A/N I really didn't like the original first chapter. It was horrible, even worse than what I usually write. So, here it is again, rewritten and revised. I've got a stronger plot, too. Hope you like this one better, too. Sen is an OC, though, so please let me know what you think of her - when you meet her, anyway. She's not in this chapter. ;;

Disclaimer I don't own Naruto.


It had been a good day, Itachi decided as he packed his things. He'd placed first in the class for today's weapons test – something not entirely unexpected, of course, so that wasn't what made the day a good one. No, what made today a good one was entirely different: Kirihara-sensei had discussed it with the Hokage, and he'd be allowed to take the Final Exam at the end of the year. Chichi-ue would be pleased, no doubt, which was a bonus; even if Itachi didn't really care much. Becoming a genin meant he'd be able to get that much stronger faster.

And if he were stronger…

"Going home already, Ita-chan? Or are you heading out to train more?" The slightly sing-song voice cut through Itachi's musing like a kunai. The seven year-old turned to look at the intruder, but he already knew who it was.

Tsukihana Sen was only a month or so younger than him, but you wouldn't know it by looking at her. She just barely came to the top of his shoulder in height, and more closely resembled a pixie than a kunoichi. Far too delicate, in Itachi's opinion. She'd never get very far.

The girl grinned at him, disregarding the deadpan Itachi had sent her way, and shook a playful finger at him.

"Life isn't just fists and weapons," she scolded. "No matter how much fun they are."

Itachi ignored her, walking out of the classroom. The other students hurried to move out of his way; members of his fan club watching him reverently, some jealously, all respectfully. Except for Sen. She was the only one in class that just didn't seem to care.

"Anyway, Shisui-nii-san is meeting you at the gates, right? Can I come with you guys?" Sen moved out in front of the Uchiha, walking backwards so she could face him. "I wanna watch you guys train again, and Shisui-nii-san said he'd help me with my aim anyway."

"You need it," Itachi commented blandly. "You barely managed to hit the target at all today."

Sen wrinkled her nose at him, "Shush, you. I just haven't figured out what works for me yet, that's a- Ahhh!"

"Feet usually work for walking," Itachi informed her, not bothering to help her up from her fall. "So does looking where you're going."

Sen stuck her tongue out at the boy, trying to figure out what exactly had tripped her up this time. The hallway was nearly empty of people and there was nothing in her path, so what…?

"Shisui-san is on patrol today," Itachi continued. "We wouldn't be training, anyway."

"Why not?" Sen asked, climbing to her feet and dusting off her pants before they started backed down the hall. Sen was at Itachi's side again, facing forward.

"I'm going with Chichi-ue to Ikkido. Haha-ue's ordered some things for the new baby there, and we're going to pick them up."

"Wow! You get to go all the way to Ikkido? Bring me back a souvenir, okay?" Sen grinned in excitement. "And tell your okaa-san that Mama's finished her new dress, okay? And the clothes for your new otouto or imouto?"

Itachi nodded. "I will, Senbon. Now get moving, your cousin's waiting."

Sen blinked at him, then looked for herself. Sure enough, her cousin's tall form loomed by the old tree with the swing. Sen lit up, her whole face shining, "Ah! He's back!! Have fun with you otou-san! Bai bai!!"

The tiny girl took off running, tossing a wave over her shoulder. Itachi turned his steps towards home. That girl was crazy, but the very least of his concerns. He pushed her from his mind, not to be thought about until the next time she forced company on him.

There were better things to occupy his thoughts.

If there was one thing Haruno Sakura and her best friend, Yamanaka Ino, enjoyed, it was tales of the Little Giant (or the Riverblade, which was the nickname they preferred. It was so much more elegant, after all). The stories had been filtered from all over; from the Land of Stone to the Land of Snow, Riverblade had made a mark just about everywhere. The two kunoichi gathered the tales every chance they had when on missions, and even Tenten joined them with the stories she'd found when they got together to share. Today was one of those days, and Sakura moved swiftly down the street to their favorite cafè.

"Sakura! Over here!" Ino called. Tenten was already there, too, and Sakura hurried over to the table.

"Sorry I'm late," Sakura apologized as she sat down. "Training took longer than I thought."

"As long as you don't start keeping your sensei's time," Tenten joked. Sakura laughed.

"Okay, okay," Ino shushed the two, grinning. "Now that you're here, let's get started. Any new stories?"

