Let It Burn: Death [Sasuke Uchiha]

Chapter 54

Mai didn't want to sit around any longer. It wasn't in her nature. Yet for the first time in her life decided to follow the Hokage's orders and did not sneak outside the gates. She asked Ibiki for office work, even D-Ranked missions around the Village. The request went denied. The man didn't want her around files having been debriefed on the No Face mission. He completely understood the Hokage's reasoning to keep Mai inside the gates. They even spoke with Belva that training outside in the forest was not an option for the indefinite future.

The woman traveled to the Be Fong's home twice a week not only keep an eye on her once pupil, but to be sure she was progressing in some sort of way. These serial killers were not something to take lightly. She searched for new techniques and fighting patterns to improve Mai's speed and mobility. Belva refused to allow her protégée to became the next target taken down.

It was only a matter of time before the bodies began to pile up again outside the Village.

Mai knew what the higher ups were trying to do by keeping her away from Intel that came in. Sometimes the young woman couldn't help wonder if they thought she was indeed stupid. They all trained her. They should know by now that stealth was second nature. That hiding chakra was a simple matter of becoming completely undetected. Even inside her own branch where Mai knew of all of their meeting rooms and secret passages to listen in for information when bringing in a target. It was sloppy on their part. Which was how the Be Fong came to understand what exactly was going on without her presence in the field. She had to know what had happened to those left behind.

Fumi was the first in Ice Country, most likely the wound sustained hindering her in battle. From reports it was a swift, clean kill. It didn't make the Be Fong feel any better. Makoto and Akihiro were found together by the Tsuchikage's ninjas on the border of their land. Their location didn't come as a surprise. Those two were loyal to Beon and his cause, who would do everything in their power to protect what was left of No Face. Their deaths were brutal. The details had Mai sitting at home with the lights off that evening, on the floor of the living room burying her head into her hands and drawn in knees.

Asami and Joon's deaths hit her the hardest. They were found feet apart in Bear Country by Konoha Ninja. Jugo had killed the sister by completely crushing her bones with his bare hands till there was only a broken body left behind. Suigetsu was the one to kill the brother based on the multiple markings on his body that had cut the skin to ribbons. Mai would recognize their work anywhere. For the siblings the young woman actually cried, unable to remain standing and collapsing to the ground in her kitchen when it all sunk in. The guilt, the anger, the helplessness. It had the Be Fong packing a bag full of the essentials she would need to travel, ready to return... she had no idea where the other three were.

All would constantly be on the move. Judging on the distances between their final stands, No Face had split up. There wasn't enough information of her to accurately search the mainland. Mai could travel for days on end without any luck. The young woman cried out in a rage, fist slamming into a wall and cracking the wood in the process. Running off into the forest without any sense of direction was only going to get her killed and she wasn't thinking straight in the first place. All of the stress made he sick, throwing up in the bathroom. Mai felt numb. Now there was only Takashi, Kenta, and Masaru. There had been no word of their whereabouts.

The deaths among No Face were worrying to Tsunade. The serial killers would count up the bodies and realize someone was missing. Ibiki, Kakashi, Belva, and her couldn't keep this from the other ninja any longer. At least those active in the field that would potentially run into the criminals. She called in every member of Root, ANBU, and Jounin to reveal their findings from the No Face mission.