I do not own any of the characters other than the people associated with Tengoku and the gangsters, Erika Hatake, and the caravan. This is going to be my first lengthy story; I truly appreciate constructive criticism and reviews, so feel free to do so! If there are any loose ends you may notice, please note that this is one of the first stories to a series orbiting Kakashi's childhood after Sakumo's death. If you are wondering why a character acts the way they act, just keep reading (the reasons for certain actions may be explained in another story, chapter, or so). I wanted to give the characters a deeper personality than what the anime does. This is just a little something I thought of to create relationships between Kakashi, Kushina, Minato, and Jiraiya. Mikoto, too, but only briefly. Anyway…there are implications of shippings, such as Kakashi x Shizune and of course, Minato x Kushina. Rated T for violence and language. No sex, though. Enjoy! X_X"

Kakashi walked casually through the Village of Fishing. He wore his village headband proudly, letting it slouch over his left eye. His Sharingan. The boy was nearing the age of fourteen; it was the midsummer of late July. But strangely, in the Tea Country, it seemed, the climate was on the flipside on certain days. Not that he minded of course-he was a ninja, which meant he was to be stone-hard unconditionally. No such discomfort or illness or injury should phase him. Homesickness was unacceptable, though almost inevitable. He glanced over his shoulder and peered at the distant, microscopic mountains, knowing that home was on the other side.

A fresh orphan, the boy longed for the feeling of being missed by someone other than his friends. But, on the contrary, his mother found it difficult to acknowledge him anyway and Sakumo committed suicide before Kakashi was assigned any long-term mission. The only people to truly mourn his absence were his posse, Jiraiya, and Sensei. And his stupid aunt Kushina.

He sat on the docks and lit up a cigarette, glaring into the intimidating water. It reeked of salt and rotting fish and seaweed.

With his teammates dead and gone, Kakashi, a Jonin, was assigned lone missions that were frequently interrupted with the assistance of Minato and/or Kushina in the midst of a battle. Three world renowned Jonin: the Yellow Flash, the Red Hot-Blooded Habanero, and Kakashi of the Sharingan. One hell of a trio!

But as far as this current mission went, he was solo. And...he wanted it to stay that way. Alone.

Without Kushina.

-earlier that week—

"There has been word of kidnappings of adolescent children in the Land of Tea. You are to investigate the village's east wing for anything suspicious. You are to make no contact in conflict without notification, is that clear?" the Third Hokage explained. His hands clasped, his elbows balanced on the wooden desk, the elderly man puffed out spouts of nicotine-filled smoke as he spoke. Like a raging dragon. It fogged the room as a sauna coats the air with thick gas, causing the boy's eyes to water.

"Yes sir." Kakashi replied, his arms crossed. "Am I to blend in?"

The Third shook his head. "There is no need. Your Sharingan makes it easy to identify you. It is a little obvious, since you put the headband over it, huh? Chances are, these presumed criminals will target you on spot. Capture one of them and bring them to the Leaf, alive. We need information; there is a lack of credibility in our sources. Understood?"

"Understood."

"Now, you and I will communicate via radio. We will be able to communicate with you for a limited time every few hours." "You understand the objective of your mission?" the Third Hokage asked.

"Yes sir." Kakashi replied.

"You are not to engage in battle or take on any other responsibility other than what I ordered. Understood?"

"Yes sir, understood."

"Good; Kakashi Hatake, I assign this great responsibility to you, only you."

Kakashi turned to leave. He knew the possibilities of his life ending on this mission, as he did every mission. He accepted it. He had to.

"Kakashi?" The boy turned around to see the Hokage standing with his back turned, gazing over the peaceful village.

"Sir?"

"Be careful, son."

"Affirmative."

Kakashi felt his heart pounding inside his chest. He felt an alien sense of...fear pricking at all the hairs that covered his thin body. His hands grew clammy as he shut the door.

~present day~

Kakashi shoved his hands in his pockets, wearing a tan poncho-like cape over his shoulders that draped to his knees. He tried not to draw attention to himself by coming off as a normal off-duty ninja. He personally felt it was a waste to try and look normal, even if it was originally his suggestion. He wielded quite a reputation since he was gifted Obito's Sharingan. He was the only non-Uchiha who had the Wheel Eye. But he had to be casual. Or at least try to.

"Anything?" a voice asked through the radio earpiece.

"Nothing yet, sir." he answered, eyes scanning the perimeter.

