” she laughed. “It almost makes me wish I had passed out later so I could have missed this!”

Sakura gave a rueful smile. “We’ll all be glad when the accreditation and other things are done. Take care!”

Kaori waved to Dr. Haruno as she went down the long hall, presumably to her own office, and then went back to work.

11:42 AM KST
Konoha, ANBU Hospital, Staff lounge

Kaori and Io and Mogusa took their breaks around the same time, when there was no other staff around. Therefore, it went unnoticed when Io, Mogusa, and Neji left the room one after the other.

1:45 PM KST
Konoha, ANBU Hospital, Neji’s office

“Neji?”

Neji looked up from his work, to find Sakura standing in the doorway.

“Sakura,” he blinked as if clearing his eyes. “What can I do for you?”

“Come on,” she crossed her arms. “We are going to lunch, and you are taking a break and having a decent meal before coming back to all of this.

Neji started to protest, but the sharp look in her eyes and the stubborn tilt of her chin made him put his hands up in surrender.

“Let me send this last email and we can go.”

1:47 PM KST
Konoha, ANBU Base, Locker room

“Neji,” Lee smiled, finding his teammate at his locker. “What a surprise to see you here in the middle of the day!”

“I needed a break from looking at those files,” Neji gave a half-hearted smile.

“Would you like to go train?” Lee asked, equal parts hopeful and concerned.

“Just finished up a quick session,” he said on a sigh. “I have to get back to it.”

“Understandable,” Lee clapped a hand on his shoulder. “I look forward to when we can resume our team training.”

“Tenten hasn’t been going in the mornings?”

“Not lately,” Lee put his gym bag on the low bench and unzipped it. “Her workload has gone up, too. I am guessing what little free time she has she uses to recuperate and occasionally see Kiba.”

“Mm,” Neji buttoned the cuffs of his long-sleeved shirt. “Lee,” he began cautiously. “When was the last time you spoke with Tenten?”

“We text every day,” Lee opened his locker, “but she’s been too busy to meet lately.” He looked back to Neji, heavy eyebrows raised. “Why?”

Neji seemed to ponder it before shaking his head. “It’s probably nothing. She just seemed… not herself the last few times we spoke. Like something is off.”

“Off?” Lee turned to face him. “Off how?”

“It’s hard to say,” Neji mused. “Preoccupied maybe? Even…anxious?” He shrugged. “She hasn’t said anything to me, so I wondered if she had mentioned anything to you.”

“No,” Lee shook his head. “She hasn’t.” He thought about it with a slight frown. “I know she is busy today, but maybe I can catch her tomorrow at some point. Just to check in.”

“Good idea,” Neji gave a small smile, gathered his things, and closed his locker. “See you later, Lee.”

“See you,” Lee trailed off even as the door swung closed behind his teammate. “Strange,” he murmured. He sent a preliminary text to Tenten (and expected her to reply when she could) and then went to train.

3:17 PM KST
Konoha, ANBU base/Conference room #1

“You didn’t need to come here,” Sasuke said in what might have been a vague apology.

“And leave my fiancé to struggle alone,” Hinata teased, her eyes on her laptop. “What would the media think?”

“I’d trust them to figure it out before Naruto,” Sasuke tossed back dryly. “I hope he apologized properly.”

Her flush was not as bright as he expected, but she kept her composure. “He did.”

“And did you speak to him about the Bonfire season, especially the big events coming up?”

“We will mostly be in a group, but yes,” Hinata frowned for a second at her screen before continuing. “He agrees that it will make sense for you to be seen near Hanabi and I, and that the press team will take care of the rest.”

“At least they don’t expect us to be overly affectionate in public,” he muttered.

“Neither of us are the type,” she laughed lightly. “Hopefully that will make it more believable when we part ‘on amicable terms.’”

“Oh, I don’t know,” Sasuke focused on typing. “I had planned to make a run at ‘stoically despairing.’”

“It won’t keep anyone from going after you,” she pointed her pen at him. “If anything, it will bring out those who want to ‘heal’ you.”

