As the evening wound down and teams slowly left to return to their accommodations, only a few remained behind among the barrel cacti around the picnic tables in the dimly-lit garden. Ino and Temari were talking nearby, joined by Tenten, Sakura, and Fū. They were discussing locally-made weapons. Shikamaru was sitting with Chōji, saying goodbye to the two jōnin from Taki, who had been trying to leave for over an hour. Tetsuya and Shin were gossiping at another picnic table, likely creating all manners of couples out of the attendees judging by how red Lee's ears were. Miho sat with Kankurō, munching on the last remaining Suna sugar snaps.

"I'm surprised the Kazekage came. I'm glad he did, but I'm still surprised."

"Gaara…wanted to be a part of it, I think. Just for a while."

Miho nodded, understanding. It had to be lonely. He couldn't really be with people his age now because he was now their leader. He dealt with more than any of them. It was already hard to relate before he became Kazekage. Miho wondered, when he knew of what was to come, how he would deal with that knowledge. She knew that day would come eventually.

"Heavy lies the head that wears the crown…"

Kankurō turned to look at her. The turn of phrase was unfamiliar to him, she knew.

"I hope he had a good time regardless."

Kankurō sighed. "I'm sure he did. Probably would've stayed longer, but there was some Kage stuff to take care of. Just being invited was a…big deal for him." Kankurō's voice was a bit wistful and tired. An older brother looking out for his younger brother, who had been ostracized his whole life. "Thank you for inviting him."

She looked over to where Fū was laughing, obviously still having a blast. It was so easy to see that this was like a dream come true for her. So many new friends gathered in one place. She wondered, if Gaara had been passed over for Kage, would he have been able to enjoy something like this even then? Miho doubted it, with the weight he carried because of his past.

"I'm glad he could experience this for just a few minutes."

That was all he had been there for, a few minutes. He interacted with only a few and not even with Miho. She never got to speak to him, sharing only a friendly nod at a distance. Still, there was something in his eyes that spoke of his wonder at the gathering.

That alone made Miho proud of the little party in the desert.

"Nara gave me some advice earlier. Said there's a collection of folks that would definitely beat my ass if I hurt you… when or if."

Surprised, Miho turned to face him fully. His dark eyes were amused, and the tilt of his lips might've infuriated anyone else. She wasn't new to being teased about Kankurō or by Kankurō and she wasn't blind either. Miho was self-aware enough not to refute or deny. She didn't even flinch, rolling her shoulders back. Him telling her this much said a lot about him as a person and a friend. He was honest, straight-forward. As much as one could be as a ninja.

Shikamaru warning off Kankurō seemed…odd though. "Shikamaru said that?"

Kankurō nodded, grinning.

Huh.

"Like I wouldn't kick your ass if you were to somehow hurt me?"

He laughed, and began to reaching over to ruffle a hand over her curls. He paused and rethought his gesture. Instead, he reached for one of the curls at the side of her face and pulled it down. When he released it, the curl sprung back into place. Though it probably might've been interpreted by others as an intimate gesture, Miho just felt it was familiar. Tetsuya, Koji, Naruto, Chōji, and Ino had both done that before. Though…not with that expression.

Despite the aloof upbringing his father placed upon him, Kankurō was a very tactile person.

He had to be, after all. To Kankurō, nearly everything was tactile.

Miho glanced over to where her brother and Shikamaru stood. They were watching. Shikamaru looked like he was bored out of his mind, which was belied by the sharpness of his eyes, and her brother looked flustered, even if he was trying so desperately to hide it. When Miho glanced over to where Tetsuya and Shin sat, they were both obviously watching the exchange. She wouldn't be surprised if they were providing some kind of ridiculous voice-over. Lee gave her a thumbs-up.

"They're a pretty dramatic bunch, huh?"

"You've got no room to be callin' anyone 'dramatic.'" Miho shot back, watching as he reached up to clutch his heart as if hurt. "Case in point."

Kankurō just continued to look hurt. His mutter was pitiful. "I thought for sure it'd be your teacher to warn me off first, since he has a conniption practically every time he sees me. You don't even have to be around anymore." His tone shifted to one of excitement, all vestiges of hurt lost. "I think he's thought of killing me before." She wondered if she should point out that he shouldn't be excited about that. "I put in so. much. effort. He is so fed up with me."

The absolute joy in Kankurō's tone was telling.

This was the prankster she'd been hearing about in their letters.

"I'm not sure if you like me or annoying my teacher more."

"Eh, both?" Kankurō shrugged.

Miho laughed outright, throwing her head back. He had a point. Genma-sensei was painfully transparent where Kankurō was concerned. "Don't think I don't realize that you overstayed your welcome on purpose the other day just to mess with him. What was it? A three-hour visit? Tetsuya and Shin were entertained and saw through you after about twenty minutes. That's why they kept egging you on." Kankurō looked positively smug. "How late were you anyway?"

"Late enough to warrant extra guard duty for a week." Kankurō responded evenly with a wave of his hand. So…very late. "Worth it."

"Miho!" She turned to wave at Fū, who was standing up at the urging of her guards. More like the manhandling of her guards. Miho moved to stand, but her hand was caught.

Miho felt her heart stutter when his fingers wrapped fully around her wrist. It was a near intrusive thought when she wondered if his arms were broad enough to fully engulf her. Pausing, Miho looked down at him, meeting his eyes.

She'd seen those eyes in dreams and Images and fake memories for years now. She'd seen them wide and lifeless; and wide and full of life.

Now, she saw them warm and moonlit.

The purple paint cast shadows and she, for the first time, wondered if he would ever let her see him without the paint. It was his eyes though...

In that moment, Kankurō— maybe, just a little bit— took her breath away.

