Hello! This chapter was pure hell!
Hell I tell you! HELL! Fumato threw me a curve at the end of chapter 5, and I had to manage (out of my ass) to pull this chapter from the outline and connect it to chapter 5 and it's cliffhanger... while getting EVERYTHING else in (without having to create another new chapter). Thankfully it all worked out and I was able to salvage my outline. Whew! Next chapter will be much more fun... it's got romance, humor, and set up for... dun dun dun: more action!
In this chapter, we close our book on the Mission and begin out journey back to Konoha. Plot thickens... dastardly plans look to be underway... who or what is this woman? I know everyone is dying to know right? Right? Yes, of course you are... sadly, I cannot answer that for you! Well I could, but I won't. Read on to become more embroiled in the story that is Naruto: Kurashio. Also, please check out my epic poem project "Lies that Bind". It's very short (and I think interesting), if poetry isn't your think... check out Neon Lights for a fluffy one-shot... or if that isn't your think and you like high school boys: check out user Kreatyve and her story "Lets Play a Love Game". Or, if you don't like high school boys, but you like original Naruto? Check out Angel Wings-008 and her stories about Itachi (Rising Sun and the companion piece Falling Snow), both are short and excellent! Go! Read! Now! Love ya all!
Sarai
Naruto: Kurashio
Chapter 6 - Ebb Tide
"Who are you?" Fuma asked the strange woman.
The look she gave him was frightening, not for any physical reason he could describe… but for the way it made him feel. Her eyes saw too much, and Fuma knew what it was like to be perceptive.
"Your father," the woman said, her voice was tinted with curiosity, "Who is he?"
"I have two," Fuma stated. He cast a wary eye at the shadow clones around him, not certain if they were going to attack or not.
"You're cautious," she smiled, "That's a good thing." With a quick hand sign, the woman vanished all of the clones… including Fumato's. It was a hand sign he'd never seen before.
He took a step back, "How did you…?"
"Such trivial things do not matter, not when time is of the essence," The woman closed the distance between them in an instant. "Your fathers… are they among the three jonin who are currently in the city?"
Fuma wanted to nod his head rapidly, but he held back. He wasn't going to tell this woman anything.
"I thought so," she said with smirk, "If they weren't here… you wouldn't have bothered protecting them. Don't worry… I could have harmed them already if I so desired."
"You're lying."
The woman raised an intrigued eyebrow at Fumato's statement. "Am I?" she asked.
"They are stronger than any other ninja," the boy stated matter-of-factly, "They could beat you."
"At one time…" the woman mused, "I'm certain that may have been the case… many years ago."
From the way she spoke, Fuma registered something chilling. This woman, she looked barely older than Sakura or Aunt Hinata, maybe just a few years, but the way she spoke… she sounded so ancient; even her words seemed to hold a sort of ominous quality to them. The dark haired boy moved to take another step back, but he found himself frozen to the spot, unable to avoid her gaze.
"Well, no matter," she smiled again, "I don't have the desire to find out… besides they are not the ones coming to rescue you, and I have no desire to fight children today."
"Who's coming?" Fuma said, worry in his voice.
"Your brother…" the woman said, her eyes looking of in the distance as if she were seeing something far away, "And another long haired boy… your teammate if I've observed correctly."
"Are you going to hurt them?"
She again gave him the foreign look, the one which looked through Fuma rather than at him. "Again…" she replied with a casual drawl, "Not today." The stranger gave another look off into the distance, "I've wasted too much time…"
Crystalline, blue eyes fixed him with a penetrating stare, "I have something very important that I need from you… if you don't want something to happen to the ones you care about… pay very close attention."
Fuma nodded slowly when she didn't continue.
"Good. Do you know about the Chunin exams?"
Again, Fuma nodded.
"Every so often… I take an interest in the exams. I use them as a… recruitment method of sorts, but only when the participants pique my interest," she crouched down until she was even height with Fuma, "I've taken an interest this year… but, if you and your friends don't make it back to Konoha within the next 24 hours, then my interest will be wasted."
"What can I do?" he was interested, not just because he wanted to keep this woman from hurting anyone but because she was literally giving him what he wanted. Fuma had heard so many stories about the Chunin exams, especially when his fathers had participated. He knew he was ready to take them; he'd been on the same level as Kit for years… he was possibly better. No, he knew he was better. Kit was the same age Naruto had been for the exams… why shouldn't he be allowed to participate?
