black butterfly
The black butterfly marks the end and the start. (Ten year old Kakashi Hatake is killed. Over ten years later, a boy with a shock of white hair is seen, walking the streets of Konoha.) [character death; one-shot.]
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He can't breathe. There's too much blood in his lungs and so he coughs, to no avail because there's more in his lungs again and dying by suffocation is painful.
Minato-sensei's saying something but it's muted like he's underwater and he can't hear properly and the irritating chuunin-sensei at the Academy said something about sound not traveling as well underwater.
He can't see clearly either and that's never good because he likes all of his senses working. He's gone numb as well, that's probably not good because he can't move and oh Minato-sensei sounds so sad why are you sad sensei? He hates it when Minato-sensei is sad.
There's a girl and a boy sobbing too and are those Rin and Obito? Why would Obito cry for him anyways doesn't he hate him because he's such an asshole and what's the point when he's so mean to him?
He doesn't like it when his teammates are sad either.
Especially not for his sake but he can't tell them to shut up either because that'd be mean and it's not like he has the energy to because he's not even going to try fighting the heaviness in his eyelids and his eyes slide shut and there's an audible snap and a bright flash of reiatsu.
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He wakes up with a start, nearly falling out of his seat in the branches of a tree. Self-consciously, he adjusts the scarf Momo had given him (it's really nice, and it reminds him of his old mask).
Hyourinmaru is a soothing rumble at the back of his mind, and he's content just to listen to the dragon hum for a while, the contents of his dream slowly loosening their hold of urgency upon him because he hates dreaming about his death because nobody else does.
I think I'm okay now, Hyourinmaru. Thanks.
The dragon makes a contented noise. You're welcome. Now go do your job, and hopefully you won't be seen.
Minato-sensei and Rin and Obito can all see souls, right? he asks hesitantly. I mean, I think when I died I illuminated the entire forest with lightning chakra and reiatsu. It wouldn't stop snowing for a month, apparently.
Yes, Hyourinmaru agrees. Your reiatsu was embedded within them, and it caused them to be able to see souls.
He thinks on that for a while as he jumps over the rooftops, the evening dark.
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Minato bids Obito and Rin goodnight, heading off towards the Hokage's office to get some paperwork done; he has a little bit of time before Kushina expects him home. He's walking along the darkened streets when he spots a flash of white above, and immediately he looks up just in time to see a white haired figure dashing swiftly and silently over the rooftops of Konoha.
Is it…? Minato shakes his head at the ridiculous thought. It's probably some other shinobi coming home from a mission.
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"Honestly, Obito! How are you still hungry—we just came from Ichiraku's!"
He falters a little while on the rooftop and nearly misses a step, but thankfully his past days allowed him to regain his footing with his chakra. His foot still sends a pebble skittering down below.
The two jounin below look up immediately, and that's his cue to run. He jumps to the next rooftop, sliding into flash-step instantly and ignoring the two jounin lagging behind him.
"Wait!" shouts Obito desperately, and he still recognizes his voice despite it having gone through eighteen years. "Wait!"
It breaks his heart, but he ignores them and says nothing.
Hyourinmaru is silent.
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He stops only to catch his breath, and he's only slightly winded. He can still sense Rin and Obito's chakra signals, along with their faint reiatsu imprints, heading towards him.
Then he senses the Hollow's presence and he neatly dodges the attack, already chanting the incantation for a Kido spell. Finished, he launches a fully chanted Shakkaho at the Hollow, and with a wail it dissipates. Chakra and reiatsu are easy to manipulate, and Momo being there to help only quickened the process.
Looking around for the presence of a recently deceased soul, he finds it and heads for it, drawing Hyourinmaru and holding him in an unthreatening manner as he heads towards the house.
"W-who are you?" inquires a little boy, no more than seven, and he feels his heart sinking. "Why can't anyone see me? Mom and Dad—they're ignoring me!"
"You're dead," he tells the boy bluntly, finding no reason to sugarcoat it. "Because you're dead, nobody except a few others and other dead people can see you."
"A-are you dead?"
"Yes," he whispers. "I'm also here to send you to the afterlife." He shows Hyourinmaru to the boy, and his eyes take in the sight of it with awe.
"Will it hurt?"
He closes his eyes and opens them again. "It'll hurt here, because you're leaving your precious people behind," he answers, pressing a hand to his chest. "But you'll see them again, eventually. Are you ready?"
The boy nods resolutely, and he raises Hyourinmaru, pressing the hilt to the boy's forehead. With a faint glow, he dissipates and a Hell Butterfly wings into the sky.
Immediately, he sheathes Hyourinmaru and leaps back onto the rooftops. When he turns, he's alarmed to see that Rin and Obito are in sight. Rin's eyes are glimmering with unshed tears and Obito is hardly better off. "Wait!" is Obito's anguished cry, voice hoarse from shouting it so much.
