It was a nice, calm morning that fateful day... The wind rustled through the trees, and birdsong twittered through the air, giving the idealistic definition of serenity as I dashed my way across branches in my wood wicker, silver ribbon tied sandals with grace, care, and stealth... I was looking for someone- someone crucial as the wind blew through my light brown bangs, and long hair that was pulled back into a pink and gold ribbon. Searching, and wandering.... Searching, and training...! I drew nearer, the great village Konohagakure- the village hidden in leaf upon me like a treasure, and catching my eyes. It was facinating, beautiful, charming, and dare I say lively as I watched from the trees, peering just above the wall that surrounded the village in awe, wonder, and trembling excitement. Yes... Soon now... I leapt from the tree tops, flipped in the air, and landed gracefully on my feet where the Anbu protecting the village couldn't see me, looking up at the great, and towering wall! I shielded my glittering blue eyes from the sun's glare, and grinned- adrenaline rushing through me as I let out a gasp. I took a few steps back, pushing my Chakra to the soles of my feet, and with a running start, I sprinted up the bricks of the great wall of Konohagakure... I was close, and my excitement and anticipation only grew...! So close to finding the one I seeked.... So close to proving myself capable for my village...! I was a blur, running up those bricks, and I leapt over the top of the wall before free falling my way down, and once again, landing effortlessly on my feet. Forget how it looked on the outside! I breathed in awe as I looked around- children playing and laughing, merchants showing off and promoting their wares to tempted customers, Shinobi everywhere training the young- all of it was so full of beautiful, and precious life! I took my time, looking around, and skimming past every single attraction until I found the glimmering jewel I needed- the home of the Hokage... Naruto, the Lord Seventh of the leaf, was just a hop and a skip away...! I tore through the streets, running up walls to avoid civilians, and even did a few tricks for the children that saw me, and pointed in awe as I somersaulted, leapt, spun, all while I was in the air above their heads as they cheered, and clapped. I smiled proudly, and used a ninja tool to swing myself through the air, and land on top of one of the many tall buildings in the area! I looked about Konohagakure from a bird's eye veiw- it was quite vast for a modest looking village, and in the distance was the Hokage building in all it's historical, wondrous glory! I reached a trembling out towards it... Soon... VERY soon.... I heard the voice of an Anbu call, "Get her!" and my heart dropped for a second as I spun to find two Anbu on my tail. "Drat..!" I exclaimed through gritted teeth, but I knew they wouldn't be a chore for me as I tore across the rooftops, faster than they could've hoped to run! I leapt, and ran... Leapt, tucked, and rolled... Leapt, and dodged... They were just too slow to catch me, and I didn't break a single sweat as they cursed, and grunted in frustration. Finally, I leapt down onto the yard of the Hokage estate, landing like a tiger as I scanned around the place carefully. I could still hear the Anbu on my tail, and once I was confident the way was clear, I dashed my way up the stairs excitedly... Finally.... FINALLY...! My whole body shook as my grin grew wider, and I dashed through the halls of the great building while the Anbu tried to catch up. I came upon a pair of double doors, hearing serious discussion behind it, and I bursted through them, alarming two women and men in the process as they quickly ceased, and placed suprised gazes onto me. The office they were in... Packed to the brim with scrolls and tomes, just filled to the top of the glass with knowledge, and then some! My excitement overflowed through me as I scanned the room, and the Anbu, breathless and sweaty, appeared in the doorway as they apologized profusely to the women and men in the room for not being able to catch me. One of the men, a short, blond haired one with blazing blue eyes, dismissed the two Anbu, leaving me with them as I placed my excited gaze back upon them in anticipation. In my village, it was always cordial to bow in respect to your elders- Shinobi or otherwise, and I placed the knuckles of my left hand to