A/N: (Dramatic pose) I VOW to finish this story by the end of the year. YOSH. Hopefully sooner, since I have the summer off (And no job. WHY?). I plan to update as frequently as possible. I've got an idea of where we're going from here. Maybe an update a week, or more? Sorry for the wait. I've sat down and had a good long talk with myself about the merits of finishing stories and the fact that I suck for not doing it. This chapter is dedicated MethodOfInsanity, first and foremost (And also to all my lovely reviewers and favorite-ers). Your review made me smile, and it got me off my butt and writing again; you're so awesome! I intended to write earlier, but real life got in the way. I recently received my associate's degree and have decided to pursue teaching English in Japan. So once I receive my four year degree, I'm hoping to head across the water and do some EDUCATING. YEAH.
Thanks everyone, for sticking with this story and favoriting and alerting and reviewing. You are the BEST!
Also, be aware that this story will slowly veer from the timeline of the manga and the anime, and become an AU eventually.
Disclaimer: Do not own Naruto. No profit being made. If I got paid for this, I'd update more often. Lol!
Chapter 10: Changing Destinies
Gaara had to dodge to the side to avoid the noodle Mitsuko had inadvertently flicked his way when she pointed her chopsticks at him.
"So hey," she began, wiping a bit of juice from her lip and scooting her almost empty bowl away. "You never explained why we had to go help Konoha out. You just said-" Mitsuko schooled her expression into as deadpan a look as she could, imitating Gaara's voice, poorly. "'We're going to help a few friends in dire need of assistance.' But you never said why. And then we got caught up, or you got caught up, rather, fighting that freaky spiny-bone guy." She set her chopsticks down, folding her arms on the table in front of her, where Chibi, the cat, was napping peacefully beside her bowl.
Gaara wrinkled his nose slightly - a cat sitting on the table was highly unsanitary - but ignored the feline in favor of fixing the girl beside him with a blank stare. "First of all, your impression of me was horrible. And second, we were told that a genin of the Leaf had been kidnapped and Konoha had sent out a squad that wasn't adequately equipped to take on the task. We were there as back-up," he supplied succinctly, staring into what was left of his bowl of soup. "That's all."
"That's all, huh? Seems like a pretty odd request to me. Who was the kidnapped genin? And for that matter, how does someone kidnap a ninja? Being kidnapped when you're a ninja defeats the point of…being a ninja."
Gaara's flat look told her he wasn't amused by her attempt at humor. "The genin who was supposedly 'kidnapped' was Sasuke Uchiha."
"Say what?" Mitsuko's exclamation startled Chibi awake, and the little kitten's fur fluffed up as it hissed angrily up at it's owner. "Sasuke was kidnapped? Duck-butt hair? For real? I thought he was like… a super incredible fighting machine. I mean, he did give you a run for your money. So who on earth could kidnap him?"
The sand shinobi beside her growled softly, the quiet sound the only indication of his displeasure. "He didn't give me a 'run for my money.' He is weak. And the next time we meet, I will destroy him. Besides, I don't think he was kidnapped. The Uchiha brat went of his own volition."
"I don't think a Kazekage should go around threatening to destroy ninjas from other villages," the demon vessel quipped airily. "And knowing Sasuke, he probably did. I'm just wondering what it was that was so important that he felt he had to leave Konoha to get it. Why do you think he left?"
Gaara shrugged one thin shoulder, and reached into his pocket to pull out a small stack of bills and coin, placing it on the counter. "Why else would someone like that leave their village behind? The Uchiha seeks power, and he will do whatever he can to get it. I don't know who he thinks he'll get it from, but it must be promising if he would deign to leave behind his supposed friends." He reached down and hauled his discarded gourd onto his back, adjusting the strap as Mitsuko scooped a still disgruntled Chibi up into her arms.
"You really think so, huh?" Mitsuko commented thoughtfully, strolling along beside Gaara and silently reveling in the fact that the sun had gone down enough that she wouldn't have to worry about burning to a crisp. "I always thought Sasuke was kind of off. I mean, the guy could've had practically any girl he wanted and he never even batted an eyelash at them. So he's either gay, or crazy."
Gaara slanted her a look that said he thought she was crazy and folded his arms over his chest as he walked. "Perhaps. The only sure thing now is that he is no longer a part of Konoha. At least, unofficially. I believe, officially, they are still saying he was kidnapped."
"No doubt due to Naruto."
