Chapter 17: The Chunin Exams
Two Weeks Later
A new day's sun rose over the ocean. Dawn embraced ten ships; longboats had set out from one of the Land of Lightning's piers the previous day, sleek and light with white sails that curled in the wind. Today the tide was fair, gently rocking the hundred metre long ships like a baby's crib. That swaying to and fro might not have been a big issue for a few minutes or so, but after a full day of being out to sea the stomach of many a ninja was already spilled - broken along with their spirits.
Dawn had barely broken when Shoryu Aizawa burst out of two double doors of the upper deck and threw his head over the railings. The wind in his hair, the sun on his face, the prospect of a new adventure; it might have all been thrilling if he wasn't puking his guts out every other hour. He wasn't the only one either. At least five other teams of ninja were already up on deck to aid their seasick comrades.
What frightened him the most was the fact that there wasn't a single speck of land in any direction. Softly lapping waves, occasional jumping fish and nine other enormous, ugly longboats were the only features for as far as the eye could see. He liked visiting new places, but this wasn't a location, this was just a drab plane of water as far as Shoryu was concerned. Some ninja would voice their concerns and their teammates would comfort them.
"Get it all up Shoryu!"
Others did not.
"Oh that looks very unpleasant," Kazuya carried on. The samurai slapped his partner's back far harder than the norm, causing Shoryu to wretch up further and Kazuya's joyous smile to widen.
"Lay off it would you?" Shoryu slapped the boy's hand away and turned back around, satisfied now that he'd coughed up his breakfast. "I didn't sleep a wink last night."
Kazuya groaned and hoisted himself up onto the railing, staring out to sea. "You're telling me. I didn't get much either. This place is way too hot for my liking."
Ayako suddenly appeared at the doorway, her crimson red hair so reflective under the heavy sunlight that it became hard to look at without squinting. "You're both freaks. Shoryu's never been on a boat before, and Kazuya you literally grew up on a glacier, of course you'd think it's warm."
Shoryu's premature rise had forced all three of them to an early start. Seven in the morning wasn't the usual time they got up, but now that they'd eaten breakfast more and more hopeful Chunin began to stir. The three had thought themselves prepared for the exams before; once they saw the amount of other aspirers it was a different story.
Each of the ten ships housed two hundred people apiece, making close to two thousand Genin attending this exam from all over the world. People of all different ethnicities wearing symbols of villages Shoryu had never even heard of wandered the deck like they'd done this a thousand times; it was intimidating even for Kazuya.
Tensions were high with the imminent attacks on differing countries and fights had broken out already, but the proctors had officially stated that business would resume as usual whilst the summit conference was in progress – anyone caught scrapping would be disqualified before the exam even began.
"I really don't understand what's up with you two. This is so nice and warm I could live here," said Ayako.
"Warm yes, also stuffy, bland, packed, boring. . ." Shoryu counted the cons off his fingers. "This place is a nightmare."
"Wait, boring?" replied the girl, mortified.
"Yes boring! We can't even see the Island Turtle yet! Who knows how much longer we'll have to stay in this hellhole!"
"And what's so much more interesting about everywhere else we've visited?"
"We're not just sitting around in one place for one thing!"
"So walking makes a trip worthwhile?"
"Yes!"
"But this is like a paradise resort!"
To stop their debate and save himself the earache, Kazuya decided to join in once he heard an opening. "I think that's the point," he offered. Once he got the attention of his squad he elaborated, sharing his thoughts. "Look around. This journey is either hell for some people or heaven for others."
Shoryu and Ayako humoured the samurai and did as he said. He was right; those who weren't merrily soaking up the sun like Ayako were either seasick or complaining about the dreadful heat, food, rooms or other miscellaneous annoyances. Everyone either hated it or loved it; there was no in-between whatsoever.
"What's the importance of that?" quizzed Ayako. It was a nice observation, but one that had little relevance.
"It's to put us off guard," explained Kazuya. "People are too busy relaxing or moaning to be ready for an attack. Maybe the Island Turtle is concealed somehow, or underneath the water. We have to be prepared for it at any moment."
"That's it Kazuya!" Shoryu beamed an enormous, sardonic smile and slapped a hand around his rival's shoulder. "You're starting to think more and more like a ninja!"
Kazuya's growl scared the boy away, prompting Ayako to laugh aloud at Shoryu's bold statement. After that the three of them resolved to ignore whatever distractions they might come across. Back through the narrow brown corridors of the ship Squad Thirteen returned to their room. Confined quarters were another thing that led to Kazuya's deduction.
