Land of Fire

[STORY]

Locations of Interest
⦿ Konohagakure—(木ノ葉隠れの里, Konohagakure no Sato, English TV: "Village Hidden in the Leaves" or "Hidden Leaf Village", literally meaning: Village Hidden by Tree Leaves) is the hidden village of the Land of Fire. As the village of one of the Five Great Shinobi Countries, Konohagakure has a Kage as its leader known as the Hokage, of which there have been seven in its history. Konoha resides deep within a forest at the base of a mountain known as the Hokage Rock, which has the faces of all those who have taken the office of Hokage engraved on it.

⦿ Tanzaku Quarters—(短冊街, Tanzaku-gai, English TV: Tanzaku Town, literally meaning: Poem Card Quarters) resides in the Land of Fire and is a fair distance from Konoha. It is a lively town that attracts many adults due to its gambling opportunities and fine women. Much of the Search for Tsunade takes place in or around Tanzaku Quarters at the same time that a festival is going on. The Tanzaku Castle (短冊城, Tanzaku-jō, literally meaning: Poem Card Castle) is a popular tourist attraction.​

 

[Scarlet_Witch_King]

​

---

The land of fire, the birthplace of the hidden leaf village, and many clans that once waged war on this land now live together in the village, a nation that was also involved with the fifth ninja war with the four other nations who fought the Crescent Coalition. The war and aftermath are what made the entire continent fracture, divide into factions, and bitter to the minors from the treaty the five nations imposed on them which allowed them to strip the technology and research from minor nations, even "her father's" nation were given the same treatment, leaving them with little to none to work with while the five nations flourished with the technology they stole, making the hidden rain resent and despise the five great villages. Sōma Chinoike, the adopted daughter of Inugami Iori, The Chameleon Sage and Doctor of Amegakure sent her to the hidden leaf at the request of their village head, Xiulan, after years of bitterness, reluctant to send people as representatives of Ame.

Sōma Chinoike was walking through the forest, on a path that would lead her to the destination she was reading on the map then looked around to make sure the path she was taking was right but didn't see anything on the map she continued forward. The young girl sighed as she looked up at the clear sky, clouds looming overhead, and everywhere else like it would rain. Still, this nation doesn't rain a lot, not like home which she misses so much and would want to go back home but promised her father that she would make him proud by going and serving her country. The village gates came into view as she continued walking down the dirt, the hidden leaf gates guarded by the leaf ninja, their attire looks sophisticated and heavy from her analysis but she quickly put that away when they asked for her business and papers of immigration, the men who inspected her and the headband quickly realized where this little girl is from before letting her in without a issue.

​

 

[Dio]

The air inside this place has long gone stale, boggy with a haze of musky cigars and the desperation of hopeful gamblers clutching at dreams with the fervours of drowning men. Satoma sat down in the same spot he had been all night, on a table playing cards—the very same cards that have been betraying him all night. His eyes conveyed a sense of anxiety and hooded, as if reflecting the weight of all the losses he's experiencing; displaying a sense of vulnerability and unease. His fingers twitched toward the pile of dwindling chips as if their touch alone might coax fortune back into his hands and keep him in the game longer.

However, it wasn't fortune that awaited him, but instead the tempered grip of this fine establishments staff.

"Come now Satoma. " came the sardonic voice of a burly attendant, his rough hand on Satoma’s shoulder. "You've wagered enough tonight, those were your last chips."

"I have not!" Satoma’s voice rang out, slurred only slightly, indignation clinging to it like dew to a blade of grass. "I was on the cusp—the very cusp—of reclaiming it all!"

Yet even in his defiant voice, he allowed himself to be guided towards to exit of this Casino. Having realised the promises he's made to people he owes money to tonight and constantly losing it, his reluctance was more symbolic than it was genuine. As he reached through the exit and into the warm embrace of Konohagakure's day, he staggered slightly, feeling like his senses had become ambushed by the bright day-time before steadying, sprawling rather gracefully onto the stone stairs outside the casino.

He tipped his head back, the evening’s liquor a slow warmth in his veins, his thoughts tumbling like the dice that had continued breaking his faith only hours before.

