20

"Are you done yet?" Neji asked, gear already slung over one shoulder.

Tenten looked up at him and shook her head. "Just a few more, okay? Unlike you, I happen to use a lot of stuff during training." The kunoichi went back to sealing her numerous kunai and shuriken back to their respective scrolls.

Neji smirked in amusement. He leaned against the trunk of their favorite tree, watching his teammate gather her weapons. They had finished another spar and was finishing up for the day. Since both Lee and Gai-sensei were away on a mission, that left the two remaining members of Team Gai to train on their own. The pair didn't mind.

"Alright!" Tenten exclaimed. "I'm all set!" She grinned as she carried her summoning scroll on her back. Neji stepped out and joined her as they walked back to the village proper.

"You haven't told me how your last mission went," Tenten said as they walked, the warm afternoon sun beating on them.

Neji frowned a little. "It was..." he paused, wondering how to describe his latest encounter. "...draining."

"Oh, I knew it." Tenten replied.

Neji noticed her smug smile and the Hyuuga's frown deepened into suspicion. "You did?"

"Hmm. I could tell." Tenten looked at him, a mischievous glint in her brown eyes. "You suck at training today. A bit slow for the genius Hyuuga." Then she chuckled.

Neji glared at the kunoichi but Tenten only rolled her eyes and gave him a light nudge with her elbow. Neji merely shook his head. Deep down, he heaved a sigh of relief. He actually thought that Tenten knew something.

It was only natural for Neji to assume such things since Tenten has been with him for the longest time that she can read him as she could to a book. He and the kunoichi had been friends for more than 6 years now ('it has been that long?' he thought) that sometimes they don't need words to express each other. That was why he was a tad worried that she had got wind of his recent activities.

"So, is it really the reason you were slow today, eh Neji?" Tenten asked again. "I'm actually close to thinking that maybe you have dulled a bit," she added with a chuckle.

"I'm merely not in my optimal condition," Neji replied, a little gruffly. He refuses to believe that he had "dulled". He's still a genius as far as he knows. And as what he said, he's not just primed at their training today.

"Oh...okay. That explains why my blades almost brushed you earlier. Your kaiten's range was a couple of centimeter's shorter than usual."

The Hyuuga prodigy frowned at this. He was certain his skills have not "dulled"--as the kunoichi put it--and that he's simply quite tired today. He was unable to sleep fitfully the night prior and had gone out to meditate to clear his mind yet again. It has been going on for days now.

Missions helped him forget about her temporarily, as his training with Hinata too. But when he's alone, especially at night...

They reached the corner where Tenten would turn left to her apartment while Neji would go the other way to the compound. And usually, the kunoichi would invite him for a snack or something.

Neji raised a fine brow, noticing the change in their routine. He turned to Tenten. "Aren't you gonna go for dumplings?" he asked.

Tenten was surprised. "Oh. Err, not today."

Neji remained silent. Tenten shrugged. "The girls are all free today and we're planning a get-together...sort of a girl's night out. Didn't Hinata tell you?" She grinned and winked.

The Hyuuga nodded slowly, understanding that this is one of those silly things girls indulge in. Stuffing his hands in his pockets, he shrugged.

"Hinata-sama and I do not talk of such things," he replied.

Tenten laughed. Neji raised a brow in confusion. The kunoichi crossed her arms over her chest. "You make it sound as if we're gonna do something indecent. Neji, loosen up!" Tente brushed a stray tendril of hair from her face. "It's just a get-together, share some stories on our missions and stuff... the same thing you guys do when you meet at Ichiraku's."

Then she paused.

Neji could hear the cogs in her mind turn. Tenten leaned closer to him, cheeks faintly pink. "Unless... you do something indecent during those boys' night outs, huh?"

Neji frowned again, remembering the latest happening during that night when he was dragged by Lee to join the rest of the male members of Konoha 11 on a 'small get together' over barbecue. It's not like Neji to join the noisy crowd made up of Kiba and Naruto, but to humor Lee who was ecstatic to reunite with their friends after a long mission, the Hyuuga agreed.

At first it was just barbecue and sharing of mission misfits. As always, it was a noisy affair courtesy of the blonde jinchuriki and the dog-tamer. But as the night wore on and everybody loosened up, it became more raucous. Shikamaru was guffawing and failing terribly at keeping order. Neji had to watch out for Lee, to make sure his teammate does not touch anything alcoholic. It's common knowledge that Lee with a touch of alcohol can be dangerous.

Some shinobi had also joined them, mostly those they were with on several missions aside from their teammates. When the group had expanded in number, it was when Kiba suggested it--the idiot.

"Hey, hey, I heard that there are many hot girls over at that new onsen," he shared, face quite red with Asahi.

Naruto's eyes went wide as saucers. "Ehh?! You've been peeking!"

"Keep your voice down, will ya?" Kiba waved his nth bottle of Asahi. Technically the Inuzuka's still not allowed liquor, but they got away with the fact that Neji is with them--and he is of legal age—and that the bartender didn't really care who buys his liquor just as long as he sells. "Besides it's not as if it's a new thing for you. Your sensei does it all the time, ne?" He was pertaining to Jiraiya, the Sannin, who was also renowned for being a huge pervert.

The blond nodded, considering Kiba's argument. "Uhh... you're right about that...."

"I am, baka. Anyway, as I was saying, I met some girls there and they wanted to you know, get to know us a bit better, join us and--"

At this, there was unanimous protests from the group of Konoha 12.

"I don't think it's a good idea," Shikamaru was saying. "Girls are troublesome creatures."

"Anything that Kiba suggests is never a good thing," Shino had remarked, and it's rare to elicit any sort of reaction to the equally stoic man.

"Oi! Oi! What do you mean Shino, you bast--"

"It would only be trouble," Neji had said, "we don't know them and isn't this supposed to be a gathering for us? They are strangers and not of our acquaintance."

"Aww... Don't be a killjoy! They're perfectly fine...all harmless and such. Besides, it's not as if we'll be doing something. C'mon..."

Apart from them, the rest of the group agreed to Kiba's proposition.

"What do you say, Lee?"

Lee looked at the faces of his peers: Neji's warning glare, Shikamaru who was shaking his head as if saying 'No!', Sai's unnerving grin, and Kiba who was smirking in anticipation. Konoha's future taijutsu master cleared his throat and said,

"I believe it would be unyouthful to limit our number and not meet new people who could potentially be our friends."

