What it Means To Be Shinobi
Chapter Two: Approaching Hostiles
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">face="Trebuchet MS">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-style: italic">WARNINGSstyle="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-style: italic">: Spoilers
for everything before Naruto Episode 135 Chapter 238. Bastardizer of everything
after.
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">face="Trebuchet MS">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-style: italic">AUTHOR
NOTESstyle="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-style: italic">: mer.
Originally I removed this chapter from the fic, then I realized, dull as it is,
it is nessecary. On the plus side, half the next chapter is already written and
it earns the fic rating. On the minus side, I've fried my laptop and I'm leaving
the states for most of Dec. No pc, means no fic. So, if I haven't posted by
month's end, then I'll try and make it extra special for... like, christmas or
something. People still celebrate that, right? fcked I know. As usual, there
are illustrations for this chapter; [ohshushDOTcom/fandom/images/superfluous-fluff/2bsch02DOThtml]
[<3U for reading!XD]
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">face="Trebuchet MS">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-style: italic">DISCLAIMERstyle="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-style: italic">:
Kishimoto-sensei, Shonen Magazine and all sorts of people at VIZ own Naruto and
the premises therein. This is a work of fan-created fiction intended solely for
amusement. No infringements intended.
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">face="Trebuchet MS">====
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 12pt 0in 3pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Trebuchet MS'">Chapter Two:
Approaching Hostiles
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">face="Trebuchet MS">====
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Trebuchet MS'">"No matter
how dangerous the risk, there will be missions you can't decline. . . This is
the talent that we most value in a commander--"
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Trebuchet MS'">Ibiki -
Naruto Chapter 44, Volume 5 [VIZ Translations]
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">face="Trebuchet MS">====
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">"Who calls this
child to walk on her own?
Who leads her
down this treacherous road?"
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">- Selena, God's
Child
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Trebuchet MS'">====
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">Sakura sat alone
in the conference room adjoining the Hokage's office, staring avidly into space.
Fair and frail methodically trimmed hair, half circles under her eyes, breathing
in calculatedly even measures through her faintly parted lips, and her back
maintaining a straight posture like that of a rod, with her legs crossed firmly
at the ankles. Her hands were folded securely in her lap, a crumbled bit of
paper clenched between the fingers of the right one. These and other subtle
signs marked an acutely troubled girl.
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"> face="Trebuchet MS">
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">She assumed, and
rightly, that people would be bustling through soon enough, as the office
through the other side of the oak double-doors was buzzing with muddled voices
in heavy deliberation. She valued the quiet time but was hardly enjoying it. The
setting wasn't unbecoming, with high ceilings, plush carpeting, extended sofas
and footrests, yet she sat in the narrow space provided by a marble topped
coffee table, shared with an ashtray, a number of scrolls and a lamp. Her perch
marked the only seat not facing the overhead portraits of Hokages. While she
respected her village's history and the patriarchs therein, she never got used
to being in their immediate audience. The carved faces in the mountainside were
morosely impersonal but the portraits hung captured faded features, shadows and
wrinkles of humor and hardship marking the eyes and mouths that seemingly
watched everything. While it may have given some confidence and reassurance to
stand in their audience, it also gave her the
willies.
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"> face="Trebuchet MS">
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">face="Trebuchet MS">Despite her
obvious unease due to the preceding Hokages company it wasn't unusual to find
Sakura hauled up in the "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />
certain areas were more comfortable; the clinic library for one, and the testing
facility for another. Best yet, the third door along the service floor; a room
she'd renovated into makeshift quarters for late night undertakings; a hideaway
where she'd likely remain indefinitely if it weren't for obligations of food,
family and friends. Early on she committed herself to the opinion that while she
might never be an exceptional beauty she would always be an outstanding
medical-Nîn.
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"> face="Trebuchet MS">
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">"Sakura!"
