Let It Burn: Death [Sasuke Uchiha]

Chapter 35

Chapter Inspiration: Coward by Hans Zimmer

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Kakashi and the others paused in their advances through the forest, glancing around the destroyed area. The trees were deathly silent and the chakra that had been surging through the air had completely vanished, Sakura stated, causing their halt in the first place. The question was who had won, though in their mind it was a silly one to ask. Still, the Medical Ninja reached out trying to find answers before advancing into the unknown.

"I'm still picking up on Mai," the older teen finally stated. "She's just ahead of us."

"What about the others?" Naruto asked.

"Those are the ones that's missing."

"And the one that was tainted?" Kakashi wondered.

"It's faint..."

He didn't like the sound of that, eye narrowing. Whatever it was could still be alive and stalking the Be Fong. And if she was injured that could be trouble in itself.

"It's near Mai."

"Let's keep moving," the Jounin said.

The sight before them didn't surprise the ninja honestly. The bloodshed and the method of the Phantom Ninja's extermination was something they were used to. But it was the sheer number of torsos they attempted to count that was alarming.

"She couldn't have escaped this unharmed," Sai stated.

"You'd be surprised," Naruto answered. "Remember her fight against Madara and Obito?"

Still, she had nearly killed herself from exhausting the strings by sewing herself up on the spot. But no one voiced that.

As the rain made their feet slosh in the forming mud and wet grass the Jounin held up a hand halting them once more. Someone was sitting on the ground in front of them, shoulders slightly hunched and head bowed, though even with their back facing them all could easily tell it was someone familiar.

Naruto grinned, "Knew you wouldn't be bested so easily, Mai! The Hokage had nothing to worry about honestly."

The silence that hung in the air began to grow uncomfortable as an alarm went off in Kakashi's head. Something wasn't right.

"Mai...?" he called out when there was no answer. Her body twitched slightly, head picking up and shoulders rising slowly.

"The tainted chakra should be directly in front of us," Sakura spoke lowly. "But that doesn't make sense."

"Come on, stop playing around," the knucklehead said. "It's cold and raining out. Let's get back to Konoha before we get sick."

There are trespassers, a voice spoke from the darkness of her mind.

As the silence dragged on Kakashi's senses continued to warn him that something wasn't right. Looking to his team he motioned towards them with a hand to move back a few paces. The older teens shared a look before doing as he said. It didn't seem right to be shying away from an ally.

There's power. So much power. I can feel it coursing through your veins.

"Mai," the Jounin spoke more forcefully with authority.

I was right to bring you out here alone.

"Answer us right now."

However, they are in our way.