A Ninja's Path (Kakashi X Reader)

Chapter Seventy One

"Let's move out." The squad leader declared.

As a collective unit, your scouting team moved out, racing from tree top to tree top toward the Night Village border.

"Remember, if we run into any enemy forces- do NOT make eye contact." The leader warned the team.

After returning the trays to the mess hall, you had learned that news spread impressively fast through the camp- most congregations of shinobi were talking about the strange genjutsu attack that leads to a slow death. Unfortunately, you learned that the two shinobi you had seen hadn't been the only victims to the Council's prospective-Hikarigan secret weapon.

You pushed off a branch, keeping up with the other shinobi around you. Night had fallen less than an hour before, giving your team a lower chance of being seen by any Nightmares in the area.

At the squad leader's signal, you spread out into the dense foliage, finding a snug place to hide in for your shift. The goal was to spread out thinly across the forest, slowing moving towards the village borders. This was a rank C scouting mission, placing it at the lowest risk level mission. B rank consisted of a squad planting themselves right along the Night Village walls. And of course, A rank was the most dangerous, with a squad attempting to sneak into the village itself.

The last A rank scouting mission had been two days ago, according to Ruka. It had resulted in five casualties, four of them deaths.

When you had initially asked the kunoichi if you could join any scouting missions, you had hoped for the next A rank one, but shinobi assigned to such missions were handpicked by Kakashi and the other leaders of the shinobi forces.

Out of shame, you didn't want to face Kakashi yet. Plus, you were ninety percent sure he would refuse your request anyways, out of fear for your own safety.

You didn't blame him, you knew he tried to protect you out of love. But this was a risk that needed to be taken, for the sake of your people. Any information that journal had could possibly change the tide of this revolution in your favor.

You pulled a kunai out of the pouch on your thigh, fiddling with it nervously. All shinobi assigned to missions outside the camp were equipped with kunai and shuriken. You missed your mother's dagger, but it was probably still in Fox's possession. After being captured during the failed coup, all your weapons had been confiscated, including your precious dagger and cloak.

You considered sneaking around to try and find your stolen possessions once you slipped into the Night Village, but immediately threw out the idea- it was too risky. All you could do was sneak in, grab the journal and sneak back out. Simple, right?

Leaves rustled above you and you tensed.

A thump on the branch and you turned around to find Ruka beside you, balancing herself.

"You're all clear."

You thanked her and jumped off the branch, abandoning your post as Ruka took your place.

Upon asking Ruka about any scouting missions, the kunoichi had grown extremely suspicious and successfully forced you into admitting your dangerous plan. She had seemed against it at first, but after you explained how important it was, she reluctantly agreed to help you out. You may or may not have guilted her into helping too. She kept thanking you for saving Aki during the Land of Tea's coup, so you called in her help as a favor and a way to make things even.

You still felt bad, but this personal mission was too important to give up over some personal guilt.

As you neared the village walls, you grew tenser. Somehow, the Night Village had this sort of dark aura to it that you could feel as soon as you neared it. This... edge of uneasiness. Like you were no longer safe.