Chapter One || 第1章

Their Dawn || 夜明け

Kakashi: Age 19

Kono: Age 18

Post Third-Shinobi War

"KAKASHI!" a dynamic voice shouted from a fume of smoke in the distance. You could see him struggle to halt his sprint as he neared the man.

The grey-haired shinobi before him sighed. "What is it this time, Gai?" It seemed more of a statement than a question.

He paused, squatting down momentarily to catch his breath, before suddenly standing up straight to point at his rival.

"Say, it's been a while!" he grinned wickedly, winking as he gave his friend a signature thumbs up. "How 'bout a rematch?"

Kakashi facepalmed. He had a feeling Gai would ask that and that he was going to regret what was to come. He decided to accept the request anyways, knowing his comrade would start crying a "spring of youth." Or so Gai called it.

"Okay, fine."

"Yata!" Gai pumped his fist in the air, eyes sparkling. "We'll race to the top of the Hokage Rock!"

Kakashi simply shoved his hands in his pockets before nodding his head half-heartedly. It was still morning, and now he had to "wake up" for real to keep up with Gai's antics.

"Don't get a heart attack from running too fast," a black-haired girl behind them chuckled. Beside her on the ten-foot boulder sat a spiky-haired man with his arm around her.

"Kurenai! Asuma! You're here!" Gai's eyes sparkled as his body became oogly and arms floppy as he wiggled his way to the rock where his friends sat. "Watch me as my overflowing youth overwhelms my eternal rival!"

Beads of sweat fell from both of their foreheads.

"Are you ready, my rival?" Gai bellowed excitedly.

"As if I have a choice," Kakashi muttered under his breath, acquiescing.

Gai pointed to Kurenai before flashing his signature grin. "Kurenai! Asuma! Referee!"

The two sarcastically grimaced. "Oh, great. Here we go again."

"I call start," Kurenai said, turning to Asuma. "You can take the finish line."

Asuma's cheeks flushed—barely noticeable— before replying, "Y-yeah, sure."

With that being said, he performed a few hand signs before teleporting to Hokage Rock.

Kurenai sighed, slightly embarrassed by her friends' competitive antics. "Okay. On your marks. Get set . . ."

Kakashi and Gai both tensed, eyes narrowing with determination.

"Go!"

And without further ado, the two dashed towards finish line, leaving a storm of dust behind them.

Having restocked her weaponry, Kono walked around town. Peacefully, she might add, until out of nowhere, a cloud of dust billowed right before her.

She deadpanned, no doubt in her mind as to who on earth would cause such a ruckus in the middle of the day.

"It's one of their frivolous races again," she thought as she sighed. What else were shinobi to do in a time of peace other than cause trouble to balance out the peace in the world?

She shook her head. Did Kakashi and Gai have nothing better to do? They could be accepting more missions—any missions in fact, as there were plenty of D-ranks waiting to be completed. There weren't enough genin to catch all the lost cats or assist the elderly with groceries or clean the public halls. Instead of racing, they could be competing to find out who could complete more D-rank missions. At least that would help the world, or rather, Konoha.

Then again, she was probably being too serious about it. Overthinking was something she often did. Besides, it was Gai who always dragged Kakashi into their "battles," anyways. She couldn't blame the victim.

"Kono!" she heard someone behind her yell.

She turned her head around to see the owner of the voice waving at her as he walked over.

"Hey, Tenzou," she smiled at the wood-style shinobi. He was plain-clothed- a rare sight, considering she had always seen him in his ANBU uniform. "What's up?"

"Speak of the devil," he flashed a small smile in return before talking in a quieter voice. "Sandaime wants to speak with Team 'Kashi."

"Alright, thanks," Kono responded before raising an eyebrow. " . . . 'Team 'Kashi'?"

"Gotta love our old man," he winked. "The old scarecrow will always be team cap, so might as well."

"Got it, " she chuckled. "I'll go get him. You go gear up."

"Sure. See you there," he pulled his hands out of his pockets to perform some hands seals before disappearing.

"Guess I don't have enough time to drop by for lunch with Kurenai later," she sighed before her hands automatically performed the appropriate hand seals, and she was gone in a puff of smoke.

Gai was bawling on the ground, hugging his knees. He had lost yet again. 28-27 with Kakashi in the lead, and it didn't help that all of the fangirls waiting at the finish line were gushing over Kakashi either. How did they even know they were going to race? He suppressed another sob. Why . . . Why must his rival wound him twice in a row? First with the race and then with the fangirls.

From the sidelines, Asuma ran a hand through his hair. This was so Academy: Kakashi winning everything without much of a shrug of effort, and Gai sobbing in the background. Oh, the good old days.

Arms crossed as he stared at his friend, Kakashi sweatdropped. He was mortified at his friend's public antics. Nevertheless, the race was good practice.

Poof.

