BOOK III OF THE KAKASHI-KUNOICHI CHRONICLES

KAKASHI AND THE RAIKAGE OF THUNDER COUNTRY

PART I SACRIFICE

The Shoes

Kakashi returns from training with his third genin team. He's thinking about the upcoming chuunin exams and wonders whether to nominate his team. He's been training them for nearly two years now and this time they should be ready. He doubts if any of them will make chuunin the first time around, but the experience will be good for them. As he reaches his apartment, he automatically senses something is wrong. He takes out his kunai, kicks in the door...but nothing...nothing but silence. Is that the problem? It is too quiet, something is missing. He knows Rikako is not due back for a few more hours, but he can't shake the feeling of unease. Did she set any traps to surprise him? But things have been going well, and he can't recall any recent disputes, so she's not likely to get back at him for anything. He's been good at being punctual, within 30 minutes. He walks around the apartment. Nothing escapes his one unmasked eye. Nothing is missing, nothing additional. Why is he being so paranoid? Still, he starts to check the closets, cupboards, everything. After a thorough search, panic sets in...what is missing are Rikako's staff, a few of her books and scrolls, and a pair of shoes. None of it is unusual - she could be training or doing research, but he knows she left those items there that morning, which means she returned to get them during the day. Not unusual either but...why did she take an extra pair of shoes? Her regular sandals are not here, so she must have those with her as well. He starts to examine the closet contents meticulously, but he has no idea which clothing items are missing. All her dresses are there as far as he can tell. She rarely wears a dress and only has a few. Her regular clothes are all the same, black long sleeve T-shirts and black pants, so he can't tell if any is missing. The shoes still bother him, but there must be an explanation, so he waits...

Flasback to the previous day

"I'm glad you could take the time to see me Otori-sama."

"What's with the extra formality Kakashi-kun? What are you up to?"

"Nothing, I just wanted to speak to you about your daughter..."

"Is something wrong? What has she done now?"

"No, no... it's nothing like that. I just wanted to ask your permission...you know, umm, to uh, propose to her..."

"Permission? Why do you need my permission? It's not like the two of you ever listen to my advice. And what's the hurry? The two of you have only been living together for three months..." he suddenly scowls suspiciously.

"Huh? Oh, no, no hurry ... it's just..." he shrugs, how can he explain this feeling of impending doom, a feeling that she'll be ripped away from him like so many others in his life.

"Well, you know how I feel. You're not right for her."

"I'm not the fool I used to be."

"I don't know about that...those books you still read in public..."

"I stopped that. Your daughter convinced me to try some other genres. I only read those at home now," explains Kakashi, embarrassed.

"Well, considering everything that happened, you're probably the only man who would want her now."

"That's cold."

"It's the truth, what man would want a woman who knows his every thought?"

"I have nothing to hide from her."

"Well, considering what she did to you, you don't." Otori sighs, "You're a better man than I am to forgive her for that. You have my blessing, whatever it's worth. Just don't be too optimistic when you ask."

"What do you mean?"

"You know, she's...unpredictable." Otori thinks, shinobi marriages are uncommon and often don't last long. After all, less than 20 of shinobi are women, and the life span of a shinobi is well below average. He is one of the lucky ones. He was able to retire after 15 years of jounin service and married a nice normal non-violent village girl. He has always hoped his daughter would give up being a kunoichi and just live a simple life with a nice guy with a regular 9 to 5 job. But things never turn out the way you hope.

She doesn't return that night, or the next, or the one after that. Concerned after the first night, Kakashi checks with her parents and coworkers. No one knows anything or has seen anything suspicious. Her parents say she dropped by with lunch the day of her disappearance, which was rather unusual since she likes her mom to cook, but not suspicious. Desperate, Kakashi then goes to see the Hokage. This is becoming a familiar scene, he sighs.

"Hokage-sama, Rikako is missing again. She didn't come home last night and no one's seen her today."

"What? She didn't tell you? No wonder you haven't been by to see me!"

"What's going on, is she on a mission?"

"I'm sorry Kakashi, this one, this mission, is for life..."

Flashback to 5 days ago:

Rikako has been summoned by the Hokage. Hope it's not another S-class mission. Once in a lifetime was enough.

"Hokage-sama," she says bowing low.

"Rikako-chan, I have some...devastating news...I just received a scroll from the Raikage of Thunder Country. It seems he found out about you and is demanding your return. You're the last of your advanced bloodline and he's claiming we stole you for nefarious purposes. He's willing to go to war."

"Over me? That's ridiculous!"

