~~~
They were now in the territory of the Land of Hot Water. They had left the village and had been traveling across the land for about an hour or two.
At their current pace, they should be about there in just under 2 hours. Naruto yawned lightly as they continued to walk across the Land of Hot Water.
Tsunade was in front of them leading them to them along the country. Sasuki looked at Naruto with a raised eyebrow. She leaned in slightly. "Your yawning is annoyingly contagious. Stop that." Sasuki hissed at him.
"It just happens, Sasuki. Plus, how about you tell that to Shikamaru? He's been yawning at a constant rate and that constant yawning is making me yawn. Now, be a good girlfriend and do that for me." Naruto slightly smiled.
He patted her head lightly with his hand.
"Shut up and do it yourself." Sasuki told Naruto as she gripped his hand tightly. He gritted his teeth as Naruto felt the pain from her grip.
"Damn, stop it. You like abusing people." Naruto told her as she let go of her tight grip on Naruto and glared right at him. "Don't talk to me, idiot." Sasuki looked away.
Naruto looked at her for another moment or two before looking back onto the road. He looked towards Shikamaru — whom was just looking at the clouds above.
There was no way in hell Naruto was going to tell Shikamaru to stop yawning. He'll just forget about it and start yawning again. Naruto thought as he looked forward once more.
Naruto suddenly wanted to yawn a again. But, managed to hold it back in knowing that Sasuki was going to berate him for even thinking of yawning in front of her.
Man~ she is so manipulative. I like it. Naruto thought as they walked through the lands. Their feet created footprints that covered the dirt road that they traveled on. Tsunade suddenly stopped walking.
"We are just about ready to cross the border that connects the Land of Hot Water to the Land of Frost." The 3 nodded as they stopped walking also.
"This means that once we enter the Land of Frost — we'll be in Kumo's territory. This also now leads to the fact that we'll be watched from every corner." They nodded as they started understanding where she was going at.
"So, before we enter the Land of Frost, we should send in the message for back-up." Tsunade told them. They waited for a moment or two in complete silence.
"Wait, how are we going to do that again?" Naruto asked. He could almost hear the disappointed sighs coming from the other 3 in the group. "Stop being such an idiot, Naruto." Sasuki told him.
Naruto just glared right back at her.
I hate you. Naruto thought as he turned his gaze away from her. Tsunade sighed at their childish antics. Shikamaru just stared at them with a bored and lazy eye. He shook his head at them.
"Naruto, you have the largest chakra reserves out of everyone in the entire group here." Tsunade told Naruto. He just responded with a raised eyebrow and nodded.
More than the village actually. Even if you were to combine all their chakra together, I would still have much more than them. Naruto thought as he looked at Tsunade.
"Ok. . . and?" Naruto could have swore he felt Sasuki glaring at his idiotic behavior. Tsunade sighed once more. "We need you to create a shadow clone that carry out the message to the back-up team. They need to get here by the time we are finished with the summit." Tsunade told Naruto.
"Ohhh. . . so that's what you meant. Got it." Naruto created a shadow clone right beside him. Naruto looked at his clone right in the eye of his.
"Tell the people who are counting as back-up team to be on stand-by and come to the Land of Frost. Also, say they need to be here quickly. This is mostly for Kakashi because. . . you know how he is. But, he should arrive on time without you needing to say anything — he's much more serious on missions like these ones." Naruto informed his clone.
The clone nodded right back Naruto.
"Got it! I'll get going boss!" Naruto's clone started retracing the footprints that the 4 left behind them. Naruto nodded at his clone's retreating form and looked right back to Tsunade.
"There. My clone is running back to the Village Hidden in the Leaves. If he has any problems or issues along the way, he can create more shadow clones." Naruto informed the other 3.
"Good. We'll be needing as much as help we can if things go wrong in the 5 Kage Summit." They nodded as Tsunade turned around and continued walking through the dirt road in the Land of Hot Water.
The air around them started to suddenly grow colder and colder. They were now entering the Land of Frost. The 4 slightly shivered from the overwhelming coldness that loomed through the air,
Good thing we have these cloaks to protect our fucking asses. Naruto thought as condensation exited out of his mouth and into the Earth's atmosphere. They were now in the snowy biome of the Land of Frost.
Damn. Even after coming here and fighting Itoh, I'm still having quite the trouble coping with the cold weather. Naruto thought. He never actually traveled to the Land of Frost all that much during his time as he rogue-nin that defected from the Hidden Leaf Village.
