Stifling a yawn, Kakashi rubbed his weary, half-lidded eyes. Out the window, the first few stray rays of the dawning sun helped to illuminate the room slightly through the blinds as the industrial light bulb swallowed everything in its blinding light.
Kakashi would have thought that being trapped in a room with a curvy boss and her cuter assistant would have been just one of the many fantastical dreams he had slumbered into after staying awake far too long reading Make out Paradise for the umpteenth time. But instead, he could barely stay awake, even in the wild luminosity of the office.
Crack!
Wood splintered under an angered fist. "Are you listening to this, Kakashi?" an irritated voice matched the aggressive action.
His vision cleared and he was met with the Hokage's intense stare that gave away her desire to use Kakashi as a punching bag. Behind her shoulder, the none-too-subtle glare from her aide.
But Kakashi was too tired, so all he could offer in response was a slight nodding of his head. Tsunade huffed, leaning back into her chair. Her arms crossed, accentuating her enormous bust whilst she pouted. Despite the clear fact that she had been up all night, her face was perfectly smooth and full of youthful vigour. Shizune glanced at her mentor worryingly, before returning her gaze to Kakashi, clearly unimpressed.
Shrugging his shoulders, Kakashi spoke. "So, you want me to travel to the Hidden Cloud to check on their progress with the Tailed Beasts?"
Looking up at him, Tsunade hummed her confirmation. "Annoyingly, they have been pretty slow to correspond with the rest of the Hidden Villages so the pressure that the other Kage have put on us is forcing me to send one of our best out of the Land of Fire" she complained. Drumming her fingers on the desk, she eyed Kakashi with the hope that he understood her concerns.
"And who do you plan on assigning me to help with this mission?" he asked. Thinking about it, Kakashi was hoping for some of the more experienced of his comrades to join him, maybe Yamato or someone like him.
Shizune lowered her head to check out her clipboard. "Well, we can't spare Yamato to join you since he has his own mission to help capture the Tailed Beasts we intend to use. That being said, we can send Sai along with one othe—"
Behind Kakashi, the door swung open with a deafening shriek. "I'm coming too!" a rough bark cut Shizune off.
Kakashi craned his neck to look back. "Good morning, Kiba" he curled a finger behind the fluffy ear of the giant hound that nuzzled against his leg. "And hello to you too, Akamaru"
Clearly annoyed, Shizune stamped her foot. "Who goes on this mission isn't for you to decide, Kiba!"
Thankfully for Kiba, Shizune quickly became distracted by Akamaru as he stalked towards Tonton who poked out from behind Shizune. Akamaru's tongue bounced as he panted heavily whilst his eyes narrowed on the Hokage's pet pig. Shizune scooped up Tonton just as Akamaru began sniffing the air around her.
"I don't mind if Kiba joins us" Kakashi said.
"And when did that decision become yours to make, Kakashi"
He turned towards an unimpressed Tsunade raising an eyebrow at her. "Well, I just thought that having a detection ninja like Kiba here would be useful" he explained, scratching the back of his head.
"That…" Tsunade yawned. "… sounds reasonable enough"
Shizune opened her mouth to protest, but the words died in her throat when Tsunade raised her hand. With the same hand, Tsunade shooed Kakashi and Kiba away.
As they headed through the empty streets, Kakashi watched Kiba. The last time he had seen him was when he had stumbled home drunk. Now, Kakashi had always thought that Kiba had acted more wildly than the other members of his students' class, except for Naruto maybe, but recently, Kiba seemed to act more like an animal than his partner. His eyes, once filled with the joys of freedom, now carried an insane glint as they darted around. Kakashi was tempted to ask him if he was actually able to keep his head for the mission, but his attention was drawn to the front gate, along with the shinobi waiting for them there.
Leaning against the wall with a pad and pen, Sai seemed completely engrossed in his art to notice Kakashi and Kiba walking towards him.
"Morning, Sai" Kiba waved at his comrade. Startled, Sai almost dropped his art supplies before he composed himself and gave them a smile.
With all their own supplies checked, Kakashi and Sai and Kiba all donned their robes to cover up for the journey ahead.
"Wait!"
All three shinobi stopped to turn towards the source of their departure's interruption.
