Once again, the peace and quiet of Saya's private office had been disturbed by sounds of loud, running footsteps.
And this early in the morning, too... However, the Lady of the state had gotten used to this already. Every day, when mail was delivered to her, there was something the silly ninjas from the postal tower deemed 'important'. And despite her telling them to not run like that, the incident just kept repeating itself. However, this time it was different. Instead of the average errand boy, in front of her stood her officer, the one in charge of the Yukigakure's postal service. A stalwart-looking man, but already past his prime. Still, Saya found his mustache quite charming.
- Good morning Mamoru. Have all of your tenants suddenly call a sick day for you to deliver the mail to me personally? - she asked, with a light chuckle, and a small smile, which immediately made the man slightly more nervous. He worked with Saya long enough to know that she never smiled. Or... very rarely. And usually it didn't mean anything good.
- No, ma'am. We have received a letter, that is, apparently, meant for you. I decided to deliver it personally. - he said, and passed her the scroll. Saya had received it, with a nod. The first thing she noticed, was that the letter came from Iwagakure - the seal on the scroll belonged to that village. The second thing was that ... the seal was already broken. She looked up, staring at Mamoru with a stern, questioning glare. Expecting explanations as to why the privacy of her personal correspondence had been compromised. The chief swallowed, finding the stare unsettling, but never the less, followed with an explanation:
- The letter was not filled in appropriately - while it mentioned the person who sent it, it said nothing about who was supposed to receive it. I took the responsibility to open it, in order to determine who this letter was supposed to be for. It is why I chose to deliver the letter myself, so that none of my subordinates would face your ire, caused by my actions.
The irritated expression on Saya's face slowly subsided, as she left the man to just stand there, as she read the letter. She recalled the name in the corner of the scroll. Amaterasu... It's that girl ... that kept annoying me and following me everywhere, during the time I was hired by Iwagakure... Hmph... - the lady snarled to herself, however, a smile had appeared, as she kept reading the letter.
She didn't change a bit...
Saya had an avid imagination. And as she read, she was able to imagine that brash yellow-head jump out of the letter, and yell all these words at her, brimming with excitement, just like the bright sun over the mountain ranges of Iwagakure. So... that knucklehead got promoted? Well... they say there's no enemy more dangerous than an idiotic ally... - she said to herself, sarcastically. It was hard to believe, really. For someone so ... un-shinobi-like, to become a member of a special division... an officer... And a kage's bodyguard as well! Finding the thought funny, Saya reached for a pen and a scroll. It didn't take much time for her to write up a reply:
"To Bakuhatsuka Amaterasu, the Bodyguard of Tsuchikage.
Hello Ama. I did not expect to receive a letter from you. It was most surprising.
The way you signed your letter had caused an incident. Now, the man in charge of my postal service stands in front of me, incredibly nervous and frightened. It is funny to see him in such a state. However, please mention who the letter is meant for, in the envelope. I cannot have one of my officers have a breakdown..." - she began to write, barely keeping herself from snorting, and covering her mouth with her hand. The man at her desk kept staring at her with a bewildered glare. He had never seen their stern Lady act in such a way. She almost seemed ... human.
"... I congratulate you on your achievements, and wish you more successes in the future. I hope things I taught you during my stay in Iwagakure were useful in your endeavors." - she then addressed the part mentioning the promotions, before coming to respond to the next part of the letter. When she read it, a pink blush momentarily appeared on Saya's face, but then the small smile she had was dropped, into something akin of a frown. She let out a silent sigh. Some questions, though innocent, have touched a nerve.
"As for my personal life, it is pretty much nonexistent. I spend all my time taking care of the village, and I sleep only 3-4 hours, before returning to duty. In retrospect, being the head of Yukigakure is a lot more difficult... and boring, than my former position. I miss my days as a mercenary for the village. It allowed me to travel, to see lands that have the Sun over their heads. Now I am chained to this place.
If you were to visit me, I would be ... happy. Bring warm clothes, if you choose to come here. This land is called the land of neverending winter for a reason.
Burn this letter after you finish reading it.
Signed: Saya Yoi, third Lady of Yukigakure."
After finishing writing the letter, Saya rolled the scroll into a tube, and sealed it with her personal, Yukigakure seal. She then handed it to the man, who kept standing in front of her, not daring to leave unless he was allowed to. The woman looked at him, and said:
- I will not punish you. You are a man of honor, and you were doing your duty. For that, I am going to reward you with a three day leave. You are tasked to drink yourself to unconsciousness during that time. - her words almost made Mamoru fall over, it was most unexpected. Blinking a few times, he cleared his throat, before daring to ask:
- Um... drink myself to unconsciousness? Milady, are you sure...
- Yes, I am certain. - Saya nodded affirmatively, before giving a look at the opened letter one more time. - You have read my letter. And I cannot have anyone knowing someone has been calling me 'Epic Whitey-chan'. Now, be off! Before I change my mind and decide to mindwipe you instead.
- Sir yes sir! I mean... ma'am.
With that, he left off, and Saya fell back on her chair and breathed out, rubbing the bridge of her nose. She just agreed to have that ... force of nature invade her distilled, orderly and cold kingdom.
I think I might regret that in the morning.
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