Warning: this chapter involves a lot of political B.s-ing-scratch that, B.s-ing in general.
Disclaimer: See bottom due to request.
To Build A Nest
By: Tsukiko Hoshino
Kakashi had underestimated what long night meant. The mission would have been easy if the sky hadn't picked the most inconvenient time to start pelting them with rain. 'How it went from perfectly cloudless today, to storming, I have no idea.' Ah, Murphey's law never failed.
The group had started out as nine, before splitting into three groups. One team, lead by Yamato had taken to searching the forest just outside Konoha. The second group was sent to look over the most common route one would use to get from the capital of Hi no Kuni to Konohagakure; which left Kakashi leading his group through the mountain pass.
Unfortunately, they weren't having much luck.
Despite Pakkun's innate sense of smell, it didn't do any good in the rain, it warped the way the wind carried scents; scattering it about chaotically. He was currently looking at Kakashi like he could kill him, as he sat shivering from his perch on top of a rock. Pakkun did not like rain, period; but the dog was professional as always, and put up with it, after much grumbling and dirty looks.
The rain didn't seem like it would be letting up anytime soon, and the scent that Pakkun had caught just before it started had been effectively lost. "There's no point in you staying in these conditions." Kakashi admitted, waving his hand dismissively. "Thanks for the help." He watched from behind the mask as Pakkun slouched with relief.
"Yea." The dog replied, shaking as much rain off as he could. It was a bit redundant considering it was still pouring. "Tell me how things went when you get back." Was the last thing he said before disappearing in a puff of smoke.
Kakashi let out a sigh, and turned his attention to the other two members of his team. Despite having the sharingan exposed underneath his mask as they searched it was doing very little good. It meant either two things, the first possibility was that their charges had had already been captured or done in; he was hoping for the second possibility, that the Anbu with them, was sinfully good at their job of keeping any potential enemies away. 'I shouldn't expect anything less.' Kakashi mused, bounding his way up a precipice, only to be interrupted by someone's alarmed cry.
"Aw fuck…" One of the accompanying Anbu hissed, his foot weighing down a thin thread of silver wire. Kakashi could only imagine the face hidden behind the white mask with numerous black spirals lining the left side. The code name Akugi certainly fit. (1)
"Its fine, it's not a trap." Kakashi mused after studying the miniscule wire, waving his hand. "It's a sensor, set up to react via chakra to the user…whoever set it up knows we're headed their way now…If it's the Daimyo's group then they're not far."
The domino sighed in relief, and shuffled his foot away. 'I didn't even notice it…' Whoever had set it up was highly skilled in laying traps. If it'd been lethal there was a high probability he'd have fallen prey. He turned to Kakashi briefly. "What do you think?"
Kakashi looked ahead. "If it were an enemy trap, you'd be dead, or highly injured…the highest probability, is that the Anbu accompanying the Daimyo and his group went ahead a short ways, most likely by Kage bunshin, and laid a sensor, so that he'd know if there was back coming up towards him from Konoha. He probably also backtracked a ways and set up another sensor, to look for enemies." Or at least that's what he would have done; A simple tactic, but effective.
"If that's the case, they shouldn't be too far ahead of us." The girl in the canary yellow and red bird mask stated, her head tilting to the side. She was craning her neck to peer past the rain and up the steep slope the rock face. Kakashi recalled her code name being Jakura.
"You'd be correct in that theory." A new voice stated, as a man in a Tiger mask bent down to peer at them from the plateau above them. His long black hair was pulled back into a long pony tail at the top of his head. The once pristine white of his Anbu issued armor was blemished with scorch marks despite the pounding rain. "The real me is back at camp waiting for you." He nodded his head into the direction behind him. "My code name is Tora…if you're all ready, we can head there now."
Kakashi nodded his head, and pulled himself over the ledge. "Yama-inu…" He stated, introducing himself before pointing to the other two Anbu in quick succession. "The bird is Jakura, and the other one is Akugi… did you encounter much trouble?" He wondered. Who ever had caused the incident at the capital, it didn't seem like they'd quit after learning there were survivors.
Akugi brought up the rear, as he glanced behind him apprehensively every now and then. Out of the corner of his eye, Kakashi could see Jakura's mask looking back and forth over the walls of rock surrounding them. Anbu troops were always on the lookout.
"Once we got out of the capital, things went well enough; I don't think they even knew we got out until it was too late." Tora paused, slipping through a thin gap between boulders. "But we've been moving almost nonstop the past three days, when the rain hit, I decided it would be best if we waited here until it cleared up, or we had backup."
