Heaven: Ch 9

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Chapter 9

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"We need to talk."

Neji turned his head a mere fraction of an inch, tilting just slightly in the Inuzuka's direction, so that Kiba would know his message had been received. The top of Hokage tower was hardly crowded at this time of the night, necessitating surreptious movement and low whispers; the graveyard shift required only a minimum of guards. Since Danzo's demise ROOT had changed drastically; these days they aimed for the maximum amount of damage and exposure when they attacked. A midnight raid would result only in confusion – days lost before they could claim the credit – so tonight Kiba and Neji were joined only by Hinata and Shino, limiting the chance to talk freely.

It was strange how their partnership had grown in the months since he'd started the search for his teammates, Neji mused as he turned Byakugan eyes back to sweeping over the sleeping village below. Through the years he'd learned to be more sociable, to appreciate his connection with his comrades … but he'd still hesitated to call any of them his friends. Except for Tenten and Lee, and they were more like family, regardless. But Kiba had thrown himself wholeheartedly into Neji's schemes; not once protesting at the danger or the futility – and somehow the unwavering support had come to mean something to the stoic Hyuuga.

The fact that Kiba needed to talk badly enough to risk being overheard must mean that information of some importance had reached the Inuzuka's ears. Neji glanced towards the sky, judging the time by the position of the moon, and cursed under his breath when he realized there were hours still to go before they would have an opportunity to speak privately. He burned with impatience and inaction … had been for the last six weeks.

Gai and Lee were somewhere out there; just outside his reach because he was stuck in this damn village being held hostage by their own people …!

Neji took a deep breath; ignored the side-long glance from Shino stationed a few feet to his right, and forced himself to keep calm. Patience was a virtue he actively cultivated; he could wait a few hours. Unfortunately he had nothing to distract him save for the vague outlines of the buildings below him, just barely thrown into shadowed lines by the light of a full moon.

Where were Gai and Lee? What were they doing? He appreciated that they could hardly send him blow by blow reports of every move they made but surely Gai could at least use his summons to let him know they were on track! The pressing question burned at the back of his mind; the passage of every day only deepening his complete conviction that something was terribly amiss. What else could it be since she'd seemingly vanished into thin air?

Where was Tenten?

A short, sharp shake of his head lodged Neji firmly in the present again and he forced himself to focus on the task at hand. Tenten, more than anyone, would never forgive him if he slacked off and it resulted in the loss of innocent lives because he was too busy worrying about her to pay attention to what he was doing. It was difficult though; his single-mindedness for once more of a drawback than an asset. He could feel his muscles trembling with the urge to simply run – they wouldn't be able to stop him in time … and he could be of much more use once he'd satisfied himself that Tenten was alive and well; in Gai's keeping along with Lee.

Akamaru whined quietly and Neji firmly pushed all thoughts of his teammates away as he forced more chakra into the veins surrounding his eyes; sharpening his vision to a level where the clarity almost hurt. Maintaining that level of Byakugan vision was a strain – maybe enough of a strain to keep his mind firmly on his job for the next few hours…

The moon climbed slowly higher, the ascent much too gentle for Neji's liking, but he kept his eyes firmly fixed on the village below; counting the sweeps of the Byakugan through the darkness with precision. It was harder to keep track here in the village, with so many chakra signatures constantly on the move, and it required careful scrutiny to ensure that he wasn't, in fact, viewing the deployment of enemy troops but merely the movements of friendly shinobi. It kept him occupied; a dull, repetitive rhythm of sweep and focus, and Neji jumped when Shino suddenly spoke.

"Another safe night. Why do I say that? Because it is dawn and there has been no sign of any enemy mobility."

No one answered him but Shino didn't seem to mind. He turned towards the door that would lead them back into the bowels of the building below; Hinata close on his heels. Neji deactivated the Byakugan and rubbed the heels of his hands against his suddenly aching eyes. Another few minutes to report to Tsunade, or Shizune if the Hokage was asleep or otherwise occupied, and he would finally hear the news Kiba had brought. He turned wearily to follow after the other two but Kiba grabbed his arm before he'd taken much more than two steps and started to whisper urgently into his ear.

