Desert Rose

This is a rewrite of my story Pain of the blade, I've changed a lot of things, so I hope you enjoy. Leave feedback on how I did please and thank you.

There standing in front of the fifth Kazekage was the sole shadow member of the sand village Kohana Hyuga- Fujio. A fifteen year old girl with coppery brown hair and clear silvery blue eyes, she was wearing awhite kimono top and a red skirt that hung loosely on her thin frame, black sandals and finger less gloves covering her hand and feet.

"Kohana?" Gaara said looking at his oldest friend and once bright light. But now her once bright shining eyes where now dull and surrounded by black bags. She was much paler than the last time Gaara had seen her half a year ago. Kohana had been by the border between the land of fire and land of wind near the grave of her father and mother. There she had been taken by her father's clan the Fujio clan.

"Lord Kazekage." Kohana said bowing at a 90 degree angle. Gaara noticed that under the black top was a white kimono top when it normal was a white tank top that was a clear sign that something was wrong. Gaara noticed that her cheeks where sunk in and she was clearly tired. But Gaara also known that Kohana's was much tougher and thick headed than almost everyone Gaara had meet except for Naruto Uzumaki.

"Kohana it's been a long time since you had been back to the village. I would like to not only welcome you home but also ask how are you my dear desert rose." Gaara said standing up and moving to shake the girl's hand. However the clear step back and flinch was another sign that something was wrong. But the finally clue was when she spoke with a raspy voice clearly coated in fear.

"Please Lord Kazekage… don't worry your self with my well… well-being. Here is m… my report." Kohana said her voice shaking at the pain and fear clouding her mind. The Fujio clan had been holding her for the last six months, and they had been 'Teaching' her the way of the Fujio clan in other words they had been trying to kill her for being born a girl. In the Fujio clan only the branch families could have daughters never the main branch. Her father however was meant to be the next head seeing as he had been the eldest until he was 13 and became the sand's Jinchuriki. All rights that he had as the next head of the family went to his younger brother. The Fujio clan looked down on her father because he became a monster in terms of uncontrollable power. It was also how he received the title the 'Iron sand Demon'. Her father may have lost all rights to become head of the clan but seeing as he had been part of the main family Kohana was considered a threat to the Fujio clan and it traditions. One tradition was that if a female was born to the main family she would be killed before she could take her first breath, most times by her own father. However if a girl is born in a branch family she would be allowed to live but could never become a shinobi.

"Kohana are you okay?" Kankuro asked moving to touch the fifteen year old girl arm. Or that was before she let out the loudest scream that either boy had heard. And it brought Naruto and Sakura running surprised at the scream coming from the Kazekage's office. When the door opened the two leaf shinobi saw Kohana curled up in the corner, iron sand swirling around her in a protective barrier. Kankuro was hanging in the air by Kohana's iron sand. Gaara was slowly moving to stop the girl. Sakura was dodging the iron sand while none of it went after Naruto. The last time Naruto had seen Kohana lost total control of her iron sand was when they were seven and Kakashi had found them living in the park after the owner of their apartment had kicked them out. They had been in an old wet card broad box in the middle of winter.

"Kohana." Naruto called out to the scared girl. It was the same way he had when they had been little kids. His little flower was kind and very sweet except when scared. It hurt his heart to see his little sister like this, Naruto loved the bright and loving smile that used to grace his sister's face.

"Naruto." Kohana said looking over at the orange clad ninja. As quick as she could Kohana was on her feet and crashing into his open arms. Naruto wrapped his arms around his little sister's body to not only calm her down but also to protect her from what ever spook her to the point that her iron sand was trying to kill Kankuro.

"Shh little flower, everything is alright." Naruto said in her ear. Kohana started crying not only from the built up fear of the Fujio clan, but also the pain from the wounds inflicted on her back.

"Naru I'm scared…" Kohana said into her brother's chest.

"I'm right here Kohana. It's okay, I got you little flower." Naruto said rubbing his little sister's back, until he run over a wet spot slowly as not to surprise Kohana he pulled his hand back to see crimson red blood. Holding Kohana with one hand and held up the other hand for everyone else to see.