Tsunade said, sweeping into the room with an air of authority, throwing the
double-doors wide apart. Sakura was quick to her feet and smiled tight-lipped as
she made a show of bowing slightly. Tsunade gave the girl a vigorous gesture,
simultaneously waving her to come nearer and halt the formality. "No one
informed me when you arrived," she said as she came to sit on the couch across
from the girl, with an exaggerated sigh waiting to be expelled. Sakura smiled at
the forwardness and retook her seat on the table-end. While it was still early
in the morning her master was showing all the signs of having been exhausted
past her patience.
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"> face="Trebuchet MS">
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">"I was already
in administration when your messenger found me," Sakura explained softly,
letting the image play in mind of the Hokages carrier bird soaring indoors to
lift the mood.
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"> face="Trebuchet MS">
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">Tsunade smiled
sufficiently and stretched her legs out beneath her, finding the soft spot the
stiff high-backed couch concealed.
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"> face="Trebuchet MS">
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">"You could have
come in," Tsunade said, audibly amused. Sakura glanced over the couch to the
adjoining office and the commotion therein. It wasn't the Chuunin assistants
alone that made her reluctant; it was the council members, old and looming,
providing such dour company it made her exhausted just looking at
them.
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"> face="Trebuchet MS">
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">Sakura shook her
head and gave a mild smile, "It looked important... yes, I know all Hokage
business is important to someone or else it wouldn't be brought to the Hokage at
all. It just seemed a bit more... stiff."
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"> face="Trebuchet MS">
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">Tsunade snorted
in amusement, "Nothing exceptional. I'd have liked it if you could have joined
us, give me some sort opinion that wasn't spun with bureaucracy. I expect this
to last the rest of the day at most." She slouched further into the couch,
sensing counsel member Homura-san's[1] prying eyes over the distance. Tsunade
hardly ever was as tired as she put on but than nothing about the Sannin was
ever as it seemed. Most times she smiled brightly, playfully as a schoolgirl and
on the turn of a whim had a temper like snapdragon stuck to a pin
board.
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"> face="Trebuchet MS">
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">"So, all your
paperwork has been squared away?" she asked.
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"> face="Trebuchet MS">
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">"Of course!"
Sakura grimaced, an awkward station between a flinch and a grin. She crushed the
unnoticed bit of paper into her fist and came away from the end table. She moved
across the room leisurely, hands clasped behind her, but without a direction in
mind.
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"> face="Trebuchet MS">
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">Tsunade observed
her rather narrowly, her knowing honey dark eyes sparkling with mischief. "I
imagine you aren't surprised to learn that our favorite loudmouth brat has
returned from a successful stint?"
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"> face="Trebuchet MS">
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">Sakura examined
the melting calk along a window frame all too intently. She tapped on the glass
with her fingernail, importunately. "No. Er, it was successful then?" She went
on tapping on the glass, as if trying to find a fault in the structure. Her
stance had eased but the obscured right hand mutilated what remained of Naruto's
haphazard letter of apology. She knew it wasn't her place to ask the 'how' and
'why' in relation to their 'favorite loudmouth brat'. If she had needed to know
mission details then she would know them. His unannounced disappearance three
year earlier served as a marker from which she measured herself; it reminded
that time consisted of a thing always outside of her control, and regardless of
how strongly she cared for people, they were always going to fall outside of her
protection because of it. Only slightly less obvious, the ventures of their
'favorite loudmouth brat' redefined her idea of
'hope'.
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"> face="Trebuchet MS">
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">"Of course,"
Tsunade said with confidence, while trying not to be amused. Sakura closed her
eyes and sighed. "You seem surprised," Tsunade continued as she folded her hands
onto her lap benignly.
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"> face="Trebuchet MS">
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">"Relieved,"
Sakura answered, with her eyes still closed. When she opened them again, her
tone was more familiar, her smile less forced and she complied with her master's
entreaties to sit beside her. She landed on the armrest and pitched the bit of
paper into the garbage bin beneath the coffee table. "It just seems very sudden,
don't you think?" she asked indirectly, unable to keep her eyes from darting up
to the portraits once more.
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"> face="Trebuchet MS">
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">They remained
silent for a beat, reality and the world stilled for a margin and made the
breath worth taking and the immediacy of real life that much more
relevant.
