Hi friends! NaNoWriMo was fun—while I didn't make it to 50K, I did manage a hefty 35K words, so I'm satisfied. Did anyone else out there try their luck at National Novel Writing Month? If so, let me know! Otherwise, hope you all had a happy Thanksgiving if you celebrate:)
This week's installment is a shorty but a goodie; it is probably one of my favorite chapters, mainly because we get some fun POVs. Enjoy.
Chapter Twenty-Five: Mutts
Kakashi was an old man by ninja standards. Like any faithful workhorse, he should have been put out to pasture long ago. That, or sent to the glue factory, which would have been preferable to dealing with the two men presenting their abhorrent proposal in his office today.
One was the head of revenue services, otherwise known as the tax man. The other was in charge of Konoha's sewage systems and waste treatment plants.
Together, in dry tones that never modulated to show any emotion, they argued to add a tax to cover their new "genius" idea: turn human waste into plant fertilizer.
This gods forsaken lecture, now going on into its second hour, was about raising money for human poop cakes. If Kakashi had been hungry for lunch, now half an hour past due, he had lost his appetite long ago.
As Hokage, his signature was needed to approve this measure. He knew it was important, or at least, it had the potential to generate revenue. But honestly, did he really have to know all the gory details?
He was about to insist on signing the document then and there just to put an end to the meeting when the door to his study slammed open. And there stood his former pupil Sakura, barefoot and dressed in a paper gown, fuming hard enough to rival a fire-breathing dragon.
Kakashi jumped out of his seat, concerned for Sakura but also concerned for himself. The gods send he was not the object of her ire…
Hastily, Kakashi stamped his approval on the documents and shoed the officials away, then moved to close the doors so he and Sakura could have some privacy. As he did so, he noticed his two guards outside were groaning, each prying themselves off the floor and nursing bruises on their heads.
"They said you were busy," Sakura snapped. "But this is an emergency."
"Of course, of course," he placated, face crinkling with a forced smile. "I'm never too busy to see my favorite pupil!" Kami, but the girl threw a hard punch, and he would like to avoid it himself. "Have a seat."
Sakura did not sit. Instead, she grabbed him by his lapels and shook him.
"Sakura-chan," he began, trying to extricate himself, but Sakura would not let go of him.
"Where's Sasuke?" she demanded, green eyes flashing fire.
Sweet Kami-sama. What had Sasuke done this time? "I'm sorry, Sakura-chan," he replied, trying his best to smile. "That information is highly classified."
Her grip tightened on his collar. She pulled him close. "Tell me."
"Sakura-chan—" Kakashi began, raising his hands in defense, but she cut him off.
"Dammit, sensei!" she interjected, exploding in a ball of fury. She released him and started pacing the room like a caged tiger. "This is important! Life and death important!"
"Sakura-chan," he began again, "I would tell you if I could. You know I would. But I can't. Believe me when I say it's a matter of national security."
She rounded on him and ran her hands through her disheveled hair, eyes wide and wild. "A letter. Can I send a letter?"
Kakashi chewed the inside of his cheek. He restrained himself from taking a step back and instead took a deep breath. "…No."
Sakura swallowed hard. "He said he would eventually see Orochimaru," she said, her voice hoarse. "Do you know where his base is?"
"Orochimaru could be at one of about fifty locations," Kakashi replied carefully. "His bases of operation are scattered around the continent. A few are close, but some are over a month's journey from here."
"A month?!" Sakura cried. She stormed toward him and moved to shake him by his shoulders again, but he caught her hands in his.
"Sensei!" she said, the whites of her eyes showing. "That's too long. He could be on the moon by then! Don't you have a comm device for him? A phone? A bloody messenger hawk?"
Kakashi used his best Hokage voice, keeping his tone studiously even. "He will be out of range for this mission."
"Dammit! You're the Hokage! Do something!"
