Disclaimer : Any characters and places you recognise are the property of Masashi Kishimoto.
SPOILER ALERT : Naruto Shippuden 469.
A/N. This story is inspired from the third Omake published, where Kishimoto has broken the magic and revealed Kakashi's true face. For those curious, Naruto Shippuden episode 469 is based on that Omake. I used the same name that was used in the anime version.
Hope you enjoy!
Edited : June 11th 2018
Kakashi Hatake was known as a lazy looking, calm and measured man. Very few people knew that secretly, the silver haired Prodigy enjoyed causing mayhem. His few friends often ended up on the wrong side of the game and had to pay the price. The Hokage was no exception.
One morning, Tsunade had come to her office to start her day, only to find all of her office... Reversed. Every furniture had been swapped. What used to be on the left side of the room was now on the right side. Even the trinkets on her desk and the stuff in the drawers were reversed. It was like someone had put a mirror on the far wall and she was looking at the room reflected in said mirror. Seething, Tsunade had called for Shizune. Unfortunately, the younger woman had no clue as to who could have done this.
"It can't be Naruto, the idiot is too obvious in his pranks."
"We would probably still feel his chakra signature if it was Naruto"
"Jiraya! It must be him! Go and get him so I can crush his skull!"
"H... Hai! Right away Tsunade Sama!"
No more than twenty minutes later, Shizune was dragging a very confused Jiraya in the Hokage's office. As soon as the Hermit saw the room, he burst out laughing.
"You've been craving for some change Tsunade, but I never thought you would reverse your office."
"Do you have any idea who could have done this? " growled Tsunade.
"Tsunade Sama?" Asked the confused assistant.
"If it had been Jiraya, he would have tried to play dumb. It's not him."
"No, I have no idea. We have many pranksters in the village. Naruto?"
"No, he would he shouting his latest exploit on the roof."
"Indeed. Konohamaru?"
"I think his last mission is still too fresh in his memory."
"Genma perhaps?"
"On a mission two days from here, he isn't due back to the village before another four days."
"Gai?"
"Seriously?"
"No, the man could not prank a five years old brat even with a "Pranks for Dummies" manual to help him"
They continued listing all of the potential pranksters they knew of for a good hour. Tsunade's temper kept flaring up with each name they dismissed, as did Jiraya's and Shizune's apprehension. The more pissed she got, the worst the poor idiot's punishment would be.
"Anko?" suggested Jiraya.
"No, we would have sensed her chakra signature. When she gets excited, she tends to forget to hide it" said Shizune.
"Kakashi!" suddenly yelled the Godaime.
"Kakashi San?"
"He's the only one I can think of who was present in the village this evening, who has the lock picking abilities to get even in my secret drawers and who could easily hide his chakra signature so that we could never prove it was him."
"That makes sense. The brat does have a soft spot for pissing his peer off. "
"Shizune, get the brat in my office now. He wants to play? I'll play." She said firmly.
Kakashi San doesn't know what kind of trouble he got himself into...
As he watched the young woman excite the office with an apprehensive look on her face, Jiraya couldn't hold back a chuckle. Tsunade turned to face him while arching a brow inquisitively.
"I will prepare some pop corn and just enjoy the show. Would you like some?"
When he entered the Godaime's office behind Shizune, Kakashi had his usual bored expression. When the Medic Nin had reached him, he was just leaving the training ground where was the commemorative stele. He had spent the last two hours there, lost in memories of old times. He immediately noticed the white haired Sannin's presence and nodded in acknowledgement.
"Kakashi!"
"Yes Tsunade Sama?"
The Godaime joined her hands in front of her, resting her chin on them. Her eyes had a malicious glint in them while she eyed the jounin waiting in her office. Kakashi gulped. He knew that look, he was in deep shit.
Maybe I overdid it this time...
"Since you like to mess with others, I have a mission that you should enjoy" said the Godaime. "I've heard of your team's S-Rank missions. You see, the time for their evaluation has come. They need to be sent on a mission out of the village with a jounin other than their instructor. Since all my other jounins are either busy or don't have the qualifications to supervise both Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha, I tough that Sukea San would prove a good choice. I heard that he was traveling around the village lately. After all, he is an ex ANBU, so managing Team Seven shouldn't prove much of a challenge for someone with his qualifications."
If Kakashi had had any hope of getting out of this relatively unscathed, now that hope was clearly crushed. He turned to Jiraya, silently imploring for help. His shoulder slumped in defeat when he saw the older man's expression.
He's completely enjoying himself... I'm screwed...
