Hello there lovely people.

I wrote this more as a Prologue to a multi-chapter story I'm working on but it kind of grew into it's own thing. I'll probably still use it if I ever finish my chapter story but I'd say it can pretty much stand on it's own for now.

No warnings for this I think. There's a little bit of a bloody scene but seriously it's nothing compared to half the computer games out there at the minute. There's death covered in this too but it's not Kakashi so I think we're ok there too.

Just a quick note on the timeline; try not to think about it too hard, just keep in mind every major event is a time skip apart from the last one. Kakashi starts off 3 and in the end he's about fourteen ok. Right I think that covers everything. Oh I have no beta so please if there's mistakes it's because I'm a lazy idiot that didn't go through it enough times to catch them. *sweatdrops*

*****Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO OR THE CHARACTERS WITHIN THIS STORY…save for Kasumi Umino, she's mine I guess, bless her. Oh and Grandpa Kazuki Hatake.

A leather-clad hand gripped at his throat, the other was catching the first he immediately threw when the hand clasped his neck solidly. He grunted with the strength of the hand on his throat but he wouldn't show weakness. Clear blue eyes glared up at his capture as his free hand quickly began gathering chakra; a weapon wouldn't get his attacker off him, but a blast of chakra would. Older, wiser, blue eyes widened slightly and the hand on his neck fell away. He was not released, however, from the hand locked around his fist and said hand tugged with enough force that bones popped in his arm. He collided with a rock hard chest and two python-like arms wrapped around him, effectively stopping his attack.

"Good Kakashi, you're thinking more about the situation and not what routine they teach at the academy. Remember, what your taught in school is to show you the moves, not a demonstration on how every battle will go down." The little boy was dropped and Kakashi landed effortlessly on his feet like a new breed of humanoid feline. He dusted off his training pants and sighed, looking up at his father.

"Why do they teach you sequences then if I'm not supposed to fight like that?" Sakumo smiled down at his three year-old son and patted his head, sitting on the dirt with crossed legs and resting back on his hand.

"Well they only teach you the basics, kind of like teaching you how a code works but you have to crack any message that comes through that uses that code. They teach you combinations of fighting and you have to adapt them to real life battles." Kakashi grunted and walked over to his father, sitting on the man's crossed legs.

"If I'd have known that then I could have been developing the moves already. Next time I'm going to actually touch the bell." Sakumo chuckled and poked his son in the ribs, smiling as he saw the little frame flinch from being ticklish.

"What! Next time I thought you'd be ready to take them?" Kakashi rolled his eyes as though he knew how stupid his father was acting, but answered with all seriousness.

"Dad I'm not going to underestimate you. I know you train with Jiraiya-San when he's in the village. You're a living legend! One of Konoha's best assets, I might be your son but I'm not that good yet." Kakashi gave his father a shy smile and Sakumo grabbed his son in a bear hug, dragging them both to the floor and rolling around on the dusty ground.

"Oh my son! Such beautiful words of respect! The love of a Son is no match for my manly ninja-ness!" Kakashi tried not to giggle at his father's actions but it was hard to be so serious when his father was being such a good clown. Sakumo was glad his son was still able to laugh and have fun; he knew just how hard genius prodigies like Kakashi were pushed into furthering their skills quickly. He'd promised himself, the day Kakashi had broken into his ANBU chest in the bedroom cupboard at the age of two, that he would make sure the village council didn't get too involved with his son's training.

"'Kumo! Kashi! I'm home!" The wriggling ball of giggles in Sakumo's arms froze, then bolted up and through the backdoor into the kitchen.

"Mummy! What was it like? Is Water country really over run with water monsters? Ebisu-baka said it was, but Ibiki said his mum told him it wasn't! Asuma said it could be but that we would have been taught about them in class! Did you bring back those biscuits again? Was there any enemy ninja there? Did you kick their butts?"

Sakumo walked into the kitchen to see his lovely wife, taking off her flak jacket and untying the headband she wore loosely around her neck. Her dirty pack lay forgotten on the floor by the table as she smiled warmly at her son and tried to keep up with his questioning. Kakashi was such a well behaved and polite little boy that when he'd been training it was hard to remember that he was still just a kid under the age of five; full of energy they don't know how to release other then to talk and interested in everything. As Sakumo looked over the two he saw Kakashi's little hand tightly grasping his mothers pant leg, eye never leaving her face. It was also easy to forget such a boy would miss his mother terribly when she went away on missions.