"Ask the silver haired one…"
"Kakashi-sensei?"
"Ah… the Copy-nin of the Sharingan eye," the woman looked amused, "I haven't seen him in almost half a century… he hasn't aged well, but then again… the last time I saw him he was near your age."
"You knew Kakashi sensei?"
"I… am nothing but a memory to him, perhaps no more than a random nightmare," she said thoughtfully, "But I am part of what made him who he is today… and he has served me, however unwittingly. He'll know how to get you into the exams, that much is certain." She looked over into the distance once more, becoming apparently impatient. With a quick motion, she stood up and drew them into the shadows. There was a sudden whirl of darkness, and Fuma found himself pulled out of the dark and into a completely different ally.
The woman was beginning to look irritated, "I've bought us precious moments… do you understand?"
Trying to wrap his head around what had just happened, Fuma nodded, "I ask Kakashi-sensei to get us into the Chunin Exams… and you leave my dads alone."
Her response was a cold, sharp laugh, "When did I ever say that?"
"But… you said—"
"I said no harm would come to them, at this moment, but I have a personal interest in these exams…" that unsettling smile played across her lips again, "I have a particular interest in your family."
"Leave us alone." Fuma hoped he sounded strong; he wanted to come across like his father. Sasuke could always make people be quiet when he spoke like that. Something in the woman's eyes told him it hadn't worked.
"Don't waste the few seconds we have left…" she warned, "If you want to make certain your family is safe, do what I say." She turned and walked off towards the shadows once more.
"How do will you know?" Fuma shouted after her.
The woman stopped in her tracks, pausing just before shadows touched her flesh. She contemplated his question for a brief second, "I'll be much closer than you think…"
"And if I want to talk to you?"
"Curiosity…" the woman smirked, not bothering to look at Fuma, "I've been to a land where they have a saying about that and how it killed a cat… but there's nothing about how it relates to a fox…"
Fuma was trying to buy time, and for the moment it seemed to be working. Something about this woman enjoyed teasing time, and the little raven had a feeling she liked to talk… if only to make certain she still existed. Fuma could explain it, but, every time she spoke, her words seemed to come from somewhere far away.
"It would be best if we do not meet again, little one," she said after a long pause, her eyes distant and different for the briefest of moments, "Innocence has a way of becoming twisted in this game…" She blinked, and her eyes were back to their cold certainty, "But if you find your curiosity too much, you need only open your eyes."
Her words confused and intrigued him; in fact everything about this woman was somehow alluring. The young Uchiha wanted to speak with her longer, wanted to ask more questions. His mouth had opened to do just that, when he suddenly heard his name shouted from a ways behind him.
"Fuma!"
The boy whirled around and saw two figures heading toward him, "Jira? Ame?"
He was startled to see the intensity on their faces, their concern frightening. He was momentarily frozen, afraid to move, but then Fuma remembered who he had been talking to. He spun, prepared to defend his older brother and his teammate, but the woman was gone.
The only thing between him and the nearest wall was the shadow cast by the waning sunlight.
"Fumato!" the voice which called out this time was far more stern than Jira's had been.
Looking up quickly, the small raven saw a completely different pair of blue eyes glaring down at him. Shortly there after, he was surrounded not only by his brother, his friend, and his teacher… but both of his stern faced, and obviously angry, parents.
[…]
"Did either of you get a good look at her?" Kakashi was talking to Jira and Ame, safely out of Naruto and Sasuke's field of vision.
"Nothing," Ame stated.
"We caught a brief chakra signature, but it was gone before we even came within sight of Fuma," Jira explained.
"Our luck wasn't much better," Kakashi mirrored their disappointment. The somber mood was interrupted by a loud shout from Naruto. The blond had been doing that on and off for the past five minutes, apparently yelling was therapeutic for angry parents.
Kakashi had never liked yelling, which was probably why he never had children. No, that wasn't the reason, but it was a good excuse. Still, as he watched Naruto and Sasuke give a lengthy lecture about the dangers of "running off on your own", Kakashi couldn't help but smirk beneath the mask. If either of these men had paused to think, they would have realized how hypocritical they sounded to the silver-haired jonin.
