"You've got to be kidding me", Genma remarked as he looked at Hana, holding his toothpick still.
"What now?", Tenzo muttered to himself as he leaned against a tree.
"The scent ends here...", Hana informed no one in particular.
"Hana maybe you've made a mistake since the beginning", Iwashi said, earning a scowl from Shisui.
"The Inuzuka nose doesn't miss", Hana sternly informed.
"Cut it out", Raido intervened, "this is exactly what they want us to do", he says, making me hold my breath.
"They want us to start bickering and scuffling with each other", Raido sternly informs, looking between us, "this is probably one of Kabuto's sick tricks, if y'all recall, he did trick the whole village into thinking that he's on our side".
"You're right", Genma sighed, biting his toothpick in place while keeping his hands in his pockets, "we probably have to search this area as well if we're going to catch any scent of them.
"Hana go ahead", Raido ordered, to which Hana simply nodded with her head and turned to her hounds.
She crouched down and spoke something, then her hounds were off again in the area, inspecting any trace for Naruto and Sasuke.
I was on my nerves the whole time. What are we even doing? We're simply wasting time here. Naruto and Sasuke could be hurt and we wouldn't even know it.
No
My mind suddenly wanders off to a gruesome sight that I involuntarily had pictured in my head.
Naruto and Sasuke were bloodied on the ground, lifeless and we've just arrived, late...Kabuto had used their bodies for his master's heinous and illegal experiments.
My breath hitched my throat just as my mind pictured the scene. Then, as if someone had punched me hard in the gut, I felt all contents of what I've eaten elevate to my throat.
Catching everyone's attention, my legs had moved by themselves and I slapped a hand over my mouth, digging my nails into my skin when the acidic feel pumped up. I quickly scurried off into the woods, ignoring those who called out my name in concern.
At the nearest opportunity, I whipped my hand away from my face and fell to my knees with a thud, letting all the contents loose as the virtual punch to my gut seemed to deepen the more I pictured the scene.
Goodness why am I doing this to myself?
I coughed up all the burning acidic contents of my stomach, before I heard Shisui and Tenzo rushing towards me.
"Itachi!", Shisui yelled out, scaring away the nearby creatures.
"Quick! Get him some water!", Tenzo barked at Shisui as my face scrunched up in pain. The outer corners of my eyes got drenched in burning salty tears, as I contemplated whether I was tearing up at thought of something bad happening to them or if this sensation is just too much.
I clutched my stomach tighter, digging my nails into my skin as I let out all the contents. Tenzo had dropped to my side where he made sure to pull away my long ponytail so it doesn't get caught in the gruesome action.
"S-sorry", choked out before I threw up some more.
"Easy there", Tenzo gasped as he kept a firm palm in between my shoulder blades. Every time I'd try to croak out another word, I'd get cut off by the acidic sensation that'd fill my mouth.
Until eventually, I fell to the ground, shaking breathlessly. I gasped for air and filled my lungs with as much as possible. Tenzo helped me to my feet again, draping one of my arms around his neck.
Shisui finally came back with the container of water and handed it to me. I quickly enclosed my lips on the container's opening and chucked down all the fresh water.
The unmannered way that I drank the water resulted in some of the it to roll away at the corners of my mouth as I craned my neck to drink every last bit.
"Thank you", I breathlessly croaked out as I held the container back to Shisui. He willingly took it as he looked at me in concern.
"Take it easy", Shisui advised, to which Tenzo added, "yeah, self inflicting like that won't get them back".
"Yeah I figured"
I began to gradually steady my steps again when I heard Raido call out, "you okay there Itachi?".
"I will be", I replied back and retrieved my draped arm.
I didn't even take that many steps when I felt something solid beneath the sole of my foot. My lips parted agape as I quickly glanced down.
That's when I gasped and my forehead wrinkled. I swiped my foot away all the while holding my breath, only to reveal the glistening silver of a Leaf headband.
Tenzo and Shisui halted to see what has me so preoccupied. Eventually, their expressions would come to mirror mine as I crouched down and shakily took hold of the headband.
I croaked out a breath at the sight of the headband as I tightened my grip on it despite my trembling hand.
"Sasuke", I gasped, and my heart sank.
"Hana!", Shisui yelled out to his girlfriend.
"What's going on?", Genma demanded as he rushed over with the rest of the rescue squad.
With wide unblinking eyes, I hold out the Leaf headband for their eyes to widen in shock as well.
"Hana", Raido says and Hana simply nods as she got the cue.
She summons one of her hounds and takes the headband from me. As Hana and her dogs do their part of the mission, I am left with a pacing heart and elevating fears.
Nevertheless, I force my thoughts to block out the negative ones as I gradually calm my heart down.
"The scent matches", Hana informed, making me step up.
"Are you able to pinpoint the direction of the scent this time?", I inquire, looking at her hard as I await her response.
"Yeah", Hana relieved me, "it's emanating from the west".