"No, you're just the excuse. It's always been an uneasy alliance these past 2 decades. The old Raikage passed away recently and the new one is itching for a fight. I can't command you to... but..."

"I see."

Sighs, "If only the Fourth were here. I'm too old to be seen as a serious threat to this younger generation of shinobis. If only there were someone ready to be the Fifth."

Rikako says nothing for a while, just thinking, "What do you suppose will happen to me?"

"I don't know. I'm sure you'll be treated with respect and honor as the last of your line. I'm sure they have plans for you, certain jobs..."

"What if the missions involve Konoha?"

"That's up to you to decide."

"Is it? Or is it up to the Raikage? Konoha will be at a disadvantage since I know its techniques and secrets."

"Perhaps you can be our ally and unite the two countries in friendship."

Rikako smiles cynically. Hokage-sama, you were always a sentimental old fool, she thinks, but says aloud, "Please don't tell anyone, leave it to me." With that she leaves.

He should have known something was wrong. Besides the feeling of disaster he's been having, she had been extra nice to him these past few days, no sarcastic remarks or nagging. The other night, he just remembers now, he thought it was a dream, when he was in the semiconscious state of half sleep, she whispered in his ear, "I love you more than anything, forever, no matter what." But his only answer at the time was "Ummm, that's nice," and he went back to snoring. But how could she leave with no note? No final goodbye? But that was just like her. She did not like to express her emotions. Perhaps she was afraid she would lose her resolve.

Back at home, Kakashi cleans up the mess he made during his search. He looks at her things and wonders what he should do with them. She'll be back, I'm sure of it. He straightens up her books and scrolls and leaves her things where they sit. The book he had been reading falls open, a note floats to the floor, "Don't worry. I'll be fine. I'll keep in touch."

A falcon appears on Kakashi's windowsill. Is this a summoned bird? he thinks excitedly. Maybe news from Rikako, it's been two weeks. "Hello there friend, do you have a message for me?"

The bird squawks a bit and clears his throat. "'To Kakashi-sensei from Maruyama Rikako of Thunder Country. I arrived here safely a week ago. The Hidden Cloud Village is literally hidden in the clouds! We're on top of a mountain. The high altitude was disorienting at first, but now my body has adjusted. The view here is fantastic, so beautiful and different than Konoha. It's a geologist's and mineralist's dream. I'm learning a lot about the history and culture here. Everything is so new and exciting. The Raikage has been very kind and has offered me a position as one of his advisors! Can you imagine, an advisor at my age? Hope things are going well for you. Take care, say hi to mom and dad.' That's it."

"That's it? Nothing else?"

"Nope."

"How about a note?"

"Nope."

"How was she, really, when she gave you that message?"

"She was fine."

"I mean was she happy, sad..."

"What do you think I am? An owl shrink? She chose me for speed not for any psych analysis abilities!"

"Can I give you a message for her?"

"Well, she didn't ask me to wait for one."

"Please, just a short one."

"Fine, but you'll have to give me some food and water."

"Whatever you want."

"Ok, so what's the message?"

"Just tell her I miss her, I love her and when is she coming home."

Her message, what kind of message is that? Sounds like it's from a child in camp. Maybe she was too shy to relay a personal message via an annoying bird. But the greeting, she hasn't called him sensei for a long time. And she's now using her biological mother's maiden name. What does this all mean? Is she being monitored?

Another 2 weeks pass before the next message, same greeting.

"Things here are going well, I made some friends. I'm getting used to my position, I advise on all sorts of matters. I'm really good at it. It's nice to feel needed and important. Take care, say hi to mom and dad."

This time the falcon adds, "She looked happy and was very well dressed and was wearing a lot of expensive jewelry. Do you have a message for her?"

"Just the same as last time."

There are no messages after that.

To get to Thunder Country and back would normally take a week, but half the time at a fast chakra pace. Yet he doesn't have the time now to go find her, the chuunin exams are coming up. There is nothing to do but wait.

The Meeting

Kakashi's team makes it to the Chuunin Selection Exam finals, a pleasant surprise. He spends a month forgetting his problems by training hard with his genin. As the opening ceremony is conducted, Kakashi sees the Raikage sitting with the Hokage. He is dressed in the official robes of his country, pearl grey embroidered with silver threads in fine filigree, and the imperial yellow hat with the character for thunder boldly printed in black. Next to the Raikage stands a petite woman in similar dress with a Cloud forehead protector tied around her neck. Her dark hair is pinned up in an elaborate coiffure and held in place with silver needles and combs in the shapes of dragons and swirling clouds. That's...it's her! She looks so much older like that. He hardly recognizes her, not only because of her dress and hair, but her expression. Her expression is neutral, bland, bored, as though she couldn't care less about being here. Not the bright attentive girl he knew who loved the exam finals, watched them without fail, analyzing every move. There's something wrong, he has to speak with her. But she is in the VIP box and the Hokage would not approve. At the concession stand, Kakashi writes a message in blood on the bottom of a glass, fills it with her favorite drink, places it on a tray with other glasses, and directs the waitress what to do.

