What the..? Kakashi stopped and perched on the edge of a branch. He rubbed his one uncovered eye to make sure it was working properly.
A woman. It had to be, it couldn't be anything else. Her clothes were torn into shreds, and she ran aimlessly through the forest. Briars and branches scraped across her skin until she became caught and fell face down on the forest floor.
Is this what Hokage wanted me to find? Kakashi approached the unmoving figure slowly. He dug into the small satchel on his hip and drew a small pointed knife. He lept silently from his perch in the large tree and crept up to the woman. She moaned a bit, and stirred, but still made no attempt to get up. Kakashi, convinced that the woman meant no harm to him, sheathed his knife and strode up to her. He crouched down beside her face, and put his ear close to her mouth. A steady warm breathe tickled his ear and told him that she was alive and breathing.
He poked her face lightly. "Up, woman, you can't be here."
She stirred slightly, but made no movement to get up. Kakashi let out a heavy sigh.
"C'mon woman, I can't leave you just laying here for the rest of the night, I have to do something with you."
The woman made a slight noise as though she wanted to say something.
Kakashi poked his Hiti-ate headband, "What was that?" He leaned close to her mouth. " Say it again."
"They're…coming.." She spoke in a raspy whisper.
Kakashi felt a shiver run up his spine and cause the hair on his neck to stand on end.
"Who's coming?" He breathed back.
"Them.." her head lolled back to one side and her breath come out slowly.
Kakashi's eyes went wide. Is she dead? He leaned his ear close to her mouth to be greeted with the soft sound of her breathing. He breathed a sigh of relief before grasping the girl and tossing her over her shoulder like she weighed nothing.
"Lady Hokage!" Kakashi heaved the girl into the window and plopped her down on the floor in front of the Hokage. "Is this what you wanted me to find?"
Tsunade was taken aback a bit. She quickly composed herself and strode up to examine the girl. The young lady appeared about early 20s, maybe younger. Her long chocolate brown hair fell in silky waves over her shoulders, despite being filled with briars and drenched in mud and sweat. Her short dress was left in tatters and her skin was covered in small superficial scratches. She appeared to have no serious injuries, but rather suffered from heat exhaustion and near starvation.
"You there!" Tsunade snapped at a nearby genin ninja. The young man snapped to attention. "Take this woman to the hospital, she is to be treated with the greatest of care."
Kakashi nearly choked on his own tongue as he watched the young genin scoop the girl up and walk out of the room. Tsunade turned back to him.
"Lady Hokage, you can't seriously…" He began to protest but Tsunade held her hand up to intervine.
"I can about imagine what you're thinking, but I assure you that it isn't the case."
"Then what is the case?!"
Tsunade didn't answer for a long time. "I can't answer that at this moment, Kakashi." She sat down at her desk and picked up a pen, proceeding to go through missions. "You're dismissed."
Kakashi bowed slightly at the waist and walked out the door with a million questions racing through his mind.