Alright! Another few chapters are up! Thank you so much to all that reviewed and gave me and my story a chance! I appreciate it! Please keep reviewing and reading; I promise it gets better! Again, keep in mind that this is the beginning of a series, mainly centering Kakashi and Kushina. I am a Kakashi x Shizune fan, so if you are not, I'm sorry _ . There are hints of that coupling later. I'm also kind of a Kakashi x Anko/Yugao fan, too, but idk yet. Also, from Ch. 2 on, Kakashi doesn't have his mask on, so if you can try to imagine how that looks, then good. Lol.
Anyway, again, thank you everyone for reading! Please feel free to review. Rated M; I do not own Naruto or the characters therein, only the Tengoku people and the gangsters and the caravan, etc. Enjoy! X_X"

Another day of demanding work. Kakashi saw spots as he lifted a sharpened pickaxe over his head and plunged it down into the heart of a chunky piece of coal. Sweat rolled down his face and stung his eyes. He rubbed it away and glanced up at the sky.

The sun was aggressively beating down on him. He could hear nothing but his heartbeat and assuaged breathing. His muscles screamed at him for mercy. Instantly he was taken back to the time he was chased for hours.

-7.5 years ago-

Kakashi recoiled as a kunai was flung at him like a tomahawk. He backed into a tree, which alarmed him. He peeled off the bark pole a second before the knife stabbed it with urgency. Chips took flight, some hitting him in the face, slicing his masked cheek. He brought his arms up in defense, but consequently fell on his butt. He was a freshly renowned Chunin; he expected to get stuff thrown at him, but not like this.

"You can't run forever." a disembodied voice taunted. "I'll get you."

Panic swelled in his chest. Kakashi scrambled to his feet and propelled himself into the deep forest. He had to run, but his tiny legs were jelly. Still, he pushed himself to dash through the trees. Sweat flew in the air as he casted frantic looks over his shoulder.

This was bad. He didn't have any weapons on him and his chakra was draining. No jutsu could be formed with such a small amount. His only option was to retreat. And he was alone, his teammates were nowhere to be seen. But that's okay; Kakashi could function just fine on his own.

He noticed a stray bamboo stem emerging from the ground. He scurried after it. He knew his captor was right behind him, and he could hear his footsteps. He took hold of the long stem and pulled it to the extent. Then, like a catapult, he let it fling itself at the threat. But he knew the man was just gonna easily slice through it or dodge. But at least it bought him a few seconds.

"I'm gonna get you, boy!"

The Chunin tripped over a twig, which frightened him a bit; he let out a weak gasp as he stumbled for a bit. Using a hand, he pushed off a tree and regained his balance and took off. Desperately clawing at the air, Kakashi could hear his hoarse breath and could feel it burning his lungs. He glanced over his shoulder again and didn't see anything. "What the-?!"

SLAM!

Kakashi slammed hard against the man's chest. He fell on his backside, eyes closed and arms brought up as though expecting to be hit. He peered through his fingers to see the man walking toward him. He used his hands to scramble around and tried to run in the opposite direction, using his hands like a slingshot. But a hand caught the back on his collar and held him up with ease. Kakashi hadn't noticed and kept running.

"Where do you think you're going?" asked the voice with a chuckle, sounding almost pleased by that notion. The Chunin came to realize that he was in mid-air. He stopped struggling and just dangled there. "I think we've both had enough of this."

Fatigue overcame him, and Kakashi panted heavily, not feeling in the mood to argue. "O...kay."

"You did well, Kakashi," said the man, putting him down gingerly. Kakashi wobbled and bent over. "Take a knee."

Kakashi's teeth gritted and did so. "Goddamn." he swore. "Sorry Sensei. I failed again."

"Don't apologize." Minato said, chuckling at the child's language. What would his father say? He's only six! "Like I said, you did well."

"I didn't pass."

"Doesn't mean it wasn't a good attempt." Kakashi looked down as his teacher chided. "All you need to do is work just a bit harder. You've already made Chunin, so there's no doubt you're strong."

"But I've failed this test three times already."

"Well, sometimes things take a while."

Obito Uchiha and Rin hopped down from a tree branch.

The brown-haired girl smiled brightly. "Good job, Kakashi! You almost got through the death zone!"

"Thanks Rin." said the White Fang's son, making slight eye contact.

"Hey," Obito intervened. "You better look at her when she's congratulating you! Hello, Kakashi, are you listening?!"

