The team of Sakura, Wally, Nanashi, Sai, and Shikamaru would be out on a mission to find Hanabi Hyuga, who had been kidnapped during the meteor attack on the Leaf Village. As they arrived at the last known location of the kidnappers, Shikamaru raised his hand, signaling everyone to stop. His sharp eyes scanned the area before he spoke sternly, “…Okay…there are four possible abandoned villages in this sector. If we split up, we can cover them faster. Wally, you’re with Sakura. Nanashi and Sai, you’re with me—”

Nanashi stood next to Wally, her expression as emotionless as ever, her dark eyes hidden beneath her black cloak's hood. She let out a scoff, clearly indifferent to the team assignments, preferring to operate alone. Her mind was already calculating the fastest route to search each village, silently contemplating the inefficiency of group work.

However, Sakura, despite the dire situation, saw an opportunity to play matchmaker with her two former teammates. She stepped forward, her voice filled with an uncharacteristic hint of excitement. “Wait!…uh, Shikamaru…why not let Nanashi and Wally go together in one team…” Her eyes darted between Nanashi and Wally, a hopeful glint shining through her serious expression.