It wasn't his place to say anything, so Kakashi merely chuckled to himself.
"What's so funny, sensei?"
Turning his gaze to the two boys who had moved away from the fight, Kakashi noticed Ame had been the one to speak, to which Kakashi responded with a smile, "It's funny how much a person can change once they become a parent. Something always seems to be shoved up your-"
"Keep your opinions out of this, you pervert!" Naruto shouted in his direction.
Count on Naruto to hear even the smallest of comments directed his way. Kakashi chuckled again, enjoying how it made the blond man twitch with annoyance.
"Is that why you haven't had kids, sensei?" Ame asked him.
"I have kids," Kakashi said cheerily, "Three of them…"
Jira raised an eyebrow at this, but it was Ame who responded, yet again, "Sensei, I'm afraid Fumato, Gemma, and I do not count."
"Of course you don't," Kakashi waved dismissively, "I was speaking of Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura."
"I heard that!" Naruto barked.
"And I'm so proud of you!" Kakashi shouted back, waving mockingly like a tearful-eyed mother.
"Pervert!" Naruto growled, turning his back on Kakashi. Sasuke shot the elder jonin a glare before turning his attention to Fumato, both of the parent had missed the smile their son had on his face moments before.
Kakashi claimed a silent point for himself, enjoying the small victory against his uppity, former students. His mental victory dance was squashed when Jira spoke up.
"Wouldn't that make you my grandfather?" the boy raised a quizzical, blond brow at Kakashi, as if emphasizing how old that would make him.
"You make me sound so old," he frowned, scratching his silver head.
"You are old," Sasuke retorted.
"Go back to your disciplining!" Kakashi retorted, muttering under his breath something about "young whipper-snappers", "lawns", and other generic, geriatric colloquialisms.
Jira snorted at this, but Ame had a sudden look of realization. The pale haired boy turned to Jira and nudged him, "You know… if he is your grandfather, then rightfully he could put a stop the discipline."
The same light bulb went off over Jira's head and he nodded conspiratorially, "And, since he's Fuma's team leader, grandfather could easily take charge of the punishment…"
Kakashi listened to their little mutiny, feigning disinterest until he could no longer bear to listen to the old man references, "Alright! I get it!" He made placating hand gestures in hopes of silencing them. "I'd already planned on stepping in…" he muttered to himself.
The elder jonin really had no desire to get mixed up in parenting, or even fake grand-parenting for that matter. If there was any place in the world Kakashi didn't want to be, it was stuck between an angry Sasuke and Naruto. Death would be preferable, Kakashi had already sampled it once and found it mildly appetizing compared to what he was about to do.
"Mah…" Kakashi crooned, striding up to the trio. He nearly withered under the icy stares from his former students, but the hopeful look on Fumato's face helped him continue. "You two harpies can give it a rest," he offered, "I'll take over responsibility for his punishment."
"We're his parents," Sasuke said flatly, "Your help isn't necessary."
"Well, he's my student and if he broke any rules it would be up to me to decide, would it not?" Kakashi countered, "Seeing as you have no ideas what my instructions were, you have no right to chastise my subordinates."
Sasuke looked as if he were about to be more livid than he already was, but Naruto took a level head for once. "What did you have in mind?" the blond asked.
"I haven't been able to question Fuma as of yet," Kakashi gave the two parents a stern look, "Once I have determined why he ran off, I'll be able to punish him appropriately."
"That's not—" Sasuke started, but, again, Naruto finished for him.
"Alright, but I want your word you'll keep a better eye on him, Kakashi," Naruto gave the Copy-nin a look that was downright lethal. Were Kakashi not to know any better, he would have thought Naruto and Sasuke had switched bodies; however, Naruto was always a different entity when his children were concerned.
"I give you my word…"
"You'll give me your eye if you don't," Naruto said coldly, storming off. He was clearly perturbed, but his sudden change in demeanor had shocked Kakashi… and apparently everyone else gathered as well.
It wasn't long before Sasuke, Naruto, and Jira left to meet up with the other members of their squads, leaving Ame and Fuma alone with Kakashi… no one seemed inclined to speak.
"What's our exit strategy, sensei?"
"Ame…" Kakshi sighed, "Always the practical one…"
"It needs to be discussed," the pale boy reminded him.
