Vendetta

Sonnie

Hajime barely caught Chiie before she hit the ground.

Damn it, whatever happened to normal teen problems other kids my age have? Hajime thought grumpily. To his immediate relief, she hadn't fainted, she'd just toppled because she'd been standing with her knees locked. He began to realize the ordeal was far from over, however.

"It's that bloody key, isn't it!? Yoshida and his goddamn…You know what, I don't think I even want details right now; I can't handle details. And what if everyone finds out about me?"

"Um…everybody will find out. You're pregnant. It kind of has a way of making itself known."

"Stop trying to be funny!"

"Trust me, I'm not."

"Damn it, how did this happen?" Chiie wailed.

"Well, when two people really love each other…"

"I said stop trying to be funny!"

"You're the one that asked the question. Honestly, I'm sure you know a lot more about it than me."

Instead of getting angrier, Chiie's hands flew to her leaking eyes. "What am I going to do?"

"Chiie, I will help you through this. Your family will help you through this."

"HOW AM I GOING TO TELL MY BROTHERS???"

Well, there are seven of them, Hajime thought grimly. Though I'd honestly be more scared of her father than anything else…

"Chiie, you're not alone. You have people that can and will help you."

Maybe it was the tone of his words, or the comforting weight of his palm on her shoulder, but Chiie just took a deep breath and said nothing. The tears slowly stopped, and for the longest time they just stood in silence.

"…I'm scared, Hajime."

"I know. I am, too."

"I never thought I'd be telling you that. Nobody likes admitting defeat, but I can't fight what's happening. After all the fighting I did to get here, and now I'm going to be forced to leave my home…" Chiie looked tired and older than Hajime had ever seen her.

I guess it's how she "should" look, with all the energy she puts into things, Hajime thought. I'm so used to seeing her rush around, always smiling, always making sure things run smoothly for everyone else…And she never complains about it, not ever. She just gives and gives until…

"Chiie, don't give up."

You can't give up. I mean, if you give up, what does that mean for the rest of us, then? I can't bear to see you like this.

"What's going to happen to my family, Hajime? They've been evicted. Where are they going to go? Where am I going to go?"

"We'll all be heading back to Lightning Country soon; things will get straightened out. I'm sure if you just talk to Kenji—"

"No."

"Kenji's a lawyer and the property is now in his family name. I hate to say it, Chiie, but I've got absolutely nothing left back there. I'm in no position to help you, but I want to. The only thing I know that you can do is talk to him."

"I trust you."

Hajime peered at her carefully. "You really hate Kenji, don't you?"

"I don't hate him. I just don't believe a word he says."

"…Okay…"

"Look. A part of me will always remember how we used to be. But it's just that we've gone in the totally opposite direction and the fact that he used to be different makes his current behavior more than a little unacceptable. I know he's not nice to you, and he should be—you've been through just as much as he has. But you don't know him. He didn't break your heart."

Hajime winced inwardly at the rather urgent tone her voice was taking, but realized she had a point. Kenji didn't like him for good reason, but Hajime had never really been all that concerned, at least for himself. Kenji sure had the ability to hurt someone, though, and the idea that Chiie had once loved him meant she'd been raked over coals a thousand times before she made the choice to walk away that one thousandth and first time.

Hajime was quickly looking for something good in all of this, and what he realized wasn't going to give her any comfort at this point. Well, at least she's not in love with him anymore…

"Hajime, I'm sorry, I'm just under so much stress," Chiie said quietly, wrapping her slender arms around him and giving him a hug. "You're not mad, are you?"

Hajime wondered who on Earth could possibly get mad at an adorable little redheaded ballerina who was going to have a baby in four months; the fact he'd spent a healthy (or unhealthy) portion of his life in love with her was truly peripheral. There was just no way. He resisted the strong urge to pat her on the head, despite being four years her junior.

"I'm not mad at you," he said truthfully. I'd be the last person who could get angry at someone who's got problems. I've got some of my own right now, too…

"Let's go to Riis's place," Chiie suggested. "I want cookies and milk."

"I've got cookies and milk at my place," Hajime informed her.

"Real milk, not that soy milk junk you drink. It tastes like beans."

Hajime's knee-jerk reaction was to automatically retort, but instead he acquiesced. Hajime hadn't had real milk in a long time, he was able to acknowledge that soy milk wasn't quite for everyone…And Riis would like the company, too.

Riis is so much better at dealing with emotional people than I am, he reasoned, and slid a comforting hand around Chiie's shoulders before they headed out.

-O-

"Kotabe Nori is in Snow Country."

The even, almost conversational tone did not for one second distract Shukuchi.

"Why? Surely he's not here for your uncle's funeral. It's not as if he and his brother-in-law were great friends," the latter grumbled.

"Nori killed Yoshida, but in the time since the murder he has gone back to Kumo, only to return here once again."

Shukuchi suddenly looked very tired. "Why would he do that? Yoshida's stayed out of business back home, for the most part. He checks in with your father, from time to time, but that's the extent of it. The fact Nori came all the way out here, went home, and then came back…it doesn't make sense."

"He obviously wants everyone together. Asazaki, Chiie, Hajime, Riis…they're all loose ends, as far as he's concerned."

