Under the cloak of night, with the moon casting an eerie silver glow upon Konohagakure, Kakashi Hatake moved with a grim purpose. Usually bustling with life, the village was subdued, its inhabitants gripped by a tense unease. Whispers of Ryuu Uchiha's condition hung heavy in the air.
For Kakashi, the night offered no solace, only a canvas for shadows and anxieties to play upon. He traversed the village's labyrinthine alleys and rooftops with practiced ease, a silent wraith against uncertainty. The mission Sakumo had entrusted to him weighed heavily – not just for its gravity, but for what it symbolized: a testament to the fragility of the peace they had fought so hard to achieve.
Reaching the edge of the village, he paused, surveying the dense forest that bordered Konoha. A familiar sensation washed over him. "This tension... I've felt this before," he murmured, closing his eyes. Memories flooded back: the ever-present shadows, the unanswered questions, the constant anticipation of battle.
"Are we truly on the brink of another war?" he wondered. "It's not my place to dwell on that, but..." Kakashi clenched his fist as he passed through the village gates.
"I have to focus on the task at hand."
Lightning crackled around him, enveloping his body in a thin layer of white energy. Then, with a blinding flash, he vanished, a streak of lightning chasing down his enemies.
"Sorry, Ryuu... I'm not doing this just for you. Not even for the village," he thought, the image of Mina flashing before his eyes: her vibrant red eyes, her silver hair framing a gentle, loving smile. He recalled the promise he had made to her before departing.
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Kakashi had received his orders and was home when a familiar voice reached him.
"Kakashi-chaan! Kakashi!"
He paused, remembering. "That's right... she doesn't know yet."
Mina rushed towards him, her face etched with worry. "What happened? Are the rumors true? Is Ryuu okay?"
"He's fine," Kakashi said, trying to sound reassuring. "It's just that we... can't reach him right now." Even he couldn't disguise the lie completely.
Mina took his hands, her touch gentle but insistent. "Come in, tell me what happened."
Kakashi smiled sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. "I'm sorry, I can't do that right now. The village needs me. Stay safe, Mina-chan."
Mina suddenly embraced him, a single tear escaping her eye. "Don't work too hard. You just retired from the Anbu."
Kakashi gently placed a hand on her shoulder. "I may not be as strong as Ryuu, but when he's not here, I'm the only one to count on."
Mina pulled back, her eyes filled with concern. "Don't act so cool, Kakashi." With a swift motion, she pulled down his mask. "Just promise you'll be safe."
Kakashi blushed, a genuine smile gracing his features. "I promise." He pulled his mask back up, gently disengaging from her embrace.
Before he could leave, Mina pulled him back, kissing his masked cheek quickly. "For good luck."
Kakashi smiled behind his mask. "Thank you," he said, waving goodbye as he finally disappeared into the night.
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Kakashi was a motion blur, leaping through the trees with incredible speed. He had long since passed the borders of the Hidden Leaf and was nearing the outskirts of the Hidden Sound Village.
"I'll set a trap ahead," he thought, "assuming I don't find anything."
Flick.
A faint, pin-like sound pierced the whistling wind, followed by a deafening—
BOOM!
A colossal explosion erupted beside Kakashi, hurting him towards the forest floor.
"Got him!" A shinobi concealed in the branches of a towering tree celebrated, observing the scene through binoculars. "I got the Copy Ninja. I repeat, the Copy Ninja, Kakashi Hatake, is no longer a threat." He relayed the message into his comm link.
The shinobi, clad in an Anbu uniform and turban, watched Kakashi's situation unfold from a safe distance.
"Hmm? That's strange," he muttered, his brow furrowing.
"What's the situation, Number Ten? We need every detail. Do you copy?" The voice from his commlink demanded.
"I do, it's just... that explosion. It's not expanding. It's like it's being vacuumed," he reported, his voice laced with confusion.
As if to confirm his words, the massive explosion ceased its outward expansion and began to shrink as if being sucked into a void. Within seconds, it vanished entirely.
"What do you mean it's being vacuumed?" the voice in the comm link asked incredulously.
A swirling vortex materialized, distorting the very air around it. It surged towards the tree where the shinobi perched, its gravitational pull dragging everything towards a single point.
"Kamui!" Kakashi's Mangekyo Sharingan flared, its hypnotic pattern swirling as it activated, pulling everything into its dimensional void.
The shinobi leaped from its branches just as the tree began to warp and contort. But a blinding lightning bolt pierced his chest as he hung in mid-air.
He blinked, his eyes widening in horror as he found Kakashi's hand embedded in his chest, crackling with lethal lightning.
"So... there were only ten of you, huh?" Kakashi mused, recalling the moment he'd seen through the trap.
As he'd been leaping through the trees, a glint of metal had caught his eye – a pin strategically placed to detonate at high speeds. He'd tracked the faintest of footprints on the ground using his Sharingan. There were few, but his vast experience allowed him to anticipate his enemy's position.
