Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Deer, thank you for coming.”

Amaya stepped through the door of the Hokage’s office, gaze flicking rapidly over the three other cloaked ANBU in the room before returning to the Sandaime.

“Hokage-sama,” she replied tonelessly, bowing her head in acknowledgement.

Hiruzen cleared his throat before fixing his eyes on the figure wearing a white cloak. “Normally I would give you more forewarning than this so you would at least have time to get acquainted,” he said, lips thinning. “But I’m afraid I have a reconnaissance mission that cannot wait.”

Grabbing one of the scrolls from the pile at his elbow, Hiruzen extended his arm across the desk to offer it to the person who would now be Amaya’s new captain. The feline mask was one that was vaguely familiar to her, but she was unsure of the identity of the person beneath. The other two members of her new team, however, were a mystery. Bull and Hare, two masks that she couldn’t recall having seen before worn by two figures whom she didn’t readily recognize.

Not that this revelation came as much of a surprise. ANBU were notoriously secretive about their membership, though members of the same team were usually aware of the identities of their fellow teammates. Until now Amaya had little cause to meet many of her fellow ANBU outside of her first – and prior to today, only – team. She’d been a member of the same four-man squad since she had joined ANBU a few years prior. However, the recent retirement of her captain to the jounin ranks had led to the rest of her team being redistributed to other teams where needed.

“I don’t expect you to see much combat on this mission. It is a simple information gathering objective.” He cleared his throat as the white-cloaked figure took possession of the scroll. “It cannot be traced back to Konoha, which is why I am assigning ANBU.”

The group remained silent and still as their captain unfurled the parchment and examined the contents.

“It will take you a few days to reach the location. Deer will inform you of her abilities and you can work together to determine how best to incorporate her skill set within your team,” Hiruzen added with a curt nod at Amaya.

The feline mask turned to regard her, and she could feel her new captain’s scrutiny like a cold finger ghosting down her spine. She had no way of knowing what they were thinking as they assessed her, but she could certainly hazard a guess. She knew next to nothing about her new team, but it was highly likely that the other three had worked together for some time now. Which made her the equivalent of an intruder – an outsider impinging on a well-established team dynamic. She was an unknown element capable of making or breaking the team. Their success or failure would be entirely dependent on her ability to work with each of them independently, as well as together as a cohesive unit. It was only natural that there would be some uncertainty about her addition to the team.

After a long pause, the captain turned their attention back to the Hokage and dropped their chin. “Understood, Hokage-sama. We will depart in the morning.”

The voice was deep and masculine – but still one she couldn’t readily identify.

Hiruzen gave them all a strained smile, eyeing the pile of unfinished paperwork on his desk. “If there are no questions, you are dismissed.”

They filed out of the office with practiced efficiency. The group moved through the hallways in silence, trailing after their captain like phantoms. No words were spoken, no footsteps echoed along the wooden floorboards. Unless someone happened to see them passing by, their presence might have been missed entirely.

Upon exiting the Hokage Tower their captain turned to face them, prompting the other three to draw to a halt and stand at attention, ready for their orders.

“We will meet at the gates at dawn,” he instructed, the eyeless voids of his mask passing over the forms of his subordinates.

The concealed gaze lingered for a few long seconds on Amaya, and she felt that same creeping sensation slither down her back again. It was enough to spark in her a mild interest about who the new members of her team were, but she supposed that mystery would have to wait until tomorrow.

“Dismissed.”

At their captain’s single directive they dispersed, each member disappearing into the night like wraiths banished from their haunt.

“You’re late,” their captain observed impassively.

Amaya watched as Bull strode up to the other members of the team. The rest of them had been waiting at the gates since before the first light had begun to paint the sky, well over half an hour ago. Bull’s head turned to eye the eastern horizon before offering their captain an unaffected shrug.

“I miscalculated how long it would take me to get here.”

“Another one-night stand?” Hare huffed irritably. The masculine timbre of both their voices led Amaya to believe they were both men. No surprise there, given kunoichi were much fewer in number amongst the ANBU ranks.

For some reason, Bull turned to look at Amaya as he responded to Hare.

“You know it,” he replied, and she swore she could almost see the smug look on his face underneath that mask.

Rolling her eyes, she ignored him and instead turned her attention to their captain.

“You will be responsible for securing the perimeter each night we make camp,” he began, stepping forward and closing the distance between himself and Bull. “And if it happens again, you will be put on probation for the foreseeable future.”

Amaya lifted a single brow in curiosity. Was her new captain a hardass? Or was this a case of dealing with a repeat offender?

“Yes, Captain.” 

The smallest hint of amusement could be detected in Bull’s tone. Probably a repeat offender then. That was certainly interesting, she wasn’t used to being on a team with a troublemaker.

A beat passed as their captain watched Bull in silence before turning around to face the path beyond the gates. “I will take lead. Hare, you will take up the rear.”

“Yes, Captain,” Hare responded dutifully.

The feline mask turned her way for only a moment before facing forward once more.

“Let’s move.”

The pace they set was a quick one, but not anything that Amaya was unused to. As they departed she fell into second position, with Bull following close behind her. They moved through the trees rapidly, leaving no sign or trace of their passing. 

The first few hours were spent in silence, each of them left to their own thoughts as they covered the distance towards the northwestern border of Fire Country. At the speed they were moving they would easily make it to the border in a day and a half.

Given the direction they were headed, Amaya assumed their mission was in Grass Country. It was likely that their captain would inform them of the mission parameters when they made camp later that night, but she wasn’t certain what standard operating procedure was within this team. Her old team would typically meet to discuss the mission prior to departing Konoha whenever possible. However, it stood to reason that their captain had decided to wait until they had more time to discuss Amaya’s abilities and work out how to best incorporate her within the established team. When looked at that way, it made more sense to wait until they were already gathered and had time to spare.

Around midday Bull suddenly appeared at Amaya’s side, keeping pace with her as they continued to leap through the trees.

“Rowdy bunch, aren’t we,” he declared with a deep chuckle that seemed to rumble through his chest like a landslide. “Don’t worry, everyone will be less tense once the captain has figured out what to do with you.”

Amaya kept her eyes trained forward, gaze fixed to the back of the man in question. The words themselves were rather ominous, but the tone with which Bull was speaking to her made the statement seem non-threatening.

She decided to risk conversation and ask the question that had been plaguing her since the night prior. “How long have you been working together?”

Out of her periphery she could see Bull watching her. “Three years now. Same with Hare.”

So definitely used to each other then. 

Before she could even wonder about the member of the team she’d replaced, Bull continued. “We lost Bear recently,” he stated airily, and again Amaya was left wondering about the dichotomy between Bull’s phrasing and the manner with which he spoke.

“Lost?” she questioned, finally turning her head to look in his direction.

“Yeah, he quit to go teach at the Academy. Something about wanting a more stable job so he could support his family. New baby and all that.” He paused. “Wait, did you think I meant he died?”

Her smirk was hidden by her mask. “Well, with the way you said it…”

Bull’s arm flashed upwards, and he smacked the forehead of his mask with his palm. “Hare says I’m always doing that.”

Amaya very nearly laughed at the man’s overt reaction. She wasn’t used to being teamed with someone who seemed so openly emotive and almost… carefree? ANBU didn’t typically appeal to lighthearted personalities, which led her to wonder if it was an act or if he was genuinely being himself.

Before she had a chance to respond she saw their captain’s signal to halt. They dropped from the branches, gathering instantly in front of him and awaiting orders.

“We’ll break here for fifteen minutes,” he declared tersely.

Amaya took the opportunity to eat a light snack, sneaking pieces beneath her mask as they were in an unsecured location and had to maintain their anonymity for the time being. Once they made camp for the night, she would be free to remove her mask. At least, she thought she would. 

Scrutinizing her new captain from the corner of her eye, she wondered if maybe he held a different opinion on the matter. 

It would certainly be nice to finally meet her new team face-to-face, at the very least. This whole situation was beginning to feel slightly bizarre to her. They’d all been cloaked and masked from the moment they met, so she knew very little about their physical appearances and absolutely nothing about the real identities of the men beneath.

As far as personalities went, the only thing she had managed to glean was that Bull seemed to be the most outgoing and outspoken member of the group. The rest were just as silent as she was. Would she fit in with this group? Her skills obviously helped fill a void within the existing roster or else Hiruzen would not have assigned her. That didn’t mean that her personality would mesh well with her teammates, however.

Before long they were off once more, traveling silently through forests that were beginning to grow less dense. Bull had fallen back to his previous position, leaving Amaya to stew in her own thoughts as they moved.

The remaining hours of daylight passed by without incident, largely in part due to their general avoidance of any of the more well-traveled roads and paths. Keeping to the forests meant they were able to cut a straight path toward their destination, and also had the added benefit of ensuring they encountered no other people along the way. The direct route coupled with the pace they maintained meant they were making great time. Other than the few quick breaks they were afforded, it was a day of nearly ceaseless running.

It was only once the sun had just disappeared beyond the horizon that their captain slowed his pace, evidently seeking out an appropriate place for them to shelter for the night. Within a few minutes they were assembled in a small clearing that afforded them enough space to set up camp while also providing ample natural cover due to the trees and brush surrounding the area.

“Bull, set up the perimeter. Hare, cooking duty. Deer,” he turned to look at her, addressing her directly for the first time. “Locate the nearest water source.”

Amaya nodded, reaching out instinctively for everyone’s water bottles. Hare also handed her a larger container for the water he would require for cooking, and she set off without a word. ANBU efficiency at its finest.

While her new captain might not be aware of it, Amaya was well suited to the task she’d been given. Her primary elemental affinity with water made it easy enough for her to track freshwater resources as long as they were large enough and within a certain range. Being that they were heading closer to the border near Rain, rivers and small streams were much more plentiful, and it only took her a few minutes of searching before she found a strong stream cutting through the forest. The water was cool, but not too cold, and just deep enough that they could use it to bathe as well.

The last vestiges of twilight were clinging to their surroundings when Amaya returned to the campsite. She passed back the water bottles to their respective owners, leaving Bull’s on the ground next to her as he was still out securing the perimeter. Hare was just beginning to get the fire lit with the wood that the captain had collected. Amaya offered to help him with dinner, but Hare politely refused. 

It was only the second time she’d heard Hare speak, and his tone was markedly different from the stark irritation she’d heard in it when he’d addressed Bull that morning. Instead, his voice was strangely subdued and his words overly formal. Amaya wondered if he was just shy, which was an intriguing notion and something she was wholly unused to. She was beginning to wonder if her old team had just been a bunch of the same personalities grouped together. It was possible she’d gotten so used to it that she’d never considered that personality traits of other ANBU might vary beyond that.

Hare had just finished tossing the ingredients into the pot of boiling water when Bull returned. He strode into the clearing, nodding at their captain and immediately making a beeline towards the aromatic contents of the cooking pot. Amaya held his water bottle out to him as he drew to a halt next to her. Thanking her, he retrieved it from her grasp and dropped unceremoniously onto the ground at her side.

Without a word, their captain disappeared into the trees. Amaya stared after him, wondering what he was up to.

“He always does that,” Bull offered with a beleaguered sigh. “It’s like he doesn’t trust my work or something.”

Hare snorted from the other side of the flames. “He checks everyone’s work, not just yours.”

Bull huffed before flopping back onto the grass, arms thrown wide. “Yeah, well it’s annoying.”

Amaya watched as the two conversed, noting that Bull’s behavior was pretty much in line with what she’d seen from him thus far. He appeared to be a bit irreverent when it came to their captain, though she didn’t get a sense that Bull disliked the man personally. It also seemed that Hare was notably more outspoken when he chatted with Bull, despite her continued presence. Maybe he just needed to warm up to her.

A comfortable silence had fallen between them as Bull propped himself up on one elbow, turned to face Amaya and rested his head in his hand. The pose he affected looked for all the world like those she’d seen of pinup models, though the ANBU mask and cloak made it a rather disturbing image. She had to work to suppress the laugh that threatened to bubble up from her chest at the sight.

“So…” he began, drawing out the word for much longer than necessary. He’d dropped his pitch an octave and it immediately put her on alert. “Do I know you under that mask, little deer?”

The clatter of two metal objects colliding sounded as Hare dropped the spoon he’d been using. His head whipped towards the other man. “Bull,” he said warningly.

“What? We might have hooked up already. I’m curious!”

“I don’t make it a habit to sleep around, so I doubt it,” Amaya scoffed.

Hare let out a small huff of amusement but remained silent. 

Bull hummed before leaning closer. “You don’t know what you’re missing out on, little deer.”

Gods, she hoped that nickname didn’t catch on. 

“I think I’ll survive,” she countered with a large helping of forced cheerfulness.

“Maybe I can change your mind on that?” he suggested darkly, fingers beginning to trail through the blades of grass towards her knee.

Amaya was on her feet in an instant. Before she could say a word, however, she felt their captain’s presence immediately behind her. She stiffened.

“Bull, rerun the perimeter again,” he ordered, a hint of irritation evident in his tone. It was the first time Amaya had heard the captain sound anything other than unaffected.

“But dinner is almost ready,” Bull protested angrily.

“Go.”

Grumbling audibly, Bull pushed to his feet and stomped off into the trees. Hare sighed and shook his head as the captain moved off to the side of the camp and began searching through his pack.

Amaya slowly sank down to the ground once more, feeling altogether unsettled by the events that had just transpired. She’d been ready to lay into Bull and set the ground rules, but their captain had intervened before she’d even had the opportunity to open her mouth. A small surge of displeasure rose within her at the possibility that her new captain might believe her incapable of handling herself. 

She watched through slightly narrowed eyes as the man in question stood and once again vanished into the trees.

“I’m sorry about him,” Hare offered quietly, attention once again trained determinedly on the task he’d been assigned.

It took Amaya a moment to realize he was speaking about Bull. 

“Is he always like that?”

“Only around beautiful women,” Hare responded with a derisive laugh.

Amaya cocked her head in confusion. “He doesn’t even know what I look like.”

Hare continued to stir the contents of the pot, but Amaya suddenly felt his gaze on her.

“That’s a good point,” he conceded. “Perhaps he’s hedging his bets?”

This managed to draw a genuine laugh from her, and the sound seemed to startle Hare briefly. She watched as the hand that was stirring abruptly ceased its counterclockwise rhythm for a few seconds before resuming. It occurred to her then that both Bull and Hare wore masks that were very apt for their personalities.

“He… gets around,” Hare added as an afterthought.

This didn’t overly surprise Amaya. Some women – and men, for that matter – liked a confident man, even if Amaya herself found that sort of cockiness to be a turn off. Quiet confidence had always been much sexier to her than boastful displays.

“So, he’s popular with the ladies then?”

“Apparently, although I can’t see why,” he replied, his grip tightening on the metal spoon. “I guess it must be his looks because his personality sure leaves something to be desired.”

Amaya could hear the disdain in his tone. Was it jealousy? While Bull had not exactly endeared himself to her with his behavior just now, she found she didn’t dislike him. After all, he had gone out of his way to talk to her earlier when they were traveling. It had been the first time someone on her new team had made an effort to make her feel welcome, and she could appreciate him for that at least.

Both men returned a short time later, Bull noticeably quiet as he returned to his place by the fire. His petulant demeanor did not seem to be aimed at Amaya, for which she was grateful. Still, the tension in the air made her feel uncomfortable.

“Is the perimeter secure?” the captain asked as he approached the team.

Bull was silent for a long moment before he nodded. “Yes, Captain. I found the issue.”

That was curious. Perhaps Bull hadn’t been sent back out as punishment for his behavior towards her, as she had assumed. Had he missed something when securing the perimeter? That would certainly explain why the captain might have a tendency to ‘check their work’, as Hare had put it.

“Dinner should be ready in about five minutes,” Hare announced, effectively breaking the tension.

Amaya saw Bull’s shoulders relax visibly as he leaned forward to peer into the contents of the pot. “Smells great,” he declared before looking up at their captain. “Are we free to make our introductions now?”

A curt nod was their captain’s only reply before he turned away, removing his cloak as he moved towards his pack.

“Oh, thank the gods,” Bull said, stripping off his cloak and mask in record time. He tossed them aside carelessly, giving Amaya the first full glimpse of the man that had been hidden beneath.

Her previous assumption had been correct – she didn’t know Bull personally, though she thought she might have seen him once or twice in passing. He was a muscular man of above average height, his appearance hinting that he was likely a few years older than Amaya was. He had smooth ebony skin and warm amber irises that glowed tantalizingly in the firelight. Short, spiky hair the color of pomegranate provided a shock of color that likely made him easy to identify. 

It made instant sense to Amaya why Bull might be popular with women. He was almost devastatingly handsome – and clearly, he knew it.

Small movement from Hare drew her attention in his direction as he followed Bull’s lead, albeit in a much less dramatic fashion. Hare’s appearance surprised her, but only because the removal of his mask revealed him to be a member of the Hyuuga clan. Where Bull was muscular, Hare was lean – features sharply angular and handsome in a different way. His pale eyes contrasted pleasingly against his lengthy jet-black hair. If Amaya had to guess, she’d say he was very near her own age.

Those piercing eyes rose to meet hers as Hare cocked his head to the side in question. She turned to look at Bull who was now leaning forward eagerly as he watched her. He was wearing a wide grin, providing her with a stunning visual of a set of perfect white teeth. His smile made him even more attractive. How annoying.

“What are you waiting for, little deer?” he asked with a roguish wink.

With an indifferent shrug, she unclasped her cloak and let it slide down her arms to pool behind her. Reaching up, she removed her mask and placed it gently in the grass at her side.

A beat of silence passed before Bull slammed a fist into the ground.

“I knew she was hot!” he exclaimed, reaching over to nudge Hare so hard that he almost toppled over. 

Amaya rolled her eyes as Hare regained his balance and shot a glare at the man. Bull failed to notice as he was too busy grinning like an idiot and looking for all the world as if he’d won some sort of bet.

“I never forget the women I sleep with. I definitely haven’t taken you home before.”

Amaya snorted. “Nor will you ever,” she replied sardonically.

Bull let out a hearty guffaw. “Never say never, little deer.”

It looked like that unfortunate nickname was here to stay, she realized with mild irritation.

“I’m Kai, by the way,” he offered, leaning back on his forearms and giving her a crooked grin. “Earth jutsu is my main thing, though I can use some water jutsu and I’m not bad in a taijutsu fight.”

Earth and water were a useful combination, and Amaya could already see the benefits of Kai’s abilities when weighed against hers.

“Amaya. Water and wind jutsu,” she responded, glancing between the two men. “And I’m pretty handy at kenjutsu as well.”

She turned to look expectantly at Hare.

“Haru,” he offered quietly, not quite meeting her gaze. He lifted a hand to gesture vaguely at his eyes. “Taijutsu, obviously. Nice to meet you.”

Amaya found herself smiling at Haru’s shy demeanor. It was really kind of endearing, and such a stark contrast to Kai’s outgoing disposition. “Nice to meet you too, Haru.”

Movement from her right side drew Amaya’s attention towards their approaching captain. He had left his cloak folded neatly next to his pack and held the mission scroll in one hand. While he still wore his mask, Amaya could now see that his build was a happy medium between the other two men on the team, not too bulky or too lean. He had chestnut brown hair that was only slightly longer than Kai’s.

The feeling of vague familiarity hit her again. She was certain she had seen this man around before.

All three of them were now watching their captain as he sat down in the remaining open spot around the fire. Tilting his head down slightly, he reached up and withdrew the mask from his face. When he looked up again, coal-black eyes turned to land on hers.

“You may call me Tenzou,” he said by way of introduction. “Wood Release.”

Amaya instantly recognized him. She had seen him hanging around with Hatake Kakashi when Kakashi had still been in ANBU, though it had been a few years. The fact that he was the only known Wood Release user also made him a bit famous amongst their ranks. She knew little of the man himself except for his abilities and his choice of friends, however.

With identities revealed and some lingering questions answered, Amaya felt herself finally beginning to relax. 

The rest of the evening passed by quickly after that. They reviewed the mission parameters while eating their meal, making tentative plans for their approach to the targeted location and their duty rotations. 

Now that the masks were off, the atmosphere felt noticeably less stifling than it had earlier. Kai and Haru joked together easily once the conversation had turned to more casual topics, and it occurred to her that they might be better friends than her initial impressions had led her to believe. Tenzou, on the other hand, seemed much more reserved than the other two, and she wondered if that was typical behavior for him. Given neither Kai nor Haru made it a point to try to engage him in their lighthearted banter, she figured it must be.

Lucky for her, she was assigned the first watch that night. As the three men settled in to get some rest, Amaya donned her cloak and mask once more before leaping up onto the branch of a nearby tree. She leaned casually against the trunk as she prepared for a few hours with nothing but her thoughts to keep her entertained. 

Thankfully, the day’s events had given her plenty to think about. Despite the utter upheaval that had been the past two days, she felt pretty good about her new team. Kai might be a bit overly flirtatious, but she could sense that he was not the type to push things too far. Haru seemed sweet, albeit almost painfully shy when it came to interacting with her, and she found herself hoping that he would grow more comfortable around her with time. And their captain? Well, she wasn’t quite sure what to think about him yet.

Even as a feeling of contentment began to settle over her at the knowledge that maybe she would fit in with her new team after all, that unsettling feeling of being watched passed over her once again. Goosebumps peppered her arms, prompting her to shift her gaze down to the small clearing below. 

Although the fire had been extinguished, the area was faintly lit by the glow of the waxing gibbous moon. It was just enough illumination for Amaya to spot the piercing gaze of Tenzou as he watched her from where he sat propped against a large tree. He had decided to forgo a sleeping bag and was just sitting there, arms crossed as he openly regarded her. 

Despite the mask obscuring her face, Amaya felt oddly exposed under his scrutiny. The unease that she had finally shed during their earlier conversation crept back over her, latching on with an insistent and unyielding grip. Did he not trust her to do her job? Or did he simply not trust her ? 

Well, she certainly had plenty of time to consider the implications of that, she thought as she tore her attention away from him and allowed herself to sink back into her ruminations.

Chapter Text

Amaya’s first mission with her new team went off without a hitch. If anything, it had been an almost mind-numbingly boring week. By the end of the first day Kai had already started to complain about being forced to do a ‘genin’s job’. Haru had lasted until the third day before finally echoing Kai’s complaints, albeit in a much more polite and mild-mannered way. Tenzou and Amaya had kept their opinions to themselves on the matter, but after a week of observing the mundane activities of a bunch of low-level shinobi even they were visibly relieved to finally be heading back home.

While the mission itself might not have managed to capture her interest, the behavior of her captain sure had. Tenzou had finally appeared to relax following the first couple of days away from Konoha. After watching Amaya like a hawk throughout her entire shift that first night he seemed to have decided that she could be afforded at least a modicum of trust. Since then, she had felt his discerning gaze fall upon her with decreasing frequency, prompting that familiar feeling of disquiet each time. She wasn’t certain if it was the intensity of his scrutiny or something about his eyes, but those pitch-black depths always had a way of making her feel oddly exposed.

“So, what are you planning to do during your days off, little deer?”

Amaya pursed her lips in mild irritation at the nickname. Kai was thankfully the only one to use it, but he seemed to enjoy the effect it had on her. The result was that he had taken to using it almost constantly.

They were once again camped in a suitable spot for the evening, about two full days of travel ahead of them before they would reach the gates of Konoha. After delivering their report to the Hokage they would be granted the obligatory time off to rest and reset prior to being assigned to another mission. Aside from catching up on laundry and taking care of other various chores and tasks that inevitably got neglected in her absence, Amaya didn’t have any specific plans. She would train, of course. That was a given considering the past week spent in forced idleness. Missions like these always made her itch to get some sparring in once she got home. 

There was also someone she was hoping to see during that time off, but she wouldn’t be telling Kai about that.

“The usual, I suppose,” she answered vaguely. “I don’t have any specific plans. You?”

Kai smirked and opened his mouth, but she held up a hand to stop him before he could even begin. “Never mind. I don’t need to hear about all of your planned conquests.”

Kai pouted as Haru snorted a laugh at his expense, and Amaya turned her attention his way. “What about you, Haru-san?”

While Haru seemed to have gotten a bit more comfortable in Amaya’s presence, he still seemed unsure of himself whenever she would address him directly. The behavior made her wonder if this was how he was around strangers in general. The idea to ask Kai about it had admittedly crossed her mind more than once. Thus far she had managed to quell the urge, not wanting to pry into something that wasn’t really her business to begin with, but it didn’t stop her from wondering.

“I think we have a clan meeting this week,” Haru offered, poking the depths of the fire deliberately with a stick.

Kai leaned over and bumped his shoulder. “Why don’t you come out with me one night? I’m sure we can find someone who will want to take you home.”

At this declaration Haru’s cheeks flashed crimson. He turned to glare Kai’s way. “I don’t need your help meeting someone, and I doubt the kind of person I would want to meet would be hanging out wherever your hunting grounds are.” 

Good for him, Amaya thought with a small smile as Kai let out a hearty guffaw.

“So, you’re into dudes then?”

Amaya felt the smile leave her face instantly as she turned to frown at Kai, not really liking the implications of his tone in the least.

“I don’t have a preference,” Haru responded quietly, blush still prominent as he shifted his glare back to the flames. 

His eyes flicked up to meet Amaya’s for a split second, seeking out whatever reaction he might find there. The stiff way he held himself seemed to dissolve slightly when he was met with nothing more than an expression of understanding and acceptance.

Tenzou had also been notably silent throughout the entire exchange, but he seemed entirely unaffected by the revelation. Whether that was because he already knew or simply did not care about it, Amaya couldn’t be sure. Either way, there was no judgment coming from his direction, which could only be a good thing.

Letting her gaze drift back to measure Kai’s reaction, she watched carefully as he absorbed what Haru had said. Relief washed over her as she watched Kai lean over again to pat his teammate genially on the back. “Sorry, man. I didn’t mean to assume. Doesn’t make any difference to me.”

Well, she certainly liked Kai a little more now. She had been a bit worried about his initial reaction, but he seemed genuine in his response to Haru. For his part, Haru gave Kai an appreciative smile. 

The entire exchange left Amaya wondering just how much the members of the team knew about each other. They seemed comfortable enough, but was it all just surface level? Or had they built bonds beyond their professional relationships?

With the tension in the camp duly evaporated, Haru turned to look at Tenzou. “Do you have any plans, Captain?”

Looking somewhat startled by the direct question, Tenzou reached up and rubbed the back of his neck. 

It was only then that Amaya realized that throughout the mission Tenzou had kept mostly silent when it came to casual conversation. His behavior now left her questioning if the assumed taciturn demeanor was rather a result of a lack of social adeptness. Whenever they were discussing details about the mission their captain spoke in a manner that oozed confidence. Now, however, he seemed almost timid. It was such a stark juxtaposition that Amaya found her interest piqued as they waited for his answer.

“Nothing in particular,” he hedged, suddenly appearing more awkward than Amaya had yet seen him.

It occurred to Amaya that she had only seen one side of Tenzou throughout the duration of this mission. Now that it was drawing to a close, it was as if he was shedding that persona in lieu of something else. Was this who Tenzou really was when he wasn’t fulfilling the role of the dutiful and solemn captain?

It was such a jarring deviation from what her perception of him had been that for a moment she openly stared at him. Her attention did not go unnoticed, and the cursory glance he sent her way seemed further evidence of his discomfort. Amaya was beginning to find that her initial impression of each of her new teammates was just slightly skewed from what she was learning of them.

Clearing his throat audibly, Tenzou sat a little straighter. “We should meet for some sparring while we have the opportunity,” he began, noticeably more self-assured as he settled into the role of captain once more. “It will allow us to determine how best to incorporate Amaya’s skills into our team.”

“Oh, this’ll be fun,” Kai said gleefully, rubbing his hands together and shooting Amaya a challenging grin. “Think you can handle me, little deer?”

Given his affinity for earth jutsu, Amaya was already at a natural disadvantage. Based on Kai’s personality, however, she predicted that he was a much more straightforward fighter – probably easy to read and a bit predictable. Not that she would underestimate him though. Being ANBU meant having some semblance of self-control and subtlety. Regardless, it would be interesting to see what a fight with Kai looked like.

“I’m looking forward to seeing you get your ass handed to you,” Haru told Kai with a light chuckle.

Amaya let out a huff of laughter. “I appreciate the vote of confidence.”

“Yeah, well… we’ll just see whose ass is getting handed to whom,” Kai replied with a leer.

The fluorescent illumination of the streetlamp outside cast the bedroom in an eerie glow, slivers of light causing Yuugao’s skin to gleam almost ghostly pale in the darkness. Amaya trailed her fingers along the creamy skin of her back, pausing for a moment to play with the silky amethyst strands of her long hair.

Yuugao purred in pleasure, reaching out to brush a thumb over Amaya’s bottom lip as she offered her a sated smile.

“So, how’s the new team working out?” she asked, rolling onto her side to face Amaya while she drew her fingers through her hair.

Amaya allowed her head to collapse heavily against the pillow. “I am withholding judgment for now,” she declared as she let her gaze drift up to the ceiling.

With a light giggle Yuugao propped her head up on her palm and looked down at Amaya. “Want to tell me about it?”

“There’s not much to tell,” Amaya answered honestly. “The mission was exceedingly dull. Aside from a few awkward conversations and being blatantly hit on by one of my new teammates, there really wasn’t much to write home about.”

“Wait.” Yuugao sat up suddenly, and Amaya watched as a grin slowly spread across her features. “Someone hit on you? Who was it? I have to know!”

The excitement radiating from her companion was palpable, and Amaya shook her head in exasperation. “Ever met someone named Kai?” Yuugao’s blank expression prompted her to add a bit more. “Dark skin, red hair, so attractive it makes your teeth hurt?”

Amaya’s rueful smile was met with Yuugao’s sudden look of dawning comprehension. “Oh gods, I know exactly who you are talking about!” If possible, her grin widened even further. “I’ve slept with him a couple of times.”

It was Amaya’s turn to sit up. “What?!” she exclaimed with a burst of laughter. “No!”

“Sure did!” Yuugao nodded emphatically. “I remember him being a really cocky guy, but Amaya…” she leaned in close and looked Amaya dead in the eye. “He really knows what he’s doing.”

Amaya snorted. She did not need to know that. They both collapsed back onto the bed together, dissolving into a fit of giggles.

“So, not your type then?” Yuugao asked once they’d settled down once more. “I’m just saying, you could do worse.”

Amaya and Yuugao had been engaging in their casual arrangement for about a year now, and they hadn’t discussed pursuing anything beyond what they had. Being in ANBU made it difficult to find companionship without risking loss of their anonymity, and they had both managed to find some comfort in each other for the duration of their relationship. It was convenient, certainly, but recently Amaya was left wishing that she had more. She was beginning to suspect that Yuugao wanted that too, but she also knew that a serious relationship wasn’t something they would find with each other.

“As beautiful as he is to look at, I’m not really into that kind of personality.”

“Not even just for a night?”

Amaya considered for only a moment before Kai’s smug expression invaded her mind. If she ever crossed that line, she’d never hear the end of it. “No.”

“What about your other teammates then?”

The image of Haru’s shy smile assaulted her. Gods, if she ever openly came onto him she thought he might self-destruct. He was cute enough, but where Kai was too overly confident for her tastes, Haru was not confident enough. And as for Tenzou…

The memory of their captain’s brief but endearingly bashful behavior flashed through her head, and she willfully shoved it away.

“Don’t shit where you eat,” she quipped finally with a wry grin.

Yuugao laughed. “Fair enough.”

A few minutes passed in comfortable silence before Yuugao peeled herself out of bed and began to get dressed. Amaya watched her, feeling a strange sort of melancholy as she did so. Something had been different tonight. She wasn’t sure if it was a vibe she was picking up from Yuugao, or if it was her own subconscious feelings of emptiness coming into play.

When Yuugao moved around the bed to sit next to her, she realized that she wasn’t misinterpreting things. It was written all over Yuugao’s face.

“This is it, isn’t it?” Amaya asked softly. 

Yuugao’s shoulders slumped slightly as she sent Amaya a guilty look. “I’m sorry, it’s just… someone asked me on a date. And, you know…” she shrugged as if unsure how to finish.

Amaya perked up instantly, leaning forward and grinning. “Please tell me it’s Hayate.”

“What? How did you—”

“Oh, please,” Amaya interrupted with a genuine laugh of amusement. “You’ve done nothing but talk about him and your kenjutsu training for the last six months.”

The immediate flush of Yuugao’s cheeks told Amaya everything she needed to know. It really had just been a matter of time until one of them moved on and found what they were looking for with someone else. While Amaya was glad for her, she couldn’t help the small pang of loneliness she felt upon realizing that she was the one being left behind. 

“I’m happy for you, Yuugao,” Amaya said honestly, squeezing her hand in reassurance. “I hope it works out.”

Yuugao nodded, a warm smile painting her features. There was something in that smile that Amaya had never seen before, and she knew that it was all for Hayate.

“I’m sure you’ll find someone too, Amaya,” she offered as she brushed a few strands of Amaya’s hair from her face.

Amaya forced a smile, not wanting to ruin the happy mood with a hollow response to that platitude.

It was all well and good to believe in things like fate and love. But on the path they had chosen for themselves, the only thing that was guaranteed was death – and even that was not always a sure thing.

The sun shone brightly across the landscape of training ground four. The sky was a pure blue expanse, unmarred by a single cloud. Birds were singing merrily from the trees nearby, adding to the general atmosphere of peace and tranquility. 

Or it did, until the entire area erupted in a cloud of stone and dirt.

Amaya leapt backwards, only slightly less startled than the flock of birds that exploded out from the trees behind her. Kai had managed to corner her as far as possible from the lake on the other side of the training space, a clever maneuver that ensured she would be hindered in performing her large-scale water jutsu.

“Shit.”

As the air around her slowly cleared, she realized Kai’s bulky form was notably absent from the immediate vicinity. Narrowing her eyes she expanded her senses outward, emitting a pulse of chakra to try to detect his hiding place. Nothing.

Logic told her that the most likely possibility was that Kai was underground. She knew that she needed to go on the offensive soon or she’d continue to be on the back foot until he inevitably overwhelmed her. 

According to the parameters set by their captain this was a ninjutsu only match. This meant she wouldn’t be able to use her katana here, which left her with only two potential avenues to flip the odds in her favor. She could either attempt some mid to low-rank wind or water jutsu, or she would need to come up with a way to get herself closer to that lake.

Kai emerged from the ground beneath her feet, grabbing hold of an ankle and sweeping her feet out from under her. Aiming a punch directly towards her face, a brief flash of concern shone on his features as he registered that she was making no moves to block it. The reason why became evident a moment later when his fist connected and her water clone collapsed in a splash, leaving Kai with water dripping from his hair and nose. The sight almost caused Amaya to giggle audibly from the safety of the tree she was hiding in.

“Usually I’m the one making my partners wet,” Kai remarked as he got to his feet. 

Amaya rolled her eyes at the lewd comment, but the smug smile was still fixed to her features.

“A clone, little deer?” He inquired loudly as he stood to his full height, swiping a palm down his face and shaking his head to loosen the droplets that still clung to his fiery locks. “Are you sure you’re ANBU material?”

The grin on Amaya’s face immediately dissipated. Obviously he was trying to get under her skin, to get a reaction out of her so she would give away her position. Well, she wasn’t that easy to rile up, and the fact of the matter was he wasn’t entirely wrong. So far, she’d made a rather pathetic showing in this matchup. She’d been on the defensive since almost the moment they’d begun.

If Amaya was honest with herself, her taijutsu match with Haru hadn’t gone much better. Admittedly, she wasn’t too upset about the outcome of that fight. She was only moderately skilled in taijutsu, and being pitted against a Hyuuga meant being placed at an extreme disadvantage regardless. Even so, she’d sensed that Haru had been going a bit easy on her and that had left a bitter taste in her mouth. It was one thing to be soundly beaten by your opponent when you both were going all out, it was another thing entirely for them to pull their punches and still manage to defeat you with relative ease. At least Kai respected her enough not to hold back.

Narrowing her eyes, Amaya dropped to the ground as she considered her options. If she wanted any hope of beating Kai – or at least not embarrassing herself like she had thus far – she needed to get to that lake. The only problem was Kai would be fully expecting her to make a move in that direction.

Lowering herself to a crouch, she placed her palms to the dewy grass beneath her feet. A light mist began to rise, spreading outward from her location and beginning to shroud the area. In the brightly lit open field where Kai was located this technique would have been less effective. However, beneath the shade of the canopy, the mist afforded her enough cover to slink through the shadows and remain hidden while she inched closer to where the forest ended and the clearing began. 

The creeping vapor attracted Kai’s attention and he grinned ferally at the tree line in front of him. “Trying to lure me in, little deer?” He called out as he paced along the edge of the wood. “You should know by now that I’m used to women trying to get me alone. I’m not going to fall for that one.”

There was simply no way for her to get to the lake without crossing the clearing. Kai knew he had the advantage and need do nothing but wait for her to emerge. With few options at her disposal, she decided a direct attack was the only viable approach. She’d just need to be careful to reserve enough chakra for when she finally got close enough to the water to release one of her higher ranked techniques.

Darting out of the trees, she made a beeline for Kai while performing a series of seals – Snake, Tiger, Ox, Tiger, Dog. Kai was grinning as she cupped her hands together and thrust her arms outward. As predicted, a large wall of earth jutted up from the ground between them, effectively shielding Kai from the attack. What Kai hadn’t accounted for, however, was Amaya dropping her original attack at the last moment. Instead, she directed the chakra to her feet, putting on a burst of speed to climb up the side of the wall. As she ascended, she executed a different set of seals, completing the sequence as she crested the top. 

Kai stared up at her in mild surprise as she leapt into the open air, turning one-hundred and eighty degrees and clapping her hands together. The gale force wind that released from her palms served two purposes. It managed to slam Kai into the wall in front of him, dazing him momentarily while also throwing Amaya in the opposite direction – directly towards the open water. 

If Kai had used any other technique to block her initial attack this tactic would not have worked. It had been a calculated risk, but it had worked out in her favor.

Cursing loudly, Kai turned around to glare at her as he tenderly prodded at his nose. Evidently it had met the wall first. Amaya was already skidding to a halt on top of the lake, water spraying up around her in impressive arcs.

“Lucky shot!” Kai called out grudgingly as he scrunched his face and sniffed experimentally.

Amaya jutted her hip out and planted both palms on her waist. “What do you mean ‘lucky’?” she called back sassily. “That went exactly as planned.”

Kai let out a snort, wincing visibly as his fingers explored the bridge of his nose once again. “I think you broke my nose,” he added, releasing the earth wall behind him.

“Sorry!”

“You don’t sound very sorry!”

Amaya laughed. “Because I’m not!”

They grinned at each other as Kai shook his head. “Alright, let’s see it then,” he said, gesturing to her and knowing full well that she finally had obtained the advantage she had been looking for.

It was over in less than a minute. Unfortunately for Kai, while Amaya had been preserving her chakra for one large-scale attack to try to end the fight, he had not had the foresight to do the same. He’d come at Amaya hard to begin with, trying to overwhelm her quickly with a barrage of earth-style attacks. By the time she had gained the upper hand, he was unable to defend himself adequately due to his dwindling reserves. 

Under different circumstances Amaya wouldn’t have needed the added benefit of a large water source. Being pitted against such a skilled earth jutsu user, however, had meant playing it smart and biding her time.

And it had certainly paid off, she mused as she strode over to a fully sodden Kai collapsed on his back in the middle of a large pit of mud. Drawing to a halt at his side, she cocked her head as she regarded him. He lifted his head to meet her scrutiny through half-lidded eyes, chest still heaving from exertion.

“I can’t remember the last time a woman managed to exhaust me like this,” Kai remarked as he let his head drop back heavily with a wet plop.

“You’re kind of a pervert, aren’t you,” she observed.

He hummed noncommittally. “I just appreciate women,” he replied with a shrug. His eyes fixed on hers again. “Especially a woman who can take me down a notch.”

Snorting, she dragged her toe to splash some mud in his direction before turning on her heel and heading back to where Tenzou and Haru were standing. Kai spluttered behind her, pulling himself up from the muck with a throaty laugh.

Haru was grinning, clearly pleased at the outcome of the match. In contrast, their captain seemed much more reserved in his judgment. Amaya honestly couldn’t gauge his feelings based on his expression. Oddly, she found herself wanting his approval for some reason. She chalked it up to just wanting to earn his respect. He was her captain, after all.

As Kai drew even with her, he dropped an arm heavily across her shoulders, leaving a soggy mess across her back. “Well, that was fun,” he declared cheerfully.

She tossed him an impassive look as Haru spoke up. “Looks like she handed your ass to you after all,” he said smugly.

Kai dropped his arm and put his hands up in a show of defeat. Despite having lost the round, he looked to be in good spirits. Amaya guessed that he might have enjoyed himself as much as she had. He’d been a challenging opponent and had forced her to strategize rather than simply engage in a straightforward sparring match. It had been a refreshing change from her usual routine, and she thought that maybe it would benefit her to spar against him more often.

After a brief discussion wherein they analyzed the tactics, jutsu, strengths and weaknesses of both parties, Tenzou turned to Amaya.

“Are you ready?”

Tenzou had to admit, he was at least a little intrigued by what he’d seen of Amaya’s skills so far. 

It was no secret that he’d purposefully matched her against Haru and Kai in the areas that would set her at a firm disadvantage. Haru had beaten her soundly, but he’d only held back slightly, not quite going at her with true killing intent. And while Tenzou hadn’t expected her to be able to beat the Hyuuga, she had held her own decently well. It left him wondering if Amaya realized that she had the potential to be a much better taijutsu fighter if she chose to focus on it.

However, it was her fight with Kai that had impressed him most. When faced against someone who had the nature transformation advantage, it was typical to respond by hitting hard and fast in an attempt to end the fight quickly. It was what he had expected of Amaya, but instead she had surprised him. She had waited patiently, biding her time as Kai expended a large portion of his chakra, all the while leading him to believe that he had her cornered and unable to respond effectively. 

Admittedly, Tenzou wasn’t certain if she would ever be able to use that tactic against Kai again, but it had been enough to prove that she was not only a capable fighter but a decent strategist. That was something that both Kai and Haru sorely lacked, and it would help round out their team nicely.

Now it was Tenzou’s turn. While he couldn’t say he had kept up with his kenjutsu as much as his other training, years of experience and muscle memory would serve him well enough. This fight was probably the most evenly matched and he found himself eager to get started.

“Are you ready?” he inquired with a small quirk of his lips. He knew she’d mostly seen him as the stern captain up until now, but he intended to have a bit of fun with this match.

Taking in his expression she offered him a crooked smile in return, a single brow raised in challenge. “Yes, Captain,” she responded, a hint of mocking playfulness in her tone when she addressed him. She turned abruptly and strode out into the middle of the clearing, obviously expecting him to follow.

Moving after her, he heard Kai let out a disbelieving snort from behind him. “Was she just flirting with him?”

Ignoring the comment, Tenzou stepped out into the open space and came to a halt a couple of meters across from Amaya. They unsheathed their blades and took their stances, both poised and ready to begin.

“Kenjutsu only,” Tenzou reiterated. “If you lose your blade, you may resort to taijutsu.”

Amaya nodded. “Understood.”

“Good,” Tenzou said, a feeling of eager anticipation rising within his chest. “Begin.”

Their blades met an instant later in a sharp clash of metal. While Tenzou had the advantage of brute strength, he had already observed that Amaya surpassed him in speed and dexterity. She made no attempt to resist as he pressed their joined blades against each other, instead choosing to redirect his blade and allow the momentum to carry him past her. Swinging wide, he barely had time to bring his blade back up to block as she came at him from above. It was a bold move, one that left her open for attack. If he hadn’t been limited to just using his blade, he easily could have overwhelmed her.

“Would you have risked that move if this were a full-scale spar?” he asked as they leapt away from each other to regroup.

She twirled the katana in her hand, taking position once more. “Of course not. I’m not overly keen on the idea of being eviscerated.”

He wondered if this was proof of her capability to adapt quickly to changing circumstances, or if she was simply used to sparring with such constraints.

They spent the next ten minutes or so clashing repeatedly, neither of them able to quite gain the advantage over the other. Every time Tenzou attempted to physically overpower her, she would skillfully maneuver away from him, always managing to reroute his attacks in a manner that rendered them ineffective. 

Unfortunately, the longer this went on, the more visibly Amaya was beginning to wear. She’d already engaged in two strenuous matches prior to this one and it was beginning to show. When he finally managed to land a blow on her sword hand with the hilt of his blade, he thought it was over. 

Except instead of retreating, she’d handily swapped her katana to the other hand and came at him again. This had surprised him, and when they’d parted once more, he held up a hand for a brief pause.

“Are you ambidextrous?” he asked curiously.

Amaya smiled brightly. “I make sure to train in nitoujutsu as part of my practice.”

“The hell is nitoujutsu?” he heard Kai ask from the sidelines.

Tenzou’s brows lifted, his interest definitely piqued. “Can you wield two katana?”

“Sure,” she answered with a nod and a half shrug, absently flexing the hand he’d managed to land a hit on.

“Haru,” he called out, gesturing for him to approach. “Would you mind lending Amaya your katana?”

Haru’s eyes widened, but he passed the blade to Amaya. She thanked him before turning to face Tenzou once more.

“If I’d known, I would have had you start with two swords,” he explained as they resumed their stances.

Amaya smiled at him, something mischievous shining behind her eyes. “I didn’t exactly want to give all my secrets away, Captain.”

Unbidden, he found himself answering that smile with one of his own. This woman certainly was intriguing.

This time there was no opportunity for Tenzou to attempt to outmuscle her. Amaya quickly proved to be just as adept with her off hand, quickly disarming him in a manner very similar to the attack he’d used against her earlier. The only difference was she managed to land a direct hit on the nerve in his wrist that controlled his grip, forcing him to drop his ninjatou. Before he even had time to consider retreating she spun around him, swinging the blunt edge of both blades low behind him to sweep his legs forward. He landed hard on his back, barely registering her weight as she straddled him, pinning him to the ground and gently pressing a single blade to his throat. A light sheen of sweat glistened across her forehead, her chest heaving as she looked down at him. Her grey eyes shone bright with excitement at her victory, loose strands of her dark brown hair waving in the breeze that swept between them. 

Perhaps it was the adrenaline leftover from the fight, but in that moment it occurred to Tenzou just how beautiful the woman hovering over him was.

What an inconvenient revelation to have about a subordinate.

Amaya withdrew the blade, tossing him a final triumphant grin as she pushed off of him and got to her feet. He allowed himself one more second to collect his thoughts before climbing to his feet after her.

“Damn, woman!” Kai exclaimed as he and Haru approached. “That was hot!”

Amaya shook her head at him in obvious exasperation as she handed Haru his blade and thanked him again. Apparently unimpeded by his usual shyness, he struck up a conversation with Amaya about her training.

Kai sidled up to Tenzou, nudging him with his shoulder. “You alright there, Captain?” 

Tenzou gazed back at the man dispassionately as Kai chuckled lowly. “Yeah, I think I get it,” Kai said, eyes shifting to watch Amaya as she spoke with Haru. “Sometimes it sneaks up on you.”

“I’m not sure what you’re talking about,” Tenzou responded, brushing off his vest and collecting his ninjatou from where he’d dropped it.

Kai watched him from the corner of his eye as he let out a small huff. “Yeah, I’m probably just imagining it,” he concluded, shoving his hands in his pockets and joining his two teammates. 

Kai’s usual boisterous demeanor made its reappearance as he resumed his brazen flirting with Amaya while also poking fun at Haru. Standing here, watching them engage in their easy banter and friendly conversation, Tenzou suddenly felt like an outsider looking in. He’d never quite been able to achieve that easy camaraderie that Haru and Kai had always seemed to have, and Amaya had managed to do it in almost no time at all. It felt strange, knowing that these people were his team and arguably some of the most important people in his life, but he still felt as if they were just out of reach – and he didn’t quite know how to change that.

“Hey, Captain!”

Amaya’s voice rang out as she motioned eagerly for him to join them. Both Haru and Kai were watching him expectantly, and a strange feeling of fullness settled into his chest as he made his way over to them, gaze landing on one pair of eyes in particular as he approached. 

Maybe he could stand to open up a little bit more. Until now he hadn’t really seen the necessity, more keen to maintain a professional distance than to foster any friendships. But if he was honest with himself, something about that smile and stormy gaze made him want to try.

Chapter Text

After only a handful of months and several successful missions, Tenzou had to admit that things had settled into a comfortable routine. Despite his early reservations, Amaya was fitting into their team quite nicely, and he was pleased with how well the others had adapted to the new dynamic. In addition, Amaya had demonstrated considerable skill and fantastic teamwork on each mission they’d undertaken so far. Tenzou had even started to include her in some of the tactical decision making if a mission necessitated it, and while he hadn’t asked her directly if she had an interest in being captain of her own team someday, the potential was definitely there.

Tenzou was just contemplating whether he should broach that topic with her sometime soon when movement from his balcony drew his attention. He had just stepped out of the shower on one of his rare evenings off, and he was hardly in any state to entertain company. Not that it had ever stopped his unannounced visitor before…

“Yo,” came the muffled greeting of his senpai who sat perched atop the railing.

Walking over to the sliding door, Tenzou continued to rub his hair vigorously with a towel as he gazed impassively at Kakashi.

“You know, senpai,” he called through the glass, dropping the towel across his bare shoulders. “There is such a thing as a front door, and it’s usually considered polite to knock rather than peeping through people’s windows when they are in nothing but a towel.”

Kakashi raised a brow, his single exposed eye dropping to the towel wrapped around Tenzou’s hips before flicking back up and creasing as he smiled. “I’ve seen you in less.”

Tenzou rolled his eyes and let out an exasperated sigh, unlocking the door and opening it. 

“What do you need, senpai?” he asked as Kakashi crossed the threshold and made himself at home. Nothing new there.

“Who says I need anything?” Kakashi countered, dropping his sandals next to the sliding door and padding over to the couch before flopping heavily onto the plush cushions. “Can’t I just come over to say hello?”

Tenzou eyed him dubiously as he moved into his bedroom and grabbed some clean clothes. “You never come over just to say hello,” he called down the hall.

A warm chuckle was the only response he received. Tenzou shook his head. He knew Kakashi well enough by now to realize that he never dropped by without a reason. There was only one thing he could think of that might have prompted the unexpected visit, and he had to admit he was curious. 

“So, what happened with the new genin you were assigned?” Tenzou asked as he strode back into the living room. He was unsurprised to find Kakashi rifling through the contents of his refrigerator.

“Ah, yes. Them,” Kakashi replied dismissively. After several more seconds of searching, and apparently having not found whatever it was he was hunting for, he heaved a sigh and closed the door. “You don’t have any of the good sake?”

Tenzou smirked. “Fresh out.”

“You’re so cruel to your senpai,” Kakashi replied, looking utterly dejected. “If I didn’t know any better, I would think you were keeping the good stuff from me on purpose.”

“I don’t feed strays,” Tenzou deadpanned. “Otherwise, they keep coming back.”

It took only a single pout that no grown man should ever wear on his face before Tenzou gave in. “Fine,” he conceded, moving to one of the cabinets and withdrawing a bottle of what he knew his senpai had been hunting for.

“I knew you couldn’t be so heartless.” Kakashi grinned at him, retrieving the bottle and two cups and moving back into the living room and settling down with a look of abject contentment. For all his antics, the man could surely be predictable sometimes. Kakashi was, above all, a moocher.

Peeling his mask down, Kakashi took a sip and sighed as he settled back against the cushions.

“So, are you going to tell me about what happened with the genin or are you going to keep me in suspense all night?”

Kakashi remained silent, eyeing him lazily.

“Don’t tell me you failed another group.”

“Actually,” Kakashi began, sitting up again and taking another measured sip. “They passed.”

Tenzou choked, nearly inhaling the potent drink. He broke out into a fit of coughs as Kakashi patted him firmly on the back. When Tenzou finally turned to stare at him, that smug expression was on full display.

“Seriously?!” Tenzou wheezed.

The smug expression morphed into a pleased grin and Tenzou’s eyes widened. 

“Seriously,” Kakashi confirmed.

Collapsing back against the armrest, Tenzou shook his head in astonishment. This was the first time a group of genin had managed to pass Kakashi’s test. Now he was really curious.

“Who are they?”

Kakashi’s smile faded minutely, enough for Tenzou to detect a hint of worry breaking through. “Well, it’s quite the lineup,” he hedged, swirling the contents of his cup.

“Who?” Tenzou repeated, this time more quietly. There was a strange tension in the air now and it was making him feel suddenly unsettled.

“The only surviving Uchiha,” Kakashi offered, staring intently at the rippling liquid in his cup. “And the Kyuubi jinchuuriki.”

Tenzou visibly deflated. “Kakashi…”

“I know.”

Taking on the last remaining Uchiha in Konoha was one thing – Kakashi was admittedly well equipped to deal with that with a sharingan of his own – but the jinchuuriki as well? That was a dangerous task.

“I can handle it,” Kakashi declared resolutely as he set his cup down. “It’s just…” he trailed off, pausing as he ran a hand through his hair harshly. “I don’t want to fail them.”

Tenzou knew now was not the time for empty platitudes, but he also knew from experience that Kakashi would do everything in his power to ensure his team succeeded. As long as it was within his power, he would not fail them, and he told Kakashi as much.

“Thank you, kouhai.” Kakashi dropped a hand on Tenzou’s shoulder and squeezed. “I will do my best.”

Tenzou nodded, though he could tell that his senpai was still harboring doubts. It was then that Tenzou understood that Kakashi was not questioning his own abilities as a teacher as much as he was fearful of circumstances he knew would be out of his control. Not that Tenzou could blame him. It was a valid fear in this situation, and he knew it was borne at least in part from the losses Kakashi had experienced in his life.

“So,” Kakashi said finally, affecting a cheerful demeanor once more as he stood and stretched languidly. “Why don’t we grab something to eat? I’m starving.”

Tenzou sighed inwardly as he realized he’d better check his wallet before they headed out. After all, he’d be footing the bill.

“Sure, senpai.”

“Can someone explain again how this is an ANBU mission?” Kai griped as they sprinted through the trees. 

“I believe Hokage-sama explained that quite clearly,” Tenzou answered. 

Kai growled under his breath. “But they’re just monks!”

“You do know that warrior monks are a real thing, don’t you?” Haru interjected haughtily. “Seriously, Bull. Do you live under a rock or something?”

Amaya let out a small laugh at the antics of her teammates. It was obvious that they wouldn’t have been assigned a mission like this if there wasn’t some risk involved, and she had a strong suspicion that Haru was right on the money with this one. These were not regular monks, and this mission was not as straightforward as it seemed.

The mission – as their Hokage had presented it to them – had sounded deceptively simple. Gain access to a temple and steal a scroll that was being protected by a group of monks. The thing was, they had been given next to no information about the physical location of the scroll aside from the following: it was hidden somewhere within a veritable fortress cloaked by an inordinate amount of secrecy. Easy.

Their team would be responsible for reconnaissance prior to coming up with a plan to infiltrate, extract the objective, and hopefully get away without anyone spotting them. It was that last point that even their captain seemed doubtful of achieving. Chances were high that they had a fight ahead of them, and it was somewhat concerning that they had no knowledge of the skill set or abilities of the people they would be up against.

Haru, Kai and Amaya spent most of the travel time tossing theories back and forth about what was contained within the mysterious scroll. The further into the journey they got, the more bizarre their guesses became.

Dusk was just beginning to close in when Tenzou finally called them to a halt, interrupting Kai’s wild conjecture about the scroll containing the identities of the Sandaime’s ‘numerous secret mistresses’ or some such nonsense.

“This is where we will set up our base camp for the duration of the mission,” Tenzou announced. “We should be out of range of any of the patrols, and we are far enough from the road leading to the temple that we should avoid detection.”

Nodding in unison, they each fell into the familiar routine of setting up camp and making preparations for the days ahead. Once their individual tasks were complete, they reconvened.

“The first thing we need to do is scout out the area. We need to get a feel for what their patrols are doing, what their guard rotations are like, and who is coming and going through the temple gates.”

Withdrawing the map that had been provided when they received their mission scroll, Tenzou flattened it out on the grass, allowing the other members of the team grouped around him to examine it more closely.

“There is only a single gate in the border wall surrounding the compound. It faces east and is fed by this road that winds through the area northeast towards the coast.” He traced a finger along the path. “There appears to only be a single entryway into the temple itself, although it stands to reason that there may be others that are hidden. If we can manage to identify those, they may provide a better means of infiltration.”

They exchanged nods of acknowledgment as Tenzou rolled up the parchment. “While you three finish setting up camp, I’m going to do some preliminary scouting so I can get a better idea of how to split up our own rotations.”

With that they each dispersed to complete their assigned tasks. Amaya wasn’t overly looking forward to the long days of reconnaissance, but she understood the necessity. At least she handled it better than Kai did. The thought had her wondering how long it would be until the days of relative inactivity got under his skin. Well, at least they could plan some good sparring sessions for after they got home to make up for it.

As predicted, the next two weeks passed by in the tedious monotony that often came with espionage. Kai and Tenzou had taken the night watch while Haru and Amaya took the day shift. The fortnight spent gathering information had granted them enough information to make a tentative plan to retrieve the scroll, although there were still some lingering questions that seemed destined to remain unresolved until they made their move.

What was most concerning to Tenzou was that they still weren’t certain of the location of the scroll. The temple itself was a traditional one, likely several centuries old based on the worn appearance of the exterior and the outdated architecture. Its main entrance sat directly opposite to the gates of the boundary wall, with people passing through it at all hours of the day and night. Not exactly ideal for infiltration.

Attached to the back of the temple was a much more modern building that ran perpendicular to the parent structure. Oddly, this building was devoid of any obvious entrances of its own. No doors or windows had been identified upon first inspection, which struck them all as a bit strange. Strange, unless you were trying to hide something valuable. Given what little they knew of the scroll they were after, they felt confident that it was most likely located somewhere within this section.

It was on the fifth day of reconnaissance that Haru spotted one of the monks employing a hidden entrance near the southwestern edge of the compound. It was located at the end of the modern building, deftly hidden by some cleverly placed shrubbery. Had Haru not had his Byakugan activated at the time he might have missed it entirely. The door appeared to be protected by a multitude of seals, but Haru was confident that he could deactivate them with ease. Given that the door was well out of the way and nicely hidden, they had decided that this would be their point of entry.

Inevitably, they had concluded that their best bet would be to infiltrate at night. The goal was to obtain the objective using stealth rather than outright combat. Kai would remain outside of the compound, ready to assist or provide a distraction while the other three attempted to access the hidden entryway undetected.

As far as exactly what abilities the monks possessed, the only thing they had been able to conclude with any certainty was that they all engaged in weapons training at dawn. Spears seemed to be the weapon of choice, and most of them looked to be particularly adept at wielding them. They had observed no evidence of other skills, but that did not necessarily mean the monks weren’t capable of more.

The atmosphere in the camp was much more subdued the evening leading up to the execution of their mission. They were grouped around the dwindling fire, reviewing the plan one final time before a heavy silence seemed to fill the air. It was not an uncommon occurrence when faced with a mission where success – and even survival – was not necessarily guaranteed.

Hours after night had truly fallen, they broke down camp and set out for their final approach to the compound. The tension in the air was palpable now, and though their masks hid their faces, Amaya knew that they each wore matching expressions of determination. They’d been preparing for this night for half a month and the time had finally come to see if those preparations had been enough.

They halted upon reaching the point where the trees abruptly ended and the compound wall began, their black cloaks helping to blend them into the inky surroundings. With a silent signal from their captain, Kai disappeared into the trees as the other three crept forward and scaled the wall in the blink of an eye. As expected, there was no patrol or lookout stationed in the immediate area. The concealed entrance they planned to use had been left entirely unmanned, and should remain so for the next twenty minutes.

Tenzou and Amaya kept watch as Haru approached the smooth stone wall. Without Haru’s Byakugan they might never have discovered the entryway that turned out to be cloaked using a complex combination of old seals. These seals were little match for Haru’s fuinjutsu release, however, and in seconds the blank stone wall dissipated to reveal an unlit hallway. Sparing no time to wonder if they had triggered some sort of alarm, the three entered the temple.

Through the darkness Amaya could barely make out a long corridor, closed doorways lining each side. The hall was unnaturally silent, and despite their combined skill in stealth, the shuffling of their cloaks seemed deafening to her own ears.

Tenzou turned to look at Haru who nodded in response, an inaudible acknowledgement that his Byakugan had not detected anyone in the immediate area. At Tenzou’s cue, the three began to move further down the hall, each of them taking a doorway and carefully turning the handles so as not to make any noise.

The room Amaya entered was small, and her immediate impression was that it was being used primarily for the storage of textiles. There were numerous items of clothing neatly stacked upon the shelves lining the walls, but the room was otherwise empty. After a cursory inspection she decided it was unlikely that the scroll would be hidden somewhere that appeared to be frequented quite often, if the lack of dust was any indication. Retreating back into the hallway, she closed the door behind her and moved on to the next room.

Each room she inspected seemed to serve a specific role and was immaculately organized. The second room she had entered had been full of stacked boxes, each filled to the brim with blank pages of parchment. The room after that had contained walls full of empty scrolls, and the one after that appeared to be some sort of storage space for religious artifacts.

Amaya was just stepping into the next room when a resounding boom sounded from outside. The entire building shook, dust raining down on her from the rafters above as she froze.

Taking a single step backward, she turned to find Tenzou and Haru had also returned to the hallway. All three of them exchanged glances. They all knew what that sound meant.

“Captain—” Haru began.

“Go.”

Haru was gone in a flash, sprinting back down the hallway from where they had entered. Tenzou turned to Amaya and she nodded in acknowledgement of what she already knew. They needed to hurry.

With no further need to concern themselves with stealth they moved swiftly, ripping open doors and exploring each room at a hurried pace. Amaya was just beginning to question how long this damned hall was when she came to a door that was locked. Every other door had opened readily for her, so this put her immediately on alert. Withdrawing a couple of senbon, she fiddled with the mechanism for a few long seconds until she felt the telltale click. This time she turned the knob slowly, unsure of what she would find on the other side.

The moment she opened the door she felt the air shift. Amaya barely had time to process the presence of an ornate golden stand located in the center of the room – a single scroll matching the description of the one they’d been sent for perched on top – before the real problem presented itself. The odd change in air pressure she’d felt ignited no less than eight explosive tags scattered throughout the space. Reacting more out of instinct than anything, Amaya leapt to the center of the room and executed a rapid series of seals. As the tags exploded a whirlwind of water surrounded her, effectively shielding herself and the scroll from the resulting flash fire.

