Kurenai Yuhi drew the short lot.
She suppressed the mixture of relief and conflict inside her, gave Tsunade a slight nod, then turned and left the office.
The door closed behind her, leaving only Tsunade and Anko in the office.
Tsunade fixed her gaze on Anko, her voice grave and measured, as though she meant to drive every word into her ears.
"Anko, your mission is to use your charms to placate Uchiha Yongye..."
Anko's brows drew together sharply. Shock and confusion filled her face as she blurted, "Placate Uchiha Yongye? Not the Daimyo of the Land of Fire?"
Tsunade shook her head and sighed, sounding resigned to the fact that Anko still did not grasp how serious this was.
"Uchiha Yongye is more dangerous than His Lordship the Daimyo. He's the greatest threat to Konoha right now! You'll go to the Military Police Force Building shortly, and then..."
She laid out every detail clearly: what Anko needed to do, how far she needed to go, when to act, and how he might react. She sounded as though she had rehearsed it many times.
As Anko listened, a blush slowly spread across her pretty face, from her cheekbones to her ears and down her neck.
She looked away from Tsunade and down at the floor by her feet. Her fingers twisted together at her side, then loosened. Disbelief and reluctance strained her voice.
"Lord Hokage? Do I really have to go that far? It's too... embarrassing!"
Tsunade nodded at once. Her expression was resolute, her gaze fixed on Anko with a firmness that left no room for argument.
"You must! It's the only way to satisfy Uchiha Yongye, get him to release those Guardian Ninja, and stop him from making trouble for His Lordship the Daimyo."
Anko opened her mouth,