-----
As for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded.
2 Chronicles 15:7
-----
The new year had finally reached a rousing crescendo and in the jubilance of this special occasion, the hustle and bustle of the bourg remained boisterous, prominent in drunkards as they engaged in lengthy conversations.
The streets reverberated with the echoes of laughter and exuberance, and overall, it was a cheerful atmosphere.
While these things ensued, only 2 individuals seemed to contrast, as their visages were tainted in apprehension. The couple elegantly hopped from one building to the next and seamlessly blended with the vibrant night.
Soon enough, they entered common ground, presented before the crimson establishment that bathed in the moon's sheen; the Hokage Mansion.
The figures ushered into the vacant premises.
***
A mountain stack of disorganised dockets flooded the desk, and remained unattended.
An aged man stood at the tail end of the room and faced in the direction of his pane, which reflected the lovely tapestry showcased by the villagers as they immersed in fun and festivities. Today, the old man decided to take a break from the political scuffle and relish in the prevailing peace of his home.
Taking a deep drag from his pipe, he calmly exhaled, in which wisps of smoke exited his lips.
For the first time, and in a long time, he was finally at peace.
But unfortunately, his peace was momentary...
*KNOCK* *KNOCK*
Shattering the ambience were hard knocks on the office door, tearing the old man's gaze away from the window.
Directing a dispirited gaze toward the door, he instructed shallow-heartedly, "Come in."
The wooden door parted ajar, and intruding the premises were 2 familiar figures. Upon meeting eyes with the red-haired man, Hiruzen questioningly quipped, "Saruto?"
Beside him was a dazzling woman, prompting him to raise a brow, and press with equal verve; "Kaede?"
Noticing the anxiety in their eyes, he turned around, and inquired, "Did something happen? Both of you seem down."
Hayato responded, "Yeah, there is quite a problem... I apologise for the intrusion."
"No, not at all, take a seat you two," Hiruzen beckoned, and everyone took a seat. And so, he initiated, "What happened?"
Turning to Kaede, who seemed hesitant, Hayato debriefed, "There was a mission recently, Operation: Mountain's End."
Hiruzen arched a brow, surprised by their knowledge of this classified data.
Anticipating the flow of the conversation, Hiruzen intercepted, "Indeed, and since it regards that, it appears you're aware of the absence of both squads."
Hayato nodded, "Yes, and to be honest, we would've remained unaware of the situation hadn't it been for Kaede's parents."
Before Hiruzen could inquire, Hayato added, "Kaede's brother, Uchiha Shinji, had taken part in this mission."
Upon revelation, a sharp exclamation rang in the air, and Hayato continued, "It's quite unsettling. We've heard that the mission status was marked as complete, but they still haven't arrived, hence I was wondering if action was taken?"
Hiruzen nodded his head, "Yes, a search party was assigned to explore the whereabouts. However, they confessed that they were unable to find traces of the squads that were disbanded, but concurred at the signs of battle, and even corpses of the enemies, notably Jiro, the Earthbreaker."
Hayato professed, "In that case, I would like to go together with Kaede, and investigate. Even though it has already been explored, I believe me and Kaede may be able to garner more clues."
Hiruzen assumed a contemplative stance, poised with a finger beneath his chin. As such, the aged man complied, "Very well, that won't be a problem..."
Had it been anyone else, perhaps he would've been reluctant, but knowing their accomplishments and major contributions to the village, he allowed it.
He paused, turning a languid gaze toward Kaede, and muttered, "I had no idea Uchiha Shinji was your brother. I was aware you had a brother, but I didn't think it was Shinji. You're both so... different."
There was a fluctuation in his tone as he said "different," and Kaede seemed to get the gist of Hiruzen's opinion. If another Uchiha had heard, they may have labelled Hiruzen to be indignant, but Kaede was different. She knew what the aged man insinuated.
Following his brethren, Shinji too, adopted a contagious degree of arrogance. He used to be a kind-hearted individual, but the malice of those around him had rubbed off on him.
Gone was the kind-hearted youth who shared respect toward others, his ambitions now replaced by a malefic desire to help the clan reach the top!
In contrast, Kaede was the complete opposite. It took Hiruzen by surprise that Shinji was the younger brother.
Kaede mulled self-derisively, 'He's been brainwashed by our clan's shenanigans...'
Tightening her fist into a ball, she accused, 'It's my fault. I should've talked to him more... I...'
"Kaede!" Snapped a voice that awoke Kaede from her self-deprecation. The voice belonged to Hayato, who comforted, "Don't blame yourself over this. You tried your best."
