I'm sorry for not posting anything last week Sunday and for not informing you beforehand about it. Here's an extra-long chapter to make up for my shortcoming; enjoy.

***

Why did she think it was a good idea to owe Hyuga anyway?! But it was for the sick boy so she would suck it up and do whatever Hyuga concocted in his dark mind. For the boy. Only for the boy.

***

"Oi before you go," Neji called after his short fuse of a neighbour when she began to walk away from him. Her fur scarf whipped around before her body did as she regarded him.

"What?"

"We have no way of communicating, dummy." Neji stated the obvious. How would they know what was going on at each other's ends without proper communication? They could clash and heaven knows what disaster would happen if they do. "I never thought I would do this but let's exchange numbers."

The man withdrew his high-tech phone from his pocket and gave it to Tenten who collected it feebly like it was a hot object. She fumbled with the device sheepishly before confessing that, "I have no cell phone."

"Ah?!" Neji was baffled. There was somebody in this time and dispensation without a cellphone?! "How do you- never mind." He began to ask her how she received information on a daily basis but cut himself off when he decided that he could never understand his neighbour even if he tried. "Tch. Keep it."

"Uh?" Tenten asked dumbly.

"You can keep the phone, I have another." Neji clarified. It was one of his many burner phones so there was nothing of importance in it. "I am the only one who would contact you with it so don't worry about another person calling you instead of me."

"Oh. Okay." Tenten's brows were scrunched in concentration as she studied the device intently. She didn't think she could ever get used to these things or even technology. Her concentration broke when she heard Neji's approaching footsteps and she raised her head. She gasped to see him so close to her.

"Well then," Tenten could feel her face begin to burn slowly when Hyuga drew in close. Unbidden thoughts about the kiss to her ear from earlier made her bloom redder than a ripe tomato. Why was she thinking of that?! "You owe me."

-

Kakashi knew Tenten well enough to tell that the young woman was up to something when she did not report immediately to their stationed car after her scouting mission was over and led a man somewhere private to talk instead.

The silver haired security agent wanted to know what that man's identity was. According to the live stream provided by Tenten's camera, he was already at the basement before the woman herself arrived there. He must have been the one to hack the elevator because the intelligence team Kakashi came along with met no resistance breaking into the security system.

Who was he?

Kakashi didn't ask Tenten about the mysterious beau she talked to recently when she finally reported to their car, she would give vague or no answers. Instead he wordlessly handed her some anti-nausea pills for her motion sickness and asked about the details they couldn't catch on camera. Kakashi would investigate the man himself and without Tenten's knowledge.

"Took you long enough." Said Anko dryly when Tenten finally arrived at Guren's mansion with Kakashi. The night was almost over which meant that the drug merchant would be back anytime soon. When Tenten and Kakashi failed to arrive at the appointed time, Anko began to worry that Guren would be back before they came. Fortunately that was not the case. "How did it go?"

Tenten was about to start retelling her scouting experience when Kakashi cut in calmly yet sharply. "We'd discuss about it later at my office." Right. She didn't understand Konohanean for the meanwhile. She could not afford to slip up as walls had ears and paper doors had eyes.

Anko and Kakashi left without a word and Tenten resumed her position as a security guard. She might have looked alert to other people but the Xinyang was distracted enough for anybody to knock her out and abduct her if they wanted to. The discovery of earlier plagued her mind.

0903 was a young boy barely even ten years old but his age did not deter that evil man, Orochimaru, from using him as one of his many lab rats. Tenten had heard of the atrocities the scientist committed; his most famous one being the one where he abducted sixty babies from several hospitals. Only one of them survived his madness.

The young woman watched the screen lights of Hyuga's phone in her hand turn on and off while she lost herself in her thoughts. She would save 0903 from his impending doom with or without Hyuga's help, she swore she would!

The drive to Kakashi's office was a long and silent one. The pale haired man had wanted to discuss the scouting details with the plaintiff's attorney, Iruka, so neither him nor Anko spoke in during the ride. By the time he finished retrieving the video from the intelligence team, Iruka had arrived at the Security Inc headquarters.

