Tsunade's daughter (A Naruto original fanfiction)

Chapter Twenty-Two: New Bond

He needed to get out of the village for some time. So he went to have a walk in the forest. 

As he was walking however, he spotted a familiar chakra. It was Shizune's. But it was greatly disrupted. So he ran to look for her. He was totally shocked when he found her. She was lying on the ground as if she were wounded. What had happened there? He rushed by her side and examined her carefully. 

"Shizune!"

He quickly noticed she was trapped in some kind of genjutsu. A powerful one. So he immediately broke it with his newly acquired sharingan.

"Shizune! Are you alright?" 

The girl was in a total daze. She was very likely to pass out again. But Kakashi needed to know what had happened now. If Shizune was in such a condition that meant something bad had happened to Mai as well. 

"What happened? Where is Mai?" He said shaking her in an attempt to get a response from her. 

He was seriously panicking now. 

"Mai..." Shizune whispered very weakly. 

Kakashi stared at her expectantly with wide eyes. 

"You... Must... Save..." Shizune passed out before she could finish her sentence. 

But Kakashi didn't need to hear more. He had understood. He knew what he had to do now. But he also knew that Shizune needed to be taken to Konoha's hospital immediately. Yet, he had no time to waste to rescue Mai. 

He put Shizune on his back and went to the men that guarded the village's entrance and entrusted the girl to them, telling them she needed to be taken to the hospital immediately and rushed to go to save Mai. He had no time either to inform the Hokage or his Sensei or anyone else. And he didn't care whether it was dangerous or not. He was going to go alone and he would bring her back to the village safe and sound, no matter what it took. He would never let anyone touch one hair on her head. And if those bastards did dare do anything to her and harm her they would soon be dead. He had already lost Obito first. Then Rin. He would never let one of his comrades die ever again. 

That was the promise he had made on both Obito's and Rin's grave stones. 

***

Mai didn't know for how long they had been walking. But it was too much for her. Tears were threatening to fall. But she put all of her strength to hold them back. She felt ashamed. She was too weak. She would never become strong enough. What was the point in training if she couldn't achieve anything? No one was coming to save her now. Her legs were failing her. She was ready to fall when the man pulled her hair to make her stand back up correctly. Mai closed her eyes as she was trying to ignore the pain. 

"What do you think you are doing Mai? We have not reached our destination yet. And if we stop every time you are tired, we'll never get to the village in time." He said sadistically. 

Mai sighed internally. At least he couldn't do anything to her while they were walking. 

However, she suddenly felt a very familiar chakra. It couldn't be him, could it? 

And then in less than a few seconds the man was kicked to the ground as Mai fell to her knees. 

"Mai!"

This seemed too good to be true. Was it all a dream? Had she actually passed out? Had that man done something to her?  No, it couldn't be. 

Ka...Kashi... Mai thought as she couldn't talk.

The boy was now standing before her and helped her stand up carefully though quickly. They needed to get away of there fast. He took out a kunai and cut the rug that was bound around her mouth before cutting the rope to release both her hands. Mai seemed to be too weak to stand on her own.