A/N: Chapter 33 has arrived!
I don't own Naruto.
Chapter XXXIII: Unexpected Friendships
"So, what'd ya mean by 'jinchūriki stuff' anyhow?" Fū wondered as she sat on the couch next to Sakura. The two young men sat across from them on some pillows on the floor.
Naruto opened his mouth to answer, but found himself at a loss for words. "I, uh, well, y'know." He scratched his cheek pensively before a lightbulb went off. "Oh! I remember now! I wanted to ask you about how you and Chōmei became friends. And like, if you've ever used his chakra or if you have any unique abilities. Stuff like that."
Fū planted a finger on her chin as she tilted her head and hummed. "Well, now that you mention it, I do have some things that are different from regular shinobi."
"Like what?" Sasuke asked.
"I can fly!"
"You…can fly?" Naruto repeated as his mouth hung open.
The mint haired girl nodded furiously as everyone stared at her. When her hair stopped dancing, she wore an ear-to-ear smile. "Chōmei helps me grow wings like a beetle on my back."
Naruto could only blink incredulously beneath his sunglasses. "Can you show us?"
"Naruto!" Sakura admonished.
"It's okay! My top is the way it is so that I can call them up pretty much whenever I need them," Fū explained as she stood up. She turned around and focused chakra into her back.
Without warning, a pair of insect-like wings sprouted from the small of her back, each nearly four feet long. The leading edge of them was mint green—the same color as her hair. The trailing edge and the rest of the wings were gossamer thin and orange, just like her eyes.
"You weren't kidding," Sasuke thought aloud.
"You can actually fly with these?" Sakura asked as she marveled at them.
"Yup! I would show you, but we're inside and I don't wanna make a mess," Fū explained.
Naruto could only stare dumbly at them. He'd seen many strange things in his life, but this was nothing short of one of the stranger things he'd seen. He finally found his voice after a moment of what could be misinterpreted as ogling.
"So, wait, those are thanks to Chōmei?"
The wings retracted and disappeared as the mint haired kunoichi turned on a heel to face the blond, nodding with a satisfied smile on her face. "Yup! Pretty neat, huh? Does the Nine-Tails give you anything like that?" She planted herself next to Sakura once more.
Naruto shrugged. "I mean, not really. Most that I can think of is my injuries healing really quickly. Other than that, his chakra leaks out when I get angry. That's only happened a few times, but it's…not…exactly a good thing when that happens."
Fū cocked her head, her orange eyes full of innocent curiosity. "What do you mean by that?"
"Before I answer that, lemme ask you: have you ever used Chōmei's chakra before?"
The Taki kunoichi averted her gaze, combing through her memories. "Well, aside from the times I use my wings, yeah, a couple of times."
"Do you remember how it felt?"
Fū's face twisted into a pensive expression. "I don't really remember. Last time I did, I was in trouble. So, I guess I felt…stronger? I guess? Actually, now that I think about it, I've done this thing where I transform into him like…once."
Naruto stared at the girl, his eyes wide beneath his sunglasses. "You can transform into your Tailed Beast?"
"That's right. But, I haven't had to lately. Can you not?"
The blond shook his head, a small frown on his face.
"Oh. I see. Well, where're ya goin' with this, anyway?" A small frown darkened Fū's normally radiant face.
"The last few times I used the Nine-Tails' chakra, my anger almost got the best of me."
The mint haired girl's expression softened immediately, along with her voice. "You mean…"
"The most recent time was the worst. I almost completely lost control."
Naruto's words hung in the thickened air. Sakura and Sasuke knew all too well what it meant when the corrosive chakra of the Nine-Tails made an appearance. The memory of feeling the unbridled rage behind it during Naruto's fight with Pain was one that wouldn't be easily forgotten, either.
"What're you gonna do, then?" Fū prompted.
The blond heaved a sigh through his nose. "Well, I sort of tried talking to him."
"Oh good! Did you two become friends?"
"Not exactly." Naruto crossed his arms. "That fox isn't the nicest guy, honestly. Even this last time, when I tried to offer a chance to make things easier for us, he was kind of a jerk. Seriously, I dunno what his deal is, but he seems determined to be a jerk just because."
"Well, what'd you tell him, anyways?"
