No subject

elaborated, "They were undressing to bathe, and the Hyuuga girl must
have shown Sakura-chan something pretty shocking, because she just
lost it; she started cursing like a sailor, and then the _Hyuuga_
started cracking up and swearing as well, and they... hey! It's true!
I'm not joking!" Stiffening in annoyance, Kaede glared at her sister.

"Okay, okay- I believe you!" Covering her smirk with one hand, Momiji
turned mirth-filled brown eyes to the darkened bank of screens in
front of them. "Do we really need to leave the monitors off?" she
asked slyly. "It's all girls here."

"I guess not," Kaede conceded with a reluctant frown. Normally, Kaede
preferred to let Sakura have as much privacy as possible when she
visited the castle- especially since she'd become a self-conscious,
body-conscious, boy-conscious and all-around slightly neurotic
teenager.

This time, though, Kaede was worried. In Sakura and Hinata's voices,
she could practically _feel_ the tension that filled the steamy air of
the bathroom above, and several of the half-said things that had
passed between the two young kunoichi were more than a little
troubling. Leaning down, Kaede switched on the monitors and external
speakers.

"'-Besides,'" the slowly warming image of Sakura rumbled in a throaty,
predatory purr, "maybe I'm a bad girl who deserves to be punished."
Sinuously wrapping her wet, naked body around her furiously blushing
companion, Sakura punctuated her words with a physical exclamation
point, grinning hungrily and wiggling in a way that almost made it
look like she was grinding her hips against the other girl's stomach.

"S-s-saa-Sakura-chan?!" Hyuuga Hinata sputtered, and Kaede noted with
half a mind that Hinata was indeed very cute. Short black hair and a
round, honest face framed a pair of huge, expressive silvery eyes that
didn't look threatening at all when they were brimming with shock and
panic. Squirming helplessly, the poor girl was so red, it looked like
she might burst into flame at any moment. "W-wait! I-"

Coming to her senses, Kaede lunged forward and stabbed the master kill
switch. Instantly, the screens went dark and silent, but not before
they caught a glimpse of Sakura slithering around Hinata's body to
place her lips at her quivering captive's ear. It was a terrible,
tantalizing image, and Kaede almost wished she had waited just a
moment longer, but that was just- she couldn't believe that Sakura
was-

Coughing sheepishly, Kaede folded her hands in her lap and stared at
the floor, ignoring her roiling stomach and burning cheeks and the way
her sister's glassy, uncomprehending eyes were still glued to screen.
After a long, long moment that felt like it teetered on the edge of a
yawning precipice, Momiji finally shook herself and took her feet off
of the console.

"Well... I guess she finally got over that Uchiha kid..."





WOLVES...





"Sakura-chan?"

"Hmm?"

Looking up, Hinata found Sakura kneeling at her side, staring down at
her watchfully. The pink-haired girl seemed less flustered than
earlier, but her listless posture told Hinata that her mood hadn't
really improved. Sakura tried to put on a reassuring smile, but it
didn't reach her eyes.

Hinata forgot what she was going to say as a stab of guilt tightened
her chest. The dizziness and fatigue had faded, and she probably could
have gotten up long ago, but there she was, still lying on chilly
bathroom floor, putting Sakura through hell while she tried to figure
out how the atmosphere had gotten so awkward.

*'I love you too, Hinata-chan.'*

Quickly averting her gaze, Hinata felt the temperature rise by several
degrees as the memory washed over her like a physical thing, all
breath and touch and ravenous green eyes. Hinata didn't know how to
feel about Sakura's... _attack_, and it pained her that she couldn't
think of it any other way. She was almost certain that Sakura didn't
mean it _that_ way, but-

Of course Hinata had heard the rumors that Sakura was attracted to
girls, and that she'd... _done things_ with the second examiner,
Mitarashi Anko. It was almost impossible for her to ignore the rumors,
since Kiba had started them, but Kiba swore by his claims and Hinata
didn't believe that he'd originally borne Sakura any malice.

Still, it was possible that Kiba was mistaken. Hinata had wanted to
keep an open mind, but her own bias had outed itself when Sakura asked
her how she felt about it. *'I- I like you a lot, Sakura chan! But not
like- I mean, I really admire you!'* At least Sakura hadn't taken it
badly. In fact, Sakura seemed content to let Hinata believe that she
liked girls, as long as Hinata still liked _her_.

That was the part that confused Hinata. Since they'd arrived at the
bath, the pink-haired girl had given every indication that she was
_very_ sensitive about Hinata's opinion of her. Sakura had been on the
verge of tears after accidentally revealing her impressively crude
vocabulary, and she'd grown even more skittish and agitated while they
were washing, culminating in that painfully earnest plea for Hinata's
feelings.

Hinata was starting to suspect that Sakura was just hypersensitive in
general- but if Sakura was actually attracted to her, then she might
be over-thinking. She needed to figure out which it was before she
made matters worse. Biting her lower lip, Hinata forced herself to
look at Sakura again. "Sakura-chan... Um, W-why did you-"

Squirming uncomfortably under her friend's curious gaze, Hinata wasn't
able to finish, but Sakura seemed to get the idea. A terrific,
cherry-red blush spread from the tops of the other girl's shoulders to
the bottom of her limp coral bangs. "I'm _so_ sorry, Hinata-chan!"
Sakura blurted, flush with mortification. "I- I just..."

