Summary: As Kakashi's ANBU mission to the Wave Country comes to a sudden end, he meets a samurai whose past has forced her to never trust any ninja. She is hired by a mysterious thug to assassinate him for the sake of her own son's life. Will she carry out her mission or will her feelings for the infamous Copy Ninja get in the way and cause her to lose her son to a deadly disease forever? Will Kakashi, leader of his own elite ANBU squad, return the woman's feelings? Or force back his emotions for the protection of himself and his country?

DISCLAIMER: I do not own any characters except for Tomoe, Sato, and Yahiko. Also, the rating might go up in later chapters, but that won't be for some time. Just a heads up for you readers. Enjoy!



Burning Bridges

Chapter 1.

It was a chilly fall evening in the Wave Country, many of it's people were beginning to retire while others had decided to start their night in the local bars. Inside were a three man group of ninja, they each bore their Konoha headbands around their heads and were drinking after the long day. The two that sat near the corner were conversing quietly with one another, and once in a while laughing at a joke or statement the other had spoken. The third member sat beside them and finished his drink calmly not speaking a word. His silver hair was spiked and styled strangely, his headband covered his left eye and the rest of his face was covered behind a mask, the only visible feature being his right eye. He held his empty sake cup rubbing the edges slightly with both his thumbs, as he did this he was going over every detail of the day he and his squad had done.

Being in the ANBU really could drain the energy out of a person, on a normal day that is, today hadn't been normal at all. They were ordered by the Hokage to track down a rogue nin who had fled into the Wave Country and so they did. They spent nearly half the day tracking him down, even with his hounds he was hard to track, he knew how to cover his scent and wipe out any trace of his identity. But luckily for them they had managed to pick up on a recent scent and track him down, the chase itself was also quite difficult, he managed to throw them off with a couple of dopple gangers but with his sharingan he manged to see through the illusion and track down the real guy. But when he finally got to him, he had been taken down by someone else. He couldn't see who, like him, they were hidden behind a mask, at first they proposed the person was a Hunter-nin but that couldn't be confirmed.

His right eye closed and he focused harder on the appearance of the ninja, he tried to remember what it was they had said to them but he couldn't remember, the alcohol was starting to kick in. He felt someone bump into his shoulder and sit to his left but he didn't bother to look over at them, still trying to remember what the mysterious person had spoken to them. He sighed heavily and his teammates beside him turned and smiled, "Don't look so gloomy, Kakashi! Especially on your birthday!"

He turned to them and smiled underneath his mask, "Oh so you did remember, Sato?"

"Of course, we couldn't forget it if we tried," The oldest of the group, Sato, laughed and pinched Kakashi's cheek, "So how old are ya, 13?"

Kakashi laughed and lightly smacked his comrade's hand off from his hand, "Ooh, so close, actually I'll be 19 in..." He stared at the digital clock that hung high above the cabinets of alcohol, "...two minutes." He looked back at his teammates who were still trying to make out the florescent numbers that shined brightly, their cheeks were slightly pink from the amount of sake consumed. One of them stood abruptly from their stool, Kakashi looked over to him, his eye widening a little as he began to teeter over but caught his balance quickly. "You alright, Yahiko?"

"Ya, ya, jus' needta find a bathroom," He scratched his head and attempted to take a step forward but almost fell over again, Sato laughed and grabbed his arm pulling it around his neck to support him.

"Take it easy Yahiko, you drunk." He grinned and looked back to Kakashi who simply shook his head at the scene the two of them alone were causing.

"Right, sorry, I don't feel so good..." Yahiko's face paled and the man holding him quickly began to search for a sign of the restrooms, the two stumbled deeper into the bar and Kakashi couldn't help but laugh as Yahiko proceeded to vomit all over Sato who let out a cry of disgust. The bar tender grabbed their cups and empty bottle of sake, he too had been laughing at the two comical ninjas.

"That's some team you got there."

Kakashi looked up to the man and simply nodded, "They're a handful, alright."

The man chuckled and finished rinsing their cups putting them away behind the bar and began to wipe down the table, "Can I get you anything to drink?"

