Scream

[43] Suppressed

Kagami takes a survey of her area, they are on a thick ledge of a cliff, ever so close to the edge. If she can distract Shikamaru she can disappear off the edge and never be seen again. Her eyes make eye contact with the sky away, the red-eyed crow circling above once again.

It's eye flashes as it understands her gaze. She shifts it back to Shikamaru, who is still staring deeply at her, trying to find an answer to the questions he hasn't even asked her yet.

His face was scarily close to her own, neither of them moving a muscle, in the fear that it will trigger the other into a fight or flight response, and the both of them want the other to stay exactly where they are.

Kagami feels Shikamaru's weight shift, his hips lifting off her waist ever so slightly, and the weight shifting to his hands around her wrist, pinning her down tightly to the ground. He is most likely waiting for Kakashi to appear, as there is no way that Kagami will be able to fight off the both of them if they have a secure hold of her, she only has the one, short frame of time to escape from the boy on top of her.

"Kagami, why would you run?" Shikamaru mumbles, his eyebrows creasing. "We are going to take you back to Konoha."

How Kagami desperately wants to do that, how she wants to let him take her to Konoha. But that cannot happen, not now, not ever.

Kagami can feel Kakashi's presence closing in on her, he is making quick ground on the both of them.

"Shikamaru," she mumbles, her wrists begging to hurt from his pressure on them. "I am sorry, and I hope to see you again. Maybe we can fight fairly then"

Confusion flashes in his eyes but he doesn't have time to process what she has said, let alone react to it.

The crow sweeps down on Shikamaru's head, distracting him for the briefest of moments, allowing Kagami to slip out of his grip, her heart hurting as she does. She would like nothing more than to just pass out in his arms and allow herself to be dragged back to Konoha, but she has a mission to carry out and a life to save.

She charges chakra at her foot and bounds off the edge of the cliff as Kakashi comes through the clearing.

"No!" Her brother shouts, his arm outstretched to her.

She shakes her head at him, her body turning in the air as she falls, her hair flying to the front of her face and whipping through the wind.

"Kagami!" He follows her off the cliff, not letting her get away from him this easily. Kagami's eyes go wide.

She brings her hands together to make a hand sign as the crow flies above them. Itachi will be notified of this within minutes of her disappearing, she has to make this efficient as possible, and she can make no mistakes because it will mean her death.

Kakashi gains on her in the air as they plummet towards the ground below. His arms are outstretched, reaching around her, every so close to wrapping around her and hugging her body to him, where he knows she will safe and sound.

The moment his sister is held in his arms, Kakashi cannot lose her not again, she is only safe where he can see her, where he can watch and take care of her.

His arms begin to close, about to enclose her, he is so close.

"Live a meaningful life, brother." She whispers to him through the wind before she disappears into thin air, body flickering away from her brother and the only lead that Konoha has on her.

s.c.r.e.a.m

"Shikaku follow this lead," Tsunade passes a paper to him. "This is what the woman who met with your son's team wanted me to see in trade for Asuma's life. I want you to see if there is anything you can find."