Staring at the brown door merely a few steps before him, Kakashi let out a small sigh and shifted the hands within his pockets. Beside Kakashi was another male, pale in complexion and expression showing one of slight worry. Sai stood alongside his leader as both males remained fixed in front of Naruto's home during a busy afternoon.
The sun was just settling behind the cascading clouds that aimlessly drifted in the afternoon sky, and the small street had a few bustling bodies roaming around. A mother buying fresh produce from a stand, kids squatting among each other as they skipped rocks, a booming voice yelling out the discounts of the day.
Though the setting around the two males seemed joyful and bright, the air between Kakashi and Sai showed the complete opposite. Kakashi sighed again and looked to Sai for final confirmation.
"You're sure he's home right now?" The masked-male asked.
"Yes," Sai pursed his lips together and nodded, "he usually sleeps in on this day."
Kakashi's voice held an underlying tone of wariness, "Then let's prepare ourselves," and one hand emerged from his pocket to reach for the door. His exposed fingertips firmly pressed against the doorbell, alerting the boy inside of their presence with soft chimes. A second passed with no indication of a person coming to the door.
The gray-haired male touched the bell again, letting the familiar ringing sound out once more. Another minute went by and the two still stood outside, waiting. This time, Sai huffed out another breath, the additional wait time adding to his brimming anxiousness. Seeing that Naruto still made no signs of waking up, Sai stepped forward to physically knock on the door.
But just as his knuckles were about to meet the smooth exterior of the wood, both males heard abrupt thuds and a sudden crash that rumbled the entire frame of the home. A small cry was exclaimed until fast footsteps approached the door and a drowsy face was revealed behind it.
Naruto's hair stuck up in several directions, indicating that the boy had just tumbled out of bed, and the shirt he wore was littered in stains and wrinkles. He let out a loud yawn, hand coming to his mouth to fan it, and stretched. Scratching his exposed stomach, Naruto took in the sight of Kakashi and Sai.
"Oh?" the blonde tilted his head before gleaming, "I wasn't expecting you two!" Any remnants of slumber were eradicated from his face and replaced with a bright grin.
As Sai softly frowned to himself, Kakashi kindly crinkled his eyes and spoke in a pleasant tone, "May we come in, Naruto?"
His whiskered cheeks scrunched at the request, and a funny noise came from the back of his throat, "Yes, please," he pouted his lips. "You don't understand how lonely I've been."
Naruto's hand came up to hastily gesture for them to enter.
"It's been ages since both of you came to visit," the blonde started as he led them to the couch centered in the living room. "I think the last time someone came over was Sakura-chan, but that's been a couple of months."
Naruto's body casually stretched across one side of the seating, and he reached over to bring a pillow to his chest. Sai took a seat across from him, resting on the coffee table's edge while Kakashi continued to stand.
With the mention of Sakura's name, Sai and Kakashi had shot each other subtle looks, quick enough for Naruto to not notice, but the words that soon came out of his mouth afterward had caused both of them to visibly stiffen.
"Where is Sakura-chan anyway?" Naruto asked, slightly sulking and clutching the cushion closer to him.
Guilt was seen in his bright blue eyes as the boy recalled the thoughtless decision he made to pursue Sasuke alone, ultimately abandoning Sakura and possibly creating a rift in their relationship. He was quick to have a positive mindset as he made his way back home, but the lack of Sakura's presence had quickly caused him to think that she was in fact hurt from his actions.
So then all he could do was wait for her return and muster an apology great enough to mend any wounds he had created. But as the days soon turned into weeks, Sakura continued to be absent, and Naruto was becoming impatient.
His face twisted in thought, and his body swiftly turned to face the standing masked-male, "Oi, Kakashi-sensei. Didn't you tell me Sakura-chan was supposed to come home? It's been weeks."
Sai turned to look at the leader of Team 7 and felt the nerves within him stir in anxiousness. While the pale boy had allowed his stoney resolve to slightly quiver, Kakashi continued to hold his calm reserve. As if the question did not strike a chord, Kakashi's eyes kept their easy look, however, his words were slow and careful.
"Actually, Naruto, that's why we came to visit today."
The blonde tilted his head, "You came to visit me about Sakura-chan?"
Kakashi shot a look at Sai, signaling the beginning of the long-awaited conversation, and nodded.
"Oh man," Naruto instantly whined out, face wrinkled and hand roughly running through messy blonde-locks, "she's mad, isn't she? No, she wants to kill me, doesn't she Kakashi-sensei? After I left her like that, I can't blame her for being angry."