Trailing off, Sakura looked away, and Hinata had a premonition of
doom. As quickly as it had risen, the room temperature suddenly
plummeted to sub-arctic levels as a shroud of melancholy descended
upon the pink-haired girl.

"I don't know," Sakura whispered, tears welling in the corners of her
eyes. Holding up her hands, Sakura stared at them like they belonged
to a stranger- some disgusting criminal. "It's just-" Turning to
Hinata, Sakura's haunted gaze sent a wave of goose bumps crawling over
the pale girl's skin.

"You're so _shy_," Sakura accused, wringing a flinch from the cowering
kunoichi. "And you're so _cute_, and you refuse to see how great you
are! It just makes me want to-" Swallowing, Sakura closed her eyes
tightly. "-to grab you and tease you and make you blush and cry and
melt in embarrassment." Hugging her shoulders, Sakura hung her head in
shame.

For a moment, Hinata couldn't think of anything to say. She _had_ been
hoping that Sakura was just overreacting, but... wow; _that's_ what
was bothering her? Hinata almost started laughing, but she knew Sakura
would take that badly.

Sakura really was incredible. That someone so self-conscious could be
so warm and open and passionate... it gave Hinata hope, even as her
heart ached with sympathy. It also made her feel a little bit guilty;
Hinata was secretly glad that Sakura wasn't strong all the time, since
it gave her a chance to help her friend.

Gathering herself, Hinata took a deep breath and fixed Sakura with a
determined frown. "Then... you don't like me?" she asked, her voice
tinged with real hurt.

Lost in a maze of self-doubt (a feeling Hinata understood all too
well), Sakura didn't react immediately, but when she did it was
explosive. "Wha- _NO_!" Sputtering in surprise, Sakura whipped around
to stare at Hinata, flinging water droplets from her hair. Leaning in
close, Sakura planted one hand beside Hinata's hip. "No! Hinata-chan,
that's not it at all!" she denied, tears finally coming. "I like you a
lot! I just-"

"-like to tease?" Hinata supplied helpfully. "Even people you like?"

"Yes!"

Reaching over, Hinata hesitantly placed her hand on top of Sakura's,
bracing herself like she was about to grab a livewire. To her relief,
Sakura didn't _actually_ explode, but her pulse almost vibrated under
Hinata's palm. "Then it's okay," Hinata declared. This time Hinata did
allow herself a tiny giggle as Sakura's face went slack with
disbelief.

"No it's not!" Sakura screeched, as if the idea of Hinata simply
_forgiving_ her was unthinkable.

"Why not?"

"B-because you _fainted_, Hinata-chan!" Sakura huffed in exasperation.

Hinata felt the tension creep back into her shoulders at this
unexpected resistance. "I... yes, but that's-" That accusation was
harder to brush off; she _had_ fainted, after all. Hinata certainly
didn't _like_ fainting, and Sakura had embarrassed her on purpose.

"That's not your fault," Hinata finished lamely. "I'm just-"
Struggling with the words, Hinata gave Sakura's hand a squeeze,
willing her to understand. "S-sometimes I get... anxious around people
I like. I get so scared I might say or do something wrong that I
can't- I can't do _anything_. B-but I want to get better! I want to be
strong enough to-"

Hinata was surprised when she felt Sakura's hand turn to grip her own
with almost desperate strength. "You've gotta be _crazy_ to be my
friend, not strong," Sakura whispered softly, cutting her off. When
Hinata looked up she found a fragile smile tugging at Sakura's tear
stained cheeks. "If you're not crazy now, you will be soon," Sakura
promised.

"T-that's fine," Hinata replied weakly, out of breath and emotionally
spent. "Please take care of me."

"Hah!" A laugh forced its way out of Sakura's throat as her smile
widened into a full-blown ironic grin, but she didn't argue this time.

The two of them stayed that way for a while, simply holding hands and
enjoying the silence, until Hinata's embarrassment began to fade and
the tiles under her backside started to feel unpleasantly chilly
again. "I- I think I'm ready to get up now," Hinata decided with a
shiver, planting her free hand beside her.

Nodding, Sakura helped her to her feet. Casting a glance at the bath,
which steamed invitingly, she gave Hinata a hesitant look. "Um... if
you want, I can wait outside while you-"

"Didn't you say you wanted me to keep you company?" Hinata reminded
her, gently pulling Sakura toward the bath.

It took a couple tries to budge the stubborn pink-haired kunoichi, but
in the end Sakura allowed herself be led. "Okay," she agreed
reluctantly, "just... hit me or something if I-"

"Sakura-chan!"

"-if I start acting _weird_ again." Sakura finished firmly. Stepping
over the lip of the bath, Sakura sat down on the wide, polished wooden
shelf but didn't enter the water. "I- I practically gave you a lap
dance," she muttered, turning deep red and kicking her feet unhappily.

