"The Fire Diamyo wants me to do what?" Tsunade growled, slamming her sake bowl onto the table and grasping desperately for the bottle to refill it.
Shizune smiled slightly, and offered her the mission dossier which Tsunade took, scowling.
Tsunade reviewed its contents quickly, eyes narrowing as they reached the bottom.
"He wants me to go to the Land of Tea to negotiate a trade contract as a personal favor" Tsunade grumbled, reaching again for her sake.
Shizune considered confiscating the intoxicant, but rethought it. "It could be a nice vacation for you, shishou" she offered helpfully, eyeing her compatriot in the corner of the room. "You could also take the opportunity to show Sakura how to properly participate in a negotiation, so you'd be able to send her later in your stead."
Sakura looked shocked, but Tsunade seemed to be considering the option.
'You've always liked Tea Country, and we haven't been there in years" Shizune continued more confidently, "there are so many places we liked to visit there". Shizune slowly frowned as she remembered exactly why she'd stopped letting Tsunade take her to Tea Country in the first place, 'Like the bars… and, well, the bars… and that one casino with a bar' she internalized, and to her horror she noted that across the room Tsunade was thinking along the same lines with an entirely different emotional response.
"Yes, that could work" Tsunade cackled, and Shizune could see poor Sakura writhing in despair, a veritable dark cloud forming over her in a very localized weather anomaly. "You can do all my paperwork for me in my absence."
Shizune blanched. She hadn't considered that part yet.
Tsunade stood quickly, pushing her desk away from her. It slid a foot across the floor, and Shizune tried not to think about the damage being done to the woodwork.
Tsunade sauntered past Shizune, and out the door. Before she left the office, she turned with a wicked grin on your face.
"Sakura, better start packing" she called smugly, before shutting the door behind her.
Sasuke had been sitting in front of the candles for hours, laboriously lighting, snuffing, and relighting them to no avail. The spark Sifu had been telling him about just wasn't coming, and he was starting to wonder if he would ever be able to bend fire like his sensei.
Maybe he should leave. Sasuke knew he'd made quite a bit of progress on other skills and that his time hadn't been wasted. Sifu had shown him how to use different kinds of swords, and his fire and lightning jutsu were definitely more powerful than they ever had been. (Clearly, he had been onto something with the absurd claims about meditation and sun naps that Sasuke had initially dismissed as pathetic attempts to avoid working). He'd also noticed some difference in his taijutsu level when someone had had the infinitely idiotic idea of trying to mug himself and Sifu. His movements felt more fluid, and he found that he was easily disposing of his enemies with very little effort. Sifu had taught him to use an opponent's size, speed, and momentum against them, with some rather brutal results.
But he still wasn't able to make fire the way Sifu did. Sifu could loose fire with minimal movements or breathe it out just as easily as Sasuke breathed air.
If he didn't start making progress in firebending soon, Sasuke would need to leave. The longer he stayed with Sifu, the more relaxed he found himself. That wasn't good.
He liked Sifu, and didn't want Itachi to come and try to hurt him. And if Sasuke had to hide behind Sifu, he knew he would always regret it.
Sasuke decided that if in another month, he hadn't shown any firebending ability he would need to leave and find another teacher. Sifu was admittedly competent, but he wasn't a ninja and he had no knowledge of their techniques. Sifu wouldn't be able to offer him anything else, and Sasuke couldn't afford to waste his time.
A month, then. Sasuke focused again on the candle directly in front of him, and tried to force it to light.
Just how long would Sifu really want to be out wandering the streets in the Land of Tea, anyway?
"Thank you very much" Iroh smiled at the pretty woman minding the yakitori stand. She giggled quietly, and sent a flirty look back up at him while she counted out his change.
Ah, the Land of Tea. Now this was a place Iroh could see staying for his retirement. The weather was temperate, the people were friendly, there were so many things to see… and of course, they had teas Iroh had never even heard of.
Even better, Mifune-san was the one who sent him here. He was to observe the state of relations between Konoha's Hokage and some sort of merchant kingpin, who was a personal friend to the Fire Daimyo. The Land of Iron wanted to make sure that the Land of Fire wasn't making any untoward requests that would jeopardize the stability between the countries.
