Chapter 4: Chase

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters relating to Naruto.

Kakashi was sitting on the top of the bridge gate as he looked down at the fish in the koi pond, how they moved around without a care in the world, simple and clean. What Kakashi would have given to feel that way at that moment, but he figured that nothing good would come wishing for the unattainable. The autumn leaves fell into from their pedestals that held them up when they were green, but they had changed along with the season and along with Kakashi's fortunes in life. Everything was painted with vibrant colors as the autumn put on its parade of colors to celebrate the death of the trees, a funeral that was met with a bit of sadness for the loss of nature, but admired for the beauty in which the nature met its death. What a joy it would be to be one of the clouds, thought Kakashi as he stared at the sky. I would go anywhere, do anything, and not have to worry about consequences. It was the cool and gentle breeze that led Kakashi on that boat down the calm river of slumber.

Destruction surrounded Kakashi as he stood there looking at a war torn sky that was a grey abyss and there was no around to talk to. All of those he considered friends were gone, died a long time ago leaving him, once again, the only survivor. Along time ago, Kakashi had started to wonder how many friends would die until he would receive the big sleep, but there was one question that plagued his waking thoughts. Would he ever die or was he cursed to live for eternity with the memories of friends and lovers of the past? His worst nightmare was to live on after everyone and to walk the earth until that finally died, leaving him in a dark and cold abyss. Kakashi was in his worst nightmare now and he wasn't ready to face it, he would never be able to face it.

Walking along the jagged earth, the sole of his sandals breaking under the punishment of the earth till a hole was torn in the bottom, exposing his skin to the sharp rocks. None of that even registered to Kakashi, he was only concerned on finding somebody, anybody, to talk with or to be near. Hiding himself away from others for so long had been the way to escape the pain that he was sure awaited him, but he didn't want to be alone right at that moment. Salvation appeared in the form a familiar form over the horizon that brought a wave of joy over Kakashi as he ran over to the outline of Anko. As he got close, his joy started to turn to dread as he saw her leaning against a piece of debris as blood ran through her hands and spilled down onto the dead ground. Sadness rushed over him as he ran to catch her into his hands, holding her as she ran her hand into his hair as if to make sure that he was real.

"Anko, hold on till I can stop the bleeding," said Kakashi as he started to rip off some of her tattered trench coat and he pushed against her wound. "Come on, stay with me, I don't want to lose you!"

"I….waited so….long to….see you," said Anko weakly as she pulled him closer. "I knew….I would see…you one last….time. I wan..ted to te…ll you, even if it …were my last words…that I love you."

"Anko," cried Kakashi as he shook her softly to wake her. She didn't respond. "Anko!"

DREAM SEQUENCE ENDS

Kakashi sat up in fright, cold sweat dripping down his forehead as he checked around him to make sure that everything was in the same condition that it was before. Nothing had changed, but Kakashi couldn't shake how real the dream was and he needed to see Anko, to make sure she was okay. The faces of everyone around him seemed to blend together and the world around him seemed to fade into obscurity as the only thing that was clear was the path ahead of him, the path to Anko's apartment. Kakashi banged on the door as soon as he got there and when she didn't answer, Kakashi burst through the door to see the empty inside of her flat. Pacing around the room, Kakashi wondered where she could be when he noticed Shenlong's student running down the street to his apartment next door.

"Can I help you," asked Kakashi as he looked out of the broken doorway at the young kuinochi.

"Kakashi-san, it's Shenlong, he's fighting someone and told me to get help," replied Neko all excited and panicky. "He said that Anko might be in trouble as well so I thought I would get you to help me."

"Kakashi," shouted a jonin from the first floor of the apartment complex. "Kakashi, it's Anko, she's been kidnapped!"

"What," asked Kakashi as his eyes widened in shock.

"Sound ninjas seem to have snuck into the village to kidnap Anko," said an out of breath Genma as he gasped for air. "They are currently moving through the forest and it was decided that you should lead the rescue team."

