Chapter Beta by EvIlDemon 7/30/2024

Konoha's Retrieval Team

Chapter 11

Friendly Spar

I don't own Naruto

Masashi Kishimoto does!

When Naruto and Karin got to their new place, they began to open all the doors and windows to air out the place. Karin cleaned up and organized the kitchen since they had to make dinner that night. On the other hand, Naruto was a whirlwind of energy cleaning the living room so they could take it off the summoning scroll with the help of his godmother. He continued for the next few hours until the place was clean enough to live in. By this time, Naruto and Karin were hungry, so Karin began to make a quick dinner for both of them. They sat down to eat dinner twenty minutes later when Naruto started to speak.

"Karin, I'm going to stroll around the compound later in the evening to familiarize myself with the place. Do you want to come along?" Naruto said as he took a bite of his food.

Karin felt tired since she had been awake since early morning. She then spent the afternoon shopping for clothes, furniture, and other necessities. She decided to take a bath and relax, and they would both be able to train the next day. Karin felt happy that Naruto had already deemed her precious enough to feel protected. Growing up as an orphan in an unforgiving world made survival much more difficult.

"Naruto-kun, thanks for the invitation, but after a long day, I think I'll take a range check. Maybe tomorrow we can walk around. What do you say? Because I will bathe and relax the rest of the night?" Karin said as she covered her mouth when she yawned.

"That's fine, Karin. Maybe we could wander around tomorrow. Yeah, you deserve to relax the rest of the night," Naruto said as he finished eating and got up to take hisplate to the sink.

"Will you be okay on your own?" Karin said as she began to clean off the table.

"Yeah! I'll be okay being on my own. Plus I get to look around our new surroundings, making it an adventure. Maybe I'll run into Sasuke and get him to train with me; if not, fight me." Naruto whispered the last part, not realizing that Karin heard him.

"I see. Well, don't be out so late. I really don't want to be all alone in a new house. So try to return as soon as possible and not get into trouble. Otherwise, I will have to hurt you. Do you understand?" Karin said in a sickly sweet voice while smiling at him.

"Huh, yeah, sure, I understand." Naruto gave her a nervous smile as he turned around and walked away.

"Tch, boys," Karin said, heading to her room to get her clothes so she could take a bath.

Meanwhile, outside the Uzumaki residence, a black crow sat on a tree near the rear of the home as it followed Naruto since he never returned to the hideout. Since early on, he has been watching Naruto in case anything suspicious happens. And since Naruto left his apartment with a red-haired girl with glasses, only to make him wonder who she was. The crow followed throughout the day, but the group returned to the Uchiha compound a few hours later. When Naruto and the redhead reached their last destination, the crow knew precisely where they were and what was happening. So, it waited for Naruto to move into the house, where he would make his way there secretly. And all he had to do was wait till the blond decided to leave so it could pass its message.

When Naruto finally decided to sneak out of the house, he ensured that no one was watching or following him as best he could. He quickly went to the compound wall, where the secret exit was. At that point, the crow decided to appear before the young blond.

"Caw! Caw!"

"Ahh! What the hell? Oh, it's sensei summoning crow." Naruto said out loud as the crow "caw" in affirmation. Tell sensei I'll see him right now to explain the situation." Naruto said as he took off to the secret passages his sensei showed him. The crow flew away to give his summoner the message.


Fifteen minutes later, Naruto returned to the hideout in one piece. When he entered the kitchen area, Shisui was sitting eating his dinner. Understanding that his sensei wanted an explanation, Naruto went to get instant ramen before speaking. He figured it was best to eat while explaining the situation while eating. Naruto was thrown out of his confrontation zone for the first time.

"Yesterday, the Sandaime informed me that some members of the Uzumaki clan were found. Unfortunately, the mother died from a paper bomb trying to get away from a battle. Only her daughter survived the blast and was brought back to Konoha. Her name is Uzumaki Karin; she is eight years old and was born in Yugakure. Because of the discovery of another Uzumaki, he had no choice but to tell me about my heritage. How my mother was royalty and when her homeland got destroyed. I was told they gave her a choice to live at the Daimyo's palace. Kushina would be well taken care of since she is royalty. Still, she didn't act like a noble and chose to become a ninja and live in Konoha.

The Hokage understood that taking them in would mean he would have to recognize me having a clan name, leaving him no choice. So, he sent word to the ninja and civilian council about the matter. With the Hokage's suggestion, they had a ninja and civilian council vote. They reinstated the Uzumaki clan once again, and with good measure, Sandaime also decided to pull out my birth certificate to show proof of him being a Uzumaki. Also, they pulled out my mother's "will" to present to the council.

I heard my mother was able to prank the speaker of the "will" with a fuinjutsu trap, which was unfortunate for the Jonin commander. To everyone's surprise, we discovered that my mother had appointed two Godmothers. One was the famous slug princess Tsunade Senju, and the other was her good friend Uchiha Mikoto. Since Tsunade was not present in the village, Hokage gave guardianship of me to the Uchiha Matriarch. When we returned to the Uchiha compound from a shopping trip, she walked my cousin and me to their new home. It was a total surprise that we ended up at your old family home.

Shisui could only sigh at Naruto for giving him an information dump. Surely, Shisui thought, couldn't this kid stay out of trouble only made Shisui get a headache, realizing that Naruto is truly a walking maelstrom. He was snapped out of his thoughts when Naruto began speaking again.

I just remembered that there were at least a dozen survivors from your clan. Most are children; your aunt will raise them at the main compound. And after a while, I lost all interest in what I was being told," Naruto said as he rubbed his head with a sheepish smile.

"I see, so things have become more complicated than expected." Shisui thought to himself as he rubbed his chin.

"Shisui-sensei, when I start the academy, do you think it would be best to hide or display my abilities?" Naruto said to give his sensei a better idea.

Shisui took a moment to think about it since his first idea was for Naruto to hide his abilities. Shisui quickly chooses the safe route by letting Naruto show a small portion of his abilities. The rest would be left on to Naruto if he could trust his jonin captain when he graduates. Also, placing him with his cousin might help their teamwork and trust, creating a good foundation with his team. After finishing going to his thoughts Shisui was ready to give him his advice.

