Forged Beyond

Come Back Safe.

Sasuke pulled open the door, only to nearly collide with Orochimaru. His reflexes kicked in instantly, and he sidestepped with lightning speed, avoiding the man by mere inches. Orochimaru, who had been about to push the door open from the outside, let out an amused chuckle.

"Still as sharp as ever. " His voice slithered through the air, that ever-present eerie amusement laced in his tone.

Sasuke scowled, his gaze darkening. "Don't mask your chakra completely." His voice was low, edged with irritation. "It's annoying."

Orochimaru merely smiled, his golden eyes gleaming, before stepping aside as Tsunade and Jiraiya followed in behind him.

Tsunade's eyes were glossy, the moisture threatening to spill but never quite falling. She was walking briskly beside Jiraiya, her expression tight as she scolded him in a voice much weaker than usual.

"It's too risky, you idiot," she snapped, her words unsteady. "Do you even understand what you're asking for?"

Jiraiya sighed, a small, almost exasperated smile on his lips. "Relax, Tsuna. It'll be fine." His voice was calm, but there was something gentle about it—like he was trying to reassure her more than himself. "It's just a mission."

Sakura blinked. Tsuna?

She had never seen Tsunade this emotional before. Never seen her lose her composure in this way, never seen her voice waver with something dangerously close to... fear.

Why?

What kind of mission could shake Tsunade so much?

Orochimaru and Jiraiya moved toward the chairs that Shizune had placed in the room earlier, sitting down with an air of ease that didn't match the tense atmosphere. Meanwhile, Tsunade, instead of taking a chair, settled onto the bed beside Sakura.

Sakura could feel it—the faint tremor in Tsunade's fingers as she reached for her wrist, the way she exhaled a little too sharply, trying to maintain control.

Something was wrong.

And whatever it was, it wasn't just about a mission.

Sakura's breath hitched as her gaze flickered between the three Sannin. Something was wrong. It was painfully obvious in the way Tsunade clenched her fists, in the way Jiraiya sat unnaturally still, and in the way even Orochimaru—who rarely seemed disturbed by anything—looked vaguely troubled.

Her stomach twisted with unease. "What's going on?" she asked, voice hesitant.

Tsunade inhaled sharply, swallowing down the tears that threatened to spill, her usually fierce eyes clouded with something that Sakura couldn't quite name.

Naruto shifted uncomfortably beside her, his brows drawn together as he looked back and forth between Jiraiya and Tsunade. They were acting too strange. And the longer they stayed silent, the worse his anxiety grew.

Sasuke, who had significantly less patience for this kind of thing, scowled. "What the hell happened?" His voice was sharper, more demanding.

Still, no one answered.

For the first time in his life, Naruto saw uncertainty flash across Orochimaru's usually unreadable expression. It was brief—just the slightest flicker—but it was there.

That was when Naruto snapped.

"DAMN IT! Just tell us already! Stop making us worry so m—"

"Stay quiet, Naruto."

Sakura's voice, though quiet, cut through the air like a blade. Naruto turned to her, surprised. She wasn't yelling, wasn't angry. If anything, she looked just as shocked as he felt.