The hallways of the Hokage building echoed with the sharp clack of Shizune's sandals. Her breathing was quick, her expression grim. She clutched a file tightly to her chest, as if its contents were burning. Each step felt heavier than the last.
Reaching the large office door, she didn't hesitate. Three sharp knocks rang out.
"Come in, Shizune," Tsunade's firm voice replied from behind the door.
Shizune pushed it open and entered swiftly.
"Hokage-sama… We've identified the two responsible for the incident in Kumo."
Tsunade, who had been scanning scrolls on her desk, looked up. Her gaze sharpened.
"Speak."
Shizune took a deep breath, bracing herself for impact.
"It's Takeshi Sarutobi… and Anko Mitarashi."
The silence was deafening. Tsunade's pupils contracted slightly. A faint shiver ran up her spine.
"Takeshi…" she murmured to herself.
The memory of their last confrontation surged up violently: the boy yelling, eyes blazing with emotion, accusing her of abandoning Natsumi, his voice cracking with helplessness… Then his sudden departure, without looking back.
She had told herself he'd return. That he just needed time. But he never did. And now…
"There's been no word from him since he returned to Konoha after the Suna mission," Shizune added quietly. "Until the Ninja Network's sensors picked up his chakra near Kumo…"
Tsunade clenched her jaw. She wasn't surprised Takeshi had eventually made waves. It was in his nature — impulsive, intense, driven by his own rules. But Anko?
"Why Anko?" she finally asked, her voice raspier. "Takeshi… I can understand. He had a connection to Natsumi. But Anko…?"
Shizune shook her head gently.
"I don't know either. There was no record of any connection between them. She left the village a week ago, officially on leave. Nothing linked her to Takeshi until now."
Tsunade leaned back in her chair, arms crossed.
"An elite jonin, trained by Orochimaru… choosing to disappear and team up with a runaway boy… That's no coincidence."
"The diplomatic situation with Kumo is deteriorating by the hour. A has demanded answers within the next twenty-four hours."
Tsunade exhaled deeply. Her brow furrowed with worry. She hated this feeling — being blindsided, not understanding the deeper motives. And above all… fearing she had made a mistake by underestimating Takeshi's pain.
Suddenly, the door burst open with a bang.
"Tsunade-sama!" a familiar voice called out.
Naruto Uzumaki, out of breath, rushed into the room. He had clearly been running.
"Naruto?!" Shizune exclaimed. "You can't just barge in here!"
"I was in the hallway. I heard everything," he said without hesitation. "You were talking about Takeshi, weren't you?!"
Tsunade pinched the bridge of her nose.
"Naruto, this isn't—"
"Let me go find him!"
His fists were clenched, his eyes burned with genuine resolve.
"I can talk to him! I know he'll listen to me! Takeshi's not a bad guy! He's just… lost."
Shizune looked unsure, but Tsunade studied him closely. She recognized that determination in his eyes — it mirrored her own.
"You barely made it back from your last mission," she said calmly.
"So what?!" Naruto protested. "I'll fight as many times as it takes if it means helping a friend!"
"Friend?" she repeated, intrigued.
Naruto lowered his gaze slightly, then nodded.
"I know what it feels like to be alone. Left out. Willing to do anything to save someone you love."
A silence settled over the room. Then Shizune added:
"Hokage-sama… maybe he's right. If anyone can reach Takeshi, it's him."
What a joke — if Takeshi had been there, he might've laughed out loud.
Tsunade rested her elbows on the desk and clasped her fingers.
"This won't be a simple retrieval mission. If they're in Kumo, then the situation is already out of control. And Kumo won't let us get close easily."
She stared directly into Naruto's eyes.
"Are you willing to disobey orders if it means doing what's right?"
"I always have been."
A faint smile crossed Tsunade's lips.
"Very well. I'm authorizing a recovery mission. Team Seven will be dispatched immediately. Sakura and Sai will accompany you. Kakashi is still recovering, but I'm assigning a temporary jonin to lead you."
"Who?"
"Yamato. He'll make sure your team stays on course."
Naruto nodded vigorously.
"Thank you, Tsunade-baachan! I swear, I'll bring Takeshi back."
As he ran out to inform his teammates, Tsunade turned to Shizune, her gaze darkened.
"If Takeshi and Anko are there… then this might not be a rescue mission at all."
"What do you mean?"
"There's something we're not seeing yet. But I can feel it, Shizune. Something much bigger is in motion…"