The whole event was over in an instant, leaving nothing but seared and dripping wood surrounding her. Knowing that she’d most definitely given away their presence now, Amaya yanked the scroll from its stand and shoved it into her vest as she sprinted back through the doorway.

“What—”

The rest of Tenzou’s question was drowned out in a cacophony of noise as the building shook with considerably more force than last time, and as the aftershocks dissipated, a new problem became readily apparent. The echo of rapidly approaching footsteps was now coming from the direction that led further inside towards the main temple. If they didn’t get out now, they were about to have a much bigger problem on their hands.

Amaya felt a hand clasp her wrist firmly.

“Run!” Tenzou urged as he began to sprint back toward the exit with her in tow.

If they had assumed that the chaos surrounding Kai and Haru would have drawn the majority of the monks in the temple to them, they would have been sorely mistaken. The multitude of footsteps that sounded from behind them was alarming, and Amaya knew then that the monks had figured out what they were after. Instead of sending the bulk of their numbers to fight the two shinobi outside, they’d chosen to rush to the one thing they knew they needed to protect. Only, they were a bit too late for that.

Shouts ricocheted from behind them as they reemerged through the stone entryway into the dimly lit courtyard, and the first thing Amaya’s eyes fixed on was Haru. He was surrounded by three monks, and what was transpiring was only further evidence that she had never truly seen Haru fight at his full strength. He moved as if he were performing a dance – every palm, every footstep, everything committed in a calculated and practiced rhythm as if he knew his opponents’ movements even before they did. The quiet confidence he exuded as he seamlessly executed his Gentle Fist technique was nothing short of incredible, and she found her admiration for his abilities reach new heights as she watched.

The feeling of something squeezing her wrist pulled her attention back, and Amaya realized that Tenzou still had his hand wrapped around it.

“Deer!”

It was only then that she sensed the rapid approach of two monks bearing down on her. With barely a second to register the spear that was aimed at the center of her back, Amaya drew her katana and spun to parry the attack. Her opponent's lunge provided her with an easy opening, allowing her to immediately close the distance between them. The monk had clearly not anticipated her speed, and the tip of her blade was protruding from his back a moment later.

The other monk was now about three paces to her right. To her surprise she found that he too had been impaled, albeit by numerous wooden stakes. Extracting her blade from the man in front of her, she turned to glance back at Tenzou who merely nodded at her. 

The voices coming from inside the previously hidden entrance were growing clearer now. The few monks they had faced had not proven to be too much of a challenge in terms of individual skill, but she knew they had the distinct numbers advantage. They were running out of time.

“Retreat,” Tenzou ordered, the branches projecting from his arm receding as Haru felled his last opponent and ran to them. Kai appeared as well, looking a bit winded but no worse for wear. “There are too many. I’ll block off the entrance to buy you time.”

In a flash of disbelief, Amaya realized what Tenzou intended to do. His wall would only remain intact as long as he was able to maintain his jutsu, and that required him to be stationary. He would never get out.

Neither Kai nor Haru questioned the order, simply sparing their captain a single glance before leaping over the boundary wall and sprinting into the trees.

Amaya remained rooted to the spot as she watched the other two men disappear. When they were out of sight she turned her attention back to Tenzou to find him already heading back towards the doorway.

“Wait,” she demanded, striding purposefully past him when he halted to look back at her. Over her dead body was she letting him play the martyr when there was a chance she could do something about it, and she sure as hell was not going to leave him behind.

“Deer, I ordered you to retreat,” Tenzou commanded, his tone holding a dangerous edge to it as fell into step behind her.

The footsteps that echoed from down the hallway were close now. Amaya knew it wouldn’t be long until the forms of the monks inside would begin to resolve themselves.

“With all due respect, Captain,” she began, weaving through a series of hand signs as a morbid grin crept across her features. “I have a better idea.”

Completing the sequence, she slammed her hands to the ground at her feet. A rush of wind and visible frost streaked across the ground at breakneck speed before reaching the entryway and generating a tremendous wall of ice, effectively blocking the exit. It was no earth-style wall, but it would do. Now the monks would be forced to either destroy the wall or go around. Either way, it afforded them enough time to escape together.

Spinning on her heel, she grabbed his wrist this time and pulled him after her. “Let’s go!”

They were over the wall and in the trees in an instant. Tenzou kept pace beside her, but she could sense his hesitation.

“Deer, what if they have fire jutsu?”

A peal of laughter escaped her, the sound a little manic even to her own ears. The adrenaline was pulsing wildly through her veins now, and she put on an extra burst of speed at the sheer joy of it as they raced away from the compound.

It was a valid concern, given the monks clearly had access to fuinjutsu in some capacity, but her captain also wasn’t aware of what exactly she had just accomplished right now.

“Have a bit of faith in me, Captain!” She called above the rush of wind that swept between them. “That’s no ordinary ice. The melting point is much higher.”

Tenzou didn’t know it, but that was only the second time she’d successfully executed that particular jutsu. During their first sparring session together, she had been inspired by Kai’s earth-style wall and had decided to try to fabricate something similar of her own. It had taken a lot of trial and error and many wasted hours, but she had finally managed a successful version of it only a month prior. Unfortunately it was a lot less stable than Kai’s version, largely due to the difference in base material. Ice was simply more ephemeral than earth.

The shouts had fallen away by now, and as they continued at their breakneck pace Amaya began to allow herself to relax minutely. Had they actually managed to get out of this intact?

“How?”

It took her a moment to realize he was asking about her jutsu. A small hint of curiosity tinged Tenzou’s question, prompting Amaya to smirk in self-satisfaction. 

“By combining my Water Formation Wall with a wind pressure jutsu, I’m able to rapidly cool the water and apply enough pressure to the ice itself to increase the melting point. It would take a B-rank fire jutsu about a minute or so to make a hole through that wall, even longer to clear the thing in its entirety.”

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw his mask turn to face her direction. She couldn’t see his expression, but she felt his unspoken skepticism.

“Hey,” she said, slight irritation creeping into her tone. “A few minutes is better than the complete lack of a head start you would have had, and Kai didn’t stick around long enough for me to ask him to toss up his earth wall instead.”

She thought she heard him chuckle in response, though the sound was mostly lost to the wind whipping past them. 

“Thank you,” he said finally.

An odd sensation settled in her chest. The weight behind those words confirmed to her that he really had believed he might not make it out.

“You’re welcome, Captain.”

They caught up with Haru and Kai shortly thereafter, and the four of them continued to travel at an all-out sprint until well past noon. Once they finally deemed it safe to stop for a break, Tenzou immediately approached Amaya.

“Come with me.”

Tossing a cursory glance at her other teammates, she shrugged and followed him. He remained silent as they walked, but she could see the tension in the way he held himself. Without a word from him, Amaya already knew what was coming.

Drawing to a halt, Tenzou turned to face her.

“You defied a direct order,” he stated.

Just as she’d thought. Despite his earlier expression of gratitude, her captain would not be able to overlook her decision to ignore his directive. He was her superior and it was her job to obey his instructions without question. She had failed in that regard today, and though the outcome made her disobedience appear warranted, it did not change the fact that had events transpired differently, her insubordination might have resulted in them both being killed. 

Or worse.

Bowing low, she heaved a sigh. “You are right, Captain,” she offered contritely. 

There was no need to defend herself, Tenzou knew why she’d done it. And apologies? Apologies would ring hollow when she harbored no regrets for what she’d done.

“I will be reporting to the Hokage everything that happened,” he continued, arms crossed over his chest and an air of absolute authority radiating from him. “I will leave it to the Sandaime to determine how to address your misconduct.”

Amaya felt her chest clench. Issues like this were usually handled within the team itself, and it wasn’t often that a problem grew to such proportions that the Hokage was asked to intervene. She felt the blood draining from her face as she straightened once more.

A few beats of silence passed before Tenzou dropped his arms to his sides, shoulders visibly sagging. Reaching up, he withdrew his mask and turned his gaze on her. Rather than the anger she had expected to find there, she observed a mixture of resignation and gratitude.

“I can’t be impartial in this,” he admitted, reaching up to ruffle the hair at the back of his head. It might have been the most human gesture she’d ever seen from him. “It’s very likely that I’m alive because of you.”

Amaya’s eyes widened. Whatever she had been expecting, it hadn’t been that. She removed her own mask as she registered the changing tone of the conversation.

“I understand,” she said quietly as their eyes met.

Tenzou nodded, his gaze shifting awkwardly to inspect their surroundings. “Even if you disobeyed my orders, know that I’m grateful that you did. Strictly off the record, of course.”

A small smile climbed across her features. “Of course,” she answered with a small huff of laughter.

His eyes shot to hers as he raised a single brow. Affecting a stern countenance, he crossed his arms once again, mask dangling from his fingers. “I’m not sure gloating is called for here,” he gruffed, though Amaya didn’t miss the tiny note of amusement.

“No gloating here, sir,” she confirmed, the slight quirk of her lips absolutely giving her away.

They exchanged a look, and the lingering tension between them seemed to evaporate as Tenzou frowned in thought. 

“Ultimately, we did fail the mission.”

Amaya hummed noncommittally as she did her best to stifle her growing smile. Her behavior prompted Tenzou to toss her a suspicious glance.

“What if I were to tell you that our mission was successful,” she prompted, pursing her lips and inspecting her cuticles with an air of supreme nonchalance. “Do you think that perhaps the Sandaime would grant me some leniency in my punishment?”

Tenzou’s eyes narrowed. “Deer?” he queried, his tone severe. “What are you saying?”

“As it happens, I have the scroll right here!” 

Without missing a beat, Amaya extracted the scroll they’d been sent to retrieve from beneath her vest and tossed it unceremoniously at him.

He caught it deftly, staring at it in what she chose to assume was shock and awe at her many talents. More than likely, however, it was sheer astonishment at the fact that she had managed to retrieve their objective and had failed to mention it until now.

For a moment she wondered if Kai’s antics were rubbing off on her a bit.

Tenzou continued to stare at the scroll in his hands as an incredulous laugh escaped his lips. “Nitoujutsu, ice walls, mission scrolls… are there any other secrets you should be telling me?”

Eyes the color of slate flicked up to meet his. “Now, Captain. If I asked you to tell me all of your secrets, would you oblige?”

Something impenetrable passed across his expression and Amaya smirked.

“I didn’t think so.”

Chapter Text

The consequences of Amaya’s insubordination on that fateful mission turned out to be much less dire than she had expected. Thankfully the Sandaime was mostly willing to overlook her defiance in light of the fact that Tenzou might have been captured or killed had it not been for her. Still, she was placed on probation for the foreseeable future with the understanding that any inkling of trouble from her would result in a much harsher punishment. It was more mercy than she deserved, and it left her wondering if Tenzou had pleaded for leniency on her behalf.

When Kai and Haru heard about what had happened, they had both been understandably confused. Neither of them had even thought to question their captain’s orders, both respecting their roles almost too well. After that day, however, something seemed to shift within their team. Slowly, everyone had begun to feel less like teammates to Amaya and more like family. Kai and Haru were like the brothers she had never had, constantly bickering and getting under each other’s skin. She mostly found their antics to be amusing. Though they did their best to pretend otherwise, it was abundantly obvious to Amaya that they really did care for one another.

Tenzou was another matter entirely. Amaya still wasn’t sure what to think about the man, but the more she peeled back the layers, the more she found herself liking the person beneath. In a very short time she had come to respect the man, and while she still didn’t have that easy camaraderie with him that she had with the other two, something between them had shifted after that mission. It seemed that despite her decision to ignore his orders they had managed to establish a firm foundation of trust – something she treasured equally as much as her growing friendships with Haru and Kai.

And speaking of…

“Amaya! Over here!”

Glancing up, she spotted her two teammates waving eagerly at her from the front of a familiar restaurant. She had agreed to meet for a team dinner at Yakiniku Q, it being Kai’s favorite and the rest not really having a preference. It was a casual place that was frequented by many of the shinobi in the village, so they would be right at home.

Trotting up to them, she glanced at her watch. “I’m not late, am I?”

“Naw, we just got here,” Kai offered amiably, gesturing for her to follow them. “I invited the captain too, but he said he was busy.”

Amaya nodded, not overly surprised that it would just be the three of them. When she’d first joined the team, Tenzou would often keep to himself whenever they were camped together for the evening. More recently he had been making a visible effort to be more socially engaged with them all, often joining them in their conversations. Still, it was obvious that he felt a bit out of place, especially when the discussion turned more personal. A casual night out like this would definitely invite that kind of thing, so his absence was not unexpected. 

Idly, Amaya wondered what Tenzou was like when he was around his friends. Was he able to open up with them?

Her musings were interrupted when Kai spotted an empty booth and ushered them in its direction. They staked their claim on it before placing their orders and settling in comfortably around the heat of the grill.

“So,” Kai began as he took a swig of his beer. An expression of bliss crossed his features as he swallowed and sat back, propping one elbow on the backrest and grinning. “What have you kids been up to?”

Haru snorted. “Aren’t you only like two years older than us?”

Both of them turned to look at Amaya.

“Wait, how old are you anyway?” Kai asked her, flirtatious grin back in full force.

“Twenty-two,” she answered with a shrug. She wasn’t really sure why it mattered. They were all around the same age, as far as she knew.

“Ah, too bad. I always did like an older woman,” Kai replied, affecting a pout before elbowing Haru in the ribs playfully. “I think I could make an exception, however.”

Haru winced and rubbed his side gingerly. “You’re an idiot.”

The waiter appeared with their first round of plates, and Kai spoke up again as they began to add various strips of meat and some vegetables to the grill.

“How’s the love life, buddy?” He asked with a wink in Haru’s direction. 

Haru’s cheeks brightened. Turning to gaze studiously at the meat sizzling in the center of the table, he mumbled, “It’s fine.”

Amaya cocked her head to the side as she sipped her drink and observed. There was something about Haru’s behavior whenever Kai asked him questions like this that niggled at the back of her mind. She couldn’t quite pinpoint what it was, but he always seemed to get inordinately flustered whenever the topic came up.

“Are you seeing someone?” she inquired curiously.

Haru’s eyes shot up to meet hers before flicking rapidly to glance at Kai again. “Um, no,” he admitted as he began to nervously pick at the edges of his napkin.

Maybe it was a clan thing. Were the Hyuuga of the main branch allowed to casually date? Honestly, she had no idea what kind of rules and protocols the members of clan families were forced to adhere to. Did they enforce arranged marriages?

“Are you seeing someone?” he asked her quietly.

Forcing down her burning curiosity regarding the nuances of clan politics, she shook her head. 

“I was until recently,” she explained, plucking an oyster mushroom from the grill and setting it on her plate to cool. “It was just a casual thing, but we aren’t seeing each other anymore.”

The reminder of Yuugao made her realize that it really was past time to check in on her. It had been several weeks since they had last seen each other, and while their physical relationship may have run its course, it did not change the fact that Amaya still cared for Yuugao as a friend. She didn’t want the ending of their physical intimacy to result in the loss of their friendship as well.

“I’m sorry,” Haru offered as he watched her with a concerned frown.

“It’s fine, really. Like I said, it was just a casual thing,” she reassured him as she popped the mushroom in her mouth.

Thankfully the conversation moved to safer waters after that. They discussed the results of some of their recent spars, as well as some of the current gossip within the shinobi ranks.

“Can you believe that Hatake is leading a team of genin?” Kai kept his voice low, seemingly keen to not be overheard. “I never worked with the guy, but from the stories I heard about his time in ANBU...”

Haru nodded solemnly. “Makes me glad our captain is who he is.”

Amaya wondered about that. Naturally she’d heard the stories about the infamous Copy Nin, but any time she’d interacted with the man he’d been nothing short of pleasant. A little strange, maybe, but certainly not the ruthless killer that some painted him to be. People did have the ability to change, and she wondered if maybe Hatake Kakashi wasn’t quite the person the tales made him out to be.

“Speaking of our captain,” Haru said, sitting up a bit straighter. “He’s really been making an effort to be less reclusive lately. Have you noticed?”

Kai made a noise, giving Amaya a significant look. “Yeah, I have. I wonder why.”

Chopsticks pausing in midair, Amaya knotted her brows at him. It hadn’t been phrased as a question. What was he implying? She certainly didn’t have anything to do with their captain’s recent change in behavior, at least not that she was aware of.

“Beats me,” she replied with a shrug as she brought a slice of salted beef tongue to her lips. Whatever Kai was getting at, he was obviously missing the mark.

Kai considered her for a moment longer before relaxing visibly. “Well, it’s a nice change of pace anyway. Our team finally feels like I’m working with a group of friends.”

“You’re right. It wasn’t like this when Yoshihiro was around,” Haru agreed with an enthusiastic nod.

Kai snorted. “That was because Yoshihiro was about as interesting as a rock. A conversation with him was like trying to talk to my chopsticks.”

“Dull and pointless?” Amaya quipped with a smirk.

“Exactly!” Kai exclaimed with a boisterous laugh. “You get it.”

Kai was right though. Even her last team hadn’t felt quite as comfortable as the one she found herself in now. It was odd, she’d only been with her new team for a scant few months but somehow she felt closer to them than she ever had with her previous team whom she’d been with for years. 

The sudden realization brought with it the smallest pang of anxiety. There was a very good reason shinobi maintained a professional distance in their line of work. Emotional attachments had the potential to impact one’s abilities to make objective decisions. Hadn’t she already experienced something disturbingly close to that very thing on their mission to retrieve the scroll?

As the three of them paid for their meal and headed out, it occurred to Amaya that she was growing to care for her teammates more than was probably wise. After all, theirs was a dangerous profession. The likelihood of one or more of them being killed in the line of duty was high, and just the prospect of such a loss was enough to send her thoughts spiraling to a rather dark place. 

Amaya had certainly experienced loss in her time as a shinobi, but it had always been a peripheral thing. Never someone she was close with or worked with directly, thus easily compartmentalized and set aside with little impact on her daily routine. How would she cope with losing Kai or Haru? Had she acted differently on that fateful mission, they might have lost Tenzou. Would she have blamed herself for that? What would have happened to their team then?

“Hey, are you okay?”

Haru wore an expression of open concern as he watched her, and even Kai seemed worried by whatever was written on her face.

“Oh, yeah. Sorry,” she responded sheepishly as she threw them a small smile. “Was just thinking about something.”

Kai raised a brow at her. “Well, whatever you were thinking about… don’t.”

A burst of laughter escaped Amaya’s lips before she could stop it. It was such a Kai thing to say. “Yes, sir.”

“Careful now,” Kai warned, corners of his lips quirking as he aimed a sultry look her way. “You start calling me sir and I’m going to get ideas.”

He really knows what he’s doing.

Unbidden, the memory of Yuugao’s words came back to her. Shit, she really had gotten too comfortable around them if Kai’s flirting was starting to get to her. Or maybe she just needed to get laid or something. It had been a while since she and Yuugao stopped seeing each other…

“Are you ever going to give it up?” Haru complained with an exaggerated roll of his eyes.

“Not while there’s still a chance,” Kai answered, his gaze still scorching across Amaya’s nerves.

Narrowing her eyes, she huffed. “Not interested.”

Kai’s dark chuckle crawled up her spine as he and Haru turned to set off down the sidewalk towards their next destination. Her body’s response to that sound all but confirmed it for her – it had been entirely too long, and now she was reacting to things that normally wouldn’t affect her. Maybe it was high time to get out there and try dating again.

Ugh. Dating.

With that less than cheerful thought, Amaya followed her two teammates down the street and into the waning twilight.

“A little bird told me one of your team members is on probation,” Kakashi remarked as he dropped an arm over Tenzou’s shoulder and shook him amiably.

Of course Kakashi had heard. In Tenzou’s opinion, ANBU was practically on par with a group of gossipy old women. Perhaps it was the shroud of secrecy they had to maintain about their identities, but if there was something that could be spread around that wasn’t confidential, then it was highly probable that the entirety of the ANBU ranks – and likely more – would know about it by week's end.

Tenzou hummed noncommittally, not really keen to discuss the subject. He should have known better though, because Kakashi was not one to be thwarted by Tenzou’s attempts to evade him.

“Come on, kouhai. You’ve never had trouble within the ranks. Is it Yoshihiro’s replacement?”

Heaving a sigh, Tenzou shrugged himself out from Kakashi’s grasp. “Yes, it is. But the situation is complicated.”

“Oh?” Kakashi raised a single brow at him, an expression of unbridled curiosity replacing his normally impassive features.

Tenzou glanced around and grimaced. “We probably shouldn’t be talking about it here,” he hedged. They were in the middle of the busy market district, and while it wasn’t as packed now as it would be in a few hours, there were still way too many eyes and ears for him to be comfortable with discussing this out in the open.

With a nod of understanding, Kakashi turned and set off in the direction of Hokage Mountain. They walked in comfortable silence for a bit, Kakashi affecting his usual slouched posture with his hands shoved deep in his pockets. Tenzou kept pace beside him, feeling a small bit of discomfort about the upcoming conversation. He wasn’t really certain why, but he wasn’t keen on discussing Amaya with Kakashi.

This was the first time Tenzou had the opportunity to catch up with Kakashi in weeks. The last time they’d had the chance to speak, Kakashi had broken the news about his new genin team. Tenzou was admittedly still concerned about the fact that the jinchuuriki had become his senpai's responsibility, but things must have been going well enough if the rumors he had heard regarding Team 7’s recent mission to the Land of Waves were any indication.

Kakashi hopped down onto the Sandaime’s head and took a seat, Tenzou following somewhat reluctantly. This conversation was inevitable though. Might as well get it over with.

“So,” Kakashi began as he leaned back on his palms and gazed lazily out at the horizon. “You haven’t even told me anything about this new person. Why were they placed on probation?”

Tenzou crossed his legs, planting both elbows on his knees and propping his chin in his hand. Well, he supposed the blunt approach was as good as any. “She defied my orders during a mission and it could have resulted in us both being captured or killed.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Tenzou saw Kakashi turn his head to look at him. He could sense his senpai’s scrutiny, and he shifted uneasily under his gaze.

“Who is she?”

Shoulders sagging, Tenzou sighed and planted his hands behind him as he let his eyes drift skyward. Under normal circumstances – and if it was anyone else asking – Tenzou would not reveal the identity of one of his team members. However, Kakashi was deeply ingrained in ANBU even now, and Tenzou held a level of trust with his senpai that he honestly had not granted to anyone else. He knew whatever information he relayed to the man would never leave Kakashi’s lips.

“Her name is Amaya,” Tenzou explained, reaching up to rub the back of his neck. “I’m not sure if you would have met her. Water and wind ninjutsu, also quite talented with kenjutsu…”

He trailed off and glanced over at his senpai. Kakashi was scratching his chin and peering into the distance as if trying to search his memory for someone matching that description. “Dark brown hair?”

Tenzou hummed in affirmation.

“I don’t know much about her,” Kakashi replied, fingers tapping idly. “But I do recall meeting her in passing a couple of times. I can’t say I’ve ever heard of her causing trouble though. She’s definitely not one of the usual suspects.”

“As far as I know this is the first time she’s been officially reprimanded,” Tenzou added with a nod.

“And why exactly is it complicated?”

Jaw clenching, Tenzou recalled the events of that night. He’d been fully prepared to sacrifice himself to provide his team ample time to escape safely. It wasn’t often that he was faced with the potential of his imminent demise, but he had been prepared for it that night. It had seemed almost a stark certainty, but when Amaya had defied him and offered an alternative — frankly, he still wasn’t sure how to process the feelings that had come with that. Annoyance at her insubordination blended with no small amount of gratitude. It was a confusing mixture of emotions that left him feeling anxious, and it certainly didn’t help that Tenzou wasn’t well equipped at dealing with his emotions to begin with. Years of being forced to suppress them hadn’t exactly fostered emotional intelligence.

“She might have saved my life,” he answered simply.

This prompted Kakashi to sit up a little straighter. “Oh? Care to elaborate?”

He relayed to Kakashi a basic summary of the events of that night, not revealing the true nature of the mission or its location, but providing enough background information to give his senpai a good understanding of the circumstances that lead to his decision to order them to withdraw.

Kakashi remained silent as Tenzou spoke, but interrupted him when Tenzou described Amaya’s frost wall. “She is able to combine jutsu to create ice?”

Tenzou cocked his head to the side. “Apparently.”

A shadow crossed Kakashi’s features then, his single exposed eye looking a little less bright. 

“What is it?” Tenzou prompted.

Kakashi shook his head. “I’ll tell you in a bit, you need to finish your story first.”

“There isn’t much else to tell,” Tenzou concluded with a shrug. “When we finally stopped for a break, I pulled her aside and told her that I would allow the Hokage to handle things when we returned.”

“And why did you need the Sandaime to handle it?” Kakashi asked, watching Tenzou closely. “Seems like something that could have been addressed without the Hokage’s intervention.”

Tenzou felt his eye twitch. “Yes. Well, I found that I couldn’t exactly be impartial. As I mentioned before, her actions might have saved my life.”

“Hmm…” Kakashi mulled, once again absorbed with his own thoughts. “I suppose that stands to reason,” he offered. “Still, that isn’t very like you, kouhai.”

At this last statement, his eyes shifted back to Tenzou, a calculating look flickering within their depths. 

“You don’t know what to think of her, do you?” Kakashi inquired.

That gave Tenzou pause. Now that he thought about it, Kakashi might have pinpointed the issue exactly.

“Yeah, I guess not,” he admitted.

A light chuckle sounded from the older man. “It reminds me of when we met. You weren’t really sure what to think of me either.”

“I suppose that’s true,” Tenzou conceded.

“I guess I owe her a debt of gratitude for ensuring my favorite kouhai was returned home safely,” Kakashi added with a telltale crease of his eye as he placed a reassuring hand on Tenzou’s shoulder. “My advice is don’t overthink it. She sounds like the kind of person I would want on my team.”

Tenzou nodded, feeling some of the discomfort he’d been harboring ease at Kakashi’s words. His senpai was right, overanalyzing and trying to figure out his confused emotions on his own was getting him nowhere. Maybe he should just take a step back and let the chips fall where they may, so to speak. Whatever his feelings were in regards to Amaya and her presence on his team would surely resolve themselves with some time.

The image of Amaya throwing up that impressive ice wall passed through his thoughts again, reminding him of Kakashi’s earlier question.

“Why were you interested in her ability to create ice?”

It was Kakashi’s turn to heave a sigh. “It just reminded me of someone we met on our last mission. A boy who possessed the Hyouton.”

“An Ice Release user?” Tenzou sat up straight and stared down at Kakashi. “What kind of mission were you on?”

“Not the C-rank mission it was supposed to be, I can tell you that.”

Tenzou’s eyes widened as Kakashi began to relay to him the details of their mission to the Land of Waves. When he mentioned Zabuza, Tenzou visibly tensed. To think that this group of genin had been forced to face the Demon of the Hidden Mist… and had made it out alive ? Though apparently the survival part had been a very near thing. Frankly, none of this new information did anything to assuage the growing anxiety Tenzou had about his senpai’s team.

“Senpai, what if the jinchuuriki had lost control?”

Kakashi turned his head to look directly at him. 

“His name is Naruto,” Kakashi offered gently. “It’s a valid concern, of course. I think it’s just a matter of time before something happens, I’ll just have to handle it when it does.”

It was the same thing he had said during their last conversation. Still, it left Tenzou wondering if the infamous Copy Nin, for all of his many talents, truly was capable of handling the jinchuuriki if the nine-tailed beast took over.

“Everything turned out alright,” Kakashi amended, almost in an attempt to reassure himself as well as Tenzou. The tense way he was holding his jaw made it evident that despite the outcome, the near miss still plagued him. “I just hope that’s the last close call we have for a while. I could use a break from all the excitement.”

Amaya maintained a steady pace as she headed in the direction of training ground three. After her conversation with Kai and Haru the previous week, she’d decided to reach out to Yuugao and see if she wanted to meet up for a spar. It had been a while since they’d seen each other, and even longer since they’d crossed blades, so Amaya figured it was a decent excuse for them to get together and catch up. She was also admittedly curious to see how far Yuugao’s kenjutsu had progressed in the months that had passed, especially under Hayate’s tutelage. 

Hopping over the fence that surrounded the grounds, she spotted Yuugao sitting comfortably in the center of the field. Her long, plum-colored hair was unbound and affecting an almost violet sheen as it caught the light of the early morning sun. Something about her hair had always been a point of fixation for Amaya, and she found herself struck once more by just how beautiful Yuugao was. A small pang passed through her gut at the reminder of the loss, but it was rapidly brushed aside as the woman turned her warm amber gaze on Amaya. Even if things had not worked out for them in a romantic sense, Yuugao was still a part of Amaya’s life, and that was enough.

“Hey,” Yuugao greeted as Amaya approached. Getting to her feet, she turned and wrapped Amaya in a hug. “It’s been a while. I’m glad to see you.”

“I’m glad to see you too,” Amaya responded honestly as she encased her in her arms and squeezed.

When they parted, Yuugao gave her a bright smile. “Thanks for calling, by the way. I’ve been meaning to do it myself, but I’ve been crazy busy.”

“Well, let’s hear it!”

Yuugao giggled. “Let’s spar first, I’ll tell you about it after.”

It was no surprise at all that Yuugao’s kenjutsu skills had grown by leaps and bounds in such a short period. Amaya knew Hayate was an accomplished swordsman, and it seemed that he had managed to impart a good majority of his knowledge and abilities to Yuugao. Amaya was hard pressed to keep up with the woman, and the result of several rounds ended in Amaya being bested by her former lover.

“I have to say, I’m impressed,” Amaya panted, hands on her knees as she worked to catch her breath.

Yuugao reached up to wipe away the sheen of sweat that had gathered beneath her bangs. Her skin positively glowed under the harsh midday sun, but it was the expression of abject contentment on her features that really captured Amaya’s interest. She had never seen Yuugao look like that, and it didn’t take much for Amaya to discern the reason behind it.

“Things with Hayate are going well, I take it?” Amaya asked with a small smile as she took a seat in the grass.

Yuugao shot her a sheepish look. “Is it that obvious?”

“Sure is.” A genuine laugh of delight burst past Amaya’s lips at the crestfallen look that Yuugao gave her.

“I’m ANBU. I really should be able to hide my feelings better,” she grumbled to herself.

Amaya reached up and pulled Yuugao down next to her. “You shouldn’t have to hide your happiness, Yuugao. It’s a feeling not often afforded to people like us, and it’s something to be celebrated.”

Yuugao’s eyes searched hers for a few moments before her lips quirked in a small smile. “You’re right.”

“Of course, I am,” Amaya sniffed as she broke out in a wide grin. “So, come on. Tell me about it! How are things with you and Hayate? It’s been weeks and I never even got to hear about your first date!”

“Well…” Yuugao shifted her gaze to her lap and began to pick at a loose thread on her pants. “We are moving in together.”

Amaya felt her brows lift in surprise, but before she could respond Yuugao pressed on.

“I know, it sounds insane, right?” Yuugao continued, casting a pleading look at Amaya as if she were begging for her to understand. “We haven’t been together long—”

“Yuugao, it’s not insane at all,” Amaya interjected with a reassuring smile. “You two have known each other for a while, and even though you haven’t told me much, it sounds like it’s pretty serious.”

“Amaya,” Yuugao began softly, a somber expression crossing her features. “I haven’t told him yet, but…” 

She paused as if to steel herself for what she was about to say next, but Amaya knew what the words would be before they ever escaped her lips. 

“I’m in love with him.”

Yuugao smiled brightly then, every hope for a long future between her and Hayate exposed in that single gesture.

“I honestly can’t imagine life without him.”

Chapter Text

The mood in the Hokage’s office was somber. Amaya’s team took up a considerable amount of room in the small space, but the silence that had befallen the room’s occupants was nearly deafening. There was a palpable tension in the air, not unlike the strange drop in pressure one felt at the approach of a spectacular storm. 

The Sandaime’s intense gaze was fixed imperiously on Tenzou’s mask, the sheer gravity of his expression causing Amaya to stiffen imperceptibly in anticipation. Though nothing had been said, she could sense that this mission was going to be nothing like those she’d untaken with her new team thus far.

“You are being asked to carry out an assassination. There is no mission scroll – this is happening strictly off the books.”

Amaya felt the breath she was holding leave her in a silent, forced exhale.

“You will be charged with eliminating the feudal lord in the village of Kunigami,” Hiruzen continued, interlacing his fingers and resting them against his chin. His eyes narrowed fractionally. “This assassination cannot be traced back to Konoha.”

“Understood, Hokage-sama,” Tenzou answered with a curt nod.

The implications of the secrecy surrounding this assignment were profound. If they were being asked to quietly remove one of the feudal lords of their own country, then he was either engaging in some highly questionable illicit activities, or someone was simply trying to get him out of the way without exposing their involvement. Either way, it was clearly motivated by some deeper political scheme. These kinds of missions made Amaya’s skin crawl. 

Amaya was loyal to Konoha, of course, but the underhanded schemes and maneuverings that came with bureaucratic dealings had always left a bitter taste in her mouth. In her experience, political moves were rarely made for the betterment of the general populace. It was that fact alone that made her disinclined to favor assignments like this.

Something in Hiruzen’s countenance shifted, and Amaya suddenly found herself to be the object of his intense scrutiny. If she had been feeling uneasy before, it was nothing to the feeling she was experiencing now under that sharp gaze. It was as if he was seeing straight through her porcelain mask, peeling away her outermost layers to examine the very core of her. In that moment she felt nothing short of overwhelmingly exposed.

“I trust we won’t have the same problem we had last time?” He asked impassively. Despite his weighty gaze, his tone belied no emotion – seemingly uncaring about whatever response she might provide.

Something told her that despite that unassuming tone, her reply should echo the gravity of the situation. Her probation had no true end date, as such. It would only be lifted once Tenzou and Hiruzen reached a mutual agreement that she had demonstrated her ability to follow orders effectively and without question.

Dropping to one knee, she bowed her head in contrition. “Of course not, Hokage-sama.” 

She allowed the smallest hint of emotion to creep into her voice, just to ensure that the Sandaime knew that she was aware of the magnitude of the situation.

“Good.” 

His attention lingered on her for a few more beats before his focus left her.

Some of the stress in her shoulders eased as she rose to her feet once more, but it was still uncomfortable being addressed in such a direct manner in front of her team. She felt not unlike a child being scolded by their teacher in front of their classmates. Not that being reprimanded bothered her, per se, but it felt awkward that Haru and Kai were witnessing the exchange.

Hirzuen imparted on them the specifics of the mission, making certain they followed every detail closely as the information he gave them would be by word of mouth only. It was the only way to guarantee that Konoha’s involvement would be nigh untraceable.

“We have already managed to obtain positions within the feudal lord’s employ. Unfortunately there were only two openings, but both have been secured under fake aliases.” He handed over the requisite identification paperwork to Tenzou. “You can review that in detail later. One position is for a member of the kitchen staff, the other is for a maidservant.”

Hiruzen’s eyes landed on Amaya once more. “I hope your acting skills are sufficient.”

Amaya smiled behind her mask. She might not be thrilled by the politics of it all, but she thrived on undercover ops. Assuming a different identity and persona was something she had always found enjoyable. Depending on the circumstances, it was kind of fun to pretend to be someone else for a while. Someone who lived a simpler life, who wasn’t burdened by the hardships and loss that came with being a shinobi.

“Of course, Hokage-sama.” 

He nodded. “We have acquired lodging for the other two in a small home on the outskirts of the village. It should be a secure enough base of operations for the two on the outside to complete whatever reconnaissance may be needed within the village itself.”

Sitting up straight in his chair, Hiruzen let out a long sigh.

“Which brings me to my next point. As I have already mentioned, this cannot be traced back to Konoha. Conveniently enough, there has been talk of a rebel group of citizens that have been making quite the stir within the village. It seems they are displeased with the current taxation rates and methods that the feudal lord is employing,” he continued as he sat back and glanced out of the darkening window. “If someone were to infiltrate that outfit, they may provide the impetus we need to redirect attention away from potential goings on within the castle.”

The sheer amount of planning that had already been put into this mission was enough to tell Amaya that Konoha had a very vested interest in its success. A small spark of curiosity burned within her as she wondered why Konoha might want the feudal lord eliminated. However, as with most ANBU missions, it was unlikely that she would ever be privy to that information.

“Is there a target date?” Tenzou asked. 

It was a good question and would certainly impact their approach to the mission. The more time they were afforded, the better they would be able to prepare and ensure that no trace of Konoha’s involvement was ever found.

“No. Take your time and make sure it’s done right. I cannot stress enough the importance of the outcome of this mission.”

Tenzou dropped his chin. “Understood, Hokage-sama. It will be done.”

“I trust that it will,” he replied somberly as he offered them a dismissive wave of his hand.

They filed out of the room, the tension seeming to trail them like a phantom as they departed. The significance of this mission was not lost on a single member of their team, each of them acutely aware of the potential implications if they were to fail.

Tenzou led them through the winding hallways and down into the corridor that led to the ANBU locker rooms. Passing the rows of empty benches, they stepped through one of the doors on the opposite end. This brought them into one of the two rooms that were only accessible by ANBU, rooms that were specially outfitted with a number of protective seals to ensure the space was secured against any form of eavesdropping.

The group had remained quiet the entire journey, but as soon as the door closed behind them Kai broke the silence as he heaved a large exhale.

“Damn,” he remarked as he removed his mask. “This one’s going to be tough.”

Haru sat heavily in a nearby chair and dropped his own mask on the table beside him. “No kidding.”

Moving around the table to stand across from them, Tenzou placed the identification paperwork in the center where they could all get a visual. “We should plan for this to take more than a month. We will want to gather as much information as possible, especially with regards to that group that the Hokage mentioned.”

Shirking her cloak and mask, Amaya took a seat next to Haru and leaned forward to peruse the aliases they’d been assigned. “Who will be posing as the new kitchen staff?”

Cocking his head to the side in thought, Tenzou reached up and slid his mask up to rest on his forehead. “That’s a good question,” he replied as his eyes moved between Kai and Haru.

“I know my limitations,” Kai said with a laugh, placing his hands up in a gesture of supplication. “I’ve got a loud mouth and I’m a terrible actor. I wouldn’t pick me.”

Haru let out a derisive snort. “That goes without saying.”

“Actually,” Amaya interjected, looking at Kai closely. “I think you’d be the perfect pick for our rebel informant.”

Tenzou’s gaze moved to her and she saw a flicker of comprehension dawn there.

“How do you figure?” Kai asked, dropping into a seat and resting his cheek on his fist.

“What we need is someone who is loud. Someone who can rile up the masses to take action,” she began, nibbling on the tip of her fingernail as she thought. “If we can get that group to make some sort of move against the feudal lord, it may provide us with the distraction we need to accomplish our goal.”

“And would have the added benefit of providing us with a suitable scapegoat when the mission is completed,” Tenzou added, nodding as he pulled out the chair across from her and took a seat. “I think you are on to something.”

“If there were to be some sort of uprising, we could time our assassination to coincide with the disruption,” she continued. “It would be our best shot. The castle will be in chaos, and it’s likely that only minimal guard will remain at the lord’s side.”

Tenzou turned to Kai. “What do you think?”

Kai shot them a maniacal grin. “I think that sounds right up my alley.”

Both Haru and Amaya let out small sounds of amusement as Haru leaned close to Amaya and gazed down at the profiles.

“So, then who will be going in with Amaya?” he asked as he scanned the information.

“Do you have any proper cooking skills, Haru? Outside of our campfire meals, that is,” Amaya inquired as she read through the inventory of self-proclaimed ‘skills’ that the paperwork had listed. Being a maidservant was easy enough, she could manage to fold some sheets and dust some shelves. The kitchen staff seemed to require a bit more skill, however. Did any of her teammates have the ability to cook without burning down a kitchen?

“I, uh…” Haru sat back and rubbed his neck sheepishly as a light blush crept across his cheeks.

Kai emitted a hearty laugh. “Of course he doesn’t. He’s a Hyuuga from the main branch.”

“Oh, right. Good point,” Amaya conceded. 

“I guess it will have to be me then,” Tenzou said with a small shrug. He turned to address Haru. “It’s probably for the best anyway. Your speech patterns do make it obvious that you come from a noble background.”

Haru gave an apologetic nod and sank a little further into his chair. “Do you know how to cook, Captain?”

“I can manage,” he answered, though his response did not instill much confidence in Amaya’s opinion.

As she continued to scan the information, something caught her attention. “Oh. It seems that the cover for these two is that they are a married couple.”

Silence fell over the room. It was only when it began to stretch uncomfortably that she was prompted to look up. Both Haru and Kai were staring at Tenzou. His face was as impassive as always, but the tiniest hint of pink colored his cheeks as he met her eyes.

She knew she shouldn’t do it. As soon as the idea crossed her mind, she should have shoved it aside and left it alone, but the look he was giving her made the temptation to tease him just a little too strong.

“Well, what do you think about that, husband?” Amaya inquired with a flirtatious wink.

She wasn’t really sure how she expected their captain to react, but when the blush heightened and he refused to meet her gaze, she couldn’t help the small grin that began to form. It was a look she had never seen on him before, and it was so damned endearing that she found herself wanting to tease him a bit more just to prolong the effect.

“Are you blushing ?” Kai asked with a raucous laugh. “Damn, Captain. You’re almost as bad as Haru! We really need to get you two out more.”

Tenzou’s brows knitted as he frowned at Kai.

“Quit being a jerk, Kai,” Haru huffed, grabbing the papers and examining them more closely. “So, you’re a newly married couple who just moved from a small village in the Land of Rivers.”

“Well, being married at least gives us a valid reason to be interacting while we are undercover there. We’ll need to work out our backstory though,” Amaya commented as Haru handed Tenzou the parchment. “How we met, when we got married, what our plans are. The usual stuff that people ask.”

Tenzou nodded but continued to avoid her eyes as he stared at the information in his hands. “I’ll leave those details to you.”

A small knot of worry settled in her stomach then. She hoped she hadn’t crossed the line with her teasing remark, as it seemed to have made Tenzou uncomfortable. If they were going to sell this story he would need to at least be at ease around her. Not exactly a promising start to a mission where they were going to have to pretend they were happy newlyweds…

The next few hours were spent planning, going over some of the finer details of their backstory and working out a tentative plan for them all once they reached Kunigami. Thankfully, Tenzou’s obvious discomfort dissipated rather quickly once their conversation shifted towards tactics. 

After they were dismissed for the night and headed their separate ways, Amaya couldn’t help her drifting thoughts from returning to Tenzou. His reaction to her comment left her wondering how much experience he had with women. Was he even interested in women at all? She figured he must be, it was the only explanation for his reaction that she could come up with. 

Without realizing it, she found herself comparing his behavior against Kai’s overt flirtatiousness. It was such a stark contrast, yet somehow still different from Haru’s shy demeanor. Perhaps it was Tenzou’s quiet confidence as a captain that made his reaction seem so jarring. It was the first time she had seen him looking so entirely out of his element.

Flopping onto her bed, she stared up at the ceiling, considering. There was something almost enigmatic about Tenzou. She had almost no knowledge of who the man was, whereas Kai and Haru seemed so transparent in comparison – as if she’d known them intimately for years. Despite Tenzou’s recent attempts to involve himself in their conversations, he rarely revealed anything about himself.

Tenzou’s expression when she’d openly teased him came back to her as a burning curiosity began to well within her. She had the strangest urge to learn more about him – to know what made him tick – and maybe this mission would provide her with the perfect opportunity to do just that. 

The trip to Kunigami was uneventful. Most of the journey was spent traveling through the ample forests that their home was known for, hopefully ensuring that nobody was aware of an ANBU squad traveling from Konoha to their destination. Anonymity was the name of the game, after all.

When they were only a few hours out from the village's outer reaches, Tenzou called them to a halt and informed them that they would be separating into two pairs. Kai and Haru would proceed as they had been, venturing unseen through the thick woods until they reached the temporary residence that would serve as their base of operations. Tenzou and Amaya, on the other hand, would be assuming their aliases from this point forward – meaning they would be forced to walk the more well-traveled civilian roads for the remainder of their journey. 

Before the group parted, Tenzou and Amaya donned their civilian clothes and passed their ANBU gear to the other two for safekeeping. They each performed a transformation jutsu, altering themselves to appear as a perfectly average looking young couple. 

Both of them looked softer, no longer possessing the hard edges that often resulted from the strenuous physical demands of being a shinobi. Tenzou was notably smaller, now sporting a leaner build accented with black hair and eyes the color of caramel. His henge was not unattractive, in Amaya’s opinion, but would be unlikely to draw too much unwanted attention. 

The henge that Amaya had chosen for herself gave her slightly more generous curves than she was naturally endowed with, although not near enough to get in her way when the time came to execute their mission. She had chosen to color her hair a touch darker than mahogany, while her eyes were the exact shade of brown that Yuugao’s were.

Everyone seemed to approve of the relatively mundane new appearances of the pair, and after reconfirming that nobody had any lingering questions, the group separated.

The hours of walking along the uneven path that led towards the village was a quiet affair, though not uncomfortable. Tenzou and Amaya were both so used to traveling long distances in silence that neither of them felt the need to try to fill the absence of conversation with useless chatter. 

In the absence of stimulating conversation, Amaya took the opportunity to actually appreciate the beauty of the nature around them. It was her favorite time of year – fall was just beginning to bring in more temperate weather, and a few trees were starting to show evidence of the changing seasons. Soon the trees surrounding their village would be burning with color.

As they drew closer to the outskirts of Kunigami, the lush forests began to slowly give way to vast stretches of farmland. The people they passed on the road were friendly and welcoming, offering generous smiles and greetings. Despite the current political climate in Kunigami, some residents seemed to be more than content with their lives there.

That general feeling of peace appeared to shift once they finally broke through the farmland and began to traverse the busier streets leading into the heart of the village. People here were less likely to meet their eyes as they passed, more often hastening about their business with a practiced ignorance of the people around them. Everyone seemed keen to keep to themselves rather than greet the new faces that had appeared in their midst. 

It occurred to Amaya that Kunigami must have its fair share of travelers, enough that their presence would go mostly unnoticed by the residents. That would be beneficial for Kai and Haru, as it would allow them to blend in much easier.

Shortly after entering the bustling confines of the village, the feudal lord’s castle began to resolve itself. It started with a brief glimpse of the ornate golden cranes that adorned the peaks of the jade hip-and-gable rooftops, each catching and reflecting the afternoon light. But as they wound their way further along the path, the sheer size of the castle became increasingly evident. Amaya had been afforded the opportunity to visit a few feudal lord residences during her time in ANBU, but this one seemed much larger than those she’d seen before. It wasn’t so much its height – this castle seemed to sprawl across the land it was on, taking up every bit of space it possibly could.

They were about two blocks away, in direct sight of the large stone walls that isolated the castle grounds from the surrounding village, when Tenzou pulled them both to a stop and turned to her.

“Are you ready, Katsumi?”

Looking up into the unfamiliar hazelnut eyes of Tenzou’s henge, Amaya nodded, feeling the smallest of smiles ghost across her lips at the first use of her cover name.

“Of course, Hideki-sama,” she said coyly, injecting an obvious note of flirtation before she could think better of it.

She watched Tenzou stiffen in momentary surprise, but it seemed that this time he was a bit more prepared for her gentle ribbing. He observed her closely as he lifted a single brow in challenge.

“Then we should get going, dear .” He turned away from her then and strode off purposefully towards the closed gates that separated them from the castle courtyard. 

The irony of her codename doubling as a term of endearment was not lost on her given the sheer number of times Kai had tossed that one her way, but Amaya’s momentary surprise at Tenzou’s reciprocal teasing caused her to hesitate for a few beats. Breaking out into a full-blown grin, she jogged a few paces to fall into step beside him. Maybe Tenzou wasn’t as hopeless as Kai believed him to be.

Soon they were approaching the pair of massive wooden doors that served as the main entrance to the castle courtyard, the wood stained the same shade of jade green as the tiles of the castle roof. Two uniformed guards flanked either side of the entryway, each wielding a well-polished spear and alert expressions. It was an intimidating sight, and Amaya was admittedly in awe of the splendor and overt display of wealth that the castle as a whole seemed to boast. She couldn’t help but wonder if some of this opulence was a result of the questionable taxation the feudal lord seemed to be forcing upon the people of Kunigami.

Before they could draw too close to the gates, one of the guards called out to them.

“State your business!”

“We are here to report for work,” Tenzou explained as he shifted from foot-to-foot, appearing genuinely intimidated by all the pomp and circumstance. Amaya was impressed, given that reaction is what would be expected from a couple from more rural parts.

“Identification?” the man demanded curtly as he thrust a palm in Tenzou’s direction.

With a nod, Tenzou hesitated only a moment before pulling their paperwork from one of the pockets of his pack and handing them over.

Propping the large spear in the crook of his arm, the man scrutinized the papers for several seconds before turning to his partner with a nod. Without a word the guard pivoted and opened one of the gates, the wood creaking on the hinges with a loud groan as he did so. He passed through the gap quickly and closed the gate with a snap behind him.

Tenzou and Amaya stood awkwardly as they waited with the remaining guard outside. A few minutes ticked past, and Amaya was just beginning to wonder if they would be stuck out there after nightfall when the telltale groan of the wood drew her attention back.

The guard reappeared, this time with another man in tow. He was tall with dark features, well dressed in garb that identified him as a servant of the highest rank. His manner and bearing bespoke years of experience in his role, and there was a severity to his countenance that Amaya found reminded her remarkably of the Sandaime.

“You must be Nakamura-san,” the man said by way of greeting as he addressed Tenzou. “We’ve been expecting you. And this is your wife?”

Tenzou bowed low in a show of deference, with Amaya following suit.

“Good, you are just in time. I am Sato, the head servant of Kunigami Castle,” he added as he turned, gesturing for them to follow him through the entrance and into the courtyard beyond.

Even if he had not revealed his position, his formal way of speaking would have given it away. Amaya found herself eyeing him closely as he led them on a path that wound away from the wooden gates. As head servant, Sato would be someone who worked closely with the feudal lord. He might be a good source of intel about their target, although she had a feeling that he was a shrewd man and would be difficult to pry information from.

They rounded the eastern side of the castle, revealing a much smaller section of the courtyard. The ornate path they had been on transitioned to a basic stone walkway that led them to one of the castle’s side doors. 

“This is the servant’s entrance. Obviously, you are not to use the main entrance unless specifically required to.” Sato eyed them closely. “Although, based on the positions you were hired for, I do not see any cause for you to need to do so.”

A supreme sense of superiority was evident in his tone, but Amaya brushed it aside. It was not atypical for those in Sato’s position to look down upon those beneath them. It didn’t make it right, but they certainly weren’t here to make waves. It was something they would be expected to ignore, and so she did just that.

The pair nodded in acknowledgement as Sato led them through the entryway and into a darkened hallway that led to what Amaya presumed to be the section of the castle where the servants resided. As they passed a few open doorways, the general lack of embellishments confirmed her suspicions.

“I understand that you are newly married?” Sato inquired as they continued along the corridor.

“Yes, Sato-san,” Tenzou answered.

Sato made a small tutting sound. “Men and women have separate quarters here. You will each be sharing a room with other servants.”

Amaya might have been offended when she saw Tenzou visibly relax at this statement had she not also been relieved upon hearing this news. She still hadn’t had the opportunity to… get things out of her system, so to speak. The prospect of sharing a bed with a man was not something that she thought her nerves could take, regardless of the person she was sharing it with. Not that she thought that Tenzou would have taken advantage of the situation. He wasn’t Kai, after all. Now that would have been a disaster.

With that cheering thought, Amaya smiled to herself. “Of course. We understand, Sato-san,” she offered.

She saw him turn his head to the side minutely as if in consideration, but he said nothing.

A moment later, Sato came to a halt and turned to address her. “This will be your room,” he explained as he slid the door aside for her and gestured inside. “The other girls are currently busy with their work. You will make their acquaintance later.”

Amaya gave him a small bow of appreciation before taking a few tentative steps into the room. It was a small space with only enough room for three cots and a single small desk. One of the cots was bare with fresh linens folded in a small stack upon the mattress. She presumed this was to be hers.

Turning, she thanked Sato once more before catching Tenzou’s eye. Some sort of unspoken understanding passed between them then, a knowledge that this was where the mission would really begin.

Evidently their gazes had lingered a touch too long for Sato’s liking, and he cleared his throat pointedly. “Nakamura-san, I will now show you to your room.”

With that, Sato began to make his way down the hallway once more. Tenzou spared a single moment to cast a surreptitious nod to Amaya before he followed.

Stepping back to the doorway, Amaya watched their retreating forms disappear around a corner. With a sigh of relief, she backed into the room once more and slid the door shut with a firm snap.

Chapter Text

“Hana! Did you see that new guy working in the kitchens?”

The young woman nodded shyly in response. “Yes, I saw him yesterday.”

“Isn’t he so cute? He looks like he’s a bit older too,” the other woman chattered, a lustful grin crossing her features. “I do love an older man.”

Amaya snorted inwardly at the conversation as she neatly folded the corners of the bedsheets and tucked them beneath the mattress. Megumi and Hana were obviously discussing Tenzou – or rather, Hideki – and she had to wonder what he would think if he knew he was being referred to as ‘cute’. Sure, they were referring to his henge, but the mental image of the bashful look he might wear was enough to set her smiling secretly to herself. 

Apparently her mirth did not go unnoticed.

“I see you smiling over there, Katsumi. I’ll have you know that I thrive with some friendly competition,” Megumi taunted playfully. “So you think he’s cute too?”

This time Amaya did not bother to hide her reaction as she let out a small laugh.

“I would certainly hope so,” she began, a teasing glint in her gaze. “He is the man I married, after all.”

The young women standing across the room from her wore matching expressions of shock as Megumi nearly dropped the pile of freshly laundered linens she was carrying.

“He’s your husband?” Hana inquired in her soft, melodic voice.

As Amaya tucked in the last corner of the bedspread, Megumi spoke up again. “You’re so lucky,” she whined. “Having a handsome husband like that.”

Amaya huffed in amusement.

It had been three days since Tenzou and Amaya’s arrival, and most of the time had been spent in a flurry of activity. Not only had Amaya been required to pick up all the nuances of her position as a maidservant, but she’d been forced to rapidly absorb the complex intricacies that came with engaging with others of her own rank and above. Not to mention navigating the castle halls had proven to be its own challenge, though she was now fairly confident she had a solid mental map of the winding hallways.

Shortly after Tenzou had left her that first evening, Hana and Megumi had appeared in the room she’d been told she would be staying in. She had just been finishing making her bed and unpacking her few items when the door had opened to voracious chatter. Of course, that chatter was mostly a one sided diatribe from Megumi while Hana simply nodded in tacit agreement.

When the two had realized they weren’t alone in the room, they’d both come to an abrupt halt and openly stared at Amaya. Rather than feeling awkward about it, she’d affected a cheerful mien and introduced herself with a friendly smile. It wasn’t long before Amaya learned that both girls were genuinely kind people, and she was ultimately relieved that she would be sharing a space with them.

Megumi was clearly the more outspoken of the two girls. She could go on for hours about nothing of significance, prattling away and necessitating very little response from those caught up in her monologuing. There was one topic, however, that Amaya quickly realized was Megumi’s favorite – boys. 

Amaya had never met anyone quite as boy crazy as Megumi, and it seemed that she held no qualms about letting everyone in the vicinity know about it. As they were preparing for bed on Amaya’s first night in Kunigami, Megumi had regaled Amaya with some of the stories of her most impressive conquests. While Amaya wasn’t quite used to being around people with Megumi’s zealousness and desire to overshare, she had to appreciate the openness of the young woman. It was something she rarely experienced in her life in ANBU, and it was oddly refreshing.

Where Megumi would be described as gregarious and outgoing, Hana was more quiet and reserved. She spoke rarely, and typically only when asked a direct question. Amaya had not really been able to get much out of her in their few moments alone, though she sensed that Hana was a gentle soul. She was the type of girl that Amaya felt a strange urge to protect from the harsh realities of the world, though she also had the odd sense that Hana had not led an easy life. Perhaps it was being around so many people who had experienced trauma of varying degrees, but Hana seemed to radiate that same sort of protective shell around her.

Well before dawn had broken on her first morning at the castle, she’d been awoken by the servant’s bell informing them that it was time to rise and start their day. Hana had been kind enough to show Amaya where she could find some spare uniforms, and the three women had reported to the servants dining area. Breakfast was evidently one of the only times that all the servants gathered together, as their various duties often required them to take sporadic meals throughout the day and evening. It was also the only time Amaya saw Tenzou in the days following their arrival.

Speaking of Tenzou… while they hadn’t intentionally decided to keep their feigned marriage a secret, they also hadn’t gone out of their way to advertise it. Amaya figured the rumor mill would be enough to pick up on that at some point, though surprisingly the word had apparently not gotten out as of yet. Although she supposed she shouldn’t be too surprised, as Sato and Toshiko – the head manservant and maidservant, respectively – had been the only ones aware of it, as far as she knew. 

Toshiko was technically the person Amaya answered to as she was responsible for overseeing all of the maids within the castle. Part of her duties included distributing daily tasks amongst the maids, as well as ensuring said tasks were completed efficiently and without cause for reproach. She was a severe woman but fair, Amaya had found. It also hadn’t escaped Amaya’s notice that Toshiko seemed to harbor a soft spot for Hana, leading Amaya to believe the woman had a bit of warmth hidden beneath the hardened layers.

“But the real question is,” Megumi said, pulling Amaya from her reverie and back to the conversation at hand as she dropped her voice conspiratorially. “How is he in bed?”

Eyes widening in surprise, Amaya looked up to find Megumi grinning lasciviously whilst Hana had paled to the point of appearing that she might be on the verge of passing out.

“My husband is…” She trailed off, considering for a moment. Honestly, if she was going to be forced to pretend to be married, why not have some fun with it? She grinned. “Very talented in bed.”

“I knew it!” Megumi exclaimed, grabbing Hana’s arm and shaking the girl excitedly. “Did you see his hands? A man with hands like that has to know his way around a woman’s body.”

Again, Amaya was left wondering what Tenzou would think if he overheard this conversation. 

“How did you two meet?” Hana asked softly, subtly trying to steer them away from the lewd shift the conversation had taken.

That question was an easy one, it was a story Amaya had conjured up herself after all. As a general rule it was best to keep backstories simple and easy to follow when executing undercover missions. It made it more difficult for others to spot discrepancies in timelines and locations. While Amaya had been careful to remain vague about the details of how she and Tenzou supposedly met, she may have gotten a little carried away on the flowery storytelling portion of it. Still, Tenzou had approved of it, only giving her a slight raise of his eyebrow at the effort she had put into it.

“We actually grew up together,” she began, grabbing the pile of dirty linens and tossing them into a large basket by the door. “I had a crush on him for the longest time but I thought he only saw me as a friend.”

Both girls were listening with rapt attention, already intrigued by her little fairy tale.

“His parents were forced to move during one of the droughts. It hit our village pretty hard,” she continued as she moved on to dusting the mantle. “I thought it would be the last time I ever saw Hideki, so before he left I asked if he would meet with me.”

Megumi was bouncing excitedly, completely ignoring her own dusting duties in lieu of listening to Amaya’s romantic narrative. “Did you tell him?”

Amaya quirked her lips at the girl’s exuberance. “I did. Although he was so shocked by my confession that he didn’t know what to say. I’m afraid he’s much more shy than I am.”

She paused for effect, knowing that sometimes anticipation made the story all the more interesting. “His family left the next morning. They moved to a small town about an hour away. I honestly thought that was it for us. I was devastated.”

Hana smiled knowingly. “He came back for you?”

“He did,” she confirmed, finding herself getting engrossed in her own made up tale. “About a month after they left he showed up on my doorstep.”

“What did he say?” Megumi asked impatiently. She was perched on the arm of an ornate chair that probably cost more than their yearly salaries combined, leaning forward precariously as she stared at Amaya with wide eyes.

Amaya shrugged. “He asked me to marry him. He said he’d been in love with me for years but had never had the courage to tell me.”

“Why didn’t he say anything before they moved?” Hana questioned with a confused wrinkle to her brow.

“He believed I wouldn’t want to leave the village and my parents behind.”

Megumi sat back and laughed heartily. “Well, he was certainly wrong about that wasn’t he?”

Amaya smiled. It was the type of romance that – in Amaya’s opinion – only ever existed in books, but the girls seemed to eat it up. Real love wasn’t that simple, and Amaya was hard pressed to believe she would ever find something as easy and pure as the story she had invented. Being a shinobi didn’t lend to that sort of fairy tale romance, and she was okay with that. To hope for anything more would lead to nothing but disappointment.

As it turned out, Tenzou was surprisingly well suited to his position in the kitchens. Initially he had been worried that he would be expected to demonstrate more refined culinary skills than he possessed. However, it turned out that preparing food for the feudal lord’s family and castle staff was a lot simpler than he had expected. This was in large part due to the limited menu that they kept – a consequence of the time it took for all the food and drink to be taste tested prior to the main family being able to enjoy it. Trying to protect the feudal lord from assassination by poisoning meant hot meals were often lukewarm by the time they made it to the feudal lord’s palate.

The job was made easier still as Tenzou was relegated to prep work a majority of the time. His duties included washing and cutting the vegetables, cleaning the dishes, and cooking the copious amounts of rice that was consumed every day. In addition, he was required to venture out into the village first thing each morning to retrieve fresh meat and produce. These outings would eventually allow him to exchange information with Haru and Kai – a very distinct advantage for the success of the mission and avoiding detection.

There was one pitfall, however. The serving of the food was consigned to the retainers, meaning that Tenzou had little cause to wander the castle halls and start working out a plan to execute said mission. Thankfully Amaya’s job as a maidservant drew her to all areas of the castle, and he hoped she would be able to provide them with that information in the coming days.

“Hand me that paring knife, will you?”

Kenji – the head chef and Tenzou’s only roommate – stretched his hand out towards Tenzou, palm up and waiting. The man didn’t look up from the pan of fragrant vegetables in the sauté pan, their vibrant colors mixing pleasantly in the amber oil. Tenzou carefully offered him the knife handle first before retreating back to the large open sink to rinse more rice for the evening meal.

His mind began wandering as it often did since he had started working here. Many of the tasks were mundane, able to be executed without much conscious thought to speak of, so his thoughts often drifted to his teammates and the mission itself. 