Mifune-san didn't seem the type to get too involved in politics, but four nations starving as a result of a monopoly would certainly be the sort of thing they would like to prevent. Iroh could understand his concern, and so he had promised his patron his undivided attention on the subject.
But the Hokage hadn't arrived yet, so he had set Sasuke to meditating and began to loiter in the area of the merchant's headquarters. Luckily for Iroh, it was in the middle of the business district, so he would be able to get some more shopping done while he waited.
The fact that the Land of Tea had an inordinate amount of pretty women certainly didn't hurt, either.
He turned slowly after taking the yakitori in hand, to take another glance out at the entrance to said merchant's offices, and was somewhat startled to see a familiar shade of pink among the multitude of heads in the crowd.
"Uncle Iroh!" Sakura yelped happily, as she broke free of the crowd and quickly walked towards him, with the most beautiful woman Iroh had ever seen following her closely.
"Ah, Sakura" he greeted warmly, "it is good to see you again. How are you doing?"
Sakura started into a very long story about a long mission in a place called Snow Country, and how unsurprisingly cold it was, returning home to Konoha, and a multitude of incidents involving a girl named "Ino-pig". Iroh nodded sagely with a blank face while she continued in her stories of her exploits and her (honestly somewhat frightening) hatred of paperwork.
"What about you, Uncle? How is your nephew?" Sakura finished happily, while Iroh was still reeling at how she managed to convey so much information in one breath.
"I am doing well, Sakura" he said kindly, patting her on the shoulder as she beamed up at him. "Thank you again for helping me pick out clothing for him, your instincts were entirely accurate."
That was true, actually. Sasuke had worn them all without complaint, and had surprisingly shown a marked preference for her favorite outfit for him, wearing all variations of it near constantly.
"That's good" Sakura smiled contentedly, and he couldn't help but smile back at her. She could be such a ray of sunshine, Iroh couldn't quite imagine how Sasuke hadn't found himself noticing her charms.
"And your new kimono?" he inquired curiously, "Was it to your liking?"
It was, as Sakura explained in great detail the many tactical advantages given by a very pretty kimono with numerous pockets. When she finished again many minutes later, Iroh nearly let out a sigh of relief. Sakura would never lack for something to say, evidently. It was one of her most charming (and exhausting) attributes that he had noted the first time he had met her.
"And who is your captivating companion, Sakura?" he smiled charmingly, as he turned to the woman behind her.
"This is my Shishou-" Sakura started, but the woman behind her put her hand on Sakura's shoulder and Sakura stopped cold.
"I am Tsunade of the Sannin, Hokage of Konoha" she said calmly and confidently, as Sakura shrunk back behind her.
Iroh had to admit, he was only slightly surprised. Now that he was really looking at her, Tsunade practically radiated authority and power. Though he thought he recalled the information Mifune had provided him indicated that Tsunade was much older than the woman before him.
"I am Uncle Iroh" he bowed gracefully, inclining his head and carefully noting the amount of weapons both women had on their belts. He straightened a moment later, and saw that Tsunade was staring at him, doubtless examining him to see if he was a potential threat. Luckily, there was no way for her to identify him as a firebender, and he was no longer in the habit of carrying a weapon.
"So I gathered" Tsunade said drily, as she waved Sakura in the direction of the merchant's headquarters across the street. "It was nice to make your acquaintance, Uncle Iroh, but I'm afraid my student and I have business we have to attend to."
She turned away from him slowly, placing her hand on Sakura's back and guiding her away from him. Iroh smiled and waved at them, as Sakura frantically waved back and Tsunade gave a slight nod of acknowledgement.
Well, Lady Tsunade might be somewhat resistant to his charms, but at least his little "niece" wasn't. As long as Tsunade didn't keep Sakura from him, Mifune-san would get all the information he needed.
Iroh smiled and turned back to the pretty woman back at the yakitori stand, who was shyly but pointedly looking away from his gaze. There were certainly worse ways to wait a few hours, he thought as he made his way back to her.