Kiba let out a growl. "What are you doing here?" the familiar face stopped in their tracks.
"I'm coming with you" she pleaded.
Groaning, Kakashi held his hands up. "I don't think that's a good idea, Kurenai"
She whined. "Please, Kakashi" a desperate pout affixed her lips.
"What about Mirai? Don't you need to take care of her?"
"I left her with Anko, and I'm sure Guy and the others can help to look after her, so it's fine, right?" Kurenai took a step towards the group.
Kakashi looked at his comrades. "What do you guys think?" he asked. Frustratingly, Sai only gave him a bright smile. Not helpful. And Kiba cleared his throat and began to speak.
But before he could protest, Kurenai brought herself closer to him. Leaning forwards, she presented him with an innocent expression along with a pleading grasp on his hand. Speechless, Kiba's gaze was torn between trying to avoid her sparkling ruby stare and her soft palms that held his paw in between them. He squirmed under her silent pressure until he finally couldn't take it anymore.
"Kurenai-sensei should… come with us" he said reluctantly.
The kunoichi then proceeded to turn her vibrant eyes onto Kakashi, who didn't see any use in arguing. "Fine" he gestured for the four of them to leave. And so, the group headed towards the early dawn's rays.
They made their way through the Land of Fire, with Sai and Kakashi up front and Kiba and Kurenai covering the back of the formation. As they passed through each of the smaller towns and villages throughout the nation, Kakashi couldn't help but notice more and more of the wanted posters plastering the streetlights and notice boards. The details were pretty much identical to the ones in the bingo book that each shinobi carried with them.
However, the first time that they came across the posters around noon, Kakashi didn't fail to notice the expressions of his companions. The most obvious was Kiba's reaction, since he was already watching out for it. The Inuzuka shinobi's mouth frothed as he stared at two posters in particular. With bright blond locks that practically jumped off the paper, Kiba growled as he looked upon the face of his former friend and comrade in their troublemaking youth. The bounty, that was listed below his picture, was easily the largest amount of money that had ever been offered as a reward. Kiba read the words at the top of the poster. 'Dead or Alive'. His onyx pupils darted to the next poster. With his lips trembling, he whimpered. Behind him, Kurenai placed a hand on his shoulder. They both stared solemnly at the image of their former teammate and pupil. At his ankles, Akamaru bayed at the poster of one of his favourite humans.
Giving them their space, Kakashi stood away with Sai, who seemed to take an interest in the wanted poster of his own former friend and comrade as well as the shinobi that he was asked to replace. Following his gaze, Kakashi's mind was flooded with thoughts about his old students. Where did he go wrong?
Before he could let himself drown in his regretful train of thought, Kakashi suggested that they should get going. As they were leaving, Kakashi noticed his old classmate's stare linger on one of the other wanted posters. A sharp facial structure framed by dark, raven hair stared blankly out of the image. His almond eyes were the only part of the man's face that gave away a slight glimpse into the methodical deviousness behind it. They were a feature that only those closest to him could ever attempt to take advantage of to aid him in his schemes. Kurenai reached out to touch the crinkled sheet of paper. A soft grip on her wrist made her let out a gasp. She turned to see Kakashi shake his head slowly. What worried Kakashi, however, was how her brow seemed to furrow and her jaw clenched. The look in her eyes scared him, giving away a powerful emotion.
Determination.
Kakashi had to practically drag her along with him as he caught up with Sai and Kiba who had managed to follow his lead from earlier.
By the time the sun had set, they had reached the Land of Steam and Kakashi, being the mission leader, suggested that they spend the night when they came across a small town in the north of the nation. Wearily, the others agreed. Being in the Land of Steam, Kakashi suggested that they indulged in its specialty, the perfect bath in the hot springs.
And that's how Kakashi found himself reclining against the rocks surrounding the natural jacuzzi. Close by, Sai sat on the edge, focusing on his art as he silently drew with his pad and pen. Thankfully, they had found an inn that was dog friendly. So, Kiba's furry and loyal partner sat off to the side of the hot springs, panting in the intense heat. Over the fence he lay against, Kakashi imagined Kurenai relaxing in the vapour. Well, he hoped that she was relaxing, since the alternative would have been more worrying. Sighing, Kakashi resolved himself to question her later. He already had a pretty good idea about her thoughts, and he knew that they could end in Kurenai putting herself in a dangerous situation.
