Sacrificial Lion
Tsunade couldn't peel her eyes from the clock in her office, nor could she stop the incessant thrumming of her fingers against her desk. The fact that she was annoying herself because of Uchiha Sasuke pissed her off lebih than words could express. Perhaps if she maimed an entire forest with her bare hands that would get the feeling across? Regardless, she found the entire meeting this afternoon had been something akin to amusing.
Tsunade didn't know Sasuke all too well. Besides the time she healed him, she never talked to the boy. That was about seven years ago, and aside from the laporan three years yang lalu of Itachi's death—the substantial evidence pointing towards Sasuke being the cause—the last Uchiha had become something of a ghost. Team Seven had searched for him like a pack of starved hunting anjing the entire tahun following, but when they didn't find a single lead they gave up.
It nearly killed Naruto, but it was for the best. Sasuke was at least safe, and in control of his own body, wherever he was. They would never believe the possibility he had died in the fight with Itachi. It was time they get on with their lives. And here they were now, seven years after everything happened, Sasuke was alive and had gone so far as to take control of Oto.
"Nineteen," murmured Tsunade, her fingers finally stopping their hurried rhythm as she let that information soak in.
"I guess," she said, thinking over the accomplishments of these children—former children, she corrected, they weren't the same twelve tahun olds anymore, "It really is the start of a new era."
Tsunade turned in her chair, the panoramic window giving her a perfect view of the Hokage Mountain. "The selanjutnya generation, huh? Are they worthy to inherit this village Sarutobi-sensei?"
Tsunade got lost in the memories of her own past when someone knocked on the door. Bellowing a quick, "Come in!" the Hokage shook the nostalgia from her thoughts and turned to see her apprentice closing the door behind her.
A sense of pride filled Tsunade as she watched Sakura come and stand before her desk.
"You wanted to see me?"
She remembered Sakura when she was still just a little girl, still naive and childish. The young woman before her now was neither of those things. Tsunade had made sure of that.
Sighing at the undesirable events of the day, Tsunade was at least comforted in the fact that if anyone could handle the mission she was about to assign it would be Sakura.
"Yes, I have an urgent mission for you."
"A mission?" questioned Sakura. "But I–"
"I'm sorry, Sakura, but this is important."
Tsunade was sorry, really she was. Sakura had just asked for some time off from missions to begin training new medic-nin. Of course she would still be doing that, but just for the wrong village.
Tsunade couldn't get rid of the nagging feeling that she was making a horrible mistake.
"You are to go to Otokagure and help them get their medic-nin's up to par."
"Oto! What the hell are anda talking about, why would I go–"
"Look, this is a request from the new leader and he's assured me peace between Oto and Konoha. Now, I can't pass up this treaty and you're a part of it. It'll only be for about a year, I promise."
Tsunade watched the girl go through a wave of different expression before she asked, "Whose the new leader?"
"Uchiha Sasuke."
Tsunade had expected the shock on her protégés face.
"Sasuke! He took over Oto?"
"It would appear so."
Tsunade frowned when Sakura gave her a serious stare. "You actually trust him?"
Tsunade sighed, gathering her thoughts, as she leaned back in her chair.
"Right now, yes. He seems very… sincere about leading Sound. I'm not exactly clear on his intentions with that village, but that's another reason I'm agreeing to send you."
"I never thought I'd hear Sasuke and sincere in the same sentence," mumbled Sakura.
"Yes, well, you're a ninja, expect the unexpected!" Tsunade grinned when Sakura rolled her eyes. "Alright, do anda accept the mission?"
"Do I really have a choice?"
"No. anda leave tonight!"
