Ugh. I hope this lives up to expectations. Meeting scenes are so tedious to write, I'm sorry if it's not up to standard.
Otherwise, I'm really happy that people are opening up and enjoying this story more and more! Itachi's death was heartbreaking, but it's not the end, and I hope you'll all be stick with Sakura while she grieves. Anyway. I have plans for some fuuuunnnnn stufff to happen! Probably..maybe... Itachi things! But my lips are sealed! :D
I'm also happy you like my writing style, I try to give enough detail that you know what's happening, but leave enough out that your imaginations run wild. So if that stops happening, please tell me. Haha.
Anyway! As always, let me know what you think!
Review!Review!Review!
xx Alex
Chapter 5: Conflict
Sakura was awakened by a light hand shaking her shoulder. She blinked her eyes a few times, they felt heavy and puffy and it seemed far too early to be time to wake up. She realised with some shock that she didn't know where she was. The scent of the blankets was unfamiliar, yet she felt like she's smelled it before. She was in bed. She sat up suddenly and look around until her eyes fell on a familiar figure standing some distance away from her.
Then she remembered the previous night. She looked away from Madara and realised that he must've taken her back to his house, which made sense since it was closer than hers. Her face felt warm with shame.
"I thought you'd like to go home before we meet this afternoon," Madara said after a moment. "It's just before dawn, the village is still sleeping."
She took a breath and nodded, looking over at him. He leaned against the wall. His hair was tied back, it was the first time she'd ever seen it like that. He wasn't looking directly at her, but she could see that he probably hadn't slept and that she was likely in his bed.
"Thank you," she murmured quietly.
She pushed back the blankets and got out of the bed. Slightly panicked and then relieved when she felt the other half of the bed was stone cold. It was large and modern which was a little surprising. She had always thought he was a little more traditional. She wondered where he had been while she slept. She caught sight of her feet and she cringed. They were covered in dirt. She looked at the white sheets.
"I can wash these," she said apologetically.
Madara shook his head.
"It's not important." He handed her a light blanket. "I'll walk you home. There are some sandals that should fit you outside the door."
He left her sitting on his bed and Sakura bit her lip when he was gone. She took a moment to look around Madara's bedroom. It was simple, and a little surprising. The wooden floors and walls were polished and clean. The bed was quite grand. The window was large let in a nice amount of light, with sheer curtains. A small table had wooden carvings of different animals on them, mostly hawks, which Sakura suspected that he had made himself. She didn't want to pry too much, so she quickly wiped her tired face with the inside of her robe, brushed her fingers through her hair and wrapped the blanket around her shoulders before she walked out to Madara.
She stared at him, strangely conflicted by how she was feeling. The previous night felt like she'd become so vulnerable around him. He'd seen her at a terrible moment, saved her from doing something awful that she was going to regret. Yet, with his hair up, she couldn't stop thinking that he looked very handsome. She felt so guilty and ashamed and overwhelmed.
She kept her head down as they walked. She felt so uneasy around him, she held onto the blanket around her shoulders tightly.
"How did you know I was there?" She asked.
Madara was quiet for a moment.
"I was awake and I felt your chakra."
"It was the middle of the night, why were you awake?"
"You're not the only one who has trouble sleeping," he replied quietly.
Sakura didn't respond. Nightmares, she guessed. Like her.
They walked silently through the forested roads from the Uchiha compound into the village. Sakura's steps were a little smaller and slower than usual, and she was aware that Madara had slowed his own pace to match hers. She felt a strange prickle of irritation towards him.
Why was he always so close to her? He always seemed to appear, and just be there whenever she had some kind of fall or stumble. What did he want from her? She stopped walking.
"You don't have to keep walking me. I can go by myself," she said, a little harshly.
He stopped and looked at her. A slight indent in his brow. He put his weight on his back foot and folded his arms over his chest. She felt her face heat with anger under his critical gaze.
"Are you angry at me?" He asked.
Sakura ground her teeth.
"No," she said.
"Then why are you looking at me like you want to punch me?"
Sakura's eyes flashed, her fists shook.
"Why?" She asked him. "Why? Why are you always there? What do you want?"
"What do I want?" Madara asked, somewhat surprised and confused.
