Once everyone had settled, Tsunade folded her hands atop the desk, her expression far more serious than usual. The air in the office grew heavy, conversation dying out almost instantly.
"I'll get straight to the point," she said. "Recent intelligence confirms that Orochimaru is dead."
A ripple of shock went through the room.
"And Sasuke Uchiha is the one who killed him," Tsunade finished.
Silence.
Sakura's breath hitched. "That means…" She swallowed. "That means Sasuke's coming back to Konoha, right?"
Tsunade shook her head slowly. "I'm afraid not."
Sakura stiffened.
"Sasuke didn't leave the Leaf just to gain power," Tsunade continued. "He left to kill his brother. You all know that by now. Orochimaru was only a stepping stone." Her gaze hardened. "Right now, Sasuke is heading straight toward Itachi Uchiha."
The weight of those words settled heavily.
"We've received reports suggesting Sasuke plans to infiltrate the Akatsuki and kill Itachi from the inside," Tsunade added. "How accurate that information is… remains unclear."
Sakura turned instinctively toward Naruto—expecting anger, frustration, something.
Instead, he was smiling faintly.
' So he finally did it,' Naruto thought.
' I wonder how strong he is now. Not that it matters. Itachi is gonna suck Orochimaru out of him soon. I don't like how that sounds '
His expression unsettled her more than if he'd shouted.
"So what do we do?" Sakura asked quietly. "At this point… I don't see any way of bringing Sasuke back."
"There is a way," Tsunade said firmly, turning her attention to Kakashi Hatake.
Kakashi stepped forward, clearing his throat. "We keep searching," he said calmly. "And we wait for the opportunity to cross paths with him."
He glanced around the room. "Rumors place Itachi somewhere within the Land of Fire, possibly moving with Kisame Hoshigaki."
That got Kiba's attention. "Two Akatsuki members? At once!?"
Kakashi nodded. "If we search long enough, there's a chance we'll intercept them."
Tsunade stepped in, her gaze sweeping across everyone present.
"And that's where you come in."
The room now consisted of eight shinobi, standing in quiet focus.
[Team Kurenai]
■Kiba Inuzuka
■Shino Aburame
■Hinata Hyuga
[Team Kakashi / Yamato]
■Naruto Uzumaki
■Sakura Haruno
■Sai
Naruto's eyes lingered on the last name.
'Huh…'
Naruto turned slightly, only now truly noticing the pale, dark-haired shinobi standing quietly beside Sakura. The man's posture was stiff—too stiff—like someone constantly measuring the room, cataloging every movement and reaction. His expression gave nothing away, eyes dull yet sharp at the same time.
"When did you get here?"Naruto wondered.
The shinobi met his gaze—and smiled.
It was small. Controlled. Unsettling.
Naruto gave a brief nod in return, then looked away, filing the question for later.
Tsunade's voice cut cleanly through the moment.
"We've decided to launch a manhunt."
Naruto straightened immediately, attention sharpening.
"But not for Sasuke," Tsunade clarified. "This time, you'll be going after Itachi Uchiha."
A subtle shift rippled through the room.
She leaned back in her chair, arms crossing. "Sasuke is already on a collision course with him. If we move now, we don't chase—we intercept."
Her gaze swept across every shinobi present. "We meet Sasuke in the middle."
Silence followed.
Then Kakashi Hatake stepped forward.
"It's sound logical," he said evenly. "I have no objections."
He turned his head slightly toward Yamato, silently inviting input.
Yamato nodded once. "Neither do I. My only concern is tracking. Finding Sasuke alone was already a nightmare." He looked back to Tsunade. "How exactly do we plan to locate Itachi's trail?"
Kakashi's visible eye curved upward. "Leave that to me."
There was no hesitation in his voice.
Yamato studied him for a moment—then gave a short nod. "Understood."
"Good," Tsunade said, clearly satisfied. "You'll be traveling alongside Team Kurenai to cover more territory and improve our chances."
She paused, her tone shifting into something more official.
"Since Kurenai is currently out of commission," she continued, "Yamato—you'll be in charge of overall field coordination."
"Yes, Lady Tsunade," Yamato replied firmly.
"You leave in two days," Tsunade finished. "Use the time wisely. Prepare yourselves."
The weight of the mission settled in.
One by one, the shinobi nodded in unison before turning and filing out of the office—each already lost in their own thoughts.
Naruto, however, stayed behind.
He walked up to Tsunade's desk casually. "So… where's Pervy Sage?"
Tsunade snorted. "Where else? A brothel."
Naruto sighed. "Of course."
"He said he'd be leaving the village," she continued. "Claims he found a lead on the Akatsuki."
Naruto's expression didn't change—but his thoughts did.
' Honestly? His death doesn't bother me much, ' he thought coldly. ' But if I can prevent it… might as well. Just for the fun of it.'
He nodded once and turned to leave—
"Naruto," Tsunade called suddenly.
He stopped.
"Come see me tonight," she said. "There's something important I need to discuss with you."
Naruto glanced back, a grin forming. "Are you asking me out?"
A vein popped instantly on Tsunade's forehead.
Naruto didn't wait for the punch.
He vanished out the door in a blur, laughter echoing faintly down the hallway.
Tsunade growled behind him—already regretting agreeing to speak with him alone
' I need to test that kids strength for the upcoming battles. Since Jiraiya won't be here for a while. ' she thought.
.....
Naruto stepped out of the Hokage's Tower, the heavy doors closing softly behind him.
For a moment, he paused.
The courtyard was empty.
The others had already dispersed—footsteps gone, voices faded—leaving only the hum of the village and the distant calls of shinobi going about their day.
"Huh," Naruto muttered. "Everyone vanished fast."
He was about to move on when something caught his eye. To the side—half-hidden by the stone wall—someone was standing quietly.
Leaning back, hands clasped nervously in front of her, was Hinata Hyuga.
Naruto blinked once, then smiled as he stepped closer.
"Oh—Hinata," he said gently. "Did you… wait for me?"
She straightened slightly, startled that he'd noticed her so quickly. Her cheeks flushed a soft pink as she nodded.
"I—I figured you might feel lonely if everyone just left," she said quietly. "So… I stayed."
Naruto looked at her for a moment—really looked at her—and felt something warm settle in his chest.
"That's really nice of you," he said honestly.
Hinata's fingers curled together a little tighter at the praise.
Naruto glanced up at the sky. The sun was high, the air clear, a light breeze carrying the scent of the village through the street.
Then he looked back at her.
"Hey," he said, scratching the back of his head, "if you're not busy… do you maybe wanna hang out today?"
Her eyes widened slightly.
"I mean," he continued quickly, smiling, "it's a beautiful day. Kinda feels like staying inside would be a waste."
For a brief second, it looked like Hinata might retreat into herself again.
But she didn't.
Instead, she took a small breath… and nodded.
Slowly. Deliberately.
"Yes," she said, her voice still soft—but steady. "I'd like that."
Naruto's face lit up instantly.
' I finally got through to her,' he thought, barely containing his excitement.
"Great!" he said, grinning. "Then let's go."
He turned and started walking, slowing just enough to make sure she could walk beside him—not ahead, not behind.
Hinata followed, heart pounding, the sunlight feeling a little warmer than before as the two of them headed off together into the village.
TO BE CONTINUED