A Decision
He had been left alone in the room with only his own thoughts for hours. Finally the three returned.
"You've decided?"
"I have."
"Which?"
"I...it should be..." he whispered the name.
"Interesting. Why?"
Throat tight, he stated his entire reasoning process.
"Fine, but... we'll take the girl," Koharu said, turning to leave the room again, Inoichi following her.
Baki realized it had never been his decision at all.
An Understanding
"I need certain assurances."
"You're in no position to dictate terms."
"True. A request then."
"Go on."
"Alliances are formalities, between nations and on paper only. I fear there are those in Konoha who individually might seek revenge on Suna by an attempt on her life."
"We will assign an escort."
"Yet I also recognize that she is hostage..."
"Publicly we will use the term liason..."
"Semantics. Should the alliance be broken we both know her life is forfeit."
"But there's no reason to think it would be, now is there?"
"I would just like to know that, no matter how remote the possibility, should circumstances dictate you would assign someone...efficient."
"So I need to find someone who will protect her life with his own yet end it swiftly if ordered to?"
"Yes."
"An interesting challenge. Agreed."
A/N: For those of you who are counting, I know this doesn't follow the exact format, but the conversation just could not be broken into two parts. The total word count is consistent however, at 207 or 3x69 words.
An Understanding is written as untagged dialogue which I was introduced to by PSITeleport in "Arranged" and which JanLee uses most effectively in "Dessert."
And for what it's worth, this was my original intended stopping point. However, I have decided to continuing trying to provide a Baki-eye view of the Naruto-verse. There is after all the whole Gaara retrieval arc.