The red-head cast her a glance out of the corner of his eyes, and she took that as he cue to elaborate. "That kid is like a dog with a bone when he gets it into his head that he wants something. Sasuke was his friend; I'd hazard to say his best friend, besides Sakura, of course. So there's no way he'd let the new Hokage label Sasuke a missing-nin, especially when there's a possibility that he might actually have been kidnapped, or he could come back. If he's a missing-nin, he won't be allowed to just waltz back into Konoha, and he'll have hunters on his tail from all of the villages, not just Konoha. And the other villages will most likely kill him when they find him; if not because he's dangerous, then most certainly for his sharingan. It's all really complicated, but Naruto is always at the root of every problem and solution, so you can bet he has a lot to do with it all." She reached over and patted him on his shoulder. "You should be happy about that. The little pest is certainly determined to be the best ninja and friend he can be, to Sasuke, to you, and to anyone else he comes across. He'll be a powerful ally one day when he becomes Hokage."
Gaara raised one disbelieving brow ridge. "You truly believe he will become Hokage, do you?" he inquired softly as they neared his home.
Mitsuko nodded. "Sure. Why not? The kid's got guts and determination in spades. If anyone can do it, he can."
Gaara stared thoughtfully at the approaching abode, his eyes narrowed slightly. Naruto was the reason for all the change; he was the reason Mitsuko was here, the reason Gaara was now the way he was, and slowly getting better, and he was, partially, the reason the red-head had chosen to become Kazekage. A faint smile tugged a the corner of Gaara's lips; it seemed Naruto really was at the root of every problem and solution.
It figured.
Mitsuko flopped down in the dirt, rubbing the back of her aching legs. "You know what I don't get?" she grumbled, giving up on gaining some feeling back in her worn out calves and flopping back onto the ground. "I'm not even part of Suna. How come I have to go on a mission with you?" She brushed her bangs back to glare up at the blonde woman hovering over her. The scowl on the older girl's face was matched with an equally impressive one from Mitsuko as the demon vessel whined and threw an arm over her eyes.
"Because you have to earn your keep somehow. What, did you think all those clothes and the food and the housing was free or something?" Temari demanded, kneeling beside her and moving her hands through a practiced series of seals. Mitsuko sat up abruptly as an indent appeared in the ground, staring at it curiously as Temari rose and moved gracefully towards the faint tree line.
"Well, considering I'm wearing your hand-me-downs and I live at your house, yeah, I kinda did," the younger girl replied, watching in confusion as Temari began to gather wood. "What exactly are you doing? What's with the hole in the ground?"
Huffing in exasperation, the blonde half-turned towards the tired vessel and growled. "I'm making a fire. That-" She pointed imperiously at the indent with a stick in her hand. "-is a fire pit. Idiot. Now get up and help me gather some wood. Unless you want to freeze tonight."
Blowing a tired raspberry, Mitsuko hauled herself to feet, following the blonde to the tree line. They were camped just on the edge of Konoha and Suna territory, where the desert met the trees, and while the vegetation was sparse, there was enough to provide cover and shelter from the elements for the night.
As she gathered wood, Mitsuko silently cursed Gaara and his eyebrow-less face. He'd decided that it was time for her to start 'pulling her weight,' so to speak, and had promptly assigned her to a few boring missions around Suna. When she'd informed him that she'd never been on a team, worked with anyone, or generally been sent on any mission of any kind in her life, he'd decided to tack her onto an already existing Genin team and forced her to do menial work around town. It was, to say the least, annoying and slightly embarrassing to have to work with kids who were younger than Naruto. They were always asking her questions, and most of the time, she had no idea how to even answer those questions, so they just continued to persist and bug her until they found one she could.
Most of the missions with the genin team consisted of helping out in the local hospital, running chores for the elderly, and even once finding someone's lost cat. The cat mission had been the last straw, and Mitsuko had quite literally ripped down Gaara's door and demanded he remove her from the team. Kankuro, who had been in the room with his brother going over some paperwork at the time, had fled in justified terror when he saw the normally easy-going girl all trussed up in her demon form. Gaara, on the other hand, had calmly instructed her to return his door to it's proper place and that she would soon be reassigned to take on missions with his sister.
The missions she'd taken with Temari had been fairly easy, for the most part. It was mostly border patrol, in which she'd be continually lectured on the proper shinobi etiquette and general information about the land of Suna. It was nothing too in-depth, since Mitsuko wasn't technically a part of the village, and it was mostly information that anyone could've found out, such as the name of the local daimyo, the former Kazekages, the founding of Suna and a plethora of ridiculously boring things that Mitsuko had absolutely no interest in (And often tuned out).