"Kohana what happened to your back?" Naruto asked keeping his voice level and calm.

"The Fujio clan they have a very horrible tradition where the main family can't have any girls born, and if one is born before they can take their first breath they are killed usually by their own father. But I was born in the land of fire after my father died when the one tailed beast was removed from him." Kohana said crying into her brother's shoulder. Everyone but Gaara was surprise at how the girl was behaving. Gaara had only ever seen Kohana act like this once when they were really young children. The Fujio clan had just sent Kohana to the local orphanage but everyone there treated her so poorly that she often had nothing to eat and was often in dirty old clothing that had holes all through out them. It had been right before Kohana had left for the leaf village.

"It's alright little flower, everything will be alright." Naruto said lifting the crying girl into his arms. He sat down in a chair the girl in his lap, before pulling off Kohana's outer top and pulling up her tank top up so that they could get a better look at the wounds on her back. Kohana's back was bleeding so badly that he couldn't make out what was health skin and which was injuries.

"Sakura can you take a look at Kohana's back?" Naruto asked looking at the pink hair girl who had just stop dodging the iron sand chains.

"Naruto, I'm not you; who isn't been attacked by iron sand. You and the Kazekage are the only two in this room not been attacked by the chains." Sakura said taking a step towards the two siblings. Only for the iron sand to attack her as she got too close for Kohana's comfort.

"Kohana I need you to let Sakura take a look at your back. There might be damage that I can't see. Plus Sakura is a train medic she knew more than either of us. If you feel hurt to the point that your sand is acting on it own than it's time to let someone help you. Look me and Gaara are right here and we will protect you no matter what." Naruto said making the girl look up at him. Kohana's eyes were glazed over telling Naruto that it was a lot worst than he first thought.

"Gaara a shadow member is down." Naruto said his voice dropping the normal happy under tone that it carried. Gaara knew that something was wrong when the shadow members were mention. Sakura looked at them confused until three shadowy figures landed in the room around the three. Each one had a different village logo on their forehead protectors with anbu mask on.

"It's okay so stand down. The Kazekage is alright, DOIS is the one down. Dragul, hunter, Reiji take off your masks. Sakura what you are about to learn is top secret information that can never get out." Naruto said handing Kohana to Gaara. While the other three removed their anbu masked Naruto was sealing the room from anyone on the outside. Under the mask were three teenagers.

"Fox what happened to DOIS?" a young man asked turning to Naruto who pulled out a sealing scroll and tossing it to Sakura.

"Sakura put that on, it can repel the iron sand chain. The Fujio clan got a hold of her, Sakura these are my team mates from the Shadow unit Dragul is the shadow member of the Tsuchikage, Hunter is the Shadow member of the Mizukage, and Reiji is the shadow member of the Raikage. Their real names I can't tell you, but Hunter is also a trained medical ninja so he can help you take care Kohana." Naruto said showing the pink haired kunoichi a totally different side of him self, this was different from the goof ball she had grown to know as a good friend and a brother.

"What about you and Kohana?" Sakura asked putting on magnets cuffs and anklets. She knew that Kohana had a magnetic chakra release just like the Kazekage.

"Watch what you say to the vice captain, among us he's known as Fox…" Dragul said to the pink haired girl before Naruto hit her up side the head.

"Sakura you can't used their real names because it's against the rules that anyone knows who they really are. Naruto right now is known as Fox and Kohana you must call DOIS. DOIS stands for demon of the iron sand, it's what everyone in the sand village has called Kohana since she was a young girl. They are the captain and vice captain of the unit. DOIS protects me while Fox protects the Hokage. The titles are often handed down from parent to child the DOIS before the current one was actually Ayato Fujio, Kohana's father the one tailed jinchūriki before me." Gaara said handing the girl to Hunter so that they could work on her. Gaara knew that the people in this room would be the future for the shinobi world. Naruto taught him how to dream but it was Kohana that helped him achieve his dream.

