Blood dripped slow, trickling down his side. Pale ivory armor was crusted with red-brown, but his breathing was even and silent. The mask of a wickedly snarling wolf was sideways on his head, parts of it splattered with thick red liquid. A slender katana was held in his grip, the silver blade dripping with blood.
A whisper of wind whirled past his hair, rustling the silver strands. Cold eyes peered out like shards of hard but breakable ice.
Moonlight shone down, illuminating his pale skin.
Discarded bodies of men laid crumpled in the red snow.
"Leave no traces of Konoha."
They phased. There was no disturbance.
One bored, interchangeable-colored eye peered out, the other hidden under a metal-plated cloth. The air was cold, yet he left his shoulders exposed, his blood-colored ANBU tattoo displayed on his upper left arm.
Gai waved frantically at the slouched teen, but his mask was too new; he radiated frigid ness; it would take time to carve out a carefree persona, to exude the lazy aura he would soon be known for.
The teen ignored Gai and the other people sitting with him, hands dug deep in his standard-issue jounin pants. There was nothing he could say, his words choked in his throat.
If he went to sit down by them and have dango, he was afraid they'd see past his carefully crafted mask, see how tainted and disturbed he was. It was better for them.
"He is still so cold... Yondaime-sama originally got him to join ANBU to let go of his coldness and sad heart... but I don't think it's helping him at all..."
Gai.
"Yeah, the darkness... but do you really blame him?"
Asuma.
"You mean his teammates? But they were our classmates and friends, too! And he still has his sensei..."
Kurenai.
"He's Hokage, though... he must be busy, especially since he married Kushina-san."
Gai.
His ears heard them all, and the camaraderie between Gai and his teammates made him wistful.
His apartment was a cold place, all blank and white, the only thing showing that a living being was living there was two pictures and the bloodied weapons clattered in the sink. One picture was of his genin team, the other of his parents.
The bed was made to every last wrinkle, completely smooth and straight. He had OCD; actually, he had a whole list of issues, but what good shinobi didn't? A small, unnoticeable smirk.
Oh, how screwed up he was. A lifetime of therapy wouldn't be able to fix him.
"Lighten up, 'Kashi!" Obito said cockily, one hand on his hip, the other cupping those ridiculous orange goggles of his.
He blinked. Obito was gone. A hallucination? What would sensei do if he found out one of his top ANBU had a hallucination? Send him to a psych ward to rot.
Ha, if Obito could see him now... see how he'd wasted away to this pathetic thing. This shell of his former arrogant self. A bitter smile crossed his lips briefly, concealed by the darkness of his mask. He turned. There was nothing for him there.
His keen ears heard footsteps leading to his door. The faint scent of warmth and cinnamon crept through the wall. He opened the door. A crimson-haired women paused in the middle of knocking.
"Argh!" she said cheerfully, "Curse your good shinobi senses!"
Despite himself, he found that he had a small smile twisting his masked lips.
"Hello, Kushina-sama, come in."
"No, no, none of that formal crap. Call me Kushina! After all, your father was my senpai."
His polite smile stiffened.
Oblivious, Kushina went on, "So, since it's your birthday, I was wondering if you'd come to our house to eat dinner!"
Looking at him quickly, she hastily added, "I mean, I know you don't like celebrating and stuff, but Minato and I were really hoping to- like- ya know- to be with you, dattebane! 'Cause like, you're gonna be ten and that's huge! Your first two digit number! And I'm gonna get your favorite, ya know, and this apartment is so small and empty. Not that there's anything wrong with it, dattebane! But birthdays are special and stuff, and-" she babbled frantically.
Amused, Kakashi swiftly interrupted her before she could bust a vein, "I'd love to go."
"- it's the day you were born, dattebane, and-" she paused, "really? I mean, there'snothingwrongwithyougoing, andyouwon'tbeanybother, dattebane, and-"
"When?"
"Seven!" Kushina beamed, flushed slightly.
"I'll be there. Thank you."
~ It was 6:30, and Kakashi was beginning his trek to the Hokage Tower. In a way, Kushina was sort of like a mother to him. She was always letting herself into his apartment, and bringing bento lunches to him.
She had this bubbly warmth that made you want to be near her, this charisma that drew you to her. Minato and her truly deserved each other... just as he himself deserved nothing.
Rin...
People died around him. He had to keep a distance from Kushina... Minato... Gai, and his friends... what was he doing, going to his sensei's house?
