The sealed kunai

Chapter 32: Who's The Real Monster?

The call for Kumo's shinobi to fan out and search the countryside for Yugito had gone out, and a three man team had come to a stop to get their bearings of their surroundings as they sat on a boulder to take a rest.

"Man..." A dark-skinned man with shaggy white hair and a white one shoulder Kumo flak jacket over his high collared, sleeveless Kumo uniform said. On his left and right arms he had the kanji for lightning and water tattooed, and on his back he had a large cleaver blade, "These guys were able to get Yugito. How is Raikage-sama sure she's still around here. We don't have a trace of her presence at all."

"Calm down Darui." A young blonde man with a sleeveless black shirt, black pants, his white one shoulder Kumo flak jacket, elbow-length arm guards, and red and white shin guards replied, "If she's anywhere around Kumo I'll be able to find her. No problem."

Darui sighed, "I know Shi, but what if she isn't-." He was cut off when a series of large rising pillars of flame shot into the sky before merging into one massive torrent of fire, "What the hell was that?"

The blonde man, Shi, stood up abruptly with a serious look on his face, "I don't know, but the chakra that thing is pumping out is one hell of a beacon for me to follow."

Darui rose to his feet watching the unnatural flaming structure, "You think it's Yugito?"

Shi snickered, "Do you know anyone else that pumps that much chakra into their jutsu?" He stopped laughing and motioned for them to move, "Jei, get one of your messenger lizards to Raikage-sama fast, we've got to get moving!"

The man named Jei, a bald, dark-skinned man with sunglasses and his Kumo hitae-ate on his head, and apparel similar to the rest of his teammates, finished writing a small message on a scroll that he gave to a small lizard, "Get this to Raikage-sama, coordinates on Yugito's possible position."

XxX

"What if Yugito got taken by a cultist group that worships the Nibi and want to free its spirit to get its revenge on Kumo for imprisoning it for so many years?" A white-haired dark-skinned boy with a sucker in his mouth pondered.

"Omoi shut up with your overthinking crap!" his dark-skinned, red-haired teammate replied, "Me and Samui are getting sick of hearing your bullshit theories on what happened to Yugito, all we have to do is find her now mind on the mission!"

Omoi visibly deflated, "You don't have to be so angry about it Karui..." He then perked back up, "But you are acting kind of defensive... is there something you would like to tell us? Like maybe what you did with Yugito?" His answer was a fist to the head, "Ow!"

Karui glared at him, "I'm running out of patience with you. Now focus or I'll break your jaw and shut you up for good!"

Samui looked back at her teammates that she was leading, "Both of you focus. No one has been able to find a sliver of a clue about her whereabouts or even who took her. We're operating blind here."

A faint sound of explosion rang out before a series of rising pillar of flames came into view in the distance. Omoi pointed lamely in that direction, "Not anymore..."

Karui stared at the ever growing infernos as they seemed to merge together and grow larger, "Kami, what on earth did that?"

"I'll give you one guess." Samui was already on the move towards that area with Karui and Omoi right with her.

XxX

(With Naruto and Yugito)

Yugito and Naruto's fire and wind ninjutsu had combined and caused a major upswell of fire in the form of a towering tornado that burned the entire environment, leaving the already barren landscape utterly lifeless and scarred with cinder.