"I overheard my sister telling my mother. The Jounin council know about Gai and Lee. She was scouting in the surrounding forest, spotted them and reported it back. Hokage-sama is not pleased; they're supposed to be gathering loyal Konoha shinobi and setting up a strong rebel base not running around so close to ROOT. There's talk of sending Hunters after them."

Neji couldn't help it, he tensed up. Gai and Lee were hardly inconspicuous but Gai at the very least was more than capable of keeping himself out of the line of sight of any scouts that passed their way. But they had no way of avoiding an Inuzuka nose.

"We'll have to find some way to get a message to them. For the time being, at least, they will have to withdraw," Neji spoke through gritted teeth, suppressing the urge to Gentle Fist his way through the door just a few feet in front of him.

"I already signed up for another scouting mission," Kiba muttered, absentmindedly petting Akamaru though a worried frown furrowed his brow.

A succinct nod was all Neji could manage in return though he was thankful for Kiba's assistance in this as in so many other parts of his plans; hopefully the Inuzuka's keen senses would pick up on the unspoken sentiment. Kiba fell into step just behind him when Neji purposefully moved towards the door again. Shino and Hinata would be wondering what had become of them.

The plain, unvarnished wooden staircase descended in an almost vertical line down to the next level but Neji was so used to treading this path he barely had to watch the placement of his feet. Twenty steps exactly, a sharp turn to the right, halfway down the narrow hallway; a set of double doors …

He stopped in surprise to see Shino and Hinata hovering just outside the Hokage's office. Rather, Hinata was hovering, twisting her fingers together in a way she usually only employed when she was feeling particularly uncomfortable and unsure of what to do. Shino was merely standing, hands in his pockets and staring expressionlessly at the wall. Though there was something about the tense set of their shoulders that alerted Neji … they were listening hard, both of them. On silent feet he ghosted down the hallway after a quick warning glance at the Inuzuka behind him, joining the other two in their silent postures in front of the dark-wood doors.

"It doesn't mean anything, Tsunade-sama!"

Neji resisted the urge to activate his Byakugan so he could see into the room, and perhaps try to read the lips of the occupants, as their voices were distorted and muffled by the thick wooden walls.

"Enough, Shizune! Go… Sai."

The small intake of breath, from four different people at exactly the same time, was almost deafening in the silence of the hallway and Neji glared reproachfully at the others as he strained his hearing again. The last any of them had heard Sai had defected back to ROOT. Though the surprise of hearing the Hokage speak the supposed traitor's name was nothing to hearing his voice a moment later. Hinata looked as if she might faint and Neji surreptiously moved into position to catch her if she should.

"... ambush planned far in advance. They sent three teams… Uchiha Sasuke seemed to be settled in the Sound base … hard fight … nearly killed them all … survivor … he's sure he injured Uchiha … been searching ever since …"

Sai was usually soft-spoken and this made it more difficult to hear and decipher his words but Neji heard enough. Pearlescent eyes met Kiba's and, at his slight nod, Neji knew that the Inuzuka had drawn the same conclusions he had.

Sai was their spy. The defection in favor of ROOT had been a ruse all along.

It was gratifying, knowing someone he had counted as a comrade, if not as a friend, hadn't betrayed them … at the same time it was frustrating to wonder how many other secrets the Hokage had been keeping…

By far the most alarming was the news that ROOT was after Uchiha Sasuke. They had Danzo's transplant technique … if they got their hands on a Sharingan …

"Hyuuga! Inuzuka!"

For the second time in the space of a few hours, Neji jolted in surprise. Almost in conjunction with the Hokage shouting their names, the doors flew open and a harried looking Shizune strode out and hustled Hinata and Shino further down the hallway before all but pushing them into the room she used as her own office.

"Get in here!"

