"But Sir, why must I be the one to go? There's no one else you can choose?" Kami questions. "I don't want to leave. I mean, what about my training?"
"This is not a request, Kami. The arrangements have already been made with the Hokage of Konoha. This is a great privilege for you." Mifune states while placing his hand on Kami's shoulder. "You will bring great honor to the Land of Iron. Now, go in peace, my young samurai."
With having no other choice and not wanting to displease the Tetsushogun or Mifune, Kami agreed to participate. Kami returned to his home, packed his things and prepared for his long journey to Konoha. Once packed, Kami made his way towards the edge of town. There he is met by rows of samurai with their swords drawn creating an arch path and people from the village standing behind them. At the end of the path, Mifune is waiting for him.
"We shall see each other soon. Take this as a token of my gratitude." Mifune states while handing Kami a samurai katana. "You are now a samurai of the Land of Iron."
"Thank you, Mifune. I shall honor and uphold the way of the samurai." Kami states after bowing and accepting his katana.
While on his journey, Kami starts to wonder why he was chosen to be a part of this program. He was the youngest of the Land of Iron to become a samurai. While relaxing at a hotel, Kami started to miss his life back in the village. He missed hanging with his friends after a long day of training. Spending time with the blacksmiths designing katanas and armor. But most of all, he missed being Mifune's apprentice. Practicing his swordsmanship combined with his laidō training. He looks at his katana and notices that a wolf head is etched near the hilt. He also noticed the small card attached to the katana. It reads:
'Kami,
Take this katana and use it as an extension of your own natural chakra. This was forged from the finest metals of our land. Be well, my young samurai.
Mifune.'
Within a few days, Kami reached the main gates of Konoha. There he notices the 2 Jonin at the entrance.
"I'm here to meet with the Hokage. My name is ōkami Tetsu from the Land of Iron."
"Aww, welcome Kami. We were expecting you in another day or so. Please, follow me." One of the Jonin states.
Soon they arrive outside of the office of the Hokage.
"Excuse me, Lord Hokage. Our guest has arrived from the Land of Iron." The Jonin states while opening the door and ushering Kami into the office.
"Lord Hokage, it's an honor to meet you and thanks for this opportunity." He states while bowing.
"Kami, we are honored to have you here. Through this program, we hope to strengthen our bond with the Land of Iron. But we shall save the small talk for another time. We have reserved an apartment for you to live in while you're here as our guest. I will contact your guide to escort you around town." Kakashi states while taking his seat.
Within a matter of minutes, there is a knock on the door.
"Enter Shikamaru. This is our guest I told you about, Kami. Please, show him around town and show him to his apartment." Kakashi states.
"Yes, Lord Sixth. Please, if you would follow me Kami. I was on my way to meet up with friends for lunch. You're more than welcomed to join us." Shikamaru states.
"Yeah, that's cool. I am a little bit hungry from the long journey here. So, you're a Jonin, right?" Kami questions.
"Huh. Yeah, you could say that. I'm also a team leader when need be. I requested your things to be sent to your apartment while we're out." Shikamaru replies while looking at Kami's clothes. "You don't dress in the armor as other Samurai from the Land of Iron."
"You mean that bulky, old stuff. Naw. I enjoy the ability to move swiftly and with more agility. Plus, I like my uniform better, I created it myself. Kami replies. "So, where are we going to eat at?"
"It's a restaurant my sensei used to bring me and my teammates to all the time. It's just on the other side of town." Shikamaru answers while remembering those times in his head.
After walking around for about an hour, they finally make it to Yakiniku. They walk inside and are escorted to the large party room in the back. The doors are opened and most of Shikamaru friends have already arrived. Shikamaru begins to introduce everyone to Kami.
"These are my classmates and friends. This is my team, we are Team Asuma. This is Ino and Sai, he's from ANBU Root. My best friend Choji and Karui, she's a Cloud Ninja. At that table is Team Guy. That's Rock Lee, Ten-ten, and Neji. Over there is Team Kakashi. Naruto and Hinata, along with Sasuke and Sakura. Hinata is a part of Team Kurenai with Shino, Kiba, and Akamaru. That's Kiba's mate, Tamaki. Last, but not least, this is Temari. She's from the Sand Village."
"It's an honor to meet you all," Kami states while bowing.
Everyone acknowledges him and welcomes him to join. He sits with Shikamaru and Temari. Soon the servers bring out plates of meats and vegetables along with bowls of rice to each table. Suddenly, everyone is lost in conversation and enjoying each other's presence. Kami feels a little bit overwhelmed and excuses himself from the table to get some air. While standing outside of the restaurant, he is joined by Naruto.
