She was briefly reading our written report from the mission we went for a guard duty for a week, that I'm doing a telepathy to tell her that she better read the reports later and don't ask further questions and just kick us out of her office right now.
"Man, I'm starving."
Hiro sighs from hearing Kyousuke's statement. "Good to you. My body's all sore from the mission that I only wanted a warm bath and sleep," and quickly followed a yawn.
I can't disagree less, not that I can feel the drowsiness weighing in my eyelids for lack of sleep.
"Guys, don't show that kind of attitude in front of the hokage. Keep it together."
Keisuke-sensei wasn't a perfectionist, but he somehow portray it now because he get a good scolding from the hokage.
I was nothing big, it's just that she had pointed out that we are taking the missions rather lightly. Who knows how it will mold us when we get used in this attitude?
So she demanded discipline.
I guess, this is how Keisuke-sensei teach discipline. It looks like he's trying so hard though. (￢_￢;)
"I was planning to give your team another mission, but I guess the children needs to rest," she says, gazing over to our direction.
"I'm quite offended, but I don't have the energy to argue."
"But you had the energy to talk."
"It wasn't a heavy task, but I'll ask for Yumi to do it. Don't force yourselves."
"Just me?"σ(￣、￣〃)
"Hang in there, Yumi," both of my teammates had said, synchronizing, but their spirits was dull to even consider that as a cheer.
"I don't need to pick guesses, I know you're familiar with it and quests like this you know where to go. It's your specialty after all."
Maybe if I wasn't this tired, I might feel very flattered by how much she put her faith in me.(─ ─ )
But I'm tired that my brain automatically discarded that joke aside and go back to the matter at hand.
I turned to the hokage to ask for confirmation of course. "Is that really important?" I asked.
She smiled at me, a very very sweet smile that you'll never get to see everyday. "I'm counting on you."
I'm fine with it, but how about my feelings? (─ ─ )
She can at least lie and take the conversation on the other way before asking a favor, not a straight up expecting me to go and do it right away.
Like this for example, "If you got time for it of course. But you should take a rest first."
She can at least say something like that to comfort me.
I'm also tired from the mission. (￣□￣」)
"I'll go and visit you again after I took a short rest then let's talk about the details of the mission you asked for," I said that Kyousuke and Hiro immediately bowed their heads, so low that it's for great respect and showing gratitude.
"Wish you all the best, Lady Hokage," they both said that Keisuke-sensei watched them with a feeling of slight shame if we had to judge that, that was what the meaning of his sweat that dropped.
They can't wait to dismiss this that they did it first instead of the hokage.
One thing's for sure, they can't wait to go home. (￣︿￣)
"Thank you, have a nice and comfy rest."
I hope I would also get that nice and comfy rest, because I don't that kind of feeling. (╯_╰)
We left the office as the report had been cleared. Kyousuke was so happy that he was already making plans that I felt very offended, but I can't say a complaints.
I would like to get a comfy rest too and that list of plan to spend the rest day. (ノωヽ)
As we are on our way at the hallway, we also had crossed paths with Sakura and her team that I was not familiar with.
I don't see a gray haired old man in the group. Where was Kakashi?
She had said a "hey," but I just avoided it and walked pass through her.
I don't know, I just don't feel like talking to her after all have happened.
I had no hard feelings to her, it's just that I don't feel like talking to her right now.
Of course, my teammates had asked what had happened between me and Sakura since they are used to seeing us teasing at each other here and there and had somehow the closest bond because she had spend a lot of time with the hokage from the past couple of years. And I was always there to witness all that.
I didn't gave them an answer that they had been meaning to know. What will I say anyway?
Say that I had been under Sasori more than being kind of friends with Sakura? You're expecting that? Hell no.
So I answered them with just a dead air.
I went home just like a do's of an obedient girl. Tsunade was really so blessed to have me, I'm telling you.
Like the usual ritual a person would do before going to bed.
✓First, dip yourself on a warm nice hot bath.
✓Pamper your skin with lots of moisturizers.
✓And as you wait for your hair to dry, finish what you left off.
As for me, I'm working over a project of mine. Sorting my pieces into what I prefer most in best of three then line the others. Opinions also matters to a client, you'll just have to show them the options and the best of three to five when they ask for recommends.
✓And if you can't wait any longer, blow dry your hair.
We should ask the great Tsunade if sleeping with wet hair will make you blind.
But it's better to prevent than cure. (๑˃ᴗ˂)ﻭ
My brain had proven isn't just a lump of tissues. I'm getting smarter, I can feel it.
✓When you had finally dried your hair, sleep until your tired body's fully revitalized.
✓And if you overslept, woke up at night where most likely everyone was asleep, then disturb someone.
If life had been peaceful, there's something wrong.
