Chapter 24

Preparations

Well, I had intended for this to be the final chapter of the Chuunin Exam arc, but the content I put here ended up being a lot longer than I originally planned. I went back and forth on whether or not I should split it and eventually decided that I would. This basically sets up what the Ran family is doing during this ordeal. I didn't want to rush too much and it didn't feel right to transition from this to a bunch of action in the same chapter.

Sorry this is late! I hope it's not too draggy. I needed to plant some seeds in this chapter for growth later.

Thank you to everyone who continues to read this. I appreciate any and all reviews, favorites, and follows.

The toad that Naruto summoned had taken him to the hospital and dropped him off for care. Late that night, Arashi crept into the room where he was kept and checked him over. He was exhausted, but well. She was unsure if she had ever seen him sleep as deeply, but she doubted he had ever worked quite as hard before. It was hard for her to hide how scared she was for him while she watched with her teammates earlier that day. They did not have the connection to him that she did.

As if to prove to herself that he was okay, she brushed his bangs out of his face and wiped a smudge of dirt from his cheek. He might not have been able to cling to the toad's head until the sun was down, but she believed he had proven his point. From the toad's attitude, his act of taking Naruto to a place where he could be cared for instead of leaving him prone in the middle of nowhere meant a lot. She rankled at the thought of Jiraiya's approach to get Naruto to tap into the Kyuubi's chakra, but she swallowed it down. When had anyone chosen the kinder path for Naruto?

The kunoichi pulled the blanket up to cover his chest and tucked him in. He had one day to rest before the final round. She hoped he would relax and get into a good headspace for it. More than anything, he was a determined overcomer. She wished she could find the words to tell him how much she admired that in him.

To keep from disturbing him, she closed the curtains to block out the light flooding in from the window and then slipped out to return home. She missed her bed and the idea of resting at home without worrying what Jiraiya was up to was appealing.

Arashi began noticing them in small numbers.

It was expected of the other lands to send spies to mingle and blend in with the civilians. All Konoha had to do was stay on their toes and continue safeguarding their secrets. Civilians rarely had information that could be considered useful that a spy could not observe on their own. It allowed them to keep that risk under control. Additional ANBU were assigned to watch over important documents, schedules were strict, and everyone above a Genin knew to be observant. Because of this, she did not pay much mind to the shinobi she would detect that did not belong in her village. She made a quick note that she needed to report them over to her Sensei or someone in ANBU to look into it.

What concerned her were the people with signatures from different lands that seemed to be arriving and clustering together. Each village had its own combination of diet, herbs, and training for their shinobi, just as the people of each land tended to share similar diets. While civilians rarely stood out, it had an effect on the shinobi's signatures. Early on, Arashi was able to differentiate between shinobi from the five major lands and then later began recognizing shinobi from the smaller lands in between. It was a subtle thing to notice, but it was there. If she could not determine where a person was from, that meant that they either did not have access to the same sustenance or they traveled around and spent time in different lands enough that their signature became muddy. While this had shown itself to be consistent to her, there were exceptions. Some people retained a clear indication of where they were from, even though they traveled extensively. Some of the people that caught her attention were harder for her to pinpoint, which suggested they had traveled around a lot or had been spending time in a different land long enough that it was having an effect on their signature.

While her first assumption might have been that it was a coincidence, she quickly dismissed that notion. The more she paid attention as she traveled to and from the village, the more she noticed. She doubted each of the other lands were conspiring against Konoha. If that was the case, there would have been more of an indication that war was coming. This led to her next assumption: they had an inordinate amount of Sound shinobi existing among their civilians under the guise of being natives who came to watch the final round of the Chuunin exam.

From what she had gathered from interactions with Akio, she had a hunch that he felt that Orochimaru was deeply involved with the Sound village. Judging from the manner that he flaunted his connection to the Sound Genin that were in the exam, she sided with her friend. She was unsure if this could be considered an invasion since their numbers were not high enough to pose a legitimate threat to the village's shinobi forces, but they would be cable of carrying out operations that could be devastating to Konoha. Orochimaru had been adamant about the exam continuing. That implied that something in his plans needed it or would, at the very least, profit from it. As established before, it did force them into a more passive state.

Tomorrow is the final round. Arashi mused from within her room. Does Orochimaru plan to conspire with the Sound to humiliate or weaken us in front of the other Lands? That would seriously threaten the peace we've lived in. Why wouldn't they try to pounce on us if we looked vulnerable?

Anxiously, she wrote a quick report of what she had observed, using it to gather and organize her thoughts on the subject. Once she was confident that she had built a case that was worth bringing up, she gathered her things and left. She wanted to run her concerns by Hiruzen. Since Orochimaru had been sighted, she knew everyone was on guard and planning for the worst.

