After years of being kept in the dark of her past and of her family, Kari Yamada finally knows the truth. However, there's something still missing, something detrimental to gain the peace she strives to find. With the Akatsuki breathing down hers an...
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"So, uh... now that the five of us are going to be deployed immediately, maybe we should... Oh, man." Captain Yamato sighs. "What a time to throw you in a cage to get acquainted with one another... Let's go! Introduce ourselves."
"Naruto Uzumaki."
"Sakura Haruno."
"Kari Yamada."
"And you can call me Sai."
"All right, well, that takes care of that," Captain Yamato mutters. "Let me give you a breakdown of Team Kakashi's new mission. The five of us will head to Tenshi Bridge and capture the Akatsuki spy who has infiltrated Orochimaru's organization, and bring him back. This is our best shot at gaining intelligence on Orochimaru and Uchiha."
Both Naruto and Sakura gasp. Over the past two years, I've gained my own intelligence on Sasuke. It wasn't easy, of course, and there were several casualties among the untrained Yamada I'd asked to accompany me. But at this moment in time, I know more about Sasuke than even Orochimaru. Things I can't divulge to even my teammates, let alone the village.
"This intelligence will be used to eventually orchestrate Orochimaru's assassination, and if we're lucky, Sasuke Uchiha's retrieval. So, keep that in mind."
"Okay," Naruto says with a nod.
"Right," says Sakura. I nod, as well.
"As soon as your gear is packed and you're ready to go, rendezvous at the main gate in exactly one hour."
•
"Man, that jerk, Sai," Naruto grumbles. "I already can't stand him. How come he's replacing Sasuke? Team Kakashi would be fine with just the four of us."
"He is rude, and he's got a foul mouth," Sakura says, "but there's something familiar about him, like his face or his voice... They kind of remind me of Sasuke."
Naruto scoffs. "That guy is nothing like Sasuke! Sasuke's way cooler than he is!"
"What was that?" I say, placing my hand to my ear. "I think your inferiority complex is showing again."
"I-I meant—""But maybe this is why it'll be difficult to forgive and forget?" I reason. "Because Sai reminds you of Sasuke?"
"No way, nuh uh!" I roll my eyes at him. "Sasuke's better!"
"Yeah, you're right," Sakura agrees. "I still think there's something familiar about him, though, but Sasuke is a little cooler."
"A little?" Naruto repeats, incredulous. "Oh, come on! Sasuke's a bazillion times better than him. Man..."
"Considering "bazillion" isn't a word, let's leave it at that," I say with a laugh. Without warranting it, it dies quickly, and abruptly. Why, I wonder. Why do I feel so uneasy about this mission?