"Tsunade Sama, those evaluations take days..."
"I am well aware of the duration of the evaluations Kakashi" cut the blonde woman. "Team Seven will depart tomorrow morning."
Recognising a dismissal when he heard one, Kakashi nodded and turned to exit the Hokage's office. Just as his hand reached the door knob, Tsunade spoke again.
"Have Sukea here tomorrow first thing in the morning. Have him know that this mission is not negotiable. You leave on an infiltration mission tonight as soon as you are ready to leave."
"Yes, Tsunade Sama"
The following morning, Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura were gathered in front of Tsunade's office door. When they entered, all three teens immediately noticed the change in the Hokage's office.
"Wow, what happened here!?" said Naruto in his annoyingly overexcited voice.
"I have decided that a bit of shuffling and change was in order" the Hokage answered pointedly, not breaking eye contact with the teens.
"What is our mission?"
"Straight to the point as always, Sasuke."
"Hn."
"Pervy Sage, what are you doing...? Sukea San?!" started Naruto.
"Sukea San?! What are you doing here?" continued Sakura, as Naruto was bouncing in a mix of confusion and excitement.
"I see there is no need to make the presentations. Sukea will be accompanying you for your mission."
"Where is Kakashi Sensei?" asked Sasuke.
"Kakashi is away for an important mission and is unavailable. The missions must keep going on whether your sensei is available to be with you or not, so I have found someone else to replace him for your current mission. Kakashi is one of our top elite Shinobi, so he is expected to take high ranked missions that can't be done by other jounins."
"What is our mission?" repeated the Uchiha.
"This is a search and retrieve mission. You need to get to the Land of Rivers. Approximately ten kilometers East from the Land of Wind borders and 23 kilometers South from Ame's borders, you will find an enemy camp. Suna has sent intelligence concerning the enemy abilities. You will find those in the mission scrolls. Your mission is to infiltrate the camp and retrieve scrolls that contain sensible information for the Land of Fire. Those scrolls must not end in the wrong hands."
"And what if we cannot retrieve the scrolls?"
"Then we must destroy the scrolls and leave nothing behind" Sukea answered with an icy stare in the genin's direction.
Naruto audibly gulped under the stare.
All three turned their attention back to the Hokage who nodded her consent with a serious gaze.
"Should you end in a situation where it is impossible to infiltrate and take the scrolls without being noticed, you mission is to destroy the scrolls and leave no survivor behind. Is that understood?"
All three nodded at once, their faces serious. They turned to the one who would lead the mission, only to find him calmly smiling at them.
"Go get prepared, you leave in thirty minutes."
"Hai!"
"Sukea, stay behind."
When Team Seven got to the gates, Sukea was already waiting for them. He waved at them as they got there.
"Wow, it's good not to have to wait for Kakashi Sensei!" said Naruto, hands behind his head.
"Yeah, we will leave earlier and come back earlier, right Sasuke?" agreed Sakura.
"Hn."
It's going to be a very long mission if they are going to talk in my back... Let's hope I don't slip and screw my cover... I would be in even more deep shit.
"So, everyone ready? Let's get going. I will brief you on the mission while we travel. This is a thirty-six hours trip to get to our objective. We will stop midway so you can give me a quick view of your abilities and get some rest. Then we will head to our objective and stop approximately an hour before we reach the camp to get ready and rest a bit before the infiltration. For best chance at a successful infiltration, we will strike around one in the morning. Let's go!"
"Hai!"
According to plan, Squad Seven stopped midway in the forest near a small clearing. They settled down and had a small camp ready.
"So Sukea San, did you get that scoop?" Asked an enthusiast Naruto.
"Yeah, did you get good pictures?"
"Yes and no, I didn't really get any scoop, but a merchant saw my landscape pictures. I had many that I had taken over the years during my travels."
"You traveled to every country, right?"
"Exact Sasuke. He was particularly interested in the ones from the Land of Snow. They have such beautiful landscapes. The spring has even come in the last months. Let's say that it has been my scoop, if you want."
"Yeah! We went there for a mission!" exclaimed Naruto.
"Ho really? That's quite far from Konoha. What kind of mission?"
And then the genin from Team Seven launched themselves in the tale of their mission in the Land of Snow. While he was listening attentively to them, Sukea was preparing their meal and analysing every single thing they said. Once Sakura was done finishing the tale, he turned serious and asked them to analyse their mission in the Snow Country. How they could have done things differently, what would have been the repercussions if they had done this instead of that.
