No One Knows
Kakashi falls to a stop and rests against a large tree, he sighs and uses the tree bark to scrape off the mud from his sandals. He looks over at Obito and Itachi, grateful that they’re the ones assigned to this mission with him. They are adjusting their gear and double checking for anyone that might be in the area. Kakashi turns from them, he fucked up, that’s for sure and he won’t let them take the blame when they get back. No, this is all on him. He shakes his head and sighs again at the thought of facing the Hokage. If he’s lucky he won’t face any consequences for his actions on this mission, but lying about Sakura. Kami...he feels like a dead man. He rubs the back of his head and neck still aching from earlier. He’s starting to regret not taking those medical courses… And both Uchihas need their rest, can’t go asking them right now for healing.
Small droplets of rain start to sprinkle on his vest, the only warning before a clap of thunder and a downpour starts falling on them. They take shelter underneath a large pine tree with low hanging branches that create a cove shielding them from the rain. The pouring rain is deafening and so heavy he can no longer see the trees that used to be a few meters before them. And his sandals that he just beat the dried mud off are once again covered.
He signs to the others ‘Stop here’
They will take shelter until the rain stops. It’s too risky to travel in this even with the Sharingan.
Kakashi looks around with his Sharingan and finds no enemies and also nothing close by that could be used for shelter. They could try and make more coverage using pine branches to keep as dry, and it would do them good, they can’t afford to get sick now that their simple recon mission turned to seek and destroy. He goes to the other side of the pine tree and uses a kunai to cut four good branches then brings them over to their cove. Kakashi places two branches with plenty of pine for them to step on instead of the mud then takes the other branches and weaves them above for more coverage. The Uchiha’s are just like their feline counterparts- miserable in the rain. They nod gratefully at Kakashi’s attempt at keeping them dry. They all take off their Anbu masks now they’ve finished scoping the place out wanting to eat. Itachi takes a chakra pill out of his vest and hands one over to Obito who takes it and chews it with disgust. Itachi also eats one and tries to look neutral about it, nevertheless he struggles to swallow it. Obito watches on with a smug expression before turning to Kakashi.
“Want one?” Obito asks holding out a chakra pill in the palm of his hand. The large brown ball tastes as appealing as it looks.
Kakashi pulls out a piece of beef jerky and waving it, “I’m good.”
”Rin would kick my ass if she knew I didn’t make you eat a chakra pill, Bakashi!” Obito stalks over to him pill in hand.
Kakashi chuckles and bites into his jerky backing away. “Maaaa Maa nagging me after such a rough day isn’t nice.” And then he has an idea and summons his ninken.
Urushi arrives with a puff into the rain catching the dog off guard but only for a minute. He comes under the shelter of the tree next to the others then shakes himself off spraying Obito and Itachi.
“Come on!” Obito complains.
Itachi side eyes Kakashi who shrugs and tosses the rest of his jerky to the ninken.
“Hey Urushi, sorry to summon you during this weather…” Kakashi squats down before the summons whose scarfing down the jerky. Urushi's specialty is attacking immediate targets during battle, so summoning him for this request might be off putting for him but he’s fast and Kakashi trusts he will be the best for this job.
“What is it?” Urushi asks and looks around examining the area.
“We need shelter.” Kakashi says, “So far it doesn’t look like there’s anything in our proximity.”
Urushi looks at Kakashi then to the other ninja. “You're all chakra exhausted, what happened? D’you have enough chakra for me to be here, Boss?””
Kakashi grimaces, “Not now, just go find us shelter,”
”Be sure to tell Rin Bakashi isn’t eating his chakra pills!” Obito tells Urushi. The ninken looks over at Obito. “You got any jerky?” Obito freezes and laughs rubbing the back of his neck, “Uh.. no?”
The ninken looks less than pleased with that answer and with a small growl he takes off.
Obito closes his eyes and puts a hand to his face trying to soothe the oncoming headache. The sound of the ongoing rain isn’t helping but fortunately it’s not a cold rain or else this would really suck. Itachi puts a hand on the top of his head.
They had went back to the shrine to find a group of people surrounding the shrine with dead birds in their hands and laying them before the shrine. There was one figure that stood behind them wearing a black cloak and a black mask with a simple design on it.
----
Earlier
Obito is the closest of them and uses his Sharingan to get a better look at the leader and the people around. They're all wearing different colored cloaks but no face masks, so they aren’t concerned with anonymity. The people range from old men and woman to younger men and women.. maybe they are family? Some had similar features to the other, some look sad and few of them seem to be enjoying themselves decorating the shrine with the dead birds.
They all take turns to delicately placing the birds in and around the shrine. The last person to place their bird down has the group facing the leader who takes out a small silver bell and rings it.
