Part 2- Survival Chapter 7: To Be the King

Sakura hissed in displeasure as she lost yet another match.

She was currently at the Nara residence playing Shogi with the clan's heir. She had lost count of how many rounds they've played, but her frustration was increasing at every loss of hers.

Despite her photographic memory having read the book Shikamaru gave her for her birthday, it was useless in the face of a genius with years of practice in the game.

Shikamaru cocked an eyebrow at her. "You're overly cautious, Sakura. You've left your Pawns to be sacrificed in every match, while you've left your Knights and Generals to die last."

Sakura grunted as she rearranged her side of the board. "Yeah, well, I'm trying to find a strategy that works. Why did you want to play with me anyways?"

"Like I've said, I'm already familiar with Asuma-sensei's strategies and my dad's too busy to play with me. You're a complete mystery to me."

The rosette couldn't help but snort. "I think you're quickly unraveling this mystery."

The pair began a new round and were quiet for some time as they focused on the game.

Shikamaru eventually broke the silence. "When I was a Genin, Asuma-sensei often described me as being a Shogi Knight, the piece who can move by skipping above other pieces and trap two enemy pieces at once. However, he also pointed out that the Knight is just a sacrificial pawn in order to protect the King."

"In that case, every Shinobi is a Knight. Don't we all put our lives on the line during every mission we dutifully complete for our village?"

The brunet grunted in agreement. "The intelligent ones, sure. The foolish ones that tend to die an early death remind me more of Pawns. Anyways, Asuma-sensei then asked me who the King was. He didn't seem convinced when I said the King was the Kage or the Daimyo."

The rosette cocked an eyebrow in confusion. "I wonder who he believes the King to be."

Her opponent shrugged. "Asuma-sensei said that I'd understand one day."

Silence took hold of them once more as the match progressed.

Shikamaru glanced up at the rosette. "I think it's your training under Hokage-sama that's influencing your strategy."

Sakura blinked at him in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't Medical Ninjas have codes that they must abide by?"

Sakura's eyes took on an unfocused gleam as she recalled an important memory.

x

"Pay attention, for this is your first lesson. You must memorize these three clauses of being a medical ninja. Clause 1: 'No medic ninja shall ever stop medical treatment until the lives of their party members have come to an end.' Clause 2: 'No medic ninja shall ever stand on the front lines.' Clause 3: 'No medic ninja shall ever die until they are the last of their platoon.'"

"As a medical ninja, you'll come into the most intimate contact with death. You'll know it better than you would a lover, and it'll accompany you everywhere. This career will certainly make you question about your own mortality. Once you get it, there's no turning back."

x

The rosette blinked rapidly as she refocused on her environment. "You're right." She then explained the medical clauses to Shikamaru.

The male nodded. "It makes sense. If a squad loses their medic, then they've practically signed their death wish." He cocked an eyebrow. "I do wonder why Hokage-sama's teaching you combat moves if you're supposed to avoid getting into a fight."

Another memory popped into the rosette's mind.

x

"'Only those medic ninja who have mastered the Strength of a Hundred Technique of the ninja art Creation Rebirth are permitted to discard the above-mentioned laws.'"

x

Sakura smiled. "Indeed, why."

Shikamaru stared at her for a moment, before he sighed. "Troublesome. Fine then, don't tell me."

Sakura took out one of his Pawns. "Will you be attending the next Council Meeting?"

The male Chūnin nearly groaned. "It's not like I have a choice. I almost regret accepting the Chūnin promotion. With more responsibilities placed on me, I don't have as much time to nap or cloud gaze."

Sakura fought the urge to stick her tongue out at him. "Poor you. No wonder you're so cranky. You haven't been napping enough."

Shikamaru stared pointedly at her. "Ino's starting to rub off on you again. Seriously, it's troublesome."

The rosette snickered in amusement.

Shikamaru moved his Knight past Sakura's Pawns. "By the way, how are things going with Ino? It seems like you guys are finally on speaking terms."

The Kunoichi shrugged as she studied the board. "We're on civilized terms, that's for sure. I honestly don't know how to proceed with her. During the Chūnin exams, she was very cooperative with me and didn't act hostile at all. If we see each other at the hospital, she'll greet me and sometimes ask for my opinion on a case. She even dropped off a birthday gift."

