This chapter is a pretty long one (at least for me). They'd only get longer as the story progresses. I made another cover for Blood Tainted Roses; check it out! Do you like it? I'm pretty monochromatic so I am bad at using filters and colours. I decided to use a red filter since that would fit the story more. Okay, let's proceed with the story!

Announcement at the end of the chapter!

***

These three (plus Akamaru) might be annoying sometimes but they were the closest things to brothers to her after the loss of her family. She would never trade them for the world.

***

Akatsuki, meaning dawn, started as a small team of charity workers that helped struggling people especially the poor. They traveled from coast to coast, reaching out in their own little ways to those that needed help. They were soon locally recognized and people began to join the charity team.

The ones that could not join them donated things to them and sponsored them. This small team were never acknowledged for their works but they did not need the praise. Lending a helping hand was enough to satisfy them.

The leader of the unknown charity team was a kind hearted man named Yahiko. He started the organization along with his two friends, Nagato and Konan, as a result of the harsh suffering they went through at the early stages of their lives. The trio grew up Amegakure which was also known as the 'Weeping City.'

As the name implied it rained all day and all year in Amegakure. The entire city was a huge slump where the mortality rates were very high because of the poor living condition of the people and incessant. It was a struggle everyday for survival. Being a poor city meant that hunger and starvation was an everyday thing and living in a brick house was like living in a mansion.

If hunger did not kill people, sickness from accumulated cold from the continuous rain and dirty water did. The city was made up of nobodies. There was nothing like friends or acquaintances there; it was every man for himself. Children had to fight with other children for a scrap of food only for it to be taken from them by an adult.

Yahiko, Nagato and Konan stuck together despite everything being said. They fought for each other and shared the little scrapings of food they could salvage with each other. They were practically family.

There was a war among the Five Great Nations for the division of power and it left Amegakure in great devastation. The people that normally struggled everyday in their ghetto city were chased out of their cardboard homes as a result of the war and those that remained starved until cannibalism became an option.

Yahiko, Nagato and Konan were part of the people that were chased out of their home city to fight in a war they had nothing to do about. They watched as people were slaughtered with ease and were forced to kill for the sake of war. How they managed to survive, they did not know but their luck was about to run out when an enemy cornered them.

That day was not one the trio could forget for it was the day they met their savior in the form of a man called Jiraiya. The man protected them until the war was over, after which he took the three in and cared for them like they were his own children. It since was then Yahiko had his conviction to be a charity worker.

Jiraiya made him feel hope in his bleak life and he also wanted to make other people regain their hope through what he did. Nagato and Konan chose to support his decision and that was how the Akatsuki was born. Jiraiya let them go when they were old enough to fend for themselves. The white haired man would forever be in their memories.

At first being charity helpers was difficult seeing that they had nothing for themselves talk less what they could share with others so they had opted for rendering services for free like fixing roofs and farming. From there people started joining them and they started growing.

They were able to donate food rations to the people of Amegakure as well as other poor towns they could reach. Their growth was impressive and it made Yahiko happy but they still had room for expansion. If they had legal backing they could seek sponsorship from companies and wealthy people, so Yahiko worked towards getting a legal recognition from the leader of Amegakure.

Yahiko was able to appease the leader, Hanzo, and they were just this close to legalization. Unfortunately things did not go their way. One by one the members of the Akatsuki died unnatural deaths until only the pioneers of the group were left. It was discovered later that Yahiko was the one behind their deaths and he was hanged in the public as a punishment.

Nagato and Konan had to flee from Amegakure and go into hiding for they knew what was going on. They never once believed that Yahiko could orchestrate the deaths of their comrades. Their friend was framed and indiscriminately killed without as much as a trial.

Yahiko's death pained Nagato and even more so, Konan for she was his widow. They swore to find out the truth behind their comrades and friend's murder and they did after many years had passed and the incident forgotten.

The truth was that Hanzo, the leader of Amegakure, had been afraid that the Akatsuki and Yahiko would take the government from his hands if they continued to grow. The people were already talking of how great a leader Yahiko was compared to him and he felt threatened. So he took the advice of a friend, Danzo, and ordered for the assassination off the Akatsuki underlings.

He made sure to batter Yahiko's image by framing him for the murder and hanging him in the square of their small city. Nagato was livid when he heard this and he went crazy. The truth was a bitter pill to swallow but Nagato learned, through the indiscriminate loss of his best friend, that humans were the worst of creation.

