Chapter 21: Cookies

(Tuesday~ September 23~ Kusagakure~ Grass Country~ Night)

~Jiraiya~

Jiraiya ground the ashen parchment—the latest intel from his toads—under his left geta. Nina had never explained how—not that she owed him an explanation—she came to be in the ANBU; he'd eventually found out through the Third. While Jiraiya held Hiruzen in high regard and agreed with the severity surrounding Nina's close-call defection, he'd been none too impressed that a father had subjected his daughter to an unmerciful interrogation.

Still…by all accounts, what was reported tonight was progress—positive, too—and nothing Jiraiya ought to sniff his nose at. Nina wasn't one to reveal her personal life so…intimately.

Her guard was constantly up, though Jiraiya couldn't blame her for her distrust. The kunoichi played things close to her chest, abiding by the rules she knew by heart.

Women like Nina…and Tsunade didn't let anyone in willingly. They made you work for every brick as you climbed over the towering walls of the makeshift fortress surrounding their hearts. Nonetheless, Jiraiya believed that in the hands of the right man, a woman is a hundred different women; limited only by imagination and his willingness to make her feel safe and lead her.

Ha!

He scrambled for his notebook and pen, scribbling down his musings before they were lost to too much saké and frivolity.

"Jiraiya," whined a dumpy but heavy-chested brunette woman.

"Huh?" Jiraiya replied, turning to the tavern entry behind him.

The woman, Chika—if he remembered correctly—sauntered out from the tavern and draped herself over his right arm. "I was beginning to think you were never coming back."

Jiraiya pocketed his book and pen. "Well now," he began, looping his arm around Chika, escorting her back into the tavern, "a gentleman, such as myself, should never leave a lady—"

"Jiraiya," two more ladies wailed in unison, meeting him just inside the entry.

The Toad Sage lifted his other arm, and the other pair of women—Mei and Moe—quickly smoothed into his side. He'd check in on Nina and Kakashi tomorrow. For now, on his last night in this village, he intended to indulge in the company of the three kittenish women with very loose tongues concerning the local gossip. As luck would have it, each was as heftily endowed as the other.

But definitely no one-oh-six.

(Konohagakure~ Hanako's Apartment Night)

~Tsunade~

Tsunade pinched the bridge of her nose, hoping to contain the sneeze which had seemingly come out of nowhere.

She let out a short, sharp sneeze.

"Bless you, Milady," Shizune said.

"Thank you." Tsunade looked at the number on the door and sighed. "Shizune. What's Hanako's apartment number?"

"Thirty-seven."

Tsunade's heels clacked along the wooden floorboards as she read the numbers on each door they passed.

Thirty-four, thirty-five, thirty-six…thirty-seven.

Tsunade knocked twice and stepped back, waiting for the reply.

"Unless you brought cookies, I want you off my doorstep," Hanako snapped.

Tsunade knew the Uchiha well enough that she'd not come empty-handed. When a head nod didn't work, she cleared her throat. Shizune startled, almost dropping the peace offering.

"Store-bought biscuits? You shouldn't have," Hanako snidely remarked.

Tsunade watched as Hanako took the box of baked goods from Shizune, sniffing and podding them. Hanako took a tentative nibble out of one biscuit. Her eyes stretched wide, then shot to Tsunade questioningly.

Konoha's Fifth Hokage entered the girl's apartment without invitation and sat on the lounge smiling. She'd long since given up on getting furious every time particular subordinates reacted to her intelligence with dubiousness or surprise. "More to say, Uchiha?"

Hanako tightly hugged the boxed goodies to her chest and furiously shook her head. "No, Milady."

Earlier, when Kurenai had come to the Hokage's office requesting a lowkey mission that wouldn't further exacerbate her morning sickness, Tsunade had been brainstorming a deal-sweetener—a custom kunai that Hanako had been raving about for weeks—for a highly-classified mission. Tsunade immediately decided that having the ailed kunoichi whip up a fresh batch of Hana's favourite cookies was better than her alternative idea. It was daft to weaponise the tiny but, at times, hostile Uchiha, especially when there was every possibility that the topic of the less-than-subtle budding relationship between the kunoichi and one Genma Shiranui may crop up.

Tsunade waited until Shizune closed and locked the door before speaking. "I have a favour to ask from you."

~Hanako~

Registering the serious turn of the conversation, Hanako dropped the second biscuit back into the box and set it on the coffee table for later. Still listening to Tsunade, she went to her kitchen to fetch a cup and a bottle of saké for her guest.

"I will be leaving the village tomorrow and won't return until Saturday," Tsunade began.

Hanako guessed the favour would be to accompany Tsunade in Shizune's stead in light of Nina's absence. She shut the cupboard door.

"Normally, one of my shadow clones would suffice, but I don't trust those old fogies not to meddle in my affairs."

A shadow clone was awfully risky, especially for a Hokage, but Hanako supposed there were times they were needed in more than one place.