Kakashi withdrew his hand from the shinobi's chest, a grim expression settling on his face. "Now then... I usually leave this thing to Ryuu, but I have no choice."
Locking eyes with the captured shinobi, Kakashi swiftly plunged him into a genjutsu, rendering him unconscious.
"I see... ten shinobi spread thinly across the five nations." Kakashi deactivated his Sharingan and closed his eyes, reaching into his pocket.
"I guess I'll have to rely on those two," he murmured, biting his finger and retrieving a scroll. With a practiced flick of his wrist, he unfurled it in mid-air and smeared a few drops of blood across its surface.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
Poof!
A cloud of smoke erupted before him, and from its depths emerged two familiar canine figures: his loyal partner, Pakkun, and Kai, Ryuu's invaluable ninken.
"Bakashiii!!" Kai bounded towards Kakashi, a whirlwind of dust and excitement, before being gently restrained by the scruff of his neck.
"What kind of situation requires both of us?" Pakkun inquired, his sharp eyes assessing the situation.
Kakashi addressed the two dogs with a serious expression. "We have a mission. Ten shinobi are scattered across the five nations, each carrying vital information about Konohagakure. We must find and neutralize them before they can divulge those secrets."
Pakkun and Kai exchanged a knowing glance and nodded in unison. "Understood, Kakashi-sensei," Pakkun confirmed. We'll use our tracking skills to locate them."
Kakashi nodded. "Good. I'll stay here. I need to determine Orochimaru's stance and eliminate the remaining shinobi in this area."
Kai leaped into Kakashi's arms, his belly exposed in a playful gesture. "C'mon, can I have some juice?" he requested.
"Yeah," Kakashi replied, channeling lightning chakra into his arms.
Kai's golden fur bristled and glowed as he absorbed the invigorating energy.
"Haha!" With a joyful bark, he jumped and stood beside Pakkun, his tail wagging furiously.
"Alright!" In a flash, Kai and Pakkun vanished, leaving only a swirling cloud of dust in their wake.
Kakashi watched the energetic duo disappear, a hint of amusement softening his stoic expression. "Kai's boundless energy and Pakkun's tracking skills should make quick work of this," he thought.
Taking a deep breath, he focused on the task ahead. "Now, I'd say Orochimaru's lab is the best place to get some answers around here."
With that, Kakashi vanished again, heading towards one of Orochimaru's known hideouts. Thanks to Ryuu's frequent visits, Kakashi was familiar with most of them.
He arrived at the outskirts of a desolate area known for Orochimaru's activities, concealing his presence and observing the surroundings. An eerie silence hung in the air – all too familiar, yet always unsettling.
Kakashi's intuition warned him this meeting would be anything but straightforward. "Orochimaru is a former comrade, a respected shinobi," he mused. "Besides Ryuu, few could stand against him alone, so I have to avoid a fight at all costs. Reminding him of the 'good old days' would be pointless. Honestly, he only ever seems to care about Ryuu. It's unsettling."
Stepping forward into the mist-filled road, his footfalls barely disturbing the silence, he called out, "Orochimaru, show yourself. We need to talk."
As if summoned by his words, the air shimmered, and Orochimaru materialized, his presence as sinister as it was captivating. "Kakashi Hatake," he drawled, his voice a sibilant hiss. "To what do I owe this unexpected visit?"
Kakashi's Sharingan locked with Orochimaru's, his gaze unwavering. "You know why I'm here. What do you know about the Konoha shinobi who were here? What's their true motive?"
Orochimaru smirked playfully. "True motive? They want to spread information, that much I know."
"And if you know that," Kakashi pressed, "why haven't you done anything to stop them?"
"Hmph..." Orochimaru's expression turned contemplative. "With Ryuu Uchiha incapacitated, I doubt the world will remain peaceful. War is inevitable."
Kakashi frowned. "If you know that much, then help us. Ryuu spared your life out of respect. I won't extend the same courtesy." His voice was laced with a subtle threat.
Orochimaru's smirk widened. "I'm afraid you're over your head, son of the White Fang." A flicker of killing intent flashed in his eyes.
But Kakashi refused to back down. This wasn't like their previous encounter, where fear paralyzed him.
"Hmph." Orochimaru's smirk shifted into a proud grin. "Even if I were to kill you here, once Ryuu-kun recovered, he would ensure I suffered greatly. His support is irreplaceable."
"So you'll help us?" Kakashi asked, seizing the opportunity.
"I'll help Ryuu," Orochimaru corrected, turning to leave. A cloud of dust began to swirl around him.
"Take this," he said, tossing a scroll towards Kakashi. "Danzo Shimura's scheme is already a success. But I'll be there to mitigate the damage." His voice echoed through the clearing as the dust cloud engulfed him, carrying him away.