Book 1: The Scarlet Thread (Kakashi Love Story)

Chapter 39

Izayoi's P. O. V:

I was on my way home from my latest S Ranked mission when I decided to stop at a tavern in an outpost town. I set my cart of luggage outside and wander up to the counter.

I perch on a stool and order tea and a ham and lettuce sandwich. My drink comes first and while I sip it, I over hear some people talking at a table behind me.

Curious, I peer over my shoulder with my cup in my gauntleted hand.

"... After all so many years of hiding, Mikoto wants us to find this woman? I don't get it," Says one of the men. I furrow my brows when I sense chakra coming from them, but they don't seem to wear any particular headband. They must be rogue ninja.

There's about three of them.

"A mission's a mission. Deal with it," Says another. "Once we find her, we have to bring the woman to Mikoto-sama."

"And once we get our hands on her, everyone will know of Yugure!" A third laughs.

Yugure... that name sounds familiar to me... but where have I heard it before?

I brush it off for now and eat my meal when it arrives. When I finish, I grab my cart and head home. It takes me two days. I give my report to Tsunade and tell her of what I heard at that tavern.

She sits there, fingers threaded together, a thoughtful expression on her features.

"Hm. Yugure. I think I've heard that name before," The blonde speaks up. "They're a small organisation of rogue ninja that no one knows much about, or where their hideout is located."

I say, "My father told me they murdered my parents when I was an infant."

"I see. I'll have Kakashi, Kurenai, Asuma and Kasumi brought in. I have a mission for you and your teams."

I was a bit surprised but nod and wait for the other Jounin and Chunin to show up.

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All the Jounin and Chunin gather in Tsunade's office. Tsunade has just finished telling them what Izayoi told her.

"Yugure?" Kurenai repeats, gazing at the redhead.

"It's the organisation that killed my parents when I was an infant," I say. Kakashi gazes at me in surprise.

"Why are they suddenly making their move?" Asuma wants to know. "And what do they want with this woman they mentioned?"

"I don't know," I say in confusion.

"I have a mission for you and your teams regarding Yugure," Tsunade cuts in. "You're to go and locate them, and capture them for information."

The Jounin and Kasumi nod their heads before Kasumi says with a smile at her former teammate, "Looks like the old Team Osamu is back together!" She pauses. "Err, well, sort of."

I give her an understanding smile, knowing that she means how Hideki left us all those years ago, just before Kakashi and I left the ANBU Black Ops.

We leave and head home to prepare for the mission. Kakashi and I don't talk as we pack our bags.

When we finish, Kakashi says tentatively, "Izayoi-chan? Are you... alright?"

I have my back to him as I finish zipping up the last of my suitcase. I don't say anything for a moment.

"......... I'm about to face the murderer of my parents. I don't really know how to feel, considering I never even met him. How will I even react when I do meet him? And to think he's a Senju who betrayed our village.... What if he targets me next?" Here, I turn to give Kakashi a helpless look.

Kakashi closes the distance between us and places his hands on my shoulders as he says firmly, "That won't happen, Izayoi-chan. I can promise you, I won't let him hurt you." A frown pulls at his brows. "He'd have t go through me first."

I smile a little, feeling slightly better but still wary about this whole mission. "Thank you, Kashi-kun." I lean forward and kiss his cheek. "We'd better get Tenten and Neji to babysit Ken and Akemi while we're away. I'll do that while you finish up here. Ok?"

Kakashi nods his head and I go downstairs to get Tenten and Neji.

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Kakashi and I finally arrive at the gate just after everyone else. Team 3, 7, 8 and 10 were there with their Sensei's, and Kasumi was standing with them, too, a pink bag on her back.

We'd hugged and kissed our children on the cheek before leaving.

Naruto demands as he frowns at us, "You're both late! What's the excuse this time?"

Kakashi chuckles sheepishly, "Eheh, sorry about that. We had to get Neji and Tenten to babysit for us."

Naruto was surprised by this as he utters, "Neji is babysitting for you guys?"

"What a load of luggage!" Choji exclaims as ge eyes bug in his head, munching on some barbecue chips.

"Does all that belong to you, Sensei?" Sakura gazes at the cart full of luggage behind me. Asuna and Kurenai look exasperated. Kasumi was used to it by now.

"Got a problem with it?" I demand as my eyes flash.

"No, not at all!" The green eyed girl exclaims as she waves her hands back and forth.

"Okay, now that we're all here, it's time to explain the mission," Kakashi begins. "We're to locate and capture an organisation of rogue ninja that consists of four members, including their leader, and bring them in for interrogation. They're called Yugure, meaning Twilight. We only know for a fact that their leader is Mikoto Senju, from what Izayoi overheard on her way back from her previous mission."

The Genin look understandably wary about this mission, except for my male students and Sasuke.

"So, we're rounding up a bunch of dangerous rogue ninja?" Asks Kai. He grins. "Heh! Sounds like fun to me!"

"Yeah! Count me in!" Hiro adds, clenching his fists.

"Their leader is a Senju?" Sakura asks in disbelief.

I nod my head. "He is, unfortunately. His son was a member of my former Genin team, along with Kasumi, here." I gesture to the blonde haired, brown eyed girl. "But he'd defected from the Leaf a long time ago. That's a story for another time. We should probably get a move. We'll start at that outpost town I stopped at on the way back from my mission."

Kakashi nods his head in agreement. "Alright, then, let's get going. It'll take us two days to reach it on foot."

We then head out of the Hidden Leaf Village to search for the Yugure organisation.