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Back in the Hidden Leaf Village, Hiruzen summoned the four members of the search squad to the Hokage's office the very moment he received word of their return.
As Shikaku entered the room, he immediately tensed up. Besides the Hokage himself, Jiraiya, Tsunade, and the two village elders, Koharu and Homura, were all present.
"Have you located any trace of Naruto?" Hiruzen asked.
"We found nothing." Shikaku shook his head, his expression dejected.
Hiruzen rubbed his forehead wearily. "Do you have any idea where he is right now?"
This was not the outcome he had hoped for.
Shikaku shook his head once more.
"What intelligence were you able to gather?" Homura inquired.
Shikaku thought carefully for a moment, but in the end, he merely let out a sigh. He pulled the blade Samehada off his back and placed it on the floor.
"We encountered Asachi Midorima. He was together with Orochimaru. This is a ninja blade he seized after killing Kisame. He entrusted it to me to return to the Hidden Mist Village. After that, he told me to abandon any hope of rescuing Naruto, stating that we likely could not even manage to track down his whereabouts," Shikaku reported.
"He told you to come back, and you just came back? Are you shinobi of the Hidden Mist, or shinobi of the Hidden Leaf?" Homura shot back.
Shikaku felt a burning flush of shame on his face and was unable to utter a single word for a long moment.
Failing to find any trace of Naruto meant failing the mission. For a shinobi, that was an undeniable failure, with no excuses to offer.
As for Asachi Midorima's words, they were simply the truth. In the face of the Akatsuki, they did not even have a chance to resist.
"I can understand their decision," Jiraiya interjected, seeing the extremely awkward predicament Shikaku and the others were in, and taking the initiative to defend them. "Shinobi are human beings first, and shinobi second. The ability to accurately assess a situation is also a fundamental skill for a shinobi. The Akatsuki is far too dangerous. For the four of them to make contact with the Akatsuki would have been unwise. Once discovered, they would have very likely been killed. Of course, for a shinobi, death itself is not frightening. What is frightening is dying without purpose. Even if they had learned where Naruto was being held, it would have been meaningless if they could not convey that information back to us."
"But to give up entirely without even making an attempt... is that not also rather inappropriate?" Koharu countered.
"That's true. However, attempting might very well mean that our people simply disappear," Jiraiya said, shaking his head.
"Are we to take everything Asachi Midorima says as absolute fact? He is with Orochimaru, and no one should know better than you what kind of person Orochimaru is," Koharu pressed.
"He undoubtedly has his own agenda. Perhaps he believes that the Akatsuki poses too great a threat to the entire shinobi world. That's why he is rallying anyone and everyone who can be rallied," Tsunade interjected.
"Has he put so much energy into focusing on the Akatsuki that he's become completely paranoid and obsessed?" Koharu asked.
Tsunade turned her head to gaze out the window.
Although many days had passed since the Akatsuki's invasion of the Hidden Leaf, the damage inflicted upon the village during that great battle was still starkly evident.
And even if the Leaf Village could rebuild the structures that had been destroyed, the village would never again be the same as it was before the attack.
Too many people had departed from this world, Uchiha Fugaku among them.
"If we had shown that same level of 'obsession,' perhaps the Leaf would not have suffered such catastrophic losses," Tsunade said, turning her gaze back to Koharu. "Rather than the word 'obsession,' I would lean towards 'focus' or 'dedication' being more fitting descriptions for him."
"You hold him in very high regard," Koharu remarked.
"That regard is something he has earned through his own tireless efforts," Tsunade explained.
With neither side able to persuade the other, all eyes were once again drawn to Hiruzen.
Hiruzen interlaced his fingers in front of him, his brow deeply furrowed, remaining silent for a long while.
Just as Tsunade, Jiraiya, and the two senior advisors were beginning to suspect that Hiruzen had fallen asleep with his eyes open, he finally lowered his hands and spoke. "The Akatsuki is an enemy that requires the entire strength of our village to confront. They are an enemy we must face—there is no doubt about that. Never mind Orochimaru; even if someone a hundred times more wicked were willing to join forces with us, they would be our 'ally.' Let us not forget, Naruto is still in the hands of the Akatsuki. Furthermore, their sneak attack on the Leaf Village was the first time in recent decades that a battle has been brought directly onto our home soil. This humiliation is something I urge everyone not to forget."
Homura and Koharu nodded slightly and said nothing further.
"Next, we must report to the Fire Daimyo about the joint alliance with the other four great shinobi villages. Additionally, given that the Akatsuki's methods are so exceedingly unpredictable, we will also request their cooperation so that we can arrange proper protective measures. As for this blade, Samehada, you will temporarily hand it over to Mangetsu Hozuki," Hiruzen instructed.
Mei Terumi had already returned to the Hidden Mist Village, so Samehada could only be entrusted for the time being to Mangetsu Hozuki, who was still recuperating in the Leaf Village.
Tsunade watched as Shikaku and his three companions walked towards the door, but then she suddenly recalled something and called out to Shikaku, who was about to leave.
Shikaku looked back at her, puzzled.
"You mentioned that Midorima killed Kisame... How did he end up encountering Kisame?" Tsunade asked.
"According to what we learned, the Akatsuki is actively hunting Midorima. However, it shouldn't be a major problem. He can handle himself," Shikaku replied, recalling the skirmish between Midorima and Deidara. Even now, he remained curious as to how Midorima had managed to catch up to them so suddenly.
After Shikaku closed the door and departed, Tsunade's expression grew increasingly grave.
"What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?" Jiraiya noticed Tsunade's face had gone pale and asked with concern.
Tsunade shook her head. "I just remembered something."
"What is it?"
"The Six-Tails is the last remaining tailed beast, isn't it? As soon as the Akatsuki secures the Six-Tails, they'll be able to fuse the Ten-Tails, correct?" Tsunade asked.
"Yes. But aren't you being a little too anxious? That kid is incredibly fast on his feet. Unless he's willing, I doubt even Pain could capture him. So, the only possibility is that he bullies the Akatsuki. The moment he senses something is wrong, he'll definitely escape at the very first opportunity," Jiraiya reasoned.
"No, while that might seem like a good thing on the surface, it actually isn't. Midorima may be able to flee, but not everyone can come and go as freely as he does. In the end, the Akatsuki can simply abandon the direct search for Asachi Midorima and instead force him to come out," Tsunade said, sweat beading on her forehead.
"Force him? How?" Jiraiya asked urgently.
Tsunade did not answer verbally. Instead, she looked towards Hiruzen.
Hiruzen had also grasped the implication.
"Whether Asachi Midorima goes to the Hidden Cloud or comes to the Hidden Leaf, his ultimate aim is to get the major shinobi villages to form an alliance. The Akatsuki only needs to destroy that alliance, and they can compel Midorima to reveal himself," Hiruzen said, frowning.
"But no matter how formidable the Akatsuki is, they are still just a rogue shinobi organization. How could they possibly be a match for a great shinobi village?" Homura questioned.
"There is one great shinobi village that is certainly no match for the Akatsuki," Hiruzen stated.
"Which one?"
"The Hidden Mist Village," Hiruzen replied, his voice heavy with gravity.