\The cold wisps of the fog grew thicker as the sun slowly stepped down from the sky. Time slipped by like an eel, and it felt like forever to wander through the forests of the mountains. Twittering birds chirped up on the branches above the heads of the ninjas, singing the song of winter that is yet to end. The air was moist, making it as though rain has fallen from the sky. And the ground was damp from the dew the fog brought with it, making it muddy to walk on. It was slippery as well.

Naruto nearly skidded to his bottom if it were not for Sasuke who gave him a frank scolding. His friend's only response was a sheepish grin. The others kept silent though; being so conscious of being around the silent samurai who rode on her black steed. Their eyes were stuck in a constant stare as they walked behind the samurai, wondering what was going on in her mind.

She barely spoke to anyone since they met by the river; she only greeted them and asked how they were. The young nin couldn't help but feel disappointed for this treatment, but it did seem like the samurai was displeased to hear that they suddenly decided to give her assistance. Though the samurai did give them her thanks. Her silence brought unease to her new companions. Even Obito couldn't help but feel awkward after being so eager to meet her again.

Naruto wondered what was the cause of Yoshie's silence and unapproachable presence. Kakashi managed to speak his mind a couple of times, but the only purpose was only regarding the route to the Land of the Rising Sun. The pink-haired nin felt pain in her chest when she realized that Yoshie once again became a stranger to her after all the time they spent together in Konoha. Her smiles were one thing, but not saying anything was a whole different story. Perhaps the girl was merely over thinking things, however, she wasn't the only one. Ino and Hinata wondered why as well.

The samurai's calm, fiery eyes seemed disinterested in making casual conversations as of the moment, and the sound of her horse whinnying displayed its agitation as it struggled to stay on its feet. The further the horse and rider treaded, the more slippery the ground became thus it was becoming more and more difficult to tread. And treading by the side of the mountain was especially dangerous.

It had began to rain just as the sky turned gray like ash with no light illuminating. Mud rolled down the mountain, splashing down along the path the ninjas treaded along. Mudflow suddenly slices through the group, bringing out a cry of panic to their lips as they avoided getting dragged down to death's mouth.

Yamato grabs Hinata who stood in front of him, while Kiba pulls Shino into safety before he could get swept away. The black steed whinnied loudly, kicking its legs violently that nearly through the samurai off. But Yoshie managed to keep her horse on the reigns.

"We have to get out of here!" Yelled Shino as Kakashi made sure Sakura and the girls were safe from slipping.

"Obito-senpai! Hinata!" Captain Yamato yells at the two behind him as more mudslides came rushing down.

The Uchiha quickly grabs the girl with him and carries her in a bridal fashion and gets her to safety. But his landing spot was suddenly flushed by mud. Panic masked his brave face, but relief quickly replaced it when Yamato saves them with his Wood Style techniques.

"Hurry!" Yelled the younger teacher.

Obito couldn't help but agree more. He had the other shinobi follow him to where Kakashi and the other half of the team was. None questioned him and simply obeyed his orders, in hope for the safety of their lives.

The rain poured down with no sign of ceasing, and the fog was too blinding a screen. It posed as a hazard to not only the ninjas, but to the stallion who tried to keep itself from slipping. The ground where he kept his footing though was slipping under his feet. The mud was dragging the stallion's towards the edge. And his rider struggled to keep him in check, but her efforts seemed fruitless. Though her arms tugged and pulled at the reins, the black stallion couldn't stop its fear of the rushing water at its feet and the ground that was sliding underneath him.

In a few seconds, the stallions lost its balance and toppled over to its death with its rider on its back. But Obito became the samurai's savior by grabbing onto her hand and holding her hanging in the air. A loud gasp of relief came over the ninja, and he quickly pulled her up to his side where her feet found themselves drenched with the cold mud. Yoshie felt her sweat mix with the rain on her face. Her pounding heart was gripped with fear as her fiery eyes took a glimpse at the misty brought chills up her spine. But quickly whirling her head away, the samurai suddenly grabs Obito by the neck and pulls his ear close to her lips and she leaves a few words that left him stunned.

"Thank you, Uchiha-san."

