Naruto 1. Chapter 1

Yuki no Hana

BY: Smash41KMF

Summary: When Tsunade calls in a ninja from the Land of Snow, everyone in Konoha is curious, especially when said ninja is given a teaching position at the academy. Haven't decided on a pairing, I'll put up a poll for you guys, so you can choose!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, but I do own this plot, the story, and all the characters that I make up to go with it!

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><p><strong>Prologue<strong>

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><p>It was bright.<p>

Brighter than usual as four ninja darted soundlessly through the tree tops, listening to the early morning birds chirping happily as the sun rose higher into the sky. Although the ambiance would appear to be pleasant and carefree, the situation was nothing short of a full-fledged pursuit. Three shinobi, clad in their fighting gear and weapons, were trailing a very high-profile target in hopes of capturing it before it reached its destination. The objective was to cut off their target before it reached the Hidden Leaf Village, capture them and transport them back to Iwagakure for interrogation. Initially, the three-man squad of Jounin had simply scoffed at the simplicity of the mission, questioning why _they _had been sent to do a job that could have easily been accomplished by one of the four-man cells that had just come out of training. However, the squad had soon learned that there was much more to their 'simple' mission than they had originally accounted for. Surprisingly, their target was a lone ninja travelling to the Fire Country from the Land of Snow; and if that wasn't enough to raise suspicion, the mission was unexpectedly dubbed to be at an S-ranked caliber. While none of the three-man squad was particularly sure why, they were told to carry out their mission regardless of their own opinions.

The deadline for the mission was a week, and as much as the trio hated to admit it, the target wasn't allowing them any chances to stage an ambush. So now they were at a race against time to complete their mission as the group grew closer and closer to the Village of Konoha.

"Haru, if we keep this up, we aren't going to catch up to her in time, we need to move faster!" One of the ninja shouted, her loose blonde hair flapping against her back as she pushed off another branch, maintaining her position several meters behind their target's left flank.

"I know, stay in position and let me think." The squad leader replied gruffly, his gaze fixed on the black markings that signified their target's home in the Land of Snow.

"Well, make it fast. We'll be approaching the main gates of Konoha in less than ten minutes." The third ninja called, as he flanked on the right, his bright blue eyes gleaming in the morning sunlight.

"Maybe if you shut your mouth, Atsu-" Haru began, when the squad's konoichi interrupted them both with a startled gasp.

"I've lost sight of the target!" she exclaimed, and both directed their attention back to where the Snow ninja had previously been.

"Don't be ridiculous, Korin! That's impossible! How could you lose sight of her?" Haru shouted as the three of them came to a stop on separate branches, being sure to remain in their three-pointed formation.

"I don't know! She just vanished!" Korin snapped, her hand braced over her kunai pocket, when she saw a shadow dart past her.

"Don't be silly, no one just up and vanishes!" Korin growled, opening her mouth to retort, when she realized that neither of her teammates had opened their mouths and instead had their weapons drawn as they glared at something behind her.

Instinctively, Korin made a move to turn her head, when she felt a sliver of cold metal press gently into the skin at the base of her throat. Swallowing, she allowed her head to be lifted as the kunai was pointed up, its sharp edge resting dangerously against the front of her throat, while its tip barely grazed the very edge of her earlobe.

"You should listen to your partner, no one just disappears…." Breathed a soft, feminine voice, sending a shiver of fear through the konoichi's body as her skin began to produce a thin layer of sweat and Haru could only look on helplessly. She desperately wanted to speak, but the fear of the knife slitting her throat at the slightest movement prevented her from doing so, even breathing had become much harder. Korin relinquished her attempts to see their target's face, and instead moved her gaze to meet that of her teammates, whom she could tell were frantically trying to think of a way out of this sticky situation, when their target spoke up again.

"You know, it's a bit annoying to be stopped like this, when I'm so close to the village? So, my suggestion would be to go back to Iwagakure and let me continue on my way-" she began, when Haru spoke up.

"But we can't let you get away! It's strange enough to see a shinobi from the Snow on the mainland, even moreso that they would be sent alone to Konohagakure!" he argued, and their assailant sneered from over Korin's shoulder, even if the woman was taller.

"One wrong move and you'll be going home with a dead body, and then you can wallow in the fact that let your own comrade die because of a foolish mistake!" Haru stiffened at the notion, trying to remain calm as Korin remained shaking slightly as fear glistened in her dark brown eyes. Then, he suddenly smirked.

"You seem to be forgetting that I have _two _others with me, Yuki no Hana." He sneered, watching smugly as his teammate rose from the branch to stand behind her and hold his own knife to her neck. "Now, Atsuko!"

"And to think this was an S-ranked mission." The ninja scoffed, moving swiftly to behead the younger konoichi when she disappeared and he narrowly missed slitting Korin's throat as she let out a gasp of relief.

"And you're forgetting that I out-rank all of you." She replied smartly, reappearing on a branch several meters from Haru.

"How-" Haru began, whipping around only to see the cloaked ninja began to blow away in a whirlwind of lily petals.

"A magician never tells her secrets, Haru." She chided lightly, a single hand seal raised before her mouth tauntingly as the jutsu set in and engulfed her lower body. "And neither do ninja. Until next time…. Nokikai Haru."

And with that, the petals spiraled off into the breeze, leaving the three shinobi alone in the trees as they watched the petals disappear with the wind. Haru raised his head to watch the last of the flower petals disappear, before returning his attention to the two ninja before him.

"So, that was the 'Lily of the North'?" Atsuko asked hesitantly, as Korin continued to against him, still regaining her wits. Haru nodded solemnly.

"Indeed." He replied, gazing up at the sky once more, before sighing and looking at his two teammates with a stern gaze. "This mission was a failure and we were simply out-classed. So, let's go report back to Lord Tsuchikage."

The other two nodded, and soon the trio started off again, but only Haru looked back to see a small lily sitting in middle of the path that led towards the Village Hidden in the Leaves.

"Until next time…." He whispered in response, watching as the flower swayed in the wind. "Kitano Yuri…."

And with that, Haru turned his back, unable to see as the flower was plucked from the ground and blew away, the wind carrying it to the gates of Konoha and gently into the hands of the young konoichi.

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><p><strong>Alrighty! So, this is my first Naruto fanfiction, and I'm REALLY hoping everyone likes it! Again, I haven't decided on the pairing, so I might just let you all decide! I'll put up the poll!<strong>

**Thanks,**

**~Smash41KMF**


	2. Chapter 2

Yuki no Hana

BY: Smash41KMF

Summary: When Tsunade calls in a ninja from the Land of Snow, everyone in Konoha is curious, especially when said ninja is given a teaching position at the academy. Haven't decided on a pairing, I'll put up a poll for you guys, so you can choose!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, but I do own this plot, the story, and all the characters that I make up to go with it!

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><p><strong>Chapter One: A Warm Welcome<strong>

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><p>Yuri sighed. While choosing to live the life of a ninja had felt like the most brilliant decision she'd ever made, there were times were she truly resented the rules that tied them down through discipline and duty. It was one of the few things she hated about the job, because she knew she wasn't the type of person to throw away the rules and regulations; no matter how badly she wanted to, she couldn't.<p>

If it had been her choice, she would have gladly put those ninja in their place. However, she knew better, and decided to leave the chore for another day; her mission was to arrive in Konoha unscathed and on time. It was her duty, so she didn't have the time to waste on such petty things if they could easily be avoided, despite the great desire burning within her to make them regret doubting her abilities.

Grumbling, she shook off the small pang of disappointment at the missed opportunity, before deciding to focus on the task on-hand. Gathering chakra in the soles of her feet, Yuri crouched down slightly, holding onto the small pack she had carried with her, before launching herself into the air and over the concrete walls. True, while this would easily be considered unconventional, not to mention a bit of a hassle, compared to simply walking through the front gate, Yuri knew the stakes of a lone ninja entering another hidden village. They had discussed it before and they had decided that neither of them wanted her sitting in inquiry for an entire week because of standard protocol. However, she was slightly surprised by the lack of alarms and manual guards patrolling the circumference, but it wasn't until her body was in the middle of gliding through the air, did she notice the arrows and metal projectiles being launched in her direction.

She smirked, releasing small puffs of chakra at different points of her body as she sailed through the air, twisting and bending her body to maneuver herself through the air and around the flying weaponry with ease. Pulling her cloak securely around her, Yuri pulled her legs up to her stomach and carefully arched her body, just narrowly avoiding the kunai that grazed her cheek and left her with a small cut on an otherwise flawless face the easily resembled that of a porcelain doll. With a smirk, the Snow ninja landed gracefully in the treetops of the training grounds located just inside the southern point of the village walls, before disappearing from sight.

Her job was to first enter the Village Hidden in the Leaves undetected and speak with the Hokage. While they had been able to speak briefly beforehand, their meeting was shorter than they had expected, and Tsuande wanted her cover to first be completed and that she knew the rest of her mission specs, _before_ letting her presence be known to the rest of the villagers.

