"𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓰𝓲𝓻𝓵'𝓼 𝓼𝓬𝓮𝓷𝓽 is getting stronger, senpai, but not closer."

Kakashi, who was busy analyzing Hawk's map, tenses up.

"What? What does that mean, sensei?" When the silver-haired man keeps his mouth shut and his eyes glued to the little pug, Naruto jumps in front of him to attract his attention. "Sensei?"

Blood, that's what it means. But saying it out loud would make it real, and Kakashi cannot afford that. The last time Sakura got hurt, she almost died in Sasuke's arms...

"Maybe we should forget about the map," Hawk says, interrupting Kakashi's recalling of Waves. "I'll help you circulate through those woods while your ninken shows us the way."

"But what about Bear?" the silver-haired man asks, not caring about the answer. If the guy wants to help, Kakashi will gladly accept. The sooner they reach Sasuke and Sakura, the better.

"My birds haven't seen or heard anything in a while. Hopefully, your students will have some intel."

"Alright," Naruto exclaims with a snap of his fingers. "Show us the way, doggy!"

Pakkun closes his eyes in irritation, but when his master calls his name, it sounds more like a plea than an order, and the dog seems to forget about Naruto's rudeness and hurries to lead them to the bleeding girl.

𝓣𝓱𝓮𝔂'𝓿𝓮 𝓫𝓮𝓮𝓷 𝓻𝓾𝓷𝓷𝓲𝓷𝓰 for a while in complete silence when Pakkun stops, his muzzle up in the air.

"They're moving. I can smell the two kids with that Anbu boy," Pakkun says, relaxing Kakashi's shoulders. With his paw, the dog points to the left. "They're travelling that way."

"We haven't explored that part yet," is Hawk's answer to the silver-haired man's questioning eye. "It's Oto territory, and we don't have permission to cross the border, but..." The Anbu waves some signs and bites his thumb. When the cloud of smoke dissipates, three real hawks are perched on his arms. "I'll send them to scout the area while we follow your ninken, Kakashi."

Without another word, the two men and the blond resume their course through the trees. After a while, they emerge in a clearing, where an enormous cliff towers over them.

"I've lost their scent," Pakkun says in disbelief. "It's gone."

He jumps to one of the many crevasses carved in the wall and takes tentative steps inside, only to retreat to his master's side, his tail between his legs. Kakashi crouches to his level, but Pakkun stays silent, his frown deepening as his muzzle wiggles.

"What is it?" the silver-haired man urges, his fingers digging inside the flesh of his thighs.

"Weird," the dog whispers before reluctantly nearing the nearest cave, followed by the entire team this time. The hair on his back straightens, so Kakashi rushes to his side to put a reassuring hand on his head. "Someone used a powerful jutsu to cover the scent coming off that cliff."

"And what do you smell now?"

Pakkun turns his gaze to his master, and Kakashi's heart skips a beat upon meeting his eyes, having never seen his favourite ninken that frightened before. The pug inhales deeply before answering the question.

"Death."

At this statement, the three shinobi exchange a look.

"But what about Sakura-chan?" questions Naruto. "And Sasuke? Do you still smell them?"

Pakkun nods. "The girl's scent is still strong, but if we go further on, we'll meet other people before we find your genin, senpai."

"And what people," Kakashi adds, pinching the bridge of his nose, "we can only guess." After a sigh, the man turns to his student. "Alright, kid, now you listen to me. Team Seven is stuck in a dangerous situation again, a situation in which Sakura-chan is again the one risking her life. So we will venture inside those caves, but only if you promise to obey me. Am I making myself clear?"

The solemn expression on Naruto's face surprises Kakashi as he assesses the many wounds altering the blond's features. The bruises have taken a dark purple hue as if they had been administered days ago, his nose has regained its straight line, and he can move his arm again. All of this, thanks to the Kyūbi's chakra.

"I wish we had more time to wait for your full recovery, but we don't," he says, his inspection done. "Are you up to fight again?"

Naruto nods, his lips held in a thin line.

"Good. Then let's find those stupid brats."

After exchanging a look with his pug, Kakashi enters the cave, a hand running to his pouch on instinct. He holds his breath for the first few minutes, waiting for Naruto to do the wrong thing and attract unwanted attention, but the blond surprises him by showing aptitudes usually seen in a chūnin.

Led by an agitated Pakkun, they hurry down the corridors. At first, the walls are rough and dark, and the only openings are other paths the ninken dismisses with a shake of his head. But soon, the rock smoothens, and the first torch appears around the corner, illuminating the tunnels and revealing a series of wooden doors.

"What do you think is behind them?" Naruto stops at one door and presses his ear against the hard surface.

Kakashi is about to call him when the echo of footsteps and hushed voices reaches his ears. In one swift movement, he opens the nearest door, tugging Naruto by the sleeve as he does. Pakkun and Hawk follow without a word, and the silver-haired man closes the door behind them, his heart pounding.

