Aiko slunk in as late as she could, half-expecting to walk right into a lecture about proper behavior.
"I thought you would return sooner," Tsunade mused. She was seated with her back to the door, ankles crossed and a pile of paperwork on her lap. Shizune glanced up from her seat on the other side of the table and gave Aiko a scorching glare, disapproval painted into the lines of her face. Shizune did not approve of tardiness. She probably didn't approve of making a scene, either. Uchiha Itachi seemed to be ignoring all of them, nursing a cup of something that smelled truly foul and medicinal.
'If Tsunade's going to ignore the elephant in the room, so will I.'
Aiko nodded in response, taking off her shoes. At least she had a good change of subject ready. "The Tsuchikage's granddaughter wants to solidify a political alliance by marrying a Konoha representative so that she has family ties to our administration. She awaits your suggestions."
Uchiha Itachi coughed politely behind a raised fist.
"I didn't hear that," Yamato protested from behind her. Aiko moved to the side to let him into the room. He raised an eyebrow at her and gestured for her to move first. Hands in his pockets, he shrugged. "Is that why she dragged you off?"
"You should get your hearing checked. I would have been able to hear more than that from where you were hiding." Aiko flashed him a dry smile. "No, actually, that's the means to an end and not the goal. This is about becoming Tsuchikage somehow." She shrugged. "She's talking about restructuring alliance tendencies that have held since the third war, but I don't know if that is a by-product or her actual goal."
"She dreams big," Tsunade drawled. The Hokage was frowning, but she didn't reject the idea out of hand. "It could be that she's orchestrating a coup and needs allies after she alienates her old ones. But she was all but guaranteed the robes, if she waits for her grandfather to die. Why do something so drastic?"
'Maybe because waiting for him to die is kinda morbid? And also I bet Iwagakure has been waiting for him to die for like thirty years. Apparently, it isn't going to happen.'
Shizune pursed her lips. "You think she's thinking ahead?" The Jounin drew her eyebrows together and stared into space, lost in thought. "She grew up in the vacuum after Iwa lost the war. It could be that she's decided she doesn't want to be our enemy. But she's young, and most shinobi her age or older in Iwagakure consider Konohagakure their worst enemy. She would have to do something drastic to quell dissidence. Having a marital tie to the village would help. Especially if her partner is either prestigious enough that Iwa feels they've won something, or personable enough to smooth things over."
"She actually wants to be our ally." A line formed on Tsunade's brow. "The Tsuchikage does have to retire eventually, and Kurotsuchi-san is the only prospect raised since his last one died twenty years ago... But the Tsuchikage has been acting as though he will rule indefinitely. Perhaps there has been a schism in Iwagakure's leadership in regards to how to move forward." The Hokage cleared her throat thoughtfully. "Her bargains should hold weight. For the sake of discussion, let's assume that we believe this is a legitimate effort. Would an alliance with Iwagakure work for Konoha? I take it that Kurotsuchi-san is offering to help our case with Konan, in the short term."
"Would that be necessary?" Shizune sat back, index finger on her chin. "If we have a strong treaty with Iwakagure, we don't need to fear that Kumogakure will use their resources to pin us in. At that point, even if Ame is parceled out to Kumo as reparation, we would be in good standing."
That was cold. A muscle twitched in Aiko's jaw, but she said nothing.
"Alright then, the idea's not bad. So, she wants to get married to seal a deal, and she isn't particular? We'll at least see her." A wicked smirk curled around Tsunade's lips. "I wonder if she'd take Jiraiya off our hands. He's not particular, either."
Shizune tossed her head back and laughed. "Would that we were so lucky," she rejoined. "Alas, I think that for the sake of a treaty, it will have to be a person who is less…" The woman struggled for words, but eventually settled, "eccentric than Jiraiya-sama." She paused. "Although someone who is also relatively well-known would be an excellent gesture of commitment."
