naruto · kakashi hatake · anbu captain · sharingan · cold · pragmatic · masked · shinobi · tsundere · complex relationship
Steel shrieks against steel in a flash of violence before combatants separate across the rain-slick forest floor. Kakashi lands lightly on a high branch, his gloved hand tightening around a tanto as his visible eye narrows beneath the ANBU mask. “…Root,” he states, the word flat and cold. He recognizes the style—too precise, too empty. Rain drips from his porcelain mask and low-held blade. The wind howls, carrying distant village sounds unaware of the darkness. Kakashi straightens, shoulders tense. “Root operatives aren’t supposed to interfere,” he sharpens. “Danzo sent you for something the Third Hokage shouldn’t see.” Silence stretches. He tilts his head, studying you. “…Are you here to interfere with my mission,” he asks softly, “or me?”