29. Interlude – Hot Water


"Mizukage-sama heated the spring this morning. I think she's probably disappointed that Haruno-sama isn't joining her."

Starting gently, "Ao often complains that she ought to get married or something."

The water heats up fractionally.

Back pressed against the fence that divides the male and female section of the bath – he gives Itachi's sibling a small smile.

"I'm sure your Mizukage could get married if she wanted. The question is more of when, and if she wants to in the first place. I mean, Sakura-chan's in no hurry. Neither were any of my cousins. Ninjas, I guess… aren't really the marrying sort."

The water heats up some more.

These Fire-natured Konoha ninjas…

Kisame glances over at the Copy Ninja, still with his mask on, and peacefully reading his book.

He notes the extra attention, and lowers his book, arching his left eyebrow.

"Ah."

Accompanying his tone, a light-heartedness that irks everyone around.

"How old is Mizukage-sama though? Sakura-chan is much younger than people our age, Sasuke-kun."

Kisame snorts, the water heats up close to a simmer, and Sasuke twitches.

"Of course, that begs the question, is Ao-san married himself? He's probably just jealous, don't you think, Kisame-san?"

Smiling with his utmost patience, "Ao ain't married. Guess that's why."

The water cools dramatically and he slides into it, sighing.

Hatake has the gall to react in surprise, "Oh! The water suddenly became colder."


"Would you like me to increase the temperature of the water, Kakashi-san?" comes her sweet voice through the bamboo fencing, and he replies, "That would be unnecessary. I simply wish to know what was it Sakura was talking about when she said Kiri required my aid."

Sasuke tugs at his hand, and he looks down at his student.

Unconsciously, he drew himself up to his full height from his usual slouch.

"Will you not soak longer, Kakashi-san? We have the whole of today, and I'm sure Kisame-kun has many stories he can tell Uchiha-kun."

Sasuke gives him another warning tug, and he reluctantly settles into the water.

"I am uncomfortable with the thought of going somewhere with Sasuke and without Sakura."

Hoshigaki frowns at him lightly, "We agreed that we will only ask for your aid under the supervision of Haruno-sama. We will likely require her aid as well."

"Tell me more about the masked man, Kisame-san."

His student cuts in, diverting the conversion so he can stew in his own concerns.

Kakashi is aware – Sharingan open, that the Mizukage has set it up specially so only the four of them are in the bath.

Sakura's absence is unfortunate for them, but they fully intend on settling whatever it is by tonight.

He's interrupted from his musings when he's splashed with water, and Sasuke laughs –

The Swordsman of the Mist looks quite satisfied with himself.

Till a water hand rises from the surface of the pool and smashes into his face.

He doesn't splutter like Hoshigaki does, smiling, "Did you think you would surprise me, Sasu-chan?"

His Sharingan is open after all, he's not about to fall for some playground tricks.

"That's what Tobi is like to everyone else. A child-like, emotionally harmless figure with a tendency to blow things up via his Fire Style. He's very good with teleporting everywhere – advanced Space-Time jutsu quite like your Yondaime. He has one Sharingan in his eye, the drawing I left you, Sasuke-san."

Mei-san burns a hole in the wall and steps through it, not that Neko would know.

"And he is actually the man controlling Akatsuki from the shadows. Along with that, he controlled Kiri by controlling our Yondaime."

Sasuke slides a little closer to him, the Mizukage radiates her boil style chakra about, heating up the bath and Hoshigaki looks resigned.

"Sharingan control then, Mizukage-sama? And that's what you need Kakashi-sensei's help for?"

The red-head spares him an indulgent smile, "An unbreakable genjutsu, combined with likely mental torture. Which is what we're hoping Sakura-sama can help with."

There's a pause there where none of them know how to continue.

"But until Sakura-sama feels well, we will not move. For now, we can simply plot how we will get her and you, Kakashi-san away from your ANBU watchers and the Aburame."

Sasuke takes the chance to try and tug down his mask, but Kakashi catches his hand in time.

"Just another mask underneath it, Sasu-chan. Try harder."

"I will request that only you and Sakura-sama come for the preliminary meeting, will that suffice?"

Kakashi knows, by doing either, someone is in danger. "I will have to leave a clone with either Sakura or Sasuke."

"Leave the clone with me." If it's a Mangenkyo Sharingan's genjutsu then no one has ever broken it on record. It might take more than one try. Sensei, you don't have the chakra for that.

Giving him that look, reminding him of that time in Wave.

You fainted and we were in danger.

In a difficult situation, he decides, "I will send my clone with Sakura. We'll bring the ANBU with Sakura now, I can talk to him first. If Aburame-sama suspects something, then we'll all be in trouble."