The Fishing Village was like any other village, full of people and businessmen motioning townspeople toward their shops. There were parents tugging their children to their sides like rag dolls and stray dogs barking. Just like the Leaf. A cloudy sky and a sweet aroma in the air. He saw tea-makers grinding leaves into powder and fishers gathering their nets. A majority of them had gleams of sorrow in their eyes. Every other woman would break to her knees and weep.

Kakashi frowned in sympathy. He continued to walk, knowing there was nothing he could do. "I wonder when I'll get to work."

He had walked and walked for almost five days to reach the Land of Tea. On the way, it was hotter than he suspected, but thankfully, but the ground was moist and fresh. There was a painstakingly large amount of vicious cataracts that he had run into, so he decided to journey the long way, ashamed that he allowed himself to be bullied by his fear of drowning.

As uneventful passed as the word of the day, Kakashi was forced to hear his own thoughts rambling on in his head. He turned and took in another view of the Fire's entry mountains in the distance. The mysterious pebbles that peeked over the Tea's horizon.

Maybe he shouldn't've done this. Yep, it was definite-he REALLY shouldn't've done this! And now he had a serious objective. But what if he had a chance at handling it by himself? He was a thirteen year-old Jonin, after all!

He'd find the culprit and head home before the next sunrise. Uh-oh, Kushina's going to be so mad-maybe even Sensei, too. But won't they feel silly for not letting him go in the first place? Yeah, Kakashi'll show them! He'll remind them how good of a ninja he is. He's always been such a good, loyal shinobi.

Ugh, but he felt like such a bad person. Disobeying his precious aunt who saved his life variously, disobeying his dear master who made a Jonin out of him. The people who took him in after his parent's deaths, despite the many cons. His chest ached just thinking about it.

"Dammit, I need something to do." Kakashi swore, impatiently. He plucked out a cigarette, lit it, pulled down his mask, and smoked a second time. Being stuck in his head was not an enjoyable place to be.

##

It was nighttime now. Kakashi was wandering the outskirts of the Fishing. The harsh winds picked up in an instant. His white-silver hair was in a fray, lashing his face and eyes. It was a tiresome chore to walk-Kakashi had to lean forward just to keep himself on the ground. He shut his eyes, wearing a frown.

He had been venturing through the violent monsoon for nearly an hour. For an hour, he was uneasy. He heard a strange rustling behind him. Countless times he stopped to cast a glare over his shoulder. There was always nothing.

Kakashi's visible eye slit when he lifted his head to get a sense of where he was heading. He could barely see through the showers, could barely see anything beyond five feet. Then, when he noticed a flash of a dark figure out of the corner of his eye, he lashed out a kunai and took a defensive stance. A large fishnet was flung his way; he dodged with a flip and hid behind a tree.

"Hatake, what's going on?" asked the Third.

"I think I'm being attacked, sir. I have to engage-"

"No, avoid contact unless it's absolutely necessary. Remember the objective. Clear out the civilians."

"The town is nearly vacant, milord."

"Good. Stay alert."

Kakashi sighed slightly. "Yes sir."

The young Jonin noticed two bead-like pebbles rolling by his foot. Immediately, he jerked away from it. It exploded the tree into shards of wood and smoke. The force of ignition shoved him further than anticipated. Like a rag doll, he soared through the screens of gas. He flipped in the suffocating air, and crashed into the ground before breaking out a few rolls and tumbles. He coughed and choked on the water and ash that he face-planted into. His head shot up to see something pinch of lilac fumes in the haze. He stood.

Then, unexpectedly, his chakra was draining and he saw spots like a flame burning through paper. Growing like mold on a shower wall. "What the hell..." His voice trailed off.

His head felt heavy as metal. He was soon 'jellified' from the neck down, wobbling toward the floor hopelessly before catching himself with his hands. His breath escaped from his lungs as if sucked by a vacuum. In his giddy, he felt as though the world was lopsided and bouncing around.

Soon, he saw the offender standing over him. There was a strange seal on his chest. A tattoo of the kanji: hell. His face was terribly disfigured. The man lashed out a few hand signs, summoning genjutsu. Before his very eyes, the sealed man melted away into the ground that liquefied.

"I'm engaging." he said to the device, though it sounded more like an order than a question. He tore the earpiece out and threw it to the floor.

