Disclaimer: I do not, and probably won't ever, own Naruto... as much as I would love that to happen...

- Ellnidra

- Please R & R

The Elemental Entertainers

Chapter 1

The large crowd clapped and cheered the entertainers on, praising their acts and performances. They weren't very well known yet, but that never kept the audience or themselves from enjoying the performances. They entertain towns people for a living, traveling from village to village. Carrying their act with them to please the crowd.

They all loved the slight attention it brought to them, whenever they performed. Normally, they would think of it as something troubling, but a little attention never killed anyone, well normally. When you live in a world full of ninjas, almost anything can happen a person. Even with all that said, they were never worried that their acts and performances would bring them unwanted attention, but even if it did, they constantly move around to deliver their acts to others and brighten their days. Now ofcourse they weren't idiots either. They not only move around discreetly, but they can also pack quite a punch themselves, if the time were ever to come. They were currently in a small town on the border of Fire country, and performing for their loving crowd.

Aoi was holding her aqua colored staff out in front of herself. On top of the staff was a large, teardrop shaped container, tinted bright blue, with a small plant-like crystal protruding from the top of the crystal and wrapping it's crystal vines, which were tinted light green, around the staff. She herself had long, straight, flowing hair, the color of the ocean, down her back. She also had dark blue eyes, to go along with it. Some of it was tied together with other strands, whilr others were flowing freely, as if in water itself. She had on a long, tight fitting, navy blue tank top and a slightly darker shade on her slitted skirt. She has a bright turquoise two-inch belt, and also wore a pair of small shorts underneath her skirt. She had knee high boots, the color of her ocean hair.

Aoi was slowly and gracefully moving and spinning her staff about. With her staff, she controlled water itself, spinning around objects, and around people. She loved her job, because she got to show her talents to others. Aoi glanced to the side so that she could see one of her other partners in the show, Kurenai.

Kurenai was holding her staff out in front of her, and placing her other hand, that wasn't currently occupied, out towards the fire on the end of her staff. Her staff resembled a torch with a long brass handle. Although it wsa just that because on the end of her staff, held bright flames, which she uses to entertain too. Kurenai had short hair, that could reach down to below her shoulders, but was leaning towards her left. Her hair was the same color as her eyes, bright red, some believe they could actually see flames in her eyes. Her top consisted of a black sports bra like top, with a tight fitting white material coming from the end, and ending at her hips. She wore a black miniskirt with a small pair of black shorts under too, and she wore a brown belt, with some red designs on it too. She also wore knee high brown boots, that completed her outfit.

Currently, Kurenai was holding out her staff in front of her, with her other hand out towards the flames, and controlling the fire to also move around objects, but she was very careful of moving iand spinning it around people. She also moved it around Aoi's streams to create a water-fire contrast. It seemed to be alright with the crowd, from all the cheers they were receiving, although, they weren't the only one receiving cheers. Their other partners too, were making quite a show themselves. Kurenai look over to her sidefor a moment, to look at Kurogane.

Kurogane heldout her staff out, horizontally, in front of her. The handle of her staff was made out of wood, with small decorations along its surface. At the end of her staff a bright green, but darker than lime, material, wrapped around the end to supposedly, hold in the crystals at the end. She had short brown hair, that came up to the back of her neck, equally brown eyes, that were behind her glasses she always wore. She wore a sleeveless turtleneck, going down to her thighs, with black shorts. She also wore a brown two-inch belt around her waist. Finishing her outfit was the dark brown, knee high boots.

Kurogane twisted her staff into a vertical position, and then hitting the botton of the staff against the ground, which brought large amounts of earth, on the side of her, up from the ground, but they weren't just any boulders, they had very detailed designs on them, but mostly animals because that's exactly what Kurogane loves. She could also control the earth,and make it float around people. Even though it wasn't as spectacular as fire or water flying around the crowd, they seemed to enjoy it all the same. Kurogane looked to her left, to see Aoi and Kurenai performing, and then turned to her right to see Sakura doing the same.

Sakura, like Aoi, Kurenai, and Kurogane, had a staff, which she was currently holding close to her chest with her eyes closed. Her staff consisted of a dark green handle with cherry blossoms printed along the side. They led to the end of her staff which was in the shape of cherry blossoms, swirling in the wind. They were made out of crystal and were tinted pink. The crystal, swirling, cherry blossoms, were coming from the end of her staff, and wrapping itself aroung the handle. She had bright pink hair, which went along with her name, that went just past her shoulders in a slightly spiky fashion like Kurenai. Some of her bangs in the front were beaded with small beads that had different symbols on each. She also had bright emerald eyes that were full of intelect. She wore black tank top with designs of cherry blossoms on the side and black shorts under a white slitted skirt. She also wore dark brown knee high boots and a two-inch dark brown belt.

