Chakra Wizard
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This one’s probably a little poorly written compared to past chapters, just because I wanted to get through it so badly. I condensed what I had originally intended to be two chapters into just one, though, and got rid of a bunch of things I had plans to write, so that I can get into the Forest of Death next time=D Well, enjoy
Here’s my previous chapters, for those who missed any:
Chapter 011: The Kages Arrive
The sun had already started to slowly make its descent as the Kages’ welcoming party began gathering at the large gate leading into the Leaf village. Among them stood the previous and incumbent Hokages, the ANBU leader, the Jōnin Commander, and each of their wives. Namely, they were Konohamaru, Naruto, Sasuke, Shikamaru, Moegi, Hinata, Sakura, and Temari, the latter of whom was overjoyed by the opportunity to see her brothers again, each passing second only adding to her anticipation…and concern.
Temari: You don’t think something’s happened, do you?
Shikamaru: (He quickly took ahold of his wife’s hand to help relieve her worries, …though the words that followed weren’t nearly as comforting.) After thirty-eight years of peace, not likely. Besides, even if someone DID try to attack Gaara, it’s not like they’d be able to touch him, let alone kill him.
Although put off by his typical nonchalant tone, Temari knew that her husband meant well and paid his remarks no mind. …Naruto, on the other hand, had neither that luxury nor good intentions.
Naruto: The younger generations are getting stronger all the time, Shikamaru. All of us old timers have to watch our backs, …heh, even the Kages.
Almost astounded by his apparent lack of consideration, even Hinata couldn’t help but express her disapproval, though it was Sakura that ended up dealing out the physical reproach…to the back of the head, as usual.
Sakura: Naruto, you idiot! What the hell is your problem!? Gaara’s her brother, remember!?
Naruto: (Confused as to what he did wrong, he continued frantically rubbing the large bump on his head until it finally disappeared.) Hey, I’m just saying! Like Shikamaru said, we’ve been at peace with each other for years, so it’s not like anyone’s gonna pull something on us now! …I’m just saying that none of us are exactly kids anymore…and we shouldn’t be acting like we’re still in our prime.
His excellent point aside, the worried expression that Temari still wore caused Sakura to sigh in aggravation. Nonetheless, though, the subject was quickly dropped as three small silhouettes appeared on the horizon, quickly capturing the attention of everyone present at the gate. The passing of several minutes revealed these figures to be the Fifth Kazekage, his brother Kankurō, and his wife Matsuri, serving as Gaara’s bodyguard in Temari’s absence from the Sand village. Immediately upon stepping past the enormous gateway, Kankurō and Matsuri walked over to embrace the former’s sister, while Gaara and Naruto greeted one another like the old friends that they were, striking up a conversation right away.
Naruto: Oh, and before I forget, your grandkids just passed the written exams a little while ago.
Gaara: That’s good to hear. Did you see them yourself?
Naruto: Uh, I’m not sure, …but I did see one kid in the group wearing face paint, so I figured that the two standing beside him were…uhhh…
Gaara: (Not at all surprised by Naruto’s inability to remember their names, he paid it no mind and simply corrected him.) Their names are Sabure and Ryūza, Naruto. And yes, the boy you saw was most likely Yatsuri, so that would have been them standing beside him. …I shouldn’t be surprised to hear that your own grandchildren passed.
Naruto: Hehehehe, they sure did. A whole lot of them passed, actually. Uhhh, …hey, Sasuke, how many did you say there were!?
Sasuke: (Having been stuck in the middle of a conversation between Matsuri, Moegi, and Sakura, he seemed almost relieved that Naruto called his name.) I counted fifty-two teams in total. …It’s about the same number of teams that there were during our first exams…initially.
Even Gaara was surprised by how many participants remained after the written exam, though the rings around his eyes made it difficult to tell. Although he and the other Kages were previously made aware of the unusually large number of teams starting out, the fact that well over half of them were still in the competition was quite astonishing, to say the very least.
Gaara: …Well, it would seem that preliminaries are very likely to occur this year.
