𝐍𝐚𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐨 𝐔𝐳𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐢 𝐗 𝐅𝐞𝐦!𝐔𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐡𝐚!𝐎𝐜 ── ❝ 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐄𝐘𝐄𝐒 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐀𝐈𝐍 𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐘𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐈 𝐖𝐀𝐍𝐓 𝐓𝐎 𝐁𝐄 ❞
── Following the plot of Naruto when he's younger, Uchiha Misaki is the twin sister of Uchiha Sasuke...
Shikamaru spoke his thoughts, lacing his voice with laziness. "Why does it have to be like this? To be such a drag?"
Kabuto spoke further, his tone ringing through with the knowledge and insight. "Without this, the weaker nations would just become easy targets of stronger nations' desires for power and control. Mutual supervision does not allow any imbalances, so stability is maintained."
Sasuke's question cut through the conversation; he focused his eyes on the stack of cards. "What about those cards? Are they detailed individual information?"
"Oh, they do," Kabuto smirked. "Any in particular you're afraid of? While not exactly complete files, I have a few dossiers on the current crop of applicants prepared, your team included. If you give me what information you have on this person, I can compare it to what I have and supply what I can."
He spoke in an impatiently tinged voice as Sasuke named the people: determination was rife in his voice. "Gaara from Sunagakure, hidden in the sand, and Rock Lee from Konoha."
"Ah, you know their names? Excellent," Kabuto replied exuberantly.
Glancing at Naruto to my left, I could tell how confused he was. I mean, he tried to keep up, but it was pretty plain on his face that he was totally lost in the conversation.
"Let me see them," Sasuke demanded with a sharp tone.
Kabuto started with Rock Lee. "He's one year older than you guys. His mission experience, twenty D-ranks and eleven C-ranks. His squad leader, Might Guy. In just this year his taijutsu has drastically improved, but his other skills are not good at all. Last year, he'd attracted attention as a Genin rookie with his ability but didn't participate in the Chunin Exam."
"This is his first time taking the exams, same as you guys. Tenten and Hyuga Neji are on his team. Next, Gaara. His mission experience, eight C ranks. B ranks are one, wow, as a Genin. He's a Shinobi from another land, rookie. No more information, but it seems he has returned from all his missions without injury."
Gaara and Rock Lee almost subtly change Sasuke's demeanor, with a tinge of concealed interest.
Kabuto continued, "Konoha, Suna, Ame, Kusa, Taki, Oto. This year, every hidden village has dispatched elite Junior Level Genin to this place to compete against each other. I must admit, I do not have much intelligence on detailed facts about Oto, the Village Hidden in Sound. It is a part of a newly established nation, hence not too large, so little information about it exists. Every other village which has participated, though, has built a name for itself in giving the shinobi world some of the fiercest shinobi."
"I'm starting to feel like the odd one out," I said dryly. "Being compared to such distinguished and formidable rivals certainly puts things in perspective."