Yuri sighed, masking her chakra signature and pressing herself back against the tree as she watched a small group of genin race through the clearing. She and Tsunade both knew that making it inside the village undetected wasn't going to be possible, and the last thing she needed to do was be spotted by a group of genin. However, they also knew that, when an enemy ninja infiltrated the village, it was standard protocol to alert the Hokage immediately, and from there her secret would be _kept_ a secret until Tsunade came to meet her at the rendezvous point.

Now all she had to do was stay out of sight and avoid the small groups of ninja training the forest until Tsunade made it to the main clearing. Originally, they had arranged for her to travel to the Hokage Tower, but the idea was soon dismissed due to the fact that it was too public and could easily put her in jeopardy of being captured before making it there; after all, anyone would be suspicious of a lone _Snow_ ninja walking down the streets of a village so far in on the mainland.

Yuri let out another sigh, this part of the mission was a bit tedious, because she couldn't just disguise herself as a villager, since they normally wouldn't wander around this deep into the training grounds, without raising suspicion, and same was for an animal, _specifically_ her host. So that only left one thing for her to do.

Take the risk of traveling to the meeting point by foot, and avoid any and all confrontations if possible.

It sounded simple enough, but she had her doubts, because if there was one thing she knew about the shinobi of Konoha, it was that they had some of the keenest set of senses of any of the hidden village, more specifically the sense of sight and smell. Oh well, it was something she'd have to work her way around until she was able to meet up with Shizune and Tsunade.

Yuri took a deep breath, annoyed by the sweat that was beginning to form on her brow. Sweating would only make finding her easier from any of the village's expert tracking ninja, but she wasn't able to change in the other uniform she had packed for this mission. So, for the moment, she was stuck wearing the thick and heavy clothes meant for the environment of her homeland.

She shook her head, the sooner she met up with the Hokage the better. And with that thought, Yuri launched herself from her perch high up in the trees and decided to go in the opposite direction she'd seen the genin go. She hadn't been to Konoha in a long time, and she doubted that she'd be able to find her way correctly around the growing village without getting terribly lost first. So she did the next best thing and decided to retrace someone else's steps, hoping that it'd lead her in the right direction.

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><p>Meanwhile, four shinobi were standing in the clearing, when they felt something in the air shift. Something was coming.<p>

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><p>Yuri pushed herself through the treetops, pausing as she sensed the presence of chakra change drastically. No longer was she surrounded by the faint marks of young genin and the stronger marks of their Jounin-level senseis, but instead she found herself approaching a dense amount of chakra, the most she'd ever seen concentrated all in one spot. She knew for a fact that it had to be more than one person, and she carefully came to a stop, she felt the signatures separating into four <em>very<em> distinctive individuals, only one of which was familiar. _Kakashi._

Yuri smirked, it had been some time since she'd last since the infamous copy-ninja, and she was sort of looking forward to the reunion, but the other signatures had her a tad unnerved. She could a dark, vengeful aura from one of them, obviously a male, and as she dug further, she was hit with a sensation she hadn't experienced in a very long time. _An… Uchiha?_

The thought surprised her a little, due to the history of the clan's massacre, there was only said to be two or three of them left, all boys. This must be one of them, she'd keep that in mind. She moved on to the next one, still strong, but held a gentler air about it, a familiar feeling of cleansing that she could relate to Tsunade's, but there was a slight difference. This one was younger, and much more controlled. Tsunade had mentioned taking on an apprentice, perhaps this was the girl? Oh, what was it… _Haruno….? Sa…Saku… OH! Haruno Sakura!_

Yuri smiled, but that only left the last signature, the strongest of them all, but there was something strange about it. It was dark, but not like the Uchiha's, yet at the same time, it felt light, and gentle, yet not controlled like the girl's. In truth, Yuri was baffled, and she searched her mind for something to help her in identifying the signature, before something clicked, and she drew closer to the area.

What she found left her in utter shock. The good news was that she had found the main clearing where she was to meet Tsuande, but the bad news was that this was where the four signatures were the strongest. While she knew she wouldn't have to worry about Kakashi attacking her, she wasn't so sure about the other three. Silver-blue eyes rested on the three younger ninja, making out both the Uchiha and the medic, before landing on the blonde-haired boy with whisker-like scars on his cheeks. Her eyes widened, she was right!

It had at first seemed like a guess thrown to the wind, but this boy was indeed the host of the nine-tailed fox spirit, yet she could tell from the signature of his own chakra, that he was much gentler than the beast the resided inside him. The notion made her smile. That was good to know, because if he attacked her, she'd be a goner.

So, now that she had reached her destination, all she had to do was wait. Easy, right?

Well, yes, but only if you weren't in the presence of one Kakashi Hatake, who was _known_ for being the village's, if not the _country's_ very best tracker. Heck, his summoning jutsu summoned ninja _dogs_ for kami's sake!

Yuri sighed, hanging her head slightly. _Well this will certainly be interesting…._

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><p>Kakashi smirked, he knew she was there, he knew it from the moment she entering the village from over the wall. He glanced at his former students and smiled slightly; the question was…. Did they?<p>

The look on Sakura's face gave him his answer, and the fact the Sasuke had engaged his Sharigan only solidified his assumption that the pair had indeed sensed their unexpected guest. He looked to Naruto and smiled a little wider, even Naruto was on edge, so he figured it was about time to call her out on it.

However, before he could even open his mouth, she took off from her perch in the branches of the tall oak tree that stood tall behind him, and landed gracefully in the center of the clearing, the off-white cloak adorning her shoulders falling noiselessly around her, straightening and loosening as she rose confidently to her feet and turned to meet his gaze.

Lifting an arm, she gave him a firm thumbs-up, before all hell broke loose.

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><p>She felt the air behind her displacing itself rapidly as the knife flew through the air with undeterred precision. Beneath her own mask, the corner of her mouth twitched upward in a smirk, as she lowered her arm and pivoted on her the ball of her right foot, her other arm moving in the blink of an eye, and with great ease, she stopped the kunai less than an inch from its target right between her eyes. Then, with the slightest flick of her wrist, she sent the knife back its original path and into the cloth of the eager Uchiha's sleeve, pinning his arm to the trunk of the tree behind him. She turned back to look at Kakashi, who had face-palmed himself and shook his head in defeat.<p>

"Really now, and I had hoped your students would have been a bit more friendly, Kakashi."

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><p><strong>Alrighty! So,this is the second chapter of my first Naruto fanfiction, and I'm REALLY hoping everyone likes it! I made it longer, and hopefully I get a better response! Again, I haven't decided on the pairing, so I might just let you all decide! I'll put up the poll!<strong>

**Thanks,**

**~Smash41KMF**


	3. Chapter 3

Yuki no Hana

BY: Smash41KMF

Summary: When Tsunade calls in a ninja from the Land of Snow, everyone in Konoha is curious, especially when said ninja is given a teaching position at the academy. Haven't decided on a pairing, I'll put up a poll for you guys, so you can choose! I might make it a Gaara fic... hmmm.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, but I do own this plot, the story, and all the characters that I make up to go with it!

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><p><strong>Chapter Two: They Started It<strong>

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><p>Yuri smirked, fully knowing that the moment those words left her mouth, the other two would charge her. She let a small chuckle slip past her lips as she glanced back at Kakashi, who sent her a stern glare to which she simply responded to with a concealed grin, before turning back to face the two ninja. The fox host came first, kunai withdrawn and at the ready, while his partner came from above with an unsettling surprise. Normally, Yuri would have only blocked the konoichi's kick with her arm, but as the girl grew closer, Yuri came to the realization that the offending limb was all but burning with concentrated chakra. Her eyes widened slightly, before pushing herself back as a small crater was formed in the spot where the pink-haired konoichi landed. The move was a bit unexpected, and Yuri escaped it before a shower of kunai rained down on her from above. Stepping back, her body tensed as her chakra shot into the ground and propelled her backwards, allowing her the extra time to maneuver around the onslaught of knives. However, much to her annoyance, her cloak didn't fare as well as she did, and when she stopped she could feel the light breeze weave its way into the small cuts and slices in the cloth.<p>

Sakura's eyes widened at the sight of the foreign shinobi's agility and reflexes. There was only a single time where she remembered being able to dodge such an attack with so much as a scratch on her, and that was when Lady Chiyo had been manipulating her in their battle against the Akatsuki member Akasuna no Sasori. Yet, to think that this ninja held such precise control over her own body was incredible, and Sakura suddenly felt humbled, if not a bit envious.

"What an interesting tactic." Yuri complimented, landing in an upright position, her hands swinging by her sides beneath her cloak as her eyes travelled between the two that stood before her. "A false frontal assault while the other came from above, only to be followed up by the other, all the while pushing their opponent further back... It's the perfect set-up..." she reached up, watching the two tense with a smirk as she unclipped her cloak and curled her fingers into the inside of the collar. She gave a swift jerk, and within seconds, her arm had looped around her head and the cloak was off. Extending her arm out in front of her and slightly to the side, Yuri reached into the knife pocket on her thick cargo pants as she continued. "...for the thrid person to sneak up from behind."