Hinata wasn't entirely certain what a 'lap dance' was, but she could
guess. Her pale skin quickly darkened to match Sakura's own lobsterish
complexion. Turning to the towel rack beside the bath, Hinata selected
a small washcloth. "It- it _would_ be pretty easy to get the wrong
idea," she agreed, trying to keep her voice light.

"I know!" Throwing her hands up in the air, Sakura slapped her palms
over her eyes and tilted her head back to growl at the ceiling in
frustration. "Gods, I'm such a fucking idiot! And a pervert!"

Hinata started to protest that Sakura wasn't _that_ bad, but something
made her hesitate. Instead, she simply climbed into the bath beside
Sakura and sat down, folding her legs to the side. After hours of
running through the rain in soaked clothes and lying naked on the cold
bathroom floor, the hot water made Hinata hiss in discomfort.

Feeling Hinata's shoulder touch her knee, Sakura looked down at the
simmering kunoichi. She almost seemed to wilt as the anger ran out of
her, leaving her looking totally bewildered. Sakura gripped the lip of
the bath and lowered herself into the water, leaning back against the
wall to regard Hinata dubiously.

"W-what?" Hinata was finally forced to ask, after Sakura's examination
had continued for several seconds.

A smile curled Sakura's lips. "Nothing," she replied in a voice that
said it was anything but. Drawing her legs to her chest, Sakura laced
her fingers in front of her and rested her chin on her knees. "You're
a lot stronger than you think you are," she quipped mysteriously.
"Shino-kun would be freaking out by now."

Initially, Hinata was warmed by the compliment, but then the rest of
Sakura's words clicked in her head. She'd done this with Shino too?
No, Sakura didn't say that! She must have meant something else! A girl
doing that to a _boy_ was- but if Sakura liked girls, then-

Her shock must have shown, for Sakura's expression froze, then became
extremely strained. Burying her face between her knees, Sakura emitted
a groan of despair. "Dammit! This _has_ to be her fault..." she
whispered, the last part so low that Hinata didn't think that she was
meant to hear.

After a minute or so of stewing in her own juices, Sakura turned to
peer askance at Hinata. Her gaze was cool, but Hinata didn't miss the
way her fingers started playing with each other, sending little
ripples across the surface of the water. "So..." Sakura began, her
voice tinged with sarcasm. "Still think I'm 'amazing?'"

A bead of sweat formed on Hinata's brow that had nothing to do with
the water temperature. Why was it that every time she felt like she
was finally in the clear, she suddenly found herself right back in the
middle of the mine field? Treading with care, Hinata put on a shaky
smile. "Well... that's _kind of_ amazing too," she suggested.

Hinata prayed that Sakura didn't take that the wrong way. Hinata
couldn't even _talk_ to boys without losing her nerve, so the notion
_touching_ one like that was almost too much to bear, and when she
thought of who she might want to touch- in a heartbeat, Hinata found
herself staring at her hands, trying to wipe that image from her mind
before she fainted again.

Neither of them spoke for a while after that. Ashamed by how badly
she'd failed at comforting her friend, Hinata decided that it was her
duty to break the uncomfortable silence. "Um... s-so you've done this
before?" she asked, voicing the first question that came to mind, and
instantly regretted it. Bracing herself for the worst, Hinata forced
herself to look up.

As expected, Sakura was gaping at her in disbelief, but before Hinata
could even stutter out an apology, the pink-haired girl's expression
softened into a smile. It was a snarky sort of smile, like she'd just
realized she was the butt of a very embarrassing joke, but it was
still a smile.

"Yeah, I guess so," Sakura admitted with a long sigh, staring down at
her knees. "To Shino-kun... and Ino," Sakura must have caught a hint
of apprehension in Hinata face, for her lips dipped into a tiny frown.
"I haven't done it to _that_ doofus, if that's what you're wondering,"
she muttered, sounding a little offended. "-or Sasuke-kun," she added
more quietly.

Hinata let out a breath that she hadn't realized she was holding. She
felt a little safer knowing that Sakura didn't make a _constant_ habit
of... embarrassing people with her body, but the idea that she'd
thrown herself at Shino like that still made Hinata's head spin. Now
that she thought about it, though, Shino _had_ been acting odd lately.

Ever since the infamous 'Ramen Shop' incident, Kiba had become
absolutely dogged in his efforts to make Shino divulge what he knew of
Sakura's techniques. For the most part, Shino had remained as stoic
and closemouthed as ever, but once or twice Hinata could have sworn
that she'd actually seen the bug-user _blush_ at some of Kiba's more
suggestive lines of inquiry.

As curious as that was, however, Hinata was more intrigued by one name
that _hadn't_ appeared on Sakura's list of 'victims.' While she was
loath to pry, Sakura seemed to be in a sharing mood, so Hinata decided
to take the risk. "And... Mitarashi-san?" she queried hesitantly.