Sasuke and Sakura perked up, eager to hear the details of the conversation between the blond and his tenant.
Naruto stuck his bottom lip out, scratching his cheek. "Well, the thing is that I've been kind of running away from and ignoring the fact I'm a jinchūriki for a while now. After doing some thinking, I decided that I need to, well, stop ignoring it. If I'm gonna keep my promise to protect everyone precious to me, I need to be at my strongest, and that means being able to use the Nine-Tails' chakra, or at least getting a better handle on it."
Fū hummed, resting her chin atop her knuckles. "That didn't convince him? I would think that he'd be reasonable, at least."
"You'd think. He was a little reluctant to agree in the first place, actually. But I gave him my word, and I never go back on my word."
"What did you tell him?" Sasuke asked.
The blond turned to his roommate. "I told him I'd protect the rest of the jinchūriki and protect everyone close to me."
Fū's jaw dropped as her breath hitched. "You…want to protect me?"
"You're a jinchūriki, right?"
The mint haired girl nodded, albeit a bit meekly.
"Then you'd better believe that I'm gonna give my all to make sure nothing happens to you, especially while the Akatsuki are still hunting us."
A moment of silence passed before Fū spoke up again. "When I was in that hospital room, you said the people who were after me were 'taken care of.' They were the Akatsuki, weren't they?"
Naruto and Sasuke nodded.
"Were…you the one who 'took care of them'?"
"Not just me. My friends helped me."
Fū blinked in astonishment, trying to sort through the mélange of questions she had. She could only voice the one. "But…why help me? You didn't even know me. Nobody else besides Shibuki ever wanted to help me."
Naruto let a small smile grace his features. "I told you before: you're like me. You and I share the same burden. I made a promise to protect the rest of the jinchūriki, and I intend to keep that promise. Besides, you asked me to be your friend once you woke up, and I don't let anyone mess with my friends and get away with it."
"I can attest to that," Sasuke added. "The last time someone messed with one of our friends, Naruto pretty much went berserk."
Sakura brought a finger to her chin. "Come to think of it, all the times Naruto's gotten angry have been because of someone messing with his friends. For as long as I've known him, he's done everything for his friends and the people he cares about." The pink haired kunoichi's heart nearly skipped a beat as she remembered just how selfless her blond teammate could be. It was one of the things about him that she'd grown to greatly admire.
Naruto couldn't help but blush at the praise, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck while letting out an awkward chuckle. "Thanks, guys. That means a lot coming from you." He turned his attention back to Fū. "I never go back on my word. That's my ninja way."
The Seven-Tails' jinchūriki could only stare at the blond in awe. She averted her gaze for a moment, focusing on nothing in particular before returning her attention to the blond. "Chōmei says he has a good feeling about you. He also said that you've earned his respect."
Naruto blinked beneath his sunglasses. He opened his mouth, but the words didn't come right away. "I…thank you."
"What's with the sunglasses, anyways? We're indoors, you know," Fū pointed out, her demeanor instantly returning back to its usual bright and bubbly state.
"Oh, these are just kinda part of my style. I can see fine with them indoors, so yeah," Naruto responded coolly.
The mint haired girl hummed. "Still. Something's…different about you, and it isn't just that you're a jinchūriki. It's been bugging me and Chōmei since we met you, actually."
Naruto winced internally, cursing the sensory abilities of his new friend. He shot Sakura a glance, who only shrugged. He turned to Sasuke, who simply regarded him with a look that told the blond everything he needed to know.
"If I tell you, you have to promise me you won't tell anyone for any reason at all. Consider this your first promise to me as your friend," Naruto declared with a small sigh.
Fū gave a curt nod of understanding before presenting her right pinky finger to her blond friend. "I pinky promise."
A smile crossed Naruto's face as he locked their pinkies together. He took a deep breath to steady himself. "You're right about there being something different, and it does have to do with my sunglasses."
The mint haired girl watched intently as Naruto removed his sunglasses, opening his purple eyes and meeting her enrapt orange gaze. Her jaw dropped slightly as she beheld the sight before her.
"What's with your eyes? I've never seen anything like that before. Is that from the Nine-Tails?"
"Nope. They're a dōjutsu. They're called the Rinnegan."
