'THERE ARE THREE DAYS LEFT.'

The sun filtered through the leaves of the tall trees, causing a play of light that intermingled with the green of the nascent grass and the warmth of the rays of light. Although the sun had risen less than five hours earlier, the cold lingered in the air, enveloping the young ninja in an icy embrace.

A long walk awaited them.

Due to the lack of knowledge of the terrain and the need not to waste energy, teams seven and ten had decided to stop running after making sure that they were far enough away from the great old woman's hiding place.

They knew that they had to conserve their forces for any unforeseen situation that might arise and, moreover, avoid revealing their position.

Shikadai, with his strategic mind, thought that the best option was to walk under the treetops in the vast arboreal area. They would not resume the race until they were sure they were going in the right direction.

The formation of the walk was carefully planned: ChouChou led the way, while Boruto, Inojin, and Mitsuki occupied the center, with Inojin in the middle. At the front, Sarada and Shikadai led, with the heir to the Nara clan setting the pace.

Shikadai had been the mastermind behind this escape. Despite doubts about what to do once they reached their destination, he showed no signs of regret.

He was determined to face Mirai, not as the child he had sworn to protect, but as a Chunin, as an equal.

How did they know about her, when they had not heard from the Sarutobi since she said goodbye to them one night?

The answer had been jealously guarded by someone who trusted her, someone who prayed for her arrival, but who had succumbed to the guilt of seeing Shikadai so grieving after Boruto recounted his experience in that lucid dream, a dream in which he claimed to have seen a rejuvenated version of his late father.

Boruto had sworn over and over again that what he saw was not a simple dream, defending that he perfectly recognized his father's young face thanks to the memories and photographs that his mother kept.

It was this account that finally convinced Shikadai to make a decision: he should go after Mirai.

Initially, Shikadai had planned to leave alone, but his team refused to let him leave without them. ChouChou had insisted on joining, and Inojin had closely followed his every step.

Mitsuki also joined them, and although Shikadai didn't know exactly how and why Sarada and Boruto found out and decided to come, he hadn't taken the time to ask. He was more focused on getting away from the old woman's grounds.

They had already been walking in silence for an hour, a tense and funereal stillness that was only broken by the sound of the flattened grass under their feet. It was Chou Chou who finally broke the silence.

"If you're going to be walking like a penguin, it's better not to have rejected me." She said in a whispered but firm tone, addressing Inojin. 

Boruto and Mitsuki, who were walking on either side of Inojin, looked at him with sleepy curiosity. More than half an hour ago, ChouChou had offered to lend his cloak to the blond ash, but he had repeatedly declined, insisting that he already had his own.

However, Inojin walked with his legs together, rubbing his arms and grasping the fabric of his cloak to stick it closer to his body and gain warmth. Her clothing, more like pajamas, was not of great help against the cold.

ChouChou, although he also felt cold, maintained a much better composure. He remembered with some nostalgia the interactions with the great old woman, especially the food, which had lost all its flavor in recent days. The only thing I missed more than that was her ninja clothes, which now seemed so far away.

Inojin joked in response to his scolding. His shoulders trembled a little before he replied in a disdainful tone.

"Shut up, I don't need any of that..."

ChouChou wasn't willing to let it go so easily.

"Don't be proud... Look at you, you're slower than Mitsuki and Boruto." She reproached him, purposely bumping into Inojin's back to prove his point. 

Inojin, clearly affected by the cold, tensed at the contact, but did not respond. Chou Chou was right, and although his pride prevented him from accepting it, his body began to resent the decision to refuse help.

Inojin protested, gnashing his teeth to hide his need for warmth. His body trembled slightly as he struggled to maintain his composure. Finally, he let out a complaint between his teeth.

"Chubby girl, don't push me!" He exclaimed, his voice trembling with both cold and irritation. "Respect my space in the formation!"

ChouChou, with his characteristic pompous tone, quickly replied.

"I'm just walking, Inojin. If anyone doesn't respect space, it's you. You're standing in my way."

Inojin, feeling the need to have the last word, replied.

"Not true! You're the one invading my space!"

The small argument caused the walk to stop abruptly. Sarada observed the situation with some sorrow and understanding, because she was also cold.

Despite everything, he maintained his position at the front, waiting for the dispute to be resolved. Mitsuki and Boruto also stopped, looking at the scene curiously.

Shikadai, who was leading the march, felt the tension grow behind him.

Although he didn't turn around immediately, he let out a sigh and his serious aura began to make everyone tense. Finally, he slowly turned to the group, his expression impassive but his eyes full of suppressed Austerity.

