26. I'm not sure when this will come out, to be frank. Sigh, I have an essay every night with worksheets on top of them, with tests every week and preliminary examinations in about two weeks from when I start writing. Today is the 25th of July and I am not apologetic for expressing my angst through this chapter.
She attends her first council meeting as a Merchant Guild Head.
The uncertainty of the civilian heads shows – until now her seat was controlled by Shikaku-sama, the underlying fear and unease by which they regard her.
Sakura frowns lightly and the Agriculture Guild Head Katsuo seated across her flinches.
Civilians in a ninja village do not always live amicably together. When it comes to politics, two things constitute power. Money and strength.
With money you can buy strength, those are the civilians.
With strength, you can sell lives. So it's a tug-of-war affair for Konoha.
On the surface, everything is fine and dandy but there remains the undercurrent of mistrust because civilians do not get equal representation in the Konoha Council.
They are a minority who will never get something they want if the ninjas do not wish it.
Shikaku-sama is seated next to her, and maybe the civilians want her to side with them, but expect Shikaku-sama to control her.
Their ailing Hokage is a turning point – one less check in the ambitions of the Civilian Guilds, he is not present.
Sakura asked her Senpai to forbid it.
Definitely not, Hokage-sama, unless you want to wear the chakra restraints and shields. The clan heads present will kill you.
So the head of the table is an unfilled seat, and at the tail is Shikaku-sama.
It is telling in the expected hierarchy though she was given no prior briefing.
Sakura breaks the heavy silence.
"If I may ask, what is the purpose of this council session?"
Things along the lines of transferring Hokage-ship, people being unwilling to broach the subject of the Hokage or just being out of the loop and the civilian bloc leader shifts uncomfortably.
"We were hoping you would shed some light on it, Haruno-sama."
Personally, she questions the confidentiality of the Hokage's situation, since his ANBU could be swapped out with ANBU who were devoted to another.
She arches an eyebrow, "I am not part of the team healing the Hokage. Besides, you should know how strict our rules on patient confidentiality are."
Technically, she isn't lying, her part is over.
Out of the corner of her eye, Hiashi-sama frowning at her.
"However, I am sure the Sannin Jiraiya-sama did not go gallivanting meaninglessly. I have heard that he is in search of the Sannin Tsunade-sama."
These council members are not unintelligent, there is too much she has not-said.
Sakura swears the Hyuga Head's lips twitch.
"So there is a chance that Hokage-sama is intending on retiring the hat to Lady Tsunade?"
Asking the obvious so everyone is on the same page – Artisan Guild Head Fuki.
She nods, deliberately slow, "There is that chance, yes."
A wave of muttering, Would she? That slug princess with her hatred for the village.
The child knows the Lady only through her writing, but she is convinced of Naruto's persuasiveness.
It's a funny sort of gathering in general.
They talk other, unimportant things, from Konoha trends to repeated, constant worries.
They don't even talk about the issue of holding the Kazekage's children or the issue of how to deal with Suna.
Until Aburame-sama raises it as a point.
Like father, like son.
Tactless but to the point.
"Will we be extracting reparations from Suna?"
Majority of the ninja are in favour, but the civilians are not.
Shikaku-sama, and thus Chouza and Yamanaka-sama have not cast their vote.
Hiashi-sama is waiting for her, but she knows that it only because he remains undecided.
"You cannot take water from an empty well. If you jump into the well and dig deeper for water, the well may well collapse upon you."
Tsume-sama nods sagely, "That's one of Suna's most famous proverbs, Head Haruno. I too believe that Suna has nothing it can give us but friendship. That is worth more than its ailing economy. Therefore, I urge the council members to reconsider."
Traditionally, the Aburame, the Inuzuka and the Hatake, align their stances.
Sensei is oddly short sighted in wishing to extract reparations.
From the corner, he raises his visible brow and Sakura wonders if it's because he doesn't the trust the Fourth Kazekage's children.
"I maintain the stand that Suna left as it is, is a potential threat to us. They betrayed us once, I would not trust them again."
Loyalty features in the Aburame, Inuzuka and Hatake friendship – they have companions in common, unlike normal ninja which might kill their human partners.
