Author's Note: Hey everyone! Unfortunately, I'm going to put Desert Storm on temporary hiatus since I want to focus more on My Sister and Back In The Past, as well as my Yu-Gi-Oh GX fanfiction. My Sister is going to be a big universe, much bigger than Legacy of the Flash. I do promise you that I will come back to Desert Story! Enjoy!

Also: Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Bijū talk or think/Jutsu

"Talking"

'Thinking'

"Communication"

Flashbacks – Everything is slanted in flashbacks and Raiura's dreams

Summons Speaking (When they are not in the summoning world)

Chapter 15

Chūnin Exams Arc: Part 1

Raiura strolled down the bustling streets of Konoha, her heart swelling with triumph as she reveled in her recent achievement—she had finally mastered the Hiraishin. The knowledge that she had transformed one of the Uzumaki Compound's lovely training grounds into a chaotic mess filled her with pride rather than regret. The ephemeral thrill of her accomplishment overcame any notion of tidiness.

Engrossed in her musings, she was jolted back to the present by a scuffling noise behind her. Glancing back, a bemused sigh escaped her lips as she registered a peculiar brown box camouflaged against the fence. It featured two holes facing her, a ridiculous invention that demanded her attention.

Even amidst her jocular thoughts, the day was brimming with potential. It had been a while since she had seen the Sandaime's grandson, Konohamaru. Somehow, she had inadvertently become a rival to him in their shared dream of becoming Hokage. It had taken every bit of courage to knock some sense into the boy, urging him to understand that his lineage alone wouldn't earn him respect within the village. Ever since, she had solidified her place as an object of admiration among the children.

"Konohamaru, square boxes with holes don't exist, ya know?" she called out, her voice layered with exasperation.

From inside the box, a small, squeaky voice piped up, "Wow! Discovering my presence this early! Just as I expected from my rival and my hero!" With a bright explosion of smoke, three figures sprang forth, coughing and sputtering as they emerged from the cloud.

"Hey! You put too much powder!" one of them exclaimed.

A small chuckle bubbled within Raiura. She turned to see Konohamaru, flanked by two other children she had yet to meet. One was a boy with dark hair, thick glasses, and a runny nose, while the other was a girl with vibrant orange hair and a faint blush on her cheeks.

"Hey! Nē-chan, you have some time, right?" Konohamaru grinned up at her, his eagerness palpable.

Raiura's brow furrowed initially, confusion creeping in. A hyperactive eight-year-old boy with his friends asking if she was free? The implications were clear—they wanted her to join in their game of ninja.

"How about you humor them?" Kurama suggested, his tone teasing.

Rolling her eyes, Raiura responded mentally, 'If I humor them, Kurama, I'll be stuck with them all day. That is not something I want to do.'

Turning back to Konohamaru, she hesitated for a moment before saying, "While I do have some time, I won't be playing ninja with you. You guys get too carried away." It was her attempt to gently decline without hurting his feelings.

Suddenly, an idea struck her, and she added, "Hey! You haven't introduced your friends. Who are they?"

"I'm Udon, and I like numbers!" announced the black-haired boy with what he clearly thought was authority, delivering his introduction in a serious tone that felt comically exaggerated for an eight-year-old.

"And I'm Moegi! The most beautiful kunoichi in Konoha!" the orange-haired girl chimed in with sparkling enthusiasm.

Raiura couldn't help but smile. 'God. How innocent these kids are,' she thought, feeling a warmth settle in her chest.

"What's the point of a ninja playing ninja?" piped up a calm voice, sophisticated beyond her years, suddenly making the group turn. It was Sakura, her appearance strikingly different since Raiura last saw her on a mission with Team 7.

Dressed in a stylish beige set of cargo shorts adorned with pockets, she wore a red long-sleeved version of her top that hugged her figure, complete with arm guards and black fingerless gloves. A sleek black choker with a red gemstone accentuated her neck, while her hair was swept to one side, casting a shadow across part of her face. She finished her look with blue sandals that gave her an air of effortless grace.

As Raiura approached Sakura, she offered an easy smile. "Hey, Sakura! How are you?"

