
Ten: The Fields of Battle Defined (OhTsuko!)
A/N: I don't own Naruto. But I'm in negotiations to buy Ino.
Fujimori Tsuko raised the scabbarded dai-katana in the air. His eyes were closed and his mind intent on what the demon in his blade was saying in his mind. The sheath swung left, then right, as if sniffing the air.
The cursed sword Satsuki (Bloodlust) was shaking in his grip, sniffing out demonic energies from the air. Already its killing intent rang strong in Tsuko's mind, begging its master to send it prey for it to sate its unnatural craving for lives. The samurai reassured it that it would be sated, but for now the two of them had a job to do.
Once Satsuki had smelled out a particular blend of demonic chakra, the sword retains it in its memory until the day it is destroyed. This skill was his primary contribution to the mission to search for his liege's daughter, as right now the Kazahana clan of the former Snow Country would be more than happy to use any excuse to dethrone the Asakura.
The silver-haired swordsman set to swinging the sheathed weapon left and right, singing as he went. "Come out come out wherever you are…" he sang.
"To this day it still freaks me out when you do that," a female voice remarked. The samurai smiled, his one visible eye crinkling in amusement.
Asakura Yukiko was sitting on the central area of the tatami covered room of the Hyuuga residence. As it was, the Hokage residence and the shinobi barracks was filled to capacity with the security force. The rest of the Hyounin had been dispatched in the forests around Konoha, patrolling as they went. From information received on Orochimaru's tactics, the snake nin preferred to attack during especially sensitive situations like the visit of Suna's Kazekage in years past.
The Asakura clan wished for no such thing to happen this time around.
Tsuko plopped down in front of the female samurai and laid his sword to rest at his right side. "Satsuki has said that the princess is indeed here in Konoha," he reported. "If this is true, why has the Hokage not told us about this development?" Yukiko said, thinking out loud.
"Perhaps she was not aware of it."
"A possibility. Perhaps Yukio-sama was just good at staying unobtrusive."
Together the two of them debated possibilities. While it would certainly be convenient should the damyo's daughter be returned from him so soon after the Hyou went on the diplomatic visit to Leaf, it was always wise to ascertain all the variables.
One, if the Kazahana were plotting something to prevent the coronation in two years, what better place to hide the princess than in a village full of ninja? So far a grand total of eight of the princess' decoys had been assassinated by forces controlled by Kazahana Dotou and his hired Otonin. Truth be told, this was the reason Asakura-sama wanted this alliance with the Leaf. It would give Orochimaru and his band of bandits another reason to hesitate making another move.
In the grand scheme of things, there was something else to consider. What was the reason Yukio left? And to end up here of all places? There was too much unidentified variables to just dismiss.
Therein lies the quandary. Two possible forces would be after the Princess, the recently deposed Kazahana and their allied Sound ninja and the Akatsuki. The Kazahana are in it to stop the succession ceremonies. The Akatsuki are in it because the princess is jinchuuriki, and thus indispensable for their plans.
Yukiko fixed them some tea.
The male samurai left his seat carrying his cup, watching the skyline of Konoha from the sheltered engawa. He sipped his tea and wave a hand of greeting to one of the Hyuuga branch members, who then asked if they needed anything.
"A piece of parchment, brushes and some ink if you will," Yukiko called. The branch house member bowed and left to get what she requested. "Writing your report already?" Tsuko teased. "You never used to be this enthusiastic about paperwork, Yukiko-teicho."
"If I don't do it, that bastard Kusonoki would probably make me do his paperwork," the woman pointed out. "Boy is that bastard lazy."
"Can you blame him, teicho? The best shinobi in the ranks of the Hyou reduced to a desk job. It's a wonder Tsunade-san doesn't go mad from time to time." Yukiko tapped her lip and reflected. "True."
"Speaking of Tsunade-san, did you see the rack on that girl? It still puzzles me how in the name of Kami-sama she can even keep her spine from snapping straight under the weight of those things. Perhaps Konoha has some sort of advanced brassiere technology we're not aware of."
Tsuko would have replied but he was busy choking on his tea.
Yukiko raised an eyebrow. "You know," she said "for all the badass vibes you tend to give out, it still comforts me to think that I can make you blush just by saying the word 'rack.'"
Tsuko turned to her with tea dripping down on his chin. There was a noticeable flush on his cheek from their previous exchange. Then, composing himself, he said "I don't know what you mean, teicho." She snorted.
"Sure. Like you weren't staring at those gazongas the whole time we were in the office," Yukiko remarked. Tsuko proceeded to choke on some more of his tea as his commanding officer laughed hysterically.
"I think I'll take my leave of you, teicho." Yukiko waved a dismissive hand as her parchment and brushes arrived.
"Sure. You do that."
Tsuko hadn't gone very far when the voice of his commander called out his name. He turned and saw that her face was serious. "Tsuko, I want you to listen carefully to what I'm about to tell you.
He listened carefully.
"Boobs."
Yukiko's near maniacal laughter echoed throughout the Hyuuga compound as Tsuko's nasal capillaries threatened to blow his nose apart. Neji was training with TenTen when the prodigy saw the samurai sailing past on the Nosebleed Express.
"What the hell was that?" the weapons mistress asked. Neji just shrugged and dropped back into his stance. TenTen followed suit, muttering under her breath.
"Crazy-ass samurai…"
A/N: Naruto trivia. In one of the Naruto movies, the Kazahana clan was the ruling damyo of Snow Country, the bulk of which now belongs within the territory of the Asakura clan, hence the change in name from Snow to Glacier.
In this universe, the Kazahana were deposed a short while after the events of the movie in question, thus propelling a man named Kusonoki to the Hyoukage position. Officially, he's Shodaime of the new Hyougakure no Sato established in the reign of the Asakura.