Lost on the road of life

Posted originally on the Archive of Our Own at http://archiveofourown.org/works/15255009.

Rating: Mature
Archive Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of
Violence
Category: Gen
Fandoms: Naruto, Boruto: Naruto Next Generations
Relationships: Other Relationship Tags to Be Added, Undecided, Namikaze
Minato/Uzumaki Kushina
Characters: Hatake Kakashi, Namikaze Minato, Nohara Rin, Uchiha Obito, Uzumaki
Kushina, Shiranui Genma, Namiashi Raidou, Maito Gai | Might Guy,
Sanbi | Three-tails | Isobu, Inuzuka Hana, Sarutobi Hiruzen, Shimura
Danzou
Additional Tags: Time Travel, Hatake Kakashi-centric, Rokudaime Hatake Kakashi, Kid
Hatake Kakashi, Kakashi is a little shit, Jutsu Gone Wrong, Post-
Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, POV Alternating, POV Multiple,
Jinchuuriki-centric, Lots of Angst (and Humor), Don't copy to another
site, Conspiracy, Fix-It of Sorts
Language: English
Series: Part 1 of Roadwork Project
Stats: Published: 2018-07-11 Updated: 2020-07-04 Words: 80,692 Chapters:
37/?
 Lost on the road of life
by RavenShira

Summary

Kakashi had everything well in hand. He had stepped down from his reign as Rokudaime
Hokage, his porn collection was as well worn as should be and his free time was spend with
either Gai's challenges or helping out on various tasks while trying to make it seem like he
wasn't there to help out. Annoying the hell out of everyone that crosses his path was as easy
as breathing – easier now that he didn't have to be polite and diplomatic about it anymore.

So what if he agreed to a teeny-tiny favour of his once student and now successor? Not even
Naruto could mess up just scribbling down a fuinjutsu for Kakashi to check over before he
got back to his own, very busy life.

… Right?

Or: The one where Kakashi travels back in time, thinks he can fix stuff but clearly gets in
over his head.

(This is a compilation of all the different POV connecting this story)

Notes

I'm posting chapters as soon as I finish writing them. There may be some mistakes.
Also, no clue where I'm going here. I'm just taking you along for a ride!
I haven't decided on a pairing with Kakashi, or if there is even going to be a pairing. I'm open
to suggestions but no promises.

Also: This is a compilation of all the POVs regarding this story. I am in the process of
making singular POV stories if you are interested in only one person's view. It might
take me a while though
 My writing Playlist: RavenShira on Spotify

See the end of the work for more notes

 Not quite the Flying Thunder God technique.

Kakashi was lazying about on the tree-branch. It was a good day for reading, the sun was
warming him pleasantly through the rustling leaves as it slowly rose, making it's way to the
zenith at a crawling pace. Down below Naruto was scribbling out a fuinjutsu seal on a large
scroll. Every now and then, between flicks of his pages, Kakashi would glance down to see
how much progress his once-pupil made. His eyes flickered over the smooth lines, careful
strokes, then back to the small writing of his well-worn Icha Icha Paradise.

Soothing. This was hardly something Kakashi was needed for, but Naruto had asked him to
help spot any errors. The blond man was trying to recreate his fathers Hiraishin no Jutsu. This
once he wanted to make the seal as big as possible on a scroll, just to be sure that he wouldn't
make any mistakes. Kakashi was one of the only people who had seen – and been able to
study – the Hiraishin tag that Minato had wrapped around the handles of his thee-pronged
kunai. With the Sharingan he had previously had, before it had been ripped out and replaced
by his own eye, regrown due to whatever impossibility Naruto had pulled out of his sleeve at
that point of time. Something about the Six Sage? Whatever. It was not like Kakashi needed
it, even though it had helped him immensely in the past. The jutsus he had learned thanks to
its abilities to copy movement and his eidetic memory were still quite well stored in his
mental storage. It was a rather cramped library at this point, which by far overshadowed his...
other collection.

Still, while he was knowledgeable about Fuinjutsu, it was by far not his best practice. If it had
been anyone else – or even anything else – he would have refused. But if he could help
Naruto figure this technique out at the end of the day, well... maybe it would make up a little
for having been absent during the kids childhood. Orders or no orders, if things had happened
differently, maybe Kakashi would have been an elder brother. Instead he had delved into
ANBU, immersed himself so far in his bloody work that it was a miracle he had made it out
halfway sane.

He hadn't really been allowed near Naruto otherwise. And even if he had tried – at least a
little – to watch over the kid as Inu... it was not the same and not nearly enough. Maybe he
had managed to dissuade a few civilians, but direct contact...? Yeah, not even as ANBU
watching from the rooftop on the 10th of October had given him that, but at least he had
sometimes made sure the kid was still alive.

It had still hurt to look at Naruto and not be reminded of his teacher.
A few years down the line he had become a teacher himself and by then... well. Too little, too
late, wasn't it?

Watching Naruto grow into his own had soothed that hurt a bit. Maybe he was not the
greatest teacher himself, his affinities not aligning much with the blond rascal, but he
supposed it had turned out all right in the end.

A chuckle escaped him and he quickly turned a page, ignoring the accusing pout that was
aimed at him from below.

“Yosh!” Naruto said, jumping to his feet and clapping his hands together in excitement.
Curious Kakashi lowered the book a little to see over the edge of it. With a hum he slowly
closed it and jumped down from the tree, slowly sauntering over to Naruto and the seal on the
scroll spread on the ground. His eyes flickered over the lines again, trying to find a fault in
the incredibly intricate design.

“Hum.” he said, then hesitated.

“It... looks good, but-” something niggling in the back of his mind. He narrowed his eyes,
stepping closer just as Naruto eagerly flickered his fingers to activate the seal.

His eyes widened, his body instantly jumping forward to stop his once-student as he felt the
build-up of way too much chakra loading the air like static.

“Wai-!” he tried to shout, too late. The only thing he managed was a shove at the black-
orange shape, making Naruto fly back and hopefully out of range of whatever this thing was,
a few lines just a little crooked and out of place combined with the amount of chakra could
spell disastrous consequences. The next thing he felt was the black ink trailing over his body
like wiggling snakes, chakra surrounding him in near stifling amounts, then immense pain of
being ripped apart only to be put together and repeating the process over and over again. He
didn't have air to even scream and no sense of time, it could have been a second or a day, or
years for all he knew. The strain on his mind was almost too much, pain overshadowing
everything and then...
Nothingness.
 The struggle to accept
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes

Kakashi came to with a near silent, stifled gasp. His thoughts were muddled, pain radiating
through his skull like a live-wire exposed to the elements. His body remained relaxed on
instinct. ANBU had made sure that his first reaction to waking up in unfamiliar surroundings
without acute memory of how he got there would not make him react before he gained some
information as to what was going on. Instinctively his chakra spread out, trying to get a feel
for his surroundings as he couldn't remember where he was. The chirping of birds, the smell
of grass, trees and moss was not one he regularly woke up to without any memory of how he
got wherever he was now.

Certainly not his bedroom.

Nor a hospital.

… right. He had... Naruto had tried to recreate the flying thunder god technique. With the
amount of chakra used, he could be all the way over on the wrong side of the Land of Earth
for all he knew.

Okay. Maybe not Land of Earth. It still smelled of the Land of Fire, so he couldn't be that far
away. Repressing a wince, Kakashi allowed his eyes to open as a little slit, then blinked in
surprise. And blinked again in mute shock.

“Looks like you've regained consciousness...!” the blond imposter said, relief and grief
making an odd mix belying the calm tone. Despite the pain Kakashi sat up so abruptly, that
his whole world tilted before he managed to regain balance by sheer force of will. Pain was
singing along his nerves as he grabbed for a weapon, his fingers curling around a kunai, a
snarl on his lips.

Minato – or the person trying to imitate him – watched Kakashi with wide, surprised and a
little shocked eyes. Kakashi could see that one hand had dropped closely to his weapon-
pouch, yet the enemy nin hesitated on drawing a weapon.
“Calm down, Kakashi. There is no-one around. You are safe.” Minato said as he straightened
up from the slouched position of leaning against a tree. Kakashi blinked again, an
uncomfortable itch in his left eye growing stronger by the second. This... this... what was
this? A memory? Genjutsu? What purpose would it serve to play at being his dead teacher?

“Where... where am I?” this all seemed too familiar, too close to memories best left in the
past.

Minat- the Genjutsu or whatever it was frowned, looking over Kakashi as if he could
discover the reason for the question before Minato sighed.

“We are still in Kusagakure.” the image of his once sensei replied wearily.

“I'm sorry, Kakashi... I couldn't make it in time.” the image raised a finger, pointing into the
distance. Feeling hallow and wrong footed, Kakashi slowly turned and stared at Rin standing
in the distance. A sense of deja vu so strong it nearly crippled him crashed down on him.
This... all this resembled his memories of after Obito's death. Or what he had believed for the
longest time to be his death. Only it was wrong, warped, just a little bit different enough to
leave Kakashi reeling.

“Rin told me everything.” Minato sighed, he too was staring at Rin who was standing still on
the field watching the stars. Or at least pretending to. Kakashi could see... he... he could see
the half dried tear-tracks even from this distance, tiny trembles in her body that were
withheld sobs. His sight had not been this sharp since...

Without conscious thoughts his fingers trailed to the scar on his face, shaking just the tiniest
bit. Now that he was aware, he could feel the steady drain of the Sharingan.

“Obito...” his breath hitched. The world turned itself on it's head and didn't want to straighten
again. He had the Sharingan. Because Obito sacrificed himself. Again.

And then Madara got his claws into him. Kakashi felt his pulse start to race, cold sweat
breaking out all over his body. His pants were muffled by the mask, but a heavy hand on the
nape of his neck made him flinch almost violently. Just as quickly Minato quickly snatched
his hand away, holding it open in front of Kakashi as if to show him he was no threat.

“You need to calm down, Kakashi.” Minato tried to soothe him. But he didn't know, did he?

Wait, all this... all this was in the past. Wasn't it? Fuinjutsu gone wrong, could it be a
Genjutsu showing him his greatest failings? Or was it something else...?

Had they been attacked? Was this the deed of some enemy he hadn't seen coming?

Or maybe... just maybe, was it possible that the space-time jutsu had gone so horribly wrong
as to misplace Kakashi in time?

It wasn't possible. It wasn't. It couldn't. This was so far out of the realm of possibilities that it
was laughable if it wasn't so horrible.

But this fuinjutsu was Naruto's. If anything, Kakashi had learned that impossible just didn't
exist when it came to the seventh Hokage.

And if, just maybe... if there was the tiniest possibility that this was real then...

Without thought Kakashi flipped his body around, crouching on the stone they were perched
on as he wildly took in his surroundings, trying to place where they were and where it had
happened. Even after all this time he recognized this place, knew where a boy was once
crushed before archiving his dream so intimately that even now, years later he would
probably find his way back there. How often had he dreamed of that awful day.

Now though only one thought invaded his mind.

Obito was alive.

He was alive, and Madara would get to him if Kakashi couldn't reach him first. Without a
thought of his aching body Kakashi went from a stand-still into a full-out sprint. His muscles
protested, didn't react as he expected to and didn't have either the strength needed, nor the
stamina he was used to. But before he could even get that far, he was tackled to the ground by
a far greater weight that the small amount of struggle his tired and overextended body
couldn't put up enough of a fight to lift. And he tried so desperately, fingers like claws as he
tried to use a jutsu, if he only replaced himself or got free long enough he could-

“-ashi!” a sharp slap to his face made him still for a moment, breathing heavily as he stared
up at Minato's blurry face. The hand now rested on his face, the other one easily enveloping
his tiny wrists. He felt dizzy, even though the slap hadn't been more than a love-tab. It
wouldn't even bruise.

Too much air from too fast, small breaths. He was hyperventilating, his mind supplied calmly
and that thought was enough to snap him out of it, at least a bit. A panicking shinobi, was a
dead one after all.

“... let go...” Kakashi whispered, staring at Minato wide-eyed. He had to go. Any second now
was wasted. If they went now they could still reach him, Minato could take him and they
could save him from years of agony at the hand of a manipulative psychopath.

Not that he could say that to this Minato.

“Kakashi, there is nothing you can do.” Minato said, grief and resolve in his face. In the
background Kakashi could see Rin's shocked face, she had run back when she had heard the
commotion and her red-rimmed eyes made the guilt Kakashi felt ten times worse.

“I... I need to go back.” his voice was bleak, trying to convey just how important him going
back to that place was.

“We can't just leave him there. We have to go back, we have to-”

“We can't, Kakashi. The enemy is swarming around the area and you two are in no state to
fight.” - and I can't protect you while fighting! was left unsaid but not unheard. Kakashi
winced, it had been so, so long since he had been so helpless and weak and even longer since
anyone had told him that straight to the face.

But it was true.

He wasn't an ANBU here.

He wasn't the retired Rokudaime Hokage here.

He was just a twelve year old kid playing at Jonin, with too many jutsus stuck in his head and
not the strength or chakra to back most of them up. Never mind his current state of near
death, exhaustion in both chakra and body.

Kakashi pressed his eyes closed. He took a pained breath, pulled in the emotions and
breathed out. He wanted to cry, he wanted to rage and it was such a shift from his... his
previous state of mind back in the future that it was world-shaking. Slowly he tugged at one
hand and once Minato released him, Kakashi quietly dragged the hitai-ate down in an all too
familiar gesture, the cloth settling over his friends eye in a practised motion that non the less
broke Kakashi's heart a little.

Minato slowly moved away from him, body-language ready enough to quickly subdue
Kakashi again should he try to run away again. Kakashi had the bad feeling that his sensei
now thought him to be a flight risk. Not unreasonably, but certainly bothersome as it was in
part true. Not that he wasn't loyal to Konoha, or wouldn't return but...

Memories of Naruto desperately going after Sasuke flashed before his eyes and maybe...
maybe he owed his once-student an apology. He certainly couldn't imagine giving up on
Obito, who hadn't even left them willingly. There were enough parallels between Sasuke
getting taken by Orochimaru and Obito getting taken by Madara, both with a cursed seal no
less, that Kakashi felt a helpless sort of rage at not being able to prevent it.

He sat up slowly under the watchful eyes of his team-captain. Hunching forward he put a
hand over his covered eye, closing the other to shut out the dead people hovering in front of
him.
If this was real... what should he do? Finding a way back into the future was nearly
impossible. Kakashi wasn't even sure what had brought him here, besides a botched up
fuinjutsu seal that he couldn't make heads of tails of how it could have gotten this horrible
wrong (well, he knew who to blame that on), never mind how to reverse it.

He would have to make certain this was real, but deep down Kakashi already had a gut
feeling that wouldn't leave him alone.

One thing was certain though. Once he had exhausted any option other than reality... and
honestly, there were not a lot of options it could be (Genjutsu, sleep, the after-life, hell?)...
once he had the opportunity he would hunt down Madara and rip him to pieces. Then take
Obito and drag him back to the village.

He might not be Inu here.

He might not be ANBU or Rokudaime Hokage.

But he sure as hell could become Hound again, and his body would catch up to his skill. This
time he would make it right.

Maybe if he thought of this as a mission it would work out. Save the world, one person at a
time.

And yes, there was the possibility that he would fuck the world up in the process (a terrifying
concept, he should buy himself an Icha Icha as soon as possible to calm his nerves in the
turbulent times ahead), but if there was one thing he could make sure of it would be that team
Minato didn't have only one member standing at the end of it.

“Alright...” hoarse he agreed to whatever Minato was saying, mind already gearing up to the
challenge, plans changing and evolving, being discarded and recreated.
 “... alright...” he clutched at the hitai-ate covering his eyes, his own settling on Rin. He had
made a promise to Obito, one he would keep this time, to hell with the consequences.

After all, in the shinobi world, those that break the written and unwritten rules are deemed
trash... but be that as it may...

Those that would disregard their comrades so easily are even worse than trash.

And those who don't have the decency to respect the memories of their comrades are the
worst.

Kakashi wasn't planning on falling prey to the last two parts again.

Chapter End Notes

Well, what do you know. Another chapter popped up! Hope you enjoyed it just as much
as the first one :)
 Homecoming
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes

The return to Konoha was a solemn affair. They didn't talk much and Kakashi was too deep
in thought to make conversation himself. Not that conversing was his strong point, at least
not if it wasn't for driving the other person as mad as possible in the shortest amount of time
he could manage. Right now though, he was wondering how to act. Obito's death, while
mourned, had happened the first time several years, and the last time just a few short years
ago. He had mourned him, held on to the memory and he didn't think that would ever change.
Except for the fact that Obito wasn't dead right now.

With no idea on where his friend was, Kakashi had reluctantly decided that returning to
Konoha was the better option. There were some points in time where he had gained the
knowledge that Obito would appear. It galled to have to wait but aside from raiding Obito's
room so his Ninken would have a ready supply of Obito's scent, there really wasn't much he
could do except search blindly. The next time Obito would be anywhere close to them would
be at Rin's death. Not that Kakashi would allow Rin to die, this time he wasn't lost to
depression and taking mission after mission to hide away from reality he couldn't face. So
that would be the time when he had the chance to save Obito. After he had somehow saved
Rin. Her not becoming a Jinjuriki would come a long way to preventing her untimely demise.

Still... it had been years after her death when Kakashi had finally gotten all the puzzle pieces
that showed how far they had all been manipulated. By Madara and Zetsu and Kaguya. And
the most disturbing fact was that for Obito to go mad, to abandon all hope in this world and
turn against his village, against the world really, for that Rin had to die. And thus Madara had
manipulated events that had led to Kakashi killing his friend, earning him the title friend-
killer. He would much rather avoid gaining that moniker again.

Apparently he would have to see what he could do to prevent Rin from getting kidnapped.
The problem was that Kiri-nin would target her specifically, and Kakashi would have to find
a way around that. Already he had vague ideas, after all he had been on that mission with her
and knew what would happen.

The problem was...

His gaze cut behind him, before quickly returning back to the front.
That.

Minato obviously thought he would do another runner. That was frustrating and mildly
offending. He just hoped that his reaction hadn't changed too much and he would still be
placed in the same team as Rin. And that nothing else would change before then. To be
honest, it wasn't much of a hope since Kakashi didn't think he could act like he had before,
when Obito died the first time. He had seen too much death, had already dealt with Obito's
death for years and could already cope with it. The claws of depression that had sunk so deep
into his mind after not only loosing Obito but short weeks afterwards Rin too had left scars
that had scabbed over and healed badly. Obito's had reopened, bled and finally, like a bad
break having been reset, it had started to heal once more.

When they entered the village and reported Obito's death, Kakashi was never more glad to
wear a mask constantly. He stuffed his hands into his pockets and remained silent. He trudged
along, bringing Rin back to her home before he followed Minato until they were supposed to
depart at a crossing. He stopped and watched as Minato reached his door, Kushina opening
with a smile that quickly fell. Obviously she could read on Minato's face that something had
happened. Her gaze quickly cut to Kakashi, who ducked his head, lowering his gaze to the
ground. He missed his book, which could hide him even more.

Kushina had been close to Obito. While she liked all of Minato's team, adored Rin and
hackled Kakashi, Obito had clearly been her favourite, much more like a son than anything
else. She hadn't taken his death well the first time around. While she hadn't been sent out
much due to her Jinchūriki status, whenever she had encountered Iwa-nin, she had been
merciless. The Bingo-Book from Iwagakure had a flee on sight order for her, as well as a
very high bounty.

Kakashi let his shoulders slump. If he thought anyone would believe him, he would have told
Kushina first. Not only would she be the most likeliest to readily accept such a far-fetched
tale, but he would have liked to spare her the pain of loosing Obito after she had already lost
Uzushio.

Slowly he started to walk again. Then he stopped once more, eyes wide open.

Where... where did he live again?

 ( ･_\\)ﾉ-≒≒≒≒≒≒≒≒≒≒⁂

“Is there a reason you are sitting outside your female teammates window, looking in,
Kakashi?” a deceptively mild voice questioned. Kakashi didn't even flinch, nose buried in the
book of fuinjutsu basics. So far there was nothing in it that would explain his existence here.
No surprise.

“I've made a promise, sensei.” Kakashi muttered lowly, while he continued to read “I
promised Obito that I would take care of Rin and keep her safe.” and this time he would do
his best to keep that promise. And get Obito back.

Minato sighed, rubbing a tired hand over his face.

“Kakashi, listen...” for a moment his sensei seemed lost for words, before continuing “We are
in Konoha. It's safe here and honestly, I don't think you can keep an eye on Rin day and night.
You need sleep too.” Kakashi flipped a page and shrugged.

“I can manage.” he had his ninken after all. If he couldn't keep an eye on Rin, one of them
would.

Minato grimaced slightly, obviously thinking much the same and that Kakashi was probably
stubborn enough to pull through.

“Uh... alright, yeah, you probably can.” Minato grumbled to himself more than to Kakashi
“but you do know how it looks like when people see you hanging out here?” awkward silence
ensured. Valiantly Minato tried again “You can't stalk your teammate.”

Kakashi snorted, mostly because Minato sounded a lot like when Kakashi was training his
ninken. Firm, trying to convince them to do things they would rather not.

“Don't worry so much, sensei.” Kakashi eye-smiled and waited for a moment until Minato
almost looked relieved before he added: “I won't let anyone see me.”

Chapter End Notes

Just came back from work an hour ago. Had this playing on my mind the whole day.
Glad it's gone now. Enjoy!
 The struggle to adapt
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes
Kakashi woke with a start, covered in sweat and Rin's dying voice in his ears. For a moment
he was confused. Where was he? This wasn't his room, yet at the same time it had been.
Already half sitting, his gaze quickly took in his surroundings, before he remembered that
this was his apartment, had been for the longest time all through his ANBU years. His eyes
fell back to his right hand that trembled uncontrollably, as it did back then, when the
memories had dogged his steps into his waking moments. Quietly Kakashi got up and took
the five steps it took him to reach the sink, his hands turning on the water on autopilot. It had
been long, a really long time since that dream had returned in startling clarity. Being back in
the past must have made it come back to the forefront of his mind. In practiced motions
Kakashi scrubbed his hands, his eyes still seeing each blood speck
(Rin'sbloodwarmthturningcoldandhisarmwas-) that had covered him nearly up to his elbow.

With a deep breath he turned the water off and stared at the water clinging to his skin. It had
been such a long time and Kakashi could deal with the memories now better than before. But
the memories wouldn't fade just because he was back in the past and even when he changed
the happenings... at least to him, he had killed Rin once before. He wondered if it would
affect his ability to fight, to be around her again. He was stronger now, faster, more
experianced. Well, if he got his body up to his usual standards at least.

But maybe he would leave off from using Chidori while she was around. Once was enough to
last a lifetime.

With a quiet sigh he dried off his hands and got ready to start his day. Pakkun was still out, he
could feel the connection to his summons, so Rin was safe.

It was odd, being back in the village years previous. The Hokage Monument looked wrong
every time he stared at it. Slowly he made his way out of his house and towards the market
area. Even during the war, it was busy. The people were more subdued, hurrying along but
the war hadn't reached too close yet for them to be too affected by it. After being through the
forth shinobi war, this was almost cheerful in comparison. His eyes wandered back to the
Hokage Monument, feeling the wrongness settle in as he studied the faces. He was used to
seeing Tsunade, his own face and Naruto's staring back and it was startling whenever he
found them missing instead. A reminder of what was yet to come, or who had yet to be born.
Another thing that was quickly becoming annoying: Kakashi didn't know where things were
anymore. His favourite bar? Not established yet. The supermarket? A few buildings to the
left. The shortcut he liked to take to the mission office? There was a house there. Kakashi
quickly realized that he would have to get to know the village all over again, since the
gradual changes over time (as well as the massive destruction that Pain had caused), had
made the village unfamiliar to him. His only option was to take the rooftops to avoid being
spotted walking around aimlessly and lost.

When he reached the market, he jumped down to the street, his hands reaching for his pocket
only to come up empty. That needed to change. Decision made, his eyes quickly found the
tiny store offering books and felt near giddy at the sight of the displayed, orange beauty
sitting on a velvet-covered spot.

Without further hesitation his hand pushed the door open as he entered the small bookstore.
His hands felt empty without the familiar weight he had carried around for longer than he had
been alive in this timeline. Icha Icha Paradise must have just come out. He was surprised
when the first thing he noticed upon entering was the red-haired kunoichi browsing through
the shelves. She looked up, blinked at Kakashi in surprise and then offered a small smile.
Clearly she wasn't back to her usual, cheerful self yet, Obito's death hitting her as hard as it
did previously. Kushina slowly made her way over, crooking her head a bit.

“Kakashi-kun. What a rare sight!” she teased as he usually preferred to not immerse himself
in places with a lot of other people. And okay, maybe he had stalked Rin and kept out of sight
these past few days. He doubted Minato would tell his wife what his student was up to and
was glad for it. Kushina wouldn't hesitate to get violent if she thought he was besmirching
Rin's honor.

“Kushina-san.” he greeted in return, then let his gaze cut through the store. Bubbling guilt in
his stomach kept him from outright looking in her face. He wasn't entirely sure he wouldn't
spill the beans to her, about Obito being alive. Maybe dreaming of killing Rin had left him
more unstable than he had thought.

“It is good to see you up and about, dattebane.” Kushina said “You should come for dinner
one of these days.” her tone was so hopeful, that Kakashi couldn't help but nod in agreement,
even if it was a little stiff. He wasn't sure how to act. He wasn't grieving and he didn't want to
give her the impression that Obito's apparent death didn't affect him.
Suddenly her face was in front of his, her indigo-coloured eyes meeting his and a hand
extended to him, pinky-finger sticking out.

“Promise?” she smiled, her gaze daring him to try and slip away.

Giving a weak chuckle, especially at her surprised look at his easy compliance, his pinky
finger wrapped around her's. He felt a bit silly, childish even, but seeing her beam in response
made that worthwhile. She stood up and he ducked away quickly, before she could get it in
her head to try and squish him in a hug.

Pursuing the books in the book-store, Kakashi absently wondered if he would get his little
genin-monsters back, or if he would change things too much. It worried him, yet he couldn't
imagine trying to do everything over in the same way. Not only was it near impossible, since
he couldn't keep up the act of his former self up even if he wanted to, simply because he no
longer remembered every single day from his twelfth birthday onwards. He had changed too
much, and didn't feel comfortable lying to his comrades more than necessary. Nor could he
live with himself if he repeated his previous mistakes, all for a future where too many had
died needlessly.

Still, the possibility of changing things too much and being the reason Konoha's twelve
would never gather again, was a burden Kakashi would have to bear, if something he did
prevented one of them from being born.

But if he managed to succeed...? And maybe, if he was lucky, all of them would be born, then
he had created a better future for them. It was a goal worth striving for. With a few selfish
desires interspersed. But he thought that they wouldn't begrudge him for trying it anways.

Mournfully, Kakashi looked at the orange book displayed in the window, itching to take it
with him despite the looks he would get for being a twelve year old porn-reading kid. It
would be worth it. Behind him he could practically feel Kushina's eyes tracking his
movements and he aborted his plan, only to grab the book next to the Icha Icha. It was a near
thing, but he valued his life. Later though, he would come back for it. Old enough to kill, old
enough for porn, right?
 Instead he stared distastefully at another fuinjutsu book. He had tried dispelling a genjutsu in
his room, just in case so for now he would be taking a closer look at fuinjutsu. He already
had a rudimentary understanding of it, from what he had learned from Minato and Jiraya, as
well as later on on his own. He had been the one to help Anko with her cursed seal, and later
tried with Sasuke. Maybe he should try picking Kushina's brain, who had been – and right
now was – brilliant with Fuinjutsu in ways even her husband wasn't.

With a sigh he put the book, and a few more advanced ones in his bag to be paid for once he
had everything he needed. Outside the window he could see Rin walk up to a vendor,
studying the wares. In the shadow of the stand, a tiny pup with a blue jacket was scratching
his head with a hindpaw.

At least he had finally figured out where he lived. After Minato had dragged him away from
observing Rin and deposited him back in his tiny jonin-apartment. It was tiny, but Kakashi
remembered he had moved here shortly after the Chuunin Exams. He had wanted some
distance to his old home, where a dead man would hound him whenever he passed that door.
Oh, the irony of that right now, while Kakashi was staring at his not-yet-dead teammate.

Yes, Kakashi decided as he placed his books on the counter to be paid. It was very odd, being
back in time, surrounded by so many people he had seen die, others he had seen succeed, and
then some that had faded into the background. Despite the war going on and the tired and
drawn faces, Kakashi was at times bewildered whenever he saw someone else he had long
since buried, or content.

He had also quickly remembered that at this age, smiling hadn't been a thing he was used to
do. Minato looked all the more freaked out the more often Kakashi eye-smiled at him.
Honestly, Kakashi knew why. They had just lost Obito, and Kakashi smiling was really not
an appropriate response. But how could he not feel happy when his sensei was alive, Kushina
was pummeling some poor sod that had become a bit too grabby with her and so many other
people were suddenly back from the dead.

With a sigh, Kakashi prepared for a mental evaluation sooner rather than later.

Chapter End Notes

Kakashi, you can't stalk your teammates!! D:

... I kinda want to make Kushina aware of Kakashi's new hobby. But then he would need
a visit to the hospital....
 The mission
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes

In the following days, dreaming of Rin's death became a common occurrence again, as if a
switch in his brain had been flipped, making him repeat the event over and over again. His
ritual of washing his hands was an old one that he still abided by, unable to not feel the slimy
warmth of red blood cooling on his skin. Even before he had gained the Sharingan, Kakashi's
memory had been impeccable, but back then memories had the chance to soften, blur and
heal. Like pieces of glass in the sea, sand slowly eroding the edges away until it was smooth
and milky with age. It was years before he realized that the Sharingan would keep every
single memory he witnessed crystal clear until the end of time. Where before he hadn't
covered it up much, especially during missions, after that revelation he had only uncovered it
in emergencies. By that time he had accumulated enough horrors his mind would never allow
him to forget.

After all, the drain of the normal Sharingan wasn't that much. He had lived his years through
ANBU with it mostly in use, the ANBU mask making it near impossible to cover it up
without hindering him if he needed it.

Kamui was another thing entirely, draining a huge amount of his chakra reserves whenever he
dared to use it. It was only in his later years that he had trained to use it. He hadn't tried yet,
mostly because his chakra reserves were not big enough and he didn't fancy explaining to his
sensei why he had landed himself in the hospital from chakra exhaustion.

With a soft sigh he turned off the water, dried his hands and got ready to start his day.

Kakashi much preferred to be outside of his small apartment that really only consisted of a
room that functioned as kitchen, eating space and sleeping space in one go, with a tiny
bathroom attached. It was bare, as Kakashi had never really collected many unnecessary
things. Only in his later years had he kept some souvenirs his friends had brought. He had
gotten a larger flat when he became Hokage. Still modest, but closer to the heart of the
village. He'd even had a guest room, though it had rarely if ever in use. Mostly it was for
Naruto or Sakura, who had had the habit of dropping in unannounced and refusing to leave. It
was simpler to confine them in a different room. If a little hilarious, because they had gotten
as close as siblings. Naruto had let go of his crush and Sakura was too used to keeping
Naruto in line. It was adorable as it was frightening. And startling as in how much he missed
his future students.

Currently though, in his apartment was only one personal detail: The photo of him, Rin and
Obito, carefully pinned to a wall. His fingers reached out to brush against it's edges for a
moment, lingering close to Obito's for a moment.
“You are late... and Rin is waiting.” he murmured, tiredly rubbing his own eye.

The rest of the apartment was spartan, weapon, clothes and necessities the only things filling
the shelves that had been pushed to the walls. There were two boxes, seals carefully
surrounding them and hidden on the lower part of the shelve. Within them were some items
Kakashi had... well. Borrowed, stolen, misappropriated? From Obito's room. He had been
careful not to leave his own scent on them too much, trying to preserve Obito's as much as
possible for his ninken. Who knew if he would have to use them to track down his friend?
Just in case, it was better for his Ninken to have a supply ready to refresh their memory.

He was lucky that his pack seemed to remember the future as well, summons living in
another place and apparently they had somehow transferred over, with whatever stunt Naruto
had pulled.

Tiredly Kakashi rubbed the nape of his neck as he left the apartment. Currently one of his
Ninken was watching over Rin, so he could use the time to get something to eat and train his
body.

What a drag, it had been ages since he had to train to get his body in a better shape instead of
just keeping it in top shape. Training it up was always less fun. But with Madara pulling
strings in the background, Obito's life on the line and Zetsu out there somewhere planning,
Kakashi really couldn't afford to not be at his best.

Good thing he could multi-task.

( ･_\\)ﾉ-≒≒≒≒≒≒≒≒≒≒⁂

Kakashi was hanging upside down on a tree-branch, doing pushups in reverse. Only the very
tips of his toes, as well as his one finger were connected to the tree, keeping him from falling.
His other arm was pressed against his lower back. He would slowly pull himself up to the
branch he was hanging from, before equally slowly going back down following gravity. It
was a chakra control exercise as well as physical training, and could be done while keeping
watch over Rin. Sweat was cooling his skin in the night-air and somewhere above him he
could hear Minato sigh in exasperation. After finding Kakashi in front of the Nohara
residence several nights in a row, Minato clearly wasn't surprised to finding Kakashi here
anymore, even if he wasn't happy about it.
“Don't you think that's a bit much?” his sensei asked, dropping down to the branch Kakashi
was training on, making it shake precariously for a few seconds.

“Hum? What do you mean?” Kakashi asked in a bored voice as he drew closer to the branch
again, with Minato peering down at him from his crouched position.

“The watching over Rin, the excessive training... you are only twelve Kakashi, there is no
need to go to such lengths.” Minato worried, that much was plain to see even in the near
darkness.

“I'm bored. And I like training.” it alleviated his nightmares at least a little. Or maybe he was
simply avoiding them, taking short naps instead whenever he felt he required them. It was all
he had left, back when he had found his father dead in his home. Training and missions,
missions and training. Minato had been the only one who could draw him out a little, making
him partake in dinners and team bonding exercises. Clearly Minato feared that Kakashi was
retreating back to his former anti-social way of barely stopping to eat and sleep. With a sigh
Kakashi gripped the branch and carefully twisted his body up, until he was crouching in front
of his sensei.

“I'm fine.” he said seriously, despite knowing it wouldn't be believed. A hand carefully
settled on his head, rustling his hair gently in a familiar-unfamiliar way. It had been way too
long since anyone... since Minato had done that to him. Minato had been the only one that
had dared after his fathers death, and it settled something warm in Kakashi's chest.

“You don't have to be fine, you know that, right?” Minato asked and Kakashi wished he could
make his sensei stop worrying so much.

“I know. I promise I am looking after myself.”

Minato studied Kakashi for a long moment, then let out a heavy sigh of the weary. He looked
troubled, but nodded and settled down to watch Kakashi continue training with a frown.
Kakashi threw a last, suspicious look at his sensei – that had been way too easy – then slowly
returned to hanging from the branch, this time from his other arm and continuing his
pushups.

( ･_\\)ﾉ-≒≒≒≒≒≒≒≒≒≒⁂

A scroll dropped from Minato's hand into Kakashi's. Befuddled Kakashi stared at it. He
couldn't remember this happening before, and he really didn't like that. Changes to the
timeline that had so far seemed to go on just as he could remember didn't bode well for him.
A bit unsure and hesitant, he raised his head until he looked at Minato, a heavy feeling like a
rock settling in his stomach.

“This is...?” he questioned despite knowing the answer already and dreading it.

“A mission.” Minato replied calmly. With clammy hands Kakashi gripped the scroll tighter,
slowly opening it to read the missive hidden within.

“You and two other jonin are to provide backup to the south-western border and bring back
intel.” Minato explained as Kakashi raised his head and continued staring at him in mute
horror. Clearly he also misunderstood as he continued in a softer tone.

“You are not there to fight in the front-lines. This is a resupply and information gathering
mission. The only reason we are sending Jonin is because it's so close to the border, so you
need to be careful.” A quick mission then. One trip there, to restock the supplies, then quickly
back to give intel of the fight to the Hokage or whoever was in charge. This would be an easy
mission Kakashi would have simply shrugged and finished as required, if only the timing
wasn't so, so inconvenient.

Next his sensei held out his hand again, this time one of his three-pronged kunai's dangled
from the tip of his finger.

“Take this. If you are in serious trouble, I will try my best to be with you as soon as I can.”
 Kakashi mutely grabbed the knife, staring at it, his head swimming a little from the sudden
shift of reality. This hadn't happened. He wasn't supposed to leave the village for any major
missions until his rescue mission for Rin. That mission was only a few days off and the
border... the border was at least three days away.

His heart pounded frantically in his chest.

“S-sensei... I... I can't-” wide eyed he stared up at Minato, struggling for words “I have to...”
the look his sensei gave him, stern and unmoving made him snap his mouth shut. He stood
straighter, trying to find a reason to abandon the mission, before admitting defeat and trying it
with the honest truth instead: “What about Rin?”

And then it hit him why this change was happening.

“You need to learn to let her go, Kakashi.” Minato said with remorse “You are running
yourself ragged and you cannot watch over her for the rest of your life.” A hand settled
carefully, yet unbearably heavy on his head. Kakashi stared at Minato's regretful, yet
determined expression and felt the world crumble a little bit.

“You'll see. When you get back, she will be waiting.”

Chapter End Notes

My, my, Kakashi. Didn't expect that, did you?

¯\_( ◉ 3 ◉ )_/¯
 Race against time
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes

Kakashi was in a bad mood. It was early morning, so early in fact that dawn was still quite
some time away.

That wasn't really the reason why he was in a bad mood. No.

Kakashi was early.

While he didn't have the reputation of being late in this timeline (yet), Kakashi just couldn't
fathom being early, yet here he was. Early. About an hour or two too early, waiting for his
teammates.

Kakashi pulled a frustrated hand through his hair. He knew why he was early, after all he was
on a time-limit to get back to the village and the earlier they could start, the better. So here he
was.

Waiting.

When his teammates finally, came, Kakashi's bad mood had descended into outright glaring.
Rationally he knew his teammates were actually on time.

“Mah, aren't you an eager one?” one Jonin that introduced himself as Kuboro – a tall,
muscled man with dirt-blond hair and a scar that went from his temple to his cheek, just
missing his eye – questioned, wincing a little when Kakashi turned to glare at him. Yukairi –
a kunoichi with reddish-brown hair and a standard Jonin uniform – put a hand on his shoulder
and looked Kakashi up and down, as if measuring him.

“We've heard of you.” she softly said, smiling “I major in Genjutsu and Kuboro uses mainly
Taijutsu styles. I think you will fit right in.” as a Ninjutsu specialist Kakashi did indeed
complement the team. Maybe they had lost a member, or maybe their teammates were not yet
of the right rank to accompany them.
Rationally could go to the moon for all that Kakashi cared, he had places to be and without
further ado – he had at least already gotten the supplies that needed to be delivered and
signed them out of the village – they were off. If Kakashi subtly increased their speed every
now and then, making his teammates slowly but surely speed up as well, well... If they didn't
notice themselves, it could hardly be a strain on their system.

Though he had to stop that once one of his teammates – Yukairi – struggled to keep up. By
his estimate, they would still save about half a day if they could keep it up.

It wasn't much.

It would have to be enough.

( ･_\\)ﾉ-≒≒≒≒≒≒≒≒≒≒⁂

Two and a half days later a very tired team arrived at the designated checkpoint.

And then he lost the little time he had managed to save, because a small skirmish broke out.
Kaboro and Yukairi and himself were pulled ordered to help out by the commander, despite it
not being their mission.

When it was over and they had a small break (Kakashi was ready to climb walls at that
point), they were finally summoned to the Jonin commander that was overseeing the
checkpoint. After getting handed a missive to take back to the Hokage they were dismissed
and started to head back.

Kakashi was frustrated that they wouldn't go quicker. The scroll had been given to him as he
was the youngest Jonin, and if anything happened, he was supposed to make haste for the
village.

As luck would have it, their just-in-case plan was needed sooner than later when on the end
of the first day of their way back, Kiri-nin ambushed them.
 ( ･_\\)ﾉ-≒≒≒≒≒≒≒≒≒≒⁂

He had been careless. Stupid, stupid and careless and now there was a deep kunai-wound in
his side, bleeding heavily but luckily not life threatening. Frustrated Kakashi bit through his
lips as he carefully pulled the needle through his skin, and back out in a repetitive motion. He
didn't have the time for this. Five days ago the mission had started and his teammates had
made good progress, but not nearly quickly enough for Kakashi's tastes. It was as if he could
feel a clock ticking the seconds away, crawling ever closer to Rin's death with him
preoccupied with a mission he wasn't even supposed to be on. When they had finally reached
the checkpoint and unloaded the sealing scrolls and other things they had been send out to be
delivered, he had wanted to bash some heads in to make things go quicker. It took ages for a
Nin to appear and give them a missive to return to the village, by then another half-day had
gone by.

And to top it off, they had been ambushed on the way back. How Kiri-Nin had gotten past the
checkpoint was a mystery, but it showed that they were already moving, that time to save Rin
was slowly but surely running out. He had panicked. And he had made a mistake and now he
had a god damn stab wound to fix and a missive scroll to take to the village. His teammates
had gone to tag-team the enemy, distract them, kill them. As jonin's themselves, Kakashi had
to trust that they knew what they were doing. Kakashi, as the smallest and by far the fastest
out of them all, was supposed to run ahead and bring the vital information – as well as the
details of the ambush back to the village post haste. Something Kakashi was glad for, as he
could speed up as much as he wanted, infusing chakra into his legs to go faster, without
tearing his not yet fully trained or grown muscles.

No, Kakashi really didn't mind speeding back to the village, but the stab wound kinda did.

The mission-scroll was a heavy weight in his pockets. Information his village needed, about
Iwagakure's movement and strength. He was fast, but that was only the case when he was not
slowly bleeding out from a wound that reopened again and again due to his movements. He
had to get back. He needed to be there for the mission that got Rin killed. His every plan
hinged on being there to protect her, murder every single enemy. Non of them would expect
Kakashi, stronger than he was back then by far. He had trained nearly day and night in
anticipation of this day and a measly stab wound would not deter him. With a low whine he
slabbed a bandage on the stitched wound and nodded to himself. Good enough, for now.
Stubbornly he heaved himself back to his feet, the first few steps were shaky and and
extremely painful until he found a pace that kept from jostling the wound too much. A soldier
pill gave him back some energy, a food pill refilled some of his lagging resources after days
without much, if any sleep. With a single minded purpose he ran. Through the night and most
of the day and into the night, nearly without break. He was already cutting it too close. Sweat
was covering his whole body, sight wavering in and out of tunnel-vision when he finally
 reached familiar gates. The gate-keepers startled at his appearance, someone was shouting for
a medic and another nin rushed and came back with some water. Blinking, Kakashi could see
Gai's face swimming in front of him.

“Drink!” his once-long-time-rival said, nearly choking Kakashi as he tried to force him to
drink. Kakashi shoved the bottle away after a few gulps, his body shaking from overstrained
muscles. He would recover, and then go on the mission with Rin.

Then suddenly Minato was crouching next to him, hand smoothing away his sweat soaked
hair, carefully checking him over. His gaze lingered on the patch of a bandage, already
soaking through red.

“K-Kiri... ambush...” Kakashi said, blinking as Minato's face split into two more clones,
before coming back together as one like a kaleidoscope.

“R- ... -in...?”

“Safe and sound...” his teacher whispered and with those words Kakashi finally allowed
himself to relax a little. His eyes felt heavy. Kakashi knew he had overdone it, running
without break and using so much chakra to keep going. All he needed was a few hours of
rest. Just a few hours. Then he would be back on his feet, and could go with Rin and get
Obito back.

“You just rest up, Kakashi. Good job.” was the last thing he heard before he fell unconscious
under his teachers troubled eyes.

Chapter End Notes

Currently trying to see how long I can keep up the day updates. I fear it will not be much
longer, especially since I have a pretty exhausting week coming up :(

My, my Kakashi. Don't worry Minato so much!

 The road to hell...
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes

Waking up was a strange affair. Still feeling drained, it took a while for him to notice his
surroundings. Clean, sterile white walls and the overpowering scent of illnesses, iodine and
chemicals was overpowering to Kakashi's sensitive nose.

Hospital. Urgh.

It took a few more moments until Kakashi recalled why he was in the hospital this time. And
that he really didn't have the time to laze about.

A quick gaze to the window showed that the sun was only just rising, and Kakashi felt his
shoulders drop a little. He couldn't have been out too long then.

With careful movements he slowly got up, testing his limbs on autopilot. His legs felt a little
stiff and his side was itching from a chakra-healed stab wound, still a bit tender but already
on the mend. He must have had a good medic nin.

His chakra levels were a bit too low for Kakashi's comfort. But they would fill up over time
so it wasn't something to worry about. His things had been placed in the wardrobe, and
quietly he pulled on his weapons, feeling a lot more like he was dressed and ready. He felt
naked without any weapons on his person, vulnerable in ways that made him deeply
uncomfortable. Years of being send on S-class missions could invoke a healthy dose of
paranoia.

Slipping on some new clothes someone must have prepared for him (how considerate),
Kakashi dressed quickly the rest of the way, then opened the window. No reason to wake any
medics that would only needlessly fuss and confine him into bed longer than he needed to.
No, better get out of their way. Surely they had better things to do, other people to tend to.
Yes, yes.

Landing with only a small wince, Kakashi quickly evacuated the area. Without conscious
thought his feet took him to the Nohara residence.
Only... Rin was not in her bed, and her calender was clearly on the wrong date, as it showed
two days later than the day Kakashi could remember falling unconscious on.

( ･_\\)ﾉ-≒≒≒≒≒≒≒≒≒≒⁂

For all of five seconds Kakashi contemplated how bad it would be if someone caught him
sneaking into Rin's room when it was still mostly night-time. Then he shrugged and opened
the window anyways to silently slip into his teammates room. He was lucky her father – a
shinobi himself – was out of the house or he would likely have a very outraged Jonin after his
blood. Her mother was a civilian and wouldn't notice his presence if he was careful. Looking
around he quickly observed that Rin had taken her weapons and typical gear for missions
with her.

Rubbing a hand tiredly over his face Kakashi let out a small, stressed sigh. Then his head
rolled back until he was staring at the ceiling trying to keep the bubbling frustration at bay.
Right.

So.

This was how his life as a missing nin started, huh?

Well, at least he hadn't done that one before. Could be interesting, Kakashi thought while
rubbing the back of his head. Or troublesome, as a Nara would say it.

They wouldn't let him out of the village without a reason, and simply up and leaving during
wartime was as close to desertion as it could get. Not to mention that Kakashi at this point of
time was only known as a genius, student of the Yond- no, student of the Yellow Flash and
wasn't very well liked by most of the population, be it ninja or civilians. Ninjas at least
mostly respected him for his talent, while civilians mostly kept away.

There was also the stain on his family name that his father had left behind, while it was four
years into the past, it did still affect Kakashi's life and was still spoken about. His father had
saved his teammates, but at the cost of the mission objective. It had been an important trade
contract, and the fallout of this mission gone wrong was that in the beginning years of the
war, food had been scarce. The man had instead made a contract with their enemy. If it had
only been food that was traded, that would have been bad enough. But the little town that
owned the large fields also was a very defensible point, near the border and an information
hub. It had been a great loss, that many people had vilified his father for. After some years,
once Kakashi had made his own name, his father's memory would be almost forgotten to
anyone but him. Either because people had died, or simply because nobody dared to speak
about the White Fang to Kakashi of the Sharingan. Not even history in the Academy
mentioned his father. Right now though he was still under scrutiny and without his
reputation... well. Expendable. The council didn't like him and thought him unstable. The
only reason he had not had an unfortunate accident and went missing on a mission before was
because he had the favour of the Hokage, and had quickly risen in rank and made himself
useful.

Still, Danzo at least wouldn't let that stop him from pushing for Kakashi's death, if only so he
could get the Sharingan all that much sooner. Or he would campaign to have Kakashi added
to his roster.

This was... tricky. And not something Kakashi wanted to do. There were things he had to
change, and being in a village with the backup it provided, not to mention being near the
people he wanted to protect, well, that would have been easier. But the consequences of Rin's
death repeating itself...

No. No he had made a promise and this time he would damn well keep it.

So. Missing nin it was. He probably should avoid capture and simply work from the outside
until Minato became Yondaime. Then he would see if returning wasn't possible, preferably
with Obito in tow.

Minato would be sad.

Rin would cry.

But they would be alive and everything else could be negotiated.

( ･_\\)ﾉ-≒≒≒≒≒≒≒≒≒≒⁂
Kakashi ruefully thought, that if Minato could see him now, he would probably wash his
hands off him. In a last bid to hopefully alleviate the possibility of being branded as a traitor
(really, that was not the reputation he wanted to be known for either, the Hatake name would
never recover), he was once more breaking into the room one of his long-ago class-mates.
Carefully balancing on the windowsill, he quickly unlocked the window with a bit of ninja-
wire and creative use of chakra before slipping the window open and leaning forward. He
quickly ducked the kunai that was being stabbed at him, grabbing the wrist and twisting the
hand back until they came to a standstill.

“Yo!” he eye-smiled at a pale Raido, who was wearing his pyjama and seemed to be about to
scream the roof down, before he recognized Kakashi. Then his head quickly purpled in rage.

“What the actual fuck, Kakashi!” Raido hissed, wrenching his hand free.

“Are you crazy? Do you know what time it is?! I thought you were going to kill me! I tried to
kill you!”

Chuckling, Kakashi settled back a little until he was more balanced, crouching in the window.
“Mah, mah. Sorry, but I'm in a hurry. Give this scroll to Minato in the morning for me, would
you? Didn't want to wake him up, gotta go!” he said, throwing the scroll at Raido's head and
letting his body drop backwards out of the window. He heard a dull thud, then furious
whispers of “I was sleeping too!” and “Damn him”, before he quickly made his way off.
Raido was a serious person. He wouldn't forget to bring the scroll to Minato, no matter how
angry he was at Kakashi. In it he had explained that during the ambush of his last mission, he
overheard Kiri-nin talking about kidnapping one of Minato's students and a quick message
that he was going after Rin to bring her back, and that he had Minato's special kunai with
him. Backup would be appreciated.

He was sure Minato would throw a fit – but only after he had saved Rin and Kakashi both.
With this maybe he would only get punished, yet he could hopefully return to the village. It
was the only quick solution he could find. Of course he could wake someone, but in the time
it would take to assemble a team, get the mission approved, before heading out, it could
already be too late. No, Kakashi knew it would be too late. He wasn't entirely sure if he could
make it in time himself, but if he used his top speed...

His hastily written message had taken nothing more than a few minutes (he would replace the
empty scroll he had stolen from Rin's desk at a later point), and now he only had to get past
the gate and the patrols.

He wasn't sure how he would explain knowing where Rin was headed. He could use the same
excuse as before, having overheard a Kiri-nin mention kidnapping her and about where it
would happen.

Rin's mission was an easy one, that was deep in the fire country. It's why they hadn't been
prepared for what happened the last time, as about thirty Kiri-nin had invaded their country
without detection (something Kakashi was sure Madara had helped with). Her mission was to
gather medical herbs needed to treat patients. If things had remained the same, then Rin
would have two other Chunin medic-nin with her, as well as a Jonin. He himself had been on
a mission nearby, when he had heard about her kidnapping. His team had readily agreed to
help save her, even though they had been injured. That's why Kakashi had, in the end, gone
on alone to rescue Rin.

Just as he would now. He had quickly raced home to restock his weapons supply, and then he
he was off. Sneaking past the patrol was easier than Kakashi had thought it would be. Then
again, Kakashi was so intimately familiar with all the rotations (he had had to know these
things as a Hokage after all), as well as coming from the inside instead of the outside, that he
got passed them quickly enough to be paranoid about it. There was a war going on, even if it
was far away and if he somehow got accepted back, he would have to talk to the Sandaime
about the lack of attention the guards had shown.

Once far enough away to avoid attracting attention, Kakashi bit his thumb smeared his blood
all over a familiar scroll before he slammed it on the ground.

“Ninpou: Kuchiyose!” he whispered and a small brown pup appeared in front of him

“Yo, Kakashi.” the Pakkun greeted, lifting a paw to scratch his head.

“What's up?”

“Mah, the usual. Hope you don't mind relocating, there is a slight possibility we might have
to do a Sasuke.” Pakkun's eyes widened “I need you to come with me, tell me if you pick up
Rin's scent. I know the general area she should be but the sooner I find her, the better.”
Kakashi explained, already getting up from the ground and starting to run. Pakkun easily kept
pace, even if he threw Kakashi an incredulous glance every now and then. Great. Even his
ninken were starting to question his sanity.
Chapter End Notes

Added a picture in chapter 4. Thought it fit :) I might add more if I find good ones for
my chapters. You are welcome to suggest some too!

Anyways, this chapter got a bit long so I split it. I think I prefer to keep with shorter
chapters, if only because then I can actually try and update sooner rather than later. I
have ideas on how to proceed, I just need to get it on paper now :/ If only there were
more hours in a day!

P.S.: What do you guys think about Kakashi (unwillingly, mind you!) acquireing a pet?
Care to guess what he might get?

(((o(*ﾟ▽ﾟ*)o)))
 ... is paved with good intention
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes

In the end, Kakashi didn't need Pakkun to tell where Rin was. Thanks to his heightened
senses he could hear the sound of battle long before he got his first view of what was
happening. Usually he would have hung back and observed the situation first, maybe send in
a shadow clone before engaging the enemy himself. Light was just creeping over the land as
the sun slowly rose to greet the world, but any bird or animal had already fled the area.

His low chakra-reserves, the exhaustion from running so long after only been out of the
hospital for a short time (and without being officially released) only added to the jittery
feeling of being too late. Again. He didn't think he would deal with it well this time around.
Hell, he hadn't dealt with it well the first time around, but if he managed to fuck it up a
second time around... with foreknowledge of the event happening? No, Kakashi probably
wouldn't be able to live with himself, even though duty would probably keep him alive for
some time.

For once his Sharingan was uncovered, already taking in the battle (could it be called that?),
before the enemy completely registered his presence. Rin's team was already under attack.
The Jonin was dead and another Chunin laid dismembered a few feet away. Rin was pale
from shock, another Chunin crouching in front of her badly hurt. Her hands shook, but even
then they hovered over his back glowing a steady green as the enemy circled them.

