The Start
"They're your options, I'm afraid." Tsunade, the Godaime Hokage says, her voice calm and emotionless as her gaze bores right through the recently returned Sasuke Recovery Team. "It's what the council has decided, we have no choice."
"Are you serious?!" Naruto, the most wounded of the team, shouts back, "Are you saying we either have to die or leave forever?!"
"Shut up Naruto!" The Hokage responds, raising her own voice before calming down quickly, emotion creeping itself onto her face as she looks at the blonde solemnly. "Yes, I tried but when the council is so unanimous, I could do nothing about it, even as the Hokage."
"What about our parents?!" Choji says, pointing towards himself, Shikamaru and Kiba, "We're all heirs to major clans in the village, I'm sure they wouldn't have agreed to this!"
"You're right, they wouldn't have, if they were in the village." Tsunade replied, "Shikaku Nara, Akimichi Choza, and Inuzuka Tsume are all currently away on missions, so the decision was made with an incomplete council, the majority of whom are responsible less for the shinobi side but the civilian, hence the rash decision.
"That makes no sense, we are shinobi, so decisions regarding our punishments are supposed to be made either by our own clans, or the shinobi council." Shikamaru, his usual bored stare replaced with a gaze of irritation
"It was the doing of Danzo Shimura, one of the elders, and leader of ROOT." Tsunade continues, "He said that due to the current incomplete council, the decision was best to be made by both, rather than the usual one, and obviously, the entirety of the civilian council agreed, and the shinobi were skeptical but largely indifferent due to assuming the decision were to be the same, it seems we were wrong."
"Damn right you were!" Kiba chimed in angrily.
"I'm sorry, but there is nothing I can do." Tsunade reiterated, sadness now clear in her tone as an ANBU walked in, handing her a scroll.
Opening the scroll, she sighed, before closing it and placing it on her desk. "There has been a development. Shikaku, Choza, and Tsume have returned and been told about the decision." She took a deep breath, "Shikamaru, Choji, and Kiba have been granted immunity from the execution and exile, if they so choose, and can instead decide to simply lose their ninja certification for up to 6 months."
"What?! Of course, we'd choose to stay and just have 6 months suspension!" Kiba shouts, relief evident in his voice.
"Speak for yourself, Kiba," Shikamaru says, his voice calm yet you can tell there's a hint of panic in his voice.
"What do you mean, Shikamaru?!" Choji asks, surprised at his friend's response.
"I mean I'm getting exiled from Konoha, along with Naruto and Neji, presuming they don't chicken out and choose to curl into a ball and die.
"Shikamaru?" Neji starts, "why are you choosing to come with us when you have a better choice?"
"It's something Naruto told me Kakashi told his team: 'in the shinobi world, those who break the rules are scum, but those who abandon their friends are even worse than scum, so I'm going with them."
"Well, then I'm going too!" Choji says, full of certainty.
"Understood. I assume you, Naruto, Neji, are going too?" Tsunade asks, hoping they didn't choose to die instead.
"I will be, though I cannot speak for Naruto," Neji responds, pointing at the boy.
"Of course I'm going! I don't want to die!" Naruto shouted, tears visible in his eyes as he speaks.
Okay, so Kiba Inuzuka will be suspended from duty for up to 6 months, Whilst Choji, Naruto, Shikamaru, and Neji will be exiled from Konoha," Tsunade starts, "You have until 7 am tomorrow to collect your things before arriving at the north gate. Following your exile, you will be treated as regular citizens of Fire Country,"
"Understood, Tsunade." Shikamaru, who immediately took a leadership position in their group, spat.