Rabbit Princess [Gaara] [3]

☾ 3 ☽

Tsukiko and Ino quickly talked each other through what they needed to do and Ino connected Tsukiko and herself to Kakashi as well Guy. The two of them communicated with Guy first, who told them what he and Kakashi had been up to on the ship. Tsukiko was disgruntled to know someone had been executed but she forced herself to focus on the task.

According to Guy, he was not where Kakashi was but he could reach out to him if the vent was to be opened. On the other hand, Kakashi seemed to have gotten his Ninken out, sending them around to collect as many of the explosive tags as they could around the ship.

"Kakashi Sensei, can you hear me?" Ino asked. "Kakashi Sensei? Kakashi Senseii? If you can hear me, please answer. You're on the Tobishachimaru, aren't you?"

"Kakashi Sensei, will you answer or not?" Tsukiko snapped in, jerking the baffled Kakashi to speak.

"Yes, I can you two, Tsukiko, Ino," Kakashi replied, a bit concerned that Tsukiko would come out of nowhere and punch him down. "How did you know I'm aboard the Tobishachimaru?"

"Lee told us," Ino replied. Kakashi expected Tsukiko to scold him but she didn't.

"I'm sure they've captured you, Kakashi Sensei," Tsukiko went on. "But you're not injured in any way, are you? Because you're our only hope to get those people out of there safely,"

"You're connected with Guy too, right?" Kakashi asked, and he remembered that Tsukiko had asked him a question. "I'm fine, Tsukiko, not quite hurt as of yet. What's more important is another execution is going to happen in three minutes,"

"Usa, I'm aware," Tsukiko muttered, sounding stressed. "Listen to me, Kakashi Sensei. Could you please look up at the vents in the ceiling? Do it as discreetly as you possibly can,"

Kakashi did as he was instructed by Tsukiko and glanced to the direction of the vents, the cover of which he had broken earlier. From the shadows, Guy's face popped out to look down at him and gave the Copy Ninja a quick thumbs-up.

"Guy Sensei has gotten the explosive tags that you sent Pakkun and the other Ninken to collect," Tsukiko informed Kakashi. "He is going to attack the enemy leader, and when he does so, you must lead the passengers to the storehouse, Kakashi Sensei. I talked with Tazuna-San on the wireless earlier and he confirmed that you'll find parachutes within the large boxes in the storehouse. You can use those to get the people –"

"No, Tsukiko!" Kakashi said to Tsukiko, and gave Guy in the vent a signal to stay back with his eyes. "Guy's in no condition – and there's on enemy mixed in amongst the passengers,"

"There's an enemy mixed amongst the passengers?" Tsukiko repeated, pursing her lips.

"Is Sai there?" Kakashi inquired.

"Usa, he's at standby here at the Hokage's Office," Tsukiko answered.

"Bring Sai in," Kakashi told the pair of females currently in his head. "He might be able to rescue the passengers with his Ink Beast Imitation Jutsu, Ino,"

"Ino, please do that," Tsukiko said. "Sai, Ino's going to connect you with Kakashi Sensei,"

"Right away," Ino replied.

"And Tsukiko, you said you talked to Tazuna-San," Kakashi went on. "I want to know how the Ryuha Armed Alliance got onto this boat. Have you found out anything about that?"

"Usa," Tsukiko replied. "It appears they overpowered some of the passengers, leaving them behind restrained and took their places. I cannot believe they did not confirm identities – no wonder, these expensive people seem to hate answering questions about their identity,"