Several kilometers outside of Iwagakure's¹Hidden Stone Villagewalls

"Let me get this straight, you ditched the security detail we so carefully prepared and provided for you; traveled across the entire continent with only your non-shinobi private security; where you could've easily been captured or killed; just to arrive early for the Chunin Exams?"

"When you put it like that, it sounds very irresponsible..."

"IT IS!"

In the obscure, bowl-shaped fissure in the rocky terrain, selected for the sole purpose of preparing for the Final Exams, Tetsuo Mori was sitting in Seiza²Ancient, Japanese, formal wall of sitting.

The merchant received a well-deserved sermon from none other than Tango, who'd left his students to train for themselves upon witnessing Tetsuo's abrupt arrival

With his position as head of Mori Sp., the very same company Kumogakure so heavily relied on in recent years, Tetsuo was initially meant to arrive in the Land of Earth alongside the Raikage...with a substantial protective detail in tow

But when Tango saw the overly energetic merchant suddenly, and recklessly tumble straight into their training location, he was at a complete loss of words...

Shō, and the other security guards under his command, all bowed apologetically. Fully aware of the trouble their superior had caused for Kumogakure

"The upper brass back home is probably in a frenzy right about now...sigh!" (Tango)

"After completing our sea journey, we managed to make contact via a portable, long-range radio-" (Shō)

"One of our newest products by the way!" (Tetsuo)

FWAP!

Shō smacked Tetsuo on the head for interrupting before continuing onwards "Your superiors are aware of our arrival, and responded with some news" (Shō)

"Oh? Let me guess, Raikage-sama has departed for Iwagakure?" (Tango)

"He should be here in two to three days" (Shō)

"Excuse me?!" Tango shouted in surprise

Amongst the Five Great Shinobi Nations, Iwagakure was on the most northwestern area on the continent. As opposed to Kumogakure, which dwelled to northeast, a journey between said nations typically lasted for at least 8 to 12 days, if not longer

"He couldn't have used a Noble Road, the Lightning Daimyō-sama is already here..." (Tango)

"Noble Road? Hey Shō! Why didn't we use one of those, instead of traveling on a boat, ugh! You know how sea sick I get!" (Tetsuo)

"Sigh... They're monitored travel paths exclusive to the Daimyō's of each nation. Trespassing on them immediately gets you on the FRONT of the Bingo Book" (Shō)

"Oh...well that's greedy of them. It's not like those spoiled old men do MUCH anyways" (Tetsuo)

"Please refrain from saying that out loud, no matter how true it may be" (Shō)

{In that case, did he travel by land...on foot? I mean, considering who we're talking about, I can picture him dashing through the land like a hurricane but-} (Tango)

"I can't say for certain, but I suspect Raikage-dono departed Kumogakure days ago...in secret. Likely to give the false impression to others that he was still in the village" (Shō)

"That...seems more likely than what I was thinking. If he's moving discreetly, it'd explain how you got here before he did. Plus, there's barely nine days left until the Finals begin" (Tango)

Tango brought his team out of the village, into this barren area for their protection

Reports from his colleagues remaining at the hotel had informed him of other parties on edge. Foul play and sabotage have become a constant, with ninja from different nations trying to eliminate the competition prior to the finals

He'd hoped the new wave of civilians and interest parties set on witnessing the exams would limit such actions. Iwagakure was already filled to the brim with people, making it much harder to operate in the shadows

But the boldness of others was clearly underestimated on his end...

{Considering we have all these ninja hailing from different villages, who were just at war not so long ago, now residing so close to each other for over a month...} "I suspected some village might try something, but not so many at once. Just goes to show how much everyone NEEDS to win this thing" (Tango)

"Indeed. Also, while we fully understand this doesn't make up for our leader's sporadic behavior, please accept his full hearted apology for causing unneeded stress to your superiors during this important time" Shō apologized as he grabbed Tetsuo's head and made him bow

"It's fine, I'm not the one you should be bowing to. Besides, it was our one-sided decision to arrange shinobi guards for him, despite the fact Mori Sp. doesn't answer to Kumogakure. Though, I humbly request you at least try to make better efforts to keep us in the loop from here on" (Tango) 

"Great! See Shō, we're all good!" (Tetsuo)

"...I want a raise" (Shō)

"E-Er...we'll talk later. Um, Tango! I had several reasons for leaving ahead of Raikage-dono and his entourage, but the most important were these..." Tetsuo clarified while presenting a locked, black suitcase

CLICK!

