Teaming Up with Jiraiya

When Team Guy and Yunju returned to Konoha, it was nearly dark.

The seven split up at the village gate—Might Guy took Rock Lee and Tenten to report to the medical unit, Neji headed straight for the Hyuga Estate, while Yunju walked alone toward the Hokage Building. His pace was neither hurried nor slow, yet he moved quickly. As he passed through Konoha's evening streets, he caught sight of several figures standing on a street corner from the corner of his eye—ANBU, but not directly under Tsunade. They were watching him.

Yunju neither stopped nor turned around. He simply walked past them.

The lights in the Hokage's office were still on.

Tsunade sat behind her desk, a stack of encrypted reports freshly delivered from Sand Village piled before her. Shizune stood beside her, sorting through scrolls. At the sound of a knock, Tsunade raised her head. When she saw Yunju enter, the trace of exhaustion between her brows had not faded, but her gaze sharpened slightly.

"You're back?"

"I'm back."

Without exchanging pleasantries, Yunju quickly reported everything he had seen in the cave—Sasori was dead, Chiyo was dead, Gaara had been revived, and Sand Village had taken the bodies away. When he mentioned Zetsu and Tobi appearing in the cave to retrieve Sasori's ring, Tsunade pressed her fingers against the desk.

"Two people? One wearing a mask?"

"A single-eyed mask. His right eye was a Sharingan," Yunju said. "The other one had different colors on the left and right sides of his body, yellow eyes, and chakra that didn't feel like it belonged to a living person."

Tsunade fell silent for a moment. A masked man with a Sharingan—there had never been any intelligence on such a person within Akatsuki. Was he a newcomer, or a core member who had never shown himself?

"There's one more thing," Yunju said.

Tsunade looked at him.

"I want to apply to join the investigation into Akatsuki."

The office fell quiet for several seconds. Shizune looked up, glanced at Yunju, then at Tsunade.

"Why?" Tsunade's voice carried no emotion, but her gaze deepened.

Yunju stood straight, not avoiding her eyes.

"I've been in Konoha for two and a half years, Lady Tsunade. I can sense many things—some people think I can't be trusted. The Senju name may be on the roster, but when I walk through the Hokage Building, I can tell exactly what those stares mean."

Rumors had always been spreading around the village. No one knew who started them. Some said Yunju was Orochimaru's spy; others said he was one of Orochimaru's experiments, released to harm people.

Fortunately, Yunju had continued to focus on improving his strength over the past two years. First, because he feared Orochimaru might come looking for him when he lacked the ability to fight back; second, because he feared the rumors would affect his state of mind.

He did not put it any more bluntly, but Tsunade understood.

"You want to prove yourself."

"I want to do what I can," Yunju said. "Preferably something that can prove who I am."

Tsunade did not answer immediately. She looked into Yunju's eyes. They were heavy and steady, without any defiance or the anxious impatience of someone desperate to prove himself. It was simply a calm statement.

"With your current strength, I wouldn't be too worried if you went out alone," Tsunade finally said. "But Akatsuki is not an opponent for one person. I won't let you go alone."

She picked up the seal on her desk and stamped it onto a blank mission assignment.

"I'll have Jiraiya take you."

Yunju paused slightly.

"Lord Jiraiya?"

"He's been investigating Akatsuki for many years. He understands their methods better than you do." Tsunade folded the assignment and handed it to Yunju. "You'll provide the necessary support and preparation, while he provides intelligence on Akatsuki's movements. The two of you going together is more reliable than one person blundering in blindly."

She looked him up and down, something complicated in her eyes—not scrutiny, but confirmation, like an elder confirming that one of her children had grown up.

"You're the only remaining junior of my Senju clan, and I taught you myself. Don't embarrass me."

Yunju accepted the assignment and lowered his head solemnly.

"Yes."

"Go find Jiraiya. He's in Tanzaku Street, at the usual place."

Yunju turned and left the office. When he reached the door, Tsunade's voice came from behind him.

"Yunju."

He stopped.

"Be careful."

He did not turn around. He merely nodded slightly, then closed the door behind him.

Tanzaku Street.

When Yunju found Jiraiya, Jiraiya was sitting in the corner of an izakaya. A flask of sake and two small dishes sat before him. He held an open notebook in one hand, his pen rapidly scratching across the page. Hearing someone approach, he looked up. When he saw Yunju, one brow rose.

"Tsunade sent you?"

"Yes." Yunju placed the assignment on the table. "Lady Tsunade said I'm to investigate Akatsuki with you."

Jiraiya set down his pen, picked up the assignment, and read it for two seconds. He snorted, folded it, and slipped it into his pocket. At the same time, he poured himself a cup of sake, then another for Yunju and pushed it toward him.

"Sit."

Yunju sat down but did not touch the sake. Jiraiya did not mind. He took a drink himself, set down the cup, and studied Yunju for several seconds.

"You're the Senju brat who escaped from Orochimaru?"

"Yes."