Fighting the urge to drift away, Kakashi scurried to his feet. Clutching a kunai so tightly, it burned his skin to a rash. This man was dangerous; Kakashi sensed and smelt his explosive amount of chakra. The battlefield was devoured in a blanket of shadows. It was not natural, but an ominous darkness. Like there were demonic creatures lurking around, watching his every move.

The boy felt sweat trail down the side of his face. The hairs on his body sprang up. 'Concentrate...listen.' He closed his eyes and focused. In this observant state, the young Jonin could hear a grain of sand trickle into a pond.

Kakashi waited.

Heavy silence. It grew anticipatory. Kakashi's heart raced, but he urged it to peace. Once secure, he carefully signaled Ox, followed by Rabbit, and concluded with Monkey. He outstretched his arm under him. At his will, sparks of lightning chirped from his bare palm. His own chakra combing through his hair.

Kakashi's eyes remained shut, his face calm and relaxed. Purely expressionless. His ears strained for any noise, blocking out his whinnying jutsu.

Nothing for a while...

Crack!

Kakashi added an extra dose of chakra, the intensity flowing harshly through his silver hair. Chidori screeched louder and the floor rumbled. Then, he took off toward the opposing source of chakra, letting his nose lead him.

He dashed until he was within five feet from the enemy. He jerked his hand before him. It slammed into what felt like a brick wall. Said tower of rock began to spill warm liquid that seeped before the Jonin's fingers. The stench of iron polluted the air.

The disgusting man began to drool in his deathly stupor, saliva and blood falling onto Kakashi's forearm. It sizzled excruciatingly through the skin, steam rising.

"Agh!" Kakashi, in a hurried manner, yanked his hand back and kicked the corpse away. The perpetrator's blood trailed down his arm, coating his wannabe sleeves. The genjutsu atmosphere dissipated away. He looked down at his burn-the corrosive slime had only begun to eat away at his clothes and flesh, but it was painful as hell.

Then, he felt a hand on his wrist. Flinching, he took a hold of the hand and twisted it backwards, making the second perpetrator collapse to the ground.

"Ah! Little runt!" The man stood just in time for Kakashi to force a kunai through his shoulder. As he was transfixed in pain, the young Jonin then 'roundhouse kicked' him to a far distance, clearly knocking him unconscious. Easy enough.

It was quiet again, aside from the roaring thunder. Kakashi could hear his heartbeat in his ears, thudding and picking up speed.

Then, he heard a snapping noise. It startled him, as he glanced over his shoulder, another large fishing net devoured him like an alligator devours its prey. He let out a grunt when it knocked him to the ground. Like an animal caught in a poucher's trap.

On the floor, the rope pinned him down well, it was definitely manufactured by a skilled man. The rope was arranged in a lattice made of perfect cubic squares.

To his surprise, it was the village's police force. Three men in their mid-thirties stood mightily above him, each with a clichè thick mustache and slicked back dark hair.

"What're you doing?" Kakashi demanded, his dripping hair pouring over his eyes.

"Our jobs. Your kind isn't allowed here." said one.

"What do you mean 'my kind'?! I'm here to help you!" The boy resisted the rope, trying to reach into his pouch.

"We do not accept help from ninja. It is for the better of the people."

"What do you-" Kakashi stammered. "Okay, look, I'm on your side. I'm from the Hidden Leaf on a mission. That's all. Now let me go."

"Tell it to the village leader. We do not associate with ninja."

Asshole.

The two other guards, as if on cue, gathered the spare rope into a bundle. Kakashi felt himself being lifted. The first policeman's words sucked every last drop of Kakashi's patience as a sponge absorbs water. His brows narrowed, but he finally got a hold of his pouch.

"Whatever," Kakashi noticed a crowd forming. "I'll finish my mission and be on my way."

"I don't think so. You're a minor, I presume, so you must be surveillanced until one of your other 'ninja' come for you."

"What an idiot." Kakashi muttered. His eyes rolled in dismay. He began to wonder...

The enemy could have had back-ups, hiding in the screens of trees or under bridges and fishing docks. They could be disguised as a civilian, living amongst humble-ignorant-people. He could smell him. Yeah, the small Jonin was here on a mission and goddammit he was going to do it! His finger touched the rim of the handle of a kunai.

The sponge was overstuffed, water leaking in torrents. "Screw it."

Kakashi extracted the kunai from his pouch and sliced through the net in one stroke. He landed painfully on his wrist, but ignored it as the guards would come to notice.

