"Uncle, what are you going to teach me today?" Sakura unsheathed her katana and looked eagerly over to him, and he smiled lazily.

"Sheathe your sword, Sakura. We won't use that yet" he gestured for her to set it down, and so she did, hesitantly placing it on a rock next to the Memorial Stone. She didn't move far from it, but Iroh couldn't fault her for being wary about being unarmed.

"We're going to be using these today, instead" he gestured to two wooden practice katanas he had brought up with him. Comprehension dawned on her face, and she eagerly closed the gap between them and took her sword.

Training Sakura was very different from training Sasuke, Iroh realized as he dodged a blow from Sakura's wooden practice sword. Sasuke liked to guard and bide his time before striking, letting his opponent set that pace. Sakura, in contrast, set the pace by dealing quick and potentially devastating blows.

Sakura was still very nervous sometimes, usually towards the beginning of their practices, but by the end of their practice time she was always confident and boisterous, giving him a run for his money while they were sparring.

He still was obviously more skilled than Sakura, but she had tenacity and an excess of energy he hadn't had in years. That and her enhanced strength gave her the edge she needed to make their spars interesting for both of them.

She'd made vast improvements in the last week, but Iroh suspected that had more to do with some attention than any lack of drive or talent on her part. She was brighter and happier every day, to the point where other people in Konoha had noticed a change in her disposition. One morning while wandering the streets, he'd heard a group of children her age, talking about how much more confident she'd seemed.

The girl in their group had to have been the infamous "Ino-pig", but Iroh couldn't really see the reasoning behind the nickname Sakura had for her semi-friendly rival. He'd tried not to seem interested in their conversation, focusing on a particularly pretty display in a flower shop window, but what he overheard still gave him a warm feeling on the inside.

Granted, this Ino girl had very little tact, as she expressed that Sakura, or "forehead" as she seemed to call her, "had gotten too stuck up and really sunny lately". He decided to take the meaning out of the phrase instead of relating the message itself when he told Sakura later.

He had started to notice that he was being followed in his second week of residence in Konoha. Iroh had to admit that whoever was following him was a very capable individual, and if he hadn't honed his instincts so well after years of conflict, he would have never noticed their presence at all.

It was little things. A slight rustle in the leaves when he was training Sakura when there was no breeze, too large to have been an animal. Occasionally, there were shadows where there shouldn't be, and an ever-so-slight feeling of being observed when he was in the middle of the street. No one around him seemed to notice either, but again, this was a village full of ninja. That had to be commonplace here.

Unfortunately, there wasn't anything Iroh could do about it but be wary and wait. If they had ill intent towards him, they would show themselves eventually. If not, they were likely sent by the Hokage to watch the person spending so much time with her student, and they weren't going to see anything suspicious.

In either case, it was best to proceed as if he had never noticed. He went about his business normally, going into shops and talking with people. He had particularly enjoyed the conversation he had had with a man running their weapons shop the other day, and he thought he might return soon. After all, both his students would be having birthdays soon, and he thought that they deserved a wonderful present for all their hard work and progress.

With that in mind, he stood up slowly from his seat on a bench, pretending to be every bit the elderly civilian, and made his way slowly to the weapons shop in question.

Kakashi was a bit miffed, to tell the truth. He'd been out on a mission for a week or so, and when he had come back, he had decided to see how Sakura was doing with her training. He'd commited a few of the motions she'd been practicing to memory and had been rather pleased with the results. Thank Kami for the Sharingan, or it would have been a complicated and fruitless endeavor.

So he had arrived a few minutes before her usual arrival, and was more than a bit confused to find that an older man was already waiting there, standing by the Memorial Stone. He didn't look familiar to Kakashi at all, and was dressed rather strangely for the Land of Fire. He briefly considered asking if he had lost his way, but decided to wait and see how everything played out.

He was rewarded for his patience and continued social disinterest when Sakura bounced into view, and crash-landed into said elderly gentleman.

"At least she's a medic-nin, he's probably full of broken bones now" he mused, pulling out a copy of Icha Icha Tactics and situating it so that he could see them clearly over his book. To his surprise, the man recovered quickly, and guided Sakura over to where he'd evidently laid out two wooden swords. She took one up eagerly, and he the other.

