And Fee returns, with part two of the Konohan War.
Disclaimer-Spoiler for the Fourth Hokage's identity. Also, I own OC's + alternate setting. Don't own stuff from canon.
Chapter 2-Diplomacy
"Haruka?"
Came the voice.
"Haruka."
Haruka stirred in her sleep.
"Doragon Haruka."
The voice wouldn't go away.
Slowly regaining consciousness, Haruka awoke.
There was a pale face looking at her, a minor look of irritation. This changed to a strange smile when he saw she was awake.
"You're awake." said Orochimaru. "I'm glad."
He had a very unnerving smile.
"Thank you... my lord." she said.
"I have good news, Haruka. After your success in Namigakure, I have decided to promote your squad to Chunin rank. Also, Masoto was considering you for the post of ambassador to Konoha." said Orochimaru. "I think this is an excellent idea. It sends the right message, and it's good experience for you."
"Thank you." said Haruka, taken aback.
"Well, I think you're free to go. I'd like you to come to my office o receive information about ambassadorial duties by tomorrow." he said, smiling.
"Yes... godaime."
"Oh, and could you teach that technique you used in Namigakure to anyone?"
"Possibly, Sutakage-sama."
"I'll organise that for the academy tomorrow, at seven. You can begin your ambassadorial duties the next day."
"Thank you, Sutakage-sama."
* * *
"Iuziya! Akarai! Dosumi!" called Haruka.
Her three
teammates turned.
"Haruka! I'm glad you're better." said
Iuziya smiling.
"I'm so glad you've recovered." said
Akarai.
"Was that Orochimaru-dono in there with you?" asked
Dosumi.
"Thanks."
she said. "Yes, he offered me the job of Ambassador to Konoha, and
asked me to teach my new lightning technique."
"You are so
lucky." said Dosumi. "He must like you."
Haruka decided she couldn't mean that.
"He has a creepy smile." she said.
Dosumi snorted, and walked off.
"Well, I need to get ready for this ambassador job." said Haruka, starting to turn.
Iuziya
whispered something to Akarai.
"Um, Haruka?" said
Akarai.
"Hm?" she said, still walking slowly away.
"Are
you… busy tomorrow?" he asked, blushing.
"Sorry, I've got
to get ready for this teaching thing." she said, not looking back.
* * *
"Mum?"
called Haruka, opening her front door.
"Haruka! I'm glad
you're back. No-one said you were coming out today." said Doragon
Aime. "In here."
Doragon Aime had long black hair and telltale white-irised Cytex eyes, like her daughter, and was wearing the same silver and gold clothes as Masoto had, with a Sutagakure headband diagonally on her forehead. She would undoubtedly be called beautiful, even though she was eight months pregnant. She was sitting in their front room, a spacious area with four doors coming off from it.
"Good to
see you, mum." said Haruka, embracing her. "Are you
alright?"
"I'm fine. Are you better now? Why were you ill so
long?"
"So long? How long was I asleep?" asked
Haruka.
"Three days, after you came back." said Aime.
"Oh."
said Haruka, taken aback. "I didn't know…"
"How long are
you back for?" Aime asked.
"Only a couple of days. Orochimaru
made me the Ambassador to Konoha, and he asked me to teach my new
technique to some other ninja."
Aime
studied her daughter closely.
"What do you think of
Orochimaru?"
"He's alright, he seems to be doing well. I
don't like these new rules, but they're for our own good. He's
a bit creepy." replied Haruka. ~
Aime looked at her, and then
nodded. They hugged again.
"Love you." said Aime.
"You
too, mum. Where's Natsuki?"
"She's-"
"Haruka!" cried out Natsuki from the door.
Haruka's sister, Doragon Natsuki, had green eyes and pink hair, Cytex having bypassed her completely. Regardless, she was a tenacious fighter, and also quite pretty. She was older than Haruka, maybe seventeen.
"Where
have you been?" she asked. "What happened, we've been so
worried!"
Without waiting for an answer, Natsuki ran and hugged
Haruka, and then Aime.
"Sorry, I have to go, I'm meeting a
friend. Bye!" she said, running out the door.
Haruka smiled.
"Same old Natsuki."
* * *
"So… uh… you have to convert your chakra into lightning elemental chakra and control it." said Haruka.
Each of the ninja in the room stared at her.
There were
jonin, chunin and genin, male and female, old and young.
"Why
don't you just demonstrate it?" asked one of them.~
"Because
if you do it right you'll collapse from chakra exhaustion, having
wiped out every enemy in sight." said Haruka. "And I can't
afford to be out for another three days."
"Raiton:
Raikoukaen." said Dosumi, leaning against the wall with a handsign
held in front of her.
"Watch and learn." she said.
Most of the ninja tried to feel how she was using the chakra. Some of them used Cytex to take the knowledge directly from her body and mind.
White bolts of lightning-chakra burst from her, curving in beautiful arcs through the air into a single point, where they blew a large hole in the ground.
"Now do that, but with all your chakra at once." she said.
Haruka
stared at her.
"How did you learn that?" she asked.
"I
used Cytex and adapted it to a more usable version." replied
Dosumi, smiling.
"I couldn't use it without using all my
chakra." said Haruka, in disbelief.
"What
are the handsigns again?" asked one of the watching ninja.
Haruka
went through them again.
"No, for the other version."
Dosumi
smiled, and performed her version again.
Haruka scowled, and the
black spirals of Cytex appeared in her eyes. At the same time as some
of the other ninja, she tried to use it, and failed.
Dosumi
smirked.
"I think my technique's more useful. Orochimaru-dono
is bound to notice."
Haruka was
looking furious.
"Well, you teach it then. I have better things
to do anyway."
She left the room, and Dosumi began, smiling, to
tell the other ninja exactly how to perform the technique.
* * *
"We need
to appraise Konoha of our situation." said Orochimaru. "They need
to know that we're concentrating on our own defence. Assure them
that we don't mean to attack them."
"Yes, Orochimaru-sama."
said Hakura.
"Here are your documents." said Orochimaru,
passing a small set of papers to Haruka.
"Thank you,
Orochimaru-sama."
* * *
"Welcome
to Konoha. I am Namikaze Minato, the Fourth Hokage."
"I am
Doragon Haruka, ambassador from Sutagakure." said Haruka, bowing.
"I bring grave news."
"What?"
"The third, my father,
is dead."
"That is a shame. He seemed like a good leader, a
fine man. I would have been proud to call him an ally. Who has
replaced him?"
"Orochimaru, one of the legendary Sannin."
There was a silence.
"Are you
serious?" asked Minato. "That man is less trustworthy than any
other ninja on the planet. Do you know that he used to be a
Konoha-nin?"
"Yes, everyone does. One of the Sannin." said
Haruka, doubtfully.
"Do you know why he left?" he asked.
Haruka shook her head.
"He was exiled, for abuse of power,
kidnapping, murder, manslaughter and defiling the laws of nature."
Haruka didn't reply with words, but her face showed her horror.
Minato
nodded.
"I'll give you some time to think about that. I'll
get someone to show you around. Makoto!"
A black
haired Konoha-nin, blue eyed and with the standard chunin flak-jacket
over a black shirt, ran in.
"Chuugi Makoto, meet Doragon Haruka.
She's the ambassador from Sutagakure. Doragon Haruka, meet Chuugi
Makoto. He's just been promoted to chunin, after passing the exam
excellently."
"Honoured to meet you." said Makoto,
bowing.
"And I you." said Haruka, returning the bow.
* * *
Done. Ack. Review. And if you're reading this and haven't read Drawing parallels, go read it.
