Kazekage Retrieval Arc Begins

The next morning, I got up early, as usual. Years of training have turned me into an early riser. Today was no different; I did some yoga and meditated a bit.

After that, I stepped out of my apartment, looking sharp in my black combat jacket with glowing blue patterns. Underneath, I had a sleeveless shirt. My black pants, equipped with kunai, matched my knee-high boots. My blue cloak with silver designs flowed behind me. I adjusted my fingerless gloves and tightened my headband, ready to roll.

I bought this outfit while training with Jiraiya-sensei. He took me shopping after my old clothes got shredded. I liked this new look; it's darker and way cooler than what I used to wear.

After leaving my apartment, I headed to Ichiraku Ramen for breakfast again. I realized I would need to buy a lot of groceries soon; eating out all the time was getting a bit too much.

After eating, I met up with my team—Sakura and Kakashi-sensei—and we walked through the village to the mission assignment desk. This was my first mission after two years, and I couldn't help but feel a lot of excitement.

Both Sakura and Kakashi-sensei seemed a little stunned by my outfit choice, but they complimented it nonetheless. Sakura said, "It looks cool!" and Kakashi-sensei also chimed in with a compliment.

After a while, we reached the mission assignment desk. We knocked and entered the room to find Iruka-sensei and a few others. Granny Tsunade and Shizune were standing beside him.

After some talking, she gave us our mission. To our surprise, it was a D-Rank mission. Seriously? I didn't spend over two years training outside the village just to come back and chase cats.

I rejected it, and we started a heated discussion—well, more like a conversation—about this mission.

Before I could say anything else, the mission assignment room door slid open. A woman walked in, holding a piece of paper. "Lady Tsunade, there's bad news," she said urgently.

"What's going on?" Granny Tsunade asked, her eyes narrowing.

"An urgent message from the Sand," the woman replied, handing the paper to Granny Tsunade.

"The Sand?" Granny Tsunade's voice echoed with surprise as she read the paper.

Iruka-sensei, standing next to her, looked just as shocked. "I can't believe it," he mumbled.

"What's the news?" Kakashi-sensei finally asked.

"The Kazekage of The Sand has been taken by the Akatsuki!" Granny Tsunade announced, leaving everyone in shock.

"The Kazekage? You mean Gaara, right?" I asked, even though I already knew. I just couldn't believe they got him.

"Yes, they attacked the Sand Village and took Gaara after a fight with one of the Akatsuki members," she explained.

"But didn't they strengthen their defenses after Master Jiraiya's warning?" Kakashi-sensei questioned.

"They did, but somehow the Akatsuki still managed to infiltrate the village," Granny Tsunade responded. There was a brief silence before she continued, "Our intel on Akatsuki's movements is top-notch, giving us an edge over other villages. The Sand has called for our help, so Team Kakashi, your new mission is to head to the Sand Village and help them bring back their Kazekage."

"But Lady Tsunade...!" Shizune exclaimed.

"No buts. Team Kakashi will join the Sand Village to retrieve their Kazekage. I'll send a backup squad as soon as I can," she said firmly. "Understood?" She looked at the three of us, and we nodded in agreement.

We nodded in agreement...