"Yehuo! Yehuo!"
"You can't keep going! We have to return to the village and finish the task Senior Qufeng gave us!"
On a road through the Land of Waterfalls.
"Enough!"
Uchiha Nobihi stopped.
He shot Uzuki Yugao an impatient glance. "It's just a message. Anko's already gone back. Do I really need to deliver it in person too?"
"Besides, Kakashi and Uchiha Itachi are both gone. What task are we supposed to finish now?"
"I have something more important to do! Don't get in my way!"
"..."
Uzuki Yugao stared at Yehuo's back.
She couldn't help rubbing her forehead with a long sigh.
It went back to what had happened earlier. After that "mysterious man" abducted Kakashi and Uchiha Itachi, Yehuo seemed to have recognized him.
So they had followed several masked people.
They had gone to a place that should have been Kusagakure but had somehow become the Reed Hideout.
There, they had learned that Senior Shinji had founded the village.
And then...
In the village, they had met a secretive, overly talkative fellow who made Uzuki Yugao deeply uncomfortable.
He had given Yehuo a baffling destination.
Something about someone being in Takigakure, and how Yehuo should go there himself if he wanted to know everything.
And now...
This was where they had ended up!
Yehuo kept walking, pulling farther ahead. With no choice but to catch up before he left her behind, she hurried after him.
Senior Shinji wasn't here. Neither were Kakashi or Anko.
Keeping an eye on Yehuo had become her responsibility...
She knew Yehuo was far, far stronger than she was now. But as his senior, she had to take responsibility.
Much later.
Night fell.
Yehuo sat by the campfire, roasting meat as though he were alone.
Uzuki Yugao hugged her knees and stared blankly