Sakura huffed an angry breath.
"Yes. What do you want?"
He just stared at her, infuriatingly.
"What do you want?!" She yelled.
He looked like he was going to say something, his eyes turned darker, flashing something at her and Sakura felt her heart race and stomach clench. Suddenly, the look was gone and he sighed.
"I don't want anything, Sakura," he said. "Just go home. I'll see you at the meeting."
He left, walking past her and leaving her alone in the middle of the street, just as the sun was breaking light over the sky. She stood there, felt strangely deflated. All the anger that had built up dissipated into some kind of emptiness inside her. She grit her teeth and went back to the little cottage she slept in. Her new home. She threw the blanket he'd given her at the wall and stormed into the bathroom. Her hands gripped the basin and she looked at herself in the mirror.
He hair was a mess, her eyes were disgustingly puffy and bruised with tiredness. Her cheeks were flushed. At least, she thought bitterly, my eyes didn't look sad. Anger was a good emotion on her. She turned the tap on the bath and waited for it to fill. She sat on the edge of the bath and let out a sigh. It was an important day, she needed to be presentable and controlled. She took a few deep breaths and stripped off her clothes. She filled the bath with scented oils and dried flower petals.
She soaked herself in the water, letting her submersion wash away her feelings clear her head. Relaxed and calmer, Sakura dried herself and wrapped a towel around her hair and chest. There was still some hours before the scheduled meeting with the clans. She slowly wandered the quiet house and prepared herself, her mind running through all the things she wanted to say.
She dried her hair and ran her brush through it, styling her bangs in that same new way. She looked at it, feeling like it was missing something. She found a ribbon and tied it in her hair like she used to tie her headband. She looked almost like her old self again.
Almost.
Tobirama opened the door to his brother's office to see Hashirama neglecting the paperwork on his desk in favour of pruning a small bonsai that was perfectly healthy and did not need any pruning at all.
"If you're going to keep those in here, you can't use them as an excuse not to work," he said.
Hashirama shrugged.
"Well, at least they make the office less dreary."
"I've finally finalised the plans with the Inuzuka," Tobirama said. "They'll send a few members ahead to prepare the kennels for their hounds over the next two months."
Hashirama brightened.
"Excellent. And the Hatake?"
Tobirama shrugged.
"They're reclusive and still hesitant, but I think it's just a matter of time. They're too small a clan to remain outside the village's protection for much longer."
Hashirama nodded thoughtfully.
"Is there anything we can do to give them more incentive?"
"I don't think so," Tobirama replied. "I've reached out to the Hyuga and Aburame on your behalf. The Aburame are extremely hesitant to move from their own compound. Something about their insects."
Hashirama scrunched his nose.
"Well. I suppose that's fair. We should invite them to the village. We have plenty of space and I'm sure they'll be able to relocate without a problem. How many insects do they have?"
"Millions."
Hashirama shuddered and Tobirama smirked. He knew that Hashirama was not a fan of insects in the slightest, it was one of the main ways Tobirama liked to prank and torture his brother.
"The Hyuga will have no choice," Hashirama said after a moments thought, leaning back in his chair. "They're so often targeted, they'll need the village's protection."
Tobirama agreed. Visual dojustu were often coveted and targeted, and none more-so than the Hyuga. The Byakugan, unlike the Sharingan, was far easier to manage and control even without the bloodline, and considering just how many Hyuga there was, it was no surprise they'd developed that curse mark, and although Tobirama despised it, he saw its necessity.
"We have requests coming in from all over the nation from people who want to live here," Tobirama said.
Hashirama sighed happily and Tobirama knew he was thinking about how glad he was that the village was growing. In almost two years, it was already the first and biggest shinobi village in all the nations. It wouldn't be long now before they were threatened by the outside, and Tobirama and Madara were working to ensure they'd be ready when the time came. Today was going to be a long and important day. They were introducing several measures into the village and finalising others, a lot would be put into motion by the end of the day - if everything went smoothly.