It wasn't only her either. Kakashi glanced at the ninja hound user close by. His walnut brown hair dripped into the bath, hanging over his eyes like soaked curtains. Behind them, he failed to hide the scowl on his face. Kakashi would have hoped that Kiba could have controlled himself, but it seemed like Sai might be the only member of his team that he could rely on this mission. Worrying scenes of Kiba and Kurenai shouting and screaming at the officials of the Hidden Cloud Village, putting the peace that the Five Kage strived for at risk.
When they had finished bathing, they said their farewells and went off to their rooms for the night. Kakashi couldn't even imagine sleeping, despite his drooping eyelids. His pristine copy of Make out Paradise was laid out on the floor in front of him, but he couldn't bring himself to read his favourite story. Instead, he found his attention occupied by the small container he'd been carrying on him for a while now. The crimson iris and its Tomoe pattern made Kakashi take a breath. The veins that webbed the sensory organ connoted all the blood that could have and had been spilt by the Uchiha's legendary dojutsu. As he stared at it, Kakashi still couldn't help but think about when Tsunade had caught him in the hospital. That temptation still tugged at the back of his mind. He had witnessed the power that Naruto and Sasuke had attained back in the Fourth Great Ninja War, but since then they had only gotten stronger. It was a harsh reality that Kakashi had to accept back in the Land of Waves, and a fact that almost cost Kakashi his life and had cost him his comrade. His thoughts harked back to the Kage summit, he couldn't quite believe that they were going to use the Tailed Beasts, the same creatures that tore the Five Nations apart previously. If they could use their power to achieve their goals, why couldn't Kakashi use the Sharingan in this container?
Before he could answer that question about ethical war doctrines, there was a knock on the door.
"Uh… hello?" he called out in a soft voice.
The door slid open. "Kakashi… can I speak to you about something?" Kurenai shifted from one foot to the other as she averted Kakashi's gaze. He gestured for her to take a seat opposite him on the futon.
Looking down, she noticed the open book. "You're still reading this…" she picked it up curiously. After reading a few lines, Kakashi registered the biting of her lips and the redding of her cheeks in the moonlight. "… smut" she gasped as she threw the book onto his lap.
Kakashi was thankful that the majority of his face was covered by his mask. "I don't think you came here for a book club meet up, Kurenai"
Her head dropped whilst she mumbled to herself.
"Kurenai?" he asked, slightly concerned.
Balling her fists softly, she met Kakashi's eyes with her own shaky stare. "I just… wanted to ask if you think…" she took a deep breath. "… Shikamaru will come back" she asked, a hint of hope in her voice.
"I knew it" Kakashi shook his head exasperatingly. "That's why you've come on this mission, you're hoping to find him somehow" he said in a disapproving tone.
The glare that he received was enough to make him recoil. "I have to bring him home, since you clearly couldn't manage it" she whined fiercely, her stare hardening. Yet in the corner of her eyes, her scleras were starting to gloss over. With her wavy hair let down, Kurenai looked as if she could have been mistaken for a teenager. Kakashi doubted he could get away with the same look nowadays. Ever since the war, Kakashi had noticed that he even he couldn't escape time anymore. But in Kurenai's case, Kakashi might have suggested that she was becoming infected by Mirai's youth. A few drops managed to slightly blur her perfect eyeshadow.
"You heard Shizune, he could…" his words died under the scathing look he was shot with at the mention of the Hokage's assistant.
"She doesn't know what she's talking about! Shikamaru is going to come back!"
Kakashi grimaced at her heightened volume. "And how can you be so sure he will?" he asked.
"Because he promised!" she flailed her balled fists at her sides. The trembling of her fists concerned Kakashi as he half expected drops of blood to flow out of the sides of her tightly clenched fingers.
Kakashi yawned. "Well, even if he would come back, there's no guarantee that we'll even run into him on this mission, so it's best that you put that thought locked up for the next couple days"
The look in her eyes revealed that his advice was falling on deaf ears. It wasn't for at least a minute until she spoke again. "Can… can I stay here tonight?" she held her puppy eyes until Kakashi succumbed.
