Naruto: Threads of Crimson

Reika walked ahead of us, her pace calm and steady as the village gates came into view. The dense trees of the forest were thinning, and the familiar sight of the Hidden Leaf Village stretched out before us, bathed in the soft glow of the afternoon sun.

'Nothing beats seeing the village,' I thought, a small smile tugging at my lips.

The stone gates stood tall, strong, and unyielding. Ahead, the chunin guards were stationed at their posts, scanning the horizon like hawks, always on alert. It was comforting, knowing they were there, watching over everything.

"Finally!" Shisui said, breaking the silence. "I've been dreaming about Ichiraku's ramen since we left."

"You're always dreaming about food."

"Yeah, but this time I've earned it," he replied, grinning. "This mission wasn't exactly a walk in the park. Besides, you can't tell me you're not dying of hunger right now."

He wasn't wrong; my stomach had been making noises for a while now. "Okay, maybe a little."

Reika glanced back at us but didn't say anything. She usually had something to add to Shisui's playful banter, but today she seemed more focused. 'Hmm, this isn't her usual post-mission attitude. Normally, she'd loosen up and tease us about how much we still had to learn. Today, though, she seems unusually quiet.'

As we got closer to the gates, one of the guards straightened and nodded at Reika. His eyes flicked briefly to Shisui and me before returning to her.

"Back already, Reika?" he called out, his tone casual but respectful. Everyone talked to her like that—like they weren't sure whether to treat her as an equal or a superior.

"Yeah, we're back," Reika replied, her voice calm and measured. "Mission was a success."

The guard nodded, giving us another glance, though this time his expression seemed more curious than anything else. We'd been getting that kind of look a lot lately from our fellow shinobi, like they weren't quite sure what to make of us. Maybe it was because we were still young by shinobi standards, or maybe it was because of the prodigy label attached to us. Either way, I was starting to get used to it just a little bit.

Before the guard could say anything more, Reika turned to us, her expression softening just a bit. "We need to report to the Hokage," she said. "There's something important you should hear."

Shisui's head tilted. "Important? That sounds exciting. Maybe it's a new mission already!"

I raised an eyebrow. "We just got back. Don't you want to rest first?"

"Rest is overrated," Shisui said, waving a hand dismissively. "Come on, don't you want to know what it's about? What if it's some big announcement?"

Reika didn't comment, but the slight twitch of her lips hinted at amusement. She turned and continued walking through the gates, leaving us to follow.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

I glanced at her back as we followed. 'What's going on? Why isn't she saying anything?' I trusted Reika, of course, I always had. She wasn't just my sensei. She had grown into the big sister I'd never had. Still, the mystery of it all was eating at me.

Next to me, Shisui was grinning like we were on our way to a surprise party. Even with that look, though, I could tell he was just as curious as I was. Shisui always had this ability to look calm and relaxed, but I knew him too well. The occasional flicker of focus in his eyes, the way his gaze darted toward Reika every so often 'Yeah, he's thinking just as hard too.'

"What do you think this is about?" he whispered, leaning closer to me.

"I have no idea," I muttered. My eyes flicked to Reika again. 'She's not exactly giving us much to work with.'

"Maybe it's something huge," Shisui said, his grin widening. "Like, I don't know, a top-secret mission! Or maybe we're being promoted!"

I raised an eyebrow. "Promoted? Don't you think you're jumping the kunai a bit?"

He shrugged, still smiling. "Hey, a guy can dream. Besides, we've been killing it lately. Maybe they finally noticed how amazing we are."

I couldn't help but chuckle at his confidence. "Yeah, or maybe they just want to tell us how much work we still need to do."

"That's why you're the pessimist and I'm the visionary," Shisui shot back.

I rolled my eyes. "I'm not always the pessimist, I'm just trying to be a little realistic here."

I couldn't help but wonder what this was all about. 'The Hokage's office isn't exactly where we come to hang out. Whatever this is, it's got to be important.'

Reika glanced over her shoulder briefly, her expression unreadable. 'She's totally enjoying this. She knows she's keeping us in suspense,' I thought, shaking my head slightly.

When we reached the large wooden door to the Hokage's office, Reika stopped. She rested a hand on the handle and turned to us with a small smile. "Go ahead," she said, her voice calm and even, though there was something in her tone.

Shisui stepped forward immediately and knocked on the door. "Enter," came the Hokage's familiar voice, warm yet commanding.