Akugi frowned from behind his mask. "Hey, what exactly happened at the capital?" It was the question that everyone who knew about the incident had been asking.
"I think its best if to wait for that explanation until we're safely back in the village." Tora shook his head, his long black hair making soft pitter patters on his mask. "The sooner we get there the better."
Kakashi didn't argue with that. The sooner they were in the village, the safer it was. "Agreed." His tone left no room for any objections from the more curious man. Kakashi wasn't going to take any risks; things were already unpredictable as it was.
Their travel time was short and quiet; Tora had led them through a series of narrow outcroppings, before ducking into a concealed cavern. "They're in there." He pointed into the dimly fire illuminated cavern, before disappearing in a puff of smoke.
"You shouldn't cheat Amaya-hime." A low female voice chastised gently from within the cave.
"Oh don't be silly, that's beneath someone like me." Another female voice laughed, clearly pleased at the accusation. "You're so uncouth accusing me of such a thing, where are your manners Kame?"
Kakashi peered into the cave, before motioning to his subordinates to follow him in. The small structure housed four forms, The Anbu, two women and a man.
The first voice that had spoken belonged to a woman with dark green hair. Her slate blue colored eyes watched the intruders for a moment, before turning back to whatever had her attention before.
The real Tora greeted them with a raised free hand, the other one full of cards. "If you're not cheating, then why is there a card sticking out of your sleeve?" The tiger masked man stated, yawning from behind his mask.
The woman now labeled as Amaya sighed, flicking a few strands of long platinum white hair over her shoulder. "I can see now that I won't be getting any respect." She pouted, plucking the card from her sleeve and tossing it back into the pile. Her verdigris green eyes darted towards the impressive figures that had joined them. "I see backup arrived…"
"Without a doubt." Tora replied, setting his own cards back into the pile as he stood up. Kakashi was well renowned for his skill, even to younger generations. "That…" He motioned towards the last figure in the room that was hunched over a few scrolls intently. "…Is the new Daimyo."
Kakashi blinked from behind his mask, and looked the man over thoughtfully. He had long wild golden hair that was pulled back by red twine, and slightly tanned skin as opposed to the generally pasty faced nobility.
"My Name is Hitono Kinmura." The daimyo stated, pulling his cerulean blue eyes away from the scroll in front of him. "Sorry for the trouble." He stated simply, rubbing the back of his neck anxiously.
Kakashi shook his head. "It's no trouble…Konohagakure is meant to serve Hi no Kuni."
"I don't see it like that at all." Kinmura stated blatantly, as he rolled up the scroll and stuffed it into a pack. "The Daimyo is to serve the needs of Hi no Kuni, and Konoha is a part of this country. Therefore I'msupposed to be the one serving you." There was certainty dripping in his voice.
Kakashi smiled from behind his mask. Shinobi were excellent judges of character, If he had to go by that alone he could say without a doubt the country was in good hands. "I'm glad you believe that…but if you're dead you can't do any good." He reminded Kinmura.
"Of course." Kinmura sighed, and placed a fist on his side. "This whole situation is a mess." He admitted, helping Amaya off the stone she'd been perched on. Anyone with eyes could see the tenderness in the action. "This is my wife." He explained.
Amaya rose her hand in greeting. "You can call me Amaya." She cheerily ignored the dirty look Kame gave her.
"Amaya-Hime." The hand maiden corrected her.
" That's Kame…she's a killjoy." Amaya huffed waving her hands dismissively.
Kame didn't deny the charges, instead her lips twitched into a vague smile.
Tora extinguished the fire, masking any signs that someone had been inside the cavern in the first place. "How should we proceed from here?" he questioned the superior officer. Kakashi had more years under his belt, and he seemed to be heading the rescue mission.
"First things first… we need to signal the other teams that you've been found." Kakashi stated, pulling out a slip of paper. It burst into flames on contact, smoke rising from it lazily. "The captains of the other two teams should notice the smoke coming off their own papers." It meant that the Daimyo's group been found safe, and no back up was required at the moment. "The good news is this." He held up a transportation scroll.
Tora let out an almost inaudible, Whew of relief. It'd been a long three…no four days for him. Kinmura and the others were nice companions, and all, but he was close to exhausted.
"Shall we?" Kakashi questioned, turning to the rest of his squad. He was met with no opposition, so with that, he broke the seal on the scroll, before tossing it open in the air. The immediate vicinity was filled with pale grey smoke, before there was a sucking of air, resounding in the tall tale poof, of someone or in this case, a group of people porting from one place to another in a matter of seconds. (2)
When the smoke had finally cleared, they were standing inside a large seal in the middle of the Hokage's office.
