Rating: M

Words: 3,200

Pairing: Possible Kakashi/Tenzo down the road

Warnings/Summary: Reference to drunken behavior and hangovers, much inappropriate Genma banter, uncomfortable Tenzo, secretive Kakashi

Author's Note: I haven't forgotten this story, I've just been struggling to find a direction I wanted it to go. A while ago, I took the chapters down briefly and edited them all to be more cohesive for the direction I wanted the story to go. Now that I know, hopefully it will be easier to update despite the chaos that is life.

By the time dusk fell, sweat poured off Tenzo's body, and no less than three new injuries throbbed in time with his heartbeat. He lay flat on his back, covered in dust and blood, staring up at the darkening sky. Kakashi glanced down with a smug expression and offered a hand. Tenzo accepted, allowing the other man to pull him onto his feet. It annoyed him that Kakashi's breathing hadn't increased as a result of their fight, especially since he'd managed to get through Tenzo's defenses so many times.

"I really thought you'd dodge the last one," Kakashi said by way of apology. The silver-haired Anbu grasped Tenzo's chin with his free hand, tilting it from the side to side to examine his busted lip in the fading light. "That's going to bruise."

Tenzo jerked back a step, wiping blood away with his sleeve. "You think?" Annoyance colored his voice as he thumbed at the brilliant stab of pain in his mouth. Kakashi had caught him off guard with several quick taijutsu attacks. Though he'd avoided most of them, one jab had broken through, jamming Tenzo's lip into his teeth. Kakashi's next kick had sent him sprawling.

"Don't worry, bruises will only improve your appearance." Kakashi's casual tone made Tenzo wonder if he'd heard the words correctly.

After a second to process, the younger man rolled his eyes. "Just lay off already," Tenzo grumbled, dusting off his pants. "Genma is bad enough; you don't have to make it worse, senpai."

Equal parts annoyance, hurt, and embarrassment swirled through Tenzo as he looked at Kakashi. The past twenty-four hours were mostly lost in the haze of hangover, but Tenzo would have gladly undone it all if he could. Especially the part where he ended up in bed with Kakashi. He almost wished the memory would come back. That way, at least he would know whether he deserved the teasing. The nagging uncertainty refused to let his mind rest.

"I'm going to get dinner," Tenzo paused to see if Kakashi wanted to come, then shrugged. "I'll see you around."

As he turned, Tenzo thought Kakashi might follow. The older man took two steps then paused, tipping his head to the side as if trying to catch a sound. Tenzo didn't wait. If Kakashi wanted to join him, he would.

Tenzo stayed away from the main village since he wore his ANBU uniform. Instead, he kept to the compound set aside for black ops. Even though there weren't many people out, Tenzo lengthened his stride. He wanted to get home, make dinner, and forget about everything that had happened today.

He almost made it. Tenzo's foot had just settled on the bottom stair leading up to his apartment when he heard the voice. "Yo, Tenzo. Wait up."

Despite himself, the ANBU took a breath before turning toward Kakashi. The man slouched in the shadows, lazy expression in his eye. Not for the first time, Tenzo wondered how long it had taken him to start recognizing Kakashi's emotions by the mere fraction of his face that was visible. It astounded him that the man managed to portray so much with so little.

A murky image surfaced in the back of Tenzo's mind, a Kakashi who looked nothing like the one standing before him now. Without a headband to hold it in place, silver hair fell into charcoal and crimson eyes. Kakashi looked both younger and more vulnerable than Tenzo had ever seen, holding a glass to his bare lips. Tenzo belatedly realized that Kakashi wasn't wearing a shirt or mask in the memory. Blushing, he dragged himself back to the present.

Kakashi quirked an eyebrow. "Are you listening? We have a mission; be at the gate in ten minutes. We'll be gone two weeks, possibly longer." Kakashi bit off the words, then disappeared, leaving Tenzo to stare at the wall where he'd been.

Several seconds later, Kakashi's words sank in. Tenzo bounded up the stairs to his apartment and started gathering the necessary items. He'd barely cleaned out his pack after they'd gotten back from their most recent mission, so everything was more or less in order. Dumping several rations bars onto the top, he tore off the wrapper of one and choked it down. It tasted roughly equivalent to what Tenzo imagined a flak vest would taste like. A particularly dirty, sweaty flak vest. Shuddering, he filled a glass of water and drained it, washing the remnants from his mouth.