Yuri smirked at the look of astonishment on the Sakura and the Naruto's face as she dropped her cloak to the ground to reveal the Uchiha hold a knife to her back, looking triumphant. However, the expression soon faded when Sasuke felt a sliver of cool metal press into the side of his neck, just moments before it slide around to the other side and his was shoved forward, only to be jerked back and onto his knees. The boy made a sharp gagging noise as he found himself in a tight headlock, facing his horror-struck teammates. Then, he heard a soft chuckle from behind him, and his hands came up to tug at the arm around his neck, but it was in vain, because what she said next made him freeze.

"…Isn't that right…Sasuke Uchiha?" Yuri smirked, his mouth beside the boy's ear as his struggles froze, and his eyes grew wider as silence fell among them.

"Who the hell are you?" he growled after some time, and Yuri raised a smooth eyebrow at his question, ignoring it for a few moments before looking to Sakura. The girl's expression was interesting, calculating if anything, but there was something else in those emerald eyes that Yuri couldn't decipher, and before she could open her mouth to speak, something caught her attention in the corner of her eye.

Naruto was missing.

With a sharp hiss, she gripped Sasuke's shoulder with her free hand and shoved him onto his stomach on the ground, before standing over him, one foot on his back to make sure that he did move, as she turned her attention back to the rustling trees. Sakura then saw her opportunity to strike and she began forward, but she wasn't even a step in when a paper bomb tied to a kunai was thrown at her feet, forcing her back to avoid the blast.

Knowing the move would stall Sakura some, Yuri turned back just in time to see Naruto spring from his hiding spot. At first, she expected the same approach as before, even though the smoke from the bottom was hard to see through, she had no doubts that Sakura would still be able to pull of the attack, but what came instead caught her off-guard. Instead of a simply kunai knife, in the palm of Naruto's hand was a massive stream of chakra concentrated into the form of a spiraling blue orb; commonly known as the Fourth Hokage's jutsu, Rasengan.

Yuri's eyes widened a fraction and she leaned back, putting some of her weight into the Uchiha's back as she watched Naruto rear back and whip his arm forward, his speed suddenly increasing as the air around the violent orb sphere of chakra grew thick and time seemed to stop.

Yuri held her breath. Taking her chances with lady luck, Yuri side-stepped, her right foot landing right next to the Uchiha's head as she tried to hold her ground for as long as possible. Then, when Naruto was less than a meter away, she launched herself up, barely getting a foot off the ground before she was parallel with the boy, just narrowly avoiding the deadly attack. Then, taking his surprise to her advantage, Yuri took hold of his wrist and his elbow of his attacking arm and used the speed he was already moving at and threw him into the ground, right on top of Sasuke.

The move stopped the Rasengan, and the Uchiha for the moment, and Yuri let out a soft sigh of relief, when she felt someone grab ahold of her ankle from below. Glancing down in surprise, silver-blue met burning green and Yuri was thrown towards the ground. There was no way she'd be able to avoid the impact, so she did the best she could to soften the landing by displacing as much chakra into her back as possible before she slammed into the ground.

Dirt flew into the air and Yuri let out a choked cough as she squinted at the pink-haired figure standing over her. Her head was spinning, and her entire body was numb, but she gave a grunt and pushed herself back onto her feet. The clouds of dust were gradually clearing and Yuri spotted the two boys staggering to their feet, using each other for support, before feeling something press into the side of her neck and found Sakura standing in front of her.

"Give up, you've been beat." She said icily, and Yuri gave her a blank look, before the corner of her lips twitched upwards in a small smirk as she closed her eyes and lowered her head a little. Then, suddenly, Yuri's shoulder started to shake gently, and she gave a bitter, humorless chuckle. Lazily, Yuri craned her head back to send Sakura a sloppy, yet piercing stare as her teammates watched from afar.

"I'll admit, you're good, Sakura. Smart too, but there's something you should know about ninja who out-rank you." Yuri said with a sloppy grin as she pulled Sakura into a one-armed hug and whispered into her ear. "We'll always be a few steps ahead of you."

And with that, Yuri slipped her left foot behind the heel of Sakura's right foot, and whipped herself around, her head slipping beneath the knife as she turned her hips and pivoted on her foot, her left arm pulling Sakura with her. She then released the pink-haired konoichi the moment they were parallel to the ground and in less than a second, she brought her other foot around and drove her heel into Sakura's stomach.

Yuri watched the girl hit the ground with a hard 'thud' with a spark of satisfaction, before launching herself straight into the air above the three and sending her hands into a blur of hand signs.

"Earth-style, tentacle roots jutsu!" before any of the trio could react, thick tree roots shot from the ground and held each of them in place as the Snow konoichi landed gracefully in front of them, admiring her work.

With her jutsu, she had Sakura suspended off the ground, her hands and feet restrained and out of reach of anything she could use as a weapon. Yuri then glanced over to Sasuke, who was pinned flush against the ground, roots around his hands and legs; and finally she looked at Naruto, whom she had pinned to a nearby tree with restraints wrapping around most of his body, she wasn't taking any chances with him. While pinning Sasuke to the ground prevented any of his lightning attacks, and suspending Sakura in the air negated any of her chakra-enhanced blows, she still wasn't quite sure what Naruto was capable of, and she wasn't planning on finding out anytime soon, the trio had already held her up long enough.

Yuri sighed, about to turn away, when something whizzed past her head, slicing off part of her dark blue locks. Reaching up, Yuri touched the severed hair a thoughtful stroke, before continuing on her way, when she heard a round of clapping and a small sigh.

Yuri looked up in slight surprise to see an exasperated Kakashi, and amused Hokage. Chuckling, Yuri glanced back at the trio of ninja still being held down by her jutsu, before turning back and giving their new arrivals a small, innocent shrug.

"What? They started it." She said, and Tsunade simply laughed.

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><p><strong>Alrighty! So, this is the third chapter of my first Naruto fanfiction, and I'm REALLY hoping everyone likes it! hopefully I get a better response! Again, I haven't decided on the pairing, so I might just let you all decide! I'll put up the poll!<strong>

**Thanks,**

**~Smash41KMF**


	4. Chapter 4

Yuki no Hana

BY: Smash41KMF

Summary: When Tsunade calls in a ninja from the Land of Snow, everyone in Konoha is curious, especially when said ninja is given a teaching position at the academy. Haven't decided on a pairing, I'll put up a poll for you guys, so you can choose! I might make it a Gaara fic... hmmm.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, but I do own this plot, the story, and all the characters that I make up to go with it!

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><p><strong>Chapter Three: Still a Fool<strong>

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><p>"Well, it's good to see that you made it here on time. We just received word of a snow storm closing in on the Land of Snow." Tsunade said as she led the young girl into her office.<p>

"Thank you, it's good to see you again, Tsunade-san." she replied politely with the nod of her head as she closed the door behind them, satisfied with the soft 'click' of the lock sliding into place, separating them from the outside world, even if for a few seconds.

Tsunade made a small 'Hn' in response to the teen as she leisurely sauntered over to her desk and flopped unceremoniously into her chair. Tsunade could almost hear her back let out a soft sigh of relief as she sunk back into the cloth-covered foam chair, because, after several ungodly hours of being seated in the small, uncomfortable council chairs to discuss what the next move of the Akatsuki would be now that Naruto was the only Jinchuuriki host left, this felt like heaven.

Yuri bit back the urge to chuckle at the older woman. She had always found the woman to be pleasantly different from others that held positions as high in soceity as Tsunade did. Unlike many of the handful of women in the world of politics, Tsunade often acted more juvenile than the Kazekage (who actually had the right to do so) and extremely bull-headed. Hell, the woman could probably reach an inhuman borderline of simultaneous genius and insanity if enough sake was involved. However, when it really came down to it, Yuri knew that Tsunade took her job just as seriously as the next and she was beyond qualified, both as a leader and one of the strongest ninja in the world. Yet, for Yuri, none of those titles were the source of the great respect the younger kunoichi held for the Godaime.

In fact, Yuri had met Tsuande a long time ago in the Land of Snow. She was ten at the time and was assisting a small group of Chuunin and Jounin in a border patrol briefly before the winter storm season started. Their six-man squad had been sent to the survey the western border -the closest border to the mainland across the ocean. It was a task normally given to the strongest of the four deployed cells because it also involved a few inventory checks at the main docks to check for an stow-aways or warships carrying shinobi over for an ambush on the isolated island country.

Since the Preliminary Exams were gradually closing in on the genin of the Village Hidden in the Snow, the border patrols were taking different genin out to show them what their jobs entailed. While Yuri was a little intimidated by being surrounded by so many skilled ninja, she was also excited beyond belief. So, en route back, her patient and calm resolve fell to pieces as she lept cheerfully from branch to branch after coercing a few of the younger Chuunin in to a game of tag while the older Jounin simply watched with amusement.

