Further understanding of Airin and Kakashi's past can be found in another fanfic that I wrote called "Neji (Naruto Fanfic) Limited Tsukuyomi" Chapter : Kakashi's Secret.
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Two days later
Tenten was lying down on her bed in her dormitory as Teiji. She thought about all of the crazy things that were happening in her life. She thought about how warm it was to be in Itachi's embrace, but it did not feel.. quite right. Was it because he was deceived by her? He still thought hat she was a teenage boy? She had a hunch that he might like her as Teiji which was another issue. Maybe Itachi liked men? And here she was, a genuine lady who enjoyed playing dress-ups as a man. She groaned when she thought how Itachi would take in this piece of news, she took her pillow from underneath her head and placed it on her face as she mumbled something incoherently.
"No one can hear you like that." Neji mused from his desk, he was doing some late night reading as he bit onto a cookie.
"You really like the matcha tea cookies that I baked don't you? Come to think of it, I have never seen you eating cookies." Came Tenten's unmuffled voice after she surfaced out of the pillow.
Neji scoffed before he replied, "Don't flatter yourself Takagi. It's either I consume it or I throw it in the bin, considering the fact that I was unable to swallow that spicy inedible excuse of a curry that Lee enjoyed so much during mass dinner; I prefer choosing the earlier alternative, thank you very much."
An anime vein had propped prominently on Tenten's left temple, she wanted to retaliate but thought better of it. Neji was extremely good at debating, despite the fact that he hardly spoke to anyone apart from Tenten, did not stop him from being an articulate smart-ass. Besides, she knew him pretty well by then, Neji was a complex piece of work. He would never actually admit that he enjoyed something even though it was evident on his facial expression~ no. He would use negative words to describe whatever it was that he enjoyed, in short he used opposite words to describe his hidden pleasures. That was not always the case though; take Lee and Gai for example, Neji would usually be completely blunt and blatant to their faces. Neji was a really complicated man, however, Tenten had spent lots of time with him to figure him out; well..most of the time.
A soft knock could be heard on their door, Neji groaned loudly so that the uninvited guest could hear him before he exclaimed just as loudly, "I don't care if he is the Prefect or the Hokage, he needs to give us some space."
Tenten rolled her eyes at her roommate before she opened up the door to reveal Itachi, in his black body-hugging inner shirt and grey jogger pants.
"Evening, Neji. As usual, I could hear every single thing you said. Just wanted to ensure that the both of you have not killed each other..." Itachi spoke calmly which earned him an irate scoff from the Hyuuga in the room, ".. you should really consider switching roommates Teiji. I have no roommate ever since Hideki-Kun was kicked out of the academy. Would you want to.."
Neji has had it, he banged his desk as he stood up from his seat and walked towards Itachi who was still standing at the doorway, "Takagi is fine and well with me. Heck, I saved his ass countless times. Besides, first years can't be assigned in the same room as a third year student. Now if you could kindly leave this vicinity, that would be great. I am trying to study here."
Itachi looked calm and composed at the frustrated Hyuuga before him, "the question was clearly posed towards Teiji~not you."
Neji gave a low and threatening growl towards the ever calm Itachi before Tenten stood in between them and held onto both of their chests before pushing them gently away from one another, "Alright, break it up you too. Hyuuga calm down. And Icchan..."
Neji's eyes sharpened as he used that nickname for Itachi, "..Hyuuga is right, I can't be assigned to a third year's dormitory room. I am fine. You are being paranoid for no apparent reason. It's late, we should all go to bed." Tenten ended firmly.
Both men gave each other uninterested looks before they jerk their heads towards the other direction and stalked away.
"Night Hyuuga." Tenten said before she transformed into her normal self and laid down on her mattress.
Neji did not bother answering Tenten, he was still focused in his thoughts, "Icchan?! When did they become that close?!"
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Training had been extremely tough than it was before. It used to be Iruka's morning theory lecture followed by Gai's physical training afterwards. But since they were assigned under the scholarship program, they had to add on additional trainings right after spending 3 entire hours with Gai. Usually that left Tenten with little chakra left, she had to resort into taking soldier pills just to boost up her chakra reserves.
"Too much of something is never a good thing, Takagi." Neji's voice mused softly next to her. She should have known, the Hyuuga could see through walls. She hid behind the dumpster just to swallow down the pills so that no one would question her actions. Naturally, Neji found out about it and he was trying to talk Tenten out of it.
"Then what do you suggest that I do, Hyuuga? Turn myself back into a teenage girl?" Tenten muttered under breath when Genma was giving them a lecture on the interrogation unit's protocol.
Neji smirked at that as he replied, "come clean Takagi. It's getting harder to hide your true form as it is, especially now, since dearest Icchan is practically following you and sadly, me around 24/7."
"Apologies if my lecture is a bore, but can the two of you stop yapping whilst I am explaining about these stupid generic protocols?!" Genma bellowed.
Tenten snapped from her reverie as Morino Ibiki's voice roared through the dual panelled interrogation room, he was interrogating a mist nin and he had just enough of the mist nin's silence.