"A dōjutsu? I don't think I've ever seen anyone with a dōjutsu before."
"Whiskers isn't the only one in our team that has a dōjutsu, though," Sasuke remarked, activating his own dōjutsu.
"Wow, I would've never guessed you had a dōjutsu," Fū cooed.
"Mine is called the Sharingan. Unlike the Rinnegan, I have to activate it. The Rinnegan is, well, different in a few ways. The main one is that the Rinnegan is pretty much always active, hence why his eyes are purple with those concentric rings."
Fū scratched her head, which was cocked to one side. "What does a dōjutsu do, anyways?"
"My Sharingan gives me enhanced perception—like letting me see things as though they were in slow motion, but also chakra signatures. It also lets me use other abilities, like Amaterasu. I'm not much of a genjutsu user, but I can cast genjutsu easier than one normally could without the Sharingan."
"My Rinnegan is different than his Sharingan," Naruto added. "It gives me some enhanced perception and lets me see chakra, too, but as far as the abilities go…"
Fū wore an expectant look on her face, waiting for Naruto to continue. "What about them?"
"Let's just say they're strong. Stronger than I anticipated. I've had to use them a few times, but I've only ever used the crazier ones like…maybe twice."
"What do you mean by 'crazier ones,' exactly?" The Taki kunoichi formed air quotes.
The blond fidgeted slightly. "Well. I can, uh…create blades that come out of my hands."
Silence settled over the group. Fū stared at the blond jinchūriki incredulously. "As in…they just, what, appear?"
Naruto opened his mouth to speak, but snapped it shut as he scratched his cheek. "It'd probably be easier if I showed you." With that, Naruto made a fist and extended his aptly named knuckle scythes.
Fū's eyes grew impossibly wide as she gasped, staring at the blades. "Those…just came out of your hand."
Naruto simply nodded as he rotated his hand, showing Fū that the blades were actually coming from his knuckles. "Yup, they did." He flexed his fingers. "This is one of the abilities the Rinnegan gives me. It's called Shuradō, and it pretty much lets me create weapons and stuff. It's probably one of the weirdest abilities, honestly." With that, the blades retracted back into his hand, leaving no sign that they were ever there.
"That's really cool and really freaky," Fū pointed out.
The blond nodded furiously. "I know, right?! That's what I said when I was first told about this! The craziest thing is I can grow extra arms and faces," he agreed, gagging at the mention of the extra limbs.
Fū's face merely contorted into a confused yet slightly disgusted expression. "So you basically turn into a human insect. That's…kinda gross but also kinda cool, I guess?" She took a moment to process the information before another question popped into her head. "Wait, so is that why you wear your sunglasses all the time?"
"Pretty much, yeah." He took a breath, considering his next words. The gravity of him possessing the Rinnegan could be lost on the mint haired girl, but he's trusted her up until now, so he figured he might as well explain. Naruto's demeanor shifted to a more serious one. "These eyes aren't just your ordinary dōjutsu. There isn't a whole clan of people with these like the Hyūga with their Byakugan or the Uchiha with the Sharingan.
"They're…rare, I guess you could say. I was told that they have the power to do either a lot of harm or a lot of good, depending on who uses them and how. As far as I know, only two other people have had the Rinnegan." Naruto paused; his intense purple gaze focused on an enrapt Fū. "I'm gonna do everything I can to help people; my friends, my village, and the other jinchūriki that are still around. That's a promise."
Fū blinked, studying her fellow jinchūriki. "Man, I can tell you're really serious about that."
Naruto let out an awkward chuckle as she continued. "You know, I don't think I've ever met anyone like you," she said. "If those Akatsuki people are as serious a threat as you're saying, and you're willing to take them on, then you must be pretty strong. Your friends are lucky to have you, you know."
"Don't forget, you're my friend, too," Naruto reminded her.
The Taki kunoichi let a smile cross her face. "Yeah, I guess that makes me lucky to have you as a friend, too. Maybe I can come visit you even after the Chūnin Exams are over. That is, if Shibuki will let me."
"What do you mean by that?" Sakura asked.
Fū fidgeted slightly. "Shibuki's kinda weird about letting me outside the village. I had to do a lot, and I mean a lot of convincing to even take the exams."