After turning off all the lights and checking that the windows were locked, Tenzo was ready. With one last look at his meticulously neat apartment, the man pulled the door closed.

Anbu had their own entrance to the village located near the Hokage's compound so that they could come and go at all hours. Approaching the gate, Tenzo saw Yugao standing in the shadows, picking idly at her nails. Of course, she would be the first one there. The woman held her porcelain mask in the other hand. When she saw Tenzo, Yugao smiled. "It's just us so far. I'm sure Kakashi will be late, and Genma always waits until the last minute."

"I resent that," Genma complained, buckling on a grey flak vest as he approached the pair. "I can't help that Kakashi gave us five minutes to get here."

Armor secured, Genma turned his attention elsewhere. Hazel eyes skimmed the area around the gate, undoubtedly looking for Kakashi. It wasn't in their captain's nature to be on time, for anything. As the three of them waited, Tenzo felt Genma's gaze travel to his face, then his lip. A familiar, teasing smile curled around the tokujo senbon. "Love bite? I didn't expect you to enjoy-"

"Good, you're all here." Kakashi interrupted. "Tenzo, Yugao in the middle, Genma in the back. I don't expect any issues this close to Konoha, but keep your eyes open."

Tenzo fell into position, pulling his mask on. As they moved through the semi-darkness, he watched Kakashi. There was a subtle difference in the way the man held himself, a slight shifting of his shoulders that told Tenzo that his captain was worried about something. Stifling his own curiosity, Tenzo held his tongue and followed Kakashi into the forest.

It was unusual for Kakashi's team to be called away again, especially after the losses they'd suffered on the last mission. Yet, none of the Anbu commented on it. In fact, no one spoke at all while they leapt from branch to branch. Tenzo let his mind drift as the autumn air drew chill bumps on his arms. At least he wasn't still soaked in sweat. Tenzo loved the forest at night, there was something calming about it. Soft silver light dappled the world, the leaves whispered as they caught the breeze, and the damp freshness of earth made him feel alive.

Breathing deeply, Tenzo gazed at the shadows, looking for anything out of the ordinary. Nothing moved beyond the quiet stirring of creatures or the woodland sounds that had soothed him to sleep more times than he could count. So many people thought the forest was quiet, but Tenzo knew better. When all sound ceased out here, something was wrong. And tonight, the steady whirring of noise filled the air, completely undisturbed by the Anbu's passage.

After several hours, exhaustion pulled at Tenzo's body. He hadn't slept enough last night, and the spar with Kakashi left his muscles watery and weak. Yugao's head drooped toward her chest once, but neither of them complained. Glancing back, Tenzo watched Genma move as if he never needed to stop; Kakashi was the same. That's why the pair had taken up the more crucial positions, leaving the newer, weaker members in the middle.

When Kakashi raised a hand, the entire group paused, crouching in the trees. The captain glanced at Genma and spun his right fist in a quick circle. The older shinobi leaped away, checking the surrounding area for any threat. The others waited until they got the all clear, then dropped onto the ground below. Bushes and trees sheltered the area, forming a solid hedge on one side. It would be easy to guard.

"We'll rest here for a few hours, I'd rather not resort to food pills this early." Kakashi slung his pack onto the ground, and the others followed. "No fire. Ration bars, if you need them. If not, sleep." Kakashi unhooked the bedroll and laid it on the ground. Out of habit, Tenzo spread his next to Kakashi's and sat down, removing his mask to take a drink.

"Oh, no you don't." Genma stood over the pair, hazel eyes shifting from face to face. Tenzo groaned inwardly, the man wore that infuriating smile which never meant anything good. "I leave you two alone for a couple of hours and look at what happened to poor Tenzo's lip. I'm ashamed of you captain. As if taking advantage of him when he was drunk wasn't bad enough. I expect at least six inches between your bedrolls tonight."