With an irritated noise, he violently swipes his own eyes and picks up the pace, the wind running through his white hair and stinging his eyes. Momo's scarf flutters in the wind, an obnoxious contrast to his dark uniform.
Then there's an unwelcome roar, all too familiar, and he stops abruptly, whirling around towards the sound. His hand flies towards Hyourinmaru, and the dragon growls in response.
Obito and Rin are unabashedly staring at him, racing towards him. He hisses a curse, struggling to pinpoint where the roar (or roars) is coming from.
There!
He unsheathes Hyourinmaru in one fluid movement, lunging towards the two jounin. Immediately the kunai are out, but he ignores them, breezing passed them to slice open the Hollow that had appeared behind them.
"Tch," he says, voice icy. "Is there a reason you're stalking me?" He fixes them with an unwavering teal stare as he sheathes the Zanpakuto.
"It's really you," whispers Obito hoarsely, sounding breathless. "It's really you."
"Why… why would you run from us?" Rin asks, voice small. It hurts, hearing their voices so sad and utterly pathetic. It hurts more, knowing that he's the one who caused it.
He clenches a fist tightly. "The dead have no place amongst the living."
The words seem to deal a blow, because his former teammates flinch.
"Why can't you stay?" Obito hisses, voice strained with the attempt at keeping his voice down. "Did you know, we never received another teammate because you were the only one who could've been there? We've been grieving, Kakashi, and when you appear to us you expect us to just let you go?"
It's his turn to flinch but he regains his composure swiftly. "I am dead, Obito," he enunciates slowly, clearly. He draws in a shaky breath. "I'm no longer a human, even. Twelve years, and I have yet to age a day!" He—no, Kakashi—lets his fingers brush against the scarf. "I—I'm just an existence who's only purpose is to maintain balance between life and death! Only a select few people can even see me! And you expect me to be able to return to your side?"
Kakashi turns away. "I have my precious people too," he says bitterly. "Do you expect me to choose between those who I've known in life and those who I know in death? I can't. I can't do that."
Taking a deep and calming breath, Kakashi finally lets his whitened fist fall loose, and his Hell Butterfly floats around his face. "I—I'm sorry," he says. He closes his eyes and breathes out. "Tell… tell Minato-sensei… that I'll be the one to bring all of you to the other side."
Then he opens the Senkaimon and steps through, getting one last look at his teammates' tearful faces.
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"Are you crying?" Isshin asks, sounding worried.
"N-no," Kakashi sobs, blatantly lying. "Just… got dust in my eyes."
His captain doesn't correct him and leads him into the Barracks.
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Kakashi steps through the splash of vibrant crimson, ignoring the liquid that soaks his feet. His eyes are focused on the man, lying against the wall.
"Kakashi," says Minato-sensei, and he laughs a little. The cheerful sound belies his fatal injuries.
"Minato-sensei," he acknowledges with a dip of his head. "It's been fourteen years."
"I thought… I'd see… you here," Minato-sensei replies with a bright grin that Kakashi had always loved as a child. "Obito and Rin… told me."
Mindless of the blood, Kakashi takes a seat by his sensei's side. "I told them to," he answers, adjusting the scarf around his neck.
"Who gave you that?" Minato-sensei inquires, jerking his head feebly towards Kakashi's scarf.
"A close friend," Kakashi says.
"A girlfriend?" teases Minato-sensei, and despite himself, Kakashi's cheeks flush.
"No," he huffs.
They're quiet for a little bit.
"Hey… Kakashi."
"Yes, Minato-sensei?"
"Could you… tell… Kushina and… Rin… and Obito… and Naruto… that I love them?"
Kakashi smiles and rises to his feet. "Of course, Minato-sensei," he promises, and there is an audible snap as the chain of fate is severed forever.
Minato-sensei ruffles his hair, much to his chagrin. "It's nice to see you again, Kakashi."
"And I to you," Kakashi responds, and stands on his tiptoe to send his sensei to the afterlife.
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"Hello, Kushina-nee-chan."
"If it isn't Kakashi," rasps the redhead, managing a bright grin despite her illness. "It's been a long time, brat."
Kakashi laughs and sits by her bed. "So it has," he agrees. "Minato-sensei told me to say that he loves you."
Kushina smiles fondly at the memory of her blonde husband, deceased only a month prior. "I hope Naruto won't be too bad off without us and with Kurama sealed in him…"
"He'll be fine," Kakashi assures her. "Obito and Rin will take care of him."
"'Course they will, 'ttebane. Hey, I've always wanted my last words to be 'I left a million ryo under the…'," Kushina mumbles.
"Only you, nee-chan."