"Kakashi, don't forget to breath. Why don't you let mum rest while you and me cook her our famous sweet and sour ribs?" Kakashi looked torn between cooking with his father, which was always funny and messy or staying with his mother and making sure she was alive and here and listen to her tell him stories. Being the good little ninja-in-training Kakashi nodded decisively and reluctantly let go of his mothers leg and began trudging over to his father. When two warm arms wrapped around him and squished his back against a soft chest Kakashi giggled and smiled, eyes shining as his mother kissed his cheek and neck.

"Missed you Kash-Kash. I'll tell you all about how I save a family of sea creatures and brought them and their baby dolphin all the way here." Kakashi nodded and ran off to his father's side by the cooker. Sakumo and his wife shared a warm smile and he winked at her cheekily. A soft chuckle rang out around the room and she picked up her forgotten pack, heading for the door to the hallway.

"In your dreams Sakumo Hatake. I'm going for a long soak in the bath."

Kakashi stared down at the explosion of flowers. Colours and species saying more in the language of flowers then the people around him could begin to say. A warm solid hand on his shoulder was the only thing stopping him from either falling to his knees or running off into the forest. There was a gaping hole in his chest that had slowly been grown the past few days, it now consumed his throat and gripped his stomach, making breathing so hard.

"She died honorably Kakashi…It's the best way a ninja can die…it's something we can take comfort in…" His father had never sounded so unsure of the ninja way. He supposed it was hard to believe something that sounded so hollow when you were staring at a mound of flowers and a carved stone, realizing that no amount of belief or faith would bring back someone who didn't deserve to die, who had been cheated out of life. Kakashi nodded, knowing that his father was trying to comfort him and he should return the favor.

"She'll always be here right?...When we need to talk to her?" It's something she had told him a few years ago when her mother, his grandmother, died. She'd took him to the grave in his best gear and brought flowers, they'd spent all morning talking to Granny and showing her how much Kakashi had learnt at the academy. It was a comfort he would need to remember and he figured his father might need it too.

"Yeah…She'll be here whenever we need her. You mother was talented like that. Always knew what you wanted before you'd worked it out yourself…She'll always be here now."

Sakumo tugged his son to his side, letting the boy curl up around him to hide his tears. He looked around him and was proud of wife all over again. So many people had shown up. Ninja she'd worked with in the past, others she'd talked to in the mission room, civilians she'd taken the time to get to know, even the Hokage had made an appearance.

Sakumo looked over to a small family stood off to the side, not apart of the collective group but here for the same reason as everyone else. The man was dressed in a Konoha uniform, a pack already on his shoulder and weapons pouch on his hip and thigh. He was obviously heading out to a mission after this. The woman was dressed in civilian clothes, although Sakumo knew from his wife that she too was a ninja for this village now. Her one year-old son clung to her and remained quiet, as though sensing the somber atmosphere.

It was the family his wife had been sent to bring home just last year. She'd become good friends with the woman and went out of her way to help them settle in the village. Sakumo had even been dragged into helping by putting in a good word for them at the mission office and pushing their papers through. Sakumo was pleased to see the kindness his wife had shared reflected in their presence here today and a solemn nod from the tanned man gave Sakumo a little comfort to the gaping hole in his chest right now.

Sakumo tried so hard not to laugh at the breakfast table when Kakashi came walking in with a towel wrapped around his face, as thought it had always been there. He'd managed to keep it in right up until Kakashi tried to eat his cereal while keeping the towel on. He was a well-trained ninja though, so to keep his son's dignity he kept his outburst to a small chuckle as he tugged the towel away.

"Eat your breakfast you baka." He grumbled good-naturedly. Kakashi frowned and glared over at his father. Tugging the towel from his grip and roughly tying it back around his face. Sakumo raised an eyebrow and smirked as he waited until Kakashi was engrossed in trying to feed himself and tugged at the towel again. This time Kakashi caught his wrist before his fingers could touch the material. Although his plan had been foiled he couldn't help but be proud of his son's accomplishments in training; he was getting faster and more observant.

"Why are you wearing that? It's not some fashion trend is it? Or is it so that your new teammates won't know just how young you are." Kakashi had passed the academy just after his fifth birthday last month. Sakumo had found out his son was placed under the guidance of the rising star Minato Namizake, a jonin with just as much modesty as skill. The kind of man Sakumo liked; well trained in all form of being ninja, including keeping your ego in check and not taking everything so seriously. Minato might be a legend in the making but he was also a goofball, Sakumo had worked with the kid several times and knew this first hand.