"Except she hasn't apologized yet."

Sakura sighed, and made her move. "No, she hasn't."

"You know as well as I do that Ino's extremely prideful. The fact that she's making the effort to be civilized with you is a big step. Let her come out of her shell on her own time. She'll eventually apologize."

"I know, it's just… a little bit awkward."

"It's only awkward if you make it out to be so. Honestly, you women complicate even the most mundane things."

The rosette cocked an eyebrow at him. "Are you suggesting that us women roll around in the dirt until one of us concedes and then let things go?"

Shikamaru stared at her indignantly. "What do you take me for, an Inuzuka?"

Sakura burst out laughing.

The male Chūnin breathed out "troublesome" before a smirk crossed his face. "Tsumi[1]."

Sakura glanced down at the Shogi board. Sure enough, her King was surrounded by Shikamaru's Generals.

"Damn it."

x

Sakura fought the urge to facepalm.

The monthly Council Meeting had gone off to a good start.

The Clan Leaders briefed about their clan's recovery status, and all of them were doing well.

The civilian members were also pleased by the reparations done to Konoha's main districts thanks to the down payment Michiru paid for.

Things started going downhill when Konoha's latest treaty with Kirigakure was brought up.

The sole female civilian council member was upset by the fact that Tsunade hadn't consulted the Civilian sector about the treaty.

Tsunade retorted that treaties between villages were done among Shinobi, and then the shouting began.

"You think that simply because we're civilians we have no say in what treaties Konoha engages in?!"

"What I'd like to know, Tsubaki-san, is how can the civilian council understand a Shinobi's perspective and know what'll satisfy both parties?" Tsunade gritted through her teeth.

"And here we go back to square one, with the dictatorial ways of Shinobi deafening our voices!"

The other civilian council members voiced their agreements.

The Clan heads' reactions ranged from neutral, to anger and contempt.

The civilian council members continued to harass the Slug Sannin about the lack of their involvement in the treaty.

Sakura thought of them as toddlers having temper tantrums, yet the headaches they provoked were much worse.

Shikaku signed in exasperation. "While this is troublesome, it's also the way things work. This treaty was signed between two Kages as a mostly militaristic alliance. Whether you like it or not, Konoha has too many enemies to deal with alone. These enemies are fellow Shinobi, not civilian mercenaries or oligarchs."

"We still had the right to be involved in the treaty outlying and negotiations!"

"The civilian council hasn't been involved in previous treaties. Why are you suddenly upset that you weren't involved in this one?"

"This is the Bloody Mist we've talking about! How could we put our trust and expectations on such a barbaric regime? This insanity is on par with allowing the Nine Tails brat to roam free."

"Watch your tongue, Tsubaki-san. Your ignorance is clouding your sense of reasoning." Koharu rebuked sharply.

She earned a sneer from the female civilian.

Sakura couldn't keep quiet anymore. "With all due respect, Tsubaki-san, but it's the 'barbaric regime' of Shinobi that have kept our village and country safe. You're not the position where you're forced to come face-to-face with the product of worse regimes and pray to Kami-sama that such a threat doesn't destroy your home. Konoha was nearly destroyed by Shinobi in case you've forgotten."

Tsubaki directed her glare at the rosette. "Your poisonous ideologies have already been rooted in your apprentice, Hokage-sama. It's a shame. I've personally worked with her father, and he's a respectable man."

Sakura's eyes narrowed. "Perhaps you're unaware of the fact that my parents were Chūnin before they retired to have me. Is your biased belief going to make you think that my father is a ruthless killer?"

The civilian council member blinked in surprise. "Kizashi-san is…"

"Yes, he was." Sakura interrupted. "Contrary to your beliefs, Konoha's Shinobi population only has the village's wellbeing in mind. Each of us have our role to play for Konoha's continued prosperity. If I recall, your fellow civilian members have contacts with merchants between Fire Country and even Earth Country. That's something Konoha Shinobi could never achieve given the current politic climate."

The Shinobi half burst out into harsh whispers, while the civilian council members shifted uncomfortably in their seats.

"I wasn't aware that the civilian council members had such a far reach." Yamanaka Inoichi commented.

His lazy friend sighed. "Troublesome."

