Kakashi's Unexpected Mission

"I need a favor. It's something you are not going to like hear, but you're the only one capable of completing this mission." Tsunade looked disgruntled, even more so today than Kakashi had seen in a while.

"Would I be correct in assuming this is to be a solo mission, given all the secrecy?"

She sighed. "Yes, but you have to promise me you'll remove all emotion."

Admittedly, this made him a little uneasy. 'Remove all emotion? What am I? Mr. Emotional?' "What is it that you are so scared to tell me, Tsunade?"

"I need you to locate and return someone to this village. They are of high importance if this village is going to survive the upcoming months. This folder should tell you her exact location." She slide a folder across the desk. Looking at the picture inside the folder, Kakashi nearly dropped the folder.

"-But how?"

"Ryoko Akiyama is very much alive. I'm sorry I haven't been able to tell you until now."

"I see." He said after a few moments of silence."

"I hope you understand why you are the only one who can go."

Kakashi thumbed through the folder. There information only covered until the start of her joining the black ops. Even the picture was old, the picture of her smiling was taken just after graduating the academy. Before her sisters' death.

"It's not much to work with. Can this location even be trusted?"

"That intel came directly from Jiraiya. One more thing." Tsunade opened a drawer to her right, picking up a small object and tossed it to Kakashi. "When you find her, give her this. It'll help you persuade her to come home."

Walking through the unfamiliar village a few days later, Kakashi felt weird not wearing his traditional shinobi gear. The small envelope Tsunade gave him still sat sealed in his pocket. The town itself was small, but he had yet to find any signs of the girl he was supposed to track down. Kakashi almost doubted she was still even here.

"Kakashi… Ryoko isn't remotely the same women or the same shinobi she once was. Please be careful."

Kakashi stopped at the edge of town, overlooking the water below when a flowery scent grabbed his attention. It was subtle at first, but soon its intensity became too much. Kakashi looked at the nearby trees. Not a single leaf was moving despite the wind he felt on his skin. With a turn, his eyes locked onto her in an instant. Across the path on an opposing rail she stood. Her hair was darker, her eyes colder, and a gash had recently found home at the base of her neck, but the same small discoloration in her left eye. Kakashi grunted in pain. It felt as if a needle was twisting into the back of his head.

"I don't know what you're doing here. But leave now or I'll kill you." The wind whispered to him. She jumped off the railing backwards. The scent was gone. How can she do that? Kakashi jumped after her following her through the underside of the city. She ran through the sand up to the edge of a mountain. Kakashi stopped at the base, leaving himself exposed in the clearing.

"Come out Ryoko. We don't have to do this."

"I think we do. Let's finish that match we started years ago. There isn't anyone here to stop us now."

"With me here without any gear? That hardly seems fair."

Ryoko joined him in the landing. "What's that saying? All's fair in love and war..? It's not like you don't have any tricks hiding in your eye."

"I didn't come here to fight you. To be honest I didn't even know you were alive." Kakashi patted his pockets. "Now hold one, I have something for you here somewhere. Ah, here it is."

Ryoko caught the small package in her left hand. "What's this? A present? Don't tell me you're one to hold onto keepsakes now."

"It's from Tsunade, actually. She wants you to come home."

Ryoko opened the package, and dumped its content in her hand. At first her eyes softened then closed them and her fist in anger. "Is this some sort of joke!?" Her chakra flared around her like a tornado, catching Kakashi off guard. "Am I still just a tool for you to use after all this time!?"

In a flash she charged and Kakashi just barely missed a punch on his face. He swung around ready for another strike but mistimed himself, and received a kick to his side causing him to stumble. Ryoko swirled a tornado towards Kakashi, picking up pieces of sand as it traveled. Kakashi drew up a wall of earth to shield him but was surprised when it turned inward-starting to create a prison around him. He jumped back but was seized by a figure of mud. Ryoko appeared from the ground before him, bringing a blade to his throat. But Kakashi changed into a log, the real one grabbing her from behind.

Ryoko pulled at the arm around her neck, having dropped her weapon when she was caught. "I'd admit, I didn't figure you would get again the ability for earth release. And that chakra trick you did earlier was impressive. But now that I got you, why don't you try calming down."

"That isn't my only set of tricks." In her outstretched hand, small balls of pink chakra appeared. They hovered for a second before attacking Kakashi's face. He released her, stepping back to guard himself. But even with the impact on his arm, the scent was overpowering. Kakashi started a coughing fit, bringing him to his knees. Ryoko stepped closed, dropping the small item in her hand.

Within a second, Kakashi could breathe normally again. What is that? He looked at the object on the ground. Although he could not name the item, he felt a sense of déjà vu. Kakashi picked up the small necklace, letting it dangle in front of his face.

Tsunade, what have you gotten me into.