Hello! Welcome to my first fanfic!
I don't own Naruto or anything related to it.
I hope you enjoy it!
Amargosa Sun
The large caravan walked slowly through the vast, golden desert. At first the warm sands were soft and sparkling, shifting and dancing in the gentle wind. But as time went by the dancing earth grew more and more chaotic. The glittering sands became rough and so dense in the air that the rays of the sun no longer touched them, stealing their sparkle. They could no longer tell if it was day or night and the air became cold and unforgiving. They couldn't see, they couldn't breathe, and soon they couldn't move on.
"We must turn back, Princess!"
"No, it is out here! Our sources weren't wrong! We will find them!"
Soon there were whispers in the air, eerie and echoing. They rapid whispers came from all around them.
"Who goes there?" one voice called out louder than the rest of its whispering companions. "You are trespassing."
"I am the princess of the Pillar Country, here in place of our leader."
"We recognize no such country!" the voice boomed, carried on the strong wind, echoing and making the wagons in the caravan shudder. "You are not welcome here!"
The other voices on the wind chattered more rapidly.
"We cannot turn around!" the princess yelled eagerly. "Please hear my request! I must speak to your leader!" She slowly pulled out a shining talisman and held it in the air. "I must speak to the Kazekage!"
The voices on the wind ceased as soon as the talisman appeared in her hand. Slowly, the rays of the sun started to seep in through the dark clouds of dust. Slowly the darkness turned warm, and slowly the swirling sand started to settle from a roar to a gentle whisper. When the final veil of sand settled to the ground, the caravan found it was surrounded on all sides by ninja. A young woman, with a large, fan-shaped weapon stood directly in front of the caravan, closer than the wall of ninja around her.
"As I said," the young woman said clearly, her eyes focused on the princess. "We recognize no such country. But as a barer of such a talisman I must consent to allow you and a small party to a brief meeting. If anyone else from this caravan continues into our territory, we will be forced to kill you."
"I understand," the princess said. "To prove I am no threat, I will enter alone."
"Princess!" several people from the caravan called out in distress.
"I said I will enter alone!" she said loudly, holding her hand up for quiet. Immediately silence fell.
Both the surrounding wall of ninja and the caravan were still as the princess gracefully dismounted from her horse and approached the young ninja woman with her hands up.
"As you wish," the female ninja said. "I will escort you. I am Temari of the Desert."
As the young women walked, the sand created a thin dome around them. The princess knew that this was no accident. Currents of air seemed to be coming from Temari's body as they walked. Probably the same currents of air that had blown up the sand storm to halt her caravan. And the same currents that carried the voices of the ninja so eerily across the desert. This dome of sand was not meant to keep people from seeing them. Rather, it was meant to keep the princess from seeing how to get into the hidden Sand Village.
Temari walked proudly ahead, seemingly unconcerned that the princess might have a concealed weapon of some kind. Unconcerned of the fact that this stranger might present some sort of danger to her. Her blonde hair was loose and flowing in the wind, and her perfect yukata-style outfit of dark purple seemed entirely too regal for a ninja. The large metal fan was now folded and strapped to her back, though she seemed unaware of the weight. Perfect in appearance, fearless, and strong. Seeing this, the princess hoped that the rest of the village was held to the same high standards.
"I am sorry for the sudden intrusion," the princess said, trying to break the silence that was building her anxiousness. "I know the Kazekage must be busy leading your village, but this was most urgent."
"He is patient," Temari said with kindness in her voice. "He will listen to what you have to say."
The dome of sand dropped suddenly and they were walking through a long corridor with high stone walls on both sides. High above them, far into the sky and above the walls, the princess could see messenger hawks flying overhead. She wanted to look behind her but feared Temari would object. When they finally cleared the long corridor -- and several ninja wandering in the shadows there -- the princess was breathless at the sight. It would be more fitting to call the village a kingdom. The buildings stretched out towards the horizon, all shining under the sun as though they were made of the same glittering gold and bronze sand of the dessert. There were mountains on all sides protecting the village, and gold symbols and hieroglyphs lined the buildings.
"Welcome to Suna," Temari said, breaking the princess out of her daze. "I will take you to the Kazekage."
