Forests of the Land of Waterfalls Late Autumn, November, Year 60 of Konoha
Amidst the whisper of falling leaves, several figures moved swiftly through the trees. Their agile forms darted forward without making a sound. They were clad in uniform, light-colored, striped clothing, their forehead protectors obscured in the dim forest light. They halted upon reaching a large rock outcrop, apparently their destination.
"Looks like everyone has arrived."
A bandana-clad figure spoke from the highest point of the rock, clearly their leader. Everyone present looked up at him, and he, in turn, scanned the assembled group.
"Suien-sama."
Just then, three figures emerged from the group and addressed the man on the rock.
"Is everything ready, Hisame?" Suien asked.
Closest to Suien stood a woman radiating an aura of mature allure. She wore a brightly colored, flowing kimono, a stark contrast to the pale uniforms worn by everyone else.
"Everything is ready," the kunoichi named Hisame replied, with a knowing purse of her tempting lips.
"Hisame, they're just three kids," the third member of the trio scoffed. He wore the standard light uniform and had a distinctive line of paint across his nose. "Is this level of preparation truly necessary?" A smirk aimed at Hisame played on his face.
"Well, Murasame, is your side prepared?" the central figure of the three interjected. He was also one of Suien's subordinates. His entire face was masked, lending him a deeply unsettling impression, and he radiated a dark, unsettling presence, like a cornered rat. "If anything goes wrong, we won't be able to infiltrate the village quietly."
"Hmph. Of course, it's ready. It is Suien-sama's order, after all," the ninja named Murasame retorted. "But Kirisame, watch your tone with me."
"Hmph," Kirisame ignored Murasame and turned his masked face towards Suien-sama, waiting for his next instruction.
Suien gave a slight cough. "Since everything is ready, let's commence the operation. I had thought Konoha would send someone more capable as escorts, but it's just three kids. Looks like the plan should proceed smoother than expected."
Just as the trio was about to depart, Suien suddenly added, "Try not to slaughter the villagers. Minimize unnecessary bloodshed."
Hearing this, the three froze and turned back to look at him.
"Why? Could it be Suien-sama still harbors compassion for his former village?" Murasame asked, a testing smirk on his face.
"Hmph. Idiot," Hisame glared at Murasame. "Don't forget our goal. To achieve it, those people can be used as leverage. Isn't that right, Suien-sama?" She licked her lips suggestively as she looked at Suien, though whether the heat in her eyes was genuine or feigned was unclear. In any case, Hisame radiated potent, almost irresistible allure.
However, Suien remained utterly unfazed, as though oblivious to her charms. He simply nodded. "As expected of a trusted subordinate of the Amegakure leader. Correct. We need the villagers as hostages; it's the most straightforward approach. I know the Takigakure Village Head. He will certainly make the 'right' choice."
Seeing Suien indifferent to her charms, Hisame showed no annoyance. It seemed her performance had indeed been just that – an act.
"Very well," Kirisame said, his voice low and menacing. "For now, we are your subordinates. But after this is done, 'that item' must be divided equally between us, Suien-sama."
"Don't worry, you'll get your share," Suien replied casually. These people were Amegakure ninja to begin with, merely following their own leader's orders for this operation.
"Alright. Move out!"
At Suien's command, the surrounding ninja vanished instantly.
Waterfall Basin, Land of Waterfalls
"Ahhhh— Finally done cleaning! I'm starving!"
Naruto wiped sweat from his face with the back of his hand, nodding in satisfaction as he surveyed the now-cleared pond. Sasuke also wiped sweat from his face and sank down onto the grass by the pond's edge, his stomach periodically growling. Looks like Sasuke was famished as well. At their age, constantly in the middle of growth spurts, they both had bottomless appetites.
"Sakura-chan's unbelievable, taking on a mission like this by herself! Hmph," Naruto muttered irritably as he walked over towards where Sakura was resting.
Reaching her side, he found her sprawled asleep on the grass, utterly unconcerned with her appearance. His first instinct was to play a prank, but seeing her peaceful, sleeping face, he found himself momentarily captivated.
It was the first time Naruto had seen Sakura truly asleep. Her long eyelashes, like tiny fans, cast faint shadows on her cheeks. Her delicate nose, her small, cherry-like lips curved slightly upwards… Her breathing was utterly serene. Combined with her skin like porcelain and her figure, which was starting to show developing curves, Naruto was rooted to the spot.
Even if Naruto was generally clueless about girls, he could recognize beauty when he saw it. "So beautiful," he murmured under his breath.
