Sakura sat across from Naruto in their apartment with the breakfast she had prepared for them on the table. She was busy looking through the morning paper with a red pen as she circled several options on the page. Having been so focused on searching for the current opening of apartments, she just realized that her fiancé was feeling a bit restless. He lightly tapped his right foot as he rested his face in his left hand, propped up by his elbow on the table while staring out the window. His facial expression was a mixture of a pout and boredom as he shoved more rice into his mouth and continued chewing.
She giggled and looked back down at the paper. "I'm almost done, honey; I know you're ready to hit the streets," Sakura said, circling another section on the form.
He stopped tapping his foot and looked up at her. "Hmm? What happened?"
"You're bored sitting here. I know you prefer to be up and about."
He smiled, straightening up in his chair. "Sorry, Sakura, you didn't even get a chance to eat yet. So don't worry about me, y'know."
She put the pen and paper down, picked up her chopsticks and a small black bowl filled with white rice, grabbed a small portion, and began chewing. While doing so, she grabbed slices of bacon from the shared plate to her own along with fruit and started talking when she finished chewing.
"It's okay; the apartments I found in the paper should be enough room for us both. A two-bedroom apartment with a living room, separate kitchen, and hopefully a washer and dryer like yours has now. I'll have my office when I must bring files and reports home. And from what I see, with both of us having steady money, we should be able to stay within a budget, get some more furniture and appliances, and put something aside for the wedding!"
He chuckled. "Yeah, more closet space for both of us, y'know."
Sakura closed her eyes and smiled at that statement. "Yes! I can finally buy more clothes! And not feel like I'm crowding you out!"
"Yeah, and we can get a television!" Naruto added.
She nodded. "Yes, another sofa so we can go back to watching movies from the store like we used to! And have our friends over!"
"And a nice big comfy bed, too!" Naruto said excitedly.
Sakura blushed, dropping her chopsticks as her eyes widened a little. They'd been sharing his bed since she moved into the apartment. Sleeping beside Naruto felt natural, and now she hated not having him beside her. But along with the wedding will be performing the marital act. Having sex for the first time made her feel a bit nervous. After returning to the village, their make-out sessions had become more adventurous. And whenever she felt a bit apprehensive, he stopped instantly. They still changed clothes separately from one another in the small amount of space they lived in Naruto's apartment.
There were also thoughts in her mind that made her curious about how Naruto felt. Of course, she knew he loved her, but he had plenty of opportunity to have his pick with a bevy of women that was his fan club in the past. She knew these thoughts were childish, but she was curious. Had he given himself to someone before her or not? And despite wanting to know this information, she never voiced her question aloud.
Naruto looked at her perplexedly, tilting his head to the side and raising an eyebrow. "What, you like sharing my little bed over there?" He asked.
"No, a bigger bed would be great! And a nicer mattress for it too!" She said in a slightly higher tone than usual and laughed it off, waving her hand in the air. Sakura looked away from Naruto and began grabbing more food from the plate she'd cooked earlier. She knew he was watching her, so she continued to eat and avoided his gaze until the warmth in her neck and face had finally subsided.
After breakfast, they left the apartment dressed casually and walked hand in hand. She looked at him and smiled, causing him to respond similarly as they started down the busy roads of Konoha. Their first location would be near the market district of the village, so they needed to travel the busy street. Merchants shouted and cheered, yelling out their deals of the day, hoping to gain the attention of villagers picking up their groceries and other items. And with it being a cloudless hot summer day, the enticing sale of sweet fruit was a hot seller. As the couple traveled down the road, they were greeted by many villagers. And to Sakura's dismay, the question of whether a wedding date had been set. Sakura smoothly let them know they hadn't started planning the wedding yet. While some villagers were disappointed in the lack of a date, others excitedly encouraged them to hurry up with the planning.
These conversations, especially with some of the older women in the village, reminded Sakura of talking with her mother. Nonstop suggestions on decorations and advice on their wedding days were constantly given. In truth, with repairs to the hospital and finding housing with Naruto, the wedding was officially on the back burner for Sakura. Unlike herself, Naruto took these conversations in stride. He happily joked with men and women alike whenever the subject was brought up, often responding he just wanted his bride to be happy.
This would often cause the women to swoon in adoration and the men to tell him that he had the right frame of mind and to stick to it. When they finally escaped the prodding villagers, they arrived at the first apartment complex on Sakura's list. Konoha Heights, this particular apartment complex, was the apartment Sakura liked the best, with great tenant reviews and the ideal location near the hospital and Hokage building for easy travel.