"I think the best thing for you to do is to show improvement in all the areas in the ninja arts. If you could combine it with your pranks, people would know to take you surely or as a joke to catch them off guard. Or maybe you would be remembered throughout the Elemental Nations for pranking." Shisui said while he hid his smirk from showing on his face.

"Do you really believe I could do Shisui-sensei?" Naruto said with a raised eyebrow, as Shisui nodded

"While you attend the academy, it gives you a chance to polish your skills. Plus, it allows you to make new friends and learn different techniques from your classmates in the future. Ensure you aim for the middle of the class since they always put the best student with the worst one. That is how they form the genin team, and always remember that the point of being on a team is to work together. Naruto this will give you a better chance not to stand out in front of your future jonin-sensei." Shisui said to Naruto as he took a sip of his tea.

"Thanks for all the helpful advice, Shisui-sensei; at least I won't need to act like a fool around everyone anymore," Naruto said with relief.

Shisui responded with a "hn" as his answer. When Naruto remembered, he wanted to ask his sensei about his cousin Karin.

"Shisui-sensei, would you be willing to meet my cousin Karin? Naruto asked, hoping that he would.

"In the meantime, not right now. Just give it a little time before I decide to meet your cousin. I'm going to give a wild guess that you won't be staying here anymore. since your cousin Karin is now staying with you. Am I right?" Shisui said as he thought about certain things.

"Yes, Sensei, that is true," Naruto answered his sensei.

"Naruto, make time for you to come over for training since I still have much to teach you. You still have a long way to go before you can be the strongest ninja in the village," Shisui said, getting a nod from the blond while he cleaned his bowls from where he ate.

"Yeah, I'll be sure to come by whenever I have some free time. By chance, sensei, will you tell my godmother you're still alive? I'm sure she will be able to be a great help. She is, after all, our family." Naruto said while he was cleaning the table.

"I would need some time to think about it. That is not something I can't decide immediately since it is riding on my life. Changing the subject, you should head back home. Before someone starts looking for you, it would look suspicious if Anbu caught you wandering around the forest late in the evening." Shisui said as he got up from his seat and guided Naruto to the exit of the hideout.

Naruto nodded to his sensei and left the hideout to return to the Uchiha compound. Shisui, on the other hand, had a lot to think about since his original plans went down the toilet. Luckily for him, it was still in the beginning stages; now, he has to return to the drawing board to better understand how to adapt. Shisui's options have increased, and he must think carefully about them. He decided to call it a night and start fresh with his thoughts in the morning.


When Naruto returned to the compound, he looked around to ensure the secret exit wasn't discovered. Once he felt the coast was clear, he took a late-night stroll through the Uchiha compound. Ten minutes later, he heard some noise and decided to investigate, only to find Sasuke training with his Shuriken on a wooden pole. At first, Naruto would leave him alone to look around when he wondered who was better in a taijutsu match. So he walked out of the shadows of the building and announced himself.

"Hey, Sasuke, have you been out here training since the afternoon?" Naruto said as he startled the boy, making him miss his target.

"Gah! What are you doing here?" Sasuke said in embarrassment after being scared accidentally.

"I was taking a stroll around the compound after I finished training. When I heard noises, only to find you still training. I was going to leave you alone, but I was curious who is better between you and me. Since we are starting the academy in a few days." Naruto said as he had his hands in the back of his head, looking around Sasuke's training area.

Sasuke would dismiss him since his father always told him that the Uchiha clan was one of the strongest in the village. He told many stories that there were more prodigies from the Uchiha clan than any other clan in the village. Since he was his mother's godson from an almost extinct clan of his own, he decided to see if this person would be able to challenge him, Sasuke thought.

"Hn, I accept your challenge. I hope you don't disappoint me, dobe," Sasuke said with a smirk.

"Shut up, teme; where do you want to have the match? And I'll be sure not to mess up your duck butt hair." Naruto said while giving Sasuke a goofy grin.

"Follow me. We should go somewhere we won't wake my home's babies and children. I have the perfect place where we could spar and not be bothered by anyone," Sasuke said as they made their way to the place he had in mind.

Little did they know a few people were watching them as they followed the two boys secretly. Some were curious as to how skilled the heir of the Uchiha clan was. Another pair of eyes was excited to see how the blond fared. A hidden shadow wanted to see the second born of Uchiha matriarch's son go up against the Yondaime legacy. And the last pair of eyes became worried that this spar might get out of hand.


When they reached the place, a lake, and a pier were visible a little ways away. When both boys got to the spot, Sasuke stopped and told the blond to take some distance so they could start their spar. Both took on their fighting stands before they began.

"This will be a strictly taijutsu match. The match will stop when we give up or get knocked out. Do you agree?" Sasuke asked to get confirmation from the blond.

"Yeah! I'm fine with that." Naruto answers back.

A moment of silence took place when both boys rushed forward when Sasuke got close and cocked back his arm, and threw a punch. Seeing the punch, Naruto crossed his arms to see how hard Sasuke's punches were. When the punch connected, it pushed him a couple of feet back. Naruto gave Sasuke a wicked grin, satisfied to discover that Sasuke had less punch power than himself. Naruto rushed forward again, but this time, he went in with a combination attack by jabbing twice with his right hand, then he went for a haymaker with his left hand.

All the while, Sasuke blocked the punches but didn't realize that Naruto did a sidekick, catching Sasuke off guard and sending him crashing to the ground. Naruto immediately took a defensive position and waited for Sasuke to get into a fighting stance again. Sasuke was shocked that the blond could hit him. He stood up and looked at the blond with a hateful expression. He told himself that would be the last time the blond hit him.

"Don't let this go over your head. It's just a small victory. It is the first and final time you will hit me," Sasuke said, snarling, upset that Naruto could hit him so easily.

"Hey, Sasuke, why are you getting so upset? We're just doing a friendly spar, and it's nothing to take seriously. But it is too early for you to think I won't get another hit against you. So let's do this," Naruto said with a serious look.

Sasuke felt that the blond aura had changed, so he took a deep breath to calm his nerves when he once again took a fighting stance. Both boys rushed again; this time, Sasuke threw a barrage of punches and kicks, trying to overwhelm Naruto. Naruto did his best to block and avoid Sasuke's attack but was still getting hit occasionally. But not enough to cause any significant damage as they continue sparring match. Naruto, tired of being unable to fight back, chose to make a gamble. His only goal was to hit Sasuke at least once again.

