Waiting proved to be the hardest part of the retreat. The lingering sounds of distant blasts and shouts were a constant reminder of their pursuers. New cracks in the cave walls were accompanied by disturbingly loud popping sounds. After a few minutes the tumult began to grow more distant, and eventually faded. Karui got up first and offered her hand to Kiba to help him up. He waved her off and stood up under his own power. Kiba strained his eyes in the darkness as he looked to either side; the fissure was barely wide enough for Akamaru to walk in, it would not be suitable for any first aid.
"Let's see if we find another chamber, hopefully someplace a little bigger than this." Kiba's suggestion received a nod from Karui, "Akamaru, you take point. Karui, if you'd watch our back?"
"Of course."
The cave proved rather more hospitable than others Kiba had trained in. Its air was neither stagnant nor poisonous, as is often the case in caves. Each step he took came with a rather disturbing crunching sound. Kiba ran his right hand along the wall and felt fine crystal formations, so he assumed the crunching was the breaking of similar formations on the ground.
"Kiba, look down." Karui sounded astonished.
Turning around Kiba saw a trail of dots on the floor behind him. Starting about where they had landed and forming in regular intervals, each dot on the ground was glowing with a dim blue light. Following the trail to its source confirmed that each spot was caused by blood dripping from the wound on Kiba's left arm.
"A tracking technique?" Kiba asked.
"I don't think so." Karui said breathlessly as her face, and the cave, was lit by an increasing illumination.
Kiba removed his hand from the wall startled when he saw that his handprint was now a gleaming mark in the rock that faded as the rock around it began to brighten. From ahead Akamaru growled quietly.
"He says there's a cavern up ahead we can go in." Kiba turned back to Karui who seemed focused on the edges of the light on the rock. Oddly it seemed that after a short distance the light faded, that the rocks were reacting to them. "Karui?"
"I'm coming." As she followed Kiba she retrieved the box she had gotten from the supply shed and put something in her ear. Finally Kiba realized that it was a radio transceiver.
Sitting down in the cave Kiba pulled out his first aid kit and took a soldier pill and another blood pill. Karui entered laid her sword on the ground before adjusting several dials on the radio. Akamaru remained in the hallway to watch their backs, his tail sticking in through the aperture.
Using a Kunai he cut off the remainder of his left glove before analyzing the wound. Looking up he realized that he had taken the light in the cave for granted, not even wondering why the walls gave off light.
The crystals in this cavern were much larger than the ones in the fissure, the less agitation in this area probably contributed to their growth. Forming in groups and clusters, there was something oddly organic to the way they grew. Kiba couldn't help but shake the familiar feeling the crystals gave off.
"I could have sworn… maybe." Kiba concentrated his chakra in his hand and touched one of the clusters of crystals, as he did its light filled the entire room, not uncomfortably though.
"Chakra crystals," Karui said softly, "I thought pure chakra crystal was beyond rare."
"Rare and valuable." Kiba added.
Though the sound was muffled, Kiba heard static come from the receiver in Karui's ear. She pressed her hand to adjust it and enhance the sound.
"Where'd you plant the radio?"
"Hooked it up to the generator upstairs, the wires to the lighting should act as antennae to enhance the signal." A satisfied look came over her face when she got her dials just right. "They're back in the main room. Here, have the other earpiece, you should hear this too."
Kiba put the radio in his left ear and labored to hear the low sound.
"…between the shafts you dug and the natural caves, I doubt we'll find them Akie." The voice was deep, sounding like it came from the large man.
"Give me more credit than that Daisuke," Akie said, "I sealed every tunnel leading to the entrance. They got away, but they can't get out."
A loud crash caused some feedback which made both Kiba and Karui take the speaker out of their ears momentarily. As their conversation stopped, Kiba cleansed the wound on his arm and threaded the suture needle in preparation for stitching.
"Are you alright Elder Saito?" Akie asked, sounding hesitant.
"Saito?" Karui said the name fearfully.
"Heh, at least we know what happened to Hiroyuki and Samuru now. Konoha ANBU and your old rival from the academy. A Joint-nation task force, it's a new world we're living in. I was afraid of something like this after Akie's foolish experiments with Doton mining jutsu caused a small series of earthquakes. But how did they find the source so fast? Blast!"
Another crash sounded, rocks splitting and crumbling.
"Watch your temper boss," Daisuke said, "we've already got several bags buried under rubble."
"Right, the bags. I want all of them up on the peak by tonight. Once you deliver the last one's I'll give you your payment. One pure crystal each, enough to live on for ten lifetimes."
"Are you sure what you have will be enough?" Akie asked. "You were planning on having Hiroyuki make another batch."
"Always plan to have more than you need dearest." Saito answered and paused for a long moment. "What I have will be enough, enough to make my statement. Now I'm going up to the peak to prepare my storm, the last cloud Kumogakure no Sato will ever see."
Kiba finished the stitches without even flinching. He held out the gauze to Karui but she was lost in thought.
"Karui, who is Saito?" Kiba asked.
Karui retied her headband before taking the gauze from Kiba. She methodically wrapped Kiba's wound before her eyes turned to Kiba's bloody chest armor.
"We really should have taken care of that cut first." She said almost angrily.
Kiba reached under his vest and pulled out the shattered remains of his ANBU mask. Throwing it on the ground he said,
"It wasn't any good to wear anymore, so I kept it under my armor. Kind of strange isn't it? Having my life saved by a broken mask. Your sword-tip barely penetrated 2 centimeters, only reason there is so much blood is because I took two blood pills. This one will heal fine."
Over the years Kiba had learned to smell certain emotions in people, giving truth to the adage that animals can smell fear. Karui's scent was awash with apprehension.
"Saito was once called the Shadow of the North. A Sage of Nature who refused the position of Raikage twice to serve as the Lightning Daimyo's Counsel. Talk is that he had a falling out with É before the start of the last war and disappeared. And now we're trapped in a cave, up in the mountains, and he's trying to kill us." Her next pause smelled of strength, determination, and sadness, "What's worse, I think he wants to destroy Kumo."