Shizune laughs. "The good ones are, at least. I can recommend a few poetry books for you, if you'd like. There's a few that could easily be read five ways."

"I have little experience with poetry."

"It's a good pastime if you're interested in wordplay and codes. My favorites were all by kunoichi back in the Warring States era, actually. Getting some feudal lord or another to patronize something subtly insulting seemed to be a hobby of a few."

"Then I would like recommendations, yes."

Shizune names a few poets, as well as some anthologies - mostly of poets with only a few surviving poems each.

Chihiro will look into them when they get back to Konoha.

Which, in a few days, they do. One can hardly tell that it was invaded not long ago.

Tsunade is very quickly whisked into preparations for her inauguration. 

Still, she finds time afterwards to let Kakashi know she wants to meet. Today. At this time, and not three hours later.

He's only fifteen minutes late.

She'll train him eventually.

She's checked - thoroughly - that there's no possibilities of spies or wiretaps in here, and doesn't bother with personal, in-room guards like Sarutobi did, at least not until she can build a stable core of people who definitely aren't Danzo's pets.

"So, Hatake. I'm curious on your perspective on a few points."

"Aha, I'm just a humble jounin. I'm sure you can find better people than me."

"Don't give me that crap. You were second choice for the hat, and would've been first if those old codgers hadn't thought they could manipulate me."

"If you want out of here fast, you shouldn't mind answering some of my questions about your old students, should you?"

"Depends on the questions."

"Well, at least you're honest."

"First. Chihiro. If, given contradictory orders, do you think she would follow mine, yours, or Danzo's?"

"Whichever set serves the boys' interests best."

"And how well do you think she would evaluate those?"

"She's learned a lot from them since they were teamed up. And she's smart enough to think things through all the way."

She nods. "Good."

"Speaking of the boys."

"Uchiha Sasuke."

"He's one of them, yep."

"He's not using chakra for his healing techniques, and they in fact aren't interacting with bodies the way the inscribed techniques he claims they are should."

"You're his jounin sensei. I expect you know something of that."

"An altogether reasonable expectation to have."

"I'm not in the mood for your bullshit, Hatake. Tell me what you know about Uchiha Sasuke's techniques."

"They're an expression of a previously unknown Uchiha bloodline limit."

"The truth."

"Is not my secret to tell. Ask Sasuke himself, if you want to know."

"Fine. You're dismissed."