To her relief, the other girl just snorted in annoyance. "It's the
other way around with Anko-nee," Sakura grumbled. "She's such a child!
Most of the time she treats me more like a _toy_ than a student!"

Hinata took a moment to digest that information. If the second
examiner was as bad as Sakura was when it came to 'teasing' people...
well, at least that might explain some of the things that Kiba had
seen; poor Sakura-chan. Hinata silently thanked her ancestors that
Kurenai-sensei wasn't like that, though she did feel a twinge of envy
at how close Sakura seemed to her instructor.

"So Mitarashi-san is your teacher now?" Hinata prompted. The 'Ansatsu
Senjutsu Tokushu Butai' handled many critical and sensitive tasks in
addition to assassinations, but they weren't known for taking on
students.

"In theory," Sakura allowed grudgingly. "She's not very good at it,
and we haven't been able to do anything since-" Lowering her head,
Sakura let the irritation drain from her, leaving only lonely
melancholy. "-since the war. Hokage-sama arranged it that morning, and
then... since then, we've both been too busy. I guess it's not her
fault."

Hinata bowed her head in sympathy; she'd hardly seen Kurenai-sensei at
all in the last two weeks. Every veteran ninja in Konoha was working
nonstop to keep on top of the village's mission backlog, and while
rookies like her and Sakura could also theoretically be called on to
carry out missions, most often they were left to their own devices
while their instructors performed more important duties.

But Sakura had said they'd _both_ been busy. Hinata couldn't see it
now, but the stylized leaf tattoo on Sakura's left shoulder suddenly
tickled her memory. What had Sakura been doing since the end of the
war, to have changed so much? Hinata's curiosity burned, but if it was
ANBU business then Sakura probably wouldn't be able to tell her.

Glancing around at the sumptuous bathroom they were currently relaxing
in, Hinata felt her stomach twist into a knot of worry. A jounin and a
new ANBU were departing on an urgent diplomatic mission that involved
petitioning the aid of a stridently anti-Konoha lord who also happened
to be the ANBU's grandfather? No wonder the gate guard had looked so
confused!

Suddenly, Hinata was very glad that Sakura hadn't briefed her on the
mission yet; whatever was going on here, she was getting in way over
her head! Turning to Sakura, Hinata swallowed the suffocating lump in
her throat and tried to catch her breath. "S-Sakura-chan!" she gasped
urgently, her voice shrilling in panic. "I- I need to tell you
something!"

Sensing her mood, Sakura uncurled and leaned closer. "What's wrong?" she asked.

Hinata screwed her eyes shut, cursing herself for not thinking things
through. Why did she have to choose _this_ time to do something stupid
and impulsive? Why couldn't she have just waited until Kurenai-sensei
got back? Why couldn't she do anything right?

Shaking her head, she forced those useless thoughts aide. It wasn't
too late; she could still fix things. Taking a deep breath, Hinata
almost hiccupped in surprise when Sakura took her hand and gave it a
reassuring squeeze.

The gesture helped, though. By the time she opened her eyes, Hinata
had calmed down enough to offer Sakura a sincere look of apology. "I-
I'm not supposed to be on this mission," she explained unhappily.

Hinata could almost see the little pink gears grinding to a halt as
Sakura's face assumed the unreal stillness of a carnival mask.
"Whaaat?" Sakura managed to gasp, her voice singing like an over-wound
spring. "But- then- why were you at the gate?"

"I wanted to catch Kurenai-sensei before she left- to ask if I could
go," Hinata replied. "I- I couldn't before, because... it was too
dangerous... because I was the heir..." Despite her efforts to stay
upbeat, Hinata trailed off as her voice began to sound weak and
uncertain in her ears. "But I'm not the heir anymore," she added with
a note of finality.

Lowering her head, Hinata resisted the urge to touch the stinging
brand that now graced her brow. The room was too bright for her to see
her reflection in the water, but even without looking she could trace
every painful line that had been etched into her skin.

"Hinata..." Sakura whispered, steeping the name with such concern and
intimacy that Hinata couldn't bear to even imagine the expression
Sakura's face. "When did- when did they...?" Sakura asked softly.

"L-last night," Hinata stuttered, not looking up.

Sakura's had tightened almost painfully around her own. "_Last
night_?" In an instant Sakura was kneeling before her, green eyes
filled with worry as they searched Hinata's face. "Jeez, are you okay?
Should you be resting or something?"

"Mm-mm," Hinata shook her head in denial, "I- I'm fine. The Hyuuga
have been doing this for a long time; the procedure is safe." Reaching
up to touch the seal, to prove that she could, Hinata allowed herself
a tiny grimace- the kind she'd seen the boys wear when they wanted to
show that they could endure.

"I- it doesn't even hurt much anymore," she declared with all the
bravado she could muster, affirming it for herself as much as for
Sakura. Hinata didn't mention the fact that it would be days before
she'd be able to use the Byakugan again, or that she felt naked and
useless without it; she wasn't going on the mission anyway, so it
wouldn't matter.

Unfortunately, it didn't appear that her strong front had done
anything to allay the pink-haired girl's concerns. Sakura did move
back to her position at Hinata's side, but her doubts about Hinata's
wellbeing were plain on her face.

