Part 4.3: Specters of the Past

Naruto pushed himself forward amidst a torrent of snow that was pouring down on top of them on a windless night. They had been climbing straight up at a feverish pace ever since their previous encounter with the sound nins. The snow had started nearly an hour ago and was falling in large flakes on top of them, sticking to the mountain's side and making their trail even harder to follow. Lee had the hardest time, having to push against a completely frozen stone again and again was taking its toll on his body and he seemed to be pushing himself on pure will anymore. Naruto could hear Lee's loud grunting followed quickly by a loud crack into the stone from the kunai. He had been keeping good time despite the injuries he sustained previously. Naruto shot a look down, looking at Lee wince with pain every time he the kunai held by his damaged hand into the hard stone.

"You alright back there Lee," yelled Naruto, "your hand's pretty-"

"I'm fine," grunted Lee quickly, interrupting Naruto before he could finish his sentence. Naruto sighed but continued onward. The way up was quiet for another few hours, not one of them needing to speak in the darkness that surrounded them, and only a light wind permeated through the silence. Suddenly, Lee spoke again. "That Hidden Cloud nin," he said loudly, "what does he want exactly?"

"I don't know," replied Naruto, "I thought he just wanted a fight, but now… I just don't know."

"I didn't notice it a first, but something about him seemed familiar," replied Lee, still keeping a steady pace with them.

Naruto stopped suddenly and turned completely around, slipping slightly before refitting himself on the mountain's side. TenTen stopped as well, her gaze going to Lee who quickly made his way up to them. "What do you mean," asked Naruto, "have you seen him before?"

Lee shook his head, "That's the first time I've ever met him, but something about him…some kind of feature seemed familiar," said Lee. He kept his pace and continued pulling himself up the mountain, groaning loudly with each partial step. Naruto looked over to TenTen, who simply shrugged her shoulders and continued up the mountain. Naruto continued onward, taking point once again, but Lee's words bothered him. Naruto quickly pushed it from his mind and continued onward, readying himself for whatever would come.

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Kakashi arrived at the hotel Tsunade had been staying at, a feeling of apprehension overwhelming him as he entered the giant double doors that led into the very upscale hotel entrance. His single eye searched the room quickly, looking for any sign of Tsunade but found none. The feeling inside the hotel was very contrasting to that of the outside; it was a very well lit room with many glass chandeliers showering light down on the room, contrasting heavily with the ubiquitous darkness outside that seemed to envelop the entire town. It was a very grand room, and had many statues of the two most famous Hidden Cloud, Izou Dao and Izou Kai; however, one of the statues at the top was broken, its head missing off the prominent shoulders. Kakashi walked quickly towards the doorman, his sandaled feet making a soft thud against the ornate carpet of the entryway.

"May I help you nin of the Hidden Leaf," said the deskman cordially, bowing deeply to Kakashi. Kakashi did not return the favor but quickly launched into his question.

"Is Hokage-sama here," he asked quickly, trying to hide the anxiety in his voice.

"She left some time ago," replied the doorman, his eyes drifting towards the ceiling, reminiscing past events, "She was summoned by the Raikage around midday and still had not returned. I imagine she will-" but a loud crash coming from the entrance brought his attention back to the present, his eyes wide in shock. Kakashi looked over lazily as well, and noticed a broken doorway revealing an absolutely furious Tsunade. A horrid scowl covered her entire face, and she bore the distinct impression that she was going to hit the next thing she saw. Kakashi raised a single eyebrow in her direction as she tromped angrily across the carpet, her every footstep making a loud thud that echoed in the cavernous hallway. She was muttering loudly, a series of broken phrases. Kakashi could decipher, "Raikage," "bastard," and a series of other loosely put together swear words. The doorman looked to approach Tsunade but Kakashi caught him with an arm, shaking his head.

"You'd best wait," he said softly, "she's not exactly the most pleasant person in the world when she's like this." The doorman nodded nervously as they both watched Tsunade tromp up the stairs, her fists balled tight, every muscle in her body seemingly tense. Kakashi watched as Gai slowly came around the corner of the stairs, straight in Tsunade's path.

"Ah salutations Hokage-sama," said Gai cheerfully, oblivious to the mood Tsunade was clearly in, "did you have a most successful meeting with the Raikage?" He shot Tsunade one of his trademark good-guy poses as she tromped past him. She stopped suddenly and snapped her head in Gai's direction, growling slightly. Gai's expression quickly changed, his eyes going very wide in fear. He stepped out of Tsunade's way, eyeing her oddly as she went. A loud slam was heard behind her that shook the room itself.

Kakashi sighed deeply, 'Now may not be the best time to tell her about Hiketsu,' he thought, an anxious feeling flowing through him, 'but I don't have much of a choice now.' Gai walked shakily towards Kakashi, walking slowly down the stairs as his eyes strayed towards Tsunade's room.

"I'm assuming that's a most assured no," said Gai to himself before turning his attention to Kakashi, "Ah, well if it isn't my eternal rival, no doubt here to challenge the Amazing Azure Beast to a competition of skill and bravery. However, I must warn you, I will be going to the village of the Hidden Cloud so our competition must be swift, amazing, and exciting, just like me." He ended his speech with his usual good-guy pose, complete with a frothing ocean behind him.

Kakashi was still looking towards Tsunade's room, wondering if this was the right time. His eyes drifted over to Gai who was shooting him his trademark pose. "Huh," he said lackadaisically, "did you say something?"