* * * * * * * * *

The travel through the mountain's pathway was dangerous as mud continue to flow. There was no sign of a cave and darkness has consumed all sign of light. The ninjas just aimlessly followed the samurai who took the lead, because it seemed that Yoshie bore the painful burden over the loss of her horse. She didn't blame anyone,but her face was plastered with excruciating sadness which was expressed by the stone cold expression she bore. The ninjas didn't try to console her; it might only make the state Yoshie is in worse. Besides, she was in no mood to have a conversation with anyone, not even with Ino or Sakura.

But in the midst of a hopeless venture, a twinkling light in the dark of the night appeared in all blackness. Everyone's mood perked up, and they made a rush for it. Kakashi tells everyone to make a run for it, his mood more cheerful than it could have been.

"Hurry and check it out!" he said. "It might be an inn!"

"You got it, sense!" said Naruto and he makes a run for it.

"Wait up!" cried Kiba, and the wolf boy asked after the blond nin.

The others also chased after them like children with their senseis close behind. Yoshie was the last one in line now, with a sad expression still plastered on her face. Her hair danced against the cold wind, and frost kissed her cheeks that turned them red. No tears streamed from her eyes, but her lips quivered in underneath her hat. Obito felt sad for her. But as he moved to approach her, Kakashi walked passed him and took Yoshie by the shoulder and looked at her in the eye.

"Are you alright?" Kakashi asked.

Yoshie took a moment to respond as her hair brushed against her face. Her flaring eyes pierced through the dark night while rain poured continuously, and her fingers gripped the hilt of her sword tightly. Then with a calm voice she replied, "Yes."

Kakashi nods.

"Good. But I apologize for the loss of your horse."

"Life goes on-with or with my horse, ninja. Please don't give me any of your sympathy for my loss," Yoshie replied sharply.

With that, she breaks away from Kakashi's grasp and walks on ahead, leaving both the silver haired ninja and Obito in the rain.

* * * * * * * *

"Kakashi-sensei! Obito-sensei!" Shikamaru cried when Kakashi and Obito finally came into the cabin on the mountain. He was standing right by the entrance, while leaning agains a red pillar. The bathhouse was a very grandiose and opulent. It made Kakashie and Obito wonder why the bathhouse was built in such a deserted place.

Obito gave the boy a cheerful smile while Kakashi only shrugged in relief to have finally found shelter. After Yoshie left them behind, the two men quickly realized that the light belonged to the fancy bathhouse up along the mountain. Steam was going up in the air as it continued to rain, though the rainfall have subsided quite a bit. They could see the customers going about, and their shadows leered behind windows.

It relieved the two teachers to have found a place of warmth after hours and days of traveling under the cold, battering weather. And being in a warm place, there was no doubt the possibility of good food. Kakashi recalled how much Naruto and a couple of other young ninjas complaining for the want of warm food. Though the Fourth Shinobi War was over, some people just can't help but be childish sometimes. Despite how annoying it was, Naruto always somehow managed to lighten the mood.

"Where are the others?" Kakashi asked the spiky-haired nin.

"Apparently Captain Yamato took the liberty to buy them all dinner after being coaxed by the others," he replied.

Obito laughed.

"That's Yamato, alright," he chuckled.

Before Kakashi could reply, a pretty girl dressed in a blue yukata with white flower printed on it approached the men and their companions. Her raven black hair was neatly tied into a bun on to of her head, pinned by a pretty kanzashi. She had a cordial smile on her face and her hands were hidden in her sleeves.

"Welcome, Masters," says the girl as she takes a bow. Then standing up, she ushers them into the bathhouse. "Welcome to *Onsen *Monotagari."

"Onsen? This is not a mere bathhouse?" Obito asked quizically as they followed the girl inside.

"It is a bathhouse, and well, being on top of the mountain actually allows us to generate fresh spring water. So other then being a bathhouse, this place is also a hot springs resort," the girl explained with a smile.

The interior of the bathhouse was more beautiful than the exterior, although it was dark outside. The walls were all painted red and varnished perfectly. There were only a couple of customers walking around, but that was probably due to the late hour. And thankfully, the rain has finally subsided as well.

