During ch 9 YMBiS;
You Must Believe in Spring
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Seasons In-Between
May 29th, 9:07 AM KST
Konoha, ANBU Base/Tsunade's office
Tsunade was not someone particularly known for her patience. She was absolutely not known to tolerate any affront to her authority or to allow the overstepping of boundaries by her agents.
So why Uchiha Sasuke had interrupted her meeting by walking straight into her office unexpected, unannounced, uninvited, and with little more than a perfunctory knock as he opened the door, was inconceivable to anyone in the room.
Kakashi, Yamato, Genma, and Shino, looked at him with varying degrees of incredulity and curiosity. Shizune held her breath and watched Tsunade.
Tsunade, though settled for arching an eyebrow.
"Lost, Uchiha?"
"I am reporting for the mission to Iwa."
"Hardly necessary, seeing as you aren't assigned to that mission," Tsunade said curtly, "In fact, only those assigned were officially informed about the mission. Do I even want to know how you were made aware of it?" she asked, sliding a pointed glance at Kakashi.
"After my last mission to Iwa, I submitted a formal request to be alerted to any new missions or information regarding the investigations of the Iwa lab and the surrounding area," Sasuke replied.
"I see that," Tsunade flicked a glance to a scroll on her desk before resting her elbows on her desk and folding her hands. "Why?"
"I have an outstanding item of business there."
Tsunade narrowed her eyes. "ANBU business?"
Sasuke inclined his head fractionally.
She raked her gaze up and down his form, sizing him up.
"Be more specific."
Sasuke shook his head. "Impossible."
Tsunade leaned forward in her seat, rested her forearms on the desk, and pinned him with a penetrating stare.
"Try."
Sasuke held her stare, unaffected by the tension radiating between them.
"I know the area better than anyone assigned, and completed the most recent mission assigned there. You need me on this team."
"I'm sending a Hyūga, an Aburame, and an Inuzuka," Tsunade said flatly. "Add Captain Yamato in the mix, and I have an excellent recon and tracking team with specialized knowledge of our missing agents and their captors. If I thought this mission required the use of the Sharingan, Kakashi would already be going. So," she leaned forward, eyes narrowed. "I'll ask you again, and expect a direct answer to my question. What business do you have on this mission?"
They locked eyes, and the others sat in tense silence.
After fifteen seconds, Shizune began to fidget.
After thirty seconds, she had scanned her mental inventory of open patient rooms.
After forty-five seconds, she had calculated the quickest route to the nearest open patient room.
After sixty seconds, she had calculated the amount and type of equipment she'd need to piece Sasuke back together, considering scenarios up to and including immediate surgery.
At sixty-one seconds, Tsunade gave a small shake of her head.
"Typical Uchiha," she muttered. She looked down at the open report while pursing her lips and drumming her fingers on her desk.
"You are an arrogant pain in the ass," she leaned back in her chair, "but you might be a useful, arrogant pain in the ass."
Someone barely hid a snort of laughter, but was ignored by both Tsunade and Sasuke.
"Alright, Uchiha," she sat up sharply, and Shizune jumped into action at her side. "You can go. Report to Shizune's office in one hour. She will provide you with your mission details and documentation. Yamato is captaining this assignment. I expect you to have all pertinent information available to him upon your departure tomorrow morning."
"Understood," Sasuke replied.
"Captain," she turned to Yamato. "If at any point you believe that Agent Uchiha is not acting in the best interest of the mission or of ANBU, you are authorized to interrupt and subdue him by any means possible. And I do mean by any means."
"And you," she turned back to Sasuke, "shall heed any and all instructions issued by Captain Yamato," she warned, "or you will answer directly to me upon your return. Do I make myself clear?"
"Ah."
"Then we are done here," Tsunade waved him away. "Dismissed, Uchiha."
Sasuke took his leave without comment or response.
The meeting resumed as if never interrupted, and ended soon after. All of the agents filed out of the office, except for Kakashi and Tsunade.
Tsunade sighed and rubbed her temples while Kakashi pulled a chair up in front of her desk.
"You could have warned me, Kakashi," she said grumpily. "I would have cleared you to tell him after our meeting.
"Sorry," he rubbed the back of his neck. "Didn't think he'd just show up like that."
"You're damned lucky he had a good explanation," she grumbled. "But tell your subordinate that the next time he decides to have a private conversation via genjutsu, he'd better secure permission first."
"Ah, so that's what that was."
"Yes," she said sourly. "Granted, I could break out of it easily – it wasn't a particularly strong one – but that does not excuse him."
"I'll be sure to let him know," Kakashi replied seriously, glad of the mask that hid the smile that threatened to tug at his mouth.
"And while you are at it," she reached into her desk and fished out an envelope. She slid it across the desk to him.
He flicked open the flap of the envelope and then looked back to Tsunade, whose smirk might have been called impish.
"You want in?"
"Absolutely," she grinned. "I hear he contacted Genma to clear his plans."
"You know about that?" Kakashi raised both eyebrows.
"Of course I do," Tsunade scoffed. "Shizune always runs the clearance requests past me."
"Hm," Kakashi walked his fingers over the money. "This is more than what is needed for the pool."
"That's for another wager as well," Tsunade's grin turned wicked. "I'm putting money on what Neji will do when he finds out where he is taking Hinata."
Kakashi closed the envelope and tucked it inside of his flack vest. "I assume you don't want Genma to know who this is from?"
"No," Tsunade shook her head. "The little shit always tips the odds by letting other betters know where I've put my money."
Kakashi was well aware that Gemna used Tsunade's reputation for loosing at gambling to his advantage, but didn't comment. They were both aware that Genma also used his position as the ANBU security liaison to assign agents to monitor the integrity of the bets. If the vacations he was able to go on were any indication, he was very good at his hobby.
"I hear there is quite a bit of competition for the surveillance detail," Tsunade studied her nails. "I hope Genma chose his operatives wisely."
"I'm sure he will."
"Shame Uchiha won't get assigned," Tsunade grinned wickedly. "Might knock him down a peg or two."
"Trailing Naruto is not his favorite assignment," Kakashi sighed. "And as for trailing Neji…"
"That would royally piss them both off," Tsunade laughed at the thought. "Too much prodigy in one place. Thank goodness they weren't in the same year."
"I'll go get this in," Kakashi stood, glancing to his vest.
"Dismissed, Kakashi," Tsunade waved a hand lazily. "I expect a full report."
Kakashi's eyes crinkled in a smile. "Ah."
