#howrp

One of the first few things she noticed when she walked in was the familiar back of her taijutsu-user friend, his head bowed slightly as he kneeled on one knee respectfully - as was customary for shinobi while receiving official orders from their leader - in front of an oddly sober sannin. The medic-nin swiftly joined her comrade, shooting him a brief smile in greeting before she turned to regard the busty blonde. “Hokage-sama, you summoned me?” 

Tsunade hummed softly in thought as she rifled through the mess of scrolls and documents on her desk. Extracting the one she was looking for from the pile, she tossed it to her apprentice, who caught it easily.

“Get up. There’s no need to be so formal,” Tsunade stated, sharp hazel eyes scrutinizing the two shinobi before her. They obliged. “Rock Lee and Haruno Sakura, I’m sending you on a B-ranked information exchange mission to Joumae no Sato. Sakura, you are to collaborate with Joumae's head medic and assist them in rebuilding their welfare and medicine infrastructure. You are to provide input while giving none of our inner village systems away." 

Pastel brows furrowed. Joumae...? Why was Konoha assisting a village that once attempted to infiltrate her? 

"Joumae is a relatively small village, and their numbers can't hold a candle to ours. However, it is common knowledge that Joumae shinobi are exceptionally skilled in the arts of espionage, and they possess intelligence on almost every country and its secrets that could very well damage countless shinobi continents should the information be used with malicious intent. It's a huge problem, yes. But they are neither ally nor foe. If we want to tip the scale in our favor, we have to do it now, and as subtly as possible." 

The blonde frowned, exhausted but unwilling and unable to show her shinobi any sort of weakness. "By sending you, my apprentice, we're telling them that Konoha is willing to cooperate and compromise. It'll be our first step towards alliance. However." There was a slight pause, in which Sakura experienced a sinking feeling in her stomach. "I can't guarantee that they are willing to remain amiable throughout your stay there."

The Hokage diverted her gaze to the dark-haired chuunin standing at attention beside her student. "That is why I'm sending Lee with you. I'm merely taking necessary precautions to ensure that one of my best medics doesn't run straight into a potential trap alone. As such, I trust that Lee will guard you sufficiently should the need arise.”

If she had been a lesser kunoichi, the pinkette would've bristled at Tsunade's implications - that she wasn't strong enough to defend herself. But she understood her mentor's sentiments. She wasn't quite in a hurry to wander around in foreign territory alone, either. If anything, she was somewhat glad that the Hokage had assigned the eccentric shinobi for this mission as well.

"Finer details regarding the mission are in that scroll. Sakura, you call the shots for this mission. Remember, these people are extremely cunning. Keep your eyes open and watch each other's backs. Stay vigilant. Understood?”

“Hai, Hokage-sama,” the two chuunin chorused, standing at attention.