"You're screaming in my face; knock it off," Kakashi said, "before I embarrass you."

The Uchiha's fists balled. "Like hell! Quit being such a tight-ass or I'll embarrass you!"

"What makes you think a weakling like you could ever beat me?"

"I'm not weak!"

"You're still a Genin and four years older than me. You're weak."

Minato sighed. "Annnnnd they're fighting again." he complained. Despite his displeasure, he smiled at the high-pitched bickering. He'd walked in on many early development classes at the Academy, and therefore knew the sound of bitching puppies all too well.

Rin groaned, standing by her teacher in case the argument got physical. She tugged on his flak vest. "Sensei, say something!" The young Genin blinked at her entertained teacher and then pouted as he let the boys' behaviour slide. "Come on, you guys. We're supposed to be a team. A little help, Sensei!"

To her dismay, Minato stayed in his spot, finding it far too humourous to break up. That is, until Kakashi crossed the line by insulting Obito's lack of talent and the irony of him being an Uchiha, causing the two of them to throw punches. The Yellow Flash had to pull Kakashi off Obito, who was biting into the Hatake's arm as his last line of defense. Every day, every rising or setting sun was a reason to fight with those boys. And then, Minato had a migraine.

-present day-

He stretched his neck and looked at his feet, at the chains connecting him to a line of children older than him. His ankles had shrunken in tone, now appearing as two sticks engulfed in loose, heavy chains. He lifted the heavy pick-axe over his head again.

Kaizu struggled nearby with a crate weighing around 35 pounds. He dropped it with a bang, notifying Kakashi and several others. The nearest guard rushed over, clearly pissed off.

"What's wrong with you?" he raged. He took out a jagged knife and held it to Kaizu's face. "I'll show you!"

Kaizu shook.

As the man's arm retracted, Kakashi grabbed his wrist, appearing in a flash. With livid eyes, he grasped it tightly with barbaric strength until the knife dropped. He whisked the guard's hand away with a rough jerk.

'What the hell...?!' the guard thought. He extracted his trusty nightstick from its holster.

Next thing Kakashi knew, he was bashed on the side of the head and on the floor. He saw stars and felt hot blood oozing into his ear and down his neck. He was facing the opposite direction-facing Kaizu-dripping more and more blood while on his hands and knees.

"Little shit." the guard spat. He rose his truncheon again and slammed the handle down on the Jonin's back, forcing him to sprawl on the floor.

Frowning as the pain gnawed at him, Kakashi's arms shook as he got back up. He could hear Kaizu screaming for him while the other boys and girls held him back. More guards rushed over to watch.

Using his peripheral vision, he saw the man raise his weapon again. Kakashi curled in the tightest ball he could squeeze into, shielding his head with his hands. But the bludgeoning didn't come. Instead an obnoxiously loud announcement exploded from the intercom, and the courtyard fell silent.

Kakashi, coming undone, was taken aback by the sight of the nightstick, which was aimed right for his head. He pushed it away with his hand and sat up, dazed and wobbly.

Kaizu broke free from the other prisoners' hold. Teddy bear clutched tightly in his tiny hand, he dashed to Kakashi and threw his arms around his neck.

"This is the warden speaking. I ask that all prisoners be escorted to the shelter for rehabilitation."

The child was crying hard. The Jonin, still dazed, balanced himself on one hand and placed the other on Kaizu's back, reassuring him that he was fine, despite the blood.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry, Kakashi." Kaizu wept, dabbing the blood with his sleeve, making the Jonin flinch.

"It's not your fault. Calm down." Kakashi comforted. "I'm fine, alright?"

"You heard him. Get to the barracks!" shouted the leader of the guards from the distant staircase landing. All the children simultaneously broke off in pairs to their trashy cabin.

When he tried to stand, he noticed that Kaizu didn't budge. He clung onto him with all his might. Kakashi sighed, and picked up the child, holding him against his chest. The small child was only, like, six years old, but he still felt awkward, never being one to care for anyone younger than he, using the excuse that they were brats.

The abusive guard nudged Kakashi's back with the handle of his nightstick. "Get moving."

Stumbling from the push, Kakashi shot a look over his shoulder at the man. Kaizu finally reduced to sniffling.

##

Kushina glanced around. The Fishing Village was nothing special. The name said it all; men with poles and spears were lined up across the coast, staring with vigilant eyes into the water. She covered her hair again.