"Yes, yes," the jonin agreed, "Go and find Gemma… stick with the other teams. Fuma and I will be with you shortly." The boy gave him a nod before darting off to do as he was told, leaving Kakashi with a very silent boy.
The young Uchiha was suddenly very preoccupied with his feet; his head hung in such a way that his face was entirely obscured by dark tresses of hair… sometimes the boy could act just like Naruto.
"Fuma…"
The boy didn't move.
"Look at me."
For the first time that evening, Kakashi made actual eye contact with the boy. Within those charcoal colored eyes, the silver-haired jonin could see a wash of emotions, the predominate one being worry.
"Care to tell me what happened?"
"I was following something," Fuma said meekly.
"Something or someone?" Kakashi pressed.
"…" Fuma looked towards the shadows, as if waiting from something to come out of them. "Someone…" he finally said.
"A female ninja?"
Fumato nodded.
"Did you get a good look at her?"
The boy nodded again.
"Finally," Kakashi breathed, "Can you tell me what she looked like?"
Fuma shook his head, clearly no.
This caused the jonin to frown, "Why not?"
"I promised not to," Fuma said quietly.
"Ah…" Kakashi nodded. Apparently the boy had done more than just get a look at their mysterious ninja. "Is there anything you can tell me?"
Fuma shook his head, no, but then stopped, thinking hard about something. Finally he asked, "Kakashi-sensei… do you know about the Chunin exams?"
"Odd…" Kakashi thought, "Why would he be worried about that?"
It was true he had been preparing to enter his team in the exams this year, but Kakashi hadn't mentioned the plans to anyone. This was the first team he'd trained since Naruto and Sasuke… and if elder jonin were to be honest, his current team was even stronger than the previous had been at this stage. It would be foolish not to enter them in the exams; Konoha could only profit from the exposure, and the kids would get more experience than he could give them on basic assignments.
"What do you want to know?"
Fuma thought hard, his forehead scrunching up with the effort which, again, caused him to look more like Naruto than Sasuke. It was strange how quickly the boy could change from one to the other.
"She said…" Fuma practically whispered, "That we have less than twenty-four hours to enter them."
"That can't be possible…" Kakashi paused, thinking back to the previous days before they left Konoha. He remembered how insistent Tsunade had been about getting all of their teams out of the city, how she had assigned them a routine mission that would last for weeks, and how she hadn't relaxed a single moment leading up to their mission…
"She was planning the exams behind my back," Kakashi realized, "The registration period is two weeks… if she started it the day we left, then they would be ending at noon tomorrow in time for the first exam!"
Kakashi mentally cursed himself for not realizing it sooner, although there would have been little to anything he could have done about it… but all hope wasn't lost, not just yet.
"Did she say anything else?" Kakashi asked thoughtfully.
"She said you would know how to get me registered for the exams," Fuma looked back towards the shadows, his words drifting with his change in focus.
"I may have an idea…" Kakashi muttered, "But if that doesn't work… I know what your punishment is going to be."
[…]
Slam!
The blurred fist impacted with the side of Sasuke's head, sending him staggering. The Uchiha quickly ducked another oncoming blow and leapt backwards, trying to place some distance between himself and the enraged blond.
Why he had ever agreed to spar with Naruto, Sasuke would never be able to honestly say. He had seen the violent tint to his partner's normally placid, blue eyes; it was a gleam the raven hadn't seen in years. It had frightened him, yet at the same time… it was also exciting. The blond needed to vent, and Sasuke was the only one would give him the ablity to fully release. Naruto had been docile in parenthood. Yes, he had become exponentially powerful in the past few years, but that power was tempered by reason, by kindness, and ultimately by a desire to protect his family.
Right now? The blond had none of these inhibitions.
Naruto was completely guided by his rage, a rage set off by the interference of Kakashi and the knowledge that Fumato had been in danger—a danger Naruto could not have prevented, despite his incredible strength.
Fists struck out towards Sasuke in rapid succession, taking every bit of his speed to block. There was no hope of dodging the blond, no hope of retaliating at the moment. Sasuke had signed up to be a punching bag; the only thing he could control at this moment was how many hits he would be taking.
His opponent definitely wasn't pulling any punches, Sasuke noted as the next fist completely winded him, followed rapidly by a blow to the shoulder which sent him stumbling backwards.