The winter season had been slowly creeping in, so it wasn't a surprise when she lost her footing on one of the branches and began falling towards the thick forest floor. However, on her way down, she felt her descent slowed considerably when something was pulled taut under her arm before snapping and leaving her to hit the dirt with a soft thud. Then, if felt as if time had stopped, as her teammates slowly landed on the ground around her, weapons drawn.

Although the fall had disoriented her, Yuri could feel the tension leaking into the air in clearing as her comrades slowly formed a circle around her. _'Protecting the youngest.'_ It was one of the things their teachers both in the academy and in their separate cells had often told them. Her year was the future of the village, so their safety was one of the main priorities on the battle field, and as aggravating as it seemed, it was their way of life.

It wasn't long before the first clash of metal could be heard and soon the entire clearing was littered with kunai, shuriken, and sadly, blood.

No one had left their positions, refusing to allow Yuri to join the fight until the first of their comrades left them. Yuri had only been able to watch in horror as one of the Chuunin she had grown close to was impaled cleanly through the heart when one of the enemies broke through their defenses and lunged for her, black eyes emotionless. The Chuunin had been her neighbor, barely more than three years older than her and had been in the class ahead of her; he was the very first friend she had made when she moved, and now he was going to die in her arms. Yuri bit her lip, holding back her tears as he offered her a bloody smile, a rough hand resting gently on her knee as he turned to see her tore reaction to his fate. However, that smile was one that they both had known she couldn't return, no matter how hard she tried, but he gave it to her anyways. It was the one that had always made her feel better after she was teased by the older kids in the village, the one that greeted her when she came home with the news of finally becoming a genin. The one she had grown to love.

His name had been Hikaru. He had once been her best friend. And she had watched him die in her arms as the enemy twisted the blade inside the fourteen-year-old's chest before ripping it, along with the dying boy's last breath, from his body. Yuri had wanted to scream, to cry, to mourn, to do _something_ for her friend, but the sound of clashing metal threw her back into the cruel world of reality and the tip of the sword, soaked with the blood of her comrade, pressed into the untouched skin under her chin.

She lifted her head to meet the gaze of her enemy, her icy blue eyes empty and defeated as she could hear the sounds of her comrades slowly falling along with the enemy, one-by-one. This was her fault, from the very beginning, everything was because of her; people were killed, others suffered, and she could no longer afford to carry on as if she were normal. She no longer held the friendships, the alliances, or the connections to those around her close to her heart anymore. It was because of her that Hikaru was killed, taking the blow for her, even though he was supposed to be a part of their village's future with her.

The lifeless look in his eyes spoke volumes and it was the only things she could have thought of that showed the pain she felt deep inside her. She closed her eyes and tried to tune out the sounds in the background as she obediantly waited for the assassin to accomplish his mission and leave so that the people she still cared about could finally live in peace.

She could hear the man scouff at her willingness to die before the blade of the sword dug into her skin, drawing blood. There was pain, dull at first but gradually growing as the pressure of the sword in her throat disappeared, leaving her to half choke on her own blood. She coughed, opening her eyes to see why the man had suddenly stopped, when she found a young woman suspended in the air above her head, holding the own ninja's sword to his own chest .

Yuri could only stare as droplets of blood flew into the air as the the blonde kunoichi drove the blade through the man's chest, freezing the look of utter shock on his face. She couldn't speak, but it didn't stop Yuri from trying when she watched the blade slide like a hot knife through butter through the man's chest, stopping only at the hilt. The man let out a scream, gurgled by blood, before his eyes rolled back and he crumpled to the ground as the woman landed gracefully with her back turned to Yuri.

Never before had Yuri seen such a powerful kunoichi and she felt admiration shoot through her as she made the decision to become just like this woman. However, when she turned back to look at the girl sitting on the ground with the front of her throat cut open (not enough to be fatal but not something to be over-looked), honey-colored eyes darkened coldly and she spoke harshly.

_"You fool."_ she had said, glancing over her shoulder at the ten-year-old who had previously been oh-so willing to die.

Yuri's eyes widened in surprise because never before had anyone said such a thing to her. In the village she was constantly praised for being mature and skilled beyond her years, claimed to be nothing short of a genius, and was now being dubbed a fool. Her eyes narrowed up at the woman. She only scouffed in response, sparing a slight glance at the dead ninja by her feet, before turning to face Yuri, approaching her slowly.

Yuri looked up, watching the woman as she slowly grew closer. She watched as the woman's stepped never faltered, not even her reach back and pull out a clean, glistening sword from the sheath on her back. Yuri's eyes grew as the woman fell smoothely into a kneeling position in front of the girl, her sword suddenly spinning in her grip, the blade pointed straight towards. Yuri ducked her head and closed her eyes, her hands clenching Hikaru's tightly as she awaited the pain that never came.

Yuri opened her eyes and found the woman still knelt in front of her, her arm extended past Yuri's shoulder and the sword was driven into the shoulder of another ninja who had snuck behind the girl, ready to finish the job. Yuri's eyes widened in fear as she spun back around to look at the woman.

To her surprise, the kunoichi met Yuri's gaze calmly, as if to keep the child focused on her as she removed her sword from the dead shinobi behind Yuri. Once the weapon was completely removed, the sounds of fighting began to fade around them until complete silence hung over the clearing, but even then, Yuri couldn't bring herself to look away from the woman. And she seemed to know it too.

Slowly, Yuri lowered her head, her eyes falling as her gaze fell upon Hikaru's face. She had pulled him closer, resting his head in her lap as she closed his eyes and gently stroked his hair. If it weren't for the trickles of fresh blood running from his bottom lip down his chin and soaking the collar of his shirt at the base of his neck; if it weren't for the gaping hole the size of a golfball through his chest, or the bloody smile still loose on his lips... _'It would seem like he was asleep...'_

However, Yuri knew all too well that it was just another lie to make her feel safer, to feel okay with the fact that her best friend had just sacrificed himself for her and had had the humor enough to grin as he died in her arms. Yuri cracked a bitter smile as she felt the corners of her eyes grew wet. Her smile faltered and she clenched her jaw tightly and bowed her head, unable to stop the tears that had begun to fall from her eyes and hit the boy's chilled skin.

_"Damn you, Hikaru..."_ she had coughed, despite the condtition her throat was in. She leaned down, her face just above his, the long braid of dark navy blue hair falling over her shoulder and folding on the ground as her entire body began to shake. Her throat felt like it was burning, but she didn't care, this pain was nothing compared to the hit that he had taken you her, the price he'd paid. _"DAMN IT, HIKARU!"_ she had screamed, forgetting the pain the ripped through her throat as she cried. She couldn't hold it in any longer, lowering her forehead to rest against his as she spoke in nothing more than a whisper, her throat wailing for her to stop. _"You promised me, damn it..."_ she had let it all out, everything she had locked up inside her, it had all come out. _"You promised to never leave me... to stay and help me train until I was strong... You told me that we'd find him together... you said we'd go together... to heaven... and to hell..."_ she took a deep breath, pulling back and throwing a fist into the ground, ignoring the chunks of earth and the dirt that shot into the air. She looked down at the peaceful smile that remained on his blood-stained lips.

_"YOU PROMISED THAT WE'D DO THIS TOGETHER!" _she finally screamed, not caring if the other woman could hear her, not caring if she alerted more enemies, she just wanted to make sure that he heard her. However, it was then that her throat gave out and her body shook with the violent fit of coughes, body leaking from her mouth as she grasped her throat with one hand and braced herself above him with the other, choking out a few more words before collapsing beside him, her head falling onto his chest. Over his heart.

_"You bastard... you promised..."_

Yuri sighed inwardly, the memory still brought a painful ache to her heart, even if it had been about seven or eight years ago. She then lifted her head to meet Tsunade's gaze, and the woman frowned a little, obviously aware of what was going through the seventeen-year-old's mind.

"Yuri..." The kunoichi snapped to attention, her hands clasped behind her back, her posture straight, a perfect career shinobi; if it weren't for the emotionless and unyeilding gaze and the painful lack of a genuine smile. Nonetheless, Tsunade sighed, unable to deny the truth about how important this girl was to her. "You're still a fool."

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><p><strong>Okay, so originally I had Yuri simply go in and get her mission and then leave and have an encounter with Naruto and the gang, however, as I read this and started filling things in, I liked it. A LOT. I know it's a shorter chapter, but I feel that it's important to the story and hopefully sheds some light on my mysterious OC. Let's just say she's had a hard life, it'll eventually pan out, but I will say, Gaara most likely won't make his debut until much later. I only put him there because I needed some character to get hits. This will be a OC-centric story, in other words, mostly about my character, Yuri. And yes, I realized that Yuri also means Girl-on-Girl naughtiness, but I'm not going ANYWHERE near that. I picked Yuri because (according to the game 'My Japanese Coach') it means 'Lily'. the Title, by the way, means "Flower of the Snow". However, I realize that it's kind of contridicting later on, but I couldn't think of a better title at the time!<strong>

**Oh well, I really like this story, and I will keep writing it, even if I don't get a lot of hits. I'll probably change the summary too. But anyways, go to my profile, vote on the poll for the pairing for the story, and write me a review! I don't get many of those for this story. Give me your ideas, I'll need them for fillers later on!**

**Thanks,**

**~Smash41KMF**


	5. Chapter 5

Yuki no Hana

BY: Smash41KMF

Summary: When Tsunade calls in a ninja from the Land of Snow, everyone in Konoha is curious, especially when said ninja is given a teaching position at the academy. Haven't decided on a pairing, I'll put up a poll for you guys, so you can choose! I might make it a Gaara fic... hmmm.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, but I do own this plot, the story, and all the characters that I make up to go with it!

