I do not own Naruto Shippuden or any of the characters.
Stars
"You're to pack up and meet Team Guy at the main gate," Tsunade said. "You'll be heading to the Village Hidden in the Stars on a security mission."
"What kind of security?" Ryuu asked.
"You're defending their most prized possession," Tsunade said. "A fallen star."
"A...Is there really a fallen star there?" Ryuu asked.
"That's right," Tsunade said. "And it has some form of power that allows it to enhance chakra."
"Really?" Ryuu blinked. "Sounds dangerous."
"Indeed," Tsunade nodded. "Now, once you've packed, head to the main gate. And remember, you're in charge of this mission. Be careful, alright?"
"Okay," Ryuu nodded. "I won't let there be a repeat of last time. Watch over Fu for me, alright? I don't want to come back just to find out the Akatsuki took her while I was gone."
"Don't worry," Tsunade said. "She'll be perfectly safe."
"Thank you," Ryuu bowed, turning to leave.
"One more thing," Tsunade said, Ryuu turning back to look at her. "Drop this off with Tayuya on your way, will you?"
She held out a Leaf Village headband and Ryuu smiled, nodding and taking it, heading to his house and finding Fu training Tayuya in Taijutsu in the back yard. Both stopped as Ryuu walked over.
"Hey Fu," Ryuu smiled. "Guess what Tayuya. I have a surprise for you."
"This better not be some useless piece of junk you just don't want to throw away," Tayuya said, crossing her arms.
Ryuu smirked and tossed her the headband, Tayuya staring at it in shock. It was on a black backing like his, and the leaf symbol was proudly displayed on the front. Her eyes began to water but she quickly wiped them, shrugging.
"Whatever," she said.
She tied it around her head, her bangs hanging out from under it as they had her hat before and Ryuu smiled. Then, he walked inside, grabbed his scroll for long missions, and headed back outside, kissing Fu goodbye before heading to the gate, finding Neji's team waiting.
"Hey Ryuu," Tenten smiled. "Long time no see."
"Hello Tenten," Ryuu smiled. "Hello Neji. You look good."
"Yes, the Medical Core fixed my wounds and I've made a full recovery," Neji said.
"Good," Ryuu said. "Lee, are you finally faster than me again?"
"I am almost back to one hundred percent, but I have been cleared to go on missions at last," Lee said.
"I see," Ryuu nodded. "Well, once you're back to full strength, come and find me so we can spar."
"I will," Lee nodded.
"Alright," Ryuu said, whistling, Yomo landing on his shoulder after a moment. "Let's go then."
With that, they were off, heading for the Hidden Star Village. After about three hours, they stopped as they reached a canyon filled with thick yellow fog. Ryuu knelt, staring into it, then lookin up at the other side.
"Poison gas," Ryuu said. "Impressive natural defense."
"Agreed," Neji said. "And the bridge looks like it might not want anyone getting in either."
Ryuu looked at it and nodded. The one and only bridge across had almost as many broken boards as intact ones, and the rope looked ancient. They looked up as an arrow shot across the canyon, stabbing into a tree, a rope attached to it allowing a shinobi wearing a gas mask to run across, landing in front of them.
"Are you from the Hidden Leaf?" the ninja asked.
"Yes," Ryuu nodded. "I'm Ryuu Uchiha, this is Neji Hyuga, Rock Lee, and Tenten. We were sent to help the Hidden Star Village."
"I'm Sumaru," the ninja said, pulling off his mask and letting his black hair fall behind him in a braid. "I was sent to escort you the rest of the way. By the way, don't trust the bridge."
He turned, jumping back onto the rope and running back across. The others followed suit, and once on the far side, the ninja pulled his arrow back and led them to the village's leader, Akahoshi.
"I'm Akahoshi, and I serve as Deputy Hoshikage of this village," the man said.
"Deputy?" Tenten asked. "But then..."
"The Third Hoshikage passed on quite suddenly a year ago, so at present the village finds itself without a true leader," Akahoshi explained.
"But I thought only the leaders of the Five Great Villages could be called Kage," Neji said.
"That makes no difference," Sumaru said. "The people of this village are inferior to no one. We may be small, but someday this village will rival those of the Five Great Lands. And when that day comes, I will be Hoshikage."
"Be quiet!" Akahoshi snapped, Ryuu's eye twitching. "Return to your training at once."