Being unpredictable, Naruto did a rolling dive and threw himself at Sasuke, grabbing him by the waist. Sasuke, not letting a perfect opportunity go to waste, delivered three elbow strikes to Naruto's back. Ignoring the pain, Naruto dropped to one knee and waited for the ideal moment to catch Sasuke off guard. Gripping Naruto's head, Sasuke went for a knee strike to the face. Thinking that he had connected the blow, Naruto pushed himself off the floor and blocked the knee strike with his arms. Seeing an opening, Naruto headbutts Sasuke in the face. Sasuke yells in pain in surprise that the blonde manages to hit him again. But simultaneously, Sasuke could kick Naruto in the chest, sending him flying to the ground.

Sasuke saw stars and dropped to one knee as he held his nose and was bleeding. He couldn't believe that the blond was able to hit him again. He was angry that he could not win the sparring match yet. He could also feel fatigued sooner since he had been practicing since the afternoon. He hoped to win the match in the next round and prove he was a better taijutsu fighter.

Naruto, on the other hand, was in pain because he allowed himself to be hit to deliver the critical headbutt that injured Sasuke. Feeling that he could go another two rounds, Naruto got himself off the ground and fought when he started to talk.

"Sasuke, I guess you're not just all talk. You are an outstanding taijutsu fighter for our age group. I only hope to have more opportunities to spar with you in the future." Naruto said with a grin as Sasuke "Hn!" and smirked, feeling his blood pump with excitement to show the Uzumaki who was better between the two.

The two boys began to have a stare-off. Both fighting spirits started to resonate throughout the area they were sparring. The eyes hidden throughout the pond were surprised by both kids' tenacity; from what they could see, this would be their last round.

There was a moment of silence when both kids rushed at one another again. Both began throwing punches and kicks, and Sasuke could land more hits than Naruto. But Naruto's punches hurt Sasuke more than the Uchiha would want to admit. Seeing an opening, Sasuke caught Naruto with a flying armbar, and both boys ended up on the ground. Naruto yelped in surprise as he felt Sasuke trying to get a better hold of his arm. Naruto turned his arm in the opposite direction so Sasuke couldn't pull on his arm. To get Naruto to give up while he frantically tried to figure out how to escape this situation. That's when Sasuke began to speak to the blond, as it gave him some time to figure out how to free himself.

"Just give it up, dobe you won't be able to fight this for very long. You will get tired before I accidentally dislocate your arm or break it. I'll give you credit for putting up a good match. I still have to see if the rest of our class is as skilled as you are. Not till then will I acknowledge you as a worthy rival." Sasuke said as he expressed his true feelings, Naruto kept struggling to get out of the hold; he kept grunting with his teeth grinding to stay calm before he spoke.

"I'll never give up, Sasuke. I'd rather break my arm and get knocked out by you before I choose to do that." Naruto said when he got an idea of how to get out of the hold.

Naruto shifted his elbow to the side, making it harder for Sasuke to hyperextend his arm. When he could finally execute a bridge, he moved his body towards Sasuke's legs. Naruto safely got out of harm's way; instead of mounting Sasuke, he quickly went for a haymaker. Sasuke was lying on his back when he saw what the blond would do next. He kicked Naruto away with his legs to get some distance from him. And he quickly got to his feet as he panted for breath.

Both boys looked at each other having a silent agreement. When they rushed forward for the final hit, both threw caution to the wind for the next few minutes; they fought with a series of punches and kicks while tossing one another around. Then, all of a sudden, both cocked back their arms and punched at the same time, knocking each other out. Everyone watching was surprised that both boys could display that kind of fighting ability. At the same time, they slowly began to come out of their hiding places to check on the two boys' injuries. One by one, everyone looked surprised when they saw one another. The first person to speak was the only adult there.

"Good evening, everyone had the same idea to follow these boys here. I never expected to see you three out here, especially you Karin. Izumi-chan, please help me carry my stubborn son back to our place. Rin-chan, please go with Karin-chan and help her by carrying Naruto back to their home. I wish you all a good night," the Uchiha Matriarch said as she turned around and began walking back home. She was followed by Izumi holding Sasuke over her shoulder. Meanwhile, Rin carried Naruto in a princess carry as Karin followed while giggling all the way home.


"Hey Karin, I know you met your cousin some days ago. But at his age, he already has a pretty good taijutsu. I wonder from whom he learned his taijutsu. I'm ashamed to say if I don't practice some more with my taijutsu, both boys will surpass me before they even graduate." Rin said as she sighed at the thought.

"Kato-san, you are a genin correct?" Karin asked as Rin nodded in affirmation.

"Have you been taking your training seriously? Did you even ask your sensei for help or advice to improve yourself?" Karin asked another question to get a clear answer from the older girl.

"No, I haven't asked my sensei since my team and I are still a new team, and we are still learning to get along," Rin said as she considered the questions asked by the young Uzumaki.

"Maybe in your free time, be able to spar with one of them or both if you ask. Naruto-kun wouldn't mind since he would consider it challenging to go up against a genin. As for Sasuke-san, I'm unsure if his pride would make him want to train with other people." Karin explained to the older girl as they walked home, hmm of agreement from the genin.

"I'll think about it since there is so much to learn. I have a lot to think about. I see we are here." Rin said as she waited for Karin to open the front door. When Karin opened the door, they removed their sandals and walked in.

"You could lay him on the sofa over there. Would you like a glass of water?" Karin asked as she went to the kitchen.

"No, thank you. I must return home to check on my mother and little sister. I didn't inform either of them where I was going, so yeah, I'm sure they will get worried," Rin said as she put her sandals back on, said goodbye, and left.

Karin was really impressed that Naruto and Sasuke were such good fighters for being so young. Even genins would be hard press to handle either of them to the point that it would feel shameful for them. Naruto and Sasuke will only improve when they graduate from the Ninja Academy. Something that she is looking forward to is joining him and the possibility of meeting new friends and improving her skills. But first, she made a snack before returning to bed, with some ideas of goals and dreams for the future.


