Mai bowed politely and stepped out of the room. As she turned around, she found a boy and a girl approaching her.
She blinked in surprise. She recognized the girl, long pink hair, just like her name suggested. It was Haruno Sakura, one of her seniors learning under Tsunade. The boy beside her, however, was unfamiliar. Blond, his expression barely holding back urgency, as if he had something important to say.
Her first impression of him… a bit restless, maybe even frivolous.
"Senpai..." Mai asked hesitantly, directing her gaze at Sakura.
But Naruto, never one for subtleties, spoke first, "You are the one who is with Hattori-sensei, right? I need to talk to you!"
'Ah, huh?'
Mai was caught off guard, momentarily stunned, 'What do you mean, 'with' him?'
She furrowed her brows slightly, sensing that this wasn't a simple matter. She quickly adjusted her expression to mask her unease.
"Naruto, can you not blurt things out without thinking?" Sakura sighed, rubbing her forehead, 'Not even a proper greeting… he was just charging ahead as usual.'
Without hesitation, she landed a solid slap on the back of Naruto's head.
"Sorry about him, Mai. He's always like this."
That last part was clearly meant to reassure Mai. The two were already familiar with each other, so Mai simply smiled knowingly. However, she couldn't help but glance at the blond boy who had just been hit, 'That slap looked pretty strong… Is he okay?'
Naruto rubbed his back but otherwise looked completely unfazed. Hearing Sakura's words, he realized he had been too impatient. Taking a deep breath, he straightened up and properly introduced himself, "Hello, my name is Uzumaki Naruto."
The name triggered a flicker of recognition in Mai's mind, 'So he's one of Hattori-nii's former students. I see...'
From the moment she encountered Logan to her journey back to the village, Mai had already prepared herself for something like this.
"I heard your team encountered Raiden Hattori in the wilderness north of the Capital. I want to know everything about him." Naruto said seriously, "Please."
At the end of the hallway, the soft night stretched across the sky, creeping into the edges of the windows. The streetlights flickered on one by one.
It wasn't an unreasonable request. Mai glanced back at the ornate doors she had just exited… the Hokage's Office. She had just been questioned there.
Sakura chuckled awkwardly, lightly knocking Naruto on the shoulder, "Yeah… so, um, that's basically it, Mai. Hehe..."
'It seemed that the two of them had been waiting for a long time.' Mai nodded and said, "Okay."
…
For those who had been closely following the situation, Mai's return to the village was a significant development.
Her original team had been worried, of course. After Logan's 'ambush', they had been sent back to the village for treatment, and hearing that Mai was safe at last brought them much-needed relief.
Their Jonin Instructor, Gensaku, had joined an ANBU team to pursue leads as soon as his wounds allowed. Now that Mai was back, he would likely return soon as well.
On a higher level, the news also brought a subtle shift in the village's stance. A skilled young Ninja of Konoha had emerged from an encounter with an S-Rank Missing-nin without harm… this meant that, for now, there was no immediate need to adopt an openly hostile position.
That saved a lot of trouble.
As for Naruto and Sakura approaching Mai, that was purely of their own accord.
…
Their conversation took place in a newly popular restaurant in Konoha.
The establishment had a refined decor, soft lighting, and a menu full of novel, exquisitely crafted dishes… far from the rough, simple eateries typical of Ninja life. Under the banner of 'modern casual dining', it was a pioneer in the Ninja World's culinary scene.
"That's pretty much it."
Mai said, gazing down at the vibrant fruit juice in front of her.
Outside, the glow of streetlights blended into the night, merging with the hum of lively chatter. The restaurant was packed, and soothing music drifted through the air.
Mai had been 'missing' for about a day… not long, but in the circumstances, it naturally raised concerns.
From an outsider's perspective, she had clearly made contact with an S-Rank Missing-nin. And in truth, she had. There was no avoiding that fact.
But some things had to be kept secret.
The sunset that day, the rhythmic movement on her back as she rode, the sparring session the next morning… All those moments, the warmth connecting the past and present… those belonged to her and Logan alone.
A sharp-minded girl like Mai understood well enough that there was no need to bring unnecessary trouble to either side.
After returning to the village and answering the official inquiries, she framed it as, "The other party seemed interested in my special sensory abilities because I had detected him while he was hiding. However, he bore no malice toward me."
It sounded a bit strange, but there was no way to question it forcefully.
In the minds of the Third Hokage and others, Logan was someone who was very skilled at killing, but he's not bloodthirsty. His long-standing attitude toward Konoha was why they were willing to 'not make a big fuss, just assign personnel to keep an eye on him'.
As for why Logan left Konoha, many people might never know the full story.
Facing Naruto and Sakura, Mai recounted what she had said in the Hokage's Office.
