A/N: Sorry for the delay in getting this out. My new term started this month. RL is going to be hectic for a bit. I have a final exam and there may be some moving in the near future. I have been working on the next chapter, so hopefully it will come soon. Thank you to my beta reader Mary B. Wolf! You are so amazing. And thanks to everyone who has read so far; your comments and messages mean a lot to me. As always: reviews are encouraged, but not necessary. I hope you enjoy it! - Deni

After spending the majority of their morning and afternoon leaping through the trees, the ninja decided they were close enough to Ametsuchi to slow down and take the winding path up the mountain. They didn't know much about the people of Ametsuchi, but they very well couldn't be spotted jumping through trees; it would ruin their mission before it even began.

Now walking side by side, it gave the two some time to finalize their plans. First, they'd procure a place to stay. One thing Shingo had learned during his years – and just had to share his knowledge of - was that no matter how isolated a village was, it always had ties to another. So even if it was in the middle of nowhere, there should still be some kind of accommodation for travelers and visitors.

Afterward, they'd find a place to eat and observe the people. They had no idea what kind of work Kakashi had been doing so they were going to get a feel for the nightlife as well and see if perhaps they could track him down that way. Someone at some point would have to know him. There was still sleep to catch up on as well, so they were going to turn in relatively early and start again fresh in the morning. It seemed like a good start, at least.

Ametsuchi was concealed well; the trees never gave way opening up to streets, but rather the street seemed to curve and flow with the landscape. They hadn't even been aware that they were in a village until the first building came into view.

"We must be here," Shingo commented.

Sakura nodded in agreement as they continued down the street. It was oddly quiet. Where was everyone? The few shacks they had crossed were desolate, like the entire village had been abandoned and forgotten.

Unwavering, they continued up the mountain path for another mile and a half. It was then that they began to hear voices, faint at first, but they grew louder as they continued onward. The lining of the trees began to thin and then, without much warning, they stepped onto the main road of Ametsuchi. The village was much larger than they had anticipated. Stalls dotted the side of the street leading all the way to the first set of buildings. From there it all expanded outward and up like a fan on the mountainside. Sakura cast a glance at her partner and he silently nodded in agreement. The houses they crossed earlier must have been from an earlier establishment – or a decoy.

Sakura smiled; they had finally made it. "Come on," she said and set out eagerly.

It hadn't been their intention, but they immediately attracted attention. People's stares followed them as they carried on down the path, leaving questioning and gossipy whispers behind them.

Shingo clicked his tongue as he looked down at Sakura. "You should have changed your hair."

She picked up on his this-is-your-fault tone and made her own noise back at him in rebellion. "No way. I left it like this so he'd know it's me," she replied, tugging on the ends of her hair.

"Let's find an inn," he muttered before leaving her to ask an older man where they could find a place to rest. Sakura looked on as the man gestured further up the trail. Shingo bowed politely to him and then waved for her to join him.

"It's not far," he announced. "This way."

Sakura followed him up a narrow pathway as she marveled over the rock structures they passed. The houses were craggy as if they were meant to blend in with the jagged mountain – and they probably were. They were all fit so close together it made her wonder just how many people were actually living here.

Finding the inn was easy enough and the rooms were cheap. Even so, they only paid for one and then trudged down the hall to where they would be sleeping. The room was quaint and tidy with a single bed, a simple nightstand, and an adjoining bathroom. Sakura pulled the chain for the overhead fan and found that it didn't work. She heaved a sigh and set down her pack.

Shingo noticed her distress over it. "We can sleep with the window open, it'll be cool enough."

Sakura only shrugged. "I guess. So, dinner?"

He gave a curt nod. "Sure."

Leaving their belongings behind, they set out in search of food. Surprisingly, Ametsuchi had plenty to offer by way of food carts. They came across some delicious fish and vegetables cooked tempura style. The main road was a bit crowded as it seemed that many of the villagers enjoyed the easily accessible meals. The ninja used this to their advantage as they were able to get a feel for the locals: how they talked and interacted with one another. Not too many approached them, and the few that did only asked where they were from. Sakura used the opportunity to ask about Kakashi, or rather, Irinami since that was how the people should know him. Unfortunately, the ones she asked couldn't recall seeing him.