They had decided to forgo jutsu, weaponry, and other ninja items—preferring to dedicate themselves to the noblest method of stress relief: fist fighting. Unfortunately, Sasuke's eagerness for the experience had hindered his normally rational sensibilities… he hadn't thought this through. Because of the Kyuubi, Naruto was immensely better equipped when it came to physical attributes… which were presenting their benefits in the form of several cuts and rising bruises along the raven's pale flesh.
Sasake staggered back against a tree, using it to brace himself, and Naruto was upon him in an instant, no hesitation. The Uchiha could feel his eyes widen as he took in the speed of the attack, noticing a familiar red glint swimming into the blond's eyes. Barely ducking in time, Sasuke watched as Naruto's fist sheared through the tree trunk like papier-mâché. Bark, wood chunks, and splinters went flying, providing a deforested background to the angry Naruto as he spun to face Sasuke yet again.
"Dobe!" the raven shouted, "Are you trying to take my head off?" Sasuke didn't want to admit his fear, but if Naruto had hit him like that… he wouldn't be standing, or breathing for that matter.
Naruto shrugged, "I knew you would dodge it."
"That's not the point!" Sasuke said coldly, "What's gotten into you."
"Would you like to?" Naruto's persona suddenly changed, throwing Sasuke a lust-filled look.
"Naruto!" Sasuke snapped.
The blond blinked several times before standing up straight. He looked Sasuke up and down, and then sighed heavily, "I don't know… I just don't know…"
"Is it the beast?"
Naruto's face tightened, "It's not a problem…"
"Don't lie to me."
"It's not!" Naruto snarled, his face softening. Sasuke could tell he hadn't meant to sound so harsh. "It's just," Naruto tried again, "He's been dormant for so many years…"
"What's changed?"
"He's curious," the blond said, "The moment we first got close to that woman; I could feel him start to stir. I'm in control, but he hasn't been interested in the world for years, and this... intrigues him. He's trying to see more… something about her excites, Kyuubi."
Sasuke walked up to the man and placed a hand gently on his shoulder, tense in case there might be retaliation for the action. Thankfully Naruto relaxed into the gesture. "Are you going to be alright?"
Naruto nodded, "I'm fine… I'd just forgotten how irritating his voice was."
"He's speaking?"
"Laughing is more accurate," Naruto growled, "He's fucking amused!"
"You have to admit," Sasuke smirked, "The fox has a point. That woman was…"
"Incredible," Naruto breathed, almost too excited. Sasuke had heard that tone in only one other place: their bedroom.
"Something you want to tell me, Dobe?"
Naruto laughed, "Not in your dreams, Teme… you can't get rid of me that easily."
"Wouldn't dream of it," Sasuke snorted, dismissing the idea as he hugged the taller blond.
"Ne, Sasuke," Naruto breathed into his raven hair, "Thanks for letting me vent."
"It was either me or Kakashi… couldn't have you killing gramps, could I?"
It was Naruto's turn to snort, and the blond turned away to hide his laughter, "He's going to start acting like Tsunade about his age if we keep that up."
"All the more reason to keep it up, don't you think?" Sasuke's joke was ended by someone clearing their throat.
Both men turned to see Kakashi standing at the edge of their clearing, "If you two are done having a laugh at my poor self-esteem… I could use your signatures."
"On what?" Naruto asked, bounding over.
"Mission scroll," Kakashi offered the roll of paper towards the blond. "Normally, I would take care of it myself, but since we had three teams… I need three signatures."
Naruto nodded and quickly signed his name, passing the scroll along for Sasuke to do the same. The Uchiha paused, looking at the older jonin, "You didn't skip anything did you? I don't want my name attached to some faulty paperwork."
"You wound me, Sasuke," Kakashi held his free hand to his forehead in mock fainting.
Not wanting to put up with the gray haired copy-nin for another moment, Sasuke signed the scroll and allowed Kakashi to roll it up. "Thank you, both," Kakashi said cheerily, tucking the scroll into his vest, "Now if you don't mind wrapping up your foreplay… we have to get back to running."
Naruto whined, "Why! What's the point? My team didn't do anything wrong!"
Sasuke rolled his eyes at the blond but didn't say anything, waiting for the elder ninja's response.