"Gaara you know that Sakura will have to disappear after this; no one can know about the shadow unit." Naruto said watching the pink hair girl work on his little sister.

"Fox can that girl be trusted?" Reiji asked coming closer to the younger boys. He known the younger members of the shadow unit since they were eight years old. As is tradition of the shadow unit they wait until the members start at the local shinobi academy to start their training as shadow members so that they could at lease learn how to be normal children before having to hide it from everyone around them. But the newest Fox and DOIS; the third Fox for the leaf village seeing as tradition is that it is a Uzumaki, while DOIS had been scorned by both sides of her family to the point that she was distrustful of people in general. Reiji had been waiting for an answer from Fox when Hunter went flying into the wall across from where he had been standing just moments before from being punched by DOIS.

"Why was the Shadow unit called in?" Kohana asked sitting up on top of Gaara's desk where they had laid her so they could work of her back. Sakura was holding an old rag around Kohana's front because they had to cut off her bra to get a better look at her back. Gaara had grabbed the spare clothing from her bag in his office for moments like this.

"First) because the Kazekage was taken. Second) no one had heard from you in six months. Third) if we found you but the Kazekage was killed you were next in line to be Kazekage as is written by the Kazekage." Reiji said helping Hunter out of the pile of rubble. Gaara tossed Kohana her clothing before turning around so that she could change the others guys shortly followed him out of fear of Fox beheading them or DOIS killing them where they stood.

"I meant what are you doing in the Kazekage's office. The shadow unit never enters a different Kage's office than their own unless they are on a mission from their home village to a different village. That is the second most important rule of the shadow unit, and before you ask Dragul Reiji we are not getting rid of Sakura. She had been taking under the wing of the fifth Hokage, so first she already knows about the shadow unit, second she knows Fox secret, third she is a good friend to both me and Fox." Kohana said slipping her tank top on. It was one of Kankuro's old t-shirts that Kohana had cut up some time ago.

"We heard that a shadow member was down it was Fox's voice so we knew it had to be bad. You rarely ever get hurt to the point that you Iron sand is forced to protect you." Hunter said looking at the girl, with a shy smile.

"Thank you Chojuro, Darui, and Kurotsuchi for coming but everything is fine now, you are free to go." Kohana said standing on wobbly feet. Everyone at that point knew that the shadow unit had been dismissed seeing as not even Fox would call them by their real names out of respect for the others. Kohana since becoming Captain of the Shadow unit has made it her goal to call every one by their real names as a show of respect to their parents and family members. They were gone as soon as Kohana said their names. Naruto relaxed until Sakura throw the magnets at him. Both girls looked at him pissed, what could Naruto have done differently if it had been him sure he wouldn't be attacking others like Kohana because he didn't have iron sand. Kohana turned to the pink haired kunoichi with a smile.

"Sakura thank you for helping me. But I must ask that you never tell anyone but the Hokage about this. If word gets out that there is a special unit protecting the five kage there would be hell to pay. You must also pretend not to know that Naruto has another team he works with." I said sitting on Gaara's desk until he pushed me off of it.

"Kohana you are to go to the leaf village a recover from you wounds, that is an order. Naruto can help you with your bag. Sakura is there anything that Kohana should not be doing?" Gaara asked as I sat in a chair pouting at his official behavior.

"Yes we did simple first aid but before we leave she needs to be treated by a medical team here in the sand…" Sakura said before Kohana and Naruto broke out laughing at that. Gaara looked at them like they had lost their minds when he knew why they were laughing. He knew that the medical team wouldn't see to Kohana even by order of the Kazekage, but if Naruto went with her them just might see to her.

"Sakura the Medical team of the sand village is terrified of Kohana to the point that no one will go anywhere near her. But if you go with her maybe just maybe they will go near her. If her sand will allow it is a totally different thing." Gaara said putting his elbows on his desk in front of him, only for the two siblings to start laughing again.

