Star of Silver, Heart of Tin- Chapter Two
Kakashi settled into the sorry excuse for a boat. It was really no more than a few pieces of wood tied together with rope. He would have little control of the craft once in the water, but it was also silent and less likely to be seen than a more conventional boat.
His heart still ached to say goodbye to Sakura. Despite Neji's advice, he had been unable to find her in the lunch crowd. He only hoped his note that he had placed in the Hyuuga's care was delivered to her swiftly.
A day's travel had brought him to his current destination and the only way to proceed was to go down the river. The tin mine he was traveling to was unique in that the entrance was inside a cave. The only way to get to it was to enter by water, navigating the narrow and dangerous channels until they emptied out deep underground where the mine shafts began. Tin was carried out a similar way downstream, but since Kakashi couldn't reverse the water's flow, he, and every other person seeking entrance to the mine, only had one route to choose from, and unlike the bandits, he didn't have the luxury of riding on safer, but undoubtedly more noticeable boat.
He pushed away from the shore with a long stick, using it to guide the raft into the stronger currents that would whisk him away to his desired destination. Immediately he was splashed by the spray, soaking through his ANBU uniform and leaving him uncomfortable and cold. He laid down on his belly, enduring the cold water that splashed his face and managed to work its way under the red and white animal mask he wore. In these turbulent waters, it was the best position to be in if he didn't want to get thrown off his raft. Tying himself to it was suicide, for if an enemy should attack, precious seconds would be wasted as he cut himself loose.
He was all alone, still several hours ahead of Kiba and Hinata who would serve as his backup. Kiba and his faithful dog possessed noses perfect for sniffing out enemies even while in the dark, and Hinata's Byakugan allowed her to see perfectly despite obstructive chunks of rock and pitch black surroundings. Kakashi sincerely hoped their presence would prove unnecessary and he would be in and out of the mine in under the allotted twenty-four hours.
The meandering river ran south, the current steadily picking up speed as the banks gradually changed from green marshes to steep slopes of jagged rock. The currents swept him past dangerous outcroppings of rock that could easily smash his raft if he hit them dead on. Soon, Kakashi could see the craggy tips of the mountain in which the mine was housed. The giant hole in its side swallowed up the river hungrily and pulled the shinobi's small vessel rapidly towards the cavernous maw.
The rocky banks grew steep and narrow, funneling the water into the ravenous darkness. Kakashi's small raft raced along with the current and into the cave. The sound of rushing water became deafening in the confined space and the sunlight was instantly devoured by the surrounding blackness. The only source of light was at his back, dwindling until it was just a speck of light before winking out of existence altogether.
In the darkness, Kakashi could see faint lights streaking by deep beneath the water. He had been told about the rare species of fish that lived within the cave, favoring the dark environment over sunlit streams. The species was known for its phosphorescent body, making it the only source of light in these dark waters. It was also a producer of a deadly toxin and Tsunade had warned him that the bandits had been seen catching the fish and possibly extracting the poison for their own use.
Kakashi activated his Sharingan from behind his animal mask. While it didn't eliminate the darkness, it improved his awareness. He could sense rocky outcroppings high above him, platforms perfect for enemies to look down on him floating by. It was a perfect place for an ambush and Kakashi would be at a severe disadvantage in his position. All he could hope for was that if he had so much trouble seeing in the dark, his opponents did as well.
Kakashi continued down the river, he couldn't tell how fast he was traveling but he knew the water was flowing swiftly. The entrance to the mine was several miles underground and he wasn't sure how long it would take him to get there, but his was tense and alert, preparing himself for whatever might come his way.
But even as his well honed skills demanded he give full attention to his surroundings, an image of a woman, pink haired and beautiful, kept popping up in his mind. He longed to see her again, to see her smiling face and hear her witty remarks. While he had been on many missions, some far more dangerous than this, he couldn't help the tiny voice in the back of his mind that warned this might be the mission he didn't return from, that he would never lay eyes on Sakura again. He angrily pushed the thought away. Now was not the time to fret over such things. If he didn't focus, something would turn up and ensure that these uneasy feelings became reality.