It was in this self-imposed exile that the messenger found him. The young courier—his robes crisp and his demeanour sharp—hovered for a moment, caught between the decorum owed to a Jonin and the faint pity one reserves for a fallen idol.

"Satoma Senju," he said at last, his voice clipped and official. "I bring instructions from the Hokage. You were meant to receive these yesterday."

Satoma blinked, his face the very picture of belated comprehension. "Yesterday?" he echoed, the word rolling off his tongue as if it were foreign to him.

The messenger’s expression did not change, though his brow furrowed ever so slightly. "You are to report to the village gates. A transfer student awaits you—a new addition to Konoha."

"A transfer student?" Satoma repeated, his tone oscillating between incredulity and mild disdain. He leaned back against the stair’s edge, gazing skyward once more. "Why not send someone else? Surely there are Shinobi with a far greater penchant for... welcoming."

The messenger, unflinching, took a measured step closer. "Your recent behavior has not gone unnoticed by the Hokage. It would be wise to remind yourself of your standing within this village, Satoma-sama. The peace we enjoy now is not an invitation for indulgence."

The words struck him not as an admonishment, but as an indictment of his very soul. Satoma’s lips curled into a faint smile—more bitter than amused. "Tell Hiroshi Sarutobi," he said, his voice dripping with the ironic charm of a man half-tipsy and wholly reckless, "that his wisdom is, as ever, appreciated. I shall make my way to the gates presently."

The messenger bowed, though it was more out of formality than respect. As he vanished into the busy streets, Satoma lingered, the warmth of the sun warming him to the edges of his sobriety.

For a moment, he allowed himself to feel the weight of the Hokage's unspoken warning, the spectre of something ominous lurking just beyond the veil of peace. And yet, beneath it all, a quieter truth surfaced—one he could not ignore. He had lost himself in the vices of drink and dice not merely out of boredom but as an escape from his own failure: the fuinjutsu seal he had been working on tirelessly to create and master, one which drew direct inspiration from Strength of a Hundred Seal, seeking to create a formula which could help pool his own chakra reserves. The failure of making the seal work was taking a mental toll on him, pushing Satoma to self-indulgence for relief. A coping mechanism he developed in his youth to escape past trauma, forever seeking strength he feared he could never attain. Despite his achievements.

With a deep breath, he brought himself up to his feet again. His steps steady despite the evening’s indulgences. Taking on this responsibility with all-seriousness as he made his way to the village gates; not knowing what to expect.

 

[Scarlet_Witch_King]

---

The Hidden Leaf Village sprawled out before her, a vibrant and modern place, brimming with life and adorned with an array of colorful sights. The streets were alive with laughter and activity, the air filled with a sense of community that felt foreign to her. Among these people, who revered the ideals of their village yet carried the weight of its dark history—crimes and atrocities committed in the name of Shinobi—she felt like an outsider. The warmth and unity they shared seemed like a world she could not step into.

Her father’s parting words echoed in her mind, their cryptic nature gnawing at her thoughts: “Beware the rain that carries whispers, for the cunning fox weaves lies within the storm.” The message, more confusing than enlightening, left her unsettled. What rain? What whispers? And who was this cunning fox? The more she thought about it, the less it made sense, yet it lingered like a shadow at the edges of her mind, refusing to be ignored.

She shook the thoughts away, focusing instead on the task at hand. Word had reached her that someone was due to arrive at the gates of the village—someone she was to meet. Who this person might be, she didn’t know, but she silently prayed they would possess some level of intelligence. The guards at the gate, with their often dull and mechanical demeanor, hadn’t impressed her. She hoped her new encounter would be different.

With a deep breath, she turned her gaze toward the gates, standing tall and resolute, waiting for whoever it was that fate had decided to send her way.​

---

 

[Aōi]

The growing sun beams would lift the curtain of clouds as the rays would cast themselves over the greater part of the lushest village within the Shinobi Union. Konohagakure always stood as a pillar of central strength within the larger Shinobi Continent, with its bountiful pastures and the blissful peace that permeated and grew like a fungus throughout, filling the village's residents with joy and calm. Long since passed the days of tragedy and war with young men and women having to put pause to their natural growth for the unnatural atrocities that took place during wartime. Conflict between ninja villages stained history like spilled wine on a blank page, with blood being shed on every front-line and forefront. Countless lives were lost in those times but now prosperity wreathed itself across the land and ninja everywhere were grateful.

