Rokudaime
Chapter Five
Dead end
The Sand kunoichi dragged Sakura into her office, which was just down the hall from Gaara's office. The medic pouted in dread as Temari lead her into the nice sized room and shut the door closed with a never ending smirk on.
Sakura backed up slowly with a forced smile. "So, Temari how have you been?" Sakura asked, praying for an escape. She felt as if she was in a dead end. Temari raised a brow before closing her purple eyes. "Oh, no Sakura. Your going to tell about your boy toy." Opening her eyes, Temari stared at the pink haired shanobi. Sakura's shoulder fell in defeat, knowing just how persistent the Sand nin could be. Temari was just like Ino, but much more forceful and assertive when getting juicy information.
It was a shame those two didn't get along very well with one another.
Sakura swallowed lightly as she thought.
Temari wouldn't tell her business to anyone else and besides Temari lived in Suna, not in Konoha. Sighing out, the medic stared at Temari with her emerald orbs. "Well for starters, he's from the Hyuuga clan." Temari grinned as she folded her arms across her chest. "Nice." The Sand kunoichi knew the Hyuuga was a very strict and traditional clan.
They were strong and very prideful.
How the hell did Sakura managed to get them to accept her? From what she recalled her friend was not from a noble clan nor possessed any bloodline. Well, it seem the Hyuuga clan was finally loosening up after all these years.
"Okay, so give me a name." Temari demanded. "Have I ever seen this particular Hyuuga before?" The sandy blonde asked expectantly. Sakura let out a small smile as flashes of Neji entered her mind. "Yeah, you've seen him before. During the Chunnin Exams when we were Gennin." Sakura told her friend as she unconsciously tugged at her short pink locks.
Temari noticed the sudden action and narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "Really? Refresh my memory, why don't you." Temari said as a blush covered Sakura's cheeks. It was a deep and rich red, which brought out her emerald colored eyes and her short pink hair. Sakura felt her heart skip a beat and the familiar churning of her stomach.
"Hyuuga Neji."
Temari's eyes widen at the revelation, her arms unfolding from her chest as her mouth opened slightly. She had been so worried that the medic was still yearning for the lost Uchiha, but this...this was great! She had found someone that shared the same feelings as her.
Temari's eyes softened after her initial shock. The Sand nin's gaze turned mischievous as she smirked at Sakura. "You did well Sakura. So when is the wedding?" Temari asked jokingly, not expecting the medic to stiffen up and become depressed. The Sand kunoichi frowned and placed her hand over the medic's shoulder. "Hey, I was only kidding..." Temari started with startled eyes, "...unless there really is a wedding in the makings." Sakura brought her gaze to Temari's, fresh tears gathering within her orbs.
"That's just the problem." Sakura started, blinking back the tears that she refused to shed. "He's engaged to Ten-Ten of the Ama clan!" Temari flinched at the medic's hard tone, the pink haired shanobi practically growled out the other woman's name.
Ten-Ten? Wasn't that the girl she had fought during the Chunnin Exams about seven years ago? Hmmm, it must be her. The kunoichi with the two buns. She never did like her to begin with and now it seems this Ten-Ten has stolen Sakura's man.
Temari narrowed her eyes. "Then kick her ass and show her who he truly belongs to." Sakura froze and stared at Temari before pacing around the office. "Well, our relationship is kinda under wraps." Temari raised a brow in wonder. "And why is that exactly?" Sakura stopped pacing and narrowed her eyes lightly. "Because of his clan's traditions and because I wanted to make sure it wasn't just a fling." The Leaf kunoichi confessed with a sigh.
Sakura leaned against Temari's desk before hoisting herself on top of it. The medic looked down before turning her gaze back to her friend. "How long have you two been together, well secretly that is?" Temari asked taking a seat right next to the medic. "Well technically three years since we became official with one another, but it all started five years ago on an escorting mission to the Demon village." Sakura explained while Temari listened. They still had three minutes left before Sakura had to leave.
"After the mission was over, we went back home and we kept running into one another." Sakura remebered those awkward meetings and smiled at the fond flashbacks. "Then he asked me to train with him one day and it became routine for us to train together when we were not on missions. He didn't take me lightly, already activating his Byakugan in the beginning of our matches." Sakura passed a hand through her short locks, feeling it damp due to sweat.
"He respects you in combat as a skilled opponent." Temari commented, pleased that the Hyuuga respected Sakura in terms of a formidable and skilled kunoichi. "Yeah, he is and in so many other ways to..." Temari caught the hot blush staining Sakura's cheeks and immediately grabbed the other kunoichi's arm. 'Crap, I didn't mean to say that out loud!' Sakura thought, trying to will her blush away.
