The New Kazekage

Special Thanks to EmpressofMelnibone for coming up with the basis for this AU!

In this world it has been illegal for over a century in Nihon for any but samurai to carry weapons. Just over a decade ago, the country was shattered into a brutal civil war which has come to be known as the Onin War. Many predict that despite the peace that has settled in its wake, it will be the first of many. The Land of Fire dominated its foes in the Onin war largely thanks to its shinobi forces recruited from the Village Hidden in the Leaves. Hidden Leaf had never disarmed and continued to train in secret defiance of the law for the day when their services would be called upon once again. When the call came, their forces, most notoriously the Uchiha who could summon and compel the spirits of the land to battle in addition to their own formidable abilities, bathed in the blood of those they were sent against. Now those who were bested by them are beginning to regroup and plot their vengeance. The Warring States Period has begun.

=Six Months After The End Of The Onin War, Village Hidden In The Sand=

Rasa bit his lip and gritted his teeth, snarling internally and chafing at every breath that escaped the blindfolded man beside him. He had a cheerful smile on his face as he rose though, "People of the Village Hidden in the Sand, please rise and join me in welcoming your new Kazekage, Mimasu Subete!" Many of Sand's people in attendance did not rise, but some did, and all raised their cups and drank heavily.

Rasa sat down, a flicker of dismay flitting across his face, even if he wasn't happy to be being kicked out of office, he had at least hoped the people of Sand would accept his replacement. A bead of sweat trickled down the back of his neck as the possibility of civil war within the village occurred to him, then he was distracted by Mimasu standing. Mimasu looked young, but he moved like an old man Rasa thought. Mimasu's young red haired attendant went to assist him, but Mimasu stilled her with a faint hand gesture as he rose.

Mimasu bowed his head as every eye in the room fell upon him, "Thank you Rasa for your warm welcome." Then he raised his head and spoke in a louder stronger voice, "People of The Village Hidden in the Sand, I know you are not fond of me. I am not one of your people and I do not expect you to just up and accept me as though I were. I know that not a single one of you would prefer me to Rasa for your Kazekage." He exhaled and then continued with a smile, "This is why I am naming Rasa my second in command while I am here. If I happen to die, Rasa will resume control of the Village Hidden in the Sand."

There were many stares and it was so quiet that the drop of a hat would've been as loud as a thunderclap. Mimasu waited and then snorted, "Just because you don't like the messenger doesn't mean you can't still cheer for good news." The roar of applause immediately following was deafening as Rasa stared at his plate in shock, not daring to look at the man who had just so boldly laid such a blatant trap. If anyone tried to kill him and they did not succeed, they would die. If Rasa wanted to stop them, he would have to turn down the position Mimasu had just appointed him to and lose whatever authority he still had!

After the applause died down Mimasu continued with a smile, "Now I know many of you are reaching for knives, garrotes and bottles of poison as you contemplate having your beloved Kazekage back in the position you placed him in, but before you go planning anything overly complicated, perhaps you would like to just try to kill me now? I am blind, infirm and unarmed," he spread his hands, "The Lord of Wind has agreed already that if I am killed the first night here then I am clearly not the right person for this job, so come now. Make your feelings known!"

A chill ran down the back of Rasa's spine, he couldn't be this stupid! This was the man who had been the Lord of Wind's personal tactician! Surely he couldn't be trying to incite a riot bent on lynching him! A knife flew from the crowd and Mimasu caught it between clasped hands mere inches from his face. He casually flipped it through the air, catching it by the tip effortlessly before flipping it again, settling into an easy rhythm of deadly precision and control, "Anyone else?" he asked icily as everyone in the crowd stared at the unparalleled speed and precision that they had only ever seen before in one place...

Someone in the audience whispered in horror, "Uchiha..." and immediately found the knife between their hands, stuck quivering with its point buried an inch deep in the wood. Everyone leapt away from the knife like it was about to explode and Mimasu's voice carried a deadly chill, "Uchiha? Let me show you what Uchiha will do to all of us if we cannot regain this Village's former strength..." He reached towards his blindfold and as it came off, the entire assembly gasped in horror. As Mimasu told them of how he lost his eyes all Rasa could think was, "Thank the gods I left the children at home..."