And maybe— just maybe and definitely not now— Shikamaru had a reason to warn him away. Maybe— just maybe, once the future played out— Genma-sensei would have a reason to be so bothered. Not now though. Definitely not now.

Who knew what the future would hold?

Settling a hand on his shoulder, Miho smiled. The warmth of him through the black fabric of his shirt seemed to melt up her arm like warm butter and brown sugar. He looked a bit distracted and she would've given anything in that moment to hear his thoughts. Or to know him as well as she knew so many others.

His mouth started to open— to argue or bait, because he did that quite a bit. A habit. Then, Miho wasn't surprised when his purple-painted lips closed again. He obviously pushed his tongue into his cheek before he nodded. He nodded in understanding. Miho grinned, appreciating how easily he accepted whatever it was. He grinned in return and released her wrist.

She started to walk away.

"Hey, trouble?"

Miho stopped. "Yeah, String Cheese?"

"Stop getting into trouble, okay?"

Snorting, Miho waved him off as she walked away. "Please. It follows me." Miho turned to walk backward. "You're only worried because you're in this for the baked goods."

"I'm only mostly in it for the baked goods." He called back.

Fū rolled onto the balls of her feet, grinning widely as Miho approached. Her brows rose. "That Kabuki-Faced Guy is making eyes at you!" There was nothing subtle where Fū was concerned and Miho looked back to see Kankurō shrug off the attention as he made his way over to Temari. At least he didn't look embarrassed. "We're heading out! We leave early in the morning."

Miho found herself wrapped in a hug and, out of habit, Miho hugged back and leaned back. Fū laughed happily. "Safe travels. Be care—" Miho tried desperately to ignore the rush of fear that lit through her stomach. This could be…This could be the last time— She choked down the tears that threatened to work up into her eyes. "Be careful, okay? I— I want to come visit you in Taki one day. You— You can come visit me in Konoha. Always. Any time. Just…please be careful."

Fū waved her off with a bright smile. If she noticed Miho's emotions, then she didn't acknowledge them. "I will. I will. It's nice to have someone so worried."

Watching her go, Miho felt a stab of anxiety so strong that her knees began to buckle. Her right knee went first, as it always did now. An arm came around underneath her shoulders and she looked to find her brother standing there with her, watching as Fū disappeared around the corner and into the cool Suna night. He didn't say anything, just stood there.

It will be okay, Miho. She'll be okay. Ino's voice was reassuring.

Miho grasped onto the hem of Chōji's shirt, tightening her grip until her knuckles were white.

We don't know that. This is where it begins.

It was Shikamaru's voice that answered. No, it began years ago. It's just another step in a series of steps.

The Hokage's office was busier than normal with all of the genin who had taken the exam piled before the Lady Tsunade's desk. Miho had scarfed down the rest of her post-training scrambled eggs that morning. Tetsuya and Shin would have finished their kenjutsu practice and she was running so late. She hurried in just a couple minutes before the meeting was set to begin, looking about for Genma-sensei only to find that none of the teachers were present.

"Well, that definitely didn't go as planned."

Miho withheld a snort, but a few others didn't. They didn't realize though just how little had gone to plan. Akatsuki didn't take the bait and the attack on the Kazekage had been fueled by domestic issues in Suna. Which meant that they were back at square-one. Again. With no international capital to speak of from the final exam round.

"I've read the Kazekage's report on each of you from your second exam. Your performances did reflect well upon Konoha, regardless of the poor outcome of the exam overall."

Miho's attention flickered over to where Shikamaru stood at the Hokage's left side. He seemed to notice the attention, meeting her attention steadily. Without Ino present, she couldn't hear his thoughts, but the slightest uptick in his lips gave her an inkling as to what was coming. Still though, there was something in his eyes…Something was off.

"Hinata, Shino, Kiba…Tetsuya, Shin, Miho…You six passed with flying colors and are promoted to chūnin." The Hokage was obviously pleased, despite how carefully she was guarding her expression.

Miho watched as everyone else celebrated with pumping fists and bright smiles. She grinned too, already planning for a celebratory meal. She had the rest of the day off. She could bake up a storm (pun definitely intended) and then meet everyone at the gathering haunt. A Konoha version of the Suna picnic. Her eyes tracked to Sakura, Tenten, and Lee. She waited, hoping that the Hokage would—

"Finally, although they did not collect two scrolls, they performed admirably and are more than qualified for promotion. Lee, Tenten, Sakura…You are promoted to chūnin."

Lee let out a victorious yell. "YOSH! This is the power of youth! Now, we will reform our team with our glorious teammate, Neji!" He sobered a bit under the Hokage's stare. "I mean, thank you! Thank you, Lady Hokage!"

Really, she knew he missed Gluten-Free. Being closer in rank now, they'd be able to run more missions together. Smiling, Miho turned to Shin and Tetsuya, who mirrored her movement. Tetsuya met her eyes first, dark eyes bright and full of excitement.

"We did it."

Her eyes tracked to Shin, whose smile was a bit more serene and calm. He was beyond chūnin rank in his skills, she knew. Still, going through the actual process seemed…fulfilling to him. Like he could have a bit of normalcy. "I'm grateful I was able to join this team."

"We're still a team past this, Shin. Remember that. No matter what missions we're assigned separately. No matter what assignments we get." Miho reached forward and settled a hand on his shoulder. He nodded. "You're an eternal member of the Book Club now. Even if we're chūnin, or jōnin, we're going to be together for a long, long time."

"I FINALLY BEAT NARUTO!" Kiba's declaration seemed to reverberate around the room, drawing her attention away from Shin's bright smile. Miho turned to the Inuzuka, not even realizing that the smile had fallen from her face. A swell of irritation hit her so hard that it seemed to overtake the elation of being promoted. She remembered, from a half-forgotten memory, Kiba declaring that he would be Hokage.

