Struck: A Kakashi Hatake Fanfiction

Chapter One: Arrival

"Again!" He panted. I stood, coming back to the ready with knees apart and my left hand gripping my fan tighter. The five blades that served as the ribs of the fan glinted in the sunlight.

A small growl escaped Naruto's mouth before he made the necessary hand sign for his signature shadow clones. They appeared around me in a circle, at least fifty this time.

I took a deep breath and centered myself, focusing on my chakra. I could feel the air around me begin to crackle. I extended my arms out to my sides and summoned my strength. Get ready, Naruto—I'm not holding back this time.

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Gai was rambling on again, though I'm not even sure what he was saying. Hands in my pocket, I was focused on our destination. Tsunade had summoned us back before I had even reached my target, but I was curious to find out why the Hokage would pull us both from missions. We were almost to the clearing when I felt a tingle of chakra ahead. But I didn't recognize it. Hmm...

"Did you feel that, Kakashi," Gai said. "That chakra, its almost tangible."

We both sped up as we made our way down the rest of the hill, curious to see just who was producing this power. As we cleared the tree line stepping out onto the ledge of the large boulder, we were greeted by a sea of knucklehead ninjas.

"Huh," I heard Gai sigh next to me. "Just Naru—" and then we both spotted the figure in the middle of those clones. A kunoichi, arms outspread with a small smirk playing at her lips. I could feel the air sizzle again, and suddenly her chakra was visible, sparking around her like...lightning. So similar to my own chidori, but as she swirled her body it disappeared into the cyclone that rose up around her. Suddenly the sky became dark, clouds rushing in as the growing funnel climbed to meet them.

"Intriguing," I murmured, entranced in the battle before me, my hair whipping in the wind.

The Narutos hesitated for just a second before they began pairing up, quickly forming chakra for his rasengan. The base of the tornado widened, and as the clones charged in, it began to rope out, vortices splitting from the larger twister seeking out every clone. When rasengan met storm, each vortex released a powerful rivulet of lightning that struck the clones with such force that they instantly disappeared in a puff of smoke. The real Naruto was blown away and smashed into the side of the boulder we were standing on.

The stormed dissipated just as quickly as it had formed. The sky cleared and when the dust had settled the kunoichi was crouching in the same spot taking deep breaths. Wisps of long blonde hair billowing around her face, framing a delighted smile.

"Well, Naruto," she said in a singsong voice. "How was that?"

She raised her head so her gaze would rest on the ninja below us, allowing her face to be revealed fully. Even from here I could see the sparkle in her dark green eyes.

Always playing it cool, my old student's familiar laugh rang out. "I guess Grandma Tsunade had a point."

A small chuckle escaped me, and the woman's eyes snapped up to me.

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Two shinobis were standing atop the boulder, one in green and one with silver hair—though he couldn't have been old enough to earn the gray. I stood and folded my fan, tucking it into my back pocket. Then I brushed the dirt off of me, straightening my ice blue tunic. Naruto followed my eyes and greeted the men.

"Kakashi-sensei, Gai-sensei! How uh...how long have you been here?" he asked, embarrassment spreading over his face.

"Long enough, Naruto" said the silver man, amusement hinting in his smooth voice. He was tall and lean, his hair spiking out from over the headband that was positioned to cover one of his eyes. He had a mask pulled up to the bridge of his nose, hiding the rest of his face.