a/n: Yayy, Chapter 14 has been posted! It's a shorter-than-usual chapter mostly because of my laziness (I was preparing for the Chinese SAT Subject Test, which I just took this morning.).

Well, we see more relationships beginning to form, to the flashbacks of beginnings and whatnot. :)

Enjoy~

disclaimer: I do not own Naruto (only my OCs, OPs, and OJs - which were, admittedly, inspired by Masashi Kishimoto's works)

kisses,
Iris:D

THE BROKEN PIECES
CHAPTER 14
~dominance~

"You're lucky Hyuuga was there."

Mitsuko felt herself beginning to nod off and only sheer habit kept her feet moving. The cool night air that whipped her brown curls around her face did nothing to make her more awake. Only when she heard her sensei's voice did the sleep retreat ever so slightly.

"We'll reach Konoha by tomorrow afternoon," Yuki called over his shoulder, noticing how much Michiko lagged behind. Giving the signal to stop – a snap of the fingers and pointing a finger to the ground – he landed on the forest floor and waited for his team to gather around him before speaking.

"And just as a warning, precaution, we must hold our tongues-" Yuki glanced warningly at Mitsuko. "-not be too lenient-" Ryuu shuffled in his spot. "-and not act like arrogant jackasses." Mamoru grinned, unabashed. "Do I make myself clear?"

"Hai!"

"And another word of wisdom, I seriously doubt that Konoha will agree to our terms, but, nonetheless, we must have some hope, even if it's less than a sliver." Yuki looked pointedly at Mamoru. "Perhaps if we believe, we will succeed."

Ignoring Mamoru's scoff, Yuki pulled out his sleeping bag and his teammates did the same. They were quiet as their sleeping packs were unrolled and a small fire was quickly lighted.

Mitsuko, however, was aware of how the lights began to dim around them and how the sun began to dip below the horizon. She drew a sharp intake of breath and everyone glanced at her expectantly. "It's setting. Oh, Kami, it's really setting!"

"A sunset," Ryuu said helpfully.

Nodding, Mitsuko cocked her head as she watched the sky slowly blended into hues of orange and red and twinkling stars appeared. "It's magical," she breathed, mostly talking to herself (but though she did not notice it, Mamoru went oddly still, as if listening to her closely).

When night had fallen completely and Mamoru and Ryuu had already climbed into their sleeping packs, Mitsuko noticed how Yuki was still awake, gazing up at the moon, looking almost as if he were reminiscing. Holding her breath, she crawled over to her former sensei and sat beside him.

He looked at her and then turned his head. After remembering how her sensei never took the initiative, Mitsuko spoke first. "What are you thinking about, Yuki-san?"

"I haven't seen the moon in a while," he muttered, not really answering her question.

"When have you seen it before?" Mitsuko implored eagerly.

"It doesn't concern you," was his tart response.

Undaunted, she changed topics. "Did you really mean it when you said that love was nothing?"

There was something odd about the look in his amber eyes. "I never said it was nothing. I said shinobi have no time for it."

"That's an awfully sad thing to think," Mitsuko commented quietly. "Very depressing…does that mean, if you had the time, that you would pursue Cho?"

Yuki closed his eyes and seemed to die a little inside. "You're a crazy kid, Hana."

"What did she say?" she asked in a whisper, afraid that he would be cross with her. "Please tell me."

It wasn't what I expected. He sighed to himself. I expected it to be…more heartfelt somehow.

The moon was a milky white, full and suspended over the bloody battlefield. It poked through the branches to dimly illuminate the ground below.

Her tibia was the exact same color as the moon, although it was positively drenched in blood. It had been roughly shoved through her skin when she had fallen from a tree branch at least five stories up and landed in the most impossibly horrifying position.

Her black eyes glazed over with pain as she attempted to untwist her leg out from underneath her. However, the blood surged out even more heavily and she stopped, afraid of losing too much blood. She began attempting to shove the bone back into her flesh as she ignored the rest of the warring shinobi around her.

He had seen it. He had seen her fatal injury. Even now, in the midst of battle – as he stabbed a Konoha shinobi through the heart – he found time to admire how calm she was. But as her eyes fluttered and she slumped to one side, her hands dropping to the floor, his heart skipped a beat and he performed a killing Jutsu before running over to her.

She was pale and her blood stained the dirt. Her bone seemed to glow under the moonlight, a ghastly paranormal sight.

"Hey," he whispered, shaking her shoulder gently.

"I fell out," she answered shakily, looking at him through half-lidded eyes. Her hands fumbled with her shirt and she removed it to reveal three kunai that had deeply embedded themselves into her chest.

"Damn it."

He ran a tentative hand over the wounds and quickly decided that he needed to find a Medical Nin. Holding her hand tightly, he scanned the moonlit field for any allies that could come to their help.

