Hokage Tower – Office of the Third Hokage
Knock. Knock.
"…Come in," Hiruzen Sarutobi said calmly, pipe in hand.
The door slid open.
Kakashi Hatake stepped inside, hands in pockets, posture lazy.
"Yo… reporting in." he said.
Hiruzen nodded lightly, clearly unbothered by Kakashi's informal manner.
"Back already?"
"Mm." Kakashi glanced around the room.
Then paused.
"…Lord Third," he said slowly, eye crinkling. "Why is the crystal ball… angled like that?"
Hiruzen kept his expression steady, but inwardly he was sweating. In his haste, he had forgotten to clear the image currently being displayed in the crystal ball before Kakashi's sudden visit.
"…Research."
Kakashi leaned slightly to the side.
The image in the crystal ball was very clear.
A group of women walking through the village streets.
Zoomed in.
Uncomfortably zoomed in.
"…Hokage-sama," Kakashi said mildly, "you're watching the hot springs district again."
Hiruzen coughed violently.
"Kuh—! Kakashi! I was merely monitoring village morale!"
"The morale seems… very specific," Kakashi replied.
Hiruzen hastily waved his hand, dispelling the image.
"Report," he said quickly.
Kakashi's deadpan expression finally curved into a faint smile.
"Team Seven completed their mission," he said. "Also…"
Then he reported everything that had happened during the mission—Zabuza's appearance and everything else that transpired.
The office fell into a brief silence as he narrated the events.
The Third Hokage listened carefully, nodding from time to time.
Then he said, "…I see. Your team also had its share of trouble, huh?"
Although the Third Hokage said it lightly, Kakashi caught the key word—"also"—which implied that another team had run into trouble as well.
"Hokage-sama… who are you referring to besides us?" Kakashi finally asked, unable to suppress his curiosity.
Hiruzen Sarutobi exhaled a slow stream of smoke from his pipe, a weary expression settling on his face.
"…It was Asuma and Kurenai's team that encountered a troublesome situation. They should be returning by now."
After that, he didn't go into further detail—choosing to preserve what little dignity his son still had. After the Chūnin Exams, I'll help him personally, Hiruzen thought inwardly, a trace of heartache in his chest.
Then he lowered his gaze, pipe still between his fingers.
When the first report had arrived—carried by Akamaru's tracking—cold sweat had broken out across his back.
That thing…
At first glance, it looked like a disease.
But no.
It wasn't an illness.
It was something far worse.
A natural enemy of man itself.
In that instant, Hiruzen had almost ordered Asuma's team to retreat without hesitation.
But then...
He had forced himself to read the full report.
And his heart had nearly stopped.
The Sarutobi clan is finished…
The thought had struck him with terrifying clarity.
Yet even knowing that, he still couldn't accept one thing.
I will not allow my son to die that pathetically.
He had already decided to dispatch reinforcements.
Immediately.
And then...
Another message arrived.
Asuma's team was returning.
Alive.
That knowledge didn't bring relief.
Only clouds.
Hiruzen knew Asuma had survived.
And from what Akamaru had conveyed… he also knew how.
"Haah…"
The Third Hokage sighed again, deep and weary.
The sound alone made Kakashi stop himself mid-thought.
He had been about to ask more.
But he didn't.
The air in the office had changed.
This wasn't something meant to be spoken aloud.
Kakashi could tell.
So he didn't press further.
Still…
As he stood there silently, his curiosity only burned stronger.
If both teams are returning safely…
If nothing truly happened to Asuma…
Then what pushed the Third Hokage this far?
Kakashi's eye narrowed almost imperceptibly.
Something doesn't add up.
--
It wasn't just Kakashi whose curiosity was burning higher.
Team Seven felt it too.
The moment the figures came into view, something subtle but unmistakable... shifted in the air.
At the forefront, the first to come into view was a red-haired girl. Her style was flamboyant, and the way she carried herself made her seem rather cocky.
Next was a girl wearing a blindfold—one that somehow made her look more cute than strange.
Then came the third figure.
An expressionless face.
White hair.
That was the one who made even Sasuke tense.