Hashirama had morphed from a clan leader and idealist to a man whose dreams were realised and he was fighting to keep them from shattering. He was more serious than he had been even six months ago and more forceful in implementing his vision, but he hadn't lost the compassionate heart, his boyish hope, or the forceful brightness that his personality radiated. His charisma was as strong as his skill. If he wanted something, there was little anyone could do to stop it from happening. So Tobirama would be extremely shocked if something didn't end up going his brothers way, so long as it was an actual good idea, and not, for instance trying to make it law for there to be a sake bar every four buildings. It was one of the Hokage's more outrageous ideas that would never come true, no matter how much he whined. Sometimes Tobirama was really terrified of the amount of sake his brother could consume.
The door to the office opened, and Madara walked in. Tobirama frowned at how tired the man looked, and the dark mood he seemed to be in.
"Good morning, Madara," Hashirama said cheerily, ignoring all of what he could see.
"Hn," Madara greeted him.
"Oh, don't be like that," Hashirama said. "It's a nice morning."
"Is it?" Madara questioned flatly.
"With your personality of sunshine, how could it not be," Hashirama said sweetly and teasingly.
Tobirama bit the inside of his cheek but knew that it wasn't going to end well. Madara's eyebrow twitched.
"I came to warn you about something, now I won't."
He turned and walked out of the room. Tobirama sighed.
"Are you prepared for today?" He asked.
Hashirama nodded.
"Go find out what happened," he said with a frown. "I'll look over the briefing packets."
Tobirama gave him a nod but was suspicious of the longing look his brother was giving his bonsai and went down the hall to Madara's office. The door was open, and Tobirama took that as Madara expecting he would come. He closed the door behind him.
Madara sat moodily in his chair behind the desk, leaning one arm on the armrest and his fist on his jaw. He didn't make a move to speak or explain or anything. Tobirama rolled his eyes back into his head and wondered how on earth he had managed to become the only one with a level head. His brother was able to occupy both ends of the spectrum with extreme personality, with boundless energy that was, frankly, exhausting. Madara was like a sullen teen. Moody, brooding and more childish than you would ever expect.
If Hashirama was upset, he moped. Dragging himself around like a broken tree until someone took pity on him and told him he was special again. Madara, however, sulked, and his sulking lasted far longer than Hashirama's did, and usually needed a violent outlet before it could end. Sometimes Tobirama felt like the tired mother of two extremely irritating children. He was still unsure of how exactly to approach Madara. Hashirama was much better at this stuff than he was.
"What's the warning about?" Tobirama eventually settled on asking.
Madara glanced at him, but then looked away. Tobirama sighed impatiently. Madara let out his own sigh a moment later.
"I would advise you to do your best to keep the room from provoking Sakura," he reluctantly said.
Tobirama raised an eyebrow.
"What happened?"
Clearly, something had happened. Madara's mood and tiredness meant that it was something fairly recent too. Something during the night? Tobirama felt a spark of interest.
"Let's just say she's moved from denial to anger," he muttered.
Tobirama stared at him, feeling strangely amused.
"Did she break something?" He asked.
Madara glared at him. Tobirama took that as a yes.
"Are you going to be okay in the meeting?" He asked, with genuine concern. "You're going to be there as the representative of the council and your clan."
"I know what my duties are, Tobirama," Madara snapped.
Tobirama just stared at him, until Madara sunk back into his seat.
"Do you…want to talk about it?" Tobirama asked, extremely hopeful that Madara would respond with a resolute no.
Madara turned another, darker glare at him.
"Get out."
An even better answer. Tobirama turned and gladly left, an amused smirk on his lips.
Sakura arrived at the hospital feeling more refreshed and relaxed, if a little tired. She was determined to make the day a success. It was important for everyone. Literally every single person, present and future, and she wasn't planning on messing this up. Sakura was more than aware that to make big changes, the foundations had to be laid. She'd been a product of those foundations, it was time to lay them now.
Hikari and Madoka were waiting for her at the entrance, with all the paperwork in tow.
"Ready?" She asked them.
Hikari nodded, and Madoka gave a small smile. She took a deep breath and they headed towards the Hokage tower. Tobirama met her at the door. He was leaning on the wall, one foot on the wall, arms folded, looking straight ahead like he was trying really hard to impress some poor woman he was handsome and a catch. From Hikari's small sigh of appreciation, he'd apparently succeeded. Sakura just raised a slightly amused eyebrow at him.
