Pulling My Weight

Chapter 7 || Choices

"So, Kiri, huh?" Genma-san asked, leaning against her doorframe, watching as Sakura packed for the mission. "Not quite what you were expecting, was it?" he grinned and the rosette paused in her tracks long enough to send him a miffed look before she sighed.

"I didn't expect to be saddled with a diplomatic mission, no. I was expecting something simple like a courier mission or infiltration or something that I was prepared for in the Academy. I have no idea how to convince the Mizukage that this treaty is a good idea and I'm not sure Shikamaru does either, despite being from a clan." She admitted, shooting the tokujo an inquiring look. "Would it be too much to hope that you'd have some pearls of wisdom to pass on that might prove useful?" she asked hopefully though didn't look up from her task.

Genma shrugged, though the rosette didn't see it with her back to him. "I might have some." He murmured at which Sakura perked up, turning round to face him curiously. "It's not really classified information so they shouldn't have a problem with you knowing it – in the last decade or so, there were serious bloodline purges in Kiri under the previous Mizukage. The Village orchestrated a coup d'état and overthrew him, but the Godaime Mizukage is still struggling with converting or getting rid of all of those who were in favour of the purges. She seems a lot more lax and tolerant in her approach and I've heard rumours that she herself has a bloodline ability. That might be something you could use in your favour, spin something about how Konoha's doujutsu users are clearly integrated into our society, but if you want more concrete information then hold on a second." The brunet disappeared while Sakura pondered over the information she'd been presented with, slowly working out how she could twist it into a persuasive argument if the Mizukage actually agreed to hear them out. She snapped out of her reverie only when two books landed in her lap and she raised her eyes to meet Genma-san's smug gaze then focused on the titles.

"'The Shinobi Nations and Kenjutsu'?" she questioned incredulously, staring up at Genma-san in confusion. The tokujo shrugged.

"There's a nice little section in there about the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist which you might find useful seeing as it was Kiri's pride and joy a few years back. Oh, and along those lines, it would be a good first impression if you had a katana or something of the sort when you arrived there: Mist-nin seem to respect people who know their way around a blade." Genma-san explained and Sakura nodded, grateful for the pointers. Her eyes fell on the other book;

"'Kirigakure: Politics, Economy and Population'?" her eyes rose to meet the amused gaze of the tokujo. "Genma-san, why do you own this?" she asked incredulously, knowing that the brunet must've already had these books in his possession for him to be able to procure them so quickly.

Again, a shrug was her immediate answer. "You forget that my genin teammate was an even worse bookworm than you. Some of his habits rubbed off, so sue me. Besides, it's good to be prepared." He grinned when she nodded and stored the books in her pack to be read on the way. The rosette cast an assessing glance around her room then smiled, satisfied that she didn't seem to have missed anything major. "Done?" Genma-san asked, and when she nodded in confirmation, he gestured for her to shuffle up. "Then you won't mind me checking?" Sakura shook her head; she was actually glad that he offered to check as his experience would be great to reassure her that she really hadn't missed anything vital. The tokujo carefully shifted through everything she'd packed: clothes to last her at least two weeks, scrolls containing extra sets of kunai and shuriken, a map, enough food rations to last for the estimated week-long journey, some money, the books he'd offered her and a scroll on a new genjutsu she'd found in the chunin section of the library. Genma-san nodded, seemingly satisfied.

"Do you own a travelling cloak?" he asked once he zipped up her pack and when Sakura shook her head, no, because she hadn't needed one before, he held up a hand in the universal 'wait a moment' and promptly disappeared again. When he came back, he had a charcoal grey bundle in his arms, and when he unfolded it, it revealed a full-length cloak made of flowing, soft-looking material. "This should fit you – I was a twerp when I was on the Guard Platoon till I hit my growth spurt at seventeen. I hope you don't mind the fact that it's a little used?"