No. Miho shook her head.

"If Naruto were here, he'd be promoted right along with us. I believe it." Miho said, just loud enough to have Kiba's attention turn to her. His mouth opened to argue, but he was cut off by Shikamaru's voice.

"He's going to be so mad that he missed the exams."

"Alright! Alright! All of you out. Except you, Akimichi. The rest of you, take the rest of the day to celebrate. You're back on mission rotation tomorrow."

Shikamaru had remained behind of course. He stood at the Hokage's shoulder as she sat down, eyeing Miho before she turned to a collection of papers on the desk. Something was definitely wrong. Shikamaru seemed almost anxious. His eyes were sharper than usual. A strange spark in them that made her feel a nervous cut along her spine.

"So… You threw yourself in front of some chakra chains to protect the Kazekage, huh?"

Resolutely, Miho didn't cringe at the Hokage's tone. Instead, she just nodded and straightened her posture. If she was going to be reprimanded as soon as she got promoted, then so be it. She didn't regret her actions. She knew this lecture was coming as soon as the chains struck her system, if she survived the whole ordeal. She consciously didn't look to Shikamaru.

"You realize that you have a particularly screwed up chakra system, right? No matter how much time you've spent getting things under 'control' over the past couple years, you could have completely ruined all of that effort. We do not even know the ramifications of what could have happened. The tenpenchii could very well eat you alive." Miho nodded, acknowledging the Hokage's words. "This could have killed you."

"Yes, Lady Hokage."

"You did this with full knowledge of the potential consequences?"

Miho met Tsunade's eyes. "Yes, Lady Hokage."

The Hokage held her stare before sighing and rubbing her face with her hands. She looked at Miho critically from behind her fingers. "Well, the Kazekage was complimentary and appreciative. He made a special note in his report that you and your team were integral to the safe resolution of a domestic assassination attempt." Miho bowed her head in formal acceptance of the praise. "You need to work on finding other ways to protect people. Like using your damn weapon. You know you trained with Akimcihi Torifu, correct? If you keep this up, you'll be seeing your old Master sooner rather than later."

Shifting, Miho tried not to let the swell of anxiety eat at her at those words. She swallowed and nodded. If Master Torifu were alive, he would have her running drills and spars until she had to eat 10,000 extra calories just to make up for the cardio. "Yes, Lady Hokage."

"Right. 'Yes, Lady Hokage.' We've got more to talk about."

The Hokage's hand moved over the desk and Miho felt the privacy seal flare to life as she office was secured. She'd thought that others 'in the know' would be there for any kind of discussion like this, but Miho wondered if maybe they were somehow otherwise occupied. She knew at least one team was deployed, trying to track down Akatsuki's hideout in Amegakure. Had more been sent out?

"I don't owe you this explanation, girly, but it seems you made more friends while in Suna." Miho's brows pulled together. "We have a team shadowing Fū as she returns to Taki. They left last night. Her village leader rerouted them on a B-rank before they could return to their village. We're not taking the chance."

The Hokage shifted and Miho looked to Shikamaru, who moved around to the front of the desk.

"An ANBU team went out to track her and protect her, if necessary."

Miho's stomach festered. Her wide eyes turned to Shikamaru. Asuma-sensei? Genma-sensei? Shikamaru wouldn't meet her eyes. That had to be what— "What if—" Shikamaru shook his head, eyes narrowed. Don't. Nervous energy crawled up her throat, settling at the back of it. Her fingers tingled. "They—"

"Trust them to handle it, Akimichi. This team is highly specialized. It's the beginning of our direct fight with Akatsuki." The Hokage responded. Her tone was even, not to be challenged. "The plans start in earnest now. And, now that you're chūnin, you're an active part of them. While normally, chūnin can apply for positions and submit their requests for specific appointments, it is my right as Hokage to make assignments."

Miho pulled in a breath, peeling her stare away from Shikamaru. She met the Hokage's gaze. She fell into a more formal at-ease stance. It'd been drilled into her by Master Torifu, who taught her all of the formalities of mannerisms as well as the smallest changes she had to make as an Akimichi. How her feet would always settler father apart than her peers, how her shoulders would appear rounded unless she made the distinct effort to roll them back.

"How you hold yourself tells others much about you. If you continue to lean to heavily on your left leg, what does that tell your enemy?"

"That my right leg is weak."

"And if you do not raise your chin and straighten your neck, what does this tell your allies?"

"That I am not confident."

Master Torifu used his bō to press at her shoulder, adjusting her stance a bit. Then, he pushed the staff into her shoulder wish such force that she stumbled toward the edge of the cliff-side training ground. And the abyss below. Miho recovered, looking out off the edge of Center Mountain. "And if you are unsteady?"

"That I'm unsteady."

Miho made sure to center her weight, becoming conscious of the way her weight shifted. If the Hokage noticed this, she said nothing of it.

"You said, a while ago, that you wanted to guard Uzumaki Naruto in the future. You said that you wanted to protect people. I remember another kid that used to say something similar. Stood in front of the Third's desk and declared it, actually." Miho nodded, feeling a swell of panic so powerful that she clenched her teeth and shifted her weight. She hid her shaking hands behind her back, clasping onto the back hem of her vest. "You are aware that your teacher, Shiranui Genma, is a member of the Hokage Guard Platoon?"

Miho nodded. "Yes, Lady Hokage."

"This has been a long time coming. You have demonstrated your prowess and dedication to the protection of others. Likewise, your teammate— Tetsuya— has demonstrated this strength as well. Shin has indicated his preference to act in the protection of others." The Hokage smiled a bit. "You— and the other members of Team Five— will be trained to become a part of, and eventually become, the Hokage Guard Platoon."

