For several days straight, Tsunade had been working nonstop in the Hokage's office, grading official documents and even sleeping there when exhausted. After twenty-four hours of relentless labor, she had finally finished off the mountainous pile of paperwork.
Leaning back in her chair with a sigh of relief, Tsunade closed her eyes and wished to take a good rest. She inwardly grumbled that this was practically more exhausting than an actual battle!
Just then, Anya walked in, holding another document.
Tsunade frowned, annoyed. "What now? Can't you let me have a break?"
With a bitter smile, Anya replied, "This one is marked urgent, sent directly by a village leader as an important file. I think, Tsunade-sama, you should at least take a look."
"Oh, I see."
Putting aside her irritation, Tsunade quickly refocused herself on work. Yet after reading through the entire report, her expression darkened, her brows furrowing into a tight 'V' shape.
"What happened? What's wrong?" It was rare for Shizune to see Tsunade this way, so she felt anxious too.
Tsunade spoke gravely, "It's intelligence provided by Takigakure—there are reports of a suspicious organization appearing near their village, inquiring about the whereabouts of the Seven-Tails Jinchuriki. They hope to hire Konoha ninjas and request we dispatch a ninja team to assist their investigation."
"Is it the same organization mentioned by Jiraiya-sama?" Shizune immediately caught on. "But if that's truly the case, facing dangerous S-class rogue ninja, there are only a handful of Konoha ninja suitable for such a mission. One standard ninja squad won't be enough."
Tsunade was equally troubled. Kakashi was already among the strongest elite jonin in the village, yet even he was no match against members of that mysterious group. Should Konoha accept or reject Takigakure's request?
As Tsunade's gaze flickered in thought, Shizune suddenly had an idea. In a hushed tone, she hinted, "Actually, there's someone who might be able to handle it."
Instinctively, Tsunade asked, "Who?"
"Uncle. His strength would easily handle those dangerous S-class rogue ninja."
Shizune was completely confident about this.
After hearing this, Tsunade murmured to herself, "Now that you mention him—I almost forgot. But… would he actually agree?"
In a local restaurant, Shizune was shamelessly devouring food while continuously thanking her companion: "Uncle, thank you! It's been ages since I last tasted something this delicious!"
"That doesn't make sense," Anya sitting across from her expressed confusion. "Tsunade, hailed as the greatest medical ninja, surely wouldn't seem like someone lacking funds—how could she not even provide you with meals?"
"Aww," sighed Shizune, her voice thickening with emotion. "The first year traveling with Tsunade-sama was the toughest. Then came raising a child... When Hakuto was old enough to take care of himself, Tsunade-sama finally caught a break—but then she started gambling again and got herself in debt… chased by creditors."
As she continued talking, tears nearly spilled out. All these years traveling with Tsunade had been nothing short of a heartbreaking journey.
It was easy to see why anyone would hold great appreciation for Shizune after hearing this story. Knowing how reckless and free-spirited Tsunade could be, it was clear how crucial Shizune must have been during Hakuto's upbringing.
Anya tossed Shizune a card and said, "Use this wherever you like in Konoha. It'll cover anything you need."
"Uncle, you're too kind," Shizune replied, moved to tears, nearly forgetting why she had come looking for Anya.
Just as Anya was about to pay and leave, Shizune suddenly recalled her mission. She quickly pulled out a paper bag from beneath her robe and handed it over. "Oh, right—this is a document. Please take a look. Tsunade-sama asked me to consult with you on your opinion."
After glancing at the document's contents, Anya couldn't help but admire Genzo's efficiency—it was indeed fast.
"So, she wants me to go, right?"
Unable to tell how Anya felt from his expression, Shizune carefully answered, "Yes. But Tsunade-sama also said whether or not you accept depends entirely on you. She respects your decision."
"Accept? Why wouldn't I accept? This is our best chance to learn more about the Akatsuki Organization." Anya analyzed, "Takigakure is only a Small Ninja Village. That group probably won't send many elite fighters. Once I get there, if I can capture one or two members, we'll have all the intelligence reports we need."
Shizune hadn't expected things to go so smoothly, which made her grow even fonder of Anya.
"Uncle, I knew you'd agree. Then I'll go report back to Tsunade-sama now."
"All right, go ahead."
After parting ways with Shizune, Anya appeared at the Ninja Hospital. Over the past few days, Sasuke and Sakura had been receiving rehabilitation treatment there. Naruto had stopped by almost every day to check on their recovery.
However, as Sasuke gradually regained his strength, emotional tension between the three steadily increased. Even the usually oblivious Naruto noticed that something about Sasuke had changed—he had become unreasonable.
Sakura, ever since regaining consciousness, had watched Sasuke with deep concern, her eyes occasionally showing traces of tears.
In such an atmosphere, the door opened as Anya walked in.
"I imagine the two injured ones are mostly recovered by now."
At the sound of Anya's voice, all three turned toward him at once.
Who is this? He's so handsome! was Sakura's first thought.
"It's you again. Damn it!" Sasuke stirred restlessly, already itching for a fight.
Naruto, however, greeted him cheerfully: "Uncle, you came to visit them too!"
"Not just them—I came to see you as well," Anya replied. He held up a recently issued Hokage document and read to the three youths, "Starting today, I will temporarily take Kakashi's place and act as Team 7's leader and teacher."
"Huh?" All three exclaimed together.
Sasuke scoffed coldly, "What makes you think you're qualified to be my teacher?"
Though less obvious, Sakura and Naruto were also reluctant inside. After all, Kakashi had trained them for some time, and they had accepted him as their mentor. They couldn't understand why the Hokage would issue such an order.
Ignoring Sasuke's provocation, Anya remained expressionless as he pulled out another document. "We currently have a mission classified as A-rank to S-rank—to investigate a specific member of the Akatsuki Organization. Team 7 will depart immediately."
"So important a mission, and they're letting us do it?" Sakura looked uncertain.
Anya explained, "Most of the ninjas in the village are already out on missions. We're currently understaffed. Besides, since I was promoted to chunin, I haven't taken on any missions below rank A."
Hearing this, Sasuke's eyes narrowed. He studied her for a moment but saw no strength in her no matter how hard he tried to find it. Moreover, he had grown deeply tired of these village missions—they were always holding him back. At this rate, when would he ever become strong enough?
However, Anya's next words instantly shifted Sasuke's resolve.
"I heard, Sasuke, that your brother is also part of this shadowy group."
Sasuke, originally sitting on the bed, instantly shot up. His eyes flashing dangerously, he said, "Then what are we waiting for? Let's leave now."
*Hmph… You're mine now.*
A flicker of calculation crossed Anya's eyes as he turned to the others. "Well then, are you both ready?"
"Of course, no problem!" Naruto enthusiastically replied.
Seeing Sasuke's urgency, Sakura quickly added, "Count me in too."
"Good." With a decisive wave of his hand, Anya gazed into the distant horizon and declared, "Team 7, move out."
<><><><><><><><>
Thank you for reading! Your support will keep me updating!
~ Every 50 Powerstones = **4 Bonus Chapters** this weekend!
<><><><><><><><>
Want to read the subsequent content in advance?
Please follow my Patreon:patreon/Tansnovel
Tans Novel - The Fastest-Updating Naruto Fanfiction Account
Read 100+ chapters in advance, with at least 3 new chapters updated every day! More free chapters! 20+ Naruto fanfictions!
Just three steps:
1. Download and open the "Patreon" app
2. Search for "Tans Novel"
3. Click on the collection and enjoy to your heart's content
<><><><><><><><>