Taking all this in took a mere fraction of a second. Another was drawing the three kunais and
fuinjutsu tags and throwing them with deadly accuracy at the Kiri-nin that was only just
approaching, leering at Rin. Kakashi felt grim satisfaction as one of the kunai buried itself
straight into his right eye, making him stumble back from the force of the throw even as he
died instantly. The other two missed and struck the ground a few paces behind him. Another
jump and Kakashi slashed his tanto – not his fathers since that one broke but his own – at his
enemy, one of them jumping away, the other gaining a deep gash on his side as Kakashi
dashed past.

A quiet hiss started.

Hiissssssss...
Five seconds.

A small chain of hand-signs Kakashi knew by heart.

… ssssssssss …

A step as the world rushed past.

“Shunshin.” Kakashi whispered as he landed crouched by Rin's side.

… ssssssssss …

Rin was flinching away in surprise, even as Kakashi grabbed her by her elbow and the
Chunin by his vest and pulled. Making them both stumble a step back – or in the Chunin's
case have a rough landing on the ground behind Kakashi.

… ssssssssss …

Another fraction of a second.

Another chain of hand-signs and Kakashi slammed his hands on the ground.

… ssssssssss-

“Doton: Doryuheki!”
The world exploded, just as the ground rose in front of him to shield him and his comrades.
The explosion rattled the earth, throwing dust and stone up until it was hard to see or breath.
Kakashi had his mask up, but the enemy were distracted, disoriented and hopefully hurt.
Kakashi didn't plan on waiting around to find out how many had managed to dodge his
attack. The mud wall had taken some of his chakra and he knew he couldn't risk a prolonged
fight. He had planned to be in his best condition, now he was barely functioning.

Not waiting for the dust to settle, he twisted around and grabbed Rin around her waist. She
let out a squeak as she landed roughly on his shoulder, coughing as the air was driven out of
her but Kakashi had no time to be gentle right now. His other hand grabbed the Chunin – the
other thing Kakashi hadn't accounted for – and heaved him under his arm. He struggled as his
adult mind tried to catch up with his child's body, remembering that maybe he still had some
growing up to do before he could easily lug around people again.

“Hold tight, Rin!” he ordered, voice sharp as his hand released her. He made it. He made it
just in time!

Gritting his teeth under the extra weight, Kakashi felt her hands grip tightly to the straps over
his back. To shunshin away with three people required a lot more chakra than if he simply
used it for himself, but he needed to gain some distance. He needed to get them out, or
getting here in time would have been for naught.

They appeared just behind the tree-line, while the dust from the explosion tags Kakashi had
used begun to settle. He had run in the opposite direction from Konoha, because surely the
enemy would expect them to run closer to home, instead of further away. The Kiri-nin had
scattered, but they were already recovering and swarming out, searching. Kakashi swallowed
a growl. They weren't far enough away. There were still too many people and the explosion
had only killed 3 and injured a few others. He wasn't fast enough while carrying two people.
And Rin wasn't fast enough to outrun the enemy, never mind the Chunin who clearly needed
medical help if he wanted to live another day.

Quickly he set Rin down on the ground, then carefully laid out the Chunin on the ground. An
unfamiliar face, one that had probably died the first time around. Already Kakashi had been
too late to save the Jonin's and the other Chunin' life, but this one could yet live.

Without having to ask, Rin was already kneeling down, her hands glowing green as she
started to heal the Chunin once more. A deep gash ran from his shoulder, all the way across
his chest, digging deep where his stomach was. Muscles had been ripped and Kakashi
winced. If Rin could stabilize him, then he would have a chance to survive and one hell of a
recovery.

If they survived.

Kakashi gripped the bridge of his nose, hearing straining and already noticing that people
were getting closer. Pressing his lips into a thin line, Kakashi decided that Rin would need a
bit longer to save the guy. For a calculating, short second Kakashi contemplated saving her,
and her alone, but... not at the price of abandoning someone else. Not anymore. Not a
comrade.

His hands settled into a Ram-sign. Shadow clone it was, he needed to play for time and he
needed to whittle down the enemy. It was a huge amount of chakra he would use, but
hopefully Raido would give the message to Minato soon and he only had to hold out until
then.

Thee clones appeared, leaving him feeling near drained and a little bit dizzy for a few
seconds. Maybe he had miscalculated a bit. Panting Kakashi went through another series of
signs. A second later, there was only one double of Kakashi, another for Rin and another one
for the Chunin.

A soft, relieved “Kakashi...!” drew his attention back to Rin, who looked equal parts shocked,
worried, scared and like she wanted to hug him and never let go.

“Mah, Rin.” Kakashi crouched down next to her, ignoring the burning in his legs. Too much
running around, even for him.

God. He would have to train with Gai if he wanted to be back in shape soon.

“I'll confuse them. You get that one into a state where he can stay alive.”He pointed at the
unconscious nameless Chunin “You don't have to heal him completely. Minato will get here
soon.” hopefully. But he wouldn't tell her how he had left the village. Instead he took
Minato's kunai and pressed it into her hand.
“Hide that on yourself.”

Even if the enemy got Rin, maybe she would have a chance to get help before it was too late.
Just in case.

She nodded, determined and more steady now that she had a task to concentrate on and
rubbed a steak of blood from her cheek.
She took Minato's kunai and slipped it into one of the many hidden folds of her skirt. An
enemy searching for weapons wouldn't miss it, but it was better than nothing. Her eyes
looked red, tear-tracks leaving trails in her dust-covered appearance. She seemed exhausted,
but she didn't question him and turned her focus on the Chunin. Trusting him to keep her safe
while she did her job. Kakashi felt something warm, yet heavy settle deep within him. He
didn't want to leave her, scared that he would loose her is he let her out of his sight for even a
moment, but he knew that the best chance they had was to hold out until Minato came for
them. And the longer he managed to distract the enemy, the higher the chance of rescue was.

Kakashi left the clone of himself with her, then ran off with the other two. Time to build some
traps.
He had enough chakra for maybe one or two Chidori left.

There were only about thirty enemies remaining, if there hadn't been more than he could see
when he first engaged in the fight.

Eh. Piece of cake.

( ･_\\)ﾉ-≒≒≒≒≒≒≒≒≒≒⁂

Or not.

Kakashi managed to lure about two squads into traps on the side closer to Konoha. One was a
lightning barrier that fried his opponents, the other was another explosion trap set to detonate
when a tripwire was triggered.

That had dealt with about 8 enemies, but also attracted notice of the rest of them.

Kakashi was using his chakra as sparingly as he could, very aware that if he ran out of it,
everything would be over.

He had never been more glad that he had prepared in advance and had a lot of exploding tags
on his person, waiting to be used. Mostly he tried to stick to techniques that didn't require
lot's of chakra. Shunshin, to get away from Ninjutsu-users, Kawarimi (with a nice paper-
bomb sticking to whatever he replaced himself with) to deal with Taijutsu fighters.

He had backup plans, of course he did, but he would rather slaughter all of Kiri's nin that
were after Rin than to fall back on them. But for now he was content to lead the Kiri-nin on a
merry chase. And pick them off whenever he got the chance, one by one.
It was amazing how long it worked, surely about half an hour had passed, which seemed to
Kakashi as if time was stretching into eternity. The Kiri-nin were getting angry, but also more
cautious and clever in dealing with Kakashi's tricks. And Kakashi didn't delude himself that
his tactic would work forever. Another long few minutes dragged by, before he felt his energy
wane too much to continue this game of hide and seek. He was lucky Kiri didn't have a
sensor with them, but they were deploying their own tricks, mist crawling over the ground
and if Kakashi got caught in that... well. They would find him. And if the mist reached Rin...

No, he couldn't allow them to find her. He had dealt with a lot of them... maybe fifteen,
maybe twenty, but the ones left alive were the most talented ones, and they were certainly
better off than him.

If he didn't have a bounty on his head, this would surely change after this day. Great.

Time for plan … what letter was he on again? Well, somewhere in the latter half of the
alphabet for sure.

Hand flew through hand-seals as another Shunshin blurred the world around him, until he
was only a short way off from where he had left Rin. His shadow clone noticed his approach,
and quickly notified Rin before he could surprise her with his sudden appearance.

“How is he...?” he questioned in a soft, barely audible whisper after Rin turned to him. She
was tense, her energy clearly drained from the excessive healing she had done but some of
the tension disappeared now that Kakashi was back and in not too bad of a shape. A few near
misses had left bloody gashes on his arms and legs – but most had been repelled by his arm
guards that he was used to wearing at this age.

“He's alive... for now.” she mouthed back, knowing that he could read her lips just as well as
when the was talking aloud. Kakashi frowned, looking at the Chunin and noting that the
worst of the damage had been healed, the rest bandaged. The Chunin would survive and –
provided he got some care soon – would probably be able to continue his life as a shinobi.

“... you are amazing.” Kakashi mumbled, regret flooding him as he thought back to a
different time, different circumstances that had cut Rin down before she had a chance to
develop her clear talent any further.
She was not Sakura, her temper was softer, gentle and caring than his quickly angered
student, but she was good. He never allowed himself to think of what she could have become,
back in the future. But now that he did... he wanted to see it. He wanted that so badly, and he
couldn't get them all out alive and well. Madara wanted Rin.

So Madara would... get Rin.

He nodded, more to himself than her, crouching at her side and taking a deep breath.

“I'm... sorry.” He whispered as his hand came down on a pressure point in her neck. Rin
didn't even have the time to react, as she slumped forward unconscious, Kakashi's arm
catching her before she could fall and undo her painstaking work of putting the Chunin back
together by falling on him.

Gently he placed her next to the young boy and – feeling a little ashamed for searching her
unresponsive body – pulled out the special kunai.

Once ready he formed another group of signs. He had enough chakra for this. Hopefully. It
was B-ranked, but he only needed to change a small area, not an entire battlefield. He was so,
so glad for his foreknowledge and his paranoia. If he hadn't packed all this stuff days in
advance, hiding it in his room for when the time was right, then he would have been wholly
unprepared.

“Doton: Doryuheki.”

This time he concentrated, so instead of a wall rising up, Kakashi made it so the stone shaped
itself around Rin and the unconscious Chunin in as much a natural pattern as he could
manage. He was sweating by the end of it, black spots dancing in his sight. Once the jutsu
finished, he released a sigh of relief. A small fissure in the rock would allow enough air to get
in and out so they wouldn't suffocate.
Out of his pockets he fished four barrier tags. They weren't supposed to keep something out
or in, that would be too obvious. Instead Kakashi buried them in four corners around the
rock, spreading leaves and dirt over them to hide them from sight.

The only thing these seals did, were dampen chakra. If there was a sensor around, they
wouldn't find the two bodies hidden in the rock.

At last, Kakashi took Minato's dagger and stabbed it into the ground next to the hiding place,
as deep as he could so only the handle was still sticking out.

Once he was done, he stepped back and wiped the sweat off his face, feeling rather faint.

Out of his pockets he took the last thing he had prepared in case of emergencies.

Plain, brown eye-contacts.

He put them in, hiding his Sharingan.

Another seal, made by clumsy, exhausted fingers and a henge settled over him.

A special one, that was based off on Naruto's Orioke no Jutsu with a twist to be more...
normal. It was solid, which made it different from the normal Henge (and the reason why
Kakashi had played around with it. He may be a pervert but he didn't have to make himself
into a woman to get some action.). It would keep up, as long as he had the smallest amount of
chakra in his body that wasn't disrupted by other chakra. So long as he dodged any Ninjutsu
and Genjutsu, he would be able to keep it up.

Panting heavily and about ready to curl up and take a nap, Rin Nohara stood in his place.

There was only one thing left to do: Run.

Chapter End Notes

Translations:
Doton: Doryuheki! = Earth Release: Earth-Style-Wall
Raises an earth wall

Shunshin no jutsu = Body-flicker technique

Ninja's way to use chakra to move at a speed so fast that it seems like teleportation

Kawarimi no jutsu = Substitution technique

Ninja substitutes with another nearby object

＼＼\ ٩(๑❛ワ❛๑)‫ و‬//／／

The long awaited sort-of-Rin-rescue!

Sorry I'm late. I got lost on the road of life and have been held hostage by a phone-call.

God damn it, I wanted to post a chapter each day... it's 00:40 here now, I've got to get up
in 5 hours for work and fight scenes are really not something I easily write (I hope I
didn't disappoint anyone)... and the jutsus... oh god, please why are there so many jutsus
in that Manga....

I hope I didn't muddle anything up :P

As always, tell me your likes, dislikes, hobbies... you know, just do a full introduction
(but try to avoid being as informative as Kakashi or Sakura's were...)

No, honestly guys, you are amazing. I didn't think I would get so many Kudos or
comments!!
 Capture
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes

Kakashi knew he wouldn't hold out much longer. Even keeping his Sharingan closed, his
chakra had reached the bottom end of low and his muscles were only working due to pure
determination.

He had tried to slip past them to make his way back to Konoha. Surely someone had noticed
the commotion by now. When that didn't work, he had tried to go around them, taking a
longer path but hopefully managing to get closer to reaching help. He was cut off, and now
he was simply trying to shake them off, but with little to no success.

He was slowly being herded. He knew he was. Clearly his enemy knew he wasn't a match for
them, or at least they thought so. He wasn't, not anymore, but they assumed he was a medic
nin they had separated from the team. They wanted him to exhaust himself before capturing
him, and sadly it was working.

More and more often Kakashi was stumbling, his landings and steps unsteady. He had
accumulated a number of cuts and bruises from kunai or shuriken, non that had hit him – yet
– but they had gotten close, making him dodge awkwardly to avoid getting skewered by
them.

Yes. Kakashi had seen better times.

But, Kakashi amended with a wry smile hidden underneath a henge and a mask, he had also
had much worse.

A great weight hitting him in his side like a battering ram put an end to his thoughts, as he
crashed through the woods, sliding over the ground with a hoarse shout. It took him a
moment to reorient himself, and when he blinked through the pain, he could see that he was
surrounded. Three of the Kiri-nin were hiding in the trees, while six more approached him on
the ground. Gritting his teeth, Kakashi tried to heave himself back to his feet, but clearly his
body had enough. Panting heavily Kakashi fell back on the ground, muscles shaking almost
uncontrollably from being overstrained. His ankle was swelling a bit, from when he had
landed badly and twisted it.

He didn't like being helpless, so when a Kiri-nin approached him, he did try to get away one
more time. Before he could get his limbs working again, a heavy boot crashed into his
ribcage, sending him sliding a little further over the ground. Pebbles and sticks ripped
through his clothing and skin, making the time-traveler shout in pain.

When Kakashi stopped at the base of a tree, he immediately curled up in pain, near breathless
from the hit. That guy had certainly not held back. Immediately his rips protested, clearly
bruised or even cracked.

Mah, mah, unlucky, his mind sing-songed. Maybe he was going crazy.

“That little bitch-” One of the Kiri-nin growled, but he was being held back from
approaching Kakashi by another enemy “-is the reason why my student and over half of our
comrades were killed. She better be worth the trouble.” the man basically spit and Kakashi
was kind of glad that the guy didn't know that Kakashi had killed them himself.

“Calm down. She's no good to us dead and I just want to get this over with.” the other one
said, his voice raspy from an old injury. Kakashi wearily watched them, his gaze flicking
from face to face, trying to find a way to get out of the situation. Step's too close to him made
him flinch, then a hand gripped his hair and dragged him up. The twelve year old struggled
on instinct, but stopped when his flailing didn't help his situation and only pained him further.
A hand closed around his throat, lifting him even further until his feet barely touched the
ground. His fingers scraped weakly against the arm holding him, trying to dislodge the
strangling hold that was slowly but surely cutting off his air supply. Black spots started to
grow in his vision, slowly eroding the world around him. His last visual was a scarred face of
a surprising young man, grinning with malice.

“Sweet dreams, sweetheart.”

( ･_\\)ﾉ-≒≒≒≒≒≒≒≒≒≒⁂
Kakashi woke bit by bit.

First was the feeling of pain that crashed over him. That was familiar, and could be ignored
until he knew the situation. Breathing through the pain helped little.

Next came the smell. Blood, stone, water, mildew, sweat, ammonium, iron, burning wood,
people.

Then his hearing seemed to slowly fade back in. Murmurings that were nearly
indistinguisable, until Kakashi was able to concentrate a little more.

“-was not the plan! How did this happen?”

“-did you see-”

“-heavy losses, can't believe it. Who the hell was that kid?-”

“-another student of the Yellow Flash-”

“-kill on sight, that kid can't be allowed to grow-”

“-think this plan will-”

“-already started, half finished-”

“-can't wait until that brat returns to Konoha-”

Finally he took note of his body beyond the pain.

Kakashi awoke naked. Which reminded him of...

Okay, no, that one was new.

New and unsettling. He had gone through training in ANBU, as removing the clothes of
prisoners was a standard intimidation technique, but he hadn't had a real situation that had
robbed him of clothing in this setting.

Usually there was a lot more consent involved, his mind reminded him, and more naked skin.

Something wet and cold touched his skin, making him flinch on instinct.

“Tch. Oi! Shut up, she's awake!”

Seeing no reason to keep playing dead anymore, Kakashi slowly blinked his eyes. They
burned uncomfortably, until Kakashi blinked a few times. The contact lenses had made his
cornea swell up. If he got an eye infection, he would extract bloody revenge on any Kiri-nin
in the near future that crossed his path. He had never had an eye infection, even after a
surgery in a forest with limited tools. He would not start now.

But the contact lenses at least offered some protection. If the enemy knew he had the
Sharingan. Well. He didn't want another eye-operation in a cave.

Everything was blurry for a moment, before Kakashi adjusted to the light of fire glowing
nearby. He tried to move-

Ah. He was also paralysed. Experimentally he tried to wiggle his toes to no effect.
Right. Time to panic a little?

Kakashi took a shaky breath. He couldn't really remember being this helpless in a fight... not
even when fighting Pain and being near death from chakra exhaustion. Even then he had been
able to fight back, to move.

That was... new. Kakashi settled. And something he could have really lived without
experiencing. He couldn't help but imagine Rin in his place. Had the same thing happened to
her?

“Should we knock her out again?” another shinobi asked.

A short moment later a face appeared in his vision, smiling almost gently.

“Don't worry.” the shinobi said, reaching forward with glowing hands. A medic nin, the green
chakra showed and, yeah, now was the time to panic because as the hand drew closer, clearly
intent on sending him back to sleep (a technique medic nins learned to keep their patients
from feeling the pain during an operation, some even specialised in it), Kakashi could feel the
chakra disrupting the henge around him, making the ninja flinch back and stare at him with
wide eyes.

“What. The. Fuck.” the nin said slowly, pronouncing each word and drawing the attention of
the rest of the cave. Kakashi felt a spark of vindictive, smug pleasure at the surprised look.

At the same time he rather felt at a loss of what to do now that he was helpless, naked and
male again, Kakashi fake eye-smiled on instinct.

“Yo!”

The kick to his midsection sending him crashing into a wall was a complete over-reaction, at
least in Kakashi's humble opinion, before he blacked out again.
Chapter End Notes

Kakashi can't help but infuriate people. That was his "Fuck you, too." to the Kiri-Nin
that were the reason he killed Rin the first time. Double edged sword, but eh, whatever.
 Plan S
Chapter Notes

WARNING OF VIOLENCE

I don't go into too much detail, but there is mentions of torture in this chapter

See the end of the chapter for more notes

He couldn't have been knocked out for long. When he came to, he was still lying (still naked,
his mind reminded him) crumbled on the ground where he had hit the wall of the cave. His
ears were ringing, but Kakashi could still hear the argument that was happening a few feet
from him.

“-THE HELL DID YOU MISS A HENGE ON A PRISONER!”

“How was I supposed to know! It was solid! She- ehr... he? He was unconscious!! I've never
seen something like this!” a voice whined frantically.

“We should kill him.” another added hatefully.

“What, and go back and try kidnapping the girl again? By now she's probably back in the
village reporting to the Hokage! We need to get this done, and quickly!”

Concentrating on himself, while keeping track of the conversation he noticed that he was still
paralysed (Poison? Seal? Broken spine?), but with his new position – painful as it was to
acquire a new point of view (it was totally worth it) – Kakashi finally got a look at his overall
situation.

“We can't just seal-” the voice got interrupted.

“What does it matter if we use the boy instead of the girl? Actually, it's probably better.
Didn't you want him to die? This way he will, hopefully taking most of his rabble with him!”

Ah. Plan S in progress.

“Tch. I wanted to kill the bastard myself.”

He was Screwed. Capital letters as that basically explained the plan. And not in a fun way
either.

Almost the whole cave was covered in a giant, ugly sealing array. And Kakashi had spend
enough time studying Naruto's seal in hopes of helping to stabilize it that he recognized parts
of this one easily, even without his foreknowledge of what had happened to Rin in the future.

He didn't want to become a Jinchūriki. Especially not one that had a faulty seal. Memories of
Gaara's incurable insomnia and how Naruto had described his state prior to the extraction of
Shukaku.

And what he definitely didn't want to become, was a god damn Bijuu-bomb delivery service
to his own village. Not after managing to save Rin. His eyes frantically moved over the lines,
the array almost finished. All that was left was himself. And he knew that before someone
had knocked him out by kicking him into a wall, there had been another one already painting
his skin. A tendril of undeniably potent fear clutched at his heart. He needed to move. It
couldn't be a poison, he was mostly immune... wasn't he? Yes, when he had become a Jonin
that had been one weakness he had tried to cover after seeing Rin take out an enemy with
poisoned chopsticks. Who the hell coated chopsticks in poison. It wasn't even the enemies. It
had been her own, but she had been immune. Kakashi had hence forth refused to take food
from her.

Not poison then. They needed him to run back, so probably not a broken spine (he at least
could still feel pain down to his little toe so there was that). It was most likely a seal then, that
they would need to take off if they wanted to use the huge seal to stuff the Bijuu into him.
The slab of stone in the middle of the chamber, right below an improvised construction
holding a large urn covered in seals, showed where Kakashi was likely going to end up when
they were ready to take the seal off him. Heavy chains would prevent him from escaping
once they stopped the paralysis.
He could see the man that had taken a brush to him go around, checking the seals for faults
and correcting whatever he could find in precise, concentrated strokes. Another two Ninja's
slowly made their way over to him, three more following shortly behind. It was a small group
of survivers that had returned, something Kakashi felt equal parts guilty for, as a few weeks
before he had been having peace talks and watched as his people mingled with the other
Nations, making Konoha even more vibrant as cultures clashed and merged. Years before
they had united, stood together to face a threat to the world and won the war with heavy
losses on all sides.

Now all this was gone, time rewound until he was back in the nightmarish times that still
followed him in his dreams, the thousands of people he had killed before and would likely
kill again, if necessary. Maybe he would be able to save some of them. Maybe he could
change the world a little here, a little there, but Kakashi was realistic. He wasn't Naruto, and
he couldn't save everyone. Hell, if he counted back on his previous life, he had failed at
saving pretty much everyone. Always that little bit too late to make a difference, looking in
the wrong directions, turning a blind eye, trusting at the wrong point.

The only person Kakashi qualified for saving was Tenzo, and Kakashi had a deep rooted
belief that Tenzo could have gotten himself out sooner or later. He had only helped speeding
the process up, preventing Danzo from brainwashing 'Kinoe' over and over again.

Wearily, Kakashi was helpless but to watch as the ninjas stopped next to him, slowly
surrounding him. Clearly it would still take some time until the seal was finished and from
their feverish glowing eyes, Kakashi had just pissed them off enough that they would use the
time well. He knew that look, that grief. The hate of seeing a loved one die, the burning need
to lash out against the source.

And he was that source.

Gritting his teeth, Kakashi refused to back down. He knew they would keep him alive, and
well enough to run. He could take some pain.

It probably was one of the worst beatings in his life, mostly because he couldn't fight back
and he felt anger bubble up at him. Even at the hight of his skill, when he had waded through
blood that was at least waist-high, slowly rising and rising, he had never stopped so low as to
enjoy the suffering of others. His kills had been as clinical and painless as he could make it
without endangering himself or his team. If information was needed and a peaceful solution
couldn't be found, Kakashi had not had any qualms about using torture – at least not until the
night when the images reappeared, his every deed captured by his Sharingan for eternity,
things he should have never showed Obito's eye.

Still. Not ever on a child.

And in the eyes of his enemies he was a child.

And they enjoyed every pained grunt, every whimper, and every hoarse scream they managed
to drag out from between Kakashi's clenched teeth. They were not inflicting too much
damage, clearly wanting him to be able to run afterwards, but he didn't need his face to run,
nor his arms, or hands or shoulders. Those were the parts that took the most damage and a
little deliriously, Kakashi wondered if his career as a ninja might take a completely different
turn this time around. His hands were a mess, fingers broken and twisted that truly only a
genius medic-nin would be able to fix that damage. Clearly the enemy wasn't taking any
chances. Kakashi wondered how he would have fared as a true 12 year old. Would he have
cried? Begged?

The pain was bad. It throbbed and stabbed and burned and made it heart to think, to see or
hear. It was like the blood rushing in his ears was the only thing, the smell of his
bloodfearsweatsaltwatertears mingled with the scent of the enemies
angerragesadnessgriefhorror, lingering in his sensitive, uncovered nose and blocking
anything else out.

He was barely conscious when he noticed that he was being dragged. He mostly noticed
because the ninja had grabbed his mangled hand to drag him with, making Kakashi nearly
black out from the overwhelming pain cursing through the limb, radiating down his arm like
a bolt of lightning, a live wire exposed. Only once they reached the seal, did they pick him up
to avoid messing up the array. His paralysed body was put on the stone, cold and smooth
under his back. Kakashi was facing the large urn above him with a feeling of dread and terror.

This was not supposed to happen.

 He couldn't let them do this. He had to fight this. He couldn't become a Jinchūriki! He didn't
have the chakra-coils necessary, that Bijuu would fry him slowly from the inside out. He
wasn't an Uzumaki, nor was he prepared for this burden since birth and neither had he grown
up with a tailed beast inside him, forcing him to adapt to the chakra.

His heart drummed a heavy, quick beat in his chest.

Manacles closed around his limbs, pulling tight until he was stretched out. Someone lifted
chakra-glowing fingers to the back of Kakashi's neck, and Kakashi could feel the force
keeping him immobilised lift from him. Feeling returned to him, making him twitch in
whatever little movement he was allowed, his head snapping to the side to see what was
going on.

The man from before was hovering next to him, brush raised and already dripping wet with
ink. His face was expressionless, deep lines showing he was concentrating on his task.

Kakashi tried to move, thinking that maybe, just maybe if he kept moving he could stop them
from using the seal on him but another man squeezed his hand and Kakashi screamed,
screamed and felt wet ink trailing over his body when he fell still in exhaustion. A cooling
line of fire that crawled over his body until the brush finished right over his terrified heart.

Kakashi looked down at his body and the cursed seal glimmered wetly in the firelight. Its
deadly beauty mocking Kakashi as the ninja around him stepped back, hands forming the
sign to activate the ritual.

Chapter End Notes

... I have no clue how this story got so dark all of a sudden. Honestly, when I started out,
this was not planned.

... I had a bad day? ┌( ಠ_ಠ)┘

Anyways, I'm not sure how well I will be able to update the next few days. I'm mostly
going to be working long and catsitting at my sister's place, so apologies if I don't make
daily updates in the next few days (I will try but no promises! Might go either way, no
update at all or even more updates? We shall see!)
 The Ritual
Chapter Notes

Song I listened to while writing this chapter:

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Beat the devil's tattoo

See the end of the chapter for more notes

The seal slowly started to glow on the outer edges, lines shimmering to life with the amount
of chakra being added to it, until it was glimmering in a dull red light. Kakashi's pulse was
racing, as he felt and saw the lines on his body starting to move, slowly, ever so slowly
connecting to the giant seal. He felt the mixed chakra of the people flood into the written
lines over his body, watched in helpless fury as the seal over his heart started to glow too and
looked on in horrified silence, teeth gritting against the pain, as the seal slowly burned itself
through his skin, deeper and deeper to his heart where it would wind itself tight around the
hammering organ. There was no visible wound, but Kakashi could feel it, like invisible
bindings trying to warp his will to that of someone else.

Trembling from adrenaline and fear he forced himself to keep his eyes open, to see if
anything could be done to help him. All he could observe was how the seal on his stomach
seemed to turn fluid, letters slowly blurring together as the seal formed a spiral and slowly
opened, forming a dark, gaping hole on Kakashi's abdomen. Kakashi knew this seal. It was
from Uzushio, an Uzumaki-seal that Minato had also heavily adapted and combined with the
Shiki Fuin before using it on Naruto, which allowed Naruto better accessibility to the nine-
tails chakra. It burned that this seal was in Kirigakure's hands and used against Konoha,
surely stolen when Kiri had invaded and annihilated Uzushio. And now used on Kakashi, but
twisted and repurposed into something hideous.

Overhead Kakashi could hear the urn start to crack. Small splinters of the ancient ceramic
that held back a Bijuu for too long rained down on him, drawing his gaze upwards. He
wished he hadn't. A small crack had formed, slowly splintering open like the maw full of
teeth of the beast contained within. The killing intent of the chakra spread out and being
directly below it made Kakashi think back on the day Naruto was born and the Kyuubi had
rampaged through their village. Even miles away, forced behind a barrier to keep the
youngest generation of talented shinobi save, he had felt the deadly presence.

Being directly below the malicious chakra lashing out at everything around it, trying to break
free after being isolated and contained in a place much too small for it... Kakashi wanted to
feel pity, but all he could feel was his limbs locking up in terror, breath coming in short,
stifled gasps. The chakra was blue, a brilliant sapphire blue and was clearly fighting the pull
Kakashi's seal had on it. Much like Kamui, it seemed like the seal acted like a maelstrom
slowly dragging the Bijuu in against its will.

The first touch of the foreign chakra had Kakashi throw himself against his bindings, a
wordless scream bursting from his already aching and raw throat. Once it started, it was like a
flood just entered him, overwhelming his senses. His chakra coils strained under the pressure
of too much chakra entering him at once. His back arched off the stone as if he could find
relief that way, but there was no escape. He thought he was screaming, but it was as if every
sensation was drowning in pain. Smell. Hearing. Seeing. Blue, blue, blue and it hurt. This
was something foreign, that didn't belong. This was not like the Sharingan, a gift, this was a
violation of the highest order. Nothing physical, but something worse than a mere flesh-
wound.

He wouldn't survive this. How could anyone? How could a small baby withstand this?? Or
maybe he was already too grown?? His chakra coils already mostly formed and unwilling to
bend, stretch, expand for the new, strange chakra?

He had died from chakra exhaustion once. This was the complete opposite. Fit to burst and
the Bijuu clearly had no intention of going into its new prison quietly. He could feel the
chakra twisting and straining, feel it rip into his coils as if it could hold on to freedom this
way.

It was horrible, agony of the like that nothing in Kakashi's life was comparable and he clearly
had to reorder his pain-scale after this.

His vision was strobing in and out, his lungs filled with needles and Kakashi wasn't sure if it
was because he had screamed his throat raw or because he couldn't seem to breath through
the pain.

It was almost a relief when Kakashi finally blacked out to the sight of the seal wrapping itself
around the chakra, compressing it and rooting it deeply in his body, attaching itself to his soul
so that whenever it would leave, be it voluntary or through extraction, Kakashi's life would
be forfeit too.
 For better or worse, Kakashi had now become the Jinchūriki of the three tailed beast.

Chapter End Notes

Short Chapter, but I'm beat guys :P Got the laptop working (more or less) though some
keys are barely working. It's a bit exhausting to write as I make so many mistakes due to
missing letters <.<

Anyways, there we go. What are your thoughts on the Ritual and Kakashi being
sacrificed? :)
 Black Eyes
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes

Pakkun was not happy.

No, that was an understatement. Pakkun was decidedly going from unhappy to downright
aggrieved.

His summoner had forgotten him.

Well, that wasn't really a surprise, Kakashi had a lot on his mind and Pakkun could see the
toll it took on Kakashi to be in the past. He hid it well, but being surrounded by dead people
was freaking Pakkun out, scents that he hadn't smelled in decades suddenly being present
again. It messed with him, made his fur twitch in agitation. Not natural, his instincts
screamed. And he only had to deal with those humans very briefly, instead of on a day to day
basis.

So maybe he wouldn't go that hard on Kakashi. That's what he thought as he hid in the bushes
while Kakashi slaughtered his enemies with a single minded purpose. That's why he kept a
careful eye out for the brown haired girl that had given him treats as a pup.

And yet, Pakkun wasn't happy. Because his idiot summoner had gotten himself into a right
awful mess, and Pakkun had been forced to watch as his idiot summoner saved a girl long
dead, a stranger who never got to live, and then promptly got himself captured by the enemy.

And Pakkun couldn't do anything. That's what made his fur bristle, his nose twitching in
frustration as he sat in front of the stone-hideout Kakashi had carefully formed like a
protective shelter. He eyes the kunai in the ground and gnashed his teeth. The blond person,
the father of the loud pup Kakashi had taken under his protection, Naruto as the loud person
insisted to be called, was late.
 “Yellow flash my furry behind.” Pakkun grumbled, rounding the kunai as if that would
summon the previous Yondaime.

“I see no flashing here.” Pakkun put his paw on the kunai, trying to wiggle it. Maybe if he
moved it enough, Minato would get the hint and show up sooner than later.

When nothing happened, Pakkun let out a long, exasperated sigh and sat down. Thinking
hard, his hind-paw absently scratched his ear.

Grumbeling the little pug circled the area for some more time, trying to see if there were any
Kiri-Nin still here. When he was assured that the girl Kakashi wanted to protect wouldn't be
found anytime soon by an enemy, the pug finally decided it was high time to get his
summoner back. Clearly Kakashi was lost without his help.

Following the trail of death and destruction and the lingering scent of
lightningpackalphafreshleavesafterrain that was the base of Kakashi's scent, differing only
slightly due to his surroundings, was easy enough and Pakkun quickly gained speed.

Places to be, summoner to scold. Pakkun was on a mission.

Chapter End Notes

Don't worry. You will get more today because that's a really small chapter. Someone
requested a little change of perspective and I agree. I had that in the back of my mind
but wasn't sure in how to include it, so it will be a different POV Chapter per person :)
 Brown Eyes
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes

Rin woke to darkness and memories of blood, screams, death. For a moment she just laid
there, terrified of being the one who got captured again. There were no bindings on her this
time, though, and aside from the darkness surrounding her, it didn't feel like she was under a
Genjutsu too strong for her to fight.

Slowly, ever so careful not to make a sound, Rin felt around herself. On her right side she
encountered stone. On her left she found the fabric of a person lying next to her and flinched
back. Her breath hitched as she finally remembered what had happened.

“I'm sorry.” Kakashi had said. Kakashi who never really apologized, who was so good at
everything he did. Kakashi who had come for her and saved her, when Kiri-Nin had appeared
on what should have been a simple mission.

They weren't far from the village. Rin hadn't wanted to go on a big mission with Kakashi still
in the hospital. But the hospital needed supplies, and Rin wanted to feel useful, so she had
agreed and went with a small team to gather medicinal plants to restock their supplies that
were stretched thin due to the ongoing war.

Three Chunin and a Jonin. Two of them medic nin's, the others for protection that they hadn't
even thought they needed, this close to the village. A mere half day to a day away from
home.

Rin doesn't want to know what it meant that such a huge group of enemy nin had managed to
get this close to Konoha, without being detected. Doesn't want to know what their plan had
been, why they had looked at her and gestured at her and told them that she was the one they
wanted alive.

She had been so terrified. So terrified because she knew she wasn't good enough to fight
back, not against the amount of enemies that were surrounding them and all she had been
able to do was to stand over her last, fallen teammate and try to keep him alive, despite
knowing that he would die in a few seconds anyways. Not her teammate, not Obito or
Kakashi or Minato-sensei. A young boy, barely older than herself who had offered her kind,
easy smiles and asked which plants she was looking for. Someone who would die simply
because he was with her, and Rin couldn't help but feel responsible despite not even knowing
why the enemy was coming for her! She was a medic-nin, but hardly the best, still training,
learning. Why her?

She had grit her teeth, tears welling up. She didn't want to die. She didn't want to be captured
again and cause trouble. Not to anyone, but especially not to Kakashi.

Kakashi. Kakashi would be devastated. She had seen how he had looked around the world as
if he could barely recognize his surroundings. Had seen how he had stopped, when seeing the
Uchiha pass him, a haunted look in his eyes. There were shadows in his eyes, deeper, darker,
older, as if he had aged beyond his years after Obito's death. Could see him lingering in front
of the Memorial stone, as if he belonged there, as if this place was more home to him.
Sometimes she wondered what he saw, standing there and blankly staring at the stone for
hours, whenever he wasn't training himself to near collapse.

Despite his insistence of not caring in the past, Rin wondered if Kakashi didn't care too much.
If he had managed to so completely surround himself with masks and lies that he himself
couldn't tell anymore.

He smiled now. Over simple things, whereas before he had been stoic, what little of his face
they could see always wiped blank, as if he was afraid of showing emotions. She had
wondered if that was why he wore the mask, but remembered that even when he had been
little, before the war, before becoming a Ninja at all, he had always his his face.

And yet to Rin it now sometimes felt as if it was either that Kakashi smiled, or Kakashi
would crumble and break. Another mask in his collection of masks.

And she had seen him lingering in her presence. Always on the outer edges, as if he didn't
want her to notice, didn't dare intrude too much into her life, but like she had told Obito: She
was always watching her boys. How could she not, with how reckless they tended to be?

He became her shadow, and Rin felt a sad twist in her heart, wondering if it was only the
promise of Obito's last wish that bound him to her more strongly than any bonds of friendship
that had slowly grown between them.
And now....

Now all this wouldn't matter and Kakashi would wake up alone, and it was that thought she
couldn't stand. Not so shortly after loosing Obito. She didn't want to cause him more pain.

“Kakashi... I'm sorry...” she whispered fearfully as the Kiri-nin stepped closer.

And like an angry spectre Kakashi had appeared at her side, as if summoned by her will
alone. So fast that Rin had first thought the enemy had attacked, like a bolt of lightning
striking the ground. In a whirlwind of dust, noise and whirling leaves he dragged her and
Okita, the wounded Chunin out of the line of fire.

He gave her a job, and despite how she only wanted to sag to the ground in boneless relief,
she nodded, heart singing with joy. They weren't out of danger, but Kakashi was here, and she
trusted him, even as she worried about him. Had he been released from the hospital while she
was gone? Why was he here? How had he known that she was in danger? Coincidence?

All these thought's were pushed into the back of her mind. She needed to heal, this time she
could save someone, make sure someone else's Obito wouldn't be left behind bleeding out.
This time she wouldn't fail.

She ignored the screams, the explosions, the silence and the repeat of all three, entirely
focused on saving a life while at the edge she could see the clone Kakashi had made prowling
around her, keeping her safe.

When Kakashi returned, she had nearly had a heart attack. He was covered in blood, though
her eyes quickly noticed that most of it wasn't his own.

“... you are amazing...” Kakashi had told her after she explained, covered in sweat and
shivering from overusing her chakra, that Okita would live. Warmth glowed in her.

And then he had apologized and her world turned dark.

Carefully she sat up, wincing at the pain in her neck. It was more of a painful twinge, but
nothing serious. A pressure point protesting abuse.

Kakashi had knocked her out. Rin rubbed her eyes, slowly adjusting and seeing a little slip of
light like a crack to her right side. She crawled over, looking out, trying to be as quiet as
possible.

She recognized the surroundings.

She also saw that night was falling, and it had barely been noon when Kakashi had saved her.
Carefully she widened the crack with a kunai, until she could make out who else was with her
in her shelter.

Okita. Trembling hands carefully reached for him, pressing her fingers against his throat.
Warmth and a pulse made her sag in relief. Alive. He was alive.

Looking around, Rin frowned.

He was alive. But Kakashi was gone.

Despite the risk, Rin determinedly worked on creating an exit. It was slow going, because she
didn't know any Doton Jutsus. Suiton and Katon were her affinities, and she knew for a fact
that Kakashi's were Raiton and Suiton. Did he learn a Doton or was this the work of someone
else?

Sometime later a low, vaguely familiar pained groan made her look up from the hole she had
made. It was almost big enough to crawl out now. She turned around and checked Okita over
again, hands glowing green as she checked his wounds just as he opened his eyes and locked
on to her fearfully.
“It's all right.” nothing was right. Kakashi wouldn't have left her behind. He wouldn't. He had
told her, he had been the kind of trash that had left her behind once before, but she knew he
wouldn't do it again. Knew that he had regretted it more than anything, that he had not been a
little bit earlier in saving her and thus, somehow, saving Obito as well. Silly.

“The enemy seems to be gone.” She said, concentrating on her healing to avoid looking at
him.

“W-what happened...?” Okita croaked, looking around in confusion.

“...” she wasn't sure how to explain things.

“Kakashi came for us.” she started to explain “He managed to distract the enemy long
enough for me to heal you...” she opened her mouth to say he had left her and him
unconscious in this hide-out, but then held back at the last moment. He had knocked her out
and she didn't know why.

“I must have... lost consciousness. You were severally hurt.” she said instead and looked to
the hole she had made.

“We must have been out for a few hours. It's getting dark...” and Kakashi wasn't back. She
had a bad feeling about this, like a premonition.

“Kakashi-san?” Okita asked, clearly knowing the name. Kakashi was well-known as a genius
after all.

“I guess I owe him one... and you of course!” Okita grinned, and carefully sat up. He looked
at he hole, then back to her, almost impressed.

“I guess it's time to get out of here, hm?” the Chunin asked and flexed his limbs, trying to see
if everything was back in working order. He beamed at Rin in astonishment.
“I thought I was a goner for a second there!! Thank you Rin-san!”

Together they made good work of the stone-wall and slowly crawled out into the fresh night
air. Okita whistled.

“That's some good use of a Doton. If I didn't know, I wouldn't think this was not part of the
scenery.”

Rin took a look around herself, feeling lost.

“I... what... what do you think happened to Kakashi?” that sobered Okita up, as he too looked
around their surroundings, face turning grim.

“Nothing good, that's for sure.” he sighed, wincing and putting a hand where he was still sore
from the gash that had nearly gutted him.

“I...” Rin hesitated, but felt a little flare of hope as she noticed small, familiar paw-prints.

“Oh!” she said, kneeling down and touching a finger to one, feeling hope well up.

“Look! It's one of Kakashi's Ninken! If we follow this, it might lead us to him...!” she turned
around to Okita, who watched her with hesitance written across his face.

“I don't know...” he said “We don't know what happened... and how many enemies are
around. We should head back to the village and get backup, shouldn't we?”

But the thought of returning to Konoha without Kakashi, who could be injured and bleeding
somewhere... no, that thought didn't sit well with Rin.
Stubbornly she shook her head.

“I can't-” her voice broke “I... I can't just leave him behind.” she couldn't loose another
teammate, and Okita's gaze turned sympathetic. He knew about Obito.

“A quick look around then? And then go for backup?” he suggested.

Rin contemplated it for a moment, then patted herself down, but Minato-sensei's kunai was
gone. Frantically she looked around, thinking she had dropped it, when she saw it burried
next to the hide-out. She stepped closer and grabbed it, but it was stuck deep into stone.
Another hand closed around hers and helped her tug it free.

She turned to face Okita again triumphantly.

“This belongs to my sensei.” she said, ignoring how her sensei wasn't here despite the kunai
being stuck deliberately into the ground, most likely by Kakashi so Minato-sensei would be
able to find her.

“If we find Pakkun, he can get a notice to Konoha and Minato-sensei will come to help us.”

She felt bad as Okita's expression turned to cautious relief, as he finally nodded.

After all, she knew: Minato-sensei had been called to the front-lines. It wouldn't be easy for
him to come, not if it meant abandoning his other comrades in the middle of battle.

But she couldn't abandon Kakashi any more than he could abandon her. She had to see if she
could help him. She couldn't bear to be the last student of her sensei, to tell him how Kakashi,
who Minato-sensei worried about constantly, had died so shortly after Obito.

Kakashi had to live. He couldn't die before her. Just like she couldn't die before him.
 Thus was the bond between them, the little string of red that Obito had tied neatly around
them in his final moments and neither were willing to break.

Chapter End Notes

Okay, how did this get so long??? Rin!! What the hell, girl??

Well. It was fun writing her. Two chapters in one day, and I really should go to sleep :P

Would you like a tiny Minato POV, too? Or should we return to Kakashi with the next
chapter? ^^

P.S.: Helping a friend move tomorrow. Might not make it for a chapter but I will, as
always, try :P
 Blue Eyes
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes

To say Minato had been shocked when Kakashi arrived back half dead from a mission that
shouldn't have had much danger was an understatement. Kakashi had nearly driven himself
over the edge of exhaustion just to be back in the village as fast as possible, and the Yellow
Flash had the distinct notion that it wasn't entirely for the sake of the mission and more to do
with Kakashi's original unwillingness to leave Rin's sight. Kakashi asking after her even
though he was barely conscious, only seemed to confirm his hunch.

Minato swallowed back a sigh, rubbing a hand over his face and pulling his fingers through
his hair as a headache pounded in him like hammers striking an anvil repeatedly. Seeing
Kakashi being swallowed by the whites of a hospital bed made it all the more obvious how
young his student was, and how at a loss Minato felt about how to help Kakashi.

Clearly he wasn't dealing with Obito's death well. Where before, when Minato had found him
after Sakumo's suicide, Kakashi had withdrawn himself, reciting shinobi laws like it was the
only thing that made sense in his world anymore after loosing his last safe place in it...
Minato had thought that if anything, Obito's death would drive Kakashi further away, making
him close up again, shut out anyone that could get close and hurt him again when they were
suddenly gone.

The blond shinobi had hoped a team would help Kakashi connect with others again, but
Kakashi had done his best to stay apart from them. It was only in recent weeks that their
relationship had improved, and Minato had such high hopes for Obito and Rin drawing
Kakashi back into the living, instead of staying in the shadow of his dead father.

He knew that Kakashi had been traumatized at a young age. Knew that loosing his father had
been hard on him. When Minato had found Kakashi, he had been sitting in a pool of his
father's blood, holding his hands over the deep wound, where Sakumo had gutted himself.
Minato had felt sick at the thought of an eight year old walking in on this and then trying
desperately to put his father back to rights again, because Kakashi's hands had been covered
in blood and glowing a weak, sickly green. Minato was sure Kakashi had never used a
medical jutsu before in his life, but this genius little kid must have gotten enough by
watching others to recreate it somehow, even if it was much too weak and much too late to
help the dead. Kakashi had hovered over his father, dead skin had roughly knitted together in
some parts and had damn near killed himself. A kid still in the Academy, using medical
ninjutsu?? Minato would have thought it impossible.
It was the only time Minato had seen Kakashi use it. And never again had Kakashi shown an
interest in medical-jutsus, seeming to have an aversion of them and looking the other way
whenever someone used it on him. As if he was disinterested in others ability to heal him,
something that had irked Obito as his loud student had seen it as Kakashi disrespecting Rin.
But Minato thought that Kakashi probably would always connect the glowing green to guts
spilling over the ground, soaking wooden floors and his pants in a sticky red. He had never
asked Kakashi about it, not when he had bundled the boy up and carried him outside, worried
about how Kakashi let it happen passively when usually he would have scowled and
demanded to be put down the child's eyes locked on the dead body until Minato had turned
them away.

And then he had tried to gain the right to become Kakashi's guardian, only to be blocked by
civilian council left and right.

Kakashi was the last of the Hatake, they said, and it was a prestigious clan that was known
far beyond the Fire Country thanks to Sakumo. He was now clan head, and would need to
stand on his own feet sooner rather than later!

Kakashi was already well on his way to being a Genin, and thus an adult. A few months of
guardianship weren't worth the trouble.

Minato was needed on missions, how would he care about a child??

What about Minato's enemies? Wouldn't they see Kakashi as a weakness to get to him?

All he had been able to manage, seething with helpless rage, was to make them agree to give
Kakashi to him, as an apprentice after he became a Genin.

But until then, Kakashi had to live in the same house where his father died, and Minato had
watched as Kakashi often lingered in front of the door, the room always closed, as if it hid a
monster Kakashi couldn't make himself confront. A large house for a small kid.

So Minato had decided to come by as often as he could, helping Kakashi out with menial
tasks, or simply bringing him food that Kushina had cooked. Sometimes they trained
together. And sometimes Minato would carry him back, when Kakashi had overdone it with
his own training and tuck him into the bed. It only happened when Kakashi was so exhausted,
that he could barely keep his eyes open, but Minato treasured those memories beyond much
else. And Kakashi had warmed up to him. Cautious, but he would come out more readily if
Minato asked, would sometimes come over to his home to join in their dinner. If Minato
wanted to show him something, Kakashi – in his own way – seemed almost eager and
curious about it. It was hard to read expressions on Kakashi, with how little one could see of
his masked face and even further masked emotions. But Minato had studied and learned and
knew Kakashi's expressions by heart, and his eyes were the most telling sign.

Always with a mask and always with a blank, bored expression, but Minato could see how he
watched them, when they ate, how the shadows in his eyes lifted a little, especially when he
and Kushina argued. He didn't smile, but something in his expression, in his eyes made
Minato think that this was going in the right direction, as if it was a soundless giggle that
only Kakashi could manage to express.

He was quiet, and withdrawn, and so very serious that Minato couldn't help but want to wrap
him up and hide him away.

He was adorable, but clearly Minato alone wasn't enough, so Minato had asked the Hokage
for a Genin team, instead of taking Kakashi on alone as had been his original plan. It wasn't
healthy for Kakashi to only depend on him. He needed to interact with his peers and this was
one of the only ways Minato could even hope to force Kakashi into the presence of others
without it being a mission.

Kakashi was not happy. He didn't show it much, beyond frigid stares that froze his new
teammates to a spot during the first few weeks, but Obito was stubborn, and Rin was gentle,
and Minato could see how the ice armour around his students heart had started to melt, bit by
bit, until little splinters of ice were being chipped away.

But he hadn't known how far Kakashi had let his teammates in. Hadn't expected the raw hurt
and desperation when Obito died, so strong that Minato almost didn't recognize his student
despite watching over him for years. And for a moment, Minato feared that Kakashi would
run back towards the enemy to try and reach the dead body of his probably only friend apart
from Rin, even if he had to slaughter his way through numberless enemies or die trying.

It was as if a switch had been flicked. Something Minato would have been overjoyed before,
but...

Instead of withdrawing, Kakashi clutched at Rin as if she was the only reason for his
existence anymore. Rin had told him about the promise Kakashi had made to Obito, and he
knew that this was not any way to live a life and had resolved to slowly get Kakashi to loosen
his hold, to trust that others would look after Rin while he was out of the village, that he
needn't be the one solely responsible for her safety. He didn't want to know what would
happen to Kakashi in this mindset, if something happened to Rin. Somehow, Minato thought,
it felt as if Kakashi would loose his mind in such an event, and Minato who saw Kakashi
almost as his own kid... he couldn't bear it.

That's why he had send him on the mission, as missions had always been what had made
Kakashi focus. A point that had worried Minato, but clearly Kakashi wasn't looking to finish
missions no matter the cost anymore. Obito had finally gotten through to Kakashi, but Minato
wasn't sure if the obsessive behaviour he could see in his student was entirely healthy. Not if
it drove him to nearly kill himself by running without pause to get back to Rin.

Needless to say, that plan had clearly not worked that well.

Maybe it was too soon.

Minato let out another sigh and felt concern squeeze his heart. Gently he carded a hand
through his students hair, brushing it out of his face and saw Kakashi nuzzle into the warmth
of his hand. Like this, nobody would see Kakashi as a shinobi that could kill without mercy.
And Minato sometimes wished that Kakashi had taken longer to archive the rank of a Jonin.
He wished that the little innocence he could see right now would have lingered, to be seen
outside a time when Kakashi was unconscious and in the hospital.

“What am I supposed to do with you?” Minato asked the night, but no answer reached him.
Gently he stroked Kakashi's brow again, then slowly backed away. He had hoped to be here
when his student woke up, but the information Kakashi had brought back had concerned the
Hokage greatly and he had asked that Minato leave as quickly as possible, to help at the
front-line. The enemy had gotten reinforcements and the shinobi stationed at the border were
having a hard time keeping the border. Minato would be the quickest to reach them, and after
the Kannabi-bridge his reputation preceded him. Hopefully the enemy would back off. If not,
then Minato would have to engage and he didn't enjoy slaughtering his enemies, despite what
was being said about him. He had been... emotional after Obito's death. His anger near
boiling after the recount of what had happened, and even more after seeing how it affected
his so- … student. Students.

And now he was standing on the battlefield, staring down the enemy that had withdrawn a
little after seeing him on the other side of the border.
He was staring them down, when he felt the Hiraishin on the kunai he had given to Kakashi
glow to life in the back of his mind. His breath hitched. Kakashi knew not to use the kunai
except for emergencies. He knew it. He wasn't supposed to go on any missions until Minato
came back, Minato had made sure of that. So why was he using it? And it was Kakashi,
because Minato could almost feel an after-image of his chakra on the seal.

Minato stared at the enemy. The enemy stared back. Minato blinked, crooked his head to the
side and contemplated the situation. Then he closed his eyes and breathed out.

He could stare down the enemy all day, hell, probably for longer than that. His presence made
them cautiously back off, but Minato knew that as soon as his back was turned or he
disappeared, they would push forward again.

He hadn't wanted to slaughter the enemy.

But like hell would he wait around when his student was in trouble. And maybe it had not
exactly been his order to start the fight, but Minato sure know how to quickly end it and get
to where he needed to be. He trusted that Kakashi would be able to keep himself safe for
some time, though Minato didn't know what situation Kakashi could have possibly
encountered. Or why the hell he wasn't in Konoha when Minato had requested that Kakashi
had time to recover until Minato got back, barring emergencies or his unlikely death.

They were already at war. The enemy had engaged first, even if it had been before Minato
arrived. Minato would simply retaliate, make them retreat, scatter and then go and check up
on Kakashi.

The battle that commenced would go down in history as one of the most brutal ones in the
entire war.

It took Minato much longer than he would have liked to thin out the enemy until he was
confident that the border could deal with them on their own again.
 A day had passed and Minato felt sick with worry, his chakra uncomfortably low after using
the Hiraishin so often, but despite that he speed in the direction of Kakashi's kunai, trying to
get in range as quickly as possible to use the jutsu to teleport to his students side.

He just hoped he was not too late yet.

Not again.

Chapter End Notes

I barely managed to write this chapter today! Minato's POV was really hard D: He's a
big worry wart!