The Hokage hummed. "Pity. Could we afford to buy her like that? Who would Iwa accept?" Clearly brainstorming, Tsunade cast a distant look around the room. She skated right over Yamato, but narrowed her eyes on Aiko and Shizune. It was Uchiha Itachi, however, who she gestured at in an imperious demand for speech.
Uchiha Itachi seemed no more than politely interested at best, but he set back in thought. "The bride of a kage should be of the highest standing possible to avoid the impression of a slight. That indicates a member of one of Konoha's most prominent clans, or a figure of other political importance. In order to enforce our interests in Iwagakure, the bride should be as independently powerful as possible, which makes a civilian candidate unlikely. But no active shinobi could be sent to Iwagakure."
"No, that'd look like a mission," Tsunade agreed. "A civilian is traditional, anyway. Optimally a shinobi who has retired, best of both worlds." She grimaced. "In a pinch, we could retire a shinobi for this purpose, but again, that resembles something rather nefarious and counter to the impression we would want. Does Kurotsuchi-san care-"
"She doesn't have a gender preference," Aiko answered. She shot Uchiha a sly sideways look. "Maybe she'd like Itachi-san, ne?"
Shizune rolled her eyes, but Tsunade was making a contemplative face.
'Oh my god she's considering it. Maybe we'll get rid of the creepy guy.'
Behind Tsunade, Shizune raised her eyebrows and ducked her head at Aiko. Confused, Aiko followed the older kunoichi's gaze back to-
Itachi, who opened his mouth and suggested, "Perhaps Kurotsuchi-san would take Aiko-san off of your hands, Tsunade-sama."
'Oh. So he does have teeth to bite back.' Aiko pulled back her lips to bare her teeth at him. It was not a smile.
"Maybe she'd take both of you headaches," Tsunade snapped. "Every time one of you opens your mouth, three pages of paperwork fall onto my desk."
'I don't do it on purpose.'
Sullen, Aiko crossed her arms and kicked back against the wall.
"I hope Kurotsuchi-san is a polygamist," Tsunade muttered bitterly. She cast a gimlet eye over both Aiko and Itachi. "Maybe she has a kink for administrative nightmares."
Aiko took a moment to consider that scenario. Polygamy? Sounded good. Polygamy that involved Uchiha? No.
'Other than that, being the Tsuchikage's wife wouldn't be that bad. Imagine having my own soldiers. A city that loves the idea of me, and has political pressure to follow my orders. If Naruto became the Hokage, I'd be set for life.'
Appealing. A lot more appealing than being such a loser that she could be kidnapped for a year and the information could be kept quiet.
'But gaining from someone else's position is something Obito would do. No, I don't like that. I wouldn't want to share authority.'
She discarded the fantasy of being Kurotsuchi's trophy wife. No. Better that it was someone else.
"So what's going to happen to Konan?" Aiko changed the subject. "Do we suddenly not care about Amegakure?"
Not that Aiko had ever really cared about Amegakure. And had in fact done them personal harm. Whatever, as long as no one knew about her culpability, it was like it'd never happened. But the idea of Konan being punished didn't sit right with her.
Shizune wrinkled her nose. "You're taking this far too personally." The brunette blew air out the side of her mouth. "I didn't think you were so touchy."
Tsunade interfered, waving her hand. "Don't lose perspective, Shizune. I've done worse than be blunt in court."
"She's not you." Shizune huffed, looking away. "You've paid your dues. Aiko-chan is a teenager who publicly undermined you."
Tsunade quirked an eyebrow. "Don't worry. She'll be paying for that." Aiko stiffened, pinned when the Hokage glanced over at her with a cool expression. "If she wants to be a leader so badly, she can have the opportunity to learn underfoot. I think the ANBU commander could use someone to do paperwork and delegate to. A few years of that might turn her into someone who has a right to talk back to foreign leaders."
Aiko winced.
'Did she... I'm going to be demoted to administrative duties?'
"Oh." Shizune actually sounded a bit surprised. "That's... fitting, actually."