To fit as many people in as possible, the individual squad rooms had to be as small as architecture would allow. Through the door was a bed to the immediate right and one to the immediate left, followed by third bed four yards ahead, and that was it.
Four paces of movement between three people meant that individuals had almost no private space in their quarters. Just as common as the brawls between the teams of neighbouring lands were the fights within teams themselves. Three times already Squad Thirteen had witnessed huge arguments erupt from nearby rooms; ninja would burst out their doors fighting in the narrow corridors before being quickly swept up by Jonin proctors and immediately disqualified.
Luckily Squad Thirteen had that kind of tension between its members on a daily basis; to them, arguments were a part of being on the team. Kazuya and Shoryu would fight constantly over the tiniest thing, and Ayako would scorn them both for being so immature.
To clear his mind in preparation for an attack, Kazuya resumed his meditation upon his bed at the foot of the room. Shoryu and Ayako meanwhile enjoyed a game of shogi on another. The distraction, as trivial as it might be, made the party far more alert so that when they emerged two hours later, they did so with a more open mind. The ship didn't seem quite so daunting to the males of the team and Ayako couldn't help but begin to pick holes at it.
By dinner time the upper deck was packed with students. Squad Thirteen did well to find a spot over by the wooden balustrades, where an ocean view helped keep them calm and ensured that if Shoryu needed to be sick, all he need do was lean over. After a slow half an hour Shoryu began to wish he was sick; anything to excuse himself from a confrontation would suffice, for a familiar face had just appeared on deck.
Strutting around like the ship was his to command, a boy of Shoryu's age patrolled the floor with an air of supremacy. A few ninja from Squad Thirteen's year group parted so that he and his team could pass as Shoryu turned his gaze out to the ocean, hoping he hadn't been spotted yet.
He remembered that two boys of his old class were from the clan and that only one of them had qualified to become a Genin - this was that boy. Tall for his age and well-muscled, Kouta Renazawa had the darkest black hair Shoryu had ever seen cut into watery thin spikes like a trimmed pineapple. He looked like a Zawa clan ideal; everything from the broad facial features and vaguely hooked nose right down to the young mastery of his standard Raikyogan. Every one of the clan's values was personified through that complacent swagger, that overly upright posture and that judgemental stare that Shoryu hated.
As much as he tried to hide, the boy knew that he'd already been spotted.
"Well look at that! It seems the rumours are true!" his voice sung over.
Ayako caught Shoryu cringe and clench his fist in awkwardly concealed rage as he gave the sea one last look. For one terrifying moment she feared he might punch the boy, but when he turned back around his expression was a smile so obviously fake she thought it might have been intentional.
"You've got a lot of guts showing your face here, especially after what you put Reizo through," continued the Zawa.
"Our sensei chose to leave your clan," said Ayako, leaping to Shoryu's defence.
"You're quite right," added the boy. "Uncle Reizo was always a sentimental one – always sticking up for the weak ones. Of course it's not your fault that you're one of them Shoryu."
Ayako expected a witty one-liner from Shoryu to put the smug ninja in his place, but he said nothing straight away. His fake smile grew wider and his fist tightened until she understood; he was doing everything in his power not to fly at the boy, knowing they'd be disqualified if they did. Coming up with a cocky comment was impossible in such a state.
"Is there something I can help you with?" Shoryu asked after a moment.
The boy ignored his query and instead turned to Kazuya, the far more impressive specimen and most powerful member of Squad Thirteen who still stood quietly and calmly by the railing. He extended a hand, saying, "Forgive me, I'm Kouta Renazawa. I don't believe I've had the pleasure."
"And I don't believe you ever will," Kazuya snapped. Shoryu chuckled as the samurai slapped the greeting hand away and left Kouta humiliated. Having been on the receiving end of that introduction before, Shoryu knew exactly how frustrating it was, but to Kouta's credit he didn't flinch and merely turned the hand to Ayako.
"And who might you be?" he said, glancing her up and down with a perverse look of approval.
For one terrifying moment Shoryu wondered whether Ayako would fold and take the hand. Despite her looks though, she was far fiercer than any would imagine.
"Someone who'll throw you overboard if you ever look at me like that again," she replied.
"I see."