As he sifted the short grains of rice through his fingers, Tenzou wondered if Kai and Haru had managed to find out anything about the rebel group that was rumored to be active in the area. If Kai managed to join their ranks they would have a much better idea of whether or not the group would be helpful in executing their mission. The group’s usefulness was highly dependent on the number of people involved, the grievances they held against the feudal lord, and whether or not they would be willing to lead an uprising against him. There were so many variables with this strategy, so many ways this could go wrong, that Tenzou knew he would need to have at least two backup plans in case things did not pan out.

This brought his musings back to Amaya. As a maidservant within the household, she was the closest any of them would get to the feudal lord and his family. At least, that’s what he assumed. Despite their supposed status as husband and wife they had only managed to see each other at morning meals for the past few days. He knew he needed to touch base with her and see what kind of information she’d gained in the interim, though he wasn’t certain how they would be able to engage in such a discussion away from prying ears. 

Perhaps he would just need to pull her away this evening. It was not as if his approaching her would seem odd, he could simply claim he wanted a chance to spend some time with his wife.

Feeling more settled now that he had a plan in mind, Tenzou moved to the cutting board and began peeling the large pile of carrots atop it. Just a few more hours and they could finally start making some plans for this mission.

The sun had long been set by the time Tenzou found himself standing outside the door to Amaya’s room. The thin paper of the shoji screen did little to dampen the lighthearted chatter coming from inside, rendering it all too easy for Tenzou to overhear the conversation beyond. One of the girls was in the midst of telling a story about some romantic conquest of hers, and Tenzou found himself flushing in embarrassment as she described a portion of the man’s anatomy in very explicit detail.

Pursing his lips, he knocked loudly on the wooden frame. Silence fell within and he heard footsteps swiftly approaching before the door slid back.

A young woman stood before him, her look of surprise rapidly shifting into delight when she seemingly recognized him. It was a reaction he wasn’t fully expecting, and he found his gaze shifting beyond her to alight on Amaya, his brow slightly raised in question. She wore a knowing smirk, obviously having heard him outside of the room well before he had knocked. It was clear from the amusement dancing in her eyes that she knew he’d been listening to the topic of conversation that the women had been engaging in.

“Nakamura-san!” The young woman standing before him exclaimed breathily. “How unexpected!”

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Amaya lift her hand to smother her expanding grin.

“Uh, yes. Sorry for the intrusion,” he replied with a small bow. “I don’t believe we’ve been introduced?”

The girl’s smile stretched even further. “I’m Megumi,” she responded cheerfully, bouncing on the balls of her feet and turning to look back at a younger girl who was standing with her arms crossed protectively across her midsection. She seemed to be shooting furtive glances his way but was carefully avoiding meeting his eyes. “And that’s Hana. Don’t mind her, she’s shy.”

The girl ducked her head in embarrassment, more than proving the point.

“I assume you are here for your wife?” The tone in which Megumi relayed the question hinted at something inappropriate, and Tenzou felt his brows climbing even further up his forehead.

“I am,” he answered cautiously, willing his cheeks not to flush at the implication. 

Their relationship might have been a ruse for the sake of the mission, but he found himself reacting in embarrassment at the innuendo regardless. He reached up and rubbed his neck, one of the unmistakable tics that usually gave away his discomfort. He’d never quite been able to break the habit, a point which his senpai just loved to harass him about whenever he had the chance.

Before the discomfort could well and truly settle in, Tenzou reassured himself that his reactions were simply a consequence of his never having had to execute a mission where he was required to pretend to be romantically linked to one of his teammates. This type of ploy had always fallen on other comrades, and he wondered if that lack of experience might be a hindrance to him now. Kai certainly would have no issue playing along if he was in Tenzou’s position, although knowing him he might lean into it a bit too hard. Haru on the other hand… Well, Tenzou thought Haru would probably react much as Tenzou had, although that thought was not as reassuring as he would have liked it to be. 

Tenzou knew he was a confident man when it came to his role as a captain and a shinobi. However, when it came to matters of romance and women, he was much less sure of himself. While most of his cohorts in their early twenties often boasted of their conquests, Tenzou had only had two partners to speak of. The first had been a fumbling one night stand that had left both parties feeling inordinately awkward and unsatisfied. The second had been with another ANBU he had been seeing for a few weeks about a year ago. She, at least, had been patient enough to help guide him in the right direction, though it had fizzled out as rapidly as it had begun. Certainly not uncommon for people in their line of work.

Before Tenzou could get further wrapped up in his musings, his attention was drawn back to Amaya as she stepped forward. “Well ladies, if you’ll excuse me.” 

A small smile of amusement was still painting Amaya’s features as she moved forward, and  Megumi let out a giggle as she passed.

“Have fun, you two!” she called with a wink as she shut the door behind them.

The moment they were alone, silence fell like a lead weight between them. They stood there for a few seconds trying to adjust to the sudden shift in the atmosphere. It was abundantly clear that the girls assumed they were planning to sneak off somewhere in order to engage in more… intimate pursuits. Tenzou had to actively work to not allow his own thoughts to wander too far down that particular avenue, though he found it helped that Amaya didn’t actually look like herself. It was easier to subvert those ideas when staring down at the face of a stranger.

“Shall we?” she asked, tilting her head to the side in question.

Tenzou nodded and led her down the hall toward the door that opened out into the courtyard. His plan was to try to find an isolated spot where they could speak without being overheard. To anyone else, it would hopefully look like nothing more than a young couple out on a stroll together.

“They seem nice,” he commented carefully as they passed through the doorway and out into the cool night air. 

The shifting seasons were making themselves known in earnest now, the light breeze carrying with it the promise of a harsh winter. The crescent moon hung low in the sky, barely illuminating the courtyard beyond the sparse lanterns that lined the main path.

Amaya let out a small huff of laughter. “Hana is very sweet, although painfully shy as I’m sure you noticed.” Tenzou nodded. “Megumi is quite taken with you though.”

Tenzou faltered slightly before continuing along the stone walkway. Reaching the point where the path forked, he abandoned the area that remained well-lit and instead led them further into the darkened courtyard – hopefully away from any prying eyes.

“She is?” he asked, mostly out of sheer curiosity. Tenzou wasn’t used to being the object of someone’s attention, and he was at a loss for why this young woman would hold any sort of interest in him, especially given they had never interacted prior to this evening.

“Oh, yes. Well, that was before I let out the big reveal that we are married, of course,” she added. She leaned into him, nudging him playfully with her shoulder. It was an act of such a familiarity that he found himself momentarily distracted by how comfortable she seemed to be with him. Was it because of the henge? Was this mission blurring the lines between their roles as captain and subordinate? Or did it go beyond that?

Once he recognized his thoughts beginning to spiral in a direction that was not at all constructive – and quite frankly, ill advised – he shut it down with practiced efficiency.

“Megumi is, what I would call, ‘boy crazy’,” Amaya stated, unaware of the distraction of the man at her side.

Tenzou wasn’t certain what being ‘boy crazy’ meant exactly, but based on the pieces of conversation he’d overheard earlier it did seem to be an apt description. On the other hand, being referred to as a ‘boy’ grated on him a little. It had been a long time since he had left his childhood behind, if he could even claim to having had one to begin with. But those were demons he had dealt with long ago.

“I’m not a boy.” The words were spoken without inflection, merely a statement of fact as he felt a bit of his captain’s persona settle back into place. It was comforting, especially as he had been feeling somewhat out of his element since this mission had begun.

A few beats of silence passed, and he could feel the weight of Amaya’s scrutiny. When he finally turned his head to meet her eyes, her gaze was calculating.

“No, I suppose you aren’t,” she concluded quietly. Her tone was somber, and there was a hint of something behind it that he couldn’t quite put his finger on.

Not particularly keen with the shift that the conversation was taking, Tenzou came to a halt and carefully scanned the area, allowing all of his senses to work to identify any potential eavesdroppers. He concluded that the area was devoid of any other human presence unless someone was particularly adept at cloaking themselves. Either way he was fairly confident that they were alone, and he saw Amaya relax visibly when she seemed to arrive at the same conclusion.

“How are things progressing?” he prompted, all business once more.

She crossed her arms and met his eyes directly, her own manner shifting to match his. “Well enough. I’ve been granted access to most of the house, including the rooms where the feudal lord’s wife and children stay. It seems that Toshiko-san is responsible exclusively for maintaining those rooms. None of the other maids are allowed in that section of the house.”

“That’s not entirely unexpected,” Tenzou responded with a nod. He also suspected Sato to be the only servant allowed in direct contact with the feudal lord. If he had learned anything during their short stay here it was that the feudal lord was at a minimum extremely cautious, but also quite possibly more than a little paranoid.

Amaya turned her attention out into the darkness. “I have a fairly good grasp of the layout of the interior now, as well as where the feudal lord is frequently located throughout the day. He is a creature of habit.”

That was good news for them. As long as he followed a routine it would be easy for them to find an ideal window of opportunity to execute their plan.

“Have you heard from the other two?” she inquired.

He noticed she was careful not to use Kai or Haru’s names. Keeping their identities hidden as much as possible was still paramount.

“Not yet,” he admitted with a frown. “Though I expect to hear something within the next couple of days.”

Amaya nodded absently, appearing preoccupied with something.

“What is it?”

Her gaze shifted to glance at him from the corner of her eye. “It’s nothing,” she declared after a few beats of silence had passed.

“Tell me.”

Tenzou watched as her lips thinned, clearly battling with herself over whether she should comply. “Do you ever wish you could just… I don’t know. Stay here? Have this sort of simple life?”

The abrupt shift in topic caught him completely off guard, and he realized that some of the surprise was bleeding into his expression when she turned to face him fully.

“Never mind,” she said, heaving a sigh and shaking her head in exasperation. “Like I said, it’s nothing.”

As Tenzou continued to observe her, a small knot of worry began to settle in his gut. What had prompted her to have these thoughts? Was ANBU beginning to wear on her?

Running her fingers through her hair she turned towards the castle once more. 

“We should probably head back,” she suggested when Tenzou didn’t respond

Tenzou nodded, grateful for the change in subject despite the small amount of concern that continued to gnaw at him at her words. 

“We’ll need to meet again in a few days,” he declared as they retraced their steps back to the servants entrance.

Amaya let out a hum of acknowledgement but said nothing further. When they reached the door to her room they bid each other a good night before Tenzou retreated to his own sleeping quarters. Kenji was already fast asleep and snoring lightly by the time Tenzou returned.

Sleep evaded him deftly that night. For several hours he lay wide awake, staring at the ceiling and contemplating Amaya’s cryptic words. His sleeplessness wasn’t simply a consequence of his worry that she might be beginning to lose her drive – what she had said was actually giving him cause to examine his own life.

Serving as a tool for others, first as a test subject at Orochimaru’s hands then as a shinobi for his village, was all he had ever known. It was his entire identity, what he believed defined him as a person, while his past history – his names – all felt like nebulous contributions to his character. The mere idea of having that stripped from him made him break out in a cold sweat. How could he ever imagine himself in a different life? What would he even do?

Yet even as these questions swirled through his consciousness, he realized that he was doing exactly that right now. It might all be a contrivance for the sake of the mission, but if that was stripped away, he was indeed living a different life. A simpler life. Was that what Amaya had meant?

Never once had Tenzou considered what he would do outside of being a shinobi, or even outside of ANBU. Honestly, the only time he had dared hope for more for himself was when he had left Root. Once he’d been free of that shackled existence, though, he’d never bothered to wonder about what was next for him. He knew his role – his purpose. He was a tool for his village to be used for its betterment. Any wants, needs or desires he might have did not matter in the face of that. Right?

But now his mind was plaguing him with all sorts of what-if scenarios. What would he be doing if he had not been kidnapped by Orochimaru? If he had been allowed to grow up in a normal household, have a normal childhood? Would he still have chosen this life for himself?

As his mind wandered down that avenue, more questions began to resolve themselves. What kind of job would he have chosen if he had been a simple civilian? Would he be married with a family of his own?

Unbidden, the memory of Amaya straddling him in her victory that day on the training grounds came to mind. She had been beatific in that moment, and he remembered being dismayed to have finally recognized how attractive he found her. Since then, he’d been mostly able to compartmentalize the fleeting thought of that day, but it seemed to be coming back to haunt him once again.

He willfully shoved aside that train of thought. Amaya was the only woman in his life that he interacted with on a frequent basis. Surely that was the reason for his mild preoccupation. Even so, maybe he did need to take Kai’s suggestion to heart and put himself out there a bit more, because allowing his attention to wander to one of his subordinates was absolutely unacceptable.

Sleep finally found Tenzou in the early hours of the morning. His dreams were imbued with scenes of predictable routine, of a happy home and a persistent, loving presence. It was an unusually restful sleep for the man, and by the time he woke only a few short hours later, he had forgotten the details of his dreams entirely. All that was left in their wake was a lingering sense of yearning, though what exactly it was that he yearned for he couldn’t quite seem to recall.

Chapter Text

Amaya lifted the spoon to her mouth, lightly blowing on the steaming contents as she surreptitiously watched the scene unfolding on the other side of the table. One of the stableboys, a cute young man with boyish features and an easy smile, was telling Hana all about his work. Hana was listening with rapt attention, eyes wide with wonder and fixed to his face as if his words were the most fascinating thing that had ever been uttered in her presence. Honestly, the sheer transparency of Hana’s emotions were so wholesome that Amaya found herself inadvertently smiling down at her soup bowl. 

She had suspected Hana of having a crush on the boy, but this was the first time she had seen them sitting next to each other at breakfast. From the moment he’d grabbed the seat next to her, Hana had been stiff as a board, like a rabbit that knows it’s been spotted by a predator. Thankfully it did not seem as if the boy had noticed her strange behavior, rapidly engaging her in light conversation that appeared to put Hana more at ease the longer the discussion went on. The entire scene left Amaya with a certain sense of peace that she was confident she hadn’t felt in a very long time.

Gaze drifting, Amaya found that she was not the only one watching the scene unfolding across from her. Megumi was blatantly observing the exchange with a very knowing look in her eyes. Even Toshiko had noticed, though the head maidservant did not look pleased by this development if the disapproving frown she wore was any indication.

As Amaya’s attention moved back to the young pair, she felt Tenzou’s presence at her back.

“May I collect your dishes?”

She turned to smile up at him. 

“Oh, yes,” she replied as she passed him her plate and bowl.

His hand covered hers, fingers brushing across her own as he subtly pressed a small piece of folded parchment between her fingers. Closing it in her fist, she drew her hand back to her chest and beamed up at him.

“Thank you, Hideki.”

Tenzou returned her smile, his eyes lingering on hers for a few seconds longer than she would have expected. As she watched his retreating back, she felt a small hint of confusion at the prolonged eye contact. Was he trying to hint to her that the note was urgent?

“Ugh, you two are too adorable for words,” Megumi groused good naturedly.

Amaya turned her attention to the girl beside her, covertly tucking the note into her pocket as she offered Megumi a sheepish shrug.

“Not as cute as those two,” Amaya whispered back conspiratorially, tilting her head at Hana and the stableboy.

A poorly stifled giggle erupted from Megumi’s lips, drawing the attention of the pair in question.

“Alright, enough of that,” Toshiko declared sharply. “Time for work!”

Collectively the group got to their feet and began to file out. Amaya watched as the stableboy bid Hana farewell and promised to continue their talk later. The look of unadulterated hope and elation on Hana’s face was enough to cause a surge of warmth to spread throughout Amaya’s chest. Really, the entire scene was just so darned cute.

“I just need to run to the restroom really quickly,” Amaya told Megumi as they began to head down the hallway.

With a flippant shake of her hand, Megumi called back. “I’ll see you upstairs.”

Instead of following the group of servants traipsing towards the door that led to the main part of the house, Amaya turned left and rushed into the nearby restroom, rapidly locking the door behind her. Even in the safety of the closed room she still felt the need to hunch over the paper as she unfolded it.

Meet me outside of the kitchens after midnight.

It was a simple message, one that was unlikely to compromise them if discovered by someone else. Amaya guessed this probably meant that Tenzou had some news from the others, and that knowledge sent a small thrill of excitement through her. It looked like things were finally starting to progress. They had only been here for two weeks, but she was already beginning to itch from the inaction. Being forced into a relatively sedentary lifestyle was starting to wear on her, although she would be lying if she claimed aspects of this life didn’t appeal to her.

Turning on the faucet of the sink, she gently proffered the note to the stream of water. She barely noticed the frigid temperature that stung her fingers as the paper dissolved readily upon her palm. This type of parchment was specifically designed to be easily destroyed by numerous methods. It could even be ingested, but that didn’t make it taste any less like paper and ink.

With a smile and a small bounce in her step, Amaya exited the bathroom and rushed down the hallway, already looking forward to what news Tenzou would have to relay to her that evening.

Megumi and Hana were fast asleep, the soothing cadence of their breaths lulling Amaya into a state of contentedness as she waited for the approach of midnight. Normally, she would have tried to find something to occupy her time as she waited for the hours to pass, but tonight she was more than satisfied to allow her mind to wander aimlessly as she lay on her cot. 

To her estimation, Amaya figured that Tenzou had probably met up with Haru at least once by now. He was serving as the liaison between Kai and Tenzou, hopefully avoiding any discernible link between their positions in the household and Kai’s potential membership with the rebel faction. 

This line of thought left her with a multitude of questions. How they were doing. Had Kai managed to insert himself into the group as expected? Would their plan to utilize this unnamed group to cover up their own planned assassination really work?

And what about Haru? Out of the three of them, he objectively had the most dull assignment. As far as she knew, most of his time was spent wandering the village, getting to know the people and trying to gain any information he could. If it weren’t for the importance of his role as a point of contact between Kai and Tenzou, he might have been unnecessary for this mission.

Turning her head to the side, she idly watched the stars that twinkled brightly in the clear obsidian sky outside of her window. Something about this mission felt strange to her. Despite her relative unease at remaining cooped up and unable to train, she had adapted quickly to her role as a servant. Being at someone’s beck and call did not bother her as much as she had thought it might, though she couldn’t claim to be a big fan of serving within the household of the feudal lord himself. 

There had been rumors circulating, whispers that gave her a bit more insight into what the man himself was like. He was apparently very good at maintaining an upstanding public image, though behind closed doors it seemed he was a wholly different person. Greed appeared to be only one in a long list of his sins, if the allegations of his abuse against his wife and children were to be believed. Armed with this knowledge, it was with no small satisfaction that Amaya plotted out their final moves against him in her own head.

When her watch informed her that it was almost time, she peeled back the thin blanket that covered her still clothed form and silently passed through the room and out the door. Once she softly shut the screen behind her, she found that the hallway was almost pitch black. The only sounds that echoed along its emptiness were the snores of a few of the occupants of the rooms nearby.

Doing her best to remain silent, Amaya quickly paced to the kitchens and came to a halt right before the open entryway. At first glance it appeared that she was alone, but Amaya knew better. Even though she couldn’t see him, she could sense Tenzou’s presence. 

Sure enough, a lean figure stepped out of the shadows to meet her a moment later. Without a word, he canted his head, wordlessly indicating for her to follow. Instead of leading her out into the courtyard as she had expected, he turned towards the main section of the residence. Amaya had never stepped into these halls this late at night, and certainly not without having duties to complete, but she found it eerie how silent and deserted the usually bustling passages now were. It was somehow unsettling to experience it so devoid of other humans.

They trekked a bit further along the corridor, rounding a corner that led to a series of guest quarters that Amaya knew to be unoccupied at present. Just as she was considering asking where Tenzou was going, the sound of a different set of footsteps began to echo from the direction they’d just come from.

She heard Tenzou curse under his breath. Had they been followed? They were much too quiet for detection, especially by a bunch of civilians. But why would someone be wandering the halls this late at night? The guards didn’t normally patrol near the servants quarters. 

Looking around quickly, Amaya stepped forward and tried the door to one of the empty guest quarters. It was locked, and she had nothing to pick it with – not that she had the time. Tenzou met her gaze and shook his head silently as he tested the knob of the room to her left.

If it came down to it, Tenzou could easily disappear into the wood that lined the corridor walls. Unfortunately that would leave Amaya alone in a place she had no business being, which most likely would appear more suspicious than them being caught out of bed together.

The footsteps were far too close now, and they were trapped in a dead-end hallway with no feasible way out. So much for being elite shinobi.

With virtually no options left, a sudden stroke of brilliance came to her. The idea stemmed from a movie she had seen on TV recently, some ridiculous ninja drama series that leaned heavily on the most unrealistic romantic scenarios she’d ever borne witness to. It had all seemed so contrived and silly as she had watched the scenes unfold. 

Ironically, she recalled thinking to herself that nothing like what she’d seen in that film would ever happen on a real mission. However, it now gave her the spark of inspiration that just might provide them with a way out of this.

 Grabbing Tenzou by the front of his shirt, she pressed him back against the wall.

“What are you—”

“Kiss me,” she whispered fiercely. 

“What?” he shot back, barely maintaining a whisper as his eyes widened in an overt display of shock. 

Amaya was certain she had never seen her captain look so caught off guard.

“Just do it,” she hissed.

The footsteps were just around the corner now, and before she could force upon him the very thing she had asked of him, his lips were crashing into hers.

Amaya stiffened for only a split second before relaxing against him. Later, when she had time to reflect back on this moment, she would blame her recent neglect of her own carnal needs on the reaction she had to him. Pressed against him as she was, his surprisingly soft lips moving against hers, she couldn’t help the small needy whimper that climbed traitorously up her throat. 

As soon as the sound escaped her, she was certain he would withdraw. After all, the man had practically fallen apart when she had lightly flirted with him the first time. She might have underestimated him though, because he did not retreat at all. Instead, his hands landed on her hips, drawing her even closer as he angled his head to deepen the kiss. 

Vaguely, Amaya recalled that there was a reason they were doing this, that they weren’t just kissing because they desired each other. At this exact moment, however, her body seemed to have other opinions. And as for Tenzou, well… if this was him acting, then he was way better at it than she would have ever given him credit for.

With her eyes closed, it was easy for her to ignore the henge beneath her palms and conjure up the true image of the man who lay beneath. His appearance right now might not be his own, the leanness of his body entirely foreign to her, but the scent was still undeniably him. Masculine – a heady mixture of burnt oak and earth. It was equal parts familiar and intoxicating, and she could feel her body reacting to the variety of sensations as a deep, aching need began to blossom between her thighs.

The distinctive sound of someone very intentionally clearing their throat reached her ears. With a jolt of surprise and a gasp, Amaya pushed herself away from Tenzou. Feeling utterly disoriented, it occurred to her that for the span of a few short seconds she had actually forgotten that someone was approaching them. They stared at each other for a moment, both breathless and wearing equal expressions of astonishment.

While Amaya couldn’t speak for Tenzou, she knew her disbelief was largely a result of the extreme reaction she’d had to that simple kiss. In the grand scheme of things, this kiss had been almost innocent. And yet her skin felt like it was on fire, and the pulsing desire in her core was impossible to ignore.

For a split second, Amaya had the fleeting impulse to simply ignore their uninvited guest and drag Tenzou into the nearest unlocked room to pick up where they’d left off. Anything to chase that burning need she was feeling – to see it sated.

“It must be difficult not being able to share a bed together. I’m not surprised your passions got away from you,” a female voice remarked as the figure drew closer. 

The stern countenance of Toshiko began to resolve itself as the light of the moon from a nearby window illuminated her form. Toshiko’s expression was impassive, and Amaya wondered just how much trouble they would be in for being caught out of bed. At the very least, she hoped they had put on a good enough performance to convince Toshiko that they had simply snuck out to get some time alone together. Kami, she’d mostly convinced herself.

When Toshiko was a mere two paces away, she came to a halt and lowered her voice. “There’s an unused room next to the parlor that the servants use if they want a good romp.”

Amaya stared at the woman, jaw dropping in an uncharacteristically open display of shock. Toshiko was normally a very reserved woman – strict but fair. This, however… 

Was she actually suggesting…?

Turning to look at Tenzou, she saw his cheeks blazing crimson. Well, that at least was familiar.

“Thank you and apologies, Toshiko-san,” Amaya finally responded with a small bow. “We’ll just be going then.”

Grabbing Tenzou’s hand she pulled him after her at a brisk walk, a low chuckle echoing down the hall after them as they retreated.

Thankfully Tenzou allowed her to drag him along, seemingly still in the midst of processing the events that had just transpired in such a short span of time. The poor man was normally such a calm and collected leader, capable of handling even the most dire of combat situations. However, it seemed that when he was faced with anything of a romantic nature, he invariably fell apart at the seams.

This realization was enough to have her smothering a small grin. It really was endearing.

She continued to steer them through the winding corridors until they reached the room that Toshiko had hinted at. Pressing her ear to the door, she was relieved to hear nothing but silence on the other side. The last thing she needed was to lead Tenzou into a room already occupied with another couple engaging in who knows what. The man might never survive it.

Pulling him into the room after her, she let go of his hand and shut the door firmly. Collapsing back, she closed her eyes and let her head fall against it with a dull thud as she let out a breath she hadn’t even noticed she was holding.

When she opened her eyes again, Tenzou was staring fixedly at some point on the wall. It was only then that Amaya comprehended the potential gravity of their actions. Was he going to be uncomfortable around her now? Would this impact their ability to complete the mission? Why had she even suggested kissing in the first place? Sure, that scene from the drama had been her source of inspiration, but they hadn’t needed to go to such extremes to prevent blowing their cover.

A thought occurred to Amaya then. What if some small part of her had been wanting something like this to happen? That notion was certainly cause for concern. Was it because she hadn’t been with someone for months? Or was she developing some sort of attraction to her captain?

Any further attempts to decode her actions and feelings about the night’s events were simply going to have to wait. She might have royally screwed up here, if Tenzou’s continued silence was any indication.

Realizing that she was going to need to do something to diffuse the situation, Amaya glanced around to ensure that they were truly alone prior to executing the seals to place a silencing jutsu on the room.

Certainly can’t risk this conversation being overheard , she thought as she turned to catch Tenzou’s eye.

“Tenzou, I—"

“I’m sorry.”

Tenzou watched as Amaya’s brows instantly knotted in confusion. “What? Why are you sorry?”

“I shouldn’t have,” he murmured, finding it impossible to meet her gaze again. Of course, he shouldn’t have. He was her superior, and his actions could easily be perceived as him taking advantage of his position. “It was inappropriate”

“Are you kidding?” Amaya scoffed as she began pacing in front of him, throwing her hands into the air in a show of exasperation. “I practically ordered you to do it! If anyone should be apologizing here, it’s me.”

A few beats of silence passed before Amaya suddenly halted and let out a groan. “Are we really arguing about who is more sorry?”

It took a concerted effort on Tenzou’s part to momentarily temper his guilt and try to look at the situation from an objective point of view. Amaya had a point – this argument was rather nonsensical. They obviously both felt badly about what had happened, but that didn’t excuse the fact that he was still her superior and his actions could very easily be misconstrued as an abuse of power.

As he opened his mouth to express this thought to Amaya, she interjected once more. 

“I had no right to demand that of you. It was not fair of me, and I certainly took no consideration for your feelings when I did it.”

That declaration shocked him into mute contemplation once more. Did she somehow believe she had… forced him into it? His recollection of the events must be a far cry from hers if that’s how she interpreted how things had transpired. Sure, she had told him to kiss her, but she certainly hadn’t asked him to lay his hands on her – to pull her closer so that he could bask in the feel of her body against his. Those actions had been entirely based on his own growing arousal during the kiss and his overwhelming need to feel more of her.

“Look,” she continued, crossing her arms as her teeth worried at her bottom lip. Unwittingly, he found his attention firmly fixed on what she was doing with her mouth, and it took him a few moments to realize that traitorous spark of desire was beginning to build once more as he watched. “Why don’t we just pretend it never happened. We can chalk it up to something that needed to be done for the sake of the mission and just leave it at that.”

Her words quelled his lust as effectively as dousing a flame. Instead of the relief he would have expected at her offer to simply let it go  and move on, he felt himself feeling inexplicably… disappointed. Logically, however, he knew it was the right course of action.

“Alright,” he agreed.

Amaya seemed to sag in relief as she shot him a grateful look. Based on her reaction, he could only conclude that she had not been nearly as affected by their kiss as he had been. Perhaps she was simply relieved to be allowed to forget about it and move on. Tenzou was beginning to think he might not have such an easy time doing the same.

“So, what’s the news?” Amaya asked, leaning casually against the door. 

By all outward appearances she appeared relaxed, but Tenzou could still detect a hint of tension in her posture. She was clearly trying to steer the conversation towards safer waters, and Tenzou was more than willing to follow her lead.

“Kai has succeeded in getting himself invited to meet with the target group,” he explained. “Evidently, the merchant class is unhappy with the feudal lord’s current policies on taxation of exported goods.”

Amaya angled her head in question. “What policies, exactly?”

“He’s been heavily taxing all goods being exported from Kunigami. This normally wouldn’t be much of an issue if the money was then being used for the betterment of the village. Instead, it seems that the feudal lord is leveraging the funds for political gain. Padding the pockets of government officials and buying his way into businesses he normally would have no cause to be involved in.”

“To make matters worse,” Tenzou continued, threading his fingers through his hair. “Part of the finances he’s gained from the merchants are being used to import products from their competitors as part of those same political dealings.”

Amaya let out a derisive laugh. “That’s pretty ballsy.”

“No kidding,” Tenzou said, meeting her gaze.

“Does he really not expect his people to put up a fight?”

Tenzou shrugged. “Presumably not. Haru mentioned that there does seem to be a fair number of guards patrolling the streets, though from what he’s learned from talking to the civilians, this isn’t necessarily out of the ordinary.”

Amaya looked pensive. “How many are involved in this group?”

“It’s hard to tell.” Tenzou frowned. “The meetings appear to only include a small portion of its members, for obvious reasons.”

Amaya nodded in understanding. It was typical behavior for factions plotting to rise up against their government – never gather in large numbers in case someone tips off the enemy.

“It does look like they are planning to make a move though,” he added.

“Oh?” She raised an inquiring brow at him. “When?”

“That still remains to be seen, but Kai seems to think he can help spur things along.”

Tenzou watched as Amaya’s lips curled upward, anticipation glittering in her eyes. He wondered then if she had been feeling just as restless as he had. He, at least, had the option to leave the castle grounds and head into the village as part of his morning duties, whereas Amaya had been mostly stuck within the castle walls with nothing to occupy her except her housekeeping tasks.

“I suppose this means we need to start planning,” she concluded.

“I’ll be meeting with Haru again in a week. You and I will meet again after that.”

Tenzou had been relieved to find that the traces of lingering awkwardness from the events earlier seemed to have dissipated. However, whatever semblance of composure he had managed to wrest back swiftly went up in smoke as he watched Amaya push away from the door and reach her arms over her head to stretch languidly. He knew he shouldn’t be observing her as closely as he was, but he seemed unable to rip his gaze away from her. Once again, he found himself transposing the image of the woman he knew over that of the unfamiliar henge.

Swallowing thickly, he managed to force his attention to a blank portion of the wall. “We should head back.”

Amaya nodded as he approached her to reach for the door.

“Wait.”

He froze, turning to look at her in question.

“We need to sell it.”

Tenzou frowned. “Sell what?”

Rolling her eyes in exasperation, she reached forward and tousled his hair. Eyes widening, he watched as she strategically plucked at his clothing, purposely giving him a more disheveled appearance.

“What are you—"

“Toshiko thinks we came in here to… you know.” She tossed him a significant look. “It would be weird if we came back looking as if nothing had happened.”

Tenzou could feel his lips thinning. She was right, of course, but this certainly was not helping him to forget about everything that had transpired tonight.

A few tactical manipulations of her own hair and clothing, coupled with some rather aggressive pinching of her cheeks, and she seemed satisfied.

“Okay, let’s go,” she said cheerfully before releasing the jutsu she’d placed on the room and exiting through the door. She turned and grabbed his hand, pulling him along just as she had earlier.

Tenzou followed after her, feeling inordinately lost once again. Though it turned out that he would be glad for Amaya’s forward-thinking, because Toshiko was waiting for them as they passed by the servant’s dining room.

“I hope you didn’t leave a mess in there,” she remarked sternly as they strolled past the barely lit room.

Tenzou could feel his face burning again as Amaya leaned around the doorframe and smiled. “Of course not, Toshiko-san. Goodnight!”

Toshiko spared Tenzou a single glance, raising a brow at him before he was pulled along once more. When they came to the hallway that separated their quarters, Amaya let go of his hand and turned to him.

“Goodnight, Hideki,” she whispered with a warm smile. 

For a moment, Tenzou was tempted to let himself believe that this wasn’t all an act.

“Goodnight.”

He allowed himself to watch her retreating form for only a few seconds before returning to his own room. Kenji was sound asleep and snoring lightly as he entered. 

Tenzou took his time changing out of his clothing and settling onto his cot. Except as he lay there in the darkness, his mind refused to settle with him. 

The memory of his earlier entanglement with Amaya came back at him full force, the images playing across his vision as if he possessed an eidetic memory. Along with these images came an almost surreal sensation, as if he could feel her lips on his once again, or the press of her warm body against his. 

Her appearance may have been different, but there was no mistaking in his mind whose body had been beneath his hands. The urge to touch her again, to feel her mouth against his, to take things further than they had been able to in that hallway was so strong that Tenzou briefly entertained the idea that he'd been placed under a genjutsu.

Suddenly feeling way too hot, Tenzou threw off his blanket and rolled to his side. He tried to will his mind to focus on other things, anything aside from the feel of Amaya's lips on his. Her scent, her warmth, the sounds she had made when he pulled her closer and moved his mouth over hers...

With a groan, Tenzou realized that not only was he not succeeding in forcing Amaya from his mind, he was now undeniably aroused. He readjusted himself, making a valiant effort to try to refocus one more time on less stimulating subject matter. Native plant species of the Land of Fire. The theory of jutsu manipulation. Basic kenjutsu forms. Amaya's proficiency with kenjutsu. Sparring with Amaya on the training grounds. Amaya smiling down at him as she straddled his waist.

Gritting his teeth, Tenzou lurched up from his cot, his erection now straining painfully against the fabric of his pants. He was doing everything in his power to keep his breathing steady, to silence the burning need that was raging inside of him, and yet he was failing. Miserably.

It had clearly been way too long since he had taken care of his needs, and now things were spiraling out of control as a result. There was an obvious solution, and Tenzou hoped that by taking care of the problem now, he would be better equipped to resist the inconvenient infatuation he found himself indulging in.

Stumbling to his feet, Tenzou rushed out of the room and down the hall towards the bathroom. He kept himself covered as much as he was able, but he sensed that nobody was about. Thankfully, it looked like Toshiko had gone to bed.

Locking the bathroom door behind him, he turned and clutched the edge of the sink as he stared into the stranger’s face in the mirror. The face that gazed back at him looked almost haunted, and it didn’t take much to figure out why. 

Squeezing his eyes shut, Tenzou dropped his head forward as he plunged a hand beneath his waistband and gripped his length. A guttural moan escaped him, the sound desperate even to his own ears.

Shoving the front of his pants down to free himself, he began to stroke at a steady pace. It seemed that he was indeed as pent up as he thought, because it took less than a minute for him to begin to feel that telltale pressure building in his groin. He hissed through gritted teeth as the surge of pleasure mounted within him, and instantly his mind was full of images of her once more. Amaya running through the woods with him, decked out in her Anbu gear and teasing him playfully. Amaya sparring with Kai and Haru at the training grounds, displaying a grace and dexterity that he had not quite expected from her. Amaya straddling his hips and gazing down at him with a victorious smirk.

The image suddenly shifted, morphing into what could only be a product of his own lust-filled mind. Instead of her sparring outfit, she was naked above him now, just as sweaty and breathless as she had been that day. She was still wearing that same expression – but for an entirely different reason. Her hands were planted on his chest for leverage as he grasped her hips, thrusting up into her at a savage pace.

It was the conjured image of Amaya moaning his name rapturously that finally sent him over the edge.

His grip on the lip of the sink tightened as he curled in on himself, pace increasing as he bucked his hips to meet his fist. A few more strokes and a low, desperate groan was torn from his throat as he felt his orgasm barreling for him like a tidal wave. Releasing his death grip on the sink, he tore a towel from the shelf in an attempt to contain the mess.

A couple of minutes passed before his breathing stabilized and his racing heartbeat settled back to its regular rhythm. When the cloud of euphoria finally began to lift, he stared down at the soiled towel in his hand. A sudden wave of dread washed over him.

Several weeks ago, Tenzou had told Kakashi that he was unsure of what to think about Amaya. Well, he was pretty sure he knew what he thought of her now.

"Fuck."

Chapter Text

“I’m surprised you aren’t more tired, Amaya,” Megumi remarked with barely feigned casualness. The three women were outside enjoying the cool breeze of the afternoon as they hung freshly washed linens on the clotheslines. The scent of the soap they had used filled Amaya’s lungs, eliciting an odd sense of contentment.

“Why would I be tired?”

Megumi snorted indelicately. “I saw you sneaking out of our room last night. Did you have a good time with your husband?”

Amaya might have been more surprised that Megumi had noticed her absence if it weren’t for the girl’s insane nose for gossip. Honestly, she could give some ninken a run for their money with her skill of sniffing out secrets. 

More than anything, however, Amaya was impressed that Megumi had managed to feign sleep well enough that Amaya hadn’t noticed.

If she was being truthful with herself, the events of the night prior had not been as easy to brush aside as she would have liked. Amaya knew herself well enough to know that she did a decent job of keeping people at arm’s length. It was rare for her to allow someone to get too close, and that included letting anyone get under her skin when it came to matters of a more… physical nature.

Which was why she was finding herself becoming increasingly frustrated as she realized that her traitorous thoughts seemed hell bent on wandering continuously back to a certain man. No matter how she tried to rationalize things, to convince herself that she had simply been acting in their best interest in order to maintain their cover, a small voice continued to remind her that kissing each other had certainly not been their only recourse. 

But then, why had that been the first – and admittedly only – option that had come to her in that moment? Sure, the plan had been inspired by that drama series she’d gotten embarrassingly wrapped up in recently. Was it just that? Or had she latched on to any idea she could conjure for an excuse to kiss Tenzou?

The idea was so preposterous that she willfully shoved it aside. Yet despite her best efforts, the intrusive thoughts continued to plague her throughout the morning and well into the afternoon. 

“Um, Amaya?”

Amaya turned to find Hana standing nervously a few paces away, looking very anxious about something as she shifted her weight from foot to foot.

“What’s wrong,” Amaya asked, stepping forward to examine the girl more closely. She almost appeared ill.

Twisting a piece of fabric in her hands, Hana stared at the ground determinedly before stuttering out her response.

“I was wondering,” she began. “I mean… it’s just…” She faltered, looking almost pained. Finally, she scrunched her face and blurted, “I really like Takumi-san and I need some advice.”

Amaya felt her eyes widening as her gaze flicked to meet Megumi’s. The mutual affection that Hana and the stableboy seemed to share for each other was not a very well kept secret, though Amaya had wondered whether either of them had admitted their feelings for each other yet.

“That’s wonderful, Hana,” Amaya offered with an encouraging smile. “What kind of advice do you need?”

Oddly, Hana’s eyes flicked to Megumi before dropping back to focus on the ground once more. “I’ve never kissed anyone,” she admitted.

It was surprising to her that Hana would ask for her advice rather than Megumi’s.

Megumi scoffed. “Everyone knows that,” she proclaimed dismissively.

Well, that might explain why.

“That’s nothing to be ashamed of,” Amaya added quickly in an effort to reassure Hana. She tossed Megumi a furtive glare of warning before turning her attention back to Hana. “Are you saying you would like Takumi-san to be your first kiss?”

Hana froze, looking for all the world like a rabbit caught in a trap. She drew in a deep, shuddering breath and nodded fervently.

“I guess I was just wondering,” Hana said, bravely glancing up to meet Amaya’s gaze. “What’s it like? Kissing, I mean. What’s it like when you kiss Hideki-san?”

Amaya spared a single moment to marvel at the irony that, prior to last night, she would not have been able to answer this question truthfully.

“Kissing Hideki is like…” She paused, letting her head drop back so she could observe the clouds drifting lazily above them. “It makes me feel as if my entire body is on fire. Like I can’t ever get enough.”

It was the damned truth too, even if she only had that one kiss to go off of. Hell, that kiss had kept her up for hours after she had returned to her room. She had gotten so desperate at one point that she had briefly entertained the thought of trying to seduce Tenzou just to get it out of her system. She’d shoved that horrible idea aside as quickly as it had come. Not only would it be incredibly damaging to their working relationship, it blatantly ignored Tenzou’s feelings on the matter as well. Frankly, she was lucky that her insistence that he kiss her hadn’t already harmed the trust they had built over the past few months.

Hana’s eyes were wide as she gazed at Amaya in wonder. “I… I don’t know if that sounds like a good thing.”

“Of course, it’s a good thing,” Megumi interjected. “When a man really knows what he’s doing, you should feel like that!”

“I still don’t understand.” Hana’s brows furrowed in confusion.

Closing the distance between them, Amaya settled her hand on Hana’s shoulder. “It can be a little scary if you’ve never felt that way, but I promise that it’s a good feeling. If you are with someone you trust and who treats you well, it’s one of the best feelings there are.”

Relief washed over Hana’s face, a small smile blossoming across her lips. “I guess I’ll just have to find out for myself then.”

That had to be the most assertive thing Amaya had ever heard the girl say, and she found herself smiling with pride in response.

“I guess you will.”

Tenzou kept his pace steady as he passed the numerous darkened windows of the village shops. It was still well before dawn and he had been sent out to collect the variety of meat, produce and grain the kitchen would require for the day. The streets were relatively quiet at this time of the morning, with only a few people out and about prior to getting the day’s labor started.

As per his usual routine Tenzou stopped by the butcher first, purchasing the assortment of meats that Kenji had requested. It was after this stop that he would make his detour to the meeting place Haru had suggested. They had been using Haru’s sparrow summons to share the new, secure location any time Haru had information to share – a skill that had proven more than useful on numerous missions.

It had been nearly two weeks since the night that Tenzou and Amaya had gotten caught out of bed by Toshiko-san, and he had not had any news from Haru in that time. It might have concerned him, if it hadn’t been for the rumors being spread amongst the townspeople. The whispers spoke of the existence of a group threatening to move against the feudal lord, something that seemed to be common gossip now. This, at least, reassured him that whatever Kai and his new compatriots were up to was moving in a direction that would benefit their mission.

Slipping into one of the smaller alleys wedged between an empty storefront and a cobbler’s shop, Tenzou was unsurprised to find a figure leaning casually against the brick wall. The person canted their head in the direction of the back door to the empty shop before retreating into the pitch-black depths of the space beyond. Sparing a single glance to ensure they weren’t being followed, Tenzou followed behind.

Exchanging the necessary countersigns to confirm their identities, Haru flicked a switch, prompting a single flickering bulb to illuminate the windowless space. Haru ran through the obligatory silencing jutsu as Tenzou put up some security wards. They were exchanging information in a unsecure area, so it never hurt to be careful.

“Are the rumors I’m hearing true?” Tenzou asked without preamble.

Haru nodded. “They are. Things are moving much more quickly than I would have expected given the state of things when Kai first managed to join the group.”

 “When?”

“As early as next week. There isn’t a definitive day yet, but all of the pieces have been put into motion.”

So, it was no longer a matter of if, but when. It was also much sooner than Tenzou had expected, and his mind was racing to piece together what he and Amaya would have to do to accomplish their objective.

“The plan is a frontal assault at night,” Haru continued. “It seems they intend to attack the front gates en masse.”

A direct assault would provide them with ample distraction, though the timing for the execution of his and Amaya’s part of the plan would be extremely important. “How many?”

“At least forty, although Kai seems to think it will end up being more than that.”

Forty was a substantial enough force to stage a coup against the feudal lord’s castle. From what he had seen, the man’s stinginess when it came to his finances also seemed to extend towards his employ of guards. It was odd that the man felt safe enough to keep minimal security around, though those he did keep appeared to be at least moderately skilled. 

Perhaps that was what came of having more money than was good for someone. It seemed to breed a false sense of security – a mentality that made one feel invincible. Those people also tended to be the ones who believed absolutely any person could be bought. Why fear reprisal when they could simply throw money at any issue they were faced with?

“I can’t believe I’m saying it,” Haru added with a disbelieving grin. “But Kai is a large reason they are planning to make a move at all.” Crossing his arms, he looked away. “I feel kind of bad for doubting him.”

Tenzou chuckled. “As I remember it, it was only Amaya who seemed confident in his success.”

“Yeah, you’re right.” Haru’s eyes drifted back to Tenzou. “How is she?”

Well, given they hadn’t really had cause to speak since that night, he assumed she was well. She certainly seemed fine when he saw her at breakfast yesterday. 

If Tenzou was entirely honest with himself, he had been avoiding her. It was almost as if he was afraid of what he might do if they were alone together again. Which was rather ridiculous, he knew. He might have let things get a little out of hand that night, but he was still a logical man capable of rational decisions. However, he was also self-aware enough to realize that if she gave any indication of reciprocating his interests, he would be in trouble. In the end, it was his responsibility as her captain to keep his distance and maintain the line of professionality that they had already blurred so grievously. 

Unfortunately, he also knew his self-control only extended so far.

“She’s fine. A bit anxious to be done with the mission, I think.”

Haru’s expression appeared guilty for a moment. “I don’t blame her. She’s cooped up in that place while Kai and I mostly have the run of the village. Even you have the chance to get out once in a while.”

Tenzou nodded. The same thing had occurred to him when he’d seen how eager Amaya was to proceed with the next phase of their plan.

“I will meet with Amaya to discuss our part of the plan,” he said finally. “Of course, I expect Kai to join the group storming the castle. He will be on standby in case Amaya and I need additional help or extraction. When we have a better idea of our exit strategy, you will be responsible for ensuring the route remains clear so that we may retreat without being noticed. I’m less worried about the actual assassination than I am of us being traced back to it, regardless of our assumed identities.”

Tenzou rubbed his chin in thought before continuing. “If anything changes let me know, otherwise we will meet again once the final date has been set. I’ll need as much information as possible about the group’s plan, assuming Kai is privy to it.”

“Yes, Captain,” Haru said with a tilt of his head.

“Wait ten minutes, then you can depart.”

“Sir.”

“Oh, and Haru?”

Haru looked up in question.

“Well done.”

Haru offered him a small smile. “Thank you, sir.”

With a final nod to the man, Tenzou dropped his jutsu and exited back into the empty alley. Heaving a deep breath, he paced down the now familiar path towards the market where the produce stands were. 

As Tenzou browsed the variety of vegetables on offer, it was with no small sense of relief that he realized this mission would soon be concluded. While he had known they would probably be stuck in Kunigami for at least a month, there had been some developments during this mission that he had not foreseen. At least once it was over they would be able to return to Konoha and restore some semblance of normalcy to their dynamic. Maybe then he would get the distance he needed from Amaya to get this unhealthy infatuation under control.

It was just past midnight and Amaya was moving alone through the darkened halls of the castle’s ground floor. Tenzou had passed her a note that morning in much the same manner as he had done previously, though this time it had simply stated a time and ‘that room’. The curt message had drawn a giggle from her, but there was also a small thrill that passed through her that she was choosing not to examine too closely. She chose to believe it was simply due to the prospect of the mission’s completion finally coming within reach, and that it had nothing at all to do with the events that had transpired the last time they had been alone together.

Reaching the door to the room, Amaya knocked lightly. There was an odd feeling of nervous anticipation in her gut, something that she was entirely unused to. Years of working as a shinobi had mostly divested her of any nerves she might have had when faced with dangerous and life-threatening situations. Yet somehow this ‘thing’ with Tenzou, whatever it was, had her feeling entirely out of her element. 

A part of her was still trying to rationalize it as being her own pent up sexual frustrations. It was certainly the much safer option, one that could easily be remedied with any other willing participant upon returning to Konoha. Not that she was prone to casually sleeping around, but that was beside the point.

The door opened a moment later to reveal Tenzou’s henge gazing down at her. As her eyes met his, she swore she saw in them the same turmoil that had been plaguing her. The intensity of his expression caused her breath to catch, but it was gone in almost the same instant, replaced by a look of practiced neutrality.

Stepping aside, Tenzou pulled the door wider to allow her entry, only securing the room once she was safely inside. It took her a few seconds to gather herself enough to turn to face him, and she found herself getting frustrated by how destabilized she felt in such an innocuous situation. This preoccupation she had with him was really getting out of hand, and she was beginning to wonder if it was making her lose her touch. That in itself was a sobering thought, and enough to allow her to firmly suppress the uninvited thoughts for the time being.

“The attack will happen next Thursday night,” Tenzou began as he completed the hand signs and moved further into the room.

Amaya let out the breath she hadn’t realized she had been holding. “Finally.”

She swore she saw a small quirk of Tenzou’s lips before his impassive mien was firmly back in place.

“We need to make our final preparations. Formulate a plan and work out our routes.”

Amaya nodded. Executing her own series of seals, a scroll and pencil appeared in her hand with a small puff of smoke. Kneeling on the polished wood floor, she unfurled the scroll and began to map out the various floors of the castle. Tenzou took a seat next to her, leaning close to watch. She could feel the warmth radiating from him at their close proximity, and she had to consciously shove aside the sudden urge to lean closer.

“This is where the feudal lord’s quarters are,” she said, pointing to an area on the eastern end of the second floor. “It can only be accessed by a single hallway, although…”

Amaya couldn’t help the grin that began to climb across her features. 

About a week after they had arrived at the castle she had discovered a hidden passageway that led directly from one of the empty rooms on the first floor to the feudal lord’s rooms. It had been sheer luck that she had found it, really. She had been dusting the shelves in the empty room when she noticed what appeared to be a strange imperfection on the back panel of the third shelf. She might have missed it entirely had it not been for the unusual symmetry of the fissures in the dark wood. They formed a perfect square, immediately giving it away as something manmade and intentionally placed.

She had rushed back to lock the door to the room before returning to the shelves and tentatively pressing the square wooden insert. It was risky, but she already had a pretty good idea of what its purpose was. When the piece of wood depressed with ease, a small click sounded and the entire bookshelf shifted forward. She’d been thrilled by her discovery even before knowing where it led, hopeful that it might prove useful for the final part of their mission.

There was a small staircase behind the bookshelf that ran parallel to the room. It led up to the second floor, and was followed by a short hallway that ended in a thick tapestry. After ensuring that no presences were detectable in the area beyond, she had peeked around it to find a large, garishly opulent room on the other side. It hadn’t taken her long to figure out just whose rooms they belonged to.

The secret passageway was obviously meant as an escape route in the event of a siege, which also made it the most optimal means of accessing the feudal lord undetected. Amaya had a feeling Tenzou would be as pleased by it as she was.

Leaning forward, Tenzou watched as she marked out the path of the passage. “Is that what I think it is?” he asked with dawning comprehension.

She turned to look at him, positively beaming. “It sure is.”

His eyes caught hers and he answered her smile with one of his own. A few beats of silence passed as something seemed to shift in the air between them. Tenzou cleared his throat and tore his gaze away from hers.

“This is perfect,” he said, tracing a finger along the path up to the feudal lord’s quarters. “The attack is planned for the middle of the night, so odds are good he will be in his rooms.”

Amaya’s brows raised. That was certainly convenient for them. Knowing exactly where the feudal lord would be located at the time of the attack was paramount, but knowing there were only two potential exits made this an almost perfect scenario. Rarely did things fall into place so neatly, though Amaya knew things could also go to hell in no time flat if they failed to account for any potential pitfalls.

“My understanding is that he visits his wife’s quarters rarely, but never sleeps there afterwards,” she explained, pointing out the rooms that were located a small distance down the hallway from the feudal lord’s. “Even if he chooses to visit her that night, he should be back by eleven at the latest.”

It sounded like the attack would begin later than that, but it was something they would need to account for just in case.

“So, what’s your plan?”

Amaya sat back on her heels and offered him a curious look. “ My plan?”

“How would you execute the mission?”

It was not the first time Tenzou had asked for her opinion about tactics, and she knew he absolutely had his own ideas about how they should best carry out the assassination. The fact that he was asking her made her wonder if he was simply interested in her opinion on the matter, or if it was something else.

Well, it wasn’t as if she hadn’t thought about it in great detail already.

“We need to ensure that both exits from the feudal lord’s chambers are covered – which means one of us should approach from the main corridor while the other takes advantage of the hidden passageway.”

Standard operating procedure, really.

“My understanding is that two guards are stationed outside of the rooms in the evening,” she continued, finger landing on the doorway that led to the inner chambers before tracing along the path of the hallway. “If he relocates to his wife’s quarters, they follow. Whomever approaches from that side will know immediately where his location is.”

“The guard’s abilities?”

Amaya glanced up to find Tenzou watching her intently, a keen look in his eyes. He was so close that her traitorous thoughts instantly deviated to less professional matters as her eyes landed on his lips. Dammit, she really wished he would drop that henge so that she could see his face – his lips instead. How would it feel to kiss Tenzou’s lips? Would it feel the same?

“Amaya?”

Blinking rapidly, Amaya forced her attention back to the scroll beneath her fingers, inwardly admonishing herself for being so easily distracted.

“The guards are nothing special. Moderately skilled samurai, each carrying traditional katana and wakizashi. It seems the feudal lord does not trust shinobi,” she added with a small sniff. “He does not keep them in his employ.”

With a sideways glance at him, she smirked. “What I’m recommending, and what I know you are also thinking, is the following. We both sneak out of our rooms, though make it so that we are seen doing so. That ensures that our absence from our rooms will not be marked as overly suspicious when the attack begins.”

The bigger risk with this plan was them being tied to the group of rioters, which was not necessarily a bad thing.

She could see the small smile beginning to pull at Tenzou’s lips as she continued. “Once the riot outside begins, we move. You would be best suited to approaching from the hidden passage to the feudal lord’s quarters, while I can act as a distraction for the guards outside of the room. While you are taking care of completing the objective, I’ll take care of the guards. Since we don’t want to risk even our fake identities being traced back to the assassination, anyone we come across should be eliminated.”

This was the one part she was uncertain of, but when she spotted the look of smug satisfaction on Tenzou’s face, she knew she’d gotten it right. 

“We can use the passageway to retreat, hopefully preventing us from being seen anywhere in the vicinity. After that, well… that depends on what exit we are planning to use.”

Having spoken the plan out loud, it all sounded so simple – almost deceptively so. If she was honest, the simplicity of it did make her nervous. There were so many ways this plan could go wrong. If the feudal lord was in his wife’s quarters, they would be forced to approach from the hall and would have to eliminate her as well. In addition, Amaya hadn’t been able to identify a hidden passage leading to her rooms, though that did not mean one did not exist. This meant another potential route of escape for the feudal lord they might not account for.

“It’s very likely the servants will be instructed to evacuate when the attack begins,” Tenzou added finally, examining the map closely. “We’ll have to be careful about sticking together once we are done. At least then we can maintain our cover if we are identified.”

Amaya hummed in agreement. A comfortable silence fell between them as they both became absorbed in their own thoughts. Oddly, while the prospect of being done with the mission and going back to her regular routine had been something she’d been looking forward to, now that she was faced with it, she felt a little conflicted. It wasn’t as if she and Tenzou had been spending a lot of time together, but she could sense that something had shifted between them. It was definitely noticeable after their kiss, though she had the oddest inkling that it had started prior to that. Maybe as far back as their mission to retrieve the scroll.

“We should head back,” Tenzou intoned quietly.

Amaya was probably imagining it, but she thought he sounded as reluctant to leave as she felt. Even if they weren’t conversing, Tenzou’s company made her feel more grounded. There was just something so reassuring about him. His steadfast confidence always made her feel safe, even in the most dire of circumstances. Honestly, it was the first time she had felt at peace in days. The tumultuous thoughts that had been causing her to lose sleep were quiet now, even though she was in the presence of the very man with whom said thoughts were fixated on.

“I suppose we should,” she replied, though she made no move to stand. Instead, she leaned back on her hands and turned her head to look at him.

She watched as his eyes drifted to hers, and that same shift in the atmosphere that had occurred earlier happened again. This time, she could see the unmistakable flash of desire in his eyes, and it sent a rush of heat between her legs. He wanted her too, she could see it. For a moment, she allowed herself to entertain the idea of just giving in.

But as quickly as that look had been thrown her way it was gone, and Tenzou was climbing to his feet. He turned to offer her his hand, and she hesitated for only a moment before accepting.

As much as she wanted him, as much as he wanted her, it seemed neither of them were willing to risk it – to cross that final line to take what they both seemingly wanted in that moment.

Which was a good thing, she told herself. Because all of this was fleeting. Temporary. As soon as they returned to Konoha, all of these confused feelings would disappear and things would return to the way they had been. There was simply no other option.

“Sneaking out again?”

Megumi let out a small snort of amusement as she turned her head on her pillow to peer at Amaya through the darkness. Amaya had strategically stepped on the one creaky floorboard in their room knowing that Megumi would hear it. The girl was a surprisingly light sleeper, unlike Hana.

Giving Megumi a bashful look, she pressed a single finger to her lips to indicate that they shouldn’t wake Hana. “Sorry, Megumi,” she whispered. “I just—”

Waving her away, Megumi buried her face in her pillow. “No need to explain. I’m just jealous, is all.”

With a light chuckle, Amaya sent Megumi a soft thank you and quietly exited the room. As she turned to slide the door shut, she felt a brief flash of worry flare deep within her gut. She hoped both girls would both remain safe tonight.

Forcing herself to maintain a regular pace, Amaya snuck down the now familiar hallways to the room where she and Tenzou had been meeting. Conveniently, the room was located near both the unused room where the secret passage began, as well as the main stairway that led to the second floor. There was still a risk of Amaya being spotted on her direct approach to the feudal lord’s rooms, but they were both hoping that the chaos and confusion of the attack would draw most of the guard’s out to the courtyard while the rest of the household bunkered down within their rooms or tried to escape to safety.

Amaya knocked once and let herself in. Tenzou would already know it was her, and they were not exactly trying to keep this meeting secret as they had the others.

The door had just clicked shut behind her when Tenzou spoke from the darkness. “Were you seen?”

“Megumi,” she offered succinctly.

He stepped out of the shadows. “I made sure Kenji heard me as well.”

They fell silent. It was probably close to eleven now. They hadn’t been provided an exact time, but there was that telltale tension in the air that made Amaya think it wouldn’t be long. It was as if the very world were holding its breath, waiting for something.

There was only a single window in this room, high up on the eastern wall. What little moonlight there was shone brightly through the glass, illuminating a small patch of the wooden floorboards between them. Tenzou passed through the light as he approached her, and in that brief moment his features were thrown into sharp relief. 

His expression was severe and focused. It was one she imagined he wore often beneath his mask during their missions, though she rarely had the opportunity to see it. For some reason, that expression caused her heart to thunder in her chest and did nothing to temper the growing fascination she seemed to be harboring.

He closed the distance between them, coming to a halt much closer than she would have expected.

“Are you ready?” he asked quietly.

Her eyes sought his through the darkness, and the intensity she found there only caused her heart rate to increase. 

“Yes,” she replied, the word breathy to her own ears.

They watched each other, a thousand questions seeming to burn on her tongue as they waited in silence. Would everything return back to the way it was after this? Had everything that had happened here just been a strange product of their being forced to assume these roles? Was she imagining whatever this pull was between them?

The tension continued to mount, and Amaya swore that it wasn’t simply in anticipation of the impending attack. She had just opened her mouth to finally put voice to the questions that had been plaguing her for days, but she never managed to get the words out – because that was when the screaming began.

Chapter Text

The first screams were barely audible, coming from some distance outside of the courtyard. They were screams of fear, though Tenzou knew that the villagers should be safe from the mob that was now likely storming the castle gates. If Kai’s estimates for the size of the group were to be believed, it would take them little time for them to overwhelm the guards and breach the outer walls.

Tenzou kept his gaze locked on Amaya’s, a different tension now permeating the air between them as they readied themselves. Those in the castle would soon be awoken by the cacophony outside, if they hadn’t been already. That was when they planned to make their move – taking advantage of the chaos and confusion to finally complete the mission.

Movement could be heard coming from above them now, pounding footsteps racing through the hallways above to the nearest stairwells. That would be some of the guards, most likely on their way to the courtyard to face the intruders. Just a minute or two more and they would be clear to begin making their move.

Yelling erupted from the corridor, and Tenzou silently shifted to the door to listen. It sounded as though most of the guards were heading outside now. A few beats passed, then silence fell. 

“Let’s go,” he said, opening the door cautiously and glancing down both ends of the hallway.

Amaya was right behind him as they sped down the hall in the opposite direction from where the guards had retreated. Arriving at the juncture where they would go their separate ways, Tenzou turned to face her.

“Be careful.”

It was not something he had ever felt the need to say to any member of his team, but for some reason he could not prevent the words from slipping from his mouth.

“You too,” she told him as she turned and began to silently ascend the stairway.

He allowed himself only a moment to watch her retreating form before disappearing through the doorway to the unused room. Closing the door behind him, he moved briskly to the bookshelf Amaya had described to him, squinting in the twilight to try to identify the spot where the button was concealed. Once he located it he wasted no time, pressing the button and stepping back as the bookcase shifted forward with a low groan.

Slipping through the small opening that he had been afforded, he pulled the bookcase shut behind him. Tenzou paused for a few seconds as the darkness encased him fully, allowing his eyes to adjust before he cautiously moved forward. Thankfully his other senses served him well, enabling him to sense the staircase located a small distance ahead of him and climb it without issue.

By the time he reached the landing his eyes had fully adjusted enough to reveal that the path ahead of him looked to be a dead end. The wall opposite him was covered in a thick tapestry that spanned from floor to ceiling. The pattern of the tapestry was plain and unassuming, though thanks to Amaya’s reconnaissance he knew that it merely served to shroud a small door in the wall behind it. 

Based on what Amaya had told him, the sleeping quarters belonging to the feudal lord lay just beyond that door. Approaching silently, he drew the heavy fabric aside and paused to listen. He could sense the presence of two people in the room beyond, and the frantic pacing from one of its occupants immediately set him on alert.

“What’s going on out there?”

It was a man’s voice, barely concealed panic evident in his wavering tone. Likely the feudal lord himself, if Tenzou had to venture a guess. He allowed himself a small measure of relief that the feudal lord’s wife would probably not become collateral damage in this as long as she remained sequestered in her own quarters.