Gai's eyes burned with fury as he pumped his hands into the air in frustration, "Gah," he yelled, "your reaction is so cool, it angers the Azure Beast so!"

Kakashi stared at Gai as tears rolled down his cheeks. "Gai," he said solemnly, "it's time we told her the whole story."

Gai's face changed so quickly Kakashi took a step back. "Are you sure," asked Gai, his voice very serious now.

Kakashi nodded, "I saw him today," this elicited an even bigger reaction from Gai, who looked legitimately panicked now.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. He spoke to me too. It's him, there's no doubt in my mind."

"But, that's impossible, we-"

"I know," said Kakashi, "but I know what I saw. It's time." Gai reluctantly nodded and followed Kakashi up the stairs to Tsunade's room. There were muffled screams followed by bouts of cursing coming from it. Kakashi sighed as he grasped the knob of the door and slowly pushed it open.

"STUPID SON OF A BITCH!" were the words that greeted Kakashi and Gai as they came slowly into the room. Tsunade was pacing back and forth in her suite, her heels clicking loudly against the polished, tile floor. The room was very lavish, with glass and gold chandeliers that beamed light in golden streams across the room. However, Tsunade seemed to be the focal point, pacing and cursing louder every second, her arms waving wildly in exaggerated motions. "I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT ARROGANT BASTARD," she screamed, "Who in the hell does he think he is!? At any other time, in any other place," she rammed a closed fist into her open hand, a loud slapping sound reverberating across the room. Her eyes drifted towards the door, finally noticing a very worried looking Kakashi and Gai, both of whom were eyeing her warily.

Tsunade took in a deep breath and quickly let it out, seeming to regain her poise. "Can I help you two," she said, her voice clearly irritated. Kakashi stepped forward through the door, Gai following close behind him. They closed the door behind them and bowed deeply to Tsunade, who returned the gesture.

"Hokage-sama," said Kakashi very seriously, straightening himself out again, "I have to tell you something very important." Tsunade's eyes opened wide with surprise, and she motioned for Kakashi to sit. He declined the offer as she took a seat at the end of a very large bed. "Remember when I asked you about Hiketsu," he said.

Tsunade nodded, "Very well," she said, her voice rising again, "I assume this has something to do with him."

Kakashi nodded as well, his face turning very solemn and cold at the thought of Hiketsu. "I saw him today," he said coolly. Tsunade nodded again, brushing a stray strand of hair from her face nonchalantly.

"This guy must have you pretty spooked," she said, "if you're making this big a fuss over him."

"Spooked isn't exactly the word for it," replied Kakashi. He paused here, taking a deep breath as he reached within the depths of his mind for the exact words to describe the situation. "About ten years ago, myself and three others including Gai here," he motioned slowly towards Gai, "were sent deep into Hidden Cloud territory in order to keep up espionage and disrupt activities there. The mission was so successful that many squads of ANBU were sent to us as reinforcements, around twenty or so in all. It was around this time that we first saw Hiketsu. At first, we thought nothing of it; the day was snowy and very windy, and besides a black garb nothing about him seemed significant. We lost track of him for about a week, but we came into contact with him again…and…" Kakashi paused again, taking in very deep breaths. He could feel his heart sink inside him; reminiscing such events were very hard for him. "…he proceeded to slaughter the entire regime. Only Gai and I survived."

Tsunade stared at them with a mixture of shock and disbelief. "Slaughtered twenty ANBU and two Jounin," she asked in disbelief, cocking her head slightly at Kakashi, as if examining to make sure he was alright, "that's quite a feat, but not impossible I suppose. Did he catch you off guard, take down groups of you at a time? Or did he get assistance from the nearby Hidden Cloud?"

"He attacked the entire encampment head on," said Kakashi shakily, "we didn't even scratch him at first. He did things…jutsus and skills I've never seen before with hand seals that were very foreign to us."

"I see," said Tsunade, her fingers crossed below her head, her chin resting on her hands, "so this, Hiketsu, has some kind of powerful jutsus at his disposal."

"Yes," replied Kakashi, "but that's not what has me…spooked…after many ANBU had fallen, I finally got an opening, and drove a Chidori straight through his chest. He fell, my hand was soaked in blood, and we assumed it was over. After a few seconds, he got right back up, the huge hole still dripping dark blood from his chest, like nothing happened. The wound sealed itself shut slowly after that, the blood oozing back inside of him."

Tsunade's mouth was left gaping at the last comment, her eyes squinting at Kakashi, "You impaled him," she asked, Kakashi nodding slowly in agreement, "and he just got right back up," once again, Kakashi nodded. Tsunade stared at him in disbelief, almost laughing silently. "He must have been using some kind of genjutsu then because there is no way someone could survive a direct wound through the chest like that."

"Don't you have special healing jutsus Tsunade-sama," piped in Gai.

Tsunade nodded, "Yes I do," she said, "and I do heal fast under certain circumstances, but you say you left a hole in his chest?"

Kakashi circled his fingers through the air, making a sphere through the air about half a foot in diameter. Tsunade still shook her head in disbelief, "There's no way a person would be able to survive something like that. I can heal myself readily assuming I have collected enough chakra in my body. A wound to the heart would be nothing that I couldn't heal with the Genesis Rebirth, but to completely replace the organ, like it's been ripped and shredded from the body? That would take a substantial amount of power, if it's even possible. In any case, I understand your concerns, and I won't take them lightly. Do you think this guy could be associated with the Raikage in any way?"

Kakashi shrugged, "I don't know," he said, "if he is, then I think we should really reconsider our staying here."

