Chapter 10
“You make it seem like I don’t get flirted at almost every day anyway.” She shrugged her shoulders as they finally reached the end of the corridor. “When would you like me to look at it Gaara?” she asked when they were in Konkuro’s hearing.
Gaara glared at her as he thought of a time, “Tonight…”
Konkuro and Baki coughed their drinks, clearly finding the conversation… unusual. “Konkuro, Baki senesi. You will never guess what Naruto here specializes in.” spoke Temari as she grinned at them, arm around Naruto’s shoulder.
Baki studied Naruto before he replied, “As the honourable daughter of the yondaime I would have to say diplomacy.”
He gave a bow to Naruto, acknowledging Naruto as practical royalty and in return she bowed her head. “That’s what we all thought! But no! She specializes in seduction. Seduction!” Temari’s voice showed her confusion and other emotions Naruto hadn’t experienced in order to explain but it was between annoyance, shock and confusion.
Konkuro let out a strangled spluttering noise as his face turned a nice shade of pink. Baki on the other hand seemed to not allow this information to shock him however his eyes widened but then a small frown marred his face as he glanced at where Gaara was standing.
“How very… odd. I did not take Lord Sarutobi one to allow his ward into such a… dangerous line of work.” Spoke Baki, the dutiful politician he was. He refrained from insulting both her and the hokage despite the fact he was thinking it, yet he managed to get his thoughts across.
She gave him a smile, “Well in all honesty it was my choice. Due to who my parents are, I have several areas I need to perfect. Fuinjutsu as both my parents specialised in it, diplomacy since my father was a hokage, chakra control and sage arts due to both of them. But due to my Uzumaki blood, my chakra is a lot more dense and corrosive, so I have to specialise in chakra control mostly because of that. Also due to my reserves, my team and I have been made the front-liners of my graduating class. Infiltration was something that I want to add since I want to work in seduction and it’d help in that area.” Her smile never left her face as she explained about the several different areas she had to learn in order to take the hokage seat.
Of course she never stated she would take it, merely hinted at it. By right of birth, like suna do, she was next in line for the title of kage but the same could be said about Asuma Sarutobi. However if we went by experience Kakashi sensei would be on that list as well if he didn’t prefer being 3 hours late and read hentai all day. To add to that list Lady Tsunade could also take the title if she ever wanted it, or to ever return to Konoha.
“Th-that is quite the achievement, Lady Namikaze.”
She waved a hand, “Please. No need for that. Especially with that name. if you won’t call me by my first name then I request I be addressed by my Uzumaki name since I’m less likely to get killed because of it. Iwa, Kumo and Kiri ninja are here after all.” She gave him a pointed look and he gave a curt nod and he gave one in return with a bow before looking pointedly at Gaara and left.
She clapped her hands causing a loud echo in the empty room, “Well then! When did you all want to go to the forest? It will be a lot less dangerous than this one, I promise.”
Konkuro and Temari looked at each other before looking back at Gaara. Temari being the brave and devoted sister she was went over to Gaara and whispered something that was clearly meant to be private so Naruto tried not to listen. Whatever she said made him clench his jaw as he looked Naruto in the eye and once again a shiver of thrill went through her back causing her to grin.
“We- we will go with you a day after this round has finished.” He replied before marching out of the room, slamming the door behind him as he did so, causing Konkuro to jump slightly.
He didn’t seem to be a coward, however whenever it came to his little brother he seemed on edge. It made her think about Gaara’s life growing up and what it was about his childhood that caused such a reaction from all those around him.
His siblings left after him leaving her on her own before she remembered Sakura had gone to the infirmary where Sasuke was being looked after and decided to go join her and see if there was anything she could do to help.
She chose against knocking and barged right into the room, making sure not to create any loud noises in case he was sleeping. Which was a complete waste of time and effort because as soon as she entered she saw a very flustered Sakura who looked thoroughly accosted and a highly irritated Sasuke.
