Chapter II

The Assassin Returns

Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, built up his bureaucratic composure as he heard the sound of footsteps headed towards the door to his office. His anticipation had been mounting ever since he had sent an order to speak with Kakashi early in that morning the day after his return to Konoha. An attendant partially opened the door and popped her head out to speak.

"Hokage-Sama, Kakashi is here as you have requested." Said the attendant.

"Let him in." The Hokage replied. The attendant nodded and walked away. A few minutes later, Kakashi walked through the door and to the desk. Several years of discussing matters with Kakashi gave the Hokage the knowledge not to offer him a seat; Kakashi always preferred standing.

"You're here, and see you appear unharmed! That's always good. So, then I trust the mission went safely?" The Hokage asked.

"Yes, no one in my team got injured. C-Rank missions usually aren't as eventful as this one was. First Tazuna, now this…" Kakashi scratched the back of his head as he lamented the unlucky streak of missions he had been receiving lately.

"You sent a messenger to me that evening when you returned. You said that the guards in the Lightning Country had abandoned their posts and were moving through the Forests. Is that correct?"

"Yes Hokage-Sama, it is. I apologize though, I never found any clues as to why it was going on, and I left as soon as it became clear that it was no longer safe there."

"I think that was for the best; you made the right decision not to investigate… I had tried to do some investigation myself. After I received your message I sent an airborne letter to the Raikage asking to know if there was a rational explanation as to this… development."

"You did? So what was their response?" Kakashi asked

"Quite simply, there was no response. I was told not to send any further messages, unless I didn't want to see my birds back. A stupid threat really." He chuckled to himself, though is tone was that of discomfort and concern. "It's very unsettling though; they made it clear in the letter that they were discontinuing diplomatic communications with all other Shinobi nations. I can only hope this isn't the preamble to war. Nevertheless I would like to know what you thought the reason was for the actions of their guard." He took his pipe off from a stand in his desk and placed it in his mouth.

"My theory has to do with their law that a person cannot travel through the Lightning Country on non designated paths. The fact that so many Cloud Ninja were moving through the forest, an illegal travel zone, meant that they were after a considerably dangerous lawbreaker." Kakashi paused

"Go on." The Hokage said as he lit the pipe.

"There's not much I can say, except for the fact that two Cloud ninja had the appearance of preparing to attack us, myself and my students that is."

"You mentioned that in the message, yet according to you there was no conflict…" The Hokage muttered with the pipe still between his teeth.

"Yeah; they took off. Perhaps they had decided we weren't a threat; or maybe didn't think they would be able to take me on alone and ran for help. We started running to leave the country immediately after that, so I am not absolutely sure as to whether or not they ever had intentions of bringing reinforcements to pursue us. We did meet another cloud ninja who provided us with temporary cover from the thunder storm that had started during that time; so I am fairly certain we weren't their target." Kakashi stopped speaking. The Hokage removed the pipe from his mouth, exhaling smoke.

"I don't think that the Lightning Country was ever interested in You, Naruto, Sasuke, or Sakura either. That box I had you send to Kumogakure had money in it. What once belonged to a Fire country landlord was requested in a will to have been given to his son. While it was a lot of money, it's certainly not enough to cause the events you described. I wouldn't be worried about your students and their relation to this issue. If this incident was related to a single person or ninja squad, they would have at least tried to track them down, the fact that they ignored you testifies to this. No, that is certainly not it." The Hokage said. "Either way, we know next to nothing about what is going on in the Lightning Country right now; and why they have isolated themselves. If there is else you know what would help, please let me know, because the Leaf Village Council wants me submit a report to them by noon. They're about as curious as I am as to what happened, and they want to make sure that we are taking every necessary step should this come to affect our village."

"Yes, there is. Sakura claims she saw The Assassin, as in The Assassin of the Cloud Village." Kakashi sighed.

"The grey man of the mountains?" The Hokage placed the Pipe back into his mouth. "And the man who singlehandedly won the Invisible War? You didn't mention that.

"No I did not. I think, most likely, it is the very same. I know he is a character in the myths of the Lighting country; and based on Sakura's description of him he pretty well matched up with a few wives tales I've heard in my travels in Kumo. I know he's some sort of alleged prodigal hero, but I've never heard the specifics about The Invisible War."

"Anyone can don an outfit and pretend to be a legendary hero, Kakashi." Said the Hokage "But I'm sure you already know that. What makes you so certain…?"

"When Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke and myself were heading back to Konoha I remembered what a woman had said to me in a tea house in Kumo.
She said that the Assassin worked tirelessly to repairing the minds of those who had been traumatized by war, pulling them out of the battlefield and healing those wounds which a doctor could not, and, when the time was right, returning them to their families. She claimed her daughter had been a Shinobi who had disappeared over a decade ago, and then, a few years later, she returned, but she didn't remember anything about what had happened, but then the daughter told her she remembered seeing man in—"

"A grey cloak and a leather bandolier." The Hokage finished Kakashi's sentence.