"I'm not going to pull out Kakashi," said Tsunade defiantly, "just because of some fears you have about one man. Even if we wanted to, we can't at this point."

"Why," asked Kakashi.

Tsunade took in a deep breath; her face was turning a bright red, showing her anger returning to the surface. "The Raikage has placed the entire Leaf under investigation," she growled, "over the murder of one of Orochimaru's nins. Also, we are being blamed for the attacks on the villages in the last few weeks. The law is that no one leaves the area, not for any reason. Basically, we've been quarantined in his own city."

Kakashi stared at Tsunade, completely lost for words. Their routes of escape were blocked, trapped in a city with the Hidden Cloud and Hidden Sound breathing down their necks. "We should send word to Konoha about this," he said finally, "it's important that they know our situation here."

"How do you suppose we do that," she asked, "I'm sure that one or two of us could get out of the city, but I need as many as I can get here. I don't know what the Raikage's planning, but we're in deep here."

"Well," said Kakashi, pricking his thumb against the side of his jacket, "we won't send any person then." He pressed on the ground, one hand on the other, forming a seal on the ground. A small puff of smoke appeared under his hands, revealing a small, brown dog with a leaf forehead protector wrapped around its head. "We'll send Pakkun."

"And where will we be sending Pakkun exactly," said the small dog, looking up at Kakashi. Its eyes traced around the room, seeming to admire the high class establishment.

"You will be going back to Konoha," he said to Pakkun, "I want you to tell them that the Raikage is currently keeping us under quarantine here and to be ready to back us up in the case of an emergency. Just tell them to keep an ear open for us. Also, ask if anyone there has any experience or had heard of the name Hiketsu." Tsunade shot him an inquisitive look. "Just in case. Can you remember all that?"

"Under quarantine, keep ear open, Hiketsu," said Pakkun in a bored tone, "I'm fine, but this snow will be so hard on my soft and bouncy pads." Kakashi went to a nearby window and opened it, allowing a soft wind to come into the room, chilling everyone inside. Pakkun leapt forward and out the window, hitting the deep snow with a dull thud. He stood up, shook off the snow and bounded quickly towards an exit.

"Can we really trust that little dog to get back to Konoha," asked Tsunade.

"Pakkun's my best tracker," said Kakashi, "he'll find his way back. In any case, what's our next move?"

Tsunade sighed and a heavy silence moved over the three of them. "I'm going to speak to the Raikage tomorrow," she finally said, "as much as I abhor our meetings, I've got no choice but to continue the talks. It doesn't seem like I'll get anywhere at this point, but I've come to far to just give up now. Nevertheless, I want all of you to stay on your guard. No please leave, I've got a big day ahead of me."

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Kakashi closed the door behind him silently, Gai following him out of Tsunade's room. "It doesn't seem like she took us seriously," said Gai, "not that I can blame her. Stories about men that can heal themselves so rapidly do seem farfetched."

Kakashi said nothing, but nodded at Gai's comment. His mind was reeling, talking about Hiketsu never brought back any good memories, and now his mind was swarming back to the mission. When…

"Well," said Gai pleasantly, "I must be going. My students will need to meet with their sensei before the second exam, and an Azure Beast is always prompt with his time. I imagine they're already at the top waiting for me. After all, they are students of the Amazing Azure Beast." He walked past Kakashi who was still staring off into space, his eyes half-closed in a very solemn expression. Kakashi didn't even watch as Gai left in front of him, didn't notice his footsteps across the carpet and down the stairs. Not until Gai yelled his name did Kakashi look up.

"Events are swirling around this exam that neither of us will be able to predict," he said, his voice very serious, "watch your back." Kakashi nodded again before he heard Gai bound down the stairs and out the front door, leaving him alone in the hallway. Kakashi walked forward down the stairs slowly, coming out into the night sky. It was very cloudy tonight, and the only light was that provided by the buildings and street lights, covering small circles with white light. Kakashi walked the dark streets, the snow crunching under his feet. He looked up at the sky where dark, grey clouds hung ominously overhead.

'Looks like rain,' he thought, 'rain…'

'Looks like rain,' Kakashi thought to himself, staring up at the sky. The trees cast a light shadow on the snowy ground; there was very little light in the sky, and the clouds were beginning to turn black and ominous. Flashes of light shot from the clouds, showing heavy thundering that cast bursts of radiance among the dark trees. Kakashi continued to walk through the slush that covered the ground beneath his feet, softly crunching under his every step. He looked off in the distance where their encampment had been set up. Since setting the trap, they had caught a few stray groups but nothing big. The false camp had been converted into an actual one now, where fires burned brightly in the darkness, almost like great beacons of light amidst the forest. Kakashi resisted the impulse to order them put out and scold whoever allowed them to burn; everything had gotten very quiet as of late. No groups of Hidden Cloud nins had been spotted in the area, nor any living thing aside from their own encampment. Their search for the dark, cloaked stranger was fruitless, and they decided to let up and concentrate on other matters. 'Maybe this really is the end,' thought Kakashi, 'it's been going on so long; I thought it would long outlive me. Still, what after? What good is a ninja without battles to fight and foes to kill? Should I settle down, maybe start a family? My father had taken the time, but then again…' He felt a pang of remorse thinking about his late father, but pushed it down inside himself, deep amidst other painful memories. He leaned against a nearby tree for a moment, still deep in thought. 'Even if I wanted to start a family, I'd still be a ninja. I might die on a mission; would I really want to put my wife or children through that? Would they mourn my passing, or scorn me for living such a dangerous life? Would Tiara be in my life? She's a ninja too, would that be right to raise a child? What if-' His thoughts were cut short by a familiar feeling washing over him, bringing his senses on alert. He sniffed the air gently, the cold air burning his nostrils. He tensed his muscles, readying himself for any attack. He stepped out from behind the tree and walked steadily towards the camp, his ears searching amongst the sounds of wind and his own footsteps for the sound of the enemy. He continued walking, waiting for the right moment. Suddenly, a shape sprung out from behind him charging at Kakashi with blinding speed. Kakashi continued walking forward as if he didn't notice anything. The figure came closer, its arms outstretched, ready to strike Kakashi quickly. It came closer until it was only inches from him. In a single motion, Kakashi sidestepped the figure and grabbed and outstretched arm, throwing it to the ground hard with a loud thud. Kakashi sighed as a spiky, goggled man was wincing at him from the ground. "Nice try Obito," he said, "but I could hear you coming from a mile away."

