His mother had taught him the answer to that a long, long time ago. The love that Kushina and Minato poured into him had been in there all this time, and now, the new Team Seven, Shikamaru, his family, and everyone in the village filled him up with new feelings each and every day.
He’d trained so much and gained a variety of techniques and abilities. But to Naruto, his greatest strength was that he had good friends. He was proud of them from the bottom of his heart.
It’s okay, Naruto told himself. I’m sure they’ll save me tomorrow.
“Amazing, huh? It really does just keep on burning.”
“It’s like, this is way more Land of Fire than our actual Land of Fire, you know?”
The next day, Ino and Choji each offered up their thoughts looking down on the burning hill from the viewing platform of a commercial building. On the slope blanketed by faded vegetation were orange flames stretching up from inside the earth.
A modern cityscape spread out in the south stood in contrast to the simple fields that could be seen to the north. Buildings soared high like they were holding up the sky, and the walkways were covered in closely spaced tiles.
“Both of you, come on. We’ll go over the plan,” Shikamaru called, and Ino and Choji moved away from the glass window.
Sadly, the three members of Team Asuma had not taken several trains to the Land of Kizahashi to take in the views. Shikamaru had abruptly called them together the previous night and told them the details of what was going on, and soon they were on the night train bound for the Land of Kizahashi.
They had been surprised to learn Naruto was ill with a serious disease, but they had been more shocked by the details of the mission they’d been given. Sneaking into the Kengakuin research institute?
Kengakuin was a neutral international facility that operated outside the favor or influence of any of the Five Great Nations. Given its official mission of “working toward a world order without interference or profiting from any country,” it would be an international scandal if shinobi from the Land of Fire were found to have entered the facility illegally.
That’s why we have to do it so no one finds out, Shikamaru said lightly but also with the understanding that he would be the one most criticized if they were discovered trespassing. As an adviser since the time of the Sixth, he bore the greatest burden of risk.
Shikamaru pulled out a chair from a table at the café in the building. He, Ino, and Choji, and one other mission member sat down around the chic table with carved feet.
“Hey? Where are the beans in this organic coffee from? What? Ongakure? Ugh, no. Their coffee’s awful. Okay then, this Gyokuro hot tea is fine.” Orochimaru clapped the menu closed and thrust it at the server, and then set his elbows on the table and propped his chin up. “So? Calling me all the way out here, this must be quite the serious mission?”
Yes, this mission was a four-person cell of boar, deer, butterfly, and snake.
Ino was nervous and rubbed her bare shoulders in her sleeveless shirt. It was strange to see the criminal who had once planned the downfall of Konoha sitting among her trusted teammates. To be extremely frank—it was hard to make any sense of it!
Feigning ignorance and letting Ino’s look of protest wash over him, Shikamaru spread pieces of paper out on the table. One was a map of the city with routes marked on it. The other was a rough sketch of the Kengakuin head office.
“Our mission is to steal the signs to release the seal on ‘the star that never strays’ deciphered by the institute. I told you on the train that ‘the star that never strays’ refers to a satellite the Sage of Six Paths launched. The ultra particles hidden inside of it are protected by two seals. One keeps the satellite circling the planet. The other is on the vessel with the ultra particles in it.”
“These signs—I thought Sasuke and Sakura brought them back from the astronomical observatory?” Choji cocked his head to one side.
“They did,” Shikamaru responded. “Unfortunately, the text is really old, and the place with the second set of signs is smudged and impossible to read. That’s why we asked the director of the institute to take a look at it.”
“That would be this Furieh who was caught yesterday, right?” Ino said.
Shikamaru nodded. “I made a mistake in giving him Map of the Heavens. I knew he wasn’t on the up and up. But there was no other person who could restore a text that damaged.”
“Oh my! I could have done it,” Orochimaru said, looking upset.
Shikamaru stared at him, a complicated look on his face. I’m not exactly sure you’re a person though. He bit back this argument and continued.
“Anyway. Furieh must have repaired the damage to the ancient text and deciphered it. Otherwise, he couldn’t have released the seal on the vessel and gotten the ultra particles out. He must have gotten the signs for both ‘the sky that fell to the earth’ and ‘the star that never strays,’ but he still hasn’t regained consciousness. And without his testimony, Kengakuin won’t admit to the scandal. But we don’t have time to argue with them.”
“So we’re just going to go in and hack the man’s computer,” Ino said.
“Right,” Shikamaru replied. “The text is who knows how many hundreds of years old. There’s no way he was sitting there with a magnifying glass, poring over it. The work had to have been done on a computer. Orochimaru, that’s why I asked you along.”
“I understand. But don’t forget about my compensation, hm?”
This compensation Orochimaru insisted on was the blueprint for the system bike Chihare had developed. He apparently wanted to make and ride one of his own.