"What in the-?!" (Tango)

"Made with top-of-the-line materials, they'll surely give your students an edge" (Tetsuo)

"...I get it. This is free advertisement your getting from us" (Tango)

"Kekeke! True. But that's not the main reason I'm doing this. I still feel indebted towards you, and those adorable rascals of yours" Tetsuo smiled as he turned to observe the Genin's intense training

 

♦♦♦

 

SWISH! CLANG!

"Tsk! You trying to give me a haircut?"

"Sorry, but Funsui-senpai said I can't learn anything from sparring with him anymore! I'll give you time to tie your hair in a ponytail if you'd like?"

"Thanks, but Rei owns the ponytail look in this squad" {Fūton: Toppa³Wind Style: Breakthrough!}

BOOSH!

Tai and Suzu were in the midst of a sparring session

Both had managed to complete the training assigned to them in record time, but hit a "wall" on which direction they were to go next. Tango referred to this as a sign they were becoming Chunin

No longer students, nor children, the time was approaching for them to dictate their own training regimens. Choosing their own paths as they slowly became adults

{Kumo-ryū: Omotegiri⁴Cloud Style: Front Beheading!} (Tai)

WHIP!

Prior to taking what could only be described as a "perfect stance", Tai swung the Wakizashi⁵Side Sword blade, gifted to him by his mother Tomoe, splitting Suzu's compressed air attack in half

{Though I wasn't using my "ascended" chakra, for him to cut it so perfectly...} "You've improved immensely" (Suzu)

"I could say the same. Your Ninjutsu speed is on par with Rei's, and your close combat capabilities...I can't believe you're able to dodge my blade so swiftly" (Tai)

"That's only because I'm not the ONLY one holding back here" (Suzu)

"Hehe! Again?" (Tai)

"Yes...is what I'd like to say, considering the wall we're trying to break still looms but...we've company" Suzu gestured to their latest guest

"Hm? Oh! Tetsuo-san! Been a while! When did you arrive in Iwagakure?" (Tai)

"Last evening! Glad to see you're in good health!" (Tetsuo)

TAK! TAK!

The pair jumped out of the fissure and stood next to their sensei before offering their greetings to Tetsuo and his entourage. While the merchant typically didn't associate directly with shinobi, he shared a long and positive history with Team Tango

They exchanged stories for some time, recounting the recent exploits, challenges, and triumphs both parties experienced since they last met

Soon enough, Tetsuo moved the topic of their conversation towards the true purpose of his early visit

"I would've come last night, but your Daimyō kept me occupied with some information I believe he intended for me to pass along to you lot. Details regarding the Final exam and its environment" (Tetsuo)

"He discovered something?" (Suzu)

"Finally, we get a break! What is it?!" (Tai)

Iwagakure had purposely been cryptic on exactly how they'd conduct the final exam. Aside from informing the contestants when and where to be, they adamantly refused to share any further details

Tango surmised this to be a ploy for giving their Genin an edge. If the Stone village proved anything after the First and Second exams, it was the tenacity, and audacity, to use their status as hosts for their own advantage

Fortunately for Team Tango, the Lightning Daimyō had been hard at work since his arrival in Iwagakure, partaking in diplomatic talks, searching for any clues or hints an official might let slip

"Very recently, Iwagakure poured a substantial amount of money into remodeling the final exam location, or rather, their coliseum" (Tetsuo)

"We heard about that, they're pretty much hemorrhaging funds to win" (Tai)

"Makes sense when you look at all of their under-the-table deals with countries like the Land of Flowers to jumpstart them into this new era we're entering" (Suzu)