The meeting was horrifically long and boring, but Tsunade managed to negotiate an agreement with the goods magnate that satisfied her. After escaping (and she would consider it escaping, she had barely been able to restrain herself from shunshining to the nearest bar as soon as the stuffy pig in a suit rose from his seat) she quietly and gracefully made her way back to her dignitaries' suite and deposited Sakura there.
"Now, I don't care what you do" she started off saying, and then caught herself. She didn't want any diplomatic incidents that she'd have to mop up later, and so eyed her student carefully. Sakura was sitting on the couch quietly and staring attentively back up at Tsunade, with her arms wrapped around her knees. Tsunade sighed, and massaged her temples.
"Look, I'm going to the bar. You can do what you want, but be back before it gets dark and don't do anything stupid." She turned quickly on her heel and made her way to the door, then stopped and turned back to look at Sakura again appraisingly. "And if some idiot picks a fight with you, I expect you to end it. I won't have anyone saying my apprentice is a sissy." Having said her piece, Tsunade was satisfied with the extent of her instructions and left the room, shoving all the tension from the meeting to the back of her mind as she contemplated what drink she would like to get first.
After her deceptively dignified shishou left the room, Sakura jumped up off the couch and to her feet. "I wonder if Uncle is still in the market" she mused out loud, as she went to change her shoes at the door.
Uncle Iroh was the only person she knew that was any good at listening, and besides, she wanted to do some shopping, and maybe he would go with her. One way to find out, she supposed.
It didn't take her long to find Uncle Iroh in the market, as he was sitting quietly on a bench soaking up the sun. "Uncle!" she called happily, skipping across the street to sit beside him.
He slowly opened his eyes, and smiled welcomingly back at her. "Sakura, it is good to see you again. Did your business go well?"
She nodded quickly, and pulled at his hands to lift him off the bench. She gestured towards a ramen stand with her free hand, and Iroh complied, shuffling amiably after her as she tugged at his arm.
"Yeah, it was a really boring business meeting, just negotiating prices for food and stuff like that. Tsunade-Shishou just wanted me there to learn how to negotiate. I'm sorry my shishou was so angry earlier, the Daimyo made a request for her to go in person, so she's not very happy right now." Sakura scrunched her nose and shook her head in exasperation. "I hope she doesn't send me on those too often, I don't think I'd be very good at them."
He chuckled as they took their seats, and she looked over to him. He looked over at her kindly "I think you'll be very good at anything you set your mind to, Sakura. I do not think you should speak so lowly of yourself."
She smiled happily, and looked over the menus provided by the restaurant. This was why she liked Uncle so much. No one had ever been so encouraging to her in her life. Kakashi was completely inattentive at best, Tsunade was decidedly a fan of negative reinforcement, and most of her teammates and peers had always treated her more like a liability than anything else. The closest thing to encouragement she'd gotten since deciding to become a ninja had been praise from her instructors on her academic scores in the academy, but even they didn't seem to think she'd make much of herself.
But Uncle saw something in her that no one else did, and he never seemed to lie to her. Sakura had finally gotten good at knowing when someone was lying, which had really made her life in Konoha much less pleasant. The only other person who didn't lie to her most of the time was Naruto, and he had left with that pervert friend of Tsunade's.
Honestly, she was tempted to drag Uncle back to Konoha and appoint him her personal cheerleader.
Alas, dragging an older man about town would probably bring about some rather unpleasant gossip, not to mention that Uncle probably had no interest in following around a little girl just because she had no friends.
She scrunched her nose again and finally decided on her order, realizing that both Uncle and the server had been waiting on her for some time while she was thinking to herself. Once the server had both of their orders and went back to relate them to the chef, she turned back to Uncle.
"So what are you doing here?" she asked nosily, knowing that if he didn't want to answer he'd just change the topic of conversation.
"Ah, I am just very interested in seeing new places" Uncle smiled kindly, as he shifted to a more comfortable position facing her. "You see, I haven't really been to many countries, and I felt that now in my retirement is a good time to see the rest of the world. Though I'm sure you've seen many places yourself, as you are a shinobi, yes? You'll have to forgive me, I have not met many ninja before."
