Naruto - Azure Awakening

Kaoru and Mizuki were on their way back when they spotted Akito, Sugeru, Yuji, and Shin heading toward a food stand.

"Where have you guys been?" Sugeru called out as soon as he saw them. "You missed a great fight—Akito destroyed that Yamanaka kid!" He threw a few dramatic punches in the air, reenacting an exaggerated version of the battle.

Everyone laughed—except Akito, who looked thoroughly embarrassed. "Sugeru, I was just lucky. He was way stronger than me," he admitted. The win had felt good, but he knew better than to let it inflate his ego. If Salko hadn't underestimated him, the outcome could've been entirely different.

Kaoru grinned, his expression was practically glowing, he was suspiciously happy that Akito won. "Akito, I never doubted you! Not even for a second." He clapped Akito on the shoulder, radiating the energy of a man who had just secured free money. "And to show my gratitude, lunch is on me! Order whatever you want!"

The group cheered, entirely unaware that Kaoru was quietly funding his generosity by ripping off the betting stands in Konoha. He had already won twice, and he had no plans of stopping. [All thanks to you, Akito. That was a very profitable fight.] He could already picture the betting stand owner's face when he returned to cash in his next big win.

Kaoru pulled the match schedule out of his pouch and scanned it.

[Hmm… Akane vs. Toji. I can't bet on this one. Realistically, Toji should win, but betting against Akane just feels wrong. Part of me would end up cheering for Toji, and that doesn't sit right with me.]

Even though Kaoru hadn't sparred with Toji, he knew the guy had tons of chakra. And considering he was a Senju, there was no way he was bad at taijutsu. Akane was strong and had a solid chakra reserve, but Senju were just built different. [I'll just skip this one and bet on Akatsuchi instead. I should also start paying closer attention to the other participants, maybe some of them will stand out.]

"By the way, where are Akane and Maki?" Kaoru finally noticed his friend and sister weren't with the group.

"Maki has been training Akane in taijutsu. They're probably still at it," Shin answered with a lazy yawn.

[Why does this guy always look like he hasn't slept in years?] Yuji, Sugeru, and Akito all had the exact same thought at the same time. No matter how long they knew Shin, his constant half-dead energy never stopped being weird.

"Isn't training right before a fight a bad idea?" Kaoru asked, scratching the back of his head.

"That depends on the training," Shin said in a way that somehow answered nothing but raised even more questions.

"…Right," Kaoru muttered, giving up.

Shin stretched and started walking toward the food stand. "Let's eat and head back. I want you to watch the next two fights. Especially you, Kaoru."

Kaoru raised an eyebrow and pulled out the schedule again. [the next two? Akane vs Toji I can understand but why the next one? Nara Sei vs. Awaraka Ken.] He frowned, trying to figure out what Shin meant. [I have no clue who Awaraka Ken is. He must've fought after me in the preliminaries, so I missed it. If it's about Nara Sei, then it must be the shadow jutsu stuff, but that's kinda useless for me. So why?]

He thought hard but came up with nothing.

"You'll understand when you see it. Probably." Shin shrugged before stepping up to order his food.

[Whatever. I'll find out soon enough. But first things first - money.]

Kaoru casually slipped away from the group. He had bets to cash in and more to place. [I should definitely mess with that old man at the betting stand again. He won't fall for the same trick twice, but maybe I can nudge him into giving me better odds somehow…]

A grin spread across his face. He was making way too much money off this tournament.

<<<>>>

The Takimura council gathered for an emergency meeting. Kirigakure's pressure was becoming harder to deal with, and it was only getting worse. Most teams that left the valley were being ambushed, and while these fights rarely ended in deaths, the number of serious injuries was piling up. Unlike Kirigakure, which seemed to be sending expendable shinobi rather than their elites, Takimura couldn't afford to lose anyone.

"These skirmishes were manageable at first, but now they're turning into a real problem," Meruem grumbled. So far, Takimura had suffered two casualties—both from the Terumi Clan. Most of the injured were also Terumi, and tension was rising between the two clans. The Takime justified it by saying the Terumi were weaker, while the Terumi suspected the Takime were avoiding the most dangerous fights.

"We've tried reaching out to several clans that are practically at war with Kirigakure, but none have shown interest in joining us," Suiren said, flipping through a stack of reports, deliberately avoiding Meruem's gaze. "We've also had no luck locating the Six-Tails Jinchuriki."

Nothing but bad news. Fewer completed commissions meant their finances were struggling, and on top of that, their reputation was taking a hit.

"I might have a solution," Tenma suddenly spoke up. It was rare for him to participate in council discussions, so the room fell silent.

"I know a clan that won't be able to reject our offer. But if we bring them in, Kirigakure will retaliate. They might even send one of the Seven Swordsmen… or worse, multiple."

No one interrupted, waiting for him to continue.

"The Yuki Clan was just wiped out," Tenma said bluntly. "And there are rumors that Kirigakure's next target is the Noda Clan. They're smaller than the Yuki, but they have a few jonin and even one master jonin. If we secure them, our numbers will definitely grow. But Kiri will take us much more seriously after that."

With that, Tenma sat down, signaling he had no intention of debating the issue. As Takimura's Oinin leader, he already had enough on his plate.

"We don't have a choice," Meruem said after a moment. He was getting too many complaints from his clan, and while he understood their frustration, he knew the Takime weren't avoiding fights. It just so happened that the Terumi teams were being targeted more often.