When Mimasu was done, the entire room was enthralled to his story and unable to tear their eyes from the horrible wreckage of his no matter how desperately they wanted to. Mimasu looked around with his sightless sockets and each and every person in the room felt as though those empty holes of burned flesh were staring into their very souls, "I have seen the horrors you will all face if you wish to continue calling yourselves shinobi," he said quietly, "and I would not force any of you to confront those horrors. This is why the Lord of Wind has sent me, he wants someone who has seen war to lead his warriors, so that you, the mighty shinobi of Sand, will not go into battle blind when we confront the horrors the Leaf brought upon us in the Onin War."

His scorched flesh cracked open and began to ooze blood as his face twisted into a savage grin, "We will fight my friends, and for our children and our homes, we will crush them. Who's with me?" Rasa bellowed along with all the others as the entire assembly erupted in a unanimous battle cry but inside he and every other Sand shinobi quaked a little, "New guy's good..."

=Meanwhile=

"You can't be serious Temari!" Kankuro protested desperately, "He's a samurai! Sent straight from the Lord of Wind! What do you think killing him will do?! The Lord of Wind will destroy us if his representative is killed!" Temari checked her hair in the mirror one more time and replied calmly, if a little irritably, "I'm not going to kill him Kankuro. I'm just going to persuade him to go the hell away, give Dad his job back, and never cross my path again if he wants to live." She lifted her fan and snapped it shut, the subtle clink of the razor sharp ends of the fans ribs that could slice as well as any knife giving away its true purpose as a weapon to those listening closely enough to hear it.

Kankuro pointed at it, "Well what're you taking that for?!" he demanded. He suddenly found it under his chin and Temari's glare was as cold and merciless as the steel points of her fan, "If he won't listen to sweet," A vicious glint entered her eye, "I'll just have to get sharp with him." Kankuro recoiled in horror, "Temari please!" A small voice suddenly spoke from the door, "Temawi?" there was a tiny heart wrenching cough, "Kankur?" Temari's fan disappeared up her sleeve in an instant and she smiled warmly as she walked over to her baby brother and swept him up in a warm hug, "What is it Gaara?"

"I had a bad dweam," Gaara said quietly, "I'm scared." Temari hugged him close, "Don't worry Gaara, it was just a dream. You want me to sing to you?" Gaara nodded and Temari held him a little tighter, "Okay, come on."

Half an hour later Temari stood in the doorway looking at her beloved brothers tiny form wrapped all in sheets, "Don't you see Kankuro?" she said quietly, "If I don't get Dad his job back we won't," she choked back a sob, "Gaara..." Kankuro laid a bear like hand on her shoulder, "Yeah. I know." He turned her around and bent down slightly to look her in the eye, "You come back safe alright? Don't do anything reckless. And dry up," he added with the wry grin she knew and loved, "Your make-up's gonna run." Temari wiped her eyes and smiled back at him, "Alright." Kankuro nodded, "Good, now get going. I'll watch him."

=Later That Night=

Mimasu smiled as he strode confidently down the hall and Karin smiled at him, "That was brilliant Lord Mimasu! Blind and infirm, I can't believe they actually bought that! Even without your eyes you still see better than anyone!" Mimasu chuckled, "Perhaps not better than anyone Karin, your own eyes are sharp as well." Karin blushed furiously and then the blush faded as her eyes widened and she whispered, "Do you...?" "Sense her? Yes I see her. Quite an impressive chakra she has, very powerful wind user," Mimasu breathed. "That's Rasa's daughter," Karin hissed, "What does she want?"

"Probably her father's job back if I had to guess, she wasn't at the feast, she must not know his position hasn't truly changed." "Should we set her straight?" Karin asked. Mimasu paused as they reached Karin's room, which was right next to his, "No, I will speak with her, and if she is amiable she will be fine." "It's not her I worry about," Karin muttered. Mimasu turned and caught her chin with a grin, "Hey, what's that supposed to mean?"

Karin scrunched up her face and glared at him, "You know perfectly well what! You're my patient, I have to take care of you, not send you off to your death!" Mimasu chuckled and hugged her, "Have some faith Karin, listen through the walls if it will calm your nerves, but please, let me handle this one. You had misgivings about my speech, but look how well that turned out. Trust me Karin, I won't let myself die. I still have too much to do." Karin blushed, "Alright," she grumbled, "but you had better live through this or I swear I'll drag you out of the afterlife just so I can send you back myself." Mimasu chuckled even harder, "I know Karin, I know." Karin nodded into his shoulder and then pulled away before stepping into her room and closing the door gently behind her.

