Chapter 04, Treaties and alliances
Five days after his encounter with Kushina, Sasori was back in Hiruzen’s office. This time, it was as one of the major working factor of the treaties. He was surprised of the astonishing speed used to accomplish this feat. Both kage apparently wrote to their respectives Daimyos about the necessity, seeing the state of the ninja countries, to form a strong alliance betwin the leaf and the sand. For Suna, given that their contingeant could only count on Chiyo-ba-sama as a fuinjutsu enthousiast, the sand’s support for whatever opperations the leaf had to take, would be a good way to repay the schoolarship. For Konoha, the fact that Kushina would be teaching Sasori would help her become a master, enforcing the saying to-teach-is-to-know. That it would also keep her out of the front lines and explain why Anbu troups were guarding one of the leaf fuinjutsu master was a bonus for the leaf, as it kept secret maters of her furry monstruous freeloader.
Sasori saw Hiruzen-sama freely talk with sandaime Kazekage.
It was weird for him to see the formal Sandaime-Kazekage exchange pleasantries, small talk and even one or two jokes. On Kushina. And him. Ok, theses ones he could have live without, he thought, blushing a little.
Kazekage-sama was with his usual guard of four Suna’s Anbu, their faces hidden by clothes instead of the ceramic mask Konoha’s Anbu favored.
Hiruzen-sama was flanked by his aides, Koharu Utatane, Homura Mitokado and Danzo Shimura, while his Anbu kept guard in the background.
At some point Kushina and him were sent out, and they really didn’t like the fact that the « adults » insisted on « letting the kids go play outside ». Kushina’s face at this moment really didn’t help prove their point, alas.
Kushinas was quick to recover, Sasosi saw. But before she could even suggest they could go eat ramen, the Kazekage appeared in front of them. As the meeting was still underway, the one in front of them was obviously a bunshin.
- Kushina-dono, I would like to give Sasori a word, if I may ?
Kushina didn’t really know how to respond to this demand. So she simply went for the easiest one. She fleed, making the Kazekage chuckle.
- I will only take a few minutes of your time, Sasori. Follow me. He said, while walking to a forested area, next to the hokage-tower. I’m really pleased your mission could get us this scholarhship for you. You would not know it, but Kushina originaly came from Uzu, and is one of the last Uzumaki alive. And of them, few are proficient in fuinjutsu. This art is so difficult that your own grandmother could barely pretend be an enthousiast, even if she tried to selfstudy it for more than thirty years. She tries, with all her efforts, to help the village, but the lack of the real master is heavy on our shoulders. Seals have to be bought from travelers-merchants, who know we have no way to check them. More than half of the seals we buy are fakes.
He let the silence linger for a while at that time.
- You learning fuinjutsu from her, would unmask the scamers. It would also help us develop our own seals.
- I’m a puppeter at the core kazekage-sama.
- That won’t be a problem, as your fuinjutsu could power-up the whole of Suna puppet troup. Your grandmother was especially proud of your position.
- Chiyo-ba-sama ?
- Yes, She wanted you to finish studying it as soon as possible to quizz you when you get back. Your granduncle wasn’t so enthousiast. Funny how they never seem to agree on anything this two.
Sasori was pondering how he would talk with his family while staying here. It must have showed on his face as the sandaime kazekage pursued.
- Hiruzen-sama and I will exchange letters weekly for the alliance to function. He will gladly let you include a letter wether it’s for me or your family.
- Thank you.
- Now go, your sensei must be waiting for you with her teammates. Said the bunshin before disapearing.
Kushina was talking with her team since she came out of the meeting. Her sensei Jiraiya was writting the result of his last research on his notes, while Minato was bragging about his last jutsu. Konan had a paper fold and unfold it self differents ways while Nagato was quietly listening to the blond. Sensing the young puppeter approching, Jiraiya had a crooked smile as he put his notebook in his breast pocket.
- Seems like your suitor has arrived, hime. He told Kushina.
- Suitor ?? reacted instantly the blond.
- Minato got competition then ? Said the blue haired kunoichi.
- I said, he’s my STUDENT. Said Kushina, some red on her cheeks, thrawing Minato by open the window as her red hair curled upward (a poor tentative to putt his arm possessivly around her shoulders may have happen, or not). He luckily turned himself in the air before landing in the slide.
- Hello, Sasori-kun.
- Goodmornig, sanin-toad-sama.
- You should just call him perv-sensei, chuckled Minato.
- Now, Sasori-kun, said Jiraiya, as he grabbed him the shoulder, not hidding the headslap he gave Minato, as he looked around, making sure they weren’t spyed on. There’s one big secret, that all ninjas wanting to learn fuinjutsu must make their own.
Sasori turned deadly serious as he said that.
- Never putt fuinjutsu on squirrels.
As Sasori was dumbfoundly looking at the sanin, wondering if he either lost his mind or was playing a trick on him, the silence was brokend by the sannin’s students.
Kushina fall to the ground, rolling on her back while laughing. Konan was bend over, giggling. While Nagato had a huge smile looking at the embarassed red form that was Minato.
- WE ALL AGREED TO NEVER TALK ABOUT SQUIRELS EVER AGAIN ! He yeald, angry and apparently shamefull.
It took the team a while to calm down, each of them having to stop looking at the others or go laughing for another round.
- So, more seriously, let me present you my team. The blue haired kunoichi is called Konan, and like origamis. The red haired boy over there is Nagato, he like to play with weird metal parts. You allready know Kushina, so the last one would be Minato, Kushina’s stalker.
- SENSEI ! ! ! yealed two synchronised voices.
