I want to take time again to thank Sayuri Kurosaki Uchiha Hatake for editing this chapter! give her more cookies and hugs for being such a superstar!
And returning to Kakashi...
Mob of fangirls: *still attacking Kakashi with sticks*
Me: Haha Kakashi! You are no match for teenaged girls who are addicted to Twilight! MWahahaha surrender!
Kakashi: Never! For the life of my book, never!
Me: Girls, attack!
Kakashi: AHHHHH!
News Reporter: It looks like... yes, it is! The teenaged girls look like they are strapping the silver haired man to a rocket and are setting light the fuse.... I do feel sorry for this man who dared to cross Twilight.... No wait! He broke free!
Me: oh darn... *runs and hides in mob*
Nearly two weeks had passed since Syna had first begun to instruct the Jounin and ANBU of Konoha how to protect their village from their unseen enemy. In that time they had made unbelievable progress. Both Jounin and ANBU had accomplished the techniques Syna had taught them to the extent they wouldn't enter battle with a disadvantage. However they were still far from perfect, but there was never going to be enough time for them to perform the techniques with no flaws.
In the time Syna had been in the village there had been no trace of the Silver Shadows. Not even the faintest whisper of attacks outside in nearby towns reached their ears. If they were indeed in the area then they were remaining deathly quiet. After the two weeks of silence, a time period in which the Silver Shadows certainly would have made it to the village if they had been inclined to, Lady Tsunade had finally issued instruction to allow free days between training sessions so that Jounin could still carry out the other missions they were called upon for. The high risk red alert seemed to have been removed.
Yesterday had been the first of a free day with no training scheduled, as was today. There was another scheduled for tomorrow, which would allow plenty of time for the Jounin and ANBU to relax a little now that the high risk period had passed. After the large amount of chakra they had strained themselves into using over the last weeks, this was most definitely welcome.
Kakashi was yet again with Syna. She had forced him to take her out sight-seeing of the city yet again, which was severely cutting into the free time he finally had for his books. When he pointed that out to her she had threatened to take a kunai to them until he came outside. By now he knew she was serious, and was now limited to a single book in his pocket while she dragged him around the same old sites of Konoha.
Currently they were standing atop the mountain where the faces of the Konoha Hokage had been carved into the rock surface. It was incredibly sunny, and Syna enjoyed basking rays of light while a light breeze whipped her and Kakashi's finally non-blue hair about.
Kakashi had his nose inside a book, but he had hardly read a page of it since they had been up here, which was unusual for him. Instead he watched Syna from over the top of the pages. She looked carefree, beaming widely into the sunlight like it was the first time she had ever seen light before. It was hard to imagine that someone who looked so innocent could really be such a threat. Seeing her smile like that as she gazed out over Konoha, blissful and happy, Kakashi could only wish from the very bottom of his heart that he would never have to carry out something as terrible as to kill her.
He had killed people before; it was nothing new or distressing for him. However something about Syna just made Kakashi feel like he just wouldn't be able to carry through with it. She was just too happy and kind, and it seemed wrong to assume that such a beautiful woman of her personality would ever turn against them after all she had done. He had grown used to seeing her every day, like an old friend.
Kakashi then mentally tripped over himself. He was a Jounin, assigned to take her out if he was forced to. He should not be thinking of her as a friend when she could send out a potential and incredibly deadly enemy. Truthfully he knew very little about her past, or the real reason she was forced to leave. She had performed only a few justu's, but from the few rare occasions she used visible chakra it was nothing but strong, high level power. Kakashi could only guess at the full extent of her chakra.
"Blue bell." Though he was no longer blue, the name Syna had given him had stuck. She leant them back "I have a question to ask."
"Hm?" Kakashi pretended as if he had been paying very little attention to her.
"Drag you eyes off the pervy book for a moment would you?"
His reluctantly pulled his nose from within the pages of the book, "Yes?"
She rolled her eyes, before her face became more serious, "The town the Silver Shadows attacked. Was there anything unusual about that town? Anything at all?"
"As far as I'm aware, there was nothing unusual at all. They attacked it from completely out of nowhere."
Her eyes darkened, and she pinched her chin between a forefinger and thumb in thought. "The Silver Shadows are lethal weapons, they don't act without reason. They have to be looking for something... something of significant value that they know for sure is in this area about Konoha. But what could be worth leaving the Land of Shadows?"