Shukuchi looked disgusted. "What more could he possibly do to Hajime and Riis? Killing them would be a mercy after what he put them through."

Kenji said nothing.

"What else can Nori achieve here? He's already killed Yoshida. The others aren't a match for him, though after Chiie managed to wound him as a mere chuunin he's always been a little wary of her. But if he had anything special planned for her I'm sure he would have already acted. And Hajime…he's got unfinished business with him, if you could call it that. But if he hasn't moved against either of them yet…"

"He's after the Key."

"What's a Key?" Shukuchi asked, puzzled.

While Kenji didn't like the idea of revealing a bunch of family secrets to Shukuchi, he grudgingly admitted to himself that the kid was probably a lot less likely to use them against the family than most people would be in the situation.

"Your uncle, my uncle, and Rikichi's wife used to be on a genin team together."

"Yes, Ayase, Takayori, and Yoshida, all famous med nins."

"When they were training together, they became best friends. As the years progressed, my father detected their strong loyalties and attempted to break them by making sure they never went on any missions together. Though they were far too valuable to lose, he tried to prevent them from becoming any closer. The three of them created items called Keys so that they would be able to convene, all three of them, whenever a Key was used."

At the look on Shukuchi's face, Kenji elaborated further.

"It basically works as a three-person summon. They all show up where the originator is. If Takayori was, say, by the ocean, they'd be right at his side the instant he used it. It summons doorways, basically. These doorways are strong enough to even nullify Nori's strongest shields."

"Why would Nori be after a Key?"

"He wants to take over the country; he's saying it outright, now that he's so bold. Ayase and Takayori are his biggest immediate threats, aside from the Raikage himself. It's not just because of their offensive power. He took out my uncle because the man, despite his flaws, was a genius with seals. Takayori is probably as talented as Fire Country's Hokage but at healing but is only half her age and Ayase's family is almost as powerful as mine, despite that fact her father hasn't spoken to her since she eloped with Rikichi. Additionally, both are looked to as strong leaders in the shinobi community, and each are powerful nobles with lots of money. Killing them both is necessary for his ascension."

"How would having a Key help?"

"It would summon both of them to a location of his choice, where his men would surely be waiting for them. An ambush is his only chance of killing either of them, as he lacks strong individual ninjas like we have. Unfortunately, he's got a strong advantage in numbers, one that we just don't have. Nori's bloodline, while effective, takes a lot of time to work. He killed my mother, but it took him a very long time to gain full control over her. He could probably kill us all, if he had enough time, but he does not, so he will continue to pick us off one by one."

"It sounds like only one of the three could actually use a Key."

"Yes. Only Takayori, Ayase, or Yoshida is capable of using a Key."

"Then how can he use Yoshida's Key if Yoshida is dead?"

Shukuchi did not like the look in Kenji's eyes before the older nin opened his mouth to answer.

-O-

Kankurou heard the vicious lightning outside, wondering vaguely if Izari was enjoying the weather. He honestly didn't know how she was handling everything that was happening to her. He wasn't exactly looking for her, but found himself traveling an unfamiliar path back to the hotel. He thought he saw Hajime and Chiie embracing across the street in some alleyway, but in the darkness could not be sure. He carefully tucked that bit of info away as he continued on his journey.

Still don't know what the hell I'm trying to find…

In his haste, Kankurou narrowly missed bowling over a young girl, who he immediately recognized as Amaya. Her dark eyes were wide with recognition, and something else…

"You're trying to find her, too, aren't you?" she asked quietly, her question punctuated by a vivid streak of lightning tearing across the sky. It lit up her face, revealing a very serene, almost detached expression. The accompanying thunder was so loud that Kankurou almost jumped, but Amaya didn't seemed concerned in the slightest.

Kankurou said nothing, but Amaya seemed to pull the name right out of his mind.

"Izari. You're looking for Izari."

Kankurou didn't confirm or deny her assertion, but she seemed to know.

"I was looking for her, too. My brother really cares for her. You do also, though the bond between you is much more recent."

Kankurou resisted the strong urge to back away and assume a defensive stance. She seemed to pick up on this, and took a step back as if to assist in his comfort.

"You're wondering if I read minds."

"Damned straight."

"It isn't that simple. It's more like…" Kankurou wondered how the hell he was having such a conversation with an eight-year-old. "…Imagine a room with black walls. I'm standing in the middle. The thoughts at the top of your mind, your most urgent, apparent desires, are right at the surface and fill the room like plumes of smoke, writing words or drawing pictures that I interpret."

"That's creepy."

Kankurou didn't even feel remotely apologetic for saying it. It was.

Amaya smiled indulgently, an action that made her look incredibly mature. "It is. I wouldn't deny it."

"I think your whole family is kinda weird, now that I think about it."

A funny line appeared on Amaya's young face as she recalled her older brother earlier that night. "Again, I'm not denying anything."

"You especially."

Amaya shrugged. "People act very different towards you once they realize they can't lie to you. It never occurs to them that someone, especially a child, might occasionally want to hear them."

"…You and that Shukuchi kid are real smart."

"You've got to be when people try to kill you every day."

Fair enough. Gaara sure grew up quick.

"Why tell me all this?"

"Why not? You're not my enemy."

Just for the sake of knocking her off-kilter he was tempted to contradict her, but knew it was pointless.

