Konoha's New Number One....Baby?!

Seriously!?

"From the looks that some of y'all are giving me, I gather you didn't expect to see my handsome face again, did ya?" The man observed as he once again took the reigns of the proverbial sleigh and began the meeting.

Tsunade glanced over her shoulder as she paced the floor, taking in the bleary eyed civillians as they snapped awake when her eyes slid over them. "It wasn't expected." She assured.

"Well that's usually the general idea, isn't it?" Uzumaki retorted scornfully, squeezing the rough fingers of Tsuchi under the table.

"As of right now the basic layout, which has been gratefully provided by Shikaku Nara, is to follow a decisive point and implement many ideas of the OODA loop, which can make or break our offensive strategy." He continued with dark heat, setting an elbow onto the tabletop with a final thunk as bright eyes bored the opposite wall down.

One councilmen looked faintly indignant. Bristling in her bed robes, her eyes narrowed as she worked her jaw at the lack of faith Uzumaki-sama had in their ninja, "Pardon my interruption. But Uzumaki-sama surely you hav-" she squeaked. Her arm had been pinched by Hideo-san whose glassy orbed stare had sharpened at her words, he shook his head slowly.

Tsunade stopped in the middle of the floor and twisted to stare at the flushing woman. "Is there something you wish to tell us Rinaka-san?"

Rinaka flustered "Ah, no, it's just..."

"Just what? If you have something to say, we would like to hear it." The girl trembled, slanted orbs darted between the two figures and began to clam up.

"If I may Hokage-sama, Uzumaki-sama," Hideo-san began in what he hoped was a placating tone, Rinaka never did know when to shut her mouth.

"Rinaka-san's earlier prompting was of how with our limited forces would we be able to aid our allies in such an endeavor." He firmly stressed.

His respect for Naruto, for the work he's done, the sacrifices he's made for this village; one, in his opinion, erred on the side of not needing the luxury of being saved from it's personal grave digging.

Truly, Uzumaki-san was an incredible man.

The man beside him nodded crisply, he understood where Hideo was getting at. "There is a reason why we are asking about the reliability with the OODA loop, observe-orient-decide-act is a never-ending cycle in which we will never make a foothold in this skirmish," he introduced, sipping at his cup to clear his throat.

Tsuchi rifled through his memory. "General of Tactics Mashida, apart of the civilian revolt, a former legend in the eyes of your people, you took a step down nineteen something years back to become a small time shop owner, changes scenery with the politician route, and has remained the same ever since." The man ticked his fingers down with each point and leaned forward with furrowed brows.

"With your knowledge and application of it in battle, why do you not use it?" Tsuchikana was presumptuous, and it showed when Mashida's cheek jumped a little. "My apologies, I did not mean to offend you."

"The life of pain and suffering was not the carrier choice I had planned for when I was young and foolish. My inability to act was the reinstatement of my office, I had been recently travelling the nation's to offer relief services to the families that have recently suffered devastation. Though it would be my honor to offer my opinions on battle tactics."

Rinaka choked on her spit, Mashida was going to do what!?
_______________________________________

Because of the climate, the change from Konoha's tropically inclined heat to the wintry numbness of the land of Flakes had the batallion of shinobi, some of who had underestimated the acrid weather, had them bowing their heads to the winds and leaving not just a single of them willing to open their mouths.

"What do you think of him?" Nori ventured, fighting the tremor that raised the gooseflesh of his legs, begrudging yet thankful of the heat from the kindled fire not even seven feet away.

"Of who?"

God this girl was dense at the most inopportune times.

"You know,"Nori hissed, slamming his eyes against the sting of cold. "The Uzumaki kid, what do you think about him?"

"Oh, him."

"Yes him!"

Chi hummed, flicking together her fingers and feeding the flames in front of them. "He's..." She thought about it. "An enigma of sorts, I suppose."

Nori raised a brow. "Oh?"

Chi's head bobbed. "For a demon-oh don't give me that look, you know it just as well as I do- he's surprisingly caring and versatile..." She yawned. "I mean, have you seen the way he acts around Tsuchikana-sama and his kid, Keyori?"

"I have, I just wanted someone else's opinion on the whole situation."

"But opinions can't always be taken with a grain of truth."

Two heads whipped around, they grinned. "Tomi!"

The kunoichi sat herself, legs folding beneath her onto the moleskin. "I assume you guys are talking about Naruto?"

Nori scratched at his chest. "It's supposed to be Uzumaki-sama, Tomi."

"I'll call that idiot whatever the hell I want, you would too if you've known him for as long as I have."

His hands went up. "I suppose, but I haven't had the opportunity so..."

"That's besides the point she was trying to make, Nori."

"Can it Chi, can't you see I'm trying to purposely get her angry."

"And how well that approach is working," Tomi rolled her eyes, absently picking out the raisins of her ration bar and cramming the dry- cardboard- square into her mouth. "Are y'all heading to bed soon or can I expect some useless soldiers on my squad for the next week or so."

Chi pondered this with off key hums. "I don't know, being useless sounds like something I can get behind."

Nori sagely nodded along with her.

"Goodnight guys." The kunoichi squadron leader warned- and was that a growl?

The two snapped a crisp salute and crowed. "Yes leader-sama ma'am!"

"Idiots."