He's aware, Sasuke doesn't usually act out like this.

But perhaps, he's just aware of how high a temperature the bath's water has risen to.

Agitation on the to-be Mizukage's end?

Kakashi isn't sure, just that Sakura has made dangerous if beautiful, friends.

He's not affixed by the sight of her fiery red hair flowing down her back dipping past the water surface, the same way the lady isn't giving him a very suggestive smile.

Sasuke pokes him, murmuring so softly he barely catches it, "Sensei… You do not want to get involved with her."

He smiles under his mask.

"Don't need to worry, Sasuke-chan. I'm just reminded of another redhead whom I looked up to."

Ruffling the boy's hair, suspending dewdrops of the clean spring water in his mussed-up hair.

Kakashi looks up at the sky, view occasionally obscured by a layer of mist.

Kushina-sama, do you think, maybe… No, in fact, Kushina-sama, do you believe that the Uzumaki survived? Because when you said so then, I didn't. I think I do now, though. I wonder if she thinks so too.


"Kakashi-sensei."

Sasuke does a good job of distracting him, they can't let Shibi second guess the reasons for Sakura's absence.

What sort of person would think that a clone could protect a civilian leader from a hostile, Sharingan-controlled ninja?

The sshrk sshrk sound is rather therapeutic.

The man is clearly worried about something if the muted buzzing is enough to go by.

"How long do you think before Sakura comes back?"

Shibi is clearly interested in his answer.

He lies a bit, maybe overconfident in his abilities.

"I'm sure not more than a few hours. We have dinner with Haku and Zabuza after all."

Kakashi hopes that they have enough presence of mind to release Sakura if his clone fails because if not that would be –

"Kakashi-sensei."

"Yes, Sasuke-chan?"

Good distraction, now where was I.

"Do you have abs?"

Self-consciously, a free hand drifts down to said location.

He knows his Jonin garb is not skin tight like Gai's spandex, but he's mildly hurt.

"Didn't you have a lot of fun poking at them in front of our hosts while we were in the onsen?"

The child hums, dragging the edge of his kunai over the sharpening block resting on the table.

Ah, yes that's where I was. It would be a fiasco that questions all of our loyalty and our right to be ninja and –

"That was just your side, so it doesn't count. Besides, last night Sakura-chan and I were discussing why you hide so much. She suggested maybe you're insecure."

The slight stiffening of Shibi's back tells him a few possibilities.

Maybe he was privy to their innocuous discussion, or, that was not what was discussed.

"Well Sasuke-chan, your sensei is still fit despite being your babysitter. You all are quite a handful, I still do work out. If you are so inclined, when Sakura gets back, I can show you both quite clearly that Sensei has abs."

The kid gives him a look that promises he will be held to his offer.

"You'll have to wait till Naruto gets back. We're all curious, actually. We've been curious since day 1 and Sakura couldn't find a single mask-less picture of you in the hospital records. And she couldn't find your baby picture."

Well, colour me surprised.

He sets down his book and rotates his chair ninety degrees to face Sasuke who has gone back to sharpening his kunai.

"Not my mask, Sasuke, I didn't say the mask."

That smirk creeping across the Uchiha's face makes him shiver.

"Why not, sensei? Unless you're in-se-cure?"

He drags out the last word like a taunt, and Kakashi fends off the hands that lunge for his face.

"Aah, don't grab. What if you rip my mask, Sasuke? Then everyone will be too distracted by my beauty to deal properly."

The kid scoffs, and he makes a mock hurt look.

"We'll be the judge of that, sensei. We have high standards."

He arches an eyebrow, pulling out his book.

Oops. I didn't take out the book until now?

"If you say so, Sasuke-kun. I dare say at least Sakura-chan would appreciate me. You and Naruto don't seem to be able to."

The kid sets down his kunai and glares.

Kakashi giggles and Sasuke's face turns thunderous.

He looks over the book.

"Oh, I'm not laughing at you. Just something in my book. Would you like to hear it?"

Sasuke turns away in a huff, grinding his kunai even more noisily.

"I'll take that as a yes. Marui tugs at –"

"Hatake-sama."

He's glad he's diverted the attention of the Aburame Clan Head.

Scratching the top of his head, he laughs as his student inches away from him, towards the Aburame Clan Head who is observing some bugs on the table.

He's not overly concerned.

The sshrk sshrk sound is only therapeutic when Sasuke is doing it mindlessly.

The shshrkk shshrkk of moving chairs is not.


"Haruno-sama is back."

There's another brief, awkward silence because Sasuke can't tell Sakura is walking closer and closer.