Kankuro leveled a critical gaze her way. "Since you're all for speaking plainly, how come if you know so much you're on the brink of losing your war?"

"In order for me to glean information, a person actually has to be thinking it at the time. I don't know a person's life story unless they stand right in front of me and think it. I hardly know anything about you, other than you were looking for Izari-san when I found you." Amaya paused, tilting her head to the side. "Now you're thinking about the first time you two ever—"

"I get the point," Kankurou grumbled.

"Even in battle, when a person is aware of their own weaknesses and considering strategy, I'm usually too concerned with my own welfare to concentrate on what someone else is thinking. It's not that practical, unless I'm fortunate enough to have someone serve as a diversion…I couldn't ask that of a teammate, to sacrifice or risk themselves while I stayed safe."

Kankurou knew a great many people who, if they were similarly gifted, would not hesitate.

If my father knew someone who could do what she'd do, he'd be recruiting an endless line of human shields. This girl is special, though, and it appears her father is different than mine. Maybe being hyper-aware of the consequences would change their minds, Kankurou thought, watching the change in Amaya's eyes.

"I wouldn't recommend looking for Izari tonight. She's not really up for talking to you yet. But why don't you try visiting her tomorrow? I know where she's staying."

Kankurou bit back a sardonic remark when Amaya retrieved a little black notebook and a fountain pen from her purse. The scene struck him as a very responsible, adult-like thing, to have a pen and paper ready at a moment's notice.

"Your bag's awfully big, kid. What'dya got in there, bricks?"

"Rocks. The gardens in the conservatory are full of them and the new gardener is very careless. He knocks them all over the place and I pick them up and put them in my bag."

"Oh."

"Well, I am weird, after all," Amaya said, eyes still downcast as she finished writing out the address. She handed it to him with a flourish and finally looked up. Kankurou was struck by how mature her expression was.

"Where the hell is this place? I've never been here before."

"You'll find it, trust me. Besides, you have the address. "

"What?"

"Believe me, you'll be there tomorrow with little or no trouble at all."

-O-

"I hope the next time I attend a formal diplomatic function people can behave themselves," Mura sighed. Though she was normally quiet, she felt comfortable sharing her thoughts with her superior, who had a remarkably similar set of annoyances and grievances.

"It got worse after I left, from what I gather," Gaara muttered.

"That Kenji…though it's remarkable that he didn't just flatten poor Jou-san."

"She had a lot of friends at that table," Gaara observed. "She's very close to some powerful foreign shinobi."

"Well, we don't know for certain how powerful some of them are, but if the reports are correct…Rikichi became a jounin with the rest of their team when they were twelve years old. I was a genin until I was thirteen, and that's fairly standard."

"They grew up during wartime," Gaara supplied. "Teaching was accelerated."

"The information on the ninjas that are similar to our age…they seem like they have the laxest training, and it's very similar to our own: genins until twelve or thirteen and then jounins by sixteen or seventeen. I managed to learn that Jou had known Yoshida for eight years, since she was twelve. She's probably known many of them since. I also learned that she's even babysat Rikichi's children."

"These people lead two lives, personal and professional. We don't have the luxury of such a separation."

"But despite making time for families and friends and the like, they're extremely hard workers. Kenji is the youngest person in history to pass the bar exam (at age eighteen) and while it might not seem he gives much credence to the social lives of his friends, he does take advantage of leaves and vacations and takes holidays as frequently as he is allowed. Izari began medical school as a twelve year old, though due to her marriage she never got to finish. And remember the opera house by the conservatory?"

Gaara nodded. Though he wasn't an avid follower of much of anything, he had commented that it was an aesthetically pleasing building when they'd passed by.

"Rikichi designed it as a fifteen-year-old intern. When he was seventeen he was the youngest licensed architect in Lightning Country. I heard that his wife's father was the engineer."

"They certainly don't act like they're accomplished," Gaara told her.

"And how are they supposed to act?" Mura countered.

"They're shinobi."

"They're shinobi that have more intensive training than we ever did, or at least I ever did. It makes sense that they take advantage of their creative outlets."

"They're careless."

"You know, Naruto-san is an unconventional shinobi. It doesn't make him less powerful."

But Naruto is special, a part of Gaara was willing to admit.

"They're—"

Mura was interrupted by a messenger pigeon tapping on the window. With a bit of prudence she retrieved the note, as she didn't recognize the bird. Two pieces of paper unraveled, and after checking for traps (which she found unlikely, due to the fact they were signed very clearly by the senders), she handed Gaara the one addressed to him.

Gaara frowned at the stick figure drawing of him, with a huge heart on the forehead and exaggerated rings around the eyes. His name written next to it bore a masculine hand, but the words written on the other side were rather feminine.

You are cordially invited to Jou and Shikami's Breakfast Extravaganza! Whether you be carnivore, omnivore, or vegan, we have everything you could possibly desire! Fresh-baked Danishes, Delicious Omelets, Tasty Donuts, Honey-Glazed Ham, and More! Come join the great-tasting goodness!!! Shinobi from Konoha, Suna, and Kumo are all invited!!!!

After listing a time (which Gaara found suspiciously late to be breakfast) and an address, he handed it to Mura, whose invitation differed only in the featured foods department. Mura blinked.