Her breath seemed to be knocked from her lungs.

The Hokage Guard Platoon?

Miho stilled.

"My…My father was…"

"The current Guard Platoon consists of Shiranui Genma, along with Namiashi Raidō and Tatami Iwashi." Miho knew that. She knew both Namiashi and Tatami as they were good friends with her teacher. They were a part of her teacher's rotating ANBU cell. She probably shouldn't have known that. "They once guarded the Fourth Hokage, as you know. Now, when they are needed, they guard me. The man who selected these specific members for the Fourth Hokage's guard was your father, Okuda Keisuke."

Lady Tsunade leaned forward, resting her elbows on the desk. There was a light of challenge in her eyes.

"To be an elite bodyguard requires skills in cooperation. Appointment to the platoon is in addition to normal missions. You will be training to reach tokubetsu jōnin or jōnin rank, as will your teammates. Each of you has been hand-selected. Eventually, this may lead to your recruitment to ANBU, though this is not a requirement for the future."

A chill ran down Miho's spine.

"Genma-sensei—"

"Along with Namiashi and Tatami will be teaching you and your team. They will be training you to take over their positions. This will be over the next year. These three will be needed elsewhere in the future." In the future? Miho met the Hokage's eyes. During the war? "You will receive a field promotion at my discretion or their discretion. You will not take the jōnin exams."

Miho opened her mouth and then shut it again, at a loss for words.

She'd been training to be a frontliner. She had always trained to be a frontliner so that she could fight alongside Naruto when the time came. Though, in the end, she knew she would never be powerful enough to stand beside him. How could she be powerful enough to fight at his side? At least she could watch his back though. If she was on the guard…

After a moment, the Hokage let out a laugh and leaned back. "You never thought of it, did you? If or when your future comes to pass, what Hokage do you think you will eventually guard? Why in the world would a guard platoon be useful?" Lady Tsunade smiled, a true, warm smile.

Naruto.

She'd guard Naruto.

"You're genetically predisposed for it. Seems like Keisuke and Minato's legacy carries forward. We might as well make use of your stupidly selfless protective instincts." The Hokage waved her hand in a dismissive motion. "You'll receive your official assignment when Genma returns." That was as good as confirming that her teacher was a member of the deployed ANBU cell. "Until then, you're going to work with Shikamaru, Ino, and her father to see if we can get a better gauge on what's coming next."

Miho felt herself fall into a bow, still trying to work through it in her mind. "Can I notify my teammates?"

"I'd be shocked if you didn't, Akimichi."

Nodding, Miho stood upright.

"Kid." Miho lifted her eyes and met the Hokage's stare. "You default to a block without at least trying to use your weapon again…I'll hang you from the Second's nose by your toes. You should probably go make an offering for Elder Torifu to appease his spirit."

Feeling a smile break on her face despite her nerves, Miho bit back a laugh and bowed again. "As you say, Lady Hokage."

"Damn right 'as I say.' Go. Take the Nara with you. He's been annoying me about this and other shit all day. Take the rest of the day off, Nara. Don't argue. Go. And Miho?" She paused at the doorway, Shikamaru at her shoulder. "You did good protecting the Kazekage. Now, get out."

Miho didn't stop to look back at him until they reached the road outside of the building. When she did turn, he was looking up at the sky with his shoulders hunched and his hands tucked into his pockets. He'd stopped with her, but seemed to be avoiding eye contact. Guilty then? He felt guilty. Or maybe it was something else. Whatever was making his focus so intense. Miho just waited.

"What a drag."

Swallowing down her first response, Miho instead tightened her grip on the new chūnin vest. She'd received it at the chūnin mission desk on her way out. They always had Akimichi sizes in stock. It was never a good look for the village when Akimichi sizes were out-of-stock. "You could have mentioned it, Shikamaru."

"I didn't know she'd decided until today. There was no time to tell you. It'd be a waste if I told you and she didn't do it." Shikamaru lowered his stare from the sky, attention flickering down to her grip on the vest. "You gonna wear two vests?"

Miho rolled her eyes at the pathetic subject-change attempt. Instead, she turned on her heel and started toward the Akimichi Compound. "Uncle Shikaku looks like a badass with his deerskin vest. I'll just wear my vest over my vest." She knew he was walking behind her, and she looked over to find a long-suffering look on his face. "What?"

Shikamaru said nothing. He just jerked his head to the left and Miho followed him down a path into a deserted training ground.

It was still mid-morning and the dew from the night before was just now beginning to evaporate from the leaves. Birds were tweeting and singing and the sky was so blue. It was the perfect day for Shikamaru to cloud-watch. Miho wondered if that was where he was headed, to a cloud-watching location. Instead, he stopped at the edge of the forest, hands fisting at his sides.

"I didn't know they would send him."

Miho bit down a gasp when Shikamaru's hand shot out to strike the tree he stood beside. She watched his back, which was tensed as he gripped both hands into fists. His head lowered and he seemed to lose that energy as quickly as it came. Shikamaru canted over to lean against the tree.

Stepping forward, Miho moved around him until she stood facing him. She sat the chūnin vest down and tried to get a good look at his face. It was crumpled and his eyes were squeezed shut. "Asuma-sensei?"

Shikamaru sighed. "That's… I didn't know what the mission was until this morning. They left only a couple hours after we arrived back last night."

Miho let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. Genma-sensei was on the same mission. That meant Genma-sensei's whole cell was deployed. They wouldn't let anything happen to Asuma-sensei. Besides, that would be six jōnin-level shinobi in the team. They'd be strong enough to take on members of the Akatsuki, right? They even had foresight into the Akatsuki skillsets. Still, her own hands shook. She forced them to steady. Shikamaru needed her to be strong right now.

