A/N: This is my first time doing a story like this. I'm going for the NarutoxTemari pairing, but may change it later on. I'll have a legend at the bottom of every chapter for the Japanese and/or obscure items marked by a superscript number. I may change it to do away with the Japanese words later on, if I get too lazy. Updates will come once I complete the next chapter. I have a bit of a bad habit of procrastinating with my stories, so it might be a while before another chapter is up. I'd be more than happy to answer any questions. Reviews are welcomed, but flames are strongly discouraged. Criticism is also welcomed, but it has to be constructive. Any and all flames will be ignored. I would also appreciate if there are any mistakes that need to be corrected, as I can't catch them all, as well as some information that I would need, which will be at the bottom of the page. Any corrections or additions made will be listed at the top of the page.

"Jutsu" , "Normal speech" , 'Thoughts', 'Demon speech/inner voices'

Well, I guess it's on with the show. Enjoy.

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DISCLAMER: I don't own Naruto. If I did, I wouldn't be doing this, eh?

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A large, impressive mountain loomed above a filthy swampland in the Land of Swamps. An unfortunate group of Suna and Konoha ninjas trekked through the foul territory on a journey to meet with the leader of the small, yet formidable, hidden village. The purpose of this journey is to establish diplomatic ties with the recently formed village. With Suna and Konoha already allies, it only made sense for both of the Kages to travel along side each other.

Leading the group were two blonde shinobis, each from a different village. One was a male with bright yellow hair, equally bright blue eyes, three little marks running from each side of his nose, horizontally across the cheeks, and ending near the jawbone. He had a light gray jacket tied around his waist due to the heat and humidity of the swamp. On the back of his jacket was a swirl pattern, his clan symbol. He also had light gray pants, which were tucked in his combat boots. Shuriken holsters were attached to the pant legs. His body language was that of a carefree young man, but he held an air of seriousness. Tied to his head was his hitai-ate, with the Konoha symbol etched on it. This was the demon container of the Nine Tailed Kyuubi, Uzumaki Naruto, future Hokage of Konoha.

To his right was the other blonde, this time a female. Her hair was duller in color, and held in four ponytails. Her eyes were light green, scanning her surroundings. She wore a light purple tunic over a netted shirt, a skirt of matching color covering her legs from the knees up. Her feet were adorned in the traditional shinobi sandals, but, like her partners, were covered in the swamp muck. Attached to her back was a large fan she uses in conjunction with her wind jutsus. Tied around her neck is her hitai-ate, the Suna symbol proudly inscribed on it. She is the sister of the Godaime(1) Kazekage, Sabaku no Temari.

Following behind Naruto is his Konoha team mate, Haruno Sakura. Her light pink hair hung just past her shoulder blades, occasionally swaying in what little breeze there was in the swamps. Her emerald green eyes stared at the ground at her feet, paying just enough attention to know if the two in front of her stop. A red, sleeveless blouse held various pockets, which she keeps her equipment. A ruffled, knee-length skirt and shinobi sandals completed her outfit. Like Naruto, she too wore her hitai-ate on her head.

Next to Temari's was her other brother, Sabaku no Kankuro. He wore a black cloak with a hood over his head. His face was covered in purple paint, making him look like a kabuki performer. Strapped to his back was one of his puppets, Kuroari. His Suna hitai-ate was worn on his hood.

Trailing the four chuunins were Tsunade and Sabaku no Gaara, the Hokage and Kazekage, respectively. Tsunade wore her Hokage robes and hat, while Gaara was dressed in all black with his gourd on his back. Tsunade was sweating underneath her robes, a product of the heat and humidity of the Land of Swamps, while Gaara seemed unaffected by it.

Behind these two were the jonins of Hatake Kakashi and Baki. Kakashi had his hitai-ate covering his left eye, while his right one read from his favorite book, Icha Icha Paradise, occasional giggles coming from him as he read. Half of his face was hidden from the bridge of his nose down by a mask, making it difficult to determine his mood unless one examines his eye. To his right, Baki also had half of his face hidden, but this time by a strip of cloth, and only his left side was covered. Baki's body language was that of strictness, which was in opposition of Kakashi's aloofness.

The terrain of the swamp was flat, with trees scattered about. Dark pools of mire were roped off by the hidden village's ninjas to prevent anyone from stumbling into one of them. The path the group was on was well worn and extremely muddy, as their sandals and boots can testify. Decay hung in the air, amplified by the humidity. The vegetation consisted of short grass, peat, and moss covered trees. About a mile ahead of the group, a forest that could rival Konoha's surrounded the hidden village, providing some relief from the sun once the travelers arrive. And beyond that was a large expanse of water, a bay that leads out to the ocean. Everything was quiet, except for Naruto's complaining.

