"Sai? Who's that?"
When Sasuke and Sakura got the news, both tried hard to recall, but neither had the slightest impression.
Kakashi said, "Well, I don't know him either. Anyway, Tsunade-sama arranged it, so no need to think too much—just get along well afterward. He's only temporarily replacing Naruto, maybe just for this mission to hunt down Orochimaru."
Of course, Kakashi knew about Root.
But since Root was officially disbanded, there was no need to mention it openly.
Naturally, he also knew of Root's darkness, so when the time came, he would just be careful himself and make sure this Sai didn't end up harming the team.
At that moment, a pale-skinned, black short-haired, narrow-eyed pretty boy walked over. He didn't look very old, yet preferred wearing a cropped top, a short sword strapped to his back, and his strength couldn't be judged by appearance alone.
"Hello, I'm Sai." Sai greeted them with a narrow-eyed smile.
The three turned to look, and their first thought was—this guy's smile looks so fake!
Kakashi spoke first, "You're here, so let's all get acquainted. I'm Hatake Kakashi, leader of Team 7. I hope you can get along with everyone."
Sasuke, as always, acted cool: "Uchiha Sasuke."
When Sai heard that, his narrow eyes opened slightly to look at Sasuke. "So you're Sasuke-kun. I've heard so much about you."
That's what he said, but in his mind, he recalled his time in Root.
Danzō: "I'll assign you to Team 7. You'll join the strike team to Orochimaru's base. If necessary, act alone—if you get what I want, your mission will be complete."
Sai: "Yes, Danzō-sama."
Danzō: "Be careful of Team 7's Uchiha Sasuke. The Uchiha are an evil clan—you must not take them lightly!"
Sai: "Uchiha… Sasuke, huh?"
Danzō: "Oh, and you'll need a name. Since I'm sending you to keep an eye on Sasuke, I'll call you Sai. Remember—watch the Uchiha, get me what I want, understand?"
Sai: "Yes, Danzō-sama."
"Hey! What are you spacing out for? And staring at Sasuke-kun, too!"
Seeing this guy sizing up Sasuke and ignoring her, Sakura was instantly displeased. "I'm Haruno Sakura. Even though we probably won't get along, I'll still say—please take care of me!"
Sai snapped back to the present and looked her over, then narrowed his eyes again. "That's true… ugly woman."
Ug– Ugly woman?!
Did he just call me ugly?!
Sakura froze in place, instantly breaking down. "You little punk, looking for a fight?! I'll beat you to a pulp!"
Kakashi hurried to stop her. "Sakura, calm down! He's your teammate now—don't start fights! And Sai, don't speak so bluntly. You'll never make friends like that!"
Sai actually thought about it seriously. "So you mean… if I notice Kakashi-sensei looks like he has kidney deficiency, I shouldn't say it? Because that would be lacking in social skills and would make Kakashi-sensei dislike me? But if Kakashi-sensei really has kidney deficiency, why can't I say it? Hm… getting along with people is troublesome."
A vein popped on Kakashi's forehead. He suspected this guy was doing it on purpose—but had no proof.
Kidney deficiency, huh? Kakashi just liked reading Icha Icha Tactics, since when was he kidney deficient? Nonsense!
Still, Kakashi's self-control was good. He narrowed his eyes in a smile. "You've got a sharp tongue, kid. But with your pale face and lack of blood color, that's the real sign of kidney deficiency."
In short, the first meeting with the new member was far from pleasant.
Natsuki only found out from Tenten's paper note. He hadn't expected that old fox Danzō to send Sai so quickly—it seemed Orochimaru had something the old man wanted.
Still, Natsuki didn't care. As long as it wasn't harmful to them, Sai could take whatever he wanted.
Of course, if Natsuki found out it was something bad, he would never allow Sai to bring it back to the old fox.
Danzō… that old fox was doomed to die sooner or later!
Two days later, the strike force officially set out.
This mission was classified—unless someone deliberately leaked it, no one outside could possibly know. They even departed early in the morning without disturbing a single villager.
On the road, the five squads moved like the wind, their pace extremely fast.
These five squads were now Konoha's elite. Even Sakura—considered the weakest—was still quite outstanding compared to other chūnin. There was no chance of anyone falling behind.
Moreover, with Neji and Hinata's Byakugan, plus Kiba and Shino's tracking abilities, there was no problem with forward scouting. They weren't worried about running into trouble en route.
That night, the strike team reached the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Rice Fields.
Kakashi used an Earth Release to create a sealed stone hut, and only then did everyone light their lanterns and prepare food to rest.
After the meal, Kakashi gathered everyone for a meeting.
"We have twenty people in five squads. The group's too big—it's easy to get spotted. Orochimaru is dangerous and very sharp. If he notices something is off, he could set traps or even flee immediately. Either way, it's something we don't want.
"So tomorrow, when we enter the Land of Rice Fields, the five squads will split up and infiltrate from different directions. Avoid towns and especially Orochimaru's known bases. Do not get spotted—otherwise, our mission could be ruined.
"By nightfall tomorrow, we'll all meet here and rendezvous with Natsuki. Understood?"
"Understood!"
Everyone answered quietly, but they were all excited.
After all, hunting an S-rank missing-nin was no small mission. Not only could they show off their skills and gain experience, but if successful, there would be rich rewards—and more importantly, bragging rights in the future.
In short, the benefits were too many to count.
Every one of them was itching for action, some even too hyped to sleep.
Kakashi couldn't help but chuckle and scold, "What are you so excited for?! We've got a lot of ground to cover tomorrow—rest up now!"
No one replied, but it was true—sleep wasn't coming easy.
Kurama Yakumo was the most excited of all. She had always been under the control of a demon, unable to live freely, let alone work as a shinobi. Now the demon was gone, her freedom restored, and she could immediately take part in a mission to hunt an S-rank missing-nin—how could she be calm?
Megumi took her hand with a smile. "Don't be nervous, Yakumo. You're strong—just perform like you normally do. My safety will be in your hands."
Yakumo quickly promised, "Don't worry, Megumi. I'll protect you!"
Rinya chimed in, "Megumi, I'm strong too! I've learned a lot from Aoba-nii, and even the boss praised me. Tomorrow I'll protect you—both of you!"
As a man, of course he had to protect the girls in the team.
Megumi and Yakumo exchanged a smile. "Then we'll be counting on you, Rinya."
(End of Chapter)
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