The door creaked as Shisui pushed it open, and we stepped inside. The Third Hokage sat behind his desk, his fingers steepled as he regarded us. His grandfatherly smile was welcoming, but there was a sharpness in his eyes that always made me feel like he could see right through me. He had this way of making you feel at ease and on edge all at once, like you wanted to impress him without even knowing why.

"Reika," he greeted with a nod, his tone warm. Then his gaze shifted to us, and I straightened instinctively. "Shiro. Shisui."

Hearing my name from him always sent a jolt through me. 'Why does hearing him say my name always feel so intense?' I thought. 'He's just a man. A man who leads an entire village and commands respect from everyone. Okay, maybe not just a man.'

"I've been hearing a lot about you two," the Hokage continued, his eyes flickering between us. "Your sensei tells me you've been performing exceptionally well. And judging by the fact that you're standing here now, I assume your latest mission went smoothly."

My mouth opened slightly, but no words came out. 'Is he… complimenting us? The Hokage? I must look like an idiot just standing here.' I glanced at Shisui, who nodded politely, his grin still intact but more reserved than usual.

Reika stepped forward. "Yes, I'd say it went well," she said, her voice steady. "There was a hiccup at the outpost, but these two handled themselves admirably."

I blinked, taken aback by her words. Reika wasn't one to toss out praise lightly, so hearing that from her, especially in front of the Hokage, meant something.

The Third Hokage nodded and stood, his movements calm and deliberate as he walked around his desk to stand in front of us.

"You've both shown remarkable talent," he began, his gaze settling first on Shisui. "Shisui, your speed is unlike anything I've seen in a young ninja in a very long time. I'd say you could possibly be compared to Minato in the future if you continue to improve."

"And Shiro," Hiruzen continued, turning his gaze to me, "from what I've seen and heard, your ability to use genjutsu and manipulate the minds of your enemies is… impressive, to say the least, especially at your age."

I felt the corners of my mouth twitch as I fought to keep my expression calm. This wasn't the time to let my emotions get the better of me, but inside, I couldn't help but feel a spark of joy.

Hiruzen's expression grew more serious, his voice lowering a tiny bit. "The Will of Fire is the doctrine that our village was founded on. It is what drives every shinobi of this village. It is the flame that burns within all of us, the desire to protect those we care about, the will to fight for peace, and the strength to carry the burdens of those who came before us. You two have shown that this will burns brightly within you."

Hiruzen reached behind him, producing two folded chunin flak jackets. My breath caught as he extended one toward me and the other toward Shisui, his grandfatherly smile softening the gravity of the moment. "It is with great pride that I promote you both to chunin of the Hidden Leaf Village."

My hands reached out automatically, taking the jacket. My fingers brushed over the fabric, its rough texture feeling satisfying to feel in my hands. This is the milestone every genin worked toward. And it was ours now, all because of our hard work.

Shisui was grinning so wide I thought his face might split in two. He didn't even hesitate before slipping into his jacket, striking a playful pose. "How do I look?" he asked, his excitement bubbling over.

"I am genuinely impressed with how far you two have come in such a short time," Hiruzen said, his voice filled with warmth. "But remember, this is just the beginning. There will be greater challenges ahead, and with this promotion, I trust that you both will face them with the same determination and strength you've shown so far."

Shisui and I bowed deeply, our voices unified as we said, "Thank you, Lord Hokage."

As we left the Hokage's office, I could barely process what had just happened. The air outside felt lighter somehow, like the whole world had shifted just slightly. Shisui couldn't stop smiling, his usual carefree grin now wide and impossibly bright. I wasn't sure I'd ever seen him this happy. And honestly?

"I can't stop smiling Shisui." I fist bumped him as he let out a laugh

"I know, right, it feels like everything we've been working towards is finally paying off."

"This is crazy," I responded as I looked at the jacket that I was now wearing over top of my regular navy blue clothes. "I mean, we're really chunin now."

"Crazy awesome, you mean," Shisui corrected, nudging me playfully. "Think about it, we've got real responsibility now. Real missions. More opportunities to grow and help our fellow villagers and bring even more pride to our clan."

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(A/N: They were promoted! I wanted to give them a promotion around this age because I swear I have a vague memory of hearing that Shisui was promoted to Chunin during the war and I wanted to roll with it. Hope you're all enjoying this story!)