Author's Note: First of all, sorry for the delay. I've been super busy and stressed these past few weeks, and it wasn't until now that I should have uploaded a new chapter yesterday. I can't believe it slipped my mind like that.
BTW, for some reason, I'm not getting alerts when somebody sends me a PM. Like, I do get the PM, but the website doesn't send me a message to my email like it usually does. It's just me, or does it happen to you too? So yeah, if you send me a PM, I may take some time to see it and send a reply.
Anyway, enjoy the new chapter:
Chapter 91:
New Arrivals, Old Friends
or
Finally some time to relax!
Ichiraku Ramen
Fortunately for Konoha, Ichiraku Ramen managed to survive the Akatsuki Invasion with nothing but some minor damage. Fortunately for Konoha because, had the ramen restaurant fallen prey to the wanton destruction, Naruto would have been filled with so much rage that he would have unleashed the Nine Tails on a heartbeat. But thankfully they wouldn't have to worry about that.
Today it was a good day for the old cook and his daughter. While it was normal for Naruto to bring somebody with him for a meal –usually Hinata, or his siblings,– never did the blond bring such a large group with him. And given that they just came from a training session, they were especially hungry.
"Thanks for eating with us! We hope you enjoy your meal!" Ayame cheerfully said as she laid all the orders on the table.
Their hunger made them finish their food quite fast –though not as fast as Naruto, whom nobody saw actually eating. The moment they blinked, the bowls appeared completely empty–, though they decided to stay some more time and engage in some conversation.
"Quickly, come on!"
That's it, until they heard some people, both ninjas and civilians, rushing to the nearby gates, sounding worried. All of them looked at each other, as worry started to spread. Konoha wasn't ready for another invasion so soon. Shisui got up from his chair and walked towards one of the running people.
"Excuse me," Shisui asked a Chunin, who was forced to stop on his tracks. "What's going on?"
"There has been a sight of a large contingent of ninjas heading to Konoha!" the Chunin replied, before resuming his march.
"What?" Shisui asked.
"Are we under attack?" Karin asked.
"They say a large contingent of ninjas is heading here," Shizune interceded. "They didn't say if they were enemies or not."
"Maybe news of the invasion spread and another village wants to capitalize on our weakened state," Rin replied. "Like Kumo or Iwa."
"That makes no sense. Kumo and Iwa are too far away to move their troops so fast," Shizune replied, shaking her head. "Plus, if they really wanted to attack us, they wouldn't have let us spot them so soon."
"There's a way for us not to be in doubt. Tenseigan!" Hinata said, as she expanded her eyesight, before focusing it on the direction the allegedly enemy ninjas were coming. A smile developed on her lips as her sight reached the large group. "They are not enemies! They're Suna ninjas!"
Excitement built inside Naruto upon hearing those words. "Really!?"
"They're bringing wagons with food, medicines, and building supplies! They must be coming to help us rebuild!" Hinata continued, much to everybody else's joy.
"Hinata-hime, is-"
"Yes," Hinata cut Naruto before he could finish that sentence, since she knew what he was going to ask. "Gaara is among them."
…
Training Ground One
"Okay Hime, this is going to be a big one!" Jiraiya said, as he held a truly massive Rasengan between his hands.
"I'm ready!" Tsunade replied, getting into a defensive position.
"Alright, here it goes!" Jiraiya said, as he leaped at Tsunade, before bringing down the gigantic Rasengan upon her. "Ultra Big Ball Rasengan!"
Tsunade raised her hands towards the incoming attack, creating a barrier just as the chakra sphere crashed down. Said sphere started to shrink as Tsunade siphoned its chakra, the Slug Princess feeling how her husband's chakra was converted into her own before being funneled into her chakra network. After a few seconds, the attack was completely absorbed.
Tsunade placed her hands on her hips, and smirked. "So, what do you think?"
"Truly amazing," Jiraiya praised. "We might not even be close to your absorption limit."
"We may be," Konan interceded. "Remember that Tsunade-sama only has one eye. In order to have access to the Rinnegan's full power one must possess both eyes."
"So far, I don't feel like we're close to any limit," Tsunade replied
"Though, you shouldn't make the mistake of thinking that the Preta Path makes you immune to ninjutsu," Konan pointed out. "As you surely noticed, you need to stand still and channel the ability in order to absorb chakra. You won't be able to do such a thing if you're moving, much less using chakra for something else, like ninjutsu of your own."
"Thanks for the advice, kid. Okay, let's test another power," the Slug Princess said as she spread one of her arms. Said arm then split apart in multiple sections, revealing a machine-like insides rather than flesh and blood, before they reassembled into what appeared to be a cannon. She pointed the cannon to a nearby rock, and fired a blast of chakra, blowing it up to pieces.
"It seems you can use the Asura Path with no problem," Konan observed.
