After years of being kept in the dark of her past and of her family, Kari Yamada finally knows the truth. However, there's something still missing, something detrimental to gain the peace she strives to find. With the Akatsuki breathing down hers an...
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This is isn't my first rodeo.
Like I told Lady Tsunade, I've had tabs on Sasuke and Orochimaru when I still lived within the Yamada Clan Compound, always sneaking through the veil at the top of the valley, escaping for sometimes a week at the most. They were very small, miniscule, barely anything tabs, but it's been enough to keep me sane being stuck back in the Hidden Snow, knowing that Sasuke was still alive. In Orochimaru's scaly, creepy hands, but, alive. The main point is, I managed to discover some of Orochimaru's hideouts, and why he chose to stage some of them so close to the Hidden Leaf (okay, so maybe it's not so close to the village, but it's close enough) is beyond me, but it works in our favour. Maybe Sasori knew of this hideout's location, too, and that's why he chose to meet Kabuto at the bridge.
During those days of freedom, I'd manage to scope out the territories, all the while, developing small outposts beneath the earth, and marked with a small patch of blue flowers next to it. Inside them, non-perishables, extra weapons, medical supplies, and a small cot, for when I wasn't quite ready to return to the Hidden Snow yet. I have one nearby here, as luck would have it. We may need to restock on the way back. Or, if it comes down to some kind of battle again... well... I just hope it doesn't.
Because I don't think we'd survive it if it did.
"This is the place, huh?" We come to a running halt next to his clone.
"The entrance is straight ahead beneath that rockpile," his clone tells us. I crouch down, my palm to the dirt, and activate my Sensory Scope.
"Do you think... Sasuke's under there?" Naruto says, his eyes fixed on it.
"There's a good possibility," Sakura replies. "Kari, can you sense anything?"
"Mm... It's no good," I announce, standing back up. "This is one of Orochimaru's hideouts that he decided to reinforce for extra protection. Probably with some kind of barrier Ninjutsu; I can't sense a thing from out here, and I genuinely doubt it'll be any different inside."
"At the very least, there should be clues of some kind," Captain Yamato says.
"All right, then let's go!"
"Wait a minute," our Captain says, throwing an arm out to stop Naruto. With his other, he places a hand on the back of his clone, and in mere seconds, the wood form it returned to is reduced to mere seeds in the palm of his hand. "You can go after you swallow this, Naruto."
"... huh?"
"Don't worry," he says. "It's safe. You guys, too," he adds to both Sakura and I. "Now, even if we get separated, I'll know where you guys are right away."
"No way!" the others chorus.
"If we swallow it, a plant isn't going to... you know, grow inside me?" I ask, extremely wary of the little rice-sized bit in his hand.
