At the very moment the Five Kage were discussing their alliance, Jiraiya's team set out toward the Sound Village.
"Sasuke, I understand how you feel, but… why not take a short break?"
Jiraiya looked at his most accomplished student with a slight headache and urged, "This time, we're going to find Orochimaru not only to protect Naruto together but also to make use of his power. We need to conserve our strength."
With a sigh, Jiraiya glanced back at a panting Sakura and Yamato from the Anbu, adding, "Even if I can keep up, you still need to think about your teammates, right?"
"No, I'm fine, Jiraiya-sama."
Sasuke forced a determined smile. "I'm okay, Sakura. Let's keep moving."
"True to being Jiraiya-sama's student, your stamina is impressive." Even Yamato, standing nearby, couldn't help but admire Sasuke's endurance.
Though Sasuke was anxious, eager to rush straight to the Sound Village, seeing Yamato and Sakura's condition made a trace of guilt appear on her face.
"I'm sorry. I was a bit too impatient. Sensei is right. Let's rest for a while."
"Sasuke, I understand. You want to see Naruto."
Jiraiya patted her shoulder to comfort her. "But you have to remember, our mission won't be smooth. The Aurora Order or people from Iwagakure could appear at any time. We must always stay at our best. Do you understand?"
"I understand, Jiraiya-sama."
Sasuke took a deep breath, suppressing her restlessness, and nodded. Turning to the other two, she said, "Sorry for not thinking carefully. Let's rest first, then continue."
By then, it was already late at night.
Hearing this, Yamato finally relaxed and cast Jiraiya a look of gratitude.
Jiraiya smiled and then turned to Yamato. "It's up to you now, Yamato."
"Leave it to me, Jiraiya-sama."
As he spoke, Yamato formed hand signs with both hands. "Wood Release: Four Pillars Technique!"
Massive trees sprang from the ground, instantly forming a complex two-story wooden house.
"This…"
Both Sakura and Sasuke were stunned.
Though they had seen Wood Release before, in the hands of the First Hokage, it had been a completely overwhelming technique.
Techniques like "Wood Dragon" or "Tree World Descent" popped up at the drop of a hat.
Yet, when it was in Yamato's hands, Wood Release became such a convenient ninjutsu.
Watching the astonished expressions of the younger shinobi, a trace of pride rose in Yamato's heart. He thought to himself: With my Four Pillars technique, even the First Hokage couldn't have done it better!
"Now you know why I brought Yamato along, right?"
Jiraiya said with a look of foresight. "With Yamato here, we don't have to worry about sleeping outdoors. Aren't you going to thank me?"
Hearing this, Yamato, who had been feeling proud a moment ago, showed a hint of shock on his face.
"Lord Jiraiya, you specially asked the Hokage to let me follow you… was it just so we could have better accommodations?"
He had thought that it was because Jiraiya valued his abilities and specifically requested him.
But in the end… it turned out it was because he could "build a house"?
For a moment, Yamato felt utterly defeated.
"Uh, well, it's not entirely because of that."
Jiraiya rubbed his nose, a bit sheepishly. "Yamato, you know Naruto is a Jinchūriki. I didn't just bring you along for comfort. If a Tailed Beast goes berserk, having you here could help suppress it, right?"
"R-really? Lord Jiraiya!"
Yamato's eyes sparkled, and he looked at Jiraiya with excitement.
In Konoha, being acknowledged by one of the Legendary Sannin was a tremendous honor.
Even those who spent years in the Anbu would hope to gain recognition from such a legendary ninja.
"Y-Yes, it's true."
Jiraiya answered casually, wanting to avoid further questioning from Yamato. He led everyone into the wooden house. "Get some rest. We have to travel again tomorrow."
"Sasuke, do you think Lord Jiraiya really means that?" Sakura asked, her voice lowered, a doubtful expression on her face.
"From what I know…"
Sasuke covered her mouth and chuckled mischievously. "He's probably just teasing Yamato~"
The two of them's conversation hadn't been overheard by Yamato. Soon, everyone settled into the wooden house.
It had to be said, the house Yamato built was truly well-made. Not only was there a dedicated place for a fire, but he had also partitioned several rooms.
Sasuke and Sakura shared one room, while Yamato and Jiraiya shared another.
"Not gonna lie, Sasuke, this is actually pretty comfortable." Sakura lay on the slightly hard wooden bed. The exhaustion of the day made her sleepy.
Although it wasn't as comfortable as sleeping at home, it was definitely better than sleeping outdoors. Most importantly, there were no annoying mosquitoes.
Sasuke was about to respond when she heard soft snoring. She turned her head and saw Sakura's face, completely exhausted as she slept.
Carefully, she covered her with a blanket. Yet, she herself felt no trace of sleepiness.
"Naruto… I wonder what you're doing now."
Gazing at the bright moon outside the wooden window, Sasuke's mind wandered back to that day—her chance encounter with Naruto, some days ago.
He seemed much calmer than before. His entire presence felt completely different, colder and more composed.
At that moment, it seemed faint whispers came from outside the window.
Already fully awake, Sasuke sprang from the wooden bed and focused on the sound.
It was getting closer. It seemed to be lingering right outside the wooden house.
In an instant, Sasuke's alertness sharpened. She grabbed the nearby sword and hid herself by the window, looking down from the high perch.
But strangely, she couldn't see anyone.
Knock, knock, knock.
Suddenly, someone knocked on the door.
In the silence of the night, the sudden knocking made Sasuke's heart skip a beat.
"Who's there?"
She lowered her voice and asked the person at the door.
Knock, knock, knock!
Still, no one responded from outside. Only the knocking continued.
At that moment, Sasuke sensed that something was wrong. She turned toward the bed beside the room, lowering her footsteps and moving carefully.
Knock knock knock!
The sound of knocking continued relentlessly.
*******
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