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"> face="Trebuchet MS">
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">"I'd like to put
you back into field work," Tsunade finished.
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"> face="Trebuchet MS">
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">"Oh," Sakura
replied softly, certain that this ones one of those instances where a reply was
necessary even if it was unconvincing. She stared blankly at the portraits for
another ten seconds or so, then closed her eyes again.
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"> face="Trebuchet MS">
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">"What? No
complaints? No tantrums?"
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"> face="Trebuchet MS">
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">Sakura chuckled
weakly and shook her head.
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"> face="Trebuchet MS">
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">"I'm not teaming
you up with anyone new if that's what you're worried
about."
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"> face="Trebuchet MS">
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">"I wasn't going
to say--" Sakura said, once again not wanting to reply but feeling the
need.
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"> face="Trebuchet MS">
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">"I already have
an assignment in mind," Tsunade said, sitting notably forward. The air of
authority returned to her voice. "While it isn't really a high rank mission it
isn't to be taken lightly either. It's why I sent for you, you know. It demands
a certain level of… discretion, if I may. It isn't nearly as diplomatic as I'm
making it sound, but it is terribly vital. I trust you to handle
it."
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"> face="Trebuchet MS">
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">"Has it anything
to do with why Homura-san glaring daggers at the back of my
head?"
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"> face="Trebuchet MS">
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">"Don't mind
that," Tsunade said, an ounce of mischief reappearing in her tone. "I'll let
them stew for a bit. I told them I came in here for a
document."
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"> face="Trebuchet MS">
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">"You were going
to make a run for it, weren't you?"
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"> face="Trebuchet MS">
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">Tsunade, still
looking at the portraits, grinned and shook her head. "You don't know that," she
paused, her long blonde hair making wiry sweeping sounds as it fell forward onto
her lapel. She swept them back in an off-handed and juvenile gesture marking
that her dark humor hadn't run dormant yet. "So, I'll leave it to you
then."
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"> face="Trebuchet MS">
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">"Of course,
Shishou[2]," Sakura said, standing once more, a bit lighter, happy to look away
from looming eyes.
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"> face="Trebuchet MS">
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">"Shizune is at
the testing facility. She can fill you in on everything you'll need. While
you're at it you can have her sign-off on your physical and head out
immediately."
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"> face="Trebuchet MS">
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">"Immediately,"
Sakura repeated. She didn't entirely regret having to bail on Ino's plans for
that evening, which still seemed entirely too sudden and well timed to have been
a coincidence.
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"> face="Trebuchet MS">
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">Tsunade hovered
as she stood and made a pretty display of dragging her heels as she returned to
the office.
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"> face="Trebuchet MS">
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">"Shizune-san has
my assignment? And she's waiting for me in the testing facility?" Sakura asked
uncertainly. She shuddered, sensing conspirators in the
wing.
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"> face="Trebuchet MS">
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">"Just hurry
along, I've got important people to annoy," Tsunade said evasively and exited
with as much grace as she had entered.
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"> face="Trebuchet MS">
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">face="Trebuchet MS">+
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"> face="Trebuchet MS">
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">"She didn't even
say 'congratulations'," Sakura marveled, while Shizune fired the inoculation
into her forearm.
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"> face="Trebuchet MS">
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">"Sorry," Shizune
said quickly, wiping the puncture wound and readying a bandage. Sakura waved her
off, her mild annoyance growing into resentment. She tugged hurriedly on her
long gloves, pulling them up to her bicep, yanking them for good
measure.
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"> face="Trebuchet MS">
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">"I'm sure she
meant to," Shizune soothed, discarding the syringe and gestured for Sakura to
stand once more so that she could get her stats
measured.
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"> face="Trebuchet MS">
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">Sakura hopped
down from the medical table and sauntered over to the scale. "It wasn't like she
hadn't noticed, I mean she asked me about my paperwork. 53kilos" Shizune jotted
down the number on her pad, while Sakura retook her seat and strapped her shin
guards back on.
