The Welcoming Party

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Chapter Cover: Kakikizu Muzu and a host of jounin including the ones with teams are around a table with a very large cake and a banner that reads "Welcome Wind Country" In the back, and center of the picture is Tsunade, with Shizune holding back TonTon from devouring the cake.

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Kakikizu Muzu stood alongside three other jounin as they waited for this so called traveling village. She was flanked by two men, and another woman.

"This team had better be worth it," said the other kunoichi. She actually had more of a solid build than most women, and had a messy crop of black braids tucked under her red hood. She wore a grey uniform with weights on her ankles and a blue vest. Her brown eyes scanned the empty area, giving her even more reason to be bored.

"I think they'll be a good team, Otomaya. You should be happy to see more teams participating," a blue-haired male said. He wore a green and black jounin uniform and had tape vertically over his eyes and at the bottom of it, like an upside down 'T'. He had bandages covering his forearms as well. His blue eyes locked onto Otomaya's, who tsked.

"You think everything is good, don't you, Murisi?" she said, leaning against a tree, crossing her arms. The lanky, blue-haired young man simply laughed it off.

"I think it's interesting that there's actually a village like it. I always thought the Wind Country would be suiting for it." Murisi said, smirking. Otomaya rolled her eyes.

The other male kept his eyes focused ahead of him, periodically looking down at Muzu, who simply waited as she was told. He wore a blue pair of pants with bandages wrapped around his abdomen. He wore traditional sandals with small slots in them. His forehead protector was worn on his forehead, his black hair covering the familiar symbol of Konoha.

Muzu's ear twitched, and Otomaya straightened up, beginning to relax. Murisi took a deep breath, and the silent, dark-haired shinobi tensed his muscles.

"Shumiro, are you ready?" Muzu began to walk forward. The dark-haired jounin nodded, forming hand seals. The forests surroundings disappeared, and the four jounin caught an early look at the genin, who most likely had their jounin with them. Murisi snorted a bit, and Otomaya squinted, trying to make out the features of the genin that were paying a visit.

"What are these genin so special for?" she asked. "Other teams usually come without us having to hold their hands until they get here."

Four people came into view, and Shumiro broke his hand seals. The first was a wide-eyed young boy with a blue shirt and brown shorts with blue bands on his arms and legs. His forehead protector was under his right knee. He looked at the four strangers, then spit on the ground.

"I guess this is the welcoming crew," he said, brushing his brown hair back. Another genin appeared, this one holding a normal stick, which was as tall as she was. She had short grey hair and wore a white shirt and a green skirt. On each side of her shirt, there were holsters with slightly larger kunai there.

"We must be special, what with the jounin coming to meet us," said an older man. He had a sky blue vest and wore black pants with scrolls on them. The protector was on his bicep. He had grey eyes and blonde hair accompanying his solid build. He looked down at two of his companions, then looked up - and around.

"Tsumujikaze, always somewhere where he shouldn't be..." he said. The four Konoha jounin looked around as well. The wide-eyed boy laughed a bit.

"For jounin, you guys sure are slow." he said. "Tsumu, quit playing and wait until the exam."

A boy with a blue scarf and spiky auburn hair appeared in front of them with a sneaky grin on his face. His green eyes lit up as he pointed at the four jounin. He wore a sleeveless navy blue shirt with an teal stripe running across it. His pants were navy blue as well. His wrists and fingers had bandages covering them.

"I really thought you guys were some of the best Konoha had to offer," he said, then formed a hand seal.

The four jounin were suddenly thrown back by some unseen force. Muzu looked down to see that he'd placed a sort of seal on them. Within a moment though, the four jounin caught themselves.

"That's better," he said, placing his hands in pockets. "Maybe there is a challenge in this pathetic village ."

Muzu threw the seal to the ground in disgust, then took a moment to compose herself.

"The Hokage will see you," she said.

This Tsumujikaze. Not one of us was even close to discenring him. We saw four, didn't we? When did he even move?

As Muzu and the rest of the shinobi made their way to the waiting village, she wondered just how prepared the genin of the Leaf would be.