The lawyer was Kakashi and Anko's underclassman during their university days. With their field of work interrelating with each other, neither of them went out of touch even after they had graduated and started leading their own different lives.

All three were at one of Hatake Inc's conference rooms to review the video report. It was late at night but none of them were tired, not when the situation turned out to be more serious than they predicted. Kakashi had seen it before so he knew what to expect before watching the live stream. The other two, however, had ghastly looks on their faces as the horror unfolded before their eyes.

Iruka's knuckles were as pale as his caramel skin tone allowed it to get for he clenched them hard in agitation. "How horrible." His growl could barely be heard above the screams coming from the projected screen in front of them. He felt for the boy strapped to that bed; he was as good as dead already.

"Anko's guess was correct." Kakashi paused the video when there was nothing else important to see from it. "Apparently, Orochimaru is working for Yakushi Kabuto. What a disaster." He sighed, rubbing his face with his palm in frustrated tiredness.

Iruka slammed his hands down on his table as he rushed to his feet. "This surely means that they performed illegal experiments on the medical test victims!" He yelled angrily and began pacing around. His outburst didn't surprise his companions as they were accustomed to his temper already.

As established earlier, the man was very passionate about his job, hence he took the plaintiff's problems as his very own especially if they were indeed wronged by the opposing party. However, just his passion alone would not do for this situation.

"Yes, but it doesn't relate to the case we have at hand so it can not be used as evidence against Se'in Jashuu." Kakashi pointed out the big elephant in the room. At that, Iruka let out a deflated sigh and slumped down on a seat. He was not calm yet, Kakashi knew by the way his foot still tapped against the floor as a way of grounding himself.

"Anko-san." The lawyer called out. Amidst everything that had happened, Anko had said nothing. It was concerning. The woman in question gave a disgruntled hum of acknowledgement in response but otherwise, she was lost in her thoughts.

Orochimaru. She knew him and not just from the news alone. He was her science teacher, a person she looked up to, back when she was a naive teenager. Her opinion of him changed when he tricked her younger self into following him to his lab and implanted a virus mutant in her body.

He left her in the room to suffer through the infection without food or water for ten days just to see if her body would react and create a defence mechanism against it. Anko's memories after that were fuzzy. All she knew was that she blacked out and awoke at a hospital.

The very man that betrayed her trust and was heartless enough to inject a virus into her body was doing the same, if not worse, thing to other people, even children. Pain from those dreadful days still throbbed faintly in her body and several people were going through the same thing. Some had died from it. This boy was dying from it.

"We must capture Orochimaru." Anko spoke darkly through gritted teeth. "He has the devil's luck but that is coming to an end soon."

• • •

Somewhere at a ANBU station in the more rural parts of Konoha, a report came in about a crime scene. Officers were dispatched to the spot immediately. What was seen was something that had recurred on occasion but it was always more disturbing than the last.

"Shizune-san." The officers on the scene made way for the forensic scientist to pass through. She greeted them back with a terse nod of acknowledgement as she slipped on some rubber gloves and passed under the 'do not pass' police tape to inspect the body laying before her.

The corpse's eyes were wide open, almost as if whatever it saw last was the most shocking experience it ever had. Literally. Nothing substantial was missing from the corpse's pockets despite the copious amount of cash that was found there, so it was not common mugging that killed it.

Whatever did kill it had a purpose that Shizune and other detectives had big problems figuring out. There was only one injury on the corpse; a neck wound. It was a nasty gaping gash, one that left the corpse's head dangling on a thin strip of flesh, muscles and broken bones.

It was a ghastly sight but one Shizune was used to after seeing several like it or worse than it every passing month or thereabout. This work was obviously done by a perp they dubbed the 'Neck Breaker.' They were a serial killer with no particular rhythm or choice of victims. The only thing the perp left as a means of recognition was a neck injury; how all of their victims died.