"Because the actions of an individual affects the entire team," Kakashi said dryly, "Fuma's actions could have affected all three teams, drawing out dangerous consequences… in order to prevent any of our genin from doing the same, they all partake in the punishment."
"Why then does the punishment also affect us," Sasuke finally asked.
"Because… you'll want to get back to Konoha as quickly as I do," Kakashi offered. The Uchiha could tell the bastard was smiling beneath his mask.
"Do I even want to ask?" the raven rolled his eyes.
"As a matter of fact," Kakashi chuckled, "You would like to know this… our beloved Hokage has sent us on a fool's errand… all for the reason of getting us out of the village."
Sasuke's face fell immediately into its emotionless mask, a reaction that had become habit whenever he heard something he didn't quite like, "Explain."
"You know how the villages of Water and Fire have been rumored to be in competition to host the Chunin Exams?"
Naruto and Sasuke nodded.
"Were either of you planning on entering your team into the exams?"
After a pause, Naruto and Sasuke nodded again.
"And how long is the registration period?" Kakashi said, finally leading them to his conclusion.
"Two weeks," Naruto said, completely oblivious.
Sasuke was not so oblivious; he'd seen where Kakashi was headed, "Standard recon missions can take up to a month… you're saying the hag wanted us out of the way? Why?"
"What?" Naruto looked at both men, shocked, "What reason would Baa-chan have for that?"
"I don't know," Kakashi said wearily, "But I do know will miss our chance if we aren't in Konoha before noon."
"The first exam," Sasuke realized. It started at noon on the last day of registration, and it normally cut the entrants down to a third of their starting size. Every exam period, the first exam changed… and it also varied based upon which village was hosting; however, if Konoha was holding registration… that meant Ibiki would most likely be proctor for the first exam.
"There's no way we can make it back there in eighteen hours," Naruto wailed, "The kids aren't fast enough."
"Hence their punishment," Kakashi stated gleefully, "They have to run home. With any luck, we'll make it just in time for the first exam."
[…]
Konoha was abuzz with the sounds, chatter, and bustle of excitement which came from the Chunin Exams. The villagers were constantly observing the many guests; the genin were trading tips, secrets, and training techniques, while the advising ninja and older shinobi began taking stock of the new up-and-comers. Everyone had something invested in the upcoming months.
For the Hokage, she had something invested in each and every second of the next hour. It would soon be high noon, the exams would then start, and she could stop worrying. None of the teams sent to Ishitohi had reported in, but that was to be expected from a recon mission; however, a lack of communication could also give Kakashi a chance to sneak up on her.
Tsunade refused to have that; therefore, she had placed the Anbu at every city entrance. If Teams Three, Five, or Seven came into sight, she would greet them personally and stall them. No matter what, she couldn't afford the political ramifications of having three powerful Konoha genin teams enter the exams this year… in fact, she didn't want to think about the ramifications of having one of those teams entered. It would be a nightmare keeping tabs on their asses.
"Lady Hokage," an Anbu officer with the bear mask appeared before her in a cloud of smoke.
"Don't you dare tell me Kakashi has returned," Tsunade threatened. She couldn't deal with holding them off for nearly an hour.
"Um… no," the man said quietly, obviously confused as to why she would care if one of their own ninja teams had returned. "Though I do think you'll want to see this…" he said carefully.
"See what?" the vein in her forehead twitched. What could possibly be going on now?
"There is a genin team at the west gate."
"And the problem is?"
"They want to enter the Chunin Exams," the bear said as if stating the obvious problem.
"Despite how much of my time you are wasting," Tsunade growled, "Registration still doesn't close for another forty-five minutes."
"Uh… yes, ma'am, but… well…"
"Spit it out!" she snapped.
"They claim to be from Darunōgakure."
This announcement did earn a raised eyebrow from the Hokage, "The Village Hidden in the Shadows? I've never even heard of it…"
"Nor have we ever had any entrants from it," the bear said quietly, "Not that any of the Anbu officer can remember…"
"You are all children compared to me," Tsunade sighed, letting the man know that his experience and opinion didn't really matter on the subject. Rather than standing around talking to him, she performed the signs for transportation jutsu and appeared just outside the western gates.
There before her was a very peculiar scene. Four ninja stood surrouned by about twenty Anbu ninja, all of which were keeping a safe distance. Tsunade took moment to understand why. In the center of the Anbu circle were four individuals: one man and three girls… who must have been the genin mentioned by the bear.
