After handing over the mission scroll, Orochimaru patted Takuya on the shoulder, saying, "If you can find them, it's best to capture them alive. If that's not possible, eliminate them. If they've already escaped beyond the borders of the Land of Fire, your mission is considered complete."
"Understood." Without further ado, Takuya took the scroll, motioned to Nawaki and Minato, and turned to leave. Both followed closely.
For Takuya, this mission was as good as a freebie. The remaining four of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen would likely have either died or fled the Land of Fire, finding a hidden place to lay low. In the original story, those who escaped ended up defecting from Mist Village entirely, choosing exile over the punishment awaiting them at home.
Mist Village's "Blood Mist" regime was known for its brutality, and for ninjas, it was particularly harsh; one misstep could mean death. Even a minor infraction could result in a miserable end—let alone a failed mission. This is why Mist had the highest number of rogue ninjas among the Five Great Shinobi Villages.
After gathering supplies, the trio set out from the camp. On the road, Nawaki sighed, "I'd always imagined fighting the Seven Ninja Swordsmen on the battlefield, and now they're done for before I even got the chance."
"I'd say it'd be them fighting you, actually," Minato interjected, ruining Nawaki's moment.
Takuya glanced at the bickering pair with a grin. "They were doomed from the start. Every member of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen is on the level of an elite jonin; otherwise, they wouldn't have been selected. Their strength isn't lacking—it's just that you're underestimating the Eight Gates."
"That monstrous taijutsu probably isn't easy to master," Takuya continued. Plenty of people would wish to learn the Eight Gates or Flying Thunder God Technique if they were in the Naruto world. But he personally wasn't interested. Flying Thunder God? Great if he could learn it, but no big deal if he couldn't. As for the Eight Gates, a technique that boosts attack at the expense of life? He'd leave that to others.
After a bit of banter, Nawaki and Minato quieted down. Having lost a minor exchange, Nawaki was sulking while Minato smirked and kept some distance from him, walking alongside Takuya.
"But days have already passed. If Orochimaru only just assigned us to pursue the survivors, it might be too late. They've probably escaped Fire Country by now," Minato observed.
"If they've fled, that's fine too. Even if we don't catch them, the mission is complete as long as we ensure the safety of the supply routes," Takuya replied, rubbing the spot on his ribs where Minato had poked him, smiling through the minor ache.
"I'm just curious where they'd escape to. If they head back to the Land of Water, would they even survive?" Nawaki wondered aloud.
"Unlikely. They'd have gone into hiding, probably somewhere far from Mist. Returning to the Land of Water would be a death sentence."
Their best option was to become rogue ninjas. Fortunately, with Mist Village currently at war with Konoha, they'd be preoccupied for a while. Takuya's recent sabotage mission had also taken out a few of Mist's Anbu, making it difficult for the village to send anyone after defectors in the immediate future.
By noon, the three arrived at the scene of the battle.
"Your teacher sure knows how to keep us busy," Takuya said with a smirk, giving Nawaki a light shove.
After several days, with Konoha ninjas investigating before them and even some rain falling in the interim, any clues had likely faded. This mission was as much of a wild goose chase as they come.
"Yeah, yeah, get off my case," Nawaki grumbled, brushing Takuya's hand aside. "If you have an issue, take it up with Orochimaru-sensei. I'm just as confused as you are about why he assigned us to this task."
After a fruitless search, all they could find were a few footprints and dried blood stains, similar to what was already described in the scroll. The most frustrating part was that the four survivors had split up in three different directions, obviously fleeing in panic, abandoning each other at the first opportunity in terror that Might Duy, the man who seemed like a "Super Saiyan," might appear and kick them into oblivion again.
"Minato, you're the fastest. Head north. Nawaki, go west. I'll check in the direction of the village. Let's meet back at the village," Takuya instructed.
"Got it!" Minato handed a kunai to Nawaki for emergency use. Once he was finished with his own investigation, he'd teleport over if Nawaki needed a hand.
They split up, each heading in a different direction to continue the search. Takuya held little hope of finding any traces; if it were that easy, Orochimaru would've sent Anbu instead. This was likely just an added precaution.
After two hours of searching, Takuya decided to give up. He would head back to Konoha and wait for Nawaki and Minato, to see if they had any luck.
Due to the ongoing war, trade caravans heading to Konoha had thinned considerably. Fortunately, the fighting hadn't spread into the Land of Fire itself, and Mist's ninja incursions were limited to border disruptions, keeping the interior relatively calm.
Back in Konoha, Takuya planned to shower and change into fresh clothes before anything else. But as he opened the door, he was greeted by the sight of someone sprawled out on his couch, sleeping without a care. They were snoring softly, mouth open, drooling a bit as they clutched an empty snack bag.
So much for the idea that a beautiful woman always looks graceful in her sleep, he thought.
"You even drank," he muttered, catching a whiff of alcohol as he approached. Takuya nudged her shoulder. "Your house is literally next door, so why are you sleeping here?!"
Not only had she come to his place to sleep, but she'd raided his snacks as well.
"Typical Tsunade," he grumbled.
Roused by Takuya's nudging, Tsunade snapped awake, springing up and reflexively reaching out to grab him. Takuya watched, bemused. Just moments ago, she'd been out like a rock, but now she was leaping up like a startled rabbit, barely awake yet ready to attack.
Dodging her swipe, Takuya reached out and flicked her on the forehead with two fingers.
"Ouch!" Tsunade yelped, the loud thud of his flick bringing her back to full awareness. Fury sparked in her eyes as she glared at him. "Brat! What was that for?!"
Only Takuya dared to flick her like that. She hadn't even fully seen his face, but she knew it could only be him.
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BONUS CHAPTER