The third day of the Five Great Nations Conference dawned with Sunagakure already alive and teeming with people. From the crack of morning, the village buzzed with activity. The streets were full of color and chatter, animated by merchants, travelers, and shinobi alike.
It would not be an exaggeration to say that the village had become a melting pot of cultures, with ninja from across the five great nations walking side by side through the scorching desert outpost.
Curious and wide-eyed, shinobi from distant lands strolled through the vibrant thoroughfares of Sunagakure. Many were young and inexperienced, having rarely set foot beyond the borders of their home villages.
On their first day, most had been tense. Their training and village doctrines had instilled a deep-rooted caution: shinobi villages were not meant to be welcoming places for outsiders. They were strict, patrolled, and paranoid. Movement was usually limited, surveillance was omnipresent, and local shinobi kept their distance. But when they arrived in Sunagakure, reality had defied expectation.
Here, they were met not with suspicion, but with open arms. No one followed their every move. No ANBU agents loomed in the shadows. The people of Sunagakure greeted them warmly and treated them with casual friendliness, especially after learning they were guests from the other great villages.
The younger ninjas were baffled. Why were they being welcomed like celebrities? The older shinobi, more worldly and shrewd, could see it clearly; the look in the villagers' eyes was a familiar one: hunger for prosperity. This was a village desperate to grow, to rise, and to secure its future. Even so, the sincerity in their greetings was undeniable, and it left an impression.
Among the foreign visitors blending into the crowd were two brothers of the Hyūga clan, Hiashi, the dignified clan head, and his younger sibling, Hizashi. Their Byakugan concealed beneath faintly tinted visors, they wandered quietly through the marketplace.
"Sunagakure really is something else, brother."
Hizashi said, his tone a mixture of wonder and confusion. The streets were brimming with life, but not a trace of tension lingered in the air.
Hiashi, rarely one to be moved by atmosphere, gave a small nod, his stern features softening slightly.
"Yes... this kind of freedom doesn't exist even in our own village."
To Hizashi, born into the branch family and marked by the Caged Bird Seal, this difference was more than cultural. The openness of Sunagakure made him feel a faint, unfamiliar longing, envy for something that perhaps shouldn't have existed in the shinobi world.
"Well then, since the Kazekage has granted us this opportunity, we may as well make the most of it. Let's enjoy what Sunagakure has to offer. And it wouldn't hurt to observe their young shinobi either."
---
Elsewhere, three Uchiha walked through the village streets with equal curiosity. The clan head, Uchiha Fugaku, moved silently, flanked by two younger clan members, his eldest son, Itachi, and the ever-watchful Shisui. Like the Hyūga, they too were struck by the vibrant atmosphere of the desert village.
Itachi's eyes were wide with silent awe, absorbing every sound, every expression, every scent of the foreign land. For someone so young, trained to see through illusion and remain detached, he found himself captivated.
"How does it feel, Itachi?"
Shisui asked softly. He could sense the emotional shift in the boy beside him.
Itachi looked over at his father's impassive profile. After a pause, he turned back to Shisui and answered.
"Shisui-nii, I really like the atmosphere here in Sunagakure."
Fugaku didn't speak. His stern gaze continued scanning the horizon ahead, unfazed. Shisui let out a faint breath and murmured,
"The Kazekage is truly remarkable."
From the first day, Shisui had noticed it, not in the architecture, not in the shinobi ranks, but in the faces of the people. The villagers of Sunagakure didn't wear the haunted expressions that marked the war-torn lands of the shinobi world. Their smiles weren't born of the shallow relief found under the safety of strong walls. Their expressions held something deeper, pride, ambition, hope. These weren't people merely surviving. They were people building.
Even the grim aura of war didn't seem to cling to this place.
And then Fugaku finally broke his silence.
"Shisui. Itachi. You've heard about the Kazekage's proposal to limit the military strength of shinobi villages. What do you think of it?"
Shisui and Itachi exchanged glances. It was the older one who spoke first.
