"Takahiro, how may are there in the new order?" Tsunade asked.
"Anywhere from twenty to forty shinobi," he replied.
"FORTY!" Sakura shrieked."Isn't that a bit overkill?"
"Not for someone who's trying to eliminate the Leaf Village," Sasuke muttered.
"We don't even have enough shinobi to match their numbers…" Sakura murmured.
"Hopefully we won't need to," Takahiro began, "at least ninety percent of them are chunin."
"Still, that's a lot. I wonder how they even coordinated that many." Tsunade said. "Well, we'll have to form a team. Sasuke, you and Sakura I assume you both want to fight."
"Yes," Sasuke answered.
"We'll send Neji; he's not working on any missions right now, Kiba, Lee…"
"Naruto would want to help," Sasuke added.
"Yes, we can send him," Tsunade agreed, "not Hinata though. Forty ninja…hmmm."
"Tsunade-sama, there were only twenty five at the meeting—" Takahiro began.
"Yes, but we must assume the worst as far as that goes. How on Earth did they get so many shinobi to join…it seems impossible."
"It probably is," Sasuke answered.
"We'll have no choice but to send the Anbu," Tsunade whispered. "The meeting has commenced. I'll decide what to do tonight, so return tomorrow."
"Hn."
"Hai."
I can't send all of the shinobi in the leaf, but we're up against so many from the Hidden Waterfall, Tsunade thought. They've forced us up against a wall with the first target as the Uchiha clan. Testing the strength of the leaf first…not a bad strategy, but it seems they are weaker than I had first anticipated…That's at least a good sign.
"Naruto, don't give her any more sugar! Good grief," Hinata criticized. "Sasuke and Sakura aren't going to be happy if Hanako is up all night."
"Come now, Hinata. What's a little sugar going to do?"
"Naruto."
"Yeah, yeah…I get it, alright."
"Hanako, would you like to go see the play?" Hinata asked.
"Yeah! That sounds fun! Come on Uncle Naruto!"
"Sakura, since we're back early, would you like to go to the cherry blossom festival?" Sasuke asked. Sakura smiled, remembering the first time they had gone to the festival together. That was the day he had returned to Konoha. Still remembering the beauty of the blooms that year, she floated in through the front door and into the kitchen.
"How about we go in an hour?" She asked.
"Sure; Naruto and Hinata will be with Hanako until ten."
"Do you still remember that day?" Sakura asked.
"It was the day that my life began," Sasuke answered. "Somethimes I wonder what it would have been like if I hadn't returned."
"I don't want to think about it; it would have been awful."
"Well, I'm with you for the rest of my life. I'm glad of that."
"Me too."
