Author's Note: I do not own Naruto or any of it's characters
The three previous Hokage waited in their office, awaiting the arrival of the copy-nin. The nin in person showed up on the window. "You've been spending too much time with Jiraiya Kakashi-kun" Sarutobi reprimanded him. The one-eyed an shrugged at him before asking "And what is the other mission I have?".
Hiruzen smoked from his pipe "Your peripheral mission objective is to infiltrate the Temple of Sand".
Kakashi looked at him in slight confusion "I thought that was merely an old wive's myth narrated to little children to get them to sleep".
The Nidaime responded to this "And where do myths come from? Reality. I too am dubious of the existence of such a location, but it is worth checking out, especially considering history".
"I don't think I understand what you mean, Nidaime-sama".
The Shodaime swirled his chair to face him "Back when we were rounding up all the biju, the One-Tails was the only one we could not reach. At the inaugural Kage summit, the Shodaime Kazekage unveiled that he had control of it. Legend has it the beast was trapped with some sort of high-level fuinjutsu technique, which should only be possible for the greatest of seal masters, and apart from the Uzumaki there have been far and few across time".
Kakashi considered the man's words "So you're trying to say the Uzumaki helped Suna capture the Ichibi?"
Tobirama opened his eyes "The Uzumaki are not the only prominent seal masters. Suna has two of them- the Honoured Siblings Chiyo and Ebizo. They were said to have assisted the original vessel of the One-Tails: a priest named Bunpuku seal it within himself. By the time of the third holder, they had grown considerably old and weak, which is presumably why there is such a shoddy seal containing the beast".
Kakashi again asked questions "But Nidaime-sama, wouldn't such a structure be sensed by you?"
"That is exactly the issue" Sarutobi spoke "it has never been detected by anyone. It has only subsisted as a fable that has stood the test of time. Even now, the citizens of Sunagakure believe in it's existence".
Kakashi raised his sole visible eyebrow "So you want me penetrate that which does not exist? That which has never even been detected, even by a sensor the caliber of Lord Second. And even if I do manage to stumble across it, it will in all likelihood be heavily fortified and defended".
Hashirama nodded "Precisely". Kakashi saluted them and was about to shun-shin away before he was halted by Tobirama "Wait. Here, take this" he tossed a scroll at Kakashi, who opened it to find an intricate seal."Jiraiya and I have devised it by utilising the seal you placed on your student as a template. It is a technique that arrests the influx of negative emotions whenever the user taps into the power of the Cursed Seal. We are confident that it will negate Orochimaru's sway over the individual".
Kakashi figured out what the man was trying to say "You want me to use this on Anko?". The three men nodded at him. "Why not Sasuke" he quizzed them. The Shodaime spoke on their behalf "Let's just say that Anko-chan is more...stable than young Sasuke-kun". Kakashi wondered for a minute if the word the Shodaime was looking for was 'expendable'. He bowed at the three Hokages and jumped out through the window. Behind him, the Shodaime appeared at the window and reminded him "Don't forget about to pop in before you leave for your mission!".
Sarutobi relit his pipe "Well, that went well".
Tobirama turned his gaze to him "It seems he's figured it all out".
Outside, Kakashi moved to his house by foot, trying to look underneath the underneath of what he had just been told. 'They want me to try sealing her cursed mark in foreign borders, so if there is any collateral damage it is not of Konoha's. And since we're going to a place that has just ceded defeat to us, there will be no political repercussions from such an eventuality. My my, these Senju brothers really are something else'.
One day later
There was a sea of emotions present within the crowd assembled at the arena. In a few minutes, right in front of their very eyes, a man was to be executed. Why specifically, most of them were not aware- simply that he had committed terrible crimes against the state. The man in question was brought into view, or at least what was left of him. He had a stump of an arm, and one eye was hollow. There were numerous lacerations along his arm, and he had a sickly pale tinge to his skin. His remaining eye remained solemn, un-moving and staring at the ground as if his life depended upon it. He was prevented from moving by a dense networkof bared chains nailed to his body. To his credit the man was did not flinch. High in the Kage box, the Shodaime and the Sandaime sat, watching on the proceedings.