“We haven’t received word yet, my lord,” came a gruff reply. 

Tenzou presumed this was one of the lord’s guards. This meant that there was one more guard than they had accounted for, as he assumed there would be two stationed outside of the room as usual. Unless this man was one of those guards? 

Regardless, the situation was not entirely unexpected – though less ideal than they had hoped for.

“Shouldn’t we leave? It’s not safe here!”

“It’s safer here than out there, my lord.”

A muffled growl of frustration sounded as the pacing resumed. The conversation and movement gave Tenzou a pretty good idea of the location of both parties, though the added presence of the guard complicated things marginally. If he eliminated the guard first, the feudal lord was liable to raise the alarm before he had a chance to get to him. Alternatively, taking out the feudal lord first meant opening himself up to attack by the guard, who would also call out for reinforcements. It was a good thing Amaya was planning to take care of the guards outside, otherwise he would have a much greater challenge on his hands. 

It occurred to him then that enough time had elapsed that Amaya should have taken care of them already, but he had yet to sense the brief flare of chakra she had planned to send out to him as a signal.

Unbidden, a small knot of worry began to unravel in the pit of his stomach. Where was she?

Amaya slowed her pace as she ascended the last few steps of the staircase, listening carefully as she mounted the final step. The cries from outside were much louder now, a dulled cacophony of sound that urged her onward. Turning the corner to face the final corridor, she mentally prepared herself for the performance she was about to put on. The hallway that led to the feudal lord’s chambers afforded a long approach, which meant that the guards would see her coming long before she reached them.

The sudden sound of rapidly approaching footsteps from the hall ahead of her gave her pause. Cursing silently, she was forced to retreat back down the steps and hide herself in one of the nearby empty rooms as she waited for the person to pass. The fact that there was only one direct exit to and from this section of the castle was rather bothersome, and she hoped that this would be the only time she would be forced to withdraw like this. Timing was everything now, and any further delays might prove disastrous to their mission.

Once the footsteps had passed and were a safe enough distance away, she peeked out to find Sato’s retreating form heading towards the servants quarters, hopefully to organize their evacuation. Still, the delay was an annoyance, and she prayed that Tenzou wasn’t too bothered at having to wait for her.

Drawing in a deep breath, Amaya rushed back up the stairs as she pulled strategically at her night garments to give herself a more frenzied appearance. Transforming her expression into one of unadulterated panic, she wasted no further time before tumbling out into the hallway and into full view of the two guards flanking the entryway into the feudal lord’s chambers.

“Halt! What business do you have here?” one of the men called out. Both laid their hands firmly on the hilts of their katana, though neither drew their blades. 

That was their first mistake.

As she stumbled closer, both men seemed to register the terrified look on her face. They exchanged glances.

“You can’t be—”

“They’re in the house!” Amaya cried desperately, daring to throw herself against the chest of the first guard. Fisting the fabric of his uniform in her hands, she turned her tearful gaze up to his.

The dramatic display was interrupted by a sudden clamoring of noise from beyond the door they were guarding.

“Wha—” the guard she had grabbed onto began, head turning to glance at the door behind him.

The wakizashi was clean through his throat before he even had a chance to finish his query. Arterial spray spattered the area in a wide arc, the droplets peppering the walls appearing almost black in the dim lighting of the corridor.

The other guard barely had time to register the scene unfolding in front of him. He scrambled to withdraw his katana from its scabbard as the wakizashi Amaya wielded was torn brutally from the throat of his companion. Gore splashed onto the floor, the torn muscle and tendon now exposed by the gaping wound. The injured man clutched feebly at his neck before his legs started to give out.

Pivoting seamlessly, Amaya ducked the blade that was aimed at her and thrust her own straight through the windpipe of the second guard, effectively cutting off the cry of warning that had just begun to pass his vocal cords. Dropping the blade, she fisted the clothing of both men, grunting under the added weight as she tried her best to slow the descent of their collapsing bodies.

The entire endeavor – although over in a matter of seconds – had been much noisier than she had intended. She grimaced at the mess of blood and gore that puddled at her feet. Not her finest work. 

Stepping towards the door, she listened for any sounds from within. Had Tenzou succeeded? The sooner they got out of here, the better, she thought as she reached for the handle.

The sudden sound of rapid footsteps from behind her caused her to freeze. Realizing that she would be too slow to prevent whomever was approaching from seeing the devastating scene that surrounded her, she ripped the sword from the second guard’s belt just as the intruder rounded the corner.

“Katsumi, thank goodness I found you!”

Amaya was on them in a flash, blade held high and poised for a killing strike. Before the blade met its target, however, the familiarity of that voice finally registered in her mind.

Amaya stared into the gentle face of Hana, frozen in fear and mouth gaping in alarm. As the girl worked to find her voice once more, Amaya’s hand gripped her face harshly, covering her mouth and preventing her from uttering another sound. Hana whimpered in response, beautiful brown eyes impossibly wide and pupils dilated. The violent shuddering of her body nearly tore her from Amaya’s grasp as her eyes landed on the blade that hovered perilously close to her face.

A strange numbing sensation passed through Amaya as she realized that Hana had come looking for her.

Absently, Amaya looked down, noting the growing puddle that was spreading between Hana’s legs.

“Why, Hana?” Amaya whispered. Her voice was hollow, barely audible and entirely devoid of emotion. “Why did you have to come looking for me?”

Another muffled whimper sounded as tears began to cut burning streaks down Hana’s flushed cheeks.

Amaya knew what she had to do. Their plan would only be successful if nobody could trace her and Tenzou back to this location. The feudal lord’s death could never be identified as an inside job. Even with their aliases the risk was too great. Any witnesses had to be eliminated. If anyone had heard Hana use Amaya’s name…

Hana would have to die, simply because she had been unlucky enough to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Because she had cared too much about someone so undeserving.

Gaze drifting listlessly to meet Hana’s once more, Amaya found herself captivated by those soulful doe eyes. It was as if the innocence behind them had frozen her in place, rendering her incapable of committing the final atrocity that she knew was demanded of her.

As she stood there, silent and unmoving, Amaya sensed Tenzou’s slow approach from behind her. Vacantly, it occurred to her that he must have accomplished his task. Yet her attention remained fixed to Hana, though the young woman’s eyes now shifted frantically between her and the man that had come to a halt directly behind Amaya.

Amaya’s mind was empty now, impassive and lifeless. She no longer felt like she was in control of her body. It was almost as if she were a passive observer watching the events around her unfold with no control over anything that was taking place. Was she having an out-of-body experience? The idle thought passed as quickly as it had come.

A warm hand enveloped hers, gently folding over the fist that held the blade. This seemed to jolt her back to herself, and she turned her head to look at Tenzou. 

A wave of desperation passed through her as she met his gaze, and she knew that the look in her eyes was pleading, begging him to make it stop. She must look pathetic, a hardened ANBU suddenly gone inexplicably soft. A weak and ruined shinobi – only a liability.

But the judgment she was expecting to find there was notably absent. Instead, she was met with a sorrowful expression of understanding behind the hazelnut eyes of his henge, and Amaya suddenly wished more than anything that Tenzou wasn’t wearing that damned stranger’s face. She just wanted her captain. Wanted the steady gaze of those familiar pitch orbs. She wanted…

“I’ll do it,” he insisted softly, gently prizing the sword from her frozen grip.

Hana sobbed, the sound obstructed by Amaya’s hand still planted firmly over her lips. Amaya’s gaze never left Tenzou, lips trembling minutely before she nodded in confirmation and finally let go of the blade completely. 

Just as she felt the emotions threatening to overwhelm her –  just as she was going to fall apart – the blissful numbness returned and her attention was drawn back to the young woman in front of her. Hana was going to die because of her. The least she could do was watch as her life was cruelly torn from her all too soon.

It was over in an instant. Hana’s eyes never left Amaya’s, and she never saw the blade coming. She didn’t even have time to register the pain before death claimed her. One moment those expressive brown eyes shone bright with fear, the next they had turned lifeless and dull, unseeing as her body collapsed against Tenzou like a puppet whose strings had been abruptly cut. She continued to watch as he lowered her gently, almost reverently to the ground.

Tenzou had been quick and efficient… and kind. He had not caused Hana to suffer needlessly, and Amaya clutched onto that one small bit of comfort with frantic desperation as though it were the only thing that might keep her sane, even as it felt as if the world beneath her feet was crumbling.

“We have to go.”

Amaya looked down to find Tenzou’s hand grasping hers. His warm palm felt like a lifeline, and she squeezed it firmly, unwilling to let it go. Yes, they needed to leave. They had already lingered far too long because of her. Yet Tenzou did not rush her, instead reaching out with his other hand to gently coax her chin upward so that she would look at him.

He said nothing, but no words were needed. Instead, his eyes bore into hers as if searching for something. She knew what he was looking for, and somehow that knowledge was enough for her to find that blissful studied detachment once more. There would be time enough for her to have a breakdown about this later, once they were all safe back in Konoha. For now, they needed to get out safely. This wasn’t just about her, or the tragic end that had befallen Hana. This was about the mission. Her duty to her village came first, and that duty included her teammates.

It was about Kai, and about Haru.

About him.

The welcome feeling of calm disconnect began to expand from her chest, and she knew the instant Tenzou sensed it in her. Strangely, a small flash of regret passed over his expression before his own impassivity was firmly in place once more.

“Let’s go.”

The muffled cry of a frantic woman’s voice sounded from outside of the feudal lord’s chambers, alerting Tenzou that Amaya had finally made it to her destination. The feeling of relief that swept over him was far greater than it should have been, and he refused to examine it too closely. His focus should be on the mission only, ensuring that they accomplished it efficiently and without being seen.

“What was that?” 

The feudal lord’s strangled whisper came as Tenzou slowly eased the small door open to get his first glimpse of the room beyond. 

There was a shuffle of movement, and once Tenzou’s vision finally adjusted to the brightness of the rooms it was to find that the feudal lord was actively attempting to hinder the guard from exiting the rooms. They were currently facing away from him, standing within a small antechamber that separated the large wooden door that led out into the hallway from the bedroom where Tenzou was currently located. 

A large, ostentatiously decorated four-poster bed sat to Tenzou’s left, the rumpled bed linens finer than anything Tenzou had ever seen. The feudal lord had clearly been sleeping when the disturbance had begun.

“You can’t go out there,” the small man insisted, grabbing desperately at the guard’s arm in an attempt to prevent him from opening the door.

Unknowingly, the feudal lord was providing the perfect distraction for Tenzou – creating an opening that enabled him to move into the bedroom undetected. Executing a silencing jutsu, Tenzou crept forward along a wall that effectively shielded him from the small scuffle taking place in the next room. In this case, timing would be everything.

It wasn’t until he rounded the wall and had completed his binding technique to immobilize both men that his presence was even noted. The feudal lord was speechless, mouth opening and closing like a fish on land as he stared at Tenzou in unadulterated horror. The guard struggled valiantly against the wood binding him but was unable to reach his swords as his arms were pinned to his sides.

Wasting no time, Tenzou withdrew the shorter of the blades from the guard’s belt as the man attempted to shout a warning to his compatriots on the other side of the door. They wouldn’t hear him, of course, but Tenzou didn’t plan to draw this out any longer than it needed to be. With practiced efficiency he plunged the wakizashi through the man’s heart, dropping the binding jutsu that held both men as the life faded from his eyes. 

Retrieving the blade, he turned to face the feudal lord. It was the first time he had even laid eyes on the man, and it might have surprised him to see how perfectly ordinary the lord appeared had circumstances been different. 

Tenzou watched as the middle-aged man – graying hair in rampant disarray and dressed in nothing but a thin nightshirt – collapsed unceremoniously onto his rear and scrambled desperately in his attempts to put as much distance between them as he could. It was futile, of course, but watching the man lose his mind with fear was not something Tenzou reveled in. While this man certainly deserved no sympathies from him, he felt no urge to draw out his suffering either.

“I can pay you!” the man pleaded desperately, eyes wild and scanning the area around him as if he might be able to find a weapon to fend off his attacker with. “I can give you whatever you want!”

Tenzou cocked his head and considered the man. Did he not realize that it was this mentality that had put a target on his back to begin with? The way wealth seemed to corrupt some men was strangely fascinating.

No sound could be heard on the other side of the door now, and Tenzou knew he needed to finish the job and get himself and Amaya safely out of there. Closing the distance in three large steps, the blade was across the feudal lord’s throat before he even registered Tenzou’s approach. It wasn’t a clean death, but Tenzou was certain the man didn’t deserve as much. The crimson wave of warm blood poured like a torrent over his chest and into his lap, and Tenzou saw the moment that comprehension dawned on him as the light in his eyes faded. The corpse of the feudal lord slumped to the side, lifeless and still.

They had succeeded in this part of their mission, at least. But it was not over yet.

Moving quickly, Tenzou dragged the feudal lord’s body away from the door and pressed his ear to the wood. It was eerily silent, and he was surprised to find that he could not sense Amaya directly on the other side as he would have expected.

Taking care to create as little noise as possible, he cautiously opened the door. The carnage that lay beyond drew his attention first. Both guards lay splayed haphazardly in front of the door, the floor beneath them flooded with dark, viscous pools that shimmered in the tiny sliver of moonlight that shone through the window nearby.

When he glanced up to look down the hall, the scene that he was met with caused his stomach to drop. Just when he was thinking they would be able to get out of here with minimal collateral damage, it seemed that a civilian had happened upon them.

Tenzou’s concern grew as he stepped out into the hallway. Amaya wasn’t moving. Her arm was positioned above her, poised as if ready to deal a final blow, but it almost looked as if she were frozen where she stood. Was it a jutsu? He couldn’t see who it was that she had pinned between her and the wall, so he figured the person must have been of smaller stature than her.

The caution evaporated the moment Tenzou realized who it was that Amaya held beneath her hand, and a cold feeling of inevitability swept over him. It was the girl named Hana, one of the young women Amaya shared a room with. The shy girl who had barely been able to look at him when they had been introduced a few weeks ago. 

Why was she here?

Tenzou didn’t need to ask why Amaya hesitated, he understood only too well now. But as much as he understood her reaction, he also knew that it was completely unacceptable. As a shinobi, she knew that what she had to do was necessary, and a shinobi must do what they needed to in order to ensure the success of the mission without question or hesitation. The longer they lingered here, the greater the chance that they would be discovered.

Then why was his hand reaching out to grasp hers, to offer to finish what she so obviously could not?

When she met his eyes, he felt nothing but compassion for the woman who appeared on the verge of breaking. He knew Amaya was an excellent kunoichi, she had proven as much to him many times, but it seemed to him that perhaps her heart was also too big. If she continued to be faced with situations like these, eventually she would shatter. And who would be left to pick up the pieces? Far too many shinobi were lost this way.

“I’ll do it,” he told her, knowing without a shadow of a doubt that he would do anything if it meant he could prevent her from falling apart. Even if it meant she would hate him for it later, even if it meant he would take the blame. At the very least, he would do this for her.

The desperation in Amaya’s expression shifted to resignation before she managed to school her features and nod at him. He felt her release her grip on the blade, her shaking fingers withdrawing from beneath his as she turned her attention back to the sobbing woman in front of her.

Not wanting to torture Amaya any more than she had already tortured herself, he stole the innocent girl’s life with all the efficiency that was expected of him. In one horrifying moment, Tenzou thought that Danzou would have been proud of him for that. The mere notion caused a cold shiver to race down his spine as he forced his attention back to the woman who clearly needed him.

“We have to go,” he said, reaching out to wrap Amaya’s hand in his, prompting her forward. He prayed that she would be able to keep it together, at least until they were somewhere safe. In the meantime, he wouldn’t let her out of his sight.

Her gaze drifted to where their hands were joined, staring vacantly until Tenzou tucked his finger beneath her chin and beckoned her to meet his eyes. He searched them intently, desperately trying to find the woman he knew beneath the empty expression of her henge. 

A few seconds passed before the fog seemed to lift, and he breathed a sigh of relief when he saw her looking back at him. But as quickly as she was there, her expression became closed off once more, like the very gates of hell being slammed shut in front of him. Amaya was back, and she had managed to cut off her emotions as effectively as any member of Root. That knowledge tore at him even as he urged her to follow.

“Let’s go,” he said, squeezing her hand and pulling her along behind him. 

It was strange. The situation was eerily similar to the night she had led him about the darkened corridors after their unplanned – though not wholly unwelcomed – kiss. That, however, was where the similarities between the circumstances ended. What was left in the wake of this scenario was something he wasn’t even sure he was ready to face.

They rushed through the door to the feudal lord’s room once again, pulling it shut behind them as they passed through and retreated through the small door Tenzou had left slightly ajar. Thankfully, they had both been careful to avoid the numerous pools of blood on the ground, so they left no trace of their path as they took advantage of the hidden stairwell.

When they emerged into the unused room downstairs Tenzou could hear how close the mob was to the castle itself now. If they didn’t hurry, they would likely get swept up into the confusion themselves. Kai should have secured them an exit through the small door that was reserved for the servants when they needed to leave the castle grounds. It was a path that Tenzou was intimately familiar with, and he only hoped that they would be able to make it there without garnering any unwanted attention.

Each hallway they passed through was empty. It seemed the servants had already evacuated the castle, and most of the guards were outside trying to quell the crowd. It was eerie, though. The hallways echoed with their footsteps as they passed, not quite drowned out by the cries that sounded from outside.

As they exited the castle itself they were immediately thrust into a wave of confusion. Guards and civilians crowded the courtyard, attacking each other fiercely and without mercy. Little did the attackers know, their goal had already been accomplished. It was unfortunate that more blood would be shed unnecessarily, but there was nothing they could do to prevent it.

Amaya was keeping pace beside him now, though neither of them had bothered to lose their grip on each other’s hands. It proved a good thing, as the throng of bodies became thicker as they moved closer towards their destination.

“Hideki! Over here!”

It was Kai’s voice, and Tenzou’s head snapped in his direction just in time to see him clothesline one of the guards in an effort to clear a path for them.

“Come on!” He called urgently, gesturing urgently for them to follow.

As they moved in his direction he felt Amaya fall behind him. Turning his head to look at her as they ran, he saw her attention was drawn to a vaguely familiar young man who was frantically moving through the courtyard and calling out for someone. 

“Hana! Hana, where are you?”

Tenzou didn’t recognize him at first, but when he turned their way he thought he remembered him as the stableboy whom he’d seen sitting near Hana at breakfast for the past few weeks.

A press of bodies blocked their view before the boy could spot them, and they managed to catch up with Kai shortly after. The moment Kai’s eyes landed on Amaya, Tenzou read the concern etched on his features. The grief that had been present in her expression earlier had been wiped away so effectively that what was left behind was almost more disturbing. She looked entirely blank, very much like some of the more efficient members of Root – like Tenzou himself had prior to meeting Kakashi.

Kai tossed a questioning look his way, but Tenzou simply shook his head in response, clearly indicating that it would have to be a problem for later. Kai nodded curtly before turning and leading them to the small entryway that led out of the courtyard and into the village beyond.

Haru was waiting for them at the outskirts of the village, their packs lined up and ready for them to depart. Amaya had pulled her hand from Tenzou’s by this point, and she followed along mutely as they made their way out of the village. They left the main road shortly after the farmland gave way to the forest, sparing only a few minutes to drop their henges and don their ANBU uniforms and masks before taking to the trees and speeding towards Konoha.

Despite the success of the mission, a heavy silence hung between them as they traveled. Unfortunately, hours left to their own thoughts gave Tenzou plenty of time to mull over the events of that evening. 

No matter what way he looked at it, Amaya would not come out of this mission unscathed. He had seen it in her eyes back in that hallway – she had been just on the verge of breaking, barely holding on by a single thread. Would she be able to come back from this?

Heaving a sigh, Tenzou pressed on as worry settled deep in his gut. The ramifications of this mission were bound to be devastating. What made things worse was that he had no idea how to even begin helping Amaya work through what had happened. She would need someone to talk to, to lean on after all of this was over. After all, if there was one thing Tenzou had learned during his years in ANBU, it was that shinobi that were left alone with their grief rarely coped well. That is, if they survived long enough to cope at all.

Chapter Text

The hallway was dark, shadows like creeping tendrils that climbed across the walls and floorboards. For some time there was no sound, not even the telltale creaking of the foundation settling as often comes from older structures. 

Amaya stood alone, still as a statue as she waited – for what exactly, she wasn’t certain, but an incomprehensible feeling of dread was beginning to blossom within her chest as her senses were unexpectedly rendered useless. Sight, sound, smell, taste and touch were all abruptly stripped from her as instantaneously as someone flipping a light switch. Horror threatened to consume her entirely then, and in her helplessness she thought that it might be best if she just let it.

Before she could lose herself completely to that beckoning nothingness beyond the veil, her senses began to return to her one-by-one – though strangely they seemed to be more acute than before. 

The moment the feeling in her hands returned she was met with the feeling of warm flesh beneath one palm, and the unyielding hilt of a familiar blade in the other. A steady dripping sound, not unlike that of a slowly leaking faucet, reached her ears then. This was followed by an all-to-familiar metallic tang that assaulted her sinuses at the same time that it registered on her tongue. 

Her sight was the last to be restored. As her vision slowly cleared, she found a horror worse than anything she could have conjured for herself. Hana was there, Amaya’s hand smothering her mouth just as it had that night, preventing her from pleading for her life. Only… something was different this time. Hana was not whimpering now. Instead, she was staring keenly back into Amaya’s eyes as blood seeped from her mouth and out beneath Amaya’s palm. 

Looking down, Amaya found her hand clasping the hilt of the blade that ran clean through Hana’s chest. Tearing her hands away as if she’d been burned, Amaya stumbled back only for an instant before rushing back to Hana and dropping to her knees, hands fluttering wildly around the blade that impaled the young woman. 

What have I done?

A pale, dainty hand was suddenly circling one of Amaya’s wrists, the grip oddly strong for its size. Amaya looked up to find Hana’s mouth beginning to stretch into a grin. It was impossibly wide, disturbing in how it stretched across her face. The blood that had been flowing from her mouth had stained her teeth a dark crimson.

“You did this,” Hana declared, gazing down at Amaya with that horrific smile. 

The accusation in her words was such a stark juxtaposition to her expression that Amaya was rendered mute. She simply couldn’t process the events that were transpiring.

“You killed me!”

A manic giggle erupted from Hana’s lips then as she bent forward and pressed a chaste kiss to Amaya’s cheek. Amaya could feel the sticky warmth of the blood that was left in its wake, and it caused a shudder of revulsion to race down her spine.

“You stole my future,” Hana whispered tenderly in Amaya’s ear as she lingered there, lips ghosting across Amaya’s cheek.

“I’m sorry,” Amaya responded desperately. “Hana, I’m so sorry.”

Another giggle sounded as Amaya felt Hana’s arms wrap around her neck, drawing her closer. The hilt of the blade dug into Amaya’s breast, forcing it to sink even further into Hana’s body. A sob caught in Amaya’s throat then, and she began to feel as if her sanity was finally starting to abandon her.

“You should come with me, you know. Keep me company,” Hana cooed as she stroked Amaya’s hair in an almost loving gesture. Tucking her head into Amaya’s neck, she sighed. “We won’t have to be lonely that way.”

Amaya found herself considering Hana’s words as a wave of exhaustion passed through her. It would be so easy to just say yes, to give in to that tempting offer. After all, what would she be leaving behind? Nothing but pain.

“There’s nothing for you here, Amaya. Nobody will miss you if you leave,” the girl continued, somehow echoing the very thoughts that had just passed through her own mind. The fact that Hana had used her real name didn’t even register. “But I’ll miss you. Please don’t leave me alone.”

The acquiescence was on her lips, ready to be uttered when Amaya felt the familiar presence of another standing behind her.

“Amaya…”

Closing her eyes, she wrapped her arms around Hana, holding on to her tightly. She recognized the voice, but it was as if some part of her didn’t want to remember who it was.

“Amaya, we have to go.”

She didn’t want to go. She wanted to stay here with Hana. She couldn’t just leave her all alone, not when everything had been her fault to begin with. 

Besides, maybe if she stayed the pain would stop.

"Amaya, the mission," the man prompted from behind her. 

Yes, she knew him then. Her captain.

A flood of emotions surged through her the moment she recognized who it was that was speaking. This man confused her. She didn't know how she felt about him, and the tumultuous feelings that ripped through her did nothing to persuade her to want to leave with him. If anything, it convinced her that she would be better off staying here, at Hana’s side. At least here she knew where she belonged.

Unexpectedly, another pair of arms began to wrap around her. They were much larger than Hana's wiry limbs, and as they circled her waist she realized just how much warmer they were. They were almost scaldingly hot when compared to the icy chill that was emanating from Hana's skin. She had missed that detail entirely, only now noting the disparity when the heat began to envelop her from behind.

"Amaya," Tenzou whispered in Amaya's other ear, holding her firmly around her middle. "We need you."

An unearthly growl sounded from Hana's lips, and Amaya twitched at the noise as Hana's arms wrapped even tighter around her neck. Her throat was pressed against Hana's bony shoulder, and it was beginning to obstruct her airway. Vacantly, she realized that it was becoming harder for her to breathe, that her vision was growing hazy as oxygen deprivation began to set in.

Tenzou's chest was against her back now, helping to stave off the growing chill that threatened to consume her. His grip tightened around her.

"Come back with me, Amaya," he implored, his steady voice beginning to crack and give way to the barely suppressed emotions hovering just beneath the surface. "I need you."

With a gasp, Amaya jerked up into a seated position, eyes wild and unseeing as she struggled to catch her breath. Her heart was pounding so hard it felt as if it would leap out from beneath her rib cage, and her entire body shook at the combination of fear and adrenaline that overwhelmed her.

A wave of nausea swept through her, prompting her to dry heave once before leaning over the side of the bed and vomiting bile onto the wood floorboards. Her hair hung around her, oily and stringy from days of neglect, tears burning her eyes as she allowed her head to hang there.

It took several minutes for calm detachment to settle over her once more. When it did, she collapsed back onto her pillow and allowed her gaze to drift unseeing to the ceiling above her. The fan was on low, the blades slowly rotating in a hypnotic fashion as she watched. Her mind was blank – empty. Just like the rest of her.

The nightmares had started immediately after their return to Konoha. Despite her best attempts to ward off sleep, they had proven to be her constant companion every night since. They weren't always the same, though they were all warped variations of the same theme. Sometimes, she would relive the events of that night exactly as they had happened. Other times, she and Tenzou swapped places, and the events unfolded exactly the same but with their roles reversed. Most often, however, the dreams were like this one… a horrible distortion of her memories. But always, he was there.

Amaya could not seem to process her feelings. Not about Hana. Not about him. So she just... didn't.

Rolling over onto her side, she stared at the blank wall next to the window. The blinds were drawn, though brilliant sunlight streamed from between the slats, indicating that it was likely well into the day. She had no idea the exact time was, and she did not particularly care to know.

If Amaya bothered to acknowledge what was happening to her, she would realize that she was not coping well – or really at all. Shinobi were taught about the signs and symptoms of post-traumatic stress, but not really given the tools or resources for how to deal with it. After all, a good shinobi should be able to push their emotions into a little box and move on. An emotional shinobi was a burden, a detriment. An emotional ANBU? Downright dangerous.

So instead of acknowledging it, of facing it head on and working to better her mental state, she shoved it aside like she believed any good shinobi would. 

At least she thought that was what she was doing. Except it seemed impossible for her to even work up the energy to get out of bed. In the days since they had arrived back home, she hadn't even been able to manage to take care of her basic needs. Soldier pills were her only sustenance, and she certainly hadn't seen a need to bother showering. Eating, bathing and basic hygiene – they all seemed like frivolous things to her now.

In the deep recesses of her subconscious mind, Amaya knew that she couldn't keep going like this. Something was deeply wrong with her, and if she didn't address it soon she would not be able to return to the life and career she'd worked so hard to build. Even so, a part of her questioned if she even wanted that life anymore.

There’s nothing for you here, Amaya. Nobody will miss you if you leave.

The words Hana had spoken in the dream floated across her consciousness then. Is that what she really believed?

We need you. I need you.

Amaya's eyes narrowed as Tenzou's voice invaded her thoughts instead. Those words, at least, she did not believe. She was just another teammate, another body -- inconsequential and easily replaced. This was just her mind trying to convince her she was worth something.

Hours passed as Amaya lay there, the only indication of the passage of time the change in the light that seeped through the cracks in the blinds. And she might have remained there until night fell again, if it hadn’t been for the insistent knocking that began to sound at her door.

Tenzou was worried. It wasn’t often that he found himself utterly preoccupied about the condition of a member of his team, and if he was, it was usually due to physical injuries sustained during a mission. This, however, was entirely new territory for him.

The trip back to Konoha had been a quick one. There had been an unspoken sense of urgency amongst the group, though Tenzou had not really been able to pinpoint exactly what the cause was. Neither Kai nor Haru had been debriefed on what had transpired within the walls of the castle until they made it back within the village’s gates, yet they both seemed to sense that something was amiss. It manifested in their silence, in the furtive glances they seemed to be sending each other and Amaya whenever they stopped for breaks. They hadn’t even bothered to make camp for a more substantial rest, instead pushing all the way through the next evening until they stood in the Hokage’s office, ready to relay the outcome of their mission.

Reporting to the Hokage had been a surreal experience. Everything seemed so deceptively routine, the details presented to the Sandaime of a successful mission with virtually no complications – except one.

It was a minor detail, one that Tenzou mostly glossed over as an ‘unfortunate civilian casualty’. As he presented this part of the story. he completely omitted several of the events that took place. He excluded the fact that Amaya failed to kill the girl – about his committing the act in her stead, or about her almost breaking down entirely right there in the midst of the most critical point in their mission.

While he spoke, he was acutely aware of Amaya’s presence behind him. It was as if a cold emptiness, a fathomless void stood nearby, radiating nothing at all. It was such a departure from the familiar presence of the Amaya he knew that it crawled beneath his skin, leaving him feeling wholly unsettled.

The Sandaime hadn’t even blinked at the mention of the civilian’s death, showing no concern at all for the hapless individual who had the misfortune of serving as unintended collateral damage. Instead, he had proclaimed the mission an overwhelming success from his perspective, though he wanted to withhold final judgment until word of the feudal lord’s death spread and the rumors reached them about the assumed culprits. As long as Konoha had managed to maintain absolute anonymity then they had nothing to be concerned about.

Tenzou had intended to speak to Amaya as soon as they were released, but she had disappeared without so much as a farewell to any of them when they had emerged from the front doors of Hokage Tower.

He knew Kai and Haru had questions, he could certainly feel them watching him closely as he stared at the space she had just vacated, but he couldn’t find it within himself to explain the situation to them. And to be honest, he hadn’t quite processed everything himself either.

That had been three days ago, and he had not heard word of Amaya since. In the days that had elapsed, there had been several occurrences where Tenzou had managed to work himself up enough to decide that he should go check on her. Yet every time he reached her apartment building, something made him hesitate.

Did Amaya hate him for what he’d done? At the time, he had thought that he was acting in her best interests by shouldering the burden himself and not forcing her to commit the act that needed to be committed. He had truly believed he had been doing her a kindness. Since their return, however, he wondered if Amaya might not see things the way he did. Did she blame him for his final judgment? Had she been hoping that he would grant Hana a reprieve, even though she knew it went against the mission parameters and would risk their cover?

These thoughts inevitably forced him to retreat each time he stood frozen in front of her apartment door. The idea that he wasn’t welcome – that when he finally looked into her eyes again all he would find there was loathing – rendered him inert. With all the conflicting feelings he’d been having about Amaya in the days leading up to that fateful night, he wasn’t certain he could handle her looking at him like that. That realization in itself should have been a red flag to him, but he was too preoccupied with worry to really examine it too closely.

So when Kai and Haru suddenly appeared at his door on the third day, he felt a measure of relief that maybe they had finally checked in on her. That he would finally know whether or not she was okay.

“Have you talked to Amaya?” Kai demanded, pushing past Tenzou and stomping into his apartment. Haru followed, shooting Tenzou an apologetic look as he closed the door behind him.

“I haven’t. Have you?”

Kai growled. “Dammit, Haru! I told you!”

“We haven’t either,” Haru confirmed, apologetic expression transforming into one of open worry.

Tenzou visibly deflated. None of them had checked in on her. The knowledge caused a knot of fear to form in the pit of his stomach. Amaya had not been in a good place mentally when she had left them that day. Was she okay? Was she taking care of herself? What if…

He shook his head, unwilling to allow his thoughts to tread down the darker path they were heading.

“Someone needs to check on her,” he stated rather unhelpfully.

“No shit,” Kai retorted, crossing his arms and glaring at him. “So why haven’t you?”

“Kai,” Haru said in warning, stepping in front of him and placing a hand on his shoulder. “It’s not his fault.”

“And how do you know that?” Kai bit out, brushing Haru aside and closing the distance between himself and Tenzou. “What the hell happened that night? Because the report you gave to the Hokage made it sound like everything went off without a hitch.”

Suspicion laced Kai’s tone as he narrowed his eyes, sudden comprehension registering behind his gaze. 

“It was that civilian, wasn’t it.”

A statement, not a question. Tenzou knew that people underestimated Kai. His good looks combined with his boisterous demeanor often led others to assume that he lacked something when it came to intelligence. But once again, Kai proved himself to be equally as shrewd as any other member of ANBU.

“Yes,” Tenzou answered simply.

Kai closed his eyes, and Tenzou could see the brief flashes of comprehension and resignation pass across his features. Without needing details, the man understood completely.

“I see.”

A few beats of silence passed before Kai opened his eyes once more, gaze fixing determinedly on Tenzou. “Then why haven’t you gone to see her?”

Tenzou felt his lips thinning as guilt crashed over him once more.

“Why?” Kai prompted once more, anger beginning to lace his tone again.

Fists clenching, Tenzou shook his head. How could he explain this to Kai? That he would be the last person Amaya wanted to see. That she probably hated him.

“She trusts you. You know that, right?” Kai ground out.

“Kai—,” Haru implored, grabbing the man’s arm.

“You don’t understand the situation,” Tenzou insisted finally.

“For fuck’s sake!” Kai exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air in exasperation and causing Haru to lose his grip. “I saw her holding on to your hand that night. You were like her fucking lifeline! Whatever happened, she obviously trusts you.”

“I’m the reason she’s like this.”

Kai growled, eyes narrowing to slits. For a moment, it looked very much as if he was considering throwing a punch Tenzou’s way as his fists clenched and the muscles in his shoulders corded. Instead of the violent outburst Tenzou was expecting, several seconds passed in stark silence while Kai clenched and unclenched his jaw, visibly fighting some internal battle with himself until finally the tension left him. 

“Screw this,” Kai declared with an angry shake of his head. “If you won’t help her, then I will.”

Kai brushed past him roughly and closed the distance to the door in two easy steps. Ripping it open he paused, turning his head to eye Tenzou over his shoulder.

“You are a lot of things, Captain,” he seethed, jaw tight with barely concealed rage. “But I never would have pegged you for a coward.”

The accusation hit Tenzou like a punch to the gut. Did his reasons for avoiding checking on Amaya really boil down to that?

Kai was gone, the door left open wide to the empty hallway. It almost seemed like an invitation, an opportunity to set things right. If only he could force himself out through that door, to tread that now familiar path to Amaya’s apartment building. To reach out and knock on her door.

He could feel Haru’s discerning gaze on him now, but he ignored it as he stood there staring at the doorway, unable to force himself to move. Haru let out a sigh before eventually following in his teammate’s footsteps, closing the door with a soft click behind him.

“You’re right,” Tenzou whispered into the empty room. “I am a coward.”

“Amaya! Open the door!”

The pounding was getting louder, and Amaya was now certain of the identity of the person yelling at her from the other side of the door. Yet she remained motionless, having not a single desire to get out of bed and let the man in.

“If you don’t open this door I’m going to break it down!”

She blinked. Well, her landlady wouldn’t be thanking her for that, and the old lady really didn’t deserve that kind of grief.

It was this thought alone that motivated her to pry herself from the mattress. The pounding was beginning to rattle the hinges now, and she was fairly confident Kai would indeed rip the door clean off given a few more minutes of this treatment.

Shuffling to the entryway, she unlocked the door with a resounding click that was almost entirely drowned out by the steady stream of expletives being emitted by the man on the other side. It was enough to draw the tiniest of quirks to her lips. Kai really could outswear the best of them once he got going.

Turning the knob, she managed to open the door only a scant few centimeters before it was abruptly ripped from her hand and slammed back against the wall.

“Amaya!” Kai burst out. She barely had time to register what was happening as his big arms were instantly around her, wrapping her tightly in his embrace. “Fuck, Amaya. I really thought…”

The panic in Kai’s voice surprised her. What had he thought, exactly? That she was dead or something?

Squeezing her again, he leaned back and stared into her face. “No offense, but when was the last time you took a shower?”

That was a good question. Definitely not since they had gotten back. How long had it been? She thought she remembered observing at least two passing sunrises, though it might have been more. Two days? A week?

Kai heaved a great sigh and turned to close the door with considerably more care than he had opened it. When he turned back around, he paused for a few moments to take in the sight of her. Based on the look on his face, what he found wasn’t all that pleasant. 

“You look like hell.”

She felt like hell.

“Have you been eating?”

Do soldier pills count?

Placing his hands on her shoulders, he shook her gently. “Talk to me, Amaya.”

What do you want me to say?

“Please,” he begged, the desperation in his tone causing a strange tugging sensation in her chest. She could see it in his eyes. She was scaring him.

“Soldier pills,” she croaked. It was the first thing that came to her head.

“What?”

Clearing her throat, she winced at the pain it caused her. “Soldier pills. That’s what I’ve been eating.”

Her voice still didn’t sound right to her own ears, but that wasn’t much of a surprise. She hadn’t spoken in days.

Kai heaved another sigh and closed his eyes, leaning his forehead against hers. He lingered there for a moment, sniffing experimentally.

“First, you need a shower,” he declared with a relieved chuckle as he grabbed her wrist and pulled her toward the hallway. He had never been in her apartment before, but the single bedroom apartment left little question about where her bathroom was located.

Dragging her into the cramped space, he turned on the faucet and tested the water. When steam started to billow from the heat, he pulled the curtain and turned to her.

“Can you handle this or do you need my help?”

Amaya’s eyes lifted to meet his. In the months that they had known each other Kai had always been overly flirtatious with her, sometimes toeing the line of harassment. In this moment, however, she observed nothing but concern for her wellbeing in his gaze. The carefree Kai that she had grown so used to was noticeably absent, replaced by a man that she had only ever seen brief glimpses of in the past. There was nothing untoward in his offer now, and that knowledge was enough to steady her.

“I can handle it,” she told him, and for the first time in days she felt a little of her old self clawing its way up from the nothingness that had consumed her.

He smiled down at her, brushing a few strands of her oily hair away from her forehead.

“Good.”

The compact space of the bathroom prevented Kai’s larger frame from being able to pass her, so Amaya was forced to retreat from the room to allow him to exit. He gave her one last lingering look before nodding at her and heading back down the hallway towards the main living space. Moving back into the bathroom she shut the door behind her, leaning back against it heavily as steam began to fill the room.

Alone once again, she could feel that horrible emptiness beginning to seep in at the edges of her consciousness. It was as though Kai’s presence had forced it to retreat somehow, but now his absence made that awful feeling all the more acute.

Forcing herself to peel her dirty clothes from her body, she stepped beneath the cascading water. Deciding it wasn’t nearly hot enough, she reached forward and adjusted the temperature. The burning heat barely registered as she began to scrub her arms, likely taking off a few layers of skin with her ministrations. Her body worked on autopilot, going through the familiar motions without any conscious effort on her part.

She probably would have remained in there indefinitely if it hadn’t been for Kai’s knock interrupting her once again.

“Come get something to eat,” he called out as his chakra signature retreated toward the modest kitchen.

Somewhere in the back of her mind a voice was telling her she should follow his instructions, but she chose not to heed it. Instead, she stood still beneath the torrent of rapidly cooling water while staring mindlessly at the tile wall.

“Amaya?” His voice was in the bathroom with her now, echoing off the tile walls. How long had he been calling to her? 

When Amaya failed to respond, he let out a sigh. “I’m coming in.”

The curtain drew back, though she didn’t turn her head to look at him. The water pelting her back abruptly ceased, and a moment later a fluffy towel was wrapped around her frame.

“Come on,” he urged her as he prompted her to step out of the tub and onto the cold tile floor. “Let’s get you some clean clothes.”

She followed him into her bedroom and watched vacantly as he began to rifle through her drawers. His brow was furrowed, and she could see he was uncomfortable about having to sift through her underwear – which might have been a surprise to her if she had been capable of feeling anything at all in that moment.

“Here,” he said, passing her a comfortable pair of sweats and an oversized shirt. “Can you manage?”

Her continued silence prompted him to frown at her as he set the clothing on the bed. “Amaya, talk to me. Please.”

What was there to say? Hana was dead because of her. An innocent girl’s life had been carelessly snuffed out without a single thought because of her own incompetence. 

If she had just gotten out of that hallway sooner. If she had told Hana to run before Tenzou found them.

 If… 

If… 

If…

“Who was she?” Kai asked, approaching Amaya carefully as if she were a wounded animal that might lash out or flee at the slightest provocation.

“Her name was Hana,” she offered finally as the first crack began to snake across the mental barriers she had been hiding behind.

One more step and Kai was in front of her again, his arms gently encasing her. 

“Tell me.”

It was Kai’s embrace that finally did her in. 

Amaya drew in a series of staccato breaths as the dam that had been restraining her emotions abruptly failed her. She collapsed against Kai as a sound that barely qualified as human was ripped from her chest.

They remained that way for a long time, at least an hour passing by the time Amaya managed to stabilize herself enough to process her surroundings once more. The room was shrouded in darkness now. They were seated on the floor, Kai leaning back against the foot of the bed with Amaya curled in a fetal position against his chest.

The outpouring of grief seemed to have mostly passed now, though what was left in its wake was a strange feeling of hollow emptiness. It was different from the emptiness she’d experienced earlier. Now she felt raw, exposed, but admittedly more like herself than she had in days. The pain of Hana’s loss still lingered beneath the surface, but she found she didn’t have to actively avoid acknowledging it now.

Amaya knew this was merely the calm after the first storm – that she wasn’t quite through dealing with what had happened – but a small hope ignited within her that perhaps the worst was now over.

“Are you okay?”

Amaya leaned back slightly to look up at Kai. 

“No,” she answered honestly, throat tightening once more. “But I think I will be.”

Chapter Text

“It’s about time you showed up.”

Kai was standing in Amaya’s doorway, his large form filling most of the space as he glared at Tenzou with an unveiled ferocity that he had never seen from the man.

“Is she okay?” Tenzou asked, unable to prevent the small note of worry from creeping into his tone.

Tenzou watched Kai’s jaw clench as he visibly wrestled with what was likely to be another acerbic remark. Not that Tenzou could blame him – he deserved it.

After Kai and Haru had left his apartment the previous day, Tenzou had spent the better part of that evening and more than half of the night torturing himself over Amaya’s mental state. In truth, he felt somewhat responsible for the events that had transpired in Kunigami and her resulting deterioration. It was clear that killing the young woman had broken something in her. He only hoped that the damage wasn’t irreparable.

While logic told him that he had merely acted under the requirements asked of him for the mission, a small part of him couldn’t help but examine the morality of it all. He had ended the life of an innocent woman as easily as one might snuff out a candle. Honestly, he hadn’t even given it a second thought, despite Amaya’s obvious struggle at the time. It had come all too easily to him – evidence of his years in Root under Danzou’s strict authority brought into sharp relief.

There had been instances in the past where Kakashi’s influence had caused him to question his orders and actions. While ANBU certainly toed the line of morality on occasion, the assignments were usually less questionable than the missions he had undertaken whilst in Root. Still, he didn’t often find himself looking back on his decisions with what he could only identify as… regret.

But what did he regret exactly? Was he truly bothered at having to murder an innocent girl? Or was it that the consequences of those actions – his actions – had nearly destroyed one of his teammates?

Did Amaya hate him for it?

That simple question had plagued him even after succumbing to an uneasy slumber the night prior. His mental turmoil had manifested itself as a new set of nightmares entirely different from those that typically haunted him. He had tossed and turned for hours, waking up in a cold sweat more than once in the pre-dawn hours.

By sunrise all Tenzou managed to recall of his dreams were a series of hazy images of Amaya gazing back at him with desperate eyes as he held a blade to her throat, informing her that it was for the sake of the mission. The sickening feeling that settled in his gut had lingered throughout the morning until he finally decided he’d had enough. He needed to see her, to make sure she was okay. Even if she didn’t want to see him.

Which was what had led him to where he was now, standing awkwardly on Amaya’s doorstep as Kai physically barred him from entering.

“Kai, who is it?” he heard Amaya ask from somewhere behind the man’s large frame.

“It’s the captain,” Kai replied gently even as his eyes narrowed at Tenzou.

Silence echoed throughout the room, and Tenzou could feel a horrible sinking sensation drop into the pit of his stomach as the seconds stretched.

“Let him in, Kai.”

The wood of the doorframe creaked under the pressure of Kai’s fingers tightening before he exhaled and pushed away from it roughly. He made sure to toss one more glare of warning Tenzou’s way, however, before retreating.

Amaya stood a few paces beyond where Kai had been standing. She was almost preternaturally still, expression guarded. 

Tenzou’s first thought was that she looked better than he had been expecting. She was in clean clothes and her hair appeared freshly washed. He wondered idly if Kai was to thank for that, or if she had been taking care of herself after all.

“Do you want me to stay?” Kai asked, approaching her slowly and placing a reassuring palm on her shoulder.

The smile that she offered Kai was noticeably forced, and Tenzou could see the tightness in her features as she looked up at him. “I’ll be okay. Thank you.”

Kai’s lips thinned as he gave her a curt nod of understanding before turning to head to the door. He didn’t bother to look Tenzou’s way as he passed him, though when his hand gripped the knob, he paused.

“I’ll be back soon.”

With that he was through the door, the two of them now alone as the room was filled with silence once again.

“Come in,” Amaya offered quietly as she moved into the main living area of her apartment. 

Tenzou couldn’t help his eyes from doing a quick pass over the room, noting the general layout of the space as well as the various exits. Some habits were hard to break.

“Can I offer you something to drink?”

Everything about her words and actions seemed rote. There was no sense of a genuine desire to be hospitable. Instead, it was just like watching an empty vessel going through the motions. The reality of the situation was enough to make his chest tighten.

He had done this to her.

“Amaya…”

She turned to face him. For a few long seconds they simply watched each other as if they were each gauging what their next move should be. It was eerily similar to some standoffs he had experienced during his years as a shinobi – two people sizing each other up before deciding how best to strike. 

Just as Tenzou opened his mouth to say something, anything that might help him explain to her why he had acted the way he had in Kunigami and the days that followed, the vacant expression that had been staring back at him began to crack. The acute pain that shone in Amaya’s eyes was enough to prompt him several steps forward, helping him to close the distance between them as she stood frozen in place.

He wanted so much to reach out to her then, to comfort her the way that Kai must have in his absence. The guilt he felt over having left her to wallow in her own misery as a direct result of his actions gnawed at him, but a small part of him was also beginning to recognize something. That foreign desire to comfort Amaya was not borne simply out of concern for a member of his team, or for the impact of his decision on one of his subordinates. Instead, it was borne from a very real concern for the woman who stood before him. 

Much like the other preoccupations he’d been having in regards to her of late, he wondered if this was something that he should be actively working to eliminate.

“I’m sorry,” he finally managed, his own sense of guilt and unease tainting his tone in a way that might have made him feel weak, if it weren’t for the overwhelming worry he had for her. “I’m so s—" 

The words died on his lips. Her arms were around him then, wrapping him in a tight embrace that pinned his arms to his sides. Eyes widening, he stared down in mute shock at the top of her head. Was she… hugging him?

Seeming to sense his discomfort, Amaya began to loosen her grip. “Sorry, Captain. I—”

Before she could retreat fully, he extracted his arms and pulled her gently but firmly back to his chest. Having her in his arms like this seemed to provide him with some sort of additional reassurance that he hadn’t been aware he had needed. He was just so damned relieved that she was here, that she didn’t hate him. 

Because she wouldn’t hug him if she hated him. Right?

“Amaya,” he began, throat tightening for some inexplicable reason. “I’m sorry for taking so long to come check on you.”

Slowly, Amaya began to pull away from him again, and despite not feeling entirely ready to let go of her – of that reassurance that she was still here and whole – he felt his arms loosen and drop to his sides. 

The instant they stood apart once more, he could see the wave of sadness suffusing her features. It was like a cloud obscuring the sun, casting her features in an unnatural darkness that he found himself desperately wanting to alleviate. More than anything in that moment, he wanted to see her smile again. Amaya’s smile, not that of her henge. When was the last time he had seen her smile?

Reaching up, Amaya tucked a strand of hair behind her ear as she studiously avoided his eyes. “It’s okay. I… I think I understand.”

“Still, I—” Tenzou trailed off, letting out a heavy exhale. “I was afraid you would hate me for what I did.”

Amaya’s eyes met his, slightly narrowed in the corners and scanning as if she were searching for something there. What it was she was looking for exactly he couldn’t be certain, but he stood frozen in place as she watched him. 

After enduring a few long moments of her intense scrutiny, her features relaxed minutely. 

“I don’t hate you, Tenzou.” 

Crossing her arms around her midsection, she turned her attention to the nearby window. 

“I don’t like what happened, but I know it wasn’t your fault.” She paused, both hands gripping at the fabric of her shirt as if she were experiencing real, physical pain. “And I know why you had to do it.”

Somehow that statement did nothing to ease his concern. Sure, she said she understood his actions, but that didn’t mean she hadn’t suffered as a consequence.

Amaya dragged her fingers through her hair roughly as her gaze dropped to her feet. “I guess what I’m trying to say is thank you. For doing what you did. I know you didn’t have to, that other captains might have…”

She trailed off, and Tenzou stiffened at her words. She couldn’t possibly mean what he thought she meant. Did she really think he would force her to kill someone? 

The very idea surprised him until he realized that it might not be such an insane notion. Not every member of ANBU was like him. Some could be almost fanatical in their approach to their work, to following the shinobi code of conduct. Tenzou certainly followed the rules as they were presented to him, but he saw no need to exert his authority by forcing someone to commit such an act as proof of their loyalty or worth as a shinobi.

“Besides,” she continued, heaving a sigh and shaking her head. “Her death was my fault.”

Tenzou’s brow furrowed in confusion, and he realized then that he never asked her how the young woman came to be in the hallway that night to begin with.

“What do you mean?” he asked cautiously.

“I thought Megumi was the only one who saw me sneaking out of bed. Either Megumi told her, or she saw me sneak out as well. She must have come looking for me after everything started – when she realized I was missing.”

Amaya was pacing now, chewing a fingernail as she went. “I don’t know how she figured out where we were though. She must have taken so long to get there because she was checking all the rooms.”

Slowing to a halt, Amaya’s stony expression began to crumble as she stared vacantly at the empty wall. “If I had just been quicker. If I had paid closer attention…”

“Amaya, you cannot blame yourself for things out of your control,” Tenzou reasoned. 

Tenzou watched as Amaya’s carefully wrested control began to fray. It was only now that he realized just how fragile Amaya’s emotional state truly was. She was like a blade that had been cracked – the gentlest tap in the right place and she would break entirely.

“You couldn’t have known Hana would come to look for you,” he amended softly.

The mention of the girl’s name caused Amaya to visibly seize up. A small tremor was evident in her hands as she carefully drew in a breath, even as her eyes began to glisten with unshed tears.

“I’m sorry,” Tenzou interjected quickly. “We don’t have to talk about her if you don’t want to.”

Even as the words left his mouth he internally admonished himself. Gods, why was he so bad at stuff like this? Years of working with various team members, of dealing with situations not unlike this one, and still he always seemed to say the wrong thing. Maybe he should have just left this to Kai. Tenzou was probably just making this worse for her.

“No, I…” She clenched her eyes shut as she drew another unsteady breath. “I think I need to.”

Her eyes met his then, a pleading desperation writhing in those depths. Without thinking, Tenzou reached out a hand to clasp hers, just as he had that final night in Kunigami.

“Whatever you need,” he murmured, squeezing her hand in reassurance.

Almost an hour had passed by the time the conversation with Tenzou had begun to wind down, and Amaya had to admit she felt lighter than she had in days. She had told him all about Hana, about everything she’d learned about the shy girl during the weeks of sharing a room and a life with her. Talking to someone who had also known her, had shared some of these moments Amaya had experienced with her, made it easier for her to start processing everything that had happened. It was as if by remembering Hana as she had been before that night, Amaya might be better able to fend off the constant barrage of horrific images of that night that had been haunting her.

It still hurt tremendously, but Amaya was beginning to realize that Tenzou had done something for her that she couldn’t have expected from Kai. Kai never could have understood the devastation of her loss because he hadn’t been there. Not that night, nor during the weeks leading up to it. But she could see that Tenzou understood, and it made her appreciate him all the more.

When Kai finally returned to Amaya’s apartment, he had been noticeably cautious. His visible relief upon seeing her looking… Well, she didn’t really know what he had expected her to look like, but she supposed that the fact that she didn’t look like an absolute wreck was a vast improvement over how he had initially found her the previous day. It was enough to prompt him to acknowledge Tenzou once again without the open animosity he’d displayed earlier.

Seeing Kai again and now feeling much more emotionally stable, Amaya experienced the tiniest hint of embarrassment that Kai had seen her in such an atrocious state. It was the first time someone had been around her during one of her depressive episodes, and she wasn’t too sure how to feel about it. She’d been so weak and vulnerable, something that she tried desperately to never let anyone see. 

However, another part of her appreciated Kai’s obvious concern for her. She was beyond grateful to him that he had forced her to finally face her grief. Typically, it would take at least a week for her to break past the all-consuming despair during these periods. With his support it had been somehow easier to face it head on. 

Well, maybe not easier. But he hadn’t allowed her to wallow in it as long as she normally would. A flaw of hers that she was all too aware of.

Tenzou had taken his leave shortly after Kai’s return. They had at least two full weeks off as reprieve following the prolonged mission, and he promised to check in on her again before they inevitably got assigned to something else. The knowledge that her teammates cared enough to check on her helped lift her spirits a little more. 

It was easy for Amaya to succumb to feelings of utter loneliness during her bouts of depression, but she was beginning to realize that maybe she wasn’t as alone as she often led herself to believe. Sure, Yuugao had moved on. But what had she gained in the meantime? A new team full of people who obviously cared for her.

And that included Haru. Kai had made certain to assure her that Haru had been inordinately worried for her as well, but hadn’t wanted to intrude. He’d felt that having both he and Kai there would have been too overwhelming for her, but he’d told Kai that once Amaya was feeling up for it, he wanted to drop by for a visit if that was okay with her. So, she had that to look forward to as well.

Despite Amaya’s assurances that she felt well enough to be on her own, Kai stuck around until the early evening. Amaya had a sneaking suspicion he was lingering in order to ensure she ate her meals and really was feeling alright after her talk with Tenzou, but she didn’t bother to call him out on it. If anything, she appreciated his presence. It was familiar and comforting, and the result of this entire situation was that Amaya now had a new appreciation for Kai. She knew now that she could trust him wholly, and that in itself was reassuring.

It wasn’t all smooth sailing, however. After Kai’s departure that evening, a bit of that creeping loneliness returned. It was easy to sense that looming cloud of torment threatening to consume her, so instead of allowing herself to succumb once more to the dark thoughts that had plagued her for days, she got ready for bed early and took some time to focus instead on the events that had taken place that day.

As she lay there, a few things occurred to her that she hadn’t really noticed at the time. First, Kai had seemed almost inordinately angry at Tenzou when he had shown up at her door. Kai hadn’t mentioned their captain once in the period leading up to his arrival, but based on Kai’s reaction she suspected some sort of altercation had occurred between them recently. The antagonistic words Kai had thrown at him while Tenzou stood on her doorstep were evidence enough that something had transpired.

Which was confusing, because it wasn’t as if Tenzou hadn’t been concerned about her. What he had said during their conversation made it abundantly clear that he’d felt guilty for his actions that night, and for not coming to check on her sooner. But she didn’t begrudge him for that. She hadn’t lied when she said she knew why he had to do what he’d done. 

As for him not coming to check on her, well, it wasn’t really his responsibility. Nothing in his position as her captain warranted his worry for her well-being outside of their work. The same applied to Kai as well.

Honestly, this was all new territory for her. While she’d worked well with her old team, their dynamic had been of a professional nature. They would complete their missions, but rarely interact outside of them, always keeping each other at arms length when it came to their personal lives. 

Yet almost as soon as Amaya had joined Tenzou’s team, she’d felt as if she had become a part of something bigger. They would train together on their off days and share meals on occasion. They shared their triumphs and failures, laughter and now… grief. Without realizing it, her team had become more like family to her than her own family had ever been.

These ruminations brought Amaya a measure of comfort as night settled in fully, but something still nagged at her. The fact that she had reacted so strongly to Hana’s death bothered her. Despite her propensity for bouts of depression, she had never been so heavily affected by the death of someone on one of her missions. On the other hand, she had been fortunate to have never lost a teammate or comrade, so she couldn’t say for certain that she wouldn’t have a similar – or potentially even more volatile – reaction if such a thing were to happen. 

Still, it hadn’t occurred to her how attached she had grown to both Hana and Megumi during her time in Kunigami, and she wondered how she had allowed herself to do something so reckless. 

If Tenzou hadn’t come looking for her, what would she have done? Would she have let Hana go, risking the success of the mission and potentially implicating herself, her team and Konoha?

That gave her pause. For the first time since Amaya had joined ANBU, she began to wonder if she was cut out for it after all. Being ANBU wasn’t just about skill, it was about being able to effectively compartmentalize in order to get the job done. Instead, she had let her emotions drive her that night, her loyalty to Konoha and the mission taking a backseat to her own personal feelings and desires. Treading down that path was a slippery slope, one that made her question her worth not just as a member of ANBU, but also as a kunoichi.

Hana. She had been so young, with so much of her life still ahead of her. Unbidden, the memory of Hana’s shy smile crossed Amaya’s mind, enough to elicit a slew of bittersweet feelings. 

Had Hana ever gotten that kiss that she had been waiting for?

Turning on her side, Amaya stared at the empty wall as she recalled the stableboy calling out for Hana that night. He had obviously cared for Hana. Had she known that?

As sleep finally began to claim her, Amaya couldn’t help but think of the words someone had said during the first funeral she had ever attended.

Do not mourn for those who have passed. Instead, mourn for those left behind.

The dead do not suffer, but the living certainly did. Still, Amaya would mourn for Hana – for the pure love that was never allowed to truly blossom, and for the future that was never allowed to be.

Things got more bearable as the days went by. Gradually, Amaya began to resume her daily routine, even braving the busy streets of Konoha the next day to get some groceries. She had been in dire need of essentials following the mission, and the days spent wandering like a ghost around her apartment had not helped matters. It had been a struggle to force herself out of the safety of her home, but she had managed it after quite the internal pep talk. The errand had been utterly mundane, but the normalcy of the bustling village had served to help lift her spirits a little.

Kai had called that same afternoon to check up on her again. She had assured him that she was doing fine and promised that she was taking care of herself. He had sternly informed her that she had better be telling him the truth or he’d march right over there and make her do it. 

To her surprise, Kai’s response managed to elicit the first genuine smile that she’d worn in days. The expression had felt almost foreign on her face, but she had thanked Kai again for everything that he had done for her and also for checking in on her. They’d ended the call with a promise to meet up soon with Haru as well once she was feeling up to it.

Amaya knew that recovery was not a linear process and that she would likely backslide more than once along the way. But while the days seemed more bearable, the nights were still hard. Whenever she would lay in her bed, her thoughts would inevitably begin to tread down the paths most haunted.

It wasn’t as if sleep was an escape for her either. The nightmares about Hana’s death persisted, though now she was dreaming of the rest of her time in Kunigami as well. Sometimes she would find herself back in the castle, wandering the corridors alone at night. All of the doors would be locked, and the hallway that she traversed seemed to go on forever with no end in sight. Other times, her dreams were almost like her memories. Shared moments of happiness and laughter between herself, Megumi and Hana – small events that had not even registered as something important at the time but seemed all the more precious to her now that it was gone.

Rarely, she would dream about Tenzou. She dreamed about their kiss more than once, but those weren’t the dreams that truly stayed with her. Twice now she had dreamed that they were back in that castle, except they weren’t on a mission at all. Instead, they were living the life of simple servants just as Amaya had mentioned to him that night in the courtyard. 

Those dreams had been her favorite, because in them, all she felt was peace.

In the immediate aftermath of their mission to Kunigami, Amaya had mostly forgotten about what had transpired between her and Tenzou during their mission. As she slowly returned to some semblance of normalcy, however, it seemed her subconscious was intent on reminding her. She knew she would eventually be forced to untangle whatever her feelings were for her captain, but given her fragile mental state, that would have to wait. 

Or at least, that’s what she told herself.

Chapter Text

“Okay, we’re going out.”

“Ugh, Keisuke. I don’t know.”

“Come on, Amaya. You look like shit, and you need to get out and have some fun.”

Groaning, Amaya allowed Keisuke to drag her into her bedroom before he began unceremoniously rifling through the contents of her closet.

“Seriously. Don’t you have anything decent in here? How are you ever going to snag a hottie with all this boring clothing?”

Fabric was flying through the air now as her childhood friend examined and inevitably nixed each article one-by-one. The comforting familiarity of it all caused Amaya’s shoulders to relax and an affectionate smile to bloom across her features. Without even trying, Keisuke always managed to make her feel better.

She and Keisuke had known each other since they were small children, having grown up in the same neighborhood and run with the same circle of friends during their early years. They had gotten into so much trouble together in their youth, though Amaya wasn’t sure which of the two of them had been the bigger terror. They had been basically inseparable up until the point when Amaya had joined the Academy. 

Despite the separate paths their lives inevitably took — Amaya pursuing the path of a kunoichi while Keisuke seemed content to remain a civilian — they had never lost the connection they built when they were young. Even if months went by without having the opportunity to catch up, they always came back together and picked right up as if no time had passed at all. 