Obito groaned, sitting up on his haunches and rubbing his back painfully. "I saw Gai get you like that before," he said indignantly, disbelieving his own luck.

"Gai is very fast," lectured Kakashi, "and no offense, but he's much faster on foot than you. Here." He outstretched a single arm to his friend, grasping his hand and pulling Obito to his feet. Obito sat up, shaking the snow from his back as he stared reproachfully at Kakashi. Kakashi chuckled slightly at his friend, not wanting to offend him much more. "So, anything new to report?"

"No," replied Obito, "everything's calmed down substantially, and we haven't received any orders from HQ." Kakashi nodded at Obito and leaned against another tree, looking up at the dark, thundering sky. There was a deep silence between the two of them that Kakashi appreciated. There was no need to fill the silence with idle chatt-

"So what are you thinking about," asked Obito, interrupting the pleasant silence between them. Kakashi smiled under his mask, remembering how Obito hated quiet and preferred to fill that void with banter.

"I'm just thinking about after," said Kakashi, humoring his friend, "after all this, what do we do? In times of peace, ninjas just don't serve much of a purpose."

"There will always be enemies to fight," replied Obito, his voice turning unusually serious, "whether it's bandits, ninjas, armies, etcetera, there's always something to fight. But as for you, marry Tiara, have some kids, name one after me and train him to kick your ass because I haven't been too successful at that."

Kakashi laughed openly at this but said nothing. "We've been through a lot haven't we," said Kakashi, his eyes tracing slowly over to his friend, "just like the old team…" Kakashi felt a pang of guilt go through him as he said this and wished he hadn't. He looked over to Obito who was leaning against a tree as well, sitting in the snow below him. His face had turned very downtrodden, and his eyes were staring at the wet ground in front of him. "I'm sorry," said Kakashi solemnly, "I didn't mean to say that."

"Don't worry about it," said Obito softly. Kakashi could tell that Obito was disheartened by his comment and he hated to see his friend so uncharacteristically sad. Kakashi got back to his feet and headed back towards the encampment, but something was holding him back. He felt like he had to say something, anything about back then.

"It's been two years hasn't it? I remember them assigning the old team, bringing the three of us together again. That was the last time we were at Konoha wasn't it? We were given temporary leave from the mission to conduct another one in Hidden Stone territory. I remember how excited we all were to be working together, the first time after our sensei's death." He paused for a moment, keeping his voice steady and his emotions hidden inside him. "We never did find out who killed her," continued Kakashi, "one day we're having a reunion together and the next, she's dead. I'm sorry Obito; I know you cared a lot for Rin. I know you must have blamed me for her death; after all, I lead the mission she died on. I don't even know why I'm saying this; it's probably the last thing you want to-"

"I hated you, ya know," interrupted Obito, taking Kakashi by surprise. Kakashi stared in disbelief at the man he considered his best friend. Obito's eyes were tearing, and his voice was getting very shaky. "From the day we met, I hated you. I hated how you excelled in everything, how you got all the attention, how no matter what, it seemed like you succeeded in everything you did. When you became a Jounin, I hated you even more. Even when you helped me rescue Rin, I resented you. Only after she died did I really stop hating you. Throughout all we had been together, I could only think of one thing, surpassing you. I wanted to beat you so badly. In the beginning, I thought that as soon as I awakened the Sharingan, I would beat you by leaps and bounds. But you proved me wrong didn't you? Still, you were better. Even after three tears in the Sharingan, I couldn't surpass you. You always found some way to beat me, to be just one step ahead of me at every turn. I couldn't stand it. I'd do anything to beat you…but then…" Obito stood on his feet, tears streaming down his eyes, collecting in his goggles. He took them off and wiped his eyes with a sleeve, still shuddering loudly.

Kakashi stared at Obito, too shocked to speak. He had no idea Obito every held such emotions, such malice towards him. He had always viewed Obito as a little headstrong, but a decent person through and through. "Do…you still hate me," asked Kakashi, fearing deep inside himself that the answer would be yes.

Obito shook his head, "I realized soon after…Rin's death…that I was at fault. It was all my fault for being weak. I wasn't strong enough to surpass you; I wasn't strong enough to protect my friends; and I wasn't strong enough to help even myself. If I hate anyone, it's me. I hated being weak, that's all, and nothing's changed."

Kakashi walked slowly back towards where his friend sat. He hesitated at first, but put a reassuring hand on Obito's shoulder. "You're not weak," he said, "you're a fine ninja, one of the greatest Uchiha to come out of the clan. Don't ever forget that."