"Do you smell that?"

Gaara nodded. "Vanilla-scented paper."

"You know, if I hadn't heard a very interesting rumor about Shikami, I might be tempted to consider him gay."

"A rumor?"

"Probably just, but I'm going to look into it more before I divulge it."

Gaara nodded.

"Do you think anyone else is going?" Mura asked.

"Well, if my brother's gets an invitation, there's no way he's passing up free food, especially if Jou's involved."

"And I noticed that Sakura-san has a healthy appetite." Mura blinked. "Not that I'd ever tell her that."

Good call.

"Do you think the others will show up?" Mura asked him after a moment.

"Even if they arrive in time, they're not going to know anything about it," Gaara said after a moment, thinking of the reinforcements coming from Suna he'd arranged for before leaving.

"So am I going? Are you going?" Mura asked.

"We'll go. At the very least, we'll leave with full stomachs."

-O-

Shukuchi lay in bed staring at the ceiling, unable to sleep as the previous day ran through his head over and over.

We already know about the situation in Suna…whether they like it or not, they might have to consider our offer. Konoha is different, though. Hyuuga hates us, and with good reason; I wonder how much sway his family has with the council, with the daimyo? Kumo is almost in shambles…And Yoshida…

Shukuchi scowled at Amaya's empty bed. He spent nearly all of his time with his genin team, and while Sachi was a recent "acquisition," Amaya was his most trusted friend and advisor…which sounded odd for an eight year old to have, he knew, but he needed her around and she was only God-knows-where.

I need to tell her that 'oh no, your uncle didn't die, but Yoshida's soul is stuck in some inanimate object not found when his body was recovered'…What the hell? I mean, honestly, how are we supposed to find this thing? For all I know, Nori took it with him and is trying to figure out how to implant it in some person so that he can really kill him. Why do people mess around with life and death? Why play God and fool around with stuff that's just plain unnatural?

Though he found it might be much to his detriment, Shukuchi had quite a conscience sometimes. He'd heard of jutsus that could restore life; the Kazekage himself had been such a recipient. The notion of such a transfer, the very nature of it disturbed him.

A person's life is his or her own…some would argue that they can do what they like with it, even give it away, but how can a person live after accepting such a gift? How could someone impart such a burden on someone else? All that guilt…

"Shu-chan, you worry too much."

"Well, you're an eight-year-old girl who's outside in a strange city in the middle of the night. Of course I was concerned."

Amaya shrugged, hanging up her coat.

"My brother hasn't come back yet, has he?"

Shukuchi shook his head. "I think he's with Aijou-san."

"She doesn't like to be called that."

Shukuchi didn't bother addressing that, and continued. "He sent me a note a few minutes ago…Something about making a fruit salad and an invitation to breakfast tomorrow at Yoshida's estate. I guess your brother has a key to get in."

Amaya smiled indulgently. "He does like to cook, one of many things Raikage-sama disapproves of."

"Cooking is a survival skill," Shukuchi reasoned.

"Especially depending on the alternative cooks."

Shukuchi gave her a rare, genuine smile. "Would you like to go to breakfast with me tomorrow morning?"

Amaya grinned back. "I'd love to."

-O-

"What the hell?"

Shikamaru grumbled darkly as he threw open the window of his hotel room, having ascertained that the constant tapping wouldn't stop until he did. He irately snatched the pigeon out of the air, receiving a well-deserved peck in return before tossing the indignant bird aside. As he studied it, a distinct throbbing began to form behind his eyes.

"Is this a breakfast invitation? I just recovered from the dinner one!"

In the next room over, Sakura was basically thinking the same thing. Sakura slumped into a chair, her mouth quirking into an odd grin as she examined the letter. Large, manic characters had been scribbled on the light blue stationary inviting her to "Jou and Shikami's Breakfast Extravaganza!" Sakura blinked, and after a moment lifted the paper to her nose and sniffed.

Vanilla.

Well, I'm glad some of us can get along; unfortunately neither Jou nor Shikami are actually here for political reasons!

Sakura growled at the injustice of it all: the one shinobi they were all warned about, the one whose incredible powers were the most lauded was currently indulging in a late-night baking session with a scatterbrained musician who liked the color green. It wasn't even the promise of "fresh-baked cinnamon rolls" or "delectable donuts" – Sakura's stomach did growl, though – it just wasn't fair. Sakura had found Asazaki to be quite charming, but his already light diplomatic responsibilities were probably nonexistent now since he was in the hospital, and as an orthopedic surgeon as well as a med-nin, Takayori was more than likely obligated to attend even more medic meetings than she was.

"Damn it! All the nice people are too busy! We get stuck dealing with Kenji, the asshole."

Sakura winced when she realized the paper was now poking awkwardly out of her tightly-clenched fist. Sighing, she was attempting to smooth the wrinkles when a second courier appeared at the window. She recognized it immediately.

Tsunade-shishou!

Sakura hastily opened the letter, which informed her that they were beefing up the delegation with more shinobi, and that Suna was likely doing the same. It didn't list specifics, other than that Konoha would arrive "with a show of equal force."

It must be in response to all the Lightning nin that are here, Sakura winced. But Rikichi has nothing to do with all this, and neither does Chiie-chan or Shikami. Takayori is here as much for the medical conference as I am…how 'in charge' is he, anyway? And since Asazaki is so firmly planted here, why has he been at all of our meetings? Why tap someone who doesn't really want to be involved?

