Recalling the Oto jounin's smile, Suguru blinked and fell into thought. Something was bugging him, and it had been bugging him for a while now, and he just never put his finger on it.
It went beyond his recent deviation from his own behavior.
No… this was more…
Coincidental.
"Hm…?"
Suddenly—
Memories came flooding in from his earlier Shadow Clone. Using the Byakugan, a certain veil had been bypassed, and he finally figured out the cause of that dissonance in the air.
Indeed. The rhythmic flow of air hadn't been hidden.
'Even geniuses make mistakes or overlook mundanity,' Suguru's eyes flashed as the visage of a certain Uchiha returned to his mind.
The psychological suggestion wore off with the influx of chakra and memories.
Uchiha Itachi had been deceiving everyone, faking his own absence.
Suguru couldn't help but tilt his head all of a sudden.
'…Huh,'
He realized something.
'These people…'
Don't they sense each other?
Hiruzen had disguised himself as Akuta through the Transformation Jutsu and a Shadow Clone.
The Oto jounin was just Orochimaru wearing someone else's skin.
Itachi was using his Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan to the absolute fullest.
Kakashi, Guy, Asuma, Kurenai, and the Hoshi jounin were all leisurely watching the show.
And finally, Suguru was busying himself with his own thoughts.
'So many high-ranking shinobi all in one place…'
If only Tsunade and Jiraiya were here, then the legendary Sannin would be complete. Furthermore, two Tailed Beasts were slumbering within their jinchuriki right beside all the jounin.
Suguru felt his lips twitch. He couldn't help but feel an urge for mischief.
A rather deadly desire, if he thought so himself.
[Rock Lee vs Kinuta Dosu]
Thus, Suguru began to scheme when the next match-up began.
"Begin!"
* * *
"So,"
—Crack.
Suguru spoke just as Lee's shin slammed against Dosu's forearm.
"What are everyone's plans after this?"
Glance.
Akuta, Orochimaru, and even Itachi, who was several meters away, all glanced over. A small amount of killing intent leaked out of Suguru at that moment, invisible to those who hadn't experienced enough death.
Naruto and Gaara, as well as the rest of the jounin, were spurred by their instincts and looked over as well, albeit a beat later.
It was a loaded question.
Orochimaru narrowed his eyes, questioning why his student was bringing that up in front of all the Konohagakure jounin so suddenly. Was the boy stabbing him in the back?
Akuta glared. His façade forced him into speaking. "What are you talking about?"
Clearly, this wasn't a place for a chat like that.
As for Itachi, he wondered, 'That killing intent… Have I been discovered?'
However, he quickly ruled it out.
'Perhaps not, such bloodlust had been directed at his surroundings. I'mhissurroundings.'
"I'm talking about everyone's plans — basically what you want to do later. You know… so that I can prepare." Suguru smiled while keeping his gaze on the fight.
Dosu's sound-based Genjutsu were distorting the trajectories of Lee's fists, shaking his balance.
Suguru's gaze then shifted, imperceptibly, to gaze at three people.
Akuta.
Orochimaru.
Itachi.
"Anything interesting? Any place you'd like to visit on a tour?"
—Crack.
Lee missed an axe kick, and his heel almost shattered the stone floor.
Suguru thus diverted his gaze once more.
Orochimaru smiled upon hearing the silver-haired boy's words. Then, he spoke,
"Well, there are a few places that I'd like to tour." He said, stepping forward to stand near Suguru while he glanced at the Hoshigakure jounin. "I believe she and I hold the same interests."
Akuta raised a brow, and the Konoha jounin were also intrigued.
"A tour?" Akuta asked, "Please remember that Konoha is not simply a place you can waltz around—"
"Oh! A tour!" Guy butted in, "How about I show you around?"
Akuta's lips twitched when his words were cut off. However, the topic of a tour seemed to break the usual norm that these shinobi had. He couldn't help but wonder why Suguru would bring it up and why the two jounin from different villages seemed interested in it.
A cold feeling enshrouded him as he thought about the timing. Now, when Konoha seemed to be teeming with spies and encroached upon by a dead man's legacy?
Something was up.
Akuta narrowed his eyes and stepped back.
"Oh~" Suguru gave Guy a chuckle, "I believe having Guy-senpai bring the two of you around would be a good thing."
—Boom!
In the arena, a soundwave suddenly forced Lee to stumble back, and his ears began to bleed.
This time, it was the Hoshi jounin who replied, "Really?"
Her tone was light and soft, bearing a certain youthful innocence. With her soft purple hair and quiet demeanor, she hadn't been someone of note before.
It was only now, when her voice seemed to caress one's ear, that the surrounding audience couldn't help but take a second look.
"How are the sweets here?"
Suguru blinked, being one of the few who hadn't pried his gaze away from the arena. He continued to watch while he spoke,
"…I'd recommend most of the shops, but Anko-senpai might have more experience in this regard."
"Huh? Me?" Anko, called to attention, had been watching the fights in peace. To be suddenly included in the conversation… She hadn't heard what Suguru said.
Luckily, Guy's voice overwrote her confusion.
"It's okay!" He said with a big smile, "I know the village like the back of my hand! You can trust me to take you around."
Suguru laughed, "Great."
Then, his gaze lingered on Itachi for a moment before watching the arena once more. There, Lee was forced back repeatedly, wary of the sound waves that Dosu would expel from his arm.
Distance allowed him to reduce the effects of the disorienting sounds.
And so, he inevitably landed atop the stone hands.
Suddenly, a thumb was thrust out.
"Oh, Lee!"
Guy's voice boomed from the side, seemingly in an even better mood than usual.
"You can take 'em off!"
Suguru watched as an inevitable moment of fate seemed to dictate its existence. The pleasant surprise on Lee's face became clear for the genin to see.
"Really? But.. Guy-sensei… I thought it was only for—" Lee's voice rang with disbelief.
"It doesn't matter! I give you my permission!" Guy said with his signature nice-guy pose. "Show everyone what you got!"
Then, Lee sat down atop the statue and began taking off his weights. When he was done, he sighed in relief.
"Finally, I can move freely."
Then, the weights began to fall.
"Weights?" Ameyuri scoffed, "What's that going to do?"
Similar questions ran through the genin who were spectating. The jounin's brows were raised, and even Itachi found this odd.
It was only when—
—BOOM!
Indeed… It was only when those weights hit the ground, shattering stone and releasing smoke, that everyone felt their questions were answered.
Akuta felt a vessel pop in his head, thinking, 'Oi… Guy… Isn't this too much?'
Kakashi had the exact same thought, albeit with wry resignation.
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