"Fine," Sakura replied, her smaller smile warm but her posture subtly tense.

Just then, Konohamaru interjected, his bright-eyed enthusiasm intact. "Hey, Nē-chan!"

"What?" Raiura asked, glancing down at him.

"She's your teammate? Her forehead is huge, and her chest is as flat as a board!" Konohamaru blurted out with childlike candor, clearly oblivious to the impending ire he had just summoned.

Raiura's eyes widened as she quickly pivoted toward Sakura, fully bracing for a reaction. Although Sakura appeared calm, Raiura's instincts screamed that this was a precarious moment.

Slowly, Sakura began to crack her knuckles with a disturbingly controlled menace. "Run, kid. You won't be able to see straight after I'm done with you."

A flash of realization crossed Konohamaru's face at that moment. He turned, bolting away, his friends in tow, the sound of their panicked screams fading into the distance. Raiura just shook her head in disbelief, a small laugh escaping her lips. "Kid's got a lot to learn," she remarked, her tone light even as she caught Kurama's gleeful chuckles in her mind.

Without hesitation, Raiura summoned a Kage Bunshin, sending one after Konohamaru while she took a different path, intent on catching up without causing any more turmoil. If she was quick enough, her little rival just might escape getting pummeled and learn valuable lessons in respect and resilience along the way.

With her chakra sensing active, Raiura deftly maneuvered through the streets, dodging obstacles and turning sharply to stay on track with Sakura's signature. However, she wasn't prepared for what lay ahead; she found herself confronting the backs of two shinobi near her age, one girl and one boy, with the boy gripping a terrified Konohamaru by his collar.

Raiura discreetly replaced herself with her Kage Bushin. The shinobi was dressed in a black cat suit with, which she assumed, was a puppet rapped in bandages on his back. And he was wearing face paint of all things.

'That's not good,' Raiura thought.

The other one was a very beautiful kunoichi by no means, but Raiura was sure that Mikoto-oba or Hiroka-oba, or even her own mother was much more beautiful than this. The kunoichi had a long-sleeved purple blouse that featured a high collar, layered under a grey top. She paired this with a dark blue skirt that had a split, revealing a portion of her legs. Complementing her look, she wore fishnet stockings across her shoulders and legs, specifically on her right calf and left thigh. She wore a Suna forehead protect around her neck. As well as giant fan on her back, slightly tanned skin, sandy blonde hair, and teal eyes.

Temari looked at Raiura and couldn't help but stare at her, she was extremely pretty. If the girl was didn't have the Konoha forehead protector tied around her left arm, Temari would have thought she was a model. Hair that was the color of the sun, eyes blue as the sky, skin that looked as if it was kissed by the sunlight, and she had a singular bang of red hair that made her look exotic. Temari wouldn't be surprised if this girl was consistently getting asked on dates.

Temari turned her attention to her brother, who yelling at the poor kid.

"That hurt your stupid brat," Kankuro shouted.

Raiura smiled kindly, "Could you please put him down?"

Kankuro looked up and narrowed his eyes at Raiura, "Yeah? And way would I, this kid had the nerve to bump into me."

"This kid, as you so kindly put it, is the grandson to the Sandaime Hokage, and we would want to start a war just because of this... Now would we?" Raiura said.

Kankuro still seemed unwilling until a small rock was thrown at Kankuro's hand, making him shout out in pain and drop Konohamaru on the ground. The young Sarutobi quickly got up and ran to hide behind Raiura with his friends. They all turned their heads in the direction of where the rock came from to see Sasuke in a tree in a relaxed position, throwing the rock lazily up and letting it fall into his hand before throwing it up again. Sasuke jumped off the tree and stood next to Raiura, the two quietly glanced at each other before looking forward again.

Raiura suddenly felt a sudden amount of killing intent as someone shunshin in front of them. A red head with two black circles around both of his eyes that gave him the appearance of a tanuki. His eyes were a dazzling teal. He was smaller than her which Raiura found slightly funny, the amount of chakra that boy was giving off was also nowhere near as heavy and powerful as the Kyūbi.

