The Next Morning...
I woke up and started my usual morning routine -
First, I freshened up… then I did some meditation… followed by some yoga… and finally, a workout.
Afterward, I cooked breakfast for myself. Like most days, I couldn't help but admire my own cooking skills.
Suddenly, I heard a knock at the door. When I opened it, I saw Sakura standing there.
"It seems like you're knocking on my door a lot these days. Is it just a coincidence?" I asked with a hint of curiosity.
"Huh, what? Lady Tsunade has summoned both of us to the Hokage office. I came to get you, so hurry up and get ready. We need to leave!" she said quickly, almost in one breath.
"Okay, okay. Give me 5 minutes!" I replied, heading to my bedroom. After 5 minutes, I was dressed in my usual outfit: a blue jacket, black jeans, and white boots.
"I'm ready!" I announced as I stepped out of my apartment and locked the door behind me.
"Took you long enough! But you always have to make an impression with your outfit, don't you?" she exclaimed with a grin.
"Is that meant to be a compliment? Because if it is, it's pretty weak!" I replied, raising an eyebrow.
"Like I'll ever compliment you" She said
"You complimented before ,if I'm not mistaken. But, I suppose you only compliment certain someone more" I said with a smirk.
She blushed slightly, "Just be quiet and let's go, or Lady Tsunade will be mad at both of us for making her wait," she insisted.
"Yeah, it's nice to see that you're the same Sakura I knew before I left the village with Pervy Sage!" I joked.
After a little while, we arrived at the Hokage's office.
"I'm glad you two are here!" Granny Tsunade said, standing behind her chair. Pervy Sage was leaning against one of the windows in the room.
"Hey, it's been a while, Naruto! How have you been?" Pervy Sage greeted me warmly.
"I'm doing great! But when did you come back?" I asked, curious about his arrival.
"I just got back a little while ago. I've heard about all the hard work you've put into your recent missions. Honestly, I'm really proud of you," he said with a big smile.
"Thanks!" I replied, feeling happy. "But why were we called here today?" I inquired, eager to find out what was going on.
"Yes, Lady Tsunade, you called us here to discuss something important. What is it?" Sakura asked, her curiosity piqued.
"Indeed, there is something significant I need to talk to you about. We've been receiving some intel from various sources, and that's what I want to discuss," Granny Tsunade explained.
"Intel? What kind of intel?" Sakura questioned, looking concerned.
"What's it about?" I chimed in, feeling the tension in the room as a deep silence settled over us for a few moments.
After what felt like an eternity, Granny Tsunade finally broke the silence. "According to the intel, Orochimaru has died!" Her words hit me like a cold wave, and I could see Sakura's face change as well, reflecting her shock. "And more importantly, it was Sasuke Uchiha who killed him," she added, leaving us both stunned.
"Is this news confirmed?" I asked, trying to wrap my head around the situation.
"It's nearly 100% confirmed, though I can hardly believe it myself. The information came from a very reliable source!" Pervy Sage replied, noticing how Sakura's expression shifted dramatically.
"This is strange!" I said, feeling a knot form in my stomach. "What kind of plan is he hatching now?"
"What do you mean?" Sakura asked, her brow furrowing in confusion.
"I mean, he went to Orochimaru for power. He wanted the strength to take revenge on his brother, Itachi Uchiha, by killing him. That means he must have learned everything he could from Orochimaru. Now that he doesn't need him anymore, he could have killed him. After all, Orochimaru would have eventually tried to make him his next vessel. Sasuke probably understood that, so he acted first to eliminate the threat," I explained, as everyone stared at me in surprise.
"What? I'm just making guesses, nothing more," I said, trying to downplay my thoughts.
"You're spot on. He intends to go after the Akatsuki members to find and kill his older brother," Pervy Sage confirmed.
"So, what do we do now?" Sakura asked, looking worried.
"If his target is Itachi Uchiha, we need to figure out where he is. That way, we can locate both Itachi and Sasuke," I explained. "But I don't think it will be easy to find any Akatsuki member, especially Itachi."
"I've already instructed all the teams to try to capture an Akatsuki member. If we manage to do that, we might be able to get them to reveal Itachi's location," Granny Tsunade said firmly.
"That sounds like it could be tough," said a familiar voice, and we turned to see Kakashi-sensei standing at the door.
"Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura exclaimed, relief washing over her face.
"I'm afraid we won't be able to make them talk that easily. Even the ones we've encountered were far too dangerous for us to consider taking into custody," Kakashi-sensei explained, his expression serious.
"Yeah, if I had known we would need their information, I would have left one or two alive for questioning. But no one warned me about this," I added, in a very whispering voice.
"So, what can we do now, Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura asked
"We can only be patient and keep looking until we find Itachi," Kakashi-sensei replied, "We need to stay vigilant and work together. We'll find a way to get the information we need."
[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]