The Third Hokage managed to find the time to sometimes walk the streets or visit the children at the Academy. Many days, he enjoyed taking the time to hand out missions to people when he was not busy with other affairs. It was charming as a Genin to receive an assignment from the Hokage, even if it was something as trivial as pulling weeds or walking dogs. It also served to ingrain a deeper sense of loyalty from a young age. It did not take her long to sense him out. She found him walking. Instead of making a scene, she fell into step with him. He smiled at her and continued walking.

"It's a beautiful day, isn't it?"

It was. The temperature was a perfect warm with a refreshing breeze. A few clouds floated in the sky. "Very." While she felt that her suspicions were well-founded, she knew there was little they would be able to do about it until after the final round – which was scheduled for the next day. "I don't mean to interrupt your walk."

"No worries. I was about to make my way back to my office. Would you like to come along?"

She nodded. "That would be nice."

There was a seed in the back of her mind that was trying to take root: as important as Naruto was, would her abilities have served better within the village to monitor Orochimaru? What good would her information serve now when there was very little time left for them to have their hands tied by circumstance? Why had she not taken the time to pay more attention? Her Sensei taught her better than that.

Picking up on her soured mood, Hiruzen sighed. "I like to walk through the village and see the people. Especially when the stakes feel high and the burden of leading feels heavy. It's for our people that we have to press on and face each challenge."

"Yes, Sandaime-sama." She forced herself to smile as a wave of guilt hit her. He was trying to enjoy his day while waiting to see when his student would make a move. "Sometimes I feel like I stay too preoccupied and while I never forget, it seems distant. There's always some new pressing issue or interest."

"I've found that's life." He chuckled.

She snorted. "Fair enough."

"We have something wonderful in this village. The Will of Fire is strong, but it must continue to be nurtured. From the time you were young, I've seen it clearly in you. Through doubts and heartache, even if it dwindles to nothing but a few scant embers, it can reignite in an instant. It helps to take some time to re-orient and focus on what really matters."

She grinned. "Thank you, Sandaime-sama."

Hiruzen had a tendency to lecture or rant when he got on a tangent. She never minded. There had been more than one occasion where he found her at a low point and chose to take the time to talk to her. The time and conscious effort that he put into checking on her meant more to the kunoichi than she had words for. As a shinobi she had access to him that a civilian would not. Even with that, she recognized that there was more to it than coincidence. The memory of him lamenting his age and how capable of a student she would have made for him flitted through her mind as they completed his walk and returned to his office.

He settled into his chair and eyed her. "Now that we've had a moment of respite, what information do you have for me?"

"Right," She collected her thoughts before she continued. "The Sound village is working with Orochimaru. I think that's already been theorized, but I can tell you now that their numbers are surging in our village. I believe they've been disguising themselves as civilians and are lying in wait. I wrote a report with my observations." She held it out to him, and he accepted it. "I've been busy observing Naruto-kun as he trains with Jiraiya-san. It has kept me mostly out of the village, except for some brief trips back. Since Naruto-kun is back in the village, resting for his match, I've been here, too. I would say they're preparing to carry out an operation. With the timing, I would estimate it will happen tomorrow when we have the most eyes on us."

"Do you believe it's an invasion?" He asked, his eyes not leaving the report.

"I don't know. I wouldn't think their numbers are high enough for that."

The aged man shook his head. "They wouldn't need to be."

She wet her lips. "What do you mean?"

"Orochimaru is a very dangerous shinobi. He would be able to wreak havoc on a small village alone. It would be safe to assume that he has that village wrapped around his finger or has intimidated them into submission to do his bidding."

"I see." She took a deep breath. "What do we do?"

"What we've been doing." He replied. "Prepare while we wait for him to make his move."

Arashi went straight to the hospital and found her father.

Ookami did not object as she herded him into his office and then closed the door. In hushed whispers, she explained the situation they were in. Within an hour, Ookami had organized a staff meeting and they were going over their hazard procedures. Everything was to be stocked, each person on the team had a role and he was determined to make sure they knew it well. Arashi was by his side, assisting with the process. She assumed that whatever Orochimaru was doing would be a high-level operation meant to make their village look weak, which would not be directly targeting civilians or low ranked shinobi, but they needed to be ready for the worst.

If there was a full-scale attack now or in the future as a result of whatever the Sannin's ploy is, their system would be strained by the influx of people needing treatment. The situation would become worse if the hospital itself was targeted. In that situation, they would need to gather their patients and evacuate to a safe location where they could regroup and continue their work. This protocol was covered in their training drills. Each nurse and Iryo did as they were told and took their drills seriously. Arashi assumed that word of Orochimaru being in the village had spread to most Shinobi and they were aware of the fall out that could occur.