"Morning, Tobi," she greeted him.
He looked her up and down, and Sakura frowned. She was wearing nice clothes. Nicer than normal. Her red headband matched her sleeveless short qiapo, she wore fitted pants instead of tight shorts beneath it, just in case it caused a weird scandal with the clan heads. She didn't really know what was expected of as a shinobi in this time. It was a strange transition period. But the look on Tobirama's face was more searching and it made her feel annoyed.
His eyes lingered on her face before he greeted her.
"Good morning, Sakura," he said. "Madoka, Hikari."
Hikari stammered a good morning, and Madoka inclined his head.
"Hashirama wants to speak with you before the meeting," he said, leading them inside.
Sakura took up stride beside him, while the other two hung back.
"Okay," Sakura said. "I went to speak to the Nara yesterday."
"How was that?" He asked, a little surprise and interest in his voice.
"Good, I think," she replied.
They walked into Hashirama's office before they could say anything more. Hashirama greeted everyone with a smile and a good morning.
"I trust you're prepared for today?"
Sakura nodded, making a face.
"Who do you think I am?" She joked.
"I knew I could count of you," he beamed. His attention shifted to Madoka and Hikari. "Thank you both for being generous with your time and assisting Sakura. This is going to be a great thing for the village."
"Happy to help," Madoka said.
Hikari blushed furiously and Sakura bit her lip to stop from smiling at her expense. She really was adorable.
"If you'll forgive me, I'd like to speak with Sakura alone for a moment," Hashirama said.
"Excuse us."
Madoka and Hikari left the room with Tobirama, who came back a moment later followed by the person she didn't really want to see today, Madara.
They didn't look at one another, and it was clearly obvious to the Senju. She could only see the flickering of Hashirama's eyes between the two of them, but she felt Tobirama's curiosity. The three of them stood in a line, familiar to Sakura like they were reporting for a mission. Hashirama became the Hokage in an instant, dropping his light attitude into a serious one. He leaned forward his chair, focusing on each of them. His Hokage hat was on the desk to the right of him. Sakura faintly remembered from her history lessons that he and the Third were the only Hokage that wore the white robes the majority of the time.
He looked at Sakura, and under his commanding gaze, she stood tall and at attention, the way she'd always done in the presence of her Hokage.
"Sakura Haruno. Although your circumstances are far different to anyone else, and you have been put through suffering that no one can compare too, I want to commend and show gratitude for your loyalty and dedication to the Hidden Leaf."
Sakura blinked in surprise. He opened a drawer and pulled out something. Sakura's throat caught.
"This is the first headband that we've made, and I want to present it to you."
He held his hand out, and Sakura felt half-rooted to the spot, while her hand twitched. Hashirama stood and walked around the desk, placing the headband in her hand. She felt like the world stopped moving as she stared at it. It was the same. That swirled leaf design that she knew so well. Sakura felt a tear rolled down her face. Her hand clenched around the metal band, her hand shaking. Hashirama cleared his throat.
"H-how is it? Is it the same?"
He sounded anxious. Sakura giggled a little and looked up at him.
"It's perfect," she said, sniffing. "It's perfect."
A wash of relief flooded his face and he gave her a smile. He sat back leaning on the desk behind him. Sakura looked back down at the metal in her hand and fought to keep her lips from trembling. She felt overwhelmed by a broad mix of emotion. But she smiled, a real smile and the Hokage smiled back. He leaned back on the desk.
"On to the next thing," he said.
Sakura sniffed and paid attention to him, but her hand remained tightly wrapped around the headband.
"Today is the inauguration of the Konoha Council. The three of you are tackling prominent positions in the village and will be helping your Hokage run the village as my most trusted friends."
Sakura felt some fear mixed in with pride.
"This small council is dedicated to the village more than any of the clan heads, as such, we have a responsibility to all the people of Konoha to have their best interests at heart. Our clans must not come before the village."
Sakura nodded. She was clan-less, those words didn't apply to her in the same sense as the others, but she knew that he fervent defence of the Uchiha was the reason she needed to hear the words the Hokage spoke. This was a strange moment for Sakura. In the last five years, she'd trained and studied under Tsunade as the Hokage. She never expected to ever find herself in this position - not at nineteen. Maybe when Naruto was Hokage, and she older with more experience, he might have asked her to serve like this.