They lashed around in unison with jaws dropped. One was armed with a long spear, the other with some sort of zapping device, and the last with a sword. "Stand down, boy."

After sniffing the air for chakra, Kakashi made out the hidden shape of one of the criminals he was to retrieve for the Hokage. Said criminal was under the protection of a lazy tree on a higher slope to his right. The policemen were blocking his way. The young Jonin's eyebrows drew together again.

"I said, stand down. You're a trespasser and minor. You're coming with us." ordered one cop. The boy's teeth gritted. The invisible enemy summoned a massive load of chakra and he saw torrents of developing fire circulating his body. Kakashi ripped off his cape. There was no way he was going to miss his mark.

Ox, Rabbit, Monkey.

Kakashi nursed another Chidori. It exploded like a mini firework. The trio's eyes enlarged and one even appeared nauseous. The speared one rose his weapon in defense while the other two hid behind him like cowards. The crowd of civilians scurried behind sheds and houses and adobes.

"W-what is that?!" they cried.

"Move!" Kakashi growled, his temper piqued, chakra and wind cascading through his hair. Then, not caring if the guards remained in his path, off he went, bustling and lurching across the battlefield with a ravenous Chidori in his palm.

Luckily, all three adults dodged the rampaging Jonin just in time. The small ninja, comically in a dark humor kind of way, used one of the passive guard's heads as a trampoline and launched himself into the air.

From another point of view, it would appear that he was using his hand to try and break his fall. Thrusting Chidori and tackling thin air. His jutsu, with one last jolt of energy, subsided and faded away.

Kakashi hit his mark. The enemy's blood spilled and soaked into the dirt. His hand was entirely through his sternum, punching an admirable sized hole through the bone. The perpetrator spat blood in the boy's face and hair as Kakashi could not glare into his eyes as life exited his body.

His invisibility jutsu assuaged; the crowd flourished in a choir of gasps and cries. Some were transfixed and traumatized. Parents shielded their children's eyes from the horror. Others fainted, some boldly shrieked.

Kakashi climbed off the body, his right side drenched with blood. The screams intensified. He cursed. This mission was considered a failure since the target was dead. But the perpetrator was going to blow up anyway, which would've resulted in barbequed Fishing Village citizens. Relief swallowed him whole. But still, he failed.

The Three Stooges of policemen rose to their feet in awe.

With a heavy breath of exhaustion, the boy collapsed to his hands and knees. Handling two explosive Chidoris in one day was enough. His chakra was draining faster than he could comprehend. All that mattered, everyone was safe.

"He's...a sorcerer!" exclaimed one man. "He's a sorcerer!"

The Jonin's head wearily rose. He glanced around at the hateful, disdained viewers who pointed the finger at him. "You can't be serious," he groused. "I'm not a sorcerer."

"The sorcerer's lying!"

"What part of 'I'm not a sorcerer' don't you understand?" Kakashi snapped, standing wobbly.

Then he was tackled to the ground, face first. He landed with a low "ugh!" It was the policeman with the sword. He was literally sitting on top of the silver-haired ninja's back while he handcuffed him. "You're under arrest for witchcraft."

"Sorcerer!"

"Go to hell!"

"Rot, you monster!"

The crowd chanted insults at the boy as if he were the ugliest being on Earth.

The townspeople began pelting rocks at the Leaf ninja. Kakashi dodged most of them, but a woman got a lucky hit between his eye and ear. As it fell to the ground, a stream of blood leaked down his cheek.

"Hold it! People, calm down!" the security officers wheedled. But their commands were declined with more rocks and shards of glass heading toward the claimed sorcerer. Kakashi recoiled. The glass crystals simply bounced off his shoulders or got tangled in his hair, but the rocks hit him hard everywhere.

Another good shot threw a stone at the young Jonin's head. The impact was great enough to jerk Kakashi's head to the right. He stumbled, falling to his side. More blood emerged from his temple. He heard their satisfactory cackling.

"Kazuya," said one of the policemen. "Take him to the carriage. His presence is aggravating them."

"They're gonna kill the boy." added another. "PEOPLE, CALM DOWN!"

"C'mon, you!" Kazuya grabbed Kakashi's upper arm and began to drag him. Kakashi glared at him. Suddenly, he stomped on Kazuya's foot. Then, when the man was arched over and holding his foot, he turned around and headbutted him right in the nose.

"Ahh!"

Kakashi took this chance to dart off into the forest, ignoring his injuries.