From strangling to wrangling, the cases only grew more gruesome than the last and left no trace of the Neck Breaker behind. Reports of the serial killer had even come in from a neighbouring country on occasion so their attacks were not focused solely on Konoha alone. It was not possible to predict where or when the serial killer would attack next.

Whoever they were was a tough one.

"It is the neck breaker as expected. Either that or a copy cat has risen when we did not expect." Shizune announced to the detectives on scene.

"Is it not strange how this person kills the very people we are tracking down sometimes?" A detective, Aoba was his name, gestured to the corpse's pale wrist. Sure enough, the twin sword tattoo that symbolised membership of the infamous Mujina gang was on it.

It was true that the Neck Breaker's victims were not innocent people. They even helped the police at times, but from the killer's random attacks it was clear that their help was unwitting. Those people just happened to stumble upon their path.

"I wish they at least left them half alive. That way, we could interrogate them rather than falling into various dead ends on our investigations." Another detective, Ebisu, muttered dryly.

"Wrap the body up and send it to Shiho. We might be able to get something from it." At least Shizune hoped that their coroner might get something out of the corpse. The possibility was uncertain but they never did stop trying. It wasn't their job to do so.

"Well then," Aoba sighed. "Until the next time Neck Breaker-san decides to attack."

"'Neck Breaker-san'?" Ebisu sputtered incredulously at the honorific which caused his partner to chuckle. People that killed gruesomely like this did not deserve honorifics attached to their names but Ebisu couldn't take a joke.

"I'm kidding. You're so serious." Aoba clarified amidst chuckles. They faded into a drawn sigh a little while after. Their team had been on the Neck Breaker's case for months and they had zero clues about their identity. It was infuriating.

"How does black bean noodles for lunch sound?" Shizune's words caused both men to shrink into themselves, clutching their stomachs as if they hurt there and faces turning blue.

"I don't think I would be able to keep it in with all I've seen today." Ebisu weakly gestured to the now covered corpse while Aoba nodded his agreement.

Shizune shrugged. "Weaklings." She tutted. "Let's go."

• • •

Somewhere along the line, Tenten had forgotten that the primary objective of her assignment at Guren's mansion was the retrieval of the second Long Juanzhou. The high possibility of the drug test patients being killed by Se'in Jashuu coupled with her recent discovery about 0903 diverted her attention from the jewel until it reminded her its existence during one fateful encounter.

It came as unexpected as every surprise would. Tenten often followed Guren to most of her outings especially if they were meetings with Yakushi Kabuto under the guise of a huge language barrier. Kakashi's plan to get the merchant to lower her guard around Tenten was working slowly but surely.

She still did not know where Guren went to every Wednesday night but there was an inkling suspicion that she would figure out soon enough. This very day, Tenten accompanied Guren to Se'in Jashuu's medical research facility.

The young bodyguard's expression was carefully blank as she watched Yakushi Kabuto and Guren exchange terse pleasantries. Beneath this floor was 0903 suffering and probably dead if she was thinking realistically. She heard no news from Hyuga so she could only hope that meant that the boy was still alive.

Tenten could knock Yakushi and Guren out and escape with 0903 but that was just a stupid plan concocted by her hot blooded mind. She needed to exercise the one thing she was not too good at if she wanted 0903's rescue to be immaculate- patience. Unfortunately, she needed to trust Hyuga too.

"Tell me why I should keep the boy in my custody." Guren's stern demand snapped Tenten's attention to the conversation but she made sure not to indicate that she understood the words spoken. There was no mistaking that 'the boy' was 0903; it was all Guren spoke about with Yakushi Kabuto.

"0903 needs to recuperate, and besides he has an attachment to you." Kabuto eyed her down condescendingly though his glasses. "For a reason." He added as an afterthought. This made Guren tense up in fury.

Apparently, those two had an awful relationship with each other but had a common binding force that compelled them to work together. Bitter bile rose up Tenten's throat as she realised that that binding force was Orochimaru.

