This chapter is done!
I infinitely prefer this chapter to my first attempt, it flows much more smoothly.
I tried to add more length to this chapter since I hated the shortness of it.
I'm currently working on updates for my other stories as well, so don't lose hope yet.
That's it for now.
Later.
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Things to Know:
-Kisame is Sakura's loyal servant.
-Tsunade starts out as a villain.
-The shinobi wars ended only five years ago.
-Sakura's team is famous and overworked.
-Itachi and Kakashi are best friends.
-Naruto is the son of the deceased Yondaime, so he is respected, rich, and arrogant.
-Neji is the heir of the Hyuuga Clan and Hinata and Hinabi are from the branch family.
-Sai is part of Team 7.
-Kakashi is not Team 7's sensei, Genma is.
-The Mist Village hates all other shinobi villages and thinks that they are hated in return.
-Gaara is the Kazekage.
Ages to Know:
Sakura: 17
Kotetsu, Ichigo, Gaara, and Rookie Nine: 18
Neji, Tenten, Lee: 19
Kakashi and Itachi: 22
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, and I never will! (Author runs off to mourn)
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Chapter One
Why is it that I'm always stuck doing paperwork on my days off? A scowling roseate female sat behind a rich mahogany desk, cursing everyone and everything responsible for her current misery.
It was sunny damnit!
Sunny days did not happen often in Kiri, so they should be enjoyed to the fullest! So what if she was whining? She had every right to; she was being forced to spend her down time signing papers!
Well…if she were perfectly honest, she didn't have any free moments to spare. All the time not spent on missions was dedicated to clan business and training, leaving but a scant few hours to sleep, eat, and bathe. But, in the confines of her own mind, she enjoyed pretending she had all the time in the world for rest and relaxation.
A girl was allowed to dream wasn't she?
At least…until she was rammed with a large dose of reality.
A disgruntled Sakura viewed the towering mounds of paper with extreme dislike, willing them to burst into flames. The more I do the more these stupid piles seem to grow.
And, of course, she had to have a large office window showing her exactly what she was missing out on. I knew stealing Kisame's sake would come back to haunt me she grumbled damn karma.
She glanced out the window in her study, glaring enviously at all the people frolicking outside. Okay, so maybe frolicking was an overstatement, but it sure seemed that way to the irritable clan leader.
Look at them she thought venomously. How dare they be so cheerful in front of my window! Here eyes narrowed to mere slits. How they play and laugh while their clan leader is stuck indoors! It's unforgivable mockery!
Maybe she was being a tad bit unreasonable, but sleep deprivation and unbearably tense muscles made it impossible for her to give a damn. What I wouldn't do for a deep tissue massage she mused dreamily. Followed by a long walk in the gardens and tea in the gazebo. Yes, that would be heaven.
Nothing like the hell she was currently stuck in, a hell filled with colossal mountains of treaties and accounts that refused to die.
After resigning herself to a day -or days by the look of things- of torment, she reluctantly turned her attention back to her never-ending paperwork.
That Rain village clan wants me to settle one of their disputes? Those guys were either very bold or very stupid. After the grief they had given her over the stupid fertilizing scroll the Mizukage wanted last month, she was surprised they had the nerve to even consider writing to her. They have balls, I'll give them that.
Despite her small concession, however, she had no intention of aiding them. Call her vengeful -and in certain aspects, she was- but she felt little inclination to help those who had wronged her. Trashing the request, deeming it unworthy of a response, she forged on. One down she thought in encouragement and only a couple million left to go.
And people said she was a pessimist.
At first she derived a twisted sort of pleasure from rejecting several requests for help (most from clans that had vexed her previously), but after six hours of continuous paperwork any positive thought she harbored were unceremoniously slaughtered. The laughter of the clan member that drifted in her window grated on her fraying nerves. All her tolerance for cheer -which had been little to begin with- was nearly extinct.
It was due to her darkening mood that she was currently contemplating massacring her annoyingly happy clan, in the bloodiest, most painful way imaginable.
Her muscles were tenser than ever, her fingers had cramped, and she was developing a monster migraine. A monster migraine that successfully thwarted all her attempts to alleviate it. I she inwardly growled through clenched teeth am going to disembowel the next person who comes through my door.
Unfortunately for Kotetsu, he chose that exact moment to enter murderous rosette's office. "Sakura," he said while scanning through a mission report, "we've been summoned to the …" He trailed off when, upon glancing up, he saw his teammate advancing on him with a crazed gleam in her eyes.
"Kotetsu," she hissed, "so kind of you to visit me."
Warning bells immediately started ringing in his head. What pissed her off this time?
Fearing for her sanity, and his life, Kotetsu decided to quickly relay his message. "The Mizukage has urgently requested our presence in his office."
Hearing the word 'Mizukage', her rage slowly dissipated. "If that's the case," she stoically replied, "what are we waiting for?" She quickly disappeared leaving her bewildered teammate wondering if it was that time of the month.
