Author's Note: I am SO sorry that this is late. I just haven't really had time to just sit down and write until today.
I'm also sorry if this chapter seems a little rushed. I tried to get it done as quickly as possible so I didn't keep you guys waiting too much longer.
Hopefully you guys can forgive me? *puppy dog eyes*
Thank you to Echo Uchiha, BlackRose723, MikaUchiha666, and Angel42497 for the amazing reviews on chapter seventeen! You guys are amazing, as usual. :D
Hopefully you enjoy this chapter as well!
Reviews would be lovely! :)

Eighteen: Searching for Clues

I saw the silhouette of Kakashi everywhere I looked. The stars in the sky, the treetops in the distance, the cracks in the roads, and even my own reflection in store windows had morphed into his likeness. Hell, even closing my eyes didn't free me from his presence. The darkness was interrupted all to soon by the image of his eyes staring back at me through his silver hair, which fell so perfectly (yet chaotically) over his face. Just when the thought of him had become so real that I wanted to reach out and touch his warm skin, I would open my eyes and be reunited by the lonely streets of Konoha that I passed over from the rooftops. Part of me wished that I had allowed Kakashi to come with me, but the tiny bit of my conscience that remained knew that I couldn't.

Shaking my head, I tried to erase Kakashi from my mind and instead focus on the mission at hand. I had probably kept myself in my house for too long, so I had to hurry and reach Konoha's gate. The longer I kept my students waiting for me, the higher the chances were of someone discovering them. Any ninja could put the pieces of the puzzle together, and once they realized what they were doing, they would be escorted to the Hokage's office for punishment. I couldn't allow that to happen. I had to hurry.

The cold wind slapped hard against my skin as I quickened my pace, but the stinging was worth it when I saw my student's come into view. I scanned the surroundings, and there was no one around—not even Izumo and Kotetsu. Without wasting another second, I approached the building's edge and ran off of the side, descending to the ground. I somersaulted upon my landing to soften the blow from the high velocity that I traveled, and I instantly sprung back to my feet once the technique had been successfully executed. "Are you ready?" I asked them in a hushed voice.

My Genin flinched at the sound of my voice, whirling around to face me. Their widened eyes relaxed when they realized who I was. The two flashed each other a quick look, as if to ask the other if they were still interested in taking on the mission, and when neither faltered, they simultaneously nodded their heads. I looked into their eyes. They were narrowed to show confidence and courage, but I could see past their exteriors. They were different than before. Although they tried their best not to show it, they were scared. "You can still back out," I reminded them, "I won't think any less of you."

"We're not going to back out," Nikko replied softly, attempting to cover the slight cracks in his voice as he spoke.

"Our friend needs us," Hana added. She was less successful in hiding her anxiety, but she maintained a tough exterior, just as she always did.

I couldn't blame them for being terrified. Not only was this the most risky mission they had ever taken on, but also their comrade—their friend—was in grave danger. It was a giant leap from where they were just a few hours ago. "If you're sure," I sighed, "then let's get going."

My students nodded. "Right!"

Once we exited through the village gates, there was no turning back. We left Konoha behind, jumping into the treetops to sprint into the surrounding forest before anyone had noticed that we were leaving. I followed behind Hana and Nikko so I could protect the area behind us.

"Where are we going to go?" Hana asked.

I had thought about it for a few moments, and I decided that heading back to the rundown village, where the mysterious man had first been spotted, was our best bet. Chances are that, since he passed through that town to get what he wanted, he would probably pass back through once he had attained it. I hoped that we would be able to find some sort of clue as to where they were headed next. "I have an idea," I answered her, "I'll let you know when and where to turn."

"Can't you just tell us where?" Nikko inquired, flashing his golden brown eyes back towards mine.

"I would," I said to him, "but I guarantee that you guys have never heard of it."

He furrowed his eyebrows, but he didn't protest. Instead, he sighed, averted his gaze forward, and continued leaping across the tree branches. It was strange. Nikko simply accepted my comment without arguing, and I was growing increasingly curious as to why. I decided, however, that it wasn't the appropriate time to question him about it, so I shook my curiosity aside so I could focus on navigating my team.

I stopped periodically to examine the branches for scuffmarks and blood. I needed to remember at what point we were supposed to start heading south, and when I finally found the right tree, I told my teammates to take a right turn. We continued heading that way for another hour or so until we reached the small town with the hot spring resort. "Take a left here," I told them before the memories of the night that Kakashi and I had shared here resurfaced. I didn't want to think about him. I couldn't think about him.

