Sasuke watched as the sun peeked out. The gloomy forest that was just moments ago was now illuminated.
They had to leave this place quickly, lest they be discovered and blocked later.
"Let's go!"
At Sasuke's command, everyone's figures disappeared from the spot. They dashed through the forest at full speed, leaving only streaks of afterimages.
.............
Meanwhile, Naruto's anxious figure was also darting across the rooftops of the village.
His brows were tightly furrowed as he tried to find Sasuke and bring back his best friend.
"Stop!"
"Granny Tsunade?!"
Tsunade stood at the village gate with her hands on her hips, looking sternly at Naruto who was running over in a hurry.
"Naruto, I think you should know that going out without permission will be punished."
"I know, Granny Tsunade, but it's Sasuke... I have to find him and bring him back!"
Tsunade stared at Naruto. The determination in this boy's eyes was palpable, but this stupid boy only has a strong - willed appearance.
"Alright, I'll ask you. The outside of the village is so vast. Where do you plan to start looking?"
"Um..."
Naruto was at a loss for words. He had been so focused on finding Sasuke that he realized he didn't know where to begin. The only useful information he had was from his strange interaction with Orochimaru in the Death Forest.
"Humph, why are you lowering your head and not saying a word now? Where did that determination go?"
Although Tsunade was scolding him, she couldn't help but sigh with pity.
"Sasuke Uchiha is also a ninja of Konoha Village. Considering his young age and being seduced by villains, as long as you can bring him back, I can forgive him for going out of the village without permission."
"Granny Tsunade?!"
Naruto, who was just in low spirits, suddenly perked up, looking as cute as a little golden retriever wagging its tail.
"But I don't know where Sasuke is."
Tsunade was overwhelmed by her maternal instincts under Naruto's pleading gaze. She struggled between reason and emotion, then pushed Naruto away who was hugging her and coughed.
"You must know the situation in the village. I've sent all the Jonin on missions. I've chosen Shikamaru among the remaining Chunin to be the leader of this Sasuke retrieval mission. You can choose the rest of the team members yourself."
"Shikamaru?!"
"Ah! This is so troublesome. Why do I have to take on such a troublesome mission?"
Shikamaru was dragged out of his bed early in the morning to carry out the mission. He grumbled that it was such a huge hassle.
Moreover, the target of the mission was that well - known genius. Logically speaking, there must be someone to meet and support him. Orochimaru is one of the Legendary Sannin. Presumably, the people coming to meet and support Sasuke are not ordinary either. Assigning such a tough mission to a newly - promoted Chunin like him, Lady Tsunade sure knows how to put people to work.
"Let me think. Shikamaru, let's go find Teacher Kakashi."
"
(▼ヘ▼#)
"Hey, you brat! Were you even listening to what Lady Tsunade said? She already told us that all the Jonin in the village have been sent out on missions. Teacher Kakashi must be out too!"
"Eh?! Why do they all have to go? Leaving no Jonin in the village, is that really okay?"
"There's no other way. Konoha just went through a big battle. Many ninjas were injured or sacrificed, and the village's strength has been weakened. To maintain its status among the Five Great Nations and deter other countries that might try to cause trouble secretly, we have to take on a lot of missions to show that our strength is still intact."
"So, we're just supposed to find some other Genin? But who exactly? Do you have anyone in mind?"
"Don't worry. I've already picked the team members. Follow me."
Soon, a six - person team stood neatly at the entrance of Konoha. They were Naruto, Shikamaru, Neji, Rock Lee, Chōji, and Kiba.
"Even though I'm not that strong, I'm really happy to be the team leader for this mission. During the mission, Neji and Kiba will be in charge of reconnaissance and tracking. Rock Lee and Naruto are the combat specialists. Please give me your advice and support!"
"Whoa, Shikamaru, I'm so touched that you believe in me. Please rest assured, I, Rock Lee, will definitely complete this mission excellently!"
Rock Lee's eyes seemed to be spitting fire, and his intense emotion seemed to be able to melt Shikamaru.
"Okay then, I'm counting on you."
"Hey, Naruto, why did Sasuke suddenly decide to leave the village? Isn't this all a bit strange?"
"I... I'm not really sure. But it's very likely because of Aniki Itachi's illness."
Neji looked at Naruto's gloomy face. This guy, who was usually so lively and energetic, seemed to be missing something when he was quiet.
"He must have something important to do, so he has to leave the village for a while."
"Eh?! Neji, do you know something?"
"Based on my past experience dealing with Sasuke, he's not the kind of ninja who would defect. As a genius highly regarded by the village and the Uchiha clan, he has no reason to do this, unless there's some hidden reason or secret mission that he has to complete alone. But this is just my opinion. I'm not sure if it's accurate!"
"Don't worry so much, Naruto. Leave everything to me. Don't worry, I'll never mistake Sasuke's scent!"
"Kiba..."
"Don't you dare say thank you to me. If you want to thank me, treat me to barbecue!"
"I want an extra - large portion!"
∑(°Д°)
"Chōji... So you're here!"
"Naruto! You bastard, don't ignore me. I've been here all along!"
..............
The group quickly shuttled through the tall and dense forest. Neji and Kiba used their eyes and noses to the fullest. Neji used the long - range vision of his Byakugan to look far into the distance, while Kiba used his sense of smell to search for the faint scent of Sasuke left in the forest.
Kiba sniffed. He was sure that Sasuke's scent still lingered here.
"He was here, but he left right away. It seems he was in a rush."
"I haven't spotted him with my Byakugan yet. Maybe we're still quite far from him. We need to speed up."
"Got it!"
"Wait a minute!"
As soon as Neji spoke, the group instantly felt a tense atmosphere spreading.
"What's wrong, Neji? Did you find him?"
"No, someone in front is injured. That... that's a Konoha ninja!"
.................