Let It Burn: Death [Sasuke Uchiha]

Chapter 46

Mai had never witnessed No Face move so quickly before – from the Land of Birds, across Rain Country, and down to River Country. There were rarely any stops until they were on the outskirts of the small town late in the evening. It was so dark they couldn't see and finally slept, only to be up at the crack of dawn to help in the rescue effort.

This time they were not in the shadows. Mai never felt more exposed, even with the mask hiding her face. Those lingering about the streets seemed to not mind their appearance. If anything, it was a relief as rescue operations were well underway. That was when they were greeted by a man dressed in clothing that at one time could have come off as regal, but was now caked with dirt and water.

The water that flooded from the dam had already lowered considerably, though the water markings and damage to the homes was clear to see how bad it had been. Something that stood out to Mai the most was the man's title. He was a prominent official in the town and that made the Be Fong more on edge that this was a trap they had walked into. The Chakra Strings felt out their surroundings to be sure they weren't attacked. But there were no movements to suggest such a thing.

"The lower district was hit the worse and where most of our rescue efforts have been focused this morning," the man relayed. "We were just finishing up here before joining the others."

"We head there now," Beon stated.

No Face moved through what remained of the streets. The group came up on the gutted-out buildings that took the most of the damage. Dead bodies had already been cleared away that were out in the open, but search and rescue was far from over for those stuck under the rubble or buried alive under crumbled buildings and muck.

"Split up between the homes."

Mai followed Asami and Kenta, wishing more than anything to use the strings in a situation like this. It had worked out well for her when Konoha was destroyed by Pein, pulling those trapped free. To do so now would expose her. The only thing the ninja could do at the moment that would benefit all of them was to only use them to seek out villagers and guide rescue parties to them quickly.

"Is there something that bothers you?" Beon asked. He had been aware of his newest member's tense posture and wary eyes from the beginning.

Mai glanced over at him through the slits of the mask, asking, "If No Face likes to operate under the radar, how does a high-level official know of you all?"

"We have a history together." And he left it at that. Which was understandable. It wasn't her place to pry, following Asami into the wreckage.

For hours they searched finding wounded, dead, and living. They dug till the skin on their palms and fingertips felt almost raw, being offered thick gloves by an old woman so it didn't feel like the rubble and mud was eating away at them.

"I'll look over here," Asami spoke up. Mai glanced over at the young woman as she stared at a cluster of homes that lay in ruin. "Hopefully if I do find someone, they will be alive."

The Be Fong watched her go, scanning the area before pausing. There was movement on one of the Chakra Strings. One that wasn't monitoring No Face and the villagers. This one was a stray in case something interesting came up. Head turning, she caught sight of a building. One that might have been considered important at one point with how tall it stood. It didn't appear completely sturdy, which could be the reason something tugged at the string. Could be a timber that fell. More reached in out of interest and was followed by two more tugs. Something lurked inside. Whether it was an animal or person she did not know venturing up the four stone steps and through the gutted structure. There were pillars that circled the wrap around edge, walking over a window frame where the glass was blown out.