"I'm sure he had a good reason. At least I hope he did," Sasuke said.
"Oh, he did. Thing is that he just worries about me. Once he took over as village head, he tried to make sure I was taken care of and protected. He just didn't want anything bad to happen to me," the mint haired girl explained.
Naruto hummed. "Kinda sounds like the way Old Man Third was with me, huh?"
"A little bit," Sasuke agreed.
"Who's 'Old Man Third'?" Fū wondered.
"The Third Hokage," Sakura answered. She pointed two fingers at her teammates. "Naruto's been calling him that for as long as I've known him. He even used to call him that to his face. Sasuke, at least, never called Lord Third 'old man' to his face."
"Well, he was old," Naruto pointed out, crossing his arms and pouting.
"Is he not around anymore?"
Sakura shook her head. "He died a few years back."
Fū's expression fell slightly. "Oh, I see."
"Have you met Granny yet?" Naruto asked, changing topics.
"Oh, come on, Naruto," Sakura groaned.
"What? You know she's old, Sakura," the blond retorted.
"Still! She's the Hokage!"
Fū cocked her head, an amused expression gracing her features. "Who's Granny?"
"The current Hokage, Lady Tsunade," Sasuke answered. He pointed his thumb at his roommate. "Whiskers here has called her 'Granny' since we first met her."
"No matter how many times I tell him to knock it off," Sakura growled, shaking a fist at her blond teammate. Naruto merely stuck his tongue out, drawing a giggle from Fū.
"I don't think I've met her yet. I remember that guy with long hair and then meeting you guys. Oh, and Miss Anko, too," the mint haired jinchūriki said.
Sakura hummed. "Well, my guess is you might meet her soon enough, since she'll probably wanna talk to you once the exams are either over or winding down."
"Why? Did I do something wrong?"
"Nah, she'll probably just wanna see if you're doing okay. She might have a bad temper and be old, but she's really nice," Naruto answered.
Fū brought a finger to her chin. "Oh, I see. That makes sense. That's awful nice of her to do that." She glanced at the clock, noting the time. "Well, I don't wanna be rude, but it's getting kinda late and I should probably head back to the inn. Thanks for today, I had a lot of fun."
Team 7 nodded in unison, each wearing a smile. The group rose and led their new friend to the door, chatting about nothing in particular as Fū replaced her white sandals. "Do you think we can do this again sometime?"
"Definitely!" Naruto exclaimed.
"Maybe we can have a girls' day out," Sakura suggested.
Ever the stoic, Sasuke simply nodded.
Fū flashed a face-splitting smile. "I'll see you all around, then!" With that, she set off back to the inn, her hidden ANBU escort in tow.
"I think I'd better head home, too," Sakura said, slipping her own sandals on. "I'll see you guys tomorrow, probably. Goodnight, you two."
"See ya tomorrow!"
"Have a good night."
Two days had come and gone since Team 7 met Fū for tea and conversation. Sakura was called in only once to assist with medical matters, while Sasuke and Naruto were busy with finalizing the mission report for the Hokage. As a result, they'd only had time to meet with Fū once more, though the reunion was no less pleasant.
Since they weren't summoned for the past few days, they had time to relax, much like they were doing at the present moment. They'd just finished their first meal of the day: eggs over rice with a bit of miso soup, courtesy of Sasuke. Naruto was tending to his plants while Sasuke was busy reading a novel. The only sounds in the apartment were Naruto's watering can, the faucet, and the occasional rustle of a page turning.
Naruto finished watering the still blooming orchid before he broke the comfortable silence. "You think Granny is gonna have anything for us today?"
"I know how much you don't like sitting still, but I would've thought your sage training would have done something for your patience," Sasuke replied, not looking up from his book.
"I'm just wondering," Naruto retorted as he watered his ferns. He paused as a thought occurred to him. "Wait a sec, isn't Gaara supposed to be coming?"
"Pretty sure. The third round is soon."
"When?"
Sasuke paused his reading, looking up and to the right. "Uh. I think…either tomorrow or the day after? Sometime in the next few days," he finished with a shrug.
"Well I hope she summons me when he shows up. I haven't seen him in a while."
"I'm sure she will. She knows how much you value him, after all."
