I've been working on this one for a hot minute. Let me know what you think.


Truly Seen

Chapter One: "Outside Help"

The Sand Siblings were annoyed. All for the same reason, which was a rarity. It was one thing for Temari's plan to be ignored. It was another thing for Kankuro to sulk about waiting for something to happen. And it was a completely different thing to not allow Gaara to hunt and kill the enemy. But for all three to happen at once? That was intolerable, and they told the fourth Kazekage as such.

"Why do we need help from the Leaf Village?!" Kankuro yelled, glaring at his father and the advisors. His hands - one holding the strap of his puppet, and the other at his side - were balled into fists.

"They're going to get in the way," Gaara said, his level voice betrayed by his own glare.

Temari sighed, placing her hands on her hips. "I hate to say this, but I agree with them," she said before looking at her village leaders. "This is our home. Our problem. Rogues are our responsibility, and calling in others runs the risk of them learning our secrets. We would be better off going out and baiting them into our trap," she said, her voice only rising slightly. Her younger brothers both nodded.

Raza let out a heavy sigh. "At this point, who is to say you could bait them into a trap at all?" He said more than asked. "Daughter, you are a brilliant strategist, but you made a plan based on only one interpretation of their motives. Such a thing is short sighted and runs the risk of stretching our already thin resources even thinner."

Temari joined the boys in the glaring contest as their father stood. "I don't like this any more than you do, but this is where allies are needed. The Leaf is not burdened with such an issue and can afford us the extra manpower. And rest assured, I requested a team of specialists, with a leader who can navigate the throws of rogues terrorizing the home they've betrayed. The Hokage assured me that he would send the best available, and he has yet to fall short on his word."

Gaara growled and his older siblings jumped back a little. However, before any more words could be exchanged, a knock came at the door.

"Enter!" Raza called.

The door opened, revealing Baki to his students. "I've brought the Leaf ninja, Lord Kazekage," he said, frowning as he bowed his head.

"Good. Let them in!" He ordered.

When their sensei had arrived, the Sand Siblings noticed how he didn't try to hide his displeasure. The three glanced at each other before looking back to see the team the Leaf sent. And once they entered, they all understood why.

It was a team of four kunoichi, one clearly a jonin, while the others seemed to be her students.

The jonin was as tall as Baki, with a complexion that was bright and rosy. She had dark brown hair and navy blue eyes. She was dressed in a standard jonin uniform with a bright red scarf around her neck with tails that dangled to her waist. Her headband was wrapped around her upper arm, and her gaze was stern.

The first two of her students were identical twins. They stood a little shorter than Kankuro, with chestnut colored and orange hair that was cut in an angled bob. Their differences were only in how they dressed, and that was mostly in color.

They both wore black shorts under a dress made with rough fabric, had short sleeves, as well as a short skirt with slits up both sides. The first girl had a brown, leather skirt apron tied around her waist, while the second had a brown, leather crop-jacket. The first wore their headband around their neck, while the second wore it around her waist. The first one's dress was white, the second's was forest green.

The last girl was much easier to miss, but put next to her team, this just made her stand out more. Her white hair was cut short, and her bangs were swept to the left side of her face, and its longer strands were braided. Her eye color was unclear, as she wore yellow goggles with red tinted lenses covering her eyes. Her skin was pale, almost like snow, but her cheeks were rosy. She wore a light blue t-shirt that hugged her figure, tan shorts, a red scarf around her neck, and a staff a little over half her height was strapped to her back.

The four filed in, standing side by side before bowing in unison. "Lord Kazekage," the jonin greeted before lifting her head. "It is an honor to meet you, Sir," she said before her students raised their heads. "I'm Shinobu Katsumi."

Katsumi turned to the girls with her, and gestured to each one as she spoke next, starting with the twin in the white dress. "These are my students: Shizen Kotori, Shizen Tatsuya, and Kairen Manami," she said, each girl nodding as their name was spoken.

They all stared at them for a moment, but before any tension could brew, Raza gave the team a bow. "Thank you all for coming. Though I must admit, you are not what I was expecting," he said in an even tone.

"We're used to that," Katsumi said with a hint of sympathy. "However, we do not expect you to trust us, but to prove we are worthy of it. If you are willing to give us a chance, of course," she added, placing a hand on her chest and lowering head.

The three girls stared at the Kazekage, the twins giving him a small smile while Manami's expression remained calm. His three children looked at him, more visibly annoyed than before. But again, the silence didn't stretch on for too long. The Kazekage returned to his seat. "Does that mean your students possess any skills that can help resolve this issue?" He asked her.

Katsumi nodded. "Indeed, Sir. Kotori has a vast knowledge and has an unprecedented knack for traps. Tatsuya is a gifted tracker and healer. And Manami is among the most talented and strategic fighters I've had the pleasure to meet."

The twins beamed and a small smile graced Manami's lips.

"And you?" Raza asked her, his eyes narrowing slightly.

The Leaf jonin chuckled. "Before taking these three on as my students, I spent over ten years assisting other nations with problems such as yours. And since becoming my students, they too have started accruing that experience," she said.

