Shattered |Kakashi x OC|

Chapter 27: Shifting Sands

The desert sand shifted like waves in an ocean as the wind howled through the vast, night veiled terrain. Yellow dunes spread across the horizon in a recurring pattern that seemed to stretch on endlessly.

At least, that's how it seemed to Ahsoka Aoyama as she rooted her feet to the slippery sand, braving yet another of the large dunes. Her legs strained against the sliding sand and her faded beige cloak whipped along with the night wind.

Stars flickering above as the Aoyama finally stood atop the dune, nuzzingly her nose further into her scarf as her narrowed eyes studied the dark horizon, looking for something.

And then there it was, hidden in an oasis nestled between two monstrous sand dunes was a large adobe fortress of old yellow stone. Lush trees encompassed the grande building, almost hiding it completely from view, but it was there.

Taking a sip from her unnervingly light waterskin, Ahsoka pulled her hood lower over her head and began her descend down the dune, walking towards the fortress with the wind singing praises into the night.

Five months later

Kakashi Hatake didn't need another problem in his life, he already had enough of them. So when this one rolled around, he was far from pleased. He had gone about his routine, not giving it much thought at first, but as the months rolled by he couldn't put it off anymore.

It had been five months since he last heard any word from his sarcastic and unapologetic friend, Ahsoka Aoyama, and an unwanted worry had started to settle into his mind.

Five months ago, Ahsoka had set out on one of her espionage missions. She didn't tell him what it was, nor did she tell him were she was going. She merely gave him a farewell wink and set off to god-knows where.

It wasn't the first time she had had to do this. Kakashi was no stranger to Ahsoka going alone on missions that lasted weeks on end, and so he never worried. She was more than capable of getting things done on her own. But she had never gone without returning or at the very least sending word for more than three months.

The insufferable late August heat was also doing nothing to soothe Kakashi's worries as he made the trek to the large red building that housed the current Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi. Kakashi tried not to look at the stone heads carved into the looming monument in he distance, but his lone eye betrayed him as they wandered right to the last figure.

It had been almost four years since the death of Obito, three since Rin's, and the first anniversary of Minato-sensei and Kushina's was only a few short months away.

The village had slolwy healed in the past ten months since the Nine Tails Attack. Some buildings still held scars from the damage, but the biggest, and most prominent mark was inside the people's hearts.

That damage could not be seen on the outside, only in the solemn, distant look in people's eyes could be seen when that dreadful night was mentioned. Things had changed.

Now, the almost sixteen-year old Kakashi tried not to think about it, but he knew he himself had also changed after that night, maybe he had changed long before then. Something had broken in him years ago, and there was only one string keeping him together.

And he had to make sure that dumb-ass was still alive.

He reached the Hokage office without hindrance, and soon he found himself knocking on the large doors he had gone through so many times.

"Enter."

The door creaked open as Kakashi stepped into the room.

"Ah, Kakashi." The Hokage sat up straighter, looking away from the piles of paperwork littering his desk. Kakashi had to suppress a wince at the amount of work. He would never want to be in his position.