Konoha, Tsunade's office.
Ringo, Naruto, and Sakura stood before Tsunade. They were not reporting in; they were delivering a report. The report was not about the results of a battle, but intelligence. Before Sasori died, he had left behind a piece of information—not a dying message, but a deal. The deal was not for money, but time. Four days later, the spy he had planted at Tenchi Bridge would meet with Orochimaru's people.
"Sasori's spy may be someone close to Orochimaru." Tsunade tapped her fingers against the desk, not out of nervousness, but thought. "If we can capture that spy, we'll learn the location of Orochimaru's Sound Village base. And then we'll know—where Sasuke is."
Naruto clenched his fists. It was not anger, but restraint. For two years, he had held himself back—held back the urge to rush out every time he heard Sasuke's name, held back the fact that he had never seen him again after Sasuke said, "I hate you," at the Valley of the End. He had not forgotten that fact; he had buried it. Buried it beneath waiting, beneath training, beneath the power of the Big Ball Rasengan that had spun in his palm for two years.
"This mission will use a new squad. Kakashi is badly injured, so Yamato will take over as captain. The members are Ringo, Naruto, and Sakura. Plus—"
Tsunade paused, not out of hesitation, but preparation. She was preparing to introduce someone Naruto would not like.
"Sai. A member of Root, filling Sasuke's vacant spot."
The door opened. Sai entered, though he did not so much walk as drift. What drifted in was not his body, but his presence. His presence was so faint that it was like he did not exist. It was not invisibility, but erasure. Root's training erased