Sakura hoped that tomorrow would arrive with more answers, and, as she glanced at the blue invitation, the possibility of fresh donuts.

-O-

"What is a Danish, anyway?" Tenten frowned at the blue piece of paper. She wasn't really a fan of breakfast food. The pair was back at the small place they'd been staying at for the past week; it occurred to Tenten that this was the first time she actually saw Izari there.

"It's a pastry you fill with cheese or fruit or nuts or basically whatever the hell you feel like putting in it," Izari supplied, looking at the invitation in her hand skeptically. Her brow lifted at "(no muffins, though, because Yoshida doesn't have the right kind of pan!)" Izari carefully traced the edges of the blue paper. "I think Danishes are overrated, if you ask me."

"Um, I'm glad they're getting along after what happened," Tenten offered. In handwriting that was most definitely not Jou's, the name "Ten-chan!" had been scribbled, accompanied by a stick figure with her signature hair buns. She looked over and saw that a giant "Izzie!" was scribbled across the blonde's invitation, the stick figure sporting a haircut Izari didn't currently possess.

"They're actually very similar," Izari said quietly. "Jou's kind of shy and formal at first, just like Shikami, but when they like someone, they're all over them. They both love music, they both love clothes, and they both love food. One of them is just really good at killing people."

"I guess it's weird, since you've spent the past eight years thinking he killed your son," Tenten said quietly.

"I just had so much trouble believing it," Izari stressed. "I mean, this man has ruined a suit worth a dozen S-Rank missions to save a drowning kitten. The man just leapt right into the water with his shoes on and everything, didn't think to take the time and remove them first. He's just…good. His conscience is probably twice that of either Rikichi's or mine. And Rikichi is a super nice, albeit super cheesy guy, but he by far had the easiest time of being a ninja. I'm sure it had a lot to do with that mother of his."

"I would think, 'how could a man like that do this to me?' and I never could come up with a good answer," Izari whispered.

-O-

When Izari fell into a fitful sleep later that night, she knew something was wrong. She'd only been on the receiving end of Nori's jutsu once, but it had been an experience she'd never really recovered from. Nori had the ability to connect to the mind of anyone he'd ever seen before, and as long as he knew where they were sleeping, they were susceptible to him intruding upon their dreams.

Almost all the delegates are in that hotel, and it makes it way too easy for him to do this to them, too, Izari thought. She found herself standing in darkness; the vague and idle dream she'd been experiencing prior had just suddenly stopped, as if a switch had been hit. She glanced to her left and saw she wasn't alone.

"What the hell is going on?" Tenten demanded.

Izari put a finger to her lips. "It's a combination of a genjutsu and a dream. Nori's attempting to connect all of our minds together and glean information."

"Nori?"

"Shikami's other uncle. He gathers people's consciences together…since he can only learn information that a subject is thinking at the time, he needs a way to direct their thoughts in a place he wants to go. By assembling people together, he can do this, since he uses genjutsu and memories to evoke emotional responses."

"Huh?"

"This is an oversimplification, but pretend that he wants to learn your birthday. He'll gather you and a couple of your close friends in a dreamscape like this. He'll find a memory floating close to the surface of your subconscious that would remind you of that and show you. When you or a friend actually remember a past birthday (and the date of it), he'll know it instantly. You think it, he knows it."

Tenten felt her blood run cold.

"It's scary as shit," Izari whispered. "He can't do it often; if he really plans to gather up everyone's mind from the delegation, he's probably been saving up the chakra do this for weeks."

"Izzie?" Tenten looked over and saw Izari's former teammate holding his daughter's hand protectively.

"Rikichi!" Izari looked horrified when she realized that Nori really was trying to assemble everyone together. She had no idea what he might be looking for, and the thought of him taking on everyone was rather ambitious and didn't bode well. It meant he had plans, and really, really big ones.

Izari looked down. "He's here. Nori."

"Yes." Rikichi hugged Sachi closer.

"Why is she here?"

Tenten bristled when she recognized Kenji's voice. She turned to face him with narrowed eyes.

"She's a person of interest to him, apparently," Shukuchi muttered. Amaya was by his side.

Tenten realized that the empty, black space she'd inhabited was slowly filling with people she knew. When a familiar pair of white eyes came into view, she found her feet taking her to his side in an instant. She felt the strong urge to be comforted, and for the first time in a long time, she felt like Neji could provide it.

"What's going on?" Neji asked.

"It's some kind of genjutsu bloodline," she whispered. "It's been cast by a man named Nori."

"My uncle's murderer," a steely voice hissed. Tenten was surprised to find that it came from Amaya.

"What the fuck is this shit?"

Tenten turned to face Kankurou, who was standing with his brother and Mura. The latter were taciturn as usual.

"Late arrivals," Izari said quietly. She looked at Sakura and Shikamaru, who just showed up. She quickly explained the situation.

"Why aren't Shikami or Jou here?" Rikichi asked, puzzled.

"He didn't find out in time where they were sleeping," Kenji muttered. "And judging from the, ah, postage I received earlier, they're not asleep, and therefore not susceptible." Kenji glanced at Gaara. "Things must be pretty tense if you're willing to risk a nap, Kazekage-sama."