"Impressive Sukea San. The way you analyzed the mission with us, it's almost like you had been there with us." Said Sakura after a while.
Shit, don't go there Sakura...
"Yeah, Sakura is right!"
"Well, analysing a mission that was done before is as much important as analysing the one you are about to do. Spotting your mistakes helps you to analyse your weakness and thus not repeating the same mistakes in the next missions."
"Yes, you're right" said Sakura.
"Now, now, time to get some sleep. I will keep watch and wake you all in a few hours."
"Weren't you supposed to analyse our abilities?"
I would have been disappointed if you hadn't asked Sasuke.
"Tsunade gave me a good briefing concerning each of you. With the exercise that we just made in analysing your mission, I have a very good idea of your individual strength and weaknesses."
"And what about your own abilities Sukea San?"
Clever boy. Never go in a mission without knowing all the factors. Now I have to find an answer and fast.
After a few seconds of wracking his brain for a suitable answer that wouldn't be a lie, but wouldn't too obviously point Sasuke to a dangerous train of thought, Kakashi finally found something to say. While he was at it, he would use this opportunity as a training for himself.
"I am well versed in Ninjutsu and Genjutsu, but whenever possible, I'd rather use Taijutsu."
"You are a Taijutsu expert?"
Not as much as Gai is, but you won't see the difference.
"Indeed I am."
"What is your affinity?"
Crap.
"Affinity?"
"Yes Naruto, Sasuke wants to know what Sukea San's chakra affinity is. We covered chakra affinities at the academy, don't you remember?"
"Mmmm. No." Answered the team's dead last, while scratching the back of his head in embarrassment.
"Since Sukea San is a high level ninja, I would suppose he has two affinities, right?" added Sakura, always the bookworm.
You are not helping me there Sakura...Think Kakashi! Raiton is out of the question, too obvious. My second affinity is Doton, but they don't know that. I can play with that. But the second one? It's in these situations that I'm glad to have copied so many jutsus...
"My affinities are Suiton and Doton. Although like I said, I'd rather use Taijutsu."
"Kakashi Sensei's first affinity is Raiton, but I don't know what his second one is" said Sasuke.
"Kakashi Senpai is well known for his Chidori technique, indeed. It's no secret that his affinity is Raiton."
"Gai Sensei told me that Kakashi Sensei once cut lightning with his Chidori."
"That he did. That technique has since earned the nickname of Raikiri, or Lightning Cutter. I saw that exploit myself."
Well, kind of...
"Tell us more about it!" demanded Sakura.
"We have a mission that needs to be done. Time to get some rest. Get to bed, all of you. Hush!"
"Yes Sukea San" intoned the teens.
After a while, all three genin where sleeping. Naruto was snoring lightly as usual and the other two were more discrete.
Pheeew...I tough they would never shut up... My throat is already sore...Three more days like that. Well, fuck.
While he rubbed gently his sore throat, Kakashi sat on a branch, gazing at the cloudless sky. He just hoped that the mission would go smoothly for once.
They were traveling forward once again. After their three hours sleep, Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura had more energy. They had offered to let him sleep a bit too, but he had declined. The faster this damn evaluation was over, the better. The longer it lasted, the highest were the risks that one of them would get suspicious.
The travel went smoothly and was interrupted only for a quick lunch to keep their energy level high.
"There, according to our coordinates, the mission objective should be one hour from here."
"Then let's settle the camp Sukea San!"
"Naruto, Sakura, there is a small river 5 minutes West from here. Go get some fresh water. If you are lucky, try to get some fish, but don't take too long."
"I will assemble the tent then."
"Good, I will set the traps."
"We'll be back in no time Sukea San!"
Two hours later, the camp was all set, each had had a good meal constituted of the fishes Sakura and Naruto had brought and nutritive roots Sasuke had found in the woods. They had revised and analyzed the mission objective and Kakashi had them work their brains a bit.
"Remember, this is an infiltration mission, no one must notice any of you. If we are noticed even by a single enemy, we have to slaughter them all. Not a trace of our passage must be left for others to pick"
"What kind of resistance should we expect?" asked the only Kunoichi of the group.
"According to the intelligence that was gathered by Suna, we should be expecting Chunin level at most."
"What if we encounter more skilled ninjas?"
"That's why I'm here, my job is to take care of the more dangerous Shinobi while you get past the security. Once inside, we have to get to the lower level of the facility, where the scrolls are likely to be kept."
"So in other word, we get in, we get the scrolls, and we get out before they realise that we have the scrolls" summarized Sasuke.
