Disclaimer: I definitely don't own Naruto. Kishimoto Masashi does, and if you don't believe me, SHOVE IT BASTARD! Dx
COLD FLOWER
Chapter 3: Visitors
By Mokora
"Ne. Kakashi. Look at this."
Asuma sauntered into the room, looking particularly carefree, shoving a paper in Kakashi's direction. "S'for you." He shot his friend a sly grin. Kakashi looked at him, expressionless.
"You read my mail?"
"Sometimes."
Kakashi's visible brow rose, taking the paper and skimming it a moment, his free hand shoved inside a pocket.
He smiled beneath his face covering.
Asuma gave him a smirk and shrugged. "Gettin' some visitors, it seems."
The paper was actually a letter, addressed specifically to Kakashi, from an old friend.
"Kakashi," It read. "Mihara Sen of Hanashirou, Takei Ryo of Kurogoi, and I have been told the location of our next mission is in Konoha. I was delighted to hear this, because I haven't seen you in quite some time. I've also been anxious to see the pupils my dear old friends have been assigned. We'll arrive around any time within a week, and we expect to stay for quite a bit, to train in the Senaka Mountains. We look forward to seeing all of you. Best wishes, Hane Midori."
It was from Midori, an old friend of his in grade school. She was a quiet girl back then, who was taunted and called The Broken Musicbox, or Mute. After her father was murdered, her mother had forced her to flee alongside her to Sozori, a village far from Konoha. There, she trained and became a Sensei herself, now Hane Midori of Sozori. She'd always had a thing for Kakashi, that was true, though she had been far too shy to speak any word of it.
Sozori, also known as Hidden Moon Village, was a sleepy little place, with an elite ninja force. She was a head Sensei, the dedicated teacher of three promising pupils.
Hanashirou bordered Sozori and Kurogoi closely. The three villages often did group missions, solely because they were located so near to each other.
Kurogoi, Hidden Storm Village, was a dark land, whose citizens were highly respectable. Takei Ryo, a head Sensei, was a friend of Midori's, as well as Mihara Sen. Thus their missions were often entwined.
Kakashi smiled at his quirky friend. "Hane Midori. Haven't heard from her in quite a while."
"Yeah. Wonder what she looks like now? I don't guess she's still a mute, huh?"
"No. Obviously not."
"It's a letter, man."
"And?"
Asuma shook his head. "No use talkin' to you, Kakashi."
The silver-haired Sensei wiggled an upright index finger, and Asuma sighed, chuckling.
"Visitors?" Sakura questioned as the three Senseis told the students of the news.
"Yes. From Sozori, Kurogoi, and Hanashirou." Kakashi explained, all smiles.
"Kurogoi... Isn't that Hidden Storm Village?" Neji questioned, leaning against the large trunk of a nearby tree.
"Yes, it is. Takei Ryo, a friend of Asuma's, is coming along with his students."
"And Hanashirou." Sakura began. "Is Hidden Flower Village, right?"
"Yes. Mihara Sen is coming also, with his students."
"Sounds like fun!" Ino chimed.
Naruto grinned cattishly. He wondered how much stronger he was than the students of the different villages, conceit fueling the images of invincible Naruto that danced around his thoughts.
Sakura smiled. It would be nice, meeting new people. She wondered what they'd all look like, and how cultured they'd be.
Sasuke scoffed from his perch within the thick brush of the very tree Neji leaned upon. He crossed his arms, not sure of how he should feel about the news. New ninja? More freaks? That he was sure of.
Midori sighed wistfully as her thoughts trailed to Kakashi. What did he look like now? She smiled to herself and stretched. Turning sharply, she looked at the six students. "Everyone packed?"
"Hai!" Replied the giddy girl with golden-blonde hair and a flame-red costume.
"Yeah, I think we have everything..." Said the small, ink-haired boy with large round glasses.
"As I said, we'll meet those from Kurogoi there. Let's head out!" She motioned forward, and the pack moved forward. It was an estimated three-day journey to Konoha, if they travelled quickly, so everyone was sure to pack enough food and supplies for the trek.
Sakura awoke to the sweet whistling chirps of robins outside and obnoxious knocking from her door. Golden light filled her eyes as she woke, startled. The knocking continued.
