Naruto (Sasuke) and Mei Terumi conversed, whilst sitting on a couch in the patio. In both their hands is a cup of steaming tea, courtesy of Sasuke whom was feeling generous enough to make enough for everyone (including the escorts).
" Can I admit something? " said Naruto, " what is it? " asked Mei Terumi.
" I was actually a bit scared, and saddened at the thought of you not recognizing me. It came as a shock to me to see you here, when I had honestly convinced myself of not seeing you, you know... because of all this, "
Mei Terumi smiled briefly at Naruto, then she looked down at the refreshing liquid within the tea cup in her hands.
" I'm still not entirely sure of how I recognized you. I just did, I walked in and seeing you and the Uchiha it just felt wrong. Believe it or not, had you not called me by my kage title, I couldn't have completely known it was you " she said.
Naruto smiled and says, " Mizukage sama, " " hmm? " Mei Terumi utters tilting her head to look at him. " Mizukage sama ", " what? "
" Mizukage sama, " " why do you keep calling me by my title? " asked Mei Terumi slightly amused, by Naruto's repetition.
" Because it's a beautiful title, which befits you in every way. I say it out of my utmost respect for you and your position. Being a kage is something I've wanted since I was a child, and you've spent years on the job, that is a strength even I don't think I yet possess. It's intimidating and yet sexy– if you don't mind me saying, "
Mei Terumi shook her head. " No, keep going " she says. Naruto chuckles, " I think I should stop "
" Why? ", " I'm having a hard time as it is, I do not want to fall prey to my desires while in this body. " said Naruto.
" Yeah, you probably shouldn't " said Mei Terumi softly looking back down at her tea.
Silence fills the gap between them for several seconds, before the Mizukage decided to speak up once more.
" Broaching the Kage topic... Is becoming Hokage still your dream? " asked Mei Terumi.
It was Naruto's turn to look down at his tea, and he did so with a small almost wistful smile on his face.
" As time passes, days turning into weeks and weeks into months, I lost touch with that dream. It came a time not too long ago, I wondered as to why being the leader of this village was so important to me, and the reason was still the same. To be acknowledged, and have the people respect me.
" All that which I had earned already, so I reached the conclusion that I didn't yet need that responsibility. And as to not betray my Ninja way completely, I said to myself. 'Naruto some day you will become the Hokage of the hidden leaf village. As a man who can lead a greater and better generation'. For now, I've chosen to let Kakashi sensei keep handling and running things, he's not a big fan of the job, but he gets things done. " said Naruto.
" You never cease to dazzle me with this power of yours, " said Mei Terumi, " power? What power, " He asks.
" The power of your words, which is readily backed by an even greater action... I can neither tell you this choice you have made, is right or wrong. Since I myself have become self-centered, leaving my village to have a look at you, and see if you have indeed returned "
" And?, are you going to leave ", " how can I. I'm yet to get a real look at you, my mission goal is not yet achieved " said Mei Terumi.
" Well I'm glad to hear that, I'll also make sure to pay you back for all your troubles with more of this... Woooo, " he utters with a sigh. " I really like having you around, my life feels so much better with you in it " said Naruto.
" Why does it though? ", " huh? What do you mean " He asked looking at the Mizukage.
" You say your life is so much better with me in it, and I don't know why that is... I mean, it wasn't that difficult for you to stay away for a year and half, you aren't even planning on seeing me because of your current situation. It makes me wonder if I would ever see you again if this was a permanent situation, so I just don't understand how I make your life better. It is quite obvious you can do without me " said Mei Terumi.
Mei Terumi takes a swig of her tea, while Naruto watched stunned, Mei Terumi waited for Naruto to say something or anything contrary, but he kept silent. And getting no reply, Mei Terumi placed the tea cup on a small table in front of them and got up.
" I don't think I'm needed here, so for the sake of courtesy I have to have a brief meet and greet with the Hokage. I dropped in unannounced, I wouldn't want to leave in the same manner, " said Mei Terumi " I hope all of this gets resolved and you return to normal. ".
" Normal uh, I haven't known that since I left you " said Naruto as Mei Terumi was about to walk away. " A year and half, it must have been quite swift in your eyes if that is how little you thought of me "
Mei Terumi turned around to face him with a frown, " what nonsense are you spewing, swift? I have not had a time as slow as that year and half you so casually say. And how could you have the gall to think I thought little of you, when you keep hounding me with those letters or was that just to pass the time " said Mei Terumi with a accusatory tone.
