Student Exchange

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I added an auxiliary chapter with character pictures if you want to check...

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A few steps away, the Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, had also landed. His eyes, usually filled with wisdom and patience, now mirrored a storm of emotions - anger, sadness, and embarrassment. As the Hokage of Konoha, he was responsible for maintaining peace and safety in his village, ensuring all citizens were treated with respect. The sight of one of his village's shinobi treating Naruto, their Jinchuriki, like a mere tool was a blow to his pride.

The two elder council members, Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado, had also appeared, their sharp gazes settling on Ryomaru and A. Their faces were pulled into expressions of distaste, a clear indication of their disdain for the situation.

"Is this how you treat your Jinchuriki, Hokage?" A asked, his voice deep and filled with disappointment. The brotherly love he had for B, his own village's Jinchuriki, was strong and unwavering. Witnessing the dehumanization of Naruto at the hands of Konoha's shinobi made him question the integrity of the other village.

Sarutobi swallowed hard, the bitter taste of regret lingering in his mouth. "No, this is not how we treat our Jinchuriki, Raikage-sama," he said. "Naruto is a valued member of our village, not a weapon. What you witnessed was an isolated incident, and I assure you, it will be dealt with."

Ryomaru glanced at A, who was still locked in a stern stare-down with the ANBU. Ryomaru knew that A's disappointment wasn't solely directed at the ANBU or the Hokage. It was a reflection of the Raikage's broader disappointment in the world that failed to see Jinchuriki as more than just tools of destruction. The disappointment in the world that had also failed to understand his Uncle B.

Relief washed over Ryomaru as he thought of his Uncle B safe in Kumogakure. Yet, simultaneously, a sense of guilt gnawed at him for Naruto, who was bearing the weight of an unjust world. As his gaze swept over the unconscious children once again, his heart ached for their innocence tarnished by the brutalities of their world.

Raikage's voice snapped him out of his thoughts. He looked on as his father's piercing gaze targeted a shadow, a voice thundering across the park, "You can come out, Danzo. You are not as good at skulking as you think you are. Warn your ROOT that if they dare touch a hair on my son, they will no longer have a hand."

Ryomaru felt a chill creep up his spine at the cold, unyielding determination lacing Raikage's words. There was no warmth or affection in his voice, but the fierce protectiveness was undeniable. Ryomaru turned his attention back to the masked figure materializing from the shadows. His ice-blue eyes met Danzo's single visible one, a silent standoff ensuing between them.

The tension was interrupted by the unmistakable shrill voice of elder Koharu Utatane. "Are you threatening an elder of my village?" Her face was a hard mask of outrage, eyes narrowed accusingly at the Raikage.

A raised an eyebrow at her question, his voice calm but firm, "I am, what about it?" His casual shrug belied the stern message underlying his words. No one, not even the mighty Hokage, could harm his son without facing his wrath.

Danzo remained silent, emerging from the shadows. His single eye bore into Ryomaru, a dangerous blend of curiosity and loathing glimmering in its depths. His silence was unnerving, a coward's ploy waiting for someone else to take the fall for his actions. His gaze was just as cold as the winter winds blowing across the Frost country. A tension filled the air that even the chirping of the few remaining birds couldn't break.

Seizing the opportunity, Raikage stepped forward, drawing the attention away from his son, "Now that we are allies, I would like to offer a piece of advice, Hokage." His voice was heavy but carried a hint of concern. "B, my brother, is loved by everyone in the village, and that is one of the ways to fully control the Tailed Beast's Chakra. I would offer you to send the kid to interact with B, but I know you will not, now when these three bats suspect even the slightest goodwill we show you. Just look how they treated my son when he was being friendly."

As his father spoke, Ryomaru looked on, silently appreciating the advice being given. It was not a solution, but a gesture of goodwill, an attempt to change Naruto's destiny, an offer to show him a different kind of life where he was seen and valued for who he was, not what he held within him.

Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, hung his head in shame as he listened to A's words. The sagacious man who was known to hold his ground was momentarily at a loss of words. It was an undeniable truth, a hard pill to swallow, and the regret that followed was evident in the silence that ensued.

A continued, "My offer stands, if you want your Jinchuriki—" but was cut short by Ryomaru, his voice louder than usual as he interjected, "His name is Naruto."

His words echoed through the park, and in that moment, all eyes were on him. He met the gaze of each person present there, refusing to back down. The hint of a smile tugged at the corners of Hokage's lips, a spark of gratitude and respect flickering in his eyes. It seemed to Ryomaru that at least one person there understood what he was trying to say.

A hearty laugh erupted from the Raikage, the rich sound filling the park, "Right. If you want Naruto to learn how to control the tailed beast's chakra, then you can send him to Cloud, B can help him. But even if you don't, don't let ignorant people treat him as a monster. One day, if he snaps due to it, you can't contain him easily."

Ryomaru could see the truth behind his father's words. Naruto was not a monster; he was a young boy, like him, trying to navigate a complicated world. And if he were ever driven to the point of losing control, it would not be his failure, but the failure of those who pushed him to that edge.

Ryomaru seized the moment, his youthful voice piercing the thick tension, "How about a student exchange?"

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