"You two are having sex!" Temari exclaimed excited that her friend now had a sex life as well. Sakura could only nod in response, her face flushed. "My, my, my have people change." Temari said with a smirk as she shook her head. Her purple eyes glistening with mirth while Sakura rolled her eyes. "Please, like you haven't done anything." Temari laughed. "Guilty." The Sand nin muttered before her gaze became sharp and serious. "If he hurts you, I'll be in Konoha in flash and kill him." Sakura chuckled nervously when the sandy blonde took out her kunai and started spinning it effortlessly around her index finger.
"Not to mention that man stealer." The sandy blonde kunoichi added with dark malicious eyes.
It seem that Gaara wasn't the only one with the anger issues.
"Okay...Temari." Sakura muttered out uneasy with her friend's proclamation. "Anyway, our five minutes is up." Sakura said, standing up from the desk and pulled down her mask to conceal her face. She pulled up the hood of her dark cloak and tied the string underneath her neck. "It was great seeing you again, Temari and it was good to get that off my chest." Sakura hugged the kunoichi warmly. "Not a word to your brothers." The medic seethed out sharply.
"Don't worry, my lips are sealed." Temari said with a playful smirk on. Sakura nodded her head before heading towards the door. Temari's voice stopped her. "What are you going to do about this whole engagement and this fiance' situation?" Sakura held onto the door knob her grip tightening around the metal.
"I don't know, but what I do know is that I'm not giving him up without a fight."
His Uncle was suspicious.
This wasn't good.
The Hyuuga prodigy paced along the spacious flooring of his room. Silver eyes were tinted red from the lack of sleep for two days straight. The dark discoloration underneath his eyes brought out his pupil less orbs. He had stood up the entire night once his meeting with his Uncle was over. Dark locks of hair swayed behind the young Hyuuga as he turned and walked, pondering on how to correct his situation.
The sun was due to rise in an hour and he still did not know what to do. Neji sat on his futon and cradled his head within his palms, pulling his hair from the roots in the process. It relieved a fraction of his stress. Neji looked up and peered through his hair that shielded his face at the betroth necklace. It was hanging at its place besides the door.
It stared right back at him.
Narrowing his eyes, the Hyuuga recalled the conclusions of his meeting with his Uncle.
XoX
"Tell me something."
Neji raised a brow at the sudden request.
"Are you in love with a woman, I do not know about?"
Neji had remained silent, his eyes wide from the question. He couldn't even reply back to his Uncle. His mouth refused to move to his will and that had caused Haishi to narrow his eyes. From the look in his Uncle's eyes, Neji knew that the clan head was musing inside his head. Pondering on who could make the proud Hyuuga Neji speechless.
Then Haishi's eyes had widen in mute shock.
"It is the Hokage's apprentice, is not it?" Haishi asked with hard eyes. Neji refrained from flinching at the mention of one of Sakura's titles. Neji regained his composure and narrowed his own eyes in response to his Uncle findings. "Uncle, the Hokage's apprentice is irrelevant and has nothing to do with my situation with this arrange marriage." Neji spoke with a convincing tone.
He made sure to refrain himself from using Sakura's name.
Haishi seem convinced, but not entirely. "Then, what is the problem then, nephew?" The clan head asked with renowned interest. Something or someone was swaying his nephew away from this marriage and he wanted to know who it was and what relationship they had with Neji.
He had great suspicion that it dealt with Haruno Sakura.
The very said kunoichi that was rumored to be the next Sannin after her predecessor, Tsunade. He has even heard gossip about the medic surpassing the Fifth in many ways than one. Inheriting her inhumane strength, the ability to distinguish a variety of poisons and conjuring up cures for them, working shifts in the Hospital as head medic and not to mention some even say that she will be a likely candidate to become the next Hokage.
Haishi would have considered her to be Neji's betroth, but the girl simply wasn't from a noble clan. It was her only flaw and it was such a shame for so much potential to go to waste. Her genes would have been an incredible boost to the Hyuuga clan, producing strong and intelligent children. He would have considered it if he hadn't already signed the contract with the Ama clan.
Haishi shook his head and stared at Neji, trying to find any lie within his eyes. His nephew held his gaze, strong and unwavering. It was impossible to know if he was telling the truth or not. Haishi sigh and closed his eyes in defeat. He had found nothing.
"You should rest and we will talk more about this tomorrow."
Neji nodded and bid his Uncle goodnight before leaving the room. Once the door had closed he let out a breath he didn't even know he had been holding in.
XoX
Neji snarled lightly at the amulet.
