At the border between the Land of Iron and the Land of Waterfalls…
"How much longer do we wait?"
Itachi stood on a grassy hill, his gaze sweeping over the green expanse to the east where distant villages dotted the horizon. The late-summer breeze carried a hint of moisture. He turned to address Kisame, who had asked the question.
"Still no sign of Hattori?"
"Nope, none at all," Kisame replied irritably, shaking his grimy sleeve. His Akatsuki cloak hadn't been changed since their escape from Konoha, "The best time to track someone down is right after they vanish. Waiting for him to show up again is probably a lost cause, don't you think?"
Itachi remained silent for a moment. Sidestepping the question, he replied matter-of-factly: "I haven't had any luck either."
Kisame snorted, brushing off his hands and sitting on a nearby rock. Itachi cast a silent glance across the rolling fields before directing his gaze back toward the direction of Konoha, "Even when I infiltrated the village, there were no signs of him. Where could he have gone?"
It had been ten days since Logan had 'disappeared'. Itachi and Kisame had successfully extracted him from Konoha's pursuit only to find that he had vanished right under their noses...
Itachi, in particular, was in the most disbelief mood. After all, Logan had clearly gotten into the tent, and his expression was normal. Yet, by dusk, Itachi, who sensed something was wrong, went to check, but found the tent was empty.
It should be known that Itachi basically stayed in the small camp, and Kisame didn't leave too far. However, under such circumstances, Logan still disappeared without warning or trace.
In short, Logan's vanishing act was a shock for both Itachi and Kisame. After all, they'd risked much to pull him out of Konoha, only for him to disappear right after. With no trace left to follow, Kisame had reported it back to the organization through the Magic Lantern Body Technique, and Itachi had suggested they stay behind to wait.
Itachi had hoped Logan would reappear on his own to explain himself, making it easier to account to the Akatsuki. But as each day passed without any sign, the situation grew more complicated.
"Who knows where that sneaky Hattori is hiding?" Kisame picked up a small stone, tossing it absently. A wry smile spread across his face as he added, "I wouldn't be surprised if he had it all planned. I mean, from the way he treated those pursuers from Konoha, his loyalty to the organization is kinda… questionable..."
Itachi's eyes narrowed a bit, "Hattori has been in the Akatsuki almost as long as I have. In fact, his contributions in the early days were greater than yours."
"Tch, only because he was working alone." Kisame retorted unconvinced, and then thought about his partner being right next to him, so he toned it down, "Lucky, that's all."
Itachi merely gave Kisame a sidelong glance, choosing not to respond.
After a moment of silence, Kisame spoke up again, his impatience clear, "You don't actually think Hattori's coming back, do you? Leader has been pushing us, and if you keep insisting on waiting, I'm not accompany you."
Ten days was indeed long enough, and Itachi knew that there was no way to delay it any longer. He let out a quiet breath, the black cloak with red clouds pattern swaying as he started down the hill.
"Fine. Let's go."
"Hey, hey." Kisame grumbled, barely settled on his rock, annoyed by the sudden decision. He called after Itachi but received no response, so with a scowl, he reluctantly followed.
The two cut through the green fields, their powerful strides leaving a subtle ripple in the grass behind them as they finally left the area for the Land of Rain.
"You know, Hattori's disappearance this time feels a lot like the last one, don't you think?"
As they continued along the path, Kisame seemed to recall something.
"Which time?" Itachi's gaze flickered with interest, but he asked calmly.
Kisame clicked his tongue, bringing up that mission from a few years back… the one when he infiltrated Konoha under a black-market bounty to assassinate a target. After hearing this, Itachi's expression was unreadable, and the only sound around them was the rustling of leaves. After a few seconds, he asked in a low voice: "Exactly the same?"
Kisame hopped over a fallen branch and waved his hand dismissively, "How would I know? It's not like I saw how he disappeared this time."
…
Riiiing! The sound of the bell signaling the end of the school day echoed across campus, swiftly breaking the silence and swelling into a hubbub. Logan lifted his head from where he'd been resting on his desk. Seeing the teacher has already left, he began to gather his things while yawning.
"Hey, what are you bringing for the trip tomorrow?"
"They said there are no restrictions, right? Gotta bring snacks for sure!"
"Should I bring makeup? Shhh…"
"Oh, come on..."
Tomorrow is the Friday's autumn field trip, so unlike a typical school day, the students weren't scattering as soon as the bell rang. Instead, the classroom was buzzing with excitement as students stayed behind, animatedly discussing their final preparations, the 'last-minute battle plans' for the upcoming weekend adventure.
The trip would be two days and one night at a hot springs resort, a plan everyone knew by heart. Surrounded by the vibrant, youthful faces, Logan, whose mindset felt miles away, couldn't help but feel a touch of envy, though he had no part in the festivities.
Casting a glance at David, who had found a new group of friends to finalize his Plan B with, Logan shrugged off the fleeting feeling.
He didn't linger. Logan slung his bag over his shoulder, exited the classroom, hopped on a bus at the school gate, and made his way through the city as usual. However, instead of getting off at his usual stop near home, he rode further into the bustling city center.
Tonight, he was meeting with Damian, the bigwig from the Blue Gang, to discuss some business specifics.
"One last job, and then I'm done~" Logan hummed to himself as he gazed out the window. As the tune continued, he suddenly realized how much it sounded like the typical flag-raising line like 'After this battle, I'll go home and get married.' He quickly cut himself off.
The sky had already darkened by the time the bus reached its stop. The city was aglow with neon lights, the golden hues of streetlamps, bridges, and alleys blending to form a dazzling nighttime landscape.
Logan took a quiet moment to take in the city's bustling, tranquil beauty, reflected in both the bus window and his eyes.
When the bus reached his stop, he disembarked, making his way down the pedestrian street into the vibrant scene.
The address Damian had given him was already loaded on his phone, and after ten minutes, he spotted a flashy, golden-lit sign from afar.
"Golden Ring Nightclub..." Logan muttered, noting the extravagant and not-so-subtle name.
He squinted at the towering building, which seemed to loom over its neighbors with silent, bold opulence, and sighed, "Why does bigwig like Damian insist on meeting at some place like a nightclub? Couldn't we just grab a coffee somewhere?"
Approaching the lavish entrance, Logan couldn't help but notice that the nightclub was even more upscale up close. Surrounded by similarly ritzy establishments, each with dazzling, neon-lit decor that practically screamed exclusivity, he felt a mild discomfort. It was as though any establishment that didn't ooze this kind of prestige was somehow deemed embarrassing.
"Seriously..." Logan muttered as a sports car roared past, its engine revving. Clusters of well-dressed men and women strode past with supreme confidence. Logan cleared his throat, straightened his spotless school uniform, and reassured himself, 'Yep, nothing too out of place.'