Chapter 27
HIRUZEN SARUTOBI
Days turned into weeks, and the passing of the genin girl turned from news to memory. A profound and ever-present memory. But the world began to move on, and once more the genin began to head out on missions, with greater caution and understanding of the dangers of the shinobi life.
Jiraiya's presence had also eased the burden on him, as he found himself mentoring Minato's son, so that he would not lose control to the Bijuu bound inside him. It also gave time to Hatake to focus a bit more on his other two students, for both Sasuke Uchiha and Hinata Hyuga had their own battles to fight.
Just like him.
"There is movement," added Shikaku, as he confirmed Jiraiya's words from earlier, and he would have liked to have more, but their opponent seemed rather familiar with the workings and methods of their intelligence division, making it rather troublesome for their operative to get more details.
"That I knew already," he answered, as he took in a deep puff of smoke, and exhaled it slowly as the Jounin Commander sighed.
"Whoever it is, they are smart and intimately aware of the methods of our shinobi," and so they would have to settle for only this.
"The question is, when are they going to make a move?" he began, and the Nara jounin raised a brow as he leaned back in the chair.
"The Exams," he suggested as those dark eyes glinted.
"That is the only time when the village will be extremely vulnerable," and that he knew, yet he believed the exams to be essential, and with the preliminaries but a month away, postponing them would raise many eyebrows and make them look weak and indecisive.
"But would this enemy of ours really risk making an enemy of both Konoha and Suna?" he asked, for mounting an attack during the Chunin Exams would surely anger the higher-ups of Suna as well, hence turning two of the Five Great Nations into their enemies.
"We know next to nothing about their purpose or plan yet," Shikau pointed out, and that may be true. But if it was really Orochimaru making this move, then he knew his purpose already.
Revenge.
But if Jiraiya's words were to be believed, then Orochimaru was not the only one moving in the shadows. There were others as well. Other, more powerful and dangerous shinobi, all of whom had been gathering under a single banner in Amegakure.
Akatsuki.
"We have spread word that Jiraiya-sama is back," Shikaku added, and if their enemy had some sense, he would take heed and wrap up their plans at once.
"If the enemy has some sense, they would end this all at once, given that any misadventure would be met with a response from him and you," and he nodded.
"And the kazekage," he added, and he had heard that Suna had appointed a new Kazekage a few years ago, a shinobi by the name of Rasa who had faced the Ichibi all by himself.
Facing a Bijuu, even if it was the Ichibi singlehandedly, was no easy feat. If Konoha was attacked during the exams, it would surely force him to move as well, hence leaving this strange enemy at the mercy of three S-ranked nin, along with the rest of Konoha's elite.
"Indeed, but still we must plan accordingly," he whispered, as he took out his pipe.
"So you want to go ahead with the exams?" Shikaku confirmed, and Hiruzen nodded.
"As the Hokage, I cannot let down the next generation. Especially when they have been giving it their all for months now in preparations for these exams," and as a Kage, he had to leave by example.
If the young ones had not given up, then how could he let a simple threat ruin their dreams and future?
No. The exams will happen. He would make sure of that.
"This is going to be troublesome," and one could always expect a Nara to be lazy.
"I plan to send the official invite in a few days. You will be in charge of the security preparations," and troublesome as he may call it, Shikaku Nara was not one to shirk away from his duties.
"Jiraiya will aid you in this," and his wayward student could do well to learn a bit about how the village was run, especially since Hiruzen was beginning to feel the years catching up to him now.
He had sat on this seat for more than three decades now, and could not do it justice anymore. He was growing old, and soon enough it would be time to pass it on, and he could think of no better shinobi than Jiraiya to carry this burden.
No.
That was a lie.
He could think of one more person. Yet he knew they would never accept it.
"Jiraiya-sama," even Shikaku was surprised by the words, though the slight furrowing of those brows told him that the Jounin commander had seen through his thoughts in but a second.
"Yes, it would be good for him to learn about the workings of the village," and he did not hide them, any more than he needed to. Shikaku knew how to keep a secret.
"Keep the forces ready, but make sure that the genins do not hear about the threat. This is our battle, let them focus on theirs," and Shikaku nodded.
"As you say, but don't you think that it would be better for them to have someone watching their backs?" That was their job as the adults.
"I will think about that," he did not wish to burden them any more than they already were.
"Speaking of forces, if the threat is as credible and dangerous as we fear it to be, wouldn't it be wise to call back Lady Tsunade as well?" Shikaku's suggestion made him close his eyes as he was reminded of his other student. The one most suited for taking up the mantle of Hokage, though one burdened with pain and regrets much greater than his own.
"Her second name still carries much weight, and with two of the three Sanin in the village, only a fool would dare to attack us," and that may be true, but he knew that she would not come.
He could order her, of course, and force her hand. But that would only make her resent him and this village more.
"No," he shot down the suggestion, as Shikaku Nara.
"If my own and Jiraiya's presence fail to dissuade them, then I doubt Tsunade's presence would do anything," he argued, and it was a sound argument, but one driven out of sympathy and not logic.
"Have the ANBU locate her, and inform her about the Exams, but let her be," and given her condition, it was not as if she would be of much help even if she were here.
"As you say, Lord Hokage…" and with that, the discussion was over as Hiruzen smiled.
"Speaking of the exam, your own son will be taking part, right?" and Shikaku's lips shifted as he nodded.
"He plans to, but I am not much worried about him," he added, much to his surprise.
"Why?"
"Because he has already found his King…."
0000
HIKARI HYUGA
"I know that you have heard of it before, but finally it is official," their sensei gathered them in the morning, as he began to speak to them about the upcoming exams.