Tsunade outright snorted, but indulged her apprentice with a nod. "Aiko-chan, why don't you go for a nice walk on the moral high ground while I manufacture farcical outcomes for my personal gain?" Tsunade drawled, looking much more amused than miffed. "Shizune needs to fume for a bit."
The medic nin ruffled up like a bird, mouth open in outrage.
"Shoo." Tsunade flicked her hand out, fanning air towards the door. "I don't need squabbling."
'I don't squabble. She started it.'
Aiko puffed up with her own wounded pride, drawing her brows down and pouting resentfully at Shizune.
"You can brainstorm about how the Tsuchikage knew about that encounter," Tsunade wheedled. She placed her chin on a palm and grinned. "Seems fishy, doesn't it?"
Aiko had to agree. It was fishy that he had enough certainty to call her out like that. To what purpose? He couldn't have been expecting confirmation. So… what, had he wanted to put her off her game? She didn't see Yamato give the Hokage a long-suffering expression as he followed Aiko to the door. Tsunade waved.
'Why would the Tsuchikage care enough about me to wrong-foot me? Was I a stand-in for his rivalry with Tsunade?'
"Aiko, where are we going?"
'Maybe. It doesn't feel right. That's petty. I wouldn't put pettiness past him, but at this venue? It seems unlikely.'
"Feel free to acknowledge me at any moment in time."
'What else is there? There might have been something about my testimony he feared, or he might stand to gain from demonstrating that I am either an imposter or shaming me.'
"I feel like I'm talking to a wall. A really fast, really rude wall."
'That could damage my career, if I'm unlucky. Tsunade might still have to launch an inquiry, just to ensure everything looks above-ground. I really could end up in serious trouble, if anyone latches on that accusation.'
Yamato sighed heavily and simply stopped walking. He was in the middle of the path through a park, but there was no traffic to block.
Aiko stopped and gave him a puzzled look. "Is something wrong?"
He seemed to deflate. "So mean…"
She felt her brow furrow. "You're weird."
Pink crawled over his ears. "You're one to talk," Yamato muttered to his collar. He cleared his throat. "Are we going anywhere in particular, or just on a power walk?"
"A power walk," Aiko mused, rolling the words around her mouth.
'Isn't power what all this bullshit is about? Who has it and who wants it? It really isn't about Konan at all.'
If it was up to Aiko, this bullshit wouldn't be happening. It was such a waste of time.
Something she didn't dare contemplate -she was acting like condemning Konan was a personal condemnation I'm not Konan I'm not we're not the same person but that's worse because I'm strong I shouldn't be taken advantage of not by anybody- crawled unbidden up her chest and spilled out onto her tongue. "Let's go see the defendant."
Yamato's jaw dropped. "You've got to be joking," he hissed. His face cycled through several shades of red, building in intensity. "That's- that's a terrible idea!" He ran a hand through his hair and looked upward.
Aiko tilted her head to the side and stepped directly in front of him. "Why." She reached up and tugged at his left wrist. When he gave her a wounded, 'why would you do this to me' look, she gave him a winning smile, working not to think too much. "I have a hunch. Besides, it'd only be polite."
"Aiko."
His tone wiped the smile off her face.
"Tell me what's really going on." Yamato made steady eye contact, his free hand planted firmly on his hip.
Aiko wavered. He seemed so serious. If he was going with her he deserved to know what was going on. But it was her business. But he was her friend. Aside from the following and the actually having been ordered to watch her. He was her friend. She did like him. Not just in that 'wow I would tap that' way but in a 'wow what a good person' way. That meant something, didn't it?
"I want to try to get a read on Konan," Aiko explained in an undertone. "She's not getting a fair trial. I wonder how much of her actions she is culpable for, and how she was influenced by…" Aiko made a face. "Tobi," she settled.
'Too honest for my taste. I can just see him realizing this is personal.'
"She might have insight into the way he works," Aiko added hastily. "He's here. I know it. It would benefit her to advise me at this point."
Yamato held up a hand to stop her, gently removing the tightened grip Aiko still had on his other wrist. "Fine."