Regret filled the boy's eyes, and he looked down at the floor in shame. "That's why she's not back, right? She wants nothing to do with me."
"Naru–"
"Where's she at now?" Naruto instantly raised himself from this sitting position and tossed the pillow to the side, "I'll fix everything right away."
"Sh–" Kakashi began again but was cut off once more by the boy.
"I shouldn't have waited as long as I did! I'll go right now and apologize, she has to forgive me, right?" He frantically paced the floor, scolding himself.
Kakashi's expression grew dark, and both his and Sai's eyes locked with one another. Before the situation continued to derail, the dark-haired male decided to regain control before it completely spiraled out of their grasp.
"Sit down, Naruto," It was Sai's turn to stand.
As he rose from his position, his dark eyes met blue eyes ones which were now laced with confusion at Sai's sudden tone. His pacing came to a halt, and a moment of silence passed between the three of them. It wasn't until Kakashi repeated Sai's instructions that realization dawned on Naruto.
Something had happened.
Eyes bouncing between the two standing in front of him, Naruto slowly regained his spot on the couch, mouth firmly shut and hands placed on his lap. Sai took the initiative to speak, words slow and tone low.
"Sakura left Suna the night you and Sasuke were said to come back," Sai began. "Kakashi and I were tasked to figure out what had happened, and it was discovered that she was low on chakra and ambushed."
As if a wave had completely taken over Naruto's senses, his mind was unable to fully comprehend what was being told as the boy slowly stared down at the ground.
"Wait, Sakura-chan left?" Naruto hoarsely whispered out, voice soft and hands beginning to slightly tremble. As if he had been pulled underwater, his eardrums rumbled.
"Bodies of her attackers and an explosion site were deemed to be the last spot she was to be at. We didn't want to quickly conclude the case so Suna was also contacted for aid," Sai's face became hardened, but his voice continued to stay firm. "They were not able to find any other signs that she could've left if she was able to survive the attack."
Taking note of Naruto's wide eyes and tightly clenched jaw, Kakashi took a step forward.
"Naruto, we wanted to be the ones to tell you before the announcement was made."
The boy sat silently, eyes still downcast to the tiled ground. A minute or two had passed before the words of his peers had fully sunk in, allowing his conscious to finally understand the painful message that was trying to be relayed to him.
His eardrums flushed once more from the imaginary shock of another wave crashing over him. As the chilling water finally rescinded, allowing him to pull himself to the surface, his chest began to suddenly heave, and his eyes burned.
"Naruto," Kakashi called out to him, forcing him to snap his attention to his sensei, "I'm sorry, but Sakura isn't coming back."
The older male knew this information would be told to the boy, but for this exact scenario to be playing was not something the gray-haired male intended. From the moment that the two arrived, knocking on Naruto's door with heavy hands, Kakashi planned to cushion the impact, providing a safety net of support from both him and Sai. Anything to keep Naruto from receiving the full blow of Sakura's state like the two men before him had.
Unfortunately, his wishes had failed to come true, and the blonde instantly became distressed.
"We need to leave now," Naruto shot out from his seat, voice thick with emotion.
Though large tears had pooled in his eyes, they did not fall. Instead, a face of determination was found worn by him alongside gritted teeth. With a shaky breath, Naruto scanned the room and hurriedly began gathering items into his hand.
Pants, food packs, bandages.
Sai turned to Kakashi, both acknowledging the situation all three of them were now placed in. Kakashi gave himself a moment to collect himself and moved to where Naruto was exchanging his dirty shirt for a new one.
"Naruto, there's nothing that can be do–"
Naruto did not wait for him to finish his sentence and forcefully interrupted, "If we leave now," his eyes were tightly shut, and his voice had increased in volume, "we can still find her. We need to leave right now. If we go one more time she'll be there."
Sai stepped forward to grab Naruto's arm, stopping him from strapping a weapon pouch on, but Naruto instantly slapped his hand away and angrily threw the item at the male who allowed it to hit him.
"Why?!" he yelled, mouth contorted and tears now freely flowing, "why didn't you tell me sooner?"
With a heavy chest, Sai opened his mouth to respond, but could not for Naruto had started to scream once more.
"She's not dead! Sakura-chan is still out there," his booming voice shook the thin walls of his home and rattled the hearts of the two males with him. "We just– if we looked again, she'll be out there for us to find."