Sumaru had an inferiority complex and a bad attitude, from what Ryuu could tell, but Akahoshi just rubbed Ryuu the wrong way. Sumaru stood and walked out, Ryuu motioning with his eyes for Tenten to go and see what she could learn from him. She nodded subtly and followed.
"Sorry about our friend," Ryuu said to cover for her. "Where were we?"
"It's no bother," Akahoshi said. "As you were saying, you're right. The shinobi of this land are not qualified to even have a Kage. However, we possess a star that the Kages of the Five Great Hidden Villages covet. Someday, we'll harness the power of the star and we'll be able to at last seat a sixth Kage."
"So your enemies have been trying to get that star," Neji said.
"That's right," Akahoshi said. "Our scouting team managed to get some useful intelligence."
Ryuu listened as Akahoshi told them everything they had learned. Then, as soon as the report was done, he stood.
"Where are you going?" Neji asked.
"It's time for me to take my medicine," Ryuu said. "You can fill me in on anything I miss later."
He walked out, turning toward the mountain behind the village where he could sense a distorted chakra similar to Sumaru and Akahoshi's. From the way they were moving, quick bursts of speed followed by standing motionless for a few seconds, it was obvious they were sneaking. He sank into the ground, speeding along through it to a massive crater where there was one large octangular building and one "L" shaped one at the center. Just as he rose from the ground, the doors burst open and someone ran out wearing a pair of tight dark blue shirts, a tight dark blue short-sleeved shirt, a gas mask identical to Sumaru's and a grey-blue flak jacket. In their right hand was a chunk of dark stone with craters all over it and pink chakra rolling off of it.
The person skidded to a stop as they saw him, readying themselves for a fight. Ryuu shook his head, sighing.
"You know, when I signed on to protect a star, I was kind of hoping it would be a little ball of light, not some chunk of rock," Ryuu said. "I was also kind of hoping this mission would last longer than a day. Oh well. Hand over the star and I promise not to hurt you. I'll even throw in a good word with Akahoshi."
The person tucked the stone into their flak and placed their hands together, their middle and ring fingers both pressing their knuckles together as their pinky and index fingers were extended, tips pressing together.
"Ninja Art, Kujaku," the person said, Ryuu instantly pegging the voice as female.
"Ryuu!" Tenten shouted as she and Sumaru ran to the building. "They have the star!"
"I know!" Ryuu said. "I'll deal with it." Ryuu watched the peacock-feather-shaped pink chakra streaming from the woman's back, tilting his head as he did. "Now that's neat. What's it do?"
"This," the woman said, her chakra constantly flowing from bottom to top on the sides before merging with the other side, making it also look kind of like a fire. "Beast."
The chakra erupted into a massive vortex before transforming into a wolf at the top. The wolf leapt forward, slashing at him and he flipped backward, hurling a shuriken experimentally, watching the shuriken bounce off of the wolf with a metallic ring.
"Well that's not what I was expecting," Ryuu said. "That's awesome. This might actually be fun."
She sent the wolf at him again and he rolled to the side, sprinting forward. Suddenly, a second wolf crashed down in front of him, ramming its head into him and hurling him backward where the first smashed its paw down on him, pinning him. He chuckled, sinking into the ground and rising off to the side again.
"Oh man, I wish we could spar for fun," Ryuu said. "Solid chakra is probably the coolest thing I've ever seen. Well, maybe if you could do wings. Then I'd beg you to teach me to make wings of my own. Anyway, I'm going to put an end to this now. Don't worry, I won't hurt you."
"Oh really?" she asked. "Synthesis."
The two wolves grew into one gigantic one, lunging at Ryuu, only to miss as he appeared off to the side, charging. Her wolf swiped at him and he leapt over it. Then, as he landed, he shot forward, moving to place a paralysis seal, only for her to leap over it, landing on the top of a tree. Ryuu stopped, looking up at her.
"Ryuu!" Sumaru shouted, running toward them.
The woman's head snapped around, staring at him for several seconds before she placed her hands together again. "Wings."
A pair of massive wings burst out of her back, four in total, the top two reaching about fifteen feet across out to the sides and the bottom two being about four feet each, reaching down each leg. She jumped, the wings beginning to flap and lifting her into the air. Ryuu groaned.
"That's not fair!" Ryuu said. "Everybody is learning to fly but me!"
She turned, taking off only for Ryuu to hurl a kunai with a rope attached, getting her around the ankle and being pulled after her, quickly climbing the rope toward her. As he neared her, she looked back at him.