"I don't have any teammates yet. Everyone my age is still in the Academy and everyone else has already graduated and been set a team. Minato-Sensei is training me one-on-one for now." Sakumo frowned and watched his son as he tried to eat around his towel mask. He had been proud the day the head instructor of the academy had told him Kakashi could graduate as early a five. It meant Kakashi had picked up everything he needed to know from the academy and could move on to proper training to develop his techniques. He'd also been proud when Minato told him that he'd be his son's captain, after all they wouldn't stick just anyone with Konoha's Yellow Flash.

This one-on-one training should be a good thing…but Sakumo had felt a sudden chill up his back, something he'd begun to associate with his late wife trying to tell him something. Was this all down to the village council? Trying to push Kakashi's development? Genius prodigies were rare anywhere you went so when one popped up ever measure was taken to make sure they achieve greatness, and achieve it quickly so that the village could use that greatness against its enemies. He'd have a talk with Minato about it later and focused on his son's latest accessory.

"So why the mask then? You didn't try shaving that baby face of yours again did you? You know your only five right? Five year olds don't have beards to shave." After a week of being out of the academy and around fully-grown and fully capable ninja, Kakashi had been a little self conscious of his age. Which was understandable for a perceptive five year-old. Kakashi's cheeks stained pink with remembrance when he'd nearly slit his own throat because of the amount of foam covering his face. The boy shook his head and looked down at the still nearly full bowl of soggy cereal.

"Jiraiya-sama said that ninja spies can read lips and that all ninja can read emotions in the face. He said that I was probably an easy target because of how young I am and how expressive kids can be, he said I'd be the first to go. I don't want to put my team in danger." There was a sulkiness to his son's voice that was adorable, until the end when he actually sounded ashamed and miserable. Sakumo promised to hunt Jiraiya down and physically make him remember that Kakashi was just five; not some average genin. Kakashi took things to heart because he didn't know any better yet. This was probably over Kakashi besting Jiraiya over some stupid game and the man being childish in losing to a kid.

Sakumo sighed and reigned in his temper at his old friend and stood up. Now that Kakashi had got it in his head there was nothing he could do. The boy remembered everything; that's what his eidetic memory did. So he would always be thinking about his expressions and lip reading spies. When Kakashi looked up at him in question he nodded towards the hallway.

"Come on, I have something for you." They quietly made their way into the main bedroom and into the cupboard Kakashi had broken into when he was just two years old. Sakumo made a series of hand signs and pushed chakra through them to open the door. Inside was everything to do with his ninja work; scrolls, weapons, uniforms, medic kits and standard survival packs. Kakashi had seen it all before but the concentration of all that ninja gear in one small cupboard was still thrilling to him.

Sakumo reached up and pulled out one of his standard uniforms, the flak jacket a little frayed and well worn, the pants and jumper's dark blue now faded somewhat after so many washes, stubborn little stains of blood and grass still visible. He opened the jacket and reached into one of the hidden pocket inside, pulling out a black cloth. Sakumo looked at it and sighed, hoping Kakashi wouldn't always be so paranoid from now on.

"Here if you're going to wear a mask, it might as well be a ninja one." He turned and presented it to Kakashi, the boy looking up at him with a confused frown before taking the material and feeling it. It was made of a lycra type of material, but it felt different slightly. The inside was lined with a soft mesh net that was detachable. Kakashi looked to his father as the man crouched down to be level with his son.

"Every Hatake male wore a mask while out in the field. I was going to give this to you when you made chunin but if you're so worried then you can have it now." Large hands took the material from Kakashi's loose hands and pulled the towel from his face. They then tugged the mask on over the boy's head and shifted it to fit over the bottom half of Kakashi's face.

"Its thick enough to mask the movement of your lips without muffling your voice. That netting on the inside is to help breathing so you can take in as much air as you would without the mask." Kakashi ran his hand over his now masked face and smiled.

"Grandpa Kazuki wore one too? Do you wear one then?" Sakumo nodded his head and pointed to Kakashi's face.

"I usually wear that one when I go out on missions. Now I'll wear the spare one I have, and you can wear this one whenever you want." Kakashi touched his own lips through the stretched material running his hand up to his nose and over the seam of the mask on to soft skin.

