After getting the information and telling Kakuzu to avoid the Land of Fire and Lightning, Kakashi handed him a marked kunai before leaving. Heading back to the temple, he realized he had snatched up the kunai he gave Kuro earlier, meaning he couldn't just use his teleportation to get back instantly.
With a small sigh at his own oversight, Kakashi leaped into the canopy and began the steady process of tree-hopping his way back to the Fire Temple.
The rhythmic sound of his sandals hitting the thick branches was the only noise in the quiet forest. As he moved, his mind continuously turned over the fresh intelligence Kakuzu had just dropped in his lap.
'So, Kakuzu was the Wood Style users man, like how Kisame was Obito's. But unlike Obito, this man wasn't using a fake name; in fact, he never even gave Kakuzu a name.'
Kakashi clicked his tongue in annoyance; a fake name would've been better than this, but he had some guesses as to who this man could be. The first guess was a clone of Hashirama, this one being the most probable considering Madara did bite off a piece of the man at the Valley of the End, but his voice sounded nothing like Hashirama's…. But then again, Kashin Koji didn't sound like Jiraiya in the series. The second, and even more out-there theory would be a reincarnation of Ashura from the past that's either somehow still alive or has been cloned…. No, that sounded ridiculous. The chakra of the Ashura and Indra passes on from one generation to the next. After Madara died, the Indra chakra sought out Sasuke, but since Hashirama had long since been dead, Naruto had Ashura's chakra since birth, or perhaps even before he was born.
Kakashi had a hard time wrapping around who it could be. Because although a Hashirama clone was the most obvious answer, he felt like it wasn't the correct one. Who was Madara? A monster that grasped Sage Mode by directly absorbing it from Hashirama; he was perhaps helped by the Hashirama cells grafted onto his body, but that's still bizarre. The question is: does Madara have the same proficiency in science, specifically biology, as he does in the ninja arts? Kakashi's answer was obvious: hell no. Madara wasn't like Orochimaru, Kabuto, Tobirama, or himself. Madara wasn't a scientist, and neither was Black Zetsu. So, either there's another figure he didn't know about, or this isn't the answer.
And the last theory, and the one he dreaded the most, not for his sake, but Tsunade's. Nawaki Senju, or a clone of him infused with Hashirama cells.
After learning of the incident with Tsunade and Hiruzen regarding Nawaki's empty grave, Kakashi began to suspect the most obvious people who'd likely do this. And the very top of the list would be Danzo; the man was obsessed with Wood Release, and the body of the grandson of the First Hokage was likely something he wouldn't miss the chance to snatch. The next, and surprisingly less likely option, would be Orochimaru. Orochimaru was a twisted individual, but he did care for Nawaki as his teacher, and it wasn't likely that he'd dig up Nawaki's body.
The third option that Kakashi was really leaning toward was Zetsu, and while it didn't make much sense on the surface, it held up better than the other two. Danzo wouldn't have so easily gotten past the security seals on the grave. Orochimaru? Maybe, but Zetsu was someone only a select few could sense and stop, and fuinjutsu not made specifically to contain him would completely fail. There's also the fact that Zetsu would've been the only one who could do it so fast as not to be hunted down by the still-alive and very strong Mito Uzumaki, who would have easily dealt with anyone else trying to desecrate a Senju grave.
'Fuck'
Kakashi felt it in his gut that this was the most likely outcome, even if it sounded ridiculous; the facts were there, and based on what he knew of all three, he felt that the least likely and most ridiculous-sounding one was, in fact, the right one.
By the time the destroyed stone walls and scorched entryways of the Fire Temple came back into view through the treeline, Kakashi pushed the dark realization down. He dropped down from the final branch, landing smoothly right outside the main courtyard where Kuro and the rest of the battle-worn squad were waiting.
"Lord Hokage."
The squad quickly knelt before Kakashi made a motion for them to stand, his observation haki feeling out the temple and sensing that Chiriku was anxious, but he also felt…
'Minato-sensei?'
"What has the head monk so anxious?"
Kakashi asked, feeling that Minato was walking outside with the Head Monk.
Sai blinked behind his mask with a genuine flash of shock before answering.
"The Head Monk was notified that someone was missing from the temple, a young man; I believe his name is Sora."
"Is that all?"
Kakashi looked to the sensor of the squad, and she bowed briefly before speaking up.
"Lord Hokage, I felt an immense chakra signature appear inside the temple, followed immediately by the whole right side caving in and exploding outwards."