"Why so damn hot?" he said quietly, wiping the sweat from his forehead. "Why in the middle of a swamp?"

"Shut up, Naruto," Sakura grumbled, "besides, we're not too far from that forest." They traveled in silence for several more minutes, until Tsunade nearly collapsed from the conditions. Instantly, both jonin and Naruto caught her before she could hit the soggy ground.

"Damn," Tsunade muttered as she was helped to a nearby tree, where Temari took out one of her smaller fans and waved it to cool the Godaime Hokage.

"You okay, baa-chan?" Naruto ask sincerely, but was knocked several feet back by Sakura's fist.

"Naruto!"

"We should see about getting any help from the village," Kakashi said, "I don't want her to travel like this any further." Before he could decide what to do, Naruto made a Kage Bunshin(2)and ordered it to the village to seek help. The clone quickly sprinted to the village in the forest while the others waited for help to arrive. Gaara uncorked his gourd, allowing the sand to spill out onto the ground. He then formed a dome about the group, sheltering them from the brutal sun.

"Arigato(3), Gaara." Tsunade said, thankful to be out of the sun, for now. Gaara simply nodded and stared out at the direction of their destination.

"Told you that you shouldn't be wearing those clothes, Tsunade-sama." Kakashi said lazily as he continued to read his book. Her only reply was a grunt.

It was several minutes later when a large, covered wagon pulled by a pair of horses reached them. Riding in the front were two ninjas, their hitai-ates engraved with the kanji "iron". One of the two jumped off of the wagon and approached the group.

"So, this is the delegation from Konoha and Suna." the nin said quietly as he looked over them.

This shinobi wore a white tunic and white pants, contrasted with black combat boots. His brown hair was wildly curly, from what little was shown under his white bandana. He also wore a dark green jonin vest, with pockets stuffed with various weapons and scrolls. His face was covered in a short beard. His dark blue eyes looked over at his partner, who was dressed the same. The man slipped through a slit in the front of the wagon, then came out with a large canteen of water. They both approached the Hokage and helped her up into the wagon, the rest of the group following. Once everyone was inside, he signaled to the driver to continue to the hidden village, then cleared his throat.

"I am Heika Gerirahei, your escort for the rest of the trip. I'm also the younger brother of the Tetsu-chou(4), as well as his adviser." After a minute, Gerirahei shrugs.

"I guess I should welcome you all to Tetsugakure, the Village Hidden in Iron."

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The trip to Tetsu was uneventful, with the only annoyance was Naruto's incessant whining about the heat. Once they were inside the forest, though, Naruto stopped, as it had gotten progressively cooler.

"Finally," the jinchuuriki(5) said, sprawled out on the floor of the wagon, "much better."

"So," Sakura began, unsure of how to word her question, until Naruto asked for her.

"Why the middle of a damn swamp?"

"Baka(6)! Show some respect!" Tsunade and Sakura shouted at him.

"Eh, I don't really know myself." Gerirahei replied. "No one never really explained it." After an uneasy moment of silence, Naruto tried to start a conversation with their escort.

"So, your brother's a Kage(8), right?" the blonde haired young man asked.

"Technically, no." Gerirahei replied. "Tetsu's not one of the great shinobi nations, so he cannot qualify for it," he then smiled "but he is as powerful as one."

"I guess your village specializes in metals and such." Kakashi stated more than asked, not looking up from his book.

"Not really," Gerirahei said, "Its full name is 'Tesshingakure(8)', referring the first settler's hardiness when it came to the harsh environment. The second Tetsu-chou decided to shorten it to 'Tetsugakure.'"

They continued on for several more minutes until the reached a huge stone wall with an equally huge metal gate in it. Gerirahei leapt out of the wagon and walked up to the gate, talking with two guards stationed there. The gate was quickly opened and they entered Tetsugakure.

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The group had entered the Tetsu Tower, a large, metallic obelisk that towers about the small village it watches over. At over 110 feet tall, it could cleared the forest, with the guards at the top having a clear view of the surrounding swampland for miles and miles. The only blind spot was the mountain, which was over two miles high. At the top of the mountain was a watchtower that keep watch of their southern side. The Tetsu Tower doubled as the Tetsu-chou's living quarters, where he, his family, and his aides eat, sleep, and work. There were also living quarters set up for any visiting dignitaries from other villages, which was the case with the Konoha-Suna delegation. After walking up five floors, Gerirahei stopped them in front of one of the rooms, the door number reading "50."

"This will be your room for the duration of your stay." Gerirahei said as he unlocked the door and opened it.