"Kenji!" Rikichi hissed. "Are you out of your fucking mind? Be nice. It's not like the man's ever done anything to you, and he's the Kazekage besides!"

"Which means absolutely nothing to me," Kenji said truthfully.

"Where are Chiie and Hajime?" Sachi asked, desperate to change the subject.

"He's with me, and so is she," a foreign voice said, and Tenten found herself staring at a beautiful woman with striking red hair. Her eyes were the same deep blue that Hajime's were, but that differences ended there. Hajime was at least twenty pounds lighter than this woman, who, in contrast to pin-think kunoichi such as Ino and Mura was lush and statuesque, at least seventy inches tall. The woman had irresistibly engaging features; she smiled at Tenten, and despite the situation, Tenten found herself smiling back.

"Hajime-chan told me about Asazaki…I'm assuming he won't be here. Nori likely doesn't know he's in the hospital."

"What are you talking about?" Sakura asked.

"We're all trapped in a genjutsu of sorts," Takayori replied. He was the only person who seemed remotely calm. "We're all still asleep, at least our bodies are. Our minds are trapped here and they cannot be harmed. It's really no cause for alarm; Nori wants information. He's going to show us a series of memories and watch our reactions and thoughts, then read our minds to get the information he wants."

"And we shouldn't be freaking out because…?" Shikamaru snapped.

"As long as Nori isn't physically harming you, you should be grateful," Rikichi said vaguely.

"Or as long as he's not trying to physically impel you to commit suicide in your sleep," Kenji bit out. "…Which has happened more than once before."

"But the fact there are so many people here means he's not out for blood, not yet," Takayori reminded him. "He can only do that kind of thing one at a time."

"As far as we know," Kenji muttered darkly.

Gaara was listening very carefully to all that was being said. So far he ascertained that Nori had a powerful bloodline that could only work when a victim was asleep. Nori could show people memories in the form of dreams, but did so only because he couldn't delve too deeply into minds to get the information he was specifically after. He could also control a person's actions with physical consequences, but he had to do it one-on-one.

"This is a literal fishing expedition," Mura said flatly.

"Pretty much." Izari said dryly. "I have no clue what he's after, though."

"What is Nori waiting for?" Kenji asked impatiently.

"For everyone to show up."

Everyone turned to face a man Tenten had never seen before. He almost seemed to be doing a headcount. For someone who had managed to trap all their minds, he was almost unfairly nondescript and bland: average height, average weight, average features. His hair was chestnut-colored and his eyes were brown. He wore a black coat and black pants, but there wasn't anything distinctive about them.

"I'm a fan of discretion, and having a fashion sense is a bit at odds with that," he told Tenten simply. She had to keep herself from gasping; the man had known exactly what she was thinking.

"Now why isn't that girl here?" Nori was pacing back and forth, almost appearing to be lost in thought. Neji wondered why no one had moved to attack him and realized he couldn't move his feet.

"Attacking me on a non-physical plane of existence won't really do you much good," Nori told Neji. "…Though it is precisely your inability to harm me directly in this state that prevents me from harming you directly. The only person still alive that could is unfortunately not here…what a letdown."

Tenten realized she could feel waves of anger so strong it formed a pit of dread in her stomach, but they weren't coming from her. The red-haired stranger, as beautiful and composed as she looked outwardly, was sending very clear killing intent towards Nori, who appeared not to notice.

"Why isn't she here? She's supposed to be with you!" Nori pointed at Tenten and Izari, and it dawned on her who he wanted to see.

"What do you want with a civilian?" Shikamaru asked.

"He wants to kill her." Kenji said in the flat voice of someone who thought everyone should know all the answers too.

"Well, in all fairness, I want to kill every single one of you, but I was going to start with her." Nori declared this with an irritating level of nonchalance.

"But why?" Takayori's voice was as neutral as it could get for asking such a question. "There's nothing remarkable about her. There's no need to end her life, let alone start with her."

"I've seen you before…"

Tenten recognized Jou's voice, and soon the girl herself came into view. She looked like a ghost, and Tenten realized she was viewing a memory. She realized Jou was standing in what appeared to be an art gallery filled with drawn portraits.

"I've seen you before," Jou said quietly, staring at his shoes.

"You don't look very happy to see me again," Nori said.

"You killed Yoshida! Why on earth would I be happy to see you?" Jou was furious.

"As a close friend of Yoshida's, aren't you curious to know why I killed him? I'll even tell you if you ask."

"I know exactly why you killed him! You're an evil, sadistic bastard! He told me how when his parents died you made sure they lost every cent. A fifty-eight-percent inheritance tax, coupled with a convenient misinterpretation and mishandling of his parents' will made sure he and his sister were homeless! They were kids! He told me how you went after his knee in the jounin exam. He'd been groomed to become a leader of ANBU and you basically wasted all the time he spent training; no one would accept a man with a limp—"

"—A cripple—"

"—Into ANBU…and now that he's dead you're going to go after every single person he ever protected, like Hajime and Riis and Chiie and Asazaki and—"

"—You. I've already ruined your career in Fire Country. Your manager is a greedy man. And when I have him killed it's going to make you look even worse."

