In the Shadow of the Moon
Chapter 1: Arrival
A Jonin with silver eyes and half of her long, dark purple hair pulled back into a bun was tree hopping. She wore a purple tank top, tight purple Capri pants and a dark green vest with a silver label engraved with a circle on it. Around her neck was a black cord with a large silver circle pendant.
~Flashback~
"I want to be a ninja, Daddy…." A young version of the jonin told a man who looked like her.
"I do not think that is such a good idea, Mitsuki," the man said. "Do you understand who you are?"
"Yes, Daddy, I know. But I don't want to just float through life like that. I want to do something with my life. And it will allow me to meet a lot more people who can be potential fathers for my future baby."
"You do make a valid point, Mitsuki. Very well, my daughter. Tomorrow, we will discuss this matter with the Mitsukikage."
~End Flashback~
Mitsuki glanced back at the three Chuunin behind her. There was a girl with short, dark pink hair and bright blue eyes. She wore a short lavender dress with tight blue Capri pants. She also wore a dark green vest and a ninja band around her neck with a circle on it.
There was a boy with shoulder length blue hair and black eyes with glasses. He wore a long sleeved brown shirt under a dark green vest. He had dark red pants and blue sandals. His ninja band was on his left upper arm.
The third Chuunin had long blue-black hair and purple eyes. They wore a green kimono top under a dark green vest. They had green pants that had a blue dragon on the side of each leg. Their ninja band was around their right wrist.
~Flashback~
"I don't just want to wander around as a normal Jonin. I want to have a squad of my own," Mitsuki told the Mitsukikage, an aged shinobi.
"You know that you are a very important part of this village, Lady Mitsuki."
"Yes, I understand. You can select any three genin you want. But I want a squad."
"Very well…." The Mitsukikage waved a hand, and a jonin set a stack of paper in front of him.
"I will have a squad for you in the morning, Lady Mitsuki."
"Thank you, Lord Mitsukikage. I greatly appreciate your understanding. But for their sake, I would, at first, like for them not to know who I am." Mitsuki left.
The next day, Mitsuki returned to the Mitsukikage's office, to see the three Chuunin (except they weren't wearing vests and were a little bit younger) standing before him. She had transformed to have brown hair and eyes.
"These are the members of your new squad," The Mitsukikage told her, seeing through her jutsu.
"This is Cho," he indicated the girl. "She is our academy's most skilled user of taijutsu and uses it in conjunction with genjutsu to create a rather unique technique.
"Here we have Pei," he indicated the boy. "He is the academy's brightest student as well as being very skilled in defensive ninjutsu.
"And last is Anari," he indicated the last genin. "Anari is the academy's most skilled medic-nin student, and even surpasses some of the medic-nin in the infirmary."
~End Flashback~
Mitsuki smiled slightly at her memories.
'Time is drawing near for my destiny to be complete….' She thought. 'But I can't imagine leaving my squad….'
~Flashback~
"Before I introduce myself," Mitsuki, still in disguise, said to her genin as they sat on a blanket by a pond. "I would like to get to know the three of you. Please tell me why you wanted to become a ninja."
"I'll go first!" Cho said excitedly. "I want to be able to protect all the people I care about! Especially Lady Mitsuki! She is so beautiful and wonderful! I would love to be able to protect her as well as all the other people of the village!"
Mitsuki smiled slightly. "That is very noble of you, Cho. Pei, why don't you go next?"
Pei blushed slightly, adjusting his glasses. "I wish to one day become the Mitsukikage…. That way, I will be able to have a hand in creating world peace."
"Very honorable, Pei. That is a wonderful goal. That only leaves you, Anari."
"I would like to become the greatest medic-nin in the world. Then I will find a cure for Lady Mitsuki."
"A cure?" Mitsuki gave Anari a curious look.
"Yes. After all, Lady Mitsuki did not choose the life she has. And I have done a lot of research on her family's history. Tracing it back, I am her great great great grandfather's second child's direct descendent."
"Why, that is very generous and thoughtful, Anari…."
"What about you, Sensei?" Cho asked.
"I wanted to be a kunoichi so that I, too, could protect the ones I care about even more so than I already do. I care more about this village than anything else…. And I also just wanted to be able to live a somewhat normal life."
"What do you mean?"
Mitsuki smiled and made a hand sign, releasing her transformation jutsu.
"Lady Mitsuki!" The three genin gasped.
~End Flashback~
"Lady Mitsuki?" Cho asked when Mitsuki stopped on a branch. Cho, Pei, and Anari joined her on the branch.