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><p><strong>Chapter Four: Child<strong>

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><p>Yuri had visibly relaxed, even if she had made a soft scoff at the comment, something within those words made her like she still had someone to trust.<p>

"Yeah. I know." she said softly, as a sad smile formed on her lips. She saw Tsunade frown at her, obviously concerned with the way the death of Hikaru continued to plague her to this very day, but the Hokage said nothing of the girl's slightly whistful expression. It was the first geniune expression she'd seen the konoichi wear in a long time, and she didn't want to see it go to waste just yet. However, Tusnade watched the girl for only a few more seconds, hoping to find some sort of indication that the girl still had hope, but after several prolonged seconds, Tsunade sighed to herself. So, in lue of wasting her time trying to get the stiff seventeen-year-old to talk, she grabbed a pen off her desk and began filling out the soon-to-be enormous pile of paperwork that was beginning on the corner of her desk.

A mixed silence filled the room, neither of the women knowing what to say or even wanting to try. While most would have thought even konoichi liked to talk things out, like most women, Kitano Yuri and the Hokage of the Hidden Leaf were very much different, as were many other konoichi. Keeping secrets was part of the job and you never know who you could and couldn't trust while on a mission, so even girls were trained from a young age to endure torture and taught how to avoid leaking sensitive information: just don't talk.

For Yuri, the rule applied to the majority of her life. There were very few people she trusted and even less of them were among the living. She let out a sigh as bowed her head slightly and spoke with an even tone.

"Permission to act freely, ma'am." Tsunade lifted her head and directed her attention solely on the girl standing before her. Never before had Yuri requested permission to act or say as she pleased with Tsuande, and never had she seemed so rigid about it either. Quirking a rather curious eyebrow, Tsunade set down her pen and rose from her seat, but Yuri remained still. This sense of formality was different, and Tsunade couldn't help but find herself curious of the suddenly change, but she also knew that there was something that she needed to do.

Standing in front of Yuri, Tsunade looked down into her eyes, saddened by the way they no longer gleamed with the passion of the little girl she'd met all those years ago. However, Tsunade knew that this was no time for mourning over the loss of this girl's spirit, and instead, she reached out. Taking hold of the girl's shoulder, Tsunade took one last step and pulled the teenager into her arms, ignoring how she immediately tried to shove her away.

Yuri's eyes widened considerably, and she felt trapped, encased within this woman's arms; scared of the warmth she provided, the home, the love. Yuri truely feared others because she knew that they would only be hurt because of her. Wriggling in Tsunade's grasp, Yuri tried to push the older woman away, distance herself before she collapsed and showed weakness. She was bred to be strong, to never show weakness of pain, it was her destiny to murder the man who caused her so much pain, to watch him choke and die in a pool of his own blood for what he did to her. She wasn't supposed to live, she wasn't supposed to be loved, she had to be strong...

"There's nothing you could have done."

Yuri froze, her arms giving way, her body going numb as her legs shook before they could support her weight no more. Yuri's eyes grew, the words going straight to her heart as she felt gravity take hold of her and began to pulling her down to hell. Upon instinct, her eyes clamped shut and she clutched to closest object within her reach, her head bowing and falling onto Tsunade's shoulder, and so she waited for her body to hit the ground. The impact never came.

Instead, Yuri felt the grip around her tighten as Tsunade held the girl up, before lifting her back onto her feet, but not letting go. She could hear her heart thrashing inside her ribcage, violently beating in chest at the thought of falling without anyone to catch her. She had been wrong. She had thought for so long that no one would save her if she fell, that no one would mourn her departure, she was wrong for so long...

She couldn't help it, she didn't care about pride any longer, and evenso, it wouldn't have stopped her from suddenly hugging the woman she had once considered her second mother. Tsunade was surprised at first, when she saw Yuri's body collapse, but now she was beyond words. Never had she known Yuri for showing any form of affection after Hikaru's death, a rare smile here or there, but nothing more. Yet, here she was, clinging to Tsunade as if it was her last life line.

"I should be dead. I deserved to die, Tsunade!" she said, her head on the older woman's shoulder as she held back the tears that had been built up for nearly a decade. "Damn it! I couldn't protect any of them! Not Hikaru, or Shiko, or Nagisa, or Chidoki! I couldn't protect a single one of them! I couldn't even protect my mother from the man who'd told me to keep her safe..." Yuri felt herself gasping for breath, her grip tightening with every breath, but Tsunade remained silent, holding onto her just as tightly.

"I watched them slaughter each and every on of my teammates, my friends, teachers, neighbors. All those people who died because I was too damn weak!" Yuri felt something inside her spark and her eyes shot open as the sound of footsteps caught her attention. Her voice grew sharp and cold, as the hair on the back of her neck bristled. "I don't deserve happiness or peace after all that has happened. I have spilled blood, Tsunade and it will only get much worse, but you're aware of that already, now aren't you?" Tsunade remained silent, waiting patiently for Yuri temper to deflate. She had no desire of having to rebuild her office in the case that Yuri's temper snaps and everyone in the building is put at risk.

"Answer me, Tsunade." she growled, her nails digging into the cloth of Tsunade's jacket. Tsunade pulled the girl closer, saying nothing as her breathing became irratic. "Tell me of the blood that stains my name! Tell me of the monster he's made me! Tell me of the people he's made me kill. Tell me, Tsunade, that I deserve to die."

"No." She said finally, unable to think of an easier way to state the obvious truth than to be blunt about it. "Because then he still controls you. You fool." Yuri's entire body stiffen, her breath cut short, and her eyes wide. Tsunade paused, taking Yuri hesitation as a sign of security, before loosening her hold as Yuri descended from her fit of rage and stepped out of Tsunade's arms. "No one can control you, Yuri. You should very well know that by now, and yet you're still holding a grudge-"

Yuri's head shot up and her eyes flashed coldly, the words leaving her mouth before she had the chance to think. "You don't understand!"

"Like hell I don't!" Yuri stepped back, her eyes large as she gazed at Tsunade, one of the few people to ever _actually _understand Yuri.

"Tsunade, I-" She started, but stopped, her eyes narrowing, before she turned away and moved for the door. "Nevermind... I'm leaving."

"Oh, grow up." That struck her hard. Yuri stopped in front of the door, hands clenched. She took a deep breath, but she refused to look back at Tsunade, even if she knew the older woman was right. "How long are you going to just run away from this, Yuri? How long are you going to hide behind this mask? You can't hide from him anymore, you should know better than that, and yet you think you can make these sort of outbursts and shake it off a few seconds later?"

Yuri remained silent, refusing to face her friend as the older woman continued to tell her off. However, Yuri knew Tsunade was right, and for that, she hated herself. Yes, it still haunted her to this day, the fact that she had been weak; too weak to fend for herself when they were ambushed, too useless to do anything but watched her comrades being picked off one-by-one. Too scared to save a friend. She knew she was still running from the man who had thrown her through hell and kicked her back into the world of the ignorant and living.

"Stop being such a coward and listen to yourself for once! Do you honestly think you'll be able to get close enough to slit his throat? To be able to watch him die in agony before someone sees? You're better than that, damn it! Stop being such a child and think! If you really want to die, then let him kill you. As a coward you'd be no worth to kill anyhow." Tsunade frowned, "You really are a fool."

At that, Yuri turned back to face the Hokage, her eyes flashing as they made eye contact. Yuri lifted her head, straightened her stance and met Tsunade's heated gaze with an even fire.

"Then, please..." she said in cold sarcasm, "bury me alive, Tsunade."

"Gladly."

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><p>"Argh! <em>Who<em> is she!"

"Naruto, calm down, already. I'm sure we'll find out eventually."

"But Sakura!"

"Stop whining already, Naruto. What are you, five? Quit acting like a child."

"What'd you say?"

"You're acting like a _child_, idiot!"

"Why you! You wanna fight, Sasuke?"

"It'd be your funeral, Uzumaki."

"Like hel-"

"Stop it! Both of you are acting like children!" Sakura shouted as the foursome came to a stop outside of a small teashop. "Now, why don't we all act civilized for once and get some lunch, hm?" she suggested, motioning towards the teashop, and before any of them could refuse, she cracked a few knuckles and grabbed her two teammates by the collar and pulled them inside. Sakura then glanced back their former teacher, who was about make up an excuse for not being able to join, when Yamato appeared beside him.

