The front gates of Konoha had been opened an hour in advance, after
the large parade had been seen marching their way. From the Sand came their
contribution to the festival that was to be in a week, as well as their
sole most powerful shinobi.
After entering the gates, they immediately set about finding rooms for themselves and storing equipment and all other such business. More importantly, a smaller caravan led a certain white-clad ninja in the direction of the Hokage's office.
Yawning to himself, Uzumaki Naruto looked up tiredly from a stack of paperwork. His eyes were shot, and he really didn't look like a happy camper. "Ma.. being Hokage shouldn't have so much PAPERWORK. Have to sign this for more weapon orders, have to sign that to keep an alliance strong.. NANI? Expand Ero-Sennin's home to the onsen? Haha, he'll never learn.." After crumpling that particular piece of paper up and tossing it to the trash, he groaned and fell back in a sea of papers, without noticing the messenger who had just come in.
"Ooi, Hokage-sama. Kazekage-sama is here." Hagane Kotetsu, one of the now older shinobi of the village, still made a -fine- assistent, just as he had done to Sarutobi-jiji and Tsunade-baba.
"He's on his way in as we speak."
This caught Naruto's attention, causing the young leader's mood to change entirely. He quickly swept all the papers off into a box and stuffed them away, then reached behind his desk and pulled up the hat that read 'fire' and donned it. After all, the Hokage must look like the Hokage, especially when another leader was here.
Moments later, Gaara himself stepped into the room, his own subordinates stopping at the door. Gaara waved them off, and after stealing a glance at Kotetsu that made the man leave hurriedly, made his way in and sat across from Naruto.
Naruto tried his hardest to keep a straight face and look as majestic as possible, especially with the crystal ball before him, but he couldn't handle it for very long. Pretty soon, he was all grins and he asked Gaara how he had been these past few months.
"Saa, Naruto-kun. Sunagakure greatly appreciates the aid, especially with the funds our country has been giving us. As for myself.. I've been better." His eyes narrowed slightly, and he leaned in a bit, despite the fact that noone else was in to hear the conversation. "Shukaku's been getting restless, which is why we're here early.. If anyone can subdue him, it's you, and I don't want to destroy the village."
Naruto's face grew blank for a moment, then turned strangely serious, which was odd on the grown shinobi's usually cheery face. "So you'd rather endanger MY precious people with your burden, eh?!"
Gaara's face, although usually impassive, took on a somewhat guilty look which was crushed by the huge grin of Naruto.
"MAA, no need to be so glum, I'll keep him at bay! Anou sa, I was only playing!" Grinning wildly, the whiskered one leaned back in his chair to get more comfortable. "Ahh.. paper work killing you too?" After Gaara nodded, Naruto continued on. "Yeah.. I never imagined being Hokage would be like this, but I've gotten over it for the most part! And let me tell you, it's been boring here.. I can't spar with anyone! Not because I'm Hokage, but because all the powerful nin are out on missions constantly. Neji's an Anbu captain and his team leaves and finishes before all of them. Lee's got his own team now, and Shino and Kiba are both patrolling the border. I can't spar Tsunade-baba or Ero-Sennin either, they're way too old and refuse to fight." Naruto sighed, his brow furrowing, before taking a deep breath.
"Even Sasuke's gone with special leave to track down Orochimaru and find out what connections he had to the Akatsuki. He's stuck on finding his brother, and he's convinced Orochimaru can get him there... Maa, he's become really obsessed with that since we brought him back, and especially since the war's been over."
Gaara blinked, then looked at Naruto questioningly. "Are you sure that's a good idea? He's still got that curse seal.. and Orochimaru, if he's out there, probably needs a new body, and Sasuke -was- his first choice.."
"Iie, Kazekage-dono, you worry too much. Even if Orochimaru's found a new host, which he likely has, Sasuke's strong enough now. He has a small squad of our best Anbu with him besides, and I doubt he'd let that bastard take his body. He's learned other ways to become powerful, and he's set on revenge his own way now!" Naruto nodded to himself, to reassure Gaara, but he himself was entirely sure of what he'd just said.