“Sadly, I shall be too disheartened to even entertain the idea of meeting anyone new,” he said flatly. “For quite some time.”

“I can only wish you luck,” she shrugged.

“I’ll need it,” he muttered.

She checked her watch, and then went back to typing. “I just sent over the encrypted files,” she scanned her screen for confirmation. “We should feed all of the data through our analyzation program to better incorporate any findings.”

“Agreed,” he opened the file and began to feed the data in. A few minutes later, he sat back in his chair. “And now we wait.”

“Do we think this,” she checked her notes, “Tobi Nohara is a real person?”

“We don’t know yet,” Sasuke admitted. “It is more likely a convenient alias.”

“Mm,” she hummed. “Still,” she opened another window on her laptop, “it wouldn’t hurt to do some checking while we wait.”

He leaned to look over her shoulder. “Do you have the clearance for ANBU’s systems?”

“You’d be surprised the places a Clan Mother can access,” she said with a wry smile. “I have some access even my Father doesn’t have – at least in these sorts of matters.”

“So why the wait to join ANBU?”

“Technically I am exempt,” she flicked a glance to him and then back to the computer. “But I asked to be included. It just made sense, given the circumstances.”

“And it didn’t make sense before then?”

“Not really,” her eyes darted between windows. “My main duty is to the clan. With what is happening, it is more sensible to have me involved rather than informed.”

“And what about when this is done?”

“I believe I am where I need to be, at least for the foreseeable future,” she said vaguely.

“I suppose you are right,” he sat back. “The Hyūga are lucky to have someone so capable.”

“I’m lucky in my friends,” she corrected. “We both are.”

“Yes,” he said quietly. “I suppose you are right.”

“I’m sending a request to Shikamaru,” she began typing again. “I want him on alert if we need to go beyond the scope of our current resources. He is one of the only ones who can access anything we can’t.”

“He’ll say it is troublesome.”

“Of course he will,” she chuckled. “But he will get it done just the same.”

Sasuke hummed his agreement just as his phone buzzed in his pocket. He read the message quickly, his eyebrows raised. “Genma suggests we go to dinner tonight,” he looked up to her as her phone vibrated on the table. “He seems to think we should be seen together.”

“I suppose that is fair,” she opened the same message. “Shall I tell him to make the arrangements?”

“No,” he began typing. “I will make them. He can pay for them. This should be done by then,” he motioned to the laptops. “We can meet again tomorrow to continue our work. Shall I pick you up at your home?”

“I suppose so,” she sighed. Their phones vibrated again, and Sasuke rolled his eyes.

“Genma is giving Naruto the heads up so he doesn’t blow our cover.”

“I am sorry about all of this,” Hinata met his eyes. “As much as I appreciate it, I know it isn’t particularly convenient for you.”

He lifted one shoulder. “I’ve had worse assignments.”

She considered him, but whatever she had been about to say was interrupted by the ping of her computer. “Ah, there we go. The data has been fully submitted. Once I get the cross-check information back, I shall let you know. What time shall I expect you?”

“Five,” he decided. “At Akamichi’s smaller restaurant.”

“Chōchō?”

“That’s the one.”

“I shall be ready.”

With that, she took her leave, and he began to pack his things away. His own data was still processing, but he didn’t need to have his computer open. Instead, he decided to stop by Genma’s office before heading home. He had a few questions about tonight’s security, and wouldn’t mind time to recenter at home before joining Hinata for dinner.

9:21 PM KST
Konoha: ANBU Hospital

Kaori looked in and saw Neji and Iō still at work in the archives. She clocked out of work and walked the short distance to a lonely bus stop.

The bus picked up only one passenger.

Three stops later, Neji stepped out of the bus and headed toward KU's campus.

9:27 PM
Konoha, The Corner Bar

Sai returned to Konoha earlier that morning, and as soon as he had given all of his reports, he had contacted Kiba to go out for drinks. Unfortunately, they were not able to meet before 9:00 PM; fortunately, both of them had the next day off.

Kiba suggested meeting at a small, quiet bar unlikely to be affected by the returning student body.

The waitress plunked down two drinks on the table, and winked at the men as she walked away.

