So I finally kicked my butt into gear and wrote the next chapter ;) It should be better than the last one, since I finally started liking this story again (yeah, I have my ups and downs with this one, shocker right?).

STANDARD DISCLAIMER APPLIES

This chapter is dedicated to 3S2F1B

Chrissie, thank you for getting me to keep writing this story :)

And of course, to all the other readers ^_^

Chapter Twenty-Five: Reunions

Muffled screams echoed faintly through the shogi screen as Neji walked by it for the twelfth time. He had been pacing for the past five minutes outside Hinata's door after getting up to go to the bathroom. Upon heading back to his room Neji had heard noises from Hinata's room and had gone to investigate.

She was having nightmares.

It had been a week since she had returned to the compound from the hospital. He berated himself for not noticing the dark circles under her eyes and the dull look in her cream orbs, the slight flinch in a dark room, how she seemed to get lost in memories so easily only to return to herself with a haunted look on her face.

Was it not obvious? Every elite shinobi knew the price of their jobs. They knew what they risked when they left those gates, the price of treason, the lengths enemies would go to obtain information. They all dealt with torture in some form or another. Why hadn't he made sure Hinata was seeing the therapist? It was required for any shinobi to undergo therapy after being captured. Was he even sure Hinata had been going to the sessions? She could be surprisingly stubborn sometimes.

A whimper sounded from her room which broke into a short yelp.

Neji cursed and entered her room. It was improper, so very inappropriate, for a branch member, especially of the opposite sex, to enter the bedroom of a main house member without their permission. Especially given his past with Hinata and their age and obligations. But Neji had long ago set his priorities: precious people first, rules later (thanks to a certain knuckle-headed dobe). And over the years, Hinata had become extremely important to him. The branch members were slaves to the main house, and Neji would gladly bow to Hinata.

He closed the door softly behind him and approached Hinata's form warily, sinking to his knees quietly. Her body was trembling under the sheets, her fingers clenching until her nails imprinted angry red crescents into her flesh. And much to Neji's eternal shame, the Caged Bird Seal practically glowed darkly against her pale skin, carved crudely by an interrogator's knife.

"Hinata-sama?" Neji called softly.

She was biting her lips and whispering again.

"Hinata-sama?" He placed his hands hesitantly on her arm. "Hinata!"

She gasped and sat up ramrod straight, flinching as she caught his silhouette out of the corner of her eye. "Who –" she paused when she recognized him, her body visibly relaxing. "Neji."

He felt the tension that had been building in his back ease at the sight of her relief. "You were having nightmares, Hinata-sama."

She looked away, frowning. It was clear that she was disappointed with herself. Neji imagined that the kunoichi probably saw it as weakness, as so many would accuse her of. Hinata pushed herself so hard to be strong and perfect, to be someone revered and respect like her father, to bring honor to the clan and to herself.

"Hinata." No suffix. She looked up at him in surprise at his lack of propriety, not used to Neji being so lax with protocol.

"As your friend," Neji murmured softly as he took her hands into his, "I am telling you now that you have no reason to be ashamed of this. You survived a grave ordeal. There is no weakness in feeling pain."

A few still seconds passed as they stared at each other in silence. Pale, pupiless eyes reflected each other, shades of lavender and cream between them. They two Hyuugas could not have looked so different besides their Byakugan. Hinata took after her mother, who was from one of the main house families that was farthest from her father's line. Her deep raven-blue hair was rare among the Hyuuga, her delicate facial structure standing apart from the traditional strong cheekbones and jaw lines of the rest of the Hyuuga. She was truly one of a kind, even among her own clan.

"Thank you, Neji-kun." She whispered, granting him with a soft smile. It suddenly occurred to Neji how few those smiles had become lately.

"I was so worried for you." Neji admitted softly, making her look up at him in surprise that he would willingly continue a conversation. "Over these years you have become important to me. Those nights trying to get you and your team back to Konoha as fast as possible… Hinata, you were bleeding out so fast, I thought I would lose you forever… Just imagining losing you…"

Hinata's eyes were wide as she stared at Neji with her lips parted and holding her breath.

