NARUTO ATOGAMA
CHAPTER 1: SORTING
The ninja academy classroom was sunny and cozily warm. The outside world was quiet and peaceful; the sliding door had not yet slid open for the new gennin. The ticking of a clock and the chirp of birds outside were the only sounds. The door at last slid open and the first person to enter the classroom stepped in.
Shugo Raigen stepped through the door way and looking around at the rows of desks smiled slightly. Although he himself had graduated the academy years ago, the jounin could not help but remember his sorting day. He laughed slightly remembering how itchy his new forehead protector had been and how nervous he had been to see who would be the other two ninjas in his team and which of the jounin would be his sensei. He walked leisurely down the aisle between desks to the podium at the front. Glancing down at the list of teams Raigen smiled, these would be good teams and the young gennin showed great promise.
The gennin began to file in talking excitedly, kidding with each other. After a few minutes they were all seated and Raigen attracted their attention with a slight cough.
"You are as of today full fledged ninjas of the hidden leaf village, no longer are you students in the academy. Do not think that your learning has ended however, for although you are not in school anymore your learning has just started. As you are no doubt aware, you will be separated into teams of three and assigned to a jounin to continue your training. What advise can I give you? Listen to your sensei, live your life with honor and keep your friends close. That is what it means to be a Konoha ninja." Raigen said looking around the room.
Two girls were seated in the second row on the right. The two girls were a splash of color; yellow, pink and orange.
"Can you believe it Sasukura? We made it. We're gennin." whispered one of the girls to the other excitedly.
Uzumaki Hinaru and Uchiha Sasukura had been the best of friends for as long as either of them could remember. Blonde, like her father with the characteristic silver eyes of the Hyuuga clan, Hinaru was two years older than her friend. At the age of fifteen Hinaru had developed into a cheerful, beautiful, and powerful ninja. Dressed in a bright orange vest trimmed with fur and dark blue pants, Hinaru clashed almost audibly with her friend. Aside from the pink hair pinned behind her head, Uchiha Sasukura was devoid of color. She was wearing a black turtleneck vest, black fingerless gloves, a black and white skirt and black leggings, gave Sasukura a mildly menacing look. Sasukura slid her friend a glance from the corner of her eye, lingering on one of her major peeves with her friend; her well proportioned chest.
"I really like Hinaru, but she can be so annoying sometimes." Sasukura thought to herself, trying to ignore her inner voice which was screaming "Why does she get breasts like that?! I'm smarter and faster I deserve to be developed liked that!"
Several rows back Nara Temaru was leaned back with his hands behind his head and watched a fly buzz lazily around one of the lights. He wished things would hurry along; it was so troublesome to be trapped inside on such a nice day. Temaru thought about all the times he and his father had snuck out of doing chores to watch the clouds, much to the chagrin of his mother Temari. He was brought back to the moment by Raigen calling his name.
"Team 4: Nara Temaru…"
"Hai" Temaru said lazily.
"Uchiha Sasukura…"
"Hai" Sasukura responded right away. She was internally thinking 'Yes!! I'm going to become a great ninja and make mom proud! Plus, this is my chance to get away from…'
"and Uzumaki Hinaru"
"YATTA!!!" Hinaru cheered jumping up from her seat literally overflowing with joy.
As Sasukura slumped slightly, Temari raised an eyebrow and sighed.
"Geez… on a team with to girls. How troublesome." He muttered to himself.
Raigen continued to list off the names and teams. After a few minutes Akimichi Choujin, Aburame Manta and Hyuuga Tenji were placed on a team together. Temaru turned to his friend Choujin who was devouring a large bag of cheese crisps.
"Your team sounds good." Temaru said to his pudgy friend.
Holding up a finger Choujin finished chewing before saying, "I don't understand why you're so upset though. A team with two girls sounds like a good time to me."
"Women are temperamental, irrational, and troublesome." Temaru said leaning back in his chair again. "Plus Sasukura-chan and Hinaru-chan are friends so they will always be gossiping."
Choujin scratched his head and ran his fingers through his blonde hair and his light blue eyes narrowed mischievously.
"You know… both of my parents said that your dad had similar ideas at our age, but your mom straightened him out okay. All you need is a girlfriend and you'll never say that women are troublesome again" he said with a wink.