"I just haven't seen the guy since all that stuff with the Akatsuki," Naruto explained as he pruned one of his ferns.
Sasuke hummed in response, his attention mostly focused on his book. Naruto was hyper-focused on making sure the ferns were trimmed enough to control their growth while staying healthy. He'd toyed with the idea of planting some vegetables, but since they didn't exactly have the real estate for a greenhouse or anything of the like, he opted to keep houseplants instead.
Their relaxation was interrupted by a loud knock at the door. Sasuke closed his book and went to answer while Naruto retrieved his sunglasses. As expected, Sasuke was greeted by an ANBU agent, this one wearing what looked to be a dog mask.
"Sasuke Uchiha: your presence as well as Naruto Uzumaki's is requested by the Hokage," the man recited.
Sasuke gave a single nod before the ANBU flickered away. Naruto reemerged just as Sasuke shut the apartment door.
"Was it ANBU?" Naruto asked.
"Yup. Lady Tsunade wants us at the tower."
"Oh, okay. I'm gonna go change, in that case."
Sasuke merely nodded as the two donned their ninja gear before heading for the Hokage Tower.
"Oh, there you two are! Come on, Lady Tsunade is expecting you," Shizune chirped as she ushered Naruto and Sasuke into the Hokage Office.
The two were met by familiar faces: Tsunade, Sakura, Fū, Konan, and someone they hadn't seen in a long while.
Naruto broke into a face-splitting smile. "Gaara!" Sasuke nudged his roommate to remind him of how to properly address the Kazekage. The blond cleared his throat. "Lord Kazekage." He even bowed for good measure.
"No need for such formalities, Naruto, you're among friends here," Gaara said. Naruto straightened; a smile worked its way onto his face as Gaara spoke. "It's good to see you, my friend." The kage turned to the Uchiha heir. "Good to see you, as well, Sasuke."
"Likewise, Gaara," Sasuke responded, giving a single nod.
"How was your trip here?" Naruto prompted.
"Pleasantly uneventful. Kankurō stayed in Suna to keep an eye on things, since Temari joined me as ambassador." He turned to Tsunade as he continued. "I received a message while on my way here that informed me of some 'special circumstances' that awaited me. The Hokage already briefed me, but I'd like to hear your side of things, Naruto. If you don't mind, of course."
Naruto hummed as he brought a hand to his chin. "Well, I'm sure Granny already told you, but the Akatsuki showed up. Again. This time they were after the Seven-Tails' jinchūriki. That girl right there—her name is Fū." He pointed his pinky at the mint haired girl. "We managed to take care of them with pretty much no collateral damage, so that's good."
Gaara hummed. "You certainly are full of pleasant surprises, my friend." The Kazekage turned to his fellow jinchūriki. "It's good that you're safe. How are you faring, if I may ask?"
"I'm okay. You're also Naruto's friend?"
"Indeed I am. Pardon my manners—I'm Gaara of the Desert. It's very nice to meet a fellow jinchūriki."
The girl flashed him a smile as she bowed. "I'm Fū. It's nice to meet you, too. I never thought I'd meet the Hokage and the Kazekage in one day."
"You can thank Naruto for that," Tsunade chimed in. "He has a tendency to bring people together."
"I don't mean to be rude, but I am curious about the information you wanted to share with me," Gaara said.
"Of course. As it currently stands, the Akatsuki appear to be diminishing in strength, and as a result posing less of a threat," Tsunade stated.
Gaara nodded. "How many members are left, if any?"
Konan stepped forward. "Two. They haven't reemerged for some time now."
"You're certain?"
"I'm sorry, Gaara, I forgot to introduce her," Tsunade apologized. She gestured towards the azure haired woman. "This is Konan. She's been our informant on the operations of the Akatsuki. She's the reason we knew about the impending attack on the Chūnin Exams."
The young Kazekage nodded as the woman in question bowed. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Lord Kazekage."
"The pleasure is mine. And please, there's no need for so much formality. Lord Gaara or simply Gaara is just as well," the stoic kage placated.
"As you wish, Lord Gaara. As the Hokage explained, I have been providing Konoha with information about the Akatsuki and their movements," Konan explained.
"As it currently stands, Naruto and his comrades have successfully neutralized a majority of the Akatsuki's manpower. Fū isn't the first jinchūriki he's rescued, actually," Tsunade stated.