"We're almost to our destination. The place we're convening resembles a cave as its entrance. But, the inside of the cave is much more. . . suited for a place to convene at. Hiding in plain sight almost." Tsunade explained to them.
They nodded at that easy explanation.
"But, why would such a place be in a cave? Isn't there a high possibility of people to enter it without any permission?" Shikamaru asked Tsunade.
"That is indeed correct, but, the cave hasn't been discovered for the many years it has been a thing — so, that alone says quite a bit about the cave we are heading towards to." Tsunade told him.
Shikamaru just nodded and yawned once more. He didn't want to trouble himself even more by asking more questions further beyond the one he just asked.
"We're almost there." Tsunade told them as they entered the endless and vast forest of the Land of Frost. The Land of Frost was quite the empty and sad place.
Barely any life beyond the icy weather that illuminated around the whole country. The trees that covered the lands were absolutely dead all year round with no sign of getting any some sort of life.
They continued to walk through the icy ground. As time went on, they found soon found a clearance that had a huge boulder in the middle of it. Naruto slightly sweat-dropped.
You're telling me that this place has been undiscovered the whole time? Sounds like bullshit to me. Naruto thought as they got near the cave that was supposedly the place that they were going to convene at.
"We are here. This is the place that where the 5 Kage Summit is going to be held at." Tsunade explained as their feet created deep footprints on the ground that they all stood on.
They entered inside the caverns of the cave that the Kage's were going to meet at. From the outside, it looked like the cave was just any ordinary cave that was in the Elemental Nations.
Even on the inside, it looked like any ordinary cave. But, they soon came up upon a door. Naruto sensed multiple people beyond the door that blocked them off.
Tsunade pressed her hand against the door slightly and entered the room full of Kages. There were immediate displeasure among them all. "It took you long enough to get here, Hokage-dono." Enryu said with a scowl.
"And with 3 body guards as well. While we brought just 2 of out own." The midget of a man said as he gestured towards behind them. "These two are one of my finest Shinobi. I can trust them with all my life. I don't need an extra one." Tsunade sat down as Onoki boasted.
The 3 looked at behind him and saw the two people he was talking about. "And those two are?" Asked Tsunade as he looked beyond Onoki.
"These two are: Akatsuchi and the other one is my granddaughter: Kurotsuchi — a candidate for the position of the Yondaime Tsuchikage." Onoki informed them. Tsunade looked over at towards Gaara.
"These are my bodyguards. You already know them as: Kankuro and Temari." They nodded at that one bit of information. The 4 were familiar with them and knew them personally.
Tsunade looked at the Mizukage: Terumi Mei.
"These are my bodyguards: Ao and Chojuro." Mei told them as she gestured to behind her seat. They bowed slightly as Naruto noticed that one had a bandage covering his eyes.
Tsunade looked over to Enryu — whom still had a scowl on his face.
"These two are one of my most trusted Shinobi. The first one is: Airu — my step-brother. The second is: Itoh. They are skilled enough to protect me. How about your 3?" Asked Enryu as the 4 other Kages gazed right at them.
"These 3 are: Nara Shikamaru, Uchiha Sasuki, and Uzumaki Naruto." Multiple glares flared up at Naruto's name.
"That kid. . . he almost killed me without any hesitation on the backlash that he could have gotten." Mei told Tsunade. She wanted to kill Naruto and make his corpse rot in hell.
"An Uzumaki you say? I had thought we had disposed of them during the Third Great Ninja War. Didn't know some survived and reproduced." Onoki said as he eyed Naruto.
"We are not here to talk about my bodyguards in no way shape or form." Tsunade told them firmly. "Then why have you brought us all here when you know that we're all at war against each other?" Asked Gaara.
This was not a good time for a meeting between them all.
"I have gathered you all here today for a request." Tsunade told them as many eyebrows were raised from what she had just said to them all. "And what would this request be? Certainly it can't be for you to request for us to dissolve the war that has been going on? If that is what you have called this meeting for, then we have no need to convene." Enryu told them all.
"Tch. Of course, not. I have called for this meeting only for one thing and that is. . ." There was a slight pause for anticipation. The other 4 Kage and their guards kept their eyes and ears open.
"For us to do a Chunin Exam this year." Tsunade finally said. A few wide eyes flared up as they looked over at Tsunade. "And why should we agree?" Asked Mei as she had a skeptical eye.