Neji shook his head. "I apologize. That was out of line. I should leave."

"No!" Hinata's hands gripped his firmly and she practically pulled him back down from standing up. "Please… Neji that means so much to me, you don't even know how much that means…"

Neji was surprised when Hinata moved to hug him, her arms clinging to his body. "Stay. Please."

He tried to pull away but much to his amusement, Hinata refused to let go. Finally, Neji sighed and relaxed into her embrace. "As a branch member I really must protest –"

"Screw the branch shit." Hinata growled, making Neji's eyes widen comically. "I've had enough of it! It only breeds hatred, it only results in blood and tears..."

As Hinata trails off her fingers absently trace the scar Konan had given her across her forehead. Was there any difference between the main and branch members? All that separated them was one mark on the forehead. One horrible, cursed scar. Without that seal, Neji would have been hailed a prodigy of the clan, not a rebellious branch member. Neji was the strongest Hyuuga in the clan and in another time he might have been named clan leader. The branch system was pointless.

"Hinata –" Neji tried to protest again but she placed her fingers against his lips.

"N-Neji," Hinata began softly, a little haltingly but gaining strength. "I've known you for so long. W-we grew up together. We've fought and we've protected each other. To me, you have never been a branch member. Y-you are my friend, my confidant, my rock. Please stay with me. I feel s-safe with you near."

Neji thought his heart would beat straight out of his chest. It was almost painful how fast and harshly the organ was thumping within his torso, and he had to take deep breaths to keep himself composed. It had always been the Hyuuga way to dance around words, but he could read between the lines. Half the time Hinata didn't even need to talk, he could always read her like an open book.

"Stay." She pleaded once more, tugging the sleeve of his shirt and leaning her forehead on his shoulder.

Cursing he crumbling will, Neji nodded. The smile that beamed from Hinata's face could have lit the night, and once again Neji reflected on his weakness for her. He lay next to her under the blankets, staring into her eyes until they fell shut, her breath on his collarbone. Hinata curled into his chest like she did when they were children, living in the false innocence of childhood, holding his hand to her chest.

