The rain continued throughout the night, but Mai, finally granted Tsunade's permission, could at last relax her tense nerves. Unable to refuse, she took a bath and was led drowsily through the white-walled, blue-tiled halls of her residence.
Lying on a soft, comfortable bed, listening to the rain and the faint sound of flowing water, Mai felt an unusual sense of peace. She slept soundly.
By morning, the sky was clear and bright. When Sakura learned that Mai had been allowed to join the mission, she was overjoyed. She praised her junior's perseverance, and the news quickly reached Team 7.
Naruto and the others received the official notice from the Hokage. After a moment of surprise, they welcomed the decision warmly. Thanks to their earlier dinner gathering, they already had a sense of Mai's skills and personality, making her integration into the team smooth and natural.
With the roster finalized, Konoha edged closer to the moment of action.
The rain seemed to have exhausted itself over the past few days, giving way to uninterrupted sunshine. Amidst the faint unease and anticipation, the mission details were settled: Team 7 would be accompanied by Team 8, which consisted of Shino, Kiba, and Hinata, for support.
Two days later, at Konoha's gates.
"Since Tsunade-sama has given her approval, and you've got plenty of mission experience, I won't lecture you too much..."
There was still some time before departure. Mai arrived early, backpack ready, only to find she was a bit too eager, as many others hadn't shown up yet.
While waiting, Kakashi, the appointed team leader, offered his advice, "Follow orders and don't act recklessly, that's the most important thing. Understood?"
"Mm-hmm, understood." Mai listened earnestly, nodding solemnly.
Joining Team 7 hadn't been easy. Mai had considered applying for her own team to serve as the mission's second team, as it would've simplified things. But she wasn't sure if her teammates were cleared for information on Akatsuki or Jinchuriki. Besides, dragging them into such a dangerous mission wouldn't be fair.
She had already explained things to her Jonin Instructor. She trusted her teammates would understand.
"Good." Mai's sincere attitude pleased Kakashi. For once, he felt the weight of a teacher's authority, something rarely acknowledged by Naruto or Sakura, 'Such a model student… It really makes me envy Tsunade-sama a little. Maybe we should swap?'
"Also…"
"Kakashi-sensei, enough with the dry lectures," Sakura cut in, slinging an arm around Mai's shoulders, "She was already part of an elite team, she knows this stuff."
Sakura, who is taller than Mai, stood protectively beside her, exuding big-sister energy.
"I think Mai's sensei was Kurokawa Gensaku, right?"
"Elite team, what's that?"
Naruto was doing warm-up exercises out of boredom. When it came to Sasuke, he would be very diligent.
When he heard a slightly interesting topic, he joined in, "Is it different from our team assignments?"
"It's really nothing special..." Mai waved her hands embarrassedly.
"They should be pretty well-known. Their sensei's mission success rate is way higher than Kakashi-sensei's..."
"That's amazing!"
"...Now that I think about it, Sakura's right. Our sensei's way too lazy."
Kakashi had somehow drifted to the edge of the group, his visible eye twitching.
The conversation of criticizing their own sensei while praising others' only ended when Team 8 arrived. Mai quickly bowed to Kakashi, whispering an apology.
"Kakashi-sensei, I'm really sorry..."
"It's fine, it's fine." Kakashi brushed it off outwardly, though inwardly, he was suffering. Watching Mai's considerate, well-mannered demeanor, then glancing at Naruto and Sakura, '…Ah, there really is no harm without comparison.'
"Seems we're a bit late." Kiba remarked as Team 8 approached. Hinata and Shino greeted the others. Their team leader, Kurenai, had taken extended leave from the village and wouldn't be joining this mission.
Kurenai had been Team 8's leader, but her recent state was… fragile. The deaths of Asuma during the Hidan and Kakuzu incident had hit her hardest, even shaking her resolve to continue as a Ninja.
With everyone assembled, there was no time to waste. Kakashi surveyed the group, nine members in total. Yamato and he, as the two Jonin, would each lead a team. Mai was folded into Team 7, but five people was still one too many...
'Always one extra. Guess that's Team 7's tradition.' Kakashi mused.
Unexpectedly, Tsunade herself arrived to see them off, with Shizune trailing closely behind.
'She must really value this mission.' Kakashi noted.
Tsunade's gaze lingered briefly on Mai, now fully geared up, before sweeping over the entire group.
Kakashi and Yamato exchanged a few words with her, and Tsunade delivered her final instructions.
With everything set, she raised her hand grandly, "Then, by my authority, you are hereby entrusted with the mission to locate and capture Uchiha Itachi alive! Everyone… stay sharp!"
…
The northern region of the Land of Fire was vast… a sprawling expanse of mountain ranges dotted with occasional small settlements. From the rooftops, one could see endless stretches of dense forest stretching toward the horizon t.
Narrowing down their target's location to this area was already a significant achievement.
During the journey, Mai seized every opportunity to bond with her teammates, whether through casual conversation or tactical discussions. Familiarity bred cohesion, and even if they couldn't achieve seamless coordination in battle, they could at least avoid clumsy mishaps like getting in each other's way.
Being one of the few girls in the group, Mai naturally grew closest to Hinata after Sakura. Though the Hyuga Clan's heiress was painfully shy, Mai's warmth and sincerity put her at ease, allowing them to chat comfortably.
Mai kept pace effortlessly with the group's travel speed, her stamina and composure earning Kakashi's quiet approval.
Then, one afternoon, they finally stopped.
Before them stood an ancient temple complex… vermilion pillars, upturned eaves, and scattered pavilions nestled poetically among emerald trees and clear streams, half-hidden like a bashly maiden.
They stood atop the temple's meticulously maintained tiled roofs, likely unbeknownst to the resident monks below. Kakashi unveiled their plan.
"We'll use this location as our center point, conducting a five-kilometer radial search. If nothing turns up, we'll shift to a new location and repeat the process..."
The team listened solemnly. Kakashi summoned his Ninken and finalized the search parties.
"Then, disperse!"
…
Konoha's Ninja dispersed into the endless primordial forest, determination burning in their eyes.
Meanwhile, from another direction, a four-man team also entered the region. Leaves rustled as branches brushed against the peacefully sheathed Kusanagi Sword.
Akatsuki, and Itachi who had been waiting for a long time, were both here.
Boom!
A dramatic explosion of smoke announced the arrival of Deidara, flanked by two massive clay birds. He turned sharply, shouting, "Hey, newbie! Remember, don't get in my way."
Obito, who played the role of Tobi, wore a mask and flailed theatrically, chirping, "Of course, Senpai!"
"But... are we really picking fights with them? Both sides seem kind of scary..."
"Shut up! I'm an artist… this isn't 'picking fights'!"
With Sasori recovering from injuries and this 'junior' assigned to him, Deidara felt the weight of leadership.
"Listen up, as Akatsuki, we got to be cool and mysterious. That means cool explosive art!" Deidara declared, "Whether it's Konoha's Kyubi or Uchiha Sasuke… we're taking them down!"
"Roger that, Senpai!" Tobi saluted stiffly.
Thus, the Akatsuki's most 'serious team' advanced.