"Can I keep it on now?" Sakumo smiled and ruffled his son's hair. He stood up and they made their way back to the dinning table.

"Sure, but you have to take it off when eating."

Kakashi had seen it building up all month. He'd heard about the failed mission like everyone else and couldn't believe his father would do that. It had shattered the image he'd had of his father as a ninja. A man that left the village as nothing but a tool to do the work of the Hokage, a man that felt nothing but the need to complete his mission and the confidence to do what needed to be done. That wasn't his father thought. This man was emotional and his ties to others clouded his judgment. This man would rather cost the whole village than his teammates.

It was a confusing time for Kakashi; he knew his father was a good man, but apparently he was a bad ninja. Kakashi had always been taught to find a balance between being the ninja you needed to be and being the man you want to be. The way the village was treating him and his father now though; Kakashi was beginning to think that maybe the ninja don't get to be men. Maybe they should only focus on being the ninja they needed to be, because it was just what they needed to be; it was what the whole village needed you to be, one that will do anything for his village, even if it means leaving other behind.

"I don't understand…if the mission was so important, why didn't father complete it. A ninja must always follows orders, must complete a mission given to him with speed and efficiency, completion of the mission is paramount to everything…that's what we're told."

Kakashi felt a tear run down his cheek. He didn't know if he was crying for the silence of his mother's gave, the shattered pieces of his father's reputation or the lost and haunted look that now shrouded his father. Ever since the failed mission his father had been distracted and reclusive. Kakashi's tears fell harder as he remembered the look of utter betrayal and defeat in his father's eyes as Kakashi asked why he'd done what he had. He hadn't been condemning his father or even judging him; he'd just wanted to know why his father, who preached the ninja ways daily, would go against them. His father shouted then, asking how Kakashi could have been so heartless as to leave a comrade behind, if Kakashi had learnt anything from him and his mother.

Kakashi had been cut to the bone and had tried so hard not to flinch at his father's height and voice. It had always been a comfort; the height and strength of his father, but when he shouted like that Kakashi could feel the fear his father's enemies must feel. It was shocking too, Kakashi had always been polite and respectful to his parents, he got in trouble before but never in enough that his father had shouted like that. The man had then sighed brokenly and fallen to sit on the sofa, head in his hands. Kakashi hadn't known what to think; he loved his father, even looked up to him, but the man had fallen so far in such a short amount of time from the villages grace that he had to wonder if his father was wrong. All he'd wanted was an explanation, why had his father failed when it would have been easy for him to continue and complete the mission without the injured teammate. Kakashi wiped the tears away angrily and leant against his mother's grave, freshly cleaned roughly by Kakashi when he'd first arrived.

"He's wrong. He should have completed the mission. Nothing must come before the orders of the Hokage." The voice was too cold for a child of six, but he wasn't a child anymore. Kakashi was a chunin, a ranked ninja of Konoha, a tool of the Hokage…and he wouldn't let emotion cloud his judgment like his father had. He go home and help his father to overcome this and rise back to the ninja he was supposed to be.

"I miss you mummy…you would have known how to help dad understand the ninja way right? I hope you're proud of me…I don't think dad is anymore…but I'll be a good son and show him the right path for being a ninja again." With that Kakashi stood and bowed to his mother's grave. He took off in the direction of home, going over in his head everything he'd been taught about being a good ninja.

"Kashi-Kun!" Kakashi skidded to a stop and looked over to the Raman stand, where the small voice had come from. He smiled slightly when he saw little Iruka stood by his mother's legs, the woman distracted by paying for her take away meals. Iruka bit his lip and looked up to his mother assessing if she'd notice him leave before he shrugged and ran towards Kakashi. When the boy reached him he hugged Kakashi around the waist.

"Iruka-chan you shouldn't run away from your mother like that." Kakashi laughed, patting the small boy on his head. Iruka smiled and tugged on Kakashi's t-shirt.

"Hey Kash come see! We just ordered takeaway! Mummy got me two whole bowls 'cos I'm gonna grow and be an awesome ninja just like you." Kakashi let the kid drag him over to the Ramen stand and bowed politely to the Iruka's mother and the Stand owner.

"Good evening Kasumi-San, Teuchi-San." He greeted just as politely. Iruka's parent had been close to his family since they first moved here about four years ago. Kasumi-San, Iruka's mother, had been a there for Kakashi and his father when his own mother had died, bringing soups and rice dishes over every now and then to make sure they both had hot meals. The two adults smiled at Kakashi's respectful nature.