I've been volunteered to help out with moving stuff tomorrow too :P But as I managed to
get a chapter out despite being late today, I might manage tomorrow as well? :/
 Presence of Pack
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes

Kakashi drifted. Every now and then he became aware, in short bursts that didn't last long
before pain dragged him back under. Mostly he was fading in and out of consciousness, only
getting snatches of conversation that seemed too muddled for him to make any sense of, or
little slices of his surroundings. A shoulder digging into his abdomen, ground moving too fast
underneath before he was lost to the world again. The smell of stone, wind and an oncoming
storm. Metal and blood and sweat of the one carrying him.

They must have decided to move him while he was out cold. Kakashi was aware enough
about that, but there was nothing he was able to do about it. They weren't gentle with him and
Kakashi was by now pretty sure that Rin had gotten treated completely different. Maybe
because she was a female, or maybe because she didn't kill about twenty or thirty comrades
of the enemy right before the ritual. She had certainly been in a better condition than he was
in, that's for sure. The chakra – the sapphire blue one that didn't belong, was trying to escape
it's confines in sharp bursts, that made the world fade out and leave Kakashi feeling like he
was being drowned repeatedly.

During the transport he was under seals again, making him unable to move, but the time-
traveler was sure that even without the precaution, he wouldn't have been able to be much of
a threat. He specialized in Ninjutsu after all, and his hands were all but crippled. The enemy
clearly wasn't willing to risk him getting free and attacking them again. Smart, when one
considered what they had just sealed into Kakashi.

The sapphire chakra was like a star in his body, bright and radiating but also contained. He
could feel it struggling and sometimes a bit of the chakra escaped, making him moan in
discomfort and pain as it pushed its way through his abused coils, making him black out
again when it became too much, before the seal struggled to wrap itself around the intruder
once more, bringing short relief.

When Kakashi slowly drifted awake again he was bound to a stone pillar, thick robes winding
around him forcing him uncomfortably against rough stone, cutting tightly into his flesh and
pressing against injuries. Even without looking around, he knew he was alone. He couldn't
smell the enemy anymore, nor hear them. He wasn't sure he wanted to know what had drawn
him out of his unconscious state this time, his body sagging limply against the bindings, no
energy left to keep himself upright. How they expected him to run in this state was a mystery
to him. He wondered how they would react if Kakashi simply decided to walk at a leisurely
pace back to Konoha because he just wanted to get home.
The emotion that accompanied that thought was almost painful. Kakashi struggled tiredly, his
limbs shaking a little as he tested the ropes as discreetly as he could. He just wanted to get
back, see the safe walls of Konoha but that was wrong he needed to... do... something.

His thoughts felt muddled and a bit slow, pain making everything seem hazy. Kakashi wanted
to shake his head slightly, to try and rid himself of the cobwebs clinging to his thoughts. Only
training and experience kept him still, as he strained his senses as far as he could. There
didn't seem to be anyone close by, but he could feel several chakra-presences patrolling the
area.

And... a small one directly in front of him, too small to be human and too different. Familiar.

Finally Kakashi felt safe enough to take stock of himself, instead of his surroundings. His
clothes were back, but his face still felt bare, the mask hanging half torn down around his
neck. He missed the familiar weight and safety it provided, as well as how it protected his
overly sensitive senses. Chakra was humming in his body, he felt fit to burst with it, nearly
sick with the over-abundance of the sapphire chakra pressing against his straining coils. It
hurt just to exist and Kakashi didn't know how Rin had not been incapacitated. But then
again, he had always been sensitive to other chakra. His own was different. White and dense,
packed neatly and tight, while the sapphire one was fluid and bubbling, like a giant rushing
river.

A low, hoarse moan slipped out before he could help it, but there was no enemy to take
notice. The presence in front of him moved slightly, but his instincts deemed it safe. If
Kakashi could only think straight...

Instead a burst of sapphire chakra made him nearly pass out again, before his own, struggling
chakra managed to push it back to a bearable level.

Carefully Kakashi cracked his hurting eyes open. He was never, ever going to use contact
lenses again, that much he was sure about. His eyes stung, feeling gritty and dry, and he could
make out the blurry sight of something small down at his feet. He barely had the energy to lift
his head, so it was convenient that it was staring up at him while he was staring down.

It was barking. Kakashi blinked, thoughts sluggish and slow. It seemed strangely familiar.

“-ashi!” Pakkun whisper-barked, and finally Kakashi's sight cleared enough to recognize his
most loyal companion.
“P...kun...” he rasped out, and tried to smile reassuringly at the pug staring at him aghast. It
was not an expression he had ever seen on Pakkun, nor one he ever wanted to see again. His
Ninken was sassy and pushy and cute. It made Kakashi gather his resolve, made him slowly,
carefully gather the little strength he had acquired during his unconscious travels and finally
find his feet again.

“'s... not so... bad.” he tried to reassure, but honestly... he kind of wished that Sakura was
already born and ready to tear the ground apart in a fit of anger. He... missed her. A little.

She at least had never confined him in a hospital bed, instead she used to patch him up in a
short, bearable burst of green glowing chakra and then send him home with strict instructions
and effective threats if he didn't comply with her wishes

“And if I find out you went out instead of resting...” she would say, one hand firmly planted
at her hip as she narrowed her jade-green eyes at him “I'm going to level each and every
single bookstore before making Sasuke burn your collection.”

On another occasion she had grabbed him as he was about to leave, drawing him in until they
were nearly nose to nose.

“If I find out you had symptoms, and you didn't come to tell me about them...” here she
released him, gently stroking out and imagined wrinkles on his vest as he carefully took a
step back “Well.” she murmured, smiling in pleasure that at the same time send shivers down
Kakashi's back.

“I will heal you up, but maybe there may be a mishap and my hand might slip and it would
be a sad end to the Hatake line.”

Yes. Healers were monsters. He was absolutely right to avoid them except when absolutely
necessary.

He hadn't liked her, whenever she did that, but he sort-off missed it now.
Pakkun clearly didn't believe him, instead he circled him and clearly contemplated how to go
about getting Kakashi out of the bindings and not make his summoner face-plant into the
ground.

“I think your definition of not so bad might have a slightly different meaning than mine.”
Pakkun huffed, but sat down in front of him, putting a paw at Kakashi's ripped up trousers, a
reassuring small gesture that probably benefited Pakkun more than it did his summoner.
Kakashi struggled, but pain was not unfamiliar to him, even if the pain of a Bijuu's chakra
was not something he had ever had to deal with. He could deal with it, as he always had, if
with a little more effort and struggle.

“'s okay.” Kakashi mumbled, his voice gaining some strength as he tried to shove some of the
pain to the back of his mind. He could feel his chakra – low as it was from his fight with the
Kiri-nin – struggling weakly against the sapphire strands invading his body “Can't... can't go.
I want to... I really want to return to Konoha... but can't.” Pakkun would understand. After
all, he too was from the future and knew about what had happened to Rin.

Kakashi breathed heavily out, trying to ignore the desperate longing in his chest. Home, it
whispered to him, like a steady mantra, as if he was the needle of a compass being pulled to
the lodestone.

He had not thought that this would happen to him. Or, well, he had contemplated it as a
possible solution but dismissed it as the worst case scenario aside from his death and Rin's
death.

He would have preferred any of his other plans, and there had been a multitude of them.
Becoming a Jinchūriki was too risky, Kakashi didn't know if his body could even hold the
Bijuu for a prolonged time, if it would still adapt, or if it would burn him out in a most
painful way. Currently it felt like the latter would happen to him and it made him...

Angry.

He had miscalculated. Badly. He didn't know where he had started to fuck this whole thing up
but he had and things had gotten complicated. He was needed for the future. If the worst
happened and things repeated themselves, then Kakashi would be playing an important part.
What would happen if he died, and the knowledge of the future with him??
“-kashi!!” Pakkun's voice dragged him out of his thoughts and Kakashi looked down at the
small pug, contemplating his options.

“I...” Kakashi hesitated, then sighed and let his head drop forward again, too tired to keep it
up and Pakkun had seen him at hist worst anyways.

“Can you... keep watch?” he didn't like being at the mercy of his enemies, but while Pakkun
could probably gnaw through his ropes, Kakashi wasn't really in a state to defend himself and
the cursed seal was making him want to return to Konoha, no matter what. For now, it would
be better to stay where he was, even if it galled him to be this helpless and weak. At least he
knew they wouldn't kill him.

“Just... bite me and unsummon yourself if someone gets close...” Kakashi murmured tiredly.

“What are you going to do, Kakashi?” Pakkun's hindpaw tabbed the ground in irritation.
Clearly he was unhappy to not be able to do much more.

“I... I need to find a way to contact the... the Sanbi.”

He knew much more about Bijuu than before, seeing Naruto grow up and build a rapport
with Kurama had given him an insight that this time and most of the Jinchūriki's in it lacked.

That, and having the experience of a Yamanaka rifling through his mind after long, S-ranked
missions to assure his continued loyalty to the village. He knew how his mindscape felt and
hoped that it wouldn't be too hard to get there on his own. Was that even where the Bijuu
was? He had thought so, but had never confirmed it with Naruto.

The sapphire chakra was building up again, making Kakashi grit his teeth at the feeling of his
body being invaded by the foreign chakra. It didn't belong. Sweat dripped down his brow,
leaving Kakashi panting as it receded, forced back once more by the seal that barely
contained it.

He and that Bijuu in his body needed to have a talk. If they were cohabiting his body and if
Kakashi wanted to be able to still change the future, he couldn't have the Bijuu working
against him. Besides, it did concern the Bijuu. Maybe, even if he died, the Sanbi could
somehow warn the others and make a difference. Not that he preferred to die, but he had to
realistically agree that his condition and situation was far from the best.

Naruto had babbled something about a shared mindscape but honestly, Kakashi had not been
sure if that was a delusion of his student or if it was true and if it was... was still a option to
see if he could follow Obito and Rin and escape this madness? Would there even be an
afterlife with people remembering the future that hopefully would never come to pass?

There were things Kakashi was completely comfortable staying out of, and having a Bijuu
sealed inside him had been one such thing.

Now here he was. Stuck in a cave, useless hands throbbing at his side and a barely
functioning seal keeping a Bijuu at bay that was intent on breaking out.

“This is so messed up...” Kakashi sighed, letting his head fall forward again, sagging against
the bonds to preserve his little strength.

“Ridiculous. This is a plan worthy of a knuckle-head” but clearly, all his other plans went out
of the window when fate intervened and had him captured, despite his preparations.

Kakashi closed his lids, the eye-contacts were lying uncomfortably on his eyes, itching and
still hurting. He breathed deeply, trying to centre himself.

“'m sorry, Pakkun.... you get out of here as soon as it looks like I'm loosing control, you hear
me?” Kakashi rasped out, opening one eye to stare down at his pug. Noting the stubborn
stare, Kakashi frowned.

“I mean it.”

“Bite me.” Pakkun replied, putting his back to Kakashi, clearly intent on ignoring his
summoners opinion if he thought said summoner was being stupid. Kakashi wanted to groan.
Or laugh. A rusty chuckle escaped, that made him wince as the ropes cut uncomfortably into
his sides and arms.
Knowing he couldn't change Pakkun's mind, he closed his eyes again, breathing in deep and
letting the breath out slowly.

Bound and captured he might be, but he had Pakkun watching over him, and that thought
settled him more than anything. Pakkun who had stayed with him when Kakashi had been too
young to stand on his own, yet had been forced to step up and become an adult as fast as
possible when his father had died. He who had managed to keep a facade of a put-together
shinobi up, who had struggled to restore his family's name, and who had resolved to abide to
the rules of the shinobi no matter what.

A child who at night had curled up in a big, old and empty house. Who had flinched when
floorboards cracked as they moved in the night, shuddered when there was a storm raging
outside and lightning lit up the room, making shadows into creatures and figures of
nightmares.

But Pakkun and the pack had simply piled into the room as if they belonged and the world
didn't seem so lonely or bad when his Ninken cuddled up to him, creating a big, warm pile of
wiggling limbs and fur. Buru's snores covered the sound of the house croaking and creaking,
while Pakkun had ordered to be petted on the belly until Kakashi felt drowsy.

And even years later, there were few things that settled Kakashi as well as his Ninken's
presence.

Deep breaths, in, and out.

In.

And out.

And Kakashi let himself fall, concentrating on turning inwards.

He fell, and fell and he welcomed it.

When he landed, he took a moment to brace himself, before he opened his eyes.
Chapter End Notes

Pakkun!!! :D The first to arrive!

Sorry about the late update. I got home late yesterday, and I did write this chapter but I
was so tired that I couldn't proof-read it in time. By then it was about 3 am, and I
decided to update today instead. I found a few very weird sentences in there, so it's
probably good I checked it over with a sound mind :P
 Mindscape
Chapter Notes

Song I listened to while writing the chapter:

Agnes Obel - Familiar

See the end of the chapter for more notes

This was by far not the first time Kakashi had entered his mindscape. Only this time he was
not accompanied by a Yamanaka, but alone. He knew the dangers of one being alone in his
mindscape, had seen his fair share of comrades that had gotten in too deep and hadn't been
able to find the way out alone anymore. In some cases the Yamanaka could help, could enter
and seek out the lost person and lead them back. In others...

Entering ones mindscape was done through meditation, in most cases, but sometimes it
happened when one was unconscious or near death or even during torture, though in the
latter, the interrogator would most likely use different techniques to draw the person back
before he or she got too far. There was no information to be found in a comatose captive after
all.

If one got lost in memories of the past – or liked the past better than the present – it was
tempting to simply... stay lost. It was one reason why Kakashi had never attempted this on his
own. He already lingered in past regrets too often to not be at risk. Too many memories he
would rather dwell on than the bloody reality he had immersed himself in. But Kakashi was a
realist. He didn't want to create his own dream world, and after the fourth shinobi war he was
certain that he had enough willpower by now to not fall prey to the trap his own mind might
become.

After the sensation of falling, Kakashi opened his eyes. His mindscape always changed a
little. He could remember the last time he had come here, how he had looked around.

Usually his mindscape resembled a clear, nearly endless stretching pond of water. In peaceful
times, it's surface was almost as smooth as a mirror, reflecting the blue sky up above.
Structures old and new perforated the water surface, most of them familiar one way or
another. There were weapons sticking out, some covered in rust and moss, others still clear
and sharp as the day they were made, making it look like a battlefield of old, when nobody
had bothered with the clean-up and nature had taken it upon itself to hide the destruction
wrought years ago. Some of the more decayed buildings were looking more like tombstones
than the homes they had once been. There were trees around, some healthy, others looking
like they had been struck by lightning, bare yet still standing tall. Leaves swimming gently
over the water surface, little memories drifting by and swirling merrily in an invisible breeze.
Despite the destruction, it was a peaceful view... most of the time.

So long as one didn't look underneath the surface, everything seemed perfectly fine. Kakashi
had always lived by the quote 'look underneath the underneath', and his mind clearly had
adapted to that.

If one were to look under the water surface, they would find his darkest memories. As if
drowning them would keep them from overwhelming him, but every so often they would
break the surface and he would remember...

During his years of ANBU, the water had been more red then clear though. Often times it had
risen until it had reached his ankles, or knees, making wading through it harder than it needed
to be.

Kakashi had been prepared for a lot, considering his current state, but the howling storm that
was wrecking around his mind had not been it.

Clouds covered the clear sky, lightning streaking through them and sometimes hitting the
water that was turbulent and grey, crashing waves rising up like grasping hands.

For a moment Kakashi stood still, immediately soaked to the bone and looking around in
mute horror. Then he dragged a hand through his soggy hear and sighed.

“Yare, yare.” looking around, the biggest change was quite obvious. In the far off distance
Kakashi could see a humongous cave, and that is where he dashed off to.

( ･_\\)ﾉ-≒≒≒≒≒≒≒≒≒≒⁂
Kakashi had struggled to even arrive at the cave, the water was cold, and the wind howled. It
was strange to think that this was his mind, it felt much to real. At long last he arrived at the
entrance of the cave and cautiously – yet slightly relieved to escape the storm – entered.

The cave led into darkness, that Kakashi had to put a hand to the dripping walls to keep
moving forward. It seemed like an eternity passed, as he slowly moved closer to the source of
the sapphire chakra that made the air in the tunnel heavier by the minute. Not only that, but
Kakashi could hear the enraged roars echoing though the path he had taken, making his ears
ring from the volume.

Finally he could make out a lit up cavern up ahead and slowed, trying to see the situation
before he got crushed without ever being allowed to speak.

A quick look inside the cave showed that the little light that made it possible to see stemmed
from a few holes in the ceiling. Water from the rain poured down, and directly below in the
middle of the cave was the Bijuu, wrapped in chains so it could hardly move and struggling
against it's bonds. It's tails trashed around, trying to rid itself of his bindings with no success.
The shallow water that collected in puddles on the ground splashed to the sides, soaking the
walls and the Sanbi roared again, fury and helpless rage and pain all collected into one sound.

Kakashi felt his breath leave him in a shuddering sigh. Being told that the Bijuu were
misunderstood and actually quite friendly was something entirely different if you were
standing in front of one, but it's not like Kakashi had a choice here.

Carefully he stepped into the cave, sticking to the walls and trying to get a good view of the
situation before he drew attention. He could see the seal in the chains wrapped around the
Sanbi, that were connected to the stone. A few links had already snapped, but the Sanbi was
far from getting free. But it was possible that it could get out of the bindings and free itself,
that much was clear to Kakashi.

Clearing his throat, heart hammering in his chest, Kakashi slowly stepped closer until he was
standing just out of range of the Bijuu's trashing body.

“Yo.” he tried. The Sanbi ignored him.

Kakashi stared at the three-tails and finally noticed what should have been obvious from the
beginning:

There was a turtle inside him.

Oh kami, Gai had infected him and there was a turtle inside him.

Now, how to draw the attention of the Sanbi?

Why, get in it's face and stick there. The face seemed to be the safest place, as for one the
Sanbi would have to hit itself into it to dislodge Kakashi, but also because the bindings made
it hard for it to reach there.

Without further overthinking it, Kakashi jumped, landed just a little way above the Sanbi's
opened eye and bend down to give a cheery salute.

“Yo!”

The Sanbi stilled, eye locking onto Kakashi. Then it roared, so loud it rattled Kakashi's bones
and trashed even more. Only Kakashi's feet glowing with chakra prevented him from being
flung into a wall. As it was, he nearly got dislodged anyways and only a quick jump to the
ceiling saved him from being squished.

“I come in peace?” Kakashi tried, dodging one of the ripped chains that the Sanbi wielded
with pinpoint accuracy.

Dear gods above, how had Naruto dealt with Kurama?? Kakashi managed to dodge until he
was at the edge of the cave. He held his hands up, trying to appear as non-threatening as
possible.

“I only want to talk. That's all.” he shouted, keeping a weary eye on any movement.
The Sanbi stilled again, growling and panting from it's near continuous struggles for freedom.

“You dare...!” the Sanbi roared, twisting to try and look at Kakashi and whimpering when the
chains nearly choked him. Kakashi – despite being quite terrified – felt something twist
inside him at the sound. It had a likeness to his Ninken that just made protective instincts well
up.

“Puny human! I'll crush you!” it roared again.

“I'd really you rather don't...” Kakashi sighed, staying well out of range and contemplating
the options. He knew that the Sanbi probably wasn't only a ball of rage as it seemed right
now. Even Kurama, so full of hate, had another side to him.

“Can we just... talk?” he tried again, but the Bijuu was more concerned about getting free
again, and truthfully... Kakashi couldn't blame it. Not only because it didn't want to be here,
but the seal it was stuck in was anything but comfortable.

Once more Kakashi eyed the chains, contemplating. With a sigh and wondering if this was
how he would die, Kakashi powered up a Chidori, drawing the attention of the tailed beast
again, that roared and struggled and prepared to fight.

Running up a wall, Kakashi ignored it, only keeping his attention on it in case it decided to
attack him before he got far.

His hand stuck out, and the chain shattered.

With an earth-shaking sound, the Sanbi finally fell on the ground. There were still a lot of
chains wrapped around it, but the chain that Kakashi had snapped had slackened the hold it
had and gave the Bijuu more room to move. Even though it had the space now, the Sanbi
stayed still for a stunned moment. Kakashi used the time to retreat back to the entrance of the
cave, ready to duck back in the tunnel if the Sanbi decided to use its new freedom to try and
crush Kakashi.
Truthfully, this was probably the most stupid thing he had ever done in his life. If the Sanbi
wasn't willing to listen to him and decided to rip itself free, it was game over for Kakashi. He
would die once the Bijuu left him, releasing the Bijuu to run on a rampage.

“Can we talk?” Kakashi tried again, eye-balling the Bijuu that kept one, narrowed eye on the
human in front of it.

“...” carefully, the Sanbi tested its range of movement. Then it looked back at Kakashi, to the
chains, and back to Kakashi as if it couldn't understand his thought process. This was such a
Naruto plan that Kakashi wasn't surprised that it even had the ability to stun a Bijuu into
silence.

“Why would you do that...?” the Sanbi growled, still agitated but not nearly blind in its rage
anymore. It pulled a little on the chains, but finally got enough slack to settle almost
comfortably on the ground.

Kakashi shrugged. He couldn't tell it that it was because it was whimpering like a dog trapped
in a fox-trap.

“It's more comfortable now, isn't it?” Kakashi said instead, slouching back into the cave now
that it didn't seem like the Sanbi was about to take his head off.

“Besides... this might take some time.” it wasn't like Kakashi could explain the future years
and manipulations in a matter of minutes.

“What would a human care about a monsters comfort?” The Sanbi hissed, curling up a
little, tails wrapping over his body until he was as protected as he could be, with chains still
partly immobilising.

“... I know you are not monsters.” Kakashi carefully said. “In fact, I think you are lonely and
obviously not here by choice. It took me a while but I think I can understand your anger, at
least a little.”
“...” the Sanbi looked Kakashi up and down “So you will set me free then?” it asked, honey
lacing it's tone in a poisonous way. Kakashi winced.

“Ah... well, that would kill me too now, wouldn't it?” Kakashi said with a little flinch. He
didn't want to die after all, not with so many things to do and change. Just as the beast shifted
in anger he put up his hands again and quickly added “Let me talk! If after this conversation
you still want to be free, I will find a way to do so.” away from Konoha. And Rin. Far away,
maybe in Kiri? Kidding, they needed every Ninja available if they wanted to face the future...
Kakashi couldn't afford to go on a rampage and then die, taking with him whoever could have
played an important part in the fourth war.

The Sanbi watched him in sceptical mistrust.

“...” for a moment it seemed to think it over, then the tension in its frame relaxed as it curled
up as much as it could on the ground once more.

“Talk then.” it said “But if you lie... I will make sure you die a painful death.” it
grumbled, muttering under his breath what Kakashi wasn't supposed to hear, but couldn't help
listen to with his sensitive hearing. Several rather creative ways of how the Sanbi could make
sure Kakashi regretted ever being born.

Breathing out a shaky breath, Kakashi stepped a little bit further inside. Still out of reach of
the Sanbi, but closer. Carefully he sat down on one of the dryer patches on the ground,
putting his hands in his lap and hoping beyond hope that this would work out well.

“Alright. That's fair.” Kakashi nodded, and tried to remember if Naruto ever said anything
about the temper of the Sanbi, or how it acted.

“First, let me tell you a story.”

“A story?” the Sanbi asked, clearly amused but also... childishly curious. It turned its head a
little sideways, bringing his eye closer to Kakashi and blinking lazily.
 “I like stories.” it muttered, and Kakashi had to blink back twice to make sure he had heard
correctly. It sounded... young. Now that it wasn't screaming anymore.

“Alright.” Kakashi said and then ploughed straight ahead.

“Let me tell you about the story of the gutsy ninja called Naruto.”

“It all started when a boy was born...” and thus Kakashi detailed the life of Naruto, slowly
expanding with little to no interruptions from the tailed beast sitting in front of him, listening
in enraptured silence.

If he summarised the first few years, to get to the later years sooner, well... they were on a
time limit after all.

Explanations could come later.

Chapter End Notes

This is the FIRST fanart I ever received for one of my fanfics, thank you so, so much!!
Made by YoKoChi150 on DeviantArt:

Kakashi's and Isobu's first meeting

Sorry about the wait. But hey, the chapter is extra long! The longest in this story so far!

I've had a bit of... uh... trouble. I managed to break a glas vase and because I'm an idiot,
decided I could fix that by just... soldering them back together.
The positive: It worked. Sort of. It's a bit uh... rough on some edges but I'm sure nobody
will notice a thing, right?
The negative: I burned 3 of my finders in the process and nearly took a toe off. Ow.

Additionally I actually had to rewrite most of the chapter because a cat decided to walk
over my laptop and step on the off button......................................

I'm calling him satan-spawn now. He's clearly possessed by evil. Either that or I am
cursed right now Q_Q
 Rescue
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes

Kakashi was still in the process of explaining the end of the fourth shinobi-war when he felt a
disturbance that shocked him out of his meditative state. He came back to himself almost
violently, when he felt someone touch his bare face. Even before he opened his eyes, his
pulse skyrocked in confusion and anger, a snarl on his bloodied lips.

Pakkun.

This was not how he should have woken up. There was no sharp sting of teeth sinking into
his leg. Pakkun should have bitten him if anyone approached, bitten him long before anyone
could get close enough to touch. So if he didn't, Kakashi could only conclude in the second it
took him to become aware, that someone had gotten to Pakkun and Kakashi couldn't... he
couldn't stand it if something happened to his Ninken.

Pakkun was his.

Still growling, lips pulled back over slightly sharper than a normal human's canines,
Kakashi's eyes snapped open, unfocused as the eye-contacts were still hurting his eyes and
making them water from opening them too quick.

A moment later the smell registered. More powerful than ever before, since the mask was
gone.

Lavenderherbsmorningdew.

“R-rin...” the name slipped out before his sight cleared up and he could see his teammate
standing in front of him, tears in her eyes as she stared at Kakashi as if he had torn her heart
out. Again. Frantically Kakashi's eyes moved down to her chest, breath leaving him in a
shuddering sigh when he saw no visible wounds on her body.
Alivealivealive. He repeated it like a mantra as his pulse slowly settled.

Pakkun was crouching next to her, butt wiggling in place, clearly unhappy and undecided as
to what he should do. Kakashi breathed easier seeing that the pug was unharmed too.

And then he realized what was going on. Rin. Rin was here. With enemies surrounding them
on all sides. She had a kunai in hand and making quick work of his ropes, and Kakashi wasn't
ready. He still needed to finish talking to the Sanbi, he couldn't be released yet...!

“What are you doing here...!” Kakashi whispered aghast. No. No, she should be safe! Minato
should have gotten her back to the village. This was wrong. She shouldn't be anywhere
near...!

“Saving you.” she said, sniffling slightly, trying to blink away the tears in her eyes but her
hands were steady as she cut through the ropes holding Kakashi up. He felt them snap, and
stumbled weakly forward, not entirely prepared to hold his own weight. Her arms quickly
rose up to catch his fall and he felt a shudder go though her as she let out a tiny sob, clutching
to him in desperation. Tiredly he dropped his head on her shoulder, breathed in her skin and
tried to anchor himself in the knowledge that she was still alive.

“Rin... Rin, listen to me...” the seal pulled and Kakashi winced. The need to return to
Konoha was so strong, making him almost forget what he wanted to say. Forget the pain and
stand up to rush back home.

“I need you to go. You hear me? You need to go back to Konoha, right now.”

He could feel her shake her head, stubbornly. Her hands glowed green as she went over his
injuries and tried to quickly fix him up, to see where his worst injuries were. He could see,
feel and smell her horror when she finally noticed his hands.

“Oh kami...” she whispered, trembling and then Kakashi heard a tiny scuff of something
disturbing the ground behind her, finally noticed the figure standing only a short way away.
He twitched, his head snapping up in alarm and despite the pain he used his hands to shove
her slightly to the side, trying to shield her with his body. The fast movement disoriented him
and clearly showed that he wasn't well enough for a fight but if he could just stall for time-

Okita took a step back, hands rising up in a show that he was unarmed and Kakashi relaxed
slightly. A hand near his face made him snap his attention back to Rin, who carefully tugged
at his ripped mask and carefully pulled it over his chin, trying to settle the torn fabric back in
place.

Kakashi's heart broke a little at the gesture. It wasn't needed, and yet Rin always thought of
other's comfort first and foremost and despite not knowing his exact reasons, she knew he
was more comfortable with the mask on.

“We came to safe you...” Okita whispered, glancing uneasily to the exit “But we should really
go. Now.” he hurried over now that Kakashi had clearly seen him as a comrade and for a
moment seemed to want to try and take Kakashi's arm, before he too noticed the state of the
limb and winced in sympathy.

“Ah.” he muttered, looking a bit green in the face. Instead he grabbed Kakashi by one of his
armour straps and heaved, until Kakashi was standing on his own two feet again. A bit
unsteady, swaying in place but in any other situation Kakashi would have appreciated the
gesture.

Right now it was really inconvenient and Kakashi could feel his plans dissolve like mist in
his grasping hands.

“You need to leave me and go back.” Kakashi whispered, but Okita rolled his eyes and Rin
looked about ready to slap him if he didn't get moving.

“We will head out. When it's safe enough I will try to heal some of your injuries and then we
will run back to the village.” Rin decided, and her tone brooked no argument.

“It's a trap...!” Kakashi tried but got a slight shove in his back, that made him stumble
forward.
“Less talking, more walking.” Okita smiled and Kakashi wanted to strangle him. He really
did.

The way out of the cave was the same as Kakashi remembered. This time though, the enemy
nin did give them some more time to escape, and once outside Rin took the time to heal some
of the deep-purpeling bruises on his body. She stayed clear of his arms, despite looking like
she desperately wanted to do something about it, but healing them in the wrong way could
permanently end Kakashi's career as a shinobi. Setting the bones would take time they
probably didn't have, at least not this close to the enemy. It was more important to get
Kakashi up and running again first, before she could concentrate on his arms.

When she finally, very carefully took out the contact lenses without questioning why Kakashi
had them in to begin with, and put a green-glowing hand over his eyes to heal the damage,
Kakashi wanted to either flinch away or moan in relief. Instead he sat in silence, and tried to
ignore the desperate longing to start running back to Konoha.

He needed to get rid of that seal. He knew now why Rin had insisted that he kill her, if that
was what she had felt then she wouldn't have thought that they would find a solution quickly
enough to stop her from entering Konoha.

“I can crush your tiny heart, if you want me to.” the Sanbi offered helpfully, if a bit too
eagerly for Kakashi's taste. Kakashi winced, not only because of the unexpected voice in his
head but also at the image of he Sanbi crushing his heart.He drew Rin's concerned glance
before he tried to think back at the Sanbi, closing his eyes in concentration. He wasn't even
sure how this worked, but he didn't want to be labelled as crazy if he started to talk to
nothing.

“Thanks.” the time-traveler thought in his driest voice “I think I'll pass.”

He got a weird feeling of amusement and shuddered at the strange feeling that wasn't his but
seemed to bleed over, muted but there.

He flinched when Rin took his hand and started the long and arduous task of setting the
bones of his right arm.
“Gnh.” Kakashi bit his teeth together, trying to refrain from making a sound despite his
vision almost blacking out again. When the pain almost became too much, he turned his head
and bit himself into the shoulder to keep silent. The enemy wouldn't kill him, but now that he
was free, they also didn't need to keep the others alive and Kakashi would be damned if they
got killed because of him.

“Humans heal so slowly...” the Sanbi idly commented. The sentence made Kakashi's
thoughts whirr.

“... could you... heal a heart?” he mused back, contemplating the options he had to get rid of
the seal. Destroying it would mean attacking his heart and he himself wasn't able to do it.
Something prevented him from even raising a hand to his chest. It seemed he would have to
do, what Rin had done and kill himself, but she had died. Naruto had barely survived a
Chidori to his chest. Was it the difference in their Bijuu that made it possible for Naruto to
survive what Rin could not, or was it something else? Sasuke had missed the heart, at least
partly. Kakashi did not.

“... I probably could heal a heart...” the Sanbi muttered, sounding a little unsure in a way
that made Kakashi hesitate to trust the statement “... provided it's not entirely gone. If I
have something to work with I could do it...”

Rin was starting to finish up with his hand, when Kakashi felt several presences get closer to
their location. His head snapped around towards the small path they had taken to get out of
the cave.

“Kakashi...” Pakkun warned, fur bristling as he stared at the tunnel they had just left from.

“Tch.” Kakashi had hoped they would have more time.

“Run.” he whispered, his mostly healed right hand pushing Rin away from his still mangled
left one. They didn't have any more time, as his absence had been noticed. Neither Okita nor
Rin argued with him, knowing that his senses were better than theirs and they should better
not argue.

Kakashi bit his right-hand thumb, and with some one-handed seals that felt so off and painful
in his freshly healed hand – and slow in his opinion as he was used to be able to form
 handsigns much more quickly, even one-handed – he slammed his hand on the ground.

“Ninpou: Kuchiyose!”

In a cloud of smoke his pack appeared, all of them turning to him and growling when they
saw the state he was still in.

“Distract!” he said and didn't need to add more. His Ninken dashed away, and he pushed
himself off the ground to join Okita and Rin, both keeping watch before they started to run. It
jostled his injured arm and Kakashi flinched, trying to keep the limb as immobilised as he
could. He didn't want to slow them down. Rin threw him concerned glances every now and
then, while Okita looked behind to see if the pursuers were gaining on them.

And Kakashi's heart pulled, and pulled and Konoha drew closer by the second.

Chapter End Notes

Heh, long awaited rescue, huh? But Rin is there, and Okita and Minato is still on his
way, but not only him but Zetsu will be putting his plan to work and Obito's appearance
is also drawing closer :) Excited?

I'm kinda taking a liking to Okita even though I don't even know what he looks like or
what he is. I thought Taijutsu specialist? He might appear a few more times ^^
 Yellow Flash
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes

Minato felt the seal get closer and closer. It couldn't be much longer before he could use the
Hiraishin and he desperately hoped he wouldn't be too late. Too much time, way too much
time had passed since Kakashi had thrown it the first time and yet... it had been moving, up
until a moment ago and it gave Minato hope that he could still manage to get to his student in
time. Sweat was covering him, as trees flew past. His entire focus was on the seal, so he
could flash to it as soon as he came in range. It was just too bad that where ever Kakashi had
gone to, it had been the exact opposite direction than where Minato had been stationed at the
front line, closer to the Water Country than the Stone Country where Minato had been
holding the front-line. He had passed Konoha to the bewilderment of the guards stationed on
patrol, not even stopping for a greeting as he flashed past, the few Hiraishin he had in the
village helping him save some time before he had flashed out of the village just as quickly.

Finally, after two and a half days he felt the seal strongly enough, gathered his chakra and in
a flash of yellow and gold disappeared without a trace.

When he reappeared, hand curled around the three-pronged kunai in mid-throw, he took a
second to recognize his surroundings, another second to deflect the weapons headed his way
and a third second to feel his heart shatter.
Kakashi stood in the middle of the clearing, surrounded by Kiri-shinobi. Minato could see
blood, so much blood covering his student, and the rain that poured down at them ran red at
 his apprentice feet. His right arm had punched a hole through the brown haired kunoichi,
clothed in a vaguely familiar style. But no. No, it couldn't be.

As if that wasn't enough, Minato could see that there were several kunai sticking out of
Kakashi, as if mocking Minato. If only he had been faster...

He was so quick.

Always so quick, but every time not fast enough.

Chapter End Notes

Love you guys. Have a nice day/sleep well, story end. Yeeeeey!

Kidding. See you tomorrow!

d=(´▽｀)=b

P.S.: I do not know the artist of this particular picture. If anyone knows, please tell me. It
just fit so well that I couldn't resist D: But I would like to ask permission/will take it
down if permission isn't granted
 Living Nightmare
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes

For a moment all Kakashi could see was the brown hair, soft, pale skin and lips strained in
red. Brown eyes widened in surprise and pain and for a moment Kakashi thought he heard
her whisper his name the sound tumbling out with her last breath as if from far away as the
last of the electricity faded away with a soft crackle.

A nightmare come alive.

No. Nono. No. This couldn't be happening again. Nonononono.

The world blurred, spun and splintered around him, memory overlapping with reality and
Kakashi let out a small, choked sob and wondered if this is what Obito had felt, the beginning
of madness creeping in.

“KAKASHI!!”

A shout, strong and far away. Kakashi blinked, tears sliding down his cheeks and the image
in front of him cleared up again.
The woman on his arm stared back blankly. A surprised look etched to her face. The
headband showed the sign of Kiri, his hand had burst through her ribcage, straight through
her beating heart, that burst like an overripe fruit around his hand. She had light brown hair
and some similarities to Rin, but she wasn't. She wasn't Rin, because Rin was screaming his
name desperately somewhere behind him.

And reality rightened itself again, somewhat.

Slowly Kakashi looked down on himself and stared at the kunai sticking out of his chest,
ignoring the others that had hit his arms and legs. He had become a pincushion of the
multiple weapons thrown by different enemies at one spot, the spot Okita had occupied a
second ago. He couldn't even tell, he was in so much pain already that this hadn't even fully
registered. Not really. Not with Rin dying but not dying in front of him again. He could feel
the blood coat his arm slowly beginning to cool and drip down to the earth from his elbow.
So similar to his nightmares that Kakashi wasn't completely sure if he was awake or
dreaming.

He could also feel the blood gathering in his lung, and how his heart frantically pumped,
slicing itself again and again on the sharp edge of the kunai buried in his chest, only just
scraping his heart.

Ah. That.

The pursuers had finally caught up to them. Rin and Okita had been unwilling to leave
Kakashi behind, despite his insistence. He could have stalled for time, and the Kiri-nin
wouldn't have killed him. Instead they had to slow down, because Kakashi's injured arm
made him nearly black out on several occasions, and when he finally missed a landing –
slipping on a tree-branch of all things when it started to rain – Okita had been quick enough
to react and catch him before he hit the ground.

They had continued on the ground. It was slower, yet safer for Kakashi and his teammates
could stick close to him this way.

Only it had slowed them too much against the Jonin pursuers, and their escape slowly turned
into a hunt and they hadn't much of a choice but leave the trees, try to take the shortest way
towards Konoha through a clearing of flat stone with not enough cover.

Only to realize that the enemy had gotten past them. Gotten ahead of them, and were now
cutting them off. Clearly, they only intended for Kakashi to reach his home.

And clearly they didn't know what was healthy for them.
Nor did his teammates, Rin who settled at his side, body turned so he was mostly cut off from
his enemy and Okita, who stood in front of them in a Taijutsu stance, trying to cover them
both with weapons ready to use.

It didn't matter though. They were surrounded on all sides and... and Kakashi wasn't fit to
fight and needed to get rid of the seal.

It all happened so quickly, or maybe Kakashi was too exhausted to keep up with everything,
his vision tunnelling. He could see Okita engaging the enemy head on, his eyes – the
Sharingan – tracking every movement. His right hand clutched at Rin, trying to tug her to
himself and cover her while he searched for a way out for them. His eyes went over the other
enemies spread out around them, seeing their amused expressions and their readied weapons.
They knew. They knew that his team didn't have a chance to survive this and it amused them.
They were playing with him.

And Okita, from the back... he looked a little like Obito. Dark, wild hair sticking up in all
directions. A bit taller and more muscular, and different clothing but still similar in his
movement and stubbornness to keep the enemy away from Rin. Kakashi hadn't noticed that
before, but with his dark hair and rushing recklessly at the enemy... Kakashi felt sick, and his
heart was in his throat as he watched a kunoichi engage him, her laugher clear over the
clashing sounds of weapons and dull thuds of limbs engaging in battle. Even through the rain
pouring down as if the heavens were crying was drowning out everything else. Her brown
hair whipped through the air, sending droplets of water flying as she blocked Okita's strikes
with easy confidence, only to retaliate when he made a mistake and left his flank open to her
attack. Kakashi remembered her from the sealing cave. She had stood further away, a dark-
blue long-sleeved top, a light grey battle skirt around her waist fluttering over black pants.
With the rain, her attire looked nearly black.

Okita doubled over from a fist to his gut, coughing as the air was driven out of him by sheer
force. The kunoichi gave another, triumphant laugh and raised her kunai for the kill. Kakashi
let go of Rin, his mind already flicking through endless amounts of jutsus as a cry wretched
itself from Rin's throat. The Copy Nin felt himself move before he fully registered what was
happening. One-handed hand seals were slower than he was used to, and more painful due to
his recent injury that was only partially healed, but the silver haired Jonin had long since
learned how to ignore pain. Kakashi had always been exceptionally fast with hand signs and
even know, he would have to trust that it would be fast enough.

“Kawarimi!” he whispered, and even as he felt the tug of the replacement jutsu, his hand
moved to the next sequence of seals that he knew by heart, a familiar chirping sound echoing
in the sudden stillness that surrounded him, even before he fully landed. His chakra became
dangerously low, what little he had managed to regain since he got captured sucked up with
his signature technique. A pain in his chest registered but was ignored. Brown eyes
illuminated by crackling lightning, widening in surprise and horror.

“Chidori” he rasped as his right hand mercilessly struck the heart in front of him with
unerring accuracy brought by countless battles. It went through her skin, muscles and bone
like a hot knife through butter, but Kakashi could find no pleasure in the kill as he stared at
features so similar to Rin's, even as the lightning spluttered out with a weak crackle. The
image wavered, his vision darkening in the corners as his sight grew dizzy for a moment. The
Kiri-headband looked like a Konoha's leaf and purple marks appeared on her cheeks as blood
dripped down from her lips. Her body sagged in his grip, falling into his embrace and
pushing the kunai she had stabbed at him further into his body. A smooth, painful glide of
steel against his rips and lungs, and finally his heart. A pain so intense that Kakashi didn't
even notice several other weapons striking him from different directions. Memory or reality,
Kakashi couldn't differentiate them anymore.

His hand was covered in sticky, warm blood.

Kakashi could feel it covering his arm, dripping down to his elbow, mingling with the cold
water soaking him and her head slowly fell forward as Kakashi swayed under the additional
weight.

Rin. Rin. Rin...

Wide eyed Kakashi blindly stared at the motionless, dead kunoichi on his arm, memories
overlaying reality until Rin's scream had brought him out of it.

Out of the corner of his eyes Kakashi could see a yellow blur descent on the few remaining
fleeing enemies, but what captured his attention now was just one thing:

The cursed seal was slowly fading, and despite the pain Kakashi's eye crinkled happily. Smug
satisfaction that at least one thing had gone right in this entire mess. The world seemed to
turn still around him, the only sound the pitter-patter of rain and blood. His strength waned.
Kakashi blinked water out of his eyes. His legs shook.

A second later – or was it several? Time became jumbled as Kakashi's legs slowly gave out –
Minato-sensei stood in front of him, a mere blink and his sensei was suddenly there, taking
Rin-but-not-Rin away while holding Kakashi up. His gaze frantically moved over Kakashi,
stopping at the kunai protruding from his chest and his eyes widened in horrified realization.
A low sound escaped Minato, like a glass cracking when set down too hard on a table.
Without further ado he carefully gathered Kakashi in his arms and slowly, ever so carefully
he managed to settle him on his knees before he fell and did more harm to himself.

His mask was already wet with blood as his head fell forward and rested his forehead on
Minato's shoulder. A cough and a chuckle dragged some more of the blood out of his lungs,
dripping into his mask.

Despite the pain he still managed to whisper a broken “yer ...late... sensei...” to Minato with a
weak smile. Minato's hands guided him to the ground, until he was lying flat on his back
staring at the cloud covered sky, rain caressing his face as if it wanted to wash away all the
pain and blood. His sensei was staring down at him with heartbreak that made Kakashi's
insides twist themselves into knots.

“... don't... look... like that.” he whispered, felt the blood that gathered in his lungs spill from
his lips and soak the mask in an invisible strain on the dark cloth. Was this why Obito had
smiled, until his very last moments before he had been buried by rocks? Because he hadn't
wanted the last expression his teammates would see to be one of pain and suffering?

“...” the Sanbi's chakra slowly uncoiled in his chest, making Kakashi wince “... you can't die
yet.” it suddenly said sullenly.

“not... not like I have... a choice...” Kakashi muttered, too tired to concentrate on having a
mental conversation. Minato's brow furrowed, concerned, but his gaze cut over to something
out of Kakashi's vision.

“What are you- nevermind. Don't talk.” Minato said while careful fingers probed around the
kunai's. Heavy footsteps splashed close, making Kakashi wince. In the next moment Rin
appeared, Pakkun close on her heels and Okita appearing just a moment later, holding a hand
to his side.

Broken or at least cracked rips, Kakashi thought in detatched sympathy.

“... you promised to free me, after our conversation.” the Sanbi growled, then added softer
“... and you haven't even ended the story yet.”

Kakashi felt his eye curve into a pained smile.

“Heh... so I did...” Kakashi felt his eyes close. Guess he was a liar on top of a failure. The
future... Obito... everything would change, but Kakashi wouldn't be able to try and make it
better.

The kunai had stabbed him right into his heart. It hurt and Kakashi had already died once
before, nearly died many other times and could tell that this was not something he would be
able to get through alive. He was bleeding heavily and every limb felt like lead. The cursed
mark had been destroyed and Rin, leaning over him with tears running over her face was
alive. Kakashi managed an eye-smile at her, green glowing hand pressing desperately at his
chest to stem the bleeding and repair the damage. Already Kakashi knew it wouldn't be
enough. If it was Tsunade, or maybe Sakura... then maybe. Or maybe if Rin had a few more
years of training...

And then, from deep within there was a bubbling river breaking through a dam. Chakra
breaking through links of the seals, breaking free and rushing through his body. Like a tidal
wave, chakra flooded his coils, the pressure so great that Kakashi was sure they were just
about to burst. His body struggled, muscles suddenly straining, convulsing as if he could
relive the pressure that way and a guttural shout left his lungs. Too much, way too much
chakra, so much that he felt it leak from his body, bubbling sapphire blue chakra rising up,
making Rin back off with a shout of pain as the Bijuu's chakra burned her hands. Much, too
much and Kakashi was left screaming himself hoarse. It was an unimaginable pain, as if he
was just on the edge of being ready to explode.

Panicked bicoloured eyes met Minato's startled blue ones.

And yet, despite everything, Kakashi could feel no malice from the Sanbi.

I'm sorry, shinobi-kun. I'm trying to heal the damage but you are not used to my
chakra. It will hurt, but I will not let you die. You owe me a story. And you promised me
freedom.
“C-can't ho-hold it. Get. Away!” was the last coherent words he managed before the chakra
wiped away any logical thoughts. A shriek pierced the air, sounding inhuman and it took
Kakashi a moment to realize that the sound was coming from him.

Kakashi barely had the mind to acknowledge the Bijuu, never mind comprehending the
words. He fell back into his mindscape, landing in the shallow water of a cave and writhing
in pain. The Sanbi, chained as he was made a mournful sound, much like how Kakashi
imagined a whale sounded.

When the chakra finally receded it left Kakashi weak as a baby, shaking from overused and
overstrained chakra coils, in pain and with another near death experience under his belt. No
enemies remained. Kakashi didn't know if they fled, but he heavily suspected that Minato had
dealt with them.

Blearily he blinked, his throat on fire. He saw Rin further away, struggling against Minato's
hold who was eyeing him wearily, seals already being readied between his hands while
holding on to Rin and Okita. When he saw Kakashi staring at them, his stance relaxed and in
less than a second he was at Kakashi's side, slowly turning him onto his back from his curled
up position on the ground. Kakashi groaned in misery. Rin was there a few moments later,
angry tears in her wide eyes as she returned her hands to his chest, ignoring her own injuries
to tend to his. Only to find nothing. The picture was all to close to his worst nightmares, and
Kakashi's eyes desperately searched her face for any sign of blood. He couldn't... he couldn't
have failed again, could he?

“What...?” she said in bewilderment, trying again just to be sure her readings had been
correct.

“How...?” she asked, eyes wide as they met Kakashi's dropping ones.

Minato shook his head, mouthing later. Kakashi let his head loll to the side, eyes half-lidded
and growing heavier by the second. That is, until he saw a shape at the edge of the tree-line.
Sound was fading, but Kakashi's eyes were fixed on a shadowed figure just behind them,
mostly hidden by the trees. It was struggling, enveloped in a white and all to familiar form.
White hands grabbed for his head, clearly trying to tear away the white mass to see what was
happening around him.

Obito.
 Kakashi's hand twitched, pain lacing through his body as he tried to move, but other than his
hand wiggling a few inches into Obito's direction, there wasn't much happening and Kakashi
was rapidly loosing the ability to stay conscious.

“...i..to...” he tried through his raw-screamed throat, croaking the sounds only to be hushed by
his female teammate. He tried again, but he couldn't even form the one name that was so
important. If they only listened. If they only looked back instead of concentrating on him.
Kakashi could see Zetsu surrounding Obito completely, and Kakashi managed to gather some
last resources of strength to roll onto his side and get an arm under himself. With shaking
limbs he tried to heave his body up, to stand up and help his friend and make this nightmare
end.

Startled, Kakashi felt an additional drain on his chakra, making black spots dance in front of
his eyes as what little chakra he still had left seemed to leave him in a steady tickle.

Finally his arms gave away, and only hands catching him prevented him from meeting the
ground in a painful way. He collapsed, Rin's frantic shouts in his ear and Minato's hands
carefully catching him. His Sharingan remained locked on the figure that was so, so close, yet
so far away. The sight burned itself into his mind as the figure slowly disappeared between
the trees and took Kakashi's will to remain awake with him.

Chapter End Notes

*cackled*

Oh my, your reactions were awesome. Sorry for that mean cliff hanger. You guys
concentrated way too much on the picture. Did I ever SAY it was Rin? Minato only just
arrived and only saw her back.

No Genjutsu.

No Henge.

Sorry, I couldn't resist ^^

Obito appeared. Only a short moment, but eh, he was there! ;D

 The Cell
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes

When Kakashi came to, the first thing he noticed was that he seemed to be alone. Stretching
his senses found no other presence and... it was very, very quiet. Too quiet for being outside,
so he must be in a room. Isolated and with thick walls, since otherwise he would be able to
hear more. Even through his mask he could smell old blood, metal, stone and the sharp sting
of medicals. Casting his still hazy thoughts back, he tried to muddle through his memories to
figure out what had happened to him this time. He remembered going on a mission. He
remembered the ambush, and the haste back to the village. Remembered waking up in a
hospital and … and going after Rin, saving her only just in time. Capture. A Ritual, black ink
moving over his body and sapphire chakra invading his body. Pain, pain, so much pain, a
conversation interrupted and a dead body slumping in his arms. Brown hair tickling his cheek
in mockery of a memory long past and at the same time so fresh that Kakashi felt his heart-
rate spike just thinking on it.

The next thing Kakashi became aware of, aside from the muted pain radiating in his body, to
wide-spread to pinpoint what exactly hurt the most, was that he was being drugged. Careful
not to move too much, Kakashi tried to take stock of his situation. A thin cannulae connected
to his bandaged hand, piercing skin and feeding him the fluid it was connected to.

He was disarmed, clothed in only a simple shirt, a fresh mask and a pair of cotton-soft
trousers. Bandages covered his arms, splints keeping the bones in place to heal. He was lying
on something soft, a bed or a futon, most likely. So wherever he was, they had wanted him
moderately comfortable. Not Kiri then, most likely. They had certainly not been very
hospitable during his short stay.

Comfortable, but not able to fight. His senses felt dulled and a strange, medical induced calm
made it a little hard to think, but not impossible.

… there were manacles on his wrists and feet and Kakashi had very bad, recent memories of
being strapped to a slab of stone. He shivered, trying to keep his reaction to himself as he
didn't know if he was being observed.

He had not expected to gain consciousness to being alone. Where was Minato? Where was
Rin?
Had he been recaptured? He thought he remembered Minato carefully lowering him to the
ground. And Rin desperate to heal him. Had he imagined them? It took effort not to tense, but
once he had made doubly sure he was alone, Kakashi allowed himself to relax a little and to
slowly crack his eyes open to a small slit.

What he saw made his stomach sink and even all the training and experience he had couldn't
prevent the slight hitch in his breath as he stared up at the ceiling.

It was covered in a massive fuinjutsu seal.

Kakashi pressed his eyes close, trying to breath evenly and not panic.

He was getting so sick of fuinjutsu. It was almost like the inky letters existed to make
Kakashi's life miserable.

After a short time, he opened his eyes again, this time fully to take in the entirety of the seal.
Kakashi slowly turned his head to look around, seeing the four thick stone walls, every inch
covered in small, black letters. A single door, heavy steel and clearly reinforced was placed in
the middle of the wall to his left side. He was lying in the middle of the room and thus in the
middle of the seal – his stomach flipped sickly at that mental image – on a futon and the
cannulae was connected to a drip. With squinting eyes, Kakashi noticed that it was simply a
pain medication, but apparently a strong one, if how it made his thoughts feel like they were
wrapped in cotton was any indication.

He was in a cell. An interrogation cell to be precise. A Konoha interrogation cell for S-class
criminals.

Kakashi let his head drop back on the futon with a muted moan.

Great. During all his time Kakashi had really only been in this cell once, and otherwise only
looked in from the outside.
The seal that was covering the room was a chakra-suppression seal. It would explain why he
could barely feel the Sanbi, but Kakashi was relatively sure that it alone wouldn't have been
able to mute the new connection he had to the Bijuu to this extend. Someone had already
played around with his seal, while he was unconscious, and while Kakashi hoped it was
Minato, he dreaded to think what the Sanbi's reaction was going to be.

His cuffed hands rose and carefully he shifted his shirt aside, looking at the black lines
marring his body. Usually the seal would only be visible when chakra was used on it. The
seal shown was a different one. Kakashi studied the lines and felt himself grimace. A
containment seal, slapped on top of whatever monstrosity Kiri had forced on him. Clearly
made to suppress and hold the Sanbi, it was crude but very, very effective. Temporary
though. Otherwise it would have faded like the other seal. Kakashi smoothed the cotton shirt
back over his stomach, lifting his arms and looking at the cuffs around his wrists. They
weren't connected to hamper his movements, but seals had been layered into them. More
seals to keep him from using chakra.

Kakashi let out a sigh and his hands dropped back to his sides.

What a mess.

With nothing better to do, Kakashi closed his eyes and breathed deep. It was harder to find
his calm, without his Ninken by his side and feeling unsettled and alone in this cell, cut off
from his chakra. But not impossible, as he was fairly certain that he was – mostly – safe.

In.

And out.

In.

And out.
 A soft splash.

In...

A ripple of water under his feet...

And out...

Chapter End Notes

Yeeey, Kakashi got rescued!! *happy dance*

What, you thought the situation with the Sanbi was dealt with?

Eh, you thought he would return to Konoha with a stabilized seal due to Jiraya/Minato?

