At the border between the Land of Grass and the Land of Fire.
"I regret it!"
Kakashi froze.
He glanced at Uchiha Nobihi, who trailed behind them with a dark expression. "Regret what?"
Yehuo glanced at Uchiha Itachi, wrapped like a mummy on the stretcher.
It had only been a few days.
He had wasted away to a husk, yet somehow he still clung to life.
"I should've killed him, sealed him in a Scroll, and brought him back to the village."
Yehuo said coldly, "If we keep carrying him like this, when will we ever get there?"
Kakashi said, "...Uh."
Uzuki Yugao sighed. "Yehuo, come on. Stop complaining. Once we enter the Land of Fire, someone will meet us..."
Just then,
Uchiha Nobihi stiffened.
With a swish, he drew Steel Cutter.
He scanned their surroundings, his face tense. "Something's wrong!"
Kakashi paused.
Then he pulled out a Kunai and went on guard. Yehuo really is far stronger than me now...
Without my Sharingan and one arm, has even my perception grown dull?
"The future belongs to the young!"
Mitarashi Anko and Uzuki Yugao went on guard too.
The two Chunin carrying Uchiha Itachi's stretcher grew alert, keeping him between them.
They couldn't let anyone get their hands on the Uchiha Clan's Kekkei Genkai.
Such things happened all too often in the Shinobi World.
Whoosh!
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
As the six Konoha ninja watched, figures appeared among the surrounding trees, both in the branches and below.
Each wore a long robe and a bone-white mask that revealed only the eyes.
Cold and silent, they radiated killing intent.
They surrounded the group!
One Chunin's face darkened. "Kakashi! Take him and go! We'll hold them off! We can't let another village get its hands on the Kekkei Genkai!"
Yehuo shot him a