Naru quickly broke off the girl from her comrade, pushing her further from the battle between the Konoha Sensei and Zabuza.
From the corner of her eye, Naru noticed how the male was cupping his hand into an earth symbol, but the rest of the image vanished as the fiery Kunoichi before her attacked with a series of well-thought blows.
It was in that moment that Naru witnessed the flashing red in the girl's eyes, three spinning tomo catching her own blue gaze. Everything seemed to slow down, the air becoming stale as the girl's chakra tried to overpower her own.
Darkness fell down over them both.
I~~~~I
Naru was rather surprised with her new surroundings. She had never been caught by the Sharingan before, though she had been caught in several Genjutsu. Around Iwa, not many Shinobi used Genjutsu. Often enough Iwa Nin powered up on Ninjutsu or Taijutsu. When it came to Tsuchi no Kuni, physical performance was crucial.
This, of course, meant Naru was entirely unprepared for the stupid Oreshizoku's attack.
"You know, I hadn't expected these underhanded tactics from a TreeHugger. I suppose you felt threatened?" Naru commented to the blank space she found herself in. Her voice echoed across the nothingness, leaving her to wonder for a moment if she had spoken at all.
Shaking her head, Naru closed her eyes and thought about Deidara.
As she did, she found that she was looking right back at the white space.
Her teeth ground down and she let loose a hoarse laugh. "Of course."
She was stuck in this echoing wasteland for what seemed like forever. A situation like this was not exactly her cup of tea, dammit.
Quickly, Naru thought about Hatori and what advice he would give. The man was a genius in these situations and loved thinking about them.
A blank white space that never ended-
Her eyes widened and a grin spread across her lips. If the area was filled with light there had to be darkness, a hole or tear. No matter how 'perfect' a technique was, it still had its flaws. Thankfully for Naru, this one was very simple.
She channeled her chakra to her hands, allowing it to spread over the tips of her fingers and dance down the curved and tribal-like tattoo on her shoulder.
An inky black darkness grew in her fingers, casting swirling shadows over her surroundings as it built up and began to implode.
Her eyes glared at the area around her as the implosion grew and her mind wavered and fluxed.
"I will not be played with!"
I~~~~I
The girl backed away, gasping and clutching her head as the tomo in her eyes spun rapidly. A shout echoed from the other Genin as he called for his teammate. "Sashiko!"
Naru glared at the girl and whipped around with her dulled senses. She hissed and drew her Tanto in a single movement, dashing forward.
The girl gasped as Naru's blade slid into her ribs, slicing cleanly through her armor and her ribcage. With an added jerk, Naru tore the Tanto free and watched her opponent fall.
"Good match, but I really hate disappointing Jiji." Naru offered her opponent, turning and stepping away as she took notice of the change in Zabuza's battle. The Sensei was apparently a Mokuton user, a rare bloodline that hadn't been seen since the Shodaime Hokage, Senju Hashirama.
Filing the information away for later use, Naru glanced around again. The boy she had downed with her lightning technique was still down, if not shaking form lightning exposure. His skin was sickly pale and he didn't look to be breathing well.
The other teammate, the pale-skinned one, was battling with Haku. Belatedly, Naru wondered when the two had started to fight. Most likely in the time period where she was still down in the stupid Genjutsu.
Naru hummed and vanished in a swirl of wind, dropping down in front of Haku just as the mercenary prepared a barrage of ice needles to strike his teammates with. Shockingly, Naru deflected the pale skinned boy's blade and struck at his rib cage with her open palm. "Lightning Style, Scorching Fang!"
The boy's emotionless eyes widened a fraction before he dropped, a grunt leaving his lips as the currents traveled through his body.
Naru stepped back beside Haku, glancing to assess her comrade before she turned in Zabuza's direction.
"I believe Zabuza-San should be starting to tire. The Jonin was draining his chakra with those wooden constructs of his."
Haku froze up before she dashed toward her master, earning a soft and drawn out sigh from Naru. The blonde glanced down at the boy currently looking at his downed teammates with something akin to worry playing in his eyes.
"They are okay…for now. I poisoned both of them, though the boy only managed to grab hold of a small amount and it will most likely clear from his system quickly. The girl is not that lucky. Her lungs will shut down in two days, just enough time for you to back off and leave Gato to the bigger fish. Tell your Sensei that, and if he chooses correctly, I will give her the mercy that your Nin never gave the people of Iwa." Naru hissed the ending through clenched teeth. Her thoughts lingered on the death of Lady Risa and of her own Tou-San, the man who had given her another chance to live.