What, you thought he would be fully healed?

Didn't I tell you I'm not here to make it better? :) Just different~♥
 A deal
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes

Kakashi opened his eyes slowly. A fog curled over the water, cloaking the surroundings in a
hazy, softening blur and creating wafting images that formed and fell apart. Kakashi tried not
to take too close a look at them, afraid of what they might show.

It was a bit disorienting, and Kakashi silently wondered if it had been a good decision to
enter his mindscape while doped to his gills.

Probably not.

With a sigh he slowly started to walk, a dark shape in the distance his goal. The cave was
huge and parted the mist floating around easily, the closer Kakashi got. This time he did not
hesitate at the entrance, but walked straight in. His eyes looked around, trying to see if there
were any differences to last time.

When he entered the lit up cave, he stopped and stared.

The Sanbi was still in the middle of the cave. There were still chains linking it to the walls
and wrapping around it's body in a way that must be painful.

The new addition were the five Torii-gates, that forced the Sanbi into immobility. One at his
head, another over his body and three holding each of its tails.

It was breathing heavily, clearly exhausted after struggling for a long time and bleeding in
some places where the chains had been pulled too tight and thus cut it due to the gates forcing
the body further down.
Its eyes were closed, but as Kakashi drew closer, caution in every movement, one eye
snapped open and glared at Kakashi, a low rumbling growl leaving its body and shaking the
cave, rattling the chains.

Kakashi stopped and stared back, feeling helpless and a lot overwhelmed with the situation.
His hand rubbed the back of his head, carding through his hair. It was almost painful to see
the Sanbi like this.

“...”

He started to walk slowly again, staying in the Sanbi's vision until he was standing right in
front of it.

“I'm sorry...” Kakashi said, but knew that words would do little to convince the Sanbi of his
intentions.

“Liar.” the Sanbi rumbled, its mouth opening in a barely repressed snarl.

“I didn't plan for this...” Kakashi said and very, very carefully put a hand just below the
Sanbi's eye that was watching him wearily.

“Honestly, I didn't plan for any of this...” Kakashi admitted tiredly. His eyes trailed over the
Torii-gates, clearly another seal slapped on top of the one Kiri used to keep the Sanbi at bay.
Minato's work? Or Kushina's?

“I...” Kakashi touched the Torii-gate closest to the Sanbi's head, studying it. “I'm not sure
how people would react to me destroying the seal...” but if he wanted a chance to gain the
trust of the Sanbi, he couldn't let it stay like this either.

“... you promised me freedom, human.” there was anger in the voice. And betrayal.
“...” well, annoying people was his speciality, he just didn't want to risk their lives while
doing so. Besides, the seal was already crumbling, the chains not as sturdy as before, a few of
them already bend out of shape.

With a sigh Kakashi carefully crouched down next to the Sanbi's eye, his arms resting on his
knees.

“Promise you will hear me out to the end and not go on a rampage in the middle of Konoha?”

“You had your chance, human.” the Sanbi growled.

“We were interrupted.” Kakashi reminded it “This time, I hope we will have more time. I'm
back home now, so we will have a longer time to talk.”

“...” the Sanbi's eye was locked on him. It shifted, winced, then grudgingly allowed a
begrudging “fine.” to rumble out.

“Promise to listen to me to the end before you break free? And not go on a rampage in
Konoha?” Kakashi insisted. This was, after all, still a Bijuu seeking it's freedom first and
foremost.

It growled, and snapped a rather petulant sounding “Promise!” that sounded rather
unconvincing to Kakashi, but... ah, well.

“Okay. Then I will get rid of these chains for you.” Kakashi fake-cheerfully exclaimed,
feeling more like he was going to his execution as he slowly stood up, under the watchful,
surprised gaze of the Sanbi.

It was his mind and he wasn't actually using chakra, at least not outwardly. It was the only
reason why a Chidori worked, while he was under suppression seals.
One Chidori later and five destroyed chains clattered to the ground. Kakashi concentrated
again, calling up another chirping wave of lightning and set to work.

After the second he needed a moment to breath, as he was still only 12 years old on body.
During his break the Sanbi spoke up, sounding thoughtful more than angry now.

“You are strange. Why would you help free me, when it only means your death?”

Deciding he needed a break before getting to work on the other chains, Kakashi returned to
the Sanbi's head and sat down heavily in front of it's open eye.

“Eh. You were uncomfortable, weren't you? I don't want to die, but I'm actually out of
options. And time.” he asked, looking where the loosened chain had revealed a now slowly
healing wound. That was... better.

“... maybe.” the Sanbi admitted slowly “but why do you care?”

Kakashi rubbed his head and let out a sigh. How to explain...

“Maybe...” he muttered, then repeated a bit stronger and more decisive “Maybe because I
knew a boy, who had a monster in him. Due to that he... had a lot of hardship, pain and
misery in his short life, with little to no affection or help. It took him years, upon years but...
he became friends with the monster, looked underneath the surface and found something
different.” Kakashi smiled in memory of the surprisingly warm chakra of the Kyubi.

“And when due to circumstances the Kyubi became free, Kurama decided to stay with him,
instead of leaving for his freedom.”

The Sanbi jolted, then stilled.

 “Kurama.” it said. Then it shifted slightly, it's head moving what little space of freedom it
had, until it was nearly touching Kakashi.

“... I think... I think I would like to hear the rest of your story now.”

Kakashi's eye crinkled as he crossed his legs, folding them and getting more comfortable.

“Alright. First of all... Yo! I'm Kakashi Hatake. Nice to meet you.” Kakashi said with a lazy,
two-fingered salute.

The sanbi blinked at him. Finally it let out a soft sigh, and a little shake of his body made
Kakashi think that maybe... was it laughing?

“... Isobu.” it muttered quietly, so that Kakashi had to lean forward a little to actually
understand the giant.

“You can call me Isobu.”

Chapter End Notes

Second conversation between the Sanbi and Kakashi. Whoop, whoop! :)

I was very good today, I even tried to work ahead!! ^^

 Tri-pronged kunai
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes

Minato had reacted on instinct. There were enemies around, they were fleeing but he didn't
want them to turn back, when he was distracted and try and kill even more of his students. A
teacher shouldn't have to bury his students, but it happened all to often in war-time.

But with Obito's death still so fresh, it hurt all the more that he might have just lost the rest of
his students and Minato... Minato wanted them dead. Every. Single. Enemy.

They didn't stand a chance. There were not a lot of them to begin with, but Minato made sure
that not a single one would survive it.

It took him seconds to eliminate the threat. There were three alive presences behind him. One
of them was Kakashi's, a chakra signature he would never be able to mistake because of the
dense, white and unique presence it had. Two more further behind, but they were weak,
clearly not above Chunin level and didn't feel like enemies.

Another second, with his hand pressed to the ground to make sure there weren't more
enemies in hiding.

Seven seconds after arriving he stood in front of his lichen-haired student that he thought
more of as a son and carefully pried Rin's dead body off his arm, heart breaking at Kakashi's
expression and then crumbling to dust when he saw the kunai sticking out of his chest. He
couldn't believe it. He was too late. He glanced at Rin and paused for a fraction of a moment.

It was not Rin. An enemy kunoichi, that resembled her but up close he could see the
differences clearly.

Heart beating wildly, he looked past Kakashi and could see Rin sprinting towards them, Okita
stumbling on his feet as he tried to keep up, injured but also alive.
Alive. She was alive. At least one student and maybe, just maybe... they could save Kakashi
together.

His focus quickly returned to his most problematic student, taking in all the other injuries and
carefully holding his body up. Kakashi had no more strength to do so himself.

Careful, ever so careful as if Kakashi was made out of spun glass, he gathered the boy in his
arms and tried to settle him on the ground, without jostling his injuries or driving one of the
many weapons even deeper.

“yer... late... sensei...” Kakashi muttered and Minato felt a hot burning pain in his eyes.

“Uhn.” he agreed, wishing he had been faster. Just a bit faster, to prevent this whole situation.

Finally he managed to settle Kakashi on the ground, eyes roaming over his injuries, the torn
cloth, the pain in his eyes and...

There was a strange chakra interwoven with Kakashi's. He knew his students chakra, and that
was something... different.

“Don't... look... like that...” Kakashi sounded so weak, yet he was smiling. Pained, but still
smiling and it was heartbreaking. When Minato had wished for Kakashi to be more open, to
be happier and find bonds he could cheerish... this wasn't what he had in mind.

Not like this. Please, not like this.

He looked up and saw Rin getting closer. He was impatient, but it hadn't been that long and
he didn't dare leave Kakashi's side. He didn't want to abandon his student. Not right now, not
ever, but if Kakashi breathed his last breath without anyone by his side, Minato might loose
his mind.
“not... not like I have... a choice...” Kakashi muttered weakly, and Minato frowned,
wondering what that was about.

“What are you-” he shook his head, taking a closer look at the kunai that was threatening the
life of his precious student “-nevermind. Don't talk.” he ordered instead, eyes quickly flicking
up to check on Rin again. She was finally here and crashed onto her knees immediately next
to Kakashi, heedless of the pain that must radiate up her legs.

Her hands were already glowing green as she reached for Kakashi, trembling, but steadying
with determination in her tear-filled eyes. Minato looked her over quickly. She looked tired,
but apart from a few bruises, and a few newer, little cuts and scrapes, she was otherwise fine.

That was... good. After thinking her dead for a second, this was better than good.

“Heh... so I did...” Kakashi muttered, and Minato worried. Was he delirious? What was he
talking about.

And then Minato felt it. The strange, invasive chakra in Kakashi was moving, rising like the
tide, bubbling over and Rin cried out in pain.

Kakashi screamed. Minato had never heard his student more than grunt in pain, and he knew
Kakashi had a high tolerance for pain.

This time his student couldn't seem to help himself, and his wide, panicked eyes found
Minato's

“C-can't ho-hold it.” Kakashi gasped out and in a fresh wave of pain shrieked “Get. Away!”

Minato didn't hesitate. He threw a kunai, grabbed onto Rin and Okita and used his Hiraishin,
just as the chakra around Kakashi bubbled up and surrounded the boy. He held on to Rin's
struggling body, watching the silver-haired Jonin writhe on the ground in pain, howling.

Oh gods.

No. No, this couldn't happen.

They couldn't have...

But the evidence was staring him in the face, there was no mistaking a Bijuu's chakra, and
while this wasn't nearly as strong or malicious as whenever Kushina's control slipped for a
bare second, it was enough for Minato to recognize it for what it was. His hand took out his
sealing supplies.

He just hoped he wouldn't be too late.

When the chakra subsided, he was back at his students side, letting Rin go but not taking her
with him, in case he needed to flash away again.

Kakashi was barely conscious. The chakra had litterally corroded away the weapons in his
students body, and the wound in his chest was completely healed. Not the other wounds
littering his students body.

Rin was flabbergast as she checked Kakashi over.

Minato was worried. He felt heavy, as he took out his sealing supplies and started to craft a
seal he had once learned on Kushina's insistence. A containment seal, for when she would
loose control. It was nothing more than a band-aid, something to slap on to gain time.

It would work for now. For how long Minato wasn't sure. Long enough to get them to
Konoha, hopefully.
Maybe with Kushina's help they would find a more permanent solution.

Sending a toad ahead was the only thing he could do. He couldn't just bring an unstable
Jinchūriki into the village after all.

ε＝ε＝ε＝ε＝ε＝(ｏ・・)ｏ

His toad returned with a reply. Minato winced as he read where Kakashi would be brought to.
A cell for S-class criminals, chakra-dampening seals all over. He could understand, especially
since the cells were located on the edge of the village, just in case an escapee got past all the
security, but it was still not something he wished on his student after a clearly already
traumatic time at the hands of enemies.

Rin had started to care for all the other wounds Kakashi had, who had finally fallen
unconscious. Tears were brimming in her eyes, but aside from occassinally wiping them
away, she concentrated on her task. Meanwhile she was also telling him in halting words
whathad happened. How the enemy nin had surrounded her team, killed them after telling
them that they only wanted her, for whatever reason.

In silence Minato wondered if they had wanted her especially because of his reputation, and
felt his heart twist. He didn't want to be the cause for why his students were targeted, but thus
was the price of becoming powerful. Enemies would seek out your precious people in order
to hurt you, because they weren't strong enough to touch you themselves.

There was nothing Minato could do about it now. But he resolved to train his students even
harder after this. They would survive this war.

“It's okay, Rin.” he murmured, placing a hand on her shoulder and gently squeezing.

“We will return to the village, and then we will figure out all the rest.”
 She sniffled in return, but nodded her head in acquiescence.

Minato breathed out, ignoring the knot in his heart that told him that thing were not about to
go easy.

His eyes strayed back to Kakashi and his resolve hardened.

He would get them through this.

All of them.

… he couldn't imagine any other outcome...

Chapter End Notes

Changed my mind. Minato POV up! :P I originally had this in mind as a later chapter,
with some more, but I think it works out better this way.

Oh yeah:
Death to all wasps!! Call to arms!!

I've got a stalker wasp and it decided to ambush me. Having a wasp in your trousers?
Not fun.
 A whirlwind visitor
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes

The scraping of metal on stone brought Kakashi out of his mediation. He blinked, his eyes
feeling a little gritty from being closed for a long time, and turned his head to the left to see
who had entered.

The heavy door closed with a loud clang and in a whirlwind of red and green, Kushina was
kneeling at his side. Tears were brimming in her eyes as her hand reached for Kakashi, but
stopped short of making contact with his injured arm when she noticed the state he was in.
Her breath hitched for a moment as her eyes roamed over his form, taking in all the injuries
while concern and anger warred inside her.

Finally their eyes met and Kakashi couldn't help but let out a little, shaky smile. Kushina was
after all someone he trusted implicitly. After being captured, and fighting for his life and that
of his teammate while at the same time trying to kill himself... she was a very welcome sight.
He hadn't thought it had affected him much, not after everything he had already experienced
in his life, but having her here made a weight on his chest disappear.

“... Hey.”

The next thing he knew was an enraged Kushina leaning over him with a trembling fist raised
in preparation of a strike. Her hair was floating around her like the halo of an evil goddess.
She looked like she was very tempted to hit him but didn't know where without causing him
further damage. Kakashi flinched and tried to inch away from her wrath, but when she finally
made contact, her hand was gentle against his brow. Her fingers were careful as she combed
back his hair as if he was a small child and making him want to scowl. It had been a very,
very long time since someone had just... done that to him. It was a kindness he wasn't used to
anymore.

“You're awake, dattebane! I'm so glad.” she said, then the look of rage morphed into one of of
worry in a split second. It was a bit uncanny, how quickly her emotions could change, but
Kakashi knew she had always had impeccable control over her temper despite usually
resorting to anger and violence when she was agitated. Kakashi knew it was tightly lashed, as
Kurama would otherwise struggle for control. Despite not looking like it, Kushina was one
person he knew could compartmentalize incredible well and had superb control over her
emotions.

“Why did you do that.” she whispered, her other hand clutching at his shoulder. It was one of
the less injured places.

“Mah...” he sighed, looking at the ceiling and wondering what he could tell her “Instinct?”

“Instinct? That's what made you run?? You know the consequences such an action will
have!” her fingers dug into his shoulders, making him wince. Just as quickly they released
him, a thumb running over the places as if to sooth away the hurt.

Desertion during war-time. There might be something salvageable because he didn't exactly
desert, but went to save a teammate without getting approval for his leave. He would have
been either declared missing nin, if he had actually managed to run away for good, or he
would be heavily punished if he was apprehended. Since it was the later option, things were
not looking too hot. It would have been better if Kakashi had returned under his own power.
Now it looked like he had run, and while he had managed to save Rin, there was no proof
that it had been intentional. Rin and Minato wouldn't be able to help him much, as they were
too close to the situation. Okita might, but he had been mostly unconscious and Kakashi
didn't know him well enough to even guess if he would stand in for him.

He knew what he would do to himself when he had decided to go after Rin. In light of things
that people in the past didn't know, it had been an easy decision even without taking into
account Kakashi's own emotional connection. Rin had been the catalyst for Obito. Saving Rin
had been paramount to saving Obito and hopefully getting him off the path of revenge filled
madness that would pull the whole world into chaos.

Kakashi couldn't regret that choice, but he could admit that his plan could have worked
better.

What he was now looking forward to, wasn't exactly going to be fun. If he had a reputation to
fall back on, things would look different. He would have been too valuable in the future to
simply shut away and loose the key.

The most likely change – and the one Kakashi worried about least if he was honest with
himself – was that he might be demoted in rank, despite still carrying out the same missions.
This would mean his pay would also be reduced for some time, something that Kakashi had
never had to worry about in the future but was an entirely different thing in this timeline.
Food during wartime and rationing had exorbitant prices, and the weapons that needed to be
replaced could also cost a heavy sum, if one was careless with his equipment. But these were
things Kakashi could live with. Easily. He knew how to hunt for himself, if he really needed
to, and how to ration food so it would last him a long time. He could exist on a bare
minimum, that much he knew from his time in ANBU when he had basically lived off soldier
pills and ration bars.

Besides, he didn't think that Minato or Kushina would let him starve and Kakashi still had
enough money from his dead clan to last him a while. In the future, he had never really
needed to fall back on that.

No the punishments he was much more apprehensive was corporal punishment, or being
detained for some time. Both were as likely to happen to him now, especially considering the
Bijuu residing in his body. Kakashi feared that they would simply imprison him and keep him
there. It was not like he had many connections and Minato would only be able to do so much.
Maybe once he was Hokage, but there was still quite some time and... and Madara might
come after Rin again.

Another likely chance, if he wasn't at risk of deserting or changing sides, was that they would
send him to the frontline now. A do or die mentality that war enfoced, a shinobi that wasn't
obeying orders might as well die a useful death. While Kakashi was... not exactly sure, but
confident enough in his abilities, he also thought that him being an unstable Jinchūriki would
prevent that from happening.

There were a lot of possibilities, and him being in a cell didn't seem like he was standing on
very stable ground at the moment. On one hand it was logical, if they feared that the Bijuu
might escape. On the other it showed that they were already weary of him, and Minato's
absence spoke it's own language. He was sure that if he could, Minato would be here. It was a
wonder they had allowed Kushina to visit him.

The last solution... was extraction. And Kakashi really, really wanted to avoid that. He knew
Minato would fight for him, Kushina too, but he also knew that they wouldn't be able to do as
much as they would have been able to if Minato had already become Yondaime.

Instead of answering Kushina's question directly, Kakashi focused on the more important
information he needed to have to plan.
“Is Rin safe?” his voice sounded scratchy, his throat felt desert dry and Kakashi had the
vague memory of screaming himself hoarse.

Kushina sighed, as if she had expected that question – and maybe she had, Minato probably
had bemoaned Kakashi's new obsession to her at one point or another – but nodded
reluctantly.

“She's as well as can be. Worried sick, over her idiot teammate.” the information made
something relax in Kakashi, a heavy weight lifted off his chest at the confirmation that he had
changed her fate. For now. Who knew what Madara would do now, that his plan had failed.
Would he try again?

“That... that's good...” he whispered, looking at the stone-ceiling. There was a lump in his
throat, making it hard to swallow.

“Idiot.” Kushina muttered fondly, her hand carding through his hair again belying her
irritation with him.

“... I heard about an ambush planned on her... I couldn't not go. I promised Obito I'd look
after her.” Kakashi muttered, “I've already abandoned her once too often. Obito paid the
price.” half his body crushed and kidnapped by a madman. He had lost his chance to get him
back, had seen him being taken away right in front of his eyes.

But... could he tell her that? Was Obito even still alive, now that he had foiled Madara's plan?

But if he died... nobody would know.

“I... I saw Obito.” he admitted, heart in his throat as he cautiously looked Kushina back in her
eyes “... at the edge of the clearing. I saw him, but he was... he was dragged off....”

Kushina stared at him with wide eyes, eyes that seemed to flick between his as she tried to
see if he was serious, if he spoke the truth. Very carefully she said “You... were in a lot of
pain, Kakashi... and almost died...” her whole body language told Kakashi all he needed to
know. She didn't believe him, and he couldn't really blame her. Kakashi wanted to scream. He
knew it wasn't likely that anyone would believe him, it was too far-fetched. Not after Rin had
described the injuries that no normal human being would be able to survive and Kakashi
couldn't exactly tell her that Madara was the reason. Not without putting himself into even
hotter water than he was already neck-deep swimming in.

He sighed and closed his eyes, weary of his own reaction. He wanted to shake her and insist,
make her see the truth instead of making her believe that his guilty conscience was making
things up when he was half dead and traumatized by recent capture.

“I know. It seemed real.” Kakashi managed to grind out, trying to soften his voice so that the
frustration wouldn't spill over “I just want...ed to save him.”

Kushina's fingers were soothing him. When she extracted them, Kakashi deigned to open one
eye again to watch her. She moved a little away, somewhere behind him and he could hear
water splashing into a glass. It made his throat itch with want. When she returned to his side
and helped him sit up, he eagerly drank the water from the glass she held to his mouth.

“Do you know what happened to you...?” she asked once he was finished, watching him with
sad, knowing eyes. He hummed in acknowledgement, his right hand – the one that Rin had
started to heal – tugging up his shirt to reveal the stark black ink against his untanned skin.

“I was awake for most of it.” he admitted with a shrug that laced pain through his body and
made him let go of the shirt “It's why I knew I couldn't return to Konoha straight away. I've
been studying seals, a little on my own... but even without, the chakra entering my body was
not something I could have possibly missed.”

He looked up from the seal to see Kushina staring at him once more with tears glimmering in
her eyes.

“Don't look at me like that.” he said softly as he could “I don't regret going after Rin. If not
me, it would have been her sitting here.” or dead. Most likely dead.

“You don't know what it means... Kakashi...!” she said brokenly “Kakashi, they will try to get
rid of you. You leaving the village like you did...” she shook her head, lips pressed firmly
together and hands balled into fists.
“Mah, already talking about extracting the Sanbi from me, do they?” Kakashi said, letting
himself sink back onto the bed. He turned his gaze back to the ceiling and drawled in a bored
voice “They would be stupid to do that.”

He didn't need to see Kushina's face to see her bafflement at his relaxed stance. He could only
hope that his – and Isobu's – plan would work out.

“Kakashi! This is serious!” she whispered harshly, as if she thought he wasn't aware of his
situation.

“You have the Bijuu of another village in you, after you ran away from Konoha!” when said
like that, the 12-year old mused, it did sound bad.

“They put it in me with an unstable seal and a cursed seal on my heart forcing me back to
Konoha where the seal would have dissolved.” Kakashi said calmly, looking at Kushina out
of the corner of his eyes and seeing her still in apprehension.

“Oh...kami...” she choked out, eyes wide with fear as she paled when the implication set in
“They wanted the Sanbi to release in the village.”

Kakashi nodded tiredly “That's what I guessed, once I realized what happened. I ran into a
kunai to keep that from happening, what more do they want?”

“What?” Kushina choked out, then frantically lifted his shirt to check on the injury without
any hint of shame. Kakashi flinched away and tried to slap away her hands on instinct,
forgetting about his injuries for a second ans hissing in discomfort. Kushina looked
apologetic for a moment, but her eyes roamed over his chest free from injuries.

“It's fine. The Sanbi healed me.” Kakashi said, tugging on his shirt and trying to squirm
away.
 “The... the Sanbi healed you.” Kushina repeated, trying to get that information through to her.

“Uhn.” Kakashi nodded, eye-smiling up at her.

“And that's why they would be stupid to extract the Sanbi.” he explained smugly “We get
along pretty well right now. It's rare for a Jinchūriki to be able to control their Bijuu, right?”
not so much control, but Kakashi had managed to convince Isobu that he was telling the
truth, and the three-tails was willing to wait a little longer. It had softened, when Kakashi had
destroyed all the links, even if he left the Torii-Gates so to not fry his own system when
Isobu's chakra flowed through his coils unchecked. Isobu wasn't any more willing to become
part of the Juubi than the other tailed beasts had been in the future. He wanted more freedom
though, and Kakashi was willing to work on that. He had warned the Sanbi that there would
be a resealing, if things worked out, but that they could see how to make Isobu comfortable.

“You... what?” Kushina choked out again, clearly not sure if she heard right or not.

“The Sanbi and me... we are friends. He's pretty cool about it so far. Not sure about the next
Jinchūriki they choose though, he might not be as accommodating then.”

He blinked lazily up at the readheaded woman.

“Isobu says 'Hi' to Kurama. He also wanted the furr-ball to know that, and I'm quoting this
'you really shouldn't give your host so much trouble and work on your anger-management
issues'”

The tiny thread of rage – not his own, not Kushina's and definitely not Isobu's – made
Kakashi hum happily. If all went well, they could work on Kushina's and Kurama's
relationship.

First he would have to see if the Hokage would be willing to fight for Kakashi's continued
survival tough.

Chapter End Notes

oh god. The chapters are getting longer... honestly, if they keep inching their way to 3k
words I might not be able to do the daily updates anymore *sob* It was a struggle to get
this one ready on time and I've worked on it for the past few days while writing the other
chapters!
To be honest, now it's gonig to start getting complicated ;P We will see how it goes.
What do you think Kakashi's punishment should be? *cackle*

On another note: My mom is sick, sooo... if I don't actually manage to post an update,
it's probably related to that. She's feeling a bit better than yesterday, but not entirely well
yet.
 Of Rescue and Madness
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes

Obito woke to unimaginable pain. That was the first and only thing he noticed, his whole
right side was just... a burning, itching, stabbing agony.

When he finally regained the ability to think, the thought that came to the forefront of his
mind was “Damn. Dying really takes some time.” before he realized that he really shouldn't
be alive anymore. He had felt himself fade. It had been hard to speak-
Kakashibringinghisweightagainstthebouldercollapsingonthefloor- and even harder to drag up
a smile when he could hardly figure out what was still there and what was crushed. But
seeing Kakashi break down, seeing him... cry. It didn't fit. That's not who Kakashi was and
Obito dragged up a smile for him and Rin -
tearsinhereyeswhensheshouldalwayslaughohkamihedidnotwanttodie- and when Rin took his
one remaining eye... he couldn't see them anymore. It was dark. It was scary. The smile on
his face felt fake, but he kept it through sheer stubbornness alone, because the last his
teammates saw of him should not be marred more than it already was. He didn't want the last
thing they remembered of him to be paindesolationangerhoplessnessgriefhorrorfeartears. He
could hear the stones shifting, which made his throat lock up in encompassing terror as the
weight pressed down more and his body became numb from agony. He couldn't see the
stones shift and fall, but he could hear them. The grinding of bigger slabs against each other
and the tickling sounds of smaller pebbles finding their place in between. It was almost loud
enough to drown out Rin's cries. Her devastated sobs were the lullaby that dragged him closer
to deaths arms.

He didn't want to die.

He hadn't even confessed to Rin.

He was just starting to get through to Kakashi.

He still had to make sensei proud.

He had promised Kushina they would all return...

There was still so much to do in his life and Obito wanted to be there, not here, not being
surrounded by stones pressing close to him, squeezing, crushing, suffocating.

So... waking up was a surprise.

“W-where... is this...?”

Was he... dead? Did one have to feel pain in death? Who was that old man next to his bed?

Obito gazed up at the man, studying his white, coarse hair and the wrinkles furrowing the
paper-like skin. Most prominent in the pale face framed by white hair though: The bright red
of the Sharingan.

“Where... exactly... are we?” it was hard to form words, and Obito tried to take a look around,
to figure out where he was and what had happened. Had he been saved? Where was his team?
Minato? Kakashi? Rin...?

Even just moving his head a little exhausted him, almost too much.

He looked back at the silent form of his... rescuer? And smiled hesitatingly, trying to get a
grip on the situation

“Heh...” he chuckled nervously “Don't tell me you're death? The being who escorts people to
heaven or hell...”

It was then that he saw the glint of the weapon the man was holding. Waking up to the face of
an old man with a scythe while in pain and at their mercy?

Fuck that. No. No! This was not death! This was hell. Really, who could fault him for
freaking out?!
Really, he wanted to see anyone (except Kakashi, because that guy's resting boredom-face
was probably unable to change due to emotional stuntedness) in his situation and would dare
them not to react with a few... manly, very manly screams. Once it was established that the
old geezer was in fact a human being – or as human as one could still be while being
connected to a really creepy statue – he had calmed down a bit. But he was suspicious,
naturally so, being at war. He was an Uchiha and he knew the elderly people of his village.
This one he had never seen before, and him having the Sharingan could only mean the man
was either a thief or a missing nin.

And while the man told him he had gotten him out and treated him – and Obito was thankful
for that, really he was – he couldn't help but be slightly weary of the man, distrust lingering in
his chest even as he smiled up at him. How come he lived here, all alone and on his own.
How did he have the Sharingan?

“I intend to have you repay your debt...” the old man said and his stare made goosebumps run
up and down the young boys body-half “It's your motto to help the elderly, right?

Obito was quiet for a second, then hesitatingly nodded.

“Yeah. But... well, what do you want me to do?” he asked aloud while his thoughts whirred
and he silently questioned how the old man could possible know of his habits of helping
elderly people in his home village. They were too far away from Konoha and he doubted
anyone would gossip about his habits out here, in the wild or wherever they war. How had he
gotten here? The old man didn't look like he travelled outside very often. He didn't mind
helping him per se, but...

Why did he need his help? Well, as old as he was...

“With bathroom... stuff?” Obito asked in an unsure voice, slowly fighting his body into a
sitting position so as to not feel completely helpless, even if he actually was. At least it made
him feel better about the situation, once the weird old man wasn't towering over him quite
that much anymore.

Then he shook his head.

“Sorry, I can't stay here forever.” he told the stranger with another shake of his head “Now
that I know I'm alive... I need to go home, to Konoha!” Brown, red, blond and silver. Home.

“There is a war going on.” he told the old man, because the guy probably didn't know about
that, living in a cave like he was.

“My Sharingan has finally activated... so I can protect my comrades better now!”

“Protect your comrades better, eh...” The man let out a sigh, then mercilessly continued
“With that body of yours? Your life as a shinobi is over.”

It was like a punch Obito couldn't avoid. His eye dropped down, looking at the stitched
together body half, the mass of... something on his right side. Desperation choked him. It was
true after all, but, but...!

“No. No, no, I finally... I finally got this eye!”

His head was spinning, and the man was still talking. Talking about nonsense like pain,
suffering, futility. Things that Obito had crossed out of his dictionary, because he had gotten
told that too often in his short life. Becoming Hokage? People laughed when he told them,
but he would do it! He would.

Despite himself he listened. If only because the man had rescued him, he listened in silence,
his gut churning. The old man unsettled him, but it was not like he could just up and leave.
Not with his body in the condition it was in.

But he didn't believe. He didn't! Maybe some things rang true, but others just didn't make
sense to Obito. He refused to believe that this reality wasn't worth fighting for, that the
sacrifices they made were in vain. No. There would be other ways to archive peace.

Right now he needed to get back home, no matter what and everything else was simply not
relevant.
But the man's words echoed, latched onto his thoughts, his memories. He shook it off, as best
as he could. But they lingered.

For now Obito was too weak to move. But he would get better, and then he would return to
the light, to lavender and laughter, to a red whirlwind and good food, to silver confidence and
fragility, to sunshine and warmth.

Something was off. Something was off, and the Uchiha gost turned into Uchiha Madara, a
legend long dead.

An Uchiha who saw reality as hell.

And Obito knew this was bad. And he needed to return to Konoha.

He just didn't have the strength left.

“There are a lot of things I'd like you to do for me... for the rest of our lives.” and didn't that
sound ominous? Obito had heard enough, and even with his uncooperative body he tried his
best to leave. He wouldn't listen to his bullshit anymore.

“I went to great pains to save you.” Madara continued, watching his struggle of futility
“Don't rush to your death...”

Madara was mad. Stark, raving, barking, mad.

A world of only peace and love? What interest did Obito have in that? What would his
accomplishments mean, if everything got handed to him? How would something like that
possibly work?!

He did try to drag his body to... wherever the exit was. He wasn't sure but anywhere was
better than staying close to that craziness. All the while listening to Madara, who said that if
Obito left, then he would take his one remaining eye. Creepy.
“I don't have a right eye yet.” Madara droned on, unconcerned “And only with two together
can the sharingan's true power be unleashed.”

If Madara thought that would make Obito reconsider to stay... well, no. No, quite the
opposite. It only meant that if he returned to Kakashi's side, they would be so much stronger,
so much better at teamwork. They could make it work!

Rin's sobbing carried him to sleep and made him wake up with a burning determination to get
back to his home.

For Kakashi.

For Minato.

For Kushina.

And especially for Rin...

There were more people he missed, but he was an orphan and these four had become his
closest friends or even family. Or hopefully more.

In his dreams he was with them and they greeted him with open arms. In his waking hours he
spend his time training, eating, testing his mobility, training some more until he collapsed in
exhaustion.

He didn't trust the old man, who sat in the chair, watching him with detached interest.
Whenever Obito looked at him, he couldn't imagine what would be worth it to cling to life
this desperately, to spend years upon years in isolation, connected only to the creepy statue
behind, looking like death incarnate. But then again, he himself also clung to life with a
desperation he hadn't known he owned.
There were other creatures too, as he later noticed. When Madara went to sleep, they were
there and watching over him. Strange white masses, not really human (they called it 'artifical
human', Obito was sure they were some kind of strange plant-monsters he had been scared of
when he had been really small) but in parts shaped like one. He didn't trust them either, but
they kept appearing in the cave. And Obito was... lonely. Talking to them and their
sometimes ridiculous questions was the only interaction he had, and he couldn't help himself
but talk to them. Whatever Madara had done to him... the young Uchiha didn't want to dwell
too long on it. He didn't feel entirely... human anymore. He didn't need to eat, drink or even
use the bathroom, and while the pain slowly receded, as whatever crazy stuff that was, it
itched and moved and grew.

His every waking moment was spend training. The... mass of cells – Obito wasn't sure
exactly how they worked – on the right side of his body slowly grew, and Obito was really
relieved that it was not growing into... tentacles or something weird like that, but instead
seemed to reform an arm and leg and whatever else went missing.

They were weak though, and only through bullheaded training did he slowly, ever so slowly
regain some strength in the limbs. It was hard. The following days (weeks... years? It was
hard to tell the time in the cave, without sunlight to tell of the passing of time.) passed
quickly, in a haze of training and abating pain. He was getting used to the weird new cells
forming his new arm and leg but it was still hard to get up and do the simplest things. At first,
Obito could barely stand up. Bound to a bed like an invalid, with only that creepy old guy
and strange white masses as company. He felt alone, and yet...

His dreams gave him the strength to pull through. And the white masses had given him their
names. Shiro Zetsu and Kuro Zetsu (though Obito couldn't really see anything black about
the second one, except maybe his humor). He might be going a little soft on them, but they
were... kind, in a weird way. They helped him, kept him from toppling over and harming
himself, kept talking to him about random things – sometimes even of the outside world –
and were generally just around all the time, whenever they were not going outside for
whatever scouting reason. They cheered him on, whenever he managed to accomplish
something he hadn't before and listened when Obito felt frustrated with his body and the
world at large .

The arm and leg gained some strength, until Obito was able to stand and take some shaky
steps on his own, without any support from the nearby wall. With time and effort the limbs
didn't feel quite so strange anymore. While there was an instinctive knowledge that they were
not his own, they slowly became his in another way. Like a crutch one learned to master over
time, until using it was as easy as breathing.
 It became easier to breath, as he regained his strength. It wouldn't be much longer until he
could escape and finally return home, and that thought made him so incredible happy. Not
much longer now...

And then came the day when Zetsu returned from his trip outside, and his world threatened to
crumble once again.

There were no thoughts of anything but escaping right now, when he got told that Rin and
Kakashi were in trouble. He would have done anything to get to them.

Punching the wall with his newly reformed arm was probably stupid, and it was shocking
how easily the new limb simply broke off like it was the arm of a stuffed toy instead of one of
Obito's body-parts.

“Why don't you wear my body...?” the Shiro part of Zetsu asked, and the white mass wrapped
around him, like a full-body hug. It was a little disconcerting, but it was Obito's only way out
and if Zetsu would help him, he wouldn't mention it.

“Thank you, guys...!” he said, heartfelt, and then they shattered the stone and ran. He was
finally free of that cave, and he wouldn't ever return, no matter what Madara said. He was
free, he would get better and it was time to save Kakashi and Rin... and return home.

Please. Please, Kakashi. You promised me! Protect Rin!!

Chapter End Notes

An Obito POV. I know, I know. That was basically a recount of the chapter, but I
promise there will be a follow up soon!!

On another Note, I added the songs I listened to to the chapters Mindscape and Ritual, if
anyone is interested.

I'm also adding my playlist that I use while writing at the end of the story in the notes :)
 A crumbling Team
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes

Once Kakashi had been taken by a team of ANBU, Minato was left with Rin and Okita. The
boy looked dead on his feet, and Rin wasn't far behind. It had been hard not to follow
Kakashi, but another squad of ANBU had barred his way, giving him a scroll with orders
from the Hokage and grudgingly, Minato had bowed to their leader's wishes. After bringing
Rin and Okita to the hospital to be checked over, and making certain they were well looked
after, he went straight for the Hokage tower to give his own report.

The Sandaime looked tired when Minato was called into his office. His had was lying on the
desk, and Sarutobi was puffing away on his pipe in clear agitation.

“You wished to see me?” Minato asked once he was standing in front of the desk, feeling
unsettled as he saw his leader lean back into his chair and give a heavy sigh.

“At ease, Minato...” the Hokage huffed out with a smokey breath “...we have much to talk
about.”

“Indeed.” Minato replied, his stance relaxing a little but now that he was in front of the
Hokage, he felt the anger that he had shoved aside boil up again.

“I for one would like to know why Kakashi was send out on a mission, before he had fully
recuperated and against my express desire for him to be kept in the village until my return.”
Minato asked, his voice mildly polite but edged with icy poison.

“I didn't.” the Hokage replied, lacing his fingers together and watching Minato with a tired
sort of resignation on his wrinkled face.

“Pardon?”
“Hatake Kakashi left the village, approximately two days ago, without permission.” the
Hokage elaborated as Minato tried to grapple with the new information “His absence was
noted when a nurse came to check on him the following day, with him missing from the
hospital.”

“... what?” Minato tried to wrap his mind around that. Of course, it wasn't exactly new that
shinobi escaped from the hospital on a regular basis, despite not being fully healed.

“Thinking he had gone back to his apartment, I send for him. When he wasn't found, I
ordered the Inuzuka to locate him for me. A day later it was confirmed that Kakashi has left
the village, without permission.”

Minato shook his head. No. Kakashi wouldn't do that. Kakashi lived by the rules. He would
know the consequences better than anyone due to this. There was simply no way Kakashi
would abandon-

… a teammate. Rin. Minato wanted to grip his hair and start pulling.

“Why was Rin send out of the village?” he asked, his tone tight with worry and apprehension
as his mind raced through scenario after scenario of what had made Kakashi so desperate to
throw his entire lifestyle out of the window and pursue Rin.

“A supply gathering mission. She was supposed to gather some medical herbs. The location
wasn't too far away so it was supposed to be a low risk mission. She had a Chunin medical
nin at her side to help her and another Chunin and Jonin as protection.”

Nothing that should have gone so completely wrong that Kakashi had to follow her and
ended with him almost dying and becoming a Jinchūriki then.

“I see.” Minato croaked out, despite really not seeing the picture at all. Kakashi was going in
a direction Minato couldn't follow, he didn't know how his student would react anymore
and... and that was disconcerting. He had always known Kakashi, had always been able to
predict his movements and could most of the time guess what or how he was thinking.
Since Obito's death, Minato could hardly recognize him anymore. He walked different, he
fought different, he acted different and clearly had a shift in priorities that Minato couldn't
ascertain.

If it wasn't for his summons and knowledge of things only Kakashi would know, Minato
might have suspected an imposter.

“I... okay.” Minato grappled for some stability, one hand going to his forehead and pinching
the skin near his nose as if to ward off a headache “Okay. Alright.” If not for his very
deliberate slow and deep breaths, Minato was sure he would have freaked out a lot more.

“This... what does that mean. I mean, what will happen now? To... to Kakashi?” he chanced a
glance at the Hokage and felt his heart sink at the pained expression.

With a heavy sigh the Hokage stood up and faced Minato directly, putting his pipe away and
gabbing the hat with the fire symbol. Very slowly and carefully he put the hat on while his
eyes remained fixed on the Yellow Flash, and Minato knew what it meant. Sarutobi was now
acting as the Hokage, not his friend, and it send a thrill of fear through him.

“While we are still gathering information on this incident, Hatake Kakashi will remain
suspended from active duty and isolated in a secure cell.” the Hokage said, straightening up
and placing his hands behind himself, as if unconcerned if Minato decided to attack or not.

“His punishment will be decided at a later point. The council is already discussing the
situation

“... Minato. Hatake Kakashi will be pulled out of your team until further notice.” The Hokage
stated to the frozen Jonin in front of him “You are not to seek him out. You are to keep your
distance and keep your students... your student from making contact.” Minato felt like he
couldn't breathe. This... no, how could they do this?

“Lord Hokage...” Minato was close to begging “please, reconsider! Kakashi-”

“Is no longer of your concern.” the Hokage interrupted, his expression stern and unyielding.
It softened a moment later at Minato's devastated state.

“I will... try to keep you informed. Do not make this harder than it needs to be.”

Minato closed his eyes. Every muscle trembling with the need to take action. Two ANBU
appeared silently at Sarutobi's side as a little of the tightly leashed killing intent escaped
Minato's usually impeccable hold.

He bowed stiffly, not trusting himself to look at the man he had always trusted and whose
opinion he valued beyond most others.

In this though... he wasn't sure he would be able to obey.

“As my Lord Hokage wishes.” he replied, his voice deceitfully even for the turmoil that raged
war inside him. He left without bothering to wait for a dismissal, back ramrod straight as he
kept a hold on his anger. Just outside the Hokage's office, Minato decided he had enough.

In a flash he was gone, and reappeared in his apartment.

He was still for a moment. Inhaling, then exhaling loudly as he tried to reign in his emotions.

॰ ৹ ৹॰
˭̡̞(◞₎๑^ᆺ^)◞₎₎=͟͟͞͞˳˚ °ₒ ๐° ๐

When Kushina came home, she stopped as she took in the destruction that was once their
living room. Minato was passed out on the half demolished couch, a bottle of their strongest
alcohol clutched tight in his arms. She sighed, carefully moving through the battlefield and
snatching up the blanket she usually stowed away close to the sofa, in case she wanted to take
a nap or wanted to curl up with a book and a hot cup of tea. She unfolded it, carefully shaking
off some dust and debris from the destroyed shelf that had crashed onto it and spread it over
her idiot husband who would have a mess to clean up and replace very item he had destroyed
to her satisfaction.
 For now she would let him sleep. Trouble lay ahead and he would need his strength.

Chapter End Notes

I... didn't think that Obito's POV would be so popular. Wow. Guys you are amazing xD

... it makes me feel a bit bad about what I am doing to you guys, leaving you guessing
like that. Really. My evil little heart twists in pleasure, it's almost painful.

No. Kidding. Next pov will be some more on Kakashi's situation but I might be
convinced to do another Obito POV soon, just to generate more hatred. :)
 The Meeting
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes

It was probably days later, when Kushina came back. The only contact he had to the outside
world had been medic-nins, who had looked him over and then hastily left the cell as if he
was contagious, and the ANBU guarding his cell. Due to the meals he suspected it was
probably 3 days since he had woken up. Nine meals. It was bearable. Not only could Kakashi
think on his situation, he also slowly recovered and had the time to talk some more with
Isobu, who was still a little reluctant to believe him, but was eager for whatever stories
Kakashi was willing to share. Isobu had plainly stated that he would see at one point or
another if Kakashi was lying or not, and would be able to make Kakashi's life a living hell if
he did deceive him.

But as Kakashi knew things that couldn't be explained away easily – about Kurama, the Sage
of Six Paths, the Juubi and Kaguya – Isobu was willing enough to accept it as truth until
proven otherwise. That was a relief, and Isobu had since then stopped struggling too much
against the remaining seal. He grumbled about the uncomfortable position the gates forced
him in, and wiggled around as much as he could until Kakashi had capitulated and asked
what was wrong, the constant movement of chakra in him preventing him from planning
things through.

Once Isobu had admitted that there was an itch he couldn't get to, Kakashi had the surreal
experience of scratching the Sanbi's back until he melted into a puddle of chakra. Rumbling
almost happily.

Sometimes Kakashi questioned how this had become his life. Or if he was in a very, very odd
dreamworld. He had already made sure he was not in a Genjutsu, so he was left with
accepting this as reality.

It was weird, having another presence in the back of his mind, and Kakashi was almost
hyper-aware of it. He was used to his privacy, used to being alone and able to shut the world
away when he needed the quiet. Having constant company was pretty much Kakashi's worst
nightmare.
And yet... for a Bijuu, Isobu was... okay. It was better than being stuck with the ball of hatred
in a certain red-head.

Anyways, it was three days later when Kushina came back, and after having only a Bijuu to
talk to, Kakashi was relieved to finally have someone who could tell him what was going on.

“You are requested to appear before the Hokage...” Kushina said, as she walked over to him.
Kakashi could see the four ANBU hovering outside the room, and repressed a sigh. Carefully
he distangled himself from the blanket and stood up, reaching out to take the clothes Kushina
was holding out to him. While Kushina turned around to give him some privacy, the ANBU
watched his every movement as Kakashi quickly donned his attire. Kushina must have gotten
one of his spare ones from his apartment. Of course he didn't get any weapons, but he felt
more comfortable in the familiar garb than he had been in the soft, loose hospital clothes he
had been put in during his recovery. His eyes fell to the manacles around his wrists and feet,
but when Kushina noticed his look once she looked back at him to see if he was ready, she
shook her head.

“Those need to stay on.” she said regretfully.

“At least until after your account of what happened.”

Kakashi nodded, releasing a breath. So this was not yet his trial, but rather to plead his case
before a decision was made.

Surrounded by ANBU as they left the cell, Kakashi and Kushina got ushered a long several
twisting tunnels. Kakashi thought he could see daylight at the end of a few junctions, but he
couldn't be too sure. They were underground after all, it could just as easily have been a light
source tricking him into thinking there was an exit, to confuse escaping prisoners.

Finally they arrived at their destination, a heavy set of wooden doors reinforced with metal.
The ANBU shoved it open easily enough and Kushina pulled Kakashi with her, past their
guards and into the room.
Kushina's hand was a comfortable weight on Kakashi's shoulder, as they stood united in front
of the Council, Hokage and his Advisors. Despite being in the past, Kakashi thought the
Sandaime looked more tired and old than in his last years of life. The war was clearly taking
its toll on the man, and it was no wonder that he had finally given the position to Minato.

Right now though, he looked regretful, and that more than anything else made all the alarm
bells ring in Kakashi's head. The last time the Hokage had looked at him with pity, he had
denied Kakashi the opportunity to resign from ANBU, which then lead long years of
drowning in blood and darkness that had almost broken Kakashi beyond repair. It wasn't a
surprise that Kakashi felt alarmed and apprehensive to see that look aimed at him once more.

“Kakashi Hatake.” a Jonin addressed him, standing up “You are here to discuss your brief
defection during wartime, and the circumstances of your apprehension. Please proceed to
explain to us your thoughts and actions since your last mission.” the man set down again,
readying a brush to take notes. Kushina squeezed his shoulder and Kakashi took a deep
breath and a step forward, head rising and spine straight. In the name of law he was an adult.
He would likely be tried like one, especially since Kakashi had always been mature for his
age. He knew when he had allowances for his behaviour, and when he was better off to shape
up and take things serious. This fell into the latter category, if he wanted to come out of this
alive.

“During my last mission as courier, the information we had collected from the frontline was
deemed important enough to return immediately with haste to the village. On our way back,
my team and I got ambushed by Kiri Nin, who had no reason to be so close to the Iwa border
and in our country. My teammates ordered me to make way to Konoha immediately, while
they stayed behind to distract the enemy.” those Kiri Nin had probably been there just to
make sure that neither Kakashi nor Minato interfered. To keep an eye on the situation on the
front line. Kakashi even suspected that the only reason they had attacked at all, was because
of his presence. To slow him down.

He had long thought on how he had 'overheard' the situation. It was crucial that nobody
suspected him of falsifying the information.

“Since I was going on ahead alone, I summoned my Ninken to scout the area to warn me of
any danger nearby. They would have noticed enemies approaching much quicker than
myself. When I took a short break to tend to my injuries, one of them came to me with the
information that Kiri nin were trying to apprehend Rin Nohara, a student of the Yellow Flash
for a plan to deal great damage to our village.” Kakashi kept his voice as distant and
emotionless as possible. As if he was simply recounting something from a book, instead of
talking about the planned capture of his own teammate.

“I decided to get back to the village as quickly as possible, to try and warn Minato-sensei and
our esteemed Hokage of the danger. I failed, as I lost consciousness upon arrival.” that left a
bitter taste in his mouth, even now. Due to that, he had almost let history repeat itself. But if
he hadn't, then it could have been possible that Rin would have already left anyways. Kakashi
was too emotionally invested. Minato-sensei would have made sure that Kakashi wouldn't be
involved in the rescue-team. No matter how he had approached the situation, once he was
send out of the village everything had become so time sensitive that it was a wonder he had
been able to save Rin at all.

Kakashi would never be sure which would have led to a better ending, he was simply glad
that they had both somehow managed to survive.

Now he only needed to convince the Council and Hokage.

“Then why, upon waking in the hospital, did you not take this information directly to your
superiors?” another man asked, his flinty eyes looking down at Kakashi in disdain. Definitely
not someone on his side then. Kakashi gave the man a quick glance over, he would remember
him just in case. It was always good to know who your allies were, but even more important
who your enemies could be.

Kakashi allowed his stance to relax a little bit, making sure that his expression was a little
more open and let a little embarrassment bleed into what little could be seen of his face.
Minato would have probably seen how fake it all was. Kushina was likely to be able to tell
something was off too. The rest of the room would only see what he wanted them to see. A
child, a little uncomfortable but closed off, just how he remembered he had been at that age.
Distant. Cold. Efficient. Ruthless. Trash.

“Ah...” Kakashi cleared his throat “When I woke up, I didn't think that quite that much time
had passed. I...” he cast a quick look to Kushina “I went to the Nohara residence to see if Rin
was okay. When I noticed her gone... I... p-panicked.” dear god he would never live this
down. Ever. Especially not if this got out to any of his peers. Like Genma. Genma was never
allowed to know Kakashi had admitted to that.

It wasn't that it wasn't true, but that was the only solution he could come up with why he
hadn't trusted his superiors. He knew, that if he didn't have the memories from before, he
would have gone at least to Minato to ask for help. Gathering a team and seeking permission
would have taken too much time, never mind taking the time to convince them and the
uncertainty of people believing him or not. He hadn't even considered it as an option, not
with the knowledge he had.

“I left a message for my sensei with Chunin Namiashi Raido, packed my things and ran
towards where my ninken overheard that an ambush was planned.” Kakashi felt bad for
lying, but an advance ambush like this likely meant “we might have a spy who is giving
inside information to the enemy. Otherwise I don't know how they could have known Rin
might be send out to that mission.” it probably was true. How else were Kiri to know where
Rin's mission was, or even the Iwa nin, who had ambushed them before which led to Obito's
supposed death? The council muttered among themselves and a few Jonin exchanged uneasy
glances. Having a security leak during war time was no easy matter. It could lead to
catastrophic events, and if the person was a sleeper agent, there was even a possibility of a
huge blow being dealt from within the village. If successful, it could heavily impact their
chances to win the war. If for example the spy managed to get rid of their food storages, or
tampered with the missions or even weapons, it could be disastrous.

Only Kakashi was fairly certain it wasn't one of their own, but rather Zetsu who had given
that information to the enemy. He couldn't say that though. But maybe tighter security
measures would also make it harder for Madara and Zetsu to gain information they wanted in
the future.

“I thought if only I was quick enough, I could catch her before she reached the area where the
Kiri Nin were laying in wait. I summoned my Ninken and tracked her easily enough. As it
was, I was almost too late. When I arrived at the place, the battle was already mostly over. A
Jonin and Chunin of our village died defending Rin and Okita, who were the last ones
standing. Okita was injured though, and in no state to defend himself or even manage to
escape. I used an exploding tag to cover our retreat. Rin immediately started to treat her
injured teammate and I engaged the enemy to keep them away, trying to thin out the lines for
us to break through and return home.” Kakashi explained, the Hokage raised an eyebrow and
shared a look with some of the council.

“Do you mean to say, that the bodies we found were all slain by yourself?” the old man
finally asked. Kakashi froze, unsure as to how to answer.

“I... I don't know.” he stated honestly. It wasn't like he had the time to see if the Jonin had
managed to kill some of the Kiri Nin himself “I guess a few got caught or injured in the
explosion when I arrived. Later on I managed to lure people in some traps I managed to set
up. Explosion and raiton traps mostly. I was trying to converse chakra, as I wasn't entirely
recovered. I was running around a lot, trying to get a few people alone or in smaller groups.”

“Hm.” the Hokage nodded slowly, is gaze assessing. “Continue.”

“Once I knew I was running low on chakra, I also knew that chance of escape for all of us
was unlikely. Since their goal was to capture Rin, I decided to use a henge and lead the
enemy away from her position, after making sure they were safe. I used one of Minato-
sensei's daggers as a marker for their position, then proceeded to run and try to break through
enemy lines to return to Konoha, so they would think their plan had failed.” Kakashi
recounted in an emotionless monotone “I failed, as the enemy repeatedly cut me off and
herded me further away. I must have bought enough time, because they decided to rather
capture me, than continue a search for Rin who I had hoped would have been found by
Minato-sensei by then, or returned home.”

The Hokage let out a sigh. Another Jonin choose to speak up.

“Why would you leave the Hiraishin Marker with your teammates instead of taking it with
you?”

Ah. Right. He would better not tell them that he had knocked Rin out.

“My teammates were in no condition to defend themselves, or get away to safety. They were
well-hidden in a small cave, and I thought I would be able to slip past the enemies.” Kakashi
really tried not to lie, just in case Rin would mention his actions later on if she was even
going to be questioned. It was likely, and it wouldn't look too good on him if his story
contradicted hers. It was why he refrained from lying outright, preferring to just omit a few
facts. It wasn't a lie. They had after all been both unconscious, Kakashi just didn't tell how or
why.”