There was corruption everywhere. Why does Amegakure suffer despite being a city in one of the Great Nations? Why is that wealthy cities like Konoha receive governmental funds and not poor cities? Where do all of the so claimed funds that was given to the poor lands go to? Why do the rich exploit the poor when they have more than enough?

They say there was peace after the war that various young children had to fight in, many people lost their lives before they could even start it, but such peace was only an illusion. Many had not recovered from the war yet. Amegakure for example only got harder to live in, and what were people doing about it? Nothing.

Nagato needed to make peace real. The first thing he did was to expose all of the embezzlement records and assassinations that Hanzo did. During the political leader's query by the supreme court the man mysteriously died. Unknown to the public, Nagato killed him.

From there the man targeted the higher ups and began exposing their evil deeds and killing them off one by one. There were people that supported his ideals and joined him in creating the new Akatsuki, meaning 'Red Moon'. They robbed, hacked and killed as many as they could lay their hands on.

What started as a small group of charity workers evolved into a small group of assassins and kept evolving until the Akatsuki was known world wide. They were feared among the Great Nations, especially by political leaders, and made it into several bingo books as 'kill on sight'. The humongous bounty on their heads did not stop the Akatsuki though.

They continued to take out as much as they could even till their last breaths. In the end, only Nagato was left alive. He was caught and imprisoned but his story blew the internet. Many began to support him, say that his actions were justified and the government faced a series of mass revolts and protests.

It took a lot of time for the uproar caused by Nagato's sad story to cease and everything seemed to be back to normal until the Tori arose from nowhere. Many theories were formed about the new gang of robbers that arose after the Akatsuki. There were questions about the purpose for their formation people questioned their reasons for rising.

Some postulations say that they were following in the paths of the Akatsuki but that theory was easily debunked because the Birds targeted all wealthy organizations. That aside, they were not into revealing acts of corruption performed by the higher ups.

Some people say that they are just cheap rip offs of the Akatsuki that hope to become as popular one day. Some theories say that they were an organization of poor and angry citizens who wanted to gain public recognition.

The last theory was the most accepted one among other theories. It just made sense that the Birds are brilliant minded poor citizens, probably angry unemployed youths at the government.

Sasuke and Neji met up at the latter's house for some information exchange. Contrary to popular belief that the leader of the Birds must be a poor and angry citizen that was mad at the government and the rich for personal reasons, Neji was from a wealthy background. In fact most members of the Tori were wealthy people.

So why are the wealthy stealing from the wealthy? That would be an explanation for another time.

Sasuke was invited into the mansion automatically by the house's AI system since it recognized him. Neji was lounging on a couch in a relax outfit when he arrived; he was watching the news. There was nothing too interesting going on there but the leader always watched and noted every detail because of his meticulous nature.

"Hello Sasuke." Said man greeted without as much as turning around. One thing about Neji that Sasuke admired was how he always seemed to have eyes at the back of his head. Of course the Birds were more observant than normal people because of the rigorous training Neji put them through before requiting them, but the leader's skills were topnotch.

"I have the text." Sasuke announced, waving the old book in his hands. "I made sure to get one that the linguistics were having a hard time interpreting." The dark haired man sat himself on another couch next to Neji's.

"Why did you do that?" His boss hummed, eyes still on the TV, but his voice was laced with amusement at the younger's antics.

Sasuke made a 'tch' noise with his tongue and grunted. He was still annoyed that Meigui managed to steal from him so this was his form of retribution. Petty? Yeah he knew but Uchihas were known to be very competitive over the littlest things.

"If she manages to translate this then my respect for her would increase from 0.5 to 2." Sasuke grunted instead of answering Neji's question. The older shook his head fondly, finally moving his gaze from the TV, and took the text gracefully from the space next to him where Sasuke had dropped it.

"You did not tell me that Meigui had an accent and that her Konohanean was influent." Neji's attention had shifted from the television to the old book in his hand. The pages were made of thick ancient paper and were brown with dirt. The book itself was dogeared from good use.

Lavender eyes skimmed through the slashes and strokes that made up the ancient language. That was all it was; slashes and strokes and maybe some curves and dots here and there. It didn't look Atlantan or even Pompeian (just imagine these cities exist in their world) which had shapes that distinguished vowels from consonants.

Neji could see why the linguists had a hard time deciphering it. "Does it matter?" He heard Sasuke ask.

"No it doesn't but Shikamaru would have had a less difficult time trying to trace Meigui, don't you think?"