Kiba blanched and sent a look filled with significance at the elder man beside him before taking a deep breath and entering the Hokage's office. Neji reluctantly followed behind. When Tsunade-sama lost her temper it was no use to try and reason with her. After the news Sai had just imparted she would be doubly incensed and worried so it would do no good to try and explain that they'd merely been coming to give their report. The sharp crack of the Hokage's palms connecting with her desk was accompanied by the shuddering of the piece of furniture. She stood, the first rays of the sun streaking across the sky framed in the window behind her, as she glared at the young men standing nearly to attention in front of her.

"Hyuuga. You wanted out of this village – you got your wish. You will both be leaving within the hour. Estimated mission timeframe is undetermined. You will carefully comb through every inch of forest all along the border with Sound; searching for any sign of a battle and you will report your findings via my slug summons on a daily basis. I do not know how much you heard but I trust you can keep your mouths shut." She glared at them and leaned forward to emphasize her utter seriousness.

"If either of you ever attempt to eavesdrop on my confidential meetings like this again you will regret it. Understood."

Kiba nodded vigorously as Akamaru hung his head and Neji answered with a quiet affirmative.

"Hokage-sama. My uncle …" he added after another moment of silent glaring on the Hokage's part.

"I will deal with Hyuuga Hiashi," she replied evenly, "this is not like your request to search for Tenten, Neji. This is official village business that may have a crucial effect on the war effort." Her hand was hidden by a stack of paper beside her though they could clearly hear the clicking of her sake cup as she reached for it, as Tsunade nodded their dismissal curtly.

A short bow, for propriety's sake more than anything, and Neji pivoted on his heel.

Excitement, a wild sort of happiness, whirled inside him in chaotic swirls that were making him dizzy. This was far more than he could ever have hoped for.

The chance he had been wishing for.

---

Tenten had never been happier to see a man-made structure. The two-story building reared up into the sky, seeming bigger – higher – than it actually was owing to the fact that it stood alone on the plain. For two days they had been walking through the sparse trees. They'd been wet and cold and miserable for most of it, and just when Tenten had given up hope of ever reaching civilization again they'd broken through the tree-line.

The inn stood beside an over-grown road though the building itself was in good repair. A few shingles were loose on the roof and a gutter or two could do with a new coat of paint, but the yard, enclosed by a low wooden-beamed fence, was neatly kept. Its walls were unpainted red-brick, topped with the black shingled roof; a long line of gleaming windows set to each side of the wooden front door. It seemed utterly incongruous to find such a place out here in the middle of nowhere and after a moment of slack-jawed gaping on Tenten's part she realized that Sasuke hadn't even paused in his stride. Her eyes narrowed as she glared at his back. So he had known this place was here; had been steering them towards it all along.

"You could have told me," she muttered at his back as she hurried to catch up, "It would have made the last couple of days a lot easier if I'd known a warm bath and a real bed was waiting for me at the end of it!"

He barely spared her a disinterested glance and a grunt but Tenten was becoming well-versed in reading the Uchiha's barely-there expressions and she couldn't suppress the smug smirk at the sight of surprise tightening his eyes. Unpleasant as it had been, the last two days had given her the perspective she'd been so sorely lacking before. Telling herself that she'd cast her lot firmly with the Uchiha was one thing – the reality of it was another. Being in the woods, so far from anything remotely resembling home, had made her realize anew how dependent she was on him.

A terrifying prospect considering his apparent death wish, not to mention his completely irrational behavior.

Throughout the hours she'd spent trudging after him, mulling over everything that had happened since they'd left the Sound base, her confidence had reasserted itself. At least twice now, she should have been dead, yet she was still alive. She would find a way; refused to give up.

Go down fighting.

Wasn't that what Gai-sensei had taught them? If she couldn't find a way then she would die - but death wasn't such a dreadful prospect. Not anymore. After all, if Sasuke didn't kill her – or get her killed in whatever he was planning – then the possibility that ROOT would was quite high. Whichever way – she still wound up dead. Tenten found, having made peace with her own mortality, Sasuke didn't scare her as much as he used to. Now the fear was more for immediate physical agony in the form of Chidori, or another beating, than the bone-deep terror she'd felt in the beginning. She'd paused at the small gate while Sasuke continued up the path, getting lost in her thoughts, and Tenten shook her head as she jogged the last few steps, reaching him just as he pushed the front door open.