"You must closely monitor Temari's and Shikamaru's current mission regarding the security measures for the upcoming Chūnin Exams. Their report is due Thursday. Shizune will be stationed at the hospital, but she will be on call if you need any—"

"What?" Hanako pulled back from pouring Tsunade a drink. "Just what are you asking of me?"

Tsunade sighed and crossed her arms. "You're the most suited, and you're available. You also owe me a favour."

Hanako took a mouthful straight for the bottle in her hand. "You want me to play Hokage for…" she counted the days on her fingers, "four days?"

"No. Not play, Hana. I want you to be me for four days," Tsunade corrected.

While nothing compared to Kurenai's baking, it was hardly a fair trade. For Hanako, effectively leading a four-man squad was difficult enough, let alone being responsible for an entire village.

"I have some business to take care of in Amegakure," Tsunade declared. "With Jiraiya."

Hanako scoffed and resumed pouring Tsunade's drink. "You're leaving me in charge while you bump ugl—… wait, what? Has something happened to Nina and Kakashi-Sensei?"

Now the Fifth's request…favour, made sense. Amegakure was dangerous, and if something had happened to them, Tsunade couldn't help and maintain a perfect cover of a shadow clone in Konohagakure.

"Calm yourself, Hana. They're fine," Tsunade assured. "This matter is unrelated."

Lie.

Hanako's sharingan allowed her to detect the split-second falter of Shizune's expression. On the other hand, Tsunade remained resolute as ever, meaning…

"Aside from the report from Shikamaru and Temari, is there anything else?" Hanako asked while refilling Tsunade's cup.

"No. Iruka and Genma will be responsible for mission assignments, and Shikaku is acting on my behalf for any meetings." Tsunade quickly pulled the cup away from her mouth. "He knows, but only him."

Regardless of the current relatively peaceful times, Hanako took great comfort in knowing she would have the support of Konoha's Jōnin Commander.

"And us," Shizune added.

"It is to be kept that way. Am I understood, Hanako?" Tsunade challenged.

Well, duh.

Hanako gave a hesitant nod. "Yes, Milady."

As she lifted her head, she noticed a pair of Genma's boxers neatly folder on the chair arm furthest from Tsunade. Hanako squeezed the neck of the saké bottle.

Shit.

She'd tried to look elsewhere before…

"Hana."

"Hmm?" Hanako answered on her way to put the bottle away; anything other than acknowledging what was sure to be following.

Nina had warned her. There was a process for such things, and that was precisely the problem. Hanako just wanted one part of her life not to be governed by the Shinobi Code of Conduct.

"No distractions, Hanako. Shikaku is expecting you in my office at eight o'clock tomorrow," Tsunade stated, making her way to the door.

Hanako sighed, closing the cupboard door. "Yes, Ma'am."

Tsunade turned on her heels in the doorway. "One more thing." Hanako's fingers clawed at the door she'd almost closed as she bid goodnight to her guests. "Like it or not, you and Shiranui will front the Council on my return."

Hanako was about to unleash an all-out bratty response when Tsunade pinched her chin and kissed her forehead. The action struck through her heart.

Hanako bit her bottom lip to stop her lip from trembling. She closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around Tsunade, stifling her tears while savouring the embrace of her pseudo-mother.

"Foolish girl," Tsunade whispered into the top of Hanako's head. "Everyone deserves to be happy."

But happiness can be taken away.

It wasn't the age difference between Hanako and Genma that scared her, nor fronting the Council. She loved Genma, but being in love was the most terrifying thing in the universe for an Uchiha.

As a member of the Uchiha clan, Hanako was acutely aware of the 'Curse of Hatred' and what it meant. Uchiha people were considered incredibly devoted to love and friendship, yet they tended to conceal their more affectionate traits. It was believed that when the object of their affection was lost, an Uchiha's love could instantaneously turn into hatred, leaving them more inclined to do anything, and everything, in their power to achieve their goals and show their own superiority, regardless of the consequences and repercussions of their actions. The despair of those experiences causes a manifestation of unique chakra within an Uchiha's brain, impacting the optic nerves and creating the Sharingan. The Sharingan's advanced form also requires harrowing experiences, which causes the user to delve into the darkness that utterly consumed them.

What if it happens to me?

Hanako's eyes flew open, remembering the words Kakashi had once told her and the rest of team seven.

"As long as you don't give up, there will always be salvation."

Hanako's silver-haired Sensei had spoken the truth.

Although many Uchiha did succumb to the clan's curse at some point in their lives, some—Hanako's little brother Sasuke—were able to overcome the limitations of the clan's narrowminded thinking and instead chose to live by the Senju's 'Will of Fire'.

Founded by Hashirama Senju, the life philosophy was adopted by Konohagakure's shinobi as a part of their spiritual heritage. It stated that the entire village was like a large family unit, and like previous generations had done before them, every Konoha shinobi with the Will of Fire loved, believed, cherished, and fought to protect the village.

Shinobi Rule #2

A shinobi must not value themself but rather adhere to their village's ideals.

Recomposed, Hanako released her hold and stepped back, offering a small smile. "Safe travels, Lady Tsunade."

~End of Chapter~