"Another boring shift. I hate this job so much," Kenji grumbled, yawning as he fanned his neck with a hand.
"And to think I could've been on that business trip to the Land of Rivers with Captain Kazuo instead of standing here doing absolutely nothing for eight hours straight," Junpei muttered.
The two chunin stood at their post, sweltering in taupe uniforms and tan flak jackets reinforced at the shoulders. Though the deep shade of Sunagakure's entrance—a cleft in the thick stone walls—spared them from the sun's brutal glare, regulations still required them to keep their head-wraps and neck-covers on.
Kenji stopped fanning himself. "Still not over Genta getting picked?"
Junpei scoffed. "Would you be? Everyone's drowning in work, but somehow he gets to go on a high-level mission while I'm stuck juggling trade reports, diplomatic correspondences, and mission briefings—on top of gate duty, which isn't even supposed to be my job."
Kenji didn't know much about Genta—only what he'd heard from Junpei in the short time they'd known each other. "What's so special about him?"
"…I guess he did well handling that tariff dispute with the Land of Claw daimyo's delegates," Junpei admitted. "But I prepped all the groundwork! Kazuo even used my draft proposal. Meanwhile, Genta just presents it, and now he's the one traveling with him," he huffed.
"The head of Foreign Affairs doesn't just pick people at random. If Kazuo chose Genta, there was a reason," Kenji shrugged.
"Yeah, I know. He's always thinking ahead, considering every angle before making a decision," Junpei sighed. "That's why I want to learn directly from him, not just assist from the background."
They lapsed into silence for a moment, gazing at the rippling mirages over the sand dunes.
Kenji spoke up again. "At least you get to work with Kazuo. I barely see my captain these days."
Junpei snorted. "Your team doesn't report in?"
Kenji stretched his arms and winced. "Oh, we do. Just long enough to drop off intel before getting sent out again."
Junpei eyed him. "You alright?"
"Yeah, just sore. Just got back from a mission." Kenji rolled his shoulder, testing the stiffness. "Had to do some recon on movements near the border."
Junpei raised an eyebrow. "Which border?"
Kenji hesitated. "Can't say."
Junpei clicked his tongue. "You guys in Intelligence are the most mysterious, besides anbu."
"Orders are orders." Kenji gave a small shrug. "Anyway, tensions are rising, and there's more work than people to handle it. Everyone's being pushed to do twice their usual workload, so we have to be extra efficient with every task. I barely had time to decipher the codes I got from my last mission before they threw me on gate duty."
"Well, at least now you get to rest your brain?"
Kenji was about to reply when something made him pause.
"Hm?" He squinted into the distance, frowning.
"What?"
"I'm sensing three people, about five kilometers out, heading this way. Judging from their chakra signatures, they're not from the Land of Wind," Kenji said, pointing in the ten o'clock direction.
Junpei stiffened. "What else can you tell?"
Normally, both gate guards would be sensory-type shinobi, but due to a shortage, even non-sensors like Junpei had been pulled in to stand watch.
Kenji narrowed his eyes in concentration. "Not sure where they're from, but it feels like one adult and two kids."
Since Suna had fewer shinobi than the other major villages, each one was expected to excel. Kenji could sense chakra from several kilometers away, gauge its strength, and determine whether it belonged to an outsider.
Without a word, the two guards shifted their stances, bracing for whatever was coming.
Soon, three silhouettes emerged on the horizon.
"What the hell? Kenji, they're all just kids!"
"The one in bright orange has chakra levels of an adult! Wait, no, greater than that!" Kenji exclaimed.
"Who are they?" Junpei murmured, scratching his head.
"Wow, look at that tall wall! That must be Suna!" Naruto cheered.
Encircling the village, the colossal sandstone wall stood as its first line of defense, limiting entry to a single narrow passage. Terraced platforms along the outer side provided vantage points for Suna's shinobi to repel invaders.
"Finally! I'm almost fucking dead," Tayuya groaned.
"Naruto, you're like a human compass!" Kimimaro marveled. "Do you have a world map imprinted in your head?"
"Well, actually, told me where to go."
Kimimaro blinked. "You can talk to the Nine-Tailed Fox?"
"Yeah, he's my friend," Naruto smiled.
They continued toward the entrance.
"What do we say to the guards?" Kimimaro asked.
A feeling of dread crept over Naruto. He had never really considered what would happen if Suna didn't welcome them. But it had been a gamble from the start, and after coming this far, there was no turning back.
"We say we wanna join Suna and become ninjas," Naruto answered simply.
"Why the fuck would they believe us?" Tayuya scoffed.
"Well…"
Tayuya dragged a hand down her face in frustration. "You're hopeless. I didn't come all this fucking way here just to get killed by some dam Suna ninjas."
Kimimaro frowned, searching for a solid reason that would convince Suna's shinobi, but none came to mind.
They arrived at the entrance, but no one was in sight.
"No guards…?" Kimimaro wondered out loud.
"Whoa, whoa, kids."
Kenji and Junpei stepped out from the dark. "Do you even know where you are?"
"Is this the entrance to Sunagakure? We wanna join the village and become ninjas!" Naruto declared.
"Join? Where are you from?" Junpei asked.
"I'm from Konohagakure in the Land of Fire, Kimimaro's from the Land of Water, and Tayuya's from, uh, the Land of Earth," Naruto said, pointing at himself and his friends. "Oh, and I'm Naruto."
The two guards exchanged looks.
Tayuya lowered her gaze and mumbled, "We're so dead." Kimimaro waited for them to make a move.
