Note: OMG YES, IT FINALLY CAME LOL. xD Bet that's what you're thinking eh? Been working on it long, SO YES IT'S LIKE 2 PAGES ON MS WORD, BUT WHAT THE HELL, IT'S CHUNKY.

Kakashi Gaiden: Yukihime Ninpoucho

Companion to Antebellum

A single candle lit up the room. It was perched upon a desk next to a television set. Veering outward, a door led to a bathroom somewhere to the right, while another door led to a small kitchen. The bedroom was tidy, unnaturally so. The single bed in the room was against a cabinet that also served as a headboard. A potted plant named Mr. Ukki rested next to the windowsill, a brown alarm clock was next to it. Between two bookends were a series of orange colored pocket books with titles like ‘Icha Icha paradise’. On the wall was a big poster of a ‘Henohenomoheji’.

This was Hatake Kakashi’s room.

Behind the bed and the cabinet was a window that had a small balcony. If one had skill, he could swing outside and sit on the roof. The moon was clear on cool airy nights like this one, and Hatake Kakashi would miss such nights when everything was quiet and peaceful. A black bag was perched precociously on a roof tile that was swaying dangerously with the wind. A red and gold scarf, gifted to him by a student from a school of magic Kakashi had previously served in was wrapped around his neck, swaying like a red and gold banner for all to see. Kakashi’s white hair was shining silver in the moonlight. His pale skin was a stark contrast to the black skintight suit he wore underneath bone white armor. His mismatched eyes stared at Konoha’s peaceful countenance, as if willing himself to remember every detail, every thing his home village had.

Hatake Kakashi was going to the Snow Country.

Kakashi stared at the village for a few more minutes, unable to rip his gaze away. The Snow Country. According to information, the Snow Country was politically unstable. Kazahana Dotou, brother of the current Daimyo of the Snow Country, was pushing for joint-rule of the Snow Country. His brother, Kazahana Sousetsu disagreed. There were also reports of aggressive ninja activity. Being allied with the Snow Country, Konoha agreed to send out one ANBU on a solo mission to protect the princess, Kazahana Koyuki. While the Snow Country’s Daimyo disagreed, Konoha was short on manpower, and so Kakashi was selected.

There was a puff of smoke behind him. Kakashi tore his gaze away from the village. Junior ANBU member Kiyoshi stood behind him, his mask shining. Kiyoshi’s animal mask resembled a cat. Three black lines formed whiskers on both sides. An ominous smiling grin was on the clay mask. One red stripe down the center indicated he was Junior ANBU. Kakashi himself had four red stripes on his mask, two on each side, signifying that he was an S-Rank ANBU Captain. Kakashi put the said mask on.

Kiyoshi bowed to Kakashi before speaking. His voice was raspy and hushed. His voice used to be high and squeaky, unusual for an ANBU. The Junior Member had learned to change that the hard way when a senior member sucker-punched the side of his face. Now, he only spoke in hushed, raspy tones.

“Senior Member Hatake Kakashi report to ANBU Headquarters.” Kiyoshi stated. He raised a hand and did the ANBU salute; a one handed tiger seal. “After which you must head over to the Toshimiko River and meet up with client Kazahana Sousetsu.” Kiyoshi turned and reached for something. When he turned to face Kakashi, he handed him a small brown folder. Kiyoshi stared at Kakashi for a few moments. “This is Kazahana Koyuki’s file. Present this to ANBU Alpha before proceeding to ANBU India. Kouun, ANBU shushou.”

The code was not lost to Kakashi. India meant Intelligence. Alpha was Administration. Kakashi gave a nod and returned the salute. “Kouun, ANBU jakuhaisha Kiyoshi.”

Kiyoshi gave a nod and disappeared. Kakashi looked at Konoha one last time before picking up the black bag and vanishing himself.

The ANBU headquarters was right beneath a clothing shop in a discreet part of the city. Here, condemned buildings stood, dark alleyways snaked through the heart of the district. Kakashi appeared right outside the shop that served as the ANBU’s cover. Buried underground, the ANBU headquarters was a series of tunnels linked together, making up the heart of Konoha’s sewer system. There were numerous ways to enter this labyrinth of tunnels, such as through a life size portrait of the Shodai Hokage in the Hokage’s Tower, but only ANBU members knew their way around. Any non-ANBU personnel would quickly stumble about in confusion and die alone in the labyrinth, which was rigged with numerous booby traps that would discourage anyone from getting in.

Kakashi entered the shop, making his way through countless broken dummies and strewn about clothes in the broken down place. The ANBU came to a stop right outside one of the four dressing rooms at the back of the shop, which was filled with cobwebs. Three of the stalls led to a tunnel that led to the Toshimiko River, one led to the ANBU chute.

Kakashi approached the door to the middle, got inside and twisted the dusty coat hanger hanging on the wall. The floor underneath him rolled away until it was big enough for an ANBU to squeeze through. The tunnel was a dark sewer pipe that had broken down. Ladder rungs covered one side of the wall. Moss and other vegetation covered the remaining walls. Kakashi leaned down and descended. The panel closed above him, and Kakashi was left in darkness as he descended.

Kakashi counted the number of rungs. Once he reached number 115, he felt in the dark for an adjoining pipe that led to another dark tunnel. Kakashi crawled into the smaller tunnel.

Soon, Kakashi had reached the Shin’en, the Abyss. The Shin’en was a huge tunnel that was used to divert sewer water to the river Toshimiko, but it had broken down due to various leaks. Kakashi went down. When he reached the last rung, he leapt off. Black sandaled feet landed on the wet floor with a tap. Rushing water from the sewer gate to the right passed through the gate to the left. There was a door across the roaring sewer water. The Konoha insignia, a leaf, was carved into the wood. Kakashi crossed the water with ease and then opened the door, which led to another tunnel.

Beyond that tunnel was a door with an ofuda that said ‘Seal’. Only ANBU knew how to break it. If the seal was not broken in a minute, ANBU would rush through the portal, ready to deal with the intruder. Kakashi crossed the tunnel in a short time, and then he began performing Kaifuu no Jutsu, the seal breaking.

O-ushi, Nezumi, Usagi, Hebi, Ryu, O-hitsugi, Uma, Tori, Nezumi, Hebi, Ryu, Saru…

Every ANBU had a totem animal, that is, the animal on their masks. Each squad had a final seal according to their Totem animal. Kaifuu no Jutsu was standardized until the final seal. While doing the seal, each ANBU must touch the Ofuda.

INU!

Kakashi’s hands formed into the Dog seal. Reaching out, the ANBU touched the ofuda, hands clasped in the seal position. Seconds passed. A drop of sweat ran down Kakashi’s face. He waited. The seal began to shrivel up until it was dust. Kakashi removed his hands from the doorway, relieved. He passed through the door, but not before he took out another ofuda from his pack and slapped it on the door. Once the door closed, the seal reactivated.