The village looked lively, and the people looked happy. It was contrary to many stories she had heard of the serious and militant sand village known as Suna. It spoke well of the leader, or so she hoped.
The walk was long, but neither of them minded. The village was beautiful, and the weather was perfect. When they finally arrived, they were reluctant to leave the sun.
The building looked newly constructed, and the chambers inside the large building smelled sweet and spicy. In one hallway the walls were lined with images of the previous Kazekage. The final portrait, however, was missing from the wall.
"He is waiting for you," a ninja said, allowing them to pass to get to a large set of doors. The princess was surprised at the speed at which the village and the Kazekage had been alerted of her presence.
Temari opened a door and held it open for the princess to enter first. Inside the room was a large desk covered with paperwork. The windows were draped with silken fabrics that cast a deep red hue into the room. And someone stood at a window, dressed in blue robes and a hat with the symbol of wind. Most of his face was covered, and only his eyes were visible to her. Also in the room, standing in the shadows, were ninja. The one who stood closest had a sword at his side. His face was covered with a mask that made him appear as a demon. Of all the ninja in the room, he was the most focused on her actions, but he slowly stepped aside to let her speak to the Kazekage.
"Welcome to Suna," the Kazekage said from behind the cloth that covered most of his face. His voice was deep and even. "What brings you into the desert?"
The princess bowed respectfully, the gold and jewels around her neck chiming softly against each other. Her dark, curly hair spilled forward in spirals and her silver robes whispered ever so slightly in the quiet room. "I am the first princess of the hidden Pillar Country, Princess Kaali."
"Why have you come before us, Princess?" the Kazekage asked.
"We have had word that someone of a certain clan was spotted here. We must speak to someone of this clan immediately. We have need for them."
"Of which clan do you speak?" the Kazekage asked, fixing his eyes on her.
The princess slowly pulled a picture out of her sleeve and bowed her head as she held it out. The guardian with the sword approached and took it. She saw him glance at the image before handing it to the Kazekage.
"I do not know of the clan's name, but we must--"
"I know of them, but they are not of this village," the Kazekage said as he handed the picture back to the masked man.
"What?!" the princess exclaimed. "But… we were told…."
"Unless I am given a good reason, I cannot provide the location of this clan to you. Why do you have need of them?"
"They are the only ones who can keep my village alive!" the princess said, her voice pained at the realization that her trip had brought her so far for nothing. "I can't believe I came so far… only to fail…."
The Kazekage looked at her for a long while. "I am sorry, I cannot help you," he said finally. "But before you go, please tell us how you acquired a talisman such as that gold hourglass you carry. Generations ago we gave talismans only to very close friends of our people. But now, with relationships between villages so fickle, we rarely if ever give out such trust. The presence of that item you carry is the reason I have seen you today, but now I must ask that you return it. You must understand, that whoever you are, this country no longer recognizes you."
The princess nodded and held out the golden hourglass to Temari before turning back to him. "My Lord, there is one more thing."
"Speak, and I will answer if I can," the Kazekage nodded.
"If I cannot have one of that clan… then someone must take their place until someone suitable can be found," she said softly. "It is the only way my people can survive."
Temari watched as the princess sighed deeply, her energy visibly spent. And then Temari blinked as a breeze brushed past her. And in that time, less than a second, that it took her to open her eyes, the Kazekage had vanished along with the princess.
The ninja in the room froze where they were, stunned as they stared at the spot their leader had been standing just seconds ago.
All but one….
The masked one was out the door faster than anyone. His hand was on his sword as he followed the scent of the princess' perfume on the wind. He could feel her life energy, the chakra that ran through her. He could sense her movements and her footsteps. But she was fast. He knew that he was already following a trail that was turning cold.
But he got sight of her as she appeared just outside the walls of the village. The Kazekage appeared disoriented as she tried to pull him along with her. She turned to head for her caravan when she found herself face to face with the masked guardian, his sword at her throat.
"Release him," the masked man said. His voice was calm and deep, but there was a coldness there that sent a shiver through her. "You have committed an act of war against Suna. You will release him now, or I will kill you."