There was another silence between them, but this time, it was an uneasy one, and Kakashi wished Obito would say something. "There's something I wanted to tell you," started Obito, his voice still shaking badly, "for so long."

Kakashi rose an eyebrow at his friend's comment, but continued listening intently. 'What's he talking about,' thought Kakashi. "What is it," asked Kakashi quickly.

"I…I…" Obito stammered, but a shout from the encampment broke up their conversation. Rain had begun to trickle down from the sky, breaking through the leafless trees and hitting the snowy ground, turning it into a watery slush.

"Kakashi," came the call again. Kakashi looked back towards the encampment and then back to Obito. He kneeled down on Obito's level, helping him to his feet so they were at eye level.

"Tell me later okay," said Kakashi. Obito calmed himself down quickly, his breathing becoming normal again and his eyes clearing up. He nodded at Kakashi and followed him back to camp. The ANBU had been startled by something and one in particular was motioning Kakashi up a tree. Kakashi quickly leapt from trunk to trunk until he landed on the branch the ANBU sat. "What's the problem," he asked. The ANBU said nothing but handed a pair of binoculars to Kakashi, motioning for him to take them. Kakashi grasped them and put them up to his eyes, staring off into the distance. His eyes went wide as a black shape came into view. He focused the lenses more, trying to get a specific picture of what was coming over the horizon. It was a man, completely shrouded in a black cloak, his features hidden under a black hood. He was slowly walking towards their encampment, a strong wind beginning to billow and sway the dark shroud that covered him. The rain was beginning to come down hard in a heavy sleet that obscured his view, fogging the binoculars badly. Kakashi handed the binoculars back to the ANBU. "That's the guy we saw a week ago," said Kakashi.

"Do we take him out," asked the ANBU.

"He hasn't done anything to warrant that," replied Kakashi, "but send two squads to flank him when he enters the forest, and keep a tight circle around the area, there may be more of them. He could just be a lost civilian though; in any case keep your eyes open." The ANBU nodded at Kakashi's orders and bounded back down the tree. Kakashi watched as the dark blip came closer over the horizon. He still remembered how Obito had been so shaken by the stranger, and he could feel an odd anticipation in the pit of his stomach. His own instincts were telling him that they should just strike the man down and continue on like nothing happened. Kakashi shrugged the feeling off and jumped down to the forest floor, landing in the slush with a wet thud.

"Well," came Obito. Kakashi looked behind him to see Obito standing there, looking slightly apprehensive himself, fidgeting in a restless motion.

"Seems like we're going to find out who that man we saw a week ago was," replied Kakashi, "he's coming this way." Obito's eyes went wide at this, but he quickly tried to hide it, turning his back to Kakashi, acting like he had something in his eye. Kakashi turned his head and stared as the cloaked figure came closer to the campsite. Around him, the sound of fires being smothered, nin readying their weapons, and the ANBU taking their positions swirled around him. He felt a quick squeeze of his shoulders followed by a quick peck on his cheek as Tiara ran away from in front of him, leading a small ANBU team towards the flank. Kakashi smiled softly but quickly came back to reality, running up a nearby tree with Gai, both of them watching with eager anticipation as the stranger came to the edge of the forest. There was an ominous silence now, their years of training rendering them invisible to the senses as they blended in with the shadows of the forest, masking their sounds with the strong wind that billowed and whistled through the forest. The rain had given them an advantage now, disrupting not only their sight, but the sight of the stranger. 'Is he alone,' thought Kakashi, slowly pulling a kunai from his belt, 'is he even a ninja?' His eyes drifted to the tree opposite him where Obito and a few ANBU were waiting, he gave them a hand signal for the ANBU to drop to the floor. They nodded and silently came down to the ground, coming to the side of the stranger.

Kakashi looked over at Obito; he was shuddering again, his eyes in full Sharingan staring intently at the figure that was slowly entering the encampment. He was clad completely in a black cloak that shrouded over him completely. Kakashi could the edge of a very pale face underneath the cloak. From what he could see, his face was very thin, with the skin emphasizing on the cheekbones and cleft chin. His lips were thing as well, and appeared grey. His face almost seemed devoid of life, while the rest of him remained obscure. Kakashi looked deeper at the stranger and was startled that no rain even seemed to be touching him. His cloak shuddered only in the wind but did not appear wet; almost like he was a passing specter through this world, journeying to the next. Kakashi's instincts were flaring now, apprehension and a feeling of dread shooting around him. He pushed those feeling aside as well, concentrating hard for any signs of other persons. He didn't see any, just a lone stranger walking slowly into their encampment. His head snapped over to Gai, nodding slowly. Gai nodded back and shot a quick hand signal to the ANBU on the ground. The stranger had just entered their encampment now and was kneeling down to examine a fire that had been hastily put out. He ran his fingers over the black soot as steam shot off the fire, the rain evaporating off the still hot stone and logs of the burn pits. He rubbed some of the soot between his bony fingers before standing again. Just like his face, the skin on his hand was sickly pale and seemed lifeless. Long fingernails that ended in a slight curve ended his fingers, resembling claws. His hands retreated back under his cloak before continuing on in the encampment.

Suddenly, the ANBU sprung from the bushes, a sword drawn from the lead that was shoved hastily against the back of the stranger; strong enough to put pressure but not pierce the skin. "Hands up, slowly," ordered the ANBU. The stranger stopped, but no other indication that he heard the ANBU was noticed. "I said hands up," commanded the ANBU again, putting slightly more pressure on the blade. The stranger did nothing at first, but then slowly raised his hands to the sides of him. His arms were covered in the a dark cloth that gripped his skin tightly, the light muscles underneath contorting and twisting against it as he rose his arms to shoulder level. He then stopped and brought his arms closer together to each other in front of him. "I said on your head," roared the ANBU, his voice beginning to show annoyance towards the stranger. Without warning, the strangers hands began to form rapid seals in front of him so quick that they weren't even able to decipher what he was doing.