She closed her eyes and focused. Gathering torrents of chakra, she distributed equal amounts to her brain, eyes, and eardrums. In such a state, she could comprehend the slightest chirp of a blue jay and the spot the first drop of rain before the clouds conjoined. She searched the entire east wing.

People...more people...people selling drugs behind the docks...birds and fishes... hold on!

Kushina's eyes opened, seeing a fuzzy blur. She grabbed her head through the side effects. She blinked a few times; her head felt like a ton of pounds, and she saw colors flaring up as a bonfire. Well, Dad always said not to try and put emphasis on three things at once. But this was urgent.

Taking a deep breath, she hurried to the location of the market.

##

It was like a soup kitchen, in a way, Kakashi concluded. There were lines dividing the sexes that ended at a long table with the warden and two guards present. There were two medical specialists that were injecting some red liquid into the children's forearm, into their number codes.

Kakashi shivered. 'Just my damn luck.'

"What's wrong, Hatake?" asked Kaizu, peeking out from the boy's neck. He saw something in his seemingly big brother's eyes, something he hadn't seen in him before. The child glanced ahead to see the huge, no humongous needles that were being used.

"It's nothing." Kakashi lied. Kaizu pulled on one of his snowy white locks, hard enough to snap him out of his trance. "Agh!" he winced as his head was jerked to the side. "What is it?"

"It's okay. It's only a small pinch."

"I know that." Kakashi acted like he wasn't freaking out. He masked his phobia with his usual cool demeanor. "How come you're not nervous about it?"

"I have a commission."

Kakashi stayed silent for a moment, staring at the all-too-proud little boy. He blinked a few times before smiling slightly. "You mean a condition?"

Kaizu's cocky smiled faded to a curious pout. "Oh, yeah. And every month, my daddy has to give me two shots. I'm used to it."

The Leaf Jonin nodded sympathetically. "That sucks. I'm sorry, Kaizu."

"It's like an everyday thing now. So no being scared!" Kaizu instructed, poking the older boy in the nose.

Kakashi flinched and his eyes almost crossed. The little child found this humorous. "What's so funny?" he asked dully.

"Your eyes looked at each other!" Kaizu hysterically announced. "Do it again!"

"Nah, I can't do that anymore. Trust me, I've tried for my own entertainment." Kakashi said.

"Because of your cyclops eye?"

"Mm-hm."

Kaizu nodded understandingly. He sucked on his thumb and held his teddy bear closer. He lay his head against Kakashi's chest. Kakashi's searched the room again, stripping every bolt and floorboard from the dilapidated shelter.

He looked behind him, not only did he see many other malnourished, fatigued faces, he saw guards standing like statues along the walls. All holding...handguns?...Those weird new devices that used gunpowder to propel a small iron pellet through the barrel. He hadn't seen one before in person, but from what the Hokage said, they were currently being tested before they were to be advertised.

He frowned. Weren't guns only available to those of a certain social status like the Third? Why did the prison guards possess the weapon? Kakashi stared at it-the barrel, the hammer and grip, the trigger-and he felt sick to his stomach.

"I'll go first so you can see how easy it is, okay?" Kaizu cheered, hopping out of Kakashi's arms.

"What? Oh, okay." the Jonin said, back in the physical world.

Before he could comprehend, the small boy from the Fishing Village was in front of him. Standing taller than he actually was, Kaizu put his toy in his pocket.

"Next." the male specialist said in a bleak tone.

Kaizu waltzed over and held his arm over the table. He slid back his sleeve, revealing his own jail code. 0021849. Kakashi pinched himself for staring when the needle spewed the crystal red liquid in the six year-old's forearm.

Kaizu's pure face remained stoic. He smiled back at Kakashi to show off his bravery. A true expert. Kakashi, cautious and suspicious, nodded.

"Next." said the man.

"Cya on the other side!" Kaizu called as he was led out the door by two guards.

"Mkay." Kakashi forced a smile, until he realized how silent it was outside. Something wasn't right. Or he was just being paranoid, but in a jail camp, who wouldn't be? He started to worry about Kaizu.

"Next."

If he was in danger, why was he smiling so brightly? Where did they take him? Kakashi's heart raced the more he thought about it. He hadn't even noticed that he had stepped forward and lifted his arm.