Gaara turned to his blond friend. "Just what have you been up to, Naruto?"
The blond laced his fingers together behind his head, shrugging. "Just taking care of some bad guys, nothing new."
"Don't be so modest, my friend. I'm curious to know about the other jinchūriki you've assisted."
Sasuke shot a glance at the Hokage, who gave an approving nod before he spoke up. "We were sent to Kumo with actionable intel that the Akatsuki would be attacking and attempting to capture their jinchūriki."
"And you neutralized the threats. What of the jinchūriki?"
"They're fine. I even got to talk to them and ask them questions and stuff," Naruto answered.
Gaara simply nodded, knowing that his blond friend's curiosity was par for the course. Part of him was envious of the chance to meet others like him, despite the fact that his Tailed Beast had since been extracted. "Even after knowing you for a few years now, you still find a way to surprise me."
Naruto flashed his signature smile as he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Yeah, well, y'know, they don't call me 'The Number One Unpredictable Ninja' for nothin' I guess."
"You forgot the 'hyperactive, knuckleheaded,' and 'noisy' in your title, whiskers," Sasuke jabbed.
Said noisy ninja snorted and crossed his arms. "I'm not as loud as I used to be, y'know."
"Maybe not, but you're still a knucklehead," Sasuke pointed out, earning a giggle from Sakura.
The Hokage loudly cleared her throat. "Back to the matter at hand." She turned to the Kazekage. "Chūnin Exams aside, I wanted to inform you of these circumstances as part of our alliance. That, and I figured you'd want to see Naruto."
A ghost of a smile crossed Gaara's face. "I appreciate it greatly, Lady Hokage. I am curious about one thing, however."
"And what would that be?"
The redhead turned to his blond friend. "Why are you wearing sunglasses and why is your chakra different?"
Naruto froze, nearly breaking out in a cold sweat. He chuckled nervously as he rubbed the back of his neck. "I guess I couldn't hide it from you either, huh?"
Tsunade glanced between the two, shooting her pseudo-grandson a look that told him everything. Konan and the other two members of Team 7 tensed ever so slightly. Without a word, Naruto removed his sunglasses, revealing his dōjutsu to the Kazekage. Gaara stared at his friend, studying the unusual eyes that flitted nervously between himself and the floor. An awkward silence claimed the room, only serving to make Naruto fidget more.
"I don't think I've ever seen anything like that before," Gaara stated, finally breaking the silence. "I assume those are a dōjutsu."
Naruto nodded. "Yep. The Rinnegan."
That made Gaara's eyes widen. "The Rinnegan? How did you obtain the Rinnegan?"
"I gave them to him," Konan declared as she stepped forward.
Gaara turned, his expression nary conveying the confusion he felt.
The azure haired woman glanced at the Hokage and at Naruto, who each gave a small nod. She cleared her throat. "The dying wish of my closest friend was that I give Naruto his eyes. He wanted Naruto to use the Rinnegan to do what he couldn't do."
"I see. I suppose the details are for another time. Now that the Akatsuki's strength is waning, what is there to do?"
"I don't think it would be wise for us to let down our guard. We've established a relationship with Kumogakure, but there's still Iwa and Kiri to take into consideration. Mostly Iwa," Tsunade added. "I think we ought to keep an eye on Iwa. Ōnoki is no warmonger, but we can never be too careful."
Gaara hummed. "While I agree wholeheartedly, I think it would be in our best interests to focus on the Chūnin Exams until they're concluded. Keeping our defenses in check is all well and good, but we cannot sharpen our blades and not expect any retaliation."
Everyone present let out a hum, pondering the profoundness of the young Kazekage's words. Naruto scratched his cheek pensively. "Man, Gaara. Sometimes you say stuff that sounds like it could be on a scroll in a gift shop or something."
Sakura stifled a giggle, while Sasuke rolled his eyes. Tsunade let out an exasperated sigh, but even Konan couldn't help but smirk at Naruto's candor.
"I'm unsure if that was a compliment, but thank you. I think. At any rate, I have to ask: what is the likelihood of another attack on these exams?"