"Hey, are you ok?"
"Oh, hey. It's Naruto, right?"
"Yep, the one and only." He says with a big smile.
"I'm ok. Just got a little homesick, that's all. I miss my friends. I remember when we used to hang out like this from time to time."
"Trust me, I know where you're coming from. But, if you allow us, we would like to be your friends also. When you're ready to come back, we will be here. Friends don't let friends go without eating. Choji wanted me to tell you that. So, what do you say?" Naruto says waiting for a fist bump.
Kami returns the fist bump with a smile and walks back in with Naruto. Soon, everyone is talking about who they are, their Clans and making Kami feel welcomed. After several rounds of food and sake, everyone begins to head home for the evening. Shikamaru and Temari escort Kami to his apartment.
"Here's your place. Again, welcome to the Leaf Village and I hope you enjoyed your first day. I will see you in the morning." Shikamaru says while handing Kami his keys.
"Thanks for the great evening and I will see you in the morning," Kami says while opening his door.
Kami steps into the large apartment and is in awe of the layout. Soon, he makes his way to his bedroom, unpacks one of the bags he brought along with him and jumps in the shower. After his shower, he climbs in bed for a well-deserved rest. Even though it's still early, his journey took a lot out of him. Soon, he is fast asleep.
The next morning, Kami wakes up to the sounds of the birds chirping outside his window. It was something very new to him since most of the Land of Iron is covered in snow and ice. He opens the blinds to let the sun hit his face. Once he finished enjoying the morning sun rays, he looks in his bag for his sparring uniform.
'Aww, man. I know I packed it. Where the heck is that stupid outfit? I hope I didn't leave it on my bed back home.' Kami says to himself.
Suddenly, there is a knock on his front door. Kami quickly throws on some shorts and a t-shirt before answering the door.
"Who is it?"
"Hey, Kami, its Shikamaru. I was in the area and wanted to check on you this morning. May I come in?"
Kami unlocks and opens the door. He ushers Shikamaru to enter the apartment and offers him a seat.
"How did you sleep?"
"Man, I never slept that great in a long time. Now, I can't find my sparring uniform to put on before meeting with the Hokage." Kami states while looking through all his bags.
"Hey, how about this. I have a few dollars you can use to get you a new uniform at the Ninja Shop. It's on the way to the Hokage's office." Shikamaru states while jumping to his feet. "Consider it a welcoming gift from me to you."
"Shikamaru, I couldn't ask you to do something like that." Kami replies in a shock.
"You're not asking, I'm offering it to you. Come on, grab your things and let's get going." Shikamaru states as he heads out the front door.
Kami grabs his things and heads out the door behind him. As they make their way to the Ninja Shop, Kami grabs some items from the local stores and vendors. Soon they reach the Ninja Shop and enter.
"Hey, Shikamaru. Long time since you were last here. Oh, I see you've brought a guest with you today. How may I be of service?"
"Good morning, Master Tailor. I am Kami from the Land of Iron. I need a sparring outfit due to leaving mines back in my village." Kami says while bowing.
"Land of Iron you say. Samurai are from there. You're quite young to be a samurai. Well, no matter. It will be an honor to make you a uniform fitting of a samurai. Please, take this uniform for now and by days end, I will have something ready for you. How about you, Shikamaru?"
"Huh, I'm good Master Tailor. But we truly thank you for this. How much do we owe you?" He replies while bowing.
"It's on the house. Maybe my design will be the hit of the Land of Iron and everyone would want to wear it there. Now, go. I must design a masterpiece."
With that, the Master Tailor walks into the back of the shop and starts drawing out Kami's new uniform. Kami puts on the uniform that the Master Tailor offered him till his was ready and looks in the mirror.
"Now, this feels great. This uniform is lightweight but sturdy." Kami states while placing his tanto on his waist.
The two exit the Ninja Shop and head to the Hokage's office. Shikamaru escorts Kami down the hallway and to the door.
"Well, I have to meet my team for training this morning. Maybe we can meet later for lunch or something." Shikamaru says while offering his hand to shake.
Kami shakes his hand stating, "I'm glad to have met you Shikamaru. You are a good friend. I would be honored to have lunch with you and your friends again. Till then, be safe and train hard."