Shikamaru nodded reluctantly. “I haven’t.” He shifted his gaze to Choji and Ino. “The institute firewall won’t let anyone in unless they’re at a terminal with access authorization. On top of that, Furieh’s computer has its own individual security. So from here on out, we split into two groups.”
He set a photo down on top of the map. It was of a young man in an expensive-looking suit.
“This guy’s the head of the Technology Department, Chomen Nohto. He’s the one with firewall authorization. Choji and I will approach him and get it unlocked one way or another.”
“So then …” Ino guessed at her team assignment and gulped as she turned her eyes toward Orochimaru.
“Ino, you pair up with Orochimaru and break into the institute,” Shikamaru continued. “Once we take down the firewall, you hack Furieh’s computer and get the deciphered sign data.”
Seeing Ino’s face tense up, Orochimaru smiled, pleased. “Looking forward to it. ♡”
“We’ve got until ten p.m. That’s when Naruto and the others will reach the satellite.”
“Hey, so what if we don’t make it in time?” Choji asked. “What if the vessel isn’t open when Naruto and them get to it?”
“Sasuke’ll smash it,” Shikamaru replied easily. “The vessel’s protected by powerful wards, but there’s nothing that guy can’t smash.”
“So then we don’t really need to do all this sneaking around?” Ino said, and Shikamaru was at a loss for words. He glanced at Orochimaru.
“It’s a natural question.” Orochimaru pulled his head back and continued coolly. “The substance inside the vessel amplifies chakra. If a shinobi like Sasuke, with a vast amount of chakra, were to be showered in it, their chakra vessels would explode and they would die instantly.”
“What … that,” Ino stammered. “Does Sasuke …”
“He knows.” Shikamaru scratched his head, annoyed. “Still, he’ll happily smash it for Naruto’s sake. He’s that kind of guy.”
“But if Sasuke does that, then Sakura and Sarada …” Ino protested.
“He honestly believes that everyone will be fine as long as Naruto’s around,” Shikamaru told her. “He seriously doesn’t get that just like how his family is important to him, he’s also important to his family.”
“He’s a real idiot,” Choji said gently, and Shikamaru nodded his head in agreement.
“Well, it’s a hassle, but … This mission’s not just to save Naruto. Sasuke’s life is also on the line here.”
“We can’t mess this one up, huh?” Ino said finally.
The three of them exchanged powerful looks. It had been a long time since all three members of the Ino-Shika-Cho team had come together. On top of that, their mission objective involved Naruto and Sasuke, which ignited a bigger fire in their hearts.
“I apologize for intruding on your passionate little moment,” Orochimaru interjected, bringing his teacup and saucer up in front of his chest. “But in order to release the seal on the vessel in the satellite, won’t you have to go all the way to the Land of Redaku and weave the signs there? In the text, it says you ‘must tarry in the Land of Redaku reveling with the Map of the Heavens.’ What if this ‘reveling with the Map of the Heavens’ is alluding to weaving the signs hidden in the book?”
“Yeah, it won’t work unless the signs are woven in the Land of Redaku,” Shikamaru agreed. “We got someone headed that way now.”
For a man who generally did not let his feelings show, Orochimaru looked perplexed.
This strategy had been decided on the previous night. Even if this “someone” had set off for Redaku at the very moment the decision was made, no one could reach the Land of Redaku—
“He exists. We’ve got the perfect person for this job.” Ino smiled proudly. “Someone who can fly faster than anyone, and who’ll definitely be able to receive my Mind Transmission.”
The bird spread its black-ink wings and flew.
The fastest flying creature in Sai’s Cartoon Beast Mimicry was the yadonaki goose, a legendary water bird that passed over mountains and rivers with such grace and elegance that it was said to have caused envy in travelers walking along the ground. Its long fluttering tail feathers were particularly beautiful, and its flying figure, supple like that of an angel, had charmed many a painter.
Sai was currently working this vision of a bird like a carriage horse.
“Keee …” The yadonaki let out a short cry and turned its long neck reproachfully toward Sai. It probably wanted a break, but Sai shook his head, his face expressionless, and stroked its inky feathers consolingly.
Built for speed, the yadonaki was meant for carrying letters and packages; it certainly wasn’t intended to carry people. The bird struggled to keep flying with its creator Sai on its back. He must have weighed so heavily on the poor creature.
I’m pushing it too hard, he thought. But this mission required movement in a mere twenty hours across a distance that would take twenty days on shinobi feet and two days at the speed of a hawk. If he didn’t push, he wouldn’t make it in time.
Honestly, I’m a terrible boss.
Sai wiped away the sweat beading on his forehead. If the yadonaki was pushing and straining itself, its creator Sai was also pushing and straining himself.