Shingo had some better luck though.

"No one has seen him," Sakura murmured in disappointment.

"Same here, but I did find out about this pub in town. I heard it was pretty popular with some of the more rowdy crowd. Maybe he'll be there or someone who knows him will."

She grinned at the news. "So, we're going there, right?"

"Wouldn't hurt to check it out considering it's our only lead so far."

"Do you think it's too early to go to a pub?" she asked as she tilted her head back.

Beyond the thickness of the trees, she could see the darkening sky. The sun had already disappeared behind the peak of the mountain and the color that remained was fading quickly. It was then that they noticed that many of the villagers had paused what they were doing, almost as if they were anticipating the darkness. There was a soft hum in the air and then, one by one, disc-shaped symbols along the pathway lit up in a soft blue color. The Konoha-nin watched as the lights seemed to run up the mountain, illuminating the walkways throughout the entire village, all the way up to a large rectangular building at the head. Neither Shingo nor Sakura had ever seen anything like it.

She breathed in astonishment at the soft sea of blue. "Wow, it's so pretty."

Shingo glanced at her. "Come on, let's go."

They headed up one of the most western paths, the discs brightening the stone steps just enough for them to see where they were walking. The maze-like passageway finally opened up on the next level and sure enough, there was the pub a stone's throw away. There was only a yellow flag with what looked like half a leaf insignia on it and a single name: Tenma's.

Sakura followed Shingo inside where he told her to order them drinks and then meet him at a table. She nodded and watched him go before making her way to the bar. The man she found tending the bar wasn't quite what she expected.

The man's dark hair was already turning grey and the wrinkles on his face were very pronounced. His shoulders were broad and his overall physique was large and boxy. He was huge and she craned her head back to get a good look at him. She almost couldn't believe that he could fit his hand inside the glasses.

Swiping a rag through a glass, he turned to her. "Why, hello there. Haven't seen you around before, miss."

"It's my first night and probably not my last… hopefully."

"Really? Are you here on business?"

Pulling out her coin purse, she shook her head. "Two glasses of shochu, please."

He looked over her small stature. "Can you handle two glasses?"

"I'm here with my brother. Well, actually he's here with me. I wanted to travel but he refused to let me go alone," she supplied.

He lifted his brow, appraising her. "Traveling, hm?"

"Or searching, really."

He slid the two pint glasses toward her and Sakura picked through her meager-looking funds to gather money to pay. Waiting patiently on his new customer, the bartender pressed for a little more information. He liked being helpful if he could.

"You searching for something or someone?"

"Someone." She handed over enough ryou for the drinks and a small tip. "His name is Irinami. We had been keeping in touch and the last time I heard from him, he mentioned this village. It might be a long shot, but I have to find him."

She wrapped her hands around the drinks and averted her eyes with one of the most heart-wrenching, longing looks she could muster. It's all about appearances, she reminded herself.

He leant against the counter. "Irinami? The name doesn't sound familiar, but what does he look like? Many people come through this place and if he was here, I may have seen him."

"He has dark brown hair, it's usually quite unruly," she recalled with a charming chuckle. "He's around 180 centimeters tall and he has a dark eye, and his left is covered with an eye patch."

The barkeep pulled back, his eyes trained in thought. "We don't have many kaizoku around these parts. Sorry, hon, that doesn't sound like anyone I've seen."

She nodded with a grim smile and then took the drink. "I guess I have to keep looking. Thank you, though."

"No problem."

The smile dropped from his face as he watched her weave through the crowd and over to a table where she indeed sat with a man.

Shingo accepted the drink and sat back, taking a long sip. "I haven't seen him here."

"The bartender says he doesn't remember seeing him, either."

He looked up from his drink. "Do you believe that?"