It was a large building with double glass doors and private security inside to keep solicitors out. And with it being one of the newer buildings, elevators were built so they wouldn't have to use stairs on grocery hall days. Naruto held the door open for Sakura as they went inside and went to the receptionist's desk. Behind the desk stood a man with glasses and neatly combed hair wearing a nice dress shirt and slacks. He adjusted his glasses and smiled as he noticed them approaching his desk.
"Good morning Naruto and Sakura; welcome to Konoha Heights. How may I assist you?" The man eagerly asked.
Naruto raised an eyebrow as his mouth opened slightly. "Wow, you know our names?"
The man chuckled and nodded. "Who doesn't know the hero of the village? And, rumored next medical director of the village! Not to mention two prominent heroes from the Fourth Great War?" he replied with a grin.
Sakura smiled, looking over at Naruto, who was now smiling before she looked back at the receptionist. She'd already warned Naruto that she would handle the contract negotiations, so it was time for her to take over the conversation. "We wanted to inquire about your two-bedroom apartment on the listing. And we wanted to see if we could tour the room?"
"Sure! We'd love to do a tour of the room in two weeks. And also the price of the room is no longer accurate. It's gone up since we sent that listing to the paper."
Naruto's eyebrows creased together in anger. "What do you mean the price has gone up in the paper? This paper was delivered this morning, y'know!"
The man's smile disappeared. "Well, the village is developing further, as you both know. More homes are being purchased, and more tenants are leaving apartments."
"That's all the more reason for us to get the apartment at the price of the paper! If not cheaper!" Naruto growled.
The man gulped, and Sakura knew it was time to step in. "Can you put us down for the tour in two weeks? I'll leave our number so you can contact me directly."
Naruto turned to look at Sakura incredulously as she provided her information to the receptionist. She thanked him and pulled Naruto out of the lobby before he could start talking again. Once they were outside the entrance of the apartment building, Sakura stopped walking and turned to face Naruto, who she knew was frustrated.
"Sakura! Why'd you put us down for the tour when it's out of budget?"
She sighed as she frowned. "Naruto, he was price gouging us as soon as we entered the lobby. He knew our names and occupations. You're right; if more people buy homes, rent should be lower to entice people to sign up. I'll devise some plan for getting out of the tour later. Besides, I didn't want to look cheap in front of him!" She sniffed as she turned on her heel and began walking again.
"Okay, where to next?" he asked as he quickly caught up to her.
"The next stop isn't too far from here," Sakura answered. "So let's get going, and hopefully, we'll have a better experience!"
After two hours of traveling and visiting multiple locations, the pair decided to stop for the day. They were now sitting on a bench in a park under a tree to get out of the harsh sunlight. The subsequent five apartment complexes treated them the same. The prices in the paper didn't match what they offered in person to the pair. Both of them sighed as Naruto had his arm wrapped around her shoulders. She leaned into his side and crumbled up the paper before throwing it over her right shoulder, and it went into the trash can behind them.
"What are we gonna do?" Naruto asked, "My apartment is working, but paying that much rent for so little space is ridiculous."
Sakura frowned. "Yeah, we can more than afford the raised rent together. But it's just not fair!" She said before folding her arms over her chest and pouting.
He chuckled before leaning his head against hers. "I've been thinking about something."
"What's on your mind?" She asked curiously.
"A while back, Kakashi sensei told me he found some records on my parents. They had a trust fund set up for me. And Oldman Third was using some money to pay my rent and groceries. And Pervy Sage left me some money too! There's still a lot of money left in the fund, and we can use it to put a down payment on a house!"
Sakura's eyes widened as she moved to look at him directly. "Naruto! You want to buy a home now?"
He grinned and nodded. "I mean, apartments aren't working out for us, so why not get a house? We can even go to the newer developing parts of the village, y'know!"
Sakura thought about the idea briefly as she looked into his eyes. "I have some money saved up that we can use too. Are you sure you want to do this?"
He nodded confidently, which reassured her. "Course I do! We can do anything as long as we're together, Sakura!"
She blinked a couple of times before she responded. "I haven't quite budgeted out a plan for a house, but I'm sure we can make it work. It can't be any worse than apartment shopping!"
He quickly stood up and held his hands out for her to take. "Alright, here's to the first step of our future!"
She sighed and couldn't resist smiling at him when he began to grin. In the past, she followed him into many situations and adventures. So why not follow his lead again?