Jiraiya smiled. There was no malice in it, only the teasing amusement of someone thinking, Tsunade finally found herself a new toy.

"A Senju descendant, Orochimaru's discarded child, Tsunade's student." Jiraiya counted them off on his fingers. "You've got quite the colorful history."

Yunju did not respond.

"Since Tsunade wants you working with me, then you'll work with me." Jiraiya's joking tone vanished. "I've been investigating Akatsuki for years. I've found some of the edges, but not the core. Your endurance and a young person's instincts might help me fill in a missing piece."

He raised his cup toward Yunju.

"Here's to a good partnership, kid."

Yunju lifted his cup and lightly clinked it against Jiraiya's.

"Here's to a good partnership, Lord Jiraiya."

On the other side, Naruto was frantic.

The intelligence Sasori had given before his death—at noon ten days later, Orochimaru would appear at Tenchi Bridge in the Grass Village, accompanied by the spy Sasori had planted beside him. This was the only lead to finding Sasuke Uchiha. The mission window was extremely tight; if they missed it, there would be no second chance.

When Naruto sat up in bed, the sky outside had not yet fully brightened. He dressed and rushed out of the dormitory. By the time he reached the Hokage Building, every light inside was already on.

Tsunade sat in the conference room with a mission map spread before her. Naruto stood at the doorway, panting, his eyes falling on the red circle on the map—Tenchi Bridge.

"Granny Tsunade, I'm going!"

"I know you want to go." Tsunade lifted her eyes and glanced at him. "Sit down."

Naruto sat in a chair, his hands pressing down on his knees, clenched tightly.

"Kakashi Hatake is still hospitalized," Tsunade said. "The battle in Sand Village drained too much of his chakra. He can't lead a team anytime soon. So someone else will serve as the captain for this mission."

Someone walked in from the hallway. He wore an animal mask of Konoha's ANBU, but he had removed it—a young face, short dark brown hair, calm eyes. He wore Konoha's green jonin vest, a short sword without a guard strapped across his back. His presence was restrained and steady, like a deeply rooted tree.

"Tenzō is his ANBU codename," Tsunade introduced. "From today onward, he will be called Yamato. He will serve as Team 7's temporary captain and lead the Tenchi Bridge mission."

Naruto looked at Yamato, and Yamato looked at Naruto. Their gazes met briefly in the air, but neither spoke.

"One more thing." Tsunade's tone grew heavier. "The elders have demanded that one more person be added to the team."

Naruto frowned.

"You all know Naruto's identity—the Nine-Tails' jinchuriki, one of Akatsuki's primary targets." Tsunade's voice lowered. "The elders believe it is too risky for Naruto to leave the village alone on a mission. There must be enough manpower and a backup plan."

The door was pushed open.

A black-haired boy stood in the doorway. He wore Konoha's standard chunin vest, a short sword hanging at his waist, and held a sketchbook in his hand. His features were refined, and he wore a standard, practiced smile, but his eyes were cold—not cold like ice, but empty, like a mirror reflecting nothing.

"Sai, a member of Root," Tsunade said. "He was recommended by Danzō and will join this mission."

Naruto looked at Sai, and Sai looked at Naruto. Naruto's first thought was that this person's smile made him deeply uncomfortable.

"Wait." Naruto stood up and turned to Tsunade. "Why are you adding an outsider? The three of us from Team 7 are enough—"

"Kakashi isn't here. You, Sakura, and Yamato make three, which is indeed enough," Tsunade interrupted. "But this is the elders' decision, not mine. If you want to take this mission, you must accept Sai as the fourth member."

Naruto clenched his fists, but he did not continue arguing. He could read Tsunade's expression. She had already fought as hard as she could; this was the best result she had managed to secure.

"Fine." Naruto gritted his teeth and sat back down.

Sai walked into the conference room, sat across from Naruto, opened his sketchbook, and lowered his head to draw something unrecognizable. From beginning to end, he never looked at Naruto again.

Yamato's mission was not merely to lead the team to Tenchi Bridge. Tsunade had called him into her office for a private conversation. The instructions were simple: watch Sai and do not let him do anything that would affect the mission. If necessary, use force directly.

Yamato nodded in acceptance. Someone from ANBU was never unfamiliar with the task of surveillance.

When Jiraiya pushed open the door with Yunju in tow, Yunju paused slightly at the sight of the room full of people.

Yamato was the first to notice them. His gaze lingered on Jiraiya for a moment before shifting to Yunju.

"Lord Jiraiya."

Jiraiya waved a hand, skipping the pleasantries. He walked straight to the map and tapped the location of Tenchi Bridge twice with his finger. "We're only here to offer a little help."

"This mission has two parts. You'll go to Tenchi Bridge to meet the spy Sasori planted beside Orochimaru, uncover Orochimaru's hideout, and find Sasuke Uchiha's whereabouts." Jiraiya looked at Yunju. "On our side, Yunju will draw me a complete structural map of the Land of Rice Fields base. I'll compare it with existing intelligence and determine Orochimaru's most likely hiding place."