"Excellent work." Danzo stated from his seat at the desk. Kakashi could see the two ever present root members lurking in the shadows.
"I'm glad to see you've arrived safely." Danzo said as he pulled himself up and made his way across the room towards the group leisurely. He bowed his head towards Kinmura respectfully. "I apologize for the incident at the capital, if we had known; things surely would have been different."
Kinmura shook his head. "What's done is done; right now the concern is getting down to business." He stated gravely, looking over Danzo's shoulder and out the large windows of the office. The view was that of a half wrecked Konohagakure. "I know you're all probably wondering what happened at the capital…but that can wait until after the Jōnin convene."
If there was any shock in Danzo, he schooled it well. "For what are they to be convening for?" He questioned.
"If the information I have is correct, the Jōnin have yet to vote for Hokage, which means that although you had the former Daimyo's support you're position is still in question." Kinmura stated, turning his shrewd eyes to look Danzo in the face. "With my uncle, and the rest of the family's death Hi no Kuni is already in treacherous waters. Just take a look at Konohagakure, it just barely scraped by that invasion you had…We as a nation can't afford any more unrest, especially from Konoha. We're going to need this village as stable as possible, immediately."
Apparently, the new Daimyo was very well informed. "Exactly how did you come by this information?" Danzo wondered if perhaps Kinmura's Anbu guide from the capital had a roving tongue.
"It wasn't Tora, if that's what you're fishing for." Kinmura replied smoothly, waving a hand as if to swipe the thought away. He was quick to catch on to subtle things as well. "I'm sure you know just how ruthless the world of politics can be. As long as you've got the possibility of being in the seat of power, someone is always after you." He murmured, swiping a few gold strands out of his face. "The best way to combat that is to find them first...it involves a lot of espionage, and bribery….you often times gain information that you had no use for, or didn't at the time you received it."
Danzo nodded his head consciously, Kinmura's statement from earlier rung true. As long as there was a question about where the jōnin's loyalty was, Konohagakure was unstable. "Alright." He turned to Jakura and Akugi. "I want you to find Nara Shikaku, and help him gather the jonin together in one hour."
The two Anbu nodded their head, before disappearing in puffs of smoke.
"Kinmura-sama, perhaps you would like to speak about what happened at the capital?" Danzo prompted, he didn't like being the one left in the dark, strange since he found it fitting to do so too many others.
Kinmura shook his head. "It can wait until everyone is together." He turned to his wife. "Since we have an hour, do you mind settling us somewhere?" Although he was looking at Amaya, his question was directed towards the Hokage.
"Not at all…" Danzo looked towards Tora. "Take them to Kikyō castle, it survived the invasion I believe. We'll retrieve you when the jonin are gathered." He stated, sitting at his desk once more.
Tora nodded his head, before motioning for his charges to follow him. In the end, Kakashi was left alone with Danzo.
"You are the other candidate for Hokage." Danzo mused, peering over at Kakashi thoughtfully. "There's a strong chance it'll be you who takes the position."
Kakashi pushed his dog mask aside to look at Danzo. "That's true." He wondered what the point in this conversation would be.
"What will you do?" Danzo wondered. "…If it is you?" He knew that Kakashi wouldn't covet the position, not like he would.
Kakashi sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "You know as well as I do, that I don't want the shiiposition…but if it's what Konoha wants, I'll do it." He wasn't going to say, that no matter how much he felt he wasn't suited for the position, anything was better than Danzo being in charge.
The former council member nodded his head thoughtfully. "You're dismissed."
With a grateful nod, Kakashi followed the path of the other Anbu, and disappeared in a puff of smoke.
"You could have him assassinated." Fū stated from his position in the shadows. Torune was quiet at that, having nothing to add.
Danzo nodded his head. "I could. But I won't." Kakashi was far too valuable for that, losing him would be a blow to the village, and as much as Danzo coveted the position of Hokage, he loved Konohagakure more.
With nothing left to discuss, they lapsed into a comfortable silence.
Kakashi would have been happy to be home, if it weren't for the fact it'd been a long night, but judging by the looks of things it was about to be a long day. He unlocked the door to his apartment, glad that Sakura had taken his advice on home security seriously. His eyes roamed over the living room thoughtfully, the cushions on the couch looked like they'd never been moved.
Instead the pink haired girl was fast asleep, her knees folded under her as she laid slumped over his coffee table. Her cheek was pressed against a medical scroll she'd been studying.