"Sakura! Wake up!" Came a muffled voice.
Though difficult to specify exactly, she assumed it was Tenten. She stretched widely, working her stiff arm muscles for use later. "Coming." She replied hoarsely, slowing pulling herself out from under the sanctuary of her warm blankets and into the chilled room. She rubbed her eyes and sluggishly ambled towards the door, opening it slowly.
"Tenten? Hey..." She said, her hair tangled and voice wavering and drowsy.
Tenten beamed at her. "They got here early this morning!"
Sakura perked up. "The visitors?" She asked, excitement coursing through her for an instant. Tenten nodded merrily.
"We're all going to meet them now! Get dressed! Hurry!" She gestured with her hands for Sakura to rush off and ready herself. She obeyed, flying to her closet and pulling on her uniform with record timing and brushing her hair ferociously. "Slow down, Sakura! There's time!" She reassured her frantic friend, giggling.
Sakura tied her ninka band about her head like she always did and patted the wrinkles out of her Chinese-style sleeveless robe. She followed Tenten outside, where the others gathered. She strained to see past Kakashi, to catch sight of the guests, curiosity making her pulse with excitement.
"Kakashi! Look atchu!" She heard an older woman's voice call. She saw a slender opening beside Kakashi and seized it, promptly locating the woman she'd heard. She was tall and slim, with long wispy coal hair and striking grass-colored eyes. Her skin was pale cream, and her uniform consisted of complicated blues and greens, as well as depp blacks. The woman, she presumed Midori, took Kakashi's hands and swung them a bit, speaking some undeterminable words of greeting to the Sensei. His seen eye confirmed his hidden smile, and he ruffled her hair a bit. She laughed.
"Oi! Asuma!" Another taller man with sandy hair and a rugged look, complete with chin stubble, beckoned to Asuma. They approached each other and spoke, then laughed heartily. Asuma patted the man's back, grinning. Kurenai smiled at the last Sensei, who bowed his head to her, with nothing but an all-too-telltale little smile. But where were the students?
She noticed Sasuke, not to far from her, looking mostly uninterested. She smiled and approached him, squeezing past a few intrigued villagers.
"Anxious?"
"Not particularly."
She giggled a bit.
"What?" He snapped, wondering if it was he she was laughing at.
"You're curious. Admit it."
"Am not." He said, turning away from her and huffing. There she went with her accusations again. He stuffed his hands in his pockets, irritated by all of the hustle and bustle over a few guests.
"Midori, shall I introduce you to my pupils while yours get settled?" Kakashi offered, gesturing a swift hand towards Sakura and Sasuke. "Ah, please do!" She said, clapping her hands together. She was rather lively, Kakashi noted. She'd changed a lot over the years, and she'd come a long way from being mute.
"This is Uchiha Sasuke. Promising boy." Kakashi cooed, giving Sasuke's head a pat. The annoyed boy ducked, glaring, his arms firmly crossed over is chest.
"And Haruno Sakura, an intelligent problem-solver." He motioned towards her and she beamed, outstretching a hand politely.
"I'm Hane Midori! Nice to meet you both!" She shook Sakura's hand.
"Over there is Naruto. Fiesty young fellow, he is. But progressive, nonetheless." Kakashi jerked his head in the direction of the sunny-haired boy perched upon a high branch of a tree, attempting to get the best view when the students exitted the building they were to stay at. This building, conveniently enough, was the same building the Konoha ninja were staying in presently, as well as Gaara, Temari, and Kankurou.
Midori smiled. Konoha was such a lively village, compared to hers. It was just as when she'd left, years before.
Gaara looked on from the sidelines, unsure of the competition that had arrived with the unfamiliar students. Temari smirked, brushing the wheat-colored bangs from her eyes. "This oughtta be eventful."
Kankurou nodded. "Mm."
Naruto squinted, hand placed above his brow to shade his sight. A lanky boy with black hair exitted the building, a tall girl following.
"Finally! They're coming out!" He hissed to himself and climbed down.
The boy wore a black short-sleeved shirt, cut below the ribs, a fishnet mesh beneath. His tan shorts stopped at his knees, with brown sandals upon his feet. His raven hair was short and shot skywards, glasses resting upon his little nose. He looked younger than sixteen, with a babyish face, though his body was acceptable as an adolescent ninja. He looked worried and flustered.
