Xover: Jump Force (The Rewrite) - [CONTINUED]

Temari

Chapter 17: Temari

(A wooded area, somewhere between The Land of Wind and The Land of Fire, in the 'Naruto Shippuden' Universe. Shortly after Gaara's abduction via cosmic portal. A few hours before the events of Karakura Town in the 'Bleach' Universe)

Temari's Perspective

Temari ran, with her younger brother Kankuro following close behind, and two guards assigned as her escort bringing up the rear. She was to meet up with an envoy from Konohagakure at a certain halfway point, who would be her guide into the village in order to personally meet with the 6th Hokage, Lord Kakashi Hatake, regarding strange activity in their village of late. Activity involving the 5th Kazekage, and her youngest brother, Gaara!

Her latest emergency correspondence with the Lord 6th, and with the village's Hero Naruto Uzumaki, was disturbing to say the least. A few days beforehand, Gaara had ventured to that village to join the other 'kage and all the denizens of the 5 Great Nations in commemorating the end of the Fourth Great Ninja War and honouring their fallen comrades. A village that should have finally known peace. A village that changed the lives of the 'Sand Siblings' in such a drastic way.

It was almost funny, thinking way back then. The trio originally came to the Leaf under the pretence of partaking in their annual Chunnin Exams, while in reality it was a ploy with their then allies of Otogakure [Village Hidden by Sound] to conquer it, until its founder and leader Orochimaru betrayed them and killed their father, the 4th Kazekage.

Since reconciling their differences, the young Konoha Shinobi had been nothing if not steadfast allies to Sunagakure [The Village Hidden by Sand] (and one shadow-manipulating Ninja possibly much more to a certain wind-bending kunoichi maiden). All of which might not have happened if not for a certain hyperactive knucklehead willing to treat an angry (and lonely) 12-year-old as a person, rather than as a weapon. Something his older brother and sister should have done years ago.

Something Temari had striven to achieve since that time. And with the War finally over, achieving that goal, finally mending the bonds of their broken family, was at last within reach. That was, until the Leaf Ninja's reports of people being taken by some kind of portals, enveloped in purple clouds! And among them, her youngest brother!!

It was difficult for Temari at first to convince the Sand Council (Suna-Go Ikenban [Honoured Sand Opinion Watch]) to authorize an escort to Konohagakure to meet with the Hokage and establish the facts, her being an emotional wreck at the time. But once she'd shown them transmitted images of the damages to the villages Great Stone Faces (not to mention the rest of the village), proving this was not an attempt at a coup-de-ta by the Leaf in retaliation for the Sand's own attempt some years ago, but in fact an attack on both nations from an as yet unknown enemy, they eventually conceded. Going as far as to recommend two guards as her official escort. Perhaps still, a little too eagerly!

(Flashback, shortly before Temari and Kankuro's Departure from the Hidden Sand Village with their escort; The Guards' Perspective)

In a private chamber, a certain member (A/N: Couldn't think of a name) of the Sand Council, one who had long been a secret supporter of former 2nd Seat Tojuro, and quietly opposed to the 'Sand Siblings' method of governing Sunagakure, addressed the two Sand Shinobi hand-selected for Lady Temari's Personal Escort to Konohagakure, giving them their orders.

"In light of current affairs, for the sake of Sunagakure and its people, we who represent its governing body should exemplify unity and solidarity, irrespective of any previous ties with the other Great Nations.

"And yet, not only does her Ladyship casually fraternize with Leaf Shinobi, and perhaps one in particular, heedless of what damage that may do to The Sand's stability. But even now she and her brother insist upon dividing our forces further in a half-baked attempt to locate and retrieve their younger brother, Lord 5th! A man who has demonstrated, even now when he is no longer a Jinchuriki, just how influential, and how dangerous he can be in swaying the people's views in a time of crisis.