"I believe that one was for your benefit," Sai noted.

"Don't be so sure, Sai," Kiba chuckled. "She's been eyeing you up all night."

"As I understand it," Sai pulled out a notebook, "she has sent signals of interest in me before. They significantly lessened when Sasuke was here, though."

"Yeah, I can see that," Kiba gave a snort of laughter. "Uchiha's always had a crowd of girls following him. Doesn't hurt that his civilian identity is that of the sole heir to the Uchiha empire."

"I have found that referring to Sasuke as the 'Uchiha Scion' is not advisable," Sai grimaced. "He was most emphatic in expressing his displeasure."

Kiba smirked into his drink. "I'll bet."

Sai cocked his head, curiously. "Were you also close to Sasuke when you were younger?"

"Not especially," Kiba shrugged one shoulder. "Didn't really work much together. There was that whole retrieval mission when we were sixteen… but it didn't go well."

"I heard about that," Sai mused.

"Yeah, well," Kiba sighed. "If I'd lost what was left of my family all in one night, I think I'd've flipped out, too."

"I thought his brother survived."

"At the time, as far as Sasuke knew, Itachi killed their parents," Kiba shook his head. "Doesn't get much more lost than that. In fact, I think that's worse in its own way."

"You have siblings, don't you?"

"One sister," Kiba took a swig of beer. "Hana."

"I don't believe I've ever met her."

"She moved away before you came into the picture."

"How much older is she?"

"Five years," Kiba took a pull from his beer.

"Five years," Sai mused. "Uchiha's brother would've been in the same year, wouldn't he?"

"In regular school, yeah," Kiba nodded. "Hana took all accelerated stuff, but even so, Itachi was pushed ahead in the Shinobi side of things. He attended the academy largely for publicity reasons. He was pulled into ANBU super early."

"He worked with Kakashi for a time, too, didn't he?"

"That's what I hear," Kiba shrugged. "I'm not really the one to ask...but I don't know that I'd go asking Uchiha, either."

Sai gave an understanding nod.

"So. How is coitus with Tenten?" he changed the subject.

"Good change of subject," Kiba tipped back his beer, "terrible transition."

Sai furrowed his brow.

"Is that not the kind of thing we are supposed to discuss while drinking? I thought you were to boast of your sexual exploits? I heard that you have a longstanding reputation in making them."

"You get that from Hyūga's rant in the locker room a while back?" Kiba asked slyly.

Sai froze.

"It's okay," Kiba shrugged. "I could smell you guys – I knew you weren't very far away. Normally Hyūga would've noticed, but he was too busy grilling my ass about his teammate."

"Why did he do that?" Sai asked. "That seemed very strange to me. Ino says it is because she falls under his precious people and he doesn't feel you treat her with the same standards he holds."

"Smart girl," Kiba muttered. "So," he drawled. "Seems like you are spending quite a bit of time with Ino lately."

"I have been working at Yamanaka Hana," Sai agreed. "It has proven to be most informative."

"Now that I can believe," Kiba's fanged smile widened. "And what does Konoha's Gossip Queen have to say these days?"

"She does not care for that title," Sai said seriously.

"Well, what does she care for," Kiba asked a little too innocently.

Sai cocked his head to the side. "She is very loyal to her friends. She is concerned for Dr. Haruno."

"For Sakura?" Kiba quirked an eyebrow. "She seems to be doing alright."

"Yes, she has adapted to ANBU well…I believe Ino is more concerned about her personal life."

"You mean her romantic life," Kiba smirked.

"Yes," Sai nodded.

"Well, that's Ino for you."

Sai blinked at Kiba.

"You have changed the topic and redirected the conversation several times, and I didn't even notice. That was very well done."

"Thanks," his grin was sharp. "I've had a lot of practice."

Akamaru nudged Kiba with a whine, and seconds later both of their phones buzzed insistently, putting them both on immediate alert.

"We're needed," Sai stood smoothly. "An attack two blocks from KU. It's a student."

