"I have to save Mommy and Daddy!" The little girl runs back into her house and into one of the back rooms. "Leave my Mommy and Daddy alone!" she yells, and the intruder slowly turns around, his non-caring, murderous eyes landing on her. "Kameko! Run – Get out of here!" the mother yells. "Not without you and Daddy!" "Kameko –you heard your mother!" the father says sternly, his eyes pleading with his daughter, "Now RUN!" The little girl looks her father in his eyes, then, with one last glance at her mother, she turns and runs.
Kameko Ishagure sat up fast, and looked around.
"It's only three in the morning," she says to herself, but she got up anyway. Kameko knew that if she tried going back to sleep, that nightmare would just come back. It was the fifteenth anniversary of her mother and fathers murder. She looked into the mirror, and sighed, then she put on her headband, and left her room. The sun wasn't up yet, but she could tell that a few other people who always got an early start were beginning to wake up – simply because she saw the lights on in their rooms.
"Ah – Kameko. Care for a morning jog around the entire village?" Guy asks, jogging up beside her.
" Thank you, but no Guy," Kameko smiles," I think I am just going to go up to our owl post and see if anything has came in over night, then over to the Hokage's and see if there are any new missions."
"Alright – but if you change your mind – you know where to find me," Guy nods, then gives his normal smile, and jogs off at a faster pace.
"Guy sensei – wait up!" Lee calls, and Kameko watches as the younger ninja runs out of his house and after his old teacher. With a resigned sigh, Kameko walks toward the owl post, and checks around.
"Hey Aeirume – anything new overnight?" Kameko asks.
"No, sorry Kameko. I did hear that Lady Tsunade was looking for you though."
"Oh, thank you." She walks down the steps and turns toward the Hokage's office. As she walked up to the room where lady Tsunade would be, she suppressed a sigh. Not much had been going on lately, and so she figured whatever the Hokage wanted – wouldn't be much. Respectfully, Kameko knocked twice on the door and waited for a reply.
"Yes?" Kameko opened the door and saw Lady Tsunade at her desk, looking at some paperwork that Shizune probably made her read.
"Ah, Kameko – just who I was looking for," Lady Tsunade smiled," I have a mission – not a big one, but It will give you something to do. You up to it?"
"Yes ma'am," Kameko nodded respectfully.
"Good – Report back here at noon, and be prepared to leave. I will gather two others that will be your team, and you will be the leader." Kameko nodded, bowed, and then left the room, shutting the door softly behind her.
At noon, Kameko headed up to Lady Tsunade's room, slightly wondering who her teammates were. After knocking twice, and getting an answer, she opened the door. She walked inside, expecting to find the others their, but the only people in the room where Lady Tsunade and Shizune.
"Umm, Lady Tsunade?"
"Yes Kameko?"
"Where are my teammates?" Kameko asked, trying really hard to be as polite as she could.
"He should be arriving at any moment." Kameko nodded, and then stood quietly and very still.
After a couple minutes, Shizune asked," Are you alright?" Kameko looked up quickly, and it made Shizune jump.
"Uh?" Kameko asked, then realized what it was," Oh – yes, sorry." A couple more minutes ticked by, then a knock came at the door.
"Come in - your late," Lady Tsunade said, not hiding her annoyance. Kameko turned around, just as Asuma walked into the room.
"Sorry – I was talking with Kurenai and I lost track of time," Asuma apologized.
"Lady Tsunade?"
"Yes?"
"Is it just going to be me and Asuma? Or is a third ninja going with us?" Kameko asked.
"A third is going – he's just outside on the ledge doing what he normally does," Lady Tsunade says, with a small scowl that mixed with a grin. Kameko racked her brains, trying to figure out who else would be going, but no one came to fit the description. She looked at Asuma and saw him smiling.
"What?" she asked.
"You don't know who it is, do you?" he asked with a small grin, pulling out his cigarette carton, preparing to smoke another cigarette. Kameko shook her head, confused and amazed on how he knew already who it was.
"Come on Kakashi, lets not waste anymore time we could be spending on the mission," Asuma says, heading over to the window and then looking out and to the left. Kameko laughed at her silliness. How could she have not remembered that Kakashi always done that? He was one of the funniest ninja's in the Hidden Leaf, and one of her closest friends. He helped her train at times when she needed some help, so she should have remembered this small detail. Asuma walked back to the middle of the room and Kakashi stepped into the room through the window.
"Good evening Kameko," he greeted, and she saw him putting his book away.
"Good evening to you to Kakashi," she says, and couldn't help but smile.
"Alright- here is your mission," Lady Tsunade began," Up north about two hundred miles is a small village on the outskirts of our territory. They have been having troubles with some of the ninja from the Hidden Mist, who keep terrorizing them. I want you three to go up their and put a stop to this. Only fight if it is necessary, and make sure everyone is safe and able to live in peace again before you come back." Kameko, Kakashi, and Asuma nod, then leave the room, and head out toward the main gate to leave for their mission.
Right before they get to the main gate though, Naruto, one of Kakashi's old students comes running up to them.
"Kakashi Sensei! Kakashi Sensei!" Naruto calls, then stops in front of them," Where are you going?"
"Lady Tsunade sent me on a mission," Kakashi says simply.
"What about helping me train – I need more help if I'm ever going to rescue Sasuke!" Naruto exclaims.
"Have Yamato-kun help you," Kameko suggested.
"Ok," Naruto agrees, nodding. They turn back toward the gate, and head out.
Kameko walked quietly, with her head down, not really paying attention to where she was going. When she heard either Kakashi or Asuma tell her to watch out, she moved to one side, and kept walking. Her mind was in a haze, and she had a bad feeling, about something – but she didn't know what about. I hope nothing is going to happen to anyone on our side from this confrontation with the Hidden Mist ninja's, Kameko thought, thinking of the pain she suffered when she was a little girl, having to run while her parents where killed. She never wanted to relive that pain – ever. She'd rather die then loose someone else she loved. The whole Hidden Leaf Village was practically her family – she grew up with most of the ninja' her age – she had watched the newest generation of Jonín and Chunin grow up, and now, was watching the future generation grow up. They came to a brief halt, and Kameko ran into Kakashi's back. With a look up, she saw why they had suddenly stopped. The village they where supposed to help – was in flames.