"Seals," shouted an ANBU in front of the stranger. The ANBU behind plunged his sword into the stranger's chest, coming out the other end in a sickly, wet piercing sound. The stranger shuddered for a moment but then went limp, supported only by the ANBU's sword. Kakashi sighed deeply; he had wanted some information first, but the ANBU got excited too quickly. 'Maybe it was for the best,' thought Kakashi, 'after all he was-' Kakashi's eyes went wide as the stranger's legs recuperated themselves and he twisted his body quickly, ripping the sword from the ANBU's hands as ii stuck in his body. 'What the hell,' thought Kakashi. There was a similar reaction amongst the other ANBU as they watched the stranger complete the seals he had been making. The ANBU behind him quickly threw everything they had at him, kunai, shuriken, blades, anything that could be thrown. Everything stuck in his back, cutting deep into his flesh, but the stranger didn't even seem to notice it as the impact rocked his body. Slowly, his hands reached up to his hood and pulled it down, revealing a very short, spiky cut on his head, and a long, silvery ponytail that draped down his back.

The man mumbled something softly in a cold, melancholy voice. The ANBU around him charged forward, readying to rip the stranger to shreds, swords outstretched to cut the man to ribbons. Kakashi jumped down from his perch just as something began to snake under the stranger's bodysuit. It quickly circled around his arms before bursting out from them in a stream of flesh and dark, red blood. Horribly dark chains erupted from the man's arms and back, moving of their own will as they snaked outward with blinding speed, catching several of the ANBU as they charged forward, their clinking metal reverberating through the air. They wrapped around the ANBU like ropes, hurtling them into the air, or piercing through them, cutting and tearing them limb from limb as blood spattered the ground around the area followed quickly by the remains of the corpses. Kakashi charged forward amidst the battle, signaling the rest of the encampment to follow suit. Out of the bushes and trees flooded many ANBU lead by the four Jounin there. Kakashi drew his hand to his back and pulled back his family's short sword from its holster, readying it for an assault.

The stranger threw the cloak backwards, forming a long cape behind him as he stood defiantly before the group. He was wearing an odd mesh armor that covered his body completely. His eyes were covered with a dark, black bandana that circled around his head. His hands came out in front of him again as he rapidly formed strange seals, his pale hands being blurred in front of him as the chains wrapped in front of him, deflecting the many shuriken and kunai that headed straight towards him, bouncing off with a clang and spark of steel on steel. He moved his hands quickly, collecting blood off a chain onto his thumb before he slammed his hand into the ground, forming a large seal around the area. Suddenly, thousands of black shapes sprung forth from the ground, tearing into the air amidst a cacophony of shrieks and squawks. They covered the sky, billowing out in the stormy air before diving back to earth. Thousands upon thousands of red-eyed ravens were screaming towards them

"Damn" yelled Kakashi, quickly backing up from the black mass that was approaching them, "Gai, Obito, see if you can give me an opening." Kakashi settled back, directly in front of the stranger, readying his most powerful attack. He could feel the chakra begin to swell within his hand as he watched Gai and Obito go to work.

Obito came forward to the flock of birds that descended upon them, his Sharingan in full blaze as he formed the seals for his clan's signature jutsu. "Great Fireball jutsu," yelled Obito as a gigantic flame came out of his mouth, burning the ravens to ashes in midair, theirfiery carcasses falling lifelessly to the ground. More came at them as Obito repeated the jutsu, trying desperately to destroy the flocks of birds. The ANBU were struggling with the stranger, as the chains grabbed and pulled apart anyone who approached him. Kakashi blocked the screams from his mind, desperately trying to concentrate as he could now see the chakra begin to crackle and burn madly in the air, forming a bright, light at the end of his hand that bolted outward like lightning.

Gai moved into the fray, dodging and contorting his body around the chains that shot snake-like out towards him. He came under the barrage of steel that ripped from the skin of the stranger to come face to face with the black-clad man himself. "Konoha Senpuu," he roared as he brought a fierce whirlwind kick to land against the stranger. The man rose a hand to block the kick on his forearm, the impact shaking both the stanger and Gai's bodies. Obito saw his chance and came in on the opposite side, readying another blast of fire that shot forth from his mouth in an orange blaze that hissed and screamed through the air towards the stranger. The stranger's head did not move, but he motioned with his other hand towards the flames as every one of the chains went straight for Obito, desperately attempting to beat and block the giant fireball that was hurtling towards the stranger. Kakashi's eyes went wide as he saw his opportunity. He charged forward at blinding speed, a fiery, white light crackling and screeching through the air, drowning out the cackling of the ravens that surrounded them. He pumped his legs harder, forcing his body to move faster than he had ever before as his feet barely touched the watery ground now as he came closer and closer to his target. The stranger was busy keeping Obito and Gai at bay and did not seem to notice Kakashi streaking towards him. Kakashi came within range of him and thrust his hand forward. The stranger pushed Gai away fiercely and attempted to grasp Kakashi's outstretched arm, the dark, grey chains still ripping out from under his skin. Kakashi concentrated on his target, driving himself forward with all his might, burying the screeching light into the man's chest. Kakashi could hear the man's breath leave him as Kakashi continued to drive the Chidori forward to the other side of the man's body, feeling the man's heart disintegrate in his hand. He continued charging forward, driving the man's body forcefully forward, bringing his arm completely out the other side of the man's back, the dark bandana falling from the man's eyes. He pressed his feet hard against the slippery ground and threw the man's body from his arm, the momentum carrying it hard against a tree as the body slumped to the ground face first in a heap of blood and flesh. The chains that had surrounded him fell limp and crumbled to ash on the ground and the flocks of ravens that surrounded them flew off away from the forest.