He cleared his mind.
'Minato-sensei said it wasn't your fault,' he reminded himself.
He got to the building and jumped up to the open window. They really did know him well.
"Hello," Minato said cheerfully, "I'm glad you came! Happy birthday, 'Kashi-chan."
The dining room was decorated with white, green, and navy blue streamers, the table overflowing with platters of food.
Kushina always did go overboard with food.
"Kakashi! Happy birthday!" Kushina poked her head from the kitchen, wiping her hands off with a towel, "I'm not done yet, but-"
Really? What more did she have to do?
"I can help," Kakashi offered, walking over to her.
"No!" Kushina bellowed, her bright red hair flying up ominously, a dark aura radiating from her, "It's your birthday! Stay put- sit down!" She shoved Kakashi away from the kitchen, "It's a surprise!"
Wordlessly, Kakashi sat down.
"Yeah... it's best you listen to her when she's in a mood like this," Minato whispered to the teen.
"What did you say?" Kushina turned slowly.
"Nothing! Nothing at all, dear!" Minato got up quickly, making placating gestures at her.
"Huh. Good."
Under his breath, Kakashi muttered, "whipped."
Minato turned a teasing glare on him, "you would be too, if you had Kushina as your wife."
But secretly, Minato was glad Kakashi had spoken up. A few months ago, he would have stayed silent. He appreciated how Kakashi had tried to change.
"WHAT?"
"Nothing, sweetheart!"
~ Knowing his dislike of sweets, Kushina had baked him a simple vanilla sponge cake with fruit toppings- no frosting or special filling. But even then, it was too sweet, but Kakashi choked it down without complaint, especially since he'd just eaten Kushina's special miso soup with aubergine.
Minato had complained about it not being sweet enough, but one glare from Kushina was enough to quell him.
"Here!" Kushina gave him a lopsided, lumpy gift. It was wrapped with bright orange and red wrapping paper, hastily taped together with yellow duct tape.
"I couldn't find the clear tape, dattebane," Kushina said sheepishly.
Minato gave him a more neatly wrapped box, navy blue and white, folded neatly and smoothed of creases.
"Kushina wanted to wrap hers by herself," he said in a way of apology.
"It's alright. Thanks," Kakashi smiled his first genuine smile in a long time. For someone who rarely got gifts like these in his childhood, things like this was a new concept to be reviled in.
"Well? Open it!" Kushina said impatiently.
Carefully, to not ruin it, Kakashi neatly ripped the tape off and peeled back the bulky layers of gift wrap. Kushina grinned excitedly, watching his expression.
There were two blades.
Kakashi unsheathed one of them. He lightly traced the complicated swirls of the dagger's hilt.
The steel was a mirror finished 440C high chromium martensitic stainless steel and a O1 high carbon tungsten-vanadium steel, judging from scent. The guard was probably made of a diffusion welded copper and silver- the union of the two metals complete on the atomic level, fused into a solid billet, yet it retained it's individual characteristics. The handle was a comfortable leather, the pommel capstone a black nephrite jade gemstone, diamond, some sort of agate, and aquamarine- recognized only because of a mission to Suna. There were symbols on it, probably courtesy of Kushina's special seals.
It was the most beautiful and complex blade Kakashi had ever held.
The sheath itself was a rare black ray skin inlaid in a leather shoulder. It was amazing.
"The craftsmanship is gorgeous, isn't it?" Kushina stated proudly, "blue lace agate, aquamarine, nephrite jade, and diamond that you can fuse with your chakra to make it stronger- or you can store chakra in it!"
"My turn!" Minato smiled mischievously, "it isn't quite as good as Kushina's gift, but it's pretty close!"
The silver-haired boy set the blades aside and gently pried the paper wrapping aside. There was a old, worn wooden box, with the kanji 'Memory Box: Kakashi and Minato'. He began to open it, but Minato grabbed his wrist.
"Eh-?" Kakashi turned.
"It literally takes you to my memories of you when you open it," Minato explained, "but only two times. I was trying to figure out how to make it limitless, but so far, I was only able to make it happen two times. When I find out how to make it limitless, I'll redo it!" Minato beamed at the wordless boy, "do you like it?"
Minato was only half surprised when Kakashi threw himself at Kushina and him, wrapping them into a hug with his thin, pale arms.
"Thank you."