“As a Jonin myself I saw it as my duty to protect my subordinates to the best of my ability.
While being low on Chakra, I'm still better at Taijutsu than Rin, and Okita was recovering
from injury. If captured, I also had the highest chance to free myself. It seemed logical that I
would be the one to take the risk.”
Kushina's hand squeezed his shoulder in encouragement.

The Sandaime looked thoughtful.

Danzo looked contemplative.

For all of his years, Kakashi couldn't predict what would happen now.

“A noble sacrifice.” Danzo said “but how did you end up with the Sanbi being sealed into
you?” there was a hunger, barely concealed in Danzo's eye. Kakashi looked at the Hokage,
trying not to be too pointedly in his attempt to silently question if Sarutobi wanted an answer
to that question. The Sandaime nodded, and Kakashi felt a tight sensation tinged with
vindictive pleasure at showing Danzo whom he answered to.

“When I was captured, the enemy knocked me out. They were in a hurry, as I had stalled for
as much time as possible and they didn't want to encounter more trouble if reinforcements
reached me, before they managed to accomplish their goal.” Kakashi tried not to think of the
twisting black ink and the feeling of foreign chakra clinging to him, of the pain or fear as he
recounted the ritual with only a faint tremor in his voice that quickly got buried. He couldn't
risk emotional display here. He could shake apart later, but not here, not when he needed to
convince these people that he was stable and not at risk of loosing it and releasing a Bijuu in
the middle of the village. Kushina's fingers digging into his shoulders were almost a painful
relief, as if she knew he needed an anchor to not drown in the recent memory.

“I studied funinjutsu in my free time. I recognized some of the letters and combined with the
conversation they didn't think I would overhear, I managed to put together what their plan
was.” Nobody questioned him on that, and for once Kakashi was glad to be known as a
genius. Leaps in logic were naturally attributed to him, and nobody would take a closer look.

“As I couldn't free myself, once I came to again I realized that there was more wrong than
only being made into a human sacrifice. I felt a pull towards Konoha, so strong that I knew it
must be forced by something else, if only because the last thing I wanted to do was to return
to my village with an unstable seal that barely contained the Bijuu trying to break free.”
“Yet here you are.” the flinty-eyed Jonin muttered “You are risking innocent lives just by
existing. Hokage, we should extract the Bijuu at once and seal it in a container that is stable-”
Sarutobi's raised hand interrupted the shinobi.

“Young Kakashi wasn't finished yet.” he said mildly, but his gaze held a warning as he cut a
glance towards the man. When he looked back at Kakashi, he was once more calm and
nodded to the young shinobi.

“Continue. What happened then?”

“I meditated.” Kakashi said and was almost amused to note a few people blink in surprise.
After all, it was not every time someone admitted that after capture and torture they simply
went and meditated as if they were in a zen garden at home.

“I knew they wouldn't kill me, as I was basically a weapon they wanted to use against
Konoha. I could also feel the Bijuu, and attempted to contact it.” the uproar that admittance
brought was silenced by the Hokage once more, who frowned as he looked back at Kakashi.

“Why would you wish to converse with the Sanbi?” he asked, sounding confused and
genuinely baffled.

“I had a cursed seal on my heart.” Kakashi told them bluntly “I could feel it, and the only
way I knew to remove it in time would have been for someone to destroy my heart. Since I
didn't want any harm to come to the village, I thought of several plans, but all of them would
have required the willing or unwilling cooperation of the Bijuu inside of me.”

He took a breath, and put a hand to his neck, rubbing the tightness he found there in
discomfort.

“If the Bijuu had been uncontrollable, I would have offered it a deal to rip open the seal then
and there, freeing it, if it would but destroy the enemy.” a few looked shocked to hear
Kakashi admit to planning suicide and releasing a Bijuu to archive a hopeless victory.
“I'm versed enough in fuinjutsu to know how to destroy a seal, even if my method might be
crude.” it was true. Taking a Chidori to the chains was hardly what Kakashi would call
finesse, but then again he had been a bit short on time.

“In the case I found the Bijuu to be cooperative, I would have tried to destroy my heart,
getting rid of the compulsion and trusting the Bijuu to have enough survival instinct to heal
me, so it wouldn't die with me.”

Again people seemed perplexed at his choice. Kakashi wondered what they would have done
in his position.

“Trust a Bijuu?!” another man snapped, this one fair skinned and probably a noble “What
madness! You can't think that those beasts are trustworthy?!”

Kakashi could feel Isobu stir in the back of his mind, a silent rumble that echoed only in his
thoughts.

“I've come to an agreement with Isobu. We have taken a liking to each other, and he is quite
willing to stay with me.” Kakashi explained mildly, his eyes only on the Hokage.

“He is willing to do a resealing with me as the Jinchūriki, if the seal is made by Uzumaki
Kushina.”

Sarutobi's mouth dropped open a little, staring at Kakashi in disbelief. In all fairness, it was
unheard of to find a Jinchūriki that just... got along with a Bijuu to the point it was willing to
be resealed after mere days.

Kakashi barely repressed his instinctive eye-smile at the disbelieving looks his admittance
garnered. He couldn't fault them. A second passed in stunned silence, then chaos erupted
once more. A little part of Kakashi revelled in it, soaking up the sir he had caused and was
echoed by Isobu's amusment coming from deep within him.
 When he was brought back to the cell, he was hopeful that they wouldn't simply extract the
Bijuu from him. Kushina hugged him – to the consternation of the ANBU guarding them –
and whispered.

“You did well. We will get you out of here, dattebane.”

It sounded like a promise, and coming from an Uzumaki, Kakashi let himself cling to that
little hope as well.

Chapter End Notes

Sorry, I'm late D: I got distracted!! D:

Eh, but at least I managed to finish it before sleeping guys, even if it's 3 am and I need to
get up in... uh... 4 hours. Yeeey :D
 Of Madness and Death
Chapter Notes

Song that I listened to while writing this chapter:

Ruelle - Bad Dream

See the end of the chapter for more notes

It felt weird, being surrounded by Zetsu. He was almost entirely running under his own
power, but it was like there was a certain tightness all around him, strengthening his limbs
and lifting some of the challenge that moving around so much still provided. It helped him as
his body still tired easily if he ran for too long. Trees and landscape was flying past and for
the first time in what felt like forever, Obito could feel, smell and enjoy the fresh air. The air
was heavy, as if a storm was brewing and if not for his single-minded determination to reach
his teammates as soon as possible, he would have taken a moment to enjoy it. He had become
way too used to the dusty-dry air of the cave and the smell of rotten plant-matter and soil.

Slowly, rain started to fall. A gentle, steady pitter-patter, that didn't really reach Obito
underneath the safety the leaves provided. Maybe later he could take some relief in the
natural shower. The cave didn't really provide much opportunity to clean oneself up.

Currently, the young shinobi couldn't take any satisfaction or happiness in these things, nor in
his surroundings. Not even the taste of freedom stemmed the fear that made his heart race. He
could feel some parts of his body flare up in renewed pain, his right side still unused to the
strain and his right arm an itching, painful mess from when he had futility tried to punch
though a rock-wall alone.

Obito had never been a particularly religious person, despite his fear of ghosts and the
unnatural. But he couldn't help sending prayers begging for their safety to whatever deity
might be listening. He feared coming to late, and when the trees finally thinned out, opening
up to reveal a plateau of stones.

A grin split his face. He made it. He made it in time and-

Then he saw Kakashi.

Kakashi, whose arm went straight through a kunoichi, the lightning fizzling out like the
spluttering of a candle.

Rin, further behind, screaming in desperation.

Minato flicking in and out of existence, enemies dropping and leaving but grim corpses in his
wake.

His breath hitched. Wrong. This was wrong.

Kakashi who had a kunai driven almost to the hilt into his chest.

Who was just barely standing, muscles shaking and straining to keep locked in position.

Obito felt frozen to the ground, unable to move. He tried to take a step forward but he
couldn't. He couldn't even make a sound, it was as if the very air had been sucked right out of
him, leaving him as an empty husk.

Minato appeared at Kakashi's side, slowly easing the enemy off him and supporting Kakashi's
weight.

Obito almost didn't notice it, but he took a tiny step back. Only... No. No he didn't.
Everything in him wanted to move forward, wanted to race over and help. Somehow. If only
to be at Kakashi's side, to tell him that it was okay and he was sorry he had made him
promise to look after Rin if this was the outcome.

“What-” he questioned as Zetsu wrapped around him even more, white strands coiling around
him and barring his sight “What are you doing?!” he asked, shaken to the core and struggling
inside the cocoon that surrounded him.
“You don't need to see that...” Zetsu crooned in a whisper, almost deceitfully gentle.

“No- no! I need to get to them! I need to help!” Obito protested, but even straining with all
his might, he only managed to lift an arm to his face, trying to move Zetsu away from his eye
so he could look-

His body moved. Slowly, ever so slowly he started to back off from the scene without his
consent, as if he was simply a puppet being manipulated.

“Zetsu!! Stop this, let me go!” It was no use. He wasn't in control of his actions and he was
moving away, he let out a scream of pure frustration, if only he was loud enough, maybe, just
maybe someone would hear and help him.

And then he heard it. Kakashi, screaming as if his very soul was being shredded to pieces, a
sound he never thought he would ever hear from his rival and never, ever wanted to hear
again. Inhuman. Tortured. Until it tapered off into silence.

Obito tried to curl his fingers, to rip himself out of this mummification.

“What is happening?? Zetsu?!”

Pleas and demands and desperate howls went ignored. Obito didn't know how long he fought
to no avail, but when Zetsu finally stopped and slowly uncurled from his head, Obito was
drenched in sweat, nearly mad with the torrent of emotions in him. He was a mess, tears and
snot smeared over his face and staring mulishly into Madara's impassive face. Only his head
was freed, and everything else was forced into compliance by the body he had been so
thankful had offered him help just a scant few hours before.

Madara sighed, looking at Zetsu with a frown.

“What happened.” it wasn't a question, it was a demand.

“Bring me back!” Obito howled out instead of replying.

“Things... got a little out of hand.” Zetsu groused, shrugging carelessly, taking Obito's body
with the motion.

“Out of hand? OUT OF HAND?” mad was not even close to what Obito was feeling. This
went beyond that. A spitting, hissing sort of mad grief taking hold of him as he was denied
being reunited with his family, to say goodbye to Kakashi who had just become his friend but
had been his goal and rival and even reluctant support, even if Kakashi mostly didn't intend it
that way. Someone who had finally started to acknowledge Obito, who had finally lowered
his defences and unwittingly let his two teammates in, a medic nin too gentle for this world
and an overly rambunctious Uchiha that his own family wanted nothing to do with him. He
had let them in, had cared more than he had shown, Obito knew he did! Especially after
Kakashi abandoned a mission to save them, even if it had taken some convincing.

Now Kakashi's screams were echoing in his head, Rin's tears – bruised but alive but not not
at all the Rin he remembered without her happily smiling face – plastered to the back of his
eyelids, burned into memory.

“Release me...!” Obito growled, and in this moment he felt he could have killed them. If he
had the ability, he would have wrapped his fingers around his saviours neck and snapped it
like a twig without a hint of remorse.

Madara looked at him, then turned around and slowly shuffled back to his chair. He sat down
and leaned back, closing his eyes for a moment.

“Stop ignoring me!” Obito screamed, wishing he could go to him and punch him in the face.

When Madara looked back to him, he quieted down. There was cold, frigid cold calculation
in his eye, as he mustered Obito. Then he looked at Zetsu.

“You messed up.” he said, and Obito felt confused. Messed up? Messed up how?

“I know... It honestly looked good until the brat went and died instead.” Zetsu demurred.
Obito shook his head. He didn't understand. He didn't. What...? Kakashi. Kakashi couldn't...
Kakashi was strong, he couldn't die that easily...?
Madara looked back at him, distant and seeming to weigh his options.

“So the Hatake is dead.” Madara tried to confirm, and Obito felt his body shrug again.

“When we left, the Bijuu was in the process of ripping out of the seal.”

Bijuu? Oh no. No. How had Kakashi come into contact with a Bijuu? How did a Bijuu get
stuck in a person?! And Rin, Rin had also been around!

“What is going on?!”

Madara was silent for a moment longer, then he chuckled. It wasn't a nice sound.

“Apparently a change in plans.” Madara easily replied “I'd have preferred it, if you had gone
along with us willingly. So much less of a hassle.”

“It could still work-” Zetsu tried but got cut off from Madara.

“It doesn't matter. They will be on their guard now, expecting it.” Madara shook his head.

“Expecting what?” Obito asked apprehensively, hoping to get some answers “What do you
mean you wanted me to go along with you willingly? Answer me!”

Madara chuckled again.

“We planned to make you see things our way. We tipped Kiri off on your beloved Rin's
mission, pointed them in her direction and really, I'm not entirely sure how these imbeciles
could have possibly managed to mess this up with the amount of planning we put into this.”
 Obito's throat closed up in horror. No. They couldn't have wanted Rin to come to harm? Who
would possibly want that!

“What...?” He asked weakly, shaking his head again “No. No, listen, Rin is... Rin is...”

“The easiest way to make you comply, to see how truly horrible this reality is.” Madara
drawled.

“The easiest.” he repeated, holding Obito's gaze and smiling coldly “But not the only way.”

Chapter End Notes

You wanted a follow up on Obito, didn't you? Well, hope this is exactly what you
wished for! (ʃƪ¬‿¬)

Next up might actually be Kushina. Maybe. A few people asked about her POV so I
don't see why I shouldn't comply with your wishes!! (๑•̀ㅂ•́)‫و‬
 Red-hot Habanero
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes

Kushina allowed herself a smile as she walked through the village. Obito's confidence was
endearing to see, even if she worried about him and his team. They were so young, and the
war didn't discriminate. After loosing her whole village, it was hard not to face the grim
reality that the kids under Minato hadn't yet experienced. So... she worried. Especially about
the black-haired student, too bright, too clumsy, too young. And his lichen-haired rival. Too
confident, too detached, too old for his years. Rin was such a model student compared to
those two!

Scratch that. Rin was her new favourite. She was hard-working, gentle, and just so adorably
cute that Kushina wanted to squish her constantly in a hug. Ungh!

She chuckled as she remembered Obito's words once more.

“Becoming Hokage? Uchiha Obito, eh?” she mumbled to herself shook her head in fondness,
as she glanced up to the stone faces watching over the village. She actually would love to see
that happen. He was a little young, and had a lot of work in front of him. But he was
hardworking, and Minato would see to it that he got the best training possible. Meanwhile
she could stuff them with food and make sure they had their head screwed on right. With
violence if necessary.

“Well, you better get back here with everyone, just as you promised.” she hummed, slowly
making her way back to the apartment as the sun slowly rose over the horizon. Like this, the
village was beautiful. Birds just started to wake, people were getting up. In the early morning
hours Kushina could almost pretend that there was not a war raging, that Team Minato was
just out on a field trip without any dangers that made her insides twist and knot in
apprehension. Stretching her arms above her head she shoved her misgiving to the side, and
decided to take the longer route and pass by the market first. They would set up the stalls and
maybe she could be one of the first to get some good produce before it was all sold out. Good
thing she knew fuinjutsu like the back of her hand. It would be easy enough to carry
everything home, even without having a bag with her. She always carried a few seals with
her, after all.

॰ ৹ ৹॰
˭̡̞(◞₎๑^ᆺ^)◞₎₎=͟͟͞͞˳˚ °ₒ ๐° ๐
Opening the door to Minato was a relief, making her smile brightly with a 'welcome back'
already half past her lips. Right until she looked him into his beautiful blue eyes. The usual
sky-blue tone sparkling with mirth was dulled and dark, like murky water during a storm. He
didn't even need to say anything to her, his face was enough confirmation of her greatest fears
and made a knot strangle the question that desperately wanted to escape her. Yet at the same
time she never wanted to ask. Never wanted the confirmation.

Her smile fell and she made a small wounded sound, almost a whimper and Minato quickly
stepped forward and dragged her into a hug that was almost bordering on painful, as if she
needed the comfort and not him. As if she couldn't see how it teared him apart, whatever it
was. She didn't want to know. She didn't. No. No, no. Hadn't she lost enough? Not one of
their kids. Please...

“W-who?” she choked out after what felt like an eternity, unable to stand not knowing any
longer than this. She exhaled shakely

“Obito...” Minato whispered in her ear, clutching her closer as her legs trembled and her sight
grew dizzy. From tears or lack of air, she couldn't say but she knew that currently Minato was
the only one that held her up when her knees buckled and threatened to throw her to the
ground.

Harsh pants left her as her shaking arms clutched at Minato's chest. No, not Obito! She could
feel Minato carefully picking her up, bridal style and for once she didn't have it in herself to
protest. He stepped past the threshold and kicked the door close behind him, her arms
winding around his neck and her face hidden in the curve of where his shoulder and neck
met. As if she was a child and simply hiding would make the bitter truth go away.

She was so thankful that he had given her the privacy to fall apart, so thankful that he was
steady as a big, old tree that she could lean on, even though she knew he was hurting just as
much inside.

He settled her on the couch in the living room, taking the blanket and spreading it over them,
crowding close. As if it was a little blanket-fort for them, and them alone and the world
couldn't touch them here. It was that little gesture – one that her parents had been prone to do
when Kushina had been a child afraid of the raging sea during the wild, unpredictable storms
in Uzushio – that finally made her break down entirely. She clung to Minato as if he was the
last driftwood keeping her afloat and let the tears come, big heaving sobs, ugly and tearing
out of heir without restraint.

She cried and cried, so much that she wondered if it would be able to fill one of the many
pools Uzushio had all around the city, back when her clan still lived. Water sparkling and
clear, dripping from her chin and soaking into Minato's vest, smelling of blood, travel and a
fresh breeze.

She cried until only hiccups remained and her throat felt raw.

She fell asleep to Minato carefully stroking her hair, placing soft kisses all over her face as if
he could dry her tears that way.

॰ ৹ ৹॰
˭̡̞(◞₎๑^ᆺ^)◞₎₎=͟͟͞͞˳˚ °ₒ ๐° ๐

Kushina – after her initial break-down – sought to keep herself busy as much as possible in
the following days. Despite that, she felt Obito's absence keenly. It was like his shadow
lingered, stretched and yet when she looked at it, disappeared like the flicker of a mirage.

She saw it in the tired, hurt eyes of Rin, who didn't really seem to know how to smile
honestly right now. Every smile seemed a little too stretched, as if she had looked at one of
her old pictures and tried to paint it on her face. It was painful to see, and even more so was
her hesitance, as if she didn't know what to do with herself, always looking for someone who
just suddenly wasn't there anymore.

She saw it in Minato, when he stared off into the distance, expression cold and mournful. In
his lingering silences, his too tight grip on her during the night when he pretended to sleep,
and she pretended to sleep, if only so they wouldn't have to speak the heavy thoughts out
loud.

But to her surprise she saw it the most clearly in Kakashi. The young Jonin kept himself even
more buried in work than her, and that was saying something. There was not a single moment
she didn't see him train and there was a wild sort of ferocity in his previously cold, detached
eyes that had her almost scared. For him. Minato saw the same, she could feel him worrying
when he paced in the living room instead of sitting down to relax in his time off. He came
home late, with a frown on his face and clearly out of his depth.
“Kakashi...” he started during dinner once, rolling the name around his mouth as if he wasn't
sure how he should sound “Kakashi... is... ehm... stalking Rin?”

Kushina did a double take. She felt the ladle slip out of her suddenly numb fingers,
splattering into the soup and splashing the content of the pot everywhere.

“Excuse me, what?” out of everything she had thought could happen, this had really, really
not been it.

Minato winced at her narrowed stare, fidgeting in his seat as if he himself was in trouble.

“I think... I think O-Obito told him to... to look after Rin...” Minato coughed, cheeks
reddening in second-hand embarrassment “Kakashi is... uh... taking that task very... very...
seriously?”

Kushina didn't know whether to laugh or simply stare and wait for Minato to jump up and
admit to the prank he was trying to pull on her. After an awkward minute of silence, Kushina
felt her mouth drop open in disbelief. He was serious!? Kakashi? Stalking????

She blinked several times, but Minato's pinched expression didn't change, nor did he correct
his words and Kushina tried to fit Kakashi into the picture he had just drawn her.

It didn't fit. Except, he had been so different lately. But really, stalking?

She scowled, watching Minato tense and twitch nervously in his seat.

“You better make him see that he can't treat his teammate like that.” she growled, feeling
anger stir inside her “Especially in the village. Rin is safe and he needs to realize that. The
quicker, the better. I do not want that to become a habit!” she shook her head, feeling baffled,
and Minato quickly nodded, looking relieved to not be the outlet of her brief burst of anger.
She sighed, getting up and getting a rag to clean up the mess she had accidentally made.

“Send him on a mission. A bit of a forced separation might make him snap out of it, if he sees
that Rin is perfectly fine in his absence, dattebane!”

“I already planned to do something similar...” Minato admitted, sighing to himself “It's not
healthy, I agree...”

Kushina nodded, satisfied that Minato would keep an eye on the situation and wouldn't let
Kakashi develop a clearly unhealthy habit.

Dinner afterwards was almost pleasant for once, topics remaining on stories of their
comrades that Kushina had gathered in the time Minato had been gone. It felt good to laugh,
even is the shadow still lingered in the back of their minds...

॰ ৹ ৹॰
˭̡̞(◞₎๑^ᆺ^)◞₎₎=͟͟͞͞˳˚ °ₒ ๐° ๐

Two days later Minato send Kakashi off. It was ridiculous how guilty he seemed, clearly torn
about the decision. Kushina found it endearing, but she could understand his desire to
accompany Kakashi after the last disastrous mission. He couldn't as he was supposed to join
the Hokage in planning future missions.

It was an easy mission, a simple courier mission, to and from the frontline, but Kushina felt
restless in spite of the reassurance that he was on a team that Minato had hand-picked
himself. No harm would come to the kid in their presence. But it was so close to the front-
line that Kushina couldn't help but fret, chewing on her thumb-nail as she stared out over the
village, looking into the direction of the gates despite knowing that she wouldn't possibly be
able to see Kakashi returning from this distance. Especially since it would take the team
about a week to return, and this was only the third day.

She shook her head, returning to the kitchen to start on dinner. She had invited Rin she had
been struggling with Kakashi's additional disappearance. She had seemed so sad, that
Kushina couldn't help herself but cook up all the things she knew Rin liked, hoping it would
cheer the adorable Chunin up a little.
Dinner was a success. Rin smiled, a shy imitation of her previous beaming expression, but it
was a start and it lifted a little of the weight that was crushing Kushina's heart. Maybe she
would have to cook more often. They would get through this and Rin would find her smile
along the way again, Kushina was sure of it.

A few days later Kakashi proved that he was a crazy idiot that didn't need enemies to do him
in, because he was perfectly capable of doing it himself. If he wasn't already in a hospital,
unconscious from chakra-deplention, Kushina would have punched him there herself. It
would have relieved some of the fright he had caused, and would relieve the pressure of her
worry.

Visiting him with Rin – her cute and definitely now favourite little ankle-biter – who had
some flowers that she fussily arranged in a vase next to Kakashi's bed, let some of the steam
boiling in her cool. Kakashi looked even more pale and small in the white sheets that seemed
to drown him, than she had ever seen him before. It made her heart heavy to know he was
only twelve years old.

With a sigh she put a hand on Rin's shoulder.

“He's going to be fine...” she whispered, smiling gently as Rin looked up to her with deepy
worried eyes that shimmered wetly.

“Don't worry. He will be up and about in no time!” she ruffled the brown silky hair of
Minato's only female student and crushed her in a hug.

“I don't want to be the only one...” Rin admitted quietly “I... I couldn't stand to loose him
too.” she whispered into Kushina's shoulder, making the red-head clutch her tighter. She
knew better than most what being the last one meant.

“Don't worry. When he gets up I will make him see reason! He will wish he had never
worried us!!” she cheerfully replied and then let Rin reluctantly go.

“Let's go. He will probably be up tomorrow or the day after. Let's make some tasty food!!”
she laughed and even Rin looked a bit more relaxed.
“The sooner he is up, the sooner I can put him back into that bed.” Kushina muttered darkly
to herself as they stepped out of the room. Honestly, didn't he know when to stop?

“What was that?” Rin asked, shooting Kushina a weary glance.

“Nothing, nothing!” the red-head waved off with a chuckle. There was no man who hadn't
learned a lesson with a little pain yet. Kakashi could handle it, and if he was aware of her
temper it only meant he would be more careful in the future, ne?

“Let's go and send off Minato...!”

॰ ৹ ৹॰
˭̡̞(◞₎๑^ᆺ^)◞₎₎=͟͟͞͞˳˚ °ₒ ๐° ๐

Kakashi didn't wake on that day, nor on the next but the doctors assured them that there was a
steady improvement and he was simply resting. Clearly he had been more exhausted than
everyone had thought and it made Kushina actually feel bad. She had seen how much he had
pushed himself to the limit and beyond, but... she hadn't interfered. Kakashi had always been
so independent and in a way mature beyond his years, despite the stunted aspect of his social
life. It made it hard for anyone to tell him how to do things, since he often simply refused if
he didn't agree. And he was a Jonin, legally he was an adult.

Telling him to stop his training wouldn't have gone over well, but seeing him bedridden this
long just showed that maybe she should have tried anyways.

She sighed and put the small fruit basket next to his bed.

“People are worried, you know?” she said as she took the unconscious teen's hand.

“You should take better care of yourself, dattebane...” she whispered. If she fluffed up his
pillow and smoothed out the blankets around him, or maybe tucked him in a little more...
well, nobody saw, and she wouldn't admit to it ever. He would wake soon, she was sure of
that.
Rin would be a little sad if she missed it, she had hardly left Kakashi's side if not prompted
to. Only the temptatin to help Kakashi in whatever far-fetched way had enticed her to accept
the mission to collect some herbs on the slopes and plains past Otafuku Gai, closer to Wave,
but still remaining inside their borders. It was about day or two away from Konoha,
depending on the speed they would travel.

It was far from any battles taking place, which reassured Kushina a little. She would be safe.

॰ ৹ ৹॰
˭̡̞(◞₎๑^ᆺ^)◞₎₎=͟͟͞͞˳˚ °ₒ ๐° ๐

She was a little baffled what Namiashi-kun could want on her doorstep early this morning.

“I'm sorry?” she asked, rubbing her eyes, trying to get rid of the sleepy sand clinging to her.
He looked a little uncomfortable, shifting from one foot to another.

“I... I wanted to know is Minato-san is here? I'm sorry to distrub you this early...” he really
did look apologetic, especially as Kushina tried to hide a yawn behind her hand with little
success.

“Uhm...” she shook her head “I'm sorry, but he has been send out to the front-lines...” she
replied. In fact, she would most likely be called for another mission herself.

“Oh...” Namiashi-kun seemed at a loss, then he stiffly bowed “Pardon my intrusion then.” he
said and Kushina waved him off.

“It's fine, dattebane!” she smiled, and chuckled as the Jonin walked away.

“Wonder what that was about...?” she muttered as she closed her door.
Deciding it was too early to deal with the world and having the rare chance to sleep in, she
crawled back into her bed. No sooner than her head had hit the pillow, she could hear the
doorbell ring again.

Nope. No. She was sleeping, if this was some sort of prank she was not awake for it.

The doorbell rang again. Then again. Then stopped. Smiling to herself, she relaxed into the
soft bed and hugged a pillow close to herself. Perfect. She knew ignoring it would make it go
away.

Only it didn't. Instead it moved to her bedroom window and knocked.

Half incredulous and ready to rip whoever thought it was a great idea to look in on her
bedroom window a new one, she turned around and then stopped to blink at the ANBU-
masked man hovering in her window.

“...” narrowing her eyes she slowly sat up, still hugging her pillow because otherwise she
would punch whoever he was.

“Is there a reason you are in my window, ANBU-san?” she asked with a deceitfully mild
voice and an angelic smile that Minato had learned to fear early on. Apparently the ANBU
had some instincts that still worked right, even if he had made a bad misjudgement in
appearing in her window when she was trying to sleep. She could have been naked, and
despite not being shy of her body, he would better have a very good reason for trying to sneak
a peak.

“Ah.” he said, clearly contemplating fleeing the scene of the crime or accomplishing his
mission. Kushina's temper was well known after all.

“I... rang. The bell.” he coughed uncomfortably. She narrowed her eyes even further, her
form tensing because that was not. A good. Reason.
“Uh- I mean, I was send her to ask you if you had seen Hatake Kakashi and if you might
know where he is andpleasedon'tkillme?” he quickly said in one breath and she let him sweat
for a moment before letting out a light huff. With her right hand she bushed some of the red
strands falling into her face in a sleepy chaos back behind her ear.

“I visited him yesterday evening. I haven't seen him since, has he woken?” she asked instead,
still contemplating throwing the pillow in hopes of hitting the ANBU and making him fall
from his delicate perch of her window-frame.

“Hatake Kakashi is missing. The nurse came to his room to find him gone and so far we can't
locate him. Could you possibly give us any possible location he might be at?”

Kushina finally put the pillow to the side. Missing? That wasn't like Kakashi, though she
could believe that he would escape the hospital as soon as he was able to.

Once she listed off any possible location she could think off. Which actually wasn't a lot, as
Kakashi spend most of his time in a training ground or another. Otherwise she wasn't entirely
sure, in his apartment maybe? The ANBU nodded and as quickly as he appeared, he
vanished.

Feeling unsettled she quickly dressed herself in her uniform, pulling her hair back into a
pony-tail. She would look for Kakashi herself and drag him back by his ear when she found
him.

Only she couldn't. Find him that is. Feeling at a loss, she headed for the Hokage tower. If
anyone knew what had happened to Kakashi, it would be the Hokage and Kushina was
willing to wait however long it took to get the information she needed. A sense or foreboding
made her nearly ill.

She couldn't imagine how she would explain to Minato and Rin that Kakashi was gone when
he should have been safe in the hospital. What had happened to him? Had an enemy gotten
him, in the middle of their village? Why? How??

She didn't want to be the one to bear the bad news.

 She wasn't entirely sure they would survive it if another tragedy stuck them so close after the
last one.

Chapter End Notes

... I cut the chapter in half. Sorry Q_Q But Kushina already broke the record so: Longest
chapter goes to her currently :P

Sorry about the day break, had a headache so I skipped ^^

Other than that, you guys are amazing :D We broke 1000 comments guys! (((o(*＾▽＾
*)o))) Thanks a lot for all the support!!!
 Red-hot Habanero II
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes

Going and laying siege on the Hokage office was not exactly the brightest plan. It took ages
for him to find the time to see her – which okay, war going on and everything but everyone
had their priorities and Kushina's were a little screwed right now – and when she finally got
called in, the only thing that she could ascertain was that there was a manhunt going on and
they were still investigating. But they had detected a signature – a single one – leaving the
barriers surrounding Konoha.

It was not the news Kushina had wanted to hear. Had Kakashi found a spy and confronted
him? Was he lying somewhere wounded, helpless, dying while she was here being useless?
Had the spy left Konoha in a hurry afterwards, fearing the repercussions and fleeing before
he could be caught?

Kushina felt her hands fist into balls, anger making them tremble at the thought of anyone
touching her patchwork family.

Never before had Kushina wished that she had some sort of tracking ability but she sure as
hell would make a seal to keep track of her wayward family from now on. There had to be
something she could cobble together that would let her find them, at least when they were in
the village. She just had to get them to agree to the invasion of privacy and create the seal
first.

Maybe she could put a secret seal on Kakashi's mask. Nobody needed to know. The mask
was black and Kakashi wore it to everywhere. The only problem was if he had multiple
masks, it was hard to tell if they all looked the same. It meant she would have to find a way
to make it permanent too, at least so it wouldn't wash off whenever Kakashi did the laundry-

And she was getting ahead of herself. First priority should be finding Kakashi and dragging
him back from whatever hole he was hiding in. And the Hokage had almost literally thrown
her out and basically ordered her away!

Crossing her arms, Kushina glared at the group of Chunin that just passed her, a few of them
watching her with wide eyes and stepping around her as if sticking to the other wall of the
hallway would make her overlook them. Taking a breath she reigned in her anger and tabbed
a finger against her lips in thought. Now, where to go. What to do. The Hokage clearly was
stressed, had already assigned a team to tracking Kakashi and was waiting for any more
information to come to him.

Well. She could wait. But she also had other options.

But the first ones to know anything about a spy...

Kushina smiled, turned around and skipped away.

The first person she managed to locate was probably the easiest of them all. Gai was hardly
hard to overlook and drew attention like a magnet.

“Ah! Gai-kun!” she called out before the Chunin could race past her and disappear into the
distance. Gai skidded to a halt, then jogged the distance back to her. He kept moving, even
while standing still and beamed at her.

“Kushina-san! Good day to you! Can I help you?” always so polite, Kushina always liked
Gai and had taken more than one Chunin down a peg or two when she had seen them
laughing about his father, who was one of the most hard-working, cheerful if a bit clumsy
persons she had ever known.

“I think Kakashi was looking for you? If you see him, send him my way?” maybe a bit mean,
Kushina thought silently to herself while smiling sunnily. But Kakashi deserved it for
worrying her.

“YOSH!” Gai pumped his fists in the air “I shall find my rival within the hour! And if I can't
do that, I will do 400 push-ups!”

“A-ano... You don't really nee-” Kushina tried to interject.

“And if I can't do 400 push-ups, I will hit the training dummy 800 times!”
“Ah. That really isn't...!”

“And if I can't hit the training dummy 800 times? I will do 1000 jump ropes!”

“...” Kushina watched as Gai raced off, leaving a cloud of dust in his wake.

“Ah, well. He surely is motivated at least. That should get Kakashi out of wherever he's
hiding...”

But just in case...

Humming to herself, Kushina turned around and sauntered over to the Dango place she knew
that particular generation frequented a lot. Whenever they were around, this seemed to be the
meeting place for them, so if she was looking for someone particular...

“Shiranui-san!” she exclaimed happily as she brushed aside the hangings while entering the
shop. Oh Dango! For a moment she nearly got sidetracked, but Genma had looked up to see
what she wanted.

“Kushina-san?”

But dangooooo....

“Did you want something from me?” Genma's voice made her reluctantly look up from the
delicious treats. Fine. Dango later. Kakashi was just barely above dango-priority.

“I was wondering if any of you had seen Kakashi around?” she smiled at them, but watching
their expression as they looked at each other made her uneasy.
“You are not the first ones to ask us that.” Asuma said, frowning at her “Did something
happen?”

Ah. had an ANBU stopped by? No, probably someone under a henge asking after Kakashi,
they probably didn't want to draw too much attention to him.

“I went to the hospital, but it seems he already left...” she replied with an easy shrug “I
wanted to check on him, but as usual he's hard to find.” Kushina let out a sigh, blinking at the
adorable little Chunin's and Jonins that gobbled up her excuse without further prompting. So
innocent. She wanted to hug them. Uhng!

“Mhh... I can't say we have seen him?” Genma shrugged, eyeing her with a shrewdness that
put her on guard. He was a menace, that was for sure and if there was juicy gossip to be had,
he would know. Since he didn't, it meant that whatever had happened to Kakashi hadn't
caused a scene.

At least that hopefully meant he was neither bleeding out in a back-ally, nor back in the
hospital.

“Too bad.” Kushina said, ordered herself some dango and left with a wave over her shoulder.
Nibbling on her treat she contemplated her next destination, then chuckled.

Torture and Interrogation would know more. And if they didn't, then it would bother them
until they would find out more. Win-win situation for Kushina.

Whistling a merry tune (whenever she wasn't slowly enjoying her sweet treat), Kushina
jumped on the rooftops to take a shortcut. She knew just the person to talk to.

Skidding to a stop on a particular roof she cheerfully called out.

“Mi-ko-too~” and promptly jumped through the window, dodging the kunai thrown at her
person with practiced eased to glomp the woman standing in front of the hearth. If she
plucked some senbon out of her victims hands while she was at it, that was simply survival
instinct.

“Kushina!!” Mikoto sounded as if she wasn't sure if she should be yelling or just simply
quietly despair. Laughing merrily, she squeezed her friend a last time before reluctantly
releasing her.

“I told you time and time again not to surprise me when I'm cooking!!” Mikoto scolded,
turning around and looking the least bit threatening with her pale-pink apron and a ladle that
was being pointed at Kushina's face, dripping with soup. Mikoto grimaced as she saw the
tomato soup drip on the ground and shot Kushina another reproachful look, especially since
the red-head couldn't suppress another chuckle.

“Gomen ne?” As always her friends features softened and she sighed, returning to her task at
hand.

“To what do I owe the dubious pleasure of your company??” the dark haired woman asked,
but she sounded fond rather than annoyed. Kushina counted it as another victory, even as she
sat on the table.

“Use the goddamn chairs.” Mikoto muttered as she taste-tested the soup without looking
back. The Jinchuriki squinted at the female Uchiha. Sometimes she could swear that Mikoto
had been switched at birth and was truly a Hyuuga in disguise.

“You don't know that's what I was doing.” Kushina crossed her arms with a petulant pout.

“I know you and that is enough.” Mikoto smirked over her shoulder and raised one of her
dark eyebrows “So? What are you here about?”

“Can't a woman visit her bestest friend in the world?” Kushina asked innocently, swinging
her legs and leaning back on her outstretched arms, palms laying flat on the table “We haven't
done anything in aaaages.”
“Because we were on missions.” Mikoto dryly replied “At different times. Whenever you
were out of the village, I was here, having a nice, uninterrupted time cooking.”

“Meanie.” Kushina laughed “Nah, you are right. I really do need something. A favour?” she
asked sheepishly, tugging on one of heir strands of hair that fell into her face in a self-
conscious gesture she never had been really able to break.

“Oh?” Mikoto put the pot from the fire and turned around to face Kushina fully “Do tell. I do
so love you owing me a few favours!” Mikoto snickered, a wicked look in her eyes that she
rarely showed outside of her work. Kushina shivered, but she knew Mikoto wouldn't ever
misuse a favour. It had been something they had kept up since they had befriended each other
in their teens. It was silly little tasks, like getting revenge on a boy with a prank, helping out
with spreading some rumors, or getting each other out of trouble. It worked fabulously for
them.

“Kakashi was in the hospital, I told you about that?” At Mikoto's nod she continued “Well,
he's not there anymore. I mean... He escaped and nobody can find him, I just wanted to know
if you had heard anything or could tell me if you hear anything about him?”

Mikoto tipped her head to the side, face more serious now.

“I can't say I've heard anything.” she replied slowly “But I can see what I can do. That
Morino kid should be easy enough to pump for information. He's rather new in the ranks and
while he doesn't know the juicy stuff, he's good for getting general information...” she smiled,
one of her chilling smiles that had Kushina break out in nervous sweat whenever she saw it.
It was the I-can't-wait-to-squeeze-information-out-of-you-by-whatever-means-necessary
smile, one that had just the right amount of sunny innocence to it that it would have the
victim doubtful and hopeful about his future before Mikoto resolutely destroyed that notion.
She was just glad it was not aimed at her.

“I adore your ruthlessness as much as I fear it.” she declared and chuckled as Mikoto beamed
at her. For her it would be the greatest compliment. Rolling her eyes, Kushina jumped off the
table, glomped a protesting Mikoto again and jumped onto the windowsill “get back to me
when you know more?” She asked with a cheerful smile and ignored the spluttering “Use the
goddamn door you heathen!” that was shouted behind her.
Now that she had Mikoto on her side to probe for information, she wondered who else could
help her. The ANBU surely would have checked all the training grounds before coming to
her.

Maybe she should visit Tsume?

Shrugging to herself, it couldn't hurt. Kushina didn't know if she would find friend as they
hadn't talked in a while, but it was worth a try.

Throwing her empty dango stick into a wastebin, Kushina decided to take the shortcut
through one of the little forest-training grounds.

The barking was the first indication that she had been spotted. She laughed as a few Ninken
came to greet her. Since she came over from time to time they were quite friendly with her,
playfully jumping up to try and lick at her face.

“Off!” she gently shoved their snouts away with a laugh and headed for the front door that
was already opening.

“Ah, Hana-chan!” Kushina called out to the six year old standing in the doorway and bent
down to pick her up and swing her around.

“Aww, you are even more adorable and fearsome than the last time I saw you!” she said,
putting the little academy student back on her own feet when it looked like Hana couldn't
decide if she wanted to scowl at being called adorable and being picked up or beam at
Kushina for calling her fearsome. The mix of both was hilarious and made Kushina want to
just squish her again. Gently she ruffled Hana's hair.

“Is your mother around?” she asked and almost sighed in disappointment when Hana shook
her head.

“No. Mama is at the front lines, beating up the bad people.” Hana said, punching the air as if
to visualize her mother's fierceness. Kushina smiled.
“I see. You mother will put the fear into them! She's awesome like that!” she considered the
little girl, and truly, maybe it made her a bad person but Hana was a good tracker for her age.
But what if Kakashi was in trouble after all? She couldn't send a child into that kind of danger
and Tsume would rip her a new one if she ever found out.

Seeing as Kushina didn't have any more plans for the day...?

“Say... would you mind helping me out for a bit?” She asked, and if Kushina was with her
she wouldn't let any harm come to Tsume's pup.

“Sure!” Hana agreed easily enough “What do you need?” curious as any child and just as
eager to prove herself. Kushina smiled fondly as she crouched down in front of the Inuzuka.

“I'm trying to find someone.” she gestured at her hair, fingers splayed white “He has wild
hair that looks like that of an old man, but he's only twelve so he's only a little bigger than
you...!” she indicated his hight.

“He's very shy, so he always wears a mask.” to visualize it she tugged up the dress she was
wearing until it was covering her nose. Hana giggled at the silly image Kushina made.

“I can't track him without a scent though!” she said as if that was obvious, and, yeah okay,
maybe to her it was. Kushina sheepishly let her dress fall down and contemplated what to do.
Finally she shrugged, breaking into Kakashi's apartment would be the least of her sins when
this day was over and she got her hands on the brat.

॰ ৹ ৹॰
˭̡̞(◞₎๑^ᆺ^)◞₎₎=͟͟͞͞˳˚ °ₒ ๐° ๐

Kushina was very glad she had made Hana wait outside. She knew Kakashi was paranoid,
but the amount of traps on his door were ridiculous. Did he ever use the door?

It took her at least 20 minutes to dismantle everything and honestly, she hadn't exactly
wanted to announce that she had broken in but she simply couldn't be bothered to put all the
crap back in place. If Kakashi hadn't been missing, she wouldn't have needed to come here to
steal something out of his bare apartment. Looking around she sighed. It was small, cramped
 and entirely void of personality. She should get him a plant. Or something. Dear raging sea,
this was... yeap. Nope. Kushina put a hand on her hip as she once more surveyed the
apartment. There was militant and there was bare. If she needed to break in more often, she
would, but Kakashi would have to live with some colour in his life aside from the one and
only picture she could see.

With an eyeroll she approached his bed and plucked up a pillow. Then she looked up and
nearly had a conniption. The window? Had. No. Traps.

With a rueful shake of her head she opened it and jumped out, pillow tucked under her arm.

She and her little faithful minion had a brat to track.

Chapter End Notes

... Okay, I hope you are not sick of Kushina yet, because I had to split the chapter again.
She's fun to write xD But somehow she gets into things I hadn't planned or accounted
for and before I know it she's already taken up another 3 pages..........

Whoops? :D
 Red-hot Habanero III
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes

There were a lot of places Kushina would have rather thought the scent-trail Hana had
dutifully followed would end up.

Rin's residence wasn't a surprise, especially considering Kakashi's recent behaviour – and
apparently the mission hadn't helped nearly as much as Kushina would have liked. After Rin,
he had clearly returned to his apartment before heading out again.

Being led to the apartment of Raido Namiashi though...

Well, there was coincidence and there was a suspicious gut-feeling that dropped heavily into
her stomach like a brick of lead. What could Kakashi have wanted from Raido? And how was
it connected to Raido seeking out Minato? Because it was connected or Kushina would eat a
kunai.

“Meh.” Kushina commented unhappily on the situation, crossing her arms over her chest and
staring moodily at the wall. This was stupid. She would have to see if she couldn't track down
Raido whom she had just met this morning before sending him on his merry way. That was
utterly unfair, if she had known then what she knew now she would have dragged him into
her apartment and kept him there until he had spit out every last secret his short live could
have accumulated.

“Not here either?” she asked instead, unwilling to leave her tracker before they finished
searching.

Raido could wait until she tracked Kakashi down, maybe she wouldn't need his assistance
anymore then and could spare him the trauma she probably would inflict upon him by
kidnapping and extorting information from.

Hana shook her head at the question, but her Ninken were already searching around, barking
as they found a new lead and eagerly skipping ahead in the rush to be the first to find their
prey. Kushina and Hana followed them in a jog.
The path led them back to Kakashi's apartment, and after quite some time they found another
trail, more hidden going over the roof and leading away. Hana was a little embarrassed to
have missed it, but she couldn't really climb buildings yet and her Ninken had of course
picked up the trails on the ground first, before Kushina had picked them up and brought them
to the roof. It was quite a dilemma, as she contemplated how they would continue tracking
Kakashi when non of her trackers were very well-versed in walking with chakra. Imagining
Tsume's face when Kushina told her that her daughter was in the hospital because she fell of a
building...

Yeah. No.

Sighing she crouched down.

“On my back, little fierce warrior.” she told Hana who shyly complied, sneaking her thin
arms around Kushina's neck. The redhead carefully stood up and snatched two of the puppies
up by the ruff of their neck, handed one of them to Hana before getting the third one.

“Hold on tight. I'll go slow but you will have to direct me.”

It was ridiculous, jumping from roof to roof and letting the Ninken loose on each one to see
where the trail was going. After picking up the general direction it became easier, as Kakashi
seemed to have mostly headed in a straight path. Though what he was doing heading towards
the red-light district Kushina really, really wanted to know. If she found out he was snooping
around here while she was worried sick...!

Well, she was glad that it was still daytime or otherwise she would have needed to call it off.
If Tsume would get angry about any broken bones, that would be nothing to what Kushina
would face if her daughter started asking questions about the naked women in the windows.

It was almost a relief that the trail led straight out again, without seeming to linger. More
worrying was that they were nearing the edge of the village and Kushina really couldn't
explain why he would come here.

Finally they arrived at the great wall that surrounded the entire village. The Ninken all
gathered at the foot of it, sniffing at the same spot. Kushina lowered Hana to the ground and
watched them, contemplating the situation and what it meant.
Kakashi had left the village.

It was mind-boggling.

Kakashi. Had left. The village.

Without permission.

Kakashi! Without permission!!

Why? Kushina bit her lip and balled her fists, reigning in her emotions, the frustration and
helplessness and the stirring anger from deep within.

“Is there another lead?” she gently asked, though it took all her willpower to not scream and
rage and break the stupid wall in front of her to pieces. It wouldn't help, but it would certainly
make her feel better.

“I'll have them look.” Hana seriously nodded, looking so much like Tsume in that short
moment that Kushina had to blink to make sure Tsume hadn't shrunk and replaced her
“Urami, go left, Imaru, go right.” she ordered her ninken who eagerly perked up at their
respective names “Ranmaru, look around in the area. Howl when you find another lead.”
Kushina barely repressed a coo. Hana looked like a miniature version of a commander
ordering her troops to battle and it was so freaking adorable. Maybe Kushina just had a
weakness for adorableness.

In the end though it didn't matter. The Ninken came back, sweaty and clearly done for the
day. Hana was near tears because she thought she had asked her Ninken for too much and
petted them as if they were about to die, instead of simply resting in the shade and in need of
some water.
Kushina sighed, shoulders slumping in defeat.

Kakashi really was gone.

Or maybe Hana was mistaken? Maybe Kakashi's trail would pick up somewhere else. Had he
visited someone on the wall, who was on duty...?

Scratch that. Stupid question. That would mean Kakashi had friends he was willing to go out
of his way to visit. Mission-is-my-first-priority-Kakashi distracting someone from work?
Pfff. Don't make her laugh.

With a sigh Kushina rubbed a hand over her face. Ahh. She would make him regret worrying
her like this.

“Alright. I think that's it for today.” she smiled down at Hana “Let me treat you and your
Ninken to something to eat. You were a great help, dattebane!”

Seeing Hana beam at her and the little Ninken perk up in interest at the mention of food made
the tangled mess in her breast loosen a little.

Still, she felt a bit guilty for switching her real body with a Shadow clone. Not that Hana
would notice, and it was unlikely anything would make the clone just suddenly disappear.
But she had a Hokage to talk to and it couldn't wait.

॰ ৹ ৹॰
˭̡̞(◞₎๑^ᆺ^)◞₎₎=͟͟͞͞˳˚ °ₒ ๐° ๐
This time she didn't wait around to be called into the Hokage's office. She simply jumped
through the window, then quickly dropped into a crouch, a half-kneel position with one hand
flat on the ground and the other arm in a straight horizontal position over her bend knee, head
bowed in submission. Her hands were visible as ANBU surrounded her.

“Hokage-sama.” she waited, heard his sigh and felt the presence of ANBU retreat. Carefully
she looked up and met his exasperated eyes.

“One of these days, one of my ANBU will snap and I will look the other way.” Sarutobi
grumbled as he mentioned her to stand up.

“What is so important that it couldn't wait?” he asked, shoulders dropping as if he knew he

wouldn't like whatever Kushina had interrupted his day for a second time now.

“I've tracked Kakashi to the village border.” Kushina came straight to the point, straightening
up with her hands at her sides “It is likely that he has left, though I'm not yet sure if it was of
his own will or not. I request to be send out after him.” She bowed, eyes closed as she prayed
he would agree. She couldn't just sit around and do nothing!”

Sarutobi sighed, heavy in the way Kushina had long since learned to read as his I-really-
wish-I-could-but-I-have-to-decline sigh. She squeezed her eyes shut even more and bit her
lip.

“I know Kakashi left the village. The team I send out for him already brought my attention to
that.” Sarutobi explained “I've send some reinforcements to follow after him. And I have a
message from Minato that he is on his way as well.”

Kushina's eyes snapped open in surprise on that information and her head jerked up.

“What?” How? How had Minato known? It was only possible if-

Her eyes widened even further.

“Kakashi had one of Minato's kunais and he used it?” she whispered. Kakashi might be a kid,
but he was a damn capable one. For him to leave the village and encounter trouble that he
would request Minato as backup?

It suddenly felt as if her heart was squeezed in an iron-grip.

“I have to go. Sandaime-sama! Minato is days away on the front-line, there is no way-”

“Minato will make it in time.” Sarutobi cut her off with a head-shake “and I already send out
another team for Kakashi, they've been gone for several hours now and are quite capable.”

Sarutobi leaned forward in his seat “If possible I wouldn't have wanted to involve Minato
either, but he is already on his way and Kakashi is his student, so he has more leeway.”
Sarutobi explained “We do not know what Kakashi was thinking, deserting the village as he
did. But as of now he is considered a flight risk, and in the worst case might become a
missing nin. You are too close to the situation and until I know anything further, you are to
step back.” he stared at her, unwavering “That is an order.”

Kushina clenched her teeth and straightened up, eyes blazing with fury as she gave a short
bow again.

“As you wish.” she glared and for a short moment it was gratifying to see the Hokage look
actually a little uncomfortable in face of her ire. She rolled her shoulders and let it go with a
sigh.

“I'd ask to be informed if anything else happens.” don't let it be said that she couldn't be
curteous. Honey did catch more flies then vinegar, after all.

“I know Kakashi. He wouldn't abandon the village.” she didn't know what had made him
leave the way he did, but she knew that it was not due to a lack of loyalty.

Sarutobi looked at her for a long moment, then inclined his head in agreement. She left
shortly after.
 ॰ ৹ ৹॰
˭̡̞(◞₎๑^ᆺ^)◞₎₎=͟͟͞͞˳˚ °ₒ ๐° ๐

Kushina went home after that. She went home and cooked until every available surface was
brimming with food. When she looked at the mess she heaved a sigh. There was no way she
would be able to eat everything she had made. She could freeze some things, like the soups,
for when she didn't want to cook, but the rest...

She would have to give some of it away, tomorrow. Slowly she packed up what she wouldn't
be able to eat by herself the next few days. She knew enough people to divide it and letting it
go to waste, especially during war time, was a crime in and itself. She would give some of it
to her friends and fellow comrades.

She had just put a bunch of things in the Jonin-lounge when an ANBU appeared at her side.

“Hokage-sama is calling you.” he said and disappeared just as quickly as he had appeared.

A moment later a shinobi opened the door and trotted in, eyes flickering to her but mostly
fixed on the food and Kushina rolled her eyes. Subtle. Real subtle there. Probably a henge.

She snorted and gave him a little wave as she stepped past him.

It was already dark outside and Kushina once more took the short-cut through the window.
Thanks to the Kyubi she could feel the annoyance that radiated from the ceiling, but couldn't
be bothered to apologize.

“You summoned me, Hokage-sama?” she asked as she stood to attention in front of his desk.
A quick look over his desk made her heart start to pound. A small toad was sitting there,
watching her. It was one of Minato's and that meant news. By the tired look on the Hokage's
face she was certain it wasn't good news.

“He's dead.” She whispered, world already spinning around her. He was dead and Minato and
her had lost another kid.
“No.” the croaking of the toad ripped her out of the panic that had started to build, leaving
her shaken but hopeful.

“No?” she repeated and hated herself that she sounded so small and weak, but the relief was
immeasurable. Not... not dead? Then why...?

The toad looked at the Hokage who nodded, then carefully turned around and faced her.

“Minato has made contact with Kakashi. While gravely injured, he will survive. Rin is also
with them and has not sustained any wounds, as far as I know.”

Rin? Why was Rin- of course. Kakashi had gone after Rin when he couldn't find her? But
even for him, that was a tad excessive, wasn't it? Kushina frowned.

“What are his injuries?” She asked and the toad shifted uncomfortably on the table, making
her eyes narrow.

“What. Are. His. Injuries.” she almost growled out, her voice taking on a deeper timbre, a
spark of chakra she usually held under rigid control slipping out. She could feel the ANBU
shifting around her and clamped down on it, breathing deep. As always the Kyubi used every
opportunity to get past her. She wouldn't allow him, but she wanted answers and she wanted
them now.

“It appears as if Kakashi has been held in captivity by Kiri-nins. There are signs of torture
and he has sustained multiple stab-wounds in his escape.” Kushina gritted her teeth at the
knowledge. Stab wounds! Torture!! While she had been running around the village and
cooking!!
This time it was so much harder to keep control of the chakra that latched eagerly on to her
anger, making her shake as she struggled for control. It rarely happened to her nowadays.