A fair-haired man strode into view, wielding a wicked looking sword as if it were a child's plaything. With eyes as red as a demon's, he glanced around the coliseum once before setting his eyes on the cripple of a man laying before him. He twirled the sword around in his fingers, the cool metal sliding against the rough texture of his battle-hardened skin, providing him a rare succour.
He placed his head on the man's neck. "Danzo Shimura, former head of the supposedly dismantled cell ROOT, you are hereby sentenced to die for your numerous crimes against the village of Konohakagure no Sato. You are to perish at the hand of I, Tobirama Senju the Nidaime Hokage of Konohakagure no Sato; with the blessings of the Shodaime Hokage Hashirama Senju and Sandaime Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi. Any last words?".
The chained man looked up at his former master with a sneer "Death...is only the beginning". 'There is one secret that I have not let anyone in on. One secret that even you sensei, failed to unearth. And one day, when I will be reborn, I will wield it's power...the power of the Rinnegan'.
Tobirama looked at his former student, dispelling from his mind any image of the bumbling student he had once watched proudly grow into a feared warrior. With a face and heart of stone he spoke "Fine. At the noon of the 14th of the seventh month, I hereby sentence you to die" he raised his sword and swung it back down, cleanly slicing through the man's nape. His head went bouncing down the body like a football, bloodied with its own blood. The rest of his corpse toppled to the ground, no longer supported by a conscious. The crowd gave no reaction, all battle-scarred shinobi themselves. One by one the crowd dissipated, whilst the two Hokage stayed where the were. The First lowered his head in respect, whilst the Third removed his hat and smoked the fallen man's favourite brand in remembrance. They were joined by the Second, whose eyes had darkened enough to resemble a swirling tempest which his rain surely was. Flashing his eyes across the dead man's remains one last time, he tightened his jaw and gripped the edge of the podium to rein in his turbulent emotions. His brother laid a gentle hand on his shoulder, offering him silent comfort. The three nodded at each other, before shun-shining away for some peace. After their withdrawal, the masked ANBU swooped in to collect the bits of a once dreaded shinobi.
Tanzaku Gai
The light of the late dawn struck Naruto's closed eyelids like daggers, and he was soon forced to give up in a failing effort to stay asleep. He finally opened his eyes and found himself in the middle of literal nowhere. He remembered the events of the last couple of days, spent by furiously trying to master a medical jutsu. So far, there had not been much progress. His chakra control, while above the norm for a jinchurriki, was nowhere near close enough to be able to perform medical jutsu of this proficiency. He gritted his teeth and way through the ritual of cleaning himself up, using the toiletries provided to him by his godfather, who was around checking up on his spy network.
The morning after the meeting with the third Sannin, Naruto decided to camp out in the wilderness outside the small hamlet. It would allow him to practise his already near-perfected survival skills and also allow him to keep an eye out for the snake summoner Orochimaru and his right hand man Yakushi Kabuto. Once he freshened up, he did some stretching exercises and made a few clones, all of which started chanting the word of the scroll, as he strolled into the city to replenish his now depleted supplies.
Naruto returned an hour later to see most of his clones laying on the ground, seeming disorientated and dazed. He sighed and dispelled them bringing out a fresh batch as he processed the in-rush of memories. He shrugged to himself "Well, at least they didn't blow each other up this time". Since there was a shortage of injured people around, he'd fabricated a training regime where he would form clones and would go through the contents of the scroll on a daily basis before performing the jutsu on one of the clones. By the end of the first day, Naruto had memorised the hand seals well enough to be able to do them in his sleep. His roadblock was applying the perfect amount of chakra to heal wounds, instead of exploding them. He groaned, he was so going to lose the bet.
