Chapter 5
Genma was infinitely glad that he had been given such a detailed brief about his mission location. Apparently, a Saito Haruka of the Kirigakure research department had written it on orders from the Mizukage when Konoha’s assistance was requested. He could practically feel that there was something political going on behind the scenes, but Genma wasn’t going to bother with trying to suss it out. Any interest he had had in politics had been fueled by Minato, and it died with him.
The problem with villages coming out of rebellion was that there were a lot of deserters. Secrets weren’t usually entrusted to people until they reached the rank of jonin within the rebellion as a result, and even then there was a significant amount of mistrust unless they had proven themselves loyal. Even in wars, there were a significant number of deserters – Genma had witnessed it enough in the Third War to know that judging or trying to bring them in wasn’t worth it. They weren’t cut out for the Shinobi lifestyle, and had probably punished themselves enough in guilt and shame. The villages couldn’t do much more than that, other than taking their lives.
And after a war, that was usually the last thing any shinobi wanted to do.
Deserters, whether from war or rebellion, typically didn’t cause an issue later. They went and started families or started businesses. Genma had read that in Kiri, after the war, a couple had come out of the woodwork, maimed by the war but supporting the new regime with shinobi-oriented shops. The rapport built up quick, and the new Mizukage seemed more than willing to let it slide.
It had strengthened the economy, it had increased bonds between shinobi and civilians, but it wasn’t every case.
There were the few that abdicated so they could fight for their own bottom line – understandable given the circumstances, but also despicable. They would sell out anyone, at least as far Genma had seen.
Deserters’ faces and names were circulated quickly in the event that they were working against or nefariously within other villages. Especially after the Invasion of Konoha a few years prior, the incentive to capture traitors and runners was much higher.
It seemed that type of preparation hadn’t been for naught. Hideyoshi Saika had been a phenomenon every village had and every village was suspect of – the eternal Gennin. He would seem to make progress and then would sabotage himself before promotion during the war, often causing damage around him.
His official cover was that he had ‘tracked’ Hideyoshi after seeing him trafficking some contraband over Konoha borders. It wasn’t exactly a lie – Hideyoshi took the connections he made and started a massive smuggling ring.
Slipping along the path, Genma decided to track him a while longer before attacking.
*
The dinner started precisely on time. Mei was there shortly after her tea with Yoshino. The two weren’t going to be friends anytime soon, but Mei’s conscience felt a little lighter knowing she had at least reached out to the woman.
Now she had her soldier’s father to deal with.
“Thank you for coming to continue this discussion in Konoha, Mizukage-san.” Tsunade bowed to Mei, low enough for respect without being so low as to risk conveying any superiority. Mei reciprocated, careful to show ever so slightly more respect. This was not her village.
But damn were manners such a pain.
“Hokage-san.”
*
Her evening missions weren’t going to be bad, if the first night was anything to go by. Running things through rougher areas, hunting down aggressive missing-nin in the area, and the like. Simple missions that were just a bit over the heads of her four genin.
She started taking work in the satellite as well, working enough that she was picking up a decent amount of extra cash while her genin were doing stuff within sensing-distance just outside the satellite.
Today, though, they were far enough out that she got to sleep in a tree while they did some de-trenching in the further out agricultural areas outside a nearby village. Trenches had been useful in the war, but were making it hard for some areas to return to work.
Hard labor was good for the shinobi’s soul, though. And they were already starting to work together more effectively with the occasional guidance from other shinobi or from herself.
Too bad her luck followed them, and they couldn’t get through a few days without something going wrong.
*
The room was tense through the beginning of dinner but things settled into the reason the event was held in the first place – politics.
“I am sure you understand, Terumi-san, why we must request this.”
“Why you may feel the need and why her father feel the need are entirely different, Senju-san.” Mei lowered her head slightly. “But either way, I cannot release that kind of information.”
“We only ask for her personnel file, Terumi-sama.” Shikaku was holding her gaze, the desperate search for information well concealed behind the sharp, almost scolding look he was giving her. “Surely a chuunin’s file isn’t so marred in secrecy that your village would keep it hidden?”
“She is not a chuunin, Nara-san. She is a jonin, and her file is classified respectively.”
Shikaku seemed more uncomfortable than proud. And, Mei supposed, it made sense. Jonin were sent on the most dangerous missions, and once a shinobi became a jonin their life expectancy was nearly cut in half.
That did not mean she had to cater to a worried parent. If she catered to every worried parent she wouldn’t have a military.
Tsunade sat straighter. “What sections of her file would be available?”
Nearly everything. Her time under ANBU wouldn’t be, nor would certain sections of reports, but she knew she could give them a lot.
“Until she reached Jonin.”
She wasn’t going to give them everything, though. It wasn’t wise to give that much information to any other power, regardless whether they were ally or not. Tsunade and Nara gave her looks, simultaneously condemning her for restricting and pleading for more information.
“Mizukage-san, surely we would be privy to more information.”
“I’m afraid I would have to keep some of that information classified. She is my shinobi, this is my decision.” She smiled. “As of now, I have certified this information safe to share between villages. I hope it will at least ease your curiosity.”
She had come prepared, and she was glad for it. Zabuza had been the one to suggest it, shrugging off allegations that he cared-by-proxy about Ren’s family, much less that he cared about Ren to begin with.
Tsunade took the file, raising a brow as she caught the name. “This was what she called herself undercover? I would have thought she would have known to fly under the radar.”
Mei laughed. “That is one thing I’m glad she didn’t do.”
*
Their first few days of mini-missions went fine. Except for the sniping at each other, things were actually going well.
It was Ren’s missions that went sideways, and her nights were spent half on missions and half in a medics’ tent, where she had to face the fact that the one assigning the mission – an old partner when she was training into the Hunter Corps – was purposefully assigning her a lighter mission load than she did most jonin.
“You’re the one with the shit luck, Akagi-chan.”
Ren rolled her eyes while a medic bandaged her arm. “You’re just doing this to get back at me for the Foresters Battles.”
“Possibly. Or I genuinely think you need to be given space to be treated. And, ya know. To sleep. You do have a genin team you’re minding all day. A lighter mission load means you still get your pay and they still have a teacher who can stand on her feet.”
Ren groaned. “Why are we wasting bandages, then? I can heal myself if they would just,” one of the medics started going at one of her cuts, prompting her to push his hand away and curse. “let me.”
Kauruko, the satellite commander, was a Terumi and had all the spunk and charm of Mei with some of the more fluid personality of her father’s family – a merchant family that had been very keen on helping finance the revolution.
Kauruko, however, also knew enough about Ren from training her to know when she was on her bullshit. So, instead of letting it slide, she took Ren’s small pouch from where it was set aside – the one she kept her mission scrolls in – and took all of them out. “Tomorrow, you’re just working with your genin then working here. The medics don’t like the idea of so much medical chakra in your system so many nights in a row, hence the bandages and stitches instead of healing.”
“I had it way more often in the war.”
“And I distinctly remember some side effects.”
“I’ve probably had worse side effects working with Hiroshi.”
“I’ve read the redacted report – Mei sent it my way when she sent your mission roster and told me to pull you off when I thought you were going overboard.” Kauruko laughed, lighting a cigarette. "I was your trainer. Anytime we have to work together I get to read just about anything on you I want. And that includes what you and that Hiroshi brat are working on."
Ren rolled her eyes. “There’s never been any getting around you.”
“Nope. Now come on. You’re chilling out here for a few days and then you guys have to head out. Try to keep that luck of yours in check while you're on rest, though."
"I make no promises." Ren found herself laughing with Kauruko as they finished her treatment.