Sakura was currently calling upon the wind, which she controlled, by since the audiences couldn't see the wind itself, she also added cherry blossoms, which she could also control. She, like the others, was controlling her element to flow around the crowd, tickling the youngsters when she could. She enjoyed seeing the crowds happy, and they inturn are happy to see her and her partners, perform. Sakura opened her eyes to look at the sky, and noticed that it was starting to get late, and that they should plan what they were to do next. She looked over her shoulder and caught Kurenai's eyes. They both held a conversation through their eyes until Kurenai nodded, and started to do her last move with her fire, telling the others, it was time to end their performance.

Aoi and Kurogane quickly got the message, and they all performed their last, crowd pleasing, moves. They also haad a hat or two at the side of the performances, if they were ever to receive money for their performances, which happened quite often. Beside the almost full hats, were four, almost identical, travelling cloaks. Each had their own small design on the sides to tell whos was whos.

The group bowed, and then headed towards their cloaks and cash. They had tomake a living somehow right? They divided and placed the money in small bags for the four of them. Then they placed on their cloaks, and started heading towards the exit of the town, holding their staffs all the while. With their cloaks on and their hoods over their heads, it was hard to tell it was actually the entertainers without their staffs.

This is how they lived, find town, sleep in town, perform in the morning to the late afternoon, head out of town to the next, sleep in forest if it was a longer journey, and then repeat the cycle. It was boring at first, but they didn't mind, they were doing what they did best, and what they loved to do. They also had the occasional bandit or two, but that was nothing compared to what they could do. They also sometimes received small missions from villages, that could temporarily use their talents. They usually accepted, due to the fact that they didn't really have much else to do in a matter of time, and the fact that they could help out and receive pay, which they usually lived on.

Currently they were travelling in the forest, after departing from the town. They still had yet to decide exactly where they were going to travel to, but decided to keep quiet until Kurogane spoke. She was the one that kept and used the map, and she was also the most timid in the group. They each had their own personality to define themselves. Aoi was intelligent and kind, but mostly keeps to herself when around strangers. Kurenai was outgoing and courageous, but sometimes that led her to do some, not so intelligent things. Cough-Jumping-Off-A-Cliff-Cough. She also acted as the leader of the group, when it was needed. Kurogane was very intelligent and was usually the one they went to when they needed to know something. For example, which was the closest town, what kind of town was it, was it a ninja filled town, does the town have a large population to perform at? She could answer almost all the time, but with the times that she's not sure about, she checks in one of her many books that she carries. Sakura, like Aoi, usually keeps to herself, but is otherwise outgoing like Kurenai, and intelligent like Kurogane. Unfortunetly that is to say until she get her short temper activated, then she forgets everything else around, except whatever, and pray for them, got her temper started. She could pack quite a punch, just like the rest of them. Sakura had emense strength, which she taught and trained, to the rest of her partners. They've been travelling together for as long as they could remember, and they don't intend to stop anytime soon.

The first one to speak, as they predicted was Kurogane, "The closest town is a while away, so we will need to camp outside for the next two nights, before wereach there," explained Kurogane.

"As long as it's by a stream," interjected Aio. She always loved to sleep next to the water, whenever she got the chance.

"Ya, a little fresh air wouldn't hurt anyone," Sakura added sarcastically with a small grin. Kurenai glared at her. One time, when they were sleeping in the forest, Sakura decided to play a prank on Kurenai, and started controlling the wind to slap her in her sleep. Ofcourse Sakura didn't go scot free. Kurenai made sure to repay her with some cuts and bruises the next sparing match they held. Even after all that, Sakura couldn't get over how Kurenai jumped up from her sleep, and started attacking around her with her fire, as if there were bandits in her sleep she was trying to get rid of.

Kurenai turned her menacing eyes back to the road in front of them, and decided to keep quiet. Kurogane just shook her head at the two, while Aoi just rolled her eyes. "We'll travel for two more hours, then look for a place to make camp. We'll leave in the morning after breakfast," Kurogane said while looking at the map the entire time, planning how far they'll get and when they should reach their destination if they travel at that pace or this pace, and what kind of village it is.

"Hey by the way, Kuro-Chan, what kind of village are we headed to?" asked Sakura. The other nodded their agreements, and turned to look at Kurogane expectantly. She took one last glance at her map, for the name of the village, then went digging in her pack for the right book. The others waited patiently, knowing that they would get their answer in matter of time. They turned back to the road they were making their way down.