Later that night
Naruto slumped against a tree, breathing heavily. He'd been training almost non-stop and still had only reached halfway in terms of fully mastering the jutsu. His thoughts shifted back to the Slug Sannin. After his spar with the old hag, Shizune had sought him out and told him all about Tsunade's past and her seemingly careless attitude. Naruto had listened silently and had also kept his opinions to himself. He accepted that the woman had suffered a lot in life, but this was the world of shinobi- not professional ballet. There was not one shinobi who hadn't suffered something similar to what she had, yet they still saw fit to continue fulfilling their duty. Some chose this line due to a loss in the first place. But to quit the ninja lifestyle due to a loss...Naruto didn't know how to feel about that.
He was brought back to the world of the living by the groans of a clone he had apparently forgotten to dispel. He rubbed his head and dispelled it, clutching his head at the intake of information. 'It seems this one had a particularly bad experience. Got his ear spliced by another. So much for a healing jutsu". Naruto looked down at his right hand, slightly charred due to the side-effect of the jutsu. His brain felt slightly woozy and he cursed himself. Three days were already over and he was still nowhere near close to mastering the jutsu. "I'm so gonna lose" he whined as his mind slipped into sleep.
One day later, Nara clan compound
Nara Shikamaru was on his house's rooftop, lazily watching the clouds waft by in peace. He closed his eyes in solace when his mother's shrill voice rang around the household "Shikamaru! Come down here right now! There's someone here waiting for you!". He groaned and turned on his side, too lethargic to go anywhere. As if reading his mind, his mother's yells started again "Nara Shikamaru! Don't give me that lazy attitude. Now come down here before I have to come up there! It's rude to keep guests waiting!". He huffed in indignation, his cloud-gazing session enjoyed. He slid down the outside of the house using the plumbing, and slipped back inside through an open window.
His mother nagged at him "Why can't you Nara men use the staircase every once in a while. That's what it's there for, you know. Let me guess, it's too troublesome? You Nara men wouldn't even wear your underwear unless I got on your backsides!".
"Mom!" Shikamaru protested, alluding to the the mask-exhibiting ANBU standing awkwardly next to her. "Let him listen too! If humiliation is what it takes you to man up, so be it! I don't suppose he has any problem, does he?!" Yoshino Nara glowered threateningly at the tall masked man standing next to her. Not knowing what to say, partially due to being extremely weirded out and partially out of fear, he shook his head like a dumb mule.
Satisfied with his answer, the Nara matriarch shifted her attention back to her son, "Now dear. Listen to what this fine gentlemen has to say" she directed his attention to the person next to her. The ANBU straightened up before reciting "Genin Nara. You are requested at the Hokage's office as soon as possible. You are to arrive as soon as possible. It has been informed to me that this is of the utmost importance". The ANBU spared one last frightful look at what was his freak of a mother before shun-shining away in relief.
His mother turned to him, hands on her hips "So, what are you waiting for? Get out right now!".
Shikamaru rolled his eyes "What a way to show your love to your only son". His mother did not seem amused and waited for him to leave, unmoving from her position. Sighing, he shoved his hands in defeat and made way for the door. He opened the front door and exited, leaving the door unclosed. As he jumped for the rooftops, he heard his mom's shrieks echo around the entire clan compound "Close the door you lazy bum!".
Hokage Tower
Hiruzen Sarutobi exhaled from his smoke pipe in comfort, relishing in the familiar tobacco fragrance. Behind him, the Shodaime sat on the window, inking something onto a blank parchment; almost reminding him of Jiraiya were it not for this man's dark hair and serene expression as opposed to his student's giggling mug as he pictured his smut. The Nidaime stood in the corner of the room, aloof as always and barely visible as usual. He heard a knock on his door and called the person in. He was greeted by the bored expression of the Nara heir. "Ah Shikamaru-kun, I'm glad you could make it on such short notice. Thank you for coming" he spoke with a twinkle in his voice and a slight sarcasm in his voice. The pineapple haired youth merely rolled his eyes in response.