"I did not sign up to be a sickly brat's caretaker." Tenten's client grumbled as they walked into the narrow hallway that led to the elevator that barricaded 0903 from the outside world.

"Oh but you were the one that gave him to us, were you not? And he was perfectly healthy too." Kabuto retorted slyly. A disconcerting grin had been plastered on his face since Guren and Tenten arrived and it only got more unnerving as his smile grew wider.

It took all of the grace Tenten's ancestors gave to be able to keep her clueless and emotionless facade with Yakushi and Guren's discussion. They were so cruel! How she wished to hit them until their faces were nothing more than a bloody pulp beneath her clenched fists!

Tenten calmed her rapidly accelerating breathing. Losing her temper would do more harm than good here. The elevator ride was not nauseating because of the pills Kakashi left for her from the night of Se'in Jashuu's anniversary and she was absolutely thankful. It was too bad that the pills would soon be finished though.

She was told to stand guard at the elevator while Yakushi and Guren went further into the basement. It took a while before they reemerged with a new addition. Tenten stifled a gasp at the sight of the limp boy in Guren's arms.

A closer look at him revealed him to be far leaner than Tenten remembered from the night before. Plasters and bandages hid the injection wounds on his wrists and arms but other than that, there were no physical injuries on him. Tenten was relieved. He wasn't dead yet.

Guren gestured for Tenten to take the sleeping boy from her arms which she hastily did as gently as humanly possible. He was so light. Tenten held him tighter to herself. She was going to protect him at all costs.

Maybe she let some emotions slip because Guren suddenly spoke to her, mistaking her determination for confusion. "Tenten. He is my son." The blue haired woman gestured to 0903 and herself. Tenten feigned confusion. "Son." Guren pointed to herself and the boy again.

The young bodyguard wondered why Guren was insistent on having her think that she was the boy's mother when it was clear that she wasn't. Even if she were, she wasn't worthy of the title. She nodded anyway if only to stop Guren from making a fool of herself and led the way to the elevator.

Behind her she heard the merchant sigh. "I don't know why you bother when the only thing she understands are basic commands." Kabuto quipped and Guren said nothing in return perhaps because he was correct.

Tenten carefully lowered 0903 into the car seat in Guren's car and tucked him in. The merchant was seated on the other side of the car already so she shut the door and went rushed to her agency car where Shiranui waited patiently.

They followed Guren's car closely to the mansion. While Tenten would have loved to tell Genma about 0903 during the ride, she could not because of the driver. Nobody other than Genma was supposed to know that she understood Konohanese so she kept shut.

Tenten carried 0903 into a guest room and placed him on the bed. Not once did the boy move while he was carried about. If Tenten didn't feel his weak breaths against her neck, she would be convinced he was dead. He was so still and cold, weak from whatever he had been through with Orochimaru.

Tenten automatically assumed the position of the boy's bodyguard even if she was not instructed to do so. Guren looked like she would protest but resigned after giving it a thought. "Fine. Have it your way then." She murmured and left the room.

Soon Tenten was alone with 0903. She sat next to him and slid the covers over his body properly. "Bié dānxīn, xiǎo háizi. Wǒ huì bǎohù nǐ." She whispered a promise softly to the room and to the sleeping boy.

0903 awoke sometime in the evening. His garnet orbs darted around the room warily as he tried to comprehend where he was. "Xiao hiazi." His head turned towards that direction the gentle voice came from. A woman was there with him, smiling softly.

"Hello." She greeted. She sounded funny but he kind of liked it. "My name is Tenten. Can you tell me your name?" His name? He didn't think he remembered. It was somewhere at the back of his head but he couldn't get to it. Another name came to him instead.

"G-Guren-san." He weakly pronounced. He remembered the woman that was kind to him. He wanted to see her. "Guren-san." He called again.

The woman beside him scowled a little. He thought she was going to hit him but she just smiled. "I get her for you. She would be here soon okay?" He nodded and closed his eyes. Guren-san would soon be here.