"Kakashi, sorry to interrupt your lunch plans, but the Hokage was callling for you, she has a new mission for you, it's important." he said, and Kakashi nodded, before turning to his former students and giving them a lazy salute.

"Sorry guys, maybe next time." and with that, the two Jounin took off, leaving the trio to themselves in the teashop.

Sakura let out a small sigh, before taking her seat across from Naruto and Sasuke as one of the waitresses set down a small kettle of hot water and an assortment of tea leaves. Thanking her quietly, the three of them started their lunch with a comfortable silence... at least until Naruto began glancing around the little shop and dropped his cup.

"Naruto!" Sakura hissed, glaring at the blonde as he franticly ludged for a napkin, his elbow knocking into the teapot along the way.

"Idiot..." Sasuke growled, quickly catching the teapot before it shattered on the ground, however along the way, the top of the pot had come off, and hot spilled from the top, causing the Uchiha to release the pot and pull his hand back quickly as he watched the clay pot hit the ground. "Damn it!"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Naruto exclaimed, leaning past Sasuke to clean up the mess, one hand holding onto the edge of the table. However, as he began to pull himself up-right again, there was still some tea left on the table and his grip slipped. As a result the orange-clad ninja toppled into the Uchiha, sending both men to the ground while their teammate and the rest of the costumers in the establishment looked on, before looking at Sakura with pity as the pinkette hung her head with a sigh.

_'I suppose even time can't change somethings...'_ she thought with a sigh as she took a deep breath and stood from her seat and apologized to the shopkeeper with a deep bow, before glaring at her colleages. Sensing the medic's rising temper, the two men bowed to the shopkeeper, before paying for the damages and being dragged out by the collar by a seething Sakura.

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><p><strong>Okay, so I've given up on shout-outs because it's been such a long time since I updates this, but anyways... about the ending. when I was writing this, I didn't want a super long chapter, because the next one is going to be VERY long, also I couldn't think of how to lead it into the next section, and I really should be doing my homework.<strong>

**Anyways, take the poll on my profile page, I'm glad people are finally reading this! The next chapter is where it'll get really good!**

**~Smash41KMF**


	6. Chapter 6

Yuki no Hana

BY: Smash41KMF

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, but I do own this plot, the story, and all the characters that I make up to go with it!

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><p>Chapter Five: Monster<p>

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><p>Tsunade sighed, watching the young ninja leave as the silver-haired shinobi made his presence known.<p>

"She hasn't been damaged beyond repair." He said, standing before the Hokage with his hands in his pockets and his normal slouch. The Hokage looked at Kakashi and sighed, sitting down in her chair and putting her head in her hands.

"No, Kakashi. That child was damaged and forced to repair herself, alone." Tsunade said blandly before looking directly at Kakashi. "I want her to stay with Naruto."

The Copy Ninja watched the woman curiously, saying nothing, just watching.

"You think they'll connect through their loses?" He finally asked, but the Hokage simply shook her head.

"Of course not. That would be the last thing I need." she scoffed. "I want them to learn from each other. Naruto was alone and grew strong with others around him. Yuri began with everything and it was all taken from her and it was ripped away from her when she finally found it again."

"They are completely different, are you sure this a good idea?" the man asked seriously. He cared about both teenagers and was worried that the tensions between the two would end very badly.

"No," she answered honestly. "But it's the only thing we can do."

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><p>She felt uncomfortable, her hands stuffed in the pockets of her cargo pants, her fingertips dancing along the edge of the black mission scroll she had received from the Hokage, as she calmly strolled through the streets of Konoha. It had been well past lunchtime when she left Tsunade's office and now the sun was just beginning its descend below the horizon and the warm, humid summer air dissipated as the cool evening breeze swept in. Her mind and body were in conflict, the hyperawareness that made the difference between life and death on the battlefield had caused her to develop a sense of paranoia and after living a life on the run, standing even in the one village that had protected her as a child, Yuri couldn't calm herself down. She'd grown up looking over her shoulder and sleeping with one eye open, <em>paranoia<em> was the only thing that kept her alive.

A little ways off, she saw a group of children playing together and she bit back the bittersweet smile tugging at her lips as she thought of a few similar memories in her own broken childhood. A childhood that consisted of the fragments of the early memories she had of her mother and the time she had spent with Tsunade in the Land of the Snow. The rest of her memories were filled with the dark years in which Yuri could remember her mother trying to shield her from the monster Yuri's father had become. Despite her efforts Yuri's mother, Yuun, couldn't hide the truth from the girl, try as she might, Yuri was aware of the danger her family was in.

At first, she had been as clueless as everyone else, thinking that her father was only returning home to help clear up any political havoc left over while she and her mother stayed with family in Konoha. However, she could tell that there was something different about him when he returned and she grew uneasy when her mother refused to return to Iwagakure.

She could feel the memories of the seas of blood she'd seen come back and the heavy scent of blood that began filling her nostrils made her feel woozy. Taking a chance, Yuri ducked into the first shop she saw and took a deep breath, surprised when she realized she'd taken refuge inside a small tea house. She looked up as a young girl approached her. Yuri gave her a small nod and the girl looked her, her green gaze falling on the ANBU tattoo on Yuri's shoulder before she smiled and quietly leading her to a back corner of the tea shop.

Sitting down, Yuri quietly thanked the girl and ordered Hojicha and some tea cakes. She leaned against the wall, comforted by its support as she took out her ostensible mission details. She was half through the scroll when the girl returned and poured the konoichi's tea.

Yuri looked up and thanked the girl, lifting the tea to her mouth when she heard the sound of shattering porcelain from across the room. She looked in the direction of the noise and frowned at the sight of a familiar blond ninja and his teammates. The blond had seen her and was fumbling to clean the mess he'd made, in the process dragging his teammate down with him as the only girl of the group looked up in utter embarrassment.

Yuri couldn't help but be amused by the bunch has Sakura forced both men to apologize to the owners before she dragged them out of the tea shop.

Returning her attention to her tea and her mission report, Yuri felt her eagerness to open the black scroll nearly uncontrolable so she quickly finished her tea and left.

As she walked, she found herself wandering past Hokage Tower, undoubtably being seen by Tsunade and other high ranking Konoha officials. However, she had no desire to stay with the premises of Hokage Tower because, though she had a history with the Hokage, she was an unwelcome stranger and under severe scrutiny because of her status.

Yuri looked up at Hokage Tower once again, feeling the eyes of the Hokage on her as she stood in the moonlight.

However, as she turned to continue walking, intending on going to Kakashi's, Yuri found herself face-to-face with the man himself, along with his old students.

"Kakashi, what is this about?" she asked, coming to stop before the Copy Ninja.

"Your housing arrangements." the ninja replied. "You'll need a place to stay while you're here."

"I assumed I'd be staying with you, it wouldn't be the first time." she replied evenly, her brow furrowing when he shook his head.

"You will not be staying with me, but instead one of them. Hokage's orders." he said, gesturing towards the three standing not far from him.

"I'm not being given a choice am I?" she asked, crossing her arms and the silver-haired man shook his head.

"Starting today, you will be staying with Naruto, per the orders of the Hokage. It that understood?" Kakashi asked, looking both at Yuri and then at the dumbfounded Naruto, who heaved a sigh and reluctantly nodded.

Frankly speaking, Yuri was no more pleased by her new 'roommate,' than Naruto, but she knew that it was only to keep an eye on her while she was there, and it gave Konoha officials an excuse to also keep an eye on the Nine-Tails Host. She was used to it though, her every move being watched. And as a result. she had no inclination to make them think she was there for anything more than what she was: to carry out the direct orders of the Hokage and assassinate the current Tsuchikage.

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><p>Tsunade watched the sun disappear below the horizon, Kakashi having left a long time ago. Rarely did she let herself think about the past but between the booze and sleep-deprivation, Tsunade was too exhausted to care, her mind conjuring everything she knew about Yuri and where it all started: with the ten-year-old girl she'd saved in the Land of Snow seven years ago.<p>

It was true, that little girl who used to cling to the pants leg of her mother had grown up to be a strong and proud ninja. However, Yuri's journey made a feeling of uneasy rise in the pit of the Hokage's stomach because that once-pure-hearted little girl was driven by vengeance to become the lethal and detached shinobi that she is now.

The seventeen-year-old didn't know, but Tsunade had kept an eye on Yuri long before the two of them had ever met. In fact, though Tsunade had never cared much from Yuri's father to begin with, the current Hokage had been a close friend of Yuun, Yuri's mother, growing up with the woman who Yuri now showed a striking resemblance to.

It was true, Yuun was indeed from Konoha, living only a few doors down from the current Hokage, the woman was about ten years younger, but Tsunade adored her regardless. So, when Tsunade caught wind of her old friend returning to Konoha with her three-year-old daughter, she was overjoyed and had rushed back to see the child. Immediately, Tsunade could see the resemblance between mother and daughter, not only in the surprisingly high level of intelligence that the child possessed for her age, but she also looked very much like her mother.