"What?" Aiko reared back. "Really? Because that wasn't really that persuasive-"
He shrugged one shoulder. "No, but it told me you're invested in this and it's not an impulse." Yamato scratched at the back of his head, looking sheepish. "I don't understand you." He held a hand up to stop her response. "I don't. Never have. But I trust you. Your decisions come from the right place, misled or hasty as they occasionally are."
Her eyes were probably open a little too wide. That was why they were prickling in that funny way.
The moment was uncomfortable, but he didn't look away. His voice dropped down a pitch. "So, we're going to go pretend we have orders to see the witness."
"But you're supposed to be watching me." Was that her voice? It was terribly small. "Tsunade is trusting you to keep me out of trouble and make good decisions. I might go haring off after an S class terrorist. Get kidnapped. Release a bijuu. Or three."
"I'm sure you'll have your reasons," Yamato said mildly. His hands twitched, like he was consciously refraining from putting them in his pockets.
"I might undermine international relations by doing something Tsunade doesn't like," she tried, wondering why she was trying to convince him not to trust her. "I'm not that interested in doing what she wants."
"You mean well, and you have good instincts. I've learned to favor that over blind obedience."
She bit her lower lip. "What," Aiko started slowly, "did I do to deserve a friend like you?"
Yamato shrugged, pink crawling over his ears. "You don't have to earn friends. But I'm pretty sure you took away the seal on my tongue and got rid of the man who put it there, so that's not a bad start."
How did he-
Her expression must have been proof enough, because something clicked smugly into place around the set of his lips. After a moment, she heaved a sigh and rolled her eyes. "Fine. Let's go find Konan and make friends."
'It'd only be polite. I am the reason her best friend was killed and mutilated. And we made the mistake of trusting the same person. I see a lot more of myself than I am comfortable with in her.'
"You, make friends-" Her friend closed his eyes a moment and looked up to the sky like he was praying for patience. "We'd better go, before my common sense returns."
Getting to see Konan wasn't hard. But privacy-
"I can't leave you alone with her," the mist-nin repeated, though his voice was shaking. He didn't quite make eye contact. His comrades were equally uncomfortable. It was hard to blame them. Aiko didn't exactly have the best reputation. "We have been charged with monitoring her state and presence. I can let you speak to her, but I cannot risk collusion or escape."
Yamato sucked in a deep breath, but Aiko held up a hand. "That's fine. I don't want to cause trouble for you."
They were doing the same job that Naruto was, after all. She could respect that.
Konan was watching this with an expression of cool disinterest, hair swept off her neck with a cheap plastic barrette instead of her paper flower. Even in a prison cell, deprived of her weaponry, she was imperious and collected, dressed in white and dove grey from her head to her feet. When Aiko took a seat, she inclined her head. "To what do I owe the honor of this visit?"
'Is it bad to hope she doesn't remember that I called her old and trashy and planted explosives on her?'
Why couldn't she have had a better relationship with the one person who cared about the man whose body had been mutilated for Aiko? She gave a queasy smile. Perhaps this was a sign that she should be less rude to strangers. "I have something of a confession to make. I think I owe you."
"Not at all." Konan looked away. "I am recovered."
She definitely remembered.
"No, not about that." Oh, shit, that made it sound like she wasn't sorry for all that. She wasn't, but still. Aiko rushed, "I mean, this is on a more personal level." She tugged on the end of her braid, wrapping the loose hair around an index finger. "Your former associate, Nagato-san. I believe he was a relative of mine."
Someone inhaled sharply. Konan was very still.
'That probably isn't common knowledge.'
But the Ame nin made eye contact, grey irises sparked with something dangerous. "Yes. I believe so."
Aiko winced. "Right. With that in mind, I regret the part I played in his death, though I did not make the final blow or ask for it to be done."
"You need not apologize for that. He set himself against you." Konan's voice was flat. "Against one such as he, only the most rigorous effort could serve as defense. I would never ask that a shinobi refrain from defending themselves."