She couldn't tell him that everything would be fine.

She couldn't know that for sure.

None of them knew how the cascade would fall.

Only that it would.

Even if they knew the skillsets of the Akatsuki, there was no telling what could happen.

Miho reached out to rest a hand on his upper arm, gripping it tightly. Grounding. Shikamaru had to feel out of control. He thrived on control, no matter how much it seemed otherwise. So much of what he did over the past two years had been to save Asuma-sensei and his father. And so many others that would lose their lives.

She hadn't seen him this afraid since…since Ino showed him the future.

"What do you need me to do?"

Shikamaru shook his head. "Nothing. It's troublesome, but…Just stand there."

Miho let him settle his forehead against her shoulder. He was still gripping the tree, pulling bark off under his fingernails. His other than gripped the meat of her her right forearm. The hold wasn't painful, but it was just tight enough to remind her that he was strong. She stood there for what felt like forever, letting him breathe through the panic attack. Because that's what it was. She knew what they looked like.

She'd experienced more than her fair share.

"You busy today?" She kept her voice quiet and even as his breathing slowed.

His head shook, still resting on her shoulder.

"Well, good. Come crash at the apartment while I bake. You can actually get some sleep, if you want, and you can give your parents the excuse that I needed help cooking."

"No way they'll buy that." He snorted, stepping back. He looked amused. The vestiges of the attack were still there— in the exhaustion in his eyes—but he looked to have it back under control. "Sure."

"All aboard the Murder Train." Sparrow sighed, sliding a senbon between each of his fingers. He watched as two very familiar figures stepped out from the trees. Team Taki was backed into a corner. Stupid kids. A cliff? You choose to confront attackers on a cliff? Sure, make sure your back flank is covered, but still. Against these two? You needed movement. Sparrow could practically imagine the build-up of ominous music. Black cloaks, red clouds. Just like Miho's Mental Comic Book. Very dramatic. "To be clear, if either of you die in this fight, I'll personally punt your corpse back to Konoha."

He could feel Rabbit's surprise at the statement, but Monkey's whispered response was even and steady. "That's got real dark real quick." Considering Monkey was looking at the man that would kill him in the potential future, Sparrow could think of a hundred witty one-liners.

"Yeah, well…Not exactly in the sunniest of moods. I was supposed to be celebrating my kids' promotion, eating barbecue and cake, not fighting a couple dumbass 'immortals.'" He watched as Fū's back stiffened. She was trying to make small talk with the missing-nin from Taki. Which, of course she was. And he had to somehow bring this jinchūriki back alive. "Monkey, don't get stabbed."

"Yeah, yeah. I know."

"Your kids—"

"I know." Monkey's voice was low. "Same goes for you."

Sparrow scoffed. He didn't die fighting these two jokers.

Hidan. Kukuzu. The Immortals.

"You two got something to tell me?" Rabbit's voice muffled under a quiet cough.

"Yeah. Hound is gonna owe us a round. He should be here dealing with this shit, too." Sparrow watched as the girl jumped back, gold eyes wide. "All the intel provided in the mission file was correct." The 'intel' was straight from his student's brain and it'd been summarized in the Akatsuki mission briefs. He noticed the signal from Beta Team. "Looks like we're good-to-go. Beta Team is in position."

Sparrow turned to look at Rabbit.

Rabbit, who was newly married with a baby on the way.

Something sick roiled in Sparrow's stomach.

Rabbit shot him a look through his mask, reaffirming his hold on his swords.

The Taki shinobi sprang into action when Fū narrowly avoided a slice of the Jashinist's scythe.

"Okay. The Murder Train is now departing. Let's roll."

He made a hand sign and vanished.

"Vanilla or chocolate?"

Shikamaru was asleep on the couch while Tetsuya was in his room doing some kind of maintenance on one of his swords. Miho wasn't entirely sure what he was doing, but he was focused and determined to complete it by sundown. He said something about Hayate-sensei's plans to start the next level after he returned from a mission. Shin sat at a stool by the counter, reading a book and occasionally watching as she stirred a mixing bowl. Every so often, his attention would track upward, and Miho wondered just what he sensed. It was a terribly domestic scene. She finished with the batter she'd been working on and turned to Shin.

"Chocolate." Shin answered, looking up from his book. Miho nodded, turning to the baking supply cupboard. She withdrew the chocolate and a glass bowl. "We're being watched."

The privacy seal was activated, which meant that only someone with clearance could access the space. The list of individuals given access was very short. Two of which were out of the village. That only left three others. Chōji was training with their father at the Akimichi Estate. Ino was on-shift with the Intelligence Division. That only left… Miho smiled slightly, moving over to the refrigerator.

He must've just returned from a mission or training trip.

She hadn't seen him in years now, but...

She pulled out the onigiri she'd purchased on the walk home with Shikamaru from the specialty shop in the East Market. She'd intended to save it for her post-training meal. The Akimichi varieties were packed with enriched fillings. Though they cost more, they made the snacks more appealing to high-calorie diets. Miho drew out three pork-filled rice balls and sat them on a plate.

Smiling, Miho sat it on top of the refrigerator. Shin said nothing about the gesture. She turned back to the stove and grabbed a pot, filling it with water. The glass bowl was settled on top of the pot on the stove and the chocolate was melted there as she stirred in just-warm-enough coffee.

Whisking was cheap therapy.

"Tetsuya? Come here."

A few moments later, Tetsuya shuffled into the kitchen. He looked tired as he crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. His long hair fell around his shoulders. Miho didn't quite think he had the Hyuuga beat, but he might've been aiming for Gluten-Free's aesthetic. "Sup?" Not that he could ever pull it off.