Tsunade's arm returned to normal, as the Senju looked at her limb with incredulity. "This jutsu defy both logic and biology. How can I turn my inner organs into machinery?"
"I'm afraid I have no answer for that question," Konan admitted in a neutral tone, as she started to fly into the air. "Nor I believe it's important to know. We still need to test your abilities further."
"Whatever you throw at me, I will be ready!" Tsunade confidently boasted.
However, before Konan could attack, an ANBU wearing a boar mask appeared before them. They knew it had to be important, or else he wouldn't have dare to enter the private training ground.
"Jiraiya-sama, I have news that require your immediate attention," the ANBU said, his tone stoic and professional.
"Speak," the Toad Sage commanded.
"A large group of Suna ninjas is approaching the village," the ANBU informed. "According to a trustworthy source, they seem to come in order to provide us help in the reconstruction efforts."
A smile developed on the white haired man's face. "Well, those are excellent news indeed! I believe we should give them the greeting they deserve!"
"You should go. I think I'll stay here with Konan and continue our training," Tsunade replied.
"A good decision. We won't have much time until Akatsuki strikes again, and we'll need Tsunade-sama to develop as much skill with the Rinnegan as we can," Konan agreed.
"Alright then. This shouldn't take much. See you later," Jiraiya said, as he and the ANBU Body Flickered away.
Tsunade and Konan resumed their spar.
…
Back at one of Konoha's entrances, a large group had gathered around it. Just like Hinata said, the group turned out to be Suna ninjas who carried plenty of supplies and workforce for the reparation efforts. The Konoha ninjas were more than happy to help them unload all the crates and boxes they had carried from Suna.
They recognized quite a few faces, such as Maki, and her students Matsuri, Yutaka and Mokoshi. And leading this group were no other that the Sand Siblings, Gaara, Kankuro and Temari. Naruto and Hinata quickly went to greet them as they deserved.
"Thank you guys for coming!" Naruto excitedly said. "Your timing couldn't have been any better!"
"Your presence here is a surprise, but a welcomed one, for sure," Hinata added, giggling a little.
The trio of Suna ninjas stared at the Hyuga, looking a bit surprised. It took Naruto and Hinata a few moments to realize what they were looking at.
"Oh, it's my eyes, isn't it? I don't think we saw each other since Gaara's kidnapping," Hinata said realization. "My Byakugan evolved to a higher level, called Tenseigan. I will tell you in more detail later."
"I see," Gaara said, deciding not to ask about the issue. "Anyway, when our father got the news about Konoha being invaded, he immediately decided to send some help. Guess he didn't forget how much Konoha helped us during our time in need."
"And naturally, we volunteered to be part of the mission," Kankuro chimed in. "We will always take a chance to come to Konoha. Especially Temari!"
For some reason, Naruto and Hinata expected Temari to yell something at her little brother, but the blonde kunoichi merely crossed her arms and rolled her eyes. Not being able to get any reaction out of her seemed to bother the puppet master a bit.
"Anyway," Temari spoke for the first time. "Is Shikamaru here? Because we're going to have a problem if he happens to be on a mission just when I had an opportunity to drop by."
"Let me check," Hinata said, as she seemed to zone out for a bit. "Nope, he's here! In fact, his whole team is coming this way. Though Shikamaru-san is draging them down considerably."
Temari let out an annoyed sigh. "Better late than never, I suppose."
"By the way, I know you guys probably have a lot of problem with housing right now," Kankuro interceded. "But given that our ninjas and us are going to spend quite some time in the village while we help, I was wondering if we could get a place to stay."
"We did bring penty of tents just in case there are no hotels or houses we can use," Temari added. "But even then, we do need some space to set them up."
"Don't worry, I'm sure that my dad can arrange something so your stay here is as comfortable as possible," Naruto reassured them. "After all, it's the least we could do, given that you came here to help us!"
"By the way," Hinata interjected. "I can't help but notice that there are not just Suna ninjas among your group. How did you end up with those three?"
Hinata nodded at the trio of Kumo ninjas, who were also helping unload some of the crate wagons. Both she and Naruto recognized them as Killer B's students, who came to Konoha to take part in the Chunin Exams. They knew Choji managed to befriend the dark skinned redheaded girl, the one named Karui, and even became pen pals.
"We found them on our way here," Gaara replied. "At first we thought that they were scouts or spies, trying to assess Konoha's situation for a future attack. To finish what Akatsuki started."
"But given that they aren't restrained or anything, I assume that's not the case?" Hinata guessed.
"Which would be dumb if it were," Naruto added, crossing his arms. "We did help them when Akatsuki attacked the Land of Lightning in a ruse to abduct one of their jinchuriki. In the end Akatsuki won, but the gesture remained."
