After all, this was Konoha's highest-level classified facility. Everyone had been notified separately and summoned at different times for the final stage of research, so it was only natural that none of them knew about the others at first.
But how should they put it? They had just acted as though they were parting forever, opening their hearts to one another for ages, only to discover they belonged to the same organization. An awkward atmosphere inevitably began to spread.
Even Kakashi Hatake, who normally did not care about such things, wore an unusually baffled expression, seemingly unsure what to say. Should they continue properly treating each other as enemies? Or shake hands and make peace? Or should they fall back on the universal topic of the weather?
"Um, I was just lost on the road of life..."
"I see. Life really is hard for a six-year-old..."
"..."
A cold wind swept past. The three stood in a triangle, staring wide-eyed at one another, none of them knowing how to react.
But they quickly stopped feeling awkward.
Because someone else was about to become truly awkward.
"...Orochimaru?"
"...Tsunade?"
Well, now more than one person was embarrassed.
Watching Orochimaru and Tsunade approach from opposite sides and run into each other face-to-face, the remaining three people quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
Tsunade and Orochimaru, meanwhile, wore far more spectacular expressions. Who knew what instructions and final words they had each left behind? Now that they had run into each other, their faces were as pale as if they had seen a ghost.
And when they saw that the person opening the laboratory doors and greeting them inside was Sosuke Aizen, their expressions grew even uglier.
"Ah, hello, everyone. You were the last ones we were waiting for."
Looking at the five ninjas