"We were unsure if this was an enemy, Lord Hokage. After the explosion, there were no more attacks, and none of the monks were directly targeted."
Sai spoke up once more, ready for orders.
Kakashi waved a hand.
"Stand down; it's not an enemy, but I want you four to stay here and guard the temple. No one leaves or enters."
"Yes, Lord Hokage."
They all replied in unison, flickering to guard the sides and entrance of the destroyed temple wall.
Kakashi strolled into the temple and heard the Head Monk's frantic shout as he questioned Minato, dressed in his ANBU attire with his toad mask and hood over his hair.
"What is all this commotion about?"
Chiriku turned and saw Kakashi, blinking in surprise as he couldn't have been gone for more than 20 minutes.
"They're dead."
Kakashi replied to the unasked question.
"Now, answer my question. Why are you shouting at my ANBU?"
Kakashi spoke with impatience, not wanting to hear the continued shouting.
Chiriku felt a bit wronged; he wasn't trying to be rude, but Sora, the boy he had looked after for many years, was gone.
"Lord Hokage, I was merely asking where Sora, an apprentice monk, went. He was on the side of the temple that was hit by a massive attack."
He finished, then looked back at the toad-masked ANBU.
"And he's the one who launched the attack; I just want to know what happened."
"Toad."
Toad nodded and briefly bowed, Kakashi motioning him to stop mid-bow. The rest he could deal with, but the man in front of him was his sensei; Hokage or not, it didn't feel right for him to bow.
"A man in an orange spiral mask wearing an Akatsuki cloak was in the room. I appeared and hit him with a Giant Rasengan… At least partially. I thought him dead when he seemed to vanish before my eyes and senses and reappear next to Sora before he kidnapped him and vanished in a swirling vortex, Space/Time jutsu."
Kakashi hummed, putting what Minato couldn't say together. If he couldn't sense emotions, he wouldn't be able to tell that the seemingly calm man in front of him wasn't suppressing an enormous amount of killing intent and a chilling, cold calm.
'So, Minato-sensei must have felt the mark he left on Obito in the Land of Fire and acted on it.'
Kakashi tried his best not to smile, having to turn the other way under the guise of thinking it over. The thought of Obito having to use Izanagi again nearly made him laugh, but that wouldn't be appropriate to do right now.
Kakashi composed himself and turned to Minato, a silent question in his eyes.
Minato shook his head slightly; he had tried to feel his mark once more, but the masked man vanished and hadn't reappeared. Minato knew that meant he was either under a barrier or the ability wasn't simple phasing and involved some other dimension.
"They were after the Nine-Tails chakra inside the kid. Despite the boy only being a pseudo-Jinchuriki, that bit of chakra that he had of the Nine-Tails is enough to have an unstable 4-tailed cloak. They likely plan to siphon the chakra out of him."
Chiriku paled.
"Does that mean.. Is he going to die from having the chakra removed?"
Kakashi shook his head.
"He won't die from that; he'll be weak for a bit, but I can't guarantee he'll be left alive after."
Chiriku got down on hands and knees, head against the cracked floor of the ruined temple.
"Please, I beg of you, please save him. His life… It's too tragic to let it end on such a note. I don't have money, but if he lives, you can take him to Konoha with you if you wish. He's a skilled fighter with Wind Release, Taijutsu, and weapon mastery, specifically staffs. Without that power from the Nine-Tails' chakra, he's at the level of a chunin, nearing special jonin."
Kakashi looked to Toad.
"Think you can handle a mission?"
"Yes, Lord Hokage."
Toad gave an unhesitating reply.
"You will lead the mission to retrieve Sora, then. Take Kuro and Firefly, the healer of that squad, and bring the boy back to this temple so that Chiriku can see him."
Kakashi created a shadow clone and had it lead Toad outside to start the mission.
"They should have results within the week. I'll send someone over to help you rebuild the temple."
Kakashi looked around at the damage and knew Tenzo could repair it all with ease.
Back in Konoha, Tenzo sneezed into the inside of his ANBU mask and groaned in disgust.
'Why do I feel taken advantage of all of a sudden?'
- Chapter End -
Hope you enjoyed the chapter my peeps.
Side Note: I could have sworn I wrote a section explaining the ANBU squad and the reason they were stationed near the Fire Temple, but I went back into the latest chapter and didn't see it. So, I must have planned the whole scene out and didn't type it. Just an FYI for those who were probably like 'how tf did they get here?' Now you know, lol.