A/N: I wrote this fanfic … I want to say like 10 years ago; it was in high school, when Naruto was still first coming out – in my notes it says I was watching it current and there were only just over 100 or so episodes released at the time or something. So yeah; this one is old. I just found it, hand-written in my old writing things … So I decided to type it up and edit it because I remember liking it a lot. Yeah. It wasn't as good as I remembered; it needs a lot of work … Hopefully it's not too bad, and I didn't really check for continuity because that would've been a headache and a half.
So in short … This might be slightly AU, and I've edited to the best of my abilities; apologies for anything too heinous.
Now, with that out of the way, 10 to 12-ish years later, let's get on with this fic.
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I Take You and Vow
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"Tsunade-baba," the blond complained, scrubbing at one eye with his fist irritably, "it's the middle of the damned night!" Naruto was in a not so good mood because he had been sleeping mercifully without dreams he could remember when Kakashi had shaken him awake and told him to get up, the Hokage wanted a word. When the two had arrived as dictated, Sasuke was already there, standing in the middle of the room in front of the desk that the well-endowed woman stood on the other side of.
"Kuso gaki … (1)" Tsunade muttered under her breath before saying a bit louder, addressing Naruto more candidly, "it's not the middle of the night; it's 4:30 in the morning." Before the Genin could open his mouth to argue, the Godaime held up a hand to stop him and continued with, "you have a new mission, and you will be leaving in an hour." Blue eyes stared in disbelief from under his forehead protector, while black eyes of the same age watched the leader of Konoha carefully, not being anywhere near as disrespectful as his team mate.
"Tsunade-baa, you're scaring me a little …" he managed eventually, sounding seriously concerned for a moment, which made her eyes narrow slightly, not sure what he was getting at. "… … I think you're getting senile in your old age." And there it was; the flippant attitude he'd lost for just a moment when it seemed like he was actually being serious. The vein on her temple was nearly visible as she clenched a fist; it was taking all of her patience not to hit him with every ounce of her strength straight through the floor.
"I'm assuming you're referring to the fact that Sakura is still in the infirmary, and Team 7 was on stand down until further notice?" she managed through slightly grit teeth before suddenly looking at Naruto, gold eyes boring into blue, unblinking. "Well, consider this further notice. I'm perfectly aware that it will only be two of you, but that's all it should take. It's a C-level mission, and that is only because you have to leave Konoha to do it, otherwise it wouldn't qualify higher than D."
"What do we need to do?" both of them turned to look at the speaker; it was the first time the Uchiha had made a sound since the encounter began, and he didn't look up from where he'd turned his gaze to the ground. There was a pause before Tsunade sat down at the desk, idly picking up a piece of paperwork that was sitting on top of the large stack.
"It's a simple escort mission just past the borders of the Fire Country and into Wave Country, where you've been before," she'll show them the sheet, which appears to be a map; the section of the the Land of Waves that juts out as a peninsula is circled. "It shouldn't take more than two days, there and back. The only thing that might slow you down is the unseasonably inclimate weather they have been having, but I'm sure a little humidity and rain won't be too formidable of an opponent." Naruto made a bit of a face at that comment, but before he could get a word in edgewise, she kept speaking.
"Anyway; like I said, you are to meet your charge at the front gates in an hour; I suggest you go and pack. Lightly; you're not going to be gone long." Before anyone else could say anything, Sasuke inclined his head slightly before disappearing, likely to do as told and pack a few necessities for this brief mission. Putting his hands behind his head and grumbling, Naruto turned and left as well, and Tsunade caught a few comments about how he didn't understand why they had to leave so early if it was such an unimportant mission, etc.
Once the two young teenagers were out of the office, Tsunade let out a long breath, slouching heavily in her chair and rubbing at her temples. She knew Kakashi was still standing there, but honestly she just needed to let the stress out for a moment. And she didn't need the Copy Ninja to say anything; she already knew what he was thinking.
"Of course I think it's foolish to send two Genin alone on an escort mission," she said heavily as she rubbed her temples; it had actually completely escaped her notice that it was so early in the morning – she had been up reading documents, and the time had simply gotten away from her, what with everything else going on that needed attention when you were the sole leader of a rather sizeable political power. "But I don't have a choice. If I did, I would at least send you with them; you know I would."
Glancing up, not that she was looking for his approval or anything, but he did nod in understanding, though he didn't offer any other acknowledgement of what she'd said. Clearing her throat, Tsunade sat up in her chair, straight-backed aTnd poised, as she was expected to be, before she next spoke.
"You have your orders too." Kakashi bowed at this statement, taking the dismissal as it was, and leaving a moment later. For a few moments, gold eyes stared at the wall across the room from her as she contemplated the decisions she'd made over the past hour or so, and hoped that they had been the right ones …
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Tsu zu ku ...
(To Be Continued…)
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Footnotes:
1 – Kuso Gaki, if I remember correctly, is how she refers to Naruto in the original series; it means something akin to "you damned brat".