"So you want to fly huh?" she asked. "Alright, let's fly."
She turned, wings beating and took off at a blistering pace, though still slower than Fu could fly. However, being held in Fu's arms and dangling from this woman's leg by a rope were two completely different feelings. This one was terrifying. She pulled a sharp turn, very nearly throwing Ryuu off. However, Ryuu clung to the rope, the woman looking back at him as she pulled a series of sharp turns and flips, trying to throw him off.
"You're a persistent one," she said. "Not bad. But you have no idea what's really going on here. What's really at stake. I can't let Akahoshi get this star back. Now get off of me!"
"Tell me why!" Ryuu shouted, noticing she slowed down whenever she spoke, her concentration on flying slipping. "Why can't Akahoshi have the star?"
"Just because!" she said. "You wouldn't understand!"
"Try me!" Ryuu shouted.
He looked down, seeing they were approaching the crater again.
"End of the line!" the woman said, drawing a kunai and flipping cutting the rope.
Ryuu shouted in surprise and fear, only for her to catch him by the back o his shirt, stopping his otherwise fatal momentum and dropping him. Then, she took off. Ryuu crashed down on Tenten, both groaning, before Ryuu stood, helping her up.
"Sorry," Ryuu said.
"It's fine," Tenten said. "Did she get the star?"
"Yeah," Ryuu said. "Yeah she got the star. I'm sorry Sumaru."
"It's my fault for letting you try," Sumaru said.
"In case you didn't notice, she was using the same chakra that that star spits out," Ryuu said. "Ninja Art, Kujaku, she called it."
"She what?" Sumaru blinked, staring up into the sky. "That's impossible. Only a Star-trained shinobi can wield that power."
"She's got to be from your village, then," Ryuu said. "Which means she may be nearby, still."
Sumaru stared at him before nodding. "We have to tell Akahoshi."
"No," Ryuu said. "Let's hold off on that."
"Why?" Sumaru asked.
"Because," Ryuu said. "I would rather report that we caught the thief than report that we lost the star, wouldn't you?"
Sumaru blinked then nodded, smirking. "I like your style."
"But how do we hide the fact that there's clearly no star in there?" Tenten said.
"I'll use a genjutsu," Ryuu said.
Just then, Neji and Lee arrived, Ryuu giving them the quick version, that the star was stolen and that the ninja that stole it got away by flying with chakra. Neji used his Byakugan and just caught a glimpse of the ninja before she was out of his range.
"Where is the star!?" Akahoshi demanded, suddenly behind them.
"Well, so much for that idea," Ryuu sighed. "It was stolen, but I'm going to get it back."
"I think you've done quite enough," Akahoshi snarled. "The first day and you've already failed!"
"Sir, the shinobi that stole it used Ninja Art, Kujaku," Sumaru said. "No question about it. If Ryuu hadn't been here, the shinobi would have gotten away without any resistance. Ryuu actually did...admirably, trying to stop them without any knowledge of their abilities."
"I see," Akahoshi said.
"We will retrieve the star, you may rest assured," Neji said.
"Very well," Akahoshi nodded. "We will leave the search to the Shinobi of the Hidden Leaf. Sumaru, you look after your injured brethren."
"But they're outsiders," Sumaru said. "What do they know of our ways?"
"That's an order!" Akahoshi said.
Then, he turned and walked away. Ryuu sighed.
"Are your friends going to be okay?" Ryuu asked. "I'm a Medical Ninja. I could help heal them if they're injured."
"Forget it," Sumaru said. "You're an outsider. It's none of your business. And quit acting like we're friends."
"I just wanted to help," Ryuu said. "Sheesh."
"What should we do?" Tenten asked.
"Akahoshi's hiding something," Ryuu said. "The ninja that took the star said I didn't understand what was really at stake, and that she couldn't let Akahoshi have the star. Neji, see if you can find any leads in town. Lee, Tenten, see if you can get into Akahoshi's house and see if there's anything he doesn't want us seeing. Anything at all. However, under no circumstance are you to be caught. Understood?"
They both nodded.
"What about you?" Neji asked.
"Well, during the fight, I got the feeling that our thief might have known Sumaru, so I'm going to see about anyone who went missing recently or a long time from now that was trained in the use of the Ninja Art, Kujaku, and who also knew him," Ryuu said. "Neji, you're in charge of Lee and Tenten if anything comes up before I see you all again."
Neji nodded and Ryuu turned, sensing for Sumaru and following him.
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