Mimasu gently opened his own door, putting on his blind and infirm act again, no need to let her know he was on to her. He felt his way over towards the bed and then from there he reached out and tried to grope around for the trunk he had brought his things in. He found it after a moment and opened it. Temari watched silently from the bed, she had been still as stone since he had come in. She hadn't realized he was blind, and now she had a slight twinge of doubt about her earlier rage at him, surely he wouldn't strip her father of his position entirely, he'd need someone to assist him right? She made a note of that to bring up when he realized she was there.

Mimasu found what he was looking for and pulled out a robe. Temari blushed, was he about to... then as Mimasu undid his belt and shed his top she couldn't stop a little gasp from escaping her. The massive intricate tattoo spread across his back was unmistakably the mark of a shinobi. Suddenly Mimasu whirled to face her, katana in hand, "Who's there?" Temari froze and then thought quickly, "Just a little present from the Village sir," she said innocently as she readied her fan to drop to a ready position and fed her chakra into her own tattoo in case he didn't believe her. Mimasu sheathed his blade, "Well you should've knocked," then he smiled as he turned and placed the blade back in the trunk, "but it is rude to look a gift in the mouth, and I'm sure you would've killed me when I came through the door if that's what you were here for, so I'll let it slide this time."

"You have quite a sweet voice," he continued, "I wish I could see the face that goes with it." He pulled on his night robe and walked over to the bed before climbing into it and lying down next to her. "You'll have to forgive me if I lie down, it's easier for me to do so." He smiled over at her, "So who are you Miss Present?" Temari dragged her finger tips down his bare chest gently, "I'm Temari." Mimasu's brows furrowed, "Isn't that the name of..." "Rasa's daughter?" Temari supplied as her nails started to scratch across Mimasu's skin on their way downward.

Mimasu nodded, "Ah, I knew Rasa bore me no hard feelings after the banquet this evening, but I never dreamed he'd eep..." The "eep..." was in response to Temari suddenly having him quite literally by the balls and something very sharp against his throat. Temari could tell Mimasu blinked in confusion behind his blindfold, "What are you doing?" "Giving you a chance to give my father his job back, and get out of our village," Temari told him sweetly.

Mimasu smiled, "Why Temari, whatever makes you think Rasa needs his old jo-ahhh!" Temari dug her nails in and pressed the blade a little harder against his throat, "My baby brother is dying you scum, if we can't afford a healer he'll die. I'm not letting that happen!" Mimasu tilted his head to the side, "Ah, I see. That is why Rasa was so upset." "Yes," Temari said softly. "Well then," Mimasu folded his hands across his stomach, "My assistant Karin is one of the finest healers in the Land of Wind. I shall have to get her to take a look at little Gaara."

Temari raised the blade slightly away from his throat and Mimasu continued, "And you need not fret. I am sure you had your reasons to not attend the feast this evening, but if you had then you would know Rasa's position to be largely unchanged. I named him my second in command this evening." Temari's blade shot back up into her sleeve and she let go of him as she sat back, slightly embarrassed, "Oh." Mimasu smiled gently at her, "Your dedication to your family is quite admirable, and your reasons for attacking me were just, so I will not hold this against you." Temari blinked and then realized what she had just done, the red haze that had been clouding her sight for a week finally clearing away.

She opened her mouth to apologize as panic started to set in and Mimasu sat up, gently laying a finger to her lips, somehow looking right at her even though he was blind, "Shhh. I have already forgiven you." His hand slid across her cheek, "You are very beautiful Lady Temari." Temari blushed, she had just threatened to kill him and now he was, complimenting her? Then his hand slid down to her shoulder and his fingertips rested atop the edge of her tattoo, sending little ripples through her chakra as he touched it through the cloth, "Now why don't you tell me about yours, and I'll tell you about mine."

