Impossible to Forgive

Chapter 11: Team 8

Kakashi started flexing his newly healed fingers, "Not even three days of officially being in office and my first assassination threat. I'm used to people trying to kill me on missions all of the time, but this is different, it's premeditated."

Shikamaru looked over the scroll after I handed it to him, "So have you increased your ANBU guard, what's been done about this threat so far?"

Kakashi pulled out another scroll, "I've mobilized ANBU units Two and Six to scout the perimeter of the village twenty-four-seven, and I have doubled the ANBU guard on the Hokage Tower and my personal residence. But the most important matter of business is getting to the bottom of this Taihi Ittai and what their plans are." He held up the scroll, "I've read through the ANBU's reports on the organization, and so far we have practically nothing. No motive, no leader, no history, nothing but the fact that they wish to destroy the Leaf. Shikamaru, please go and get Team 8, I am going to deploy them to scout for their hideout."

"Good plan, Kakashi-sensei. I'll be right back."

And with that, Shikamaru left the room much faster than I thought that he was capable of moving.

"Team 8?" I was curious as to their abilities.

"Kiba Inuzuka, Hinata Hyuga, and Shino Aburame; they all specialize in tracking and scouting."

I nodded, that was a powerful mix of clans. "That team sounds hand picked for missions just like this."

"That's because they were. The Third Hokage created teams that would be able to specialize in certain areas as opposed to the previous model of trying to be as well-balanced as possible. My Team 7 was a close-range battle type and ninjutsu team. Team 8 is tracking and sensory support skills. Team 10 is the Ino-Shika-Cho formation, and Team Guy is weapons and taijutsu, though they haven't recovered still from the loss of one of their members..."

"The Third always knew what he was doing."

Kakashi nodded, "That he did."

Shikamaru returned with three other ninja behind him. There was a girl in all purple with violet hair and the byakugan, I figured that this was Hinata Hyuga. Sitting on top of a large white dog was a boy with red triangles on each of his cheeks, and because of the dog, I guessed that this was Kiba Inuzuka. Finally, there was a boy in a tan coat with a hood and tinted, google-like glass, and through the processes of elimination, I figured that he was Shino Aburame.

The girl stepped forward, "K-Kakashi-sensei, Shikamaru told us that you have and important mission for us to complete."

"Yes, Hinata. A group of rogue-nin called Taihi Ittai has moved against the village, stealing a scroll holding a forbidden genjutsu and declaring their desire to assassinate the Hokage." I scoffed a little internally at how Kakashi had said that like he wasn't the Hokage himself. "I need Team 8 to rendezvous with the ANBU agent that has been monitoring them and then locate their hideout. Here, all of the information that you need is on this scroll. Shino, you're in charge and be careful, this is a S-ranked mission."

Kiba walked forward and grabbed the scroll, "Yeah, don't worry about us. We'll find that hideout in no time."

Kakashi still hadn't let go, "Kiba, you are not to engage the enemy no matter what, understood?"

"Yes, Kakashi-sensei."

"Good." With that Kakashi let go the scroll and the three ninja left to complete their mission. "Kiba and Naruto are too similar. I never know when either of them's going to do something dumb."

Shikamaru chuckled, "That's for sure."