New fanfiction up. Oy, and by the way, I won't be able to work on my other Naruto Fanfic: A Glass World since I'm still working on my Bleach fic. Be patient with me, I wouldn't have started this fic had it not been burning a hole in my head ever since I thought up of it. Sorry everyone!
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or the game Poker
Chapter 1- Everyone's Invited!
"Damn, being a Hokage does not pay off!" Tsunade moaned as she filed through a stack of reports and files, "Isn't their any kind of jutsu I can use to skip all this crap?"
She leaned back and sighed in frustration. She'd choose facing Orochimaru again any day over having to sort through paper work!
"I wonder how he get it done?" She thought as she picked up her stack again and tried to make sense of the border disputes, mission requests, ninja graduations, and mission reports.
"Um…Tsunade-sama?" Shizune asked as she creaked open the door.
"What?" She snapped irritably.
"Sorry…but I was asked to give this to you," She explained handing her a massive stack of paperwork, "It's from Cloud…"
The look Tsunade was giving her could have lit the paper on fire.
"…And the requested teams are awaiting your presence in the meeting hall," She added.
Tsunade immediately face brightened immediately as she heard that last piece of news.
"I'll be over there right away," Tsunade replied standing up, "Let's go!"
"Um…your paperwork…" Shizune began.
"Shut up or else I'll have you do it," She replied, "Get Kotetsu-kun and Izumo-kun to do it,"
"Um…" Shizune began but Tsunade soon had that look again, "Y-yes ma'am!"
Elsewhere everyone's favorite team of ninjas along with several other teams patiently awaited their Hokage's presence. Okay, so they weren't waiting patiently.
"Where the hell is that annoying old woman?" Uzumaki Naruto cried angrily.
"Shut up idiot," Uchiha Sasuke muttered.
"What!" Naruto snarled, "Do you want to fight!"
"Naruto, try to control yourself!" Haruno Sakura cut in, "Sasuke isn't acting all crazy right now,"
"Oy, she's right you know," Hatake Kakashi called out without looking up from his book, "Shut up,"
"How troublesome," Nara Shikamaru muttered as he regarded the annoying team lazily, "They're way too loud,"
"Sasuke-chan isn't too loud, he's perfectly quiet, and he's so cool!" Yamanaka Ino replied as she stared at her "boyfriend" dreamily.
"How troublesome," Shikamaru muttered.
"What!" Ino cried bopping him on the head, "Watch your mouth!"
"Munch, had it coming," Akimichi Choji muttered between mouthfuls of chips.
"Keep it down will ya?" Sarutobi Asuma called out irritated, "Bad enough you can't smoke in here, but to be crammed in here with a bunch of kids!"
"Um…N-N-aruto-san is very energetic today," Hyuuga Hinata murmured.
"That annoying idiot never shuts up," Kiba Inuzaka muttered angrily, "He'll never change,"
"Much like yourself," Aburame Shino thought as he stood silently as usual.
"This had better be important," Yuhi Kurenai muttered impatiently.
"Gai-sensei, where is Hokage-sama?" Rock Lee wailed.
"Be patient Lee," Maito Gai replied smiling incredibly wide, "We must never doubt our great Hokage's infinite wisdom!"
"Gai-sensei, you are so right!" Lee replied happily, "I will do two hundred push-ups to make amends!"
He immediately dropped down and started bobbing up and down at lightning speed.
"What an idiot," Hyuuga Neji muttered, "What's the point in that?"
"Lee is Lee and will always be Lee," Tenten replied smiling cheerfully.
"Makes sense I guess," Neji sighed.
"Good morning everyone!" Tsunade called out.
"Hey! Old women-chan!" Naruto called out, "Why are you late?"
Tsunade cracked both her knuckles and glared at the fox-faced shinobi causing him to stare at his toes with an intensity that might've burned holes in them.
"Idiot," Kakashi murmured, "Only he would be dumb enough to invoke her wrath…well maybe Jiraiya,"
"Today I have organized a large joint mission involving all of you," Tsunade explained, "
"Oh wow!" Naruto cried, "What level?"