And that settled it. The Inuzuka and the other male members of their drinking party whooped in victory.

Neji was swarmed in a moment by two girls who instantly recognized his Hyuuga features. Grimacing, the Hyuuga left just then, dragging Lee along with him.

He was brought back to the present as he studied Tenten's wide brown eyes. Neji preferred not to answer and just stare at her instead, but he knew the kunoichi is as curious as any and would not stop until she hears his response.

"...it was a purely decent affair, not as you are suggesting now," he replied calmly. It was the truth. The next day, he heard from Naruto that not long after he left, Shino followed suit, Chouji had fallen asleep at the table from too much satiety, Sai had to drag Naruto home after the said shinobi performed a Kage Bunshin and had transformed to Naruko. There was apparently a ruckus and the party ended. 'Serves Kiba right for all his idiocy,' Neji thought wryly then.

Tenten seemed unconvinced but she shrugged. "As you say, Neji." She smiled. "Anyway, I'll see you tomorrow. Bye!"

The afternoon sun was behind her, casting a halo over her brown hair. She looked radiant, bright smile and all. Neji nodded, gracing her with his signature smirk. "I'll see you. Be safe, Tenten."

He thought he saw her blush, but she had already turned before he could be sure.

~~~~~~~~~

The afternoon was humid and Akira was sweating like a faucet. Wiping the sweat off her brow, she smirked at her opponent, readying herself for another attack. A few distance from her, Kiba mirrored her smirk and crouched on all fours.

"Come on dog-boy," Akira muttered under her breath.

As Kiba and Akamaru twisted into a strong Gatsuga, Akira formed seals, concentrating earth-natured chakra into her palms. When Kiba neared, she slammed her palms on the ground:

"Doton: Taju Doryuheki!"

Thick and tall earthen walls sprouted from the ground and formed around Kiba and Akamaru's spinning form. In a second, both master and hound were trapped within Akira's earth trap. Each wall were meters thick. Confined in the tiny space, Kiba and Akamaru had nowhere to go.

Akira stood up and approached her handiwork. She could hear Kiba and Akamaru still drilling against the walls, attempting to free themselves. After minutes of repeated attacks, she heard the spinning stop.

"Overkill, princess!" Kiba shouted from within. Akira could hear the frustration in his voice.

She chuckled. "Heh. If you were smart enough, you'd know that those are not ordinary walls."

"Don't underestimate me and Akamaru. We've faced this kind of shit before!" Akamaru barked in agreement.

Akira stepped back, knowing that Kiba was about to make another attack. If her deductions were right, she knew the Inuzuka would make use of a stronger form of Gatsuga. The sound of whirring reached her ear. If he's smart he'll think of escaping underground. It was safe to assume just that.

She bit her thumb and slammed a palm on the ground. "Kuchiyose no jutsu!" Instantly Yuudai appeared. The wolf's sharp eyes noted the sweaty form of his master and the tall earthen walls. He shook his head.

"Overkill, Hime," Yuudai drawled which earned him a glare.

"That's twice in a row now!" Akira exclaimed. Had she really gone overboard with this training match with Kiba? The kunoichi didn't think so. After all, she hasn't used the full force of her ninjutsu skills. And Kiba's punches did hurt a lot a while back when they were doing taijutsu. The guy could pack a punch which was not surprising since he's become more muscular. That kick of his would leave a mark on her thigh and she won't forgive him for that.

"Argh, it doesn't matter!" Akira snarled. "I've got him trapped in my earth walls but if he's smart, he'll try to escape underground. Surround the walls."

Yuudai, being a doton user, proceeded with the counter-attack. Pressing his front paws on the outer wall, he channeled his chakra, reinforcing the thick earth further.

'I know the Gatsuga takes a lot of chakra to use and it can be easily tiring so I'm not expecting Kiba to be able to keep that kind of intensity for long periods of time. If he ever manages to break down one wall, he'd be near comatose to even try another,' Akira thought.

'But just for countermeasures, in case he'll escape by burrowing underground, I made it difficult by reinforcing the walls. As Yuudai channel chakra, the more the walls grow under, forming a solid barrier both above and below ground. Kiba may be quite dumb like Naruto but he has gotten better.' Akira smirked, remembering the Inuzuka's increased skill in speed, taijutsu and ninjutsu. Not to mention, his teamwork with Akamaru. Akira watched as Kiba and Akamaru continued whirring in all four directions, their attacks futile against Akira's earth barrier.

Just then, Akira and Yuudai heard the Gatsuga stop. The wolf and Akira exchanged a look of concern before she called out to the shinobi.

"Kiba!"

There was no response. Akira tensed and so did Akai beside her. They knew well enough that the Inuzuka could be feigning defeat. Yuudai, Kishi, Sachiko and Kuroi stepped back from the walls and formed a defensive circle around Akira. The kunoichi meanwhile, coursed chakra on the earth. She sensed small movements from within her doton walls. This meant Kiba and Akamaru had ceased their attacks on her barrier. Tentatively she asked Yuudai to bring down one wall. When one earthen wall crashed to the ground, Akira lowered her guard.

"Hey, princess," Kiba said, leaning against Akamaru. He was sweaty, grimy and his hair stuck to the sides of his face. He looked exhausted as he took in deep breaths. "That...that was intense!" He shook his head, wolfish grin gracing his face. "Didn't know you take training way too seriously." Beside him, Akamaru barked weakly followed by a soft whimper.

Akira bit her lower lip, feeling sorry that she had been quite hard on Akamaru and Kiba. She dispelled the jutsu and asked her wolves to stand down. Then she approached the brunette.

"Sorry," she muttered. Kiba slumped on the ground, wincing and Akamaru sat beside his master. Yuudai trotted beside the hound and barked, as if asking "are you okay?"

Akira knelt in front of Kiba and gave him a look-over. Aside from looking battered, he seemed fine except for a few bruises here and there and a busted lip. She took a handkerchief from her pouch and handed it to him.

"Here. You're bleeding," she said.

Kiba touched his lip and winced. "Ow!" He took the handkerchief from Akira. "Thanks. Ahh...I feel sore all over. You packed some chakra over there," he remarked. "You alright, Akamaru?" he turned to the ninken, patting the dog's head gruffly. Akamaru barked and Kiba grinned. "Good for you, boy."

