Kakashi got on point of attack formation immediately as the rest took their own positions. Itachi and Yugao who preferred weapon combat got on his flanks while Jun and Yak.u.mo watched their backs."Easy there, no need for such caution. It is just that its been a long time since there have been visitors and I just wanted to greet you as the only friendly member as opposed to the rest of my fight crazy clan mates." a man with beige colored hair and light baggy clothes came forward from the mist with his arms partially raised up and palms faced forward.
"Who are you and why did you approach us truly ?" Kakashi asked while holding his Kunai tighter
"Well I can see that you have guessed anyway but I will tell you all the same. My name is En Oyashiro, formerly Chinoike Oyashiro before I was banished from my clan. I have come back after a long time but I don"t dare go back to my clan as my distance is what keeping my family safe there according to the agreement I made with clan elders . Therefore I stay here , watching over them from far away and keep enemies of the clan away when I can. By the way , I do hope that I don"t have to categorize you as one of the enemies ?" Oyashiro said, a hint of steel creeping into his voice at the end.
"No , not at all. " Kakashi said while relaxing his stance and putting away the Kunai, the others followed his lead. Seeing this Oyashiro relaxed too, and motioned for them to follow him.
-----------
They reached Oyashiro"s abode a few minutes later, a cave hollowed out at one of the hills . Oyashiro didn"t have too much for providing comfort , just basic thin fold-able rug and few other daily use items and a box of scrolls in one corner . He unfurled one of them and reveled few boxes of canned food after unsealing it.
"Well help yourselves guys. We can talk after we have had something to eat." Oyashiro said as he himself picked out a can of beans and started eating vigorously. Jun silently sent out a slight wave of healing chakra to test for poisons but finding it safe each of them took a can each . Oyashiro noticed Jun"s checking but didn"t comment. Once they had ate their fill , Oyashiro resealed the rest in a scroll and took out a different one that on unsealing revealed large bottles of water.
"I know you ninjas can create water through water release but why waste chakra ,eh ?" Oyashiro demonstrated by drinking a mouthful from a bottle before them. Jun once again did the honors of checking before they all had a few mouthfuls.
"So lets get down to business eh? Why are you guys here?" Oyashiro asked.
"Do you know any old ruins or place of some type of guardian here?" Jun asked him
"..Why do you ask?"
"Well " Kakashi explained "According to the information we have, there is a sealing type mirror that is hidden somewhere around here that would help us to avert a crisis. It is one of five in a set , each guarded by a guardian."
"Hmm .." Oyashiro rummaged among his things and took out an old diary. After turning, he showed a drawn sketch of a mirror in the diary to them "Is this the one you are searching for?"
Jun pulled the diary towards him and studied the sketch "It is remarkably similar to the one we found. Where did you find this diary?"
"It is mine, at least it is now. It was my grandfather"s Chinoike Ruu. The Ruins yo are looking for is also something created by him in the heart of this valley. He had left the clan before they were banished out of the Land of Lightning. One day he returned to the clan here , defeated all the strongest fighters and became the chief , then created the ruins and hid something there. He said only people with strongest minds to test their strength and will should go in to find his legacy. After his death many tried going in but no one found anything and died inside instead. My father knew a few things my grandfather told him before his death so he forbid any of our family from trying . I have been holding onto grandfather"s diary ever since my father"s death. The reason I was banished was because of similar reason. The current chief"s son tried to go in and find the legacy and was killed instead. The chief banned anyone from going in ever since and accused my grandfather of being a mad traitor of the clan who wanted to kill off the entire clan and therefore created such a ruin. I didn"t agree and wanted to prove him wrong using the coded clues in this diary but he overruled it and with help of corrupted friends of his separated and banished me, warning me that if I came back then they would kill my family. I went to a …. certain place… during my banishment and became stronger. But even after I returned I don"t have any confidence of facing my entire clan. Might be easier if you guys help though. What do you say? I will guide you while you help me take back my family from this place."
"We could definitely use help and you definitely should get back your family so it works out. We have a deal." Kakashi said