Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Leaf in the Desert ❯ Chapter 3

Chapter 3

 

A trio of ninjas appeared in front of the group, all ready for action. Kohaku narrowed his eyes and placed himself more firmly between the invaders and the girls. “Bastards… what do you want?” he demanded in that same serious voice.

 

A fourth ninja landed, a lethal-looking nunchaku draped over one shoulder. His forehead protector declared him and his team as Rock ninjas. “Your death, son of the Hokage,” he hissed, whipping the nunchaku around expertly.

 

Kohaku backed up, inching Inoko and Mimi away from the assassins and hopefully to safety. The Rock ninjas jumped and landed behind them, effectively surrounding them- and cutting off any escape.

 

The nunchaku ninja moved closer, spinning his weapon so fast it was almost impossible to see. He lifted it over his head and prepared to slam it down onto the ground. “Doton: Gan Tessai!”

 

“Sabaku Kyuu,” came a soft, deadly-sounding voice. All heads turned to two figures standing nonchalantly on a tree branch. The shorter figure had a hand extended and a stream of sand shot out and slithered around the nunchaku ninja. The three Konoha Chunnins watched in absolute shock as the ninja was lifted off his feet and held aloft, his body immobilized by sand. His three companions sought to escape as well, but the figure turned toward them. More sand engulfed them as well and soon all four were bound and helpless. Again the soft voice spoke, this time laced with a bit more venom.

 

“Now, you die…”

 

Akina Nara appeared in front of the nunchaku wielder and glared up at the speaker in the tree. “Don't you dare. We need to take them to the Hokage so that he can deal with them.”

 

The two figures dropped out of the tree and landed gracefully on the ground. The taller of the two was a handsome if expressionless young man with unruly reddish-brown hair and aquamarine eyes. His arms were folded in front of his chest and he was dressed completely in black. The only relief from the stark color was a sapphire blue sash wrapped around his waist and flung over one shoulder to trail behind him like a cape. A Sand forehead protector was barely visible under his bangs, indicating he had come from Suna.

 

As one, the three Chunnins turned their attention to the shorter person now standing on the ground with one arm still outstretched, obviously controlling the sand holding the Rock ninjas captive. Kohaku's bright blue eyes narrowed.

 

It was a girl.

 

A dainty, delicate-looking girl, but clearly one with deadly powers. Not to mention the same expressionless demeanor as the male next to her. Her red hair was pulled back and secured in a knot at the back of her head with a pair of ninja needles, which no doubt served as back up should she need another weapon besides the sand. She wore a short-sleeve form-fitting shirt the color of dried blood and black capri pants, which accentuated a small but definitely feminine figure. A medium-sized round jar hung from a white sash draped over one shoulder, resting gently against her hip. A Sand forehead protector was tied around her neck.

 

The girl gave Akina a direct look with pale blue eyes, as cold and sharp as ice. “Why must I?” she asked, her soft voice still carrying a level of irritation in it. “They sought to kill innocent lives. They must pay with their own existences.”

 

“Father told you to behave yourself,” the young man next to her said, finally speaking. His voice was quiet yet held a hint of dangerousness as well. “Do not shame the Kazekage, Sister.”

 

Those ice-blue eyes slid to the side and regarded him without the girl moving a muscle. “I would not, Brother,” she replied, a trace of hurt in her soft voice.

 

Akina sighed. “Enough of this,” she announced, annoyed. She turned to Inoko and Mimi, who still stood behind Kohaku, looking both amazed and slightly shocked. “You two help me tie these bastards up and we'll take them to the Hokage and the Kazekage.”

 

Kohaku's head whirled around, his eyes wide. “Kazekage… You mean, Gaara's here?”

 

A tendril of sand slithered around Kohaku and wrapped itself around him like an anaconda snake. He found himself snapped forward and suddenly immobile, not to mention staring into the frozen glare of an extremely angry sand-maiden. Her face was even more lovely up close even though she was scowling at him as though she wanted to crush him into a bloody pulp with her sand. “You will speak of my father with respect,” she murmured, sounding even more deadly than when she had been speaking normally.