"Sakura..." The young Hyuuga muttered as he laid down on his bed, not bothering to pull the covers over his body.
"Don't give up on us."
He thought softly before falling into a much needed sleep.
The young Hyuuga did not hear the small gasp from behind his door nor the retreating footsteps.
Long brown hair flowed over Ten-Ten's shoulders as she brushed it tentatively. Sad hazel eyes stared right back at her from her reflection with a frown marring her face. "Why didn't he meet me yesterday?" She asked her reflection thoughtfully.
"I'm sure he didn't have a mission." Ten-Ten told herself as she continued to brush her shoulder length hair. They were suppose to meet at the Yamanaka flower shop and then go out to dinner. She had waited until the moon had risen and the shop had closed. Ino had been nice enough to wait another hour with her before they decided to go home.
This wasn't like Neji.
He may act cold and quiet in front of others, but Neji wouldn't stand her up, especially her. They were teammates for years up until Neji became Jounin about five years ago. That was when everything had changed. She and Neji would train together when they were Gennin and Chunnin and the kunoichi had thought that maybe Neji may have develop some type of feelings for her.
Ten-Ten had develop feelings for the young Hyuuga, but he had never revealed that he shared the same feelings as she did.
They barely saw one another since he became Jounin and especially now that he was in Anbu Black Op.
Ten-Ten began to brush her hair slightly harder than before.
She hadn't made it to Anbu, after many attempts in the past. She had taken the exam many times and all of them she had failed. Ten-Ten gave up two years ago and decided to stay in the Jounin status. The weapon specialist even had her own team of Gennin, Team 4, and they were a bunch of hyper little things.
Ten-Ten sigh out depressed as she looked over to Team Gai's photo that was held within a silver frame on top of her dresser. Gai-sensei and Rock Lee were in the middle, posing with their thumbs up and their benevolent smile, while she was to the right of them smiling cheeky and with Neji to the left of them, his face stoic with his arms folded crossed the front of his chest.
They still went on missions with one another, but over the years it began to dwindle down to none at all. It seem Tsunade-sama realized that Neji had worked best with...Sakura.
The brush in her hands cracked slightly from the amount of pressure the kunoichi was applying upon it. Come to think of it, the medic nin has been sent on frequent mission with the Hyuuga and she trained regularly with him if she wasn't mistaken.
Since when had Neji started training with Sakura?
She had been so caught up in getting into Anbu that she didn't even know what Neji did anymore. Ten-Ten hasn't heard from Sakura except from Ino that being because she was best friends with the medic. The kunoichi cupped her cheeks with her hands. "This is stupid. I am not jealous of Sakura and besides she has her own secret lover." The weapon specialist said in relief.
"I don't have to worry about her taking Neji away from me."
Ten-Ten loosened her grip from her brush and began to roll her hair into two separate buns. She would really have to thank her father for considering her proposal for an arrange marriage between the Ama and Hyuuga clan.
Once she was done rolling her hair into her signature style, the kunoichi left to meet her team by the Third Training grounds.
The house was quiet.
Very quiet.
"Somethings up."
Ino walked down the hall from her room to her sister's room. The fifteen year old Chunnin had been unusually quiet for a few days now. Ino knocked on the door and heard a muffled voice from behind the shoji door.
"Go away!" Ino frowned and narrowed her eyes as she opened the door and let herself in. She found her little sister laying flat on her bed with her redden face staring at her. Blue pupil less eyes glared sharply at her. "I said go away!" The younger Yamanaka exclaimed once again with her brows furrowed angrily. Ino was unaffected by Ayame's proclamation.
Something was wrong with her little sister and she was going to figure out what it was. For some strange reason the older Yamanaka guessed it had something to do with her boyfriend. 'Whatever Konohamaru did, he's going to pay for it when I see him.' Ino thought darkly as she walked over and sat besides the tear streak Ayame.
"Tell me what happened."
Ayame glared at Ino and contemplated whether or not to tell her sister what was bothering her. She tore her blue gaze from her older sister and stared down at her pillow. "It's Konohamaru." She said softly, sniffling as she wiped her cheeks with the back of her hand. 'I knew it!' Ino exclaimed in her mind as her gaze hardened.
He probably did something perverted to her baby sister. The brunette did have Uzamaki Naruto as a role model and that idiot had Jiraiya-sama as a sensei. "Did he do anything perverted to you, Ayame?" Ino asked fiercely, her eyes burning up with flames.
Ayame's eyes widen and she immediately shook her head.
