Chapter 1
2 Years Previous
"WHAT?!" Tsunade slammed her sake down spilling half of its contents over her mass of scrolls and unsigned documents. Her right eye twitched the pupil reminiscent of something like a wild dog hungrily eying its prey, she snarled in the young man's general direction.
"My dear Hokage that is why she was chosen" The representative from Iwagakure was a rather handsome man but the grotesque part snarl half smile look he bore stole the attractiveness from his features. Yet the third degree treatment he received from the guards at the village gates was probably the cause of his ill mood, so the snarl was understandable.
Things had settled between the two villages for quite some time but they were still on rocky ground, especially since word had spread of the fourth's son was the favorite pick for being the next hokage. Tsunade had requested some sort of a truce between the villages and asked for them to send someone for negotiations on the agreement to be signed. Too bad they had a history of traditional arranged marriages.
"No, choose someone else" To be perfectly honest, the treaty wasn't necessary, but not having the treaty was bothersome.
"Perhaps, Hokage-sama, it would be wise to let your apprentice make her own decisions about the future safety of her home village" He was a manipulative bastard, no wonder they sent him.
"She's too young to decide! I will not let her be played by you idiots into an unwarranted marriage. There isn't even a need for it!" Her blazing eyes pinned him to his spot. He smirked "I don't care about your customs, can't we just send our own representatives out every month or so?!"
"It wouldn't hold as much merit, that, and my lord is currently searching for a wife to bring…meaning into his life" He chuckled deeply "He is quite the character I'm sure your apprentice would not hesitate to consider him an excellent candidate for marital bliss"
"She's seventeen for kami's sake! She shouldn't even be thinking of boys at this age" He raised a brow "Okay maybe I'm being a tad unreasonable but this is ridiculous!"
"She is of age correct?"
"Correct"
"She is a loyal citizen of your village correct?"
"Yes"
"She is unspoken for correct?"
"Again yes"
"Then how is it unreasonable. If she is loyal she will keep peace between the villages. If she is unspoken for and of age she is able to be married. Also she is an acceptable kunoichi" He lent back and stretched out his long legs "A plus considering our past"
"Can't I have a little time to think about this? How will we know your lord will even accept her as a wife?!" Tsunade rubbed her temple trying to quell the burning migraine approaching. A hangover sounds better than this crap!
"My Lord will be arriving in three days time to ratify the agreement in consideration of our eventual treaty" he smirked "But I would love to meet this kunoichi, when would an appropriate time be for me to introduce myself?"
"You would wouldn't you?" She sneered "Well bad luck you can wait until your Lord gets here before the introductions can commence"
He stood up stretching his legs again and collecting the scroll that lay forlornly on the edge of her desk. If he weren't wearing his countries traditional robes she would have subtly set his ass on fire but unfortunately, it was rude…and to be perfectly honest she was a little too drunk to form the hand seals. She choked back a laugh. Half our bloody shinobi are off their heads.
"It was a pleasure meeting you hokage-sama" He bowed and left with a wisp of his cloak and a click of his boots.
--#--
"You suck donkey's balls."
"You suck sweaty donkey's balls."
"You suck sweaty donkey's balls on a hot day."
"You suck sweaty wrinkly donkey's balls on a hot day"
"You suck a donkey's sweaty wrinkly balls…that just had a massive case of liquid shits the day before, without a bath, on a hot day."
Kiba and Naruto stared each other down daring the next to come up with the next daring witticism. Sakura stared at the two in disbelief while Hinata tried to swallow down the acidic substance threatening to burst from her mouth. Rare as it may seem, it was the first time in Naruto's company that the young woman was pale as a ghost rather than red as a cherry.
Shino sat in silence for a few moments watching Naruto flounder as he tried to come up with a much more clever insult "The winner is…Kiba."
Naruto slammed his fist down on the rickety wooden table and shed a few tears for his loss. Another drink was passed down the blonde's way to gather with the several others he'd been brought due to his appalling abilities to lay down a good slander. Thankfully Sai wasn't present to participate in their drinking game. Last time he played they were all flat out on their backs, Lee was in the hospital due to alcohol poisoning –his greatest mockery being 'You are slightly less youthful than myself, then again you are very youthful!'.
Sakura cringed and managed to smoothly slip out of the bar without being caught by the others. Smooth also meaning she got bombarded by a couple drunk males wanting to squeeze her squishables and a couple of females who also felt the intense desire to squeeze her bodies more supple attachments. After that she dodged a man who was running to the lavatories, presumably to empty his bowls or stomach…or to get his rocks off with a lady friend. Finally out the door with a waft of smoke whirling around her body and dissipating in the clean village air.