"On it," Kiba said grimly, tossing down some money to cover their tab. Akamaru was fast on his heels as he fell into step behind Sai. They weren't far from campus, and arrived in minutes. When they got there, the paramedics were strapping someone to a body board while the police kept the area clear. As they got closer, they saw Konohamaru and Inari looking grim.

"Is Hanabi ok?" Kiba asked, looking around.

"She's been secured," Konohamaru said, all traces of his normal playfulness gone.

"So, what happened?" Kiba frowned. "Why were we called in?" Kiba sniffed the air. "Is Tenten here?"

Inari and Konahamaru exchanged glances.

"She was – we know she followed him out of the bar after he gave us some shit; made contact with him after HQ ran a background check on him, but we don't know what happened after that."

Sai read between the lines.

"So… it is possible that this," he motioned to the man groaning as he was lifted into the ambulance, "could be her doing?"

Kiba gave a derisive snort. "I don't smell any weapons, and it looks like he was pummeled not skewered. Not her style."

"Team Gai is a team of taijutsu experts," Sai shrugged. "It is a possibility."

"Yes it is," Genma said, rounding the corner. "And all four of you are going to come with me right now to discuss those possibilities."

Kiba's frown darkened even as Sai pasted on his expressionless mask.

"Sai. Inuzuka. Inspect the area. Look for any strange scents or signs, and search. You two – come with me."

Kiba and Sai exchanged a look. If Genma was on site then this either involved a protection assignment or one of his agents. Neither scenario was promising.

"Looks like we are partnering up," Kiba said with what Sai was certain was more levity than he felt.

"I suppose it is good we got our drinks in first," Sai added.

"Yeah," Kiba dug out his phone and started typing. "There's that."

Sai waited in silence as Kiba wrote a short message, then crammed his phone back in his pocket.

"Akamaru," he turned to his dog. "Circle the area and narrow in. I'll work from the scene out."

Sai was fairly certain Akamaru barked "Sure," but he wasn't fluent in canine.

Kiba gave Sai a tight grin before kneeling and studying the ground with a practiced eye.

"I'll start from above," Sai pulled out a scroll and was soon aloft on the back of one of his ink birds.

Professionalism settled over him like a mask sliding into place.

But there was a strange ache in his chest, and he suspected it had to do with sympathy for his friend.

Chapter Text

Runs with chapters 12 and 13 on Bonfire Nights

You Must Believe in Spring
~Summer~
Chapter Seventeen: F is for Fake
Part III

Saturday, September 5th, 9:25PM KST
Konoha:  Chōchō

The restaurant was lovely, the atmosphere intimate, and the surrounding patrons respectful but highly aware of the celebrity couple in their midst. Several female patrons swooned whenever Sasuke reached out to Hinata, while their counterparts eyed Hinata with something like awe.

Sasuke counted himself lucky that they were both used to maintaining a façade in public, while perpetuating the reputation of being private and unlikely to engage in overt displays of affection. Small looks, gentle touches – things that were incidental at best – were interpreted as intimately affectionate and as proof of their mutual attraction. That meant with very little effort, they could appear to be smitten with one another.

He chuckled to himself at the idea of how Hinata would have reacted if they had been instructed to be more obviously intimate or infatuated with one another. He could easily imagine her furious blush if he had to openly flirt with her, even if they both knew it was a ruse.

While he would never cause her embarrassment, he had to admit it would have been amusing to watch her reactions in real time (and even funnier knowing how much it would annoy Naruto).

Luckily for all involved, Hinata's gentleness was enough of a reason not to goad her. Their small actions were sufficient to fool anyone watching them as they spoke easily to one another. It wasn't difficult to keep up the guise of having a pleasant conversation when the company was genuinely enjoyable.

He tapped lightly on the table with his index finger and felt the subtle shift in chakra indicating she was using her Byakugan under her concealment jutsu.

"Three tables back?"

He hummed his agreement before putting his hand on hers with a small smile.

"Did you know," he said, holding her gaze, his voice low, "hummingbirds are the only birds that can fly backward?"

She smiled and gave a light laugh. "I didn't. Did you know butterflies taste with their feet?"

