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Description
Chapter 8 - “Old Allies, New Dangers”

The envoy passed quickly through the defenses of the Hidden Leaf village. The setting sun behind her stretched her shadow along the ground before her feet.

Many times she'd passed this way, often as friend, once as enemy. This time, she was was a crow.

Misunderstood creatures, crows. Most just saw ugly, greasy dark feathers. Others winced at the brazen and off-key caw... very few saw them for what they were. Crows are heralds. They fly before great storms, they mark places of death, they stand watch over those condemned by the laws of man...

“Crows,” Temari of the Hidden Sand remarked aloud “are nature's alarm system.”

“Huh?” her guide asked.

“Sorry, Shika... Just an odd chain of thought.”

The Leaf Jonin resumed walking beside her. They'd met, as they always did, at the border between the Lands of Fire and Wind. The laconic, even broody Shikamaru never betrayed the slightest hint that he found the job of escorting her anything other than pure boredom, but Temari knew better. It had taken her quite a while to realize it, but while Shikamaru wasn't exactly an outgoing soul, he always walked a bit closer to her than he did with other people. The real clincher though? The fact that while he would NEVER make eye contact with anyone, he always watched her shadow, and always seemed to pace himself so the hands of their shadows met. That's what earned him the honor of being the only person in Temari's life with a nickname, a private moniker, shared with no one.

“You're strange sometimes,” he replied after a moment, his hand casually entered his pocket, and the crook of his shadow's arm wrapped around her's.

***

Temari entered the Hokage's office and bowed respectfully. “Lady Tsunade, I bring greetings from Lord Gaara, Kazekage of the Sand.”

“And I extend the hand of friendship to the Hidden Sand.” Tsunade returned in formal tones, before winking “And personal congratulations on Lord Gaara's recent wedding.”

Temari smiled fondly. “Yes, Matsuri is a most cunning and persistent Chunnin. Not to mention determined.”

“Poor Gaara...” Tsunade said with a laugh. “Never had a chance did he?”

Temari's smile faded. “I'm sorry, Lady Tsunade, but my mission here is very urgent. What can you tell me about this?”

The Sand Jonin produced a shinobi headband, bearing a wave and shark etching.

The Hokage's face hardened instantly. “What happened?”

“Three teams of Sand Chunnin and Jonin, along with four divisions of the Land of Wind's conventional military, all wiped out in less than five minutes...” Temari's resolve cracked. “They...they turned whole kilometers of open dessert sand and rock into thin mud...half my team just....just vanished.”

“They've attacked us as well. We've lost a sizable portion of our Anbu field teams. Most of our front-line ninja are currently out of the village, reinforcing the annual tax collection for the Fire Daimyo... This could not have come at a worse moment...”

“Lady Tsunade, the Hidden Sand Village, the Leaf.... the entire foundation of our world's political structure, is under imminent threat. Lord Gaara is aware you are planning a retaliatory strike, once you have further information. He has placed me at your disposal. To be blunt, they killed my teammates, my friends. I want in.”

Tsunade nodded slowly. “Then you are. I'll have Shikamaru show you to quarters and put him at your disposal. Be at our Aquatics center at ten tomorrow morning and you can begin training with the rest of our team.”

***

The following day dawned bright. As she readied for the day, and her new training, Hinata glanced up, spying Kana out of the corner of her eye once more.

“Your reconnaissance on the Village proceeds?”

Kana nodded. “The leaf is tottering on the edge of disaster. Their numbers are elsewhere and their homes are vulnerable. I have learned, much.”

“Good. I received word from the Umikage in the night, Team Two has struck. The Hidden Sand is in disarray. You are to proceed along the lines we've discussed.” Hinata's eyes flashed. “And finish your foolish game with Sakura while you are at it.”

“As my Lady commands...” Kana said, fading in to the shadows with a rippling gurgle of running water.

***

Anko Mitarashi strode out of the locker room and surveyed the five kunoichi waiting for her. “All right ladies, since I'm the closest thing the Leaf has to an underwater combat specialist, I'm going to give you a brush up on the basics. Then we're going to put our heads together and come up with some countermeasures to these Hidden Depth ninja. Any questions?”

Tenten and Ino looked grim, Sakura kept glancing at the pool surface as if she expected it to attack her, Hinata was very apprehensive as well. But it was to the Sand envoy that Anko's attention fell. She was the only one not wearing the aquatic combat gear favored by the Leaf, she's substituted a high-necked one piece swimsuit of the sort intended for racers.