The interior didn't disappoint. Polished wooden floors covered in scattered rugs led to a U-shaped reception desk behind which a white-haired old man dozed. While nothing in the foyer was lavish or luxurious, the place was obviously well cared for, and Tenten had to struggle to suppress the ear-splitting grin that wanted to bloom into being at the thought of being clean and warm.

Sasuke impatiently pressed the bell on top of the polished counter top after they stood in front of the desk for a minute with no reaction from the old man. At the pinging sound he jolted upright in his chair, blinking rheumy eyes hazed with sleep at the sudden appearance of two guests.

"Welcome –″ he started slowly, then paused, as if he'd forgotten the rest of his obviously memorised speech; his gaze focused unwaveringly on the dark-haired man standing in front of him.

Tenten glanced at Sasuke in confusion only to be greeted by a sight she wished she'd never have to see again. The pinwheels of the Mangekyou were whirling and Tenten quickly relocated her gaze to her feet as she tried to still the frantic beating of her heart.

"We require room and board, old man." Sasuke's voice was low and smooth; soothing almost.

She chanced a quick glance at her companion, making sure to look no higher than the straight line of his nose. One hand disappeared under his cloak, pressing against the wound he refused to allow her to see, Tenten was sure. But pain wouldn't be enough to change his usually clipped, almost rude, style of speech into this … charming manner.

"Certainly, sir."

The old man spoke again and, to Tenten's horror, she could see the dreamy quality in his eyes that could only mean Sasuke had subjected him to a genjutsu.

"Please stay as long as you need. There will be no charge."

Tenten stared as the old man handed Sasuke a key and the Uchiha thanked him quietly before turning towards the left, after a quick glance at the number printed on the card dangling from the keychain. He didn't look at her or indicate in any way that she should follow, and for a moment longer, Tenten stood frozen with indecision: what Sasuke had just done had shocked her to her core. The first rule a young ninja was taught was to never, ever, exploit the civilian population; to never use their power for personal gain. After all, if they alienated their clientele where would that leave shinobi as a whole?

Somehow, seeing the Uchiha so casually – as if he did this all the time – taking advantage of an obviously defenceless old man was worse than anything she'd experienced to date. He'd murdered and betrayed, yes, but always – presumably – other shinobi; people who at least had a fighting chance against him. But this … this was just wrong and Tenten remained rooted to the spot while guilt and anger warred within her; glaring at Sasuke's back. In her own world she would never have hesitated to speak up, to demand that he lift the genjutsu and pay the man honestly, but the problem was that she wasn't in her world.

She was in Sasuke's.

And in his world clearly there were no limits; no line drawn in the figurative dirt that he would never cross. All her hard-won confidence of the last few days evaporated as Tenten came to the realization that, no matter what she thought, she was as much at his mercy as the old man slumped behind his desk. What Sasuke wanted, Sasuke got, no matter the price – a price that seemingly was never paid by the Uchiha himself. It was a chilling thought. She'd been lulled into complacency by his patience and forbearance up to this point; fooling herself into thinking that she was valuable enough that he'd go to such great lengths to keep her alive. Now, she realized anew that nothing could be further from the truth.

She was convenient; had simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time and, if she pushed Sasuke too far and too hard, he wouldn't hesitate to cut her loose. She'd begun to think that there was still some humanity, lurking deep inside his heart, behind the ruthless mask he presented to the world. The truth was: there was no mask.

Unhappily, Tenten watched as Sasuke reached a door a few yards down the long hallway and inserted the key into the lock. A flick of his wrist opened the bolts and he finally glanced, impatiently, back to where she waited. She could clearly read the pain and exhaustion, that only served to further fray his already unstable hold on his temper, in the pinched look around his eyes and mouth. Tenten tensed, every flight instinct in her body screaming at her to run.