"Now aren't we the lucky ones?" Kakashi remarked.

The girl chuckles.

"Then I assume the lively bunch who came in are companions of yours?" The girl asks.

"Lively bunch?"

"A couple of shinobi like yourselves walked in not long before you did. I didn't attend to them though," the girl explained. Then suddenly her eyes widen with shock, and her hands lift to cover her mouth, but she quickly lowers them afterwards. "Oh! How rude of me! I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Sen, Masters."

"Oi, Sen!" An angry shrill voice cried from behind them.

The shinobi and the girl whirled their heads around, and they soon see an old lady dressed lavishly standing before them. She didn't have a pleased look on her face, and didn't seem to hold her sharp tongue back in front of the shinobi. She didn't look too aged, and probably was in her late fifties to early sixties. Either way, she had a youthful appearance for someone who has grown gray hair.

Sen quickly attended to her lady and bowed respectfully. "Yes, Madame Cho?"

"Quickly bring these men to their rooms," said the woman. "Then hurry to the Madame. She is calling for you."

With that, she takes her leave and hurries away, leaving the shinobi baffled.

"Are you an important attendant around here?" Shikamaru asks.

Sen shook her head.

"Oh, no. I'm simply an attendant here."

Shikamaru raises his eyebrow.

"That Madame Cho though seems to be someone of importance," Kakashi remarked.

Sen smiled again.

"Madame Cho is the head manager of this place, as well as the right hand of the Lady of Onsen Monagatari. She may be strict, but she's actually a really kind person," said Sen. "She was the one who taught me all I needed to know. Now come, I shall escort you once you have yourselves booked."

Kakashi looked at his two companions with him, and pondered for a moment before giving the girl an answer.

"We don't plan on spending much. A room to stay for the night is more than enough. Besides, I can't say if we could afford any of the luxury," he replied, trying to contain his embarrassment.

The girl chuckled at this.

"Well, I'll just be waiting here for you."

Kakashi talked to the receptionists at once, asking about the prices on the rooms. He couldn't bear the thought of sacrificing his wallet at the beginning of the mission. They may have found the samurai, but they still needed to head over the Land of the Sun, an uncharted country in their maps-baffling. The people at the front desk were busy writing down their reports when Kakashi approached them, and it made Kakashi hesitate a little. But feeling tired, the man didn't hold back.

"Um, excuse me. Were there a group of shinobi who checked in earlier? They were nine of them," said the man.

The man at the desk was a stout man with a pair of spectacles that hing by his nose. His mustache curled upwards as his beady eyes narrowed at the documents piled on his desk. And behind him was a massive painting of dragons coiled around each other with no sign of benevolence towards the other. It was a fearsome painting. And the man seemed as hotheaded as the dragon with how he scrunched up his eyebrows. It took him a moment to finally turn his head towards the gray-haired shinobi.

"Indeed, there were a couple of shinobi here earlier," said the man. "They checked into two rooms."

"Well, then, mind if I ask what rooms were those? My companions and I would like to join them," said Kakashi.

The man raised his eyebrows skeptically and sighs.

"Fine."

* * * * * * * *

Water splashed loudly as steam rose up into the air and so were . It was refreshing since the rain just ceased, so the scent of the rain still lingered strongly. The ninjas thought that taking a bath in the onsen was refreshing, and soon found themselves wallowing in warm waters to ease their tight, aching muscles. The water from the springs gushing from the mountain's side was as warm as summer, allowing the ninjas to be at ease in no time at all.

"Woohoo! I'm so glad we got to this place," Kiba sighed loudly as he rested his head against a rock. "After all that trek, I realize I'm all drained."

"You bet!" Said Naruto, dipping himself under. Suddenly he resurfaces and slashes water at Sasuke, who glared instantly. Sai, Shino, and Sasuke had isolated themselves from the noisy bunch, and they felt ashamed of having shameless companions. But being in the same bath didn't seem to make a distance between the elegant and the unrefined.

Sasuke sighs.

"If anything, you should relax not play around," Sasuke scolded. "We will be leaving by tomorrow morning anyway."