"Hn. He was being a cunt." Sasuke grumbled.

"Thank you Sasuke." Neji appreciated while closing the text. "Have you had anything to eat yet?" He asked, stalking to the kitchen. The gang often swung by to raid his fridge and exploit his cooking skills but Neji didn't mind. In a way, it made him feel like a retired father whose children always gathered for family dinner on occasion.

"No. I want something with tomatoes." Sasuke demanded and made himself comfortable on the couch.

"The chairman of Se'in Jashuu Pharmaceuticals, Yakushi Kabuto announces the commencement of the medical testing of the BTR-209 medicine-"

The newscaster was cut off as Sasuke switched the TV channel to something he liked.

"Silly boy." Neji shook his head with a fond smile.

• • •

Tenten wore a simple light pink top with her tribal pattern embroidered unto it on a pair of wine baggy trousers. The trousers were a relaxation outfit the women of her village used to wear; this particular one belonged to a senile old woman named Inovan-Bennu.

The old hag had dementia so she often called Tenten her daughter and went around the village performing mischief, fighting over other people's chickens and even setting her son in law's hut on fire because she hallucinated him to be Dejaja-Mundu- an evil spirit in Meiguian folklore.

The young lady gave a small laugh at the memory, she was ten years old when it happened but the memories remained strong in her mind. She slipped her earrings on and packed her hair just how she liked it; in two parts. As one might have guessed, the hairstyle was something Meiguian women used to do as beautification tactics.

Pushing her nostalgic thoughts aside, Tenten locked the door to her apartment and set for the cafe where she promised to meet with Hyuga.

"Are you going on a date? You're jumping." Ranmaru's voice would have given Tenten a scare had she not heard his shuffling at the end of the stairs that led up to her apartment. The boy was talented at popping up at random places all of a sudden.

"No." Tenten didn't know why she was even replying him. "Should you not be at school?" She pegged him with an accusatory look.

"Today is Sunday." The violet haired teen deadpanned.

"Oh." Tenten said dumbly. "I have to go or I be late." She bypassed him to the gate.

"Good luck on your date!" Ranmaru yelled after her.

"It's not date!" Tenten yelled back exasperatedly. She got to the cafe a little bit late because she, obviously, walked there. Hyuga was a bit difficult to spot amongst the customers that occupied the shop because he chose a secluded position. She did after a while of looking and walked over to his table. "Sorry I am late." She apologized.

"It's okay, you're the one doing me a favour after all." Hyuga smiled charmingly. "Do you want to order something before we start? I'm afraid you would have to eat everything first because I do not want the text staining."

"I am okay. Let's start." Tenten wondered why he did not just invite her to the museum and translate the text there but didn't think much into it. The man brought out an old book from his suitcase and placed it gently on the table. The woman picked it up and opened the first page, then her eyes widened in recognition. "This is...!" She gasped.

Hyuga seemed puzzled. "You recognize it?" He asked in bafflement.

"I do." This was Meiguian text. It was ancient and a bit difficult to read but there was no denying that the strokes and slashes belonged to the tribal land of Luse. "This is Okanda, the language of a small island natives." She informed Neji using the ancient name for her tongue.

"So you can translate this?" Hyuga asked again in disbelief.

"Yes but it take time because it is old language." Tenten's eyes dimmed a bit. How did the text even get beyond the island of Luse? She was not given time to brood as Neji passed her a note and pen to begin her work with. She explained some things to him like how the symbols worked to make words and transcribed a few into Konohanean for him.

Several hours passed before Tenten finished with a section from the book. It seemed to be the journal of one of the Xinyang chiefs of her village. Tenten wanted to continue unraveling the words of wisdom and her island's past but time was limited. That and there was nothing to apply it to. Luse was gone. The Meigui people were gone save for her.

The young woman passed the note with the translated text to Hyuga along with the text- which she was reluctant to return but she had to do it- with slightly shaky hands and picked up her bag. "I'm sorry, I go now." She apologized for leaving abruptly and tried to go back home before her emotions caught up with her in front of a stranger.

"Oh?" Hyuga dropped the translated text in mild confusion and disappointment. "Thank you for your help Miss. Xinyang, I really appreciate you deciphering this for us." He appreciated.

Tenten hummed and stood up to leave. She was only a few steps away from the table she just shared with Hyuga when black spots suddenly filled her vision and her eyes rolled into the back of her head. She felt herself falling and could do nothing about it but anticipate the harsh collision of her face and the floor.