In fact, they had been so close that their parents had apparently held hopes that they would get married someday. Despite said hopes, it became clear early on that Keisuke had no interest in girls. Their parents were a bit slow on the uptake, however, and he had been forced to spell it out plainly to his parents when he had turned sixteen. Not that it would have mattered anyway. Keisuke was like a brother to her and their relationship was something neither of them wanted to change.

“Oh!” Keisuke exclaimed as his hands finally alighted on something he deemed promising. “ This .”

He turned with a flourish, holding up a small black dress that Amaya couldn’t even recall purchasing. It was clearly meant to be a provocative little number, and she wondered what would have possessed her to buy something like that. Had she been shopping while drunk or something?

“You don’t remember this dress, do you,” Keisuke asked, looking moderately offended. “I helped you buy this.”

Amaya’s brows lifted. “You did?”

Well, that certainly would explain it.

“Yes, you idiot!” he exclaimed with a laugh as he balled up the fabric and tossed it at her face. “I can’t believe you forgot. It was right after my graduation!”

Catching the bundle and holding it up in front of her, her eyes widened. 

“That was over five years ago, Keisuke.”

“And?” He asked with a smirk as he crossed his arms.

Holding the dress up as if it were capable of launching a sudden attack at her at any moment, she tossed Keisuke a skeptical look. 

“There’s no way this will fit.”

A smug look crossed his features. Canting his head towards the dress, he grinned. “Humor me.”

Amaya knew her friend well enough by now to know that once he got an idea in his head about something, he wouldn’t let it go until he got his way. It had been that way since they were children, and had caused her immeasurable grief throughout the years.

“Fine,” she ground out as she set about pulling her shirt over her head. “But if it’s too small, I’m not wearing it. I’m not trying to give everyone a free show.”

Keisuke snorted. “Maybe you should.”

Struggling to pull the tight dress over her head, she paused to glare at him.

“Girl, you obviously need to get laid. I’ve known you long enough to know how you get when it’s been too long.”

Finally managing to wrestle the dress over her chest, she shimmied as she pulled the sides down, studiously ignoring Keisuke’s comment all the while. He was right, of course. It had been the same thing she’d been thinking before… before the mission.

Her bright mood began to darken as her thoughts drifted to Hana. Nearly a month had passed since their return from Kunigami, and though it was happening less frequently now, every so often her depression would sneak up on her again. The pain had certainly dulled some, but it was still acute enough to alter her expression – something that Keisuke immediately noticed.

“Hey,” he said, tone much more somber now. “Are you okay?”

Heaving a sigh, she tugged at the dress, noting that it pushed her breasts together in a very alluring fashion. “Yeah, just work stuff.”

Keisuke had been through a lot with Amaya. He’d been there for her during her years in the Academy, the struggles she had gone through in her training, her first few missions and the first loss. He had always been by her side, a pillar of support even when it felt as if the very ground beneath her threatened to crumble.

As he wrapped her in his arms, she dropped her forehead against his shoulder and sighed again. She never had to explain it to Keisuke, he always just… understood.

“You know you always have me,” he offered gently as he rested his cheek against the top of her head.

“I know.”

They stayed like that for a few long seconds before Keisuke placed his palms on her shoulders and met her gaze. “Are you feeling up for this?”

With a huff, Amaya shrugged. “I need to get out of my head. Although,” she paused, eyeing the bountiful cleavage on display. “This may be a bit much.”

Chuckling, Keisuke steered her over to the full-length mirror in the corner of her room. Her eyes widened as she caught sight of herself reflection 

“Holy shit,” she breathed, turning to eye herself from the side. The dress came down to just above her mid-thigh, really toeing the line of being entirely too suggestive in her opinion. But despite it not being something she felt entirely comfortable in, she had to admit that she looked incredible.

Keisuke smirked as he eyed her. “I always did have great taste.”

Some light makeup coupled with a pair of heels that Amaya knew were going to cause her a great deal of pain in a very short period of time, and they were out the door.

“Where are we going?” She asked as she glared down at her feet — or rather, the infernal torture devices that women seemed to willingly subject themselves to.

Looping his arm through hers, Keisuke strutted along the street as he led them toward the district where most of the bars were located. He had been kind enough to lend her his jacket during the walk so she wouldn’t be flaunting her assets all over the streets of Konoha, though he’d already made her promise to return it once they reached their destination.

Although Amaya didn’t attract too much attention as they made their way through the busy streets, Keisuke certainly did. He was an objectively attractive man under normal circumstances, but when he went out of his way to dress nicely, he always managed to turn heads.

When they finally came to a halt outside of a very familiar bar, Amaya turned to eye him.

“This is a shinobi bar,” she pointed out with a look of suspicion. 

Prior to this evening, whenever Keisuke had dragged her out for a night of drinking he had always taken her to a place frequented by civilians. There were a few shinobi bars interspersed throughout the village, though they weren’t explicitly designated as such. It was mostly word of mouth resulting in places where shinobi could safely unwind amongst their own kind.

“That’s very astute of you, my dear,” Keisuke replied with a playful nudge of his arm. “I can see why you are a shinobi, with such extraordinary deductive reasoning skills.”

The term of endearment immediately reminded her of Kai’s favored nickname for her, and she couldn’t help the smile of amusement that pulled at her lips. She couldn’t quite recall the last time he had called her that though. With everything that had happened at Kunigami and afterward, things had felt slightly different between them.

Pushing the thought aside, she smacked Keisuke’s arm playfully and grinned. “You’re such a sarcastic asshole.”

“I am,” Keisuke agreed somberly as he ushered her towards the door of the bar. “And that’s why you love me.”

Shaking her head, Amaya allowed him to lead her into the dimly lit entryway. The bar was busy but not overcrowded, which was no small relief to Amaya. They were able to snag a high-top table for two near the back wall, and Amaya took a seat as Keisuke headed off to the bar to grab them some drinks. Perching on the tall chair, Amaya crossed her legs and pulled at the hem of her dress, not really keen to give half the bar an eyeful of what was going on beneath her skirt.

As she waited for Keisuke to return, Amaya scanned the bar for familiar faces. There were a few she recognized as jounin she had seen around, and a couple of ANBU from other teams, but no one that she was intimately acquainted with. As she surveyed the room, however, she did notice a few appreciative glances sent her way. 

She shifted in her seat, feeling suddenly self conscious.

“Gin and tonic,” Keisuke declared as he set her drink down in front of her.

“This is why you’re my favorite,” Amaya replied, smiling brightly as she took a sip. Alcohol would definitely help ease her nerves. “But you still haven’t told me why you chose this bar.”

“Well, a few reasons really,” Keisuke began, taking a slow swig of his beer as his eyes wandered carefully around the room. Amaya watched as his gaze landed on a man at the far end of the bar, a spark of interest igniting in the depths of his turquoise eyes. It was those eyes coupled with his raven hair that often garnered him heaps of attention from both sexes.

“First, my usual haunts aren’t really turning up anything promising lately,” he explained, eyes surreptitiously fixed on the man at the bar. “Plus, I know you refuse to date anyone who isn’t in your line of work.”

Amaya snorted. “As if that’s ever stopped you from dragging me to every civilian bar within the boundaries of Konoha.”

And sometimes outside of it as well.

“Dating and getting laid are two very different things, Amaya,” Keisuke said pointedly.

“Thanks for the clarification,” she retorted with a roll of her eyes.

Amaya had a sneaking suspicion that Keisuke had dragged her here more for her own comfort than anything. He knew something had happened to her recently, but beyond that he wasn’t aware of a single detail. The secrecy that was forced upon her due to her position in ANBU and the confidential nature of her work meant that she was rarely able to confide in Keisuke about the nuances of her work life. And while the lack of transparency didn’t seem to bother Keisuke in the least, he did understand that whomever Amaya chose to be with would need to at least understand the work she did. It was the reason why many shinobi avoided dating civilians, especially those in ANBU.

“So, I hear the Chuunin Exams are coming up.”

Lips thinning, Amaya nodded. Missions away from the village had been slim pickings recently as most of their efforts were diverted to preparing for the arrival of numerous foreign shinobi and dignitaries. It was a large reason why her team had not been called to undertake another mission since their return from Kunigami. 

Admittedly, it had granted Amaya a much-needed break after everything that had happened, but she was beginning to get that itch again. Such a large part of her life was her job, so when she was left to her own devices for too long, she began to feel adrift. It was common amongst ANBU, this need to be on missions in order to feel normal. 

Or… as normal as members of ANBU could feel.

“I suppose that means things are going to get busy around the restaurant then,” Keisuke remarked as he pulled from his beer.

Keisuke was a chef at one of the high-end sushi restaurants in the village, a job that he treated more as an artistic endeavor than actual work. His unique presentations coupled with his attractive appearance had helped boost the restaurant’s popularity to incredible heights since he had started working there. 

It made Amaya happy that her friend had found a career that he was obviously passionate about, but if she was envious of the relative simplicity of his life, she never let on.

Before Amaya had a chance to respond, a boisterous voice ringing out above the din drew their attention.

“What challenge shall it be this time, my eternal rival?!”

Eyes darting to the entryway, Amaya spotted a familiar green-clad figure striding into the bar, his energetic presence taking up way more space than his physical form. Trailing behind him was none other than Kakashi Hatake, the shock of messy silver hair giving him away almost instantly. 

The pair paused in the doorway for only a moment before Gai spotted an empty booth not too far from where she and Keisuke were seated and proceeded to make a beeline for it, Kakashi following at a much more sedate pace.

As they cleared the door, Amaya realized that there were two other figures with them as well. The first was Genma, trademark senbon between his lips and a sly look in his eyes. No surprise there. However, Amaya only spared him a cursory glance as her attention was immediately drawn to the last man to enter the bar.

It had been weeks since Amaya had seen Tenzou. After he had come to check on her that day, she hadn’t seen or heard from him at all.  When she’d finally worked up the nerve to ask Kai about it, he’d told her that their captain had been pulled for a solitary mission and that the rest of them were to enjoy some ‘well earned time off’.

Right.

A large part of her had been relieved knowing that she wouldn’t yet be forced to confront the strange mixed feelings she’d been having about her captain recently, but another part of her had been marginally disappointed as well. Things felt inexplicably unresolved between them, though she wasn’t really sure how to address it. So many questions invaded her thoughts about that night in Kunigami – about that kiss. Had it affected him as much as it had her? Should they talk about it?

On the other hand, it was possible that Tenzou had completely written it off as an act — a necessity to aid in maintaining their cover — and summarily dismissed it. Which, given everything that had taken place after that night, wouldn’t be too surprising. 

The reminder of the mission prompted her to unearth memories of the events of that final night, but before her mood could sour too much Keisuke managed to redirect her attention quite soundly.

“Damn, he’s got a nice ass.”

Brows lifting, Amaya pulled her gaze from Tenzou and looked to see who Keisuke was referring to. She nearly choked on her drink when she realized that Keisuke was openly and unabashedly ogling Gai’s rear end as Gai directed his friends to the booth and requested their drink orders.

“Seriously, Keisuke?” Yet even as the words left her mouth, her eyes inadvertently landed on said man’s ass. That goofy outfit of his didn’t exactly leave much to the imagination, she realized. “Actually… huh.”

Keisuke let out a low chuckle. “Right? What do you think he’s packing in there?”

Working to smother her laugh, her eyes drifted again to the rest of the group. The other three had already taken their seats in the booth, Genma and Tenzou seated on one side, with Kakashi on the other. 

As she glanced their way, she happened to catch Genma eyeing her legs with a very appreciative look. When his gaze lifted to meet hers, he tossed her a saucy wink.

“Oh, gods,” she blurted as she turned to stare down at her drink.

Keisuke, having apparently witnessed the brief exchange, gave her a curious look. “What? He’s cute.”

“He’s a man whore.”

Shrugging indifferently, Keisuke lifted his chin towards her glass. “Another?”

“Sure, thanks.”

As she waited for Keisuke’s return, she listlessly traced the rim of her now empty glass even as her attention continued to covertly flick over to the nearby booth. She wasn’t certain if she wanted Tenzou to notice her or not. Would it be awkward for him to see her dressed up like this? Both Genma and Kakashi were wearing their standard jounin uniforms, while Tenzou was wearing a long-sleeved navy shirt that she hadn’t seen before. It was just as form-fitting as the sleeveless black shirts he wore during missions, though the absence of the flak jacket really allowed her to appreciate the toned muscles of his chest. Definitely a much better view than his henge.

“Who is he?”

Tearing her gaze away, Amaya stiffened as she realized Keisuke had caught her staring. She’d been so distracted she hadn’t even sensed his approach.

Given her position in ANBU – a role that Keisuke was unaware of for obvious reasons – it wasn’t as if she could divulge Tenzou’s identity as her captain. She supposed she could simply lie and claim she’d worked with him before or something of that nature. 

Thankfully, Keisuke seemed to detect her hesitancy and chose not to pursue that line of questioning.

“Do you think he’s cute or something?” He asked, not even bothering to be subtle as he cocked his head to the side and blatantly appraised him. Amaya really wanted to smack him then, but she didn’t want to draw attention to them. Thus far, it seemed that only Genma had noticed her, and she was hoping they could keep it that way. 

“Yeah, I guess I can see it,” he concluded  as he turned back to her and gave her a knowing look. “Nice chest.”

Resisting the urge to crawl under the table and hide, she brought her drink to her lips and studiously avoided Keisuke’s discerning gaze. “He just looks familiar, that’s all.”

“Uh huh, right ,” Keisuke responded, drawing out the vowel just to punctuate how little he believed her lie. “I know that look, and that look tells me that you are more interested in what’s going on in his pants.”

She really did inhale her drink this time, and as she tried desperately to smother her coughs, she glared at him.

“I most certainly am not,” she hissed.

“Liar.” He let out a huff of laughter. “But what happened to that kunoichi you were dating? What was her name?”

Amaya plucked at the lime on the rim of her glass. “We weren’t dating, it was just a casual thing.”

That reminded her, she and Yuugao were long overdue for another one of their chats. With the looming Chuunin Exams, the likelihood of them being able to see each other was slim, but she knew she should make the effort to touch base with her and see how things between her and Hayate were going.

“So, that’s over then?” Keisuke asked, though from his expression it seemed he already guessed her answer.

“Yeah. She met someone else,” she admitted with a sigh. “I saw it coming though, so it wasn’t a big surprise. Besides, it would have happened eventually.”

Keisuke remained quiet for a few moments as he scanned her face, his expression unreadable.

“And you aren’t seeing anyone now?” he finally asked.

Amaya shrugged and shook her head.

“Damn, girl. No wonder you are so out of sorts. Please tell me you’re at least getting something .”

Her lips thinned and she stared hard at the tabletop.

“Shit.” Keisuke let out a long exhale. “No wonder you were eyeing that guy over there like you’ve been stranded in the desert and he’s the first drink you’ve seen in days.”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “I was not.”

“You were, and you know it,” he declared. “But that begs the question. What’s stopping you from getting out there and having some fun? Get it out of your system?”

That was the question, wasn’t it? Even before they’d left for Kunigami, Amaya had realized that her libido was getting a bit out of control. At this point it had been months since she had been with someone, and she somewhat attributed her recent fixation with Tenzou on this alone. 

However, it wasn’t as if she was inclined to just sleep with some random person she’d just met. Casual hookups with veritable strangers really weren’t her thing, so that made things even more challenging.

Amaya sighed. “It’s not that easy when you are, and I quote, ‘too closed off and frigid’. Isn’t that how you put it?”

Keisuke laughed and leaned over to pat her knee affectionately. “I don’t remember putting it quite like that, but it does sound like something I’d say.”

She crossed her arms beneath her chest and pretended to pout, despite the smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

“You just need to let someone in, Amaya,” Keisuke explained, eyes softening as he watched her. “Obviously, I know you aren’t frigid, but I see how you can be around others. Until you get to know someone well, you really do put up some insane walls.”

He was right, and they both knew it. 

Downing the last of her drink, she grimaced. “I know, but it’s just hard for me. Dating casually makes it impossible for me to get to know someone well enough to be comfortable.” She offered a shrug. “It takes me a while.”

And by that point whomever she was seeing would typically bail, believing her to be emotionally unavailable. 

Which, admittedly, wasn't too far off. But it hadn’t been like that with Yuugao, had it? Even though they had not chosen to pursue a real relationship together, Amaya had harbored some feelings for her. Yuugao hadn’t ever complained about her being closed off or frigid, and objectively she felt safe in saying that she hadn’t ever acted in that manner with her either. 

“Well, you know what they say,” Keisuke began, tossing her a roguish wink. “Fake it ‘til you make it.”

“That’s shitty advice and you know it.”

He leveled her with a deadpan expression before they both dissolved into laughter.

As their amusement waned, Amaya added, “That’s how people in my line of work get killed, you know.”

Keisuke snorted. “Maybe you should consider a career change.”

Amaya shook her head and smirked, though the statement did give her pause. Given her recent preoccupation with what it would be like to live a normal, mundane existence, it wasn’t completely out of the realm of possibility. The offhand comment reminded her of the dreams she’d been having recently, the ones that dangled before her with a promise of peace and simplicity – dreams that always seemed to feature one person.

Unable to prevent her gaze from drifting again to the nearby booth, Amaya was surprised to find that this time her glance was met by a pair of fathomless eyes – eyes that looked back at her with an inscrutable intensity that she’d seen once before, though he had worn a henge then. Eyes that captivated her in an instant, so much so that the room around her seemed to fade away until there was nothing left but herself and the man who watched her from across the room.

“Kakashi, I heard you’re recommending your students for the Chuunin Exams,” Genma remarked with a sly grin as Gai set the first round down in the center of the table.

Gai’s jaw dropped comically as he turned to eye his long-time rival and friend. “How come you didn’t tell me?”

Kakashi shrugged as he idly turned a page of Icha Icha Tactics, eye remaining fixed to the book in his hand. “Slipped my mind.”

Clearly put out by the news, Gai sat down heavily next to Kakashi before tossing him a wounded look.

“I think you’re setting them up for failure,” Genma observed as he grabbed a beer and took a long swig.

Tenzou had to agree with Genma on that point. While he still didn’t approve of Kakashi having been given such a challenging group of genin to deal with – barring the kunoichi named Sakura, she appeared to be the only normal one on that team, and that included his senpai – it seemed that things had been progressing rather smoothly following their unexpectedly challenging mission in the Land of Waves. Still, Tenzou couldn’t help the general feeling of unease that crept over him any time the topic of Sasuke or Naruto came up. They both seemed like volatile boys, and Tenzou was positive that it was only a matter of time before one or both of them lost control and did something reckless.

“Are you sure that’s really a good idea, senpai?” Tenzou asked, knowing full well that once Kakashi set his mind to something, he typically stuck to it. He obviously had a good reason for wanting his genin to enter the exams, but Tenzou couldn’t help but question the wisdom of his decision.

“I think it’s a very youthful idea,” Gai proclaimed, having apparently gotten over the disappointment of not having been told by Kakashi himself. “Although I must warn you, my team will surely beat yours soundly should they be forced to face one another.”

“Is that so?” Kakashi prompted, perusing the contents of his book with a half-lidded gaze.

The sound of someone coughing pulled Tenzou’s attention then, and he looked around until he spotted a couple seated at a high table along the back wall. His eyes skimmed past the man, not someone he recognized as any of the shinobi he knew. But when his eyes landed on the woman seated across from him, Tenzou felt as if the ground had fallen out from underneath him.

Amaya was perched on the edge of her chair, palm over her mouth as she attempted to stifle her coughs, eyes narrowed at the man across from her. This barely registered with him, however, as his attention was immediately drawn to her outfit, or rather lack thereof. 

The small, black dress fit her like a second skin. It was much more revealing than anything he’d ever seen her in, and that included her scant sparring outfit. It provided him with an ample view of her long legs, legs that were crossed even as the hem of her dress crept perilously close to the apex of her thighs.

Tenzou could feel his arousal stirring as he continued to observe her, which was remarkably unhelpful in aiding his attempts to untangle his recently confused feelings about his teammate.

When he’d gotten the request for a solo mission two days after visiting her apartment, he’d grabbed the opportunity like a lifeline. 

Knowing that she was in good hands with Kai and that she seemed to have been past the worst of it when he’d left her that afternoon, he’d felt secure enough to leave the village and hopefully put some time and distance between them. He had hoped that it would allow him to sort through whatever it was he was feeling and allow him to properly quash it once and for all. 

Upon his return, he’d diligently avoided her, careful not to frequent any places where he knew she might be. As the days had passed, he found his thoughts had been pulled to her less often. It had been enough for him to believe he had succeeded in his endeavor.

Yet, seeing her now, dressed like that , Tenzou realized that he’d only been compartmentalizing those feelings – easy enough to do when you weren’t forced to share the same space with the person. But no, those feelings hadn’t faded at all. He’d merely shoved them aside into some sort of box labeled with Amaya’s name and resolutely ignored them until he was faced with a situation where he no longer could. 

This. This was that situation.

As he continued to watch, he saw the man she was with reach out and touch her bare knee. The action caused a surge of jealousy to rise up within him, prompting him to examine her companion more closely. His features were very distinctive and objectively handsome, though Tenzou was loath to admit it. He was almost positive he had never seen him before, though. Was he a civilian?

In response to whatever the man had said, he saw Amaya pout prettily and cross her arms beneath her chest. This served to draw Tenzou’s gaze immediately to the top of her breasts, pulling his attention so readily that he didn’t realize that his distraction had been noticed by the other occupants of the booth.

“Yeah. Me too, buddy,” Genma said, elbowing Tenzou in the ribs and forcing his focus back to his friends. 

That’s when Tenzou realized that everyone at the booth was turning to see what he’d been so fixated on.

Kakashi was the first to turn back around. He leveled a single eye Tenzou’s way, curiosity positively burning within that gaze. 

Too late, Tenzou realized that he’d had a conversation a few months prior with Kakashi about Amaya, and during that conversation, Kakashi had confirmed that he knew who Amaya was.

Shit.

“Do I know her?” Gai asked, rubbing his chin in thought as he turned back to the table. “She looks familiar.”

“She’s in ANBU,” Genma declared with a sidelong glance Tenzou’s way.

This conversation was treading into dangerous territory. Unfortunately, he had already garnered his senpai’s suspicion, but the last thing he needed was for Genma to catch on. Half of the damned village would be hearing about it before the end of the week if that happened.

Yet even as he told himself to pretend like she didn’t exist for the rest of the evening, her cheerful laughter drew his attention her way once more. She was smiling now, a bright and carefree expression that he only now realized he had been craving. After everything that had happened in Kunigami, this version of Amaya had been notably absent. The only problem was, that smile was being directed at another man. An objectively very handsome man whom he could never hope to compete with. 

Were they dating? Was this her boyfriend?

It dawned on him then that he had no idea if Amaya had someone else in her life. It had never even occurred to him to wonder about something like that, he had just assumed that she was alone like he was. Which was honestly ridiculous now that he thought about it. She was beautiful, vibrant, capable… What man wouldn’t want someone like her?

Based on what he was seeing unfold between her and the man she was sitting with, they appeared to be very close. It was evident in the conversation between them, in the small touches and easy smiles, that they were comfortable with each other in a way that bespoke of a long acquaintance.

The jealousy that had made its presence known earlier returned then, simmering just below the surface. Logically, Tenzou knew he had no room to feel this way. Even if she didn’t already have someone else in her life, there could never be anything between them. They were teammates. He was her captain. Amaya was not his, and she never would be.

Even as he told himself these things, her eyes drifted across the room and landed directly on his. 

He suddenly felt trapped, completely at the mercy of her poignant gaze. She stared at him with an intensity that must have matched his own, and he wondered then if all of his resolve would crumble in the face of whatever it was that seemed to be happening between them. It was like an unstoppable force, some great beast rearing up and threatening to destroy them both. And at this point, Tenzou was almost inclined to let it.

Chapter Text

Now Tenzou was actively avoiding two people. When they had left the bar the other night, Kakashi had offered to walk Tenzou home – an offer that had elicited raised eyebrows from Genma and energetic proclamations of ‘how cool my rival is’ from Gai. Tenzou had vehemently refused, of course, throwing out some half-baked excuse about dinner not sitting right and needing to get home immediately. With barely a wave of goodbye, he’d fled the scene at a pace that could only have been described as suspicious, but at the time he’d figured he would worry about that later.

It turned out that later had come the very next morning when three steady knocks had sounded at his door. He could sense his senpai’s chakra signature on his doorstep, although he was less surprised about the man’s impromptu visit than the fact that Kakashi had actually chosen to utilize the appropriate entrance to Tenzou’s apartment. 

Despite knowing that Kakashi obviously knew he was home and could easily enter if he had half a mind to do so, Tenzou withdrew to his bathroom to hide, silently praying his senpai would give it up and leave. To Tenzou’s immense relief, Kakashi had indeed decided to retreat when Tenzou had continued to ignore him for a solid ten minutes at least.

Tenzou knew that it was only a matter of time before his senpai managed to corner him and force him into a conversation about Amaya. He also knew that with the Chuunin Exams fast approaching, it wouldn’t be long before he was forced to interact with Amaya again as well. That fact hadn’t concerned him at all prior to last night as he’d truly convinced himself that he had managed to work past whatever strange fixation he had on the only female member of his team. Thinking about it now, it was almost incomprehensible to him that all it had taken was one evening in her relative proximity to turn that conviction into ash.

Unfortunately for Tenzou, he wouldn’t be able to juggle avoiding his senpai and one of his teammates for very long, and as it is usually wont to do when a person is dreading the inevitable approach of something, time seemed to betray him entirely by choosing to progress forward at an alarming rate. So much so that after only a couple of days, the question of whom he would be faced with first was soon answered as all members of ANBU were collectively summoned for a meeting – one that would take place about a month before the first envoys from other countries were set to arrive for the first stage of the Chuunin Exams. 

Walking through the open doorway, Tenzou entered the large auditorium where the members of ANBU were assembling, a low cacophony of noise permeating the air from the various conversations shinobi were having as they awaited the Sandaime’s arrival. The space was not quite packed yet, but it still took him a few moments to scan for his team in the sea of cloaks and masks. Thankfully, Kai’s large figure and stark red hair made it easy for him to identify his team amongst the sea of bodies, and he wasted no time weaving his way to where the other three members were already gathered.

Once he was within earshot, he overheard Kai addressing Amaya.

“I’ve missed seeing that mask of yours, little deer.”

A muffled snort sounded from behind the mask in question as Amaya elbowed Kai playfully in the ribs. “Again, with that stupid nickname?”

“What?” Kai asked as he raised his arms in defense. “I think it’s a cute nickname. It suits you.”

That simple statement delivered with such ease coupled with Amaya’s lighthearted response was enough to give Tenzou pause. It wasn’t as if he shouldn’t have expected them to have formed a bond after everything that had transpired in the days following the mission, but it only now occurred to him that the idea bothered him. Enough that when he saw the easy exchange between them – something that could easily be construed as flirtatious banter – he felt that familiar sour feeling begin to roil in his gut once more. 

He was jealous, and he had no idea how to deal with it.

Even as his lips thinned, Amaya’s mask turned his direction. He was unable to see her eyes, but he could feel the intensity of her gaze as he approached.

“Ah, our fearless leader is here!” Kai proclaimed, the slightest hint of mockery in his tone.

“Kai…” Haru warned.

Well, it seemed Kai was still harboring some resentment over Tenzou’s actions – or rather, inaction – following their return from the mission. Not that it bothered Tenzou that much, he felt the man’s ire was more than warranted. Besides, it wasn’t anything he hadn’t beat himself up over already.

“Hello, Captain,” Amaya greeted.

Her tone was even, devoid of any inflection, making it impossible for him to gauge her reaction to seeing him again. Was she just as conflicted as he was about whatever was going on between them? Or was it all in his head – some imagined connection that was simply a result of his own foolish hopes?

Not trusting himself to speak with all the confused thoughts circling in his head, Tenzou merely nodded at them in greeting. Thankfully, the Sandaime chose that moment to enter the auditorium, pulling their attention and allowing Tenzou to refocus on more important matters.

The meeting itself was perfunctory, no more than a brief address regarding the importance of the coming exams and the political implications should anything go awry. They were informed that their individual teams would be given specific assignments in the coming weeks, but that in the meantime they should be keeping an eye out for any suspicious activity. Sabotage of the exams wasn’t unheard of, especially given the politically charged nature of the whole ordeal. It would be all too easy for another country to take advantage of the situation for their own gain and pin the blame on Konoha, meaning vigilance by all shinobi was paramount, regardless of whether they were on or off duty.

Once they were dismissed, his team filed out along with the rest of the ANBU. As they exchanged farewells and each went their own separate ways, Tenzou found himself experiencing an inordinate sense of relief that he had managed to not only act normal around Amaya, but that she didn’t seem to be behaving any differently around him either. 

As soon as he processed the reason for his relief, however, it occurred to him that the lack of change in Amaya’s behavior likely pointed to his feelings being one-sided after all. This thought immediately caused his mood to dim, and it was only further darkened by the recollection of Kai and Amaya’s banter.

Kai was obviously still bitter about recent events, but Tenzou figured he’d get over it eventually. Kai obviously cared for Amaya, which was likely a large part of the reason he was acting the way he was, though exactly how much Kai cared for her was a growing concern. Tenzou wondered if he should be worried about the nature of their relationship, though he was unsure whether that concern stemmed from his role as a captain worrying about the dynamic of his team, or something else entirely.

Frankly, this was all getting way too complicated for Tenzou’s brain to handle. He still didn’t know who that stranger was that Amaya was at the bar with, and now he was beginning to sense a shift in the relationship between her and Kai as well. All of this seemed to be setting off a series of alarm bells in his head – warning him that he needed to get out now, to put a stop to whatever foolish ideas he’d been entertaining despite constantly reminding himself that any involvement between himself and Amaya would be inappropriate to begin with. But it wasn’t as if he could just run away, he had responsibilities to his village and his team.

When had things gotten so damn complicated?

“Ah! There’s my elusive kouhai!”

Tenzou froze mid-stride. He should have known Kakashi would find him today. Even if Kakashi was no longer a member of ANBU, he knew pretty much everything that was going on within the village at any given time – a testament to the trust that was placed in him by the Hokage. So naturally, Kakashi knew exactly where his kouhai would be, and how best to ambush him.

Sighing, Tenzou gazed up at his apartment balcony with no small measure of trepidation. Kakashi was leaning casually on the railing, worn book held loosely in one hand, the other hand raised in casual greeting. It looked like his days of avoiding both Amaya and Kakashi had finally reached their conclusion.

Well, best to get it over with then.

Trudging up the stairs at a somewhat reluctant pace, Tenzou made his way to his apartment using the front door like a normal person . The added time it took him to reach his destination allowed him a few solitary moments to gather his thoughts and try to prepare himself for the conversation he knew was coming. 

Despite having had days to resign himself to this, he still didn’t feel prepared for it. He thought he knew what Kakashi would say, but his senpai had a unique knack for surprising him – and that wasn’t always a positive thing.

Without a word of greeting, Tenzou opened the sliding door and turned around to remove his sandals. As Kakashi entered the room behind him, Tenzou could feel the tension in his shoulders, accompanied by a knot of anxiety that was settling firmly in the pit of his stomach.

“You’ve been avoiding me, kouhai,” Kakashi chided pleasantly as he slid the door shut behind him.

No use denying it.

“I have.”

Kakashi chuckled. “Now, why would you do such a thing?”

Tenzou’s gaze shifted to meet Kakashi’s single charcoal eye. “I think you already know the answer to that.”

Humming noncommittally, Kakashi moved further into the room and leaned nonchalantly against the back of the couch. He was looking around the room now, appearing overly interested in inspecting the area as if he hadn’t already seen it hundreds of times before. His overly relaxed demeanor was enough to set Tenzou’s teeth on edge.

“Ugh, senpai! Will you just say whatever it is you obviously want to say?” He crossed his arms over his chest as a mixture of exasperation and anxiety warred within him.

Kakashi’s single eye crinkled with what Tenzou knew was a deceptively friendly smile hidden behind that mask. “Why don’t you tell me what happened?”

There was no need for Tenzou to ask what Kakashi was referring to, he knew exactly what he meant. 

What happened that you allowed yourself to develop feelings for one of your subordinates?

With a prolonged exhale, Tenzou moved around the couch and collapsed heavily against the cushions. Kakashi looked over his shoulder at him, waiting patiently for him to answer.

So, he did.

Tenzou told Kakashi as much as he could about the mission, which was admittedly not much at all. He merely explained that they had been assigned to a long-term mission that forced him and Amaya to go undercover together. He relayed to Kakashi everything he could about their pretend relationship and about the events of the night when they were caught in the hallway. 

When he reached the part about the kiss, Tenzou was careful to only provide detached specifics, not wanting to inject any of his confused feelings into the matter. The events that took place in the bathroom later that same night were omitted entirely, of course.

His mood became somber when he relayed some of the specifics of their final night in Kunigami. Strangely, explaining the events out loud like this made him feel for the first time that his choices that night had not been faulty after all. He had done what he believed was best for the mission and for his teammate. Even if the result had been devastating for Amaya, there had been no other feasible option that wouldn’t have risked implicating their village.

And while Tenzou had not initially intended to tell Kakashi about everything that had transpired following their return to Konoha, he found the words falling from his mouth in a deluge. He hadn’t realized how much he needed to talk to someone about what had happened, being so used to dealing with his problems on his own.

When he finally finished recounting everything, Tenzou allowed his head to drop back as he sagged bonelessly against the cushions. For some reason he felt completely exhausted. 

Kakashi, for his part, had remained silent throughout the entire thing, listening with rapt attention and without a trace of judgment in his expression. Still, that didn’t mean that his senpai approved of Tenzou’s misplaced feelings by any means, so when the silence stretched on a little too long, Tenzou sat back up and frowned at him. 

“So?”

Kakashi was gently tapping his masked lips as he seemingly considered Tenzou’s words.

“Well…” he said finally, drawing the word out. “You certainly have a lot to think about, don’t you?”

Tenzou’s frown deepened. “That’s all you have to say?”

“What do you want me to say?” Kakashi asked with a small chuckle.

“I–I don’t know,” Tenzou stammered. “I guess I was expecting some sort of lecture or something?”

Kakashi shook his head, a smile forming behind the navy fabric. “I think you’ve been doing a good enough job of beating yourself up about this. Doesn’t seem like you need my help.”

A wave of disappointment washed over Tenzou then, and he buried his face in his hands with a groan. Here he’d been dreading this conversation, only to realize now that he’d really been hoping for a different response from his senpai.

But what had he been expecting exactly? For Kakashi to magically have all the answers?

“You don’t need me to tell you about the dangers of developing romantic feelings for a teammate. But you should know that it happens much more frequently than you might think.”

Tenzou shook his head vehemently as he sat back up. “She’s not just my teammate, I’m her captain. It’s not right.”

“We can’t help who becomes the object of our affections, Tenzou,” Kakashi observed with a shrug. “What you can control is how you choose to act upon those feelings.” 

Kakashi paused, giving Tenzou a shrewd look. “And from where I’m sitting, it sounds like you have done everything by the book.”

The invisible weight that had been holding him down for weeks seemed to lift suddenly. His senpai was right. It wasn’t as if he had consciously chosen to develop an attraction to Amaya, and he had failed miserably to try to suppress his feelings so far. At the same time, he had not acted on those feelings at all. Sure, he had entertained a few inappropriate thoughts in the meantime, but it had never become more than just that.

Perhaps he should stop wasting his time trying to figure out his feelings and instead concentrate his efforts on ensuring they did not adversely affect him or his team. That was something he could control – a tangible goal that seemed much more within his reach.

“Thank you, senpai,” Tenzou said, feeling a sense of true relief for the first time in weeks.

Maybe he’d actually get a decent night's sleep tonight.

Kakashi dropped a hand onto Tenzou’s shoulder. “Any time, kouhai. Now, how about you treat me to lunch?”

Drawing a forearm roughly across her brow, Amaya wiped away the sweat that had accumulated there as she dropped into her stance again, both blades held at the ready.

“Again.”

Surging forward, Amaya’s attack was met by a swift block from Yuugao, the harsh ring of metal-on-metal reverberating out across the training ground. They maintained their stalemate for several seconds, the evening breeze pulling and dancing through the strands of their hair. With a sly grin Amaya dropped abruptly, pushing the blades above and over her as she spun in a low crouch in an effort to put herself behind Yuugao. 

Sensing Amaya’s intention, Yuugao followed the movement, using the momentum of the thrust blades to leap up and over her. She landed softly amongst the blades of grass, demonstrating once again a power and grace that Amaya had always been envious of.

“Even with two blades, I can’t get an edge on you,” Amaya griped, though there was no real heat behind her words. She did not begrudge Yuugao her abilities. If anything, she was proud of her and how far she had come under Hayate’s tutelage.

Yuugao let out a tinkling laugh, and the familiarity of it was enough to cause Amaya’s chest to tighten. Despite everything that had happened, a small part of her still had some lingering feelings for Yuugao. Although, those sentiments were mostly overshadowed by the conflicting emotions she’d been experiencing around Tenzou recently.

It had taken the night at the bar and the events that followed for Amaya to finally realize that whatever regard she held for her captain was not going to simply vanish. Somehow, that single kiss in Kunigami had led to her becoming annoyingly fixated on the man whenever her thoughts had the opportunity to wander. 

She was no longer convinced that it was simply a result of her lack of physical intimacy either. Now that she was feeling and acting more like her usual self, Kai had resumed his overtly flirtatious passes at her. However, the previous temptation that she had found herself entertaining that night they’d had dinner together was notably absent now. Even when Kai wielded the full extent of his charm, it seemed to arouse nothing within her.

More telling was the fact that her thoughts seemed to constantly land on Tenzou, especially in her more intimate moments. Several times now she had found herself thinking about him as she engaged in some ‘self care’. She would fantasize that it was him touching her, his fingers pumping in and out of her core and bringing her to release. When she let her imagination run wild, she would picture him taking her from behind, or fucking her against the wall.

At this point, she was convinced that there was no saving her from herself. She wanted him.

“Hey. Are you alright?”

Yuugao was watching her closely, brows drawn together in concern.

“Yeah,” Amaya answered, dropping her arms to her sides and shaking her head. “I’m just a bit distracted lately, I guess.”

Tossing her a sympathetic smile, Yuugao sheathed her weapon. “Want to talk about it?”

Did she want to talk about it? She wasn’t really sure. 

Sheathing her own blades, Amaya dropped down to lay in the grass and let her gaze drift up to the darkening sky. Twilight was just beginning to descend, and only a few stars were visible at this point. They peppered the sky in patterns that reminded her of nights spent with Keisuke when they were children, pointing out the shapes and animals that they thought they spotted in the vastness of space beyond their little village.

She heard the slight shifting of grass as Yuugao collapsed next to her.

“Why don’t you tell me about how things are going with Hayate instead?” Amaya asked her, deciding she really didn’t feel like trying to explain her situation.

She could feel Yuugao studying her closely for a few long seconds before she finally let out a wistful sigh.

“Honestly, things have been amazing.”

Amaya turned her head so she could see Yuugao’s face. The expression there was just as lovestruck as the last time they had spoken, and Amaya was surprised at how glad that made her. Yuugao deserved every bit of happiness she had found with Hayate, and she was pleased that things seemed to be going so well for them.

“I think he’s going to propose.”

That declaration prompted Amaya to sit up abruptly. She turned to face Yuugao, excitement rippling through her. “Seriously?”

“I found the ring hidden in one of his drawers.”

“Please tell me it wasn’t his underwear drawer.”

Yuugao gave her a sheepish grin in response, to which Amaya couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

“You know, I’ve suspected this for a while,” Yuugao remarked as she bit her lip and shook her head. “But for a shinobi, he does a really terrible job of hiding things.”

That piqued Amaya’s curiosity. “You mean the ring in the underwear drawer isn’t the only incident?”

“I found his porn collection hidden under the mattress,” Yuugao deadpanned.

Amaya fell back again as their combined laughter echoed around them. It was several moments before their mirth died down and Amaya let out a sigh.

“Are you sure he didn’t mean for you to find the ring?” Amaya finally asked.

Yuugao considered that briefly. “I don’t know. But if he thinks I’m going to ask about it, he’s got another thing coming. I’m not going to make it that easy for him.”

“Poor guy,” Amaya remarked with a giggle. “He’s probably nervous!”

“Too bad. He’ll just have to man up and ask me.”

Well, Amaya already knew what the answer would be. She hoped it was obvious to Hayate as well just how smitten Yuugao was with him. 

Honestly, she couldn’t imagine a world where those two didn’t end up together.

“So, I’m invited to the wedding, right?” Amaya asked with a grin.

Yuugao positively glowed as she smiled back at her. “Of course.”

“I can’t believe we’re being assigned to guard some stuffy officials,” Kai growled as his fingers flew through a series of seals.

Amaya was back on the training grounds again, though this time it was for a spar between herself and Kai. The sedentary month spent in Kunigami coupled with the week of depression that had followed had not done her stamina any favors. It was only her consistent dedication to training almost daily since she’d pulled herself out of her rut that had managed to restore most of her endurance. She still wasn’t quite where she had been before they’d left, but a couple more weeks and she should be there. 

Which was a good thing, because the first representatives from the other hidden villages had begun to arrive that very morning.

While they would have the obligatory guard shift rotations in the coming weeks, their main assignment would not come into play until the exam finals. Their team had been assigned to protect a group of officials who were expected to attend the final day, and Amaya only hoped that Kai was correct in assuming that their task would be boring.

Boring sounded nice after her last mission.

A large fissure raced across the ground towards her as Kai completed his technique. Remaining light on her feet, she dodged the epicenter of the attack, taking advantage of the boulders that collapsed from the sides of the expanding chasm to leap back up to the far side of the gap. 

“I always did think this training ground could use some updating,” she quipped as she stared down into the newly formed trench. “But I think I can make it better.”

Kai laughed, the sound carrying across the gorge and echoing through its depths. “Oh? Let’s see it then.”

With a grin, Amaya ran through her own series of seals, generating a spiraling vortex of water that leapt high into the air before crashing down into the fissure. The resulting wave spread in both directions, rapidly filling the open space with an enormous volume of water.

“Behold!” she exclaimed, holding her arms out wide. “A water feature!” 

Kai let out a loud bark of laughter as he stepped out onto the rippling waves. 

“You know,” he began as he approached her. “If this whole shinobi thing doesn’t work out for us, we’d make a hell of a landscaping team.”

Amaya smirked, bracing herself for his inevitable attack.

He came at her head on, surprising her by choosing to engage in taijutsu rather than ninjutsu. It occurred to her then that she had never faced Kai in a taijutsu spar. She’d seen him square up against Haru, of course, but her matches with him had usually remained strictly ninjutsu.

She knew he was fast, but what she hadn’t accounted for was his size. Haru might have the greater skill, but his leaner stature meant he didn’t occupy space the way Kai did. Even if he wasn’t as quick as the Hyuuga, Amaya was rapidly beginning to feel as if he was encroaching upon her more than he actually was. It was intimidating, facing off like this against someone so much bigger than she was, and the strength of his blows was entirely different from Haru’s gentle fist technique.

Realizing that trying to defend herself against his superior strength by blocking his strikes was only going to result in her being black and blue later, Amaya modified her approach so that she was dodging and moving outside of his range. By putting some distance between them, she was then able to reapproach in a way that granted her the advantage. This allowed her to land a few strikes of her own, though it mostly felt like punching a rock since she wasn’t putting any chakra-enhanced strength behind it.

“Come on, little deer,” Kai jeered as he threw another punch her way. She easily dodged it, again working to keep some distance between them. “What, are you afraid of the big bad wolf or something?”

“You’re a bull, not a wolf,” she retorted, ducking under another swing and landing a sharp jab to his ribs. 

He didn’t even flinch.

When she leaned back to evade another of his punches, she failed to notice the subtle shifting of his feet. The result was that he soundly swept her legs out from under her, causing her to fall backward with a loud thud. He was on her in an instant, pinning her to the ground and grinning at his apparent victory.

Amaya lay there, struggling to breathe. She had landed flat on her back, resulting in the temporary paralysis of her diaphragm. It wasn’t the first time it had happened to her – and certainly wouldn’t be the last – but it never made the feeling any less horrifying. She wheezed, desperately trying to gasp in a breath as Kai’s features morphed into concern.

“Oh gods, are you okay?” He freed her arms and reached a hand up to brush her hair away from her forehead. “Please tell me you just had the wind knocked out of you.”

She nodded at him, closing her eyes and trying to stem the rising panic even as she felt air finally beginning to fill her lungs once more. 

When she opened her eyes again, Kai was hovering over her, watching her with unreserved worry.

“You good?” he asked quietly, his eyes searching hers.

“Yeah,” she croaked, drawing in a large breath and letting it out slowly. “I’m good. Just hate that feeling.”

Kai’s sudden stillness drew her attention. He was still straddling her, though he was being careful to keep his weight off her. His focus, however, seemed fixed to her face. Or more specifically, her lips.

“Kai?”

His name came out as a breathy whisper, and his eyes shot back to hers once more. There was something in his gaze, something she had never seen from him before. Why was he looking at her like that? It was nothing like the flirtatious looks he usually gave her, this was something entirely different.

In a single, rapid movement, Kai was on his feet again. His attention was fixed to some point in the distance as Amaya pushed herself up onto her elbows.

Why was he acting so weird all of a sudden? 

“Sorry. Let me help you up,” he offered, avoiding her gaze even as he reached out a hand in her direction.

Amaya accepted the offer, her palm dwarfed by his larger grip. He pulled her up easily, though the movement nearly caused her to overbalance, forcing Kai to grab her shoulders to steady her.

Everything between them suddenly felt so awkward. What the heck had happened in the last minute to cause such an odd tension between them?

Even as Amaya tried to sort through the events and identify a cause, Kai’s arms dropped to his sides.

“I think we should probably call it for today,” he suggested as he turned toward the gate that marked the perimeter of the training grounds.

She watched his retreating form, confusion clouding her thoughts. 

“Are you coming?” he called back, not bothering to slow his pace. 

“Yeah,” she replied, picking up a light jog to catch up with him. “Sure.”

Chapter Text

Things on their team felt… off. 

Everyone was just as cordial as usual, but there had been some kind of shift between them. The easy camaraderie, the familiar jokes and barbs were notably absent. 

Amaya hated it.

Kai’s change in behavior was the most conspicuous. He had been oddly quiet ever since their sparring session a few days prior, and while Amaya could sense that Kai was doing his best to pretend nothing was wrong, the absence of his usual flirtatious banter left her feeling an odd sense of loss. She wasn’t certain what exactly had been going through Kai’s head that day on the training field, but she had a clear sense that whatever it was seemed to be eating away at him. Under normal circumstances Amaya wouldn’t have hesitated to approach him about it — make sure he was alright – but she had a strong suspicion that she might be part of the problem.

Tenzou, on the other hand, had reverted to behavior that was eerily similar to how he was when Amaya had first joined the team. There was a certain distance he was placing between himself and the rest of them, and just like with Kai, Amaya was left wondering if she wasn’t partially responsible for it. 

Thankfully Haru was behaving much like himself, though he seemed inordinately worried about Kai’s dour disposition. It was obvious that he was doing his best to cheer the man up, even going so far as to offer to accompany Kai to one of his favorite haunts one night to drink. The fact that Kai merely brushed off the suggestion and claimed he wasn’t in the mood only seemed to amplify Haru’s concern.

Despite the strained dynamic within their team, the days leading up to the first stage of the Chuunin Exams were deceptively calm. All ANBU had been relegated to patrol duty or assigned to keeping an eye on the foreign delegations, meaning that much of Amaya’s time was spent sticking to the shadows and keeping watch. 

As their team’s main assignment was to guard a group of officials during the final stage of the exams, they had been tasked with keeping an eye on a team from Waterfall in the interim. It was dull work, hardly anything worth noting. 

Despite the monotony of their daily routine, there was a palpable tension in the village that seemed to be putting everyone on edge. It was unsettling, almost like the charge one feels before a particularly violent storm. Even some of the civilians seem to feel it. They lingered less in the streets, moving about their business in a much more efficient fashion.

Something was coming. The only question was – what would they be facing?

The answer to that came with the second stage of the exams. Shortly after the genin teams entered the famed Forest of Death, word reached her team that Orochimaru had somehow infiltrated Konoha. 

Yet despite the threat to their village, the Sandaime elected to move forward with the exams. Amaya wasn’t overly surprised by the decision, considering the political ramifications of ending the exams early. Konoha had no room to show weakness at such a pivotal juncture, especially as they weren’t entirely sure as to Orochimaru’s motivations for returning to the village. It was decided that until they had a grasp of Orochimaru’s plans, they would proceed as normal.

If the village had felt charged before, it now felt as if they were balancing on a razor's edge. In the month between the preliminaries and the finals, their team did nothing but stalk the streets of Konoha, looking for any sign that Orochimaru might be making his move.

As it turned out, it wasn’t Orochimaru who eventually made the first move — but the ramifications were just as devastating.

Their team had just finished reporting the findings of their nightly patrol at Hokage Tower when rumor began to spread that one of their jounin had been found dead in the streets. The whispers and chatter they overheard as they made their way from the tower were enough to generate a spark of concern, but nobody they asked seemed to know the identity of the jounin in question. 

When another one of their own rushed by, Kai reached out to stop them.

“Hey! Who was it?” he asked.

The ferret masked ANBU paused long enough to give them a sidelong glance. “Hayate.”

Amaya felt her blood run cold as a horrific feeling settled into the pit of her stomach.

“Where?” she asked, tone clipped.

The mask turned her way, a beat of silence passing before they answered. 

“A few blocks from Kikyou Castle.”

Amaya watched as ferret spared them a final glance before retreating swiftly out through the front door. Within seconds, her own feet began to carry her away of their own volition.

“I have to go.” 

The words that fell from her mouth felt wooden, devoid of any emotion.

She was gone before the rest of her team had a chance to even respond. She thought she heard Kai call after her as she sprinted away from them, but she barely heard him over the sound of her blood pounding in her ears. 

Even as she ran, her brain still couldn’t manage to process the news. There was only one thought that tore through her mind like a desperate mantra. 

She had to find Yuugao.

Tenzou watched as Kai took two steps forward, calling after Amaya’s retreating form even as she disappeared from their sight. He could see it in Kai’s stance, the way he leaned forward over the balls of his feet, ready to follow after her. Yet something seemed to be holding him back.

It was something that Tenzou understood all too well. The urge to follow after Amaya was almost overwhelming. He had to willfully restrain himself from making any sort of move, forcing his body to remain virtually frozen in place as her chakra signature rapidly moved out of range.

Ever since his conversation with Kakashi, Tenzou had resolved himself to freely acknowledging his feelings for Amaya. He hoped that by doing so, those feelings would not adversely impact his decisions or behavior. It was only now that he realized just how difficult that was going to be for him. 

There was no reason to check on Amaya. Their patrol shift had ended, whatever was transpiring now in her time off was her own personal business. He had no reason to insert himself into whatever was going on, despite his traitorous heart insisting that he should be there to ensure she was okay.

“Was she close to Hayate?” 

Haru was staring after her as well, though the tone of his question was one of genuine confusion.

His prompt was met with resounding silence. Tenzou had no idea that Amaya even knew who Hayate was until now, let alone whether or not they were well acquainted. But what other reason could she have had for reacting so strongly to the news of his death?

Kai was still standing there, stiff and looking poised to bolt at any moment. The only perceivable movement from the man was the rhythmic clench and release of his fists, and Tenzou found himself wondering about the uncharacteristic shift in Kai’s behavior recently.

Haru approached Kai, reaching up to place a hand on his shoulder. “Hey, what’s up with you?”

Shrugging Haru off, Kai shook his head. 

“I’m fine. I’ll see you around,” he shot over his shoulder as he took to the nearest roof and sprinted away.

A few seconds passed as Haru gazed after Kai. His shoulders slumped and Tenzou thought he heard a small sigh leave his lips.

“He always seems just out of reach, you know?”

Tenzou started, attention fully fixed on Haru now.

“It’s like no matter how hard I try, he never sees me.”

With that cryptic statement, Haru turned and followed the same path his teammates had taken, leaving Tenzou alone outside of Hokage Tower. Alone with the strangest sense of foreboding – a feeling that he was witnessing the beginnings of his team falling apart.

Hayate’s body had already been removed from the scene by the time Amaya arrived. Nobody could tell her where Yuugao was, so Amaya immediately set off to the morgue. Hayate’s body had been brought in for an autopsy, but nobody had seen Yuugao. Another quick stop at the apartment Yuugao and Hayate shared also revealed nothing. 

Frantically, Amaya tried to think about where her friend might have gone. With nothing else to go on except gut instinct, she set off to the training grounds where she knew the pair often trained together. It was where everything had begun for them, where their love had sparked and blossomed.

That gut instinct proved to be correct. When she spotted Yuugao’s silhouette at the river’s edge, Amaya slowed her approach and removed her mask. Yuugao was facing away from her, still in the same ANBU uniform she had clearly worn all night. Her mask dangled from limp fingers – fingers that were caked with the dried blood of the man whom she had been planning to tie her future to. A man whom she had loved with an unconditional fervor, desperately and without reservation.

Yuugao didn’t react as Amaya approached, no sign or indication that she even knew she was there. When Amaya drew even with her she reached out, placing a tentative hand on Yuugao’s upper arm.

She waited a few moments, but when there was still no reaction from Yuugao, Amaya circled around to face her.

Amaya wasn’t sure what she expected to see there on Yuugao’s face – anger, grief, despair… perhaps a devastating combination of them all. But what she found instead was more haunting than anything she could have anticipated. It was hard to put a name to it, an expression of loss so deep and profound that it was as if the woman who stood before her was merely a shell of who she used to be – a person whose soul had been ripped from their mortal form so wretchedly that all that was left was an empty husk.

“Yuugao…”

Amaya spoke her name in a whisper, the word less a name and more a desperate plea nearly lost on the wind. An attempt to call the soul of the woman before her back to the land of the living.

After several long beats of silence, Yuugao’s vacant eyes finally drifted to Amaya’s. The once warm chocolate irises now appeared dull and lifeless. Not a single flicker of the bright and vibrant woman was present within those depths. 

Cracked lips parted as those eyes stared back at Amaya, unblinking and unseeing.

“Hayate is dead.”

Amaya drew in a sharp breath and nodded. 

“Yes,” she acknowledged gently.

“He’s dead,” Yuugao said again, this time with the smallest hint of inflection. 

Amaya could see tears gathering at the corner of Yuugao’s eyes as her chest began to rise and fall in an increasing cadence. Gaze dropping to her hands, Yuugao stared at the flakes of Hayate’s blood that still clung beneath her fingernails. 

“He’s dead. He’s dead. He’s—”

Yuugao’s hands flew up, fisting violently into her hair as she let out a sound that barely sounded human. Birds erupted from the trees nearby, startled from their morning song by the anguished cry that rent the air apart – the cry of a woman whose hope for the future had been shattered in an instant.

News of Hayate’s death rippled through the shinobi ranks, along with a multitude of rumors about the circumstances that had led to his demise. Many believed it to be an act of sabotage by one of the visiting delegations, while others speculated that it was merely the opening act for Orochimaru’s diabolical plans. Whatever the cause, the result was that patrol routes were tightened and ANBU and jounin alike were now working longer shifts. Everyone was on high alert, not knowing when or where the other shoe would drop.

When Amaya wasn’t on patrol with her team, much of her time was spent at Yuugao’s side. After her initial breakdown, Yuugao had bounced back with a cold determination mostly fed by the idea of avenging Hayate’s death. It wasn’t exactly a healthy fixation, and Amaya knew that even if she should achieve her goal that it would do nothing to dampen the pain of her loss. Nothing could bring Hayate back. Eventually Yuugao would have to face the reality of her situation, but for now the woman seemed hyper focused on the one facet of her situation that she felt that she could control.

As if Amaya didn’t have enough to worry about already, now Haru also seemed to be acting more distant and melancholy than usual. It was beginning to feel to Amaya as if her found family was slowly falling apart. Between that and Yuugao’s need for her support, Amaya was beginning to feel the weight of everything crumbling around her. Did she have the strength to hold them all up until things got better? Would things ever be the same again? Certainly not for Yuugao, but perhaps there was still hope for her team.

Today had been yet another inordinately quiet patrol together in which nobody seemed keen to talk. They had handed in their report and were now currently in the locker room back at ANBU headquarters changing into their civilian clothes. The heavy silence was enough to curdle Amaya’s stomach to such a degree that she decided she’d finally had enough.

“Okay, that’s it,” she growled, slamming her locker shut and turning to face the three men with an imperious look. “What is wrong with all of you?”

More silence as her eyes narrowed. 

Her arm shot out, finger extended in Haru’s direction. “I don’t know what your deal is, but you’ve been sulking for a week now.”

Haru’s brows lifted in surprise, lips slightly parted. A blush rose rapidly to his cheeks as his eyes flicked to Kai for a split second before he pressed his lips together again.

Amaya’s arm swung left, gesturing at Kai. “ You have been acting weird ever since we sparred. Why the hell are you so quiet? It’s weird and I hate it.” 

A flash of guilt crossed his expression as Kai slumped. The fact that she also missed the flirtatious banter that she’d grown so used to went unmentioned. She’d drop dead before she ever admitted that out loud.

“And you ,” she continued, voice dropping an octave as she finally turned to address Tenzou. “You have barely spoken a word to any of us outside of giving orders.”

From him there was no reaction. Not a huge surprise, though she swore she saw a flicker of something pass behind his eyes. She suspected that the reason for his sudden change of behavior was not unrelated to whatever had started in Kunigami, but she wasn’t fool enough to believe Tenzou had any sort of feelings for her.

Letting her arm drop to her side, she let some of the emotion show clearly on her face. 

“This team used to feel like a family. We could talk to each other, joke around…” She paused, meeting each of their eyes in turn. “Now it feels like I’m working with a bunch of strangers.”

Not a single word was uttered to dispute her claim. They had obviously felt it too, and it had probably been bothering them just as much as Amaya. But now that it was out there, how did they move forward? 

Well, maybe she had a decent idea.

“We’re going to the bar.”

Three pairs of eyes stared at her in stunned silence.

“You heard me,” she commanded, brow lifting as if to dare them to try to argue with her. “Let’s go.”

Without further preamble, she stomped past them and out through the doors. She was absolutely fed up with this nonsense – tired of feeling like their team was treading on eggshells all the time. Whatever it was that was eating at them, they could hash it out over drinks. Then things could maybe return to some semblance of normalcy. 

It was only once Amaya was outside that she remembered that it was early afternoon. Not exactly prime time to be drinking, but desperate times and all that. She didn’t bother to wait for them as she strode purposefully away from ANBU headquarters, knowing her team would follow her.

They were in a booth with their drinks in short order. It was busy despite the relatively early hour, though that shouldn’t have come as too much of a surprise. Amaya had chosen a popular shinobi bar that was in close proximity to Hokage Tower. A number of other teams had also finished their shifts, and given the stressful circumstances surrounding the village and their assignments lately, people seemed to be seeking any chance to unwind that they could reasonably grab.

Taking a sip of her beer, she eyed the men around her. Haru and Tenzou were seated across from her while Kai sat at her side. They were all studiously avoiding her gaze, pretending to find various people or inanimate objects way more interesting than they actually were, and Amaya sighed inwardly at the uneasiness that only seemed to have amplified following her outburst in the locker room.

“Fine, I’ll start,” she stated, setting her bottle down firmly on the wood table. “I’m sure you have questions about why I reacted the way I did to the news about Hayate.”

She felt Kai stiffen beside her as both Tenzou and Haru’s eyes snapped to look at her.

“Hayate was–” She faltered, lips thinning as she tried to decide how to phrase what she wanted to say. “He was involved with someone whom I’m very close with.”

“Uzuki, right?” Haru queried.

Amaya’s brows lifted. She knew Yuugao and Hayate hadn’t really hidden their relationship, but she was surprised that Haru knew about it, of all people. “Yes, Yuugao.”

A flash of surprise and recognition crossed Tenzou’s face. “You know Yuugao?”

It was Amaya’s turn to be taken aback. She hadn’t realized Tenzou knew who Yuugao was either. Had they worked together before? 

“Uh, yes. We were… before she and Hayate got together, we were kind of involved.”

Normally Amaya wouldn’t divulge that kind of personal information, but for some reason she felt she needed to clarify the situation.

“Wait,” Kai sat up straight, finally looking directly at her for what felt like the first time in weeks. “Yuugao? The one with the purple hair?”

There was the smallest twitch pulling at the corner of his lip, and Amaya leaned back a little as her eyes narrowed. 

“Yes,” she responded hesitantly.

A wide grin split Kai’s face then. “I know her! We’ve slept together!”

Haru sputtered and coughed, having apparently just inhaled his beer. Amaya cringed. She’d known that already, of course, but the reminder was not exactly a welcome one.

“Seems we have the same taste in women, eh?” he teased, gently nudging her with his shoulder.

The grin on Kai’s face grew wider as the first genuine laugh she’d heard from him in what felt like ages fell from his lips. Despite the awkwardness of the conversation, she felt true relief as she sensed the obvious shift in mood. Regardless of how she might feel about the topic, she found herself mirroring his smile.

“I guess so,” she responded with a roll of her eyes.

Haru finally managed to catch up with the conversation as he leaned forward. “Wait, so are you…?”

He let the question linger, obviously hoping that Amaya would understand what he was asking.

“I don’t have a preference,” Amaya replied softly, echoing the same words Haru had spoken during that conversation on their first mission together. His eyes crinkled at the corners as he beamed back at her.

Just like that, the tension that had been present for days seemed to have all but evaporated. Their conversation fell to lighter subject matter, and even their captain seemed to be making a concerted effort to contribute as well.

It was early evening by the time they walked back out through the doors of the bar. The streetlights were just flickering to life as they bid their farewells for the evening. Haru was leaning heavily on Kai, having apparently had a few drinks too many. The amusement was evident in Kai’s expression as he shook his head at the Hyuuga and offered to make sure he made it home safely. 

Tenzou and Amaya watched as the pair disappeared down the street, Kai’s larger frame easily supporting that of his leaner teammate. Some of the tension returned then as Amaya realized she had been left alone with Tenzou for the first time since… well, since he had come to her apartment to check on her after Kunigami. It was strange to think that the last time they’d been alone together was over two months ago now.

Just as Amaya was preparing herself for an awkward goodbye, Tenzou moved into her line of sight and met her gaze directly. 

“Thank you.”

She stared at him blankly. Well, that was unexpected.