The current mission the two of them were on, however, was far more than a simple stint at the border. They were being sent to Konoha, and Mitsuko wasn't sure what exactly they were doing (because she had, quite frankly, zoned out while Gaara was briefing her) but Temari insisted it was all about good will and peace keeping and other such things that were sorely needed in the still painful aftermath of Suna's attack on Konoha. She'd been informed that the Leaf Village now had a new Hokage, and the woman was open to keeping the two villages allied and promoting good will and peace between them.
"Smart lady," Mitsuko mumbled, her arms now laden with sticks, twigs and the odd clump of wood as she tottered back to the fire pit. Temari was already coaxing a small flame to life, her own pile of tinder and small logs sitting beside her.
"Did you say something?" the blonde asked, glancing up from the flickering fire at the darker haired girl who very nearly tumbled into an ungraceful heap, wood and all, beside the fire. She hid a smirk, finding Mitsuko to be ridiculously amusing.
When Gaara had first instructed her to take the girl under her wing ("But don't look like you're taking her under your wing. She might resent it. She's weird like that.") she had been rather dubious of the entire idea. Coexisting in a house was one thing, but working together on missions that had the potential to evolve into life or death situations was another thing entirely. However, Mitsuko had proven herself to be an adequate partner, if not an adequate shinobi, so far. She was still having a difficult time with teamwork, but Temari was sure that within a year, she'd be able to work with just about anyone without batting an eyelash. The only person she seemed able to work with relatively fluidly was Gaara, and they couldn't exactly have the Kazekage wandering around with a wayward demon vessel at his side all the time.
Temari's smirk morphed into a frown as Mitsuko waved her question off, saying she was only talking to herself. Lately, the council had been getting pushy and nosey where the female demon vessel was concerned. The story that Kankuro had woven that she was on loan from Konoha (and the subsequent falsified documents and paperwork he'd provided) had only stemmed the tide of questions at the beginning. The group of old fogies had been so concerned with getting Gaara into office, that they hadn't paid Mitsuko much mind. But the longer she stayed, the more questions arose, and the more the council was demanding to know who she really was. Temari knew they weren't stupid; they'd been elected as elders and leaders of the council for a reason. They most likely saw past the fabricated story and documents and knew there was more to Mitsuko than met the eye. Baki, the only one on the council that Temari had any sort of real respect for was the only one who took the story and Mitsuko's presence in stride.
His cohorts weren't so easily appeased, despite assurances from the Sand siblings that Mitsuko posed no threat to Suna. While this mission they were currently on was most assuredly a mission of good-will, it was also a mission to keep Mitsuko out of the council's line of fire, and keep them from asking too many more awkward and unwanted questions.
Besides, the blonde thought, her smirk returning as the demon girl groaned and flopped back into the dirt, Mitsuko needed to be introduced to the new Hokage. They most assuredly had things to discuss.
"I just don't think this is a good idea. Coming back so soon," Mitsuko whined, trying to tug her hand from Temari's ironclad grip.
Once Konoha had come into sight, Mitsuko had almost immediately started having reservations. She'd been fine and dandy with going to Konoha until her brain (Otherwise known as Tsubaki) kicked in and said 'you know you have to go into Konoha, right?' She'd promptly refused to continue, and Temari had been all but forced to drag her to the village.
"Stop acting like a child, you idiot," the blonde snapped, jerking her forward roughly by her arm and marching her forward like a mother might an obstinate child. Mitsuko whined again and flailed dramatically, sagging her weight against the girl behind her and nearly toppling both of them to the ground. "It's just Konoha. It isn't like you're a missing-nin here or anything. You're just returning for a visit. Now stop-"
"What…exactly is going on here?"
Both women promptly froze and turned to stare at the gates. Leaning against one of the large, supporting pillars, was a boy with spiky hair and a Jounin vest. Mitsuko thought he looked vaguely familiar, and squinted her eyes at him, protests forgotten. She hopped away from Temari, who, without anything to support her weight, nearly face planted in the dirt. "Oh, hey there. Don't I know you from somewhere?"
The man raised one brow, staring flatly at the girl who was steadily beginning to inch into his personal space. What a drag, he thought tiredly, rubbing at his ear and flicking away imaginary lint. "I'm Nara Shikamaru," he droned, leaning back a little when Mitsuko leaned forward to scrutinize his face. "I'm here to-"
"Now I remember! You're the skinny little kid who fought Temari in the finals rounds of the Chuunin exams, aren't you?"
