Play To Win [Rewrite] || Naruto Fanfic

Home

The journey through Frost, Hot Water, Sound and Waterfall goes as planned. She checks on her old contacts where she used to cash in her bounties. Long deserted and empty, the only sign of human life were old muddy footprints. She buries the old building in rubble and moves on. She spends a month just like this: going back and forth from the minor countries. Divulging in their culture, attending cultural festivals dressed in civilian clothing to feel a bit of normalcy she had missed out on when she was younger.

Healing, her mind whispers as watches dozens of dancers in the streets, clothed in elaborate clothes and headpieces. They glide through almost effortlessly, a sign telling of hard practice and diligence. She attends as many temples as she sees, taking the trek up high in the mountains as the civilians have done before her. Slowly, carefully, respectfully. She finds long forgotten temples deep in the forests and high on top of mountains, bridges rotting away and the like. Tamako rebuilds them, follows the path and rises to the small temple and pays her respects with two claps and a prayer to the forgotten gods.

Hidden Waterfall, or Takigakure, is beautiful. A tree almost as large as Konoha digs its roots deep into a large pool of water. It was a natural phenomenon.

Though, she wasn't sure she was well received. There was only one way in, and the real entrance was so well hidden that after being turned away by patrol, she leaves the country. She understands.

She's dangerous, capable of ruining a country. They are wary of her, and that's fine.

She heads back west and in Iron and meets with the Samurai. Unlike Shinobi, the Samurai possess differing ideologies that saved them strife from the First, Second and Third War. Their country is peaceful and many of their citizens have not seen a true long war. It's because of this sole fact that the Shinobi Union, the successor to the Allied Shinobi Forces, is based in Iron.

In an almost ironic show of hand, Shikamaru was promoted to be the Chief Organizer after his former Warden role in the Hozuki Castle Prison ended. The poor guy always seemed like someone who wanted to live an easy life, but always found himself in positions of high power.

She attends one particular meeting after Shikamaru finds her holed up at Iron's capital enjoying a quiet dinner to herself. A large personal hotpot of sukiyaki was in front of her, wafting in a delicious aroma. It was a splurge definitely, but the Raikage paid very well and now her pouch was swell for the next few months. She was planning on attending a Tuna Cutting Show but Shikamaru ruined her plans.

"Attend a meeting, would you?" Shikamaru asks after sliding into the seat next to her, gesturing towards a waiter before ordering a plate of dumplings. "It would help me out a lot."

She raises an eyebrow at him, chopsticks separating the fish from bone as the sukiyaki bubbled and boiled. "How could I even possibly help you out? I don't know a thing about diplomacy." Tamako reasoned, meticulously removing every single bone to the side until she was satisfied.

He waves her off, smoke lazily rising from the cigarette nestled between his index and thumb. "Your presence alone would do good."

She shrugs and goes, finding herself as a bodyguard for Shikamaru along with Rock Lee. The green-clad man waves at her enthusiastically, "Hello Tamako-san!" His voice reaches to every inch of the room, gaining impossible amounts of attention.

"H-hello Lee..." She whispers back, trying so hard not to glare at Shikamaru's smug face as he settles into his seat at the round table. As she folds her arms behind her back behind Shikamaru's chair, she studies the attendees and sighs quietly.

Lightning had brought Darui and Omoi, Sand with Kankuro and Temari, Rock with the Tsuchikage's son and granddaughter and Mist with Chojuro.

She feels the side of her cheeks warm when Temari's gaze burns her skin. Promise to write home, they said.