Sarutobi placed away his pipe and placed his hands on his desk, "Seeing as you're so enthused" again using that knowing smirk and teasing tone "let's talk about your promotion". Shikamaru had to wait for a minute for the elder man's words to register in his lazed brain. When lightning struck, he jerked his head upwards, gaping at the Sandaime. Hiruzen chuckled at the boy's reaction. "So promotion is the way to get your attention. For your tactical nous and brilliant planning in the response to the joint invasion of Suna and Oto I Hiruzen Sarutobi, acting Kage of Konohakagure no Sato hereby award you the rank of chunin. Congratulations".
Seeing the boy's face morph into that of a fish's out of water, he took out his chunin flak jacket and placed it on his desk. Once the boy regained his senses, he took his property and gave it a once-over. "Am I the only one promoted, Sandaime-sama?" the now-chunin questioned as he tried on his jacket.
The Shodaime answered "Hardly, my boy. We've elevated three others as well. In fact, two of them were supposed to show up about now. They're"
"Here" the Nidaime finished that sentence. "Call it a coincidence, but somehow both entered the building simultaneously just after you, and have been waiting outside ever since. Sarutobi called them inside to reveal Shino Aburame and Neji Hyuga. They nodded at everyone in greeting. It was the Nidaime's turn to break the egg "Congratulations, Neji-san and Shino-san. For your efforts in holding off Oto's Kin-Gin brothers and former B-ranked missing nins of Iwa long enough to evacuate the civilians, and for your flawless handling of the evacuation of the civilian hospital respectively we promote you to the rank of chunin. Now, I believe there is one last addition to our chunin forces" and he said so with a hint of spite, as if not fully agreeing to it.
Shikamaru noticed this and evaluated the situation before him 'The way Nidaime-sama looked at Shodaime-sama whilst revealing a fourth new chunin, it seems this individual was a controversial choice. The only person from our age group besides us who has all the skills required of a chunin is Naruto. But promoting him to chunin would basically amount to nothing- he's already an ANBU lieutenant. The only person apart from us who has the raw power would be' he raised an eyebrow as he deciphered the key.
It was Shino who revealed both their deductions "Uchiha-san". The just named entity swooped in from the other window, his bloodshot eyes and his pasty skin affording him an insidious demeanour. Sarutobi muttered in annoyance "Jiraiya's ruining everyone now". The Shodaime discreetly gave the newcomer a once over before smiling at him "Congratulation Sasuke-kun. For your commendable valour and fearlessness in chasing down and stalling the jinchurikki of the Ichibi we grant you the position of chunin. Here you go" the Shodaime handed over the chunin jacket to the 'last' Uchiha who took it by it's collar as if holding a dog by the scruff of its neck and placed it onto the Hokage's desk.
The Nidaime stepped out of the shadows, "Now that all the niceties have been exchanged, we're about to get down to serious business. Chunin promotions are announced by your respective jounin commanders. The reason you're here is much more important than a mere promotion in rank. As you all have probably heard in the last few days, Danzo Shimura of ROOT was found guilty of collaborating with enemies of Konohakagure no Sato. As such, he was publicly guillotined yesterday noon. Danzo, whilst having conducted on unlawful activities, also headed an important part of our setup- ROOT. I was the one who had originally bequeathed that role to him whilst appointing Saru as Hokage. ROOT is still vital to our village's security. Therefore, I have decided to reform ROOT".
It was Shino who asked "Then what are we doing here, with all due respect? We've only just been promoted to chunin, surely we don't have the skills or mentality required to join the organisation".
Hashirama agreed with him "You are quite right Shino-kun. You don't have what it takes to be ROOT...yet. But we've decided to give this generation a head start on the others. You all have been chosen because you all boast a unique trait which qualifies you for the role you are to be assigned. You may not think the same way now, but once we're through with you you will".
Neji quizzed him "Are our clans aware of this?".
