Her Nameless Thief |NaruHina| Remastered

Chapter 14

Sara stood with Toneri and the rest of the squad in the dim, wrecked remains of the syndicate's stronghold. The aftermath of the battle was plain to see—the fractured walls, the scorched marks on the ground, and a haunting silence that lingered over the place. It had been hours since they'd arrived, combing through the remnants, piecing together what little information they could find. Their faces were grim, each of them keenly aware of what lay ahead.

The other guards looked to Toneri, their captain, who stood quietly, taking in every detail. His expression was unreadable, his gaze cold and calculating as he surveyed the carnage left in Akuma and Hidan's wake. After a moment, Toneri turned to Sara, who had been sifting through debris and questioning the few terrified survivors left hiding in the corners.

"What did you find?" he asked her, his voice a low murmur as if speaking louder would disrupt the uneasy peace that had settled.

Sara shook her head, her brow furrowed. "Nothing concrete, but... the scale of this is hard to ignore. Every witness we spoke to mentioned two figures—one with a scythe, the other moving like a shadow. And according to their stories, it was... efficient. Too efficient. Whoever did this didn't give anyone time to react."

Toneri's eyes narrowed his suspicions confirming themselves. "Akuma and Hidan," he muttered. "We're following their path."

One of the squad members, Hayate, knelt by a patch of scorched earth, brushing his fingers over the charred remains. "The fight was recent, no more than a day ago. And if they have Hinata, they won't stop until they're far from here."

Toneri nodded in agreement, his jaw tense. "Which means we're at least a day behind, maybe more." He looked up at the winding path beyond the stronghold, the trail vanishing into the dense forest beyond. "But they'll have to rest soon, especially after a fight like this."

Sara crossed her arms, frowning. "Akuma's reputation is deadly, but even he's not invincible. And if Hidan's with him, they're bound to have left tracks, especially with the girl in tow."

Toneri gave her a sideways glance, a hint of a smile tugging at his lips. "Eager to meet him, are you?"

She rolled her eyes, brushing off the comment, but her expression remained serious. "If Hinata is alive, it's our job to bring her home. I don't care if we're chasing shadows—we'll find her."

Toneri's gaze lingered on her for a moment, the resolve in her voice igniting his determination. He turned to the rest of the squad, motioning them forward. "Pack up. We leave immediately. The sooner we close this gap, the better."

Izumo and Kotetsu, two seasoned guards in the squad, exchanged looks, their expressions grim but resolute as they followed Toneri's lead. They all knew that every hour they delayed was one more hour the enemy gained ground. With Neji wounded and on his way back to Konoha under Kiba's watchful eye, the remaining squad members were now united in their singular purpose.

As they started their trek, Hayate fell into step beside Sara. "Do you think we're prepared for this?" he asked, his voice barely a whisper as they made their way through the twisted paths left behind.

Sara clenched her fists, her expression darkening. "Whether we're prepared or not, we don't have a choice," she replied, her voice quiet but firm. "The Leaf sent us to do a job, and we're going to see it through."

They pressed on, their footsteps muffled by the soft earth as they ventured deeper into the forest. Each member of the squad moved with heightened caution, their senses tuned to every faint sound in the distance, every movement in the shadows. As the day began to wane, the fading light cast long shadows across their path, making the journey even more treacherous.