"You don't to question it. You all will just do it without any question. That is how your villages function. . . is it not?" Tsunade heard a few scoffs from 3 of Kages.
"You're practically begging for death." Enryu told Tsunade. "We'll hold the exams at Konoha. That is if you accept this?" It was more of a question. "I'll only agree if the Chunin Exams are held at Kumo, Iwa, or Kiri." Enryu told Tsunade.
"That is out of question. We'll hold the Chunin Exams at Konoha. Nothing more nothing less." Tsunade warned him in a very firm and dangerous tone.
"Then consider this meeting pointless. As like all other meetings." Enryu stood to leave with Airu and Itoh. Suddenly, a voice boomed in the room.
"Why don't you sit down once more, Enryu?" Naruto said as he stood right next to the seated Tsunade. "And why the hell should I do such a thing?" Glared Enryu.
Naruto innocently smiled.
"Isn't it obvious? I told you so. And you'll follow that order." Naruto glared right back at him. "You dare say such a thing to me?" Enryu was ready to go straight towards Naruto and kill him.
"Tch. Is it that hard to sit back down?" Naruto looked down at Tsunade. "Move — get out of that seat of yours. I'll do the proposal while you just stand back and watch." Naruto told Tsunade.
"I'm the Hokage and you're not. You don't get the right to order me around. Stand down." Naruto didn't stand down. "Just get out of your seat. You can't even convince them to agree." Naruto told her firmly.
"Stand down right now. " Tsunade ordered him. Naruto just shook his head. "Get out of your seat or risk humiliation." Naruto threatened. He too was ready to fight even if it's Tsunade.
He got a sharp glare in return.
"Suit yourself. But, don't come crying to me after falling under pressure." Tsunade stood up and went behind the chair. Naruto scoffed as he took a seat. "I think you're talking about yourself." Naruto remarked.
Enryu sat back down.
He sat there smiling at the other 4 Kage. "Now, this is much better. I grew tired of your bickering. Doesn't suit people of such high caliber." Onoki narrowed his eyes at him.
"What is your plan? You seem quite utterly confident for someone that is not a Kage." Naruto smirked as he looked the 4 Kage. "I have thought of a plan while you 4 were arguing against each other like children." This caused Onoki to give Naruto an intense glare.
"Don't compare us to children, or you will know absolute wrath from us." He warned Naruto. "Go ahead. Prove that you are nothing more than an overgrown child by going after a kid like me." Naruto clasped his fingertips together.
"What is your proposal to us all? It better be worthwhile." Enryu told Naruto with a dangerous tone.
"This proposal is quite simple. Konoha shall host the first, second, and possible preliminary round in the Konoha grounds." There was about to be an uproar at what he said. But he managed to quickly silence them.
"Shhh. . . let me finish. The finals shall be withheld on January 1st. While it shall still be held in the Fire Country, it shall not be held in Konoha grounds." Naruto continued.
"So, outside of Konoha, but still inside the Fire Country?" Asked Gaara. Naruto nodded at that question. "Exactly. Right on point there." Naruto confirmed.
"We decline that proposal." Enryu, Onoki, and Mei told Naruto in unison. "And why are you declining?" Naruto asked as he looked at each individual.
"I already told you why. If the Chunin Exams are not being held at either Kumo, Iwa, or Kiri, then you will see no further hope on this meeting." Enryu responded to Naruto's question.
Unfortunately for them, Naruto had already been one step ahead.
"So, you're not agreeing unless we do one of the 3 other villages that you have offered to us?" Naruto asked as Enryu nodded with his sharp eyes looking at Naruto's.
"Or are you just not agreeing with my proposal because you are simply just. . ." Naruto paused as his eyes looked and met Enryu's own eyes.
"Afraid?" Naruto asked with a smirk as his eyes flared up into the eternal Mangekyou Sharingan.
~~~
DONE! This will be the end of the chapter. I actually just slowed down the pace even more than I had originally intended. But that is fine. I would love to get more opportunity to flesh out the characters once more.
Naruto just took the table and led the conversation like the legend he is. Next chapter will be even more important than this one, since information will be leaked about Enryu.
We are slowly closing in on the end. At my current rate, I might actually hit the 90th chapter mark. If I stretch it a bit, I might hit the 100th chapter.
But it'll just be depending solely on the pace I'm currently going at. Anyway, this will be it for now. Expect a chapter later.
Cya next time.