"Alright, the first step towards the future," Sakura said as she took his hands and stood up from the bench.
Naruto led Sakura toward the developing parts of the village. These homes were currently being built closer to the Hokage monument. The plan was for the village to expand behind the Hokage monument, with more homes and businesses to begin being built. Construction workers were scattered about building homes and using heavy equipment. Both shinobi, who could perform earth-style ninjutsu, and civilians worked together. Some houses were already made with for sale signs already being claimed as purchased.
As they ascended the path, Sakura looked around at more houses showing sold signs in front of them. "How are all these homes purchased already?"
Naruto shrugged next to her. "Kakashi Sensei said more people were moving to the Leaf since the war. I didn't think it was getting like this, y'know."
Sakura nodded and was about to respond, but they heard something that caught their attention. It was a woman's voice but not one they'd ever heard.
"Okay, this home is sold! Now I need to find new clients, and maybe I can be the top seller this month! That new bag at the purse store will be mine if I get the bonus!" The woman happily sang.
Naruto and Sakura stopped and looked at each other, grinning, before they continued up the path to find the woman dressed in a nice suit jacket, blouse, pencil skirt, and dress shoes. She was walking out of the front door with a clipboard with a pen in hand, and her eyes widened when she saw them.
Sakura smiled as she took a step forward. "Excuse me; you wouldn't happen to be a realtor, would you?"
The woman smiled. "Why yes, I am! But I'm afraid most of the homes in this area are sold. Except I have a piece of property with a house that had started being built further up the road."
Sakura and Naruto turned to one another, grinning before looking back at the realtor. "May we look at the piece of property if you have a free moment?" Sakura asked.
The woman smiled before leading them back towards the main road and the property. They approached the area that would house the soon-to-be-built white stone three-story home. It had a large yard with several cherry blossom trees and a small pond surrounded by an iron gate. It was the largest in the neighborhood, which would be more than enough for them. Naruto and Sakura heard the sound of frogs croaking, and Naruto smiled at this while Sakura raised an eyebrow. The realtor began to laugh nervously while Naruto ran over to the pond and knelt beside it.
"This home hasn't sold yet because of the frogs here." The realtor explained, leaning toward Sakura. "We've tried to have a couple of men remove them, but they keep returning!"
Naruto caught a frog and proudly turned around, smiling from ear to ear. "Sakura, it's perfect! We can keep the frogs as pets here in the pond! And there're slugs here too, y'know!"
Sakura frowned at the thought of hearing frogs croaking outside the window of her home. She knew Naruto had a summoning contract with frogs. So, of course, he would be okay with being around them. But the idea of hearing croaking nonstop would eventually drive her crazy.
"If you take the pond with the frogs, we can take it off the total price of the mortgage." The realtor explained.
"The inside, it's not completed yet, is it?" Sakura asked curiously.
"No, only the foundation and wiring are finished. We need to lay down the floorboards and finish the walls. And you'll have to buy your appliances. Unless you wanted that added to the mortgage." The woman said.
Sakura nodded and smiled a little. "Let's take a look inside. And see if we can soundproof the walls. So that we don't hear any croaking at night."
The woman smiled as she led Sakura towards the door. "We've already done that to some of the homes close to the property, and we can add that too. If you both are interested in doing it yourself, by all means."
"Perfect," Sakura said before looking at Naruto, who happily played with the frogs in the pond. "Honey put the frog down, and let's look at the house,"
"Okay, here I come, sweetie!" Naruto said before he followed them into the house.
Outside the village, the third original member of Team 7 was still traveling. After the war, Sasuke left Konoha again, hoping to find his place in this world. While on the journey he deemed was for his redemption, he'd kept an eye out for potential threats to Konoha. He had no true objective on his travels, that is, until he approached an abandoned Orochimaru base. There was a feeling of something inside that called him to enter, and he entered without a second thought.
It was, without a doubt, an Orochimaru base filled with snake decorations and long, dimly lit corridors. The sound of his quiet footsteps echoed throughout the hallways. Fluorescent light waited at the end of the hall, and when he entered, he saw Karin Uzumaki standing in front of a computer. She was typing something into the machine and turned to look at him without breaking concentration. Karin stopped typing when their eyes locked onto one another.
She smiled and then turned back to the monitor and started typing again. "I knew it was you, Sasuke. I'm glad your chakra is a lot warmer again."
"Warmer?" Sasuke asked curiously.