Almost against his will, Naruto slowly leaned closer. His heart immediately hammered against his ribs, and he felt his face burn. It was a sensation entirely new to Naruto. Honestly, he wasn't sure he liked it, but it felt like an addictive poison – he wanted to pull back, yet felt irresistibly drawn closer.
Perhaps sensing his proximity, Sakura's eyelids fluttered. She slowly opened her eyes to find Naruto's entire face hovering inches from her own. She paused, still hazy with sleep, gazing blankly into his blue eyes.
Naruto saw her eyes open, the fleeting vulnerability in those green depths adding a unique charm to her already lovely face. His instinct told him to jump back, but seeing her endearing confusion rooted him to the spot again. For a moment, he simply stared, momentarily lost.
Two pairs of eyes locked. Sakura's expression snapped from sleepy confusion to sharp awareness. Seeing Naruto's unusually unguarded gaze so close, she was briefly unsure how to respond. She froze for another second, but then the situation registered, and a wave of inexplicable fury washed over her. Acting purely on instinct, she gathered chakra in her right fist and slammed it into Naruto's face.
"OWWWWW!"
Even if Naruto hadn't been completely unprepared, he would have had trouble dodging Sakura's punch. Predictably, he was launched backward by the force of the blow, truly sent flying.
Splash!
Naruto crashed into the pond they had just finished cleaning.
Watching from nearby, Sasuke saw Naruto getting decked into the pond and muttered under his breath, "Dobe." For some reason, though, he also felt vaguely relieved.
"Hey, Sasuke," came Sakura's cool voice. "Go see if the idiot drowned."
Sakura hadn't punched Naruto because she was truly enraged; several factors were at play. Waking up to find someone's face inches from yours would startle anyone, right? If it had been a girl, Sakura might have been startled but certainly wouldn't have punched them. Since it was Naruto, however, all bets were off.
Another reason was the sudden realization: this was a golden opportunity, the perfect pretext for staying in Takigakure! Before drifting off, she'd been trying to figure out an excuse. Then she'd opened her eyes, and the perfect excuse had landed right in front of her. So, she'd delivered the unceremonious punch, planning to use Naruto's alleged "recovery period" to justify staying in Takigakure while she conducted her investigation undercover.
After Sasuke dragged a sputtering Naruto out of the pond, Shibuki walked over. "Thanks for the help," he said curtly. "You can head back now."
Hearing Shibuki wasting no time trying to get rid of them, Sasuke said nothing. Sakura had to step forward. "As you can see," she said, gesturing to the dripping Naruto, "our teammate here is injured. If possible, we'd like to request permission to stay in Takigakure briefly to allow him to recover."
Predictably, Shibuki had absolutely no intention of letting them enter Takigakure proper. He stated flatly, "I will pay you for cleaning the pond. Your teammate's injury has nothing to do with the mission parameters, so please be on your way." His words were dismissive and final, offering no courtesy whatsoever.
Just as Sakura was considering her response, Sasuke interjected. "Listen. Let us recuperate here for a few days. We promise not to cause any trouble."
"I said no," Shibuki replied, adamant. "You've completed the mission. Leave now. I'll give you the payment for cleaning the pond."
Sasuke said nothing, just met Shibuki's gaze, his own sharp and unwavering. Seeing that look, Shibuki seemed reminded of their initial encounter and took an involuntary step back, though he didn't budge an inch verbally.
"If I must," Shibuki said reluctantly, "I'll cover his medical costs. Consider it compensation, treating it as if he were injured during the mission." He pointed south. "Once you're out of this ravine, head south for about ten li. There's a small settlement there where you can rest."
Sakura observed Shibuki, noting he would rather pay unnecessary compensation than allow them entry. He's definitely hiding something significant, she concluded. Looks like I'll have to find another way in. If necessary, I'll send Naruto and Sasuke back first, remain behind alone to pinpoint the village's exact location, and try to infiltrate.
Actually, Sakura's punch had looked worse than it was; it hadn't been a full-strength blow. Naruto had suffered mostly superficial damage. Withdrawing the faint green glow of her healing jutsu from her hands, Sakura stood up, about to politely take her leave now that Plan A had failed, when an old man came stumbling out from the trees.
Seeing Shibuki, the old man's eyes lit up with relief and joy. "Shibuki-sama!" he cried out. "You've returned!"
Shibuki's expression soured instantly. "Senji? What are you doing out here?"
Senji, seemingly ignoring Shibuki's annoyance, ran forward, grabbing Shibuki's arm urgently. "You must come back to the village quickly, Shibuki-sama! The village... it's under attack!"