"That's good." Aiko swallowed. "I actually…" How to say this?
There just wasn't a good way to say this.
"I know how he was killed, and I know why." At that, Konan did give her full attention. Aiko's spine was rigid, her muscles tense. "The man who styles himself as Uchiha Madara sought him out."
"For his eyes." Konan's voice was tight, raised a half pitch in stress. "I am aware. He desired their power."
"Not for himself." Aiko licked her lips. Something was dawning on Konan's face. "He must have intended Nagato as some sort of sacrifice. Whatever he wanted the Rinnegan for, he didn't want to be the one using it. He tricked me."
She went silent, because Konan was leaning forward, was reaching out and touching her face. Cold fingers tipped Aiko's face up, delicately cupping the left side of her face and pushing at her chin with an index finger. This close, it felt like Konan was sucking in all of the air with her presence, swallowing up the light in the room. Aiko's heart jumped, stopping entirely for a moment before it continued tripping over itself in haste.
She closed her eyes.
She opened the Rinnegan, and saw them reflected in Konan's eyes.
Konan let go of her face and closed her own eyes, grief welling up in drops on her eyelashes. "I hope," she started. Stopped. Inhaled. "I hope that you might be a worthy successor, then." A muscle clenched in her jaw. "What was done to you was not your fault, and nor is what you may have done under thrall. I absolve you of it." She looked pained, but weight was lifting off of Aiko's shoulders, weight that she hadn't consciously noted was there. "I hope that what you do with those eyes is worthy of them, so that Nagato sees good in this world through you."
Aiko blinked. Tears were welling up but she didn't brush them away. It seemed petty, somehow, to pretend she was unaffected when water was rolling down Konan's face undisturbed. Somehow, she forced out a depreciating laugh. "I can't say that I can live in a way he would approve of."
Aiko did not say, 'because he was a booger-eating lunatic and so are you,' but it was clear that Konan understood her implication. The older woman made a surprised kind of snort and shook her head before looking up.
She had never seen Konan smile before. That smile was dawn breaking through clouds, light in a fog, not the blinding sunshine that Naruto boasted but not anything rote and trite either. "I think," Konan said softly, "that he would be pleased to help you, and not merely because you share an enemy. I feel much the same." She tossed her head. "I have always liked insolent, cantankerous brats who do not give up when they should."
Aiko should probably feel insulted. "And I like nutty old ladies with bad eyeliner," she rejoined. She glanced around the cell, mildly surprised that the guards were still there. She'd forgotten about them. Yamato looked pained and vaguely confused, from what little of his face wasn't covered by his palm. "I was wondering. He'll definitely be here, won't he?" She trailed off, pitch low.
Konan nodded, hair moving gently around her face. "I assumed so as well. But I do not have the freedom of movement to perform security measures."
She made a face. "Perfect," Aiko said sourly. "Should I be checking under the bed at night?"
The older woman lifted one shoulder. "Perhaps in the bathroom mirror over your shoulder, or in the faces of your loved ones."
Aiko lifted her eyebrows. "My loved ones?" she repeated doubtfully.
Konan hummed acknowledgment. "If you love the kage," she suggested mildly. "He does favor extravagant solutions."
"I think I would notice if Tsunade was-" Aiko stopped.
She would, wouldn't she? She knew Tsunade well enough that most imitations wouldn't fool her for long- she'd spent a considerable amount of time with the older woman in settings of various levels of formality. She knew how Tsunade would conduct herself in a number of situations. Someone who was less familiar with Tsunade would inevitably slip with something that was at least odd, if not damning.
The same thing probably was true for the other kage, wasn't it? It'd be easy to impersonate a public figure in a public capacity. But fooling someone like Aiko or Shizune for days… That wouldn't be so easy.
'So if Obito is here, controlling a kage, someone will eventually know that something is wrong. The pressure of keeping international face will prevent anyone from going for help, so I'm not going to be told. So who do I look at?'