Kakashi shut his book and slid it back into his pocket. "Could they be looking for you?"
Syna shook her head, "No. I made sure they think I'm dead, and if they knew I was alive then they wouldn't wait this long to come after me to kill me. There's something else."
Peering up at the midday sun, Kakashi sighed as he slid his hands into his pockets. "Come on. I promised my students I would buy them a lunch of ramen."
"You seem to have to promise them ramen at least three times each week. What do you do every morning to arrive so late?"
"I always get lost on the road of life."
"Does that one work on your students?"
"Not really."
The three students were already waiting for them outside the now all too familiar ramen shop. Of course the first ones to skip out and greet the two were both Sakura and Naruto, who had grown quite used to seeing Syna appear everywhere with Kakashi. However they always had such different methods of how they would greet them.
"Kakashi-sensai! Syna!" Sakura was waving to them, "Did you have fun on your 'tour' of the city?" Her voice was sly and sweet. Somehow all of Kakashi's students had become convinced the two were dating, and that was the reason they spent almost every moment near each other during the day. After two weeks both were near giving up on denying it.
"Where the heck have you two been!? You owe us ramen Kakashi-sensei after ditching us for three hours yesterday!" Naruto yelled, his arms flailing about and a pout on his face.
"Just sightseeing. I'd never realized before how beautiful Konoha really is," Syna answered with a grin.
"Sightseeing, huh. Sure. Now come on Kakashi-sensei, I'm starving!" The blonde kid had already disappeared inside the shop, and calling from inside, "I could eat a year's worth of ramen!"
"These kids are going to make me broke," Kakashi sighed.
Syna grinned, "This should be an excellent time to start rethinking your time management skills." She entered into the ramen shop, filling the empty seat between Naruto and Sasuke. The blonde kid was already homing in on a bowl of ramen, while Sasuke calmly ate his. The dark haired, too-quiet boy had finally seemed to accept Syna, and though he was as withdrawn with her as the others, he no longer glared at her from the corner of her eye.
They finished their meal a good hour later. Naruto had been the only one who continued to eat past twenty minutes. Really it was amazing that he found room for it all. Syna felt rather sorry for Kakashi, knowing that his student was costing him towards the dearer side of a small fortune. So using the money she had been earning from the Hokage's office, after spending so much time training the Jounin and ANBU, Syna helped pay for the majority of the bill. After Kakashi had paid for her the first few days, it was sort of like paying off a debt... that a short kid with sunshine hair and an over boisterous attitude had been responsible for.
"Ahh that was good. All I need now is to lie down and sleep this off," Naruto said, patting his belly in content happiness.
"Where do you fit it all?" Syna asked, reaching down and poking him. "You're going to become the biggest ninja at this rate."
"It would make up for the empty space in his head," Sasuke calmly stated in a monotonous voice. Naruto immediately spun and pointed an accusing finger at him, "What did you say Sasuke?!"
"Easy you two," Kakashi said, clapping a hand down on both their shoulders. "Let's not spoil a good meal, alright?"
The two boys glared at each other and then turned away so they could then ignore the others presence. Syna put her hand down on each their heads and tousled their hair, "That a boys."
Naruto turned to bat her off, before stopping and staring behind him over his shoulder. "Huh, that guy is still there."
"Is he?" Sakura turned her head to look over her shoulder, the same as Sasuke. "He is. What is up with this, we've been seeing him all day. I wonder if he's stalking us?"
"You guys are too young for stalkers," Syna chuckled. She turned back to look over her shoulder, "Which one? You can just get your big tough sensei here to straighten him out," she jabbed a thumb in Kakashi's direction.
"The one that's carrying that strange stick on his back."
Syna looked for a moment to try spot the one they were talking about, finding him easily. He was seated nearby, eating something and with all the appearance of a man simply relaxing. He tilted his head up slightly though, and recognition blazed through Syna as she snapped her head back around quickly.
"Kakashi.." she said quietly.
He turned to look at her, suddenly a lot more alert than he had been a moment ago. Since she had first given him the nickname blue bell, Syna had barely called Kakashi by his proper name until now.
She appeared completely calm, a smile still on her face. The three genin turned up and looked at her, "Is it someone you know Syna?"
"Oh, no," she shook her head. "I just thought what with him carrying that stick like that, then it might be the person you were telling me about earlier, remember Kakashi?" Her eyes glanced up at him, "That ridiculous one you said you met outside that club in the Mist, Silver Shadows was it?"