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"> face="Trebuchet MS">
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">"Sakura-san,
have some consideration. Today, Tsunade-Sama was woken up at first light to deal
with these troublesome matters, not to mention the late-night she pulled,"
Shizune entreated, while fitting her bicep with a cholesterol monitor. Sakura
looked on infuriated that it would take a two-minutes of sitting still for the
test result to show, longer if she didn't keep calm. She tried not to glare at
Shizune while she worked, tried and failed. "It's not like anything today is
going as she intended, but she's making the best of it. Don't tell me you've
never had one of those days?"
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"> face="Trebuchet MS">
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">"Those
days?"
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"> face="Trebuchet MS">
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">"You know, where
everything seems out of your control and you try, in futility, to make things
better."
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"> face="Trebuchet MS">
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">"Sounds
familiar," Sakura frowned and dropped her head slightly. She let her eyes
measure the floor tiles and the off colorations of the panel work. She'd
committed them all to memory years before, and currently the normalcy they
provided was priceless.
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"> face="Trebuchet MS">
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">Certainly she
knew what it was like to have one of 'those days'. She was living one of 'those
days', from waking up to have Ino nagging at her, her cherished old uniform
beyond repair from yesterdays controversy, and the hastily delivered note that
now replayed in her mind's eye. Shizune made a non-committal sound and scratched
off her calculations on a medical chart. Whenever she thought about the letter,
what it said, what it could mean--Sakura gave a
shudder.
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"> face="Trebuchet MS">
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">"Cold?" Shizune
asked, concerned and monitoring.
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"> face="Trebuchet MS">
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">"I call those
weekdays," Sakura said, and shook her head briskly and smiled convincingly while
she realigned the length of her gloves, obscuring the need to rub her arms.
"Briefly interceded by periods of complete moral devastation. See, we call those
weekends."
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"> face="Trebuchet MS">
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">"Come on, come
on," Shizune said, cheerfully placing a thermometer in Sakura's mouth, cutting
off any chance at a comeback. "Don't be bitter. Tsunade-sama thinks the world of
you. We all do. It isn't all that bad, is it?"
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"> face="Trebuchet MS">
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">Sakura shrugged
skeptically and struggled not to bite through the mechanism of metal and
plastic, while waiting out the remaining 57 seconds. Shizune drummed her fingers
along the edges of the clipboard, thick with Sakura's medical information along
with a dossier consisting of mission details. Her features were schooled in a
passive-aggressive calm; her lips had very little more color in them than the
rest of her face. They were also, very faintly, chapped, likely due to the
thoughtful gnawing that was her habit. Sakura's pale eyes narrowed in on the
features while trying not to concentrate too intently on the
words.
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"> face="Trebuchet MS">
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">"I know it's
hardly glamorous work, acting on behalf of the Godaime. It's hardly one of the
perks of being her apprentice, tirelessly smoothing over pretentious delegates
and feudal lords, ensuring that everyone gets heard and feels valued and blah
blah blah. But it's the sort of work so few of us are entrusted to do, and we
are because we have good instincts, because we care about others before
ourselves, because we can multi-task like freaks. But I've heard that last bit
is something of a given to those of the female persuasion." Sakura broke in with
a grunt, whether in agreement or dispute or simply readjusting the thermometer,
to which Shizune smirked. "Well, anyway, I'm sure a Kunoichi[3] as clever as you
knows that these aren't the only reasons behind your status. Your rank isn't a
coincidence and your apprenticeship wasn't entertained because of the people you
knew. You are where you are right now because at a time when young girls
actively searched for meaning and order in the universe, you dedicated yourself
whole-heartedly to the life-saving field of medicine.
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"> face="Trebuchet MS">
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">"The world has
need of people like us. We see the details and care enough to fix them. We fight
when it counts and mend when it matters. More importantly we're smart enough to
know the difference. Knowing all that--more importantly keeping in mind
Tsunade-Sama authorizes the status of every Nîn in this village--you don't
really need for her to congratulate you?"
