Naruto: Clash of Wills Chapter 1, a naruto fanfic

/A.N/ NOTE: AFTER STORYLINE. Sasuke is in here because my friend L wanted him to be. He has not run away from Konohagakure or anything. His family has been killed by the villain, and not the entire clan. Just imagine Sasuke without a family and without his stupid-ass stuck-up "I'm going to run away" attitude, 'kay? ENJOY!

DISCLAMER: I do not claim ownership to any of the content of Naruto,. This story is my own, nonprofit fanfiction. Do not steal it or repost it. Linking to it-ask my permission please. Oh, and support Naruto by buying it and/or watching the episodes and manga, because it's just that awesome!

"GET IT OFF!" Reki tried to shout through the mass of dog sitting dilligently atop her head. She swallowed more wet dog hair than she would have liked. She flailed and whacked the dog's haunches to no avail. She had not been taught any escape-from-rabid-man-eating-ninja-hounds jutsu, so she was on the whole somewhat unprepared for this kind of situation...

A boy of about eight came racing up to the two girls. "Hey! Hey!"

The ninja hound stood to attention, allowing Reki time to escape. She scrambled back to Akira, who was laughing.

"What?" Akira giggled, leaning on her friend's arm, trying to get her breath back.

"Akira and Reki?"

"Yes."

The boy shuffled his feet and looked at Kiko. The ninja hound barked and bounded towards the boy. Instead of bowling him over as she would have done with anyone else, she rolled at his feet and begged to be pet.

"She's my dog," he said coyly. "Sorry if she bothered you."

Reki smothered an irritated reply. "It's fine," she said, stopping herself from adding, "I'm used to it by now, thank you very much."

The boy, who wore a thick (and unnecessary) coat over a green tunic and long black pants, gestured for his dog to get up. Kiko bounced up and followed the boy as he walked away.

Before the boy was out of their hearing, he turned around and added, "Oh, I forgot. Lady Hokage wants to see you." Then he left, with Kiko hard on his heels.

Akira turned to Reki, an unspoken smile on her face. "Want to race?"

"You'll lose!"

Akira grinned. "I so won't."

Reki raced off without waiting for her partner. She shouted over her shoulder, "Gotta think like a ninja, Aki!"

Akira smirked, running up a tree, using the chakra running through her veins to push off each one, finally catching up to her partner.

Reki jumped up into the same tree and ran alongside her partner. The Hokage's dwelling came into sight quickly, and shadow of unease flickered in Reki's stomach. Why would Tsunade want to see them? Tsunade had aged-it was a widely known fact that she only had a few more years left. Her companion, Shizune, had long since retired from being a medical specialist and spent most of her waking moments beside the Hokage, savoring what could very well be their last days together. No matter how hard the elders pushed, Tsunade would not resign and let the next generation take over. She was determined to lead the village until the end of her life.

Aki glanced at her partner, reading her emotions. "Do you want to stop? Just so we don't look like children..."

"Compared to them, we are, you know," Reki said, but slowed her pace and hopped off the tree. She had great respect for the elderly Hokage and did not relish the thought of making a fool of herself in front of the leader of her village.

Aki folled her partner's lead, both of them walking solemnly through the large red gates. A tower that looked larger from the outside was planted in the center of the large courtyard, like an oversized flagpole proclaiming leadership over the Leaf.

They walked up the stairs that twisted up the side of the small monster, finally reaching a small door. Upon opening it, a hallway was found. Three doors down, there was a pair of double doors.

Aki looked to her partner as if reassuring herself. Tsunade was known to be short tempered...

Reki pushed through the doors, thinking along the same lines as her friend, trusting that the fact that Tsunade had summoned them would ensure the Hokage would keep her temper under control.

The doors swung open with barely a nudge from Reki's fingers. Tsunade sat behind a desk, once penetrating brown eyes now nearly white with blind spots. Shizune sat on a cushion in the corner of the room, dozing. Reki realized it would not be long now before an eager challenger made an attempt on the leadership of Konoha-and it would not be as hard as it was to win.

Tsnuade's face was wrinkled, and her chakra levels had declined as her age had gone on. Her hands were gnarled and twisted and there were scars on them from numerous fights. The green mark on her forehead still held what chakra she had stored up during her younger days, waiting for the day in which they would be used.

"I won't give you any mush about how lucky you are to be here," Tsunade croaked, eyes locking onto them even though she could not clearly see them. The effect was unsettling. "I'm going to tell you why you are here and how you are to do this."

Reki gulped. From the sound of Tsunade's voice, this was not going to be a jovial talk.

Akira took a deep breath, preparing for the inevetable lecture...

"One week ago, two chuunin-level, and one jonin level, were sent out to investigate mysterious reports of konoha headbands, unregistered ninja.

Normally this mission would take three-to-four days. But, they haven't returned in over a week.

"I want you two, and another member, to go and see what's happened.

I know you are used to being in a two-cell team, but because of the danger of this mission, I want another one to come along. Any objections?" She eyed them sternly with her white-specked iris. "Good. You will be given details."

She gestured to the door. "Head to the main gate. I have assigned a temporary member to your cell. A messenger awaits you at the gate to give you the mission details, how long it should take, the requirements, what risks to take and which ones to avoid. Leave."

Reki made herself look calm and composed. It was harder than she had first imagined. Two chunin cells... one jonin cell... both gone? What would happen to one three-man cell with far less experience than jonin? Weren't they sure to fail?

Feeling it would be best not to question Tsunade, Reki made an awkward bow and walked out of the room, dragging Akira behind her. She opened the door as calmly as she could, closed them carefully, and then wrung her hands.