"On paper, their story is making a bigger venue to hold more guests. But what most don't know is that within the last five weeks, they've been preoccupied with transporting a certain material into the site" (Tetsuo)

"What kind of material?" (Tango)

"I don't know...the Daimyō stated there was no record of it anywhere. Some kind of cement-like material for building we never even heard of. The word, Chakra, came up during his conversation. However, I can tell you, being one who's well versed in merchandise from the Land of Iron, it's not chakra metal" (Tango)

{Cement...could it be for Doton⁶Earth Style users?} (Suzu)

Everyone remained quiet, pondering this latest bit information in their minds while trying to deduce what kind of scheme Iwagakure was concocting. Theories and guesses were passed around left and right, but no one came to a solid conclusion

Knowing guessing wouldn't do much good without any actionable intelligence, they put the thought to rest

"In order to be prepared for what's to come, I fabricated some new tools you kids might find useful. Ta-da!" Tetsuo presented an item in which...one of them was all too familiar with

"This is..." (Tango)

"The Smoke-Flash Bomb? U-Um...thank you, Tetsuo-san? I've used this one plenty" (Suzu)

In response, Tetsuo smugly waved his index finger "Tsk! Tsk! This bad boy is the updated model, more compact in size for carrying, yet possessing a far more effective delivery system. The light flash and disorienting sound last for an improved 13 to 17 seconds, with enough smoke to cover several thousand square feet in an instant!"

"Oh? How many do you have?" (Suzu)

"E-Eh?! U-Um...well...including this one...two" (Tetsuo)

"Two?" (Suzu)

"All of these were last minute prototypes..." (Tetsuo)

"So you don't know whether or not they'll actually work?" (Suzu)

"They've been tested! Just not...during...shinobi battles" (Tetsuo)

Though his presentation needed work, Tetsuo went over the details of his inventions to the letter, explaining their strengths and weaknesses before moving on

Oddly enough, it was Tai, out of everyone present who held excitement for what he had to present next

"Despite the criticism, we're grateful for the aid. Your portable defibrillator worked wonders during the second exam" (Tai)

"Did it now? That's good to hear, though I believe the energy consumption on those needs adjustment" (Tetsuo)

"Yeah, it was only good for one charge a day, but it worked all the same" (Tai)

"Nice. Okay, since YOU are so appreciative of my devices, I have something that's just right" (Tetsuo)

FLAP!

The next item was a pair of white, oddly marked gloves

"And those are...?" (Tango)

"Something that'll save your bacon, especially considering what I've heard about the final exams...trust me" (Tetsuo)

"Okay...how do they work?" (Tai)

"Since I wanted to support each member of the team, I decided on one device per Genin. Having a clue as to your individual styles, I had to make sure they wouldn't hinder you in any capacity. Suzu's a long range fighter, hence the bombs. While you and Rei are--huh? Wait, where is Rei-kun?" (Tetsuo)

"Ah...him. The thing is..." (Tango)

"Did he get hurt or something?" (Shō)

"No, he's fine. It's just..." (Tai)

"?" (Tetsuo & Shō)

"From the start of our month long training, he's done nothing but meditate. He'd exercise for a bit every now and then, but nothing substantial. Then out of nowhere, he just got up, and asked one of the guards to use their Doton to make a small cavern for him to remain in solitude. Only asking for privacy in the days to come" (Tai)

"None of us know what he's thinking. Which, in all honesty, is nothing new" (Tango)

"Should we be concerned?" (Tetsuo)

"..." (Tai)

"That's not--" (Tango)

"He's fine" (Suzu)

 

At these words, everyone stared at Suzu. The question, "Do you know what he's up to?", clearly plastered on their faces. The girl simply shook her head in denial, for she was just as in the dark

Instead, reminding them to simply have faith in their comrade

 

♦♦♦

 

Inside the dark, make-shift cave...

The unnatural tempering that took place within a young man's body, since the start of his training...was finally reaching an end. With this renewal of sorts...a being, unlike any other in this world, was primed on taking his first steps

 

 

 

"It's finally here...harmony!"