"A B-rank mission from the Grass Village… We're supposed to locate a missing female ninja."
The moment the name was mentioned, Sasuke's expression shifted slightly.
Naruto noticed immediately.
"What's wrong, Sasuke? Do you know her?"
Sasuke remained silent for a moment before answering in a calm voice.
"Yes. During the second stage of the Chunin Exams, in the Forest of Death, I met her once while I was searching for water. She was alone and being attacked by a wild beast."
He paused briefly.
"I saved her on impulse."
Naruto scratched his head in confusion before grinning.
"What do you mean, 'on impulse'? Saving someone is saving someone! You really can't be honest with yourself, Sasuke."
Hinata quietly covered her mouth and giggled.
Shizune smiled faintly at the interaction.
"If Sasuke already knows her, then that makes things easier."
She unfolded the mission report and continued seriously.
"This girl, Karin, appears to be extremely important to the Grass Village. Otherwise, they would never have requested assistance from Konoha."
"The Land of Grass may be a small nation, but it borders several dangerous regions. It lies between the Land of Fire and the Land of Earth, and it is also close to Takigakure and the Hidden Rain Village."
"In other words, conflict can erupt there at any time."
Shizune's tone became heavier.
"This mission may sound simple, but it won't be easy. You'll need to adapt to unexpected situations and make decisions on your own."
Naruto clenched the mission document tightly and flashed a confident grin.
"Got it! Team 7 will complete our first mission without a Jonin leader!"
"Let's go!"
Shizune watched the energetic blond with helpless amusement.
"You really never run out of energy, Naruto."
However, her expression soon turned serious again.
"Listen carefully. Orochimaru and the Akatsuki are both keeping an eye on you and Sasuke. If anything dangerous happens, your safety comes before the mission."
"Understood!" Naruto answered immediately.
Hinata stepped forward softly.
"Don't worry, Senior Shizune. I'll protect both of them with my life."
Shizune nodded gently.
"Be careful on the road."
As she watched the three young shinobi disappear into the distance, unease filled her heart.
Team 7 was famous throughout Konoha as the strongest rookie squad. Their talent was undeniable.
But no matter how gifted they were…
They were still children.
"You all must come back safely…"
"Naruto… Sasuke… Hinata…"
Konoha – Root Underground Base
Deep beneath Konoha, inside the dark underground headquarters of Root, a sinister atmosphere lingered in the air.
Danzo Shimura slowly raised his head.
A rare smile appeared on his aged face, though it only made him appear even more terrifying.
"So…"
"Jiraiya, Kakashi, and the Anbu are all occupied with hunting Orochimaru."
"And Tsunade has even allowed Team 7 to leave the village alone."
Standing nearby, Aburame Ryoma narrowed his eyes.
"Lord Danzo… are you planning to target Naruto and Sasuke while the others are away?"
Danzo let out a cold laugh.
"Tsunade truly is foolishly idealistic."
"She believes young people should replace the old generation. She wants to push elders like us out of power and build her authority around her own trusted youths."
His visible eye gleamed coldly.
"If that is her intention…"
"Then I will personally destroy those young sprouts before they can grow."
Ryoma frowned.
"But Uzumaki Naruto is the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. If something happens to him, Konoha would suffer enormous losses."
Danzo sneered.
"That is why I have no intention of killing him."
"I merely intend to place him under my control."
His expression darkened further at the mention of Sasuke.
"As for Uchiha Sasuke…"
"He can be used as bait and handed over to Orochimaru."
"That would solve many future problems for me."
Ryoma understood immediately.
Only a handful of people knew the truth behind the Uchiha Clan massacre.
Danzo.
The late Third Hokage.
And a few others.
Yet Tsunade and Jiraiya still foolishly believed Sasuke could be nurtured into a loyal shinobi of Konoha.
To Danzo, that was dangerous.
If Sasuke grew stronger, he could eventually uncover the truth.
And when that day came, Danzo himself would become Sasuke's greatest target.
Ryoma nodded slowly.
"I understand."
"If we secretly inform Orochimaru that Jiraiya is hunting him while Team 7 is isolated on a mission, Orochimaru will naturally seize the opportunity."
"He can eliminate Sasuke for us while Naruto falls into Root's hands."
Danzo's smile widened.
"Exactly."
"Sasuke belongs to Orochimaru."
"Naruto belongs to me."
