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Chapter 4

4

Shizune felt like she'd been walking on eggshells ever since the Hokage threw her chair out the window. Few people can put her in a fit like that, and Shizune has to give it to Satsuna Akira for pissing off the Hokage with such intensity. She reminded herself to give the blasted girl a medal.

Izumo and Kotetsu, the two shinobi tasked to guard the village's gates, were temporarily relieved of their duty for the day as they went all over the immediate vicinity of the Hokage building to look for Tsunade's chair. In her anger, she threw the poor thing out of the office, only to look for it the moment she realized it was gone. Now the two shinobi are dashing within a fifty-mile radius, looking for the accursed chair, or face the still-fresh wrath of the Hokage.

To everyone, the whole thing looks hilarious, but to those involved it was a serious matter. An angry Tsunade is never perceived as a laughing stock.

"Where is that damn girl?!" Tsunade bellowed. She shifted on her seat. "And where is my chair? This stupid thing's making my back ache!"

"I-Iruka's already out looking for her," Shizune told Tsunade. "As for your chair, Kotetsu and Izumo's doing their best as well."

Tsunade sighed and rubbed her temples. "I have so much to do that I cannot be bothered by one silly antic by that wolf!"

As if on cue, there was a knock and in came Akira and Iruka, followed by Yuudai.

Before Tsunade or anyone could speak, Akira raised a hand. "Okay, first of all, the kid's alive. Second, he was a tardy brat who deserved to wash dishes at Yakiniku Q and not be a shinobi. Third, I hate this job and could you just please, please, get me out of that god forsaken place."

Shizune repressed the urge to laugh at Akira's last sentence. She knew that there's not a chance that Akira will get what she wants. Unless there's a miracle and the sky turns to green.

Tsunade rose from her seat and looked at the girl in front of her. Despite her anger at Akira, Tsunade could not help but notice her considerable improvement, from a skinny cynical kid, to a still-cynical, but well-skilled shinobi. Unfortunately, this reason is not enough to allow Tsunade to let the girl transition from the Academy to the active shinobi force.

The girl's emerald eyes waited impatiently for Tsunade's reply. Tsunade sat again and shook her head. "No. You will stay in the Academy and teach."

Everyone in the room expected an outburst from Akira, so they were surprised when she only shrugged, rolled her eyes and mumbled, "Yeah I thought so."

There was a short pause as Tsunade watched the girl in front of her. "Iruka, Shizune leaves us for a while."

Shizune turned to go, but Iruka seemed hesitant, knowing full well that his former student will get an earful of reprimand from the Hokage. He touched her shoulder lightly.

"Akira, I'll wait for you at Ichiraku's, okay?" he smiled at her. Akira smiled back.

"Sure sensei. Thanks." she replied.

When Shizune and Iruka have left, there was an awkward pause between Akira and her short-time mentor. Tsunade took a good look at the girl in front her.

She trained Akira out of pity, that was true. The other kids were all busy training hard and improving their jutsu with their respective mentors. They had parents to give them pointers, sensei to guide them get better.

Meanwhile, Akira had no one.

"Are we just going to stare at each other the whole day?"

Her bored tone of voice woke Tsunade from her reverie. Her brown orbs met Akira's green ones.