"Nani?" Naruto nearly shouted as he looked in the room as the others were wide-eyed. Calling it a room was rather a stretch, as it looked more like a large dining hall than a room. Large bay windows looked out over the village. Off to their left were eight king size beds, each with a pull out divider for privacy. In the middle was a large dining table with room for twelve. Of to the right of the table was a kitchen with a stove, a large refrigerator, two microwaves, cabinets full of various sizes of pots and pans, as well as spices and seasonings, and counters with appliances ranging from blenders to coffee makers. The walls were decorated with scenery from various parts of the world, as well as mythological creatures such as the Leviathan, dragons, Pegasus, and others. Gold trimming ran along the ceiling, all around the room. Plants hung from the ceiling, which was painted with the planets orbiting the sun, a group of light bulbs covered by a yellow-dyed glass casing. Everyone stood speechless while Gerirahei chuckled.

"This was originally the Tetsu-chou's living quarters, but he decided to live in a much smaller room." he explained, "He's a humble man, never liked the grandeur." The shinobis could only nod. "I'll leave you all to get settled. My brother should be back in about an hour." And with that, he left the group to unpack their items, what few they had. None even bothered to ask what the Tetsu-chou was doing.

"Dibs!"

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After a half hour of stowing what little they had brought with them, with Naruto being lectured on how to act in front of dignitaries, the visiting shinobis were escorted to the Tetsu-chou's chambers, which was at the top of the tower, by Gerirahei. Once they reached the chamber doors, Gerirahei stopped and turned around to look at them.

"You know how to act in front of a village leader, right?" he asked. Everyone nodded, including Naruto.

"Good," he replied, turning away to open the doors, "now, throw it all out. My brother hates being treated like that." Before anyone could say anything, Gerirahei threw the doors open. "The party's here, Raikou-kun!"

The chamber was a circular room, about twenty feet in diameter. On the walls were pictures of the two previous Tetsu-chous. Other than that, the walls were bare. A large bay window overlooked the village and the surrounding swamps. In the center of the room was a large oak desk with various papers strewn about it. Sitting at the desk was a young man, about twenty, with light brown hair, dark blue eyes, and a thin mustache. He didn't wear the traditional robes of a shinobi village leader. Instead, he wore a pair of blue denim jeans, a blue cotton long sleeve shirt under a jonin vest, a pair of brown leather gauntlet-style gloves, and a cowboy hat with his hitai-ate sewn on it, the kanji "iron" etched over what looked to be a lightning bolt. He seemed about the same height as Kakashi. He was hunched over the desk, scribbling something on a scroll before putting it to the side. Looking up, he gave a welcoming smile to the assembled ninjas in front of him.

"Howdy," he said, tipping his hat, "I hope you are feeling well, Hokage-sama."

"I've had worse," she replied.

"Good," he stood up and walked towards them, "I am Heika Raikou, the leader of Tetsugakure." He extended his right hand towards them. Naruto was the first to take it.

"Uzumaki Naruto!" he shouted as he shook Raikou's hand rather violently, which earned him a glare from Sakura.

"I've heard plenty about you, Uzumaki-san." Raikou said as he moved on to the next person in line, which was Sakura.

"Haruno Sakura." she said respectfully as she took his hand. She swore she saw his left eye twitch slightly at the tone, but quickly dismissed it. The introductions went along those lines, each member answering in a respectful tone, except for Kakashi, who seemed bored, and Gaara, who was stoic and just stared at Raikou's hand.

"So," Raikou began, leaning against the desk, "other than Hokage-sama's little health scare, everything went fine?"

"It would have been better without the damn heat!" came Naruto's energetic reply, which earned him a whack in the head from Tsunade, Sakura, and even Temari.

"Baka! Show some respect!" Sakura growled. Raikou sighed in irritation.

"Unfortunately, Uzumaki-san, I can't do a damn thing about it." Raikou said, rubbing his temples, hoping to relieve the small headache he was getting from all of the yelling. "That's why we have pools here."

"Awesome!" Naruto pumped his fist in the air. Sakura shook her head at her team mate's antics.

"If you want," Raikou looked at the two Kages before him, "we can hold off on the talks until tomorrow, after you all had a tour of the village."

"No problem." Tsunade said while Gaara nodded in agreement.

"Good, I'll show you all around, then." And with that, Raikou grabbed a black trench coat and threw it on. "We'll meet downstairs, I just need to finish something real quick. Won't be more than five minutes."

"Sure, we can wait," the Hokage said. The assembled ninjas then descended down the stairs to await their tour of Tetsugakure.