She glanced at the two men standing beside her. She wasn't like them. They'd grown up in war. She'd grown up in peace, and then she'd had her world turned on its head after she became a genin. Her life was so different from theirs, maybe that was why Hashirama wanted her here - not only for her knowledge of the future. But she couldn't fault him for that either.
"As the Hokage, I have taken an oath to protect this village with the Will of Fire, and I ask you to swear on this today. Will you swear to love, cherish, believe in and fight for the village and all its people, as they are your own family?"
"I swear."
Tobirama, Madara, and Sakura all responded without hesitation, confident and determined. Hashirama smiled, and the tension was broken. He laughed.
"Well, enough with all the serious talk. Sorry, it's not more ceremonial." He clicked his fingers. "A party! Let's have a party tonight!"
Tobi snorted.
"Any excuse for sake," he muttered.
Hashirama grinned.
"Well. How do you feel, councilors?"
They were quiet.
"The same?" Sakura said with a shrug.
Hashirama looked disappointed. A thought struck Sakura.
"Is this why people keep calling me Lady Sakura?" She asked.
Tobirama replied with a sigh.
"No. But it will be from now on."
"Haven't you heard?" Hashirama asked her with an eager and questioning smile. "You became a hero in the village. It's just what they're calling you out of respect."
Sakura looked at him in disbelief and Hashirama laughed. He then told her what the 'official' version of the battle against Zetsu was, and Sakura was glad no one had approached her about it so far. Then he regaled some of the more amusing rumours that had been spun around Sakura.
"Some of the children believe that you defeated the Nine-Tails by punching its nose, sending it flying away from the village."
If Sakura was drinking water at that point, she would have sprayed it everywhere.
"That- there's no way!" She spluttered. "I am nowhere near the level of the Nine-Tails. It's impossible."
Tobirama chuckled. Madara, Sakura noticed, stayed silent. Which was good, since she had a feeling that any word that came out of his mouth would annoy her.
"No wonder I get weird looks all the time," she sighed, shaking her head.
"Hashirama," Madara said, a tone like he was reminding him of something.
"Right. Meeting." He looked at them all. "Let's go and face the clans."
"Can't wait," Sakura muttered sarcastically.
The clan heads were all seated and talking amongst themselves when Sakura, Tobirama, Madara, and Hashirama walked in. Madoka and Hikari were politely asked to remain outside, ready in case Sakura needed them.
The table was long and rectangular, the chairs stiff and high backed. Sakura could feel the seals in the room, but compared to the time she came from, all the security in the Hokage's building felt very lax. She felt a little exposed. Hashirama didn't even have guards. Not that he needed them, but she was used to the silent and hidden ANBU. All the clan heads stood when they walked in. No one looked particularly surprised to see Sakura, but she could see the judgment and calculation in their eyes. Hashirama took his seat at the head of the table. Tobirama sat at the seat to the left of him, and Madara to the right. Sakura sat in the spare seat between Madara and Shikaru Nara, who greeted her with a smile.
"Good to see you again, Sakura," he said pleasantly.
"You too," Sakura replied, thankful for the lack of obvious judgment in his eyes.
At least she had some kind of ally in the Nara. She was nervous. Her fingers drummed on her thighs. She took a deep breath, quickly looking at all the clan heads. From first impressions, Inorou Yamanaka was slightly disgruntled at her presence. He seemed to be frowning at her. Chosume Akimichi reminded her of Choji and his father, strong, big, with kind eyes. Yori Shimura seemed the same as she remembered. Irritating to look at.
Hashirama opened the meeting. He introduced them as councilors. There was small applause and some questions about their duties. Hashirama laughed awkwardly, saying that they'll have to figure it out as they go since nothing major had happened in the village yet.
"In general," Tobirama said, "we are simply here to advise the Hokage and any of you who come to us, on decisions that will affect the village as a whole. We will act with the interests of the village at heart, giving points of view from our different experiences."
"And what advice can a young girl give?" Inorou Yamanaka asked with a frown.
"I concur," Yori Shimura said.
Sakura froze, her fingers stopped drumming.