Kakashi breathed heavily, the hot air from his breath cooling into a smoke in the air. Gai and Obito joined on either side of him, surveying the scene. Most of the ANBU had been shredded and ripped to pieces, their blood slowly washing and diluting into the mud that had formed beneath them. Only seven of the original group remained. Tiara came up from behind Kakashi, cuts and abrasions littering her face where some of the birds had gotten to close. She placed a reassuring hand on Kakashi's shoulder which he squeezed back. Gai breathed a sigh of relief. "What was he," Gai asked. He didn't receive an answer, as Kakashi wasn't even sure. The entire group wore an expression of relief though, mixed with the shock of losing such a large number.

Kakashi relaxed his position, moving to the closest corpse, checking for any signs of life amongst the fallen. The rest did the same, checking pulses. Some had miraculously survived, though most of those would die soon. Kakashi punched the ground in frustration. "This many," he said aloud, "I should have been more careful. Dammit!" He looked up at Obito, looking for some kind of reassurance from his friend, but Obito's attention remained on the corpse of the stranger. His eyes were wide, and his mouth hung open in an expression of surprise and utter terror.

"Gai," Obito said, his voice shaking, "get back." Kakashi looked over towards the stranger's corpse. Gai was checking on a fallen ANBU in that direction. The corpse still lay face down on the ground, blood oozing slowly from the wound Kakashi had made. "GET BACK!" Gai looked up from his position, turning his back to the corpse of the stranger, shooting Obito a perplexed expression. Suddenly, a chain sprung forth from the ground, grabbing Gai by the leg and hurling him into the air, ramming him hard into the trunk of a tree with a gigantic crack. Blood shot from Gai's mouth and his body slumped motionless to the ground.

"What in the hell," said Kakashi as the corpse of the stranger began to move again. It rammed a hand hard into the muddy ground, followed by the other as he pushed himself back up. Brown mud slid from his face as he stared at them with completely white orbs that stood where his eyes should have been. He slowly got to his feet, the gaping wound still prominent in his chest. The stranger groaned slightly as he stood up, the muddy water dripping slowly from his body, his pale skin coming through again.

The stranger felt down his torso until his fingers reached the still bleeding hole in his chest. He placed both hands slowly over the wound, covering it completely. Kakashi watched in horror as the blood began to seep back into the wound. Bone began to reform, his ribcage and sternum slowly reforming themselves, a new beating heart encased within them. Muscle began to form over that, until finally the skin regeneratedleaving a giant gap in the clothing where Kakashi's hand pierced through.

Kakashi was frozen, his mind in utter shock. He wanted to run from this man, run as far as possible, but his legs refused to respond. Corpses of his fallen comrades slowly seeped farther and farther into the mud, the earth welcoming them back into its bosom. "Holy shit," came Obito's shaky voice from behind them. Kakashi's breathing was becoming sporadic, his heart beating like a jackhammer, shooting the ice cold fear throughout his body.

"That's impossible," he said aloud, wanting his words to come true, "no one can heal that kind of wound." He quickly shot himself back to his senses, but began to back away slowly, his mind quickly racing for some type of answer to this phenomenon. 'It must a genjutsu of some sort,' thought Kakashi, 'but then Obito would see it. Maybe it's an odd bunshin, but still, Obito's Sharingan…what the hell is this thing.'

The stranger raised a single hand slowly into the air, a chain still connected to the shredded skin around it. It shot forward towards Kakashi, bearing down upon as it whistled and clinked in the storm that had enveloped him. Kakashi back flipped away, but the chain caught him by the ankle in midair, hurling him high into the air. He contorted his body, driving a kunai against the hard steel with a loud clang. It only succeeded in dulling the kunai as he dangled in the air by one leg. His mind raced again, searching desperately for an answer. He began to perform the seals for the Chidori again, readying his attack in hopes that it would cut the chain. His hand burst to life as the chakra sprung forth from it. He drove his fingers against the chain hard, and it contorted and twisted against his hand, responding lifelike, as if it was actually feeling pain. The chain released Kakashi and allowed him to fall to the ground as it quickly retracted beneath the stranger's skin, burrowing deep into his body. The skin from which it penetrated outward began resmoothing itself as the blood seeped back into the wound. Panic was beginning to overtake Kakashi as he realized the magnitude of the situation. Here stood an enemy that showed no visible means of defeat. Its wounds healed quickly, and it seemed like there was no way to defeat it. He had never felt like this before, helpless, against a force he did not recognize and did not know how to beat. Kakashi's brain froze, his mind no longer processing rational thought. He could not think. He allowed the kunai to slip from his fingertips to hit the cold ground with a wet thud. His eyes went wide, like a beast before a hunter, knowing its time had come.