the palm of my right hand before bowing at the hip. "Hello!" I began, trying to cover my excited nerves, "I am Tamashi Kirishima- a ninja from the great village of the mist! It is a pleasure to meet you all." The four sat in silence for a while, looking amongst each other when the blond man spoke in a calm, collected, but also friendly sort of tone, "Hello, Tamashi. What brings a mist ninja to the great Hokage Building this fine morning?" I straightened my back, and relaxed myself while remaining professional, and I explained, "Sir, I am looking for your Lord Seventh, Naruto Uzumaki. Do you have any idea where he is at current?" "And may I ask WHY it is you need the Lord Seventh specifically?" The man next to him, face as cold as stone and hair blacker than ink asked, a hint of suspicion in his voice. I didn't blame him for it, as it wasn't every day a ninja, let alone one at the age of thirteen from a different village, snuck past the gaurds to find such a high man or woman of position. To reassure him his suspicion was misplaced, I clearly stated, "I have trained for so long, going from Village to Village- training under only the best Shinobis they had. I came here to Konohagakure, sir, to find the very man who single handedly brought peace amongst all the nations, and challenge him to a friendly spar to see if I am worthy enough to return to my village, and become Mizukage!" The two women gasped, stunned by my reason, even the man with black hair seemed a bit shocked by my claim! The blond man, however, smirked a bit before shifting his fingers slightly on the desk. The room fell silent again, and I bowed to them as I asked a second time, "Please, may you direct me to your Lord Seventh?" "No need to," the blond man said, rising from behind his desk, "You're looking RIGHT at him!" My blood practically froze, and my heart pounded into my ears as I straightened up again, "R-Really?! Y-You're Naruto Uzumaki- the greatest shinobi that brought peace to all the ninja nations; bound to the great tailed beast Kurama?!" Naruto, being the blond man, chuckled lightly, and replied, "You bet, kiddo. And I also happen to be the very Shinobi you're wanting to spar with as well!" In my excitement, I had failed to give him the proper greeting he deserved, and I quickly bowed a third time as I stammered quickly "F-Forgive me my impudence, Lord Seventh. I should've guessed!" "Please, there's no need to be so formal with me, Tamashi. Rise, and tell me why it is you wish to become a Mizukage." He sounded much kinder than any Kage I've met in my travels, but it made me relax a bit that he wasn't TOO strict while I straightened my back again. "Lord Seventh, I left Kirigakure at the tender age of six, training and learning so that I may become a Shinobi my people can look up to for protection, guidance, and hope- like I promised my mother on her deathbed! I've heard of your strength from many, and I figured if anyone would know wether or not my power was truly worthy, it'd be you, my Kage." Hearing my explanation brought a smile to his lips, and a happy glint in his eye, and he opened his mouth to speak when the man with black hair scoffed, "Please! Like you couldn't come up with a poorer excuse to sneak past our greatest ninjas, trespass on the premises-" "Sasuke-" "NO, Naruto! You are too valuable to our village, being it's leader and all, and this child has the audacity to storm your halls and ask for a meager sparring match before leaving? There HAS to be more! I cannot permit you to accept this as your second." It stung a little, knowing that the black haired man, Sasuke, still didn't believe my claim, but my determination was strong as I tried to reassure, "Please, sir, if I'd have intended harm to any of you, we wouldn't be having this conversation. All I desire is a friendly spar to see if I am worthy or not to return to my Village!" "This is nonsense. Simple nonsense!" "Sasuke Uchiha-" Naruto said, his voice firm. "No, Naruto, this child is breaking several laws just by being here!" "This child has come to seek me out for my acknowledgement of her abilities, which is my job to both know, AND assess, now will you stop it!?" Sasuke's jaw clenched as soon as those words left his Lord Seventh's lips, and I breathed a mental sigh of relief knowing that at least their Hokage was giving me the benefit of the doubt. Naruto tried to join me on the floor when one of the women, one