It takes a second for his eye to adjust to the new, piercing white lights. After blinking a few times, adrenaline brings his senses to high alert, and his hold on Naruto's arm tightens. In front of the speechless shinobi, a bunch of beds with white sheets are lined up. The ceiling and walls of the spacious room are also white, and here and there, suspicious-looking tools are resting on metal trays. But what is taking away their voices isn't the lab itself, but the amount of blood splashed against the walls and staining the beds' sheets.

"What—"

Kakashi covers Naruto's mouth, then glances at Hawk, whose ear is flushed against the wooden door. They hold each other's stare while Pakkun inspects the room, his muzzle stuck to the ground.

"Senpai," the dog whispers, and Kakashi's eye lands on the pug's outstretched paw, then travels to a subtle alteration on the wall opposite him.

"A secret door?"

He steps forward, Naruto's face still clutched between his hand and his chest. The blond is unusually obedient and lets his sensei drag him closer to the hidden door, his eyes glued to the blood smearing the walls.

"I don't think we should go in there," he whispers after consideration. "Who knows what's hiding behind? Do you smell the kids in that direction?"

"It's hard to say," the pug answers with a frown. "There's too much blood around."

Kakashi nods. "Then, it's settled. We go back to the main hall and—"

At Hawk's sudden grip on his arm, the silver-haired man quiets and lets the Anbu drag him to the suspicious door. The other man struggles to open it, looking around for a doorknob or a push button. Kakashi lifts his headband, and his sharingan locates the secret button, a red book on an otherwise empty shelf. He pulls on it, and the door slides open, allowing the shinobi to hurry to the other side. Pakkun pushes the book back, then runs to his master as the door closes. Seconds after the pug's arrival, darkness engulfs the group.

"Well," Kakashi whispers, "so much for not crossing that door."

While his eye adjusts to the dark, the silver-haired man strains his ears. Other than the raspy breathing of his young student, he can hear a distant moan.

"Should we..." begins Hawk.

"We have little choice." The Anbu lets out a sigh at Kakashi's words. "Naruto," the silver-haired man adds, "stay close."

With a hand against the wall to help him navigate, Kakashi heads toward the only sound reaching his ears in self-loathing. He shouldn't have dismissed the uneasiness settling in the pit of his stomach so carelessly, shouldn't have accepted Sasuke's request to be paired up with Sakura, knowing the pink-haired girl was actually Hana. Those two are one of the worst combinations of ego and disdain for the rules he's ever seen. And Kakashi doesn't trust the Uchiha much more than he trusts the stranger in Sakura's body, which says a lot. Just like every other decision he's made so far with his team, Kakashi's screwed up again.

Upon coming to that conclusion, the man returns his attention to the present moment. The moans have intensified, and so has the smell of blood. His hand on the concrete wall hits metal, and the sound created by the impact reverberates against the rocky ceiling, startling the group. Kakashi's fingers close around a bar as Hawk's whispers break the heavy silence.

"There're cells. That's where they probably keep the slaves."

"Hawk?", a voice rasps from behind the metal bars. 

Kakashi can see a form crawling closer to them, and his heartbeat quickens at the eerie sight until it pauses in fright for a second at the banging of something against the prison walls. Naruto's shriek echoes in the tunnels, but Kakashi doesn't scold him, knowing he's already asking a lot. Let's just say they're far from pulling crops in rice paddies.

"Hawk?" the voice repeats, this time at Kakashi's feet.

The silver-haired man crouches and uncovers his sharingan again. But before he can inspect the cell further, Hawks pushes him to the side and grips the bars with both hands.

"Bear? Is that you?"

A moan that sounds horribly like a yes makes their blood chill.

"What happened? Are you okay? Can someone get some light, for Kami's sake?"

Kakashi waves some signs, and a small flame appears in the middle of his outstretched palm, illuminating the cell.

"Shit." The word escapes his lips before he can regain his composure.

Bear is lying on his side without his mask covering his bleeding face, his fingers clenched around one bar. His other arm hangs at his side, neatly cut above the elbow. The lower part of the limb is nowhere to be found.

"What happened to your arm?" Hawk rasps.

"He butchered me, Hawky. My arm, my legs..."

"Your legs?" Naruto shifts closer to get a glimpse of Bear's state, and Kakashi hurries to put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. He can feel the boy shaking under his touch.

"Who?" Hawk asks in sudden anger. "Who did this to you? And why?"

"Why? Oh, Hawky. I wish I could say it was in a fight and that I killed the bastard who crippled me, but he treated me like any other slave. And I don't know what he's gaining from this."

"He's experimenting," Kakashi utters in realization.

Bear nods with a wince.

"As for who..." The Anbu sighs. "This question is more complex than you would think. His name is Kabuto, and he looks young, around eighteen, maybe. But he works for someone who is referred to as 'Master.' Never met the guy, but Kabuto's men are shaking every time someone speaks of him."

"That's not that complex, Bear," Hawk says when his friend pauses. "There's a big boss, some sidekicks, and some brainless followers."

Kakashi nods, deep in thought. "And now we have a name. We can come back later with reinforcement."

"Where's the boy?"

Kakashi stiffens at the sudden question. His body shifts to a defence mode whenever he hears the word boy. But Hawk's answer quickly dissipates the tension.