“There is more... but...” the toad looked at the Hokage who nodded. A hand-sign and the
ANBU signatures retreated further. Then he put his hand on the table and channelled chakra
into the seal hidden on the surface. It glowed, and spread like electricity through the room,
fuinjutsu writing lightning up in a deep blue before disappearing just as fast.
“The room is secure again. Continue.” The Hokage said. Kushina knew seals and this was an
impressive one, old and carefully crafted. A masterpiece that would keep anyone from
overhearing what was going on inside the office. She wondered if she could get her hands on
a blueprint and recrea-

Right. Important discussion happening here, Fuinjutsu would have to come later.

“Hatake Kakashi appears to have left the village to go after his teammate Rin Nohara.
According to her, he appeared just in time to extract her and her fellow comrade from an
ambush of a unit of Kiri-nin that have found their way past our border-patrol.” the toad
explained with a frown. A whole unit should not have made it past their border and patrols
without being detected. It made her uneasy that it apparently had happened and that they had
somehow gotten as close as a days march away from Konoha's heart.

“She estimates it had been about thirty enemies, but couldn't tell for sure. Kakashi then
proceeded to distract the enemy while she tried to heal up her wounded comrade.”

Kushina thought she would be sick. Kakashi. Her twelve year old little Jonin. Against thirty
enemies or more, all on his own? No wonder he had been captured. And by Kiri, some of the
most brutal Ninja's there were. Their village was known as the Bloody Mist for a reason.

“Rin tells us she was exhausted, and Okita, her comrade unconscious. She wasn't able to go
on and passed out on Kakashi when he returned.”

Wait. Kakashi returned?? But then why... how had he been captured?

“She woke up hidden in a cave that had been mostly closed off with a doton-jutsu.
Apparently Minato's dagger was nearby and Kakashi had disappeared. She then proceeded to
follow tracks of his Ninken with Okita as her back-up.”

“What.. why did...? No, this doesn't make sense! Why did Kakashi not hide with them?”
Kushina shook her head “And Rin, why would Rin... she should have come back for back-
up...” not that she could fault her. Kushina wouldn't have gone back and left a comrade
behind either but she wished that Rin would have done just that and gotten herself to safety.
A selfish wish but the knowledge that she could have lost all of them...

“It appears the trail of Pakkun led them around the enemies and to a back-entrance of the
cave Kakashi was held in. He was injured but able to walk, so they decided to take him and
make a run for it. Rin healed as much as she could, but Kakashi... well. He was exhausted
and injured. The enemy caught up to them and Okita tried to engage them. Kakashi saved his
life by using a Kawarimi and nearly died in the process.”

It was horrible to hear the things that had happened second hand. She knew she couldn't do
anything about it now but she wished she could.

“Minato arrived in the nick of time and disposed of the rest of the enemy.”

The toad focused on her, it's stare unwavering and a little bit creepy.

“Kakashi wasn't only tortured by the enemy though. It appears that the enemy has made him
the unwilling sacrifice and he contains a similar burden to yourself now, Kushina-chan. We
do not know which Bijuu he has, but it is the only reason he survived and even then he nearly
lost control of it. The seal that was used on him is unstable, close to breaking. We believe
Kakashi was aware of the danger and tried to kill himself before reaching Konoha, to prevent
the Bijuu from escaping in the village.”

Kushina could hear a buzzing sound in her ears. It felt like she had taken an impossibly
strong hit she hadn't seen coming. She blinked slowly, had she misheard?

“What...” she croaked out near soundless, horror rising as the the realization of what had
happened to Kakashi welled up. Oh gods. No. Becoming a sacrifice was... it wasn't
something she particularly wished on anyone. She had become one of her own free will,
because she had been an Uzumaki and especially suited for it. It had been an honour to take
over for Mito-sama, but that didn't mean she hadn't been aware of how it would change her
life. Mito had made sure she was aware how Jinchūriki were treated nearly everywhere, and
what to expect by becoming one herself. She had been prepared for it for years.
Kakashi had none of that. It had been thrust upon him without a notice, without his consent
and without checking if he was even build for containing a Bijuu. If he could handle the
chakra and survive. He had been made into a time-bomb, send off to be a suicide package
that would unravel when he entered his own home that he had sworn to protect.

Kushina felt sick. She swayed a little and only her grip on the table kept her on her feet.

“God... is.. is he?” she felt a suspicious burning sensation in her eyes “Is he okay...? How...
the seal, how bad is it? Oh gods, I... let me see. Please, I'm the best fuinjutsu master you
have, if anyone can do something it will be me, Hokage-” she turned away from the toad to
face her leader. Sarutobi held up his hand to her to stop further ramblings. Reluctantly
Kushina obeyed and pressed her lips together in a firm line, hands forming trembling fists at
her side.

“That is why I have called you here. Minato has managed to contain the seal and
strengthened it with one of his own. It will hold for now but Kakashi was in near constant
pain from the Bijuu-chakra in his system. He's not handling it well.” Sarutobi looked tired.
He had likely not slept a wink in the time since she had last been in the office.

“I've prepared a cell on the outskirts of the village-” a cell?! Kushina drew herself up in
outrage but deflated mulishly at the sharp, tired look the Hokage send her “it is covered in
seals to contain chakra. I also want you to look at these.” he pushed a small hinged lid
container over the table and Kushina gingerly opened it. In it lay cuffs, old metal cuffs that
were inscribed by seals. She felt sick when she thought about who they were for and almost
didn't want to touch them.

“Get a grip Kushina. I'm not doing this for fun.” the Hokage snapped at her, clearly not in the
mood to be questioned “Kakashi doesn't handle the chakra of the Bijuu well. This will keep
not only his but also the Bijuu's chakra at bay and will hopefully make it more bearable for
him.”

Ah. Feeling a little sheepish for expecting the worst from her Hokage, Kushina took one of
the cuffs into her hand, studying the seal. Already her mind was coming up with a few
improvements.

“Give me a few hours and I will get back to you...” she absent-mindedly told him, eyes
trailing over the fine script carved into the metal.

“Good.” Sarutobi sighed and leaned back. Kushina looked up and felt a stab of pity at the
wrinkles and shadows beneath his eyes. He looked like death warmed over.

“Please.” she approached the table “Let me look at Kakashi's seal. I'm an expert, the best
qualified for the job and if the Bijuu breaks out, one of the only ones that can handle it and
keep it from going on a rampage. Give him in my care.”

The Hokage eyed her wearily. He leaned back and lit up one of his pipes, puffing furiously as
he stared at the cuffs of the table.

“You are too close to the situation.” he sighed out “And a Jinchūriki yourself.” Kushina bit
her lip so hard she could taste the metallic tang of copper. She wanted to yell at him, but
forced herself to wait because it didn't seem like he was finished.

“We don't have all the information yet. There is still the question as to why Kakashi has left
without permission in the first place... but yes, you are our best fuinjutsu master. And more
than capable of handling an out of control Bijuu, should it come to that.”

Sarutobi took another long drag of his pipe, mulling the situation over while Kushina balled
and unclenched her fists to keep silent and still.

“I cannot give him into your care.” Sarutobi finally declared, looking back at her regretfully
“I need more information, and we don't know how Kakashi will fare with a Bijuu inside of
him. There is a possibility that we will need to extract the Bijuu, if only for the safety of
everyone else. It is our last resort, but I cannot exclude it as a possibility. And with the way
he left, many are already pushing for it. His fathers shame is a burden on his honour and he
has never been the most social. There is not a lot of support for him right now.”

It hurt to hear it even being said out loud. The possibility that Kakashi might simply be
erased.
“He's loyal.” Kushina whispered brokenly “He's always been loyal to this village. You can't
let other people's opinion sway you and condemn him without first giving him a chance.”

“I don't particularly want to. I want to help him as much as you do. Sakumo has been a good
shinobi and I regret how things happened with him.” Sarutobi said, putting his pipe to the
side “nevertheless, the issue at hand is that Kakashi is in a bad position and I do have to look
out for the greater good. To a point, my hands are tied.”

He looked at her, folding his hands underneath his chin and leaning forward, elbows resting
on the table “It depends on you and how the seal can be altered. There are other
circumstances I will have to take into account too.”

The troubled look on his face was anything but reassuring.

“I will do what I can.” Kushina said. She would fix this. She would find a way to fix this and
then the Hokage would have to keep Kakashi alive.

“Promise me this: Don't give up on him.” she asked of her leader, desperation colouring her
voice “Promise me.” It would destroy Minato to loose Kakashi, would break his faith in the
village too.

For several seconds he was quietly judging her, a tense silence between them.

Finally: “Very well. I will see what I can do.” he agreed and Kushina felt relief crash over
her. She plucked up the box on the table and closed it.

“Then I will not have to stage a coup d'etat!” she cheerfully agreed “Give me two hours with
these, old man and they will be better than new. Call me if Kakashi is here and I will fix his
seal up, you just wait and see!” her mind was spinning. She would have to see if she had any
more readings on Bijuu-seals, as Kakashi's was likely vastly different than her own.

Her last view of Sarutobi was his head buried in his hands in exasperation. She chuckled,
despite the circumstances and raced off, determination giving her renewed energy. She could
 be useful and if she could do anything to help Kakashi, she would give it her best and then
some.

Anyone who wanted to get into her way to keep her family safe and sound could eat a Bijuu
Dama.

Chapter End Notes

My god. I thought I would finish Kushina's POV here. But nope, I still have to cover
some time from her POV. Wow. How did she take over the story without my
permission?? D:

Next up will be either Kushina again or Minato. Any preferences?

Sorry for the long wait. I wanted to post this chapter ages ago (like 5 days ago.....) but
RL got in the way.

Well, my holiday is over. Updates will come more irregularly now, sorry about that but I
will try to update when I can. Sadly, I need to work or I won't have stuff to eat and if I
don't eat you will not get any more chapters because I starved to death :( buh.

On a different note: I went crazy and opened up 3 new stories! Check them out and tell
me your opinion :P
 Red-hot Habanero IV and the Yellow Flash
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes

It was only due to her stubborn insistence and her proficiency with fuinjutsu that they even
considered allowing her access to Kakashi. Kushina didn't know what she felt as she walked
down the bare corridor of the base that usually held the most dangerous criminals but now
held a twelve year old torture victim she considered her own family. Fury and helplessness?
Fear and sorrow? Determination and trepidation? The corridor stretched, barely lit, and the
ANBU keeping her company were silent. Everything here was quiet as they finally stopped at
a heavy, iron door. Kushina could feel the chakra humming in the walls, the fuinjutsu layered
into every inch of the cell even before she opened the door and stepped through, feeling their
effect as it dampened her connection to her chakra. Her breath hitched as she looked at the
simple cot in the middle of the room and the tiny form lying on it.

“... Hey,” Kakashi called weakly as their eyes met and Kushina flew to his side, torn between
crushing her fist into his skull and scolding him for this mess or throwing her arms around
him and weeping with relief that he was alive and here.

In the end she did neither, noting the bandages covering him and too scared of doing him
harm. She didn't even know what exactly had happened to him. Him flinching away from her
was the last straw, gouging into her like the claw of a demon, merciless and painful. Instead
she reached out, stroking his brow with trembling fingers. She needed the contact to make
this real, even if his bewildered gaze cut back to her.

“You're awake, dattebane! I'm so glad.” There was a lump in her throat and it was only years
of practice that had her controlling her emotions and stopped her from breaking out into tears
or something equally embarrassing.

“Why did you do that.” It wasn't really a question. She was already half convinced it was
because of Rin. He had never given her reason to doubt his loyalty to the village before.

“Mah...” Kakashi sighed at the ceiling, looking much too unconcerned for her liking.
“Instinct?”
“Instinct? That's what made you run?? You know the consequences such an action will
have!”

She wanted to shake some sense into him. She was so scared of what would happen. Already
people were talking, muttering about extraction and sealing as if they had a clue about what
they were talking about. As if extraction didn't mean execution. As if a resealing was as
easily done as finding a new cup for your tea-service at home that accidentally broke. Didn't
they know what it would mean? That another one of Team Minato would just... just...! The
thought was unbearable. There was a trail of anger and helpless rage that pushed against her
before she drenched it with practiced ease, feeling her prisoner subside sullenly. The lump in
her throat stayed firmly lodged in place though.

Of course Kakashi knew what his actions meant. If anyone knew the rulebook inside out, it
was the stoic little brat that seemed far too unconcerned about his own fate. Kushina wanted
to cry. He was twelve!! He was just twelve years old and somebody stuffed a chakra construct
into his body that had lived a millenium. She hadn't been much older than him, but she was
an Uzumaki and she had been prepared for it for her whole life. Kakashi was twelve-

“Is Rin safe?”

Kushina's thoughts trailed off as she closed her eyes for a moment. Of course. She knew that
Rin was the most likely reason Kakashi had run off for. It didn't make the situation better, but
despite everything Kushina felt a sad fondness settle over her. Kakashi had never looked like
he even wanted his teammates around... and now?

“She's as well as can be.” Kushina sighed. It would be cruel to deny him an answer after
everything he had risked.

“Worried sick, over her idiot teammate,” she muttered, hands twitching with the need to do
something. Whack Kakashi over the head maybe.

“That... that's good...” The sheer relief as he breathed the words out made tears prickle at
Kushina's eyes.
“Idiot.” Her voice sounded a little choked and her hand carded through his hair again. She
wanted to snatch him up and run, no matter how irrational it was. Her eyes flickered to the
entrance, the heavy iron door. Impossible. Right outside were several ANBU guards and it
was a mute point. Where would she run? Kakashi's voice snapped her attention back to him,
probably for the better.

“I heard about an ambush planned on her... I couldn't not go.” His eyes were locked on the
ceiling. “I promised Obito I'd look after her.”

Kushina's heart twisted. Even just hearing Obito's name... the little brat that she had adored
with her whole being, the kind little boy...

“I've already abandoned her once too often,” Kakashi continued, and Kushina felt too choked
up to interrupt him, to correct him. He didn't abandon anyone. Sometimes things just
happened, things nobody could account for and it wasn't Kakashi's fault.

“Obito paid the price.” The hollow look in Kakashi's eyes nearly broke her. When had he
become so transparent? His eyes slowly trailed to her, as if he was afraid of her reaction. As
if she would hold him responsible the way he held himself responsible.

“I... I saw Obito.” His admission was quiet, almost too quiet if it wasn't for the utter silence in
the cell.

“At the edge of the clearing.... I saw him, but he was..... he was dragged off.”

Clearing? But... but Obito had died in a forest, crushed beneath boulders of stone by one of
those Iwa bastards. What was he- oh. Oh no. She knew the state Kakashi had been in when
Minato had finally caught up, how very close to death he had been, how much pain due to the
beast inside him.

“You... were in a lot of pain, Kakashi.” Kushina hated to be the one to correct him, to see the
faint light in Kakashi's eyes dim, shutter as if a door he had opened was now closing in her
face. “...and almost died.”
“I know.” Kushina winced at the dull tone of his voice, the hopelessness in it. Almost
mechanical and removed from the situation. “It seemed real.”

“I just wanted to save him.”

Kushina's eyes burned. Her hands kept up the repetitive motion of carding her fingers
through Kakashi's hair, trying to sooth a hurt that no healer would ever be able to find and
fix. Finally unable to take it anymore, she rose to get some water. Discreetly she wiped away
the one tear that nearly escaped her iron hold. She took a deep, shaky breath.

“Do you know what happened to you...?”

Listening to Kakashi's recollection was painful and so different from her own sealing. Hers
was a honor. A duty she had willingly taken up.

She returned to his side, holding out the glass and helping him, feeling her body tremble with
hate and other boiling emotions when she saw just how injured he really was, how painful
just sitting up seemed to be.

His sealing was a violation. Something being attached to the very core of his being with no
warning, no preparation, maliciously intended to not only harm him, but also his identity and
his village, the very place Kakashi loved more than his life. When Kakashi pulled up his shirt
to show her, Kushina's hands balled into fists. It was atrocious. The seal, mostly dissolved by
now, was ugly, a strain to Kushina's eyes. She had always viewed fuinjutsu as something
incredible, wonderful, and most of all: beautiful.

“Don't look at me like that.” Kakashi's eyes softened as he watched her “I don't regret going
after Rin. If not for me, it would have been her sitting here.” There was a haunted look in his
eyes and Kushina wanted to say that neither of the kids should have been in that situation.
That nobody should have even tried to make them into a sacrifice against their will, with a
seal that was barbaric and tattered, fraying even as it latched onto the souls of two different
beings, sticking them together. An abomination.
“You don't know what it means... Kakashi!” Kushina choked out, shaking her head slightly
from side to side. Not only having to live for the rest of his life with the monster attached to
his soul, but also how people would view him with caution, how they would avoid and
whisper and make everything ten times more difficult just because you were a jinchuriki.
How people would watch for you to show some kind of weakness, see you as a weapon,
kidnap and manipulate you for their own gain until you weren't sure whom to trust anymore.
Until you bit any hand coming close for fear of what lay behind the kindness they showed
you.

If not for those few, stubborn individuals in her life...

“Kakashi, they will try to get rid of you.” Kushina had to prepare him, to make him aware of
what was going to happen next and how careful he would have to be, with his next steps, his
words. He would have to be constantly aware and vigilant until he could see whom to trust.
She knew he wasn't good with social interactions, but he would have to be if he wanted to
survive this.

“You leaving the village like you did...” She shook her head, lips pressed together. Kushina
needed him to understand. She couldn't lose him too. She couldn't watch them extract the
Bijuu. Kakashi hadn't done anything wrong! All he had done was go after his teammate to
help, they couldn't-

“Mah, already talking about extracting the Sanbi from me, aredo they?” Kushina blinked at
the blasé words and utter boredom that dripped from Kakashi's words. Didn't he realize just
how dangerous the situation was?!

“Kakashi!” she snapped, desperate to make him see the hazard to his continued existence.
“This is serious! You have the Bijuu of another village in you, after you ran away from
Konoha!” during wartime, was left unsaid. Kakashi winced lightly at her words, but his stare
was mulish and stubborn as he replied.

“They put it in me with an unstable seal and a cursed seal on my heart forcing me back to
Konoha, where the seal would have dissolved.”

Kushina's breath hitched. Just imagining it...

“Oh... kami.” Of course she had known that, but having it stated that bluntly in her face by
the very victim of the plot...?

“They wanted the Sanbi to release in the village.”

“That's what I guessed, once I realized what happened. I ran into a kunai to keep that from
happening, what more do they want?”

“What?!” Kushina fell to her knees, frantically lifting the shirt again to check over his
injuries again. She knew he had been close to death but a kunai to the heart?! She only
stopped when he hissed in discomfort, stilling the urge to kidnap him and put him in a room
where nobody could harm him.

“It's fine, the Sanbi healed me.”

Kushina blinked, sure that she had misheard.

“The... the Sanbi healed you.” How?! The Kyuubi healed her too, but it certainly wasn't of
his own accord, not really. Kushina didn't use his energy often, but she could draw on it if she
was in need. It was too dangerous to depend on that though, too easy for him to slip her grasp
if she tried to use his chakra regularly.

How Kakashi could nod with a smile to that was a mystery to her. She was still trying to
overcome the horrible image of a Bijuu running rampant through their village.

“And that's why they would be stupid to extract the Sanbi. We get along pretty well right
now. It's rare for a Jinchuuriki”

Getting along? With a Bijuu? Kushina blinked owlishly down at the kid. Was he delusional?
“Isobu says 'Hi' to Kurama. He also wanted the fur-ball to know that, and I'm quoting this,
'you really shouldn't give your host so much trouble. And work on your anger-management
issues!'”

There was a roar, furious and deafening to her senses as chakra slammed against the barriers
of her seal, making Kushina instinctively tighten her hold on her burden, pressing him back
on the stone slab in her mindscape as she tried to process Kakashi's words. Isobu?? Kurama??
What was he talking about?

One didn't get along with a Bijuu. They were monsters, always struggling to escape, so full of
rage and just waiting for a slip up, a chance to break out, to cause havoc.

Weren't they?

A few days later she brought Kakashi to his trial. She was proud how composed he was, how
he handled the situation despite the stakes that put pressure like no other on Minato's student.
No twelve year old should have to endure what Kakashi did and have to stand trial to fight
for survival right after.

It was too much. Much too much and Kushina silently wondered how far Kakashi could bend
before something broke. Her hand on his shoulder tightened, her eyes burning. Tears or
determination, she wasn't sure. But she had the means to stay close to Kakashi, as a fuinjutsu-
master and fellow Jinchuriki. Kakashi had handed her an opportunity, by declaring she was
supposed to reseal the Sanbi into him and Kushina would take the chance and run with it.

She would drag Kakashi along, until he was back where he belonged.

She wouldn't lose another of her kids.

ε＝ε＝ε＝ε＝ε＝(ｏ・・)ｏ
Standing in front of the Sandaime again, Minato tried to keep his composure, to keep the
anger bottled up and his face expressionless. Even if Minato loathed that another kid of his
team had been pulled from him, this was still his Hokage. Raging and railing against his
decision wouldn't give Minato any advantage. After all, honey caught more flies than vinegar
and Minato could play the long game.

He would get Kakashi back, come hell and high water.

“You wished to see me, Hokage-sama?” Minato mentally winced at how flat his voice
sounded. He tried not to feel guilty when he saw the Sandaime hunch in his chair, wearily,
tired and old.

His pity withered and died when his thoughts wandered back to his imprisoned student.

“Kakashi's trial is over.” the Hokage told Minato, as if Kushina hadn't told him the moment
she had returned, falling into his arms with relieved sobs as she recounted the trial.

Kushina would reseal the Sanbi into Kakashi. The details were still to be hashed out and
Kakashi would stay imprisoned with chakra-suppressants and under heavy guard until a seal
would be ready. The Hokage had agreed that Kushina would be allowed to consult with
Kakashi on the seal, though the key to the seal would be held by the Hokage himself.

“I know.” Minato ground out. The trial was over, but Kakashi had still been pulled from his
team.

“I will assign Kakashi to a new mentor, who will help him with his control.”

It was a bitter pill to hear that another would take over Kakashi's training.
“If it is training in control, I could-” Minato tried but was stopped when the Hokage raised a
hand. There was regret in the old man’s face, but also steely resolve.

“Kakashi will not return to your care. You are to keep your distance.”

Minato's hands balled into fists, trembling at his side. Frustrated he glared at his leader. He
took a few breaths until the rage subsided again.

“I- I do not understand why it is necessary.” Minato stated almost calmly, his voice tight with
leashed emotions.

“Surely familiarity would be beneficial to Kakashi's progress. I know my student, I have

trained him for years. He doesn't open up easily to others and putting that stress on top of
everything else... what possibly could be gained from that?”

“...” The Sandaime leaned back with a heavy sigh, his hands picking up the kiseru and
stuffing some kizami into the bowl. The Hokage lit the tabacco and took a deep breath,
watching Minato and clearly choosing his words carefully.

“I'm not separating you out of spite, Minato.” He finally said, taking another drag and
breathing out a trail of smoke that wafted between them. Minato felt himself stiffen at the
hard look in the Sandaime's eyes.

“It's not to Kakashi's benefit, nor his detriment that I've decided to pull him from your team.”
Putting the kiseru to the side, Hiruzen gravely folded his hands, elbows on the table and
looked over his knuckles at his subordinate.

“It's for your sake.”

The words were like a hit that Minato hadn't seen coming, not in a million years.
“Mine?” he breathed out in disbelief. There was no way that separating Kakashi was for his
sake. Anger stirred in him, aided by confusion.

“There are many eyes on you right now, Minato.” Hiruzen continued, “This was not how I
wanted to tell you this, but recent events leave me little choice.”

Minato shook his head, trying to follow but unable to understand.

“I... I don't follow.” he sounded lost, even to his own ears, brow furrowed as he tried to make
sense of what the Hokage wanted to tell him.

“I'm getting old, Minato.” The Sandaime's eyes were boring mercilessly into him “There are
many voices voting for me to step down, and I agree. I've had my time and once this war is
over, it is time I retire and someone new takes over the reigns. I want you to be my
successor.”

Minato blinked. He felt a little detached, unsure if he had actually heard right.

“Me? Hokage?” In any other situation he might have happily accepted. But...

“What does that have to do with pulling Kakashi from my care?”

“As I said, there are many who are currently watching you. You will have new duties to
attend to, should you accept, in preparation of taking over, leaving you little time to care for
your students, let alone concentrate on actually teaching Kakashi in depth the way he would
need you to.”

Again it felt like he had been punched, air whistling out of Minato.

“If that's the case.” Minato whispered with deadly calm settling over him. “Fuck the Hokage
position. I most kindly refuse.”
Choosing between the position of Hokage and Kakashi as his student? There was no
challenge in that. And yet, despite the cold fire burning low in the pit of his stomach, the
Hokages sad, resigned expression left him shaken to the bones.

“Believe me, Minato, if it was that easy I wouldn't have bothered pulling Kakashi-kun from
your team. I do know where your priorities lie.”

Minato felt a knot form in his throat, a feeling of being cornered against a wall rising up
unbidden.

“The other candidates for the Hokage position are Danzo or Orochimaru.”

There was a boulder in his stomach, lying heavily and weighing him down so much that
Minato almost thought his knees would give in. He stumbled forward two steps, blindly
reaching for the chair and ungracefully sitting down. His mouth formed a firm line as his
mind raced over the repercussions of either of the men becoming Hokage.

If Minato refused to become Hokage, he would lose Kakashi anyways a few months or – if
he was lucky – years down the line. Maybe Kushina as well. There was no way Danzo
wouldn't try to gain access to the Jinchuriki, to use them as he saw fit.

And Orochimaru... well, Minato didn't know exactly what he would do, but there was an
unsettling feeling whenever he looked at the pale shinobi, something that made Minato's
instincts flare up, his hairs raise as if in danger whenever he was close to him. Those cold,
golden eyes glinted with malicious amusement only the snake-summoner was privy to.

Minato didn't trust Orochimaru either.

And the Sandaime was right. There was no way that the council would allow him to keep an
unstable Jinchuriki under his care when his attention was split between his new duties. They
should be glad that Kakashi was allowed to stay alive.
 But if he became Hokage...

He would have to give Kakashi up, at least for some time. But he would be able to get him
back.

“Now you understand.” Hiruzen muttered softly, the pipe back between his fingers, and fresh
smoke curling in the air, upwards to the ceiling.

Minato closed his eyes, trying to ignore the frustration that burned them with unshed tears.

“Yes.” His voice broke.

Yes, he understood.

Yes, he had to give Kakashi up.

Yes, yes, and another damned yes.

He would become Hokage. His lifelong dream coming true, and Minato wanted to cry.

Just not the happy tears he had always imagined.

Chapter End Notes

Belated Happy New Year guys! (ﾉ´ヮ´)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧

I'm sorry it took me so long for this update. I had a rough time, and while writing is a
release for me, for stress, for sad moments, for pretty much anything... well, I kinda
needed some time off from the fiction I started mostly to distract myself from what was
happening.
Additionally I was not prepared for the Naruto fandom and there was this one plotbunny
that got pregnant.... like five times. At least. So I started up a few (*cough* a lot) new
stories if you are interested!

Anyways, still alive, still on this story even though my updates will come sporadically
and in between whatever else catches my fancy :) But not forgotten!!

Thanks a lot to AKAwestruck for betaing this chapter :)

 Fading into Obscurity
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes

Tsunade was quiet as she worked on his hands. Other medics had done their best, but their
best couldn't compare to Tsunade's. While his hands had been healed to the best of their
knowledge, Tsunade had let out an irritated huff before re-breaking his left hand with
pinpoint precision to correct something that had started to grow back together in just slightly
the wrong way. Thankfully she had the presence of mind to numb his nerves first.

While she concentrated on her work, especially on his left hand, Kakashi took his time to
study her as she was now. In the future she had been his Hokage and later on had taken him
under her wing to show him the ropes. She taught him what she had learned and what he
needed to know to run the village. Her appearance might be slightly more youthful, though
not by much, but she looked tired, her hair pulled back by her signature ponytails but... a little
bit messier. As if she hadn't quite cared for her appearance. The war was already taking its
toll on her.

When he looked at her, he could almost see the mirror image of her future overlapping the
present past self he was confronted with. Maybe she looked a little bit younger than in the
future, but the biggest difference was the indifference in her gaze. Brown, dull eyes without
any spark of recognition when they settled on him. For her, he was a stranger now. A kid in
over his head with more blood on his hands than in his entire body. He could see her hunched
shoulders and the dark shadows underneath her eyes and wondered how long it had been
since Nawaki died. How long it would be before Dan followed.

If only he knew the dates. But he only knew the circumstances that had led to Tsunade losing
faith in the village and causing her to take Dan's closest relative and run as far away as she
could.

“There you go, brat.” Tsunade muttered listlessly, the green light around her hands flickering
and fading into nothingness. Kakashi felt his shoulders relax as he carefully tried to move his
hand. It still felt stiff, but Kakashi was used to the after-image of a serious wound being
treated and this was nothing new. At least it didn't hurt to move anymore, apart from the
normal I-broke-my-hand-and-it-needs-to-heal kind of hurt.
“You will have to start therapy. I will oversee your progress, every now and then. Keep
practising, but don't overdo it or I will break your hand all over again.”

And Kakashi watched her hunched shoulders and felt a pang of regret at seeing the strong
woman that stood so proud as Hokage reduced to a shadow of herself. It felt wrong.

“Mah. So if I do overdo it, it's a date?”

He didn't even know where that came from. Clearly Tsunade wasn't expecting it from a
twelve year old brat either for she blinked, looking a bit dumbfounded but more alive than
the entirety of the time she spend treating him. That alone made it worth it, and if Kakashi
had learned one thing from the future? It was being shameless.

“Don't get cheeky, kid.” Tsunade finally grumbled, clearing her throat. “You are years to
early to take me out.”

Kakashi shrugged his shoulders, batted his eyelids exaggeratedly and put a hand to his chest
with a mock hurt expression.

“How you wound me.” He deadpanned. “Healed, only to be slain right after.”

Tsunade raised an unimpressed eyebrow, but Kakashi could read a smile in her micro-
expression due to years of knowing her.

“In my professional opinion, you will survive.” Tsunade drawled unimpressed. Packing her
things and then turning to stick a finger in his face almost threateningly.

“Overdo it.” She challenged but Kakashi was relived to hear it sounding stronger, more alive.
“And I will show you how long a medic can keep someone alive and conscious. I hear you
are a quick student. Let's not test that, right?” Her accompanying smile was chilling. And yet
there was something hidden behind her demeanour, something like thankfulness and relief.
Maybe she had just needed someone to not... act like she would break at any moment.
Kakashi knew the feeling and he knew it well.

Still, it wasn't an idle threat, coming from one of the most renowned healers their village
could boast for that was equally known for her short temper. Kakashi shuddered. He was still
amazed that she had managed to actually set his left hand back into resembling a hand. He
had tried to avoid looking at it, but just moving it had hurt.

Meanwhile his right hand was still stiff, but much better off than his left one, since Rin had
already started to treat it shortly after his injury occurred. It hadn't been left to wait for
treatment quite as long, hadn't started to heal wrong and thus had less damage to repair.

“I have been lucky.” Kakashi said contemplatively to Tsunade as she took her bag, making
her hesitate in leaving and making her looking back towards him in inquiry.

“I know that without you my hands might have been irreparably damaged. Thank you.”

Something in Tsunade's eyes flickered. Sadness warred with anger and she looked proud yet
at the same time downbeaten. She seemed torn.

“You are a kid.” she finally muttered, looking down at the ground. “You never should have
experienced that to begin with.”

“I'm shinobi.” Kakashi replied, but he knew that there was probably nothing he could say to
make her change her opinion, not so soon after Nawaki died.

“I knew what I was getting into.”

Tsunade looked at him, studied him for long moments before letting out a tired sounding
sigh.
“Did you?” she looked sad and resigned. Bitter as well, as if the thought of kids making a
conscious decision to fight in a war was too much for her to bear. Her hand knocked on the
door twice, waiting for the guards to open it and release her.

“Don't forget. I want you in for check-ups at least every two weeks.” she said as she stepped
out.

“It's a date!” he cheerfully called after her and chuckled when she threw an irritated look over
her shoulder, an embarrassed flush rising to her cheeks when the guard turned to her with a
raised eyebrow. The door clanged close before he could hear what was being said. Pity.

( ･_\\)ﾉ-≒≒≒≒≒≒≒≒≒≒⁂

Kakashi felt uneasy as he walked between the Anbu that were to be his guard from his cell to
wherever their destination was. He hid it well, but with his wrists still engulfed by the
suppressant seals he felt incredible vulnerable. It left him more cranky than he remembered
usually being, but then again it had been a long time since he had felt this helpless. Currently
it seemed to happen more often as well, first with his capture and now with the idleness while
he waited on the decision of what would happen in his future. The time in confinement didn't
do anything to lift his spirits either, especially since apart from the meals and medics he didn't
receive any more visitors. At least his injuries had been healed, leaving his hands a bit stiff
and in need of practice to gain their full mobility back after the enemy had nearly crippled
him beyond help, but at least they were back in working order and Kakashi was no stranger
to hard work. He was lucky the enemy didn't chop any appendages off and Konoha still had
some of the best healers available. Seeing Tsunade had been... a short moment of disorienting
pain that stabbed him like a kunai into his chest. And he knew how that felt, so the
comparison was quite accurate.

So many things he would love to do, to change, to prevent. If he had known he would land in
the past, he could have prepared more, would have memorized the dates of when important
things happened. As it was he cursed his memory. A genius he might be, copying jutsu left
and right. His memory was quite good, eidetic even, his mind trained to remember even the
smallest details. But even he felt time corrupt his knowledge. Things he had forgotten or
simply not bothered to remember as he deemed them unimportant. All he could do was keep
an eye on his precious people, an ear out for trouble and hope for the best and it left a sour
taste in his mouth.
All of Konoha was precious. Hell, he was scared to change too much. What if something he
did caused the future he knew to change so much that it would affect Naruto's generation
beyond repair? It's not like he had a way to go back in time again to fix anything he messed
up now.

Kakashi heaved an aggrieved sigh and ignored the sharp glances his guards threw him.

Well. At least he was more or less healthy.

It was only Isobu's chakra that still caused the occasional wave of pain, unintentional as it
was. Kakashi believed he was adapting to the chakra, but it was a very slow process and he
didn't know if there even existed any method that would help the process along. If there was,
nobody had told him and he liked to believe that Kushina would have said something by now.

Not that he had seen her since he had to speak for himself in front of the council and Hokage.

And that was why he was uneasy, stuck between familiar masks of ANBU members as they
escorted him silently to the Hokage office. It was probably about time that they decided on
his fate and while Kakashi was reasonably sure they wouldn't kill him... he wasn't entirely
sure. That, and missing familiar faces as he was escorted made him more nervous than he had
felt in a really long time.

He hadn't asked where he was taken when they had come to his cell. The direction they took
was rather direct, even if they were moving underground. If anything, Kakashi knew the
village like the back of his hand. Even if some things were hard to recall, especially due to
any changes that had happened after the village destruction that had been caused by Pain, he
still knew the village enough to tell where he was approximately taken.

And that was the Hokage tower. Rolling his shoulders Kakashi took a deep breath, ignoring
how Tanuki was looking at him from the side. His guards were nervous and Kakashi
guessed... he would have to get used to that. Again. He wasn't sure how much worse being a
Jinchūriki would be. Worse than being the 'friend-killer'? Worse than the reputation he had
earned himself as Hound, through bloody deeds that were never really spoken of, yet quiet
voices still whispered of his quick, efficient and most of all merciless killings in the dark? Of
the cold-hearted monster he had been, following his orders to the letter and his pray to the
end of the world if necessary?
Looking at the big gate that was the entrance of the room the Hokage was in, Kakashi felt
anticipation and apprehension in equal measure. One of his guards knocked gently on the
wood, then pushed the door open and mentioned for Kakashi to enter. They stayed back,
closing the door behind him and probably settling in to guard the door. He could still feel
their lingering presences, but his eyes never strayed from the hunched over figure behind a
towering stack of papers.

Same old, same old it seemed. Paperwork was every Hokage's worst nightmare.

“Ahh.” Sarutobi looked up, blinking tiredly but with a slight smile that helped Kakashi relax
minutely. A smile was good. A smile meant Kakashi was not about to prematurely die.

“Kakashi-kun. It's good to see you, my boy. How are you doing?”

“Mah...” Kakashi shrugged easily, stepping a bit closer to the Hokage and trying to think how
he used to act before, back when he was the stoic serious kid with the weight of the world on
his shoulders and rules constricting his movement. It was a futile exercise, Kakashi knew,
which is why he gave it up as a hopeless cause.

“You know how it is. Counting time, twiddling thumbs, enjoying the artificial light.”

Sarutobi chuckled, rubbing one of his wrinkled hands over his face. He looked like he hadn't
slept in days, which was likely true with the ongoing war and Kakashi's own situation.

“Well, you do have a reputation of working yourself too hard, so maybe a vacation is exactly
what you needed, my boy.” The irony of that being said by the clearly overworked man in
front of him wasn't lost on Kakashi. A wave of amusement left his shoulders sagging down,
until his posture was relaxed enough that he felt comfortable to take the seat that Sarutobi
mentioned him to.

“We have a lot to discuss.” Sarutobi opened the topic directly, which Kakashi, who had been
left in the dark for too long already, appreciated. “I'm sorry to say that I cannot allow you to
return to Team Minato.”

Kakashi stayed quiet. He had hoped but... he had known it was unlikely that Minato would
stay his sensei. Didn't mean that it didn't hurt, not after just getting him back.

“Ah.” Kakashi said, trying to swallow the lump that seemed to be suddenly stuck in his
throat.

“What is going to happen to me?”

Sarutobi watched him for a moment, his kind old eyes holding sadness and resignation in
them, but also a shrewdness that Kakashi knew was the cause for the long reign Sarutobi
managed to lead the village for.

“First of all we will have to do a resealing. As per your wish, Kushina-chan will oversee the
process. Jiraya-chan will also be called back and give some input.” Kakashi managed to
withhold the grimace. He had hoped it would only be Kushina, but Jiraya was still better than
any stranger. He could probably guilt-trip the man into going along with giving Kakashi a
key to the 'cage'. Hopefully. Maybe. Otherwise he would find another way.

He wasn't looking forward to the resealing. The first sealing had hurt unlike anything he had
ever experienced, but having a proper working seal would far outweigh the urge to avoid a
repeat performance. He nodded in acquiescence.

“As for afterwards... you are going to need training.” That much had been obvious to Kakashi
as well.

“As for your teacher, I will introduce you later.” That... was not what he had been hoping.
But maybe it was too much to ask for Kushina, another Jinchūriki, to be his teacher. The
council probably protested that suggestion heavily, not only on account of Kushina being
compromised, but also to keep the Jinchūriki apart and from forming too much of an
emotional dependency. Kakashi wryly thought that it was very likely a nightmare scenario for
them if two Jinchūriki banded together. One was nearly unstoppable. Two? They could
probably take over the world if they really wanted. But just thinking of the amount of
paperwork had Kakashi cringing away from that thought.

Not that putting distance between them really helped, since Kakashi and Kushina already had
a relationship due to Kakashi being on Minato's team for years, but that likely didn't matter to
them.

“The thing I wanted to talk to you about is... I do not want you to return to the regular team
formations. Nor do I want you to become an apprentice.” Sarutobi leaned forward, putting his
pen aside and steepling his fingers against each other. He looked serious, as he gazed at
Kakashi over the table, a look that made Kakashi sit up straighter in response.

“I want you to join ANBU.”

Kakashi blinked. Then blinked again. That... wasn't actually as surprising as it probably
should be. Itachi had been eleven when he had joined. An yet... Kakashi hadn't joined until
Minato had become Hokage. About a year or two from now, so it wasn't much of a
difference. But... it was a difference and Kakashi was curious as to why it was happening
now. Just as he was sure that Minato likely didn't know about this plan.

“Why?”

Sarutobi smiled again, leaning back a bit and rummaging in a drawer to take out his pipe,
carefully stuffing it before using a little fire jutsu and taking a deep drag.

“You are an accomplished shinobi with much talent and the right mindset for not only
infiltration and assassination. You are patient, dedicated, loyal. Most of all, I do trust you
and... hm.” Sarutobi puffed away, his gaze a bit distant.

“You would do well in ANBU.” and yet, he sounded troubled. The time-traveler was sure that
Sarutobi disliked making a child join, even though he found it necessary. And yet... he had
not done it quite as early in Kakashi's original time-line.
“Is that the only reason?” he asked, voice neutral as he watched Sarutobi for clues. The
Hokage looked back, mustering Kakashi from head to toe before sighing.

“No.” the old man answered with a small, joyless smile that quickly slipped off his face to
make place for a rather grave look.

“To be frank with you Kakashi... your presence in this village is going to cause trouble.
Maybe not today. Maybe not in a year. But sooner or later, the village that sealed the Sanbi in
you will come knocking, asking where their missing Bijuu went.”

That... was entirely likely. Kakashi gave a slow, considering nod, thoughts already racing
ahead and dropping a heavy weight on his shoulders. Sarutobi was trying to explain it to him
slowly but Kakashi could already see where it was heading. He had been Hokage himself, he
knew the politics more than a normal twelve year old, but even back then he had been a
genius and wouldn't have taken long to clue in as to what Sarutobi was hinting at.

“In our best case, they will be willing to wait until it's time to reseal the Sanbi. Or maybe they
will never know what happened to it. It depends if any enemy nin made it back to their
village to report what happened. In the worst case though... they will tell the other villages.
Maybe they will say 'Konoha is trying to amass power... they took our Bijuu and now they
have two... will you help us, before they grow too strong?'”

It would be Konoha's word against that of Kiri. And with the Bijuu in Konoha, they would be
hard pressed to prove their innocence. It was simple as that and Kakashi had read reports
about the current state of Konoha in preparation of becoming Hokage. Of how they had won,
had shown a strong font to the enemy but another war would have crippled them. Could
Kakashi really afford that, especially equipped with the future knowledge of what was going
to happen? His attention turned back to Sarutobi, who was a steady presence anchoring him
in the here and now, even as he ripped the safety away and left Kakashi adrift in a storm. If
he had been a normal twelve year old he might not have seen the heavy shadows underneath
the old man's eyes, or the brittle calm that belied the regret and resignation that were buried
deep in his leader. Sarutobi was only the messenger after all. Kakashi was a victim of his own
circumstance.

“Or maybe they will demand for the Bijuu to be given back... and I don't think they would
care if the Bijuu was returned to them in a Jinchūriki or container.”
It didn't need to be said that either way, Kakashi wouldn't live long. They wouldn't risk
having a Jinchūriki with loyalty to another village in the middle of their own. Kakashi felt a
little sick. It wasn't entirely something he hadn't thought of on his own but having it laid out
as facts was still a hard pill to swallow.

“So...” Kakashi whispered, mind jumping from one scenario to the other but one thing he was
sure about: “You will have me disappear.”

Sarutobi smiled. Pained and resigned and ever so kind.

“So I will make you disappear into obscurity. A masked face in a crowd of masked faces.”

Until you are strong enough to hold your own. Too useful to Konoha to simply get rid of.
Until they can't demand your execution, without risk of you defecting.

That also was left unsaid, but to Kakashi who was trained to listen to the words between the
lines, it didn't need to be spelled out. Nobody would drag a competent Jinchūriki back against
their will, it was simply too much trouble, the destruction he would be able to cause if he
managed to sync with the Bijuu...

Well. He couldn't say he would enjoy going back to Anbu, not now that he knew what it
entailed and how long his service would likely last. Maybe even longer than in the future and
he barely managed to hang on to his sanity the first time. Even that was debatable. Kakashi
took a deep breath, trying not to show how affected he was as memories of silent and
merciless killings rose closer to the surface, making the water in his mind-scape ripple
uneasily, colouring it a deep red as memories were stirred up before he managed to calm it
and it smoothed over once more, hiding his darkest secrets deep below. He wasn't a kid
anymore. He knew what was coming. Some things that had thrown him the first time would
barely faze him now. Not with what he had seen, lived through and experienced. Still waters
are deep.

“Alright.” his voice was firm as he looked into Sarutobi's eyes. “I'll join Anbu.”
It's not like he had a choice. The Hokage wasn't asking him if he wanted to join, and Kakashi
was well aware that Sarutobi likely had as little say in this as he had. Kakashi could even say
that he would probably make the same call in Sarutobi's stead, so it was hard to hold a grudge
over that.

“Who is to be my teacher then?” Kakashi thought of his old comrades, of who was currently
in ANBU and would show him the ropes. He was a little early this time, so it was likely there
would be differences.

“Ah. That.” Sarutobi's eyes held a flinty calculating look in them, a bare second as Sarutobi
took another drag from his pipe “He should be here soon. Actually-”

A knock on the door interrupted him and Sarutobi nodded.

“Ah. Right on time.” the Hokage muttered and Kakashi looked back as the door opened.
Even though he needn't have. The harsh thunk of the walking stick would have been enough
of a clue to him.

“Hiruzen.” Danzo greeted, gaze cutting to Kakashi for a short moment but barely
acknowledging him. Meanwhile Kakashi was taking deep, even breaths.

Alright. This was... not expected. Actually...

Nope. This was something he had least expected. Kakashi tried not to frown, thrown by the
surprise. If anything he would have thought that Sarutobi would do anything to keep Danzo
from grabbing more power. Handing him a Jinchūriki on a silver platter... was not exactly
going along with those plans. Kakashi tried to think back, desperately trying to remember if
maybe Sarutobi still trusted his old teammate at this point in time. He came up blank. The
years he was currently living in were spend mostly with dealing with himself, unable to look
further with his own issues threatening to overwhelm him.

Kakashi had the feeling that his next years would be memorable and... quite demanding.

“Danzo-sama.” He greeted neutrally, keeping the emotions off his face. If his posture had
tensed, nobody would be able to tell. But the change of his tone from open to closed off and
distant was probably quite obvious to the Hokage. Hiruzen's eyes twinkled a little,
amusement dancing in them and Kakashi barely managed to control his facial expression into
bland disinterest.

“Is he ready then?” Danzo didn't even spare him a second glance, looking straight at Hiruzen
with gruff expectancy.

“Quite so, quite so.” Sarutobi mumbled around the pipe. “You will have to have someone
take him to the headquarters.”

Kakashi tried not to feel like cattle brought to slaughter. Or a dog changing owners.

“Kakashi-kun.” Hiruzen turned to him “Danzo will be largely responsible for your training.
Of course it will only start once your seal has been fixed. You will however be outfitted and
introduced to the other ANBU and your future team quite soon.”

“Yes, Lord Hokage.” Kakashi stood up, angling his head down while his thoughts drifted
through his mind at lightning speed.

“You will receive your schedule at the headquarters. To give you a rough summary, you will
train under Danzo for five days during the weak. Once a week Kushina-chan will train with
you and check on your seal. One day you will be given off to train on your own or spend the
time otherwise at your leisure, provided there are no missions. You are, however, to keep out
of sight and not draw attention to yourself.” Translate: Keep yourself out of the public's eye
and best don't interact with your usual crowd.

Ah. Yeah, couldn't exactly hide the body if it was still running around making friends.
Kakashi eye-smiled and wondered if he could break into Hiruzen's office after sundown to
burn his secret stash of porn, rearrange the office a bit and maybe steal the pipe until such a
time Hiruzen deserved a reward.

Then he reluctantly reminded himself that he shouldn't treat the Hokage like one of his dogs.

“Danzo will also be responsible for housing you. I know it is much to ask, but you are to
evict your apartment. The less is known about you, the better.”
 …

Didn't mean he wouldn't do it anyways.

For now Kakashi was only left with one answer, even as he stood and bowed at the dismissal.

“Yes, Lord Hokage.”

Chapter End Notes

I got a few reviews that got me relly pumped up to finish the chapter, big thanks to all of
you who took the time to leave a review, reminding me to sit down and take my mind
off things and delve into this story instead.
And another big thank you to the ever-present atomicmuffin because she valiantly
endures me spamming her scenes at all times and helps me bounce off ideas just by
being there :P

There you go! Kakashi is not getting executed, awesome, right?? :D

Also: Zoanzon totally called it :P Danzo is Kakashi's new teacher. (And Kushina, but
mostly Danzo.)

No clue as to when the next chapter will be out, you know me. It's either a spamfest or a
drought... ♡〜٩( ˃́▿˂̀ )۶〜♡
 Housing Situation
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes

Of course, not everything went smoothly. It was a load off his mind to know he wasn't about
the be executed any time soon, but before he would gain any sort of freedom – whatever
freedom he would have underneath Danzo's greedy palms – he still had to do a resealing.
Which was why he was now sitting on the floor of his cell, across from the other Jinchūriki
and watching as more and more paper covered in ink littered the ground. It multiplied at a
rapid pace. Kakashi did try to make sense of it. He has a basic understanding of seals, but
Kushina quickly lost him once she got really started, mumbling and scribbling with an almost
feverish gleam in her eyes. He knew she had likely lied about having to examine him to
create a seal, if only to make sure he was still well. He knew because she had made a scene of
studying him, winking at him even as the door closed.

Still, her manic behaviour right now... If he didn't know she wanted to help him, he would
have been scared.

“Mah.” he hesitatingly interrupted, clearing his throat awkwardly. While she would be
designing the seal, the reason why Isobu had agreed to the resealing from her especially was
because Kakashi had assured him that this was his most likely chance to have some input in
how the seal would be constructed.

“Kushina... could we talk?” Kakashi watched as she frowned over her papers and waited
patiently until her distant gaze slowly went to him. She blinked a few times as if he had
called her back from a different world. Maybe he had.

“What do you want to talk about, Kakashi?”

He knew that what he was about to propose would sound preposterous to her ears. She would
argue, but Kakashi was absolutely willing to fight for Isobu. If they wanted to be a team, he
had to pull his weight, too. And he didn't want the Bijuu to be uncomfortable when he could
have changed things for the better, not after Isobu had listened and agreed to staying with
him.
“I want to help create the seal.” Kakashi stated lowly, staring right into her eyes to convey
how serious he was about this topic.

“I want the seal to be... comfortable. It has to filter some of Isobu's chakra, so it doesn't keep
overwhelming my coils but... he's staying with me, out of his own free will, Kushina.”

He hated that he sounded like he was begging her to understand, seeing her frown and close
off already.

“He's staying in a little dark prison out of his own will, to help me out. He isn't evil, even
though he is dangerous. I don't want him to be in pain or... or uncomfortable.”

“Kakashi...” Kushina seemed torn, staring down at the seal in front of her. Kakashi could
make out the runes for chains and lightning, punishment for disobedience.

He took the paper and looked it over. He could barely make out what it was supposed to do,
but he could guess the rest. He put it down slowly between them.

“This is not something I would do to a friend or alley.” He stated firmly.

“They are not our friends, Kakashi.” Kushina let out a sigh. “Don't let yourself be tricked into
thinking they want to help. They are our burdens and I know you weren't prepared for this
like I was but... you can't trust them.” Her hand moved to her stomach instinctively, without
herself noticing.

“They are our prisoners and we have the duty to keep them at bay.”

Kakashi studied her, and decided to lay his cards on the table.

“Isobu already had multiple chances to escape. First of all when he healed me and I was
weakened. The seal was already in tatters back then, even if Minato-sensei managed to
strengthen it.”

Kushina stared at him.

“The seal isn't fully gone, so the Sanbi couldn't have escaped then.” She replied, but there
was a note of hesitance in her voice. She probably knew as well as him, if not better.

“If he had the ability to heal myself, then he probably had the ability to use that same chakra
to rip the rest of the seal to pieces. Instead he healed me... and retreated.”

Kushina frowned, stubbornly shaking her head, but that was fine. Kakashi smiled, he was
almost confident he would win this, had pushed that conversation around in his head until he
was almost entirely sure he could convince her.

“You were half dead Kakashi, you can't say for certain what might have happened or not. Did
the Sanbi tell you this?”

“No.” Kakashi rubbed a hand over his chest, taking a quick look down before raising his gaze
back to her.

“You know me, Kushina. Trust is not something that comes to me easily, nor something that I
take lightly.” maybe he was talking in a way that was too mature, but this conversation was
important and he couldn't be bothered to play the kid.

“I didn't just decide to trust him because he told me to. I'm loyal to Konoha and I wouldn't do
anything to endanger it. I'm willing to die for this village if necessary. I trust you. I trust
Minato-sensei. I trust Rin and the Hokage.” He trusted many more, or had, back in the future.
But right now, these people would be enough. That and the evidence that he slowly revealed
by lifting his shirt, the secret he had kept and the secret ace he had hidden until this point.

“And I do trust Isobu, because I've ripped the seal apart and even though we left this place
and all that was left were these suppression cuffs... he stayed. And even you know that these
wouldn't stop a Bijuu from breaking out of his container.”

Kushina stared in blank horror at the open seal that contrasted starkly against Kakashi's
naturally pale skin. Her hand twitched, most likely panicked instinct kicking in at the sight of
a completely open Bijuu cage. After Isobu had agreed to stay, Kakashi had set to dismantle
the rest of the seal. It was in tatters, barely functioning and the only reason it wasn't entirely
gone was so Kakashi wouldn't be in even more pain than he was now. It was a show of trust
on both sides and Kakashi was comfortable in the knowledge that the prison he was in, as
well as the rooms that he had met the Hokage and council in, had been well out of the village.
A sensible precaution that had helped Kakashi make the decision to place his trust in the
Bijuu stuck in his mind and body.

“Trust me. Please. I need a seal to keep the chakra at bay, but not Isobu. We are partners, not
warden and prisoner.”

Slowly, Kushina set her brush down. She took a moment longer to stare at the seal, before she
hesitatingly reached out a hand. Her fingers stopped, mere inches away from making contact.

She looked... bewildered. And worried. And so many other emotions that Kakashi had a hard
time telling them apart.

“May I?” she finally asked and Kakashi nodded. They needed to convince her. Her fingers
grazed his chest and Kakashi has the uncomfortable feeling of a connection being
established, before he let himself allow to fall. The sensation stopped a mere moment after,
and when he opened his eyes, he was back in the cave with Isobu curled in a corner but still
taking up most of the room. He was looking past Kakashi, and when Kakashi turned, he saw
Kushina looking him over carefully.

“You look older...” She whispered and she sounded young as her eyes cut past him and
towards the Bijuu. Distrust and weariness settled on her features and if the situation wasn't so
dire, Kakashi would have found it amusing that these were the exact emotions he could feel
bubbling up from Isobu.

“Isobu...” He called, walking over to the Bijuu with no hesitation at all and settling a hand
against the great beings side. They had a lot of time to talk while Kakashi was imprisoned.
Not much else to do in the cell.
“Meet Uzumaki Kushina. Jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails.”