"Perhaps you are not aware," Madara's deep voice said, drawing the attention from Sakura to himself. He sounded annoyed. "Without Sakura and Itachi's intervention two years ago, this village would not exist."
"What do you mean?" Chosume Akimichi asked curiously.
Sakura wanted to know what he meant as well.
"Itachi and Sakura came across a battle between the Senju and Uchiha clans. It was our final battle, fate would have it," Tobirama said. He looked at Madara then away. "I injured Izuna, an injury which could have been fatal."
"And Sakura saved his life," Madara said. A small smirk on his lips. "She ran across a battlefield with no thought to anyone else and healed my brother. Itachi and Sakura's intervention in our battle and the wisdom of their words to us are the reason that we were able to form this alliance."
His eyes turned down the table, strong and threatening at all the clan heads to speak against her again. Sakura felt her heart pound in her chest at the intensity of the look, and at what he was saying. Was that truly how they thought about the beginnings of the village? She glanced at Hashirama who gave her a small smile.
"None of you would be here without her," Madara continued. "I suggest you show this young girl the same respect you show your Hokage."
A tense silence fell over the room. Sakura took a moment to compose herself and then she stood.
"It's been a long time since I've had the chance to meet with any of you," she said. "I understand a lot of things have happened." She cleared her throat. "I'd like to formally introduce myself. You may have remembered that I called myself Sakura Haruno."
She paused, gathering the courage do to something she had been thinking about for days.
"But, that's not my name." She saw Hashirama and Tobirama look at her with surprise. "Haruno is a name I used to protect my identity while I-Itachi and I were hunting a great enemy."
She hated that she stumbled over his name.
"So then, Lady Sakura," Chosume said. "What do we call you?"
Sakura clenched the jaw that only Madara could see for a moment and then smiled at the clans.
"Since I have no family or name to speak of, Lady Sakura is fine," she said with some reluctance.
"So the speculation that you have no clan is correct?" Inorou asked.
Sakura nodded.
"Yes, and being without a clan hasn't held me back, as I'm sure you've heard."
She gave her best pleasantly threatening smile. She saw Shikaru shoot her a fleeting look of amusement.
"So, I look forward to working with you."
She finished her introduction and sat. She wasn't unaware of the looks that the Senju and Madara had given her. She was going to have some questions to answer later she was sure. She was answered with the murmuring of the same thing back to her.
"First order of business today," Hashirama said. "The library. Shikaru, report."
"Yes, Lord Hokage." Shikaru sat a little straighter. "We have collected and begun cataloging all the scrolls from each of the clans, with small collections in history, flora, fauna, medicine, fiction stories and the like. Several of my assistants have also spread the word throughout the village and to passing merchants, and we have begun to slowly receive books and scrolls from outside sources."
Hashirama looked pleased. Sakura made a mental note to check out the medical section.
"Good. Things are moving well."
"Make certain that you bring by anything chakra and jutsu related to my office for approval," Tobirama said. "Some things are dangerous to let out into the general public without the proper level of training."
There was a general nod of agreement. Sakura was well aware of the dangers of learning jutsu before you were ready, and it was worse now that the village was so new and there was no academy yet.
"The proposals are not yet completed for the academy as yet," Hashirama said, "there are a few other things that need to be signed off first."
Sakura felt strangely overwhelmed. She'd never been a part of a meeting in a position of power before. It was strange intense, and she strained to remember everything that was said and paid close attention to it all. Madara presented the Genin-Chunin-Jonin rankings for the shinobi forces, and Tobirama explained the team system. Inorou Yamanaka smirked when he realised that they had taken the idea from the infamous Ino-Shika-Cho trio formation. Chosume and Shikaru looked pleased with the acknowledgment of their clans' ideology and tradition.
Listening to Tobirama and Madara speak, it reminded her of the people she looked up to in the past, like Tsunade, Shisui, Kakashi, Gaara, Naruto. Those people who had the ability to capture and hold a room, speak words that people listened to. She wondered if she could be like that one day.