Akira ruffled Akamaru's fur. "I'm sorry Akamaru." The dog whimpered amicably and Akira laughed. She glanced at Kishi. "Yeah. guess it was overkill..."

"Damn right it was," Kiba remarked, pressing the handkerchief on his lip. "Hey, is it still bleeding?"

Akira peered. "Yeah."

"Damn...that would mean no kissing for a few days." Then he turned to the redhead, smirking. "Though I won't mind if it came from you."

At this Akira punched him on the head, suddenly forgetting that she had just made him use up his chakra. Kiba yelped, ranting that while the kunoichi was beautiful, she was deadly and what's wrong with just a kiss anyway?

Akira shook her head, snarling at the brunette's endless attempts to ask her on a "--date. A proper one this time, not the fence-making activity you made me do," as he always says. She found it funny albeit irritating at how the Inuzuka could flirt with her. She had always known that he is a little cocky--that attitude of his always irks Naruto to no end--but Akira didn't know he was interested enough in her that he'd always show up and ask her to go out, in spite of her constant refusal. Besides, she doesn't consider herself "beautiful" as he always calls her.

This particular spar was one of those days when Kiba would suddenly show up and ask her out. As usual Akira refused but Kiba was persistent. Seeing as she hadn't trained with someone else (except Hanabi) for quite a while, she challenged him, saying that if he won then they'll go out on a date. If he loses, he goes home and does not bother her for a week. Kiba agreed and the result was obvious.

"Give it up, dog-boy," Akira said, standing up and dusting off her skirt. "I'm not going on a date with you."

Kiba stood up, still wincing. "Why?" He asked, nursing a bruised lip.

"I don't trust you," Akira said simply.

Kiba heaved a sigh. "I didn't know you had trust issues. I get it that it's part of being shinobi."

Akira shrugged. "Partly. But there are a lot of things you don't know about me."

Kiba looked at her and remained silent. Lately, he had been the kind of distraction that Akira welcomed. Although Kiba's constant teasing was sometimes irksome, Akira realized it kept her thoughts away from him and the Kageboshi. Not to mention, he did her favors from time to time, like renovating the fence or helping her fix the roof. But still, Akira did not trust him. She hadn't figured out his motives and on the occasions that she had asked him outright, all Kiba would do was grin and say "'cause I like you, princess."

"Well then I guess it'll be a week before I get to see you again," Kiba said. "That sucks a lot."

Akira smiled. "Ah, peace at last."

Kiba feigned a sad expression. "Oh well it seems you can't wait to get rid of me and Akamaru so we'll be going. Come on, boy!" He whistled and the ninken trotted obediently.

Akira grinned at Akamaru who paused to lick her amicably on the cheek. Akira chuckled and ruffled his head. "Hai, Akamaru. I enjoyed training too."

"Bye Akamaru!" Yuudai growled, wagging. "See you around."

Akamaru barked goodbye and so did Akira's wolves. When they had gone, Akira heaved a deep breath. "That was pretty intense," Akira said, smiling ruefully.

Yuudai barked. "Told ya it was overkill, Hime."

Akira rolled her eyes. "Fine, fine. But I needed to test my new jutsu some time. I guess it worked out all right."

"Hime-chan!"

Akira looked up to see Sachiko and Kuroi bounding towards her.

"Hey there, Snowball," she greeted. She gave the other wolf an amicable pat.

"We saw Akamaru and Kiba," said Kuroi.

"Training," Yuudai supplied.

She and the wolves started to walk back towards the house.

"Hime?"

Akira looked at the only female of her pack. "Yes, Sachiko?"

"You've been dreaming again," the white wolf said. "The past two nights."

The kunoichi sighed. While it is of relief to her that the Kageboshi only manifests itself in her dreams, it remains to be a dark force that she can't escape from. And what makes it more complicated is that nobody can give her answers.

Sleeping became a burden, not only because of the threat of the Kageboshi escaping, or the lucid dreams that bring her questions, but also his persistent presence. No matter how hard she tries to avoid it, he had become a part of her psyche that she couldn't escape from.

It doesn't help that she teaches Hanabi, because every time she sees the young girl, it's as if he's also staring back at her. And at night, those lilac eyes visit her in her dreams--silent and comforting.

And it confuses her because it had become her solace. When he appears in her dreams she feels safe, as if the Kageboshi can't reach her and she wants to stay in that dream forever. But then she'd wake up and she'd realize that it was just that, a dream, and Akira doesn't know if sleeping was indeed more torture than reality.

"Umm...Hime?"

Akira's thoughts were broken by Sachiko's voice. "Yeah?"

Sachiko looked uncertain and the wolves shared a glance before she spoke, "You dreamt of Neji-san. Again."

There was no denying it now. Akira saw her pack looking at her expectantly, waiting for her reply. She sighed. "Yeah..."

"You were saying his name," Kuroi said. "Repeatedly."

Akira's shoulders drooped, as if suddenly tired. "Was I? I don't know anymore. Is there anything else I mumble about in my sleep?"

"Nothing much," Yuudai answered this time. "Just names. Sometimes you call out Inoue-sama. Sometimes Naruto or us. Sometimes..."

"Sometimes the Neji kid."

Akira looked at Kuroi who spoke, then to the rest of her wolves. She stopped walking and leaned against a tree. "I dream of him," she said, voice dropping to a whisper. "I don't know why but it happens. I see him and I forget the Kageboshi. It's been happening a lot lately."

The small group was silent as Akira mused over that fact. Sachiko brushed her headon Akira's arm and whimpered reassuringly. Akira smiled and ruffled her fur.

"I wonder what it means when you dream of someone," Kuroi mused, brown eyes boring into Akira's greens.

The kunoichi shrugged. "I wish I knew..."

~~~~~~~

"Akira? Hey Akira!"

Akira turned, eyes scanning the crowd. The voice sounded female and as far as she knew, she had few female acquaintances, save for Shizune-san and Tsunade-sama.

"Over here!" it said again.

Brows furrowed Akira searched wider until her eyes rested on a group of girls nestled inside a barbecue restaurant. A tall blonde girl was waving at her along with a brunette with her hair in twin buns.

"Tenten?" Akira muttered.

"Hey Akira! Come over!" Tenten called out.

