Getting Past the Guards

Yume looked around the room. She knew that luxury like this existed in Konoha but it never concerned her. Something happened in the talks with the Hokage and she was freed from the drab holding she had stayed in. It had been months since she experienced freedom, held by Konoha ever since she shut down talks with Naruto and the Hokage. Perhaps she should have shared everything like she promised Naruto she would but it was too late now that her clan found her.

The fact remained Yume was involved with this group that was terrorizing Konoha. Nothing about being a part of any group that would go after innocents made her proud. She hated ever moment of it but between her clan and forced involvement in the group under Hiruma there was nothing she could do to vindicate herself.

Two attendants constantly followed her. One attendant, a young girl, kept on bowing to her and calling her princess; the second, an older no nonsense woman, insisted on teaching her proper etiquette.

Yume loved the clothes but they were not her style. She was growing impatient and tired of all the constant buzzing around her. The two bodyguards were annoying but very good at what they were doing.

"You guys can leave me alone for a minute can't you," Yume asked.

"That isn't possible," the young woman answered.

"So don't try it," the older one added.

Yume shouldn't have asked.

If Iam so sovereign and special I shouldn't have to obey.

Just as she was starting to sit down in the tea room her attendants passed out. She went to see to them and a masked figure appeared.

"Genjutsu love," the masked figure said. Yume noticed the voice right away and smiled happily hugging her fiancé. With mask still on he quickly said, "We only have a few minutes. Your bodyguards are quite skilled."

She said nothing still wrapping her arms around his neck and holding him close. It felt like such a long time since she last held him.

"Rokudaime had a talk with their ambassador. They aren't prepared to back down so it looks like you'll have to give in to their demands for now," he updated her.

"I don't care about his deals or demands. I'll never marry the guy they choose or live in their lands," she said.

"All of it is ridiculous. How do they think I'll just disappear and leave you," he said.

"That's just it you have to promise not to try to come back to me," she said.

"What, why-

"They will kill you the minute you step foot out of the village. Foolish as they may think, they are capable of it, I can feel it," she said.

"They'll have a hard time trying," he said.

"Don't do this I'm not worth it. Not anymore I am too tied up with the enemy now. I am too far gone. If you dirty your hands it will only make you look foolish in the end. The things they've done are horrible the things that they have done to people make me sick to my stomach and I am doing what now covering for them," Yume said sadly.

"It will work out in the end. Now what about their connection to Tori, did you come up with anything," he asked.

"It's just a feeling that I get that they are connected to something evil," she said.

"I know what you mean," he said.

They both sat around the tea table.

"What are you thinking about right now," she asked.

"This place is so fancy I could get used to living like this. But no way, bowing down to you is out of the question," he said.

"What you think I'm going to keep you around on the side or something," she joked.

"The King wouldn't last with me around," he said.

"I would die laughing at the sight of you bowing to me. In all seriousness I could never be happy even with all this if you weren't there. I'm no Queen or Princess or whatever," she said.

"It kills me that we only have enough time to say goodbye now," he said.

"Not goodbye," she corrected.

"I'm sorry-

"Umm," the old lady started to stir and a loud noise disrupted them in the hall.

"They know security has been breached. I have to go," he said.

They kissed and suddenly she was left standing in the middle of the room. She straightened up no time to cry as her attendees rushed towards her.

"Princess, are you alright," the young woman said.

"What happened," Yume faked confusion.

"You didn't happen to see the intruder," the old lady said in an accusatory tone.

"I must have been dreaming or something," Yume said sitting down.

The bodyguards searched her room and security went on high alert. Yume continued to sit in silence thinking about all the possibilities she had in front of her.

000

Mei enjoyed her quarters in Konoha. There was plenty of light and an excellent view. Ever since the last meeting with the Hokage she was left with a bad feeling about the relationship between the two villages. Mei thought that speaking to an old friend in Konoha would help out the situation so she invited Tsunade to her quarters to talk.

"The new Kirigakure hasn't made fans with everyone," Mei said pouring more sake into Tsunade's glass.

"I don't think I need more to drink that's quite enough," Tsunade said waving off the drink.

"Some of my people fear our weakness. I can only oppose so many groups. I'm sure you understand how this works," Mei said sipping more of her own drink.

"The young man is already her husband. There is not much to discuss about that but I do understand the position you are in," Tsunade said.

"Knowing that I will do what I can for his behalf," Mei said adding, "I'm not so cruel as to ignore matters of the heart."

"Being Kage does seem cruel at times," Tsunade said.

"Indeed it does," Mei agreed sipping more sake.

"So retire with me and leave it to the young ones," Tsunade said.

"Y-young ones," Mei said dejected. She wasn't ready to consider herself one of the old ones but the truth was her understudy could be ready to take over.

"Yes just retire and save your self the anxiety of it all. Us war veterans deserve it," Tsunade said.

"I suppose so. Are the rumors true about the snake bastard having a family," Mei asked.

"News travels fast. I shouldn't be surprised since you are still the leader of a village and all. I guess I know about as much as you do when it comes to Orochimaru I haven't heard from him since the war," Tsunade said.

"So you didn't deliver the baby yourself," Mei asked.

"What kind of rumor is that," Tsunade said.

"You were friends at one time," Mei said.

"That was a different era…a long time ago. Things changed. He changed. We all change," Tsunade said lifting her hands in the air. It had been a while since she thought of all three of them together and tears started to form in her eyes. Jiraiya, Sarutobi Sensei, and Orochimaru all together so long ago once a strong team.

"Tsunade are you alright," Mei asked.

"Humn."

"I said-

"Fine, I am fine. Just remembering and thinking about the past. That is what memories will do for you," Tsunade said swiping at the unfailing tears.

"I hear you."

"What if rough about this week is easy about the next."

"Yes."

"Well maybe we should go out for drinks whadya say," Tsunade said draping her arm around Mei's shoulder. Tsunade turned the empty sake bottle upside down to show that they had run out of liquor.

"Let's do so," Mei smiled back and hugged her friend's waist.

The twosome walked out to where they served the best sake. Tsunade knew where to go even in the inebriated state that she was currently in.