Yugao shook her head as she spread her blanket on the opposite side of the clearing. Tenzo caught a glimpse of her before dropping his face into his hands, blushing at the implication. Kakashi glanced between the members of his team, settling on the embarrassed Tenzo, before shrugging. "Six inches won't be enough, will it Ten-chan?"

Genma chuckled, and Tenzo's cheeks flamed bright enough to be seen even in the moonlight. Leaping to his feet, he grabbed his blanket from the ground. "I'll take the first watch," he grumbled, springing for the trees without waiting for an answer.

Kakashi watched Tenzo disappear into the foliage, eye creased into a smile. The man was far too touchy for his own good, and Genma enjoyed getting under his skin. Even Kakashi found himself amused by how easily Tenzo grew flustered. If he didn't get bothered by the teasing, eventually Genma would grow bored and leave him alone. As it was, the reactions only added fuel to the fire.

Shaking his head, Kakashi glanced up at Genma, who grinned at his success. Then again, Genma was always grinning about something. "I'll take second watch," Kakashi suggested, and the other man nodded. "Get some sleep."

Once the rest of his team retired to their blankets, Kakashi wrapped in his and peered into the leaves where Tenzo had disappeared. The younger man was nowhere to be seen, but Kakashi knew he was there. Though they didn't have long to rest, no matter how badly he needed it, Kakashi wasn't tired. He'd drunk too much yesterday, which usually made him sleep like death, but that hadn't been the case last night. Kakashi had woken up, and found Tenzo beside him. It had been-his thoughts skittered restlessly for the right word-comforting.

Kakashi didn't dwell on the thought, opting instead to think about the mission details scrawled on the scroll inside his flak vest. He'd hoped that his team would be able to deal with the deaths on their last mission before being sent out again. Kakashi and Genma didn't need it; they had seen comrades die often enough that they could switch off their emotions in a heartbeat. The two younger members probably hadn't had the time to develop those reflexes yet. Yugao was gentle and kind, the type that he expected to be bothered by death. So far, Kakashi hadn't been able to get a read on her emotions. She'd done well at training earlier, so he assumed that there was no reason to worry. Kakashi would keep an eye on her, though, that was his job as captain.

Then, there was Tenzo. As a former Root member, his reaction to the deaths had surprised Kakashi. Logic, rather than emotion, usually guided the younger man. Kakashi remembered the boy that nearly killed him without question. Then, Tenzo had abandoned the mission, saved Kakashi's life, and sparked the series of events that led to his placement on Kakashi's Anbu team. Maybe Tenzo had been cool logic out of necessity, a twisted survival instinct trained into him by Danzo, rather than his true personality. He'll learn soon enough, Kakashi thought cynically, emptying his mind and forcing himself to sleep.

Two days later, when his team crossed the border with the Land of Rivers, Kakashi paused and pulled his everyone aside. It was past time they went over the mission that they were about to start. The details had been running through Kakashi's mind since he received the scroll, but he had yet to discuss it. Genma was the only one experienced enough to know that something was off with Kakashi's behavior, but he didn't ask.

"This mission is primarily reconnaissance." Kakashi looked at each person in turn, making sure that he had their full attention. "Our target has connections to the intel we captured on our last mission."

Genma met Kakashi's eyes, all hints of amusement disappearing instantly. While he was a prankster most of the time, the man knew when it was time to get to work. He took his position as a protector of the village seriously.

"There's a man in this village named Kiramo." Kakashi consulted the scroll in his hand once more before incinerating it. "He has information about the whereabouts of Raiden, the head of a rogue ninja organization which poses a direct threat to Konoha."

Kakashi paused and looked at the three shinobi surrounding him. Could he trust them to divorce themselves from emotion with the knowledge that Raiden had ordered the death of their comrades? Genma, a veteran who took everything in stride, would be able to. Tenzo and Yugao, maybe or maybe not. Kakashi decided to withhold the information from everyone but Genma. He would almost certainly be going in for the assassination anyway.

"Tenzo and I should go into the village," Genma interrupted, grinning at Kakashi. "You and Yugao are too recognizable. Unless you want to dye your hair?"

Kakashi smacked Genma's hand away before the man could get a grip on his silver hair. "You'll be in radio contact at all times."

