Lady Tsunade sat down and looked at the six young ninja in front of her. She put her elbows on the desk and rested her chin in her hand. I hope they have what it takes to complete this mission, she thought. I don't even want to begin to think of what will happen if they don't. She sat back in the chair and cleared her throat.

"I won't lie to you," she began, "This mission is extremely dangerous. There is a large possibility that not all of you will return." She set her jaw and looked at each ninja carefully. "If you, for any reason, do not think that you can continue with this mission, you are free to leave now."

Naruto, Sakura, Shikamaru, Kiba, Hinata, and Neji all shivered slightly. Since the Hokage was actually giving them a choice whether or not to go on the mission, it must be extremely dangerous, indeed. Even though their faces paled and their hearts faltered, each one stood up straight and held their heads high.

"Hmm," said Tsunade, "I figured as much. Shizune, roll out the map, please."

Shizune walked over and grabbed a piece of string dangling from a rolled up parchment on the wall. When she pulled on it, an old map that looked ready to fall apart came down.

Lady Tsunade walked over and looked at the map, hands clasped behind her back.

"A while ago," she explained, "I dispatched two ANBU teams to search out the whereabouts of the Gobi. They looked for weeks without finding anything on the Demon Dog's location. After overhearing an Akatsuki underling mention the Hidden Village of Iwagakure, they went to the Land of Earth to investigate further. I was beginning to worry that perhaps the Gobi had already been captured until I received word from one of the teams yesterday afternoon."

Naruto, who had been unusually reserved throughout the meeting so far, suddenly spoke up, making those around him jump. "So they found it? They found the jinchuriki?"

The corner of Tsunade's mouth twitched. She hated it when people interrupted her.

"Yes, Naruto, they found it. The Gobi is currently residing a short ways away from Kyoto, a small village on the western edge of the Land of Fire. The ANBU teams have reported that they have also seen signs of Akatsuki movement in the area. If we do not move now, the jinchuriki will most likely be captured within a week."

"I have instructed both ANBU teams to keep a constant watch on the Gobi. One team is staked out around the jinchuriki's residence twenty-four hours a day. I have ordered the other team to scout the surrounding area for any signs of the Akatsuki. They have been told to reveal themselves only if the Akatsuki enters the area."

"Your mission is to go to the Land of Fire, confront the jinchuriki, and escort it back to Konoha. Once the Gobi is within Konoha, it will be much easier to protect it from the Akatsuki."

"ANBU will cover you from a short distance away. They will deal with any Akatsuki members that attempt to apprehend you on your way back to the Land of Fire. Even so, it is not guaranteed that none will break through and attack you. You must be on your guard at all times."

"Also, since the Gobi is a very powerful demon, it would be wise for you to also keep a close eye on the jinchuriki. We know next to nothing about the person containing the Bijuu, so we cannot assume whether or not it will cooperate."

"Master," Sakura asked quietly, "what do we do if the jinchuriki will not come with us peacefully?"

Tsunade sat down again. That possibility had definitely been worrying her.

"You must do everything in your power to make sure that the Gobi is not captured by the Akatsuki. If you have to use force, then by all means, do so."

A heavy silence fell over the room. The six young ninja were thinking about all the dangers jeopardizing the mission. It seemed as if the task ahead of them was perhaps the most difficult thing they would ever be asked to do.

"You will need to leave right away," continued Tsunade, "since the journey to the Land of Fire will take no less than five days. The path you will take leads up through the Land of Grass and along the edge of the Land of Fire until you reach the place where the Gobi is."

Kiba looked at the map carefully. "Wait," he said, "why can't we just go through the Land of Rain? It would shorten our journey by at least a day and a half."

"Because," explained the Fifth, "The Land of Rain is where the Akatsuki's leader, Pein, dwells. That land is extremely difficult to penetrate. Even if you did somehow get into it, I doubt you would be able to get back out." Her voice wavered at the end and she quickly turned toward the window. Then, as quickly as the emotion came, it was gone. (author's note: this won't make much sense unless you've read the last couple chapters of manga)

"I have decided that, since he is the only Jounin among you, Neji will be your team leader."

Tsunade walked over and stood directly in front of the young ninja. "I have faith in all of you. Do not doubt your abilities for one second. If you cooperate and combine all of your skills, I have no doubt that you can complete this mission. Failure is not an option."

"Send word to me once you have found the Gobi. I will await your return here in Konoha." Her eyes showed the closest thing to motherly affection that she was capable of. "Please be careful."

Naruto straightened his shoulders. "Don't worry," he said in a hoarse voice, "I'll save the jinchuriki. Even if it costs me my life."

Tsunade smiled inwardly. To be expected from that stubborn kid. She concluded the meeting with, "Those are your orders. You better get moving, time is not on your side."

Sakura, Naruto, Shikamaru, Kiba, and Hinata all bowed and turned to leave. Neji, however, lingered behind. "Tsunade-sama, I have one question," he said once the others were gone.

"What is it?" asked the Hokage, looking at the young man with interest.

Neji cleared his throat, "If the Akatsuki are after the Bijuu, then why are you sending Naruto on this mission? If something goes wrong, it will be much easier for the enemy to capture both the Gobi and Naruto. Can we really risk something like that?"

"Ah," answered Tsunade, "I wondered if anyone would say something about that. Yes, it is true that if something was to go wrong and both Naruto and the Gobi were captured, it would be devastating to us all. However, if Naruto was not on the mission and later heard about it, he would obviously run off and try to rescue the other jinchuriki on his own. It is better if he is with the group."

Tsunade looked out the window and seemed to lose herself in thought.

"Of course," she said after a minute, "I could always restrain him. However, I believe that Naruto's presence will aid the team. I'm sorry I cannot say more, Neji-kun, but believe me when I say that you will eventually be glad that he is with you."

Neji bowed and left the room. Who was he to argue with the Hokage?

When he had gone, Shizune placed a container of sake and a small cup on the desk. She normally detested the Hokage's drinking habit, but she thought that today merited a drink. "Are you as confident that they will succeed as you said, Tsunade-sama?"

The older woman sat down and poured some sake into the cup. She drank and refilled it twice before looking up at Shizune. "I have to be confident in them," she explained, "They are our only hope."

She looked out the window and drained the cup. Please don't let them fail.