"Then what are you suggesting, Kakashi? How can we increase our patrols when we really lack shinobi?" Hiruzen Sarutobi asked calmly, slowly analysing all the information he heard from Kakashi.

In the boy's arms there was still a little girl who had almost been brutally attacked. The old man was well aware how weakened Konoha was due to the recent events of the Uchiha clan massacre, who were responsible for law and order in the streets of the Hidden Leaf Village. Hiruzen was pretty sure, however, that the current problems were everydayness, and the fact that Kakashi had discovered this darker part of Konoha was just a coincidence. For it has often happened that little girls were kidnapped or killed. It was less common for boys. Though Hiruzen would be lying if he said there was absolutely nothing, he could do about it.

"I would suggest finding these bandits as well as whoever is leading them and helped them get out before I could have got back to them," Kakashi muttered.

Hiruzen puffed a small puff of smoke from his pipe, reflecting on the whole matter. He believed that it was not only three bandits. There could be many more, considering the fact that it was not the first such case, and the mourning mothers for lost children were a real bane to him because... not even the Third Hokage himself could find the words to convey their sorrow and somehow comfort their shattered souls.

Kakashi wasn't stupid and he was well aware of many things, but he wasn't familiar with such a dark prospect of Konoha.

"We'll team you up with some shinobi. You find these two, and they will probably lead you to the commander,' Hiruzen replied, glancing at the sleeping face of the girl. "Kakashi, I know it's completely new to you, but..."

"I always thought that Konoha and all other countries suffered enough from wars and constant hostile missions... I didn't think that someone was bored enough to hurt such innocent creatures," the boy muttered.

The old man smiled barely visibly.

"Such scum has always existed and I'm afraid that they have been around Konoha for some time now. For several weeks now, I've been getting reports of kidnapping little girls, and sometimes even boys, or their murders," the Hokage revealed.

And this shocked the young boy so much that he parted his mouth in astonishment.

"Why didn't you say anything earlier, Hokage-sama?" Kakashi was surprised.

The older man leaned back in his chair, then looked back at the window.

"There'll always be things in this world that we do not fully understand," he said thoughtfully. "So far, I haven't had enough shinobi to track down the perpetrator, but I've already increased patrols both at night and during the day; and believe me, Kakashi, it was difficult with the number of soldiers we have left of... besides, we have never managed to catch the culprits, or even their trail.

Kakashi clenched his free hand into a fist. "So why do people like me need a day off?" he muttered a little more threateningly than he intended.

Another faint smile crossed Hiruzen's lips. "Everyone deserves a break, Kakashi." Another puff of smoke obscured the face of the Third Hokage.

"I could use a mission that would keep me awake at night. The one that would allow me to forget..."

"We are shinobi, and we remember our relatives, heroes, teachers... all of whom we once cared about, and they remain in our hearts forever," interrupted Hiruzen. "This is what differentiate us from these scums! It makes us great shinobi who fight for those they care about!"

Kakashi sighed heavily.

"I see," he replied, though his demeanour indicated that it was quite the opposite.

For there was not a day for him when he would not regret his actions. So, he had to sink his sorrows into the missions on which he was sent. Thrust this regret and bitterness into the military forces of the enemy. Throw chidori right into their hearts and watch their faces freeze in silent terror.

"There's also an issue about the punishment," added Kakashi, looking straight at the Third's eyes.

Hiruzen nodded slowly. "What are you suggesting?"

Kakashi glanced at Sakura out of the corner of his eye, then returned his gaze to his superior.

"At first I thought about stabbing them with chidori, but then I thought that wasn't adequate punishment."

Hiruzen sighed heavily.

"So, I thought it would be better if we completely stripped them of their ability to perform jutsu, if they had one, and castra..."

The door to the room swung open with a crash.

"Sakura!"