"I'm not sure," she replied with a sigh as she lifted her own glass.

"Well, we'll hang out here for a little while and order another drink. Maybe he'll show up."

Sakura really despised doing something on a 'maybe' circumstance. Still, her gut was telling her that something was going on here. They stayed for another drink and occasionally asked a patron if he had seen Irinami. The answer was the same every time: no.

It really struck Sakura as odd. By some of the talk she had eavesdropped on, this seemed like the best place to find trouble, and if you were undercover, it was trouble you usually had to look for. There was no way that Kakashi hadn't come here. These people were lying. But why?

Shingo nodded as he stood, prompting Sakura to follow him. He must have come to the same conclusion. They barely said a word as they navigated the pathways back to their room at the inn. They were greeted by the woman at the counter – at least they were hospitable.

Upon entering the room, Shingo swiftly slid the lock in place and immediately went and sat on the bed.

Sakura only leaned against the door. "So, we split up tomorrow and look. One of us is bound to find out something."

"I hope so. Get some sleep," he commented as he began to lie back.

"Wait! You're not going to offer me the bed?"

He looked at her as if she were unstable for asking such a thing. "Is there something wrong with the futon?"

"Well, no."

"Do you have some sort of condition?"

She bristled. "Of course not."

He shrugged. "Then I don't see why you have a problem sleeping on it."

"So why do you get the bed?" she snapped, folding her arms across her chest.

"Because I laid on it first. Find Irinami and I'll let you sleep on the bed for the remainder of our stay here."

Her eyes narrowed slightly at the challenge. "Fine, I will."

"Good."

With an irritated huff, she picked up her pack and went to the bathroom, locking herself in. She'd just use up all the hot water then, she decided. A shower was just a shower, so he should be just fine with a cold one, right? Her plan for payback would've worked out nicely, too, if he hadn't turned the lights out and already been asleep by the time she got out. Sakura fumed as she went about setting up the futon with what little light she could get from the bathroom. At least she was clean, and they were here, and she'd see Kakashi soon – she knew it.

.oOo.

Kakashi was pretty tired after their last meeting. After the first one at the restaurant went sour, Kinaka teleported them to another location where he met with some other rogue ninja who called themselves Hunters. Kakashi couldn't be certain, but he thought that perhaps these Hunters were the ones his team received information on their targets from.

Then the group had done some hunting of their own, but at least they ate their prey. A small feast of rabbit replenished some energy and then they were transferred home – and they were still going to be busy tomorrow with the packages being delivered. All he wanted was a stout drink, a shower, and some shut-eye. The dingy flag above the tavern felt more like a neon welcome sign.

"Hey, Irinami!" the usual greeting chorused upon his return.

Kakashi lifted a hand and then dropped his elbow casually onto the countertop. "Hey, Tenma, I'll have the usual."

The aging, colossal bartender turned to face him with a grin. "Ah, Irinami, I was wondering when you boys would be back."

"Don't worry, old man, I'll have your rent."

Tipping a solid black bottle over his glass, he only nodded. "That's good. You can also increase payment on those other fees we made good on."

Kakashi's brow creased. "Tell me."

"Some broad was in here looking for you."

That wasn't anything particularly noteworthy; he'd let down a few girls since his arrival. He figured it was because he was a new man in a town that didn't see many new faces. He huffed as he picked up his glass. "What else is new?"

"She sounded like she really knew you and she's not from around here, either."

Well, that threw him off. "What'd she look like?"

"Young, big green eyes, and she had a nice pair on her, too. The luck you get with these women…"

"Anything else?" he inquired, gut already twisting.

"Oh! She had the strangest hair color I've ever seen on a gal. She had pink hair."

"Pink?"

"Exotic, right? She said she was here with her brother."

Sakura. It had to be her. How many other woman with pink hair and green eyes were there in the world? He pulled some money from his pocket and slid it across the counter. "Thanks, Tenma, keep the change."

The man gave a large smile as he pocketed the extra bills. "Thank you. So, do you know her?"