with purple hair, and dressed in a beautiful white, strappy gown, latched onto Naruto's arm, and begged quickly, "No, Naruto, don't do it! We don't know if she tells the truth or not.." "Hinata, my dear, lovely wife." Naruto began softly, taking the woman's, Hinata's, hands in his reassuringly, "I know you're worried, but truly, I feel no hostility from this girl. So if it is a spar she desires, it is a spar she shall receive- though I hope she doesn't intend on me going easy." He glanced over at me with a wink. I shook my head with a laugh, and replied, "Oh no, sir. FAR from it in fact!" Naruto smiled in satisfaction, and left his wife's side to make his way towards me once more.. This time, Sasuke stopped him and brazenly suggested, "Let me do it.." This made both Naruto, AND myself look at him in disbelief, me because of the sheer audacity he had to try and challenge me when I asked specifically asked to battle Naruto. The Lord Seventh tried to protest with his second, but Sasuke just wouldn't hear it.... He was stubborn, even for a Shinobi...! I prayed with hope that Mr. Uchiha would see reason, but ultimately, Naruto sighed, "Very well, Sasuke... She's all yours." My heart dropped a bit in disappointment, but as a great sensei from the Rain Village once said to me, "A ninja is defined not only by their traits, but their abilities to adapt to, and compromise with a situation". Though disappointed, I took a deep breath in, and replied, "Very well... I shall demonstrate my power to the Lord Seventh by sparring his second in command, but know that it will not be easy, Mr. Uchiha." This made Sasuke scoff as he made his way briskly over to me. "I should be saying that about you. Some nerve you've got, being a mere Genin and hoping to battle one of the strongest our Village looks up to and respects. I'll make sure to show you just how outclassed you are, kid." He growled gruffly- his arrogance shining more than his honor, a BIG no no in the world of the ninja! I bowed to my opponent, and replied, "Before we begin, Mr. Uchiha, I have but one condition. Would you hear it?" I could sense his hesitation and confusion as he responded slowly, "Proceeed?" "During this sparring match, I ask that we use no weapons as I do not intend to kill you.. Would you agree to these terms?" This seemed to have caught him off gaurd entirely! If only he knew... If only I could warn him of what was to come, but his arrogance would never let him believe me...! No... No, this is what must be- HOW it must be! After a while of contemplation, Sasuke finally sighed, "Fine... No weapons... But I still won't be going easy on you, child." "Thank you, Mr. Uchiha. I assure you I'll give you a spar you'll never forget- one that'll shake the room so much that it leaves even your Lord Hokage impressed!" I straightened by back out, and the two of us took position on either side of the room. I got into my Tai Chi stance, and called, "Are you ready, Mr. Uchiha?" Sasuke, on the other side of the massive room, stretched a bit before getting into position, and replied, "Ready when you are. Show me what a runt like you can do!" I narrowed my eyes, and said, "May the best ninja win..." and trained my focus onto Sasuke. The air was tense, and I can already hear whispers from Naruto about how impressive my posture and focus was- a clear sign that he was already going to like what I brought to the table as I smirked. After a long while, Sasuke charged at me with a battle cry, aiming for a kick to the gut! Like a blur, I quickly stopped the kick, grabbed his leg tightly, and effortlessly lifted him above my head before slamming him into the floor with strength no normal Genin had, and threw him across the room. This shocked Sasuke as he flipped in the air, and regained his balance. "Wow, you're really no pushover are you..?" I heard him say in awe, but he had his gaurd down- another no no in the world of the ninja as I appeared behind him, and landed a hard forcepalm to his back, and landed several powerful kicks and punches to his body before sending him flying again with an uppercut. I leaped backwards, putting distance between us, and replied to his question, "I told you that I'd give you nothing less than my best." I got back into my stance, and baited, "And that's what I shall continue to give. Are you giving the same, Mr. Uchiha?" Sasuke grew furious at this, and said, "You want me to up my game? Fine, I'll