Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Convention ❯ Chapter 1

1. yin and yang (differences) - linited

 

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`I need a bigger office.' Tsunade glanced around the packed room. Every inch of space was taken up with elite shinobi. `I'm going to have to start hanging them from the ceiling at this rate.'

 

Since it was a friendly meeting with people they knew, no one was particularly interested in suppressing their chakra. The resulting soup was almost overwhelming as the most powerful members of the Hidden Leaf village horsed around and generally annoyed their Kage. A loud crash came from the back of the office.

 

“Oops. Damn, that looked expensive.”

 

“Naruto, I told you not to touch anything.”

 

“Let it go, Yamamoto. Whenever he's around, things get broken.”

 

“Kaka-sensei!”

 

“Everyone's here, so we can get started now.” Amber eyes narrowed when not a single head turned her way. “Hey, we can start the briefing now.”

 

Lee pumped his fist in the air. “Anything is possible with the power of youth!”

 

“I bet you twenty laps around the village you can't!” Naruto smirked at his friend, knowing that the taijutsu specialist would never refuse a challenge like that.

 

From the back of the group came, “He has no penis.”

 

“Do not use that language around Hanabi-sama.” Neji glared, ignoring the glare that Hanabi was directing back at him.

 

“Do not talk about me like I am not here,” the Hyuuga heiress hissed at her cousin.

 

“Damnit, Sai, quit talking about that stuff!”

 

“I will accept your challenge, Naruto! If I cannot reassemble the vase, I will run two hundred laps around the village!”

 

“Two hundred? I said twenty! I'm not running around the damn village two hundred times!”

 

“Quit yelling, dobe.”

 

“Bastard!”

 

Tsunade looked to her right where her protégé was standing. “Sakura, could you please?”

 

“Sure, shishou.” The kunoichi in question reached into her hip pouch and pulled out a pair of black leather gloves. With a distinctive squeak, she pulled one on.

 

The room was plunged into silence, all heads snapping around to stare at the now armed young woman.

 

“Thank you, Sakura.” Tsunade tented her fingers, looking around her crowded office. “You are all here for the same mission. This is considered S-rank.”

 

The atmosphere changed, the horseplay and foolishness subsiding. All fifteen shinobi looked to their leader.

 

“For the first time in history, the Kages from all five countries are meeting. We came so close to another war, and no one wants it to happen again. Tomorrow I am heading to a secret location for two weeks of meetings with the other four Kages. For security reasons, the number of people attending is limited. The arrangement is for each Kage to have two three-person ANBU cells to act as guards and no more then two assistants.”

 

The gathered shinobi started to look at each other. A couple started counting on their fingers.

 

“My first ANBU cell will be led by Kakashi, and will include Lee and Neji. My second ANBU cell will be led by Tsuzuki, and will include Tenten and Hideaki. My assistants will be Sakura and Shizune.”

 

Naruto looked around the room, holding up seven fingers. “So why did you drag the rest of us here, Granny?”

 

Tsunade smirked at the noisy blonde. “Because the Hidden Leaf village will be sending more then one Kage. The Sixth will be coming with us.”

 

The entire group looked around, as though an unknown shinobi was hiding in the room somewhere.

 

“Yamamoto, you will be leading an ANBU cell, which will include Hanabi and Sai, and Sasuke, you will be leading a cell including Ami and Hiroshi. Those cells will be the guards for Naruto.”

 

All eyes turned to the blonde, who was staring at Tsunade. “Why do I have guards?”

 

Sakura groaned, dropping her face into her hand. “Shishou, are you sure about this?”

 

Tsunade chuckled, leaning back in her chair. “I've been sure for years. There's no one else I can see as the Sixth. He's the one that did the negotiations for this meeting, after all.”

 

Lee jumped into his nice guy pose. “Congratulations, Naruto! I mean, Hokage-sama!”

 

Naruto's eyes narrowed. “Hang on a second, are you saying . . . “

 

“I think he has it.” Kakashi flipped a page.

 

“Yes! Yes, yes, yes!” Naruto started to pump his fist in the air and jump around. “I'm gonna be Hokage! I'm gonna be Hokage!”

 

“Congratulations, brat. Now knock it off before I change my mind.” Tsunade smiled as the blonde subsided to just rocking and grinning. “This is an ANBU mission for the guards. That means an ANBU uniform, Lee.”

 

Rock Lee snapped to attention. “Understood! I will pack appropriately, Hokage-sama!”

 

“This is S-ranked for a reason. With all five Kage gathered in one place, we will be at risk from the time we leave the village until the meetings are complete. Not only will the other Kages be a threat, there is the chance of an outside attack targeting all five villages at once. Come prepared. We leave tomorrow morning at dawn. This is a very time sensitive mission, so I will not be accepting any late arrivals. Kakashi.”

 

“I'm not sure what you're referring to, Tsunade-sama.” Kakashi never looked away from his book.

 

“ANBU are dismissed. I need to go over some details with my assistants and the Sixth.”

 

“I like the sound of that.” Naruto grinned wildly at everyone. “Yup, I'm the Sixth.”

 

The ANBU rolled their eyes, nearly in unison. Tsunade raised an eyebrow at that, wondering if perhaps that was a part of the training she had not been aware of. Neji and Hanabi both bowed and left the office, filing out one at a time and taking most of the ANBU with them. Lee stopped to pick up the broken vase before hurrying to the doorway, mumbling about his challenge. He stopped at the door to salute. “I will be ready with the sun, Hokage-sama and Hokage-sama! Hokages-sama . . . Umm, Godaime-sama and Rokudaime-sama!”

 

“Ah, come on, Lee, it's still just Naruto.” The new Hokage rubbed at the back of his neck. “It's not like Granny's kicked over or anything.”

 

“Kicked . . . over?” Tsunade glared at her successor. “Don't get any ideas, brat.”

 

“But . . . you are now a Hokage. You are a leader in the village. You are a source of power and inspiration and youthful energy for all of the inhabitants . . . umf!”

 

Tenten clapped her hand over her friend's mouth and started to drag him out the door. “Sorry about that, I think Lee's had a bit too much excitement this morning.”

 

“Uf da owa uf UTH!” Lee gave the room a thumbs up as he was dragged out backwards.

 

Kakashi was the last out and he paused at the door, glancing back. “You do remember that I'm not ANBU anymore, right? I retired years ago.”

 

For half an instant, regret flashed through Tsunade's eyes. She knew why he had retired, and that he wanted nothing to do with ANBU anymore. “I know. But this mission is too important. I need the Copy Nin.”

 

Kakashi nodded, then headed out, closing the door behind him.

 

“So, Granny, what's the plan?” Naruto rocked on the balls of his feet, still grinning madly.

 

Tsunade smirked a bit in response to her overexcited successor. She could hear some of her ANBU continuing their arguments outside of her window. Something about youthful language around a lady and laps around the village. `I wonder if the other Kages have this much trouble?'

 

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Gaara looked up when his brother and sister walked into his office. “We are leaving tomorrow for a meeting. We will also be bringing two ANBU cells. Kankuro, select the cells. Temari, we are meeting with all of the other Kages for the next two weeks. Decide what topics you would like addressed.”

 

The two siblings glanced at each other, then shared a shrug.

 

“Sure, Gaara.”

 

“I'll take care of it, Gaara.”