Kakashi didn't need to turn around to know who it was. He could automatically tell by her chakra signature.

"Kono!" Kurenai beamed, jumping on her poor friend, forcing her to piggyback her. "You're here!"

As if she predicted Kurenai's jump, Kono sweatdropped. "Hello to you too, Kurenai," she said before dropping her.

The tears that were streaming rivers down his face suddenly halted, and Gai stopped his flailing, trying to play it cool as he wrapped an arm around Kono.

"Hello, my beautiful, youthful cherry blossom," he greeted enthusiastically as his arm spanned the horizon. "Care to join me on my walk to-"

Kurenai immediately snatched Kono out of his grip, faking possessiveness, "Um, hell no. She's mine."

Asuma and Kono simply chuckled at the situation. It was exactly like the Academy days. That was for sure.

Once he was able to slip away from his raving fans, Kakashi turned his attention to his friends, coming over with his hands in his pockets as he asked, "What brings you here, Kono?"

"Hokage-sama wants us to report to his office," Kono replied, struggling slightly to maintain her balance with Kurenai on her back whacking away at Gai. "Tenzou's probably already geared up by now and waiting for us in the lockers."

Kakashi simply nodded his head, now in a more serious mode, "Alright. Let's go."

"Aw, you're going to miss lunch with me today, aren't you?" Kurenai asked statedly. "You're definitely treating me to lunch next time."

Kono chuckled, before sliding Kurenai off her back. "Sure, sure, sure. That'll be the first thing I'll do once I get back from my mission."

"If my paycheck even allows it," she mentally added.

"It better be," Kurenai's eyes twinkled before coming over to stand by Asuma. "See you guys later!"

"Kakashiii," Gai wailed, tears streaming down his face one again, as he held onto Kakashi's leg like a leech. "Don't leave meee."

The grey-haired shinobi sweatdropped. How the hell would he get Gai's iron grip off his leg? What could be worse?

And then worse happened. A horde of fangirls stampeded over Gai to Kakashi.

"Ouch, that's gotta leave a scar," Kono grimaced.

"Kakashi-san!"

"You beat Gai-san! Congratulations! What else is to expected of Kakashi-san?"

"Are you leaving already?"

"Please come to dinner with me next time!"

"Kakashi!"

"Kakashi!"

"Kakashi!"

An endless echo of Kakashi-this, Kakashi-that was heard as Kono sweatdropped, scooching closer to Kurenai. Gai tried to raise his finger to comment about the scene before him but failed to get a word out before fainting from the stampede that bulldozed him seconds prior.

She shook her head, smiling, as she joked with Kurenai, "When does this not happen?"

Asuma chuckled, "True. He's too good for any of them though. They stand no chance."

Kurenai lightly punched her 'boyfriend-but-not-boyfriend,' before chastising, "Hey, that was mean. You don't know that! Maybe it can be like those movies where the fangirl actually gets the guy."

Asuma stifled a laugh, "As if that would ever work on Kakashi."

"You don't know that!" Kurenai half-shouted, exasperated, but found herself in agreement. Kakashi belonged with only one person, and everyone knew who that person was . . . Well, maybe not the fangirls.

From the corner of her eye, Kono could see the budding skinship between her two friends as Kurenai 'low-key' intertwined her hand with Asuma, earning an immediate blush from the man.

"They're so cute," Kono mused mentally. "That's for sure."

Kono quickly glanced at her watch before sighing. If things kept going at this rate, she and Kakashi were never going to make it to the Hokage's office in full ANBU uniform. She gave a small wave to her friends before heading out.

Hands in her pockets, Kono headed down towards the ANBU building down the steps of the Hokage Rock. The secret entrance to the building was in Training Ground 13- one of the most dangerous in Konoha and also where the jōnin exams took place. Hence why no one would ever dare near the secluded place with a bunch of giant snakes and violent man-eating plants residing.

When Kono reached the edge of the steps down Hokage Rock, Kakashi caught up to her.

"Too eager for the mission to wait for me?" he teased, now walking beside her.

"As if," Kono tsked nonchalantly.

Kakashi exhaled a deep breath, "ANBU is exhilarating, but the range of mission types is so little. Everything is either reconnaissance or assassination. At least as jōnins, you can do so much more-public relations, ambassadorship, guarding VIPs, etc."

Kono gave him a half-hearted look, "Want everyone to know you're ANBU? Talking about missions out in public so nonchalantly." Kono shook her head teasingly.

Kakashi stifled a laugh, "You know very well that I'm much more careful than that." He closed his sole visible eye as his arms stretched to the back of his head.

She gave him a sideways glance as they reached the Training Ground 13 gates, "See you outside the lockers." With that being said, Kono jumped into the trees towards the entrance to the women's lockers, leaving Kakashi to follow suit to that of the men's.