"Yeah, you're in a better frame of mind. And it's affecting your chakra. So what brings you here?" She asked.
There was no one else in the base from what he could sense. He was silent for a moment but walked further into the room. "I'm traveling right now. When I came here, I felt something, or someone was in here, and here you are. Now, why are you here?"
"I'm trying to eliminate any data Orochimaru collected on me. This is the second hideout I could find anything with me in it. He saved my life long ago, and I helped him with his studies. But I'm taking my data back. If I'm honest, part of me knows it's useless because he's got a long memory. But if there's nothing here for him to reference, I can sleep better at night."
Sasuke understood where she was coming from. She was looking for something he was looking for as well, a clean slate. She sighed and turned the computer off completely when she finished what she was doing. Karin walked around the console with her arms folded over her chest. He looked down into her ruby-colored eyes with his visible eye.
Before when he was searching for Itachi, he considered Karin, a valuable person to have on his team. His mind trailed back to a month ago in Konoha. When he stood before Kakashi and Sakura. After Kakashi warned him about being on the straight and narrow, he understood the warning and turned to Sakura. He noticed the change in Sakura after she found himself and Naruto missing an arm after their last battle. She'd distanced herself from him and rarely visited him while imprisoned for his war crimes.
He turned to look at Sakura, grateful she was there to see him off before he left the Village. They looked at one another silently, staring into each other's eyes. He was used to her more cheerful and bubbly personality. But she was now calm and cautious with her emotions as she looked at him. She smiled, holding her arms behind her back, with the silence feeling longer than it was.
"Best of luck on your journey Sasuke." She said softly.
"Hn," He replied, along with a short nod.
She turned away from him and walked back into the Village. He watched her, and she didn't stop or turn around to look at him. A surprising tightness within his chest caught him off guard as he watched her walk away.
"You have to be careful about how you treat people," Kakashi said suddenly. Sasuke turned to look at Kakashi as his former sensei put his hands in his pockets. "At some point, they will get the message you are intentionally or unintentionally sending. She's moved on; it's time for you to do the same now."
Sasuke looked at Sakura's retreating figure, nodded, and turned to face the open road. Despite gaining new freedom and the chance to start over, the stinging regret of Sakura's rejection caused his chest to tighten slightly again. He nodded one last time at Kakashi and started walking out of the village and down the road, where he would converse with Naruto before truly starting his journey.
Now that he was looking at Karin Kakashi's, words rang loudly within his mind. In the past, he almost killed Karin to defeat Danzo for everything he'd done to the Uchiha clan. He apologized to Karin for hurting her when they reunited during the war. But deep down, he knew he owed her much more than an apology; he could help her, and it'd be safer for her out on the road together than on her own.
"Come with me. I'll help you find Orochimaru bases while we travel." He suggested.
Her eyes widened as her mouth opened slightly. "Really?" He nodded silently. Karin smiled as she blushed a little. "Okay, I'll go with you!"
Together they left the base and set out on their travels throughout the rest of the Land of Fire. They visited the few bases that they both knew of. And when they made it inside, it was rare to find any still loyal followers of Orochimaru. But they were nothing for the likes of Sasuke and Karin to handle. There was little of her data in these devices since she'd never been to these bases in the past, personally. Nonetheless, they continued their journey together.
Soon, the pair found another base in the Land of Rice Paddies. The raging growls and crashing sounds of equipment caught Sasuke's and Karin's attention. They immediately ran toward the cause of this noise, ignoring the danger awaiting them when they arrived in the laboratory. Broken glass was everywhere, along with the liquid, once within the fractured pods of failed experiments. Deformed bodies of failed experiments lay on the ground, lifeless.
"It must be him," Karin said, hiding behind Sasuke. She was hanging onto his arm; her hands shook so slightly that Sasuke looked down at them.
"Jugo," He said plainly.
"Yes,"
"Stay here; I'll take care of this." He said.
She nodded, let go of his arm, and took a few steps back into the corridor. Sasuke went forth without hesitation. All he needed to do was use his Sharingan on Jugo to cast a genjutsu on him. Before he could confront Jugo, some of the water on the ground began to move on its own. Sasuke stopped, looked at the water, and noticed it started to smile a familiar toothy grin. Sasuke stepped back, and the water grew upward until it formed into a shape of a man.
Standing in his full unclothed glory with his hands on his hips and grinning from ear to ear was Suigetsu. "Yo, long time no see! Sasuke."
