Chapter 19 - The Finals
Once the four finished their breakfast and set their empty dishes outside their room for the staff to pick up later, they left their hotel, making their way toward the stadium where the finals were set to play out.
As they made the trek, the siblings couldn't help but notice the buzz in the air. The streets seemed livelier than usual, with people moving about and running their errands with an extra pep in their step.
Having stayed in the village for more than a month now, Baki and the Sand Siblings had grown used to how Konoha operates, so the change in the atmosphere was something they just couldn't ignore.
And yet it wasn't hard to imagine why in the first place.
"I see the people are really energized this morning," Kankuro mumbled, stuffing his hands into his pockets as he looked around the street.
"The Showcase Finals tends to have this kind of effect on people." Temari mused, cracking her knuckles with ease.
"The Finals isn't just a time for participants to show their talents and skills," Baki calmly stated as they turned a corner. "With the influx of visitors from across the shinobi kingdoms, it's also the time for businesses and traveling merchants to make a huge profit, and the Showcase Finals tends to bring in a lot of revenue for the hosting village, especially in the betting pools."
"And speaking of the betting pools, who do you think is going to get the most bids?" Temari asked as she pulled out a small fan from a sealing scroll.
"It depends on the competition . . . The Fire natives will place their bets on the competitors who originate from their territory, and the same goes for those coming from our homeland."
"AKA, the familiarity argument," Kankuro mused, bringing a hand to his chin.
"Indeed Kankuro . . . A lot of people from our homeland have come to view today's proceedings, so I expect to see big numbers next to your names once I check the betting boards." Baki predicted as he crossed his arms over his chest. "I believe the numbers were also high for the lone Sound genin that made it, but due to his untimely departure, it's rather moot now."
Gaara acted like he didn't hear the innuendo in the man's tone, but here it, he certainly did.
"Hm, I'm sure the people of the Sound Kingdom were quite put out when they heard that their lone representative in the finals met an untimely demise." Kankuro mumbled, his eyes sneaking a not-so-subtle glance at his brother.
Baki had managed to fill the elder siblings in on what happened between Dosu and Gaara weeks ago, a little after the Sound genin's death became public knowledge.
Both immediately concluded that the Sound ninja was a downright idiot for trying to confront the redhead the way he did.
"And here I thought that the mummy was the smartest one of his team. . ." Temari had mumbled, shaking her head at the stupidity of it all. Kankuro had found the situation quite laughable, only stopping after Temari threatened to smack him once some of his spittle got on her feet.
"So, any idea on what's going to happen now that Kinuta is out of the picture?" Temari asked as the stadium steadily came into view. "He was supposed to go against Princess Shizuka first, but now that he's gone, what's going to happen to the match? Are they going to make one of the other matches a three-way duel or something?"
"We'll find out once we get there. . . If a finalist is unable to compete for whatever reason that occurred outside of the competition, what happens to their match isn't announced until the Finals begin."
"In any case, the Showcase is one of the most momentous events on the shinobi calendar for a number of reasons. Financial gain. Kingdom and clan pride," Baki continued. ". . . And most of the kingdoms use it as a gauge to see if the ninja they've sent warrant a promotion or not."
"Including ours?" Kankuro couldn't help but ask as he spotted a few Suna merchants chatting around a mobile tea booth. When they spotted the royals, they immediately bowed their heads in recognition of their presence, though some still looked wary once they noticed Gaara, who was paying them no mind.
"Yes, even the Wind Kingdom," Baki stated matter-of-factly, knowing he just answered a question the puppeteer already knew the answer to. "So, if fighting for the kingdom's financial livelihood isn't enough to motivate you three to do well, maybe a potential promotion will."
"Hmm, it would look good to our shinobi if we actually earn the ranks rather than have them be handed to us by the old man." Temari mused absently, looking up at the stadium.
It wasn't lost on any of them how important a chunin promotion was in the life of a ninja. A promotion was a sign, a marker that declared them ready for the next level of their ninja journey, a road that led to harder missions and more responsibility.
Clans and noble houses prided themselves on the number of chunin, and eventually, the number of jonin they produced within their ranks. The more the members proved themselves to their shinobi superiors, the more respect and acclaim they brought to their families' name.
For the ninjas that found themselves competing, the boisterous ones did it for personal pride, the humbler ones out of duty for their respective kingdoms.
"Anyway, even though Kinuta's death effectively ended the Sound Kingdom's presence within the competition, the easy acceptance of it all is what makes it unnerving," Baki continued. "Most kingdoms would make more of a ruckus after losing a participant outside of Showcase activities, especially considering the circumstances surrounding his death."