" You've read them, have you not. Then you should have drawn your own conclusion, did it look like I had so much time to spare that I thought, 'oh I remember a Mizukage whom hardly feels anything for me, and I don't have anything important to do, so let me just write a letter that takes hours to write for the fun of it and hope she reads it' is that how you think of it? " Naruto asked with a frown of his own.
Mei Terumi's fiery gaze softens somewhat, " of course not " she says.
" Then why do you think, I had it any easier than you. For the sake of my sanity I write those letters, cause despite me having the ability to travel the distance and come to you. What exactly would happen, tell me please, that I may feel more bad than I already did about not hearing your beautiful voice and not basking in the energy of your presence. " said Naruto.
" So why is my life better with you in it? I don't know, maybe I'm just twisted like that and I can't differentiate between fantasy and reality. Either way, I know for some reason you get me, and I've never had that before. Which is why I'm going to cling to you this time, pursue rather than wait, just like you did ".
Mei Terumi heaves a strong sigh, " I'm sorry. I've just really wanted to talk to you, it's been quite long, " Mei Terumi sits back down on the couch, " tell me, as the main target of this unknown and unprecedented attack. What do you make of the situation; your friend the medic says the daughter of the Ichiraku restaurant told her about a man of sort walking in and sitting beside you. Do you recall? " asked Mei Terumi.
" It almost sounds like you were worried about me, " " of course i'm worried about you. You're still just a child, you can't die yet. At least, not without paying me back ".
Naruto nods with a smile. " I'll be sure to do that, and for a heads up. My repayments might come across as unconventional, so don't hate me when I start " said Naruto, " I'll decide that when I see your first payment, and just so you know. I plan to collect for as long as you draw breath, " she said.
" I do plan on drawing breath for a very long time... Now to share the tale of Naruto Uzumaki's regal return, and the misfortune that befell him in less than an hour " said Naruto humorously.
★
" What are you doing back here, " Konohamaru gasps, " don't tell me? You've killed the Mizukage and her escorts, brutally and then you ran over here to ask me to help you cover it up and dispose anyone who might have Intel about her being in the village " said Konohamaru.
Sakura walked over to Konohamaru Sarutobi, whom had sat himself down on her desk, with a cup of Sake in hand. Then she brushes him off her desk with her shoulder, till the young Sarutobi got up on his own volition after a few seconds of resistance.
" How can I kill someone who is already on her way to meet the Hokage, " " you're saying you came together? "
Sakura walks around her desk, bends down and slid open a drawer, she picks out a pen and a notebook, then Sakura slides the drawer back in before she straightens back up.
The pink haired medic walked over to her lab coat, which was hung on the wall. Then as she was about to turn away and leave, she finally noticed the Sake, Sakura looks up with a reproachful glare at Konohamaru whom had repositioned himself on her office couch.
" Isn't it too early to be drinking sake, and when the hell did you start drinking alcohol? " asked Sakura, " a month or so ago. I've only had it once, this is the second time, "
" and hopefully, the last " she said. Konohamaru furrows his brows eying Sakura, " where are you going? " He asked. " To check on the herbs brought back by the sand nin, "
Konohamaru gets up, walked over to the table and places the cup down; there was not much Sake left in it.
" I'm coming with, I was waiting for you. But considering what you might find when you get there, I thought i would wait a long time... So how did it go, "
Sakura put on her lab coat, and dipped the notebook and pen inside her coat pocket. Then she proceeded towards the door, whilst Konohamaru closely followed behind.
" Shocked, " she says opening the door and stepping out, " so was I. But are they awake yet? They weren't when I saw them last night, "
" They are as good as can be expected, and thankfully it's not permanent, " said Sakura. " That must have been good to know: I mean, you wouldn't want your boyfriend to stay stuck in the body of your best friend, whom used to have a giant crush on you " Konohamaru whispered, as they passed by nurses.
Sakura glances back at Konohamaru with a deathly glare, making the younger Shinobi to raise his hands in surrender.
" Tsk, I broke up with him. And I'm never getting back with him " said Sakura looking ahead without looking back to see whatever reaction Konohamaru would have.
" Dumping your boyfriend in your best friend's body. Damn, that's villainous, " said Konohamaru teasingly while hugging himself and shaking.
Sakura stops, and elbows Konohamaru in the abdomen. The young Sarutobi gasps, before falling down to his knees with a groan.
