Although it felt a bit strange why Furina happened to leave the village to train on the very morning after Sasuke's defection Kakashi couldn't see anything wrong with it when he looked, so he just went along with the topic and continued the conversation.
"Of course I'm going. Naruto is my comrade and my friend. If I didn't go, how could I possibly justify it?"
"Mm, let's go then." Upon hearing this, Kakashi nodded and turned to lead the way. He knew exactly how the other would answer he was just giving her an opening.
The two walked in silence and soon arrived at the hospital.
It wasn't just Naruto here; the other members of the team that had participated in pursuing Sasuke were also receiving treatment in the hospital at this time.
They had all suffered fairly serious injuries during this operation. Neji and Choji in particular had been on the verge of death. Seeing this, Furina didn't linger too long. After offering a few words of comfort, she quickly headed toward Naruto's ward.
She was afraid that if she spent too much time looking at these badly injured little strong ones, she might start doubting whether her own choices had been right. But by the same token, she couldn't have forcibly kept Sasuke in the village either. It was a case of being stuck at both ends.
Since thinking about it either way led to problems, it was better to think less. Self-torment like that was something she absolutely couldn't afford.
"It's Furina you came. I'm sorry, I wasn't able to bring Sasuke back."
After seeing Furina's figure, Naruto who had been sitting on the hospital bed looking dejected immediately brightened up, but then his expression dimmed again right away.
In his view, since Furina wasn't there, it became his duty to bring Sasuke back. In the end, though, his comrades had all gotten seriously injured trying to help him, yet he hadn't succeeded and had let down their hopes.
"Don't hang your head like that. Sasuke just left he didn't die. The next time you see him, you can still chase him down and bring him back. Come on, cheer up."
Looking at Naruto's listless appearance, Furina sighed inwardly.
She knew Sasuke's departure had dealt a huge blow to Naruto. Just a short while ago they had been fighting side by side as teammates how had things turned into this in the blink of an eye?
Furina knew the reasons behind Sasuke's actions, so naturally she didn't take his leaving too hard. But Naruto was different.
Because of the Nine-Tails, he had been lonely since childhood and valued his comrades more than anyone else. And Sasuke happened to be the one he valued the most among them. The impact of the other's departure on him was easy to imagine.
"She's right. You're my toad sage Jiraiya's disciple how can you be so down? If you really still want to bring Sasuke back, then pull yourself together for me."
"Mm, got it. Thank you guys."
At some point, Jiraiya's figure had appeared by the window. Looking at the several people in the ward who had encouraged him one after another, Naruto's originally low mood gradually recovered.
Furina, Kakashi-sensei, the Pervy Sage and so many people supporting him how could he give up so easily? Just wait, Sasuke. I will definitely bring you back.
...
After pulling himself together again, Naruto didn't stay in the hospital any longer. In the afternoon, he left the village with Jiraiya to train.
As a jinchuriki, his physical injuries had already healed long ago. What had been troubling Naruto before was only his own stubborn heart.
Hokage's Office
"Hah, you want to go out to train too? Are you saying you can't train properly by my side? Looks like you've started to dislike me, waaah."
Looking at Tsunade clutching her chest with an expression of heartbroken despair, several more black lines seemed to appear on Furina's head. Really, since it was just the two of them here, she was completely letting loose.
"How could I possibly dislike you, Master? But you also know that training Sage Mode requires being in the right place, so just let me go, please~"
"Don't try that with me. It's not that you can't go, but there's a mission you need to complete first."
Seeing Furina hug her arm again, ready to use the same old trick, Tsunade quickly pulled her arm out. She then crossed her arms over her chest, adopting an expression that said this was non-negotiable.
"Hehe, Master, you're being too distant now. It's just a mission, right? Just leave it to me with peace of mind I guarantee I'll complete it smoothly."
Since it looked like there was no way to wriggle out of it, Furina went along with the flow and agreed. It was just one mission surely it wouldn't take too much time.
"This mission is an escort assignment for the Land of Snow, and it's quite important. I was originally going to assign it to your Team 7, but now that Naruto and Sasuke are both gone, it'll have to be you and Kakashi handling it together.
As for the specific details of the mission, you can ask the client later. You'll know what needs to be done then."
"Land of Snow?"
After hearing those words, Furina thought back for a moment. It seemed to be a country perpetually covered in ice and snow, with very little contact with the outside world. Why would it be there?
"That's right, it's that place. And among the people being escorted this time is a celebrity and a great beauty too. You'll definitely like her."
"Master, you're joking. With you around as a comparison, who could possibly be called a beauty? In my eyes, you're the most beautiful."
"Smooth talker. Hurry up and go already."
After Furina's round of flattery, the smile in Tsunade's eyes was almost impossible to hide anymore. She could only quickly wave her hand to shoo the other away.
Arriving at the place Tsunade had mentioned, Kakashi was already waiting there. In addition to him, there was also a group of people dressed somewhat unusually presumably the clients for this mission.
"Lord Kakashi, is... is this young lady the other person responsible for the mission?"
Seeing Kakashi greet Furina, a man who appeared to be the leader wearing glasses couldn't help feeling a bit worried. Just judging by appearance, Furina really didn't inspire immediate confidence.
After all, they weren't going to a beauty pageant they were heading to the danger-filled Land of Snow.
He had heard of the worldwide fame of Sharingan Kakashi and knew he was indeed a reliable ninja. But this young girl... emm.
"Don't worry. Furina is very strong too. The two of us are more than enough to carry out the mission."
Kakashi could guess the other's concern and immediately gave his assurance.
Ever since Furina's previous battle with Orochimaru had proven her strength combined with her meticulous mindset she absolutely qualified as a reliable teammate.
"Tsunade, that woman, wouldn't trick me, right? Where's the beauty?"
Furina walked among the crowd, looking around again and again, but still couldn't spot any beauty. She had originally thought that having a beauty along would make for a nice journey. What a letdown.
"Since everyone is here now, let's go find Miss Yukie and prepare to set off. We've already stayed here long enough we can't delay any longer."