Temari: (Having finished conversing with Kankurō, she walked over to embrace her youngest brother, Shikamaru following closely behind her.) Well, we won’t know that until they make it through the second stage, will we? …It’s so good to see you two, Gaara.
Gaara: (Breaking the hug with a smile on his face, he turned next to her husband and held out his hand.) The same to you, Temari. …I hope you’ve been taking care of her, Shikamaru.
Shikamaru: (Somewhat irritated by his concerns, he gave Gaara the most reassuring answer he could think of as he shook his hand, …quickly regretting his choice of words.) Pssh, don’t go worrying your head about it, Gaara. I love her just as much as you do, I assure you. (…Ah, hell. Did I really just say that out loud?)
Temari: (Recognizing the embarrassment in her husband’s eyes, she wrapped her arm around his and adopted a slightly sarcastic tone.) Awfully affectionate today, aren’t we, honey?
Shikamaru: (No intention of losing this battle with her, he rolled his eyes and continued with his nonchalant persona.) Hmph, well, there’s a first time for everything, isn’t there? …Just seemed like a nice change of pace.
Knowing better than to believe him, Temari nonetheless let him enjoy his victory for the time being. Everyone else was now directing their concern elsewhere…to the whereabouts of the other Kage.
Moegi: Weren’t they supposed to be only a few miles behind you?
Kankurō: Uhhh, yeah. We all agreed to plan ahead so that we arrived at the same time.
Konohamaru: Hehehe, well, no plan goes smoothly all the way through. They might’ve decided to slow down to allow themselves to catch up with each other.
Sasuke: (Having been scanning the nearby terrain with his Mangekyō Sharingan this entire time, he quickly deactivated it upon confirming Konohamaru’s suspicions.) It seems that that’s exactly what they did.
Curious as to what he had seen, everyone else dropped their conversations and looked out on the horizon. Several minutes passed to reveal an additional nine figures slowly approaching the Leaf. The passing of a few more minutes revealed them to be the remaining Kages and their two bodyguards, while the passing of more still finally completed their long journey to the village hosting this year’s Chūnin Exams. Immediately after the nine seasoned shinobi passed beneath the archway, Konohamaru and Gaara exchanged greetings with their newly arrived colleagues, starting first with the incumbent Raikage, …Darui.
Darui: Sorry about the wait, everyone. We were trying to meet up with the others along the way, but we realized too late that the Kazekage was already far ahead of the rest of us.
Konohamaru: (Seeing some humor in this, he chuckled softly as the two ended their handshake.) Hehehehe, well, what do you expect? Whether you planned ahead or not, it doesn’t change the fact that the Sand village is our closest neighbor.
While most of the others surrounding them recognized the joke, one of them in particular was forced by old habits to evaluate the truth of this statement, …the first of Darui’s bodyguards.
Omoi: Well, maybe if the rest of us had left just thirty to sixty minutes sooner, we might’ve arrived here at the same time as…ow!
Omoi’s rant was cut short by a tugging at his right ear by the second of the Raikage’s bodyguards…and his wife.
Karui: Are you really gonna start this again!? We COULD have, but we didn’t, so just let it go!
Omoi: (Rubbing his ear to help relieve the pain, he did as he was told, though not without retaliating.) Okay okay, sorry! And I thought that YOU said you would stop getting so mad for pointless reasons like that. …Did we not agree to work on these things when we got married?
Karui: (Still irritated, she nonetheless recognized his good intentions and respected them.) Huhhh, …alright. …I’m sorry, too.
????: Ha ha ha ha! Even after being married for over thirty years, you fools still don’t know how to get along!
Confused as to where this new voice was coming from, the Leaf shinobi quickly began looking around for its source, …only to find it standing over sixty feet above their heads.
Naruto: B! You came, too!?
B: He HA, you bet your old ass I did, Naruto! I ain’t missing these exams for the world!
Darui: (Chuckling to himself as he looked up at his late mentor’s brother, he realized that he had brought three escorts along instead of two and proceeded to explain himself…in his typical apologetic manner.) Hmhmhm, well, …that and the fact that I requested he tag along. Sorry, but it would’ve been a rather dull journey without him, to say the least.