Those were the simple tips on how to annoy someone while staying beautiful.
by the way, the last tip isn't necessary. I'm just a prankster.
Alright, I'll stop joking now.
I stepped out of my bedroom then head straight to the kitchen to have a glass of water. I was wondering why the lights are still on though. I had checked the time on the clock on the wall before leaving my room, it was around ten at night already.
As I went near to the kitchen, I had seen her on the dining table, instead of the usual sake she was having a tea instead. Weird.
I can't tell if what was on her mind was very serious that she had to concentrate that she also discarded to think of having a sip of any alcohol.
I mean, she also drinks sake even at a serious matter, so I guess she had took a break with alcohol free day and I'm only overthinking.
"Good morning," I greeted. I know that it's not morning, but I purposely said it that way to let her know indirectly that I just woke up, okay?
Her head pulled up then turned from my direction. Judging from how she had react from hearing me, she just woke up. And also her eyes looked sleepy.
She should drink a strong doze of caffeine like coffee, not a tea if she had to force herself to stay awake. Judging from the scent of it, it was weak tea. (─ ─ )
"You should go to sleep now, it's already late at night. You can continue what you were doing tomorrow," I said the worst helpful sentence to say.
"Where is Shizune?" She asked and went to look around the area.
I felt ignored, but I can't also tolerate how funny it is for her to ask me that kind of question. I just woke up, of course I had no clue where Shizune was and where could she possibly sent Shizune to do her errands. (─ ─ ")
"Oh, about your mission that I'm asking you to do."
She was half asleep, and yet, she still remembers the favor she wanted me to do.
"Come over here," she says as she waves her hand, motioning me to come to her that I immediately went. I thought she's going to explain things to me from the stacks of papers she had in front of her, but she only handed out a paper that cut through lengthwise.
"There's no one I could ask for a favor. I'm grateful if you'll do it."
I scanned the paper she had gave me then I tried to count it.
Sixteen kind of herbs.
And a hint of headache poked me in my brain when I tried to use it for thinking first thing to do when it just woke up.
The herbs aren't just in one place. I'll had to go from place to place in order to collect all sixteen kinds and meet the quantity.
I think I'm gonna collapse just thinking about it.
"What will you do with this?" I asked. Of course, I will travel to hell in a round trip, at least I deserve an answer.
"Honestly, I had no idea where will be its usage yet. No one had got any leads yet."
I don't want to describe that look she's making as she stares at the paper she's holding, but I can tell that it was serious.
Safe to think it's very serious that it's making her depressed.
I also don't want to ask, given to what she had said, it wasn't just sixteen types of herbs she's needing. There's a vast number of herbs are named and defined and she only had guesses that the listed sixteen was the only possible to point which of them can be the solution.
Maybe she doesn't only need herbal medicine, but also drugs.
But medicine isn't like that, right?
Still, she's the best medic ninja, well-known to every village and nations, even the great Sasori of the red sand knows her existence and her feats.
Even the best falls down sometimes, I guess.
"Don't worry, I'll get them right away," I said that I wanna smack myself how can I even assure her that way, but still I am going to get it.
I'm not sure how long I could make her wait and how fast will I able to collect them, so I can't assure her for telling when will I go back.
"Take a rest for now, people needs you tomorrow," I said.
"You're actually thoughtful without even trying."
"I-I was?" The hell was she talking about?
But somehow, it's making me blush.(⁄ ⁄◎⁄︿⁄◎⁄ ⁄)
"That's really cute." ( ‾́ ◡ ‾́ )
"Go to sleep already!" I scolded, that she only responded a chuckle as she was stacking the papers in the table into one place.
Or else you'll meet this other me who was very vulgar and I know she will not be pleased to meet her.
"I need your permission by the way. Who knows what my mind would try to speak to me that I'll actually do it? Maybe later I'll just decide to go and look for your plants."
"Oh, right."
Since if ever I went out of the village this late, I could show the guards that I was on a mission, not just walking around late at this hour, not in my age which basically under curfew hours.
She handed me a stamp where the was an official seal of the hokage.
I'll just show this to the guards and I'm off to leave konoha and their complicated lifestyle and habits.
Just kidding.
"By the way," she started talking again that it somehow made me quite irritated already that I wanted to take back what I had said.
"Don't go anywhere near. The land of greens."
"The land of greens?" I asked repeating it. "What's out there?" Well, there might be a reason that I don't know about.
"I already sent our ninja to investigate the case, but they still haven't find any leads. At any reason, don't go anywhere near it until we get a raw diagnosis and the tracks of the plague was."
"Plague?" I asked, raising an eyebrow that she had briefly nodded her head.
"For now, I need you to collect what I'm asking you to find."
"Okay." Now, this is robbing my interest more.
