Inside the dim and damp cave, it was so quiet that one could almost hear the slow passage of time.
Faint light dappled, outlining the structures within the cave, adding a touch of mystery and depth.
In this spacious area, a few Anbu Ninja could occasionally be seen conversing in low voices, their figures appearing and disappearing in the interplay of light and shadow.
Chizhao had returned once again to this secluded, familiar place, unsure of what mission awaited her next.
With a nervous heart, she changed into her combat uniform and then went to the classroom designated for Team Six.
The space inside was not large, and Chizhao quickly focused her gaze on one of the boys.
"Sai! You're here so early?" Chizhao's words carried a hint of surprise and familiarity.
Sai's paintbrush paused slightly, and he slowly turned his head, a mechanical smile appearing on his face, his tone calm:
"You've called me by the wrong codename again."
Chizhao awkwardly scratched her head.
She walked over and sat down naturally beside him, her gaze earnestly fixed on his emotionless eyes:
"Will you be angry, then?"
"Angry?" Sai repeated the word, as if pondering its meaning: "Should I be angry?"
His smile remained innocent, yet it made one feel an imperceptible chill.
A bead of cold sweat trickled down Chizhao's back.
He was just like an emotionless robot.
Then, a thought struck her, and she decided to find a reason for him to accept the name "Sai" from now on.
So she cleared her throat twice, putting on a serious and earnest expression.
"Do you know why I call you 'Sai'?"
Sai remained silent, waiting for her to continue.
"Right now, we are partners fighting side-by-side, but I also want to become very good friends with you. Can we start with this name?"
Chizhao nervously watched Sai's reaction, afraid that her reason was too far-fetched.
"What are friends? Will they also end up killing each other?"
A hint of confusion flickered in his eyes.
Chizhao hadn't expected Sai to ask such a question. She looked at his hand resting on the sketchbook, black lines encircling the small boy, revealing a suffocating sense of repression.
The answer to this question was too complex in this world, but she still tried her best to offer her understanding:
"A friend is someone who can laugh heartily with you and share your joy when you're happy. They are also someone who extends a helping hand without hesitation when you encounter difficulties. Friends would never kill each other."
"Then how do I determine if someone is my friend?" Sai pressed on.
Chizhao extended her finger, gently pointing to the location of Sai's heart; her face appeared exceptionally bright under the light.
"It will tell you."
At this moment, Shin's face flashed through Sai's mind. He then looked at the sketchbook on the table.
Regarding the meaning of "friend," he seemed to vaguely have his own answer.
Shin, he must be his friend, right?
Was the joy he felt when he received the sketchbook because he had a friend?
His gaze shifted back to the girl with the gentle smile in front of him, and his right hand unconsciously touched the location of his heart.
But what was this ticklish feeling here?
Just as Sai was lost in thought, the sound of the door lock turning broke the silence in the room.
Chizhao turned her head to look; walking in from the doorway, one after another, were Aburame Torune and Fu Yamanaka, who had changed into their combat uniforms.
"Good morning, Torune! Fu!"
Her voice was full of energy, making even the usually silent Aburame Torune a bit unaccustomed, stopping there unsure how to respond.
Fu Yamanaka, behind him, gently nudged him, smiling as he said:
"Good morning, Chizhao."
Torune secretly glanced over, calmed his flustered heart, and mimicking him, forced a smile that looked somewhat natural:
"Go...good morning..."
Watching Chizhao's radiant smile, Sai quietly made a mental note.
I see, so greeting her this way makes her very happy.
After the four of them were seated in their respective spots, Fu Yamanaka friendly leaned closer to Chizhao, a gentle warmth in his eyes:
"How's your body recovering? It won't be too strenuous to go on a mission now, will it?"
Are all members of the Yamanaka clan so understanding, gentle, and considerate?
Snapping back to reality, Chizhao raised her arm to demonstrate her condition:
"Of course, there's no problem. This mission will also be perfectly completed, just like last time."
Fu Yamanaka smiled slightly and affectionately patted Chizhao's head:
"That's a relief, then."
The boy in front of her seemed much gentler and more approachable compared to the other two.
As she looked at Fu Yamanaka, Ino Yamanaka's face unconsciously appeared before her eyes.
Ah...
Fu is unexpectedly as gentle as Ino.
At this moment, the two boys who witnessed everything also had their internal thoughts become active to varying degrees.
Sai: I see, so necessary physical gestures are also one of the elements for enhancing feelings?
Torune: Fu... does he actually have this side to him? Oh no, what's with this inexplicable sense of crisis?
"Is everyone here?"
Yamato walked in through the doorway with a smile, scanning the team members below. He crossed his arms and asked everyone in a pleasant tone.
"How has everyone's rest been these past few days?"
The air seemed to freeze; no one responded.
After a few seconds, still no one responded.
Yamato stood there awkwardly, his mouth twitching.
How could this be? Not even a single response?
Finally, Chizhao, unable to bear it any longer, raised her right hand high, breaking the awkward silence.
"Reporting, Captain, I rested very well!"
Yamato gave Chizhao a grateful look, cleared his throat twice, and then smoothly transitioned to today's topic.
"That's good, because the upcoming mission will be very tough!"
The three boys remained unmoved, only Chizhao quietly swallowed, listening intently as Yamato described the details of the upcoming mission.
"This mission is an S-rank."
His voice became serious; upon hearing it was an S-rank mission, the expressions on all four faces grew solemn.
An S-rank mission right after completing a B-rank one?
Anbu really doesn't give anyone a moment to breathe.
Yamato took out the mission scroll and unrolled it before him:
"This mission is assigned by the Village, so I probably don't need to emphasize its importance, do I?"
"The mission location is the Land of Waves, and the mission objective is..."
"To eradicate the dark forces led by Gato that are entrenched there, and to find and destroy evidence of their illegal transactions."
Gato?!
Isn't he the key figure in Naruto and his companions' battle with Zabuza?
"Captain, since we're infiltrating another country for assassination, do we have the target's specific location?" Torune raised the critical question.
Hearing this, Yamato leaned against the edge of the table behind him, a troubled expression on his face:
"That country has already been controlled by Gato, and information is in a closed state, so we have no idea of the target's specific location or the number of enemies. This is why it's an S-rank mission."
Fu Yamanaka frowned: "Incomplete information, this will indeed be a very tricky mission..."
Sensing the heavy atmosphere among his team members, Yamato straightened up, put the mission scroll back into his bag, placed his hands on his hips, and displayed a confident smile.
"But don't worry! I've already made a detailed plan for this mission. As long as we work together, we will definitely complete it perfectly!"