"Silence!" He exclaimed in a firm but not aggressive voice. "We are walking to avoid surprise encounters, like the ones we had in the Land of the Wind. It would be in vain if we continued to shout like this."

Inojin and ChouChou shuddered at Shikadai's tone. Inojin, in particular, felt a wave of guilt as he received a scolding from his leader. He looked down at the ground, feeling the weight of the cold and Shikadai's disapproval.

"I'm sorry, Shikadai." Inojin murmured, his voice barely audible. 

Chou Chou, though less affected, also looked at the ground, avoiding eye contact with others.

"Okay, just... Let's continue in silence. Shikadai replied, his tone softening a little when he saw the reaction of his friends. We cannot afford any more mistakes.

The group resumed the march in silence, each one immersed in his own thoughts. Shikadai's seriousness and the tension of the moment reminded everyone of the gravity of his situation.

The walk continued, this time in complete silence, as they made their way under the treetops.

It wasn't long before Boruto decided to give his opinion on the whole situation, letting out a sigh at first.

"It's still hard for me to understand." He began, looking sideways at his childhood friend's back to gauge his reactions.

The topic he was going to play had become a spontaneous taboo in the small group, and he didn't want to bother Shikadai, who had started the process of eloping from the old woman and the others.

"Miran-Neechan is kind and protective, I can understand that. But going secretly? It was very suspicious and assumed that I was not doing the training I said I was doing. But join the underground? I don't expect that from someone as firm and correct as her."

"Boruto." Sarada whispered, as a docile warning call. 

The blond got the message. It was not a warning to stop talking, but to be extremely careful with his words.

They had to, from now on, take care of each other and themselves. They would talk as if they were being listened to by someone unwanted, and they had to be careful about the information they handled.

Shikadai, however, showed no immediate reaction. He kept his gaze fixed on the road, his thoughts clearly occupied with something else. After a few moments of silence, he finally spoke, his voice low but firm.

"Mirai has always had a strong sense of duty." Shikadai said. "If you decided to join something clandestine, you must have a reason, and it must not be good if you did not tell us about it."

Sarada walked with her gaze fixed on Shikadai's back, feeling a silent worry that made her frown slightly.

As they advanced, their thoughts turned to what Mirai supposedly said to the grand old lady: That they were giving bounties for the ninjas of the future; His present.

What did it really mean? Why would Mirai expose herself in that way?

"It's very risky... Why would the Great Grandmother allow it?" She added, moving a little closer to Shikadai's side, without disorganizing the formation. "Whether you're sixteen years old or not, you're still a parchment refugee, it's very dangerous to go on missions for people with little credibility. She's not like that..."

The others were also watching Shikadai, waiting for an answer.

The worried looks of his teammates were evident, especially on ChouChou and Inojin, who knew Shikadai better than anyone besides Boruto. The tension was palpable, and the silence between them felt like a heavy burden.

Finally, Shikadai spoke with a serenity that contrasted with the tense atmosphere. His tone was meticulous, as if every word was carefully chosen.

"Mirai is a talented and strong Kunoichi, but she is also naïve." Shikadai said, without turning his head. "Always try to do things alone to protect others. I know that better than anyone."

Everyone seemed to be saddened by those words. Her suspicions that Mirai had a special duty to Shikadai, the son of her late master, were confirmed.

"Remember our encounter with the ninja in the Land of the Wind." Shikadai continued. "They seemed to target us once they recognized Mirai's uniform as Chunin. If we take into account how long Mirai's father has been dead, Chunin's uniforms are completely different now. That means those men were looking for people dressed like her: People from the future."

There was a short silence. Mitsuki, with his usual imperturbability, joined the conversation.

The first man didn't attack us until the second mentioned Mirai-san's appearance. Mitsuki commented. 

Shikadai nodded, pausing and turning to them. His face showed a slight wrinkle of concern.

"Mirai has been lying to us." Shikadai confessed, although it was already on everyone's mind. "I caught her sneaking out. He forced me to keep silent and refused to tell me where I was going. The great old woman was aware of all this."

Inojin and ChouChou shuddered, staring at the ground guiltily. The most affected was Inojin, not only because of the cold, but also because he had received a scolding from a bad Shikadai.

"Mirai plans to go on clandestine missions in secret, to protect us from potential bounty hunters." Shikadai continued. "But the reason for doing these missions is still unclear. I want to get that answer from her in person."