"Miss. Xinyang!"

She vaguely heard Hyuga's voice calling her name as she dipped lower and lower until she was a mere centimeters away from the ground. A force suddenly pulled her up and saved her from having a bad fall. Tenten was enveloped in a faint musky smell that had a hint of lavender to it. It was a pleasing smell which helped the young lady get her bearings back.

Tenten's face slowly started building heat when the black dots that swirled her vision finally cleared and she became aware of her surroundings. 'His hand...' Her eyes darted to and fro and blinked rapidly in an attempt not to focus on the fact that Hyuga's hand was on her left boob.

'It must be an accident.' Tenten thought in her native tongue. 'He didn't realise it when he tried saving me from falling.' She hoped that Hyuga would just let her go without realising where his hand was and she would be on her way home without embarrassment.

That didn't happen though because she felt pressure on her breast. 'This pervert!' She released a war cry and all hell set loose.

-

Neji had to wait a bit for Meigui's arrival but not for too long, fortunately. The man was genuinely surprised and impressed when she immediately got which language the text was; Sasuke would have to give her more respect now.

There was something off about her when she realised which language the text was, it was as though she would break down and start crying any moment from then. Neji wasn't sure what he would do if she really did break down. He guessed that he should ask her if she was alright but it was none of his business so he kept mute.

Xinyang transferred the notes over and bade him goodbye before leaving in a bit of a rush. The woman only got a few steps away from him when she suddenly slowed down and stopped walking. Neji was about to ask her if anything was the matter when the woman's figure suddenly slumped.

"Miss. Xinyang!"

Neji was at her side in a rush. He was able to save her from falling face first on the floor and pull her upwards. That was when he noticed that his hand was positioned in a rather compromising place and that Xinyang was red to her ears.

The next thing that happened after that was something Neji could not explain so he blamed it on Palmer grasp reflex. He found his hand twitching which inadvertently led to applying pressure on his hold on the woman's...yeah. Neji was a decent guy, he swore his dignity on it, but for some reason this happened.

The next thing he knew, the woman yelled and he felt her body steeling over before she grabbed his hand rather harshly for a woman her size. The world spun around him and he suddenly found himself defying the set laws of gravity.

The loud noise that arose from Neji's back the floor and his long legs upsetting a table- the table they were just sat at- attracted attention towards them. The wind was knocked out of the Hyuga to care about the attention, Meigui was definitely stronger than her scrawny teenager figure made her seem.

Said woman yelled some curses about him being a pervert and walked away before he even had the chance to explain himself. What a strange person.

"Are you alright sir?" The manager asked him, reaching out to help which was politely declined as Neji sat himself up. Meigui was rather amusing if one ignored her bad temper, and she was pretty strong and intelligent. It would not hurt the Tori if they had one more member, would it?

Neji felt a sadistic smile slipping up at the prospect of how fun requiting Meigui into the Birds would be. The self righteous vigilante would be so fun to break and taint; it was perfect. "I'm peachy." Neji replied the manager albeit a little bit late and out of context. "Very peachy."

• • •

Tenten's sour mood remained until she got home and the spicy smell of curry hit her senses. She relaxed a bit, that pervert was not worth brooding over. The old gate creaked as the young woman entered the tenant house. Kiba and Akamaru were outside their apartment training or so it seemed.

Lee was strangely absent from the training session Kiba and Akamaru were doing right now. Perhaps he was off doing one thousand weight lifts at the gym with Gai or something. The white dog was the first to notice and acknowledge Tenten's presence with a bark. It was then Kiba stopped the diamond push ups he was doing to face the brunette.

"Yo Tenten!" The tattooed man greeted with a wave and sat cross legged on the floor next to Akamaru. "Heard you went on a date."

"Date?" Tenten asked as she drew closer to her colleague. Her confusion cleared when she remembered her conversation with Ranmaru earlier that afternoon. "It is not date." She sighed, her sourness from her reduced bride price virtue coming back to her in torrents like a rain storm.

"Definitely didn't go well." Kiba looked strangely relieved at the idea of her failed not-date but the emotion was gone before she could address it. "You're resuming work tomorrow?" The brunet asked to change topics.

"Yes." Tenten replied. "Where is Lee?" She then asked curiously.

"Met up with Gai-san for their youthful workout whatnot." Kiba answered dismissively but his brows were creased in concern. "Are you alright? You look...frazzled and have you been sleeping well?" He asked worriedly.