With that, Shikamaru heads back outside while Kami knocks on the door. Kami could hear people talking inside, so he takes a seat on the bench next to the office. He pulls his katana out and stands it vertically in front of him. After about 30 minutes, everyone inside the office comes out. After the last person exits, Kakashi calls for Kami to enter the office and take a seat.
"I'm sorry about the long wait, Kami. Some of the board members wanted to discuss a few things. I see Shikamaru has become a great tour guide for you. How was your first impression of Konoha yesterday?" Kakashi asks while taking his seat.
"Lord Hokage, this is an amazing place. The city is full of life. The people are friendly. Shikamaru and his friends are some really great people to know. I've heard a lot of stories about the Village Hidden in the Leaves, but to be here is truly an honor." Kami states while sitting up in his chair.
Suddenly, there is a rapid knock on the door, then the door flies open. Several ninjas enter the room and stand before the Hokage's desk. One of the ninjas is Sai. Sai looks over his shoulder and acknowledges Kami's presence in the room. Kami nods his head in return. With everyone talking at the same time, Kakashi puts one hand up to quite the room.
"Everyone quiet down, please. Yamato, please continue." Kakashi says while sitting back in his chair.
"Hai, it's the rebels in the Sound Village again. They are attacking smaller villages and demanding money and supplies from the people." Yamato states. "This group before you is ready to depart at your command, Lord Hokage."
With his head propped up by his hands, Kakashi thinks over about what to do. Suddenly, Kakashi stands up from behind his desk and stares at the group before him. "Very well, GO!" He says as he waves them off. Soon the group disappears from the room. Kakashi takes his seat and looks over at Kami.
"It seems like today, everyone has an issue going on. Well, down to the reason your here. I want you to train with the other Jonin. I also want you to train with ANBU as well." Kakashi states while leaning on his desk. "I have assigned you a personal teacher. He will meet you at the training grounds."
Kami stands and bows before exiting the room. Once out in the hallway, Kami sees Shikamaru standing against the wall. He looks like he has something bothering him.
"Hey, I thought you had training with your team? Kami asks walking alongside Shikamaru.
"Yeah, we did. But, due to being your escort, Guy-sensei ended early. So, where are you off to?" Shikamaru states while walking with his hands in his pockets.
"I'm heading to meet my teacher at the training grounds. Care to join?" Kami replies with such excitement.
Shikamaru nods in agreement. As they walk towards the training grounds, Kami and Shikamaru talk about the events that happened while he was talking with the Hokage. Ten minutes later they arrive at the training grounds.
"Hey, Sasuke! What are you doing here?" Shikamaru yells.
"Aww, Kami and I are about to go train. Lord Kakashi-sensei wanted me to see where you are in your training." Sasuke replies. "Kami, care to join me so we can get started?"
"Where's Choji when you need him? I could sure use some snacks for this." Shikamaru says to himself with a big grin on his face.
Suddenly, Shikamaru feels a thud against his chest and sees a hand holding a bag of chips. He looks to his left, there stands Choji, Karui, and a blond-haired Cloud kunoichi.
"So, you all heard and made a day out of it I see." Shikamaru stats as he opens the bag of chips.
"Yep, plus Karui's sister is in town. Samui, this is my best friend, Shikamaru." Choji states between stuffing chips in his mouth.
"Hey. What's up?" Samui reply after popping her bubble gum. "What, are they training for?"
"Kami is a Samurai from the Land of Iron," Shikamaru replies after eating a chip. "Since they both share similar fighting styles, Kenjutsu, Lord Kakashi set this up."
Both Kami and Sasuke take their fighting stance. You can feel the tension in the air as both begin to gather chakra from the air.
"NINJA ART; FIREBALL JUTSU!" Sasuke says. Soon a high fireball is heading towards Kami.
"WATER STYLE: WATER WALL!" Kami says. Soon a wall of water builds up before the fireball reaches him.
In a flash, Sasuke is behind Kami. "Gotcha, CHIDORI!"
"Nice try," Kami says as he grabs Sasuke's wrist. "QUICK SHOCK!"
Sasuke smirks. Then both figures then blow up in smoke, Shadow Clones. Soon you hear the clashing of both their swords in various spots then explosions. When they come into view, you can see their swords locked together. The battle rages on for several hours before they stop. The training area is left battered and in total disarray. Both Shinobi meet each other in the middle and bow. As they walk out the training site, everyone who had come to watch greeted them.
"Well, all this training just made me hungry. How about we go grab something to eat." Choji says excitingly.
Everyone just laughed in agreement and the group headed back towards town.