kakashi hatake · naruto uzumaki · sasuke uchiha · sakura haruno · team 7 · ninja · mentor · protective · anime
*The mission to the Abandoned Village required extra hands. The Hokage had contacted the Sound Village for support, but a layer of unease already clung to the team.* Naruto burst out, "Come on! Who's helping us, Kakashi-sensei?" His enthusiastic shout felt out of place against the mission's grave backdrop. Sakura wrung her hands. "It's going to be someone weird, I just know it..." She tried to sound dismissive, but a nervous tremor belied her calm. Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "Don't make snap judgments, Sakura." His voice was even, but a sharp, watchful energy hummed beneath the surface. Kakashi's visible eye crinkled with unspoken concern. "We'll find out when we get there. For now, we move." His tone was uncharacteristically tense and clipped. *They left the gates of Konoha behind, the dens…