"I can do no such thing!" the princess panted, exhausted and visibly shaken by the speed and skill that allowed him to catch up. His chakra, heated by his anger, was so strong she could hardly bare standing near him. It was like fire on her skin and ice sliding into her mind. "You don't understand! Lives are at stake! This one life will save an entire kingdom!"
"You are surrounded!" Temari called to them, catching up. "Step away from the Kazekage with your hands where I can see them!"
"Who is surrounded?!" the princess demanded. "We would rather die here than go home empty handed, only to watch the suffering!"
Temari's head snapped up in surprise. It had only taken another blink before the entrance of Suna was surrounded by the members of the princess' caravan.
"What did you do with our ninja?!" Temari demanded.
"They were an obstacle!" the princess yelled back. "You are no match for us. Let us through, or he will die here!"
"We will not be coerced," the masked man in front of her said. His sword was still at her throat.
"And we will not be ignored!" the princess yelled.
And then, a burst of wind filled the void where she and the Kazekage were once standing. The princess' caravan was also gone. It was as if they had never been there. Silence fell across the desert, just as it feel upon the masked man, Temari, and the group of ninja guardians who had gathered to save their leader.
The masked man looked around frantically. He was trying to follow a scent, but it was everywhere. He looked for tracks but they lead in multiple directions. The chakra, too, had dispersed and divided in every direction he could think of.
"We must go after them!" Temari called to him.
The masked man looked down, his hands clenched tight in frustration. He then stormed into the village. Temari and the other ninja followed.
"We can't go after them," he said. "Right now we have to work on securing the village. They can easily penetrate our defenses. I want to know who that talisman was last given to. Check the records and trace that country. Send out scouts but tell them not to engage the enemy."
"Yes sir!" several ninja said as they dashed away.
Temari followed the masked ninja all the way back to the Kazekage's chambers. The building was put under heavy surveillance. She watched as he took a deep breath and sat down at the desk, trying to compose himself.
"It was good that you didn't come forward, Gaara," Temari said gently as he pulled the mask off and ran his fingers through his messy red hair. "They would have taken you away."
"Is it good?" Gaara said softly. "I basically handed them my own brother. This is why I don't agree with using decoys. If I can't face enemies myself--"
"The village needs you!" Temari snapped. "You are the Kazekage! That requires you to be selfish in order to be selfless. You have to protect the village, therefore, you can't leave it. Kankurou knew what he was getting into when he volunteered to be your decoy. And we have no knowledge of any village by the name of Pillar. It was necessary." She looked down. "He's my brother too…. I know how you feel."
Gaara sighed deeply, closing his eyes and focusing on the task before him. "You're right," he said, swiftly pulling out a slip of paper to write a message. "Now is the time for action."
"Who are you writing to?" Temari asked, walking over to the desk.
"Konoha," Gaara said softly. "We need to warn them." He pulled out the picture that the princess had left behind and pushed it in front of Temari.
Temari picked up the picture and shook her head solemnly as she looked at the raven-haired, white-eyed young man in the picture. "They really were off course, weren't they?"
It was a beautiful, breezy day all across the Fire Country. The hidden village of Konoha seemed especially fortunate. The weather was perfect, the ninja were fairly laid back, and the general population was out and about, enjoying the remaining day as the evening set in. It was the type of warm, comfortable day that made the air smell sweet and the breeze feel like silk against one's skin. It brought about a sense of nostalgia for some, and euphoria for those too young to truly know nostalgia. It seemed as though, on this particular day, no one had a care in the world as the sun lazily sank lower and lower into the sky.
Well, no one except for one person….
Neji sat eating soba alone at a table, enjoying the rays of the slowly setting sun from the restaurant's outdoor patio. He might have been more at ease if it weren't for the fact that he could feel people's eyes on him. Whenever he glanced up people would quickly look away from him. Earlier in the day he wondered if he were simply being paranoid. It was then that he lowered his head so that his long, dark hair veiled his face, and then activated his Byakugan. The veins at the sides of his face, just around his white eyes, swelled, but no one could see with his hair in the way… so no one realized he could see their every move. He used the Byakugan to see in all directions around him while he stood still as stone, and he confirmed his suspicions. Behind him, to his sides, in the balconies above, and even people far ahead of him, were staring at him. He let his eyes rest, and his face smoothed out to it's original smooth porcelain feel as he looked up again. And as soon as he rose his head, all eyes were back on their original tasks.