How could she have been so abysmally stupid? How could she ever have even contemplated being a match for Uchiha Sasuke?

"Tenten."

Just her name, spoken only slightly louder to compensate for the distance that separated them, absolutely no inflection in his voice, but Tenten flinched as if she'd been struck. He disappeared into the room with a slight swish of black fabric, and Tenten convulsively jerked forward; her body obeying the command in his voice on auto-pilot, as she hurried down the hall and slipped into the room behind the Uchiha.

---

Sasuke had mercifully fallen asleep not long after they'd settled into the room. Upon entering, a fresh wave of horror had assaulted her senses when she realized that there was only one bed. A very big bed, and after sharing the makeshift sleeping pallet a few days ago it really shouldn't have fazed her, but Tenten had wanted to cry when she realized he fully intended that they should share the room.

Now, as she quietly unlocked the door and slipped into the hallway shadowed by late afternoon sunlight, she wondered if they could perhaps come to some arrangement to take turns sleeping on the bed. She glanced guiltily back at the Uchiha as she pulled the door to behind her. He'd never expressly forbidden her from venturing outside without him so she wasn't really doing anything wrong. The little voice that whispered in the back of her mind was quickly quashed; she could always pretend she hadn't caught onto the subtle and unspoken hint that she was to remain within sight as was implied by the fact that they were clearly sharing a room. It wasn't as if she intended to go far, or plot against him, or anything like that. What could she do, really? Even if she did somehow manage to send word back to Konoha, by the time someone with sufficient skills in curse seals arrived to try and untangle the mess burned into her hip Sasuke would've had the time to kill her a dozen times over.

She just couldn't stay cooped up in the dim bedroom, watching the slight rise and fall of his chest, waiting for the inevitable muttering. The worst of the shock had worn off and Tenten could finally take a figurative step back and try to analyze her situation objectively. Uchiha Sasuke was a complex being; one that she could never hope to understand, even if she wanted to, but one thing she had managed to sort out was that it was useless to try and relegate him to the teammate category.

They were not equals; he was her master and she would obey or die.

Sasuke did not play by the same rules that she'd been brought up to believe in and she'd been foolish to assume they still applied. The real problem however, lay in the fact that the ruthless criminal wasn't the only side to him. There were sides to him that pulled at her heartstrings. The tragedy of his past, and of what he'd become, never ceased to arouse her empathy, and in that lay the real danger. Of course, it was easier said than done to try and avoid situations where her new resolve to keep a business-like distance between them would be tested.

Which all led to Tenten slipping quietly out of their room; vague thoughts of maybe seeing if the inn had baths she could use spinning through her hopelessly muddled head. She hesitated in the silent corridor for a moment, unsure of which way to go, before finally deciding to simply go exploring. There was no way she was asking the old man at the front desk. Not after what Sasuke had done to him.

There was a uniformity to her surroundings that Tenten found she appreciated immensely after the upheavals in her life. As she slowly made her way down the corridor, following the curve of the building in a vague L-shape, she could feel peace stealing over her senses. Even around the corners she knew exactly what to expect: more wooden floors and pale walls interspersed with doors for guestrooms – she assumed – at regular intervals. She hadn't expected to meet anyone and nearly jumped out of her skin, hand automatically reaching for kunai she remembered too late she'd left back in the room, as she rounded the final bend, and almost walked straight into an old lady with a cart piled high with fluffy, white towels.

"Oh, my dear, are you all right?"

The woman rushed around her cart, grabbing Tenten's elbow in a surprisingly strong grip for one that seemed so old and frail.

"I-I'm so sorry," Tenten stammered, "I should have watched where I was going. Please excuse me."

She tried to extricate herself, gently, from the old woman's grasp; feeling very uncomfortable under the lady's scrutiny which seemed to see far too much for Tenten's liking.

"You look like you could do with a long soak in a hot bath," the woman declared decisively, not relinquishing her grip and leaving Tenten with no choice but to allow herself to be dragged towards a set of double doors at the very end of the hallway.