Beeeeennnnnnnnnnnnnnnggggggggg
The sound cuts through the air, the high tone of the ring piercing their ears. The effect on Kakashi is instantaneous as his sensitive hearing takes in the bells ring. A wave of dizziness and nausea hits him hard and he strains to continue watching the leader while holding his position on the tree.
‘Do not engage’ he signs to the others. Kakashi swallows hard and closes his eyes to recenter himself then looks back up towards the leader with squinted eyes.
Itachi looks away from Kakashi when he is sure he won’t have to catch him and refocuses on the the group below who have stopped all movement. They stand limp but at attention towards their leader while the sound of the ring vibrates in the air. The stagnant ring that continues on shouldn’t be possible and should only last seconds, but this is a chakra based bell. It’s possible he’s from the Sound village, weapons using sound is their specialty, but then what is he be doing out here?
Itachi looks at the bell and watches as whisps of chakra flows towards the group and wraps its spindly chakra threads around their throats and into their mouths. Some of the people claw and grasp at their throats trying hard to stop their demise all the while collapsing to the ground trying to breathe one last time. While others struggle to stay standing and head towards the shrine before collapsing. The few still alive are screaming in agony writhing on the ground and are lifeless in minutes with their fearful faces staring up at the sky. The leader rings the bell once more stopping the ringing sound and walks over to the bodies.
Obito watches anxiously as the leader goes to the first dead victim before him and takes out a sickle from his cloak. He frowns, unfortunately they aren’t supposed to do anything on this mission except gather information. Anything more would not be good for them…
Kakashi takes in a few deep breaths, he was hardly able to focus on the dying people below with the sound of the ring blaring. The sound so piercing it feels like his skull is being penetrated and his brain on fire. But now with the distraction of the ringing gone he takes note of how tall the leader seems to be before the shrine. The man has a built muscular stature, broad shoulders and stalks forward towards his victims with an eagerness, either for being short on time or for satisfaction, Kakashi can’t say. He whips out his sickle with ease from its hidden spot inside his cloak and twirls it expertly from one hand to the next before descending it down on the bodies.
They stare on as the bodies are decapitated, it’s not a quick affair, it takes the leader well on forty minutes of hacking away. After the first three bodies are done with their parts mantled onto the shrine, there are still another fifteen bodies more. By this time Itachi is bored and staring at Obito who is struggling to keep a yawn down. Obito catches Itachi’s stern gaze and rolls his eyes at his cousin. Kakashi blinks and looks down at his pocket that holds his Icha Icha Violence and thinks about how the main character of the book is more exciting than this sickle bastard. Call him judgmental but using a bell and sickle for weapons and then making a bloody shrine is lame. Also preying on innocent people?
This guy can’t possibly be behind the weather, but then what is the shrine for? Another crazy god like something from another dimension? The thought this might be something destructive as that cements his resolve right then.
Ah, sickle man is finally done. Kakashi nods over at Obito and Itachi. They are once again full alert.
The shrine that was standing before now has body parts galore added on, and the leader kneels down before the bloody mess putting down the sickle and placing his hand to the ground. Chakra from the leader goes to the shrine, the shrine absorbing the chakra starts to emit heavy black smoke.
Obito looks over at Itachi and Kakashi, this isn’t good, whatever it is this may result in a fight…
Kakashi feels Obito’s stare and turns to him and stares, and quickly looks to Itachi.
’Destroy’ He signs. Obito raises an eyebrow in question at the command. The orders were to not engage, what’s Kakashi thinking….
Itachi unfazed with Kakashi’s change in order nods his head and narrows his eyes as he notices movement from the smoldering ashes on the top of the shrine. Something pokes out from the top. Kakashi looks at the movement too but is more keen on seeing the reaction of the leader who still seems to be focused on the ground before him and adding chakra. Obito stares in shock when a familiar crow head is what he can see at the top of the shrine.
Itachi feels trepidation when he sees his crow’s head at the top of the shrine. The leader lifts his head then stands, he’s mumbling something as he goes up to the shrine and plucking the crow into his hand. Itachi records the lip movements to memory but he will have to translate later as they don’t make sense and seems to be a mantra of some kind.
The shrine bursts into a pillar of fire, the thick smoke billows above the trees, and the heavy stench of the limbs permeates the air. Glowing chakra can be seen at the center of the burning shrine with their Sharingan. The leader turns away from the shrine and is facing their direction.
Kakashi ignores the stench and stands ready for their enemy, feet firm on the branch, he’s at an advantage to be above them. The leader doesn’t seem to have noticed them, now that he’s turned to them the mask their enemy is wearing is better to identify. It’s black with horizontal white lines underneath the eyes and that’s it. The crow in his hand is cawing and struggling to escape the grasp.
Itachi watches as his crow is raised to the air and let go. The bird eager to reunite with it's master starts to fly straight towards him.