"Good evening Kakashi-San is Minato-San keeping you on your toes again, out running so late?" Kakashi was saved from answering as Iruka tugged on his arm.

"Hey hey! Why don't you come to dinner? Mama, Kashi can have one of my bowls right?" Kasumi smiled warmly at her son and ruffled his hair.

"I'm sure if Kakashi wants to stay we can stretch to buy him his own Ramen." She laughed lightly, Kakashi rubbed the back of his head and blushed slightly.

"Ah, actually I have to head home. My dad's…not been right lately, so I need to go help him out." Teuchi-San looked uncomfortable, no doubt he heard a lot from customers from around the village. Kasumi nodded knowingly and patted Kakashi's arm.

"You know we'll always be here for you and your father Kakashi-Kun." Kakashi sighed and nodded. The Umino family had never judged his father for what he'd done and had even encouraged him, telling him he'd done the right thing. Kakashi was glad for their support but he knew his father hadn't done the right thing, and he needed to get home so he could help his father make it up to the village some how.

"Thank you Kasumi-San. I really should be going now. It was nice seeing you again Iruka-Kun." The little boy giggled and hugged Kakashi before letting go and stepping back up to his mother.

"Ah! Wait a minute! Here Kakashi-San, for you and your dad. You're both always welcome here kid." Teuchi lifted up a bag with two containers and sets of chopsticks. Handing it over the counter to the older kid. Kakashi smiled, although through the mask it was difficult to make out, and took the bag from the man.

"Thank you Teuchi-San." Kakashi took the bag and waved to everyone before taking off. He would eat with his father and then they would both come up with a way to make everything better again. They were ninja after all; they could get through anything.

Kakashi knew he'd been gone a few hours, what with talking to his mother's grave and working up the courage to see his father again, so he rushed back home and through the gate to the small family compound. They hadn't had dinner before the argument and Kakashi's disappearance so he was thankful to Teuchi-San for the free Ramen, he never had it a lot since he was conscious of being as fit as he can be but it was nice every now and then. He ran up the steps to the main house but stopped when he saw there were no lights on. Even in his most depressed states his father never sat in the dark. Kakashi slipped off his shoes and padded into the living room quietly; maybe his father had gone to bed early.

The boy took a calming breath, as every room he tried was empty. He was a ninja; he needed to think about this clearly. Maybe his father was out in the family training grounds. After checking there and finding nothing he thought his father might be on a mission, but the man had been pulled off active field duty since the failed mission. Thinking quickly so as to stop the cold chill from running up his back, Kakashi summoned one of his ninken. With a puff of smoke a little pug appeared, annoyance written all over him.

"Kid! What I tell you about calling me so late? This had better be important." Kakashi looked around in a last attempt to find his father in the house and sighed and looked to the pug.

"I need you to find my dad. He's not on a mission, he's not in the house and he's not at a friends ok! You need to track his scent and find out where he went." The little dog got straight to work and began sniffing the air to pick up on the old man's scent.

"Hey kid, there's some high emotions running up here. Defeat… depression… Fear… Hurt…We have to move now!" With that the pug didn't wait for Kakashi and jumped out the window. Kakashi gasped and took off after the dog, his heart hammering in his chest. He might hate his father for failing as a ninja and not fixing it but he was still his father. His breathing became heavy the further he was lead into the forest why would his father come so far out here? The feeling dread that had been curling in his stomach, as he'd found an empty house was now churning through his whole body, making his hands shake and his eyes sting. He stumbled to a stop as a wall of smell hit him, blood. He could smell blood.

"Kid!" Kakashi flinched out of his frozen state and jumped down from the tree he was in to stand by the pug. They both looked into the clearing and Kakashi felt his knees weaken. His brain, for all his genius, couldn't make sense of what he saw. He didn't want to believe it. A pool of blood soaked the ground, a harsh glint shone from the large blade, a stone-still form sat kneeing with head bowed, arms resting on the hilt as though in prayer, silver hair danced in the breeze with the illusion of life. Kakashi's vision swam and his throat closed up. That churning dread turned to ice and dropped in his stomach.

