XII

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Arc XII Chapter 1

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Kakashi entered, his hands in his pockets, an old habit of his. “Hokage-sama, you have called for me?”

 

“I have, Kakashi.” Tsunade was sitting at her desk, her eyes focused on him. Shizune flanked her, the piggie in her arms. The sun penetrated the window, casting a warm glow through the room. “I am glad that you have come. I was already expecting you.”

 

“Here I am.” Kakashi acknowledged her words, his expression calm and collected. “So you have a mission for me?”

 

Tsunade nodded. “As you might know, Suna and we are planning to organise the next chunin exams together. That is why we are currently sending out invitations to the various villages, asking them to join. And that that is where you come into play, Kakashi.”

 

“...” Kakashi raised an eyebrow, listening.

Tsunade deposited a scroll on the table, her finger pointing at the map, pointing at a certain village. “I have a special task for you. I want you to deliver this scroll to Amegakure. It's an official invitation for them to join the chunin exams. Hanzo the Salamander was always eager to send his genin. They will probably do so again.” 

 

“I see ... Is that all?” Kakashi mused.

 

Tsunade shook her head, confirming his suspicions. This wasn't a mere diplomatic mission.“No, there is also something else that you must do.” 

 

“...” Kakashi fell silent.

 

Tsuande folded her hands, staring at him intently. “I want you to verify the situation on the ground, Kakashi. There are rumours going around. Apparently, some kind of coup d'état took place in Amegakure. Apparently, Hanzo is no more. Apparently, the Hattori clan is leading the village now. Maybe that is the reason why the village is opening up to the world again. I heard they aren't as strict any more as they were in the past.” 

 

“I have heard the same ...” Kakashi concurred. “Some say Hanzo is dead. Some say he was merely deposed. It's hard to tell what is a lie, and what reality.”

 

“That is why I want to investigate, Kakashi. There are things going on in Amegakure.”, Tsunade elaborated. “But don't run any risk. This is not a full blown intelligence mission. Delivering the invitation has priority.” 

 

Kakashi nodded, his voice firm. “I understand, Hokage-sama.” The mission was clear. The objectives set.

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Kakashi crossed the bridge, approaching the imposing gates of Amegakure, the city forever covered in rain. As expected, it was raining, and to make things It appeared that the rumours were at least partially true, things endless masses of people were leaving and entering despite the onslaught of the elements, despite the rain and wind.  

 

Two vigilant guards blocked his path, a raised hand halting him.

 

“Halt, foreigner! State your identity and purpose!” One of them spoke, his voice strict, laced with a strong sense of discipline. It was obvious that the guards weren’t doing this for the first time. Amegakure was known for its stringent security measures.

 

But what elicited Kakashi’s attention was their overall demeanour, the air they were carrying themselves with. These guards ... They were no amateurs. They were sharp. They were clearly professionals through and through, highly disciplined, highly attentive. Much more so than your average ninja, judging by their posture and behaviour.

 

Not to mention their uniforms. They were ... unusual. He had met and fought plenty of Ame-nin before. During the war and after the war. The uniforms of the guards were nothing like those he knew. They were completely different. No gas mask. No coats. Different colour scheme. Different gear and equipment. They only thing that they shared was the forehead protector, the four lines of Amegakure.

 

All the guards wore all the same uniform without exception, which suggested a high level of standardisation and was a strong indicator that they belonged to a dedicated formation and were not just hastily assembled on the spot.

 

They all wore dark grey and black. The latter probably mostly for psychological reasons and intimidation. Green grey trousers with a variety of pouches and holsters, and a traditional black flack jacket. Straw hats to protect them against the rain. This was, however, where the similarities ended.

 

Because they were all armoured, clad in steel. Every single one of them. They wore greaves. They wore cuisses. They wore tassets. They wore gauntlets. They wore vambrances. And they wore a cuirass beneath their flak jacket, protecting their torso. These guards were armoured far more than usual, far more than usual in peacetime. It concerned him.

 

In fact, they reminded him of the ANBU. Especially, with their tantos sheathed on their backs. But they weren’t ANBU. They still wore their forehead protectors with open pride and on their sleeves was emblazoned a conspicuous crest, a kamon for everyone to see. It was a white kikyou on black ground.

 

“... ... ...” Kakashi narrowed his eyes. He had no idea what the crest stood for, or whom it belonged to. What he knew, however, was that the crest was important. His guts told him so, and they were rarely wrong.

 

“Tsk!” The guard clicked his tongue, clearly annoyed by his silence. “Hey, you, are you listening? We are talking to you?”

 

“...” Kakashi concealed his face beneath his hood, only to respond with an air of authority. “I am Hatake Kakashi. I am a ninja of Konoha, and I am here in the name of my village to deliver a scroll to your leaders.”

 

“...” The two guards eyed him with caution. They distrusted him. It was time.

 

“...” Kakashi pulled back his hood to reveal his white hair and his forehead protector. Both identified him as a true ninja of Konoha, as the son of the legendary White Fang. “I repeat, I act and speak in the name of Konoha. I am here on an official mission.”

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