Miho pulled in a breath. "Lady Tsunade has already decided our assignment. We'll be moving forward as a team."

Tetsuya and Shin were quiet. She knew Shikamaru was likely listening in, even if he had been asleep before. Their privacy barrier was still activated, so Miho felt comfortable finally revealing the news to her teammates. She withdrew the chocolate from the stove and moved to pour the glaze over the cake.

"We're going to become the Hokage Guard Platoon."

"We're— What?"

Smiling a bit at Tetsuya's squawked question, Miho looked up from the cake to see Shin's wide eyes.

"We're to be trained by Genma-sensei and the other guard members. We're gonna be on the tokubetsu jōnin or jōnin track with field promotion."

She finished adding the chocolate glaze. The cake looked delicious, a perfect celebration cake for the party at the barbeque restaurant on North Street that night. Both of her teammates were quiet and Miho looked up, meeting Tetsuya's eyes.

"She said we were hand-picked."

"More like we were specially trained." Tetsuya scoffed, but there was an excited glint in his eyes. "What are the chances we have statistically the highest number of successful escort missions in single year of our generation and our teacher is already a member of the platoon? Close, mid, and long-range fighters with decent chakra control." Miho saw where his train of thought was headed. "Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if the past year alone has been to set us on this path."

"Genma-sensei is not just a member of the Hokage Guard Platoon. He's the leader of it. He would know if we were qualified."

"He's also protective as all hell." Tetsuya supplied.

Miho and Shin nodded, smiling at each other. Their teacher was definitely protective. She'd seen him become the battle-hardened shinobi and ANBU operative several times. Each time, it was to protect someone. A thrill of fear shot through her stomach and she sat down the glass bowl of chocolate before she dropped it.

"Not to mention, didn't Okuda Keisuke guard the Fourth?" Tetsuya gestured to Miho. She nodded, eyes drifting to the cake again. "We're gonna guard the future Hokages as well, huh?" Her head jerked up and she looked around to Tetsuya, who pushed off the wall and grinned at her. His meaning was clear.

We're gonna guard Naruto in the future as well, huh?

Tetsuya grinned at her, a determined light in his eyes.

"Savior or not, he matters to you, so he matters to me."

Miho smiled. For the first time since her meeting with the Hokage, she felt reassured. "We won't hear more until Genma-sensei gets back from his mission. Until then, we'll receive our individual assignments. Seems like those are as-requested. And we'll be working assigned missions as normal."

Miho knew she was leaving something out. ANBU. They could learn of that opportunity themselves and make their own decisions regarding that course. Miho glanced over to the plate on the refrigerator to find the rice balls had disappeared.

"We've got a couple hours before we meet the others. I'm gonna bake some more."

"I want those things you made for my birthday last year." Tetsuya said as he turned to walk back to his room. "The cake looks delicious by the way." Miho grinned down at her creation, itching to eat it. It was only Tetsuya's voice calling out that kept her from giving into temptation. "And Miho? Shin? We're gonna be the best damn Hokage Guard Platoon this village has ever seen. Book Club?"

"Let's get it!" Shin and Miho responded, laughing.

From the couch in the living room, the lethargic voice of Nara Shikamaru was exasperated. "You all are so noisy. Can't a guy sleep in peace? Geez."

"Whose couch are you crashed on? Whose apartment are you hiding in?" Tetsuya questioned, returning to his room. "Got a problem and you can just troublesome your way out the door."

Miho laughed as grabbed the empty onigiri plate, settling it in the sink before she turned to grab the bag of apples from the space by the coffeemaker. Shikamaru let out something that sounded very close to a whine before deciding that discretion was the better part of valor. At the counter, Shin went back to reading his book.

She should have been more confident in this assignment from the start. Tetsuya was right. They would become the best Hokage Guard Platoon. They'd protect the Hokages to the best of their ability. And she would protect her teammates, too.

That's just…what Team Five did.

Yakiniku Q was a common haunt for cross-team meals. It was owned and managed by her third cousin, Kumiko, who doted on her customers like they were family. When she'd arrived, bearing a large cake, Kumiko swept up the treats and hurried them into her large refrigerator, promising to bring them back out when everyone had finished their meals. And Kumiko's sweet laugh was no more amused than when she watched three chūnin waddle in with bags of assorted pies, doughnuts, and candies.

"They're in the back room."

"Chōji here yet?"

Kumiko waved her off, moving to set the bags of sweets behind the counter. Miho smiled at the way the woman's cheeks flushed from the heat of the constantly-running grills. If she weren't a kunoichi, Miho could see herself where Kumiko was standing, happily watching as customers ate delicious meats. "Your brother has already started grilling. Go! Go! I will bring the galbi soon."

"Shikamaru, you're already out a few bucks." Kiba called, waving over the partitions. "Chōji said this was on you!"

"Wha— Me? This wasn't even my idea!"

Miho smiled at Shikamaru's long-suffering look, leaving him in the lobby. He was more than used to losing money to Chōji's appetite. She moved over to where the girls sat, following Tenten's waves. The boys were at another table next to the one the girl's occupied. Ino was in control of the grill, but immediately handed over the tongs to Miho when she sat.

"Miho's better at grilling than Chōji. And she doesn't hog all the meat." Ino declared, leaning back to glare in Chōji's direction. Chōji didn't even acknowledge her, popping a piece of meat into his mouth. "So, we lucked out."

Huffing a laugh at her brother's expense, Miho set to monitoring the grill. "Chōji considers the grill a battleground. And there are no acceptable losses."

There were snickers from the boys' table.