He nodded and downed half of his drink in one go, causing Tenma to raise a brow in concern. "It's a good thing I didn't tell her you were here, huh?"

"If it's who I think it is, it won't matter. She's persistent and she could very well kill me," Kakashi replied.

Tenma chuckled, but it was no joke. If Tsunade had sent her – and with a partner, no less – he was in trouble. He'd known not checking in would cause problems, but he really had no choice. Hopefully Sakura would see that and help save his ass with the Godaime.

Rubbing his hand across his face, and the two-day stubble, he remembered he needed a shower. He sighed as he polished off his drink – there really weren't enough hours in a day for him anymore.

"One more," Kakashi said, tapping on his glass.

It was filled without question and then he crossed the tavern to a table where he sat with Nao and Taro. Those two could pass for brothers, but they weren't - they were cousins. Nao had gone the path of the ninja at a young age while Taro's family was civilian. Funny how they both ended up doing the same kind of work. The two bronze-skinned, dark-haired men greeted him warmly.

"Hey, did I hear right? There's some girl looking for you?" Nao asked excitedly.

Kakashi gave him a sideways glance. "I just found out, how do you know?"

"Everybody knows everybody. How else could I know?" he replied with a grin.

"Listen, Irinami, if you're gonna just push this one away, too, then would you mind pushin' her my way?" Taro joked.

Kakashi shook his head as he took another drink. "I'm not sure this time."

That response was very different than what they were used to hearing and they jumped on it as if they were starving men and the news was a morsel of real food.

"What? Is it a secret love?"

"Finally tired of being alone?"

"Shut up, Taro, she must be more than that if he's considering her."

"There's nothing to consider," Kakashi interjected. "I think she may be someone I know."

"You gonna try to find her before the jump tomorrow?"

Good question. Kakashi pondered on it for a moment. It shouldn't be too hard to find her, and if she was in the village there was only one place she could be. Kakashi wouldn't risk leaving in the middle of the night, not with everything going on lately. So he'd wait and take his chances in the morning.

He looked to the cousins who were impatiently awaiting an answer. "I suppose I will."

"I knew it!" Nao howled, which caused Taro to hit him upside the back of his head.

Kakashi only chuckled as he picked up his drink. He couldn't waste a lot of time down in the pub. If he was going to see Sakura, he definitely needed a shower and a shave.

.oOo.

When Shingo woke in the morning, he resisted getting out of bed right away. He could hear noises coming from the bathroom and surmised that his partner was awake. He yawned and stretched before rolling over and pulling himself up in the bed. He ran a heavy hand through his shaggy hair and heaved a sigh. There were just some mornings he felt older than he was.

A few moments later Sakura emerged and turned a beaming smile his way. "Good morning!"

"You're awfully chipper this morning," he commented dryly.

With her back to him, she smiled devilishly as she pulled the curtain open, flooding the room with morning's early light. "Of course I am. I'm going to be sleeping in a bed tonight."

"Still think you're going to find him first?"

"Without a doubt," she answered as she faced him.

He realized that she was dressed and ready to go. The futon was already put away and a plastic cup was in the trash that hadn't been there before. He rubbed his chin as he looked back to her. "How long have you been up?"

"Long enough to hear you snore like a chainsaw. If you have a girlfriend, I feel sorry for her for having to listen to it."

He huffed with a small laugh. Kotori often teased him about his snoring. Sakura quirked a brow at him in question, but he ignored it. With his hands on his knees, he pushed himself up.

"I'll take the western side of the city, this level and the one above. You can take the eastern side," she stated, giving out the day's orders.

"I don't remember you being in charge."

"Do you have a problem with it?"

"Since I am the senior and the scroll specifically said I was to head the investigation, I was thinking that I'd take the level above and you can search down here."

"Fine, whatever. I'll meet you back here at eleven," she muttered as she headed to the door. She couldn't be too bitter; after all, she did get up early just to run out the hot water. It wasn't every day that Sakura was vindictive, but he had it coming.