Sarutobi removed his pipe "Indeed they are, Neji-kun. We have conferred with all your clan heads and parents or your caretaker" his eyes whisked over Sasuke's "and we have been given the green light for all of you". Neji nodded his thanks at the elderly man.
Sasuke looked on at the proceeding with indifference. The Shodaime noticed this and made an effort to involve the sharingan-bearer. "Would you all like to know your positions? How about we start with you first Sasuke-kun?". He looked at the dark-haired man in irritation, not appreciating being singled out. He crossed his arms across his front and muttered "Fine".
Tobirama announced their roles "You all are to be apprenticed to a captain of ROOT; in the hopes that one day you all will be able to take over their responsibilities. Uchiha Sasuke, you are assigned to Captain Kakashi Hatake, head of our Combat Division" the man popped into view, greeting them all with a simple "Yo!" and dropped a note at Sasuke's feet, popping back away. "Aburame Shino, your mentor is Aburame Torune, administrator of the Tracking Division" a ghost-like man appeared, almost all his face bar his mouth disguised by a balaclava. "Hyuga Neji, you will be trained by the head of our Espionage Division- Hyuga Hiro" the aforementioned Hyuga materialised and stood motionless, "And finally, Nara Shikamaru is to be indoctrinated by Nara Shikaji: head of our Counter-Intelligence Division". An bored looking man surfaced at the mention of his name, looking infinitely bored. Shikamaru recognised him as his father's cousin, who was said to rival his father in terms of intelligence.
"These four individuals report to me" the Nidaime declared, "until a suitable long-term replacement is elected".
Shikamaru asked him "What do you mean, Nidaime-sama? Are you planning to go somewhere?"
The red-eyed Senju imparted "Yes- to the graveyard. This body, while not an edo tensei, is still not mine. It has passed away, and is only tethered to the living world by my spirit. My spirit can only live for so long without my body. In time, it will eventually fade".
Neji was confused by the answer "But I thought that's why your created the edo tensei; by sacrificing one soul you could revive another".
Tobirama concurred with him "Indeed I did. But there was one thing Orochimaru did not account for when he performed the ritual- the difference in strength between the fallen and the revived. These bodies we currently reside in are quite fragile compared to our own, and as such to maintain our original level we have to constantly reinforce them with chakra. I was a fool to have invented that jutsu. Only later did I realise that the dead never truly brought back".
Hashirama uplifted the mood "Alright then, now that that's settled you all can start. Best to begin quickly and build a good rapport with your leaders as soon as possible. Chop chop!" he dismissed them. They all left quickly, Sasuke picking the scroll left to him and dashing out the window.
On his way, he raged. 'How dare he upstage me! It's bad enough he didn't pay much attention when I was a genin, but as an ANBU Head too! This is just too much!'.
His rage enabled him to reach his quarters rapidly. In a rare case of outward display, he slammed the door in frustration and growled "This village is just holding me back! At this rate I'll never be able to kill any one of Naruto or Itachi!".
Outside his residence, the Sound Four nodded at each other, all wordlessly agreeing on one thing- 'It was time to strike'.
Yamanaka Flower Shop
The bell to the entrance chimed and Ino sang her memorised lines "Welcome to the Yamanaka Flower Shop. What can I do for you to-Oh it's just you Forehead".
The pink-haired kunoichi retorted "Shut up Ino-pig". Ino raised an eyebrow at this 'She seems more snappy than usual today. Wonder what's got her panties in a twist?. "Oi Forehead, what's wrong?".
Sakura sighed- Ino always did know how to read her like a book. She confessed "I'm just scared, you know. I mean, the Naruto I thought I knew isn't who he really is, and even Sasuke-kun has changed a lot". Seeing her former best friend's dejected face, Ino realised there must be a lot the pinky wanted to get off her chest. Seeing it was around noon, Ino took off her work apron and invited Sakura for lunch.
