The Last Potato Chip

On top of several buildings nearby.

"Oh, so that's the kid Lord Orochimaru wants?" one of the four people hiding in the shadows asked.

"Yeah, but I really don't get why Lord Orochimaru wants a loser like him. Even that blond kid knocked him flat without breaking a sweat," the red-haired girl in the group said.

"Who cares why he wants him? Let's just go over there and take him," another said.

"Fine. Let's hurry up and grab that loser so we can go back and report," the girl said.

"No, Tayuya. We need him to come with us willingly. Once he sees what kind of power Lord Orochimaru can give him, he'll come with us on his own," the last member of the group said. With that, the four leaped away and vanished into the night.

The next morning.

Naruto had just received a summons from the Anbu and was heading to the Hokage's Office when he happened to run into Shikamaru, who was going there too.

"Hey, Shikamaru, you got summoned too? What do you think the old lady wants with us?" Naruto asked in greeting.

"Yeah, I did. It already sounds like a drag. I heard all the Jonin are out on missions today, so she's probably giving us a mission and making us lead a team. What a pain," Shikamaru said. Together, they went up the stairs and entered the Hokage's Office.

Once inside, they saw Tsunade sitting behind her desk, waiting for them with a grave expression.

"We're short on time, so I'll keep this brief. Late last night, Sasuke Uchiha left Konoha. Sakura came to see me first thing this morning and told me he'd defected. We believe he left with a squad from Otogakure and is heading toward Orochimaru's hideout. I need you to gather a few Genin and bring him back," Tsunade said.

"Old lady, why send Genin? This is clearly a job for Jonin and Chunin. Two Chunin and a few Genin just aren't the right team for it," Naruto pointed out reasonably.

"I know. But all our Jonin are either on missions or leaving today. Most of our Chunin are away from the village too, and the ones left are helping with postwar reconstruction," Tsunade said.

"What about Pervy Sage? He could bring Sasuke back by himself. We wouldn't even need to do anything. I know he definitely doesn't have a mission," Naruto said at once.

"You're right. Unfortunately, Jiraiya disappeared last night, and I still haven't found him. There's no report of him leaving the village, but he's definitely not here anymore. Most likely, he was reverse-summoned to Mount Myōboku. I'm sorry, but this is all I can give you right now. Your mission is to track down Sasuke and bring him back at any cost. Now, assemble your own team and leave immediately," Tsunade said. The two boys immediately turned and hurried out of the office.

"Who should we get? You're the smart one. You tell me," Naruto asked.

"First, we need a tracker. Kiba's the obvious choice." Naruto immediately nodded in agreement.

"Then we need a scout to watch for ambushes. Shina's out-he's working with his father to improve their insect techniques. That leaves Neji or Hinata. I'd pick Neji. He's stronger in a fight," Shikamaru said.

"Finally, we need someone who can hit hard and take a beating," Shikamaru said, pulling out a bag of potato chips. He opened it, grabbed a handful and stuffed them into his mouth, then handed Naruto a few.

"How are potato chips supposed to help us?" Naruto asked in confusion as he took them.

"Just watch," Shikamaru said.

Soon, only a final handful of chips remained. Just as Shikamaru was about to pick up the last chip, a huge figure rushed out of the house in front of them.

"The last chip in the bag always tastes the best!" Choji said, rubbing his round belly with a satisfied expression.

"Hey, Choji, we've got a mission, and we need you to come along," Shikamaru said.

"Great! All right, I'll get Kiba. You get Neji or Hinata!" Naruto said, immediately running off. But another question still lingered in his mind: How exactly did Choji know there was only one chip left in the bag?