"This is a different kind of mission," She explained, "This mission involves a competition that is designed to test your cunningness, intelligence, and rational decision making, physical capabilities will not be as important compared to cooperation and cunningness,"
"What?" Naruto asked confused.
"You must all agree to one form of mental and strategic competition that you will all be equally matched in," Tsunade explained, "So your jounin-senseis will be gathering in a meeting to decide the form of competition you will all be competing in,"
"What's the idea behind this, Hokage-sama?" Ino asked curiously.
"Good question, that reason will be revealed at the end of the competition," She explained.
"Will the jounin-sensei's please gather in the board room where we will be discussing the plans for this competition," Shizune called out.
Kakashi, Asuma, Kurenai, and Gai all followed Shizune into the sound-proofed room while Tsunade entered from the top entrance.
"Damn," Naruto whined, "Now we have to sit here!"
"I-I-t isn't too bad Naruto-san," Hinata murmured as she stared at the ground as both her index fingers began pocking each other.
"Guess you're right Hinata-chan!" Naruto replied grinning widely.
"He said Hinata-chan!" Hinata thought turning deep red, "He said Hinata-chan!"
"What an idiot," Sasuke sighed as he leaned against the wall and crossed his arms.
"What a troublesome thing," Shikamaru muttered; however his thoughts said otherwise, "Shogi, shogi, Go, Go, shog, shogi, Go, Go!"
Meanwhile inside the chamber the jounin level nin where all seated in a long rectangle table with Tsunade sitting at the end and Shizune and her side faithfully.
"So any ideas?" Tsunade asked.
"Well, I'd say a swim suit competition!" Kakashi offered, "We could have all the girls in bathing suits and…"
Kurenai whacked him across the head angrily.
"Pervert," She muttered irritably, "Since this is a competition based upon intelligence rather than physical ability I suggest we should go with maybe some form of scavenger hunt,"
"We already did that in the chuunin exams, they'll know what to expect," Asuma countered, "Why not a game of shogi?"
"Hell no!" Kakashi and Kurenai cried.
"Tch, everyone knows Shikamaru abilities now!" Asuma muttered, "It's not fair!"
"Hehe, while all you children are acting so immature I have come up with the prefect solution," Gai murmured with a glint in his eye, "I suggest a 24 hour non-stop dance off along with a non-stop karaoke competition where only the best singers such as my prodigal disciple Lee will walk away in a blaze of youthful glory!"
"Riiight," Tsunade sighed, "Any other ideas?"
The group glanced at one another expectantly.
"Then do you want to go with Gai's idea?" Tsunade asked sarcastically.
"No!" The three opposing jounins cried even louder than when they had objected to Asuma's idea.
"Wait!" Kakashi cried, "I've got it!"
"This had better not be another perverted idea…" Kurenai began.
"No, no!" Kakashi replied, "Perish the thought!"
"What is this idea of yours?" Tsunade asked curiously.
Kakashi grinned then stared at the blonde-hokage straight in the eye.
"Poker," He replied.
"Poker…hmmm…I like it," Tsunade declared.
"It involves thinking, luck, cooperation, and skill, it's a good idea," Asuma agreed.
"Hmmm, Lee will still walk away victorious in a blaze of youthful glory!" Gai cried.
"Well finally you thought of a good idea," Kurenai remarked grinning, "I look forward to this!"
"Very good," Tsunade sighed, "Meeting adjourned, you may go,"
"Thank God!" Asuma cried, "I need a smoke!"
"Those things are bad for you," Kurenai scolded as she followed her colleague.
"Oy, Kakashi!" Gai cried, "I challenge you to a contest to once again rekindle our intense rivalry!"
"Huh?" Kakshi mumbled as he looked up from his book.
"Damn you and your sly methods of intense coolness!" Gai cried flailing his arms wildly, "I will most certainly defeat you this time my eternal rival, all in the name of the intense fires of youth!"