"No, he lied to me, Ino!" The Chunnin exclaimed, causing more tears to swell within her blue eyes. "Lie? About what?" Ino asked curios when a thought entered her mind. "Is he cheating on you? Tell me who she is and I'll take care of her for you. Wait until I see that little two-timing brat!" Ino exclaimed loudly. Ayame shook her head once again.
"He isn't cheating on me. He knows better and besides he knows how lucky he is to be with me." Ayame said arrogantly. Ino blinked several times. "It's...I'm afraid I'm going to lose him to Sakura-san." Ayame confessed with teary eyes. Ino's eyes widen at the confession and had to try with all her might to hold in her laughter.
'Sakura and Konohamaru? Impossible!' Ino thought as she bit her bottom lip to keep from laughing out. "Every time he talks to her and I ask, he always says it's Naruto-san, but Naruto-san is with Jiraiya-sama training." Ayame said quietly before her eyes widen. "Maybe your right, Ino, maybe he is cheating on me with Sakura-san." Ino's eyes widen and her need to laugh died down quickly.
"No! That's stupid." Ino blurted out. "What would Sakura do with a fifteen year old perverted boy?" Ino asked with narrowed eyes. "Besides, Sakura has a boyfriend already." Ino's eyes widen at what she had just blurted out and from the surprised look in Ayame's eyes the younger Yamanaka was going to store this information for future gossiping.
"Really? With who?" Ayame immediately asked, her eyes drying up with a quickness.
Ino stood up and backed away towards the door.
"Uh,...nothing, I said nothing." Ino drawled out as Ayame got out of bed. The young Yamanaka could tell that her sister didn't know who he was yet. "Sakura-san has a boyfriend and he's unknown. Sounds like a scandal if you ask me." Ayame said with a wry smile.
"We should investigate."
Ino stared at Ayame and thought about her proposal. It did sound like a very good idea.
"Okay, but you better not tell anybody in Konoha."
Ayame smiled innocently.
"I promise."
Ayame did love loopholes.
"Are you insane! That is way too much for a bunch of ninjas to ensure that I get from Fire to Earth Country safely." A male exclaimed furious as he stared the blonde woman down in front of him. Said blond was quickly losing her temper.
"Listen, that is our price and if you want your merchandise delivered safely, I suggest you cough up the money, cheap stake!" Tsunade yelled, her amber eyes narrowed and hard. Men like the one in front of her, were rich and were too cheap to pay a reasonable price for shanobi that laid down their life to protect them. "Because I know from experience, that Sound nin are ruthless when it comes to people of your caliber." Tsunade said with a smirk that made the man before her tremble slightly.
"F-fine, but I want the best you have." The man stuttered lightly, pulling out his wallet and counting his cash.
"My friend was right, The Akatsuki cost much less." Tsunade caught the words of the mumbling man and tightened her fist as much as it would allow her to.
"Did your friend also tell you that The Akatsuki are filled with S-class criminals with the amount of power to kill you without you knowing it? Or did your friend forget to tell you that fact?" Tsunade said with deadly narrowed eyes and frown.
The man was pale and speechless.
The blond smirked satisfied.
"Guess not."
Tsunade said through clenched teeth. The man paid the necessary amount to ensure that he and his goods were kept safe and sound. The busty blonde brought her gaze to Shizune, who held Ton-Ton in her arms. "Escort the client to the gates while I assign a team." Shizune nodded and walked towards the door, opening it and leading the man out.
Once the door had been closed Tsunade growled out loud. Her tighten fists connected against the desk and she soon regretted the sudden impulsive actions. As soon as her fists met the wooden surface of her desk, her fist throbbed painfully in recoil.
"Shit!"
She hissed out painfully, the pain pulsating up to her arms in waves.
Tsunade immediately summoned her healing chakra and healed her arms. The blonde closed one eye in pain as she felt the pain slowly ebb away. "I hadn't even put in my usual strength and look..." She slowly flexed her index finger and watched as it moved stiffly, "...they hurt like hell." She finished and she had to blink away the tears that were swelling within her bright eyes.
"It's getting worse."
The symptoms were adding on as the weeks passed on. The medic specialist mentally added this new diagnosis to her list.
First it has started with her shoulders and now it was her arms.
Just what the hell was wrong with her?
Hopefully when Sakura and her team arrived with the document, the medical records from Suna will help her understand what was happening to her. If she became disable then the title of Hokage will go on to someone else.
That someone wasn't ready just yet to lead and protect a village filled with people, no matter how much the brat proclaimed he could do. Naruto still had a long ways to go and with Jiraiya's training, she was more than sure that he will be ready in a few years.
A few years...
...maybe time that she didn't have...