Turning on her heel, Naru vanished after Haku.
I~~~~I
Heat, burning and twisting fire worked its way up her body and across her limbs. Pain radiated from every little joint and soft gasps left her lips.
Kakashi wanted to hurt someone. He wanted to maim and tear into the Iwa Nin that had put Sashiko in her current position.
The Oreshizoku was breathing on her bed, her face flushed and hot, her body barely able to move under the stress of the poison working through her system.
Kakashi had only seen this type of poison once before when facing a woman from Iwa. She had killed off half his squad with the toxin. He had repaid her in kind.
Sashiko did not deserve to die on such a mission. She had a life ahead of her that shouldn't be cut short by the opposing side in this operation.
Kakashi gently replaced the rag on Sashi's head, his eyes roaming over her face. She looked far more like her father than her mother, though many compared her to her Grandmother instead.
"Taicho," Yamato called from the door. His eyes held a dormant fury over his student's condition, well-hidden to all but Kakashi.
A boy, one with red hair and green eyes, stood at his side. Doten-Shi Ken nodded at Kakashi as he walked inside.
The boy rested beside his friend, wincing as he felt his own stressed muscles contract alongside Sashi's. Ken had been dosed with a smaller and weaker quality version of the poison. HR had recovered far faster than his teammate would.
"The girl…the blonde haired one. She said that she had a cure for it. If we can get it…" Ken whispered as he brushed a finger along Sashi's cheek. He sighed and closed his eyes. Kakashi was surprised to see the eyes deepen in color when they opened up again. Ken gazed at his teammate either those eyes, the ones with soft green rings and slightly stretched pupils.
"She's fighting. Her soul is still bright and strong. She'll hold out for a while."
Ken informed the adults quietly.
His eyes returned to normal and he relaxed his shoulders.
Kakashi relaxed slightly as well. Ken's ability wasn't to be doubted. The kid had proven more than once that it was accurate.
"We need to find that girl then. If we have to force the serum from her lips…so be it." Yamato spoke, surprising his captain. Ken nodded as though he already knew what would happen.
"I'll stay here and guard Sashi. Take Sai and Menma. Sai knows more about the girl and Menma is better at capturing."
Kakashi hummed but nodded in acknowledgment. Sasuke would also be a good choice with his knowledge of traps, however, the boy was on guard duty with Sakura now, only he's watching the house and Sakura is babysitting the bridge builder.
Yamato and Kakashi left the room, closing the door behind them. Kakashi calmly activated the barrier seal that Menma had set up. He glanced at his subordinate and was surprised to find Yamato's attention elsewhere.
"Taicho, if that girl doesn't give us the cure or doesn't have one…" Yamato began.
Kakashi hummed and he gave Yamato a deadly eye smile.
"She will."
I~~~~I
Naruto cursed under her breath. She looked across the water where lingering traces of lightning-sparked over the surface before drowning inside of the conductor.
She should have added more chakra and thinned it out more. She knew this after so many years of doing pseudo-explosions to match Deidara's. After Rida's death, those hadn't been necessary, though she still worked through them in order to improve the formula. She wouldn't always have access to explosive clay, so it was better to be safe than sorry.
"Oh, sorry."
Someone called from behind her, turning Naruto's head in their direction.
She paused when she noticed the raven-haired male standing not very far off. His eyes, about as dark as his hair, roamed her figure. She was wearing her battle-kimono, though it could pass for a civilian one if her deadly grace wasn't added. Her weapons had been left at home, though she did have Senbon stuck in her bun, silver tendrils hanging over her eyes. The whisker marks on her cheeks were covered up with some makeup.
Haku had dolled her up at her request, giving her a far less-threatening look. She had wanted to appear that way to be underestimated, or in this case, dismissed.
"You are fine." She spoke gently, her voice taking on a docile tone while her body adjusted slightly. There was a bit of a civilian poise to it, while also maintaining the dignity of a fair lady.
The boy seemed to recognize it as he walked toward her.
"I don't mean to frighten you, however, I don't think you should be wandering around out here. The men in town aren't to be trusted." The boy informed her.
Now that he was a little closer, Naruto could make out his headband and the Uchiha crest on his shoulders. The boy was young, thirteen or so. Not many Uchiha made Chunin at thirteen, which meant this boy was a Genin. Based on his headband he was probably a rookie at that.