The rosette continued. "On the other hand, civilians don't understand the true political reason behind each Great Shinobi World War. As such, only Shinobi can negotiate treaties with other Shinobi. A civilian King has vouched for the Mizukage, and although I don't have much experience compared to other members present, I can observe, and I've judged the Mizukage as a Kunoichi of sound mind who wants the best for her village. I believe that's something we all can relate to."

Murmuring echoed in the room.

"From what I've heard, Kononagakure and Sunagakure are the only villages that allow civilians on the council. Our system's not perfect, but improvement has to come from both sides."

"Here, here." Inuzuka Tsume said.

"I agree with Sakura-san," Koharu added. "Bickering amongst ourselves will achieve nothing. The Tsuchikage has made his contempt for our village abundantly clear. And while the Raikage hasn't outwardly expressed hostility towards us, there's too many grudges in our recent history to allow trust between our villages."

"I dare say, why not ask the future clan heads on what they think? They're of the generation that tends to be more open-minded." Homura suggested.

Said people straightened their backs at the sudden attention on them.

"Aburame Shino." Homaru began. "What do you think of this?"

The Chūnin appeared to want to be swallowed by his coat rather than answer the question. "I come from a Shinobi Clan that barely interacts with outside members. I don't think I'm the right person to be asking this question. What I can say is that either transparency must come from both sides, or both parties must come to terms that each side has their share of secrets."

His father nodded at him in pride.

Homaru nodded as well. "Very good. Akimichi Chōji."

The brunet's face flushed momentarily, before he cleared his throat. "I agree with both Shino and Sakura. Secrets are harmful no matter which side is keeping them. For my entire childhood, I had no idea why Naruto was treated so horribly. Now that I know the truth, I can confidently say this." He took a breath and then: "Shame on all of you who treated him like trash! You've imposed a cruel fate on him when he didn't have the chance to make a choice! You should be thanking him for his sacrifice that ended up saving the village! Shame on you!"

His outburst stunned the council members, and he flushed once again but locked eyes with all who stared at him.

His father appeared pleasantly surprised.

Sakura gave the younger Akimichi a grateful smile.

Homaru cleared his throat. "That was a passionate opinion." He faltered when he saw the Hyūga clan leader alone, and quickly moved on to the next person. "Inuzuka Hana."

The young woman straightened her back. "Most of the future clan leaders were my younger brother's classmates, so I don't know them very well. However, I've come to learn some things about them now that they've joined their fathers in the council meetings. My brother's generation is a strong one and they won't allow internal bickering from halting Konoha's advancement. I suggest we get our priorities straightened out."

More murmuring came over the council.

Tsume smirked at her daughter.

Homura nodded. "Nara Shikamaru."

Said person sighed. "All of this fighting is troublesome, even more so than when my parents argue with each other."

Shikaku's friends snickered, whereas the man himself gave his son a pointed look.

"Seriously though, Shino said it best. It's either both sides be open with one other or just accept the fact that secrets are inevitable. The sooner a choice is made, the better."

Sakura shook her head in disbelief. He can't be serious for the life of him.

"Yamanaka Ino."

The rosette stared at the blonde who discreetly composed herself.

"I agree with Sakura and my fellow clan Heirs. We're trying to build a new future where our families can grow in peace and be proud of their home. Fighting amongst ourselves won't achieve that. Also, we ought to respect Hokage-sama and the apprentice that she chose. Suggesting otherwise means that you question Hokage-sama's judgment."

Tsubaki's face flushed in indignation, yet she didn't rise to the retort.

Homaru nodded. "The future generation has spoken. Hokage-sama, I'll allow the next step to be at your discretion."

The Slug Sannin nodded in return. "We should continue this conversation for the next meeting. Our nerves are already frazzled, and we need to cool off."

She stood up, and everyone else followed suit.

"One more thing, Tsubaki-san," Sakura started.

The female civilian council member turned around to face the rosette.

"Naruto's not the Nine-Tails, he's merely its host. The sacrifice that he has to live with on a daily basis is what allows us to live on freely. If not, we'd all have died fifteen years ago. He's my brother in all but blood." Her eyes hardened. "Never speak ill of him in my presence again."

The older woman's lips pursed but she said nothing.

Sakura followed her master as they made their way back to the Hokage's office.