"Not exactly, but almost. We will substitute the scrolls with those. Each one of us will have a copy, so the first to get to them just needs to switch them."
"This mission should be easy enough! Hehehe!"
"Don't go screwing everything with your loud mouth Naruto."
"Don't you go screwing everything Sasuke!"
"Shut up Naruto! Sasuke wouldn't screw the mission!"
"Enough everyone. No one will screw the mission if you all work as a team and you follow the plan."
"Yes Sukea San!"
"How long before we leave?"
"You are impatient Naruto. A Shinobi has to be patient. You might have to wait for hours in a row without moving just so you could get to a target."
"Yeah, baka."
"Shut up Sasuke!"
"Enough!"
Both boys froze and turned to Sukea. He was staring at them with that same icy stare he had used back in the Hokage's office. Naruto gulped and sat back in front of the fire, while Sasuke turned around and went to sit opposite to the fire.
That man is a true Shinobi to the core. I felt like he could kill with a stare.
Satisfied that both boys wouldn't be bickering again for a while, Sukea sighted and turned his gaze to the fire.
"The sun has just set, which gives us a time laps of approximately four hours and a half before one in the morning. During that time, we will take turns for a two hours sleep and then change position around ten minutes to midnight."
"You should get the first shift to sleep Sukea San. We will take this turn of watch."
"Thanks Sasuke, but I will pass. I'll be alright" smiled the older ninja.
"Kakashi Sensei always says that in a team, everyone must be rested and that each member of the team should have some sleep, even if they don't feel tired" intervened Sakura.
Of all the time to throw my own advices in my face... Why not when I do feel sleepy? Brats.
"My, my... If those are Kakashi Senpai's words, then I'll take a nap. But just one hour, and then you get some sleep."
I must stay in character, or they will get suspicious.
After they had promised to wake him if they felt even the slightest change, Sukea went in the tent to get some rest. As soon as they heard the change in his breathing, confirming that he was fast asleep, they started talking in hushed whispers. Little did they know that Kakashi was far from sleeping.
"Did you felt that earlier when he stared at us? Huh Sasuke? He was quite scary!"
"That man can kill in seconds, there's no doubt about it"
"What do you mean?" Asked Sakura.
"Well, he was an ANBU Black Ops, remember? He told us so the first time we met."
"Yeah, when he picked the lock."
"He may have gone on missions with Kakashi Sensei too."
"What make you say that?"
"Yeah? Has Kakashi Sensei ever been in ANBU?"
"Yes he's been in ANBU, I'm sure of it."
"How?"
"Remember in the Wave Country?"
Both nodded. That mission was a hard one to forget.
"Kakashi Sensei was injured during the fight with Zabuza. He had to take off his Jounin vest and shirt to bandage his injuries. That's when I saw the tattoo on his left arm; every ANBU has one."
"How do you know all this?" said Naruto suspiciously"
"That's not important Naruto!"
"So we know that Sukea San and Kakashi Sensei were both ANBU."
"They may not have been ANBU at the same time thought."
"They look the same age."
"Naruto, we have no way to guess Kakashi Sensei's age, based only on the top half of his face. Plus, his hairs are already grey, so then again, that gives no clue."
Kakashi was meditating, while listening closely to their conversation. The more he listened, the more nervous he got.
If they keep going on that train of tough, Sasuke will definitely get suspicious. I need to distract them. I will need to be cautious around him. There is no way I can get my shirt off in front of him, he will recognise the scars on my chest, since he was the one helping me put the bandages on...
All three teens jumped when Sukea appeared behind them, looking rested after only half an hour.
"My my, aren't we nervous?"
"Nervous? No, not at all"
"Y... Yeah, not nervous!"
"Hn."
"Well then, time for you to get some sleep."
"You've slept only half an hour!"
"And that is all the time I need. Hush! You are still teenagers, your bodies need more sleep than mine."
"Tell that to Kakashi Sensei's old sleepy head."
Kakashi's eyebrow twitched, but fortunately, none of the brats noticed it.
"Naruto! Show some respect! Kakashi Sensei may be old, but he's not a sleepy head and you know that!"
Another twitch of his eyebrow.
Sasuke gazed at Sukea's calm demeanour, reflecting about the man. The Uchiha knew for a fact that very few made it to the ANBU unit and even fewer survived many years in the Special Forces. His brother had told him as much before he betrayed his clan. Sukea wasn't a man you wanted to mess with, so was Kakashi. The day he had seen the mark on his Sensei's arm, his respect for the man had increased a notch.