"G-Gaara I-"

Kankuro couldn't finish as the red head glared at him, "Shut up Kankuro you're a disgrace to Suna," Gaara looked to Raiura and Sasuke, "What are your names?"

"I'm Raiura," Raiura pointed to herself before putting a hand on Sasuke's shoulder, "And this is Sasuke. The pink haired girl here is Sakura."

Gaara nodded, "Apologizes for my brother."

Raiura nodded and smiled, "It's fine, how about you join me for lunch, let me show you around the village if you don't have to be anywhere right now."

The three siblings looked shocked, Gaara slowly nods in agreement, "We were actually looking for the Uzumaki Compound, were told that were going to be staying there for the Chūnin Exams."

Raiura grinned, "I know just were that is, come I'll take you there."

Sasuke looked at Raiura with confusion and Raiura said that she would explain later before walking off with the Suna genin.

Inside Raiura's home, Suna Siblings looked at the open living room in wonder as Raiura brought them inside. This house was much bigger and more open than their own.

"What tea would you like?" Raiura asked.

Temari looked at her, "Do you Obubu?"

Raiura nodded, "Yes, I'll get you some..." Raiura made a Kage Bushin to make the tea as she sat across from the tea, "I apologize, I didn't know that you were coming here so early. I'll take you to the place in the Compound were you will be staying, don't leave you housing area at night unless I know or the animals that live in the dark may not react well."

The tea came and the three drank.

"Raiura-san?" Gaara asked and Raiura looked at him.

"Yes?"

"You're like me... your chakra and mother keep yelling at me to kill you," Gaara said.

Raiura smiled sadly, "I'm a jinchūriki just like you Gaara but Shukaku isn't your mother okay. Is it alright if I see your seal," Raiura says as she sits closer to Gaara. The boy looks at her with slight fear before nodding. Raiura stands up and gestures for them to follow her, she brings them to a candle lit room.

"Gaara sit in the center," Raiura calmly says.

Gaara does so and removes is gord and shirt. Raiura sits in front of Gaara and places her hand on the seal. She closes her eyes and enters it.

The inside the seal a place like her old mindscape, except this one was green. She walks forward and sees the Ichibi in a very small cage.

"Shukaku-sama," she calls out and the tanuki look at her with surprise at the title and that she was in the seal.

"Human. What do you want?"

"I want to make the seal bigger and better for you and Gaara, but in order to do that I'm going to need something from you," Raiura said.

The Ichibi narrowed his eyes at her, "And what would that be?"

Raiura walked up to the bars, "You need to be nicer to Gaara and stop tormenting him, you need to try and for a bond with him. I have a feeling that the future is going to be difficult for the bijū and their jinchūriki and were going to need all the help that they can get."

Shukaku mauls over the information before nodding in agreement. He honestly didn't really care about the rest of what the blonde said, he just wanted to get out of this small cage.

After that the sealing began, Raiura had to summon multiple shadow clones along with her summons Mikoto and Taka for her to reseal Shukaku in a better seal. Gaara had done very well considering that he was in a lot of pain throughout the whole ordeal. Temari and Kankuro had to stay back as this was all going on; normally, they would scare shitless by Gaara but seeing him in pain made both want to go towards them.

Gaara was out cold as Raiura shifted him on to her back, "Gather his things and I'll take you to where you will be staying." Temari and Kankuro nodded and walked with Raiura through her compound. They walked to area with 6 houses surrounded by an inner wall with its own man-made waterfall and pond. She dropped them off at their own little home before closing the gate to that area and walking to go pick up Ryūsei.

This sort of thing happened over the next week, Raiura would be taking teams for the other 4 villages to her compound, greeting them in her house before taking them to the enclosed area, in total, Fū's team from Taki was here, a team from Kumo, two from Iwa, Haku's team from Kiri, a Kusa team (which was strange since she never went to Kusa), and Gaara's team.

Raiura knew that most of these people were older, so they had more experience, she also knew that there were other teams that she had yet to meet and was excited to see if her team was entering the exams.

End of Chapter 15

Author's Note: Hope you enjoyed! See you in the next one! Bye for now!