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"> face="Trebuchet MS">
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">The mechanical
thermometer gave a well-timed chime, the digital face blinked and Sakura
withdrew it, shaking it dry for good measure.
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"> face="Trebuchet MS">
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">"37.0°C. Is that
my mission?" Sakura asked, and discarded the disposable tip before returning the
thermometer to its case. Shizune pale smile was un-phased by Sakura's lack of
response, instead she seemed reassured by it.
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"> face="Trebuchet MS">
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">"Not so fast,"
Shizune tutted, "first I need another medic to sign off and
then--"
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"> face="Trebuchet MS">
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">Sakura looked up
and smiled, tipped the weighty clipboard over by clip and flipped it to face her
while snatching up a pencil from behind Shizune's ear. She gave it a brief once
over, nodded and signed primly under Shizune's signature. She handed off the
chart to her sempai and glanced questioningly at the printouts
beneath.
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"> face="Trebuchet MS">
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">"What is all
this?" Sakura asked, her tone all-business as she handed it
back.
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"> face="Trebuchet MS">
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">Shizune
separated the medical paperwork from the mission briefs, while creating a third
pile between the two, a confusing print-out listing an on-going array of
chemical compounds.
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"> face="Trebuchet MS">
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">"It's to make
your life a little easier," Shizune explained. "We've figured out the most
effective way to help you track your target. Mind you, it wasn't easy. There
were all sorts of possible contaminants to the sample that we were able to
locate. And given the unpredictable nature of your mission and how much time has
passed, this technique will not last very long and you won't be able to repeat
it."
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"> face="Trebuchet MS">
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">Shizune firmly
pressed a seemingly wax seal into the lower right-hand corner of the chart. An
unfurled scroll on the countertop just beside filled up with scripted kanji and
encoded stats, secreted away for the Sakura's eyes-only, while the printed-page
faded into white. "Sakura-san, you'll only have the one
opportunity--"
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"> face="Trebuchet MS">
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">"So, what am I
waiting around here for?" Sakura interrupted abruptly, from across the room. If
the target bothered her, she showed no outward sign and appeared fully prepared
to carry out the assignment as directed.
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"> face="Trebuchet MS">
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">Shizune's
concern got the better of her.
"So," she started hesitantly, catching the younger medic's attention
before she could slip out of the room. "I guess, I should wish you good
luck?"
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"> face="Trebuchet MS">
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">Sakura paused
and smiled, her expression a bit too rigid to be natural, her stance a bit too
taut to be unperturbed. She slipped on a shabby cloak she had earlier left
discarded on a seat by the office door. It draped over her shoulders in a
careless manner and she looked not entirely well put together because of it. The
new uniform was made of a more durable material and the cloak seemed withered
and battered with age and misuse. Shizune could guess the many reasons why
Sakura had gone out of her way to retrieve such an antiquated piece of finery,
fashioned with patchwork and battle-scars. The realization made her worry a bit
less and made her smile come easier. She tossed Sakura's the tracking scroll,
which she caught without looking and secreted it away into one of many hidden
pockets on her person.
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"> face="Trebuchet MS">
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">"There's no such
thing as luck. Success relies on having a competent strategy executed with
precision."
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"> face="Trebuchet MS">
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">Shizune allowed
herself a weary laugh once she knew Sakura to be to far away to overhear. She
noted a neat pile of soot remained where the mission statement previously had
been, destroyed after viewing as was protocol. She hadn't even noticed Sakura
assess it, just as she hadn't sensed the use of a fire-Jutsu. Sometimes she
feared the Godaime expected too much of Sakura, because while two of them were
certainly alike it didn't mean they were the same. But then there were times
likes these where it seemed Sakura had inherited an abnormal strength from
Tsunade-Sama that was not physical at all. She hated to admit it but she was
impressed, although it wasn't the reply that surprised her; it was textbook
after all.
