Seven Days Later – Under the Night Sky
"We're almost at Kumogakure. Let's rest well tonight and recover our strength."
The three of them casually leaned against tree trunks after setting up traps and a sensory barrier around their location.
Kakashi glanced at Yun. "Honestly, I'm surprised to only now hear that you've left the Anbu."
Yun looked at him with mild confusion.
Kakashi chuckled. "I figured the Anbu's methods wouldn't sit well with you."
Yun nodded. "You were in there too. You used to be way gloomier than you are now. But from a perspective standpoint, it gave me the clarity I needed about what I'm really chasing after."
At that point, Guy, who had been quietly listening, suddenly reacted.
Eyes wide in admiration, he exclaimed, "So Yun was part of the Anbu?!"
Both Kakashi and Yun paused, exhaling sharply. 'He's just realizing this now...?'
Guy scratched his head. "Even though I always burn with the fires of youth, when I tried to apply to the Anbu with Lord Fourth and that Danzo guy… I was flat-out rejected!"
Yun laughed. "You wanted to join the Anbu because of Kakashi?"
"Hwoah!"
Guy suddenly leapt into a flip, landing with flair and pointing at Kakashi. "As his eternal rival, I couldn't let Kakashi wallow in gloom! So-"
A flash of dramatic light!
"So, I decided to join Anbu and rescue my lost rival from the shadows! Such a touching friendship… This is the power of youth!!"
"…But sadly, both Lord Fourth and that Danzo guy rejected me, straight up."
Yun looked at Guy, who was radiating exactly like his memory of him. Then he glanced at Kakashi thoughtfully.
"You know… maybe we should suggest it to Lord Fourth."
Kakashi blinked. "Suggest what?"
Yun nodded toward Guy with his thumb. "Putting this guy into Anbu. The 'The Noble Green Beast of Konoha', who knows, maybe the Anbu will become the Bright-bu instead."
Kakashi stared blankly at Guy. 'With his personality… it might actually happen.'
Yun stroked his chin. 'If Guy entered Anbu, it'd be like tossing a golden retriever into a pack of wolves.'
'A new aesthetic?'
'No, the Anbu aesthetic would completely change!'
"Huh?"
Suddenly, all three stopped smiling. The sensory barrier had been triggered.
Their eyes met, but none of them moved hastily. Guy kept rambling on about how he was rejected.
Swoosh!
A shadow dropped from the trees, but the moment it landed, three cold blades were pressed against each of the trio's necks.
"Leaf shinobi are fools! Got you all in one move, OH YEAH!"
Killer Bee, finishing his rap, was about to sheath his blades, until he felt two cold edges at his own neck and back.
"Killer Bee, long time no see." Yun smiled.
"Is this how Kumogakure welcomes guests?" Kakashi narrowed his eyes. "Quite the unique hospitality."
"AHHHH!!"
A furious yell echoed from above.
"Leaf Hurricane!"
A green blur dropped from the sky, foot aimed straight at Bee's head.
"Guy!!" Kakashi shouted, trying to stop him.
But Guy didn't hesitate in the air, confused as to why Kakashi was yelling now of all times.
BOOM!!
A thunderous crash. As the dust settled, a woman cloaked in lightning stood with her arms crossed, having blocked Guy's kick.
"Lord Bee! I told you not to do this! We're just here to greet the Leaf visitors."
Guy awkwardly pulled back his slightly-numb leg. "Wait… they're not enemies?"
Killer Bee sheathed his blades with a few hand signs. "Been a few years! Just wanted to test the kid's skills, yeah!"
Bee turned to the Yun he had attacked.
Poof!
'Shadow Clone?'
Yun chuckled. "As the Fourth Hokage's student, isn't it normal to be good at sensory techniques?"
Bee nodded. "Fair point."
Mabui, the woman who blocked Guy's attack, rubbed her temple. "Lord Bee, Lord Raikage only let you come because you claimed to be on good terms with Uchiha Yun. If this had caused a misunderstanding, it could've been disastrous."
This time, Bee didn't rap; he seriously raised a finger. "Uchiha Yun isn't weak. But compared to the great Killer Bee… he's still just a bit below me."
"Such overwhelming confidence! Youth should be this passionate and unshakable!" Guy gave Bee a thumbs up.
And so…
Like kindred spirits reunited, the two men began talking excitedly in the background.
Meanwhile, Mabui frowned slightly. While the mission was to show goodwill to Konoha, Bee's actions were… less than diplomatic.
Kakashi now recognized Mabui as the one in charge here. She stepped forward and said, "We were going to wait until morning to escort you to the village. Didn't expect you'd arrive so late."
Mabui replied calmly, "Lord Raikage takes this alliance with Konoha very seriously. He calculated the time precisely and sent me and Lord Bee to meet you."
"Originally, Lord Bee wasn't supposed to come, as you've seen, there's a reason for that. Apologies for the disturbance."
Kakashi waved it off. "Bee just wanted to test Yun's strength. Honestly, thanks to you two, we won't have to sleep in the wilderness tonight."
Mabui nodded. "Please follow us. The welcome ceremony is scheduled for tomorrow, but we've prepared a grand dinner for tonight."
Kakashi and Yun exchanged a look.
Unlike Bee, who was as wild as Guy, Mabui's words were polite, but her tone lacked real warmth.
It seemed…
The higher-ups of Kumogakure weren't particularly enthusiastic about this alliance.
Yet they came all the way to meet them, and there was even a ceremony planned for tomorrow.
So…What exactly are they up to?
....
Deep Within Kumogakure – Raikage Tower
Inside the Raikage's office, the Fourth Raikage Ay said, "So the Hokage sent those two. Looks like he's being very cautious, probably because of what happened with the Second Hokage."
Darui responded from behind, "According to Lord Bee, that Uchiha Yun has awakened a special Sharingan. That's what the Eight-Tails said."
The Raikage nodded. "The Sharingan does have a restraining effect on tailed beasts. But Bee isn't an ordinary Jinchūriki, and their last fight didn't end decisively. Maybe…"
Before he could finish, Darui added, "If we attacked them in Kumogakure, it would definitely start a war."
"Pfft! Kumogakure has never feared Konoha…"
"…But that would still be a real pain."
...
If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.
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