Kakashi stared dully at the man for a moment and before he could answer the person who had seated themselves to his left spoke out for him, "We'll both have another shot of sake, please."

The bar tender nodded and pulled out two small cups but Kakashi shook his head in protest, "Thank you but I really shouldn't-"

"It's your birthday isn't it?" Kakashi turned to the person offering his drink and was surprised to see the two big hazel eyes that had been watching him the entire time, the woman smiled softly, "I couldn't help but overhear the conversation you were having with your friends, but you said it would be your birthday in two minutes correct? Why not let me buy you a drink?"

She pointed to the clock and Kakashi glanced over it, it read twelve o'clock. He looked back to the woman strangely, she tucked a strand of her chestnut brown hair behind her ear and let out a chuckle, "So is that a yes?"

Kakashi quickly looked to the bar tender who finished pouring the sake into his cup and placed it before him, she picked hers up and held it high turning on her stool to face him. The silver-haired ninja picked his up as well and turned to the woman who patiently waited for him to clink his glass with hers, she smiled and tilted her head to the side. Her soft hair swished as she did so and shined brightly under the light that hung above the two, "Cheers," She put the glass to her lips and inhaled the strong alcohol before drinking it and placed the empty glass on the bar.

Kakashi eyed her strangely before he did the same, the alcohol burned at his throat and felt like electricity going throughout his entire body. He could feel the hazel eyes of the woman lingering on him, his eye slowly traveled and met with hers, she smiled once again. "So, how does it feel?" He continued to stare at her, waiting for her to continue, but she didn't.

"How does what feel?"

"Well...how does it feel to be one year closer to dying?"

Kakashi's eye widened and the woman began to laugh, he eyed her strangely as she clutched her stomach and pounded her fist on the bar. Kakashi looked around at the few customers that were watching him and whispering to each other, he scratched his head nervously and the woman's laughs began to die down, she wiped the tears from her eyes and looked back at the slightly embarrassed ninja. "Aah, I'm only kidding of course," Kakashi chuckled at that statement, he didn't find their situation to be funny at all, "I'm sorry, I haven't even introduced myself, my name is Tomoe Amayu." She reached a hand out and he grabbed hers in his and shook it.

"Kakashi."

She nodded and the strand of hair fell in front of her face as she did so, she quickly tucked behind her ear again and stared at him with her hazel eyes. For a moment they stared at each other, taking in the others appearance, well Kakashi was at least. She had shoulder length hair that was cut in a stylish sort of bob, her bangs were perfectly cut and aligned hiding her thin eyebrows. Her nose was small and stuck up slightly giving her a mouse-like appearance, her skin was a light tan and adorned with freckles. She wore a spaghetti strap black dress that came a few inches above her knees, her legs were long and slender and she wore small black heels. She was a woman of natural beauty, she didn't fit in with the rest of the woman he had seen in the Wave Country, actually, the entire week spent here, he hadn't seen her at all.

Tomoe cleared her throat bringing Kakashi out of his thoughts, he really shouldn't have drank that last shot, he could barely focus.

"Did you hear me?"

"N-No, I'm sorry. Could you repeat it again, please?"

She chuckled lightly and spun back and forth in her stool, "I asked what you were doing here in the Wave Country."

"Oh, we were here on a business proposal for some merchandise that we wanted shipped to Konoha." He lied casually.

Tomoe placed a hand on the bar and gave him a weird look, Kakashi looked at her as she twisted a strand of her hair and eyed him playfully, it was quite cute. "Is that so? That's strange."

"How so?"

"Well," She moved closer to Kakashi and her voice became low, although he could still hear her over the voices and clinging of glasses that resounded through the bar. He could smell the sake that lingered in her cool breath, it was teasing almost, "I'm sure you've heard that this Country isn't doing as well as it used to, especially with all the underground thugs that seem to be taking over the region," She looked around as she spoke, hoping that no one had heard what she had shared with the man.

"I haven't actually, but so far we haven't run into any problems."