"My husband told me we had new arrivals; I only caught a glimpse as you entered but I'm glad you decided to stay," she prattled unconcernedly as she rummaged in an apron pocket for a key.

"Um… I… Thank you," Tenten mumbled, feeling her face flame. So this old woman was the man at the front desk's wife … she could almost feel a neon sign going off on her forehead that proclaimed her a thief … would the old man have told his wife about giving Sasuke the room for free? Anxiously, Tenten glanced around, as if escape might present itself at any moment.

"Oh! But you must think me completely without manners," the white hair trembled as the woman finally let go to clasp her hands in front of her ample frame, "My name is Himiko, my dear, and welcome to our home. My husband and I have been running this inn for over twenty years," pride shone from her face, "mostly we see travelling shinobi as guests and I must say that it's been a while since I've had a lovely young lady such as yourself to attend to!"

Without waiting for a response, Himiko threw the doors wide allowing Tenten to view a spacious bathroom with a sunken pool of slightly steaming water set at its center.

"The place was built around a natural hot spring," Himiko gossiped as she turned and pulled Tenten fully into the room, "nothing like a good long soak to make a body feel rejuvenated!"

At a loss for what to say or do, Tenten merely regarded the old lady warily, sneaking the occasional glance at the water … it did look heavenly …

Himiko bustled around, collecting toiletries, towels and a robe that she placed neatly on a bench next to the pool before turning back to her railroaded guest and placing her hands on her hips.

"Well, girl, don't you want to take a bath? I only caught a glimpse as you arrived, as I said, but though the man you were with is wonderful to look at, I imagine he's a handful most of the time! I'd have thought you'd jump at the chance for some quiet time spent relaxing." Humor twinkled in the wrinkled eyes as she winked at Tenten.

Tenten blushed, stammered out some nonsensical words, as she tried to correct the misapprehension, but only wound up obediently starting to unbutton her shirt. Himiko reached for the garment as soon as Tenten pulled it free from her body and turned to place it in a laundry cart. The privacy was appreciated as Tenten was suddenly hyper aware of the state of her skin.

Chidori had raged through her body, sparing patches of skin – thankfully her face and her neck among them – as if the lightning was lazy … it had sought the quickest, easiest route to ground itself and her arms and legs had taken the brunt of the damage. The skin was still red and puckered in some places; scarred with white, blister circles in others.

But Himiko turned back only once Tenten had fastened a towel securely around her form and her eyes never strayed or widened at the sight of her skin so Tenten allowed herself to relax slightly. The old lady ushered her over to the bench and, still talking a mile a minute, pushed Tenten into a sitting position.

"Where are you from, dear?" she asked as she reached for the ties that bound Tenten's hair, "oh, and you don't mind if I undo these for you?"

"Um… Konoha, and no," Tenten mumbled as she tried to keep up, finally giving in with good grace when she realized that Himiko would have her way and the path of least resistance was clearly just to let her be.

"Ah, Konoha," Himiko tutted, "Many of those here over the years. Sad business what with the civil war going on there. What did you say your name was again, dear?"

"Tenten," she spoke quickly, hoping to gain some information on her home country before Himiko went off onto another tangent but she was too late. Just as Tenten opened her mouth to ask what Himiko knew, the old lady released the last of her hair and patted Tenten on the head.

"There you are then, Tenten. Soak as long as you want. You're our only female guest at the moment and I'll make sure to tell my husband where you are should your companion come looking for you."

Tenten slumped forward as the innkeeper's wife walked back towards the entrance, her head spinning and feeling as if she'd just been swept up into a tornado. She was still attempting to right her confused thoughts and figure out what the hell had just happened to her when Himiko paused at the door.

"We have a healer currently with us, from Suna he said, I think," she murmured as she turned and grasped the door handles, but she didn't elaborate merely gave Tenten a knowing look before muttering, almost to herself "such a lovely young woman."

Another quick tut and the doors closed behind her leaving Tenten to gape after the old lady.