"You said one of them has abnormal chakra levels for a kid, right? They could be spies trying to get in," Junpei whispered to Kenji.
Kenji looked baffled. "I don't sense any fluctuations in their chakra, so they aren't lying."
"Kids shouldn't be able to make it here when even trained ninjas can't without knowing the exact location. Something's not right."
"Yeah… but they're not using transformation jutsu or genjutsu either. We should take them to the police and see what's going on."
"Okay, I'll take them there and be back soon," Junpei said with a nod. He turned to the three travelers. "Alright, kids, you're coming with me."
The three children followed the guard through the long, narrow passage, the oppressive desert heat easing as they stepped onto compacted ground. Reaching the other end, they found themselves on a platform overlooking the village—a vast sprawl of cylindrical buildings, their weathered surfaces blending seamlessly with the arid landscape.
They descended a flight of steps and walked down the avenue, passing clusters of tightly packed homes, the alleyways in between cast in deep shadow. The stucco houses flanking them had rounded forms and small, circular windows—architectural choices shaped by the relentless sun and unyielding desert winds.
Naruto's eyes darted around, taking in the unfamiliar surroundings. The structures were nothing like Konoha's wooden houses; they held a rugged, timeless beauty, as if they had risen naturally from the earth. Shinobi clad in Sunagakure's standard attire—designed for both camouflage and protection against the harsh climate—glanced their way as they passed. Civilians moved through the streets, their faces partially obscured by scarves and shawls, their earth-toned robes billowing slightly in the breeze.
Finally, they stopped in front of a building to the left of the avenue. Junpei pushed open the door and gestured for the children to go in. "Excuse me, we've got three foreigners from the village entrance who need questioning," he said to a passing ninja, who gave a curt nod before heading upstairs.
Junpei led them into a bare, windowless room. A table stood at the center with two folding chairs on either side, while several more were folded and placed against the wall. He pulled two more chairs into position and said, "Sit here and wait" before returning to the door.
A minute later, the door creaked open, and a tall, broad-shouldered man entered. The only visible part of his head was the right side of his face, which bore two distinctive red markings. The rest was concealed beneath a turban-like headpiece with a sheet draped over the left side. Junpei murmured something in the man's ear before leaving the room. The tall man walked over and lowered himself into the chair opposite the children, his dark, scrutinizing eyes making them shift in their seats. Moments later, the door opened again, admitting another man, this one with a wiry build and a thin mustache framing his upper lip. He took his place beside the table, leaning against the wall with arms crossed.
"I am Baki, head of the police department of Sunagakure," said the man sitting in front of them. "How did you find this village on your own? It's easy to get lost in the desert."
"Well, uh, sir, you probably won't believe me, but I have the Nine-Tailed Fox sealed inside me. He gave me directions," Naruto answered.
Baki's uncovered eye widened. "What did you just say?"
Naruto gulped. Baki turned to the man beside him, as if confirming he hadn't misheard. The man looked equally surprised, but he shook his head and said, "He isn't lying."
Baki frowned and turned back. He leaned forward, studying Naruto intently. "I heard you want to join Sunagakure and become a ninja here. State your reasons."
Naruto glanced nervously at his friends. Tayuya sent him a look that said it was too late to back out now.
"My village didn't treat me well, so I left," he answered honestly and directly.
"In no way would Konohagakure have let you escape," Baki said, his voice lower, brawny arms folded.
"Well, sir, they did. I ran through an unwalled part of the forest, and nobody came after me." Naruto shrugged, lowering his gaze as he clenched and unclenched his fists in his lap. "That just proves how little I mattered to them." He wasn't sure how to feel about the fact that he might not have even been considered important as a weapon.
Baki turned to the man beside him again. "Fukashi, are you certain this kid is telling the truth?"
This time, the man frowned at Baki. "If he weren't, I would have interrupted him. Sensing the tiniest chakra fluctuations is a difficult art that requires years of practice and experience, and I am the head of the intelligence department. Show some respect for my expertise," he said in a stern voice.
Baki looked a little awkward. "I'm sorry," he apologized to Fukashi, then turned back to Kimimaro and Tayuya. "I want to hear from you two. Why did you leave your nations?"
"My clan failed in an attack on Kirigakure. I am the only survivor," Kimimaro answered first.
"My homeland isn't a great place to live, either. I'm one of the many orphans who fled," said Tayuya. "I ain't lying, chief. It's as simple as that."
"We met by chance a few weeks ago," Kimimaro added. "And decided to come here together."
Baki pondered for a moment. Of all the ninja villages in the Five Great Nations, only the Village Hidden in the Sand was truly hidden, due to how difficult it was to navigate the vast desert. If these kids had made it here, the most plausible explanation was that the tailed beast had guided its jinchuriki. But even then, could a tailed beast really be so cooperative? From what he knew of Gaara…
"I shall report this to Kazekage-sama. Please tell Toji to come and keep an eye on the kids," Baki said to Fukashi.
"Can you give us some food and water? I'm starving," Tayuya asked.
Baki gave Fukashi a slight nod, and Fukashi nodded back before exiting the interrogation room.
Seated in another mostly empty room, the three children munched on bread. Toji sat cross-legged in the far corner, watching them skeptically. A faint stubble shadowed his jaw, and a prominent nose gave his face a hawkish look. Naruto tried to ignore his disdainful stare, wondering if the guy saw them as spies or just nuisances.
"Shrimp, if you get us killed because of all this, I'm not letting it go in the afterlife," Tayuya muttered, glaring at Naruto.
He forced a smile at her. Seemed like the old Tayuya was back.