Tenten's scowl came back as soon as the boy closed his eyes again. Yakushi Kabuto was correct, unfortunately, 0903 was attached to Guren. It was natural that his little mind be swayed by the tiniest bit of affection given to him but Tenten really wished that his attachment to Guren was inexistent. It could get in the way come future days.

The bodyguard clicked the button of the intercom in the room which was meant for room service, a nice feature to add in a house if you asked her, and waited for the maid in charge of 0903 to take over.

The maid was the one to fetch Guren who arrived at the room a few minutes later with a food tray in hand. There was a small black box on the tray along with the food. Tenten wondered what was in it.

0903's eyes fluttered open at the sound of the merchant's voice and for the first time ever, Tenten saw the boy smile. It was a weak one that barely lifted the edges of his mouth but a smile nevertheless.

"Guren-san." The boy whispered gleefully.

"How are you doing, Brat?" Guren asked rhetorically as she sat down next to him. "You must be hungry." She said, placing the tray down on the bedstand and sitting 0903 up with a gentleness Tenten didn't think the woman had. Guren propped him up with pillows and retrieved the tray to feed him with, dropping the box on the table as she did so.

However 0903 shook his head, refusing the soup broth, and slid back into the covers instead. "Not hungry." He whispered.

"You have to eat, Brat, or you won't get better." Guren implored but 0903 refused. The blue haired woman sighed. She was about to say something when the boy broke into a sob that gripped Tenten straight in the chest.

"Guren-san, I don't wanna go back there again. It hurt so much!" He cried. Guren's expression softened when she saw his tears. She reached a hand out to wipe them off his pale cheeks and gave a soft, gentle smile.

"I'm sorry but you have to, Brat. You're very sick and you need to get better."

Bullshit. Tenten seethed. How she managed to keep her composure was beyond even her as she watched Guren feed the boy manipulative lies. And he was none the wiser.

0903 shook his head again. "I don't want to!" He yelled. "I don't want to! I want to stay with Guren-san."

"Brat..." Guren trailed off with a frustrated sigh. "Okay, let's do it like this." She dropped the food tray back unto the table and took the box. 0903's sobs quieted as it was placed in his hands. He looked up at Guren curiously who urged him to open it.

A sharp gasp tore its way out of Tenten's mouth before she could stop it when 0903 opened the box and brought out nothing other than her Dragon Jewel from it. Guren turned curiously to her but Tenten was quick to school in her features. The merchant stared at her suspiciously for what seemed like hours- it was only for a few seconds- but her attention was drawn away by 0903.

The boy exclaimed about how pretty the jewel was and Guren chuckled. "It gets better. Lift it to the light." The blue haired woman instructed and guided 0903's hands to lift the jewel up. His reaction took a while but it surely came as a bright, albeit weak, smile.

"Wow, I see a dragon in there!" He exclaimed gleefully.

"Yes. You can think of that dragon as me. I would always be with you for as long as the dragon stays in there."

"Really?"

"Really." Guren repeated.

"Promise?" 0903 asked sheepishly.

"With a pinky swear." The both of them locked pinkies and 0903 let out a breathless gleeful laugh. "So would you be a good boy and eat for me?" Guren picked the bowl of soup broth again in another attempt to feed him. This time the boy accepted to be fed cheerfully and like that, the melancholic aura that clung to him dispersed.

Tenten didn't know what to feel about the scene that unfolded before her. That Long Juanzhou was the reason her village island was annihilated, it caused her grieving tears. The same Long Juanzhou made a desolate boy smile. Guren had a hand in killing some people's family and was even the one to bring 0903 to suffer in the hands of Orochimaru. That same Guren was the reason for 0903's laughter.

If she retrieved her cultural heritage, her people would rest in peace but if she took it from 0903, he would fall into despair. If she took Guren away from 0903, he would fall into despair. Things were getting more complicated than Tenten would have liked and she hated it. She could only hope that everything would fall into place as time went on.

"Guren-san?"

"Hmm?"

