Rescue Me
By Jet Set Yoyo

Summary: Nineteen year old Kakashi wasn't exactly a happy person, not after everything he had been through, but he could at least say he was content with where he was in life at the moment. When a foreign Shinobi infiltrates Konoha in the dead of night Kakashi finds himself in an interesting position and everything in his life turns upside down. Bit of an AU but not quite.

Author Notes: The title is actually of a music video I was listening to and may likely be changed in the future. I haven't come up with something good yet. Also this is a plot bunny I needed to write down before I forgot it. I still have a million other stories I should be finishing right now. This may or may not be continued.

The night was cool; perfectly crisp fall weather. The autumn leaves danced through the breeze raining a brightly colored rainbow onto the ground below. It wasn't late but most of the village had already settled in for the night, while others took the time to enjoy a bit of the night life. All was normal; quiet. One particular silver-haired teen had settled in for the night. Sitting atop his bed reading a book, the boy was dressed in pajamas save for the black cloth mask obscuring his face and a night cap covered his left eye leaving only one grey one to concentrate on his book. He rarely took it off and certainly not anywhere anyone could see.

A knock came from his window and one grey eye shifted upwards lazily. An ANBU member knelt outside his window waiting patiently for the teen to open it. He was clad in standard issue garb; black clothing with a grey flak jacket as well as a mask hiding his face. This one was of an otter. Kakashi set down his book and trudged to the window before sliding it open slightly, no particular rush to hear what the man had to say.

"What is it? This better be important; I've been given leave to rest and I really would like to catch up on my book," the teen grumbled through the cloth mask.

"Apologies Captain but there's an urgent summons from the Hokage. A foreign Shinobi has infiltrated the village," Otter explained and Kakashi stiffened for a moment before turning to change into his ANBU uniform. Otter continued, "A team has already been dispatched to his current location but the Hokage asked for you to be there as well. For some reason, this Shinobi is currently by the memorial stone."

"Shit," Kakashi cursed, wriggling into his black pants before snapping on his flak jacket. Lastly he slid his Dog mask over his face and flew out the window past Otter. "Let's go then."

Otter and Kakashi ran across the rooftops quickly, travelling to the outskirts of town where the cemetery and memorial stone were located. Up ahead the rest of the ANBU team were already in position, hidden behind rocks and in the tree branches. Kakashi slowed down and Otter broke off to join his team in the trees. They had the Shinobi surrounded.

As Kakashi got closer the foreign ninja came into view. A small child, barely five or six, with short silver hair seemed to have taken an interest in the memorial stone itself. The child ran his fingers across the smooth stone, feeling the ridges of the names etched forever into its surface. Kakashi raised an eyebrow at the nearest ANBU incredulously which only earned him a shrug in return. The teen sighed, slightly annoyed. Even if this was a foreign ninja, which he seriously doubted from the lack of reaction to the presence of shinobi surrounding him, he was too green. While ANBU were masters at concealing their Chakra, Kakashi had briefly let his flare freely before reining it back in and there had been not even a twitch from the boy. He was far too young to be anyone of considerable skill; hardly a task the ANBU should have been dealing with. Sure Kakashi had been exceptional at the age of five but that's all it was; exceptional, not skilled. Skill came after training and experience of which this child looked far too young to have under his belt. Kakashi stepped out of his hiding place and into the clearing. Still the child seemed to take no notice. He advanced forward, stopping roughly twenty feet from the boy; far enough to dodge an attack but close enough to make his own.

"Maa, now what would a little foreign Shinobi be wanting with a list of our KIA?" Kakashi questioned, his voice a slight drawl. The child nearly jumped eight feet then whirled around with wide green eyes.

"I-I," stammered the little one, wringing the hem of his light blue tunic in his hands nervously. "I-I just was l-looking. I-I'm n-not a n-ninja. A-am I n-not s-su-supposed to be h-here?"