The girl behind him, though, was another story. She has thick crimpy rust-colored hair that was braided along the top of her scalp back in rows, ending where the mane erupted. Her skin was darkly tanned, and she look deliciously exotic with two cream-colored stripes along each half of her jawline, stopping an inch below her big apple-red eyes. Her skin seemed to shimmer in the sunlight, wearing an unbelievable amount of jewelry atop a red uniform, her nails long and pointed like a feline's. Her lips were plump rubies, her ears lined with gold earrings galore. She looked about, her facial expression shouting annoyance, and she jingled quietly as she walked.
Naruto grinned. "Well, she's hot." He whispered to himself.
The uneasy boy tripped over a stone embedded in the dirt, blushing darkly.
The exotic girl behind him gave a look of disgust. "Move it along, dweeb." She shoved him a bit and he obeyed, ducking his head. He hated drawing attention to himself.
The merry blonde girl skipped out of the building now. Her coconut-brown eyes glowed with adventure, and she beamed as she examined the village and all it had to offer in a glance.
She was followed by two similar males, whom had their differences, but obviously were brothers. One was grinning, looking about. He had thick chocolate-brown hair, cut raggedly short, wearing a black robe, embroidered with crimson flowers. His brother had long flowing hair of the same color, two pieces left hanging before his calm face, the rest pulled back in a tight ponytail, clasped by a white paper band. He wore a deep blue robe, his bare chest bandaged sparsely.
Next was a striking girl, with thick ink-colored hair and a white uniform, styled much like Sakura's. Her bangs were cut just above her eyes, parted at the center, tresses falling to her shoulder. Her eyes were striking, the irises lined in steel that faded to a bright metallic white, the centers dotted with single black pupils. She looked left to right cautiously and walked onward, no trace of emotion detectable.
A significantly tall boy followed, stretching and yawning. He had long, untamed, oak-colored hair, that fell about his shoulders messily. His face was attractive, and he wore a traditional Japanese yukata of brick-red and beige. He glanced about nonchalantly and fumbled towards the fidgetty boy from before.
A boy exitted the building now, with thick, shaggy, reddish-brown hair. He had a cat-like face, with attractive amber eyes and tan skin. His uniform was a cream-colored sleeveless shirt that hung on him a bit, with green and orange pants that stopped halfway down his foreleg. He wore orange sandals, and fishnets armlets.
He looked about rapidly as he dashed here and there, rather wired. "Nami!" He called. "Nami!"
The blonde girl from before, who stood beside the two brothers, instinctively turned towards the call. Then she froze, her eyes wide with surprise for a moment.
"Kira!" She squealed and rushed to him. He flung his arms about her waist and twirled her in wide circles as her feet left the ground. The two wobbled after a few entertaining spins and so he regained his balance, releasing her. She stood on tiptoe and placed a frank kiss right upon his lips. He looked shocked at first, but turned three shades of red as the girl clung to him lovingly, nuzzling his chest.
Sakura peeked a bit and, jumping feebly upon tiptoes, she determined that the students had started exitting.
"Sasuke, let's go meet them!" She suggested.
"Hn."
She took his wrist gently and led him along, through the crowd.
"Ne--! Saku-- You don't hafta pull!" He snapped, but she paid him no mind.
They came to the building, and she looked about. She saw many new faces, and, glowing with excitement, she turned to Sasuke. "Be nice, alright?" She released his wrist and gave him a stern look. He avoided it a bit, turning his head, his eyes following her. "Whatever."
"Ne! Girl!"
Sakura turned. She heard a feminine voice from behind, beckoning to her. Or at least she assumed it was her.
The exotic girl from before approached her, all of her jewels glinting in the thick afternoon sunlight.
"What's your name?" She asked, with a little smirk.
"Haruno Sakura. You?" She forced a friendly smile, reluctantly noticing that the girl rivalled Ino's beauty.
"Tsukino Hime. Nice to meetcha, kid." She shook her hand a bit and brushed her large mane behind her a bit.
'Kid...?' Sakura questioned internally. 'But she's the same age...'
