The Ultimate Defence

Chapter 1

A/N: This is the result of a plot bunny that would not leave me alone and written only for my enjoyment but I hope that you will like it too. It's my first time writing Naruto fanfiction and I'm not a native Japanese or English speaker so I hope you will excuse any mistakes I've made.

He had serious eyes. They were a pale green, a dreamy, calm colour that contrasted against the distance in them. She wouldn't say they were cold, just reserved. Guarded and watching, just like his usual pose of standing with one hip cocked and his arms crossed over his chest. He wasn't very tall but the auburn hair and something in his stance made his presence commanding nonetheless. She'd heard he'd been a Jinchuuriki and had done things no one would talk about now. But he was the Kazekage, master of the Wind Country and Leader of the Joined Allied Forces and looked no older than her. She wondered how it must feel to have the fate of so many lives on your shoulders. She didn't envy him one bit for that job.

He was standing in front of his desk when she entered, talking to his sister about something. She felt a quick stab of envy seeing the tall, beautiful blonde before she shook her head. They were at war and she was jealous of being leggy and fair-haired. Temari, that was her name, gave her an indifferent look and barely nodded as she left the tent. Well, fine. She might not be a battle kunoichi but what she did was important as well. She squared her shoulders a bit as she watched Temari leave.

"Yes?" Gaara's voice interrupted her mental ego boosting and she turned towards him. The full force of his gaze hit her and for some reason she felt like a first year in the Academy, having to throw shuriken in front of her teacher and classmates. She stopped herself from squirming.

"I'm from the Research Division, to report, Kazekage-sama."

"I haven't seen you before, do you work under Inoichi?" He had a very deep and rasping voice that contrasted to his youthful features and modest build. She had heard it carry in the valley on the first day, promising his head in return for old sins if everyone would put them aside for now.

"Yes, well Research is part of Intelligence but I'm not actually an Interrogation ninja. We coordinate information from Intel and battlefield accounts with known sources and accounts of previous instances. I'm researching battle techniques in the Ancient Scrolls to see if anything like this has happened before and if there are ways to beat it", she said without catching her breath. Between being basically ignored by the kunoichi and standing in front of one of the most powerful ninjas in the world she felt as if she had to prove herself.

"I see. And what is your name?"

"Koizumi Sayuri of Konoha, Kazekage-sama."

"Nice to meet you, Koizumi-san. What do you have to report?" He gestured towards his desk and she stepped forward when her foot got caught and she stumbled. Faster than she would deem even a high-rank ninja able to move he had caught her by the arm as the papers and books shed been carrying fell and scattered over the floor. She felt the heat of his body and noted he was quite a bit taller than she, and he smelled of sandalwood. Then her mind caught up and she could feel the heat rising in her cheeks.

"Ah, I'm sorry, I can be so clumsy, I-" She saw his gaze travel to the rank on her flak jacket and she squared her shoulders. "I'm not a battle ninja. I'm a tokubetsu jonin specialized in Research of Ancient and Hidden Jutsus. I have crappy coordination but I can perform and teach ninjutsus no one else knows." She jutted her chin in the air, because as always it hurt. Hurt to know the only real value of a ninja was physical and something she could never master. She had worked harder than anyone she knew for her rank and she still had to defend it after 3 years as a jonin.

"I bring as much to the table as anyone else even if I can't throw shuriken at moving targets or punch someone out." His gaze was locked in hers for a second longer before he nodded and let go of her arm and crouched down to gather her papers. Dumbfounded she blinked before crouching as well. Usually people were less ready to accept her rank since she had a hard time performing even simple genin battle skills. No matter that she could do a – never mind, it had happened before and would happen again.

"I know what it's like to be misjudged. I don't doubt you can help, your way." He handed her her papers and stood up and offered his hand to pull her up. She knew a peace offering when she saw one so she accepted his hand and was surprised by the strength in it.

"I can help and I will", she said with a smile.

POV

Gaara absentmindedly rubbed his hand as he stood at the tent opening looking out at the seemingly chaotic campsite. Koizumi Sayuri had just left after having shown him a dusty tome that looked about as interesting as mud. It was called Legacies and seemed to be an account of a long since dead line of ninjas who specialized in Earth Styles. She had added some complicated chart with little numbers and symbols scribbled on it and for a while her voice had just been a murmur as he tried to make sense of what she was trying to explain.

"Wait, wait, you said you can do what?" Patiently she had bent over the chart again and pointed and explained. "So you are saying we can stop these clones taking us by surprise?"

"Well, some of them. I mean the element of surprise is vital. But like I said this technique was used to defend camps from an ancient kind of giant earthworms that luckily don't exist anymore. Anyway, these worms would attack the camps from underground, taking them all by surprise so they came up with a sort of chakra reinforced soil wall in the ground. Usually in a circle around the camp but I thought, since you have your sand and we have the Tsuchikage and his Earth style ninjas we may be able to make a stronger justsu, perhaps even a large scale Desert Coffin, trapping them and squashing them like the bugs they are. I need to make more calculations to find out how much the Earth style users can do to know the scale of the "coffin", but I wanted to ask you first before I ask permission to teach the Earth style ninjas this jutsu."