Jou blanched. "I don't want him dead!"

"But I do. Think about how much more negative press you're going to get. No one will ever want to remember your songs now."

The expression on Jou's face made her look three times her age. Nori was clearly relishing it. Finally, she met his eyes bravely.

"I'm going to find a way to stop you."

Nori laughed, a sound that distressed Jou to the point where she looked half sick.

"What could you possibly do to me? I killed an S-Rank shinobi the other day; Yoshida was far from the first. I could wipe out half the bingo book and collect more money than you've ever seen in your life. You can't even mold your own chakra outside your body…a genin could kill you in a heartbeat."

Nori smiled at how pale Jou looked. "How do you feel that Yoshida thinks you're like Cordelia?"

Jou started at the sudden topic change. "What?"

"That drawing over there of you, it's entitled 'Cordelia,' correct?"

"…Yes."

"You know, in King Lear, Cordelia is quite noble and heroic."

"I'm familiar with the play," Jou bit out.

"Then you know in the end, Cordelia dies."

Jou's hands clenched into fists at her sides.

" 'And my poor fool is hanged,' " Nori quoted, and with a few one handed seals, Jou was grasping at her neck.

Jou whispered something before her throat closed completely, and Nori decreased the pressure of the jutsu and came closer.

" 'Is this the promised end?' " Jou's expression was almost taunting as she forced the breath through her bruised larynx.

Nori smiled. "You know what…?"

When Jou didn't answer because she was attempting to draw breath, he continued. He was leaning over her weakened form, relishing her struggles.

"I know all about your friend Izari. I think I'm going to wait to kill you so she can watch."

"What?!"

Jou stared helplessly at Nori's retreating back as her breaths came in ragged gasps. He threw her a careless wave over his shoulder. A gallery attendant finally realized Jou was in trouble and went to her aid. By the time Jou was standing, every trace of Nori was gone.

Tenten realized that that Izari was clenching her fists so tightly blood was dripping from her knuckles.

"Little Izzie, you're all grown up," Nori commented. "You don't look like a twelve-year-old boy anymore, with that ugly short hair you used to have. The last time I saw you was at your wedding…it's hard to believe that it was over nine years ago. You looked so unhappy I'm surprised the priest went through with it. I'd never marry someone so miserable looking."

"No woman would ever marry you!" Izari hissed. A look of panic rose in her eyes when she realized he'd very neatly pulled the memory he'd been looking for right out of her head.

A sixteen-year-old Izari was almost unrecognizable beneath layers of fabric and cosmetics. Countless guests were in attendance; the beautiful idyllic scene was marred by the people who were obviously (at least to a trained shinobi eye) security personnel. White roses were everywhere, and since they weren't in season, Izari knew he'd spent a fortune on them. Everything reeked of money and excess: even the purple silk kimono would only be worn once.

I could feed a whole village for over a month for what this thing cost, Izari thought bitterly. I never thought I'd be getting married like this, with all of this useless stuff I don't care about!

As she bowed her head submissively to her new husband, she caught sight of the looks on Rikichi and Shikami's faces. Rikichi looked worried, Shikami looked pitying. She abruptly turned away before she cried…

"I've noticed that your son looks a lot like you. He's even brighter than you were when you were that age, if that's possible. I can't believe Yoshida was hiding you…Even I didn't learn that until recently…"

Mura, despite the situation, found Nori's ability to be quite remarkable. How he could monitor everyone's thoughts at once, and pull everyone's emotional heartstrings was quite incredible.

"Mura-san, I can actually do a lot more than that, but I don't want to show you everything I can do," Nori told her as he wagged his finger. He smiled. "That comes later."

"Why did you really call us together?" Takayori asked him quietly. "Jou-san isn't here. You've obviously been following her movements…why have you gone through the trouble of rounding us all up?"

"He's desperate."

Everyone's eyes turned to Kenji.

"Jou is blocking him somehow from reading her thoughts. Did you notice at the end of that memory, when he let her repeat the line from Shakespeare? If he'd known what she'd said, as he should have, he wouldn't have done so. Given her utter lack for shinobi talents, I don't think it's intentional, but Jou does have mental discipline as much as any of us: playing the piano for hours at a time is enough to do that. And while that alone wouldn't be enough to stop Nori, it's a start. Am I right, Uncle?"

Nori narrowed his eyes.

"I despise Jou, but she aggravates me for the same reasons she aggravates you," Kenji told him after a moment.

"It's not like she's able to stop me like she says."

"But if there is a way, she'll find it, and she'll do it without hesitation," Kenji said simply. "The only reason she's where she is now is because she's resourceful and hard-working. If she wasn't formidable in a few respects she wouldn't be famous and my uncle wouldn't have paid her any attention. And if she never would have stood up to you if she didn't mean it: no one would, if they really knew what was best for them."

"Her utter lack of survival skills are pretty appalling," Nori said blithely. "I really should have done a better job the first time I tried to kill her…but now it seems it's a good thing I failed. Now I can kill two birds with one stone."

"I know why you're looking for her. I know exactly what you need to do when you do. But I'm the only person here that can successfully shield my thoughts from you."

"But you're not the only person who knows why I'm looking for her," Nori corrected. He closed his eyes in concentration. Next to Shukuchi, Amaya suddenly grew stiff.

