A.N. Another chapter in - hope you all enjoy
Onwards to Glory
Kakashi was an odd breed.
Son of an infamous Ninja; the White Fang had in him the potential to become the Hokage of Konoha, until his untimely fall from grace.
Kakashi himself was a gifted pupil of the arts, and managed to acquire the attentions of the Yondaime Hokage, the man who changed the Third Great Shinobi War. The Yondaime had been a student of the Great Toad Sage, Jiraiya of the Legendary Sannin; Kakashi had grown to be quite familiar with the Sage.
Jiraiya was teammates with The Slug Princess Tsunade, daughter of the Senju, founders of Konoha, and Orochimaru, considered the greatest genius and ninja to come from Konoha at the time. All three were students of the Legendary Sandaime Hokage, Sarutobi.
The pedigree continues; the Sandaime had been the student and chosen successor to the First and Second Hokages, Hashirama and Tobimura Senju.
There could be something said of lineage and pedigree. With such a resume and his own prodigious skill, if he truly exerted himself, Kakashi could take the reins as the Sixth Hokage of Konoha.
And make no mistake; Hatake Kakashi was powerful. More importantly he was formidable and dangerous, the two single greatest traits of any Shinobi.
Be it Ninjutsu, Genjutsu or Taijutsu he was exceptional. His skill with weapons was exemplary and he was more than adept at Sealing and forbidden arts.
Added to that was the patience and diligence of a deadly hunter.
The years had passed some but instincts never truly die, the hunter had been called upon once more, nothing will stop him.
The area was too silent, meaning that something was bound to happen.
Kakashi remained hidden in the tree line. Despite the limited coverage he was like a ghost; undetectable and almost invisible.
After days of chasing leads he finally struck gold. One of the leads he had been given lead him away from the village and deep within the mountains bordering Konoha. As luck would have it he stumbled on the several trails, very well hidden. Some were days old from what he could trace, but a set was fresh, only minutes ahead of him, twenty at the maximum.
From there tracking had been easy enough and he eventually caught up with 'exchange'. What initially looked like a delivery and swap quickly turned as Kakashi observed the two he had been following, completely decimate the second group of five. He stayed quiet as they policed the bodies and retrieved whatever they were after.
It was when they were about to move off that he pounced. Given what he observed he knew they were skilled; however he was much better, coupled with his element of surprise and speed neither had a chance to counter.
With judicious application of Sharingan they went docile. Kakashi swiftly retrieved the identities of the Ninjas they had dispatched and the information they retrieved.
Still, that feeling of dread he carried since he began this mission only continued to grow; Danzo was threat, one he deeply regretted not acting against when it would have been expedient.
His findings led him to this point, hiding in the trees and waiting for the next drop. Hidden below were the two Root Nins he had ambushed, his hypnosis was holding up very well against them thankfully. It won't be long until the deadline hit.
Speaking of which; the air below shimmered as six figures faded into view. His two 'puppets' stiffened until they received stand down confirmation. Without words one of the new arrivals stepped towards them, closing the distance until it was directly in front of them.
Kakashi felt a vague sense of unease. The figure was hooded, making identification impossible; Kakashi watched in growing alarm as the figure slowly panned around and upwards, until it came to a stop, staring directly at his position.
Adrenaline spiked.
Chakra surged through him and he moved out of harm's way. As he made his descent he spun around and sent a fan of shurikens outward, deterring any chase from above. He turned back to face the charge from below. His forearms came together in guard, just in time to stop a heavy blow. His opponent swung with a second hand, blade in tow, when Kakashi's snapped out in intercept. Lightning chakra danced deceptively immobilising the limb. Kakashi went one further and gave a sharp twist. The bones ripped from their sockets, the muscles strained and tore, rendering the arm completely useless. To his opponents credit there was no cry of pain; Kakashi swept on; he flung the battered limb away and grabbed the Nin's shoulder. He gave a quick jab to the face, stunning him, then while braced on his shoulder and knee he angled their descent unto a low hanging branch.
The sound of the impact was harsh; harsher still was the sound of a spine snapping under the weight of the impact. The Nin couldn't hold back his gasp and Kakashi briefly spied another confirmation of his suspicions.
"So he is still using that old thing" Kakashi mused, even as he felt more of his victims bones snap at the unnatural angle. He kept a firm grip on his neck and continued to eye the seal, "Although it seems to have undergone some changes. That makes this a tad more difficult."
Kakashi jinked to the side, avoiding a blow that would have torn his face open. He cursed as another Nin appeared, poised to stab straight through him. He tossed one hand upwards and let go of the Nin below him and leaned sideways. The body slid round the tree branch and carried on the descent. The two Nins on the attack had to pause and shift their angle but Kakashi was already moving on his offensive.