"Let us bring it to vote again. Our current stands at seven Ninja Clans present of ten, Uchiha, Kurama and Senju unrepresented. Three of three Civilian Guilds present. With a total of ten members present, voting majority to pass a decision stands at eight votes. The current motion is the motion to release the children of the late Kazekage and forgive Suna in exchange for an alliance treaty. Please cast your voting tags to the centre."
Head Fuki and Head Katsuo throw in green tags, and so does Inuzuka-sama.
Sakura throws in her green tag, and Hiashi-sama inclines his head, following suit.
Chouza-sama and Shikaku-sama throw in their green tags, and yet Yamanaka-sama tosses in his red tag.
The Ino-Shika-Chou heads intend on forcing the remaining Clan Heads' hands.
Maybe emboldened, Aburame-sama places in his red tag, then all eyes rest on Sensei.
He fingers the red tassel on the wood tag carved with 'Against'.
She taps, lips pursed, twice without code.
(tap) sen (tap) sei.
Then continues.
Naruto likes Gaara, sensei.
When you condemn Gaara… who are you condemning as unstable and too dangerous to be left with Suna?
Is it a low blow?
Sure.
But he throws in the green tag.
I'm not so sure Naruto would hear about things like this,
(tap) Sa (tap) ku (tap) ra.
As Shikaku-sama announces that the motion passes –
Oh, I'm sure he would know.
You under estimate how much we can do. Civilians are not useless.
I'm sure Naruto will be happy that you voted to save his friend.
I won't tell him you wanted to imprison Gaara here if you don't.
His shoulders are tense, council is disbanded.
The last thing she sees before she allows Shikaku-sama to guide her out of the room is her sensei's smile.
I'm glad to have helped, Sakura.
Because only ninja understand those taps, and she wants to clearly, separate out the clan that isolates itself.
And sensei doesn't want to see another massacre, therefore he aligns himself with the clan on the way to isolation, so the village keeps a mediator.
Naruto will need such a person when he's Hokage.
Outside, Shikamaru waits with Kuromaru.
Before the boy can greet Sakura, the eye-patch wearing dog lopes over to the girl.
"Haven't done anymore fainting recently?"
She smiles at the dog.
"No, not even when I met the Shinigami."
That dog makes a deep rumble at the back of his throat.
Kuromaru knows what that means, of course, not that he'd care to enlighten either of them.
"Tsume is calling for me. Let's meet again some other time, Haruno-kun."
Shikamaru cocks his head as Sakura waves 'goodbye' at the animal partner.
"I didn't know you were acquainted with Inuzuka-sama's dog, nee-chan."
Sakura just smiles, before taking his hand and walking out of the building, "We've met. What are we eating for dinner?"
His memories click backwards slowly, and he tugs her in the direction of the Akimichi restaurant.
"Ah, that time you fainted when we were younger? Dad reserved a table at the Akimichi's. He's eating with Ino and Chouji's dads, so we get our own table."
Their first line of inquiry settled and moving onto more mundane things.
The server gestures them to the table, Shikamaru is hardly surprised when all the parents are already seated at a table nearby.
"One tempura soba and saba don, green tea. Dessert later please."
When you go often enough to a restaurant, you start becoming too lazy to look at the menu again.
Not that they come here often, but when they eat out together it'd be here.
Sakura serves tea, asking, "So, how has genin life been for you?"
He grumbles, "We wake up earlier, Asuma-sensei smokes around us, we have to train physically, and he refuses to play with me when I don't work."
Sliding a cup full of tea over to him, she brims with mirth.
"I think he gets tired playing and losing to you, Shika-chan. I would be as well if I had to play every day. Not everyone has the mental capacity to match a Nara in Shogi daily."
The food arrives, and he asks, so aware that the adults separated from them by reserved tables are listening.
"How was your first council meeting?"
His back is to his father, but Sakura-nee can see them.
She straightens her back from its usual half slouch, eyes flicking over his shoulder and he winces.
"If you want to ask things like that, Shika-chan, you need to request a couple room instead. But since the only people who can hear us are participants of that meeting, I don't mind."