Shikamaru blinked. "Skinny?"
Before Mitsuko could reply, Temari marched forward and dragged her backwards. "Ignore her," the blonde barked, shoving the sputtering demon vessel behind her. "She's an idiot." Temari's harsh frown slid into a faint smile as she stuck her hand out. Shikamaru eyed the appendage as if it might bite, before tentatively reaching forward and taking it, giving it a firm shake. "No hard feelings, Nara. It's all in the past."
Shikamaru looked slightly surprised, but nodded nonetheless, and beckoned them in through the gates.
"Anyway, as I was saying," he continued once a grumbling Mitsuko and a smug Temari had fallen in line beside him. "I'm here to be your guide. Hokage's orders. And she instructed me to bring you straight to her when you arrived, so we'll be heading to the Hokage tower." He motioned vaguely with his hand, and Mitsuko looked for the familiar building off in the distance.
It had been a while since she'd been here, granted, but it hadn't been that long. Hardly even a year, to be exact. The briefing she and Gaara had given the last time they were here had been purposefully cut short by Mitsuko herself; she wanted the next time she was able to visit Konoha to be lingering, instead of brief and fleeting.
This was certainly going to be anything but fleeting.
Mitsuko kicked her legs nervously in the chair.
The last time she'd visited this office, she'd been left to her own devices to find the Hokage. Now, however, she waited just outside of the Hokage's office, her only company the steady sound of a pen on paper and the dark haired secretary who had offered her a kind smile when she'd arrived. Temari was currently in the office, and what she and the leader were discussing was a bit of a mystery. Probably something related to peace or village-to-village relations.
Whipping her head to the side when the door clicked open, she rose from her seat as Temari exited, jerking her head backwards in a sign that it was Mitsuko's turn to enter. Gulping down her nervousness (And sorely wishing she could just let Tsubaki take over like the last time), the younger girl scurried past Temari and into the Hokage's office.
She honestly wasn't sure what to expect when she'd heard the Hokage was a female. Obviously, whomever had taken over had to be one of the best of the best, or they wouldn't have even been considered for the position.
As the door closed behind her, Mitsuko lifted her eyes to study the woman sitting behind the desk. She was young (much younger than Mitsuko had expected) and bore a strange, diamond shaped marking on her forehead. Her hair was a pale blond, lassoed into two pigtails that sat along her shoulders and trailed down to her chest (Which was massive, the girl noted with a faint blush). The woman's dark amber eyes observed her placidly, her fingers steepled in front of her chin as she looked the newcomer up and down.
"So," she commented dryly, and Mitsuko jumped a little at the abrupt sound of her slightly scratchy voice. "You're Kimiko Mitsuko, eh? I must say, you're not what I expected."
Feeling more and more out of place by the second, Mitsuko cleared her throat, stepping around the chair that was situated just before the Hokage's desk and sitting down gingerly. "If we're being frank, then I have to admit that neither are you, Hokage-sama."
The crystal clearness of the woman's laugh surprised her, and Mitsuko felt a bit of the tension in the room ease. "My, you certainly are refreshing. Most people wouldn't have dreamed of saying something so blunt, especially to a Hokage." She waved her hand, her lips quirking upwards in a faint smile. "I'm Tsunade. I have heard a lot about you, both from some of my shinobi, and from the Third Hokage as well. He left a file on you, you know."
Mitsuko looked visibly surprised, her brows raising up as she stared at the folder that Tsunade lifted from the desk, waving it lightly in the air. "He did? What on earth could possibly be in a file about me?"
"Oh," Tsunade drawled, lifting an eyebrow and flipping through the pages. "Quite a few interesting things. But the most interesting of all, I believe, is your friend Tsubaki." She fixed Mitsuko with a penetrating look, and the girl couldn't help but squirm uncomfortably in her chair. "Tell me a bit about her, if you will. Your file states that she spoke directly to the Third. I'd very much like to know how that was possible. And I'd like to know about you, and how you came to be…what you are."
Folding her hands on her lap, Mitsuko parted her lips, a sigh escaping as she stared at the polished oak of the Hokage's desk. "Er, well, to start with, Tsubaki is technically an entity all on her own, but she's also a part of me. As far as I know, we can't be separated. Kind of like a body and a soul, except that the body has two souls inside of it. Tsubaki can use my body as her own, from time to time, although it does wear her out. I-I'm not sure what that file says, but during the attack on Konoha, she was the one who fought on your side, not me. Well, mostly not me. I was kind of a third party to all of it until very near the end."
