Konoha had suddenly grown lively over the past few days, with unfamiliar faces everywhere on the streets.
Most were ninja wearing Sunagakure Forehead Protectors, dressed completely differently from those in Konoha and looking this way and that. Some had come for the Chunin Ninja Exams, others simply to watch the excitement, and some...
Their eyes hid something. One look was enough to tell they weren't here to join the fun.
Shuo leaned against a pillar outside the Mission Hall, a piece of candy in his mouth, his cheek bulging slightly.
Lightspeed Thinking ran subconsciously, feeding everything on the street into his mind-forty-seven people passing every minute, thirty-one from Konoha, eleven from Sunagakure, and another five who were off.
He narrowed his eyes, sweeping his gaze over the street corner.
Those five kept their chakra extremely suppressed, deliberately walking like civilians, but their eyes kept flicking toward the Hokage Building-they were from Kusagakure.
There were another two dressed like merchants, but they wore Ninja Shoes, and their steps were too light for ordinary people. They were from Amegakure.
The Chunin Ninja Exams hadn't even started, and all sorts of shady characters were already crawling out of the woodwork.
"What are you looking at?"
Sai emerged from the Mission Hall with a mission scroll clutched in his hand and walked over to him.
"People."
Shuo's voice was muffled by the candy.
"What people?"
"All sorts."
Sai followed his gaze around without saying anything, quietly tucked the scroll into his clothes, and moved closer, leaning against the pillar alongside him to watch the people coming and going.
About five minutes later, someone walked toward them, blonde, carrying an enormous fan on her back, and striding along briskly. One look was enough to tell she wasn't someone to mess with.
It was Temari.
She