"That over there is Furiha Yoshie. He's not worth talking to really." She motioned towards the clumsy boy that sat against the trunk of a tree, attempting to disappear from the others. He rubbed his glasses gently, removing smudges.
"That's Hirokei Kira. He's a fox, but damn, does that girl get in my way..." She cocked her head curtly, gesturing towards the boy before who'd beckoned to the blonde. "That girl is Chinase Nami, and they're an item. The poor things hadn't seen each other in almost a year. Feh." The girl crossed her arms and moved on.
"The two lookalikes over there? Twins. The one that never shuts up and plays pranks any chance he gets is Kosue Kairi. He's the one with short hair. Kosue Jouri, the fox beside him, never speaks. Damn mute, he is. I tell ya, he'd be irresistable if he would at least talk to you." She sighed, rolling her eyes a bit.
"The lazyass over there with the messy hair is Mikuru Kazuri. He doesn't do a damn thing unless it's fighting. Don't expect much help around her from him. He is quite a looker though..." The girl, Hime, mused, tapping her index finger against her cheek.
Hime's eyes fell upon the girl who leaned against a tree with tired eyes, observing her surroundings silently.
"Oh, and that girl. Damn, does she annoy me. She hardly said a word to anyone the whole way here, and she's all serious. Psh. Her name's Zakuro Kurai, and she supposedly has her own special technique or something, where she uses chakra ribbons. Who knows? I guess we'll see. But she doesn't look too friendly, so I'd watch out."
"And the idiot that's just now coming out is Kazaki Razu. He's psychotic, I swear. He hardly speaks, and he's always wired. He loves the hunt and kill, and he always licks his weapons clean. He fights nicely though, with that wooden paddle of his." She snorted, shaking a dismissive, decorated hand in the direction of a white-blonde haired boy with many face piercings and scars.
Sakura followed her gestures and learned the names of the visitors, Sasuke listening, without seeming to be. Just as he always did.
Hime sighed merrily. "Well, anyway, you don't look so bad yourself. You're hair is... well... strange, but you're cute. We'll be great friends, hm?"
Sakura's brow twitched as she nodded, forcing a completely artificial smile. Something about this Hime made her rather uncomfortable.
'My hair... isn't that bad...' She defended silently as the girl turned away from her.
Sasuke sighed as a feathery breeze swept past him.
Okay, so this chapter is jumpy. I apologize for this chapter, really, because all it is is jumpy character introductions. No real action here. Which is definitely the suckage. Sorry for the lack of description. It's just an introduction chapter, to introduce the new teams, and that sort of thing. It'll get better from here on.
The OC with the biggest role is definitely going to be Kurai. Just a little foreshadowing for ya. xD
Just to clear some things up...
Hime is meant to be a snob. She's a spoiled high-maintenance girl from the main Tsukino clan in Hidden Moon Village. Her name, Hime, means princess, and alltogether, her name translates to 'Moon Princess.' Thus her upper-class attitude. xD
Yoshie is meant to be one of those whimpering pushover nerds, I guess. And Razu is that kind of character that shrieks and makes odd noises, has a thing for blood, and doesn't fear anything. He's insane, and he rarely speaks English. And yes, his weapon is a wooden paddle. xDDD
Nami and Kira have met before, and they agreed to date each other.Due totraining and missions, though, they hardly see each other any more; thus the bigreunion thing. xD
Jouri is a mute, afterwitnessing his father beat his mother to death, and then his little sister. Kairi had always been more optimistic, so he tried to forget it and start a better life. He wasn't as traumatized.
ATTENTION! I've gotten the Naruto OCs page up at my art site. The URL is above. PLEASE look at these to get a better picture, since it's really hard to describe the specific details in writing. This will help you visualize. xD
I hope the OCs are reasonable! Please tell me whatcha think!
xx-Tsumi-Chan-xx - No, Sakura won't be as giddy as Tenten or my OC Nami. xD Thanks!
ayasi - Thank you, and I'll try to update frequently!
Itonami - Thank you! I'm glad it's working out, since I was wondering if it was too OOC. oo xD
Hao'sAnjul - Yeah, it is amazing, huh? xD Thank you!
ALSO! I revamped the last chapter. Please reread, since it's so much better, I promise. xD