Tentatively, he released her arms, then rested his hands on her shoulders. "Sakura-chan," he murmured, hoping his quiet tone would calm her down, "there's nothing I can do." He squeezed her shoulders. "Whatever it is, it can't be that bad…"
Sakura's knees buckled. She would have fallen had Kakashi not propped her up. So much for being reassuring. If only Tsunade were here to help him. His Hokage training had not covered hysterical subordinates.
Still, it was unlike Sakura to be so out of control. Not for the first time, he wished he knew what to do with his female student. He loved her like a daughter, but he just didn't know what to do in situations like this.
"Come on, Sakura," Kakashi said, holding her awkwardly and patting her on the back. "Whatever it is, I'm sure I can help." Kakashi wished he felt as sure as he sounded.
Sakura buried her face in his chest. "I'm pregnant," she sobbed.
Kakashi stared down at her, stunned. He continued to hold her, patting her back in what he hoped was a sympathetic manner. Of all the things that could happen. Sakura was pregnant with Sasuke's baby.
Well, he supposed it was bound to happen eventually, but the timing could not have been worse. Sasuke was deep into foreign territory by now, spying on Lightning—if he hadn't retrieved the plans for the chakra cannon already.
And if it was true that the plans could help him teleport to other dimensions… Well, it was more than likely that Sasuke wouldn't meet his son or daughter for a long, long time.
Guilt twisted like a knife in Kakashi's guts. No wonder why Sakura was hysterical. The gods damn him, but Sakura was right. Kakashi held the highest political office in Konoha. There had to be something he could do.
But what? He couldn't send any of his nin after Sasuke without compromising the mission or endangering Sasuke's life. And there was absolutely no way to send a message. Hawks could be caught, and electronic communications could be intercepted. If only there were someone he completely trusted to do this mission. Someone inconspicuous but also competent.
The answer hit him like a punch to the face. "Pakkun," he breathed. "Of course!"
Sakura sniffled. "Your summons?"
Kakashi heaved a sigh of relief. "I can't allow him to carry a letter," he said, brow furrowed in thought. "But Pakkun has excellent recall. He can take an oral report, as it were."
He led her over to a stuffed armchair. She slid into it bonelessly, looking as small and frail as she had as a genin after Sasuke left the village. She wouldn't meet his eyes, but she nodded.
Pakkun, don't fail me now, Kakashi thought, biting his thumb to summon his familiar.
#
Snow. If there was one thing Pakkun hated, it was snow. Cold, wet, slippery, mucky, snow. And he had traveled through days of the stuff. He had small legs and tender paws, and dammit, he should have delegated this mission to one of his pups.
Not a chance, he chided himself, even as he took a break to lick his sore paws. He was on a top-secret mission. This wasn't for his stupid partner, Kakashi. No. Even the Hokage could not coax him out of his nice warm doggy bed for this mission.
His efforts were all for Sakura, poor, darling Sakura. She would always be a puppy to him.
As a genin, she had been the only member of Team Seven to bring dog biscuits on missions, a habit which she retained when she got older. If he got injured in the field, it was Sakura who bandaged his paws. And that one time he had fleas, Sakura had cured his terrible itching and banished the blood-sucking bugs for good. He wouldn't do this mission for anyone else besides her.
Ooooh, and that Sasuke. Pakkun was going to bite that bastard for what he had done. Leaving the poor girl all alone—again!—with no way to contact him. No way to tell him that he would be a father soon.
The man was a mutt, and not that good kind. Pakkun growled low in his throat. Then he shook his head and returned to the matter at paw: Finding Uchiha-good-fer-nothing-Sasuke.
Pakkun sniffed the air. Yes, that was Sasuke's scent alright. It was faint, but he would know that brat anywhere. But there were other scents as well filling the area, belonging to other ninjas no doubt. Pakkun would have to proceed with caution.
I'm coming for you Sasuke, Pakkun thought as he dashed through the snow. And the gods help you when I find you.
Pakkun to the rescue! Thanks for reading, and please review:)