The once determined look he held ever so slowly crumbled piece by piece before a face of despair was only left to be seen. Naruto finally crouched down to the floor and held his head in his hands.
"If I can find Sasuke… I can find her."
Unknowing what to do, Sai's hand hesitated to comfort the boy and awkwardly hovered over him as soft weeps were heard. Seeing Sai begin to struggle, Kakashi strode over and wordlessly lowered himself to Naruto's crouched position. Not saying anything, the jounin only placed both hands on the boy's shoulder as he cried.
"If I just took her with me," he softly murmured to himself, already questioning the what-ifs as the thoughts in his head quickly placed blame onto him.
You left her.
You let Sakura-chan die.
Fortunately, Kakashi was quick to dispel such thinking and made Naruto look up at him
"There was nothing you could have done that was different than what we did," he said, voice hoarse but refusing to crack. "Believe me when I tell you that we did everything we could've done to find her."
"But if I was there with both of you at that time, maybe…"
The masked-male firmly shook his head, eyes shutting, "No, Naruto. It wouldn't have made any difference."
More tears fell from Naruto's face, but surprisingly he stayed silent, allowing for the two males with him to quietly watch as the boy slouched in defeat. And instead of enabling the slight feeling of betrayal he had initially felt from the news, the realization that he had been deliberately excluded, Naruto simply allowed the sensation to eventually diminish and instead succumbed to a feeling of grief and oddly… responsibility.
Responsibility of him doing everything he could for those around him yet concurrently nothing at all when it mattered the most.
Understanding the turmoil that his fellow team member was now experiencing, Sai finally knelt down to Naruto's level and brought a firm hand to the blonde's shoulder. He continued to stay wordless as Naruto's cries worsened, but he did not hesitate to draw him close to his chest as Kakashi peered at his two students with a fallen face.
While the lighting had dimmed from within Naruto's small home, the streets continued to bustle with the movement of civilians who carried out their daily lives.
When the announcement was made, it was then where the entire village had seemed to enter a period of mourning. Businesses closed early, speeches were made in remembrance, and all hospitals had erected a memorial in Sakura's name.
While the entirety of it all had felt like a warped tale for some, it was a harsh reality for others. Though the events had transpired over the course of a few hours, the entire day felt like an insufferable eternity for Naruto.
Despite his peers sharing the same sorrows as him, the boy ignored any efforts of their comfort and sought out solace by isolating himself, sitting alone on a wooden bench that faced the street.
How much time had passed since he rooted himself to his seat? He honestly did not know. As he watched person after person, each with their heads low and bodies dressed in black, all Naruto could do was absent-mindedly stare at the quaint house which stood across from him.
Since their failed mission to bring Sasuke back, the day when something within each one of them had snapped in some particular way, Naruto distinctly remembered Sakura's determination to move out.
"I think it's time for me to be on my own now, don't you think?" Sakura said out of the blue, one afternoon during a spar with the blonde.
Naruto tilted his chin and brought a finger to his head, scratching the top of it, "Eh? It seems so sudden, Sakura-chan."
She shrugged, "Maybe, but it's not a bad thing." Her short hair bristled in the wind as they sat side by side to each other, "Since I don't have to worry about my parents, you can come over as much as you like, Naruto."
"Sakura-chan, you're kidding," a small gasp left his mouth and excitement began to build. He gave his female comrade a look to which she only grinned back in return.
She wasn't, and thus the bond between the two had strengthened since then. From early morning greetings to evening teas and occasional nightly dinners. Those were moments that Naruto had held close to him as time passed by the two.
However, he did not realize how much he had cherished such memories until he sat, watching the once warmly-lit home now stand with closed shutters and rain eerily dripping from the roof.
Owner to never return.
He felt his chest tighten and forced his gaze to turn elsewhere for relief, only to land on a sight he did not expect to see.
Standing merely a few feet away, with eyes now meeting the blonde's, was a tall male with dark hair. While Naruto's expression was deep in grief, Sasuke's showed one of detachment.
His tired body and dismal face watched as the sharingan-wielder peered at him, but unlike usual, Naruto did not try to engage in a conversation. Frankly, he did not have the energy to be like his usual self on a day like this.
The rain that started as a slight drizzle began to pick up and form into heavier drops, falling through the cracks of the broad tree which hung above both men. Naruto did not will himself to move to shield himself from the moisture and decided to turn his head away from the Uchiha.
To his surprise, however, Sasuke spoke out first.