"We're doomed!" she hissed.

Akira sighed. "Do we really have a choice?"

But in actuality, she was as freaked out as her friend. A jonin? Two chunin? How was that-

"Ahem."

Akira stopped suddenly at her arm being tugged, and looking up, she found herself staring into a sharp nosed jonin's face. She stammered an apology and stumbled back, pulled by Reki.

"Ahem. Well." The jonin cleared his throat. "Clear out. Others may want to see the Hokage too."

Without further ado he shoved the pair along until they were nudged rather forcibly outside.

Reki looked at Akira. She tugged her hair and clasped and unclasped her hands. "I guess we should get going to the gate," she said nervously.

Akira and Reki nervously walked out of the gates, both tense and slightly disturbed.

A messenger was posted there, ready with several papers.

"Reki Fuma, Akira Kurama?"

"Yes" They answered at the same time.

"Your teammate."

"Hello." He seemed a bit reserved.

The two girls introduced themselves and all turned to the messenger.

"The jonin disappeared to the east of the land of fire. The "konoha" ninja were also reported being spotted slightly to the west of that point. At coordinates..."

Reki and Akira nodded. The messenger reiterated the coordinates and then packed up his papers. He nodded to each of the three of them. "Good luck to you all." Then he jogged back into the village.

There were a few seconds where Akira and Reki stared down the new member. Having a new person thrust into their midst, and expecting them to get along just fine, was a clear show of high expectations, in Reki's opinion. The stranger turned and started walking, hardly seeming to care about the obvious uncertainty in the air. Reki shrugged. She knew teamwork was essential, but until the stranger did something to make him worthy of being accepted as a teammate, she wasn't convinced.

Sasuke turned back slightly. "You two ready?"

They nodded.

Springing up onto a tree, the three jumped from branch to branch, until the pattern was burned in Aki's mind: Branch, leaves, branch, leaves...every once in a while a bird would fly out of the twigs, but naturally it didn't surprise the ninja, they hopped on.

They went through the trees in silence, heading in the vague direction of their mission as they had been instructed to by the messenger. The sky darkened and the sun set. When the last glimmer of light sank beneath the horizon, Akira and Reki jumped off the tree at the same time, agreeing on one camping spot without even having to talk to each other. Sasuke landed a little ways off when they stopped tree-hopping.

Quietly and swiftly Reki found a good tall tree. She used her chakra and climbed up, picking out a good branch upon which to sleep. She took her pack she had collected before leaving the village and rummaged around in its depth. Eventually she pulled out a folded demon shuriken (big shuriken, whatever they're called) and jammed it in the tree, where it would be easily accessible in case of a skirmish. Then she sat on the branch, crossed her legs, rummaged in the pack some more, and chewed gingerly on a traveling cake made of nuts.

Akira coughed once as she collapsed on the tree branch. Quietly, she pulled a ninja blanket around her thin shoulders.

After she had relaxed her muscles for a few moment, she got a few branches and laid them out on a pronged one. Spreading the blanket out, she laid down on one half and used the other to cover herself. Rummaging, apiece of dried jerky was discovered. Faint munching was heard as Aki ate it, then, a few moments later, the sounds of sleep.

Reki looked down at Sasuke. It took her a moment to find him sitting in a low tree, taking what she assumed to be the first watch. She did not feel safe without her or Akira watching over their site. But, if she was ever going to accept another team member, she would have to let it go unless given a reason not to. "Goodnight, Akira."

"snuffle."

"Goodnight, Sasuke."

"Mmh-hmm.

She dozed, setting her internal alarm clock to wake her up in several hours for the next watch. She automatically adjusted later for Akira's poor health-as she had gotten used to it long ago-making her watch longer so that Akira's would be shorter.

When she did arise, it was still the dead of night, around two. Before she stirred she checked her surroundings. Nothing hiding out of the corner of her eye or clinging to a tree branch. Her shuriken was right where she had put it. Akira was where she had been, and Sasuke was still there.

Pulling her demon shuriken out of the tree, Reki hopped gingerly down from the tree, sliding down the trunk and landing quietly on the ground. She walked over to where Sasuke was standing guard and nodded, signaling she would take over.

Sasuke nodded back and gracefully hopped up to the tree branch which Reki had slept in, and with hardly a crackle settled down into the bed she had made.

Reki narrowed her eyes and stared intently into the darkness. She believed in being a dilligent guard and prided herself on never falling asleep or doing something equally idiotic during a watch.

For more than an hour nothing stirred. The bushes were still and leaves hardly rustled. Akira mumbled in her sleep and Sasuke was dead quiet. Reki turned her head and scanned the horizon for what felt like the hundredth time. Nothing new. At least, she didn't think there was anything new. She understood that just because she couldn't see something didn't mean it wasn't there.

There was the smallest of cracks behind her. Reki stared fixedly ahead, making sure not to make any movements that would tell whatever was approaching she had heard it. Casually she leaned on her demon shuriken. Her clan, the Fuma clan, were skilled in fighting with such weapons. Even if she had to engage in close combat, she could use a folded shuriken to defend herself just as well as she could a flying one.

The moon glinted off metal, right below her. She waited, trying to divine the purpose of the approaching figure. A kunai knife was in its hand. Just from that, she could tell it did not have a friendly purpose at all. The figure began to creep up the tree, scaling it with almost inhuman silence and speed. Reki saw its eyes in the darkness. The pupils were looking at her direction. She feigned sleep, but slowly tightened her grip on her shuriken's handle.

/A.N/ Hope you enjoyed!

~D.A.