Let It Burn: Life [Sasuke Uchiha]

Chapter 23

The Hokage called three individuals to her office a few days later. Mai had been training once again with Hinata on the back training ground when summoned. She quickly rushed to the Hokage building to find the woman and Jiraiya waiting in the office. No one said a word though until the door opened once again revealing Sakura and Naruto.

"Sorry we're late," Sakura huffed. "Naruto was eating lunch... breakfast..."

The answer almost made the Be Fong smirk.

"Anyway, what did you want to speak to us about?"

Tsunade faced them directly, looking between each of them before answering, "Information has been coming in from the other countries. I wanted to discuss it with you."

"What is it?" Naruto asked.

There was more hesitation on her part. The silence was almost becoming unbearable.

"Orochimaru is dead," the Hokage finally revealed.

Naruto inhaled sharply, a hand coming up to Sakura's lips suppressing a gasp.

"And it appears that Sasuke Uchiha was the one to kill him."

So word had finally spread. Mai knew this knowledge would not go unnoticed by nearly every ninja faction with a criminal such as Orochimaru out of the picture. It had taken long enough for this information to be passed to the Leaf.

Naruto and Sakura's reactions the woman anticipated. But she at least expected something out of the Be Fong, who remained unaffected. Maybe she really didn't care for the Uchiha anymore, nor his actions or whereabouts. It still struck her as odd, but then again, Mai wasn't one to show emotions so easily. Maybe when finally dismissed she'd process this in private.

"What?" Naruto breathed.

"It's definitely true," Jiraiya said. "My sources have confirmed it."

"Ha!" the knucklehead laughed.

Sakura looked like she was about to cry in relief. The fact that the man had not managed to possess Sasuke's body after all filled them with hope as they grinned at each other. When the Genin looked to Mai, she only glanced lazily back. His grin nearly faltered at the sight, not understanding why she wasn't partaking in their small celebration of victory. Later. He'd inquire about it later, looking back to the adults in the room.

"I knew that freak wouldn't be able to take down Sasuke!" Naruto grinned. "So he's coming home to the Leaf, right?"

The Sages shared a look, their silence causing their cheerful attitudes to dampen.

"It doesn't look like it," the Hokage answered.

"What the hell do you mean? Why not?"

The Genin couldn't wrap his head around this reasoning. Why wouldn't he come home? There was nothing left for him out there! Obviously, if he had managed to defeat Orochimaru – something impossible for them to do almost three years ago – then that meant he had achieved his goal to become stronger. Wasn't that what he always wanted?

"How could he not come back now that Orochimaru's gone?"

"Sasuke is obsessed with revenge," Tsunade said. "Now, his goal is to try and find the Akatsuki. To kill his brother, Itachi."

"We need to form a platoon and move out right now! The mission to hunt down Akatsuki is still going on, right?"

"It's never stopped," Tsunade answered.