There was little argument about the implementation of the genin-chunin-jonin ranks, and Sakura remained quiet, listening mostly to what they were saying, and focusing on what she would need to say. It was decided that each of the clan leaders would put forth candidates to be considered for each of the ranks, and put forth two names each for consideration for the Jonin Commander who would report to the Hokage. To Sakura's surprise, there wasn't as much conflict as she assumed there would be. Each of the clan leaders seemed to be giving serious thought and consideration to what was presented and were willing to dive into this new system of living.
"As previously discussed, the internal village security systems will be put in place sometime this week," Madara said. "We will shuffle around as needed, and when the rankings have officially been administrated the assignments, rotations, and duties will vary accordingly."
Tobirama looked at her and raised his eyebrows at her. She realised he was telling her she was up. After nearly two hours in the meeting, finally was she getting her turn. She prepared herself with a quick mental pep-talk. Clear, concise, logical. She looked to Hashirama who nodded.
"We've come to our final point for today," he said. "As well as her position on the council, Sa - Lady Sakura has generously accepted the role as the Head Medic and Head of Konoha Medicine."
Sakura winced at the titles.
"So you're in charge of the health of our village?" Inorou asked.
Sakura nodded.
"I am. I'll be running the hospital and introducing several reforms and initiatives that will benefit all shinobi and civilians alike."
"You're very young," Chosume said with a slight frown.
This Ino-Shika-Cho trio was as old as Shikaku, Inoichi and Choza were during the war, in their late thirties at least. She must have been like a child to them, but she was a shinobi and age didn't matter on the battlefield.
"And yet I am the most capable of anyone else alive to do this," she said. "Age doesn't define skill or ability, Lord Akimichi."
"No, it does not," he replied with a slight smile.
"What are the reforms and initiatives you plan to introduce then?" Inorou asked.
Sakura took a breath.
"There are three clauses of a medic-nin that must always be followed. First, no medic ninja shall ever stop medical treatment until the lives of their party members have come to an end. Second, no medic ninja shall ever stand on the front lines." This garnered a reaction from Inorou and Yori. "Third, no medic ninja shall ever die until they are the last of their platoon."
"That's outrageous. How can you say no medics on the frontline and yet forbid them from dying until their unit is dead?"
"Didn't you argue that medics were worthless only a year ago?" Tobirama reminded him. "Have you now changed your mind?"
Yori went red in the face.
"No matter my own opinions, I won't deny medical treatment to others," he muttered.
Sakura took a breath, that same prickling anger from the morning was rising in her.
"And what do you mean that the medic should be the last to die? Should our ninja die to protect the medic?" Inorou asked. "That's not feasible in battle."
"I agree," Chosume said.
"I don't believe that's what is implied in the clause, or do I think that that is all Sakura has to say," Shikaru said.
Sakura was grateful that at least one person understood.
"Lord Nara is right," she said. "A medic should not rely on their teammates to save them. Aside from the medical training, the primary focus of training a medic should be evasive maneuvering. The longer a medic can withstand being injured, the more chance of survival for everyone."
Inorou narrowed his eyes in thought.
"This is not the way medics operate in any place that I have seen them."
"That is why I am here," Sakura said, unable to keep some of the irritation from her voice.
"I would think that this era of war has granted you perspective on the necessity of a medic. But I am not finished." Her voice was growing loud and passionate. "There is the fourth clause." Shikaru looked at her with interest. "Only those medic-nin who have mastered the Strength of a Hundred Technique of the ninja art Creation Rebirth are permitted to discard the above-mentioned laws."
"And what is that - Strength of a Hundred?" Chosume asked.
"A technique that requires perfect chakra control," she said. "As it stands, the only medic who can stand on the frontlines is me."
The eyes in the room flickered to her forehead. She didn't elaborate on the exact nature of the technique. It wasn't a secret exactly, but she preferred to keep some things to herself. After all, there was someone else in the village with the same seal.
"Perfect chakra control?" Chosume murmured.
"These laws of medic-nin are important and need to be followed. The ability to support ninja in combat is essential for any village to thrive. It's why Konoha needs to support its medic-nin. I will not allow anyone to suffer from a lack of skill, knowledge or ability," Sakura said, feeling her heart pound.
"You have a lot of passion," Chosume said, sounding impressed. "I expect you have requests to make of us?"
Sakura nodded.
