Alone No More

Let the War Begin

Warning: swearing, minor character death, and alcohol (if you're picky about it)

Please enjoy!

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The late autumn breeze makes the trees of red, brown, and yellow bend with a gentle sway. The cooling temperatures were becoming more noticeable as the time of daylight started to slowly shorten. Lighting the sky in vibrant colors of pink, orange, and yellow as the sun just about touches the horizon.

However, the people of Konoha continue going about their afternoon. While Kado sits in one of the Hidden Leaf Village's local bars, nursing on his glass of sake. Taiki leaned back in his chair after refilling his own glass, both tried and sore from the mission they just completed. The two Jonin waited for their third team member, who got out of coming with them on their mission to help at the hospital. Not that they blamed Ryo, more and more shinobi were returning from a mission with critical injuries. Due to the rising tension between the Five Shinobi Nations and Kado knows that something big was happening, much to his dismay.

"Kado, Taiki did you hear?" Ryo asked, taking a seat at the small table after entering the bar his team usually frequented.

"What?" Kado questioned as Taiki made an acknowledging hum while drinking from his sake glass.

"Sakumo Hatake is one of the candidates for the title of Fourth Hokage!" Ryo exclaimed with excitement Kado knew that Ryo tends to be a little of a fanboy when it comes to Konoha's famous White Fang.

"No shit. Really?" Taiki asked with a surprised and yet impressed tone.

"Yeah," "when I went to the tower to turn in our mission report, I heard some jonin talking about it."

"Hmph," was the only response the Fujino gave as he slowly swirled the clear liquid in his cup before downing it.

"Kado?" Ryo questioned, sending his grumpy-looking friend a concerned look.

"Ah, don't worry, Ryo," Taiki spoke with a wave of a hand and a sharp smirk. Before smiling showing his canine-like teeth, as he added joyfully, "Kado is still just holding grudges towards our beloved White Fang."

"Shut up, Taiki," Kado begrudgingly replied as he refilled his glass and filled Ryo's while he was already at it.

"Kado," Ryo started with a sigh. Before he Resumed scolding his friend, "it's been three years now! Just think about it. If you were an Anbu, none of us would be able to go on missions together."

Kado sighs out with a somewhat solemn tone, "I know."

Surprisingly, the man in the hour showed up not long after the group finished their first bottle of sake. Sakumo was wearing his standard jonin uniform, with his silver hair tied back into a short ponytail. While Reiji wore his plain shinobi black shirt and pants as they both enter the bar chatting about something that has Reiji all excited.

"Come on, Sakumo! We're celebrating here! Lighten up a little!" The Kudo exclaimed with a wide grin and excitement in his eyes. Much different from the furious expression Kado saw five to six years ago when Taiki yelled at Akari.

Sakumo chuckled as he clarified to be a joyful friend, "just because I don't plan on getting drunk doesn't mean I'm not celebrating." While they sat at the front counter near Kado's table, he was discretely listening to their conversation.

"What's the celebration for?" The bartender, a kind middle-aged gentleman who enjoys conversing with the customers, shinobi or civilian.

"I'm going to be a dad!" Reiji announced loudly, like a child happily exclaiming they got a puppy.