He didn't think he'd ever met anyone with a more obvious death wish. In fact, if he managed to survive through the beating Sakura was going to give him, Kakashi might send him some flowers for his long-term hospital room.

But the man was holding his own, shockingly enough, and was somehow actually winning. He was much more agile than he appeared, to say the least. Sakura was slowly but obviously losing ground to a man that looked like he was the Sandaime's younger brother.

That might actually be a fair comparison, as even in his old age, Hiruzen Sarutobi had been one hell of a ninja. As he watched the spar with Icha Icha all but forgotten on his lap, he realized one thing.

At least he'd finally figured out who Sakura's mystery teacher was.

Kakashi followed the mystery man through Konoha idly. He didn't have that much time to waste spying on an octogenarian, but he was interested enough to check in with relative frequency.

This man was obviously rather charming and bored. He moved from shop to shop, making fast friends with civilians and ninjas alike.

Evidently he had a particular interest in the weapons shop, and had spent long afternoons in there talking with the owner. Kakashi meandered into the store under the guise of restocking his kunai, and overheard him and the store owner excitedly designing something. He wanted to get closer, but the owner was evidently wise to his machinations, and cheerfully helped him purchase his selections and shooed him out of the store so fast that Kakashi thought his neck hurt.

He had gotten a good glimpse of Sakura's teacher before he had left, however. He wasn't nearly as old as Kakashi had originally thought; he was probably about the same age as the Sannin. He held the posture of a civilian, but he was a bit too calm and collected for Kakashi to believe it. Of course, he'd also had the benefit of seeing him trounce a (albeit newly-minted) Chuunin in a swordfight, so he was probably a bit more skeptical than most.

Still, the man was the most interesting thing to happen to Konoha now that Naruto was off with Jiraiya, so Kakashi would continue to observe him with interest. He was a little too skilled to be a civilian, but he obviously wasn't a samurai, or everyone and their summons would have known by now. Samurai were a rather overly honest and obvious group, and Kakashi couldn't imagine that man ever occupying their ranks, he blended in too well.

He wasn't a ninja, either, judging from his unremarkable chakra system. If he were, he would have noticed Kakashi's continued presence as he went about his daily business and likely addressed him directly. Unless, of course, he had noticed and was refusing to acknowledge him anyway, so as to not break cover.

After a week of following him around, Kakashi had been able to discern a few more things: his name was Iroh, Sakura called him her uncle (though no records indicated the existence of an Iroh Haruno), and he was a genuinely charismatic individual. He did nothing too extraordinary, had no other personal contacts than Sakura, and was a little too content to appear absolutely unremarkable.

Something wasn't adding up. Kakashi shunshined directly to the Hokage Tower, and breezed past a protesting Shizune.

It was time to ask Tsunade just who in the hell had gained admittance to their village.

"So let me get this straight- my apprentice has been spending extra time training, and found someone to teach her something I don't know, and this is somehow a security issue." Tsunade deadpanned, reaching for the next hated piece of paper to be stamped with the Hokage's official seal.

Kakashi shifted, and she could swear she saw something of a laugh in his one uncovered eye. "Yes. He appears to be foreign, possesses training not like I've ever seen or heard of for Samurai or for Ninja. He is… a bit too at ease in his deception to be untrained."

"Fine, brat, I'll look into it." With that, he shunshined out of her office, and she was left alone to consider her options. This was likely the man she and Sakura had seen briefly in the Land of Tea, so at least she had a passing familiarity with his face. She had noted at the time that his mannerisms were foreign to the Land of Tea, but she hadn't really thought anything of it at the time. After seeing the paperwork state his residence was in the ever-neutral Land of Iron, she found his mannerisms even more odd. Perhaps it was time to send the Land of Iron a friendly inquiry.

At least it might keep that one-eyed golem from bothering her.

A week or so later, Iroh was shuffling aimlessly through the streets of Konoha again. He had to admit, the constant exposure to the sun was doing him good. He found the weather here much more agreeable than in the Land of Iron, it was never cold here and the sun peeked playfully through the trees at most times of day, providing Iroh with a much-needed boost.

He took his lunch in a busy ramen stall, and the proprietor started up a lively conversation with him as Iroh smiled and nodded. He had too many things to think on to properly converse at the moment.