Out of the corner of his eye something was moving past him, driving itself forward towards the stranger. It was odd how the stranger never moved his head or eyes to follow the shape but instead stood perfectly still. Tiara came up from behind him, jumping high into the air, a long katana above her head ready to cleave the stranger in two. The stranger still did nothing, it was almost as if he didn't see Tiara coming towards him or didn't bother to care. She yelled a warcry as she came down upon the stranger, but he sidestepped her attack with amazing speed, his legs resteadying themselves and propelling his body towards Tiara. Kakashi watched as the stranger's hand encased Tiara's head completely, his long, bony fingers clamped vice-like against the side of her head. He brought his other hand to his lips in an odd seal, closed his eyes and began chanting something softly. Tiara brought the blade back up to slice the stranger's arm off, but she stopped suddenly mid swing. Her entire body convulsed sporadically, and the sword dropped from her hands. Her body twitched and shuddered as the stranger's lips moved faster, uttering some strange lyric repeatedly, his words too soft to hear. Suddenly, Tiara's body went limp and slumped on her knees. The stranger caught her in his arms and cradled her limp body in his hands, turning his back to Kakashi…Kakashi…Kakashi

"Kakashi," came the voice again. A hand gently closed on Kakashi's shoulder, shaking him slightly. Kakashi's senses sent him into full alert, his mind still enveloped in his memories as he threw the arm off of him and slammed the figure into the doors of the hotel, shuddering the building itself. Tsunade winced painfully before kicking Kakashi off her hard into the snow, skidding his body across it. The pain in his stomach brought Kakashi back to reality as he looked with surprise at Tsunade, who was coughing loudly, her hand clenched around her throat. "What the hell was that for," she said, her voice becoming enraged again.

"I…um…" stammered Kakashi. He felt ashamed of himself, allowing his emotions to grip him so hard. "I'm sorry," he said finally, coming back to his old self, "It's…it's been a hard day."

"This isn't like you Kakashi," said Tsunade, some of the anger in her voice being replaced with concern, "are you alright?"

"I'm fine," he said regaining his usual lackadaisical composure, "I'm just tired. I haven't had a good night sleep in a while." Tsunade stared at Kakashi, a look of utter confusion on her face, mixed with apprehension He began to walk away, looking towards his room in the distance.

"I don't know what happened back there Kakashi," yelled Tsunade after him, "but it shouldn't interfere with your duties. I'm going need your help." Kakashi waved a hand back at her but refused to turn around. The shame of losing himself like that still bore within him, along with the shame and feeling of helplessness he felt back then. He continued to walk under the night sky, as sleet began to rain down on top of him, turning the snow into a dark slush.

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"C'mon Kimiko," said the largest ANBU, "we've checked and rechecked this spot a hundred times. What the hell are you looking for?" They had just reached what remained of Daibuken. A heavy sleet was beginning to cover the remains of the town and any chance they had of catching their suspect.

"Anything we've missed," Kimiko yelled back at him, "I've got too strong a lead to just give up on this now. The Raikage said we should recheck this area, and if you don't trust my judgment, you should trust his." Her long hair was frozen to her back, and her ANBU mask was beginning to grow heavy as more of the sleet stuck to it. She had taken only three from her team with her, fearful of what the Raikage had said before of an internal faction seeking to tear down the Hidden Cloud. She had been careful only to take her closest ANBU, those she could really trust in a situation like this. She prowled amongst some debris as she heard the grumblings of her comrades behind her. She wandered through the house they had found the little girl in; all that remained of it was a black, pile of burnt debris. She down at the broken, cellar door they had found Megumi under, quivering in fear. She always felt horrible for that girl, growing up in the world with everything that had been hers taken away in a single instant. Kimiko shoved the thought from her mind and continued on, looking for any clues to the perpetrators of the crime. She looked past the cellar door towards two large holes farther back in the house. It looked like those two spots had been broken down into. She shined a small light on the holes, and something glimmered back at her. She went closer to the farthest hole and looked down at the cragged wood. Attached to one of the sharp splinters, something red was glimmering back at her, reflecting the light off perfectly. She picked up the small piece of red from the splinter and held it closer to her eyes. It was very small, and had an odd scaly design on it that Kimiko had never seen before. She pocketed it quickly before returning to find her comrades.

"Tseng, Jirobe, I found something," she yelled out to them, but no answer came back to her. "Tseng, Jirobe," she said louder, still no answer. She walked closer to where they had stood last time. She shone a light in the direction of the debris they had been previously working on as it shone slowly across a red stream that slowly trickled into the snow. She traced the small flow back to the bodies of her comrades, both of them staring lifeless up at the sky as blood dribble down the sides of their masks. Kimiko's eyes went wide and her heart began to race. She dropped the light immediately and pulled a long sword from her back, her eyes searching for any signs of movement. She heard something land against the snow behind her, and she turned around to see another ANBU behind her, a red streak running down a sword he carried across his back, small droplets of blood coming off the tip to slowly hit the ground. Suddenly, several other ANBU appeared around her, all bearing the Hidden Cloud insignia. 'What the hell,' she thought. "What's the meaning of this," she yelled. She looked around her as seven ANBU she did not recognize closed in around her, drawing weapons as they stepped slowly towards her.

"Nothing personal dear," said the one in front of her, "but we can't allow one person to ruin something that has taken us so long to accomplish. So sorry." They charged forward, their weapons drawn, ready to tear Kimiko to shreds…

A/N: Thanks for the many reviews I've received. I have surpassed 200, so I guess I'm in some special, nonexistant club or something. Thanks for all the support. I'm entering this story in a type of fanfiction contest because, well, I'm a press whore. Anyway, the contest is at for the fun of it. I don't know if it's posted up yet, but we'll see. Thanks again to all the reviewers, and hope you enjoyed this chapter.