Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Leaf and Dream ❯ Chapter 1

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Disclaimer: I don’t own Naruto or any of it’s characters.

Artist’s Note: This is my first fanfic ever... well, the first that I’m going to put up to let anyone see at least. The characters are probably out of character, buuut, it’s a work in progress and I’m enjoying myself, so I don’t think anything else really matters. It’s actually a sequel to another fanfic that I’m writing right now, but I’m finding it easier to write this one first. So the other one might never see the light of day.




“Kakashi, Tsunade would like to see you in her office, right away.” Shizune looked visibly shaken as she stared up at the Copy Ninja, who was resting in one of the Cherry trees that grew by the memorial site.

Kakashi looked down at the woman. He had never seen her in such a state, not in all the time that Tsunade had been Hokage. Putting away the adult novel he was reading, the ninja leapt out of the tree. “Must be important if she sent you for me.” Kakashi half-joked, trying to get any sort of idea of what exactly had Shizune so worked up.

“I don’t know. A letter arrived, the messenger said that it came from the Yumekage of the Country of Dreams...” She stopped as she saw the troubled look in Kakashi’s one visible eye.

“Damn.” He cursed, and without another word, the ninja disappeared, running towards the medical center, leaving Shizune looking at him quizzedly.


Kakashi didn’t even try to keep up his usual stoic demeanor as he raced towards the medic building, his mind shadowed by thoughts of the Country of Dreams. The Country of Dreams was an unknown country that set up its borders over 70 years earlier. They closed themselves off from the rest of the five countries and lived in secret, hiding away from the world. Kakashi was one of the only ninjas who have entered the Country of Dreams and left alive, and that was only because he had help.

The thought of the dark haired, blue eyed ninja who had helped him escape, at risk of her own exile and death made Kakashi’s movements slow, if only slightly. Ari was her name, and she had risked everything in order to help Kakashi return to the Leaf Village. To him, she was another of his companions who’ve died in the line of duty. Only her name would not be put on any memorial. She most likely died a traitor and her name unspoken throughout history.

Perhaps... just perhaps... she’s not dead. The thought stopped Kakashi in his tracks in front of the building in which the Hokage spent most of her time. There was no hope of that. Kakashi himself saw her collapse after being surrounded and attacked by the rest of the Country of Dreams’ ANBU ninjas. It was only the fact that she was deliberately holding them off so that he could get away without being detected, that kept him from going back to help her.

A sadness overtook his heart. He’d not thought of the Dream ANBU in over ten years, but soon after he returned, he had resigned from the ANBU team and had instead joined the ranks of Jounin and spent his time running missions and training Genin. Taking a deep breath, the Copy Ninja wiped all traces of emotion from his masked face and walked into the medic center.

The medical building was quiet, and even so, there was a sense of excitement and wonder filling the air. Kakashi could feel the emotions as they pressed against his skin and saw the people glance at him out of the corner of their eyes. Ignoring them, he made his way to Tsunade’s office. Knocking once, he let himself in, slouching against the wall automatically.

“Oh good, Kakashi. You’re here. Now maybe you can tell me what the hell this is all about!” Tsunade was shaken as much, if not more than Shizune was. In one hand she waved a rolled up piece of paper, the letter she had received, and in the other, was a cup of sake.

“I don’t know Tsunade. I was kind of hoping you’d explain it to me.” He drawled out the words a little, trying to tease the woman a little.

“Let me try to help you out Kakashi.” She cleared her throat, set down the sake and read from the letter, “Hokage - Greetings. I wish to inform you that the Hidden Villages of Illusion and Moon will be participating in this year’s Chuunin exam. I, myself, will be bringing two teams of Genin, along with their teachers. I look forward to strengthening ties of peace and friendship with Konoha and their Hokage.” She glanced over at Kakashi in order to make sure that she had his full attention. “It was signed by the Yumekage of the Country of Dreams. Oh, and do you know what it says in the post script? P.S. Please give my fondest regards to Hakate Kakashi. I look forward to seeing him again.”

Kakashi stood stunned for a moment before walking over to Tsunade, pulling the letter out of her hands and reading it over himself. “It’s impossible..”

Tsunade watched the silver haired ninja closely. His confusion and worry encompassed even hers. She just didn’t like the idea of having things dropped into her lap like this, with no idea where they came from. “Kakashi.” She said, a softer tone on her face now that she realized exactly how bad this affected him, she hadn’t seen him this upset since the days when he was training under the 4th. “Kakashi, I need to know everything you can tell me about the Country of Dreams, and why no one I’ve spoken to have ever heard about it, and, last but not least, why the Yumekage mentions you by name. This is vitally important... I don’t want another Sand Village on our hands, or another Stone.”

“I wandered into Dream territory. They have cut themselves off from the outside, and sometime after the creation of the country, they changed as many maps as they could get hold of, turning their land into an inlet. We had planned on having a boat waiting at a rendezvous point in that inlet in case the mission went wrong. It did and I was perused into Dream territory, where the boat was supposed to have been. I was... rescued... by a Dream ninja and healed. Only to find myself held against my will.

“The rule was no one was allowed in, and if they did make it in, they were not allowed out alive. The ninja who found me helped me escape and allowed me to return with the intelligence, allowing me to complete the mission, under the condition that I did not speak of the Country of Dreams.”

Tsunade filled her cup up with sake again and sipped it. “If they’re as aloof as you say, then why would they send notice that they’re coming to the exams? Could this be a trap?” The memories of the last war with Sand, only a few years ago made this an uncomfortable question for both of them, but a necessary one.

“I don’t know. Ari mentioned that there were some people who felt that the Country of Dreams would benefit from contact with the other Countries, at least then there’d be more money. I lost all contact with that place years ago.”

Tsunade pondered his words, staring down at the letter again without seeing it. “So either this is a trap and we’re setting ourselves up for another situation like Sand, or it’s not a trap and Country of Dream’s intentions are peaceful. We cannot insult a possible ally. I guess this means that we will have to welcome them. But we can prepare and watch.” Setting down her empty sake cup Tsunade, the Fifth Hokage, nodded to Kakashi. “Thank you Kakashi. Now I have to write them a reply.”

Without another word, Tsunade sat down at her desk and began writing. Kakashi let himself out.