"Come on Forehead, my mom's made ramen. Let's eat together". Sakura nodded and followed Ino into her home. She took in the cosy atmosphere of the house, having been years since she'd last entered it. She remembered sadly, her and Ino's past friendship. The two of them were as thick as thieves. But in their mutual conquest for Sasuke's heart, they'd forsaken their friendship. Sakura found herself regretting the loss of their bond.
Ino handed her a a ramen cup and settled opposite her on the table. "So" Ino asked as she sipped her ramen "how have you been?".
"I've been better" Sakura sighed, knowing Ino well enough to recognise she was deliberately steering to small talk first.
Ino looked at her from the rim of her bowl "How's your training been going on?".
Sakura bit her lip "It hasn't".
Ino looked at her in surprise "But the rebuilding efforts stopped two days ago. You should've had at least one session. My team had ours yesterday, Hinata's team had theirs today".
Sakura explained to her "Well, we technically don't have a team anymore. Naruto's been gone on a top secret mission with Jiraiya-sama of the Sannin for the last week. And Kakashi-sensei's going on a mission tonight-he sent one of his messenger nins. And I haven't seen Sasuke-kun since we all met at your house last week".
Ino admonished her "So?! Haven't you been doing any doing any solo training? Seriously Sakura! When will you grow up?".
Sakura looked taken aback. Since when was Ino so passionate about anything not related to Sasuke-kun? Sakura retorted "You forget Ino, that you have done no better than me. It is only due to your clan heritage that you are where you are right now".
Ino glared at her "So what?! That was in the past. Ever since the invasion I've been trying to catch up on all the years I wasted dressing up for Sasuke".
"Don't talk about Sasuke-kun like that! You have no idea what he must be feeling like! Have you even tried talking to him?".
"Oh and you do?" Ino sneered "Besides, I'm done with him. I know you don't want to hear this but he's nothing more than an arrogant, self-loving prick. You saw how he reacted to being sidelined by Naruto. And the fact that he hasn't sought you out even once since that day should tell you that he doesn't even think of you as a teammate, let alone a potential love interest".
"That's the thing Ino. I haven't done anything to be acknowledged by Sasuke-kun. On our team, I've always been the weakest. Even before we found about Naruto's true self, I've always done nothing but impede the team back".
A light bulb switched on in Ino's head. "Eureka! That's it! Listen Forehead, if all of your teammates are so big and strong, then you be good at something they're not. I mean there must be something they're not good at. It would be impossible for even the Hokage to not have weaknesses. So find something you're teammates are not good at, and master that".
For the first time in a long tie, Sakura's face lit up with a genuine smile. "You know Ino-pig, sometimes you can be useful. Now all that's left is to actually know all of my team's strengths and weaknesses". Ino winced at that last statement. It reflected really poorly on her friend that she still did not truly understand her team. Sakura's smile too dimmed at the prospect of having to talk to Naruto. Ino asked concernedly "What's wrong Sakura? Just now you were so joyful?".
Sakura dusted off the hem of her shirt "It's just that I haven't had the chance to speak to Naruto since the preliminary match-up of the third round. And a lot has changed since then. I don't know what to say and what his reaction to be like".
Ino shrugged at her "I guess all anyone can do now is just apologise, and really mean it. We did treat him pretty bad; but then again some of the times he was plain asking for it". Sakura smiled at her and thanked her for the food. Ino accompanied her outside, and just as Sakura as about to leave; Ino told her to wait. She came back hiding something behind her back. "Here" she presented a yellow rose to Sakura. Sakura gasped; a yellow rose was a sign of friendship. She tearily accepted the flower and hugged her. "Now now Forehead, don't get all weepy on me" Ino joked, though Sakura could feel the girl's own tears stain her shirt.
"Shut up Ino-pig" she grumbled. They broke apart and Ino kissed her on the cheek.
"See you later babe" Ino greeted. Sakura nodded happily and left.
On her way back home, Sakura decided to herself: 'Sasuke-kun isn't the only one I want to protect. I also want to protect my friends, my family and Naruto and Kakashi-sensei'.