"No, you wouldn't have" she mused, tracing her finger along the rim of her glass of water the server had placed before her. "The Land of Iron doesn't have shinobi, they only have samurai."
Uncle nodded serenely, and Sakura took that as permission to continue. "So what did you do before you retired?" she pried, and immediately regretted it as Uncle blanched and flinched a bit, putting more distance between them.
"Oh, Kami, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to offend you" Sakura hastily supplied, putting her hands up and waving them in a defensive manner. "I was just curious, I won't ask again, I promise."
"It's all right" Uncle said slowly, with his eyes off in the distance. "I… just do not like to talk about it. Suffice to say that it was unpleasant, and not a business I would ever like to return to."
There was an awkward silence then, and Sakura panicked quietly, terrified that she'd already managed to isolate one of the very few people she liked.
Then Uncle gathered himself a bit, shook his head quietly, and looked up at her with a gentle smile on his face. "Enough of that" he said warmly, using an open gesture with his arms, which put Sakura instantly back at ease, "let us talk of other things. Did you know that they have rare white jasmine tea leaves here?"
After a satisfying and illuminating talk at the ramen stand, they meandered through the rest of the market, providing commentary on all the odd and beautiful things to be found there. She didn't think she'd ever met anybody so fascinated by tea before, but bought a few different kinds of leaves to try at home at his recommendation.
More interesting was when they found a weapons shop, and she'd excitedly drug him inside, showing him senbon, kunai, and shuriken. She explained the technical uses for each, and he'd quietly listened and demonstrated a real interest in her lessons. He then showed her to the rack of swords, and explained in great detail the benefits and drawbacks to each kind found there, the differences in metal quality, and other things Sakura couldn't remember ever being taught in the Academy.
Uncle had asked if he would be able to remove and examine one of the finer blades and the shop had hesitantly acquiesced, no doubt worrying that the older man would accidently impale himself. But when Uncle removed it, Sakura was startled to see that he obviously had significant experience wielding a sword. He demonstrated a few moves for her, and put the sword into her hands gently and guided her through them, gracefully and skillfully maneuvering the blade even in someone else's hands.
Sakura followed through with one of the moves on her own, and was amazed at how the blade cut through the air, and the intuitive way it fit in her hands and felt like an extension of her arms. Why hadn't anyone ever told her that this was an option? She knew that Anbu used swords, but they had seemed blockier than what Iroh had put in her hands. "Wow," she breathed out, trying to capture this moment in time and the feeling it brought for forever. "I didn't know swords didn't have to be big blocky things" she explained to Uncle, who appeared to be absolutely mystified by this admission.
"My dear, who ever gave you such an impression? What a disservice to a fine weapon." Uncle moved his mouth in an obvious expression of distaste, before prying the sword gently from her hands and examining the blade closely.
"You know how to use them, don't you?" It wasn't really a question, but she didn't really acquire an answer. Uncle nodded absentmindedly, as he ran his hand delicately up the side of the blade, evidently checking for defects.
"Could you… maybe teach me a little?" Sakura chewed her bottom lip nervously as Uncle turned an appraising gaze on her.
He nodded slowly, and placed the blade on the counter in front of the clerk, who rung up the sale and Sakura stared blankly at the back of his head as he paid for the sword she was so beginning to covet. She hardly noticed as he also purchased a strap for the hilt to go on, and she followed Uncle out of the store in a daze.
"Where would you like to practice, Sakura?" he asked placidly, and she had to consider that for a moment. They certainly couldn't wave a sword around civilians, but she knew Tsunade would kill her if she left town to train, especially with a man she'd only met once before. Not that Tsunade knew that, of course. She probably thought that Uncle was a real relative, it wouldn't be surprising as the Haruno were a merchant clan, travelling all over the nations.
"Maybe the hotel room?" she suggested weakly, and Uncle's eyebrows rose skeptically. "It's the ambassador suite and it has a lot of space, and my shishou should be out for most of the day" and the night. And maybe tomorrow, and the day after that. Shishou would probably drink every bar in the area dry in her three days of freedom, but at least that would give Sakura time to practice and relax.
