The birds chirped as Team Kakashi continued their walk. The sky was as blue as always, but Kohana didn’t see it that way.
She was walking quite like the living dead. Sleep didn’t seem to be an option for her body, and it was definitely not because of nervousness—battle nervousness to be specific. It was more of a kind of nervousness towards what could possibly happen, or what she could possibly see in the future following the battle, during the battle or maybe even before the battle.
Naruto questioned her whether or not she was okay, and Kohana answered with a sarcastic remark of “Peachy”.
That was what happened before they arrived at Tenchi Bridge, though.
“Here we are.” Yamato’s voice sounded like a death sentence to Kohana’s ears as she stared at the sign glued to the red post of the bridge.
Swiftly, Sakura, Kohana, Sai and Naruto took their positions behind a small rock formation in front of the forest next to the dirt path from which they had come from.
The wind caused the leaves and grass to rustle, and it only added to the disgustingly uncomfortable sensation beginning to settle at the pit of a certain red head’s stomach. This was one of the very, very, very few times that she’d felt nervous before a battle.
The four watched Yamato—in the fake Hiruko puppet—as he approached the hooded figure that stood on the bridge.
They spoke for just a very short while before the figure turned around and finally moved a small part of the hood out of the way and revealed his face.
The revelation was an absolute kick in the teeth for Naruto, Sakura and Kohana—even if there was a slight possibility that Kabuto was the spy. Despite their reactions, Sai was undoubtedly the same as always.
“Him again!” Naruto hissed, while Sakura muttered, “No way… Kabuto was the Akatsuki spy all along…” as if she was trying to delude herself that everything was just a nightmare.
There were a few moments of silence between the four between Naruto put a hand behind each of his ears.
“The wind’s really strong, I can’t pick anything up from here,” he complained.
“Idiot! That’s why we’re able to go so close. Our sound and scent are carried away by the wind so they don’t know we’re here.”
“”S not like we can hear much even without the wind in the first place,” Kohana muttered.
They watched Kabuto spin around and throw a kunai at a certain bush.
Kohana shivered from between Sakura and Sai all of a sudden; she was starting to get a little impatient. Well, it was either she shivered for that reason or something else.
Until now, Yamato had not really made a move, and Naruto, Sakura and Kohana were starting to worry. Kabuto was most likely suspicious from the start—what if news had reached them about Sasori’s death before they arrived at the bridge. And what if Yamato’s acting was still inadequate.
Kohana grimaced. ‘Of course it would be inadequate… Kabuto is…’
“What the hell is he doing?” Naruto quietly demanded. “He needs to capture Kabuto now!”
Sakura glanced at Naruto uneasily. “We’re talking about Kabuto here… if he gets away now, the whole operation is finished. This situation deserves extra caution.”
“True,” Sai said, “but it’ll be suspicious if he acts too cautiously.”
Kohana nodded. “Our chance to capture Kabuto will slip from our grasp.”
[12] The Snake, the Medic and an Emotionless Traitor
Start from the beginning