Team Seven was dispatched around the entrance of the facility. Each one of them was positioned strategically according to their analysis they had made as soon as they had reached the compound. Sukea had listened to their suggestion and directed them discreetly.
They had calculated that a guard passed every three minutes. A total of ten guards were either positioned around the entrance, or patrolling.
At Sasuke's suggestion, the members of their squad were to enter the facility one by one, every three minute, just after the passage of the guards. Once inside, they were to take cover and wait for the others to join them.
Sasuke was the first one to successfully pass the security, followed by Sakura, then Naruto and lastly Sukea. The first step was a success. They now needed to find a way to get to the lower level without being seen.
"Shhh."
"Sakura, can you set a light Genjutsu?" demanded the team leader.
"Sure, what kind?"
"Make sure they won't notice our shadows moving in the hallway"
"Hai!"
Both Naruto and Sasuke were watching on either side of their position while their teammate was setting the Illusion.
"Everything is going as planned. Keep going."
"Incoming on the left."
"Good Sasuke. Get moving."
An hour later found Team Seven in the basement in front of a large iron door. Kakashi could sense that the teens were nervous. He himself couldn't shake off a feeling of unease.
I have a bad feeling about this. There should be no problem; everything in this mission has been staged. Should we have to resort to killing, all shinobi inside and outside the facility are clones of the instructors that will evaluate the mission. Technically, no one will be killed. But why can't I shake off the feeling that something is going to happen? My left contact lens prevents me from using the Sharingan so I don't waste my chakra uselessly. I can't check myself if everything is clear. I can't sense any foreign chakra on the other side of the door, but... Better safe than sorry they say.
"Sasuke, can you activate you Sharingan and check for any presence on the other side of the door?"
The boy did has he was told and activated his Dojutsu, only to gasp audibly. Kakashi tensed immediately.
Crap. Why can't anything ever go according to plan for once?
"What's wrong Sasuke?" reacted Sakura.
"There are Shinobi inside. But none of them are alive."
"What?!"
Kakashi cursed aloud and move the genins behind him just as the door next to them exploded with a loud "BANG". He didn't wait for the smoke to clear and lunched his shurikens. The clanking of metal on metal could be heard followed by a muffled thud.
One down. Those are not Konoha Shinobis, they have orders not to attack unless the kids are discovered. Something happened.
"I tough we were done cleaning the place! More survivors!?"
"There were no survivors in the facility sir. I can guaranty. Those must be reinforcements."
"Kill them."
"Yes sir!"
"Move!"
Reacting to the command, Sasuke dodged the punch that went his way and rolled on his left to get a clear view. Naruto was on the other side and Sakura had move beside him.
"Sukea San!"
"Get out, now! Those are not mere chunnin!"
"But!"
"Now! I'll catch you outdoor!"
"Naruto, Sakura, come!"
"We won't abandon him!"
"We are not abandoning him Naruto, we are giving him space!" Retorted the dark haired teen.
Fortunately that comment had Naruto moving out of the way. The Blond dodged a volley of kunais on his way out and followed after the other two. They stopped dead in their tracks at the top of the basement entrance when they heard an explosion downstairs. They turned around just in time to see Sukea thrusting a Katana just between Sasuke's and Naruto's head, before they heard the sound of a body falling to the floor.
"Down let your guard down now. Move!"
The four of them moved at once and turned left. Only a few meters before the end of the hallway they found themselves once again surrounded by enemies. Naruto charged with a Rasengan immediately, cursing the discretion. Sasuke approved and launched half a dozen of kunais in the other direction. Sakura had her back to Sukea and was trembling like a leaf.
" Sakura, go help Naruto and don't forget : aim to kill. No survivor."
"Yes Sukea San!"
"Sukea, dodge!"
Despite the narrow space they were currently in, Kakashi did a back flip, effectively dodging the katana that was far too close to his left knee to his liking. He put one foot on the walls on either side of him and trusted his weapon in the ninja's head.
"Get behind me"
"Yes!"
"Katon! Great Infernal Wall!"
A wall of flames licked the entire hallway down from the spot where they were, burning everyone alive. They made their way to the end of the hallway where there was a bifurcation. Just when Kakashi was about to give the order to keep going on the right, more enemies made their apparition.
Shit. If it keeps going like this, I might be forced to blow my cover.
"We're trapped! What do we do?!"
"We get out!"
"What? But Kakashi Sensei, we are surrounded on each side!"
"Then we make a door!"
