Early in the morning, Kakashi awoke right on time, as if it were ingrained in his biological clock. He got up, folded his bedding with, and then went to freshen up.
Standing in front of the mirror in the washroom, he quietly stared at his reflection. In the mirror, it seemed as though he was still the same boy from before, unchanged in the slightest. In front of him stood a cute girl with purple markings on her face, behind him a handsome young man with golden hair, and beside him, a boy wearing goggles who looked at him with hostility.
He touched the crescent-shaped scar on his left eye, and once again, the final moments of his friend's death replayed in his mind.
The goggles, always crooked. I should've fixed them for you...
Putting on his mask, he collected his swirling thoughts and returned to being an ANBU ninja. The transition was almost palpable, his posture straightening, his gaze sharpening.
After eating a simple breakfast made up of instant food in the kitchen, he went to the shrine in the living room. He bowed three times in front of a photo of a man with pale hair.
"Another day, another mission," Kakashi murmured to the photo. "I'm heading out."
With the short sword passed down through the Hatake family sheathed on his back, he walked out of his home.
Kakashi's house was quite large, larger than most houses in Konoha, though it was located some distance from the village center. The Hatake estate, once bustling with life, now stood as a silent testament to a bygone era.
There wouldn't be any missions this early in the morning, so Kakashi wasn't in a hurry to report to the ANBU headquarters. He could take his time walking there.
As he strolled through the streets, Kakashi noticed a cloud of dust far in the distance rushing in his direction. Instinctively, he jumped to the rooftop to hide. From the dust below, a man with a green, bowl-shaped haircut was sprinting at full speed.
"DYNAMIC ENTRY INTO THE SPRINGTIME OF YOUTH!" the green-clad young man shouted, now running on his hands.
Kakashi watched in bemused silence as the young man continued his exuberant run, accidentally knocking over a fruit stand in his enthusiasm.
"My cabbages!" the vendor cried out in dismay.
"Who's that? Yelling like that so early in the morning, waking my kids!"
"Is it that green hurricane again?" another villager grumbled, peering out of his window.
"Can't we sleep in peace anymore?"
Voices of protest rose from the residents on both sides of the street, but the green-clad man ignored them all, continuing to run off into the distance, leaving Kakashi shaking his head.
Guy... Your 'youthfulness' is going to get you cleaning duties from the Hokage one of these days.
In the ANBU changing room, which the operatives unofficially called 'The Shadows' Den', Kakashi had just finished putting on his ANBU combat gear when an ANBU member entered and said, "Captain, the Hokage has ordered you to go to the reception room at the Hokage's office immediately. You can wear your regular ninja attire."
"Hmm?" Kakashi raised an eyebrow. Civilian clothes? What kind of mission is this?
"Understood," he replied.
He was a bit puzzled by the order. If it was a mission directly for the ANBU, it should have been issued in the Hokage's office or the council chamber. Why the reception room?
Despite his doubts, he decided to follow the command. He took off his ANBU uniform and changed into his usual village attire, along with his ninja headband.
As he walked through the village towards the Hokage's office, Kakashi observed the daily life of Konoha. Children ran past, playing ninja with wooden shuriken. Shopkeepers called out their wares, and the smell of fresh bread wafted from a nearby bakery.
Sensei would've loved seeing the village so peaceful, a bittersweet memory of his old team flashed through his mind.
When he entered the reception room, sitting in the center was the Third Hokage, Hiruzen, and beside him, in the client's seat, was a middle-aged man with a thick beard, wearing black round-framed glasses.
"Ah, Kakashi, you're here," the Hokage said with a nod.
"Let me introduce you. This is the client for this mission, Asama Sandayū, and this is Konoha's finest chunin, Hatake Kakashi."
Chunin? Kakashi was a bit confused by the Third's introduction. He had been promoted to jonin during the Third Great Ninja War, and the Third Hokage surely hadn't forgotten that. However, he figured there was a reason for this odd introduction.
He politely bowed slightly toward Sandayū in greeting, maintaining his composure despite his internal confusion.
"Sandayū-san, could you explain the situation to Kakashi?" the Hokage prompted.
"Of course," Sandayū replied, turning to Kakashi and beginning his story.
"I come from a place far in the north called the Land of Snow. It's a region covered in snow year-round, making it difficult for crops to grow, but the technology and heavy industries there are very advanced. Few outsiders visit, and even fewer know about it. I assume Kakashi-san has never been there?"
Kakashi shook his head slightly. Not only had he never been there, he hadn't even heard of it before. His mind was already cataloging this new information, considering its strategic implications.
"The ruler of the Land of Snow is His Highness, Kazahana Sōsetsu, and I am one of his retainers," Sandayū continued. "His Highness has a vision: to use our unique technology to harness the geothermal energy beneath the land and transform the cold winds from the north into warm breezes, giving us a chance to melt the snow that has accumulated for so many years."
"To achieve this, we formed an exploration team to search the northern regions for a suitable location to install the geothermal devices. My younger brother, Yoshiro, was the leader of the exploration team. He is a renowned polar explorer with a lot of experience in the field."
His tone grew more intense as he spoke. "A week ago, he set off from our northernmost base camp to explore areas that no one had ever ventured into. The team of sixteen set out, but after just two days, they encountered a blizzard. Fortunately, under his leadership, they found a place to take shelter."
"In that place, they discovered a cave," Sandayū leaned forward, his eyes gleaming with a mix of excitement and worry. "Inside the cave, they found countless ancient animal bones, fossils, and samples of ancient creatures."
"Ancient creatures?" Kakashi asked, his interest piqued. "Like fossils, or something... alive?"
"Yes, ancient creatures," Sandayū confirmed with a nod. "Although I didn't see the discovery myself, based on Yoshiro's tone, it sounded like something truly remarkable, something that could shock the world."
His expression darkened. "But then disaster struck. While I was in radio communication with him, I suddenly heard screams coming through the radio. Yoshiro rushed out to investigate, and during that time, I could hear what sounded like the exploration team being attacked by something. The screams were relentless."
Kakashi listened intently, his mind already analyzing the situation. "Unknown assailants in a forbidden area?" he thought. "This doesn't add up."
"Not long after, the chaos stopped," Sandayū continued, his voice dropping to almost a whisper. "But over the radio, I could hear his terrified whispers, saying something like..."
"The Ancients."
At this, he paused, giving everyone a moment to think. The room fell into a tense silence.
"After that, I heard nothing more over the radio," he said, breaking the silence. "We wanted to go and rescue them immediately, but it's been snowing non-stop for a week, making it impossible for the rescue team to set out."
"Given the screams we heard over the radio, we suspect the exploration team encountered some unknown danger—possibly an avalanche or perhaps some unknown assailant. But in that forbidden area of the Land of Snow, we can't think of anyone who could have attacked the team."
Sandayū stood up, bowing deeply to Kakashi. "So I've come to Konoha to request help from your ninja to join our rescue team and help save the exploration team."
"Please!"
Just a normal rescue mission. Why me specifically? He glanced at the Hokage, catching a subtle nod.
"I understand the situation," Kakashi said. "I'll do my best to assist in the rescue mission."
The Hokage nodded approvingly. "Kakashi, prepare for a long journey."