Another path

The dawn

< I'M BACK !! I can't believe how long it's been. I've somewhat recovered from my exhausted state. I'm not completely rested but not drowning anymore so I'm ok. Thank you all for being so patient, you're sweethearts! We're back on track with a weekly update though I'm unsure on which day I'll post, I should be able to tell you more next week. Hope you'll enjoy and thanks for reading as always !>

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Triggers: none.
Topic : action.
Warning ⚠️ : none.
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A loud thud echoed in the crowded room. Shocked stares and gaping mouths rested on the faces of all who were present. Why would he do that ? And to that person ? It made no sense ! It made no sense...

*48 hours earlier*

Temari felt rested. That was quite a refreshing feeling and she wanted nothing more than to indulge in it but-

*Crash*

Well, her fellow shinobi seemed to have other plans. She begrudgingly stood up from her bed. They were going to... ah, to visit the village and the field where the fourth trial would take place. Great. Yeah, real nice but her body still felt somewhat sore. Maybe because the stress of the upcoming challenges prevented her from properly resting. It felt quiet for her, now that all the other Suna nin had been eliminated. Kankuro was still here, watching the tournament as part of the audience and Gaara was here of course but she had no teammates. That was a bit unnerving, this solitude.

In a blink, she was ready though Temari didn't remember getting dressed. Was she that much out of it ?
Deciding it didn't matter, she walked downstairs and surely enough, a few of her friends were here. They seemed about as exhausted as she was and lots of shinobi still hadn't gotten up it seemed. Or maybe she was just very late ? She looked out of a window to judge the time of the day based on the sun- ah. Right, the sun wasn't getting up today. That would be quite the hassle during the trial.

A few moments later, the room was starting to fill at a steady pace, the clinking of plates and cutlery resonating as not much conversation went on. The lack of energy could be felt from outside of the dining area and it only added to the weight on everyone's back. Still, breakfast eventually ended and the participants were awaited at the entrance of the hotels.

The guides were waiting for their groups with small lanterns and they handed one to each shinobi. It was starting to look a bit like a festival and seemed to lift everyone's spirits ever so slightly. Temari watched a small smile form on Suzuka's face. She didn't know what happened to her but clearly there was a problem. Kurama and Gaara looked worried as well and surprisingly, so did her former friends from Konoha. She saw Tetsuya walk up to one of the guides and the woman nodded in what looked like understanding. The red head then joined the Uzushio group under the wrathful glare of the councilors of his village. Still, no one interfered.

The groups were divided as so : Uzushio, Suna and Taki (plus Tetsuya) as one group, and Iwa, Kumo, Kiri and Konoha as the other one. The groups were optimized to be even - though Tetsuya switching groups was allowed as it didn't change much. However, the result was... well, not suited for a peaceful trip. The Tsuchikage was glaring at any and all individual that was affiliated with Konoha. In return, the elders looked at him in contempt, relishing in the fact the number of shinobi from their village that were still in the competition was four times Iwa's. Chōjūrō and the Kumo nin were looking at them and hoping they could find a way to join the other group.

The visit went by quickly, with quiet small chatter as background music for the guides' explanations and anecdotes. Tetsuya stuck to Suzuka's side the entire time. She spontaneously found herself telling him everything and he hugged her tightly, reassuring her and encouraging her.