Stepping out into the fresh mountain air, Sakura took a deep breath and looked around. Some of the villagers were already setting up stalls to sell their wares or preparing to serve breakfast. Ametsuchi was bigger than she'd thought it'd be, now that she could see it in daylight. It had multiple levels, at least seven, going up the side of the mountain, but she wasn't going to let it get her down. With Shingo, they could cover the village in an entire day if they needed to.

She decided she'd start near the inn and work her way to the other side near the entrance of the village. If there was no news, then she'd keep an eye out for new faces to ask as she doubled back.

Her results were a bit disappointing. The people she asked, whether woman, man or child, had no memory of him. The ones that claimed they did sent her on to where they believed he was. She'd go and search, only to come up empty. She hated a wild goose chase; it was frustrating. There was definitely something going on here in the village.

As she approached a stall to buy a snack, she wondered how Shingo was doing and if he had found any valuable information. At this point, she no longer cared if she got to sleep in a bed; she just wanted to find him.

She asked the vendor, but he only shook his head and offered an apology along with the dango she ordered. Feeling a bit disheartened, she stepped away from the cart and toward one of the many stone benches that littered the road. As she nibbled on her sweet treat, she turned her eyes upward, scanning what she could of the level above. She watched as the villagers traveled up and down the different stone step paths and as she let her eyes fall on the one closest to her, something caught her eye.

Peeking just around the corner, staring directly at her, she thought she saw Kakashi. No, she knew she saw Kakashi. He had dark hair and an eye patch over his left eye. Her heart fluttered and she nearly dropped her treat. Once he realized he had been seen, he quickly ducked back out of sight. Sakura didn't hesitate and immediately set out after him. She was due to meet Shingo back at the inn shortly, but if it was Kakashi then she couldn't risk it.

Keeping a small line of people between them, she followed him up the steps. He went right when he reached the top, so she did as well. The second level was just as busy as the first, and she threaded her way through the crowd behind him, keeping her eyes focused on his back.

Then, a man bumped into her roughly, nearly knocking her over.

"I'm so sorry!" he apologized. "I wasn't looking where I was going."

"It's alright," she replied, snapping her gaze back to where she had seen him, but he was no longer there. Shit!

"Can I make it up to you?"

She glimpsed the possible Kakashi as he rounded a corner ahead. She needed to get moving again and fast. "No, it's okay, really. I have to go."

She offered the young man a quick pat on the shoulder to let him know there weren't any hard feelings – well, as long as she didn't lose her target, that was. Sakura quickened her pace. She couldn't lose him now. She turned the corner sharply in time to see him make another turn. She hurried after him now that there weren't as many people around. When she reached the corner she stopped, disbelief washing over her. The side street was completely empty.

She walked down a little further, thinking perhaps he lived here or was visiting someplace. She knew she'd seen him come this way. Her shoulders sagged as she craned her neck around to look at the empty houses, and then she huffed angrily, not wanting to admit defeat. How she desperately wanted to put her fist through something.

Sakura tensed, feeing the presence behind her a moment too late. A large hand clamped over her mouth and an arm quickly found its way around her waist, spinning her around and pulling her backwards. The next moment she was shoved against the stone wall. Her eyes, wide and furious, met a familiar gaze. Slowly, he lifted his warm hand from her mouth.

As happy as he was to see her, he was a bit irate. "What are you doing here?" he asked, his face void of any emotion except for the narrow set of his eyes.

A shaky breath left her and in her relief, she sank down the wall to squat, hugging her knees to her chest. He was alive after all and that was all that mattered to her. The rest was trivial. She tried to hide it, but her shoulders trembled and he noticed.

With a sigh, he moved to squat in front of her. "Are you alright?"

"I'm just happy you're okay."

She looked up at him then and the piercing green stare that he had missed for months and dreamt about often was now right in front of him. She surprised him when she suddenly slapped at his chest. "How dare you make us worry like that?"