My students did as they were told, and soon the town had faded into the distance as we continued on our way. I breathed a small sigh of relief and focused my eyes on the path ahead of us. It was dark, but I could still see the smoke of the rundown town rising in the night sky far into the distance. I knew that we had almost arrived. "It's not much further," I told my Genin.

After another twenty minutes of traveling, we had finally reached a break in the forest. We dropped to the ground, and the three of us immediately doubled over in exhaustion, panting heavily. My students coughed when they inhaled the smoky air. "What is this place?" Nikko questioned through ragged breaths.

I condensed the story that Kakashi had recited for Naruto and Sakura into fewer words, not only to conserve time, but because my breathing was too heavy to allow for a long anecdote. Their eyes expressed grief for the town's unfortunate demise. "You really think that Toshiro will be here?" Hana asked quietly.

"Not necessarily," I answered her, "Toshiro's kidnapper was recently seen here, so I think that there's a good chance that we'd be able to find some clues about where he's headed now."

"Makes sense," Nikko agreed. Again, I couldn't help but find his cooperation somewhat strange.

"Kaeda!"

A voice called my name from a distance, so I averted my gaze to examine it. Running from inside the town, I noticed familiar long, brown locks flowing in the gentle breeze and golden eyes gleaming against the darkness. "Mai?"

The girl quickly approached us. Instead of her loose-fitting dress, she wore a t-shirt and sweatpants, and a pair of sandals covered her normally bare feet. She had a small backpack slung over her shoulders, and its contents, which sounded like weapons and ninja tools, clanked together as she ran. "I was actually just about to travel to Konoha to find you."

"You were going to look for me?" I repeated, confused.

"Yeah," she nodded.

"Who is this lady?" Nikko demanded. There was that bothersome attitude of his.

"Hana, Nikko," I called their names, "this is Mai. She helped me out on the investigation. Mai, these are my students."

"It's nice to meet you," Mai smiled, bowing respectfully toward them.

Hana bowed immediately in return, while Nikko hesitated a moment before mimicking the gesture. Being polite obviously wasn't something that came natural to him.

"Anyway," Mai continued, "I was going to go find you so that I could tell you that I saw the strange man again."

My ears perked up. "You did?"

"Yes," she answered, "Just about an hour ago. I noticed that same flicker of movement that originally caught my eye, so I investigated. This time, he was carrying someone on his shoulders. A boy."

Toshiro.

"Which way were they headed?" I immediately asked.

She pointed her index finger toward the opposite end of the town where the break in the forest had ended. "They were heading East."

"Thank you so much, Mai," I sighed, "you're incredible."

I signaled for my students to follow me, but just as we started to move, Mai called out to us. "Wait!" We stopped, turned around, and looked back at her. She had that same determined look in her eyes that I had seen in her before. "I want to come with you."

I remembered what she had told me earlier. Her dream was to become a great ninja, and although she was stuck in a rough situation, she still trained on her own everyday to someday make that dream a reality. She was so hopeful toward her future and so firm in her desire to make something of herself and to support her family, it was inspiring. I remembered how perceptive she was and how helpful she was to our investigation, and I realized that she could actually be an asset to our team. Besides, ninja squads generally contained four members, and Squad Thirteen currently had three. With her, we would have a complete team, and a higher chance of finding Toshiro. It didn't take long for me to make my decision. "Well," I smiled at her, "let's go."

The four of us raced to the other end of the village to continue into the forest. I was surprised that, even without proper ninja training, Mai was able to concentrate her chakra to her feet to sprint up a tree trunk. We leapt through the forest, constantly alert for suspicious activity or disheveled surroundings. Since it was dark and visibility was low, we traveled on branches that were closer to the ground.

We examined the vicinity until the sun began to peek over the horizon. The sky was tinted in pastel colors, and birds chirped in the treetops, but, despite the serenity of the morning, I was not feeling serene. I was becoming impatient. We hadn't found a single clue. "You're sure you saw them heading this way?" I asked Mai.

"Positive," she answered, "You've got to remember that these are skilled ninja we're dealing with. They've covered their tracks well, but we'll find them."

Her positive attitude was contagious, and I couldn't keep the smile from forming on my face. "You're going to be a great ninja one day, Mai," I told her.

"Hey!" Hana shouted, "Kaeda Sensei, I think I see something!"

The four of us descended quickly so Hana could lead us toward whatever it was that she had seen. The girl kneeled downward to grasp something small and black in the dirt. She held it in between her fingers as she examined it.

"What is it?" I asked her, becoming more curious with each passing second.

After a few more moments, she flashed her emerald eyes upward to face me. "It's a shred of fabric… from Toshiro's jacket."