"Aw, don't you trust me with him? We'll have to get a room together and everything." Genma threw an arm over Tenzo's shoulders and leaned close. "Don't worry, if you drink too much, I can tuck you in. I'm even better at it-"

"If either of you get drunk while on a mission, it will be the last one you see as part of my team." Kakashi interrupted, voice sharp as steel.

Genma chuckled and pushed away from Tenzo. "No need to be jealous, captain. I'll behave myself. This time."

"I highly doubt that," Kakashi snorted from beneath his mask. "The town is large enough that our target will have security in place. Tenzo and Genma will scout the village, find a place to stay, and investigate the situation. Yugao and I will follow tonight, once you've established a base."

After a round of nods, Genma dropped his pack to the ground and began removing his armor. Tenzo watched him with a frown until the tokujo started laughing. "I know I'm distracting to look at, but you need to get changed too, Ten-chan. Or were you planning to walk into the village in your Anbu gear?"

"Stop calling me that," Tenzo growled, lowering his pack from his shoulder.

Genma pulled a long-sleeved shirt over his sleeveless Anbu top and tucked his senbon behind one ear. Frowning, he tugged off the headband that held his hair back, and ran his fingers through the caramel locks. Kakashi watched Tenzo get ready, then nodded. Though the men still had the lithe, muscular build of shinobi, their clothing marked them as civilians. Albeit, incredibly fit civilians. With one last warning look at Genma, Kakashi sent the men on their way.

"I don't think this is what senpai meant," Tenzo mumbled under his breath. They had walked around the town for over an hour, looking more like tourists than shinobi. Genma had stopped to get dango at a stand on the street, appearing totally at ease. He made casual look natural.

"This is exactly what he meant," Genma answered, grinning at the woman eyeing him up and down from across the street. "We're supposed to be blending in with the crowd, not standing out. Relax, you look on edge."

Tenzo exhaled and nodded, affecting a lazy posture. He felt the tension running through every inch of his body, but he fought it down. Genma tipped his head toward the woman and clapped Tenzo's back. "I need to gather some information. If I'm not back in ten minutes, I'll met up with you in a few hours." Before Tenzo could protest, the man sauntered across the street.

"This had better not be like that time in Iwa, Genma," Kakashi's disembodied voice growled in Tenzo's ear. "She better have some useful information, rather than the most enchanting eyes you've ever seen."

To his credit, Genma didn't miss a step as he began flirting with the stranger. The radio remained on, so Tenzo could hear every word the man said, but he blocked the voice to a dull buzz in the back of his mind. Alone, in a strange village, surrounded by a sea of unfamiliar faces, Tenzo forced himself to focus. He needed to find a base for their mission. Though there were a handful of inns down the street, Tenzo knew that wasn't what Kakashi had in mind. They needed something out of the way, where two men could come and go at all hours without drawing attention. It had to be discrete.

After half an hour, Tenzo found an area of town that was less polished than the rest. There were no families crowding the streets, and no shops. Only dilapidated buildings falling into ruin surrounded Tenzo, their face gritty with dirt. A handful of tough men and women wandered about in what Tenzo could only assume were gangs, but he avoided them easily.

Finding a likely enough building, Tenzo ducked inside. The air smelled heavily of mildew and disuse, an indicator that the building was vacant. All the windows were broken out, glass glittering on the floor among the stones that cracked the panes. Grime had gathered in the corners of rooms, swirled there by the wind.

Lifting a hand, Tenzo activated his radio. "I found a place that looks likely enough for a few nights. It won't be comfortable, but it's in the less frequented part of town, so we can come and go as we please."

"Good work," Kakashi answered, falling silent as Tenzo gave him directions.

Both the captain and Yugao reached the building within two hours, just after nightfall. While they didn't appear to be impressed with his choice, Kakashi nodded. "Better than sleeping in the rain at least."

The group of Anbu moved quickly, spreading out their sleeping rolls and setting up watches. They were just getting settled, Kakashi with his book while Yugao and Tenzo kept watch, when Genma sauntered into the room. For a moment, the tension was thick enough that it sucked the air out. "Well?" Kakashi's voice remained steady

Genma grinned. "Would you believe that she had the beautiful smile I've ever seen?"

Kakashi's shuriken missed him by less than half of an inch.