Shades of Grey

Chapter 59

The sun had almost gone down by the time that Team 7's search finally produced anything tangible to show then they were on the right path. In the forest a few miles away from where they had encountered Sakura the ninja dogs hit on a fallen tree. Well knocked over would be a more accurate description; none of them had any doubt that their pink haired teammate had been the cause of this destruction.

"It is her traveling cloak." Kakashi confirmed lifting the edge of the fabric that was sticking out of under the large log.

Naruto quickly produced several shadow clones who were able to move the log with some effort.

"Man, I will never get over how she manages to move stuff like that when it takes a dozen of me to move it." The blond said.

"Hn." Sasuke snorted. "She is just stronger than you dobe."

"Or perhaps she isn't dickless like you." Sai helpfully offered.

"Why you." Naruto started to advance on the artist.

"There is blood on it." Kakashi's proclamation put a stop to his team's shenanigans. "Hers and whoever she was fighting."

"Itachi." Sasuke ground out.

"Not quite kid." Pakkun spoke up. "I know how eager you are to blame all evil in this world on your long-lost brother, but not this time."

"Besides, I don't think that Itachi is her enemy." Naruto spoke up. "She wouldn't have been traveling with him if he was."

"Itachi was here." The pug told Sasuke. "Well at least someone who is related to you was, and that leaves a pretty short list. His scent though is fresher. She fought someone here and was carried away. Your brother and someone else came after and judging by the way they traveled they were trailing her and her assailant too."

"So, we find one we find both." Sasuke surmised.

"Don't forget the mission." Kakashi growled at his subordinate. "If I think for one minute that you are going to compromise our goal, I will send you straight back to Konoha."

"Sakura is my primary objective." Sasuke assured his former sensei.

"Sakura is your only objective." Kakashi corrected. "Now let's set up for the night."

"But Kakashi sensei you just said that she was hurt and carried away. We can't stop now, she needs us." Naruto blurted.

"Sakura is playing in the big leagues now." The Copy-nin sighed. "If we are going to help her, we have to be at the top of our game. Otherwise, she might be the one having to save us."

"Again." The ever-helpful Sai added with one of his annoying fake smiles.

"Again." Kakashi agreed. "Now let's get some rest. Naruto gather some firewood, Sai find some water, and Sasuke see what you can find for dinner."

"And just what exactly are you going to do?" Naruto ground out.

"Well, I am going to secure the perimeter of course." Kakashi gave one of his eye crinkling smiles before jumping into the tree that was closest to the one his former student had knocked down.

He took out the copy of Icha-Icha that he had bought to replace the one he had given to Sakura. He did not miss the grumbles coming from below accusing him of being lazy, but he did not care. To them it looked like he was reading but his mind was currently going a mile a minute.

He did not like where all of this was heading. Sakura had been traveling with Itachi and his partner before becoming separated from them, presumably to rescue his team. She had learned that they knew of her travels and according to Sai looked alarmed; Kakashi hadn't seen it but if anyone could see through the front that she was trying to put up it would be the socially retarded artist.

Apparently shortly after leaving them she had encountered an unknown enemy. Only Kakashi had a pretty good Idea about who it had been. He recognized the scorch marks on the ground from his own battle with Deidara. He could not reveal that to his team now because he knew all hell would break lose. So, it would seem she had fallen into one Akatsuki member's hands and was being pursued by two others. Sasuke would argue that they too were out to harm her but Kakashi's gut instincts told him different. None of this was good. The Copy-nin sighed and fervently hoped that his favorite student had not landed in the middle of a firestorm that he had no way to put out.