"Circumstances that only a select few are truly privy too," Temari quietly mused, sneaking a glance Gaara's way, a glance he completely ignored.
"The Sound Kingdom, weirdly enough, made no such fuss," Baki continued, grimacing. "They simply accepted it. No questioning. No arguments. . . In fact, the return letter King Minato was rumored to have received from his Sound counterpart was quite cordial in the aftermath of the discovery and return of the remains."
"Considering the Sound's recent actions, I'm sure the response raised some red flags with King Minato and his council." Gaara mumbled as the crowd grew thicker around them the closer they got to their destination.
"I imagine it has . . . King Minato has been subtle with his directives, but those with experienced eyes can see the uptick in security if they really look for it," Baki advised, looking around at the nearby rooftops for signs.
Only Kankuro followed his line of sight. Temari and Gaara didn't bother looking.
When they finally arrived at the arena, they checked in with security at the participants' entrance before stepping inside. Walking down the hallway till they reached the first intersection, they came to a stop when they spotted a sign on the wall directing senseis and mentors to go left, while the remaining participants had to go right.
"Security did mention that we would separate once we were inside," Temari mumbled as she put away her fan. "So, got any last words for us before we go, Baki?"
"Some people have been a little quick to dismiss our homeland due to its current struggles, but I know you'll prove them wrong. Show your strength! Prove why the Wind Kingdom should not be overlooked so easily," Baki advised, his tone serious, though his eyes showed a steely confidence that was rare from him. "At this point, anything else I could possibly say would seem redundant."
"Well, you have sounded like a broken record since we left Suna." Kankuro mumbled under his breath, but not quietly enough that no one else wouldn't hear him.
Baki chose to ignore the jibe, shaking his head before walking away, but not before he had one last thing to say.
"Perform well, but not in a way that makes the kingdom look bad. . . We don't want to come out of this as a walking laughingstock, or a place where they question our sanity."
"We'll try our best, Baki! Enjoy the show!" Temari called after him, smirking slightly as Gaara scowled, the latter knowing that the man's last piece of advice was directed at him.
Shukaku also didn't take the words too kindly, ranting about turban-wearing idiots the entire time the trio made their way to the designated waiting room.
When they finally reached said room, they were quick to notice that they were one of the last to arrive. Aside from the Nara heir, everyone else was present, and all eyes were now on them as they passed through the doorway . . .
. . . Except the princess. She was meditating off to the side, tuning out the rest of the world.
"Huh, didn't expect you all to be here already!" Kankuro uttered, not realizing he said that out loud until it was too late. "Eager much?"
"Eh, you could say that" Haruka mumbled as she went back to her card game with Nanami and Prince Naruto. "Now that the royal Wind trio has finally arrived, who's still missing again?"
"Just Shikamaru," Neji called out from his spot across the room. "But that's to be expected from a Nara. Their intelligence can never be argued, but their laziness and occasional lateness tends to be infamous."
"Huh, looks like you'll have one less competitor to deal with sis." Kankuro mumbled as Temari quietly shook her head.
"Not really," Shikamaru announced, finally making his appearance right behind the siblings.
No one flinched at his sudden arrival.
"Took you long enough Shikamaru." Nanami declared as he started shuffling the cards. "Did your mother have to drag you out of bed again?"
"No, but she made it very clear that if I didn't show up, I better not bother coming home tonight."
"Hmm, that definitely sounds like the Lady of the Nara Clan . . . It's good to see you heed her words then," Naruto remarked as he looked over at his friend. "You still tired though?"
"I'm always tired." Shikamaru admitted as he walked over to a nearby bench, stretching himself across it like a cat. "It's basically in my nature at this point."
"Yep, his intelligence really is the only reason he's made it this far."Shukaku grumbled bluntly as the siblings made their way over to an unoccupied corner of the room, but not before Temari shot Shikamaru an unimpressed glance first.
"Baki likes to say that one's intelligence can be just as dangerous, if not more, than one's physical ability," Gaara droned on as he sat down. "He may not look the part, but Shikamaru Nara could end up being one of the most dangerous competitors in this competition before the day is up."
"From a smarts standpoint, possibly. From a physical standpoint, nope, not in the slightest. You can't convince me otherwise," Shukaku mumbled. "On the other hand, some of the remaining meat in here may put up some decent fights . . . However, you must remember that your main competition is going to be the Fire Prince and Princess, especially if they know how to pull out my siblings' power to use to their advantage."
"Is it possible they know how to do that already?"
