The forest was silent. The vast expanse of trees swallowed all who entered without a ripple, like a green-tinted lake nestled among hills, where the first pebble's disturbance remains unseen until its ripples spread far and wide.
Among those moving through the woods, some paused in place, waiting for fate to find them; others schemed in the shadows, ensuring the waters wouldn't churn too violently.
…
A small shoe, laces neatly tied, stepped into a shaft of sunlight, then vanished just as quickly.
"Nothing here." Mai murmured, focusing her senses. Layers of spatial information flickered chaotically through her perception, but none held the answers she sought.
She leapt from a tree branch, her small frame unleashing surprising force as she covered dozens of meters in an instant. Another jump, then a deft grab at a hanging vine, she swung forward with effortless grace, moving through the dense foliage like a spirit of the woods.
"Is that so?" Kakashi kept pace beside her, glancing first at Pakkun. The tracking Ninken rolled his eyes.
Sniffing the air, Pakkun trotted ahead another few hundred meters before nodding to Kakashi.
"The little girl's got sharp senses." Pakkun remarked, feigning nonchalance.
"Oh, no, no… you're the real expert." Mai replied hastily.
"Don't be modest," Pakkun huffed, his stubby legs struggling to keep up with the jumps between trees, "My nose can track over long distances, but it's just a general direction. Your sensing is pinpoint accurate."
"Kakashi, your team's getting more colorful by the day. First that kid who brings drawings to life, now this clever little lady."
Facing the sighs of his Summoned Beast, Kakashi gave him a deadpan look and asked, "Which part of that was the compliment?"
Since Mai's sensing abilities dictated their path, Kakashi deliberately held back slightly. Watching her from behind, he thought, 'The reports weren't exaggerating...'
Team 7 and Team 8 had fanned out in a circular formation. Naruto, as the Jinchuriki, required special oversight, so Hinata, with her Byakugan, and Yamato, with his Wood Release, accompanied him. The others paired with two Ninken each, conducting a meticulous grid search.
Mai's own sensory abilities overlapped with the Ninken's, and there simply weren't enough dogs to go around. Since Kakashi needed to oversee the operation, he paired up with Mai.
With both Mai and Pakkun acting as dual-range radar, their efficiency surpassed Kakashi's expectations. In no time, they had mapped every inch of their assigned sector.
"Then let's go back first." Kakashi said.
Kakashi realized that bringing Mai along had been a wise decision, especially for a mission like this, where combat wasn't the immediate priority.
Most Ninja focused solely on offensive techniques, overlooking the game-changing potential of support skills.
Their efficiency soared, far outpacing the other teams. After swiftly completing their initial sweep, they pushed deeper to maximize their time.
"No sightings."
"Nothing here."
"All clear..."
The plan was straightforward… keep searching. Second sweep, third sweep... Konoha's ripples were spreading wide.
Further north, another, more impatient ripple was forming, clashes of lightning and explosions.
"Here."
Mai had slipped into full mission mode, her expression focused, movements precise, every inch the professional Ninja. Beneath her soft demeanor, an unshakable resolve shone through. Perched high in the canopy, she pointed diagonally downward, signaling the five-kilometer mark.
"Mm. Let's push a bit further," Kakashi said, unfazed. Pakkun had already settled on his shoulder, content to let Mai take the lead.
Mai adjusted seamlessly, leaping ahead with practiced ease.
"Can your Chakra still hold up?" Kakashi asked. Their high efficiency came at the cost of few breaks.
"No problems, Kakashi-sensei." Mai replied with a bright smile.
"By the way... Our primary targets are Itachi and Sasuke. Hattori is technically part of Akatsuki, but the odds of running into him are slim. You understand that, right?"
Mid-leap between trees, Kakashi decided it was best to address the elephant in the forest.
"Of course." Mai answered without hesitation, "Are you worried about me, Kakashi-sensei? Don't be. If Hattori-nii is here, that's a bonus, as I came hoping for that slim chance. But if he's not, I'll still give this mission my all. That's basic professionalism, right?"
Her smile was steady, her tone unwavering.
"Right, haha..."
That quiet, confident grin made Kakashi scratch his head.
"Since Tsunade-sama has trusted me enough to send me, and Team 7 has been so kind, the least I can do is pull my weight… not be a burden."
'I asked a pointless question.' Kakashi realized, 'Compared to Naruto's tantrums whenever Sasuke wasn't around... those two troublesome students.'
"Tsunade-sama has an exceptional student."
Kakashi muttered, half-impressed, half-bitter.
After a brief exchange, they covered several more kilometers. It was time to turn back, as pushing further risked miscommunication with the others.
But before Kakashi could call the retreat, Mai's expression shifted sharply as she stared ahead.
"Wait!"
Kakashi, who had been a Ninja for many years, reacted instantly. He stopped at the same moment and concealed his presence.
After a few seconds, he lowered his voice and asked, "What is it?"
The towering trees grew denser ahead, tangled with wild undergrowth and hanging vines… a sight no different from what they'd passed before.
Pakkun pricked up his ears, his senses on full alert as he slid down Kakashi's sleeve. He shook his head, sniffing the air in confusion.
"What is it, kid?"
"It's Chakra..." Pakkun hadn't detected anything unusual, but Mai remained serious, "It's a different Chakra from anyone in our two teams."
"If it's an enemy…" Kakashi narrowed his eye, scanning the sun-dappled forest, 'Which side?'
"But it doesn't feel like an enemy..." Mai frowned.
Kakashi was about to press further when a breeze drifted through the trees.
It was really just an ordinary breeze.
Given Kakashi and Pakkun's heightened alertness, no normal gust should have escaped their notice.
But Mai Mai had caught something, and her hands formed the textbook-perfect hand seals.
"Water Release: Water Formation Wall!"
A rectangular barrier of water surged up, shielding them. The breeze brushed against it, causing faint ripples.
No hidden weapons. No explosions. Nothing happened.
"Emm..." Kakashi couldn't help but want to say something.
"Got it." Maintaining the Water Release with one hand, Mai extended her other hand. Hair-thin Chakra Threads stretched out like mechanical tendrils, probing the water wall before retracting.
"This." She held up a pinprick of Chakra between her fingers for Kakashi and Pakkun to see.
Kakashi was stunned and didn't have time to praise the other party's superb Chakra Control before he moved closer to take a look.
"I don't see anyth..." He just said this and immediately noticed that there was a small white dot that was almost invisible to the naked eye clutched in the Chakra Threads.
Without any hesitation, Kakashi slid up his forehead protector. The Sharingan's crimson iris dilated, analyzing!
His eye sharpened, 'An ultra-microscopic white spider. At that size, floating in the air, it was practically undetectable...'
"It must've drifted from ahead." Mai murmured with her eyes closed. "At first, I thought I was mistaken, after all, it's so small. But once we got closer, I confirmed it. The Chakra signature is... unique."
"This is Deidara's clay, from the Akatsuki."
Kakashi said with a stern look in his face. He had fought with the other party before, so he would not make a mistake.
As soon as these words were spoken, the air became quiet.
Mai naturally knew the intel on Akatsuki's known members. A Chakra signature this distinct could only mean one thing, ""This must be part of a technique. Someone's fighting, and it's intense."
'It was a logical deduction. However, the last I'd saw, Deidara had blown himself up.'
Kakashi glanced back the way they'd come, conflicted.
Boom!
At this time, a was a faint explosion sound rang, as if it had traveled a long distance and was very weak, but no one ignored it at this moment.
The turning point.
"No time to waste."
Kakashi made the call. With a sharp gesture, they advanced, carefully, silently, toward the source.