"Hello Kakashi-kun," she smiles, but not warmly.

"Rikako-chan, I...I just wanted to see if you were okay." He didn't know what to expect, maybe not running into his arms, but not this coolness.

"As you can see, I'm fine. There's no need to worry about me."

"Are you... happy?"

"Happy? Well, I'm content."

"Is that enough?"

"Happiness will come later I'm sure."

"You don't sound confident."

"It's best you forget about me."

"Forget? Never!"

"I can help you with that..."

"Is that what you did?" His eye widens with comprehension.

"It's the only way to live, to survive, to adapt."

"So you've erased me..."

"You know there is nothing you can do. Just move on with your life."

"That's it then...it's over?"

"I'm sorry, I should be getting back to my fiance."

"What?!"

"The Raikage and I are engaged. The wedding's next month. I'd invite you but..." she shrugs.

"Damn it, you can't do that! It should have been me!"

"That's the way life is, full of unexpected turns. Just go with the flow, it's easier that way."

"You were never like that."

"Times change, people must change to survive. Good-bye now, try to have a happy life."

Damn it! How many individuals must be sacrificed to keep this facade of peace, first Hyuuga Hizashi, now Rikako. But she is right. There is nothing he can do. Even if he were to kill the Raikage, there's no guarantee that the next one would be any better or would release her. At least with Rikako in a position of power, as an advisor, Konoha would be safe. But it would be a lifetime of sacrifice for both of them. Kakashi swears, if he finds that the Raikage ever hurt her, damn the consequences, he'll kill him!

He watches her throughout the exam, barely paying attention to the fights, even those of his team. Her face in a cold mask never flinches, expressionless throughout the excitement. He watches as the Raikage leans over to whisper something in her ear that causes her to smile and laugh (quite falsely, he thinks), and as the Raikage takes her hand in his. The roar of the crowd is overcome by the roaring of blood pulsating in his head.

Two months later, an eagle circles above Hidden Leaf Village, a message from the Hokage. All the shinobis assemble.

The Hokage announces, "We've just got word from our agents, there's a civil war occurring in Thunder Country, the shinobis are trying to take over and have attacked the Feudal Lord and his retainers. We should all keep watch in case it spills over..."

A civil war? Kakashi gets a sinking feeling.

Kakashi's Trip to Thunder Country

It takes Kakashi, running at a moderate pace, 2 days to reach within sight of Hidden Cloud Village. He has to reserve his chakra for what might lie ahead. He has to know whether Rikako is all right, but how to find her amidst all this chaos. On his way he sees the refugees of war and their scorched villages. He stops an elderly man and his wife; older people had a tendency to talk more, news laced with gossip and wisdom.

"Excuse me, ojii-san, can you tell me what's been happening here in Thunder Country?"

"Just look for yourself, what do you see? The Raikage and his shinobis marched on the Daimyo's castle a week ago. But the lord had his contingent of loyal shinobi bodyguards, and his battalion of regular men holding them off. Not so easy to storm a castle even if you are shinobis. Meanwhile, there've been skirmishes all over. The people themselves are divided. Some welcome change from the old oppressive regime, some are afraid of change no matter how bad things were. But I've been around a long time and I know, the more things change, the more they remain the same. The new regime, if it comes to be, will be better for a while, but the Raikage is an ambitious man, no different from the Daimyo. Things will be back to the same way in a few years, heavy taxes..."

"Damn all of them!" his wife spits out. Our son and others from our village joined the shinobi side, and look what the other side did to our home! What do any of us know about politics? We're just simple miners clawing dirt in the dark. What happens in the light of day shouldn't concern us..."

A military coup, not uncommon. That is the problem with having two equal ruling factions. The Feudal Lord is the leader of the government, responsible for the administration and rule of the people, while the Kage is the leader of the military, responsible for the safety of the country and its people. However, the two sides are often on opposite ends of numerous issues. Politics for the good of the country do not necessarily coincide with the good of a strong military force. Years ago, the Kazekage, of the Hidden Village of Sand in the Wind Country, saw the Feudal Lord's outsourcing of jobs to Konoha not as an act of alliance, but as a threat to the Sand shinobi.