Kakashi sighed again. The Hokage must be going senile in his old age if he thought this jumpy little rabbit was a threat. It seemed unlikely the child was lying; he was visibly shaking from head to toe. Especially senile if he felt the assassination squad was the right men for the job as opposed to the police squad or heck, even a single Chunnin. The little boy took no comfort in the older boy's momentary silence, tears formed in his eyes.

"Generally foreign visitors are supposed to check in at the gate and state their business. Since no one knows who you are or why you're here, yes, you're not supposed to be here," Kakashi explained, crossing his arms over his chest. It was then that the teen noticed a sudden exorbitant amount of chakra leaking out of the child. His grey eyes narrowed and he reached for a kunai, "You're lying. No civilian has even half the amount of chakra you do."

"Ch-chakra? P-please, I-I'm really not a ninja. I d-don't know what you're talking about. Please don't hurt me, I'll be good. I promise," the child was virtually in hysterics now reduced to babbling incoherently through sobs. Tears streamed down his chubby cheeks and his hands clutched the hem of his tunic so tightly they were turning white. The chakra leaking from the boy took on a visible shape, swirling grey around him. This only served to put Kakashi further on edge. The child still didn't seem to be lying but the chakra surrounding him told otherwise and for once he couldn't quite decide what he should do. The ANBU squad made their advance, coming to surround the boy and back up the young captain.

"Let me through," an old rusty voice rang out from behind the squad. Kakashi and the others turned to see the Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, clad in his white robe and hat waving them away. The elder made his way through the pack of shinobi towards the panicked child. "Calm yourself child, if you answer honestly you won't be harmed. If you're not a ninja, what is this chakra you possess?"

The child hiccupped and wiped furiously at the tears in his eyes in an attempt to make them stop. For a moment he was unsuccessful but Hiruzen's patience and disarming smile made his second attempt more fruitful. The little boy gave one last little sniff before piping up, "I-I really don't know sir. Honest! Please, I'll be good. Don't hurt me."

"Well where did you come from?"

"I-I… don't know that either. I remember waking up in the forest and I just kept walking. Then it was night time and I saw the lights in the village and I just walked in. I didn't know I was supposed to tell anybody. I didn't have any money so I just came over here. I was going to find somewhere to sleep but I got distracted; this rock is pretty."

"Hn," Hiruzen grunted, internally weighing the prospect of the child's honesty. "What is your name? Also where are your parents?"

"I… don't know. I don't think I have a name or parents…"

"Troubling indeed. It would be difficult for someone with so little information about themselves to come to stay here in Konoha. Our village's security is of utmost importance," Hiruzen began, frowning lightly. The little boy started to shake again, working himself back up into another panic.

"Please sir-" He started but was quickly cut off by Hiruzen's raised hand signaling for his immediate silence.

"Let me finish child. I have no intentions of casting a young one such as yourself back out into the forest in the dead of night. While I cannot give you free reign, you'll have to earn it; you may stay on a trial basis. First you'll be taken to our interrogation squad to answer some more questions. Then you'll be assigned a guardian. If I feel that you are not a threat and can be a valuable asset to Konoha, your stay will be granted permanently if you desire. Otherwise you'll be released at the border."

The little boy was equal parts worried and ecstatic. An interrogation squad seemed ominous but he was already assured that if he told the truth they wouldn't hurt him. He peered up at the old man, biting his lip before giving the man a bright smile.

"Yes sir!"

"Good. Kakashi, escort the boy to Ibiki and Inoichi for questioning. In the meantime I'll decide where to place him if he's cleared."

"I'm a girl," the child huffed, puffing out her cheeks indignantly.

"Oho, is that so?" Hiruzen chuckled, patting the child lightly on the head. "My apologies child."

"S'ok. I don't mind," the girl grinned toothily. Kakashi still frowned, wondering just what exactly the Hokage was up to.

