"Lord Danzo! Jonin Kakashi Hatake entered the Shimura Compound and stopped outside your home!"
The Root ninja knelt on one knee, his head deeply bowed, keeping his eyes on the ground as he reported to Danzo without emotion.
Submerged in darkness, Danzo revealed only a single, equally dispassionate eye. His cold face carried an air of ruthlessness.
"Kakashi Hatake?"
"Monkey's student's student..."
Danzo recalled the report that had just come from Konoha Outer Root: the Tsuchikage, the Raikage, and Team Minato had appeared at the village entrance.
"Bring him here. This will be a good opportunity to ask what happened."
Danzo waved a hand, and the Root ninja below vanished in a flash, leaving Danzo alone in the darkness with his eyes closed.
The compound? Home?
"Jonin Hatake, Elder Danzo requests your presence!"
Kakashi looked at the "ANBU" blocking his way. Though he had said "requests," his icy demeanor reminded Kakashi that refusal was not an option.
Following this strange ANBU, Kakashi headed farther and farther out of the way. When they reached the edge of a forest, the ANBU turned and handed him a strip of opaque black cloth.
He gestured for Kakashi to put it on. Kakashi was somewhat reluctant, but remembering that the mysterious ANBU did indeed need to keep their location secret, he obediently wrapped it around his eyes.
A tremendous force pulled at the back of his collar. Kakashi felt his feet leave the ground, and the gentle wind whooshed past his ears.
Before long, they abruptly plunged downward. A damp smell lingered around his nose, the temperature began to drop, and a gloomy atmosphere enveloped every inch of his body.
"That will do."
The cloth around his eyes loosened, and his feet touched solid ground.
Kakashi instinctively narrowed his eyes to lessen the