The next morning...
Team 7 gathered at their agreed meeting spot, ready to kick off their mission...
"Looks like we're all here. Tsunade fill you guys in on what we're up against?" Naruto casually inquired, looking at Sakura and Kakashi.
"Yep!" Kakashi responded, with Sakura giving a silent nod in agreement.
"Awesome, let's get this show on the road then," Naruto declared with a laid-back confidence.
"We're missing someone though," Kakashi pointed out.
"Oh, yeah, slipped my mind!" Naruto admitted with a chuckle.
"Have you met him before, Naruto?" Sakura questioned, curiosity in her voice.
"Maybe, maybe not. Hard to keep track," Naruto answered with a shrug, his tone nonchalant.
While they were chatting, a boy with short black hair, dark eyes, and pale skin emerged from the shadows. He wore a black-and-grey jacket adorned with red straps, and he had a small backpack slung over his shoulder.
"Hey...guys..." the boy greeted, standing next to Kakashi.
"Wait a sec, weren't you tailing me yesterday? I told you to knock it off unless you want trouble," Naruto remarked, his voice calm but firm, a slight smirk playing on his lips.
"Sorry about that... I was just trying to get to know you better since we're going to be teammates," Sai explained, offering a smile.
"You know what? It's cool. Just stay out of my way, and we'll be fine," Naruto responded, his tone cool and collected, with a hint of amusement.
"Alright, now that you two are going to be working together, how about we do proper introductions?" Kakashi suggested.
"I'm Haruno Sakura," Sakura introduced herself.
"And you can call me Sai," he said, still smiling.
"Great, introductions are out of the way. Let me go over our mission one more time for you, Sakura and Sai. Naruto's already in the loop," Kakashi stated, as Naruto nodded in agreement.
"We're hitting the road to Trenchi Bridge, team. Our play? Snagging that Akatsuki mole hiding out with Orochimaru. Imagine the dirt we'll dig up on him," Kakashi laid out the plan with a laid-back vibe.
"Got it!" Sakura chimed in, catching on quick while Sai just flashed that enigmatic smile of his.
"Gear up, guys. We're moving out in an hour," Kakashi tossed out the timeline casually.
As Naruto and Sakura made their way back, gear prep on their minds, Sakura couldn't help but quiz Naruto about the new guy, "So, Naruto, your take on Sai joining the squad?"
Naruto shrugged it off with a cool, "Think? Not much to it. Caught him tailing me yesterday. Doubt it was some kind of welcome wagon."
"And that means...?" Sakura pressed, curiosity piqued.
"I'll fill you in later, but if my hunch is right and he's got an angle—well, let's just say I've got theories," Naruto hinted, trailing off into silence.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Sakura prodded.
"Chill, we'll talk in an hour. See you then," Naruto deflected, keeping it light yet intriguing.
"Sure thing," Sakura agreed, as they split paths.
Naruto made a quick pit stop at his place, not to pack—he was already set—but to check on a seal he'd placed for a sneaky escape trick. All set.
Before setting off, Tsunade called Naruto in for a quick chat in her office.
"So, this Sai character—what's your read?" Tsunade went straight to the point.
Naruto leaned back, adopting a casual tone, "Well, he's an interesting one. Caught him spying on me. Claims it's because we're teammates now, but I'm not buying it."
"Listen, Sai's fresh from the Anbu Black Ops farm. Keep an eye on him," Tsunade instructed, straightforward.
"Foundation, huh?" Naruto mused, piecing things together. "Always on it, but why the sudden interest, Granny?"
"Danzo's behind this recommendation," Tsunade revealed, dropping a name that made Naruto's antennas go up.
"Danzo, huh?" Naruto's interest was piqued, already connecting the dots. "So that's why he was following me!" Naruto thought.
The moment a knock echoed through the room, Tsunade's voice cut through, "Come in."
"I'm heading out..." Naruto began, his gaze drifting back towards the door. What he saw was a man marked by war, bandages hiding an eye, an unmistakable presence - Danzo had entered.
"Nailed it, that's definitely Danzo," Naruto mused to himself.
"Danzo, what brings you here?" Tsunade inquired, not one to beat around the bush.
"I came to discuss matters with you, but I see you're not alone," Danzo remarked, eyeing Naruto.
Naruto kept it cool, not giving away much.
"Guess it's my cue to leave, Granny," Naruto quipped, striding towards the exit.
"As you leave, I heard about your little chat with Sai," Danzo threw in, as Naruto brushed past him.
"Just spreading some good vibes, making friends left and right. Keeps the world spinning in harmony, don't you think? Someone's gotta play the peacekeeper," Naruto flashed a knowing smile, not waiting for Danzo's reaction before he was out the door, leaving Danzo in a thoughtful silence.
Naruto made a beeline for the village gates, ready to kick off the mission with his team...
"Looks like we're all here. Time to hit the road," Kakashi declared, and the team set off, leaving the village behind.
The journey was quiet, with Naruto and Sakura chatting on one side, Sai a bit apart, and Kakashi leading the way.
"What did Lady Tsunade mention to you before we took off?" Sakura inquired, looking at Naruto with curiosity.
"Ah, just the usual mission brief. Nothing out of the ordinary," Naruto replied with a casual shrug, his voice carrying an effortless confidence.
"Ah, that's a relief," Sakura responded, a hint of relaxation in her tone.
"Do you think that Akatsuki guy was on the level, or are we walking into a setup?" Sakura probed further, her brows knitting together in concern.
"Honestly, who knows? But hey, trap or no trap, it doesn't change a thing for us. We'll just deal with whatever comes our way, easy peasy," Naruto said, his tone light yet determined, a smug smile playing on his lips.
"You've got a point there," Sakura admitted, nodding as they moved forward, their steps unwavering as they headed towards their goal.
[A. N: Thanks for reading, drop Powerstones that will help a lot and drop reviews if you like the story and add to your library]