Yunju stepped to the table, picked up a pen, and drew several lines around the outskirts of the Grass Village on the map—not roads, but the directions of underground passages.

"The main body of the Land of Rice Fields base is inside the mountain, with three entry and exit routes." Yunju's pen moved across the paper. "The main entrance is on the eastern side, through the mouth of a snake skull. The second is on the side of the western cliff, covered by rock and only opened by triggering a mechanism. The third is underwater, entering through the pool at the bottom of the valley and connecting to the third underground level."

Jiraiya looked at the newly added lines on the map and nodded.

"They match my intelligence. Keep a close eye on the spy's route and report at any time. Best case, you can find Orochimaru's lair."

Yamato stood to one side without speaking. He was merely observing—observing Jiraiya's certainty, Yunju's familiarity, Naruto's clenched fist as he stared at the map, and the rhythm of Sai's pen as he sat in the corner drawing.

Two days later, at Training Ground Seven outside Konoha.

Yamato brought his hands together. Thick tree roots surged from the ground and lashed toward Naruto and Sai at the same time. Naruto twisted aside, gathering a Rasengan in his palm and slamming it into the roots. Sai summoned an Ink Bird from his sketchbook and leaped into the air as the roots swept beneath his feet.

Sakura stood at the edge of the field, fists clenched but not moving—this was a test, not a battle.

"Your coordination is lacking." Yamato dispelled the jutsu and stood where he was, his gaze sweeping over the three of them. "None of your individual abilities are bad, but when you fight, each of you fights on your own. You have no awareness of supporting one another."

Naruto panted, glaring at Sai. "He never even tried to cooperate!"

"You kept using your Rasengan to smash my Ink Bird." Sai smiled, his tone gentle. "I thought you were helping me practice target shooting."

"What did you say?!"

"Enough." Yamato's voice was not loud, but it suppressed them both. "Are you done arguing? If you are, keep going."

Naruto shut his mouth, though his face was still red.

Sakura stepped between Naruto and Sai, glanced at them both, and spoke more gently than Yamato had. "The mission hasn't started yet. We still have time to work together."

Sai smiled and closed his sketchbook without answering.

At the same time, on Konoha's streets.

Jiraiya and Yunju walked side by side beneath the afternoon sun. Shops along the road were opening one after another, while children chased each other through the alleys, their laughter drifting from afar.

"That Yamato is from ANBU," Jiraiya said as they walked. "The fact that Tsunade moved him into the open shows how much she values this mission."

Yunju gave a quiet "Mm."

"Have you dealt with him before?"

"No," Yunju said. "ANBU members generally don't associate with other departments."

Jiraiya snorted. "Neither do you. You've been in Konoha for two and a half years. Aside from Tsunade and those people from Team Guy, who do you even know?"

Yunju did not answer. Jiraiya was not wrong—he had spent most of his time training and on missions. There were indeed very few people he could truly call acquaintances.

"After this mission is over, spend more time around people in the village." Jiraiya's tone was casual, but Yunju could hear the meaning beneath it. "You're a descendant of the Senju. You can't keep bottling yourself up alone. Hashirama Senju didn't build Konoha by himself."

Yunju said nothing.

He lifted his head and looked toward Hokage Rock in the distance. The faces of past Hokage stood out clearly in the sunlight. His gaze rested on the stone wall for a moment before he withdrew it and followed Jiraiya into the teahouse at the street corner.

Four days later, all preparations were complete.

In the Hokage's office, Tsunade pushed a stamped A-rank mission document to the center of the desk. Yamato stood before it, put away the document, and turned toward the three people behind him—Naruto Uzumaki, Sakura Haruno, and Sai.

"One final confirmation before departure." Yamato's voice was steady. "Mission objective: reach Tenchi Bridge in the Grass Village, meet the spy Sasori planted beside Orochimaru, obtain the exact location of Orochimaru's base, and learn Sasuke Uchiha's whereabouts."

"Sai."

"Here."

"You are responsible for aerial reconnaissance and early warning."

Sai smiled and nodded.

"Naruto, Sakura. You will make direct contact with the spy and provide combat support if necessary."

Naruto nodded. Sakura said, "Understood."

Yamato gave the three of them one final sweep of his eyes, then turned and walked toward the door.

"Move out."

The four passed through Konoha's gates and set out along the road to the Grass Village. The sun hung high overhead, casting their shadows short beneath them. The wind blew from ahead, carrying the scents of grass and earth.

At the same time, Jiraiya and Yunju left Konoha by another road. There were no documents, no formal departure ceremony. Like ordinary travelers, the two blended in with the pedestrians leaving the village and passed through the gates.

Yunju looked back once at Konoha's outline—the high walls, the gates, the faces on Hokage Rock, and the distant rooftops with smoke curling from their chimneys.

Jiraiya walked ahead without looking back.

And just like that, the two of them quietly set off.