The man was obviously their supervisor. He had shoulder length, dark blond hair and wore simple, black shinobi robes and a white hakama. The Hokage saw nothing of particular interest about him… except for the village symbol on his forehead protector: a large, black circle.
"Strange that they would create their own hitai-ate," Tsunade thought, "All to infiltrate the exams?" Of course she couldn't rule out the possibility; the exams had been infiltrated before, and by much more elaborate means. Still… it was something so minor; Tsunade didn't feel any dishonesty in it.
Once she turned her attention to the genin, the Hokage could understand why the Anbu were keeping their distance. The first, and most bizarre of the young girls, was actually taller than Tsunade herself. This girl stood at the back of the group, easily two inches taller than their male companion, and that wasn't her most outlandish feature. No, she was dark skinned, the color of dark-rose chocolate, and her face and arms were covered in swirling, spiraling, tribal tattoos. Tsunade had never seen an entity like this in all her travels.
Across the girl's back was strung a long, wide blade… it looked to be an abnormally large katana, but in this girls hands… it looked to fit. Tsunade wondered how well she could wield it. From the way the dark skinned girl stood, her arms crossed and dark, sanguine eyes daring anyone to make a move, the Hokage was willing to bet she was more than capable.
Next to this girl was a small, petit individual. This girl was barely five feet tall, probably shorter, but her dress was interestingly… not that of a ninja. No, she looked like a living version of a gothic, Lolita doll… like the ones the Hokage had seen in the shops, whenever she visited major cities. This girl had silver hair, which hung down to the middle of her back. She wore knee high boots, which gave her an extra inch or so in height, and a black lace, baby doll dress that was trimmed with white lace and silver ribbon.
Tsunade could see no weapons on this girl, save for a tachi tied into the large bow at the small of her back… and perhaps she had one concealed in her lace umbrella? It was difficult to know without confiscating the item, which Tsunade wasn't about to do just yet.
Directly in front of the tribeswoman, at the head of the group, stood a girl who looked to be about fifteen or sixteen. This individual was decked out in a full body, black-leather shinobi battle suit, every expensive equipment; tied around her waist was a black shawl which hung like a loose skirt. She was ready for action, a well prepared genin. What made the Hokage even more caution about this girl was her armament: no visible weapons, just a kunai pouch on her visible thigh and abnormally long nails… upon closer observation, Tsunade noticed that the woman's nails were actually some kind of black metal; they had most likely be surgically replaced. It must have taken painful medical ninjustu to perform such a procedure.
This woman had long, feathered, black hair and immaculate, white skin. Tsunade had to blink several times to make certain this individual wasn't glowing; she'd never seen someone so pale look so healthy… vibrant… and in charge. Something in the way she stood, completely undaunted by the presence of so many powerful ninja and the appearance of the Hokage, told Tsunade that this was the person she should be talking to… even though it grated her nerves to speak with a child.
"I am Hokage, Tsunade Godaime," she announce, making eye contact with the feathered-hair girl, "State your business please."
At a sideways look from the girl, the man answered, "We are the genin company from Darunōgakure. We come with the missive from the Majokage to enter the Chunin Exams."
There were steady murmurs from the gathered Anbu at the name mentioned; Tsunade herself had heard of the legends… the Majokage, or the Shadow Witch, had been a frightening story her own mother had used, one that would make young children obey for fear of being spirited away in the night.
"The Majokage is a myth," Tsunade said flatly, "You expect me to admit you into my city based upon something so fictitious?"
"Of course not," the man flashed a charming smile, "I have here… a scroll signed with a seal from Senju Hashirama, along with the other first Kages. It is a binding oath to the Majokage, allowing her and her descended apprentices entrance into the exams should ever the need arise."
He walked over and handed the scroll to Tsunade, who took it with careful temerity. She carefully broke the seal, once she was certain it was not trapped, and unrolled it. Inside were indeed the signatures of each of the founding Kages… and surprisingly several of the new village leaders, including a signature seal from Hiruzen Sarutobi… for entrance into the Chunin Exams over forty years ago.
"This looks legitimate," Tsunade had to concede. There was no way they could have forged the first Hokage's seal, as it was safely locked away in her office and had not been touched in years. She looked at each of the three genin once more, none of which had spoken as single word.
