Morning light spilled across the village as the sun climbed higher. Birds took to the air, beginning their daily hunt.
At Konoha's gate, Team Seven exchanged a few words with the guards, signed the travel record, and stepped back into the village.
"We're finally home," Sakura said, smiling as if a weight had lifted from her shoulders.
They had been gone nearly twenty days. For all three of them, it was the longest mission they had ever spent away from Konoha.
Inside the Hokage Tower, the Third Hokage listened quietly as Kakashi finished his report. Smoke curled lazily from his pipe before he spoke.
"The mission rating will be raised to A-rank."
He looked at the three genin and smiled, gentle and approving.
"Well done."
Wave Country had drawn in far more than expected. Two former members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist had appeared, and the situation had brushed dangerously close to disaster. By any reasonable standard, it could have been considered an S-rank operation.
But the Third Hokage had his reasons for restraint.
"After more than a month of consecutive missions," he continued, "you'll be given two weeks of leave. Rest well. Reflect on what you've learned. And don't neglect your training."
Naruto grinned and puffed out his chest. "See? I told you picking us was the right call!"
The old man chuckled, eyes briefly distant, as if recalling another blond boy who once stood just as proudly.
After the paperwork was finished, Team Seven left the tower together.
Behind them, the Third Hokage's smile faded as he turned to a second report. Wave Country was no longer the genin's concern, but it remained his. The ANBU had already begun cleaning up the deeper threads behind Gatō's disappearance.
One line caught his attention.
Uchiha Sasuke awakened the Sharingan.
It surprised him, but only briefly.
Against an opponent like Raiga, awakening it was almost inevitable. As long as it wasn't the Mangekyō, there was no cause for alarm. Far more pressing was the shifting balance between Konoha and Kirigakure.
He exhaled a thin stream of smoke.
Outside, Kakashi stretched lazily.
"Since it's a vacation," he said, "we'll part ways here."
Naruto's eyes lit up. "Wait, Kakashi-sensei! You promised to treat us after the mission—"
Kakashi vanished in a puff of smoke.
Naruto clenched his fist. "That jerk!"
Sakura sighed. "Honestly, Naruto. You should know better by now."
"Well then," Naruto said after a moment, "let's go eat ourselves!"
"I'm out," Sasuke replied calmly. "I have plans."
Naruto frowned. "What kind of plans?"
"My strength advanced during the mission," Sasuke said. "I'm going to consolidate it."
With that, he disappeared in a blur of movement.
Naruto stiffened. "He got stronger again?"
A moment later, Naruto spun on his heel. "Sakura, I'm heading off too!"
Before she could respond, he was gone, chased by the sound of rushing wind.
Sakura stood there alone, rubbing her temple.
"…Unbelievable."
Still, their urgency lingered with her. After a brief pause, she turned and headed home, resolve sharpening with every step.
That night, Sasuke returned to the Uchiha compound.
He descended into the underground chamber and left a shadow clone behind before sealing the entrance. The clone would remain aboveground, acting as his presence. It was precise. Indistinguishable.
Satisfied, Sasuke formed a seal.
"Summoning Technique."
Smoke billowed, and a small lizard appeared on the floor, no larger than his palm.
"Lord Sasuke," it said, lowering its head.
"Shusaki," Sasuke replied. "I need your true body to perform reverse summoning. Take me to Grass Lizard Marsh."
The lizard nodded and vanished.
Sasuke waited. A faint pull soon tugged at his senses, space itself warping around him. He stepped forward without hesitation.
The room dissolved into smoke.
And Sasuke was gone.