He saw none.

"Damn it."

His heart began to pound and he could hear it resonate in his ears. What if they couldn't find help in time? Would she die? No, he couldn't – wouldn't – let her die. Because…because…

"You're not going to die," he said suddenly, looking down at her firmly.

She smiled wryly. "We'll see."

"Damn it."

And then, emerging from behind a row of enemy shinobi so covered in shuriken and kunai and needles that they resembled porcupines, the Taiyookage stepped beside the two, twirling a pair of sharp, silver katana.

"Where is Mika?" he gasped.

Tenten panned the scene and jumped up to behead an oncoming adversary before answering. "Other side of the field," she replied, bending low to trip a running attacker.

"Damn it."

"I'll fetch her," Tenten offered before he had time to answer, already taking off. "Protect her for now!"

She hurdled over a pile of motionless bodies and disappeared in the midst of struggling bodies.

Soon, a horde of enemy shinobi gravitated towards and surrounded them, their Leaf Village forehead protectors gleaming in the moonlight. In one fluid movement, he left her body on the floor and stood up, drawing a handful of needles.

His opponents tried not to smirk. What kind of damage would a few needles do?

But as he infused his chakra into them, they felt the slight pinches and began to worry as their minds began to fog. They stumbled around like inebriated men, colliding into one another until a mental voice commanded them to pick up their weapons.

Stab, the voice said. Stab.

They tried to resist, tried to disobey, but the voice was persuasive, smooth and buttery like a well-oiled joint that forced you to comply.

One quick stab…

Only slightly confused, the shinobi raised their kunai and simultaneously plunged it into their gut, watching as their scarlet blood spewed forth instantly.

He watched them drop one by one and wiped away the sweat droplets that streamed down his face.

His heart lifted at the sight of Mika and Tenten running over.

"We're winning," Tenten announced breathlessly, taking a step back to let Mika tend to the fallen kunoichi.

"I'm glad," was his short response.

She glanced at Mika with her new patient and sighed. "What happened?"

"She fell."

"And?"

"And I didn't catch her."

"Tell me!" Mitsuko insisted.

Yuki's eyebrows twitched violently. "If I tell you, you'll have to take first shift."

"Of course!"

"It's not too exciting."

"Quit stalling, Yuki-san!"

He chewed on the inside of his bottom lip, hesitating, before speaking. "She told me to kick some Konoha ass."

Mitsuko's mouth widened into a perfect 'O'. "That's it? Why couldn't you tell me that?"

Yuki scowled and climbed into his sleeping bag. "Good night, Mitsuko."

"I know. You were disappointed, weren't you?"

He didn't respond.

Naruto glanced at Hinata, who was sitting in an armchair in the corner, chewing on her bottom lip as she made corrections to a report. He grinned to himself before glancing back at his paperwork, sighing heavily. She looked up and caught his eyes, smiling encouragingly.

The moment was interrupted when the door swung open, brutally slamming into the wall – both Naruto and Hinata winced – and Ino entered, looking very enthusiastic indeed.

"I think you know why you're here, am I right?" Naruto gave a short laugh.

"Why don't you tell me?" Ino suggested. "So I don't get excited about the wrong thing."

"I want you to read Tenten-sama's mind. Find her secrets," instructed Naruto.

Ever since her father, Inoichi, had retired two years ago, Ino had taken over his position as interrogator and mind reader, proving very successful during many interrogations performed on the few Akarui shinobi they had managed to capture in the last year. It did, however, prove to be a rather risky and dangerous job, especially when the Akarui captives decided they'd rather die than be mind-probed by a Konoha shinobi.

The interrogation room had been restored – although the crater in the floor was still there, sectioned off by ropes – but many villagers had taken to standing guard during the examinations, particularly her former teammate, Shikamaru.

But because the last year had brought forth no new captives – Akaruigakure had become more careful – she had been forced to return to mediocre (in her opinion) Hospital work and Shikamaru most grudgingly retreated to the Strategy Room.

This new assignment most obviously energized her.

"Finally," Ino shrieked with a dramatic wave of her arms. "I was beginning to think you had forgotten about me! Well? Do you want me to do it now?"

"Yes, especially in her weakened state; she will be less able to resist," added Naruto.

Hinata looked at the pair of blondes over her papers. "And to think Neji thought you were going soft…"

"Not on the Taiyookage," he answered. "Never the Taiyookage – to underestimate her would spell certain death."

"Where is she? I'd like to get started right away," she pointed out.

"She's in the Hospital, room…" Naruto paused, realizing that he did not know which room his 'nemesis' was housed in."

"Room 342," Hinata piped up helpfully. He threw her a grateful glance.

Ino nodded and bowed once quickly. "Alright, I'll send someone up with the results later. Do any of you know where Shikamaru is? I promised him I'd get him for my next interrogation."

