Chapter 27 Part 2
"Damn it! Tch! Tch!!"
Strike. Strike. The tall tree was indifferent to the beating, and bloody abrasions appeared on my hand.
Damn it! Kami, I...
I'd snapped. Snapped and said things I would definitely regret in the future. If only because of thoroughly ruined relations with Akashi. In the future, but not right now, which made it only slightly easier... But how infuriating this is!! Akashi's attitude... That indifference, that disregard, that contempt for everyone around... gh! Even just thinking about it, I feel enraged!
Uf... I can't recall the last time my valve blew like that. Haa... I'd known perfectly well about Hatake's problems before, but this particular time, they seemed flagrant to me. She spends the lion's share of her time at that monument, always late because of it, but I'd somehow hoped that at least for the kids' sake, she'd set that habit of hers aside for a while. But reality is cruel: Akashi not only hadn't stopped these "visits," but had even dumped her responsibility onto someone else's shoulders for their sake! Who cares that Iruka taught the kids at the Academy? Right now, SHE, Hatake Akashi, is their mentor and sensei! And it is HER duty to meet them at the second stage! That!!!!..
Ah, I simply can't be angry anymore; I've literally run out of the strength for it. Did I quarrel with Akashi? Who cares. We don't have to live together, and we see each other so "often" that five minutes in a whole day is practically a gulf of time. I'm not obligated to love her... nor now to respect her, and she, in any case, is forced to put up with my presence. The Hokage's orders. In principle, almost nothing will change.
Reasoning thus, I was finally able to calm my heart and set about healing my hand. Ouch! In the heat of the moment, I hadn't even felt how unpleasant this was. Well, enough of that. The first option turned out to be "completely not an option," so we'll use the second one, the one that should've been chosen from the very start. Which means, to the Hokage!
To my surprise, there weren't all that many people in Konoha's administration. Given that the Village is the host party for such an international event as the Chunin Shiken, I'd expected far greater... mass movement. But now, thinking about it, the administration could well have resolved the most pressing issues in advance and simply frozen all other business for the duration of the exam, dedicating maximum attention to the important event. That's why there were so few people in the Hokage's tower. The Village leadership simply had no time for the civilian sector.
Reflecting on this, I unhurriedly made my way to the fateful door on the tower's very top floor. Exchanging brief greetings with the secretary, I inquired about the Hokage's availability and, without delay, headed straight into the Village ruler's office. Interestingly, no one intended to stop me: neither the secretary herself nor the several shinobi present in the room. They didn't even raise an eyebrow! Though there was nothing surprising in that: I had personal permission from the Hokage herself... hm... "to drop by at any time." Which I, sometimes, I confess, make use of. Like right now...
Knock-knock.
"I'm not disturbing you, Hokage-sama?" I inquire politely, poking my head through the barely opened door.
"Mhh? Oh, Kaoru-kun? Come in, come in!" Sarutobi creaked, benevolent, performing a sweeping brushstroke over a scroll. Tossing the brush into the inkwell, she deftly rolled up the document and carelessly tossed it onto the right-hand pile of its fellows. Oh... what drifts she had on her desk! The old woman's left hand immediately, automatically, reached for the left pile, but then abruptly changed its trajectory, finishing on the handle of that cherished cabinet where the Hokage kept her tobacco. Ha, it seemed Hokage-sama had once again decided to use me as a pretext to shirk her duties! Not that it was really my business.
"Forgive the intrusion." The formal politeness slips from my lips, routine.
"Oh, not at all, not at all! It was high time I took a break." The Hokage waved a hand carelessly, deftly packing her pipe. "Hmm... Are you well, Kaoru-kun? You've paled, grown haggard... Are you sleeping properly? Eating right?"
"Ah?!... Nothing serious! Just a bit of nighttime work, nothing terrible!" I hastened to assure Sarutobi. Perhaps even too hastily. But such a caring tone from this woman was unexpected for me. And it didn't seem the least bit feigned or merely formal politeness. It all looked as if the Hokage was genuinely worried. Ahem. That's somewhat awkward. "I got a little carried away with work and lost track of time, and then suddenly, morning had come! Ha-ha..."
"Weell... if you say so. Just, don't overwork yourself too much." The gray eyes watched with fastidious distrust, but the old woman decided not to pursue the topic.
"Ha-ha... I'll try." Scratching the back of my head in a stupid gesture, I felt even more awkward. I couldn't exactly tell her I was planning, this very night, to infiltrate one of the clan territories and conduct a couple of complex rituals there, now could I?! "Truth be told... I have a small request for you, Hokage-sama. Or rather, I wanted to ask: when will you be heading to the tower at Training Ground 44?"