Well, at least Naruto knew that a Genin Team had been sent as backup. All the more information to give her Ni-San.
"Truly? Well, I just arrived here the other day. I was a bit annoyed with my entourage you see, so I left to get some fresh air. I'll just have to return." Naruto said. She smiled at him and closed her eyes.
His posture had relaxed when she opened her eyes again. Obviously the boy was still on guard, however, he seemed to have labeled her as a simple girl of status.
"I see. My name is Uchiha Sasuke. Perhaps I could take you back to them, Miss?"
Sasuke trailed off in a way that asked for her name.
Naruto giggled gently while reaching up to cover her mouth. Her kimono's sleeve hung to cover her face until she lowered her hand to answer him. "Ru Hosha. I'm a traveler from Kusa. It truly is a pleasure to meet you, Uchiha-San."
Sasuke raised a brow at her origins. Additionally, he offered his arm to her, which she took gratefully. There was a soft pop somewhere behind them, no doubt a clone before they made their way through the forest. The walked away from Tazuna's home in a round-about manner, toward the town.
They stopped when someone came into view. Hatori donned in his customary cloak and sash, looked up and met their gaze. He seemed to recognize what was going on the moment he noticed her attire, including her missing headband, and the leaf headband Sasuke wore. Naruto was thankful that Hatori's headband was always tucked into the belt of his shorts, otherwise, they might have had a problem.
"Hosha-Chan, where have you been? Your brother was worried and Ikate was about to go looking for you." Hatori questioned. He was surprised when Hosha flushed comically and let out a mournful sigh.
"I'm sorry Hatori. I needed some space, was it. Uchiha-san here brought me home."
Hosha gestured to Sasuke as she walked toward Hatori. Hatori looked her over and gently courted her to his side, glancing over at Sasuke while his mismatched eyes shined.
"Thank you Uchiha-San. Hosha-Chan can be a handful."
Hatori offered the raven, watching carefully as Sasuke's shoulders stiffened and he looked them over carefully. The boy had deemed Hatori a threat.
"I couldn't leave her. Anyways, make sure she doesn't wander the forests alone. It's not safe." Sasuke tilted his head in parting, catching Hatori's eyes and then Naruto's. Naruto blinked at him and tilted her head. Her doe-like appearance seemed to cause something to stir in the boy.
"Be safe, Miss Ru."
Hosha blushed again and giggled into her sleeve, only her eyes were open this time and alight with something akin to curiosity.
"Call me Hosha, Uchiha-San."
Sasuke vanished rather than offer a reply.
I~~~~I
The moment that Sasuke vanished and Naruto had made sure he wasn't within hearing distance, she burst out laughing.
Hatori calmly watched the blonde as she wiped her eyes. Her movements were back to their normal grace and the innocence she had radiated earlier was swept away.
"Geeze, I didn't think that he would fall for it. Uchiha's are strange. Did you see his face when I told him to call me Hosha, or when I tilted my head? He looked like a Nara caught by his wife!"
Naruto grinned at Hatori. The blue haired man smiles back in turn as he looked amused over her plight.
"I see. How about you tell me everything on our way back? Deidara wants to see you anyways." Hatori told her.
Naruto nodded, hopping so she stood beside Hatori. Her grin never left and her arms shifted so that her head was resting back against them. Hatori, used to the habit, only followed along.
"Alright, so I was practicing the whole lightning 'n explosions thing, when out of nowhere-"
And so continued their walk back to the base, her words recalling the actions previous.
I~~~~I
That took too long. So I had writer's block for a bit and couldn't decide how to word this next part. In the end, I decided on this. I'd thank the person who PMed me earlier, however, because they reminded me I hadn't updated this story in a while. Welp, Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed it.
Discussion-Pairings
Okay, so I wasn't certain what to do for this. In the original story, Naruto was paired with Sasuke, and I do want to maybe integrate that, however, I'm not certain that will be the main pairing.
As usual, I'm gonna try and leave it to the readers. The Pairings will build but nothing concrete should happen until the end of the Chunin Exams, and even then I'm not going to have actual features of coupling until Shippuden. Along the way, I plan on hinting for shipping, but I'm not certain.
Anyways, please cast your votes or ideas. No one too old or too out there (For instance Yamato, because I'm not certain how to put that pairing together. I've always seen him as a mentor type and he won't be mentoring Naruto here.)