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Their tour of the village started at the Tetsu Tower. Raikou went over how the tower was once a watchtower for the village before the second Tetsu-chou decided to use it as a living place. Their next stop was at one of Tetsu's training fields, which had various shinobis practicing their techniques. Naruto was in a bit of an awe as he saw Gerirahei practicing his kenjutsu(9) with a clone of his. Gerirahei's movements were fluid, like an elegant dance. The only thing that differed from a dance was the katana he was wielding: a four foot blade of dark gray iron, its handle wrapped in brown leather, with various gemstones embedded in it. Gerirahei's movements flowed from one move to the next, building momentum until he landed a powerful blow to the clone's sword, sending sparks flying everywhere. Naruto was wide-eyed, while everyone else, save for Gaara and Raikou, showed some mild form of surprise.

The stunned clone staggered back a bit as Gerirahei was about to deliver the finishing blow until a blonde haired genin decided to let everyone within half a mile of him know of his amazement.

"Awesome!"

After a chorus of "Baka!" from those at the training field, as well as a whack to the head from Sakura, the group continued their tour, which included the market district, a public bath, and the mountain overshadowing Tetsu. Afterwards, they decided to stop at one of Tetsu's many outdoor restaurants for dinner, with Raikou paying, to Naruto's happiness. They were seated at a private spot, with two tables placed together for the them to sit at. Raikou, who was joined by his brother, ordered a steak, Gerirahei had some beef stew, Naruto had some chicken soup, since the restaurant didn't have ramen. Sakura and Temari had some vegetable soup, Tsunade ordered a bottle of sake, Kankuro had a hamburger, and Kakashi, Baki, and Gaara didn't order anything.

"So you guys use the mountain for training, right?" Sakura asked, remembering a gate with the sign "Yama(10) Shidan(11)" on the front.

"Yes," Gerirahei said as he wiped his mouth with a napkin, "we are some of the best when it comes to mountain terrain, right up there with Iwa(12). We are also adept in maritime combat, as you all can guess." Gerirahei pointed to two badges on his jonin vest, one with a mountain, another with waves. "This shows our capabilities."

"We have special forces capable to almost every terrain, from sea to mountains to swamplands." Raikou added. "Kikai-kun(13) here is a member of our Yama Shidan, as well as a member of our Kaihei(14) Shidan."

"How many shidans do you have?" Tsunade inquired.

"We have Yama, Kaihei, Seihantai(15), Toshi(16), and Erinuki(17) divisions." Raikou answered, counting them on his finger as he named them off. "I would like to have a Sabaku(18) division, but that would require us to train in the Kazekage's domain." He looked over at Gaara, then to Tsunade. "We would be more than happy to share our expertise if we can come to an agreement."

"What's the Erinuki Shidan?" Naruto asked between slurps of soup.

"The Erinuki Shidan," Gerirahei began, "is as its implies: the best of the best of all of the divisions. They are made up of the best members of the other four divisions." He pointed to his brother. "Raikou-kun here was a member of that division."

"And by extension of being the Tetsu-chou," Raikou took a sip from his glass of water, "I am the daishougun(19) of our forces."

"How does one become a member of the Erinuki Shidan?" This time it was Kakashi's turn to ask.

"That process is classified, I'm afraid," Raikou replied. "But I can say that over ninety-nine percent drop out, either through injury, lack of willpower, or death." Naruto gulped at the last part of the answer.

The rest of their meal continued on in silence, the only sounds being the other patrons in the eatery. Once the meals were finished and paid for, everyone returned to the tower, Raikou leading the way. The sun was starting to set, the light reflecting off of the tower, acting as a form of a giant streetlamp for the village. They were within one hundred yards of the entrance when a loud feminine voice screeched.

"Dyuarufurima-sensei(20)!" Everyone stopped and turned to the direction of the voice, with Raikou's back ramrod straight, a look of surprise on his face. A blur of red and yellow blew past the foreign ninjas and plowed into the village leader, nearly knocking him over. Two kids ran up to Raikou, embarrassment etched on their faces.

"Reisei-chan!" one of the children said. This one was a boy with short black hair, light green eyes, khaki shorts and a white t-shirt. His feet were adorned in the typical shinobi sandals. He looked to be about twelve. He turned to the Konoha-Suna nins and bowed.

"Gomen(21)," the boy said, "Reisei-chan can be quite annoying sometimes."

'Great,' Sakura thought, 'another Naruto.'

The aforementioned Reisei had reddish hair that was obviously dyed, a yellow blouse, blue jeans, and the usual open toe sandals. Her gray eyes sparkled, even in the dimming sunlight, looking up at the obviously embarrassed Raikou, clutching his waist. She looked to be around the same age as the boy, if not a little younger.

