After a week of journey, the team reached area near Tanzaku Town that was on the edge of Land of Fire just before reaching the Land of Brine.

Jun and Chino chatted with Itachi and Yakumo chiming in once or twice in between as they travelled at a moderate pace towards Tanzaku Town. However, Suddenly Kakashi stopped and stopped their conversation as a result. Itachi and Jun noticed immediately that Kakashi seemed to be observing something.

"Something wrong?" Itachi asked while raising his guard.

"Might be nothing, but I might have found some traces of human travel even though we have been taking a remote route with general public not coming towards this place. Hold on let me confirm it."

Kakashi bit his thumb and quickly formed a few quick seals with his thumb bleeding.

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"Summoning Jutsu!"

With a contract formation quickly spreading on the ground, white smoke appeared with a small puff. As the smoke cleared, they saw a small seated brown ninja dog with a customized apparel for itself with a ninja band showing Konoha's Symbol.

"Kakashi .. Long time since you summoned me. What's up?" The dog asked offhandedly.

"Cute?!" Yakumo exclaimed in surprise

"Yo Missy! I am not cute, I am brave and dashing Ninja Dog, Pakkun! Don't, make a mistake in recognition."

"Its fine Pakkun!" Kakashi mediated "Don't pay her attention. I need a favour."

"Yes, tell me "

"I found a few traces of humans, or more precisely ninja or bandit like people here. scout around and check whether you can find any."

"Fine, Leave it up to me."

"Hold on Pakkun San" Jun interrupted. He moved towards Pakkun and applied a Flying Thunder God seal on him.

"This seal will help you travel to us in an instant. In case you get in trouble please do so."

"Hmph, lad. I was going on missions long before you were even conceived. Don't teach me how to take care of myself. However, the seal may come useful sometime who knows. Well I will leave now."

Saying as much Pakkun took off in a burst of speed.

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Some time passed since Pakkun started his tracking. He found the traces Kakashi saw immediately and followed them a while. But halfway through he got a sense as if something was wrong and that someone was deliberately trying to misguide a tracker with obvious tracks. Pakkun got on guard and started searching more carefully.

With a bit of effort, he was able to get a second set of hidden tracks. This one seemed to be the true one that the people who laid the trap for trackers couldn't completely erase.

Pakkun followed the newly discovered tracks carefully and finally discovered a bunch of people sitting around a campfire.

"Hmm, they seem very capable. If any other tracker was there, they could have fooled them very easily "

Pakkun watched them for a while before slowly creeping back towards the way he came from. Once far away from the camp, he bolted back towards where Kakashi and others were.

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Once Pakkun was far away, one of the bandits let out a sigh and spoke out softly "Is that all? Just a tracking dog?"

"Hmmm, it seems they caught onto the trail we left by chance and wanted to explore..." a girl emerged from beneath a hooded jacket "Old Man Hastar, did you see something?"

An old guy who was looking like he was plastered in alcohol until now and had his eyes closed, suddenly opened them now. His eyes were glowing eerily red with a soft light spilling out in front of his face.

"I managed to deceive any kind of investigation technique" The Old man said, "With the help of me Mirungan, all that dog should have seen would be a few bandits around a camp fire."

"That pair of eyes are pretty damn useful old man " the girl replied back

"Ah, the true use of eyes is not just this young lady" The old man said with a chuckle "I have been saving the true power of these eyes as I can't use it often in this old age. I am waiting for a true opponent from one of the great nations. The more havoc I cause for the great nations, more satisfied will me deceased family be."

"Old Man, is it true that your village was destroyed in the conflict between the Great Nation during the after math of the last great war?" Another guy with young face but long white hair called out

"Yes, they suddenly came while attacking my village while I had gone out hunting in the forest. When I came back, all I found was a ruin of a village with streets washed in blood. The devils didn't even let the bodies of the innocent villagers behind as the decimated everything. I swear on my children and grandchildren that died, No one from the great nations will survive if they come in front of me."

"Calm down old thing" a guy with a slim face and prominent jaw line called out "Don't forget that you work for us now. Don't go on and do something that will put us in jeopardy."

"Don't worry" The old man said, "Even if I go berserk in a fight, I will protect your lives."

"Why are you all worried so much about it" A kid called out from their midst "No matter what rats crawl out of their holes, I and my Garian Sword will send them scurrying back. So, need to worry at all " The kid said while puffing his chest out.

The rest five people let out chuckles in response and the fire in front of them burnt merrily.

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Meanwhile in Tanzaku town,

A beautiful blonde bombshell of a lady walked out from a restaurant while being completely Drunk. Another beautiful black lady scurried behind her trying to placate her to get back to Inn.

"Hime-sama, won't you please reconsider? Come on let's go back please! I have heard there are a few dangerous people roaming around the forest nowadays. It's not good for us two Ladies who are pleasing to the eyes to go out like this. Especially you Hime-sama!"

"Hey, you know I lost total 3 million in cards back there" The Blond Beauty giggled drunkenly "I am going to get something good happen to me. I am definitely going to go adventuring and see what comes up!"

Saying so the two ladies also went towards the forest. It won't be long till they are witness to a huge fight between a group of supposed bandits and the exploration party of Jun.