A/N: Welcome the the first chapter of Breaking Point!
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Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or anything associated with it. Including total insanity.

Breaking Point

Chapter One
A Lit Fuse
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Tsunade frowned. I don't want to have to do this, but I really have no choice. It's got to be done.

Leaning over her desk, she sighed, placing her head in her hands. "Shizune."

Head jerking up from the papers she was studying, the assistant pushed her chair out from under the desk and stood up, staring at the lady Hokage in confusion. "Yes, milady? Is there something I can do for you?"

"I know I just assigned you a project, but this takes precedence. Please find Kakashi Hatake and bring him to me. And no wasting hours trying to find him, either. He'll either be at the memorial stone or training with his team. I want him standing here within the next five minutes!"

"Yes, of course, lady Tsunade! I'll go find him!" She turned and ran out the door, the force of her boss' will propelling her feet. Five minutes?!? Does she think I'm superhuman? He could be anywhere! I'm not dealing with a regular jounin here. If it was that important, couldn't she have sent Jiraiya? Aaah! My lady, why do you make my job so hard?!?

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Kakashi sighed as he turned a page. Sure, Icha-Icha was relaxing, but really. There wasn't anything in particular to relax from. Nothing was going on in the village from the citizen's point of view, and the ninjas had dispensed with the tension that had run through their ranks for weeks after the announcement of war between Konoha and Iwa. And after Sand had allied with the land of fire, the tension had dissipated even more. But as the White Fang had always told Kakashi, It was probably the 'calm before the storm.'

He yawned and stretched, eyeing the field in front of him. Is that Shizune? What could she want with me?

Shizune ran down the path to the lazing jounin, panting from the exertion of hurrying around town as fast as she could.

"Kakashi-san," she gasped, bending over and putting her hands on her knees for support. "Lady Tsunade requests your presence. And now. Before she has the chance to yell at me some more!"

Kakashi sighed and pushed himself up.

Time to visit the wicked witch of the west.

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"We don't have the yellow flash. We don't have the police force's pride and joy; the Uchiha. We don't have a cohesive Hyuuga clan, and Naruto and the rest of the rookie nine can't possibly be prepared for war, no matter how amazing they seem to be. We are in trouble. Good ANBU have been sparse since Orochimaru's invasion three years ago and it takes years to train successful operatives.

"We are reinstating Team Assassin into the ANBU Espionage division." Tsunade finished.

Kakashi balked. "What?!"

"We are reinstating Team Assassin into the-"

"No, no, I heard you. But why? And how? That's both physically and mentally nigh on impossible to accomplish, seeing as one is near insane and the other could be anywhere killing anyone! And for gods sake stop calling us that!" Kakashi stopped himself before he could say any more in his infuriated state. How could she do this to them? They had been through so much together and taken so much damage!

But maybe that was the key. That they had been through so much together. That they worked cohesively, perfectly. It was certainly true that when they were together in ANBU years ago that they had been the best team in the village. Some said that they had even surpassed the Sannin in teamwork and ability to complete a mission – before Orochimaru left, of course.

Itachi was the small, Kakashi the medium, and Ibiki the large. Their skills worked out that way too – Itachi was a Genjutsu specialist, perhaps the best in the village. His skills at blending in and assuming roles for spying were better than anyone's. Kakashi had knowledge of thousands of jutsus, utilizing every one when they were needed. Ninjutsu was mostly left to him in a jack-of-all-trades sort of way. And Ibiki was the Taijutsu specialist. He was the best in the village, training genin and jounin alike. Of course, when Gai came along, Morino taught him so well that the young ninja quickly surpassed him. But Ibiki had the subtle skills needed for ANBU Espionage and a knack for torture and interrogation, especially after his own torture at multiple hands after a botched mission.

They were legend. And now, they were being forced back together.

Team Assassin, hmph. That was a stupid nickname that we all hated. It brings up memories that would be better buried deep inside my mind…but I suppose that is what ANBU is all about. Cold efficiency - on the outside, at least.

Whatever happens, I don't envy the one sent to retrieve Itachi. He's been scarred in so many ways by everything he's been through. And I don't know how on earth they're going to convince Ibiki – He's suffered as well. And he's perfectly happy with his job in Torture and Interrogation.

And me…Do I even want to rejoin them in ANBU? I had originally submitted my name after Obito was killed, but I have so much to live for now. I've been avoiding active duty with them for years, as has Ibiki, but is it time to give in and let them control me again? The ANBU Hound…Is this the breaking point? Do we even have a choice?

I suppose not.

"Kakashi? Hello?"

He snapped back to the reality when he heard Tsunade calling him. "Yes?"

"Oh, good. I lost you for a minute. I'm really sorry this has to happen, but there's no other complete ANBU team as qualified and as whole as you three.

"Hokage-san, the three of us might be physically able, but mentally we're in shambles. I'm not going to explain everything to you seeing as you'd probably send us to a psychiatrist, – please don't do that by the way, it'd interfere with my Icha-Icha reading – but you have to understand that we might not be as able as we once were. I'm sure we'd be able to get the mission done quickly and efficiently, but afterwards…how do I say this.

"I take it you're aware of what ANBU call 'breaks'?" Kakashi asked her.

"Yes, I've heard them mentioned. Why?" she answered confusedly.

"Do you know what they refer to; what it means when somebody is 'taking a break'?" He asked her in response, his expression completely serious.

"I assumed it referred to vacations or breaks from duty to recover from injuries. Am I wrong?" she questioned, wondering why it was so important or even relevant to their conversation.

"'Taking a break' refers to an ANBU operative that has cracked or broken mentally before, during, or after a mission. Every ANBU has a different method and everyone on their team and hopefully everyone in their division knows it – the more that know the better. That way if somebody's showing signs of cracking, we can remove them from duty for however long it normally takes them to break and recover. It happens after large or prolonged mental trauma – which, in ANBU, is a weekly, if not daily, occurrence.

"Itachi, Ibiki and I were quite good at keeping it bottled up, but every six months or so one of us would break, and because we kept it closed up for so long it took us a week or more to recover. Most break every three or four months and only need two or three days.

"But if you pull us back into ANBU now… The severe trauma that we've experienced over the years, coupled with the pure instability of our mental states – the others more than me – breaking is apt to occur much more often. At the best, once every two months or so. At worst…I estimate once every two weeks.

"So if you're really, truly set on this decision…Be careful. We'll be on edge. Brittle. Breakable. In other words, you can give us any and every mission you can, but watch your step. If you pick a bad time, we're liable to blow up in your face.

"But no harsh feelings, right?" he finished with a grim smile.

Tsunade stared at the man across her desk. Had he just threatened her or warned her? Or was it both? He's right, though. He's mentally unstable.

But I need them, so I'll have to deal with it and heed his warnings. I'll also have to ask about their individual symptoms leading to their breaking.

Why did I accept this job again? And at my age too. Maybe I should add my name to the list of completely insane nin in Konoha.

"Kakashi Hatake, you have a new mission."

Oh gods no. She wouldn't.

"You are to retrieve Itachi Uchiha from his place in Akatsuki and you have a week to do it. You leave tonight." Tsunade declared in a firm voice. "You are dismissed."

All the blood drained from Kakashi's face as he stared at her.

I can't believe it. She's worse than Orochimaru!

He groaned as he poofed away in the classic clone jutsu style. Kakashi knew himself, and because of that he hoped he wouldn't find Itachi tomorrow – he'd still be steaming. Give himself a couple days to think it over and then…well, Tsunade was probably right.

I still don't want to do it, though.

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