"The Chunin Exams will take place in a month's time," and he could hardly fathom that it had been about half a year since the three of them had come together as a team.
So much had happened since then, for initially he had started out as the pariah within the team, but now, with the passage of time, he found himself becoming the centre. Ino, who had been the most antagonistic to his presence, was closest to him as he tried to teach her the ways of the ANBU.
But the truth was that they were more than just comrades. They had been to a handful of outings as well, and though neither of them had called them dates, they were exactly that.
Shikamaru had changed as well, and though he complained in his usual drawl and lazy tone, those eyes told an entirely different story. Shikamaru still hated the physically draining exercises, but he would still participate in them, often pushing himself beyond his limits as he honed himself as a shinobi, unlike what his drawl would suggest.
"I know that all three of you wished to participate a few months ago, but many things have changed since then," the Sarutobi jounin added, as he took out his cigarette and flicked away the ash.
"You have all seen the reality of this world, and while you three are amongst the strongest genin I have ever trained, that still does not entirely eliminate the danger of these exams," he informed them, as he chose to hurl away the curtains.
"The Exams can be unpredictable. So, I will ask you again. Do the three of you still wish to participate in the Chunin Exams?" and the three of them looked at each other, and a subtle nod later, it was Ino who spoke for them.
"Of course we do," she announced loudly.
"Why else have I been running myself ragged for all this time?" Asuma Sarutobi smiled at her words.
"I had thought as much," he whispered before, he reached into his pocket and took out three forms.
"Then each of you will fill this form and submit it at the Hokage office," and they nodded.
"Of course," Ino said as she handed both of them a form, as Hikari pocketed his own.
"And if you will hear my opinion, I personally think that you three will make excellent chunins," he added with a big smile as Ino scoffed.
"Of course we will," and with that, the man glanced at his clock.
"So, we already have our mission. I will be waiting for the three of you at the gates in an hour," and they nodded, and headed to their apartments and homes to make preparations for the mission.
And in an hour, they were at the gates, packed and ready for their mission, and it was a very unique one at that.
Ino had yet to arrive, but he could see a silhouette running towards them as Shikamaru walked up to him.
"Hey," he began as he stood beside him, and Hikari nodded.
"Hi," and the boy looked him in the eye.
"We need to talk, just the two of us," he added, and Hikari raised a brow but nodded nonetheless.
"Sure," he agreed, and that was all until Ino came upon them.
"I am ready," she announced as their sensei put out his smoke, and the three of them lined up in a single file.
"This is a very special mission. We believe that some Black Market groups associated with Iwa have formed a special base within our lands. Our mission is to locate it, and decimate it, while making it certain that no other group ever dares to do something so foolish," and while before, the Hokage's office would hesitate from giving such missions to them as genins, slowly but surely, they were being introduced to the more cruel side of this world.
And it was different each time. He talked with Hinata often, and their team's mission was much tamer in comparison to theirs. Not easier, but tamer and more morally simpler.
As for Team Kurenai, the genjutsu mistress had come back to service two weeks ago, and ever since then had taken over her two genin once more, which made him wonder whether her team would still be participating in the chunin exams or not.
"We have the general location of their base, but the rest we will need to find on our own," and Ino came in at that.
"You leave that to me," she added, to the surprise of their sensei.
"Is that so?" he asked.
"Yup," and she looked to him and gave him a wink.
"There is something that I have been wanting to try for some time now, and this is the perfect opportunity for that," and the Sarutobi jounin shrugged, as he eyed him with a smirk.
"Consider me intrigued," and with that, they walked away, and after a day of travel, they found themselves in the place where the base was supposedly hidden.
"It's all yours now, Ino," their sensei added, as the blonde nodded and lowered herself to the ground, placing her palm on it, and for a second, he saw their sensei's eyes widen as a smile spread on his face as she closed her eyes.
"It can not be," Asuma Sarutobi whispered, as silence hung in the air as her brows furrowed in concentration, as she tried to replicate the technique of the greatest sensor Konoha had ever produced.
And then those blue eyes opened as she pointed to the Northeast.
"A mile that way, just beside the lake," she answered, before adding.
"I could sense five people, but the base is quite deep. So, it won't be easy to destroy it without a fight," and that would be troublesome.
"I will take care of that," he added as all of them turned towards him, as he looked Ino in the eye.
"You are not the only one with surprises," he added, as Shikamaru shook his head.
"Damn lovebirds," and it was a whisper, but the two of them looked away at once as the sensei quickly shifted the topic.
"Sure, let's see what you have," and with that, they followed Ino's direction as she led them towards the base, making sure that they did not trip any of the traps or sensing mechanisms placed by the intruders until they stood atop the very ground underneath which the intruders were building a secret base.
"The rest is up to you," their sensei added as he jumped away with Ino and Shikamaru, as Hikari cracked his knuckles.
"To think that it would be Iwa again…" and with that, he grabbed his wrist as he began to mold chakra into it.
"I guess it's time to reintroduce you to your worst nightmare…" and with that, a blue orb of chakra began to gather in his hands, as Hikari felt a smile break out on his face, and suddenly he shifted his hand. The color of the orb shifted, as the blue turned into a scarlet raging orange red as he whispered.
"Katon:…
"…Cruel Sun."
.
.
.
BOOOOOM!
And as the world turned asunder, Shikamaru could feel his skin burn as a storm of fire tore into the very earth, melting the ground and decimating everything in its path, leaving them all stunned at the power of Hikari's technique.
"I never thought that I would see that again…."
0000
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