"Team 8: Rusugya Gairo…" came Raigen's voice from up front. A figure dressed completely in black nodded. His round sunglasses flashed and the "X" shaped scar on his forehead was visible. He nodded without saying anything.
"Ranta Kanako…"
"Yes sir." Came the response.
Kanako was a slightly chunky (though not fat by any means) red-head with a pair of goggles perched on her head. She was actually quite a handsome woman if a little tom-boyish in her overalls and mesh t-shirt, her attractiveness slightly understated.
"and Taigen Akachi."
"YATTA!! I get to be on the same team as Kanako- chan! WOOHOO!!!" came a huge cheer from near by.
Kanako turned in her seat and looked at the cheerer. He was a tall thin boy with very narrow eyes and brown hair tied into a pony tail. He was staring at Kanako with a giant smile blushing and drooling slightly.
"Akachi you PERVERT stop thinking about me!" Kanako yelled a vein pulsing on her temple.
Raigen couldn't help laughing to himself. These were definitely going to be fun teams.
Chapter 2: Blood Lines and Janken
Temaru yawned and looked up at the clouds drifting lazily by over head. Team 4 had been waiting for the arrival of their jounin; they didn't know anything about her aside from a name, Tasuke Maru. Temaru cut his eyes to his new teammates, Hinaru was chatting animatedly about something or other and Sasukura was nodding noncommittally. A shadow appeared behind them and, turning Temaru looked up at a very pretty woman. She was wearing a blue and green swirl kimono top, a purple obi, a dark blue skirt and fish net leggings. She had dark purple hair tied back with turquoise ribbon into two pony tails.
"Good morning team 4. Why don't we start by going around and introducing ourselves and saying what your dreams are. I'll start; my name is Tasuke Maru, I'm a jounin and my dream has always been to become a master of fire jutsus. How about you?" The new comer said leaning up against a rail and smiling at the three gennin and indicating Hinaru who was closest.
"My name is Uzumaki Hinaru" She bubbled happily and adjusted her new headband. "As to my dream, I want to be a great ninja like my daddy someday. He's going to be Hokage some day you know."
Maru chuckled to herself. She remembered Uzumaki Naruto she had been in the academy the same time as him even though they had been in different classes. She had graduated a year earlier than him but remember the smart mouthed Kyuubi kid that was always pulling pranks. Maru smiled and nodded.
"My name is Nara Temaru, I want to become a Jounin and help defend Konoha in the war against Oto and the Ataksuki." Temaru said next diverting his attention away from the clouds drifting overhead to the conversation.
Finally it was Sasukura's turn she closed her eyes and leaned her head forward looking at the ground she said, "My name is Uchiha Sasukura. I don't have a dream really, but… I have always wanted to meet my father, Uchiha Sasuke."
Maru scowled slightly at this, she had remembered Sasuke as well. He had been the number one rooky in Konoha back in the day. She knew as much about him as most people in the village did. She knew that he was an orphan, that he wanted to kill his brother and that he had left the village to join up with Orochimaru. It had been a real blow to Sasukura's mother, Sakura; she had gone to search for him once, no one talked about it, but Sakura gave birth to Sasukura a few months after she got back from her quest.
"Well, Today is our first day as a team. So I can gage you skills and abilities I would like to do a simple test, if you'll permit me. I would like you all to complete in a game of Janken. I will grant the winner whatever they want to do for one full day; missions, relaxing, you name it and we'll do it. Does that sound fair?" Maru asked.
After seeing that everyone agreed she arranged the three gennin in a triangle. "Best of three wins." She said with a smile "Begin."
For a moment all three gennin eyed each other. Each was trying to guess what the other two would throw on their first hand.
"One… Two… Three… JANKEN!"
Three hands shot out at once.
"Paper beats rock, rock beats scissors and scissors beats paper. No winner" was Maru's amused announcement.
Sasukura glared at the scissors she had thrown and her inner voice swore loudly. Why had she thrown scissors when Hinaru had thrown rock? Both girls locked gazes for a moment and the tension between them was palpable. Then both put on fake smiles.
"I guess I beat you last time Sasukura-chan."
