Cos Wuzan, was stabbed ten times by Heize at the beginning

The door opened, and Sakura, her face streaked with tears, ran up to Rei Amamiya.

"What's wrong, Sakura?"

Rei Amamiya gazed gently at the disheveled Sakura before him.

Sakura sniffed and said helplessly, "Hokage-sama, Sasuke is gone..."

As soon as she said those words, tears streamed down her face.

Rei Amamiya was taken aback, frowned slightly, and asked seriously, "Sakura, what did you say?"

Sakura rearranged her words and told Rei Amamiya everything that had happened in the middle of the night.

"Last night, I saw Sasuke on the road leading to the gates of Konoha. He was carrying a bag, as if he was about to embark on a long journey. He told me that he was leaving Konoha to find Orochimaru!"

Sakura said emotionally.

"I tried to stop him, but he knocked me unconscious."

"When I woke up, Sasuke had disappeared."

Sakura's voice gradually lowered.

"Sakura, don't worry."

Rei Amamiya comforted Sakura and then said to the ANBU ninja hidden in the shadows behind him, "Go and bring over Shikamaru Nara, Muzan Kibutsuji, and Naruto Uzumaki."

"Yes."

The figure of the ANBU ninja flashed by.

Rei Amamiya clasped his hands together and said to Sakura, "Most of the village's ninjas have been sent out on missions. The only ones who can go and bring Sasuke back are your generation of genin."

Since Rei Amamiya succeeded as the Fifth Hokage of Konoha, Konoha has seen another surge in mission requests.

Rei Amamiya wasn't lying to Sakura about this.

Indeed, most of the village's ninjas were sent out on missions.

Including Kakashi, who left the village last night.

Sakura frowned with worry, nervously staring at the door of the Hokage's office.

Soon, Shikamaru and the others entered the office.

"Greetings, Hokage-sama."

As he bowed, Shikamaru was filled with doubt.

What does the Hokage want with him?

They not only searched for him, but also for Muzan and Naruto?

"Get up."

Rei Amamiya's voice came from above.

Shikamaru looked up and saw Sakura's face covered in tears.

He looked around; Sasuke wasn't there, and Sakura was crying...

Is it related to Sasuke?

What did Sasuke do that alarmed the Hokage to personally intervene?

Could it be that Sasuke has defected?

Shikamaru let his imagination run wild.

"Sakura, what's wrong?"

Looking at Sakura's red eyes, Naruto asked nervously.

Rei Amamiya said directly, "Sasuke left Konoha in the middle of the night yesterday."

As soon as he finished speaking, Naruto's eyes almost popped out of their sockets.

Shikamaru's pupils also dilated in surprise.

His outrageous guess actually came true?

Has Sasuke gone mad?

Muzan stood aside unresponsive, seemingly lost in outer space.

"what!"

"How could Sasuke...?"

Naruto was so anxious that he was incoherent. He looked at Rei Amamiya and then at Sakura, wishing he could go and bring Sasuke back right now.

"Shikamaru, all the other ninjas in the village have gone on missions and cannot be mobilized for the time being. I appoint you as the captain of this mission to retrieve Sasuke. The task of retrieving Sasuke is entrusted to you. As for the team members... you will have to find them yourself."

"That's what Rei Amamiya said calmly."

Shikamaru: "..."

Is the Hokage joking with him?

"I!"

Naruto immediately grabbed Shikamaru's shoulder: "I'll go with you! Shikamaru!"

Shikamaru smiled: "Of course you're coming with me!"

He turned to look at Muzan beside him, and reached out to grasp Muzan's shoulders: "Muzan, you have to come with us!"

Muzan asked, "Why did you bring Sasuke back?"

Before Amamiya Rei could speak, Naruto immediately shouted, "Of course, because Sasuke is our comrade! He's a Konoha ninja!"

Muzan stroked his chin and continued to ask, "Since Sasuke is our comrade, shouldn't we respect Sasuke's choice?"

Naruto was speechless for a moment: "But...but..."