He'd been summoned to the office of the Hokage, which was most definitely an ill omen. He had hoped to go unnoticed here, but that was evidently not going to be the case. His appointment was after lunch, which had provided him ample time to assess his situation and plan for all outcomes. He was General Iroh in another life, after all, the Dragon of the West.

Nothing equipped one better for matching wits with a military-minded leader than being raised in a family of them.

He drained his tea and smiled pleasantly at the ramen stall owner, who continued his animated rendition of the last time a group of genin had decided to pick a fight just outside. After finishing his meal, he thanked the friendly stall owner profusely and deliberately made his way to the Hokage's Tower.

He was nodded into the building by two ninja in masks, and one beckoned for Iroh to follow him. Iroh obediently trailed after him, and took pains to take in his surroundings. There were masked ninja at every corner, and every possible exit was as well-covered as Iroh would expect. He was shown through a large ornate doorway, where a pretty woman with a gentle smile then relieved the ninja of his duty and escorted him into a large office.

Tsunade of the Sannin sat before him, mulling over some paperwork.

"Tsunade- sama, I have your appointment for you" the gentle woman prodded, and indicated for Iroh to move farther into the room.

When she closed the door behind him, Iroh had the distinct impression that he had been trapped in a room with a tiger. Part of him told him that a normal man would bare his neck to a larger predator, but the more dominant side told him to stand his ground. She may be a tiger, but he was a predator in his own right. He just had to tread very carefully so as not to burn her paws.

"Lady Hokage" he bowed in a genteel manner, and noted that her eye twitched slightly at the formal address.

"I'm afraid that we weren't properly introduced before" she said coolly, shifting her pile of papers to the side and meeting his eyes. He maintained his non-threatening stance and facial expression, and inclined his head slightly in apology.

"Forgive me, my lady-"

She raised her hand to stop him, and he obliged her, smiling without teeth. He looked at her attentively, carefully observing her for any sudden movements.

"So what is the Dragon of the West doing in my village?"

Well, that was somewhat surprising. Though, in retrospect, his papers were actual documents from the Land of Iron, and Mifune-san had accepted his plea for asylum. So there was both nothing she could do to him, and no reason to withhold his identity if asked. The guards at the gates just hadn't been familiar with his given name.

"I am retired, as I am sure you're aware, and have found travelling to be a wonderful balm for my past" he answered carefully, seeing her eyes narrow as she leaned closer to him over her desk.

"Let's not play games, General Iroh. What business do you have here, and how do you know my apprentice?"

This was a dangerous game they were playing, now. Iroh had to proceed very carefully, lest he wanted Sakura to bear the indignity of being associated with a potential threat.

"I met Sakura in a seaside town in the Land of Iron, where she was wandering the streets alone. She offered to assist me with a small task, and I accepted. I then travelled to the Land of Tea for reasons of personal interest, and was fortunate to meet with yourself and Sakura there, as you mentioned. Later that day, Sakura was wandering the city unsupervised and found me again. I accompanied her to a few shops she wished to visit, and when she expressed interest in one of my areas of expertise, I offered her some assistance to repay her for her earlier kindness. She then asked if I would continue instruction here with her for a time at a later date, which I accepted."

He bowed lightly again, and Tsunade looked like she was just hit with a sizable migraine. He continued politely, "I had and have no intentions to bring harm of any kind to your people (in fact, he was accepting responsibilities for two of them, but she couldn't know that), and am regretful that I have caused any trouble for you."

She stared at him darkly, and there was utter silence while she thought.

Iroh stood still, aware that any movements may be interpreted as aggression on his part. He was glad that he had managed to phrase his words so skillfully, as otherwise Sakura may have been in a great deal of trouble. As it stood, Sakura's supposed supervisor (possibly Tsunade in both cases, for all he knew) was to blame for a child wandering unfamiliar streets unaccompanied. He knew that Sakura was considered an adult, but she had been the lowest level of ninja at that time, and should have been with a team.

Now Sakura was not a threat, but an improperly cared-for young shinobi properly representing her village by offering her assistance to someone in need, and seeking out information and skills that would benefit her village.

No wonder Tsunade was probably having a migraine.