He counted her heartbeats as he was lulled to sleep.

~~~Flower of Konoha~~~

"Shit, how did Madara find us out?" Deidara cursed as they ended their conversation with Pein. He looked to Sasori with slight panic in his blue eyes, and then glanced around warily, as if Zetsu would jump out at them at any moment.

Sasori had a hard frown carved onto his face, then turned and began walking back the way they had come, returning to Konoha. "Come on, idiot. We are now the fucking ambassadors of the Akatsuki to Konoha."

The very words sounded like the coming of the apocalypse. If the Godaime was anything like Sakura had described to him, the poor old Sannin would either have a heart attack or need at least thirty bottles of sake after they approached her. Hopefully Deidara would manage not to blow up anything and ruin Sasori's chance of speaking with her. Kami knows that boy lacked self-restraint.

"Wait, he was serious?!" Deidara spluttered as he trotted after Sasori.

Once again, sneaking into Konoha was laughably easy. Honestly, they might be able to catch an A-rank nuke nin, but their security measures were nothing to an S-ranked missing ninja, especially ones like the Akatsuki. So really, Sasori thought that a ninja as talented as a Sannin should have been aware of this.

Apparently not.

"Fucking god what the fuck who the fuck let you in?!"

The Hokage gasped as she flicked the lights on in her office, arriving at her job promptly at 4:00 AM. It was still dark out, the night shift guards were nowhere near her office to hear her scream, and goddammit she hadn't even had a lick of sake yet! Who the hell in the universe's omniscient forces decided that it would be a good idea to place two Akatsuki criminals in her office this early in the morning? As if the Fates hadn't already screwed enough with her on a daily basis!

"It is nice to meet you too, Godaime-sama." Sasori nodded with a bored tone, hoping Deidara would quit his snickering before the volatile Hokage decided to throw them into the next hemisphere.

Tsunade regarded them warily, slowly shutting the door behind her and walking to her desk. The poor desk was the only thing separating them as she slapped down a couple files that she had taken home with her the night before. Tension crackled through the air like lightning.

"What are you two doing here?" She asked, restraining a snarl of animosity.

"A curious chain of events have led to this moment, Hokage." Sasori murmured, pushing himself off the window and standing straight. "Allow me to start from the beginning.

"Madara Uchiha disappeared from Konoha nearly a century ago. Unbeknownst to many, he has somehow managed to survive this whole time with some immortality jutsu, and I assure you, he is stronger than ever before."

Tsunade stared at him in disbelief.

"During the Third shinobi war, your teammate Jaraiya rescued three young Ame children and taught them to defend themselves –"

"Wait, how is this relevant?" Tsunade interrupted; confused as to how Sasori knew so much and what he was trying to tell her.

Deidara finally spoke up as the redhead glared at her. "You might not want to interrupt him, yeah. He's touchy like that, un."

Tsunade rolled her eyes, but closed her mouth and looked at Sasori expectantly.

"To this day, two of those original three children survive: Nagato, now known as Pein, and Konan." Sasori picked up where he left off. "After being traumatized by war, Nagato and Konan started an organization to put an end to conflict and named it Akatsuki, 'Red Dawn', the dawning of a new age in which they envisioned the end to all war."

Tsunade's eyes bugged out and she looked like she was going to speak again, but Sasori continued before she had the chance.

"Obviously, things did not work out." He conceded with the look on her face. "Madara discovered their plans and tricked them into letting him help them. Madara then took over the organization and corrupted its original purpose, using the resources of the Akatsuki to his own uses. This is what you now know as the Akatsuki."

"So THE Madara Uchiha is the real leader of the Akatsuki?" Tsunade shook her head. "Why are you telling me this, then? Isn't your purpose to destroy us?"

Sasori made a frustrated noise. "I'm getting to that!"

Deidara snickered at the redhead's impatience and Tsunade once again waited for the story to continue.

"Now, skipping ahead in the timeline," Sasori glanced at her warily, "The Akatsuki went after the Nine Tails and failed. However instead they capture a pink-haired kunoichi."

Tsunade tensed.

"Sakura was taken to the base but refused to give up information. However, somehow she became friends with the members who were assigned to guard her."

Now the Hokage looked like someone had slapped her in the face with a fish. "What?!" She squawked.

"She even fell in lo –" Deidara's snicker was abruptly cut off by Sasori's hand slapping him upside the head.

"Focus, idiot." Sasori snapped. "When you sent the team to retrieve Sakura, they happened to kill one of her close friends. That is why she came back to you as broken as she was."

They heard a clunk and blinked in surprise as the Godaime suddenly had a bottle of sake in her hand, gulping heavily. "Go on, go on." She told them. "I just… I just need this to, uh, clear my head. Yeah, that's it."

"So Sakura wasn't joking…" Deidara murmured at the size of the sake bottle. Sasori winced in disgust. Wasn't there a rule against having alcohol in the government office? Then again, who were they to talk when their organization was led by an insane psychopath?

"Er, yeah…" Sasori drawled. "Unbeknownst to us, Sakura's friends, Madara had captured her and her teammates a few months ago and kept them prisoner. We would have helped her, if we knew. By coincidence, while my partner and I were on a mission we came across your rescue team. Imagine our surprise to find that Sakura had once again been held prisoner by the Akatsuki."

"You were the members that healed them!" Tsunade exclaimed.

"Yes." Sasori sighed at the obvious statement.

"Now you're off topic." Deidara said to Sasori, turning to continue the story. "Madara used Pein as the figurehead of the Akatsuki for many years, much to Pein's displeasure. Now, though, Pein is tired of not being in power, and there is unrest in the organization."

Tsunade nodded. "Shikamaru warned me of this. I can't believe it's true." She shook her head and the two missing-nin eyed the suddenly empty sake bottle warily. "Well then, I guess the civil war has begun?" She asked them.

Deidara and Sasori glanced at each other.

"Yes. It would seem that it has."

