My other half! Sasukex oc. [Slow updates] (under editing)

Reuinion and Foul play 🔵

# 🌒 **Third‑Person POV — The Mission to Find Sasuke**

The forest canopy swallowed the sunlight as Team Kakashi moved swiftly through the trees. Captain Yamato led the formation, calm and steady. Naruto followed close behind, fists clenched, determination radiating off him. Sakura kept pace beside him, her expression tight with focus.

Sai trailed behind them, sketchbook tucked under his arm, observing everything with that unreadable smile.

They had been traveling for hours when Sai finally spoke.

"You two seem unusually tense today," he said lightly. "Is it because of Sasuke? Or because of that other teammate you lost... Misaki?"

Naruto stopped so abruptly that Sakura nearly collided with him.

Yamato turned sharply. "Sai. Not the time."

But Sai continued, oblivious.

"I've been reviewing the mission reports. Misaki's death appears to have been the result of poor judgment. It's surprising you're still dwelling on someone who—"

He didn't finish.

Naruto lunged at him, fury exploding across his face. "DON'T YOU TALK ABOUT HER!"

Sai blinked. "I'm simply stating—"

Sakura's fist connected with Sai's jaw before he could finish. The impact sent him crashing into a tree, splintering the bark.

"Shut up," she hissed, trembling. "You don't get to say her name."

Sai touched his cheek, surprised. "I see. I've upset you."

Naruto's voice cracked with anger. "Misaki was our friend. Our teammate. She died protecting someone she cared for! You don't know anything about her!"

Sai tilted his head. "Then why did she die so easily?"

Naruto roared and charged again, but Yamato slammed a wooden pillar between them.

"That's enough!" Yamato barked. "We're taking a break. Now."

---

They stopped in a small clearing. Naruto paced back and forth, fists shaking. Sakura sat on a fallen log, breathing hard, Misaki's face flickering in her mind — her smile, her voice, her last words.

Sai stood off to the side, rubbing his jaw, watching them with a strange mixture of curiosity and confusion.

Yamato approached him. "You need to understand something. Misaki's death wasn't just a mission failure. It was personal. Deeply personal."

Sai blinked. "I see. I will... attempt to adjust my behavior."

Naruto glared at him. "You better."

Sakura didn't speak. She stared at the ground, her chest tight.

Yamato finally stood. "We move in five minutes. Orochimaru's hideout is close."

---

The entrance to Orochimaru's lair loomed like a gaping maw carved into the cliffside. Cold air seeped out, carrying the faint scent of damp stone and something darker.

Yamato formed hand signs. "We split into pairs. Cover more ground. If you find Sasuke, signal immediately."

Naruto nodded fiercely. "I'll find him."

Sakura swallowed. "We all will."

Sai simply smiled. "Understood."

They moved into the darkness.