"We interrogated them, and they claimed that they were carrying out a diplomatic mission," Gaara began. "To deliver a very important message from the Raikage to the Hokage. Our sensor ninjas confirmed that they weren't lying."
"Did they tell you what the message is about?" Naruto inquired.
Gaara shook his head. "They said their orders were to deliver it to the Hokage and the Hokage alone, and that they weren't allowed to discuss it with anybody."
"Though, one of them did let something slip," Kankuro mentioned. "The boy with the oral fixation said that there were other groups of Kumo ninjas delivering similar messages to the other Great Villages, ours included."
"That's intriguing," Naruto said, pressing his lips. "Do you wonder what the message is about?"
"I have some ideas, but nothing concrete," Gaara admitted. "We'll know once they meet with the Hokage and deliver the message."
"You have message for me?" a new voice said.
Everybody turned around, and saw Jiraiya behind them. It appeared that he had arrived just now, and caught the tail end of their conversation.
"Greetings, Hokage-sama. We heard about what happened here regarding the Akatsuki, " Gaara saluted, making a small bow. "On my father, the Kazekage's behalf, we brought you various supplies and able bodied ninjas that will help with the reconstruction efforts."
"Suna's help is both welcomed and very appreciated," Jiraiya replied, returning the bow. "You also mentioned a message?"
"It's not them who have a message for you, Hokage-sama," Karui said, as she and her teammates walked to him, having finally spotted him. "Can we go to somewhere private? It's a delicate matter to discuss."
"Sure. We'll take this conversation to my office," Jiraiya offered.
"Naruto might want to come as well," Omoi suggested. "Given that we came here because of Akatsuki."
Naruto and Jiraiya exchanged worried looks.
…
A few minutes later, Hokage's Office
"What!? No!" Naruto cried. "There's no way Killer B fell prey to the Akatsuki as well!"
Jiraiya had read the message from the Raikage out loud. It informed of Killer B's capture by Deidara and Kisame, followed by a formal summon to a Kage Summit, that would be held in the Land of Iron in less than three weeks. Each Kage could only bring an escort of two ninjas with them, in order to quell any potential threats of aggression. Jiraiya already knew who would be bringing with him.
"I'll send a messenger toad to the Raikage telling him that I will be there," Jiraiya told the three Kumo Chunin. "As for you three, I'll arrange some living quarters for you until you decide to leave."
"It's appreciated, Hokage-sama," Karui replied, making a slight bow. "We know your village isn't exactly in the best shape to accommodate guests."
"Guess this confirms our worst fears," Naruto sadly said. "With Killer B captured and his Tailed Beast sealed, all that was left for Akatsuki was to kidnap both Fu and me in order to complete their plan."
"I've been trying to locate Killer B, but I was unable to," Jiraiya mentioned, ebfore his eyes shifted to the Kumo ninjas. "Where was he, may I ask?"
"We had a special shelter in a place to the north of Kumo called the Valley of Cloud and Lightning," Omoi began. "It's terrain is very hard to traverse, and its location was one of Kumo's top guarded secret."
"Not even we knew where it was," T chimed in.
"Not that it mattered, given that Akatsuki found the place and a way to overcome its difficult terrain," Karui said, scoffing a little. "Anyway, Raikage-sama will be pleased to know that you're going to attend. Hopefully the other three Kages decide to go as well."
"I can assure you that the Kazekage and the Mizukage will go as well," Jiraiya told the redhead. "The Tsuchikage, though, I couldn't tell. We don't have much of a relationship with Iwa."
"Neither you nor any village," T interceded. "They have fame of wanting to do things their way and scoff at the idea of an alliance."
"Let's hope they change their mind, or else Akatsuki will eat us alive," Karui said, as she started to leave, her two teammates behind her. "Hokage-sama."
Jiraiya nodded as the three foreign ninjas left his office.
"So... this Kage Summit," Naruto began. "It's a good thing, right? If they want all Kages to meet and discuss the Akatsuki threat... with the help of the other villages, dealing with them will be much easier."
"In theory, yes," Jiraiya told Naruto. "In practice, not so much. Even with the threat of Akatsuki, tension between villages still exist., and some of them haven't suffered the scourge of Akatsuki like we did, other than the loss of their jinchuriki."
"Suna and Kiri are already on our side," Naruto pointed out. "With more than half the villages on a single front, maybe the other two will join us?"
"I'm counting on that," Jiraiya replied. "Though we should be careful as well. Rather than joining us, Kumo and Iwa may take this as a threat and join together against us."
"But... the Akatsuki is the real enemy here! Plus we did help Kumo with one of their jinchuriki!" Naruto protested, throwing his hands into the air.
"I know, and I do plan to remind them of that," Jiraiya stated. "However, things aren't as clear cut as they are from our point of view. I mean, the fact that it was the Raikage who requested this summit is good, since that means he's willing to cooperate with other villages against the Akatsuki threat. If I play my cards right, there's a good chance we may enlist the rest of the villages for our cause."
