The Harsh Truth

Chapter 9

The arena was swarmed with people.

The Hokage, with his blond spikey hair, stood in the Kage's box. The representatives from both Kumo and Kiri, sat in their respective seats, since neither of the Kages had decided to participate. The one from Kiri busy with some...internal problems, and the one from Kumo had smartly decided to send someone else and better suited.

Next to them, their bodyguards stood in wait. Obviously enough, Minato had chosen Genma Shiranui and Raido Namiashi, the only two, other than him, that knew of the Hiraishin technique. On a seat next to the Hokage stood his wife, Kushina Namikaze, holding her hands tightly clenched onto her robe. Her eyes, darting the arena, looked around with a vivid, and worried, expression. On her lap, the five years old Katsumi was looking with her clear blue eyes at the Kiri ambassador, who seemed to be a bulking brute with his mouth covered in bandages, and who had a giant broadsword on his back, covered in wrappings.

The red-haired girl was sure the man was hiding female-like lips under those wraps: just like she was sure Kakashi's mask hid a horrid witch-like nose.

The Kumo representative on the other hand was a bulky and tanned man with shades, who seemed to be scribbling down notes on his small book, muttering strange rap-songs that were giving her headaches. He had a kanji for Iron on his right shoulder, and, much to her surprise, her father was eying it pretty intensively, with a frown.

On the right side of the Kage's box, stood the Hyuga's family, both main and branch, since not coming would be seen as an offence, and furthermore, Hiashi did want to see how strong the only three Konoha's Genins were.

Next to the Hyuga clan stood the Akimichi clan.

It wasn't a casual position, instead, it simply was because the Akimichi, completely uncaring about gazes coming from the white-eyes next to them, would simply eat and watch the show, without starting ferocious battles on the *You've got something to say to me, huh!?*

The noise of chip packs bustling up and being shared around, some even going as far as bringing barbeque and sandwiches, was more than enough to actually cover the cheering of the Nara clan. Since the only cheering person in the clan right next to the Akimichi one was Yoshino Nara, the wife of the clan's leader, as she held her baby boy on her lap.

Right next to the Nara clan was the Yamanaka one, where Inoichi was currently debating killing or not a boy who was shamelessly flirting with his baby girl. Albeit his girl was already five years old, and there was no way another five years old could be flirting with her, he still was debating the use of mind-raping jutsus never the less.

On the other side of the Kage's box, the Uchiha clan stood composed. Many, secretly, had their sharingans activated but hidden under a Genjutsu…they would steal whatever they could in jutsus from the competitors, though *stealing* was a bad word, and *taking in loan* was better. Mikoto, the wife of Fugaku, was pointing at Itachi from her seat, with Sasuke in her lap, who was in his best *Oniisan!* exclamations-mode.

"Oniisan is going to win, right Kaa-san?" the raven-haired boy queried, his dark eyes looking straight down at the arena's ground.

"Well Sasuke-chan, we will have to see, he does have a really strong team," Mikoto replied.

"But he's so cool! He's got the sharingan already!" Sasuke replied, pouting afterwards, "Why isn't mine activated yet?"

"Just give it time, Sasuke-chan," Mikoto replied, hugging the five-year old, "Just give it time."

Right next to the Uchiha stood the Aburame clan, the only one who could keep up with the normal seriousness of the Uchiha, and, at the same time, feign ignorance to their next-door neighbors on the arena's rows: the Inuzuka.