"Exactly."

"And…?"

"This man had left Sakura with a bit of a gift, before he apparently disappeared." Kakashi explained.

"I take it that this has to do with the Cloud Village boy that was admitted into the Konoha Hospital two days ago…"

"Yes. Sakura claims that the Assassin led her to the location of an amnesiac from the Cloud village. He's probably a Genin, about the same age as Naruto or Sasuke."

"Kakashi, is there something particularly special about this boy that you would risk a massive diplomatic conflict between us and the lightning country as a result of a Shinobi abduction. Because I do not think they are going to be too happy when word comes to them about what you did." Said the Hokage gravely.

"I believe I've given the reasons why there is something particularly special about the boy. He claims he doesn't remember anything about who he is—"

"And you believe him?" The Hokage asked skeptically

"I do. There is one important thing though… He remembers his name, and it appears that he's physically bound to it." He calls himself 'Makaze'." At hearing that word, the Third flinched. "I tried getting him to say he was Naruto, he couldn't will himself to do it. And I could tell he wasn't pretending."

"Name-binding Justus… I haven't heard of that technique being used for over a decade; it was deemed a forbidden Jutsu, nasty business, very dehumanizing." Kakashi and the Hokage both remembered a time when Shinobi from certain nations were given numbers instead of names for the purpose of military efficiency; it became a symbol of the void that existed between a Ninja and a Human being. "And his name Makaze you say? What an awful thing…" He paused and thought to himself; once again exhaling smoke from his pipe. "I'm going to guess that you think this, "Makaze", is one of the Assassin's patients?

"The connection seems solid enough. One other thing," Kakashi noted "The Assassin left Sakura with this object." He reached into his pouch and withdrew the misshapen blade, placing it on the Hokage's desk.

"It looks like the blade of a Kunai or a dagger, broken off from the hilt." The Hokage said as he closely examined the object in his hands. "It feels and weighs like metal— and yet the color… Strange… I don't see the significance of this though…And yet…"

"Azure, I think that shade of blue. But you're right I've never seen a metal of that color bef—" Kakashi stopped when he noticed the Hokage pipe had fallen out of his mouth and dropped onto the desk.

"Did I say something…?" Kakashi asked

"…Azure…" The Hokage muttered to himself, picking up his pipe and placing it back on the stand "Tell me about his general appearance." The Hokage put the pipe back down on his desk. He then bent down to and move towards his office bookcase, examining the various books closely

"The Assassin? I told you everything I know." Kakashi answered.

"No." The Hokage replied impatient. "Makaze, tell me about him. Go on; I am listening."

"Well… When we found him he looked beat up pretty badly. Like I said, he's around Sasuke's or Naruto's Age. He's got very light blond hair, arguably white."

"How about his eyes?" The Hokage asked as he pulled out a rather large book and slapped it on his desk. Judging by the amount of dust that had accumulated on it Kakashi estimated the book hadn't been opened, let alone touched, in over a decade.

"Light blue, I noticed his pupils seemed kind of narrow, snake like or reptilian." Kakashi commented.

The Hokage opened the pages of the book and flipped through them, then stopped at a page and began to read to himself silently.

"How about any clan markings on the body?" The Hokage asked, keeping his nose buried in the dusty text.

"Now that you mention it… He did had a black circle on his forehand, although it was kind of difficult to tell given the injuries. Other than that… Well, you can meet him for yourself; I had him sent to the hospital to make sure the wounds were not infectious, he'll be out in a day or two if everything checks out." Kakashi stopped and looked at the Hokage who had his finger running across a page. He stopped and flinched a second time, then looked up.

"That's a good idea, you are dismissed."

"You act like you've figured it out, Hokage-Sama." Kakashi remarked.

"I believe I have." The Hokage slipped a book mark inside the page he had been reading and closed the book, laying it to the side of his desk. "I apologize though I can't tell you, need to know basis only. I'll probably end up telling you anyway though. For now, I'll arrange a meeting with, 'Makaze' and ask him a few more questions. For now, you're not in trouble for bringing him here either. And one more thing…"

"Yes Hokage-Sama?"

"I'm sorry to say I don't have time to fill you in on the whole legend concerning The Assassin and The Invisible War. Hyuuga Hiashi actually knows it better than I do, and I do not believe he is on any missions at the moment. Later, if you feel like it, you can ask him to tell you. Just stay on your guard, He's still very touchy about the Cloud Village, due to the Hinata abduction. But if what you say is true, there is the possibility that there is more truth to his story than I'd originally thought."

"I'll keep that in mind, oh, and one other thing."

"Yes Kakashi?"

"Hokage-Sama, Do you believe the boy and the crisis are related?"

The Hokage shook his head and sighed, the meaning of it was somewhat unclear, but Kakashi did not press for any answers. Just as he had entered, he humbly walked out through the door.