"You would not want me to bring this up to the Hokage now would you?!" Ibiki barked at the short man he was interrogating, who did not even flinch under that pressure.
"The Hokage..." Tenten thought inwardly, ".. even he does not know of my true form.."
"Yamanaka-San mentioned that you are in here as a scapegoat-for-a-friend-situation that right? Some friend, he was.. He left as soon as we dragged you in.. Looks like you won't be seeing him anytime soon.." Ibiki's bass voice was cold and firm.
"Friend? That's right. If I turn myself in, I will not be situated in the same room as Neji, my friend.." Tenten thought inwardly, she stole a quick glance towards her gorgeous roommate. She had been hanging around with him most of the time, since they were teammates and roommates. She was getting really used to having him around her, even though they quarrelled 90% of the time. But she felt at ease when they were together, she felt, complete. Perhaps because she was too accustomed to having him around? Or was it because she was harbouring feelings for him?
Tenten shook her head at that incredulous thought. She knew that was impossible, just like Itachi, being an important clan prodigy, required them to be in an arranged marriage with someone from within the clan itself. Tenten's chances with either one of them would be as slim as Gai's latex spandex outfit.
"Ugh. Out of all the things you could think of, must you think of that?!" Airin's voice echoed across the room.
Tenten rolled her eyes at the mind-reading brunette, as a form of greeting when the latter walked in a carefree gait towards Tenten and Neji.
"How's it going Hyuuga and Takagi?" Airin greeted them cheerily before Tenten asked her.
"Why are you here? Aren't you supposed to be in ANBU headquarters?" Tenten asked her curiously.
Airin clutched her chest melodramatically to show that she was hurt by Tenten's choice of words, which earned her eye rolls from both Tenten and Neji.
"Aren't you glad to see me?!" Airin asked in a fake hurtful voice.
"Hatake!" Ibiki's voice barked through the dual panel glass room. "Get your butt in here! You are late! Kakashi is a horrible influence on you.."
Airin winked at the duo before she walked gracefully towards Ibiki, unperturbed by his scoldings at all. She gave out a loud yawn which agitated Ibiki even more.
"I swear if it's not because of the Hokage's insistence of having this woman in several departments at the same time, I would rather chew my good arm off than to have to work with her.." Ibiki grumbled as soon as he entered the room that Neji and Tenten were in. They were now watching Airin who was eyeing the mist nin intently.
Airin sat down across the mist nin, her legs propped up onto the table as she rummaged through her pockets.
"Just so you interns know, No one does an interrogation like this. You are just unlucky to have to be here when she is called in." Ibiki grumbled.
As soon as Ibiki said those words, Tenten became slightly apprehensive, would Airin showcase another side of her that they have not seen before? Was she hiding a dangerous side of her that was incomparable with her usual aloof behaviour?
Airin took out~ a chocolate bar from her pocket, its metallic purple wrapper gleamed brightly in the dim interrogation room.
Tenten and Neji both sweat dropped.
"Want one?" Airin asked the mist ninja, who simply looked on towards Airin, narrowed his eyes and looked away.
Airin smiled as she unwrapped the chocolate from its wrapper, it made a loud scrunching noise before she started, "Zabuza. The person you fancy and who you are protecting is a horrible piece of swine. He used you to gain access into Konoha." Airin pauses as she bit onto the chocolate while the mist nin's eyes widened towards her.
"You are lying." The mist nin said quietly, the first words of the day, Ibiki growled in displeasure.
Airin smirked as she tossed a mist forehead band onto the table before her, it banged against the wooden table top with a loud thump.
"Come on, Haku.. You must be smarter than that. You must know how interrogators work since this is not the first time he has made you do it. If one interrogator can't handle the suspect, they will call in a better interrogator..." Airin's voice trailed off as she looked through the two panelled mirror straight towards Ibiki.
Ibiki was currently red in anger, "I will kill her when the time comes..." Ibiki snarled.
Tenten sighed, that was the Airin she knew alright, she had a sick sense of humour. She thoroughly enjoyed annoying tough guys; Itachi, the Hokage and now Ibiki.
"He addressed you as a Hatake. You do not look like one." Haku mused as he took a good look at Airin.
Airin laughed joyfully as she replied, "Aren't all the Hatake clans dashingly gorgeous like me?"
The trio, who were watching the interrogation made gagging noises.
"..You just haven't seen what's hidden behind the mask my dear. Now let's get to it. Zabuza has ran off after he unsuccessfully tried to infiltrate the village. He left you, you are planning to escape with his help, but that won't be happening any time soon. You know why? Because the other Hatake, had killed him. The chocolate offered was the last sweet treat that you will ever get to taste before you spend your salty time in prison. Get it salty?.."
Tenten and Neji face palmed their own faces when they heard the lame joke Airin had just said out.
"..Too bad you turned it down. I am done. Chocolate's finished but gosh I am still hungry.. Have fun in prison!" Airin finished.
"Wait!" Haku called out, which made Airin stop in her tracks. "You did not just call me in to tell me all this. You needed something from me. If it is true that I am going to prison, then there must be a way to lighten my sentence. What is it that you require?"