(Flashback)

When she got up to go to the restroom, she activated the [Mind of Kagura], and to her surprise, Naruto was not in the compound. She got worried and was going to search for him when she sensed him a bit away, making his way back to the compound. She decided to see where he was going to come in from. Karin positioned herself in bed to feel more comfortable. She followed Naruto with her jutsu to see what he was up to. Three black crows flew down and scared her, making her lose concentration on her jutsu. While that was happening, Naruto could sneak back into the compound without any problem, without realizing he was already caught.

Once Naruto was inside, the crows flew away, leaving a bewildered Uzumaki with unkempt hair. Once she activated her jutsu again, she detected her cousin's chakra, but he was not alone this time. When she reached Naruto, he was talking with Sasuke. Also hidden were two chakra signatures the size of Sasuke's. There was another signature close by that was significant as well. But a reasonable distance behind her was even more considerable than the rest she could see.

She decided to take the wait-and-see approach. Karin quickly dressed to watch the well-anticipated fight she sensed from the boy's first meeting. When the spar started, she was surprised by both boys' taijutsu skills. Their styles were utterly different, but they were able to match blow for blow. In the end, the match was a draw with a double knockout. But still, she was impressed that her cousin already had the skill to protect himself from enemies.

(Flashback End)


It was late in the evening when the refugees from Nadeshiko arrived, not from Konoha. Many were tired and disillusioned that their entire island was seized by force. The only problem was which one of the great nations would make such a bold move and not care about the consequences. Luckily, word got out about where they were heading in case they wanted to stay together as Nadeshiko kunoichis. Suddenly, a few squads of Anbu landed a few feet away from the caravan.

"Stop! And identify yourself. What village do you hail from? And who is in charge? I'm just to let you know that all of you are surrounded," The Anbu said in a monotone voice.

A tense moment went through all the Nadeshiko Kunoichi's minds, realizing that coming with such a considerable force could be considered a form of war. Tokiwa realizes that the latter hasn't reached the Hokage yet. And quickly began to calm the rest of her comrades in case one of them decided to do something stupid, putting all of them, especially Shizuka-chan, in danger. They were before the strongest ninja force in the Elemental Nations, and Tokiwa didn't want any misunderstandings. Tokiwa and Shizuka walk forward to the Anbu in charge of this large force, just like that man wished.

"I'm Tokiwa, a Jonin commander from Nadeshiko. My last order was to safeguard the daughter of our village leader here. Her name is Shizuka Nadeshiko; she turns eight in a few months. I have been given this scroll to be given to the Hokage," Tokiwa said as she kneeled on one knee with her hands facing up with the scroll.

Some gasps were heard once they saw their commander kneel before another ninja village's subordinates. Many of the kunoichis didn't understand the way she was doing this in the first place when the Anbu in front of her was weaker than her. Others felt slightly outraged at her actions, crushing their pride even more. The other from the major clan knew better since they were not out of danger yet. They knew this was protocol when a large, unannounced army strolls into another Hidden Village. At least out of all the Villages, Konoha was the most reasonable of the five and less likely to kill on sight without getting confirmation. The Anbu stepped forward and grabbed the scroll before he spoke again.

"You are to wait in this area, and you are not allowed to go anywhere. We will provide food until we get a reply back from the Hokage. Until then, be patient until you get an audience with the Hokage." The inu-masked Anbu said before disappearing in a puff of smoke, not letting Tokiwa get another word in.

"Tokiwa, are you sure we're going to be okay?" Shizuka asked as she hung the leg of her guardian.

"You don't have to worry. The Kage who runs Village Hidden in the Leaves is not run by a warlord. If anything, they are one of the most peaceful villages among the Elemental Nations. Still, they are also considered the strongest since they have been part of all three shinobi wars and won all of them," Tokiwa said as she saw the leader's daughter's eyes have stars.

Tokiwa patted the little girl's head as they returned to their original goal: to protect Shizuka at all costs, even if it cost her her life. Tokiwa was still determining if they could get asylum in Konoha. But she hopes their leader's scroll will help them decide to migrate to the village. Otherwise, she would have to figure out where it would be safe for them to travel without any protection from a Nation. She was never good with negotiations but hoped the Hokage would be merciful with them.


Hokage Office

After a long day in the office dealing with all the paperwork, requests from the civilians, and political mambo jumbo, the Sandaime Hokage was finishing up reading some important documents that needed his attention. He felt himself age twenty years from all the unexpected happenings in the village lately. The Hokage needed to plan on giving the hat to a worthy person who wouldn't lead the village to war or ruin. And before he could head to his sleeping quarters, Inu appeared kneeling before his leader.

"Report!" Hokage said as he kept clearing his desk from the paperwork.

"We have some refugees from Nadeshiko. They are waiting outside the walls of Konoha, a few miles away. The leader of Nadeshiko sent a scroll for your eyes only." Inu said as he handed the scroll over to the Hokage.

Hokage-sama,

I want to apologize for not sending this message earlier. At this moment we are being invaded by two S-rank criminals that are very powerful. We are having every kunoichi doing their best to stop these monsters from systematically destroying our village. I decided to send my daughter to your village so she could be protected. She is being guarded by our village commander, with whoever else has survived the massacre. I humbly ask you to give asylum to any Nadeshiko kunoichi's that make it to Konoha. If possible, I gave instructions to my commander for them to reclaim our homeland from the invaders. If it is determined that the island is lost, then the Nadeshiko kunoichi's will give their undying loyalty to Konoha and the Hokage. I gave my final order as the current leader of Nadeshiko. Your student Jiraiya promised me I could count on the Konoha assistance in an emergency.

My regards

Akari Nadeshiko, the leader of Nadeshiko village

When the Hokage finished reading the letter, he immediately gave his next orders.

"Bring me, the commander, and the child, and place them in the Hokage tower as my guests. Tell her she may have five guards to accompany them, and we will also set up quarters for them.

"As for the rest of the refugees, set them up at a training ground forty-four and have them watched by the Anbu. We will send tents and items if needed. Kuma informs the ninja and civilian council that we are having an emergency meeting in three hours. Tell them I won't accept anyone being late. Otherwise, there will be consequences. Inu, Kuma, you're dismissed." The Sandaime said as he began to write notes for today's unexpected council meeting.

The Hokage was busy reviewing the positives and negatives of simulating a new clan. Ever since the massacre of the Uchiha clan, their stand as the most powerful village has decreased, and the rest of the major villages know this. With the addition of Nadeshiko kunoichis, they could once again have a police force with the agreement of the Uchiha Matriarch since that has always been the Uchiha clan's duty to keep the peace. He hopes there won't be any problems with his three elder council members.