Despite his weariness, a grin tugged his lips underneath the mask. 'She's really picking up Tsunade's mannerisms.' The slug sannin was always falling asleep at her desk, the scrolls and papers she'd been looking over leaving ink imprints all over her face as proof. She'd once walked around town with the Kanji for rejected printed on her forehead in bright red.
He tipped his head to the side, as he studied her. 'That has to be one of the most uncomfortable sleeping positions known to man.' Kakashi mused, setting his Anbu mask on the coffee table. "Sakura." He shook her shoulder slightly.
"Hmm?" Two green, sleep dazed eyes fluttered open, flashing with annoyance. Sakura pulled her head up as she looked around, blinking the blurriness away. "Your back." She stated the obvious, as she stretched.
Kakashi bobbed his head in confirmation, but his voice had something else to say. "Nope, I'm just a figure of your imagination here to chide you about not sleeping properly." he flipped onto the couch to take off his shoes.
"Ah." Sakura responded. "I knew I shouldn't have stopped taking that medication." Her tone was tainted with dry humor. "How did the mission go?" she wondered, becoming serious in an instant.
"It went perfectly, well besides the rain." Kakashi admitted. "You were completely right about the route they took." He didn't miss the look of pride on her face. It was amazing, what the simple act of speaking the truth about her skill could do.
Sakura smiled slowly; there was no point in hiding her satisfaction from his comment. "And what's the new Daimyo like?" She wondered curiously, her head tipping to the side like a kitten.
Kakashi unbuckled the guards around his forearms, before glancing at her. "Well…" He paused. "So far, he seems like someone with the best interests of the people on his mind." But there was always that off chance that he was wrong. "He's already demanded Danzo call the Jōnin to meet."
"That's good..w-wait, what for?." Sakura mused, stopping in the middle of her yawn. Her viridian green eyes wide in surprise.
"To finalize who gets the position of Hokage." Kakashi stated; half wishing he could play hooky from the fast approaching meeting. He'd probably be dragged there by forty Anbu if he did though.' That would be more trouble than it's worth.' The copy-nin mused, as he got to his feet and wandered into his room to get dressed in his normal apparel.
Sakura sighed and stretched her arms to the air again. "Do you want me to run out and grab you some breakfast?" it was the least she could do.
"Nah." Kakashi shook his head despite the fact she couldn't see it. "I'll grab something after the meeting." He stated, slinking back out, redressed in his Jōnin attire.
'That's not fair.' Sakura eyed him jealously. She envied him for dressing so quickly. "If you say so." She mumbled.
Kakashi smiled, his eyes creasing shut as he pulled the forehead protector down over the left side of his face. With that done, he propped a foot on top of the coffee table and began wrapping another role of bandages around his thigh. "So…what were you studying so hard last night?" He wondered, he'd had the sharingan closed most of the night in a perpetual wink so he could conserve Chakra.
"Ah that...." She was shifting uncomfortably from foot to foot now. Which, if Kakashi knew Sakura, it meant it was something potentially dangerous, or something she'd wanted to keep secret. Either way it couldn't be good.
Kakashi frowned, looking over at her, hands stopped dead in their tracks. "Sakura…" He began austerely, fixing her with a sharp look from one eye; it was more than enough.
"Fine, fine." Sakura sighed, and flopped back on the couch. "I was working on the Yin seal." She said, rubbing her forehead tiredly. The technique may have sounded easy, but the process was actually rather difficult, especially when you only had a paper to go by. (3)
Kakashi's brow furrowed in confusion, as he sat next to her, clipping his utility pouch to the bandaged thigh. "Tsunade's technique…you're trying to learn Sōzō Saisei." He realized with a start. The Yin seal was the precursor to the miracle medical Jutsu.
"Correct." Sakura responded, looking out the small window across the room she could almost hear the lecture brewing. Both the Yin seal and Sōzō Saisei were considered s-rank Jutsu, for Sakura to be trying to figure them out by paper alone, was dangerous.
She'd been right about the lecture. "You probably shouldn't be doing that." Kakashi stated, wrapping his left ankle in bandages. "Tsunade's the only one I know of that is able to do either of them." He'd never had the chance to attempt copying them, and even if he had, there was no way to know if he'd be able to do so.
"If it were Naruto trying to do something like this, you wouldn't stop him." Sakura was frowning at him. Hell, if it were Sasuke, he wouldn't say anything.
