"Granny Tsunade! What do you mean Sasuke defected!? There has to be some mistake, right!?"
Naruto's voice arrived before he did.
The office doors had barely opened before he rushed inside, fists clenched, breath uneven.
It had only been a little over half a month since Menma's departure.
And now
Sasuke too?
Naruto could not accept it.
Not logically. Not emotionally.
Tsunade watched him for a brief moment before responding.
"Calm down, Naruto. The situation is not completely verified. It is possible that Sasuke was taken by force."
The distinction mattered.
For ordinary shinobi, desertion was treated as treason clear and final.
But Sasuke was not an ordinary shinobi.
Neither was Menma.
If either of them returned willingly
Tsunade was fully capable of neutralizing the political consequences.
Records could be adjusted.
Narratives could be reframed.
They could wear Konoha's forehead protector again and walk openly through the village streets.
That option remained open.
And Tsunade was not blind to Naruto's feelings in the matter.
"Taken away? That's it, then! That must be it!" Naruto seized on the possibility instantly. "Then we just have to rescue him right away, Granny Tsunade!"
On a rational level, Naruto understood that defection was possible.
But emotionally
He refused to believe it.
To him, both Menma and Sasuke leaving had to be circumstances beyond their control. Anything else was unthinkable.
"That's precisely why you're here," Tsunade replied evenly.
She folded her hands atop the desk.
"The village's manpower is stretched thin. I cannot assign a large force. You will receive one designated team leader. The rest of the squad composition will be your responsibility."
Her gaze sharpened.
"The ones who took Sasuke are Orochimaru's elite subordinates. They are not ordinary genin or chūnin. Underestimating them would be fatal."
Naruto straightened immediately.
"I understand! Don't worry, Granny Tsunade! We'll bring him back! But… who's the team leader?"
Tsunade was about to answer
When footsteps approached from outside.
A knock followed.
"Come in," Tsunade said.
The door opened.
A familiar high ponytail came into view.
"Oh! Shikamaru!" Naruto's eyes brightened.
Shikamaru paused upon seeing him.
"…Naruto? What's going on?"
"You're here because I summoned you," Tsunade said directly. "This mission will be placed under your command."
Shikamaru's brows lifted slightly.
"You will lead the retrieval unit. Naruto will participate. Due to current deployment constraints, this will not be a standard jōnin-led pursuit."
That statement alone carried weight.
A genin recently promoted to chūnin-level tactical responsibility being entrusted with leadership.
It spoke to the urgency.
"The mission objective is to intercept and return Uchiha Sasuke."
Shizune stepped forward and handed over the intelligence scroll gathered from the border reconnaissance unit.
Shikamaru accepted it calmly.
But the moment he read the contents
His eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly.
Otogakure shinobi.
Orochimaru.
Movement pattern: coordinated.
No signs of resistance.
Kidnapped?
Shikamaru did not speak the doubt aloud.
The wording had been deliberately chosen.
Whether Sasuke had gone willingly or not was secondary at this stage. Politically and operationally, the mission framing would remain consistent.
Retrieve him.
That was the order.
"I understand, Hokage-sama," Shikamaru said evenly. "We'll depart immediately."
There was no laziness in his tone now.
When it mattered, a member of the Nara clan did not hesitate.
Naruto blinked.
"Eh? Already!?"
"They left last night," Shikamaru replied. "Every hour counts."
If they did not close the distance quickly, pursuit would become exponentially more difficult.
Naruto nodded sharply.
"Right!"
The two left at once.
Squad assembly moved quickly.
Naruto and Shikamaru began recruiting available combat-capable peers.
Akamaru's keen nose made Kiba an obvious choice.
Chōji's raw strength and reliability secured his inclusion.
Shino's tracking insects added invaluable reconnaissance support.
Neji and Rock Lee volunteered shortly after hearing fragments of the situation.
Neji's motivation was complex, part rivalry, part personal pride after being defeated during the Exams.
Lee's reason was simpler.
He would not abandon a comrade.
The resulting formation was, in many respects, stronger than the canonical initial configuration.
But strength alone did not guarantee success.
Just as the team prepared to depart through the main gate
A familiar pink-haired figure ran toward them.
"Naruto-kun! Wait!"
Haruno Sakura stopped before them, breathing hard but resolute.
"I'm coming too."
Her voice did not waver.
Sasuke's departure was something she refused to accept.
To her, this was unquestionably a rescue.
Sasuke would never willingly abandon Konoha.
That was what she believed.
Naruto met her eyes.
"Sakura… I promise I'll bring him back."
"I want to help!" she insisted. "I can fight too!"
Naruto hesitated.
Shikamaru remained silent, allowing Naruto to answer.
"Sakura… they left hours ago. We have to move at full speed. No stops. No delays."
He did not finish the sentence.
He didn't need to.
This mission would demand sustained high-speed pursuit and direct confrontation against elite enemies.
Sakura understood.
The gap in combat capability was real.
Her expression faltered.
For a moment, frustration and helplessness crossed her face.
Then she lowered her gaze.
"…Naruto. Please. Bring Sasuke back."
There was no anger left in her voice.
Only pleading.
Naruto raised his thumb with absolute seriousness.
"I will. That's a promise."
And silently, within his heart, he added
Not just Sasuke.
Menma too.
I'll bring you both back.
But what Naruto did not yet realize
Was that this path would not bend so easily to promises.
And some choices, once made
Could not be undone.
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