"Are you _sure_ you're okay?" Sakura pressed, leaning against Hinata's
shoulder. "I mean- why _now_? It just seems so sudden; it must have
been a huge shock."

Hinata shook her head again, feeling a bit steadier as the comfortable
fog of resignation seeped into her bones. "It's not, really. F-father
had already decided to make Hanabi his heir, so-"

"Your sister is _nine years old_," Sakura interrupted with a huff of
exasperation. "Just because your father thinks she's better than you,
that doesn't mean he's _right_! You tried so hard in the exam; I'm
sure you could've changed his mind!"

A small, rueful smile crept onto Hinata's lips. Sakura was so smart,
but she still didn't understand. Hinata didn't like that. Now, more
than any other time in her life, Hinata wanted- no, Hinata _needed_
the people she cared about to understand how she felt.

Taking a deep breath, she shook her head once more. "It was decided a
long time ago, when I was sent to the Academy," she replied slowly,
proud that her voice hadn't wavered even once.

"Normally the heir of the Main House isn't sent to the academy,"
Hinata continued. "The Main House is responsible for the preservation
of the clan, so their loyalty must always be to the clan first and the
village second. For this reason, the clan head always trains his
successor personally, but... Father hasn't trained me since I turned
nine.

"That's when he sent me to the academy, so he could focus on training
Hanabi," Hinata clarified; she doubted even Sakura would remember that
she'd enrolled late. By that time all the cliques had solidified, and
after her initial introduction everyone had pretty much ignored her.

"Father wanted to name Hanabi his heir immediately, but the clan
elders convinced him to wait until- until Hanabi was older," and until
they could arrange a face-saving political marriage for _her_, so they
would be able to forget the purest blood of the Hyuuga clan had sired
such a worthless child.

"It- it would have been better if Father hadn't listened to them,"
Hinata whispered, for the first voicing a hint of the bitterness that
had been brewing in the pit of her stomach since graduation. "The
heir's life belongs to the _clan_, not to- not to her team. Sometimes,
even on simple missions, if the elders thought it was too dangerous-"

Blinking her itchy eyes, Hinata felt hot tears rolling down her
cheeks. "I hated that," she choked. "I hated letting Kurenai-sensei
and my friends down like that, so after Kurenai-sensei left I begged
Father to make Hanabi the heir and put me in the Branch family. This
time, Father agreed."

Hinata knew that her Father understood how she felt. His face had been
unreadable when he'd agreed to her request, but his expression had
soon become sad and a distant as he placed the Branch Family seal on
her. Perhaps he'd been thinking of her uncle or Neji-niisama,
wondering what all that pain and sacrifice had been really been for.

It wasn't unexpected this time, but Hinata still couldn't help but
gasp as Sakura grabbed her up and crushed the breath out of her lungs
with another fierce embrace. "_Dammit, Hinata_!" Sakura growled
hoarsely between wet sniffles. "Don't ever fuckin' say that you're not
strong again! I only _wish_ I was as strong as you!"

Getting her knees under her, Hinata reached around Sakura's back to
return the hug. "T-thank you, Sakura-chan," Hinata mumbled gratefully,
blinking away more tears that quickly bled into Sakura's
floral-scented hair.

"I mean it!" Sakura barked, easing off enough for Hinata to see the
slightly crooked smile that tugged at her lips. "If you do, I'll do
bad things to you!" she warned, straightening and drawing Hinata close
again so that their stomachs touched and Hinata's breasts were pressed
up between them.

"I- I understand," Hinata blurted, feeling her skin light up like a
freshly-stoked furnace. Sakura breath and heartbeat filled her senses,
merging with a thousand less describable sensations that threatened to
send her flying into a panic, but Sakura's eyes were puffy and red and
sincere.

Releasing her, Sakura leaned away held up her arms as if to say that
she was done... for now. "Sorry," she apologized, though the playful
smile remained on the petite kunoichi's lips as she disentangled their
legs and shuffled backward so that she was sitting in the middle of
the bath, facing Hinata.

"T-that's okay," Hinata replied, wetting and wringing out her
washcloth as an excuse to tear her eyes away from her dangerous
friend. In the last five minutes, Sakura had apparently lost any
lingering reservations she'd had about subjecting Hinata to her own
peculiar form of 'tough love,' and Hinata wasn't sure if she should be
pleased by that, or terrified.

"So... if it's not a problem with your clan anymore, why can't you
come on the mission?" Sakura prompted, gently nudging Hinata's knee.

Hinata's mind went totally blank. It was like everything before the
hug had been completely wiped away, leaving Hinata feeling queasy and
giddy, but otherwise fine. On top of that, the smug look on Sakura's
face made her wonder if that hadn't been the idea all along.

With a beleaguered sigh, Hinata held the washcloth to her forehead and
eyed at Sakura's forward shoulder, where the ANBU tattoo loomed
ominously; ANBU only handled dangerous A and S-class missions. "I'd
just be in your way, Sakura-chan," she noted seriously.