Airin had a twinkle in her eyes as she turned slowly towards Haku.
"You. We are very interested in meeting up with the dealer for the illegal herb that had managed to wipe off an entire village across Sunagakure. And he was supposed to meet you somewhere in 3 days time. Are you up for it?" Airin asked her cunningly.
"What's in it for me?" Haku asked Airin.
"Immunity." Airin smiled wider.
"She has no right to decide!" Ibiki spat before he was interrupted by another voice.
"Unfortunately, she does." Hiruzen's voice exclaimed as soon as he entered the room. The rest of them bowed their heads as soon as they saw him, "This is a big case. It's biting us hard on the butt. Even the kazekage of Suna is worried for its villagers. This illegal herb had turned into a nationwide catastrophe. We need to put a stop to it. Hence, I have given Airin the authority to do what she deems suitable for the course of action. Even if it means giving immunity to this.. shinobi."
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The next few days were exhausting for the duo, endless training and extra scholarship programs; this time it was in the ANBU headquarters. Thankfully, they have not seen Airin anywhere nearby. But they were graced instead by a familiar voice.
"You are early." Itachi's voice called out from behind them.
Neji groaned out loud, "Not you again!"
Neji had had possibly about enough of Itachi. He was seeing Itachi everywhere. In their shared dormitory room, in the bathroom (Neji had to literally engage himself in a battle with Itachi, so that he would not enter the bathroom to do, god knows what, while Tenten was showering), the canteen (Itachi now sits with them for every meal) and now this.
"You are getting on my very last nerve. I told you before, Takagi is absolutely fine. You don't have to go all paranoia.." Neji started but was interrupted by Itachi himself.
"I agree with you... I will stop, how shall I say...following Teiji around? However, only if I am given the opportunity to speak to Teiji alone. Then afterwards, I will leave you be." Itachi proposed.
Neji sighed, "Fair enough. I need to go to the gents anyways. Excuse me."
Soon after Neji was out of ear shot, Itachi looked at Teiji before he breathed in. He knew what he wanted to say but he did not think it would be this hard. He recalled the conversation he had with Airin last night.
Itachi was trying to find an excuse just to see Tenten again. He was stealthily moving from one area to the next before he bumped himself hard against what felt like the coldest wall he had ever felt, he turned to see a wall of ice, in the middle of nowhere.
"Airin-Senpai?" He called out quietly before he frowned and asked "Why are you here?"
Airin smiled knowingly as she brought down her ice wall and gestured Itachi to follow her, they sat down on one of the benches that was was facing the Football field.
"I think I should be the one asking you that question. What were you doing, Itachi-Kun?" Airin asked with a twinkle in her eyes.
Itachi kept quiet as he folded his hands gently on his lap, "Nothing in particular.."
"Stop it." Airin commanded which earned her a raised eyebrow from Itachi, "I know you are new to this whole courting thing but what you are doing is considered 'stalking' and that is totally creepy. You are scaring Teiji away."
Itachi halted as he exhaled slowly, "I... am... scaring... Teiji..?"
Airin chuckled quietly, Itachi rarely had to enunciate words out. He really was clueless. The poor soul.
"I have never shared this with anyone over here but, initially, I loathed Kakashi. He was a pervert, kept doing what you did,followed me around. Only difference was that he was worse, he used to peep on me every single time I was at home or at the public bath house. He tried his best to touch me whenever we sparred. I detested that man." Airin revealed as she looked up towards the starry sky.
"Before this, I could only read other's minds when I was in my cursed transformation unlike now. Then one fine day, I happened to read his mind during a battle while I was in my cursed transformation. He did what he did to ignite a reaction within me. I was suicidal, empty, void of emotions. He decided to extract anger out of me, to not see me emotionally void and depressed. He put on an act of being a pervert and whatnot out of love. Which was stupid really. If he had expressed his feelings towards me earlier, we would have definitely be together way earlier than that." Airin revealed, her face looked like she was recalling the very day that had happened.
Itachi tried to digest what his senior was informing him, he asked, "So what you are saying is that.."
"Tell him." Airin urged, "You will gain nothing by being a stalker. But if you would just express how you feel about him. He might just accept you."
"What if he doesn't?" Itachi asked quietly through hooded eyes.
Airin shrugged, "Then you would lead your life knowing that you have told him rather than regretting that you never did."
Itachi looked at Teiji's face adoringly before he mustered his guts and said it out, "The day I saw that bear with your bloodied backpack, tore me into pieces. I went into the scariest place on earth. I was uncontrollable, I was an empty shell, consumed by only rage and sadness. I have known it for a while now, but I was too big of an idiot to not say it.."
Tenten's eyes widened as she stammered, "I-Icchan??"
"..I love you, Teiji. You might not feel the same way about me but I would appreciate it if you would so kindly inform me of your feelings for me.. I will wait for it." Itachi finished before he heard the toilet door slam loudly. He turned his head and saw Neji walking in intentional slow steps towards them. Neji looked stoic as usual but his eyes, they were filled with rage and anger. He stood in front of Itachi, both of their heights almost levelling one another.