"I have an idea," Akura interrupted. "Apologies, Lord Meruem, but I think we need to discuss something else first." He paused for a moment, arranging his thoughts before continuing. "I think Kirigakure is deliberately targeting the Terumi to create conflict between us. If that's the case, we need to counter it. My proposal is to dissolve all single-clan teams and restructure them into mixed teams - Takime, Terumi, and rogue shinobi."

The council exchanged glances. The younger generation was already training in mixed squads, but forcing experienced teams - teams that had worked together for years - to suddenly change formation was no small task.

"If this were any other situation, I wouldn't agree," Meruem admitted. "But right now, I don't see another option." He glanced at Suiren. "If Lady Suiren also agrees, we can move forward with it."

Suiren, still flipping through her documents, finally found what she was looking for. Raising her head for just a moment, she nodded. "Yes, I agree. Akura, handle it."

Akura gave a small nod in response, and with that, the decision was made. But Suiren wasn't done.

"I was just looking for a report that contained details about the Yuki Clan's extermination and the Noda Clan being the next possible target… but I couldn't find it. Why?"

Her tone was calm, but her eyes were locked directly onto Tenma. The atmosphere in the room shifted instantly.

Tenma, who was usually composed, suddenly looked uneasy. "The report arrived just before the council meeting, so we didn't have time to deliver it." He tried to explain, but his words barely left his mouth before Suiren's expression darkened.

For the first time since Takimura's founding, she looked angry.

"I am the head of the Takime Clan and one of the two leaders of this council. Any crucial information should be delivered to me immediately upon arrival," she said, her voice sharp and commanding. Even Akura felt a twinge of unease. [She is getting her old self back] Akura thought with amusement, but unlike Akura Tenma who had clearly misstepped, he was truly tense.

"You've been doing a good job, Tenma," she continued, It was the standard way of scolding someone - start with a compliment, then hit them with the "but". "But as Oinin Commander, it is your direct responsibility to be efficient, unbiased, and most importantly—loyal to Takimura, not just one part of it."

She didn't bother sugarcoating the accusation, and this time, Meruem felt the need to intervene. He opened his mouth to speak—but then Suiren's icy gaze landed on him.

He shut it just as quickly.

"I'm sure this was just a misunderstanding, Lady Suiren," Meruem finally said, forcing a neutral expression. "But if it happens again, we'll have no choice but to take action."

It was a clear warning. If Tenma failed again, his position as Oinin Commander would be in jeopardy. Losing Tenma would be bad for Takimura, but it would be an even bigger blow to the Terumi Clan, as they would no longer have influence over the Oinin.

Akura let out a quiet sigh, shaking his head slightly. [So, the ideal harmony in Takimura is finally starting to crack…] He had always hoped their generation could avoid the mistakes of the past, but now? [Maybe we never even deserved peace to begin with…]

"Alright," Suiren said, breaking the tension. "I believe we all agree—Noda Clan must be approached immediately. We will attempt to bring them into Takimura."

She turned back to Tenma.

"You will personally handle the negotiations. At the same time, you will also conduct a thorough investigation of every single member to check for possible spies."

That last part carried another meaning—by entrusting Tenma with this mission, Suiren was showing that she still had faith in him. But it was also a test. If he failed, his standing in Takimura would become very fragile.

This was a completely new side of Suiren - one that neither Meruem nor anyone from the Terumi clan had ever seen before. But Akura had.

He remembered what Suiren was like when her son was alive - when she had a powerhouse on her side. Back then, Suiren was much more daring, much more difficult to handle. And now, with Maki growing into what was likely the strongest shinobi in the village, it was clear that Suiren had decided to ensure Takime's authority could not be challenged.

No one would ever be able to push Takime around in Takimura.

<<<>>>

Akane stood in the center of the arena, her blade was already unsheathed as the sun caught its edge in a sharp gleam.

"I really enjoyed your fight against the Suna kunoichi," Toji said, scratching his head. His posture was relaxed—too relaxed. His right hand remained casually tucked in his pocket, a sign of either arrogance or sheer indifference. Even though the judge hadn't given the signal to start, most fighters showed some form of respect before a match. Toji, apparently, wasn't one of them.

"I hope I'll be able to give you a good fight, Toji-kun," Akane replied, her stance steady as she awaited the judge's call.

"I'm sure you will." Toji showed a genuine smile. "Kaoru talked about you so much, I have no doubt you're strong."

[When did I ever talk about Akane?!] Kaoru, watching from the stands, frowned. [And even if I did, how the hell could I have said that much when we've only talked, what, two or three times?] His confusion deepened. [Whatever. This guy is just weird. Why is everyone around me so weird…?] thought Kaoru as he looked at Sugeru who was looking at Akane with excited eyes.

"She is going to win, I know it" Sugeru nearly yelled.

The Uchiha judge stepped forward, eyes scanning both fighters. "Are you ready?"

**

A/N - 

"The peaceful life of Takimura is officially over. From now on, there will be both external and internal conflicts, which means my skills in writing politics and scheming will need to improve too. Time to level up! xD

I hope you enjoyed the chapter. It's 4 a.m. as I'm writing this, and all I want now is sleep. xD

Character Notes:

Kaoru - Dejected – "Mizuki, Sugeru, Shin, Maki, and now Toji… There are too many weirdos around me."

**