Kaede steeled herself and nodded in support. Hayato turned to Hiruzen, and elaborated, "I will go with Kaede to the Twin Peaks Mountain and investigate. My best guess is that another nation ambushed the squads, but I want to check for myself. Shinji is a strong lad, and I'm sure his companions are just as noteworthy."
Hiruzen nodded, "Indeed. Both squads are equally as promising. If they have truly befallen a pitiful fate..."
Hiruzen refrained from rambling any further. Kaede was also here, and not only were the lives of these Shinobis at stake, but Konoha would certainly face a huge blow from these disappearances, especially without knowing the cause.
If they remained unfound, the question that will linger is, "Who were the enemies?" It would spark panic in the higher echelon.
Hiruzen hummed in consensus, grabbing a portfolio by his side, and assessing the dockets. Perusing the contents, he flipped over each paper one by one, until finally settling on one, and he pulled the paper out, before slipping it to Hayato.
"These are the mission's contents."
Hayato's scarlet pupils darted left and right, assimilating the information and formulating strategies, while also taking into consideration the risks each strategy posed. Everything encircled the ringleader named Jiro, the Earthbreaker.
However, it should've been a breeze given the elite class members that had been dispatched in the mission. Alongside Shinji was another fellow Uchiha, who was part of the other squad.
2 elite-class squads had been disbanded to neutralise the threat!
"I see..." Hayato concluded.
Passing it to Kaede, Kaede too, analysed the document. Hayato took this time to indulge in the data with Hiruzen, and finally, their conversation had ended.
Hayato confessed, "I need several people with me on this mission."
"Very well," Hiruzen concurred.
Hayato's lips curled, and he suggested, "I have several in mind... May I ask for assistance?"
Hiruzen agreed, "Very well."
***
Much time had elapsed, and despite going well past bedtime, the bourg beamed with exuberance. Every nook and cranny was enveloped in a cheery atmosphere.
In a more secluded, and darker area, only the silver pulse of the moon served as illumination, casting elongated shadows of infrastructures on the ground. This area was the entry gate to Konoha, and standing in front of the 2 colossal doors were 2 figures.
One was Hayato, and the other was Kaede. The attire they opted for was different from their standard attire; they were clad in standard clothing befitting a ninja, consisting of a green flak jacket, navy blue jeans, and a headband wrapped around their head, imprinted with the notorious insignia of Konoha. This is to be expected as they are about to embark on a treacherous road!
The duo seemed to be waiting for someone, or something. While they waited, they made light conversation:
"So Kaede, were your parents doing fine?" Hayato asked, sharing concern about their well-being.
Kaede answered, "Aside from being worried about Shinji, they seem okay, and they've..." The pictures of her aged parents brushed her mind; both of them smiled at her with a love they had never shown since birth.
She completed, "... Changed."
Hayato raised a brow, "Changed?"
Kaede nodded, "Yeah. I was quite baffled myself, but they were being so... loving towards me."
Hayato smiled, "That's great to hear."
"Mhm," Kaede hummed.
Hayato continued to broach the topic; "I understand you left on bad terms, but since they're disoriented with Shinji's absence... did you at least reassure them?"
"I... I think so. I tried to look after them and promised to check on Shinji. But still, it's weird ya know. They've always been negligent of me and discarded me, so I didn't really want to reassure them and comfort them, but..." Kaede paused.
To be frank, she had harboured resentment toward them for the longest time, yet she still reassured them, and comforted them concerning Shinji's disappearance.
"You're a kind person Kaede." Hayato intercepted.
Kaede stammered, her pitch raising, "H-Huh? Where did that come from?"
Hayato explained, "Despite everything that happened, you're still concerned over your parent's well-being. As your partner, I can assure that you were a blessing from your parents..." He sighed, "... But they didn't realise how blessed they were, to have such a good daughter."
He placed a hand on her shoulder, and grinned, "And that's exactly why you're my wife."
Kaede's cheeks turned red, and she expressed her gratitude, "Thank you."
Hayato showed a thumbs up, followed by a wink.
Kaede professed, her voice taking a reducing pitch, "By the way, when are we seriously getting married? You can't call me your wife when we're not even married."
Her cheeks became large and pouty, to which Hayato could only sweatdrop.
She persisted, "This identity thing may have been unnecessary. I understand you were taking precautions, but I'm sure there's nothing for us to worry about."
Hayato scratched his head, and conceded, "You might be right. I might have been overly paranoid."
He now understood that he may have been too paranoid. After all, he was the Golden Bolt. He wasn't scared of the repercussions of attracting danger, but he was still slightly worried for his nephew's and daughter's well-being.
