Chapter 82: Pursuit Team

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"Granny Tsunade! What do you mean, Sasuke defected? That's impossible!" Naruto's voice echoed through the Hokage's office before he'd even stepped fully inside.

It had only been a couple of weeks since Menma's defection, and now Sasuke had done the same?

Naruto refused to believe it.

"Naruto, calm down," Tsunade said, her voice steady but stern. "There's still a chance he was taken against his will."

Tsunade wanted to hold onto hope, especially since Menma and Sasuke were both so important to Naruto. If there was any way to bring them back to Konoha and restore their reputations, she would find it.

"Taken? That has to be it! Then we've gotta save Sasuke right away, Granny Tsunade!" Naruto insisted, latching onto the slightest possibility that Sasuke hadn't willingly abandoned them.

Tsunade gave a heavy sigh. She couldn't lie to herself; Orochimaru's influence was undeniable, and it felt painfully clear Sasuke hadn't been kidnapped. Still, she saw the urgency in Naruto's eyes. "That's why I called you here. The village is stretched thin, so I'll assign one partner to help, but the rest of your team is up to you. However, understand that those who took Sasuke are Orochimaru's most skilled operatives."

Naruto nodded, his expression turning serious. "I understand. But who's my partner?"

As if on cue, there was a knock at the door.

"Speak of the devil," Tsunade said with a small smile. "Come in."

The door opened to reveal a familiar figure, hands in his pockets and hair tied in a spiky ponytail.

"Shikamaru!" Naruto exclaimed, his surprise clear. "You're helping with this mission?"

"Huh? Naruto?" Shikamaru blinked, looking equally surprised.

"You're just in time," Tsunade said. "I'm assigning you and Naruto to this mission. Given the lack of available jōnin, you'll form a team and set out immediately. Your objective is to retrieve Uchiha Sasuke. Here's the latest report from our reconnaissance squad."

Shizune handed each of them a scroll, and Shikamaru opened his with a frown.

"…Kidnapped by Sound?" he muttered as he read, his expression darkening.

Shikamaru wasn't easily fooled. He could sense that calling this a "kidnapping" was a way to soften the truth for Naruto's sake. Yet he didn't voice his doubts; it was clear they had to move fast, and arguing about Sasuke's intentions wouldn't help.

"Understood, Hokage-sama," Shikamaru said, rolling up the scroll. "We'll leave right away. Let's go, Naruto."

Naruto opened his mouth to speak but stopped when he saw Shikamaru's focused expression. He quickly fell in step as they left the office.

The two quickly gathered comrades they could trust for the mission: Choji, Kiba, and Shino were among the first they recruited. Rock Lee and Neji soon joined, each with their own motivations—Lee, out of loyalty, and Neji, perhaps with an unspoken desire to settle the score from his loss to Sasuke in the Chūnin Exams.

It was a formidable team, more so than before. But even with these allies, whether they could bring Sasuke back was uncertain.

Just as they prepared to depart, a voice rang out from behind.

"Naruto!"

Naruto turned to see Sakura running toward them, her eyes resolute.

"I'm coming with you!" she declared, her gaze firm.

"Sakura…" Naruto's tone was soft but resolute. "I'll bring Sasuke back, I promise. You should stay here."

"No, Naruto, I need to—"

"Sakura." His voice was gentle but urgent. "Sasuke left last night, and he's already got a big head start. If we're going to catch up, we need to move fast."

Sakura hesitated, her lips pressing into a thin line. She understood. She wasn't yet strong enough to keep up with them in a mission of this level.

Her face fell, but she nodded. "Please, Naruto… bring Sasuke back."

Naruto gave her a determined look and raised his hand with a confident thumbs-up. "That's a promise."

But he silently vowed to bring not only Sasuke back but also Menma.

What he didn't realize was that this would be one promise he wouldn't be able to keep.

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The pursuit team had been assembled and set off at full speed.