As the sun climbed ever higher into the sky, shining down upon the early morning streets of the Hidden Leaf, in the northern part of the village could be found a long…long…line? Albeit early in the morning, business never seemed to halt itself for one particular store within Konoha. Gēmuniiku (ゲームに行く, Go for Game), is the largest trading card store within the borders of the Land of Fire, home to multiple dozens of card games and also just regular games as well. It was the mecca for children's entertainment within the village and today was a particularly special day for the store as a new card set was released introducing a new format to the most popular trading card game played across the world, Shinobi-Taiketsu!™ (忍者対決, Ninja-Showdown!) and countless people ranging from not only children but some groups of grown adults who did not appear to even have children to play the game (not that it was a requirement). It attracted players from all walks of life, and those waiting in line early were competitive trading card game players who participated in tournaments across the Union. Getting their booster boxes early as a means to upgrade their decks and keep up with the growing interest and structure of the game.

For one particular ninja it was just another regular set release day, he was largely disinterested as the crowd was loud and bothersome and people shoved him unnecessarily to jockey for space. Thankfully he would be one of the first several people to be let inside to make purchases and collect pre-ordered products.



The raven-haired Uchiha stood in like while fidgeting with his shuriken, spinning it in his fingers and switching it from index to middle and back again without even remotely cutting himself. He was chewing bubblegum incessantly and upon popping his final bubble, the first few dozen people were allowed to shop in the store. He quickly joined the line for pre-orders and within minutes he would find himself at the beginning of the lineup

“Hey Daimaru, how’s your mother? I heard she’s got a new recipe!” the shop clerk mused. Daimaru’ mom was a renowned chef and actively shared and tested some of her new recipes at her restaurant within Konoha. He smiled and scratched the back of his head “She’s pretty good, you should come by and have her new dish. She’s kind of obsessed with seafood right now and I wasn’t so much a fan before but now it's pretty great!” he replied. Daimaru was a foodie, much to his pleasure with a world class cook for a mother. The clerk would laugh as he grabbed a large box from the pile of preorders. This was the size of something a store would buy in bulk of, but this was Daimaru’s regular order and practice as a card player and reseller. “You know, Mr. Shinji would always deliver to your house free of charge, you're a sponsored player here and a valued customer.” he said as he slid the box out from the side of the counter. Daimaru held out his wire strings and tied them tightly around the box and fashioned two straps out of them and when he lifted it up and onto his back it looked like a massive box-shaped knapsack. “Don't worry, I got it! I use this as a means for physical training. Satoma-sensei has been telling me to get my muscles up so that he can teach me more things. Not sure what he has in mind though…” he said. He then waved at the clerk and quickly got out of the store with his enlarged haul upon his back.

Taking off with seemingly very little encumberment or trepidation, the boundless speed of the young shuriken took off with blurring allure, holding tightly onto the box-backpack he made out of sheer creativity. The essence of youth flowed graciously within him. He was excited, mostly to drop this off at home and play around with his cards before having to meet Satoma, but knowing his sensei he had probably “forgotten” after their training last night as he suspiciously went down the wrong street to go home, heading directly to the gambling district. Dai shook his head at the prospect, but also let out a giggle because regardless of what happens, Satoma-sensei would always do his own thing. He liked that about him.

But as he was thinking about him, eerily enough, Daimaru decided to cut through the lewd-ridden district to speed up his time in getting home, and coincidentally saw his esteemed teacher performing one of his many “walks of shame” from his debaucherous acts of the previous night. Dai laughed and actively used his sensei as a reason to never indulge in something as frivolous as alcohol, he would be very comfortable with his card game obsession till the day he died. “I wonder if he’s tired enough to dodge this…” he mused to himself, as he bounced from one end of the rooftop and lept from its ledge, slinging his box-bag from his back and launching it with unerring accuracy towards his unwitting teacher. He aimed directly at his blindspot and was thrown so fast it was like he threw one of his light shurikens, as it soundlessly left his hand as he landed on the rooftop on the opposite side of the street. The box would be a square hit, directly to the back of the neck of the unsuspecting Senju, with enough force to knock him to the ground face first, burying him underneath the bottom surface of the box of cards.