Her walk to the Hokage building was short but only a few blocks from her destination she was stopped by an argument between the two more socially inept sensei's of her generation. It wasn't so much an argument as it was a disagreement of sorts.
"My young student explodes with the power youth! I know this my eternal rival because my love and passion will last till the ends of the earth!" Kakashi ignored the taijutsu master in favour of his little orange book.
"Gai-sensei? Kakashi-sensei? What are you doing?"
Both turned their attention to the approaching woman Gai struck his customary welcome pose, which coupled with green spandex made for a grotesque sight, especially around the lower regions. Sakura turned to the more attractive sensei and raised an eyebrow, he flicked the page over.
Sakura raised the other eyebrow.
Kakashi shifted his feet.
"Kakashi-sensei!"
He flicked his eye up to her "Yo, Sakura. How are you?"
"What are you two on about?" If she saw Kakashi more than once a month then maybe she could've found out what they were on about from the look in his eye on her own. But as it was, she was busy, and he was indifferent, lazy, aloof and maybe a little blasé considering his reaction towards her jounin exams.
"Ah wonderful beautiful cherry blossom of Konoha! Your luminous splendor has brought you to us, your youthful honesty shall settle our eternal rivalry over the wellbeing of our YOUNG STUDENTS!" Gai grinned and held his palm out to Sakura expecting her to say something.She held her hand up to shield her eyes from the sunrays that bounced off of his insanely white teeth.
"He just got back from visiting Lee at the hospital" Kakashi commented. Sakura smiled. Gai was such a devoted teacher, his love for his students bordered on obsession but was appreciated nevertheless. Well maybe just Lee appreciated it but she was sure the other two were thankful, deep down. Deep deep down. Really really really far down.
"That's sweet of you, I'm sure Lee was happy"
Kakashi shifted his feet again and flipped the page "Lee was unconscious still"
"I thought it was just alcohol poisoning"
Gai's eyes started brimming with tears "My youthful student is not equipped with the skills to handle such an unyouthful drink!"
Kakashi rolled his single visible eye "He can't hold his liquor, Gai. It's not life threatening"
"How can you say that my rival?! How can you be so callous? Our leadership is what sets these young women and men on the path of life, we shall predetermine their way into the SUNSET! WE SHALL LEAD THEM ALL TO THE POWER OF YOUTH!"
"They're grown men and women, they can take care of themselves"
"BUT MY RIVAL! How would you even know?! You have left your students all alone, how are you to know when they need you guidance?!" Gai faced Sakura and clasped her hands in his own, she tried to shuffle back and away from his grasp.
"Sakura-chan do you not agree with me? Kakashi has forsaken his students and given in to his unyouthful exploits!"Sakura looked over to her former teacher his face was starting to become strange to her and it was nice to see him from time to time, she really did miss him but sometimes she found it hard to talk to him. She could only take so many polite waves and non committal conversations before she lost it and smacked him round the back of the head for his ignorance. Kakashi rolled his eye at Gai's small speech, Sakura smiled once again.
"Actually Gai, I think you're on to something" Not only was the bowl cut jounin surprised but the silver haired copy nin lowered his book to look at her. Sakura stepped away from Gai and nodded her head thoughtfully "The only time I've seen you Kakashi-sensei was at headquarters and that was a month or two ago. I can't recall the last time Naruto's seen you. And if we were to count conversations, I'd have to say over a year"
"So it was" He mused.
"I propose a challenge Kakashi. I will spend so much time with my students that they shall wish for my presence no longer. It saddens me but this is for the good of us ALL! You Kakashi, will also spend so much time with your students that they will be tired of your presence and thus show that you care for your students deeply"
Wow he didn't say youth!
"And why would I want to do this?"
"Because my eternal rival" Gai reached into his back pocket to reveal a shiny new edition in Kakashi's beloved book series "I recently won this in a karaoke competition, it seems my handsome manly features scored the highest marks"
Insert cheesy grin.
Kakashi seemed to ponder over it for some time, seemingly weighing the pros and cons that went with the bet. On one hand he'd have to retain a cheery almost psychotic disposition in order to annoy his students to the point of insanity and almost attaching himself to either of their sides permentantly throughout the day and forgoing the attention of his book for them, then again…Kakashi glanced up at the hardcover novel.
"Deal"
A/N Hope you like, there is a point...eventually. Review please, it's the only way for me to know where to go next...and it makes me feel special .
Thanks to everyone who reviewed for the last chapter and the "one shot" XD
P.S. I need a new summary, any ideas?