Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto
"Why don't you enlighten me?"
The bartender regarded Kakashi for a moment before setting the glass he had been cleaning down. Kakashi dryly noted that he had been cleaning that same glass for a while now. As if his mind was preoccupied with something.
"Not here, she could be watching," he whispered ominously as his eyes darted around the fine establishment. It was as if he were paranoid and Kakashi sensed he was not far from the truth.
"She?" he decided not to risk asking about it while they were still here. The man led the jounin to the back of the building and Kakashi kept his guard up just in case it was a trap.
" So..." Kakashi tried starting but he was immediately cut off.
"I'm risking a lot just by associating with you. If she finds out..." he paused as he looked around the surrounding area. Kakashi could not sense any external presence and looked at the man before him.
"She won't," the copy ninja affirmed even without knowing who this female was. It was clear though, that she was someone of relative importance to what was happening.
The man gulped and decided to speak, for he knew that his life expectancy had just dropped. He was making a sacrifice for the rest of his village and he hoped others would be saved because of it.
"Kimiko Karatachi. That is her name, though she is generally referred to by Lady Kimiko,"
"Wait, Karatachi as in..." Kakashi interrupted as the man finished for him.
"Indeed, the family name of the former Mizukage Yagura Karatachi," Kakashi noted the keyword former, making him wonder what had happened.
"Since the unfortunate incident of Yosuga pass years ago and the war waged by the Kaguya clan, the village had been in a state of unrest, and in this time, Yagura came to power,"
Kakashi nodded as he listened. He remembered the incident of Yosuga pass and Iwa's subsequent betrayal of Kiri. He had also heard of the Kaguya clan and their bloodthirsty ways and how they were
mercilessly crushed by the Bloody Mist.
"His days were plagued by corruption and many shinobi defected from our ranks. Eventually, he came to pass the bloodline limit act, mass genocide of our people. The rebels consisted of kekkei Genkai users and a few others who fought for their rights as humans. The civil war was one that would have plagued our land for years to come had it not been for her,"
Kakashi took note of how the man said the word with such disdain and loathing. She had been the one to stop all the fighting from what he heard and yet this man hated her. Something was up.
"Kimiko Karatachi, the distant cousin of Yagura and the only one close enough at all times to actually succeed in killing him and that she did..."
" So the rebels were the victors..."
"...Along with both factions of the civil war,"
"What?" the copy ninja choked out.
"We were foolish to believe her. We thought she was a messiah simply because she had ended the life of her tyrannical relative. We failed to see through her facade. It was only days later that she met with the rebel faction. It's unclear as to what happened that day but it's safe to say that she has a hidden power that was enough to kill over hundreds alone. It was then that we realized she was even worse,"
"So it's safe for me to assume that this woman is Mizukage now," Kakashi said.
The bartender nodded while Kakashi collected his thoughts.
"I'll have to do some digging into this just to make sure. Still, what kind of person has the power to kill over hundreds of kekkei Genkai users. I'll have to rule off her using the sanbi, someone surely would have seen it,"
Kakashi was suddenly brought back to reality as the man went down on his knees.
"Please help us, we can't live like this. I have a daughter,"
"Listen, I'll do best but I'm not promising anything. There are bigger powers at play here," "Though l doubt she was working alone,"
"Thank you, it's all l ask,"
Kakashi nodded as he turned. "It's best you go the other way. We don't need to be seen with each other after this. You've risked enough," with that the copy ninja vanished away.
The bartender nodded and turned away. He had barely taken a step went his body froze up. A sudden pain shot through his body and black and red curse-like writing covered his skin.
He coughed and hacked, blood rushing out as he did. "This is...was she watching the whole time?! But how, we were alone,"
"No one is ever truly alone in my village, I see everything,"
"Ketsueki hōshutsu: Seirai no shōhi,"
.
.
.
Kakashi traversed the sewer system like a pro, wondering whether he should be proud of that skill or aghast at even having it.
He soon found the opening he was looking for and popped out from under the horrible-smelling drainage system. This particular route had led him to one of the larger cylindrical buildings in the village, one he hoped had what he wanted.
Putting on the standard Kiri mask, he walked in, making sure to hide his presence. He had to take into account the fact that he was heavily outgunned.
He avoided all interactions and quietly made his way to the vault containing all the documents regarding the activity of the Mist village. He gripped the handle cautiously.
"No protection, how strange," he didn't like that little fact. He made his way in and closed the door behind him. He let his lone eye scan the area before he was certain he was alone.
The jounin quickly moved to the far side of the room and began his search through the Kiri documents. He limited his search to only as far back as two months ago.
Most of it lined up with what he had been told. He came upon the latest file, one that was marked as top secret though really, it should have been kept more secure. His facial expression conveyed shock as he read through it. It was not a recorded event but a journal of sorts, one he could only assume this Kimiko woman had personally written.