Tsunade was golden. The Raikage was accompanied by Nii Yugito and other guards. Without his brother B, there was a possibility that no one in his entourage knew him on such a personal level that they would detect inconsistencies. What about Mei? Utakata would know… and that might explain his especially shitty attitude. Then there was Gaara. He'd come without his sister, which was odd, given that his second was usually by his side. Then again, it made sense to leave his most trusted shinobi in charge of his dangerous situation back home, and Kankuro should still know if something was wrong. That left only the Tsuchikage. Aiko strained to remember- but no, Kurotsuchi really was the only face she had recognized in his party. That didn't mean that his closest confidants were not present. She just didn't know who they were. Kurotsuchi might know?
'So, if the kage are his approach, the Raikage and the Tsuchikage are the standout candidates. They represent the most politically stable nations, and their diplomatic parties are oddly configured.'
Then again, Obito would probably think it was funny to go after a Mizukage again. That bumped Mei up to the biggest suspect, honestly.
"Thanks," Aiko mused, head still far away. "I should probably go."
"Go in peace." Konan settled back, ducking her head. She managed to look wryly amused through her tears. "Perhaps we will meet again, once you are done testifying against me. My best wishes in your endeavors."
Well, it was her job. So she didn't feel sorry about that, specifically. Just that the affair was rigged. "Yeah, sorry about that." Aiko stood, blinked her eyes back to black, and laced her arm through Yamato's. He followed her with a beleaguered sigh, limp and tolerant of being tugged past security. Aiko stopped at the doorway and whipped around, finally registering something she had seen. Konan's left eyebrow was raised, but Aiko was looking at the older woman's feet. "Konan," Aiko started slowly. "Have you had problems keeping track of your shoes?" She could feel Yamato's arm jerk in hers, but she didn't take the time to explain.
Slowly, Konan looked down at her open-toed white boots, gauged the relative size of Aiko's feet, and said, "That bastard."
Aiko snorted. "He's so petty." With that mystery solved, she waved goodbye and stepped out. The door shut behind her on Konan's aghast, marveling expression and the confusion of the guards.
The two shinobi made it outside before Yamato spoke in a thoughtful tone.
"Aiko?"
"Yeah?" She nudged him with her elbow, fond and relaxed and feeling so good about lifting one of the burdens on her mind.
"You are an insolent, cantankerous brat. She really has your number." He grinned down at her, all boyish teeth and charm and she didn't know if she wanted to slap him for being sassy or kiss him for being so perfect and there when she needed. No, she knew. She wanted to grab the sides of his face, drag him down, and plant a totally-not-romantic kiss on him because he really was just the best fucking friend ever, and unfairly cute besides.
"Yam-yam. Get down here."
Yamato made a bewildered face and tilted his chin down, mouth opening, probably to comment on the 'Yam-yam' thing.
Aiko didn't let him. She slunk one arm around his neck, stepped onto his feet for the last bit of needed height, and kissed his cheek.
He went stiff.
'Maybe this was a bad idea.'
Aiko drew back, just a little, and petted at his chest with her free hand.
He didn't move.
Aiko cleared her throat and stepped off his feet, face burning. She pulled her arms back and linked her fingers. "Impulse, sorry." She cleared her throat. "That was a bit rude."
"Pretty sure you're supposed to ask, not just leap at a guy," Yamato frowned, tilting his head, a line in his forehead. When she glanced down, she saw that his hands were fidgeting, fingers rubbing and twisting.
Awkward. She coughed. She looked away. "Sorry," Aiko repeated.
"For example," He coughed, a hand at his chest. "I, uh, I find you moderately attractive and enjoy spending time doing inadvisable things with you. May I kiss you?" The side of his mouth pulled up into a lopsided facsimile of a smirk.
"Moderately attractive," Aiko repeated incredulously. She nearly reached out to punch him, but instead curled her hands into fists. Yamato's shoulders were shaking now, and his eyes crinkled. "Asshole."