" Don't become old Naruto, learn to hold your tongue " said Sakura.
Sakura ties her hair back into a pony tail, as she walked off. Konohamaru smiles slightly, before his smile broke from the pain.
" Dang, always strong... Big sis, wait for me! " He yells getting back up and jogging after Sakura. . .
★
Walking into the Hokage office, Mei Terumi saw the Hokage was in some sort of reclusive mood with his back to the door and his sight towards a open window.
" Hatake Kakashi of the Sharingan, I finally see you here as the Hokage " said Mei Terumi approaching Kakashi's desk.
" Former Kakashi of the Sharingan, unfortunately I no longer have the Uchiha eye... Probably for the best, " Kakashi turned around on his wheeled leather chair, with his mask back covering his face as usual.
" good morning, Mei Terumi san, have a seat " said Kakashi, " you don't seem all that surprised that I'm here, are you " asked Mei Terumi sitting down in front of Kakashi.
" This is my village, I have eyes everywhere. But. I don't suppose you're here to talk about my reaches, are you " said Kakashi, " Naruto Uzumaki was attacked right here in this village, by an unknown opposition. I need to know, if you have taken any steps as the Hokage "
" I have taken the necessary precautions, increasing the number of Shinobis out on patrol. Other than that, there is little we can do, as you just said yourself Mei Terumi san. This is an unknown opposition. ", " but why though? Naruto said no one was supposed to even know he'd returned, as he and the Uchiha dropped in unannounced " said Mei Terumi.
Kakashi leans forward, bringing his elbows down on his desk as he interlocks his fingers.
" There aren't any hidden village out there, who could possibly have anything against Naruto... ", " yeah– "
" and maybe that is precisely the problem, " " what do you mean? " asked the Mizukage. " It's been over four years now since the fourth great ninja war came to an end, and as we all desired. There is peace, " said Kakashi.
" Are you suspecting an hidden village of being responsible?... That can't be right, each village owe so much to Naruto. Frankly, without him, Madara would have won ".
" And that is the case. However, with the rumors of an affair between you and Naruto as of last year... Well that was an unraveling matter, as we still never discovered which village was responsible for the release and mass distribution of that rumor, "
Mei Terumi looks down at the Hokage's desk, " what's so wrong with me and Naruto being together, it's our life, " said the Mizukage.
" Naruto is the famous young war hero, and you are the fifth Mizukage of Kirigakure. No one was expecting anything from you both, as there was never anything to begin with. But wrong pieces could start falling into place, for anyone willing to find them and put them together. And two major pieces could act as a catalyst.
" First being the statue, the affair being the second. If I was somebody else, I would think the Mizukage was trying to pull the young war hero to her side through seduction, and use him to expand her reaches, "
Mei Terumi raises her head to glare at Kakashi, and the former Sharingan user leans back into his chair.
" This are my thoughts, concerning how an opposition would think, " " if that is the case. Shouldn't I be the target? " asked Mei Terumi.
" Naruto and Sasuke are the strongest Shinobis to ever walk the earth, since the first Hokage. If anything should happen to you, Naruto would in no doubt lose his cool. However, if Naruto is out of the picture, they would be able to easily cut you off and weaken your might as a kage and a village severely " said Kakashi.
Mei Terumi watched Kakashi astonished, " wow ", " what? "
" The talks about your intelligence is not a lie, and shouldn't be taken with a light hand either, " " it's just my acute analysis of events and assimilations ",
" and you've already gone so far into it, " said Mei Terumi. " Hardly, when there is always a possibility of being wrong ". " How so? " she asked.
" There is a possibility, that we might be dealing with a force separate from the hidden villages. Those who might want us to think the other hidden villages are responsible, causing us to be suspicious. Such distrust, would eventually lead to the disannulling of the alliance, another war might also be triggered, "
" That seems greatly complicated, " " what's greatly complicated is if it's in reverse. And what we are expected to believe is the latter suspicion " said Kakashi.
Mei Terumi sighs exasperatedly.
" If I'm following, what you're trying to say is that we have nothing to go off on, " " indeed "
" What are we now to do? " asked Mei Terumi, " wait. We wait and see what happens next, with the highest level of discreet precaution, as I want to avoid a civil unrest " Kakashi replied.
After some seconds, the fifth Mizukage and the sixth Hokage heaved a sigh simultaneously, and then they laughed. . .
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