"Someone is having fun." Ray said mockingly with a teasing grin, face upwards. Norman trailed not too far behind him, laughing quietly, face also upwards.
"Ray! Norman! You guys are back!" Emma said happily with a big smile on her face, still floating inside a transparent bubble.
"Welcome back." Utakata said in a flat tone, expertly controlling the bubble to land safely on the ground before popping it, releasing Emma who immediately ran to her friends and hugged them with a cheerful grin.
"How was it?" Emma asked them with a jovial smile, already knowing the answer from their confident smirk.
"A complete success." They said in unison, referring to their mission in Kirigakure and Nami no Kuni respectively.
Emma turned her head to their Jinchuuriki companion who was leaning against a big rock languidly, face set in an aloof manner, still contently blowing a few small bubbles into the vast blue sky.
"Are you going to return to Kirigakure, Utakata-san? They are probably going to need all the help that they can get to rebuild the village."
Utakata shook his head slowly. "I have no interest in returning to the village. I am just going to wander around again after this."
He straighten from his previous position and smiled genuinely to them. "It has been a pleasure to meet you all."
The three orphans glanced at each other before they replied to him in unison, "the pleasure is all ours!"
"Are you three going to participate in the Chuunin Exams? You guys are going to completely ruin it." Utakata asked them with a small smile.
They replied him with a wicked grin befitting of ones who battled demons daily and survived in the wilderness from a very young age.
Utakata laughed a little this time. "I have a half-mind to go to Konoha just to see you three."
Then he tilted his head to the side, realizing something. "That's right. Aren't you guys missing one person? What about your Jounin-sensei? You can't possibly go without one, that will be suspicious."
"We already have one. We will meet him before we enter Konoha." Ray said without looking up from his book, already in his usual position below a giant tree, holding a thick book and reading it.
Why did he even bother to ask? They were always crazily prepared for everything. These three were a genius of a truly different caliber. Prodigies of a whole new level.
When it was time to leave, Emma smiled kindly and offered Utakata a handshake.
"I wish you well in your journey, Utakata-san. May we meet again someday." Emma said in a farewell.
"I wish you well in your endeavor too, Emma. May we meet again someday." Utakata said in a gentle tone, his hand shook hers warmly.
"Utakata-san, please keep our secret for a little longer." Norman said with a smile, a finger raised over his pale lips. There were currently only three people in this world aside from them who knew their secret, Utakata being one of those three.
Utakata nodded his head. "You have my word."
They parted ways with a smile.
A few days later, the three of them wore a forehead protector with an owl symbol carved on it.
The original William Minerva's symbol of revolution. The symbol of freedom.
Their supposed Jounin-sensei met them alone in the promised location with a perfectly forged documents for their entry in the Chuunin Exams in his hand. Just like Utakata, he was also one of the three people who knew their secret.
About Grace Field. About the demons. About their original world. About the original William Minerva. About the Ratri Family. About the seven walls. About the promise.
"Itachi-san!" Emma waved to him energetically, Norman and Ray trailing behind her.
Uchiha Itachi nodded to them silently, eyes black and face blank, his Akatsuki robe nowhere in sight. Emma launched herself to him and he caught her on reflex, the only girl in the team hugged him fiercely while the rogue Ninja tentatively returned it, suddenly reminded of his younger days when his little brother would hug him after a boring day in the academy.
He stiffly took off his sliced forehead protector and put it inside his pocket when they handed him a shiny new forehead protector with an owl symbol carved on it. He tied the new forehead protector around his head, the symbol of revolution and freedom suited him more than the symbol of a traitor.
Itachi put an illusion on himself, changing himself into a slim woman with pale skin, amethyst eyes, and long black hair tied into a bun.
"Yeah, you look like mama." Ray said in amusement.
"We are counting on you, 'Isabella-sensei'." Norman said teasingly, he did learn something from growing up together with Ray.
Emma grinned and pumped her fist into the air. "Let's go!"
They were ready for the Chuunin Exams.
When they reached the village's gate, they were immediately stopped by the guards.
"Halt. State your name and purpose."
"We are a team from Gureisugakure. We are here for the Chuunin Exams." Itachi said with a woman voice, as toneless as ever.
It didn't fail to make the guards widened their eyes in surprise.
A few days after the end of Kirigakure's civil war and the liberation of Nami no Kuni, there were rumors. Rumors about William Minerva, the true mastermind behind the success of the rebellion. Rumors about the mysterious boy who destroyed Gato and his business in a short time. Rumors about both of them hailing from an emerging small village called Gureisugakure.
They were only a few minutes inside the village when they encountered a team from Konohagakure, Sunagakure, and Otogakure respectively.
It was all thanks to Emma. When she saw a guy with a painted face holding a little kid roughly, she immediately changed course and bumped herself to him on purpose, it was hard enough to make the guy dropped the little kid.
"I am sorry for bumping into you." She immediately apologized in vain. The guy was getting angrier.
"It was so totally on purpose, you little shit! You think I didn't notice, huh?" The guy shouted at her, spit flying everywhere.
"She already gives you an apology, right? Cut it out." Ray called out from behind her, trying to diffuse the situation.
The guy twitched, releasing something from his back and looking ready to fight with it.
"Kankurou, stop it. You are an embarrassment to our village."
Gaara.