B: HEY, LOOK OUT BELOW!!
Without warning, the aged swordsman jumped down from his spot atop the village gate, …though his back would ultimately end up regretting it.
B: OwowowowowowOW!!
His own stupidity only brought him pity from those watching, …both around him and from within.
Gyūki: (Well, what do you expect, B? You’re over seventy years-old.)
B: (Hehehe, oh, I still got it, my eight-tailed brother! Don’t you worry about that!)
Gyūki: (Huhhh, suit yourself. I’m not gonna be happy, though, if I die just because you snapped your own spine in half.)
Deciding to take his advice, B dusted himself off and walked over to do a fist bump with Naruto, still resting his hand against his back to relieve some of the pain.
Naruto: Hehehehe, you haven’t changed a bit, B.
????: Heh he, are you sure about that? I didn’t think you two had seen each other since A passed.
Quickly recalling that they weren’t the only ones that just recently arrived in the village, they redirected their attention towards the Fourth Tsuchikage and his bodyguards.
Konohamaru: Kitsuchi. It’s an honor seeing you again.
Kitsuchi: Hmm, the same to you, Lord Hokage. I trust that the exams are going rather smoothly?
Konohamaru: Hmhm, that they are. We apparently have an unusually high number of participants moving onto the second stage tomorrow.
Kurotsuchi: Is that right? Hmhm, well, I certainly hope that some of our own are in that mix.
Naruto: (Intending to give his own greetings to Kurotsuchi and her father, he walked over to do so, only to be stopped by the sight of the latter’s second bodyguard.) Well, I did see a FEW of your headbands in that group, so it looks like you’re hanging in there, hehehe. …Oh, and whose your new guy here?
The comparatively young shinobi to whom he was referring stood several inches taller than those around him, including Naruto, B, and Kitsuchi. In addition to the red bandanna covering his short, black hair, which was engraved with his village’s forehead protector, he also sported a bristling moustache, pants that matched his bandanna, and a large, sleeveless, brown flak jacket, which he left open to reveal his abs, which were just as enormous as his arms. He said not a word since his arrival, which only spoke wonders about his rock-hard attitude, but when addressed, he didn’t hesitate to introduce himself to Naruto.
????: My name is Ryoku. …It’s a pleasure making your acquaintance, Lord Hokage.
Naruto: (Somewhat put off by his apparent lack of emotions, he nonetheless held out his hand, which Ryoku proceeded to take in his own.) Uh, yeah. Nice meeting you, too. (Crap, this guy’s hands are gigantic!)
Konohamaru: (Hoping to shake his hand, as well, he walked over to greet this newcomer himself.) Welcome to the Leaf, Ryoku. I must say, your presence here as one of Kitsuchi’s bodyguards only says wonders about your abilities.
Kurotsuchi: Hmhm, are you kidding? This man’s easily in the running to be the next Tsuchikage.
????: Hmhmhm, and quite the looker he is, too.
Somewhat surprised by this intrusion, everyone present turned their attention to the last trio to enter the village. Though, it wasn’t the voice itself that took them by surprise, but the fact that it didn’t belong to the incumbent Mizukage, …but rather the previous.
Konohamaru: Oh, Mei! …Uh, I apologize for our rudeness just now.
Mei: (Taking hold of his outstretched hand, she simply closed her eyes and displayed her typical cheerful smile.) Hmhm, it’s quite alright, my dear. I don’t blame any of you for appearing surprised.
Gaara: (Also expecting to see the Sixth Mizukage rather than the Fifth, he quickly brought his concerns to light as he approached Mei to shake her hand.) Would it be too much to ask why your successor isn’t present?
Mei: (Her expression quickly changed from one of cheerfulness to one of unease as she took Gaara’s hand.) …Shizumi was greatly displeased by her inability to join you all here for the exams, but the village needs her there during times such as these. …She was hoping that my presence here might make up for her absence.