"Why do horrible people have such great handwriting?" it was the wrong question to be asking at the moment.
The journal contained details of her future plans, of her impending conquests in the far East towards the sky village and Lock village. In fact, it seemed as though she intended to claim everything to Kiri's east as her acquisition. This would all be before finally setting her sights on the West, Konoha's direction.
Realization seemed to dawn on him and he knew he had to get back to the Hokage with this information. It was clear she was amassing an army. He placed his mask back on and scurried off. He needed the shortest route out of Kiri immediately and so he found himself in the sewers once more.
He moved with urgency, an unsettling feeling creeping into his bones. He rounded one of the corners and found himself face to face with someone else.
"I didn't even sense them," he realized as the person was still concealed by the shadows. A woman, he realized though and he hoped it was not who he suspected.
"Hatake Kakashi, even with two masks, it's impossible to hide from me. Frankly, it amuses me that you even tried," she told him, her velvety voice cutting through the tense atmosphere. Kakashi narrowed his eyes at her, remembering the man's earlier statement.
"Not here, she could be watching,"
"You've been watching me since then huh," he said as he revealed his face and she shook her head.
"No," she said as she stepped into the light. "I've had my eye on you from the very moment you stole those clothes and entered my village,"
She was young, he realized, twenty-seven if he had to guess. Eerie amethyst eyes looked at him, almost gazing at his soul. Black hair descended her back and there was a certain air about her.
"Then why let me come this far?"
"It's simple. I used you so l could see all the weak points within the village. You've been very useful to me,"
"That still doesn't explain how she could see me all this time. Is it a sensory jutsu that works by range?" he asked himself.
"It isn't, not really," she said and he narrowed his eyes. How had she known what he was thinking?
"Mine is not a sensory type jutsu but simply a kekkei genkai of its own. Ketsueki hōshutsu, an ability that centers around the individual's blood. To put it in simple terms, everyone within this village unknowingly has my blood running through their veins, allowing me to see what they do. You were never truly alone,"
"Then l suppose you're a hypocrite for killing your own kind,"
"If you want to shine like the sun, first you must burn like it," she replied.
Kakashi stepped back, wondering how to play his cards. She had revealed so much about her technique yet it still gave him nothing as to what she could do combat-wise.
"Wait, how did she get her blood inside everyone and how can one person have so much?"
"My blood can also act as a poison, killing those l choose, such as the man you conversed with," she told him indifferently.
"I see, so he's dead,"
"He was dead the moment he saw you walk in. I was the one who fed you that information. You can't be sure which of it is actually true now can you," she smiled and it made a shiver run down his spine. She made him afraid. Beauty like hers was not meant to be on this side of the coin.
"This is bad, I need to get out of here," he realized and his feet took off. Kimiko watched him run off before setting her hands on a preferred seal of her choice.
"Ketsueki hōshutsu: Umaretsuki no hoshoku-sha,"
Blood like hounds formed and began the chase and Kakashi wondered if she had done that on purpose just to taunt him, dogs were his thing. Kakashi did not want to risk fighting. While he was sure he could put up a fight, he was not willing to see who would win. Konoha and the rest of the world needed to be warned.
He increased his pace and tried to find another route out. He revealed his Sharingan and turned quickly.
"Doton: maddou-oru,"
The mudwall appeared and blocked the path of the hounds, only for the things to change form into flowing liquid. They quickly reformed on the other side of the wall and continued with their pursuit.
He wanted to avoid any confrontation and so, he pulled out a kunai with an explosive tag attached to it. He was ready to release it when he felt her presence. He had made a fatal mistake. He had lost sight of the enemy.
Kimiko's hand shot out, her pointer finger and middle finger brought close together as she aimed for his eye. The sharingan allowed him to see the movement and he ducked. Her fingers scraped his forehead, a bit of blood gushing.
"Her movements right now. I didn't sense her till she was already there. I got lucky,"
He landed with a thud as the tag went off, causing the sewer system to collapse as it separated them. Kakashi took his chance and ran off.
From the other end of the sewers, Kimiko turned just in time to see a vortex open up next to her
"Madara," she said as she looked at him. She didn't like him but he was a strong ally and for that reason alone she would keep him around.
"Tell me, why did you allow him to leave?" he sounded livid but she ignored him in favor of casting her final jutsu.
"Ketsueki hōshutsu: saku hasu,"
"Madara" raised an eyebrow though the mask prevented her from seeing it. He was intrigued. The last time he had seen this jutsu being used, it had been on a much larger scale. The blooming bloody lotus.
"Don't tell me..."
"That scratch was enough. Kakashi Hatake is just another drone now. He'll give the leaf what l want him to and will be my sleeper agent. Excuse me," she walked past him.
Obito disliked how she disregarded him all the time. She didn't even fear him. In fact, he was sure she was annoyed by him, but she needed him. Begrudgingly though, he knew he needed her more than she needed him. At least for now.