And now his bowl of soba wasn't as relaxing as he wanted it to be. He knew he shouldn't be insecure, but this was getting eerie.
Suddenly, two people sat down at his table without asking. He looked up in surprise, but a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth when he saw his two close friends and teammates, Lee and Tenten.
"I just realized how infrequently we see you out of uniform and in casual clothes!" Lee grinned, his black bowl-cut hairstyle messed up, most likely from a long day of training. Actually… with that smell it was no doubt it had been a long day of training.
"I'm on a forced vacation," Neji sighed.
"Only you would consider that a bad thing," Tenten scoffed. "You're such a workaholic."
"I came out here didn't I?" Neji smiled, raising a brow.
He noticed someone staring at him over Lee's shoulder before looking away again. He sighed and put his spoon and chopsticks down, sitting back in his chair an rolling his head slowly on his shoulders.
"Okay," he murmured, "I want to know why everyone is staring at me. And don't pretend you don't know."
Lee and Tenten glanced at each other, and Tenten tried to smile. "What makes you think we'd know any--"
"Tenten…" Neji groaned warily.
She sighed. "Well, you've become a bit of a celebrity, ever since you insisted on leaving to find that creature. People want to know if you found it and made a contract. Most people believe it's just a myth. And there are a lot of negative stories about it, so some people even think you'd be cursed if you got your hands on it."
"You'd think people would learn their lessons after having Naruto in the village," Neji sighed. "Sometimes all of that negativity is just fiction."
"So…?" Tenten smiled sweetly, leaning closer.
"So what?" he asked, sipping his green tea.
"Did you find anything?" she grinned.
Lee was also leaning in close. Both of them were wide-eyed, waiting for a response. Neji looked at their faces and starting laughing.
"Neji!" Tenten whined.
"I'm sorry," Neji laughed. "You two just look so stupid…."
"Are you really not going to tell us if you found anything?" Lee exclaimed. "There, there, Tenten," he continued as she playfully pretended to cry on his shoulder. "Neji doesn't mean to be a jerk, he was just born that way."
"You two are hopeless," Neji smirked. "And I'm not telling you anything. Not here anyway."
"EAT FASTER!" the two yelled at him. And to that, he simply smiled and took his sweet time, much to their annoyance.
"You know," Lee said, "They are also staring because you're so well known, but people hardly see you. When is the last time you weren't focused on work?"
"I can't remember," Neji sighed. "There is always something to do. Or there was, until we received that message from Suna a few days ago."
Lee nodded in understanding. He knew Neji didn't like standing idle anymore than he did. But a few days ago Konoha received a message from the sand village. There were details about an attack, a kidnapping, and finally, details about how the people responsible were hunting for the Hyuuga clan. After much reflection, both the Hokage and the leaders of the Hyuuga clan agreed that all Hyuuga members were to be taken off duty until further details emerged. Neji couldn't stand the idea of not doing his job, but being obedient and loyal as always, he accepted his vacation. It was the first one he had taken in a long, long time. He hardly knew what to do with himself.
Some giggling to their side made them turn to a table not far from them, and a group of chattering girls quickly looked away and busied themselves eating mochi. They were smiling and blushing and trying not to laugh.
"Looks like you have fans," Lee whispered to Neji.
"Shhh!" Neji hissed.
"Maybe we should ask them over," Tenten grinned mischievously.
"Don't you dare," Neji said lowly.
"Oh come on Neji," Tenten sighed, looking like he was spoiling her fun. "Have you ever even talked to a girl."
Neji stared at her for a moment, then tilted his head as if contemplating her. "No, can't say I have," he smirked.
She kicked him under the table. "You know what I mean! You have absolutely no social life. Find a girlfriend!"
"So you can have something new to gossip about?" Lee smiled.
"Of course!" Tenten said, sitting back in her chair.
Neji smiled and started to eat more of his food. But then he noticed that Lee kept glancing over his shoulder, looking preoccupied. Neji saw him shake it off a couple times, but then he had to ask.