Kurenai watched as her friend sighed before heading down to the ANBU quarters. Most people weren't allowed to know who was in ANBU or not, but because the Third Hokage often assigned several ANBU to missions with her, Gai, and Asuma in them, it wasn't too hard to figure out.

At this point in time, Asuma had his arm around her waist, and Kurenai blushed as they watched Kakashi try to pry his fangirls off him without being too harsh. After all, shinobi were supposed to be examples for the younger generations in ethics and manners. Kurenai watched as Kakashi noticed Kono leaving for the ANBU quarters without him, prying his fangirls off him to rush to Kono's side.

Anyone could tell that the two had a thing for each other. It was a small spark, but it wouldn't be too long before that spark ignited into a raging fire. For years, the two had been on countless missions together, and those life-or-death situations truly allowed Kakashi and Kono to bond. Kurenai smiled ruminatively as the two walked down the steps. Hell, they lightly flirted with one another whenever they had the chance. She'd bet her life that the two would get together one day, if not soon, and she wasn't afraid to give it a little push when they got back from their mission.

Kurenai smiled evilly at the thought.

Arching an eyebrow in concern, Asuma asked the woman next to him, "What's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing," she shifted her smile into an innocent one. "Just thinking."

Asuma eyed her warily, "About . . .?"

Kurenai laughed with a wink, "You'll see." And with that, the red-eyed kunoichi left the former Guardian ninja to his own devices.

Tenzou deadpanned once he saw his teammates in their ANBU uniform. The only thing missing being their masks.

"Could you be any later? Do you know how long I've been waiting? Do you know how long Sandaime has been waiting?!"

Kono suppressed a smile, her back to the wood-style user as she sat down on the wooden bench to sharpen her blade. "I blame Kakashi."

"Oi." This time, it was Kakashi's turn to deadpan, as he glowered emptily at her, "What did you say?"

"It's your fault for being late to everything," Kono teased as she finished sharpening her blade, holding it up against the dim lamp lights overhead to observe its eerie gleam. "Racing Gai and having fangirls stampede all over him."

"Damn," Tenzou gave Kakashi his signature scary face. "And it's because of that that the Hokage will personally kill us for our incompetence and unpunctuality."

Kakashi almost fell over from Tenzou's sudden change in character. ". . . Sorry."

Kono sheathed her blade before putting on her feline-sculpted mask, "Let's go. Let's keep Sandaime's disappointment at the minimum, considering we're already fifteen minutes late."

Tenzou's arms swooped at he walked into the hallways, "You don't say. I wonder why . . ." He gave Kakashi a sideways scary face.

Kakashi cringed at his teammate's antics before putting on his mask. Tenzou scoffed, doing the same.

The three ANBU then flickered to the Hokage's office.

"You're late" was all that the Hokage said as three ANBU kneeled in his office. His voice was slightly groggy as he smoked his pipe.

"My apologies, Sandaime," Tenzou expressed his regrets. "I take full responsibility for not assembling the team in time."

The Third Hokage rested his pipe on his desk before sighing. "I will let it pass this time. Please refrain from doing so in the future."

The three ANBU lowered their heads before simultaneously saying, "Thank you, Hokage-sama."

There was a pause in the room before the Hokage broke the silence, "There have been reports that the rogue Amegakure ninja Kikkoma is hiding in the Hācho Village on the outskirts of the borders of the Land of Fire. He conspired to kill the Lord Daimyō, and despite not killing him, he managed to kill the Daimyō's wife. He's been on the run for a few days now, and Lord Daimyō wants him dead. Since he is in our land, Amegakure has allowed us to incapacitate him. This is not an assassination."

Kono's eyes widened under her mask. Didn't the Daimyō order for the guy to be dead?

The Third continued, "The Interrogation Force needs to question Kikkoma to figure out how he was able to get his hands on the heavily concealed codes past the chakra barrier around the Daimyō's family's quarters. Your mission is to capture Kikkoma alive with little to no damage to the Hācho Village. Because they do not know we will be infiltrating there, we want as little conflict as possible. Is that understood?"

"Yes, sir," they all responded at once.

"I trust that Tenzou has read the information about Kikkoma?" Sandaime asked.

He nodded, "Yes, Sandaime."

"Update Kakashi and Kono on your way there."

"Yes, Sandaime."

"Good," the Third Hokage bowed his head and tilted his Kage cap. "You are to leave as soon as possible—no more than an hour. You all can decide who will be leader. Dismissed."

With that being said, the three of them teleported out into the ANBU halls.

Once at the halls, they each went to their respective lockers to get their packs.

"Ready to go?" Now in a serious mode, Kakashi asked, already prepped. "We can review our previous formations on our way there. Despite the village having a large body of water at its center, the Hācho Village is known for its mountainous and fairly dry terrain."

Kono and Tenzou nodded their heads.

With that, they were gone in a puff of smoke.