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Sakura pushed open the doors to the Tsukikage's office and discovered, to her surprise, a great number of clan leaders present. She quickly grew concerned; by nature, most clan leaders were pompous, self-serving bastards who resented being bothered with anything not directly relating to their clans.
Despite the harsh wording, this wasn't criticism, not really. Clan leaders had to be unyielding and obstinate when it came to the best interests of their clan; clans with more compliant leaders, after all, were at the mercy of the Mizukage and village council.
If leaders weren't bastards, weren't arrogant assholes, their clans would soon find themselves on the short end of the political stick. They would be sent on all the worst missions, have the least consideration from all the high officials; and, with enough soft leaders, their clan would soon be nothing more than a footnote in history.
So it was understandable that most of them were downright unbearable in political situations, if they chose to involve their clans at all that is. For this many to be here she mused uneasily something must be very wrong.
Her suspicions were soon confirmed.
"I," the Mist leader gravely announced, "have called you here today to share some unpleasant news." He looked around the conference table, meeting the eyes of each seated individual before continuing. "I have just received a letter from the Hokage requesting my presence in Konoha."
Sakura was furious. "She surely must be joking," the medic growled through gritted teeth. Before she could further express her disbelief and fury, however, Kamagi decided to voice his own.
"How dare that fucking bitch ask us for anything! The nin's faced had contorted into one of ungodly rage. She betrayed village! Betrayed the Haruno Clan, the ones who took her in and cared for her like one of their own! He rose from his chair and fiercely griped the edge of the table. She slaughtered so many of them, including Sakura's parents, mercilessly and let several Leaf shinobi fuckers pass through our village gates! She alone is responsible for the deaths of over a hundred of our shinobis!"
"Kagami, enough, we are all aware of Tsunade's past actions." The Mizukage curtly reprimanded his son, "I strongly suggest you calm down if you wish to remain in this meeting."
Hatred still burning in his eyes, the young man stiffly sat down. Rash his actions may have been, but no one in the room could really fault him. They shared his hatred for Konoha and its leader; propriety alone kept them from reacting similarly.
After sending a sympathetic glance Kagami's way, Sakura returned her focus to the ongoing discussion. "What bothers me," the leader of the Nojime Clan, Shinji, was tersely saying, "is that she wants the meeting to take place in Konoha, where she has the advantage. Does the letter say anything else, Lord Mizukage?"
"Yes," Sayoran-sama signaled an aide to retrieve the missive, "the meeting is apparently going to include all the prominent kages with the supposed purpose of finding a way to eliminate a growing threat to the shinobi nations." Taking the letter from his aide with a quick word of thanks, he resumed talking. "The letter also states that I may take as many of my shinobi as I deem necessary."
"Why would she include us? We stood alone during the shinobi wars, and treated all of the other villages as our enemies. Besides, everyone knows that the Mist Village doesn't concern itself with the troubles of foreign villages." This was met with nods of agreement. "Nobody has ever offered us any sort of alliance, with the sole exception of the Akatsuki. This 'peaceful' meeting is in all probability just a hoax planned to provide our enemies with an opportunity to capture our leader."
Lord Migazaki's statements were well founded in Sakura's opinion. And, as she looked around the room, she saw that the others thought so as well.
"Tsunade, the bloody whore, has trapped us!"
Minaru, the leader of the Mitzuki Clan, spat the blonde's name like a curse.
"Yes, I think it's beyond foolish to attend a meeting that is most likely a trap, but it's even more foolish not to. All of the other shinobi villages detest us. They envy our village because it contains the most powerful clans, the best healers (Harunos), and because we have little need for trade since we can supply our basic needs ourselves. They are keen on finding a reason to attack us, and not attending this meeting would present them with one."
He had a point, a very valid point. Their leader had to attend; not doing so would be tantamount to a declaration of war.
"Since our course is set, the only thing left to do is select my escort." Sayoran-sama seated himself behind his desk with a weary sigh. "I personally believe the wisest route would be to take a small entourage of one Anbu team. A quick escape is easier with fewer people and one team is more than sufficient for my protection."
Sakura disliked how the Tsukikage was leaving himself so vulnerable to attack, but she understood his reasoning. I guess that walk in the gardens will have to wait a bit longer. "Sir," I better do this before I change my mind, "I would like to volunteer the services of my team and Kisame to you."
A quick glance towards Kotetsu and Ichigo showed that they were in accord with her decision. It also showed that they were irritated with her. I suppose I should have asked if they were willing first. Oh well she thought dismissively they'll get over it.
"Thank you Sakura," he turned affectionate eyes towards her. "I accept your offer with open arms. Prepare your team and be sure to get plenty of sleep, who knows how long it will be until you have another chance to do so. We leave at dawn."
After wearily rubbing his eyes, Sayoran-sama dismissed them all.
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