No sooner had he finished the thought, that something appeared. He couldn't hear them over the roar of the water, but his Sharingan allowed him to see dark shadows skittering along the ledges above, keeping up with his raft as he floated along. They were quick, but didn't move with the easy grace of a shinobi. Their movements were crude and animalistic, like giant rats in a sewer. At first Kakashi was afraid they were going to run ahead and alert everyone at the mine, ruining his much needed element of surprise, but they seemed only interested in him.
As Kakashi rounded a bend in the river, he only had a split second to react as one of the creatures jumped from one of the lower ledges, launching its body at his raft. With a swift kick he was able to deflect the creature, sending it into the water where it squealed as it was swept downstream. Another came at him from the right, and then two from the left. The raft was barely big enough for Kakashi alone and didn't allow him a low of maneuverability. He had to fight them from a low crouch since standing up any higher would result in him losing his balance and joining his enemies in the water.
He kicked another one away before gathering his strength and leaping towards the low ledge. His hands grasped the edge and he quickly pulled himself up just as two more of the creatures began to advance. Even in the darkness, Kakashi could make out that they were human, although their scraggly hair and tattered cloths made them look more like rats than people.
"What have you brought for us?" one hissed. "What have you brought to pay the toll?"
The Copy nin said nothing, but his hand inched towards the short sword strapped to his back. Several more of the creatures advanced out of the shadows and he could sense more on the ledges on the other side of the river. There was no telling how many of them were watching him.
"Everybody who passes by here must pay in either food or gold," another screeched. "The men in the mine said we could stay here and charge a toll. If you have nothing to pay us with, you must pay with your life."
Kakashi drew his sword at their threat. The action caused the people around him to shrink back, hissing in anger. "If you want my life," he said darkly, regarding them with his spinning Sharingan through the wet fringe of bangs that had fallen into his eyes. "Then you'll have to take it from me."
With an animalistic scream, the first creature lunged.
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Sakura sighed forlornly, shaking her head when she realized she had been staring at a patient's chart for the last five minutes without reading a single word. Anybody could see that she was horribly distracted, her mind focused on a certain silver haired man. She missed him terribly, though it had only been a day. Yesterday's routine of going to lunch with him had been broken, making the rest of her day seem incomplete. What was worse was that he didn't even say goodbye.
Being a kunoichi herself, she understood how missions worked. Sometimes they were urgent and you left without saying a word to anyone. She assumed that fact was even more true for the ANBU elite. Yet, she couldn't help feeling a little hurt that he had seemed so interested in her, seemed to genuinely like her, but then abruptly vanished without a word.
It was almost her lunchtime but she no longer looked forward to it, knowing Kakashi wouldn't be waiting for her like he usually was. She sighed again and closed the chart before tucking it under her arm and heading towards the front desk to return it to the file and clock out. Hitomi greeted her with a warm smile, taking the manila folder from the medic's outstretched hand.
"You're awfully popular lately," she said knowingly, her smile turning mischievous. "What's your secret?"
Sakura was not in the mood to playfully guess what the brunette receptionist was talking about. The kunoichi fixed tired emerald eyes on her and asked, "What do you mean?"
Hitomi's smile deepened. "There's a man waiting for you in front of the hospital. He told me to tell you to meet him there on your break."
The pink haired woman didn't wait to hear another word. She made a beeline for the doorway, heart soaring at the prospect that Kakashi had already returned and he had come to take her to lunch like always. She burst into the bright sunlight, her eyes struggling temporarily to adjust. There indeed was a figure waiting for her, but even when he was just a blur, she could tell it wasn't the man she was longing to see. His posture was much too good.
"Hello, Sakura," a voice spoke, smooth and rich and refined, not at all like Kakashi's.
"Hello, Neji," she replied, trying to keep the disappointment out of her voice. Her eyes began to adjust and his long brown hair and pristine Hyuuga robes came into view. He was different from Kakashi in practically every way, so serious and predictable and by the book. Sakura didn't realize how much she had loved Kakashi's spontaneity until now.
"I wanted to apologize for upsetting you yesterday," he said, gliding towards her and offering his hand. "And I was hoping you would let me make it up to you by taking you out for a meal."
Sakura noticed with irritation that he didn't apologize for saying the words against Kakashi, but merely for the fact that they had upset her. Although she was grateful for a little company, and knew Neji was a kind man and a good shinobi, she wasn't keen on the idea of him trying to fill the spot that Kakashi had only just vacated.
