Tsunade sat at her desk, rubbing her temples.
She was troubled over how to contact Kirigakure.
After all, the Mist Village had long been known as the "Village of the Bloody Mist."
Diplomatic relations were practically nonexistent at this point.
She couldn't understand what the Mizukage, Yagura, was thinking—turning Kirigakure into the brutal place it had become.
Then, a knock at the door interrupted her thoughts.
Bang, bang, bang—
Tsunade composed herself and spoke calmly.
"Come in."
The door opened, and Kakashi stepped inside.
"Hokage-sama, do you have a mission for me?"
Straight to the point, as always.
Tsunade nodded.
"I need you to go to Kirigakure."
"Kirigakure?"
Kakashi's mind immediately flashed back to old memories—heavy ones.
Tsunade noticed the shift in his expression. She understood.
She knew about Kakashi's past.
The pain. The place he could never forget.
If she had another option, she wouldn't have chosen him.
But right now, Kakashi was the only one she could truly rely on.
After a deep breath, he steadied himself.
"Understood. But I want to bring someone with me."
Half an hour later, Sakiya stood in the Hokage's office, looking utterly lost.
She had been dragged here by Chihiro.
The moment Chihiro learned that Kakashi was heading out on a top-secret mission, she didn't hesitate.
Without a second thought, she booted Sakiya from their squad.
After all, their mission was just a standard B-rank—nothing urgent.
But more importantly, Chihiro, Sakuragi, and Tsukigami all knew the truth:
Sakiya was too much of a genius to stay in their team.
With her around, their missions had zero risk.
For Sakuragi and Tsukigami, that meant no real experience gained.
This was an opportunity—letting Sakiya go on a mission with Kakashi would be better for everyone.
And so...
With a blank expression, Sakiya muttered:
"Wait… I'm going on some big adventure… with the Copy Ninja?"
Tsunade's eye twitched as she looked at Kakashi.
"Are you sure you want to bring her?"
Kakashi wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.
"Don't worry about it. No matter what she says, it all means the same thing in the end."
Tsunade let out a sigh, pressing a hand to her temple.
"Fine, Kakashi. As long as you're happy."
And just like that...
Kakashi and Sakiya set off for Kirigakure in the Land of Water.
Right now, Kirigakure was going through a volatile period.
Terumi Mei's faction, along with many others, strongly opposed the rule of the Fourth Mizukage.
To say that the village was on the brink of collapse wouldn't be an exaggeration.
The younger generation showed little promise, and the village had almost no competent mid-level ninja. In terms of overall strength, they were falling behind.
To make matters worse, they were receiving almost no mission requests, causing the village's economy to plummet.
If things continued like this, Kirigakure was doomed.
That was why Terumi Mei and her allies were plotting to overthrow the Fourth Mizukage and restore the village to its former glory.
---
In a small coastal village...
Sakiya didn't look like a ninja at all—she had spent the whole journey eating and drinking, as if she were on vacation.
Kakashi didn't say anything. After all, looking after her was part of the job.
With her around, this mission would be a lot smoother.
Sakiya had a lollipop in her mouth, happily savoring it.
"Mmm… so sweet..."
Kakashi ignored her and studied the map, glancing at the sea ahead.
"Once we reach that point, we'll dive in and swim the rest of the way."
Sakiya blinked in confusion.
"Huh? Swim? We're not taking a boat?"
Kakashi sighed.
"Sakiya, you need to understand that we're sneaking in. Those boats are probably being watched by Kirigakure's spies. If we take one, we might as well walk through the front gate. Besides, civilians rarely come and go these days—anyone arriving is most likely a ninja."
Sakiya nodded.
"But just sneaking in like that feels like a waste of my abilities."
Kakashi raised an eyebrow.
"Oh? And how exactly do you want to sneak in?"
Sakiya grinned.
"Easy. I'll just use my invisibility technique."
Kakashi blinked in surprise, then suddenly looked intrigued.
"How long can you maintain it?"
Sakiya placed a finger on her chin, thinking.
"Hmm… not sure."
"Not sure?" Kakashi's expression stiffened.
"We need an accurate estimate! We can't just guess—Sakiya, think carefully!"
Sakiya tilted her head.
"Well, I never really pay attention… The chakra drain is so low I barely notice it."
Kakashi stared.
"...Are you serious?"
She nodded confidently.
Kakashi was silent for a long moment.
Deep down, he felt a little bitter.
He had spent years mastering a thousand jutsu, constantly refining his strategies. Yet here was Sakiya, casually bypassing obstacles as if they didn't even exist.
He sighed.
"At this point, we might as well just walk in openly."
But even as he said it, he knew bringing Sakiya along was an incredible advantage.
This mission was going to be easier than expected.
---
After a long journey, they arrived at the gates of Kirigakure.
Ignoring the guards entirely, they strolled in as if they owned the place.
Inside, a heavy atmosphere loomed over the village.
The streets were eerily quiet, the air thick with mist and a faint scent of blood. People moved like ghosts, their faces hollow with exhaustion. Beggars lined the sides of the road—something unheard of in a ninja village.
Kakashi frowned.
"How did things get this bad…?"
He couldn't imagine what the Mizukage was thinking, running the village into such a state.
After a moment, he turned to Sakiya.
"Stay here. I'll gather intel and be back soon."
Since they had already infiltrated, the rest of the mission would be much easier. And with Sakiya tagging along, it would be a hassle to move unnoticed.
With that, Kakashi disappeared into the mist.
Sakiya, meanwhile, was more than happy to explore on her own.
After quickly using her invisibility technique to conceal her Konoha armband, she wandered through the village.
Then she spotted something rare—
A shop selling takoyaki.
Her eyes lit up, and in an instant, she was at the stall.
"Two skewers, please!" she said eagerly.
The shopkeeper smiled. "Coming right up."
As she waited, she finally noticed the two people standing beside her—
A tall woman with striking red hair and an impressive figure.
And an older man with an eyepatch.
Sakiya and the two strangers locked eyes.
For a moment, the world seemed to freeze.
---
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