Kakashi walked back to the village. The world was quiet. Seemed everything slowed down when he remembered people. He tried not to get swept up with the past. Especially when it's something you could've stopped. That you could've fixed.
Someone you could've saved.
He didn't like playing the guessing game. Usually, when his mind was preoccupied with re-living the past, he'd read a book. But he had finished this one an hour ago. It was still a little further to the village. So he'd just have to deal with it.
This time, the game was on whether or not he could've saved Naruto. Great. It had been five years but the wound was still fresh.
Maybe… just maybe… if he had gotten there in time. Maybe he left too late. Maybe he could've stopped the fight and not lose both of them. If he could go back, would he able to fix it? Should he fix it? What if…
This game was dumb. It didn't bring back the dead.
Tsunade read the information once again. Her suspicions were right. Orochimaru was once a member of the Akatsuki. Even better, he had info on them. This might lead to something. The paper she'd picked up was a medical sheet. She could tell. It talked about heart rates, stability, blood loss… And it was all quite recent.
They had been treating a patient.
But who?
"Do you know who its-"
"Orochimaru."
What?
"He-uh, he got into a scuffle recently…" Sasuke studdered.
Tsunade looked at him. "Orochimaru, as you may know, was once considered a legendary Sanin from The Village Hidden in the Leaves. He is a fierce opponent that's not to be messed with.
Who?"
"I don't know. Kabuto didn't say. Both of them just came back covered in bandages."
Tsunade bit her lip. There was only one other known group who could've been responsible.
"It's the Akatsuki, I'm sure. I have to read over this info… before we come to any more conclusions. As soon as Kakashi gets back-"
"...if I may? Where's Naruto?"
Tsunade bit her lip.