Crimson sand

Very soon, all the business of the number seven team in the land of Birds was completed. In addition to the fact that the Shinobi delivered the scroll to the client, they were able to take a break after a hard fight. The respite was expressed in two days off in Torigakura, a place that was the destination in their difficult journey.

This place was distinguished from Konoha by sophistication in everything. First of all, in the architectural style. Two-story, three-story, and even five-story pagodas with bright white, blue, and green walls and red roofs here did not serve as temples but served as residential buildings. Stone-paved paths, wonderful gardens, bright festive garlands stretched over the streets and other unusual things pleased the eyes of travelers. Here, our heroes were able to visit hot springs, taste amazingly delicious rolls and dangos, and even buy a couple of souvenirs.

By the way, Naruto managed to earn a little extra money, because the locals in the eateries they visited willingly played cards with him, believing that the boy could not beat experienced players. What was the surprise of Kakashi, Mikoto, and Sasuke when the third player left with his head down and an ashamed look, leaving the young Uzumaki a bag of coins. Fortunately, the blond did not manage to get carried away with this activity seriously, because Kurama warned him about possible troubles if he ran into particularly aggressive card companions who would be sure that the boy had cheated and would try to return the lost by force. There were almost no Shinobi in this village, and there was no point in fearing for their lives, but Naruto understood perfectly well that Kakashi would not want to arrange at least some sort of showdown in the place they got into because of the mission. Therefore, having won enough to provide himself with a couple of new decks of cards and money for food in the next month, Uzumaki stopped using his talents in card games.

After going to the hot springs for the second time and having a hearty snack of ramen, the travelers went back to Konoha. Fortunately, on the way back, for which a longer and safer route was chosen, nothing special happened to the young genins and their mentor. They again had to spend the night in the forest and get up early in the morning, but by the next night, the travelers returned to Konoha.

— It's true they say, it's good to visit, but it's better at home, — Mikoto smiled, feeling peace and tranquility in the walls of her native village.

— And really, the ramen is tastier here, — nodded Naruto, thinking that now he can quite afford the best ramen in Ichiraku.

"Take your time with this, first you need to report to Mr. Third about the successful completion of the mission," Kakashi reminded him.

Sasuke, looking at the disappointed Naruto, grinned. But then, when his own stomach rumbled, he looked away and sighed. After a quiet but exhausting journey back, he himself was not in the mood for a snack and a good night's sleep.

Hokage was waiting for them in his office. Sitting in an armchair, he, as usual, smoked his pipe. When team number seven appeared before him, he put it down and breathed a sigh of relief.

"I was already starting to worry," the old man muttered, lingering his gaze on each of the genins, then turned it to Kakashi.

— I'm sorry for the delay. It seemed to me that it wouldn't hurt for the guys to get to know the Torigakure culture better. We had some problems on the mission, but we managed to overcome them, we worked like a real team," he explained. — I think it was a very valuable experience.

— Wonderful, — the Third nodded and, handing the genins the payment for the mission, informed them that they could be free. — Kakashi, I'll ask you to stay.

When the door closed behind the Genins, the Third turned back to Jonin:

— Tell me in more detail what exactly happened.

After leaving the Hokage Residence, the Genins said goodbye to each other and went about their business. Naruto, glancing after the departing Mikoto and Sasuke, looked up at the clear starry sky, so unlike the clouds in the vicinity of Amegakure, covering all the celestial spheres both day and night.

"I don't think Ichiraku is still working," he realized belatedly, shifting his gaze to the street lit by many lanterns.

"Idiot. You're always thinking about food!" Kurama growled in displeasure.

"What else should I think about? About you or what?" — Naruto responded mentally, noting with pleasure for himself that he immediately fell silent.

***

Somewhere out there, Sunagakure, a village in the sands, as always bathed in the merciless rays of sunlight. The heat was a common occurrence in these parts, but for guests in the inhospitable land of the Wind, it turned into a real torment.