Satisfied that his teammates had his back Shoryu took a second to analyse the situation. He'd sensed something off right from the beginning, and now that he targeted it he felt inadequate for not noticing sooner. The two other team members that fell into step beside Kouta; they were different than the cell he'd been assigned at graduation, very different.
One was a plain looking male with flaming red hair and a short, scrawny physique that barely fit into his oversized coat. The second on the other hand was far more interesting.
A blonde girl - perhaps a year or so older than Squad Thirteen, strode into view behind Kouta. Gorgeous brown eyes like liquid caramel and nicely rounded curves made her a sight to behold, and yet the impartial stare she employed screamed something mysterious. The way she held herself conveyed power; a power far beyond that of the standard Genin. Shoryu wondered whether or not Kouta even knew of this, but even in spite of the Raikyogan he knew in a heartbeat that she could take her Zawa teammate down with no trouble at all.
It was as if she was so unsuspecting that they just had to suspect something. Shoryu doubted her reasons for allying herself with Kouta were pleasant ones, especially once he noticed what an inconvenience it must've been for her; she was a Hidden Mist ninja, as was the dull-looking boy next to her.
"Looks like you got yourself a new squad," Shoryu observed. "What are you a foreign ambassador now or something? What happened to your old one?"
"Holding me back - they didn't want to take the exam so I found partners that would," explained Kouta.
"So you had to go all the way to the Land of Water to find people who'd put up with you?" Shoryu presumed. His hand had long since relaxed now that he knew there was nothing to fear.
"Actually no, they volunteered you see. Once they heard I was coming after you they decided to come along for the ride."
Shoryu couldn't help recoiling, giving a small laugh to hide his unease. "You're coming after me? I'm flattered."
"Sorry Shoryu," Kouta said. "But it's the clan's orders. Don't take it personally."
"Whoa, they're not even trying to conceal it now are they?" mused the boy. "But even so, why would these two help after hearing that?" He turned his eyes to the pair of Mist ninja. "Sorry guys, but I've never met you before in my life. Maybe you've got me confused with someone else."
"They wouldn't give me reasons, but Suzume and Norio here are from the Oyama clan – it's pretty powerful stuff if you ask me. They have powers that put my old team to shame."
"Come on Kouta." The mysterious girl finally spoke up – Suzume Oyama. "Let's not give away spoilers now."
"You're right Suzume. We'll leave you three to it then." Kouta turned abruptly and gave Shoryu another cocky raise of his eyebrows, daring the boy to pursue him as they headed over in the cafeteria's direction. "See you around Shoryu."
The moment they were out of sight Shoryu released a great breath he'd maintained for a long time. This whole situation confused him; he knew he would have to be extra-careful if Kouta actively planned on seeking him out, but what did those two Mist ninja want with him? He'd never even seen a ninja from the Land of Water until now, so what would they have against him?
As he turned to his cell for answers the idea that Kouta's new friends might not actually be after him occurred to Shoryu. Kazuya looked just as unsettled by their appearance as he did; perhaps they were simply using Kouta to get to the young samurai.
"That girl. . ." Kazuya muttered. He put a finger and a thumb to his chin and pondered briefly. "I've never met her before, but I feel like I know her from somewhere. That other guy is just her lackey, that's for sure. But what could she want with us?"
"I don't think it's 'us' they're concerned with Kazuya. I think it's you," offered Ayako.
Shoryu nodded; clearly Ayako had arrived at the same conclusion he did, though she had far more evidence to back up her claim:
"Think about it Kazuya, you're the only one who's got any connection to the Village Hidden in the Mist. It's possible they knew you were a part of Shoryu's team and sought you out."
"You think they know something about my father?" said Kazuya.
"It looks that way."
With his mind made up Kazuya immediately started down the deck after them before Shoryu caught his wrist, pulling him back to the rail.
"Kazuya," he warned, "if they had any intention of telling you anything they would've told you just now."
"If they have information then I'll get it from them," Kazuya said plainly.
"They won't give it to you."
"Then I'll beat it out of them!"
"And risk getting us thrown out of the exam? Think about us Kazuya; think about your village." Shoryu tightened his grip as Ayako placed a comforting hand on the samurai's shoulder, agreeing with Shoryu without actually saying anything.
"It's not worth it," he went on. "Going after them now would accomplish nothing. My guess is it'll be anything goes once we get out there; Kouta said he's coming after me, and that girl will be with him when he does. You can get your answers then."
