Ascension of the Kitsune by Wandering Maverick

Chapter 25: Three Long Years

Three Years Later,

Its been three years since the Oto/Sand invasion of Konoha occurred, and many things have happened and changed since then within the elemental countries as a whole as well as separately for each country.

Separately, most of the countries stayed as they had been, however several events rocked both Konoha, and Suna especially. For Konoha they were the retirement of the Sandaime Hokage Sarutobi and the inauguration of the Godaime Tsunade several weeks after the invasion when the village was back on its feet. To the shock of the village and the worry of the council, Sarutobi had decided upon his retirement he would settle down in Snow Country.

When asked why there, he simply stated with a knowing smile that made some people question if he was lying after he spoke: 'I've always wished to visit the country after Kakashi's mission to save Koyuki-hime. And I'm sure I'll be VERY warmly welcomed there.' And despite the council's worry about him being captured while traveling to obtain the secrets of the village, he dismissed them with a wave of his hand before he left the village the next day. The last and most talked about event of the village with equal importance to the Sandaime leaving was the defection of the last loyal Uchiha one Uchiha Sasuke.

Several months after the invasion under the shadows of night Sasuke left the village and joined forces with Orochimaru, and by the time the village figured it out he was already within Oto's boarders. The village was devastated, they lost the last Uchiha, as well as one of the most powerful bloodlines known to exist. And with the loss of the Namikaze bloodline only months before this new predicament left a VERY nasty taste in their mouths.

Speaking of Namikaze, it seemed that months after he entered Suna Naruto and his merry band completely dropped off the radar for both Konoha, as well as several other countries who wished to either keep tabs on their whereabouts, wanted to capture him, or want him dead. Either way NO one had heard hide nor hair of Naruto or his group for well over two and a half years.

Actually that wasn't completely true, because during one of several events within Suna, included in them was Sabaku no Gaara being announced as the new Kazekage since he was not only the strongest shinobi in the village at the time but also since he was the son of the previous Kage. Nearly a year later, strange men wearing black cloaks with red clouds appeared within Suna and attempted to capture Gaara for unknown reasons. And while in the beginning of the attack had the upper-hand thanks to one of these strangely garbed men being able to fly by animating animals from clay, both he and his partner were dealt with when another strange man appeared almost out of no where, and helped Gaara defeat and kill the attacking men.

When later asked who the person was who aided Gaara by both his council as well as an investigation/back-up squad from Konoha, Gaara, Kankuro and Temari all recited the same answer with knowing smiles: 'An unknown guardian of Suna.'. Then when questioned about what citizens who said they saw this person and testified to them having both tails and ears reminiscent of a fox, and asked if it was Naruto, the siblings answered with the same smiles: 'The desert can play tricks on the minds of anyone, but whom ever this was had no such 'appendages', but will be a welcomed hero to Suna should they ever return.'

As far as the elemental nations as a whole are concerned only two events occurred within the last three years that were noteworthy. The first one being the emergence of a new hidden village in the isolated nation of snow...the hidden village of snow to be exact. The emergence occurred a year after the Oto/Suna invasion when the Chuunin exams were being held in Suna. A single squad of snow Genin and their Jounin instructor entered the exams, making all the other participating nations quirk an eyebrow considering the rumors of the village only just erecting months prior. Yet here was a Genin squad in the exams which as per the rules stated made said village an official village of the elemental nations.