~~~Flower of Konoha~~~

Seven shadowy figures stand in a circle in a dimly lit room. On in particular exudes a cold, arrogant aura that commands the others to look upon him in obedience. Another looks on in jealousy.

"Sasori and Deidara are traitors." Madara speaks with a delighted gleam in his eye. "The penalty for this is death. Zetsu has reported that they are fleeing to that blasted village Konoha, and so it is to my great, great pleasure that I announce to you all that we are stepping up the attack on Konoha. Tonight we will raze that village to the ground!"

A shocked silence greeted his words as a figure rose from the ground before him and Zetsu stepped forward. "Zetsu," Madara commanded, "Awaken your brothers!"

The bipolar shinobi nodded and gave a small affirmation before disappearing into the ground once more.

By now that old Uchiha was practically foaming at the mouth, his eyes glazed over wildly at the thought of Konoha in ruins, now so close at hand. The other members started with surprise, and shifted nervously. Madara was clearly mad. Of course, this was no surprise since they were all quite mad, but obviously Madara was finally off his rocker. Even Hidan seemed unsure whether to be happy about the opportunity to bathe in blood, since Konoha was now harboring Sakura, Sasori, and that dumb blonde pyromaniac. Kakuzu was frowning so fiercely that it showed through his face mask. Kisame, of course, was very unhappy about doing anything the crazy Uchiha ordered, especially since he now knew that Madara had tortured Sakura right under their very noses. Itachi was as impassive as ever, if not a little stiffer than usual.

"Madara." Pein snapped in a hard, commanding tone. "That is a foolish idea. Sasori and Deidara are not worth risking our plans for the Juubi. If we step up this attack everything we have been so carefully waiting for will have been for naught –"

"Shut up Pein." Madara growled, rounding on the figurehead as his chakra flared dangerously. "The chance to destroy Konoha has just presented itself and I will welcome it with open arms –"

"This is not a chance! Now Konoha will have the aid of two Akatsuki members at their side in addition to their usual military force!" Pein scolded, not intimidated by the Uchiha.

Madara growled audibly. "You seem to have forgotten that this is my organization."

Pein snapped. Suddenly his chakra flared as well, just as dark and raging as Madara's, their powers clashing in an unseen storm, making the other members wince and back up from the impending explosion. Pein and Madara were now standing face to face, their respective dojoutsu glaring unblinking and unwavering at the other.

"No." Pein spoke with a soft, dangerous voice. "It is you who has forgotten that I created this organization."

"Watch your tongue, boy." Madara hissed. "I suggest you back down now, before you get hurt."

Both figures went still, and the room held its breath. Suddenly color blurred as their figures disappeared, the chakra which had been building like a suffocating balloon exploding outward in a raw display of power, attacking simultaneously. Bodies moved unseen, too fast for the human eye, jutsus were created and countered before they even reached their full effect. Other chakra signatures revealed themselves and Pein's other Paths awoke and began to enter the battle against Madara until the Uchiha was fighting all of Pein's bodies at the same time. Kakuzu, Hidan, Kisame and Itachi took this chance to flee the base, the building exploding behind them as Madara and Pein brought the fight outside.

"We need to warn Sasori and the bitch!" Hidan said eloquently. The other Akatsuki members gave several forms of agreement ("Agreed" from Kisame, "grunt" from Kakuzu, and "hn" from Itachi). They immediately begin to race towards the Leaf village, hyperaware of the clashing titans behind them and hoping that Pein would stall Madara long enough for them to escape.