"Not likely, but it doesn't hurt to keep our guard up," Konan answered. "With Kakuzu and Hidan eliminated, it will likely force the remaining Akatsuki to retreat. However, there is still a chance that they could act in desperation and come here themselves to 'finish the job,' so to speak."
Naruto slapped a hand over his clenched fist. "If that happens, we'll take care of them."
"I have no doubt that you will," Tsunade interjected. "But remember, we still have the Chūnin Exams to attend to. And I'm sure you all don't want a repeat of what happened during your first exams."
"I think I can speak for everyone when I say that we agree with you, Lady Hokage," Gaara responded. "If I may offer my own thoughts; I completely agree that we should proceed as normal, if only bolstering security ever so slightly to keep things in check. That said, I have no doubt that neither Konoha nor Naruto will let us down should something happen."
Naruto flashed the Kazekage his signature foxy smile, while Sasuke and Sakura gave a firm nod of acknowledgment.
"Good, then we're in agreement. I'll inform Captain Yamato and the heads of security. As usual, Naruto and Sasuke will be on-call in case something comes up. However, I think you should at least attend the third round, if only to see how the genin are coming along. Anko tells me there was a good turnout of finalists despite the small number of villages participating."
The younger blond shrugged. "Sure, sounds good. Do you know if Konohamaru made it into the finals?"
Tsunade turned and plucked a sheet of paper off her desk, scanning it up and down. "Sarutobi, Sarutobi…maybe under Ebisu…ah, here they are. It does look like Team Ebisu will be in the final round."
"Sweet! Then we'll be there!" Naruto exclaimed, replacing his sunglasses.
"Looking forward to it. I know you'd probably like to catch up with Gaara, but he still needs to get situated. You're all dismissed."
With that, everyone except Konan left. Tsunade didn't notice at first, only turning when the azure haired woman cleared her throat to get the Hokage's attention.
"Did you need something, Konan?"
"Actually, yes. I wanted to ask you something, my lady."
"Is it an urgent matter?"
"Well, in a manner of speaking."
"Out with it, then. I have things to do."
Konan took a deep breath. "My probation is slated to end after the conclusion of the Chūnin Exams. I wanted to request that I be considered for permanent residence in Konohagakure." She finished with a bow.
The Hokage studied the younger woman, humming. "Very well, I'll see what I can do. Was that all?"
"Actually, no, my lady." Konan deepened her bow. "I would like to request to be considered for…" She swallowed the lump in her throat. Tsunade cocked an eyebrow. Konan took another deep breath, composing herself. "I humbly request to be considered for a position as a shinobi of Konohagakure."
A thick silence filled the air. Tsunade merely stared at the bowing woman, hardly able to believe what she'd just heard. The Hokage pursed her lips as she considered the request of the former Akatsuki member. Despite her previous affiliations and crimes against Konoha, Tsunade knew Konan was instrumental in both establishing good relations with Kumo and defending Konoha from another Akatsuki attack in the middle of the Chūnin Exams. Not to mention her help with training Naruto.
Tsunade let out a sigh, crossing her arms. "Rise," she ordered. Konan did as she was told, though her amber eyes didn't dare meet the intense honey gaze of the Hokage.
"As it currently stands, I can't give you a definitive answer," the buxom blonde began. Konan merely nodded before Tsunade raised a finger. "However. I have heard your request. Given everything that's come to pass thus far, I think I can at least take it into consideration. As I said, this isn't a yes or a no, but I'll see what I can do."
Konan threw herself into another deep bow. "Thank you, Lady Hokage. You have my undying gratitude."
"You're welcome. Now, I have things to do, so you may go."
"Has he kept quiet?"
"Yes. They haven't had a chance to interrogate him yet with the Chūnin Exams still happening. The Kazekage being here has further delayed it."
"Good. We must make sure he doesn't talk. Our future is on the line here."
"Understood."
"Keep an eye on him. Make sure you report anything before it happens."
"As you wish, my lord."
A/N: Gaara returns to Konoha, but under different circumstances. I absolutely love the idea of the jinchūriki meeting each other and getting acquainted/becoming friends. I'm pretty sure it's obvious, but still. I also think it makes sense that Konan would want to make a life for herself in Konoha, especially after all she's been through. Thanks so much for reading! Chapter 34 is in the works!