"Is this where she lived?"
The shock from the abnormality was smothered by the pain felt from Sasuke's words, almost missing the question as his ears narrowed down in scrutiny.
Lived.
This was his reality now, a reality without Sakura. A reality where the last time he had seen her was before he had made the selfish decision to leave her. And whether or not he wanted to, it was now what he had to accept.
Naruto brought a hand to his face, covering his eyes, and sighed. "Yeah," he roughly responded, "this is her home."
Sasuke's black eyes scanned the small complex and nodded to himself. Though he had no knowledge of who had resided in the home before, it was not the male's first time seeing it.
This path was one he has frequented often, especially during the dead hours of the night where he wanted fresh air and an excuse to temporarily part from his thoughts. It was here where the Uchiha would sit, back hunched and eyes cast forward, as he watched the very house before them now.
Strangely enough, it's patterned-clay roof and softly clinking wind chimes would bring a sense of peace to the unsettling within him, somehow allowing the constant churn in his mind to slow down.
He did not understand why such a reaction would overcome him, but he never thought to rid it. In times where he did not know what exactly to do with himself, Sasuke found himself here, at this very bench.
And today was such a day. A day where he felt unsettled and unable to process the clash of emotions he proactively tried to stunt. However, he did not expect to find Naruto occupying his seat with an expression that was almost a carbon copy of what Sasuke felt from inside.
"I didn't see you at the funeral," Naruto stated.
"It wasn't my place to be there," Sasuke's voice was even.
The blonde sighed but did not make an effort to argue with him, "What brings you here now?"
Pausing for a moment, Sasuke almost hesitated to answer but decided to respond truthfully, "I come here often to clear my head."
The whiskered-boy's face quickly shot over to peer at hís, mouth slightly agape.
"And you didn't know it's Sakura's?"
"No."
The blonde took a minute to allow his wide eyes to scan the passive face of Sasuke's, quickly searching for something before the Uchiha decided to turn away. Naruto moved his gaze to where his longtime friend now looked to and felt his heart clench once more as the familiar sounds of whine chimes blew through the wind.
In some strange way, with Naruto and Sasuke being with one another as they looked onto Sakura's house, a lump of emotion gathered within the blonde. In some strange way, Team 7 has finally returned but will never be reunited. Naruto placed his head into his hands, hoping to hold back the tears that had started to gather.
"You know," he started, eyes briefly closing, "I never once thought Sakura-chan would leave us like this." His voice began to tremble, making Naruto pause to clear his throat. "It's silly because we're shinobi. We fight and we die. But, to me, not Sakura-chan. She was the type of person to overcome anything."
Naruto stopped, raising his head to look above him, eyes now turned up at the shaking branches that sheltered him from the rain. A moment passed before he spoke again.
"I think– I still think," he whispered lowly, voice breaking, "she's out there. She has to be."
And with that, Naruto sucked in a large breath as he brought his hand to his face, using the back of it to hastily wipe the moisture from his eyes.
As silence lingered between the two males, Sasuke only pursed his lips together, and Naruto tried to muffle the sounds of his sniffling.
With his hands placed into his pockets, fingers fiddling with one another, Sasuke felt the back of his neck grow hot while his pulse slightly quickened in pace. Though he did not intend to do so, without looking to Naruto, he allowed the resolve within him to voice the thoughts he initially wished to keep to himself. Without a breath, soft words were spoken.
"I think so too."
He saw as Naruto's downcasted eyes suddenly shone, wide in surprise. With an opened mouth, the boy whipped his head back to his dark-haired friend and breathed out in almost disbelief. But even if the words were uncharacteristic and even to the point of being unimaginable, Naruto could tell that they were sincere. Something he found comfort in during this time.
And with that, a somber smile graced his lips and he turned his attention back to the house. "You never got the chance to meet her again, I'm sorry, " he apologized and sadly chuckled at himself, "she grew into an amazing person, Sasuke, you wouldn't even recognize her if you saw."
With a straight back and attentive ears, Sasuke felt a sensation within him stir to life. A feeling, that since his arrival to Konoha, had become a reoccurring one that brought him back to his genin days, days filled with a lighter mind and an abundance of moments to find contempt in.
However, instead of pushing the emotion back down to suffocate, he allowed it to rise up and settle on his chest. Unlike the previous times when looking at the clay-patterned roof and softly ringing wind chimes, the odd sensation within him only burned brighter.