Kakashi then gave a sharp tug; the air whistled lightly and something glinted sharply in the light as it straightened. One of the Nins in the trees reacted quickly but it wasn't enough. Ninja wire snapped around his arm; his companion wasn't as fortunate and the wire wound around his neck like a noose. At one more tug the wires tightened and sent them airborne; the sudden weight shift had the wires cutting deep into the bound Nins.
The Nin with bound arm thrashed about and came free with a wet snap and a spray of blood. He glanced at his companion and took note of the severe bleeding from the neck; the wire had cut straight through the hood and fastened securely around the neck, with the amount of blood loss it was only a matter of time.
Apparently he wasn't the only one with that conclusion as several shuriken found his heart and head, stilling him forever. The one armed Nin dismissed it as soon as it was done, and turned back to Kakashi's position.
Said Nin landed on the forest floor and quickly worked out his situation.
Two of the enemies had been permanently silenced and one more had a reduced combat capability. That left him with three Nins that were fully capable, including the one who spotted him in the first place.
Speaking of which…
Kakashi panned back to the first figure and the two he hypnotised, only to find it laying them slowly, almost gently to the floor. The two Nins didn't seem able to put up any protest; he could see with his Sharingan that they were free from his hypnosis, but their chakra activity had slowed to such a crawl it was a wonder if they had any higher function left. Also the Nin's chakra was active and set Kakashi on edge. He couldn't get a clear definition on what was actually happening but every time the Root Nins chakra interacted with the other two, there's slowed even more and their body language become more lethargic and docile.
At the rate they were going they would be dead or in a coma in seconds.
The Oto Nin looked up, and even without seeing the eyes Kakashi could feel the weight of appraisal on him; it sent his hairs on end and his chakra surged forwards.
Kage Shuriken no Jutsu
Kakashi snapped into action as a veritable storm of shurikens rained down on his location. He darted passed trees and deflected several with his kunai. The ground below him cracked slightly and he slipped. In an instant one of the Nins pounced. Kakashi' feeble counter was batted away and a tanto blade slipped between his ribs.
Kakashi gasped and the Nin twisted the blade for added damage; then reared back slightly as the Copy-Nin turned a muddy colour.
The ground cracked again. A hand reached up sharply to catch the Nin; however the Oto Nin jumped into the air. Another slid across the floor and grabbed tight on Kakashi's wrist, the other had thrummed violently and he slammed it into the earth. Multiple vibrations travelled through the earth and cracks and fissures appeared across the surface. Trees tilted from the assault on the ground and rocks shattered under the pressure.
The Nin in the air oriented to land feet first on the underside of a tree branch. As soon as he foot touched the branch he heard a subtle sizzle. He just barely pushed off when the branch and most of the tree exploded, sending him and shrapnel flying.
The Nin on the floor stopped his assault and instinctively rolled away. The hand he gripped shifted, turning into the cut off arm of his companion. He tried to rise to his feet, only to take a solid blow to the chest, sending in him crashing back to the floor.
Kakashi attempted to follow up, but aborted as a blade swiped the air in front of him. He jinked right and then backwards as the swipes kept coming. He cursed silently as the other Nin used the opportunity to rise to his feet, and his eyes widened as he took note of the jutsu sequence.
Katon: Karyu Endan
Kakashi tensed as he made every effort to escape the line of fire; a curved earth wall rose in front of Kakashi, just in time to meet the roaring dragon flame. The flames licked over the edges of the wall and Kakashi could feel the stifling heat; the Dragon Flame technique wasn't something one just pulled off, it took strong reserves, intense practice and very good control to maintain the technique.
Root Nins were always very good, and exceptionally subtle. But if they were now able and willing to pull off such high level techniques within Konoha, things were direr than Tsunade anticipated.
Kakashi sped through hands and lightning arced dangerously. He shifted out from behind his barrier and prepared to unleash hell…
A small hand; deceptive and gentle, went over his hands and he stopped cold. The hand then trailed slowly, from his hands to his forearm. All the way passed his elbow, and upwards to his shoulder.
As this happened Kakashi felt like lead, his body couldn't tell how to respond and a fog slowly took root in his mind. He felt calm, relaxed and without care and worry.
He felt terror, like a drowning man, dragged in chains to an unending abyss.
He tried to move his head; never had it felt so heavy. It was the Nin that had stood over his victims; that somehow reduced them to nothing with her touch. It was definitely female, given the rough size and body shape now that she was closer. The hood was still up and Kakashi could feel those eyes upon him, roving over him.
He didn't like it, fear was growing but his body continued to relax under her gentle ministrations.