"No! I will not think that way!" Tsunade exclaimed as she flexed her now movable fingers. "I am too stubborn to give in so easily." She added while standing up and walking towards the door. Outside was a shanobi, who just came into the building. "You..." The busty blonde pointed to the dark haired shanobi. "Go get Kakashi, he has a mission." The shanobi quickly nodded and was off in a flicker.
"Tsunade, you're pale again." Came Shizune's voice from the top of the stair case. Tsunade pressed her hand against her forehead. She had a slight fever. "I'm fine..." The Godaime stated and went back inside her office with Shizune hot on her trail. "You need to rest, we don't even know what's wrong with you yet." The dark haired woman said after she had closed the door.
When she turned around she found the blonde with her head cradled within her hands.
How was she suppose to rest when she had a village to run and maintain?
"Tsunade, please. I'll take care of the paper work and assignments." The medic pleaded with worried dark eyes. Tsunade looked up at the dark haired woman. Shizune couldn't possibly handle the position, she mostly worked in the Hospital. She wouldn't know what team to assign which mission, nor did she have the assertiveness to handle men who wanted to cheat out of their prices.
"I'm worried about you, what if the council finds out about this?" Shizune began, her eyes taking on a seriousness to them. "You know as well as I do that Danzo will be the first to recommend a new Hokage to replace you, preferably Jiraiya-sama or himself." Tsunade snarled lightly at the mention of the man.
Danzo.
That man would absolutely love to get a chance to replace her. That man...she has never trusted him since the moment she had met him.
"Let's just hope that that document has the information I need."
"The economy is declining."
Two sets of eyes turned to the one who had just spoke from their circle.
"Our services have been declining for months now, slowly at first, but surely declining." The elderly dark haired man said with his one visible eye glistening with sternness. The candle burning in the center of the rounded table flickered occasionally. Dark eyes shimmered through green colored glasses, his hand rubbing his long grayed beard thoughtfully. "Danzo is right, at this rate we will lose all available clients." Homura Mitokado said.
"Yes, the Akatsuki are obviously targeting our strengths. Without work, Konoha grows weak and when that happens we will be in a recession." Koharu Utatane stated with a frown before she continued. "They will wait until Konoha is in its breaking point to strike and capture the Kyuubi, no doubt killing all the civilians and destroying our beloved village." The elderly woman stated grimly.
Danzo nodded his head all the while thinking on how this problem will work for him.
He has told the two elders of what was to happen if Tsunade were to become Hokage. Jiraiya would have been the better choice to replace the Third, but the Sannin had declined the position and had offered it up to Konoha's Princess.
Well, this was his chance to change that now.
If he could somehow convince the two Elder Advisers that Tsunade was not fit to be Hokage...then that will leave him with the perfect opportunity he has been waiting for.
Danzo looked up and stared at each of the two members of the Konoha Council. "How long has Tsunade-sama been Hokage, now?" The Tactician asked, causing Koharu and Homura to raise their brows. "For eight years now." Koharu said with furrowed brows. "You know how long Tsunade has run this village, why ask such a question?" The elder asked curios.
Homura listened carefully with thoughtful eyes.
"Eight years...during those years the village has been rebuilt, which was the main focus when Tsunade was appointed Godaime, but now the economy is declining." Danzo began, resting his only arm above his knee. "Her aggressiveness and threats scare off much needed clients that we need to depend on to support Konoha." Danzo began steadily. "How is she going to rebuilt the economy by enforcing fear into potential clients?" Danzo asked them with a raised brow in wonder.
The two elders glanced at one another, their brows set in wonder as well. They knew Tsunade-sama's short temper and use of threats.
"What Hokage does not address this issue and their goals to resolve it with the Council?" The Tactician said with his dark eyes glistening with silent mirth. He was slowly grasping them into his hand. They were all, but mere puppets. Koharu and Homura have always valued his advise in the past and has always turned to him with issues dealing with the village, such as with the Uchiha Massacre.
"So, Danzo what do you suppose we do?"
Danzo smirked inwardly, his dark eyes sharp and contemplative. If he wanted his plans to work out perfectly, he would have to go about this in carefully sought out steps.
"I suggest a meeting with Tsunade discussing this serious issue before it worsens."
Koharu and Homura nodded in agreement.
"I will inform Shizune of the meeting tomorrow." Koharu said nodding her head slightly. The gray of her hair reflected from the candle light, making her dull colored hair to a dark orange. Both elders stood and left, leaving Danzo alone.
"I will be rid of you yet, Tsunade."
Danzo muttered through his smirk.
A/N: First off happy holidays! Hope you all had a great vacation, like I did. ;) Thank you for the reviews and enjoy the new chapter.
...R&R...
Lady Manami