Rogue.

Homecoming

The ceremony for Asuma's genin had gone well, Shikamaru Nara had been made a Chunin on the recommendation of the proctors and his peers. We'd barely gotten to congratulate him when Lady Tsunade had come over to interrupt, requesting to see Kakashi and I in her office. I groaned internally as she stomped through the hallways, leading us. Kakashi stayed quiet beside me as we walked, back to giving me the silent treatment. 

"How did the mission go?" Tsunade asked after she had closed her doors and sat beside the desk at the front of the room. She fixed her eyes on Kakashi, ignoring my presence and sending a clear signal that it was not me she was asking. 

"I don't believe that Kairi is a threat to the village." Kakashi got right to the point, sitting sideways in his chair, his leg over the arm as he pulled out his book to read. 

"Kakashi Hatake, could you at least pretend to be interested in the seriousness of this discussion?" Tsunade asked, taking a deep breath as if her patience were wearing thin. 

From the corner of my eye I saw Kakashi roll his before he put his book away and sat up like a normal person. If Tsunade had seen that I was sure she would have blown up, the woman was always so intense it sort of scared me. "I had multiple chances to look into her mind and memories with my sharingan. Without going into too much detail, she has been cast out from her village, and manipulated by Danzo into joining his association." Kakashi had this way of sounding annoyed about everything sometimes. "Her mission, assigned to her by Lord Danzo seems to be nothing more than monitoring Naruto's movements." 

"So you do not believe she is a spy?" 

"No." He simply stated.

I sighed a little, I hadn't realised he could look into my head the way he described. I felt a little exposed, my most intimate memories had been scrutinized and he had most likely seen my interactions with the rogue Uchiha. 

Tsunade crossed her hands in front of her face, letting out a huff of frustration as she thought things over. She'd shifted so quickly from a daunting, raging woman to an overworked, overstressed and worn out woman who just wanted a drink and some peace. I almost sympathised with her, I'd been taught all of the duties of a Kazekage, it was enough to make anyone drink and had to be the same for a Hokage. 

"Lord Danzo hasn't been allowed to recruit in years." She finally said, regaining her composure. "Kairi, I need to know if there are any others in the Root forces that seem too young to be there."

I thought about Riku, he was younger than I was but it wasn't my place to say so. There were a few others down there that were probably recruited after he'd been limited but I didn't know their real names and I wasn't about to risk the curse mark killing me to speak about them. "I wouldn't know." I lied to her. 

"Lady Tsunade, I believe Kairi is of Jonin level skills and I think a shift into your Anbu would be the best course of action." Kakashi recommended before he suddenly stood, his eyes locked on the window. "I need to go now!"

Kakashi ran out of the room before either of us could say a word, and as the doors slowly shut on the Hokage and I we just stared out the window at where he'd been looking. From here it looked like a fight between two genin over by the water towers. I raised my eyebrows, seeing bright light in some sort of jutsu I hadn't seen before. 

"Naruto and Sasuke." Tsunade groaned, rubbing her temples. "I was wondering how long it would be until that rivalry boiled over."

The woman in front of me stood, and I gripped the base of my chair worried that she would actually tie me up now. This seemed to amuse her for a brief moment before I saw sympathy in her bright brown eyes. "I'm sorry for the way I have treated you, young Kazekage." She bowed her head to me, as one Kage would to another.