"So let me get this straight. The informant you had told us about before the invasion was actually the girl you brought with you from Wave." The Third was looking more and more irate as his thought process continued. "Not only did she have vital information on our enemy's movements, but she also had some on us as well, and you let her be taken."
Kakashi shifted uncomfortably under the Hokage's stare. "When you put it that way, it does sound rather bad." Sarutobi exhaled, filling the room with smoke, before fixing Kakashi with a flat look. "It sounds bad any way you put it, Kakashi." Asuma stepped forward. "It didn't seem as though Mar was particularly worried about being a hostage. She even managed to crack a lame joke as she was being carried off." The Third's expression became even more grave. "So we have to worry about her having been a double agent the entire time we let her roam around indiscriminately."
Kakashi closed his eye tightly, fighting against a growing migraine, and swore to beat some sense into Mar when she reappeared. Talk about a bad situation suddenly becoming worse.
-3-
Mar was draped over Itachi's back, arms dangling over his shoulders, as they walked. And walked. No wonder it had taken them several days after the Third's funeral to appear in the unaltered timeline. "If there is no cake in this so-called secret base I'm revolting."
Itachi just continued walking towards their goal, ignoring the fingers that insisted on braiding the hair he kept loose, while Kisame chuckled along behind them. It had been established that Mar had a tendency to fall from her perch whenever the pace changed. Didn't matter how small the change was, if it was there Mar would fall flat on her face. So Kisame was appointed rear guard, with a side mission of keeping Mar off the ground.
"No one other than Konan and Leader-sama have been staying in the base for the last few weeks." Itachi said, twitching when a beaded braid swung into his eyes. "So no cake then." Mar sighed as she started weaving the various braids together. By the time she was finished, it should look like Itachi had a mat of some sort on his head. Kisame appeared on Mar's left, grinning when he saw the damage to his partner's hair. "What's so bad about a lack of cake?"
"Sugar is my comfort food. It just can't been eaten straight. My tongue aches just considering it." Mar finished her project with a flourish. "Looking good, Itachi." Kisame said, teeth glinting in the sun. Mar suddenly found herself being flung in Kisame's direction as Itachi moved ahead of them. "I was wondering when he would snap." Mar said, grinning into Kisame's shirt. They laughed, or snickered in Mar's case, as Mar settled herself onto Kisame's back.
Maybe the trip wouldn't be dull after all.
-3-
"What?!" Kakashi winced as he twisted a finger in his ear. "What do you mean Mar was captured?!" Naruto was livid. Not just worried, as Kakashi had expected, but downright outraged. He wasn't the only one however, judging from Sakura's outburst. Her response had been unexpected, Kakashi didn't remember the two girls being all that close.
"Two members of Akatsuki entered the village, and Mar got in the way." Kakashi shrugged, hand reentering his pocket. "So they used her to escape from the ninja who arrived to apprehend them." Sakura looked even more upset, face turning a shade of hair that clashed with her hair. "And why didn't you stop them!?"
"There was a kunai at her throat. I might be good, but I'm not that good." Sasuke approached the group from behind. Noticing the look on his female teammate's face, Sasuke wisely gave her a wide berth as he made his way over to Kakashi. "Your dog complained about scent contamination, but he found the trail well enough." Sakura snapped her mouth shut, giving Sasuke a calculating look. "Trail? You're going after her?"
Sasuke looked over his shoulder at her, "Of course."
"Wait! Sasuke's going too?!" Naruto stomped a foot in protest. "What the hell? We should all go to save Mar!" Kakashi sighed. Asuma was right, he should have just told them Mar went to visit relatives.