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"> face="Trebuchet MS">
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">face="Trebuchet MS">+
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"> face="Trebuchet MS">
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">She stood on the
precipice of the road that led to the main gate and let weariness cloud her
movement. In her mind however the lanes of thought varied in width and girth,
reminding her in distance and terrain where her uncertainty lay. She knew her
assignment, wasn't marked as classified, just pressing. She could return to
Ino's house to save face, which was likely to be mid-party central. While she
felt she owed her friend some sort of explanation she didn't want the
confrontation. She'd acquired her favorite, worn-out cloak from her crawl space
in the clinic, and she had no reason to go home but no conviction to move
forward.
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"> face="Trebuchet MS">
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">Given a life or
death situation she knew her judgment to have been tested and stalwart. But
working alone, without her team, on something as simple as reconnaissance made
her feel a little more lost and a little less grown-up. While she certainly
didn't want to be caught up in her past, she feared the future her actions might
dictate. She wanted time to plan accordingly but instead felt very numb in mind,
bleak, alone and confused. Like a day never passed, like she never learned her
lessons, like promises meant nothing...
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"> face="Trebuchet MS">
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">face="Trebuchet MS">"Sakura-kun."
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"> face="Trebuchet MS">
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">She started at
the call of her name. The voice was familiar and reminded her in its tone that
it was 'not-to-be-ignored'. She turned to find Iruka; the flicker a smile
altered her entire appearance.
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"> face="Trebuchet MS">
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">"Iruka-Sensei!"
she greeted.
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"> face="Trebuchet MS">
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">Iruka grinned,
eyes nearly closed, all teeth, no inhibitions, awkward at the title still
used.
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"> face="Trebuchet MS">
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">Suddenly Sakura
could recall nothing from the academy days that he passed on to her that she
couldn't have learned from a scroll or field-experience. The pause between
salutations expressed as much. Still, he motioned for her to join him on the
bench outside the teahouse. Since he didn't really qualify as a friend or a
teacher she didn't feel obligated to accept, which made her want
to.
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"> face="Trebuchet MS">
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">Iruka drank his
tea with a gratuitous sort of appreciation. Sakura smiled at that and stared
forward along the vacant road. He wasn't implying that there was a conversation
of some terrible significance not going on. They would get to that. She would
sit and think and he would drink and simmer. Debates like these could create
world peace, she silently mused while closing her
eyes.
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"> face="Trebuchet MS">
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">Afterward Iruka
observed her with a kind smile that made it obvious he was in teacher-mode, and
while she enjoyed his company she was uncertain as to whether she wanted his
counsel. She squinted at him through sunlight, lower than it had been moments
earlier; it silhouetted him in brown-gold and brought age to his features she
hadn't noticed before.
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"> face="Trebuchet MS">
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">"Good tea?" she
asked, only partly taking his interest in.
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"> face="Trebuchet MS">
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">"Would you like
some?" he replied, by way of not answering.
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"> face="Trebuchet MS">
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">She shook her
head and turned her smile toward the ground. If she found him too charming she
would be suckered into a lecture she was hardly in the mood
for.
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"> face="Trebuchet MS">
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">"I've got a
mission already," she reminded herself, aloud. "Just recon," she explained and
continued to stare at ground, unhurried.
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"> face="Trebuchet MS">
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">"I see." Iruka's
cup was empty but still in hand. He revolved it slowly, like it was a cherished
plaything, an item he wasn't ready to part with yet. He looked very contented.
"I won't keep you." With absolute frankness he stated, "It's just that it's been
a while, hasn't it?"
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"> face="Trebuchet MS">
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">"Three months,"
she agreed with a nod.
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"> face="Trebuchet MS">
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">It felt much
longer since she'd seen him in passing in the market, tangled limbs weighed with
groceries waving at him through a moderate crowd. He had nodded in greeting as
she hurried along. Normalcy. It felt like another
lifetime.
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"> face="Trebuchet MS">
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">"Three months,"
he repeated with a sigh and placed the cup beside him with a delicate thud that
trembled along the bench and made her station feel very temporary. It couldn't
have been more ominous were it a judge's gavel. She sat further upright,
uncrossed her legs and preparing to leave, but
attentive.