The redhead looked around, ascertaining if she was truly the one they were calling over. After making sure that it was indeed her they were pointing at, Akira bit her lip in uncertainty. Her first thought was to run. She doesn't like crowded places and if it was only Tenten, she might've given it another thought. But along with Tenten there were others too: the tall, blonde "flower girl", the pinkette named Sakura (really, what else could her name be with that hair?) and a girl who Akira was sure was the Hyuuga heiress. Groups are not her thing and Akira was already formulating an escape plan in her mind when she saw Tenten approaching her.

It was too late to bolt, the brunette was already a few paces away and besides, it would be rude since she had already seen them.

"Hi Akira!" Tenten greeted, smiling warmly. "It's been a while."

"Y-yeah...i-it is," Akira stammered, feeling out of sorts. She couldn't bring herself to be brash with Tenten.

"Are you doing something?" the brunette asked.

"Umm...nothing much. Just umm--"

"Great! Then you can join us for barbecue!"

Akira blinked rapidly. "Eh--what?"

Tenten chuckled. "The girls and I are sharing barbecue tonight. Join us! It'll be fun!"

Akira glanced at the table where the rest of Tenten's friends sat and shook her head. "Oh, I don't want to intrude. Besides I've already eaten." That last one was a lie though. Akira was actually strolling around looking for a cheap place to eat dinner.

"You can just eat again," Tenten said, grinning. "Come on, Akira. It's a good way to let out all that stress from missions. Besides, it's just us girls and it'll be okay. The Yakiniku's got this eat-all-you-can promo. Come on, please?"

Akira felt like she was trapped in a corner. There's just no way she could be rude to Tenten, 'I mean, this is Tenten, the only girl who's nice to me.' However, she's not used to mingling with people and she was sure it'll be an awkward affair for her.

Tenten clutched her arm and looked at her with those big brown eyes of hers, "Please Akira... please?"

Sighing, Akira bowed her head. "O--okay..."

"Yay! Come on, I'll introduce you to the others."

As Tenten dragged Akira back to the table, the redhead could only bite her lip in defeat. ''What the hell are you doing, Satsuna?" she asked herself.

They were ushered inside the restaurant by a young waitress. Akira's eyes widened at the crowd. It was a Friday night and the Yakiniku was filled with families, some shinobi enjoying the night and a couple of civilians who, like Akira and the group, were dining with friends.

"Tenten!" A tall blonde greeted Tenten. The blonde's blue eyes landed on Akira who was silent as a rock behind Tenten. "Hi Akira!"

Akira frowned briefly, wondering how the blonde knew of her name. Before she could ask though, the blonde had already replied, "I asked Tenten here. We've met before, remember? In the flower shop."

Akira nodded slowly, remembering the circumstance. "Oh, flower girl," she muttered.

The blonde giggled. "Flower girl sounds cute. But my name is Ino. Yamanaka Ino." She extended a hand which Akira took in a limp handshake.

"Satsuna Akira."

"Scoot over, will ya?" Tenten said to Ino. "Make space for us."

Akira and Tenten settled down around the table where thin slices of beef and pork with some vegetables were sitting on a grill. Tenten grinned and wrapped an arm around Akira's comfortably as she introduced her to the group.

"So, I brought along a plus one," Tenten said smiling. "Akira, this is Ino." The blonde in front of Tenten smiled. Tenten gestured to the indigo-haired girl to Akira's immediate right. "And this is Hyuuga Hinata."

Akira turned to the girl beside her. Hyuuga Hinata has long indigo-colored hair that hung up to her waist, pale skin and delicate Hyuuga features. She blushed and offered a small smile. "Hi," she said timidly. "N-nice to meet you, A-akira-san." Her voice was barely above a whisper.

The redhead nodded curtly. "Pleasure to meet you too. I'm Satsuna Akira." At this, Hinata blushed and Akira was reminded of a crescent moon hiding behind the clouds.

"Hi! I'm Haruno Sakura," the pinkette said from across Akira. Akira forced a smile and nodded as polite as she could. Sakura returned her awkward smile and resumed turning over the beef strips on the grill. Aside from pink hair, Sakura had bright green eyes--a weird combination, Akira thought, but charming in her own way.

"Now that introductions are over, is the food ready yet?" Tenten said, looking over at the grill. "I'm getting hungry."

"Just a few more minutes, Tenten," Sakura replied.

"Meanwhile, why don't we talk about our latest missions?" Ino said, passing along small bowls. "You go first, Ten."

"Oh, well it was nothing fancy. Just us escorting a VIP merchant," replied Tenten.

"That sort of assignment's always given to rookies," Ino remarked.

"Yeah. But I had to stand in for a jounin-sensei who was assigned somewhere else. I took care of his genin group temporarily."

"Ohh...must be boring."

"It was! Nothing out of the ordinary happened. At least the businessman was generous enough with his tip."

"That's good enough consolation. You, Sakura?"

The pinkette looked thoughtful for a while as she turned a slab of steak on the grill. Akira's mouth started to water at the sight of their meal.

"Hmm...I haven't been on missions for a while," Sakura replied. "Hokage-sama always makes me handle the difficult cases in the hospital. Training, she says."

By now, it is common knowledge that Sakura was being slated as Tsunade's number one apprentice. Akira glanced at the said kunoichi and thought, 'She seems capable.' As someone who trained under Tsunade even for just a short time, Akira knew it takes more than natural aptitude to reach the Sannin's expectations. And by the looks of it, the pinkette seemed able to withstand Tsunade-sama's rigorous training.

"G-good luck on your training, S-sakura," Hinata remarked timidly. Sakura returned the heiress' smile.

Tenten began scooping out rice on their bowls. "Ahh...medical ninjutsu...I used to dream of becoming like Tsunade-sama but I guess my career path has changed." She turned to Hinata. "Hinata, please pass your bowl so I can scoop some rice into it. Anyway, what have you been up to? Neji tells me you've been on a mission two days ago?"

"H-hai," Hinata replied, blushing slightly. "We were tasked to track an illegal shipment of p-pirated goods. I-It went well."

"Glad to hear it," Ino said. Their small chit-chat was briefly interrupted when Sakura announced that the meat is ready and their additional order of drinks were served. They temporarily succumbed to a comfortable silence as each kunoichi indulged in the savory barbecue and steamed vegetables.