Konohakagure Prison
Temari no Sabaku hunched against the hard granite wall, clutching her mother's photograph for comfort. She had initially been fearing for her and her brothers' lives; though the past week had been very peculiar in that sense. She had expected to be hung upside down and get poked with sharp objects, as masked men would attempt to break her. Instead, she had not been harmed at all, physically, mentally, emotionally or...sexually. She had heard of captured enemy kunoichi being ravaged and brutalised before; and Temari quivered each time she thought about it. She had not seen a hair of either Kankuro or Gaara. She feared more for her smallest brother, due to his jinchurikki status alongside the fact that he had unleashed the most carnage out of them. Every day, she would receive two solid meals; nothing more, nothing less. There was a small tub in the corner, and her cell was manned at all times by two ANBU; most likely kunoichi at that. In here, she could not muster an ounce of her chakra- a feat she surmised was due to concealed chakra immobilisers surrounding her.
She had once visited Suna's own version of holding towers, and they were nothing like these. Compared to back home, Konoha's jail seemed much more..fancy. Temari suspected her detention quarters had something to do with the fact she was the spawn of the Kazekage. For once, she was thankful to have the same blood as Rasa's. Her whole life the man had treated her on the verge of apathy; and had rarely acknowledged her mere existence.
She looked at her mother's soft smile and held back tears. She couldn't remember much of her mother except her warm smile and her gentle hands as she would rock Temari in her hands and sing gentle lullabies to her. Looking down, she let the tears flow down. Temari would never admit it aloud, but she missed her home. The first thing they taught you was shinobi must never reveal their emotions, kunoichi especially since women were seen as more emotionally fragile and susceptible. 'Focus Temari' she scolded herself 'What would Kaa-san think?'.
The Suna royal heard the echo of footsteps and quickly wiped her eyes dry, slipping her mother's photo into her blouse. (AN: I don't know what to call that white thing she wears, so let's just call it a blouse) She saw a purple haired woman come near her cell and provide some documentation to the guards. The guards scrutinised the papers severally, before nodding wearily at her. They stepped aside and let her near the cell. She looked at her as if she were a specimen in a zoo; and Temari suddenly felt exposed. She wrapped her hands around herself and tried to clearly make out the woman's features, which was difficult in the dimmed light.
The woman considered her a few more moments before going through what Temari clearly saw as hand-seals. She flung herself to the opposite side of the cell as the gate was blasted open by "Katon: Endan". Temari felt the hair singed off her arms as the intense heat saturated the room. The purple haired woman, now fully visible handed her a thumbs up and commended her "Impressive for a genin, that too with your chakra being sucked out for the past week".
Temari glowered at her, insulted at being misnamed a genin. She already held the ability of a chunin. Rubbing her arm, she scowled at the mad lady "Are you crazy?! That could've killed me". She remembered her as the proctor of the second stage of the chunin exams-Special Jonin Anko Mitarashi.
The woman shrugged at her, which just angered Temari even more. "Why are you even here?" she scowled at Anko.
She threw a manuscript at her. Teari unfolded it to locate the stamp of the Hokage's office at the top. She gulped, could it be orders to kill her. Her heart pounded against her rib-cage as she read on-wards. When she reached the end of the document, she took a moment to process what she had just read. 'Official orders that the progeny of the Yondaime Hokage be deported back to Sunagakure no Sato, as per the terms of the treaty signed by both parties a fortnight ago. Further instructions to be imparted to the individuals upon their entry to their rightful home. Signed, Hiruzen Sarutobi, Sandaime Hokage of Konohakagure no Sato'.
The contents of the letter were bizarre bordering on insane. What madness had conflicted the Hokage for him to have accepted such a condition. Temari's intuition told her that a lot was more was being hidden from her than revealed. But there was nothing she could do. She stood up and accepted her battle fan from the elder woman, secretly feeling a lot more secure now that her cherished weapon was in her possession. She was led out of the now razed cell by the Tokubestu Jonin, who stopped to chat with the masked guards outside. "Couldn't you just have used the keys" one of the guards deadpanned.