"Let's hope," Naruto agreed, before he remembered another part of the message. "The Raikage said that you're only allowed to bring two people with you. Who do you have in mind?"
"That's an easy one. I'm taking your mom and Itachi Uchiha. They're two of Konoha's strongest and well known ninjas, meaning that I can make a show of force in front of the other villages, and I'll have my back covered if things get ugly," Jiraiya explained. Naruto visibly deflated, which didn't go unnoticed by the white haired man. "What? Did you expect me to bring you?"
"I AM among the strongest ninjas in the village. Not to mention one of the two jinchuriki left," Naruto dejectedly told him.
"Naruto, I'm not taking you for several reasons," Jiraiya began. "First, you're much safer here. If I took you out of the safety of our walls, well, that would be like daring the Akatsuki to come and snatch you. And two, given the recent invasion, I thought you deserve a little break. While I'm out on this, you should try to relax and have some fun."
"You aren't the only one who suggested me that," Naruto said, chuckling. "Hinata-hime also told me that I needed to do something other than training or missions."
Jiraiya's mouth curved into a perverse girn. "Ohhhhhh... does she want some alone time with you?"
Naruto merely rolled his eyes. "Nah. She said to do something with the rest of our friends. She has a point, it's been a while since we did something all together that isn't a mission."
"I see," Jiraiya said, his face returning to normal. He smiled again, albeit this time it was more earnest. "May I give you a suggestion?"
…
"Akatsuki did make quite the number in your village, didn't they?" Temari aske before letting out a whistle of admiration, as she contemplated the ruined buildings around her. "I shudder to think that this could have happened to Suna."
Temari, alongside other Suna ninjas, were helping the Konoha ninjas to move construction supplies such as concrete, sand, or metallic grids to the zones in need of them.
"The saddest part is, this isn't even the first time it happened," Shikamaru, who was working alongside her, replied. "I think we told you about all the other invasions we had to go through, right?"
"The Nine Tails attack, the Uchiha Insurrection, Orochimaru's invasion, and more recently, Akatsuki," Temari recounted, with her boyfriend nodded in confirmation. "Man, if anything, it speaks volumes of how resilent you guys are. Any village that went through so many invasions in such a small timespan should be defunct by now."
"Guess that speaks volumes about Konoha, doesn't it?" Shikamaru asked, feeling a little patriotic pride, which was kind of an odd feeling for him.
"And what about you?" Temari asked. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine, why do you ask?" Shikamaru replied, raising an eyebrow. "Don't I look okay to you?"
"You do. But given the experience, I thought that maybe... well, that maybe the invasion got you down a little," Temari said. "I take you were among the lucky ones who didn't lose a loved one?"
"You could said that," Shikamaru lazily replied.
However, there was something in the way he said that got Temari suspicious. "What do you mean? Did you actually lose somebody or...?"
"No," Shikamaru stated. "But if I did it wouldn't have mattered, because the Akatsuki leader returned everybody to life." Needless to say, Temari was quite shocked at such revelation, her eyes growing wide, but narrowing next upon realizing how much of a nonsense it was. Shikamaru seemed to pick his girlfriend's reaction, and continued speaking. "It's true, you can ask other people if you don't believe me. Some freaky Rinnegan power or something like that."
"Rinnegan? But..." Temari began, flabbergasted. "Even if that were true, how is that the Akatsuki leader decided to help you? It makes no sense!"
"Apparently Naruto went to talk with him. I think Naruto made him feel bad about what he had done, and in order to atone before dying brought everybody back from the death," Shikamaru elaborated. "The other Akatsuki then surrendered without fighting any further."
As the sand blond kunoichi tried to digest Shikamaru's unbelievable tale, another realization dawned upon her. "Wait, did you guys collect the Rinnegan? Because such power-"
"Yeah, we did," Shikamaru replied, not letting her finish her question. "Unfortunately, Akatsuki managed to snatch one of the eyes from us, with Danzo's help. Old bastard..."
"Well, at least you guys still keep the other eye," Temari said. "You don't know what are they going to do with it, do you?"
Shikamaru shook his head. "Like they're going to make a mere Chunin like me privy of what do they plan to do with such an item of power. Though guess that we'll know soon enough. From what I heard, we need those eyes if we want to release all the Tailed Beasts captured by Akatsuki."
Temari accepted Shikamaru's response with a nod, as the two of them resumed their work, opening crates and unloading their contents, before either stacking them on a pile, or handing them to the people who needed them. After a few minutes of working in silence, Shikamaru decided to open his mouth again.
"So... how long are you planning to stay?" Shikamaru asked.
