An Imperial Influence

[Kakashi Hatake]

Evening had begun to set in over the Tangled Green as Kakashi and Kito raced toward the village astride their worg companion. Though not quite at his maximum velocity, owing to the increased weight of two riders, Fenrir moved with impressive speed and agility back toward Mokugakure. Whether the beast had somehow sensed the urgency of the situation or perhaps he had followed the orders of Tsunade, they couldn’t be sure.

“Kito,” the silver-haired shinobi yelled over the wind rushing past his ears. “Do you remember anything from before you were taken? Anything at all?”

A moment of silence hung between them before Kakashi heard the boy’s voice behind him. “I was tailing one of the targets in the dossier and all of a sudden I...passed out.”

“That’s very similar to what I experienced,” Kakashi noted, thinking back to the altercation in the alleyway. “My whole body suddenly went limp and then I blacked out.”

“Yeah!” the genin agreed. “That’s exactly what happened to me. I heard a weird noise right before it and then I woke up to you shaking me in that building.”

Of course, the jonin thought. The noise he had heard shortly before collapsing had been neither an auditory hallucination, nor had it been some other explainable coincidence. Whatever weaponry had been used to subdue the two ninja, it seemed to be sound-based. “Sonic weapons,” Kakashi called over his shoulder, pointing at his ear. “It’s how they were able to get us. They probably have data on how far we can sense chakra and just attacked from outside our range. Unlike a kunai or a dart or something, a sound wave travels at Mach I. Effectively instantaneous at that range.”

“You really think that’s the case?” Kito responded, pondering the notion. “How could they have accomplished that?”

“Just before I was captured, I had stolen a crate from one of the shipments that came into the village. The driver seemed pretty insistent on being let through the gate, and the Guard Captain convinced them to let him through without a thorough inspection.” The elder ninja paused, trying to recall the rest of the events before his capture. “There was...some kind of technology in the crate. I’d guess whatever they used to subdue us came from the same place.”

“The Empire,” the genin replied almost instantly.

“It’s definitely a possibility,” Kakashi answered, nodding to himself. “Though the Miu clan seemed to be involved somehow or another as well. Maybe Minato has more information for us.” He hoped his sensei’s intel would shed some light in things.

It was not long before they finally reached the village gate, hopping off the exhausted worg and greeting the guard detail milling around the gate. Kakashi got the distinct impression that they were on-edge; were these men also under the employ of whatever benefactor had taken Kito and him hostage? He eyed them with caution as he bid farewell to Fenrir, sure to keep them at arm’s length. If there was one thing they definitely didn’t need right now, it was to be captured again.

“Something isn’t right here,” Kito muttered just loud enough for his jonin partner to hear. “It’s...tense.”

“I agree,” Kakashi replied, mentally scanning the area for any possible attackers. His hand trembled at his side, prepared to draw blades if an aggressor made an appearance. He steered Kito and himself through the main roads to the Hokage residence, paranoia gnawing at his nerves. If they shadowy assailants could truly strike from outside of their range and incapacitate them, there was definitely cause for concern.

As they reached the massive hollowed-out tree where the village's government resided, they were met by a familiar face. Asuma Sarutobi stood by the doorway, puffing on a cigarette as he leaned casually on the rough bark. His dark eyes settled on Kakashi as they neared. “You’ll want to head to the hospital,” he advised, half-smirking.

“We’re not hurt,” Kito readily offered, heading for the door. “We need to see Tsunade.”

“That’s where Tsunade is,” Asuma replied, not bothering to move. “Lord Fourth got into a scuffle and he’s being treated there now. Tsunade left a little while ago to check on him.”

Kakashi’s eyes widened at the news. “Someone attacked him? Is he alright?”

“I think he’ll be fine,” the bearded Jonin answered, stomping his cancer stick into the dirt. “The guys he was fighting on the other hand...well, I’m not sure they’ll be able to tell you much.”

No surprise there, the masked shinobi mused. There weren’t many that could go head-to-head with his sensei. “We’ll head there and get filled in on what we missed. Thanks, Asuma.”

“Any time,” Sarutobi replied, flashing a thumbs up.

Minato’s students nodded in unison before taking off at a sprint toward the infirmary. What had happened while they were out?