"Sakura-"

"Listen, we're here to check on you. Tsunade hadn't heard from you in so long and with the nature of your mission she couldn't leave it up to chance. We had to come make sure you were alive and find out why you haven't been reporting in."

He pinched the bridge of his nose. "You came at a really bad time."

"Why? What's going on? How come we haven't heard from you?" She fired her questions off.

He turned to look down the street and for as empty and quiet as it was, he still felt uneasy. "We can't talk here. Who came with you?"

"His name is Shingo, but you'll meet him soon. Come on."

But Kakashi refused. "No, it's not safe where you are either."

"But I'm supposed to meet him and-"

"Look, I have a place we can talk – it's one of the only places that I feel is truly safe enough to have this discussion. Get him and meet me there," he ordered gently as he pulled her to her feet. "Come to Tenma's. You know it, considering you were there last night asking for me."

It clicked in her head right away. "The bar? He lied to me."

He grinned. "Just a precaution. Get Shingo and meet me there, quickly. I don't have a lot of time and I'll explain it to you the best I can. And feign some ignorance, please, I need you to."

She nodded and they shared a brief yet intense stare before Kakashi darted his eye about. Deciding it was clear to leave, he gave her arm a reassuring squeeze – an excuse to linger around her a moment longer – before he turned and hurried away.

Sakura smiled, celebrating on the inside as she made her way through the crowd and back down to the level below. There wasn't any time to waste.

.oOo.

Shingo quickly spun away from the window as the door opened. When Sakura came in, he should have felt relieved, but he was angry. "You're late," he snapped. "We were supposed to meet at eleven. Where have you been?"

"Doing my job," she retorted.

"By what, dilly-dallying around town?"

She crossed her arms. "Well, my dilly-dallying found him."

Well, that was one effective way of shutting him up. He looked absolutely stunned and dropped his defensive stance, flying straight into questioning mode. "You found him? How? Where is he?"

"Get your things, we're meeting him back at the pub we went to last night," she supplied as she picked up her bag and slung it over her shoulder.

"So it was a cover," he mumbled to himself.

"We've got to hurry," she said, fixing him with a pointed look and it was all the motivation he needed.

.oOo.

In the daylight, Tenma's pub looked rougher on the outside than Sakura remembered. She pushed open the door, the chime signaling their arrival, and entered without hesitation.

"We're closed," came the gruff voice from somewhere behind the counter.

"It's alright, Tenma," Kakashi announced as he came down the stairs. "They're here for me."

The bartender from last night rose and with a rub to the back of his head, he faced Sakura. "I see you found your Irinami."

She smiled at him, but her eyes narrowed and she bent forward a little, her hands resting on her hip. "I thought you said you didn't know him!"

"It's just business. Why are you here looking for me, anyway?" Kakashi answered and asked all at once.

Feign ignorance. "I got your letters! Why else would I be here?" she replied as if it were the simplest reason for her sudden appearance.

Pulling a frown, he turned to Tenma. "I know you have some spare rooms. I'll pay for now until they can find work."

Tenma nodded and disappeared from behind the bar. A few moments passed as the three Konoha nin stood in tense silence until he returned.

He handed two keys over to Kakashi. "The last door on the left and the one right next to yours," Tenma explained with a small wink.

Kakashi was a bit taken aback by the gesture. "Thanks, old man."

Sakura and Shingo followed him up the stairs to the narrow hall on the second floor that held a row of rooms. All the doors were closed except for one at the very end, but Kakashi led them the opposite direction and opened the door farthest to the right and let them inside.

Once the door was shut, he spun to face them. "Explain to me what you're doing here."

Sakura began. "You haven't been heard from for over a month, Tsunade-"

Apparently, Shingo wasn't feeling in the mood for pleasantries or formalities and he swiftly interrupted. "What have you been doing that would warrant you disobeying direct orders from the Hokage?"

Looking as indifferent as usual, Kakashi sighed. "I don't believe I like your tone."

"And I don't believe that's an answer to my question."

"Your questions come after mine. Now, what are you doing here?"