Kakashi gave a sigh, and set the next roll of bandages down before he started on his other ankle. "You're right." He admitted. "I did mention you were my favorite, right?" He wondered, his eye sliding closed into a smile. It didn't hurt to try and lesson the blow with a bit of truthful buttering up.
"I remember something to that effect." Sakura acknowledged a slight smile tugging her pale pink lips. She knew he was only concerned…but it didn't make her feel any less useless. The skills that Sakura had now just wouldn't do, Naruto was improving leads and bounds in what seemed like mere days; who knew what Sasuke was learning, or had already learned. Even Kakashi was still improving. She was always behind the three most important men in her life.
Kakashi leaned his head back against the couch. "I know, that you feel like you've got something to prove, or some misguided thing like that." He stated, glancing over at her with a lazy eye. "You can't always compare yourself to those two…you have your own strengths and talents."
Sakura's lashes lowered of her eyes solemnly. She hated it, when people could see through her like a piece of paper. "If you believe that, then you'll support me in this…I made a promise to myself, not to be left behind as long as I could help it. Besides, who knows if Tsunade will ever wake up, we can't let that Jutsu die out."
"Sōzō Saisei can takes years off your life if used correctly, what happens if you mess up?" The Copy-nin pointed out, hoping to get her to see reason. The thought of Sakura having to use that technique scared him.
The pink haired girl was shaking her head. "You're getting ahead of yourself…I haven't even figured out the Yin seal yet." She pointed out. "Imagine what good it'll do for me." She began, her eyes becoming vibrant. "We both know my Chakra levels are pitiful, if I could figure out how to use the yin seal, and refine it to the point, where rather then it flooding my system with stored up chakra, I could draw certain amounts out each time…" She trailed off leaving it to his imagination. Sakura had a persuasive argument and she knew it.
Kakashi sighed, and quickly finished wrapping his ankle. She had a very good point, being able to store chakra and use it at a later date, would do wonders for her in battle, and medic wise. As long as she stayed away from Sōzō Saisei, he wouldn't have any objections to her attempting to learn the Yin seal on her own. "Fine." He heaved a sigh, and pulled his sandals on.
"I thought you'd see things my way." Sakura grinned, feeling very satisfied at having won an argument with the great copy-nin Kakashi.
"Don't get so full of yourself." Kakashi smiled from behind his mask. "I only conceded because I'm pressed for time." He was going to be late if he didn't hurry.
Sakura snorted in an unconvinced manner, and pointed a finger at him. "Of course, because being late weighs so heavily on your conscious."
Kakashi place a hand where his heart was dramatically. "No respect…" he sounded utterly heartbroken. He was given a sympathetic pat on the back by the petite girl.
"I'm sure there's someone out there who respects you." Sakura grinned, her green eyes glowing with amusement. "Gai-sensei does." She laughed at the shudder Kakashi gave. Ever since the noble green beast of Konoha had to carry him back from Suna, he'd avoided the man like the plague.
Going to the meeting, meant he'd undoubtedly run into the taijutsu specialist .'Just another reason not to go.' Kakashi blinked when Sakura held out the Icha Icha charmed key.
"Thanks for letting me stay." Sakura smiled slowly. "I appreciate it…and I'm glad you're safe." She stated, moving towards the door. "Good luck at the meeting!" She called, disappearing from sight.
Kakashi shook his head, he'd have to keep an eye on her, he didn't trust her to abandon the desire to learn Sōzō Saisei so easily, but for now, he had a meeting to get too. With that, he disappeared in a puff of smoke, teleporting to the assembly. It was already full. Kakashi couldn't help but laugh nervously, when numerous eyes turned to look at him. "Ahaha…sorry I'm late, there was this kitten that was being naughty…" He began, whipping Icha Icha out as a shield.
"Uhuh." Shikaku stated from his spot at the long table set up on a stage. "Just take a seat Hatake."
Kakashi saluted him with a closed Icha Icha, before taking a seat in a blessedly empty chair. Unfortunately, that chair was next to Gai. 'Damn.' He cursed himself for being late. Vaguely, Kakashi could hear Genma snickering behind him.
"How lucky!" Gai flashed a sparkly white smile towards his rival. "I've been looking for you the past three days."
Kakashi noded his head mutely, still cursing his luck "Shh…I think Shikaku is about to speak." He pointed to the Nara clan leader. "It'd be rude to talk."
That seemed to put a halt to whatever insane challenge Gai was about to pose.