"Suigetsu, what are you doing here hiding from Jugo?" Sasuke asked, unfazed by the lack of clothing.
Suigetsu sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "We came here after leaving Orochimaru. He was okay for a while but discovered that you could finally leave Konoha. He set out looking for you, and he's been throwing more fits of rage lately. I stand back and let him do his thing when he gets like this. Though, I wouldn't say I like mixing with the liquid from these pods. Makes my skin crawl." Suigetsu explained before roughly shuttering.
Another raging growl filled the room when heavy footsteps making a thumping sound started toward them. Sasuke turned toward the sound his Sharingan already activated. The grunts and growls filled the room as Suigtsu gulped and moved back into a puddle. Jugo approached Sasuke, already transformed by his excessive chakra. It was only when Jugo laid eyes on Sasuke did he stop walking.
His growls filled the silent room with noise as it vibrated against the walls. Sasuke took a step forward, meeting Jugo's gaze. It happened so fast that Jugo was caught in the genjutsu. His features slowly reverted until he was standing in his normal form. The growls were converted into groans, and Jugo stood unsteady. Suigetsu appeared from the water again, and Karin emerged from the corridor. Jugo closed his eyes and began to fall when Sasuke and Suigetsu caught him. Karin adjusted her glasses on her face and sighed in relief.
"It's over," She said softly. "Let's get him someplace that isn't destroyed. And you some clothes, Suigetsu!"
Suigetsu rolled his eyes while Sasuke kept his visible eye on Jugo. Together Sasuke and Suigetsu moved Jugo to the medical side of the base. It was filled with waiting, unclaimed beds and monitors beside them. Suigetsu found his clothing from earlier and redressed himself. There was little food in the kitchen, but the group made do with what was there.
Together the three of them ate in the medical room while Jugo slept. Suigetsu looked between Sasuke and Karin, sitting beside each other on a bed. And he then turned to Jugo, who continued to snore lightly. He sat on the floor crossed-legged, set his bowl down, and cleared his throat, drawing attention to himself.
"So," He started before tapping his fingers on his knees. "Are we getting the group back together? You're the only one who can help Jugo with his rage, fits Sasuke. And it's either I go with you all or return to Orochimaru…."
Karin pursed her lips and closed her eyes. She was enjoying her time with Sasuke on their own. But she couldn't deny that getting out alone was the best thing that had happened to her after working under Orochimaru for so long. She sighed and turned to Sasuke, knowing the decision would be his.
"Are you still trying to get all seven swords of the Mist?" Sasuke asked directly.
Suigetsu frowned and hung his head. "I'd like to get the seven swords. But with the villages in alliance, there won't be anywhere I can go without being hunted down. I've gotta let that dream go…." He looked up at Sasuke specifically then and grinned. "For now, that is! What are you two up to?"
"I'm on a journey to find my purpose in life. And Karin's trying to remove all traces of her data from Orochimaru's hideouts. You can come with us if you want."
Suigetsu chuckled and looked from back to the sleeping Jugo. "Guess we're getting the gang back together."
Now in the present, after the events of the Tonier mission Sasuke and the others set out from the Leaf village once again; of course, this wouldn't be a trip with the four of them if there wasn't a lot of arguing between Karin and Suigetsu or any minor thing that was going on. Regardless Sasuke paid little attention to them while Jugo followed silently behind him. Now In the Land of Lightning, the group walked down a long path in the mountain regions in a rare moment of silence between them.
"Been a long time since we've been here," Suigetsu said next to Jugo with his hands behind his head. "Almost feels like we should try and leave as soon as possible."
Karin raised an eyebrow as she looked over at Suigetsu. "Don't tell me you're afraid?"
He rolled his eyes. "Don't you remember the last time we came here? We were a part of the Akatsuki. And then the eight-tail Jinchuriki folded us like we're unprepared academy students."
Sasuke closed his eyes, and he thought back to that time. The blood-colored clouds against the black cloak they were given. He was so lost during that time, going from one mental extreme to another. The loss of his brother, Itachi, and the realization of the truth behind the Uchiha massacre because of Obito. And now he truly was the last of the Uchiha known with only one of his clan's signature dojustsu along with another.
He took a deep breath pushing his personal thoughts to the furthest part of his mind and reopened his eyes. The others hadn't noticed his mental pause as Karin continued talking.
"You have a point. And considering the multiple amounts of Chakra we're approaching, we're near Kumogakure."