"Father told us that we could stay as long as the reparation efforts lasted. Unless there's an emergency, we aren't needed in Suna," Temari answered, as she carried another crate, ready to open. She shot Shikamaru a taunting smirk "Why? Are you already counting the minutes until I'm out of your hair?"
"Quite the contrary. Did I give you that impression?" Shikamaru asked, chuckling awkwardly. "I always enjoy when you come to visit."
"Given that other times made you look as if being with me is some sort of chore..." Temari replied, sounding a little hurt.
"Because I love getting a reaction out of you," Shikamaru said, chuckling again, this time more earnestly.
"Do you find it amusing?" Temari asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes. But it also tells me that you care," Shikamaru replied. "Though if you want me to stop doing it, you only need to ask."
"Then please drop it. It's kind of childish," the blonde asked.
"As you wish," Shikamaru said, shrugging a little. "Though in all seriousness, I'm really happy to know that you're going to be here for some time. It will be nice to see you several days in a row. I mean, did you know some people think I'm making you up when I told them about you?"
"Really?" Temari asked, surpressing a chuckle. "Well, I can imagine. Some boys from Suna also think that I say I have a boyfriend in Konoha just so they leave me alone."
"That's one weird thing to have in common. Albeit it's obvious that the reasons people think that of us aren't the same," Shikamaru commented. "By the way, where are you staying? I'm afraid all the hotels are being used as imporvised infirmaries, storehouses and barracks for our ninjas."
"We know. The Hokage reserved a training field for our ninjas so we can set our tents there," Temari said.
"That doesn't appear to be very comfortable," Shikamaru pointed out. "Especially since you came here to help. I think you guys deserve a little better."
"I know, but what else can we do? We're in no position to be demanding," Temari said in resignation. "We came here to help, not to hog space other people may need."
"Well..." Shikamaru began. He lowered his gaze as he rubbed the back of his neck, looking uncomfortable. "You could... you could stay at my place?"
Temari's eyes were open wide in shock. "Come again?"
"You could stay at my place," Shikamaru repeated, this time sounding more confident. "We have quite a few spare rooms, so not just you, but you could also bring your brothers or whoever you want. And given that you're helping the village, I don't think my folks will object to it."
Temari stopped what she was doing to place her full attention on her boyfriend. She placed her hands on her hips, as her expression became one of skepticism. "So... you okay with me meeting your parents? Like, really?"
"I'm sure I'm going to regret it later, but better do it now and get it out of my hair," Shikamaru said, rubbing the back of his head again.
The lazy Nara was surprised when she found Temari's arms wrapped around his neck, and her lips pressed against her cheeks.
"Thank you," the Suna kunoichi whispered into his ear.
Shikamaru smiled at her.
…
"Okay, mission completed," Karui said, as she and her two teammates walked through the streets of Konoha. "Good thing the Hokage said he'd go to the summit. Hopefuly in no time, the other villages will hunt the Akatsuki down and B-sensei will be avenged."
The other two nodded sadly. While they do wanted justice for their beloved sensei, they knew that no matter how many Akatsuki died, nothing would bring Killer B back. Their absence is something they'll have to get used to.
"And we aren't the only ones who lost people to the Akatsuki," Karui thought, as she looked at the ruined buldingd around her. Though there were ruined and destroyed buildings, they wouldn't stay like that for long, since she also saw plenty of ninja and civilian alike tirelessly working on the reconstruction of their village. If there was something it could be said about Konoha, is that they were dillgent. "So, do you guys want to do anything? We've made a long trip here and I really don't feel like going back home just now."
"Maybe we could see the sights this village has to offer?" Omoi asked. "Those who hadn't been reduced to rubble, I mean. We barely had any time to do that the last time we were here because of the Chunin Exams."
"We could get something to eat first," T mentioned. "I would like to eat something other than ration bars and fish. And Konoha has pretty good restaurants."
"Hmm... guess that's something we could do," Karui replied, nodding as well. "Hopefully a couple restaurants not far away from here may have survived the Akatsuki's attack."
Omoi was also going to agree, until something drew his attention. A pair of stocky ninjas, one old and one young –clearly father and son– were using a jutsu to enlarge their arms in order to move heavy construction supplies such as metal girds or wooden beams around. The Kumo ninja, however, remembered who that ninja was.
"Hey, Karui," Omoi said, as he nodded at the working pair. "Isn't that the guy you write letters to?"
"Where!?" Karui suddenly said, unwittingly shouting but willingly trying to keep her voice down. Nervous, the redheaded kuonichi franctically looked around, until he spotted the young man in question. "Oh... yeah. Well, it's normal that he's here working to rebuild his village, isn't it? And why are you looking at me like that!?"
"Aren't you planning to go and say him hi?" T asked in a teasing tone. "I mean, it's a pretty good chance, given that we were given Konoha of all villages to deliver the message to. I'm sure you'd regret if we left without meeting him at least once."