The refugees from Nadeshiko were taken to training ground forty-four, a distance from Konoha's walls and front gates. Once they reached the location, more Anbu appeared, securing the area to ensure the kunoichi's would stay in line. A couple of the Anbu came with a storage scroll, unsealing the tents, food, and toiletry. They could survive there since they were close to a water source. The kunoichi from Nadeshiko were accustomed to working together, and their strength and weaknesses divided them up to set up their campground. Tokiwa was able to finish setting up Shizuka's tent. She called for the young girl to follow her inside so they could relax while they waited for the Anbu to return with a response.

Shizuka watched as Tokiwa started to set up her sleeping bag. She decided to do the same since there wouldn't be any servants. Shizuka was used to caring for all her needs since she was the village leader's daughter. Shizuka knew she had to learn independently to become a kunoichi who would lead her people. She was about to ask her guardian a question when they both heard a small commotion outside the tent. The adult and child looked at one another as they slowly exited the tent to see what was happening. The Inu-masked Anbu appeared before the refugees' tents, startling the kunoichis when they jumped into a defensive position. Seemingly not bothered by their actions, the Inu-masked Anbu spoke.

"I'm looking for the person in charge. The Anbu said in his monotone voice as the kunoichis went to look for their leader.

Once the surprise of an elite Anbu showing up wore off, he just stood and waited while his guard was up since he didn't trust the female kunoichis. Two kunoichis stood a small distance away from him and decided to have small talk with the man since they were able to sense that he was a powerful shinobi. Meanwhile, the other kunoichi's tried to find out if the Anbu was strong and single, while some of the other bold kunoichi's asked him if he would want to practice some of their seduction techniques with him. He could only sweat-drop at the bold proposition as he began to feel slightly uncomfortable from the looks they were giving him. He heard a few snickers from the shadows; with his keen hearing, Inu vowed in his heart that he would train those he listened to the ground.

"Inu-san, I'm here. Did Hokage-sama wish to speak to me? Tokiwa said in a respectful tone as Shizuka stared at the man.

"Yes, Hokage-sama wishes you to bring the child and five trusted guards. Then we shall go see Hokage-sama." Inu said in the same monotone voice as the woman nodded in agreement

"We don't need any guards, and I'll be fine alone. I'm all Shizuka needs as a guard. We are ready to go wherever you are, Anbu-san." Tokiwa said, getting a nod from the dog-masked Anbu before Tokiwa picked up Shizuka and placed her on her back as all three headed off to the Hokage tower.


Hokage Office

It took fifteen minutes to reach the Hokage tower since Tokiwa was carrying Shizuka on her back. Once they entered Konoha, the Anbu decided for them to look around as they made their way to the Hokage office. Being still young, Shizuka loved how different Konoha was compared to Nadeshiko. As she kept looking around in the dark, you could tell right away that this was a peaceful village. Five minutes later, they were at the Hokage tower, and they entered to speak with the Hokage. The Anbu knocked on the door while the two guests waited behind him before letting them enter the office. A firm voice for them to enter was heard when the anbu opened the door to let everyone inside the room.

"Good evening. I'm Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Sandaime Hokage leader of the Village Hidden in the Leaves. I read the letter from your village leader. May I ask what happened to her?" The Sandaime asked as he took a sip of tea and waited for a response.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Hokage-sama. My name is Tokiwa, and I'm the commander of Nadeshiko kunoichis," she replied to the Hokage as she bowed.

"And this little girl by my side is Nadeshiko Shizuka. She will be eight in a couple of months and is the daughter of the former village leader.

"Nice to meet you, young lady?" The Sandaime said as he gave a grandfather-like smile while she smiled shyly.

"Nice to meet you too, Hokage-sama," Shizuka said in a low voice as she got a nod of acknowledgment from wise Hokage.

"Please take a seat, you two. Would any of you care for some tea and snacks?" The Sandaime asked as both guests nodded in response.

The Sandaime walked over to the counter, poured some tea, opened a cabinet, and pulled out some snacks. Meanwhile, Tokiwa was very nervous around a living legend as she tried to distract herself from why they were there. On the other hand, Shizuka was too curious as she kept looking around the office, which seemed quite old. The Sandiame walked over with a tray, placed it before them, and returned to his seat.

"Now, care to explain in more detail what happened to Nadeshiko Village? And is it possible to retake the village with military strength? If Konoha were to help?" Sandaime asked while sipping his tea as Tokiwa put her thoughts together.

"All I know from the reports we received was civilians were being murdered on the outskirts of the island. Since we never heard from our patrols again. I assumed we had inflaters on the island and were trying to cover their track. Still, I guess I was wrong with my guess," Tokiwa informed the Hokage, who nodded for her to continue with the story.

"How were you conducting the patrols throughout the island?" The Sandaime asked as he tried to picture it while waiting for her response.

"Normally, I would refuse to say delicate information about the village. Since losing our motherland, I guess classifying information doesn't matter anymore." Tokiwa took a deep breath and continued to speak once again.

"In every little town and village, we posted two squads of kunoichi's. Since the village leader towers the heights of the village, we had four smoke signals. The white smoke told us everything was peaceful. The green smoke informed us of slavers and bandits causing trouble. The red smoke was to let us know if a murder had occurred. The black and red together means invasion." Tokiwa explained to the Hokage, who was listening clearly, trying to sense any lies in her tale.

"I see; that is a pretty ingenious way to alert your forces from a distance." The Sandaime commented as he wrote that idea down to review later with the Anbu commander while Tokiwa continued speaking.

"We noticed something was wrong when a few of our outposts never ignited the smoke signals, letting us know things were all clear in their sector. We sent out more kunoichi's to investigate, but they never returned. Then, one day at our main trading port, two men came walking from the sea. That is when one of them began to run toward the island and began to kill and injure others. He had the look of a psychopath enjoying the pain he was inflicting. The other ninja just watched from a distance, not caring about what his partner was doing. The shinobi would occasionally say, "Don't lose your head, and I hope you die," and I quote." Tokiwa said from her report as she continued with her story.