"Yes Hokage-sama," he replied automatically, not really willing to disobey a direct order. Hiruzen waved away the rest of the ANBU unit, who quickly shushined away to resume their assigned duties or retire for the night leaving the trio alone in the clearing.

"What's wrong Kakashi?"

"Nothing Hokage-sama. I'm just unsure of what to make of her. This chakra is odd and the amount unfathomable for such a young child. However if there's something to find, I'm sure Ibiki-san and Inoichi-san will be able to find it. I trust your judgment."

"I'm pleased to hear that Kakashi. Go now, I'm sure she's cold and hungry," Hiruzen smiled, patting the child's head again. With that he turned to leave as well, and the teen was left with the small girl. His grey eyes met her green ones as he scrutinized her one last time. The chakra had long since dissipated but he could still feel that enormous strength hidden within it. If the child was cleared, she might become a great asset to Konoha in the future. He figured the Hokage was likely thinking the same. Time would tell, Kakashi told himself willing himself to leave the subject alone.

"Mm, well c'mon now. I've got a book to finish."

Kakashi shoved his hands into his pockets and turned to leave; pausing briefly to make sure the kid was following him. She was half a step behind him, peering back up at him as he stopped. When he resumed she fell in step beside him and decided to gawk at everything they passed. The teen wondered for a moment if he should have blindfolded her but it was too late now. They passed shops; some beginning to close for the night devoid of customers and only the shopkeepers in the final stages of cleaning remained. Others already long closed, their windows dark and doors locked. Drunken civilians and shinobi wandered home, red cheeked and half asleep. Kakashi wondered if it really was already that late. It was too bad he would likely have to save his reading for the morning.

"Hey mister?"

"Hm?"

"What's that," the girl chirped, pointing off into the distance. Kakashi's one uncovered eye followed her pointing finger to the cliff overlooking the village; more specifically the faces carved into its side.

"Those are all the Hokages."

"And that old man was one of them? He's a Hokage?"

"Yes."

"Which one is he?"

"The Sandaime."

"But there's four up there… where the Yondaime?"

Kakashi froze, uncomfortable with the turn of the conversation. Talk of Minato-sensei was kept brief or non-existent around him. He himself would never speak of the man, the memories still too painful for the teen. Especially after losing his friends and teammates not that long before he lost his only remaining father figure as well. Though five years had passed, the wound hadn't closed. He merely shoved the pain so deep, masking it with indifference, and burying himself in his work.

"He's dead," Kakashi forced out finally, realizing the girl was waiting for an answer. Her eyes widened, and then softened with regret.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-"

"Don't worry about it. Let's go. I'm sure they're waiting for us and if we take too long someone will come looking."

"Ok…"

The rest of the walk was muted. For Kakashi the silence was welcomed; he preferred to keep out of useless small talk. For the child it only served to make her antsier. She was playing with the hem of her tunic again. Obviously a nervous habit, the silver-haired teen noted; children were so transparent. Inoichi was waiting outside interrogations, probably having just arrived himself since it was so late. The older male regarded the young girl with a pained smile. Interrogating children was an especially arduous task; one he would do without protest but that didn't mean he had to like it. It was difficult not see his own child in the faces of some of the children he had once interrogated. Inflicting pain on one who was supposed to be innocent was rarely rewarding and often a fruitless endeavor altogether.

"I'll take it from here. Go home and rest Kakashi, you look tired."

"Yes Inoichi-san. Thank you," Kakashi replied robotically, turning to leave.

"Thanks mister, uh, Kakashi-san!"

The little voice nearly startled the teen, not at all expecting a farewell from the child. He lifted a hand in a lazy wave and kept walking. Now that he thought about it, he really was tired. His book would definitely have to wait until the morning. Once he was home, Kakashi changed back into his pajamas and slipped a bookmark into place on the page he left off on before closing it up. He settled into bed and drifted into a light sleep. Maybe the nightmares would ease up tonight and let him get a decent rest. In recent years they had waned from their previous intensity. Before, when the death of his teammates and teacher were fresh in his memories, he had hardly slept a wink because of them. Even if he did sleep it was often restless and he awoke more tired than he was before. Now they only plagued him on occasion but still often enough to be a hindrance.

