Beginnings

[Kakashi Hatake]

The trio darted silently through Konoha, quickly nearing the border of the village. Kakashi headed the pack, followed by the other members of Team Ro: Yūgao and Tenzō, in full Anbu regalia. They slowed as they reached the village gate, stopping for a brief moment. Night had finally swallowed the village, silence blotting out all sound. Yūgao and Tenzō double-checked their supplies as Kakashi shuffled his feet absent-mindedly in the dirt.

“Captain Hatake, shall I prepare the jutsu?”

Despite the relative mundanity of their current assignment, the silver-haired Jōnin felt...restless. The calm in the air seemed to him to be especially eerie that night. He could feel his chakra fluctuating erratically within his body, differing greatly from his normal placid flow. The shinobi brushed this feeling off; he was not one to suddenly cave to superstition. He concentrated for a moment, forcing his chakra back into alignment. After a moment he glanced at his subordinates, nodding in response.

“Ninja Art:” Tenzō began, his hands rapidly forming the required hand seals, “True Sight!”

Kakashi felt his vision blur for a brief moment, returning a moment later with greater acuity. The inky blackness covering the trail into the forest seemed to lift, replaced with a lighter shade of gray. Though not perfect, this technique would allow the group to progress under the cover of darkness.

“Captain, why would they be in the Land of Grass of all places?” Yūgao inquired, her quiet voice perfectly audible through the silent night, even muffled by her mask.

“Not sure,” Kakashi replied, glancing over his right shoulder at the lavender-haired kunoichi, “but it’s the last place they were seen. Let's get going.”
With one last look at the village, the trio dashed headlong into the forest. The team kept pace with their Captain, traveling in a triangle formation.

“I've been thinking, the Land of Grass borders the Land of Fire,” Tenzō began after some time, “Perhaps Lord Third thinks Akatsuki have a base there?”

“But why would that matter?” Yūgao responded, “Lord Third must believe that Konoha is threatened; are they planning some assassination or abduction?”

“Quiet down, you two.” Kakashi called over his shoulder, “We're trying to keep a low profile.”

His teammates fell silent in response, heeding their Captain's command. A moment later, the silver-haired shinobi suddenly raised his right arm, extending a finger upward. Following his signal, the trio leapt into the trees and continued their pace through the foliage, jumping quickly from limb to limb.

As Team Ro weaved through the forest, navigating the dense branches of the oak forest, Kakashi was struck again by an unsettling feeling. Something about the atmosphere of the forest seemed different than normal, but not in any way that he could pin down. A chill ran down his spine as he hurdled a gnarly limb, an odd sound reaching his ears. It sounded like...whispering. The ordinarily stoic Captain stopped suddenly, glancing around quickly for the source of the noise.

“Everything alright Captain?” Tenzō inquired, stopping at his side.

“Yeah. I guess I must have heard an owl or something.” He raised his mask, wiping sweat from his brow. The cool night air felt good on his face. “Where's Yūgao?”
he asked, glancing behind him.

“She-”

A heavy silence suddenly met the Captain’s ears. Tenzō's voice, as well as the sounds of wind and wildlife had all vanished. The silence hung for a moment, taking Kakashi off-guard.

“S-she what, Tenzō?” He snapped, glancing to his left. The auburn-haired youth stood at his side, his mouth rapidly forming soundless words. “What!?” Kakashi repeated urgently, taking a step closer.

Tenzō cocked his head, mouthing words that never reached their target.

It was as if an invisible, soundproof barrier hand sprung up around the squad leader. The Anbu Captain could feel pangs of anxiety creeping up the back of his neck, his chakra now in chaos. Surely a genjutsu? He focused his Sharingan, gazing quickly around his location for the user, but finding no chakra signature. Anxiety now intensifying, he formed the half-ram release seal with his hand and stalled his chakra flow briefly, only for it to return to its chaotic movement immediately. Before he could muster another plan to break the illusion, his vision faded to black.