New Teammates

Just as Naruto emerged from his morning practice session, Konan swiftly arranged a meeting for him and his two teammates.

Was it too hasty?

Naruto was taken aback, but he acquiesced to the plan.

After an early breakfast with Konan and Nagato, Naruto followed Konan's lead, still clad in the suit and leather shoes that hardly resembled ninja attire. His footwear even comprised a pair of small white leather shoes.

Truth be told, Naruto had never fancied the traditional ninja footwear. To him, they hardly seemed like shoes at all, more like sandals...

What good were shoes with exposed toes and heels?

Ninjas needed flexibility in combat, often concealing weapons or lock-picking tools beneath their feet. If captured, they could wriggle free from bonds using these hidden tools, showcasing their formidable prowess.

But Naruto wasn't adept at such techniques.

He donned a hat atop his head, mask removed from his face.

No longer the figure of Asura from the Akatsuki, nor the legendary challenger seeking battles worldwide, Naruto was now just Naruto from The Village Hidden by Rain.

Wait, was he registered as Naruto or Asura by Konan? He used Asura as a codename to deceive the current Akatsuki members.

However, it seemed everyone knew he was Naruto, save for the later recruits.

Who could blame him? Naruto wasn't exactly subtle; oftentimes, he voluntarily disclosed his true identity.

In addition to his usual attire, Naruto was also carrying an umbrella – not just any umbrella, but a flower folding umbrella, with an antique vibe and delicate floral patterns adorning its oiled paper surface. Quite beautiful, really.

But while it might be cute for a girl to carry, it seemed a bit out of place for a strong, towering guy like him, standing at a solid 1.8 meters tall.

When Naruto finally located his teammates, the two young women were left speechless.

Ajisai and Hibiscus – their names, fittingly enough, matched their floral-themed companion. Both girls, specially chosen by Konan for this mission. 

As the trio met for the first time, Ajisai and Hibiscus (acbg) looked up at Naruto in astonishment. Surely, he had to be eighteen or nineteen, right?

"Hey there, I'm Naruto, your teammate," Naruto greeted them with a smile. "Let's make the best of this Chunin exam, shall we?"

Ajisai had short purple hair, while Hibiscus sported long black hair cascading down her shoulders. Both wore forehead protectors, giving them a decent enough appearance. Not exactly renowned names or powerhouse roles, but perhaps their looks were their strong suit?

"Wait a sec," Naruto suddenly noticed something, scrutinizing Ajisai closely before it hit him. "Wait, aren't you from the Animal Path?"

"You've got some nerve, calling me a beast!" Ajisai retorted, taken aback by the unexpected jab.

A teammate?

It dawned on Naruto. Wasn't Ajisai the only female animal path in Pain's Six Paths in the original story?

There were two versions of the Animal Path – the first was male, but when Jiraiya infiltrated the The Village Hidden by Rain to gather intel on Pain and Akatsuki, it met its end in battle.

Nagato couldn't...

Naruto hadn't anticipated her being on his team.

This was truly unexpected.

Ajisai was baffled by her teammate's rudeness, and the three of them exchanged speechless glances, creating an awkward atmosphere.

Initially, Ajisai and Hibiscus had their regular teammate, Water Lily. But this time, Konan had forcibly split the team and paired Naruto with them for the Chunin exam.

Addressing the Ajisai in front of her, Hibiscus asked, "Where's your forehead protector?" She noticed Naruto wasn't wearing one, which was odd for a The Village Hidden by Rain representative. "We're representing The Village Hidden by Rain, so at least put on the forehead protector."

"And hasn't Lord Angel informed you?" Ajisai interjected, her anger subsiding as she tried to explain. "We have three teams for the Chunin exam this time. We'll meet up with them later before heading to Konoha Village together. We'll also have a caretaker along the way."

Konan hadn't gone into specifics, just mentioning it in passing. But she knew Naruto's strength made such details trivial.

Naruto rummaged through his pockets and pulled out a mishmash of items—bills, coins, and detonating charms—all crammed together, representing the The Village Hidden by Rain's forehead protector. The Ajisai and Hibiscus were speechless. Did he seriously put all this together like this? Were they in danger of detonating at any moment?

Those detonating charms were gifts from Konan. Naruto had misunderstood something.

Konan, skilled in "Paper Dun" ninjutsu, also excelled in crafting detonating talismans. Before, without Akatsuki's support, she helped sustain The Village Hidden by Rain's economy by selling these charms.

Once, when Naruto suggested Konan not buy any more explosive charms, she was surprised. She had thought he wanted them, so she'd given him plenty.

Despite Naruto seeming unprepared and more relaxed than anyone else, he actually concealed scrolls in his clothes. These scrolls sealed items he rarely used, easily accessible when needed.

It was a technique commonly used by ninjas, one Naruto had learned from Sasori. Sasori, a puppet master, sealed items in scrolls for easy access.

However, Naruto had used this technique for less-than-altruistic purposes.

In one of Naruto's scrolls lay countless detonating symbols, maybe not 600 billion, but certainly over 100,000.

Could he create a nuclear explosion with them?

.....

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