Aftermath (Kakashi Hatake)

Part 17: Meeting the Kazekage

So this morning has sucked. We got up early and took the still knocked out ninja super-stalker from last night to Suna. We were actually very close seeing as we had covered a lot of ground yesterday between the three of us and seeing as we had ran for several hours into the night last night we were closer than we had originally thought. Still, it took us until midday to arrive in Sunagakure. This led us to believe that my unnamed stalker was likely away from the village on a mission before she received the information about my location. This made us uneasy meaning that someone had been keeping tabs on her and me separately and had used this information to see that she was likely the closest person to me that would be willing to capture me. This coupled with the fact that she seemed to have no real plan for actually capturing me and no back up showed that all signs pointed to this being an attack out of opportunity and not planned out like the last one. 

When we arrived at Suna we had some difficulty getting an audience with the Kazekage but luckily Jiraiya's status as a Sannin, a well respected title among shinobi, managed to get us an audience with the Kazekage which brings us to now. Taking seats in a sort of meeting room with the Kazekage and several other older shinobi and a handful of elite sand ANBU also in the room. "Master Jiraiya would you introduce your companions?" The man who had led us into the room ordered more than asked. "Hai. This is Hatake Kakashi son of the White Fang of the Leaf. He is also known as the Copy Cat Ninja responsible for copying over a thousand Jutsu's." Jiraiya explained gesturing to Kakashi who was standing beside me in full ANBU dress outside of his mask, we are not allowed to reveal our ANBU selves in front of leaders of another village. I was also in partial uniform as Jiraiya had me step forward to his side. "This is Hisakawa Asa also known as Konoha's Blue Bolt. Her parentage is unknown but she has been claimed as a student and apprentice of not only the Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato but also by the missing Uchiha Hitoshi who studied for years alongside me under the current Hokage." He finished and the Kazekage appraised all of us before ordering us to sit. I couldn't help but notice how young he was. Maybe just a year or two older than Minato-sensei would be. 

"Now that formalities are out of the way, explain why I have received word that you approached our gates with a bound and unconscious shinobi of my village." The Kazekage ordered and I raised my head to look at him. He was speaking to Jiraiya originally but my reaction caught his attention. He silenced Jiraiya who had begun to explain before gesturing for me to tell the story. "It seems the Blue Bolt may provide a more personal perspective, correct?" The Kazekage addressed me and nerves swirled in my stomach at the thought of speaking in the presence of such important foreign leaders but shook them away. "She was after me. Someone has put a bounty on my head higher than the one on Orochimaru himself. It is believed that someone has decided to take advantage of this opportunity and is offering a cut of the sum to anyone who is willing to capture me alive. We call him the 'Benefactor'. He pulls the strings, tells them exactly what to do and all they have to do is follow his plan. He managed to capture me on a mission almost two months ago but I escaped and was found by the rest of my squad." I wanted to wring my hands like I tend to do when I'm nervous but instead placed them into my lap and gripped my pants. 

"We were unaware of the extent of my kidnapping until Master Jiraiya brought the news of what he had heard to the Hokage. We are now in search of the Sannin Tsunade in hopes that she will heal me and I should be able to find the one who has placed such a bounty on my head." I finished my explanation. It is easier to trust the Kazekage with information than to try and hide anything from him. If he thinks we are keeping information from him he could easily have us tortured or more likely, executed. Then the alliance with Konoha would fall apart and risk another war starting. "I see and when did my shinobi encounter you?" He asked and I almost felt disappointed that he was still talking to me. 'Jiraiya is the leader of this little group, why can't he do all the talking?' "She approached me in public and revealed that she had known me as a child. I spent my early years in a small village in the Land of Iron. She claims to have known me then and formed a sort of infatuation with me. I was instantly aware that she was likely working for the Benefactor and with my companions we led her into a trap and captured her last night. Upon realizing she had been bested she happily explained that she was approached here over a year ago and was approached by the Benefactor. She had received word yesterday morning that I was in a nearby location and raced at the chance to capture me. It seems that this attack was almost unplanned and just someone taking advantage of me being caught out of the village not fully recovered from the last attempt to kidnap me. She admitted that she had been misinformed on who my companions are and was surprised to find me in the presence of Master Jiraiya." 

After my explanation the Kazekage told us that the council would decide in the morning what to do about the situation. We were given rooms at a nearby inn for free and asked to stay inside until we were summoned. Jiraiya and Kakashi were happy to sleep but I could not. The whole situation has me worried. Jiraiya and Kakashi are in danger every second that they are near me. I knew I shouldn't have left my room but I found myself standing on the roof of the Kazekage building sometime in the early morning, watching the village sleep. "Who are you?" I looked over to a child, maybe three or four, about Sasuke's age sitting beside me. He has short red hair, dark circles around his eyes, and a teddy bear in his hands. I also noted the chakra oozing out of him. 'A Jinchuriki?' I pondered before greeting the child. "My name is Asa. I'm a Leaf ninja here to talk to the Kazekage." I answered and he nodded as if taking in the information. "So you're here to see my father." He stated and looked out at the villlage. 

"Why aren't you asleep?" I asked after a few minutes of staring at the village with my companion who had now taken a seat beside me. "I don't sleep." He answered and I nodded. 'Likely the effect of his demon.' "What about you?" He asked and I shrugged. "I'm thinking. My friends might be in danger because of me." I admitted and he nodded along, an intelligent gleam in his eyes saying he understood. "I don't have any friends. They're all scared of me." I just nodded. "I didn't have many friends until I was a few years older than you." I responded but I couldn't help but feel guilty knowing my reason was much different than his. "Really? Why?" He asked and I shrugged. "Well, when I was a child I moved around a lot. Never really stayed in one place much." I said and he looked sad. "I've never been out of the village." He said and I chuckled. "You're gonna be a ninja?" I asked and he nodded. "Yeah." "Then when you get older you are gonna wish for more time in the village. I can tell you about it though if you want?" I offered and he nodded enthusiastically. That's how I ended spending several hours telling the Kazekage's son about all of the travelling I've done over the years.