For a long time Tenten simply sat, staring at the tiled floor beneath her bare feet, but the effect of the steam rising in gentle spirals off the water was irresistible and finally she could feel her muscles beginning to relax. She couldn't stop thinking about what Himiko had said … clearly the old woman had noticed the scars…

She jumped to her feet, crossing to the dressing area where a steam-shrouded full-length mirror hung on the wall. Taking a deep breath, and with the air of one ripping a plaster off a wound, Tenten yanked the towel away from her body before using it to wipe the worst of the steam away from the glass.

The flinch was instinctive. She couldn't have stopped it if she tried. In the Sound base there had been no mirrors. For all his faults, she couldn't really accuse Sasuke of vanity and she'd been glad of his disregard for appearance as she'd begun to heal. Staring at the evidence on her arm or her leg was one thing – and bad enough – but seeing it in one fell swoop the way she was now, was enough to make her knees buckle.

One trembling hand rose to her hair; toying with the split-ends and feeling the dried-out texture that was the result of so much lightning coursing through her body. Tenten quickly let go of the strands she was rubbing between two fingers but that only made her attention fall fully onto her body. She was still toned as ever, perhaps more so after the punishing routine Sasuke put her through, but the lithe muscles were overlaid with the criss-crossing scars and involuntary tears welled up into Tenten's eyes as she stared at her reflection.

She stood motionless, forcing herself to confront the realities of what had been done to her body, until steam crept across the mirror again and finally shook her head vigorously.

What was a ninja without a few scars?

When did she suddenly start caring what she looked like? For that matter, who was she trying to impress, anyway?

The fleeting image of a grey gaze sweeping over her naked frame, as she pulled a shirt over her head that morning in the cave, flashed in front of her eyes but Tenten vigorously shook her head to clear it of such ridiculous thoughts. She didn't care what she looked like, she told her distorted reflection defiantly, ignoring the fresh tears prickling at her eyes.

It didn't matter what anyone thought of her – and she would wear her scars as a badge of pride… they showed she'd survived Uchiha Sasuke for months now, after all …

And she would be damned if she'd spend one more second wondering what Sasuke had thought as he'd stolen a few glances at her naked body.

And she didn't care if the sight had apparently been enough to force him to put as much distance between them as he could.

---

Sasuke woke to an empty room lit with the last rays of daylight poking through the gaps in the curtains. Completely disoriented for a moment, half his attention still on the fading cries in his head of people long dead, he could only wonder what it was that caused the vague unease to settle in his stomach. It took him a moment longer before he woke up fully and realized that the unease was because Tenten was nowhere to be seen. Swift movement belied the existence of a wound as serious as the one he'd sustained only days ago, and Sasuke was on his feet and at the door in the blink of an eye.

What had the silly girl gotten herself into now?

He could feel her chakra undulating gently, the call of his own pushing through the soft layers of her skin, wanting to be reunited with its master.

Sasuke frowned; she couldn't be far…

The call of his chakra got stronger the further he went, turning down the hallway and following the curve of the building towards the back of the property. The hallways were deserted though he could sense many chakra signatures behind the closed doors he passed – clearly the place was a popular as ever with travelling shinobi. The end of the hallway housed a set of double doors, pulled slightly ajar and he could hear the sound of Tenten's voice just behind it.

The sound was familiar and yet … not. With a start Sasuke realized that she was laughing; giggling really, in a carefree, girlish way he'd always associated with Sakura. It was a nice sound, he thought in confusion before a quick shake of his head dispelled the absurd idea. A careful hand pushed one of the doors open, and he was thankful they didn't creak since he had no idea of what he would find on the other side and preferred to be prepared before facing anyone…

Tenten was seated on a bench in what was obviously a bathhouse of some sort, Sasuke realized after a quick sweep of his eyes over her surroundings. The white-haired old lady he'd seen from time to time, doing chores, on his previous visits to the inn, hovered behind Tenten, scissors in hand and talking a mile a minute as she snipped at strands of Tenten's hair. One of Tenten's legs was stretched out on the bench in front of her and, hunched over it with green medic chakra glowing around his hands, was a young man Sasuke had never seen before.

