Soifon was delicately savoring a cup of tea graciously offered to her by the elderly woman. Although she initially wanted to refuse the gesture, she chose not to be impolite and accepted the drink, demonstrating her gratitude for how it relieved her dry throat.
Remaining quiet, Soifon attentively listened to the ongoing conversation among the others. Kakashi, having taken his final bite of the dumpling and disposing of the stick, suggested that they should depart soon. Observing Jushiro's agreement and curious about Soifon's opinion, he turned towards her.
"We can begin our journey once everyone has finished their meals," she responded, observing Naruto and Renji who were still engaged in their own meal. It appeared that the two had quickly formed a friendship, which she deemed advantageous considering the ninjas' request.
In a hushed tone that Soifon could still hear, Naruto questionably inquired, "Is Soifon always in a grumpy mood?" Renji, keen on maintaining discretion, replied, "You will become accustomed to it; she is perpetually like this."
Naruto nodded affirmatively while stealing a quick glance at Soifon. 'She reminds me of someone I know who is constantly grumpy,' he remarked, eliciting a chuckle from Renji. However, their laughter ceased abruptly as the female captain shot Renji a stern glare, causing him to avert his gaze.
Soifon overheard the conversation between Naruto and Renji, prompting her to scoff and look away before either of the boys could say anything further. 'We should proceed onwards,' she stated, pushing herself away from the pole she had been leaning on.
Kakashi concurred, 'Indeed, let us continue.' He then assumed the role of leader once again, with the rest of the group trailing behind him. Soifon resumed her position at the rear, occasionally glancing back in the direction they had come from upon hearing rustling leaves.
As she opened her mouth to alert the others of a presence behind them, her words failed to materialize. Instead, her attention was drawn to a pair of ominous black eyes belonging to a tall figure perched on a nearby tree. His piercing gaze locked onto her stormy gray eyes.
The petite captain couldn't help but flinch when her headache intensified, particularly when she focused her gaze on the figure. She opened her mouth, intending to call out to the person, but when she blinked, he had vanished. 'What on earth?' she inquired.
Soifon bit her lip and clenched her hands into fists as she directed her attention towards the location where the figure had been. Her headache eased slightly, with the remaining discomfort localized in her eyes. She swiftly rubbed her eyes, attempting to alleviate the pain.
"Soifon, if you continue to linger, you'll be left behind," Jushiro's voice interrupted her ruminations. Soifon turned her gaze towards the rest of the group, only to realize that they were a few paces ahead of her.
"Damn it," Soifon thought, pushing the image of the figure out of her mind. She sprinted to catch up with the others, apologizing as she reached them. "Sorry," she offered. "I thought I heard an animal." It was a falsehood, but Soifon opted to avoid alarming the others about their potential surveillance.
"Are you alright, Soifon?" Rukia inquired, concerned, as she observed the captain catching up to the group.
Soifon glanced at Rukia and concurred with a nod. 'Yes, I am alright,' she replied, attempting to conceal the pain in her voice. She observed as the younger woman regarded her skeptically, but Rukia chose not to comment and simply nodded as they continued their journey to the hidden leaf village.
'How much longer until we reach our destination?' Soifon inquired Kakashi as they leaped from tree to tree, their feet landing on the branches with each jump.
'We will arrive in approximately three more hours,' the silver-haired man responded. Soifon acknowledged his answer with a nod and trailed behind the others, her agile steps barely touching the branches as she tried to keep up with their pace.
With Sasuke*
After perching in the tree, Sasuke commenced flash-stepping at a rapid pace, oblivious to his destination. He followed an inexplicable instinct, seemingly driven by a desire to uncover the cause of his recurring headaches.
Through his swift strides, he managed to traverse halfway from the village. Deep in contemplation, Sasuke alighted upon a tree, realizing his enigmatic journey had led him to an empty clearing housing a modest dumpling shop.
Leaning against the tree trunk, Sasuke's headache intensified, prompting him to question the peculiar circumstances surrounding this location. Upon closer inspection, his gaze narrowed as he observed his former team accompanied by four unfamiliar figures, congregating outside the aforementioned establishment.
Curiosity piqued, Sasuke queried aloud, "Who are they?" Moments later, his heart skipped a beat when one of the unidentified individuals shifted their attention towards his elevated perch, locking eyes with him.
Sasuke discerned that the figure standing before him was a female due to her short and small stature. As he gazed into her stormy gray eyes, which seemed to pierce into his own black eyes, he observed her opening her mouth as if preparing to call out to him.
Sasuke continued to fix his gaze upon this petite woman, causing his headache to intensify whenever their eyes met. Thoughts raced through his mind, pondering who this woman could be. Could she be the person Itachi mentioned? And if so, what actions should he take?
As he scrutinized the woman, he was taken aback to find that she exhibited the same confusion and curiosity that mirrored his own. 'I must discover her identity,' he concluded. 'However, that will have to wait until I have completed my current quest.' Although he felt compelled to follow his brother's orders, Sasuke found himself uncertain about what course of action to pursue.
With Soifon, At the Leaf Village*
It took the group three hours to reach the leaf village, just as Kakashi had said. Soifon, Jushiro, Rukia, and Renji followed Kakashi and the others through the grand gates. Soifon observed their surroundings, noticing the two guards at the table checking in visitors.
They seemed unfazed by their presence, most likely because they were with Kakashi. However, the guards did glance at Soifon and the others as they walked by.
Rukia, sharing Soifon's thoughts, asked if this was the leaf village. "It's beautiful," she remarked while looking at Sakura. The pink-haired girl confirmed that they were indeed in the leaf village as she walked alongside Rukia.