“For addressing things, I mean,” he continued, rubbing the back of his neck in a gesture that was all too familiar to her now. “For doing what I should have done.”

Tilting her head slightly, she regarded him closely. “Why didn’t you?”

With a silent motion from Tenzou they fell into step together, heading in the direction of her apartment. “I guess I wasn’t really certain if I should address it, and how.”

Amaya took a moment to process that admission. She supposed that when looked at from a purely logical standpoint, the recent change in their team had not really affected their ability to work together, though they also hadn’t been placed in a situation where open communication was paramount. Endless days of haunting the streets of Konoha had provided them with ample opportunity to completely ignore each other outside of relaying their findings.

“Can I ask you something?” she said finally, steeling herself for what was about to come.

Sensing that something was amiss, Tenzou eyed her cautiously. “Of course.”

Heaving a deep breath to brace herself, she decided to just jump in. “Have you been distancing yourself from the team because of me?”

Nothing but the sounds of the people around them as they traveled another half block before Tenzou finally responded.

“Yes.”

From the corner of her eye she could see him staring straight ahead, lips pressed together firmly and posture unnaturally stiff. He was so focused on the path ahead of them that he failed to notice at first that Amaya had drawn to a halt and was no longer at his side. When he realized, he stopped and turned to look at her.

“So, it’s not just me then. Whatever this is,” she gestured between them. “You feel it too?”

His gaze met hers, and that spark that had been there the night they saw each other across the bar – that intensity that had been noticeably absent recently – was suddenly alive and all too visible behind his eyes. That was all the answer she needed. No, it wasn’t just her… he absolutely felt it too. Though to what extent, she couldn’t be sure. Was it just simple attraction? Or something more?

The same questions she’d been asking herself.

“I see,” she said quietly. 

Even without him explaining, she suddenly knew why he had been distancing himself. It was an attempt to wrest control in a situation that felt impossible to navigate safely. Perhaps he thought that by putting some distance between himself and his team, that attraction might fade. Instead, it was helping to tear their team apart.

The discomfort on Tenzou’s face was obvious. It was as if he didn’t know quite what to say to her now, but he didn’t need to say anything.

“I understand,” she added finally. “You are my captain, after all.”

A look of confusion crossed his features before being replaced by a mixture of comprehension and gratitude. Gratitude that she understood? That he didn’t have to explain himself?

Closing the distance between them, she smiled up at him. 

“Just promise me something?”

His lips parted slightly as his own features softened into something that she could only describe as an expression of yearning as he gazed down at her.

“Just don’t pull away again,” she implored, unable to prevent the note of sadness in those words. “I don’t want to lose the few people in my life that are important.”

A flash of regret before he nodded. She didn’t need to explain herself to Tenzou either. He knew her losses, and he understood all too well why she might be afraid of losing him too.

“I promise.”

Chapter Text

The day of the finals for the Chuunin Exams dawned bright and clear, the pleasant weather a stark contrast to the grim atmosphere pervading the ANBU stationed in and around the arena. There was a tension in the air, like a taut bowstring just waiting to be released. Excitement buzzed from the gathered crowds as an air of expectation permeated the atmosphere.

Tenzou and his team were currently positioned high up in one of the seating areas designated for the visiting high ranking officials, the noise erupting from the stands below a dull roar of excited chatter as everyone awaited the start of the first match. Even the officials themselves, gathered as they were on their plush cushions, prattled away with unbridled expectation as they waited. 

Kai and Amaya were positioned along the back wall of the seating area while he and Haru flanked each side of the gathered officials. A cursory glance at Haru and Kai revealed that they too were on alert, body postures indicating readiness for anything that might come. But as Tenzou’s attention finally landed on the familiar deer mask belonging to Amaya, he couldn’t stop his thoughts from drifting back to that afternoon at the bar.

The dynamic within their team had noticeably improved since that day, and Tenzou knew it was all due to Amaya’s insistence that they all sit together and communicate. It seemed like such a simple thing – communication – but ask any shinobi and they were just as likely to say they preferred to work out their feelings with a good spar instead. 

Still, the conversation that afternoon coupled with some time spent together outside of work following that day had helped to restore some of the bonds that had been splintering. Kai was now back to his usual self, just as loud as before, though perhaps a bit less overtly flirtatious when he addressed Amaya. More importantly, he seemed to have gotten over his animosity towards Tenzou and was now able to speak to him much as they had before the events following Kunigami.

The improvement in Kai’s demeanor seemed to have resolved Haru’s despondency as well. Now that Tenzou watched their interactions a little more closely, he wondered how he could have missed something so obvious. Haru clearly cared for Kai immensely, though at this point Tenzou was unsure if Haru’s feelings were of a romantic nature or not. Up to this point they had seemed to behave almost like brothers, but after what Haru had said that day…

It’s like no matter how hard I try, he never sees me.

It wasn’t up to Tenzou to unravel that matter, however. As long as it didn’t affect the team and their working relationships, that was up to Haru and Kai to work out. Besides, he had his own unresolved feelings to contend with.

Following their conversation alone that evening, Tenzou had made good on his promise to Amaya. Much like packing away a box for safekeeping and placing it into storage, Tenzou had resolved to do the same with his feelings for his subordinate. He’d done a pretty decent job of it too, he thought. The interactions between himself and Amaya felt much more relaxed and natural now, much more like they had been many months prior.

But more importantly, her smiles seemed to come easier to her again. For him, that made everything worth it.

As if she could sense his attention, the deer mask turned to face his.. 

“Are you a fool? The Hyuuga boy will win that round, certainly!”

Briefly distracted by the disagreement, Tenzou glanced over to find one of the officials leaning forward as he aimed his fan like a weapon at the man whom he was arguing with.

When Tenzou looked back at Amaya, she offered him a small shrug and a subtle shake of her head. He imagined she was rolling her eyes behind that mask of hers as well. The thought brought a smile to his face as he turned his focus back to the matter at hand.

There was a tiresome amount of discussion leading up to the first match as the officials squabbled over who they believed would prove victorious with each round. This was interspersed with equal amounts of criticism about some of the genin who had managed to make it through to the finals.

Based on the bits of conversation that Tenzou couldn’t help but overhear it was evident that – much like the average layperson – the officials gathered here had little to no understanding about the skills and abilities that contributed to the makings of a good shinobi. Not that this stopped them from speaking with a supreme air of authority when voicing their strong opinions on the matter. From what Tenzou could glean, it seemed that the genin with the flashiest abilities were favored, though Tenzou deduced that this was mostly a result of them simply being able to put on a good show. After all, that’s what these men were here for, after all.

Not for the first time, Tenzou found himself completely unable to comprehend the type of life these privileged men must lead, despite having lived and worked in a feudal lord’s mansion himself not too long ago. To be honest, his time there was beginning to feel more like a fever dream now whenever he looked back on it.

Smothering a sigh, he let his attention drift to the stands beyond where he and his team were currently positioned. Scanning the crowds, he noted that a majority of those occupying the seats below were Leaf shinobi, though he thought he spotted a few headbands belonging to other villages interspersed here and there as well. Several other ANBU teams were positioned amongst those gathered, keeping an equally close eye on both the proceedings and those in attendance. The Sandaime was taking no chances. With so many high-ranking officials gathered in one place, Konoha had positioned itself as a prime target for an attack.

Tenzou grimaced as he noted, not for the first time, that the men they had been assigned to protect were very much out in the open here. Observing them all lined up in a row on their plush seats brought to mind a joke Kakashi had once made about a group of enemy shinobi grouped up in a similar manner.

Like sitting ducks.

He hadn’t fully grasped the metaphor then, but he thought he understood it now.

Despite his concerns, the first match of the finals went off without incident. The officials seemed to take great pleasure in watching the genin come at each other with everything they had if their exaggerated gasps, sardonic laughter, and generally overly dramatic reactions were any indication. 

Out of the corner of his eye, he thought he spotted Kai shifting restlessly from foot-to-foot. Kai had always been uncomfortable rubbing elbows with nobility and the like, and it seemed today was no different. Not that Tenzou could blame him.

It was until halfway through the first match that Tenzou finally recognized one of the genin below – the one in the garish orange outfit. As the strange red chakra began to bubble up and cloak the boy, Tenzou immediately knew who he was. 

The boy who served as the vessel for the nine tails and Kakashi’s student – Naruto Uzumaki.

Tenzou smiled to himself as he watched one of his senpai’s students face off against one of the Hyuuga, a formidable opponent in his own right from what Tenzou has observed. Admittedly, he had been alarmed at first when the boy started tapping into that foreign chakra source, but he seemed to be in complete control and was able to leverage his advantage towards a victory. 

As worried as Tenzou had been about Kakashi when he’d first heard that the kyuubi vessel would be his responsibility, he realized now that maybe he had judged the boy a bit too harshly without learning a single thing about him.

“Well, that was unexpected,” one of the officials proclaimed with a disappointed shake of his head as the match concluded. “I had a fair bit of money on that Hyuuga boy.”

The man seated to his right smirked and leaned over. “I didn’t bother placing wagers on anything other than the next fight. The Uchiha is the only one I want to see.”

Tenzou’s lips thinned. Kakashi had spoken to him of Sasuke, the sole surviving Uchiha, and the problems he’d been having trying to get through to the boy. It seemed Sasuke had talent and the potential to become a great shinobi, but his only goal appeared to be that of seeking out revenge against his older brother Itachi. Kakashi was positive that some time, coupled with the friendship and support of his teammates, would eventually help Sasuke to realize that revenge was not the only future available to him. 

Tenzou hoped his senpai was right.

A supremely exaggerated sigh of exasperation sounded from one of the officials, effectively pulling Tenzou from his ruminations once again.

“What on earth is taking so long?” The man asked, leaning forward and scanning the arena.

The mood of the crowd had begun to shift as the seconds ticked past and Sasuke Uchiha failed to show up for his match. A sense of unrest rippled through the crowd, the officials now whispering conspiratorially amongst themselves and loudly proclaiming their displeasure at being forced to wait so long for the ‘performance’ they had been waiting for. It seemed they weren’t the only ones, as cries of outrage began to drift up from the stands below as well.

The commotion went mostly ignored by Tenzou, who was now battling a growing concern for his senpai and his student. It was certainly not out of the ordinary for Kakashi to be excessively late, but it would be out of character for him to risk one of his student’s being disqualified simply to maintain his notorious reputation for tardiness.

His concern only grew when Genma announced that the match would be postponed and the next match would proceed. The declaration was met with more chatter from the spectators, but Tenzou couldn’t help but wonder what might have led the Sandaime to grant a concession in this instance. In previous years, the genin would have been disqualified for failing to show up for their match on time. 

Was it truly that Sasuke’s match was so greatly anticipated that he didn’t want to cause an uproar amongst the attendees? Or was something else amiss? 

Glancing over to where the Sandaime was seated in the company of the Kazekage, Tenzou took note of the tense way in which their Hokage held himself. Narrowing his eyes, he watched the pair a few moments longer, noting that the Kazekage seemed supremely relaxed in comparison. The observation did nothing to ease the tension that he had felt since the crowds had gathered that morning.

Another uproar erupted from the stands and Tenzou fixed his attention back on the arena below. It seemed one of the participants of the next match – the one from Sand – had withdrawn before the match had even begun.

That creeping sense of unease was becoming something of a dull roar in his head now, and he thought he saw Haru and Amaya shoot quick glances his way as if to confirm that they were all sensing what he was. He gave them the slightest of nods of affirmation before shifting his gaze to the stands below. 

Nothing seemed overtly out of the ordinary. Most of the shinobi in the stands seemed to be watching the beginning of the next match with rapt attention and varying levels of enjoyment. Frankly, if it weren’t for the notable tardiness of Kakashi’s student and the resulting delay of that match, Tenzou would have said that the exams were going off without a hitch.

Tenzou was so preoccupied with observing those in attendance that he failed to notice that an entire match had transpired until the crowd erupted once more in a communal cry of outrage.

One of the officials seated directly in front of Tenzou snapped his fan shut.

“How are we supposed to enjoy these matches if these genin keep forfeiting,” he complained loudly, crossing his arms in a huff.

Brows raised in question, Tenzou focused on the arena below. 

Huh. Was that the Nara boy who had just forfeit?

As the crowd voiced their displeasure at the premature end of what had been proving an interesting match, an orange flash leapt into the arena. Kakashi’s student again, the same one who had fought earlier, dropped to the dirt and immediately proceeded to give the Nara boy an earful. The antics brought a small smile to Tenzou’s lips. It felt like the most normal thing he had seen all day.

The announcement of the Uchiha boy’s name ramped up the crowd’s energy once more as the time came for the final match, yet there was still no sign of Kakashi’s student. The crowd was growing restless again, and as Tenzou glanced at the Sandaime, he noted one of the jounin engaged in a whispered conversation with him before meeting up with Genma in the arena below.

Several minutes passed before Genma finally announced the disqualification of Sasuke Uchiha. Or he would have, if he had managed to complete his proclamation before he was interrupted.

Tenzou sagged imperceptibly when Kakashi and the Uchiha boy materialized in a swirl of wind and leaves directly in the middle of the arena. He made a mental note to question his senpai later about what exactly he was thinking in waiting until the very last minute to show up with his student in tow. Still, his relief that they both appeared healthy and unscathed was palpable when – despite his extreme tardiness and near elimination – Sasuke was granted leave to proceed with his match against the boy from Sand.

However, Tenzou’s relief would prove to be short lived, as it was during this match that things began to go terribly wrong.

When Tenzou would reflect later on the events of that day and the weeks leading up to it, he would question how they all failed to see what was coming. The signs had all been there, the discrepancies glaring enough that they should have anticipated what came next. 

Yet despite all of the signals of something bigger to come, when the attack finally did come, it was one that none of them had expected.

Amaya stiffened as she felt the first workings of a genjutsu trying to ensnare her. Rapidly creating the hand sign to release, she glanced around and noted that all of the officials seated nearby – and a majority of the attendees in the stands below – had fallen easily under the widespread genjutsu that someone had cast over the crowd at large. Those who had released the jutsu were also looking around cautiously, everyone working to identify the source.

The search was disrupted when an explosive noise sounded from above their position, and Amaya stared in horror as smoke plumed outward from where the Hokage and Kazekage had both been seated. Yet she barely had time to process what she was seeing before the enemy was in their midst. Four foreign shinobi suddenly appeared from over the railing, headbands immediately giving away their allegiance to Sound. 

This was it, then. Orochimaru was finally making his move.

“Well, well, well… what have we here?”

One of the Sound shinobi stepped forward, cocking his head at the team of ANBU who were watching him cautiously.

“Looks like pretty good odds to me,” he added with a chuckle, staring pointedly at the group of officials collapsed in their seats, blissfully unaware of the danger they were in. 

The thinly veiled threat caused Amaya and the rest of her team to shift, readying themselves for whatever fight they knew was coming. Sounds of battle nearby began drifting up from one of the seating areas below, the clang of kunai meeting ringing sharply in the brief silence.

Amaya’s palm gripped the hilt of her own blade. 

Looks like we are on our own for this one.

Before anyone was able to make the first move, another explosion sounded from some distance away. This one was louder, larger, causing the entire arena to shake with the sheer intensity of the impact. Smoke erupted from what Amaya gauged was one of the protective walls surrounding Konoha. 

“Seems things are going well,” the man remarked casually as he leaned back against the railing to gaze up at where the Hokage had been seated. “The Leaf Village will be nothing but dirt and rubble when we are finished.”

Screams were coming from the direction of the wall as another rumble shook the foundations of the arena. It was no longer just about shinobi versus shinobi as cries of terror and pleas for help from civilians began to reach their ears. 

It was this realization that finally prompted the standoff to come to an end.

“Bull.” Tenzou said quietly as he moved to unsheath his blade and took a single step forward. “Deer. Go help them.”

Haru immediately stepped up to Tenzou’s side. It wasn’t an ideal situation, having to split up the team when they were facing an enemy with equal numbers, but Amaya trusted Tenzou’s decision. Haru and Tenzou were incredibly skilled shinobi. They could take care of themselves. Besides, Amaya suspected that the Sound shinobi weren’t truly interested in the officials their team had been instructed to watch. It was more likely that they were here to help sow the chaos and destruction of the village she and her team were sworn to protect, and preventing high level shinobi from helping where it was needed most was a viable tactic.

As Kai and Amaya nodded in confirmation and set out in the direction of the wall, she heard the enemy captain call out authoritatively. “Abe! Handa!”

It seemed they wouldn’t be making their retreat easy for them, then. Still, leading the enemy away from the officials was the best course of action. The potential for collateral damage and injury was too great if a full out battle was waged in the small space the area afforded. They would be incapable of fighting at their full capacity if they remained close by in such a large group.

She and Kai had only a small head start, enough for them to move out of the arena and onto one of the abandoned streets that led out into the village proper. The openness of the area gave them enough of a vantage to glimpse the wall and the edge of what appeared to be a gaping hole right through it. The sheer size of the destruction was mostly obscured from their view by some buildings, but as they watched, great hunks of rock and debris rained down from bits of wall that were still crumbling, dirt and dust clouding the vicinity and preventing Amaya from being able to make out the cause of the damage. 

Drawing to a halt, Amaya and Kai turned to face their pursuers. The screams were louder now, but they wouldn’t be able to provide any sort of help with these two on their tail. They had to take care of this first.

“Pretty impressive, isn’t it?”

The pair – a man and woman – landed a small distance from Kai and Amaya, both looking extremely pleased with the destruction they were witnessing, despite the matching masks that obscured the lower portion of their faces. It was the kunoichi who had spoken.

“If you think that’s something, you should see the thing that did it.”

A dark laugh escaped the lips of the man who stood at her side. “Your village is in pieces, your people being cut down as we speak. What will the poor ANBU do now?”

“I think ,” Kai began, stepping forward and cracking his neck. “That I’m ready to get this shit done with.” 

The woman snorted. “The oaf is right,” she remarked, a sudden gleam appearing in her insidious gaze. “Why don’t we finish up here and join in on all the real fun?”

“You Sound shinobi sure like to hear yourselves talk,” Kai responded, his voice dangerously quiet.

Kai’s stance and bearing was that of a predator about to strike. Amaya watched him closely, readying herself for the moment he would make his move.

The whistle of a kunai cutting through the air was the opening move, followed by a flurry of kunai and shuriken being exchanged by all four shinobi. Both pairs were testing each other, trying to gauge the skill set of their opponents, though neither side seemed keen to reveal their ninjutsu specialties just yet. It was like a strange dance, dodging and throwing, both pairs keeping a fair distance between each other. 

Things continued on like this for a couple of minutes before Amaya leapt backwards and called Kai to her side. The two Sound shinobi paused their attacks as well, watching their opponents carefully.

“They are just killing time,” she said to Kai, voice barely above a whisper.

Kai huffed in annoyance. “They don’t want us getting to the wall.”

He was right. These two were barely engaging them, only serving as a distraction as the chaos continued to unfold at a distance. More screams, more explosions. They were coming from all around them now. Amaya spotted a team of ANBU rushing across the rooftops nearby. They didn’t even spare their comrades more than a quick glance as they passed.

The kunoichi laughed, twirling a kunai around her forefinger as she cocked a hip out and planted her other hand at her waist. It was such an overt show of nonchalance that Kai growled in response. Amaya was pretty sure she felt her eye twitch in annoyance.

Well, it seemed they would need to be the ones to get this battle well and truly moving. Unsheathing her blade, she didn’t hesitate as she pressed forward and engaged the man who appeared to only be equipped with smaller weapons, if the small pouches and holsters strapped to him were any indication. He parried and dodged her attacks expertly, though he made no move to counter and take the offensive. 

Their unwillingness to properly engage was really getting on her nerves.

Chancing a glance to where Kai was, she saw him finally release one of his earth ninjutsu, effectively turning the dirt beneath the female shinobi’s feet to a pit of mud that would pull her down if she stepped in it. The woman leapt into the air, deftly navigating away from the bottomless swamp and putting a fair bit of distance between herself and Kai. 

Despite the use of their ninjutsu, the fight continued on like that for entirely too long for Amaya’s liking. It wasn’t until another explosion, this one much closer now, that the male shinobi disengaged from Amaya and retreated to his teammate’s side. The sudden withdrawal caused both Amaya and Kai to halt their attacks and flank each other once again. 

There was an obvious shift in mood from the two Sound shinobi as they exchanged a look.

“Well, Abe. What do you think?” the kunoichi asked, her demeanor no longer playful and taunting. There was a seriousness to her tone that instantly put Amaya and Kai on alert.

“I think, Handa,” Abe responded, reaching into a pouch at his thigh and pulling out a small, strange metal object. “That it’s time we wrapped this up.”

The object he held was foreign to Amaya. The size was similar to that of a fork, but with a short handle and two prongs that formed an elongated U-shape. Amaya watched closely as he pulled down his mask and placed the handle gingerly between his lips. The color of the metal was unlike anything Amaya had seen before, a strange obsidian hue that reflected shades of green and blue when the light caught it. Her eyes narrowed as the woman reached into an oblong pouch strapped to her back and pulled out two rods made of the same material. 

Unsure of what to expect next, Amaya rapidly sheathed her blade and tensed at the ready. Usually when an opponent cast ninjutsu it was easy to predict what kind of attack they would use based on the hand signs. These objects, however, gave nothing away about how she should prepare for their next attack.

For several long moments the four shinobi stood still, unmoving on the dirt path. Anyone who might have spotted them would have found the scene curious, if it weren’t for the taut readiness with which they all held themselves. It was as if they were all collectively holding their breaths, waiting for some unknown signal in order to begin.

Another distant rumble and the sound of screams broke through the tense atmosphere, and both Kai and Amaya began rapidly weaving hand signs. Months of sparring with and against each other had allowed them to develop a wonderful working synergy together, especially given their chakra natures of earth and water could combine to form some impressive – and devastating – jutsu.

Unfortunately, the speed at which they wove their signs was equally matched by the two Sound shinobi. Abe began executing his own set of seals for some kind of wind jutsu Amaya didn’t recognize while  Handa began to rapidly knock the two rods together. Oddly, there was no discernable sound when the two metal pieces met.

As Amaya and Kai reached the final seals for their jutsu, something strange happened. Or rather, nothing at all happened. There was a brief moment of stunned shock as they glanced at each other before the whole world turned on its head.

Staggering backward, Amaya clutched at her temples and moaned. “Wha—”

The intense ringing in her ears prevented her from hearing Kai hit the dirt next to her as he too clutched at his head and cried out.

Squinting through the acute pain, Amaya forced her attention back in the direction of the two enemy ninja. Abe was grinning around the object still placed in his mouth, and she thought she saw his lips moving to form words. If he said anything at all, Amaya couldn’t be certain. The ringing was deafening.

As Amaya watched, the kunoichi abruptly stopped tapping the rods together, eyes crinkling with what Amaya assumed was a grin behind that mask of hers. Very slowly, the ringing in her ears subsided and she regained her bearings. She still felt slightly off balance as Kai got to his knees and shook his head as if to clear it.

“What the hell was that?”

Kai’s query was still muffled to her ears, but at least she was recovering her hearing.

“Having some trouble there?” Handa taunted, cocking her head as Abe plucked the object from his lips and chuckled. “You seem a little unsteady on your feet.”

Amaya observed the pair closely, trying to work out what had just happened. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Kai finally stand up and brush off the dirt from his cloak.

“Pretty neat trick, huh?” Handa twirled one of the rods between her fingers and winked. Both enemy shinobi seemed content to stand back and watch as Kai and Amaya struggled with the aftereffects of the jutsu.

“What the hell was that?” Kai repeated.

The question was directed at Amaya, but with their hearing still slightly affected, it was easy enough for the other pair to pick up on Kai’s unintentionally loud query.

“What, these?” Handa asked, tapping the rods together playfully.

Both Amaya and Kai flinched, waiting for the ringing in their ears to start up again.

Nothing happened.

Abe snorted as Handa let out a giggle. 

“Twitchy, aren’t you,” Handa quipped.

When neither Amaya nor Kai responded, the kunoichi continued. “Pretty neat, huh? This metal is special, you see. It emits sound at a frequency outside of the range of normal human hearing. And that thing,” she gestured at the object in Abe’s hand, “amplifies and fixes the tone.”

Brows furrowing, Amaya tried to piece together the clues Handa was giving them with what she had observed. There was some crucial link that she was missing, but it also occurred to her that this kunoichi seemed keen to talk. Why try to work out a mysterious jutsu when your enemy volunteers the information readily?

Kai evidently came to the same conclusion and decided to bait the rest of the information out of her. “Neat,” he commented sarcastically. “I didn’t realize we came here for a lecture though. It’s not really my thing.”

“Clearly,” Abe snorted. “You don’t exactly seem like the type who would understand the nuances of the vestibular system.”

The term triggered something in Amaya’s memory, some distant recollection from anatomy classes during her Academy days. It took her a long moment to pull it to the forefront of her mind – images of their teacher standing in front of the chalkboard, pointing at an enlarged diagram of the human head. He had been describing to them the importance of chakra control and balance, and how it could be influenced by a portion of the inner ear. 

An area known as the vestibular system.

Understanding dawned on her as she finally pieced together what must be happening. The metal rods emitted the frequency, which was amplified by that U-shaped device. That frequency must disrupt their inner ear somehow. 

The wind jutsu was still a bit of a mystery, but she suspected that it had some sort of ability to direct the frequency so that it only affected Kai and Amaya.

Stepping closer to Kai, Amaya dropped her voice and said, “We have to separate them and get a hold of at least one of those metal objects. Their attack requires all three pieces and whatever that wind jutsu was that he was using.”

“It won’t be easy,” Kai responded following a long exhale through pursed lips. “They were pretty decent at dodging our attacks earlier, and as soon as they cast that jutsu again we’re finished. We can’t protect ourselves.”

It was in line with what Amaya was thinking. It occurred to her that Haru’s taijutsu would have been especially well suited for dealing with this pair. Unfortunately they had to work with what they had in their own arsenals.

“Then we just have to get in close, prevent them from being able to coordinate their attack.” 

Kai remained silent.

“Unless you have any other ideas? Because I’m all ears,” Amaya amended, knowing full well – just as Kai did – that they had very few options.

“Other than being your knight in shining armor and telling you to run for it?” Kai tossed her one of his trademark cheeky winks. It had been awhile since he’d aimed one of those her way, and she would have been glad for it had they not been in the situation they currently found themselves in. This had been the normalcy that she had been missing recently. “Nope.”

Despite the obvious flirtation, there was a hint of seriousness in his tone. She thought he might not be entirely joking with that offer of his.

“Count yourselves lucky, we don’t normally have to get this serious,” Handa remarked, watching Kai and Amaya closely. “I have to admit though, I’m enjoying getting to show off.”

“But time is of the essence, Handa,” her partner added, raising his brows at her. “Lord Orochimaru should be just about wrapping up, I’d wager.”

A significant look passed between them. Something in their posture shifted and Abe placed the object between his lips once more. Amaya realized that this was it – the Sound shinobi were done holding back.

“Get ready,” Kai warned, pulling out two of his remaining kunai and dropping into a readied stance. “You go after the mouthy one this time. You’re faster than I am.”

Amaya nodded, extracting her blade from its sheath once more. She smiled grimly. 

“Let’s go.”

The pace of their exchange was different this time. No longer were they ‘testing the waters’, so to speak. Knowing what they knew now, Kai and Amaya were both forced to get in close and remain there by any means necessary. If they let up for even a second…

“Shit!”

Handa had just parried Amaya’s attacks with one of the metal rods when Amaya heard Kai cry out, the sound following by a loud crash nearby. Knowing better than to even waste a second to glance his way, Amaya pressed her attack. With Abe free now, she couldn’t let Handa have even a second to knock those rods of hers together.

“Amaya, move!”

Kai’s warning came just in time for her to roll to the side, avoiding several blades of wind that sliced through the space she had just occupied. 

If you ask any shinobi, they will tell you that there are some battles where time seems to move in slow motion. The mind seems to work faster than the body, processing everything at lightning speed and allowing a person to move and react in ways that seem almost pre-meditative. 

For Amaya, this was not one of those battles.

Everything happened so quickly. One moment she was getting to her feet, intending to close the distance between herself and Handa once more. The next thing she knew she was on her knees, her head exploding in pain as the ringing erupted in her ears once more. 

She had been too slow.

Several long moments passed, her world nothing but agony. Eventually, the horrific sound began to slowly recede, and she was able to open her eyes once more.

Handa was approaching her slowly, her mask suddenly missing and a feral grin in its place. Both rods were tucked under one arm, and as Amaya watched she noted that although Handa’s lips were moving, Amaya wasn’t able to hear anything at all. 

Some distance behind the woman, Amaya spotted Kai and Abe engaged in a bloody battle. Kai must have landed a hit to Abe’s nose, because blood was pouring down the man’s face. As she watched, she noted that Abe was effectively preventing Kai from being able to get past him and to Amaya’s side.

Realizing she was on her own and Handa was only a few paces away, Amaya searched the ground for the blade she had unwittingly dropped. Finding it to be just out of reach, she lunged forward to grab it. The movement caused the entire world around her to spin, a sudden bout of crippling nausea forcing her to all fours as her stomach threatened to empty its contents in the dirt. 

Handa’s muffled voice was finally beginning to register as Amaya saw the woman’s feet appear right in front of her. Still fighting the roiling in her stomach, Amaya sat back on her haunches and met the kunoichi’s eyes as Handa crouched and plucked Amaya’s sword from the ground.

“Not bad craftsmanship,” Handa remarked flippantly as she stood and turned the blade in her hand, inspecting it closely. Abruptly, she stilled, the only movement the shift of her gaze as her attention fixed on Amaya. “I’ll keep it as a souvenir to remember you by.”

Without further preamble she raised the blade, the tip aimed at Amaya’s chest.

A sudden impact hit her left side, the force of it knocking the wind from her lungs and tossing her some distance away. Skidding to a halt in the dirt, she lay flat on her back and gasped for breath, completely dazed. 

It took several seconds for her mind to catch up, and when it finally did, she rolled over to try to figure out what had happened. As she did so, a sharp pain cut through her midsection. She clutched at it absently as she searched the area she had just been to find Kai and Handa exchanging blows. A brief scan of the area revealed Abe on the ground some distance away, a pool of blood gathering around him. 

Amaya watched in horror as Handa managed to land a blow to the back of Kai’s head with one of the metal rods. The way he dropped to the ground – like a puppet whose strings had been cut – forced a cry of alarm from Amaya’s lips.

The sound drew Handa’s attention back her way, and the woman let out a wheezing laugh that turned into a series of coughs. She turned to approach Amaya, only pausing to grab the sword that had been dropped when Kai had interfered.

“You know,” the kunoichi remarked as she drew closer, her voice tight and airy. Amaya thought she might have a collapsed lung, based on the difficulty she was having drawing breath. “I didn’t much care for Abe, but he was a decent partner.”

Kai still wasn’t moving, and Amaya realized that he likely had a concussion from that blow he had received, if not worse. She needed to end this now, to get Kai some help.

However, it wasn’t until Amaya started moving to get back on her feet that she realized the extent of her own injuries. As she shifted there was a strange pulling sensation in her abdomen, and she felt oddly lightheaded when she did finally manage to stand up. Looking down, she pulled aside her cloak and lifted her hand from where she was grasping her stomach. Her hand and clothing were soaked in blood, the crimson of it only hidden by the black fabric. However, it wasn’t the sight of so much blood that caused Amaya to almost drop to her knees again. 

It was the realization that she was holding a portion of her intestines in her hand.

“That doesn’t look very good, does it?” Handa laughed, the sound rapidly morphing into a wheeze.

It didn’t take long for Amaya to process what was happening to her. She knew the only reason she was still on her feet was sheer adrenaline, and that her injuries and blood loss were severe enough that she didn’t have much time. Even if she managed to take down Handa, it was entirely likely that Amaya was not going to come out of this alive either. Not without help.

A quick glance Kai’s way confirmed that he was still unconscious. She was out of options.

Pressing her hand back against her stomach to support the wound, she reached the other into her thigh pouch and pulled out one of her last kunai.

Handa halted, cocking her head to the side and lifting a brow in question.

Amaya shrugged. “Worth a shot, I figure.”

A grin was the kunoichi’s only response.

The sound of metal meeting metal rang out as Amaya parried Handa’s first attack and stepped to the side. Swinging wide, she aimed her kunai for the back of Handa’s neck, but the woman merely ducked and swung low.

Amaya barely managed to dodge the swing in time, a wave of excruciating pain sweeping over her at the movement. The adrenaline was starting to wear off, and the pain was finally setting in as she felt her body beginning to shut down. 

Unfortunately, Amaya’s hesitation provided Handa the opening she needed to land a kick to the back of Amaya’s leg, forcing her to her knees once again.

Dropping her kunai, Amaya gripped desperately at her midsection with both arms as dizziness swept over her. Tearing her mask off she gasped for breath, uncaring about concealing her identity at this point. Darkness was creeping in at the edges of her vision now, and she thought she might lose consciousness just as she felt the ice cold edge of steel at her throat.

Flashes and images overwhelmed her as memories began to race through her mind. Moments from her childhood, of her time spent with Keisuke and the years when things were so simple. Nights with Yuugao – of the comfort and warmth found in each other’s arms. Images of her time in Kunigami, of Hana and her shy smiles. Days filled with laughter, and the simplicity of a life had not been easy, but had felt right. A life that had felt just out of reach.

Memories of her team. Kai and Haru, and the friendship they had formed in their months together. And finally, of Tenzou — and all the things that had been left unsaid. 

Amaya would have been lying if she said she was facing death without regrets.

“Amaya, no!”

Her eyes moved sluggishly in the direction of the sound to find Kai desperately reaching out for her as he stumbled to his feet. Even as she watched, out of the periphery of her vision she saw Handa raise the blade for the final blow. 

Yes, Amaya had regrets – and one of them was that Kai would have to watch her die. 

She offered him one last smile as she mouthed her final words to him.

“I’m sorry.”

Chapter Text

Placing two fingers against the neck of one of the fallen Sound shinobi, Haru paused for a moment before nodding at Tenzou.

“That took way longer than it should have,” Haru remarked as he stood up once more and readjusted his cloak.

Tenzou had to agree. While neither of them could claim to have known the skills the Sound shinobi possessed, they had underestimated their abilities at first. That combined with the fact that the enemy nin had clearly been sent to delay them meant that the ensuing battle had been more of a game of cat and mouse rather than a true intent to kill. Unfortunately, this had caused Tenzou and Haru to use more force than they would have preferred in order to end the engagement. The result was two dead Sound shinobi, and quite a bit more chakra depletion than they were comfortable with.

“You two okay over here?”

Glancing over, Tenzou found Kakashi perched on the railing, looking only slightly worse for wear himself. Tenzou offered his senpai a nod as he fought back the urge to question the man about his whereabouts earlier. With everything that had happened – was still happening – that line of questioning would have to wait.

“Gai and I just finished up down there,” Kakashi added, pointing with his thumb over his shoulder. His brow furrowed. “Where’s the rest of your team?”

“I sent them to the wall after the first hit. Two from Sound followed them.”

Their conversation was interrupted by a loud groan from one of the officials. The genjutsu must finally be lifting, given the rising chorus of moans and incomprehensible mutterings from the men who were beginning to stir. Their awakening would bring a different sort of chaos once they realized what had transpired since they lost consciousness. 

Tenzou sighed, not really keen to deal with further delays. Had Kai and Amaya taken care of the other two Sound shinobi? Were things at the wall under control?

Was Amaya okay?

“Go,” Kakashi offered.

Tenzou cocked his head at him in question as Kakashi offered him his trademark eye crinkle.

“Gai and I can handle this,” he pressed. “Get going.”

It shouldn’t have surprised him that Kakashi knew what was going on in his head. Taking only a moment to consider, Tenzou nodded. “Thank you, senpai.”

Hopping down from the railing, Kakashi waved the gratitude off. “Don’t mention it.”

He and Haru were almost out of earshot when Kakashi called after them.

“You can buy me lunch later!”

Tenzou let out a huff of amusement and rolled his eyes. Kakashi was nothing if not consistent, especially when it came to mooching off of his kouhai.

“Was that Kakashi Hatake?” Haru asked as they picked up the trail of their team and set out.

“It was.”

There were a few beats of silence before Haru spoke up again. “He’s not what I expected.”

It was something Tenzou had heard often. When people heard stories about his senpai, they often developed preconceived notions about the man. Often the image they formed in their minds of who Kakashi of the Sharingan was ended up being a far cry from the reality. Most expected a monster, and were shocked to find only a man.

“Captain, I think they are just ahead,” Haru remarked, interrupting Tenzou’s thoughts and forcing his attention to the heavily forested area they were navigating. The Byakugan truly was incredible.

It wasn’t long before Tenzou was able to sense Kai and Amaya’s chakra signatures. It was strange that they had been waylaid long enough that they hadn’t even made it to the wall yet. It looked like these two Sound shinobi had proven even more problematic than the ones he and Haru had faced if they had been able to delay Kai and Amaya this long.

Mere seconds before he and Haru broke through a copse of trees, Tenzou heard Kai call out. Both the tone of Kai’s voice – frantic and anguished – along with the use of Amaya’s name rather than her alias immediately alarmed him. Haru must have picked up on it as well, as they both surged ahead at a more rapid pace. 

As they broke past the treeline and into an open space next to the dirt road, they allowed themselves only a split second to process what they found. 

Kai was stumbling away from them at a diagonal, one arm extended as he reached out toward something. He seemed to be having trouble keeping his balance, immediately alerting Tenzou to the likelihood of a head injury. But it was the sight of what Kai was so desperately trying to reach for that caused Tenzou’s entire world to stop.

Amaya was on her knees, ANBU mask no longer in place and expression one of resignation. Both arms were wrapped protectively around her midsection as she swayed in place, clearly having trouble with her own equilibrium. The dirt around her was stained a dark shade, shining with what Tenzou immediately suspected must be a large amount of blood. The scent that was carried on the wind towards them held such a strong metallic smell that he immediately knew the situation was just as dire as it appeared.

Haru was already moving, sprinting across the field as fast as Tenzou had ever seen him despite knowing he could never reach her in time. He watched in mute horror as the kunoichi who stood above Amaya raised her arm, lifting it up towards the sky with Amaya’s own blade in hand. 

The panic that flared within was extinguished almost as soon as it appeared. He would not watch Amaya die. There were still too many things left unsaid, too much unresolved between them.

Reflexively, Tenzou too began running forward as he shoved his hands together and formed the seal for the smothering binding technique. Thrusting his arm out, branches erupted from his left sleeve, stretching and straining towards the kunoichi and the blade that had just begun to descend. 

It turned out to be a very near thing. If they had been delayed even seconds longer, then Tenzou’s jutsu wouldn’t have reached the Sound shinobi in time. As it was, the sweeping downward motion of the blade was abruptly halted as oak branches rapidly wound themselves around the enemy kunoichi, ensnaring her and preventing her from moving another inch. A ferocious scream of fury erupted from the woman before she dissolved into a fit of wheezing coughs. 

The respiratory distress of the enemy kunoichi mostly went unnoticed by the three men as they rushed to Amaya’s prone form. The moment the sword’s progress had stopped, Amaya had crumpled to the side, arms still wrapped around herself yet utterly still. 

Kai made it to her first. Despite his own injuries he finally managed to reach her, collapsing next to her and desperately trying to get her to respond. Tearing off his ANBU mask, he tossed it roughly to the side and placed his head against her chest, pausing only briefly to listen before sitting back and framing her face with his palms. 

The heartbreak and utter anguish in Kai’s voice as he begged Amaya to say something to him ripped at Tenzou’s gut. He might have stopped that blade, but Amaya was obviously gravely injured. 

It might not have been enough. He might not have been enough.

“I’ll go find help!” Haru yelled, immediately changing directions and heading towards the wall where he would be most likely to find a medic-nin.

By the time Tenzou finally reached the pair, Kai had removed his hands from Amaya’s face and was pressing his weight fully against her lower abdomen. 

“No. No, no no no!”

Kai was muttering to himself, repeating the word over and over as he rocked back and forth, hands pressed firmly against her. He kept his attention fully fixed on the wound he was covering as if she would bleed out completely if he looked away.

For Tenzou’s part, his gaze had landed on Amaya’s ghostly pale face.

Even as he felt the stirrings of panic start to rise anew, he quashed them. Allowing himself to succumb to his own emotions in this moment would help no one.

Compartmentalizing, something he’d always been particularly good at. 

Danzou would have been proud.

“Please…”

Turning his attention back at Kai, Tenzou knelt next to him. It was only when Kai turned to look at him that Tenzou saw the tears streaking down his cheeks, unending rivulets that seemed to burn a trail through the dust that had settled there.

“ Please ,” he pleaded, eyes locked on Tenzou’s despite the mask between them.

It was then that Tenzou finally realized something.

Kai was in love with Amaya.

Kai was in love with her, and he was watching her life slip through his fingers.

And Tenzou was… well, he wasn’t sure what love was. What he did know was that cared for Amaya, perhaps more than most people in his life. He also knew that the thought of losing her was causing something inside of him to splinter, threatening to consume him if he examined it too closely. 

That feeling seemed to finally kick his brain back into gear. Unfortunately, his one arm was still occupied with restraining the enemy kunoichi. A spare glance her way revealed that she was no longer struggling against her restraints, and instead seemed to be having quite a bit of trouble breathing now. Unwilling to free her – even in her debilitated physical state – Tenzou tore his cloak away from his arm, shirking the garment as quickly as he was able and pressing the fabric firmly atop Kai’s hands.

“Use this. We have to slow the bleeding until help gets here.”

Choking back a sob, Kai slipped his hands out from beneath the fabric. They were coated in deep crimson, and Tenzou saw him start to shake uncontrollable as he pressed down on the wound once more. Tenzou added his own free palm to help provide additional pressure and nodded reassuringly at Kai when he glanced up once more. Strangely, Kai’s panic was helping to ground Tenzou. If he could focus on helping Kai, then the dire situation Amaya was in might not overwhelm him as well.

Tenzou had seen and done a lot of horrible things in his life. But those minutes spent in the dirt, watching as Amaya’s life literally slipped through their fingers, were the worst of his life.

“Over there!”

The call came from some distance away. Looking up, Tenzou spotted Haru and two medic-nin racing towards them. Amaya’s breathing had become so shallow at this point that it was barely perceptible, and the pallor of her skin appeared almost corpse-like as the two medical shinobi rushed over, immediately setting to work to staunch the bleeding and stabilize her enough for transport to the hospital. 

It took Haru and Tenzou a couple of tries to pry Kai away from Amaya. As soon as he was separated from her his gaze fixed on his hands, staring at the sticky coating as if dazed. Despite Haru’s gentle prompting, Kai refused to respond to any of his questions or even react as Haru removed his own cloak and tried to wipe away as much of the blood from Kai’s hands as he could.

As Haru gently moved the fabric over the back of Kai’s hands, he gave the restrained Sound shinobi a sidelong glance. “Looks like she’s unconscious,” he remarked to Tenzou, tone carefully neutral.

Finally turning his attention her way, Tenzou noted the woman appeared to still be breathing. It was obvious that she would also be in need of medical attention, but Tenzou failed to see that as a priority at the moment. 

They each watched as the green glow of medical ninjutsu cast Amaya’s face a sickly shade as both medic-nin worked. It was almost an out of body experience for him in that moment, as if someone else entirely was inhabiting his body and he was simply viewing the entire scene as an outsider.

He felt nothing.

“How were you able to find help?” Tenzou asked Haru, trying to distract himself from the strange numbness that had settled over him.

Folding the now filthy cloak and tucking it under his arm, Haru watched Kai for a few long seconds before he responded.

“By the time I got there, the attack was already over. It seems most of the civilians were able to get out in time, thanks to the help of our shinobi.” He paused, gazing into the distance as if choosing his next words very carefully. “I also heard something about one of the other Sannin showing up to help.”

That piece of information was enough to finally draw Tenzou from his thoughts. “One of the other Sannin?”

Haru nodded. “So it would seem.”

All three Sannin had been notoriously absent from Konoha for many years. It was interesting that Orochimaru’s appearance led to the arrival of another.

Or it would have been, if Amaya wasn’t knocking on death’s door at their feet.

They fell quiet once more, the three men standing together, listening as the two medic-nin exchanged their findings in hushed voices. Everything was spoken in such an urgent, matter of fact way that Tenzou could conclude nothing about Amaya’s status from it.

“Hey! Are you guys okay over there?”

A boisterous voice was calling out from the trees Tenzou and Haru had appeared from just a short time ago. Prying his attention away from Amaya’s prone form, Tenzou found Gai and Kakashi rapidly approaching. 

The trademark beam on Gai’s face immediately dissipated as they got closer, their pace slowing once they realized that one of Tenzou’s team was gravely injured.

“How can we help,” Kakashi asked quietly as he drew even with Tenzou and glanced down at Amaya. 

The recognition in Kakashi’s face was immediate, and Tenzou could sense his senpai’s attention shift to him, looking closely for any sign of distress. He knew exactly who Amaya was, and how important she was to him.

“She looks really familiar,” Gai remarked to himself, cocking his head and staring hard at Amaya as he put a finger to his chin. “Have I met her before?”

Ignoring Gai entirely, Tenzou turned to face Kakashi. “Could you take this Sound shinobi in for us? The interrogation team will want her.”

“Leave it to us,” Gai interjected in a much more subdued manner than usual.

It was a small bit of relief for Tenzou to finally be able to release his jutsu and stretch his shoulder. Yet now that he was no longer occupied with doing something, he instantly felt the surge of emotions threatening to overwhelm him again.

With a conscious effort, he managed to shut it all down as effectively as flicking a lightswitch.

I guess I’m still Foundation after all…

“Can you handle this one, Gai?” Kakashi asked as Gai bound the unconscious Sound kunoichi and shouldered her like a sack of potatoes.

“Of course,” he answered, giving them a final nod of acknowledgement before heading in the direction of the Intelligence Division headquarters.

Kakashi remained at Tenzou’s side, silently providing support with his presence as the next ten or so minutes passed until one of the medic-nin finally pulled his hands away from Amaya and addressed the waiting group.

“We’ve managed to stop the bleeding and close the wound temporarily. The injuries are…” he looked at his partner, who nodded. “Severe. We need to get her into surgery immediately.”

This declaration seemed to finally pull Kai from whatever state he had been in as he responded, “Then what are we waiting for?”

He made to move forward towards Amaya once more, but stumbled instead as Haru held him back.

“What are you doing?” Kai growled, ripping his arm from Haru’s grasp.

The movement seemed too much for him, though, as he immediately reached up to the back of his head and winced, wobbling on his feet.

“ You won’t be helping anyone in this state,” Haru responded as he helped to steady the man. His tone was severe enough that it left no room for argument. 

Not that it stopped Kai from trying.

“Haru–”

“Don’t worry, we are going to the hospital too,” Haru interrupted. “You need to get that head injury looked at, after all.”

Haru’s tone was light, teasing. It was painfully obvious that he was trying to distract Kai – and perhaps himself – from the gravity of the situation.

“Fine,” Kai answered grudgingly, gaze remaining fixed on Amaya’s prone form.

At this point, the medic-nin had managed to get Amaya onto the stretcher they had brought with them and were readying for their departure.

“You may follow us, if you’d like,” the one medic offered over his shoulder as they turned towards the direction of the hospital and hurried away.

Kai and Haru wasted no time trailing after them, though as Tenzou made to join them, Kakashi grabbed his arm.

“A moment?”

Tenzou glanced at his senpai, then back to his team who were rapidly disappearing down the road.

“I wouldn’t be asking if it wasn’t important,” Kakashi added, his tone grave. “I know what she means to you.”

Did he? Because Tenzou still didn’t. Or maybe he just lacked the experience to recognize it. Regardless, what he knew for certain was that the only place he wanted to be right now was at her side.

Kakashi shoved his hands deep in his pockets.

“It’s about the Hokage.”

Tenzou stilled, brows furrowing behind his mask as he slowly turned back to his senpai.

“What about the Hokage,” he asked carefully.

Kakashi sighed deeply, his one visible eye meeting Tenzou’s waiting gaze.

“Hiruzen is dead.”

It was likely the dissociative state the Tenzou now found himself in that kept him from having any sort of reaction at all. Just like earlier, he felt nothing. Nothing at all.

Kakashi watched him carefully, concern etching his features as Tenzou remained silent for a few beats too long.

“Tenzou…”

“I have to get to the hospital.”

Unspoken was the obvious.

I have to make sure she’s still alive.

Kakashi observed him for a few seconds longer before nodding, a look of sadness and understanding passing over his features. “I’ll check on you later.”

Tenzou gave no real acknowledgment to having heard Kakashi’s words as he turned away, fully prepared to follow after his team. As he felt his senpai reluctantly depart, however, his eyes alighted on an object sitting in the dirt.

Not one object – two. The two masks, one a rendering of a bull, the other of a deer. Both were no longer the pristine white porcelain that he was used to. Instead, they each were covered with dirt, their designs muddied by spatterings and smears of blood.

Approaching the pair of forgotten masks Tenzou bent down, picking up one in each hand. He stared at them for a moment, some unidentifiable feeling passing through him as he held them side-by-side.

The masks belonging to a man… and the woman he loved.

The hospital was pure chaos. 

The scene that he walked into when he passed through the doors into Konoha Hospital reminded Tenzou of the battlefield. Well maybe not a battlefield, per se, because what he saw as he stepped inside was worse somehow. Perhaps it was because here, they had to try to bring some semblance of order to the mayhem.

As Tenzou made his way past the emergency intake area he noted that there were very few civilians to be found amongst the sea of faces. It seemed that Haru had been right – most of the civilians had been successfully evacuated before the worst of the attack had begun. It was a small relief to know that innocent bystanders had not become casualties of Orochimaru’s plot, but that didn’t mean they had come through the attack without some loss.

Weaving his way through the rows of stretchers, he noted that most of the occupants were shinobi with relatively minor injuries. Towards the back of the room, however, there were some closed doors leading to the exam rooms. From behind one, the agonized cry of a man could be heard as he begged for someone to make the pain stop.

“Excuse me,” someone called out urgently from behind him.

Moving aside, Tenzou watched as one of the harried nurses gave him a nod of appreciation and continued pushing a stretcher past him.

A stretcher containing a body covered by a sheet.

Falling into step behind the woman, he trailed them into the nearby hallway. From previous experience, he knew that the surgical wing was in this direction. Previous incidents with members of his teams during his time in ANBU had made it a not entirely unfamiliar place, and given what the medic-nin had said before they left, it was the place he expected Amaya to have been taken upon her arrival. 

Apparently, it was the same direction as the morgue.

Tenzou felt numb as he stopped at a juncture and watched the nurse and the stretcher continue down the hallway until they rounded a corner, the sound of wheels squeaking across the floor fading until they disappeared entirely. 

What is wrong with me?

The question came unbidden as he stood rooted in place, staring after the woman and her charge. Amaya was his teammate, but more importantly she was the woman he had believed himself to have been developing feelings for these past weeks. 

So why, even now, didn’t he feel anything at all?

Whatever panic he’d quashed earlier had not returned. Instead that feeling of numb dissociation persisted. 

What is wrong with me?

Turning on his heel, he proceeded down the corridor to his right.

Any normal person should be panicking right now. Grief-stricken, even. Having all of the reactions that Kai had displayed as Amaya lay bleeding out right in front of them.

As she lay there dying while Tenzou kneeled at her side and did nothing. 

“Can I help you?”

Without realizing it, Tenzou had somehow found his way to the surgical department nursing station. A stern looking woman stood behind the desk, bent at the waist as she rifled through several stacks of papers at a hurried pace. She didn’t even glance up at him as he approached.

Strangely, Tenzou found he had to clear his throat before he was able to respond. 

“A kunoichi was brought in not too long ago,” he offered. The woman hummed noncommittally without pausing in her search as he continued. “Abdominal wound. She was with two medic-nin…”

The woman’s hands abruptly halted as she finally tilted her head up to look at him.

“Ah,” she said, stern countenance softening minutely.

Shuffling the papers around once more, she procured a clipboard and dragged her forefinger down its length. She tapped it about three-quarters of the way down.

“Yes. I believe she was taken into OR three.”

“Any…” Tenzou’s voice caught in his throat again, and he was forced to clear it for a second time. “Any updates on her status?”

Glancing in the double doors that led to the OR suites, the woman shook her head.

“Nothing yet. But…” Her eyes met his again, searching. “Were you with her before she was brought in?”

Tenzou nodded, one hand moving up to the center of his chest and rubbing absently. He wasn’t certain why, but he was suddenly finding it somewhat difficult to breathe. 

Probably just a result of coming down from the adrenaline , he reasoned to himself.

“Then you know her condition is serious,” she added, tilting her head down slightly to look at him over her reading glasses. “They are doing everything they can, but her injuries were… severe.”

Tenzou nodded again and stared down the hall at the set of double metal doors.

Swallowing thickly, Tenzou asked, “Was anyone else with her when she came in?”

The nurse let out a sudden huff of exasperation and set the clipboard back down on the desk with a firm smack.

“You mean that idiot boy with the head injury?” She shot Tenzou a disapproving look. “I took one look at that boy and sent him and his friend right back out to the ER to be examined. No way I’m having him pass out and die from a brain bleed in my waiting room.”

The woman sniffed loudly and bent over the desk once more to resume her search through the mountain of paperwork.

Kai was getting the care he needed, and Haru was with him. Now, all he had to do was wait for word on Amaya’s condition.

Turning around, he stared at the multitude of empty seats in the waiting area. Two of those seats were occupied, one containing an older woman who appeared to be fast asleep. The other was occupied by a young woman, probably around Tenzou’s age. She was crying silently, a wad of tissues clutched in one of her fists. 

As Tenzou watched, the woman’s eyes lifted to meet his. His chest seemed to tighten further, prompting him to rub at it absently once again.

“Where is your restroom?” Tenzou asked the nurse, his voice sounding strained even to his own ears.

“Down this hall to your left,” the woman offered, not bothering to look up as he left.

The restroom was single occupancy. Pushing through the door, Tenzou ensured the lock was in place before tearing off his ANBU mask and gasping.

He couldn’t get enough air. It felt like someone had their hands around his throat as he desperately clawed at his chest. Why was it suddenly so hard to breathe?

What is wrong with me?

Bracing his back against the wall, he let himself slide to the ground as he continued to gasp for breath. It wasn’t until he reached a hand up to one of his cheeks and drew it back to find that his fingers were damp that he realized he was crying.

A panic attack. He was having a panic attack.

He’d seen it happen to others – but never him. Never in a million years would he have thought…

Just like that, the flood of every emotion Tenzou had managed to suppress up to now swept over him like a tidal wave. From the moment he stepped out from that treeline and spotted Amaya kneeling in the dirt… no, even before then. Every emotion and feeling he had been working to subdue and compartmentalize since their time in Kunigami suddenly hit him. 

It was too much all at once. 

For weeks he had been trying to figure out how to deal with his feelings for Amaya. For weeks he had told himself that his biggest problem was that they were teammates. For weeks he had held himself back from acting on those feelings.

And now? 

Now, none of that even mattered anymore, because it might already be too late.

Climbing to his feet, Tenzou stumbled over to the sink, saliva filling his mouth as he dry heaved once. Twice.

It took several minutes before his breathing finally began to even out, before the shaking became nothing more than a slight tremor.

Three loud knocks suddenly sounded from the other side of the door. Tenzou stilled, gaze shifting to the mirror in front of him and fixing on the door that was reflected there.

“Um, Captain?” The muffled voice of Haru called out tentatively from the other side.

A few beats of silence passed as Tenzou considered whether or not to respond. Looking back at his own reflection, he took note of the redness of his eyes and the flushed pallor of his skin. He couldn’t ever remember seeing himself like this.

There was a scuffle from outside of the door now, and some muffled voices before more knocks sounded, much louder and more insistent this time.

“We know you’re in there, the nurse at the desk told us,” Kai called out, irritation clear in his tone. “What the hell is taking you so long?”

Drawing his hand down his face, Tenzou turned away from the sink and drew in a long, steadying breath. He had to pull himself together.

As he pushed away from the sink and put his mask back on, he heard what sounded like a brief muffled argument before Kai called out once more, “Captain, if you don’t get out here I’m breaking this damned door down.”

Turning the lock, Tenzou pulled the door open to find Haru and Kai staring back at him, expressions equal parts relief and confusion.

“What the hell were you doing in there?” Kai asked, brows furrowed. “The nurse said you left for the bathroom like twenty minutes ago.”

Haru shook his head. “It doesn’t matter,” he said, throwing Kai a pointed look before turning on his heel and heading back towards the surgical waiting room. “Come on, the nurse said she’d get an update for us.”

Kai tossed Tenzou one last indecipherable look before following Haru down the hall. Trailing behind, Tenzou noted that Kai was now sporting a large bandage around his head with some extra gauze at the base of his skull. He was relieved Kai had gotten medical attention, though he silently admonished himself for not ensuring his subordinate was taken care of. Head wounds were notoriously tricky. More than one shinobi had gone to sleep after suffering what they believed to be a minor head injury only to never wake up again.

“Doesn’t look like she’s back yet,” Haru remarked, gaze searching the waiting area then lingering on the set of doors that separated them from the surgical suites.

Kai dropped unceremoniously into one of the chairs before closing his eyes and putting his head in his hands. “My head is killing me,” he groaned.

“You got off lucky,” Haru responded gravely as he took a seat next to him.

The young woman Tenzou had seen earlier was gone now, though the elderly woman still remained. She was snoring softly, unperturbed by the group of shinobi now seated nearby.

“Sit. You’re making me nervous.”

Tenzou looked at Kai. His head was still in his hands, yet Tenzou knew Kai was speaking to him. Fighting the urge to pace instead, Tenzou sat resolutely next to Kai and did his best not to watch the doors leading to the operating rooms too closely. Instead, he found his attention drawn to Kai’s leg. It was bouncing rapidly with nervous energy.

As they waited, Tenzou felt strangely numb, though it was a different numbness than he’d experienced earlier. He’d heard people say that this was a common feeling after having such a large emotional outburst, but he had never experienced it himself. All of these emotions were new territory to him, and he had no idea how to even begin processing them – or if he even wanted to.

Was this how normal people reacted when someone close to them was injured? Tenzou would never have described himself as emotionally well-adjusted. Years under the ‘care’ of people like Orochimaru and Danzou had not exactly fostered healthy emotional development. Yet, feeling all of these things felt wrong to him somehow, even if he was certain it was how normal people experienced these kinds of situations.

Tenzou had known loss, and those losses had been painful. Even during those periods in his life, he always felt he had a pretty good handle on himself – able to control his reactions and get the job done. But what had just happened to him in that bathroom was unlike anything he had ever experienced. He had felt entirely out of control and at the mercy of things he had no understanding of.

And yet, despite all that, the mantra that had been repeating in his head earlier was blissfully silent now.

All three men stood at alert when the doors suddenly swung outward and the nurse from earlier came striding out, a slight smile of reassurance softening her features. Even without hearing the news, all three of them were able to interpret that expression immediately.

Kai strode forward, unwilling to wait for her to finish her approach. “She’s okay?”

Haru and Tenzou flanked him, gazing at the woman expectantly. She eyed them all dubiously before letting out a small huff of amusement.

“Your teammate is in recovery now,” she began. Kai covered his face with both hands and let out a slow, shaky breath. “She’s not out of the woods yet, mind you, but she’s through the worst of it.”

“When can we see her?” Haru asked as he placed a reassuring hand on Kai’s back.

Another huff, albeit one of exasperation this time. “Give the girl some time to rest, will you? She doesn’t need you three boys hovering around her like a gaggle of anxious hens.”

When none of them responded, she took one look at Kai’s dispirited expression and rolled her eyes. “Visiting hours are between nine and three tomorrow. She’ll be in the surgical stepdown unit. You can visit her then.”

Without another word, she shuffled away back to the desk and paid them no further mind. Kai turned around and the three of them looked at one another.

“Well, I guess there’s nothing more we can do here,” Haru remarked, looking around and shrugging.

“Is that my mask?”

Tenzou looked down to where Kai and Amaya’s masks were hooked to one of the straps of his flak jacket. They were both filthy, stained with dirt and blood. He’d forgotten about them entirely, and he realized only now that he probably shouldn’t have been carting them all over the hospital.

Wordlessly, Tenzou unhooked Kai’s mask and offered it to him. Kai stared at it. 

“Thanks,” he said tonelessly.

Haru’s eyes moved between them for a moment before placing his hand on Kai’s back once more and gently prompting him forward. “Come on, you need some rest.” 

As if suddenly remembering something, Haru paused and looked back at Tenzou. “Will you be okay, Captain?”

It was the first time anyone on his team had ever asked him that. In fact, he wasn’t certain anyone other than Kakashi had ever asked him that question before.

Would he be okay?

“Yes,” he responded. 

Whether or not it was a lie, he wasn’t entirely sure. He wasn’t really sure of anything anymore.

Chapter Text

The day after the Chuunin Exams Tenzou found himself once again enduring the sterile confines of Konoha’s hospital as he navigated the hallways of the surgical stepdown unit. Visiting hours had officially begun an hour prior and the hallways were bustling with people coming and going, checking in on friends and family recovering from the previous day’s attacks. As Tenzou watched a rather harried male nurse scurry down the hallway with a bundle of paperwork, he found himself grateful that he didn’t have to deal with the kind of stressors healthcare providers handled on a daily basis.

Arriving at Amaya’s room, he noted that the door was slightly ajar. Unsure if it was okay for him to enter and not wanting to interrupt in case the nurse was doing their rounds, he rapped his knuckles lightly on the frame and waited.

Unexpectedly, the door opened inward to reveal Haru. The Hyuuga offered Tenzou a nod and a greeting as he moved aside to allow him to enter. Kai was standing at the window, back turned to Tenzou as he adjusted some sunflowers in a vase, but he too offered a quick greeting as he fussed over the bright blooms.

Suddenly feeling self conscious, Tenzou realized he hadn’t brought Amaya anything at all. He should have stopped at the gift shop or something. That’s what people normally did, right?

“How is she?” He asked quietly, unsure if he should speak at a normal volume or not as his gaze landed on her still form tucked beneath the covers of the hospital bed.

His focus shifted as he took quick note of the multitude of tubes and monitors that seemed to be keeping her stabilized. While he wouldn’t pretend to have any sort of in depth knowledge of medicine, he had been a frequent enough visitor with other comrades to know that if the nurses and doctors were absent from the room, the patient was considered relatively stable. A quick glance at the vital signs displayed on the monitor mounted next to Amaya’s bed confirmed that they all appeared to be within normal limits. Another good sign.