"Anou, what about you? Any fights recently? And how're your siblings?"
"Saa. I haven't had an actual fight in a while. An assassination attempt here and there, same as always, but now it's to become Kazekage and not to get rid of their old demons.." Gaara's face twisted into a melancholy grin, something rather unbecoming of the vessel. "Anyway, Temari teaches at the academy now, but she goes on missions whenever she can. She's been a Jounin for a few years now. Kankurou leads our foreign Anbu squads. He loves to go into other countries and snoop around..."
"That's good, that's good! Glad to hear things are going so well in Sunagakure." Naruto stood up, patting down a wrinkle in his left sleeve. He turned around, and much like Sandaime-sama, folded his arms behind the crook of his back. "Say, have you heard from Raikage-dono? I'm kind of worried something's up.."
Gaara, once again, looked questioningly to Naruto despite the man's turned back. He stood up, so that he could glance at Naruto. Even now, Gaara didn't have his gourd with him, at least not in open sight. "I've not heard from Keitaro since the celebration in Kaminari three months ago. What's going on, Naruto-kun?"
Naruto sighed inwardly. "Kyuubi's been getting restless, and when you mentioned Shukaku, it worried me. I'm sure Keitaro's feeling it too by now. Something's going to happen, and I fear it may be at the festival, with all of the innocents from our villages here. I don't want that to happen here, so I think it would be best to get Keitaro here immediately and plan something out. It's something big, else Kyuubi wouldn't care.."
"Do you think it could be...?"
"No, Keitaro has good control now, probably better than both of us. I doubt it. I think it has something to do with that group of people..."
"Akatsuki?"
"Hai."
---
I'm cutting it off from here. I think the whole Gaara calling Naruto 'Naruto-kun' bit is a little weird myself, but I imagine he would if they were close friends, and I imagine they are now. Other characters will make appearances in the next chapter, this was just to set the general storyline.
I'll go work on the next bit, but I'm not posting it as soon as I finish. I wanna time it a bit, so I can perfect it. Still without a beta reader. If you're interested, drop me a line, contact info's on the profile page. Uh.. other than that, ja ne.
After entering the gates, they immediately set about finding rooms for themselves and storing equipment and all other such business. More importantly, a smaller caravan led a certain white-clad ninja in the direction of the Hokage's office.
Yawning to himself, Uzumaki Naruto looked up tiredly from a stack of paperwork. His eyes were shot, and he really didn't look like a happy camper. "Ma.. being Hokage shouldn't have so much PAPERWORK. Have to sign this for more weapon orders, have to sign that to keep an alliance strong.. NANI? Expand Ero-Sennin's home to the onsen? Haha, he'll never learn.." After crumpling that particular piece of paper up and tossing it to the trash, he groaned and fell back in a sea of papers, without noticing the messenger who had just come in.
"Ooi, Hokage-sama. Kazekage-sama is here." Hagane Kotetsu, one of the now older shinobi of the village, still made a -fine- assistent, just as he had done to Sarutobi-jiji and Tsunade-baba.
"He's on his way in as we speak."
This caught Naruto's attention, causing the young leader's mood to change entirely. He quickly swept all the papers off into a box and stuffed them away, then reached behind his desk and pulled up the hat that read 'fire' and donned it. After all, the Hokage must look like the Hokage, especially when another leader was here.
Moments later, Gaara himself stepped into the room, his own subordinates stopping at the door. Gaara waved them off, and after stealing a glance at Kotetsu that made the man leave hurriedly, made his way in and sat across from Naruto.
Naruto tried his hardest to keep a straight face and look as majestic as possible, especially with the crystal ball before him, but he couldn't handle it for very long. Pretty soon, he was all grins and he asked Gaara how he had been these past few months.
"Saa, Naruto-kun. Sunagakure greatly appreciates the aid, especially with the funds our country has been giving us. As for myself.. I've been better." His eyes narrowed slightly, and he leaned in a bit, despite the fact that noone else was in to hear the conversation. "Shukaku's been getting restless, which is why we're here early.. If anyone can subdue him, it's you, and I don't want to destroy the village."