And he couldn't help but think to himself, yes, how sorry he also was that the day to meet Sakura will not occur.
It wasn't until a week after that both men would see each other again, the timing unplanned and abrupt.
Since their last accidental run-in with each other, Sasuke had easily returned to the normalcy of his daily routines, and Naruto simply spent more time to himself than before. The day after the funeral had seamlessly blended into the following one after that, making the week an entire blur of a moment that one could either find comfort or displeasure in.
Walking down the same familiar path that he had walked the evening prior after the end of his duties, was when Sasuke had been stopped by a Konoha official.
"Your presence is requested by the Godaime."
Sasuke's steps paused, "The report is usually due by the end of the day tomorrow."
The shinobi shook his head, "This is not related. As I said, you are to appear before the Godaime immediately."
The hairs of Sasuke's arm began to prickle from the slight annoyance that had built within him, and his lips turned downward as a result. His mind was quick to begin assuming what unfavorable situation he would be put into now but swiftly dispelled those thoughts as such presumptions would do him no good until he had reached his destination.
So with that, he obliged with the male's order and paid no attention to the quiet stares of onlookers to which he had already become accustomed to.
Upon reaching her office, Sasuke's face showed little reaction to see that he was not the only one summoned.
Before him stood his former sensei and two other males. Sai to the left of him, with his usual expressionless features, and Naruto, who looked exhausted to be there, to the right. Kakashi, in the middle, turned to the sound of Sasuke's footsteps and made room for him to stand among them.
Tsunade, who sat at her desk with crossed arms and dark under eyes, looked at the sharingan-wielder and cleared her throat.
"Good, now that everyone is here we can start."
She placed a scroll onto the desk, and all four men watched as her fingers unfurled it, exposing the contents within. Sasuke quickly realized that it was the same scroll he saw from the nights earlier.
The same night he had discovered the truth behind Sakura's lack of appearance.
"Reports of Akatsuki's movements have resurfaced, and we have received intel that they will be on the move again," she said before moving to place a hand on the image on display for all to see. "However, this time there is a new member to which no one seems to have any information on."
Sasuke watched as Sai and Kakashi briefly glanced down at the scroll, signaling to the Uchiha that they too had already seen the drawing of the masked individual. Naruto, on the other hand, had stepped closer and refused to take his eyes away from the parchment.
"They already gained a new replacement?" he asked in confusion. "Even after Ita–" Naruto swiftly halted his words but did not stop his eyes from nervously darting over to where the brooding male stood.
Sasuke remained non-reacting, despite knowing exactly what the blonde was attempting to say. From the mention of his brother's name, he knew a sensitive spot hidden deep in him would flare up, but Sasuke was determined to suffocate it before it could have any effect on him, especially in a room full of individuals he did not want to show himself to at the moment.
Tsunade also glanced at Sasuke and sighed, "We don't know anything of their background, their abilities, much less any physical traits to go off of. The only thing we know is that they plan to attack within a week's time."
"Attack?" Sai spoke up, his beady eyes now perked with surprise, "the Hidden Leaf?"
The woman shook her head, "We don't know what the aim is or how many villages are involved. It could be an attempt to weaken our borders, to harm the civilians, or to even capture their targeted jinchurikis."
All eyes soundlessly turned to Naruto who grimaced in return.
"It seems like that the last would be the path they'd take," Kakashi added.
"I would think so too, but we can't be too sure," Tsunade sighed once more. She looked down at the images on her table and stared hard at the masked individual before moving her eyes to rest upon Sasuke's silent form.
"Uchiha," she called, "you had past experience with Akatsuki." Her face hardened and she leaned back into the chair she rested in. "What can you tell us that would be of some sort of help?"
Understanding the purpose behind why he was called here, why he was standing and listening to a situation he really had no interest to be a part of, he held her gaze.
"They like to multi-task," he simply replied, gaining raised brows from Kakashi.
"Multi-task?"
Sasuke glanced over at the gray-haired male, "It's likely they'll try to accomplish more than one objective at a time."
"So you're saying it's possible that more than one of the possibilities I've listed could occur?" Tsunade drawled.
"There's a chance."
With a hiss, Tsunade's forehead immediately wrinkled in frustration, and she placed a furled hand onto the desk, "Damn it all."
Sai was quick to step in, head already conjuring what steps to take next, "Should we place Naruto on security lockdown as a precaution?"
"Ugh, that seriously blows," the blonde grumbled to himself.
