Current mood:	hurrrr story
Current music:	Romeo and Juliet - Dire Straits

[WTF] Um, random scene...
I call myself a "scene writer" because I write scenes as they appear in my mind, regardless of plot. If a scene comes to mind, and if I have paper on hand, then I'll write it and put it aside for later and hopefully I'll be able to modify it as necessary and then slip it into a fic. I was going through an old notebook I've used for writing (and I have about fifteen of those) and I found this random scene between Tsunade and...Temari.

Yeah, wtf?

I can't remember where exactly I was going with this. I dunno if I was making it a Gaaino or if it was supposed to have some relevence to my current Shikaino, but...wtf. It has made painfully clear the reliance I have on Temari as a catalyst, and I'll have to work on that in future...but yeah. Check out the fragment if you'd like, but be warned...it's nearly a year old. Awkward wording and dodgy characterisation ensues, because I wanted to keep it as it AN HISTORICAL ARTEFACT.

*stabs Australian history*

(Also, I hope Temari's OOCness was just her being unsure of how to act in the face of a superior. I think it was just her being not sure of what to say with someone who could actually touch her, since she lords it over everyone else and they can't do a thing about it. She's usually in control, and in this situation, not only is she trying to get something - thus having to play nice - but she's actually negotiating with someone more powerful. That's my retrospective view on it, anyway. It could be just that I sucked at characterisation then. *sadface*)

Title: lol, it deserves none
Fandom: Naruto
Pairing: implied Temshika
Words: 1066



Tsunade leaned back, her fingers steepled in front of her, elbows placed casually on the armrests of her chair. The girl on the other side of the desk had just made a very good suggestion, but there was something more to it, some agenda that she couldn't quite identify. Tsunade was no stranger to ulterior motives, which was probably why it was so easy to recognise the presence of one here. For some reason, however, she couldn't figure out this one even if someone paid her.

Actually, she'd try a lot harder if someone paid her, but as this matter could be addressed immediately and involved only a chuunin, she simply couldn't muster the energy required to delve any further.

"Let me see if I have this correct." She wasn't an idiot; the request had been simple enough and they both knew she'd understood it the first time. "As a representative of the Kazekage, you're asking me to send a Konoha shinobi to Suna? And this will be seen as an act of goodwill and further forge the alliance between our two nations?"

The girl across from her nodded, standing stiffly in the centre of the room. She looked almost awkward, at attention, and Tsunade wondered if, as the daughter of the previous Kazekage, she had been spared ceremony and authority during her younger years. Her attitude suggested she was usually in command and she seemed uncomfortable in the presence of a...higher-up.

"Yes ma'am...er, Hokage. Sama." The suffix was an afterthought and Tsunade suppressed a laugh at the confused look on the kunoichi's face. A jounin, already, and still unsure of how to act. "I...er...I am a representative of the Kazekage, as you said, but this isn't an official summons." She looked away and shifted from one foot to the other, apparently aware the Godaime didn't take kindly to liars.

"I see." Tsunade sat forward in her chair and leaned against the desk. "But you feel such an act would be endorsed by the Kazekage, and most likely welcomed?"

"Of course!" Temari's head snapped up and her eyes flashed. "He saw fit to send his own sister as emissary. I'm sure he would appreciate someone else obliged to protect our home."

Tsunade nodded and sat up completely, reaching out for paper and a pen. "Very well. I'll draw up lists of suitable candidates--"

"There's no need," the girl cut in. Tsunade raised an eyebrow at the interruption and Temari had the grace to look embarrassed, tacking on a muttered, "Hokage-sama."

"Oh?" she asked dangerously, interested despite herself. The girl's awkwardness around authority coupled with her hard face reminded her a bit of herself in her younger years, when tragedy had worn the edges of naivetie from her view of the world.

"I mean, there's no need to draw up lists for this. I've already considered the options and I have someone in mind for the position."

"It sounds like you really thought this through." Tsunade kept her tone carefully neutral but her intuition had put in a rare appearance, and she waited for the girl to play her hand. There was a ploy in this, somewhere, and it was coming out very soon.

"Yes, I applied logic to the situation and came up with a candidate I'm sure you'll agree is just perfect for the job. If I may?"

Inclining her head, Tsunade bade the girl to continue. That "perfect" had been a bit too cheery, a bit too false. This might actually be prompted by personal reasons.

How fun.

"Well," Temari started, unconsciously straightening, her voice attaining a more commanding tone, "while I'm certain the Kazekage would appreciate a male shinobi to take my place, in the interest of fairness to Konoha I would suggest you send a kunoichi. None of the suitable nin are jounin-level like myself, but there are four talented chuunin who are of a similar age and would probably suffice."

Tsunade blinked. "Four, you say?" From a fairly large pool.

"Yes," the girl replied. "My first thought was your apprentice, Sakura."

Tsunade shook her head. "She's--"

"A medic-nin and therefore far too valuable. I realised that almost immediately. I also considered the Hyuuga, but her bloodline limit is too important to send to Suna. I thought also of the weapons master, the one who I faced in the first chuunin examination, but I think it would be a sign of weakness sending someone who had been so thoroughly beaten by a Sand nin."

Thoroughly? Tsunade ignored the put-down and concentrated on the rest. Three out of the four had been listed. She waited for Temari to play her ace.

"So I was really only left with one option. And when you think about it, she's ideal. No one can deny she's a strong kunoichi, she has well-rounded skills in addition to her hiden, but at the same time she's not invaluable to Konoha. She's someone you can send and not worry about in a group. She's not expendable, but she is flexible."

Tsunade strove to keep a blank face. Oh, the manipulation of this Sand nin! She almost wished more Konoha shinobi had Temari's talent for covering plans in pretty words and logic. It all seemed to make perfect sense coming from the girl - she had thought this through, and Tsunade couldn't fault her for that. "You spend a great deal of time with Shikamaru, don't you?" she asked instead, amused to see a faint darkening of the girl's cheeks.

"Yes, we're friends," she answered, almost defiantly.

"And how do you think he'll react to one of his teammates being sent to Suna?"

The blush faded. "If you give her a mission, his opinion would be irrelevent." Her voice was cool now and Tsunade sighed. She hated to give in to the girl, but unfortunately, now that she'd suggested it, the idea was vaguely pleasing and wouldn't go away. It would be extremely advantageous having someone in the ranks of the Sand, and Temari's choice was an excellent one. The Yamanaka girl was built for espionage, and while both countries were technically allies, the relationship was still a new and tentative one. Now was a perfect time to form strategic connections to Suna in order to get a foot into Konoha's door.

Orochimaru had nearly succeeded once, who was to say he wouldn't try again? And with Akatsuki seeing the jinchuuriki...

She sighed again and rubbed her face. Damn, she was going to have to cave. Manipulated by a girl half her age.

Hang on--

And this is where my notes stopped. I think that last part was Tsunade realising Temari is closer to a THIRD of her age, but I have no idea what the rest of the "story" was going to be.



It's good for me because I can see that I've improved a lot. At least, I think the stuff I write now actually makes sense...

*goes to apply pirate logic to TS*