He, Hatake Kakashi, would be reduced to a slow death; a gentle passing without even a struggle.
One spark…..
Then two….three….four sparks.
Then a howl; the sparks grow stronger….and become lightning.
A rush of adrenaline and chakra surged through him; his mind cleared instantly. He felt two stabs into his flak jacket but fortunately the material managed to turn aside both hits. His hand lit up with lightning chakra and he took a desperate swipe at the female Nin.
Despite his recovery he was still slightly sluggish; he blow was deflected and she spun low; she pulled out a wicked looking blade and with the accuracy and speed of a viper, struck on his lower left side.
The blade sank deep twice. Kakashi hissed and quickly struck at her wrist. She let go and rushed back as he struck at her again.
The one armed Nin rushed for his position but Kakashi was having none of it; the Jonin disappeared in lightning energy and reappeared just right of the Root Nin.
In one smooth motion Kakashi ripped the blade free from his left side and thrust upwards, into the jaw of the Root Nin. He glanced at the other two left; the female had retreated to her companion's side and had her head cocked again.
The other one however had its hands in a seal; Kakashi heard sizzling and looked right at the dead Nin beside him.
Covered in explosive tags.
Target neutralised….
..Yes. Data packet retrieved; possibly compromised.
Clean up on route.
Neither Root Nins spoke out, but communication was clear between them. The female Nin kept her gaze on the burning bodies of her one armed companion and Hatake Kakashi. If they were lucky they could retrieve his Sharingan and possibly his remains for analysis.
She took a slight step forwards, when her view was obstructed. She glanced the other Nin; he gave a slight shake and pointed to the sky, peaking from the tree canopy.
Time was not on their side, and they had sensitive data to return to their commander.
She stepped backwards and prepared for a high speed shushin. But then her companion tensed, and looked back at the flames. She too became wary and followed his gaze.
Hatake escaped…
Wounded, cannot travel far...
Deliver to Lord Danzo;
Await reinforcements; subdue Copy-Nin. Retrieve Sharingan.
She nodded and disappeared in a flurry of chakra. Her companion moved nodded and retreated deep into the woods. The fallen bodies stayed as they fell; the forest fell silent for a time.
Dawn slowly came; in a nearby tree, birds began singing.
Five Miles away from Fire Temple.
The problem with being a genius was that your mind tended to extrapolate just about every contingency, every variable remotely possible. Mirrors within mirrors; all shifting subtly so the image changes. Chinese whispers to the edge of infinity, so the original message is lost.
Shikamaru couldn't stop his brain even if he tried. It's part of the reason the Nara's made a conscious effort to be lazy; it kept them from plotting the downfall of just about everyone that looked at them funny.
The journey through the trees was fairly quiet. After the summons took their missive, Asuma indicated he knew of an exchange point not far from the Fire Temple and they set off.
Asuma had gone unusually quiet, something that all three members of team ten picked up on. Choji had put away his snacks and kept glancing worriedly over his teacher and Shikamaru. Ino was concentrating, trying to work out the ideal way of spying on their targets once they located them.
"We are coming up to the exchange. Be wary" Asuma cautioned. Shikamaru's mind sharpened and he geared up for the confrontation.
"Ino"
She nodded and took a slow breath. Overhead a bird flew lazy circles; suddenly it seemed to startle, but then moved on. It banked and made a slow descent, in search for prey or rest. It came to a stop near a drab looking building and fluffed its feathers.
Two predators appeared. Through the bird Ino could make out her targets.
"I have confirmation, it is definitely Akatsuki" She murmured to her team.
The bird flapped and moved slightly closer, trying to get a clear view of the two Nins. One of them had white hair, fairly loud and a wicked looking three-bladed scythe. While threatening everything about him read cocky and arrogant, prone to brashness.
The other one however was concealed, covered from head to toe. To Ino this was the one that was most dangerous. She couldn't get a good read on him; he held a briefcase in one hand and took measured steps. There was a confidence that marked him as deadly.
Ino blinked rapidly; her targets had stopped, and both of them were looking right at her, in the direction of the bird with frank appraisal.
Suddenly only the white haired Akatsuki with the scythe stood in view. Ino blinked in shock as she tried to find the other one. The bird's instincts reared up and it squawked in alarm; Ino gasped in surprise and fear, just over the right side the other Akatsuki Nin had his fist reared for blow.
Kakashi was unaware of the passage of time; more to the point, while he was aware that dawn had broken, it wasn't a concern.
What was of concern was keeping his insides intact, managing the poison slowly driving him to the grave and taking out as many Root Nins as possible, somewhere along those lines he could work out a way to get back to Tsunade-Sama and get patched up.