"Don't worry about us," Omoi preemtively said, as he and his other female teammate started to walk away in the opposite direction. "We'll look for a nice place to eat. Once we found one, we'll tell you!"
"W-Wait! Don't leave me alone!" Karui said, as her eyes franctically shifted back and forth between Choji and her teammates, who were getting further and further away. "Ugh, you guys suck! You're going to regret this!"
Huffing, Karui decided to walk towards Choji. At the very least, the two dumbasses decided to leave her alone. There's no way she could have approached Choji with those two teasing her constantly. As she walked towards the Konoha ninja, who was with a man she presumed was his father, Karui's heart started to beat faster and faster.
"Come on girl, you completed S-Rank missions, you surely can talk to a boy," Karui reminded herself, and once she was close enough, she opened her mouth. "Hello!"
That came way louder than she expected, if the way Choji and his dad were startled was anything to go by. The two of them quickly turned around.
"What the...?" Choji asked, almost defensively, as he turned around. However, the tension of his body disappeared, and his mouth curved into a smile the moment she saw who had called him. "Karui!"
"Hey there," said said, waving weakly at him. "Long time no see, huh?"
"Indeed!" Choji energically nodded. "It's amazing how much you grew! You look so pretty!"
"Thank you. You grew up a lot as well, as I can see. I mean, you're taller than me," Karui said, as she wiped a strand of hair from her face away. "Good thing he didn't mention my chest."
"So, Choji," the larger man with the wild red hair said. "I take this is the girl you've been writing letters to?"
"She is!" Choji happily said. "Dad, this is Karui. Karui, this is my dad Choza Akimichi, leader of the Akimichi Clan."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, sir," Karui said, making a head bow.
"Same here. Though I do remember you from the Chunin Exams," Choza stated. "You gave my son quite the beating, didn't you?"
Karui grew visibly uncomfortable, as she tried to find a way to salvage the situation.
"Uh, I-"
"Hahaha, relax, girl! I'm not going to hold that against you," Choza boomed, giving Karui a mighty slap on her back. So mighty, she almost fell on her face. "We Akimichis find strong women very appealing! Strong women produce and raise strong children! That's how a clan stays in top shape!"
That did nothing but increase Karui's uneasiness, albeit now for completely unrelated reasons. "If this man pulls out a marriage contract, I'm SO out of here!"
"Um, dad," Choji pointed out, noticing –and even sharing– some of the Kumo kunoichi's uneasiness. "I think you're going too far. You're making Karui a little uncomfortable."
"I am?" Choza asked, genuily surprised.
"Way more than 'a little', but thanks! Great timing there, Choji!" Karui mentally thanked him.
"Oh, my apologies then. I didn't want to suggest anything hasty," Choza admitted, before taking a very large crate between his arms. "I better move this box towards the Jonin Station. I'll leave you alone so the two of you can catch up."
"Okay dad. See you later," Choji said.
"See you later, son," Choza said before leaving.
Both Karui and Choji sighed in unison once the Akimichi Clan patriarch was seen turning at a corner, disappearing behind a half destroyed building.
"I'm... I'm sorry for my dad," Choji said, rubbing his neck in embarrasment. "He's... very excited about you."
"I could tell," Karui breathed.
"So... what brings you to the village?" Choji asked, hoping that a change of topic would help push the awkwardness of the situation away.
"My team was sent here by Raikage-sama to deliver a message to your Hokage, in order to set a date for an upcoming Kage Summit," Karui explained. "Hoping all five villages villages could deal with Akatsuki together."
"Did Akatsuki also attack Kumo?" Choji asked, looking worried.
"Not exactly. My sensei, Killer B, was attacked and kidnapped by the Akatsuki," Karui said, as she cast her eyes down, sadness creeping upon her.
"Oh..." was all the Akimichi could say in return. "I...I'm sorry for your loss, especially since it had to be a huge blow. If it were Asuma-sensei...I don't know what I would have done..."
"It's okay, it's not that it's your fault," Karui replied, before she looked around. "I'm guessing that, after they snatched B-sensei from his hiding place, they came here to get your jinchuriki, right?"
"Yeah," Choji said. "Thankfully they failed. Had they captured Naruto and Fu, they would have all Tailed Beast under their control."
"Did you guys managed to kill some of them?" Karui asked.
"Yeah. The leader is dead. And another one, a woman, surrenderd to Konoha after their defeat," Choji explained.
Karui scowled a little. "Dammit. I was hoping that at least Kisame and Deidara would be rotting in hell right now."
"Those were the ones who captured your sensei?" Choji asked.
Karui nodded. "Kisame also helped to capture Yugito-sama, so we have even more reasons to hate him."
