The woman sat down behind her desk and rubbed a hand down her face in a motion of frustration. She reached down into a drawer and pulled out a bottle of sake. Taking a hard swig from the bottle she put it back. It was now that I started to pick up trace scents in the room, very faint scents of tobacco smoke and more presently of sake. The woman herself was covered in the smell of sake and hospital antiseptic, a rather unique and unsavory smell.
"Is that really a healthy work habit?" I jeered quietly.
"Shut it Uzumaki. You've brought me more of a headache today than a weeks worth of paperwork... kami knows how I hate my paperwork." she muttered the last bit to herself massaging her temples. For the next few hours the woman completed the aforementioned paperwork and continued to ignore me as I did to her. Many a time in the following hours did I contemplate and strategize about how I would escape the room. At one point I created a small rantama (flaming orb) to entertain myself with out of pure boredom. The woman didn't seem to notice until I tried to singe off my restraints, at which time she switched the ropes out for chakra draining wire.
Fortunately it was shortly after that when the woman Shizune returned with an official looking scroll in hand. "Tsunade-shishou, I have received word back from Gaara." she urged and handed the message to her superior. The blonde read over the words carefully, her brow furrowing and irritation on her face.
She ran a hand down her face before setting her eyes on my fatigued form. The wires left only enough chakra in my system for my to maintain consciousness, and I assumed still that part of the reason in that was because I had abnormally deep chakra reserves. "It says here, official from the Kazekage that records state you were slain in battle three years ago." She informed in a tired voice. My eyes widened and I started to panic. "From what this says you have effectively avoided the authorities for years, and have managed to perfectly fake your death without the aid from a higher ninja?"
My anxiety was setting in and my confident facade started to slip away. "Well... not necessarily." I started but the woman wasn't satisfied with something so vague. She urged me on visually. "You see, I faked my death by merging a shadow clone of my own and a real corpse. This allowed the corpse to retain my genetic makeup and physical looks, but was no longer a clone... just a corpse. When I knew that the higher ups in Sunagakure were ready and anxious to start testing on me I was fortunate to receive a mission. On the mission my team was engaged by Sound ninja and I was able to create a diversion, during which I made it look like the enemy had slain me, and I sealed myself in a tree. I emerged from my seal a few hours before confronting your ninja and headed towards Fire country to escape Wind country. The rest, I assume you know." I spilled out.
"Are you telling me that you successfully sealed yourself away, and not a single person was able to detect that you or your seal was there for three years? And why exactly did you wait so long to emerge?" she demanded.
I flinched away from her, and neglected to look her in the eye. "I know it sounds unreliable, but there are reasons why Sunagakure wanted to test on me, and why I knew that was my only escape. I am an Uzumaki by birth, illegitimate or not, and I carry my clan's sealing prowess. My only want would be that I could learn more about my clan... Had I gotten far enough away from Wind country to devise a further plan, I probably would have ventured to the Uzushiogakure remains."
Tsunade sighed heavily. "Well, the current Kazekage is aware of what you did. However because of our strong alliance he has given me two choices of what I can do with you." she paused. "I can ship you back off to Sunagakure for your punishment there, or he has given me free reign to do with you as I please."
"With all due respect-" I started but was cut off.
"Before you make any plea to me, I want you to know what opportunity you would be running from if you left here. Konoha and Uzushio had very strong ties, and because of that many of their refugees came here to start before branching out. Around the village are Uzumaki strongholds, which I would assume have been preserved with clan seals, and we also still have a few distant members of the clan residing here. One is currently out of the village and like yourself, his mother was Uzumaki and his father was of other origins. The other being myself, while I have more diluted blood, it is still there. My grandmother was a highly respected Uzumaki."
I paused to think about what she was offering... "If I was to stay... would you test on me, and would I have the right to view all of my clan archives?" I asked tentatively.
"You would not be tested on, however your allegiance to Konohagakure would have to be sworn and the archives... we would discuss after you had proven yourself trustworthy, and even then only with supervision." she replied.
I thought on it for a moment, her offer was more than satisfactory. She was offering a place for me to stay, work, and possibly the chance to view my chans archives. Also was the added bonus of an up front promise of no testing. "I will accept this offer on the reserves that should I ever feel endangered, or that my clans secrets are endangered by this village that I reserve the right to leave without any negativity towards my name and cause."
Tsunade smiled, "Shizune I'd like you to draw up a contract stating this agreement, once signed I'd like several copies made. One will be given to Kitsuya, another in our records and archives, and a copy sent to Gaara so that he is aware of the new development. And you, have a deal." the blonde said before leaning down to untie me.
Just as she started to unwrap the chakra draining wire from around my wrists and ankles a man stepped in through the window overlooking the village. He had long, disheveled white hair and wore a conversion between travellers and ninja's clothing. "Well if that isn't a sight." he said snickering.
Tsunade became visibly irritated and stopped untying me to forcefully walk over to the man and deliver a mean right hook to his cheek. "Hello to you too, Jiraiya." she spat out before returning to the aforementioned task of untying me.