happily oblige; I'll oblige if it puts your cheekiness in your place!" He did a strong fire style jutsu to throw me off, which I deflected effortlessly, and picked up his speed as he tried to land a hit on me. I was still too quick, dodging his every attempt as I practically danced on air, and he tried to fake me out with a push to do a low sweep! I leapt over his leg, spun agily in the air, and landed a kick to his face, and several Chakra hits to his abdomen before using a wind jutsu to launch him into the air! I heard Naruto's impressed compliments- clearly he was enjoying the show I was putting on, and I pushed my Chakra to my feet, allowing me to jump a large, and really high distance; meeting Sasuke mid air as I landed kicks, punches, and deflected his attempts to return them until I finally spin kicked him back down into the ground, and landed cat like on my feet. We continued to trade jutsus, his missing while mine hit, and he grunted desperately for me to slow down- I did NOT, as that is the WORST thing you can do in a real battle as I egged him to pick up his pace. He used a summon, which I dispelled with a simple finger jutsu with ease, leaving him at a loss for words as he cried, "N-No... H-How did you-?" "It's child's play, really. Especially if you've trained since six years of age under a variety of senseis from all over. But, since we're on summons now, I suppose I get to show you what it is I'M capable of!" At that moment, I used Chakra energy to create a barrier to protect Naruto, his wife, and the other woman present in the room, who I deduced was Mrs. Uchiha from the worried squeals and pet names she shouted to him during our sparring. Now they were starting to get concerned, and confused as my eyes radiated with a green, glowing aura, and I slowly began to lift into the air. A pretty battered Sasuke watched on in awe and terror as I continued up, and up, and up, and I called out, "COME FORTH, THE GREAT STORM GODDESS: ENAKAI!" at that moment, billows of twisting, rushing, gray clouds began to come from all directions, and spiral their way around me, making a column of clouds that would eventually take on the look of a woman made of storm clouds! I could hear the thunder boom and lightning crack, and the pitterpatter of rain... But that was all I could hear from the great Enakai's core... After a while, everything ceased, and I slowly floated back to the floor of the office- the clouds dissipating as the indoor storm let up... I looked around, seeing the paled and shocked faces of Naruto, Hinata, and Mrs. Uchiha, all standing there huddled together as the barrier fell. I looked around, seeing the state of the room- it was a mess! I continued to scan the room until my eyes fell on an extremely battered Sasuke, just barely moving, and my heart sank as I maybe thought I had gone a little over the top. I briskly made my way to him, using a jutsu that summoned a sparkling, green mist in my hand when Mrs. Uchiha rushed over to him, and cried in outrage, "Have you no respect?! He's already taken a beating!" "I know... Which is why it is crucial that you let me tend to him.." I replied sternly to her. I don't like when my character is questioned, but it wasn't her fault in the slightest since I WAS a random outsider after all. I kneeled down, Mr. Uchiha weakly protesting, and trying to push me away when I moved his wet hair from his face, and consoled gently, "Shhhhh.... Be very still, Mr. Uchiha...." I placed the glittering green mist to his forehead, and the jutsu quickly took affect before everyone's very eyes- healing his injuries, bruises, EVERYTHING until Sasuke was back to normal.... Like nothing had ever happened.... He was still wet, though, but at least he didn't look half dead anymore! His face softened as the pain left him, both in bewilderment and humility as he stammered, "Y-You... You.... H-Healed me?.... Why...? H-How?..." I smiled as I pulled my hand away, the jutsu fading as I explained softly, "The Jutsu I used was called "Healing Mist Jutsu", taught to all shinobi in training when they reach the age of four back in Kirigakure. I may be young, Mr. Uchiha, but that doesn't mean I'm not aware of how devastating my powers can be.. And so it is for this reason that I make it a point to heal up my opponents after I best them.." his eyes seemed completely soft now- all trace of his arrogance melting away as he replied, "Oh... How.... Noble, of