More silence came, and Raza looked at the Leaf ninja in what they assumed was skepticism. "Very well then," he said before gesturing to his children. "You will be working alongside Baki and the Sand Siblings. My daughter: Temari, my older son: Kankuro, and my younger son: Gaara." The Leaf bowed to them, but the sand ninja did not return it.

Kankuro snorted. "Specialists, huh? Is this how low the bar is for the Leaf?"

Kotori, the twin in white, glared at him. "Are you deaf or something? You really think Lord Hokage would send us on a three day trip across the desert if our sensei was all talk?" She asked, her voice raising only slightly as she approached him.

Kankuro shrugged, smirking. "Oh, I don't know. Does your Hokage actually think our situation is serious?" He asked, leaning forward and crossing his arms.

The Leaf all froze, and disapproving leers were sent Kankuro's way from the village leaders and his sensei. "Why-? You-! HOW DARE YOU!" Kotori yelled.

Two loud whacks came then. Everyone's gaze shifted to Manami, who at some point moved between Kankuro and Kotori and hit them on their heads with her short staff. The two flinched back, placing their hands on their heads from the pain.

Manami sighed and tapped her staff on the ground, half-leaning on it. "All right, talons away," she said in a smooth, honeyed tone. Manami turned to Kankuro. "I knew you weren't happy with us when we came here, Kankuro. But as the Kazekage's son, I thought you'd have the decency to not insult us before we even started. In such a tactless way, no less," she said. Kankuro glared, barely biting back an insult as she turned her head. "And Kotori, come on. Save your energy for when its needed."

Kotori crossed her arms. "You think we should just take that, Boss? From someone we're supposed to work with?"

The Sand ninja all stared and Manami just chuckled. "Not the boss, technically, but yes. We weren't sent out here to make friends. We're simply following our orders to help our allies. We don't have to like them, but they're not the enemy. Let's stay focused. If Kankuro wants to keep throwing insults, then that's his problem, not ours," she said with a shrug before patting her friend on the shoulder.

Kotori and Tatsuya chuckled, and Temari hid her smirk behind her hand. Kankuro scowled, and Gaara stared at Manami with a narrowed gaze.

The two ninja bowed in apology to the village leaders and then their sensei. When the girls were excused, the ninja filed in line to be briefed on the situation. The Kazekage kept his eyes on them, occasionally shifting his gaze to Kankuro. His older son did not meet his gaze.

"A few weeks ago, three of our jonin defected from the village. They were against the peace agreements made between the Land of Wind and the Land of Jungles. This helped us secure one of the Wind's other ninja villages, and created a new well of resources," he said.

Kotori perked up. "I remember reading about that!" She said before looking at her team. "A year ago, the Hidden Oasis Village agreed to help provide water and crafting resources in exchange for aide from the Hidden Sand's ninja where needed. Because of that, the Hidden Tree Village lost a source of income, and their trade with the Sand took a plummet," she told them.

Tatsuya's eyes narrowed. "The rain out there is brutal, isn't it? Why wage war instead of negotiate with the village?" She asked the Kazekage.

"That is not important," he said. "What is important is that a week ago, these same ninja managed to infiltrate and attack our village. Prisoners were broken out of their cells, multiple explosions went off in the village almost simultaneously, our armory was broken into and robbed, a good number of our men were killed, and more were injured. All of this in less than 15 minutes," he explained.

"Peculiar," Katsumi said, rubbing her chin with a finger.

Manami tapped her staff onto the floor, then positioned herself in a position where she was balancing herself on it in a crouching position. It drew the eyes of the Sand ninja towards her. Tatsuya shook her head at the leaders while Kotori held up a hand to the Sand Siblings.

Katsumi stepped forward. "I take it your men have already performed a preliminary investigation. Were they able to determine how these rogues entered the village. Or how they managed such a quick and successful attack on the Sand without alerting those on patrol?" She asked him.

The Kazekage shook his head. "The most we could confirm is that the bombs weren't on a relay trigger, but placed and set off individually. Most of our men are keeping the citizens safe and providing for those who were harmed. The damages are being seen to by all able bodied hands," he said.

The twins glanced at each other and Katsumi nodded. "That's not ideal, but we've worked with less. We'll work diligently and swiftly, Sir," she said.

Heads turned towards Manami again at the sound of her clicking her tongue. The shorter Leaf ninja stood, using her foot to fling her staff into her hand. The sight made the twins smirk and Katsumi smiled.

"Anything you'd like to share, Boss?" The twins asked, their tones bordering on playful.

Their "boss" shook her head. "Still not the boss, you two. As for sharing, not just yet. Too many open variables," she said before looking at the Kazekage. "Is there anywhere we can use to set up? A small room with a board will do," she said to him.

The Kazekage nodded. "Not here, but I've had a workstation set up for you at my home. It should prove sufficient. I've also prepared rooms for you there," he said.

"Then we will head there to organize and start our investigation," Katsumi said, stepping forward. "I take it there are reports waiting to be read."

"And information on the jonin in question," Raza said as reports were passed to Baki. "All the information pertaining to the situation is there. Review it all with the Leaf ninja," Raza said.

"Yes, Lord Kazekage!"


And first chapter. Been a while since I started a new one. Lots of stuff going on. Updates will be slow, but I hope you've all enjoyed this first chapter.