Chapter 281: Meeting at Tenchi Bridge
By the time Naruto and the others returned to Konoha, four days had already passed.
Only six days remained until the meeting at Tenchi Bridge.
After returning to the village, everyone quickly dealt with the aftermath of the mission.
Deidara was immediately imprisoned under heavy guard.
Kakashi, meanwhile, was in no condition to undertake another mission.
His use of Mangekyō Sharingan and Kamui had placed a considerable strain on his body, forcing him to rest and recover.
That left Team Kakashi without its captain.
Tsunade had no intention of cancelling the mission to Tenchi Bridge.
Sasori had given them a rare opportunity to locate Orochimaru.
More importantly, Sasuke might be with him.
Instead, she selected two replacements and reorganized the team into a temporary four man squad.
Early the next morning, Naruto and Sakura arrived at the designated meeting point.
Two people were already waiting.
The first wore Konoha's standard green flak jacket.
His dark hair was mostly concealed beneath his forehead protector, and his expression was composed and professional.
The moment Naruto and Sakura approached, he introduced himself.
"I'll be taking Kakashi's place as captain for this mission."
He looked between them.
"My name is Yamato."
Naruto nodded.
"Nice to meet you."
Sakura did the same.
Then their attention shifted toward the fourth member.
He was a pale young man wearing a short sleeved top that left his midriff exposed. A short sword was strapped across his back.
His dark eyes settled on Naruto.
A smile appeared on his face.
But something about it felt wrong.
Too deliberate.
Too carefully placed.
"So you're Uzumaki Naruto?"
Naruto looked at him.
The young man's smile remained unchanged.
"You don't look like much."
Naruto did not react.
He had heard worse.
What bothered him more was the smile.
It did not reach the man's eyes at all.
Sakura quickly stepped between them before the atmosphere could sour.
"We'll be working together from now on."
She forced a polite smile.
"It would be better if everyone tried to get along. If you talk to people like that, they're going to dislike you."
The young man turned toward her.
His artificial smile widened.
"Really?"
Sakura nodded.
Then he said,
"I actually quite like ugly girls who think highly of themselves."
Silence.
Sakura's eyebrow twitched.
Naruto glanced at her.
Her fist was already trembling.
Yamato stepped forward immediately.
"Alright."
He placed himself between them.
"We are about to begin an important mission."
His gaze moved across the group.
"If we cannot cooperate, we're going to create problems before we even reach the target."
Sakura slowly lowered her fist.
Yamato sighed inwardly.
"Let's start with introductions."
Naruto spoke first.
"Uzumaki Naruto."
Sakura crossed her arms.
"Sakura Haruno."
The pale young man looked between them.
"Just call me Sai."
Yamato nodded.
"Good."
He turned toward the village gates.
"If there are no objections, we leave now."
No one disagreed.
The four immediately departed Konoha.
Their destination was Tenchi Bridge in Kusagakure.
Several days passed.
The journey itself was uneventful.
By the time they reached the region surrounding Tenchi Bridge, only one day remained before the scheduled meeting.
Yamato did not rush directly to the bridge.
The information had come from Sasori, an Akatsuki member.
Even though Sasori had given it to them before dying, there was still a possibility that the entire meeting was a trap.
The team spent the remaining day surveying the area.
Routes of approach.
Possible ambush positions.
Escape paths.
Enemy chakra signatures.
Only after confirming that there were no obvious signs of an Akatsuki trap did Yamato finalize the plan.
He gathered Naruto, Sakura, and Sai inside the forest overlooking Tenchi Bridge.
"Our primary objective is intelligence."
Yamato's voice was quiet.
"We capture the spy if possible, but obtaining information about Orochimaru and Sasuke takes priority."
He looked toward the bridge.
"I will make contact alone."
"The three of you remain hidden at a distance."
"No one moves until I give the signal."
Sakura nodded.
"Understood."
Naruto followed.
"Got it, Captain Yamato."
Sai merely smiled.
Yamato then looked toward Naruto.
"One more thing."
Naruto raised an eyebrow.
"I want one of your Flying Thunder God kunai."
Naruto immediately understood the reason.
Yamato continued.
"If something goes wrong during the meeting, having your mark on me will allow you to reinforce my position immediately."
Naruto reached into his ninja tool pouch.
He removed one of his special three pronged kunai and handed it over.
"Keep it somewhere secure."
Yamato accepted it.
"I will."
With the preparations complete, there was nothing left to do except wait.
The hours passed slowly.
Naruto sat among the trees overlooking the bridge.
Sai was nearby.
At some point, the pale young man took out a sketchbook and began drawing.
Naruto glanced over.
Several strange illustrations covered the pages.
Sai noticed almost immediately.
He turned his head.
Still smiling.
"You enjoy looking into other people's private things?"
Naruto shrugged.
"I was just curious."
Sai stared at him.