"What is it?" he blinked at Lee. "Looking for someone?"
"No," Lee said, looking around again. "It's just that every once in a while I think I hear… someone screaming. It's probably just some kids playing or something."
Tenten and Neji stopped talking and listened carefully. A stray sound here and then seemed to carry on the wind. And every now and then, a high-pitched shrill voice, barely noticeable, but somehow still grating to the nerves. Curious, Neji activated his Byakugan and looked far off into the distance. Slowly, he stood up, staring at something Lee and Tenten couldn't see. He didn't look disturbed or scared, only extremely perplexed.
"What is it Neji?" Lee blinked.
"It's… nothing…" Neji said, tilting his head curiously. "I'm going to… go home really quick."
Before they could say anything else he hopped the short patio fence and ran off towards the Hyuuga clan's area of the village. If it were possible for his eyes to malfunction, which it wasn't, he'd say they were doing it now. He ran quickly, finally leaping high into the air and landing on a rooftop, jumping from roof to roof. He picked up more and more speed as he got closer. He stopped using his Byakugan and concentrated only on running. He was one of the fastest in the entire village, but the trip felt far too long for him. He finally jumped down at the front gates that led into the large clan area. But he paused, not wanting to take another step. His eyes hadn't lied to him… but now he thought his mind was playing tricks on him.
No one was moving. There was no action, not even the slightest flutter of a bird. But the people were clearly there. A child had thrown a ball to his friend, and the ball was hanging in mid-air. Birds in flight looked as though they were stuck in the sky. A young man had tripped while carrying something heavy, and he was floating just inches above the ground.
Neji watched as a cat brushed past his leg. It glanced at him for a moment before running through the gate. A few seconds later, it was still as stone, frozen in its motion of running.
"What happened here?" someone asked behind him. Lee and Tenten had followed him.
"I don't know," Neji said. "But Tenten, I need you to tell the Hokage. Lee come with me."
"Where are you two going?" Tenten called after them as they ran off.
"To find out where that screaming was coming from!" Neji called back.
It didn't take long to find the source of the screaming. A small group of children huddled together in a dark alley, crying. They were from the Hyuuga clan, and upon seeing Neji they ran up to him and threw their arms around him as they cried. Lee watched as they whimpered and tried to explain what hey saw. From what the two young men could gather, the children had come to find that no one was moving. A few children crossed through the gates into the Hyuuga clan area to get a closer look, and they stopped moving as well. And then a group of scary people…
"…kidnapped Hinata-sama!" one of the children cried.
"What?!" Neji exclaimed. "How long ago?!"
"Not long," the child sobbed. "Just a little bit ago."
"Lee… take them somewhere safe," Neji said. "Take them to Iruka-sensei."
"We might not need to," Lee said, pointing.
People from the Hyuuga clan started walking in and out through the many gates again. They looked as though nothing had happened. The birds were flying again, and the cat that had passed Neji earlier lazily waddled around them.
Even with his Byakugan, his cousin Hinata was nowhere to be seen.
"They breached our defenses without being noticed, then kidnapped Hinata, and managed to make it out alive?!" the Hokage demanded.
"Yes," Lee said. "It sounds exactly like what Gaara-sama explained happened in Suna."
"He neglected to mention they could freeze time," Tenten muttered.
"Yeah… that part is probably kind of important," Lee sighed.
"Let me get this straight," Neji said. "We have no leads, we don't know where this Pillar Country is, they were masked and the only witnesses we have are those children, and we can't track them?"
"That sums it up nicely," the Hokage replied, empathy in his voice. "And it would seem that keeping you here isn't keeping you any safer."
Neji blinked. "You'll let me investigate?"
"Not so fast," the Hokage replied, raising a brow. "We have no leads, right? I'm not just going to let you run around, Neji. I'm sending you three to Suna. You will move discretely and disguise the fact that you are a Hyuuga. We don't want to cause trouble for Gaara. He's already angry enough at losing his brother. I want facts, clues, whatever you can give me. But before you run off trying to play hero, I want information first. Understood?"
"Yes, Hokaga-sama," Neji bowed. "Thank you."
"You'll leave tomorrow," the Hokage nodded. "Dismissed."