"I guess you did Hinaru-chan." Was the pseudo-cheerful response. Mean while the inner Sasukura was grinding her teeth a vein bulging on her temple "Yeah well, you didn't win either and next time I won't loose!"
Temaru's gaze shifted from one girl to the next and he sighed. Why did they always have to make everything a contest? As the two girls continued to put on an obviously fake display of congeniality, Temaru knelt down and placed his finger tips together and closed his eyes. Maru watched this characteristic gesture and had to stifle a laugh, Temaru's resemblance to his father while in that position was striking.
"Ok round two… One… Two… Three… JANKEN!"
Once again the three hands shot out. This time Sasukura had to hold back a shot of glee, both she and Hinaru had thrown paper.
"Well Hinaru-chan it seems we broke…" She started only to be cut off by Maru saying.
"Scissors cut paper, Temaru wins that round."
Both girls' heads whipped around in surprise to see Temaru standing nonchalantly with his two fingers still outstretched. After exchanging bewildered looks both girls seemed to slump as though someone had let the air out of them.
"Sasukura-chan what are we doing? We've been best friends since forever, why are we fighting over something as simple as a game of Janken?" Hinaru asked.
"You're right Hinaru, we shouldn't be squabbling between ourselves… we should team up against Temaru!"
Both girls turned to face Temaru and then exchanged glances and a quick nod. Temaru raised and eyebrow at the united front before him. It was funny how girls could change from being enemies to being the very best of friends again in the blink of an eye. Although he didn't show it outwardly, he was pleased at the outcome; everything was going as he had planned.
"Hey Sasukura-chan," Hinaru said to her friend without taking her eyes off Temaru, "Temaru-kun is smarter than we are but we have an advantage over him. Byakugan!"
The characteristic veins around the eyes appeared as Hinaru activated her blood line limit. Sasukura smiled slightly, this was a field she could compete in.
"Sharingan!" She said and her eyes went red and the single black mark of the level one sharingan appeared. Sasukura, although she had never met any other member of the Uchiha clan, or had any formal training for it, was already able to use the famous blood line limit of the Uchiha clan. Everyone was very impressed with this and told her frequently that they had never seen or heard of a child grasping the ability so quickly or at such a young age since the days of her uncle Itachi.
Maru leaned forward when she saw the two girls activate their blood line limits. She was impressed that they had been able to master their blood lines at such a young age and she was pleased at their sudden sense of teamwork.
"Ok next round One… Two… Three… JANKEN!" She said again.
Temaru's hand moved like a blur, gone was his normal languid behavior and Maru could see in his narrowed blue eyes that he was serious this time. Both girls' hands moved in unison and threw the same sign.
"Paper wraps rock. Sorry girls, it looks like Temaru wins."
Both Sasukura and Hinaru spoke out in protest at this.
"But sensei…" Hinaru whined, "He cheated. He used his shadow possession jutsu so that we would through rock. I saw him form the hand seals behind his back!"
Maru laughed, "Yes, and very quick thinking it was too. Please don't glare at me like that Sasukura-chan, Temaru won because he was being a ninja. Ninjutsu is based around deception and concealing the truth and besides; I never said there were rules, so breaking them is hard to do. Still, I am very impressed with all of you. Temaru, your quick thinking combined with your gage of your teammate's response as allowed you to win. Hinaru-chan, your use of byakugan in combat and your natural sense of team work are very commendable. Finally, Sasukura, for someone of your age to be able to use sharingan so fluidly is a marvel, and your quick reactions are what make you a deadly shinobi. Well Temaru, you won the game so we will do what ever you want for a day."
Temaru shifted his gaze from Hinaru to Sasukura and then turned his attention back to Maru.
"I'm going to make a guess what these two want, so for my day I want us to do a challenging mission and nothing pointless like catching a cat, but a "C" rank mission." He said smoothly.
Maru raised an eyebrow at the request but smiled. Her team certainly didn't waste any time, and that was just the way she liked it.
Chapter 3: Faces to the Wind
Tsunade sighed in her office; she glanced from the massive pile of paper work which seemed to always exist on her desk to the open window and the bright sunny day outside. She glanced around furtively and ducked under her desk. Crouched under the desk she eagerly opened a secret compartment and drew out a sake bottle and drawing up her knees she relaxed slightly and took a drink.