"Hm..." The old woman bit her pipe-stem, thoughtful. "First, I still need to sort out the paperwork..." A heavy glance at the "left" pile of documents, "but no earlier than the end of the fourth day. Why does this interest you, Kaoru-kun?"
At least three more days, then...
"Ah, well, you see?.." I pondered my coming words for a moment. "Honestly, I'm worried about my team. I can't help them directly with passing the exam, but that doesn't mean I can do nothing at all! And even if my 'practical' use is nil, I can at least support them morally! And besides, who knows what injuries they might suffer in the forest? They might need urgent aid!"
"So that's how it is..." Sarutobi drawled quietly, narrowing her eyes slightly. But despite that, it seemed to me for an instant that the old woman looked extremely pleased? And my feeling only strengthened when the wrinkles on the Hokage's face stretched into a warm smile. "It's good that you care so much for your friends, Kaoru-kun! That is precisely the Will of Fire, comradeship and concern. Hm-hm... It's pleasant to see it in the young generation!.. Ah, yes. So you wish to head to the tower early and be among the first to greet your friends. And are you certain they will manage it on time?"
"They'll make it!" I say with complete conviction. "Naruko is tenacious and persistent; Sasuko is skilled and strong; and Sakurai can serve as the voice of reason for those two and has a good head on his shoulders. If they can't manage it, who possibly could?"
"Ho-hoouu..." The old woman puffed her pipe, merry. "Such strong words. Though it is somewhat against the rules... you were part of their team from the start, even if semi-officially. I think a small 'exception' can be made." Sarutobi leaned back in her chair, pulling the angular Hokage's hat from her head. Twirling it between her fingers and admiring the kanji for "Hi," she returned the symbol of her status to its former place. "After all... the iryo-nin in the tower provide first aid to any who suffer injuries during the exam. And you do hold your official rank, don't you, Kaoru-kun?"
"Yes, Hokage-sama!" A smile crept onto my face of its own accord. It had worked! Now I had not only permission to enter the exam zone, but also to provide "medical" aid to the team! Though I'd have helped with everything I could anyway, even if it were officially forbidden. Treating wounds and dealing with the White Snake's filth was the bare minimum of what I wanted to do.
"Good, then... I think you can wait on this until tomorrow morning? Around that time, a small group of jonin will be assembling, and you can join them, thus reaching the site with maximum safety."
"Yes, that works well. I'll have just enough time to gather a few things..." Everything had worked out nearly perfectly. Though when the Hokage spoke of the jonin group, her tone had shifted somehow, imperceptibly. Aha... I think I understand. Most likely, that group is being dispatched to the tower to attempt to track down a certain viper. Which means she's already exposed herself to the ANBU and the male version of Anko. Well... I simply can't help marveling at how conveniently everything aligned in terms of timing.
"Hm... Then one question, Kaoru-kun?" The Hokage interrupted my thoughts. "Why did you come with this question specifically to me? Ummm? I imagine Akashi wouldn't have refused such a request."
"Ah... Well, Akashi-san is far too... Busy to bother her with such trifles." I tried very hard to keep my face from twisting into a grimace. Hopefully, it came out convincingly. The reminder of the recent conflict struck my mood palpably. "And besides, I don't think Hatake-taicho possesses such broad authority: here, she is, after all, merely one of the genin team's mentors, and an interested party. In my opinion, wouldn't it have been simpler to approach the organizers directly? Right?"
"..." For a few seconds, the Hokage simply studied me, then nodded slowly. "Most likely, you reason correctly. Akashi, in any case, would have had to notify me about it. But now, I must notify her that her charge wishes to enter the exam zone."
"Oh, don't trouble yourself over that! I think, when she finds the time for it, she won't object to my actions."
Damn, I hadn't managed to fully restrain myself after all: a couple of drops of bile still seeped into my voice, and Sarutobi, without a doubt, had sensed them.
"Hm. If you say so," she said, her tone indefinite. "Anything else, Kaoru-kun?"
"No, that is all. Thank you for granting me your valuable time, Hokage-sama!" Rising from my chair, I bowed politely to the old woman. It was a sincere gesture of respect, not simply courtesy.
"It is always pleasant to talk, Kaoru-kun." The Hokage waved a hand in farewell, turning toward the window with a pensive look.
"A good day to you."
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