Chapter Three- Itachi Uchiha

"How are we going to track them?" Natsumi asked Kushina and Naruto, while the raven's looked at the piece of cloth. Temari had to go to guard duty, even if the blonde female wanted to go with them. "You said something about Naruto being trained as a tracker?"

"We did," both Uchiha said. Kushina didn't know that Naruto didn't tell Natsumi, but she guessed that it never popped up in conversation.

"You're missing a member," Baki said while looking at the three. "I thought they didn't sent teams of three to missions like this."

"We were in the office when the bird came in," Kushina told him while Naruto looked for chakra prints left in the sand. "Tsunade also trusts me and she trusts Jiraiya's teachings."

"I haven't seen my grandchild's face for a while," Chiyo said from the gate. Kushina could only sigh, the old women didn't like her and she didn't like the old women. Chiyo didn't like Natsumi or Naruto, since they all came from Konah. It was worse for both her and Naruto, since they were Uchiha and she hated the Uchiha. "Even if I have to put up with Kohan nin, besides I'm old enough that you can't tell me what to do."

"Of course Lady Chiyo," Baki said while the old women jumped down next to the three teens. Naruto wasn't paying attention and Kushina knew she would have to keep Chiyo's attention away from her brother, if they wanted to find anything. "I'm sure you'll be successful."

"Your grandson what is he like?" Natsumi asked while Naruto opened his eyes and started to walk in the same direction Kankuro, while Kushina just summoned one of her cats to request back-up. A small thing with tiger like markings. Angel was one of her fastest summons and she would be able to get to the village in a day. "I don't want to sound mean, but we might be facing him. Are you up to it?"

"Natsumi, Angel's going to give the message to Tsunade," Kushina told her little sister. "We'll need to leave now, since Naruto has picked up their trail and we'll need to move before we lose it. Chiyo you'll need to know that I'm in charge of this mission and won't take your back chat easily."

With that Kushina started to follow Naruto, since they was something about the old women that annoyed her. She didn't know what, but she had a feeling she was going to find out soon.

"Why is she trying to save Gaara so much?" Chiyo asked Kushina. Natsumi was in front of the group with Naruto close behind her. "She isn't from Suna or anywhere near Wind country."

"She sees Gaara as a friend," Kushina told her while keeping an eye on her team. "They're also like siblings, both were feared by their village and Natsumi was able to help Gaara reconnect with his siblings, so she doesn't want to see him hurt."

Chiyo just looked at her, while Kushina's eyes softened. She was the team leader and medic, she was glad that she carried around sealed herbs, since the sand didn't have enough and couldn't grow one of the herbs she needed. Through she was able to get some herbs that she didn't have before, ones that only grew in the desert.

"That fact that he comes from sand means little," Kushina told her a smile on her face. "He could've came from any of the five villagers and she would still be like this."

"Kushina! Someone's ahead of us," Natsumi called behind them. "It's Kakashi. I think his here to help, should we update him on what's going on."

"Yes, Natsumi we should," Kushina said. Maybe this time I'll get answers, she thought. After finding out who Natsumi's father was and his students, she hunted them down, asked if they knew their sensei had a child, only Kakashi knew and his been getting an ear full ever since. "Naruto, Natsumi you tell him. While I tell Chiyo that Kakashi isn't the white fang."

"Hey Kakashi," Naruto said while they jumped down to meet the man. Natsumi was sensing up in front of her and found someone was up ahead, but she didn't know who it was. "What are you doing here?"

"I was following your tracks, then Kankuro gave me some cloth from the person who poisoned him," Kakashi said while Kushina and Chiyo jumped to join them. The old women glared at him, but saw differnces in the man in front of her verses the man who killed her son and daughter-in-law. "It's nice to know that we were both going in the right direction. However, I don't know how you've been able to follow the trail."

"Sand."

"Sand?"

"Yes sand," Kushina said while pointing to the grains of sand on the ground. "Gaara covered himself in sand, even now, so when he attacked, someone must have broken that and so sand came of his face and left a trail."

"Well I've sent Pakkun back."

"As long as that damn dog doesn't hurt Angel, I won't kill you."

"Angel?"

"Cat."

"Why Angel."

"Her parent's names her that."

"Oh…"

"Someone's ahead of us," Natsumi said while pointing to the raven standing on the rock. Kakashi knew who it was. Itachi Uchiha. "Sasuke's brother, the reason for Sakura's death."

"No her death… was caused by her being a- a fangirl and b- weak," Kushina said while activating her Sharingan along with her brother. "Also something's off about him."

"Natsumi like I taught you, don't look in his eyes. Follow his feet," Naruto told her. Both he and Jiraiya had taught her to fight by not looking their enemy in the eye, she was able to do it with both him and Jiraiya, but she had been working on it for three years. "We'll make sure he doesn't pull anything funny."

"Of course," Natsumi said while looking at Itachi's feet. Running up to him, Kushina aimed at his head, but Itachi moved so instead Kushina kicked the tree behind it, uplifting it from its roots. "So, she was taught by granny."

"In more than Medical Ninjutsu," Kakashi said while pulling his headband up, reveling his eye. While Kushina fired a fire ball, Natsumi casted a wind jutsu making it bigger than it was. "We can't let the girl's bet us, can we?"

"No we can't." Naruto said while the two joined in the fight. So Itachi had to avoid Kushina's bone breaking hits as well as Natsumi's brushing ones. While Kakashi and Naruto used both fire and lightening jutsu at him. If Kakashi used a strong lightening technique, Naruto would catch him off guard with a fire jutsu, the four worked together like a well-oiled machine, protecting each other's blind spots and weakness.

"I can't believe someone who was on the council was a traditor," Chiyo said as they continued. Kakashi in the lead, while Angel popped up on Kushina's head and the small kitten didn't look ever happy.

"Team Gai is being sent," Angel hissed while glaring at the white haired man in front of them. "Also, I hate dogs and that matt better stay away from me."

"What did you do to him?" Kakashi asked looking at the kitten, but she puffed away without an answering, when he looked at Kushina she just glared at him. How was she meant to know? It wasn't like she was there. "Never mind, we better find this hide-out."