"Probably in the Strategy Room with his father," Naruto proposed.

Satisfied with this answer, she headed for the door but paused and turned around, halfway out. "I don't if I've said this before, but from my Academy years to even when you were appointed, I never knew you'd be such a…responsible Hokage."

"If you've said it once, you've said it a thousand times," Naruto countered with a good-natured grin.

"I always knew he'd be a wonderful Hokage," Hinata pointed out.

"Exactly! Thank you, Hinata-chan!" He plowed on, not noticing her blush. "Have some faith in me, Ino!"

Ino raised her eyebrows suggestively. "Well, you know what? I just got the notion that I was interrupting something before I came here, so why don't I leave you two alone?" She winked and raced out the door.

Tenten watched from her bed as an insolent fly buzzed around the room, constantly bumping into the glass window, undoubtedly perplexed by how its outside world seemed to be blocked off by an invisible barrier. Sighing, she hoisted herself out of bed and walked over to the window. It was difficult to open a window, especially when one arm was in a sling and the window hadn't been opened in years.

But once she had, she discovered that there was also a screen that prevented insects from entering.

And leaving.

Groaning in annoyance, Tenten snatched a scalpel out of a drawer and slashed the screen, presenting it to the fly with a wide sweep of her hand. But when her ears were greeted by silence and not the buzz of miniscule wings, she glanced at the windowsill.

The fly had died.

"Screw you," she muttered, dropping the scalpel onto the floor.

"Talking to yourself?"

Tenten whirled around and saw Neji leaning in the doorway, looking more amused than usual. Ignoring her pounding heart – she attributed it to hate – she stooped down to retrieve the metal instrument and place it gently on the windowsill beside the now-dead fly.

"I was trying to help a fly escape because I know what it's like to stand on one side and not be able to get to the other," Tenten explained, though not very clearly.

If he found her words puzzling, Neji did not question it. "Is it alright for you to be standing?"

"It's my arm that's hurt, not my leg," she pointed out, tapping her sling.

He nodded. "So, I guess I keep my promises, eh?"

She frowned and sat on her bed. "What do you mean?"

"You told me to come back again the next day, remember?" He smirked. "And here I am. I suppose I'm rather trustworthy after all, huh?"

"Stop flattering yourself," Tenten muttered condescendingly – although she turned around to hide her blush.

"Hn."

He walked around and seated himself in a chair beside her bed, position his head so that they stared into each other's eyes. For the longest time, they sat there, having a staring contest, and no words were spoke.

I just want to look at her…

"Ahem."

The two jumped apart and swiveled where they sat to see Sakura and Ino in the doorway.

"We need Tenten-san," Sakura announced, looking puzzled to see the two supposedly enemies sitting so intimately. "There are some tests we still need to run."

"Of course." Neji stood up right away.

Tenten, however, remained seat. "What for? I feel fine."

The scandalized look on Ino's face when she saw Neji and Tenten sitting together had evaporated and was replaced by a look of urgency that Tenten found strange. "There may be…internal damages that you cannot necessarily…consciously feel."

"Or you're denying it to fulfill your duty," Sakura added quietly, looking pointedly at Neji, who averted his lavender eyes.

"I'm fine," Tenten repeated. "I feel fine! I don't see why-"

"Just go. Arguing is useless," Neji added.

Falling silent, she shrugged indifferently and pushed past Sakura and Ino and scowled at the sight of Shikamaru in the hallway, guarding an empty gurney.

The other three followed her out and Sakura and Ino exchanged wary looks.

Ino cleared her throat. "We'll need you to…climb into the gurney."

"It's my fucking arm that's injured, not my legs!" Tenten snapped, glancing back at Neji for support.

This time, though, he simply shook his head.

Muttering to herself, she settled into the gurney while Sakura and Ino gave Neji grateful looks.

"You two are lucky that Hyuuga was there to convince the Taiyookage," Shikamaru said in a stage-whisper as he rolled a sour-looking Tenten down the hall.

"Well, Neji always was the rather dominant one," Sakura commented with a grin.

a/n: Sighh, I'm not too pleased with how this chapter turned out. Too...choppy...too short...too jumping-around-ish. Ah well.

Not to mention Neji and Tenten didn't have much screentime but I feel that this is neccessary in order to develop the other characters more, or else it'll be a perfectly characterized couple on one side and a bunch of one-dimensional characters on the other. Haha, did that make sense?

So, we see some serious YukiCho, sprinklings of NaruHina, and a few hints of MitsuMamo and ShikaIno.

As for our favorite little OC (for me, anyway), Satoru will be making his appearance later, but for now, his role has been played out and but, fear not, he will return as the third angle of our love triangle. :) *ohhh!*

Please REVIEW, my wonderful readers!

kisses,
Iris:D