"Well..." Sakura hesitated, not really in the mood to spend time with the Hyuuga.
"If you are busy now, I could pick you up for dinner if that's be alright," Neji said smoothly.
"I'm sorry, I can't tonight. I have plans with Ino," she replied hastily. The truth was she had nothing going on with Ino at all but now she intended to call her up and make sure she would be otherwise engaged. Lunch was bad enough, but something about a dinner date was more serious, more romantic, and she definitely didn't want to give Neji the wrong idea. If she had to pick one, she would go with lunch.
"Now is fine," she said with a forced smile. brushing past him before he could extend a hand or link their elbows again. Her position in front made her unable to see Neji's triumphant smirk.
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From his position on the high ledge, Kakashi could look down and see the entrance to the mine shaft. It would have been pitch black if not for the giant torches that were burning. He assumed there was an outlet to the surface somewhere since despite nearly a dozen blazing sticks, the cave was not filled with smoke. Six or seven men were out front, some acting as guards and some perhaps on a break. They all looked relaxed, their guards foolishly lowered.
They would be his first targets.
He followed the ledge, hugging the cliff wall and jumping the gap to the next rocky outcropping. He was silent as a shadow, a mere whisper in the darkness as he approached the shore.
After he had fought off the strange, haggard creatures from before, throwing them into the water or running them through with his sword, he had been forced to proceed by using the ledges high above the water. His raft had long since floated away, but he was thankful to see that it had not washed up near the mine's entrance and alerted his enemies to his presence. As far as he could tell, no more of the creatures inhabited the cave, all of them meeting their ends at Kakashi's hand.
He approached the last ledge, having nowhere else to go but down. He dropped down to the water, sending just enough chakra to his feet to allow him to tread on the surface. He ran quick and quiet, the only testament to his presents were the ripples that bloomed like flowers wherever he stepped.
The torches only illuminated the a small area, making it easy for him to move among the shadows. His feet made contact with the hard rock as he advanced. He was death on silent wings and the first man never saw the strike to his head coming, nor did the second. It was only when the fourth was felled that one of them took notice, but his cry of alarm was smothered before he could even make a sound.
Within a minute, every man who had been outside the mines was dead, and not a sound had been made. Kakashi could only hope the rest of the mission would go as smoothly, although he couldn't help but feel like the real trouble was waiting for him within the bowels of the mine where escape would not be so easy.
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The door creaked in protest as she kicked it shut and stumbled towards her bedroom, not even bothering to turn on a light. The moon was nearly full and pale light streamed through the window, painting her surroundings an unearthly silver blue.
She sat down heavily on the bed, noting that the world still seemed to move too fast around her, dulling her senses and making her head feel fuzzy. It seemed she didn't possess the alcohol tolerance her blond friend did, which was surprising considering Sakura was no lightweight.. Going out with Ino all night had successfully allowed her to avoid Neji, but even after consuming massive amounts of alcohol, the lonely ache in her chest still persisted, and though she had had fun, there wasn't a moment that night when she had been able to truly forget about Kakashi.
She flopped down heavily, letting fluffy pillows catch her head in their soft embrace. The ceiling spun above her briefly, protesting the sudden movement and Sakura closed her eyes until the dizziness passed.
Sakura let her head roll to the side and saw the small black eye patch she had worn the day she met Kakashi. She didn't need it anymore since her patient with the migraines had received successful surgery and had been discharged weeks ago, but she had kept the accessory anyway, mostly because she knew Kakashi had liked it.
She reached out and fumbled for the small object on her nightstand and held it tightly in her fist as her mind once again began to loop troublesome questions through her mind. Why didn't he say goodbye? Was there truth in Neji's words? Just what did Kakashi think of her anyway?
Sakura was well aware of the Copy nin's womanizing reputation, but when they were together, she hadn't seen him so much as look at another woman with interest. He always seemed so focused on her, genuinely intrigued by her. She supposed their relationship was never really made official and she would have no right to be angry with him if he stopped wanting to see her. Perhaps after all the time they spent getting to know each other, he decided he wasn't interested after all, although she found that had to believe. She would try not to dwell anymore on the topic until she saw him again in person and heard Kakashi's reasons straight from his mouth.