????: Yeah, that incident with Masurao a year back didn’t exactly help all the other problems we’re having, you know? …Hey, Sasuke, how’s it going?
The ANBU leader immediately began walking over to greet the aged swordsman who had called his name, …one of his former teammates from Taka.
Sasuke: It’s a pleasure, Suigetsu. …Has the organization still managed to pick itself up since?
Suigetsu: Ehhh, for the most part. We’re still looking for someone to use Samehada and Kabutowari. …It’s unbelievable, man. He killed everyone, and with just a regular sword too, …you know, except me and Chōjūrō here.
Certainly enough, the previous Mizukage’s second bodyguard was indeed the oldest member of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist, still wielding Hiramekarei as he did years before. The years had given him experience that other members of the organization lacked, aside from Suigetsu, but hints of timidity were still present in his voice as he addressed the group before him.
Chōjūrō: It’s good to see all of you again…and the village looks like it’s been doing well, also.
Konohamaru: Hmhm, it certainly has. …Well then, now that we’ve all become reacquainted, I think it’s only respectful of me to show you where your living quarters will be during your stay here. After that, we Kages don’t necessarily have anything urgent to discuss, so you’re free to explore the village or anything else you’d like to do.
Mei: Hmhm, that sounds just lovely.
Kitsuchi: Hm, yes, it does.
Darui: (Though he wasn’t likely to show it, he was actually quite eager to begin sightseeing himself, made most evident as he gazed around the village.) I honestly can’t recall the last time I was in this village, …but it should turn out to be rather fun.
Gaara: (Seeing that they were about to begin moving, he walked over to Matsuri and took hold of her hand.) We’ll see if we can find our grandchildren once we’re done here.
Naruto: (Considering this to be a good idea himself, he decided to do the same before taking Hinata’s hand.) Alright, let’s do it.
Without debate or hesitation, the entire crowd quickly dispersed, eager to explore the village and continue their various conversations as the sun slowly began its descent from the sky.
The Kages arrive in the Leaf village as the first day of the Chūnin Exams approaches its end!!!
The End
Author’s Note:
Here’s my previous chapters, for those who missed any:
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Chapter 011: The Kages Arrive
The sun had already started to slowly make its descent as the Kages’ welcoming party began gathering at the large gate leading into the Leaf village. Among them stood the previous and incumbent Hokages, the ANBU leader, the Jōnin Commander, and each of their wives. Namely, they were Konohamaru, Naruto, Sasuke, Shikamaru, Moegi, Hinata, Sakura, and Temari, the latter of whom was overjoyed by the opportunity to see her brothers again, each passing second only adding to her anticipation…and concern.
Temari: You don’t think something’s happened, do you?
Shikamaru: (He quickly took ahold of his wife’s hand to help relieve her worries, …though the words that followed weren’t nearly as comforting.) After thirty-eight years of peace, not likely. Besides, even if someone DID try to attack Gaara, it’s not like they’d be able to touch him, let alone kill him.
Although put off by his typical nonchalant tone, Temari knew that her husband meant well and paid his remarks no mind. …Naruto, on the other hand, had neither that luxury nor good intentions.
Naruto: The younger generations are getting stronger all the time, Shikamaru. All of us old timers have to watch our backs, …heh, even the Kages.
Almost astounded by his apparent lack of consideration, even Hinata couldn’t help but express her disapproval, though it was Sakura that ended up dealing out the physical reproach…to the back of the head, as usual.
Sakura: Naruto, you idiot! What the hell is your problem!? Gaara’s her brother, remember!?
Naruto: (Confused as to what he did wrong, he continued frantically rubbing the large bump on his head until it finally disappeared.) Hey, I’m just saying! Like Shikamaru said, we’ve been at peace with each other for years, so it’s not like anyone’s gonna pull something on us now! …I’m just saying that none of us are exactly kids anymore…and we shouldn’t be acting like we’re still in our prime.