"Ah, well aren't you lucky?" She smiled and stretched her arms out rubbing them as the cool air of the night filled the bar, "This village's not what it used to be," She looked around at the people who drank merrily with each other, others alone drowning themselves with liquor. Kakashi too followed her gaze and came across a woman in a booth sobbing silently to herself, "We used to be a country based on trust and we depended on each other for support. But lately it seems that it has all been falling apart, with all the innocent killings we fear that if we try and stand up we'll all be killed too. And now, there's no one to turn to. The only loyalties we have lie within ourselves, well that goes for me at least." She shrugged her shoulders and stood from her spot and let out a yawn, Kakashi stood as well.

"You know," He began, Tomoe looked over to him, "You can't really blame these people for fearing something that's alien to them. They've lived their lives peacefully for years and now that someone has come to disrupt that peace, they don't know how to fight back. Maybe it's the threat of war that frightens them, but peace will eventually come back for you people," Tomoe gazed up at him, she was about a foot shorter than him, and she hadn't noticed how fit he was, he was handsome, well what she could see of him. She smiled, "One day someone will rise and put the violence to an end, this I know."

Kakashi smiled underneath the fabric of his mask and looked down at Tomoe who was staring up at him, her hazel eyes glistening warmly. Her soft pink lips stretched into a bright smile, she let out a giggle and ran her fingers through her hair, "That sounds about right," She reached for her hand bag and pulled a bill out and placed it underneath her and Kakashi's cups, "You're very wise for your age, Kakashi."

"You don't seem that much older than me," He eyed her curiously, "You don't look any older than 21."

"What makes you say that?" Tomoe crossed her arms and lifted an eyebrow, her head tilted to the side and she smiled again.

"I'm wise. You said so yourself."

Tomoe's head perked up and she burst out with laughter, Kakashi began to laugh as well. "I guess you're right!"

"So, how old are you?"

Tomoe quickly tapped his forehead protector and smiled playfully, "You never ask a woman her age!"

"I guess I'll never know, huh?"

Tomoe smiled warmly, "Yeah, I guess so." She headed towards the exit of the bar and Kakashi followed after her, dodging a waitress and a few drunk people as they left. Tomoe stared down at the empty boardwalk and then looked back up to Kakashi, "Well it's been fun and all, but I guess it's time to go our separate ways."

"We'll be doing a lot of guessing tonight, won't we?"

Tomoe chuckled lightly and shrugged, "If you're so wise shouldn't you know the answer?"

"Being wise doesn't mean you have the answer to everything."

Kakashi shoved his hands into his pockets and stared down at Tomoe, she stared out at the ocean and the moon that reflected clearly over it, like two different worlds. "I won't say goodbye because we'll meet again, right?"

Kakashi shrugged his shoulders, "It's possible."

The woman nodded and started down the empty boardwalk, she stopped halfway and turned to look back at Kakashi. She looked down at her feet then up to him once again, "I know we will."

Kakashi smiled and nodded his head, "If you want."

"Is that what you want?" Tomoe questioned with a smile, she waved and continued down the boardwalk clutching her handbag to her hip and into the quiet city she called home. Kakashi watched her until she was out of sight and he could no longer hear her heels as they collided with the wood of the boardwalk, the only thing to keep him company was the ripples of the waves underneath him. He rubbed the back of his neck and looked out at the ocean, the reflection of the moon was bright and clear, it was like he could stick his hand into the ocean and fall right into another world. For a moment, he couldn't tell what was real and what was the reflection, he shook his head and turned back to the bar. He really needed to lay down.

Kakashi walked back into the bar and saw his teammate dragging Yahiko towards him and out of the bar, "I already paid for our drinks, let's get this one back to the inn."

"Alright, I'll take him off your hands for you."

"Thanks, Kakashi." He carefully pried Yahiko's limp hand off from around his neck and Kakashi grabbed Yahiko's waist to support him, after moving Yahiko around they continued down the opposite way of the boardwalk and back into the rural part of the country. "What time are we moving out tomorrow?"

"Early, I don't want to be here any longer than we're supposed to. We have to give the Hokage our report."

"I wouldn't want to be in Yahiko's place right now, imagine the headache he's going to be waking up with in the morning." He chuckled and the three turned the corner and entered the inn they were staying at, "I'll check us in, you take Yahiko upstairs and to bed."