Raising a brow she waited for one of them to notice her but neither did so she leaned against the door and listened to their conversation.
“You can’t decide that for her!” yelled Sakura.
Scratch that previous thought, it was an argument.
“The sooner you accept it Sakura, the better.” Replied Sasuke in a monotone voice. Now she was very interested. “And in any event, it’s not me doing the deciding, it’s the hokage. He insists… but I’m on your side on this. She already has an infatuation with that guy.”
“It still doesn’t mean you get to be rude to the rest of us. I can take it but the rest of the kunoichi aren’t used to you and your broodish, rude ways. Tone it down a bit.”
“I don’t see any reason to tone it down. They needed to hear it so I told them since you let them think it.” He gave her a pointed looked causing her to blush again yet she didn’t allow that to faze her.
“Going back on track, how do we tell her? She’s got a lot on her plate as it is and this will just be adding more onto it.”
“What do you prefer we tell her first? That you are being told to get married by your parents? That the hokage wants her to get married to the pervy Suna guy? Perhaps that I was bit by Orochimaru and am now at his mercy? Or maybe that I care enough about the both of you that I could kill either of you in order to get revenge?”
“I want you to tell me all those things. Some I know but some I need details.” She said causing both to turn their heads to her, clearly they hadn’t sensed her coming. She’d have to get them to work on that if they though they even had the slightest chance of passing the next round.
“How much of that did you hear?” asked Sakura. Her face returned to its usual colour and her voice didn’t raise or waver as she spoke.
She shrugged in return, “Not long. Just from when you stated- well yelled that Sasuke couldn’t decide something for someone who I assume is me.”
Neither of them gave her an answer to what she was hinting to so she crossed her arms and raised her brows. When neither of them spoke still, she sighed and walked over to where Sasuke was sitting and perched herself on the edge of his bed, trying to get a better look at the cursed seal.
“We will be finishing this conversation later so don’t either of you think you’re getting out of it.” She raised a hand to move his collar down and folded it to get a full look, “So Sasuke. How does it feel to have Orochimaru’s cursed hickey on you?” she asked genuinely however her teammates groaned and both face-palmed.
“You know that was the exact same thing Genma said?” asked Sakura as Sasuke muttered vengeance.
“Well he bit you and it left a mark. It’s also cursed so can you blame us?” she raised a brow and crossed her legs in her meditating pose.
She had been training up her ability so stay in one place so meditating gave her something to think about, Kurama’s and hers chakra.
“Oh, and please elaborate on this marriage business. I haven’t been updated on that yet.” She said calmly however she didn’t doubt for a second her eyes looked like waves crashing.
They both shared nervous glances before having a silent conversation between them, “Well, uh, basically… My parents want me to marry this guy from Kirigakure and the hokage said he would agree if I agree. The other marriage is um for you…” she faded off thinking Naruto would go off on a rant yet she remained calm, outwardly at least. “That Konkuro guy. He wants you two to marry in order to make the bond between our two nations stronger.”
Sasuke carried on for her, “It was proposed by the sand sibling’s teacher. What better way to unite the two nations by having the daughter of the yondaime hokage and son on the yondaime kazekage marry?” his eyes filled with mirth as he explained. Sasuke had never liked the system where ones marital partners were decided for them.
Naruto closed her eyes and took a deep breath before opening them up, “Okay… I’ll deal with my marriage thing with the old man myself why is Sakura getting married off to Kiri?” she quirked a brow as she regarded the other female of team 7.
Sakura figited in her seat before sitting with her back straight, “My dad wants-”
“You’re a legal adult in the eyes of shinobi. He can’t force you to do anything you don’t want to do. Old enough to kill, old enough to drink and live alone.”
The conversation was quite normal after that, Sasuke and Naruto stating they wouldn’t let her be married off to someone she didn’t want to but then the conversation went onto Sasuke’s mangekyo possibility to which Naruto smacked him over the head for even thinking she would allow him to kill her.