Naruto; Emperor

Covert

A/N:I'm not good at writing certain scenes but since it is important, I will write it in a manner that will leave most of the action in your imagination.

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Sakura sighs as she wipes down the body of the unconscious Daimyo...or rather former Daimyo. When she was told to take up the position of a maid in the Daimyo's castle, she did not expect that she will be a covert insider. Fortunately, the job of a maid in the quiet and almost desolate wing of the former Daimyo had been easy so far. Of course, she will never expect that one day she will be wiping down the body of an unconscious nobleman. It takes some training from the Head Maid of the Daimyo's wing but she got used to it. Other than the guard named Sukea that acts as in between for her and Naruto, whose nose she had yet to see after he accepts her into the Oniwaban, Sakura had not seen or met anyone from Oniwaban or Team 7.

It has been months but her orders remained the same; protect the former Daimyo of Kaze.

So far, the suspicious medicine she had seen the doctors gave him had been successfully changed with the ones that Sukea handed her. She don't know who Sukea is, only that he's supposed to be a cousin of hers so that she will have a reason to meet and talk with him randomly without rousing suspicion. In fact, Sukea joined the Daimyo's guards before her just to have a reason to 'bring her in' as a family member looking for a job due to hard times.

She is also lucky in that the Daimyo came around the first time when she was in charge of changing his robe. She had quickly silenced him before he could make some noise and whispered her reason for being there. Fortunately, he understands, albeit reasonably wary, to stay silent about having woken up the moment she told him that Emperor has taken interest in Kaze. That was what she was told to tell him and it, remarkably, worked like a charm.

She feeds him a soldier pill, one for protein and carb, because he's not supposed to have anything other than watery soup. Other than her, hardly anyone in his wing cared about his health. They only kept him alive because his son will not have a reason to obey his minister otherwise. He traces his thanks against her knuckles before pretending to be in a coma. Everything happens in absolute silence.

Sakura steps out of his room, "I'm done,"

Momo, the Head Maid, hums, "Good. Rest up. That cousin of yours have news from your village," She then giggles, "Do you think you can convince him to find time to...meet...someone?"

Sakura nervously chuckles, "I don't know. Sukea-nii had always been busy, you know?"

Momo sighs, "Ah...such a responsible man. I bet with a face like, he's breaking hearts left and right,"

After much back and forth, Sakura finally escapes the Head Maid's ardent pining for cousin Sukea. She shakes her head once she is sure that Momo cannot see her and mumbled under her breath with a shudder, "Aren't she's too old for him?"

Momo is an austere looking woman from a fallen noble family. She cakes on makeup to look younger than her actual age and is extremely petty. Sakura had never been more grateful for her Shinobi training and the grumpy neighbor next door growing up. It taught her how to deal with such people; just be meek and obedient. They liked being in control or what they believed to be power.

After showing her badge to the guards at the door of the area she's working in, Sakura quickly make her way to the town outside the castle. As she walks, she keeps an ear out for the Emperor's activity;

"The Emperor has been favoring Suna more and more. I wonder what Minister Shishio thinks about this?"

"Did you hear? Apparently the Suna Sibling solves a mysterious case in the old Loran area!"