The Blind Eye - Kakashi Hatake (Reposted)

War Strikes

I jumped out of the way of Masaki's hand, dodging the hit toward my chakra point. We were sparring with Kyo off to the side, ready to heal us in case we go too far. We weren't supposed to do this, as we were just waiting for Team Minato to show up for our joint mission. I tied my hands together, making hand signs.

"Water Style, Water Dragon Jutsu!" I yelled, summoning a large, water reptile to attack my friend. However, our sparring match couldn't get too far, as Minato grabbed me, dispelling my Jutsu.

"You guys shouldn't be using too much chakra before a mission, especially with our situation." He lectured us. We started to walk out of the village.

We were going on an A-Rank, scoping out Iwagakure's defenses. Trying to find weaknesses, scouting for supply lines. It would be the most dangerous mission we have ever been on, hence the team. Four jonin and four high-rank chunin. I was one of the jonin, with Masaki being the other freshly promoted ninja.

We ran through the trees, not stopping for any reason. We split up, Team Kushina going left and Team Minato going right. Our formation was as normal, Kushina in front, Kyo on the left, I on the right, and Masaki in the back. I closed my eyes while running, trying to sense any hidden chakra forces.

I learned a long time ago that my chakra sensing wasn't normal. Most people can't sense chakra the way I can, most Hyuga's can't even sense in the way I can. I can tell who a person is based on their chakra, and I could describe it. The way Kyo's gives a warm, parental glow, a kind that most healers give off. The way that Masaki's gives off a static feeling, a light shock. The buzzing of Kakashi's, the soft sea of Kushina's, the fierce fire of Obito's. It was all strange. I couldn't feel mine, in any way.

Most of the sensing had to do with their chakra nature, like Kakashi's. However, some had to do with their occupation, as with Kyo's. Some people had strange depths, like Kushina's. The deeper you go, the more sinister the chakra gets. However, that wouldn't even be close to the strangest discovery I would ever have with my sensing.

"I found something," I began, even though Masaki probably sensed it as well. "It seems to be a camp, most chakra signatures are earth, with one wind and one water." My team nodded, concealing their chakra to a point where only I and a Hyūga could sense it. We approached silently, listening to the Ninja Campground conversations.

"I'm telling you, man, it's obvious. It's going to be attacked." A tanned man said, explaining to another man clearly of a higher status. "If we leave the bridge as a main supply line, our enemies will easily be able to attack it." I looked over to Kushina, waiting for a signal to get out of the campground since we got our information. We could just report it and get the bridge name later. But no signal came, if only she had given it to us.

A couple of months ago, we had another mission with Team Minato. It was right before I was promoted to Jōnin, The Prison Break Mission. You see, a town named Kara in the Land of Fire had a prison in it. It was filled with prisoners, from drunken violence to ashamed samurai. Kara was on the border of the Land of Fire and the Land of Earth, and these two countries being at war caused Iwa Ninja to break the prisoners out. Team Minato and Team Kushina were to work together to collect the prisoners and put them back in jail.

"All right," Minato began. We hadn't left yet, in fact, we were just waiting in the training ground to leave. "Before we begin, we are going to be splitting up a lot in this mission. To keep things organized, we will be splitting off into our teams. You will need to answer to a team leader, however. For my team, I choose Kakashi." He ended, looking toward his girlfriend to see her pick her team leader.

"Hm," she began, thinking for a moment. "Hitomi, you're gonna be team leader, ya know!" She exclaimed. I blinked, she picked me over Kyo and Masaki, that's insane. She picked the ten-year-old over the sixteen-year-olds. "Anyway, we have something for the two of you." She said, much calmer this time. She ushered Kakashi and me forward. She opened her palm and there was a light-blue gem in her hand, Minato opened his palm as well, showing a red gem in his hand. The couple handed the two of us a gem, waiting slightly to give us our next instruction.

