"- and, to that end, I will be taking the four of you to the Summit with me." Hiruzen finished his explanation.

"Understood, Hokage-sama." Kakashi nodded. "When are we leaving?"

"Tomorrow, Eight AM."

Team 7 -Team Kakashi, these days- all nodded. A nod in return, and the Hokage dismissed them.

The moment the door had closed, Naruto pumped his fist.

"Road trip!" Naruto called.

Sakura slapped the back of his head. "Can you take this one seriously for a moment?"

"He's Naruto." Sasuke said, not even turning to look. "Of course he can't."

"Hey." Naruto frowned at them. "I can take things seriously. I just don't."

Sakura sighed.

"So what are the odds for being ambushed?" Naruto asked.

"I'll give it forty-sixty." Sasuke said. "Forty on being ambushed on the way there, and sixty on being ambushed once we're all there."

"I was thinking thirty-seventy, myself." Naruto nodded. "Gramps is taking us because he doesn't want the Akatsuki hitting the village to get at me. I'm pretty sure he's planning something, too."

"He is the Hokage." Sakura noted.

"I wonder if the other villages are going to bring their Jinchuuriki." Naruto mused.

"They might." Sasuke noted. "For the same reason you're being brought along. Might not, too."

"I'm kinda hoping they do." Naruto said. "I really want to meet them in the flesh. Especially the Hachibi's Jinchuuriki. He was cool."

Kakashi turned a page in his book, and quietly vowed to not be within ten kilometres of them when Naruto inevitably met the other Jinchuuriki.

It would be a trainwreck, and like any sensible person, he preferred to observe those from a safe distance.

"So, have we got anything to do until tomorrow?" Naruto asked.

"We're not going for ramen." Sasuke said immediately.

"Oh, fuck you. I know you like the ramen there, jackass." Naruto turned to look at him. "Especially the ramen with tomatoes."

"That doesn't change the fact that we've gone there almost every other day since we've gotten back." Sasuke glared back. "There's only so much I can eat in a week before it gets tiring. How about we try... something else. Literally anything else."

"Akimichi's Bar and Barbeque?" Sakura suggested. "Pretty sure they've got a special going on for steaks, currently."

"Eh." Naruto shrugged. "Fine."

Naruto whistled. "So this is the Land of Iron." He looked around.

Ice and snow stretched in every direction. A dark grey sky kept the land dark. Not too far away, Naruto could make out the form of three mountains shaped like the mouths of wolves. Snow fell from the sky in sheets, a heavy storm peppering the ground in white ice.

"It's pretty cold." He said.

"It's almost like we're in the middle of a blizzard or something." Sakura's voice was scathing.

Hiruzen's eyes closed, reaching into his coat and pulling out his tobacco pipe. His hand briefly lit with fire before he placed it in his mouth. He breathed in, and then exhaled a cloud of smoke that quickly vanished in the wind. When he spoke, he spoke loudly, projecting his voice across the area, over the storm of snow. "It has been quite some time since I last saw you. I trust you are doing well, -" His head turned to the side. "- Mifune-dono?"

A laugh answered him. A man slowly walked into view, emerging from the severe storm. "Nine years, and your skills have not dulled at all, Hiruzen-dono."

He was an old man. Not, perhaps, as old as Hiruzen, but still quite old. His hair was grey, as was his moustache and goatee. Bandages wrapped around his head, stopping just above his eyes. His armour, and the sword at his side, indicated that he was no ordinary man; he was a Samurai of the Land of Iron.

Mifune walked forwards, stopping just in front of Hiruzen. "You look well."

"As do you." Hiruzen responded, smiling. "I hope we're not late?"

Mifune shook his head. "Only Onoki-dono and A-dono have arrived so far. I do not expect the Mizukage or the Sunagakure representatives to take too much longer, however." Mifune's eyes briefly flicked to Team Kakashi, before looking back towards Hiruzen. "These will be your company, then?"

Hiruzen's head dipped in acknowledgement.

"I see." Mifune nodded. He turned to Team Kakashi, and sketched a short bow. "Welcome the Land of Iron. Come, there's little reason for us to stay out in this cold."

Mifune led them to a building, almost indistinguishable from the snow all around them, if not for the light shining from the windows.

The inside was fairly warm, considering there was a blizzard going on outside.

The atmosphere, however, could hardly be more tense.

"Onoki-dono. A-dono." Hiruzen greeted as he moved into the room.

"Hiruzen-dono." A short, old man turned slightly to greet him. His hat had the symbol of Iwa on it, denoting him as the Tsuchikage. Behind him were three people; a man in red armour, another large man, and a young girl.

"Hiruzen-dono." A younger, though still quite old man also greeted him. He was tall, with dark skin. His hat held the symbol of Kumo, denoting him as the Raikage. Behind him were three people; two more dark skinned men, and a blond with dark eyes.

The Hokage, the Tsuchikage, and the Raikage stared at each other. The former had little reason to like either of the latter, especially considering the attempted invasion of Konoha only a few years ago. The tension slowly ratcheted up as Hiruzen said nothing, merely making his way further into the room.

The other shinobi in the room stilled as they watched the events. It would only take a moment for things to go to hell.

Alas, it was not to be.

The reason for that, of course, was that Naruto had entered the room, following shortly behind Hiruzen himself. Naruto, who had caught sight of Han and Killer B the moment he'd entered, who'd been wanting to see them again, and who cared nothing for little things like 'tension', 'politeness', 'safety', and whether or not it was a good idea to walk between three Kage staring at each other.

And so, his eyes lit up as he moved straight to Killer B, grinning wide. "Yo!"