Going up the mountain is no easy feat. Not terribly steep, but it's a long exhausting climb after traveling for so long. As soon as Kakashi approaches the gate to Hidden Cloud Village, he is stopped by eight guards all dressed in the grey robes of the Cloud shinobis. Kakashi takes out his passport and scroll from the Hokage. He'd rather not fight, yet. The guards take their time to confirm his credentials. The scroll certifies Kakashi as the Hidden Leaf Ambassador offering to enter into negotiations for peace.

Four guards remain outside the gate with him.

Guard 1 - "A Leaf shinobi, huh, you're sure a long way from home."

Guard 2 - "What business do you have with our Raikage?"

Guard 3 - "Yeah, unless you're offering your services, hightail it out of here before you get killed, Konoha coward!" The 4 guards laugh riotously. Kakashi cooly ignores them, which aggravates them more.

Guard 1 – "Hey, you're pretty old for a shinobi aren't you? Must mean you're really good to have lived this long, or a pathetic craven coward who runs away from a fight! How about we find out..."

Guard 2 unleashes a small lightning bolt at Kakashi's feet. He steps back nonchalantly. They wouldn't kill an ambassador, would they? They can't be embroiled in a war with Konoha if they're fighting their own civil war.

Guard 2 – "You think we're not serious? We haven't fought against a Konoha shinobi since...our chuunin exams..."

Guard 3 – "And we whooped their butts! Well, two of us did." They wink at one of the remaining guards.

Guard 1 – Blushing in anger, "That doesn't count, it turned out she is one of us after all!"

Guard 2 – "Hah, true, true, she is, and a great one at that." They all give a conspiring look at Kakashi.

Guard 3 – "So how about a round to show off your Konoha skills."

Kakashi, getting annoyed, "I'm here on a diplomatic mission. Any hostile acts against me will be seen as a sign of aggression against Konoha."

Guard 3 – "Nice words for a coward!"

Guard 2 – "Come on, a little battle, we won't tell..." suddenly unleashes a stronger lightning bolt at Kakashi's chest, it looks like a direct hit and the body smolders in flames. The guards start to laugh, but it's just a replacement log! They look around, where is he? "This should be fun...." Guard 2 starts to say, when all of a sudden, only his head is showing!

Guard 1 – "Watch out, he's underground..." but then a hail of shurikens appear from above. The remaining guards easily dodge them, but now they are separated.

Kakashi stealthily appears behind Guard 3, grabs him in a stranglehold, and points a kunai at his jugular.

"I am here on a peaceful mission. However, if you do not cease showing me your pathetic techniques, I will be forced to defend myself in very non-peaceful ways and you'll learn to your everlasting regret the power of a Konoha shinobi," Kakashi says sternly. The guard caught under his arm is now gasping for breath.

The one guard who has remained silent all this time, finally speaks. "I see they've sent a jounin as mediator. Probably a wise choice. These guys are just chuunin, and rather mediocre ones at that, based on their pitiful performance today. It should be interesting to fight you myself, jounin to jounin! The rest of you get back if you don't want to die!"

Kakashi thinks, crap, not another fight, he's barely rested from his travels, and this guy was a jounin, not that he was surprised, from his quicker evasive moves, his wise silence, commanding air, he knew he would be the one to watch. He looks older than the others, mid-twenties, probably in his prime, while Kakashi is nearing his shinobi twilight years. Another 3 years before his planned retirement from active duty, if he could live that long.

The Cloud jounin starts a seal, Kakashi recognizes it as the chakra absorption cloud technique. He'll have to end this fast before his chakra is depleted. The Cloud jounin reads his facial expression, "I see you're familiar with our techniques, well, let's try this one..."

A thunder clap overhead, no it was closer than that, then another rumbling. Kakashi prepares himself for a series of lightning bolts from above, but none manifests. Instead, the sound of thunder builds up between his ears and reverberates in his head. The Cloud jounin laughs, "Tricked you, didn't I! This is a sound attack, not electrical. You'll be unconscious soon and the chakra cloud will do the rest."

Kakashi falls to his knees clutching his head between his hands. The Cloud jounin approaches, twirling a kunai casually. "Or maybe I should just kill you and save our Raikage some precious time! We can say you got bored waiting and left! No one will miss you..."

He is within 6 feet, close enough, Kakashi suddenly whips out a rope of chakra, tying his feet together...but it's a clone...

"Stop!" The other guards reappear. "The Raikage has approved your admittance and will allow you to seek an audience!"