He squeezed her hand. "Did your teammate tell you that?"

"You tend to pick up quite a few animal facts around those two," Hinata admitted, her smile in place. They had found trading small, irrelevant trivia was an easy way to elicit easy reactions, and it amused them greatly. It was also very effective for giving the paparazzi, and anyone taking their picture the kind of expressions they were looking for.

They were almost through with dessert when Sasuke's phone began to buzz. The twitch in his jaw as he read the alert was subtle, but it did not escape Hinata's close watch.

"Sasuke?"

The waiter returned with the paid bill, so he pocketed his card before putting his hand on hers again. "What do you say we get out of here?"

She felt the tapping at her wrist and nodded before giving a shy smile. "I'd like that."

With a nod to the waiter (and the swooning waitress behind him) they left the restaurant as at least 10 patrons updated their Ninstagram with their picture.

9:25 PM KST
Konoha: ANBU hospital

Sakura really had intended to take the rest of the night off, but she was paged by Mogusa.

"Thank you for coming on such short notice," he said, leading her down the hall. "Especially on the weekend."

"It's alright," she gave a small smile as they walked quickly through the halls. "I was able to rest up a little this afternoon. So, what happened to Neji?"

"He is clearly exhausted," Mogusa sighed. "He spilled scalding hot tea on himself, and Kaori just managed to get him to go to one of the quieter examination rooms. We are kind of hoping he will rest after you treat him, or, better yet, you can talk him into going home."

She frowned. "Is it that bad?"

"He has burns on his arm and chest."

"I take it he is in one of the exam rooms for the Hyūga?"

"Exam room 1."

Sakura knocked before opening the door to find Kaori standing with her arms crossed, and Neji looking exhausted, defiant, and in pain.

"There now," she nodded at Neji. "Dr. Haruno will take care of it. I will set the privacy seals out here," she turned to Sakura. "No one will be in this area."

"Thanks, Kaori," Sakura smiled, and then closed the door. Once the privacy seals on her side were set, she turned to Neji. "So," she gave him a kind smile as she turned to wash her hands. "Still thinking of waiting until January to take a day off?"

9:25 PM KST
Konoha: ANBU hospital

Io knocked on the office door, and closed it behind himself.

He checked the man's pulse. It was slow and steady, confirming he'd been out for hours. He picked him up and held his cheeks between his fingers, turning the head side to side.

It was a handsome face.

He melted to mirror it, smirking at the original.

"You've been a great help," he confided. "We never would've gotten this far without you. And since we can't digest you yet, I have to get you out of here another way. I hope you don't mind the cold."

9:35 PM KST
Konoha: Konoha House/Girl's dorm

Hanabi and Moegi were sitting in the common room together, checking their phones. Konohamaru and Inari responded to an emergency call on campus, and they were waiting to hear what it was about.

"A student was attacked," Moegi read from her phone. "There is a general alert going out to the campus. Kono will let us know if he needs to leave campus – it's part of the Konoha House protocol."

"It must be something to call them both out," Hanabi mused.

"It might be nothing," Moegi shrugged.

"True," Hanabi started texting. "I'm still contacting Tenten. If Neji hears about this he will be at that door before we can say-"

They were interrupted by a knock on the door.

Hanabi activated her Byakugan and sighed. "Too late." She crossed to the door and opened it to find her cousin standing there. "Hi, Neji," she gave a small smile.

He strode in. "I trust you heard what happened?"

"A student got attacked on campus," Hanabi rushed on, "but it's not like it has anything to do with me, and-"

"It might have everything to do with you," Neji interrupted, his tone cold. "It was the same person that harassed you earlier tonight."

"The guy with the beer?" she looked at Moegi and then back to her cousin. "He left as soon as Konohamaru and Inari stepped in. I think Tenten already warned him off."

"And she is the last person we know to have been in contact with him," Neji cut her off again. "She is currently off your security detail until further notice. I am bringing you back to the compound immediately."

"Why?" her eyes brows furrowed. "I am safe here."

"She knows you are here," Neji crossed his arms. "She can't access the Hyūga grounds without permission or undetected. Get your things, and let's go home."