But she doesn't tried to give me the details about it, I guess she has been saying the exact same thing over and over again for further explaining and it's already stressful to her. Well, I understand, I'm not knowledgeable of anything about medicine, what can I help if she also explained to me? All I'm useful to this problem of hers was to collect plants. (─ ─ )
Like she had planned to do, she left her papers on one side of the table then left, probably going to get her sleep on a comfy bed.
I ate the dinner after reheating it because I'm hungry. And like how I said it, I'm going out tonight.
I packed all the necessary things that I'll be needing for the journey. Stepped outside of the hokage's residence, saying goodbye to it like an animate being. Soon as I reached the gate, like how I told you, I got checkpoint from the guard that I basically flashed them the seal of the hokage that I got permission from her to go out of the village, including the time which was listed and discussed later by the authorities present.
You know, this is bending the rules and regulations not just a ninja but as a citizen of konoha.
Like I said, I'm a minor. My parents needs to know this. So, good luck to Tsunade on how will she explain this and had to get off the hook without getting scolded by the two elders who basically treats her like a toddler who needs to keep an eye on.
I want to let her know, if she want to talk about them, she can talk to me. I will try to understand.
I do think it's really cute though that they call Tsunade as princess that I feel so proud of her. ( ^ ω ^)
Anyway, what I had in mind was to go to was the pot village.
You'll never guess which village that was, but I'm here to tell you that, that village was once isolated.
Remember old man Sabishi who lives there with Hitori?
Their business made known to also in the neighboring village and countries that it had expanded. They hired workers that they had pitched their own house there and that's how it had been recognized by nations and out it on official map of the world where the village is and was name after their main product they produce economically.
Trust me, I was shocked too and at the same time I was impressed.
I just heard that news from the hokage, but she didn't mentioned remembering a patient from that part of the village.
Also, Hitori, even with this recognition about his hardwork with old man Sabishi, he was still hiding under the covers and stayed mostly indoors. Now that they can hire someone to send their wares to the town who ordered it.
But I'll be there. I'm here to change it.
Wahh, I'm so confident on my own beliefs that I could actually do. This is what we call, when the world turns its back on you, one is not zero. Believe in yourself that you can change for the better, no matter what happens. (๑˃ᴗ˂)ﻭ
I'm not making any sense, but I will later after I get another set of time to sleep.
Took me eight hours of walking, arrived at seven in the morning that there was no need to knock on the door or ask anyone from the small village where Sabishi or Hitori was. Old man Sabishi was already starting to do his part of the work process.
"Old man, Sabishi! I'm sleepy! Can I get to take a nap at your home?"
I'm very open on saying I'm shameless, and that's how it is.
I was welcomed, answered a few question like I was too energetic to ask take a rest first.
Said the laziest, "Hi," to Hitori and gave him a picture book to read then sleep again.
Good night.
I'm up again, and good afternoon.
With also, Hitori, sitting beside my bed, skimming over the picture book I gave him.
"Good morning, I guess," he greeted but his attention was on the book.
"Yeah," I responded and took the glass of water in the bedside table. "So, have you decided? It'll take you a couple of weeks to heal and at least two months for recovering process," I asked and explained after taking a sip from the glass.
"I'm just waiting for you, you know?" But how relaxed was he to speak, he doesn't sounded excited.
"The prepare. I'll just talk for a moment to mister Sabishi if he had those plants I'm looking for. If not, then maybe I had no choice but to go that far."
"Far? To where?"
"That far."
Huh, yeah.
-----─
A/N: I can't even bring myself to remove the picture.(T_T)
Anyway, I'll introduce you to them, in case you guys are curious.
The one in the middle, obviously Keisuke. And here was where I took a screenshot to use it on the other chapter where I introduce him.
And the other two......don't worry, I didn't even put them on the story that much. I only put them in to introduce the other teams for the chunin exam which I also had no plans of editing further by making them appear more often.
I've edited it, now I'm removing them. (T_T)
Let's stare at it. The artwork of the artists from five years ago and more than that. ─Yup, I disclaim the ownership of the picture. I only own their names and their characters in this story.
I already forgot the full name of Mai. But Raiden, his full name was Raiden Nishi. (≧▽≦)
I'll keep it for posterity.
P.S: I've read the comments after posting and I kind of posted on Author's Notes maybe and said something like "stopping." But maybe I removed it, because I had tried myself to finished it for the ones who read this book. I love them, so at least I could do was to finish it, right? (T____T)
I finished it, then after 2years max, edit this quarantine, Lol.
Well, I kinda did tried to stop this and just let it sit here, FOR POSTERITY. If I can remember it right, I even pit on the title DISCONTINUED, not ON HOLD.
Hope you guys doing well today. God bless! (^__^)