Kakashi instantly understood, and nodded. "I guess I'll have to come back and see if I can find him later then."
The three students didn't notice anything, however as soon as Syna and Kakashi bid them goodbye for the day the two had instantly headed for Lady Tsunade's offices. Once Kakashi announced the urgency of their visit, they had been allowed to burst through the Hokage's doors a minute later.
Tsunade was sitting behind her desk, a cup of freshly poured sake from a bottle that looked like it had only just been open nearing her lips. She glared at the two over the top of her cup. "You better have a good excuse for spoiling my first moment of relaxation today."
"There's a Silver Shadow member here in Konoha," Kakashi said.
Tsunade slammed her cup of sake down on the desk in front of her, instantly forgetting about it. "What? How did they get through the border?" She stood quickly, asking Syna, "Did you see any others?"
"Just the one. But when on a mission they are hardly ever very far from each other, just in case they need back-up. The fact that they are here at all is a very bad sign." Her eyes then widened.
"What is it?" Tsunade demanded.
Syna pointed to something behind her, and Tsunade turned to face the windows that her eyes were currently fixed upon. Rain patted gently on the glass, rolling down in slow streaks. "Rain?"
"It was nothing but clear skies when we came into your office," Kakashi noted in a dark tone.
"The rain is the first sign that they are preparing for a sudden unseen attack," Syna said, her tone equally as displeased as Kakashi's.
Tsunade's brow creased in a frown, "Kakashi, I want you to alert every ANBU and Jounin in Konoha. We are on red alert. Tell them to ready themselves immediately for an attack." Her eyes narrowed, "And evacuate Konoha. Give no explanations; just tell them to evacuate immediately. I won't take chances with any civilian lives, though I'll be damned if any of these Silver Shadows penetrate our walls!"
Her eyes snapped back onto Syna, "As against protocol as this usually would be, we need an expert in our ranks. If a battle is coming, will you fight with our Leaf Shinobi?"
Syna was quiet for a moment.. The only sound that filled the office was the pat of rain against the window, growing louder and heavier with each passing second. She then nodded, "I will Lady Tsunade."
Tsunade wasted no time, instantly storming past the two of them and out of her office doors. "Good. We can't run the risk of any of them recognizing you either." She looked over her shoulder at Kakashi, "Kakashi, as soon as you have set off the red alert get Syna an ANBU uniform. Tell all Black Op's to concentrate their ranks around half a mile out from Konoha's border in the direction the storm is coming from. Syna you will be in charge of organizing the ranks to better fit an offensive or defensive strategy, depending on what course of action the Silver Shadows take. Both of you, do not engage in any battle unless they initiate it first, understand?"
"Understood Lady Tsunade," they both replied together.
"Good!" Tsunade practically broke the doors leading into the main reception, shouting at the Jounin who were standing around, "We are on red alert! Order all Jounin to evacuate the village of civilians and form ranks at the border, now!"
The Jounin immediately set to work. Tsunade stood in the foyer, watching them run out with a fierce look in her eyes. "If it's a battle these Silver Shadows are coming for, then it can be assured Konoha's shinobi are going to be their toughest opponents yet."
She faced the two still standing behind her, "You two are dismissed. Go!"
They both nodded. Kakashi led the way, Syna following close behind to his footsteps. They took shortcuts across the roofs as below an evacuation was already taking place. All chunnin and above were beginning to usher people out. There was confusion, fear and some anger, but overall it appeared to be going smooth. Syna kept her eyes peeled sharply for any sign of the single Silver Shadow she had seen earlier. By now he would have been aware something was going on, and when he reported it to the others then they would only hasten an attack.
What were they after? If she knew what they wanted then they could do something about it. Negotiate, or remove whatever it was they were after. They had to be searching for something, they wouldn't try take on an entire village just to wipe it out.. There had to be a motive for it.
Kakashi took Syna to a quieter part of the village, where even if it had been evacuated it would have been an almost silent part of the town. "Follow me," Kakashi said, leading her inside one of the buildings. It appeared empty at first glance, but the deeper inside the building they went, the more Syna realized it was just a disguise to ward off anyone. Soon enough weapons of all sorts were littering the ground, and what had to be spare ANBU uniform and masks from previous members that were no longer able to carry out services hung on the walls.
Kakashi tossed her what he judged to be a reasonable estimate size wise of an ANBU uniform. "Change quickly, we don't have much time."
