Chapter 18

There were no words he could think of at this point. This was the first time he felt completely lost in his own specialty in a long time.

Scouting and finding people were his best traits, he could pick a scent from anyone once he met them or got close enough. Unfortunately, he did not hold any item she had kept with her when he noticed her absence. The yapping blonde and moody Uchiha would never distract him from any target.

However, this target was rather, unique?

Her scent was like flowers. A cool breeze brushed through them when he walked her to the park, her scent just blended in with nature like a chameleon and it irritated him. He was no botanist or even well versed in these kinds of scents. Kakashi Hatake was used to dirt, sweat, blood and any weird gunk his targets would hold on to their clothes. Sometimes, perfumes would hide part of their natural stink but never erase it.

She just smelled like a freaking garden.

And he was surrounded by various versions of nature in town. His hound would grumble and complain over and over. – "Are you sure she is even real? The chair just smells like a bouquet." – he should have placed a leash on her. – "You should get checked by the doctor. You know, that mental health one." – his furry companion mocked.

Naruto just scratched his head and kept staring at every person. – "She just… disappeared. I'm telling you, she was there and then… not?" – he kept mumbling, his eyes scanning and the gears twisting. They felt her there, she was quiet but present.

Then, she wasn't.

He wondered for a second if the ground ate her. He had seen that before, by his own hand. – "Let's just stop stalling and separate." – grumbled the young Uchiha. – "I don't see anything." – he thought someone had helped her or made her disappear.

Not a single speck of evidence to support that thought. He knew for a fact they would be watched by at least one clan member for each of those nosy men. A chill ran down his back.

They would know before he could find her.

His day was turning sour by the minute, after such a nice start. Obito needed her – and many more.

His hands clapped loudly to catch his teams attention. – "Naruto, we'll take the ground level. Her scent is not going to be easy to find, just keep searching for a head of pink." – once everyone was clear on the new mission, they head out.

He knew Sasuke would be better on higher ground with a wider range of sight. The blonde was better at asking around and frantically searching. Most would become alarmed, and word would spread as his charm would cause the community to help him. Lucky. This town would never turn their back on him and those bright and hopeful eyes of his.

In other situations, he would emphasize on the quiet approach – much to the blonds displeasure - But that went out the window as he noticed a certain pair of dark orbs. He sighed loudly and stretched for a few moments. Mocking those followers.

All hands on deck until the pinket is found – hopefully safe and unharmed.

He didn't bother to notify anyone, they should know by now. His earpiece caught his attention. – "No sightings in the park. I am heading out." – the channels kept them in communication as long as they actually communicated.

He waited a few moments. – "Sasuke?" – A grumbled "what" echoed with static. – "I don't see anything." – he concluded on the line after a few moments.

Kakashi had noticed the mood change on him once he approached the duo and continue to darken as she disappeared. It made him wonder. How many people had seen and known what she was could do?

They needed to have a chat about this… soon.

But first. – "Hatake." – a man growled in his radio. – "I heard – what the hell happened?" –

Dam it.

They were fast. For a moment he wondered if his team was also under fire by other clan members shouting down their radio channels. That would explain their silence on the line.

Nevertheless, he had to find her. Help would be more beneficial. – "Would you like to search with us? Tobirama." – his nonchalant tone caused another growl from the man.

He wanted to ask more questions, anything that would give him a little more perspective over his target rather than "pink hair". – "Are you still there?" – he surrounded the treeline near the touristic sections. Kicking himself over how many people seemed to crowd the streets as the evening took over and the sun was about to set.

Her hair doesn't glow in the dark.

Does it?

- "Nothing in the towns centre." – he provided, hearing nothing other than more annoyed huffs and grunts. Even as the town stayed as it has been for several decades – the new developments having taller buildings and more technology – he could still miss a nook and cranny if he wasn't careful enough. The old wood and stone buildings have been through years of maintenance and damage. Enough to cause some homeowners to as their own little twist to their homes and shops.

A few new hiding spots he appreciated and despised at the same time.

They were illegal but could be pardoned if they gave access to necessary security procedures.

Many times, Kakashi would take naps near the bakery where a small alleyway was closed off and used as a private side entrance. Obito would catch him and steal his spot when they took turns during surveillance procedures. Rin would never be able to find them and moped around town, only to complain when both men seemed well rested, and she did not.

That was a long ago. When they had no idea how lucky they were.

Times when danger looked the other side for them, and fate gave them a break. He couldn't afford to do that anymore. When he awoke, he was tense. Even as his demeanour stayed relaxed and lazy. His mind couldn't help but wonder who was next to fall.

What other "incident" was waiting to happen.

He hated phone calls.