"Don't be shy Akira," Tenten said as she dumped another strip of pork on the redhead's bowl. "There's more than enough for everybody. Besides, Ino's on a diet since forever so you and I can have her share."

Akira was about to retort but Ino beat her to it. "Oi, what are you saying there, Tenten?" Ino said, blue eyes teasing. "For your information, today is my cheat day so I'll eat whatever I want!"

Sakura nudged Ino with her elbow. "You've been on your 'cheat days' for a week now! Your name really does suit you, Ino-pig!"

At this Ino glared at Sakura and pointed at the pinkette's big forehead. "Oh, well then. You'd look great as a wallpaper, Sakura, since your forehead's big enough to compete with the Hokage monument! Forehead!"

"Can it, pig!"

"Boobless!"

"Why you--"

As the two kunoichi glared and called each other names, Tenten just gave Akira a rueful smile after seeing the redhead watch Ino and Sakura. She had an expression on that said, 'freaky'. Tenten chuckled.

"Just ignore them," she told the redhead. "At the end of the day, they're still best friends even if they scream at each other like banshees."

"Are they always like this?" Akira asked, bug-eyed as she watched Ino spew more insults at Sakura who was turning redder by the minute.

Hinata laughed softly beside her. "Y-yes but we're used to it. They can be i-intimidating but just like Tenten said, they are best friends."

Akira glanced at Hinata and was momentarily struck by how much she resembles her cousin. If Hanabi had an uncanny resemblance to Neji, then Hinata might as well be the said shinobi's female twin. Save for Neji's harsher and colder lines, Hinata's face has a rounder, softer and more feminine edge to it. And Akira got that suffocating feeling just by looking at that pale eyes, as if it was Neji she was looking at. She quickly averted her stare.

By now, Ino and Sakura had somewhat calmed down. Tenten also reminded them that they have a new person in their company, to which Akira felt all the more awkward since she's been feeling out of place the moment she sat with them. Not that they're a bad group--in fact, the girls are accommodating, especially Tenten, making sure she gets on with their conversation and she's not left out. Ino kept the atmosphere lively and Akira found her rants on male shinobi actually funny. It's just that Akira is the most socially impaired kunoichi there is, and had very little interaction with people that she's as clueless as a bug when it comes to social antics. She'd rather observe and listen to the other girls. She figured Hinata was the shy one of the group as evidenced by her frequent blushing and timid comments. Both Ino and Sakura are loud, with the blonde being quite bossy yet lively. Sakura, Akira observed, tries to keep an air of calm and acts demure but instantly loses it with her big gestures. Tenten is just as loud as the other two yet more inclined to talk about "manly" things such as weapons, mission rankings and shinobi politics. Meanwhile, Akira is this silent spectator who is absolutely clueless on what to do during a girls' night out. Like small talk.

Or how to deal with that awkward air between her and Sakura--which she really can't quite understand. It's the first time they've met as far as Akira can remember and although the other girl seemed nice enough, Akira have been catching her glancing every time and it makes the redhead feel awkward and more jittery. Settling into her bowl, Akira decided to just ignore the whole affair and pretend to be invisible.

'Just think of this as a favor for Tenten,' she told herself.

"Is your hair natural?"

Akira thought she was imagining the question until she looked up and saw Ino's deep blue eyes staring at her with unabashed interest. Beside her, Hinata began twiddling her fingers and looking down. Tenten let out a groan and Sakura shook her head.

Akira frowned. "I'm sorry--what?"

"I was just wondering if--"

"Ino..." Tenten said rather wearily. If there was an inside joke between the ladies, Akira wasn't sure if she'd want to be let on. It's the first time someone showed an interest in her, let alone her hair and she couldn't figure out if the blonde was merely teasing or truly interested.

"Whaaaat?" Ino said, eyes sparkling. She shifted her attention back to Akira. "Don't mind them, Akira-chan. Please tell me, is your hair natural?"

Akira shrugged. "Yeah it is. Why?" 'What's this shit she's harping on?' she couldn't help but think.

Ino then leaned forward and touched Akira's side fringe. Akira had half a mind to swat the blonde's hand away but thankfully, she regained enough composure to remember her manners and she just sat still, eyeing Ino with suspicion mixed with amusement.

"What the--I mean, what's going on?" she asked again, looking at the others for an explanation. Surprisingly, none of the other girls found Ino's behavior weird.

"Oh, don't mind Ino," Sakura replied. "She asked me the same thing when we first met."

"She's been hounding me for days," Tenten then said. Turning to the blonde, she said, "Satisfied now?"

Ino was grinning. "Yes." She turned her attention back to Akira who was looking like she desperately wanted to bolt. Smiling apologetically, Ino said, "I know this will sound stalker-ish, but I've always been curious about people with weird hair colors. wish my hair's as vibrant as yours." She touched a few strands of her blonde locks. "Unlike mine... plain and boring."

"Oh. Ummm..." Akira sighed not knowing how to reply. It's not every day that someone compliments her. "Thank you. I haven't thanked you properly for the flowers. And uh..." she paused and mustered a small smile towards Ino. "I think your hair is pretty. I mean, not just your hair but... okay, this is awkward."

Ino blushed at the redhead's remark. While she's used to compliments on her physical appearance, for it to come from the jinchuriki--and not just some jinchuriki if the rumors she heard were true--well, who knew the girl was actually nice? 'I mean, they said she's no stranger to brawls and that huge fire she and her demon caused was truly a disaster...not to mention she has a habit of cussing and rough language but...Tenten said she's okay and I guess...she is.'

"Well... I guess you're okay, Pig," Sakura said teasingly.

The rest of the other girls laughed along, even Ino, who simply stuck her tongue out at Sakura good-naturedly.

Tenten cleared her throat and raised her cup. "Let's drink to that," she said. "Here's to being beautiful and strong kunoichi!"

Ino's bright blue eyes met Akira's dark greens and with a small smile they both lifted their cups, along with Sakura and Hinata.

"Cheers!"