"Sasuke is the last surviving member of the Uchiha clan. His Sharingan is extremely alluring to ninjas in the ninja world. Once he leaves Konoha, he will be in danger."

When Naruto didn't know how to answer, Rei Amamiya spoke up to explain.

Muzan persisted, asking, "Didn't he go to Orochimaru? Orochimaru is one of the Legendary Sannin; he'd definitely protect him!"

Orochimaru is not a good person!

Sakura said with a sob in her voice, "He also coveted Sasuke's Sharingan!"

Orochimaru not only coveted Sasuke's Sharingan, but also his body.

"Since Sasuke has made his choice, it means he believes he can defeat Orochimaru!"

Muzan said calmly.

His attitude contrasts sharply with that of Sakura and Naruto.

Muzan felt a strong gaze on him and looked at Shikamaru, who was staring at him, and asked, "What are you looking at?"

Shikamaru shook his head: "It's nothing."

He just felt that Muzan understood Sasuke quite well.

He even suspected that Muzan himself would do the same thing as Sasuke.

Realizing what he was thinking, Shikamaru quickly cleared his mind of those thoughts.

If Muzan were to leave Konoha, the impact would be far greater than if he were Sasuke!

If Muzan, who possesses both Wood Release and Sharingan bloodlines, were to leave Konoha, he would immediately become a hot commodity in the ninja world, with everyone wanting a piece of his pie.

"Muzan, don't you want to go?"

Naruto looked at Muzan with disappointment.

Muzan nodded: "Mm."

Shikamaru: "..."

That's way too honest!

"There's no point in going."

Muzan looked at Shikamaru: "You should know that Sasuke can leave whenever he wants! Even if we bring him back, what then? Are we supposed to keep watching Sasuke all the time? Besides, Sasuke doesn't want to come back at all, and you can't force him to come back."

At this point, Sasuke had already begun to evolve towards the first state of the Cursed Seal.

If he doesn't want to come back, what can we do with him?

Muzan's words immediately plunged the Hokage's office into silence.

"Even if we have to tie him up, we'll bring Sasuke back!"

In the dead silence, Naruto suddenly spoke.

Muzan: "..."

Has Naruto awakened something?

Shikamaru looked at Muzan with a gloomy expression and said, "If you come with us, we can bring Sasuke back."

Muzan gazed at the blue sky outside the window: "I'm sorry, I can't force Sasuke to do something against his will."

Shikamaru: "..."

What are you pretending for!

Doesn't he understand Muzan yet?

Muzan is just too lazy to move!

"Go find Neji!"

Naruto immediately thought of someone else, and he grabbed Shikamaru and ran out of the Hokage's office.

Chapter 466 Stubborn on the outside but soft on the inside? ??

"Actually, Muzan's words make sense."

On the way to find Neji, Shikamaru spoke up.

Naruto immediately looked at Shikamaru.

Shikamaru quickly replied, "But I will still carry out the mission assigned to me by the Hokage."

Naruto lowered his eyes and said, "Even if it goes against Sasuke's will, I will keep him tied to Konoha."

Shikamaru: "..."

He rubbed his arms.

Despite their usual disdain for each other, Sasuke and Naruto are actually quite close when it comes to their friendship.

Knock on the door of the Hyuga clan's branch family estate.

Shikamaru said to the Hyuga ninja who opened the door, "We're looking for Neji."

A short while later.

Neji appeared before them.

Neji was wearing training clothes, and the bandage on his forehead was soaked with sweat.

Since his teacher became Hokage, Neji has become even more diligent in his training.

"Naruto, Shikamaru, what do you want with me?"

Neji looked at Naruto and Shikamaru who appeared at his doorstep, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes.

Naruto quickly told Neji about Sasuke leaving Konoha.

Neji's face was full of shock: "So you came to find me for what?"

Shikamaru quickly said, "Please join our team and let's go after Sasuke together."

Neji glanced around but didn't see Muzan: "Isn't Muzan going?"

Shikamaru glanced at Naruto and nodded.

Neji asked curiously, "Why doesn't Muzan go after Sasuke?"