Kakashi's Teammate, the Lightning Goddess

Kirigakure Chunin

**edited**

                I dressed quickly, made sure I had all my essentials – along with my senbon needles – and then headed out the door with a very cranky Sasuke. Why was he cranky, you might ask? Because the idiot had come home late last night, sweating hard and almost completely out of chakra. I’d yelled at him for about five minutes before serving him dinner to help speed up his recovery and sending him to bed.

                “I wish Sakura and the idiot weren’t going on this mission,” Sasuke grumbled as we approached the front gates of the village. I checked my watch; it was 6:45.

                “And why’s that?”

                “Because they’re all so annoying. Naruto’s a dumbass.”

                I knocked him lightly over the head. “Hey, so are you. Remember last night?”

                He just glared at me, causing me to smile. Ah, yes, the good old Genin days. Well actually, I’d never technically been a Genin in Konoha; I had easily passed the Chunin exam they laid out for me, and was drafted into Minato’s team shortly afterward.

                “Looks like we’re the first ones here,” I commented, sitting down next to the entrance booth, where Kotetsu was already perched. “Hey, Kotetsu.”

                He nodded at me. “Kira. You guys going out on a mission?”

                “Yeah,” I said, before remembering something. “Hey, would you watch the kid for a moment? I’ve got to go do something?”

                He smirked at me. “Gonna go find Kakashi?”

                Although that was entirely true, I frowned at him. “Where did that come from?”

                “Oh, come on,” he said, winking at me. “You and Kakashi – everyone can see it. You’ve got something.”

                “He’s got something, maybe, but not me.” My wings extended. “See ya later.”

                Kakashi wasn’t in his apartment, so that was good, but I hadn’t seen him on the street, either. He wasn’t in the Hokage’s office, and he wasn’t at the library… nor at the weapons shop… nor at any of our houses. Along the way, I saw Tazuna, Sakura, and Naruto all heading for the entrance, but no Kakashi.

                Finally, as I flew in a random direction above the village, a flash of silver caught my eye. I glanced down and saw the tall man standing in front of the KIA stone, his head bowed and fists clenched. Quietly, I spiraled to the ground and landed softly behind him.

                “… to do, Minato-sensei? Miracles don’t exist, but what else would you call this? Remember when Ibiki first found her? You saved her, and I met her in the hospital, and then again in the Hokage’s office. It was completely deja-vu; she stood in nearly the exact same position as she had all those years ago.”