Soon, Kakashi led his recruited teams to the village gate.
Shinji glanced around, noticing Asuma, Kurenai, Shizune, and other jonin among them, along with two Anbu squads. Including their six academy students, the total force numbered thirty.
Clearly, Kakashi understood that taking these academy prodigies to gain experience was no easy task, so he had prepared thoroughly to ensure Shinji and the others' safety.
Scanning the group, Kakashi said, "By now, you all know the mission. It's not just us—the Hidden Cloud, Hidden Mist, and Hidden Sand have also dispatched reinforcements. The enemy may be strong, but our combined forces are stronger!"
Everyone nodded in unison.
This unit, composed of jonin and academy prodigies, was undeniably powerful, boosting everyone's morale!
Kakashi turned to Shinji. "You're in charge of the academy students. Without my permission, no one acts on their own!"
Shinji nodded. "Understood!"
With the critical instructions given, Kakashi wasted no time. "Move out!"
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.
In an instant, the thirty-ninja force, organized into three-man squads, surged out of the village with a gust of wind!
In the Hidden Leaf Hospital.
Sakura peeled an apple and offered it to Sasuke. "Here, Sasuke."
Sasuke's face remained cold as he ignored the apple and demanded, "Where's Kakashi? I need to see him!"
Sakura quickly replied, "Alright, I'll go find Kakashi-sensei for you."
"No need!"
A voice suddenly came from the door.
Sasuke and Sakura turned to see Shion entering with some snacks.
Placing the snacks on the bedside table, Shion said, "Kakashi-sensei left the village for a mission just now!"
Sasuke asked, "What mission?"
"How should I know!" Shion shrugged, then grumbled, "Anyway, Yakumo, Kimimaro, and the others went with him. I wanted to go too, but they wouldn't let me!"
"What? Yakumo and Kimimaro went with Kakashi-sensei on a mission?"
Sakura covered her mouth in surprise.
Shion huffed, "Yeah! A ton of people went, but they wouldn't let me, saying I'm a 'honored guest' who can't join dangerous missions!"
Sasuke had only asked casually, but Shion's words piqued his interest. He pressed, "Who else? Did Shinji go?"
Shion pouted. "He's the First Chair—of course he went!"
Sasuke said, "What kind of mission needs Kakashi to take Shinji, Yakumo, and Kimimaro? Could it be the Akats…"
"You guessed right—it's the Akatsuki!"
At that moment, Tsunade entered the room with two medical ninja.
"Lady Tsunade!"
Seeing her, Shion and Sakura quickly stood and bowed.
Tsunade waved them off and approached Sasuke's bed. After checking his vitals, she said, "Your brother, Uchiha Itachi, acting as an Akatsuki member, attacked the Hidden Stone's Four-Tails Jinchuriki. Kakashi's mission is to support the Hidden Stone and rescue the captured Jinchuriki."
"What?!"
The mention of Itachi's name sent Sasuke into a frenzy.
Tsunade glanced at him but didn't engage.
"I'm leaving the hospital. I'm joining this mission!"
Sasuke struggled to get up, but a sharp pain in his back sent him collapsing back onto the bed.
As he tried to move again, Tsunade said calmly, "If you don't rest properly, your body will be ruined, and you'll be useless."
Sasuke's face twisted with frustration. "Damn it!"
Sakura pleaded, "Lady Tsunade, please help Sasuke!"
Sasuke also looked at Tsunade, his eyes full of hope.
To him, nothing was more important than avenging himself against Uchiha Itachi. For that, he'd bow to anyone.
Tsunade shook her head. "It's not that I don't want to help, but your condition is extremely complex! The 'Cursed Seal' on your shoulder seems to contain some kind of natural energy. Even I can't fully stop its erosion of your body."
"Natural energy? What's that?"
Not only Sasuke but also Sakura and Shion grew curious.
Tsunade explained, "Natural energy is even more common than chakra. It's all around us—you can think of it like air!"
Sakura frowned, confused. "Air? So it's everywhere?"
Tsunade nodded slightly. "Exactly, it's nearly omnipresent!"
Shion asked, "Then what does that have to do with the 'Cursed Seal' on Sasuke's shoulder? If natural energy is everywhere, it shouldn't harm us, right? Why can't even you stop the 'Cursed Seal' from eroding Sasuke's body?"
Tsunade smiled at Sakura and Shion's curiosity. "Good questions! Normally, natural energy doesn't interact with us because its concentration is too low for us to use or be affected by."
Pausing, she shifted her gaze to Sasuke. "But if it enters our body and reaches a certain concentration, blending with our chakra to form senjutsu chakra, it becomes highly corrosive to the body."
Sasuke's heart sank. "What happens then?"
Tsunade shook her head. "The outcome is unpredictable. Some turn to stone, others explode from within, and some lose their minds, becoming beasts."
Sasuke's face darkened. "So I'll turn to stone or explode?"
Tsunade nodded. "If you keep using the 'Cursed Seal's' power, that's inevitable."
Sakura asked anxiously, "What can we do? Is there really no way to remove the 'Cursed Seal'?"
Tsunade considered for a moment before replying, "To resolve this, we'd likely need to find the mysterious person who placed the 'Cursed Seal' on Sasuke."
Sasuke's expression grew even grimmer.
Suddenly, Shion raised her hand. "Lady Tsunade, you said natural energy mixes with our chakra to form something called 'senjutsu chakra.' That doesn't sound like a poison. Can't shinobi use senjutsu chakra?"
Sasuke perked up, staring at Tsunade expectantly.
Tsunade gave a wry smile and shook her head. "Some shinobi can harness senjutsu chakra, but it's incredibly difficult!"
Sasuke brushed it off. "How difficult?"
Tsunade replied, "To my knowledge, only one and a half shinobi in the entire shinobi world have mastered senjutsu. The half is Jiraiya!"
Shion and Sakura asked in unison, "And the one?"
"The First Hokage!"