Each of them wore a matching village headband, identical to the one worn by the man. The tribal girl had hers firmly tied into her ponytail of deep, brown hair; the gothic Lolita had hers fastened to her right forearm; and the imperious girl with the frighteningly serious, blue eyes… she wore hers around her neck. Each headband bore the black circle, which apparently was the symbol of Darunōgakure.
"Shikamaru," Tsuande called out.
Instanly the Jonin Commander appeared before her, his spikey ponytail standing as much at the ready as he was, "Yes, Hokage."
"The registration scroll please," Tsunade held out her hand to accept it. Once she had it in her grasp, she turned to the three girls, "I'll need each of your names to complete the process."
"Mavrí Gyasatsu," the tall, clannish girl spoke. Tsunade couldn't look her in the eyes without tilting her head up, therefore she didn't make eye contact.
"Eira Dorcha," the small, gothic girl giggled.
Tsunade was about to be sick, so she turned to the last girl, who said nothing. Raising an eyebrow in irritation, the Hokage waited… yet still received nothing. They locked eyes, and Tsunade could tell they were having a battle of wills—one she wasn't certain she could win quickly.
Irritation getting the better of her, Tsunade growled out, "Name?"
"Cala Warukutō," the girl answered.
"Very well," the Hokage wrote down the last name, "And your name, I have to record a village supervisor."
"Ryu Han," the man bowed slightly, "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance…"
"Ryu," the girl named Cala spoke again, her voice sounding like a cold whip, "You were not asked to speak further."
Tsunade's anger bristled further, "In this village we treat our teacher with respect—"
"Mistress Cala means no disrespect, Madam Hokage!" Ryu held up hands apologetically, "It's just that Darunōgakure is a matriarchal society, and I am not their teacher… merely a chaperone. Their training comes directly from the Majokage, and therefore they act with her authority. I am but a servant for this trip."
"I see…" Tsunade was still not pleased with the girl's behavior, but it was not her place to correct or alter the customs of another village. So long as the man wasn't insulted, she would do her job. She rolled up the registration scroll and stuck it within the folds of her robes, noting that she'd managed to pass the time until registration had ended.
"You'll need to report to the exam room before noon," she announced, "I'm not your tour guide, so expect to find your own way… you are ninja after all. I extend you a warm welcome to Konohagakure, and I wish you the best of luck with your exams."
She made to leave, but found a hand gripping her elbow. Tsunade turned an irate gaze around to see the girl, Cala, responsible for detaining her.
"The scroll," the blue-eyed child stated, not flinching from the Hokage's apparent wrath.
"Excuse me?" Tsunade raised her voice.
"The Majokage's invitation. It does not belong to you," Cala state blandly.
She wanted to resist, to keep the scroll for futher study, but Tsunade could not afford a scandal, especially if the other Villages knew of Darunōgakure and could use that as a political standpoint for aggression. Reluctantly, she handed over the old document, "My apologies."
"You mistakes are your own to learn from," Cala dismissively offered, walking past the Hokage and into the now open gates.
Tsunade was left completely shellshocked, unable to even utter a comeback or a reprimand. She hadn't even gained her faculties until the strange group was out of sight; Shikamaru had to come and jostle her.
"Ma'am… wouldn't it be best to return to the Hokage tower? I need to put my men back on sentry duty, and I can't do that with you standing here…" he looked concerned.
"Shikamaru?" Tsunade whispered.
"Yes?"
"Please tell me you saw that…"
"Saw what, ma'am?"
"That girl…"
Shikamaru looked back toward the gates quizzically. "She was rude," he said finally, "That was no way to speak to a village leader, especially when making new ties."
"No," Tsunade shook her head, "Those eyes… it was as if she had a thousand souls… or none at all." She knew she was rambling now, speaking out loud as she tried to gain he own thoughts.
Shikamaru was obviously perplex, preferring not to be bothered with more than his station demanded. "I wouldn't know anything about that, Lady Hokage," he said, taking a step back.
With a nod, Tsunade motioned for the Anbu to disperse. After a few quick hand signals, she was back in her office… all the time in the world to ponder her latest conundrum: Cala Warukuto… why had such a young girl caused the mighty Godaime Hokage to stand petrified with fear?