Unbreakable Bonds 《Book 2》

Chapter 32

-3rd Person-

The air was thick with tension as Team 7 made their way through the crowded corridors of the Hokage's Tower. It wasn't often that they were summoned with such urgency, and Naruto's brow was furrowed in concern as they ascended the stairs in silence. Sakura's gaze flickered nervously to him and then to Mizuki, who walked a step behind them, uncharacteristically quiet.

"Do you know what's going on?" Naruto asked, his voice low but tight with restrained energy. "Tsunade-baa-chan didn't say anything except for us to get here fast."

Sakura shook her head, her own apprehension clear in the way she clenched her fists. "No idea. But it must be serious."

Mizuki's eyes were downcast, her mind spinning with uneasy thoughts. She had sensed something was wrong the past few days. The village felt different — heavier, like the air itself was weighted with some unspoken dread. But this... whatever had happened, it was bad enough to have Tsunade summon them without explanation.

As they turned the corner, they froze at the sight in front of the Hokage's office.

Shikamaru Nara was standing there, shoulders slumped, staring blankly at the floor. His face was ashen, eyes hollow, and his entire body seemed to sag under the weight of something terrible. A bandage wrapped around his upper arm was stained with blood, and the usual spark of intellect and laziness that defined Shikamaru's gaze was completely absent.

"Shikamaru?" Naruto called hesitantly, stepping forward.

Shikamaru's head jerked up at the sound of his name. For a moment, he just looked at them, his dark eyes clouded and distant. Then, his gaze settled on Naruto, and something in him seemed to break.

"Naruto..." he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper. He opened his mouth as if to say more, but the words seemed to get stuck, his throat tightening painfully.

Naruto's stomach twisted. Shikamaru looked... destroyed. There was no other way to describe it. He had never seen his friend like this, not even during their most harrowing missions.

"What happened?" Sakura asked softly, her voice trembling. "Shikamaru, what—"

"Go inside," Shikamaru interrupted quietly, his tone flat and lifeless. "Tsunade-sama is waiting for you."

Mizuki's heart pounded painfully in her chest as she stared at Shikamaru's face. There was something broken in his eyes, something that made her chest tighten with a sense of impending doom. She glanced at Naruto, and when he nodded, they stepped past Shikamaru and pushed open the door to the Hokage's office.

The atmosphere inside was suffocating.

Tsunade sat behind her desk, her hands clasped tightly together. Her expression was grim, jaw clenched, and there was a dark, furious glint in her eyes. Standing beside her were Ino and Choji, both looking utterly devastated. Ino's eyes were red and puffy, her hands trembling at her sides. Choji's usually cheerful face was pale, his gaze fixed on the floor as if he couldn't bear to look up.

"What... what's going on?" Naruto demanded, voice tense. "Old Lady, why did you call us here?"

Tsunade took a deep breath, her eyes flicking between the members of Team 7 — from Naruto's anxious face, to Sakura's worried frown, and finally to Mizuki's wide, fearful eyes.

"I... I'm sorry to call you here like this," she began quietly. Her voice was soft, almost gentle, and it sent a chill down Naruto's spine. Tsunade never spoke like that — not unless something was terribly, irreparably wrong. 

"But you needed to know. Earlier this morning, Team 10... they ran into two members of the Akatsuki."

Naruto's entire body tensed, and Sakura let out a small gasp, covering her mouth with trembling fingers.