"Now as I was saying, before I was interrupted." Shikaku made sure to single Kakashi out with a glare. For his part, Kakashi managed to look utterly innocent, and even send the Jōnin commander a cheerful wave, before turning back to his book. "Before we put the issue of who we believe should be Hokage, the Daimyo have decided to explain just what happened at the capital."
Kinmura watched all this with thinly veiled amusement, his chin resting against the palm of his hand. At the mention of his title, he sat up straighter, dismissing his carefree stature with ease. "That's right." He gave a sigh. "A day or two after Konohagakure was attacked, there was a social event being held at Yougan the capital of Hi no Kuni, usually the entire royal family would never be in the same place." He stated, his eyes becoming solemn. "This is to ensure, that if there is an assassination attempt, the entire family isn't decimated. As you can see, it was a mistake to allow it even once a year."
The room was quiet, in both anticipation and respect for the lives lost.
"In any case, it was a perfect time to act if you were out to leave the country running around with its head cut off. What they weren't counting on however my wife was throwing a fit about having to attend a stuffy formal meeting on our anniversary." Kinmura mused, a smile tugging his lips. "She's very stubborn about these things, and managed to convince our Anbu guard Tora, to create doppelgangers to take our place…so we were touring the gardens, with Kame holding the Parasol, and Tora shadowing us as usual."
Out of the corner of his eye, Kakashi caught sight of a familiar haired man across the room shift uncomfortably. It was more than likely the Anbu Tora, he had the same build. 'Definitely him.' He mused, when the man's eyes met his, and flashed with recognition.
"It wasn't long after the doppelgangers took our place, that we began noticing something strange…There was a lot of screaming coming from the palace." Kinmura was back to frowning, as he tucked his folded hands under his chin. "I asked Tora to investigate, but he refused, on the grounds that leaving us alone would expose us to even more danger. He also explained that if something happened to the doppelgangers, he would know what was going on inside."
The Daimyo's voice was echoing through the antechamber. "Not long after, Tora showed signs of being alarmed, and said we had to evacuate the premises immediately, not ten minutes after we'd reached the distance of about fifty yards, the entire palace went up in flames." He pressed a few fingers to his temple thoughtfully. "He would later explain that before the explosion, figures in black clocks, had swept through the dining hall, and slaughtered everyone, before detonating the palace."
There were quiet murmurs all throughout the chamber. Black cloaks were more than enough to implicate Akatsuki.
"From there, since Tora was sure that no one had survived, we went to the main temple, and had the rights performed; afterwards, we headed straight for Konohagakure." Kinmura finished. "I can't tell you in detail what happened in the building, I wasn't there…but I can tell you my suspicions. I'd hold Akatsuki accountable for what happened."
There was nodding all around. They were certainly the most likely culprits, it was all to coincidental, that communication with the capital had been cut off right after the former Daimyo's last visit, which had come directly after Pain's attack.
"Now, its you're turn." Kinmura stated, motioning towards Shikaku. "The sooner the vote is placed, the sooner we move onto big business."
Shikaku nodded his head. "Alright, this is how it's going to go, Kakashi, Danzo-sama, please stand up." He watched as one drew to his feet proudly, and the other, reluctantly put his book away.
Kinmura studied the candidates carefully. He easily recognized the one called Kakashi. It was hard to forget that hair, and the slouched stature. 'The most trust worthy holder of power is always the one who doesn't want it in the first place.'
"Those in favor of Danzo, raise your hands." He stated, motioning towards the man in question.
A good quarter of the room raised their hands in support of the old ninja. He'd served Konoha faithfully for many years, and was one of the oldest shinobi alive in the village. Already, the outcome of the vote was clear.
"And now those who are in favor of Kakashi raise your hands." Shikaku stated, not bothering to raise his own hand. The rest of the three quarters had risen their hands silently.
Kinmura nodded, and looked towards Danzo. "I apologize…but I'm revoking the former Daimyo's decision." He stated, giving the elder man a soft smile. "I think it's best to leave the care of the village in Hatake-san's hands…at least until Tsunade-hime wakes ups."
The smile on Kakashi's face was bitter sweet. It was nice to know just how admired you were…but the position wasn't suited for someone like him. He could hear the shouted congratulations being thrown his way, and nodded his head halfheartedly, when numerous people clapped him on the back.
"In any case, there are a few more things that have to be discussed." Kinmura's voice cut through the festivity. The room quickly quieted down, curious eyes turning towards the Daimyo.
Kinmura gave a wry smile to the filled room. 'They certainly are obedient.' His chin was once more resting against the palm of his hand as he spoke. "I have no intention of reforming the former Daimyo's type of council, it was curropt and filled with men out to achieve their own agenda, my goal is only the benefit of Hi no Kuni as a nation. I have no desire for riches, and I have no desire to be associated with those types of people." His voice was filled with disgust.