"See that village below us?" Mitsuki asked. "That is the great Konohagakure. Some of the most famed shinobi and kunoichi hail from this majestic village."
"But Lady Mitsuki," Cho said, "you are the most famed kunoichi!"
"That is very flattering, Cho." Mitsuki smiled.
"We sent a messenger dog a few days ago to announce our arrival," Anari said. "So the Hokage should be expecting us."
"Very good, Anari. Once we get into the village, I have a private matter to discuss with the Hokage. I would like the three of you to become acquainted with the village."
"So you mean, look for possible fathers for your future child!" Cho said. Mitsuki smirked.
"Well you did say that some of the most famed shinobi live here." Anari smirked. Mitsuki laughed lightly.
They entered the village and Mitsuki hurried off toward the Hokage's mansion. Cho, Pei, and Anari wandered toward the chuunin exam stadium.
"I remember our chuunin exam…." Cho smiled reminiscently. Anari nodded, smiling.
~Flashback~
"The three of you have been selected to be promoted to the rank of chuunin. Lady Mitsuki, you should be very proud of your students." The Mitsukikage told Mitsuki and her squad.
"I am. We have grown into quite a family."
"Wonderful. I love to see my ninja getting along."
"In fact, Lord Mitsukikage, I would like for my squad to remain as it is now. I still have much I would like to teach them."
"Yeah, please let us stay with Lady Mitsuki!" Cho said desperately. The Mitsukikage smiled slightly.
"I have no intention of breaking up the squad that was picked specifically in order to protect Lady Mitsuki."
~End Flashback~
"After our chuunin exam, we became even closer, didn't we?" Anari said with a smile. Pei nodded.
"Hey!" Naruto came up behind them. "Who are you?" He smiled widely and curiously.
"I'm Anari," Anari smiled sweetly. "This is Cho and Pei. We're from Mitsukigakure."
"I'm Naruto Uzumaki! I'm going to be the Hokage!"
"The Hokage?" Cho smirked. "In a huge village like this you probably have tons of competition."
"Well, I've never even heard of Mitsukigakure…." Naruto glared.
"It's a rather small village," Anari smiled kindly. "Naruto, as the future Hokage, would you escort us around the village while our sensei is meeting with the current Hokage?"
"Sure! Just follow me!"
Pei nudged Anari and nodded to Naruto as they headed toward the ramen shop. Anari gave him a curious smile.
"This place has the best ramen! Hey, Sakura!" Naruto waved to Sakura, who was at the ramen shop with Ino.
"Hey Naruto! Who are your friends?"
"These guys are from Mitsukigakure. Cho, Pei, and Anari. And guys, these are my friends, Sakura and Ino."
"It's nice to meet you," Ino said.
"A kunoichi from Mitsukigakure is talking to Lady Tsunade right now, too," Sakura said thoughtfully.
"Yeah," Naruto said. "I thought you were supposed to be there…."
"She told me it was a very private matter and kicked me out…." Sakura frowned.
"Private, huh?" Naruto smirked.
"Hey Naruto!" Kiba called, running up to them, Akamaru not far behind.
"Hi!" Cho said excitedly, rushing in front of Naruto so she was face to face with Kiba.
"I'm Cho from Mitsukigakure! What a beautiful dog!"
"Heh. Kiba Inuzuka. And this is Akamaru." Kiba smirked, patting Akamaru's head.
"Hey, Kiba, we were just going to sneak into the Hokage mansion to spy on a secret meeting!" Naruto said, peeking out from behind Cho, who glared back at him slightly.
"Heh, count me in!"
"No way!" Sakura glared, crossing her arms. "Lady Tsunade will not be happy about that. Naruto, you can't go eavesdropping on something like this! It could jeopardize the relationship between our two villages!"
"Our Sensei is a very important person in our village," Anari said thoughtfully.
"Oh, don't be so serious!" Naruto rolled his eyes and smirked. "We won't get caught! Come on, let's go!"
"I don't think I'll join you…." Anari smiled slightly, going to Sakura's side. Pei nodded and joined him.
"Fine, be that way…." Cho sighed.
"You're coming, though, right?" Kiba smirked at Cho, who smiled widely, nodding, before running off with Naruto, Kiba, and Akamaru.
"Naruto!" Sakura yelled after them angrily.
"Sakura," Anari said, smiling kindly. "I assure you that everything will be fine. Cho is very impulsive, but judging by the time of day it is, our Sensei is probably almost done with your Hokage. She will be gone by the time they reach the mansion."
