The Inoue

- 03 -

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ALMOST CAUGHT YOU

. . .                                         ┘

Hinata was on the hunt, searching for the suspicious person. Then, she caught sight of them and quickly moved in to try and catch them. She swiftly closed the distance, her pace increasing as she tried to catch up. She was determined to not let the suspect get away, moving fast as she sprinted towards them with a sense of desperation.

Kiyoko's voice comes through the earpiece, causing confusion for Hinata. "I saw them, they're walking out of the village," Kiyoko reported, making Hinata confused because she was chasing the person. It didn't seem possible that they could be in two places at once. "What do you mean?" Hinata asked with confusion, "They're in front of me."

Hinata was baffled by the conflicting information coming in, her confusion caused by the difference in what was being reported vs. what was actually happening.

"Captain, what are your next orders?" Kai was seeking direction as they hunted the suspicious person, unsure of how to proceed. "Follow them. Maybe it's group work. Call back-up if the situation gets tense," Izumi responded, taking a moment to think before answering. "Copy that," they all responded, echoing his orders as they all raced to follow the person without wasting anytime.

They started to follow the mysterious people, all splitting up and going into different areas. All were determined to find the people, but as they did they found each group ending up in different places. It seemed that the mysterious people had vanished, except for one, the one Ayato had been following. Everyone had their own targets, their own person to follow, yet they were all united in their intention to track down the people and find out what their purpose was.

Ayato followed the mysterious person into the woods, ignoring the others who had lost track of the suspect. "We've lost them," someone from the group called out, causing Ayato to ignore them as he continued to follow the mysterious person. "I'm afraid you caught the wrong one," the mysterious person suddenly told him, a note of confidence in his voice as he spoke to Ayato.

"Maybe I am, but you can be useful," Ayato told the mysterious person, a note of caution and suspicion in his voice as he stood his ground. The person then threw something, probably an explosive, which Ayato quickly reacted to. He threw one of his throwing knives at it, causing the explosive to explode and send Ayato flying back. The explosion was powerful and it sent Ayato flying, but he had managed to avert some of the damage by acting quickly.

The explosion triggered the radios and sent a ringing in everyone's ears. Baji who was nearby quickly ran towards Ayato, who was still on his knees and panting. "Ayato!" Baji yelled as he rushed to Ayato's side, concerned for his well-being. "Are you alright, dude?" he asked, hoping to hear good news. "I lost him," Ayato told him, his voice still panting from the impact of the explosion. "I'm alright," the boy added, trying to reassure Baji despite the adrenaline-fueled situation.

The others arrived and saw Baji holding Ayato, who was clearly shaken and slightly torn up by the impact of the explosion. "What happened?" Izumi asked the pair of them, concern written all over her face. "He's fine," Baji said, answering for their friend. "But about the person we're chasing... he's gone," he continued, indicating that the mysterious person had escaped them.

"That's alright, as long as you guys are safe." Izumi gave his approval, having ensured that they were all okay before deciding to head home. With that, Kai opened the portal to Home, and the rest of the group followed behind. Baji was helping Ayato walk towards the portal, holding his arm to make sure he wouldn't fall. The rest of the group followed, happy to finally be heading home and away from the explosive and chaotic situation they had just been through.