"If it actually gets approved, I think it would be a good thing. At the very least, it means kids like Itachi wouldn't have to see the battlefield at such a young age."
Fugaku gave the slightest of nods before turning to his son.
"And you, Itachi?"
"Father…"
Itachi said carefully, "I agree with Shisui-nii. If this proposal is accepted, peace might last longer."
"Hmm. What you've said is good."
Fugaku responded, his voice low and steady.
"But it shows you've only seen one side of things."
Both Shisui and Itachi were taken aback. Fugaku's gaze sharpened, his voice growing cold.
"Don't underestimate that Kazekage. If you really believe he's just some peace-loving idealist, that would be the most dangerous assumption you could make."
He didn't elaborate further. Fugaku wanted them to reach the truth on their own. Shisui's expression tightened, a flicker of understanding passing through his eyes. But Itachi still looked puzzled, clearly trying to grasp what his father meant.
"Then, Clan Head, what about the proposal?"
Shisui asked.
Fugaku's answer came without hesitation.
"It will definitely pass. Not only does it serve the interests of the shinobi villages, but it aligns perfectly with the goals of the daimyō. They've long grown tired of supporting so many uncontrollable shinobi. In fact, if given the chance, the daimyō would prefer our numbers to shrink as much as possible."
"!!!"
---
By nine o'clock that morning, Sunagakure was already filled with buzzing excitement. Crowds gathered across the village's busiest districts, where massive display screens had been installed. The village was practically vibrating with anticipation.
Despite being a world centered on chakra, this shinobi society had developed a unique set of technologies. While they lacked trains or modern machines, they had perfected chakra-based tools similar to films, radios, and televisions. These innovations, like Konohagakure's Telescope Jutsu or Sunagakure's Eye of Sand, used chakra to transmit live images and audio over long distances.
At one of the largest screens in the commercial district, Kakashi and his two teammates arrived, all disciples of the Fourth Hokage. The area around them buzzed with shinobi from every nation, all crowding in to get a glimpse. Everyone was here for one reason, the live broadcast of Sunagakure's ninja examination.
The broadcast wasn't just for entertainment. Shinobi from other villages hoped to gather insights into Sunagakure's training systems and standards. For Kakashi, Rin, and Obito, it was an opportunity not to be missed.
Currently, the screen was still cycling through chakra-projected commercials, each one stranger than the last. Obito slumped against a wooden post, groaning.
"This is so dull... Why aren't they showing a movie? Who wants to watch commercials?"
Kakashi rolled his eyes behind his mask, unimpressed with the complaint, while Rin offered a small, encouraging smile.
"Just wait a little longer, Obito. It's probably starting soon."
Obito immediately perked up at her voice.
"Mm-hmm-hmm! Rin, you're always so kind!"
She laughed nervously at his sudden enthusiasm.
But their light moment was shattered by a cold voice from behind.
"So these are Konohagakure's shinobi? They look pretty dim. Not impressed."
The trio turned quickly. Behind them stood three shinobi wearing Kumogakure forehead protectors. The atmosphere tensed immediately. Obito blinked rapidly, then blurted out,
"Th-th-they're... huge!!!"
Kakashi and Rin froze. That idiot. Obito's impulsive outburst left them both staring at him in mortified silence. Meanwhile, the Kumogakure trio, Samui, Atsui, and Mabui, all frowned, clearly offended. Samui's towering 'frame' and Mabui's imposing 'presence' were enough to make even Kakashi glance away awkwardly.
Obito turned bright red and jumped back, waving his arms frantically.
"S-s-sorry... I... I didn't mean it... I really apologize..."
"Tch."
The Kumogakure ninja glared at them coldly. If it weren't for the Raikage's strict orders to avoid causing trouble during the conference, Samui would've already flattened him. Instead, she held her anger and sneered.
"Didn't expect such a pervert among Konoha's little brats. So much for your village's reputation."
Obito opened his mouth but couldn't form a single word. He looked utterly humiliated, shrinking behind Kakashi with a miserable expression.
Fortunately, the screen finally shifted, and the official broadcast of the ninja examination began.