A technique Doton later and they were out in the forest surrounding the facility. There they kept taking down the hostile ninjas one by one, Naruto using profusely his Shadow Clone Jutsu. Sasuke kept an eye on Sakura while he didn't hesitate to use Ninjutsu after Ninjutsu. Sakura fiercely held her ground and mostly dealt the killing blow to the ones that were not killed instantly by the boys.
For his part, Kakashi was dancing. He kept killing Shinobi one after the other in a deadly dance, trusting his katana all around himself in a mesmerizing choreography.
Suddenly, one of his katana was blocked and a kick landed in his ribcage, throwing him in a nearby tree. A grunt of pain escaped his lips when his back collided with the trunk, but he recovered fast and dodged the next blow.
This one is certainly not at chunnin level. Screw the cover; it's no use if we all get killed.
Just as Kakashi was about to reveal his Sharingan, he heard Naruto yelling that he and the other two were coming to help.
"I don't know who you are, but it doesn't matter, you will be dead in less than five minutes."
"I'd like to see you try."
Just then, five of Naruto's clones jumped on the man giving Kakashi enough time to move away from the tree. Sakura launched half a dozen kunai and hit her target once in the thigh, which only served to enrage the man further. In one swipe of his left arm, he got rid of the clones and prepared to attack Kakashi. However, he was surprised by the tip of one of the ex ANBU's katana poking through his abdomen. Sasuke tried to pull the blade out, but was violently back handed by a large hand when the hostile ninja turned to face him.
"Die! Futon! Scythe of..."
He never had time to finish the name of his technique, for Kakashi sliced his throat open from behind. He dropped on the grass with a thud. The ex ANBU crouched to pull his weapon out of the corpse and used the man's shirt to clean the blood. He turned his attention back to his team and was glad to see that they seemed uninjured. A few bruises and cuts, but nothing serious. Although the bruise on Sasuke's face seemed quite painful.
"Everyone alright?"
"I'm fine Sukea San!" Naruto answered.
"Me too."
"Sasuke?"
"I'll be fine."
"Show me."
"Nothing that can't be heal with a salve."
"I know. How is the pain?"
"Bearable."
"And you Sukea San?"
"Me? Nothing bad."
"You sound like Kakashi Sensei." Complained Sakura.
"Huh?"
"Yeah, you do. He will never let us see to his own injuries."
"Alright then. I might have cracked one rib or two and will most likely have a foot print on my ribcage and a tree print in by back in a couple of hours."
"Can I take a look, just to make sure you are not hiding any other injuries?"
"I'm not hiding any other injury, I promise. I will also have Tsunade Sama check me over when we get back to the village. In exchange, I want you all to let me check you over. Do we have a deal? "
"We do."
Sasuke was the one to answer, to Kakashi's surprise.
"Good. To be honest, if we get back and you are hiding injuries from me, Kakashi San will know and have my neck for sure. For now, let's get out of here. Dusk is only a few minutes ago."
"Hai!"
A few hours later, the small group found a quiet place near the river where they could rest. Kakashi went to clean the blood on his weapons and himself after the kids were done and busy preparing the camp.
"I wish Kakashi Sensei would let us take care of him the same way Sukea San did earlier" whispered Naruto.
"Yeah. He always takes care for us and makes sure that we are alright, but he doesn't seem to care about himself."
Kakashi's breath catched in his throat. He tried to strained his earing to catch Sasuke's answer, but didn't hear him; the boy had nodded his agreement. Deciding that this was a dangerous conversation, he came back with them.
"I thought that we were supposed to encounter only Chunnin level?!" said Sakura when he sat beside her.
"Something was wrong."
"Well that much is obvious" cut Sasuke.
"I mean : something was really wrong. This mission was staged. It was a cover to evaluate you, to test your abilities to go on infiltration missions."
"What?! A test? Like the Chunnin exam?"
"Kind of, yes. The Shinobi we saw were a group of rogue ninjas. How they knew about that place is beyond me. The scrolls are all fakes. Even more, the ones that we were supposed to take were trapped."
"Like the one in the Chunnin exam. To test us to make sure we didn't open them" understood Sakura.
"Should you have gotten the scrolls and opened them, you would have been trapped in a very powerful Genjutsu My role was to have you do all the work while giving you the impression that I was doing the planning."
"Why couln't Kakashi Sensei be with us?"
"He is on a mission Naruto!"
"That, and the other goal of this test is to evaluate your ability to work under the orders of another Shinobi."
All three teens pondered this and stayed silent for a while. Naruto seemed confused, Sakura seemed perplexed and Sasuke had a blank face.