He mulls the thought over.
"I don't think my father would approve of us, nee-chan."
Sakura takes an almost curious tone, gracefully redirecting, "Why not? I'm rich, and I'm a ninja. Ah yes, and I am female as well, Shika-chan."
A faint, teasing hint behind those words that they all can hear.
"I'm supposed to marry someone like my mom, so you don't fit that criterion."
.
Inoichi cuts the jutsu at that line and from their seat they can hear the children laugh without sound amplification.
Shikaku, shaken, talks about other things.
Chouza, concerned but doesn't press, reminds him lightly, "If you want to get drunk, you'd better get drunk with us."
"Ero-sennin, Jiji said you knew my parents."
He's pinned by those eyes the moment he barely glances down.
"And Kaka-sensei said I was named after the main character in your book."
The lights of Tanzaku-gai are in the distance.
"I've written tens of books, gaki. And I've used the name 'Naruto' numerous times. I'm not surprised someone was so in awe of my writing that they named their kid after my character!"
A flimsy defence he maintains against the child who so desperately searches for his parents, Jiraiya tugs the straps of his backpack closer.
"Let's hurry. We can reach before it gets completely dark. They're lots of robbers in this area."
"You should be able to fight them no problems, Ero-sennin. Sakura-chan said you're super strong."
He bops the mop of blonde hair lightly, "I don't need to proclaim my awesomeness everywhere. Tsunade might run away if she hears we're coming."
Minato's kid stewing away furiously, trying to think of a counter-argument.
"Jiji said that he gives you permission to tell me."
He half blinks, realising that it's not so easy to redirect Kushina's child.
"I did know them, Naruto."
Maybe it's the way he says that name, the slight quiver in his voice and to hide his weakness he walks faster.
The kid yells after him, "Slow down! I have short legs!"
He calls back, "I'm glad you know that, short stuff."
Tanzaku-gai.
Tsunade-hime, I bring with me my greatest regret. But will that be enough to make you confront your greatest pain?
"Tsunade also knows your parents, Naruto. Just saying."
Trying to use his determination to increase the success of their mission.
The sound of quicker steps catching up to him with ease, "Why won't you tell me, Ero-sennin?"
It's the brief edge of dismay that convinces him that he should put it off.
Naruto isn't ready to hear his father's name, not as he is and
Jiraiya isn't ready to come to terms with what he has not done.
When he thinks of how hard a life Kushina-chan had without Mito-sama, with just Minato… he feels a little emotional at how Naruto must have grown up.
"I don't want the thought of your parents to distract you from our mission, Naruto. When we return to Konoha, the Hokage and I will tell you who your parents."
"So once we find Lady Tsunade?"
"Once we bring her home, or if you finish learning the jutsu that I'm going to teach you."
The child brightens instantly, "Start teaching me now!"
He lets out a harrumph.
"The technique requires complete focus, so we'll start tomorrow once we're both fully rested. If I teach you anything now, you'll practise till dawn and tomorrow you won't be any help finding Tsunade."
They should, have expected trouble bringing someone like Ao of all people, but she decided that it would be fitting.
Kiri was owning up to their crimes, and asking for an alliance like this, an acceptance of both sides.
Ao was her right-hand man, she would not go anywhere without him.
But Konoha was presently without a leader and yet, she came personally.
Ao opines, "We should return till they install a new leader, Mizukage-sama. Kiri is new and I trust Zabuza to keep the village safe, but not running. You should never have left the village."
She mishears it along the lines of "Women should stay at home," and so she tells him, "Ao, shut up. I should I have brought Chojuro along and left you behind to deal with the paperwork."
Zabuza is a dedicated shinobi, and he is not without training in paper pushing.
That missing-nin spent months coordinating supplies with Wave Corp CEO Tazuna and Merchant Lord Tsubaki.
And Chojuro is the book smart one of he and Ao.
So personally, she's assured Kiri is in good hands.
Sometimes she wonders if she's even important.
"We're here to escort Lord Tsubaki and little Hirai back, Ao. The alliance can be done another time, but this is our first overture of peace."
So she smiles at the gate guard.