Obito not caring about giving up his location, hits the bird with a kunai causing it to explode. The enemy turns to Obito’s location and takes out the bell again and rings it then jumps back to his sickle still over by the shrine and picks it up. He twirls the sickle then sets it on his shoulder, awaiting their next move.
Beeeeennnnnnnnnnnnnnnggggggggg
The ringing bell's chakra slices through the air and reaches Kakashi first, the chakra tendrils squeezing his neck suffocating him. Kakashi tries to grabs hold of the chakra to release it from him but nothing works. Being at the end of his rope he takes a chance to try and hit the enemy with a water jutsu but it misses its target.
The enemy runs from the pouring waterfall that comes over head and straight into Itachi's line of sight.
Itachi summons his crows and directs the large murder at the enemy disrupting their focus but they retaliate by spinning their sickle deflecting the attacking crows but unable to hit any of them. As the bell abruptly stops ringing so does the chakra suffocating Kakashi who is left gasping for air still in the trees above only barely hanging on. Obito takes note that as long as the enemy is distracted the bell shouldn't work after it's been rung.
As the large black murder of crows disperse their enemy is no where to be seen.
Kakashi looks around, holding his kunai before him.
Obito hops over to the branch besides Kakashi, “You okay?”
Kakashi nods and looks over at Itachi, a movement catches his eye, and he throws his kunai at the reappearing enemy from above their cloak waving behind them as they fly down deflecting the kunai with his twirling sickle then bearing it down with a quick slice and a thrust upwards towards Itachi’s face.
Itachi dodges and ducks under the arch of the oncoming blade, each time it's an aim for his eyes and face making it clear the enemy knows the power of their Sharingan. Itachi takes out his ninjato and swipes at their stomach but the blade hits metal gear and the enemy takes this time to jump back.
Itachi uses the distance and releases his fireball jutsu that engulfs the enemy and the whole area surrounding them.
Kakashi drops to the ground next to Itachi. “I said destroy but lets try to question him first, eh.”
Itachi sighs and looks over at the now smoldering forrest. This isn’t how they were supposed to handle this mission but he can't blame Kakashi, it's the right thing to do. After seeing everything in other Sakura's world one cannot be too sure. He would be lying if he said the mantra didn't freak him out some.
The enemy walks out from the flames and smoke before them no longer wearing his cloak and his black vest and shirt slightly smoking.
“What’s your purpose?” Kakashi asks but is met with silence.
Obito uses his Mangekyo Sharingan to reappear behind the enemy and pierces his ninjato through his shoulder. The enemy grabs the blade with their hand, blood dripping and twists his body away from Obito and jumps back but falls into another blast of fire from Itachi. The enemy runs through it with a twirling sickle and attacks Kakashi who meets him head on with his kunai. He swipes the sickle down deflecting the kunai and jumps back as Kakashi takes out another two. He throws one at their feet, an exploding tag attached hits the ground and goes off. The enemy unable to avoid the blast tumbles and rolls into a jumping leap taking on the second kunai Kakashi has thrown his way. The enemy misses it and the kunai scratches the black mask but nothing more.
Kakashi attacks with a flying kick to their face, the enemy taking it full force falls to the ground then dodges another punch down to their face with their forearms. The enemy kicks out at Kakashi's knee knocking him back then jumping up with fists up. Kakashi comes at them with a blow to their head, blocked, then another to the solar plexus, the enemy dodges and blocks all his oncoming attacks blow by blow. Finally he jumps back, distancing themselves from Kakashi who doesn’t bother to follow.
“What happened to questioning him?” Obito shouts.
The enemy huffs and reaches inside his cloak-
“Badger!” Obito’s Anbu name.
Obito takes a step and is suddenly behind the enemy grabbing them by the chest and throwing them to the ground. The enemy rolls to the side and grapples with Obito, twisting out of Obitos arms and punching him in the face. Obitos face goes to the side but he’s quickly back on the enemy reaching for the bell inside the cloak but unable to find it. The enemy suddenly goes limp.
“Giving up are we?” Obito asks.
“Om Hraam Hreem Hraum Sah Suryay Namah” As the enemy mumbles his chakra begins to glow and grow exponentially inside and out of his body. With renewed strength he throws Obito off and flips to his feet, takes his bloody hand and wipes it on his mask, then takes out his bell and rings it. The enemy begins their mantra again.
“Om Hraam Hreem Hraum Sah Suryay Namah”
Beeeeennnnnnnnnnnnnnnggggggggg
Obito rolls to his feet and reappears again behind the enemy who is unawares. He’s done with this, it’s time to end it! He glares with his Mangekyo Sharingan twirling. Itachi flash steps besides him with his own Sharingan twirling and awaiting an opening.