Daimaru would laugh after Body Flickering towards his sensei to then properly greet him on this fine morning. “Looks like you had a long night sensei. Morning tends to hit you like a ton of boxes huh?” he would say sardonically in jest. He would then examine the box to inspect any damage to it, but was unworried given the packaging methods Mr. Shinji uses it specifically for his orders. He would then remove the box from Satoma’s head assuming he failed to evade it to then use it as a seat, crossing his arms as he would wait for an explanation as to how he wasn’t near home.

 

[Dio]

The morning wind licked lazily at the rooftops of Konohagakure as Satoma moved down the sloped path from the casino district. His coat dragged faintly behind him, catching sunlight that had no business feeling this bright. A mild hangover brewed behind his temples, dull but persistent—the kind that reminded him he wasn’t twenty anymore, and that gambling away pride always cost more than ryo.

He was halfway to the village gates when instinct clawed up his spine.

Something's coming.

He didn't see it at first—only felt the air shift, heard the slightest zip cut through the background noise of birds and footsteps. He pivoted, albeit a second slower than he would've liked.

Thunk.

A cardboard brick, large and tightly sealed, collided with his open palm. He caught it—barely. The weight pulled him back a step and he grunted as the box teetered in his hands. The contents rattled—trading cards, reinforced with just enough smugness to count as a weapon. He lowered the box with an exhale, already knowing the culprit before he turned around.

“Only you,” he muttered.

Across the rooftop, Daimaru Uchiha landed with all the grace of someone who thought style was a kekkei genkei.

“I’d know that clowning throw anywhere” Sure enough, Daimaru appeared a second later, smirking like a child who had just thrown a snowball at someone's head. Satoma’s eyes narrowed, though not entirely out of irritation.
“Daimaru,” he drawled, rubbing the bridge of his nose, “when I say train your Shurikenjutsu, I don’t mean weaponize playing cards. You keep this up, and I’ll make you spar me using only a booster pack as a kunai.”

He gave the younger shinobi a look—half warning, half affection. “You’re lucky I didn’t turn that thing into confetti mid-air. Or you.” Still, a small twitch of a smile pulled at the corner of his mouth. He picked the box up, handed it back with a pat, and gave Daimaru a light shove with his elbow. Truthfully, Daimaru’s sudden appearance had worked out better than Satoma expected. The idea of pushing the burden of small talk onto his overly enthusiastic student was a welcome relief—less talking for him, and more time to pretend he was sober. “Follow me.” And just like that, he turned and walked towards the village gate, rubbing his temples as if he could massage the chaos out of his bloodstream.

By the time he reached the gates, the headache was beginning to recede—whether from time, movement, or the sheer force of Daimaru-induced adrenaline, he couldn’t say. But what greeted him there was neither chaos nor complaint.

It was silence.

The girl waiting at the threshold didn’t speak. She simply stood, arms loose, gaze sharp. There was something older than her years behind her eyes—restraint wrapped in steel. Satoma knew the type. Knew it well. “You’ve got the look of someone who’s been warned about Konoha,” he said after a long pause. “And came anyway.”
His voice was low, his tone unreadable, save for a faint rasp that hinted at either alcohol or truth—or both.
“You’re not wrong to be wary. This village will smile at you while hiding the scars beneath the sleeves. But it is home. For some of us, anyway.”

He took a slow step forward.

“I’m Satoma Senju. You’re the transfer student... Sōma. And no, I don’t do warm welcomes. You wouldn’t believe them if I tried.” He motioned casually behind him. “You’ll be with me and Daimaru. This—” He paused briefly as he pointed over his shoulder with his thumb towards Daimaru; “idiot back there, is Daimaru Uchiha. Loud and always looking for trouble.”

Satoma’s eyes met hers, searching but not probing.

