IV

━━━━━━┓???┏━━━━━━

Arc IV Chapter 8

━━━━━━┛???┗━━━━━━

Armed with a?proud smile of victory,?Asami strolled toward her audience. She?killed?Orochimaru.?Not?a small feat.

Applause, applause. She deserved some recognition, didn't she?

Asami approached Kakashi. His?bored blank look?and his mask made reading him?difficult. Kakashi was hard nut to crack.

Kakashi maintained his guard. He remained suspicious of her.

Asami?engaged Kakashi in a?merciless staring contest. Who blinked?first?lost. Neither side gave in.

Neither Kakashi nor Asami backed?down. The?awkward silence continued?while Sasuke regained?consciousness. A stubborn boy, wasn't he?

Asami cleared her throat. "I think some introductions are in order. It's a pleasure to?meet you again after all these years,?Kakashi,?albeit the circumstances could be better."

They were both Konoha shinobi. ?No need?to treat each other like?enemies.

Kakashi's expression softened. "I remember you, Asami. In fact, I remember you well."

"You have grown quite strong since the last time we met,?but you seem to have retained your destructive tendencies."?Kakashi glimpsed at a?number?of destroyed pillars.?Very Asami.

"I am not that destructive, Kakashi. My methods just tend to be overly effective." Asami took his compliment with humour.

Kakashi?ignored her. "Overly effective ... “

“Whatever, I am more interested in what you are doing here??Did?you follow me, Asami?" ?Kakashi narrowed his eye,?scrutinising Asami with renewed?attention. He wanted an explanation.

Asami tilted her head.?"What I am doing here? I don't understand what you mean, Kakashi?“

“I stumbled across a suspicious looking person sneaking around while exploring the tower. I decided to follow and investigate him further A?good kunoichi wouldn't allow him?to?roam around without supervision."

Kakashi?seemed displeased. So Asami?was one of these?people.

Asami prepared to leave, but Kakashi?stopped her. He laughed.

"Tell me, what's so funny?" Asami raised her eyebrow.

Kakashi smiled?beneath?his mask. "You?confirmed my suspicions, Asami.“

“So let me rephrase my?question, what is the Black Princess?herself doing here? I didn't know ANBU were allowed to join?the Chunin exams??"

Asami froze. He knew.

For the faction of a moment,?Asami was taken by surprise. “Where did you get?that?name from, Kakashi? How do you know?“

Kakashi?had her full attention.Knowing she was an ANBU?was one thing,?knowing?who she was another."

Kakashi remained calm. "Just my?personal hunch.?A?few old ANBU friends told me about?a scary pyromaniac black haired girl?with an obsession for swords and a little princess complex.?I suspected it was you, and I was right."

Asami giggled?amused. “True, that sounds like me.“

“Considering you are aware of my identity, you can?thank me for saving your ass, Kakashi.?I roasted Orochimaru for you."

Kakashi?disagreed," Saving?my ass??He would have left?if you hadn't interfered. It was you who?picked a fight?with him."

"I understand. So I should have allowed Orochimaru, an arch enemy of Konoha and internationally?searched S-rank criminal, ?to escape? An excellent idea, Kakashi." Asami rolled her eyes. Ungrateful bastard.

"Explain",?Kakashi countered.

Asami clicked her tongue. "Please, don't play stupid. Do you think me blind? I saw you. I saw the naked fear in your eyes when you faced Orochimaru. You were scared, Kakashi, weren't you?"

Kakashi?chose silence and a cold stare.

"But you don't have to justify yourself, Kakashi. Being scared is a?completely natural reaction."

Asami approached?Orochimaru's corpse. "I have finished?today?what you couldn't. I succeeded where you failed."

Asami snapped?her fingers. A brilliant purple?flame?devoured Orochimaru.?He wasn't needed anymore.

Asami marvelled at her beautiful?fire. "Consider what I am about to tell you a special honour, a?sign of trust?between you and me.“

“I ask you for your cooperation, Kakashi."

"My cooperation?"?Kakashi remained puzzled. What was the little princess planning?

Asami??grinned. "We all know that the Hokage is the physical manifestation of the Will of Fire. But even the brightest?flame dims with the years passing. The?day?will come?someone else has to bear his burden."

Her?fire grew stronger. Her purple flames enlightened?the?room?with their dark radiance. "The question is,?who will succeed Hiruzen??He is old. His constitution not the best anymore.“

"Hiruzen intends?to designate his successor soon after the Chunin exams.“

“And as you might know, the?next Hokage?is traditionally chosen among Konoha's strongest, most talented, and most experienced shinobi."

"The most likely candidates are Tsunade?who is unfortunately unavailable. Jiraiya, a subpar?choice considering his terrible reputation. Danzo?who?has more?skeletons in the?closet?than I can count. You, Kakashi.?a shinobi renowned across the lands for his skill?and experience. And?.."?Asami made a dramatic pause.

"You", Kakashi guessed. He guessed right.

Asami chuckled. "Yes, me.“

“I have the?intention to become the next Hokage?and?shoulder the future of the village. My chances are actually not that bad if you should decide to forego your?nomination, Kakashi."

"I might be young, but my strength is beyond doubt.?My reputation well-earned. Everyone within the village council knows that.“

“They can no longer ignore me."?Asami's fire expanded, nourished by her chakra.?The very air burned?in an inferno of blazing heat.

Kakashi remembered the colour. It was the same purple he saw years ago. An otherworldly, destructive?purple?of unimaginable?power.

"Do me a favour, Kakashi. Do Konoha a favour?.."?Asami narrowed?her furious?eyes at Orochimaru's corpse.

"Apparently, our?snake had?a?few aces?up his sleeve. Next time he won't survive."?Asami clenched her fists as Orochimaru's ?hollow?carcass crumbled?to ash. The?snake had shed?his skin.?Orochimaru escaped?his fate because of her?negligence.

Asami?extinguished her flames. " I hope you think about my proposal.?So, see you another time, Kakashi, Sasuke."

Asami left with a smile.

Sasuke remained?shocked?by what he witnessed.?This power, this aura, this fire.

━━━━━━┛???┗━━━━━━