Because of persistent provocation, Gaara's irritation finally rose sharply, and in a rare emotional outburst, he spoke without restraint. The reception room fell into an unnatural silence. After a moment, Kakashi slowly lifted his head, and with effort, curved his eyes into his familiar crescent shape.
"I'm sorry. All of my family has already been killed."
The journey was grueling. Once a shinobi loses chakra, their body becomes fragile, and their movement speed drops drastically, slower than even ordinary civilians, and in some cases even worse. Even though the Sunagakure escorts pushed themselves to the limit to rush the prisoners forward, some distances simply couldn't be covered. No matter how much they whipped or pressured them, it made no difference. Two days of nonstop travel without sleep, and they still hadn't left the desert. That was only natural.
Kakashi silently thanked Pakkun for their bond, which allowed him to track the group across the sand. There were three hundred and sixty one prisoners in total, including Shigure. Because of the large number, the convoy stretched long across the desert. When Kakashi approached, he jumped down from his clay bird and followed the line.
Men and women were separated into two rows. At the very front walked Shigure, whom he had not seen in days. Shackles, restraints, and punishment frames were naturally still in place, his lips cracked, his wounds clearly untreated. Naturally, because in everyone's eyes, Shigure was the one who killed Kankuro.
Kakashi walked from front to back, observing them all, and confirmed what he already suspected. Karin was indeed among them. Those resentful eyes remained the same. He ignored them completely, then met the Sunagakure commander leading the escort. Five minutes later, the convoy stopped, a temporary camp was set up, and the heavy restraints were unlocked. After two days of walking, the men and women could finally rest.
Escape was nearly impossible. In this endless desert, without water, food, or guidance, there was only death ahead. So Kakashi, while casually flipping through a book, said it plainly. "Trying to escape is pointless. If you run now, you'll probably die within minutes anyway. If you stay here, you might at least survive until tomorrow. So don't do anything foolish, alright." He still wore his usual carefree tone, and even his eyes curved into their habitual smile. He looked as if none of this had anything to do with him, as if the people in this convoy, a man who once called him senpai, or the guard captain who once outranked him, had never meant anything at all.
Shigure gritted his teeth so hard it nearly shattered. He couldn't understand how Kakashi could still show his face. The shackles at his feet had been opened. Metal restraints, real weapons. If he rushed him now and used them as a weapon, there might only be a one percent chance of success. But even so, it was still a chance. That thought flared up inside him, and his gaze drifted toward the metal restraint.
But a hand stopped him. Small. Dirty. Thin, but steady. Karin shook her head slightly, then motioned for him to look. Shigure followed her gaze. Kakashi stood there, one hand holding his book, looking entirely relaxed. Except there was sweat on his skin. And something else.
"Look at his left shoulder," Karin whispered.
Shigure narrowed his eyes. Under the heavy cloak, only the shoulder line was visible, and there, something dark. Dried blood that had been soaked and re-wet again.
"Shigure. Call him over. I need to confirm something," Karin said softly. She slid something from her mouth into her fingers. A thin blade. A concealed weapon.
In the instant their bodies crossed, years of physical training activated instinctively.
BOOM.
The blade sliced through Kakashi's black cloak, leaving a half foot tear. But beneath it, there was no arm. Kakashi had been caught off guard, whether from the sun's glare or pain from existing wounds, he failed to react in time. The blade fell into the sand, flashing once before catching attention. Kakashi instinctively stepped aside and stomped down, covering the reflective surface.
"What's wrong, Kakashi senpai?"
"Nothing. Just checking whether this one was dead. If so, I'd bury him, but," he glanced at Shigure, then toward the Sunagakure commander, "he's still barely alive."
"That's, Shigure?" The commander's expression twisted with hatred as he recognized him.
Kakashi smiled apologetically. "Sorry, I seem to have caused trouble. Really, he's got an infuriating face, doesn't he." The first half was addressed to the commander. The second was aimed at Shigure.
Then, BOOM, his foot slammed into Shigure's face. Shigure collapsed instantly. In the same motion, the foot that had been on the blade subtly ground it into the sand, burying its reflection completely. No more flash. No more warning.
A beating would not be an exaggeration. Kakashi judged his force carefully. Aside from reopening his own injuries and Shigure's, nothing else was affected. Soon after, no more Sunagakure ninjas paid attention to them. That brief distraction was enough for Kakashi to send a message to Karin with a glance: Do nothing reckless. Your actions determine everyone's survival.
Two days later, the entire convoy returned to Amegakure. The prisoners were escorted in the same way they had been taken. No exceptions. No changes. Just the same system, continuing forward as if nothing had happened.