"We come in peace. My name is Terumi Mei, I am part of an escort team from Kiri, contracted by one Lord Haruno Sakura on behalf of Lord Tsubaki Hiren. Would it be possible for us to meet with Lord Haruno?"
The cute guy with a bandage across his nose nods slowly.
"May I know how many are there in this escort team?"
"Three of us. I am the team leader, do we have to declare weapons or things like that?"
The other cute guy with hair covering an eye gives them a look over, "None of you are carrying one of the Swords of the Mist right? There's nothing that you all need to declare, but if you want to enter the village, we will request an ANBU guard for you all. Please understand this is a mandatory precaution. We will also ascertain Lord Haruno's position for you."
She nods in acceptance, offering her polite thanks because Konoha is oddly at ease given they were just invaded.
They make small talk about the weather and their jobs, Mei is careful not to impress upon them that she is the new Mizukage.
And a pair of ANBU arrive so quickly she's suspicious that they were always there.
"Lord Haruno is at the Akimichi restaurant, eating with the Lords Nara, Akimichi and Yamanaka along with the Nara heir."
She's guessing that's a quasi-'no' to her request since it'd be impolite to interrupt a meal.
"We will wait for the Lord Haruno to be free, if it's all right? Could we be directed to an inn?"
The ANBU guard, having checked with Lord Haruno, are assuaged that they mean no harm and guide them to an inn close to the Hokage tower.
"We have passed the message to Lord Haruno. You will be asked for at the front desk of this hotel."
"Dad's not really in any position to help you, Sakura-nee," his kid argues and Shikaku knows that's true as well.
He's not really coherent to himself, but he had fully planned to get smashed in the middle of the day.
It was the last meeting for a while, and he wanted to drink away his bad memories, but nooo the child had to help a Kiri Merchant Head, and contract a Kiri-nin team to escort them back.
And the team just had to arrive today.
"If need be, Sakura-chan, Inoichi and I are still fairly clear headed."
Good old Chouza, dependable and firm, even as the child politely declines and he closes his eyes, "Why don't you meet them tomorrow instead, Sakura?"
She says something like, "You may meet them tomorrow, Nara-sama, I will meet them this afternoon, right this moment."
And he says something along the lines of address and formality and how they're beyond Clan names and he knows, he knows he's not making sense.
So the child walks out of the restaurant, settling hers and his kid's bill when he's the parent and he's supposed to be paying and the scene around him slowly goes hazy then dark.
If he saw the future then he would not have fainted there and then.
Then again he wouldn't have gotten drunk in the first place.
Might as well have convinced Inoichi not to use the Sound Amplification Technique, or Yoshino not to take that mission.
When Sakura stepped out on to the street, the ANBU offered to shunshin her, but she declined.
She's still wearing the loose kimono that some other merchant sent father from the Land of Gold, walking towards the hotel her Kiri team is waiting in.
She had it re-tailored to fit her, keeping the masculine cut, replying a polite thank you and notification of her parents' death.
Blue and grey for the kimono and sash, no haori, just comfortable tabi and zori.
As they walk, the ANBU suddenly perks up and rush forward.
She hurries after him and watches an unfolding face off.
Yuhi-sensei and Asuma-sensei clash with a pair of figures cloaked in black.
When they are forced to fall back, her ANBU slams his hands to the ground, and wood sprouts from the ground tangling and binding the enemies.
Just a moment too slow, and the figures discard their robes like a fashion statement and Yuhi-sensei gasps.
Sakura blinks the moment that man turns his eyes on her and she flares her chakra, once
"Itachi-san…"
Sen.
"It's been a while, Sakura-san."
Sei.
twice.
Kakashi grabs Sasuke and flickers to Gai in the next training ground.
"Gai, watch Sasuke, I have an urgent issue to attend to. Sorry Sasuke, I'll be back in a moment."
Because unlike Sasuke, Sakura never asks for help.
She doesn't know if it's her head or if his red eyes are giving her a headache.
Inclining her head, preferring to converse with words instead of power.
"What brings you back to Konoha? Are you here to visit Sasuke after killing that orange masked man?"
Sakura watches the blue skinned man next to Itachi stiffen.