Kakashi glanced down at his arm to see that he was being injected by a purple liquid. He frowned in confusion. Once the needle withdrew, his legs felt like jelly. He tried to take a step, but collapsed onto the floor with a bang. The other children watched him in question. Fear rose their chests, some began to cry while others simply shrieked.

Kakashi began to sweat. He wasn't in any sort of pain, but he was dripping sweat. He looked at his jail code. The numbers were broadened with purple hue for a split second, then they, like a firefly, died out. His vision blurred, and all he could hear was his choked breathing. He looked back up. The warden was concluding a whispered conversation with another higher-up. He smiled maliciously at Kakashi. The Jonin couldn't have frowned harder, but he did.

"Next."

Then, he remembered. Kaizu. Two guards simultaneously marched over to collect him, but he shoved past them and opened the door and ran out.

There were several groups of sitting children in the courtyard. They were all probably thankful not to be working like slaves. But where's Kaizu? Kakashi looked around. There were guards nearby, watching.

Kakashi gasped when the small boy charged into his stomach. Kaizu buried his face as he hugged the ninja. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"I was lonely. What took so long?"

Kakashi squatted and held the small child with assertive eyes to fend off all who looked. "I had to...nevermind. Sorry." The young Jonin stood after letting go. "Come on, let's go sit."

The Fishing child nodded and hopped along after Kakashi.

##

"Inspection time!"

"On the floor! NOW!" shouted a guard, holding a nightstick.

Kakashi and Kaizu exchanged looks. The older boy gently guided the child to lay on the floor before the guards noticed, soon lying down next to him.

Two more came to assist. "Face down!" one yelled at one corner.

"Don't look at me!" growled the other.

Kaizu was shaking and tears filled his big brown eyes. He took Kakashi's left-hand pinky in his hand, seeking comfort. When he noticed, the Jonin wrapped his hand around the Fishing child's, reassuringly, his eyes meticulously watching the guards.

"Wh-what's going on?" Kaizu sniffled.

Kakashi glanced at the child. "Just keep your head down, 'kay?"

When one of the three came to their side, Kaizu's trembling increased. "Hatake..!" he panicked.

"Sh," Kakashi calmed him by squeezing his hand. "It's okay. You're gonna be okay. Promise."

The guard used his baton to poke around Kaizu's body and clothes. He checked in his collar, in his pants, and through his sleeves.

Then he did the same to Kakashi. "Quite a prize we have. A Sharingan holder. I heard you took down some highly-ranked ninja from the Sound a few months ago. But let me tell you something," he said in a husky whisper.

Kakashi's eyes widened when the baton stabbed the ground right before his face, kicking up the dust. He could hear the iron ringing through the air. He eyed daggers through the man above him. Kaizu whimpered.

"Don't expect any special treatment, as the warden said. We're coming after you, boy, and we're coming hard." With that, the man was gone.

By now, Kaizu was crying.

"A'ight, everyone to da shelter 'gain! The warden's order'd that y'all is healthy 'fore we release y'all!" one guard shouted.

Kakashi got his knees, frowning in confusion. 'Release? Is this for real?'

Kaizu shot up and hugged his friend. In his cute Tea Country accent, he said "Are you okay? The guards here are so mean to you!"

"I'm okay. Nothing to worry about." Kakashi replied. "C'mon." he helped the small child to his feet and escorted him to the shelter with the others.

##

"Boys up to age seven, over here! Everyone else, over there!"

Kaizu started crying again. He held on tightly to Kakashi's pants. "Don't leave! Hatake, please! I'm scared!"

"I'm not leaving. I'll be next door from you, see?" Kakashi said, kneeling to the child's eye level. He nodded toward the two tents that were shielded by curtains. They were nearly on separate sides of the shelter, the lines branched out like a fork in the road.

"B-but I can't see you-"

The Jonin placed a hand on Kaizu's head. "I'll be there. Don't worry. You have to calm down, okay? Can you do that for me?"

Kaizu took a moment, but nodded through his red face. "I'll try."

"Okay," Kakashi noticed that he and Kaizu were next in line. "Cya soon, right?"

"Mm-hm." the child nodded.

The Leaf ninja ruffled Kaizu's hair before leaving to his tent. He had to give himself credit; usually, when a child cried more than once before him, he would chide, "Why're you crying? Knock it off, be a man for crying out loud." Regardless of their sex.