He was a strong ninja, but not invincible. He felt taking precautions was always a good idea; you never know what will happen, especially in this world brimming with chaos.
Even his brother failed to rescue two of his cherished students, and since then, Hayato understood every decision he took shouldn't be lax.
Kaede added, her tone switching to frustration as she flailed her right hand which carried a silver ring, "You proposed to me 3 years ago. I get we were busy this whole time, but now that we're back home peacefully, I really wanna get married, ya know."
Hayato nodded his head, and noted, "You know what? We're getting married later this year."
Kaede's eyes lit up, and she exclaimed, "R-R-Really?!"
Hayato confirmed, "Yeah."
Unable to hold herself back, she excitedly latched her arms around Hayato's neck, and kicked her feet in the air.
"I can't wait." She shrieked.
"Are you the 2 summoned by Lord Third?" Chimed a deep tone, alerting the couple of an incoming signature.
Kaede immediately unwound herself, stood upright like a soldier and cleared her throat professionally, as though nothing had happened.
Unperturbed, Hayato answered to the intruder, "Yes, we are."
It wasn't just one; there were several.
Masked in the darkness, a silhouette of 3 figures could be seen, yet indiscernible. Soon enough, their frames became distinguishable, all clad in the standard attire of a Jonin.
One was a tall man with shoulder-length brown hair, and eyes that were slit into a piercing glare. His entire scalp was clothed in a navy blue cloth, and if we had to account for a feature that set him apart from everyone else at present, it would have to be the cocktail stick that stuck to his mouth.
He was the one who had asked the question.
Another was a man who had spiky black hair, whose prominent trait seemed to be his sunglasses. He vocalised, "So you two are the recruits, huh?" Standing before Hayato, he extended a hand, and introduced, "Aoba Yamashiro."
Likewise, Hayato accepted his hand, and introduced, "Uzumaki Saruto."
The man with the cocktail stick in his mouth raised a hand, and said, "Shiranui Genma."
He inwardly noted, 'An Uzumaki? I thought there were no more.'
The other man, who, unlike the rest, seemed quite young, formally introduced, "Uchiha Shisui."
The young man, seemingly around 15 years of age, donned similar attire, and while he may seem innocent and a newbie, that's a complete facade! This prodigy had earned even the recognition of the 5 great nations, earning the moniker "Shisui, The Teleporter." Genma and Aoba were also alarmed by his presence, which hinted at the severity of the mission. It wasn't an understatement to say he was the strongest among everyone here.
Everyone's gaze averted toward the only female in the group, who eventually spoke up, "Uchiha Kaede."
Shisui's eyes brightened as the name retained familiarity, and he hollered, "Kaede-nee-san!"
Kaede's lips curled, and she replied, "It's been a while, Shisui."
"Yeah, it's been so long. You could've told me you came back," Shisui pouted.
Kaede scratched her head sheepishly, and informed, "Sorry, I've been busy. I only came back a couple of weeks ago."
Shisui's eyes lit up as a thought struck his head, and he pressed, "Since you're here, does that mean Hayato-sensei is here?!"
"If he were, he'd be here with us," Kaede said.
Shisui's shoulders immediately slumped, and his expression sank at the disheartening answer. Hayato on the other hand, who witnessed this comical interaction, mused, 'It seems you haven't changed that much Shisui.'
"Sigh, I hate to break it to you..."
Interjecting with a sigh was Genma, who earned everyone's stare. Genma continued, "How about we save your reunion for later? We should get going."
Shisui's joyous mood collapsed, replaced by an insatiable drive to tread forth. He acknowledged Genma's statement, "Yes, we should get going."
Aoba turned to Saruto, and said, "I don't know you, but since Lord Third gave you the authority, I trust that we'll be in your care, Captain Saruto."
Saruto nodded, and muttered, "Yeah, you can trust me."
Genma followed suit, "I trust Lord Third's foresight, but if it seems to me that you aren't performing admirably, or you endanger us, then I won't hesitate to take the reigns."
As former members of the Hokage platoon, the duo's accomplishments were nothing to scoff at. They were elites among elites and so, they had a sense of pride and disliked working under those inferior, or showed no capability.
Saruto turned to Genma, and merely smiled, "Sure, but you won't need to worry about that..."
Turning his back, he faced the moonlit path that paved ahead, and proclaimed, "... Because all of you are under my care."
Genma appreciated the man's confidence, and remarked, "Aye aye, captain." He mentally noted, 'It appears he's quite reliable.'
Marching forward, Saruto planted his first step beyond the boundary of the colossal gates, and declared, "Let's go."