The kunoichi closed her eyes and sighed wearily. Maybe she was being silly and overreacting to the whole thing. If she indeed did end up dating an ANBU, she would have to get used to him leaving on missions with little to no notice. However, she just couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss, although she couldn't explain how or why.
Lunch with Neji had been pleasant enough, and thankfully Kakashi's name had not come up once. They had idly chatted, skirting topics regarding relationships, and Sakura hoped that the Hyuuga's odd streak of overprotectiveness had passed. He was kind and well mannered, pulling out her seat for her and opening doors. There was something regal about him, but somehow Sakura still preferred the disheveled charm of the famed Copy ninja, even if he liked reading dirty books in public.
Her thoughts circled back around to the man she was missing and she groaned, rolling over to bury her face in her pillow. Whatever mission he had been sent on, she sincerely hoped it was a short one.
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Kakashi eased his sword out of the shoulder of yet another felled enemy. His unease about the mission had lifted considerably as he was able to kill one enemy ninja after another without making a sound. He had made a shadow clone and placed him at the entrance, making it impossible for anyone to flee the mine shaft without running into his double, and the silver haired man doubted there was a shinobi in the place that was a match for even just his clone.
While numerous lanterns hung in every area of the cave, it was impossible for them to illuminate the dark depths completely. Kakashi had plenty of shadows to hide in and he made sure to use them to his advantage. His only apprehension was that he hadn't realized how truly massive the mines were. He had entered nearly six hours ago and he still hadn't been through every mine shaft. Alarms had been sounded as dead bodies were found, but the size of the mine proved to work in his favor as he was constantly on the move, staying in the darkness until he was able to catch the bandits unaware.
His targets were untrained and stupid, relying more on their large numbers to keep possession of the mine rather than their skill. They fell to Kakashi's sword and jutsu easily, most of them not knowing what hit them until it was too late.
He cleaned out one dark corridor after another, noticing that the actual mining of tin seemed to have been put on hold. The bandits weren't interested in taking the metal for themselves. They merely wanted a base of operations that would be hard to infiltrate. While it had been a challenge, silently killing off the entire group was far from impossible, and Kakashi hoped that within the next few hours, he would be finished and on his way back to Konoha and Sakura. His biggest concern now was finding the two female hostages. Hopefully he wasn't too late to save them.
He pressed close against the rocky wall, becoming practically invisible in the shadows as he crept towards a man who had foolishly stayed behind to guard this part of the mine by himself. Single targets were always the easiest.
The man brandished a sword, but he was so overcome with fear that his hands were shaking. Kakashi doubted he'd be able to even attempt a strike before Kakashi's own sword found its mark.
When his back was turned, the ANBU lunged, knocking the man to the ground. His victim let out a cry of terror at the sight of the white and red painted animal mask hovering over him ghoulishly, his sword falling uselessly from his fingers. Before he could so much as scream, he was permanently silenced by Kakashi's blade.
Another one down, but so many remained and the place was so big that it would be hard to tell when he had truly emptied out the mine. He turned to recede back into the shadows when he sensed movement behind him. He dove to the side, feeling cold steel slice his arm. The wound was small and a thin trickle of blood seeped from the cut, but if he hadn't moved, it would have been fatal. He turned to find a young man holding the sword his last victim had dropped, and Kakashi cursed his abundance of confidence. He had been so sure that the area was secure that he had let his guard down.
The man's strong chakra signature betrayed him as a shinobi, but one swift kick and a katon jutsu dropped the man like a stone. Kakashi made sure he was dead before moving on but suddenly had to brace himself near the nearest rock wall when he felt lightheaded and dizzy. His wound began to burn and he realized that the sword that cut him must have been poisoned. It seemed the fish the bandits had been catching were being harvested for poison after all.
His strength rapidly dwindling, Kakashi staggered a few steps and dropped to his knees. His body was going numb and his vision dark. He wondered if his body would ever see light again or if the bandits would do away with his remains within the mine. He managed to mumble a few words before darkness overtook him completely, apologizing to the one he had hoped to see at least one more time.
"I'm sorry, Sakura."
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