Shikaku's eyes widened slightly. "You plan to rule the country on your own?"
"Absolutely not…that's far too much trouble for one man." Kinmura admitted, his eyes shutting thoughtfully. "From here on out, I will be turning to the Hokage, and his or her subordinates for advice."
This time, surprise was evident on everyone's face, as a huge uproar of whispering clamored throughout the room.
In all honesty, the offer was phenomenal. It was a way for Konohagakure to control, rather than be controlled by monetary means. No other Ninja village had ever been posed this offer before; they were used as tools, with little to no political sway, to be tossed away when they were deemed un-useful.
"It shouldn't surprise you that much." Kinmura stated, looking around the room in amusement. "Shinobi have to be more politically savvy, as to avoid causing any unnecessary friction on their missions to foreign countries. It makes perfect sense to replace a corrupt system, with a more trustworthy one…" He trailed off, before beginning again. "The Hokage of this village, have all had the same desire; to protect Konohagakure. While my dream is the same, it extends much further I don't just want to protect a single village, I want to protect an entire nation."
Kakashi had been right, when he made his judgment of Kinmura the first time. He wasn't just going to lead efficiently though, he was going to break new ground.
"I consider Konohagakure a part of this country, as much as any civilian village, but it's far more important, and by far underpaid." Kinmura admitted. "As part of the council I'm planning to form, the village will receive a substantial bonus, in addition to the political benefits it'll be receiving." He was well aware it was an offer they wouldn't refuse. "With the money you'll still be brining in from any missions you chose to accept, I think it's safe to say you won't have to worry about money."
Danzo was still standing from earlier, his eyes studying Kinmura's face. "That's a big offer."
"One that I genuinely stand for." Kinmura stated simply. "I understand if you need time to think about it." He shrugged. If it weren't such a serious situation, he would have laughed. It wasn't often one got to throw a whole stadium packed with jonin into a frenzy with a few words.
Kakashi shook his head, and motioned for Shikaku to follow him towards where the other two Konoha elders sat. They were quickly joined by Danzo.
"This is an offer we definitely can't refuse." Mitokado Homura stated rubbing his chin thoughtfully as his glasses glinted in the light.
"I agree." The copy-nin stated, lips pursed underneath his mask briefly.
Utatane Koharu pressed a wrinkled thumb against her lips thoughtfully. "I can't find any fault in it." She admitted. Konohagakure was in dire need, and the offer was most beneficial.
"Agreed." The promise of political sway was enough to convince even Danzo.
Shikaku held his hands up in a halting motion when their eyes turned to him. "Even if I wanted to disagree, it wouldn't do any good." He stated. "The decision is unanimous, and frankly, I don't want to disagree."
This was probably one of the first and only times that they would all be in undivided agreement over anything.
Kakashi heaved a sigh of relief. It was one less battle to fight with the more militant elders. This was like a dream come true for them. "We agree." He called over towards Kinmura, he was looking rather smug.
"Great…so for now, is it safe for me to assume this meeting is over?" Kinmura wondered, getting to his feet.
Kakashi nodded his head numbly. 'This is a lot to take in.' He couldn't ever remember being this surprised. He wasn't about to get any breaks either, before could dismiss anyone, a Anbu troop motioned for his attention. "Hm?" Kakashi blinked his lazy eye.
"I just came from the hospital…Tsunade-sama's awake." The man in the frog mask stated.
Kinmura seemed to hear it, despite the distance away. "Is that so…Well, I guess I'll go inform her of all this myself." He let out an aggravated sigh. "This is one hell of a day."
'I couldn't agree more.' Kakashi mused, his single eye rolling up to the ceiling in total worship of whatever god was looking over him. 'Thank you!' he couldn't be happier about Tsunade waking up. "Well, maybe next time you'll catch me." He flashed a smirk behind his mask at Shikaku. "No such luck on Hokage Kakashi this time."
Shikaku rolled his eyes, before directing his attention towards Kinmura. "I'll go with you..There are some things I'd like to discuss."
"Of course." The golden haired Daimyo consented. 'I don't know where the hospital is anyways.' He mused, following after the pineapple haired man.
Shikaku dismissed the gatherers on his way out, giving the lingering ones a scathing look. People enjoyed drama far too much for his tastes.