There is a short knock before the door opens.

Sakura is very red.

It's a contrast to the pale skin underneath and a terrible clash with her pink hair.

His clone walks in after her, and he knows that his clone has said someone stupid on purpose, to rile her up so she covers her actual emotions.

"Hatake-sama. You… Your clone owes Mei-sama an apology."

Tenzo's voice comes in from outside.

"Hatake-sama, I apologise if it is impudent of me. But I would agree."

As an ANBU, that is an overstep that the Sandaime has always encouraged.

He dispels his clone.

He runs a hand through his hair, sorting through the memories.

Multiple genjutsu. Subtle suggestions to change his personality. Removing those and the child-figure waking up and gasping for air – Sakura holding him in place as he thrashes, Ao sealing his tenketsu before the Sanbi was called out, Mei desperately yelling and him putting him under genjutsu to calm the child-figure.

Speaking to the male who wanted to save his country and despises himself for being too weak, "I don't deserve to be called a Mizukage when I have hurt my own people. And Mei… stupid girl should have just killed me. Shouldn't have given me a lease like this when I've already shown that a Uchiha can control me."

A last line.

"You know, so on the terms of a pre-meeting, we will tell our delegation that we broached the issue of a diplomatic marriage."

A lull.

He massages his temple.

The Mizukage's widened eyes and Kisame's choked splutter.

Sakura, thinly, "As a cover, merely, Mei-sama. Hatake-sama does not mean his implication. It is an unwarranted insult. I rescind his comment on behalf of Konoha."

"I will clarify that I meant as in Kiri-Konoha marriages of economy. And possible exchanges of ninja. Actual marriages are not discouraged, of course."

Sasuke looks up at him, incredulity written across his face, "Sensei, you didn't. You said you weren't."

"Holy shit sensei you can't offer a Jonin a Kage's hand in marriage, it doesn't work that way, that's unequal and insulting," goes unsaid.

(When he became Rokudaime, he would raise it again as a joke. Sakura would shrug him off then – Sasuke would be scandalised – Naruto would be out of the loop, but supportive anyway. Mei-san was amused. Kisame… not so much.)

"We have dinner with Momochi Zabuza and his apprentice Yuki Haku later. Attire is semiformal, though Mei-sama may choose to attend in her capacity as a host."

That said, his student moves for the stairs.

Aburame-sama stands to support her when she stumbles.

She smiles at Sasuke who jerks out of his seat.

"I'm just tired, Sasu-chan. Please make sure sensei doesn't do anything ridiculous."

Softer, "Thank you, Aburame-sama."

He chalks it up to her expending too much chakra healing Yagura, he hopes Aburame-sama can't sense that.


Meep. Hey everyone.

I realised NaNoWriMo is in November :0

So I started prep too early...

But here's the interlude. It's not super detailed, but I have tried to make it more humorous than usual.

More in-your-face jokes rather than the usual puns that I enjoy putting in.

This is a light-hearted-type interlude, but interludes are still part of the story.

So I guess you can't really say it's an omake? Quite extra, but is still quite relevant to the story?

You didn't have to read it… but I hope it was enjoyable!

I hope you all liked Sasuke in this chapter. It was a good way to flesh out who Sasuke has turned out to become.

Smart enough to know what's going on, child-like enough to think of his own ways to distract sensei, while accomplishing his side objectives.

If you all like this style, I will do my best to do this for future interludes, but admittedly, humour is not easy for me to write.

Sorry… Long end of chapter AN again, but during my prep, I realised I want to write Orochimaru slowly.

I got some ideas from readers about Orochimaru, eg. Why his ambition was to be Hokage? Parents? Snakes?

So I think, rather than an interspersed vignette style I want to do for NaNoWriMo, an Orochimaru fic should get more flesh. Cause I wanted prompts and audience interaction for NaNoWriMo.

Instead, I'll be writing Bleach for NaNoWriMo (I got back into the fandom recently, and I thought of something that the wiki said…). Bleach is an anime/manga about Shinigami. So I was thinking, since spirits can be born in Seireitei, why can't a konso-ed soul end up in Seireitei as a ghost?

I won't put the summary here because I know not all of you will know Bleach, but if you do know, and you're interested, head over to my profile.

Under the Plot Bunnies header, I will put in a tentative summary!

If you like what you see, do follow me for updates :)

Do review if you have feedback on the chapter, just a 'hi!' is nice too, I'll reply you ;)

If you happen to have a character you like in Bleach, do add that in your review too.

(Sorry again, I'm long-winded today) [have a cookie for reading the whole way]

Yours,

Kayo.