The peace of the moment was shattered as the sliding door suddenly flew open and Shizune rushed into the room. When the door flew open Tsunade clutched the bottle to her much like a squirrel protecting a nut and held her breath. The sounds of Shizune's foot falls were the only sound.
"Tsunade-sama?" Shizune asked as she looked around.
Tsunade stayed perfectly still and silent. She liked Shizune but she could be a real thorn in the side. She was a stickler for work and right now Tsunade had absolutely no desire to work. Shizune's feet came into view under the desk and then she kneeled down and gaze Tsunade a 'you should know better than that' look.
"Tsunade-sama, why are you under your desk?" Shizune asked in a tone that showed she clearly already knew the answer.
"I… I dropped my pen." Tsunade responded defensively
Shizune said and stretched out a hand. "Give me the bottle Tsunade-sama."
Tsunade glared at her assistant for second and then with a disgruntled sigh she passed the bottle out and crawled out from under the desk.
"I assume you have a reason for bursting in on my 'me' time Shizune." Tsunade said dusting herself off.
"Well quite aside from the fact that you're supposed to be WORKING…" Shizune said in an annoyed voice with a vein pulsing on her forehead, "We have just received a request for a team to escort a merchant group to the Wind country. They have to go up through the Rashomon Pass so there is a great danger of mountain bandits. Our team only has to get them to the Rashomon temple on the border, and then Suna ninjas will take them the rest of the way."
Tsunade considered this for a moment and then she turned and snagged her coat from the rack.
"Come on Shizune, we're going out for a bit. We're going to pay the Nara family a visit." She said as she moved quickly out of the office.
Shizune blinked and then hurried after her.
"The Rashomon Pass is not the usual way into the Wind country, and I'm not familiar with it. The team will need a guide and being as she's the only one in the village that comes from Suna, Temari fits the bill really well. Besides, Maru requested a class C mission for her team and this should be a good one for them to start on."
Several minutes later found the two women sitting in Shikamaru and Temari's house. Temari herself had just served tea and sat down. Her marriage to Shikamaru, although arranged, had been genuinely affectionate on both sides. Temari would never forget how when they had been told that they were going to be married to solidify the alliance between Suna and Konoha. At first she had been upset but had requested that she be paired with Shikamaru. She laughed when she remembered how awkward he had been at first and how they had clumsily tried to get to know each other.
Temari glanced over to the wedding picture on a nearby table and her expression softened. She did truly love her husband. All of her worries about what would happen to her brothers without her and her anxiety about the marriage had been wiped from her when Shikamaru had whispered to her at the alter.
"You are a very troublesome woman you know." He had said then, "… But you are the only woman that is worth the trouble and somehow when I am with you life seems easier."
Temari was snapped back to the present by Tsunade speaking.
"Anyway, I was hoping that you would be willing to escort the team and guide them through the pass. If you'd like to continue on to Suna afterward for a short visit feel free to do so.
"Actually I wanted to visit Suna soon anyway, so I'd be happy to go with the team. Also in the Rashomon Pass an extra set of hands and eyes will come in useful. I know that area and it's literally brisling with mountain bandits, so if we're going through we need to be quick and careful." Temari responded thoughtfully. "But it will be nice to check up on Gaara and Kankuro again."
Temaru, who had been listening upstairs smiled to himself. This mission was shaping up to be everything he knew his teammates were hoping for. He watched as his mother and the fifth hokage talked began to plan. It was in Temaru's nature to plan and think ahead and, opening a map of the area he began to study every feature of the Rashomon Pass.
A few days later Team 4 was all set to leave. They stood together by the front gate of Konoha. Temaru stood with his teammates and watched his parents say good bye to each other. Shikamaru showed no external signs of worry but internally he was very worried. In these troubled times with the remaining Akatsuki members as well as growing threat of sound ninjas, not to speak of mountain bandits and avalanches were a real danger.
"Okay…" Maru said looking up at the sky. "I think it's time for us to move out. Temari-chan you can lead the way when we get a little closer, until then I'll lead. Temaru, Sasukura and Hinaru you three move in line with the caravan. Everybody keep your eyes and ears open."