Following Hinata's gaze, Sakura grimaced. "You think this is-?"
Looking up, Sakura bit her lip, as if considering how much she could
afford to say. "It's not like that," she finally decided. "It's just a
regular escort mission. The clients _are_ important, and the place
we're going _might_ be dangerous, but I think Kurenai-san would let
you go if you asked."

"Really?" Hinata asked skeptically, scarcely daring to hope.

"Really," Sakura confirmed with a confident smile that immediately
transformed into a wolfish grin. "And if she doesn't, I'll just hire
you as my personal 'bodyguard.' That way, she won't be able to
refuse!"

"Sakura-chan!"





Looking up from her untouched tea, Kurenai Yuuhi carefully moved the
cup to one side of the table and folded her hands in her lap. Three
sets of heavy footsteps now approached, two of them moving with the
faintly uneven stride of men wearing swords.

Her hosts were timely- but then, they probably wanted to get rid of
her as soon as possible. The lord Haruno did not suffer lightly the
presence of ninja. For this reason, it came as a shock when the door
of the guest lobby opened and the lord himself strode in, followed
closely by a pair of samurai.

Haruno Seinan looked much as Kurenai remembered him: tall and somewhat
gaunt of build, with dark hair, smooth skin and a hawkish face- and
_too young_. He'd looked too young to have a teenaged son the last
time she'd seen him and he looked far too young to have a teenaged
granddaughter now.

Even worse, the man seemed to revel in the awkwardness this caused.
Today he wore a pair of charcoal suit pants and a thin, wine colored
shirt, the top few buttons undone. He wore no tie and his long,
unbound hair fell in a curtain around his shoulders. A single katana,
sheath in hand rather than pushed through his belt, completed the
image of a third rate mobster spoiling for a fight.

The two samurai that flanked him were dressed more traditionally, in
dark blue kimono and black hakama, but one had a shaved head and wore
round, tinted spectacles, while the other sported thick brown hair
pulled back in a topknot and sideburns that almost reached his chin.
Both were similarly armed and looked every bit as menacing as their
master, though more guarded than bombastic.

If he thought such posturing would throw her, however, the Lord Haruno
would be sorely disappointed. Placing her hands on the tatami mat in
front of her, Kurenai bowed her head with the full respect due a man
of his stature. "Lord Haruno, it is an honor. I did not expect you to
receive me personally, especially on such short notice."

"Thank my traitorous granddaughter," Haruno Seinan replied, glancing
in the direction of the castle. "I would have sent her or your
subordinate instead, but it seems they expected you to arrive later
and they've retired to the bath." Kurenai thought she detected a note
of irony in his voice then, like that wouldn't normally have stopped
him, but there were other circumstances that didn't bear mentioning.

"Besides," the lord continued, sitting haphazardly on the other side
of the table with his sword at his side, "it has been _such_ a long
time since I last entertained an envoy from my _dear_ neighbors in
Konoha, I couldn't resist." He favored Kurenai with a long,
appreciative stare. "I'm not paranoid, after all, just well informed-
though I'm afraid I haven't heard your name yet, Miss-?"

"Yuuhi Kurenai, jounin of the Hidden Leaf," Kurenai intoned formally.

"Kurenai?" the lord repeated, his gaze wandering north to settle on
her crimson eyes. "A fitting name," he decided with a shallow nod of
respect. As his eyes lingered, however, a hint of recognition crept
into his face. "Have we met before, Yuuhi Kurenai of the Hidden Leaf?"
he asked.

Kurenai cursed her luck. "I do not believe so, milord," she replied
with her best poker face. It had been over a decade since they'd last
been within ten meters of each other, and they'd never been formally
introduced, so it was best to just play dumb unless he confronted her
directly.

"No?" Lord Haruno quirked an eyebrow, but didn't appear upset. "Of
course you are correct; I would definitely remember meeting such a
beautiful young woman- especially one with such an arresting gaze.
Perhaps you simply resemble one of the over-eager vixens that I see
hanging off my sons whenever I go to court," he quipped lightly.

"Perhaps," Kurenai agreed with an edge of irritation; perhaps if she
appeared insulted by his lack of tact, she could instill some doubt as
to the accuracy of that last riposte. "May I assume that milord has
been apprised of the need for a representative of Ryuuzen Province to
witness the formal cessation of hostilities between the Hidden Leaf
and the Hidden Sand?" she asked, getting straight to the point.

"You may," Lord Haruno replied, unfazed by her brusque change of
subject. Reaching behind his back, the dark-haired man produced the
letter that had been addressed to Sakura. "Still, it sounds like your
council of elders is even more well informed than I am," he observed,
flipping open the letter with mocking flourish. "This is the first
I've heard of Sakura-chan being declared a 'lady' of the Fire
Country."

Kurenai could offer no real response to that. Her own investigation
had led straight to the village council, and that was as far as she'd
gotten. "Mistakes are made in haste, and this is a matter of some
urgency," she conceded. "Your granddaughter informed us of the error,
but circumstances did not permit the drafting of a new letter of
intent, so Sakura-dono offered to receive Konoha's request in a
civilian capacity and convey it to the proper head of household."

