A Different Path

Bonding

Sasuke's POV

"What's the meaning of this?" Sasuke growled slightly as his angry gaze focused on the woman before him, who was holding her head with her palms. Sakura was eyeing her with her eyebrows furrowed and her hands resting on her hips in an accusatory manner.
"Calm down and listen to me." She gritted her teeth.
"How the fu-!" The raven flinched when Lady Tsunade's palms crashed onto the smooth surface of her wooden desk, her lower lip stirring with annoyance.
"Mind that tongue of yours in my office, Uchiha!" She raised her voice before slipping back onto her chair, a heavy sigh escaping her mouth.

Sasuke could bet that Sai was smirking, inwardly at least, somewhere behind him. He, in return, wasn't that disrespectful as to pry his eyes away from the Hokage at that moment and to tell whether he should punch that pale bastard or not.
"Are you," Sasuke breathed slowly to calm himself. ".. Trying to replace him?" Tsunade's face clouded with sorrow while Sakura frowned softly. From the corner of the room, Kakashi was watching them with his arms crossed. He didn't like the current situation either. But before the woman could reply, a collected voice spoke up.
"Sasuke." The Uchiha's attention jerked onto the blond who was leaning against the wall at
his right, next to the pinkheaded kunoichi. His fists started to loosen at the sight of those calm pools of blue. "Don't blame her. She doesn't mean to replace me. At least, not yet. You and I both know that I won't be here forever." Naruto's face remained emotionless and that was when Sasuke realized that he may not be as close to him as he had thought, since he couldn't tell if Naruto really meant it or if he was just playing with his mind.

"Saved by the traitor.." It took all of Sasuke willpower to not turn around and kick the living daylights out of the shinobi behind him. But Naruto seemed to have ignored him anyway, unlike Sakura, who was cracking her knuckles.
"Team 7 would be structurally disadvantaged if it was to have only three members. She just wants what's best for all of you." The Jinchuriki finished his speech with one gentle look thrown at Sasuke and an expectant one at the Hokage, who smiled at him softly in response to him having somewhat taken her side.
"That's why I'm sending both your team and Naruto on this brief mission. I know that you two would feel better about Sai if Naruto was to approve of him." Tsunade kept her voice low. She must've understood Sasuke and Sakura's situation well.

The raven glanced at the kunoichi only to see her nod her head weakly, a bitter smile on her lips.
"Fine." He sighed and said no more, regardless of his contradictory opinion. "But let's make one thing clear. He'll never be able to replace Naruto." Sasuke growled before he glared at Sai and ignored Kakashi's narrowed eye. Tsunade sighed heavily once again and rubbed her temples, accompanied by the Copy Nin who was now shaking his head slightly and Naruto who had closed his eyes. Hiding his feelings again, I bet. And now Sasuke was innerly taking his anger out on the blond.
"I know. I never said that he would." The Hokage frowned as if Naruto wasn't there at all. As if he had already left. "Anyway, the main objective is to help Lord Fukasaku with the snake problem he's been having at Mount Myoboku." Suddenly, Naruto's eyes snapped open, his fists clenching slowly.
"What snake problem?" Sasuke could hear the alarm in his voice. It was almost like Pain's attack all over again.

"So she's managed to get a reaction out of him.." Sai seemed to be talking mental notes on how to properly interact with the young Uzumaki, which only made Sasuke's blood boil in his veins. But Sakura was quicker. Grunting, she raised her gloved fists only to stop herself midair, her knuckles an inch away from the ninja's nose. She looked up to see Kakashi holding onto her elbow with a stressed-out look on the exposed part of his face. The girl got the message and pulled back as her angry gaze never left Sai's surprised one.
Coming to think about it, he does remind me of Nawaki, a little. Except he was actually not so disagreeable.
"Relax, it's not something drastic. From what he has told me, giant snakes have been wreaking havoc in the village, but the toads are managing to hold them off. They could use your help, though. Good luck. And be back soon, I have to be present at the Five Kage Summit, in the Land of Iron and I need to have Kakashi back until then." Tsunade rasped as small creases formed around the edges of her chocolate eyes.

Kakashi's the guy he trusts the most to leave in charge of the village while she's gone. Figures. The Elder Council might not be what it used to be, back in the day. Sasuke let his eyes wonder on Naruto, who seemed to be relieved upon hearing that.
"But how are we going to get there? Isn't Mount Myoboku a hidden place?" Sakura forgot about Sai for a moment to speak her mind.
"It is. But it's possible to reach it only by having made a summoning contract with the toads, like I have. We'll use the Reverse Summoning Jutsu." Naruto raised his right arm to pull his hood back up as he glanced at the Hokage. "If there isn't anything to add, we may take our leave."
"Dismissed." He turned around as soon as Tsunade nodded and walked out the door, Team 7 and Sai short on his tail. Despite it all, Sasuke couldn't feel worse about the new shinobi joining his team. It didn't really matter who it was. It was just that it wasn't Naruto. And as always, Naruto sensed his uneasiness.

"We leave at dawn. Prepare your things and also, pack up food. I should warn you about what do toads usually eat." The blond spoke slowly, his face barely visible. But before he left, he glanced at Sasuke. And he got the message. Kakashi guided Sakura and Sai out of the Hokage's Tower saying that maybe it was a good idea for the two to pack together since the tension between them was unbearable for their lazy sensei. The Uchiha walked over the blond and matched his pace as they made their way out of the building and to the Training Grounds. That was their place, the place where they'd made lots of beautiful memories. The two climbed up into a tree, a comfortable silence between them.
The raven seated himself with his back pressed against the bark of the tree trunk while Naruto did the same on the opposite branch, having only the wood to separate their bodies. Sasuke could almost feel the other's comforting heat even through the harsh surface of the bark.

"Why did you react like that when Sai showed up?" Sasuke couldn't help but ask. His curiosity was nagging him like Shikamaru's mother would do to her son. Poor guy. "Have you met him before?"
"No. He doesn't really seem like a guy that bad. It's just that.. I know who he worked for. His whole organization, actually." Naruto sighed softly as if he was remembering something unpleasant. Sasuke couldn't tell since he couldn't see the blond.
"Organization?" The raven furrowed his eyebrows, puzzled.
"They call themselves ROOT. They train toddlers to be emotionless killing machines. I don't have anything against them, personally. Only against their inhumane customs and former leader." Naruto's voice grew cold.
"Who was their leader?" The Uchiha almost hesitated to ask. He had a bad feeling about it.
"Danzo Shimura." The Jinchuriki spat. Sasuke thought he was imagining it, but he could swear he somehow felt Naruto tensing up. Wait, he's the elder that got killed, isn't he?

"What did he do?" He hoped he wasn't pushing him too much.
"He planned Lord Third's death along with Orochimaru and he was on the brink of managing to blame me for it." ... What? He did what? "He had made up some evidence that would make me get sent into exile. So I was forced to do his dirty work for half a year." Naruto's voice was now monotone. He seemed to want to add something but he kept his mouth shut. From what Sasuke still knew of him, he realized that he'd better stop pushing him. It was obviously a touchy subject.
"But, he's dead right? He got what he deserved." The raven tried to lighten his mood.
"Yeah. And I'm glad I got to be the one to slit his throat."

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Heya! Bella here! Early update! Yay! I hope you guys aren't hating on Sai. He's just an unfortunate guy, really. Anyway, prepare for some kawai moments in the following chapters! Enjoy! 😏
Next time, on Naruto Shippuden:
'A Pleasant Reunion'
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~See ya!~
~Bella~
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