"Well, that's good. Naruto can be such an idiot!"
"Are you on the same squad?"
"Unfortunately…." Sakura frowned.
"Hm, who are your other members?"
"Oh…. Uh…." Sakura blushed. "Well, there is Sai and Kakashi-sensei, but sometimes Kakashi-sensei isn't there, so Yamato-sensei fills in for him."
"Interesting. Our sensei, Lady Mitsuki, is a very important kunoichi in our village."
"That's kind of how Kakashi-sensei is! He is supposed to be some kind of legendary shinobi."
"Really?" Anari smiled. "I'm sure Lady Mitsuki would love to meet him sometime."
Pei nodded, also smiling a bit.
Meanwhile, at the Hokage mansion, Mitsuki and Tsunade had just finished discussing something very mysterious and important.
"I have provided you and your squad with an apartment," Tsunade told Mitsuki.
"Thank you, Lady Tsunade. Your hospitality is very appreciated." Mitsuki smiled.
"Well, I understand the importance of the mission you are about to embark on. I would expect fellow villages to treat me with the same respect and hospitality was I in your situation. Shizune!"
"Yes, Lady Tsunade!" Shizune entered the room, carrying Tonton.
"Please have Iruka take Lady Mitsuki to the apartment I reserved for her. I will see you again in the morning, Lady Mitsuki."
"Thank you, Lady Tsunade." Mitsuki bowed and followed Shizune out of the room. Shizune led her out of the mansion, where Iruka was waiting.
"Iruka, this is Lady Mitsuki from Mitsukigakure. Lady Mitsuki, this is Iruka Umino."
"Thank you, Shizune." Mitsuki bowed slightly to her.
"Lady Mitsuki," Iruka smiled. "I was unaware that you were a kunoichi…."
"It was greatly resisted at first…." Mitsuki smiled, a bit taken aback.
"You must be very powerful in order to take on that type of lifestyle."
"I do have my squad, which was specially picked just for my situation. I am surprised that you know of me."
"Well, I am a teacher in the academy, so I do my research. But nothing in my research mentioned how beautiful you are."
"I am flattered, Iruka, I really am. But it is getting rather late, and I need my squad before retiring. So, would you mind helping me round them up? I'm sure they are all together, we are rather close."
"I would be delighted, Lady Mitsuki."
Meanwhile, Anari and Pei had also gone off to search for Mitsuki.
"Anari…." Pei said thoughtfully.
"Hm?" Anari gave Pei a curious smile.
"Naruto Uzumaki is not a normal shinobi…."
"I can tell. He has a lot of spirit in him. He is very determined, but I can tell that he isn't the type to really cause conflict, but more try to resolve it. If he does become Hokage, then maybe you'll get to work with him when you're Mitsukikage!"
"Yes, but you know that since I am aspiring to become Mitsukikage, I do a lot of research and am working on studying something our village doesn't have much knowledge on. I am studying the jinchuriki."
"Wow, really? That's definitely going to impress the elders, Pei!"
Pei nodded, adjusting his glasses on his face. "But what I mean by bringing it up is that…. I believe that Naruto is a jinchuriki."
Anari stopped walking and turned to Pei curiously.
"Anari, Pei!" Mitsuki called to them.
"Lady Mitsuki!" Anari smiled widely, and they ran to her.
"Where is Cho?"
"She went with two boys to go spy on your meeting. But they left only a few minutes ago, so they probably just missed you."
"Well, it is getting rather late. We had better just start the procedure without her…." Mitsuki seemed a bit worried as Iruka led them to an apartment.
"If you need anything else, please let me know," Iruka said with a smile. Mitsuki smiled.
"Thank you, Iruka."
Iruka left a bit hesitantly. Cho ran up to them just as Mitsuki was about to open the door. Kiba and Akamaru weren't far behind.
"Lady Mitsuki! This is Kiba Inuzuka and Akamaru! They are amazing trackers. They were the ones who brought me here when I said I wanted to find you! Kiba, this is my sensei, Lady Mitsuki. She's the greatest!"
"Heh, nice to meet you." Kiba smirked.
"Well, we have to go! Thanks, Kiba! Bye! Bye Akamaru!" Cho hugged Akamaru, who barked happily. Then she hugged Kiba, who smirked.
"Later." Kiba smirked, Akamaru barked, and they ran off.
"Well, then," Mitsuki opened the door. "Now let us get some rest."