Hanabi's shoulders slumped. "Alright."

Neji nodded, and she headed out of the room. He looked to Moegi.

"I will notify Genma. Tenten is currently not to be contacted. Do you understand?"

Moegi rubbed her arm. "Yes, sir." She hesitated, then ventured, "Would you like me to contact Sensei Ningame?"

"I'll do it," he said, checking his phone. "Right after I let Genma know."

"Ok." She stood straighter. "I'll go help Hanabi get ready. Be right back."

Neji waved her away, and continued to text.

Target acquired. Leaving in 5.

9:45 PM KST
Konoha: Hyūga Hospital

Shizune was on the civilian side of the Hyūga hospital, dictating to another medic who scribbled down notes as she examined her patient.

"Patient is male. Twenty-two, 180 centimeters, 81.6 kilos. Student at Konoha University, Citizen of Land of Fire. Appears to have been intoxicated at time of attack. Extensive bruising on the body, two broken ribs, and a crushed shoulder. Currently sedated for hydration and pain. Body found by students returning from the area surrounding the University." As she held her glowing hands over the man, she glanced up to Kakashi.

"And how did you get stuck with this?"

"A favor to Genma," he shrugged.

Shizune nodded for the other medic to leave, and then pulled back the light sheet covering the gowned patient.

Kakashi stepped forward to examine the markings, and interpret how he was assaulted.

"Kicked quite a few times," he pointed to the bruising on the man's side.

"Someone stepped on his chest," Shizune glanced to the pile of folded clothes resting on a chair. Kakashi picked up the shirt and studied it.

"He was moved," Kakashi squinted at the shirt.

"No signs of dragging," Shizune offered.

"Maybe not, but his clothes show he had been in an alley at some point. I think someone wanted us to find him."

"Is he someone we know?"

"No," Kakashi put the shirt back. "But he made the mistake of messing with some of ours."

"An example?"

Kakashi shook his head. "Doesn't feel right." He looked the patient over. "Let me know what you find out about any internal injuries. I want to know if any technique or chakra were involved." He turned to go, when he stopped short. "What," he pointed to the counter, "is that?"

Shizune looked over her shoulder and laughed.

"That's Tonton. It's a stuffed toy we use to demonstrate treatment to our younger patients, like getting a shot or putting on a cast. It's surprisingly effective. Maybe we should start using it on the ANBU side," she teased.

"Try it next time Naruto comes in for his shots." He gave a quick salute goodbye, and left Shizune to chuckle at (and seriously consider) the idea.

9:57 PM KST
Konoha: ANBU hospital

"There, now," Sakura healed the last of the burns. "That should do it."

"Thank you," Neji gave her a grateful, if not exhausted smile.

"You were so brave, you didn't even need Tonton," she grinned, making notes in the computer. "Although the last time I saw her, Shizune was putting a cast on her."

"Was it a bad fracture?"

"Not too bad," Saura said with mock seriousness. "She should make a full recovery."

"That's good," Neji reached for her shirt. "Fractures are never fun. What did she break? Do we need to provide a sling, or crutches?"

Sakura turned to look at Neji, studying him.

"It's her hand," she ventured. "She won't be typing or weaving signs for a while."

"Poor Tonton," he said sympathetically.

"Yeah," she turned back around.

"It's never good to be caught unawares,"

He reached for her, and the next thing he knew, he had been pummeled into the floor, face first.

"Who are you," she sneered, pinning him down, and holding his hands behind his back. "And why do you have Neji's chakra signature?"

"How… " he gasped. "How did you know?"

"Because pigs don't have hands. Now," she tightened her hold, even as her voice became menacingly sweet. "Why don't we start with you telling me who you are and what you've done with Neji?" When he didn't reply, she shrugged. "Have it your way."

As she reared her fist back, the small room was rocked with a shockwave of energy as the door disintegrated in a wall of black flames.

They disappeared as soon as they started, to be replaced with the soul-crushing chakra of Sasuke Uchiha, who stood with eyes glowing crimson, and radiating killing intent.

