Warning: implied loss of body parts and canon-typical violence.
The rain patters down, seeping into collars and plastering hair against ANBU masks. Uncomfortable and sodden, even Sakumo and Rin are chilled down to their ethereal bones. The five ANBU press on with their rescue mission nonetheless, heading towards the Western borderlands of Fire Country where their target is supposedly camped.
There is an extra man on the mission: Tiger. He is here to assess Kakashi's team, ensuring that they are up to par before approving them for futher missions. Coincidentally - or not - it is the same man who had played Danzou's messenger before. Sakumo had been surprised to recognise his mask, and so had been Kakashi.
At the head of their formation, the silver-haired ANBU's hand shoots out, fist clenched: "stop".
Sakumo looks on ahead and spots what Kakashi had seen. It is a small bonfire, sputtering miserably under the protection of a discoloured tarp. Four miserable looking men are huddled around it, rubbing their chilled hands and eating soggy rations. Their shinobi-made armour displays no hint of their allegiances, but judging from their weapons and their dress, they are well trained mercenaries.
Kakashi's team settles down a distance away to observe, and Sakumo and Rin sneak into the camp itself to have a better look. "Eep!" Rin lets out a stifled cry when she stumbles upon what seems to be a decapitated head. A closer look confirms that it is not anything so macabre— the poor man has been buried neck deep in the ground courtesy of a Doton, but his head is thankfully still attached to his shoulders. "It's Tonbo!" Rin exclaims.
It is indeed the missing T&I nin whom they had been looking for, the one who had disappeared while on a mission. Yet, it seems that they may not be getting their chuunin rescuee back in one piece. There are bloodied bandages wrapped over his eyes, and as Sakumo reaches out, the burning of the captive's fever warms even his hand. Inoichi would be devastated to find his subordinate miamed, if the young man did not die from infection or exposure first.
The rain soaks dirt into watery mud, nearly obscuring the explosive tags that have been arranged around the chuunin. The water should have rendered the tags useless, but whoever set these up had taken care to waterproof them with a thin layer of wax. Sakumo grimaces as he examines the array. Anyone who tries to dig the chuunin out with a hasty Doton will find themselves losing a limb or two in the ensuing blast. The chuunin is bait— perhaps they hoped to capture another nin to torture and interrogate. Information goes for a high price on the black market; it is more than enough incentive for mercenary groups to come up with such machinations.
Rin crouches beside the trapped shinobi in an attempt to catch the sounds of his shallow, ragged breaths before they are drowned by the pattering rain. She soothes her hand across his damp forehead, using a little of her chakra to ease his fever.
When they head back to Kakashi and his team, the latter are already engaged in a silent argument filled with the rapid flutter of hands. "Denied," Tiger is signing. "Hound is too valuable."
Kakashi's hands clenches in a hard fist as he signs back "no". He must have used his Sharingan to examine the exploding tags, because he quickly follows up with "The trap is complicated. I will go."
"Denied," Tiger signs again, flicking his fingers out to show the palm of his gloved hand. The tension grows uncomfortable as Tiger and Hound stare at each other unblinkingly. Technically, Tiger is the superior authority here, but Kakashi is the captain of his team.
"I will do it," Mitsuo volunteers. "I know how to and I'm not valuable."
Kakashi turns sharply to him but before he can say anything, Tiger signs "approved".
"OK," Kakashi replies after a distinct, displeased pause. His fingers spit raindrops as they flick rapidly through the signs. "We will speak later," he tells Tiger, before asking "all OK?" to the rest of the team.
When an unanimous affirmative comes back, Kakashi nods and gives the signal to proceed. "GO."
The team splits up to take up their positions around the perimeter, ready to close in on the camp once Kakashi gives the signal.
Sakumo can make a guess as to why Kakashi is unhappy. The talk of "value" had rubbed Sakumo the wrong way too. It is one thing to assign roles based on capability, and quite another to do so based on the "value" a shinobi, as if they are commodities on a market.
But at the same time, sometimes missions demanded that such calculations be made.
There are two objectives to their current mission: the rescue of one Tobitake Tonbo and the protection of T&I information. The latter was a euphemism. If one cannot protect the information, then the other options is to destroy the source of it. Just like Hawk, Tonbo would be eliminated for the sake of Konoha too. If rescue had not been explicitly stated as an objective, Sakumo doubts Tiger would be willing to risk ANBU agents to recover a mere chuunin.
The wail of Chidori snaps Sakumo out of his thoughts. Beside him, Rin tenses as blue light fills clearing, her face becoming pale as the screeching of electricity is joined by the sputter of burning flesh. "Don't look," Sakumo murmurs, reaching out to turn her by the shoulder. His brow knits in concern when he realises that she's shaking.
"Sorry," she whispers, eyes wide as she looks up at Sakumo. "I... I don't know why I'm like this. I was fine before."
'The forests are much too similar,' Sakumo thinks, but he doesn't knows better than to remind her of the fact. Instead, he pulls her into a hug and allows her to rest her head against his chest. "It's okay. It happens."
The Chidori splutters out and he looks up to find Kakashi and Tiger each fighting an enemy nin, while Yugao and Kou take on the remaining one. Mitsuo is carefully undoing the seals around Tonbo, each hand seal requiring the entirety of his concentration.