Suddenly, the door bursts open, and said ten year old runs inside, eyes streaming. He completely bypasses Kakashi, not noticing him. "M-mom," he sobs. "They say—"
"Shush, Naruto," Kushina murmurs, pulling her son into a hug. "I'll always be with you, okay? And Kakashi will be watching over you. He won't let Obito and Rin do anything mean, alright?"
Naruto's cries don't quiet, and Kakashi simply sits there, waiting and his heart goes out to the boy.
Eventually, Kakashi hears a loud snap, and he stands, dusting himself off as the soul of Kushina Uzumaki perches on her bed. "Man, that's creepy," she says halfheartedly, gesturing to her body. She looks sadly upon Naruto.
She wraps her arms around him and Naruto freezes. Kakashi turns away politely.
"I'm done," Kushina says, sounding strangely hoarse.
"It might take a while, but you'll find him," Kakashi promises. "Sensei, I mean."
Kushina laughs. "I certainly hope so," she replies through her tears and Kakashi sends her to the afterlife.
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"Tell me a little about what it was like after I died."
"Kakashi," Rin mumbles tiredly, propped against a tree. Her fingers are laced with Obito's.
"It's been a while since we first saw you like this," Obito adds with a tired smile. "Well… I guess we were in denial for a while."
"Obito's stopped coming in late, would you believe it," Rin offers.
Kakashi doesn't tell them that he's seen it all, only motions for them to continue.
"Rin begged Tsunade-sama… to teacher," Obito slurs and laughs. "Took a little apprentice too… name's Sakura. Fifteen now. Naruto's age."
"What about you, Kashi?" Rin asks.
He doesn't reprimand her for using a nickname. "Well, I was pretty much lost in the Rukongai for a while, but eventually a kind old lady took me and a friend of mine in… The people living in the area didn't like me that much because of my disposition as such…
"Then my friend, Momo Hinamori, she was accepted into Shin'o Academy, where we learn to how become Shinigami," he continues, and his friends look too tired to be surprised at this point. "It got kind of boring for a while… then I met a woman who told me that my rei—chakra—was going to eventually kill baa-chan if I didn't learn how to reign it in.
"Naturally I went to Shin'o Academy. I broke their record, if you'd believe it." Kakashi smiles. "Finished school in under a year; past record had been one and a half. I joined the Tenth Division, and I've made my way up to third-seat. Matsumoto-fukutaicho wants me to be lieutenant but I know it's because she hates paperwork and she'd rather be drinking her days away."
He keeps talking, not minding at all that his former teammates are nodding off and not at all listening. Eventually, he sees their interlocked hands fall limp, and Kakashi hears the sound of a chain of fate breaking.
"Hi," says Obito with a wide grin.
"Hi," replies Kakashi. "Minato-sensei sends you love." And he sends them both to the afterlife.
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"Who are you?"
"I'm Kakashi. It's nice to meet you, Naruto."
Naruto smiles at him. "It's nice to meet you too, Kakashi-san."
"Kakashi," he corrects mildly. "You're my superior after all, Hokage-sama."
The blonde man, looking so much like his father, laughs. "That title belongs to Sarada now, and you know it, Kakashi."
"First female Hokage, huh?" Kakashi says and takes a seat next to the soul.
"Yep. It's a little creepy, looking at my own dead body," Naruto admits with a laugh, scratching the back of his head. "And a little weird, talking to someone who looks ten and is probably over ten years my senior."
"Fourteen," Kakashi affirms. He pauses. "Before we embark on an epic quest to the afterlife, tell me about what you know about me."
"Obito-nii said you were a sarcastic bastard, but were still incredible with ninjutsu and the such," Naruto hums, looking wistful. "I miss him and Rin-nee. Rin-nee said you were awfully mysterious and very stubborn."
Kakashi smiles. "They're doing very well in the afterlife now, and so have I. I've taken over the position of Captain of the Tenth, you know, and Obito's under my command."
Naruto grins. "Sounds like he'd hate it. What about Rin-nee and my mom and dad?"
"Fourth Division," Kakashi answers. "They're the healing squad. She got along swimmingly with Unohana-taichou before she died. Kushina-nee is with the Eleventh Division, and to be honest, she fits right in. Minato-sensei… he's with the Thirteenth."
"I think I'll enjoy being the in afterlife," Naruto sighs happily. "I think we could've been great friends, Kakashi, had you lived."
"Me too," Kakashi agrees. "Let's be friends once you catch up to me, alright?" He smiles and sends Naruto to the afterlife.
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A black butterfly wings through the sky, floating high above Konoha.
A sense of peace flows over the entire village, and doesn't dissipate even when the butterfly has vanished.
owari
That's it, I hope you enjoyed! Reviews are loved.