As Hiruzen had told her, Orochimaru was powerful and had enough followers that he could topple a small village. It was hard for her to comprehend one person having that kind of power, but her memories of their encounter kept her doubt in check. This man was different. It was with this in mind that they worked tirelessly that day to prepare, with the intention to return the next day ready for whatever might come their way.

It pained Arashi that she would miss Naruto's match against Neji, but she was first and foremost a medical shinobi of the Land of Fire. Kakashi would be there to watch after his students. She needed to be with the medical corps, ready to spring into action.

By the time Arashi and Ookami made it home that night, they were exhausted. She showered, organized her scrolls, and fell into bed. Her nerves were on end. She had been extending her senses out through the village to get a better idea of what they would be dealing with. Orochimaru was present but his movements were not drastic. It was likely that he was still working through some of his servants, but there was a measure of relief that he was not making a move quite yet.

Morning came faster than she wanted it to. She had spent the night tossing and turning, unable to find any peaceful rest. Eying her clock balefully, she was sitting on the edge of her bed well before the alarm was set to go off. There was no point in trying to get a few more minutes of sleep, so she dressed and went to the kitchen. It was not common for her to be the first one down, but she knew it would not be long before her mother joined her. Needing something to keep her hands busy, she began preparing things for breakfast.

The next person to enter the kitchen was Ookami. The same sense of anticipation that kept her awake through the night followed him into the room. She glanced over at him and saw that he was, as always, calm and unruffled. He smiled at her look and began helping her with her task. His presence brought her a grain of peace that she needed.

As Arashi predicted, it did not take long for Naomi to join them. When she normally would have made a catty comment about them finally getting up to help with breakfast, she only thanked them quietly before taking over. She shooed her husband to his chair at the table and gave Arashi some directions for something else to work on. Since Naomi was not a shinobi, she did not stick out as much with her signature. Regardless, the kunoichi knew it well enough. There was fear. It reminded her of a rabbit hiding from a predator, its heart hammering against its ribs. There were shadows under her eyes. Arashi assumed that Ookami had spoken with her the night before.

The last person to join them was Kazika. He shuffled into the room with a yawn, rubbing sleep from his eyes. He picked a spot across from Ookami to sit at the table. "Morning."

"Good morning, sweetheart." Naomi greeted him.

Ookami smiled at his son. "How have your classes been?"

"You see my grades." The boy replied in a noncommittal manner. A moment passed without the man's response. Kazika eyed his father. "…right?"

"Of course, I do!" Ookami insisted. Arashi doubted it. The boy's grades were average. "I'd rather hear about how you're feeling about your classes.

"I mean, they're alright. I've been doing really good with kenjutsu and I've been working on trying to control my chakra a lot better. They didn't really show me much of that, though." He replied.

"They show you the basics and get you used to certain strategies through mock exercises." Ookami shrugged. "Anything else has to come from instruction or training outside of their classes. Having a strong foundation is really important and instrumental to developing better skills later. Keep at it."

Kazika sucked on his cheek for a moment. "I was wondering if I could watch the tournament today."

Arashi swallowed over a lump in her throat. They did not trust Kazika enough to tell him that there was something brewing, and they needed him to stay with his classmates for safety. He was young and might tell other students. That would cause more panic than was necessary. The instructors had protocols for keeping them together and protecting them on the way to a safe spot. He was still a child. It was hard for them to look past that. He was not yet a shinobi and had lived a sheltered life.

Naomi jumped in. "But you have class!"

The boy pouted. "Yeah, but I've been doing good, and I haven't missed a day in a long time!"

"Well, if you want a day off, why don't you come work with me in the salon today?" The woman suggested.

"I'd rather not," was Kazika's sour response.

Naomi pursed her lips and stared the boy down.

Ookami intervened. "Look, we don't want you too close to that stuff, just in case there's an accident or things get out of hand. Once you're a Genin, you can choose to watch it if it's in our village and you're not busy with any missions. For now, focus on your studies and stay somewhere safe."

His pout deepened. "You let me watch Arashi's match."

"Because we were there." Ookami explained. "And when you take your exam, we'll do our best to attend if we're able."

The boy huffed. There was a rebellious current in his signature that made Arashi nervous. Trying to smooth things over, she suggested, "Why don't we all plant to do something together soon? It's been a long time since we've had a family outing."

"That's a good idea!" Ookami agreed.

"I'll start planning!" Naomi pitched in.

Kazika eyed them all, suspiciously. "…sure."

"Now that we have that cleared up, Arashi, would you be able to help your mother with opening the salon this morning before you show up to help me? I believe she has some products in her storeroom that need re-organized and moved. We checked over everything she has in storage here last night and I was able to find that key we lost for the door." Ookami regarded his wife. "You needed to re-count those, right? Arashi can help you with locking everything up at the salon before she leaves, too."