Naruto shrugs.

"Well, I can't disagree with you but we can't always be serious," said Naruto, laying back a bit.

Laughter breaks out without warning, and the young nin turn to where it came from. It came from Captain Yamato who stood by the water's edge with a white towel wrapped around his waist so quaintly. He was obviously confident with how he looked, especially the fact that his younger subordinates didn't know how to tie a towel around their waist.

"Now, that's how shinobi should talk. Instead of talking about trivial things that have no sense of purpose, you should speak of things that are essential in building relationships," said Captain Yamato, as he quickly slips his towel off his waist. "Sasuke, Naruto, you're both right. We have to focus on the mission and remember that we're not here for some field trip, but at the same time we should always take a break and relax."

"That's Captain Yamato for you," chuckled Choji. "Hey, Cap. Should we really be on this mission?"

"What do you mean?" Asked the man, raising an eyebrow.

Choji was sitting by Kiba and Naruto since his usual companion, Shikamaru, was not around. He could have stayed with the shinobi, but he couldn't resist the temptation of taking a bath in the onsen. It's been really cold after all, soaking wet in the rain for several days without rest. And not to mention the near death experience they had at the side of the mountain. It was one of the most dangerous terrain they have ever gone through, and everyone hoped to never go through something similar ever again.

"I understand that some of our clients happen to be reserved, but I don't understand why she goes all the way to Konoha for help yet rejects our help when we finally decided to," the chubby ninja explained. "It's the same question that keeps going on in our heads yet we have no resolve to answer it. Plus, this is a mission with barely any information we could count on, and from our sources, it's dicey."

"Masashi-san seemed indifferent at the loss of her horse," Kiba noted.

"Well, samurai have been rumored to be ruthless," Sasuke remarked coldly.

It immediately made Naruto's hair rise up all over his body, and his eyebrows scrunched into a hateful glare. His teeth gritter angrily after hearing Sasuke's remark. He couldn't believe his ears or his eyes. Even after the war, Sasuke still had his cold self.

"You've been training to be ninjas all your life, and you still haven't mastered the skill to empathize with our clients," Kakashi's voice joined in.

The ninjas quickly whirled their heads around and saw Kakashi alongside Shikamaru and Obito. His eyes seemed disappointed as he dipped himself into the pool of warm water. As usual, though strange as it is, Kakashi had a white towel wrapped around his face, leaving half bear and open. He still refused the idea of showing anyone his true face even after the war. His arms were well built from all the fighting he has gone through and scars were etched into his skin. His gray hair was a mess, and they were barely standing on their own.

Silence ensued, and the only sound that resounded was the sound of rushing water from the water source. Steam continued to rise up in the air, allowing the room to be warm. By the time the man's rear end touched the lime ground, his voice broke the silence that swallowed everyone up.

"Masashi-san was upset, just so you know." Said Kakashi, pushing his hair back. "And samurai have been trained strictly to be straight. They're taught to not make any attachments just like us, although it would seem that she's better trained for discipline. We need to gain her trust. We shouldn't criticize her for not trusting us immediately, because it's actually a good thing. It just means she isn't a naive samurai. Remember, everyone has their sentiments, each and every one of you are aware of that. You yourselves get touchy on missions. You're no different from her. We can't antagonize anyone, until we have proof that she is the enemy. But she is not the enemy. She came for us to help, and just because she doesn't say anything doesn't mean that we made a mistake on taking her case."

No one could argue what Kakashi just said. He was right, no doubt about it. Although, Obito couldn't help but grin widely. Without hesitating, he slaps his best friend on the shoulder, laughing.

"Oh, wow. Wise words from someone who used to hate crowds and sentiments," said the Uchiha, grinning from ear to ear.

Kakashi raised his brow. "Hm, I must've gotten infected by somebody we're all familiar with."

And with that he eyes Naruto who smiles sheepishly.

"Anyway, where are the girls? Are they taking a bath as well?" He asked.

The others hesitated for a moment, somehow not racing to answer their main team captain.

"They're with Masashi-san-after a lot of convincing," said Shino, finally taking initiative. "Masashi-san was skeptical in taking a bath with them, but she gave in after a while."