Isobu rumbled a little and Kakashi gave him a light whack to remind him to behave himself.
For kami's sake, they were trying to give her a good impression, not scare her off, despite
Isobu's reservations and his reluctance because of how Kushina was treating Kurama.

Kakashi could feel Kushina watching them. He knew she was trying to understand, that the
concept of Bijuu and Jinchūriki being partners was foreign to her, if not a notion of
impossibility.

“Hello.” Isobu mumbled, shifting a little in a way that had Kakashi thinking it was trying to
hide behind him but stopping when Kushina tensed at the movement. Not that it would have
worked very well, with their difference in size.

Kakashi hated how awkward the entire exchange was. Time to change it.

Spinning around he clapped his hands, if only to see Kushina jump and eye-smiled at her.

“Well, now that we are all here... how about we discuss our options?” he beamed and with
three great strides he was at Kushina's side, gently taking her wrist and dragging her closer
before she could protest or struggle. He settled down on the ground next to Isobu, looking up
expectantly at Kushina hovering in front of them. It took a beat, where Kushina was looking
between the Bijuu and Kakashi, before she reluctantly and stiffly sat down as well.

“It's a bit crammed so if the next seal had a bit more space, that would be great.” Kakashi
enthrusted as he started and decided, well, if making kunais, you better do it while the steel
was hot. Right now Kushina was unbalanced and if him prattling on would get her to ease up
on some of that tension, fine.

And thus Kakashi laid out the 'terms' they would like to have incorporated into the seal,
Kushina blankly staring at the Bijuu at his side and Isobu offering the occasional shy input,
still a bit mistrustful of Kushina's presence (or any other human being probably, and who
could blame him?) but willing to work with Kakashi and the plan they made. Or maybe he
was just generally shy. Kakashi didn't know him long enough and their situation was a bit
unique. It's not like they choose to meet.

Finally, after several minutes, Kushina's shoulders slumped and a hand went to her face,
hiding her expression.

“Kushina-san?” Kakashi asked hesitatingly, hoping he hadn't overwhelmed her too much. So
much rested on her working with them.

“I...” she shook her head, her red hair like a silken curtain falling forward. “I don't
understand...” she whispered finally, looking up. Her eyes met Isobu's, taking in his posture,
his entire unthreatening countenance.

“I... why?”

“Why... what?” Kakashi asked back confused. Kushina turned to him and there was
something in her eyes that made him... not exactly pity her, but feel sympathy.

“Why is the San-... I-Isobu... why?”

Kakashi felt himself soften a bit.

“Because they are beings, just like you and me. Not monsters. And they are powerful and
caged into prisons, that even we at war wouldn't put our worst enemies in. And through no
fault of their own. Wouldn't you fight to get out?”

Kushina stared at him for a moment longer, before her eyes turned over to Isobu, tracing his
entire body, before she slowly disappeared into mist.

Kakashi shared a last, worried glance with Isobu, before he quickly forced his way out of his
mind-scape.
He blinked his eyes open to see Kushina standing with her back to him, papers gathered in
her hands and shoulders hunched. To be honest, Kakashi had never been quite sure how this
conversation would end, only that he had tried to make her understand and hopefully get the
best outcome possible. Having her shut herself off from him was disconcerting.

“Kushina...?” he asked quietly, hand reaching out to brush her arm. She jerked away and
Kakashi let his hand drop back to his side as if he had been burned.

“I...” Kushina's voice was thick with emotions. “I have to go.”

Everything in Kakashi wanted to stop her, but the ANBU watching them carefully through
the small window at the door made him refrain, lest he made them think he was attacking her.

With heavy heart he watched as Kushina hurried out of the room as if fleeing, papers
clutched to her chest.

He didn't know what this meant.

He didn't know if he managed to make her understand.

He didn't know if he hadn't just lost one of his only allies.

Reluctantly Kakashi settled down on the futon, heart heavy and thoughts dark. It wouldn't be
long until the warden would shut off the light.

Kakashi stared at his hands until the time came, and kept staring even long after he couldn't
see any more. The only presence was the burning sensation of chakra, a constant pain he was
slowly getting used to and the almost comforting presence of his equally silent partner, buried
deep in his mind.
 “I've done the best I could...” Kakashi mumbled tiredly. He didn't know if the best would be
enough and somehow... the thought of seeing Isobu back in chains hurt.

Somewhere deep in his mind he felt agreement bubble up warmly.

“I'm sorry.” He whispered.

There was only silence. But it was as if Isobu's presence was trying to wrap him in a warm
blanket, so he thought the Bijuu would forgive him if things turned ugly.

Closing his eyes, he finally settled down. It would be a restless night and the waiting was a
torture in itself, but Kakashi promised himself that whatever the outcome, he would work it
out somehow.

He wouldn't let Isobu suffer if he could help it.

He was a comrade now, after all.

Chapter End Notes

Whelp, I finally managed to get myself to do more than stare blankly at a page. This
chapter actually turned out quite differently than I had originally intended!

Took a while but I've had a busy time and frankly, needed a break. I'm not sure if Muse
if back or just visited, but I've got some ideas for the next 2-3 chapters already, so... yey
:D

So Kakashi tried to negotiate the seal! Wonder if he managed to convince Kushina or

not? :3

I GOT FANART!!
Look at this picture of adorableness of Kakashi and Isobu getting along!
Made by i-drive-a-nii-san
 Sealed Betrayal
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes

As the days passed without any visitors at all, Kakashi was left to his own thoughts and
devices. He hated being left in the dark, not knowing if the lack of visitors was due to
restrictions or... other reasons. The only contact he had to the outside world were the silent
ANBU bringing in food and taking the empty plates and glasses back outside.

When he slowly started to regain his strength, he started to move around the room more,
using simple katas and the gentlest training exercises to get the mobility back into his body
that still felt stiff and sore. Kakashi's previously almost unmarked youthful body had
accumulated a collection of new pink scars, especially on his arms. It was a useful reminder
that he often looked at to reaffirm his presence in the past. To remind himself of where he
was. When he was. That he wasn't stuck in his own head or back in the future, but in the past.
It was better than thinking about that one, itching new-old familiar scar and the red eye he
sometimes saw the reflection of in his glass of water. It still startled him to see the Sharingan
staring back from his mirror image once more.

Isobu's chakra burned bright in his chest and while Isobu tried his best, waves of agony still
crashed through Kakashi occasionally, leaving him breathless and shaken as it subsided.
Sometimes the pain was so intense that he wanted to curl up and only stoic training kept him
from showing any weakness. He knew he was being watched, observed though see-through
walls or the little window in the door. And so far nobody had seemed to know that the seal
that had kept Isobu back had mostly eroded. It gave Kakashi hope that Kushina wasn't
avoiding him but simply working on his release or being restricted from seeing him after her
last visit.

Still, he was stuck in this cell for the unseen future. It was better to train and get ready for
whatever was about to come, than to sit idle with only his thoughts and Isobu as company. He
did enjoy talking to the Bijuu, but at the same time Kakashi was used to being able to get
some privacy. The constant presence in his thoughts and mind was unsettling, but something
he would have to learn to live with, even if some part of him abhorred it.

Sometimes he just needed to be alone. Needed to face his own demons, his own thoughts,
without anyone interrupting or even worse, taking these moments and Kakashi's feelings in,
observing them when Kakashi preferred his privacy. Without him being able to do anything
about it. It wasn't even anyone's fault, not his own nor Isobu's.
Kakashi was glad that Isobu didn't try to pry too much, but sometimes he prodded, as if he
was a child begging for attention. Never in an annoying way – thankfully, otherwise Kakashi
might just go insane - just a quick brush of a bubbling feeling of hesitance. They were getting
along well enough, with Kakashi regaling stories to the captivated Bijuu hanging to every
word. It was important that Isobu at least knew as much as Kakashi could remember. Another
set of eyes to look out for any signs would be helpful, even if Isobu wouldn't see much more
than Kakashi due to their circumstances, and probably didn't know much about when
something was going to happen. Things became muddled after some time, but once Kakashi
started to relive some of his more memorable times, he was sure that he would start to
remember things he had long since forgotten, and that would keep being buried in his
extensive memories until he finally unearthed them again.

This still meant that apart form meditating, sleeping and eating, all Kakashi had left to do was
training or staring at the walls.

And that was why - despite Tsunade's warning - Kakashi trained, if only to get rid of the
restless energy in himself from being stuck in this cell for however many days he had been
imprisoned by now.

And that was why he was drenched in sweat when the door scraped open and a pair of ANBU
stepped in. Irregular, because due to his compliance they hadn't bothered with sending more
than one ANBU to collect or bring him things. Slowly Kakashi went from the push-ups he
was doing to a crouch, a position that would allow him to react to them, be it in defence or to
attack. He watched them suspiciously as they positioned themselves next to the door, like two
guards. Next came Danzo, his cold eye boring down on him. Kakashi stayed crouched, mind
already whirring and watching the ANBU with more suspicion. It was just as likely that they
were root and Kakashi was completely on his own.

"Stand up."

Without being too much in a hurry, Kakashi straightened up, trying to ignore his rugged state
from just having done basic strength training. If he was going to the Hokage, then he would
really rather like to take a shower, but this was a power play. Coming in without warning and
making Kakashi guess what was going on. It would probably freak out any other twelve year
old in the same position as Kakashi found himself in.
"Follow." Kakashi bit his tongue, he wasn't a dog but Danzo was his superior now. Keeping
his blank countenance as he fell in step with the other Anbu that surrounded him and Danzo
as they stepped out of the cell. He felt more vulnerable in his simple tank-top that he had
used to train in and the loose trousers and bare feet. Intimidation tactic, trying to make
Kakashi feel off balance. Outside of the cell it was colder and the sweat on his skin made him
shiver even more at the temperature drop. The cold seeped through the floor and into his bare
soles, like needles of ice stabbing him with each step. As Danzo led him down random paths,
Kakashi felt almost sure that the old man was taking the longer route just to spite him. When
they finally arrived at their destination, one of the ANBU stepped forward to grip the handle
of the door.

The heavy iron door opened with a low whine to reveal another huge chamber. The self-same
chamber Kakashi had used to seal Sasuke's cursed seal, back in the future. Back then it had
only been a moderately sized seal, nothing like what this looked like. Kakashi's attention got
caught by the red hair blazing in the middle of the wet glimmering ink-covered floor
immediately, even before he took in the seal that covered the whole ground, crawled up the
walls and continued on the ceiling. The Hokage and another four ANBU were also around,
keeping an eye on things. It took less than a blink for Kakashi's stomach to flip and he took a
forced calm breath.

The resealing.

Kakashi's breath left him in a small hiss, despite trying his best to not show his nerves.

“Ah, Kakashi. We've been waiting for you.” The Sandaime said, a gentle, tired smile on his
face. Kushina's head whipped around from where she was crouched on the ground, brush
dipped in ink as she finished up the last lines. Her eyes found Kakashi's for a moment, before
looking away to the seal again. It was too short to really read her, but some reassurance
would have been nice.

But... he wasn't a kid. So it was fine, he didn't need that. A bubbling warmth pressed close to
him, the presence more comforting than Kakashi had ever thought possible.

“I take it we are going to reapply the seal now?” Kakashi almost startled at how rough his
voice sounded, like he had gargled sand. It was only now that he realized that he hadn't talked
out loud since Kushina had been by his cell last. Surreptitously he cleared his throat,
swallowing hard. This was nothing to be nervous about. This seal was the only way to regain
his freedom.

It's not like he had a choice. It was this seal or extraction and Kakashi was very aware of that.

“Indeed.” The Sandaime replied, arms crossed in front of him before he nodded at the ANBU
at his side.

“Take off his cuffs.”

Kakashi watched the ANBU approach and lifted his hands to give them better access. He
would wager a guess that the chakra repressing cuffs would interfere with the seal if they
stayed on. The ANBU was efficient as he opened the locks and caught the cuffs as they
slipped off Kakashi's small wrists and before they could clatter to the ground.

It was a rush to finally feel his chakra again and Kakashi almost let out a gasp at the
sensation, realizing just how empty he had felt with it locked down, forced in place by the
seal instead of moving freely in his body. Kakashi let the eyes that fluttered shut, without his
conscious thought at the sudden warmth filling him, open again. Instead he turned his
concentration on the seal that was going to be applied to him in mere moments, trying – and
failing – to make sense of it.

He was getting so sick of seals by now. The inky lines glimmered in the dark, reminding him
a bit of the cave when the enemy had first forced Isobu into him. Kakashi shoved the
comparison away, consciously reminding himself that these were his comrades, his Hokage,
part of the village he had sworn to protect and he would. With this seal he would be able to
protect them from the horrors that lay ahead and they couldn't even fathom yet. Maybe
Kushina and Minato would even be alive to raise Naruto this time. Kakashi's heart twisted at
the thought and that. That was why he was doing this. For his friends, his family and in the
end it would all be worth it.

Kakashi didn't let his anxiety show as he stepped forward to the middle of the room. Didn't
show that he braced himself for the pain to come because no sealing or resealing of a Bijuu
would be painless, not for him, not with how entwined Isobu's chakra was with his coils. Not
with his coils that were still trying not to rip apart underneath the pressure of the Bijuu's
chakra, trying to accommodate it to the best of his ability.

Kakashi knew he was an ill fit to carry a Bijuu, that he hadn't been raised or picked for
compatibility. Was aware of the possibility that he would never be entirely pain-free his entire
life, if his body was truly unable to adjust. He was lucky he was twelve. A few more years
and his already low percentage of being adaptable due to growth would have been next to
zero.

His gaze drifted to Kushina at his side, seeking reassurance that he shouldn't need. He was an
adult. But the seal was too complex for him to read and he didn't know what was going to
happen next. Nobody had told him anything.

That was fine. Kushina wouldn't hurt him, he knew that. She was on his side, even if she
wasn't looking at him, absorbed in the seal as she was, checking and rechecking that
everything was in perfect condition. She looked tired, but determined in her concentration.
And he knew that it was important to spot any mistakes before activating a seal. He more
than any of them knew what a few crooked lines could cause.

It was fine.

Kakashi forced another calm breath out, Isobu's bubbling presence wrapped around him like
a blanket-fort, silly as that sounded. Kakashi was grateful, as it allowed him to lie down
without trembling, allowed him to stay outwardly calm as leather cuffs wrapped around his
limbs, the leather soft but unyieldingly holding him down.

It was fine.

Kakashi blinked at the seal covered ceiling and listened as the Sandaime, Danzo and their
ANBU left the room, leaving him and Kushina alone for the first time. He nearly startled as
Kushina's hand brushed his fringe back, her eyes finally looking at thim. He couldn't read the
look in her face.

“It's going to be alright.”

Kushina whispered, but... she sounded sad. She sounded regretful. Kakashi searched her face,
fear lurching in his stomach.

“What...?” he croaked at her trembling smile. Watched her stand and nod, step back. Watched
as people entered and took positions in the room, a familiar circle around him.

Watched as Kushina stood, concentration and regret finally readable on her previously wiped
blank face. Watched as chakra flared up, racing along the lines of ink in a blinding spectacle.
Watched until the chakra reached him, the ink crawling over him instead of being painted on
him previously but the feeling remained the same in the end, the seal wrapping around him
tightly, locking in place and Kakashi's breath hitched. Bracing for what was about to come,
what he knew would be impossible to brace against.

There was a second of a standstill, a second where Kakashi thought maybe he was wrong and
this would be different. Painless.

A second before it came crushing down, before the seal seared itself into his skin and down
to the very marrow of his bone, ripping apart the last remains of the faulty seal that had kept
Kakashi safe from being overwhelmed by Isobu's chakra. It shattered and it was like a dam
breaking, Isobu's chakra too much to be contained without it and exploding outwards and
Kakashi was drowning in pain, back arching as his body struggled against his restrains, head
snapping back and a silent scream stuck in his throat. Or maybe he did scream but couldn't
hear it over his own blood pounding in his ears. Pain was all he knew. Made his sight dizzy
and grey, stole his breath away.

He was dying. He was dyingh̬͍̞̪͖̞͠ e͍̪͔͖̝̦̕ͅ ̞̲̥̘̘w͙͇̦ a̝̣̝̜͡ͅ s̟͉̭̞̘ dy̱̝ i̱ ņ̘̙̲̞ g̺̫͞ h̛͚͜e̷̢͎̣w͇͉͝ a̴̧͙̩ͅ s̷͖̜̹͎ͅ d̴͈̩͔̪͘ y̮̱̼ i̴̪̪̝̥̥̜̞̖ n̟̭̺̣͖̘͎̼̝ g̰̺̮͕͘ p̷͖ a̙̲̟̱̠͓̙͈ i̥̝̲͓̞̣̯ n̘̬ p̷͠ą̰͔̪͔̗͠͡i̱͉̯̭̦̺͠n̴̢͍̯͍͎̫̪̝̹̥̞̭͢͡͞p̧͚͉͙̠̦̜̕͘ ą̶̸͔̘̻̥̦͎͝͠i̡̦̮͎̰̟̲̩̦̱̘̟̬̜ͅͅn̪̝̩͎̗̮̥̦̜̠̦̰͔̯̤͈͘͢͟p̷̱̣̳̯̗̭̮̻͎̗̣ a̴̷͍̟͍̺͜i̛̛̘̮̙͍̯̳̗̱̳̮̙̯̰̱̰͞͝n̷̨̟̰̲͈̼̖̙̥̙̞͙͍̻ .͝͏͙̥͉͉̫̮͍̻͜͢
.̷̷̷̳̻̼̤̘̹͇̟̰̠̯̘̞̦͈̕͞.̨̱̪̱͈̯̬̫̣̰̫̼̼̖̯̤͓̙̙͢ͅ
҉̱̭̺̠̕ͅ

For Kakashi an eternity went by before the new seal locked in place. He could feel it build
up, feel it lock around the brilliant blue star blazing in his chest and swallowing his whole
universe, finally allowing Kakashi who was barely clinging to consciousness to observe the
going ons again. Watched as it forced the chak... no, Isobu. Watched as the seal forced Isobu
back, forced him deeper, contained him, chained him down. Watched as Isobu struggled
against the chains, roaring in pain and betrayal. Kakashi felt something wet trail over his face
as he stared blankly at the ceiling while he gasped for breath, a strange double vision of the
reality around him and his mindscape, half aware of both.

Watched until the seal wrapped around Isobu entirely, a prison locking him down.

And then the pain was gone. Along with it the warmth and bubbling presence that Kakashi
had gotten used to way too fast. Kakashi's head lolled to the side. He felt sick, weak,
disoriented, horrified.

He felt alone.

Darkness lingered at the edges of his vision as his gaze found Kushina's stricken one, before
he faded away.

॰ ৹ ৹॰
˭̡̞(◞₎๑^ᆺ^)◞₎₎=͟͟͞͞˳˚ °ₒ ๐° ๐

Kushina put down the keys to the apartment with automatic movements. The sound of
jingling keys hitting the ceramic barely reached her, her movements stiff as she untied her
shoes, moving silently into hers and Minato's apartment. She had managed to hold it together,
managed to not think, to keep her face blank in front of the Sandaime and the... the others
watching that atrocity. Now in her apartment, staring blankly at the wall, her mind replayed
the whole ritual to her.

Kakashi arching against the restrains, screaming, screaming-

Her breath hitched and she shoved the feeling welling up down, down, down. Away.

Tears dripping over his face, a blank almost doll-like look on his face-
Hands balled into fists and her entire body tense, she stood still and breathed. In and out. In
and out.

Head lolling to the side, almost catatonic, lifeless eyes finding hers and something sparked-

Warm arms wrapped around her, dragging her back to reality. Minato's scent wrapped around
her as he held her close and finally-

She allowed herself to shake apart, let herself fall back into the safety he offered her with a
relieved cry.

“The-they made me d-do t-that, they made me do t-that t-to h-him!” she cried, her whole
body trembling as she turned around and tried to crawl deeper into Minato's embrace.

“They ma-made me, M-Min- t-they...” her cries were ugly, angry. There was snot and tears
and neither she nor Minato cared because everything was unfair, everything was wrong and
she only had him to hold her up. Just like he only had her, when he had brokenly told her he
would become Hokage and the reasons why. The arms around her tightened.

“I know.” Minato sounded calm, her steady rock in this whole madness.

“I know and we will get him back. We did our best. Everything will work out.” He sounded
so sure but Kushina had seen Kakashi, barely conscious and with his usual defences in
shambles.

He had cried. Kakashi never cried but those hadn't been only tears of pain.

He had looked so betrayed.

And Kushina didn't know if they could fix that, knew that some wounds run deeper and left
festering injuries nobody could help heal.
 “They made me...”

She repeated that sentence like a mantra, as if that would make it all right, repeated it and
cried until she was near incoherent and Minato gathered her up and brought her to bed where
she curled up, still sobbing but her tears running dry, her lips chapped, her body shivering and
sweaty, red hair sticking to her skin uncomfortably. She let herself be manoeuvred around by
Minato until she was lying at her side and he curled around her, as if he was trying to protect
her from the world.

But even he couldn't protect her from her own mind and memories.

Kushina finally felt herself get dragged under, Kakashi's screams echoing in her head as
exhaustion shut her body down from the emotional turmoil.

Chapter End Notes

Hey guys, surprise quick update! Some people were begging for another chapter and
who am I to deny you? :D

Resealing done! Great, right? Phew, got that part done, moving on! So Kakashi will
finally be able to exit his cell, that took so long guys, aren't you excited? I'm excited.
What'cha say, Kushina POV next? Kakashi? Obito?? I'm open for suggestions :D

Hope you enjoyed it!

Don't know when the next chapter will be out though, I gotta start working again
tomorrow so probably not as quick. Whelp, sorry 'bout that. I will try to make one
soooooonish but I have a great aunt to care for and an apartment to renovate and a life to
live so yeah, sorry if it takes longer? :3

*goes to hide in a cave*

 Root
Chapter Notes

Trigger warning: Mention of past suicidal thoughts, bad coping mechanisms

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Waking up again, Kakashi felt dazed. There was a heaviness in his chest that made it almost
difficult to breath, as if someone had placed a boulder on his chest. Sluggishly his hand
brushed over his ribs up to his collarbone, trying to dislodge something but finding nothing
but air.

Slowly the memories came back to him. The sealing. Kakashi shuddered at the memory,
keeping his breathing calm through sheer willpower. His fingers curled into his shirt, trying
to grip something intangible.

He couldn't feel Isobu anymore. Couldn't hear him either. If it wasn't for his memory and the
unsettling feeling of heaviness, Kakashi would have thought that nothing had ever happened.
That, and being in an unfamiliar room with no windows. Not his cell. Not his apartment.
Somewhere different and Kakashi hated how unsettled he felt at not knowing where he was
and who had brought him here.

Probably another of Danzo's intimidation tactics.

Kakashi let his gaze drift around the room for a moment. He was alone. But who knew who
was watching. It wasn't hard to fake exhaustion, mostly because he was exhausted. Tired
beyond belief, Kakashi reluctantly closed his eyes again, straining his ears only to be met by
silence. He would explore the room when he felt a little stronger and not like the next breeze
would knock him over. Much more important was to see what had become of Isobu now.

The by now familiar breathing pattern came easily to him, after all the time he had used it in
the past... what. Weeks? Kakashi had lost track of time but with the meals he had gotten he
was reasonably sure it had been about four weeks by now, if not more. After all that time and
his daily talks with Isobu, meditation came much more easily to him now.
When Kakashi opened his eyes, he was back in his mindscape. With a glance to the side,
Kakashi noted uneasily that the clear and almost tranquil water ran red, ripples breaking the
surface every now and then. The water was higher, lapping dangerously at the wooden
walkways of the formerly tranquil place, making them slippery and dangerous. He would
have to be careful walking, lest he end up falling into memories best left in the past. A mist
hung over the waters, an indication that his mind wasn't entirely clear. Exhaustion or maybe
even a drug for pain, anything could have caused it.

Kakashi let out a heavy sigh. It wasn't as bad as during his years in ANBU, when the water
had risen to his knees, or sometimes chest, making it next to impossible to navigate and with
nightmares snapping at his heels – sometimes even when he was awake. Not as bad, but far
from the peace he had archived and it rattled to see this place return to unrest.

Eh. This place had seen better days. His nightmares were too close to the surface for his
liking. He could and would deal with it. He knew better now than to rely in himself and
himself only.

Stoically Kakashi turned his focus away from the state of his mind, his attention caught on
the area Isobu had been imprisoned in before. Slowly he meandered closer, the fog curling
around him, but only slightly impairing his vision. It wasn't bad enough to hamper his
thinking then, just slow him.

As Kakashi drew closer, his heart sank the clearer the picture became. A huge, smooth block
of greyish-black stone loomed in front of him, the surface almost polished enough to mirror
its surroundings. Wearily Kakashi circled around it, trying to find an exit or entrance that
wasn't there. Once he had observed the prison from every angle he had to admit that this seal
was flawless. He could see its lines glimmering in the stone, but he couldn't see or feel Isobu,
even when he pressed his hands against it straining his senses as if he could break it apart by
staring at it hard enough.

“Isobu?” Kakashi called quietly, hoping that his voice would reach the imprisoned Bijuu.
Silence met his ears, and despite the silence being his former normal, Kakashi hated it in this
moment. Hated knowing that the Bijuu he had started to grow a little fond of, the shy,
awkward giant that loved story time and back-scratches was stuck in there and Kakashi didn't
even know what his condition was.
Was he hurt? Did he have space to move? Some light? Or was it just eternal darkness and a
cramped space and his own voice?

Anyone would go mad in conditions like that. Being imprisoned, tortured, isolated. And after
the war in the future, after Naruto, after getting to know Kurama from a different side, after
having to acknowledge that Bijuu were more than masses of chakra full of hate... After
becoming a jinchūriki himself and meeting Isobu himself-

He couldn't stand it. It made anger bubble up inside him. What right did they have?

“If you can hear me...” Kakashi muttered and glared at his reflection on the flat surface. “I
will get you out of this. I promise.”

Even though he had no idea how to do this. This wasn't a flimsy seal that was barely holding
up on its own. This was a masterpiece, one made by an Uzumaki and Kakashi knew next to
nothing about sealing compared to the Uzumaki. Even Jiraya paled when compared to her
brilliance and ingenuity when it came to Kushina's birthright.

“Why...” Kakashi frowned, trying to make sense of everything. Why would they seal Isobu
entirely, when Kakashi had told them that he was on good terms with the Bijuu? When he
could be a valuable asset during wartimes?

“Fear.” he answered himself. “Or wanting control.” There were several other reasons, but
these were the most likely. Kakashi didn't know yet how this seal worked. It definitely shut
away Isobu's chakra, but Kakashi would only be useful as a Jinchūriki if he had some way to
access it. That's where Kush-Uzumaki's lessons would probably come in, if he had to wager a
guess. How to control the seal and steal the Bijuu's chakra.

It left a bitter taste in his mouth, his own reflection grimly watching him back, hands curling
over the cold and unrelenting surface until his fists were resting against it.

Frowning, Kakashi took a step back, glaring at the prison, the small cramped space that Isobu
was stuck in.
Lightning flared around him as he called up his chakra, a hand striking forward and-

PAIN.

( ･_\\)ﾉ-≒≒≒≒≒≒≒≒≒≒⁂

When Kakashi came to, it was with a massive headache splitting his brain in little pieces and
the taste of blood in his mouth.

He could admit it had been stupid to even try. As if a seal made by an Uzumaki would be so
flimsy to break.

With a groan he rolled over, a hand coming up to his head as he curled up in pain. He would
have to find another way to get Isobu out. But he would get him out.

Squinting around himself, Kakashi decided that despite the self-induced headache he really
needed to know where he was. The room was spartan, with a single bed, an old, empty shelf
and a small area for personal hygiene. Some of his clothes and personal things had been
placed on a small stool inside a duffel bag at an even smaller table. Welcome to the barracks,
Kakashi thought in resignation, feeling irritated just at the thought of having to stay in this
place. He just hoped that it had been Minato who had packed his things and not a random
stranger shifting though his stuff at his old apartment. An apartment he no longer lived in,
Kakashi grumpily recalled. At least someone had made sure that even in his other cell, he had
gotten his own clothings and he had been grateful for it, as he felt more at ease with the
familiar mask on his face. Too many people had seen his face uncovered already, for his
liking.

On shaking legs he dragged himself upright, making his way over to the shower on unsteady
feet. His hand dragged along the wall, just in case he needed to catch himself.

Without bothering to undress, Kakashi turned on the shower and groaned as cold water
soaked through him, rinsing off the grime that he had collected. The sweat from training and
the dried tears from the ritual.
Embarrassing.

Shivering, he pealed his clothes off. Every muscle was aching and he wondered if that was
due to the ritual. He could barely remember things beyond the pain, but he knew he had
struggled against the bonds holding him down. Strained against the bonds as if that would
make him escape, as if there was escape from being a Jinchūriki that didn't involve his
untimely demise.

His shirt landed with a wet squelch on the floor next to him and Kakashi leaned on one side
of the shower, eyes blinking lazily and unseeing to the side. He wished he had hot water, but
apparently this place was just a dump that couldn't afford even that small luxury. Or it was
another way of Danzo to torture him. He wouldn't put it past him and a curl of anger lingered
in his stomach, hot like acid at having to go from one shitstorm to another. Even Kakashi
needed a break every now and then, some place and time to recuperate and both were being
denied to him. Grumbling Kakashi kicked his trousers off, and decided to make the shower as
quick as possible before he got a cold on top of everything else.

Tsunade would not be happy if she had to come back and cure his sniffles. And colds were
the worst when you wore a mask on a daily basis.

When he finished, he felt clammy, despite the room being relatively warm. He towelled
himself off quickly, trying to use the movement to warm himself up before going over to the
duffel bag and putting his new clothes on.

Feeling slightly more human, he was entirely unsurprised when as soon as he finished, a
knock sounded on the door.

Definitely being watched then. Kakashi thought with an unhappy curl to his lip, staring
blankly at the door. The knock sounded again and Kakashi sighed, wishing he could just rub
a hand over his face but even showing that much weakness when he was relatively sure
someone was keeping an eye on him constantly...

Not going to happen. The thought of having to watch his every gesture made him nearly sick,
but what else was he supposed to do? He wouldn't give Danzo any room to back him further
into a corner than Kakashi was already in. Maybe if he just thought of this as a very tedious
and long running mission-

“Door's open.” he called in a drawl. As if he was able to lock it. As if he had a choice. As if
he wasn't stripped down to his last mask and vulnerable to boot and he hated feeling helpless.
The door opened to reveal a blank faced teenager, not much older than Kakashi himself. The
lichen-haired Jonin didn't need more than a glance to affirm his suspicion.

Root.

“Hello.” The root agent called quietly, face revealing nothing even though Kakashi had
turned half away as if disinterested, while surreptitiously keeping an eye on the shinobi out of
the corner of his eye.

“Yo.” Kakashi muttered back, not in the mood for small talk and he thought nobody would be
able to blame him for that, after the horrible weeks he had, never mind the resealing.

“I'm Tomoe. I'm supposed to bring you to Danzo-sama. If you would follow me.”

The name was the only hint that Kakashi had that the shinobi might be a woman. From the
look, he or she was rather androgynous, but her name made Kakashi pay attention and the
lack of an adam apple was hint enough.

“Hatake Kakashi.” Kakashi replied politely, keeping his face as blank as her own. Two could
play that game, even if Kakashi was already tired of playing at the rules of others.

Tomoe stepped outside and started walking. Kakashi looked around, but it was all looking the
same. Dark, windowless tunnels lit by lights with rows of doors. He was in the centre of
Danzo's hidden root facility and every now and then he thought he saw someone disappear
into their room quick and silently. Like shadows retreating from light.
Kakashi was kinda glad he had skipped this part of the past when he had truly been a twelve
year old. Even as an adult the situation was straining, but he could admit he had a more level
head than he had had in his youth. At least he was able to read between the lines and see the
hidden motives much clearer now. And had the advantage that nobody knew how mature he
really was.

It didn't keep the hurt from burrowing into his already beaten heart. From missing the support
he was used to and Kakashi shoved that thought back down where it belonged, because now
was not the time to fall apart over missing his friends. But it kept him from falling into
despair and from turning a blind eye to the manipulations of others, namely Danzo.

He had to squint his eyes when they turned around a corner and suddenly stood in an
archway to a big hall, illuminated brightly. Kakashi had heard the noise growing louder as
they approached. It was a raised platform that Danzo was overlooking his brainwashed
soldiers training, and Kakashi wanted to give him a little shove and see him flail down the
stairs. Or worse. Instead he settled to Danzo's side, a little at his back. Enough to be seen, far
away to not seem threatening. Quiet. Meek. Gaze resting around Danzo but looking past him.
Waiting.

Danzo didn't react. He let him wait, but Kakashi had patience to spare in spades. If this was
about who first blinked, Kakashi was ready to take his small wins wherever he could.

At long last Danzo turned around, his face neutral as he assessed Kakashi's state. Dressed in
his usual garb, face mask in place, Kakashi stood straight and let him look, his gaze trained
on the children fighting, training.

There were so many of them.

“So you are finally up and about.” Danzo mused, arms crossed as his attention went back to
the training agents under his command. The children he was manipulating, breaking down
until only the barest hint of a personality remained.

“Yes.” Still not in the mood for small talk, Kakashi at least knew better than to sass the
person that was currently in control of his life, and could – and probably would – make his
life very uncomfortable. Short and succient answers would have to do, and Kakashi could
fake pleasantness very well, especially after having been Hokage himself. Nothing like
diplomatic meetings with other villages that could start another war if you weren't careful,
with everyone still slightly mistrustful of each other despite fighting at each others side mere
days before. A short war against a common enemy did nothing to erase all the years of
conflict after all.

“And how do you feel?” Danzo's gaze, the one from his one remaining eye, cut over to him.

“Tired.” Kakashi answered truthfully, he knew he probably looked about as badly as he felt.

“Is the seal bothering you?”

Yes.

“No.” He replied instead, and it wasn't entirely a lie either. “I don't feel anything from it.”

“Hm.” Danzo turned back to the soldiers with a thoughtful expression on his face.

“I have no doubt Uzumaki-san will instruct you on how to harness the power of the Sanbi in
due time.”

The reminder twisted a sharp pain like a blade between his ribs. Irritated, but unwilling to
show it, Kakashi pressed his tongue against one of his sharp teeth, the slightly copper tang of
a little blood in his mouth grounding him from saying the wrong thing.

Ku-Uzum-Naruto's mother... yes, she had put that seal on him, but Kakashi didn't want to
believe that she was that prejudiced against Bijuu that she was entirely unwilling to listen to
reason. Or maybe she was, but even then... he couldn't entirely believe she wanted to harm
him. Why ever she had put that particular seal on him, she must have reasons and Kakashi
wanted explanations, before-
It just hurt. It was irrational to feel so betrayed when she had never promised him anything to
begin with, when Kakashi didn't even know her reasons. He should listen to her side first,
but-

“That is probably what my lessons with her are for.” Kakashi quietly agreed, trying to keep
the strain out of his voice but not entirely sure how well he was succeeding this time. Danzo's
hawk like gaze was pinned to him, obviously watching for a reaction.

The old warmonger heaved a sigh, turning towards him slightly before putting a hand on his
shoulder that Kakashi wanted so badly to shrug off. Instead he remained frozen in place and
endured the proximity that made his skin crawl. His gaze dropped to his feet, hiding the anger
and any other emotion slipping from being seen in his eyes. He was too tired, wrung out and
still out of sorts to be in top form at playing mind games with the old, crafty man. If he wasn't
careful, he might actually reveal more than he intended and that would trip Danzo off. He
couldn't afford that.

No wonder Danzo had dragged him before him now, when Kakashi was barely standing on
his feet, his limps leaden and cold. He was just so vulnerable right now, perfect to assess his
state of mind and probe for a little information that Kakashi despite his state was careful to
not reveal.

“These past weeks have been cruel to you, Kakashi.” Danzo said, squeezing his shoulder. The
familiar use of his name was like nails on a chalkboard to him.

“Sarutobi selected me to train you. I will have to assess your current strengths and
weaknesses.” Kakashi felt himself tense, thinking of his aching everything and the exhaustion
that still lingered, making his body feel heavy and clumsy. Not to speak of the headache still
hammering away in his head. “Not today though, but soon.” And yet he was disturbed to feel
a small tendril of genuine gratitude that swelled up at the thought of not having to fight in his
current condition. This is what made Danzo dangerous. He was calculating, intelligent,
dangerous and he knew just how to get into people's heads, even without the help of a
Yamanaka. Finally Danzo let go of his shoulder and took a few steps forward, gesturing to
the root agents down below.

“These will be your comrades.” He gestured, like a king showing off his kingdom and
Kakashi stepped forward until he was standing next to Danzo. His gaze locked on the
children below, his stomach churning uneasily.
There were so many young kids. Too young, but that was just how Danzo liked it, still
malleable to bend to his will, impressionable without their personality fully formed.

There were clan children mixed in between others. But that was definitely a Yamanaka, an
Aburame and a Nara. It burned to see them here, where their potential was cut down until a
hallow shell remained. A root where there should have grown a sapling with the potential to
become a tree.

These kids that should have been the future and Kakashi, as a teacher, as a Hokage, even just
as a decent human being that he somehow managed to somewhat become in spite of
everything...

He wanted to protect them, to get them out of this toxic environment before it was too late.
Before smiling became something to imitate rather than feel. For some of them it might not
be too late to recover yet.

Slowly Kakashi dragged his gaze up to meet Danzo's for the first time, carefully keeping his
emotions in check. Danzo smiled at him. Pleased. Gentle. Caring.

And yet Kakashi could almost smell the deceit, the greed, the satisfaction.

“Rest now. Once you are better, one of my subordinates will show you around and will give
you your equipment. Afterwards your training will begin. It won't be easy but I've heard you
will be up for the challenge.”

What a benign old man he was, Kakashi thought sarcastically. He knew Danzo was trying to
make Kakashi trust him, not knowing that that particular ship had long since sailed. Kakashi's
tense form trembled and even he wasn't sure if it was from the cold, the anger or simply his
body requesting a god damn break. It was a chink in this armour, a brief break in his
otherwise calm exterior and he hated how Danzo's eyes immediately snapped to the
movement in interest. Instead of giving even more away, he relaxed his posture, the slightly
stiff shoulders settling down into a more natural slouch. Changing his body-language to a
barely expressed version of 'relief'.
“Thank you.” he said honestly and bowed low, staring blankly at the ground as thoughts and
plans whirred inside his head. Still muddled and distant, still unfinished and raw.

Yes, Kakashi thought vindictively, anger curling deep in his stomach like a snake lying in
wait to strike, thank you for inviting me into your domain to take you down from the inside
out.

There was not much he would take more enjoyment out of, especially not with how volatile
he himself felt. Distantly Kakashi was aware that he fell to old habits. Habits he had long
since thought he had outgrown, but currently thinking of his situation as a mission was the
only thing that stopped the despair from drowning him. The loneliness was choking him. A
mission was something that he could cling to. Something that couldn't abandon him, couldn't
go behind him because the parameters were clear, if adaptable to change. He hadn't lived like
this for some years now, not since he reestablished team 7. But for years it had been his go to
modus operandi. The only thing keeping him going after everything fell apart and everyone
around him had left and all that remained was cold, unmoving grey stone with names carved
into it. Mission: Food. Mission: Recuperate. Mission: Stand up. Mission, mission, mission.
Without it, Kakashi wouldn't have left the bed and sometimes he had wondered if that would
have been better, if nobody would have realized until it was too late. But as always he had
felt repulsed, even as he had longed for relief. He wouldn't do that. He couldn't, not when
others had sacrificed so much to keep him alive.

And now he was alone in a sea of enemies. Numbly Kakashi rose, giving a wan smile that
never reached his eyes, but someone as observant as Danzo wouldn't miss how Kakashi's
mask moved with it, nor how hollow he felt. Good. Let him see. Let him think his part.

He would get past this. He just needed some... sleep. Some time to order his thoughts and
come to grips with everything that had happened, coming to terms with everything it entailed.

And how to best proceed forward.

He was too tired to remember the path they took as he followed a silent Tomoe back to his
assigned room.

Once there, he didn't even bother changing. He crawled into bed, curling up on his side and
closed his eyes. He refused to think, trying to keep his thoughts still. He wished he could
 summon Pakkun, but he was probably still under watch and he really didn't want to appear
even weaker than he already felt.

He wouldn't think about the future, or the torture, or anything that happened since he came
back to Konoha either.

Instead he turned his thoughts to Rin and Obito, turned his thoughts to the children he had
just seen, to Isobu.

Ongoing Mission: Rescue Obito.

→ Mission Parameter: Find Obito's Location.

→ Mission Parameter: Punch Madara in the face.

