Apologies for the delay...work just seems to have taken over any free time that I possess. Hope you enjoy the chapter.
Chapter 20
Kakashi panted heavily as his surrounding shone eerily from the light of his Chidori. He could make out the trunk of the large tree narrowing steadily as the earth around it crumbled under his feet and he continued to slide and struggle cutting a path through to the core. When Kakashi could go no further he stilled and desperately sought for signs of life, any life as he felt his vision go hazy. Kakashi fell to his knee with exhaustion and chakra depletion and discovered why his vision was obscured. In his haste to reach his lover he hadn't noticed that he was crying until he felt the drops land atop of his knees. Get a grip he told himself don't lose it now, he needs you damn it he needs you! He pounded the ground at his knee at a loss for what to do "Arrrg" he shouted in frustration as the tears continued down his face soaking into his mask and falling onto his knee when he tilted his head forward. He swiped at his face harshly with the dirt covered hands and found he could smell a distinct and unfortunately familiar metal. Kakashi grabbed the torch from the pouch at his waist and lit it hurriedly. He rubbed his thumb and forefinger together as he shone the light and found that the dirt in his hands was wet not only by water but a mixture of blood too.
Boar slid through the wreckage left behind by Kakashi and diligently followed his leaders' path. Up ahead he could see the faint luminance of light casting a long shadow of a lone figure crouched on the floor dry heaving. Boar approached cautiously and knew the exact moment his leader had sensed his presence has his posture stiffened. "Kakashi" he said quietly at a lost for what to say he stood behind the copy ninja taking shallow breaths and took an inventory of his surroundings. There was nothing but the broad trunk of the tree as it erupted from the earth crumbling the ground in its path. He followed his light down to where Kakashi seemed rooted and tried to see what his leader had discovered. "Kakashi" he repeated again to which the copy ninja turned his head.
Kakashi breathed deeply hoping his voice wouldn't betray him "There's blood mixed with the dirt here" he said trying to keep his breathing steady. He tried to sniff out the distinct metal from all the other minerals in the upturned earth but found the whole ground was intertwined with blood and dirt. Kakashi clenched his eyes shut and got a grip of his feelings and swallowed the bile that threatened to erupt. It doesn't mean anything he told himself and closed his eyes taking further ragged damp cold breaths. The air down here was thin and sparse he couldn't afford to waste it panicking. Once he felt he had his stomach content under control and breathing more measured he opened his eyes and formed the hand seals to summon the Ninja dogs.
"Boss" Pakkun stood at Kakashi's feet questioningly but soon stiffened without commands from Kakashi. Pakkun sniffed the floor hurriedly and began digging at the base of the large tree trunk "Bull, Uhei, Urushi here now" Pakkun called as he dug further through the rubble. He directed Bull and Uhei to dig with him and Urushi to go underground and see what he could find. Kakashi fell beside Pakkun and Bull and clawed at the soil away with his bare hands.
"Urushi?!" he called out as he frantically burrowed further into the dirt nearing the root "Is he there?" he shouted continuing to dig "Urushi!" Boar seeing the activity joined in with the digging, this could not be happening Yamato he thought what have you done Kid.
-oOo-
Urushi tunnelled his way into the ground, this was what he did, he tracked his prey underground so why was he so nervous? He loved the feel of dirt under him, the coolness of it and the earthy smell always made him feel at home, but today he wanted nothing more to be on the surface. He could smell them and it made him uncomfortable. One a vile pungent salt and the other a sweet forest pine that he knew so well yet was mixed with something smoky and metallic that he couldn't identify. Urushi dug deeper towards the odour, his senses assaulted by the salt and smoky fragrance but he tried to drown those out as he sought the sweet forest pine that he knew so well. Urushi was concentrating to so much on seeking out the forest pine fragrance and trying to keep a hold of his nerves that he didn't notice the tangled roots up ahead until his back paws hit something solid as he dug further down moving the dirt. He stopped and turned taking in the structure and sniffed it, the odour was most fragrant here and then he caught it, the flicker of something silver but the light here was too dim to see. Urushi tried to head towards where he saw the flicker but the roots here was so strongly bound together he couldn't break them. He removed the earth surrounding the roots to see if he could improve his view. That was when he saw it, the flicker of was surrounded by something brown which he had mistaken for earth but now knew was the top his master's brown haired lover, Yamato. Urushi dug wildly trying to find an entrance through the compacted roots surrounding the Shinobi but it was useless. Yamato looked to be suspended within the roots, unmoving, unconscious.