After a few moments to consider, Kazuya pulled his wrist free of Shoryu's grasp and eventually nodded in disdain. If he failed this exam then his life as a ninja would be over; the missions, the money and Squad Thirteen - everything would be at an end. Just as the samurai seemed about to confirm his compliance a great claxon suddenly sounded across the ship.
High pitched whining echoed around deck and down every corridor, waking every sleeping ninja and startling those who sunbathed on the light. It wasn't just this ship either; across the narrow stretches of sea water Shoryu heard the wails from the other nine. A mixture of fear and excitement spread like a disease across the longboat. Each and every student immediately understood that this was the beginning of something big.
After a minute or so, when the whispers began to spread, a pair of Jonin emerged from the main cabin and ushered the young ninja inside. In single file they were marched down the creaking passages just barely wider than the average shoulder width and led down a set of dusty stairs to the ship's cargo hold.
Unlike the other levels, the lower deck was normally used as a pantry or a place to store goods that were traded overseas. Now it was completely hollowed out, turning the entire length of the ship into a great hall of sorts. Here connecting seats were arranged like a chapel with a booth at the head where a ninja would no doubt address them.
Packed together like a great tin of sardines the ninja made their way up the narrow aisles and took uncomfortably close seats next to each other until by some miracle, everyone fitted into place. Being closest to the water, the cargo hold was the most creaking, rotten, damp, moss-covered room in the entire ship. Smells fouler than any Shoryu had ever experienced reeked from the dirtiest corners, and yet no one flinched or covered their noses for fear of being mocked.
The roof was so close that if Shoryu stood on his tiptoes he felt the wave of his hair tickle against the dusty ceiling; those more than three inches taller than him had to duck until they found a seat, each of them grumbling about the slime on the walls or the ancient cobwebs decorating the room's crevices.
Finally the ship's two Jonin arrived. They came in last, having to check the rest of the rooms for stragglers, but they wasted no time in making their way to the front of the room. One was a young, attractive male with a thin scar slicing down his neck. The other was older and broader, at least fifty years of age with flecks of grey visible within the darker shades of his hair and a flak jacket that looked dustier than the cargo hold itself.
Both were Cloud ninja. Shoryu knew that Jonin from other lands had come to supervise and that many of them dwelled on the other ships, but since the Cloud was hosting this term they vastly outnumbered the others. More would also come from places all around the world for the final rounds if whispers were to be believed. These rumours made Shoryu wonder what the finale entailed – what kind of arduous final task awaited the hopeful Chunin?
Shoryu saw the younger of the two Jonin retrieve a microphone whose wires led into the floor behind him; only then did he notice the speakers protruding from the walls either side of them positioned every ten paces or so. A whole twenty minutes had now passed since the alarm began, making each ninja anxious to get on with the exam. The chatter dimmed immediately. No one said a word once the Jonin approached the podium.
"Welcome all!" he began, his lively voice booming like an elephant through the surrounding speakers. "I see Cloud ninja, Leaf ninja, Sand ninja, Mist ninja, Stone ninja, and ninja from villages with names I couldn't pronounce if I tried."
A low laugh went around the hall of two hundred as Shoryu noticed the elder Jonin shake his head in disapproval behind his junior.
"Today marks the first time in five years that the Village Hidden in the Clouds has been allowed to host the Chunin Exams!" he added.
"Listen!" Ayako hissed under her breath. "Do you hear that?"
With a trade of confused glances Shoryu and Kazuya both listened carefully, hearing past the Jonin and honing in on the ambient noise surrounding the ship. A deep, low pitched hum seemed to emanate from all directions, one that wasn't there before. At first they dismissed it as the habitual creaking of the ancient longboat, yet it was far more than that. It sounded like a low hurricane was rushing past the boughs of the ship – it could've been paranoia, but Shoryu could've sworn he felt himself slide a few inches forward too.
Whatever it was, the Jonin official seemed to be doing a great job of covering it up.
"And that's not just because of the awkward journey it takes to get out here," he went on. "No, no. It's because the Chunin Exams from the Cloud have the highest average fatality rate of any of the five great nations." The ninja began to pace back and forth, waving his index finger around knowingly. "Now I'm not necessarily saying it's harder. It could be that the situations are far riskier, or that we've just had a stroke of rubbish students."
Another laugh claimed the ship, covering up the great sigh of noise that now seemed so apparent to Squad Thirteen. Other teams had begun to notice it too; in fact Shoryu saw Kouta and his mysterious team at the front conversing in hushed voices.