0903 seemed to ponder on what to say because a thoughtful expression contorted his facial features. Guren patiently waited for the boy to gather his thoughts which he did after a few moments.

"What is my name?"

It was a simple question but Guren could supply no answer to it. Not immediately. The blue haired woman spaced out with a frown as she tried to remember what his name was. When she wasn't calling him 0903, she was calling him Brat. She never had a reason to call him by his given name so she kind of forgot.

"Yukimaru." Guren announced after a while. "Your name is Yukimaru."

0903's eyelids had grown heavy while he waited for her to supply his name but when he heard it, he gave a sleepy smile. "I...remember...now..." Each word trailed off dizzily until he finally fell asleep.

"I remember now too." Guren whispered so softly that Tenten almost did not hear it. She drew the covers over Yukimaru and gazed down at him with tender affection. While Guren might have acted like taking care of Yukimaru was a chore to Yakushi Kabuto, Tenten scowled upon realising that the boy was not the only one attached.

Ah, this assignment was progressing bitterly.

Guren left Tenten with Yukimaru after she was sure that he was deep in sleep. Once she was alone, the bodyguard withdrew her borrowed phone to inform Hyuga about the situation on her end. His contact was the only one on the phone so finding it was easy. She pocketed the device when the message delivered and released a long sigh.

Yukimaru's chest rose and fell as he snored softly and Tenten watched on with conflicted feelings. How was she supposed to go about this assignment without hurting him in any way? It too was difficult to say how.

-

Neji received the message from Tenten when he was doing some research on the BTR-200 testing. He had a plan to get Kabuto's attention and it involved knowing full details about the medical test that was conducted months ago.

About that time, some families arose and sued Se'in Jashuu Pharmaceuticals for medical misconduct during the test which led to the death of their relatives. They did not win the case because Se'in Jashuu had a certified medical report backing them up and the plaintiff didn't.

This led to serous lash back from media and the public in general who painted the victims' families as attention whores. Neji knew that Se'in Jashuu's medical report was fabricated so his goal was to prove it. Not that he cared about the families and how unfair the situation was for them, no, he was going to use that proof as blackmail and find out whether Yakushi Kabuto really had a hand in the Hyuga downfall or not.

The doctor's name was Shizuoka Rei, who fabricated the medical report against the test patients. He was a man in his mid forties, depicted to be an angel on media and was supposedly very good at his work. Neji dialed Shikamaru, hoping that the man was sober enough to actually pick up the call and not conked out from meth.

"Ugh, what now?" He actually picked it. How relieving.

"I am sorry to disturb you but I need some files on a certain Shizuoka Rei." Neji was not one bit apologetic. There was a reason he bothered Shikamaru as much as he did and it involved the other's unhealthy habit.

"What a drag. Which files?" Some shuffling was heard from Shikamaru's end, most likely him rolling out of bed for the first time since dawn hit, then a click followed by the sound of a computer system turning on.

"Embezzlement, bribery, any dirt you can find from him, really. It shouldn't take long, yeah?"

"Three hours max." Shikamaru yawned.

"I'm counting on you." The call ended with a click. The files arrived in exactly three hours and Neji inspected everything. Like he expected, Shizuoka was not new to embezzlement and Yakushi Kabuto did bribe him to give the medical report. This could work.

Once again, Neji was making a call on his burner phone. "Hello Gaara." His greeting was rewarded with silence typical of the redhead. Neji ignored his coldness and continued talking instead. "I have a job for you."

Gaara stayed silent as Neji explained the job's details to the extent that he almost thought the redhead had disconnected the call somewhere along the line. However he hadn't and Neji was sure he was listening.

"You are not permitted to kill him, do I make myself clear?" That fact was imposed sternly because Gaara had rebellious tendencies. The redhead was as quiet as always but Neji needed his vocal confirmation so he repeated his words. "Do I make myself clear?"

"...yes." Gaara spoke for the first time since their phone call began.