After a few tense moments, Sakumo glad to tell Rin that the poor T&I chuunin has been unearthed. "Great!" she exclaims shakily, already pulling away to help Tonbo, but Sakumo holds her back.
"Rest a while," he suggests gently, "at least until the fight is over and we're on our way back. They're doing fine."
She wavers, but caves. "Alright."
Unfortunately, that is when it all goes to hell. Just as Yugao pins down their opponent with a sword through the chest, a blur darts from the treeline and barrels into Kou. The newcomer knocks the ANBU down hard enough to leave him wheezing, and the gleam of steel is the only warning before he strikes, fast as a snake.
"Puma!" Mitsuo shouts from across the clearing, slapping his hands into a seal in a desperate attempt to reach Kou with his shadow jutsu, but—
Yugao screams, throwing herself between her stunned teammate and the blade, and intercepting the blow with a screech of metal against metal. Mitsuo's lines of shadows crash into the enemy nin a moment later, immobilising him as Yugao impales him through the stomach.
The Nara lets his shaking hands drop, his breath rasping with effort. "W-Whoa..."
"Lynx! Behind!" Kou croaks.
Distracted, Mitsuo turns in time only to catch a heavy blow to the chest. He's sent flying into a tree, cracking his head so hard on the trunk that he collapses immediately, like a doll with its strings cut.
"Oi, Lynx!"
"Hang on!" Rin shouts even though they can't hear her, already darting towards the fallen ANBU. A quick spark of Raiton from the older Hatake causes Mitsuo's attacker to stumble, buying just enough time for Kou to leap in and shield Tonbo's slumped form.
Rin falls on her knees beside Mitsuo, cupping her hands to the back of his skull. There's an alarming streak of blood smeared on the tree. "Stay alive," she mutters as her hands glow green. "Mitsuo-san, I can only help you so much!"
Time seems to stretch as the rest of the team finishes off the remaining mercenaries and gather around Mitsuo and Tonbo. Kakashi joins Rin beside the fallen Nara, the scent of burnt flesh lingering on him making her gag and turn away, her hands clasped against her chest. Sakumo grasps her shoulder worriedly, steadying her.
With a deepening frown at Mitsuo, Kakashi begins to snap out their final orders. "Ocelot, check the perimeter. Do not engage if there are any enemies left. Puma, take Tonbo. Tiger, help me get Lynx on my back without moving his neck. We'll meet back in Konoha."
"I see," Hiruzen says neutrally when Kakashi finishes reporting the mission's details. "Let's hope that both Tobitake-san and Lynx will both pull through. I will expect a full written report as usual. Tiger?"
"I will submit my written report through the usual channels," the other man replies. Hiruzen nods.
"Very well. Kakashi, if you could stay for a bit."
Knowing a dismissal when he hears one, Tiger bows and leaves, closing the door softly behind him.
"Kakashi, I was surprised to hear that you attended the last clan meeting," Hiruzen says, tapping at his pipe idly as he looks at Kakashi curiously. Kakashi stares back expressionlessly, his hands clasped behind his back. Neither of them seems deterred by the fact that Kakashi is still covered in the filth of the mission.
"Yes, Hokage-sama."
Hiruzen inclines his head. "That seat was always meant for you. I'm glad you're making use of it and I'm sure your father would have been proud."
The stony look in Kakashi's eye doesn't change. "Yes, sir."
"Is there something I should know?" Hiruzen verbally prods, but Kakashi remains unmoved. "I had not realised that you were familiar with Danzou."
'And there lies the problem,' Sakumo thinks, unimpressed. 'You good friend has been doing a great many things and you have not realised.'
"We spoke," Kakashi replies. "I wanted the Hatake seat and Danzou-san has been helpful in that regard."
Understanding that Kakashi is not going to offer anymore information, Hirzuen sighs. "Very well. I know you will make good use of your vote, Kakashi."
The young Hatake bows. "Hokage-sama."
Despite Kakashi's well-known dislike for hospitals, he joins the rest of his team to wait for Mitsuo. Under the pale green light of the "in progress" sign over the operating room's entrance, the ANBU team keep their nerves under control by quietly writing out their reports. Tiger has gone who knows where, but Kakashi's remaining team members are loath to even leave to use the shower facilities a few floors down. Rin stands outside the operating room as well, her eyes on the closed doors as if debating whether she should go in.
"Come sit," Sakumo says, eyes crinkling sympathetically as he waves her over. "You've done all you can for him, Rin."
She gives him a wobbly smile. "I know."
They are not alone in that corridor. Tonbo is in one of the operating rooms further down, and there are members of the T&I perched on the edges of their chairs. Inoichi and Ibiki had both come by earlier, offering their gratitude to Kakashi's team as they did.
Thankfully, the head surgeon for Mitsuo emerges soon after their reports are completed, with a smile to her face. "The surgery was successful," she announces to the relief of Kakashi and his team. "If no further issues crop up, a few days of observation should be sufficient, followed by several weeks off duty. Please be mindful that he does have a concussion, broken ribs and fractured spine, though. He will need his rest."
"Thank you," Kakashi says, voice thick with emotion as he bows. "We will be relying on you." Kou and Yugao follow with murmurs of the same, the latter struggling to keep back tears as she did.
The med-nin returns the bow. "Please take care, ANBU-san."
A/N: Have a good week, everyone! :)