Off and Running

[Kakashi Hatake]

The trek across the blank backdrop of the Nexus had proved to be somewhat longer than anticipated. The silver-haired shinobi had been plodding along at a lazy pace, hands in his pockets as his eyes continuously scanning the horizon for signs of imminent threat. Kakashi would estimate that it had been an hour or so since his awakening at the base of the fountain, though he was in no hurry. If he truly was in another land, he didn’t exactly have any appointments to keep. With no signs of life to be seen in any direction, the shinobi had slowly relaxed into his usual lackadaisical rhythm.

If this is actually a genjutsu, whoever casted it gets no points for originality…

The scarecrow harkened back to his ‘dream’ (if one could call it that), trying to recount what the voice had told him. Another world, separate from his, dubbed the Omniverse; named after the supposed deity of the realm, Omni, who had selected to become part of his world. The leaf ninja was not one to just accept such a notion, especially bearing in mind his prior encounters with illusion-casters and tricksters. In his line of work, attacks on the psyche were as common as pig shit to a farmhand. Still, a few nagging details clattered around in his mind: the ‘illusion’ had overpowered his flawless chakra control and his seemingly faultless dojutsu. With no better ideas, the lanky shinobi continued along his invisible path.

Presently, Hatake took note of a figure along the horizon. What had been a mere speck moments ago seemed to be, at least from this distance, some sort of archway? Though he was not sure what he was now approaching, the silhouette was a welcome change from the otherwise featureless abyss. Not since the fountain had he seen much of anything in this place; with renewed vigor the scarecrow quickly closed in on the shape, dashing at full speed. When finally reached the gate he gave pause, examining it closely. At a glance it looked to be a mossy stone archway alone in the whiteness, leading to nowhere. Kakashi stepped around the structure, noting its apparent lack of connection to anything material. It seemed to be completely ordinary, or as ordinary as a stone archway overgrown with vegetation could be in the middle of an infinite purgatory. That was, save for the fact that the area enclosed by the stone bricks seemed to shimmer and ripple, as if a pond had been turned on its side.

“Some kind of…portal?” the silver-maned shinobi muttered, running his gloved hand along the rough stone. He quickly pulled a shuriken from his belt, took a step back and tossed it gently into the archway. The membrane rippled as the metal star met its surface, the weapon disappearing before his eyes. The leaf ninja exhaled sharply through his nose. “Looks like I’ve got no choice,” he sighed, stepping through the portal.

- - -

As the ANBU crossed the dimensional threshold, familiar sounds met his ears. He blinked hard a few times, clearing the blurriness that apparently came with interdimensional travel. Cool air met his skin as the scene slid back into focus. He appeared to be in a dense forest, the lush canopy some 3 stories above his head. The sturdy trees that supported the leafy ceiling stood just feet apart, each vying for the sunlight that now managed to only vaguely peek through their foliage. For a moment the lanky ninja wondered if he had broken the illusion or returned home, whichever the case may be. After a moment of inspection he dismissed this notion, citing differences in the flora that surrounded him; they were not of any kind that he found familiar. He sighed, gazing up at the towering arboreal colossi huddled around him. The likelihood of this being some intricate illusion was rapidly dwindling.

“Well, at least I’m familiar with forests…” the leaf shinobi stated, addressing no one.

As these words crossed his lips he heard the sound of crashing limbs coming from the east. At once he was behind the nearest trunk, obscuring his slender form from view. As the sound grew near he began to feel a familiar pickling on the back of his neck; he could sense a pair of chakra signatures nearing his location. The ANBU captain drew a handful of shuriken from his belt pouch, a smile spreading across his face. He had found the illusion casters at last.

“Hurry up, slowpoke!”

“Shut up! You got a head start!”

The scarecrow’s heart sank as the voices grew nearer. A few moments later his fears were confirmed as a duo of children, not more than 8 years old ran past, laughing merrily as they passed. Kakashi narrowed his eyes at the boys, his sharingan focusing on the duo. Aside from their minute chakra signatures, he could sense nothing suspect. Cursing to himself, he leapt from cover, giving chase to the boys. He would find out where he was one way or another.