"So, that's why we needed new teammates for this mission. Looks like he's one of them," I explained to Choji and Shikamaru, trying to keep it light.
"Got it. So, Lady Tsunade's picking your new teammates," Shikamaru replied, always straight to the point.
"Yeah, but seriously, why would she choose such a weak teammate for an important mission?" I said to myself.
"Choji, I knew I'd find you here. Asuma-sensei is getting pretty mad, so he sent me to tell you to get moving," Ino said, clearly frustrated.
"Hey, sorry, Ino. Some weirdo just attacked us out of nowhere," Choji explained.
"Yeah, but we already dealt with him," Shikamaru added, as cool as ever.
"Hey, Ino," I waved at her, turning in her direction.
"Naruto?! Hey, long time no see," she said, waving back.
"Yeah, I've got a mission to get to, and I've got places to be. So, I'm heading out. Bye, everyone, see you soon," I said as I started walking off.
"See you soon, Naruto," Ino said, waving.
The Next Day...
"So, this is the spot Granny told us about, right?"
"Yeah, I think so," Sakura replied.
"Guess we're either late or way too early."
"Hey, guys... Nice to see you both again." A familiar voice chimed in. It's him from yesterday, standing right in front of us now.
"So, you actually showed up?" I said, a smirk creeping on my face.
"Of course! Why wouldn't I?" He replied with that same annoying grin. Seriously, it gives me the creeps.
"I figured after what happened yesterday, you'd want out," I teased.
"Wait a minute... You know him, Naruto?" Sakura asked, clearly puzzled.
"Yeah, you could say that," I shrugged.
"Good to see you guys already know each other." Another voice joined in as someone walked over. We turned to see him. "Pleasure to meet you both. From now on, I'll be taking Kakashi's place," he said.
"So, you're stepping in for Kakashi-sensei? Who are you?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.
"That's right. Call me Yamato. That's my name," he said casually.
"Captain Yamato?!" Sakura exclaimed, as Yamato nodded in confirmation.
P.S: IT'S SOUNDS LIKE HEAD CAPTAIN YAMAMOTO , DOESN'T IT...
"You three are gonna be teammates now, so you better start getting along," he said.
"Sorry about yesterday's attack. I know I already apologized, but I just wanted to see how strong you were since we're gonna be working together."
"Huh, you saw me as just another genin, so you didn't trust me as a teammate and tested me. But, rank means nothing to me," I said with a smirk. "Anyway, what's your name again?"
"It's Sai... My name is Sai," he replied.
"By the way, I'm Sakura Haruno," Sakura added.
"...."
"..."
"..."
"I think you should introduce yourself too, don't you think?" Yamato suggested, looking at me.
"Naruto Uzumaki," I said with a grin.
"Alright, now let's talk about Team Kakashi's new mission. The four of us will head to Tenchi Bridge, capture the Akatsuki spy within Orochimaru's organization, and bring him back. This is our best chance to get intel on Orochimaru and Uchiha. Information we can use to plan Orochimaru's assassination and, if we're lucky, retrieve Sasuke Uchiha. So, keep that in mind," Yamato said.
"I figured as much," I muttered to myself.
"Right!" Sakura chimed in.
"When you're all geared up and ready, be at the main gate in exactly one hour," he instructed.
A little while later...
"...And then he left, and here we are today," I explained to Sakura, recounting yesterday's fight against Sai as we headed back to our apartment to get ready.
"I see. He seems pretty weird, doesn't he?" Sakura asked.
"Maybe. I just can't stand his smile. What do you think?" I replied, throwing in a bit of sarcasm.
"There's definitely something off about him—his face, his voice. Kind of reminds me of... Sasuke," she said thoughtfully.
"Nah, Sasuke's nothing like that fool. I bet he's way stronger now than the last time we saw him," I said, hoping to see him again soon.
"Yeah, he's definitely cooler and stronger than Sai," Sakura agreed.
In My Apartment...
I got dressed in my gear—a black trench coat, black T-shirt, fitted black pants, and black boots.
I walked over to my closet and found a box. Opening it, I said, "Ah, the sword Pervy Sage gave me when I was training. We met this ninja who used a sword, and it looked so cool I just had to have one. After completing a bunch of tasks and challenges, he finally gave me one.
Too bad I broke it during training. But the real question is Do I really need a sword though?
[A.N: WHAT DO YOU THINK, DOES HE NEED A SWORD?]
Packing's done...
I'm ready...
Let's go...
I picked up my backpack and headed for the door.
Should I upgrade to a new apartment? Yeah, but I'm broke. I've been out of missions for over two years, living off my savings and some help from Pervy Sage.
Guess I'll have to take on a bunch of missions back-to-back once I finish this one.
But will they let me go on missions alone? Probably not. Will they even let me go on any missions given the current situation? Doubt it.
Okay, one step at a time. Let's get through this mission first, then I'll think about the future. Yeah, that sounds better.
With that, I closed my apartment door and started walking toward the main gate of Konoha.
I don't know why, but something tells me we'll meet soon. Sasuke, I'm coming.
[A.N : Oh man, guys, I've got some not-so-great news. So, in Bangladesh, where I'm from—remember I mentioned the blackout or internet blockade we had for like 10 days? Well, it's happening again...
Mobile internet's totally out, and the broadband's barely hanging on at half speed. I'll do everything I can to get you those new chapters, as long as they don't cut off the broadband too. If they do... well, it'll be a while before we catch up again, I guess. Fingers crossed!
THANKS FOR READING, HOPE YOU LIKED IT ... IF YOU LIKED IT THEN DROP POWERS TONES TO SHOW SUPPORT & ADD THIS YOUR LIBRARY FOR CONTINUE READING]