"They will never do that." Kohana said laughing her head off while rolling around on the floor. Gaara looked at the girl before he realized that she just might be right, they could both sense the large crowd out side of his office to scared to come in because they knew that Kohana was in here. Or that was before the Leaf ninjas burst open the door. Kohana jumped out the window for the first time in three years. Or that was before Naruto grabbed her ankle and pulled her back into the room. Gaara thought her pout was as cute as ever.

"You never told me that elder brother Neji was here." Kohana said looking at her brother as he held her up by her ankle.

"You never asked who was here with me. But this is what I find as funny, along with the fact that you love to jump out windows." Naruto said putting the girl down on the floor. It was actually Kohana who taught Naruto how to jump out a window without someone catching him. It was near impossible for anyone to catch Kohana unless she wasn't feeling that good or she was injured pretty badly.

"While we now know that you do need to be seen by the medical team. I caught you like it was nothing and you were natural faster than Lee."Naruto said reaching down and helping Kohana to her feet before carrying her out into the hall and towards a group of medical ninjas.

"Kohana Uzumaki 35kgs and 167.64 centimeters, AB positive blood type." Naruto said in a matter a fact, like he knew her weight and height. While Kohana was a little bit shorter than Naruto but she was no where near what he said her weight was.

"Naruto I'm around 17kgs to 20kgs." Kohana whispered to her brother while the medical team crowded from being near her.

"17 to 20kgs. That is way to light in your last letter you said that you weighted 35kgs."Naruto said snapping the medical team out of their fear when they heard her weight. Kohana knew that being at this weight was a bad thing. They rushed to get her to the hospital, so that they could get her stabilized.

"Sir you are going to have to leave the room. Ms Uzumaki will be in the best hands, plus we have already asked Sakura to help us." A medical team member said just as Sakura came charging into the room, the rest of the leaf ninjas right behind her. They all looked worried Neji more than the others.

"Kohana what do you mean that you only weight about 17 to 20kgs. If I had known that I would of done more than simple first aid. I need actually needle and thread and 2 pints of AB positive blood." Sakura said barking orders to the medical team. While the leaf ninjas stood off to the side so they wouldn't get in Sakura's way. Fifteen minutes later Kohana was pouting in a hospital bed, hooked up to tubes and bags.

"Kohana will be ready to move by tomorrow, as long as she isn't walking. But it will be close to six months before she can return to active duty. Lord Kazekage is it alright to transfer Kohana for the time being to the leaf village." Sakura said looking at the group waiting to hear news about her. A pile of paper work in her hands, it wasn't a while known fact that Kohana had dual citizenship between the Sand and Leaf village.

"Sakura there is no need to do transfer paperwork, I have dual citizenship between the sand and leaf village, my father was born in the sand village while my mother was born in the leaf village. Plus if you remembered I used to go to school with you when we were younger." Kohana said cutting off Gaara while Naruto was trying to get her to eat something, but that was before one of her iron sand doves landed next to her on the hospital bed. Kohana could tell that it wasn't a message from Yukimaru who could natural form a sand dove this was a message from their brother who was currently in hiding from everyone including their family.

"Naruto or Gaara can one of you hand me one of my sand scrolls please?" Kohana asked letting the dove jump around her hands and arms. Naruto held out one of the scrolls that Kohana keep in her bag for the safety of everyone around her and Gaara. Kohana had the sand scroll spread out across her lap while the sand dove sang in her ear. Kohana took the dove off of her shoulder and pressed it into the scroll.

"Naruto come here and read this." Kohana said holding out her sand scroll to her brother, her head was spinning from everything. It wasn't that uncommon for Kohana as of late. She leaned her head back on the pillow behind her and closed her eyes which was a massive warring sign to Sakura.

"Kohana what wrong?" Sakura asked loudly in Kohana's ear, which didn't help with the headache.

"Sakura quite down a bit, Kohana just has a headache, it's most likely from not been able to eat like a normal person." Naruto said not looking up from the sand scroll until he got to the signature. The look Kohana received from Naruto told her that they would be have a very long talk in just a few minutes.

