The borderlands of Tanokuni.
As the team's Jōnin leader, Ryū (the "dragon") led Temari, guiding her carefully as they hid deep within the forest.
Two of Temari's classmates—Daimaru and Noda—had already been killed during this mission.
Originally, this was only supposed to be a C-rank mission: escorting a caravan from the Land of Wind to the Land of Rice Fields.
At most, they should have encountered bandits or small-time rogues along the way.
But what Ryū hadn't expected was that the Land of Rice Fields had somehow gathered an unusual number of powerful ninja, launching a sudden ambush.
Now, Ryū himself was gravely injured. Blood flowed steadily from the gash on his scalp, staining half his face red.
Gritting his teeth, he tore a strip from his uniform and tied it tightly around the wound to slow the bleeding.
Glancing at Temari—her body trembling, her face pale with fear—Ryū clenched his fists and thought grimly:
No matter what, Temari must escape.
As the daughter of the Kazekage, her death here would not only be a personal tragedy—it could trigger conflict between entire nations.
Just last year, Sunagakure had barely gained some relief thanks to Konoha's food supplies. They could not afford another crisis now.
Rustle—
The sound of footsteps approached through the trees.
Ryū's expression hardened. He gritted his teeth and whispered urgently to Temari:
"Temari, hide here. I'll lead them away."
Ignoring the pain tearing through his body, he forced himself upright.
"Teacher, wait—!"
Temari's young face twisted in panic, but Ryū cut her off sharply:
"No more words! You are the Kazekage's eldest daughter. Your life doesn't belong to you alone—it belongs to Sunagakure, and to the Land of Wind."
Without giving her a chance to argue, he pushed her into the bushes, then turned and staggered off to draw the enemy away.
Two minutes later, crouched low with only slivers of vision through the leaves, Temari spotted figures slipping past and heard their voices:
"Did you find those two runaways? They came this way."
"Forget the man. That girl—she's the Kazekage's daughter, isn't she? Catch her, and you'll never need to worry about money again."
"There! I see a trail. Move!"
Their footsteps faded, and silence settled once more.
But Temari couldn't stop trembling. She was only thirteen, barely a Genin. Against full-fledged Jōnin, she stood no chance.
The images of her two teammates dying before her eyes still lingered painfully in her mind.
After what felt like hours, she dared to believe the danger had passed. Slowly, she crawled out from the bushes.
And then—
A voice, sharp and mocking, rang behind her like a death knell:
"Miss Temari~~ hello~~"
Her blood turned to ice. She froze, trembling violently, then turned her head with agonizing slowness.
Three rogue ninja stood grinning at her, eyes gleaming with cruelty.
"You…you… why…?" Temari's voice shook so hard she could barely form words.
The leader sneered, pointing at the disturbed leaves near the bushes.
"Didn't they teach you at the Academy, girl? The way these leaves fell—it's too unnatural."
Temari's face drained of color. The man's large hand reached for her, his laughter foul.
"Heh, don't worry—we won't harm you. You're the Kazekage's daughter, after all. But if the price is high enough… who knows?"
Tears welled in her eyes. She clenched them shut, heart pounding, a single desperate thought repeating in her mind:
Someone… please… someone save me…!
Ziiip—!!
A streak of silver light flashed.
The hand reaching for her stopped just short of her face.
Temari blinked, daring to open her eyes. The massive rogue before her stood frozen, eyes wide like copper bells, a finger-sized hole through his chest. Through it, she could see the forest beyond.
Thud!
His body collapsed lifelessly at her feet.
Shocked, Temari spun around.
A slender figure approached, wearing the pure white mask of Sunagakure's elite forces. Calmly, he placed a hand on her head and spoke in a soft, familiar tone:
"Sorry—did I scare you? It's alright now."
Temari stared blankly, too stunned to speak.
The remaining two rogues stumbled back, terror flickering in their eyes. But after a moment, they gritted their teeth and forced their fear down, shouting:
"Don't panic! It's just one man—kill him together!"
They charged.
The masked man—Aizen—glanced at Temari and smiled gently.
"Wait for me just a moment."
"Lightning Style: Fang of Thunder!"
"Wind Style: Gale Breaker!"
Twin jutsu roared forward.
But Aizen only raised his left hand.
An invisible barrier shimmered into existence, halting both attacks in midair as though the very air itself had solidified.
"This… this is impossible!"
"What kind of jutsu is that!?"
The rogues' voices shook with disbelief.
Temari, too, could only stare in shock.
Even through the mask, she could feel Aizen's calm smile, his eyes glimmering with warmth.
Boom!!!
Chakra exploded from his palm, blasting outward in a crushing wave of invisible force.
The two rogues were hurled to the ground, crushed beneath the pressure, gasping their last breaths.
For a moment, Temari looked into his eyes—and felt the same overwhelming awe that Hinamori Momo once felt when gazing at Aizen Sōsuke.