"Orange masked man?"
An even tone, questioning tone, deathly quiet tone even.
Spinning tomoe in red eyes, and she nods, slowly, as if he were an idiot.
"Yes. The man who lowered his blade on the civilians those years ago. You who killed the ones conspiring, him who killed even your one-week old cousin Sayu. That man who is the reason that Konoha has not hunted you down as a murderer. Because Sasuke pinned the blame on that orange masked man and I did not say a word."
There's a quiet silence and she turns away.
"I trust you will kill that man and come home soon. Sasuke who loves you, misses you badly, Itachi-san."
The ex-Konoha nin who takes a step towards her, his partner who grips his arm in warning.
They knock out the two other Jonin senseis with ease, without batting an eye and Itachi approaches her carefully, showing his hands.
"Sasuke does not hate me, you say? Sasuke wants me to come home, you say?"
He immobilises her before she can speak, jabbing at pressure points and he tosses her over his shoulder.
"If I kill you slowly, and painfully, then Sasuke would hate me, right? Foolish little brother."
But if it were a day for revelations, then as the pair of missing nin turn towards to the village gates, a voice calls out.
"Kisame-kun."
He starts, as if burnt, but Itachi doesn't protest when his partner turns.
"Mei-chan?"
She smiles, a brilliant smile, warm like her Lava release.
"How's Samehada?"
"Still burnt from the time he had your chakra, chilli."
She pouts, "And I see you're still trying to find your place in the ocean, sharkie."
Sakura watches, that bitter smile with sharp teeth.
"You know how it goes, Mei. After the betrayal of Fubuki… I thought I found a worthy cause. Today I found out, maybe…"
The shark-like man looks conflictedly at Itachi.
"Maybe the leader of our cause is lying as well."
Sakura expels chakra from her core, releasing all her pressure points so Itachi has to let go.
He steps away and she faces his partner.
"Hoshigaki Kisame-san. Then if I may, I reintroduce to you, Lady Terumi Mei. Godaime Mizukage-sama."
The lady smiles pleasantly as her childhood friend regards her with shock.
"It is a pleasure to meet you finally, Lord Haruno Sakura, supplier of the Rebellion's arms and supplies. Kisame, we would be glad to have you back. Even Zabuza came back thanks to Lord Haruno. We owe him a great debt. Therefore, it would be good if you could convince your partner to unhand him."
And Itachi steps away easily even as Kisame tries to convey something with his eyes.
They converse in low tones, and yet it ends with a brief but tight hug.
"I will tell Leader-sama that you have returned to Kiri on your own volition. Return me the ring, and I will convince Leader-sama to leave you alone."
He gladly does so, murmuring in reply that the usual modes of communication would remain open.
"You can't lie saying that you don't miss your brother."
Because Sakura trusts that Itachi loves his brother and thus would not try to kill her so she –
Smiles.
"And I will forget what you said before, Itachi-san. Is there I message I should pass to Sasu-chan for you, now?"
He says it quickly before he flashsteps off, and Sakura looks down at the ground, observing that one droplet of water.
"Nii-san is sorry, Sasuke. And nii-san misses you too."
I completed everything I set out to do, but today is the 5th of August, so I'm a bit late…
I will post this by 11, then do three exam papers before I go to sleep and do three more tomorrow.
To be honest my teachers would be of the opinion that I should have done an exam paper instead of plonking down to write this but writing this has taken a load of angst off my chest.
So now, I feel a bit sad, but I will have to return to my work.
Like I said at the start of the chapter, my preliminary exams are next week, until the end of this month.
Quickly after that will be my national exams, so I'll post this up and get around to writing again maybe after my exams.
I really really do apologise that I took so long to come out with this, and to all those lovely reviewers I'm so sorry I took so long to reply you all.
Nowadays I'm too worried that opening my email will distract me from the never ending pile of homework so I try not to do it every day.
I hope you all enjoyed the chapter, please do leave a review, no matter how short! I keep review alerts on so I'll reply you personally as soon as I can.
(Also we hit 300 favorites and 400 follows last night, I'm super thankful for all your support!)
Looking forward to seeing you all,
Kayo.