Strangely enough, Akira felt comfortable at this new company. Smirking to herself, she thought, 'They're not bad. I guess...I could give them a chance.'

~~~~~~~~~

The next day, Akira woke up early, feeling quite refreshed and nightmare-free. She had left the Yakiniku earlier than the rest of the girls last night, with the excuse of having class early in the morning. After she bid them goodbye, she had retired to her house and slept almost instantly.

She finished her usual morning routine. Outside the house, Yuudai was already waiting for her. Whistling, she called him and together they walked towards the Academy.

They reached the Academy in time. As Yuudai stepped out into the forest to hunt and explore, Akira held class. This day was devoted to ninjutsu and Akira was explaining the dynamics of chakra manipulation when a messenger bird landed on the room's windowsill and tapped its beak three times against the glass.

Akira paused in mid-sentence and looked at the bird. She counted the number of times it tapped on the glass: one-two-three-one-one--two. Understanding the code, she whistled a low three-note tune and the bird left.

The class remained in tense silence as they watched their sensei pause momentarily. Akira was thoughtful for a while, her eyes closed.

"S-Sensei?"

Akira turned at the small voice. It was one of her students, Sora, a small boy with round glasses. His lips quivered. "I-is everything okay?"

Akira sighed. "Yeah. Something just came up." She opened her notebook and wrote on the board. "Turn to page 45 of your books. We'll discuss the components of chakra."

Sounds of murmuring and pages of books being turned echoed in the spacious room. Meanwhile, Akira wrote on the blackboard but her mind was somewhere else.

'What could it be now?' she thought. 'I'm really not in the mood to go out today.'

Ignoring the summons, she went on with her class, explaining the dynamics of chakra molding. "Chakra is the combination of spiritual and physical energy. Without one, you won't be able to mold chakra. That is why, while being physically strong is important, mental strength must also be honed. Once molded, chakra flows through our tenketsu, or chakra pathways, very much like our circulatory system."

From the corner of her eye, Akira saw Hanabi smile confidently. They had already tackled more advance lessons on chakra during their training sessions. Akira continued.

"Through various methods, chakra can be manipulated into nature and shape transformations. Basically, there are five nature transformations: earth, fire, wind, water, lightning. There are still others but that lesson will be taken up when you are finally genins and are with your jounin-sensei. These five nature transformations are the foundations of ninjutsu. Shape transformations, genjutsu and medical ninjutsu stem from another kind of chakra manipulation: the Yin and Yang."

At this, Akira took out two stones from her pocket. One was colored white, the other black. She held them out in her hand for the children to see.

"These are called chakra stones. Yin--"

Her sentence was interrupted by another messenger bird tapping on the window. Akira snarled under her breath, tempted to burn the bird to smithereens.

"Maybe it wants something from you, sensei," Ryoma said.

Tap tap tap!

Growling, Akira took out a kunai. The children all gasped as Akira aimed for the stupid bird. However, before she could flick her wrist, the door slid open.

"Akira!

The said instructor turned and saw Iruka frowning at her, arms in akimbo. Akira frowned back.

"The Hokage is summoning you to her office," Iruka said in a stern voice. "That was the second messenger pigeon sent."

"I noticed," Akira replied. "But as you can see I am in a middle of a lesson and do not wish to be disturbed."

Iruka did not answer but Akira clearly saw his disapproval. She sighed. "Well it's not the first time I ditched a summons."

"Just go. The others are already inside." Iruka stepped in and placed his books on the teacher's table. "I'll take over."

Akira sighed in defeat. Hard-headed as she is, when it comes to Iruka-sensei and Naruto, she tends to be a little bit agreeable. Iruka handed her the book and smiled good-naturedly.

"That's my girl," he said fondly in a quiet voice. "I heard it will be a top-ranked mission. Good luck."

Akira smiled. "Thank you, sensei."

Iruka clapped Akira's back lightly before turning to the class. "Ohayo minna! I will be filling in for your Akira-sensei for a while. Be good, okay?"

"Hai, Iruka-sensei!"

Winking, Iruka said, "Now, wave good bye to your sensei."

Akira rolled her eyes. Trust Iruka-sensei to spew out sentimental things like that. She knew well enough that her students are too terrified of her to even bid her good bye. To her utter surprise, the children waved--although a little nervously--and in unison said,

"Good bye Akira-sensei! Good luck!"

The kunoichi paused at the doorway, uncertain. She mustered a small smirk. "Thank you."

~~~~~~~~

On her way to the Hokage's office, Akira met Sakura, who was also on her way to see Tsunade-sama. The two kunoichi exchanged hello's and walked silently.

"Off to see Tsunade-shishou?" Sakura asked, not quite meeting Akira's eyes.

"Yeah," Akira replied curtly.

An awkward silence ensued afterwards. Akira could feel the pinkette glance at her from time to time and the redhead could tell Sakura was uncomfortable with her. To be honest, Akira felt the same way. Not that she disliked Sakura, but Akira knew the pinkette had heard all those things about her and probably believed it. She had all the reason, for those things are truths anyway.

They reached the Hokage's office and Akira settled on the small bench to wait for her turn to be granted audience. If Iruka-sensei was correct, she'll be assigned to a mission and Akira wondered what kind of shitty mission it'll be this time.

Sakura smiled briefly at Akira. "I'll see if umm...you can go in." She knocked on the door and when Tsunade told her to come in, Sakura peeked in and entered.

Seconds later, the pinkette emerged and ushered Akira in. "Come on," she said. "They're all in."

They. So that means she'll be in a team. Akira frowned as she stood up and entered the Hokage's office. The other shinobi in the room turned to look at her.

"Finally!" Tsunade's voice boomed. The blonde Hokage sighed in exasperation. "We can start the mission briefing. Akira, does it really take two messenger pigeons and Iruka for you to drag your ass in here?"

Akira remained silent and just stuffed her hands in her pocket. Tsunade shook her head. "Sakura, thank you. Head over to the hospital now and report to Shizune."

"Hai, Shishou!"

When Sakura had left, Tsunade motioned to Akira. "You, step up. I don't have all day."

Akira studied her "teammates". Her frown lessened at the sight of the orange jacket and bright blonde hair. She returned the shinobi's enthusiastic grin.

"Alright! Akira-chan's with us! I am so ready!" Naruto exclaimed, pumping his fist in to the air.

Akira grinned. "Hey look at that, a mission with the village's knucklehead." She stepped beside Naruto. "Long time no see, Baka!"

"Akira-chan! I've got a lot to tell ya! Let's have ramen--"

"Naruto, can we get on with the mission briefing first?" A deep baritone interrupted Naruto's enthusiastic rant.