"Yes. Medicine is not like clan jutsu and should not be hoarded. I want all of the medics within each clan to report to the hospital, bearing any and all scrolls of healing. There cannot be secrets or withheld information in my line of work."
There was silence.
"I believe that you are right," Hashirama said. "There are things that I have requested and asked of you all, but now, as your Hokage, this is something that I will order you to complete."
"I will not force medics to work in the hospital, however, all medics will be tested on their current level of experience and giving ranks accordingly," Sakura added.
"Ranks of genin, chunin and jonin?" Shikaku asked.
"Basically," Sakura replied. "There are several things that need to be finalised in the hospital."
"What of field medics?" Tobirama asked.
"On every mission, each team will have at least one field medic accompanying them," Sakura replied. "All shinobi must be taught the basics in first-aid and those with aptitudes trained further. It's not necessary to become a fully-trained medic, but the mastering the basics has to be a priority. It can and will save lives."
"It seems like a lot of unnecessary time and energy," Yori said. "Isn't it better to focus on either combat or medicine?"
Sakura tilted her head to the side.
"Is it?" She asked, staring at him, unblinkingly.
She was feeling like half of her head was screaming to calm down, while the other wasn't fully conscious of her action. Her hands, which had been clasped lightly on the desk, and her arms suddenly flexed slightly and she pushed down, cracking the desk. The wood splintered. Everyone seemed to go very still, and Sakura felt an air of anger around herself. She saw eyes flicker to the Hokage, who remained still and quiet. Sakura stood up.
"Since you're so clearly in the know about all things medical, I'll leave it all to you, shall I?" She challenged Yori Shimura. "Then again, how could medical jutsu, which requires precise chakra control, have absolutely nothing to do with the ninjutsu you prize so much? Since you don't need to know how to control chakra for anything else, right?"
She was faintly aware that her voice was reaching a high pitch. She was losing control.
"Sakura.."
Madara's voice was low. She turned her head to him.
"You don't get to speak to me," she snapped.
"This is not the time or place," he said evenly.
Sakura curled her fists.
"You're right. Forgive me, Lord Hokage. You seem to have other medical experts here. I'll be leaving then."
She stormed out of the room, feeling like she had to get away before she destroyed everything.
The door slammed behind Sakura and the room fell quiet.
"How like a woman," Inorou muttered.
Madara stiffened and Hashirama sighed.
"Sakura witnessed the man she loved die in her arms," Hashirama said. "She is the greatest medic I have ever known, and yet she could do nothing to help him. Then she fell into a coma for an entire year and has spent the last month and a half adjusting to a new life and has been given important roles in the village. I would ask any of you if you would be as well adjusted in six weeks?"
Another silence fell in the room. Certainly, Sakura possessed an inner-strength that Madara didn't have at that time, she was more together than he was six weeks after his brother's death. Hashirama didn't know how he'd deal if Tobirama or Mito or Tsumo died.
"We have no right to judge an outburst, every now and again so early in her grief," Hashirama said.
But he would be talking to her later about conduct in a meeting. There was a time and place for everything, and what she had displayed was too much and not constructive.
"I spoke with Sakura yesterday about her plans for the hospital and the medic-nin," Shikaru said, bringing the conversation back to the more important topics at hand. "I think we should all support the plans she has for the hospital and medics."
"As do I," Chosume said. "She is right, and I believe she has enough strength - " he looked pointedly at the damage she did to the table, " - and passion to make Konoha known for its excellent medics."
Tobirama suddenly stood. His chair pushed back loudly.
"Please excuse me." He disappeared.
Hashirama blinked and sighed.
"I suppose that's the end of today's meeting," he said.
At least they made good progress on most of it.
Tobirama reappeared at the edge of the village and then flickered a distance to where she was.
He felt her chakra flare dangerously high and then watched from a distance as Sakura toppled a small mountain, collapsing it with a single punch and scream. He didn't approach her, he just hung back and watched.
Sakura could cry and talk to Matsuri. She could hit and punch him, or Madara, or be angry with him for whatever reason. But she needed an outlet bigger than them. Something that matched the magnitude of what she was feeling. Madara was right. She'd moved past denial.
She was angry.
Tobirama surveyed the damage she was dealing and wondered if she planned to crush the entire world with her fists before she was satisfied.