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Samui's POV (A's Tent at Cloud Exam Camp - Land of Iron)
Samui entered, head bowed and respectfully silent as she emerged into the tent. In lieu of a standard setup, the room was full of weights, weapons, and booze. A was currently doing one-handed push-ups. Using the other hand to hold onto a glass of sake. Samui, familiar with the odd A, was silent as he worked. She waited patiently as the man worked out, knowing that interrupting him would not be taken well.
A was someone Samui held both great contempt and respect for. On one hand, the man was the reason Samui was alone. He had killed her father and mother and only spared her brother for her loyalty. Yet A also was the man who had made her home the superpower it was. He was a man Samui could never imagine being defeated or usurped. A simply was too mighty, crafty, connected, a true Raikage in every sense. Samui loved her village and, as such, begrudgingly accepted A.
Two main contributing factors made A such an effective leader. One was his indomitable strength; even among the other Kage, A was known for his absurd physicality and power ninjutsu. The other was the utter loyalty he commanded from his men. Samui was not indeed that unique of a case; he was known for his harsh treatment of anything he deemed "traitorous."
Likely having known she was there from the start, pushed himself up with his arms. Impressive using mere arm strength to go from prone to standing. At first, he did not acknowledge Samui as he toweled off access sweat and sat on a couch facing away from the fire. A offered Samui no seat, nor did she go to sit. With a weary sigh, he guzzled down the still-held glass of sake before he decided to acknowledge her.
"Samui, I am happy you did not keep me waiting. Did Mabui brief you on the meeting? I told her not to, but the woman gets ideas in her head." He likely was asking such to punish Mabui if she had.
Samui responded quickly, which was a key to getting through a conversation with A smoothly. "No, she explained you wished to see me and asked my opinion on the likely victor of the exams." Samui felt a tiny sliver of fear within her as she lied. While she was loyal to her home, she knew being such did not mean she must be loyal to A. Besides, it would be uncool to rat out Mabui, who had stuck her neck out for Samui.
"Hmmm." A openly considered her words. "You know better than to lie to me, I suppose. Anyway, I first wanted to discuss your team's exam performance."
Samui flinched. While she may have defeated Ino and represented her home well. Her teammates could have done better. Karui failed the second test, and Omoi in the third. Samui doubted such impressed the harsh and judgeful A.
"This performance is nothing short of disastrous." A said with contempt; his anger led to him leaking a small amount of killing intent. "Karui did not even make it to finals; she will be on probation for the next year and going through the training such demands. She's lucky I don't demote her."
"She was placed, unfortunately, with our team. She surely would've made it further." Samui excused. She was desperate to defend her teammates.
"Yet you and Omoi were fine!" A snapped. "We of the Cloud are not weak; we cannot afford such a thing now. Karui will go through emergency training as you did before. Then, she will serve on probation; if she fails, she will be punished as expected. Omoi will be going through the same. While he performed better than that weakling Karui, his fight was embarrassing. For that, he will be on probation and face the same hellish emergency training Karui will."
"Raikage-sama, please, I barely survived such; they may not be so fortunate." Samui reasoned. "I will save our reputation."
"Ha! You face the jinchuriki of the Leaf next; the boy hasn't been truly slowed down yet and hasn't bothered to use his beast. We both know you cannot hope to beat him." A coldly responded.
Samui felt anger swell but expertly buried such. Despite the bold lack of faith A had shown her, her expression did not shift. Samui doubted she could defeat Naruto, but hearing her leader say such made her furious. She had served A as well as any Genin and survived the hellish "emergency training" given to shinobi A felt needed. And as a proud kunoichi of the Cloud. Yet A had already assumed she would fail.
A aware of the inner turmoil of Samui but uncaring continued. "These exams are a bust for us. Yet, I see a path for profit all the same. Better yet, I see a use for you, Samui; you can aid our homeland in a way few could."
Samui kneeled respectfully; as conflicted as she was, listening to A was something she was used to. "I will serve as I always have Raikage-sama."
"Heh, I knew you would, Samui, I knew you would. Firstly, while you cannot beat Uzumaki in straight combat, you can affect him in other ways." A explained.
"Sir?"
"From what I saw, you have become somewhat close to Naruto Uzumaki, haven't you?" A asked with a smirk; he pulled another bottle of sake from behind the couch and filled then chugged another glass.
Samui's mind raced; she maintained her outward cool using all of her willpower, but terror raced through her. A had used her for missions many times before, but rarely did it contain someone she considered a friend. Samui briefly entertained lying to A. But her loyalty and logic stopped such. He asked, but he likely already knew the answer. He was testing her loyalty. Samui did not wish to bring A's attention to Naruto, but she had no choice.
"Yes." She answered simply. Despite the single word it felt like a drastic betrayal.
A laughed from his gut at the announcement. "Excellent!"
"Sir?" Samui asked, confused, some of the dread leaving her body. Somehow, he was happy? "Excellent?"