Uncle nodded, and bowed his head slightly. Sakura blushed, no one had ever bowed to her before in her life. "I'll follow your lead" he reassured her.
Sakura marched toward the hotel room with her best friend in tow (and wasn't that sad, her best friend was an older man she'd only met twice now), and unlocked the room with her key. Her determination had grown with every step towards the suite, as she had finally convinced herself that learning a new skill would only help her.
Ninjas had a really terrible last line of defense, she had to admit. For far range, they had a multitude of options, from actual weapons like shuriken to jutsu. But if an opponent closed the gap, they had taijutsu to defend themselves, and fists were hardly a match for sharpened steel. Sure, you could defend yourself with a kunai up close, but it was a losing battle if you didn't end it quickly. Why more ninja didn't use something like a sword, Sakura couldn't say. 'Except for their idiotic superiority complexes! Chyyaa!' Inner Sakura helpfully supplied.
"Well, this is it" she said quietly as she opened the door and turned back to look at Uncle. He viewed the room thoughtfully, and turned back to her.
"It should suffice" he said warmly, "we just need enough room for you to not hit anything or anyone."
She grinned and nodded her head, and went to shove the couch to the side of the room. If Tsunade-Shishou even noticed, Sakura could just tell her that she'd needed room to practice her katas.
Uncle moved to the center of the room behind her, and spent a good amount of time showing her how to properly sheath and unsheathe the sword, and how to attach it to the strap that would fit it on her hips. She was pleased to note that the sword was short enough to not limit her movement, and hung secure and tight on her waist.
He also provided her with tips on how to clean and maintain the sword, and gave her a recommendation on how often to sharpen it. After he had finished providing her with basic maintenance instructions, he showed her how to hold it properly and securely in her hands, so that the blade would not slip and so she would not harm herself. Once she could unsheathe her sword and naturally set her hands and body in the correct position, Uncle guided her through a set of katas. He had her repeat the katas on her own while he inspected and slowly corrected any mistakes, and once he was satisfied, he sat down on the couch with a smile.
"You have a natural talent for the blade" he stated pleasantly, patting the cushion next to him and indicating that she take a seat. Sakura sheathed her sword carefully and trotted across the room happily, flouncing down on the cushion.
"You should practice that set of katas over and over again, until they are second nature to you" Uncle gazed at her fondly. Sakura felt warm all over that he would give her so much attention, and nodded attentively. She was sure that she was sweaty and gross, but she felt so pleased with herself. 'And soon, we'll be the best swordswoman of all time, and Sasuke-kun and everyone else will have to acknowledge us, too! Chyaa!' Inner Sakura fist pumped.
"Will you teach me more then?" Sakura felt like she was tempting fate, but she'd rather not let Uncle wander away again and not be able to find him.
He exhaled and looked down at his hands, obviously thinking. She started chewing her bottom lip again, and she found her hands clasping each other tightly. Her knuckles were starting to turn a bit white, and she instantly started to chastise herself. Of course, Uncle didn't have time for her. He was an adult and he had other things to do, commitments to keep. She shrunk back into the couch as her stomach threatened to collapse in on itself.
"I will not be able to come to Konoha right away" Uncle said finally, as he turned back to her. When he noted how small she looked, he stretched out his arm and touched her shoulder lightly. "Do not think it is a reflection of you that I will be not able to visit you for some time. You have shown an obvious talent, and I would like to see that it is properly cultivated. But I am currently teaching my nephew, and so for now I will not be able to help you. But if you would like, in a year or so I would like to visit you in Konoha and continue your training."
Sakura couldn't believe what she was hearing, and her spine shot straight up like she'd been hit by a stray lightning bolt. "Yes, oh yes, yes, I would love it if you would come and visit me. I can wait a year" she promised eagerly, and brought her clasped hands up in front of her face, pleading with all of her heart and soul that Uncle would keep his word.
He laughed, and put a worn warm hand over her own. "A year it is, then" he assured her.
"Will you write me?" Sakura couldn't believe her luck.