Kakashi runs at the enemy kunai in hand, pushing through the sounding ring. The enemy rushes forward and knocks the kunai from his grasp and guts Kakashi’s stomach with the upward spin of the sickle. The enemy still gouging Kakashi is caught off guard as the shadow clone puffs away. Kakashi and Obito grabs the enemy by the arms, disarming them before they force him to his knees. Itachi appears before them and rips off the mask to find a man with dark hair and glaring dark eyes. For only a split second Itachi half expected to find someone from the other dimension that he may have recognized. Small comforts.
"Are you from Suna?" Kakashi asks doing his best to ignore the ringing while gripping the man tightly.
The man continues to glare straight not meeting any of their eyes.
"What's your purpose?" Kakashi tries again tightening his grip, "You answer our questions we'll let you go."
”Yeah, we promise.” Obito sweetly says gripping the man tightly by the bicep.
The man’s head turns up and dark eyes finally meet Kakashi's and what he finds is stubborn resilience. Unable to focus much longer with the ringing he growls, "Do it."
Itachi activates his Tsukuyomi and roughly grabs the man’s chin forcing them to look into his eyes. It takes only a second for Itachi to get his intel and once done he nods at Kakashi. Obito lets go of the limp man and backs away as Kakashi rears his hand back.
“Chidori!” Kakashi’s lightning pierces the enemy through the chest, the metal gear they have on acts as a conduit for even more of a shock and just like the shrine the body bursts into fire and burns.
The sound of the bell is still ringing as the body burns because why would it stop? The hypothesis Obito thought he had right before is proven wrong, apparently even with the ringer dead the bell can still ring. Kakashi sinks to his knees feeling exhausted.
“Can one of you…” Kakashi holds his head, the sound piercing.
Itachi and Obito look around for the bell but soon realize it’s on the burning body. Obito looks over at Itachi with pleading eyes ‘can you do it?’
Itachi uses water jutsu to put out the flame and digs into the wet charred body looking for the bell.
“I can’t find it…” Itachi says, hand deep in charred body. Kakashi groans, “Look harder.”
“Maybe if we leave we won’t hear it anymore.” Obito says hopefully.
“No it’s got to be there, he just had it.” Itachi says still digging in warm corpse. After a few more minutes they give up and decide to use their Sharingan to try and find it.
Itachi pulls it from Obito’s pocket.
“How did that get there? He must have placed it on me.” Obito takes the bell and rings it stopping the ringing. Kakashi sags slightly and puts a hand to his face.
“Kami, that was awful, please destroy that thing.” Kakashi tells them. “I don’t want this mentioned to the Hokage… we’ll leave all of this out of the report. We only did recon per orders.”
Itachi and Obito say nothing and they help Kakashi to his feet. Their silence doesn’t last long. The sound of chanting and yelling are heard coming from the shrine.
“Should we go investigate?” Obito asks Kakashi who sighs and nods.
They would know more about the village and their involvement in this cult with further investigating. If there are more enemies like the leader that they just handled that would mean trouble. And if there are more bells that should be something to be aware of.
Kakashi takes the lead back to the shrine with Itachi flanking right and Obito covering their asses. They come to a stop high in the tree tops to look down at the mob of people in front of the shrine. Some crying and moaning while some are putting dead animals in front of the small mound that used to be a shrine but is now just debris of bones.
Kakashi closes his eyes and tries to focus on what they are saying. They’re saying the same mantra their enemy was chanting but it’s muddled, they aren’t unison with saying it like their grief is making it impossible to focus. Kakashi isn’t a religious man but he always thought chants and prayers were to be said together…
They stay up in the trees until the people disperse and the shrine is somewhat reassembled with new dead birds, but it's not like it was. With the setting sun they make their way back to the enemies body but come to a halt to find his burnt body gone.
Kakashi refrains from smacking his face in frustration. Amateur move, Kakashi... How did they leave the body like that. Why...
Obito claps his shoulder, “He was pretty crisp when we left him, Hound.”
Itachi and Kakashi look at each other thinking the same thing. The other dimension went through revival techniques and while that is unheard of here, it doesn't mean it's not possible.
“We don’t leave until we have that body and make sure it’s really destroyed. If we have to destroy this whole village, so be it.” Kakashi growls.
Itachi remains silent and uses his Sharingan to look through the trees, searching.
“You can’t be serious, Kakashi! The Hokage said this was only to be a recon mission and to not engage, which we already broke that rule but now you want to wipe out the village?” Obito rounds on him with narrowed eyes before turning to Itachi. “And you’re awfully quiet!”
“I agree with him, we can’t let an evil like this exist. What the Hokage doesn’t know won’t hurt him.” Itachi says calmly still looking out towards the village.
Kakashi sighs, “I don’t like it either… let’s take shelter and talk more then.”
Obito eyes them both wearily then sighs quietly. He knows something is going on, he just doesn't know what. Why couldn't he just be back at school with his kids teaching them basic jutsu, he crosses his arms. He wonders how Iruka is without him.