The dreaded ring would alert him of another possible job or bad news. Never anything he wanted to hear. Rin would notify him over anything new regarding his comrades dying in the hospital and if he should go visit.

At some point, his phone line was disconnected. Most communication arrived by mail or in person – when his radio was off. – "Naruto?" – the static was his white noise as his eyes scanned every hooded woman he could find. Even a few children with hats and coverups could be her.

There's no telling if she could be inside one of those barrels in a cart being pushed by the merchants. – "Yo! A couple mentioned they noticed a girl walking near the Forest of Death…" – he wondered off, his tone concerning.

A few seconds passed as Kakashi turned on his heel towards the training grounds. That was on the other side of town. Confused, he tried to think how long it took to even walk from the park all the way towards the deeper areas from town.

More concerning, the training grounds are off limits to civilians. It made sense to him if anyone wearing the Uchiha typical clothing near the area – but she wasn't even wearing a uniform or proper gear.

She would be asked to show her ID or turn around.

The silence on the line irked him to push the blonde. – "Why didn't they stop her?" – he questioned. – "Was she alone?" –

His sprint took him near the entrance of said forest before feeling the rush of wind clashing next to him. Tobirama was not in the mood. They both waited for the blonde to answer as they kept searching for a speck of pink. – "Well… they said she was on the other side of the fence… alone" –

What?

The Forest of Death was always closed, a tall electric metal fence keeps everyone away. The entrance is mostly closed, and guards were not needed.

No one enters that forest.

Ever.

His gaze met with Tobirama's. questions lingered for a second before the man disappeared in front of him.

Whomever brought her into that forest wanted her to disappear. At nightfall those creatures kept inside would hunt her – if they haven't already.

The yapping Naruto on his radio was shut off as Kakashi tightened his fingerless gloves and rolled his shoulders.

The game was about to start.

Find the pinket – or whatever was left if they were too late.

Hashirama took a seat while his brother continued his passing around his office. – "Those floors will dent if you keep wasting the wood." – his light joke was not well received but it still stopped his brother enough to get his attention. – "I already sent the report back." –

Those crimson eyes narrowed. – "That is not the problem." – they couldn't disclose exactly what happened as to protect the existence of the woman, but they would eventually have a representative from the palace visit with some questions and ask for more evidence. For now, they bought themselves some time to assess… whatever they were dealing with. – "Why should the Uchiha keep her?" –

With a sigh, he answered. – "They are not keeping her. She can't be allowed total entrance to our village without the proper procedure. The building is not Uchiha property. It's just standard procedure and you know that." – he gave his brother a pointed look. Sometimes, younger siblings could be a little too stubborn.

Tobirama's shoulders squared. – "Then I'll pay a visit. We can't lose sight of her, there's something off about all this." – he couldn't argue with that, strange things have happened, and most situations came with danger. So far, they had no reasons to believe she was dangerous or could cause harm to others even by accident. They all noticed how much of a distance she kept with everyone, she seemed nervous and curious at the same time. Much like a child on their first day of school.

No killing intent was found while the Senju evaluated her. For someone like Uchiha Izumi to just let her be near Madara without grasping at his weapon – that meant something. Silver flashed passed his gaze as his brother continue his moody walk – back and forth between glancing at the large window on one side of the room to the slightly open door on the other. He debated weather to just let him do his thing and hope the Uchiha didn't file another complaint against the Senju.

His filing cabinet was bursting with last month's shenanigans.

His curiosity was filling his head with questions. – "Please, sit." – he tried again. – "I must insist we have to talk." – his brother had to be in the same situation as him. The only answer he got was denial. – "Fine, we will talk like this. Tsunade sent over her medical report." – Tobirama snatched the document and started to read it next to the window. – "She is fine, nothing to worry about. All our men came back with no issues, and we had no casualties. Great news!" – he tried to cheer. Most failed missions had less luck than this one.

The younger Senju did not care to respond to that. He flipped the pages until he was done. – "I just don't get it." – he finally spoke. – "She won't even eat." – the small crease on his brow deepened.

- "You mean, the way she doesn't trust anything unless it looks safe?" – the eldest Senju began to laugh, ignoring his brother's bewilderment. – "Remember the first time you were "poisoned" when we were younger?" – his hands making the quotation signal over the word "poisoned". – "You were in a strange place you had never been in before, surrounded by strangers and guided by hunger." – he could see the realisation on his brothers eyes. – "It turned out to just be indigestion, but it still left a mark on you. Did it not?" –

He still remembered the way her eyes brightened up at the sight of an apple. A kind gesture that opened her up a little more. I would have worries him if she just accepted them as they were and believed everything. She surprised them by not trusting them fully from the beginning, noting the way they observed her. The woman is smart, they could use that to their advantage if any of their enemies tried to snatch her away from them.