All the while, they never notice the lack of a particular kunoichi.

~~~Flower of Konoha~~~

Sasori took a deep breath as he walked up the two flights of stairs that led to the apartment. His cloak had been discarded and that left him in a fishnet shit, Suna trousers, nin-shoes and bandages wrapped around his wrists and ankles. The windy Konoha air stirred his unruly curls and he felt oddly nervous about what he was going to do.

Her chakra was unique, it always had been. It pulsed green with natural healing energy, soothing and warm, not harsh and serrated like so many other chakras. From behind the door he could hear her singing loudly as the smell of food permeated the doorway. It brought a momentary smile of peace, and for a moment Sasori imagined that they were ordinary citizens, he coming home from work to his wife cooking dinner –maybe even a child or two chatting animatedly in the background. Sasori shook his head of such thoughts and raised his hand.

Knock knock!

He heard a small crash from within the apartment and a hurried curse, and inwardly Sasori couldn't help but chuckle at the sound. She had always been a little clumsy when off the battlefield.

"Coming!" Her voice rang loud and clear through the wood, starling Sasori with its strength. The last time he had seen her she had been lucid with drugs, slurring her words and mumbling softly, her throat scratchy from screaming.

To her, he was still dead.

Sasori shifted nervously as the door knob turned and the entryway opened up to reveal the love of his life. Unknowingly, Sasori held his breath as their eyes swept over each other. She was beautiful, so much healthier than the last time he had seen her, her skin glowing, her eyes sparkling, hair floating like a halo around her head, a smile slowing fading from her pink lips…

"Wh-what is the meaning of this?!" Sakura demanded as her green eyes flashed with righteous anger. "Who –how dare you wear his face!"

Obviously Sakura did not remember that dark night in the hospital, though Sasori understood that she had still been recovering from her time with Madara. Still, her pain touched him, since it was obvious that she still loved him. Uh oh, she was gathering chakra in her fists. He better reassure her before he found himself across the village in a crater.

"Sakura, please listen –" He dodged a punch, jumping to the end of the corridor outside her apartment, her green fist swiping the air he had previously been.

"Don't you dare say my name with that voice! I don't know who you are or how you know about him but I swear –" Sakura was cut off as she flew backwards into her apartment, landing surprisingly gently on her sofa, unable to move.

"Not just everyone can handle chakra strings so masterfully." Sasori said offhandedly as he followed her into the apartment, shutting the door behind him. He sat politely on another chair and smirked across the coffee table at her.

Sakura glared at the chakra strings keeping her prisoner on the couch. But as she scanned the strings with her own chakra, she felt her mind stutter to a halt at their familiarity. They were smooth like silk, strong, with an even, controlled pulse that proved the extent of his chakra control. Chakra does not lie. Sakura felt her breath catch, and she looked up at the redhead with wide eyes.

Sasori smiled softly at her and released his chakra strings.

Sakura slowly rose from the sofa and approached him. Her hands rose unsteadily, trembling slightly as they skimmed cautiously over his cheeks, barely touching his skin. Fingers stretched and ran themselves through his curls, her breath leaving her body in shuddering breaths. Sasori sat still and waited as she reassured himself of his reality.

"You –you died." She whispered fiercely, her fingers now cupping his face, locked as if fearing that he was disappear, yet her grip was gentle. "You –you died. Sasori…" His name on her lips was like hearing a prayer, unbelievably pure and right, "Sasori. Sasori. Sasori."

Sakura whispered his name like a mantra, and suddenly Sasori felt himself falling to the ground as she launched herself bodily into his arms. They twisted in the air as Sasori took the brunt of the short fall, landing ungracefully on his bum with Sakura straddling him. Sasori wrapped his arms around her waist and buried his face in her pink locks, smelling her sweet, tangy scent, feeling her heat beating against his chest.

"I'm here, Sakura." He murmured into her neck as he felt her body tremble and tears dripped onto his neck. "I'm real."

She let out a sob of joy and Sasori rocked her back and forth soothingly, running his hands up and down her back. He rained kisses across her shoulder and up her neck, and when he reached her jaw Sasori gently pried her face from his shoulder and gave her a long, slow kiss on the lips. As he was pulling away Sasori was surprised when Sakura's hands flew to the back of his head and brought him forcefully back to her, crashing her lips to his in a desperate, longing kiss. Before any of them knew it they were consumed by a passionate kiss, tongues dancing, teeth nipping, hands roaming each other's bodies with fervor they had never experienced before.

They were interrupted by the sound of sizzling.

"The food!" Sakura gasped, leaping up from his embrace and racing over to the kitchen.

Sasori hissed as he stood, confronted by the effect Sakura always had on him. Honestly, five minutes and she already aroused him. Smoothing his pants down (concentrating in certain areas, cough cough), he followed her into the kitchen, shaking his head at the sight of a boiled over pot and blackened chicken.

"Lo mein?" He asked her.

