Breaking the Code // Sasuke Uchiha

Chapter 7

Still Kakashi's P.O.V:

The rest of the walk is quiet. The ANBU keep their footsteps quiet and hide their chakra. But, what kind of bothers me is the way that others can feel Kamiko's...power, from many miles away. I mean, we could feel it from the village, which was about four miles from this tree thicket that we're currently in.

I can hear Kamiko's soft snores from my arms. She seems completely relaxed, like she hasn't slept in a while.

'I wonder why she seemed to have just... suddenly appear. That other power too, the Hokage must've sent a different squad to look for that one. They didn't seem to be gradually coming closer to us when we felt them, they just suddenly appeared. Where did they come from?'

She doesn't seem like a threat at all. I mean, she could be putting up an act, but I didn't get a single hint that she was acting the whole time she was with me. I hope the Hokage doesn't label her as dangerous and send her for interrogation. She's still a kid, she doesn't need to go through that stuff.

'I'll tell him about what she said earlier, about the stars.'

We're now outside of the forest, on the path that leads back to Konoha. The ANBU behind me haven't talked to me at all since we've found her, and it seems I'm leading the group. I'm surprised that the captain hasn't walked ahead of me yet, trying to show that he's the leader and not me.

The wind sends a breeze our way, and Kamiko shivers a bit in my arms. I look down at her slightly trembling.

'She's cold? Shoot, I don't have anything to give her to keep her warm...'

I feel a tap on my shoulder, and turn around. One of the ANBU members is standing behind me, holding a sort of mid-sleeve jacket.

"I'm not cold. She is."

I smile slightly under my mask, but he can't see it, of course. I nod appreciatively, and shift Kamiko in my arms, then take the jacket from him. I carefully wrap it around her, then shift her back to her original position. She's no longer shivering, which is good.

The ANBU who gave his jacket walks next to me. I think his name was Akito. It's quiet for a few minutes, until he speaks.

"You've already taken a liking to her, havent'cha?"

The question surprises me, and I don't know what to say. 'Have I?...'

I shake my head. 'Can't have them think me, an ANBU, is softhearted...' "I'm just making sure our target isn't in ill health for the Hokage."

He chuckles and shakes his head. "Oh please, it's obvious."

I sigh. "It is?..."

He nods. "You wouldn't talk to any other target, most definitely wouldn't let them hold your hand, wouldn't put them on your shoulders, wouldn't carry them, and would not be concerned for their health."

I'm silent. He laughs next to me. "You gave her your jacket. You can't act like you don't like her either."

He shrugs and shoves his hands in the pockets of his pants. "That little speech she said back there, it's true. We never know how much we cherish something until it's gone."

I nod. He's right.

'Father...'

"Whadd'ya think the Hokage's gonna do to er'?"

I look down at her sleeping face. Strands of her white hair have fallen in her face. I would move them away, but I don't want to drop her.

"I don't know. She didn't do anything bad, right? So maybe the Hokage will just let her go..."

He scratches the nape of his neck. "I don't know. He's probably gonna want to figure out how a little person like that has so much power."

'Little person?...'

"I know for sure it surpasses mine, maybe even yours. But it's definitely not chakra. I don't sense a single drop of chakra in er', actually..."

He was completely right.

To be honest, I would like to know how she was so powerful too. The only way she would be able to have this much power is if she went through extremely intense training. Enough that even a sanin would be exhausted.

But she's just a child! There's no way she could go through with that! And this power wasn't chakra. What else could it be?

And what she said. Those were wise words. Like, she's been through something. But what?

'Father, did you hear her? She's right.'

I can picture his smiling face. I wonder what he would think of Kamiko.

I can see the village gates in the distance. 'I must've been thinking for a while...'

I adjust Kamiko so that i'm holding her head which is resting on my shoulder and i'm holding her back.

The night is quiet, and almost all lights are off except for a few open-late stores or bars. We jump along the rooftops, me keeping a tight hold on Kamiko.

The overly-large jacket that Kamiko's wearing flaps in the wind as I jump from building to building.

Some ANBU head back to headquarters while a few stay to help me report to the Hokage. We ascend the stairs silently. Kamiko is still giving off small, breathy snores in my arms.

As I stand in front of the Hokage's door, I readjust Kamiko in my arms so that i'm back to carrying her bridal style. An ANBU member knocks on the door, and the immediate response in the Hokage's gravelly voice comes back as 'Come in.'

He opens the door, and we walk in.

'Here we go...'

I'M SORRY

I'm gonna be honest, I was just lazy >.<, and i'm sorry this chapter is short, but I just wanted to get back into the hang of things.

Shoutout to star_gazerX for reminding me that I have a story to update ._.

I'm back to school, and I hate it :D

People wanna talk to me and i'm just like 'UUUUGH. TIRED. LEAVE.'

So things are going great!

OKI BAI