"That's an interesting way to put it," Haruno Seinan mused dryly,
leaving Kurenai to wonder just how Sakura had described her situation.
The nobleman didn't give her long to think about it, however. Tossing
the letter onto the table, Lord Haruno leaned forward, face hard, his
sword propped up in one hand. "I will be brief: this is a laughable
charade of diplomacy, and I can't decide whether to be insulted or
amused by how poorly it's been carried out."

Sitting back again, the lord gave Kurenai a look of disdain. "That
said, your request is not unreasonable. In the interest of upholding
the peace within the borders of the Fire Country, I will grant you
your representative- but I expect every effort to be made to ensure my
men's safety. I will not pay for this service and I will not be
beholden to whatever ridiculous schedule you're laboring under. It may
take days to find a suitable candidate that doesn't have more
important duties to attend to."

Behind her impassive mask, Kurenai allowed herself to relax slightly.
Those were terms she could comply with. "Konoha humbly accepts your
generous patronage, Lord Haruno," Kurenai replied, bowing once more.
His demand for selection time might even work to her advantage, as
long as he didn't need longer than a week to decide.

Straightening, the red-eyed kunoichi gestured to the scroll case at
her hip. "If I may?" she asked. At the lord's nod, Kurenai carefully
opened the case and extracted the Rank A escort contract that had been
prepared for Sakura. Unsealing the scroll, Kurenai spread it out on
the table in front of them.

"If these terms are to your satisfaction, Konoha asks that you
indicate your approval and acceptance of this contract by placing your
official seal here," she instructed, gesturing at the appropriate
blank on the page.

Lord Haruno spent several minutes reviewing the scroll silently before
he finally gestured to the hirsute man on his left, who produced a
small jar of red seal paste from his sleeve and placed it on the
table. The lord then did something that Kurenai found utterly bizarre:
he began disassembling his sword.

It wasn't until he was finished that Kurenai realized that the lord's
official seal was actually impressed into the square face of his
sword's hand guard. Kurenai didn't comment, but she did allow herself
a look of interest. She'd never heard of such a custom before, but it
certainly fit the lord's personality; none could lay hands on the
authority of the Haruno Clan without risking violence.

After the seal was pressed and cleaned, the lord reassembled his sword
and rolled up the scroll, handing it to the man on his right. "I will
have my scribe make a copy of this and return it to Konoha," he
explained. "Now then, if we've no further business, I'll have my men
see you out. My representative will meet you at the north gate of
Osawaramachi within five days." With that, the lord stood to leave.

"Lord Haruno?" Kurenai called, rushing through her final obligatory
bow to catch him before the door opened. "If it would be acceptable, I
would prefer to wait here for my subordinate to return."

The lord must have noticed her urgency, for the shadow of a smirk
darkened his face. "I'm afraid that won't be possible," he replied
airily. "My granddaughter has extended to your student our house's
hospitality, which makes her our honored guest. _You_, however, have
quite overstayed your welcome- but don't worry; we'll be sending her
along presently."

Kurenai opened her mouth to protest, but then a blinding, white-hot
bar of pain lashed across the back of her neck and she saw no more.





Reaching for the threadbare roll of toilet paper in the corner of the
stall, Kurenai tensed involuntarily as a phantom blade kissed the back
of her neck. Dulled by the remove of memory, the pain was still vivid
enough to make her roll her shoulders and tilt her head after it
passed. It'd been a long time since she'd last been 'decapitated.'

Kurenai bit back a curse; she intensely disliked using Kagebunshin.
The technique was a pure gamble in terms of cost vs. benefit, and the
feedback effect caused by the integration of memories was downright
dangerous, since it bypassed most forms of genjutsu defense. Kurenai
could think of far too many unpleasant ways to exploit that 'feature.'

Still, her doppelganger's metaphysical death rattle was a sobering
reminder of the technique's usefulness. Closing her eyes, the
wavy-haired jounin thought back to the last few minutes, combing her
new memories for details of the events that had led to 'her' demise.

Shortly thereafter, Kurenai was very thankful that she was already
sitting down, and doubly so that it was in the privacy of a bathroom
stall. The green pressboard walls offered scant defense against
intrusion, but at least they allowed her a shred of dignity as she
crossed her arms over her thighs and hung her head with a long,
despairing sigh.

In terms of mission objectives, she supposed things could have gone
worse. Lord Haruno had agreed to provide them with a representative
within a reasonable time frame. Given that he'd said his envoy would
meet _her_ at Osawaramachi, the violent manner by which she'd been
'shown out' was probably just the lord's way of demonstrating his
awareness of her ruse.

She had to hope that was the case, anyway, but that raised the
question of _how_ he'd known that he was dealing with a clone. Was she
being watched, or did he have some other method of ferreting out
bunshin? Whether it was a warning or a bluff, the stakes in the lord's
rivalry with Konoha had definitely been raised.