"Alright. Nothing major happened, so no need to be worried. I don't know for you, but I'm hungry. I've got some instant ramen in my pack. Who wants some?"
Of course, Naruto had two servings. Their meal went smoothly, each one of them lost in their own thoughts. Kakashi took the first turn while the genins went to sleep. He sat near the river in the lotus position and started his meditation, evening his breathing. He stayed that way, the silence his only companion, for a little over two hours. Then he stood and went to wake the others. They switched place, but this time, Kakashi did fell asleep.
Sasuke, Naruto and Sakura were seated around the dying fire, only a few feet from the sleeping man. They had kept silent for the last hour, when the dark haired boy broke the silence.
"That was quite impressive Ninjutsu he used there."
"Yeah, you saw that? They didn't stand a chance! They were all burned! Five of them at the same time!"
"That was a Katon attack. Didn't he said he was good with Suiton and Doton?" tough Sakura.
"He did."
"What about it?"
"Most ninjas are capable of using very high rank Ninjutsu of two affinities and lesser rank Ninjutsu of a third one."
"So?"
"So that was certainly an A-Rank Ninjutsu, one of a third affinity."
"That only means that Sukea San is a badass ninja!"
"Naruto, don't you think it's strange that such a high level ninja would end up to be a photographer?"
"Maybe he is on a long term mission?"
"Don't be daft."
"The only one I can think of who can work with more than two elements is Kakashi Sensei."
"How d'you know that Sasuke?"
"It's more of a guess. We know that his true affinity is Raiton. But we have seen him use powerful Suiton Ninjutsu."
"Yeah, that makes two."
"Stop interrupting me baka."
"Baka yourself!"
"Shhh! Don't wake up Sukea San, he looked tired, he needs his rest too."
"Kakashi Sensei is known as Kakashi the Copy Ninja. Supposedly he has copied over a thousand Jutsu. I can't imagine that all those were only Raiton and Suiton Jutsu."
"That would make sense."
"Sukea San?!"
"Did we woke you?"
"Not at all. I got the rest that I needed, we can break camp."
While they gathered their things, Sasuke kept watching Sukea. The more he tough about it, the more suspicious he got. He decided to confront the man about his Katon technique.
"That was a high rank Katon Jutsu" he said accusingly.
"S-Rank, to be precise."
"I thought your chakra was aligned with Water and Earth, yet you used Fire. For someone who claims to prefer Taijutsu, that was impressive Ninjutsu."
"Like you said, I was a member the the ANBU Black Ops" was the evasive response he got.
Frowning, Sasuke dropped the subject.
A few hours after the sun had set, they made another stop to get some rest. They were all enjoying a hot meal and chatting amicably, goofing around. Kakashi was getting more and more tired and his throat was killing him, but he kept playing his part. His irritated throat had made him cough a few times, but no one had said a thing about it yet. Until he got up and winced.
"Are you okay Sukea San?" inquired the pink haired girl.
"Yes, nothing to worry about."
"You don't look like someone who's alright to me"
"I must have breathed in some smoke or dust in our battle and my throat is a bit irritated."
"That does explain the coughing, but not the pained grimace you just made."
"Cracked ribs tend to make one wince in pain when getting up or moving around. Don't worry, Tsunade Sama will take care of that. I won't even remember I had any injuries in a couple of days."
"If you say so."
"If you want to relieve me so much, then go and wet those clothes in the river for me please. A cool compress will lessen the pain of my bruises."
"Got it."
He didn't need to say a word for the boys to understand that they were dismissed for the night. Sakura came back with the cool clothes and joined the boys in the tent. They had a long day awaiting them and there would be no more stop until they got back to the village. Kakashi made sure that they were not spying on him and lifted his shirt just enough to expose his back and apply the cloth. He sight as the coolness eased a bit of the pain. Half an hour later, he positioned himself for his meditation and relaxed a bit more. It wasn't long before he was lost in thoughts.
Sasuke is certainly suspicious. I hope he will refrain from asking more questions. I don't exactly like lying to my team.
"Tsunade Sama? Team Seven has come back."
"Have them gather in my office."
"Hai."
The first thing Tsunade noticed was the dark bruise on the Uchiha boy's face. She got up and knelt in front of him to tae care of it. She could sense the tension leave the shoulders of the poor youth while her healing chakra did its job. He sight in relief when she was done and gave a small nod in thanks. Naruto and Sakura were okay for the most part. A quick checkup at the hospital would suffice. She turned to the last member of the squad and gagged him; he was obviously exhausted and she could tell that he had been injured as well. She was about to dismiss him for the moment when Sakura's timid voice caught her attention.