 

He offered a rather charming grin to her. “Of course, Princess,” he replied, locking eyes with her. “I would never think to do otherwise.”

 

Aikou looked him over as though he were an unusual species of lizard she had never seen before. “'Princess'…” she repeated, sounding slightly confused. “You mock me?”

 

“Never,” he purred under his breath, oozing charm. “You are the Princess of the Sands, aren't you?”

 

Her brother walked over and placed a hand on his sister's shoulder. Immediately the sand retreated and Kohaku found himself in a heap on the ground. He looked up at the pair. The other male gazed down at him with an unreadable look. “Perhaps we should join the others at Naruto Hokage's mansion,” he said quietly.

 

Kohaku glanced around and saw that they had, indeed, been abandoned by Akina and the others. He quickly stood up and saw that he and the newcomer were nearly the same height. He held out his hand to the Sand shinobi. “My name's Kohaku,” he told them, smiling brightly. “Naruto's my old man.”

 

The two Sand ninjas exchanged a glance. “This is surprising,” the boy said, shaking Kohaku's hand firmly.

 

“Why?”

 

He nodded his head toward his sister. “This is Aikou and I am Haru. The Kazekage is our father.”

 

Kohaku's welcoming smile became a broad grin. “No shit? I haven't seen you guys in years! No wonder I didn't recognize you!”

 

“Nor us you,” Haru agreed. “Although that orange hair should have been a dead giveaway.”

 

A toothy smile followed this statement, making the young man look exactly like a certain Hokage did when he was much younger. “What can I say? I'm unique.”

 

“And extremely annoying,” Aikou added dryly as she turned and walked away, following the path Akina and the others had taken.

 

Kohaku and Haru watched her walk sedately away. The orange-haired boy nudged his companion. “Is she always so…?”

 

“Cold?” Haru finished, glancing at him. He turned back to his retreating sister. “Indeed. She is more like our father was in his younger years, when Shukaku still resided inside his body- cold and unfeeling.” He offered a hint of a smile. “At least she is not nearly as blood-thirsty.”

 

Kohaku shuddered as he remembered her eagerness to slay the four Rock ninjas. “Could've fooled me.”

 

“Come,” Haru said, walking after his sister. “We should get back to our fathers. They will have questions.”

 

“Don't they always?” Kohaku muttered under his breath as he followed the younger man.

 

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“I am not sure I understand,” Safaia said, her voice uncertain. “She is a Sound ninja, but she is not with Orochimaru?”

 

Sasame nodded as Sakura poured the tea. “She helped Sasuke out tremendously during those last few years he was in the Land of Sound,” the rose-haired kunoichi explained. “She had met Naruto and me briefly during our Genin years when we went with Jiraya-sensei to Ogata to find Orochimaru and make him give back Sasuke.”

 

Sasame nodded again. “I wanted to help repay Naruto for helping my clan find their honor again- and for releasing my cousin from Orochimaru's twisted grasp.” Her eyes went distant as she remembered all those years ago. “When I came upon Sasuke training one day, I was afraid of him- I thought he'd be the death of us all. But when I learned he was from Konoha, I gathered up my courage and we began to talk. He revealed his true plan for his brother and Orochimaru and I, of course, offered any help I could.” She blushed and looked away. “And it just… grew from there.”

 

Sakura giggled. “Serious old Sasuke never even let on that he'd fallen in love, even after Itachi was dead and Orochimaru had seemingly been defeated. He knew that evil snake had taken Kabuto's body over as his new container- he still wasn't safe.”

 

“So he waited until your husband and Naruto had defeated Orochimaru for good before coming back for me,” Sasame added. “We were married almost immediately and, of course, Shourai arrived less than a year after that.”

 

Safaia blinked her sapphire eyes at the two women. “I can only imagine the shock Naruto Hokage had when his old friend appeared back in Konoha with not only a mate, but offspring as well.”

 

Sakura rolled her eyes. “I thought he was going to have an apopolexy. Then he started cheering in typical Naruto fashion and threw a huge party. It was insane.”