“This isn’t a test. But it is a beginning. So however you plan to step into this world—make it your own.”
He turned again, the sunlight warming the edge of his profile. With a subtle tilt of his head toward Daimaru, he wordlessly cued for his student to handle the conversation with Sōma as they made their way down the main footpath, the towering visage of the Hokage Rock looming across the skyline of this beautiful village.

 

[ZimTheInvader]

High atop the roofs of the houses and buildings that lined the meticulously maintained streets of Konohagakure, the firm but agile footsteps of Kokezaru Sarugami could be heard as he hopped from roof to roof—seemingly throwing in the occasional unnecessary flip or spin for flair. The monkey boy looked to be moving swiftly and with purpose, as if he had something important to do—and in fact, to him, the mission he was on was very important. That mission? To go annoy his grandpa.

This grandfather of his was none other than the current Hokage of Konoha, Hiroshi Sarutobi. Some might question how a boy bearing the clan name Sarugami could be related to the Hokage, who belonged to the Sarutobi. A little research would reveal that the two clans shared a historical connection and a distant blood relation. For Kokezaru, though, the relation was simple—his father had married one of Hiroshi’s daughters.

"I wonder what Grandpa's up to. I hope he's not working too hard. If he is, Mum's not gonna be happy."

Kokezaru wondered to himself as he quickly closed in on his target: the Hokage’s Office. The thought came to mind because his mother was a notorious worrywart, especially about the men in her life. She encouraged her son to visit the old man often, hoping his presence might alleviate some of Hiroshi’s stress. Kokezaru himself truly enjoyed hanging out with his grandfather and had been pestering him for a while now to teach him the techniques of the Ninja Monks.

It wouldn’t take long for Kokezaru to arrive at the Hokage’s Office, expertly avoiding security thanks to the patrol routes he had memorized during his many previous visits. Dodging their line of sight, the monkey boy scaled the side of the building effortlessly before making his way to the window.

"Hey Grandpa! Your favourite grandson's here!"

The loud voice of Kokezaru rang out as the boy flipped through the open window in a dramatic attempt to make a grand entrance—never once considering what business the Hokage might be in the middle of conducting. He simply stood there, a big grin plastered across his face.

 

[Scarlet_Witch_King]

Sōma observed this man, brown-haired, with a sweep over his left eye, his right eye showed a green iris, and a beauty mark under it. Interesting, he also has one like she does on the bottom left corner of his lip. How he walked reminds her of a man who has had zero sleep and drank too much, and he has the stature of a jonin with years of experience, she can tell in his eyes, similar to her father, Inugami, trauma held behind those eyes. She then shifts her gaze to the boy behind this man, who looked to be her age, with spiky raven black hair, fair skin, and his eyes were an interesting charcoal black, her brows scrunching a little as she remembers reading a book that held the history of her clan, a particular clan that held such characteristic like the boy but she wasn't sure, oh well, something else for another time.

The older man who is addressing her was spot on when he said she didn't trust Konoha, she is well-versed in the hostile peace between the minor nations and the Five Great Shinobi Nations, the war, the loss of their technology and left in a poorer state while the major villages bulstered and thrived happily and excel in areas that minor countries like her home, aren't allowed to have. She chuckled at his words. Of course, she came anyway, she came here under the orders of her village head, an order she could not ignore; she had to do it for Ame. With a slight smirk on her face, she walks closer to the two males, nodding softly when he introduces himself as Satoma Senju, Expresses interest to meet someone from the fabled Senju clan; the legends of his predecessors from this clan is wildly known by many across the world, the most notable individual is the first Hokage, Hashirama Senju, a shinobi Sōma admired during her studies and read the history of his deeds, his sacrifice to ensure peace and founded the hidden leaf, the very same place she despises yet admires the mountain that held the carved faces of previous Hokage, Hashirama's face among the others like how her father told her, so she can understand why these people call it home, its a place of hope but that hope has been tainted by years of bloodshed "Indeed, I've heard many tales of what happened, each one more appalling than the last" she finally spoke, staring at Satoma "But your right, home is home, no matter how ugly the truth is" she says with an obvious hint of caution but acknowledgment of what he is saying then turns to Daimaru Uchiha, who the man introduces her to which she nods and offers him a handshake "Pleasure to meet you Satoma Senju, hope I exceed your expectations and Daimaru, I hope we get to bond as teammates before you get me in trouble" she says with a sweet tone and jokes about it but held a glint in her eye that was directed at Daimaru, for belonging to the very clan that exiled her people, forcing them to live in harsher conditions that led to their extinction before revival. Shaking her head of the issue before Satona walked ahead, giving them time to chat "So, Daimaru tell me about yourself"
​

 

[Aōi]

Thunk.
“Damn it…Not tired enough.” he said.

