Just a quick scene to expand on Kakashi's Land of Snow ANBU flashback. Ties in with chapter 49, but again, you don't have to read this to understand the main story. I'm not entirely sure whether Kakashi's mask has ever been canonically stated - I've seen Dog, Hound, Wolf etc - but I went with Wolf.
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At first Wolf thinks they have been spotted.
It is, after all, a reasonable assumption. They are foreigners here, spies and scouts, looking for information that is kept under tight lock and key. Kazahana castle, according to both reports and their preliminary analysis, was a peaceful place with only the barest of guards. Any deviation in that routine could be laid at their feet.
But Wolf is confidant in his abilities and those of his ANBU team. It is laughable to think they have been spotted. They have not been targeted or chased. The 'response' is neither localised where they going or where they have been.
Therefore, the Snow ninja are here for another reason. What that reason is, he doesn't know, but for now his team still has the advantage of secrecy.
"Let's go," he murmurs, whisper soft. They're in too far to retreat without notice, and there are ninja by the dozen swarming the entrance doors. Their mission is purely an information gathering one, and with no explanation he is reluctant to get involved. They do not know who, or why, or how many or how strong… too many variables. Too much unknown.
They are as ghosts through the halls, but it does not last. The first Snow ninja that comes across them dies with surprise still etched on his face. The second does not last much longer. The third manages to scream. The fourth casts a jutsu and Wolf dodges the shards of ice with contemptuous ease.
"Things are starting to burn," Bear says, the subtle tilt of his mask that means he is sniffing the air.
Wolf had noticed it too. The sharp arid tang of burning wood. It isn't moving fast yet, but it will. Fire is like that. Raw. Consuming.
"The east exit," he says. That will be the direction that gives them the most chance of getting away. Sheer cliffs and winding roads. The furtherest from the new comers. They have already been this way, searching for the Daimyo's hidden inventions.
They move.
Something catches his attention as they pass through the halls. It could be the scent of blood, the way that light catches on the mirrors, the muffled chakra or light breathing… any and all of those things could catch his attention, but something does.
Kakashi hasn't survived this long - as a ninja, as Wolf - by ignoring his instincts.
He changes direction, the team following wordlessly, faithfully.
The princess is crouched behind the shattered mirrors, sobbing. The Daimyo's dead body sprawled across the ground.
"The princess," Bird says, a note of breathy wonder in her voice.
An assassination or rebellion… something of the sort clearly. The Daimyo is dead.
The Land of Snow is not their ally. They have no obligation to the princess. None at all.
He is Wolf. He has more blood to his name than most people could fathom. Has been a ninja longer than the rest of his team put together. He is a naked blade, an assassin by name and choice and necessity.
But something in his chest aches.
He remembers being six and standing over his fathers dead body, feeling only the emptiness he can see reflected in her eyes.
"We'll take the princess with us," he says, some half formed plan stirring in his head. She'll slow them down, prevent them from fulfilling their mission. It will be difficult…
But no one protests. There is a slump in Bird's shoulders that says she is relieved.
And now that the decision has been made, he must get the girl. Awkwardly, he crosses the room. "Princess."
She flinches, stares at him. "Chichi-ue," she whimpers.
Brr, ANBU, a half remembered voice floats through his head. Obito. Obito had always had something to say. Their masks creep me out so much.
Wolf - Kakashi - flicks the visage of the snarling wolf to the side. Against code, against all mission directives, but he doesn't care. "Princess, you must come with us."
She doesn't protest, beyond making the same small sounds of distress, so he takes it as acceptance, lifting her bodily. Awkward and ungainly and it will slow him down. She is still crying, and clearly, secrecy is no longer an option. But he wants to save her. Wants to save her so badly.
They almost manage to clear the castle. But of course it wont be that easy.
"Leaf ninja," the man says. "How… interesting."
There are three of them. Jounin ranked. Not enough to cause him pause, if he hadn't been burdened. He slides the princess down, but there is no safe place to put her. The fire is spreading and the corridors are thin and cramped.
"The princess… yes, we were ordered to find her," the Snow ninja continues. He smirks. "Nadare Rouga, at your service."
Kakashi's ANBU team doesn't reply, sliding into a well practiced attack sequence. The chakra absorbing properties of the chakra armour aren't a surprise, but are still a nasty hindrance. It's been too many years since Kakashi has had to protect something helpless instead of just killing and his tactics are all wrong. Ice shoots up everywhere, crystals and pillars and one catches the princess and holds her within. He hesitates for a fraction of a second, torn between the desire to save her and the fight.
It is only a second, because at heart he is a killer.
He strikes the mans head from his shoulders and the ice fractures and breaks.
"Captain," Tiger says. "We'll finish up here. You take the princess and go."
They are a good team. They are uninjured. The opposition has not been strong so far. There is no reason to believe they will not.
He gathers the princess and leaves, dodging parting shots from the Snow ninja and hearing the clang and clash of battle fade behind him. He spares a single parting glance and sees his team strong and powerful, holding their own.
It is the last time he ever sees them.