48 Shock

Land of Fire.

In the forest,

"Well, thinking more about it won't lead to anything!"

"What's important is that everyone survived and the mission was successful, rest a little more as we'll leave in the morning!"

No one after Sayuri had any more questions, Kagami ending the short meeting, also expressing his happiness on everyone surviving.

"Yes!"

Everyone nodded at his words, Naoki the first one to take out a futon and blankets from the ninja scroll and going to sleep near the burning fire.

All that effort seemed to have tired Naoki a little too much as immediately in the stunned eyes of everyone who were still awake, he slept immediately, his breathing peaceful.

The impossible doubt once again surfaced in there heart at this sight, first because of those bandages covering his most visible partscand now this, but logic denied it immediately, it was Impossible.

Click!

Later in the night, the burning fire had cooled down as smoke from the leftover burnt wood wafted around, next to it sleeping Naoki, though no one around him.

Just about 100 meters away from where Naoki slept, a river cut through the forest, at the bank of the river with legs dipped into water sat about seven figures, all looking at the dark sky with a crescent moon hanging on it.

What had happened during the mission and how they miraculously escaped death had made it impossible for them to sleep, restless everyone gathering at the river.

"I still can't believe we survived that!"

Said Kagami in a rather emotional tone, the scene where they were all incapacitated and left at the mercy of the enemy appearing again and again in his mind, the situation was even more hopeless then when he along with Lord Second and the rest was surrounded by kinkaku squad.

But the moment there world went dark and brighted again, they had already escaped the hopeless situation, everyone just finding it too hard to believe.

"It's such a familiar situation, we just keep encountering miracles!"

Sayuri also shared her thoughts, a dazed look on her face as well, what happened in this mission was so similar to the first.

Just when they had no hope, a miracle happened and they lived.

"Yeah, and both times we were done in by poison!"

Said Shinku, agreeing with Sayuri, also telling what he found interesting.

"Huh? Sounds worth listening!"

"Yeah, we can't can sleep anyway so let's hear it!"

There words piqued the interest of Torifu, Jiraiya also showing his interest to listen what had happened.

The rest had the same "quickly tell me expression" so Sayuri began to narrate what had happened during the first mission, how they got into the trap set up by enemy and how Naoki defeated a special jonin alone to get the antidote.

Not only that, but how the sudden death of two women which was no short of a miracle that saved them.

"So your first and second mission both turned out to be A-Rank, Amazing !"

Said Jiraiya after listening to the whole story, admiration on his face.

Here in this A-Rank mission he had nearly died but the other squad had passed such a mission twice already, worthy of admiration.

While Jiraiya focused on how they had done two A-Rank missions already, Orochimaru and Tsunade shook a little after listening that Naoki defeated a special jonin.

Kagami and Torifu though focused on the matter of two women dying at the same and right time, which seemed too much to be a coincidence.

But just like the current case, they couldn't solve the mystery aside from making guesses.

Guesses which using the head seemed right but the heart rejecting them.

Whole night the seven of them spent near the river talking, at the morning like planned departing back to the village.

Naoki with a fresh face, carrying the sword in his hand among them.

"See you guys later!"

Finally after a long journey, the squad appeared outside the entrance gate, as there they dispersed, Kagami and Torifu going to hand in the mission, the rest saying good bye to each other and going home.

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Kumogakure.

The sky was bright as the breeze rustled the water waves.

Among the high and low canyons, on top of the highest peak was built the Raikage Office.

In the spacious office, behind a huge curved wooden table sat a muscular man with tanned skin and lightning tattoo on his shoulder.

He had blonde hair and green eyes, A, Third Raikage.

"How is this....?"

At this moment, Raikage who had experienced so much in his life had his mouth wide open, eyes stuck on the unbelievable sight before him.

In the office stood a group of shinobi, total around 9, all of them bandaged, one in particular nearly completely covered in bandages, though tuft of his green and white hair visible.

But all these ten shinobi aside from the woman with blonde hair, had one thing most in common, a dark gap on the chest, the heart missing.

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