Suigetsu groaned. "And we're the last people they want to see here. Hey, Sasuke, are we heading there? I mean, can't we go somewhere else? Orochimaru didn't get that far into this territory."
"Oh, relax already!" Karin snapped harshly, causing him to drop his hands and look at her wide-eyed. "The villages are in alliance. Sasuke is a hero from the war after defeating Kaguya, and he and I assisted on the Moon mission!"
"Great! That leaves all the hate for Jugo and me." Suigetsu said sarcastically.
Karin glared at him and was about to say something when she suddenly stopped mid-step. Sasuke noticed this, and he and Jugo stopped walking and turned to look back at Karin. She looked far into the distance, and Sasuke walked back toward her.
"What is it?" He asked, looking at her.
She blinked a few times and looked up into his visible eye. The wind began to stir, causing a few strands of red hair to cross into her vision. She blushed a little at his sudden closeness and moved the few strands behind her ear as she cleared her throat, looking back to where she was before.
"It was a large chakra source coming from that area over there. It caught me off guard, is all." She explained.
Sasuke looked out toward the direction Karin was looking at. He debated on if that was something they should look into or not. "We should get some rest sun will be setting soon."
She nodded, and he turned and started walking forward again. Karin's blush deepened, and she quickly followed behind him along with Jugo. Suigetsu sighed, shook his head, and began following behind again.
It wasn't long before they arrived at Kumogakure, and of course, they were met with stares from Shinobi and villagers alike. After checking in with the security guards at the entrance to the village, a pair of shinobi appeared and approached the group. They both wore their village version of chunin vest and proudly sported the crest of a cloud on their headband.
"Uchiha Sasuke," One of the men said. Sasuke turned from Karin, filling out the visitor forms for the group with the guards at the entrance, to the men. "Lord Raikage requests your presence in his office."
Sasuke nodded once, and when Karin was finished, the four of them followed the two shinobi to the Raikage's office. After making it to the large building that housed the Raikage's office, Sasuke and the others followed silently behind their escorts. It wasn't long until they made it to a pair of large, dully painted yellow double doors of the Raikage's office opened, revealing the Raikage A himself sitting behind his desk. The disdain the Raikage's face showed as he looked at all of them briefly made Karin and Suigetsu hesitate to continue into the office. A's eyesight locked onto Sasuke specifically, and the pair stared each other down, making everyone in the office except Jugo a little uncomfortable at the silence.
After the longest five minutes of silence passed, A sighed and leaned back in his chair. "So, what brings you all to the Land of Lightning after you all tried to capture my brother and take Gyuki from him?" He asked.
"We're on a journey," Sasuke answered flatly. "Kakashi made it clear that I was on a short leash. We'll only stay for the night and leave first thing in the morning."
"It's no secret that out of all the other Kage, I am the one who holds the most contempt for you, Uchiha Sasuke. But I am no fool to doubt your ability, especially after the war. And it appears that I require your assistance." He motioned for one of the shinobi who escorted Sasuke and the others to his office to come forth.
The man pulled a large scroll that hung along the yellow-painted wall and opened it on the Raikage's desk. It was a map of the entire Land of Lightning. A stood up from his desk and pointed to a specific location on the map as Sasuke walked forward to see where he was pointing.
"Here is an opening to a cave, and it seems that there is something very sinister within the depths of the cave lately."
"Any idea on what's inside the cave?" Suigetsu asked.
"No." A explained gravely. "I lost good men and women who've ventured inside it and haven't returned."
Sasuke's eyes narrowed at the location on the map and then turned back to Karin. "It's in the direction where Karin sensed a large amount of Chakra. And you want us to investigate what's going on in there."
"I need to know what exactly is going on in there. I debated finally allowing B to investigate, yet here you all are, right on time. Tomorrow you all will journey inside and bring back as much information as possible. Anything you can find, I will share with the other Kage. We've had our differences before, but I cannot lose any more of my people what's inside there."
"And if we refuse?" Suigetsu asked.
A grinned and looked at him specifically. "You all can find someplace else to sleep tonight. And might I add, the mountain regions get pretty cold at night without the right equipment."
Sasuke looked back at the others who were looking at him. He understood that this would be his decision. Turning back toward A, who was now looking at him, Sasuke gave his answer.
"Well, do it." He said.
A nodded and smiled. "Great, I'll provide you with food and lodging for the night. And if you need anything else, let these two know."
Suigetsu grinned. "Yeah, a good sword or two would be nice!"