"Well, I'm not the one who wanted to kiss me," Yamato said practically. He lifted his chin. "That was too sudden. I'm not that kind of girl. A Yamato Nadeshiko lady like me needs to be wined and dined. Besides, I thought it was Anko you were after."
'Why would I have to pick just one?'
He wasn't even being subtle about mocking her anymore. And he was using her own puns against her.
She gave in to impulse and elbowed him. "Fine!" Aiko scowled up at him. "I'll take you out." It sounded more like a challenge than an invitation. When she started walking, he moved with her, easily keeping pace.
"I look forward to it. Don't worry." Yamato tapped his fingers against her palm, but didn't lace their hands together. "I am aware that you are incapable of romance. I don't expect flowers or feelings."
That should have been a relief, but her brow furrowed. "Wait, what?"
Yamato rolled his eyes. "After your poor showing with that Tenten girl, I think the whole village knows."
~~~
The next day, Aiko was mysteriously dis-invited from court proceedings. That led to a very long and uncomfortable moment where the rest of the Konoha delegation exchanged long-suffering looks.
Aiko shifted from foot to foot, scowling at the letter that had been slipped under their door.
"Well, what the hell did you expect?" Tsunade asked practically. She gave Aiko a mildly unimpressed expression and ripped the paper out of Aiko's grip. Then she crumpled and squeezed it, condensing the paper to a lump the size of a marble.
"Um." Aiko shrank back.
"I will rectify this," Tsunade said to no one at all. "It is highly inappropriate to move to restrict my access to my personnel."
Shizune shot Aiko a look that very clearly said, 'To be fair…'
"You're going to miss my testimony," Uchiha Itachi noted. The fact that he spoke up on his own was nearly as odd as the hint of humor in his voice.
Aiko didn't understand what was funny, but she scowled at him anyway. "I'll write something sad in my journal."
He didn't wince, but his stare was suddenly piercing and assessing.
Wait. What?
'Did I inadvertently hit a weak point?'
Aiko tilted her head to the side, interested. But there was no chance to poke at him more before everyone else left, leaving Yamato and Aiko alone in the suite.
"Why don't you prepare for our meeting with Kurotsuchi-san tonight?" Tsunade ordered over her shoulder. "And hurry. Don't take all day."
"Prepare?" Aiko made a face. "Like what, vacuum? There's almost nothing to do." Aiko glared at the floor and considered kicking the wall. But that might hurt with bare feet.
"I'm sure there's something," Yamato trailed off.
Aiko perked up right away. "You're right."
"I am?"
She pointed rudely at him. "You are," Aiko agreed. "Get your coat. We're going out for real breakfast." She ignored the, 'wait, what?' that Yamato let out in favor of scrambling into her boots. "We can see if there's any interesting stores," she continued, warming up to the idea of an adventure. "Books, maybe. And bring home some refreshments for tonight."
Yamato sighed, but followed as he always did. They returned to the suite before noon. That was lucky, because Tsunade had apparently deigned to be frightfully efficient that morning. Shizune was concocting something that smelled truly horrible on the stovetop while Itachi stiffly haunted the kitchen table.
"You'll be returning with us after the lunch hour," Shizune said instead of a greeting. "And you will behave." She dropped green flakes into whatever she was making. Itachi seemed to tense in preparation for a blow, but his face was stoic.
"Okayyyy," Aiko drew out, giving the Uchiha a wide berth. He seemed a little less intimidating when he was so obviously waiting to receive dreaded medicine, but he was still Uchiha Itachi.
"You did miss Itachi's testimony," Shizune informed, eyes still on her work. "Pity. He did a lovely job."
Itachi did not comment. No one asked for clarification. Once Shizune was done and Itachi had rather miserably sipped down his bitter tea, they joined the crowd filing back into the deliberation chamber for another painfully boring session of testimony, cross-examination, and rebuttals.
The trial that day was significantly less interesting than the late hour at which Kurotsuchi-san arrived. Kurotsuchi and her companion came at three in the morning, which Aiko got to witness because Kurotsuchi-san was under the hilarious impression that Aiko was the Hokage-to-be. Shizune had graciously enough deferred her usual place at Tsunade's side for the meeting.
