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(naruto) ficlet-thing
This is weird and kind of rambly and doesn't really go anywhere. I'm posting it anyway because I like some of the ideas, but still, it doesn't really go anywhere, and the end is not so much a conclusion as I just ran out of ideas. Anything you can think of to make this interesting or fix any of it is welcome.
Sakura, about Tsunade, and her teammates.
Normally, Sakura doesn't have to deal with Tsunade's clients. By which she means the men important enough to get to discuss a mission directly with the Hokage. Sakura does deal with Tsunade's patients, sometimes, when she's considered good enough on animals to replicate the trick on humans. She's training to be a field medic, not a nurse; she doesn't deal with the aftercare.
Sakura now knows that it's a good thing she was planning on catching up to her boys on the field, not on burying herself in a hospital; she has atrocious bedside manners. She knows because pandering to these men's overblown sense of entitlement grates on her nerves, because their disproportionate demands of retaliation make her wonder if they're quite sane; but their money forces Tsunade to consider and sometimes accept obliterating a small village for the slight dealt by one person. Sakura doesn't know how Tsunade does it, when her temper rivals Inner Sakura's own.
She doesn't know if she should admire her mentor's restraint, or recoil in horror at the thought of dulling her own brand new determination. She learns anyway, even if that isn't part of her normal lessons, she learns to hide what she thinks anew -- nothing so trivial and yet so dear as to what she should have said to Sasuke, what she should have said to Naruto -- but something more important, in the grand scheme of things.
Sakura learns the ropes a politician pulls. Sakura learns to be polite yet unbending, subtle and frank in turns.
Sometimes she thinks that Tsunade might be grooming her to be the next Hokage; but the idea makes her laugh. Sakura can learn the grand scheme of things -- she is smart and controlled enough -- but she's always been a selfish girl. What she learns, she learns for her team only.
So in the end, she sits on Tsunade's meetings, and she helps with paperwork and pacifying spurned Lords and subtle intimidations; she learns to be the sweet, harmless intern and the cool, wiser-than-her-years successor. She learns to play the political game.
She learns, not for herself, but for Naruto. Because she's always been a selfish girl, and their dreams are now irreversibly intermingled, and she refuses, refuses to see him not become Hokage.
She learns, not for herself, but for Sasuke. Because she's always been a selfish girl and she wants him here with them, and if it means making sure Sasuke is strong enough to kill his obsession, then she will; and if it means using her influence and Naruto's and Tsunade's and everyone she knows so that, once he's done catching his dreams-nightmares-obsessions, he can come back where he belongs. Then she will.
Her bedside manners are atrocious; but she's learning for herself, for their-dreams-that-she-made-hers; and Tsunade's brand of tough love is exactly the kind that Sakura's boys need.
Tsunade isn't as selfish as Sakura is, Sakura thinks; or maybe she is. Because Tsunade made Naruto hers too, and maybe she's only keeping the village for him; and if he won't learn the political games well enough to be Hokage in all the ways he should be, then she'll cheat and mold someone who will play it for him. So he can keep on doing what he does best.
Sakura doesn't mind being Tsunade's lovingly-crafted tool, because it means that they're of the same mind and there are no conflicting intentions.
The first time she's trusted enough to stand in for Tsunade herself is a great honor; and all the times she doesn't punch cheap, yet bloodthirsty clients in the teeth are victories.
Sakura, about Tsunade, and her teammates.
Normally, Sakura doesn't have to deal with Tsunade's clients. By which she means the men important enough to get to discuss a mission directly with the Hokage. Sakura does deal with Tsunade's patients, sometimes, when she's considered good enough on animals to replicate the trick on humans. She's training to be a field medic, not a nurse; she doesn't deal with the aftercare.
Sakura now knows that it's a good thing she was planning on catching up to her boys on the field, not on burying herself in a hospital; she has atrocious bedside manners. She knows because pandering to these men's overblown sense of entitlement grates on her nerves, because their disproportionate demands of retaliation make her wonder if they're quite sane; but their money forces Tsunade to consider and sometimes accept obliterating a small village for the slight dealt by one person. Sakura doesn't know how Tsunade does it, when her temper rivals Inner Sakura's own.
She doesn't know if she should admire her mentor's restraint, or recoil in horror at the thought of dulling her own brand new determination. She learns anyway, even if that isn't part of her normal lessons, she learns to hide what she thinks anew -- nothing so trivial and yet so dear as to what she should have said to Sasuke, what she should have said to Naruto -- but something more important, in the grand scheme of things.
Sakura learns the ropes a politician pulls. Sakura learns to be polite yet unbending, subtle and frank in turns.
Sometimes she thinks that Tsunade might be grooming her to be the next Hokage; but the idea makes her laugh. Sakura can learn the grand scheme of things -- she is smart and controlled enough -- but she's always been a selfish girl. What she learns, she learns for her team only.
So in the end, she sits on Tsunade's meetings, and she helps with paperwork and pacifying spurned Lords and subtle intimidations; she learns to be the sweet, harmless intern and the cool, wiser-than-her-years successor. She learns to play the political game.
She learns, not for herself, but for Naruto. Because she's always been a selfish girl, and their dreams are now irreversibly intermingled, and she refuses, refuses to see him not become Hokage.
She learns, not for herself, but for Sasuke. Because she's always been a selfish girl and she wants him here with them, and if it means making sure Sasuke is strong enough to kill his obsession, then she will; and if it means using her influence and Naruto's and Tsunade's and everyone she knows so that, once he's done catching his dreams-nightmares-obsessions, he can come back where he belongs. Then she will.
Her bedside manners are atrocious; but she's learning for herself, for their-dreams-that-she-made-hers; and Tsunade's brand of tough love is exactly the kind that Sakura's boys need.
Tsunade isn't as selfish as Sakura is, Sakura thinks; or maybe she is. Because Tsunade made Naruto hers too, and maybe she's only keeping the village for him; and if he won't learn the political games well enough to be Hokage in all the ways he should be, then she'll cheat and mold someone who will play it for him. So he can keep on doing what he does best.
Sakura doesn't mind being Tsunade's lovingly-crafted tool, because it means that they're of the same mind and there are no conflicting intentions.
The first time she's trusted enough to stand in for Tsunade herself is a great honor; and all the times she doesn't punch cheap, yet bloodthirsty clients in the teeth are victories.
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I adore the idea. Great job!
+J+
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Blame tomorrow, I'm leaving mexico, and going to Canada to study for a year, so I'm sort of sneaking out to get some free time from all the packing. ¬¬*glances at the the unpacaged things on the room* Well.... I like the little story :D
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Some one on one interaction would be good tho, myep.
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*grabs new resolve to comment more (err at all) and holds on for dear life*
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Other than that, I was squee-ing like a fangirl *___*
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The ending is an ending. It folds in upon itself and isn't clumsy, so hooray. I actually kind of like it. Hooray for Sakura~
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Heh, I like that kind of approach. It sounds Tsunade-like in how underhanded yet possible it is. I liked this fic just as it is! Great character-study, as usual. ^_~
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