The commotion in the palace was enormous, but very few people actually knew what had happened inside.
However, many people swore up and down, pounding their chests, saying they had heard the roar of a dragon, adding an even more fantastical air to the incident.
Meanwhile, Naruto and his group, who had shaken off their pursuers, quickly reacted and guessed that the huge disturbance there was likely related to Kakashi-sensei.
This made them immediately want to rush over and check out the situation.
So much so that Sasuke didn't even get a chance to buy a wig before being dragged away by Naruto and Sakura.
Worried about exposing their identities, they didn't move too quickly. By the time they arrived, somewhat anxious and concerned, they found that the area had already been locked down under martial law.
All they could see was the collapsed palace and a field of ruins.
There was no sign of Kakashi-sensei.
This was actually a good thing, it meant that Kakashi-sensei had likely escaped successfully.
The three of them exchanged glances, then quickly left the crowd and headed toward Tazuna's house.
If Kakashi-sensei had escaped, he would definitely go back to find them.
But judging from the current situation, Tazuna's house was no longer safe. Otherwise, they wouldn't have sensed that someone was following them earlier.
But precisely because of that, they needed to hurry back even more.
There was a real chance that both Kakashi-sensei and Tazuna's family were in danger.
And reality proved their unease to be justified.
When they stealthily snuck back, they immediately discovered that men from the Wagokai Corporation were stationed there, while Tazuna's family had already disappeared. There was still no sign of Kakashi-sensei.
This cast an even darker shadow over their hearts.
If they were only captured, that was fine, but if they had already met with misfortune, they would regret their earlier decision to leave.
If they had stayed, they might've been able to save Tazuna's family, or at least leave behind a signal for Kakashi-sensei to find.
Now, their contact point was gone, and both Kakashi-sensei and Tazuna's family were missing.
After giving a hand signal to retreat, Sakura immediately said with deep concern, "What do we do now?"
"We need to gather intel. Sitting around waiting won't help. At the very least, we need to figure out what exactly happened in the palace, and where Tazuna's family was taken," Sasuke said.
"Sasuke's right. Now that Kakashi-sensei is missing, it's all up to us," Naruto said firmly.
"Up to us? But... can we really do it?" Sakura said, lacking confidence.
"We have to, even if we can't. There's no other option right now. The safest move would be to send someone back to the village to ask for reinforcements, but that would take too much time. By the time they return, it might be too late to do anything."
"Kakashi-sensei might be hiding somewhere recovering from injuries. Tazuna's family could be counting on us to save them. So it's up to us now!"
Both Sasuke and Naruto decided to go for it. Sakura still felt it was risky, but since she couldn't think of a better plan, she agreed to take it one step at a time.
So after agreeing on a time and place to regroup, they immediately split up to gather intel.
By the time they met again, it was already nighttime, and everyone looked grim.
"I found out that Uncle Tazuna's family was indeed taken by people from the Wagokai Corporation, but I still don't know where they were taken," Sakura said, breaking the silence.
The intel she found wasn't worth much. Anyone could've figured out that Tazuna's family was captured by the Wagokai Corporation.
The only bit of good news was that they were still alive when taken, there was still hope for a rescue.
Then Sasuke spoke up, "I learned something similar. There was definitely a fierce battle inside the palace. A lot of people heard piercing screams and the roar of a dragon, it must've been Kakashi-sensei fighting an enemy, no doubt about it."
Another piece of not-so-useful intel.
Finally, Naruto, who had been silent, spoke up, "I found this from one of the cleanup crews working the ruins…"
Sasuke and Sakura's eyes widened instantly. "This is… Kakashi-sensei's forehead protector?!"
To be precise, only half of it remained, and it was stained with blood.
If there were no other Leaf shinobi besides them in the Land of Waves, then this had to be Kakashi-sensei's, no doubt about it.
It also meant the battle was far more brutal than they imagined, and Kakashi-sensei might not have actually escaped.
After all, if Kakashi-sensei had made it out, he would've tried every means possible to contact them and put their minds at ease.
But now, an entire day had passed, and nothing.
Could it be…?
"It's just a forehead protector, it doesn't prove anything. Maybe Kakashi-sensei is just injured," Sakura said, forcing a smile.
Naruto silently put the item away and nodded. "That's possible. I'd rather believe that too. But from now on, we also have to prepare for the worst."
"If Kakashi-sensei was captured… or even…" As Naruto forced out the word "killed," Sasuke and Sakura fell silent.
After all, they were just kids who had only recently graduated from the Ninja Academy. This was their first mission outside the village, and they were already facing a harsh ordeal, with their team leader either missing or possibly dead. The fact that they hadn't collapsed under the pressure already showed their mental strength was far above their peers.
Even so, they had to seriously consider the worst-case scenario.
If even Kakashi-sensei fell, what could the rest of them possibly do?
They might end up dying too.
As the silence dragged on, Sasuke suddenly proposed, "I do have an idea that could solve our current problem, but it's very risky. If we fail, we'll be in danger too."
"Let's hear it. What is it?"
At this point, any idea was worth considering.
"We capture the president of the Wagokai Corporation, and use him to exchange for Kakashi-sensei and Tazuna's family," Sasuke said slowly and clearly.
This desperate plan shocked both Naruto and Sakura!
Wasn't that basically a suicide mission?
After all, it was obvious the enemy leader would be heavily guarded. There was no way just the three of them could pull it off.
But the more they thought about it, the more they had to admit, this plan actually had a sliver of hope.
First, their young age was an advantage, they might be underestimated.
Second, the enemy was just an ordinary person. If Naruto could seize the right moment, he might be able to flip the situation in an instant.
And finally...