But what made Naruto's eyes light up was the last person in the group—a youth with long black hair and a strikingly beautiful face.
"Woah… that girl is even prettier than Sakura-chan," Naruto exclaimed out loud.
The faint tension in the air shattered instantly.
"HEY!" Sakura snapped, fist already halfway raised.
Karin, who had been casually looking around the ramen shop, heard him and turned her head.
She raised an eyebrow.
Following Naruto's line of sight, she quickly realized who he was talking about.
Haku.
For a brief moment, Karin had thought the brat was talking about her and she had already been considering whether to teach him a quick lesson.
But once she realized it was Haku instead…
A slow, devious smile spread across her face.
She glanced between Naruto and Sakura—the only girl present and quickly pieced together the awkward triangle between them, especially after noticing the emo-looking kid sitting beside them.
After a moment of thought, an idea struck her.
"Hey," she said, glancing at Naruto, "want me to hook you up?"
The words hit like a kunai to the brain.
Naruto froze, his expression oddly funny.
"…Huh?"
Sakura's fist stopped mid-air.
Sasuke narrowed his eyes. With his inherently suspicious nature, he could sense a trap in those words from a mile away but he chose to remain silent.
Naruto pointed at himself. "M-Me?"
Karin nodded, completely serious. "Yeah. You."
Naruto's brain immediately short-circuited.
Hook me up…?
Like… ramen?
No, wait...
HOOK ME UP?!
His gaze snapped to Sakura.
Then—very slowly—shifted back to Haku.
Then back to Sakura.
Then to Haku again.
Sweat formed on his temple.
Wait wait wait—this is dangerous.
If I say Sakura-chan, she'll punch me.
If I say the other one, Sakura-chan will DEFINITELY kill me.
But if I hesitate...
"W-Well—!" Naruto blurted out. "I mean—Sakura-chan is—uh—!"
Sakura's knuckles cracked.
Naruto flinched and swiveled.
"B-BUT—uh—she's also really—!"
Haku tilted his head slightly, confused but polite.
Naruto's face went bright red.
WHY IS THIS SO HARD?!
Karin watched the whole thing unfold with growing amusement.
Her smile widened—dangerously so.
"…Wow," she said. "You're really thinking hard about this… not even considering their feelings. That's not very gentleman-like."
She glanced at Haku and let out a small sigh, as if genuinely feeling sorry for "her."
Naruto gulped, looking even more nervous as he roared inwardly, Mom, help me… I think the biggest decision of my life is here…
"I—I'm just weighing my options!" he finally said, after scrambling for the right answer.
That was the wrong answer.
Sakura grabbed him by the collar.
"OPTIONS?"
Naruto screamed as Sakura punched him hard on the head.
Karin laughed happily, clearly enjoying the chaos she had caused. Finally, she sat down and ordered some ramen, waving it off casually.
"Relax, it was just a joke," she said cheerfully. "You guys are really funny."
Naruto sagged in relief.
"Ahaha, of course!" he said, forcing a laugh. "Who do you think I am? I—I'm going to be the Hokage one day!"
Sakura and Sasuke's mouths twitched slightly as they complained inwardly.
I don't think she was complimenting you, idiot.
Karin straightened up, hands tucked into her pockets, eyes gleaming with mischief as she waited for the ramen to be served.
"But seriously," she added, glancing at Haku, "you've got interesting taste."
Haku blinked his wide eyes as he also sat down and placed an order, speaking gently.
"Ah… thank you?"
Seeing Naruto blush again only made Karin want to laugh even more.
Kimimaro said nothing. His gaze shifted toward Sasuke—no, toward the symbol on Sasuke's back and his eyes narrowed slightly.
The crest of the Uchiha clan stirred a faint memory within him.
Sasuke noticed it as well. As he resumed eating slowly, he returned the glance, his eyes briefly flicking to the Snow Hidden Village symbol on their clothing as Kimimaro took a seat beside him.
Neither of them spoke, yet it felt as though much had already been said.
Hinata sat quietly beside Karin, saying nothing but her head tilted just a fraction, as if she were trying to make sense of the situation.
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