Sena woke us up early so we could pack the few things we still had left and not miss the cart that would take us back home. Kaen complained while rubbing his eyes. "The sun is not even up yet." The moment he saw Sena's unforgiving stare, though, his posture straightened and sudden energy surged through him as he rushed off to wash his face.
Shisui kept looking suspiciously out the window, and every now and then he checked the hallway too, muttering under his breath that Yura was stalking him. Sena ignored him while I went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast for the team.
After we ate in peace, we were finally ready to move. Kaen looked at me suspiciously and complained, "Why didn't he pack anything?" I grinned and nodded toward my hand seal while sticking my tongue out for good measure. Kaen grumbled under his breath, "Unfair advantage," and I chuckled, which only annoyed him more. Such a good morning.
We watched the sun rise from the window, and I found myself regretting leaving that heavenly view before we finally started heading down. Shisui, to our great concern, moved through the shadows using his ANBU training to erase every sound he made while trying to hide from Yura.
We made it to the street, and Shisui flickered into the cart compartment with a deep breath of relief. That relief lasted less than a second. His eyes suddenly widened as he found Yura already sitting inside on one of the seats, waiting for him. Then her own puffy red eyes widened, and she launched herself at him, hugging him while crying. "I can't believe you are leaving me here. I will never get a boyfriend. I will wait for you to come back and take me." Shisui looked completely horrified. "Please don't," he said, but apparently all Yura heard was please do, because she squeezed the poor man even harder. Then the compartment door closed with his face still frozen in horror.
Kaen and I started loading the luggage on top of the cart while people passing by stopped to wave at us. Their faces were full of genuine smiles and gratitude that we had come to visit and experience the beauty of Suna. We appreciated it too, so we waved back and greeted them properly.
A little while later, once we were done, Kaen climbed into the cart compartment to help Shisui peel Yura off in what had somehow become a deeply dramatic farewell scene. I was still standing there with my mouth open when the atmosphere shifted. The people nearby started moving away with wary looks on their faces. I narrowed my eyes and looked around until I found Gaara standing there with his messy red hair and green eyes.
He looked like he was trying very hard not to cry. Then he stepped closer, each step heavy, sadness written all over his face, and asked in a timid voice, "Are you leaving now?"
I nodded. "Yeah. It is time to head back to Konoha."
Luckily, the shinobi assigned to watch him had gotten dragged into the Yura disaster and was busy trying to calm her down and pull her away from the cart. I noticed that and quickly whispered to Gaara, "How are things now?" hoping he would understand what I really meant.
His expression improved a little, and he tried to smile. "It is good. I thank you."
I could not help smiling back at him, and that only seemed to brighten his mood a bit. "Do not worry," I said. "If I can, I will try to visit Suna and check on you from time to time. But you have to make sure you follow what I told you before and, most importantly, enjoy your life."
Gaara nodded. I could tell he wanted to hug me, but that would have looked far too suspicious with this many eyes around us.
"I will do that," he said with quiet confidence.
I nodded back. "Good. Take care."
Then I climbed into the cart and waved at him from the window. He waved back with a real smile on his face, which felt like a sharp contrast to the look he had worn before the seal was fixed.
Kaen was already seated with his face pressed against the window and a bit of drool at the corner of his mouth as he went right back to sleep. I sat down next to him. Sena was already sitting across from us, while Shisui sat beside her trying very hard not to look in Yura's direction. Outside, one of the Suna shinobi was still hanging onto her while she looked fully prepared to jump onto the cart and chase us across the desert.
The civilians of Suna kept waving as we rolled toward the village gate and finally started leaving the village behind. They sent us off with well-wishes.
The cart followed the marked route out through the desert, which suddenly felt a lot more important to me after everything I had gone through during the second stage of the Chunin Exams. Suna did not joke around when it came to traps, and they were downright vicious in the way they used the desert and the environment itself to their advantage.
Shisui looked worried, absentmindedly looking outside the window at the endless desert. Once Kaen woke up, he noticed it too and asked, "Sensei, do you miss Yura already?"
One of Shisui's eyes twitched. "No," he said flatly. "It is just that I sent a message to the Hokage about the Chunin Exams and the results, but all I got back was a response from the elders saying they would be ready to welcome us when we arrived."
Kaen scratched his head. "What is the problem then?"
Shisui's expression hardened a little. "It is very unusual for the elders to respond to a message meant directly for the Hokage. Something is wrong, but they did not mention it. They must have hidden it for a reason."
Sena shifted almost imperceptibly in her seat. Only I seemed to notice. She knew something. Still, if she was refusing to speak, then she had her reasons. In the end, we would find out soon enough.