"Of course, see, the Exams have nothing left to offer the Cloud, but that doesn't mean we can't find a benefit to our time here. See, as I'm sure you are aware, jinchuriki are not beloved by the average person. They contain beasts that dwarf even the Five Kage in power, able to unleash it upon any great emotional stress or death. Truly a walking, talking, terrifying timebombs. As such, they are usually socially exiled, often living short and tragic lives. But in our great land, such is different. We recognize jinchuriki as the powerful weapons they are and treat them as such. Both Bee and Yugito are treated fairly well by citizens and given respect by their peers. As were their predecessors and all jinchuriki of the Cloud." A explained.
"Of course, sir, we've always recognized such, but what does that have to do with Naruto and me?" Samui asked.
"Everything, see Naruto Uzumaki is a rather unique case. These exams show the Leaf foolishly attempted to keep his jinchuriki status a secret. In an attempt to calm the foolish citizen that lives there, the Leaf convinced the Nine-Tails had died or disappeared. And somehow, for a while, it worked! Naruto Uzumaki has lived a relatively normal life." A chuckled cruelly at this. "But now that the truth has been exposed, Naruto Uzumaki faces the burden all jinchuriki carry. Our spy has been working hard to get us this information. A perfect time for a third party to get involved. See, I want you to convince Naruto Uzumaki to abandon the Leaf and join the Cloud instead."
Samui was stunned by the order. Naruto quickly became someone she admired and reminded her of her brother in all the best ways. Having him come home would be… enjoyable. But Naruto would never do so. "I… am cool with the order, of course, sir. But I fear Naruto Uzumaki is not the man to betray his friends."
"Oh, that is to be certain; those foolish Leaf fools are always led by their foolish hearts. Something I, and by proxy you, can easily take advantage of. Your mission is simple: convince him to do so. What is the method? By any means necessary, you know how I feel about failure. Seduce and bed him, befriend him and gain his trust, learn a secret, and blackmail him. The method matters little as long as he does so. He'll join us to get the love and attention he doubtlessly craves. We'll gain a powerful new soldier for our home, and he'll thank us for it!" A explained with a smug smile.
Samui was now close to cracking; it took more control than she knew she had to not respond impulsively. Instead, she tried to figure things out. Some way to convince the Raikage to avoid this path. Samui respected and admired Naruto; she wouldn't lead him on merely to trick and seduce him? Indeed, A did not expect her to honestly do such. She wasn't that kind of woman! Samui's mind settled on an excuse, and with calmness she did not feel, she cautiously began her counter. "Surely such would not be wise. The Leaf would not sit idly by while we take their jinchuriki." Surely, A would see the logic and change his mind-
"Normally, you would be right. Every village, regardless of their distaste for jinchuriki, recognizes them as the useful political tools they are. Any village that holds one wields a power comparable to any of the five Kage. There could be war taking such a thing, not to mention the potential for the other nations to get involved. No, the ramifications for such would make taking a jinchuriki foolish… Unless, of course, we could hide the fact we've taken such." A explained with a cruel smile. "My men say there are reports of the Leaf losing several Genin. They're trying to keep such information on the hush, but I have spies within the samurai and Leaf. This will provide us with the perfect distraction to win over Naruto Uzumaki without the other villages knowing. By the time it is discovered, the Cloud will simply be too strong to contest. With the power of three jinchuriki, we will rise above the other four "great nations."" A ranted with a relaxed smile.
"Sir, I'm…" Samui started as fear stopped her. As much as she liked Naruto, could she genuinely afford to say no? Atsui would've done so, and Naruto likely as well. But maybe this could work out for the best… No! She would keep her cool and reject this order. "Uncomfortable with this order. I do not wish to deceive Naruto, nor am I comfortable with seducing him. I will, of course, attempt to convince him, but-"
"It matters little." A snapped back. "I don't care if it makes you uncomfortable; you are a kunoichi, one of my kunoichi. I don't care if you force him, bed him, or become his best friend and convince him. You will convince him to return with us." He demanded as he stood and loomed over Samui.
"It's uncool to manipulate others." Samui stated boldly. She looked as if she was bored even as the massive A stood before her. In truth, she was terrified, but thinking of Naruto and Atsui made her feel brave.
"Perhaps you forget your place. Kunoichi of the Cloud are merely tools, as are all who serve under me; they can kill just as the men and convince enemy men to do their whim. Your beauty and power are a tool for me to use when I see fit. You will do so as all the others have done before you. Get used to it; a beauty like yourself has more than one use, after all… Unless, of course, you wish to see Atsui die…" A threatened darkly.
Samui outwardly flinched as her control snapped.
She couldn't let Atsui die…
She couldn't.
Samui's face didn't change, but tears streamed from both eyes.
"I see you understand now. You must've momentarily forgotten your place. I will forgo your punishment. I assume we understand each other?" A asked, killing intent, flooding the room and causing Samui to drop to her knees.
"Y-yes." Samui answered with great effort.
"YES WHAT?!" A asked as his intent grew even more powerful. Samui dropped prone at this.
"Y-es Rai-Raikage-sama." Samui whispered, voice shaky.