After hearing it, Naruto scratched his head and thought for a while, "So you guys only talked about sensory abilities, and then Hattori-sensei just left?"
Mai took a sip of her drink and nodded, "Yeah. Afterward, I confirmed the direction, but when I returned to the original spot, I couldn't find my team members. So I waited until the next day and decided to return to the village first."
"Do you know which way Hattori-sensei went after that?" Naruto continued.
'I don't know, and I won't tell you.' Mai really wanted to say that. But considering what she had learned in Yukino Town, and knowing that ANBU operatives must have already reached that area, she replied uncertainly, "Maybe... I heard he went north."
Naruto quickly fell into his own world of deductions, "North... What's beyond the border in that direction...?"
Sakura glanced helplessly at Naruto, then smiled and pushed a plate of dessert toward Mai. She couldn't let the atmosphere become too tense with their lovable junior around, "Hey, Mai, this mango cake is really delicious."
"Mm-hmm, okay, Sakura-nee." Mai played along flawlessly.
At this point, Sakura understood that they wouldn't be getting any crucial information from Mai. She sighed inwardly with some regret, but this wasn't Mai's fault. Instead, she maintained a friendly conversation with the girl.
Meanwhile, Naruto sat there with only a glass of plain water, which was already empty. His thick-headed nature made him an odd fit for this kind of setting. He lifted his head and, with a hint of frustration, asked Mai again.
"Um... He really didn't say anything else?"
'Hattori-sensei was still as strong as ever. After all this time, we finally had news of him, yet we couldn't extract any useful information.' Naruto clenched his fist in frustration.
"Oh, actually, he did." Mai suddenly seemed to recall something, and Naruto's eyes lit up, "He asked me how Uzumaki Naruto was doing."
"Huh?" Naruto's emotions became complicated in an instant.
"Then… what did you say?" Naruto's tone subconsciously softened.
Mai held her glass and said nonchalantly: "Oh, that. I told him I wasn't familiar with you."
"..."
"What about me, what about me?" Sakura perked up with interest, pointing at herself and completely ignoring the blond-haired boy's disappointment.
"Oh, Sakura-nee, of course, I talked a lot about you." Mai suddenly seemed like a different person, smiling warmly, "I told him all about... and then he..."
Their conversation soon drifted into cheerful chatter between the two girls, leaving Naruto feeling a little dejected.
Customers came and went, glasses emptied, and the lights dimmed along with the night.
When it was no longer appropriate to linger, they stepped outside. Sakura waved goodbye to Mai, "That flower shop on Koyu Street... Let's hang out sometime!"
"Okay Sakura-nee."
Then, wiping the sweat off her brow, Sakura turned around, put on a stern face, and shooed Naruto away, insisting that he go home and get some sleep.
The village had quieted down, with only a few pedestrians left. As she walked past the restaurant's outer glass, the streetlights cast a colorful yet subdued glow.
When she turned the corner, Sakura unexpectedly spotted a familiar figure, wearing a mask that would never change forever, leaning against a streetlight, his silhouette casting a small shadow.
"Kakashi-sensei?"
The man noticed her as well. Beneath his mask, a faint smile formed, his silver hair shifting slightly as he nodded toward the restaurant, "I heard you went to meet Hase Mai."
Sakura was momentarily stunned, then stuck out her tongue, "Sensei, you knew about that?"
"You stopped her right at the Hokage Building. Who wouldn't know?" Kakashi said flatly, though with a touch of exasperation.
"Haha... I see."
Clearing his throat, Kakashi straightened from his relaxed posture against the streetlight, "So, everything's fine? Especially with Naruto?"
He had mainly come to check on a certain someone who was still fired up from training. Tsunade had also instructed him to keep an eye on things.
Sakura shook her head, "Nothing happened. Naruto's already gone home."
Kakashi nodded, indicating that he understood, and said nothing more. He looked around awkwardly and found that there was no topic to talk about.
Then, coolly raising a hand, he turned to leave, "Well, if there's nothing else, I'll head back."
"Hey, wait a minute." Sakura scrutinized him suspiciously, "Kakashi-sensei, you came all this way. Aside from Naruto, aren't you at all curious about what Mai said about Hattori-sensei?"
'It was late at night, and running into you right outside like this… no way was that just a coincidence?'
As someone who had once worked closely together and remained familiar with each other even now, members of Team 7 could always read each other's thoughts.
Kakashi half-turned, his right eye half-lidded under the streetlight, looking as lifeless as a dried fish. His usual lazy demeanor betrayed not the slightest ripple of emotion, "Why would I? What's there to ask? I was just passing by."
Sakura tilted her head doubtfully.
'…As for that matter, I have already asked the ANBU to ask clearly.' Kakashi thought to himself.