Kakashi nodded and went around the receptionists desk and up the stairs behind it, he took each step carefully, not wanting to lose his balance and drop Yahiko. He finally reached the top of the stairs and he continued down the hall, "Was it three doors to the left and take a right? Or three doors on the right and take a left..." The Anbu sighed with frustration and continued with his first guess, luckily for him he made the right choice. He reached into his back pocket and pulled out the key to their room and unlocked the door, he stumbled in and dropped Yahiko on the closest bed. Kakashi sat next to him and looked down at his drunk comrade, he was snoring loudly and twitching randomly, Kakashi smiled wishing he had a camera to capture the moment.

Sato walked into the room shortly after closing and locking the door behind him, he headed towards the window and began to stretch his arms, placing a hand on his shoulder and rotating his arm about, he paused for a moment to think, "What about that other ninja, you know the Hunter-nin?"

"We can't say for sure they were a Hunter-nin, but what about them?"

"We can't just go to the Hokage empty handed."

"I already sent Pakun to inform the Hokage of what happened."

"And the body?"

"There wasn't much to recover..." Kakashi remembered the blood splattered all over the forest floor and the empty eyes of the rogue nin as the ninja held it's decapitated head under their arm, "By the way Sato, do you remember what it was they said to us?"

Sato scratched his chin and walked over to the bed beside Kakashi's, "It's on the tip of my tongue, it was something along the lines of 'making it easy for them', or something like that."

"And after that?"

"...'I won't say goodbye, because we'll meet again.' It was pretty weird."

Kakashi nodded his head and placed his elbows on his knees looking down at the floor, he could have sworn he heard that exact statement before tonight. He pushed his forehead protector up and rubbed his head, alcohol really did mess a person up, he wasn't one to forget things so easily.

"Who was that girl you were talking to at the bar?"

Kakashi looked up to Sato who laid back on the mattress with his hands behind his head and his eyes closed, "Just some girl who bought me a drink, she was listening to our conversation and bought out for my birthday."

"Really now? She was pretty cute, no?"

Kakashi didn't answer Sato knowing that he usually didn't answer a lot of his questions. She was, in no doubt, attractive, but she was also a distraction.

Then in hit him.

Kakashi jolted upright and his eye was wide in shock, he pictured Tomoe's face staring out at the ocean repeating the words that Sato had spoken minutes ago. Then an image of the masked ninja holding the rogue's head under their arm repeated the same thing. Her voice was muffled but still clear enough to hear, it was definitely her voice.

How could he not notice it before?

He clutched the sheets of the bed angrily, "Damn it..."

Sato opened one of his eyes and stared at Kakashi, "What's wrong?"

"She was disguised as a Hunter-nin so she could get away easily, she used a katana to kill him, not the usually medical needles they use. She was an assassin!"

"Who?"

"We let her get away... I was so close to getting her."

Sato sat up confused, "Who? Who is 'SHE'?"

"Tomoe!" Kakashi looked back to Sato who stood from his bed and scratched the back of his head confused.

"Tomoe...?"

Kakashi sighed and tried to calm himself down, he was getting too riled up over something that was out of his hands at the moment, "The ninja we saw that killed Kyo was an assassin."

"What?!"

Yahiko turned on his side and mumbled softly but the two Anbu ignored him, Kakashi's voice became low as to not try and disturb Yahiko anymore than the two already had, "She was the same girl you saw me talking to at the bar, Tomoe Amayu."

Sato's eyes widened and Kakashi headed towards the window and stared out at the ocean, how could he have let her get past him so easily? He could blame the alcohol but in the end the fault was all his.

"We have to find her! She couldn't have gone far-"

"It's too late, if we move out now we'll look too suspicious. All we can do is wait."

"Wait for what?"

"For her. She said we'll meet again, right?" Kakashi crossed his arms and leaned his head against the wall and looked down as the last lights that lined the boardwalk began to dim, "It's not time to say goodbye, not yet." He knew there was a high probability that it would never happen, but a part of him wanted him to wait it out. A part of him knew it wouldn't be long before they met again.


Review if you liked. Any kind of criticism will be greatly appreciated. :)