"Yes, so I noticed. The files note that you worked with Inuzuka to secure the village and the academy students as well. I would like to formally thank you for that, if no one has taken the time to do so." Tsunade leaned forward slightly, placing the folder back on the desk. "So how is it that Tsubaki came to be…a part of you?" she asked, choosing her words carefully.
Mitsuko furrowed her brow, her eyes narrowing thoughtfully. "Truth be told, I, personally, don't have much of an idea. I only know bits and pieces of what Tsubaki has told me, and my memories from my childhood aren't exactly the best; mostly just fragments that I've blocked out. I'm guessing they weren't pleasant, and there's a reason I don't remember. I do know that I was outcast from my village when I was four. Tsubaki was basically like my mother and father. She taught me everything I needed to know."
Tsunade made a nose of affirmation in the back of her throat, closing her eyes briefly as she digested the information. "Would it be possible for me to speak with Tsubaki herself?" she queried, and Mitsuko looked faintly surprised at the request.
"She's been pretty quiet lately, Hokage-sama. But I don't see why not. She'll be able to answer your questions a lot better than I can."
Closing her eyes, Mitsuko looked inward, focusing her consciousness and sending it into the cage of her mind where Tsubaki resided. The dog demoness had been oddly silent for the past few days, but when Mitsuko reached out to her, the Youkai responded placidly, her soothing presence filling her mind.
You're worrying about me.
Well, you can't blame me. You haven't said much these past couple days. Usually I can't get you to shut up.
I've been thinking about a lot of things.
Oh? What things?
We'll discuss them later. Right now, I believe my presence has been requested.
Mitsuko allowed the Inu Youkai's consciousness to flow past hers, the subtle shift in power and chakra coursing through her body. As her lashes lifted, her eyes slowly bled gold, teeth elongating into fangs and blunt tipped fingernails lengthening into claws as they tapped against her folded arms.
Tsunade watched the change with a sort of abstract fascination; of course she knew about Naruto and the Kyuubi and how the brat had taken on characteristics of the demon fox when he'd battled the Uchiha kid, but she hadn't personally seen it. Seeing this up close was like a front row seat to a subtle transformation in slow motion, and probably nowhere near as frightening and uncontrolled as Naruto's had been. This girl was certainly comfortable with her 'demon half,' and it showed, in the way that Mitsuko's, or rather, Tsubaki's, lips curled up into a warm smile.
"Tsunade-sama," the demonized girl murmured, inclining her head slightly and revealing pale streaks of white through the short, unruly mane of black hair. "It is a pleasure to finally meet you. I have heard a great deal about you in my time. You were always revered as the best medic-nin of our time."
It was Tsunade's turn to look surprised. "You've heard of me?" Folding her hands together atop her desk, she offered the demoness a faint, half-smile. "I have to say, I'm flattered. But I am afraid I've never heard of you, Tsubaki-sama. From what I've garnered from this file, when you arrived here you were concerned with the whereabouts of both the Kyuubi and the Ichibi, and you indicated that you, too, were a demon. You said the two would seek you out. I am aware that your vessel is acquainted with both the Nine-tails Jinchuuriki and the one tailed Shukaku."
"Indeed," Tsubaki agreed, nodding slightly. "You are right on all counts. That file must have been very detailed. They did seek me out, but for the most part, it was their vessels in control, and not the demons, so I believe it was done subconsciously, or at the subconscious behest of their beasts. They presented no problem to my person, so I made no move to engage them in battle." She left out the fact that Gaara had, upon more than one occasion, tried to kill Mitsuko. That was best swept under the rug for now.
"I came to Konoha with the intent to find the Kyuubi first and foremost. I was concerned that he would be a problem once he was sealed away, but I've come to discover that I was quite wrong. Naruto Uzumaki is a brilliant child, and I do believe he has the potential to utilize the situation he has found himself in to it's fullest extent. He will be a great shinobi, and a great asset to your village. As for the one-tail…I am sure you've heard he has become Kazekage?"
Tsunade grunted in agreement, closing her eyes briefly. "Yes, I was aware. I don't know how wise the decision is, but Suna is not my village, and it's decisions are not mine to make."
"Of course," Tsubaki conceded, looking amused. "But I do have reason to believe that the decision to instate the child as Kazekage was a just one. He isn't as unstable as he initially was, and I believe he is making progress in terms of…normalizing, so to speak. It was a good choice, in my opinion."