On top of that, Kurenai's gut instinct told her that the lord had
agreed to their request far too easily. He had to have some sort of
angle, and until she figured out what it was, it was going to hang
over her like a heavy sword waiting to fall. In fact, when she
visualized it, Kurenai realized that she had a veritable arsenal of
uncertainties hovering over her head; it was like they were
multiplying.

Ultimately, the source of all her current woes was that damn mission
request. Sent by their envoy in the Hidden Sand, the mission called
for three specific people that each had very valid reasons for _not_
participating, and all of those reasons were now coming to roost, one
by one, like vultures at a gristly feast.

First had been Kurenai's own selection as mission lead. From the ages
of twelve to sixteen, Kurenai had served as a spy within the Fire
Country Imperial Court, impersonating the daughter of an obscure and
recently dead noble house that Konoha had 'resurrected' for the
purpose of keeping tabs on their wealthiest clients.

As such, she was rarely assigned to missions involving nobles of the
Fire Country, to prevent her from coming in contact with her former
'peers.' She'd taken great pains to fake her own death when Konoha had
called her home in the wake of the Kyuubi attack, but there was still
a small chance that someone might recognize her and become suspicious.

But she had been assigned to the mission anyway, and Lord Haruno had
recognized her. Perhaps this shouldn't have surprised her as much as
it had. Lord Haruno was widely known as the most paranoid man in the
Fire Country; he was the _last_ person she should be interacting with.

The entire situation reeked of contrivance. Someone had either altered
the mission request or interfered directly in the selection process.
Unfortunately, Kurenai wouldn't be able to investigate further until
they arrived in the Hidden Sand. For now, she could only hope that the
lord took the incident as a case of mistaken identity, or things could
get messy.

Speaking of messy, Kurenai didn't even want to think about how Sakura
would react if she ever found out that Kurenai had slept with her
father when they were younger. It hadn't exactly been a romantic
entanglement, just the sort brief dalliance that was expected of lords
and ladies at court, but Sakura probably wouldn't see it that way.

Sakura's involvement was the second big 'oops' in the mission request.
By mistakenly naming her 'Lady Haruno Sakura of Ryuuzen,' the author
of the request had made Konoha appear both incompetent and conniving
in the eyes of the lord. Again, this stunk of deliberate sabotage,
though Lord Haruno's already low opinion of Konoha may have blunted
its impact somewhat.

More troubling were Sakura's 'personal problems.' After speaking with
an ANBU medic that had been working with her, Kurenai had been given
access to Sakura's psychiatric profile. Sakura apparently suffered
from a number of complex, dissociated emotional states that bordered
on distinct personalities.

It was suggested that this was a preexisting condition that had been
exacerbated by Sakura's use of an experimental mind-control genjutsu.
In Kurenai's professional opinion, Sakura should have been kept under
observation for at _least_ another month, but the medic had assured
her that it wasn't as bad as it sounded. Morino Ibiki, ANBU's own head
of torture and interrogation, had even gone so far as to declare
Sakura sane and stable enough to return to active duty.

Given that Ibiki had once given Mitarashi Anko that same assessment,
Kurenai wasn't sure she trusted the man's definition of 'sane and
stable.' Still, even had Sakura been in perfect mental health, Kurenai
would've been troubled by this 'Kitsune Tsuki.'

Details about the technique were incredibly slim, and apparently ANBU
was still in the process of classifying it, but the file clearly
stated that the technique was activated by touch and could not be
reliably _deactivated_. Sakura had effectively turned herself into a
flakey, psychoactive landmine.

A landmine that was currently sitting in her apprentice's lap- though
hopefully not in the literal sense. Kurenai had no idea what to make
of Hinata's presence at the front gates that morning, but she was
sorely tempted to return to Ryuuzai castle in person to collect her
wayward ward before anything happened to her, the lord's 'warning'
notwithstanding.

The Hyuuga clan elders were utterly unyielding when it came to the
matter of Hinata's safety- or rather, the safety of her _eyes_. When
Kurenai had gone to the clan compound the previous night to inform
Hinata of her absence, she hadn't even suggested that Hinata accompany
her; it went without saying that they'd never approve of their
precious 'heir' going on such a risky mission.

Hinata had accepted the news with polite resignation, though the
disappointment in her eyes had been almost painful to behold. After
the second exam, Kurenai had promised Hinata that she would make time
to train with her, and Kurenai still hoped to keep that promise, but
that would only be possible if Hinata didn't get herself 'retired' for
this shocking stunt.

Kurenai was reasonably certain she could prevent it from coming to
that, as long as there weren't any complications, but 'complicating'
things seemed to be a Haruno family specialty. Finishing her business
in the bathroom, Kurenai meticulously washed her hands and checked her
composure in the mirror before walking out into the restaurant proper.

Noting her return, the final billed player in this dangerous comedy
errors pushed off of a nearby wall and stalked closer. A low-brimmed
straw hat concealed much of the younger girl's face, as did the sandy
blond hair that fell free and wild around her shoulders, but Kurenai
had no trouble seeing the scowl of impatience that tightened Sabaku no
Temari's lips.




S   U   I   R   E   N



To be continued...