She wouldn't just run to the hills, rather, run to them – for that, trust needed to be built.

Once again, Hashirama Senju was able to reason with his brother. He sat down in front of him and accepted his tea while they shared their thoughts. – "The mind might forget, but the body won't." – he remembered. – "It just makes no sense. She acts just like any of us would in this situation. And yet, she has no bone in her body to be a fighter." – Tobirama had a point. They just had to find answers before addressing the girl. – "I need to talk to her." –

And there it was, his agitation came around to her. – "She is not a prisoner we can interrogate." – he reminded. – "I know someone who might shed some light in our theories. If she was a Keeper, she might just fit the profile. Her name and appearance won't be in the records. Her identity should have been kept in a vault." – his tanned hand landed on his brothers shoulder, the tension on his muscles easing just slightly. – "We just need patience and time." –

But time was unpredictable. Once the sun began to set, their tea was gone, and their hunger began to grow. – "Let's not take this conversation to the table – lighten up, brother. We can invite Sakura over, Tsunade mentioned she would be discharged today." – he smiled.

Tobirama did not match his excitement. – "And you didn't tell me this earlier? Who will escort her? And where?" – maybe it was not the best idea to keep that information until now, Hashirama could feel the cold sweat run down his temple as his brother bolted to the door.

Not long after, one of his clansmen knocked at his door with dreading news. – "She is missing." –

- "Sakura, we have to leave." – he insisted. She was dazed and confused. Time was running out. The few sunrays glimpsing through the trees were slowly diming into darkness. – "Trust me, you don't want to be here – " – he was interrupted by a presence.

A branch snapped, echoing in the silence of the forest. Her eyes widened in worry. His hand reached to cover her shaking lips before she would make any noise. His other hand lightly squeezed her shoulder. A silent plea to follow him.

She nodded carefully, giving him her trust.

He stared at her for a brief moment before glancing behind her – watching the giant snake slithering from tree to tree.

Getting closer.

His senses alerted him, this might be the biggest threat approaching, but not the only one. Something in him told him she also sensed danger. Her eyes darted to her right – were he also sensed something coming near. Then, those green emeralds locked with something behind him.

Her body tensed. Tobirama debated in turning back, but something was off. The pinket went from fear to confusion. Shacky hands held the one covering her mouth. – "Tuere nos." – she commanded. Suddenly, both her hands holding him were glimmering. He felt energy seeping into his skin and filling him with a strange sensation.

Her words continued commanding words he did not understand. A language he did not speak? There was no time to question her. They had to leave.

Now.

His hands were faster, grabbing her with one arm to keep her tucked under his chin. He jumped higher than he had ever jumped. His body moved them through the woods. The wood under him cracking slightly from tree to tree.

He felt euphoric, the rush of energy flowing through his body like a cool summer breeze of the land of Fire. Natural and familiar. Her silence was not concerning, they were moving fast, and she held on tight to him. That was all he needed to know.

When he first spotted her, she was wondering through the forest. Her eyes were unfocused, branches and bushes scraped her. She showed no movement to avoid bumping into the lush greenery. It was a miracle she had made it that far without being eating or attacked.

It took him a few words to catch her attention. Her mind was disconnected with her body – until he placed his hand on her shoulder. That is when she stopped. Her gaze began to focus, and she returned from wherever her mind drifted off to.

He dodged a force that destroyed the branch he was about to land on. – "What was that?" – Sakura perked up - her voice laced with worry.

That was not a creature. He studied the tree. The Senju clan was aware of every kind of creature that lurked in the Forest of Death, hell – every clan knew about it. Part of the training he endured took part in this place.

But it was always under strict supervision and planning. No one was allowed in if they thought they weren't prepared.

Unfortunately, it was a necessary test to present those cruel and dangerous creatures that haunted the world.

They hid between thick trees and branches. The light began to disappear as the night engulfed them. This was a rescue mission he rushed into without assistance. A short message to his brother and he ventured into the forest – knowing what could happen.

Only, he did not expect another soldier to attack him. Dam it!

He wanted to shout at them, make the coward come out and fight him. Fights between clans were illegal unless they were for training. This solder was taking a big risk, and he knew the Uchiha would never steep so low.

The target could be him or the pinket. Both possibilities meant a bigger party in play. Either a trained assassin was offered a fat paycheck or – some bastard political party wants to get their hands on information.

He had no time to linger. Fuelled by the strange energy the pinket fed him, he was ready to kill. A small space between a few rocks was enough for the pinket to fit inside. He gently guided her in, it was too dark for her to see – so he whispered in her ear. – "Stay here, be quiet and wait for me." - Trained eyes helped him move between the bushes. Finding his target.