"Well... think that you still have the chance to get revenge on them. Though you should be careful, every Akatsuki member is a powerhouse on their own, and those two are no exception," Choji advised her.
"I don't mind if I'm not the one who brings them down, as long as they get their just desserts," Karui told Choji. "If I can help their downfall in any way, I will."
"I'm on the same boat. Akatsuki was already bad before, but look how much they wrecked our home," Choji told her, as he spread his arms around for added effect. "Hopefully this will be the beginning of an alliance between Konoha and Kumo."
"Yeah, let's hope the Kage Summit goes well," Karui agreed.
There was a moment of awkward silence as the two teens stayed there next to each other, doing or saying nothing. Until Choji decided to break the silence.
"So... now that you gave the message, are you planning on leaving?" Choji asked. "Or do you plan to stay a bit?"
"After such a long trek for a mere message, neither me nor my teammates feel like going back home so soon," Karui told him, and the redhead could see the rotund boy growing more excited. "Though given the state the village is right now, it might not be for the best if we sta-"
"Nonsense! Please stay all the time you need!" Choji insisted, loudly interrupting her. "I mean, we're already housing a lot of ninjas from Suna that came here to help, so we can afford three more people."
Before Karui could reply, they were interrupted by a loud, rumbling noise. Choji would have apologized for such a thing, but the Akimichi knew his stomach too well to know when it was him. Karui seemed to be on the same boat, as the redhead's expression was that of embarrassment.
"Man, T was right. We've been way too much time eating nothing but ration bars and fish," Karui complained.
"If you want to eat, there's this restaurant that serves the best barbecue of the entire village!" Choji entusiathically said, not missing a chance to share his favorite eating spot with a girl he liked. "My treat!"
"Really? Thanks. I'm not going to say no to free food right now," Karui said. "Lead the way, Choji."
And with a huge smile plastered on his face, Choji walked towards Yakiniku-Q with Karui walking besides him. While the redhead would try to hide it, she was smiling as well.
…
While most of the Suna ninjas were helping with the reconstruction of the village, some of them were proving to be more helpful than others, albeit more due their abilities rather than enthusiasm or intent. And there was a certain somebody whose abilities that he had since he was born made construction work trivially easy.
Using his sand, Gaara was able to do the work of multiple people in far less time, all at once: he could push debris away, move and lift heavy objects like wooden beams or crates of bricks, place iron girds in the ground, and many more. However, this didn't mean that the effort he was making didn't took its toll on the former jinchuriki, as he was expending chakra as quickly as if he were in a fight to the death.
Beads of sweat started to roll down Gaara's forehead, which he wiped with the sleeve of his shirt from time to time, however, the former jinchuriki didn't complain nor requested a break. Fortunately for him, the other people working alongside the redhead decided that he had deserved a rest for the time being.
"Okay, I think we're done here," a large man wearing stained working clothes and a helmet on his head said, as he walked towards Gaara. "You made quite the quick work, kid."
"I'm here to help as much as I can," Gaara stoically said. "What can I do now?"
"For now, nothing. We've done a good job with the heavy lifiting, but now it's time for the more specialized craftsmen to take the lead," the man said. "Why don't you take a break?"
"I still have energy. I can continue," the former jinchuriki insisted.
"Don't push yourself too hard, kid. You helped us a lot already. Trust me, there will be more work for you when you come back. Now go and relax a little," the man said, as he nodded towards an approaching girl.
Gaara saw that said girl in question was Matsuri, coming at him with a small smile on his face.
"Hey," she said.
"Hello," Gaara replied. "Have you finished your assigned tasks too?"
Matsuri chuckled uneasily. "Not in the slightest. We simply decided to take a break. You know, I thought this would be like a D-Rank mission, but it's much harder than it looks!"
"I can relate to that," Gaara said, wiping some more sweat from his brow. "I think this used to be easier when I still had Shukaku inside of me."
"Here," Matsuri said, before pulling out a canteen buckled to her belt, and handled it to the redhead."
Gaara took the canteen, which he noted was half full, and downed whatevere water was left in one go.
"Thank you," Gaara said, returning the canteen.
"You're welcome," the brown haired girl said, blushing a little, as she returned the canteen to her belt. "So... given that we have some spare time, care to go for a walk with me? This is my first time in Konoha, and I'd like to see it a bit better. You've been here before, maybe you could show me?"
"Sure," Gaara agreed. "Though the village used to be a better sight before all this destruction."
Matsuri merely shrugged. "I can always return another time once the reconstruction is finished."
Besides, it's not that she was THAT interested in seeing the village to begin with, but it was a good excuse as good as any other to spend some relaxing time with her crush.
…
West Gate of Konoha, next morning
Not wanting to waste anymore time, Jiraiya decided to head to the Land of Iron as soon as possible, lest the summit would start without him. A crowd had gathered around the Hokage to bid him goodbye, among them being his children, his sensei, and other ninja close to him and those he was taking as escorts, such as Shizune and the rest of the Uchihas.
