Title: atlantis

Theme: fantasy, #24 exotic

Notes: So, uh, sorry for confusing you guys. This isn't a chaptered fic; it's a collection of short stories that are written on prompts. In this case, it's 'exotic.' Sorry. All are unrelated to each other, unless of course, I say so.

Word Count: 677


They were welcomed to the village of Konoha with open arms. In fact, upon their arrival, they were horded by Leaf villagers, who stared at them in fascination, as if they were strange creatures they had never seen before.

Well, in a way, they were. With their strange clothing—long, dusty cloaks and aviator's goggles, baggy cargo pants and tops worn with travel—they stood out phenomenally amongst the Konoha civilians, with their colorful sashes and body paint. They had the strangest hair colors as well; blue, and green and a bright red, amongst them. Most females wore sequined bandannas, and the males, though dressed in less exuberantly vibrant attire, each had a curious dagger attached at the belt, for precautionary measures, Sasuke assumed.

The Leaf people were a friendly bunch, warm and welcoming to Sasuke and his crew. They had eagerly taken him and his men around the small village, introducing them to the beautiful wonders of their world. The streets of Konoha were crowded with strange creatures (Naruto had pointed out, in fascination, a kangaroo-resembling animal, with a long snout and striped blue fur that bounced around Konoha children on its back) and vendors shouting out their wares. Exotic smells wafted from various little stalls, scents of spices and herbs Sasuke had never even heard of tempting his senses.

Konoha, the village of the Leaf, was appropriately named as such. The place was like one big garden, trees and greenery making up the tiny village's landscape. No wonder they had never been disturbed by other civilizations; no one could find them. Settled comfortably in the mysterious depths of the jungle, where no one had ever ventured before (aside from himself, he thought with pride), the people had never been introduced to others not of their own kind.

In a way, this was a good thing; the people of Konoha had not discovered oil, or how the extent of the usefulness of machinery could extend to, but they related beautifully with nature—something that, although Sasuke trusted in the progress of his country, did not believe capable of his countrymen.

Still, the only reason why Uchiha Sasuke and the crew had arrived in Konoha was to share progress. Development. That was what he aimed for. He would discover new things from Konoha, bring it back to his home country and share what he had learned from the natives of a land far, far away—the most beautiful place you had ever seen, people with absolutely bizarre hair colors, dressed in all the colors of the rainbow— a place you might never be able to see again, he would tell the children of the village. They would look up at him with excited eyes, begging him to tell the story of his journey through land, water and air—all to reach Konoha, the village hidden in the leaves.

And a journey it was, indeed. It was no easy feat, reaching their desired destination. It had taken Sasuke hours of studious research, deciphering coded maps and scrolls, until he had made a fantastic breakthrough, called up a group of his most trusted, capable men, and set out to discover new land.

The way there was perilous, however. With dangerous animals and an environment they were not used to, the expedition nearly cost them their lives. Unfortunately, there were a few who were lost during the voyage, and Sasuke had saluted them, commending them for their bravery and excellence.

They have finally made it, and their mission was complete.

Well, almost.

The villagers of Konoha were absolutely friendly, hospitable—but that couldn't be said of the princess of Konoha, who was rumored to be hostile to strangers. Without her approval, Sasuke and his crew wouldn't be able to learn more about the Leaf culture, and couldn't bring it back home to share with their fellow men. But they had gone too far, and worked too hard, and lost too many people to give up now.

The only person standing in their way was the princess herself.

Princess Sakura Haruno.