Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto, just the storyline and some characters.
Summary: Sasuke's older sister comes back to Konoha, rekindling love in his heart. But Shinju also returned for other reasons: to finish a task given to her long ago , to find Itachi and ward off enemies from destroy the Leaf Village. The fate Konoha rests on her shoulders. How far will she go to save those she loves?
A/N: Sorry everyone for this super late update! I promise to update more frequently!
Please keep reviewing! It motivates me to continue writing!
::Konoha's Pearl Princess::
Chapter 25 - The Mountaintop
The familiar smell of antiseptic and blood intoxicated Shinju as she waited in her hospital room. Tsunade insisted she remain there while she had a little chat with two teenage boys and an irritating Copy-Nin. Sighing softly, she sat up from her little cot and stared out the small window. The sun was beginning to set and no one had entered her room yet. She probed her bandaged side to discover she was healed. Hopping off the cot, she landed silently on her feet and tiptoed to the glass window of her door. Her sharp, ruby eyes detected two ANBU guarding her door. She glanced at her window again and saw another ANBU's chakra signature leaning against the wall outside.
"A little over the top, eh, Tsunade?" Shinju muttered to herself.
Yawning silently, Shinju stretched her tired limbs before attempting her escape. They had sealed the room off to prevent any Shunshin jutsu, much to her annoyance. She'll just bust out the old fashion way, a big mess and distraction. She shook out her shoulder and walked toward the small window. Winding up her shoulder, she drew it back and slammed her fist into the wall right next to the small glass pane. The building's wall erupted and sent plaster flying everywhere, along with an unsuspecting ANBU.
Shinju shot out of the building faster than any shinobi's eye could see and headed straight for the Hokage Tower. She had to move fast. Word of her escape would be reaching Tsunade any minute. Flying across the rooftops, she concentrated her chakra on the balls of her feet and shot up toward the highest room in the Tower.
"What were you two thinking?" Tsunade shouted the moment they stepped into her office. Sasuke flinched at the Hokage's outburst, but leave it to Naruto to make it even worse.
"What do you think we were doing, baa-chan? We were fighting. Like we were supposed to!"
Kakashi pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head.
"And you thought bringing out the little monsters in both of you would do the trick?" The Godaime screeched, chucking a paperweight at Naruto's shaggy blonde hair. It collided on his forehead with a loud thunk.
"OW GODAMMIT!"
Naruto opened his mouth to spit fire at Tsunade, but Kakashi's gloved had covered his mouth before he had a chance to speak.
"Now, you two have caused some serious damage here," Tsunade spat angrily, glaring at the Uchiha and Uzumaki, "The other nations are at their wits-end because Konoha harbors a very large pool of talented and unique shinobis. They feel as though we are trying to get the upper hand on them and they don't like it."
Sasuke raised an eyebrow, "You're kidding."
"Is this the face of someone who's joking," Tsunade snarled. She slammed her hand on her desk and leaned forward, her face contorting angrily and bright crimson patches forming all over her face, "Today was supposed to show the other villages that we are all equal in talent, but you two little punks just had to one up each other. They are holding a Kage meeting in a week to discuss the shinobi of Konoha. Meaning two things: one, some of our top-ranked nin are being transferred to outskirt posts where they will have little to no contact with the village, or two, we are to dispose of them."
The room fell silent.
"Dispose?" Kakashi asked. His visible eye widened in shock at the extreme measures that were about to take place.
"Yes," Tsunade sighed, simmering down, "Dispose. They can't touch old clans like the Hyuugas or Yamanakas. But they can seek out those who have no set clan ties to the village."
"Like who?" Naruto spluttered.
"Anko, Genma, Tenten," Tsunade began to tick off names, "Gai, Lee. The list goes on and on."
Naruto squirmed uncomfortably, "Baa-chan, what about Sakura?"
Tsunade's eyes began to water at the thought of her student, "She's at risk as well."
Naruto groaned and slapped his forehead. Sasuke stood stoic, his glare attempting to unnerve the Hokage, but to no avail.
It was at this moment they heard a soft tapping at the Hokage's window. Kakashi glanced and saw a hospital patient with familiar red eyes leaning on the glass.