"What about Shenlong-sensei," asked Neko as she ran up to look Genma in the eye. "He was in the forest as well?"

"We found this," said Genma as he handed her Shenlong's headband. She clutched the headband in sadness and terror as her mind raced with the possibilities of Shenlong's fate, all were horrid.

"I'd like to go with you, Kakashi-san," said Neko as she took off her headband and replaced it with Shenlong's head band.

"I'm sorry, but I can only allow jonins on this type of mission," replied Kakashi as he started to walk off, patting her lightly on the head.

"He's my sensei, I can't just wait here while he might be dying," cried Neko as she stepped forward. "I was the one who left him, I should be the one to go back and get him."

"Fine, you can come along, but if it get's dangerous you go running back here," said Kakashi before he disappeared in a swirl of leaves, followed by a swarm of crows.

The masked figure walked ahead of the sound jonin as he met up with the other sound ninja in the forest. The dark shadows of the forest cast suspicious glances over the tree branches and the feeling of tension was everywhere as the masked figure met two ninjas he never expected to set eyes on again. They also wore black cloaks that covered their body to conceal the weapons that they were carrying, but it didn't do any good with the man in the mask. The other jonin stood in silence as the three ninja s communicated the plan for action, but not before they greeted each other.

"It is good to see you again sensei," said one of the sound ninjas as he bowed to the man in the mask. "We thought we would never see you again, but it seems that we have been graced by the gods."

"I thought you two were dead, Buntaro and Togsa," said the masked man as he embraced them and felt the weapons concealed by their cloaks. "Well it seems you still carry your daos."

"It was the first weapon you instructed us to use," replied the other one, Togusa, who had brown hair that covered one side of his face. "We decided to stay with your training until we could find a village to serve."

"You left us with all the skills that helped us survive," said Buntaro as he knelt down. "We will remain loyal to you and do whatever you wish us to do."

"I believe we are being followed," said the masked figure as he pointed behind him. "I am confident that you can take care of any enemy in your path."

"As you wish," said the two twins before they vanished into smoke.

Kakashi jumped from tree to tree at a quick pace, but he still kept up on what was happening around him as Neko followed him with her faithful companion, Susanoo, trailing behind her. Her sense of smell was like sonar detecting everything in their path so as not to fall victim to an ambush. It was two miles into the forest that she caught the scent of to enemies coming at them fast, she let Kakashi know about them and he took out two explosive tags. When they finally came out of the bushes, Kakashi threw the explosive tags in between them causing and explosion to propel them forwards. Surprisingly, they were able to still defend themselves with their Chinese swords and each one seemed to move in perfect synchronization, moving from Kakashi to Neko and back to Kakashi. Using her wolf partner, Neko moved around in zigzags to confuse the enemy sound ninja, who threw kunai and shuriken out of their cloak to pin her down. This distracted them from Kakashi, who had used a headhunter jutsu to pull them both down to their necks into the ground, but they wouldn't be eaten so easily. They erupted from the ground using a sound jutsu to blast the rocks around them and then used katon no jutsus to force Neko and Kakashi into the same area. Deciding that he had no choice, Kakashi revealed his sharingan and used it to predict their next attack. When they came in to attack them from different sides, Kakashi used an earth style jutsu to summon a dragon from the earth and fire a blast from its mouth. The two ninjas were caught in the blast, but used a sound barrier jutsu to absorb most of the damage. This was a futile effort, for as soon as they landed on the ground, Kakashi was already there to plunge his kunai, one in each hand, into the back of their necks. They died slowly, but painlessly, feeling as if they were slipping into a warm shower.

"I believe we should move on now," said Kakashi, but before he could even clean his kunai off, a figure in the trees clapped his hands.

"You made good work of my former students," said the masked figure as he jumped down from the tree.

"What did you do with Shenlong-sensei," asked Neko as she ran towards him, only to be knocked back by a single punch.

"Well now, it wouldn't do well to dwell on the dearly departed," said the masked figure as he pulled out his sword. Kakashi did the same as the fight between two professionals began.