"Sasuke?" Sakura looked up, puzzled. "What are you doing here?"

When the imposter below her started to struggle, she narrowed her eyes.

"Oh no, you don't," she gritted her teeth and punched him into a crater on the floor. Neji's image melted away, leaving behind a gasping monster with white skin and green hair.

Sakura kept her hand at its throat. "What are you?" she snarled. "And where is Neji?"

"The original one," Sasuke added. "Not one of the cowardly copies you sent after Hanabi and Hinata."

The creature's smile was wicked. "If the job was done right? He's miles from here. If it was done wrong, he's dead."

Sakura reared back her fist.

"Wrong answer."

10:01 PM KST
Konoha: ANBU hospital

Hinata was sitting in Genma's office on the ANBU side of operations with Naruto by her side.

"So you're saying Neji met you as you returned to the Hyūga estate?

"Yes," Hinata nodded her head gravely. "We got your warning that someone was impersonating him to get Hanabi, so I checked his chakra signature. It was identical. He missed the same security question Hanabi's Neji did, so we knew it was an imposter."

"Sasuke alerted me on the way," Naruto chimed in. "My clones have already taken that imposter to Ibiki for safe keeping."

"And where is Uchiha?" Genma glanced at the bank of security monitors.

"He went to find Sakura," Hinata gave a faint smile. "Especially after I detected Neji's chakra near hers."

"We are looking for Neji," Genma nodded to the monitors again. "Any luck with the Byakugan?"

"I keep finding his signature," Hinata sighed, "but then it disappears – as if it is being copied and abandoned in real time."

The phone rang on Genma's desk, and he picked it up quickly.

"Shiranui."

He listened, his eyes widening. "Understood. Sending a medic – we are on our way."

Genma hung up and stood.

"We found Neji."

Hinata looked between him and the phone.

"Where is he?"

Genma grimaced.

"The morgue."

11:35PM KST
Location: Undisclosed

Rokuro drummed his fingers impatiently on the table while Kabuto fiddled with the specimen on the gurney.

Madara sat placidly, his face hidden behind his mask.

"There," Kabuto straightened up. "That should do it."

The specimen blinked awake on the gurney before sitting up.

"We need to know what the others are doing," Kabuto instructed.

It blinked twice more before swinging his legs over the side of the bed, and walking over to the patch of open earth.

He sank to his waist in the dirt, eyes closed.

"The others have been released," he intoned. "There are no spores remaining on the carrier. All potential identities have been shared and passed on between the others."

"Did you get a sample of Haruno's roommate?" Kabuto sat next to Madara.

"No. She was not alone."

"Strange," Kabuto mused. "Intelligence shows she is usually alone at that time of day."

"She invited the Hyūga's female teammate to inspect the seals and security measures. We gathered basic intelligence about the security measures for the apartment."

"What of the attacks?"

"Unsuccessful collection attempts. Hyūga Neji is in the hospital under Haruno Sakura's care. The Clan Mother and Heir have been assigned more surveillance, and their usual ANBU agent has been suspended for suspicion in the KU student attack."

"Well at least one thing went right," Rokuro folded his arms. "That agent is frequently assigned to the female Hyūgas as well as the Haruno girl. Having her ostracized is a benefit."

"What about the other teammate?" Kabuto asked.

"He is a true student of his master," Madara shook his head. "It would take more chaos than we could create to convince anyone that similar to Might Gai could be capable of treachery."

"Either way, this attempt at abduction failed," Rokuro grunted.

"This was never the full attempt," Kabuto shrugged. "This was just the test run."

"And what did we prove," Rokuro narrowed his eyes. "Other than your incompetence."

"On the contrary," Kabuto's smile curled wickedly. "They now know we have the ability to impersonate any one of them right down to their chakra networks. Who will they be able to trust?"

"Instruct the White Zetsu to gather more samples," Madara nodded to the creature still half buried in the earth, "but take no action until we signal them. Let their suspicion grow," his eyes flickered with menace. "Let them know the bite of betrayal."

With that he left the room, leaving Kabuto to prepare for the next round of chaos, and Rokuro to bide his time.