For some reason, he found himself studiously avoiding looking at her face.

“The prognosis seems good and the doctor said she’s recovering well,” Haru responded as he closed the door behind Tenzou and strode over to one of the visitors chairs. “They said they are going to start weaning her off of sedation tonight. She should be awake sometime tomorrow.”

Evidently done with whatever pruning he had been doing, Kai turned around and smiled mischievously at Amaya. “You hear that? You’ll be back to giving us hell in no time.”

There was something in Kai’s smile that was just a little off, and it took him a moment to realize that it was because that smile didn’t quite reach his eyes. If Tenzou had to venture a guess, the events of the previous day were still a bit raw for Kai. It was shockingly easy for Tenzou to empathize with that particular feeling.

Tenzou settled into one of the chairs next to Haru as Kai leaned back against the windowsill, and the three men proceeded to spend the next ten minutes or so in idle chatter. They talked about everyday things, carefully avoiding discussing anything about the attack of the previous day. It was almost as if they had come to some unspoken agreement to remain upbeat and positive while speaking in Amaya’s presence. Given he had heard some of his fellow shinobi mention that they were able to hear everything when they had been placed under sedation like this, he thought it best that they kept to light hearted topics.

“I didn’t realize you knew Kakashi Hatake, Captain,” Haru mentioned, an obvious note of curiosity in his voice.

Tenzou shrugged. It wasn’t as if his friendship with his senpai was a secret, there just hadn’t been any reason to mention it before. “Kakashi and I have known each other for years,” he explained. “We were on an ANBU team together before I was promoted to captain.”

This bit of news prompted a series of questions from Haru about some of the rumors that surrounded the infamous Copy Ninja. During this exchange, Kai had become noticeably quieter, attention fixed almost solely on Amaya’s face. A stark dichotomy to Tenzou who couldn’t seem to bring himself to gaze directly at her for fear of… what exactly? He wasn’t sure.

In fact, Tenzou had spent a good portion of the previous evening and the hours since trying to work out just what had prompted him to experience such an emotional upheaval in the hospital bathroom yesterday. Objectively, Tenzou realized that the difficulty he was having working through his feelings and this new psychological imbalance might have been helped by talking it through, but when his senpai had showed up on his balcony to check up on him later last night, he had found himself unwilling to open up about what had happened. He had brushed off his senpai’s offer to lend an ear if he needed it, and had pointedly steered the conversation into safer waters – namely an update on what had transpired with the Sound kunoichi during her interrogation. 

While Kakashi respected that his kouhai needed space and wasn’t ready to talk just yet, Tenzou knew it would only be a matter of time before his senpai found him somewhere within the village’s confines in order to extend the offer once again. Not that his senpai ever spoke to Tenzou openly about his feelings. Kakashi had a world of issues of his own to work out, and any attempts Tenzou made to have him speak openly about it was usually met with some lame excuse about urgently needing to help an old lady find her cat.

Conversation abruptly halted when the intercom came to life with a low bit of static.

“Visiting hours will end in fifteen minutes.”

The men exchanged glances. 

“Well, I guess we’ll be back tomorrow then,” Kai declared, speaking directly to Amaya again and placing his hand gently over hers. Tenzou couldn’t help his eyes from landing on where their hands were joined. 

Haru wished Amaya a good night and rapid recovery, while Tenzou also awkwardly extended his own farewell as he stared fixedly at some point on the hospital blanket. 

“Captain, do you have a second?” Kai asked as the three of them exited the room and closed the door behind them.

Haru glanced between them, expression slightly wary. Understandable, given Kai had been a bit more prickly with Tenzou up until recently. Tenzou was admittedly a bit taken aback himself, as Kai pretty well never sought Tenzou out for private conversation.

“Of course,” Tenzou answered.

Kai let out a small chuckle as Haru continued to stare at them. “It’s fine, Haru. I’ll meet up with you later, okay?”

“Uh, right. Sure,” Haru replied, brow furrowing in confusion before he bid them both farewell and made his way down the hallway towards the stairwell.

When Tenzou turned his attention back to Kai, he was surprised to find the man looking uncharacteristically uncomfortable. He seemed unwilling to meet Tenzou’s eyes, and was shifting his weight restlessly.

“Look. I just…” Kai paused, closing his eyes and drawing in a measured breath before letting it out slowly. Opening his eyes once more, he looked directly at Tenzou and said, “I wanted to thank you.”

It was not often that Tenzou was unable to rein in his facial expressions, but he could feel his surprise openly displayed on his face. Before he could respond, Kai continued.

“If you hadn’t been there yesterday…” Kai trailed off with a grimace. “If you hadn’t shown up when you did, I don’t know what would have happened to her.”

Fisting a hand into his fiery hair, he shook his head roughly. “You kept your head while I completely lost mine.”

Whatever Tenzou had guessed Kai wanted to talk to him about, it wasn’t this.

“I really don’t know what happened to me,” he continued, tension creeping into his tone as he went on. “But it was like I saw her bleeding, and that bitch standing over her, and I just–”

“You’re in love with her.”

The words spilled from Tenzou’s lips before he even had time to process the thought. Kai froze in place, staring at Tenzou with some unreadable expression as several beats passed in deafening silence.

“You know you can’t be with her, right?”

He couldn’t believe the words that were coming out of his mouth. It was as if whatever tether he’d had on his own self-control was suddenly absent, and he was saying things that he knew should never have been spoken out loud, even into the empty darkness of his room at night.

Besides, given all of the feelings he himself had been harboring for Amaya recently, did he even have a leg to stand on here? Talk about the pot calling the kettle black. He might be the biggest hypocrite of all time.

Kai visibly deflated before Tenzou’s eyes, dropping his arm to his side and letting out a sigh that sounded more resigned than disappointed.

“I know,” he finally said, sadness permeating his words. “It’s a conflict of interest. And more than that, I know how important our team is for her.”

Kai was right on both counts, and his points were very much the same ones that Tenzou himself had been internally battling with for weeks. Amaya had made it very clear to them that the team was like family to her. Not only that, but she had expressed a desire for their relationships to remain unchanged. Something like this could not only ruin the trust and friendship they’d built, but it also had the potential to destroy their team. It was clear that much like Tenzou, Kai wasn’t willing to risk that happening.

Apparently, Kai had a lot more in common with him than Tenzou ever would have guessed.

“You know, I thought you might be in love with her too,” Kai went on with a small laugh of disbelief as Tenzou felt his stomach drop. “But seeing how you reacted out there…”

Kai offered him a shrug.

“Guess I was wrong.”

Amaya stared down the enormous gift basket currently occupying the entirety of the table next to her hospital bed. It was brimming with items that seemed way more extravagant than anything she could ever see herself needing. Lotions, hair care products, chocolates and other things Amaya would never dare spend her own money on threatened to spill out of their wicker confines.

“Keisuke, this is too much,” she insisted, eyeing the mountain of items dubiously. She didn’t even know what half of these things were supposed to be used for. What in god's name was a microneedle roller supposed to be? The thing looked like some kind of medieval torture device.

Keisuke scoffed, placing a palm to his chest in mock affront. “Nonsense. Frankly, these are the bare essentials. It’s time you embraced self care a little bit more.” Pausing, he considered her a bit more closely before proceeding in a much more somber tone. “And you know I’m always going to be honest with you…”

Great. Here it comes.

“You look like you could use it,” he continued, scrunching his nose.

“I’m in the hospital, Keisuke,” Amaya deadpanned.

Keisuke sniffed. “That’s no excuse to be any less fabulous,” he declared with a roguish wink.

His all too familiar laugh rang out, somehow seeming to brighten the dullness of the hospital room. Keisuke had always had that way about him. Something about his energy seemed to lighten the mood and lift her spirits, even in less than ideal circumstances.

“Just be grateful this is the only thing I brought with me,” he replied nonchalantly, giving her a sly smile. “I could have brought your parents along too.”

Just like that, Amaya felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over her. 

“Please tell me they don’t know,” she implored.

Keisuke let out an indelicate snort and paced over to the windowsill, inspecting the bouquet of sunflowers that had been placed there. 

“Your secret is safe with me,” he offered in reassurance, cocking his head and then lifting a brow at her in question. “These are pretty.”

Amaya nodded, looking at the flowers thoughtfully. When she had finally managed to wrest herself from the clinging grogginess of sedation yesterday evening, that bright bouquet had been the first thing she had seen. The cheeriness of those flowers had felt so out of place in this somber room of neutral tones and antiseptic scents that she had found herself sort of fixated on them as her brain tried to process what had happened to her and how she had ended up in the hospital. 

It was only once the nurse bustled in sometime later that Amaya had gained some clarity about the circumstances leading up to her recovery. The woman was older, with a face that looked like she had seen much in her lifetime but thrived nonetheless. Smiles came easy to her, and it did not take long to see that she was a natural caregiver. Something about her demeanor was comforting, instantly setting Amaya at ease.

The nurse had introduced herself as Kana and had instantly busied herself with checking Amaya’s vitals, adjusting her fluids, and ensuring the bandage covering the surgical site on her abdomen was dry and intact. Throughout the entire process, she explained to Amaya everything that had happened since her arrival at the hospital. It was only then that Amaya realized there must be a gap in her memory, as the last thing she remembered was Handa walking towards her. Even that bit was hazy and felt more dreamlike than anything.

“Those are lovely, aren’t they?” The woman had remarked.

Without realizing it, Amaya had been staring at those sunflowers again. Kana had evidently noticed, and had moved over to check that they had enough water before rearranging them until she was satisfied.

“That handsome redhead brought them for you,” she had added, giving Amaya a knowing smile.

A sudden image of Kai stumbling towards her, calling her name and desperately reaching in her direction had come to her then. The image had been unsettling enough that Kana had stopped what she was doing to ask if Amaya was in any pain.

“Are you even listening to me?”

Amaya stiffened, realizing that she’d been so wrapped up in her recollection that she’d zoned out entirely while Keisuke was speaking to her.

“I’m going to choose to pretend that it’s the lingering effects of sedation and not that you find my company so dull that you’ve forgotten I’m even here,” Keisuke said pointedly, tossing her a glare with no real heat behind it.

“Sorry, Keisuke.” She rubbed her forehead and tried to shake the persistent grogginess away. “I think I’m a bit out of it still.”

The feigned look of offense immediately dropped from Keisuke’s features to be replaced by a grave expression that was much less familiar. Seating himself gently at her side, Keisuke placed her hand in his and met her eyes. 

Ah, so this was going to be a serious conversation then. 

“Amaya–”

“Keisuke,” she interrupted, shaking her head. “I already know what you are going to say. Seriously, it’s not that big of a deal. This happens to shinobi all the time.”

He frowned, entire body going stiff. She knew that look, it was the same one he got when he was ramping up for a fight. “That’s exactly the point.”

Only the beeping of the monitors next to her bed could be heard as they both fell silent and watched each other carefully.

Keisuke let out a long, drawn out sigh. “Look. I love you, Amaya. You are my best friend and the sister I never had. You almost dying? That is a huge deal.”

His hand wrapped around hers, squeezing gently but firmly.

“You know I never loved the idea of you becoming a shinobi,” Keisuke continued, gaze finally shifting to look out the window at the cloudless sky. It was a beautiful day outside – the sun shining and birdsong filling the air – such a strange contrast to the seriousness of the conversation they were having. “But I supported you because it was your passion.”

Amaya kept silent, watching as a mixture of pain and sadness marred Keisuke’s features. “I supported you and watched you through all of these years. I was by your side for every triumph, every loss… I’ve seen you go through so much .”

“Keisuke…”

“I did my best to support you through all of it. But this…” He paused, turning his head to look at her directly once more. Tears were in his eyes now, threatening to spill over at any moment. The sight of it was like a punch to the gut. 

Keisuke never cried. Ever.

“Are you even happy?”

The question came out as a whisper, so low she might have missed it had she not been clinging to every word he spoke. It felt as if the very air was stolen from her, and she stared at him in mute shock.

Keisuke had been with her through everything. He’d been her pillar of support through all of her hardships, which had admittedly been many. She knew she had burdened him throughout the years, but it had never occurred to her how much it might hurt him to see her endure the things she had as a shinobi.

When she failed to respond, he sighed and offered her a small, sad smile. “I’m not saying you should quit. All I’m asking is for you to take a step back for a second and decide if this is the life you truly want for yourself.”

There was a strange buzzing sound filling her head now, similar to static from the television. Everything Keisuke was saying was hitting a little too close to home for her right now. He would have no way of knowing that she had already been asking herself this same thing recently. And while she still had not quite worked out what her questioning her current path in life might mean to her, there was something even more important for her to address.

“I’m so sorry,” she told him, voice cracking with the multitude of emotions that threatened to spill overat any moment. 

Everything he had said, all that pain and hurt was right in front of her, completely raw and unmasked on her best friend’s face. She had done this to him, hurt him repeatedly over the years, and she hadn’t even noticed.

“Keisuke, I’m so sorry .”

Ignoring the pain in her midsection, she leaned forward to pull him into an embrace. His tears were flowing openly now, and he buried his face into her neck with a soft sob as they wrapped their arms around each other. The pain in her gut where she could feel the pull of her sutures was nothing compared to the immense guilt that sat like a boulder in the pit of her stomach.

They stayed like that until Keisuke’s tears subsided. When he finally pulled away, she offered him a tissue from the box on the nightstand next to her. Once he’d managed to pull himself together, he gave her a rueful smile.

“I don’t let just anyone make me cry, you know,” he remarked with a halfhearted chuckle.

She smiled at him, reaching out to brush some of his hair out of his eyes. “I know.”

“Just promise me you’ll think about what I said?” He pleaded, expression darkening once more.

Unspoken were the words that Amaya knew her friend was trying to say. Even if he survived the loss of Amaya, he would be forever changed by the experience. It was something shinobi often failed to consider – that by putting their lives in danger they are often hurting the ones they love.

Reaching out, she placed a hand on his cheek and swept away the tear that had begun to cut a path downward. 

“I promise.”

Three light knocks sounded from the open doorway, and Amaya looked over to find Tenzou standing there. Something in her gut clenched uncomfortably as a strange mixture of anxiety and happiness roiled together confoundingly within her head.

“Oh, uh… sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt.”

Only then did Amaya realize her hand still rested on Keisuke’s cheek. She let her arm drop, feeling a very unwelcome heat in her cheeks as she did so. 

“Well, this is awkward!” Keisuke offered brightly as he hopped up from the bed and grinned. All traces of sadness had been wiped away in an instant as he masked his emotions as effectively as any shinobi. Only a hint of redness remained behind as evidence of the tears he had shed minutes ago. “Please, come in!”

As Keisuke gestured welcomingly to Tenzou, he turned his head to give Amaya a significant look.

“No, really. I can come back–”

“Nonsense!” Keisuke interrupted, moving forward and offering Tenzou a hand in introduction. “I’m Keisuke. And you are?”

Tenzou shook Keisuke’s hand, smiling awkwardly in return. The slightly panicked look in his eyes was kind of adorable, and Amaya found herself having to smother a smile behind her hand as he replied, “Tenzou.”

“Nice to meet you, Tenzou,” Keisuke replied. It was then that Amaya noticed Keisuke was watching her captain with a very discerning eye. 

Uh oh.

“You have very striking eyes,” he remarked even as Amaya spotted the proverbial light bulb illuminating above Keisuke’s head. 

A sly grin crept at the edges of his mouth as he looked back at Amaya. Yep, he recognized Tenzou from the bar, and he absolutely remembered Amaya watching him. She just knew she’d be hearing about this later.

Well, the blade to her stomach might not have ended her, but the emotional whiplash of this day just might.

Finding Amaya awake and looking almost like her old self already was a huge relief to Tenzou. Her complexion was back to normal, and while he could tell she was moving carefully to prevent exacerbating her wound too much, she seemed mostly comfortable. 

The relief he felt was dampened, however, the moment he recognized the man seated on the bed with her. It was the very same man he had seen with Amaya at the bar that day. 

Although he was loath to admit it, the stranger was even more handsome up close. His eyes in particular were a startling shade of blue-green that made Tenzou feel oddly self-conscious about his own. That feeling was only amplified when the man who introduced himself as Keisuke proceeded to describe Tenzou’s eyes as ‘striking’.

As seemed to be happening more and more frequently of late, Tenzou found himself experiencing a strange jumble of emotions warring within him. Concern for Amaya’s well being, jealousy at walking in on her having an intimate moment with this man, and now confusion about the man’s… compliment? Had that been a compliment? Tenzou wasn’t quite sure.

“Uh, thank you?” Tenzou replied clumsily. What he wouldn’t give to find his bearings again.

The man grinned at him, something slightly mischievous in his expression now. “And how do you know Amaya?”

Tenzou glanced over to Amaya again as his discomfort grew. The way Keisuke was looking at him reminded him strangely of the look the interrogation specialists wore when they were trying to gain information from someone.

“Leave him alone, Keisuke,” Amaya interjected, the slightest hint of exasperation coloring her tone. “We know each other from work.”

Keisuke’s lips quirked as he turned his attention back to Amaya. “That’s funny. I got the impression you didn’t know him.”

What a strange thing to say. Brows furrowing, Tenzou glanced between them, trying to discern the meaning behind those words. He was definitely missing some sort of context here, and that uncomfortable feeling was amplified even further as the words hung in the air, a strange sort of tension accompanying them. 

Amaya stiffened, lips forming a thin line. Tenzou had seen that look before, and it wasn’t one he was keen to have directed his way. Besides, she should be resting, not getting worked up.

“Really, I’ll just come back later,” he offered, slowly backing himself towards the door. 

Clearly something was going on between these two, and he was missing some crucial piece of information. Regardless of what was actually going on, removing himself from the awkwardness of the situation suddenly became his top priority. Tenzou would rarely call himself a coward, but in this situation, he had no qualms about making himself scarce.

“Stop,” Amaya demanded, her steely tone bringing Tenzou’s retreat to an immediate halt as both men looked at her with raised brows. 

Amaya narrowed her eyes at the man standing between them. 

“Thank you for coming to see me, Keisuke, and for the lovely gift basket. I’m sure I’ll be able to find use for…” She paused, glancing over to a large wicker basket that was positively overflowing with gifts and treats.  “A few of these things.”

A beat passed before Keisuke let out a genuine laugh. The contrast of that laugh against the tenseness of the moment prior startled Tenzou, and he stared at the man in mute surprise. The disorientation he was experiencing as a result of these very confusing interactions was beginning to make him question if he understood anything about people at all.

A small answering laugh from Amaya drew his attention then, and he saw her smiling at the man, a softness in her gaze that Tenzou found himself wishing was directed at him instead.

“You’re welcome.” Keisuke finally said once his laughter had subsided. 

When he turned back to look at Tenzou there was warmth in Keisuke’s expression, the shift managing to take Tenzou by surprise yet again.

“Take care of my girl, okay?” Keisuke implored, tossing him a roguish wink before waving a hand Amaya’s way and offering her a quick farewell.

A few seconds passed in heavy silence after Keisuke’s form disappeared from the room.

My girl.

The words echoed in Tenzou’s head. He must have been right – that man must be Amaya’s… boyfriend?

The jealousy that he had experienced that night at the bar had returned now as a low buzz, accompanied by a strange feeling of disappointment. But why should he be disappointed?

“I’m sorry about him.” Amaya shifted on the bed with a sigh and a slight wince as she braced her midsection before easing back against the headboard. She gestured to one of the empty chairs nearby. “He can be a lot.”

Tenzou hesitated only briefly before moving closer and taking a seat. The discomfort was still palpable, despite Keisuke’s departure.

“So, are you and Keisuke…?”

He let the question linger, unsure of how to ask without seeming like he was prying. It really wasn’t his business as her superior who Keisuke was to her. And yet, his curiosity was getting the better of him. Curiosity, and perhaps something else.

Amaya raised her eyebrows at him in question. 

“Are we…?” She cocked her head to the side, scanning his face for a moment until a look of comprehension dawned there. “ Oh .”

The burst of laughter that Amaya let out then was completely unexpected, although the movement immediately caused her to gasp in pain and clutch her side once more. 

Without realizing it, Tenzou was on his feet, anxiously hovering at her side as she grimaced and took measured breaths through pursed lips. “Do you need me to call the nurse?”

She waved him off, shaking her head and holding up a finger to indicate she just needed a moment. Hesitantly, he sat back down and waited for the pain to subside. 

“Sorry about that,” she finally managed, letting out a measured breath as the worst of it seemed to pass. “I keep forgetting that things like laughing, sneezing and coughing are all going to be problematic for a bit.”

Offering him a rueful smile, she shook her head. “But to answer your question, no. Keisuke and I aren’t a couple, if that’s what you were getting at.”

The sense of relief Tenzou felt at that declaration was something he had to work hard to prevent from showing on his face. 

“Keisuke and I grew up together,” Amaya explained, focus shifting to the gift her friend had left her. “We’ve been best friends since we were children.”

“So you two never dated?”

Just like his conversation with Kai the previous day, the words left his mouth before he could think better of it. 

His regret was immediate. Why was he having so much trouble controlling himself?

Amaya watched him carefully. “If I didn’t know any better, Captain,” she began teasingly. “I would say you were jealous.”

It was only years of experience and probably largely due to his time in the Foundation that Tenzou was able to remain perfectly impassive at the insinuation. 

Doing his best to emulate his senpai, he gave her a shrug of supreme nonchalance. 

“Just curious.”

Her eyes searched his for a few long seconds, and he wondered if he’d done a good enough job of covering for himself. When she finally offered a shrug in return, he thought he might have succeeded.

“Keisuke is not interested in women,” she explained, expression turning thoughtful. “Which reminds me, I’ve been wanting to introduce him to Haru, I think they’d get along.” She sat up a little straighter, brows pinching in concern. “Speaking of, have you seen Kai and Haru? Are they okay?”

There was a small sense of relief at having dodged her suspicions, but the mention of their teammates dredged up the memory of his interaction with Kai the previous day. He still wasn’t sure what had prompted him to blurt out the things he had, and he hadn’t really processed the entire exchange either. At this point, he figured he would just add it to another metaphorical box to be shoved aside and maybe opened and explored at a later date. 

Though, at the rate Tenzou was going, he would have enough of these ‘boxes’ to fill a warehouse if he didn’t start unpacking and working through his issues soon. Then again, his senpai had managed to skirt doing just that for years. 

Was it healthy? No. 

Was it an option? Perhaps.

“They haven’t dropped by yet?” Tenzou asked, surprised that the other two hadn’t already made an appearance. He’d figured Kai would have been here the moment visiting hours had begun, though he did wonder if the conversation they’d had might have quashed some of that eagerness.

You know you can’t be with her, right?

Tenzou grimaced inwardly at the words he’d spoken so bluntly. Honestly, he should be grateful that Kai hadn’t become suspicious of Tenzou’s feelings just from that comment alone.

“No, they haven’t,” Amaya said, attention drifting as she plucked absently at the edge of her blanket. “Though I imagine everyone is really busy, given everything that happened.”

She wasn’t wrong there. Despite their team being down one person, they had been tasked with night guard duty at one of the damaged portions of Konoha’s barrier wall for the next week at a minimum. It was an all hands on deck scenario, and the chaos was only amplified now that their village was without its Hokage.

That was a bit of news that Tenzou was reluctant to share, but evidently he needn’t have worried.

“I heard about the Sandaime,” she added softly, a frown marring her features.

He could see it there, in her face — the guilt. It was something he understood all too well, this belief that they should have done more, that they could have done something to prevent it. Guilt that was unfounded, because the reality was that even those who had been right there had been forced to watch it happen, and couldn’t do a damned thing about it.

Tenzou remained silent, unsure what to say. Platitudes were empty things that shinobi usually steered away from, and she knew as well as he did that telling her that it wasn’t her fault would do nothing to assuage that feeling of culpability.

“What happened to her?”

It took Tenzou a moment to realize who she was referring to. That Sound shinobi, the one called Handa. 

“Interrogation has managed to get very little useful information from her,” he said, relaying what Kakashi had told him. “It looks like Orochimaru wasn’t keen on revealing his true plans to anyone outside of his trusted circle.”

Much like Tenzou, Amaya seemed unsurprised by this development. 

“I see.”

They both fell silent as a heaviness permeated the air. So much had happened in the past three days, and Amaya was only learning about most of these things after the fact. Given she’d only just awoken from anesthesia, she probably had a lot of her own processing to do. 

As if she could hear his thoughts, she said, “It’s like waking up and the whole world has changed.”

Meeting his eyes, she smiled sadly. “I don’t remember it, you know? Most of what happened after…” she gestured vaguely at her abdomen. “Most of it’s a blur, flashes of what I think are memories but I can’t be sure.”

Tenzou nodded in understanding. While his own body had the capability of healing itself, he was aware that the brain had a way of protecting itself when the body had sustained a severe injury. It was a pretty common thing to hear from their fellow shinobi.

“I think I remember him running toward me,” she continued, voice strained. “Kai, I mean. I think I was thinking that I didn’t want him to have to watch me die.”

Her voice cracked and she fell silent once more. Tenzou clenched his jaw, recalling that very scene from his own perspective. It occurred to him then that Amaya didn’t even realize he and Haru had been there, and most likely had no idea what had transpired between then and her arrival at the hospital. He wondered if he should tell her, but figured if she wanted to know, she would ask.

“I think he’s in love with me.”

Tenzou went utterly still, his train of thought coming to a screeching halt at her words. 

“I didn’t realize it until that moment – why he had been acting so strange recently.” 

Her gaze dropped once more and she resumed worrying at the edge of the blanket. For his part, Tenzou was frozen, unsure of how to respond. Instead, his mind raced with questions. How exactly had Kai been acting around her? Had Tenzou been acting the same way? But most importantly…

Did Amaya return Kai’s feelings?

The silence was deafening.

“Everything’s different now, isn’t it,” she whispered.

Tenzou watched her closely, knowing that those words were more true than she could possibly know.

“Yes,” he finally responded, a feeling of overwhelming uncertainty welling up within him even as he spoke. “Yes, it is.”

Chapter Text

The cerulean afternoon sky was bright and clear, only a few puffy cumulus clouds floating lazily past as if they had nowhere in particular to be. Birdsong filled the air, their notes carried on the light breeze that hinted at cooler days to come. Anyone who might have happened upon this place would think that all seemed at peace with the world here. That is, until a huge explosion of mud and dirt tore through the treeline, scattering the birds and effectively disrupting the relative serenity.

Amaya rolled onto her back with an audible groan, staring up at the aforementioned sky while contemplating the multitude of life choices that had led her to this moment.

“You guys are trying to kill me,” she stated bluntly.

Kai’s laugh echoed across from the tree line nearby as Haru came to a halt at her side, his figure blotting out the sun and casting her in shadow.

“Are you okay?” He asked, offering her a hand to assist her back up. 

She ignored it.

“If I had known how hard recovery was going to be…” she trailed off, letting the rest of the comment linger.

Kai moved into view on her other side. 

“If you had known… then what?” Kai asked, not a single hint of pity in his tone. He crossed his arms over his chest. “You would have quit?”

Amaya let out a long, steady exhale. “Retirement is looking pretty great from where I’m lying,” she retorted, her response made only half in jest.

If she was being completely honest, ‘retirement’ had not been the words she had failed to speak aloud. Her morbid sense of humor was threatening to out itself, and what she had really wanted to say was that she would have just let Handa finish the job. But after everything that had happened with Kai, the realization she’d had about his true feelings for her, she knew she couldn’t do that to him – speak those words aloud. Not even as a joke.

As her attention shifted to him, her stomach knotted uncomfortably. He had been acting so normal around her since her injury – almost too normal, if there was such a thing. Amaya couldn’t be certain, but she thought that maybe Kai was trying his best to act as if nothing whatsoever had changed between them, but in doing so it made everything feel just slightly… off.

“Do you need to call it for today?” Haru asked, kneeling by her side and feeling for the pulse at her wrist. His byakugan was active, and she knew that he was assessing her chakra pathways for any disruptions.

Amaya sighed, closing her eyes in defeat. She knew that physically she was just fine. A little out of shape, certainly, but that wasn’t her problem here.

While Kai had been doing his best to maintain some sense of forced normalcy, Haru had taken it upon himself to fill the role of sympathetic caretaker. Unasked, mind you. Amaya would have been perfectly content to take care of herself, thank you very much, but much to her chagrin her discharge nurse had strongly suggested she have someone mind her physical wellbeing throughout her recovery. 

Her entire team had been present for this declaration, though Tenzou and Kai had remained determinedly silent when the nurse had given them all a significant look following her recommendation. Haru had eagerly volunteered himself for the task, to which the other two men had appeared strangely relieved in Amaya’s opinion. She hadn’t been sure whether to be offended by that or not, but she’d gotten over it relatively quickly once Haru had started worrying over her like a mother hen.

At first it had been nice to have someone around to help her when she wasn’t able to move around much on her own. Haru had been extremely attentive, helping her with cleaning and laundry, even cooking for her when Keisuke was too busy to drop by himself. 

She would never be able to repay Haru for his kindness, and she truly was grateful for it, but she was now at the point where she was physically back to baseline and could mind herself. The attention that had been somewhat necessary before now just felt stifling.

“Your heart rate is a little higher than it should be,” Haru finally declared, deactivating his byakugan and giving her a look of concern. “Are you sure you are okay? You look a little pale.”

Kai groaned loudly and rolled his eyes. “Seriously, Haru? She’s not a fragile piece of china, she’s just out of shape.”

Sitting up, Amaya shot Kai a quick look of gratitude before offering Haru a small shrug. “He’s right. I’ve been mostly bedridden for weeks, it’s natural that I’m going to struggle a bit.”

“What you need to be doing is getting up and running every morning,” Kai declared. “You’ll get your endurance back much faster if you add more consistent cardio to your daily routine.”

While Amaya knew Kai was right, she also hated running with a burning passion. It had always been her least favorite method of endurance training, though she knew it would also be a more efficient way for her to get back into shape rather than the sporadic training she was doing now. 

“I’ve never seen you run a day in your life, Kai,” Haru remarked as he and Amaya collectively got to their feet.

Kai huffed. “Course not, don’t need to. I’ve never been out of shape a day in my life.”

The sudden urge to punch Kai in the throat came over Amaya then. Smug bastard.

“Do you guys want to come over for dinner?” she asked in an attempt to change the subject, and also help quell her murderous thoughts. “Keisuke’s cooking again.”

“I’ve got plans,” Kai answered abruptly. It was such a rapid, dismissive response that Amaya felt her eyebrows climb towards her hairline.

When she turned to look at Haru, she saw the questioning look he was giving Kai as well as he too said, “I can’t either. Clan meeting.”

Not too bothered by their refusals, Amaya shrugged. “Well, I’ll be heading back then. Same time tomorrow?”

Both men nodded in confirmation before the group exchanged goodbyes, each setting off in different directions. When she was just out of earshot, she swore she heard Kai call back to her about not forgetting to start her daily running ritual tomorrow morning. 

Yeah, she would just pretend she’d never heard that.

“You know, I mean this in the most loving way possible, but you are kind of terrible at this, darling,” Keisuke said as he gently pried the peeler from Amaya’s hands and guided her out of the kitchen to one of the two barstools on the other side of the counter.

Sitting down heavily, Amaya stared despondently at the now abandoned cutting board and the horrific amalgamation upon it.

“How can I be terrible at peeling potatoes?” she asked, more of a rhetorical question than one she expected a real response to.

“I’m asking myself the same thing,” Keisuke said, staring in unmitigated horror at the strange pile of barely recognizable vegetables. “I wouldn’t believe this if I hadn’t witnessed it for myself, to be honest.”

Amaya shifted, glancing at the pot on the stove that was beginning to boil. “I can at least help with the rice,” she suggested, moving to get up once more.

“No!”

Keisuke had both hands up in a halting gesture, looking mildly horrified at her suggestion before he carefully schooled his features into a softer expression.

“I mean, no need,” he amended gently as he stifled a noise that was some mixture of disbelief and amusement. “I’ll handle this. You just… relax.”

Keisuke turned his back to her and resumed his ministrations as Amaya sagged further into her seat. She’d always suspected she had very little talent in the kitchen, but she’d had no idea her cooking skills were this tragic. Based on this little demonstration of hers tonight, she was pretty certain Keisuke wouldn’t let her near any kitchen ever again.

“So, how’s training been going?” Keisuke asked as he started working on chopping some fresh herbs – another task that had initially been entrusted to Amaya. His skill with a knife was honestly commendable, and despite her own skills with a blade, she was certain she didn’t have the fine motor skills necessary to perform the precise cutting and dicing motions that Keisuke was managing. Watching him was like watching a dancer, so fluid were his movements. 

Rubbing at a small stain on the formica countertop, Amaya shrugged noncommittally at Keisuke’s back. 

“It’s taking me a lot longer to get my endurance back than I thought,” she answered honestly. “I’m not as young as I used to be.”

Keisuke let out a snort of disbelief. “You are barely into your twenties, Amaya,” he declared, taking a moment to brandish a knife threateningly in her direction before resuming his work. “You are still young.”

“Not in shinobi terms, I’m not,” Amaya retorted, lips thinning. 

It wasn’t just the physical ramifications of active shinobi duty that had a tendency to age those who chose this path. The strain and multitude of injuries accumulated throughout the years of active duty coupled with the extreme circumstances they often had to place themselves in had very real implications on the aging process of many who chose this life. And while these were very real factors that impacted the lifespan of the average shinobi, the fact of the matter was that many shinobi did not even live past a certain age. Up until very recently, war had been rampant between the different shinobi nations. Countless numbers had lost their lives during those years, futures abruptly cut short on some nameless battlefield with nothing but their memories left behind to remember them by. In fact, less than two-thirds of Amaya’s original Academy class was still alive, and even fewer of those still walked the path of the shinobi, either through their own volition or due to career ending injury. 

“If you could choose any profession, regardless of whether or not you have the skill, what would you choose?”

The non sequitur caught Amaya momentarily off guard. She wasn’t certain if it was an attempt on Keisuke’s part to change the subject, or if he was fishing for something else.

“Huh. I guess I’ve never really given it any thought,” she answered truthfully. 

While she’d certainly entertained thoughts about a less demanding career, she’d only ever contemplated it in the vaguest of terms. Never had she given serious thought to what kind of job she would actually have a vested interest in.

“I know you said regardless of skill,” Amaya finally answered. “But I think I can safely say cooking and I aren’t a match.”

Keisuke’s warm chuckle filled the air, intermingling pleasantly with the scent of pungent herbs and spices. After placing the unfortunate vegetables he was able to rescue into the pot of curry he was preparing, he turned back around to face her.

“That’s too bad,” he stated as he moved to the sink to wash his hands. “I was going to offer you a job at the restaurant. We could use the help.”

There was a note of sincerity in his tone, and Amaya realized that Keisuke wasn’t just tossing out vagaries for the sake of it. This was a targeted conversation – a roundabout way of asking if she had given further thought to what he’d said to her when he’d visited her at the hospital. He hadn’t brought it up since then, and while Amaya knew it would come back around eventually, she hadn’t been quite prepared for it this soon.

“Keisuke…”

He patted his hands dry on the dish towel before leveling her with a weighty look. “I think you should seriously consider it, Amaya.”

“I think we both know a restaurant job isn’t for me,” she hedged, deliberately playing obtuse to the real conversation Keisuke was trying to initiate.

Keisuke pursed his lips. “This job is going to kill you.”

Well, it was hard to argue with that statement given the statistics and the fact that she was in ANBU.

“It’s not just a job,” she responded instead, willfully ignoring the actual point.

Keisuke remained silent for a few long seconds before releasing a drawn out sigh.

“That’s the thing, Amaya,” he finally said quietly. “It is just a job.”

She could see his jaw tensing and relaxing, and she realized that despite his outwardly calm demeanor, Keisuke was actually battling to keep his anger in check.

“And what are you getting from it?” he continued, voice tight. “Your depression is worse than ever, don’t even try to deny it,” he added as she opened her mouth to object. “Just because you didn’t call me last time doesn’t mean I don’t know. Haru told me.”

Snapping her mouth shut, Amaya fought back the surprise she felt at that bit of news. When had he and Haru had that conversation about her? As far as she knew they’d only ever interacted when they’d both been in her apartment helping her during her recovery. Had they been meeting up just to talk about her behind her back?

Keisuke’s expression morphed into a more sympathetic look. “He also told me about that kunoichi you were seeing a while back, about what happened to the man she was with.”

Amaya stood so abruptly from the barstool that it toppled over.

“None of this is your business, Keisuke. And frankly, it’s not Haru’s business either,” she shot back angrily.

Ignoring her objections, Keisuke continued as he moved out of the kitchen to face her directly. “You are watching the people around you die, or fall apart because the people they care about are dying.”

Breath hitching, Amaya suddenly found herself having to fight back angry tears. She felt like she was being personally attacked, frustration and anger warring within her at the unexpected onslaught. Keisuke reached for her hands then, but she ripped them away and stepped back. 

“You have no idea what you’re talking about,” she hissed as she fought to keep the tears from spilling over. 

The betrayal she was feeling in this moment was overwhelming. Logical? Perhaps not. But it didn’t prevent the feelings from welling up and threatening to consume her nonetheless. She’d had arguments with Keisuke in the past, certainly. It was bound to happen when you were as close as they were for so long. But never in their history together had Keisuke gone to someone else about her – someone else she trusted. 

Why was he suddenly so hell bent on interfering in her life? And why was Haru giving him the ammunition to do it?

“Amaya, you almost died . For your job .” Keisuke tried to close the distance between them again, but she simply matched each step with one retreating step of her own. He halted and shook his head. “Because that’s what it is – just a job. A job that you’ve made your whole life…” 

He paused, eyes searching hers, expression inscrutable. 

“And it’s slowly killing you.”

For a split second it felt as if Keisuke had physically punched her in the gut. But then, just as suddenly, she felt nothing at all. Her mind was wiped clean, nothing but a strange buzzing noise filling her head.

“Get out,” she whispered.

“Amaya, please…”

“ Get. Out. ”

She stared directly into his eyes, her face as cool and impassive as stone.

Keisuke shifted on his feet, mouth opening and closing as he fought some sort of internal battle with himself. Finally he found stillness once more, and his expression shifted into one of resignation and deep sadness.

Silently, he gathered his keys and his shoes, only pausing once he was halfway out of the door.

“I love you, Amaya,” he told her as he stepped past the threshold and shut the door quietly behind him.

Amaya wasn’t sure how long she stood there, but by the time she made her way into the kitchen to turn off the burner on the stove, the rice was well and truly ruined. Not that it mattered much. She wasn’t hungry anymore anyway.

“I’ve never even heard of this woman,” Kai griped as the four members of Tenzou’s team gathered once again in the auditorium with their fellow ANBU. “Why is she being brought in as Hokage?”

Haru snorted and shook his head. “How have you never heard of Tsunade Senju? She’s the granddaughter of the First Hokage and one of the Legendary Sannin.”

“So? None of them have lived here for years,” Kai retorted with a shrug of supreme indifference. “Besides, didn’t one of them just try to destroy our village?”

Tenzou sighed quietly to himself and stared up at the podium. He was loath to admit it, but Kai did make a fair point. As far as he knew, Tsunade had not lived in Konoha for almost twenty years. He’d certainly never met her, and had really only heard rumors about her prior to now. While it seemed her skills were highly respected, there were some other bits of gossip that were significantly less flattering.

“I heard she has a gambling problem,” Kai said flatly. “And drinks like a fish.”

Well, it seemed that those rumors had made their rounds fairly quickly. 

“That’s just baseless gossip,” Haru declared, ever the optimist. “Besides, as long as she’s a good Hokage, it shouldn’t matter what she does in her spare time.”

Tenzou wasn’t so sure about that, considering the role of Hokage basically inferred that one was not afforded spare time. The Hokage existed to serve the village, and that was a job that offered virtually no downtime.

Regardless of the qualifications of their new Hokage, it would be nice to finally have some stability after the barely organized chaos that followed the Sandaime’s death. Tenzou had been admittedly nervous about the outcome of the vote for their next Hokage. He was all too aware that Danzou coveted the position for himself, and was certain the man had been making moves to try to obtain the title after Hiruzen’s death. And while Tenzou knew Danzou was a strong and capable shinobi, he didn’t think that Danzou’s ideals would translate well for the betterment of Konoha.

“What do you think, Amaya?” Kai asked, the forced casualness uncomfortably obvious even to Tenzou.

Tenzou was hoping that Kai’s question might actually elicit some sort of response from Amaya. She had been strangely quiet since her arrival, and based on the looks Kai and Haru kept throwing her way, he thought that she might have been behaving this way for at least some time now. Which was strange, because as far as he knew they had all been training together to help Amaya get back up to speed in preparation for their next mission, whenever that came. Based on her rather cool demeanor, however, Tenzou wondered if something hadn’t happened to put a halt to all that.

“It’s not like my opinion matters much,” she responded frostily, and Tenzou felt his eyebrows creeping toward his hairline. 

Something was definitely up and it wasn’t good.

Before he had the opportunity to try to dig into what was going on with his team, a hush came over the room, the silence filled only by the clicking of heeled shoes traversing the wooden platform. 

Tsunade Senju strode confidently across the stage, head held high. Her appearance elicited some confused murmurs from the crowd, as she looked to be much younger than someone her age should have. Of course, there had been rumors about that too. Whispers about some seal that allowed her to store her chakra, helping her to maintain a youthful appearance despite her more advanced years. 

The expression on their new Hokage’s face coupled with the way she carried herself made it clear that she meant business, and Tenzou found himself glad that such a strong-willed person would be taking on the mantle of Hokage. Given Danzou’s penchant for underhanded schemes and tactics, it would take someone with some backbone to withstand his machinations. Without her even speaking a word, Tenzou was confident that Tsunade would be more than up to the task.

Upon reaching the center of the stage, Tsunade planted both hands on each side of the podium and leveled them all with a somber stare.

“I am Tsunade Senju, your new Hokage,” she stated without preamble. Her voice carried well, loud and authoritative, conviction infusing every word. “I will meet with each team in the coming week. You will receive your assignments then.”

Her gaze scanned the gathered shinobi, taking stock of the ranks and nodding in approval – of what, Tenzou couldn’t be certain.

“In the meantime, please continue aiding the village as you have been. Thank you for your patience, and I look forward to working with each of you.”

With a curt nod of dismissal, she turned away from the podium and strode off the stage with the same determined gait with which she had entered. The entire address had been quick and perfunctory, and was met with varying levels of astonishment from the crowd.

“Huh,” Kai said, crossing his arms across his chest and cocking his head in consideration. “You know what? I like her.”

If the chatter from their fellow ANBU were any indication, it seemed most were in agreement. Many were expressing admiration for their new Hokage’s efficient and straightforward manner. There were also some who seemed glad to finally see a kunoichi taking on the title as well, something that Tenzou agreed was long overdue and a good sign that Konoha was indeed moving in the right direction.

“She certainly has some assets, doesn’t she?” Kai remarked with a light chuckle.

Haru frowned at him. “Don’t be gross.”

It was only then that Tenzou noticed Amaya had turned her back to them and was retreating through the crowd without a single word.

“Shit,” Kai muttered, crestfallen expression immediately giving away his regret. “I shouldn’t have said that.”

“No kidding,” Haru retorted, gaze fixed to her form as she finally disappeared from view.

Under normal circumstances, Tenzou would simply ignore personnel issues like this and assume they’d work themselves out. However, Amaya’s behavior was pretty out of character, and given all of the events that had transpired in the last few months due to poor communication, he figured now was the time to start remedying that.

“Has something happened?” he asked the pair.

Kai shrugged. “Don’t really know. Everything seemed fine, we were training together every day up until about a week ago. Then suddenly she just… didn’t show up.”

“I went to check on her, but she wouldn’t answer the door,” Haru added, brows furrowed in concern. “I tried asking Keisuke, but he’s been avoiding me too.”

The casual mention of Amaya’s friend took Tenzou by surprise. He knew Haru and Keisuke had both been helping to take care of Amaya during her recovery, but he hadn’t realized the two men had become acquainted enough that Haru would seek him out independently.

“Have you tried talking to her?” Tenzou asked Kai.

Kai’s lips thinned. “No, I haven’t.”

It hadn’t escaped Tenzou’s notice that Kai’s behavior had been markedly different since their conversation at the hospital. Prior to that, Kai would have been the first one of them at Amaya’s door yelling at her to open up and talk to him. It seemed the man was determined to keep his feelings for Amaya well and truly buried, much as Tenzou had been attempting to do himself, though Tenzou couldn’t help but wonder if Kai was having as difficult a time with it as he was. All things considered, Kai’s behavior seemed pretty on par with what it had been in the early days after Amaya had joined their team, but something about it felt just the slightest bit off – forced and unnatural. He wondered if Amaya felt it too.

“Maybe you could try, Captain?” Haru suggested, expression hopeful.

Much like Kai, Tenzou had been doing his best to keep a healthy distance from Amaya after his visit with her at the hospital. The panic attack he’d had in the bathroom coupled with the uncomfortable interaction he’d had with both her and Keisuke the following day had made him hesitant to be around her outside of work at the moment. Safer to gain some distance and a semblance of normalcy, lest his mouth run away from him again.

Tenzou had to hide his wince even as he replied, “I guess it can’t hurt.”

Right. Famous last words.

“Amaya, it’s Tenzou.”

Tenzou knocked politely but firmly on her door for the second time, hoping that by letting her know who was on the other side, she might decide to let him in. As far as he knew, he hadn’t done anything to offend her, so he hoped that she wouldn’t leave him standing out here much longer.

“Is it just you?” The muffled voice asked from the other side of the door.

“Uh, yeah,” he confirmed.

A brief pause followed before he heard the click of a lock and the door opened. Amaya glanced out as if to confirm that their other teammates weren’t hiding nearby somewhere before stepping aside and gesturing for him to enter.

“I guess you didn’t come over just to chat?” Amaya asked, a slight edge to her tone as she moved into the kitchen and poured them each a glass of water.

Shirking his sandals next to the door, he moved to one of the barstools and took a seat. “That obvious, huh?”

She set one of the glasses in front of him, setting it down with a little more force than strictly necessary before she stepped back and leaned against the counter behind her. Staring at him, she remained resolutely silent as she waited for him to speak. He swallowed thickly.

“So, uh…” he began, proving once again his mastery of dialogue. “Is everything okay?”

Amaya snorted indelicately. 

“If you mean my recovery, it’s going great,” she stated, that sharpness still present in the clipped way she was speaking.

Tenzou shrank a little in his seat, feeling inordinately uncomfortable under the weight of Amaya’s obvious displeasure. While it wasn’t necessarily directed his way, it was such foreign behavior from her that he found himself feeling guilty as if he were somehow the cause. At the same time, he found himself desperately wanting to fix it – something that he was certain stemmed more from his feelings for her rather than his desire to restore peace within their team.

Eyes scanning him closely, Amaya’s expression softened minutely as she seemed to recognize his discomfort.

“Sorry,” she said, eyes downcast. “None of this has anything to do with you, and it’s really not a huge deal. I just needed some space and time to work through my feelings, I guess.”

“You know I’m here if you want to talk about it,” he offered. 

If it would help her at all, he would listen to anything she had to say – even if it wasn’t something he wanted to hear.

Amaya bit her lip, obviously conflicted about whether or not she wanted to confide in him, so he tried a different tack.

“Was it what Kai said?”

Momentary confusion was quickly replaced by comprehension as she huffed in amusement and shook her head. “About our new Hokage? No, no. I’m used to his nonsense.”

She shook her head again, frowning as she studiously avoided meeting his eyes.

“He’s been trying so hard to act normal ever since I got released from the hospital,” she continued. “And maybe it makes me a terrible person, but I’m glad?”

The last bit was posed as a question, but Tenzou thought he understood. Amaya had confessed to him that she too had realized Kai’s feelings just as Tenzou had – and while she hadn’t exactly confided in Tenzou about how she felt about him in return, it was pretty evident to him now that she didn’t reciprocate Kai’s romantic affections for her.

He did his best to ignore the small feeling of triumph that leapt up within him at that realization.

“So, if that wasn’t it…” he added, trying to pull the real issue from her.

Grimacing, she set her glass down and ran her fingers through her hair roughly.

“Without going into too much detail? I’m pissed because I feel like people I care about are sticking their noses in things that aren’t their business, and I’m even more pissed that instead of talking to me about it, they were talking to each other.”

Her words came out in a deluge as she unloaded everything she had been holding in for days.

“I understand it’s coming from a place of concern for me,” she continued, starting to pace back and forth within the limited confines of the kitchen. “But it should have been handled differently. What I choose to do with my life is my decision.”

Now Tenzou was wholly confused. He wasn’t certain exactly what he had been expecting the issue to be, but this was a huge departure from anything he might have guessed. Not to mention that it was still unclear exactly what had been said to set her off in this manner, given she was speaking a bit cryptically even now. 

Coming to a halt, she growled in frustration. “Ugh. I know I’m overreacting, but I was just hurt by it. You know?” She turned to face him. “It just felt like a betrayal that two of the people who I trust the most were talking about me behind my back.”

That gave him pause. Was she referring to Kai and Haru? Or was Keisuke involved somehow? Despite his curiosity, he thought it best not to ask.

But if Tenzou was completely honest, he couldn’t really relate to what Amaya was saying. Outside of Kakashi, he didn’t really have anyone close enough to confide in. And even if he did, he wasn’t sure he would be upset to find out they were talking about him outside of his presence. Perhaps there was some context he was missing, something important, but just because he couldn’t fully comprehend it didn’t mean Amaya was being unreasonable in feeling this way.

“Is there anything I can do to help?” he finally offered, not really sure what else to say.

Amaya gave him a smile of gratitude, the first smile he’d seen from her in weeks. A feeling of warmth rose in his chest at the sight of it.

“I appreciate that. But I think just talking about it helped.”

Tenzou nodded, taking a sip of water as Amaya eyed him closely.

“Can I ask you something?” She asked as he set his drink back down.

“Sure.”

“If you couldn’t be a shinobi anymore, what would you do instead?”

The non-sequitur caught him off guard, and he found himself gaping at her, momentarily nonplussed.

“Sorry,” she said with an airy laugh. “I know it’s out of left field and everything. But I’m curious.”

The question sparked a memory in Tenzou, and he swore Amaya had asked him something similar once before. Only he couldn’t quite recall the conversation, and was pretty sure he had never contemplated such a thing with any degree of seriousness either.

“I’m not entirely sure,” he responded, rubbing the back of his neck as he considered the question. “I guess I’ve always had an affinity for plants, so maybe working as a florist?”

It didn’t seem a half bad profession, and his skills with wood style would certainly help him be successful at it, he thought.

“You know what?” Amaya said, granting him a warm smile that made him want to melt where he sat. “That would really suit you.”

He offered her a small smile in return, suddenly finding himself overwhelmed by fuzzy feelings of happiness. 

“I think I could be happy too, doing something like that,” she said finally, gazing down at the rippling water within her cup.

Before he could think better of it, Tenzou offered, “Maybe we could open a shop together someday.”

The look she gave him was one of slight surprise. Clearly she hadn’t been expecting him to say something like that, and frankly, he hadn’t expected himself to say it either. Tenzou realized that what he was proposing was more than just an alternative to their current careers as shinobi – he was suggesting a possible future together. It was the closest he’d ever gotten to confessing his true feelings to her, and he found himself holding his breath as he braced himself for her response.

“Maybe,” she said finally, a contemplative expression crossing her features. “Although I have no idea if I am even capable of keeping a plant alive, to be honest.”

Tenzou let out a small chuckle. “I’m sure I can teach you.”

To the outside observer, this conversation would have likely seemed insignificant. However, as their eyes met, something unspoken but profound passed between them. 

The grin Amaya gave him caused her eyes to crinkle pleasantly.

“It’s a deal.”

Chapter Text

“Thank you for coming.”

Amaya and the rest of her team were gathered together within the familiar confines of the Hokage’s office, though the feel of the room was different somehow. Perhaps it was the piles of paperwork that littered almost every available surface, or maybe it was the open bottle of sake sitting precariously at the edge of the Hokage’s desk. Whatever it was, the chaotic scene was a far cry from the organized area the Sandaime had maintained, affording the space a somewhat less austere atmosphere than it once had.

Tsunade Senju sat in front of them, elbows propped upon the aforementioned desk, fingers intertwined and resting just below her nose as she scrutinized the team of ANBU standing in front of her. Shizune, her apprentice, stood in the corner and shifted from foot to foot as she watched, arms firmly clasped around the midsection of her ninja pig. The woman had told them the name of her animal summons when they’d first been introduced a few days prior, but for the life of her Amaya could not recall what it was.

As if sensing Amaya’s interest, the pig stared straight at her, tilted its head slightly and let out a very literal ‘oink’ that could only be described as… inquisitive. Smiling to herself, Amaya returned her attention to their new Hokage.

“As promised, I have a mission for you,” Tsunade declared, dropping her hands and sliding a small book across the desk towards them. “Konoha is still in shambles and I would have preferred to keep your team close by, but this cannot wait.”

Tenzou stepped forward, picking up what Amaya now recognized as a copy of Konoha’s Bingo Book, opened to a page that she couldn’t quite make out the details of from her current vantage point. All she could discern was the photograph of what appeared to be a middle-aged male shinobi, obviously captured without his knowledge. The image itself was grainy, but Amaya thought she could see the shine of metal indicating the presence of a forehead protector on his brow.

“His name is Shinichi Togusa, and he is technically a Konoha missing-nin.”

The phrasing caught Amaya off guard, but before she could ask for clarification, Kai spoke up. 

“‘Technically’? What’s that supposed to mean?” he asked as he stepped forward and examined the page more closely.

Tsunade raised a brow at his casual manner of address, but elaborated. “It means that he wasn’t added to the Bingo Book until very recently.”

“But it says here he’s been missing from Konoha for over twenty years,” Haru remarked, cocking his head in question. They were all gathered around Tenzou now, scanning the rather sparse details of their new target. “Why is he only now being added?”

Tsunade let out a beleaguered sigh, clearly not enjoying having to field the plethora of questions that might have been construed as unimportant to the mission. Haru muttered an apology, clearly believing he had overstepped somehow. To be honest, their team was used to the Sandaime providing very specific details for the mission, either through a mission scroll or by addressing them directly. It seemed there would be some growing pains as the teams got used to the way their new Hokage worked, and vice versa.

“If I may, Lady Tsunade?” Shizune interjected, stepping forward and grabbing the team’s collective attention. Tsunade gave her a nod and a dismissive wave before sitting back and eyeing the nearby bottle of sake longingly.

“Togusa was a genin when he went missing. The circumstances around his disappearance were a bit strange,” she remarked, glancing at her teacher before fixing her attention back to them. “He was reported missing by his team after they returned from a pretty uneventful C-ranked escort mission.”

Amaya perused the photograph once more. The man in question was perfectly average looking, nothing in his appearance really drawing one’s attention. He held none of the telltale signs of some of the rogue shinobi they had encountered – neither a rough appearance nor any real visible scarring. Frankly, Amaya might have passed him on the street and not spared him a single glance. And while a civilian might fear those who look overly aggressive or suspicious, Amaya knew that sometimes the most dangerous people were those who blended in with ease.

“Given the circumstances of the time…” Shizune continued with another side-eyed glance at her mentor.

“She means the war,” Tsunade interjected, pulling some papers towards her and scanning their contents.

Shizune nodded. “Yes, the war. Well, it seems little was done to try to find him. Those in charge decided that they… ‘didn’t have the resources to spare’.”

Out of the corner of her eye, Amaya thought she saw Tenzou nod in understanding. As terrible as it sounded, it made sense. A genin disappearing suddenly during a mission was not completely unheard of and usually meant when they were found, they were no longer counted amongst the living. The decision to not dedicate what limited personnel they had available during a time of such brutal conflict was understandable if they were assuming they were unlikely to find more than a body.

“He was a genin at the time of his disappearance, but he’s now being classified as an S-rank criminal,” Amaya remarked as she peered closer at the entry. “What was he up to during the last two decades?”

Tsunade snorted, not bothering to lift her eyes from the scroll she was staring at. “That’s the question, isn’t it? All we know is what he has been up to recently , which is exactly what landed him in the Bingo Book.”

Studying the description of the man and his abilities, Amaya found that they were sparse, to say the least. He was noted as having a lightning chakra nature, and what few skills were listed seemed on par with what most genin learned within their first couple of years out of the Academy. Honestly, nothing to write home about, and certainly nothing to merit such a high rank. 

That is, until she got to the very bottom of his entry.

“Reports we received claim that three weeks ago, he was directly responsible for annihilating an entire town,” Shizune said, voice strained and expression withdrawn. “Men, women and children – civilians and shinobi. No one was spared.”

A heavy silence filled the room.

“Was he working alone?” Tenzou asked.

It was a good question. Taking out an entire town was a big ask for one person, even an S-rank criminal. The closest situation she could think of was the massacre of the Uchiha clan a few years prior, but to assume this Togusa person was anywhere near on the level of Itachi Uchiha seemed a bit of a stretch. Besides, surely the existence of someone so powerful running amok would have prompted at least some rumors before now. The idea that he had managed to escape notice for decades with such strong abilities seemed off somehow.

“That’s what we need you to find out,” Tsunade confirmed, setting the scroll down firmly and giving them her full attention once more. “Who is he working with? What are his skills? What has he been doing all this time? And most importantly, is he part of a larger threat to Konoha?”

So this wouldn’t be a typical hunt for a missing-nin, then. In most cases these missions were straightforward – track down the target and either eliminate them or apprehend them and bring them back to the village to be turned over to the Interrogation squad. This mission sounded much more involved, requiring a bit of reconnaissance before they engaged their target.

Something niggled at Amaya however, and as she glanced once more at the photograph of the man, she realized what was bothering her. “His forehead protector…”

“Exactly,” Tsunade replied, immediately catching on to Amaya’s observation. “No slash, nothing to indicate that he isn’t a shinobi working on behalf of Konoha.”

Meaning that people might assume he had decimated an entire village under Konoha’s orders. Suddenly, the situation they were facing became much more grim, the urgency all too clear. As reluctant as their new Hokage was to send one of their ANBU teams afield during such a vulnerable time for the village, this was something that couldn’t wait.

“The last report we received was from one of our undercover operatives southwest of here, in a larger village on the other side of the border in the Land of Rivers.” Tsunade leaned back, her chair letting out a creak as her weight shifted. “I would like you to meet up with him there and see if he has any new information for you.”

Tenzou nodded, marking the page in the Bingo Book before pocketing it.

“Additionally, I don’t want to draw any more attention to Konoha than we already have,” Tsunade continued. “Do your best to blend in with the civilian element and learn what you can prior to engaging with the target. It would be best if we could do this without further casualties.”

So, this was to be another undercover mission – just like Kunigami. The reminder caused a small bundle of nerves to begin to form in the pit of Amaya’s stomach, but she did her best to ignore it. 

Stepping forward once more, Shizune handed Tenzou a small piece of paper. “Directions to the village and information about how to find your contact.”

“Take the remainder of the day to make whatever preparations you need,” Tsunade added. “Your mission begins tomorrow at dawn.”

“Understood,” Tenzou replied, the rest of the team offering succinct nods of acknowledgement as well.

As they departed the office and exited the Hokage tower, Kai and Haru chatted back and forth, speculating about the motives of their new target and whether or not he might be working alone, or maybe even with Orochimaru given recent events. There was so little known about this Togusa that honestly, anything could be possible. Tenzou was mostly quiet during the exchange, seemingly wrapped up in examining the information Shizune had given him, likely memorizing the instructions written therein so that he could destroy it before their departure.

If anyone noticed Amaya was being quieter than usual, they did not make mention of it. For her part, she was silently battling the unwelcome anxiety that had sparked earlier. Logically, she knew this mission was nothing like their task to assassinate the Feudal Lord. This was a rogue shinobi who was committing despicable acts of genocide, and there would be no need to foster relationships and get involved with civilians other than to gather what little information they might be able to provide them.

No. This mission would be nothing like Kunigami.

Amaya would make sure of it.

“Wow,” Haru breathed, eyes wide as he took in the crowded streets of the village. 

Kai let out a low whistle. “Yeah, you’re telling me.”

Their team had just broken through the outskirts of Namegawa, the village where they were supposed to meet their contact. Apparently, they had landed themselves right in the heart of what Tenzou could only assume was one of the many shopping districts Namegawa had to offer. It was certainly quite a sight to behold, and while he didn’t openly gawk as his teammates were doing, he found himself glancing rapidly about in an effort to absorb all the sights and sounds the area had to offer. It was a bit of sensory overload compared to the relatively moderate activity within the streets of their home.

Thankfully, their open fascination did not draw any attention at all. They blended in well with their civilian outfits, and their rapt fixation was echoed in many of the other apparent tourists crowding the streets. When it came to needing to blend in, this really was the perfect place.

“I know you said Namegawa was bigger and more advanced than Konoha, but this is just…”

He looked over to see Amaya staring through a nearby storefront window, lips slightly parted as she observed a display of what Tenzou thought might be… phones? Except they were much smaller than any phones he had seen, and they didn’t appear to have any wires connecting them to anything. 

Stepping next to Amaya, he looked closer. How did they work exactly? Did they use the radio waves, like their portable radios? What was the range on something like this?

A feminine giggle drew him from his musings, and he turned to find Amaya watching him with a bemused expression. Apparently he’d been muttering some of his thoughts out loud, and he had failed to realize how close he had gotten to her as he’d leaned in to examine the items on display. Their proximity caused his breath to catch.

Ever since their conversation in Amaya’s apartment two weeks prior, Tenzou and Amaya’s interactions had felt different somehow, both seemingly much more comfortable in each other’s presence. Their conversations held a newfound ease to them, and he found they were often in much closer physical proximity than they had ever been in before. It was almost as if they used to carefully avoid invading each other’s space, but now that caution had disappeared entirely.

Tenzou would be lying if he said he didn’t enjoy this change in their dynamic. While he still wasn’t certain of Amaya’s feelings about him, the mutual suggestion of some kind of shared future had removed some of the invisible walls they had constructed. In addition, it seemed that whatever issue Amaya had with Kai and Haru had also been repaired before they had set out for their mission. 

The result of all this was that Tenzou had never felt closer and more at ease with his team than he did right now. It was a welcome feeling, one that left him with a sense of contentment that he didn’t often experience.

