Nick of time |NARUTO|

Dead to them [29]

Recap:
Gaara gets captured by the artist duo with the addition of Tenshi.

|Few hours earlier|

Kankuro had regained consciousness  shortly before addressing the shinobi in the room, despite the painful after effects of the poison that Sakura had successfully treated. "S-sasori of the red sand was the o-one who did this to me while two others carried gaara a-away..."  "Kankurō can you remember what they looked like? Any characteristics that can help us assess what we're dealing with?" The copy cat nin asks with nothing but seriousness underlying his tone.

"One had blond hair with all pulled into a ponytail, the one that fought gaara and the other..."Kankuro drones furrowing his brows trying to get past the fog in his mind.
After a few moments of silence, the pieces finally connect making the brunette scowl in confusion. Looking Kakashi dead in the eye, "The girl from the chunin exams years ago, the one that went rogue.."

For a moment nobody dares to move the occupants in the room that knew exactly who kankuro was talking about set on edge. "THAT CANT BE TRUE! TEN-CHAN WOULD NEVER JOIN THE LIKES OF THEM DATTEBAYO!" Naruto shouts with shaking clenched fists not wanting to believe the information kankuro just told him.

"You calling me a liar!? I know what I saw and what I saw was Tenshi." Kankuro barks with a twitch of his brow making the blonde go quiet. Although Naruto didn't wanna believe it he knew it was the truth and the more he thought about it the more guilty he felt.

What if this is my fault? What if I'm the reason she's like this?' He thought as shadows covered his eyes in sorrow.

Kakashi on the other hand just stood there, silently trying to grasp the bundle of emotions he was feeling. He takes a seat, his head in hands trying to control the emotions from erupting as multiple memories of the said white haired girl came to mind. He wasn't no fool, he knew the rumors that spread across the lands of Tenshis actions over the years, her being in the akatsuki a recent rumor, a rumor he tried so hard to deny. But it seems that rumor had just been confirmed. She was one of them.

"I see."

Upon kakashis response the blonde jinchuriki grows an irk mark pointing an accusing finger at his silver haired senses in rage and disbelief. "How can you be so calm about this Kakashi-sensei !? Wasn't she like family to you!"
He goes to continue but Sakura places a hand on his shoulder stopping him, giving her sensei saddened sheepish look. Despite the mutual bad blood between her and Tenshi back then, she couldn't deny the fact she had come to care for the white haired girl too.

"What he means to say is that, this is the first official sighting of her since she left and we expected more of a reaction out of you sensei...Wasn't she like a sist-"

"Was." Kakashis sharp tone cuts the pinkette off causing Narutos cerulean orbs to narrow in confusion along with everybody else. "She was like family to me. But this monster whose been slaughtering countless people across the nations and went as far as to defect from the village to align herself with The akatsuki..." a downcasted look graces his usual calm face.

"You pull a stunt like that again and I'll burn your whole Make out paradise collection and make sure to shove the ashes up your ass!!"

"Gomen..."

Standing up he makes his way to the doorway.

"She is dead to me."

||

Itachi stands by the rock which Tenshi is sitting on, her elbow propped up on her knee matching the uchihas usual expression. Her lip twitches into a slight frown before reverting back as the members of team Kakashi plus Sasoris granny enters their field of vision. Tsunade had received anonymous information of where the kazekage would be most likely taken and the team was hurrying as fast as they could to reach the point but falter at the recognition of two familiar chakra signatures ahead.