Back on Blue Moon Island, Orochimaru transplanted Fugaku's eyes into the sleeping Sasuke.
"Kabuto, I'll be leaving for a while."
"Where are you going?"
"Out to clear my head, and perhaps visit an old friend..."
"You've spent an entire year running around for the Ten Battles Plan. Now that it's a complete success and Sasuke is about to regain his sight, you deserve a breather! Go without worry. We'll take good care of Sasuke-kun!"
"Thank you for your help... Oh, right. There's somewhere I still need you to go."
Only then did Orochimaru remember a task that the Ten Battles had delayed.
Kabuto Yakushi adjusted his glasses and smiled. "You mean... that exceptionally clever child from the Nara Clan who wants to approach us? Based on the intelligence I've gathered, I have a fair idea of his intentions. I don't think you need to appear in person. Leave it to me."
The Konoha settlement in Sunagakure.
The ANBU sent out to search for Tsunade still had no good news.
As time passed, the people of Konoha sank into despair... At a time like this, no news was often good news. Any news that came might well be the worst!
That night, Asuma found Shikamaru on a pier.
"The Fire Daimyo is worried that trouble will arise if Konoha stays in Sunagakure too long. He's ordered us to return to our country immediately, choose a site, and rebuild Konoha..."
Click!
Asuma lit a cigarette, drew deeply on it, and exhaled the exhaustion of those long days!
"Shikamaru... what do you think?"
With the Hokage missing, Shikamaru had been making decisions on matters both large and small. He was only a chunin, yet the prestige he had earned already rivaled that of the veteran jonin who usually took charge.
Asuma no