Without fail, Satoma Senju displayed his perceptive abilities even while under great inebriated influence. There was no other Jonin Daimaru wished to learn from, as the Senju he admired possessed abilities that he would’ve loved to take on and master, if only he could corral the young genin’s hot-blooded behaviour from time to time. Naturally, the elite ninja did not seem too pleased, and threatened that he would make Dai use the cards he loves dearly as the only weapon in his arsenal. His face widened in shock, clutching the massive box of cards out of concern and safety. “Hey! I gotta make a living with these things! Besides, weren’t you the one who told me that a real ninja can turn most anything into a weapon?” he re-buttled. Despite giving Satoma a clear hard time in the day-to-day, he truly was his best student and did in fact pay attention closely to the things the Senju would show him.

The two held a special bond, often not needing to speak for nearly most things they find themselves involved in. Because of this, they held a certain comfortability with one another and seemed to express whatever they needed to each other with little issue or miscommunication. The windwalker would then pick his box back up and hand it back to the young Uchiha, patting him and playfully shoving him with his shoulder. Dai smiled a very familiar toothy grin as Satoma informed him that they were going somewhere, the genin’s brow raised as he looked to be heading to the village gate. It was much too early for him to be up, let alone leaving to take on a mission. He then slung his box over his back and quickly followed the quick walking sensei. “So, where are we going? And no, I don't have any spare cash. You still owe me major Ryo from our last shogi game.” he declared. As much as Satoma loved to play games and try his luck he (much like his predecessors) had horrible gambling instincts, whereas Daimaru was a fierce gamer and strategist, evident in their many tests of wits outside of the Shinobi disciplines.

It wasn’t a long walk Konoha’s gate’s despite his Sensei’s obvious sluggish morning start, it was quiet however this morning—then he saw her.

They hadn’t quite reached the gates as of yet, being a few meters off, he would quickly engage his red-black hues swiftly, squinting his eyes to peek at the flow of her chakra. “Potent,” he thought. She was no slouch it would seem, and kinda cute but not really his type, blinking off his crimson orbs just as they approached, with Satoma-sensei giving a far less than welcoming greeting to the village.

Even with that in mind, it had seemed that this girl maybe wasn’t looking for false pleasantries. She was looking to make an impression. Satoma continued by stepping a little closer, further cementing the young girl’s suspicions about what, at least Daimaru thought, was the best hidden village in the continent. It was however no secret that Konoha did in fact have a dark past wrought with conflict and casualties. He rolled his eyes as Satoma continued his short melodrama as the young shuriken would set the booster box down to try and open it just so he could gaze at the packing wrap. “You’ll be with me and Daimaru. This—”

Opening the box, the sun glinted on the silver and black cover art, shimmering as if he had opened a heavenly chest packed with the things he could ever want in life. Dollar signs would appear in his eyes, he always had great pack pulls and today would be no different “idiot back there, is Daimaru Uchiha. Loud and always looking for trouble.” he heard from the side of his ear. It was clear he wasn’t really paying them any mind clueing back in only to reveal that his face was instantly annoyed, turning around dramatically with an unimpressed expression, Satoma then taking his gaze upon his pupil, motioning him to follow and converse with his new peer. Closing the box, he would sling it back over his back to walk over and accept her formal greeting, shaking her hand back firmly as she alluded to getting her into trouble.

This made him blush, she was good at breaking the ice he supposed. “Likewise, and don't listen to Satoma-sensei. Konoha has had its issues but things have been pretty good in recent years." He would then take a look towards Hokage rock, displaying the eight great and brave shinobi and kunoichi. Daimaru in particular looked up to Sarada Uchiha and Minato Namikaze. Sarada was not only the second female but only Uchiha to ever hold that position. A groundbreaking achievement and accomplishment of pride within his family and lineage.