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"> face="Trebuchet MS">
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">"The new
uniform," Iruka said directly, "it looks good."
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"> face="Trebuchet MS">
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">"Thank you,"
Sakura said quickly, and put a hand to her forehead, wiping at imagined strands.
The forehead protector kept her hair, cut short, in place too well for it to
have come undone. She hadn't imagined Iruka's amusement at the gesture. She sat
up a bit further and tried not to frown.
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"> face="Trebuchet MS">
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">"I don't think
it fits me very well," she reflected and re-crossed her legs in a display of the
high hemlines. "Don't you think?" she asked, watching him. She tugged at the hem
in absent gestures of example and looked back to Iruka for
confirmation.
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"> face="Trebuchet MS">
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">His gazed never
left her face while the setting sun matured his features further. She might have
altered her position on the bench, if she meant to go on looking at him, but
that would have meant lingering. She struggled to keep her eyes from wandering
over the recognizable material, fiberglass bonded with resin, layers of
basket-weave nylon, weather worn patches and tattered
edgings.
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"> face="Trebuchet MS">
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">To her surprise,
Sakura discovered herself captured soundly in the thrall of a student enamored.
Not romantic in any way, but reminiscent of earlier days, where Iruka out-ranked
her by seeming leagues and the borrowed wisdom he supplied was more fulfilling
than a physical meal. She fidgeted in earnest, interlacing her gloved clothed
fingers over her knee to command her swaying leg to remain
still.
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"> face="Trebuchet MS">
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">"You just need
to break it in," he said, turning his gaze to look past her. After a brief
reflection he gave his head vigorous nod, somehow pleased with himself.
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"> face="Trebuchet MS">
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">Sakura snapped
closed her gaping mouth. Had he advised her, '-she would grow into it-'
she might have read it as condescending and regretted his company. She had grown
more than enough, more so in the past hour than in the past three months. Had he
advised her, '-it looked good enough-' she would have concluded that
Iruka-Sensei was a fraud, because flak jacket or mesh-lined skirt, the uniform
of a fighter was not a fashionable exploit. It was armor and gear, it was a
thicker layer of skin lined with Kevlar, and it was carrying intent like a badge
and a club.
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"> face="Trebuchet MS">
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">She shook her
head clear of her anxiety she stood to leave. "I'll do that,
Sensei."
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"> face="Trebuchet MS">
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">"You don't have
to call me that, you know," he added, and a sheepish grin, practiced and thin,
colored his face.
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"> face="Trebuchet MS">
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">"I know,
-Sensei-," she laughed gently as she imagined he practiced that
particular expression in a mirror. He would have to since no one should have
been able to articulate so much innocent sincerity while wearing the patches of
a Jounin. She grinned down at him and suddenly understood why she remembered the
man so fondly.
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"> face="Trebuchet MS">
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">She waved at him
quickly as she turned to leave. She'd gotten five feet off the main road before
turning back, only to discover the Jounin was already gone. It was the sort of
thing to make a civilian doubt whether it had occurred at all, but the discarded
teacup and her renewed sense of motivation claimed
otherwise.
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"> face="Trebuchet MS">
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">face="Trebuchet MS">+
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"> face="Trebuchet MS">
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">Her heart nearly
came to a standstill when the gate finally appeared before her in the distance.
The fan and family crest warning all-points pass reserved for Uchiha. She pulled
her cloak tighter, trying in vain to stave off a bone-seeping chill. She
centered herself, closed her eyes, squared her stance and drew her hood up. The
ends of her lips tugged faintly upward in recognition of the act. This was
exactly where she stood less than twenty-four hours
ago.
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"> face="Trebuchet MS">
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">She thought
about the real reason she shivered, not with fear but with excitement. Three
years. She finally allowed herself to think on the many times she had gone out
of her way just to stand and stare at this very gate. Not just this gate, but
the Ramen stand two-blocks further east than she ever had need to visit, the
hospital roof where the laundry was hung out to dry, the three pillars by the
practice-field, and the unavoidable turn near the academy that everyone needed
to travel to leave Konoha.