"Good." Neji's voice softened into something brotherly. "How are you?" He felt Gaara tense on his end at his question. The younger's breath began to pick up at what it implied but he quickly reigned himself him and replied with a stiff 'fine'.

Neji was sure that the opposite was the case but he dropped it for the moment and dismissed him. Gaara worried him; he and Shikamaru both but there was only so much he could do when they refused help. The pale eyed man brushed his worries aside in favour of planning his approach to Yakushi.

• • •

Hinata strolled through Sarutobi district with Akamaru. It was a Saturday and Kiba was torn between taking the big dog on a walk and going for his gym appointment with Lee so she volunteered to be his caretaker for the day.

If it wasn't clear before, Hinata loved Akamaru a lot, and besides he would keep her company while she strolled so she had no problem with the job. (Are you sure? He likes to scurry around and you would have to clean up after him when he poops and I'm not really sure you are strong enough to drag him back when he gets excited about a new scent... Kiba had rambled but nothing could discourage her).

Akamaru easily scared anyone from venturing too close to her, standing at a height of 2'2feet and given his thunderous bark but he was such a darling if you weren't dangerous to him. A heavenly smell stopped Hinata on her tracks. At least she would stop if Akamaru stopped dragging her along with him via his leash.

"Here, boy." She commanded the Great Pyrenees. Akamaru gave a low whine, having found an interesting scent to follow but Hinata also found a heavenly scent and she didn't want to drop it. Naturally, she won.

Her nose led her to a bakery, the source of the magnificent aroma that filled the air. From the transparent doors, she could see a chubby man set some cinnamon buns into a show glass and her mouth watered. Cinnamon buns were her absolute favorite.

"Come on, boy." She urged Akamaru as she entered the bakery. "Good afternoon."

The chubby man turned around upon her arrival. His long, spiky auburn hair was covered with a burgundy bandana which matched his grey and red apron. He had peculiar swirly tattoos on each of his cheeks but looked very gentle despite the facials.

"Afternoon miss, welcome to Akimichi's confectionery! I'm Choji. What can I get you?" The man asked cheerfully.

"I'm Hinata, it's nice to meet you. I'd like some cinnamon buns please. I must say, they smell so divine."

Choji preened at the praise, a soft blush dusting his cheeks as he picked up a puffy bun and gave it to Hinata. "This is on the house since we're new in town. Hope you'll spread the word!"

"Thank you." Hinata accepted the warm bun and took a bite. She gasped. If one could eat their way into heaven, this was the way. Rich flavours exploded in her mouth the more she chewed, sugar, cinnamon and cream in perfect proportions. The dough crusts were so sweet and flaky, Hinata vaguely wondered if this was how manna tasted like.

"Glad you enjoy it." Choji chuckled at her rather enthusiastic munching. "Here are some crumbs for the big guy too." When he had left to get them, Hinata didn't know but she accepted the crumbs with gratitude.

Another customer walked in as she knelt to feed Akamaru. It was a man judging from the voice she heard. A voice she heard once and registered in her heart forever. It was Naruto-kun.

"I knew the new building would be something food related!" His cheery, very husky voice rang high and clear. "I wish it was a ramen shop but as a dedicated foodie, a bakery isn't so bad. Yosh! Let's see if you'd meet my standards, fatty."

"I am not fat!" Choji refuted indignantly, annoyance obvious in his voice, but Naruto was not listening to him.

"What should I get?" The blond pondered.

It was then Hinata arose, after Akamaru had licked her hands clean. "You should try the cinnamon buns, they're h-heavenly." Her words stuttered when Naruto turned and faced her with a blinding handsome grin. His whisker shaped scars seemed to smile along with him.

"Hime!"

Hinata's heart skipped a bit at the pet name. She didn't understand. Why did it have such an effect on her when she was used to being called names?

"I didn't know it was you! Ano sa, is he any good?" Naruto pointed his thumb rather rudely at Choji who huffed.

"You should try the cinnamon buns." Hinata repeated her earlier statement in reply.

"Okay! Give me five cinnamon buns, fatty." Naruto ordered.