The official began again. "I suppose you want statistics eh? One percent of students die each time the exams get hosted here – 'that doesn't sound like much' you might say? Consider that two thousand Genin entered this year. Twenty of you will most probably die – that works out as two of you sitting in this very room."
The laughter had now stopped for good. Ninja all around the room looked nervously at their teammates and then cast their eyes across the hall, wondering who would be the unlucky duo who'd return to their families not with a smile and a new rank, but with their remains zipped up in a bag. Ayako gulped. Kazuya only grinned.
"Now you've all signed your notices absolving the Cloud of any responsibility for your health, so you know the risks. However I'd like to give you one last chance to back out whilst you still can. There's no shame in leaving now and returning some other time once you're better prepared – ninja throughout the ages have gone on to acquire legendary status for their sense of knowing when to retreat."
For Squad Thirteen backing out wasn't an option. Much to Shoryu's surprise though, not one of the other students budged. Teams around the room talked it over for a minute or so, but when all was set every ninja remained in their seats. Even the Jonin speaker looked pleasantly surprised.
"A full house," he said. "Now that's what I like to see."
The ninja bowed and surrendered the stage to his elder as the entire room suddenly became aware of the noises outside. A noisy squish like a sponge being wringed out could be heard from outside the deck. Ayako felt mildly proud of herself for noticing it before almost everyone else. One student raised his hand, presumably to ask about that disgusting, sickening sound he'd just heard.
The older Jonin simply ignored him and began speaking, his voice hoarse and gruff as an obvious staple of smoking. "Those who live in the Village Hidden in the Clouds will already know about our Chunin Exams, but for those of you who aren't from the Land of Lightning and have been living under a rock for this last day I'll clarify it so that no one has an unfair advantage."
A few foreign students inched to the edges of their seats, leaning forward in anticipation.
"Our Chunin Exams revolve around a natural phenomenon known as the Island Turtle. As you might expect, this is an animal the size of a small country, with its own forests, caves, personal food chain and complex ecosystem. This great beast patrols the waters of our eastern ocean and has been the traditional site of the exams for many centuries now. The aim of the first two stages is to make it to the head of the turtle, where the final stage takes place. The first stage requires you to get safely to the surface."
To the disappointment of the students, the Jonin refused to clarify what exactly he meant by 'get to the surface'. Shoryu's bad feeling and the squelches around the ship allowed him to make a terrifying hypothesis though.
"For the second stage there is a time limit of seven days; you will have to navigate the unforgiving terrain of the turtle's back and make your way up to the neck. Along the way you will not only have to face the turtle's wildlife, but other competing ninja as well." He paused to let the students scribble it down. "At the neck there are ten doors; open one of them and you will qualify for the final rounds.
"The doors can only be opened with a key. Twenty of these keys are scattered around the island, chained to either the left feet or the tails of the island's 'alpha' creatures – the biggest and meanest beasts of their species and the leaders of their respective flocks. If by some extraordinary feat you manage to acquire one of these keys you must still be on your guard; rival ninja teams are permitted to try and steal them from you as your team makes its way towards the neck."
The students each nodded in understanding, being sure to memorise or write down the details of the tests and make a brief mental strategy. They wouldn't be handheld throughout any of this – for the first and the second stage they were completely on their own.
"The pass rate for the first stage is ten percent, and the same goes for the second stage. In other words, at the beginning of the second phase, two thousand will have become two hundred. Likewise, an average of only twenty will advance to the third."
Shoryu understood at last; for the second stage, ten doors would mean that ten teams, or thirty people, could advance, but the odds of this being the case were small indeed. Just getting to the neck would be an ordeal in itself, and acquiring a key from one of the alpha creatures was a whole other story. Of course, this was provided they could even pass the first test, where one thousand eight hundred hopefuls had their dreams crushed.
It was just as he considered mentioning this to Ayako and Kazuya that the Chunin Exams begun. Shoryu's stomach lurched as the ship bucked violently. Ninja screamed and many tumbled out of their seats from the sudden bump in the ground. At first Shoryu suspected that an oversized wave had just assaulted the ship, yet his gut told him otherwise – quite literally.
"Umm, guys," he mumbled over the hysteria. "I don't want to alarm anyone, but suddenly I'm not feeling sick anymore."
"We're not moving," Kazuya realised abruptly. "The ship just stopped."