→ ͘M͟ issi͘ o͝n͢ P͠a̷ra̸metȩr:҉ Rip͠ Z̨ et͡su̷ a͟ ̛n͝e͜w̴ o͝ne.͞

͟Ongo͜ing Mi͟s̨ sion: ͏P͘ r͝o͡tect̡ R̸i̡n̴.҉

̨→̷ M̡ ission͡ ͟P͡aram͡ et͝e҉r: M͘ ake othe̕rs ̷p͜ r̸ot͢ect Rin
→̧ ̸Mi̕ss̵i̸on͞ Pa̛ra̧ m͝ etȩr͞: M͜ a͞k̵e͜ ̕Nin͞ k̨ e͝n ͟w̕a͜t̴ ch̴ h͘ er.
ͤ͋ͭ͛ͪ̚
Ơͪͥ͗̽̆̔̈̋͟ n̐͑̒͞ gͭ́̍̋͝o͛͒ i̛̊̑̂͂̄͞͏nͮͨͥ͊ͧ̔ͤ͢͞ g̉̉̕ M̴̒͋̇͘ ̈́̌̽ iͨ̓͐͆͞͞s̶̡̈̉̏̉̉̍̍ s̡͑̿̃̈͆̚͢͝i̶̢̐͒ͧͦ̊͂̕o̧̔̊͢ńͣͪ̑ͮͯ̋̏͘ ҉:ͨ̂̑͒͑̀̈́̿̅ S̾͆̽̔̀ ̸̢̈͂̄̐͜ ȁͪ v̨̧ͩ͂̒̿͐́͆ͧ e̛̽̓ͤͬ̽̾͐ͤ̏̽ͭͦ̓̾̆͒͘ ̸̒̇ͧĬ̷̀̋̃̓ ṥ̏͒͆͛ o͂̔̔ b̾̒̈́̏͘ u̍ͨ .̇̓̀͛͒͑͗͟͏̸
̂͐̅ͣ͏̸͝→̨ͥ̐̇͛ ͑͆ͭ͒ͬ̽̀ͧ͞M͛̋͢ i͐̒͋̾ s͌̊̀̋̂͗͂ͧ͝͡sͧͧͬ̇ͫ͜͢i̸̧ͭ̓̅͂̆̃̆o̵ͮ͆̾́ͨͤ̾̍ͪ͞ ņ̛ͥ͠ P̴ͣ̓̊͌̈́ ̷̛͆ͤͤ͊̇ͩ a̷̧ͨ̽̆̍͢ṙ̌ͦ͝a̧͆ͤ̔͛͑ m̢̀̿̽͌̎͛̿ e̢͗͐ͨͩͨ̉̒ ҉t̛ͫ͌͗̍͟e͐̌͒̆ͣ rͦ̾͊͗̌̈̚͜͝:ͨ̀̓̊ͬ͞L̶̀̄̆ e̛̽ͫ̉ͣ̚ a̅̓̎͘ r̶̆̅ͫ͆̔ n̶ͬ̏́ ̡̓S͆͆ͨͮ̍͜ẻ́̽ͣ ą͗̍ lͨ̽ͨìͭ͗̓ͤ̊̍ͫ n̷͑̄̎̕g̡̍͠.̴̃ͪ̍͐̒͝
̨̉ͪ͘͞ ̴͚͚̣̘̪̺̖͙̜̠̓̿ͥͥ̽̄̀̉̎ͪ̍̐͆ͭ̾͝͝͞ͅ ̛͌͒ͨ͊̚
→ͣ̀ͦ͊̐ͬͤ̕ M̄͒̿ͮ̏̋͗ i̸̧ͫͫͣsͧ͌̅̎͟͢͠s̵̢ͯͭ̆̇ͫ͛̀̚ i͒͛ͭͤ̃ͬ͛͟ó̵̿ͣͣ͛́͜nͯͧ̓ͮͩ͆͐̓̒͟͡ ̧̿ͨ̑P̉̎̌̈̌ a̵ͪ͂̅̓̓ͮ̔ rͨ̈́ͬ̾̃̒̏͞͏a̧ͬ̆́m̢͗͌̐͞ ẽ̌̌̄̿̃͐͢ṫ͌́̇͌ͥ̉͡ȩ̷͌ͩͫ͐͒̌̆̑ rͧ̇̅̍̃̐ :͒̈̊̉̒̎͝҉̸̢͉̜̠̖̰͈͖̺ͮͩ́͛̈̓͊̃ͪ̂̈́ͯ̚ͅR̸̄̔ į͆̾ p̡͊ͪ́̋͝ ̀ͬ̉ͯ̃̚҉tͨ̍͐̽͂͝ḧͣͤ̆ͭͧ͜ ȁ̓͜t̴̛̓͌̽̉ ͨ̈́̋͆̿̑ͤ͆s̨ͦ͑̅̍͐ͯ͌ͣ ëͥ͡͝͞ ăͦͯ͋ l̡̛͒̽ͥ̃͑̽̚̚ d̸͗̂͗̇͐̓̒͠͠ ̸ͩ̋ͨ̉͗̈ͫ̚ oͬ̎̆͝w̷̛ͤ̾͑̓̾̏ͭͣ͞ n̿ͬͧ̏̇͂̆ͩ͏̸ ̾ͭ̎å̋̉̆̓͌̃͊̐͜͜s̄͂͗ͯ a̎̚͜p̾̾̃ͥͣ̋͂̍ .̄̃ͤ̅̎
̨̌̆͑̐ͥ͆̿
̵̜̜̟͖̗̺͂̄͋͂̓̆ͣ͝ͅ
̡̠̞̻̹̗̖̞̱͈̝̯̦̜͕̜͊̿̉̾͑͆ͪ̚͟ͅŌ̫̹̦̤̫̳͈̲͈͚͍ͦ͊ͥ͋͌̌̎ͯ͌̉̚͢͢ň̴̄̋ͣ̍̇ͪ͂ͭ̾͌̽̍̾̓̐̿̚ g̩̞͇̜͖̘̯ͨ̉͑̓̀ͦͯͮ͊͂͂ͯͣͅ o̶̵̧̲̯͍̟̖͔̭͚ͥͯ̓ͤ̋ͪͥͩͧ͗̔ͥ̉ͤ̀͘͞i̵̧̢͕̥̻͍̠̜̹̲͓̥̙͕͓̣̞͚͈̬ͤ́ͨ̂̑͛̐͌̍̾̅̋ͤ͒ͣ̉̍̎̍͟͢ṅ̸̉͌͗̌ͯ̊͗͒ͬ͑̏̎ͥ̀҉͇̘͎͈͚̱͈͜͠ǧ̸̨̟̮̮̮͙̀̃̅ͧ̔̑ͥ̇ ̷̴̨̙͖̟̞̘̹̬̖̣̺̰̰̭̻͈͎̰͎̥ͧ̋̍̋͌́̈̑͂̆ͫ̄ͨ̃̏̓̈́͆M̟̺̞͔̀ͧ̀͊̽̄ͩ́ͧ͢ ỉ̯͉̺̤͌͆ͯͮ͑ͧ̂̉͐ͫͬ͊͘͘͠͠ ҉̭̣͚̙̙̭̰ ̡̛̭̖̗͙͈ͩ̀̄͂̇ͥ̇̑̽̆ͭ́͠T̴̖͓̰͙̦̞̟̘ͩͮ̆̒͆̓͑ͦ̃̌ͤ͝aͮ̆̈́̄̇ͣ̒ͪ̉ͧͬ̑ ҉̶̱͕̗̩̼̹̘̘̤̝̼̱k͍̼͚͎͓̣̺̻͔̥̻̥̈̆̎͑ͮͦ̾̀́̈̔̃̍ͥ͌ͤ̌͘͢͠͝ͅͅe̸̛ͪͯͨͩ͆͒͒͊̏̌̾͐̚͏̼̝̣̯̜̮̻͕̘̤̩͖̜̮ ̶̛͙͚̞̰̬̦̰̥̫̙̙̞̳̀̌͊ͤͩͯͬ̏̂ͨ͟͞ͅ ̈́͗̐̃̈́̈̆͆ͫ͒҉̧̞̘̹͚̜̭̩̱D̵̡̙̘̳̗̙͖͎̥̩͍̬͚̮̿ͨͤ̂̈́̏ͦͤ̅ͩ̑ͦͫ̎̍̓̈́̔̓͢͟a̵̢͉̲͇̭̩̦͍̞̪̞͕̠͋͒ͬ͜ͅnͭͪͫ̒̌͆ͩͣ͌͆̀̍̚͏̵̘̞̙̪̺̭̲͕͍̪̩̱ z̴̓̅̈́̂ͭ̔ͧ̉ͦ̒ͮͯ̓̄̒̽̈͟͠o͑̋͑͐ͭ͂̃҉҉̢̛̪̮̥̳̣͕̱̲͖̗̬̼̟͔͊̽̔̇ͣ̔ͭ̌͒͛ͯͦ͋ͯ͢ͅd̸̷̢͕̬͍̥͈͉̖͍͚̲̘̼̼̮̙̈̔̌̾̓̀͐̇̈̇̈͒̉ͣ̾̏̀ͥ̀̒͊ͣ̕ͅ oͪͤͨ͗̒ͭͬ̉̊̆ͦ̅́̏̇͜ ẅ̵̶̨̧͖̫͓̞̦̦̲͔͎̭̤̞̱́̉͗͛̒̑̓̎ͥ͋͡ņ̵̗̣̬͉̱̼̥̺̪̤̊͂͂ͤͧ .̴͇̖̰̟̹̮͓͖̝̘͙̼̝̬͔͕̜̈̏̔͑̔͆ͦ͐͋̈́̎̓ͥ̑͗͊̚͞ͅ
s̶̩͍̞͎̫̲͈̥̰̪̟͐̈́͊̋ͬ͜ş̧̜̫̗͕̰͚͔͚̏ͨ̾̄̓ͬ̿͆͊͐̇͋͊͛ͫ̈́̍̓ͥ̕͢͡i̢̝̜̣̲̜̟̝̳̩͕̭ͩ̌̂ͬͣ͐ͩ̈͝o̷̢̺̯̖̙̪͇͓̻̮͇̲̣͉͊̔ͮ̔ͦ͞ͅ n̸̡̧̮̯̞͙̻̪̗̦̙͈͖͓̠̬̤͎̲͌ͧ͒ͮ̒ͦ̇͢:̍̽̃ͤ̐ͧ̅̇ͯͭ̚͟͜
̴̼̱̹̰͉̫̠̭͓̲̖͇̻̲̭͇̘͕̖͇̤̗̬̺̬͖͔̝͆̏̃̏̓ͯͦ̇͗̏͂ͣͭ̏̇̚͟͡͞ͅ→̢̟̖̹̪̖̝̗̭̤̯̹̦̤̱̪̦̯̼̓͌̒̌͐́͊̋ͧ̎ͥ̾̋ͭͯ̌̾ M̛͙͙͖̤̣̮͇̮̹̣͖͛ͬ͒̂ͮ͋͜͝ͅ ĩ̸̸̷̳̜̤͚̈́͆̂̎͝s̨͖͇̝̭̗͍̺̫̈̿̀ͮ̈̒̊͌ͬ͂ͪͪ͒̈́ͨ̊͆̔ s̸̵̻̜̱͕͎̟̀̊̾ͦ̆ͩ̅̌͗ͣ̂̃i̢̗̪̰̰̖̥̻͖̭̝̬̺̠̣̤̘͓ͤ̄̄ͨ̈̔̐̏͋͂̓ͪ͑ͅ ơ͗̈́ͪ̄ͮ̊̾͛ͯ̅̅̽̃͑ ņ͈̟̜͚̘͎̋̍̿͊ͯ͊̿̚͘͡ ̡̼̜͚̼̥̪̮̱̺̌ͫ̉̈́̏̓ͬ̊ͦ͊ͤ͛͗̉ͬͨ͑̈͟P̸͓̼̳̩̪̣̊͂̓̄ ä̵̵̢͕͕̲͎͎̮̘̞̥̰̭̹͕̹͉̰̙͈̾̉̅͛̈͟ r̸̨̼̰̝͍͚̣̪̙͕̺͎̗̭͈̱͉̞͉͛ͣ̑̓̑̒̓̾ͥ͗͝a̘̝͔̗̗̜͍̩ͤͫͯ̍ͭͪ̽͝ͅ m̨̤͔̼̳̞͇͕̬̬̼̱͙̞͑̄͂̔̋̓̽̎͗̉̍̀̀̓̒̀͆͒ͣ͢͡͡͞ͅȇ̡̈́ͬ̓ͭ͑ͬ̓ͨ͗ ҉̧͉̞̬̟̖̕t̵̨̟͇͓̭̯̝͔͈̘̯̬̒̏͆ͯ͂ͬ̔͗̃eͩ͗ͣ̎̐ͥ̈́̓͏̷̻̞͕̭͖̟ r̘͇̤̦̰̠̘̯̯̩̥̹͔̫͗̀̋ͥ̿͞͡ͅ :̴̢̓ͮͨͮ̓̽ͪ̋ͨͭ̿ͤ̚͏̴̠̤̖̺͓͔̥͕͓͔̰̕ͅ R̹̳̰̼̭͈͓͐͋̇́ͫ͂ͭ̓͊̐̽͗́̌͠ę̡̡͖̗͇ͭ̇͐̈̉̏͐ͭͅ v̵̢͍̟̲̣̻͔̬͉̥̞͓͕̝͚́̉ͩ̉̆̏e̡͍͔̺̪͓̠̮̩̰̻̗̭̘̟̲͒ͮͦ͛͊̑̃̈́͆̓͗ͅ ȑ̸͆̍̇͂ͬ͛̾̋̿͌̍͏̹̩̰͇͎͉͎̩͙̼̦̠͙̗̱̹͙̘ ş̷̵̱͈͎̘̮̬̙̘͙͖͈̭̼̺͖̮̝͙̆ͥͯͨ͗ͮ̇̐ͬ̍̅ͫͭ̚͞ eͫͬ͌̎̄́̓̋̿͐̾̍̚͏̶̸̖͖̻͎͍͚̰̦͙̜͙͙̖̗̬͘ͅ b̶̡̩̙͙̭̻̪͖̦̯̯͖̬͖͛̈́͑̇̏̈́ͭͨ̽͟͢ ҉̶̛̲̭͔̦͉͍͞ͅ r̷̡͎͎͚̱̻̖͉͖͚͓ͪ̂ͧ̓̔̆ͦ͊ͤ͘͢҉̡̞͚̠͉ a̧̨̗͕̖͚̞̻̖͚ͫ̿̆ͣͨͧ̑̔͌̀̃̇̂ͣ̿͟͜į̋̆͆̓͌̋̏̑̏ͧ̇ͨ͞͏̸͙͉͇͖͔̙͔̪̞̻n͗͋ͦ̑ͮ̂̎ͯͭ̅ w̷̴̘̱̩̳̮͈͗̽ͧ̒͒̎̑ͫ̓̆̚҉̡҉̛̯̬̝̘̳͙͓̘̪̞ ä̵̸̴̧̛̟̞͙̣̳͇̝̜̹̭̠͙ͧ̄̀̍̐̑͗̿̆̈́ͭ̚ͅ s̡͎̻̙͕̺͖̺̩̗͈̩̳̙̗̙̓̈́̽̍́͌̔͆̆̍̅ͤ̈ͦ̊̒ͦ̚͘͘͞ h̹̯̙͎͎̺̔ͬ͌ͮ̍͌̉́̄͋͌ͭ̋̐͗ͫ̾̊̚͘͠ ȉ̢̝̻͔͚̟͎̱̮̻̱͉̝̯̝̥̲̈́͌͂͂͛ͅ n̢̛̥͙͓̱̣̳̠̖̮̘͇̝̳͇͌ͥ̓̔ͭ̚͘ͅ g͚̜̩͓̗̟͚͕̳̺̿̆̔̊͜͞͠ ̊̉͑̓҉̷͉̦͚̟̱̲̫͓̪̭̝͓̬̟͠o̢̩̰͍͈̤̟̣̤̥̲͚̮͉̯̳͗̒̓̅͗̋ͯ͜ͅ n̴̢͓̲͈͓̺̬̰ͯ͛͑͐ͩ̆̿̃͛̚ ̵̢̫̹̭̠̣̉̌̀̈̓͊̚ç͙̫͍̺͔̝̦͉̼͙̼̭̙̬͍͔ͫ͆̈́͊̍͑̾̾ͣ́͜͢͜͠h̨̲͉̣͍̹̤̯̯̲̞͓̼͖̫̦͚̅̅̿͌͌͂̾ͧ̿́̍̃ î̧̢̱͔̤̘ͣ̄̎ͣ̿ͭ̓͊ͮ͌ͭ̅͛͛ͯ̈̚͝l̙̬̦̼͍͕͙̤̺̬͙̬̹̼ͧ̊̌ͣ̌ͮͨ͒ͨ̒͘͟d̴͉̱̠̙̣̜̫̋̓̐́ͫ͛ͩͬͬ͛̔̓̓͢͝͞r̶̥̯̻̞͈̞̆̅́ͧ̽͛̑̓ͤ͑ͯ̚͘͟͝ę̵̨̛̜͓̖̹̮̝͎̠̭͗ͨ́̈ͫ͒̆ͨͧͩ͒̃n̶̴̸̝̟̠̰̫̼̝̦̳̝̤̖̱̺̜̫̖̲ͪ̓ͬ͢͝ o̶̴̶͔̮̟̪̥͍̗̻͔̹̩͖̗̲̤̭ͯ̈́ͧ̄̎ͤͦ͒̔̓̇ͩͫ̊̍̍̃̃̄͛̐̔̋ͨ̾̓̚̕͞ ŗ̨̤̠̫̘ͣ͊̆̾͢͟s̸̎̉̀̓͛̃ͬ͛̚̕͏̨̜͕̠͉̯̜̟̯̜̹͕̲̖̤̗̱̞͎̳ͥ̒̽ͪ̇̃͐̂̕͢ l̵͖͇͚̭͖̥̼̳̹̯̺͖͚̦͇̍̑͋ͤ̎͋ͨ̏͒̑ͦ͠͝
o̶̘͎̱̪̩̓ͪ̊ͫ̓̂͛ͧ͒̅̈ w̬̥̳͕͎͉͔͗̽͋͂ͩͮ͟ ̢̢̩̰̳̲̬͉̲̘̥̪͈̜̮̘̝̀́͋͑̓̓́͛̃̍͑͑͜͝ͅͅi͂̊̆̄̽̍ͯ̐̎̓̍̂ͣ̑ͩ̚tͭ̀̓̋ͣ̇͆͞ d̈́̏ͦͤͩ̋͒̅̇̎̑͟ o̢̞̠̙̦̙͑͐̂ͧ̓̍̄͊͌҉̰̯̝̪̙͉̰̥͖͈͍̜ w͉̗̥͆ͪ̆͒͂͊̒́̏̃͜͡͠n̙̞̫̱͙̗̳͚͚̲̹̭͍̊ͪ͑ͯ͋̋̂̑̎̕͜͟͡͝.̵͗̓̀̾̐ͯͮͧ̄ͬ͘͟͠͏͙̮͖̞̱̠̱̭
̸̵̨̧͕̖͇̐͆́͊ͫ͂̀ͬ͊͂͂͊̈́ͪ̚͞ͅ→̪͔̠̖͎̬̗̱̫̠̭̪͍͕͔̩̘ͥͪ̍ͭ͘ ̵̢̛̝͚̪͔͍̙̣̳̯͌̂̉ͥ̿͊ͪͣ̕M̸̡͈̳̩̩̭̺͇̬̠̦͕ͦ͐͗ i̭̠͔̺̰̯̱͚̳ͣ͋͌̃ͯ̐̿̾̈͌ͦͮ̇ͪ͊͊͢͝ś̸̸̛̂̑ͪ̾̿̇̌̐͊ͭ͑ͫͯ͌̏̽ͥ̋͏s͉̺͓̤̤̱̺̪̦̠̝̩̖̦̙̞̳̻ͫ̉ͣ̌̕ͅ҉̫̻͓̙̗̱̬͔̳̭̲͇ i̢ͪ̇̐̈͋͗̚͟͞҉̝̜͓̩̩͔̣͈̕o̵̵̡̟̼̪̟͕̞̗͓̊̓͂ͦ̆͋̓͌͘͠ņ̶̠̰̣̬̗̜̫̬̞̤̰͍̳̟̳͙̫̹̙̠̻̇̐ͨͥͩ̄̑̆͗̽̎̐̄͊͒͗̐̿ͥ͌͊̃ͧ͌̈́̀̓͜͟͢͟͝͝͞͠ ̸͔͚͎̼̯̜̦̏͌̾̀̿̔͒̿ͩ́͟
P̨̨̱̤͇͇̞̟̜̯̻̗̜͎͂̄̌̕͡ầ̒͌ͮ̈͛̇̊ͣ̌̋ͭ r̛̝͔͔̮͓͉̦̦̝̥͈ͫ̇͗ͧ̓͋̓ͧ̐̇ͧ̂ͣ̕̕ͅ҉̪̹͍̳̼͔͜͞ ã͊̋ͭ ҉̸̨͈̩̭̪̘̟͝mͪ̀̈́́͗͂ͩ̓ͪ̓̐̔̾͢ ҉̵̛̬̮̼̟̭̝̺̜̥̙̜̻̗̘̫̠͞ȩ̶͓̺͉̦̪̮̯̪̳͎̘̜̙̥̠̠̀ͤ̇̎͑̾̊͗ͤ̈́̃̃ͯͧͧ͘ t̢̙̜̝̲̝̥͙̮̲̳͖̖͔̲ͥͬ̆ͬ̄̐̅ e̶͐ͬ͋͐͐ͬ̅̀̏͏̹͔̤͖͎̟̰̦͔͚͡͞r̴͉̠̻̥̼͓̬̺̱̳̣̭̼ͪ̑ͩ̋ͭ͜:̢̬̠̣̟͙̲̗̣̞̖̖͖̱̝͈ͯ̈́̇̓ͫ̈́̂̈́͢R̛̰͔̱̝̮͕͑̋̓͌̕ę̵̖̝̗̰͈͎̘̯̻̼̗̏̆ͩ̈ͨ̾̊̈̿̑ͥͨ͘͝s̵̙͖̠͇͉̪͖͍̗͕͙͌ͬ͐͋ͮ̅̿͞c̷̷͋ͣ̿̑̄ͤ͆͟͏͏͕̪̣̟̣ū̢̯͈̬̫̦̬̮̬͉̝̣͇̼͕̹̜͕̐̉̓̈ͫͬͩͩ̈́ͥͯ̂͆͂͡ ҉̗̻̱͍̣̝͙͇͚͔̗͉ͅ ë̢̈ͩ͐̈́ͧͥ̉̑ͥ̌ͯͫ͊͟͢͏̗̦͙͍ç̴̸̖͉͙̱̪̲̗̥̼̯̗̠̦͕̻̺̖̞̙̟͇̹͍̙̤͇̻̠̖͊̽̒ͤ͛͗ͨͬ̉ͭ̿̍ͦ̄ͣ̉ͣ̽̓ͣ̇̅̈͋̄̂̔͆ͥ̐ͭ̅ͬ̿ͦ͘͢͠ h̼̻̻̳̲̦͈̻̬̺̹ͮ͆̄ͥ̎͑͛͂͡ i̶̧̢̛̳̬͕͙̭͈̩͓͇̣͇̮̻̪͚ͦͯ̊ͮ̑͒̿ͣ͐̓̂̔̇̚̚͠ l̵̯̱̙͓̘͖͉̱̜̫̪̭̳̮͍̃̾ͥ̆̚ͅͅ d̶̼̰̱̣̝̲̜͙̙̰͙̪̗́̑͆̎͑̾̆͒͡͝r͉̗̰̼ͩ͑͗̍͐̀͌ e̶̷͖̼̭̭̣̯͙̟͈̹̼̣͇̞͍̪̎̈̆ͤ͗̅͂ͨ͛ͩ͌́̋ͫ͢n̖̠̩̠̪̩͒͗ͪͯ̏͛ͬ͝͠ͅ .̵̩͚̝̟̖̲̘̣̗̪̦̺͚̯͉̼̬͛ͤ͆͂̀ͪͨ̀͗̋͆̚͡͠ͅ
҉̸̶͏̩̳̭̱̠̖͉̹̻͍͓̼̩̼̺̝ͅ ̨̧̫̯̹͉̰͇̓͊ͩͮ ̷̺͕͉̜̱̺͖̽̽̔͗ͮ̾͐̀͋͆̒͋͊̍͋̔̀̽͡͠͡ͅ ҉̩̗̩̟̜̝̲̥̮ͅ ҉̞̦͖̠͍̬̫̤͇ͅͅ
→ͭ̓̒̽̾̅̉͛ͭ͗̍ͦ̈́͐ͧͨ̔ ҉̶̷͇̻̮͕̻͔̤̪̙̼̕͟M̷̵̾͒̒̉͋ͨ̐ͯ̔͏̬̳̖̭̪̘ ͗̅ͪ̆̊͞͠͏̴̤̭͙͉̙͔̩̺̱̩̫̱ͅ į̵̸̇̊ͥ̇͏̮̤̞̘͎͈͓ s̨̘̠̰̊̑̏ͧͯ̆͒ͫ̔̑ͤ̚͞͝ͅ s̨͓̲̥̳̺̬̰͖̬͔̯̟͗̄̎͊ͮ̄̍̏ͫͪ̓̈ͪ̑̓͝ í̷̵̟̻̮̦̩̲ͥͩ̃͋̈́̇̈̓͜͟o͇̬̲̞̝̮͒̍̔ͭͣ̈́̄ͨ͢͝n̴̨̪͍͕̩̩̫̣̪͈͉̹̖̭̩̈́ͥ̑ͮ̆͘͝ ͩͧͤ͏̨͖̞͇̯̟̺̹̯̹̪̰̠̬̟̯͍̫ͅP̟͚̫̤̯̝̏̃ͧ̇̋͐̒̏͋̿̄͑̕ͅ ą̵̵̗̺̯̲̤̜̯̘͙͍̣̝̝̌ͬ̅͆̇ͧ̉̆ͬ̽ͣ͒͋͗̂ͯͮ̚̚͟͝r̷̠̰͔̪̹̺͚̥̗͚͐̆͛ͮ͛̅͋ͥ͑͋̓͆ͥ̄ͪͦ͠͡a͗̿͂ͩͣͨ̄̽̒͋͂̑ͭͭͣ̎̌ ҉҉͟͏̟̯̱͔͎̲͉̦̟̟̮͢ͅͅm̡̬̦͉̙̭̜̩͍̹͚͕̗̣̪̲̉̿̑͌̿͠ ę̨̛͔͈̬͓̘̰̝̲̳͌́ͦ͋ͧͦͭ͛́̒̈́̔͊͐͌ t̡̡͙̜̺̭͎͚̼̙̲̹̭͎̗̼͔̳̝͈̔ͫ̽ e̷̛͕͓̫͍͈̮̺̝̖͋̆̊ͯ̕͜r̷̻̻̳͎̪̬͚̺̂͊̒̒ͪͦͦ̑̆ͫͭ͗̿͛͠:͑̑̔̇ͮ̽ͯ͋ͫ̔͛̈̽͂҉̗̫̟̖̭̼̣̖͈̝̰̺͔̮̥͓̫̘͢͡͝D̩̗͔̪̮͗́ͬ̓ͦ͋̊̀ͫ̂ͪ̇̆ͭ̃̿̆ͨ͜͏̠̘͉̠̤͎͠ i̷̠̦̮̣͚͓̳̝̥̭̗̠̙̘̳͖̟͕͙ͤ̋̎̂̀̓͡͡ ş̢͛ͥ̔̃̔͑̃̋ͫͩ͊̔̚͢͏̮̥̝̻͙͎̯̳ṁ̴̶̢̛̪̗̞̞͕̻̱͙͓̤͈͎ͨ̆̆ͮ̅̇̉ͮ̉͂̏͆̚͢ͅ a̧ͤͣ̾̏̈́̔͐ͤ͗ͪͫ̄̐̅ͤ̚ ҉̻͉̯̦̫̤͍̩͉̝̹̼̱̝̕n̶̡̩̥͚̺̬̲̟̖͕͉̳̗̪͇ͩ͑͑̑ͤ́̐́͑̈́̐̒̒̚ t̷͇̞̙͔͚̭̦̪̪͕̼̙̫̞̰̦̘̽̔͑̎͛ͩͤ͂̉̓̌͛ͣ͐̊̚ l̢͚̬̤̥̽ͨ̆̓͂̅͡ͅ ḛ̡̨͉̼̜ͯͯ̀̂ͧͪ̏ͫ̽̋̀̃ͧ̅̀͒͛̕͜ R̴̬̟̝͚͔̩͇̩̰̜̱̎͆ͩ͒ͮ̔͠ö̡̯̦͉͖͓̮́ͮͬ̑̽̈́ ỏ̵̶̧͙͔͈̟̙̄̽̽ͯͤ̒ͤ̎́͒́̉̆͜t̀̀ͩ͐͒ͫ͊͊̈ͧ̅̊ͩ͏͏̢̳̪͍̪̘̫͕͙̗ͅ .̨ͥ̍̍̎̊̍ͪ̚͢͏̡̳̺̳̳̗͔̼̦͙̹̠̖̰͖̕
̶̉͆̒̑ͨ̃̒̏̅̑͐͏̤͎̹̦̩͚͘͝→̷̶ͧ̒ͩ͌̾ͤ̈́̀ͧ̓̒̈̑͏͕̪̘̺͎̥ ̡̧̲͇̖̜̮̼̰̬̺͉̻̟͒̇̈́̽̐̾̓ͩ̊͌̾͛̋ͮ̃̄̓̑̎͘M̢̢͌̋͆͂ͮ̄ͮ͌̒̂͡ i̡̨̧̤̖̖̳̠͙̣͍̦̻͉̜ͣ̃͊̓̾̔̽̊͐̓͛ͥ̍͂̈̕͞҉̠̳͚̤̬̼̟͙͕͇̯̱̥̮̗͖ ş̥̫̰̪̙̞̳̞̲̤̰͇͈̙̜͈͎̅ͯ̎͋͋̑̑̓ͬ̀̎̊ͤ͌̉ͫ̃̂̚͞͠ͅ s̵͂ͩͪ͑̐ͤ̔ͨ̅́́͋̇̓̊̍͒͏͏͕̥̖̞ i̸̴͖̮̰̦̦͕̳̝͙̳̮̣̦͙̝̳̘͋̄̀̓͆̂̎̂̓͊͛̈͘ ơ̴̢͈͖̱̲̱̹̫̩̳͓̾̓̔̊̽̈́ͦͣͩ̑̿͐̾͂́̋͒̚ ҉̰̻̻̮͚̰͔̲͓̠̟̠͔̞̦͖̯ͅn̨̜̪̞̫̮͍̝͇̤̲̊ͤ͂̄̓ͥ͗ͬͪ̒̿̇͘͟ P̋̃͂ͬ̆͊ͦ̈́̉̏̀ͫͮ̚̚͏a̡̛͔̰͎̺̰̙͙̪͔̰̲͉͎̤̬̫̒̐ͯ͌̔̿̊͛ͯͧ́͐̆̀̉̔̄͌ͮ͘͜ͅr̴͇̲̖̱̝̫̲͔͙̣͕͍ͯͯͫ͂͐͌ͮ͆ͭ̓̓͂̿ͭ͗͗̐̿͢a̍ͨ̃͒́͂͑͗ͦͧ͐͛̌̏͢͠҉͉͚̺͈͇̗̙̻͔̞̮̗͙̥͈͚͙̖̮̕m̨͈͙̤̱̖̦̱͕̦̤̭̼̬̹̗̟̞͂͗͛͗ͣͨͥ͊ͨ̚ͅ èͧ̏ͣͮ̇͋̄̓̅̉̉̊ͯ͊̚͏̛̬̺̦̙̯͉̹̙̫̙̱̟͇͕ͅ t̵̯̣͈̘̜͈̼̜̯̾̏̂̆ͬ̓͌̓̌ͧ͑ͯ͂ͮ̃͛ͨ̚̚̕̕͢e̮̻͈͈͇̽̿ͥ̆̆̅͘͠ŗ̅̆̎͛̋͊̐̈́̓̾͌͊̉ͬ̐͏͇̳̪̟̺̭̝̖͖̜ͅ :̶͓͉̙̗͇͈̝̱͎̠̠͕̝͍͐̈ͯ̿́ͨ̂ͭ͂ͬ͞K̶̨̨̤̺̰͈̼̜͉̫̇ͤ̊̏̉́̈́̃̏̈͋̍ͭ͜͝ ҉̸̧̩̲̠͇͚̰̣ p̸̡͓̜̦͙̪̙̯͉̖̫̠̋̔ͬ͋̍̓̔̊͑͡o͊ͦ̍ͯ͋̋́ͩ̇̏̽͊͗ͤ͞͏̸̡̭̞̤͉̜͇̼̲͓̥̟͇̣̣̭̱̙͈̫͘ š̵̸̫͕̩̦̺͈̥͔͉͙̖͍̤͉͍̿̎͗̅͑ͮ̅ ş̷̲͎̗̮͎͕̗̝͎̫͚͈̪̙͖̉͌͆͐̄̈͆͛͐ͬ̄ͥ̌ͮ̍̓͡͞ ĭ̷̧̖͓͔͙͖̩ͭ͒̂̑̅̇͒̓̉͛ͤ͊̿̓ͣͭ̌ͣ b̶͒̈́ͯ͢҉͎͎̖̼̜̝l̛̙̣̤̲̮̳̹͙̲̳̰̪͊ͮ͛ͩ̊̉ͧ͛̏ͨ̈͘͘͟e̔̾̐̈̓ͧ̓̀̇͑̒ͯ̈̌̔ͣ̐ͪ͘ ҉̧̙̗̤͙͟͡.̷̵͎̤͖̘̼̹̹͎͑́ͭ̊ͣ̑̂̿̓ͧ͑͊ͩ͘͟
̴̨̺̙̜͈̬͚͙̩̯̬̠̮͎͇̣̺̱ͫ̔̿̌ͥ̓̂̄̑̄̏̄̋̍͂͌̎ͩ ị̧̻͎͎̔̑̉ͯ̏̽̈́̒͊ͨ̾̔̐̂ͤ͘͞͝l̴̵̰̼̻̦̮̪ͥͮ̄ͣ̐̑͡l̵̟̘̬͇͙͍̖͕̪͓͚̄̈ͫ͒͗ͮ́̃͛ͫ̓̕ͅ D̵̞̯̩̮̟̠͇͈̞̥̱̳̲̞̪̻̦̩̖̎̍̑̓͑̂̎ͦ̓̈́͋͒̆͠͠ a̷̶̼̫̹̜̯̺̗̗͓̬̠ͦ̈́͛̽ n̨̧̼̺̤͉̲̥͓̼̞̍̉̌ͪ̒̋̌͜͞ z̸̡̻̼̦̺̞͕̯ͩͨ̔̔̓̀́̿͒̔ͣ̄̾̇ͮ͠o̍̅̔ͫ̃̅̓͞҉̷̷̷̼͔̞̲̹̻͉̩̺͎̫̂̑̇̃ͪ͜͠ī̴̡̄ͩ̇̌ͬ͗͗͌͊̌̈͊̓ͣ̂̿̚f̸ͣ͌̽̐͑ͫ͛͗̅̄ͦ͂̈̑̓̔̄͏̛̲̰͇̼̫̮͔͠͞
͕͖̯ͮͣ͗͋͜ ҉̸҉̣̗̻͕̥̬͕̟ ̠͖̹̗͈͔̮̫̰͚͊ͩ͗ͤ̌̈ͅ
̛̳̲͕͕̇͆̔̃̎̇̽̇̔͌̌͒̎ n̞̤͔̦̗̖̑̀̉ͮͭ͆̇ͬͦ͠͠ͅ g͎̬͕̞͎̮̫͍̟̜̦͔͇̺̩̼̟̙̋͗ͩ̾ͬ̓ͯ̾̎ͬ͑̔ͮ͑̾̓͊ͯͥ̕͞ ǫ̱̞̼̦͑ͯ̈́̍̈͌ͮ͊͛ͥ̅͒͒́̈́̍̓̚ i̸̢̧̻͚̤͚̹̹͖̼͕̝̼̥̦̪̓ͪ̒̌͜n̍̽̌̈̌̈ͩ͗̉ͬ̃̔̈́͂̒̽̋̚ ҉̡̻̥̼͉͎͈͔̰͍͓̦̳̩͡g̷ͦ͛̋̿͋ͫ̅ͭͦ̀ͩͣ͏̹̝͙̗̮͖̱̦͍͚̱̝̙͔̟ ̶̨̐ͨ͒̎̿ͯͣ͛ͨ̾͋͌͊͐͏͏̛̫̝̖̮̬̮̳͕̞͓̤̪M̵͕̬̜͈̳͎̗̩ͪͧ́̓̉ͤ͒̊̽̈́͞ i̶͇̘̻̬͒́͂̾̔̅͛͛ͣͫͬ͑ͯ̍ͯͭͤ͟͟s̷͕̘̫̄͑ͤ̍̇͂̌̈ͭ͠ͅ s̴͓̙̣̤̘̰͎̲̺ͯ̋̽̔ͩ̐̉͗ͧ̏ͦͧ̀̅́̏̓̚̚ i̛̼̭̙̦̞̲̦͎ͯ̈ͥ̿̑̅̾͛͑̾̂̈̐̓̆͘͞o̸̭̭͚͈̱͆̐̄͐̒ͣ͛͊̈̒͒ͦͣͩ͌̍͢͝n̛̛͍͕͖̥̯̫̬͖̯͉͓̻̭͕̋̿̆̔ͨ͐̑̑̏̃ͧͅ :̵̸̧̢̛̫͈̻̥̹̪̗̯̰͔̫̜̗͖͍̫͍̟̳̦͔͇̼͎̽ͩ̊ͫͯ͑̾͗͒͊̐ͬ̏̽̑ͨ͐ͨ̓̈̒͐̚̕͢͝ͅŖ̷͚̺̝̥̺͎ͩ͌̾̇ͫ̔̀͞͡e̸̸̡̹͎̺͎̹̭̘̥̜͌̑ͧͫ t̶̵͍̣̤͇̠̪̞̳̻̼̤̳̳̮̓̋̆ͦ̋͘͝͠u̡̢͔̳͍͉̯̮̜̩͉̹̜͇͚͉̳̖̹̜̰ͭ̇ͣ͐͒͋̅ͩ̓̍ͮͨͥ̌̀͝ r̨̥̣͕̰̘͍̜͙͛̿ͥ͆̔ͦͪ͑͗̓͌ͫ̏̚̚ n̂̓̎ͭͨ̓͊̋͘͝͏̨̝̠̘̝ t̸̴̶̡̲̯͔̝̤̙͙͔̘̠͉̹̪̹͍̗̞͈̱͔͎͉͈̳͎͔̂͐̆ͥ͗͑̒ͮ̍̓̓ͤͫ́̍̕͜͢͝҉̝͖̹̯͚̮̖͙͍̝̦̯̫̭̝ͅ ơ̘̤̭̘̩͔̪̼̱͕͚͍͖̪͔̞̦̭̠̈́͋̂ͥ̔ͧ͌͒̿̃̽̆̀̏̄̄̎͢͟͝ţ̷͚̗̭̖̠͈̟̬̺̝͓̘̗͇̰ͣ̔̐ͯͪ̒̀̎͊̀͐̌͆ͨ͂ͤ̍̋̋̎̌ͦ͏̪̗͇̩̞͍̰̹̥̮͕͎̞̲̳͓͓̼͟ h̷͉͔͍͇̭̪̪͓̣̼̣͉͉̱̪̼ͣ̋ͭ̋ͫͧ̉͆ͪ̾̆ͧͤ̈́̏ͪ̚͟͜͢ę̪͈̥̹̰̱̗̣̐͑̈̊̂͐ͫ̇̓́͑͆ͪ̉̓̂͞ F̶̶̦̼̫͎̭͍̙ͥ̐̄͐͂̓͊ͧ̽͢͞u͌̈́ͯͥ͘ ҉͔͙̹̦͡ţ̮̦̰͙̖̭̣͍̯̯̠̭̹̿̓̀̏̋̊̓ͩ̂͠u̴̵̧̻͓͔̘̮̩̠͆̿̅͌̑ͯͨ͛̋̾ͥ̋̂͑ͧ̈́ͫ̋ͅͅ r̢̯̞̗̞̹̼̲͍̥͚͈̦̺̘̗̍̓͌̿ͫ̌̚͘͡ȇ̶̷̴̹̹̰̱̻̖̫̻ͪ̄ͣ͂ͪ̓ͬ̊̓̍ͥͬ̓̂̌ͦͨ͡.̶͚̣̯͎̯̜̑̂̃͌ͯ̂͗̀̐̕͝
Ơ̷̢̝̻̬͔̞̲̯͈̺͆̋ͯ̾͝
̮̟͍̻̃̓ͯ͛͝
Chapter End Notes

Whelp. Still kinda dark, and yes, Kakashi's problems are catching up to him. I'm
working on it.

Welcome to Root.

(It's also 3 am and I should be sleeping, but eh... whatever. Don't worry, it will get better
soon...ish. I think. ... maybe. :P )
 Root
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes

Kakashi was still tired when he woke up next. Tired but a bit thankful that nobody had
disturbed him. His body still ached, but it was a lingering ache and not the painful throbbing
it had been a day previous. Manageable. His headache was all but gone, but the heaviness of
the seal was a constant reminder dragging him down.

Grumpily, Kakashi squinted up at the light that suddenly turned on, before giving a sigh. Still
being watched then. He heaved himself up, slowly trotting over to the sink in the corner of
his room. Ducking his head, he tugged down the mask and immediately splashed some water
on his face before quickly tugging his mask back up to hide his features. It was still
uncomfortable to have people see his face, but in his situation he could only make the best of
it. He was confident that even while under constant watch he could manage to hide his face.
He had a lifetime of practice after all, even though it was still annoying. More than that, it
was unsettling to know that he was constantly being watched. It made him feel like his skin
was too tight, but there was no way to escape.

Yet.

Glaring at the mirror, he raked a hand through his hair, the fringes damp from water, before
shuffling over to the small duffel bag. He was almost out of clean clothes. He would have to
figure out a way to wash them, since he doubted that Danzo would give him new shirts that
included his mask and Kakashi was entirely unwilling to give up that part of himself. Never
mind that his senses would be constantly overwhelmed if he didn't have some fabric filtering
out some of the world.

Once he was ready for the day, a knock sounded at his door. With an inaudible irritated sigh
Kakashi rubbed a hand over his face, already tired from the reminders of his constant
watchers.

“Yes. Door is open.” Kakashi muttered just loud enough to be heard, his eyes flicking over to
the door that opened to reveal Tomoe.
“Kakashi-san.” Tomoe greeted quietly, her face blank like that of a doll. “I'm supposed to
show you around the barracks today.”

The place Kakashi and the Root agents were staying at could be described in one word:
Miserable.

Oh, it didn't look it on first glance. Every need was covered somehow. Most of the Root
agents shared a room with – as far as Kakashi could discern – up to three others. There were
shared bathrooms with showers and toilets, that offered little to no privacy. Food was handed
out in already prepared portions at predetermined times. It was rigid. It was cold. It was an
utterly controlled environment with no room for secrets and even less for independence.

The biggest part was the training hall, a wide open area with training dummies and
everything else needed to further one's abilities. While the headquarters had all the
necessities, there was no sunlight to be found at all, and Kakashi wondered how often root
agents went to the surface. It couldn't be that often, as most of their faces were pale as the
moon. Maybe they only left in the safety of the night. As deep underground as they were, it
wasn't really something that surprised Kakashi, yet the prospect of having to stay down here
for who knew how long was disheartening.

The kids all moved efficiently and quietly. There was no talking at the tables, and if someone
asked a question it was usually quiet enough to only be heard by someone close or with very
fine hearing. Silent spectres, instead of the children they were supposed to be. Kakashi
caught a few agents talking about him, but it wasn't the gossip one would expect. It was
information and the thought of being observed by so many people that Kakashi didn't trust
was... daunting.

Yeaaah. Not fun at all.

Years of practice let Kakashi keep up his expressionless face, eyes following whatever
Tomoe pointed out but mind racing through his own ideas and plans. There were two options
of which only one was really viable. Of course he could kill Danzo and then deal with the
fallout. He didn't doubt his abilities. Infiltration and Assassination was something Kakashi
had excelled at in ANBU. But as much as he hated to admit it, Danzo was also currently the
one person that was keeping Kakashi protected. From the council, from extraction, from
attention. Not that Kakashi felt particularly grateful to the mastermind, but he knew that if he
killed Danzo right now he would fall at best into the council's hands who might really vote
for extraction this time without Danzo trying to get his greedy hands on a malleable
Jinchūriki, at worst Kakashi would fall under suspicion himself.

The most likely outcome would be him becoming a missing nin for real either way, and how
was he supposed to change things or protect his comrades when he could only able to be on
the fringes of the village. Maybe later on it was an option, but for the near future it was too
risky to actually do away with Danzo for good, even if Kakashi would have preferred to just
be done with the old man.

His other option left a bad taste in Kakashi's mouth. It was the long game, the one where
Kakashi would have to make it his mission to infiltrate root and find a way to dissolve the
system from within. And he knew that it wouldn't be easy, that this would require his
dedication for years. He had no team to fall back on, no official mission, no help at all. It
would all rest on his shoulders and the thought made Kakashi sick with stress.

He had never thought he would become a root agent himself. Maybe once upon a time, but
not after he had seen through Danzo's trickery the first time. Now making it seem like he was
becoming one for real, to pull the wool over Danzo's eyes...

Urgh. Where was his porn? He could so use a break.

But what choice did he have but try his best?

Already Kakashi had picked out a few of the younger members, those that were still pretty
new and thus not quite as... cold as the older agents. All of them seemed to have a mentor of
sorts, who reminded them to sit still or was practising things with them. They huddled in
small groups, latching on to each other, forming bonds that Kakashi knew Danzo would use
to twist them into emotionless little soldiers later on. Like with Sai. Like he had almost
succeeded with Tenzo.

Kakashi felt a burning heat inside his chest, an inferno waiting to be released.

It was efficient. It kept them under constant watch, reinforced the behaviour Danzo wanted
his agents to have and build group support that could be exploited later on. And yet... if
Kakashi wanted to have any chance at surviving this and actually taking down Danzo's army,
it was those very kids that Kakashi would have to focus on. Those kids would be the ones he
would have to try and convert to his side, to gain their trust and make them choose Kakashi
over Danzo. It made him slightly sick to the stomach, because he was just one person and
those were children of the village that he somehow had to save. And his track record with
saving people wasn't exactly stellar. He didn't even really know how to go about making
friends. The friends he had had bullied their way into his life and refused to leave even if they
would have been better off for it. How was he supposed to gain the trust of these little cretins
that were already halfway through being brainwashed into obedient little soldiers?

His mind flashed back to sun-weed coloured hair, cherry-blossom pink and glistening raven
black. His chest suddenly felt tight and his throat burned, his eyes prickled.

He forced his breath to even out, turning his thoughts away from—

Even worse: Wasn't it sort of brainwashing to make the kids depend on him instead? To
reverse the process of brainwashing for them...? It's not like he had anyone else helping him
and Danzo was careful with whom he let into his circle. He was the only one that could
connect to these children, but he felt dirty when he thought too much on it. It felt
underhanded, like he was no better than Danzo, despite having the kids best interest in mind.
What if he fucked up?

Honestly, Kakashi wanted to bury his head between his knees and take a few deep breaths.
This whole agenda was stressful and just one misstep would make his plans fall apart. It
wasn't something he would easily be able to archive, no. This was what it meant playing the
long game. And it really was his only choice. Mostly because killing Danzo wasn't an option.

For now

He would keep his eyes peeled for any opportunities though. Like hell would he let Danzo
fuck the future up again. Kakashi's fingers twitched, before he stilled them again when
Tomoe looked back at him.

They concluded the rest of the tour silently.

( ･_\\)ﾉ-≒≒≒≒≒≒≒≒≒≒⁂
Of course, since this was his second day in root, there was no reason for him to stay in his
room. Instead Tomoe left him in the training field. Surrounded by so many watchful eyes,
Kakashi didn't exactly feel comfortable, but on the other hand...

It had been a while since he last trained. His hands were mostly healed, even though they still
sometimes ached. Tsunade's warning about overdoing it echoed in his head. After a quick
warm up, Kakashi felt ready to see how badly off he was.

Cautiously he curled a hand around some of the kunai's he had gotten to train. His balance
was a bit off, and his hands still felt stiff as he threw the kunais. Even if he hit his marks,
Kakashi scowled at the targets. Slow. Too slow for his standards. Yet he didn't bother to try
and be faster. More important would be to become fluent again, to shake of the stiffness from
his healing hands. Keeping his movements slow and careful to retrain his memory correctly.
Speed would come with time, even though Kakashi hated to have to retrain something as
simple as kunai-throwing, not when there were so many other things he had to do.

Once he was satisfied, Kakashi started doing some basic kata's, working up a sweat as his
movements became quicker and more complicated as time went on. This he had been able to
do in the cell, and thus he wasn't as frustrated in his hand to hand fighting ability. Still far off
from what he had been able to do in the future, but he had repeated several times that he was
stuck in a twelve year old body and thus restricted in what he could and couldn't feasibly do.

The last part was the thing Kakashi had been looking forward to as much as he dreaded it.
After so long in a chakra dampening cell and with his chakra shut away from his reach, he
wasn't sure what having Isobu inside him changed. His chakra system felt different now. With
Isobu shut away so entirely, Kakashi felt almost normal, but not quite. Having a Bijuu's
chakra churn through his coils for over a month had been painful. Without the Bijuu, he now
felt almost... empty. Uneasily, Kakashi wondered how much it would affect him, raising his
hands to start off simple by making a normal bunshin.

Wearily, Kakashi watched the washed out copy that popped in front of him. It looked weak.

Apparently... a lot had changed. Kakashi felt panic claw at his throat as he watched the clone
vanish. His chakra control was shot to hell. He was in enemy territory and unable to form
chakra correctly.
Taking a deep shaky breath, Kakashi frowned with determination, raised his fingers and got
to work, mind racing ahead and calculating through his plans with his new found problem.

A major setback, that Kakashi had to fix as soon as possible.

( ･_\\)ﾉ-≒≒≒≒≒≒≒≒≒≒⁂

“Here you go.” an unknown Anbu shoved the tablet through the small gap underneath the
barred window. The sound of metal scraping on metal grated in the otherwise silent and
empty hallway, leaving a hollow echo for a few seconds. A purposeful safety measure to
distort sounds for any foreign ninja, making it more difficult to locate destinations or
approaching forces. Kakashi pulled the tablet closer to himself, studying the things laid out
on it for a few seconds. Placed on the tablet were the familiar garbs that he was used to
wearing in Anbu.

Without any outward sign of his inner turmoil, Kakashi picked the familiar mask up. It was
smaller, due to his age, but the markings remained the same – red etchings around the eye-
sockets, red lines on the cheeks and a wide mouth curling up in a parody of a smile. For a
long moment Kakashi stared at 'hound' and wasn't sure if he was greeting an old friend or his
worst nightmare.

Letting out a controlled breath, Kakashi removed his headband and replaced it with the mask,
before stowing the headband away in one of his pockets. Idly he picked up the rest of his
things, braces for his arms and legs as well as a chest armour and the familiar standard issue
tanto, before gently shoving the empty tablet back to the person behind the counter. A silent
encounter with a faceless person, that turned away and disappeared somewhere in the depths
of the storage area of ANBU. Kakashi felt tense, shoulders stiff and back ramrod straight,
especially due to the presence of the root members currently at his back, watching his every
move. Danzo hadn't even spoken to him personally, simply told the root members to bring
him here to get his equipment before ordering him to return for his assessment.

He wasn't looking forward to that. Not with how damaged his coils felt from the first sealing.
Everything seemed wrong, when he tried to move chakra. He was still trying to heal from the
strain of having to contain the Bijuu in his body and he wasn't sure if he was glad for the
break or not. Every day he wasn't getting used to Isobu's chakra was another day lost that
could be crucial to make his chakra system adapt to the extra chakra circulating through his
coils. It put him on edge even more than he already was.

In part he looked forward to that day he would meet up with the red-haired Uzumaki, but he
also dreaded it in equal parts. It left a bitter taste in his mouth that he was actually dreading to
know her reasons, yet there still remained a spark of hope that there was some explanation.

Shaking off the questions of what ifs, Kakashi's hand curled around the mark, turning it
before setting it on his face without thinking any further. The mask on his face was a barely
noticeable weight. It was familiar, yet not. Over the years of his retirement, he had gotten
used to the fresh air on his 'maskless' face, so it was in part stifling to have it returned.
Another part of Kakashi was glad for it. If he was to maintain his sanity, it was easier to wear
a mask to hide his emotions at least some of the time.

Kakashi took his time adjusting his gear, testing out his movement with a few stretches.
Nothing worse than having ill-fitting armour and having to crouch quietly and without
movement for hours on end. He had learned that lesson and he wasn't repeating it.

Once satisfied that everything was in order, he quietly turned and gave a small nod towards
the root agents hovering in the shadows. Quite honestly, he had always thought the mask was
redundant for him. His silver hair was too eye-catching to ignore and anyone who knew him
would know who he was straight away. It hadn't bothered him before, but with the
Sandaime's warning ringing in his ears about laying low... maybe he should head the old
man's words. There was one last piece of equipment left, a dark coat and Kakashi quickly
slipped it on and pulled up the hood before they could encounter anyone else. The tunnel
turned and one of the root agents accompanying him pulled open the door to the exit.

Blearily, Kakashi blinked into the sunlight. It was some distance from the ANBU
headquarters to roots base they had to pass above ground, before they could slip back into the
underground tunnels. The few minutes of blinding bright sunlight were balm for Kakashi's
battered soul, even though he knew it would be some time before he would see the world
above again. He might have a day off each week, but he didn't doubt that Danzo would do his
damnest to keep Kakashi in his sphere of influence. Already Kakashi had picked out quite a
few things that disturbed him in his new accommodation.

As a first example: He didn't have a light switch. That in itself might sound innocent enough,
but it was a loss of control that Kakashi hated. It made Danzo or his root agents control his
light settings. If he wanted to take a nap, it would have to be in the full, blinding fluorescent
light or whenever Danzo decided to give him a break. As a light sleeper, Kakashi was very
attuned to his surroundings. It had happened more often than not that he fell asleep, only for
the light to flicker on and off and wake him up again. And Kakashi had also noticed that they
kept the time when it was dark short. Too short to get a full night of sleep, even though it was
hard to keep track of time when one was underground. But Kakashi knew his sleeping
patterns and for the past few days, Danzo had only let him get a full night of sleep after the
resealing. Afterwards it was three to maybe four hours of sleep, before he was woken up
again. Something Kakashi could deal with but it was exhausting and if it continued much
longer it would be beyond irritating.

Kakashi knew the tactic Danzo was using. Not only was Kakashi isolated with his only
contact so far being root agents, he was also dependant on Danzo. Dependant for food, for
sleep and even the bare necessities. The only reprieve he had was the shower and toilet that
had been installed in his room, yet he had noticed that even the shower only worked during
certain times. Despite all this, it was a fact, considering the state of the rest of the facility, that
Kakashi was actually living in luxury.

Slowly but surely, Danzo was starting to control every aspect of Kakashi's life and he hated it
with a passion. And yet, at the same time, he knew there was nothing he could say against it.
Knew that this was Danzo's soft version of trying to brainwash Kakashi.

After all, he couldn't isolate Kakashi entirely. Not with Naruto's mother training him once a
week and the Sandaime keeping an eye on him.

But he tried. If Kakashi hadn't been prepared for it, he might not even have noticed. It was
subtle, and Kakashi's position didn't allow for him to complain much, if at all. And really,
who would help him? Could help him? He was at a time where he barely had any support, at
least not any that held much weight to stick up for him. At least he was still seeing Naruto's
mother, which was a security blanket in itself, even if Kakashi wasn't sure what to make of
her right now. It would keep Danzo from messing up Kakashi's seal, or worse, adding a new
one. As an Uzumaki with plentiful knowledge about seals, she would notice any changes
immediately, and Kakashi – despite their... fall out? - wouldn't dream of keeping it from her if
Danzo did try something.

All in all, it was still exhausting.

 Idly Kakashi let his eyes drift, feeling as if the world was moving around him, without him
participating. It was a familiar feeling, like looking through a window to see families
gathered for dinner. And outsider peaking in. He felt separate, for all that he was currently
walking through the streets, sticking to the shadows to try and avoid attention.

Familiar voices made his attention snap towards a group of people standing outside a
restaurant. Gai's boisterous laughter was easily extinguishing, Asuma leaning against the wall
playing with a cigarette while trying to subtly eye Kurenai laughing with Anko was a familiar
picture that send a pang of hurt though his chest that Kakashi wasn't really prepared for.

He didn't want to think about it, but he... missed them. Not these people, but the ones from
the future. With Gai's endless challenges, Asuma's late night ramblings, Kurenai's calmness,
Anko's craziness, Raido's conspiracy theories, Genma's secret-not-so-secret crush and all of
their shared experiences.

Gone.

They were gone, all of them at once, even though he was just now looking at them. A more
innocent version of them, less hardened but still the same in their core personalities.

It hurt. To be the only one remembering.

A throat clearing next to him, startled Kakashi out of his musings, making him look away
from... whatever these people were to him right now. Friends-that-could-be.

With a nod, Kakashi stepped after the Root agents into the alleyway and back into the deep
shadows of the underground system hidden beneath Konoha's sunlit streets.

He hadn't felt this alone in a long time.

Chapter End Notes

Thanks to Orlha for reading it over before I posted it! I hope you liked the chapter. Next
up is probably Kushina's and Kakashi's first meeting since the resealing, if I don't get
any other ideas :P I haven't started on the next one yet BUT I've finished the next Obito
Chapter. I can't wait to post that one :3 So exciting!!

Actually... have a little tease for that! To get you as excited as I am :D thehehe~

Obito's breath hitched, feeling returning to his numb limbs as he almost crumbled
to the ground in relief after suddenly finding himself standing again.

“Obito!”

A low whine build in his throat, even as he slowly turned his head to look at
Kakashi's blurry form. Unsteadily he wiped away his tears, he needed to see
Kakashi clearly.

P.S.: Sorry I haven't really replied to all of your reviews yet T_T I will get to it even if
it's very belated!!!
 Vibrant red and silver hues
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes

Kakashi's training was not going quite as well as he had hoped. Not only because he had to
be very careful about showing his abilities when he knew there were spies all around him
reporting back to Danzo even the count of his breaths, but also because he didn't want to
show too much of his hand. He was still recovering after all. His hands felt stiffer than before
but were regaining their mobility and in a few days he would have another session with
Tsunade to check on his progress. The other issue was his chakra. His coils felt strained and
different and his Chakra control suffered massively. Kakashi was trying to subtly use the
training methods he knew and had applied to Naruto at some point or another, as well as
some he knew about but never had a use for. Rotating the chakra in his system, making it
swirl in certain points, trying to get a feel of it again. It was difficult, but Kakashi was a
perfectionist and he had never shied away from training until he mastered an ability before.
He just couldn't remember ever struggling to control his chakra before. Maybe as a very
young child, but even then it had come rather easy to him, marking him as a genius even at
the young age of three.

Still, it was a slow going process that was frustrating to him, who had never really had much
problems with chakra control before. Danzo was watching him, and he knew that soon, very
soon, the old coot would demand to see his abilities in a fight. And Kakashi needed to get
some of his chakra-control back until then.

And then there was the seal. After he had tried to outright make a dent in it and gotten
himself a massive migraine for his problems, Kakashi had grudgingly backed down. He
poked and prodded and studied the box in his mind at least every evening, but so far to no
avail. It seemed unbreakable, no gaps or cracks that he could exploit, no hidden mechanism
that he could trigger. He noticed the swirling ink in the black, barely noticeable and
indistinguishable. In the end he decided to speak to it, in hopes that even if he couldn't hear
Isobu, maybe Isobu was able to listen to his words. He didn't know why he was this fixated
on it, but the seal was a constant thought on his mind, a burden that settled heavy with
something akin to guilt and deep routed sadness. It was strange, but in a way Kakashi had felt
deeply connected to Isobu. Maybe because their souls were irreversibly joined, or the way the
Bijuu had settled down and listened to Kakashi without judgement. And Kakashi realized he
missed that, short as it had been but Isobu had kept him sane when Konoha had shut him in
the deepest darkest cell and left him there for a month or longer, as they tried to decide his
fate.
He wasn't... resentful. In a way he understood their situation and would probably have been
forced to act much the same as Hokage. It was just that Kakashi was still... human. He had
gotten used to company, to friends that would stick their noses in his business even when it
exasperated Kakashi, to little brats mostly grown but still seeking him out for advice or for
whatever other nonsensical reasons they had. He had shed his lone-wolf persona years ago,
not that anyone here understood that and he was just... painfully, achingly humanly lonely.
And he missed contact, any contact with human beings, a friendly pat, dodging Gai's
challenges and the casually thrown Senbon when he annoyed Genma just that bit too much.
Missed Kurenai dropping Mirai in his lap for an evening, or Tenzo's exasperation at
everything Kakashi seemed to do, despite going along with all of it anyways. He missed
Naruto's unpredictability, Sakura's mother-henning when he got a scratch, even Sasuke's
hovering at the periphery of wherever his team was.

He just... missed his friends and the thought of them came up much more often nowadays. He
had been able to distract himself, telling Isobu about the future and the past. He had managed
to not think on it when he had put all his energy into saving Rin.

But now he was on his own. Oh, there were people around him but Kakashi didn't trust them
as far as his twelve year old skinny arms could throw them. He felt isolated and alone and he
missed the future and his companions so much that sometimes it was hard to just find the
energy to continue on.

Depression, something that Kakashi was familiar with in the wake of the past he had found
himself in. He had toyed with thoughts of ending his life before, but ultimately had been
saved again and again. And it was that thought, the thought of his future friends never giving
up on him, that made him want to reach back. They might never know it, maybe they would
never become his friends again, but for all they had done for him in the future, Kakashi
couldn't give up on them now. Not when he knew he could make a difference, not when he
knew what the future entailed and how utterly unprepared they all were. Not when it would
mean Rin thinking she was the last one, standing in front of the memorial the same way
Kakashi had for several years, wondering where it had all gone wrong.

Not when Obito was out there, in the hands of a madman, alive but going through who knew
what. Not when he could prevent Naruto's childhood from repeating itself, or give Sasuke the
family he yearned for.

And especially not, as Kakashi took a cautious look around him, when so many children of
his village continued to suffer in the shadows. Who would die unloved, buried in unmarked
graves and forgotten, most not even having a name of their own.
Those were the reminders Kakashi always counted off when depression turned his bones to
lead, when his energy felt as if it would flicker and fade like the dying light of a candle in a
storm.

Too much to do to rest, and Kakashi would pull through with sheer stubbornness if he had to.

He missed, and he ached, and he longed... but if anything, it made him all the more
determined.

( ･_\\)ﾉ-≒≒≒≒≒≒≒≒≒≒⁂

Root wasn't all horrible. Most of the time, even though Kakashi felt eyes on him near
constantly, the children minded their own business. Training was done quietly, apart from the
clashing of weapons and the use of Jutsu, no threats or taunts being thrown. Efficient and
deadly, so very different from the three little monsters Kakashi had been saddled with in the
future.

Kakashi had been here for almost a week now. Not enough to get comfortable, but enough to
get a general impression and to start getting a bit of a routine, something that was enforced on
all Root members.

And yet, today marked a difference. Today was the day that he would meet Naruto's mother
and while the thought of escaping root for some time excited Kakashi, he also felt dread at
the conversation to come.

He had been escorted out, hood dragged deep into his face to hide his features as two root
members accompanied him to a nearby building, ushering him in from the back-entrance.
Kakashi noticed with little to no surprise that they had entered one the intelligence-force
buildings. His heart sunk a little, knowing that it meant he would have little to no privacy
with Naturo's mother, even if it seemed like it was only him and her in the room. These
buildings were made to have places for observers.
He stayed quiet as he was brought to a door, the Root members quietly disappearing back
into the shadows. For a moment he stared at the door, undecided how to handle the situation.
Then he took a deep breath and without knocking, entered the building.

He could smell her immediately. SeabreezeRainstormPack-

Kakashi stopped breathing for a second and slowly let out the air he had taken in. His eyes
flickered over her form, taking her in. She looked paler than before, her face showed
exhaustion and dark circles underneath her eyes from sleepless nights. Her hands twitched, as
if she was trying to keep still, yet her nerves got the better of her. Her shoulders held a slight
tenseness. It didn't take more than a second to take in all the information. For a moment
Kakashi stayed in the doorway, thoughts racing, then he looked away from the redheads
unnaturally still form that was staring quietly back at him and closed the door with a near
silent click.

It seemed their conversation was over before it began. Kushina had morsed one word to him:
Eyes.

He knew... he knew they were watched. That had always been a possibility for their lessons.
Knew that he would have to watch his words, his actions. And yet... what a splendid, if
slightly cruel opportunity.

Kakashi adjusted his body language subtly, his back still turned to Kushina as if he was
struggling to face her, one hand still lingering on the door-handle, his grip strong enough to
show the whites of his bones, as if all he wanted was to turn around and leave instead of
facing his... teacher? Whatever Kushina was supposed to be to him now. He rose his
shoulders by an infinite amount, defensive, tense. A breath shuddered out of him. Then he
turned around and slowly pulled down the hood at the same time he dragged the chair out,
not looking at Kushina.

Maybe it was cruel to her. To act like this when he really wanted to hear her reasoning, to
understand what was going on on her side, because despite the lingering feeling of betrayal,
he couldn't quite bring himself to believe she had betrayed him with malicious intent. He
knew the way he was acting would actively hurt her as he continued to stare sullenly at the
table.
He held his silence, his ears picking up a hard swallow and an uncomfortable and near
soundless clearing of her throat.

He was sure Danzo had him watched. And what better way to play into the man's
manipulations, than to appear alienated from any and all allies? That's what the man wanted.

Kakashi would deliver, even though his heart twisted a little with guilt at using... her for the
ruse. No matter the betrayal, she was... Minato's wife. Naruto's mother. Someone he had...
cared about. Still cared about. Wanted to protect, beyond the mission that Minato had once
put him on as his wife's belly grew with child.

She was... in a way the mother he had never had.

“K-Kakashi-kun, welcome.” Kushina said, trying to infuse her usual cheerfulness into the
tone but couldn't quite keep the lingering tension out of her voice. “It's good to see you.”

Kakashi continued to stare at the table, his hands pressed flat against his tights, keeping his
face as blank as possible.

“Hm.” he acknowledged her sentence after a few awkward seconds.

Out of the peripheral of his vision he could see Kushina's shoulders slump in defeat. Maybe
she thought he hadn't gotten her message, since Kakashi was just a Jonin, and she had
resorted to ANBU sign. Maybe she thought he really wouldn't forgive her.

Good.

Because if he could fool her... then he would have no trouble fooling anyone else as well.
Even if it was cruel, it was necessary.

Kakashi was on a mission.

Chapter End Notes

... yeah, I rewrote that chapter several times. Guess they didn't get to talk that much, but
what did you expect? That Danzo would let Kakashi slip between his fingers? :) Nuh-
uh.

Hope you enjoyed! Let me know your thoughts.

End Notes

My writing Playlist: RavenShira on Spotify

Honestly... I have no clue where I am going with this. I've just read a little too much Naturo
fanfictions lately and was kinda missing something and here we are.

I've got a few general ideas but no real end so far. No idea if I will ever get to finish this, as I
don't even know myself how to finish this D: Soo... I guess if there is people interested in it, I
will give it some more thought :)

As always I love to hear your thoughts, feelings and death-threats.

FANARTS! I love you guys, thanks so much for doing this!

Kakashi's and Isobu's first meeting

Made by YoKoChi150 on DeviantArt:

Look at this picture of adorableness of Kakashi and Isobu getting along!

Made by raegunblast

Another one of Isobu and Kakashi, they are becoming fast friends!
Made by Apendice Chileno

Obito, Rin and Kakashi with tiny Isobu finally reunited??? :)

Made by Apendice Chileno

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Doodles for 'Lost on the Road of Life' by RavenShira by orphan_account

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