'I get the queer feeling that this is not being done through official channels. The question is whether it's being hidden from the Tsuchikage, the other diplomatic parties, or everyone.'
Aiko kept her face as pleasantly blank as possible, watching Iwa-nin slide in through the window Tsunade had left open.
'This is the worst kind of infestation. Is there a spray for that? Some kind of powder or sticky trap?'
"Kurotsuchi-san," Tsunade greeted. Unlike Aiko, seated in seiza slightly behind her leader, Tsunade was on a cushion with legs boldly folded to the side and a bored expression. "Thank you for coming."
"Of course, Hokage-dono." Kurotsuchi didn't seem any more interested. "Uzumaki-san. The pleasure is mine." Kurotsuchi settled in a mirror image of Tsunade, matching her cocky posture without comment. Her companion sank to her ground to Kurotsuchi's right in an altogether more proper posture.
That put the unfamiliar woman kitty corner to Aiko. Curious, she looked through her eyelashes.
'I don't know that woman.'
Whoever it was, she was a classic dark-haired beauty of about thirty, and dressed to the nines. While Kurotsuchi, Aiko, and Tsunade were in shinobi gear, the Iwa lady was in red oh-furisode that depicted cranes.
Which raised questions, like 'how the hell did she get through the window in those long sleeves?'
Definitely a shinobi. Had to be. She wasn't just an aide, despite the impression her well turned-out presence created. But she didn't look like a bodyguard, either.
"Konoha has only the best wishes for our future with Iwagakure," Tsunade said. She didn't perk up at all. "We would present possibilities for your ears. Would that we had more time, we would share dossiers. When next we meet, we suggest that the role of such a person be discussed in detail."
"Iwa hears," Kurotsuchi replied. "We need no apologies, Konohagakure. We would listen to Konohagakure's words, for they have many fine sons and daughters."
'Holy shit why are they talking like that? Is that a nobility thing? Did I miss out on important lessons for how kage talk?'
Both Tsunade and Kurotsuchi would have been raised as nobility, wouldn't they? Aiko felt a self conscious flush. In comparison, she seemed uncouth. She had the pedigree- from her mother's noble family, and from her father's acquired status as hokage; but she had none of the education.
"Konoha presents first the sons and daughters of their firstborn clans." Tsunade's expression was obscured from the angle Aiko sat at, but she sounded formal and disinterested. "Of the Senju, there are none. Of the Uchiha, there is Uchiha Itachi, brother to the head."
'Don't laugh. Don't laugh. Don't laugh.'
"A name that Iwa knows," Kurotsuchi admitted. She did not seem interested, which was pretty understandable. Aiko wouldn't want to marry him either.
Tsunade had to have expected that ambivalent reception. She ploughed on dutifully. "Of the Hyuuga, there is Hyuuga Neji, nephew to the head."
'She didn't say Sasuke.' Aiko frowned. 'Is she just saying one name from each group? Supposedly the best candidate or something like that? Or is she just picking and choosing who she can afford to lose?'
"An unknown son," Kurotsuchi rejoined crisply.
'Tsunade probably can't promise clan heads or their heirs,' Aiko decided. 'That seems like something the founding clans would have negotiated for.'
Before Tsunade could reply, the unnamed Iwa lady leaned forward enough that her long, loose hair swayed in front of her face. That stopped Kurotsuchi and put a contemplative look on her face.
"He is known to us," the young woman corrected. She offered no explanation for backtracking.
'What was that about?'
"Of the first great clans of Konoha, there are no more." Tsunade was clearly ready to keep moving. "Next to speak of are the scions of Hokage. Of the Shodaime and Nidaime, there are none. Of the Sandaime, there is one young son, not yet able to pledge. Of the Yondaime, there are two scions, the head of the Uzumaki clan, Aiko, and the brother of the head of Uzumaki, Naruto. Of the Godaime, there are none."