Hello my precious chickens! And may I be the first to welcome you to Chapter 4. Probably the only person sad enough to bother doing so, come to that, but no matter.
How have you been enjoying it so far? Has it been good? Has it been dull? Has it been bogged down in tasteless description and character errors? Is it frankly just too weighty for light reading? Or is there just not enough dirty action? Do let me know!
My deepest and most heartfelt gratitude goes to Enara6, the only person so far kind wonderful and generous enough to do the decent humanitarian thing and put me out of my miserable torment by reviewing. That's no exaggeration either.
I was absolutely despondent wondering why people didn't seem to like my story enough for even a short little review. I'm still agonizing actually over that same question - there do seem to be people reading after all. Do they not like it?
Actually I did really want to reply to my reviewer as well (for a change), but she doesn't appear to have PMing enabled and when I tried to include it here it made the author's note much too long! So I'll probably put it on my website when I get round to finishing that up. After all she raised some good points and other readers may be interested in my response too.
So for Enara, who at least did seem to like this story of mine, here is Chapter 4:
Best wishes!
BattyBigSister
Chapter 4
When he closed his eyes, he was kissing her. She was nowhere near him. She was oceans away and yet… and yet he was practically certain he could taste her on his lips. His whole body was crying out for her. He wanted her touch, her warmth, her kisses… But he wanted more than that too. He wanted her love. So much so that be could not bear her presence without it. Love was something he cherished and had yet known so rarely and yet she… He did not wish to finish the thought.
"Naruto!"
There was going to be a murder, right here on Seishingakure's ninja forecourt. It was going to be brutal and it was going to be swift. Tsunade was apoplectic with fury. Shizune had her work cut out just trying to hold her back.
"Why are you here?" she barked, pushing her assistant aside as she repeatedly got in her way, "I thought I ordered you to…"
"Oh dattebayo, Tsunade-o'baa-san," Naruto growled, charging towards her with apparent recklessness, "It's obvious you were just trying to keep me busy!"
"You don't think tending the troops is important, you little snot-nosed brat?" she shot back, internally a little taken aback at Naruto's sudden perceptiveness, particularly as this time she had found him a semi-important job to do. He wasn't out examining faunic genitals on a remote island for a start. "You think those supplies and medications ship themselves, do you? You think it isn't important that we know exactly what condition each division is in when we assess our combat readiness?" Technically each division leader did give regular reports, but she had been hoping for decent impartial on-the-ground feedback from the assessment she had sent Naruto on. It wasn't like she couldn't have made do without it, but it would definitely have been beneficial … and experience of performing a large-scale troop survey would have been excellent training for a future Hokage. Although she would rather have sat through a mountain of paperwork than admit that latter information to Naruto.
"Well, Sakura said…" Naruto replied with just a little less vehemence than before. He had slowed his advance a little and was now merely glaring at his Hokage from a few feet away, she was pleased to see. The blonde squinted up at the ceiling, scratching the top of his head as he worked out what to say next.
'Sakura,' Tsunade thought with increasing comprehension as she took in his latest words, 'Of course.' Doubtlessly her former pupil had been irritated at having to deal with a bumbling blonde under her feet while she was busy tending to the sick. It would be just like her to have made a few hasty speculative comments about how 'he was only here because Tsunade wanted him out of the way'. Naruto, overhearing, would have jumped to conclusions that may just have eluded him on his own, like the fact that there was something important happening where the Kages were. 'Thank you, Sakura-chan. Thank you very much.'She paused, holding Shizune at bay with one hand, as she glared across the arriving party until she found a familiar set of pink hair and hot pants attempting to make itself as inconspicuous as possible.
Unfortunately for the young medical ninja, she caught Tsunade's stare. It chilled her right down to the bone. There was a promise there of later 'words' that Sakura was simply not looking forward to. Tsunade could put the 'mean' in 'mean old hag'.
"I don't have time for surveys right now," Naruto yelled, snapping her attention back to him. Apparently he had reformed his thoughts. "I need to be out there fighting Madara, dattebayo! He wants me, doesn't he? I need to find him and bring him down!" Then he paused, biting his lip in sudden contemplation. "And anyway," he scratched the back of his neck, "I finished my mission. It was easy. Half the divisions were busy collecting data on themselves. I just picked it all up and handed it in." Sakura looked visibly nonplussed at this information. She had been busy with her own work, of course, but clearly nobody had bothered to tell her that Naruto had finished his share of the mission.
Tsunade just groaned inwardly, releasing a now unresisting Shizune, and closed her eyes. It figured. Just when she wanted to keep Naruto occupied, everyone else decided to get organized. Drat them!
"And I suppose you can also give me another smart response as to what I'm going to tell the other Kages when they find out you're here?" she grunted, tossing her head and digging her fists into her sides with an obvious lack of satisfaction. Unable to do much about it she merely settled for drumming one high-heeled sandal against the flagstone floor. "We were given a very clear request for no more than two escorts per Kage, as usual. Thanks entirely to you, I now suddenly have four."
"It doesn't seem all that important to me," came a voice from behind her, "After all it's hardly as if you're about to exploit the advantage - and keeping the Jinchuuriki here where we can keep an eye on him may not be such a bad idea."
"Humph," snorted a more feminine second, "You're only saying that because he's a Jinchuuriki. I'd love to see what would have happened had I brought extra men."
Tsunade turned and found herself face to face with two of her counterparts, the Tsuchikage and the Mizukage, as they exited what she knew to be the daimyo's complex. A small round pink creature, adorned with its own jumper and pearls, trotted out ahead of them. The Hokage glared at it if as it was some kind of personal traitor. TonTon, the pet pig belonging to the Hokage's entourage, squealed and made a dash for the sedate Shizune's comforting arms, a guilty look plastered all over its little snout. The brunette medical ninja rubbed its bristly back and picked it up wordlessly, making soft shushing noises as the animal rubbed its head against the collar of her black ninja outfit.
