Clash 2: The Wolf and the Desertstorm - a collab with Amaterasu

Chapter 6

A/N the music is Satoru's theme

Quick footfalls came to an abrupt stop. The fallen leaves settled and all was quiet a short moment.

"The border is just ahead." Akio quietly informed as his eyes faded from brown to green. He looked over to sandy brown hair. "Ken."

"On it already, Akio-sensei." Ken channeled his chakra, stretching his senses. "I'm good to go." He finally said, "If anything or anyone gets within a four hundred meter radius, I'll know."

Akio nodded. "You ready, Daro? Focus on flanking Ken. I'll cover his other side. Travel at a slower pace to give us more time to maneuver if Ken or Karasu pick up a threat."

Daro gave a serious nod. His thoughts for the past few hours had been with his sensei. He felt guilty. If only he had figured that message out sooner. If only he had known. Keep her safe, he had said. Hadn't he made that promise a few years ago when he had first found out about her and Itachi?
He had failed.
And now she was in danger. 'I'm sorry, sensei,' he thought, 'it's all my fault.'

"Hey," Ken glanced over to Daro, then back to the face the front as they began moving at a careful pace. "beating yourself up isn't going to help. It's too dangerous right now to be distracted too. We're all worried, but if we aren't focused properly, someone or all of us could get killed. I'm not saying to shut out your emotions, just...prioritize them." It did sound a little harsh, but they were going into enemy territory now. They had to put one hundred percent of their attention to what was going on in the 'here' and 'now'.

Daro took a few deep breaths and looked at him. "I know. It's just... hard. I feel like I let her down."

"You haven't let her down." Akio said. "How were supposed to have known the danger when it was so far away. Itachi gave you too cryptic a warning. And even someone like him can be late in its delivery. All we can do now is find her and Hisayo as quickly as possible, and bring them home." Whether they be alive or not in their homecoming, he purposely failed to say aloud. There was already enough worry in their teams as it were.

"These... Ookami people and Orochimaru," Daro said hesitantly, "what will they do to them? Why did they take them?"

They grew tense. Ken glanced over to Akio with a frown for more reasons than one. The first was over the sharp turn of emotion from Akio at the Ookami and Orochimaru's mention that he felt. It was concerning. It wasn't often for Ken to see Akio so serious. The second was over what information should and should not be revealed to Daro. They were allies, teammates, but even there were pieces of information that should be kept secret.

Akio let out a breath of air. "The Ookami are just following orders. Satoru's orders. He is the main one to worry over. Satoru follows Orochimaru's command, but that doesn't mean that he won't be hostile. At least with Orochimaru, Hisayo won't be killed—at least, not immediately and not in the same sense of actually being killed. She is a chosen vessel for Orochimaru for...certain reasons. Hisayo is unique and that is all I am willing to say. In Taryn's case, I can't say. She may or may not be in their captivity. She may possibly be tailing them herself. Whatever the case, I think it can be safe to assume that she would hold some value to Orochimaru if she is in his possession. She's is only half, but she is still a Hyuuga. She has her Byakugan. Orochimaru wouldn't kill her so quickly. Sharingan isn't the only dojutsu that Orochimaru appreciates."

Daro pondered over those words. It was true what Akio had said about Taryn. She would hold some value, but perhaps not for the reasons the man had voiced. He wondered if he should say anything, but decided that for now it made little difference. As long as they weren't certain Taryn had been taken captive, there was no reason to bring up the mark his sensei wore.
"I'm ready," he said, "just tell me what to expect regarding jutsu and elemental affinity, so I don't go in blindly."