"If you all would give me and Kohana a few minutes alone?" Naruto asked looking at me. Kohana slumped down into the pillows behind her while trying to hide from her brother. Everyone including the doctors quickly left the room. Kohana watched as her brother sigh before sitting on the edge of her hospital bed.

"So you want to tell me why you are getting messages from our dead brother?" Naruto asked holding out the letter. Kohana figured he was going to find out soon seeing as Shisui was going to meet them on their way there.

"I stopped Shisui from killing himself when we were eight, he had one eye stolen by a member of the leaf council by the name of Danzo the other one he gave to Itachi before throwing himself off of a cliff into a waterfall, the down side of having me as your little sister is that I literally am protecting you guys at all times. I can even tell you where Sasuke is if that helps any. I also talk to Itachi often." Kohana said reaching out to pull at the iron sand charm she make for those that she cares about, Gaara couldn't wear one so we hide his under his skin when we were four, mostly to hide it from his father who hated her. With Sasuke he doesn't know that he has it on him as it was just below the curse mark. Which at anytime Kohana could remove from her brother.

"So these are to protect us and can be used more than once?" Naruto asked playing with his charm. It was than that Gaara and Sakura come into the opening.

"Yes it protected me only when I was close to dying but it only works once." Gaara said holding out his wrist so that she could reset his charm but before that Kohana had to remove it under his skin.

"You know I have to remove it to reset it. Also we can keep it out in the open now that your father is no longer here to make our lives horrible. I'm sure that he was once a good father to Kankuro and Temari, but we both know that he was a monster towards me and you. Our fathers were once team mates and friends but the minute that my father became the one tailed Jinchūriki he turned his back on him and betrayed his trust by have him also killed." Kohana said taking a kunai out of Naruto's hip pouch to cut the charm out from under his skin. It took a few minutes and some scolding from Sakura before she strung the charm on a leather strap before hanging it around Gaara's neck. Before taking her iron sand pendant and pouring a bit of her iron sand into her hand and think about the best shape that would fit Sakura the best which was her name sake a Sakura flower. Kohana was polishing off the edges of the flower when Neji came into the room with a bowl of soup for her to eat. She quickly strung the charm on a leather strap just like the others before handing it to Sakura.

"Here Sakura if you ever need saving this will protect you. As I'm sure you over heard with Gaara what me and Naruto had been talking about. This will also allow me to know where you are and if you are in need of help. Thank you Neji." Kohana said sitting in to eat the soup that her older cousin had brought her.

"I forgot that you are a sensory type shinobi, so you knew that both me and the Kazekage had been listening in the whole time you and Naruto had been talking." Sakura said in a matter of fact tone of voice. Gaara wasn't meeting Kohana's eyes, shamed that he had been caught by the prefect girl. Than again Gaara had known that Kohana had known they were there because he got a small version of her iron sand dove, letting him know.

"I'm not the only Sensory type, and for you information I have two types of sensory ability. One is the Hyuga clan's byakugan the other is the Fujio clan's sightless sensory, which allows me to have a wider range than that of the byakugan, but to be able to used both is very hard on most people. I actually use a special type of taijutsu known as the dance of the king Cobra." Kohana said not even touching her soup. She was more into the bread, seeing as that was the most the Fujio clan had allowed her to have once a week.

"How is it different from the gentle fist?" Neji asked looking at Kohana as she refused to eat her soup.

"While Gentle fist is a form that relies on the byakugan, while the striking Cobra which is the taijutsu style of the Fujio clan is more of defense compared to attack power. The dance of the king cobra is a mixture of the strong point of each different taijutsu and the good thing is I can us both my byakugan and sightless at the same time or just use one of them." Kohana explained to her older cousin. The look the two byakugan user were sending at the other spoke enough that even Sakura understood why Kohana didn't every live with the Hyuga clan. The Hyuga clan was very proud fully and they didn't like anyone trying to change their traditions. Kohana wasn't like some members of the Hyuga clan that where stuck up thinking they were better than anyone else. She was someone that would help a guy down on his luck and didn't have anything she would give him what she had even if it meant she had to go with out from one night.