Speechless he just shook his head. No strategy meeting had filled him with as much hope as the scribbled little sketch of this shy, slightly clumsy Research ninja. "I mean it would probably only work once before they learn how to sense the walls but depending on how many learn the jutsu I think it's worth a try?" He nodded.

"I think this is more than worth a try, it's a plan of action. What do you need from me? More people? Help?"

"Really?" He nodded again and she surprised him by throwing her head back and laugh. Her hair swept away from her face and he saw a quietly pretty face, with a pair of eyes the colour of a midnight sky, a small nose and a pretty mouth. Fine features that looked delicate with pale skin dusted with freckles, she looked a bit like she'd been powdered in his father's Gold Dust. "I'm glad you listened to me, you won't regret it!" Her eyes seemed to dark for her complexion and seemed to pull him in every time he glanced at her. "I don't need anything for now, but I will once my calculations are done. Will you help me with a test run? It's important the jutsu doesn't tamper with your sand, only helps it."

"Yes, of course." She sent him another smile before she hurried out of the tent. Now he stood in the opening pondering how people could be so wrong about each other. He usually prided himself in not making assumptions about others; he knew where they could lead. But this girl who couldn't be any older than him and already a jonin had surprised him. He had wondered how someone who stumbled over their own feet made jonin and she had proved him wrong entirely. From an old family chronicle she had come up with a plan that if it worked would cause the enemy serious damage and that before they had even reached the battlefield.

He looked down, his hand felt different. He realized he had actually touched this girl twice, and one of the times by choice. He didn't usually invite to physical contact, there were few instances in life he felt it necessary. He just didn't really understand it, as a child there had been no easy hugs or spontaneous kisses. Without a starting point he had no clue when or where physical contact was appropriate and so he usually refrained from it all together. Not that he didn't know it had its time and place, he knew where babies came from but growing up a Jinchuuriki and then making Kazekage at age 15 there had really not been much time to give it any thought except for hazy daydreams. He ran a hand through his hair. Temari kept nagging him to do something about his hair, saying it didn't look very official with an unkempt red mop but he really couldn't summon the will to care. What was he even doing out here thinking about how he looked and when he could touch a girl's hand? He had a million things to do, he could ponder why he hadn't minded touching Koizumi Sayuri later, like after the war he was running. He spotted Kakashi leisurely rambling in the general direction of the food tent, one of the ever-present romance novels in his hand.

"Kakashi!" The older ninja looked up and changed direction if not speed. Sometimes Gaara wondered if he was purposely slow to annoy people enough to make a mistake. The white-haired jonin stopped in front of him, stuffed his hands in his pockets (where did the novel go?) and tilted his head inquiringly. "I have something to show you."

POV

Kakashi left the tent with a lingering feeling of surprise. As far as he knew he had knowledge of more jutsus than most but here this young girl had found a new (or, well, old and forgotten) jutsu that beat anything he had done so far in this war. The idea was simple but no one had actually thought of joining so many forces from the same elemental chakra into one attack, hadn't really known you could. Earth Style users were spread in all the forces, long-, close- and intermediate distance and had never counter attacked together before. But little Sayuri had. He remembered when her promotion had been discussed and how Tsunade had fought for the girl. The Elders had opposed the idea of promoting someone who had genin level battle skills to jonin and the Hokage had argued that she'd rather have a Researcher jonin help her in battle than another genin to carry out D-missions. In the end it had been decided that the Rules allowed her to become a tokubetsu jonin, with specialisation research. Apparently Tsunade had been right.

He'd known the Koizumis before they were killed, both jonin and wondered if they'd known what their daughter was capable of. He didn't have a clear picture of Sayuri, only had a vague recollection of long dark brown hair and dark eyes. She must have been a year before or after his own Team 7. Well, he was glad she had been able to help in her way and he looked forward to learning this new jutsu. He'd seen the plan of it but had refrained from simply scanning it with his Sharingan, Gaara had said she was still modifying it so it would be a waste to re-learn it. Gaara had seemed almost excited about this plan. In his own manner of course, there was no excitement showing on his face, but there seemed to be anxiousness in his movements, a tension in his usually impassive face. That was good too, the young ninja had far too little to be excited about and far too much on his shoulders. He was more than capable of handling it but Kakashi knew the effects of war at a young age. He wouldn't wish it on anyone.

"Kakashi!" Guy sidled up to him, his white teeth flashing as usual. He had no idea how his friend managed to smile while he talked but then again there were a lot of mysteries to Might Guy. Like his sense of dress for example. "Excellent, I found you! I challenge you!" Kakashi sighed,

"Do you really think now is the time?"

"Of course it is! We haven't had a proper battle in days, we're going soft! I'm inflamed by the springtime of my youth and all there is to do is wander around! I challenge you to any contest of your choice!" Oh well, Kakashi thought, it wasn't as if he were busy.

"Fine."

A/N2: Thank you for reading! I did shamelessly invent the Reasearch Division but tokubetsu jonin is apparently a specialized ninja so I decided to have Sayuri as one. Hope you enjoyed it / Sannikex