The Konoha training grounds buzzed with energy. Naruto, his eyes sparkling with excitement, stood before Kakashi, Sasuke, and Sakura, a swirling ball of chakra crackling in his palm. "Check this out!" he exclaimed, his voice filled with pride. "This is the Rasengan! Jiraiya-sensei taught me!"
The sphere of concentrated chakra spun rapidly, emitting a low hum. Kakashi's single visible eye widened slightly, a flicker of nostalgia crossing his features. "That's…" he murmured, his voice laced with a hint of melancholy. 'It reminds me of Minato-sensei.'
Sakura's eyes widened, her expression filled with awe. "Wow, Naruto!" she exclaimed, her voice laced with admiration. "That's amazing!"
Sasuke, his expression neutral, observed the Rasengan with a critical eye. "Good work," he said, his voice calm. Internally, he thought, 'I'll have to ask him for tips. It'll be a good excuse to show off my own version.'
"Alright!" Naruto declared, his voice filled with enthusiasm. "Sasuke, let's spar! I want to see how much stronger I've gotten!"
Sasuke nodded, his expression composed. "Very well," he said.
The spar began, a flurry of taijutsu and ninjutsu. Naruto, eager to test his new skills, unleashed a barrage of shadow clones, each one charging towards Sasuke with a Rasengan in hand. Sasuke, however, moved with a newfound agility, his movements precise and efficient. He dodged and weaved through the clones, his taijutsu strikes landing with devastating force.
Few minutes later, Naruto lay sprawled on the ground, his face a mask of disbelief. "What?" he exclaimed, his voice laced with shock. "How did you…?"
"You're too predictable," Sasuke said, his voice calm. "Your taijutsu is lacking."
Naruto glared at Kakashi. "Kakashi-sensei!" he complained, his voice filled with frustration. "You're only training Sasuke!"
Before kakashi could say anything to his defence, Sakura stepped forward, her expression thoughtful. "Sasuke's been training with Lee," she explained. "That's why his taijutsu has improved and he is little muscular."
Naruto's eyes widened. "Bushy brows?" he asked, his voice laced with surprise. He scanned Sasuke, his gaze critical. "I don't see any difference," he muttered, his voice laced with confusion. "But you do look a little taller than me."
Sasuke turned to Kakashi. "Kakashi-sensei," he said, his voice calm. "Will Team 7 be receiving any missions?"
Naruto and Sakura looked at Kakashi with expectant eyes. Kakashi sighed, his visible eye scanning the sky. "Not yet," he said. "Tsunade-sama hasn't assigned any missions to our team."
"But Guy-sensei's team has missions," Sasuke pointed out, his voice laced with a hint of annoyance.
"Just be patient," Kakashi said, his voice casual. "We might get an outside village mission soon." He paused, a hint of amusement in his voice. "In the meantime, I'll treat you all to ramen."
Naruto's face lit up. "Ichiraku Ramen!" he exclaimed, his voice filled with excitement.
Sakura glanced shyly at Sasuke, her cheeks flushed.
In the Hokage meeting room, the atmosphere was tense. Tsunade sat at the head of the table, her expression resolute. Hiruzen, Koharu, Homura, Shikaku, and Danzo sat around the table, their expressions varying from thoughtful to disapproving.
"Now that the village is stable," Tsunade declared, her voice firm, "and we have returned the Sand shinobi with proper compensation, we should focus on promoting some of the Chunin Exam participants."
Hiruzen, his expression thoughtful, raised an eyebrow. "Are you certain?" he asked, his voice laced with concern. "They are all quite young, barely a year or two out of the Academy."
"I have considered that," Tsunade replied, her voice unwavering. "But they have proven themselves. I propose Neji, Lee, Sasuke, and Naruto."
"Lee?" Koharu asked, her voice laced with skepticism. "He's… enthusiastic, but is he truly Chunin material?"
"He defeated a Chunin during the Konoha Crush," Tsunade countered, her voice sharp. "Neji fought evenly with a Chunin, despite being exhausted. Sasuke held off Baki, an Elite Jonin from Sunagakure. And Naruto… he defeated the Ichibi."
She paused, her gaze hardening. "And let's not forget," she added, her voice laced with a hint of warning. "We encountered members of the Akatsuki. Naruto was able to hold his own against them, even if he couldn't attack. Afterall both Itachi and Kisame were Kage level shinobis."
Danzo's single visible eye narrowed. "Promoting Naruto would be unwise," he declared, his voice harsh. "He is a Jinchuriki. The Akatsuki are targeting him. Placing him on dangerous missions would endanger both him and loss of the village."
Koharu and Homura nodded in agreement. Hiruzen remained silent, his expression thoughtful. Shikaku observed the proceedings with a detached air.
Tsunade's gaze sharpened, but she remained silent. "Very well," she said, her voice tight. "We will table this discussion for now."
As the meeting adjourned, Tsunade turned to the window, her gaze sweeping over the village. The setting sun cast long shadows, illuminating the construction of her face on the Hokage Rock. A smirk played on her lips. "Four elders," she murmured, her voice laced with amusement. "Two of them… one-armed."
Koharu and Homura glared at her, their expressions filled with resentment. Hiruzen offered a bitter smile, his gaze fixed on his severed left arm. Shikaku remained silent, his expression unreadable.
Danzo, his expression a mask of annoyance, turned and left the meeting room, his footsteps echoing through the empty hallway. The political tensions within Konoha were palpable, a reminder of the delicate balance of power that Tsunade now had to navigate.