Temari looked at the leaving party and then back at her husband.
"I'll send you a message as soon as we reach the temple." She said before turning and walking away on the end of the caravan.
Suddenly, her entire body froze. She knew the cause; she had been trapped by Shikamaru's Shadow Imitation jutsu. Her body was forced to turn around. Shikamaru took his wife in his arms and kissed her lovingly and lingeringly on her lips. Temari nuzzled up against him, suddenly and fully aware of how much she would miss him.
"Be careful out there." Shikamaru said seriously "If anything happened to you or Temaru I don't know what I would do."
"I will." Temari said softly and then with one last hug, she was gone. Shikamaru watched his wife walking behind the caravan until they were out of sight.
Chapter 4: The High Road
It had been two days since the caravan had left Konoha. Normally it only took three days to reach Suna, but because of the winding mountain path and rocky terrain it was been slow going. The oxen the team was using although strong struggled on the steep slopes and frequently stumbled on loose stones.
Temaru was able to walk beside his mother who was telling him story after story about her childhood.
"Your uncles were always quite a handful." Temari said with a laugh remembering how she used to have to chase after them all over Suna. Suddenly her face fell. "Kankuro wasn't so bad; he was always off doing his own things, but Gaara… Gaara was something else entirely."
Temari got a distant and slightly troubled look in her eyes as she continued.
"When Gaara was born you grandfather sealed the Shukaku inside him. Mother was really the only person that didn't think he was a monster, but that thing inside him killed her, well kind of. She died in child birth; Gaara never knew her but it just about killed Kankuro. I had to be strong for him, because Father would never tell us anything comforting. He was a cruel man Father was, he was a great Kazekage, but he was a very cruel man. I can't ever remember him ever hugging me or telling any of us that he loved us, his own children. He saw us as tools and he saw Gaara especially as nothing more than a threat." As she spoke Temari's face fell, "It was partially my fault that Gaara ended up as he did. All growing up he never had anyone with him, never had any friends. It was partially my fault, because I should have been more than a sister to him. As family it rested with Kankuro and I to help Gaara feel loved. I guess we were scared of him to a degree, he killed who and where he liked, but that was no excuse for how we treated him."
Temari sighed and whipped a single tear from her eye.
"He got better after lost to Naruto and so did we, for the first time ever we were a family. When Gaara was taken by that slime Deidara Kankuro and I were ready to lay our lives on the line to get him back. In fact Kankuro almost did, that Sasori guy nearly killed him when he tried to stop them getting away. I have never been so worried about both of them. Still everything worked out in the end, for which I am hugely grateful."
Meanwhile lower down the line on the caravan Hinaru had been chatting animatedly with Sasukura. Suddenly the two girls froze, they had both heard it, soft but clear the sound of a cough coming from up on a cliff nearby. Silently Sasukura signaled a stop and Hinaru activated Byakugan. Maru hurried up to them.
"What is it?" She whispered.
"Mountain Bandits." Hinaru responded her eyes going wide.
"Where?"
"Everywhere."
Chapter 5: Konoha's Fan Dance
Maru drew the two fans she had concealed in her obi and with a single flick of her wrist she flipped the fans open. They were double sided fans; one side had blue background and a silver cirle, the second side was an orange and green spiral.
"Hinaru… Sasukura… Temaru… defend the line!" She ordered.
"I see from your head bands that you are ninja from the Hidden Leaf village." Came a gravely voice from up at the front of the line. A man was standing at the head of the caravan. He had red hair tied in a braid; he wore a black jacket, loose kaki pants and black leather boots. "Konoha is recognized as a mighty village but you are hopelessly outnumbered. I am Tasuki of the Rashomon mountain bandits and I speak for the leader of our band, here are our terms. You will all lay down your arms and surrender; you will allow us to take what we like from your caravan as the toll for passing through our mountains. In exchange for this we will allow you to pass without harm."
Temari looked up the line at the man and sneered. She reached behind her and drew her fan opened it showing all three moons.
"And what happens if we refuse?" She asked in an amused voice. It had been a while since she had been in a good fight and she was starting to get excited.
Tasuki grinned and shrugged. "Well let's just say that I would recommend it."