you, Tamashi... Normally I'd be left to tend to my own wounds, but you've clearly shown that you're aren't just the better ninja, but the better ninja with a heart of gold." I stood up before him with a kind smile, and bowed with respect to him as I said, "Thank you, Mr. Uchiha. I must say, you were quite the formidable opponent yourself!" I helped Mrs. Uchiha bring Mr. Uchiha back on his feet, a small chuckle escaping him. "Yes. But it is you, Tamashi, who proved to be the best. Your senses, and your mother both would be proud of you, kid." He replied, placing a tender hand on my head to ruffle my hair- almost like greeting his own child. An applause filled the air, making my head turn back towards the Lord Seventh as he strode across the floor, beaming with satisfaction and pride as he congratulated, "Well done to you both, ESPECIALLY you, Tama!" I was taken aback by his use of a nickname, as it had been ages since anyone has called me "Tama", and I smiled weakly as I said, "Th-Thank you, my Kage. I'm happy to have been able to demonstrate to you my strength- surely we can have our own sparring match now, yes?" I asked, hopeful as I shifted my weight from foot to foot. "Whoa, hold up there eager beaver. I'm not done yet!" He laughed, taking my shoulders to keep me still. "You fight well, Tamashi- truly brilliant for a Genin, but I'm afraid I cannot spar with you at this time." My heart fell as he said those words. Was he angry with me? Had I mucked up?! As if sensing my worries, he chuckled, and began to walk with me back to his desk as he explained, "Your technique and style are wonderfully balanced and executed, but it seems to be.... Lacking..... In a certain department." ""Lacking"? Wh-What is it I'm missing, my Kage?" I asked, confused as I continued to walk with him. "Strength wise, absolutely nothing. But in here," he pointed to my heart, "you're missing the most crucial part of what makes a shinobi what they are. And it is for that reason, I must refuse to spar with you, and keep you here in Konoha." "W-Wait, so you're not letting me go back to Kiri?" I asked, stunned, and a little frightened. His smile faded a bit, and he nodded his head as he said, "That is correct, Tama. You are to not only stay in Konoha, but you will also be training in our ninja academy as well until you find what it is you're lacking inside. Only then will I accept your offer to spar, and safely say that you are ready to return to Kiri to become the next Mizukage." "B-But, Lord Seventh I-" "Tell me, Tamashi" Naruto stopped walking, and took my shoulders in his hands again; his patience and kindness unwavering as he towered over me, "What is TRUE strength to you?" The question really threw me for a loop, and I stayed quiet as I tried to find a suitable answer to give the Hokage.... But none of what I thought of was satisfactory enough to be considered a worthy answer to his question, and I looked down in shame. Naruto gently took my chin, and lifted my gaze back to him as he said softly, "You do not have to answer immediately. A question like that takes time to answer, but in the end, the only one who can find that answer is you, Tama. So I ask you again, stay with us here in Konoha until that time comes where you find what you're lacking, and by then, who knows? You may just find your answer as well." His words were soft, but they struck like thunder with meaning, and I sighed as I replied, "I-I..... I understand, my Kage..." "Good! Now then, let's set you up with your lodgings, and in the meantime my wife will get you cleaned up and sorted out." He replied, patting my right shoulder before quickly speeding off, and leaving me speechless as Hinata beckoned me to a large bathroom. She ran the bath, and I settled in as I thought long and hard about Naruto's words.... What was it I was missing?.... What WAS true strength to me?.... After I was cleaned up, Hinata provided me with fresh, casual clothes, and a pair of sleep clothes; by then Naruto and Sasuke had gotten me a dorm, and they both sent me on my way with my mist garb and my night wear. The dorm was quite quaint, but still cozy to a fault, and I flopped onto my bed as I stared out the window, feeling homesick, and wondering how I ended up in such a predicament. I sighed, feeling exhausted from all the thinking, and homesickness, and I closed my eyes as I whispered to myself, "Tomorrow brings another dawn...."