Kakashi informed the group that they would head straight to the Hokage tower. Soifon nodded in acknowledgement. "Okay, thank you," she replied. Her gray eyes attentively observed as villagers and ninjas stopped to look at them.
Soifon observed the inquisitive gazes from the villagers and received some hostile looks from certain ninjas. She overheard a few whispers, such as 'Where do you think they came from?' uttered by a woman with curly black hair who was accompanied by a man with short brown hair framing his face.
'I don't know, but their clothing indicates they are not from here,' the male villager whispered in response. Soifon comprehended their inquisitive queries and the distrustful looks directed towards her and the three others.
Without paying much attention to the whispers, Soifon shifted her gaze back to the road. However, she couldn't help but overhear a female voice saying, 'They must be skilled if Kakashi is with them.'
Sai's voice interrupted the villagers' whispering, capturing Soifon's attention. 'Just ignore them,' he stated. 'They are merely curious about newcomers.' The petite captain gave a slight nod. 'I understand. I might find myself being curious about them as well,' she remarked, although she knew it to be untrue. In reality, she planned to inquire about the visitors' purpose for being there.
Soifon accompanied Sai as they engaged in conversation, and despite being rare for her, she couldn't help but let a faint smile grace her face. As they walked through the village, she felt relief that her headache had dissipated and the pain in her eyes had lessened to a manageable level.
After a lengthy stroll, they arrived at the hokage tower, where Kakashi ushered them inside. "We will stay with you both and assist in finding suitable accommodations once you have completed your tasks," he offered.
Soifon had intentions to voice her protest, but Jushiro intervened, politely expressing gratitude while kindly declining the offer. Kakashi shook his head, saying, "It is not a significant inconvenience. We have our own check-in procedures to attend to, so this will save us all time."
Exchanging glances with Jushiro, Soifon decided not to argue further with the gray-haired man, realizing that it might actually help prevent unnecessary speculation regarding their purpose in the village.
As Kakashi approached a door and prepared to knock, everyone else came to a halt, awaiting what lay beyond.
A female voice from the other side of the door issued a command, instructing Kakashi to enter. Kakashi complied and opened the door, allowing everyone to enter. Following Naruto and Sakura, Soifon was accompanied by Sai, Jushiro, Rukia, and Renji.
Soifon directed her gaze ahead and noticed a fair-skinned woman of average height. The woman had brown eyes, straight shoulder-length blonde hair styled in pigtails, and a noticeably large chest. This impressive bust could rival even Rangiku's renowned assets. The woman sat behind a desk positioned in front of a large window.
As Kakashi closed the door behind him, he made his way to the front of the group. Addressing the older woman, he stated, 'The mission is complete, Lady Tsunade,' and offered a slight bow.
'Excellent work, Kakashi,' Tsunade acknowledged, nodding in approval. She then shifted her attention to Soifon and her group. With curiosity evident in her honey brown eyes, the blonde inquired, 'And who are they?'
Recognizing the need to introduce themselves, Soifon stepped forward. Soifon respectfully inclined her head towards the blond hokage, capturing her attention. 'Greetings, Lady Tsunade,' she addressed in her commanding tone. The blond hokage gestured dismissively with her hand, signaling that there was no need for the small woman to bow.
Soifon straightened her posture and nodded, acknowledging the hokage's request. Directing her attention towards the woman behind the hokage's chair, Soifon noted her short black hair, black eyes, and the pig she held in her arms. However, she quickly disregarded this observation and refocused on Tsunade.
'I am Soifon, captain of squad two and the commander of the stealth force,' she began, turning to face Jushiro, who was looking at her with an unreadable expression. Unaware of the fleeting look Tsunade had just given her, Soifon continued with her introduction, her wide brown eyes conveying her earnestness.
Upon hearing the name of the diminutive woman, Tsunade couldn't conceal her surprise, but she refrained from interrupting and decided to have a conversation with the young captain later.
'This is Jushiro Ukitake, captain of squad thirteen,' Soifon continued, glancing at the redhead standing beside Naruto.
"The redhead, Renji Abarai, is the lieutenant of squad six," Soifon stated as she gestured towards Renji. She then turned her attention to the shorter woman of the two. "And lastly, this is Rukia Kuchki, a member of squad thirteen," Soifon finished.
Tsunade contemplated their names and what Soifon had mentioned about squads. Her brown eyes narrowed as she thought of a place that had that many squads - the soul society. She recalled Jushiro from long ago when he had visited with another captain.
"Are you from the soul society?" Tsunade inquired, confirming her suspicion. Soifon looked puzzled, and Tsunade understood her confusion, as she was just an infant when Jushiro and Unohana had visited.
Jushiro was the one to respond. "Yes, that is correct, Lady Tsunade. I am glad that you remember our time here," he said with a smile.
"What are you talking about, Ukitake?" Soifon asked. "All this time, you knew about this place?" she questioned, Soifon recollected the discourse of the esteemed captain-commander concerning the existence of a distinct realm inhabited by individuals skilled in the art of ninjutsu and similar disciplines. However, there was no mention of any soul reapers venturing to this realm previously. Thus, Soifon pondered the veracity surrounding this enigmatic place.
Tsunade and Jushiro exchanged glances before shifting their attention to everyone present, noting the bewildered expressions on not only Soifon, Rukia, and Renji, but also Sakura, Naruto, and Sai. "It appears that we have quite a lengthy explanation ahead of us. However, before we delve into that, may I inquire as to what has prompted your return here, Jushiro?" Tsunade inquired.
Jushiro and Soifon shared a meaningful look before Jushiro initiated the conversation. "We have come to discuss the possibility of forming an alliance with you and seeking your assistance with a certain matter."