Over the frightful chatter of the young ninja the Jonin raised his gravelly voice and boomed through the speakers, "Nobody panic! This is just the beginning of the first test. Make your way out to the upper deck and you may start whenever ready."
Reizo couldn't believe he'd never realised how much the joy of a journey was determined by the company one kept. He'd made his way down almost the exact same road with Squad Thirteen some two weeks ago, and now all sense of fun had been sucked out of it completely. The mood was sombre and the atmosphere heavy; no longer did this seem like an adventure with a surprise around every corner, only a trial that required patience and humility to conquer.
He shared the journey with two men. One was a young sensory ninja who went by the name of Hatori, a fair-haired, slim bodied ninja with overly large eyes and noticeably chubby arms in comparison to the rest of him. Hatori was by no means a rude or boring fellow, but Reizo found rather quickly that he shared next to nothing in common with the man. Conversations between just the two of them were awkward and forced, but he was hardly thankful that these were rare when he compared them to his other accomplice.
The second man of course was Kira Asakura, the tenth Raikage. Reizo only wished that his ancient lord's chronic smoking was the worst of his issues. He would've gladly put up with the asphyxiating clouds of poison twenty four hours a day if it weren't for the tense discussions that he put Reizo and Hatori through.
Every second of every journey was constantly plagued by the Raikage rambling on and on about matters of war, conflict and the meaning of life itself, lecturing the pair about his views whilst at the same time frequently commenting that they were 'too young to understand'. All the two Jonin could do was to nod and agree with him on every topic.
If they objected to his philosophies or offered a respectfully differing opinion even once they would receive another hour's talk about how naïve they sounded. After the first day Reizo knew that he'd never find Shoryu and Kazuya's arguments annoying ever again, and after the second he'd practically relish them; any kind of change would do. It was torturous – the only upside was that at least he and Hatori had something to laugh about.
It took Team Raikage a week to reach the Land of Iron. The deep blue bridge was easily recognisable to all who'd set foot here before, a site of battle that had been damaged in a battle two centuries ago and subsequently rebuilt. Its reconstruction was painfully obvious though; sections of the side walls and the large arching monument of a sword were of a lighter shade and covered with far less moss than the rest of the bridge.
Just a few miles after crossing it the bleak, brown rocks became coated with a thick blanket of ashen snow that crumbled underfoot and forced the Raikage to retrieve another cardigan from his pack. Over the next rise the Three Wolves were visible, a triplet of snow-capped peaks facing away from each other in a triangle, bowing up and over like mangled hands reaching out for mercy. It was a fantastic sight that Reizo had never seen before, and one that was completely spoiled by the Raikage's rambling.
An icy, winding passage through the nearest of the Three Wolves required the wall-walking technique to manoeuvre, sticking to the frosted ground by directing chakra into the soles of the feet. Once they passed though, their journey was finally over, with the grim sight of an ancient, rusted samurai complex to greet them to the Summit Conference.
Overlapping slate that curved upwards to a point reminded Reizo heavily of the architecture of his recently visited Village Hidden in the Glacier. He quietly resolved to take Kazuya and the rest of Squad Thirteen here one day as the trio finally made their way back onto stone ground and into the arched openings. After climbing a hundred stairs the complex stood right at the end of an open bridge, where a band of samurai stood waiting for them.
These samurai wore far more armour than the band Shoryu had slyly mocked over a fortnight ago. Simple facemasks and oversized eyeholes covered their faces, and their identical armour was much bulkier with no bare spots at the armpits, knees or elbows. This made it almost impossible to tell one from the other; in Kazuya's village everyone's face was already visible and painted or scarred armour helped distinguish the more powerful veterans from the inexperienced. Here every samurai was a clone of the next - a number in the small army.
"Halt!" said one of them, striding forward and placing a commanding hand in front of them. The echo generated from the protruding mouthpiece also made him sound identical to the others. "State your name and business."
"Kira Asakura, Tenth Raikage and leader of the Village Hidden in the Clouds." Kira suddenly brought up his walking stick and tapped it to the signature curtained hat he wore, one that bore the seal of the Village. "These two are Reizo and Hatori, my bodyguards."
The samurai immediately bowed and his troop did the same. Reizo sniggered at the fact that even as they bowed their lowest, they could never bend themselves lower than Kira's shrivelled height.
"My apologies Lord Raikage. The Hokage, Kazekage and Lord Kikuchiyo are already present – they await your arrival inside," he explained.
