The gates of Konoha opened slowly under the grey morning sky.
The returning retrieval team walked in silence, the weight of their mission pressing down like a storm cloud. At the center of the group, Naruto lay unconscious on a stretcher, his expression peaceful but pale. His knuckles were bruised. His face scratched. But he had fought, harder than anyone.
Hajime walked near the front, his halberd strapped across his back, quiet and still. His cloak was has no damages. He bore no wounds. He carried no fatigue. As his the most normal one, he will know what will Sasuke do.
Shikamaru trailed beside him, silent and thoughtful.
Ino walked next to Kiba and Neji, her eyes frequently drifting to Naruto. Her hands clenched at her sides. She had barely spoken since the valley. None of them had.
Lee, walking with a slight limp, carried Tayuya over his shoulder. She remained unconscious, her flute confiscated and her chakra sealed. He wore a calm expression, but his eyes held quiet resolve.
As they passed into the village, a team of medic-nin rushed toward them.
"Get Naruto to intensive care," one barked.
"I'll escort the injured," Lee said firmly, nodding to Kiba and Neji—both perfectly able to walk but understanding the formality. He gestured to Tayuya. "She needs containment and monitoring. I'll see it through."
They nodded.
Without needing to be told, Hajime and Shikamaru turned and veered toward the Hokage Tower. They moved quickly through the morning streets, the village still quiet from dawn's hush.
Inside the Hokage Tower
Tsunade stood by her office window, her arms folded tightly. A stack of mission reports lay untouched on her desk.
When the door opened, she turned at once. Her eyes landed on Hajime first, her breath subtly catching. He looked like something carved from cold stone, taller than most grown men, his expression unreadable.
Then Shikamaru entered behind him.
"You're back," Tsunade said softly.
Her shoulders relaxed slightly, but only slightly.
Shikamaru gave a short bow. "Mission mostly failed. But… we're alive."
Tsunade walked slowly around her desk and stood in front of them. She looked directly at Hajime.
"Is everyone accounted for?"
"Yes," Hajime said. "Lee, Neji, Kiba, Ino, and Naruto all returned safely. Tayuya one of the 4 sound is in custody."
"And Sasuke?" she asked, her tone tight.
Hajime's answer came calmly: "He's gone. I let him go."
A long silence followed.
Tsunade's eyes narrowed. "Why?"
Hajime didn't flinch. "Because no words would've stopped him. He wasn't manipulated, he chose to leave. And I don't believe the rest of us had the right to choose his path for him."
Tsunade's jaw tensed. "He's a child of this village."
Hajime nodded. "One who watched his clan die. One who was left alive, alone, by Coincidence." Changing his tone on coincidence more.
He stepped forward slowly, his voice low but sharp.
"Hokage-sama… if you're looking for the reason he left, don't look at Orochimaru. Look at the foundation that failed to give him justice. Hiruzen allowed the Uchiha to be destroyed. Sasuke only inherited the silence that came after."
Tsunade's eyes shimmered for a moment, not with tears, but something heavier. Regret. Fury. Guilt. And Angry at his stupid teacher.
Shikamaru looking at the ceiling as if there are something beautiful there, not wanting to hear the traitorous words.
Then Shikamaru cleared his throat.
"With respect, Lady Hokage… Hajime handled everything. He took down all four of Orochimaru's elite guards, defeated the final one—Kimimaro, without help. If he hadn't come with us, we wouldn't be standing here."
Tsunade blinked. "All of them? Alone?"
"He didn't struggle," Shikamaru said. "It wasn't even close. Not even genjutsu or regeneration worked on him. He… he's on a completely different level."
Hajime said nothing. He didn't enjoy praise. But he didn't deny it either.
Tsunade walked around the desk slowly. She stopped just in front of him and looked up.
He towered over her, almost two heads taller, but her presence was no less commanding.
"You're fifteen," she said softly. "And you try too hard for you age."
"Don't Worry teacher, it's not hard. " Hajime replied simply, changing the Hokage-sama to teacher.
Tsunade studied him for a moment longer. Her gaze softened, not as a Hokage evaluating a soldier, but as a woman seeing a boy who have grown into an adult.
"Don't forget," she said quietly, "you don't have to carry everything alone."
Hajime said nothing.
She turned away slowly and walked back behind her desk. Her hand lingered on the mission ledger.
Then her voice changed. Firmer. Crisper.
"As of today, Sasuke Uchiha is to be listed as a missing-nin. His affiliation with Orochimaru poses a threat to the village."
Shikamaru's jaw tensed.
Hajime remained still.
Tsunade added, "Do not mistake this for a kill order. Capture only. I want him brought back, alive, if possible. I won't bury the last Uchiha if it can be helped."
She sat down, exhausted, but resolute.
"Dismissed."
Hajime gave a silent nod and turned to leave. Shikamaru followed, casting a final look at Tsunade.
As the door closed behind them, Tsunade remained seated, fingers folded over her lips.
Her eyes lingered on the window.
And in her chest, a silent ache pulsed, not only for the village she tried to protect… but for the boy she had taken in as a student… and who now stood taller than anyone in the room.
End of Chapter 58 – "Don't worry teacher"