Aha! I told Kaz I could write something on my own!
Kaz: Yeah, but I helped.
-Grumbles- Oh, look--Gaara!
Kaz: -hearts in eyes- Where?!
Naruto/Sailor Moon
"Dancing With Shadows"
"I'm not saying that, dammit! What I'm saying is that we can't completely write Orochimaru off as a threat-even if we did drive him out of the Sound Village!"
"Look, you-"
Soft laughter cut the Hokage and Mizukage's argument off and the 2 standing males looked at one of the few women in the room. The Otokage, a usually quiet young woman, had her hand over her mouth, hiding a smile and trying to suppress the rest of her soft laughter. "Please, forgive me. I couldn't help but be amused by your discussion. You're both quite amusing when you get frustrated."
If she wasn't a year younger than him, the Hokage would've sworn she was already an adult. She always acted with a level head and as the Sound Shadow, it had benefited their village greatly. The Hokage eased back into his seat as the Mizukage sat down, like all huffy adults did when a child laughed at them. Frankly, the Hokage was grateful to have the Otokage and the Kazekage here at this meeting. They were young, like him, and it made things a whole lot easier. It made him comfortable, to say the least.
"I can't tell which one of you are worse." The Kazekage sighed, leaning back in his chair. The Otokage's laughter slipped a bit at that but she kept her lips covered to hide her smile.
"We shouldn't have children as our Brethren Shadows." The Earth Shadow muttered to the Raikage. "Especially a little girl who can't stop laughing."
"This 'Little Girl' isn't as 'little' as you believe." The Otokage's voice was now cold and sounded much older than she really was. The Kazekage and the Hokage exchanged nervous looks. It never did well to make her mad. "I am 16 and I was elected by my Village because Orochimaru was my predecessor. If you believe that you can be the Otokage as well, then I will step done and let you but since I know you can't-I suggest you hold your tongue before I cut it out."
"Oh, nice going." The Hokage half heartedly snapped. "Now she'll be testy through out the rest of the meeting."
The Kazekage glanced at the now proper Otokage. She had come to the meeting glad to shed her robe and hat like the rest of them. She had arrived with a smile on her dark mauve lips and a warm light in her eyes but no it was all business and bloodshed. She wasn't going to let her Village become a victim now that they had chased the Snake Summoner away.
"It appears that your age is causing you to forget that they are the greatest Shinobi in their Villages." The Raikage shot at the Tsuchikage, who was younger than the Tsuchikage and the Mizukage. "They grew up and faced dangers in this time that we overlooked in our youth. Perhaps their wisdom is greater than ours since they've remained child-like in desiring peace and safety for our villages. They have open minds while ours our closed. They see things for what they are now, could be and will be as we focus on what once was."
"Thank you for such poetic words." The Hokage nodded, his blond hair falling into his blue eyes. "Okay, look-the peace treaty needs to be renewed asap. If we wait until next month for the next meeting then we could be at war. If we agree to renew it before it expires then we will have a continuing peace. Do I have your word, fellow Shadows?"
"You have mine." The Kazekage nodded once. The Otokage nodded as well when attention was turned to her. Of course, she would always agree with them. They often had private meetings, just the three of them, to discuss the issues their borders faced on a daily basis. They were also trying not to become the elder men across the table from them.
"You have many points, little brother." The Raikage assured. A majority vote-4 to 2. That meant the treaty would be renewed at that very meeting. A Jounin from the Leaf Village walked up to the table with the fresh copy of the treaty as each of the Shadows picked one on their fingers and took out their Village seal.
The Hokage was first to sign as the hosting Village, putting his seal and thumb print on the blank space below the text of the treaty. The Kazekage was next, then the Otokage and then the Mizukage. The Raikage signed for his Village and passed the treaty to the Tsuchikage. With the final stamp and print, the treaty was taken away to be framed for the space next to last year's copy that hung on the round room's wall, just like all the others.
"I must be going." The Mizukage disappeared in a puff. The Tsuchikage followed suit. The Raikage gave the 3 teens a wink before disappearing himself. The 3 remaining Kage released sighs of relief and slumped in their seats.
"I cannot believe that old…" The Kazekage ran his hand through his red hair, his pale blue eyes closed.
"Don't worry about, Gaara. Next month, his older nephew will be the one we deal with as the Tsuchikage." The Otokage reassured as she retied the rubber tie that kept her hair out of her face. All of her hair was tied at the ends, like the Hyuga clan often did but the band was a good 7 inches from the tips of her hair, allowing her to drape it over her shoulder like she always did.
"What? He's being replaced?" The Hokage asked as her words got both males' attention. "How do you know this, Hotaru?"
Hotaru shrugged. "How do I know anything? I sent my ambassador to their Village and found out from his nephew's wife."
"That'll be good to have fresh blood in here, Naruto." Gaara replied, looking at the blond. "It's necessary. He's apparently getting too used to being the Tsuchikage."
"Ain't that the truth." Naruto agreed with a sigh.
"I'm not one to gossip so don't expect me to be wrong." Hotaru told them holding her hands up at shoulder level. "I'm only telling you boys because you 2 are the only ones I honestly trust in this flea circus."
Naruto couldn't help himself. "So, did you take him up on his offer yet?"
A blush colored Hotaru's cheeks as she whapped him over the head with her Otokage hat. Gaara hid a smirk at the scene in front of him. Naruto was forever asking Hotaru about her love life-something the female Shadow didn't pay much attention to-and Gaara always had a front row seat. Maybe it was because all 3 of them had been through so much or maybe it was because of the demons they each had. In one way or another, they were kind of reflections of the other.
"Anyway," Hotaru's cheeks were officially red as hell as she stood, "as much as I love being around you boys, I have to get back to my Village before my decoy's killed and my Village overran." She pulled on her robe and hat before using as transformation jutsu. Now she looked like a Chunin from the Sound Village with only a half mask to hide her features. "I'm off until next weekend. I'll send a couple Jounin this way to help out with the security." She gave each boy a kiss on the cheek like she always did. "Have fun and be good. I don't want to get a call from Shikamaru and Temari again asking to put you two back in your places."
"That goes for you too." Gaara called after her as she left through the door. Sasuke arrived moments later but stood outside the window, leaning in. He hadn't changed much--taller with a ponytail and a lower face mask like Kakashi with permanent Sharingan at level 4, both eyes.
"Your meeting's already over? I guess I lost that bet." The Uchiha nodded to Gaara in recognition as Naruto go up from his seat.
"Hey, Sasuke-did you happen to see a Sound Jounin on your way up?" The 6th Hokage asked.
"A few of them were by the gate I came in but they left 5 minutes after I got there." Sasuke answered, not sure what Naruto wanted.
"There's this female Jounin I want you to follow. She'll be on her own and I don't want a war with the Otokage if I let this kunoichi get hurt."
Sasuke knew that the female Otokage was protective of her female ninja just because Orochimaru had abused them in such away that left many of them permanently damaged at young ages. She herself was one of them. Her scars apparently ran deeper than Gaara's or Haku's and that was saying something. He knew of the penalty for allowing one of her kunoichi to be harmed and it usually ended up with the death of the party responsible. Not a pleasant thing when it's done by the Sound Shadow herself.
"I'll watch over her, Naruto. Don't worry. I won't let anything happen to her." Sasuke patted his old teammate's shoulder and then disappeared in the direction of the route to the Sound Village. Naruto looked back at Gaara and grinned wide.
"I take it he has no idea whatsoever that you're sending him to watch over the Otokage herself, does he?"
Yeah, since this is my first story, read and review please!