Kakashi packed up his belongings, originally intending to return straight to Konoha. However, after giving it some thought, he decided to detour through the Land of Wind—not to enjoy the scenery, but to gather intelligence. It wouldn't look good if the Third Hokage asked about Wind Country's situation and he had no answers. Even if such questions weren't guaranteed, Kakashi preferred to be prepared. In the world of shinobi, caution is always justified.
This region bordered both the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind. A round trip wouldn't take more than a day, so it wouldn't delay him too much. Once Kakashi made up his mind, he didn't hesitate. He wasn't the type to dwell on decisions. And so, he quietly made his way into the Land of Wind.
Although Sunagakure was located in the harsh desert, the country itself wasn't entirely barren sandstorms. Civilians wouldn't survive long in such extreme environments, and even shinobi could only endure such terrain with effort. Fortunately, Kakashi didn't plan to go deep into the desert or to the gates of Sunagakure. He remained in the more habitable outposts where trade caravans and minor settlements gathered.
He wore a sleek black outfit, and his short sword, Chidori Blade, was sealed in a scroll hidden under his sleeve. Its distinct gleam would draw too much attention otherwise. His hitai-ate, the Konoha forehead protector, was carefully concealed. His Sharingan eye was wrapped in bandages—though this wasn't suspicious in itself. In times like these, it wasn't rare to see people bearing old wounds or missing eyes.
Though Sunagakure had ramped up border patrols recently, that hardly mattered for someone like Kakashi. Patrols consisted mostly of low-ranked genin or civilians with sensory capabilities—barely a challenge for an elite shinobi. Villages couldn't afford to deploy jonin for watch duty, just like how Konoha usually assigned the Inuzuka, Yamanaka, or Hyūga clans for such tasks.
So Kakashi passed through undetected, slipping into a small frontier town on the Wind side of the border. He spent the entire day gathering intel and quietly observing. He confirmed a few key developments.
The monk Chiyo's brother, the Jinchūriki of the One-Tail, Bunpuku, was still alive—barely. The monk had an estimated two months left at most. Rasa was still the Kazekage, and the Third Kazekage—once considered the most powerful Kazekage in history—had long since vanished. Kakashi knew, thanks to intelligence from Jiraiya, that the Third had been assassinated and turned into a puppet by Sasori of the Red Sand, a prodigy of Sunagakure who defected to Akatsuki.
To be murdered and made a puppet by a teenager, even a genius like Sasori, was truly humiliating. Despite Sasori's brilliance, the fate of the Third Kazekage was nothing short of disgraceful. These thoughts flickered briefly in Kakashi's mind before he dismissed them. Konoha was his home, and for at least the next dozen years, his priority was to protect it.
After confirming what he needed, Kakashi prepared to leave. Tensions were high across the shinobi world, and lingering in foreign territory—even an ally's—invited unnecessary risk.
On his way out of the Wind Country, Kakashi silently slipped into the bordering forest. But suddenly, he halted. A figure ahead caught his eye—clad in the standard dark garb of Konoha's ANBU. Kakashi squinted. The posture, the silhouette... it looked familiar.
Then it clicked.
Yamato.
What was he doing here? Alone?
Curious, Kakashi approached.
"Hey!" he called out.
The ANBU turned sharply. Recognition flared in his eyes. "You..."
Kakashi landed nearby. "You're the Wood-Style user, right? What are you doing in this region?"
"Mission," Yamato replied, his voice neutral.
Kakashi understood. Shinobi missions were confidential. Even fellow Konoha shinobi didn't exchange such information unless authorized.
The silence grew awkward until it was suddenly broken by a young girl who dashed over, her voice panicked.
"Tenzo! It's bad—Lord Orochimaru wants to kill our people!"
Yamato stiffened. His pupils shrank in surprise, and he glanced at Kakashi, clearly uncertain. If Kakashi learned about Orochimaru's plans, things could become complicated. Yamato's mind raced to fabricate a plausible explanation.
Kakashi, meanwhile, stared at the girl, stunned. That face, that presence—Iburi Yukimi? Wasn't this connected to the Iburi Clan and the experiments Orochimaru once ran?
But Orochimaru had already defected more than two weeks ago. How was this event just unfolding now? Had something Kakashi done altered the timeline?
For the first time in a long while, Kakashi felt a sliver of unease. The timeline seemed off. Had his presence triggered a butterfly effect?
The girl glanced at him with wide eyes. "Tenzo, who is this?"
"He's... a friend," Yamato said, surprising even himself.
Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "Friend" was a stretch. They were colleagues, at best.
The girl lit up. "Great! If he's your friend, he must be strong too! Come with us—we need help to save our clan!"
Yamato looked hesitant. He turned to Kakashi. "You heard her. What's your take?"
"Let's check it out," Kakashi said without hesitation. Despite the danger, it was Orochimaru they were dealing with—but the current Orochimaru wasn't invincible. Kakashi wasn't planning on fighting to the death, but escape, if necessary, was well within his power now.
He had the Mangekyō Sharingan. That alone changed the equation.
More than anything, Kakashi wanted to know how the plot had shifted—and what it meant for the future.
Yamato was surprised by Kakashi's confidence. There was no fear in his voice—was it bravado? Or genuine strength?
He didn't know that Kakashi had once directly fought Orochimaru and survived. If he did, his surprise might have turned into shock.
Still, Yamato didn't argue. During his time with the Iburi Clan, he had developed a sense of attachment to them. If there was any chance of saving them, he couldn't just walk away.
And so, Kakashi, Yamato, and Yukimi set off together, heading toward the hidden Iburi compound.
As they traveled, Kakashi's curiosity got the better of him.
"So," he asked, "what exactly is going on?"