Sakura could feel the steely tension in the air and she didn't particularly like the way they were staring at each other. She put herself between them. "Stop it, the both of you!" She glared back at Shingo. "We're not going to get anywhere like this."

In the awkward silence that followed, Sakura allowed herself to look around Kakashi's room. The tiny single bedroom space held just the basic necessities: a bed and one storage unit, the size of a large chest, with two drawers. There was no bathroom and the single window let in very little light. Was this where he had been living? She knew Kakashi could make do with any situation and, in all honesty, it was just a downsized version of his apartment back home - Sakura hid a frown - a much, much, much more downsized version.

Kakashi finally shifted to face her. "So, you were saying?"

She explained to him what Tsunade had told them in her office as they were assigned to the mission. She clarified that she had no idea what his mission was about and that all she knew was that finding him was of the utmost importance.

"And if you weren't able to find me? If I was dead?" he inquired.

Sakura looked away, but Shingo was ready to reply. "We were supposed to contact her and, depending on the situation, we would either rescue you or incapacitate the village."

But seeing as Kakashi was alive and well, it really did beg the question. "So what have you been doing?" Sakura wondered aloud.

Kakashi leaned against the wall. "I figured Tsunade would've had a little more faith in me. I can't tell you specifics, but what I can say is that my job has gotten a bit trickier. I'm being considered for a promotion of sorts in the ranks. They've been watching me, closely."

"That's no excuse," Shingo declared. "You could have found a way, you're a ninja!"

Feeling quite fed up with the hostility, Kakashi shoved his left sleeve up, exposing a metal band of some sort around his wrist. "I'm undercover as a civilian. See this?" he asked, holding his hand up to his face. "It was placed on me by my boss, who is also ninja."

Sakura snatched his hand into her grasp. She studied the band. "Is it a chakra inhibitor? But that doesn't make sense if you're a civilian."

"It's not exactly easy for these people to trust. It's a bit of a… test. It doesn't block chakra, it senses it. I can't use any of my chakra as I normally would; that means no jutsu and no summons."

Sakura seemed to understand, but Shingo still wasn't playing into it. "Still, you are a ninja, you could've figured something out."

Sakura saw Kakashi's jaw flex before he spoke. "You don't understand how important this mission is. People's lives depend on this being a success. I cannot break my cover no matter the situation, even if it means disobeying an order."

Shingo didn't feel threatened by his menacing aura at all and did not back down. "I'm going to have to report this."

"Go ahead; it is your job after all."

Sakura fought back an irritated growl. This was not how their initial meeting was supposed to go. "You can't tell us anything else?" she asked, hopeful.

"No, not unless I'm ordered to. This is way too big to let you in on if you don't have to be." He sighed, his shoulders sagging. "And now I'm going to have some explaining to do since you two showed up."

Shingo muttered something under his breath but it went ignored. Reigning in her annoyance, Sakura looked between the two of them. "So what are we going to do?"

"I'm going to have to find you two some work around here for a while," Kakashi stated, not too pleased with something else being added to his agenda.

"Fine, we'll keep low and I'll get word back to Tsunade. I believe that's why she chose me in the first place," Shingo mumbled, his temper deflated. "But whatever she tells me in response, you will comply with it."

"Fine by me, but I'll have to see what she sends back for myself."

Sakura worried her bottom lip as she turned to Shingo. "We're going to have to be careful since there are other ninja here."

Kakashi nodded as it seemed they were all finally agreeing on something. "One more thing: Tenma's a little nosy, but he has good intentions. So under the circumstances, this is the best I can do. No arguing."

He directed the last line to Shingo before he divulged into their newly formed cover, assigning the duo with better-rounded identities.

.oOo.

Kakashi flew down the stairs, taking them two at a time, while he was followed slowly by Sakura and Shingo.

"Where's the fire?" Tenma joked, and chuckled as at least he found it amusing.

"I gotta meet up with everyone. You still need some help behind the bar? Don't lie to me; I've seen how it gets some nights."