"Took you guys long enough to see me." Shinju grunted as she climbed into the office through the window. She checked quickly to make sure she wasn't wearing an hospital gown, but was relieved to find she was wearing a simple, black yukata.
"We were immersed in a very important conversation, brat," Tsunade snapped, rubbing her temples, "You broke out, eh?"
Shinju shrugged, "It wasn't very hard. You're standards for ANBU these days must have lowered."
She walked around the Hokage's desk, blatantly ignored the silent Copy-Nin, and settled a hand on each of the boy's shoulders.
"You two are in big trouble when we get home." She warned darkly, pinching their shoulders hard. Naruto whined in pain, "Nee-chan," He whimpered, "It's not our faults! We can't help it!"
Shinju smacked Naruto smartly, "Like hell you can't. I've seen you control the Kyuubi before." Sasuke smirked.
"And you!" Shinju rounded on her little brother, wagging a finger at him, "You know damn well to never release that cursed seal. I've told you this many times. No matter the circumstances, you should never ever let that cursed seal run free! And what do you? You use it to destroy your brother!"
Sasuke shrank back in fear at his sister's thundering reprimand. Her eyes were raging in anger at the two boys. And it wasn't over yet.
"Now look what you've caused! National disaster! Tsunade is being forced to do things she would never in a million years ever have to do, but because you two couldn't calm your egos she has to get rid of talented ninja."
Before either of them could speak, she looked at Tsunade and said, "Let me speak with them first. I've stayed with them for extended periods of time throughout my travels. They listen to my advice and are guided by my wisdom."
Kakashi snorted softly. Wrong move.
Shinju was already in a dark mood, but Kakashi's derisive noise was the last straw.
"What was that, Hatake?" She snarled, poking his chest with her index finger. Only it didn't feel like a poke, more like someone stabbing him with a huge kunai. He grunted and was backed into a wall, Shinju's face inches from him. He swore he could see steam pouring out of her ears, "I'd like to see you do anything, Mr. Hokage. Oh right, you can't. Cause you're a sorry excuse for a Hokage. What have you been doing ever since you rose up to this position? Rearrange your godamn office. I've heard of no peace talks between you and the other nations, nor have you even tried to establish contact with them. So take that snort and shove it up your heinous ass." Shinju finished with a huff and whipped her head toward the shocked Hokage.
"Good day, Tsunade." She uttered out stiffly. She snatched the two awestruck boys by their shirts and dragged them out of the office.
Kakashi stood stockstill against the wall Shinju had backed him up into. But it wasn't because of her loud, and scary, rant. Her closeness distracted him from everything. The smell of vanilla on her pale skin. Her sparkling crimson eyes. Her shining, silky hair. It had been so long since he had been that close with her.
Naruto and Sasuke looked at each other behind Shinju's back while they leaped over rooftops to reach their home. They glanced at Shinju at the same time. They had never seen her so angry before, and quite frankly, they were very scared.
Shinju kept her eyes straight, focusing on the sound of the trees and the rustle of leaves. If she thought about Kakashi she might have half the mind to go back there and slap him.
She had known tension between Konoha and the other nations were tense, but she had not anticipated their sudden drastic demand. Someone else was behind this and she was determined to find out what or who it was.
When they reached their home, Naruto and Sasuke attempted to sneak off to their room but was stopped by Shinju. She glared at them menacingly and said through her teeth, "Living room. Now."
They rushed into the large room and plopped onto the couch, hanging their heads low in shame.
"Do you have any idea the stress you two are causing me?" She said exasperatedly. Shinju threw her hands in the air, "I don't understand why you did this. Please, explain to me, why would you do something that would harm not only yourselves but those in the stadium?"
"We're really sorry, nee-chan." Naruto said softly, looking at her through his blond eyelashes, "We really are."
"We weren't thinking," Sasuke added.
"That's obvious," Shinju scoffed. She looked hard at the both of them, but then softened, "I realize I haven't been around as much as I'd like to guide and be with you two, but that's no excuse for your actions today."
Naruto and Sasuke nodded their heads quietly.
"That's why I've decided that I am going to send you two away from Konoha for a bit."