The dark circles under her eyes were clearly visible and the tiredness his comrade felt bled through to her composure. She was not walking with her back ramrod straight as usual anymore, instead she walked with a bit of a slouch.

"I'm fine Kiba, today just stressful. I be alright by tomorrow." Tenten reassured with a tiny smile.

"If you say so." It was obvious that did not believe her but he thankfully dropped the case and dismissed her to her apartment. It had only been about half an hour after Tenten entered her house when Akamaru's bark sounded outside the door.

She opened the aluminum structure to find Kiba outside with a food tray and a grin that showed his exceptionally sharp canines. "Granny Sanshō made some food for you, make sure to eat up. I also got herbal tea since they say it helps with sleep and such." He entered her apartment and placed the tray on the small stool in the living room.

"Ah thank you Kiba." Tenten really appreciated his kind, brotherly gesture. She could've sworn she saw a bit of colour on her friend's cheeks but the guy stood up before she could dwell on it.

"Hehe. Uhm, ahem. I'd... I'd leave now. Make sure you rest up. Bye Tenten." Kiba left awkwardly with Akamaru in tow. Tenten never even minded the dog hair that was always found whenever the dog visited her apartment because she was used to it and she liked their company.

The Xinyang ate the meal with a mental note to thank granny Sanshō for it later and enjoyed the tea in solitude. The Curry of Life was by no means tranquil but being surrounded by the buzzing noise from the activity downstairs and the cultural things she salvaged from Luse made her feel at ease.

Tenten took a shower and changed into her night clothes because she felt like she would actually have a good sleep today. The herbal tea really worked, the sleepy woman noted blearily as she closed all the curtains and switched on a lantern with particularly low fuel so that it would burn out later when she was asleep.

Tenten was out the moment her head touched her pillow.

• • •

Tenten's eyes opened before the crack of dawn like it always did every morning. She had no need for an alarm clock because she always ended up waking before the device got to ring. This was because she grew up waking to the noises of birds and fowls before dawn every day for thirteen years on Luse so the habit had been ingrained into her system.

(AN: I also have Tenten's habit of waking up before dawn. Who else does?)

The young woman got up after muttering a short prayer and did her morning exercise which consisted of sit ups, head stands and a couple of yoga poses. She was feeling rejuvenated by the time she had a cold shower and washed her hair.

Tenten never did like her black and white suit but it was the uniform for her work unless the client wanted otherwise. It was stuffy and itchy and in one word, uncomfortable for the woman that was used to stripping down to her underwear at any given opportunity. The suit didn't allow for her to use her limbs well enough for activities like jumping and stuff.

After her gadgets were attached to her body and her hair was done in her preferred hairstyle, Tenten was ready to report to the office to take on whatever mission Kakashi had for her. The bus ride to Hatake Inc. Head quarters was as nauseating as every transport ride she had ever taken but Tenten pulled through.

It turned out that she would be guarding a rich young master throughout his tour of Konoha as her mission which was fine because Tenten could actually manage children. She just usually saw her adventurous self in them that it was not too difficult to relate to them.

The mission took three tiresome days and Tenten was glad to be back home for a rest, only the forces of nature were turned against her. When Ranmaru told her that somebody had moved into the flat next to hers she wasn't expecting it to be the last person she wanted to see...

Hyuga freaking pervert Neji.

***

Tenten be unknowingly friend zoning Kiba...poor guy. I hope this chapter was to your liking. Neji is not a pervert, I swear on his lost dignity in the tsukoyomi world!

*Palmer grasp reflex is the instinct to grab on to something in babies. When you put your finger in a baby's hand, they reflexively grab unto it with their cute little fingers as a means of adaptation so as not to fall.

I don't think I have ever proofread any of my books hence the typos and stuff, I'm sorry. I did manage for this book though.

I won't be able to publish any more chapters until further notice!

That's because I started this book on a whim so I don't have most parts planned out in my head yet. I can already see how it ends but how it gets to that point? Nah. So you'd have to wait until I find something to do about it. And besides I haven't the opportunity to really write down anything yet. I'm sorry. And we were just getting to the good part too...😖

Please be sure to vote and comment, I really appreciate the gesture a lot so please do. Reviewing helps me to be really sure my story is interesting. When you don't, I just get...deh, should I just unpublish this book? I don't think it's interesting. So please review! Thanks in advance!

-Star.