"Yes, if it's not too much trouble." She affirmed. "We have a lot to do today, so I'll need you to come back to the salon after your classes, Kazika."

The boy's lips thinned into a line. "I wanted to keep training."

"I'll help you train tomorrow." Arashi interjected. "It's been a while since it was just you and me, you know?"

"Fine." He sighed. His tone was skeptical.

They all finished eating and then cleared out. Instead of going directly to the hospital, Arashi walked with her mother to the salon where she helped her with the opening routine. Leaving her mother to take care of her first client who was due to show up soon, she went to the storeroom. The counts were already accurate, and everything was already organized. There was only one reason why she was there.

Under one of the boxes was a rug that covered a hatch leading down into the basement. They had something similar at home. Within that room was food, water, medical supplies, and weapons. Konoha had safe places for its civilians, but it was a concern of both Ookami and Naomi that they needed somewhere safe to hunker down that was closer to home and her business if something horrible happened again. The Kyuubi's escape had given them more than enough encouragement to take those steps.

Arashi moved the boxes and made sure that her mother would have a clear path to the hatch. To be sure, she opened it and descended down a ladder into the room. It was pitch dark, except for the dim light that flooded in from the storeroom above. The smell was an overpowering staleness that spoke of how infrequently this space was visited. Unperturbed, the kunoichi felt the walls until she found the light switch and turned it on. The lights flickered on. Now that she could see, she went about checking to make sure the rations were still good and there was fuel for the oil lamps positioned around the room. It was partitioned into two separate areas – the main area that had their supplies, as well as four cots, and the secondary area that served as a crude bathroom. It was entirely underground with no windows. There was one alternative exit that connected to the main sewage system of the village, but Naomi had declared that she would rather die than use that as a fallback route. The door leading to the sewer was small, sturdy, and locked.

The final piece that made this room more secure was not as clear to an untrained eye. It was an addition that she had worked on as a side project a couple of years prior when she was trying to improve her knowledge and execution of barriers for small scale uses. All around the room, she had etched in the groundwork for a small but powerful one. It was designed to remain dormant until disturbed or triggered by a seal located on both the main entrance and the emergency exit. The seal was simple in that all it needed was a spark of chakra from the inside to activate it. From there, it would reinforce the door until a second spark of chakra was used to set it back into an inactive state.

That was fine for Arashi, her father, and Kazika. They had no issues with using their chakra. The issue was that Naomi would need to be able to use it in their absence. That had already been considered when she was setting it up. Before she left, she pulled out a sheet of paper and created a 'key' for her to use. It was another simple seal that would trigger when it came into contact with either of the doors. In the case that something tried to breach the barrier and enter the basement through force, it would kick off the master key that she kept tucked away on her person, alerting her of what was happening. This was, of course, what Ookami had meant by locking everything up.

When she was done, she ascended the ladder, closed the hatch, and found her mother finishing up with her first client. Arashi politely greeted the woman and waited until she was outside to hand the paper over to her mother. "Here's those counts you needed."

Naomi's expression became somber. "I want you to be very careful."

"I will." Arashi assured her. "Just be sure that you take care of yourself, too."

They hugged and then parted.

By the time Arashi arrived at the hospital, Ookami was immersed in going back over the preparations they had worked on the day before. Everyone was prepared and there was purpose in her father's step as he made his rounds that she had seldom seen. She fell in with him, but there was something nagging at her that kept her from feeling confident.

Anxiously, Arashi pushed her senses out and swept through the village to check for anything out of place. There were enemy shinobi, yes, but one person in particular caught her attention.

Kazika.

He was not at the Academy. He was nowhere near his classmates or instructors. He was walking through the village, on his way to the tournament. He would be late to it and able to conceal himself in the crowd.

Kami! Why did he choose today to be such a brat!

Then, she felt it. A rush of chakra, a pop in her ears, and the crashing rumble of something breaking through the wall on its way into the village. Terror shot through her veins like ice.

Arashi ran. She needed to get her brother to safety.

And that's it for this. The next chapter will be out soon-ish. I know that I keep wanting to post on Sunday each week, but something seems to always come up. Life is, unfortunately, pretty busy.

Moktopus: I'm actually kinda glad that you haven't picked up on any of the hints. When it gets established later, those things should become a lot more obvious.

After this arc and after Itachi makes his visit, Kakashi and Arashi content will become more of a focus. I kinda feel guilty that there's been so little up to this point since he's the main romance focus now. At this point, Arashi is tiptoeing around him in an attempt to get to know him while not offending him or driving him away. The tiptoeing will end and peeling back Kakashi's layers and digging through his walls will begin.

I've admittedly enjoyed the little bit of Jiraiya and Arashi interaction I've written. Haha