Hinaru's eyes flicked around to the mountains nearest them. Byakugan allowed her to see all of the hidden enemies and she silently counted ten archers with bows dawn waiting to loose the arrows. She also saw lots of hidden bandits lurking behind rocks. Maru caught Temari's eye and her meaning was clear, it said 'get ready to attack' Temaru took a step closer to the two girls and glanced around him waiting for the signal.
Temari returned her attention to the waiting Tasuki.
"You guys made a huge mistake picking a fight with us. Here are OUR terms. You get the hell out of our way and let us pass with out incident or… we with force you to." She said with a dangerous glint in her blue eyes.
The fighting started with a rare suddenness. Arrows rained down from all directions causing both Hinaru and Sasukura to spring into action. Sasukura's eyes flew open exposing the sharingan and snatching an arrow out of the air and used it to swat other arrows away from the caravan. Hinaru placed her feet a little ways a part and spun on the spot swiftly into the Hakkesho Kaiten, deflecting everything that was sent her way. Temaru quickly clasping his hands together into the seal of the rat extended his shadow up the sides of the steep cliffs.
"Sasukura, I've got them… GO!" Temaru said without wavering from his stance.
Sasukura nodded and streaked off up the cliff, her chakra control like her mother's before her, was perfect. Kunai and arrows hurtled towards her, but with the aid of sharingan she was able to dodge them easily. She topped the ridge and snatching a kunai that had been thrown toward her from the air moved swiftly through the bandit slashing at some of them.
Now bandits began swarming from the rocks in all directions some carrying swords, others clubs but all armed. They were rugged men with grim set faces and they swarmed down on the party.
"We need to get the caravan to the temple as quick as we can. Temaru… Hinaru… Sasukura… you three go on ahead and get those merchants to safety. Temari-sama and I will hold them here… GO!!" Maru ordered as she formed hand seals. "Katon: Housenka no Justu!"
Fire balls blasted the cliff sides pinning down the bandits. Fragments of stone and rubble flew in all directions. Hinaru watched this for a moment and then turned her attention to the caravan.
"There aren't enough of us to move them quickly." She thought to herself and suddenly the inspiration struck. Without wasting anytime Hinaru performed the signature hand motion that her father Naruto had used so many times. "Taijuu Kage Bushin no Jutsu!"
Sixty Hinaru's appeared and picking up the various parcels and packages of the caravan they began to move off. Temaru smiled when he saw this, if ever there was a time for shadow clones this was it. As he hurried after the many Hinaru's Temaru was joined by a slightly haggard and blood smeared Sasukura who jumped sown from the cliffs.
"Geez Sasukura. You're cover in blood." Temaru said with raised eyebrows.
"It's not mine." Sasukura interrupted shortly shooting her teammate a glance from the corner of her eye.
Ways behind the fleeing gennin, Temari and Maru opened their respective fans and took their stand. Fire and wind based attacks rained down from the two women's fans on the hapless bandits.
"Temari-sama has it occurred to you how prone to avalanches this passage is?" Maru asked with significance.
Temari gave Maru a sideways glance and smiled. "Yes, that thought had occurred to me too. Shall we show these bandits the effect of a hurricane on mountain snow?"
Both women placed their backs together and opened their fans.
"Greater Cutting Whirlwind!" Both said at once and swung their fans. Huge amounts of wind billowed down the valley, rocks developed huge scars and gauges.
"That was a good trick but it will take more than wind to…" Tasuki started but was cut off by a terrible cracking sound.
The bandits turned to see a wall of snow on the upper slopes dislodge itself and come tumbling down like some terrible white monster, roaring and rumbling. Temari and Maru ran up the valley as the wall of snow rushed down on them burying bandits as it came. Temari looked behind her at the quickly rushing snow that was now close to over taking them. Suddenly, a short figure darted out from the side of Temari's view and she was just quick enough to register that the figure had chakra strings attached to its fingers before the walls of a container flashed up around the three of them.
There was sudden darkness followed by the unmistakable sounds of being buried by snow. The sound continued for a second before it stopped and there was silence. Finally, a voice spoke with the sound of a chuckle in it.
"Well I must say… My dad told me you were impetuous but I had no idea just how daring you could be… Aunt Temari."