It was only then that Akira noticed the man beside her. She turned and their eyes met. "Neji..."she muttered.

The said shinobi only bowed curtly in return and turned his attention back to the Hokage. Akira then noted another shinobi with them: Hatake Kakashi. She bowed respectfully at the jounin as a greeting, which Kakashi returned with a slight bow.

"Now that you're all here, let me begin your mission assignment," Tsunade started. She took out a scroll. It was a mission request but unlike others, it was of high quality paper and bears an intricate red stamp with the character for Fire.

"Your mission will be to escort a young actress named Fujiwara Keiko. She's better known as Sayuri-hime from the movie franchise, Warriors of Heaven. Right now, she's filming the seventh movie and is--"

"Wait a minute!" Naruto exclaimed. "Why are we being sent on a C-class mission? Why can't we be killing off Akatsuki and continue searching for Sasuke? C-class are for genins, dattebayo!"

"Technically Naruto," said Kakashi, "you're still a genin." At this, Akira smirked at her friend. Neji and Kakashi are jounins, she's a chuunin and Naruto, who was away when the Chuunin Exams were held, is still a genin. Which made her wonder. Just what kind of mission is this that it required top-notch shinobi like Kakashi and Neji? And why is she included in this team? She's not even familiar with the said actress, not having watched any of her films or even seen what she looks like. Fujiwara Keiko's name is often the content of magazines and shows but Akira who sort of lived an isolated life is clueless.

Naruto was undeterred. "Fine, fine! But it's still a low-ranked mission, Tsunade-Baa-chan!"

"Escorting prominent personalities aren't low-ranked missions," Neji replied this time. "They are ranked A or B, depending on the difficulty."

"Neji's right," said Tsunade, interrupting Naruto yet again. "This mission is actually ranked A, not just because Fujiwara Keiko is a famous actress who could be targeted by a lot of bounty hunters and the likes." She once again glanced at the mission scroll on the desk. "The main reason is because the client for this mission..." Tsunade's brown eyes were dark. "...is the Daimyo of the Fire Country."

Naruto's eyes widened like saucers. "The--the...daimyo?!"

"Hai, that is correct," Tsunade said. "He sent this mission request two days ago and specifically requested that I send the best shinobi team fit for this task. And since this is no ordinary client, I hand-picked the best individuals for the mission." Her eyes lingered at the Satsuna. "I hope you don't disappoint."

Akira frowned. "Why me? There are others--"

"And what is so important with this Fujiwara girl anyway?" Naruto interrupted. "What has she got to do with the daimyo?"

Akira glared at the blonde shinobi who cut her off, but she agreed with him. Naruto has a point, why would the daimyo ask them to escort the actress? And why must an 'elite' team be afforded to escort just one girl?

"Maybe we'll know if we let the Hokage finish, ne Naruto?" Kakashi said, pulling Naruto by the collar while the blonde was leaning forwards the Hokage, still spewing rants. Neji meanwhile touched the bridge of his nose, eyes closed as if thinking 'Why do I get to be stuck with this idiot?'

Naruto somewhat silenced when Akira elbowed him roughly at the sides. Tsunade continued.

"This is not an ordinary mission because your target is not just anyone. Fujiwara Keiko is more than an actress." Tsunade paused. "She is the Daimyo's mistress."

There was a collective reaction of surprise among the four shinobi. Both Naruto and Akira exchanged gasps while Neji's eyes widened before resuming into a frown while Kakashi remained quiet as usual. The two jinchuriki was about to exclaim but Kakashi held them back by raising his hand for silence.

"The daimyo's mistress?" he repeated.

The Hokage nodded. "Yes. Even I was surprised at the information. According to my resources, Keiko is one of the daimyo's mistresses--his favorite in fact. She is the one the daimyo trusts even more than his wife. That alone makes her a very important person. Because of the daimyo's preferential option for her, it is said that she has critical information that concerns all the political and internal interests of the daimyo. She also has great influence over him and it is said that the daimyo even takes her advice more seriously than he does to his council on some matters. She is the most favored of all people within the daimyo's intimate circle."

"So what if she's his favorite?" Naruto asked, scratching the back of his head. "I don't understand any of this, --ttebayo!"

Akira could not resist not hitting Naruto for the second time. "Weren't you listening? She's an important person, almost like the daimyo himself."

"Correct," Tsunade said. "Fujiwara Keiko's status as an actress has nothing on her status as the daimyo's mistress. My sources tell me she's even more powerful than the daimyo's chief of council, and the skirmish that happened last year between our troops and Iwa was from her suggestion. And if you remembered correctly," Tsunade paused to glance at Kakashi. "It turned out to be in our favor."

Kakashi nodded. Akira, meanwhile was silent as she reflected on this information. She's oblivious to the skirmish Tsunade was saying, but from all she heard just now, it would seem that this Fujiwara Keiko was an influential figure, someone very close to the Daimyo. And if she has this much of power over him, then it indeed warrants an 'elite' team to escort her, even if it was just as close as a few kilometers. But still, that didn't answer her question: 'why me?'

"Now, Keiko-san is currently filming a movie in this small rural town," Tsunade pointed to a map. "You are to meet her there then bring her to this village. This is your rendezvous point with the daimyo's own guards. From there you will escort them to the onsen the daimyo chose. You are not to leave Keiko's side until she is with the daimyo, understood?"

"Hai!" the four shinobi chorused.

Tsunade clasped her hands together under her chin. "Fujiwara-san is a vessel to critical information about the Fire Country, including our village. If she gets captured by nins from enemy villages, we might as well just hand over our intelligence units. Do you all understand what I'm saying?"

Naruto, Kakashi, Akira and Neji all nodded in affirmation. Akira raised her hand, unable to contain her curiosity any longer.

"Yes, Akira?" Tsunade asked.

"I understand all this shit and stuff," she started, ignoring Tsunade's and Neji's raised eyebrows at her choice of words. "And I know you had to gather skilled shinobi for this mission. But why me?"

The Hokage smirked. "Why not?"

"Funny," Akira said, frowning.

Tsunade sighed. "You have proven yourself very capable, as evidenced by your Nadeshiko stint and your overall mission scores. Besides, you're the top candidate for this sort of mission." The Hokage sifted through the small mountain of papers on her desk while Akira and the rest waited. "By the way, is everyone familiar with Fujiwara Keiko's movies?"

