In the Hokage's office, Tsunade's fingers tapped on the desk. It was not nervousness, but deliberation. The tapping stopped on the seventeenth beat, not because she had made a decision, but because she did not want to think anymore. If she kept thinking, she would cancel the mission. Not because she feared death, but because she feared Naruto. She feared that when Naruto saw Sasuke, instead of bringing Sasuke back, he would leave himself behind there.
"Tenchi Bridge failed. But Kabuto left behind a piece of information—Orochimaru has a northern hideout, and Sasuke may be held inside."
Tsunade pushed the mission scroll to the edge of the desk, not toward Yamato, but toward everyone. Everyone stood before her, not in formation, but waiting. Waiting for Tsunade to say the next sentence, waiting for her to say, "Bring Sasuke back," waiting for her to say, "This time, we have to succeed." But Tsunade did not say that. What she said was not an order, but a request.
"This team has only one mission—bring Sasuke back. You do not need to defeat Orochimaru. You only need to bring Sasuke out. If he... does not want to."
Tsunade's fingers rested on the desk, no longer tapping. They stopped beneath the Third Hokage's hat. The hat hung on the wall, not as decoration, but as a weight. That weight made Tsunade finish her words, not as the Hokage, but as one of the Legendary Sannin.
"If he does not want to, do not force him. But bring him a message—'Team 7 is still missing one member.'"
Naruto clenched his hand beneath his sleeve. It was not anger, but restraint. He held down the urge to rush out every time he heard Sasuke's name, held down the fear of nearly unleashing four tails at Tenchi