"What of the new Tsuchikage and the Mizukage?" asked Kira, as these were the two leaders he wanted to see the most. Stone and Mist clones had attacked the Cloud - he needed to confirm their innocence.
"They should be arriving shortly my lord."
"Good."
With the pleasantries exchanged the three were guided into the antique building, up another flight of steps and into the conference, a room comprised of a single roundtable with six seats dictating the respective positions of the world leaders. As the Raikage took his seat Reizo took note of those already present.
He knew Lord Kikuchiyo was the Taisho of the Land of Iron, a representative for the other samurai nations and the neutral lands of the ninja world. Reizo also knew he was the catalyst for the conference - a Kage meeting technically only needed two Kage and a Taisho, since the unbiased opinion from the honour-bound samurai was essential to ensure that any resolution reached was just and fair.
He was far younger than Reizo expected, clearly in his early twenties with a shaved head as an unsuccessful attempt to make him appear older. After training Kazuya he knew that the Taisho was an inherited position and so regarded them as lucky that the conference shouldn't receive a young teenager of Shoryu's age at the head of the meeting. He then he shivered upon imagining Shoryu sat in that seat, antagonising everything the Kage said for his own amusement.
As soon as Kira saw Kikuchiyo, doing his best to appear fierce and noble in his helmless armour, the Kage tutted and shook his head in disapproval. He muttered something like "children playing at leading armies now" as he dropped his pack to the floor. Kikuchiyo heard the comment and chose to ignore it, straightening himself out and running a hand over his polished egg of a scalp.
"Kira, so glad you could make it. With all your years I wondered whether you'd even be able to make it past the Three Wolves," called a voice across the room.
"I might not be a spring chicken anymore Peparo, but it'll take more than a path of ice to stop me in my tracks," the Raikage snapped.
Peparo Raan had reigned for ten years as the twelfth Kazekage. With his short, stocky form and his unrivalled skills in both the water element and ranged combat Reizo knew he was the obvious choice, especially when one considered that the eleventh had been his sensei. Touching forty now, the Kazekage's once enormous fro of black hair had since been trimmed to a short series of bushy curls.
Skin just as dark as that hair contrasted against the blinding whites of his teeth and eyes, making him appear formidable even when one failed to notice the majestic, five foot wide longbow strapped to his back. The bow as always was accompanied by two bulging quivers of countless arrows, razor-barbed at the tips to make sure any wound they dealt would stay open and bleeding for the duration of his battles.
Draped over his shoulders was a simple shoal that protected him from the battering winds and sandstorms of the Village Hidden in the Sand. Ragged and torn, it was hardly the attire suitable for a Kage, though Peparo Raan followed in the footsteps of his master in regarding his status as no more important than any other in his village.
"I don't suppose it would," laughed Peparo, his voice deep and powerful as rolling thunder. "I doubt the Three Wolves are capable of something that a hundred years couldn't do."
"You make it sound as if I'm on death's door Lord Kazekage; I've still got plenty of life left in me." Kira turned his nose up at the man, humourless in his arrogance.
"So it would seem," said Peparo. "Enough to send a battalion of clones to my village in the middle of the night like a snivelling coward."
"Gentlemen!" The young lord Kikuchiyo finally showed his steel as he rose to his feet. "You all agreed not to discuss these matters until the other Kage arrive and the conference is in progress. Hold your tongues until the meeting begins."
"I agreed to no such thing," Kira grumbled quietly as the Taisho took his seat again. With no forewarning the old Raikage withdrew the pipe he kept in his second cardigan and lit it. Reizo immediately felt a flush of embarrassment creep over his cheeks; the smoking policy in here was clearly that of zero tolerance, but none would object to such a menial act when a single comment could spark up another argument.
Reizo was hardly surprised to hear that Cloud ninja clones had attacked the Sand as well. He fully understood the Kazekage's reasons for being upset, even if the way he handled it was a little too boisterous for his tastes.
"And what about you Lord Hokage?" asked Kira, blowing a smoke ring over in the third man's direction. "Surely you must have something to say; after all I allegedly attacked your village too."
Everyone in the room save for Kira Asakura was suddenly stunned; the other two Kage and their bodyguards, not to mention Reizo and Hatori. Just what was going on? After all his talk of preaching for a peaceful resolution on the way here, Kira seemed to be actively looking for a fight now that push came to shove. Reizo supposed it was his way of sticking up for himself and defending his dominion, but he didn't have to be such an ass about it.