"Shikami tells you a lot of very useful things, my dear," Nori said gently. "Now why don't you tell me? Can it be done…?"

The dark haired girl swayed on her feet, whispering some kind of mantra under her breath. She looked like she was in great physical pain; she was biting her lip so hard it was bleeding. She whimpered, as if resisting Nori's mind was too much.

"STOP!"

The shout was almost deafening; Tenten could feel it inside her mind as well as in here ears. Amaya's dark eyes flew open and she began to rapidly form seals. Drawing upon chakra stores her eight year old body simply couldn't have, she finally completed the jutsu and the darkness began to fade back into light.

"That's a neat trick, Amaya," Nori said calmly, despite the fact his genjutsu was beginning to dissolve. Tenten noticed that both Rikichi and Sachi had disappeared. Shikamaru and Mura were also gone. She glimpsed Amaya laying limp in Shukuchi's arms before they blinked out of existence and suddenly she was forced out, too.

Tenten gasped awake and adrenaline carried her to the couch where Izari was still sleeping. In a moment, the blonde began to stir.

"What the hell was that?" Tenten demanded.

Izari blinked. "He's going after Jou, that son of a bitch." Izari blinked again, this time pausing to collect herself before she spoke. "…Though if Amaya survived that incredible feat back there, she just moved to the number-one spot on Nori's hit list."

"Why Jou?"

"Why not Jou?" Izari sighed. "Nori's tried to mess with her before in an attempt to bug Yoshida, and Yoshida got pissed. It, uh, wasn't pretty. Naturally, Nori holds this against her…it's just how he is. He really is someone you don't want to tick off. He's the kind of guy that will torment you until he kills you: he likes to play with his food. It's much more terrifying than someone aloof and cold. Nori's intense and emotional and he will nail all your weak spots if you let him."

"It sounds like he makes everything personal," Tenten muttered.

Izari laughed, a bitter sound. "That thing Jou mentioned about the leg? Yoshida used love playing soccer when he was young. It was one of his hobbies, and he was really good, too. You can imagine what requiring a cane did to his pride. Nori has his cake and eats it too."

Izari fell back onto the couch with a sigh. "I'm going to breakfast to warn her tomorrow. They have no idea what happened tonight; I bet they're still in the middle of a euphoric bake-a-thon. Shikami needs to be warned, too. Nori's been trying to kill him for years."

"Your country is fucked up."

"Tell me about it." Izari flung an arm across her face. "I'm going to go to sleep, and I suggest you do the same. We're going to wake up, get dressed, and go eat a damned good breakfast. Nori's out of chakra for now; I don't think he's likely to try something for a few days."

Tenten was quiet for a moment until she remembered a discrepancy she was curious about.

"The red-haired woman, who is she?"

"Remember that lazy ass I was telling you about, the genius at creating jutsus?"

"Yeah…"

"She was one of his teammates. She's freaking smart, too, one of only five shinobi in the past twenty five years to score a perfect score on the written exam. That thing is like a novel and they dump it on the desk in front of you…"

"Who else scored perfect? Anyone I know?"

Izari turned a funny shade of pink. "Um, I did. And Jin, the lazy ass, got every single question wrong on purpose, so he technically got a perfect score…wow, the Raikage himself really got on his case for that…"

"Anyone else?"

"Takayori, Ayase, and Yoshida."

"Oh wow." Tenten wondered if they were the equivalent of sannin in their country.

"There's one other, but you don't really know him."

"I'm surprised Kenji didn't, for as superior as he acts."

"Kenji got one question wrong. It was a language question. It's why he pursues it so intently: he actively improves upon his weaknesses more than anyone else I know. He turned it into one of his greatest strengths."

"Did he go to that redhead for help?"

"Actually, he did. They actually became good friends. From what Yoshida says, now that Kenji's hung up on Chiie, she's giving him a hard time about life coming full circle. And damn it if Chiie didn't sincerely love the guy. He deserves to get his heart stepped on."

"Ouch."

"It's not as if you like the guy."

"Yeah, but a broken heart really sucks. Losing all that common ground…"

Izari sighed loudly, the volume meant to mask the note of wistfulness that crept in. "He destroyed his bond with her, quite willingly and quite rudely. It serves him right if he doesn't get it back. But Shikami…I knew when he came to me on that fateful night that he never meant to hurt me personally, and I actually feel bad that he spent the past eight years thinking he did. And you and Neji…I guess if both people fight to get it back, I think they can. That's what I'd like to think."

"I hope I see him tomorrow."

"See, you've already reached the first step: actually wanting to see the person. You're already so much closer to repairing your friendship than Chiie and Kenji are."

Izari reached out and ruffled Tenten's hair, a gesture she did not appreciate.

"What the hell?"

"If only you were my genin student…the fun we would have had!" Izari grinned mawkishly.

"And I thought my sensei was weird."

Author's Notes: To anyone concerned about original characters, the majority of them are just going to be in a few chapters here and there. I want Tenten and Neji to learn from the experiences of others: they'll learn exactly what NOT to do and how really great friends can totally screw up and distant friends can heal their relationships. All heartwarming stuff in the name of love and such.

Breakfast will be fun. Lots of Nejiten. And you're just going to love the "representatives" Konoha decides to send. I do :D