Red Butterfly

Chapter 88, Final Four

"You've got to be kidding me", Genma remarked as he looked at Hana, holding his toothpick still.

"What now?", Tenzo muttered to himself as he leaned against a tree.

"The scent ends here...", Hana informed no one in particular.

"Hana maybe you've made a mistake since the beginning", Iwashi said, earning a scowl from Shisui.

"The Inuzuka nose doesn't miss", Hana sternly informed.

"Cut it out", Raido intervened, "this is exactly what they want us to do", he says, making me hold my breath.

"They want us to start bickering and scuffling with each other", Raido sternly informs, looking between us, "this is probably one of Kabuto's sick tricks, if y'all recall, he did trick the whole village into thinking that he's on our side".

"You're right", Genma sighed, biting his toothpick in place while keeping his hands in his pockets, "we probably have to search this area as well if we're going to catch any scent of them.

"Hana go ahead", Raido ordered, to which Hana simply nodded with her head and turned to her hounds.

She crouched down and spoke something, then her hounds were off again in the area, inspecting any trace for Naruto and Sasuke.

I was on my nerves the whole time. What are we even doing? We're simply wasting time here. Naruto and Sasuke could be hurt and we wouldn't even know it.

No

My mind suddenly wanders off to a gruesome sight that I involuntarily had pictured in my head.

Naruto and Sasuke were bloodied on the ground, lifeless and we've just arrived, late...Kabuto had used their bodies for his master's heinous and illegal experiments.

My breath hitched my throat just as my mind pictured the scene. Then, as if someone had punched me hard in the gut, I felt all contents of what I've eaten elevate to my throat.

Catching everyone's attention, my legs had moved by themselves and I slapped a hand over my mouth, digging my nails into my skin when the acidic feel pumped up. I quickly scurried off into the woods, ignoring those who called out my name in concern.

At the nearest opportunity, I whipped my hand away from my face and fell to my knees with a thud, letting all the contents loose as the virtual punch to my gut seemed to deepen the more I pictured the scene.

Goodness why am I doing this to myself?

I coughed up all the burning acidic contents of my stomach, before I heard Shisui and Tenzo rushing towards me.

"Itachi!", Shisui yelled out, scaring away the nearby creatures.

"Quick! Get him some water!", Tenzo barked at Shisui as my face scrunched up in pain. The outer corners of my eyes got drenched in burning salty tears, as I contemplated whether I was tearing up at thought of something bad happening to them or if this sensation is just too much.

I clutched my stomach tighter, digging my nails into my skin as I let out all the contents. Tenzo had dropped to my side where he made sure to pull away my long ponytail so it doesn't get caught in the gruesome action.

"S-sorry", choked out before I threw up some more.

"Easy there", Tenzo gasped as he kept a firm palm in between my shoulder blades. Every time I'd try to croak out another word, I'd get cut off by the acidic sensation that'd fill my mouth.

Until eventually, I fell to the ground, shaking  breathlessly. I gasped for air and filled my lungs with as much as possible. Tenzo helped me to my feet again, draping one of my arms around his neck.