The man jumped at him with a killing intent. Metal clashed with his weapon. His blade yearned to shed blood. Pushing the man further away from where Sakura was hiding, Tobirama launched to his right. Smaller projectiles distracting his opponent into dodging the attack.

His target fell right into his trap.

Finding out who the target was.

He ran towards the direction he hid Sakura, a smirk growing onto the Senju's face. He placed his mask on, protecting him towards any poison the assassin might throw at him. From chin to nose, his glimmering red eyes shined with glee.

Ready to catch his prey.

Hands gripping at his steel weapons, the Senju jumped to the chase. Quickly, his blade med the man's shoulder – earning him a grunt. What a delightful answer. The man turned with his weapon, sparks flying as their blades clashed. Tobirama ducked his forward attack and smashed the man against a truck, the force denting the wood and splints flying around them. His hand gipped the dark mask that covered the man's identity and ripped it off.

Anger shined on the sharp gaze of a killer. Fine lines marked the edges of his face – an older man who was most likely an experience member of a trained group. Not a young and reckless fighter. Short dark hair and a long scar across his face from eyebrow to chin. The Senju would remember that face, search through files of wanted criminals and find out who they are – who they work for. Said man muttered a curse before jumping away.

A smile erupted on the man's face before his hand reached for another weapon.

No – not a blade. A cylinder-shaped device caught his eye. The beeping sound and lights began to ring. The man threw it towards Sakura's hiding place and a second later, it engulfed the entire perimeter in fire.

Tobirama was quick enough to duck, but the man escaped. Or maybe he didn't. the blackened ground and burned trees were almost completely destroyed. Branches of fire falling from high above. The smell of burnt flesh wrecked the air.

He noticed a snake had approached them at some point, only to die in the fire – a little too close to the rocks Sakura was hiding under. Maybe the snake was hunting her too.

For now, that didn't matter. He had to get them the hell out of here. That fire would alert everyone and all creatures nearby. His ears still rang from the blast – and maybe Sakura's too.

The pinket was in the same spot he left her. Her small hand gripping at her mouth to cover her from the thick smoke. The fire casted some light for her to see it was him. He gave her his spare facemask, the material made of a thick and comfortable polymer with small air filters. It should protect her from the smoke.

She was grateful to breath better, nodding at him that she was fine after taking a few deep breaths. He guided her away from the smoke and fire. Out of the forest and back to safety. His body slowly lost that burst of energy he felt. They sat near a streetlight to catch their breaths.

Her skin had a few dark patches, scrapes, and bumps. Overall, she was fine. But he had to ask. – "Sakura. What happened?" –

- "You look like crap." – a lazy voice interjected.

- "Kakashi." – he grumbled. A small part of him enjoyed the win, but this was not the time. Only giving the man a pointed glance, his attention turned to the pinket. Her brows furrowed while she thought.

- "I- " – her voice was hoarse. – "I was with him. Kakashi, right?" – she wondered. Said man approached them and took a seat on her other side, stretching his tensed muscles out and yawning. He could tell the soldier had been running himself to exhaustion. The sweat covering him was evident. He nodded to her questioning gaze. – "I am sorry, really! I wasn't trying to run away." – she began to plea, guild dripping from her words.

Kakashi sighed loudly, bringing both his hands up in an exaggerated gesture. – "You break my heart." – The Senju rolled his eyes.

The pinket was panicking. – "No! I just – I just woke up in there. I swear." – she began to tear up. Tobirama knew it was strange, but she had no perception of this place. Her words were sincere enough. – "One moment I was enjoying the food and the next – " – she sobbed. – "I was confused. It felt like something pushed me out of it." – her words were not clear enough. He knew she was shaken by what had happened so far.

Kakashi stopped her. Either from guilt or too tired to deal with a crying woman. – "You can apologize by helping me." – he mentioned. She was about to ask when he interrupted. – "I was ordered to keep you safe." – he informed her. – "You do understand that, right?" –

Again, the Senju rolled his eyes. She was the reason he would get in trouble and the bargain chip to easy the tension. – "I will tell them it wasn't your fault." – she nodded like a good solder, even her head bobbed with the need to show herself useful.

Humour danced in those dark eyes. Kakashi had her right where he wanted her.

Dam Hatake.

Whatever – Tobirama had to take her somewhere he could watch over her. Get her checked and cleaned up. They were both in need of a good bath and a delicious meal. The Senju stood and held his hand out. – "I'll call for a ride, we should go to my place." – he turned to Kakashi. – "You're also coming." -

Tobirama Senju wanted to know exactly what had happened after the dam Uchiha took the pinket away from their sight.

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