"I'm not sure if we reported on time to Lady Akari, but on our way to Konoha, I got the report that the two S-rank missing-nin are Kakuzu of Takigakure and the other is Hidan of Yugakure, and from what I heard, he is a zealot for some religion call Jashin. The reports state that he is immortal since they cut off his head several times. That is when Kakuzu would summon his black monsters while reattaching Hidan's head. Then he would disengage from the battle, watch from a distance, or disappear to do whatever he had planned." Tokiwa said all the while the Hokage was taking notes, while underlying some of the main topics.

"Lady Akari gave me her last orders to protect Shizuka and get her to Konoha to seek asylum if we cannot reclaim the island," Tokiwa said, informing the Hokage so vital information that Konoha might not have on file yet.

This time, the Hokage pulled out his pipe, packed it with his favorite tobacco, and performed a low-level fire jutsu to light it. While took a few puffs as he got up and walked over to the window overlooking the village before he spoke. There was a moment of silence as the man looked over his village and put his thoughts together. Once he finished processing the information he was giving, he turned to the woman with serious eyes. Seeing his serious look, Tokiwa swallowed hard, hoping Konoha would help them regain their island.

"Tokiwa-san, I'm sorry that your precious village got taken over by having your people killed. I sympathize, but this action has happened since the warring state era. I don't know if you were old enough during the Second Shinobi War. Another island nation was invaded by three of the five great nations. Their excuse was that they were too powerful for a lonely clan."

"To have that kind of power and to be able to defeat any of the nation's deterrents of the Bijus and jinchuriki. One of the other reasons was the fact that Konoha and Uzushiogakure were allied in a way by blood. Many decided to separate themselves since the Senju clan was in constant war. They became the Uzumaki clan, enhanced somewhere over the decades. Senju Hashirama eventually married Uzumaki Mito to cement their alliance, making Konoha and Uzushiogakure into very powerful villages. Something that the other nations couldn't allow; otherwise, the balance of power was tipping too much in favor of Konoha."

"That is why a coalition of Kiri, Kumo, and Iwa, with the help of Kusa. Attack Uzushiogakure on a raid. Somehow, the island's defensive barrier was shut off, making it easy for them to invade. The only thing they did was underestimate the Uzumaki clan's pride and determination to protect their family. Shinobi and civilians alike fought off the invasion for a month."

"Now, where was Konoha when Uzushiogakure was attacked? If they were their most trusted ally. The simple answer was we were attacked at the same time, so we were not able to help out our ally. We were being attacked by the Iwa main force from the northwest, while half of Kumo's strongest force was attacking from the northeast. Kiri sent a small water fleet to keep Konoha off balance. At the same time, Kusa only joined the war effort in hopes of capturing some Uzumaki and possibly some fuinjutsu scrolls to help their village gain more power."

"And inadvertently, Amegakure since Iwa was crossing into their land to get to the Land of Fire. Eventually, the Uzumaki clan was defeated, but not before they crippled the other nations, and it happened before we got word of what happened to our allies. That is why, remembering their extremely hard-fought battle, we adopted the swirl on our village symbol in honor of the Uzumaki clan. If it wasn't for them, the war could have continued. The whole point of the story was even if you lost your homeland doesn't mean that your culture hasn't been lost since at least you could pass on the tales to the next generation of Nadeshiko kunoichis." The Sandaime said, giving the young ladies a warm smile, while both females were amazed by the tale of the Uzumaki clan

"So what happened to the Uzumaki clan? Did they ever make it to Konoha?" Shizuka asked, unable to contain herself from the fascination with the story the elderly Hokage told.

A sad smile appeared on the elderly man's face as if the thought of understanding why the little girl was asking. The Uzumaki clan has been forgotten since the fall of Uzushiogakure. It saddens the Hokage rich piece of history might only live long enough with the proper education. He would need to look into something with the headmaster in charge of the Ninja Academy. So he refocused his attention on the little girl to answer her question.

"Unlike the people from Nadeshiko, the Uzumaki clan wasn't that lucky to make it to Konoha. Since the other villages knew of our alliance, they had shinobi around their area to intercept any Uzumaki and take them hostage, hoping to create their version of the Uzumaki clan. A clear disgust appeared on Tokiwa's face, while Shizuka looked horrified. That is the sad truth of the shinobi world out there. The young lady remembered these words from this old man."

"Always be grateful for the life you have lived. And never take something for granted since life is too short for most of us. As I digress to answer your question, we only have two members of the Uzumaki clan; one appears to be full-blooded. As for the one other is half through his mother's side. The boy is remarkable since he has chakra as much of a new jonin, and is a handful to handle. The Sandaime said as Tokiwa raised their eyebrow while Shizuka giggled at the thought of a hype boy running around to yell his dream.

"I think I understand the moral of the story, Hokage-sama. I never thought being a village leader of one of the five great nations could be tedious." Tokiwa said after listening to the tale of the Uzumaki clan as the Hokage nodded in affirmation.

"Tokiwa-san this might not be an easy decision, and you can discuss it with your comrades. You will have the option to become a leaf ninja or become a civilian. If all the kunoichi's decide to become loyal to Konoha you will first be tested by facing three separate sparring matches with the rank you have. If you lose all three, you must face the rank below that. This will determine where you should be properly in our shinobi forces. Once all Nadeshiko kunoichi's pledge loyalty to me, I will bestow you the name Nadeshiko clan. By doing this, you would either make a council or have one power with absolute control of the clan. I'm sure this would take some time to resolve since making a new clan is never that easy either." The Sandaime laughed out loud as Tokiwa sighed in defeat at the colossal mountain they needed to climb to get the respect of the Hokage.

"Let me get this straight: let's say, for example, one part of our culture is for us to fight a strong male and take him in as our husband. Would we be allowed to do that?" Tokiwa asked a valid question, wanting to know if it would be allowed.

"Tokiwa-san here in Konoha is somewhat special. The only problem with your culture is that we have many clans with Kekkei Genkai and family jutsu that are secret only to the clan. You would have to formally ask permission if it would be possible to challenge a member from another clan. Before accepting matches, both parties must make a contract in case of political backlash. We can't have your kunoichis think they can challenge who they want, with their only reason being that the man could be stronger, making them perfect candidates to procreate with." The Sandaime replied as he took a puff from his pipe with an amused smile.