It was instantaneous. The feeling inside him, so recently discovered though it caused him what seemed like years of discomfort, shifted restlessly and Sasuke scowled at the scene in front of him.

It moved and whispered; incoherent words and emotions that Sasuke couldn't make heads or tails of. All he knew was that he would have recalled if he'd given anyone permission to touch his possessions…

A moment later Tenten noticed him and another incomprehensible sensation ran through him as he noticed the way the laughter drained from her face; how her body tensed at the sight of him.

"Did you need me?" she asked, only the barest hint of discomfort coloring her voice though he could clearly read from her body language that she wanted to bolt.

Before Sasuke had a chance to answer the old lady clapped a hand to her mouth.

"Oh, my dear, we've kept you far too long! I should be seeing to dinner any way."

Sasuke's eyes were fixed on the Suna-nin – he could see the forehead protector now - who had remained seated though he'd moved his hands off Tenten's leg at Sasuke's appearance. The boy couldn't have been more than fifteen – definitely no more than a Chuunin, if that, but as he met Sasuke's gaze, he raised his hands in a gesture of surrender and shrugged. For the first time, the Uchiha allowed himself to relax; though he didn't have the faintest idea of what could have caused the tension – much less the instinctive relaxation.

"We'll continue the treatment tomorrow, Tenten-san," the boy smiled at Tenten, "It will be more effective if it's spread out, anyway."

They were gone within moments, leaving Sasuke and Tenten to stare at each other with awkward wariness. Finally, Sasuke spoke, having decided that the strangely off-balance feeling was obviously due to the resurgence of his fever… he could feel the way it heated his blood…

"Treatment?"

"For the scars," Tenten answered defiantly, finally pulling her leg off the bench and allowing the fabric of her long robe to cover her completely again. (He couldn't possibly be feeling disappointed… what on earth was there to feel disappointed about?)

A noncommittal grunt was the only response he could think of as he entered the bathroom fully and closed the door behind him.

"And you were planning to pay for this treatment… How, exactly?" he asked, amazed at the snide innuendo to his words; becoming aware all over again of the simmering anger the little scene had ignited and the urge to lash out at her…

Tenten paled only seconds before anger flushed her cheeks bright red.

"How dare you," she hissed, standing and drawing herself up to her full height. "After the way you 'paid' for the room?!"

He wasn't really aware of moving; only realized in the next moment that he was looming over her and gripping her arm; wondering anew at the fragility of the limb… How easily he could bend her… Break her …

"Are you that stupid?" he snarled back, "You're a missing-nin now. Every shinobi loyal to a village is your enemy!"

She twisted violently in his hold, trying to free herself, but Sasuke only tightened his grip; slightly sickened with himself at the rush of excitement when he realized how easy it would be to overpower her… Do anything he wanted to her…

"No!" Tears sparkled in the hazel brown eyes and that, more than anything and for some unfathomable reason, brought him back to himself, "No one is my enemy except the people trying to destroy my home!"

Abruptly Sasuke let go, taking a quick step backward for good measure. The anger had faded as quickly as it had been born.

"Anyway, he wasn't trying to steal state secrets from me through seduction or coercion or whatever you want to call it. Just doing me a favor; healing me."

Tenten wiped at the tears of helpless rage that had pooled in her eyes, levelling him with another look of disgust as she quickly gathered her clothes and headed to the door.

---

"Tenten."

His voice stopped her just as she reached for the knob on the door and Tenten paused, waiting but refusing to turn back to the Uchiha and face him.

"I didn't like it."

The inflection to his words was strange, she couldn't place it, but it made her heart race, pounding against her ribs like a frantic butterfly struggling to escape a net. A strange excitement ran through her; it had sounded like an admission and an apology all at once – all underscored with a heat she couldn't understand but that made her blood sing.

In confusion she shook her head and quietly slipped out into the hallway – and let Sasuke make of that what he would.