Ryoma's eyes flashed coldly.
"If the plan succeeds, not only will the threat of Uchiha Sasuke disappear, but even Uchiha Itachi will direct his hatred toward Orochimaru instead of Konoha."
"And once Naruto disappears, we can use the loss of the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki as an excuse to force Tsunade from office."
"Then, Lord Danzo… you would finally have a chance to become Hokage."
Danzo's lips curled upward sinisterly.
"Tsunade brought this upon herself."
"She moved too quickly in trying to remove us from power."
"If she insists on opposing us…"
"Then she should not blame me for being ruthless."
Land of Rice Fields – Otogakure
Several days later, inside Orochimaru's hidden base, the pale Sannin slowly opened a classified scroll sent by Danzo.
His snake-like pupils scanned the contents carefully.
Soon, a twisted smile spread across his face.
"Oh?"
"What an interesting proposal…"
He slowly licked his lips.
"Sasuke…"
"You still cannot escape my grasp."
"Orochimaru-sama," one of Root's agents spoke cautiously, "Lord Danzo hopes this cooperation will benefit both sides."
The Root shinobi carried the codename Leopard.
Standing beside him was a pale young boy with emotionless eyes.
Sai.
Orochimaru glanced toward the young Root operative curiously.
"So calm in front of me…"
"You have impressive composure for a child."
"What is your name?"
The boy revealed a fake smile.
"Sai."
"Sai…"
"How interesting."
Orochimaru chuckled quietly before turning his attention back to the proposal.
"Tell Danzo I accept."
"I only care about obtaining Uchiha Sasuke."
Leopard nodded respectfully.
"We will relay your answer."
After the Root operatives departed, Guren stepped forward with a frown.
"Orochimaru-sama, cooperating with Danzo is dangerous."
"That old fox is definitely plotting something."
Orochimaru laughed dismissively.
"It doesn't matter."
"As long as I obtain Sasuke, everything else is irrelevant."
"Besides…"
"If Jiraiya and the others remain occupied, it will make things much easier for us."
His golden eyes narrowed.
"Guren."
"I have an important task for you."
Guren immediately knelt.
"Please give your orders, Orochimaru-sama."
After listening to the mission, excitement appeared in her eyes.
"The Grass Village?"
"Karin?"
A strange smile crossed her face.
"Perhaps… besides Sasuke, I may discover some other interesting specimens as well."
Border of the Land of Fire and the Land of Grass
Meanwhile, Team 7 continued advancing rapidly through the forest.
Naruto reviewed the mission details while running.
"According to the report, Karin likely fled on her own."
"If that's true, then she probably wants to escape the Grass Village entirely."
Hinata nodded thoughtfully.
"That makes sense. But the Land of Grass borders multiple countries."
"She could have gone in any direction."
Sasuke calmly added another possibility.
"Or she may have done the opposite."
"She could still be hiding somewhere inside the Land of Grass."
Naruto groaned dramatically.
"So basically…"
"She could be anywhere?!"
"This mission is impossible!"
Hinata smiled gently.
"Don't worry, Naruto-kun."
"With my Byakugan, I'll definitely find her."
Naruto instantly brightened.
"Right! We can rely on you, Hinata!"
Hinata activated her Byakugan immediately.
Veins bulged near her pale eyes as chakra surged through her body.
In an instant, the surrounding world transformed before her vision.
Her sight extended across vast distances.
She could see through obstacles.
She could detect chakra pathways and hidden presences.
Among all dojutsu, the Byakugan possessed unmatched perception abilities.
Even the Sharingan and Rinnegan could not rival its scouting capabilities.
And Hinata's Byakugan was exceptionally pure.
If anyone could locate Karin, it would be her.
Unfortunately, the search area was simply too massive.
Even after hours of searching along the border, they found nothing.
Eventually, Team 7 decided to head directly toward the Grass Village to gather more information.
After traveling through the night, they finally arrived late in the evening.
Since the request had officially come from the Grass Village itself, the local shinobi treated them respectfully.
Two Grass ANBU welcomed them.
Their codenames were Nanaki and Bug.
One of them examined the three young ninjas curiously.
"So this is Konoha's famous Team 7…"
"The strongest rookie squad in the village."
Naruto instantly puffed out his chest proudly.
"Haha! So my reputation has already spread throughout the entire ninja world?!"
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