Thunder clapped overhead, the rain coming down even heavier than before. "You certainly said it." She grimaced before ducking inside a room and closing the door.
A minute later she stepped out, now fully donned in ANBU gear that hung almost perfectly off her frame.. Her headband, clear and unmarked by any symbol at all, was now strapped about her forehead in a way so when she placed the mask on it would be hidden completely from view. At the same time Kakashi had slipped into his own ANBU gear, though Tsunade would likely not be too happy to find he had given away his identity. At this point in time Kakashi was willing to go on a little faith with Syna.
She slightly grinned when she saw him step out in his uniform, rather than appear surprised like he thought she might. She could almost read his mind, answering with, "I caught a glimpse of blue hair beneath one of the black coats when training the ANBU. As far as I was aware, you were the only bright blue haired Jounin in the village at the time."
The thunder cracked overhead again, and Syna bit her lip in worry, "We have to move. They won't be far away now."
Kakashi slipped on his mask, and Syna did the same with hers. It effectively hid her face from view, so from any others point of view they wouldn't be able to tell her identity. Arming themselves with weapons, each strapping a Ninjato sword to their back, the two of them sprinted towards the border of the village. By now most people had been cleared at least from the streets into safer locations. The only ones visible were Jounin, all making the same line towards the wall surrounding Konoha. They all made way for the two of them, as ANBU who were needed directly on the frontline.
"Any sign of them yet?" Kakashi asked one of them as they joined pace with him.
The Jounin shook his head, "No, not yet. But they can't be far."
Syna switched her position until she was practically shoulder to shoulder with the man. "Tell all other Jounin that if the ANBU has to engage in battle with the Silver Shadows then we will send up an obvious signal. As soon as you see that signal, all Jounin must put up their chakra barrier and be ready for any sudden attacks.."
The man nodded, and the two of them broke away from him again.
Occasionally other ANBU joined them, until there was a formation each headed directly for the border. All were wearing their uniform and heavily armed. None of them stopped crossing over the border and aiming directly towards the eye of the growing storm. Wind and rain whipped at them, lashing out at whatever bare skin that could reach and only growing fiercer by the moment. The group stopped on the path at where they deemed to be half a mile, with the storm slowly growing to blinding level as tree leaves and branches were thrown about them.
"Space out into the trees! The Silver Shadows will take a path where movement will be restricted, it's to their advantage! Set up your chakra barriers now!" Syna yelled into the wind. They nodded in response, and like shadows themselves the ANBU disappeared into the trees.
As they did so Syna remained standing in the centre of the wide pathway, only just visible in the wind and rain. Kakashi rejoined her again, "What are you doing?!"
"I need to be out in the open if I'm to send up a signal to the other Jounin. Also, if the Silver Shadows are only here to search for something, then there can be a chance if they are aware we know they are coming they will be both curious to know how we knew, and to see if there can be a negotiation."
"Do you really think that will happen?"
Syna turned her masked face towards his, before shaking it. "We are close to zero on that happening. Though if they see me here then they will try and remove me as an obstacle in their path, meaning they will stick to one area where we can corner them."
"Sounds like a plan; use yourself as bait." Even the roaring wind couldn't hide the sarcasm in his voice.
Syna chuckled behind the mask, drawing out three kunai which she wrapped in her fingers ready and waiting. "I'm not one for coming up with decent plans."
The wind suddenly picked up again, tearing at them fiercely like an animal with sharpened claws. Rain pelted down at them like tiny bullets, each one close to penetrating skin, while trees were nearly uprooted on the sides of the road nearby. Somewhere within the dark hollows between them the ANBU were hidden, while approaching them, hidden within the raging eye of the storm were the Silver Shadows.
"Ready or not," Syna said, bracing herself into a stance with the kunai out in front of her in one hand. Kakashi braced too, both facing out into an empty road almost obscured by the storm lashing down on them. Syna scowled beneath her mask, "Here they come."
Yay... don't you just love cliffys? they are so the best things in the world!
BTW.... Everyone tell Kakashi not to kill me over this whole kidnapping of his book incident as you see at the beginning of every chapter.... this writer would love to be able to continue her story, but fears a silver haired scarecrow may try murder her beforehand....
Kakashi: You would be correct in that assumption
Me: LOOK! A NEW COME COME PARADISE MOVIE!
Kakashi: *spins* WHERE?!
Me: *gone in puff of dust*