"Now, you need to force your chakra into the gem," Minato said. I did as he said, making the gem light up, turning into a mauve/berry purple. I looked to my right, to see the same result on Kakashi's end. "All right, stop now." We did as we were told, the gems fading into their natural colors. "Now, give them to each other." I did as I was told, taking Kakashi's as well.

"Now, just keep those on your person in a place where you will feel them glowing, ya know!" Kushina piped in. I nodded, placing it on a chain and placing it around my neck, or I would've if my hair could cooperate.

"Do you need help with that?" Kakashi asked. Everyone else had started walking away, so it was another one of those moments. It was just the two of us, so he could act sincerely.

"Hn," I hummed. Kakashi pulled my hair up, clasping the chain around my neck. I turned around, looking at where he put his necklace. It was the same way I had done it, on a chain. We had gotten the chains for the same reason, from Rin for making chūnin. Although, his was four years old and mine was only one year old. I grabbed the gemstone, forcing my chakra into it. The red gem turned into mauve, the light blue gem on Kakashi's neck doing the same. So that's how it worked.

I was going to continue watching until my gem lit up. I covered it with my hand, but it was too late. The Iwagakure Ninja stopped talking, turning over to our tree. "Scatter," Kushina said, we followed her orders. I ran north, toward where Team Minato was.

Before I could get to them, I group of Iwa Ninjas had caught up with me. I ducked under a kunai, jumping up into the trees when I noticed the paper bomb attached to it. My necklace was still glowing, so Kakashi must be in trouble. I closed my eyes while running, hoping I didn't run into any of the trees. I wasn't far from Kakashi, but it only seemed to be Kakashi. He got separated from his team. I opened my eyes, running toward him.

When I reached him, he was out of breath. I was still being chased by the Iwa Ninja and he had his group around him. There was one, he didn't see them, they were aiming for his head. I ran into him, tackling him to the ground. The kunoichi's blade grazed my back, before slamming into one of the ninjas who were chasing me. I jumped up, weaving hand signs.

"Water Style, Water Vortex Jutsu!" I shouted, sending a pseudo-hurricane at the group. I landed on the ground, throwing a kunai at a man's neck, striking him dead. I closed my eyes and relaxed, unable to sense anyone around us.

When we regrouped with our teams, there wasn't very happy news. Kyo and Masaki were missing, likely dead beyond enemy lines. We ran back to the village in silence, only being interrupted by Kushina's tears. I wanted to cry, but couldn't bring myself to. We were still in the Land of Earth, a country we were at war with. We didn't have time to cry over a death or two. This was war, we could all die and we would just have to accept that.

When we got back to the village, Kushina took it upon herself to tell Kyo and Masaki's families. She sent me off, and I left. I went to the one place I knew no one would bother me, on my clan grounds, on the bend of the Naka River. I sat on my knees, staring at my hands, my gemstone. They wouldn't have died if I didn't have it so open. If I had been quicker to cover the stone, they would be sitting next to me.

My thoughts were interrupted by my hair, as it flew into my face because of the wind. My stupid hair, the hair that Kakashi had to move out of the way to get this stupid gemstone around my neck. I ripped the stone off, placing it in my kunai holder. I also grabbed a kunai out, my thoughts filling with what Grandma used to say.

"Wear your hair long and proud, Hitomi. Hair length symbolizes your status in the village. We are Uchiha and in a higher status than most, so keep it long."

Status, my status was gone. My friends were dead. Grandma was dead. Everyone around me who kept my status high was gone. I took one look at my kunai, before slicing it through my long, dark hair. One half was at my shoulder, another at my jaw. I sliced through again, evening it out a little. I couldn't do any more editing, as someone hugged me from behind. I turned slightly, it was Rin. Another body struck me, I turned again, it was Kushina-sensei. Again and again, Minato and even Kakashi joined in on the hug. But not Obito, never Obito. Never in a million years, would he ever be seen hugging his twin sister. The sister he's had since birth, who had been there through everything. Just because of a simple difference in skill.