Given the distance Sasuke and the Sound Four had already covered, and based on intel from the reconnaissance team, the chances of Naruto's team catching up were slim. But this was the Land of Fire—Konoha's territory.

When Tsunade sent Shizune to inform Naruto, Kakashi, and the others, she had already ordered Konoha's forces in the area to initiate search-and-block maneuvers. Though a full encirclement wasn't possible, these actions forced the Sound Four to avoid the most direct path and take detours.

This slowed them down, giving Naruto and his team a real chance to catch up.

Had the Sound Four been able to proceed as planned, Naruto, Shikamaru, and the others would likely have never closed the gap, as in the original timeline.

Meanwhile, on the western side of the Land of Fire, Kakashi received Tsunade's urgent message through Konoha's communication network.

"What!? Sasuke defected!?" Kakashi's usual calm shattered as he read the details.

Unlike the softened version given to Naruto, Tsunade had shared the harsh truth with him: Sasuke had left of his own will.

Kakashi's face showed disbelief and shock. Two of his students had now betrayed the village, and both carried significant weight in Konoha's future.

"Kakashi, this is a direct order from the Hokage. You're to leave immediately."

The Konoha messenger's tone was firm, underscoring the seriousness of the situation.

"Understood." Kakashi nodded, his usual composure restored. "I'll head out at once. Handle things here."

"Yes, sir!"

After dismissing the messenger, Kakashi immediately leapt into action, moving north at high speed along the coordinates provided by the village. With luck, he might catch up with Naruto's team before they reached the Valley of the End—or intercept Sasuke and the Sound Four before they crossed into neighboring lands.

As Naruto and his team pursued Sasuke, forces from all directions converged, determined to prevent his escape.

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Meanwhile, deep in the southeastern reaches of the Land of Grass, inside one of Orochimaru's hidden bases, Menma stood in his laboratory, immersed in his experiments.

The door creaked open, and Karin stepped in.

"Is it time already?" Menma asked, glancing at her.

"Yes, Menma. Orochimaru-sama is expecting you," Karin confirmed, her tone respectful yet familiar, reflecting their close relationship.

"Time really does fly," Menma murmured, setting down his tools. His research into the human body had progressed significantly, thanks largely to Orochimaru's guidance. Menma was delving into the mysteries of physiology, hoping to strengthen himself beyond relying on the Nine-Tails.

Following a similar path as Orochimaru, Menma's ambitions, however, were different. He sought to enhance his own body to the point where he could stand on equal ground with people like Orochimaru without depending on Kurama's chakra.

"If I can complete this research, I might achieve a new level of strength… maybe even without the Nine-Tails," he thought. This was no longer just a necessity; Menma was genuinely fascinated by the science behind the body.

He turned to Karin with a small smile. "Alright, I'll be ready soon. But stay here, Karin. I need you to oversee the final stages of this experiment. Don't worry—I'll be back in two days at most."

Karin's face fell slightly, though she nodded. "You really don't want me to come along? I could help with perception and medical support…"

Menma placed a hand on her head, reassuring. "Not this time. This experiment needs close monitoring, and I trust you to handle it. Orochimaru's base is the safest place for you right now. And keep an eye on him—his condition's been getting worse."

Though disappointed, Karin nodded. "Yes, I'll take care of everything. Be careful, Menma."

"Thanks," he replied with a grin. "I'll be back soon."

With that, Menma vanished, heading out of the stronghold at high speed.

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Elsewhere in the base, Orochimaru sat in the shadows, his breathing labored.

"Hah… Menma-kun has left for the mission…" Orochimaru muttered, a sinister smile forming before he broke into a coughing fit. His voice was weaker, his body more frail with each day.

"Kabuto," he called, his tone barely a whisper. "Prepare for the ceremony. This body… won't last much longer."

Standing by his master's side, Kabuto nodded obediently. "Understood, Orochimaru-sama."

Time was running out, and both Orochimaru and his subordinates knew it. The body transfer ritual was imminent; if it failed, everything Orochimaru had worked for would be lost.

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