"I have nothing to say until the others arrive," replied the twelfth Hokage, the same man Kiyoshi Uchiha had regarded as a 'pacifist fool' less than a month ago for not retaliating against the Cloud.
With his long white cloak and shimmering garments the Hokage's status was reflected in his appearance. At Reizo's best guess he was in his mid-fifties, the point where his movements began to slow a little, yet his muscles had not begun to degenerate yet; he was still at average height and he did not walk with a hunch and a walking stick like the century-old Kira Asakura.
A fair complexion showed early signs of aging, with distinct frown lines and shallow wrinkles spreading up from his chin. Silky smooth hair of brown had begun to recede into a noticeable widow's peak, and more than a few greys were visible.
The Hokage's most distinctive features however, were the expressionless, milky white eyes that served as a constant reminder of his family's legendary dojutsu. Hiromasa Hyuga came from an ancient family of the Land of Fire, one whose ancestors had fought and died in service to the ninja for generations and participated in all four shinobi wars.
"Oh, so you're ignoring me huh?" Kira belittled. "You know it's not smart to ignore a Kage."
"I'm not ignoring you," said the Hyuga, indifferently scanning him with cold eyes. "I just refuse to debate until the other Kage arrive."
Kira huffed and crossed his arms. "So you're still preaching all that pacifist nonsense I see. When you get to my age you'll realise that there's a time to mince words and there's a time to speak your mind."
"Age does not always go hand in hand with wisdom," replied the Hokage coolly. Reizo scoffed a laugh and held a hand over his mouth to stop from laughing at Lord Hyuga's incredible burn – he could imagine it coming from Shoryu's mouth. Even the Kazekage noticed Reizo's slip-up and sniggered playfully at the Jonin. Kira was too caught up to notice it though.
"What did you say?" he barked, slamming a shaky fist on the table and staggering to his feet. The Raikage hadn't even drawn himself up to full height before Kikuchiyo pointed and brought up his voice to a boom.
"Sit down Lord Raikage! One more transgression and I'll have my guards escort you away from here."
As the Raikage muttered something along the lines of "young'uns telling me what to do" Reizo put a hand to his forehead and shook in embarrassment. He'd only been there a few minutes; the meeting hadn't even begun yet and the Raikage had managed to annoy almost everyone already.
This is going to be one long conference, Reizo decided.
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Author's Notes:
Alright so if you've been on story alert or something you'll probably know already, but this week we've got not one but TWO chapters! I got carried away with this one chapter you see – I really wanted to get the first stage out of the way but I had all this ground to cover before I got round to it, so I split the chapter into two parts. The next chapter then is the first part of the Chunin exams and it's up for your viewing pleasure.
By the way, did anyone else notice the 'damaged and rebuilt bridge' mentioned in Reizo's segment? Fancy hearing the significance? Well it's the site of battle where Sasuke fights Danzo in Part Two and totally ruins the bridge in the process, then after that there's a brief confrontation there with Sasuke against Sakura, Naruto and Kakashi.
Also, those of you familiar with the classic film Seven Samurai (or the steampunk anime adaptation 'Samurai 7') should notice the name Kikuchiyo as one of the seven. Ironically, he's the only one in the movie who isn't a legitimate samurai (In the anime they made him illegitimate by making him a machine). If you haven't seen either I'd definitely recommend them.
Oh and another nod to continuity - the younger Jonin giving his little speech, did anyone pick up on him saying: "ninja throughout the ages have gone on to acquire legendary status for their sense of knowing when to retreat." . . . Gotta love Shikamaru :D
Then there's the two Kage we've just met, and what's that? One of them is a Hyuga? Well, why not? I was sat there for about an hour trying to think of someone to be the Hokage since it's the most well-known title in Naruto, then the obvious choice hit me in the face and it had to happen. If you're thinking that he acts like Neji, that's because he's Neji's descendant, pretty cool huh?
So why Neji and not Hinata? Well I'm not normally into romance fanfictions but if I was forced to pair two people up in Naruto it probably would be Naruto and Hinata, and I've already said that I'm not covering his descendants. Hinata is just all kinds of awesome – best female character in the show to me. Why Naruto remains completely oblivious to her and chases that retarded pink-haired masochist instead is a mystery in my mind.
Anyway onward! Go read the next chapter! :D