His excellent point aside, the worried expression that Temari still wore caused Sakura to sigh in aggravation. Nonetheless, though, the subject was quickly dropped as three small silhouettes appeared on the horizon, quickly capturing the attention of everyone present at the gate. The passing of several minutes revealed these figures to be the Fifth Kazekage, his brother Kankurō, and his wife Matsuri, serving as Gaara’s bodyguard in Temari’s absence from the Sand village. Immediately upon stepping past the enormous gateway, Kankurō and Matsuri walked over to embrace the former’s sister, while Gaara and Naruto greeted one another like the old friends that they were, striking up a conversation right away.
Naruto: Oh, and before I forget, your grandkids just passed the written exams a little while ago.
Gaara: That’s good to hear. Did you see them yourself?
Naruto: Uh, I’m not sure, …but I did see one kid in the group wearing face paint, so I figured that the two standing beside him were…uhhh…
Gaara: (Not at all surprised by Naruto’s inability to remember their names, he paid it no mind and simply corrected him.) Their names are Sabure and Ryūza, Naruto. And yes, the boy you saw was most likely Yatsuri, so that would have been them standing beside him. …I shouldn’t be surprised to hear that your own grandchildren passed.
Naruto: Hehehehe, they sure did. A whole lot of them passed, actually. Uhhh, …hey, Sasuke, how many did you say there were!?
Sasuke: (Having been stuck in the middle of a conversation between Matsuri, Moegi, and Sakura, he seemed almost relieved that Naruto called his name.) I counted fifty-two teams in total. …It’s about the same number of teams that there were during our first exams…initially.
Even Gaara was surprised by how many participants remained after the written exam, though the rings around his eyes made it difficult to tell. Although he and the other Kages were previously made aware of the unusually large number of teams starting out, the fact that well over half of them were still in the competition was quite astonishing, to say the very least.
Gaara: …Well, it would seem that preliminaries are very likely to occur this year.
Temari: (Having finished conversing with Kankurō, she walked over to embrace her youngest brother, Shikamaru following closely behind her.) Well, we won’t know that until they make it through the second stage, will we? …It’s so good to see you two, Gaara.
Gaara: (Breaking the hug with a smile on his face, he turned next to her husband and held out his hand.) The same to you, Temari. …I hope you’ve been taking care of her, Shikamaru.
Shikamaru: (Somewhat irritated by his concerns, he gave Gaara the most reassuring answer he could think of as he shook his hand, …quickly regretting his choice of words.) Pssh, don’t go worrying your head about it, Gaara. I love her just as much as you do, I assure you. (…Ah, hell. Did I really just say that out loud?)
Temari: (Recognizing the embarrassment in her husband’s eyes, she wrapped her arm around his and adopted a slightly sarcastic tone.) Awfully affectionate today, aren’t we, honey?
Shikamaru: (No intention of losing this battle with her, he rolled his eyes and continued with his nonchalant persona.) Hmph, well, there’s a first time for everything, isn’t there? …Just seemed like a nice change of pace.
Knowing better than to believe him, Temari nonetheless let him enjoy his victory for the time being. Everyone else was now directing their concern elsewhere…to the whereabouts of the other Kage.
Moegi: Weren’t they supposed to be only a few miles behind you?
Kankurō: Uhhh, yeah. We all agreed to plan ahead so that we arrived at the same time.
Konohamaru: Hehehe, well, no plan goes smoothly all the way through. They might’ve decided to slow down to allow themselves to catch up with each other.
Sasuke: (Having been scanning the nearby terrain with his Mangekyō Sharingan this entire time, he quickly deactivated it upon confirming Konohamaru’s suspicions.) It seems that that’s exactly what they did.
Curious as to what he had seen, everyone else dropped their conversations and looked out on the horizon. Several minutes passed to reveal an additional nine figures slowly approaching the Leaf. The passing of a few more minutes revealed them to be the remaining Kages and their two bodyguards, while the passing of more still finally completed their long journey to the village hosting this year’s Chūnin Exams. Immediately after the nine seasoned shinobi passed beneath the archway, Konohamaru and Gaara exchanged greetings with their newly arrived colleagues, starting first with the incumbent Raikage, …Darui.