That feeling of happiness welled to the forefront as Amaya smiled at him.

“Haven’t you ever seen a cell phone before?”

“Is that what those things are?” Kai interrupted, stepping up to Amaya’s other side and scrutinizing the items. “I had no idea they were so small.”

Haru huffed from behind them. “Too bad Konoha doesn’t have the infrastructure to support them yet,” he sniffed, though Tenzou noticed his attention was drawn to a clothing store across the street. 

Stepping away from the window, Tenzou moved his attention to the store in question. The mannequin inside wore an outfit that Tenzou wouldn’t be caught dead in, not that he could afford it, given the wealthy appearance of the clientele that seemed to be entering that shop in particular. 

“See something you like?” Amaya asked as she sidled up next to him and followed his gaze. “I never would have pegged you as a man of such expensive taste.”

“Do people really wear stuff like that?” he asked her quietly, so as not to offend anyone who might overhear him. 

It was a very real question. Whatever ‘fashion’ seemed to be on display in there was like nothing he’d ever seen before.

Amaya shrugged noncommittally. “I guess? Though I think what you have on now suits you better.”

The easy compliment brought a traitorous blush to his cheeks, and he turned away from the group before anyone might spot it.

“We should find lodgings for the night,” he stated, the command coming out a bit more formal than he had intended. “We won’t be meeting with our friend until tomorrow.”

Given the size of the village, he knew they would not have too much trouble securing accommodations, and once they had that bit of business out of the way, they could explore the village as much as they liked. They’d been told they would find various inns further towards the center of the village, and even something Tenzou had heard referred to as a ‘hotel’. Although from what he could gather, the hotel was way beyond their budget – not that it quelled his curiosity about how a hotel compared to the inns they normally frequented.

With cursory nods of acknowledgment from his team, Tenzou turned and led the way down the street – and into the heart of Namegawa.

It did not take the group long to agree on a place to stay. 

The inn was modest but clean, and they were able to secure two rooms at a reasonable enough rate. Haru and Amaya claimed one room while Tenzou and Kai would be staying in one next to them. When they split up to settle in, Haru was kind enough to offer Amaya the use of the shower first, and as she stepped into the glorious warmth of the steaming tub, she sighed in contentment.

As far as missions went, this one felt almost like a vacation so far. Due to their directive to maintain the appearance of a group of civilians traveling together, most of their journey to Namegawa had been made at an easy pace, with mostly comfortable stays at lodgings along the way. ‘Mostly’, because there had been one dodgy inn about midway during their travels that had boasted threadbare towels, questionably stained bedsheets, and a sink that hadn’t seen a scrub brush in ages. 

That one, they had all agreed, would not earn a repeat visit on their return trip.

Scouring the road dust and general filth of a long day’s travel from her skin and hair, Amaya smiled to herself. She was immensely glad that she had managed to work things out between herself and the rest of her team before their departure. Everything else aside, it made things all the more enjoyable.

After the argument with Keisuke and her subsequent conversation with Tenzou, Amaya had done her best to put aside her irrational feelings and had made the effort to mend fences with Keisuke. That had mostly consisted of a night of drinking and very frank conversation in which Amaya informed Keisuke that while she appreciated his concerns and knew it came from a place of love, she was also fully aware of the risks of her job and had no plans to throw in the towel just yet. 

Still, she admitted to him that his words had given her something to think about. She knew that someday she would have to hang up her ANBU uniform, and his words had prompted her to consider what the future might hold for her.

Unsurprisingly, Keisuke had responded well – with a crushing hug and a heartfelt proclamation that it was all he ever wanted for her. He impressed upon her that he wasn’t trying to pressure her into quitting, just wanted her to be more cautious of her own wellbeing. All in all, the conversation had left her feeling a sense of relief and peace about the situation, and had also managed to ease some of her own worries. Keisuke couldn’t have known it, but she had been battling with some of those same concerns herself as far back as her time in Kunigami.

It was only once they had downed a few more drinks that Amaya had finally felt brave enough to tell Keisuke that she’d felt uncomfortable that Keisuke and Haru had been talking about her – it felt so childish to phrase it this way – behind her back. But Keisuke had been able to clarify that for her as well, informing her that they had actually started forming a friendship of their own during the weeks while helping care for Amaya. Apparently the two men had met up a few times for dinner or drinks, and had found themselves having a lot more in common than their friendship with Amaya.

When Amaya asked Keisuke if maybe there was more than just friendship forming there, Keisuke had laughed easily and waved her off. He seemed fairly certain about it, so she hadn’t questioned him further. Unfortunately for her, however, the topic of romance had caused her friend to swiftly switch gears as he began to question her about Tenzou. That series of questions she managed to dodge deftly for the time being, though she knew eventually Keisuke would find a way to get information somehow, either from her or perhaps Haru.

Rinsing the conditioner from her hair, Amaya turned off the stream of water and stepped out into the steaming bathroom, letting out another sigh of relief as she pulled on a fresh set of clothing. She was starting to feel spoiled with these frequent showers and fresh clothes.

“Your turn,” Amaya called to Haru as she exited the bathroom. 

“Thank you,” he responded from where he was seated on the double bed closest to the door. He spent a few additional seconds rifling through his bag until he procured what he was looking for and disappeared into the bathroom with his toiletries.

Grabbing her own bag, she began pulling her belongings out to stack into neat piles into the dresser. They would be staying for a couple days, at least, so there wasn’t any need to live out of her travel bag. Yet another nice perk to these kinds of missions. 

Having gotten herself as settled in as she could for the time being, Amaya glanced at her watch. It was well past seven in the evening and they would need to figure out what to do about dinner before settling in for the night. Having no real knowledge of Namegawa or any of the food options available to them, Amaya figured she’d drop by the front desk while Haru finished showering and ask the innkeeper for any recommendations.

The hall was empty as she exited the room, but the noise from the bustling streets outside seeped through the walls and created a low hum as she closed the door behind her. She made it about two steps towards the main entrance when the door to her right opened and Tenzou emerged – freshly showered and smelling strongly of pine. 

Despite having seen him in civilian clothes several times by this point, for some reason his sudden appearance caused a flicker of memory to rise to the forefront of her mind. Perhaps it was their meeting alone in a hallway much like this one the night they had kissed, but she felt an unbidden blush rise to her cheeks as she took in his damp hair and form fitting turtleneck.

While it wasn’t the first time she’d found herself attracted to Tenzou, this was the first time that she’d felt such a strong pooling of heat between her legs at the mere sight of the man.

He looked good.

It was a good thing they weren’t sharing a room. Or was it? Amaya found herself battling conflicting feelings in that regard, especially as she continued to openly ogle the man.

Clearly misinterpreting the reason for Amaya’s interest, Tenzou shoved his fingers through his hair. “What? Does my hair look weird or something?”

His confused expression was so endearing that Amaya couldn’t help the laugh that escaped her. This only served to concern Tenzou further as he moved his other hand to his head to try to pat down what he obviously believed was some out of control hairdo.

“You look fine,” Amaya offered in reassurance, grabbing one of his wrists and pulling it gently away from his now admittedly very tousled hair. 

“Oh.” He dropped his other arm and gave her a sheepish smile. “The way you were looking at me, I thought there must be something wrong.”

If only he knew.

“No, no,” she denied. “Sorry, I was just absorbed in my thoughts.”

There was a brief pause as her amusement faded. He gave her an indecipherable look, but nodded.

“I was actually just about to head to the front desk and ask for food recommendations,” she added hastily, hoping the change of subject would prevent any further probing questions.

Closing the door to his room, Tenzou smiled. “I was about to do the same. I’ll join you.”

As they fell into step together, Amaya found herself sneaking glances his way. Maybe she had never really noticed before, but Tenzou’s face really softened when he was relaxed. The intensity that his eyes usually offered was notably absent, and she thought she spotted a small crinkle at the corner. It was rare to see him so at ease, especially on a mission. 

There was no denying it, her captain was handsome. Amaya found her stomach somersaulting at the internal acknowledgement of something she’d subconsciously known for a long time.

“You’re making me paranoid again,” Tenzou remarked. His gaze remained trained forward, but the smallest tilt of his lips gave away his amusement.

Letting out an airy breath, Amaya grinned sheepishly. “Sorry. I guess I’m just not used to seeing you look so relaxed. It’s a bit novel really.”

“Oh?” He raised his brows in question as he shoved his hands into his pockets.

“Yeah,” she said, drawing the word out a bit as she considered.

Before she had a chance to elaborate further, he leveled her with a deadpan look. “Are you saying I’m uptight?”

Her jaw dropped. That had absolutely not been what she had been implying. But now that he mentioned it…

“I’m kidding.” The sound of his laugh only scrambled her thoughts further as he shook his head. “I know I can be a bit serious sometimes.”

Understatement of the year.

“But someone recently suggested that I should try not to take things too seriously,” he elaborated. “So, I’m giving that a try.”

Before she could think better of it, Amaya blurted, “That must be tough for you.”

It sounded sarcastic, but she really hadn’t meant it the way it came out. It was just that Tenzou was someone who took his work very seriously, so she knew it was difficult for him to ‘turn it off’, so to speak. Thankfully, however, he didn’t seem to take offense.

“It is,” he admitted. “But I’m trying to take a note from my senpai’s book. He always seems relaxed.”

Amaya’s lips thinned. She suspected Tenzou was referring to Kakashi Hatake, and while she certainly wouldn’t claim to know the man well, what she did know of him was enough for her to draw the conclusion that Kakashi was perhaps too relaxed.

“There’s probably a good balance there somewhere,” she hedged. “Besides, I think it’s admirable that you take your work so seriously. Don’t try to change yourself too much, I like you just the way you are.”

Silence fell, and Amaya wondered if she’d given a bit too much away there as Tenzou gave her an inscrutable look.

“Thank you,” he said finally, just as they broke into the front entryway and were greeted by an enthusiastic older gentleman who perched on a tall wooden stool behind the front desk.

“Hello there!” he exclaimed. “I’m Endo. How might I help you?”

Amaya didn’t recognize the man, as they had been initially helped by an elderly woman named Nanami whom Amaya guessed was most likely Endo’s wife. 

“Hello, Endo,” she began, answering his wide grin with one of her own. He certainly had an infectious energy, the kind that made him instantly likeable. “We were just wondering if there were any restaurants nearby you might be able to recommend for tourists?”

Leaping up from the stool in a manner that belied his age, he clapped his hands together. “Why, of course!”

Endo disappeared behind the counter as he bent over and began shuffling through some papers. After a few moments of chaotic rustling – and one shared look of amusement between the two shinobi – the man’s bald head popped back up.

“We have plenty of spectacular restaurants here in Namegawa, all varieties of cuisine to please a variety of palates.” 

He proffered a handful of pamphlets advertising various restaurants. As Tenzou reached out however, the man rapidly snatched them back.

“But wait!” he exclaimed again, wearing a comically exaggerated look of embarrassment. “You must be the newlyweds my lovely wife mentioned.” He shook his head, frantically rifling through the papers and muttering to himself. “No, no. These won’t do at all.”

“Actually–” Tenzou began.

Elbowing him roughly in the side, Amaya interjected. “Why, yes! Yes we are.”

The resulting shock and immediate blush that emerged on Tenzou’s face was exactly the result she’d been going for. He really made it too easy.

Endo nodded emphatically as he continued his pursuit of whatever it was he was looking for. Meanwhile, Tenzou seemed to have realized Amaya’s intent to catch him off guard. His eyes narrowed briefly in her direction.

“Here it is!” Waving the advertisement in their faces, the elderly man practically bounced on his toes in excitement. “Of course, you must be looking for something really romantic, it being your honeymoon and all.”

Amaya opened her mouth in reply, but her response was summarily cut off as Tenzou wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her flush against his side.

“Why, yes! Yes we ares” he said, echoing her words.

It was only Amaya’s experience in dealing with unexpected situations that prevented her from reacting to Tenzou’s surprising response to her playful provocation. Was he actually teasing her in return?

The brief smirk he sent her way confirmed it.

“Of course, of course.” The man nodded emphatically. “There are plenty of restaurants that come highly recommended. But this one,” he tapped a bony finger on a page that he held so close to their faces they were forced to lean back slightly in order to read it. “ This one is the most romantic. My Nanami just adores this place.”

At first Amaya’s vision was filled with nothing but pink. So. Much. Pink. But as she leaned back and her eyes adjusted, she was able to make out a photo of the gaudiest, most unfortunately decorated restaurant she had ever seen – The Lover’s Bistro. Absolutely everything was decorated in various shades of pink. Evidently their menu also followed the theme, as the pictures of the food made it apparent that red food dye was liberally used in everything from the cakes to the noodle dishes. 

It was, in a word, revolting.

“It’s perfect,” Amaya gushed, placing a palm on Tenzou’s chest and pressing herself against him as she gazed up at him adoringly. “Isn’t it perfect, sweetie?”

Amaya watched as Tenzou’s jaw twitched as he stared at the pamphlet. It was only the ample time they had spent together that allowed her to discern the small shifts in emotion that were passing over his features. He seemed to be experiencing disbelief and horror in equal measure, and maybe the slightest bit of nausea? Yet it only took him a beat to school his reaction to the travesty being presented to him as he smiled down at her.

“Why, yes. Yes it is.”

As they locked eyes, their shared amusement almost caused Amaya to lose control completely. Her sides began to hurt from the concerted effort it took not to start laughing.

“Fantastic!” Endo slapped the paper on the desk and began scribbling on the back of the advertisement for the restaurant that Amaya was fully confident they would never be caught dead in. “These are the directions from here. You shouldn’t have a problem finding it if you just follow this.”

The man completed his efforts with a flourish before handing it to Tenzou. Amaya caught a glimpse of the handwriting on the back, and immediately determined that they would probably need the cipher division if they had any hope of trying to make out what was written there. Not that they’d bother trying, of course.

As Endo tried to explain his directions to Tenzou, Amaya casually extracted herself from Tenzou’s side and subtly swiped the other restaurant ads from the top of the desk where they’d been forgotten. At least they’d have some options.

“Psst. Young man.”

Amaya pretended not to notice as Endo did a poor job of trying to get Tenzou to lean closer without her realizing it. Doing her best to act supremely fascinated by one of the antique cat figurines displayed behind the counter, she overheard Endo whisper loudly in Tenzou’s ear.

“I recommend you eat light if you are looking to have a late evening with your wife, if you catch my meaning.”

Endo gave Tenzou a lopsided grin as he patted him on the back vigorously. For his part, Tenzou attempted to give him a smile of gratitude, but it came out looking more pained than anything.

“Ready, sweetie?” she asked as she moved back to Tenzou’s side.

He gave her a grateful look and nodded before thanking Endo for his assistance.

“Of course, of course,” Endo said, bowing repeatedly at them. “If there’s anything else I can do for you, please let me know.”

“Yes, thank you Endo-san,” Amaya said as they turned away and walked back towards the hallway. 

“And don’t worry,” she called back over her shoulder with a wicked smile. “I’ll make sure my husband has the salad.”

Chapter Text

“Well, he’s certainly not much to look at, is he,” Kai remarked, peering dubiously at the rather unremarkable shinobi’s picture.

The Bingo Book lay open, Togusa’s image peering up at the group who sat circled around it.

“That just means he’ll be harder to find,” Amaya observed, absentmindedly chewing on a fingernail as she scanned his bio again. 

They were gathered in Kai and Tenzou’s room, Tenzou having already debriefed them on his meeting with their contact that morning. While the meeting had been perfunctory, it had proven to be informative. They learned that in the small period of time it had taken their team to travel to Namegawa, Togusa had been spotted in a smaller village not too far from their current location. Thankfully there had not been any further reports of attacks, but from what Tenzou had learned of their target, it was entirely possible that Togusa was planning something.

Strangely, despite the wealth of good intel his contact had provided, there was still a distinct lack of information about who their target might be working with – assuming he wasn’t acting alone – and what his goal might be. Motive could tell you a lot about a person and what they planned to do next. Without it, Tenzou and his team were somewhat dead in the water.

Still, Togusa’s appearance in another village was something to go on, and it made sense to travel there as quickly as possible – which meant cutting their stay in Namegawa short. Thankfully it was only a couple hours west of their current location, so they should be able to get there quickly and hopefully gain some more insight about whether Togusa might still be present in the village.

Of course, asking around after someone so blatantly came with the added risk of being discovered by Togusa before they got to him. They were all very much aware that they would need to approach this very carefully.

“Amaya’s right.” Haru leaned back on his hands and focused on Tenzou. “If what our contact said is true, then Togusa is doing a hell of a job with blending in. He seems to have only really drawn attention to himself during his attack on the other village.”

Tenzou nodded. “The reports say he’s currently posing as a civilian, so he’s not easily identifiable. Added to that, asking around is a big risk. If he finds out, chances are he’ll run.”

“And finding him again will be almost impossible once he knows Konoha has people trailing him,” Amaya added with a shake of her head. “We can’t risk it – we have to do the same. Blend in and watch, hope we spot him. We can’t give him any hint that we’re after him.”

Kai groaned and scrubbed his face with a large palm. “I hate these types of missions.”

“That’s just because you prefer to barrel in like a bull in a china shop wherever you go,” Haru deadpanned, giving Kai’s ANBU mask a pointed look.

“Well, it works, doesn’t it?” Kai countered with a single raised eyebrow. “Gets the job done.”

Haru snorted and murmured, “Yeah, but at what cost?”

“Looks like we won’t be getting that shopping trip,” Amaya remarked as she gently nudged her shoulder into Haru’s.

“Who knows?” Kai stood, stretching with a loud sigh of relief. “Maybe we can stop by on our way back.”

Tenzou wouldn’t admit it out loud, but he was kind of hoping for the opportunity to come back and get a closer look at those cellular phones he had seen. New technology was fascinating, and he found himself wondering how long it would take Konoha to catch up.

“We leave in ten,” Tenzou declared as Haru and Amaya headed towards the door.

Amaya turned her head and gave him a cheeky wink. “Yes, sir!”

Logically, Tenzou knew Amaya hadn’t meant anything by it, but he still found himself momentarily dumbstruck. It was only once Kai spoke up that Tenzou realized that he’d been frozen in place long enough to draw the other man’s attention.

“You okay there?” Kai asked, a note of humor and something else indiscernible tingeing his tone.

Shaking his head in an attempt to get his brain functioning once again, he nodded. “Yeah.”

Kai watched him for a few more seconds before shrugging and resuming his packing.

They both moved around the room in silence for another couple of minutes before Kai spoke again. “She seems… better.”

Tenzou hesitated briefly, then continued with the process of folding his shirts as he tried to formulate a response. Before he had the opportunity to find what to say, Kai continued.

“After everything that happened after Kunigami, and then the attack in Konoha…”

Kai trailed off, the silence stretching between them as Tenzou digested what Kai was saying, as well as what was being left unsaid. This was the first time he and Kai had ever had a conversation like this, and it was suddenly very obvious to Tenzou that not only were he and Kai around the same age, but both of them had varying degrees of trouble expressing their feelings.

“You talked to her,” Kai added.

It wasn’t posed as a question. Tenzou kept his eyes trained on his bag as he pulled the zipper, but he gave a slight nod of affirmation.

“I thought so.” Kai let out a long sigh and collapsed heavily onto his bed. “I wanted to talk to her, you know. When everything was weird.”

Tenzou guessed he meant back when Amaya was frustrated with her teammates, before he had dropped by her apartment. At the time, Tenzou had been surprised that Kai had not tried to intervene. After Kunigami, Kai had been the first one to reach out to Amaya and ensure she was okay. Then again, things were different now. So much had happened between then and now, and Tenzou was both hopeful and fearful about what that meant for the near future.

“I’ve been trying to keep my distance. Or maybe I’m just running away from how I feel about her? I don’t know.” 

Kai was staring at the floor, fingers pulling absently on a lock of mussed red hair. He looked almost lost.

“I thought if I kept my distance, then maybe…”

The rest of the statement lingered unspoken, but Tenzou didn’t need him to finish the thought in order to fill in the blanks. Kai was going through exactly what he had – trying to suppress his feelings for Amaya. And much like in Tenzou’s case, it didn’t seem to be working particularly well for him.

Shaking his head, Kai let out a small huff of laughter. “Sorry. I have no idea why I’m even telling you this.”

Silence stretched between them as Kai got to his feet.

“I understand.”

Kai paused, raising his brows and looking directly at Tenzou. “You do?”

“I do.”

Tenzou remained impassive as he lifted his bag and set it by the door. He could feel Kai’s eyes on him the entire time, but he had no intention of elaborating further. He’d already said more than enough, and he hoped that Kai didn’t look too closely at his admission.

“Ready?” Tenzou asked, reaching for the door just as a knock sounded.

Kai watched him for a couple more seconds before shouldering his bag. “Yeah. Let’s go.”

The group was quiet as they made their way down the hall towards reception to check out. It felt as though there was a collective disappointment that they hadn’t gotten more time in Namegawa. There seemed to be a lot of new and interesting things to see here, and Tenzou wondered if maybe they would have a reason to come back sometime and see all the technology that Namegawa offered.

As they emerged into the main entryway, they were greeted enthusiastically by Endo.

“Well if it isn’t the young newlyweds!” he exclaimed, leaping up from his stool before freezing comically as he registered the presence of Kai and Haru. “And… friends?”

The elderly man looked positively stumped by the situation as Tenzou stepped up to the desk and handed him the keys to their two rooms.

Tenzou heard Kai whisper loudly behind him. “Newlyweds?”

The sound of Haru’s suppressed laughter turned Tenzou’s smile into a slight grimace.

“Checking out so soon?” Endo inquired, having evidently recovered himself as he bustled around and started scribbling on a receipt. “But wait!” Eyes bulging, Endo looked up, pen halted mid-scrawl and a comical look of excitement on his face. “How was your meal at The Lover’s Bistro?!”

There was a scuffling noise from behind Tenzou and what sounded like some muffled choking before the bell of the door tinkled pleasantly. Endo was peering around him curiously, trying to get a look at what might be going on, but thankfully Tenzou’s position had managed to block the elderly man from seeing whatever nonsense his team had been up to. For ANBU, they had a remarkable talent for being unsubtle.

Endo looked at him questioningly as Tenzou offered him a smile. 

“I had the salad.”

“Anything else for you?” the young woman asked as she set a skewer of dango and a steaming cup of green tea down in front of Amaya.

Pulling the cup toward her, Amaya offered her a grateful smile. “No, that’ll be all. Thank you.”

Sipping carefully, Amaya closed her eyes and allowed a single, brief moment of contentment to wash over her as the bitterness hit her tongue. In her opinion, her country really did boast some of the best tea to be found.

Exhaling a sigh of appreciation, she turned her attention back to the street beyond the little tea stall she had settled in. From her vantage point, she had the perfect view of the main road that cut through the village she and her team had traveled to the previous day. 

The almost two hour trip to their new location had been relatively bland in comparison to the excitement of their stay in Namegawa. About thirty minutes out, the group had decided to separate and stagger their arrivals into the village, with the plan that they would each check in to the same inn separately so as to hopefully avoid arousing any suspicion. It would still allow them to covertly meet up and communicate as needed, but the village was small enough that they didn’t want to draw attention to themselves by moving about and rooming together as a larger group.

This also had the added benefit of allowing them to cast a wider net by staking out different areas of the village, thus increasing their chances of spotting Togusa. Given the man’s inconspicuous appearance, the ‘divide and conquer’ approach was much more likely to yield a positive result.

That is, assuming Togusa was even still here.

Plucking the dango from the small plate, she popped one of the dumplings into her mouth. While she wasn’t normally a sweets eater, she had always enjoyed the satisfying balls of rice flour. It might have been more of a texture thing with her, but regardless, this little tea shop was hitting all the marks. Looked like she’d be making this one of her stops again tomorrow.

Pulling a romance novel of questionable quality from the bag she had in her lap, she nursed her tea and pretended to read, all while keeping a keen eye on the street and storefronts nearby. 

After about an hour – and one refill of her tea — had passed, a man exiting the pharmacy further down the street caught her eye. It was too far for her to get a good read on his facial features, but the general height, weight and hair color all matched Togusa’s description.

Sitting up a bit straighter, Amaya turned a page of her book and watched the man closely as he paused for a moment and glanced at his watch.

“How is it?”

It took Amaya a few seconds to realize that the shopkeeper was asking her a question.

Eyes shifting between the man and the young woman, Amaya faltered, “Oh. The tea? It’s excellent. Thank you.”

It might have been obvious to most people that Amaya was clearly distracted by something else, but the woman giggled, drawing Amaya’s attention back to her.

“Oh no, I’m sorry. I meant the book.” She smiled brightly, grabbing Amaya’s empty cup. “I’ve been thinking about picking that one up.”

Out of the corner of her eye, Amaya saw that the man had turned and was now walking at a brisk pace away from her location. Muttering a quick expletive, Amaya shoved the book in her bag and began rifling for her wallet.

“It’s alright, I suppose,” she answered noncommittally as she finally extricated her wallet from the depths of the regrettably large bag she had chosen and pulled some bills out.

Dropping the money on the counter, Amaya offered a quick thank you and sped away as the woman called after her, “Please come again!”

Amaya barely heard her as she walked briskly down the street, doing her best to maintain a pace that wouldn’t look too suspicious but would also help her close the distance between herself and her target. 

“Where are you going in such a hurry?” She mumbled to herself as she shouldered her bag and glanced around to make sure she wasn’t attracting too much notice. It was so much harder to prevent unwanted attention in these smaller towns when so many of the residents knew each other. Then again, if they’d been trying to find Togusa in Namegawa, well… good luck with that. Talk about a needle in a haystack.

About two blocks later, Amaya had closed enough distance between herself and her target that she could get a better idea of his build and features. From behind, it certainly looked like Togusa. The realization caused her adrenaline to ramp up as she tried to figure out how best to intercept him.

Before she’d managed to formulate any semblance of a plan, the man drew to an abrupt halt and patted his pocket. 

“Dammit,” he exclaimed, shaking his head and turning around to face Amaya.

Inhaling sharply, Amaya experienced the briefest moment where she thought he might be about to confront her. Yet even as her body tensed and she readied herself, her mind caught up to the fact that not only was the man not looking at her, but the man looked nothing like Togusa at all.

Amaya’s internal dialogue echoed the man’s expletive as he passed her heading in the opposite direction. Slowing her pace, Amaya felt that familiar deflating feeling of disappointment. She’d really thought this man was Togusa. So much so that she already had her hand hidden in her bag, wrapped around a kunai.

With a beleaguered sigh, she dropped her head back and gazed up at the clear blue expanse above.

“Should’ve known it wouldn’t be that easy,” she said to nobody in particular.

Shaking her head, she glanced at the store to her left. It was a small bookshop with a couple of comfortable looking plush chairs for reading located just behind the front windows. Figuring it was about time for a change in position anyway, she made her way through the front door and readied herself for a long day of further disappointment.

Chapter Text

Another morning – another stakeout at the tea stall that Amaya had already become a regular at.

“The usual for you?”

The young shopkeeper offered her a pleasant smile as she collected some coins and bid farewell to a departing patron. The woman’s name was Keiko, Amaya had learned. They’d held some brief conversations throughout the past few days, and Amaya found herself enjoying this part of her day, at least.

“Yes, thank you,” Amaya responded as she settled in for what she assumed would be yet another fruitless day of hunting.

It had been four days since their arrival in the little town of Ise – four long days of searching with absolutely nothing to show for it. No sign of Togusa, not even a whisper or hint of his whereabouts. Careful probing of the village’s residents revealed absolutely no new information, and they still hadn’t received any word from their contact. At this point, they suspected that Togusa was either holed up somewhere or had moved on entirely. Neither option was terribly promising, but until they had a new lead to follow, they were pretty much stuck here.

Pulling out her newest read, Amaya flipped to about a quarter of the way into the book and settled back for some surveillance. If it wasn’t for this little tea shop, she thought she might have found nothing at all to enjoy during the painfully long days in Ise. Frankly, the aromatic brew and the accompanying sweet dango was the highlight of her stay. While she couldn’t quite put her finger on it, there was something about the sleepy town that was just a little too quiet for her comfort – so much so that she found herself missing the busy market days back home.

The reminder of Konoha caused her thoughts to shift to Keisuke. It had been weeks since they’d had time to really sit down and chat, and she found herself wondering how he was doing. Probably busy with the restaurant and his active social life. Definitely not questioning his life choices as he spent countless hours trying to stave off sheer boredom with tea and trashy novels.

Not for the first time Amaya found herself feeling just the smallest tinge of jealousy at the freedom that Keisuke’s life choices afforded him. She let out a small huff of dissatisfaction. Nobody to blame but herself, really.

“Are you planning to go to the lantern festival?” Keiko asked as she set the tea and dango down.

Placing her book in her lap, Amaya wrapped a hand around the warm cup and tilted her head inquiringly.

“You mean you haven’t heard?” The woman grinned as she grabbed a clean towel and wiped down the counter as she explained. “I know Ise is a small place. We don’t really have a lot to offer, but our lantern festival is fairly popular amongst the nearby villages.”

That certainly explained why they had been noticing a steady increase in visitors over the past couple of days. The streets were noticeably more crowded now than when they’d first arrived, which only made their job that much more challenging. It was odd that she hadn’t heard anything about the event until now. Back home, any festival was widely advertised by flyers, banners, and all sorts of thoroughfare for weeks before the event was to take place. Not to mention it was usually widely talked about by the residents. 

None of her teammates had mentioned it to her, so she figured they must not have known about it either. Then again, if the festival was more of a celebration targeting locals in nearby villages, that might explain why they hadn’t heard mention of it until now. 

Further evidence of the difficulties of blending into a small town. People always knew those who were ‘other’.

“When is it?” Amaya asked, mentally trying to track back through the days since they’d left Konoha to figure out what day of the week it was.

“Tomorrow night!” Keiko declared with barely veiled excitement. “It’s at the park on the other side of town. You should definitely go!”

Amaya made a noncommittal sound as she popped a sugary ball of dango in her mouth, her thoughts suddenly shifting back to their mission and the potential implications. With so many people coming in from nearby villages, the festival crowd was certain to be moderately substantial. 

Is this why Togusa was here? Was he planning to execute his next attack during the festival?

If that was the plan, the situation was more dire than they’d realized. There would be no way for Konoha to keep something of this magnitude quiet if he managed to pull it off. 

She needed to pass this information to her team as soon as possible.

“I have a date,” Keiko added softly, effectively disrupting Amaya’s train of thought. Her cheeks were dusted a soft pink as she carefully avoided Amaya’s eyes. “I know I shouldn’t get ahead of myself, but I’m really hoping it goes well.”

Raising a brow, Amaya smiled at the young woman. “How well are we talking?”

Keiko dropped her towel with a small gasp, quickly fumbling to grab it before it hit the ground and failing miserably. 

“You’ve been reading way too many of those books,” she accused Amaya, cheeks positively aflame now as Amaya let out a small laugh. Grabbing a fresh towel, her expression softened. “I just mean, it might be nice to, you know…”

Keiko was clearly hoping Amaya would interpret what was being left unsaid, but Amaya found herself enjoying the bashful reactions she was managing to elicit from the young woman. Amaya remained silent, giving away nothing but an expression of mixed amusement and expectation. Keiko let out a sigh of exasperation.

“ A kiss ,” Keiko whispered loudly, resuming her cleaning ministrations with renewed vigor. “Okay? I just mean… a kiss. Might be nice.”

Despite only having been in Ise for a few days, Amaya had learned enough about Keiko that she felt she had a decent grasp of what kind of person she was. The woman was kind, pure-hearted, and definitely a hopeless romantic. Her choice in literature made that last part abundantly clear. She was the kind of person that Amaya found herself wanting to protect from the darker parts of the world. 

It was only then that Amaya finally managed to pinpoint what it was about the woman that felt so familiar to her.

Keiko reminded her of Hana.

The brief flash of realization was enough to sober Amaya immediately. Thankfully, Keiko did not seem to notice the shift in mood, as at that moment another patron sat at the opposite end of the stall, effectively pulling the woman’s attention away.

This is not Kunigami. Amaya reassured herself. And she is not Hana.

Keiko would not be another victim, another ghost on Amaya’s conscience. She would not let that happen.

Leaving the tea and dango unfinished, Amaya stood up and dropped her payment on the counter. Time to find her team and let them know what she’d learned. They needed a plan, and time to prepare.

She paused just before stepping away.

“Keiko,” she said, glancing back over her shoulder.

The girl looked up expectantly. “Yes?”

Amaya hesitated, choosing her words with care. “I hope your date goes really well.”

Keiko’s smile lit up her whole face. “Thanks! I’ll tell you all about it after.”

Amaya managed a smile in return, though it didn’t quite reach her eyes. She turned and disappeared into the crowd, her footsteps quick, her jaw tight.

She was going to make sure there would be an after. Whatever Togusa was planning, she would do everything in her power to make sure he didn’t succeed.

A tinkling greeted Amaya as she entered the small clothing shop later that afternoon.

“Hello there,” a kind looking older woman emerged from behind a small counter and smiled at Amaya warmly. “How can I help you?”

Glancing around and knowing she looked more than a bit lost, Amaya offered the shopkeeper a grateful expression.

“I’m hoping to find something for tomorrow’s festival,” she stated simply, feeling at once ridiculous and overwhelmed.

“Of course!” the woman exclaimed, clapping her hands together in delight as she drifted towards one of the clothing racks. “Were you looking for something specific?”

Truth be told, Amaya had never had to shop for these types of things for herself before. Keisuke had always been her self-proclaimed stylist, always picking out an outfit for her for any events she planned to attend. If she were honest, she knew next to nothing about traditional clothing and what would be appropriate to even wear for such a thing.

Unfortunately for her, when Amaya had met with her team earlier to discuss what she had learned about the festival and her suspicions about Togusa’s plans, they’d all come to the same reluctant conclusion – they would need to blend in. Konoha could not afford another diplomatic incident, and if Togusa was truly planning to use the festival as a stage for his next act of violence, they would need to be close and remain unseen.

Which meant dressing the part.

Thankfully, she’d passed this shop a couple of days ago when patrolling this part of the town and had figured it was a good place to start.

“Honestly, I don’t have anything specific in mind,” Amaya answered, feeling her cheeks heat slightly as she gently plucked at the sleeve of deep purple… kimono? Or was this a yukata? Gods, she felt ridiculous.

The woman watched Amaya for a moment before a look of dawning understanding crossed her features.

“That’s not a problem, dear,” she said, gently leading Amaya towards the back of the store. “You’ll be wanting a yukata for the festival, then.”

Amaya felt her shoulders sag in relief, glad for the woman’s kindness. Despite how small the store was, the sheer amount of clothing that surrounded her was overwhelming.

“These racks here will be what you’re looking for,” she continued, gesturing towards three racks lining the back wall as the tinkling of the bell sounded again. “Unfortunately we don’t have as many now as we did earlier in the week, but I’m sure you will find something suitable.”

She smiled reassuringly and gently patted Amaya on the arm before drifting away to greet whomever had entered. 

Eyes drifting over the diverse rainbow of color displayed before her, Amaya only realized she hadn’t bothered to check who had entered the store behind her until she the new patron’s deep voice carried toward her from across the room. 

She stiffened and glanced at Kai from the corner of her eye. He was giving the shopkeeper a winning smile as they spoke animatedly about finding a yukata large enough to fit his frame, studiously ignoring Amaya to maintain their cover as strangers.

Turning her attention resolutely to the rack in front of her, she grimaced. Had he followed her on purpose? She knew they all needed to purchase something for tomorrow night, but this timing felt distinctly deliberate.

Which normally wouldn’t matter to her, but honestly the last thing she wanted was for one of her teammates to see her floundering over picking out an outfit, of all things. For some strange reason, it made her feel somehow less… feminine. Not that she usually cared about such things, being a shinobi meant that she could mostly ignore that type of stuff, and outside of Keisuke occasionally dragging her along, she rarely attended the more traditional events back home.

“Let me see what I have in the back,” the elderly woman told Kai with a youthful giggle as she practically bounced past Amaya, sweeping through the split fabric hanging in the doorway that presumably led to some sort of storage room.

The sound of shifting boxes filled the silence of the room as Amaya fixed her attention to the clothing in front of her, determined to simply pick any yukata that looked passable and get out as quickly as possible.

“Hmm. I’m not sure that one suits you,” Kai’s voice declared from behind her as she reached out to grab a light blue yukata with large flowers spread throughout the pattern.

Amaya’s arm froze mid-reach as Kai stepped up beside her, the slightest hint of amusement in dancing in his eyes despite the air of serious contemplation he was emitting. Bringing his fingers to his chin in consideration, he eyed the options before them before nodding to himself and pulling a different yukata from the rack.

“You should try this one,” he suggested softly, finally meeting her eyes. 

Surprisingly, there was no mockery in his expression as he offered her his pick. The color was a soft, muted green that was at once beautiful yet subtle. The pattern was limited to the bottom half of the fabric, with a much more subdued cream floral pattern than the one that she had been reaching for.

Kai shifted away carefully as the shopkeeper emerged from the back, a dark blue men’s yukata with a white diamond pattern folded in her arms. Spotting the yukata Amaya was holding, she smiled in delight.

“Oh, that one will suit you perfectly,” she proclaimed, stepping forward and nodding in approval as she eyed the fabric. “I have the perfect obi for it as well.”

She gestured towards Kai. “If you both will follow me to the changing rooms?”

They trailed her through the doorway and into the surprisingly large space behind the main shop. Storage boxes and additional racks lined the walls, as well as a long table with a couple of sewing machines and various materials scattered about. 

A single dressform stood near the back, draped with the most stunning kimono Amaya had ever laid eyes on. The fabric was dyed a deep, inky black that shimmered subtly under the low light like a raven's wing. Along the hem and sleeves, delicate embroidery in silver thread danced like moonlight on still water. The pattern was understated yet mesmerizing, clusters of leaves caught in a drifting wind and slender cranes mid-flight, their wings extended in graceful arcs that followed the curve of the fabric.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” the shopkeeper asked, gazing upon the kimono with a wistful expression. Amaya hadn’t realized she’d drifted over to inspect the piece more closely. “It was the last kimono my husband made before his passing.”

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” Amaya whispered, reaching out a tentative hand before pulling back, afraid to touch something that seemed almost like a priceless piece of art.

The woman chuckled, turning and pulling aside a curtain that shielded a small dressing room, gesturing for Kai to enter and handing him the yukata she had found. She closed the curtain behind him and moved to the one immediately to the right.

“If I put it out front, I know it would sell quickly, no matter the price,” she added as Amaya moved into the second dressing area, turning and glancing back at the kimono again. She found her eyes drawn to it constantly, it really was an incredible work of craftsmanship. “But for some reason, I find it hard to part with.”

Gaze shifting to meet the older woman’s, Amaya nodded in understanding. It was obvious that the kimono was a reminder of her late husband. It was not unlike the blade that Yuugao still carried, the one that had belonged to Hayate. Attachment to objects that reminded you of a deceased loved one was a fairly common occurrence.

“Let me go find that obi for you,” the shopkeeper said cheerily, clearly trying to lighten the somber mood as she closed the curtain for Amaya.

“Thank you,” Amaya called out as she hung up the garment and started to remove her clothing.

As she donned the yukata, she realized just how uncharacteristically quiet Kai had been throughout the entire exchange earlier.

“Are you okay over there?” Amaya whispered, guessing he would hear her without issue given how thin the wall separating them was.

A small scuffle sounded from the other side as Kai let out a grunt. “Could they make these rooms any smaller?”

Huffing a laugh, Amaya donned the sage green outfit and held up a sleeve to inspect it more closely. The material was incredibly soft against her skin, and the color really was pretty. It certainly wasn’t like the kimono she’d seen, but there was beauty to be found in simplicity as well. She wished there was a mirror in the room so she could see how she looked in it.

“May I come in?” The shopkeeper asked from the other side of the curtain.

“Yes, please,” Amaya answered, shifting backward as the woman pulled the curtain aside and instructed Amaya to turn around and lift her arms so she could secure the matching cream-colored obi.

Amaya heard Kai emerge from his room.

“There’s a mirror on the wall near that doorway we came through,” the woman called out to him. “How does it fit?”

There was a brief pause as Kai presumably observed his reflection. 

“It’s perfect,” he declared.

The woman hummed in satisfaction and patted Amaya gently on the shoulder. “Your turn, dear.”

Following her out of the dressing area, Amaya took in Kai’s appearance as he stood in front of the mirror. Unexpectedly, traditional garb suited him. Given his striking hair and large form, she hadn’t really thought it would be something that would look natural on him. It had always seemed like something more tailored to those like Haru and the rest of the Hyuuga clan.

Kai stepped aside, falling into conversation with the shopkeeper about the price of his chosen yukata as Amaya stepped forward to the mirror, her lips parting slightly in awe. She hated to admit it, but Kai was right – this yukata suited her. The muted hue contrasted well with her skin tone, and even her normally stormy grey eyes seemed a bit brighter than usual. It truly was flattering on her form, and the absence of pattern throughout most of it gave it a much more mature look.

Amaya hadn’t realized that she and Kai were alone until his reflection moved into view directly behind her.

“You look beautiful,” he said quietly, his eyes softening as he scanned her form in the mirror.

Amaya snorted. “Yeah, yeah. You win. You have fantastic taste.”

There was no amusement in his expression as his eyes met hers, and she felt her smile falter.

“You always look beautiful.”

It was said so quietly that Amaya almost wasn’t sure she heard him right. But there was something in his gaze — unflinching and raw — that made her breath catch.

Something in the air shifted. He wasn’t teasing her, not this time. There was no smirk, no quip waiting to follow. Just a silence so intimate it felt like the rest of the world had vanished, leaving only the two of them standing together before a single reflection.

She turned toward him slightly. Kai looked like he might say something more, but instead he offered her a small smile. One of the rare, genuine ones.

“We should get going,” he murmured.

Amaya nodded, suddenly unable to speak. Yet as she stepped away from the mirror, she was keenly aware of the lingering warmth of his gaze. A knot formed in her stomach. The last thing she wanted was for the dynamics within her team to grow complicated again, especially given they’d only recently gotten back to a semblance of normalcy.

And yet, ten minutes later as she stepped out of the shop alone into the fading light of the afternoon, her thoughts kept circling back to one irrefutable truth. Where romantic feelings were concerned, things would always be complicated. 

And there wasn’t a damned thing she could do about that.

Chapter Text

The festival had been going on for nearly three hours without so much as a whisper of trouble.

Tenzou stood at the edge of the park, his back pressed against the rough bark of an ancient oak tree as he watched the sea of people drifting between the glowing paper lanterns strung overhead. The warm yellow light cast dancing shadows across the faces of festival-goers, creating an almost dreamlike atmosphere that made surveillance both easier and more challenging. Easier because the soft lighting helped obscure his own features, but more challenging because every face seemed to shift and morph under the flickering glow.

His plain, dark blue yukata blended well with the shadows, and he'd positioned himself with a clear view of the main thoroughfare that cut through the festival grounds. From here he could see the food stalls and game booths, but most importantly the crowds of people moving between them. If Togusa was here, if he was planning something, Tenzou would spot him.

The problem was, as the evening wore on Tenzou was becoming increasingly convinced that their target was nowhere to be found.

A burst of laughter drew his attention to a group of children chasing each other between the booths, their feet pounding against the packed earth as they played some version of tag. Their parents watched with indulgent smiles, occasionally calling out warnings when the children got too close to the food stalls. It was such a picture of innocent happiness that Tenzou found himself relaxing slightly despite the mission at hand.

This was what they were protecting. This was why they hunted men like Togusa.

Movement in his peripheral vision caught his attention, and he turned to see a familiar figure weaving through the crowd. Haru moved with the fluid grace typical of his clan, his pale yukata making him easy to spot even in the shifting light. Their eyes met briefly across the distance, and Haru gave an almost imperceptible shake of his head.

Nothing on his end either.

Gaze sweeping the crowd again, Tenzou catalogued countless faces, looking for anything that seemed out of place. A man arguing with a vendor over the price of yakitori. A young couple sharing cotton candy, the girl giggling as the boy tried to feed her a particularly large piece. An elderly woman scolding her grandson for running off without permission.

All perfectly normal. Perfectly innocent.

Much as they had been doing periodically throughout the evening, his eyes found Amaya without conscious effort. She was positioned near a small pond, and even from this distance, he had observed that she had been trying to stay close to the young shopkeeper that ran the tea stall near the center of town.

Tenzou would be lying if he said he wasn’t captivated by Amaya’s appearance. She looked beautiful in her soft green yukata, the color bringing out a subtle warmth in her usually stormy eyes. That combined with the way the lantern light played across her features made her seem almost ethereal, like something out of a dream. Looking at her made something in his chest tighten.

Forcing himself to look away, he scanned the crowd again. This was neither the time nor the place for such distractions. They had a job to do.

A commotion near the game booths caught his attention and he tensed, ready to move. A rapid assessment of the situation revealed that it was just a teenage boy who had knocked over a stack of wooden blocks while trying to impress a girl. The booth operator was laughing good-naturedly as he helped the boy reset the game, the girl giggling behind her hand.

Tenzou let out a slow breath and settled back against the tree. Maybe they had been wrong. Maybe Togusa wasn't planning to strike during the festival after all. At this point, Tenzou was beginning to suspect that the missing-nin had moved on from Ise entirely.

The thought should have been reassuring, but instead it left Tenzou feeling oddly restless. They had been chasing Togusa for days now, following leads that led nowhere, grasping at shadows. At what point did he declare the mission a failure?

His attention was drawn back to Amaya, and he noted that she was now engaged in conversation with the shopkeeper that she’d been tailing all night. As he watched, he detected a large figure approaching the pair. Even in the dim light, Kai's distinctive red hair and broad shoulders made him immediately recognizable.

Amaya's posture shifted slightly when she noticed him, and Tenzou could see the subtle tension in both their stances as the three began to converse. The young shopkeeper was watching Kai and Amaya with interest, her face lit up in obvious delight. Even from this distance, Tenzou could see the moment of realization that crossed Kai’s face. His eyes widened, and he shot a quick look at Amaya before turning back with his trademark cocky smile.

Realization dawned. A date. The shopkeeper clearly assumed Kai was Amaya’s date.

Tenzou watched them, a strange feeling settling in his chest. He told himself it was concern for the mission, for their cover, but he knew he was lying to himself. The sight of Kai and Amaya being pushed together by the well-meaning shopkeeper stirred something dark and possessive in him. It wasn’t the first time he’d felt this way when it came to his teammate’s relationship, but it caught him off guard all the same.

Willfully forcing himself to focus on the crowd again, he scanned for any sign of Togusa or anything suspicious. The festival continued around him, peaceful and joyful, oblivious to the tension gnawing at his insides and the cacophony of thoughts that threatened to distract him from his mission.

Time passed in a blur of lantern light and festival sounds. Tenzou kept his position, methodically cataloging faces and watching for threats that never materialized. Occasionally, he caught glimpses of his teammates through the crowd. Haru near the game booths, looking relaxed but alert. Kai and Amaya with the shopkeeper and her companion, the four of them touring around the festival looking for all the world like two young couples enjoying each other’s company.

Some small, bitter part of Tenzou was tempted to signal the pair and force them to separate. After all, how well were they really performing their mission if they were distracted like this? Yet, the rational part of his mind acknowledged that despite their easygoing demeanors, a few quick moments of observation revealed that both Kai and Amaya were still watching their surroundings with a keen eye, all while successfully blending in with the festival-goers. 

If he were brutally honest with himself, he did not like seeing them together. Plain and simple. And yet, he couldn’t seem to tear himself away. Like some sort of twisted voyeur, he found his attention pulled their way repeatedly. The more he watched their interactions – performed with such an ease and effortlessness that he could never hope to replicate – the more he felt like an outsider. It left him with a feeling of hollowness that he had thought he’d chased away years ago.

As the evening wore on, the crowds began to thin. Families with younger children started to head home, and the festival took on a more romantic atmosphere. Couples strolled hand in hand between the lanterns, and Tenzou noticed more than a few stolen kisses in the shadows.

He was beginning to think they could call it a night when he spotted movement out of the corner of his eye. Kai and Amaya were walking together slightly apart from the main crowd, the shopkeeper and her companion nowhere to be seen. Something about their body language suggested they were having a serious conversation.

Against his better judgement, Tenzou found himself moving closer, staying in the shadows but angling for a better view. They had stopped near a cluster of lanterns at the edge of the park, the soft light casting their faces in gold. Kai was saying something, his expression uncharacteristically somber. Amaya was listening, her arms wrapped around herself as if she was cold, despite the balmy evening air. There was something vulnerable in her posture that made Tenzou want to step forward, to offer his own warmth and comfort.

As Tenzou watched, Kai reached out and gently touched Amaya's arm. She looked up at him, and something passed between them, some moment of understanding or connection that made Tenzou's breath catch. 

His entire focus was consumed by the scene playing before him as Kai closed the distance between himself and Amaya. Before Tenzou even had time to register what was about to happen, Kai’s lips had captured Amaya’s in a kiss that was both soft and tender.

And completely devastating to watch.

Tenzou felt like he had been punched in the gut. The world around him seemed to fade away, leaving only the image of Kai and Amaya kissing under the lantern light, looking for all the world like a couple in love.

He knew he should look away, should give them privacy. Hell, he should be focusing on the mission. But he found himself frozen in place, unable to tear his eyes away from the scene that was playing out before him.

The kiss must have only lasted only a few seconds. But to Tenzou, it felt like an eternity. 

When they finally broke apart, Tenzou could see the confusion and uncertainty in Amaya's expression, the way she stepped back from Kai with wide eyes.

That was when she noticed him.

Their gazes locked from across the distance, and Tenzou saw the moment of recognition, rapidly replaced by the flash of something that might have been panic or guilt or… regret. He couldn't tell from here, couldn't read the expression on her face with the lantern light casting shadows across her features.

For a moment, they simply stared at each other. Then Amaya turned back to Kai, saying something urgently that Tenzou couldn't hear. Kai followed her gaze, his eyes finding Tenzou as well.

The weight of their stares was too much. Tenzou turned away, melting back into the shadows and deeper into the festival crowd. He needed space, a distraction. Something, anything to erase that scene from his mind. Yet as he walked away, he couldn't shake the image of that kiss, couldn't stop the jealousy and hurt that was churning in his chest like acid.

He had always prided himself on his professionalism, his ability to separate his personal feelings from his duty. But watching Kai kiss Amaya had shattered that careful control, leaving him raw and exposed in ways he simply didn't know how to handle.

The festival continued around him, lanterns glowing softly in the night air, but Tenzou no longer saw the beauty in it. All he could see was the insurmountable distance between himself and the woman he desired, but could never have.

Amaya had stuck close to Keiko all evening, doing a decent job of remaining nearby but unnoticed until about five minutes ago when Keiko’s date had left her alone to grab something from a nearby food stall. Before Amaya had the opportunity to blend in with a larger crowd, Keiko had spotted her.

"He's here somewhere," Keiko said for the third time since grabbing Amaya and pulling her along, seemingly eager to introduce Amaya to her date. She craned her neck to scan the crowd. "Maybe he got lost? Or maybe he's waiting by the food stalls instead?"

Amaya nodded sympathetically, though she was only half-listening. Her attention was split between watching for any sign of Togusa and trying to appear like she was enjoying the festival. The yukata that Kai had helped her choose felt strange against her skin, too delicate for someone who was used to more protective clothing. It was beautiful, of course. But it made her feel exposed, despite the layers of fabric.

"Do you know him?” Keiko asked suddenly, gesturing to someone in the crowd. 

Following her gaze, Amaya spotted Kai weaving through the festival-goers as he offered her a small wave of greeting. Her heart sank. Kai approaching meant he either had information about Togusa, or was checking in on her status. Either way, it was going to be difficult to maintain their cover as strangers with Keiko standing right there.

"Oh, he's handsome," Keiko whispered, clutching Amaya's arm excitedly. "You didn't tell me you’d found a date!"

Amaya's stomach dropped as she realized what was happening. On one hand, Keiko’s misinterpretation saved her from having to explain Kai’s presence. On the other hand, Amaya had no way of warning him as they exchanged greetings.

"You must be Amaya's date," Keiko interjected as Amaya introduced Kai. "I'm Keiko. I run the tea stall by the pharmacy.”

Kai's eyes widened slightly, and he glanced at Amaya with a look that clearly said 'what the hell is happening?' Amaya gave him a subtle shake of her head, hoping he would understand that she hadn't told Keiko anything about having a date, but that they needed to play along.

"Uh, yes," Kai responded slowly, his usual confidence faltering only briefly. "It's nice to meet you, Keiko."

Keiko clasped her hands together, offering them both a bright smile. "It’s so lucky that you managed to find each other in this crowd. The festival is much busier than usual this year."

"Right," Amaya said weakly, shooting another look at Kai. He raised a brow at her and gave her a small smirk. Having clearly recovered from his initial confusion, he seemed to now be enjoying Keiko’s misconception.

It took a concerted effort to prevent herself from rolling her eyes.

“Oh, and there’s Tamaki!” 

Keiko blushed, waving at the man approaching them through the nearby throng of people.

The young man was plain looking, as most standards went, but Keiko looked at him as if he was the most handsome man she had ever laid eyes on. In the brief time that Amaya had observed them together, she’d concluded that the man was on the quieter side even when compared to his date. Throughout the evening, Keiko had seemed to carry the conversation, and as he joined their group and introductions were made, Amaya realized that the man was almost painfully shy around strangers.

"Since we’re all here, why don’t we check out the lantern display together," Keiko suggested, looping her arm through Tamaki’s even as both of them turned a stunning shade of red. "It's absolutely gorgeous this year, and so romantic!"

Before any of them could protest, Keiko was leading them deeper into the festival. Amaya found her initial discomfort rapidly diminishing, in large part due to how adorable Keiko and Tamaki were. The normally reserved woman seemed determined to be assertive with her date, which thankfully seemed to be well received by the man. If anything, he seemed to appreciate Keiko taking the lead.

"The lanterns are made by local artisans," Keiko was explaining as they walked. "Each one is hand-painted with traditional designs. Oh, and there's a legend that says if you make a wish under the lanterns with someone special, it will come true."

"That's lovely," Amaya commented absently, more focused on scanning the faces in the crowd for anything or anyone that might seem suspicious.

"Isn't it?" Keiko sighed dreamily.

They reached the lantern display, and Amaya had to admit it was breathtaking. Dozens of paper lanterns hung from the trees, their soft glow creating a canopy of light overhead. The designs were intricate and beautiful, depicting everything from cherry blossoms to flying cranes to abstract patterns that seemed to dance in the flickering light.

"It's incredible," Kai said softly, and Amaya was surprised by the genuine appreciation in his voice.

"This is why our festival is so popular. People come from villages hours away just to see the lanterns."

They spent the next hour wandering through the festival with Keiko as their guide. She showed them the traditional dancers, the food stalls, the game booths where children were trying to win prizes. Throughout it all, Keiko kept making comments about how well suited Amaya and Kai were, how obvious it was that they cared about each other. 

How she could tell they were meant to be.

Each comment made Amaya more uncomfortable, but she couldn't correct Keiko without potentially blowing their cover. So instead, she smiled and nodded and tried her utmost to ignore the way Kai's eyes kept finding hers whenever Keiko made another romantic observation.

By the time they’d made the grand rounds and surely had seen everything there was to see, Amaya was well and truly ready to call it a night.

Seeming to detect her readiness to leave, Kai pulled the group to a halt.

“I think it’s about time we let you two lovebirds enjoy your date alone,” Kai suggested, wrapping his arm around Amaya’s waist and offering the pair a wink. 

Amaya’s lips thinned.

“Oh. Are you sure? There’s a booth over there where we can make our own lanterns,” Keiko suggested, a strange blush creeping up her cheeks.

It took a moment for Amaya to realize that it wasn’t necessarily their company that Keiko was eager to keep, but most likely her nerves about the approaching end to her date. Amaya had to suppress a smile at that. She truly did hope Keiko got the kiss she was hoping for.

"We'll be fine," Amaya assured her gently. "Go enjoy your evening."

Keiko nodded and glanced up at Tamaki. “Well, if you’re sure…”

The group bid their farewells, Amaya watching the pair retreat with a strange feeling of contentment settling in her stomach. Sure, they hadn’t found Togusa tonight, but this… this is what they worked so hard to protect. 

"Well," Kai remarked once Keiko was out of earshot. "That was interesting."

"Yeah, sorry about that," Amaya offered, finally allowing herself to look at him properly.

They stood in awkward silence for a moment. Without the other pair to fill the space, Amaya became acutely aware of how close they were standing, how the lantern light made Kai's eyes look warmer than usual.

"No Togusa," Kai remarked eventually, his voice carefully neutral.

"Seems like it," Amaya replied, grateful for the return to professional matters.

As the evening had worn on, she had become increasingly convinced that Togusa wasn't at the festival. The whole atmosphere was too peaceful, too normal. If he had been planning something, surely there would have been some sign of it by now. At this point, the festival had already begun to wind down, and it made no sense to have waited this long just for much of the crowd to have dispersed.

Amaya let out a small sigh of frustration. “More wasted time.”

“I wouldn’t say that.”

There was something in Kai’s tone that made Amaya look at him more closely. His usual cocky confidence was tempered by something softer, something that made her stomach do somersaults.

"Kai–" she started, but he was already speaking.

"I know this is complicated," he said quietly. "Being here like this, pretending to be on a date. But I want you to know that for me, it doesn't feel like pretending."

Amaya's breath caught. She had been afraid of this, had seen the way Kai looked at her yesterday. The way he’d been acting in the shop, the things he’d said, she’d known something like this might be coming. But hearing him say it out loud made it real in a way that she wasn't prepared for.

"Kai," she said again, her voice barely above a whisper.

"I know," he said, holding up a hand to stop her. "I know you don't feel the same way. I know this is just a mission, and we're just playing roles. But I needed to say it, just once."

They had moved away from the main crowd without her realizing it, and now they stood in a small pool of light at the edge of the park. The sounds of the festival seemed distant, muffled by the night air and the weight of the moment.

"You're a good man, Kai," Amaya responded softly, and she meant it. "You're funny and kind and brave, and any woman would be lucky to have you. But I—"

"I know," he said again, his smile rueful. "I've known for a while now. I just..."

He trailed off, and Amaya felt her heart break a little for him. She had never wanted to hurt him, had never wanted to be the source of pain for someone who meant so much to her.

For a moment, they simply stood there, the weight of unspoken words hanging between them. Then Kai leaned down, and before Amaya could react, his lips were on hers.

The kiss was soft and gentle, full of all the feelings he had been holding back. And for just a single moment, Amaya let herself appreciate the tenderness and care in the gesture. 

But it felt wrong. No, not wrong. If she were honest – in this moment, with Kai’s lips on hers – she felt nothing.

She pulled back, her eyes wide with confusion and regret.

"I can't," she whispered, her voice shaking slightly. "I'm sorry, Kai, but I can't."

"I’m sorry," he answered, his voice rough with emotion. "I shouldn't have—"

"No, it's not that," Amaya added quickly, then stopped. She wasn't sure how to explain the churning in her stomach, the feeling that something was fundamentally wrong with the situation. "I just... I can't."

That was when she saw him. Tenzou, standing in the shadows at the edge of the trees, watching them with an expression that she couldn't read from this distance. Even in the dim light, she could feel the weight of his gaze, and something in her chest clenched with panic.

Her panic must have shown on her face, because Kai turned to look.

"What?" Kai followed her gaze, and she saw the moment he spotted Tenzou as well. "Shit."

They stared at their captain for a long moment, and Amaya felt like she might be sick. How long had he been watching? What had he seen? And why did the thought of him witnessing that kiss make her feel like she had done something terrible?

Tenzou watched them for another heartbeat, then turned and disappeared.

"We need to go after him," Amaya said, already starting forward.

"Amaya, wait." Kai caught her arm firmly. "Maybe we should give him some space. He's probably just... processing."

"Processing what?" Amaya demanded, turning to stare at Kai as she shook him off.

Kai leveled her with a deadpan stare. “Amaya, you can’t be serious.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she snapped, frustration and confusion causing any of her remaining patience to disappear. Internally, she was battling the urge to chase after Tenzou and explain... what? That the kiss had been a mistake? That it hadn't meant anything? But that made no sense. It wasn’t as if her kissing Kai would hurt Tenzou’s feelings.

Pulling his fingers through his hair, Kai growled in frustration. “Are you seriously telling me you have no idea that he has feelings for you?”

Time seemed to stop, and Amaya stared at Kai in mute horror.

Had she known? Maybe in some deep, unacknowledged subconscious part of her mind, she’d known. But she’d never really allowed herself to willfully think about it.

Silence stretched between them, the festival continuing around them as if nothing had happened. But something had shifted, something fundamental and irreversible. The easy camaraderie of their team felt fractured, and Amaya didn't know how to fix it.

That silence was carried with them as they walked back toward the inn. The air felt weighty, uncomfortable. As they reached the building, Kai paused and turned to her.

"For what it's worth, I don't regret it. Even if it was a mistake, even if it complicated things. I don't regret it."

Amaya looked at him, this man who had become such an important part of her life, and felt the sting of tears in her eyes.

"I don't want to lose you," she said, putting voice to the thoughts that haunted her. "As a friend, as a teammate. I don't want this to change everything."

"It won't," Kai promised, though there was something in his eyes that suggested he wasn't entirely sure. "We'll figure it out. We always do."

Amaya nodded, though she wasn't convinced either.

She had thought the most complicated part of this mission would be finding Togusa. Yet as she closed the door to her room and sank down onto her bed – still wearing the beautiful yukata that now felt like a costume from someone else's life – she realized that the real complications were only just beginning.

The festival had been beautiful, peaceful, and completely free of the danger they had been expecting. But somehow, it had created a different kind of danger entirely. The kind that might be even harder to navigate than any enemy she had ever faced.

Outside her window, the lanterns continued to glow in the night, their soft light a reminder of wishes made and moments that could never be taken back. And somewhere in the inn, Tenzou was probably lying awake too, thinking about what he had seen, what it meant, and where they would go from here.

Amaya closed her eyes and tried to push away the image of his face when he had seen her kiss Kai. She tried to tell herself that it didn't matter, that it was just a complication that they would work through. But deep down, she knew it was more than that. Deep down, she knew that everything had changed tonight, and there was no going back to the way things were before.

And tomorrow, she would have to face the consequences of tonight's choices. Whatever they might be.