Book 1: The Scarlet Thread (Kakashi Love Story)

Chapter 52

Izayoi's P. O. V:

We leap through the trees, with me ahead with Kasumi and Kakashi, in the direction of the Land of Wolves where Arashigakure is located.

I ignore the feeling of Kakashi gazing at me as I'm lost in thought.

Why were we called all the way to a small nation like the Land of Wolves, and why did the Arashikage call on us?

We leap for about fifteen more minutes before Kakashi calls, "Everyone, stop!" We all stop on branches.

Naruto asks, "Is something the matter, Kakashi Sensei?"

"An enemy?" I demand.

"No. I think we should stop here to rest," He says with a shake of his head. I open my mouth to protest but he holds up his gloved hand. "We've still got quite a ways to go, and we've been travelling since we left the village. We'll have a half an hour rest here before we move on."

I nod my head as Kakashi lowers his hand. He does have a point.

We find a good spot to rest and some of us drink from our bamboo bottles or munch on a rice ball.

I sit on a log by myself as my mind wanders.

Kakashi comes over and perches beside me with a rice ball that has tomato and cheese, and my bamboo bottle. I thank him before I start biting into my food.

Kakashi asks, "Is something on your mind? You've been awfully quiet since we left the village."

I sigh as I reply, resting one arm on my knee, "I've been... thinking about the mission." Kakashi tilts his head slightly. "Why does someone like the Arashikage need us?"

I take a bite of my rice ball.

Kakashi says, "Who knows? We'll know when we get there."

I nod my head in agreement before I resume eating my snack.

🗡️🗡️🗡️

It was nearly ten days later that we stop on a large hill overlooking massive storms surrounding a village. Lightning flashes through the sky.

"How are we supposed to get through that?!" Naruto exclaims, pulling at his blond hair.

"Either through the storms or a network of underground passages," Kasumi responds.

"I take the underground passage way!" Amaya immediately says as she holds up her hand. Sakura nods her head in agreement.

"Y-Yeah. Me too."

I take out a map Tsunade had given me before we left and study it.

"Just follow me," I order before I start in a particular direction towards the village. Kakashi and Kasumi quickly follow, but the Genin were a little more hesitant.

We find the secret entrance to one of the tunnels and step through it. I keep my gaze on the map so we don't get lost.

"Who goes there?!" Calls a man's voice, causing us to stop sometime later. I notice he's wearing the Hidden Storm Village headband with storm clouds engraved on it.

I say as I step forward, lowering the map, "We're ninja from the Hidden Leaf Village. We've come upon the request of the Arashikage."

"You're the ninja Arashikage-sama hired?" The man asks.

"That's correct," I confirm.

"Very well, then. Follow me," Says the guard before we follow him further into the tunnel. We soon climb stairs that lead into the village, blinking against the light.

We gaze at the village in awe, seeing a massive arena with human statues off to the west.

"What's that arena?" Amaya asks.

The guard explains, "The Takama-ga-hara is the arena where village leaders gather and test the strength of their shinobi so that there'd be no need for war. The winner is declared the strongest village in the world."

"Awesome!! I wanna enter!!" Hiro says eagerly.

I snap, startling him, "That's not why we're here."

"We've come for that mission, remember," Kakashi reminds him.

"Where is the Arashikage?" Kasumi questions.

"Right this way," Says the guard. We follow him to a fancy looking palace and the girls murmur in awe of it. The guard takes us inside and leads us down a few corridors before we finally enter a throne room. "Arashikage-sama, the ninja you've requested have arrived."

The guard steps aside to reveal his leader. I gasp and my body goes numb as Kasumi sucks in a sharp breath.

The leader is a man around my own age with spiky blue hair and olive green eyes.

He smirks as he gazes down at us from his throne, more specifically me, cheek in hand. "Thank you, Hoji. You may go now." The guard bows before taking his leave. "Welcome, Leaf ninja, to the Village Hidden in the Storms."

For the leader of the Hidden Storm Village is none other than my and Kazumi's former teammate, Hideki Senju.