 

Safaia sipped her tea calmly. “I bet.”

 

“With all the raids and attacks on both Suna and Konoha,” Sasame said quietly, her grey-brown eyes on her teacup, “Sasuke thought it'd be best if Shourai and I remained in Ogata with my clan. He said we'd be safer there.”

 

“Of course. But you are a shinobi as well, are you not?” Safaia asked. “And your son is probably the same age as mine. Haru has been well-trained as a ninja. I would guess your Shourai has been trained as well?”

 

“Of course!” Sasame exclaimed. “He's an Uchiha! Sasuke was practically trying to train him when he was still inside me!”

 

Sakura laughed and even Safaia giggled. “Typical men,” Sakura commented. “Always thinking about power and not with their brains.”

 

Safaia sipped her tea again. “And unfortunately Kages do not seem to be exempt from that rule.”

 

---------------------

 

“Good to see you again, Gaara.”

 

The red-haired man nodded as he embraced his long-time friend. “It has been too long, Naruto.”

 

The whiskered Hokage grinned. “I can't believe how old you look.”

 

Although he was eyebrow-less, Gaara gave him a look that suggested skepticism. “I am only in my forties,” he replied, “and yet my advisors tell me I appear the same as I did when I was two decades younger.”

 

“They're supposed to say that. Otherwise you'd bury them all in sand— alive.”

 

“At least I do not have silver in my hair,” Gaara pointed out.

 

“Hey! I don't have grey hair yet either!”

 

The Kazekage pointed at Naruto's temples. “Explain the lighter color by your ears, then.”

 

Naruto flushed and rubbed the hair above his ears. “I… I was dusting!”

 

“Baka.”

 

“Grump.”

 

A new voice interupted their, erm, discussion. “Such sophisticated conversation,” Sasuke drolled. “It's hard to believe you two are the most powerful men in your countries.”

 

“Good to see you too, Sasuke,” Naruto grunted as he flopped into his chair. “What brings you here, other than to point out the obvious?”

 

“Akina's here. Apparently Kohaku was ambushed by four Rock ninjas.”

 

Naruto was on his feet in an instant. “WHAT?!”

 

“Inoko and Mimi were there as well, but they helped Akina tie up the assassins after they were entrapped in sand.”

 

“Sand?” Naruto asked as his attention turned to Gaara. The Kazekage shrugged a thin shoulder. “You were here with me the whole time. How were they trapped in sand?”

 

Gaara leaned nonchalantly against the wall and crossed his arms. “It would seem that my sand ability has been passed on to Aikou,” he replied. “She's just as strong, if not stronger, than I am with it. And without the added problem of Shukaku.”

 

“Aikou?” Sasuke queried, raising a black eyebrow.

 

“My daughter,” Gaara explained. “She is only fifteen, yet she matches me in ability with both sand and precision.” He gave a tiny smile to the two men. “Think of her as a female version of myself when I was her age.”

 

Both Naruto and Sasuke stared at him in horror. Gaara scowled. “Without the insane blood-lust,” he clarified irritably. They visibly relaxed.

 

“Well,” Naruto said, his curiosity peaked, “let's go deal with these Rock ninjas. It's been some time since we've seen them- perhaps we can weasel some information out of them.”

 

This time Gaara grinned openly- a familiar, eerie expression. “Just like the good old days,” he whispered, his tone promising lethal entertainment.

 

Naruto and Sasuke both rolled their eyes. “Sometimes I wonder if the insane blood-lust wasn't a Shukaku side-effect,” Naruto commented.

 

“No kidding,” Sasuke muttered back.

 

.oOo.oOo.oOo.oOo.

 

Shourai: “Future” (as in the future of the Uchiha clan)

 

See what happens with I get delightful reviews? I'm inspired to write! Huzzah! Let's see some more and maybe I'll even bless ye few but faithful with a picture of our sexeh Kohaku and some of the other kids! Thanks for the support and I hope to update soon (if my Word program starts working right and I finish my homework!)!!