"Sure" he relented, not daring to question the frightened look in her eyes at the prospect of the alternative.
He rolled onto his side, his breaths grew softer and heavier whilst his eyes shut slowly. Behind him on the futon, Kurenai mirrored his position. Her breaths were shakier than his, but Kakashi found the promise of sleep too enticing to ignore.
His subconscious mind took the opportunity of his exhausted body to torment him. The first nightmare was one that he had been tortured with for a while. Darkness clouded his vision more than the excruciating feeling that throbbed around his broken body and his chest pounded with his inconsistent breaths. His surroundings dimmed in the low light and the floor beneath him was an icy chill against his bare back. His hyperventilating was sounded by raspy inhales followed by painful exhales that tore his dry throat to pieces. Kakashi never could quite grasp his current situation, but he understood one thing; he shouldn't have been alive this long.
Before he knew it, Kakashi felt his eye slowly fog with blood. It was his own. The crimson curtains closed, and the stage shifted.
Dripping waterfalls gave way to ominous clouds. Bodies littered the ground as his boots squelched in the mud. Ruins of his home burned around him. Damned souls grabbed at the bottom of his robe, begging for mercy. The chain in his fist clattered behind him. Waiting for him at the centre of the village, five figures sat on recently constructed thrones. At their feet, familiar women knelt with small smiles against their legs. The smoke rising from end of a cigarette held between the fingers of one of the cloaked figures gave away his identity. Watching the ash fall off the end, a pair of eyes redder than the clouds on his cloak stared in wonder at the man sat above them. A sharp tug elicited a surprised yelp as the raven-haired woman was shifted in between the spread legs of the girl sat next to the smoker, glaring down at her with a predatory growl.
The largest figure beamed at Kakashi, gesturing to the empty seat to his side. Taking it, Kakashi surveyed the carnage. His chain wrapped around his fist as its ensnared kunoichi dropped to the ground at his feet. Kakashi was thankful for his mask, as buildings crumbled and spread the dust of the defeated through the air. Soft kisses peppered his boots and shins whilst he looked over the rest of the prisoners that they had captured. The most prevalent among them were two of the former five Kage joined by the granddaughter of the eldest of the Hidden Villages' leaders. Bound in chains, they waited as Kakashi and his comrades divvied up the spoils.
Kakashi almost jumped off the futon when a sound akin to a paper bomb went off behind him.
He looked around desperately, now wide awake. For a few everlasting seconds, Kakashi waited. When it went off again, he just sighed. Hugging the covers, the slim form of Kurenai snored in her peaceful slumber. Well, Kakashi hoped that it was peaceful.
He stepped over her gingerly to go get ready for the day ahead.
Outside, he found Sai perched atop the entrance of the inn with a scrunched face as he twirled his pen between his fingers. Leaning on the wall below him, Kiba stared off into the rising sun with an eerily emotionless expression. Kakashi decided to stay quiet and indulge himself in his novel as he waited. Another thirty minutes went by until a yawning Kurenai stumbled out of the inn.
As soon as they had situated themselves, they left for the Land of Lightning. Soon their surroundings changed from golden plains to frost-tipped mountains. All the while travelling, Kakashi couldn't help but feel a weird sense of dread. A shudder passed down his spine as he looked over the peaks of the faraway landscape. It was like he was being watched. He looked over at Kiba, who didn't show any signs of sensing something hostile. The only thing out of place was the wagging of Akamaru's tail, tucked in between his hind legs. The wind picked up, and with it dragged an avalanche's worth of snow, obscuring their vision. Brushing his shoulder, Kurenai pulled her cloak tighter.
They braved the storm until Kakashi guessed that they had reached the border of the Land of Lightning. Worrying Kakashi, Kiba stopped dead in his tracks. Akamaru was in sync with his partner, at his heel in an instant. It took a moment longer for Kakashi to understand their sudden action. It was faint but, on the wind, there was a mixture of oddly familiar scents.
"It's you!" a voice called out from behind them.
