"So?" Sakura Haruno asked, seeing everyone fall silent. "What do you plan to do?"
"Of course, we're going to bring Sasuke back," Ino said, stepping forward.
"You should be clear about Orochimaru's strength. Everyone personally experienced the events of the last Chunin Exams," Sakura Haruno said, shaking her head.
"But..." Ino clenched her fists, unwilling to give up.
"Actually, you don't need to be so hasty. With Tsunade-sensei around, the village won't label Sasuke as a rogue ninja so quickly. During this time, you can think about how to act, and also improve your own strength," Sakura Haruno kindly advised.
"Why... aren't you worried at all?" Kiba couldn't help but question Sakura. "Aren't you on the same team? In the past, besides Naruto, Sasuke was the closest to you. What on earth are you thinking?"
"Because I've tried to change things before, but I didn't succeed. So, I don't want to waste any more energy," Sakura Haruno said, standing up and turning to Karin. "Let's go, Karin. We should head back."
"Mm, okay," Karin said, following Sakura towards the door.
Reaching the doorway, Sakura Haruno suddenly stopped. Facing away from the door, she said to everyone in the classroom, "If you need help, my Team Sakura Haruno would be more than happy to assist. After all, this is also a rare opportunity for practical combat training."
"Team... Team Sakura Haruno?" Kiba asked, a look of surprise on his face. "What Team Sakura Haruno?"
"Ah, I forgot to tell you," Sakura said, turning her head sideways. "Because Naruto is out training and Sasuke is missing, Team Seven effectively no longer exists. So, I've already applied to the Fifth Hokage to form Team Sakura Haruno, with me guiding the training of Karin Uzumaki and Yakumo Kurama. You haven't met Yakumo Kurama yet. I'll have her meet you all someday. Her talent in genjutsu is even stronger than Kurenai-sensei's, you know."
Another silence fell upon the people in the classroom. They no longer knew what to say. They were all from the same cohort, but Sakura Haruno's progress was like a rocket. While they were still being guided by jonin, Sakura was already capable of guiding others.
"Then, um, what do we do now?" Hinata asked timidly.
"It seems we have to find Lady Fifth Hokage first," Shikamaru said, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "The only good thing now is that even though Sasuke has gone to Orochimaru, he hasn't been officially classified yet. If we can bring him back during this window, then there won't be any problems."
"But we don't know where Orochimaru is," Shino added.
"Indeed," Shikamaru nodded. "But we're not looking for Orochimaru; we're looking for Sasuke."
"So?" Neji asked. "What's the difference between the two?"
Shikamaru shook his head. "Although it seems like there's no difference, there actually is. Kiba," Shikamaru looked at Kiba and asked, "Akamaru should be able to track his owner by scent, right?"
"Oh yeah, that's definitely possible," Choji said, realization dawning on him as he turned to Kiba. "That way, using Akamaru's sense of smell, we should be able to find Sasuke."
"Er..." Kiba scratched his head, a helpless look on his face. "That's impossible. Although Akamaru's sense of smell is good, it's been too long since Sasuke left the village. It's unlikely he can be tracked now."
"How... how could this be..." The little spark of hope that had just ignited in Ino was instantly extinguished.
"Actually... it's not entirely without options," Shino said, pushing up his sunglasses. "If you ask why, it's because besides ninja hounds, there's another creature with a sense of smell even more sensitive than Akamaru's."
"Re... really..." Ino asked excitedly.
"Mm," Shino nodded. "The Bikochu, also known as the dream insect. Because of their rarity, our Aburame clan has long since given up using them. Although they're not extinct, very few Bikochu remain now."
"And the Bikochu has a sense of smell thousands of times more acute than a ninja hound's," Shino added.
"Does that mean using the Bikochu, we can find Sasuke's whereabouts?" Ino asked excitedly.
"That is correct," Shino continued. "But this insect will only search for the scent it smells when it emerges from its pupa. If that moment is missed, it can never be changed."
"Then, then where can we find this insect?" Ino asked excitedly.
"After it rains," Shino stated, then added, "But the chance of finding this insect is only about ten percent."
"....."
"Sigh~~~" Shikamaru sighed. "In that case, let's split into two groups. Shino, Kiba, Hinata, you go search for the Bikochu. The rest of us will try to gather as much information about Orochimaru as possible."
"Also, this operation still requires Lady Hokage's permission," Shikamaru added.
"I think Sakura might help," Hinata said softly.
"Tch..." Kiba said, dissatisfied. "I don't think she wants to help at all. We can find Sasuke without her."
"No," Shikamaru interrupted. "Right now, she is the strongest among us. If Sasuke is classified as a rogue ninja, the village's optimal solution is direct elimination. This saves manpower and avoids major trouble, because rescuing Sasuke would most likely mean directly confronting Orochimaru..."
Shikamaru didn't continue, but everyone present understood his meaning. Rescue was far more troublesome than elimination; the village would very likely choose elimination.
"So, if we want to bring Sasuke back, Sakura must be involved," Shikamaru said gravely. "Now we need to do the preliminary work. Does everyone understand?"
"..." Everyone nodded silently.
"Then that's it for today," Shikamaru said, rubbing his neck, ending this brief "meeting" of their cohort.
"..."
Sakura Haruno stood on the roof of the Ninja Academy, watching her peers leave the school building one by one.
"Bikochu, huh..." Sakura murmured to herself. She hadn't expected them to actually find a way. But why? Even without Naruto present, they still decided to search for Sasuke.
Sakura didn't think Sasuke's relationship with them was that close. After that night, Sasuke had become like a stranger to everyone. Why exactly? Sakura didn't think Ino had enough charm to rally so many people to search for Sasuke; this endeavor was like gambling with their lives.
Could it be that something happened during the three years I was away? If there's something I don't know, it could only be from that three-year blank period when I wasn't in the village.
"Actually, speaking of which, I'm quite curious. Why would someone like you also care so much about Sasuke?" Sakura suddenly spoke.
"Someone like me?"
A voice came from the shadows behind Sakura. As the voice drew nearer, the person's figure appeared in the moonlight. The newcomer was none other than Neji Hyuga.
"In your eyes, what kind of person am I?" Neji asked, his voice tinged with dissatisfaction.
"Selfish, arrogant, narrow-minded," Sakura uttered a few words lightly.
"But that was my past view," Sakura added quickly before Neji could speak.
"So, the past me couldn't surpass you, my gaze always fixed on trivialities," Neji tacitly agreed with Sakura's assessment.
"Let's not talk about that; it's all in the past," Sakura said, shaking her head. "Can you tell me why you want to pursue Sasuke?"
"He... is a very good rival," Neji said after a moment of silence.
Sakura chuckled in disbelief. "Is it just because of that?"
"Forget it, I know what you came to find me for," Sakura continued. "But I won't change my stance. If it doesn't hinder me, I don't mind helping. But if it does hinder me,"
At this point, Sakura's gaze turned sharp, her voice icy cold. "Even if it means slaying a god, I will not hesitate!"