In the vast desert, a fierce wind howled, sending countless grains of sand swirling into the air. The once-bright daylight turned as dark as ink, with dust gathering into hundreds of yellow dragons that churned the heavens and earth.
"Damn it, our progress is delayed again."
Under a tall rock, a wind-carved natural cave provided shelter. Naruto smacked his thigh in frustration.
"Naruto, I understand how anxious you are, but there's nothing we can do in this kind of weather." There were four people sitting in the small cave, and Sakura among them comforted Naruto.
"Right, Temari?"
Among the four, in addition to Team 7, who had come to aid Sunagakure, there was also Temari.
She had coincidentally been returning from an exchange mission in Konoha when she ran into Team 7. After a brief discussion, they decided to travel together.
Unfortunately, shortly after entering the Land of Wind, they were caught in a sandstorm.
The Land of Wind was mostly desert, and Temari, familiar with the terrain, acted as their guide. She nodded, "Yeah, even Sunagakure's Ninja wouldn't recklessly charge into a sandstorm. It's dangerous and easy to lose your way."
Outside, the wind roared relentlessly, the gloomy scene visible through the cave entrance. Naruto knew their current approach was the right one, but his worry for Gaara was overwhelming.
"Relax. Take this time to rest properly. We'll need to focus on moving fast later."
Kakashi, who was sitting in the corner, said calmly. Though the mission was urgent, as an experienced Ninja who had seen many battles, he knew the importance of keeping a level head. He glanced at Naruto and Sakura, observing his students' expressions.
His teacher's words carried weight, and Naruto took a deep breath and gradually calmed down.
The sandstorm lasted for nearly half a day. Once the wind died down, Team 7 quickly regrouped and raced toward Sunagakure.
After another long stretch of silent, focused travel, they finally spotted the distinctive entrance of the village in the distance.
Naruto's face lit up with excitement, and he picked up his pace.
There were no obstacles in the process of entering the village, as the Sunagakure's Ninja were already waiting to receive them, and with Temari's presence, they efficiently made their way to the Kazekage Building in the center of the village.
Skipping the formalities, Sakura used her masterful medical skills, which she inherited from Tsunade, to pull Kankuro back from the brink of death and successfully extracted the supposedly incurable poison.
Team Guy was also about to arrive, and with all key figures gathered, they began discussing the specifics of the rescue operation.
With every minute counting toward Gaara's survival, Konoha and Sunagakure quickly reached an agreement. However, the decision of Chiyo to come out of retirement surprised and shocked many.
Finally, they come to the most critical issue… information about the enemy.
"Three? You said you saw three members of Akatsuki taking away Gaara?" Kakashi said with a frown.
Kankuro lay on the hospital bed, having just barely survived the torment of the poison.
Though pale and weak from speaking, he persisted in recounting his encounter with Akatsuki. At Kakashi's question, he slowly nodded and said, "I saw them clearly… three people. Two wore black robes with red clouds pattern, while the third was dressed normally."
"As for whether all three were Akatsuki's members... I only fought one of them. Besides Sasori of the Red Sand... Cough cough!" He coughed violently.
Temari stopped him from continuing.
With the limited information now clear, Kakashi pondered for a moment and said, "One Akatsuki member specializes in long-range explosive techniques, another is the former genius Puppet Master who uses human puppets, and the last one... unknown."
Understanding the enemy's abilities was crucial, especially when facing the enigmatic Akatsuki. It allowed them to avoid being caught off guard and to prepare targeted strategies.
But now, an additional figure appearing out of nowhere added uncertainty and unpredictability to the situation.
This made Kakashi a little uneasy. Moreover, ever since passing through the narrow village's entrance, he had felt an indescribable premonition… something about that unknown enemy...
"If we don't know, just don't know. What's Akatsuki? They've been sneaking around forever. We'll just take them down! Kakashi-sensei, let's hurry up and go!" As Naruto listened patiently to this, he estimated that the information exchange was almost done, so he stood up and declared loudly.
"According to what Jiraiya-sama said, Akatsuki usually operates in pairs. But now, instead of two or four, there are three. Moreover, this third person isn't wearing their uniform. That's exactly why we need to be cautious."
Kakashi said sternly. After a pause, his tone lightened slightly as he continued, "Besides, Naruto, even if we chase now, do you know where to go?"
"Uh." Naruto was immediately left speechless.
Seeing this, Kakashi chuckled and shook his head. Then, he swiftly formed a series of hand seals, "Summoning Technique!".
With a bang, smoke billowed from the ground, and once it cleared, a group of Ninken led by Pakkun made their appearance.
These Ninken were promptly put to work, sniffing around for any lingering traces of Gaara's scent.
As the Ninken dashed off, Kakashi's gaze flickered. Combined with the news of that person's involvement, an inner voice kept telling him… that the mysterious third figure was someone he knew, yet had long grown distant from.
While waiting for the Ninken to return, no one wanted to disperse. They instinctively chatted and rehearsed strategies, if only to feel like they were doing something.
But that was all they could do. The fog of uncertainty remained, and no amount of discussion could pierce through it. In the end, they were Ninja.
They would step onto the battlefield, carrying their burdens… either to end them, or to be ended themselves.
…
"Seal, release!"
At the entrance of the Akatsuki's hideout, Deidara completed the steps to remove the defensive barrier.
The area was a shallow riverbank, its waters clear, the bed covered in fine sand and pebbles. Logan glanced ahead at a protruding hillside, where a massive boulder blocked the entrance, marked with a 'Seal' character.
With a rumble, the boulder rose, propelled upward by pressurized water.
"Not bad for a hideout. The environment is beautiful and the layout is simple, and unpretentious." Logan looked around and commented.
"It's the middle of nowhere, completely barebones. If it weren't the closest to the Land of Wind, I wouldn't even bother coming." In the end, Deidara said bluntly, voicing Logan's real thoughts, "Only the formation at the entrance can be seen."
The gate might look like an ordinary boulder, but in reality, it was part of the Five-Seal Barrier, with additional layers of security. Logan's sharp eyes lingered on the flickering seal, 'Anyone trying to force their way in wouldn't have an easy time.'
He quickly refocused. Now wasn't the time to dwell on such things. In front of him, the darkness beyond the lifted boulder stretched endlessly.
"Let's go. The leader is waiting." Sasori glanced at Logan and stepped into the darkness.
"I never said I wasn't going. No need to keep reminding me..."
Muttering under his breath, Logan followed, his mind sharpening.
Tap. Tap. One by one, they entered.
Then, with a deep rumble, the boulder descended behind them… as if nothing had ever happened outside.