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"> face="Trebuchet MS">
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">Sakura opened
her eyes slowly, staring resolutely up at the sun. She felt with certainty that
the time for standing still had come to an abrupt end. While recon was hardly
her strong suit, considering her close-personal relationship with the 'target',
being Tsunade's choice liaison was hardly surprising. Her features hardened,
while, with steady hands, she dredged up Shizune's tracking scroll and broke the
seal. She lifted the white mask with the crude red markings on over her face and
leapt to the top of the wall, unraveling the scroll through the air behind
her.
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"> face="Trebuchet MS">
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">In the endless
seconds as she activated the Jutsu a strategy formed in her mind. The
complicated artful script was set to locate the 'target' with pinpoint accuracy
to its present location. A spiraling black smoke poured forth, and carried in
the breeze like oil dispersing through water, a slender and dissolving path
focused into an unstable line, beginning to fade nearly as soon as it was
formed, and she needed to race after its trail faster than the naked eye could
see.
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"> face="Trebuchet MS">
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">As she chased
after her guide she caught half-glimpses of the Hokage mountainside, playing
peek-a-boo with the landscape. Shops, restaurants and citizens, blurred homes,
overseen by all-seeing eyes. Whether they were physical, Chakra laden or carved
of stone, they watched over all things, including herself. Passersby would catch
the marking's, sight her vestments and would smile a bit more earnestly,
confident in her presence and abilities, entrusting her to carry on. When she
flittered, imperviously, through the main gate, chasing hard after the fading
wind, she had every confidence that it wasn't a coincidence that Tsunade
entrusted this task to her--that Shizune had taken time to council her -- that
this village could forge a kind-hearted protector like
Iruka.
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"> face="Trebuchet MS">
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">While the hidden
village diminished behind her, all lingering doubts went with it. Konoha made
her stronger than her insecurities and the time had come to finally prove
it.
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"> face="Trebuchet MS">
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">Impersonal as
the mask was apt to be, it provided more for her than the individuality it stole
away. When the black chemical remainder of the tracking Jutsu finally began to
fade in mid-air it left no trace behind. She took in her surroundings and noted
she'd managed to travel what was usually an hour's worth of distance in less
than five minutes. Her breaths came in fast and stilted hisses behind her mask.
Around her, she discovered, makings of an abandoned temple. She returned the
used-scroll to her cloak and soundlessly moved forward along the dirt path
amongst the overgrown forestry.
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"> face="Trebuchet MS">
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">Their
intelligence network reported that the 'target' was likely unaware Konoha was
actively searching for him. Sakura reckoned if she was lucky he wasn't covering
his tracks and maybe even was somewhere still
nearby.
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"> face="Trebuchet MS">
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">She pushed on,
examining the temple's withered hangings, rusted over bells and newly lit
osenko[4] that simmered in large incense burners. Although it seemed for the
most part still and ancient, she couldn't deny the signs of recent use or the
residual sense of a significant life force within. Making certain to stay
downwind, to keep her breath controlled and her heart-rate at a calm level, she
knew even the woodland creatures were unaware of her presence. And yet the very
moment she neared the entryway a great spike of energy, like the white center of
a small sun, split the air apart, followed quickly by a force of heat so potent
and hate-filled it sent her skidding backward.
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"> face="Trebuchet MS">
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">As the ground
fell away and the archway of the temple collapsed overhead, Sakura considered,
and not for the first time, putting aside her competent strategies, her
continued survival rate may well be accredited to
dumb-luck.
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"> face="Trebuchet MS">
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">face="Trebuchet MS">====
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"> face="Trebuchet MS">
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">[1] Homura - He
serves on the village council, along with Koharu and the village Kage. First
Manga Appearance: Chapter 93. First Anime Appearance: Episode
55
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">[2] Shishou -
Sakura refers to Tsunade as Teacher
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">[3] Kunoichi -
Female Ninja
style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">[4] Osenko -
traditional incense