The Snake Mistress laughed at her "Now where would be the fun in that? Besides, I have a reputation to uphold".
The other sentry advised her "As does he". She pointed to a strange looking man with gravity defying silver hair that seemed on the verge of collapse. His face was well-hidden by a slanted hitiate and a mouth mask, creating an aura of mystery. He greeted them all with a simple "Yo!" before stepping aside to unveal the remaining spawn of the latest ruler of the Sand.
"Gaara! Kankuro" Temari exclaimed. She rushed toward them, bringing them into a tight hug. Nothing mattered in this moment; not Gaara's aversion to human contact nor Kankuro's extreme ticklishness at his hips, all that mattered was that they were together. "Kankuro pressed his forehead against hers "Peace, sister". Temari nodded him, breaking away. Gaara had remained as he was prior, not extending a hand of comfort to his siblings. He gazed at his siblings as if seeing them in a new light. Slowly, his well-constructed mark broke down as he nodded his head at his brother and sister, conveying his unsaid feelings to them.
Kakashi chimed in "Well, now that your little family reunion is over, I'd like to head out soon. Suna isn't next door, and I plan to arrive there as soon as possible. Now, I've been told you're all aware of the route back to Suna. And I've already sealed two weeks worth of supplies with me. Not that it will take more than two days, I just like to stay prepared. And don't think of trying to escape, I assure you that will not end nicely. So come on, off we go!". Internally, Kakashi sweatdropped at himself. 'I'm beginning to sound like Guy. Yikes!. The rest of the entourage looked on, clearly not impressed with his antics. He rubbed his head, and signalled them to follow him as ran out of the full speed.
To everyone's surprise, Gaara involved himself in the conversation for the first time "And what of our security? Two measly ninjas hardly seems enough protection for the children of a Kage".
"Mah mah Gaara-san. You think too little of us and two much of yourselves. Besides, we've already thought about it. Your village elders Chiyo and Ebizo have sent us some self-sustaining puppets resembling us. As the name suggests, they function by their own ability and don't require a source of control. They have assured us of their battle capabilities. We are fully confident they will divert any unwanted attention. And if they can't...well we'll cross that bridge when we reach it".
Temari sighed, it was going to be a long and mentally taxing journey home
So that's that. A new chapter before the end of the winter break. I know everyone's favourite future-Hokage isn't too involved in this chapter, since I wanted to incorporate some of the other major characters into the story. I may or may not have rushed this one up a bit (Hey, cut a guy some slack would ya, I've got midterms in two days). Now that I think of it, somebody murder me! I am so going to fail! Anyways, back to the topic at hand. I'm sure my Newtonian readers will have picked up on the characters I created. Here're their Bingo Book entries:
Name: Hiro Hyuga
Age: 26
Affliation: Konohakagure no Sato
Rank: A
Taijutsu: High-A Rank
Genjutsu: B-Rank
Ninjutsu: A-Rank
Elemental affinities: Earth, Fire and Water
Special Notes: Do not engage in taijutsu unless backup is available. Extremely adept at the Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms. Said to have to inherited the Byakugan Dojutsu to the highest degree in his generation
Bounty: 500,000 ryu
Name: Shikaji Nara
Age: 40
Rank: A
Taijutsu: High B-Rank
Genjutsu: Low A-Rank
Ninjutsu: High A-Rank
Elemental affinities: Fire, Lightning and Earth
Special notes: Do not engage in a prolonged battle. Previously second-in-line for the leadership of the Nara clan. Master strategist and uses a high array of shadow-related jutsu
Bounty: 700,000 ryu
I'll clear up the ages of everyone. Naruto's generation are all 13, Temari is 15. Minato would've been in his mid-30s and all the clan heads are in their early-40s. The Sannin are in their early-50s and Sarutobi is in his late-60s. And another thing. Since I've practically drilled into your minds that I've exams, I won't be updating for another fortnight or so. So hope this suffices.