"Good." A answered as he marched back and collapsed onto the couch again. As he faced Samui, he watched her climb back to her feet. "Make sure to dress up nicely for the fair. Use those looks of yours to bag me another useful weapon. It's for his own good anyway."
Samui exited the tent and marched back to her own tent in the camp. She was glad Omoi and Karui were at it already; they deserved to have fun before attending Emergency training. She had to meet with them and pursue her new mission. Besides, A might be right. Maybe it was the best for Naruto…
Samui wasn't sure if she believed it but pretended to.
Had to keep her cool.
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Neji's POV (Outside of Sand Exam Camp - Land of Iron)
The Hyuga sat stoically in a small grouping of trees outside the Sand Camp. The cold bit at his skin, but laser focus allowed him to ignore it. He was here to find someone.
Neji scanned the sand camp from the edges of its territory, looking for him. While the fair would undoubtedly be fun, he always preferred to handle business first, then pleasure. And with the current matchups and potential future ones, the business certainly needed addressing.
If he was tracking any regular person, they would almost surely be at the fair, but Neji's target was anything but ordinary. N Neji suspected Gaara would be near his camp, likely somewhere he was unlikely to be bothered. His Byakugan allowed him to search the camp from a distance. Though it did not allow him great detail, it allowed a rough search for Gaara. He had been looking for a little while and had yet to spot him. He prepared to give up his search and head to the fair. Though with a flinch, Neji saw his search was now over.
Gaara was standing a short distance away from him. Smiling coldly at his back. Neji had not even seen him approach…
"You seem to be searching for something human. Is there something you need?" Gaara said with a taunting smile. "It could be quite the incident… you coming here, especially if it is with ill intent. That wouldn't be the case…" He disappeared and reappeared closer. Mere inches away from Neji. "is it human?"
Neji did not flinch as he turned to face Gaara; instead, his Byakugan glowed in the moonlight as he leaked killing intent at the redhead. "I do not have that as my current goal, no. Though that can be changed, depending on our conversation."
"Shocker." Gaara joked. "The weak human came to talk. Interesting, if nothing else, and what prayer to tell would we be discussing?"
Neji felt his rage grow but held it back. "The upcoming match you have with my cousin and a potential future match with my teammate. I came to warn you that if you harm either, I'll-"
"Kill me, I would guess; you humans are quite unique. So weak compared to others and yet so quick to violence. I suppose that is why I am so violent myself, a sliver of humanity, I suppose. However, I find myself wondering. What will you truly do? If I kill Hinata Hyuga like the weak insect she is, can you truly do anything? What if I kill my own brother, Naruto Uzumaki, as well? Then you will kill me? How? I just have to ask human. You could not even beat Sasuke Uchiha, and I am much more than some human with a chip on their shoulder. I am similar to you humans but have been made greater. I am a monster created by humanity. A being they unknowingly created to subvert them. You, on the other hand, are a failure. Fitting for yet another "genius."" Gaara lectured as he turned his back to Neji.
As he finished his words, Neji could no longer hold his rage. Soundlessly, he fired an air palm at the redhead. A wall of sand formed and absorbed the attack with absurd speed, making Neji freeze at the sound and casual counter. The sand parted as a smiling Gaara marched through.
"Naruto claims that humanity is not weak; he fights for others heedless of himself and is determined to win over you… humans. Yet here you are, living evidence of the flaws of his ideals! Another human lauded as great yet weak!" Gaara ranted. "Word is you lost to Naruto Uzumaki, blameless; how could you best one of mine as a mere human? Then Sasuke Uchiha is pathetic but expected for someone like yourself. At least he was able to beat a lesser jinchuriki. Suppose your something of a measuring stick. Leave the real threats to your monster of a teammate, aye?"
Neji spun in place, activating a massive kaiten that Gaara blocked with his own swirling orb of sand. The force of which pushed Gaara back and wiped out the trees that had hidden Neji. His mind swirled as Gaara's poisoned words echoed throughout it. He had lost a lot recently, Naruto, the criminal, now even Sasuke. What sort of genius was he?
"I may not be the strongest." Neji admitted with a scowl. "But I represent the Hyuga, the genius of the great clan. I will protect my own."
Gaara didn't even seem bothered by Neji's second attack. "The "geniuses," that damn word again. You humans leave your prodigies and geniuses, yet you are a sorrier lot than even my own kin. Manipulated and used till their final day, they are never remembered for their successes but for their one failure. Poor human, you are a remarkable shinobi, but only in your own world. A big fish in a small pond, as they say. Well, welcome to the ocean. Am I the shark from the deep, and I will do as I please…" Gaara stated as he started to walk away. "Will you?"
Neji was frozen by his words and the full killing intent of Gaara settling upon him. Could he truly stop this monster?
"Run along now, genius. Soon enough, I'll see if that was an idle threat." Gaara said, then vanished.
Neji sat silent and still for several moments before screaming in fury and slamming his palm into a tree. The pure force cracked the bark, and the chakra tore the tree in half. Yet Neji knew one thing for sure.
He wasn't strong enough. Yet.