Tsunade was annoyed. All her plans were ruined! She only had a matter of days to deiced, what she would have to do about the Sasuske lead. Kakashi was bedridden for at least a week, and now his team consisted only of a chunin and a genin. She had to get new team members. Her first thought had been Numino, but then she had heard about Narutos outburst during the mission, and had decided to get Tenzou, or Yamato, as he now was called.
Both he, Numino and Kakashi had had the situation explained. Numino had had a little hard to understand, why Tsunade trusted Yamato more than her with this, but Jiraiyas story and scar and her explanation about Yamatos abilities, had made her understand, even though she could see that the younger woman didn't like the idea about The fouth's seal was weakening.
Instead she had insisted to look his papers through to find a solution.
She seemed to get along with the brown-haired man, and Tsunade had played with the idea that Numino could take the other free spot on the team. They would properly come close to Orochimaru, and two jounins would be useful.
But then, Danzo had showed up with a new team member, and he wouldn't take no for an answer. So now the boy Sai was on the team, a boy she didn't trusted. She had instructed Yamato to keep a close eye on him, she could do nothing more.
She signed and read the same report for the third time without getting a single word, when a knock on the door interrupted her.
"Come in!" she answered.
The door opened and Numino stepped in. Tsunade was immediately on the alarm. She knew Numino well enough to know, she wasn't scared for yelling at the Hokage, if it suited her. But she didn't looked upset at all, but maybe it was just a façade.
"It's a little late," she noted. It was almost ten in the evening.
Numino shrugged his shoulders.
"I had an idea, and I was afraid I could forget it in the morning," she smiled. "I'm quit forgetful."
"What is it?"
Numino didn't say anything, just bit her thumb and made the familiar hand sign, before slamming her hand in the ground and a puff of smoke appeared.
When the smoke had cleared Tsunade recognized the smaller of the two wolves-like creators, Numino had used during the fight against Kakashi, the one called Shivo.
"That's your idea?" Tsunade asked skeptical.
"Let me explain," Numino started. "Shivo is my best spy. Since I can't go on that mission, I thought it wouldn't hurt to have Shivo along. He might help, and at the same time, he could give me useful information about The Nine Tails' seal."
"Yamato will give a report, when he gets back, IF anything happens."
"I want to see it with my own eyes, and if I can't do that Shivo is the next best thing," Numino explained.
Tsunade looked at the big animal, how had its eyes fixed faithfully on Numino, waiting for an order. It looked pleased, like it understood that Numino, its master, praised it. Tsunade didn't know much about these creatures, actually close to nothing. She didn't know anyone else who had these summons.
"Numino?" Tsunade asked. "Do you have a telepathic bond with these wolves?"
Numino shrugged her shoulders again.
"I think so. It's hard to tell how, but they can show me, what they have seen, heard, smelled. I can even hear what they are thinking, and if they wish, I can even see it, even though they are miles away."
"That's why they make useful spies?" Tsunade asked.
"Yes and no," Numino smiled and panted Shivo on the head, "Shivo is special."
"What can he do?"
Numino smiled mysteriously.
"He is a good waterstyle user," was her answer.
"Very well. If you promise, he won't be a burden."
"You won't be disappointed!"
Numino had not been worried this time. It was not because Shivo was there. He was a good water-style user. A magnificent one for an Ookami, and they were good. But you needed more than water to defeat Orochimaru. He was after all a Sanin. When she thought about, the fact that Shivo was there made her more nervous.
It was that telepathic thing. She couldn't see what Shivo was seeing, or feel his feelings when there was no physical contact, unless she concentrated really hard. She didn't want to do that too often, because it distracted Shivo. Not a good idea, if the ookami was engaged in a fight. And jet she had that much contact with her summon that she would know, if he was hurt, and he would contact her, if any of the others were hurt.
She could feel that things were happening, but no one had died jet, so she wasn't too worried.
She didn't have much to do. Her missions weren't too interesting. So she trained a lot.
She had looked in at Kakashi once, but he didn't seem too happy, so she left quickly after, she had told them that none of his students were dead.
When Shivo returned, Numino was out training. She could feel him near, but she didn't reacted until she heard the wing slaps behind her and the loud bump, when he landed.
She turned around. He looked pretty much the same, as when he left. He had a few scratches and looked a little tired, but other than that he looked fine.
"Hello my friend," Numino smiled and kneeled down, so the two were at eyelevel, and the big animal headed closer, so Numino could lay a hand on his head, so she could see, what he had seen the last couple of days.
Numino could now see the two new members of Kakashis team. Yamato and Sai seemed strange in their own way. Yamato with his woodstyle and Sai with his lack of emotion.
Of course Naruto wasn't too pleased with either Sai or Shivos presents.
But that was excepted. She heard a lot about of a boy named Sasuke, which she learned was a former member of the team. An Uhicha whom had turned rouge, and had joined Orochimaru.
Naruto really cared about that boy. He went as far as the fourth tail to appear.
Numino had sent Shivo on the mission so she could analyze Naruto's transformation herself. But the sight terrified her! Her nightmare returned with full strength, and she felt so bad for sending Shivo into such danger. But he had been smart enough to keep out of too much trouble. He had help fighting Orochimaru and his servant, Kabuto. He had even saved Sakura, when she fell of the bridge due to The Nine Tails rage.
"Good boy," she mumbled when he showed her that.
"Thank you, my Lady," Shivo answered telepathically.
"I told you to call me Numino," she signed.
She had told him and Lingo that a hundred times, but at that point, they disobeyed her.
She didn't care right now. She wanted to see the rest that Shivo had seen.
She saw how that boy, Sai, had turned out to be a kind of double agent. And how they had found Orochimarus hideout, and got a hold on Kabuto, and Narutos brave word, about how he would fight for his friends no matter what.
Numino was beginning to think that this boy might just more than talk and a hot head.
When they tried to locate this Sasuske, Shivo had done his best with his firstclass nose, but he didn't know the boys sent, and it properly didn't matter, for Naruto and Sakura were storming around without senses. When they found Sai, and they discovered his true mission for Danzo, Numino weren't surprised.
She had never liked Danzo, and he never liked her. Not just because of the fact that she belonged to the thirds line of students and their students, but also because they were totally opposites of each other.
Numino was a hothead, and never followed the rules, if she didn't thought it was right, and never counseled her feelings on any matter, and a woman. Everything Danzo didn't like.
She didn't like him; not only because of all that, but because of the way he used to treat her brother, a man, whom she had admired above all else. He had treated him as a boy straight from the academy and not a war hero and a strong leader.
Apparently Sai wasn't that much like Danzo, for he didn't try to kill Sasuske, when he was finally found him.
When Shivo saw the boy, Numino immediately recognized Mikkotos features in the young boy. He was in every inch an Uchiha, for the good and for the bad. Numino had always respected the Uchiha's for their strengths, but defiantly not for their attitude.
They, like all the talented and stoic people in the village, had underestimated her.
When she had seen it all, the short fight and the escape of the three, she got free of Shivos mind. She had some things to think about and do.
She also knew that Naruto needed help, if he wanted to beat his old teammate. She might be able to help. But first she had a little catching up to do about what had happened in the village the last couple of years. She also had to read about The Nine Tails seal. Try to find a way to help. Jiraiya was too busy, and her brother's paper of the matter was hers, until his son was old enough.
All in all she had to study.
Dam it! She had thought that had ended after the academy. But if she wanted to use seals, she had no choice, and she had a feeling she might need it before very long.
If she had to read, she thought, she just as well could use some company.
"Well, Shivo," she smiled. "Let's see how Kiddo and Kakashi's doing."