Once there, the Anbu guards disappeared, and Tsunade let out a sigh.

"These council meetings are exhausting. That damn Tsubaki seems to enjoy picking apart my patience."

"She's provoking you for a reason, Shishou. We can't rise to her bait."

"I know, but that doesn't make her less bothersome. At least your generation seem to have more common sense than even the more experienced Shinobi."

Sakura smiled. "We definitely know that politics is a headache."

Tsunade chuckled, and then took out a scroll. She placed it on the table and unrolled it.

It took a second for it to click in the rosette's mind.

Her eyes widened. "Shishou, this is…"

"You've been ready for this for a while, Sakura. Sign it."

The rosette stared at her mentor for a moment, before she bit her thumb and signed her name in blood.

The scroll briefly glowed, until the blood turned black, and her name appeared beside Tsunade's.

Sakura swallowed hard, though pride filled her soul.

Tsunade offered her a genuine smile. "Katsuyu-sama is a loyal and powerful summon. Once you unlock the Byakugō no Jutsu, you'll be able to utilize Katsuyu: Mōryōjika[2]. This cooperation ninjutsu will allow you to guide Katsuyu-sama's clones to designated patients and then channel your medical chakra through the clones who then transfer it to the patient. You'd be able to heal a great number of patients simultaneously regardless of the distance. The effectiveness of it depends on the summoner's own chakra reserves.

"Katsuyu-sama's extremely resilient. In all of the years I've summoned her, she's never sustained any injury. Her physical make-up allows her to alter her bodily form and be able to deconstruct entirely into nothing more than a pool of body fluids. This does not render her incapacitated and she's still able to function just as it would if she were corporeal. Katsuyu-sama's also able to encapsulate people into her body to protect them from physical harm.

"Offensively, Katsuyu-sama can spit acid using its Tongue Tooth Sticky Acid technique, which is strong enough to melt through rock with ease. With her Slug Great Division, Katsuyu-sama can divide herself into smaller clones to evade attacks or to serve small-scale functions, and she's capable of quickly reforming herself if need be."

Sakura was amazed. "That's incredible."

"Indeed, but utilizing her abilities require delicate chakra control. That shouldn't be a problem for you."

Her student responded with a bashful smile.

"You've exceeded all of my expectations, Sakura. I know that I'm a demanding master, but it's because I know you can achieve the best. As women, we need to be strong to survive. Even more so because you're my student, and for better or worse, you're under the shadow of my reputation."

"I know, Shishou. I've become much stronger under your tutelage. I was pathetic as a Genin."

"Circumstances weren't ideal for you, not to mention that you hadn't received the right tutelage then."

"Kakashi-sensei has made up for it by training me in elemental ninjutsu."

"Indeed. I also have some news for you. Jiraiya plans on returning by the end of this year. I know you're anxious to see Naruto again."

Sakura beamed. "That's great! Although, Naruto didn't mention anything in his last letter."

"He probably wanted it to be a surprise. Oops."

Sakura giggled. "I'm looking forward to his return. I won't tell Hinata because I want to see the look on her face when Naruto comes back."

"Don't give the poor girl a heart attack."

"Naruto promised to take her out once he returned. Although, I'll have to convince him to take Hinata somewhere nice, other than Ichiraku."

Tsunade chuckled. "Good luck with that. Anyways, do you have a present ready for the Daimyō?"

The rosette signed in exasperation. "I have no idea what to get for a man who has absolutely everything. He'll probably throw out whatever gift I give him when he's alone."

Tsunade chuckled. "I'd recommend getting him something that'll remind himself of his grandeur persona. He'll be less likely to throw it out."

Sakura rubbed her temples. "He's even worse to shop for than Ino."

"You're the 'Hiyokuna tochi no josei'[3]. That's another reason why I doubt the Daimyō would throw away your gift. I think something exotic from Waterfall Country would fascinate him."

The rosette hummed. "Hmm, I'll have to write to Shibuki-san for some ideas. I take it that you've already picked out a gift?"

Tsunade smirked. "That would be telling. You're on your own, Sakura."

The rosette sighed. "I think I'd rather chase after Tora again."

[1] Checkmate

[2] Katsuyu: Immense Network Healing

[3] Lady of Fertile Lands