章 58: Sasuke Retrieval Mission (1)
A/N: Heads up, there will not be a chapter released Tomorrow on Thursday!! For a Double Release next Monday, let's hit 500 powerstones by Sunday. This story's continuation depends on your support—so don't forget to give the story powerstones! Goal: 500 Powerstones!
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Two hours had passed since Tsunade had given the mission to Shikamaru and Ino. Goro stood at his post, growing increasingly frustrated with every passing minute.
'I'm missing my chance. I might as well leave right now and make the excuse that I couldn't let my friends be in danger without me or something,'
Goro grit his teeth while clutching his hair.
The Chunin standing beside him glanced over, noticing Goro's erratic behavior. Amused by Goro, the man mocked. "You're really hating this job, huh? Haha..."
Goro turned to him, his eyes wide and intense, a crazed look of bloodlust flickering across his face. "Now isn't the time for jokes," he warned.
The man stiffened immediately, his skin crawling with unease. Goro's words sent a chill down his spine, and he quickly averted his gaze, staring straight ahead as he resumed his duty. "What's up with this kid? Maybe he is working with Orochimaru…" the man thought, silently vowing not to engage Goro again.
Without another word, Goro turned on his heels and marched toward the Hokage's office, with his mind made up. Upon arrival, he knocked firmly on the door.
"Come in," Tsunade's voice called from within.
Goro entered, bracing himself to argue his case, but before he could even open his mouth, Tsunade held up a hand and cut him off.
"Look, I know what you're going to say, and I'll let you go," she said, leaning back in her chair. "I've been thinking about it and decided to take a chance on you. But know this—it's only because of how much that girl vouched for you."
Goro's eyes lit up, and a wide grin spread across his face. He quickly bowed in gratitude, ready to leave and join the mission.
Just as he was about to turn toward the door, Tsunade's voice stopped him. "Not so fast. I didn't give you permission to leave yet."
Confused, Goro turned back, wondering what more she could possibly want.
Tsunade, her hand resting on her stomach, gave him a sly smile. "Be a dear and get me some food."
Goro's eyebrow twitched. "With all due respect, Lady Tsunade, that isn't my dut—"
Before he could finish, Tsunade interrupted, her tone leaving no room for argument. "You want to go, don't you?"
Goro sighed heavily, pressing his palm to his forehead in annoyance. "Fine," he muttered, before flickering out of the room, off to fulfill her request.
A few moments later, Goro returned, a steaming bowl of ramen from Ichiraku in hand. He placed it carefully on Tsunade's desk, his expression one of thinly veiled impatience.
"I paid for the bowl, so you don't have to return it," Goro said, crossing his arms as he waited for her response.
Tsunade nodded in satisfaction, already picking up her chopsticks. "Maybe I should replace Shizune with him; he's quite efficient," she thought, amused by the idea.
With a mouthful of ramen, Tsunade barely managed to nod when Goro asked, "I'm dismissed now, right?"
The moment her head bobbed in confirmation, Goro's thoughts flashed with relief. "Finally," he thought, flickering out of the room in an instant, eager to join the mission.
As Goro flickered from tree to tree, moving swiftly through the forest outside the village, he couldn't help but think about how far along the mission was. Would he be of any use? Shaking his head, Goro dismissed the thoughts from his mind.
'Those guys are pretty slow, if I'm fast, I have a good chance of catching up. System, you sure this is the right way?'
[Yes, continue northwest.]
Goro pushed forward, his feet barely touching the branches as he flickered through the forest. 'I wonder how things went differently. They have an extra Chunin with them, so things must've been easier. Knowing how Shikamaru thinks, he probably left Ino behind by herself to deal with Jirobo... or maybe he left Choji and someone else. That other person would probably be Kiba…'
He pondered the possibilities, trying to calculate how the battle might've played out. Each decision Shikamaru made would have been tactical, deliberate. Goro just needed to make sure he caught up in time to collect parts from each of the bodies and contribute, to gain Tsunade's trust.
'System, how far are we from the location of the first fight?'
[I do not hold that information. The reason I know the path they took is due to footprints, broken twigs, and other environmental clues.]
Goro frowned. 'I forgot, never mind. I should just focus on going the right direction.'
Minutes passed as Goro pressed on through the dense foliage. His speed didn't falter, and soon the terrain changed slightly. He noticed multiple toppled trees, branches scattered across the ground, and in the distance—a figure sprawled on the ground.
As Goro got closer, he realized it wasn't Jirobo, as he had expected. Instead, the corpse lying on the forest floor was Kidomaru. His six arms were splayed awkwardly, arrows scattered beside him, with blood-stained grass around him.
Goro crouched near the body, inspecting the scene. 'So, they've already taken down Kidomaru... which means they've made it further than I expected.'
Goro stared down at Kidomaru's lifeless body, a flicker of surprise passing through his mind. 'They managed to beat him this bad? That's impressive. Ino must've been involved in this fight.'
Goro crouched beside the body and swiftly cut off Kidomaru's ears, slipping them into his pocket for copying. Rising to his feet, he resumed his journey, moving through the trees at a steady pace, following the directions provided by the System.
As he approached a new area, the sound of battle reached his ears—a loud commotion coming from up ahead. Goro stopped in a tree above the fight, his eyes taking in the scene below.
Neji, Ino, and Choji were locked in a battle with Jirobo, neither side prevailing. The first thing Goro noticed was the pained expression etched on the Hyuga's face. A growing bloodstain spread across Neji's side, dangerously close to his liver.
'That's a fatal wound, he needs to get patched up. Ino and Choji both look exhausted too…'
Choji, panting heavily, forced himself to his feet. With a determined roar, he transformed into his Human Boulder form, hurtling toward Jirobo. But it was a desperate move. Jirobo, unfazed, easily kicked Choji aside, sending him crashing into a nearby tree. Choji hit the tree with a heavy thud, his body motionless as he struggled to breathe.
Jirobo turned his attention toward Neji. "This is too easy!" he said, a gleeful smile spreading across his face.
Raising his massive fist, Jirobo aimed to finish Neji, throwing a devastating punch at him. Neji, weakened, couldn't react in time.
In an instant, Ino jumped in front of Neji, her arms outstretched trying to shield him.
Before Jirobo's blow could land, Goro leaped from his perch, moving with incredible speed. He landed just in time to parry Jirobo's punch aimed at Ino. The force of the block sent Jirobo's arm flying back. Goro slid under Jirobo's outstretched arm, using the momentum to drive a powerful uppercut into Jirobo's jaw.
The impact was brutal. Goro felt Jirobo's jaw shatter under his fist, sending a spray of blood into the air as Jirobo staggered backward, coughing up blood and collapsing to the ground, his head spinning from the brain-rattling blow.
"A Leaf shinobi… He looks around our age.. Who is that?" Neji thought, watching Goro in disbelief as he tried to stay conscious.
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Reminder: No chapter is being Released Tomorrow on Thursday!! For a Double Release next Monday, let's hit 500 powerstones by Sunday. This story's continuation depends on your support—so don't forget to give the story powerstones! Goal: 500 Powerstones!
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