Off and Running

[Kakashi Hatake]

As the shinobi duo strode through the moss-covered archway into Mokugakure, the newcomer took stock of the Hidden Village. He felt a slight familiarity in the air as he noted the wall that encircled the village, though the one he now spied was not composed of stone as was the case in Konohagakure. It seemed that the inhabitants of this village had worked some magic, the ramparts being composed entirely of trees grown side-by-side. They had grown so close together, in fact, that the boughs touched and their respective canopies intermingled into a ‘shelf’ of leaves that topped the wall on all sides. Kakashi marveled at the structure, wondering if perhaps Tsunade had inherited her grandfather’s coveted Wood Release.

“Kinda reminds you of home, huh?” Asuma muttered, dropping his spent cigarette and extinguishing it with a twist of his heel.

The scarecrow nodded vaguely, glancing around at the inhabitants as they followed the dirt path deeper into the village. Though the overall vibe of the village was reminiscent of the Hidden Leaf, the citizens were quite different. Kakashi thought a handful of the faces he saw looked familiar, but a great many were different than any he had ever seen. Some stood just a few feet tall, some towered over the Prime. Some bore skin of a similar complexion to his own pale visage and some had flesh as black as the night sky, still others bore every shade in between. The shinobi thought that a fair few seemed to not even be entirely human. It seemed that this Hidden Village was a bastion for anyone who needed a home.

“We get a lot of different folk here,” the Sarutobi clansman spoke, gesturing at the varied inhabitants as they passed. “You’re not the first to stumble through that portal from the Nexus. We take anyone in who needs shelter.”

“Shelter?” Kakashi parroted. From what, he wondered.

“There’s a conflict between realms going on,” the olive-skinned shinobi replied. “We’re sorta caught in the middle, hired hands that fight for whoever can cough up the dough. The rampant orcs and goblins don’t make things any easier either.”

The silver-haired warrior nodded, all too familiar with the way of the shinobi. Ninja would forever be tools of war, it seemed.

Sarutobi lead the way through the village toward a somewhat larger building situated near the center. Surely the Morikage’s dwelling, the Anbu surmised. As the duo neared the building, Kakashi caught sight of a few villagers staring in his direction; their gazes seemed to him to be a mixture of fear and awe. He ignored the glances, unsure of what to make of their apprehension.

“Some of us came from Konoha. It’s likely that some here know of you.” Asuma offered, smirking.

Hatake frowned at the thought. One would ordinarily be happy to be among his peers in such an odd place, but he could not help but feel anxious under their scrutiny. Depending on who was asked, some saw Kakashi as a hero, a brave warrior. Most, however, knew him as a murderer. The moniker “Friend-Killer Kakashi” had followed him for years; it had even followed him here, it would seem. Perhaps even Asuma saw him as the butcher he knew himself to be.

“I’d like audience with Lady Morikage if that’s alright,” the smooth-talking Sarutobi stated to the pair of warriors standing sentry at the building’s entryway. They wore masks similar to Kakashi’s Anbu mask, though somewhat more menacing. The pair parted wordlessly, allowing entry.

“Security seems a little higher here.” Kakashi stated, his usual dull tone echoing in the stairway.

“Well, we are at war,” Asuma responded, not making eye-contact. “Here we are.”

The pair faced a large set of double-doors, unadorned, and hewn from sturdy oak. A pair of bronze knobs sat front-and-center. Presently the bearded ninja raised a fist, knocking loudly on the large doors. “Enter,” came the reply, the voice strong and female.

“Lady First,” Sarutobi announced as the doors swung open. “I have someone I think you’ll be happy to see.”

Lady Tsunade Senju sat at the far end of the room facing the door, her back to a large picture window. Her long, blonde hair has styled in a pair of braids that fell down her back over her trademark green kimono. Her face was hidden, buried in a sea of paper. Before her was a desk completely obscured with dozens of different dossiers, reports and other documents arranged haphazardly in piles of varying sizes. “What is it, Asuma?” she inquired, not looking up from her work. “I’m behind on my paperwork. I never realized how much I relied on Shizune.”

“Kakashi Hatake, my Lady,” the scarecrow piped in, bowing. Asuma followed suit.

The kunoichi’s gaze shot up, focusing on her curtsying comrades. “So it is.” Tsunade replied, resting her elbow on her desk. She dropped her chin to her fist, taking a ‘thinking man’s pose’.

“Uh, forgive me Lady First, but shouldn't you be a little more...surprised?” the dark-haired ninja inquired.

“Not really. Not a lot surprises me these days. I can’t say that I’m happy for you, having wound up here.”

Kakashi raised his head, eyeing the Morikage. “This Omniverse...can you fill me in?”

“Pull up a chair,” Tsunade replied, gesturing to a stool near the door. “And Asuma, grab us some sake. I’m too far behind on these reports to catch up anyway.”