##

Kakashi's legs burned as if a thousand needles had been jammed into them. A woman with the face of a feline patted down a strip of thin paper and let the scorching hot wax seep through its surface.

In the last half an hour, he had been violated in what was meant to be a bath, force-fed some weird edible mouthwash-which he only spat right back out-and now he was being tormented with dreadful spa treatment. Why his legs were being waxed, he did not know. At all. Not the slightest clue.

He started to wonder what was meant by their 'release'. However, his suspicious thoughts evaded when he was yanked back to reality by a-

RIP!

Kakashi's back arched slightly in temporary pain. Temporary, but not brutal. His hands clutched the table he was on. Although he barely had any leg hair, it hurt like hell. He felt every single microscopic hair being ripped and torn from the skin. His legs stung like hell! Once he got home, he would definitely respect women more.

RIP!

Clenching harder than possible, Kakashi held back a yell. To lessen the pain, he distracted himself by thinking about Kaizu. It was comforting to know that he wasn't going through the same torture that he was. Being only six, they probably gave him a quick check-up or something. He hoped.

##

"Hatake!" Kaizu called from across the courtyard. He ran through the crowds and circles of children, waving his teddy bear like a national sports team's flag.

Kakashi turned around. Noticing that the child was fatigued, he ran the remainder of the thousand mile journey that was the courtyard. He also noticed that Kaizu's face was tear-stained. "What's wrong?" he asked, as if for the umpteenth time, kneeling to the Fishing child's face.

"Y-you t-took a long time again." sniffled the six year-old.

Kakashi gave him an apologetic look and placed a comforting hand on his brown hair. Kaizu slammed into him, hard. Affectionately hard. With a sound, Kakashi fell back.

He couldn't help but roll his eyes. Not in a negative way, but in a dark humourous sort of manner. He wrapped an arm around the child's shoulders while keeping balance with the other. "Hey," he shook Kaizu a little to get his attention. "I'm here now, aren't I?"

From Kaizu's right nostril emerged a snot bubble that grew to the size of a melon before popping. Kakashi laughed, and wiped his nose with his shirt. Kaizu nodded, referring to the Jonin's question.

"Okay then," he said, standing. Kaizu followed suit. He opened his mouth to say something back until the courtyard fell silent when someone gave orders.

"Open the gates!" shouted one of the guards from the lighthouse. "Warden's orders! The prisoners are free!"

"You heard the man! Open the gates!" joined another.

Immediately, like a stampede of buffalo, the children scurried to the front entrance. Kaizu almost got crushed in the current, so Kakashi secured him on his shoulders.

"Yo Kaizu," he looked up at him. "What do you see?"

Kaizu slit his eyes and leaned forward a bit. "It looks like a forest. Everyone's just...standing in the forest. Can we go?"

Kakashi frowned. "Yeah, 'kay." He thought hard as he walked behind a wall of taller boys, 'What the hell? If I recall correctly, this is supposed to be some stranded island. Some off-the-map coordinate. Where do they expect us to go?'

"Kakashi?" Kaizu bent way over to look at his 'big brother's' face. He sounded as if he was calling him for the umpteenth time.

"Hm? What?" Kakashi snapped out of his thoughts.

"I said, do you think we're really gonna go home?"

"I," Kakashi paused. Maybe there's boats at the shore. But after all the trouble the bastards went through to gather THAT many children, all in a specific age bracket, why would they sudden just call it quits? There had to be some kind of catch... "I don't know, Kaizu."

The outside world. To be blunt, it was far more majestic than the Jonin remembered. It was like heaven, or at least what he'd heard heaven was like. The sunrays shimmering through the green leaves that hung from moss-covered tree branches, thus shining a hint of green onto the open air. Insects took flight and soared through the forest as if dancing solo or in pairs. The air was fresh and contaminated of the scent of sweet, sweet freedom. Kakashi could only smell the shore.

He let down Kaizu, who seemed equally intimidated. He held on Kakashi's pants for safety.

"We're free! Finally!" rejoiced a group of elder girls.

"It's about time!" agreed some boys. "We're going home!"

The Leaf and Fishing boys exchanged looks. Kaizu squeezed the teddy bear in his hand and held it to his chest.

'This has to be some kind of joke. Has to be.' Kakashi glanced about. Into the strange forest. Back at the malicious jail. Of course, up in the window, was the warden, smiling.

Kakashi made direct eye contact, and he knew exactly that there was a smart one in the herd. The warden snorted as if enjoying this and whispered something to another guard, who saluted and excused himself.

