Twiceborn: Second Bloom | Alternate

Chapter Nine: Idiots and Rescuers

Branches made no sound under their feet as they jumped down into the clearing below, eyeing the ashes of a hastily made campsite. Moonlight shone down on the scene, two pairs of sharingan activated as they scanned the area for any clues. The forest was dark, almost silent aside from the rustle of wind through the trees and the occasional hoot of an owl. Trees towered over her, their shadows long, wide enough to hide anything in their depths, and it made her eyes itch. She refrained from sending any chakra to her eyes. No way in hell was she going to use her sharingan when she had two perfectly capable, actually registered Uchihas to do it for her. There was no need for her to reveal herself just yet. They were making good progress. Cautiously, she wandered about the edge of the abandoned campsite, keeping an eye out for any traps. She didn't particularly want to fall for any and be relegated even further back from the action. Shisui was already keeping far too close of an eye on her as she prowled around, scanning for any sign of a trail. Sighing, she continued her search, eyes narrowing when a glint of metal caught her eye.

"This firepit is still slightly warm," Itachi spoke, pulling his ash-covered hand back, dusting it off on the ground. They'd left in a hurry, not bothering to clean up their campsite and erase the traces of it. Amateurs or idiots... How had they even gotten into the village in the first place? Somebody hadn't done their job correctly, and now it was her sisters who were paying the price. "We're not too far behind them. Half an hour at most, I'd say."

"Well then..." Shisui said, folding his arms. "Sakura...?"

She reached into the bushes, fingers ready for any sort of trap, but there weren't any. Her hand closed around the hilt of the kunai, eyes widening when she spotted the yellow handle and the tri-pronged end. She rolled it in her palm, eyeing the Hirashin mark on its handle. Like one of Naruto's kunai... but they'd originally belonged to his dad... who was still alive in this timeline, she realised with a start. But what was his kunai doing all the way out here alone... It couldn't be a marker. It was too obvious, plus he could've just applied the seal directly to the ground or some various plant life where it'd have been much less noticeable. That meant there was only one thing it could be – Naruto's kunai. Probably given to him by his father for in times of emergency. So why didn't the idiot use it... or better yet keep it on him...

Shisui peered over her shoulder. "Is that...?"

"One of the Yondaime's Hirashin markers," she said, holding it up to the moonlight. "If we apply some chakra, we could probably summon him here..."

"Sometimes the things you know scare me, Saku-chan," Shisui mumbled, snatching it from her hands, examining it curiously. "You're like a dictionary."

Sakura stared at him flatly. "Thanks?"

"You're welcome," Shisui muttered, flaring his chakra through the seal without a second thought. Any sort of backup was good, especially that of an enraged kage, and apparently Shisui was on the same train of thought. "We're probably going to get in trouble though... just saying," he added on, and then suddenly there was a fourth person in the little clearing.

Spiky blonde hair rustled in the wind, white cloak billowing behind him, blue eyes narrowed, hands on hips as he spoke – as if about to lecture someone. Likely his son... but his son was nowhere in sight, as he soon learnt. "Naru—Shisui-kun?" He blinked, glancing around the clearing. "Itachi-kun... and..." His eyes fell on her. "I'm afraid I have no idea who you are, Chibi-chan." Sakura felt her face twitch. She was not that short... her hair didn't help her look that much taller and stuffing it under her hood should've made no difference to her height. "But anyway... why are you three out here, and why do you have my son's marker? Report, Shisui."

"Right." Shisui stood to attention. Itachi copied him. Sakura stared flatly at all of them, not budging an inch. "The pink-haired baby version of Itachi—"