"I understand, Hokage-sama; what would you recommend?" Tokiwa asked as she pondered a problematic decision about Nadeshiko's future.

The Hokage, understanding what she was thinking, suggested since she seemed to be at a loss. To make such a life-changing decision on her own that would affect the lives of her people. It couldn't have been easy to be the guardian of the village leader's daughter. Unfortunately, once Konoha takes hold of them, they won't be able to leave the village. At least not all of them, since being a kunoichi is more dangerous than wandering the world, You would have to be with your guard up the entire and that could get exhausting.

"Why don't you talk it over with your fellow kunoichi's on making a unified decision on Nadeshiko. Once it has been decided, inform one of my Anbu, and I will clear my schedule for the day so we can understand some of the main laws in Konoha. I will have my advisors make a copy of it in Konoha, while the first section will be for civilian laws. The second section will have the shinobi laws and regulations." The Hokage said diplomatically, trying not to show any form of pressure.

"You have my thanks, Hokage-sama; I think I will listen to your advice since I still was not sure what I could truly do," Tokiwa said as she was grateful to the Hokage.

"Hokage-sama, I would like to ask you for a small request, if possible," Tokiwa asked Sandaime, feeling a little embarrassed to ask the village leader for another request.

"What might that be?" The Sandaime replied, his curiosity peaked as he took another puff of his pipe.

"Would it be possible for Shizuka to join the Ninja Academy or maybe a civilian school of education? So she could pass the time and not feel like she was a prisoner of war. And it would give her a chance to be around children her age," Tokiwa said, hoping for a positive response from the village leader.

The Hokage couldn't agree more with the guardian of the little girl. Having her make some bonds with the other kids would help the Nadeshiko commander make an easier decision. Plus, it would be good for the village to teach the basics to a little girl; since Nadeshiko was a Matriarch village, I'm sure they would start teaching her the basics soon as well. The Sandaime thought to himself as he sipped on his tea before answering.

"I see no problem with your request since the new academy year will begin in a few days. I will begin the paperwork for her, and hopefully, she will find a ninja art that will fit with her personality." The Sandaime said with a smile, pulled out some paperwork, and began to fill it out.

"You have my thanks, Hokage-sama. I want to thank you for the support you are giving us," Tokiwa said as she gave a bow, followed by Shizuka.

"It is my pleasure now, Tokiwa-san. I hope you and the rest of your people can come to a clear decision. Also, to inform you, since the academy will be starting in a few days, it would be best for young Shizuka to stay in the village. It would make her getting to the academy easier; we could place both of you in a hotel or rent your place, maybe temporarily." The Sandaime said as he warmly smiled at both the child and adult.

"I think it would be best to rent out a place in the meantime, while Shizuka goes to the academy. I think it is time to head back to our tent, I must begin talks with the rest of my people." Tokiwa said as she smiled at the Hokage; he nodded in understanding.

Once the talks were over with the Hokage, he called for Inu again to escort them back to their tent. So, the Anbu henge into a civilian before guiding the two Nadeshiko citizens out of the leader's office. When they walked out of the Hokage's tower, they began to make their way forward; all the while, little Shizuka looked around and walked down the road. Since she had never been to another village, her curiosity was just too obvious. Shizuka's stomach suddenly growled as she blushed in embarrassment as her guardian and the Anbu turned to her.

Tokiwa asked the Anbu if it was possible to stop by somewhere to get some dinner before making it to the campground. The Anbu agreed since the kid was hungry, so taking a slight detour in the village would be good. Five minutes later, they stopped by a small ramen stand called "Ichiraku Ramen." They ordered two bowls as they talked to the friendly stand owner and his daughter. After saying their thanks and goodbyes, they continued walking through the road when they reached the front of the gate.

The Anbu undid his henge and presented the scroll the Hokage gave him to the gate guards. Once they verified the mission and the Hokage orders, the Anbu informed the older kunoichi to carry the little girl so they could run to the refugee site. The quick run took about ten minutes, and there was complete silence during the whole run. When they finally got to the refugee camp, the anbu told the old kunoichi to call out an Anbu when they were ready with their decision. Tokiwa nodded in response to the anbu instructions, and he was gone with a puff of smoke.

When Tokiwa and Shizuka reached their tent, the older women took out the storage scroll and pumped some of her chakra. And with another puff of smoke, a ramen bowl appeared. Then she passed the little girl her ramen bowl; as she broke apart, her chopsticks immediately began to eat. Shizuka's eyes went wide when she tasted the flavor of the ramen; Tokiwa, nodding in satisfaction, slowly started eating her ramen. The guardian and child ate silently for the next few minutes, enjoying their dinner before Shizuka spoke.

"Tokiwa, this has to be the best-tasting ramen I have ever tasted; I don't think anyone in Nadeshiko would come close," Shizuka commented as she ate her ramen happily. As a warrior, Tokiwa didn't care but kept that to herself.

"Surprisingly, I have to agree with you there, lady Shizuka. After dinner, we have to meet with the rest of our people and get their opinions; if they stay in Konoha, they will be granted clan status. Otherwise, they will be free to return and pick up the pieces of the destroyed home. The Nadeshiko people must make this difficult decision to survive." Tokiwa said as she began to chew on a fish cake.

"Will I be able to attend the meeting?" Shizuka asked, hoping to learn more from this experience.

"I don't see why not. You have just as much right as the next girl does," Tokiwa said as she picked up her bowl and drank some of the broth. Shizuka nodded at the last comment.

Once they had finished eating and cleaned up, Tokiwa told Shizuka to wait at the tent while she gathered all their people. Shizuka nodded as she saw her guardian leave; in the meantime, she felt giddy at the fact that she would be attending a shinobi academy. Since Nadeshiko is a matrilineal village, she could grow up with both genders. Shizuka could only wonder what their people would decide for their future.


It took about an hour for all the kunoichi to gather at the edge of the lake for this important meeting that would decide the fate of Nadeshiko. Tokiwa had all the kunoichi that came with their lineup in their ranks so she could better understand the shinobi forces that traveled with them. Tokiwa had seventeen jonin, fifteen chunin, and eight genin, not counting the ones still needed to make it to Konoha.

