Konoha...
In the Hokage's office late at night, Jiraiya stood by the window, gazing at the Hokage Rock under the moonlight. The Third's statue seemed to be watching him with benevolence.
"Are you really going to take Naruto away?" Kakashi asked, leaning against the doorframe.
"Ah, absolutely." Jiraiya sighed. "The Nine-Tails Chakra within that kid is becoming increasingly unstable. And..."
He turned to look at the draft of Sasuke's wanted poster for missing-nin ninja on the table:
"To find Sasuke, talking won't do."
Kakashi was silent for a moment. "Danzo won't let this go. After you leave, he'll definitely tamper with the arrest warrant for Sasuke."
"So you need to stay and manage things." Jiraiya patted Kakashi on the shoulder. "The situation will be much better once Tsunade returns."
A slight noise suddenly came from outside the window. The two turned their heads alertly and saw Karin climb in through the windowsill.
"You guys..." She took a deep breath. "Are you planning to find Sasuke?"
Kakashi and Jiraiya exchanged a glance.
"Take me with you." Karin clenched her fist, her voice trembling but firm, "I can sense Sasuke's Chakra..."
A red glint flashed in her eyes:
"I can always find him."
Moonlight streamed through the window onto the desk, and Karin's glasses reflected a cool light. She stood ramrod straight, her red hair fluttering slightly in the night breeze, her fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of her clothes.
"I..." Her voice trembled slightly, but quickly regained its firmness. "Ever since Naruto-kun agreed to help me, Third Hokage took me in in Konoha..."
Memories flooded back—those days in Kusagakure I was used as a "medical tool," the permanent scars of teeth marks on my body, the dark, sunless prison cell...
"My time in Konoha was the first time..." Karin's voice choked, "The first time I felt like a person, not a tool."
Kakashi's gaze softened. Of course he knew about Karin's past; he had personally reviewed the Anbu file.
Jiraiya stroked his chin. "So, you plan to repay my kindness in this way?"
"Not entirely." Karin pushed up her glasses, her eyes behind the lenses gleaming with determination. "Sasuke, he..." She paused. "Although he's a self-important guy, he definitely needs someone to wake him up."
Kakashi chuckled, "That's a very accurate description."
"My sensory abilities can cover a radius of ten kilometers." Karin spoke faster, as if afraid of being rejected, "As long as Sasuke is still moving through the Shinobi World, I can find him! And my physical abilities and Medical Ninjutsu are also—"
"Alright, alright," Jiraiya Teuchi her. "I understand what you mean." He turned to Kakashi, "What do you think?"
Kakashi pondered for a moment, "From a tactical perspective, Karin's abilities are indeed very valuable. However..." He looked at Karin, "This journey will be very dangerous. Orochimaru, the Akatsuki, and even Danzo might become enemies."
"I'm not afraid!" Karin almost shouted, then lowered her voice somewhat embarrassedly, "I mean... compared to my days in Kusagakure, this is nothing."
A brief silence fell over the office. The distant footsteps of night-patrolling ninjas added to the stillness.
Jiraiya suddenly grinned. "Alright! More people means more protection." He stretched, "Perfect, we need someone to keep an eye on Naruto on the way, lest he cause trouble again."
Karin's eyes lit up instantly, and she bowed deeply. "Thank you! I will definitely not let you down!"
"But there's a condition." Jiraiya suddenly became serious, "You must completely obey my commands on the journey. Especially when encountering Orochimaru or the Akatsuki."
"I understand!" Karin. "I promise I won't act without authorization!"
Kakashi looked into the girl's sparkling eyes and couldn't help but think of another energetic, blond-haired boy. He sighed softly, "I'll go prepare some necessary supplies for you. Meet at the village entrance before dawn."
The night in Konoha was exceptionally quiet. The bright moonlight shone on the Training Ground, gilding the grass with a silvery glow. Naruto sat alone on the swing, swaying gently back and forth, his golden hair appearing particularly soft in the moonlight.
Naruto?