Shikadai looked at them all, and his companions exchanged glances of pity for his situation.

The burden of truth weighed on them, but it also gave them a clear purpose. With a serene look, Shikadai reaffirmed his resolve to confront Mirai, not only as a child he swore to protect, but as an equal.

"And how are we supposed to get there?" ChouChou caught everyone's attention, raising his hands in a gesture of ignorance. Her cloak covered her entire upper body, making her look like a Russian doll. "Rather, what are we supposed to do once we get there? It's not like we're going to be allowed into the feudal lord's house just to talk to Mirai-san, right?"

In recent days, Shikadai had been reflecting on Mirai and her escape.

Where would I go? What would be the first place she would turn to, someone sheltered by the scroll, and equally in danger as they were?

Evidently, Mirai, like them, was new at this time. There was no longer any family or anyone abroad to support her.

Shikadai had no starting point to look for her. Even if the idea of running after her and looking for her had crossed his mind much earlier, he wouldn't know where to start his search.

Taking into account many points against him, he wouldn't be safe looking for danger outside, especially since Mirai could return before he knew it. But the motive and fate he had pointed out were revealed by the least expected person in his extensive group of friends.

ChouChou had posed his question, repeating verbatim what Suzumeno Namida had confessed to them.

"I heard that he was on his way to the residence of the feudal lord of the Land of Fire. She was never doing any training." Namida seemed to want to burst into tears, but she had restrained herself. "Grandma mentioned something about a mission... And Mirai-san looked really sad when she mentioned that many like us had been killed... Waa~."

The cries of Namida, the chestnut, were minuscule and only came in small suppressed gasps. It was a vague attempt to face the truth that had been eating away at her since the night Mirai arrived and didn't have dinner with them.

Namida had learned the truth after the news shortages, when she followed Mirai to offer her her share of dinner, only to end up eavesdropping on her conversation with Granny.

Hearing the truth behind Sarutobi's smile influenced Shikadai to not only be determined about what he wanted to do, but also helped Mitsuki find a reason to stop continuing with this monotony.

Everyone who refused to continue it had come to that conclusion in the forest. It was only when Namida approached him to confess everything, being a few hours away from reaching the hideout, that he realized that they could not be the only ones who thought the same.

Namida had noticed Mirai's strange behavior and decided to investigate. Following Mirai to one of the underground exits, the brunette confirmed her suspicions when she heard the argument between Mirai and Shikadai.

For the next few days, Namida watched Shikadai silently, seeing the concern in his green eyes. She knew that Shikadai wasn't the type to stand around waiting for things to just happen.

So, one night, when he saw Shikadai sneaking away early while the others were sleeping, he decided to follow him.

Namida, hiding behind the wall in the hallway, overheard the conversation between Shikadai and Mirai.

Mirai ordered Shikadai to keep quiet about his mission, and although Namida was frightened, he returned to his place to pretend that he was sleeping. However, she could not remain silent any longer; I needed to share what I knew.

When he finally found the courage, he approached Shikadai and confessed everything to him. Shikadai paled at the words of Namida, who was known to cower at the most inopportune moments.

However, at this time, Namida was determined, and she didn't shed a tear while speaking to her.

Shikadai understood the gravity of the situation. Mirai was in danger and so were they. I knew they couldn't just wait for things to happen. Namida had promised not to betray them and, if possible, to speak to the great old woman only if they did not hear from them for three days.

"I wish you good luck... and take good care of yourselves." Namida told them before they left. 

Namida nodded firmly, with a determined look, signaling them to move forward without fear. Even she was disappointed that Mirai hadn't considered her important enough to warn her not to get involved in the matter.

"The feudal lord's spouse..." Sarada murmured. 

Shikadai sensed the scrutiny in Sarada's eyes as he recalled Namida's words. Namida had told them everything, down to the smallest detail she could hear from the echo in the lonely hallway.

Sarada sighed, her face wrinkled with concern. He had put into words what everyone was thinking.

"Even if we had an idea of where it might be..." He said with obvious pain in his voice. "We are in the past, more than ten years from our original time. Many things are not like home."

"And it's possible that not only the way to the feudal lord's residence is different." Mitsuki added discontentedly. "The war took away many things, including the land. Even after the war, natural events occurred that forced the country's high command to move around. All the information we have is no longer of any use to us."

Standing in a semicircle, everyone stared at the ground reluctantly. Mitsuki was absolutely right. Shikadai, although he was not an absolute genius and knowledgeable about the village's best-kept secrets, now felt completely useless, even with the little information he had about his father.