After a few minutes of utter silence, Tsunade deliberately looked him in the eyes. "Very well. I see no problems with your occupying the village and teaching my student. However…" her eyes gleamed in a manner that eerily reminded Iroh of his father, and Iroh had to steel himself from stepping back from the inevitable blast.

"I would like to request your assistance."

An unexpected turn of events, but Iroh wasn't one to complain. So long as he did not violate any agreement or understanding between himself and Mifune-san, he would be more than happy to oblige. Not least because it provided him the opportunity to lock horns in a battle of wits with Tsunade, who was looking to be a very able opponent.

And perhaps, he reasoned, as he upturned the corners of his mouth to match Tsunade's expression, this would prove a very beneficial arrangement for them both. He didn't really think Sasuke should have to live in exile forever, after all.

"Well, my little apprentice, it appears you've been a very busy girl."

Sakura froze like an unsuspecting rabbit directly in a tiger's line of sight, and Tsunade let herself grin a little bit, baring only the smallest amount of her teeth.

Sakura's left eye twitched and quickly glanced at the door to her right, obviously trying to judge the amount of distance she had to clear to get out the door and to the relative safety of a crowded street full of violence-inclined ninja.

Judging from the wide eyes and lips being bitten, Sakura knew just as well as Tsunade did that she would never make it.

"Yes, shishou?" Sakura squeaked (Kami, the Dragon had been right, the girl was sorely lacking in confidence).

"Don't squeak like that. Your other teacher has taught you better, I'm sure." Tsunade folded her arms and examined her apprentice closely.

From what Kakashi had told her, Sakura had been ferocious on that training field. She'd never have guessed from how Sakura was behaving now.

"Stop your shivering, Sakura, I'm not upset with you."

Sakura finally started to start breathing again, and the color that had been draining from her cheeks suddenly came back in full force.

"You aren't mad at me?" Sakura blinked unsteadily, as she took a few steps back to lean against the nearest wall. "Kami, I thought I was living my last moments."

"Somehow I think your 'uncle' would be very unhappy if I did that." Tsunade was bored with tormenting her poor apprentice already, but it had to be done. She crossed the room, sat back behind her desk, and leaned back into her chair, keeping a steady eye on her wavering student.

"Well, I suppose that at least no one could ever say that you have low standards" Tsunade said drily, flicking an imaginary piece of dust off of her desk.

Sakura took a deep breath and looked at her again, head cocked vaguely like a curious puppy.

"I mean to say, your first teacher is the famous Copy Nin, you're the apprentice to the Godaime Hokage, and your new teacher is none other than the famed General Iroh, Dragon of the West." Tsunade clicked her tongue dismissively, and beckoned Sakura closer.

"I don't even want to know how you managed that, kid." Tsunade managed a real, but delicate, smile this time.

Sakura's mouth opened and closed a few times. Evidently her conversational aptitude was taking a rain check, Tsunade mused while she half-closed her eyes while Sakura was busy having a small meltdown.

"So you didn't know" Tsunade knew she hadn't. Her excitable student blathered on about anything and everything around her, so if she'd known a famous General (and royal, she reminded herself) was teaching her, all of the Land of Fire would know, too.

Sakura shook her head quickly, as if she was hoping what she had just heard would fall out of her ears and she could forget it.

"I talked to him, and neither of you are in trouble. Sakura, I'm actually very glad you found such an able teacher. No one here would have been able to teach you that, and it didn't stop you. Anything you want that badly, you should be able to keep."

Sakura sighed in relief and Tsunade noticed that her knee appeared to be shaking. It would be best if she finished this quickly if she didn't want a prone Chuunin on her rug. Shizune tended to over-react to things like that.

She leaned forward and caught Sakura's gaze dead in the eye. "I will be expecting results from this, Sakura. Kakashi will be reporting on your progress."

With that, Tsunade looked back down at the mountain of papers on her desk and growled quietly.

"You are dismissed, Sakura. You have the day off, spend it how you like."

Sakura left so quickly that papers started flying off Tsunade's desk, but she caught them quickly and set them back down.

"That's one small fire put out, only a million more to go." Tsunade mumbled, lip curling in distaste at the prospect of spending her afternoon teaching paper to fear.