Hey. I'm alive. My new job just doesn't let me write while working. Also, I'm woefully behind on this project, and I've only just finished January.
Originally posted to tumblr 2016-01-11.
/ Day 9 (2016.01.09)
/ noun
/ 1. the more distant part of the sea seen from the shore, beyond the anchoring ground.
/ 2. a position at a distance from shore.
/ idioms
/ 3. in the offing,
/ a. at a distance but within sight.
/ b. in the projected future; likely to happen: A wedding is in the offing.
Sasuke shouldn't be here. He knew he shouldn't, but he couldn't help himself. After all, Naruto had just become Hokage - the little shit finally got what he wanted.
Tsunade could only shake her head. 'Sasuke's playing with fire.'
One second's lapse in concentration and the jutsu would break, and Naruto would be up and after the last Uchiha before anyone could so much as blink. Hell, the only trace of the brat they'd probably find would be the echoing shout of "Teme!"
As it was, Sasuke was far too close. He wasn't even hanging around the outskirts of the parade or up on top of any kind of tower like the one Tsunade was lounging in. He was right in the front fucking row of the crowd.
"Idiot," Tsunade grumbled. Shizune and Tonton looked up at her.
"Not happy about finally passing the hat, Tsunade-sama?" her assistant asked with a grin, her pig snuggled quite happily in her arms.
More for the sake of show and tradition, Tsunade grumbled back, "The brat's gonna ruin the place before he can get his precious Uchiha back." The completely inconspicuous ANBU at the edge of the parade turned and looked at her, and she knew he'd heard her. She smiled. "The streets are going to be flooded with ramen and 'Dattebayo' is going to be at the top of every piece of stationery oh hell why did I give him Hokage." 'And this is where I have my fun.' "I should just knock him out when he gets to my office, use him as my puppet, and stay in rule for another few years."
"Tsunade-sama!" Shizune gasped, startled.
The ANBU tensed and disappeared. A second later, Tsunade waved her hand, inconspicuously snatching the poison dart out of the air and flicking it to the side without Shizune realizing what had almost happened.
"I'm just playing, Shizune. Naruto deserves this more than I ever did. More than any Hokage ever has."
The ANBU was back in the crowd now, drifting through the outskirts, keeping an almost obsessive eye on the exuberant blond idiot sitting headliner.
"Well, at least there's one ANBU who Naruto will never have cause to distrust. He'll need that. Probably. Oh hell, it's Naruto. He'll need it up until he talks his enemies into being his own personal guard."
Shizune eyed her suspiciously. "You said that you weren't going to drink till after the parade."
"Never you mind," she Tsunade snapped back, waving her hand. "Give 'em hell, kid."
The ANBU disappeared again, but so did the assassin that had been weaving through the crowd.
FINIS
2016 10M WotD Master Post (themadkatter13fanfiction tumblr, /10M-WotD-2016).
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