The Jonin's eyes widened in oblivion, making the old jailkeeper guffaw. Kaizu was going off about his excitement of going home, exaggerating as much to say he couldn't wait to go back to school, vowing to get the highest grades. But Kakashi was a little more observant.

When he noticed that more prison guards and supervisors were gathered in the yard, he grew uneasy. When he saw barrels of unloaded guns being wheeled over to said guards, he knew what exactly was going on.

Shit. He looked back at his inmates, who were chattering away and crying happily. One girl actually fainted. 'I gotta do something. This isn't looking too good.'

"Hey!" he called. But only a few children within arm's length turned around. The others kept on their dramatic acts and prayers and such.

"Hey, guys, hello?!" Kaizu tried to help, even though he knew not why. A little more people. But not everyone. Everyone had to know.

Unfortunately, the boys who were the first to acknowledge Kakashi chose to ignore the two, shrugging them off rudely.

Gritting his teeth, Kakashi said in a somewhat calm voice, "Kaizu, stay here."

When the child nodded, he leapt to a high branch nearby, putting himself on the spotlight. He eyed Kaizu to make sure he was still there. Wide-eyed and all. The girls and boys of various ages paid him no heed, he felt as insignificant as an ant. A little humiliated, he took a deep breath. "EVERYONE, SHUT UP!"

Dead silence. Now all he saw was an ocean of big eyes, some red with tears.

A little more embarrassed, he looked around nervously. His neck felt hot. "Okay," he started, trying to remain as relaxed as possible. "We need to get out of here. Now. The guards are currently gathering their weapons for...something. From the looks of it, it doesn't look good. My guess: they're coming for us."

"I thought we were free to go." a voice said.

"Yeah, what makes you so sure something bad's gonna happen?" another asked.

"Think about it; we're prisoners. Do you honestly believe those bastards would let us go just out of the blue? And on a godforsaken island like this? Come on, all of you, it's not right." Kakashi explained. He felt guilty when he saw Kaizu's face fill with fear. He glanced back at the camps gates and inched closer to the crowd, clutching his toy.

"Where do we go?"

"Now, the shore sounds like the best place. There's bound to be boats."

"What if they catch us?"

Kakashi rubbed his temples. "Okay," he glanced around the crowd of dumbfounded children. "Is anyone here a ninja?"

There was a long silence. Everyone looked around. By the pinched, disdained faces, he could tell the majority of the jail was made up of Fishing Village children. Girls snorted and rolled their eyes while the boys gave Kakashi a face as if to say "What, are you stupid?"

Then there was finally a few hands. Out of the thousands of snobby Tea Country folks, there was only a handful, including Kakashi.

"What is your rank and release?" he called to the children in the back, who was scrambling to the front. The best he got in response was Genin. That was all. One poor girl even announced that she was only an academy student. Moreover, all of them were either water or wind releases. Perfect.

"So once we get to the boats, we're in charge of steering and giving it speed, right?" asked one of the few Chunin.

"Yep, you got it. If there aren't enough boats...well, you know what to do. Be smart about it, don't use anything that will wear you out immediately. If we're gonna do this, we gotta do it right now." Kakashi glanced at Kaizu right on time. A bullet was racing toward his head. He successfully dodged it. It plunged into the bark, inches away from his Sharingan eye.

A chorus of screams and cursing followed.

"Hey, remember the plan!" shouted the biggest Genin. As told, the crowd began to run, toppling each other and shoving in panic.

Kakashi saw Kaizu at the foot of the tree, waiting for him. "Hey, why aren't you-" he saw that same guard pointing his gun at the child. The Leaf ninja hopped down, snatched him, and spun around the tree just as the device fired.

Kaizu screamed in fear while Kakashi growled in pain. He lifted his hand from his shoulder, finding that it was bloody. Luckily, the bullet only grazed him.

Using the art of surprise, he darted around the tree stump, a stone shard in his hand, and stabbed the guard in the head. Kaizu was crouching behind the tree, covering his ears. He hated the sound of those...gunshots. There were so many in the last few seconds. Too many to be safe.

"C'mon." Kakashi helped him up. Kaizu drained of color when he saw the amount of blood covering his friend's right hand up to his elbow. But he knew it wasn't the time for freaking out. He nodded.

The two sprinted through the ominous forest, hand-in-hand.