Naruto smiled.
"But I'm more curious about something else."
"What?"
"Why do you keep forcing yourself to smile?"
Sai became still.
For the first time, that fixed expression faltered slightly.
"Was it really that obvious?"
"To me."
Sai looked back at his sketchbook.
"The books I've read say smiling helps people become closer."
Naruto considered that.
"The books aren't completely wrong."
Sai looked toward him again.
"But?"
Naruto's smile softened.
"A real smile isn't something you put on because a book tells you to."
"It comes naturally when you're actually happy."
Sai fell silent.
Naruto did not press him further.
After several moments, Sai closed the sketchbook and put it away.
He said nothing, but Naruto's words remained in his thoughts.
Nearby, Sakura sat quietly.
Her mind was elsewhere.
Sasuke.
Three years had passed.
Was he stronger?
Was he safe?
Had Orochimaru already done something to him?
Was he still the same Sasuke they remembered?
The closer they came to the meeting, the harder it became for her to remain calm.
Yamato observed the team from a distance.
His gaze paused briefly on Sai.
Before leaving Konoha, Tsunade had given him an additional order.
Keep Sai under constant observation.
There was something about the young man that required caution.
Yamato intended to follow that instruction.
Night passed without incident.
The following day arrived.
Noon approached.
The forest remained quiet.
Then movement appeared on the far side of Tenchi Bridge.
A lone figure emerged from between the trees.
A black robe concealed most of his body.
The figure walked toward the bridge without hesitation.
Naruto watched from his hiding place.
Sakura's breathing became quieter.
Sai remained unreadable.
Once the stranger reached the center of the bridge, someone else stepped out from the opposite forest.
Yamato.
But he no longer looked like Yamato.
Using Transformation Technique, he had taken on Sasori's appearance.
He walked onto the bridge and approached the waiting spy.
The stranger stopped.
Then reached up and removed his hood.
Naruto's eyes narrowed.
That face was familiar.
Kabuto Yakushi.
They had encountered him years ago during the Chūnin Exams.
Kabuto looked toward the disguised Yamato.
"It has been a long time, Lord Sasori."
Yamato maintained Sasori's mannerisms.
"You weren't followed?"
Kabuto shook his head.
"No."
He adjusted his glasses.
"But I had to leave without Orochimaru knowing."
His voice became more serious.
"I've taken a considerable risk coming here."
"So I cannot stay long."
Yamato went directly to the point.
"How are you?"
Kabuto looked slightly puzzled.
Yamato continued.
"I have questions."
"Where is Orochimaru?"
Kabuto lowered his voice.
"We change bases every few days to avoid detection."
"For the last several days, we've been staying on an island in a northern lake."
Naruto's attention sharpened.
Kabuto continued.
"We will abandon that location in three days."
Then came the words Sakura had been waiting to hear.
"Uchiha Sasuke is there as well."
Sakura's eyes widened.
Her entire body tensed.
Sasuke.
They had finally found him.
Naruto felt a surge of emotion too, but before he could dwell on it, Asuramaru spoke inside Ryūjin Jakka.
"Naruto."
Naruto remained still.
"What?"
"Orochimaru is here."
His expression changed slightly.
"Where?"
"On the opposite side of the bridge."
Naruto's eyes shifted subtly toward the forest beyond Tenchi Bridge.
Asuramaru continued.
"He is hiding nearby."
Naruto immediately understood.
Kabuto's status as a spy had almost certainly been discovered.
Beside him, Sakura was already becoming restless.
She whispered,
"Why hasn't Captain Yamato made his move yet?"
Sai glanced toward her.
"Caution is useful."
His smile remained faint.
"But too much caution can cause you to miss the best opportunity."
Naruto interrupted them.
"Orochimaru is here."
Sakura froze.
"What?"
"Across the bridge."
Naruto kept his voice low.
"Asuramaru can sense him."
Sakura's face tightened.
Then understanding dawned.
"So Kabuto has already been exposed."
Memories of three years earlier immediately returned.
The Forest of Death.
Orochimaru.
Sasuke's Cursed Seal.
Naruto nearly being killed.
Even now, the memory remained vivid.
Sai crouched nearby without saying anything.
His dark eyes gave away nothing.
On the bridge, Kabuto continued speaking.
"I really cannot stay any longer."
He looked toward Yamato.
"Give me what you promised."
"If Orochimaru discovers what I've been doing, he will kill me."
Yamato knew the situation was reaching its limit.
If Orochimaru was truly nearby, maintaining the disguise any longer might only make things worse.
His hand shifted toward a kunai.
Then he moved.
But before he could strike, another presence appeared beside Kabuto.
A figure emerged without warning.
At the same instant, a massive python shot forward.
Its thick body twisted through the air and wrapped around Kabuto.
The trap had been sprung.
…..
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Frieren: The Demon Who Learned to Love