"You are!" He interrupted again and the Slug princess was starting to realize that she was about to be the subject of a tirade that seems to have been building up for a while.
The old man took a breath opening his mouth to speak before he stopped himself, closing his eyes and taking another deep breath before his head hung down. "Tsunade-chan...just go...I'd rather not talk right now."
Her eyes softened.
He looked...worn.
"Sensei...are you okay?"
It was a moment before he took a breath, lifting his head again.
"I'm supposed to be relaxing." He said, confusing her. "I'm supposed to be...in my home...relaxing...someone else should be sitting here. I gave him the job. But he up and quit on me before the remains of my office could gather a film of dust in storage..."
He shook his head. "And I am just...so tired." He finally said as he looked at her. "But...who can I trust with it? Who can I leave it to? I have one student about to get married, start a family of her own. Its enough responsibility."
"Are you...blaming me for getting married?" She questioned, incredulous.
"Never. I just...I know this job does not go well with parenthood."
She didn't say anything to that. The estranged relationship between her sensei and his eldest son, Asuma, was something of an open secret. And she didn't want that to be her. She loved Dan, just as sensei had loved his wife and children.
That didn't save them from the long hours, sleepless nights and emergency conferences that cut into every hour of the day every day of the week.
She didn't want his life to be hers...and if that was something he took into account, she was grateful...
He took another breath, smoking before tossing his pipe on the desk, bits of tobbaco leaves sprinkling out of the cup as it tilted over. He rubbed the bridge of his nose."And then I have another that goes pulling games for his own amusement. Looking to taunt Iwagakure and the whole world with his success. Dragging the Daimyo straight into the crossfire and putting us all at risk of another war when-" He almost laughed then, but despite the smile it was something that sounded like a scoff, or even a sob. "We would even have trouble fighting one of the lesser villages."
He tsked "I have eight hundred active Shinobi when before I had well above a thousand. I have, an economy struggling to hold itself afloat with the far reduced volume of missions we can take, no Jinchuuriki. And that's one secret that once un-earthed it'll be open season on us.I'm entering talks with Kumo as a backup in case Suna's hostility boils over with their Daimyo hiring us for missions even though I know they're far less trustworthy. I'm trying to hold together a trade agreement with Kiri when we have no funds to hold a merchant navy together. I'm trying to keep an eye on Danzo, and whatever he's been scheming recently and...and...and the only one I could possibly have left this to, is dead!" He shook his head "And the only other is a man who puts children in danger for his own amusement, with you and I just giving him a faux pass and laughing at his ploys or grinning when it turns out he was right and...and I am just so sick of it!"
His last words made her jump. He never shouted but this one had just swallowed the room. It was the despondent look in his eye that truly brought her short though. She didn't see anger there just...
Disappointment.
He was disappointed that his fears had evidently been confirmed.
He had no one he could count on...
She'd never seen him like this he looked withered and aged far more than his normal vibrant facade.
She wanted to say she was sorry...but it just seemed so...worthless.
Still...
"I'm sorry..Saru-sensei."
He took a breath still looking down at the table. He nodded. "When I'm gone one day..." He said after a moment. "-promise me you won't let yourself accept this job Tsunade..."
Slowly his hands reached back down, gripping the file before angling it up to continue where he'd left off. His momentary lapse left behind now like so many other things...
-0-
"You almost got it that time." She praised.
Naruto scowled. "Its an ant hill."
"Which is more than you had before." Haku smiled. "You're getting there."
Naruto squinted. "Can't tell if teasing..." He growled aloud. "It was supposed to be a spike!"
She giggled. "So after this you plan on learning water?"
The blond nodded. Then he glared down at the dirt at his feet as though it was guilty of some grave crime. "Yeah...once I can make more than a damn ant hill!"
She smiled again. "Its not so bad. You're catching on quick for your age." She frowned. "Which reminds me, how old are you."
"This many!" Naruto teasingly held up his two hands, five fingers and a thumb on display. "All of you are old!"
She fiddled with one of her Senbon. Orochimaru was gone for the day. Apparently having gone with Kyofu somewhere to find her summon animal or something. How exactly that worked Naruto didn't know. He'd just signed the contract and that had been that. The nuances of forming a brand new contract that hadn't existed before were completely lost on him. And no, those things weren't just 'sign here and we pledge eternal service' there were details and things that had to be hammered out and agreed on. Summons didn't just accept anyone. Gamabunta, despite all his bluster had trusted Jiraiya and had recognized him as both Minato's son and the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki. The toads wanted him to be their summoner since before he could walk. Jiraiya had been the one to do all the work on the original summoning agreement. Needless to say that wasn't the norm. Orochimaru and Tsunade had followed his lead on that and had made their contracts later in life. He didn't know how dangerous Katsuyuu was, but Manda would eat people that tried to summon snakes and were found unworthy one had to be careful when they tried to make a contract.
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