He walked with a calm he didn't feel, careful of the blood and looked the form in the face. He reached out pushed a pieced of hair behind the ear and Kakashi had to bite his lip. He looked down and a sob escaped as he saw a photo and chain with two rings on it, blood soaking a corner of the picture. It was the family portrait they'd had done just before his mother last mission, all three of them smiling at camera, ignorant of what the future held for them all. Shaking hands took the photo and smoothed out the edges, blood coating his thumb and forefinger. The rings were his mother and father's wedding rings; he knew his father had taken to wearing both of them around his neck after his mother died. His other hand reached out and took the chain clenching it and the rings in his shaking fist.

"Kakashi…we need to go tell some one." Kakashi nodded, holding back a scream he wanted to let out. He was a ninja; he needed to report this. Suicide or not the Hokage would have to be notified. Kakashi stoop up and pocketed the picture and chain.

"…We'll tell Minato-Sensei…He'll know what to do." His voice was as calm as his walk had been, and just as fake. As a chunin he knew the procedure. He knew who to tell and what would happen…but it was different then, this was happening to him, this was his father. Kakashi gave a final nod and they took off to his sensei's house.

"Kakashi-Kun! What a nice surprise, is there something you wanted?" The one on one training he'd been having with sensei for the past two years now had help build a close mentor/student relationship and Kakashi knew his sensei cared more then he probably should about his student. It was ok though, because Kakashi thought or the man as a friend, even older brother of sorts.

"…Kakashi why are you out in just a pair of muddy socks?...Is everything alright?" The man crouched down and looked Kakashi in the face. Said little boy had been staring at the ground this whole time. The man must have seen the tears Kakashi was holding back because he gently grabbed Kakashi's shoulders.

"Hey…What's happened Kakashi?" Minato watched, his heart breaking a little as Kakashi's eyes stared at him, as dead as the shinigami himself. He leaned in close as Kakashi spoke, his voice barely carrying on his breath.

"Dead…in the forest…" Minato's grip on Kakashi's shoulders tightened. He didn't understand what Kakashi was telling him but for the fact someone was dead in the forest. He didn't want to think about who it could be for Kakashi to be in such a state and he didn't want to take Kakashi with him. He wanted to leave the boy with Kushina and head out but 'in the forest' wasn't an awful lot to go on.

"Kakashi, can you show me?"

Three hours late it was decided Sakumo Hatake had killed himself and no foul play was involved. The Hokage had been called out and had surveyed over the investigation. Ninja coming and going, asking Kakashi and his sensei all sorts of questions. Then others had come and taken the body away, the sword taken from the body and wrapped up. There had been a moment where a ninja had tried to give the sword to Kakashi but the boy ignored him, staring at the stained ground of where his father and been crouched. Minato had taken it, glaring at the insensitivity of the other adult ninja and gripped Kakashi's shoulder.

Now that everyone was gone it was just Kakashi and his sensei, the boy still just staring off at the stained ground, Minato quietly worrying for his student. Minato didn't know what to say, sure he'd lost his own mother when he was younger and his father had passed on a few years ago but…for a parent to willing leave their child. What must that child think…what must Kakashi be thinking.

"…Kakashi…I know this eh…Look your dad was…"

"My dad was weak." It was a cold statement, Kakashi had never been a boisterous child or prone to spontaneous flights of fancy and bubbling emotions, but he was never cold or detached.

"What? Kakashi you father was going through-"

"My father was a failure for not completing his mission and he was weak for not being able to rise from that failure and for just giving in."

"Kakashi…"

"It's typical really. Hiding his cowardice behind respectful tradition. He hid his true self from me with stories of the ninja way and shinobi code, but he never really believed it, never really followed it." Minato stared down at Kakashi more worried than before.

"But I will. I'll be the ninja this village needs me to be. I'll be a well-crafted tool the Hokage won't hesitate to use. I'll prove to my father's cowardly ghost that I'm nothing like him, that I live to protect this village."

Minato knew Kakashi was hurting over the death of his father, and that lashing out at a dead man wasn't the best way to healing. It was probably better that then the boy hate those that were truly responsible for this pain though. It was the villages that didn't understand, the other ninja that were too battle-worn to see that Sakumo had done what any ninja would have done on that mission. That the villagers and other ninja had drove Sakumo to giving up.

