Considering Kakashi didn't know the layout of the estate, he thought it best to simply make his way around for the moment. That way he could make a mental map of the place, and after a while he would be able to tell which places were important; where he would need to go and just generally get a better understanding of how things were set out. He wouldn't be getting any help after all, and somehow he doubted there would be signs telling him where most of the action would be going down, so he would need time to do some research. Not to mention, if he needed to hide from anyone who might see him, such as the guards, Kakashi needed to know where those hiding places were. So as such he didn't plan which way he was going now he was inside; simply staying by the wall as he followed the boundaries of the estate.
By the time he'd made it all the way around to the gates again, the sun had set and nighttime had arrived. Kakashi made a mental note of any buildings he thought looked interesting—or more likely suspicious—so he knew which ones to go back to once he had an idea of just what this place was like. But for now he concentrated on just a quick look at the buildings, noting the amount of guards was a lot heavier on the inside than it was on the out. It was easier to get in, but obviously the same didn't go for when you wanted to leave.
With a better comprehension of the security of the estate, Kakashi decided to call it a day for now, finding a place he could settle down to get some sleep without anyone finding him in the meantime. He wasn't a heavy sleeper at any rate; it wouldn't take much noise to wake him and he wanted to be up early to get another look round anyway. Not to mention Kakashi could protect himself, of course…though even he felt a little unsure about this place. He didn't know exactly what it was about the estate, but something just didn't feel…right. But even as he finally drifted into an uneasy sleep, he couldn't help but wonder just what he would find here…or just how hard it was going to be to find it.
Then the morning arrived.
Getting up quickly, Kakashi had a hurried breakfast with the rations he had with him and immediately set off once more, heading noiselessly into the trees. If there was one thing he could be glad for, it was that; Kakashi silently thanking the amount of vegetation within the estate that kept him hidden. It would certainly come in handy if he was going to be keeping out of sight, whether during the day or at night. He began to explore further than he had yesterday, noting any places where there seemed to be a lot of activity. Of course, there was debate as to what classified as 'activity' when Kakashi didn't even know what was going on here—sure, people had been going missing, and with all the guards and the general atmosphere Kakashi was pretty certain it had something to do with the estate. But what exactly was happening to those people?
If Kakashi had to choose, saving anyone who was still alive would be his main priority. Yes, the Hokage had asked him to kill the assassin that was causing trouble for the village, but he would rather the assassin got away if it meant the people were safe and this place was destroyed. But shaking that thought off, Kakashi concentrated on what was in front of him. For all he knew, he could do both: he just had to see where it took him. So he quickly got to work over the next few days, further analysing the layout of the estate and the buildings within, and then moving on to surveying specific buildings that appeared of interest.
It was a little more difficult than Kakashi had been expecting, however, as the security was very tight when it came down to certain places—obviously important to Daraku. The longer he stayed, the longer he knew that something big was going on here, even if he hadn't figured it out yet. So Kakashi collected more information on the amount of guards and where they patrolled, listening in to any conversations they had when he could. Only it wasn't particularly fruitful; it surprised Kakashi with how little they knew, even with how they never left the estate and had been there so long. But it made sense—at least from another perspective. Daraku didn't want anyone to know what was going on here, and it made it easier to keep things secret if even the guards were clueless to his doings.
It just made things harder for Kakashi, however.
Over time, Kakashi managed to get into a few of the buildings on the outskirts of the estate, where there were less guards and the security was generally more lax. Some weren't suspicious at all; simply carrying food supplies and the like—the kind of thing needed to support the amount of people staying in the estate. Others were slightly more incredulous, as although they were empty, there were signs they hadn't always been that way, and they hadn't been filled with the usual sorts of things someone would expect. But it wasn't enough. Kakashi could come up with theories, but until he actually saw something, he couldn't prove anything. At the moment it was all just speculation, and he couldn't complete the mission with that.
However, the more little things Kakashi discovered, the more determined he became to complete the mission in the first place. At times it was frustrating, yes, but that feeling that appeared the moment he arrived had only grown as he stayed. Though Kakashi might not truly know what it was, he knew there was something to find here—and it was his mission. He had to stop what Daraku was doing; he had to stop that assassin from killing any more people. Most of the time it was ninjas who put their lives on the line on a daily basis—but they chose that life and they had the abilities to fight for it. Daraku was going after innocent civilians; people who didn't deserve any of this. People who couldn't do anything about this. So Kakashi would have to act for them.
The only problem was he didn't know how long this was going to take. He was being slow enough already—he hadn't exactly made much progress, and he'd been there three days now. There were times he considered sending a message back to the village; asking for backup like the Hokage had said he could. But Kakashi knew he couldn't. It was hard enough to get into the buildings when he was the only one here; if he had more people with him, there was more chance of being caught. Why would they be able to find a way in quicker than Kakashi would? Overall it wouldn't make a difference; if anything, it might just make it worse in the long run. No; if Kakashi needed back up at all, it would be when facing the assassin—that was when he might need support.
For now, however, he was on his own.
But what to do? He was making decisions, yes, but decisions that weren't helping him generally with the mission. The estate remained a place of mystery, and Kakashi spent the rest of the day doing reconnaissance, not even noticing as the sun set, eating on the go as he continued to try and find a way in to some of the other buildings. Even that in itself was a decision; there were so many, and Kakashi couldn't tell from the outside if one was being used for important things or just supplies like the others—all of them were deathly quiet. He could spend days gaining entry, only to find it was empty; and he couldn't waste time like that with every single building! How many more people would die in that time?
Then eventually, as it got later into the night, Kakashi decided to call it quits for the moment and restart in the morning, sighing inwardly and starting to head back to his 'hideout' to get some sleep. Whether that would bring any results, he didn't know—but hey, he had to try, at least. Even if it came to nothing.
So when he saw something moving through the trees…
He was a little more relieved than he would have liked.