Out from the sheets of frost stepped three shinobi. The tallest among them looked as if he were smoking a cigarette. Kurenai let out a gasp. But, upon closer inspection, it wasn't a cigarette. Instead, the lollipop made the identity of the shinobi clear. Strolling towards the group slowly, the young man's eyes darted from one shinobi to the next. Behind him, his redheaded companion glared at Sai, of all people. Soon after, a rather bored-looking joined the duo, rubbing her shoulders as she surveyed the group.
Before Kakashi had the chance to speak, he noticed Sai's raised hand and a bright smile stretching his cheeks. His attempt at a friendly greeting clearly didn't go over well if the reaction of the redhead was anything to go by. With a scowl, the fiery kunoichi marched up to him and delivered a slap that echoed in the howling wind. Kiba growled along with Akamaru. In response, the younger two of the group of foreign shinobi both drew their swords.
The eldest, however, sighed. Looking over Kakashi, she clearly recognised him.
"What is Kakashi, the Copy Ninja, doing uninvited in the Land of Lightning?" she asked with crossed arms.
Beside him, Kakashi heard a soft squeak leave Kurenai's tight-lipped expression. Her brow furrowed as she stared at the kunoichi who had spoken, avoiding her gaze. Following her line of sight, Kakashi understood her pouting at the upper body of the blond kunoichi.
"Well, since the Hidden Cloud hasn't updated the rest of the Five Great Nations on your progress with the Tailed Beasts, we've been sent to find out for ourselves" he explained.
The kunoichi made a pensive face. "That's understandable but unnecessary, so you should probably turn back"
"So, you're just going to send us back the way we came after we've travelled for over a day? That's a little rude, even for the shinobi of the Hidden Cloud" Kakashi took notice of their headbands.
"Fine, you can stay for the night, and you'll be given an audience with the Raikage" she said. "I'm Mabui, and my subordinates here are…" she gestured to redheaded kunoichi who was being held back by her male counterpart whilst Sai continued to smile despite the red handprint on his cheek. "… Karui! Omoi! Will you two give it a rest?" she complained.
Karui growled back at Kiba who was glaring at her before giving in and throwing Omoi arms off her. She looked as if she wanted to protest but the shaking of Omoi's head told her to stay quiet. Akamaru was quick to calm down, succumbing to Omoi stroking the sweet spot behind his ear as soon as Kiba backed away.
Their new group traversed through the Land of Lightning, careful as the air became clearer and sharper in their ascent into the mountains. As they walked, Sai and Omoi fell behind the group as they caught up with each other since their time in the Allied Shinobi Force's Commando unit. In front, Karui and Kiba refused to look at each other as they not-so-quietly brooded, muttering curses to themselves. Making up the core, Kakashi had the pleasure of walking shoulder-to-shoulder with two pretty, mature kunoichi.
As Kurenai's pupils subtly flicked between Mabui's bust and her own chest, Kakashi decided to get some answers. "Any chance that you can tell me why the Hidden Cloud has been so quiet recently?" he asked in a slightly hushed tone.
Mabui sighed. "Unfortunately, even in this state of emergency, it seems as if Lord Bee has decided to go on a retreat in order to clear his mind for new raps"
After Kakashi raised his eyebrow, she continued. "And tracking down the Two Tails is harder than expected; our tracking teams have struggled with its cat-like movements through the forests. Also, with the re-assigning of Tailed Beasts to nations, the plans are a little jumbled up now"
Kakashi turned to Kurenai and was met with the same confused look. "What do you mean by 're-assigning'?" he asked.
"Oh, you didn't hear?"
Kakashi shook his head.
Mabui glanced at him. "The Hidden Mist requested for the plans to be changed"
"Why? Did they already select their replacement for the Mizukage?" he asked.
Her blonde bob whipped in the wind as she stared at him incredulously. "No, it was yesterday"
The outlines of the Hidden Cloud's buildings came into view in the distance.
"What happened yesterday?"
"The Mizukage… she returned to the Hidden Mist after she managed to escape the Akatsuki"
Kakashi stopped in his tracks when he felt the stares of Kurenai, Kiba and Sai all make his hairs on the back neck stand up.
A/N- Hey, I hope you've all been doing alright these last couple of weeks. I haven't exactly got much to talk about right now so I'll leave you to it. As always, I'm open to suggestions and ideas for the story. I hope you have enjoyed this instalment and I'll see you soon.
Yours truly,
Signing off