Naruto's face grew blank for a moment, then turned strangely serious, which was odd on the grown shinobi's usually cheery face. "So you'd rather endanger MY precious people with your burden, eh?!"
Gaara's face, although usually impassive, took on a somewhat guilty look which was crushed by the huge grin of Naruto.
"MAA, no need to be so glum, I'll keep him at bay! Anou sa, I was only playing!" Grinning wildly, the whiskered one leaned back in his chair to get more comfortable. "Ahh.. paper work killing you too?" After Gaara nodded, Naruto continued on. "Yeah.. I never imagined being Hokage would be like this, but I've gotten over it for the most part! And let me tell you, it's been boring here.. I can't spar with anyone! Not because I'm Hokage, but because all the powerful nin are out on missions constantly. Neji's an Anbu captain and his team leaves and finishes before all of them. Lee's got his own team now, and Shino and Kiba are both patrolling the border. I can't spar Tsunade-baba or Ero-Sennin either, they're way too old and refuse to fight." Naruto sighed, his brow furrowing, before taking a deep breath.
"Even Sasuke's gone with special leave to track down Orochimaru and find out what connections he had to the Akatsuki. He's stuck on finding his brother, and he's convinced Orochimaru can get him there... Maa, he's become really obsessed with that since we brought him back, and especially since the war's been over."
Gaara blinked, then looked at Naruto questioningly. "Are you sure that's a good idea? He's still got that curse seal.. and Orochimaru, if he's out there, probably needs a new body, and Sasuke -was- his first choice.."
"Iie, Kazekage-dono, you worry too much. Even if Orochimaru's found a new host, which he likely has, Sasuke's strong enough now. He has a small squad of our best Anbu with him besides, and I doubt he'd let that bastard take his body. He's learned other ways to become powerful, and he's set on revenge his own way now!" Naruto nodded to himself, to reassure Gaara, but he himself was entirely sure of what he'd just said.
"Anou, what about you? Any fights recently? And how're your siblings?"
"Saa. I haven't had an actual fight in a while. An assassination attempt here and there, same as always, but now it's to become Kazekage and not to get rid of their old demons.." Gaara's face twisted into a melancholy grin, something rather unbecoming of the vessel. "Anyway, Temari teaches at the academy now, but she goes on missions whenever she can. She's been a Jounin for a few years now. Kankurou leads our foreign Anbu squads. He loves to go into other countries and snoop around..."
"That's good, that's good! Glad to hear things are going so well in Sunagakure." Naruto stood up, patting down a wrinkle in his left sleeve. He turned around, and much like Sandaime-sama, folded his arms behind the crook of his back. "Say, have you heard from Raikage-dono? I'm kind of worried something's up.."
Gaara, once again, looked questioningly to Naruto despite the man's turned back. He stood up, so that he could glance at Naruto. Even now, Gaara didn't have his gourd with him, at least not in open sight. "I've not heard from Keitaro since the celebration in Kaminari three months ago. What's going on, Naruto-kun?"
Naruto sighed inwardly. "Kyuubi's been getting restless, and when you mentioned Shukaku, it worried me. I'm sure Keitaro's feeling it too by now. Something's going to happen, and I fear it may be at the festival, with all of the innocents from our villages here. I don't want that to happen here, so I think it would be best to get Keitaro here immediately and plan something out. It's something big, else Kyuubi wouldn't care.."
"Do you think it could be...?"
"No, Keitaro has good control now, probably better than both of us. I doubt it. I think it has something to do with that group of people..."
"Akatsuki?"
"Hai."
---
I'm cutting it off from here. I think the whole Gaara calling Naruto 'Naruto-kun' bit is a little weird myself, but I imagine he would if they were close friends, and I imagine they are now. Other characters will make appearances in the next chapter, this was just to set the general storyline.
I'll go work on the next bit, but I'm not posting it as soon as I finish. I wanna time it a bit, so I can perfect it. Still without a beta reader. If you're interested, drop me a line, contact info's on the profile page. Uh.. other than that, ja ne.