"The west?", Genma repeats, as he looks at our faces for an answer.
"But that's the direction of the Country of Rain", Raido remarked, looking at Hana intently.
"No", Hana sternly said, narrowing her murk eyes down, "a little further up to the Country of Rain", she finished off.
"You mean..."
"The Hidden Grass Village...", Iwashi inserted, rendering the atmosphere around us to be heavy.
"No way", Tenzo said to no one in particular.
"It's actually true", Genma spoke, the toothpick moving along the way, "Orochimaru has various hideouts scattered all around the Great Nations, it's not that farfetched".
"The Inuzuka nose doesn't miss", Shisui smirked, earning a scoff from Hana.
"Oh you bet", Hana muttered to herself.
"Okay lovebirds, let's go", Raido remarked, but neither one of the lovebirds looked flushed at the public remark.
And so we paved our way to the West, where the woods got a bit thicker. Raido lead the front line along Hana and the three hounds.
Going to the Hidden Grass means crossing the Tenchi Bridge by any chance...
Genma said that Orochimaru has various hideouts throughout the Great Nations, if that's true then it's not that farfetched that there's a hideout located in the Hidden Grass.
This is Orochimaru for goodness's sake.
For some reason I wished that Kakashi would've taken lead of this mission. It's not that Raido and the other two are not a perfect fit, but I just feel more comfortable with Kakashi, knowing that he'll have the same feelings as me since both Naruto and Sasuke are his students.
The cold wind of the night whisks away my fallen hair strands, which tickle my face lightly. We keep up our hastening pace as I keep loosening breaths from time to time.
I saw the trio leading the mission bundle their heads together and whisper something to each other. I squinted my eyes as I tried to catch up to them.
"Everyone", Raido addresses while we're still on the run, "according to classified intel we've learned beforehand from the investigations surrounding Orochimaru, we've managed to locate one of his hideouts".
"It should be in the Hidden Grass right?", I inquire as I wait for him to respond.
"Somewhere around the border between the Hidden Grass and the Hidden Rain falls one of Orochimaru's various hideouts", Iwashi asserts, making my stomach somersault.
"But isn't that a bit far away? And what guarantees do we have if that information is even accurate?", Shisui says, making me breathe heavily.
Raido sighs deeply and says, "if we bent our direction a little more, then we could get there faster", he asserted.
I was about to make a remark, when Raido cut me off by answering, "we have to make a risk here Itachi, this is classified information after all, the rescue mission could be a success if we locate the hideout".
I don't object at what he'd just said and simply hasten up.
"We've already wasted enough time journeying to the North, any further delay would only be to our disadvantage", I say out loud and everyone else nods in agreement.
Sasuke. Naruto, hang in there...
"Follow me", Raido tells Hana, who complies.
We bent our direction a little further and speed up more.
***
"The night has just began", Genma remarked when we became sure that we'd entered Hidden Grass territories.
Raido whipped his head in my direction and ordered, "Itachi, Shisui, use your crows to explore the the area beforehand. Order them to inform us if they spot any hideouts", Raido focuses on his path again as we all instinctively sped up fast.
Shisui and I swapped a quick glance before instinctively weaving the hand signs on cue.
"Summoning Jutsu", we said in unison.
Once the flock of crows appeared out of thin air, Shisui and I ordered them to do what's necessary. After scattering the crows throughout the area, we simply kept on leaping from one tree to the next.
"Hana any luck in finding another trace of their scent?", Genma inquires as I patiently wait for an answer.
"We're on the right track", Hana informs, making me feel a bit exhilarated, "there's a faint scent still hanging around this area, but watch out for Kabuto he's not an easy man".
"Understood"
"You got it"
Instinctively, I gawk over at Shisui and his expression mirrors mine.
It hasn't even been that long...
I know...
Shisui we should...
Shush Itachi...not now...
There is a threat, lurking in the shadows, and I don't know how to inform the others without endangering ourselves.
"Raido!", Shisui calls out.
"I know", Raido sternly replies in return.
From Raido's stern tone of voice, the rest of us got the cue and huddled close to each other.
"Everyone, listen up", Raido sternly says, "being one of the shinobi chosen for such mission, I'm guessing you all are aware of the occasion".
"Yeah"
"Right"
"Understood"
"Roger"
"Aware"
"No doubt"
"Now then", Raido says, exchanging glances with Iwashi and Genma, who nodded at him. Then, he says the thing that'd make four jaws drop at once.
"Itachi, Shisui, Hana, and Tenzo, we leave the rest in your hands. From here on out, you are called the Final Four".
__________________________________
A/N:- Ready for what's next? Well I can't wait to bring this book to a conclusion, I'll make sure to embed this story in your brains✨✨I'll have a few surprises along the way, especially in the epilogue.
Regarding the epilogue, like I said, it won't be one of those cheesy ones where they get married or are attending a wedding, or even have gotten married with kids.
Y'all I like cheese on my pizza not in my books✨✨
~A