Anko had always thought of Temari as much like herself, if a bit more reserved. Tough, confident and strong. Here, she looked like a little girl facing the big scary unknown.

“And by the way,” Anko added. “I know what Shizune said, but take those 'amphibious suits' and burn them tonight. They don't allow enough movement on land and frankly, their so-called armor level is pathetic. Besides, they were designed by Kakashi and Jiraiya. Wearing one gives me the willies.”

Nervous laughter greeted that.

“Follow Lady Temari's example,” Anko continued. “Be comfortable, be mobile.”

“About that..” the envoy raised her hand. “The six of us are supposed to function as one team. So please, drop the 'Lady.' Many of you I consider friends, some...” she looked at Sakura “I owe debts I can never repay.”

A noticeable tension eased. They spent the next half hour going over the theory of underwater combat, the limitations and the advantages, and most of all, the specific dangers of engaging in a deadly environment.

As the discussion turned to concussion and shock-waves, Anko suddenly dropped the lecture mode. “Tenten, I read your report of the encounter. Using an explosive, ANY sort of explosive underwater is ridiculously dangerous.”

“I know,” Tenten replied “But It wasn't like I had much choice.”

“No, you didn't,” Anko agreed. “You were alone and for all practical purposes, neutralized. Which brings me to the final point. Teamwork. The reason this team is six instead of three is so we can always have someone to watch our backs. So after today, we'll choose partners and stick to them like glue.”

A bunch of glances around. Just like being back at the academy... yippie.

“Ok, let's hit the water and work on some basic techniques.” Anko paused. “No breathers or masks. Better to get used to it now than in combat.”

***

Sakura followed as they all entered the training pool. It was sculpted like a natural lake, with a gradual ramp right up to the surface on the near end, dropping off unevenly to about twenty feet deep at the far end.

Whens he was about waist deep, she froze. The water suddenly felt very cold, very hostile. Her skin crawled as she imagined it climbing up her body, in violation of the laws of gravity. In her mind's eye the face of her victim flashed again,a and suddenly it was all too much. She had to run. She had to escape. She couldn't die, not here not...

Bolting from the pool in a single leap, Sakura ran.

Description
Chapter 8 - “Old Allies, New Dangers”

The envoy passed quickly through the defenses of the Hidden Leaf village. The setting sun behind her stretched her shadow along the ground before her feet.

Many times she'd passed this way, often as friend, once as enemy. This time, she was was a crow.

Misunderstood creatures, crows. Most just saw ugly, greasy dark feathers. Others winced at the brazen and off-key caw... very few saw them for what they were. Crows are heralds. They fly before great storms, they mark places of death, they stand watch over those condemned by the laws of man...

“Crows,” Temari of the Hidden Sand remarked aloud “are nature's alarm system.”

“Huh?” her guide asked.

“Sorry, Shika... Just an odd chain of thought.”

The Leaf Jonin resumed walking beside her. They'd met, as they always did, at the border between the Lands of Fire and Wind. The laconic, even broody Shikamaru never betrayed the slightest hint that he found the job of escorting her anything other than pure boredom, but Temari knew better. It had taken her quite a while to realize it, but while Shikamaru wasn't exactly an outgoing soul, he always walked a bit closer to her than he did with other people. The real clincher though? The fact that while he would NEVER make eye contact with anyone, he always watched her shadow, and always seemed to pace himself so the hands of their shadows met. That's what earned him the honor of being the only person in Temari's life with a nickname, a private moniker, shared with no one.

“You're strange sometimes,” he replied after a moment, his hand casually entered his pocket, and the crook of his shadow's arm wrapped around her's.

***

Temari entered the Hokage's office and bowed respectfully. “Lady Tsunade, I bring greetings from Lord Gaara, Kazekage of the Sand.”

“And I extend the hand of friendship to the Hidden Sand.” Tsunade returned in formal tones, before winking “And personal congratulations on Lord Gaara's recent wedding.”

Temari smiled fondly. “Yes, Matsuri is a most cunning and persistent Chunnin. Not to mention determined.”

“Poor Gaara...” Tsunade said with a laugh. “Never had a chance did he?”

Temari's smile faded. “I'm sorry, Lady Tsunade, but my mission here is very urgent. What can you tell me about this?”

The Sand Jonin produced a shinobi headband, bearing a wave and shark etching.

The Hokage's face hardened instantly. “What happened?”