"The feudal lord is an important figure." ChouChou said, closing his eyes unwillingly. "If I were him, rest assured that I wouldn't have just one house to live in."

Inojin refrained from criticizing his language of such an important figure as the feudal lord, but he knew that he was in no position to defend that idea. This was not his time and it was not his responsibility to have the same respect for the authorities that he once had.

"Namida mentioned something..." Boruto folded his arms under his cloak and closed his eyes speculatingly. "That Mirai-Neechan was getting ready after Grandma asked about it."

"Oh, yes." Sarada said, taking a step forward. "You may have already had the information beforehand."

ChouChou rolled his eyes.

"E-Eh?!, T-That..."

"That's right." Inojin interrupted sharply, glancing sideways at ChouChou with spiteful weariness from the previous push. "Mirai-san is several steps ahead of us."

"Don't say that..."

He looked away disdainfully, while ChouChou lamented in his own discouragement, almost melting from having left a hiding place full of resources behind.

Few knew exactly the address of the great house of the distinguished feudal lord. Unfortunately, none of them were in that group of "few".

"If only Hoki had come with us... he would know what to do."

Boruto's comment drew attention. Not only did it make Inojin frown slightly uncomfortably, but Sarada also grasped the truth of his flattery before the blond could explain himself.

"With his memory, I assure you that Hoki would have an idea of where to start." Boruto said, stretching his arms behind his head. "You only need to see something once to remember everything."

"Isn't he like your Sharingan, Sarada?" ChouChou asked, leaning forward as if what he said was a revelation. 

Sarada puffed out her cheeks slightly in a small protest and closed her eyes. Inojin stepped forward, shrinking to warm himself up a little.

"I must be thankful that you didn't devise this escape, Chubby girl." Inojin muttered under his breath. 

"Ah?!" ChouChou rolled his eyes and Inojin looked away disdainfully, although he had gained a little warmth and did not move when she brought her face close to his. "You could have refused to come at the first moment, look at doubting Shikadai...!"

"ChouChou."

The call of Shikadai, whose face showed that his mind was elsewhere, caused everyone to turn around. ChouChou just straightened up.

"I'm not saying anything bad!" He grumbled, casting a contemptuous glance at Inojin. "He came with us out of loyalty, but I'm sure he's the one who's most afraid of the six."

Inojin tensed, and with a slight blush mixed with the cold paleness, he tightened his cloak to face ChouChou. But he could only let out a gasp, both because of the cold and the lack of words.

On their second attempt to respond, when team seven were watching them with pity, they were interrupted by Shikadai's approach. Team seven was close enough to hear him.

"Is it too much to ask that they not only keep silent, but also avoid mentioning any taboo?"

Seeing the confused expressions of his teammates and perceiving the attentive silence of team seven, Shikadai sighed, massaging the bridge of his nose.

"Sarada's family, her ancestry, ours... don't mention anything that involves someone from the past, got it?"

It was only a couple of seconds before ChouChou realized his mistake and covered his mouth. She threw an apologetic look at her friend, who responded with a silly smile.

"All this is very delicate."

Shikadai continued, turning to look at Sarada. Boruto stepped aside to peer over Nara's shoulder, grimacing. Shikadai's tone was one of absolute seriousness, like that of a captain.

"For nothing in the world let's use our names if it is not necessary, and do not mention their families either. Some of us have family issues that are not resolved by this time... We don't want to tempt fate."

Understanding the message, Sarada looked at the ground. The message was for everyone, because, although she was the daughter of a man whose life was the only one saved in the massacre of her clan, the others had their own stories.

Boruto was the son of a Jinchūriki, and the obvious problems of Mitsuki's ancestry didn't help either.

The InoShikaChou team was not exempt. Although team seven could successfully go unnoticed due to their parents' disconnection with political issues in their teens, team ten was not so lucky. All three families were deeply involved in the protection of Konoha, and the entire country recognized them, even beyond its borders.

That it was known of a trio of children with surnames from prestigious families would attract attention, and could reach the ears of a Konoha who was involved in too many conflicts, as if to deal now with a future destroyed by a cataclysm.

Shikadai didn't want to think about that, or his family, or Konoha. As he said, it was better not to tempt fate and to go with his goal. Mirai had to be found, without deviations.

Nothing connected them with that village anymore... it was no longer his home. They had nothing to do there. The Great Grandmother herself had explained them to him a lot of times, and even Shikadai, who was reluctant to believe her every word, took those words into account, with great suspicion.