Darui: Sorry about the wait, everyone. We were trying to meet up with the others along the way, but we realized too late that the Kazekage was already far ahead of the rest of us.
Konohamaru: (Seeing some humor in this, he chuckled softly as the two ended their handshake.) Hehehehe, well, what do you expect? Whether you planned ahead or not, it doesn’t change the fact that the Sand village is our closest neighbor.
While most of the others surrounding them recognized the joke, one of them in particular was forced by old habits to evaluate the truth of this statement, …the first of Darui’s bodyguards.
Omoi: Well, maybe if the rest of us had left just thirty to sixty minutes sooner, we might’ve arrived here at the same time as…ow!
Omoi’s rant was cut short by a tugging at his right ear by the second of the Raikage’s bodyguards…and his wife.
Karui: Are you really gonna start this again!? We COULD have, but we didn’t, so just let it go!
Omoi: (Rubbing his ear to help relieve the pain, he did as he was told, though not without retaliating.) Okay okay, sorry! And I thought that YOU said you would stop getting so mad for pointless reasons like that. …Did we not agree to work on these things when we got married?
Karui: (Still irritated, she nonetheless recognized his good intentions and respected them.) Huhhh, …alright. …I’m sorry, too.
????: Ha ha ha ha! Even after being married for over thirty years, you fools still don’t know how to get along!
Confused as to where this new voice was coming from, the Leaf shinobi quickly began looking around for its source, …only to find it standing over sixty feet above their heads.
Naruto: B! You came, too!?
B: He HA, you bet your old ass I did, Naruto! I ain’t missing these exams for the world!
Darui: (Chuckling to himself as he looked up at his late mentor’s brother, he realized that he had brought three escorts along instead of two and proceeded to explain himself…in his typical apologetic manner.) Hmhmhm, well, …that and the fact that I requested he tag along. Sorry, but it would’ve been a rather dull journey without him, to say the least.
B: HEY, LOOK OUT BELOW!!
Without warning, the aged swordsman jumped down from his spot atop the village gate, …though his back would ultimately end up regretting it.
B: OwowowowowowOW!!
His own stupidity only brought him pity from those watching, …both around him and from within.
Gyūki: (Well, what do you expect, B? You’re over seventy years-old.)
B: (Hehehe, oh, I still got it, my eight-tailed brother! Don’t you worry about that!)
Gyūki: (Huhhh, suit yourself. I’m not gonna be happy, though, if I die just because you snapped your own spine in half.)
Deciding to take his advice, B dusted himself off and walked over to do a fist bump with Naruto, still resting his hand against his back to relieve some of the pain.
Naruto: Hehehehe, you haven’t changed a bit, B.
????: Heh he, are you sure about that? I didn’t think you two had seen each other since A passed.
Quickly recalling that they weren’t the only ones that just recently arrived in the village, they redirected their attention towards the Fourth Tsuchikage and his bodyguards.
Konohamaru: Kitsuchi. It’s an honor seeing you again.
Kitsuchi: Hmm, the same to you, Lord Hokage. I trust that the exams are going rather smoothly?
Konohamaru: Hmhm, that they are. We apparently have an unusually high number of participants moving onto the second stage tomorrow.
Kurotsuchi: Is that right? Hmhm, well, I certainly hope that some of our own are in that mix.
Naruto: (Intending to give his own greetings to Kurotsuchi and her father, he walked over to do so, only to be stopped by the sight of the latter’s second bodyguard.) Well, I did see a FEW of your headbands in that group, so it looks like you’re hanging in there, hehehe. …Oh, and whose your new guy here?
The comparatively young shinobi to whom he was referring stood several inches taller than those around him, including Naruto, B, and Kitsuchi. In addition to the red bandanna covering his short, black hair, which was engraved with his village’s forehead protector, he also sported a bristling moustache, pants that matched his bandanna, and a large, sleeveless, brown flak jacket, which he left open to reveal his abs, which were just as enormous as his arms. He said not a word since his arrival, which only spoke wonders about his rock-hard attitude, but when addressed, he didn’t hesitate to introduce himself to Naruto.