"Yesterday, I talked with the Hokage about our immediate future for us and Nadeshiko. I have been given some time to decide on what we will do. The Hokage is willing to give asylum to all the refugees coming from Nadeshiko as long as you bend your knee to show loyalty to the Hokage. The Hokage also said whoever decides to stay will grant us a clan status, calling ourselves the Nadeshiko clan. We would have to come up with our clan laws, and we would have to tweak some of our culture and incorporate them into our laws." Tokiwa said to everyone there, seeing a series of different reactions.

"Wasn't Konoha going to help us reclaim our island?" one of the Jonin kunoichi shouted as the others nodded.

"Akari-sama never said Konoha would help us since Nadeshiko doesn't have an alliance with Konoha. Politically, they have no obligation to assist us, and if they wish, they could ask us to leave. Hi no Kuni. The Hokage is not forcing us to stay here, but he did mention that we are still being hunted by whoever hired those two monsters." Tokiwa said with a serious look on her face.

The jonins began to speak about what to do since Konoha would allow them to stay and even create their clan. And since their village was matrilineal, they never attempted to make any alliance since their island was tiny. They would never have imagined being taken over by two S-rank missing-nins. And hopefully the word will spread for all Nadeshiko kunoichi's to make it to Konoha.

"Can't we wait to gather more of our sisters and possibly hire some Konoha shinobis to help on an assault to get our island back?" Another jonin spoke up, getting a few nods in return.

"Yes, just thinking of that sounds like a good idea to us, but politically it will hurt Konoha if the one who ordered the takeover was Kirigakure. That might trigger the fourth shinobi war because, like the rumors we heard, Kumo and Iwa wouldn't hesitate to join the Kiri side to destroy Konoha. There is no love lost between those three Elemental Nations.

"I don't feel right giving up like this so quickly, it makes us look extremely weak being defeated by two shinobi. A chunin female said as she had a gloomy look.

"I don't know what world you are living in. Akari-sama was a high A-rank border-lining low S-rank Kunoichi; she would be hard-pressed even to fight one of them. And I'm pretty sure the Taki missing-nin is the strongest of the two while he was collecting information." Tokiwa said as the rest under her command couldn't believe that Lady Akari never had a chance against them as she began to speak again.

"How many among you would rather leave Konoha? If you desire to do that, you're free to go. And no one will stop you or get angry with you; remember, if you ever desire to return, we will welcome you back." Tokiwa said as she looked at every single one of the kunoichi's.

"Why don't you send out three teams to look for survivors? Pick the one still unsure about joining Konoha; give them more time to think about it." Shizuka said, proposing an idea.

When Tokiwa heard the idea was not bad and could benefit. Many of the other kunoichis thought it was okay, too. It took an open mind to give a good option for adult stuck in their ways to come up with. And the fact that they were accepting from a little girl was a good sign of a proper future leader. Tokiwa cleared her throat to get the attention of everyone before she spoke with the following command.

"Okay, none of the genin are allowed on this mission, so you stay put. I want two jonin and two chunin on a team pick amongst you and let me know.

"Tokiwa-san, I have a serious question that I just thought of. Will we keep the same rank if we pledge loyalty to the Hokage?" A curious chunin asked a crucial question, getting nodes from the rest of the kunoichi.

"Oh, that's a great question. I'd talk to Hokage about it, and this is what he said. He and his Jonin commander would evaluate our ranks to properly place them in the best position suited for them in Konoha. There could be a great possibility that some of you will be demoted briefly; compared to our island, Konoha has a greater chance of going to war with one of the other Elemental Nations. They are the strongest of the hidden villages, winning all three shinobi wars. Even if they didn't start them and were attacked without provocation, they ended them." Tokiwa said as everyone stayed quiet and absorbed the information.

"Tokiwa-san! We decided on the three retrieval teams you asked for to search for any of our people." One of the new jonins announced, getting Tokiwa's attention.

"Great! Let me signal one of the Anbu to escort you out of Hi no Kuni and inform you what your intentions are," Tokiwa said as she signaled them to follow her. When they reached the edge of the encampment, she called out.

"Anbu, I need to speak to you," Tokiwa shouted as she waited for the man to appear.

"Is there something you need to ask?" The Anbu with the Inu mask surprised all the kunoichi, who did not expect someone to appear suddenly like a shadow.

"Shit! Don't do that, I might accidentally attack you, and I might not be the only one either." Tokiwa said, caught off guard getting a shrug in dismissal from the man.

"Can you please inform the Hokage-sama? I'm having three retrieval teams find any of our sisters who are lost in the area. As for the rest of us, we might have an answer for Hokage-sama about joining Konoha." Tokiwa explained while the Anbu nodded in acceptance.

The Anbu lifted his hand forward, and three teams of Anbu appeared. They all felt powerful shinobi and were ready to follow their taicho orders. The kunoichi's of Nadeshiko were now weary with the new black ops members.

"The Hokage ordered these Anbu teams to assist in retrieving all Nadeshiko citizens. Our best trackers will be able to assist you with better accuracy in finding civilians and shinobi alike. Now, then, they will lead you out of the village." The Anbu vanished in a cloud of smoke, baffling everyone, including his comrades.

"Okay, then let's move out!" ordered a Neko-masked Anbu, who appeared to be female. They all vanished in a [Shunshin], leaving their respected signatures behind.

Tokiwa, tired from the long trip and setting up their tent and campground. It is more draining after a serious talk with the Hokage than she would like to admit. And then to have a speech telling my sisters our choices. Now that we have extra help from the Hokage, he seems determined to keep us in Konoha. Tokiwa slowly turned and grabbed Shizuka's hand, gently pulling her back to their tent. So they could lie down and go to bed and see what new surprises she might be hearing or seeing from the Sandaime Hokage.


A/N: Hello, fellow readers and writers. I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I had to look for the right chapters and do a lot of plug-and-play with the previous version of the story that I changed. I'm sorry that it's taking so long for the story to move along. I'm trying to piece everything together to make sense of it as I introduce characters and develop them as the story goes forward. I like to give special thanks to Samuel Santillan, NinjaFang1331, and KidneyZero for always reviewing the story since the rewrite I definitely appreciate it. I also want to give thanks to thor94 for being the first-time reviewer for this story. To answer your question, I'm still drafting ideas with Danzo but that will be for a later time. As for the Uzumaki, their a certain detail, I haven't mentioned yet but should be explained in later chapters.