Hogwarts no Gaara-sensei

綱手の手紙

Chapter One:

Tsunade's Letter

---

"Kakashi."

Kakashi looked up from his paperwork to see Tsunade in the doorway. "Lady Tsunade. To what do I owe this visit?"

Tsunade smirked ruefully, "I got a letter." Walking over towards the desk, she deposited it in front of Kakashi. It was made of what looked to be parchment in the shape of an envelope and had an ornate wax seal. "It was delivered by owl."

Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "Owl? I've never heard of shinobi using owls for mail delivery." He carefully picked up the envelope, examining it. As he looked it over she replied, "I never said it was from a shinobi."

He looked up, and she smirked. "A civilian?"

"Wrong again," she said, walking around the desk. She stopped in front of one of the many windows. "It was sent by a wizard."

Kakashi stared and waited for her to continue. When it was clear she wasn't going to, he asked hesitantly, "A wizard sent it to you? From...from the outside?"

Tsunade turned her head to look at him over her shoulder, "An old of my grandfather's—from before they sealed the continent off."

"But..." Kakashi stared, "How is that even possible?"

She snorted, turning back to the window. "Wizards have their ways. I asked him about it—apparently he's pushing a hundred and fifty."

Kakashi exhaled, "That's..."

"It's not like...it's not like Madara, or Kakuzu. Wizards...they have their own ways. Less..." Tsunade grimaced. "...unpleasant ways."

Kakashi looked back at the letter in his hands, thoughtful. "So...why are you telling me this?"

Finally she turned around, her expression stern. "He's sent me a request."

Warily, Kakashi asked, "What kind of request?"

She nodded to the envelope in his hand, "Read it for yourself."

He did.

"So...he wants us to send a shinobi, to guard a magical stone...the very same stone that granted him his apparent immortality?"

"Not immortality," she corrected, "Just...extended life."

Kakashi sighed, suddenly feeling overwhelmed. "And how are we going to respond to this? Who would we even send?"

Tsunade smirked. "That's up to you."

Kakashi looked up, "Wha—"

"You're the Hokage, now," she interjected. "It's up to you...Rokudaime-sama." And with that, she left.

Kakashi sighed heavily, "Why me..."

---

"Gaara," Kakashi said, smiling under his mask. "It's good to see you. How was your journey?"

"Uninterrupted," Gaara replied, satisfactory. "Ever since the War there has been little conflict among shinobi." Gaara gracefully sat down across from Kakashi, placing his Kazekage hat beside Kakashi's on the table.

"Thanks to you." Gaara looked up. "Your speech," Kakashi clarified. "It's because of you that shinobi from all nations were able to find common ground and make their peace with one another."

"They did that of their own accord. I merely gave them the push they needed."

"Nevertheless, without you, that may never have happened." Kakashi waved over a server and the two ordered. He winced at Gaara's order of salted tongue and gizzard; The villages may have may have made their peace with one another, but Kakashi thinks he may never make peace with Gaara's taste in food—he hoped not all of Suna was like this...Kakashi meanwhile ordered salt-broiled saury and miso soup with eggplant. At least his favorite food didn't involve tongues or gizzards.