Her friends settled into conversation. Sakura was continuing her apprenticeship with the Hokage. Hinata was currently developing a new jutsu. Miho's mind flashed to Hinata's two fists covered in blue flames. Swallowing down her salivation, she almost choked when another Image assaulted her mind. Naruto, pinned by black rods with his eyes wide. A crater where Konoha should have—

A hand rested on her shoulder. Ino jerked Miho into her side. "Well, Miho here finally mastered the Akimichi bō style!"

"I thought you mastered the style when you got back from training?" Tenten's eyes were glued to the sizzling brisket that Miho flipped. The caramelization looked delicious and Miho decided that particular piece would go to the weapons mistress. "Before Elder Torifu died?"

"There was one more level when he passed. Luckily, my Uncle Zosui was able to teach it. I finished mastery before the chūnin exams." Now she could see the irony. Miho flipped a particularly yummy-looking piece of brisket. Maybe that was why everyone was so offended that she didn't use her weapon. It'd only been a week before the exams when she'd completed her training at last. She settled a few piece of meat on Hinata's plate and smiled. Hinata smiled back, tucking her hair behind her ear.

An hour later, Miho sat the cake on a table Kumiko had wheeled out. While everyone fluttered around it, gathering their pieces, Miho grinned and grabbed a small specially-packaged sweet. She caught Rock's eye before stepping in front of Neji as he approached the sweets. Rock muffled his laughter into his arm, dragging Tenten's attention around so that she would watch the show.

"Hey, Neji." He stopped, raising his brows. Miho rarely approached him outside of training. During these rare get-togethers, he tended to stick with the boys or next to Hinata. Also, Miho couldn't recall the last time she'd ever used his actual name. "Never got to congratulate you on the promotion, so I made you something."

Miho barely withheld a cackle at his expression when she held out the treat, watching his expression morph from one of peaceful enjoyment to a putrid scowl.

Hyuuga Neji scowled down at the cupcake as if it were an enemy that had personally offended him and all of his values. Miho couldn't relate. She'd never looked at food like that before.

The cupcake was straight-forward. Vanilla with chocolate icing. Most importantly—

"It's gluten-free," she assured him.

It took years of training to keep Miho's face even. Years of Genma-sensei and Master Torifu's training to keep her composure. She held his stare when his eyes finally looked up from the proffered cupcake. The stare seemed to last for a while, as if Neji thought that if he stood still enough and stared long enough that she would whisk the cupcake away and eat it herself. Then, the scowl on his face eased and, with a certain amount of regal acceptance, he took the cupcake.

Miho had to consciously keep her jaw from dropping.

"Thank you."

"You are very welcome." Miho grinned. She wasn't completely sure what made him take it. It could have been simply that she was of another Noble Clan and he didn't want to cause offense. Miho hoped that wasn't the case given that he'd kicked her ass more than once in spars. Accepting a cupcake should be that hard. He turned his back and walked away.

Neji really did have pretty hair, Miho observed as he calmly made his way back to the table where Hinata and Tetsuya sat. Tetsuya's could've even compare. Neither could hers. She was almost jealous. Her hair was a riot of curls that seemed almost as big as her on some days almost always tangled. Though most of the time it was kept out of her face by a ponytail with a kunoichi spike set, Miho knew it was barely controlled chaos.

A lot like her chakra, she supposed.

"You're jealous of his hair, aren't you?"

"Were you in my head just now?" Miho laughed, turning to Ino. Ino definitely couldn't relate. She had gorgeous blonde hair that seemed to flow on a ridiculous invisible wind. Ino smirked. "The guy has pretty hair. Hell, all of the Hyuuga have pretty hair."

She could feel Neji's glare. Shouldn't he be preening?

"You have pretty hair, Miho. It's full and thick and I know that there're a few guys out there that love it." Miho scoffed at Ino's words. It didn't matter if guys liked her hair. All that really mattered was keeping it out of the way in fights and keeping it longer because that's what she liked. Still, this comment made her conscious of it being in her face and Miho raised an arm to push it back. She took a bite of cake as she did so. "Like Kankurō."

Miho nearly inhaled the cake, sputtering as a heavy hand slammed into her back. Lee, she figured out a moment later as he fretted. Ino launched into a peal of laughter, looking far lighter than she had in a while. Her blue eyes were dancing.

"What? Kankurō? The Kazekage's brother?" Sakura leaned forward onto her elbows, eyes also alight. She waggled her brows. "Is that why you two were off whispering at the party?"

"We weren't 'off whispering.'"

"She didn't deny it!" Sakura said in awe. Her lips tilted mischievously. "Whaddya know?"

Miho swallowed again, shoveling another bite of cake into her mouth so that she wouldn't say anything stupid. Her eyes tracked around the room to see that Tenten was grinning from where she was sitting with Shin. Both Shikamaru and Chōji had stopped eating and were watching her like hawks, no doubt looking for any tells. There was a bark and suddenly Kiba was in front of her, leaned into his elbows like Sakura. Akamaru seemed to mirror him. Miho jerked back.

"What? You and the weird Puppet Guy? For real?"

Why did his tone imply that was a bad thing? Weird Puppet Guy?

"Kiba, go play fetch or something." Miho glared.

To an Inuzuka, those were fighting words.

Kiba nearly squared up, but was quickly blocked by Hinata.

Miho glanced over to see Ino's smirk as her arms crossed. This is entirely your fault. Ino's smirk became a full-blown smile. As if to play into the role a bit more, Ino immediately flew into Gossip Mode. As if she didn't know the inner workings of Miho's mind better than anyone. As if she couldn't literally read the thoughts in her head.

"Dish on the dish, Akimichi. Pun definitely intended. We always love a cute little romance."

'Cute' and 'little' didn't quite fit here, Miho mentally corrected.

What then? 'Handsome' and 'big'?

To Miho's absolute horror, the first image she saw in her mind was Kankurō. Scrambling, she reeled back on the thought and met Ino's joy-filled stare. Her best friend giggled. Giggled. Ino never giggled in this reality.

