The Flower

Naruto, Neji, TenTen, and Lee had been given a mission by Lady Tsunade to visit the Village of Blossoms. Their mission was to do research on a potentially helpful flower for a medical break through for their Hokage. The squad had traveled four days and nights and on the fifth day they finally saw the entrance to the Village of Blossoms. The gate was laden with cherry blossoms and baby's breath. As the team approached, a messenger clothed in green grass looking attire appeared in the entrance way.

"Hold! Stop where you are passengers. What is your business with the Village of Blossoms?"

Neji spoke, "We are here from the Village Hidden in the Leafs. We have been sent by our Fifth Hokage to find a rare flower. If it is alright, we would like to board here for a few days."

"Yes. Alright, this way." The messenger led them through the gate and into the village.

"Wow, how pretty!" said TenTen. "Look at all the flowers. It kind of reminds me of the Leaf."

"Yes, it is beautiful." agreed Lee.

"I wonder if they have any hot springs here." asked Naruto to himself.

"Yes we do." answered the messenger.

"Really!" yelled Naruto. "Can we have a place to stay with one?"

"Of course." Said the messenger, and he led them passed shop after shop filled with all sorts of flowers.

Soon they were at an Inn and unpacked.

"Alright, where do we start?" asked Neji.

"We can rest, and enjoy the rest of the day in the hot springs! Then tomorrow we can look for the flower Lady Tsunade sent us here for." suggested TenTen.

"I completely agree." gestured Lee. "We need to rest up."

"That's what I just said Lee." Interjected TenTen.

"Fine." Neji had no objections.

All the boys got into the springs first, Naruto leaping in hardly taking his underwear off. Lee went running in, and Neji, calm and collected, walked in slowly. There were a few others in as well; Neji could determine that one of them was from the Village of Blossoms by the type of chakra he was admitting. But he leaned back against the rock wall and eased into a light doze. Suddenly, Naruto came splashing over to Neji yelling something about naked girls in the next hot spring.

"Neji, you have to come and see this!"

"Oh grow up Naruto. Try and contain yourself." Neji moved from his spot to the other side of the spring. The steam was immense, but he could tell that the boy whose chakra was from the village they were in, was near. He saw him by a large rock, his eyes were closed. Neji moved over next to him.

"Excuse me, but you're from around here aren't you." Neji asked.

The boy opened his eyes. They were a deep maroon, his hair was dark blue and his skin was very tanned; much darker than Neji's.

"Yes and what of it?" The boy didn't move an inch.

"If you don't mind me asking, there is a certain flower that I and my team are looking for. It has certain healing abilities for chakra. Have you heard of it?" Neji placed himself on an opposite rock. The boy fidgeted lightly.

"There are lots of flowers here with healing abilities. But there's only one that heals chakra. It's called the Natsui Flower. If you boil it down into syrup and mix it with foods you eat, it can help cure chakra informalities. But it's rare. It only blooms here every five years."

"Only every five years? How many years has it been since the last time it bloomed?" Neji asked.

The boy played with his lip. "Five years ago."

"Then this is the year." Neji became excited but still content. "Can you tell me where they blossom?"

"That depends. We aren't supposed to tell outsiders secrets of the Village. I'll think about it."

"But don't you people trade with other villages?" Neji asked.

"Yes, but not all of our plants make that list." The boy moved from his spot on the rock and began making his way out of the water.

"Wait, may I ask your name?" Neji said.

"Noda. Noda Kisuske." The boy made his way out of the springs.

"Hey Naruto, Lee, come over here." Neji yelled at his companions. The two boys were staring through a peep whole at the ladies bath next door. "NARUTO, LEE!"

"YAH, we're coming!" Naruto yelled, as they made their way over to Neji.

"Listen, I've just learned some information about the flower we are looking for." Neji explained to them.

"Really, how?" Lee asked.

"The boy that just got out of the bath over there, his name is Noda." Neji pointed to the dark-skinned boy and both Naruto and Lee glanced over. "He said what we are looking for is the Natsui Flower. And that this is the year they bloom. But he wouldn't tell me where to find it."

"Well, at least we have a lead." Naruto said.

Neji nodded in agreement. The three of them eventually made there way back into the Inn where they met up with TenTen and filled her in on the lead.