It was better Kakashi hate a dead man than hate the village. Minato felt obligated to tell Kakashi he was wrong, make him see that it wasn't Sakumo he should hate, but it was better for the village if Kakashi didn't turn against it. He felt heartless for dirtying Sakumo's already tarnished reputation but the village was at war. They needed all the ninja they could get at the minute and he didn't want to risk Kakashi condemning the village and going MIA. It wasn't morally right, but neither was training a five year old to kill a man in three steps.

He'd just have to let this one go and try to heal Kakashi another way. Make sure he didn't get so far drawn into this image of being only a weapon that he lost himself. Maybe it would help that the Hokage had agreed that next year Kakashi could tag along on his solo missions. That alone time would mean he could help Kakashi see there was more then just training and mission orders.

Minato sighed inaudibly as he looked at the group assembled before him. Three months of the most intense training a ninja will ever go through had led them all to this place. Muddied boots rose up to dirtied pant legs giving way to the sleeveless lycra shirt, all held up by a faceless, plain white round mask. It was a uniform they were served with at the beginning of the training. ANBU members weren't tested because they didn't have to prove themselves, they had been handpicked by the Hokage, the village council and experienced members of the ANBU forces. After they are picked they are simply trained, although there is nothing simple in that training. If you didn't finish the training then you had died.

"An ANBU guard is not a ninja, he's a shadow commanded by the Hokage. He has the skill and power to do the bidding of the Hokage at any cost. There is no right or wrong; there is only what the Hokage orders and what he does not. You were chosen because there is something in you we do not see in others. You were chosen because there is a calling for you that is greater then what you had before." Minato moved from around his desk and faced the six ANBU-trainees that had made it this far. Ten had been selected in the beginning. He of course knew all their identities, as Hokage he had to know who was behind the mask after all. The flash of silver hair, now hanging limp after three months, over a white mask reminded him of who was under there.

He's promised himself that he would show Kakashi that there was more then being a weapon for the village, but here he was; about to hand the teen a mask that sucked out your very soul and left a shell that the Hokage could command. No, it was the training that did that to them, the mask was simply a persona that filled the void of where a man once stood. Kakashi's life hadn't got any easier after his fathers death but he'd had a few quiet years.

Obito's death had caused Kakashi to almost forcefully embrace life, as though to make it up that Obito could not do so anymore, even going so far as to only wearing his mask on missions much like his father had before him. When Rin turned on the village, brainwashed by some traveling cult, and stole a secret medical scroll Kakashi and Minato had been sent to get it back. They'd managed to get the scroll back but had to watch as Rin jumped off a waterfall once she realized there was no escaping them, what with Kakashi's new eye and Konoha's Yellow Flash onto her.

After that Kakashi had sworn off associating with anyone but Minato and once said man had reached his own goal of being Hokage, Kakashi worked as hard as he could to be noticed by the ANBU forces. It hadn't taken much, Minato had know for a while that those on the village council and ANBU forces had noticed Kakashi years back, and that interest in him had grown once he'd mastered the Sharingan. It was only Sarutobi's will that the boy be left to develop fully that had kept them at bay. Kakashi's skill could not be denied anymore though, and even after discussing it with Sarutobi, they both had had to concede that Kakashi would be a great asset to ANBU.

"Tonight the six of you will create a persona that you present to the world. You are no longer men of Konoha; you are the deadly shadows of the Hokage. You are a mask that has one purpose in this life. Protect and serve your Hokage."

With every word he spoke Minato knew he was condemning Kakashi to a life he's tried so hard to keep him from. Kakashi was a brilliant ninja; he would do just as well in ANBU as he did in every other sector of ninja life. The kid was practically born to serve the village, as though a higher power had blessed him so, but Minato still worried. He hadn't stopped worrying since that day in the forest.

"We have watched you these past three months, and have given you each a name. When you have been given your new identity, you will collect you amour, boots and weapons from the table and then return home, you will rest; sleep, eat, drink. Regain the strength and chakra you used these past months. In three days time you will return here at sundown. You will then receive you latest orders." Minato walked back to his desk and picked up the first mask, the one for Kakashi.

"Hound, you showed us the highest skill in tracking than we've seen in a long time. Your ability to organize and command a group, much like the alpha wolves found deep in Konoha Forest, made you stand out to those already in the ANBU forces. Congratulations Hound, welcome to the ANBU forces." Pale hands took the mask from him and bowed respectfully.

"Thank you Hokage-Sama." The teen walked over to the table prepared with six sets of gear and weapons and disappeared with a silent puff of smoke. Minato continued on with the others, name achievements and such, trying not to worry about if Kakashi was as alright as he seemed.

