When Kakashi woke up, he felt the wrongness of the day seeping into his head. It was barely dawn, and weak light filtered in from the street outside. The birds weren't singing. The birds were always so happy. Why weren't they singing? The five-year-old slipped out of his bed and into his slippers, padding out of his room and along the corridor. In his hand he still clutched his new headband; he had gone to sleep with it cradled in his arms.
He reached his father's bedroom door and hesitated. He had long since grown out of waking his father up when he was scared, knowing how angry his father got when nothing was really the matter. But this time was different. Kakashi bit his lip as he reached a trembling hand up to knock at the door and his sleep-filled eyes regarded the wood in front of him as nothing happened. He knocked again. Not a sound. This struck the boy as even stranger than the absence of the dawn chorus of birds. His father always woke up. He woke up before you reached the door. If he wanted, he could be behind you with a kunai around your neck before you touched the door handle.
Breathing quickly, Kakashi laid his palm on the handle and started suddenly, spinning around in a defensive position. Minutes passed. He looked up again. No one was there. With heavy reluctance, and a foreboding frown on his face, Kakashi turned slowly back around and opened the door.
He recoiled, throwing up into the corner, behind the door. Then he ran for help.
Ok, so this is insanely short, I know. But I like cliffhangers, so sue me! This also means the next chapter will be up really quickly, and surely that's a good thing, right? Now you all know the drill… REVIEW, PEOPLE! Seriously, it'll help, I promise!