Sakura grimaced as she turned off the stove top. "It was supposed to be…"

She glanced back at him, her eyes clouded in thought for a moment, before confusion swept into her green eyes.

"I'm sure you have a lot of questions." Sasori said softly as she nodded and led him deeper into her apartment. When they got to what was clearly her bedroom, Sakura motioned for him to sit on her bed.

"How?" She asked him, taking her hands into his and holding him tightly.

"Pein revived me." Sasori answered her. "He revives those Akatsuki members that he finds useful, and as one of the oldest members of the Akatsuki I have the honor of being in his inner circle."

Sakura stared at him with doubt and wonder in her eyes. "He can bring back the dead?"

"Only if they are recently dead." Sasori clarified. "He revived me not long after your return to Konoha but…" He hesitated briefly, but Sakura squeezed his hands in reassurance, "… I thought you would be happier in Konoha. Without me."

Anger and disbelief flashed across her face. "What?" Sakura's voice rose in pitch. "Why would you think that? Sasori, I love you. How was I supposed to fucking live without you? Do you realize how much pain I was in? I wanted to die!"

He sat momentarily stunned as Sakura ranted. The thought that she might have killed herself those months without him was… It was too much for him to handle.

"Sasori." Sakura leaned over him as she cupped his face, he sitting normally on the bed as she stood on it with her knees. "Sasori, I wound rather live away from Konoha forever with you than be here without you."

Sasori sighed and leaned his forehead against her abdomen, enjoying the heat of her body. "I realize that now, doll. I'm sorry I caused you such pain. You were always so torn between me and your loyalty to Konoha that I just thought it would be easier if you went to your home…"

Sakura shushed him and forced his head up to look at her. "What's done is done. You're here, and that is all that matters now. Wait –how are you walking around Konoha in broad daylight?"

Sasori wasn't sure how Sakura would take the news, but decided that it was time to stop keeping her in the dark.

"The Akatsuki is falling into civil war. Pein –he's like a figurehead for the organization –and Madara –you met him –are about to lose patience with each other. Pein is angry that Madara has twisted the organization to suit his purposes and Madara is angry that Pein has stopped listening to him. The members are taking sides, and as far as I know, most of us are sided with Pein, since we all hate Madara –"

"Nothing wrong there." Sakura muttered darkly, remembering the evil man that had kept her, Ino, and Hinata prisoner for so long and in such pain. Hinata still had nightmares.

Sasori nodded in agreement. "Madara, as you have probably guessed, wants to attack Konoha. So in the ultimate move to spite him, Pein has decided that he, and those that will side with him, will strike an alliance with Konoha and aid your people against Madara and whatever enemies he manages to round up to invade your village."

"Tsunade mentioned allying with the Akatsuki, or some part of it at least. I never would have guessed you would be the one to appear!" Sakura smiled.

"Deidara is here as well." Sasori added.

Her face lit up. "Really? Gosh I miss that idiot!"

Sasori chuckled. "I imagine he's causing hell for your border patrols right now."

Her questioning look increased the redhead's amusement, as he explained, "Your Hokage won't be informing the village about the alliance until tomorrow morning. Until then, Deidara is leading your border patrols on a wild goose chase with several shadow clones of himself."

"They don't explode do they?!" It was a valid cause for concern where the blonde pyromaniac was concerned but Sakura need not have worried.

"Of course not. He knows not to ruin the alliance." The redhead scoffed. "Not to mention he knows you would be angry at him. Deidara has not forgotten the beatings you gave him during practices."

The pretty medic smirked evilly. "Oh yes, those were the days."

Sasori laughed.

"I hope Naruto and Kakashi will handle the alliance well." Sakura murmured worriedly, biting her lip in that way that Sasori loved.

"Whatever the outcome, we'll survive it." Sasori assured the pinkette. "I won't leave you again."

"That better be a promise."

Moving fast, Sasori wrapped his arms around her and pushed her back into the bed, hovering over her. "I promise you that, and so much more."

He had missed this view, the pinkette lying vulnerably under him, her petite body fitting perfectly with his body. She was grinning mischievously up at him, her hands already sneaking under his shirt and dragging her nails across his abdomen, his muscles hardening at the feel. Sasori let out a soft groan as he pushed one of his legs between hers, rubbing his thing against her heat.

Sakura gasped and arched against him just, Sasori capturing her gasp and using it to his advantage as his tongue swept in and ran it roughly across the roof of her mouth, making Sakura's fingers curl against his pecs.

"You have a lot of time to make up for, Akasuna." Sakura sighed as Sasori relieved her of her shirt and began kissing his way down her flat stomach.

"I intend to make up for every second." Sasori promised her with a smirk as he tore off her bra and captured her breasts in each of his hands. Sakura moaned loudly and bucked against him.

"You'll be making up for it for the rest of your life." She panted as her hands ripped off his shirt and began pulling down his pants.

Sasori chuckled as the remaining articles of clothing found their way to the floor of the room.