"Well, sure," the barkeep replied with a slight shrug.

"Can you let Sakura try? She's a hard worker and…" he paused and leaned over. "I'd feel bad if she had nothing to do. She's worked her entire life. It's not in her to be lazy."

"Alright. Maybe with her good looks we could get some more customers," Tenma said, pausing to let his eyes glance between Kakashi and Sakura. "Well, so long as you don't get jealous and scare them away."

Kakashi smirked. "I wouldn't dream of it. Oh! And if you see Hakei, will you ask if he needs some help? Her brother needs work, too."

"Why do I feel like you're saddling me with your extra work?" Tenma asked wryly.

"Because I am," Kakashi replied cheekily, flashing him an infuriating grin. "I have to go or Kinaka's going to be pissed."

Tenma nodded in understanding and then watched as Kakashi went over and gave Sakura a quick hug. "I'll be back soon," he told her.

Tenma only smiled and then slid a holster over the counter as Kakashi passed back by. "No wonder none of us have seen you shack up with any women. Nao's gonna be happy to learn you're not asexual after all."

"Good to know. Take care of them, Tenma. I'll be back tonight."

Then, just like that, Kakashi was out of the door and on his way, leaving the other two ninja to fend for themselves. Tenma waved Sakura over and Shingo ushered her along, whispering that he was going to go upstairs and check out their rooms and make sure they were secure.

As his footsteps died out into faint echoes up on the second floor, Sakura approached Tenma with a small smile.

"Hope you're no too upset with me for lying, 'cause I'm not about to apologize," he began.

She nodded. "It's alright. I'm just glad I found him."

"Have you ever worked a bar before?"

She looked on, wide-eyed as she came behind the counter, at all the bottles of liquor stashed away. Tsunade would have a field day in here. "No, I haven't, but I'm a fast learner."

"Perfect. Most of the men who come in here like beer – shochu is popular. We also make our own; it comes in the dark, unmarked bottles. Whiskey is also a popular choice as it's quite smooth."

Sakura watched on as he pointed to the bottles and explained what was in them. She really hoped Shingo was taking care of things above and not doing something she considered stupid.

Which he was - of course.

Shingo knelt by Kakashi's bed, his hand rummaging under it for any signs of, well, anything. When it came up empty he pulled his rucksack from the corner and dug through it. Spare clothes, soap, and a couple of colorful-jacketed books were all he found. Something about this still didn't feel right. His finger brushed across a tiny zipper on the inside and he quickly tugged it open. He reached inside, fingers feeling cold metal. Whatever it was, it was round.

He pulled it free and examined it, turning the cylindrical canister over in his hands. It was lightweight, most likely empty, and unlike anything he had seen before in his life. There was a button on the side of it and when he pressed it, a little hatch on it slid open. This was something far more advanced than a refugee village should be in possession of.

Yes, there was definitely something bigger going on here. But what? And what exactly was Kakashi doing with this?

.oOo.

Kakashi ran as fast as he could without the aid of his chakra up to the seventh level of the village where Kinaka was waiting for him. Thankfully, he didn't seem angry. Keeping up a convincing cover, Kakashi stopped in front of him, hunched over for breath and dropped his hands to his knees.

"Sorry I'm late. There were some complications I had to take care of."

Kinaka cocked his head to the side, studying the brunet before him. "Normally, I'd have ya taught a valuable lesson on punctuality, but I like you, Irinami." He pushed off the side of the building and walked around Kakashi, like a vulture circling its prey. Kakashi could feel the evil intent rolling off of him, but Kinaka only smirked as he stopped in front of him again.

In the blink of an eye, Kakashi found his arms snagged and gripped tightly in the hands of his fellow guards. Nao and the silent white-haired ninja Kato held him immobile. This couldn't be good.

Kakashi squirmed in their hold, his dark eye narrowed. "Kinaka, what's going on here?"

His lips twitched up into a smile, one that was beautiful and icy at the same. "Funny, I was going to ask you the same thing."