Like he had told Naruto, Tsunade and Itachi were the chosen ones. Not just to display Konoha power, but in case that the worst came to happen, those two provided the best combination of abilities. Itachi's ninjutsu and genjutsu could provide good ranged cover, while Tsunade could act as both frontline fighter and heal any injury that may happen to the trio.
The Slug Sannin and the Uchiha were wearing the standard Konoha uniform, blue navy long sleeved shirt, pants, and a green flak jacket, clothes that neither of them used to wear. Though in Tsunade's case, she had to wear the flak jacket unzipped, since her massive chest made it impossible to zip it up.
"So many years later, and there are no jackets for women my size," Tsunade grumbled, recalling the last time she had to wear the official uniform. Interestingly enough, it was also a meeting involving the Raikage.
"Alright, I presume that, at a good pace, it will take us about a week to reach the Land of Iron," Jiraiya stated. "While the summit will be in twelve days. That will allow us some window of time in case an unexpected event happens."
"Have a safe trip, Jiraiya-sama," Shizune told him.
Jiraiya nodded at her, before turning at the previous Hokage. "Once again, sorry for piling my job on you, sensei," Jiraiya told his master. "But I trust no other to run the village in my absence."
"Don't feel guilty, Jiraiya. In my case, I would have done the same," Hiruzen replied with a nod. "I'll make sure the reconstruction goes as smoothly as possible."
"Make sure Naruto and Fu are under constant watch," Jiraiya told him. "I wouldn't put past Akatsuki sneaking an agent to kidnap them taking advantage of me leaving."
"Come on dad, we aren't helpless," Naruto protested, as he corssed his arms. "Remember that it was me who saved you from Pain, not the other way around."
Jiraiya smiled at him. "I know. But I can't help but worry about you, son. So while I'm out, try not to draw much attention, okay?"
"Okay, dad," Naruto replied.
Jiraiya returned his attention to his former sensei once more. "It's possible that, if things go smoothly in the summit and we all reach an understanding, we might launch a joint offensive against the Akatsuki."
"Then I'll make sure all our ninjas are ready to move once the time is right," Hiruzen replied, before Jiraiya had any chance to issue more orders. "I've lived through all three wars, Jiraiya. I know better than anybody here how this works. Though truth be told, it makes me sad that I'll live to see yet another war."
"If things go good, it will be over before we realize it, and there won't be more wars in a long time," Tsunade spoke up for the first time.
"Let's hope," Hiruzen said. "I'll also make sure our defenses are in top condition in case Akatsuki decides to strike first."
"Good. I'll rest easier knowing that the village will be in good hands in my absence," Jiraiya said with a nod. He then noticed Gaara, who walked towards him.
"Hokage-sama, given that you're going to see my father, please tell him that we arrived here safely, and that we're helping the village as intended."
"Don't worry kid, I will," Jiraiya replied, as he turned around, Itachi and Tsunade doing the same. "Tsunade-hime, Itachi, let's go!"
"Yes!" the two Jonin said in unison, as they followed Jiraiya into the forests of the Land of Fire.
Once the Hokage and his two escorts were no longer visible, everybody else returned to the village, back to their daily tasks.
Author's Note: Now, after the Akatsuki Invasion arc FINALLY came to an end, I think it's about time to let our heroes some time to catch their breath and relax a little, don't they?
And boy, do I appreciate writing something relaxed once in a while. Especially romance. Like, when was the last time we saw Choji and Karui interact? It has to be the Chunin Exams, more than 60 chapters ago. Same goes with Shikamaru and Temari. Temari has appeared in quite a few arcs, but I don't think she and Shikamaru had a conversation since the beginning of the Gaara Rescue arc, almost 40 chapters ago. Wow... when did this story get so crazy long?
And as Jiraiya and his two escorts head to the Land of Iron, the Kage Summit is about to begin. I know a lot of you can't wait to see how my version of the Kage Summit is going to play out. Needless to say, it's going to be much shorter, given the lack of Sasuke to attack it, as well as Danzo being dead already. Still, there are going to be a couple of surprises around the corner. Plus, a few fan favorites from the other villages will make a return during this arc.
Though, the Kage Summit won't start immediately. The next chapter is going to be the Konoha 15 and their friends from the other villages, such as the Sand Siblings or Karui, having a much needed and much deserved fun and relaxing time together. Mostly because, well, I'm sure you know that after this, they won't have anymore time to relax until the end of the story.
Thanks to Ookami88 for betareading this chapter.
So, what do you think about this chapter? Did you enjoy the return of the Suna and Kumo ninjas? Leave your thoughts in a review! Reviews make me really, really, really happy!