“Three teams of Sand Chunnin and Jonin, along with four divisions of the Land of Wind's conventional military, all wiped out in less than five minutes...” Temari's resolve cracked. “They...they turned whole kilometers of open dessert sand and rock into thin mud...half my team just....just vanished.”

“They've attacked us as well. We've lost a sizable portion of our Anbu field teams. Most of our front-line ninja are currently out of the village, reinforcing the annual tax collection for the Fire Daimyo... This could not have come at a worse moment...”

“Lady Tsunade, the Hidden Sand Village, the Leaf.... the entire foundation of our world's political structure, is under imminent threat. Lord Gaara is aware you are planning a retaliatory strike, once you have further information. He has placed me at your disposal. To be blunt, they killed my teammates, my friends. I want in.”

Tsunade nodded slowly. “Then you are. I'll have Shikamaru show you to quarters and put him at your disposal. Be at our Aquatics center at ten tomorrow morning and you can begin training with the rest of our team.”

***

The following day dawned bright. As she readied for the day, and her new training, Hinata glanced up, spying Kana out of the corner of her eye once more.

“Your reconnaissance on the Village proceeds?”

Kana nodded. “The leaf is tottering on the edge of disaster. Their numbers are elsewhere and their homes are vulnerable. I have learned, much.”

“Good. I received word from the Umikage in the night, Team Two has struck. The Hidden Sand is in disarray. You are to proceed along the lines we've discussed.” Hinata's eyes flashed. “And finish your foolish game with Sakura while you are at it.”

“As my Lady commands...” Kana said, fading in to the shadows with a rippling gurgle of running water.

***

Anko Mitarashi strode out of the locker room and surveyed the five kunoichi waiting for her. “All right ladies, since I'm the closest thing the Leaf has to an underwater combat specialist, I'm going to give you a brush up on the basics. Then we're going to put our heads together and come up with some countermeasures to these Hidden Depth ninja. Any questions?”

Tenten and Ino looked grim, Sakura kept glancing at the pool surface as if she expected it to attack her, Hinata was very apprehensive as well. But it was to the Sand envoy that Anko's attention fell. She was the only one not wearing the aquatic combat gear favored by the Leaf, she's substituted a high-necked one piece swimsuit of the sort intended for racers.

Anko had always thought of Temari as much like herself, if a bit more reserved. Tough, confident and strong. Here, she looked like a little girl facing the big scary unknown.

“And by the way,” Anko added. “I know what Shizune said, but take those 'amphibious suits' and burn them tonight. They don't allow enough movement on land and frankly, their so-called armor level is pathetic. Besides, they were designed by Kakashi and Jiraiya. Wearing one gives me the willies.”

Nervous laughter greeted that.

“Follow Lady Temari's example,” Anko continued. “Be comfortable, be mobile.”

“About that..” the envoy raised her hand. “The six of us are supposed to function as one team. So please, drop the 'Lady.' Many of you I consider friends, some...” she looked at Sakura “I owe debts I can never repay.”

A noticeable tension eased. They spent the next half hour going over the theory of underwater combat, the limitations and the advantages, and most of all, the specific dangers of engaging in a deadly environment.

As the discussion turned to concussion and shock-waves, Anko suddenly dropped the lecture mode. “Tenten, I read your report of the encounter. Using an explosive, ANY sort of explosive underwater is ridiculously dangerous.”

“I know,” Tenten replied “But It wasn't like I had much choice.”

“No, you didn't,” Anko agreed. “You were alone and for all practical purposes, neutralized. Which brings me to the final point. Teamwork. The reason this team is six instead of three is so we can always have someone to watch our backs. So after today, we'll choose partners and stick to them like glue.”

A bunch of glances around. Just like being back at the academy... yippie.

“Ok, let's hit the water and work on some basic techniques.” Anko paused. “No breathers or masks. Better to get used to it now than in combat.”

***

Sakura followed as they all entered the training pool. It was sculpted like a natural lake, with a gradual ramp right up to the surface on the near end, dropping off unevenly to about twenty feet deep at the far end.

Whens he was about waist deep, she froze. The water suddenly felt very cold, very hostile. Her skin crawled as she imagined it climbing up her body, in violation of the laws of gravity. In her mind's eye the face of her victim flashed again,a and suddenly it was all too much. She had to run. She had to escape. She couldn't die, not here not...

Bolting from the pool in a single leap, Sakura ran.