It had taken a simple mental trigger to shut down one of his kidneys; the duty medics would kick up a fuss but the pain and damage was bothering him and messing with his combat ability.
A kick glanced off his face, sending him stumbling. He let the blow carry him and snapped back with the heel of his left foot. As he regained his footing his right arm snapped up, deflecting a blow while his left caught several shurikens before sending them elsewhere.
His vision blurred severely and for a moment he stalled. His opponents pounced at the perceived weakness and upped their pressure.
Muscle memory and instincts were what carried him forward. Lightning chakra sparked around his limbs and his hair glowed in the dense darkness of the forest; the Root Nins had chosen their location well and despite the daylight the forest and canopies left them with minimal visibility, Kakashi's hair and chakra was the brightest bit of light around.
And said light was starting to grow dim, something he was painfully aware of and his assailants were taking advantage of.
He managed to deflect another blow, and the block an overhead strike with both hands; he realised his error seconds too late, a powerful kick struck him in the stomach and sent him flying backwards. He slammed through one tree and stopped against another.
Kakashi gasped out, trying vainly to suck in air and deal with the pain. He glanced to his left side; the bleeding had started afresh as several splinters dug into his flesh. He threw his head back repeatedly against the tree bark and gave a dark chuckle.
Kuchiyose No Jutsu.
Air displaced around him, stopping the Root Nins for a moment.
"Pakkun…." Kakashi gasped out, blood pooling in his face mask.
"…..Ahh. Don't die Kakashi" with a sharp burst of chakra Kakashi's summons darted through the undergrowth and deep into the forest; the little pug growled but sped up as fast as it could.
Several Root Nins immediately broke off to intercept; Kakashi chuckled.
Raiton: Raijin Tsuiga (Lighting Release: Lightning Beast Running Technique)
Lightning chakra crackled wildly and darted in flashes. The Root Nins didn't even get enough time to look as the energy tore through them, piercing deep into their vital organs and frying them. The jutsu seemed to halt for a moment, allowing all to see its glory; a wild hound made entirely of lightning chakra.
The beast howled and was off again; just behind Kakashi moved like a man possessed, keeping hold of the technique and lashing out at any that got close.
I am Hatake Kakashi; Student of the Yondaime Hokage and Son of the Legendary White Fang!
You will have no victory here!
The hound gave a baleful howl and two more seemed to shimmer into existence.
Kakashi could feel his blood boiling under the surface. His nose was bleed profusely and his ear had popped. He was really pushing the boundaries and it was causing severe backlash to his battered body.
Still, no regrets….
Soon Otousan, Sensei….Rin…Obito….
The hounds lunged, but no longer as fluid or coordinated. Still, wherever they struck, they left devastation. Kakashi could only just about keep track; one of the Root Nins darted passed one of the hounds.
As he focused another moved to intercept but it too was easily evaded. Kakashi felt a small sense of dread; this was the Nin with the strange chakra, a chakra that felt like a gentle death.
His fears proved accurate and the Nin spun down his left side, gently running her fingers up his hand as she went by. Immediately his body felt a hundred times heavier and his chakra spluttered. The hounds thrashed wildly before sparking out of existence.
Kakashi couldn't even move as her gentle ministrations sent him deeper under.
I guess my luck has finally run out….Gomen Obito…in the end….i couldn't keep it safe.
Its cold….so very cold….will you meet me there…Sensei, Rin...Obito?
…..Otousan?
A.N. And chapter done. Someone asked previously about the other characters and their development and i thought now might be a good time to showcase a few of them - the pertinent ones and of course the ones i like the most.
Sasuke was the first, and now Kakashi; with Sasuke, as much as i really dislike him and Uchiha's in general ( my regulars are well aware of my bias) he isn't a pushover, so i wanted that sense to really come out in his fight. And I wanted Orochimaru to have more menace to him; i was a tough balance but it seemed to have worked alright. At the moment I would put him about Naruto's level of skill, he is the faster of the two though.
Kakashi has needed some TLC - I have never really felt any of the battles he was involved in, especially when you consider his pedigree. Seriously I know he is lazy but it's a bit much. So i tried to bring some of that out, but then realised it's not as easy as it looks. Still, I'm pretty satisfied with how it turned out in this instance - the pacing was hard to get right.
Couple of things;
Should Kakashi die? Should Team 10 suffer a casualty? Karin and Suigetsu are still on the chopping block for the moment, although there have been some interesting comments on those 2.
Anyways, a writers work is never done and we seem to have more adding to the family - thank you to all the followers, favorites and reviews. I do appreciate the support, comments and critics; the latter when they are positive, or the very least constructive.
See you all in the next chapter