"Of course" Uncle said, then brought a hand to his chin and tugged on his beard lightly. "Should I just send them to Haruno Sakura in Konoha, or will I need an address?"
"Just a minute!" Sakura ran quickly to her appointed room, and came back with a few pieces of paper and a pen. "I'll write down my address and station for you, so that it gets to me" she clarified, as she scrawled out the information on the paper. "There aren't many Haruno in Konoha, but it won't hurt for the letter to have more information."
She looked up suddenly, and eyed Uncle solemnly. "Where can I send your mail?"
Uncle frowned and tugged his beard again thoughtfully. "I have a home in the Land of Iron, but I fear I will not be there for quite some time. Though if you would like, you may still send mail there and I will read it upon my return."
Sakura nodded, and handed him a piece of paper and the pen. He quickly wrote out his information, and exchanged the pieces of paper with her. She examined his address quickly, folded the paper, and placed it in her pocket. His handwriting was strangely elegant for a warrior, but then, what about Uncle was normal?
She turned back to grin at him, and watched him carefully place her address in his own pocket. "I should leave now" Uncle apologized, rising gracefully from the couch and making his way to the door. "We don't want your teacher to be angry with me, and I really must get back to my nephew. Doubtless, he is very testy by now."
She nodded sadly, and rose to show him out. "Can I meet your nephew sometime?" She wanted to see this ever-elusive nephew. He was so lucky to have all of Uncle's attention, she hoped that he knew it.
Uncle chuckled again, and turned back to see her from outside the door. "I am quite sure that you will meet him, dear Sakura. In fact, I think it is quite unavoidable that you do so. But perhaps not today."
She smiled contentedly, and watched him walk out of the hotel. She hoped the year went quickly, but she would probably start writing letters to Uncle right away anyway. No one else ever listened to her about the many injustices Ino-pig inflected on her.
Iroh returned to find Sasuke fidgeting in exactly the place he had left him hours prior. "I know I asked you not to leave, but I do not remember telling you to not move" he said amusedly, as he put his hand on Sasuke's shoulder.
Sasuke leaned back into him again, and stared up at him with empty eyes. He had obviously had no success with his meditations again today.
Iroh handed Sasuke his dinner, which he devoured voraciously, and watched his student closely.
It was such a pity that Sasuke had shown no innate ability. The boy was so open to learning, and wanted it more than anyone Iroh had ever met.
He supposed there was nothing for it, he would have to take more drastic measures. Sasuke was obviously becoming frustrated. He had caught the boy spending longer moments thinking to himself in the dark, and ticking off things on his fingers. If he didn't make some progress soon, Sasuke would likely leave.
And if he left, Sasuke would likely either be killed or find apprenticeship with someone of Orochimaru's ilk again. Iroh couldn't abide that.
"Sasuke" he stated calmly, and Sasuke looked up at him expectantly "I have somewhere I would like to take you."
Sasuke swallowed his food with a distasteful look on his face. "Somewhere else? It feels like we've already been all over, and I've made no progress at firebending at all."
If that was the first thing Sasuke was thinking of, Iroh had been right. "It's somewhere where you can learn firebending, if you are true enough." Iroh said gently, carefully watching Sasuke for any reaction.
"Why would this place be any different than you teaching me?" Sasuke asked quietly, staring directly into his empty bowl, and Iroh handed him another.
"It is a place where anyone can learn firebending, if they are found worthy enough" Iroh supplied, noting the determination spreading across Sasuke's face. It was amazing, really, how his whole posture changed. He'd been almost collapsed in on himself when Iroh had arrived, obviously exhausted and frustrated with himself. Suddenly, his spine was straighter, and there was a slight gleam in his eyes where there had previously only been a blank darkness.
"Well, I just have to be worthy, then" Sasuke quipped darkly, as he set into his second bowl of food.
Writing this is very fun, but I would really love feedback. Love it? Please tell me in excruciating detail. Also feel free to mention how beautiful I am and how soft my hair is. Like it but think it needs work? Please tell me where and how, so that your next review will be cheerier. Hate it? Why are you reading the fifth chapter, just go away.