"Sukea San?"
"Don't forget your promise" said Sasuke while pointedly looking at his current team leader.
"I would appreciate if you could check me up once this meeting is over Tsunade Sama."
"What are your injuries?"
"At least two cracked ribs, probably three, a foot size bruise over my abdomen and a large one that covers most of my back."
"And a sore throat" added Sasuke.
"And a sore throat" he smiled.
"Do you present any difficulties with your breathing?"
"No. Treating me can wait the end of the meeting."
"As you wish."
We can't have him get his shirt off in front of his students. If they have not seen him shirtless yet, they will without a doubt see him one day or another. Kakashi's scars are easily recognisable.
They made their reports without forgetting any details concerning their confrontation. Once the Hokage dismissed the teens, after assuring them that their Sensei would be back before the end of the week, she turned to the young man before her. She eyed him critically and motioned him to sit on the sofa she kept for those situations.
"Get your shirt off. If will take care of those bruises and you ribs, but not your throat: you deserve that."
She couldn't suppress a smile when she heard him sight in relief as she worked her healing chakra over his back. When she felt him start to doze off, Tsunade squeezed his shoulder with her nails. He hissed, but other than that, made no other sound.
"Don't get sleepy on me Brat, I'm not done with you. I want a full report on my desk within the next twenty-four hours."
"Yes, Tsunade Sama."
When she sensed him doze off the second time, she didn't wake him up immediately. She took the time to finish her work and took that opportunity to do a complete check up, or as complete as she could while he was asleep. Satisfied that he had not hidden any injury for once, she wacked him non too gently behind the head and told him in colorful terms to stop drooling in her office and get back home to get some rest.
Kakashi didn't need to be told twice. He put his shirt back on, grabbed his equipment and went back to his apartment. He did not notice the wicked smirk that the Godaime Hokage was sporting.
Two days later.
" Jiraya Sama?"
"Yes?"
"Remind me to never mess with Tsunade Sama ever again..."
"Sure. Although it's always funny to watch others put their own foot in their mouth."
"Yeah, you enjoyed the show huh?"
"Certainly." Said the Toad Sage with a smirk.
"Did you help her with sticking all my furniture upside down to my ceiling or did she do it all by herself?"
The Sannin didn't answer, but didn't hide his smirk either.
"Then next time you find yourself in trouble with the Hokage, don't expect me to give you a hand. I might feel like enjoying the show myself."
"Come on Brat you had it coming."
"I had to sleep directly on the fucking floor. I was too exhausted to even go to Asuma's place and squat his couch." Whined the Jonin.
"I think I have an idea that would help you with that sore throat."
"Like what?"
"The hot spring" suggestively answered the Sannin.
"And end up in even more trouble with Tsunade Sama? No thanks. A hot tea and a hot shower will have to do the trick. Good day Jiraya Sama."
"You're no fun Kakashi."
"I just don't feel like ending in a hospital bed. Again. I'll go take a nap on Asuma's couch and ask for his help once I wake up. If my back is agreeable to the idea of working, that is..."
"She used nails and glue. You should probably buy new furniture"
"Great. Now next month pay check will be spent on replacing my furniture."
"Good luck"
In the village, many heard the very loud laugher that answered the rude gesture that Kakashi Hatake sent the Sannin's way.
At least his team were none the wiser about Sukea. To them, he was just another strong Shinobi of the Leaf. When he had met them after his "mission", they had spent the best part of their training session telling him how cool and strong Sukea San was.
Well, maybe I should take after Sukea and be a tad more open with them in the future...
Kakashi Hatake was known as a lazy looking, calm and measured man. Very few people knew that secretly, the Silver haired Prodigy enjoyed causing mayhem. His few friends often ended up on the wrong side of the game and had to pay the price. The Godaime Hokage was now the sole exception.
I hope you enjoyed reading as much as I enjoyed writing this story. Feel free to notice me if you find anything that seems wrong.
A/N : A bit of explaining for those who might have been a bit lost here. Spoiler alert.
Sukea (Shikaner in the manga) is a photographer, and ex Anbu. In fack, he is an Alias that Kakashi used to help team seven in their attempt to unmask him. His has brown short hair and grey eyes that have purple marking under them and on the eyelids, thus hiding his left eye's scar. Since no one has even Seen Kakashi without his mask, no one has a clue that he is in fact standing right in front of them.