At that point, Kaen turned toward me and said, "By the way, do not think what happened in the Chunin Exam final was the end of it. Once we get home, we are having an all-out fight to find out who actually won that tournament."
I grinned. "You will still lose, but sure."
Kaen's face turned red as he narrowed his eyes at me, then snorted. "Fine. Keep underestimating me. It works in my favor." He folded his arms and looked away toward the window, probably already counting the seconds until we reached home so he could show me the legendary Uchiha strength.
The next few days passed in peace as we camped, ate good food, and enjoyed the natural distractions along the way while moving at a leisurely pace.
Eventually, we entered the Land of Fire through one of the border outposts. The shinobi stationed there did nothing more than give us a respectful nod as we passed. They did not even stop us to check papers.
The more we moved into the Land of Fire, the more the scenery changed into lush greenery, with tall trees rising on both sides of the road, their branches thick with leaves that swayed softly in the wind. Birds moved through the canopy overhead, their calls drifting down now and then, and the air itself felt fresher, cooler, and full of life. The beautiful weather of the Land of Fire only made us more excited the closer we got to the Hidden Leaf, especially in contrast to the dry, hot air of Suna, where we had spent a relatively long time.
We reached Konoha in the afternoon. The village gates were closed at first, but the moment our cart drew close enough, they opened wide to reveal a huge gathering of people waiting inside. Kaen and I both stared with our mouths open. Even Shisui looked puzzled. Fireworks shot into the sky, and then cheers exploded all around us as the cart rolled forward. People lined the road on both sides, calling out to us, children jumping with sweets in their hands while adults showered the cart with flower petals.
Kaen leaned out of the window, completely amazed by the reaction, then immediately started waving like he alone had carried Konoha on his back through the Chunin Exams.
Some Uchiha children even ran beside his side of the cart, and he eagerly reached down to shake their hands while they looked up at him with bright smiles, which inflated his ego dangerously.
Across from me, Sena wore a perfect politician's smile. It looked warm, effortless, and completely genuine, which was honestly starting to become a little terrifying. Merchants greeted her with obvious respect, and a few people even bowed.
Shisui looked confused for only a heartbeat before recovering and waving to the crowd with practiced ease. The shinobi we passed gave him small respectful bows of their own.
I looked around, still trying to process why and how so many people had gathered, and then I started noticing the details. Carts along the road were handing out food for free.
Flowers were being passed around to families, couples, and children for free as well. Uchiha shinobi stood at key points keeping order, making sure nobody got shoved aside, nobody got cheated, and nobody caused trouble. Everything was smooth, organized, and very visible. Something felt different. This was planned, and I could not help wondering why.
On the other hand, the merchants and market people gave me much grimmer looks. They stared at me like men forced to accept that a storm they had hoped would pass had instead returned stronger than before. I narrowed my eyes at them, and several narrowed theirs right back. The declaration that our war had resumed was written plainly across our expressions.
The cart finally stopped in front of the village elders, and we stepped down. Shisui and Sena bowed at once. Sena hit my leg to make me follow, while Shisui smacked Kaen's leg so he would do the same.
We straightened just in time for Koharu to step forward. She looked old and pale as ever, but her voice carried clearly through the street. "Konoha sent only one team to Sunagakure to participate in one of the harshest Chunin Exams in recent memory. We received reports of a brutal and demanding trial, one that tested not only strength, but judgment, discipline, and resolve. Yet under the leadership of Shisui Uchiha, that team achieved something rare enough to be remembered for years to come. Kaen Uchiha, Sena Yamanaka, and Noa have each earned promotion to the rank of chunin."
Homura nodded in agreement before continuing from where his old teammate stopped. His expression was solemn, but there was something carefully measured in the way he looked over the crowd before speaking. "This achievement does not belong to one clan alone, nor to one teacher alone, nor even to one team alone. It is a reflection of what this village can produce when its people stand together, support one another, and place Konoha above themselves. Today we celebrate not only the success of these young shinobi, but the strength of the bonds that made such success possible, and the message of strength this rare achievement has sent to the other villages, proving that Konoha stands strong." Then he turned toward Shisui first and shook his hand, before offering the same to each of us in turn. "Welcome home," he said with a smile polished enough to shine, his voice loud and grand. "Let Konoha celebrate this victory together."
The crowd answered him with cheers that rose from every side. Children ran laughing beneath the new wave of fireworks while holding their sticks of sweets, and rich aromas drifted through the air as flower petals kept falling around us. Adults shared skewers of grilled food, couples exchanged flowers, and families smiled as their children played together in joy. It was warm, loud, and bright.
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A/N: Countdown to the end of the arc. 1 chapter to go 🔥