"What are we supposed to do now?" Boruto, the eldest of the deceased Seventh Hokage's biological sons, had spoken a little awkwardly, in a foolish attempt not to look at Sarada among them. Realizing the intention, or not, Shikadai gave it his full attention. "ChouChou is right. Even if we manage to locate it, they won't let us in."

"And Mirai-san is not looking for the feudal lord, nor his spouse." Mitsuki added. "Remember that you are looking for the wedding gift. It can be anywhere, even if the owners are not there."

"What a bummer..."

The snort spat out by the green-eyed Nara attracted sad looks from his friends. Not only could they no longer go back and apologize to the Great Grandmother, but they were stranded with no clear destination in front of them.

He had decided, he had made up his mind after a lot of thought himself, and then his friends joined in on the fly, after Namida revealed the truth.

He did not want to be protected and continue to proclaim himself a Chunin; Because a real one would not stay hidden underground, waiting for those who died in their present to be endangered by circumstances that can be avoided.

He remembered the moment when Mirai, the girl who was a part of the twinkle in her father's eye, left the shelter behind the backs of the others, demanding absolute silence from the Nara.

The feeling of suffocating impotence, of already having a title like Chunin; the recognition of a Hokage, who saw him as an adult at work, like everyone else wearing a uniform... and end up being scolded, forced to shut up their protests and opinions.

What would have happened if Mirai had taken their opinions into account? What if Shikadai had agreed to collaborate with her? What would he have planned?

Perhaps he did not have the mind of someone who could reach the average standards of his father, who was recognized as the genius of his generation when he was Shikadai's age; But even he, who had been raised and educated by that fortunate man, could recognize himself as someone capable of counterattacking from the field that his family managed the most: the shadows.

But Mirai didn't see it that way... Mirai saw him as her master's son; the boy dressed as Chunin, whom he had sworn to protect at the cost of his life.

He could have stopped her from the first moment, even warned the others behind the old woman's back. However, just as Mirai herself had told him, Shikadai was smart enough to consider the consequences.

It wouldn't be wise for the situation to get darker, with Mirai taking a gamble on the outside and exposing her lies to young ninjas who would think they had the right to follow her, just like him.

He did not want the deaths of his precious comrades to be his fault. If there were risks to be taken, I would take them alone. Chou Chou and Inojin got into the boat of a single passenger, to act as engines with what little they had, because they refused to leave him alone.

Boruto and his team joined later.

So why did he feel that way? Why did he feel unwilling to continue, when he clearly wanted to do it more than anything else?

Deep inside him, the concept observed, floating, his being with a spiteful repudiation. That concept had a name that he was afraid to mention: Guilt.

Would his father be proud of him if he disobeyed the orders of the one who had sworn to protect his son? Or would you support their decisions?

Shikadai did not know, because no one could advise those who were still alive.

"Shikadai? Hey!" By the time the former heir of House Nara returned to reality, Boruto was watching him doubtfully in front of him. "What's wrong with you? I can't stay so calm if you're this lost!"

"Huh? Oh, I'm sorry..."

The panorama was slightly different to him, as if he had been altered in his moments of mental absence.

When the green-eyed man looked behind his friend Uzumaki, there were the others: squatting in a circle, seeing in the center a parchment that was half opened so as not to waste it. He recognized the scroll as one of Inojin's belongings.

"What are they...?"

He was going to ask, but Boruto snorted before he could do so.

They were friends from a very young age, as were most of those present. But the two shared an almost invisible connection, connecting them to their teams and to each other.

In other words, they could both communicate what their teams couldn't hear, and Shikadai knew it.

"Sarada is listing all the points she remembers, at least then we will have a guide."

"Did you take into account the changes in the field? That the coordinates can be different?" The black-haired man asked, putting a hand on his chin, which was not good at all. 

Boruto could only snort again, but with a tiredness now more noticeable than before.

"Hey, I'm not the one to judge you because our situation is bad enough, but... Aren't you rushing too much? Desperate?"

 As Boruto said these words, Shikadai knew where he was headed and tried to downplay it by heading towards the others, but was stopped with a shoulder grab. Boruto showed a firmness in his tone.

"Wait, aren't you the one who always told me that a lack of patience never brought anything good? What's happening to you?"

Shikadai grumbled, aware that he could not escape Boruto's scrutiny. She turned to him, feeling the pressure to remain calm while her mind was in a whirlwind.