"It is. I'll admit that much,"Shukaku stated. Gaara could easily picture the tanuki shaking his head as he spoke. "The girl may have had an easier time convincing Ryuna to work with her though. Ryuna was always more easy going at best, indifferent at worst kind of beast, but if you ever managed to get on her last nerve, I wish you the best of luck."
"And how many times have you pissed your sister off since you all started existing again?"
"Fuck off Gaara,"Came Shukaku's immediate reply.". . . As for Kurama, he's never been keen on being a team player, but his vessel may have convinced him otherwise. That Naruto kid has quite the knack for winning people over to his side, so it's not hard to think he may have won that blasted fox over, although it may have taken him some time to do so."
Gaara had witnessed Naruto's charm in action during his father's welcome dinner when he interacted with the Wind nobility, which was impressive given the fact they were notorious for being as harsh as the desert winds. In the end, the fox-faced teen somehow managed to win them over with an ease so seamless that it impressed Temari, left Kankuro in slight awe, and made Gaara even more wary of the blonde.
The dinner also made it apparent that the twins were treated differently by others compared to how he gets treated by those within his kingdom. Sure, his royal status made things easier for him, but whenever he had to interact with people, he knew they didn't do it because they genuinely liked him or respected him for that matter. It was like they were eternally walking on eggshells, careful not to make that mistake that would make him angry.
He never saw a hint of the same fear or uncertainty when he watched the twins interact with the others at dinner. Naruto was the one that warmed people over with ease, but Shizuka had the more cautious, observant approach. She would speak with a voice that held an air of trained diplomacy to it, but she wasn't as forward with it as her brother was.
Overall, she'd rather observe than speak, which made her the more dangerous one in his eyes.
Speaking of the Fire Princess, Gaara found her sitting off to the side, away from everyone else in the room. Sitting cross legged on a stool, she was quietly taking in the room with a serene expression on her face, yet despite the calm facade she displayed, the redhead could tell that the girl was ready to spring at the first wrong move.
"I see someone can't keep his eyes off a certain princess, again."
Gaara'simmediate reaction was to send a bit of his sand straight into his brother's eyes, hitting him dead on. Temari barely held back her laughter as Kankuro struggled to clear his eyes, cursing his brother as he went.
He managed to finally get his vision in check just as one of the village chunin stepped into the room calling for everyone's attention.
"If you could all follow me, please. I will be leading you to the battlefield." He announced, gesturing to the exit behind him. Not wanting to waste any time, the remaining finalists followed him, moving through a series of hallways until they reached the field's entry point. The sounds of the audience had steadily grown larger and louder as they neared the entrance, reaching its apex as soon as the group appeared on the field.
"Sheesh . . . The stands are absolutely packed!" Haruka yelled, her voice barely reaching the others as the deafening screams and cheers continued. "There's not an empty seat in the house."
"Why would there be?" Neji asked in return as the crowds finally started to quiet down. "The Showcase brings people together from all walks of life, from the common peasant to high royalty. . . This event has become so important to witness that no one wants to miss it if they can help it."
"Plus, who wouldn't want to watch young genin knock the shit out of each other for personal and kingdom pride?" Sasuke added, a rare smirk showing on his face.
"Duck-butt Uchiha makes a very good point." Shukaku piped up as the group stood in one line in the middle of the arena floor. ". . . And by the way, the shit you pulled struggling against that Lee kid back in the preliminaries will not happen here today, you hear me fleshbag!? If I feel you struggling, even once, I'm fucking taking over, and you will not fucking stop me!"
"Aw . . . you do care." Gaara mocked him in turn as he looked up, scanning the crowd until he found the VIP box, an area separate from the rest of the stands, narrowing his eyes when he spotted the person he was looking for.
"I don't care like that fleshbag, and you know it!"
"Yeah, keep telling yourself that Shukaku," was all Gaara said before tuning the tanuki out, keeping his eyes on the VIP box instead. His jade eyes were squarely on his father, who was busy conversing with King Minato.
Gaara knew there was something off about his father ever since the man stepped foot in Konoha. He didn't know how he knew, but he knew all the same. Unfortunately, he still couldn't figure out what exactly about the man was putting him on edge.
Then again, King Rasa has been putting the redhead on edge ever since he could understand words.
He had yet to voice his concerns with his siblings, but he could tell that his sister was also feeling similar regarding the old man. Only time will tell it what was putting him on edge about the man would eventually reveal itself.
And yet, something told Gaara that revelation was going to come sooner rather than later.
A/N: Leave a comment if you like!