The guards signal Kakashi to enter and follow, but do not return his credentials. Kage bunshin Kakashi disappears and the real Kakashi appears from behind a monument of stone. He waves to the first 4 guards, "Nice playing with you all. You be good now!"

They enter the Raikage's suite. Kakashi is told to wait. He sees 2 guards in the room, ignoring him. Two female servants enter with trays of tea and assorted sweets, which they place on a low table. There are no chairs, only large overstuffed pillows. The girls are barely dressed, their undergarments could be seen through the sheer silvery gossamer material. Kakashi remains standing and looks around. One of the girls comes up to him with a cup of tea in her hands.

"I don't want anything, thank you." Never consume anything in an enemy's camp.

"Nothing at all? But we were ordered to serve you, in any way," she adds, boldly looking into his masked face.

"Sorry, I just have to wait." He scans their faces, they are about her age, also with dark hair and eyes, but that's where the similarities ended. Their hands are smooth, no calluses or cuts. Their faces carefully painted to accentuate their beauty. Flawless skin. These girls are not trained shinobis, but they have been trained for other purposes no less deceitful or deadly. Chances are they know the secrets of poison and where the vital body points are, which they can stab with a single needle while the victim slept after an hour of pleasure. Or maybe he is just being paranoid, years of experience will do that to you. The girls don't leave the room, but position themselves near the table, kneeling on the pillows.

The Raikage's receiving room is much different than the Hokage's which is simply decorated with framed calligraphy. Instead, this room is decorated with woolen tapestries of the past Raikages in their most magnificent moments. This room...seems vaguely familiar - in the back corner, a set of stairs going down. Kakashi walks closer to the tapestries. The corner of one had been repaired, though not recent. Singe marks could still be detected. This room, it was...nearly 2 decades ago. He was still young and foolish at the time. Arrogant and eager. Always ready to show off how clever he was, how many techniques he knew. But after that incident, he became more careful of blindly taking lives. The death of a mother-to-be and the near death of an infant would make anyone, except those with the coldest hearts, change their errant ways.

The 2 guards positioned like statues by the entrance, the 2 girls kneeling with bowed heads, let him reminisce in silence. After an hour, 2 new guards appear. "The Raikage will receive you now in a private sitting room."

Kakashi follows the lead guard while the other follows behind him. They sure are trusting...not.

They take him down the stairs to a smaller room, plainly furnished, barely decorated. "The Raikage will be with you shortly." The guards close the door and leave...then he hears them laugh! Kakashi tries to open the door, but it's locked! He tries to channel his chidori to break through the door, but he can't! There's a chakra dampening seal on this room! He tries using pure taijutsu, but the door doesn't budge. Damn it! Maybe Gai would be strong enough, but his taijutsu is too weak.

He should have suspected a trap. Downstairs, that was where the interrogation rooms were all those years ago. That was where their agent was held. That is where he is now. A prison, dressed up to look like a small conference room. Kakashi goes over every inch of the 15 x 15 feet room. A small table in the center, large enough for four people to play poker. Four chairs of normal height. A set of shelves with books on various games, fables of Thunder Country (heavy on the moral messages), and a "Treatise on the Electrostatic Properties of Cellulosic Textiles." Nothing he is remotely interested in. Sigh, couldn't they at least have some catalogs with swimsuit models? If he ever returns home, he'll have to send over some old copies of Jiraiya's novels. If a prisoner had to wait to be questioned or tortured, they could at least provide some enjoyable reading material. But it's time to get serious. What is he going to say to the Raikage, how will he find Rikako, and most importantly, how can he bring her back to Konoha without causing an international incident?

Flashback to meeting with the Hokage:

"This doesn't sound like a good idea Kakashi."

"I have to go. I have to know if she's all right. We owe her that much for her sacrifice."

"You should wait. Things there are still turbulent."

"It could be too late by then."

"Sigh, I suppose you'll go even if I ordered you not to. You've always been more stubborn than you look. Let me write out a letter of introduction. In case you get caught up with either side, maybe they'll grant you diplomatic immunity. Hmm, maybe you should take someone with you."

"That might look too threatening."

"There's safety in numbers. You might need backup."

"I'll be fine. I'm on a peaceful mission after all..."

As he says these words, he's thinking of what he would do to get her back...amidst all the chaos, who would know how the Raikage died, it could easily be blamed on the opposing side and he needed no witnesses...

Half an hour later, lost in his reveries, Kakashi almost doesn't notice the door is being unlocked. He prepares himself for a fight...but the figure he first sees is wearing the Raikage's robes...

"Rikako...you're the Raikage now?!"