The next morning was quiet. Kakashi awoke to the sunlight on his face, warm from its concentration through the glass window. He almost didn't want to get up. Forcing himself from the warmth of his blanket, he slogged sleepily to the bathroom to relieve himself and take a much needed shower. Breakfast came next and he realized upon opening his refrigerator that he would need to go shopping sometime soon; he was almost out of food. There was barely enough left for a light breakfast consisting of miso soup, rice, eggs, and a grilled mackerel. The teen made a mental note to do some shopping later and dug into his meal.

Just as he was finished and ready to start washing the dishes, a knock came from his window. Kakashi shifted his gaze to see Otter once again kneeling outside. With a heavy sigh, mildly irritated he hadn't been able to enjoy his supposed time off without interruption, he opened the window.

"Now what?" He growled, though he held the irritation from his voice Otter knew that the young captain wasn't too happy to be called upon again.

"Hokage-sama requests your presence at his office immediately."

"Fine, fine. I'll be there soon. Dismissed."

"Yes sir." Otter shushined away, leaving Kakashi to grumble by himself in his apartment. The Hokage could wait a bit; Otter didn't say it was seriously important. With that the teen went to clean the dishes taking his time.

By the time Kakashi showed up to the Hokage tower it was an hour later. Hiruzen looked mildly displeased but otherwise made no remarks on the teen's tardiness. The child was there, sitting quietly in the corner drawing on some paper Kakashi noted. Hiruzen clear his throat, bringing Kakashi's attention back to the elder.

"There has been some interesting developments but nothing concrete at the moment," Hiruzen started, eying Kakashi curiously as the teen's gaze shifted again towards the small girl who was completely engrossed in her drawing. "Inoichi was unable to find much in the child's memories. However, he was met with a fierce resistance as he dug further. More specifically a creature in the child's mind pushed him out. Ibiki's questioning revealed just as much as we found out last night."

Kakashi frowned; Inoichi was unable to read the child's mind? Even the most seasoned Shinobi were unable to resist Inoichi's mind-transfer jutsu. Even more concerning was this creature.

"What kind of creature? How is that possible? A seal, or is she a-"

"I think so. However it is unlike any I've ever heard of. If so, this is not a typical Bijuu. In light of this information, we will keep her here. She will need to be watched as well as guarded. Whoever left her likely wanted her to come here but they may come looking for her if she fails to complete whatever mission she was sent for. Sending her away is now out of the question."

"But Hokage-sama!"

"Silence Kakashi," Hiruzen bellowed. Kakashi immediately closed his mouth and the little girl looked up briefly, staring warily at the pair of adults. After a moment Hiruzen continued, his voice softer, "I understand your concern Kakashi. After what happened before, this may be another attempt of the same. However we have no proof she even is one. Regardless she would be an asset. We'll make the best of this situation. I'm assigning you as her guardian. You're hereby relieved of your ANBU duties and returned to standard forces."

"Hokage-sama! I can't take care of a child!"

"You took care of yourself all these years just fine."

"That was… that was different sir. I don't know the first thing about children and you know I wasn't like any typical child."

"Neither is she. You'll be just fine Kakashi. This is not a request my boy, this is an order. There is no one else I would trust with such a tremendous task. I have faith in you, have some faith in yourself."

Kakashi couldn't find the words to try and convince Hiruzen that he was a terrible fit for caring for a child. The only excuses he could find were that he didn't want to, it was annoying, and he didn't know the first thing about how to raise a kid properly. Also being on missions often kept his memories at bay for at least a little while. Now what would he occupy his mind with? It seemed unlikely any of those would serve to change the stubborn old man's mind. The lazy teen sighed, slouching in defeat. He looked down by chance and was met by a pair of green eyes.

