Furthermore, they had to be informed of the staggering, almost unbelievable truth: the person claiming to be Tobi was actually Madara Uchiha. The news of his survival was a total shock to everyone, as by all accounts and historical records, Madara should have been dead for decades.
Tsunade looked directly at Inoiki, her gaze firm. "Inoiki," she said, her voice clear and carrying the full weight of her authority, "I am going to give you a critical and very difficult task." She leaned forward slightly. "You are to leave Konoha immediately and begin searching for the remaining Akatsuki members. Your mission is to capture or eliminate them as soon as humanly possible."
Inoiki, having received the direct order, gave a firm nod in acknowledgment of the grave task. "You are right about the mission, Lady Tsunade, but we also need to consider one other thing." He paused, his expression serious. "We cannot afford to let Naruto stay here in Konoha."
(The thought of Obito attacking Konoha while he was away sent a spike of cold calculation through him.)
"In my absence, I am suggesting I take him with me. Right now, not even Lord Jiraiya is present to guard him, and if the remaining Akatsuki members attack—especially that 'Madara'—and he uses his ability to whisk Naruto away, it will be a monumental loss for us."
He continued, laying out his strategic plan. "While I am traveling outside of the village, I think it would be most efficient if I also deliver the invitations to all the major villages on your behalf." His eyes narrowed slightly as he focused on the most critical destination. "I will go to Kumogakure, as they have record of having two perfect Jinchuriki who can fully control their Tailed Beasts. I am thinking of taking Naruto there with me." He explained the rationale. "They definitely have a training method or secret technique that enables that level of Tailed Beast control. If Naruto can also learn that method, he can gain a much better grip on the true power of the Nine-Tails. If he can do that, his strength will increase drastically, making him more than formidable—enough to be practically fearless in this world." Inoiki finished with a confident assertion, "I believe that even now, with his Sage Mode, he is powerful enough that no single Akatsuki member can defeat him in a direct one-on-one battle."
Upon hearing Inoiki's well-reasoned suggestion, Tsunade immediately nodded.
(It was a brilliant and practical solution that addressed both security and strategy.)
This was, without a doubt, the best course of action right now. After all, Inoiki was currently one of the strongest shinobi, if not the strongest, in the entire world; very few could rival him in either speed or raw strength. The fact that he could use his own form of space teleportation—one that was even more efficient than the legendary Flying Thunder God Technique—sealed her decision. She gave her immediate, full approval.
Tsunade gave her assent. "Very well. I will also provide you with a formal letter of request in my capacity as Hokage. Perhaps it will help convince the Raikage to allow Naruto to learn their method. While I believe he is likely to refuse, we must still make the attempt."
Inoiki nodded once more upon hearing Tsunade's decision. With their missions assigned, he and Team Seven left the Hokage office, the heavy door closing behind them with a soft thud.
As they stepped back into the relative normalcy of the hallway, Naruto let out a dramatic sigh, stretching his arms high above his head. "Man, this time, a lot of stuff happened. I am totally beat," he groaned, running a hand through his spiky blonde hair. His mood instantly brightened, chasing away the fatigue. "Let's go grab some ramen! I haven't had real ramen in ages!"
Inoiki smiled slightly at Naruto's predictable enthusiasm. "Okay, then let's go," he conceded.
Following that, the entirety of Team Seven and Inoiki made their way toward the familiar neon glow of the ramen shop. While on route, they coincidentally encountered Team Asuma.
One detail, however, brought a genuine, silent wave of satisfaction to Inoiki: Asuma Sarutobi, who, in the original timeline, should have been dead at the hands of Hidan and Kakuzu, was not only alive but was now happily married to Kurenai Yuhi. Their wedding had taken place just last month.
(Inoiki felt a quiet pride in the lives he had managed to save.)
Bringing a child into the world without a father would have been a heartbreaking burden for Kurenai, even for a capable Jonin of Konoha.
The entire group, Team Asuma, immediately joined Inoiki's party after learning they were headed to the Ichiraku Ramen shop. The two teams—Inoiki, Kakashi, Naruto, Sakura, and Sai, alongside Asuma, Shikamaru, Ino, and Choji—walked together toward the village's favourite eatery.
When Teuchi, the kind owner, saw all of them arrive at once, he beamed and enthusiastically started preparing the massive order of ramen. Of course, the space inside the small shop was nowhere near enough for everyone to sit, so extra stools and seats were quickly arranged for the impromptu party.
Now that they were all seated, Shikamaru leaned in toward Naruto, his voice low but filled with an anticipating curiosity. "Naruto, how did things go?" He paused, his focus pointed. "Did Sasuke actually show up in Amegakure?"
Naruto, hearing the question, looked slightly downcast. He fiddled with the rim of his bowl for a moment before answering. "Yes. And I even fought him," he admitted, his shoulders slumping a fraction. "But ultimately, he was able to escape from me."
(That failure still tasted bitter.)
Seeing Naruto's dejected expression, Inoiki spoke up, directing his words to the entire table. "We were able to achieve our primary goal of dismembering the Akatsuki organization." He chose his words carefully, injecting a necessary element of positive perspective. "Although we hoped to completely destroy the group right there, I knew that achieving a total victory would be difficult. So, we ultimately defeated their core leadership, and now only a few members remain in the Akatsuki. Furthermore, we are already planning to launch a worldwide search for the remnants by allying ourselves with the other Major Villages to eliminate them once and for all."
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