Sakura shook her head, "None here."

Ino pouted, "None here, either. Tenten?"

Tenten sighed. "I think we're starting to run out of new ones."

"So you don't have any, either?" Sakura asked. Tenten shook her head and Sakura sighed, too. "Should we retell one, then?"

"Sure!" Tenten agreed. "No point hearing them just once..."

"Or twice..." Ino added.

"Or a million times," Sakura finished. "So which one then?"

"What about the one from the Land of Birds?" Tenten volunteered. " Where she saved an entire village from monsters?"

"No," Ino objected, "we told that one last time. What about the one from the Land of the Sea?"

"I remember that one!" Sakura exclaimed. "She saved the entire country from pirates."

"Ooh," Tenten purred. "What about when she defeated the army of giants in the Land of Red Beans?"

"Yeah!" Ino agreed. "Let's hear that one! Tenten, you tell it, you're better at it."

"Okay," Tenten nodded, pausing for a few moments when the waitress came over. Sakura placed her order, then urged Tenten to start. "Well, a few years back, an army of giants started terrorizing the Land of Red Beans. No one could stop them – they were taller than the tallest tree, and their footprints alone were the size of small lakes. The people suffered for months, always in fear of these terrible behemoths. But one day, a girl showed up. She was a young girl, but she traveled alone and very simply. When she heard about the problem with the giants, she went right up to the daimyo's castle and demanded to see him.

"'You can't let these giants rule your country,' she told him. 'They're destroying your people and their way of life.'

"'But what can I do?' the daimyo asked her. 'My samurai are useless against them. Walls cannot keep them out.'

"'I can defeat them,' she declared. 'Give me your best samurai, and you'll never need to worry about giants again.'

"The daimyo agreed, and sent with her his five strongest samurai. They rode out with her a week later. Far out in the country, where the giants lived, the girl stopped. She waited until she had gotten their attention and challenged them, 'Show me your strongest warriors. We will defeat them all, and then you must leave the Land of Red Beans.'

"'What will we get,' the giants asked, 'when we defeat all of you?'

"'If you beat us?' the girl responded. 'If you beat us, giants, you will have won this country – for we are the best it has to offer.'

"The giants agreed, eager, because they knew they were stronger. And so the battle began. The giants fought with all their strength, but somehow, they all lost.

"'How?' they asked themselves. 'How did this happen?'

"'You fought with strength,' the girl told them. 'But we were smarter. We used your strength against you, and now you must leave this Land forever.'

"When she returned to the daimyo's castle with all five samurai, the daimyo was stunned. He didn't know what to do – such a young girl had driven the giants from his Lands? Amazing! He offered her a place by his side, jewels, silks, and riches. He wanted her to stay. But she refused it all, thanking the daimyo.

"'I will not stay here,' she told him. 'And I have no use for riches. If you must reward me, please do it only with some provisions.'

And so the girl left the Land of Red Beans, carrying only what she had come with except for a few loaves of bread and some dried meat. As the daimyo watched her go, he asked one of his samurai who she was, for she had never once given him her name. The samurai bowed, answering, 'That was the Riverblade herself, my lord. She is a Little Giant."

Sakura and Ino sighed happily as Tenten ended the story.

"That's so cool," Ino gushed. "She can really do anything!!"

"I know," Sakura returned. "I wish I could meet her, she must be so amazing!!"

The three girls laughed as they drank their tea, and spent the rest of the afternoon trading ideas and stories – and not just about their hero.

Tsunade frowned at Jiraiya, "You're sure it's Akatsuki?"

Jiraiya nodded. "Positive. I don't know how they're being held off, but it's definitely them. So what should we do?"

The Hokage sat back in her chair, closing her eyes and rubbing her temples warily. "Can you get in there?"

"Maybe, if I'm really careful. But I have no idea what's going on behind the borders; getting too close would've attracted a lot of attention, especially alone."

Tsunade was silent for a few moments. "Who do you want to take?"

"Genin would be best to avert suspicion. Shiobi aren't common out there, so no one would think anything of kids."

Jiraiya could practically hear his friend gritting her teeth. He could understand; it was an extremely dangerous mission, and genin just weren't trained enough for it. But the facts stood: an ANBU team, or even a jounin team, would attract attention and make things far too difficult.

"...I'll choose a team, then. Any preferences?"