Two figures in black raincoats crossed lifeless expanses covered with sand, where there was not a tree, not even some small cactus. On the heads of the travelers were hats with ribbons coming down from under the edges, saving Akatsuki from the merciless heavenly body.

The first Shinobi was of medium height, black eyes could be seen from under the hat, looking only forward. This man was taciturn, he was completely focused on the goal. His partner, a giant compared to Itachi, behind whose back could be guessed the handle of a huge sword wrapped in bandages, had an amazing appearance. Being outwardly similar to a fish, the blue-skinned bully felt like a fish thrown by a merciless wave onto the shore, into the scorching sun. His small eyes darted around the horizon, eager to find the great stepped walls surrounding Suna as soon as possible.

—Sasori-san, along with Deidara, could have taken care of the One—Tail instead of us," Kisame muttered.

— I could. But Payne-sama insisted that we do it," Itachi replied, squinting when the familiar walls of the village appeared ahead, lost in the rising sandstorm. Uchiha was already here on a mission, being still a chunin of Konoha.

Very soon, the ninja, not afraid of anything, drowned in the sandy haze that flew at them, thus hiding from the Shinobi guarding the entrance to Sunagakure, which is a crack in the wall.

"I think I saw something," muttered a dark-haired ninja sentry at the very top of the stepped wall, tearing his binoculars from his eyes and looking thoughtfully into a cloud of sand that hid two black dots in the distance.

"You thought something last time, too," grinned his companion, who was located a step below, scratching the back of his head. — Okay, we'll go check it out, but only after the sandstorm is over.

— What do you have there? Kunoichi asked, finishing her walk along the wall at the very foot of it. But before the two talkers and the rest of the Shinobi had time to react to her question, a dark shadow appeared behind Kunoichi. The next moment, a gloomy figure behind her brought a blade to her throat and struck it, instantly cutting the victim's throat.

The girl fell to her knees, making something between a wheeze and a gurgle and seeing the last sand in her life sprinkled with her own blood. At the same moment, the shadow behind her disappeared, leaving the victim alone.

— Kiriko! Shinobi exclaimed, noticing that the guard was lying dead on the sand, and starting to jump down with weapons in their hands.

Peering into the sand curtain that approached Suna as much as possible, the ninjas did not immediately notice the fog added to it, hiding those who came to the soul of the One-Tailed. In the next moment, the ninjas froze in place, experiencing an acute desire to rub their eyes. Something resembling a wave was coming at them directly from the desert. However, it turned out to be a wave. Having reached a height of about fifteen meters, the water ridge collapsed on the sand wall and its guards, hitting them against each other and washing them down.

— Alarm! Sound the alarm! One of the ninjas shouted, spitting water.

But when he opened his eyes and looked at the very top of the great wall, he saw how someone in a black cloak with red clouds deftly dealt with the Shinobi attacking him. Itachi was so fast and impetuous that the enemies did not even have time to strike him. Having dealt with two chunins exclusively with kunai, Uchiha turned around, because he noticed a new threat out of the corner of his eye. Some shinobi was aiming at him, intending to throw a shuriken. After the shuriken was still sent flying, Itachi blinked, activating the sharingan. Seeing those eyes, the enemy froze in place, caught in genjutsu. Uchiha squinted and, throwing up a kunai stained with the blood of enemies, intercepted it by the tip of the blade, then threw it towards the projectile flying at him. Akatsuki was famous for being a master in handling throwing weapons. Kunai, hitting the shuriken, forced him to fly in the opposite direction and plunge straight into his master's forehead, after which he fell dead, sliding off the edge of the wall and falling into a crack in the fence, a narrow passage in Sunagakura.

And then the observer flinched, because his view was blocked by a Kisame looming over him with a huge bandaged sword raised to strike. The ninja felt weak and insignificant, as if something had drunk a large amount of chakra out of him.

— Hi, — Kisame smiled, exposing small triangular shark teeth in a predatory grin. This was the last thing the guard saw and heard in his life.