????: My name is Ryoku. …It’s a pleasure making your acquaintance, Lord Hokage.
Naruto: (Somewhat put off by his apparent lack of emotions, he nonetheless held out his hand, which Ryoku proceeded to take in his own.) Uh, yeah. Nice meeting you, too. (Crap, this guy’s hands are gigantic!)
Konohamaru: (Hoping to shake his hand, as well, he walked over to greet this newcomer himself.) Welcome to the Leaf, Ryoku. I must say, your presence here as one of Kitsuchi’s bodyguards only says wonders about your abilities.
Kurotsuchi: Hmhm, are you kidding? This man’s easily in the running to be the next Tsuchikage.
????: Hmhmhm, and quite the looker he is, too.
Somewhat surprised by this intrusion, everyone present turned their attention to the last trio to enter the village. Though, it wasn’t the voice itself that took them by surprise, but the fact that it didn’t belong to the incumbent Mizukage, …but rather the previous.
Konohamaru: Oh, Mei! …Uh, I apologize for our rudeness just now.
Mei: (Taking hold of his outstretched hand, she simply closed her eyes and displayed her typical cheerful smile.) Hmhm, it’s quite alright, my dear. I don’t blame any of you for appearing surprised.
Gaara: (Also expecting to see the Sixth Mizukage rather than the Fifth, he quickly brought his concerns to light as he approached Mei to shake her hand.) Would it be too much to ask why your successor isn’t present?
Mei: (Her expression quickly changed from one of cheerfulness to one of unease as she took Gaara’s hand.) …Shizumi was greatly displeased by her inability to join you all here for the exams, but the village needs her there during times such as these. …She was hoping that my presence here might make up for her absence.
????: Yeah, that incident with Masurao a year back didn’t exactly help all the other problems we’re having, you know? …Hey, Sasuke, how’s it going?
The ANBU leader immediately began walking over to greet the aged swordsman who had called his name, …one of his former teammates from Taka.
Sasuke: It’s a pleasure, Suigetsu. …Has the organization still managed to pick itself up since?
Suigetsu: Ehhh, for the most part. We’re still looking for someone to use Samehada and Kabutowari. …It’s unbelievable, man. He killed everyone, and with just a regular sword too, …you know, except me and Chōjūrō here.
Certainly enough, the previous Mizukage’s second bodyguard was indeed the oldest member of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist, still wielding Hiramekarei as he did years before. The years had given him experience that other members of the organization lacked, aside from Suigetsu, but hints of timidity were still present in his voice as he addressed the group before him.
Chōjūrō: It’s good to see all of you again…and the village looks like it’s been doing well, also.
Konohamaru: Hmhm, it certainly has. …Well then, now that we’ve all become reacquainted, I think it’s only respectful of me to show you where your living quarters will be during your stay here. After that, we Kages don’t necessarily have anything urgent to discuss, so you’re free to explore the village or anything else you’d like to do.
Mei: Hmhm, that sounds just lovely.
Kitsuchi: Hm, yes, it does.
Darui: (Though he wasn’t likely to show it, he was actually quite eager to begin sightseeing himself, made most evident as he gazed around the village.) I honestly can’t recall the last time I was in this village, …but it should turn out to be rather fun.
Gaara: (Seeing that they were about to begin moving, he walked over to Matsuri and took hold of her hand.) We’ll see if we can find our grandchildren once we’re done here.
Naruto: (Considering this to be a good idea himself, he decided to do the same before taking Hinata’s hand.) Alright, let’s do it.
Without debate or hesitation, the entire crowd quickly dispersed, eager to explore the village and continue their various conversations as the sun slowly began its descent from the sky.
The Kages arrive in the Leaf village as the first day of the Chūnin Exams approaches its end!!!
The End
Author’s Note:
Just cause I’m sure some of you are wondering it, Konohamaru has matured a lot more than Naruto has, so he’s a bit more like Hiruzen than Narutoxd And yes, Gyūki and Kurama are still inside B and Naruto.