Just as Miho began to open her mouth to try and salvage the situation, Shin spoke up. "He brings her cookies." He was saying it to Tenten, but loud enough that literally everyone could hear. Tenten, enjoying mayhem as much as the next person, nodded her head with solemn understanding. "It's adorable."

"They've been exchanging letters for years now," Tetsuya explained to Hinata. He was leaning forward and hiding his mouth with a half-assed cupped hand. A conspirator's whisper. That literally everyone could hear. Hinata's mouth opened to respond, but she was cut off again. "It's adorable."

"Green bags with pink bows," Shin added to Tenten.

"He really thinks he's smooth with it."

Forget protecting them.

Her teammates were traitors.

Heart racing a bit, Miho looked around desperately for an ally. She definitely didn't deserve this, not after she made them treats. Not after she grilled their meat. Not after she shared food with them. This was an outrage. Her gathered friends were definitely playing it up. Lee was nodding along to whatever Shin was saying. The rest were falling in line. Her brother and Shikamaru were staying out of it, watching with mildly irritated expressions.

No way she would look to Gluten-Free for help.

Then there was one.

"Help me out here, Shino."

He'd been sitting at the far end of the boys' table, quietly eating and observing the madness. She met his eyes across the room, or at least, she was pretty sure she did as they were hidden behind his usual glasses. Miho waited to see if he'd step in to lend any kind of aid. He lowered his chopsticks.

"You do have pretty hair."

There was a beat of silence.

"SAY WHAT?" was the collective shout.

Shino calmly raised a cup to his lips and sipped under the full weight of the stares he was receiving. "An observation."

Thrown entirely off-kilter, Miho grinned over at him. She was pretty sure that the grills were putting off way too much heat because she suddenly felt very flushed. "Thank you, Shino." He didn't quite help, but his comment did get the others to settle down out of sheer shock. It's like they didn't know what to do with his compliment and to refute it would be to make Miho feel terrible.

Actually, it was a pretty sound strategy.

Seeing the lack of discussion, Lee took advantage of the silence to raise his voice. "YOSH! WE WILL EAT OUR CELEBRATORY CAKE FOR WE ARE NOW CHŪNIN OF KONOHAGKURE AND OUR LEGACY SHALL BE A GREAT ONE!" Miho lifted her cake place in acknowledgement of Rock's proclamation as her friends did the same with yells of agreement. "AND THANK YOU SHIKAMARU FOR THE FOOD!"

"Now wait just a damn—"

About thirty minutes later, Miho reached for her wallet only to have Sakura's hand rest on her arm. "No, no. You baked all afternoon. Shin told us." Looking around, Miho saw Shin walking out the door, waving a hand over his shoulder. Shikamaru ambled up, looking downcast as he eyed his wallet. "Shikamaru, the girl's pooled money to pay for our table. Don't worry about it."

Shikamaru shot her a smile, taking the money. No way was he going to turn that down.

Miho moved to gather her cake plate and any extra goods from behind the counter. Kumiko was wrapping up a couple tables at the back. Watching her cousin, this brought Miho's eyes to the last person exiting their party room. Shino lifted his head and she was sure he'd met her stare this time. There was just this sense that there was eye contact.

"Thanks for the compliment and the tactical save. You didn't have to step in, but I appreciated that you did."

"Your thanks are unnecessary. Why? Because I merely repaid a compliment."

Miho raised her brows, following him out of the restaurant. "Repaid?"

"Miho! Let's go."

By the time she turned back around, Shino was gone.

Sparrow stumbled, crashing to his knees as a hand pressed against his stomach. He reached up and pulled the mask from his face, throwing it to the side. It wasn't needed here, and it felt like the mask was suffocating him. His attention skittered to Lizard, who had already collapsed, and Panda, who was breathing hard. Panda had suffered the least damage, all things considered. Lizard though…Iwashi might not make it. He looked at the two bodies on the floor between them.

Two bodies. There should have been a third.

There should have been a third and he hadn't been fast enough.

"What the hell?"

He could hear voices and the world turned into shapes. Moving shapes, shouting shapes. He could feel the anxiety in the room, the fear. Then, there was the Hokage, pressing a green-glowing hand to his abdomen. Genma shook his head, pushing her hand away.

"N-Not me. G-Get Asuma. Asuma first."

Asuma, who'd been impaled.

Asuma, who tired so hard.

Asuma, whose kids couldn't lose him.

"Shit! Shizune! Get over here. Deal with Genma. He's lost a lot of blood. We need to get him into the OR immediately. Cat, call in Sakura. Now. Deer, alert the hospital. Secure channels only." Vaguely, Genma wondered if his kids had gone out to celebrate. He was definitely too late to make the party. It'd be hard to throw parties for a while now. He wondered if they had a good time. "Panda! We need a report. What happened out there?"

Shit. Shit happened out there.

Genma would have told her so, but the world was dimming.

"One Akatsuki eliminated, L-Lady Fifth. One incapacitated indefinitely. One jinchūriki sec-secured."

Genma tried to force himself to stay awake, to say the words that he knew Raidō would choke on. The words he didn't want Raidō to have to say. He was the leader of this mission after all. If anyone should say it, it should be him.

"One— casualty, Lady Hokage. One op-operative cap-captured."

He couldn't fight it any longer. Genma lost consciousness.

A/N:

I am both sorry and not sorry. This is where rubber meets the road! Welcome to the rest of the plot, the pairing, and the ramifications. HERE WE GO! The new arc starts now.

Thank you so, so much for your reviews, favorites, and follows. I sincerely hope everyone enjoyed this rollercoaster of a chapter.

Please leave me your thoughts!