At this Akira and Neji shook their heads no, while Naruto and Kakashi nodded yes. Akira shot a look that said "really?!" towards Naruto, while Naruto returned it with a "seriously, you don't?" look.

Tsunade smiled as she showed them a picture. "This is Fujiwara Keiko."

Akira's eyes widened. The picture was of a woman around mid to late twenties with ginger-red hair, alabaster skin, small nose and pink, smiling lips. She had on a crown encrusted with jewels and garbed in a traditional furisode kimono. The picture was obviously shot as a promotional cover for the actress' movie. The realization hit Akira.

"Ne, Akira-chan, save for the eyes, she could be you," Naruto remarked, leaning in a little at the photo on Tsunade's hand then to Akira's face. "Oh and her hair's a little more like orange..."

"Indeed. The resemblance is remarkable."

Akira glanced at Neji. It was the first time he spoke and Akira had almost forgotten he was beside her. Their eyes met and she saw his lips curl slightly in an amused smirk.

"Well aside from physical appearance, a tracker is essential in any escort and retrieval mission," Tsunade said, looking at Akira. "In case you get separated from each other, a shinobi with tracking abilities would be useful. Aside from that, a medic is needed in every cell and before you protest to that Akira, I know you are more than capable to handle medic nin responsibilities. Not to mention, your target is a woman, she'll be more comfortable with a girl around. So, this mission is granted to you, Hatake Kakashi, Uzumaki Naruto, Satsuna Akira and Hyuuga Neji. Do you accept?"

"Hai!"

"As if I have a choice."

"This'll be fun, dattebayo!"

Tsunade shook her head lightly at the difference in their responses. "Okay then. Kakashi I assign you as squad leader. Get ready to leave in one hour."

"Hai, Hokage-sama!"

As the four ninjas left her office, Tsunade leaned back on her chair, sighing. She knew Kakashi would be more than able to succeed in this mission. His leadership skills and exceptional abilities would see to that. Neji also being a jounin would be of great support to the team, his Byakuugan as their asset in locating hidden enemies waiting to ambush. Not to mention, if ever Kakashi get incapacitated, a capable second will be available to take his place. Naruto's determination and inner strength is also a winning streak for the team, although the chances of running into Akatsuki is very high. Latest intelligence reports from ANBU scouts reveal that the Akatsuki is in motion again, their latest act just at Tani no kuni. Lastly, the only female of the group, Akira, in spite of her temperament was all Tsunade needed: a tracker, flexible range fighter, and knowledgeable on basic medical ninjutsu. Her physical attributes are a bonus.

Putting Akira on the team however was a gamble which she has been warned by both Shizune and the Elders of Konoha.

"Two jinchuriki in one critical mission is suicide, Tsunade!"

"Tsunade-sama, this is dangerous. Please send someone else. Even with Kakashi-san around--"

"Tsunade, have you lost your mind? The kyuubi jinchuriki, I have accepted to let out of the village. But the Satsuna...we know next to nothing about the beast she is host to!"

Tsunade's eyes darkened in determination. In retrospect, she knew that the Elders may be right. But what kind of Hokage would she be to stifle her shinobi in the village?

"I believe in my shinobi. More importantly, I believe in those two. They may carry heavy weights on their shoulders--heavier than what they could bear. But I believe in them. And you should too, because they are our nakama!"

~~~~~~~~

Neji was the first to arrive at the gates. Seeing that he still has a few minutes to spare, he decided to spend the time meditating. He settled under the shade of a tree and began.

Minutes later he felt the presence of someone approaching. He opened his eyes and saw Akira walking towards him, accompanied by her wolf, Yuudai. The kunoichi stopped a few distance from Neji.

"Where's Naruto?" she asked, looking around.

Neji stood up and shrugged, unable to suppress the frown on his face. He didn't know why but he was mildly irritated that the kunoichi was looking for that loud baka. Akira raised an eyebrow at his sudden change in demeanor but Neji pretended to dust off his garments and avoided her stare. The redhead merely shrugged.

"He said he'll meet us after 30 minutes," she said to Yuudai.

"Maybe his sensei's habits have rubbed off on him," the wolf replied.

Akira groaned in realization. "Damn you're right, Yuudai! This is Hatake Kakashi we're talking about! Shit." She grumbled under her breath. "He's never on time, that guy..."

Neji watched as Akira continued to grumble about punctuality and he smirked in amusement. He almost forgot that the kunoichi hated tardiness above all else. He wondered why.

"You're never late."

Akira turned towards Neji who was leaning against the tree. "Of course!" she snapped at him.

"Is that why you don't like people to be late?"

The kunoichi crossed her arms. "No. I don't like tardiness because being punctual means you respect the other person's time and effort. It's honoring a promise."

Neji's lips curled into a smirk. "Hn."

"What?"

"Nothing. It just sounds strange coming from you."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean," Neji stepped away from the tree and approached Akira. "You don't strike me as someone who believes in values."

Akira frowned in protest. "Yeah, well contrary to popular belief, even damned people like me can still believe in something."

"And what else do you believe in?"

Akira jutted her chin in defiance. "I believe in personal space," she said levelly. Eyeing Neji from head to foot, a smirk crept to her lips. "And you're well into mine, Hyuuga."

Neji was not intimidated by Akira's hard stare. "As you are into mine, Satsuna," he replied, voice lowering. He watched as realization dawned on her and her cheeks flushed a pretty shade of pink at their proximity. Glaring at him, the young woman turned and stepped back, distancing herself a few paces from him. He watched her bow her head and shake it slightly, as if clearing her thoughts.

"I don't really mind, Akira."

She glanced back at him, and in that split second their eyes met, hers softened like moss under a riverbed, all embarrassment gone. "I don't either."

Just then a loud yell echoed from beyond the village gates. "Akira-chan! Neji!" followed by an orange-clad shinobi bounding towards them, followed by the silver-haired jounin. Naruto's and Kakashi's presence snapped the two shinobi back to the present.

"Ne, sorry I was late, I ran into a black cat and had to take detour..."

"Akira--chan! Please don't kill me for being late, I got hungry and had to wait for old-man Teuchi to cook my ramen. --ttebayo!"

~~~~~~~~

EDITED: 2/25/17