After briefly restoring order within the group, Kakashi looked at Hanare, seriously asking:
"I remember you once said you wouldn't serve your village anymore. Yet, here you are."
"So, Hanare, are you now working for Gensou?"
The moment Kakashi uttered "Gensou," the atmosphere, previously light and buzzing with curiosity, instantly turned tense.
Yamato, Sakura, Kiba, and the others grew serious, their gazes at Hanare now filled with apprehension.
While Kakashi's past connection with Hanare had stirred their interest, hearing she was now allied with Gensou was even more shocking.
Hanare slowly turned to Kakashi, not denying it.
"As a member of Jōmae Village, I, of course, follow Lord Gensou," she replied.
Noticing the brief flash of regret in Kakashi's eyes, she added with a smirk:
"I've told your former student this before: don't trust what pretty women say. Kakashi, last time you made the mistake of trusting my words."
"I won't make that mistake again," Kakashi replied coldly.
"Now, I'll ask, and you'll answer."
"Why are you here?"
As he spoke, Kakashi pressed the kunai even more firmly against Hanare's neck.
If she made any suspicious moves, he wouldn't hesitate to act, his loyalty to the village unwavering.
Feeling the kunai's chilling touch on her throat, Hanare remained calm.
"Torture and threats of death won't work on me, and you know it. But I'll answer your question—on one condition."
"How did you find me?"
Aware of Hanare's resilience against interrogation, Kakashi pondered briefly before nodding at Shino.
Shino stepped forward, extending his right hand.
A tiny insect emerged from Hanare's clothing and landed on Shino's finger.
He adjusted his glasses, casting a knowing look at Hanare.
"The Aburame Clan's parasitic insects… It must have been after the clan head left," Hanare murmured, realizing.
If Gensou had been present, these tracking insects wouldn't have gone unnoticed.
It seemed this group was unaware of everything.
In that case, there was no need to keep up any pretense.
"Now, will you answer my question?" Kakashi demanded.
"Of course. I came here to…"
With a sly smile, Hanare met Kakashi's gaze.
And then—
Her body suddenly exploded.
Boom!
A massive explosion resounded.
"Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura, face pale, moved to rush forward, ignoring the blast's aftereffects.
A hand held her back.
"I'm fine."
Kakashi emerged from behind, revealing that the one holding the kunai to Hanare was only a shadow clone.
Thanks to his caution, he'd avoided a grim fate.
'She fooled me again. And this time, she really tried to kill me,' Kakashi mused, then coolly commanded:
"That was just a clone. Hanare is still out there. Stay alert and watch the surroundings."
At his words, the Konoha shinobi quickly heightened their vigilance.
Soon—
"There!"
With her Byakugan active, Hinata pointed to the right of the blast's smoke cloud.
Without hesitation, Kiba and Akamaru lunged forward.
"Fang Over Fang!"
Two spiraling tornadoes hurtled toward the area Hinata had indicated, crashing with a loud rumble.
As more dust rose, Hanare emerged, glancing briefly at the Konoha shinobi before sprinting in the opposite direction.
"Stop right there!"
Prepared for her escape, Sakura suddenly appeared in Hanare's path, tightening her gloves as she clenched her fist and charged.
Hanare locked eyes with Sakura, subtly forming a hand seal.
The next second…
Just as Sakura threw her punch, Hanare, already aware of her moves, sped up, grabbing Sakura's wrist and flinging her aside effortlessly.
"Sakura! Avoid eye contact with Hanare—she can read your memories!" Kakashi warned.
"Understood!"
Yamato responded, aiming his right hand at Hanare.
"Wood Release: Great Tree Technique!"
Wooden stakes shot from Yamato's arm, extending rapidly to ensnare Hanare.
Glancing back, Hanare noticed the wood pursuing her even as she changed directions.
And that wasn't all.
Shino's insects and Sai's ink beasts closed in from all directions, blocking every escape route.
Seeing this, Hanare halted, forming a rapid sequence of hand seals.
She wasn't an elite like an Uchiha or an Akatsuki member, but Gensou's training had honed her abilities to rival a jōnin from any major village.
Yet, knowing her mission was to monitor the Three-Tails, she had no intention of engaging the Konoha shinobi in prolonged combat.
As she completed the final seal, she unleashed her jutsu.
Facing the oncoming wood, parasitic insects, and ink creatures…
Hanare placed her fingers to her lips, expelling a thick, scalding ash that spread in all directions.
"Fire Release: Hiding in Ash and Dust Technique!"
"Not this again!"
Several Konoha shinobi recognized this technique from the battle at Mount Katsuragi.
But recognition did little to help; as the ash ignited and scorching waves spread outward, the Konoha team had no choice but to pull back.
By the time the ash settled, Hanare had vanished.
Kakashi issued orders, "Keep tracking!"
With Team 8 present, locating Hanare was only a matter of time.
As a member of Jōmae Village, she undoubtedly held critical intelligence about its inner workings.
In particular, Konoha and the other Great Shinobi Villages needed to discover Jōmae Village's location.
Even if they only recovered Hanare's body, it would be worthwhile.
For Kakashi, the village always came first.
Woof, woof!
Kiba, ready to pick up Hanare's trail with Akamaru, suddenly sensed something was wrong.
He looked at Akamaru, who shared his puzzled expression.
"Hanare used some method to mask her scent," Kiba reported to Kakashi, frowning.
Shino examined the parasitic insects circling in confusion on his hand and said calmly, "She sprayed a bug-repellent agent before fleeing. I'll need half an hour to breed insects immune to it."
The tracking unit was momentarily stalled.
Fortunately, Hinata's Byakugan was still functioning.
Kakashi instructed Shino to remain behind, resolve the insect issue, and catch up later, while he led the others, following Hinata's Byakugan, to continue the pursuit of Hanare.
Compared to the Three-Tails…
Jōmae Village's Hanare was of even greater significance to Konoha—and the entire shinobi world!
(End of Chapter)
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