"No," Tsunade countered and propped her chin up in deep thought, "based on what Sasuke said, it'll be best to take a different approach this time."
"What are you thinking?" Kakashi prodded.
She pursed her lips and spoke, "With how spread out our forces are from expanding border patrol, our defense for Naruto would be significantly weakened. If the jinchuriki is what they are after, Suna would also be a target."
"They would be facing the same problems as us since they are also prioritizing strengthening their border," Sai murmured.
"But with the power of two jinchurikis, it would be extremely difficult to overcome."
Sai frowned and ran his eyes across the office floor, "You want us to relocate Naruto to Suna?"
Tsunade nodded.
"It is a risky idea, but it's sound," Kakashi noted with a finger to his chin, "and it's only as a precaution since we still are unaware what their actual plan is."
"Then it's settled, Naruto you will be sent to be under the Kazekage's care" she declared to him and looked to the three other men in the room, "the rest of you will be tasked to accompany him there and stay until the threat has been resolved."
Sai and Kakashi easily nodded to her command, but Sasuke instantly frowned. Though he never had pictured what his life would be once he had settled his retributions, he knew that the one filled with still quietness and solitude would be the closest he could imagine it to be. Now that he was in Konoha, the unimaginable now a reality, Sasuke planned to hold on to those ideals.
"I don't see a reason for me to be involved."
And it was true. The dilemmas of the village and his own personal life did not cross paths in any way.
A tired breath left Tsunade as she faced Sasuke, "As much as I'd like for you to stay out of it, it seems like having you would give us a great deal of aid."
Although her words were clear and true, the dark-haired male could only see how consequential his presence could be. For the village, for those around him, and for those who were not even involved. Even more, the partial truth that he tried to pay no mind to, he simply was not ready.
"I refuse."
"I'm sorry, but this is an order," she shot back, clearly becoming agitated by his rejection. "I'm telling you to do something, and since you restored your oath to this village, I expect you to honor your end of the bargain."
The exilement. It was clear to all in the room what was exactly being said. It was a low shot, everyone including Sasuke and Tsunade knew. However, now was a time that Tsunade needed to utilize all the security nets that she had. With his knowledge, his skill, it would be a waste to ignore Sasuke's potential. With his loyalties now with the Hidden Leaf, his presence could be the fuel needed to turn the tides against their strongest foes.
And with Naruto being the main victim among all of this, she couldn't afford another loss to the village. Not while the loss of Sakura was still a fresh wound that was barely healing.
Sasuke's bubbling irritation quickly rose from her words, but thankfully his better consciousness succeeded in its attempt to subdue it. Instead, with a low tone and glowering eyes, he retorted back.
"And what do I gain from all of this?"
The room fell silent as Kakashi, Sai, and Naruto watched in hesitance as Tsunade's drumming fingers came to a still, and her lips quirked upwards.
"If I have your full cooperation," she started, "you can have your chakra seal undone." Tsunade's fingers began to tap against the tabletop again, "For good."
From the perspective of others, the situation was one where both parties would win. While Konoha would have the extra manpower needed for a time like this, Sasuke would in turn regain full chakra capacity like he once had prior to stepping foot in the village.
However, Sasuke knew the proposal led to him eating out of the palm of her hand, a signifier that though the outcome initially seems favorable to him, the choices he will later make will ultimately not be his own. And that was a situation he never wanted to find himself trapped in again.
But as he stood, reserves barely adequate enough to hold his own in battle, he knew that unruly sacrifices must be made. So with gritted teeth and burning eyes, he stayed silent, a gesture of his reluctant surrender.
Reading his expression, Tsunade did not waste her time to dwell on the passing relief she felt and stood from her seat.
"Once the mission is completed, Yamato will meet with you to make those arrangements," she tilted her chin down, taking the scroll on the desk and moving it for Kakashi to take.
"I'll give you all time to make the needed preparations, but I expect everyone to begin setting out no later than a few days, understood? I want frequent reports while you are there too."
"Yes, Tsunade-sama," Sai turned to Kakashi who nodded in return. Naruto, on the other hand, only softly sighed to himself with a fallen face, no one attempting to give comfort to the boy's emotions.
In a situation like this, Naruto knew that his feelings would have to be set aside to ensure the safety of himself and those he cared about. It was his responsibility to uphold.
"And also," she lastly said before all males had turned to leave, "try to find as much information you can about this masked member." With darkened eyes, her lips moved to scowl.
"The sooner we do away with them, the better."