"I don't care what the damn ninja said, I'm not leaving you to fight that thing!" Kakashi shouted over the roar of burning buildings around him, the flames light glinting off his ANBU armor. In the distance, even though half the forest was on fire, illuminating the village in a hellish glow, all that could be seen of the fox was it's flowing red eyes and moonlit fangs. Tobi had been dealt with for now and Kakashi new what Minato was going to do next. He'd seen the scrolls, worked out the odds...knew what had to be done.

"Look I know what your doing!...I can't believe someone like you can't come up with something better but it's all we've got right!" Kakashi hated how his voice broke, he tried to put it down to puberty but he knew it wasn't that. He knew he'd loose that last person he cared about tonight. He hated being so smart sometimes. Minato looked shocked for a moment, his eyes filling with tears like Kakashi.

"Yeah…For the village right?" Kakashi nodded, it was easier this way; to glide over the personal sacrifice and focus on the protection of the village. He pulled back down his ANBU mask, turning from Student Kakashi to Deadly Hound, and Minato scrubbed a hand over his eyes before glaring at the fox ahead of them.

"Draw the fox away from the village and towards my safe house. We capture it there and weaken it with the Dead Deon Consuming Seal. Then-Then I'll seal the rest in Naruto." Minato looked to Kakashi and the teen nodded; there was no judgment over using his own son, no protest because he would die in the process. The Hound obeyed command without question…but Minato saw how fists clenched further and the twitch of the masked head told more then Kakashi probably wanted to show. Minato smiled and nodded to the masked man.

"Complete your mission Shinobi." Hound gave a quick short bow and leapt of to find reinforcements to draw the fox away.

Once the fox was weakened Minato had started the process for sealing the rest of it in Naruto. When the fox became aware of this it tried to fight back. It's roar deafening and the flames around them cracking like static, so loud it was disorientating. Kakashi and the few other ANBU with him held it back as much as they could but even severely weakened it was too strong for them. Kakashi slid to his sensei's side to protect him but the man grabbed Kakashi's arm, forcing the ANBU to look at him.

"The seals almost complete!...Kakashi please…look out for him!Don't let this consume him! Look-Look out for him!" Kakashi watched as tears streamed down his sensei's eyes. He lifted up his mask, knowing he shouldn't really with the others around but he needed to sensei to know that Kakashi had heard him, that he wasn't talking to Hound; a heartless shell.

"Hai! I tell him about the idiot that was chronically late and never took anything serious until the last minute." Minato smiled and laughed, it sounded desperate and longing.

"Don't let his temper get him killed ok! He's bound to have one, what with Kushina's temperament." They both smiled at that. Then Minato's smile fell.

"You're a good kid Kakashi. You've done everyone proud. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise ok! And don't be so serious all the time. Gods know the world takes itself too seriously without its shinobi doing so too." Kakashi nodded, his eyes finally spilling the tears he couldn't hold back.

"Trust you to leave when the clean up starts. Lazy bastard." Kakashi joked. Minato smiled again shook his head. Kushina came over to them then, the fox growling and clawing getting more desperate now.

"It's ready, the seals ready now." Minato nodded and nodded to Kakashi, a million things said in his eyes that he couldn't say out loud.

"Keep the village safe too Kakashi! Protect her!" He ran off then, to the centre of the seal. Kushina hugged Kakashi tightly and sobbed into his shoulder.

"Keep him safe Kakashi! Oh gods please. It's going to be so hard for him to deal with this and the demon! Please I'm begging you just be there for him. Help him through this." Kakashi nodded and put an arm around her.

"And keep yourself safe! I want you out of ANBU as soon as this is over! Settle down and find a nice ninja to keep you grounded and don't get so caught up in the dark side of ninja life ok! Gods you were always so serious. Lighten up, don't give up until the very end ok! Remember that! This pity party of yours has to end now ok, move on!" With that she let him go and ran off back to Minato.

Kakashi pulled down his mask again and nodded to the ANBU stood off to the side, awaiting orders. They pulled back, as Minato had ordered, to a safe distance and watched as the sealing took place. Kakashi vowed that he'd do what ever it took to follow Minato's last orders; he'd look out for Naruto and keep the village safe.

I'd be very interested to know what you think on my take of Kakashi's past. I've tried to keep major things in there while twisting others; hopefully it was a good enough read. Happy future reading!