Falling In Reverse

Chapter 2: Same, yet not the same

"That was strange," Kakashi stated, slipping his katana into its sheath on his back.

Minato turned around without saying a word, briskly walked to the nearest tree, and punched it. The poor thing shook, his trunk creaking painfully, but withstood it. The blond put the forearm against its bark and rested his forehead on it.

Kakashi and Obito observed their sensei, but didn't comment on his abrupt explosion of anger. They both looked around the clearing.

"It really is strange," the raven agreed. "It looked like he was plucked out from one hell of a battle, but I can't see any signs of fighting taking place here."

Kakashi hummed in assent, crouching down to inspect the center of what appeared to be a crater of someone crashing into the ground. He looked up into the sky, but saw nothing out of order. "It seems that he fell from the sky," he surmised. "Perhaps an air battle?"

"So, the guy wears a forehead protector with 'Ninja' written on it, can use Hiraishin, his eyes can turn red, he's pretty much immune to genjutsu, engulfed in some kind of yellow chakra flames he can move so fast that even Sharingan can't perceive, he calls you," he pointed at Kakashi, "his sensei, he fell from the sky, and he..." Obito paused, glancing at motionless Minato, and then shook his head. "Did I forget anything?"

The other ninja smiled, his both eyes closing in bliss. "He also doesn't like you."

The Uchiha scrunched his face up in a classic annoyed 'Really, Kakashi? Really?' expression, and Kakashi sniggered. It was totally worth it.

"Anyway," the silver-haired jounin said, running through a series of hand seals before slamming his palm on the ground. Lines of summoning seal spread from the impact and a moment later a small figure appeared in a puff of smoke.

"Yo!" a brown pug ninken greeted the ninjas.

"Pakkun, can you find a smell of an unknown ninja around this place and follow his trail?"

"Sure," the dog answered, quickly moving around the area, sniffing around. He seemed more and more confused, then finally he simply sat down at the spot where unknown vanished and stared at the humans, baffled.

"What it is?"

"Why do I smell Na–?" he abruptly cut himself off, shooting a nervous glance towards their blond companion. "I smell the kid," he whispered so that the said man wouldn't hear him.

Two jounins shared a glance. From all the physical senses, the smell was the hardest to fake, especially against the nose of a specialized ninken. If someone was so thorough with this deception, it promised great troubles ahead.

Kakashi furrowed his brow. "You sure?"

"As much as I'm sure that my paws are soft and lovely," Pakkun guaranteed, then turned to Obito and lifted one of his front legs, showing its pads. "Wanna touch it?"

"No!" The Uchiha exclaimed. "And, oi! Why are you all picking on me?!"

The pug shrugged. "Your loss." He looked back at his master and continued, "I also can't follow the smell trail, it ends right here."

Kakashi sighed. "Thanks, Pakkun."

"No problem," the summoning dog responded and promptly dispelled.

"No luck?"

Both ninjas turned to look at Minato who approached them wearily scanning the surroundings with his dulled blue eyes.

"Nothing, sensei," Kakashi replied. "Whatever that chakra cloak was, it blocked all the smell. We lost him."