"I've missed you, sensei!" she screeched, causing everyone within earshot of wincing.

"Reisei-chan," the other child of the group said, rubbing her temples, looking rather annoyed at her sister's behavior. Her gray eyes looked at the assembled shinobis and their hitai-ates. Her outfit was rather dull, gray shirt and gray pants, with a gray headband keeping her dark blue hair, which was grown down to the small of her back, out of her eyes. "You people must be the dignitaries Raikou-sensei's been talking about." She said in a monotone.

"Sorry about that," Raikou said to his guests, "I guess I should introduce you to my students."

"You still take students?" Baki said, somewhat surprised.

"Not really, they're my brother's. But I teach when I can." he replied. The three children lined up in front of Gerirahei.

"This one's Naiya Adeyaka," Gerirahei said as he placed a hand on the gray eyed girl, who gave a bow to the group. He then placed his hand on the boy's head.

"This is Shin Chinsei," the jonin said. Chinsei also gave a bow.

"And as you already know, this is Kaosu Reisei." Gerirahei looked down at Reisei and noticed that she was looking at Raikou all dreamy eyed. "Err, Reisei, we have distinguished guests in out midst." Gerirahei said, trying to get the girl's attention. Raikou seemed oblivious to the girl's admiration of him. "Earth to Reisei."

"Yo! Crazy girl!" Naruto shouted, agitated at Reisei's obliviousness. Reisei's head snapped to Naruto. Her eyes got wide as she saw his whisker marks.

"Kawaii(22)!" she shouted as she launched herself on to of him, rubbing them with her fingers.

"Reisei! No!" Both Gerirahei and Raikou yelled as the jonin pulled her off of the stunned blonde, who then picked himself up.

"Err, sorry about that." Gerirahei said as he sat the hyperactive girl on her feet.

"Let's retire for the night, okay?" Raikou asked, which he received nods from. "We'll start the talks at noon, then." While Gerirahei went to escort the children to their homes, the rest entered the Tetsu Tower to get some much needed sleep for the alliance talks the next day.

Notes

1) Godaime: means "fifth".

2) Kage Bunshin: means "shadow clone". a jonin level technique. Instead of illusions, the clones are tangible, and as such, are able to do damage. Chakra is divided equally among the clones. Due to the Kyuubi inside of him, Naruto is able to make numerous clones without any major loss of chakra.

3) Arigato: means "thank you".

4) Tetsu-chou: "Iron Chief". Since Tetsugakure isn't one of the five great shinobi nations, the leader cannot be called a Kage, even though he/she maybe as strong as one.

5) Jinchuuriki: "demon vessel", the name given to one who has a tailed beast sealed inside of him/her.

6) Baka: "idiot"

7) Kage: "shadow". The five great shinobi villages have a Kage leading them, named after an element. The five villages are: Konoha, Suna, Iwa, Kiri and Kumo. Their Kages are Hokage (Fire Shadow), Kazekage (Wind Shadow), Tsuchikage (Earth Shadow), Mizukage (Water Shadow), and Raikage (Lightning Shadow).

8) Tesshingakure: Village Hidden in Iron Will, the original name of Tetsugakure.

9) Kenjutsu: blade technique, Art of the Blade. The style of using a sword of any kind.

10) Yama: "mountain"

11) Shidan: "division"

12) Iwa: Short for Iwagakure, the Village Hidden Among Rocks. One of the five great ninja villages.

13) Kikai-kun: Raikou's way of calling his younger brother.

14) Kaihei: "marine"

15) Seihantai: "polar"

16) Toshi: "urban"

17) Erinuki: "elite"

18) Sabaku: "desert"

19) Daishougun: "commander in chief"

20) Dyuarufurima-sensei: Raikou's nickname given by Reisei. Dyuarufurima means "dual wielder". Raikou is called that due to his abilities to wield a katana in each hand.

21) Gomen: "sorry".

22) Kawaii: "cute".

- "Heika Raikou" translates to "lightning warfare" due to his fast-pace, high-speed fighting style.

- "Heika Gerirahei" means " guerrilla warfare" for his unconventional tactics.

- "Naiya Adeyaka" means "beautiful diamond", for her eyes sparkle like one.

- "Shin Chinsei" is "calm mind" due to his ability to stay level headed during chaotic times.

- "Kaosu Reisei" mean "serenity chaos", for obvious reasons.

- "Tetsu-chou" means "Iron chief", since I have no clue as to what they call the village head in the other four shinobi nations. If I can find out what their title is, it will be added in an update to the story.

Thanks for reading. Review if you want, but remember: flames are highly discouraged, constructive criticism is welcomed.