"Mole's with Hatake's kids. We're trying to find them."

"Good," Bear replies in a whisper, closing his eyes. "Hopefully, they're far away from this hell."

"Oh, I can assure you they're not."

The four shinobi spin around upon hearing a familiar voice. Kakashi extends the flame in his hand, trying to light the corridor behind them, but the newcomer is too far away. He steps forward, eye searching.

"I was waiting for you to finish your complex answer, Teddy Bear. Who did this to you, uh?"

In a second, Hawk is by his side.

"Wolf? What are you doing here? Kakashi said you stayed behind in case the kids would come back."

A sharp laugh, more like a bark, resounds in the darkness.

"Like I would follow the order of a stupid brat. Do you really take me for the obedient woman type, Hawk? I thought you knew me better than that."

A torch is suddenly lit, revealing the female Anbu.

"Careful, Hawk," says Bear. "She's one of them."

Kakashi would close his eyes in defeat if the events allowed him to, the hand on his kunai shooting to the bridge of his nose to pinch it hard. But the only thing he can do without losing focus is curse under his breath.

Is a fucking break too much to ask?

Wolf laughs, and the silver-haired man realizes he's said that last sentence out loud.

"Don't laugh," says Hawk, his fists tightening. "He's right. Why are you doing this?"

"Like I would tell you." With a hard slap of her hand against the wall, an alarm goes off. "Now, Teddy Bear. I would suggest you run, but..."

Hawk jerks forward at the provocation, but Kakashi stops him, extinguishing the flame in his palm to grab his shirt.

"You're too involved. I'll take care of Wolf. Make sure Bear and Naruto get out of here alive."

"Kage Bunshin no jutsu!" Twelve Narutos appear behind a cloud of smoke. Twelve Narutos for the same number of cells, Kakashi realizes with pride swelling in his chest. "You better hurry, sensei. We still have Sakura-chan and Sasuke to find."

The silver-haired man nods once before summoning two of his ninken. "Urushi, lead them out of here," he asks the smaller dog. "Bull, carry Bear, please." And then, he looks at his favourite companion. "Pakkun, you stay with me. I still need you to find my students."

He exchanges a glance with Naruto, and the blond grins before running after Urushi.

Once the chaos subsides, Wolf steps forward, taking her mask off. "Kami, they took their time. I thought for a second they would never leave."

Kakashi bores his mismatched eyes inside her deep brown ones. To say he's never seen her face before would be a lie, but it's the first time he sees it while the woman's still wearing her clothes.

"So you knew it was me," she smirks.

"Your voice sounded familiar, and then you insulted Sakura-chan with your civilian nonsense. It was easy to put two and two together after."

"Ha! You think you're clever, Hatake. But you didn't see that coming, did you?"

"The treason?" He shrugs. "I would have had to pay attention to you to notice anything peculiar. You never really interested me."

She bares her sharp teeth, flashing her middle finger.

"I wonder, though," Kakashi continues, unbothered. "Why would an Inuzuka betray the village?"

"I'm not betraying it, and I can't tell you more."

"I can make you talk."

"Trust me, Hatake. You can't."

The woman stretches her tongue, and Kakashi has to hide his astonishment upon seeing the seal implanted on it. "Wha—"

"It's sad that I have to cut you open, Hatake. You were more than a respectable lover."

The silver-haired man widens his stance when Wolf bites her thumb. "Really? Because you were plainly boring."

A kusarigama appears in the woman's hand, and with the help of her chakra, Wolf quickly brings the chain's rotation to a deadly pace. Kakashi uses his sharingan to predict the weapon's course.

"You know what's not boring?"

He avoids the attack thrown at him and retaliates with a flash of lightning. The woman blocks it with her blade cloaked with chakra.

"To see your civilian princess in Kabuto's clutches."

Kakashi lunges forward and grabs the woman's wrist to snap it with a flick of his fingers. With his other hand, he seizes her neck and pushes her against the wall.

"What did you say about Sakura? Where is she?"

Wolf chuckles, her eyes devoid of amusement. "You're too late, Hatake. But it's okay." She pauses and winces when he tightens his hold around her neck. She croaks the rest of her words with a smirk still plastered on her face: "The world will be better off without her civilian blood."

His sharingan sees the blow coming, but his brain is too focused on Wolf's statement to react. He cries in pain and glances down to see a tanto embedded in his left side.

"Am I still boring, Ka-Ka-Shi?"

A growl bubbles in his chest when he feels her warm breath against his neck. Anger sends lightning to his fingertips, and Wolf gasps at the sudden burn.

"Where are they?"

She sticks her tongue out.

"Is there anything you can say before I kill you? Anything at—"

A piercing scream resounds against the concrete walls, interrupting Kakashi's interrogation. He can feel Wolf's chuckle under his iron grip.

"Oops," she croaks. "That would be her."

The silver-haired man slams the woman against the nearest wall, and her neck snaps on impact. Kakashi avoids her blank stare and rushes toward his ninken, who's already running in the opposite direction to Sakura's incessant cries.