"It's hard to keep your composure." Shikadai murmured, his voice barely a whisper. "All this doesn't smell good to me, Boruto. We have to approach one place, but taking them all together would be too risky. But if we separate, we also run the risk of agglomerating the problem at different points."

Boruto nodded, his expression equally worried.

"I know, Shikadai. I also feel that this is risky, but we cannot stand idly by."

Shikadai looked at the others, watching as Sarada instructed Inojin to draw a map from his vague memories.

"What Namida said about ninjas like us being killed by bounty hunters..." Shikadai continued, his voice trembling slightly. "It has puzzled me for many reasons."

Boruto stared at him, his eyes reflecting a mixture of concern and understanding. He seemed to want to say something, to add some word of comfort or strategy, but he kept it to himself, biting his lip eagerly.

Shikadai sucked his lip as he watched everyone squat down, trying to contain the growing anxiety he felt inside. He closed his eyes for a moment, collecting his thoughts, and then approached the group.

"How are you doing?" He asked, trying to keep his voice firm despite the uneasiness that gnawed at him inside. 

Everyone looked up when they noticed it, and Sarada was the first to rush to explain, with a mixture of nervousness and hope in her voice.

"I'm sorry for breaking the lineup." She said, bowing his head slightly in a friendly apology. "I remember some areas where my mother mentioned that the feudal lord had residences, based on conversations about his ninja days and after the war. We could discard the least likely places and focus on the older ones."

ChouChou sighed, showing his discouragement upon hearing the suggestion.

"But investigating all these points will take us a long time." She expressed concern, looking at his companions, with a finger on his lips. "Mirai-san will surely return to the hideout long before we finish."

Sarada softly shook her head and raised a hand, asking for attention. With determined movements, he took the scroll that Inojin had used to draw a makeshift map and carefully spread it out in his hands. The others approached, curious, as she showed it to Shikadai.

Mirai-san was very discreet in hiding her escape from us. Sarada explained, pointing to several points on the parchment.

"She spent the night with us and I didn't see her until the next night, excusing herself by saying that she was training. Being Mirai-san, I'm sure the old lady would protect her with a short but believable lie. That's why I don't think the mission lasted more than three days."

Shikadai frowned, trying to understand the reasoning behind his words.

"What is the source of that conclusion?" He asked, wanting to make sure he understood correctly. 

Sarada nodded calmly and pointed to a specific point on the makeshift map.

"The nearest residence is only a day and a half from here." She explained calmly. "Even three days would be enough for Mirai-san to go and return saying that she came from training. We have to think from the perspective of the old woman, who protected her with her lies."

The atmosphere was filled with a mixture of surprise and admiration. Everyone was impressed by Sarada's deduction, especially Shikadai. The clarity of his reasoning offered new hope and direction for the group.

For a moment, the tension eased as they focused on their new strategy. Shikadai's expression softened, feeling that they finally had a viable plan. He looked at his teammates, recognizing the collective effort and determination in each of them.

Shikadai felt a small wave of relief when he saw that at least they had a plan thanks to Sarada's theory. However, the restlessness did not leave him.

The idea of moving all together to one place seemed dangerous to him. At the same time, dividing and dispersing would increase the risk for each. This internal struggle reminded him of how much he wanted to be useful and, at the same time, the need to trust his colleagues.

He had always been meticulous and strategic, following his father's teachings. But now, more than ever, he understood that trusting his friends' judgment was as important as trusting his own. He decided he had to be brave, not only in action, but also in confidence.

He looked at Sarada, determined to clarify every detail.

"Sarada, have you ever seen that particular residence?" He asked in a tone that denoted both urgency and calculated calm. 

Sarada frowned, thinking, and then made a small reflective sound.

"I seem to remember seeing her in photos when Shino-sensei taught us at the academy." He said, his eyes shining with memory. "It was a really old building, more or less from the First or Second Hokage era."

Shikadai nodded, wanting to make sure they left no loose ends.

"Think about it, we need to be sure." He insisted. 

Sarada nodded determinedly and put the scroll in her pocket. Shikadai looked at the others, noticing their expectant attention. He took a deep breath and spoke aloud, with a serenity that barely concealed his discomfort.

"We need fast equipment." He said, grimacing as he recalled how all his ninja weapons and clothes were confiscated. He put a hand to her Ninja bag, as a reflex. "We have only a couple of Kunais each..."

The atmosphere was filled with renewed tension as everyone took in the situation. The lack of proper equipment was a serious problem, but the determination in the eyes of his companions gave Shikadai a glimmer of hope.

I wish it would stay that way forever.