"What?" The blonde haired boy said in alarm.
Sasuke whipped his head up at the same time Naruto did, staring at Shinju in shock.
Shinju nodded solemnly, "The other nations fear us, and that's never a good thing. If they learned that the Kyuubi vessel and Uchiha were away from Konoha for an undetermined amount of time, that might make them ease their worry."
"Or think that we're weak now and attack us." Sasuke muttered.
"What if they come after us!" Naruto squeaked. He had been victim to Akatsuki's treatment of himself as a Jinchuuruki and he did not want to go through that again.
"Don't worry," Shinju promised sitting in between the two boys, "I'll be sending you to a place I spent my whole life in."
"Have you told Tsunade? When did you even think about this?" Sasuke asked.
"I haven't told her, but she'd probably agree with my decision given the situation. And I've been thinking about this for a while, but not in these circumstances. I've been thinking about sending you to my old sensei to train and hone your skills for some time now."
Naruto stared at Shinju in wide-eyed curiosity, "To learn the things you learned?"
Shinju smiled softly at the young boy, "To some extent, yes."
Sasuke's previous fear turned into excitement. He would learn to be stronger, just like his sister.
"You two seem thrilled at the thought of leaving now." Shinju laughed, ruffling their heads.
"We get to be as strong as you!" Naruto crowed.
"When do we leave?" Sasuke questioned quietly, though his hands were shaking in anticipation.
"In three days." Shinju sighed.
"You'll be coming with us, right, onee-chan?" Naruto asked.
She looked at them with a sad expression on her face, "I'll accompany you on the way there, but I have to leave right when we arrive. I have business to do here."
The boys lowered their eyes sadly.
"You'll be fine out there," Shinju said encouragingly, "He's fantastic!"
When Shinju had approached Tsunade with her proposition of sending the boys away, she was met with a flat no.
"No?" She repeated for the tenth time.
"For the last time, you will not send those boys away on that cursed mountain." Tsunade griped.
"It's not cursed, how many times do I have to tell you!"
"Your idiotic sensei tried knocking me off of it, therefore it's cursed."
"Maybe if you didn't make fun of his moustache then you wouldn't have been knocked off."
"Haah? Shut up, bratling. Don't make me put you in jail!"
"Yeah, right, old lady. Like you would ever put me in jail."
Tsunade slammed her hands on her desk and snarled at the insistent woman in front of her, "I will not tolerate this. You will not send those boys to that mountain, is that clear?"
Shinju huffed angrily and yelled back, "This is the best decision and you know it. It will clear the tension the other nations have with Konoha and give me time to find out who is causing this paranoia. They need this training anyways, you know deep in your heart that this is the right choice."
Before Tsunade could explode, a cough behind her stopped the outburst. Kakashi leaned against the open window casually avoiding eye contact with Shinju.
"Ma, ma, I can hear you two all the way from the Memorial."
Tsunade let out an angry breath and gestured to the Uchiha, "Can you please inform Shinju here that sending Naruto and Sasuke to her Mountaintop is the worst decision one could make in this situation?"
Shinju shuffled her feet nervously seeing Kakashi glance her way. They had not reconciled their feelings for one another since he broke it off with her and to be honest, is was a little awkward.
"I disagree," Kakashi said finally, "Shinju is right. Sending Naruto and Sasuke away would ease the tension between us and the other nations. Although, it would leave us vulnerable, it is better than complying with their absurd wishes which seem quite out of the ordinary."
Tsunade began to turn red in anger at Kakashi's response, "So, what? We send the boys off and do what?"
"We can find out what's going on behind the scenes of the Suna. That would be a good place to start."
Deflating slightly, the Godaime rubbed her temples hard, "Fine. You deal with this, Kakashi. I need to meet with the Elders and decide what to do about this Chuunin exam. Have this sorted out by tomorrow so we can plan."
Bowing slightly, Kakashi brushed pass Shinju. The moment they touched, it felt as though something electric passed through them. He glanced at her and saw that she had looked at him too. Kakashi opened his mouth to say something, to say anything to her, but was met with her cold shoulder.
Defeated, he walked out the door without a backward glance.
Please keep reviewing!
Much love,