And just as Shino had said, the girls were in the other side of the bamboo wall with their own pool of warm water where they enjoyed themselves. Although, the samurai remained aloof as she has been the entire trip so far. And it brought anxiety up the girl's spine when the samurai first removed her robes where a beautiful tattoo of a white dragon etched on her skin-thus, true to her title when she first introduced herself to Lord Orochimaru and the Hokage, Masashi Yoshie of the White Dragon.

The tattoo starts at the back and the dragon then coils around her shoulder and the way to her backhand. The black outline stood out from her skin, although the white parts were only barely. If her skin tone was any lighter, her tattoo would have disappeared if she only had no outline to make out the dragon. The dragon seemed fierce, but his eyes were calm like still waters.

But the tattoo had a cut. No, it was her skin that was cut. It had clean scar across her back, the kind of cut that should have cut clean through some of her ribs and her spine. The scar was laid out diagonally, and bulged enough from the skin to be obvious.

It spoke a thousand words, and the girls didn't even need to ask about it. They could come up with a hundred stories just by the look of her tattoos and scar, but there was nothing to confirm unless they ask. The girls were dying to ask Yoshie about the story of her scar, but her silence was enough to shut them up. And Sakura, Ino and Hinata couldn't build the courage to dare ask.

"Is Masashi-san alright?" Ino whispered to Sakura as the girl dipped her head into the water. It was refreshing, warming oneself from the cold weather. Who would have wanted a better gift at the moment?

"I don't really think so. But why bother asking me?" Asked the pink-haired kunoichi, whipping her hair back. "Whoever we knew back at Konoha is gone now."

The two girls were suddenly grabbed by their shoulders and pulled closer towards Hinata who seemed anxious. She pulled her friends close and whispered, "Hush! She could hear you!"

"Whoops," said Ino, covering her mouth. A guilty look on her face quickly twisted her eyebrows, while her eyes prayed that the samurai paid no attention to their conversation.

But still though. They couldn't help but feel the want to talk to the samurai, despite the fact that she is older than any of the girls. But the vibe that emitted from the samurai prohibited the girls from speaking to Yoshie. They didn't understand, they couldn't understand. But all they could do was watch from a distance.

Like Yoshie, the girls spent their time relaxing in the pool of warm water, easing their tight muscles. They washed their hair with the ointments the bathhouse has generously provided for them, and the girls couldn't think of any better gift than to have the best bath they have ever had. Laughter resonated through the bath as the girls splashed water at each other, and the boys on the other side of the bamboo wall that separated the two genders.

As if disturbed by the noise, the samurai slowly rises from her personal space and water trickles from her extremely long locks. Silence slipped from her lips as she twisted her hair, squeezing the water out. Shortly after this, Yoshie walks out to grab her robes. Eyes were all on the samurai, and the owners simply remained silent. To speak or not to speak was their only choices at this point. But if the woman with fiery eyes had no want to speak to them, then there is nothing anyone could stop her leaving so soon.

But as she was dressing, a servant girl of the bathhouse comes in with new ointments to give to the visitors. She was a cheerful lass with a bright smile. "Good evening, ma'am!" was her instant greeting.

However, her face soured when Yoshie turned her face towards the servant. Her mouth gaped and her eyes bore horror was if she stood before death. Without another word, the girl quickly places down the bottle of ointments and dashes out of the bathe area. Thus, leaving Sakura and the rest of the girls puzzled.

"What was that?" Sakura muttered with a surprised expression on her face.

~~~

Number of words: 4273

*onsen (温泉) is a Japanese and the bathing facilities and inns frequently situated around them. As a active country, Japan has thousands of onsens scattered throughout all of its major islands.

*monogatari (物語) is a literary form in traditional Japanese literature, an extended prose narrative tale comparable to the epic. Monogatari is closely tied to aspects of the oral tradition, and almost always relates a fictional or fictionalized story, even when retelling a historical event.

Dedicated to all the people who waited for the next chapter. Your support is highly appreciated and reading all your comments and reactions always made my day <3 I'm really sorry that it took this long to update ;n;