Seishingakure's main forecourt was not, all things considered, the brightest of places in the world – in fact it probably was more like to shadow what a shell was to a snail – but it was incredibly ornate and beautiful. There was little to no natural daylight, but each of the many flagstones that lined the floor had been intricately hand-carved and worn down with time to form their own dainty little patterns across the floor. Someone had once planted trees at regular internals across the centre in their own sections of individual mosaic and they had grown to epic proportions, their tall trunks dark and bare as they craned to fetch what little light was available over the gigantic walls, granting the whole area a sparse deciduous ceiling. Pointed arches and delicate rounded fountains ran across every vertical surface and the whole place exuded a cloistered, temple-like feeling; a place for introspection and deep thought as much as physical training.
The gateway that led into the inner walls (placed towards the south, opposite the outer south gate, and apparently the only entrance to the daimyo's residence – or, at least, if there were others they were secret and hidden) was as tall and well turreted as any other section of the fortress. The two Kages emerged down massive stone steps from the shadow of the gargantuan dark wood doors and portcullis, and in fairness the Hokage was almost a little surprised when, drawing level with her, they first acknowledged not her, but the Kazekage who been waiting patiently in the shadows of nearby tree for some time now. Perhaps the excessive shadow contributed to Tsunade's oversight, but that was unlikely given that Sakura – whom she had been well aware of – had in fact been hovering a little behind Kankurou for most of the conversation. She had saved his life once before and right now he had found himself repaying her by services as a human shield. With an entirely inward sigh, Tsunade admitted to herself that in all probability it was simple fury that had caused her to pay less than her customary level of attention to her surroundings. She really should do something about that.
"Kazekage-dono," Ryoutenbin no Oonoki, the sandaime Tsuchikage greeted cordially, hobbling forward and giving what was more a brief acknowledging flick of the hand than a wave, "It's good to see you. I'm glad you answered the summons so quickly." He was a tiny ancient creature with a hugely bulbous nose and a pointy goatee who complained regularly of his aging body despite his enormous strength.
"Indeed," the Mizukage, a beautiful slender young woman by the name of Terumii Mei, agreed with an impetuous sigh, "It's just a shame the Raikage didn't bother with the same courtesy. He's just sent word that he might be a few days late. There's been some kind of problem on the way apparently. Nothing serious, he assures us." She rolled her eyes and shook her head. A huge dark-skinned man with fair hair, the Raikage, known as 'A', was as short-tempered and impulsive as his younger brother Killer Bee, the only remaining Jinchuuriki besides Naruto.
Ignoring her fellow female Kage, Tsunade smiled and waved the younger male towards them. "Welcome Gaara," she called, as he approached, "You'll be heavily involved in this mission as well, no doubt, so I'm sure you'll be glad of the chance to properly rest up and reorganize before we get started."
"Oh sure," Naruto mumbled, turning away, "She's nice to him when she sees him." Gaara paused, a little unsure what to make of that comment.
"That Naruto," Sakura snapped, stepping forward to slap her team mate across the back of the head as soon as he was in reaching range, "Is because he's the Kazekage. He's meant to be here, whereas we are just in the way. Come on, lets go find somewhere to stay." She grabbed his hand.
"Yeah, yeah, dattebayo," Naruto sighed, letting himself be pulled off into the shadows, "You say it like I'm not just as pleased to see him as everyone else. The guy's my friend after all. See you later, Gaara! We need to catch up, okay?" He pumped his free arm in a vigorous side-to-side motion, his customary grin back all over his face. Gaara, returned the gesture a little more awkwardly from his position with the other village heads, but his smile was no less sincere despite the fact that it was less pronounced.
"Wait! Wait up you two!"
Ren had disappeared shortly after their arrival, mainly with a view to dismissing the genin, leaving them in the normally capable care of Momoka. She had gotten them as far as this forecourt, but had then never-the-less found herself at something of a loss watching the exchange between Naruto and his Hokage. Taking her cue from the silent Sand shinobi, she was now settled between Gaara and Kankurou to patiently watch the show. However that wasn't stopping the massive grin on her face at the sight of her returning sensei. Clearly she was pleased to be rid of the responsibility.
The jounin wasn't alone though. He was being followed by a pretty young female ninja of about his age with a long dirty blonde ponytail tried up with a large amount of coloured beads, matching bangles adorned her wrists as well. "This is my fiancée, Yurika," he told the pair of stray leaf shinobi, indicting his companion, "She'll sort out your rooms and maybe get you something to eat. I figured you could use a hot meal." He kissed the woman lightly on the cheek and all but pushed her towards the two members of Team Kakashi, before turning back to the assembled dignitaries.
"If your gracious O'Kage-samas would be so good as to follow me, the daimyo is awaiting you in his audience chamber," he bowed, waving back towards the inner gate, "Momo-chan, you're also with me. I'll need you to go and check up on the rooms for the Kazekage and his party. See to anything else they might need as well." With that, his loyal little chuunin assistant following him like a lost puppy, Ren carefully ushered the remainder of the party up the steps and out of sight.
Temari, who had only been standing a few steps away from her brothers the whole time, followed with something of a more diffident air. There had been something of slight disappointed touch to her expression when Ren mentioned the word 'fiancée'. Kankurou, beside her, was already gearing up to tease her about it.
Then they were gone and Sakura and Naruto found themselves alone with the young woman introduced as Yurika. "So," the blonde Konoha shinobi cautiously suggested, peering up at his host through squinted eyes, "Any chance of ramen?"
