Dusk (Sai x Reader, one shot)

Dusk

Tsunade has a lot on her plate.

So she has no patience when the loudest blonde in all of Konoha comes storming into her office—Tsunade's student at his heels, unsuccessfully trying to hold him back—yelling about the horrifics of the newest Team Seven member. Why had she assigned this idiot? This insensitive, no good, snake—

" Naruto ," the Godaime says with a hint of a snarl, standing and banging a fist on her oak desk, careful not to break it. Behind her, Shizune clutches Tonton and internally curses the bad timing of the situation. Naruto doesn't notice Tsunade's mood but Sakura does and she yanks the back of the blonde's collar, pulling him backward, spilling apologies for his behavior, but the Fifth Hokage notices a similar look of distaste in Sakura's eyes. She pauses and reassesses. "Sakura, what is going on?"

"Milady, I'm deeply sorry to interrupt you when you're so busy with work," she says, and beneath her right hand, Naruto has calmed down. "It's the newest member of team seven—Sai, he—"

"—as if he could ever replace Sasuke!" Naruto explodes with the mention of Sai's name and Sakura's foot squishes his toe.

"—he's just rude and arrogant and... hard to get along with." Sakura's voice fades. Has she been crying? Tsunade's eyes narrow as she assesses the situation, sinking back into her chair and folding her hands. Her manicured tips glisten in the morning light. Naruto she understands gets hot-headed, but if Sakura had been crying, then maybe there is something really wrong. The platinum blonde groans internally. She has papers to sign and treaties to look over and doesn't want to deal with some Academy-level drama. So she summons you, and tells the other two to take a hike for a day or two, only enough to get their hatred of this Sai out of their systems before they all leave to find Sasuke.

You enter the office. Your stomach is grumbling; it's usually lunchtime for you, but if the Hokage has summoned you, you're certainly not going to munch on a few fishcakes and keep her waiting. You enter the double doors and face her, standing in the middle of the room. You like how there's a female hokage and assistant, it feels refreshing, and you stand proud as a Jonin before your two supervisors.

"Milady," you address her. She nods to you and says your name. "I understand you're leaving on a mission soon?"

You nod.

"You're getting reassigned," Tsunade says. "Hinata will take your place. You know of the Root member called Sai, correct?"

Internally, you flinch a little. How does she know this? How would anyone know this? You have only seen Sai in shadow, short tiny snippets of pale skin against a dark backdrop as he goes about his business. You've run into him a few times at night, once you were overlooking the lake and saw someone fly by on a giant bird brought to life from ink. He didn't see you then but you saw him.

"Peripherally," you say. You don't ask how she knows this. She's the Hokage.

"I want you to spend some time with him today. I assume you know about the Sasuke situation," she says. You nod briefly. You're a Jonin, of course you've heard talk about the situation, having known Sasuke back at the Academy. You weren't very close, but you were aware about his whole family situation. "Peripherally," you say again.

There is a knock on the door.

"Just a minute," Tsunade raises her voice a little, and then quiets it again as she speaks to you. "I want you to help him with research and plan strategy, but also acquaint him with how Sakura and Naruto might be feeling. It appears that his emotional IQ isn't very strong. I understand that Root members can be somewhat... hard to read." There's no mistaking the hint of venom in her voice. She does not like Root and Root does not like her.