Kakashi gave a short wave to the elders, quickly poofing away before Gai could catch him. It'd been a long two days and the last thing he wanted to fool with, was a contest involving who could eat more jalapeño peppers. 'Its nice to be able to go from one place to another in seconds 'he mused, flopping onto his beat up couch.
Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of the red scroll that had caught his attention the night before. With a shrug, he tugged the forehead protector off his eye. It would only take a second to read with the sharingan exposed, and then he could sleep. With that in mind, he pulled the scroll from the box, and untwined the silver thread keeping it shut.
it unrolled easily, revealing the eloquently written script inside. The words were forever seared into Kakashi's eyes.
It resulted in Kakashi doing the most un-shinobi thing one could think of…
He fainted from shock.
Prepare yourself for the longest author note so far. ( I think.)
(1) A note on code Names:
Tora: Tiger
Akugi: trick
Jakura: Sparrow net.
Yama-inu: meaning wild dog.
( Names do play a big part in TBAN, You'll find out soon enough.)
(2) Okay, so Tsuki honestly has no idea if there really are teleportation scrolls or not. She also doesn't know the mechanics of them if they even do exist. So like she does with everything she doesn't know and can't find on the net…she B.S's it. I imagine, there is a seal placed in the destination they want to teleport too, then the seal is printed on a scroll, and when the scroll is opened, it teleports them to the mother seal.
(3) Yin seal: Tsunade stores chakra over a period of time into the bindi on her forehead, and usually uses it to perform Sozo Saisei… the yin seal from what I understand, floods all the chakra into the system at once…sakura is trying to figure out if she can do it gradually, among other things Like I said, this chapter is full of B.S-ing. ( I only tell you the techniques because I have a friend who doesn't know much about Naruto reading through for me…he's great like that.)
Special mentions: Calm Serene (Because she's getting me addicted to writing this D: I can't go like, a day without writing or thinking about it. ), Valorous Roland( He reads even though he doesn't know much about Naruto), quarterdark( Said that when they read, it's like they can see the anime :D that makes me proud.) Seriously though, I would mention everyone, but I'm already over my 6000 word a chapter limit. (Again.)
Okay onto more important businesses.
Iggy and Red pen: I haven't had a chance to go back and fix the mistakes on my; you and you're's in last chapter D: sorry…usually Microsoft is REALLY good at fixing those…Admittedly; I rushed through editing it last time.
Meh, I citied the third leg thing, because when it was posed to me, I took like three full minutes to figure it out…I wanted to believe I wasn't the only silly person out there *Feels shamed* I hope the citations don't get me in trouble this time. Eeek..Sorry *smiles sheepishly* I know my birthday is the bane of numerous hardworking tax payers. Not me though XD I make my money under the table.
I'm so glad I'm held in high regard D: I shall try to uphold the good name of TBAN.
Thank you both for your corrections, I'll try and implement them as soon as possible.
So…out of the blue Friday, my parents made me go with them to NJ wildwood to go to the beach and boardwalk…it was cold, I didn't get on any rides, and If I was sick as a dog before, I'm officially dying now. My legs shake like jello when I stand, and my hands tremble too *sweats* and when I move around to fast, I feel faint, so I apologize if this is poorly edited. ( Your probably thinking to yourself: Why the fook are you writing then!? Meh, i'm addicted. *Shameless.* )
On a side note, a bird hit our kitchen window this morning when I walked in….erk…that's a bad omen.
*Cowers in her corner* if I don't have another chapter up in a week or two.. I must be dead. If things go according to plan however, the next chapter will start from Sakura's view…we've seen a lot of Kakashi so far. Sakura needs her time in the limelight.
This is probably a one time thing…it takes up to much space.
Tsuki: *Dressed in a woman's pin stripped business suit and holding a microphone* Ahem…this is Tsuki-chan reporting live from where-ever. I have a very special an-*the wall behind her is blown to bits* Hey!
Gai: Never fear, Maito Gai is here! *Strikes a pose, and flashes his teeth*
Lee: That's right! *Pumps fist into the air* we're here to save you from being sued Tsuki-san~!
Tsuki: *Sweats* Er…that's all fine and dandy but-
Gai: You can thank us later. *shushes her* Lee, are you ready?
Lee: *Tears* Hai Gai-sensei!
Tsuki : *Shrieks when they rip off their green body suits to reveal even more hideous green and orange business attire* 'What the hell is wrong with these two?! Those colors don't match at all!'
Gai: on behalf of the author…
Lee: We here by state…
Gai and Lee: Tsuki doesn't own anything. *Thumbs up*
Tsuki: *Eye twitches * How troublesome...