"We will just have to see when you get better." Neji said clearly trying to provoked her, and it worked on Naruto more than Kohana, because he nearly attacked Neji if it was for the fact that Kohana grabbed his arm and held on tight.

"Naruto he's egging you on calm down." Kohana said smacking her brother before another shadow came through the window and grabbed Naruto by the neck. Kohana wasn't expecting this person to show up now but than again she hadn't been able to contact anyone for six months.

"Kohana Uzumaki why have I not heard from you in six months?" Shisui asked tighting his grip on our brother's neck.

"The Fujio clan." Kohana and Naruto said at the same time while the rest of the leaf ninjas rushed into the hospital room, the other two thirds of the sand siblings right behind them. Shisui let go of Naruto before making his way over to Kohana's cousin who was shell shocked. Kohana knew what he was doing seeing as they had been talking about the dance of the king cobra, and Shisui was very good at the taijutsu style. But Kohana was surprised that he only smacked Neji across the back of his head.

"Neji Hyuga you are older than both Naruto and Kohana you have to set a good example for them not the other way around." Shisui said clearly the oldest of the youngster standing in the room.

"Who are you?" Tenten asked jumping in between the two young men. Or that was before Kohana blocked the girl with her iron sand.

"Tenten this is Shisui Uchiha, who everyone thought was dead. You two want to explain?" Kakashi said coming into the room with the help of Might Guy.

"Kohana ultimate defense." Both Naruto and Shisui said at the same time. Gaara was nodding his head as if to agree with her brothers.

"My ultimate defense is stronger than that of Gaara's absolute defense; when me and Naruto were eight Shisui tried to kill him self. The down side is that natural if someone I care about is in mortal danger than my charm will kick in and save the person. Down side Shisui is blind so Half of my Chakra is always surrounding him." Kohana said once again pouting on the hospital bed because Sakura wasn't even going to let her use her iron sand.

"So that why you have the injuries that you got. You been protecting Shisui with your iron sand. Sakura even if you tell Kohana not to use her iron sand it's not likely that she will listen some times her sand acts on it's own. You saw that your self." Naruto said as Shisui rushed over to Kohana's side but not before falling flat on his face or he would of if Kohana's iron sand hadn't acted and stopped him. Kohana could feel the drain of chakra, on her already weak body.

"Everyone take off the iron charms if you have one… Kohana where did you put Neji's charm?" Sakura said noticing the look on Kohana's face told her that Neji never knew he had one.

"Right side of his neck, needs to be reset. Removing them won't work once you put them on they are activated. Naruto make him sit down." Kohana said gasping for air because Shisui was struggling to get over to her. Naruto quickly helped Shisui over to her while Sakura was cutting the charm out of Neji's neck. Gaara and Temari were trying to get the iron sand user to lay back on the bed, she was still gasping for air but that was before someone pushed her back to the point that Kohana nearly killed the person, if it wasn't for the fact that they had the same defense as herself in other words the hospital room became a desert in the middle of a sand storm or just one of Kohana's and Gaara's fights. The sand village were used to the two sand users go full out when they were younger.

"Hana everything is alright. It's okay flower just breath." Shisui said once Gaara had won against Kohana, who was nearly drained of chakra. It was the first time Gaara had won in a battle of strength since they were 13 at the chunin exams. Which had Naruto and the sand siblings very worried seeing as they had never seen Kohana this worn out before sure she could with stand a lot of out ward force but for the girl was fighting something far worst.

"Sakura can you check to see if Kohana is fighting off an infection please?" Naruto asked taking her other hand. While Sakura started using medical ninjutsu to check Kohana over again. It took her fifteen minutes before she had Kohana hooked up on an IV with antibiotics for a sever infection that would land her in the leaf hospital for a week at least maybe more if it was up to Sakura, what she didn't seem to understand is that Kohana was like Naruto and Gaara. But than again the person with the last word wouldn't be Kohana or Naruto it would be Shisui.