"Well, that's at least one fear put to rest," Tsunade conceded, blowing out a long breath through her nose. "But now we come back to the entire demon issue. The Kyuubi and Ichibi are both tailed beasts, and it was my understanding that there was only nine. Not ten. So tell me, Tsubaki…who and what exactly are you?"
The dog demoness gave a short bark of laughter, startling the Hokage slightly. "A good question, Tsunade-sama. But I assure you, I am most certainly a demon. I am not a tailed demon; however, the tailed beasts are my brethren, and you could say we 'grew up' together, in a manner of speaking. I'm technically the tenth beast, but I do not possess ten tails. I have only one, but it does not hold any power, unlike the others. I'm a sort of…cast off of the nine tailed beasts. Even demons can have outcasts."
"So why then, are you sealed away? What were your crimes? The tailed beasts are well known for their hatred and dislike of humans, and all have been sealed away to stop them from destroying our villages. Can the same be said of you?"
Tsubaki blinked slowly, a fanged smile curling across her face as she leaned forward slightly. "Would it comfort you to know I'd been sealed away for crimes against humans?" she questioned softly, and Tsunade was surprised, and a bit disturbed, to hear the dark quality her tone had taken on.
"You tell me, Tsubaki-sama," the Hokage fired back, her own voice laced with dangerous undertones. "Because I'm quite curious to know."
The demoness leaned back and laughed again, her eyes shimmering with amusement as she felt the power coiling inside the human female's body. "No need to worry, Tsunade-sama. I was not imprisoned for any crime of mine. In fact, you could say I was a bit of an innovator; the first demon to choose to seal herself away. Can you imagine?" The shock that spread across Tsunade's face dragged another bark of laughter from the demon's throat.
"I chose to seal myself away, and I chose my vessel. It is my fault that Mitsuko was cast from her village; I had not intended it to be so. When I first chose her clan, she was offered for my use as a vessel. The humans seemed to be rather fond of the idea of having a demon in their midst, but unfortunately, they had not conferred with their leader when they made this decision. It took nearly four years for the secret to be discovered, but when it was, Mitsuko's execution was ordered. Her father was the one who stole her away from the village; I am certain that her infantile mind saw this as an act of betrayal and abandonment at the time, but it was upon my behest that he did so. If she had stayed within the confines of the village, she would have been killed."
Tsubaki's gaze drifted down to her lap, and Tsunade saw a hint of remorse flash across the Youkai's face. "It is my fault that she wasn't allowed to live as a normal human. Even now, it seems she gets herself into situations that she should not be in, and has done things she should never have even contemplated."
Tsunade leaned back in her seat, digesting the information the demon had divulged. It was a strange story, to be certain. She'd never heard of a demon sealing itself away; the other tailed beasts had all been captured and sealed when they became too troublesome to allow to roam free.
"That's…very surprising, I have to admit. So, Tsubaki-sama, now that you know where Kyuubi and Ichibi are, what do you plan on doing about it? And what of Mitsuko? Will you allow her to settle in a village? Konoha would be happy to have her, if so."
Tsubaki glanced up, a frown marring her features. "I have no intention of doing anything about Ichibi and Kyuubi. They may do as they please, as long as it does not threaten Mitsuko or those she considers friends. But I don't anticipate either of them causing any trouble; at least, not anytime soon. If they do, I will take it upon myself to eliminate the threat, no matter the cost. As for the matter of settling Mitsuko…I will allow her to choose. She has made a great deal of friends in Konoha, but something tells me her heart lies in Suna."
"Oh?" Tsunade asked, raising an eyebrow as a faint smile tugged at her pale lips. "And what makes you say that?"
"Call it intuition," Tsubaki replied ambiguously, chuckling in the back of her throat. "Regardless, I believe that our meeting is over. As you well know, Mitsuko will be residing in the village for a short time, along with the Temari girl from Suna. I trust there will be no issues with this."
Tsunade inclined her head faintly, her eyes gleaming beneath her dark lashes. "Of course not, Tsubaki-sama. Mitsuko is free to stay as long as the mission entails. But I would very much appreciate an answer regarding her permanent state of residence in the future."
The demoness rose fluidly, and her eyes slowly began to lose their sharpened edge, her nails sinking back into their normal, blunt form, and her fangs receding back to unnaturally sharpened teeth. "Of course, Tsunade-sama. I look forward to speaking to you again upon my departure."
A/N: Whew. Another chapter. I plan on starting the next one tomorrow. This weekend is gonna be hectic, but hopefully I'll have a new chapter up ASAP. Thanks for staying with me guys, and as always pleeeaaaassseee review!