~~~Flower of Konoha~~~

This was getting ridiculous. Shikamaru narrowed his eyes as he glared at the blonde kunoichi humming tunelessly as she tended to her flower shop. Problem One: Ino was a talented singer, she does not hum tunelessly, but with a skill that other women vied for. Problem Two: Ino's hair was not as shiny as usual, like she had been skipping conditioner, and Ino does not skip the conditioner. Ever. Problem Three: Her face was sallow. Her eyes were dull and had circles underneath them. She hadn't showed up to team sparring since she got out of the hospital.

Okay so that was a little more than one problem for the last problem, but therein lays the point. Ino was now quiet and withdrawn, and Shikamaru didn't like it one bit. Where was that frustratingly stubborn, loud, troublesome woman? Because this was not the Yamanaka he knew.

"Ino." He sighed.

The kunoichi spun around in surprise, a kunai in her hand and her eyes flashing. Inwardly, Shikamaru sighed again, recognizing the signs of paranoia that usually followed those who suffered interrogations.

"Shika!" Ino greeted with a false smile as she pocketed her weapon. "You surprised me!"

He scowled. "Drop the act, Yamanaka. Did you think I wouldn't notice your latest habits?"

His teammate frowned at his words. "What are you –"

"I can see the dark circles under your eyes, Ino." Shikamaru leaned against the counter. "I can see the way you favor your left leg. You've been avoiding sparring matches, the training fields altogether in fact. Your movements are twitchy but tired, and your smile is clearly false. Need I say more?"

Now Ino returned his scowl with equal ferocity. "It's none of your business, Nara."

Oh so now they were both on last-name basis.

"It is my business!" Shikamaru growled, pushing off the counter and approaching her. "You are my teammate and my friend. We can't go on missions with you like this. How can I trust you to keep your calm during a fight? I can't worry about your mental stability during a mission, or let the others do the same!"

"Then don't take me on your missions, dammit!" Ino snarled, pushing against his chest and making him back up a few steps. "Find another shinobi! Another kunoichi! Hell if it helps, go find some other blondie that can pass for me and maybe you'll feel better! Just leave! It! Alone!"

With each last word Ino pushed Shikamaru until he was backed up to the door of the shop.

"Ino you need help –"

"I'm sorry Shikamaru." Ino interrupted with a steely voice. "Please leave."

And then she slammed the door in his face.

Shikamaru sighed and kicked the wall beside the store. He shouldn't have pushed her! Dammit! He growled and stormed over to the training grounds. He needed to hit something, hard.

Woohooo another chapter done!

SasoSaku: CHECK BABY ;)

NejiHina: Check!

ShikaIno: …mission failure- angst!

Don't worry, Shika and Ino will get through this (I hope!). Anyway, Sasori and Sakura are together at last! Yaaaaaay!

READ & REVIEW!

Lots O' Love,

~Lilithia