"So, I'm going to stay with you?" The girl blinked owlish-ly. Her voice held a slight nervousness to it.

"Indeed child, you'll be staying with Kakashi for the time being. He will keep you safe and care for you." Hiruzen chimed in before Kakashi could protest anymore, sending the young girl a warm smile.

"Yes sir. I'm ready when you are Kakashi-san."

All the way back to his apartment Kakashi tried his best to ignore the 'ooh's and ahh's' coming from the girl. It was as if she had never been in a village at all. Certainly nothing around merited such awe. Simple shops, simple people, heck she even ooh'd at a shrub in someone's front yard. At the same time he was ignoring her antics, he was scrutinizing her behavior. It was obvious to the teen she was wary of him; open enough that she would not be seen as a threat but still avoiding him as often as she could. He wondered briefly if he frightened her. All the better, she would leave him be and things could be relatively normal. Still, she was the oddest little thing he had ever seen. Perhaps he really didn't know anything about children, if she was so engrossed by the simplest of things. A faint feeling of warmth snapped him from his thoughts; a little hand was trying to grab his own and he jerked away like it was fire.

"Don't touch me," he snapped immediately regretting the words as they left his mouth. The girl shrunk back, dropping her hand by her side dejected. He fell silent again, letting her walk ahead of him. She feigned interest in her surroundings once more but with far less exuberance, he swallowed the twinge of guilt in the pit of his stomach.

Kakashi unlocked the front door of his apartment and stepped inside, removing his sandals and setting them aside neatly. The girl followed him in reluctantly, removing her own sandals before peering around the cozy room. It was simple, a bedroom with a small table off to the side. Off to one side was the door to a tiny kitchen with a kitchenette and a small refrigerator and immediately next to it was an equally small bathroom. Kakashi wondered briefly how he was supposed to care for a child in such a small space. What once was the perfect size seemed a lot more cramped with another person added in. The child didn't comment on the matter, if it was even thought of; she was busy inspecting the room and came to a stop in front of a small portrait on his nightstand. A trio of children smiled, sans one rather grumpy one and one cheery blond adult stood behind them. She went to pick the picture up.

"Don't touch that," Kakashi barked quickly, adding quietly, "It's very important to me."

"Oh, m'sorry. I'll be more careful," she apologized. Looking thoughtful for a moment she spoke up once more, "Who are they? Your friends?"

"My teammates."

"Can I meet them? They look so nice."

"You already did."

"Huh?"

"They're dead. Their names are written on the memorial stone."

Green eyes widened and the child's face fell. She said too much again but it was so difficult to start a conversation with this man. Anything she could find to bring up a conversation seemed taboo and the silver-haired girl began to wonder if there would be anything she could get to know about her guardian that wouldn't make either of them sad. They already seemed to be off on the wrong foot and no matter what she kept making things worse. This time she deigned to stay quiet and plopped herself down on the floor by the table taking her little pad of paper and pen out of her tunic.

"Stay here I'm going shopping," Kakashi spoke finally, turning towards the door. The child got up suddenly looking frightened.

"C-can I come?"

"No, just stay here and don't leave the house."

"Y-yes sir."

"Think up a name for yourself while I'm gone. I can't keep calling you 'kid' or 'girl,'" he added, slipping his sandals back on and letting the door close loudly behind him before locking it. The little girl sunk back to the floor, no longer interested in drawing. Worry clouded her mind and she couldn't help but sniffle as tears formed in her eyes.

I have no internet so these are written on my laptop and transferred to my phone before upload. Apologies if the formatting suffers and if I missed any spelling/grammatical errors in my proofreading. Also I goofed; Hiruzen refers to Kakashi by name while he's in his ANBU uniform which is a big no-no. Also Kakashi put on his ANBU uniform at home which is also a big no-no. As far as I know their ANBU gear is kept in their lockers at headquarters in order to preserve all that secrecy and whatnot.