31 - Hunting mission part 2...

Tanzaku City...

After gathering all the information they needed, Kakashi and Kirito left the pub and changed back into their Anbu costumes in a secluded corner.

As they were leaping through the rooftops of buildings, Kirito heard a loud moaning sound coming from a room in a building they just passed by. He turned to Kakashi and asked, "Captain, do you think someone is torturing a woman in there?"

"You are hearing wrong, kid. There was nothing I heard from that building," Kakashi denied without a second thought, thinking, 'I can't tell him that is not from torture but pleasure...'

"Hey, listen carefully. I can still hear her shouting," Kirito said, doubting Kakashi's response as he stopped on the spot.

"I am telling you there is nothing like that. Also, don't forget we need to finish our mission at hand," Kakashi said while pulling Kirito to move, having a serious face under the dog mask, and thinking, 'I will never bring him to a mission in this kind of place again until he understands everything.'

Without any other option, Kirito joined Kakashi, and quickly they arrived at the meeting place where they found the other members of their team waiting.

"So, did you find anything useful?" Kakashi asked, looking at Monkey and Crow.

"Yes, they are in the northern forests inside a cave. Though we don't know the exact location," Crow said with a nod, explaining what they had found.

"Though I wasn't able to know where they are, but from the information I got, they have at least 3 rogue Jonin-level shinobi and 5 Chunin-ranked ones," Monkey said with a serious tone.

"No wonder they were able to kill the Sand shinobi team. So what do you think we should do, Captain?" Kirito asked, looking at everyone with a serious tone.

"We will go and look for them first. If the information is right and we are not strong enough to defeat them, we will retreat for backup," Kakashi said with a serious tone.

"So where are we going to start searching from?" Monkey asked, and Crow kept sentry for an answer.

"From the cave at the riverside," Kakashi said with a serious tone as they started moving towards the cave in the northern forest.

As evening approached, they finally reached their destination.

"Who will go inside?" Kirito asked, standing with everyone outside the cave on a tree branch a few hundred meters away from it.

"Let me go and have a look at them first. I am sure I will have no problem," Monkey said, showing confidence in his speed.

"No, we are all going together. Remember, we are a team. Also, Fox, don't hold back, and don't think just because of your age they will show mercy upon you," Kakashi said with a serious tone.

"Don't worry, I will not," Kirito, as Fox, said with resolve.

"Right, let's move," and all four of them disappeared

from the spot.

Dog and Monkey, the oldest of the group, went in first from the front to stop or counter the enemies from the front. Crow went in using earth style from the rear, and Fox stayed behind as backup.

With this plan in place, they went in for action.

"Fire Style: Fireball jutsu," Crow said, throwing a fireball jutsu from behind after arriving behind the enemies, using a surprise attack to startle them.

"Damn, get out! We have an enemy in the cave," one of the enemies said, trying to get out of the cave.

"Water Style: Water Wall jutsu..."

When everyone was trying to get out, one enemy shinobi turned back to counter the incoming attack and stopped the fireball from burning everyone.

As they arrived at the outer part of the cave, they found two Konoha Anbu standing in their way.

"Damn, this time Konoha sent their Anbu to attack us," one of the enemies said, recognizing them from the Konoha shinobi mark on their masks.

"Don't panic. We have killed Sand shinobi before; they shouldn't be that hard," one of the enemies, a big-built shinobi, said, stopping in front.

"Captain, do you know him?" Monkey asked, looking at Dog with curiosity.

"He is..." Before Dog could finish, one of the enemies said with a surprised tone, "Lord Sasori, do you know him?" Pointing at Dog.

"I am not sure, but since he has the same hair and is from Konoha, I will kill him myself anyway..." Sasori said as he made a hand seal and summoned three puppets from his sealing scroll.

"Yes, there is no doubt about this; he's Sasori of the Red Sand..." Dog said, looking at the puppets in front of him.

"Shouldn't he be dead?" Monkey asked, looking at Sasori and the puppets.

"Okay, I will take care of the Monkey masked boy over there. You take care of him. The rest of you can just enjoy the show..." A shinobi with a Kirigakure headband that had a line crossing through the village mark on his forehead said while coming out from the group of enemies.

"Sho, you stop right there! I am telling you, you stop right there! That guy is mine! I tell you, that guy is for me! Look at my sword; it is thirsting for the blood of a shinobi..." A swordsman said coming from behind the group. He also had a Kirigakure headband just like the other Kiri shinobi.

"What about the enemy that attacked us back in the cave, Zabuza..." Sasori asked, looking at the newly arrived swordsman.

"He escaped and joined his team over there..." Zabuza, from under his bandages, said while pointing at the Konoha team.

"Hmm, you failed to kill your opponent back in the cave, and now you are talking..." Sho said with disdain.

"He ran away, and I can't help it. Besides, I don't want to fight some coward..." It seems Zabuza was the one who countered Crow earlier with his water wall, and after Crow finished his job, he came out to join his crew.

While the enemies were busy talking, Dog said, "I will take care of Sasori. Do you guys think you can handle the rest?"

"Leave it to us..." They said, taking out their short swords from their backs with a nod.

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