Kurogane finally pulled out a book and started to flip through it. She stopped at a page, and read from it, "It says here that it's a ninja village with quite the population compared to the last couple we've been to," she concluded.

"Is there a reason for that?" asked Aoi gently, still facing the road.

"Well, Aoi, it also says here that it's called the village hidden in the leaves, and the Hokage resides there," she finished.

"Wow! Really? I don't remember us ever going to any of the villages containing a Kage before!" exclaimed Kurenai excitedly, like a little kid with a new top. She started bouncing in her steps with anticipation on what the village would look like.

"Wait! Hold up," said Sakura while still walking, but facing the direction of Kurogane, "If it's the village 'hidden' in the leaves, then why do they have it on the map?" she asked, emphasizing hidden with two fingers. With that, Kurenai started laughing, and trying to figure out the reason with her own 'creative' ideas. Aoi chuckled to herself at the question, and the very 'creative' ideas.

Kurogane sighed, and just shook her head. She didn't quite know herself, but at the moment she really didn't care. She looked up into the sky and saw how dark it was getting. The stars in the night sky were already starting to come out. She cleared her throat, getting the attention of the others. "We should start searching for a clearing to stay at for the night," she said, but continued when she saw Aoi open her mouth to speak, "next to a stream, if we can."

"Kay! I'll look from the trees," said Sakura before she leaped into the trees and dissapeared. Kurenai decided to take the ground approach in the other direction, while Kurogane amd Aoi kept walking along the path, until one of their partners returned.

Kurenai was the first to approach them saying she didn't find anything worthwhile. Two minutes later, there was a breeze full of cherry blossoms, from Sakura no doubt, flowing around them, until heading back into the direction they came from. When they reahed the clearing they saw Sakura setting up her tent, with her staff strapped to her back. They did the same with their tents and staffs before they all devided the chores of what to get and do for the night.

Aoi was to go to the stream with Sakura, not far from where they made camp, to refill their canteens while and fish for their supper. Kurogane went back into the woods to collect wooden logs for their fire while Kurenai was searching for some non-poisonous berries, which they had to teach her which ones were which after an accident she caused with them, and when she got back, she was to light the fire with her staff.

After all that was done, and they were peacefully eating their supper around the fire, until the sensed someone approaching them from the forest. They all glanced at each other and Sakura nodded, put down her food, and dissapeared in a swirl of cherry blossoms. The other continued to eat their supper, and put their hoods ontop of their heads still giving the impression that they didn't notice anything wrong.

Sakura reapeared on a branch above their intruders. She looked at them and was surprised to say that they were jumping through the trees and stopped to look over her partners, who were eating peacefully, not aware that Sakura was watching their every move. One turned their head to the side a little more, so she could see their headband.

They were ninja,

and they were from Sound.

The travelling didn't have too many good experiences with Sound, to say the least. They had tryed to attack and kill themnumerously on their travels, but this time, they won't know what hit 'em. Sakura quietly took he staff out from the straps and waved it in the air. Suddenly a strong gust of wind trapped the two nins, not letting them move or breath. A few minutes later they stopped struggling and slumped into the wind. Sakura set them on the ground, but kept them in her wind tunnel for a little longer for good measure. You can never be too sure, they have faked death before. Once she was sure they were dead, she did a quick search around their camp site to make sure there wasn't reinforcements. When she was done with that, she headed back to camp to finish her dinner, only to find it gone.

"Where the hell did my dinner go?" Sakura yelled, but then turned her attention to Kurenai, who was presently liking her fingers. She turned to face Sakura when she felt death glares being sent at her.

"Ya?" she asked as innocently as she could. Innocentm right. Aoi just snorted at her attempts.

"Where.Did.My.Dinner.Go?" she asked slowly and calmly, as if talking to a child.

"Well you were gone for a long time, and I didn't want it to go to waste," Kurenai said simply, as if it were the most ovious thing in the world.

"I..You...Oh...Forget it, it's not worth it," Sakura said while taking her seat back and falling back into a lying position.

"So who were our guests?" asked Kurogane after a while.

"Just some more Sound-nin, I took care of them and checked our area over again for others," explained Sakura.

"Well that's good, we should get some sleep before morning," said Aoi, walking towards her tent, "night," she said.

They all went back to their tents except Kurenai who said she would take the first shift of the night, and went to sleep. Kurenai just sat by the fire and playing with it in her hands, not noticing that they were being watched by a dark haired avenger, the whole time. He soon left to tell his superior what he found, when it became clear that nothing interesting was going to happen the rest of the night.