Over the next four years Tsunade visited the girl and watched her grow, spending time with her when Yuun was out on missions. It was when Yuri was seven that Yuun took the girl and left Konoha. Though she knew why, Tsunade feigned ignorance when confronted about the mother and daughter's sudden disappearance.

It wasn't for another three years that she saw Yuri again, now alone in the Land of Snow. Tsunade had been traveling to the island country to research ways to reverse the effects of frostbite after having numerous shinobi suffer from amputations that ultimately ended their careers, just because they stayed out in the cold for a little too long. The research was to examine the ways the weather affected the nerves in the body in order to hopefully find a cure to revive the dead nerves and lessen, if not prevent further amputations.

With the winter season rolling in during her arrival, Tsunade had taken off for the hidden shinobi village as fast as possible because blizzards were unpredictable during the winter in the Land of Snow and she couldn't risk getting caught in the middle of one. However, along the way, she had come across an ambush on a group of Snow ninja on patrol. She already planned on intervening, something amongst the fury and bloodshed, dark blue in a frenzy of red and white.

It was Yuun's daughter.

At first, the konoichi had almost mistaken the girl for her mother, but the look of fear in her eyes and the formation of the squad around her proved that it was indeed Yuri. It was at that moment that Tsunade launched herself into the battle to protect the girl.

It was a day she would have rather both she and Yuri had forgotten. She remembered seeing Yuri sit and watch as a boy, barely a few years older than her, was stabbed through the heart in front of her. Rage had boiled up inside of Tsunade as she watched the young girl's eyes grow dull and the girl looked up at the man, waiting for him to kill her. The sight caused Tsunade to lose her head and she cut the man's throat.

However, watching the ten-year-old break down and scream at the lifeless body of her deceased friend, despite the cut on her throat, pulled at the Sannin's heart strings, reminding her of her own pain when she cried over the death of her younger brother and her boyfriend.

Tsunade remembered the loss she'd seen that day as she carried the little girl back to the village, only to find it partially in flames. Shortly after, Tsunade had learned that Yuun had been killed during a mission in the Land of Wind and Yuri had been living by herself since. Hearing this, Tsunade felt obligated to care for the child in place of her old friend and remained in the Land of Snow the next year, both for her research and Yuri.

However, the following year, when her research was taking her somewhere else, Tsunade offered to take Yuri, who had become almost like a daughter to Tsunade, with her. Yet, when it was time for her to leave, Yuri had refused, telling the Sannin that she wanted to take the Chuunin exams with her peers. Tsunade had been reluctant to leave the girl but had no choice when she finished her research and Yuri continued to refuse.

It wasn't long after Tsunade had left the Land of Snow that she received word that the ninja village hidden in the snow had been burned to the ground and that Yuri had been one of the few survivors before she fell of the grid completely. The konoichi could still remember the long days and nights she spent searching for the girl, her research set aside in order to look for the girl Tsunade had grown to love as her own daughter.

It hadn't been until a year ago that Tsunade was aware that the girl was alive and had apparently returned to the Land of Snow to help rebuild her home. However, after seeing the deep scars left in the girl, Tsunade felt a pain tearing at her stomach, a terrible feeling of guilt about leaving the girl on her own for so long.

Walking around her desk and standing before the window, Tsunade glanced down at the girl as she passed by the Hokage Tower. Though she held no belief in Kami-sama, Tsunade prayed with all her heart that she save the girl one last time before her thirst for blood and revenge takes her beyond the point of no return.

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><p><strong>Sooooooo it's been awhile everyone! I know I haven't updated anything in a VERY LONG TIME, it's been over a year since I posted anything new on this story. However, I finally was about to collect my thoughts enough to produce a new chapter. I hope you all enjoy this story as much as I enjoy writing it.<strong>

**~Smash41KMF**


	7. Chapter 7

Yuki no Hana

BY: Smash41KMF

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, but I do own this plot, the story, and all the characters that I make up to go with it!

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><p>Chapter Six: Control<p>

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><p><em>The tall pine trees rustled, shedding their needles as a flash of blue and white tore through the forests at the foot of Otoogi Mountain. The chakra-propelled footfalls of a young ninja echoed faintly in the silence of the early winter morning.<em>

_"Damn it, Lady Koyuki," She cursed under her breath as she bounded from limb to limb in a race against time to reach the training grounds carved into the south side of the mountain before the sparring matches started. __"Of all days, you pick today to tell me about your newest role in some movie? Couldn't you have at least waited until **after** Izumi-sensei's training session to tell me?"_

_It had been nearly a year since the ambush that took the lives of the patrol of Snow shinobi - Hikaru's life - occurred and many things had changed since. The ambush had left a deep scar in the community of the Village Hidden in the Snow and the loss led new patrol formations to be developed to prevent another attack. Additionally,_ genin were now required to pass tracking and detecting training before they could join the sp_arring matches being held deep in the woods of the Otoogi Mountains, just north of the Village Hidden in the Snow. The new training was an addition to the original requirements of the Preliminary Exams, which determined which cell would be sent to represent the Village Hidden in the Snow at the Chuunin Exams in the Land of Fire._

_ Although the Chuunin Exams were still months away, genin were already being trained to take the Preliminary Exams, which __were meant to test the mental, physical, and academic strengths of each genin and squad._

_However, though the Exams only affected shinobi, in the Village Hidden in the Snow, the preliminary exams were a day-long event, in which the entire village participated to celebrate and congratulate the advancing genin. The tests would begin at dawn in the Otoogi Forest. Each cell would begin in its assigned section of the forest and wait for the signal to begin. Upon hearing the signal to begin, the cells would race to the center of the forest. There, the genin would have to defeat another cell's instructor in combat to earn a numbered scroll and move onto the next stage. Each cell would then find the village gate that corresponded with the number on its scroll (1 = North, 2 = East, 3 = South, 4 = West). Once each gate was reached, the genin would be forced to answer series of questions, all of which needed to be answered correctly. The final step required the squads to beat each other to the Royal Palace without setting off any and obtain a red summoning scroll, without setting off any of the traps planted throughout the forest and surround the village. Whichever cell was the first to complete each phase correctly would be sent to the Chuunin Exams in the Land of Fire._

_The process was an age-old tradition, requiring all__ genin to graduate from the academy by the age of twelve or thirteen and carrying out missions with their squads; however, there are exceptions._

_Eleven-year-old, Yuri Kitano, was one of them._

_At a young age, she had been taken out of the academy and placed under the guidance of Izumi Kiba, the Jounin in charge of Squad 16. The village elders claimed it was because she displayed intellect far beyond that of her peers; whereas, in truth, she was the daughter of the Tsuchikage who could not be trusted. It was no coincidence that she had been assigned to the best tracking squad in the village, Squad 16, but Izumi-sensei had never hinted towards doing anything other than her job of teaching her students, regardless of who they were. In a way, the konoichi reminded Yuri of Tsunade: the fiery, no-nonsense attitude and the strong air of confidence that challenged anyone who dared._

_It had also become a known fact that young shinobi possessed a very close bond with Koyuki Fujikaze, the young actress turned leader, who treated the eleven-year-old like a younger sister, as well as a friend and confident. However, that did not keep the genin from becoming annoyed with the ruler of the Land of Snow._

_Deep blue locks danced violently in the wind behind her, whipping left and right like the tail of a angry serpent, as __the youngest of the Snow shinobi darted through the tree tops of thick pines and other winter greenery to meet the other squads training for the Preliminary Exams._

_Though she____ loved the woman dearly, both as a friend and sister-figure, the days that Koyuki interfered with squad training were not appreciated by either Yuri or her sensei - including today.___

___Nevertheless, the ruler had once again summoned the young konoichi early that morning only to inform the eleven-year-old of the actress's role in the upcoming Icha Icha Paradise movie. It was a ridiculous request and to make up for the time lost on the young ruler, the genin took a short-cut through an old mountain pass.___

___A______s a child, she had been warned never to travel the path because of ______the Legend of the Great Shiroi Kiba, the ancient wolf spirit that was believed to live on Otoogi Mountain,______ but today was an important training session that she couldn't afford to be late for. ___

___As the legend goes, a long, long time ago in the ancient past, the villagers living at the foot of Otoogi Mountain worshiped the Shiroi Kiba as a protector and benign spirit that watched over the people of the village. Once a year, on the first and last days of winter, the villagers would hold festivals in honor of the spirit and bring offerings to the shrines at the mountain peak and fall line. In return, the spirit was to protect the village from harsh blizzards and starvation in the winter and carry those who passed away safely to the afterlife. Other than the two festivals, no one travelled up the mountain to the shrines without a proper offering and pure intentions.___

___However, one day, a group of outsiders arrived to the village and were taken up the mountain on a hunting trip and told that they were never to shoot any animal of the color snow. According to the legend, the men didn't believe in the great spirit and one man killed a wolf pup and staining the snow red with its blood. The very same night, a house in the village caught fire when a cowherd feel asleep with his lantern lit. The fire destroyed most of the village and killed many people, including the hunters. The villagers went to the shrine and asked the wolf spirit why the fire had occurred but there was no response.___