"It's Choji and I'm not fat, I am just big boned!" The big man's vein pulsed on the side of his forehead.

"Choji!" Naruto yelled happily like he wasn't just on somebody's nerves. "I want five cinnamon buns, Choji!"

Choji's annoyance abruptly disappeared, giving way into bafflement at the blond's frolicsome nature. He crossed glances with Hinata who gave a soft chuckle and a shrug. Naruto-kun was enigmatic in his own way.

"Cinnamon buns! Choji com'on, I'm starving here!"

Choji rushed to pick out five buns for the impatient blond. They were gone as quick as they were given to him. Choji didn't think there was anyone other than him who could eat that fast until he met this strange blond.

"Delicious! You're good, man." Naruto complimented, then he proceeded to make a list of what he wanted. "Uhm, I'd like three banana muffins, two strawberry scones, three chocolate truffles and that vanilla soufflé staring so deliciously at me. Ah! Is there anything you'd like, Hime? I'd get it for you."

"Oh you needn't!" Hinata quickly refused but Naruto was in her face, pestering her to let him buy what she wanted. "Fine but only if I can pay for half of it." She bargained when Naruto insisted.

"Okay, I'm cool with that. Order away." His grin was just so bright.

Hinata giggled. "Then I'd like five cinnamon buns and a barley cake please." The barley cake was for Neji whose sweet tooth was close to inexistent.

"That would be-" Choji started stating the price of their goods but was interrupted by Naruto who grabbed the bags and Hinata's hand and started leaving.

"Thanks Choji!" He waved over his head, oblivious to the flabbergasted look on the other's face.

"N-Naruto-kun, we haven't paid him yet!" Hinata sputtered. Naruto abruptly stopped.

"Oh. I keep forgetting, hehe." He grinned sheepishly and went back to the counter to pay. He was too used to just stealing what he wanted so paying was still a foreign concept to him.

"Thanks for your patronage. Be sure to spread the word and come back again." Choji's wordless 'that doesn't apply to you, Blondie' didn't go over Naruto as they left the shop hand in hand but he could care less.

Hinata couldn't help her giggles at the exchange. Her day just got better with Naruto's arrival. They spent the rest of the afternoon walking aimlessly and talking, well Naruto did most of the talking, but to Hinata it was the perfect way to spend her day.

***

Translations

Bié dānxīn, xiǎo háizi - don't worry, little one.

Wǒ huì bǎohù nǐ - I will protect you.

Take a little suspense, add it with angst and a new mystery, with a sprinkle of NaruHina fluff. Voila! You get my longest chapter yet.

If the next chapter goes as planned, we should see more of NaruHina and NejiTen. We might get to see a drunk Tenten acting all drunkenly cute with Neji... I plan so. I've even written out the scene. Here's a sneak pic:

***

"Zerubabbel diesch noch~ et tu~ et moi schla schala ZAMAY!"

"Is that French, Hebrew or German?"

"Babbaya." Tenten hiccupped. "OH!" She suddenly grabbed him by his shirt and pulled him close. Her warm alcoholic breath fanned his face at their proximity. "Oh? It's erojiji! My erojiji. Stupid Neji washeor~"

***

Look forward to it!

*I just wanted to note that in this AU, ANBU is the police. As you might have observed, I used them interchangeably but I figure that it might confuse some people. Some people might be wondering what code 0903 means.

Since Yukimaru was the jinchuriki (somewhat) of the three tails and there were nine tailed beasts, I took the serial numbers from each (03 and 09 respectively) and joined them. So 0903 means the third bijuu out of nine. If that's the case then the code should be 0309 not 0903, you must be thinking. Well I'd already published the chapter before I realized so let's just pretend it was intentional.😁

**A new mystery is here to task your brains! Who do you suspect is the Neck Breaker? Let's hear your thoughts in the comment section. Please vote the chapter if you liked it. I'm not sure if I'll be able to update this book for a while because of my upcoming exams in September but I'll try my best.

See you later!

-Star.