96 Combat Draw

Spent a month on vacation in Konoha, which became increasingly crowded with tourists and envoys eagerly awaiting the start of the Chunin exams' grand finale. Businesses were booming, and prices increased to maximize profits.

Did we do anything remotely productive other than training?

Hmm, there is actually something, but calling it productive or useful is relative.

I remember one night we all went out to eat, and somehow, in a way that I'm not very clear about, I ended up teaching them how to do that Irish dance that uses tap dance as if your feet were bewitched.

I think it was called Riverdance?

I didn't even need the special soles!

Fu, Karin, Shizune, Anko, and Ameyuri ended up joining me with enthusiasm, and after a bit of practice, we ended up dancing in sync as a group on a wooden board amidst laughter and applause from others.

Apart from that, we really just had fun together.

Mikoto seemed to react positively during our stay and started to open up a bit more, perhaps due to the familiar environment. I can say that some people recognized her, but then shook their heads, probably thinking that she should only be someone who looks like herself.

She didn't seem to mind that Kimimaro beat up Sasuke; she almost seemed grateful for bringing the kid's ego down and giving him a taste of reality, although maybe that was just my impression.

"Enel!" someone shouted.

"A!"

The Raikage and I met on the way to the coliseum, and after a competition in the pure style of Major Armstrong VS Curtis, we shook hands and put our arms around each other's necks, laughing.

"What are you doing?" Tsunade shook her head embarrassed.

Meanwhile, Pakura, Ameyuri, and Anko secretly wiped drool from the corners of their mouths.

It seems like I'll have them motivated tonight! My mood just improved infinitely.

"Why did you decide to come?" I asked intrigued. "I thought you were going to send a representative or something, at least that's what your letter from last week said."

"That was the plan, but after hearing how your brats managed to reach the final, I thought, 'I have to see this!'" the Raikage responded with enthusiasm. "Besides, I had to come in person to congratulate you!" he added, looking at the gleaming rings.

"Can you leave the village for so many days?"

"Mabui took care of everything, no problem," the Raikage waved his hand. "Come on, I really want to see Sarutobi's old man's expression and laugh. I heard you gave him a lesson?"

"Oh?" I looked at him with a hint of surprise. "It seems like your 'ears' in Konoha are quite good."

"It's basic," the Raikage shrugged as he entered the stadium with me after bidding farewell to my group, who would sit in the public stands.

"You didn't send your best genin to the exam, did you?"

"I sent a team composed of genin from civilian backgrounds, but I didn't expect them to be eliminated in the first phase during the exam," he shook his head clearly disappointed. "It's a shame; they made people think my village is only full of brutes."

"You know that the news started leaking," I told him in the hallway.

"That old man Onoki still holds a grudge against you," the Raikage laughed. "The positive part is that everything is so 'ridiculous' that they don't trust the information that reached them, so we still have some margin to work with," he said shrewdly. "Let's talk later; Sarutobi was never someone who respected privacy within his own village."

Incredible, it seems that the fame of the Third Hokage and his infamous crystal ball has transcended lands.

We both reached the box reserved for the Kages and the dignitaries of the daimyos, went through the boring polite chat with Sarutobi, and saw that the arrangement of the chairs was not to our liking, so we kicked them and both conjured up cloud chairs to make ourselves comfortable.

"Do you have those apples of yours?" the Raikage asked.

"Always," I responded as I handed him one.

"I've heard about the fame of these fruits, would you be so kind as to provide me with one?"

From Sarutobi's side, Orochimaru leaned back in his chair and looked at me interested. I don't know why he wants one, as I understand that the man sustains himself on nutritious drinks to not waste time eating, but he still threw one to him.

(I just realized that this is the second time I've made Orochimaru eat an apple, in two different fanfictions, haha)

Also, I find it interesting that having faced Rasa several times in the past, the Third Hokage didn't notice anything wrong in Orochimaru's way of speaking. Even the Raikage, who seems lost in the deliciousness of the apple, seems to feel that something is off without being able to pinpoint that it's because of the way his eyes move.

Time passes, and the stadium fills up, approaching the time of the first match.

"What are your prospects for the final?" Sarutobi asked, playing his role as a host and politician in front of the daimyos' representatives.

There are three complete teams from Sunagakure, Seimeigakure, and Konoha, so in reality, many people (among the civilians) consider the situation fairly balanced and expect a closely contested victory.

Sunagakure: Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro.

Seimeigakure: Karin, Kimimaro, and Haku.

Konoha: Shino, Choji, and Hinata.

"I'm going for your team," the Raikage doesn't hesitate to point to my kids and show his confidence in them.

He always thought that if I can bring out the SMILES and the artificial Byakugan, then I must have better things for my people. And he's not wrong!

"I think my children have a chance," Orochimaru replied, embodying his role as Rasa.

Poor choice of words, by the way; Rasa hates Gaara and doesn't pay too much attention to the other two. So, being optimistic... oh, wait, in fact, Rasa would say that to keep the face of his village even if it's not what he thinks.

Well played, Orochimaru. Although the fact that you refer to them as children instead of ninjas gives you away a bit, but I understand that it's to unconsciously emphasize the fact that you are Rasa and not someone else pretending to be him.

"My genin won't even break a sweat," I said matter-of-factly, given that the exam wasn't even a challenge for them and is more of a field experience.

"This old man still believes in the younger generation," Sarutobi laughed, playing the card of the kind grandfather who definitely didn't make the son of the village's savior condemned to ostracism to train him with the Will of Fire as if he were a dog.

The live draw takes place to determine the opponents by drawing balls from a cardboard box, all very impartial... as if I'm going to believe it.

Since the finals have an odd number of people, someone has to get the bye to skip a fight. And when the result comes out, I can only sigh because I almost expected it.

Guess who gets it?

----

I made a new level on my Patreon dedicated to those images that people ask for, especially for some scenes from my fanfics.

I remember that, for example, many wanted to see Tayuya from my first FF with her change of look, since it will be the first of many that I will upload (I hope).

I also put other things, these are some examples.

[Look at this]

Basically if you like getting these things, this is made for you.