"I am the Hokage of Konoha, Sarutobi Hiruzen. Welcome, esteemed guests from Sunagakure."
At the main gate of Konoha, the village's leadership, led by Hiruzen, were welcoming the arrival of the Sunagakure's delegation.
However, all the Konoha's leaders, including Hiruzen, couldn't help but show surprise upon seeing this delegation.
They were far too young.
Gray flak jackets, forehead protectors, headbands... The delegation's attire, distinct from Konoha's style, was nothing unusual.
But the members themselves were remarkably young, mostly teenagers around fifteen or sixteen years old.
Diplomacy between nations was a matter of utmost importance. Typically, initial envoys were experienced elders with proven capability.
'Even if this delegation was here for study, the leader and main organizers should still be seasoned veterans, shouldn't they?'
'Yet this delegation... while there were a dozen or so slightly older members, they were only in their twenties or thirties.'
'Judging by their positions within the group, they didn't appear to be the main organizers or the leader.'
"I am Sunagakure's Jonin, Senki Ryuji, currently serving as the head of the Puppeteer Corps, and the leader of this delegation..." A young man with reddish-brown hair stepped forward, giving Hiruzen a slight bow before continuing, "On behalf of the people of Sunagakure, I thank the Hokage for this welcome."
"Wait, what did he say?"
"Did I hear that right?"
"The head of Suna's Puppeteer Corps is a kid this young?"
On the street behind the Konoha's leaders, residents and Shinobi who had gathered to watch couldn't help but murmur in surprise.
Even among the Konoha's leadership, a brief stir occurred before quickly settling.
Although startled that a youth held such a position, they had already learned from Shikaku about Sunagakure's recent shift towards younger leadership.
Mentally prepared, they weren't as shocked as the others.
Looking at the youth before him, wrapped in a dust-proof cloak, a glint flashed in Hiruzen's eyes.
He then lowered his eyelids, a kindly smile appearing on his face as he praised, "To hold such a pivotal position in Sunagakure at such a young age... truly, the younger generation inspires awe."
"Not at all. It is merely the Kazekage's favor. I still have much to learn from esteemed seniors like the Hokage."
"You are too modest."
After exchanging pleasantries for a moment, they turned to the main matters.
"I have already made arrangements for the academic exchange between our two villages."
As he spoke, Hiruzen stepped aside. A man with long, straight black hair, a refined and somewhat androgynous face, wearing a green flak jacket, stepped forward.
"My name is Orochimaru. I am the person in charge of this academic exchange. Your accommodations have been prepared. Please follow me." After his introduction, the man gestured for them to enter.
The Konoha's leaders blocking the entrance automatically cleared the way at the gate.
Ryuji gave Orochimaru a long, searching look before leading the Sunagakure's delegation into Konoha.
Konoha was distinctly different from Sunagakure.
Larger. More prosperous.
A few steps from the gate, scattered buildings became visible, with pedestrians coming and going on the streets.
The further in they went, the denser the crowds, the livelier the atmosphere, and the closer the buildings became.
The calls of shopkeepers and street vendors, the greetings and conversations of acquaintances meeting on the road, the occasional shinobi passing over rooftops...
Such a bustling village was a first-time sight for most of the young Sunagakure's delegates. They gaped like country folk visiting the big city for the first time.
This wasn't surprising.
In wartime, travel between countries was inconvenient. Shinobi Villages rarely undertook missions in other nations.
Most of these young people had never left the desert, never seen the scenery beyond it.
And the towns in the desert... even those built near oases, due to the constant wind and sand, were virtually empty, day or night.
A complete opposite of Konoha.
"It seems Ryuji-kun is someone who has seen the world."
Orochimaru caught up from behind, his serpentine eyes glinting with curiosity as he studied the youth.
"?"
Ryuji tilted his head slightly, looking at him with some confusion.
"The young people in this delegation are curious about everything in Konoha, but Ryuji-kun shows no such interest."
"Should I take that as you looking down on me?"
"If you believe so, then perhaps it is."
A faint smile still played on Orochimaru's lips, but paired with those predator-like snake eyes, it felt intensely dangerous.
Snap.
Ryuji stopped walking, his expressionless face meeting Orochimaru's gaze head-on. A bone-chilling coldness seemed to radiate from his eyes, carrying a palpable, endless killing intent.
The people around them seemed to sense something, stopping their activities one by one, their gazes turning towards the pair.
The delegation members grew tense, readying themselves for potential conflict.
A gentle breeze blew, lifting a green leaf.
But as the leaf neared the space between the two, it silently split in two, as if cut by an invisible blade.
"Leader!"
"Orochimaru."
A male and a female voice called out simultaneously from the street ahead and behind.
The moment the voices sounded, the killing aura enveloping the two vanished so quickly it seemed like an illusion.
Ryuji glanced behind him. A young woman with a gentle face, a slender build, and short sand-brown hair hurried forward from the back of the group, a hint of worry in her eyes.
Ryuji gave a slight shake of his head, indicating he was fine, then looked ahead.
The man who had called out was already before them. He had long white hair, was tall, wore red markings under his eyes, and was dressed in Konoha's standard armor.
Orochimaru shifted his gaze to this companion who had rushed over. "Jiraiya, is something the matter?"
"Nothing much."
Jiraiya seemed to have come in a hurry, catching his breath before continuing, "Just heard the Sunagakure's delegation arrived today, so I came to see for myself."
Orochimaru gave him a meaningful look, the corner of his mouth lifting slightly into a faint smile.
'This time, it didn't feel dangerous.'
"Well, here they are."
Jiraiya followed Orochimaru's gaze, then expressed his surprise. "They're all so young."
"It's an academic exchange, after all."
"Shouldn't academic exchanges be full of old-timers?"
Looking at Jiraiya's utterly bewildered expression, Orochimaru fell silent.
The term 'academic exchange' was merely a polite fiction to save Sunagakure's honor. In reality, it was one-sided instruction.
After all, being one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages yet needing to learn from another was an implicit admission of inferiority.
If this got out, it would damage their image. Their standing in the eyes of potential clients would fall. For missions where employers were indifferent between hiring Sunagakure or Konoha, they might lean towards the other side.
"Is there a problem with that question?"
"...Jiraiya, since you've seen them, don't delay me from my duties. I need to escort our friends from Sunagakure to their lodgings." Orochimaru placed a hand on Jiraiya's shoulder, steering him from the middle of the road to the side. He then turned to Ryuji. "Ryuji-kun, please follow me."
"Mhm."