The girl asked him to introduce himself, she seemed friendly enough despite her serious first impression, he slowly warmed to his new teammate with every passing second. “Well, I love shuriken, and kunai…well. Anything that can be thrown is my jam really. I'm really good at target practice and recorded near perfect marks in the academy all my years there.” he said proudly, thinking back to the days when he was much smaller and just started out on his ninja journey. He fondly reminisces while eagerly looking forward to his own personal growth and what the future may hold for his destiny. “I would love to become Hokage someday and become the first male Uchiha for the honor. Lady Sarada was an inspiration to us all and made us want to better ourselves.” he continued. He always meant to speak his goals aloud, believing in manifesting his goals and dreams as much as he could so that one day he could look back with pride on the journey that took him there.

“OH—Do you like trading cards?” he blurted out, fumbling with the enlarged box he had been lugging around the entire morning, grabbing the booster box he was marveling at, to show Sōma. The young Daimaru had a tendency to space out and be very tunnel focused. “I got a lot of cards from most of the sets from the modern game, if you play maybe we can have a proper Showdown!” he said. It was clear he was now more excited about the prospect of having someone to play cards with rather than coordinate themselves as a genin team. But alas, in the young shurikens mind, there will always be time for both.



​

 

[STORY]

“Eh?! Oy, oy, oy—what do you think you’re doing, kid?!”

A hand clamped down on Kokezaru’s collar mid-flip, just before he could land on the plush rug of the Hokage’s office. The boy was abruptly yanked back, his acrobatic flair cut short—“You again? I knew it was you! You’ve got no clearance to be in here, not today!”

The grip belonged to Katsuro, a Chūnin who was technically off-duty. His schedule had listed him as being rotated out of the guard roster roughly 30 minutes ago. And yet, there he stood—arms crossed, headband slightly askew, and earbuds dangling from his flak vest, still softly echoing the voice of the man he idolized:

"In this week's episode of School of Elders, we’ll reflect on Kannon's third precept, and why patience is not merely a virtue—it is the pillar of strength."

Katsuro had been posted near the office door, ostensibly to go grab a snack from one of the tables around the corner to the Hokage's office—but truthfully, he hadn’t moved from that spot in over thirty minutes, utterly absorbed by the latest School of Elders podcast episode, which featured an in-depth solo reflection by none other than Hiroshi Sarutobi himself.

He stared at Kokezaru with the mix of reverence and annoyance only a hardcore fan could produce. “You nearly made me miss the bit about mindfulness and ash incense, you little gremlin!”

Katsuro began dragging Kokezaru down the hall—whether the boy was resisting or not—with the same urgent insistence one might use to steer a hyperactive puppy on a leash. “The Hokage’s not in. He left earlier for some important meeting. No idea where to, but—” he lowered his voice dramatically, “—a swarm of bats flew past his window just before he left.” He paused mid-step, eyes narrowing as if trying to solve a riddle only he had noticed. “Creeped me out, honestly. Gave the whole thing this… omen-y vibe.”

Then he snapped back to reality, head whipping toward Kokezaru. His composure cracked immediately.

The grin broke through.

Like a kettle pushed too close to the fire, Katsuro fidgeted on the spot, barely able to contain himself. His fingers twitched, his foot bounced, and then—

“DjyyaaAAHH!! I have to know!” he exploded, practically vibrating with enthusiasm.

“Do you have any idea what the next School of Elders episode is about?! Please tell me it’s finally the one where he talks about his final test at the Fire Temple! Or—or the part where he used that wisdom in the War?! That’s gotta be a whole arc, right?! RIGHT?!” The questions spilled out faster than he could think, his voice cracking between awe and desperation. He leaned in, eyes wild with fandom-fueled intensity.

Katsuro knew Kokezaru didn’t appreciate what he had. Not properly. Not like a true fan would.

And the worst part?

He was the grandson.

Katsuro could only sigh through clenched teeth.

“You don’t even know how lucky you are…”

​