A familiar voice came from behind him. Naruto turned around and saw Sakura standing under a streetlamp, her long pink hair gently swaying in the night breeze. Her eyes were slightly red, as if she had just been crying.
"Sakura? Aren't you resting so late?" Naruto forced a smile, but the exhaustion in his voice was unmistakable.
Sakura sat down on the swing next to him, and the two swung in silence for a while. The night breeze carried the unique scent of Konoha, mixed with the aroma of Ichiraku Ramen from afar.
"I..." Sakura suddenly spoke, her voice trembling slightly, "Before we went to the Land of Snow, I saw Lady Tsunade."
"I begged her to teach me more advanced Medical Ninjutsu, and... advanced techniques for Monstrous Strength." Sakura's fingers gripped the swing chain tightly, "But..."
Her voice lowered. "Lady Tsunade said back then that training takes time. And I..."
Under the moonlight, Sakura's tears fell silently.
"I'm not as powerful as the image projected on the Heavenly Screen... Right now, I probably couldn't even stand in front of that enemy scorpion that was shown on the screen..."
Naruto was stunned. He had never seen Sakura so vulnerable—the violent girl who always waved her fists and shouted "Sasuke-kun!" was now like a lost child.
"Hey, hey, what nonsense are you talking about!" Naruto jumped off the swing and stood in front of her. "You're Tsunade's disciple! Didn't you become very strong in the Heavenly Screen too?"
Sakura looked up and, through her teary eyes, saw Naruto's radiant smile, like a light suddenly illuminating the darkness.
"And besides," Naruto scratched his head, "I'm the same in the Heavenly Screen. I can't even use the Rasengan properly now, but in the Heavenly Screen, I could still fight Pain to a standstill."
Sakura burst into laughter through her tears. "Idiot, how can that be the same? You are..."
She suddenly stopped, her expression becoming complicated.
"Naruto, I... I've never really treated you like a partner." Sakura took a deep breath. "Before, I always thought you were a troublesome loser who only caused trouble for Sasuke-kun..."
Naruto's smile froze for a moment, but he quickly recovered. "Oh, I already knew about that..."
"No, let me finish," Sakura interrupted him. "I saw your experiences through the Heavenly Screen, I saw your efforts to fight against the enemies invading the village..."
Her voice choked with emotion. "I just realized that you've always been the one who cherishes your friends the most. And I..."
"Sakura." Naruto suddenly crouched down, looking her straight in the eye. "We're all idiots."
A night breeze swept by, scattering the tear tracks on Sakura's cheeks.
"Sasuke too, you too, me too." Naruto grinned. "But it's okay. It's precisely because we're idiots that we're so single-minded in wanting to bring our comrades back, isn't it?"
Sakura stared at him blankly, suddenly remembering how this blond boy, covered in wounds, still stood before Gaara during the Chunin Ninja Exams.
"Naruto..." She wiped away her tears, a determined expression on her face. "This time you and Lord Jiraiya go out to train, you absolutely must... you absolutely must bring Sasuke back."
She stood up and bowed deeply. "Please!"
The moonlight cast her long shadow across the sandy Training Ground. Naruto looked at this girl who used to only follow Sasuke around, now earnestly pleading with him for the sake of her comrades, and a warm feeling welled up in his chest.
"Absolutely!" Naruto patted his chest, his smile brighter than the moonlight. "Sasuke is my partner, and I, Naruto Uzumaki, always keep my word. I will definitely bring him back safe and sound!"
Sakura straightened up and finally showed her first smile of the night, "Hmm!"
In the distance, the Hokage Rock stood silently under the moonlight. The shadows of two young boys gradually lengthened on the Training Ground, eventually converging.
"Oh, right," Naruto suddenly remembered something, "Sakura, you have to do your best too! When we come back, you have to be even stronger than Heavenly Screen!"
Sakura clenched her fists, her eyes blazing with fighting spirit. "Of course! Next time we meet, I'll definitely surprise you and Sasuke!"
A shooting star streaked across the night sky. The two of them looked up at the same time and made their respective wishes.