___Soon after, it was said that a blizzard swept down from the top of Otoogi Mountain and it snowed over the village for days and nights, when the wolves howled at the moon. During the last night of the winter season, when the snow had subsided, it is said that Shiroi Kiba, in mourning of her own lost child, came down from the top of Otoogi Mountain, entered the village in the dead of the night and took the child of the village leader. ______The village mourned the loss and had stopped worshipping the great spirit for several years. ___

___However, when the festivals began again, the great spirit, still distraught from the loss of her own pup, could not bring herself to completely forgive the villagers and every ten years, a child is taken from the village in the shadow of the mountain and blizzards rage for days to the sound of the wolves.______ After ten years,______ the villagers decided to pursue the great spirit up the mountain and the discovery of this mountain pass was made. The pass cut straight through the heart of the mountain, supposedly to Shiroi Kiba's den. The villagers who set foot on the pass had never returned and were believed to have fallen victim to the rage of the mourning Shiroi Kiba and since then, it was forbidden to use the path.___

___Today, the path itself was more similar to a small mine shaft, dug straight through one side of the mountain to the other, several tens of meters below the fall line. It was supposed to be unused, even by the locals, but as she walked further into the dark, unlit tunnel, she could feel that something was terribly wrong. The air was growing thicker with every step she took and she felt the ground sway beneath her as she breathing grew heavier, as if the entire tunnel was over-heating, despite the altitude and winter season.___

___It made her feel uncomfortable, but as she charged through to the other side, the stench of blood made her gag. The sight of glittering metal and the sounds of a ferocious battle filled her ears. She raced towards the noise and found herself standing at the edge of the training grounds. She gazed around the clearing at the sight of her comrades fighting ninja who bore the insignias of Iwagakure.___

_Immediately, she flew into action, grabbing a discarded sword and running into the main clearing, falling into formation with her squad members, a pair of bright blue-eyed and rambunctious twins: Shinji and Renji Mikoto. Though they often played pranks on her during training, the brothers were always there for her and as they fell into place beside her, she felt strong. However, it was obvious that the genin were being separated, the Jounin trying to keep them from the fighting. It was aggravating, but as she watched, it was obvious that they were out matched._

__She took a step forward, but the twins held her back as a man, a familiar face, charged towards them. Yamagawa Shitsuo. He had been a close friend of her fathers, he was there to kill her. That's why all of this was happening. If she was dead, no one else would have to die. Tsunade had scolded her numerous times for the thought, but after losing Hikaru, she didn't want to lose anyone else.__

___Yuri pushed forward, slipping between the twins to face the man, but as he drew closer, a flash of black blocked Yuri's view and blood flew into the air. The entire world seemed to stop as the body crumpled before her, bright blue eyes fading to gray and a scream pierced the sounds of battle.___

___Renji.___

___The older brother of the twins, the soft-spoken, gentle-hearted, Renji lay in broken, battered ball before her. His blood had spattered on her, he looked so much like Hikaru in that moment, turning and using the last of his strength to smile at her with that kind smile of his. She felt her heart break and hatred boil in the pit of her stomach. The hairs on the back of her neck began to rise as she watched the shinobi toss the genin aside and scowl at the blood that soaked his blade.___

___Bile rose in her throat as her entire body prickled. She could feel herself losing control as her eyesight grew hazy and her stomach clenched. She felt herself fly forward, her kunai knife slashing at Shitsuo in every which way possible, literally cutting him to pieces until he was a bleeding mess with a gash in his chest. Never had she felt such a rush, the bright crimson color making her heart race as she prepared herself to finish the job. However, she was jerked back before she could finish the job, Izumi-sensei holding her down as her comrades rushed towards the bleeding Shitsuo. As she struggled in her mentor's grasp, her eyesight began to clear and she was horrified. In her blind fury, Shitsuo had substituted himself with Shinji. The boy was bleeding from numerous gashes in his chest and as their comrades lowered him to the ground, he stared at her. Yuri stopped struggling and crumpled in her sensei's arms.___

___She'd killed her own teammate, why couldn't she have been the one to die? How many more people would she send to their deaths?___

___Her mind was buzzing and she could barely hear Izumi-sensei calling to her. Instead, Yuri shoved the woman away and ran. She ran back to the mountain pass, no longer caring what happened to her. She ran and ran and the tunnel seemed like it was endless. That's when she stopped and realized that it had been a trap. She'd never made it into the tunnel, she was caught in a genjutsu. A laugh echoed around her as wet foot steps approached her. Her breathing quickened as Shitsuo came to stand before her, his body having taken a good number of the attacks she'd dealt him before he sacrificed Shinji.___

___The hair on the back of her neck began to stand and she fell to her knees, her hands clutching her throat as the air around her grew too thick to breath, her entire body growing weak. She could feel herself losing consciousness and she closed her eyes, her head spinning as she felt herself beginning to dry heave. She used all of her strength to crawl forward, towards the exit, where she could feel re-enforcements standing at the ready, but the air was suffocating and the heavy footfalls of the Shitsuo were slowly growing closer, as if he were mocking her as he knelt down in front of her. He whispered something to her, but she couldn't read his lips, she wasn't ready to die, she'd promised Hikaru that she'd end all of this suffering. She couldn't die yet. But, as she reached back in a feeble attempt to grasp a kunai knife, she felt that stab of the man's blade as it pierced her spine, paralyzing her as her entire body went numb, her breath catching and her heart stopping.___

___The man knelt down, pressing a hand to her back and she screamed as a searing pain ripped through her still body. The man only laughed as the seal grew, extending fully and making every inch of her body burn. It felt as though he were branding her with his heavy hand, as if she were cattle. She was going to die and as she looked up at the man, his face blurred, morphing into the mask of the a man she'd dreamed of for years. An ear-splitting scream filled her ears, and as he raised the sword to finish the job, a face flashed before her eyes. Her mother, Yuun, smiling and laughing, but the joyous expression dissolved in the dull, lifeless gaze of her mother as the blade came down.___

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><p>Yuri shot forward, the sensation of her kunai knife in her hand making her stomach buzz. The burning pain in her back paled in comparison to fire burning in her cold gray eyes as she stared down into wide blue eyes. It to a few seconds for her to realize where she was and who was beneath her, but she slowly back away from the blond and sat up against the headboard of the bed to stare at him.<p>

"You startled me. I could have killed you." she scowled, gripping the knife tightly, trying to get her heart rate to slow down. The blond looked at her and frowned, reaching out to touch her head, but she shrank away. "What are you doing?"

"You were grumbling and rolling around in your sleep. I was worried so I got up and when I came in, you were screaming in pain." he answered evenly, a surprising answer in spite of the ninja's previous attitude towards the seventeen-year-old. His expression was one of genuine concern as he sat on the corner of the bed, his hands in his lap, staring hard at the floor.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Yuri apologized quietly, wiping the sweat off her forehead and staring at it. A silence fell between them for a few minutes, before Naruto spoke up again.

"I know about your seal." he admitted quietly, his gaze trained on the floor as Yuri froze.

"What?"

"The seal on your back." he replied, looking up this time, an emotion akin to sympathy clouding his eyes. "The dragons, the blue and the red ones, they were glowing when you were in pain."

Something flashed in Yuri's eyes and she launched herself forward, knocking Naruto off the bed and pinning him to the ground, kunai knife stuck into the wood by his head. Her gray eyes flashed as she growled at the boy, her gaze growing hazy again as she watched his eyes turn a violent red. She could feel her temper rising, the dream aggravating the seal and infecting her thoughts. She fought the voices battling in her mind.

_'Kill him. He is of no use to us. You're here to kill the Tsuchikage, this one is only in the way. They don't need to know about us.'_

**_'I can sense the Nine-Tailed Fox sleeping within this boy. Such immense power... you are not strong enough to kill him if you tried.'_**

"Shut up!" She yelled, shaking her head violently, trying to silence the voices. "Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!"

"Relax." Yuri froze, lifting her hands off of her ears and staring at the ninja laying on the ground under her. She sat still and watched as the boy sat up and carefully lowered her hands. "Relax."

She couldn't understand. She had tried countless times before to calm herself down, to keep herself from changing, from hurting someone. When she was little, she used to run and hide in the forest until her mother found her and brought her home. When she was on her own, she carried out assassination missions and let her anger out on the henchmen of her targets, of whom she felt no sympathy for to begin with. But why could this man, with a single word, clear her mind and restore her to this state? Was it the spirit of the Nine-Tailed Fox inside him, or was there something else? Or a jutsu, perhaps, that he'd taught himself in order to control the beast within himself?

Yuri stared at Naruto and suddenly found herself saying something she'd never expected.

"Teach me how."

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><p><strong>Okay, so kind of a lame way to end the chapter, but I hope everyone liked it anyways. I'm trying to give everyone a little more background information on Yuri and what is wrong with her. And I kind of what a thing to come out of her and Naruto, but at the moment, she's still against the world. Anyways, favorites make me happy and reviews make me giddy. I want feedback! <strong>

**~Smash41KMF**


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