"Sarutobi, you're awake."
Tsunade's voice broke the silence with the quiet authority of someone who no longer needed to be announced.
Takeshi turned his head and sat up as a sign of respect, but she raised her hand.
"No need for formalities here. I'm not here as Hokage. Well… not entirely."
Takeshi raised an eyebrow, a smirk tugging at his lips.
"Nice to see you too, Hokage-sama."
According to Mei, she wasn't happy about the mission failure—but right now… she seemed rather calm. Then again, it wasn't like they could've predicted that a gang of thugs would attack them.
She walked up to the bed, observed the boy for a few seconds, then dragged the metal chair near the wall and sat down without ceremony.
Tsunade stared at him, as if weighing his soul. Beside him, Mei stayed silent, but her fingers clenched the bedsheet—she clearly didn't enjoy sharing attention. But she was forced to leave the room.
"Ugh! Why'd she have to come all the way here… couldn't she just let me give Takeshi the message myself?" Mei thought bitterly, shutting the door behind her.
"I read the report… from Natsumi, the jonin in charge of the mission. You did well."
Takeshi remained silent, nodding calmly, waiting for her to continue.
"You went above and beyond. You stepped between the enemy and your teammates, fought elite shinobi, and kept fighting even after you were seriously injured."
To be honest, Takeshi was only motivated by improving his kenjutsu—and earning merit points. Talking about chivalry or the Will of Fire… same difference to him. He didn't give a damn.
Putting others' happiness above your own… what a shitty idea. How many ninjas had died for that so-called Will of Fire?
"…Thanks to your rather remarkable body, you'll be able to leave the hospital tomorrow," Tsunade continued.
"My body?" Takeshi cut in, suddenly realizing she was talking about his body. It probably had to do with the Supreme Avatar body granted by the system.
"Yes… While healing you, I discovered your body is built to endure. To survive. Your organs suffered heavy trauma, but began repairing themselves faster than expected. Your metabolism, blood flow, muscle density… you're not an ordinary boy, Takeshi."
The best medical ninja in the world had just confirmed it: the system was top-tier.
"Must be all the training…" Takeshi replied casually.
Training? It could play a role, but it couldn't possibly explain that body. Tsunade was skeptical but chose not to press further.
"Tsunade-sama, I heard you assigned me a new mission…" Takeshi said, steering the conversation elsewhere.
"Exactly," Tsunade said. "Gaara, the Kazekage, has been kidnapped by the Akatsuki. Naruto returned this morning, and I'm sending him with Kakashi's team to bring Gaara back."
"So Naruto's finally back from training? That means the original story is really starting now."
Takeshi felt his blood heat up. The Akatsuki. High-value targets. Deidara, Sasori—maybe others. And Suna… that meant Temari. 400 points, if he played his cards right. He nodded, masking his excitement.
"I'm in. But why me? I'm just a chūnin."
Tsunade chuckled, the sound not at all friendly.
"Given your performance, Natsumi personally recommended you and Mei to join the team."
"Natsumi? Why would she go out of her way like that?" Takeshi wondered. "Whatever. Works out for me."
Once she was done, Tsunade turned on her heel and tossed over her shoulder, "Meet Kakashi at the gate the day after tomorrow. Don't be late, Sarutobi."
The door slammed shut, leaving behind a heavy silence.
Mei immediately stepped in, leaning close, her lips brushing his ear.
"You heard her? You and me, together in Suna. And… I've got a surprise."
She giggled, her tone slipping back into something dangerous.
"My cousin Sakura is on the team. I'll make sure she loves you just as much as I do."
Takeshi felt a chill—not just because of Mei.
Sakura Haruno. 300 points. This mission was going to be fun.
With Mei in the mix, it also screamed disaster.
But he was Takeshi Sarutobi—calculated, charming, ruthless. He got up, ignoring the pain in his ribs.
"Move, Mei. We've got a mission."
She grinned, hopping from the bed to follow him. Gaara, the Akatsuki, Sakura, Temari… Takeshi clenched his fists.
This mess was going to be his playground.