Temari blinked as she realized he had just commented her looks, "Wait, you just called me beautiful, can you, see me?" Mimasu shrugged off his robe and gestured to his tattoo, "I guess I'll go first." He turned slightly away from her so that she could get a good look, "After I lost my eyes, Karin found me. She took me to the ruins of a shinobi village behind a waterfall to recover. While we were there, we explored and found many shinobi tattoos in the ruins. This one was in a vault which Karin was able to break open. Do you see the face?" Temari gently touched the face inscribed on his back, it was in one of four circles, the only one that was full, "What is it?" Mimasu smiled, "That is the face of the man who took my eyes from me."

Temari's hand flinched away from it, "What?" Mimasu chuckled slightly, "Well you see this is something of a gruesome power I have. It is called the Earth Grudge Fear, it was a forbidden technique, a very powerful one. We suspect the one that destroyed the waterfall village was using this technique. You see by ripping my enemy's hearts out, I can prolong my own life indefinitely, and even survive mortal wounds by sacrificing one." Temari strongly considered backing away in horror, "What?"

Mimasu nodded, "Yes, quite a nasty power, after learning what it did I could see why it was forbidden. I needed it to take my revenge though, and after Karin helped me gain this power, I hunted down the Uchiha that took my eyes and slaughtered my friends. When I finally caught up to him..." the eyes of the dead man's face suddenly snapped open, revealing two blood chilling crimson Sharingans. After Temari got all the screaming out, Mimasu closed the eyes on his back and turned to look at her, "I took his eyes as payment for mine, along with his heart to avenge the comrades he killed."

"The villagers already know, I told them at the feast. They seemed quite delighted to have such a formidable leader," he continued as he undid his blindfold, revealing the Sharingans that had just been in his back peeking out of the ruined flesh around his eyes, "So fret not. I'm on your side, and there are very few eyes sharper than mine to keep watch." Temari was backed against the wall trembling. Mimasu frowned stood up and walked over to her. He didn't say anything as she tried to find a way around him to escape the monster in front of her. He just casually scooped her up and carried her over to the bed.

She scrabbled away from him as he sat down, "Calm down Temari, I'm not going to hurt you." Temari finally found her voice, "You're a monster..." she said quietly. Mimasu chuckled, "No, if I were a monster I'd tie you down, have my wicked way with you, steal your heart and powers, and then go back on my word to help Gaara. I am not a monster though, and I shall not do any of those things."

Temari cringed as he laid down, "I'd still like to hear more about you if you don't mind sharing. Karin's already gone to help Gaara, and I know she will be able to help him. So please, don't be alarmed. Stay, and tell me about yourself. I wish to know the strengths of this village, and you are one of its strongest assets. I need to know what you can do." The tension eased ever so slightly from Temari's muscles as he stroked her ego, and then she nodded, "Okay, let's talk."

==The Next Morning==

Temari's eyes snapped open and she looked down. She knew immediately what must have happened, but her memory was hazy, who... "You're awake," Mimasu smiled into her hair. Temari shrieked as she sprang from the bed and covered herself. Temari snatched her clothes from the bed as Mimasu smiled at her, "That was a fun wicked way to have." Temari flinched and then stared as Mimasu caught her hand, "So, marry me?" "NO!" Temari shrieked as she leapt away from him, covering herself as quickly as she could. Mimasu howled with laughter, "I'm just teasing you Temari, nothing happened. Check for yourself if you don't believe me!"

Temari's jaw dropped, then she ordered him to turn around and cover his back before checking. She blinked and then flushed crimson with embarrassment as she realized he had in fact just been teasing her. "You, you," she couldn't even think of a name strong enough to call him, so instead she settled for slapping his back. He yelped like he had been scalded and sprang away as she sat down on the bed in a huff, "asshole." Mimasu grinned over his shoulder at her, "Karin came in after you passed out. Gaara's just fine, she patched him up good as new."

Temari's head snapped up as she remembered why she had come to see Mimasu and a smile broke out across her face. She shot a glare over her shoulder as she dressed, "You ever tell anyone about this and I will kill you." Mimasu raised his hands innocently, "I won't tell a soul Temari."

AN: This is a one-shot. Therefore, this story will not be continued without tremendous support. HOWEVER, with the exception of Karin (and even she shows up eventually), the characters all appear in my other fics Naruto: Fractured and Naruto Vermillion Thunder. They have different roles, but if you want more, that's where to go.