What Remains of Kannabi Bridge:
Summary: Twenty years ago Kakashi found himself at a great cost; and when he's forced to return and face his past and the ghosts he'd left behind, he learns how strong he really is at heart.
Rated M: violence, language and later sexual content, you have been officialy forwarned
A/N: I re-read the Gaiden, cried my eyes out, and got inspired. ENJOY!
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto; are you happy now?
"Lady Tsunade, a mission of S-rank just arrived from the Land of Stone."
Hazel eyes looked up to greet Shizune with a cold glare. "Well, where is it?" She held her hand up expectantly. The poison user handed over the tan scroll and took a step back from the wooden desk.
Tsunade opened the mission and read through its details, ignoring locations for the current moment, "Three –man cell. Two Jounin's, and or a medic," she thought about it for a moment, "send Kakashi's team."
Shizune's eyes widened, "W-we can't do that Lady Tsunade!"
A golden brow rose, "And why not, they've all been deep in Kusa territory before, they can handle it."
"Did you even read the entire thing? We cannot send team Kakashi into Kusagakure!" Shizune slammed her fist down on the desk after pacing forward, "You'd have to be crazy to think that they could handle that!"
The hokage nodded and finished reading through the report before she sighed, "Oh…"Her heart sinking low into her stomach, "We don't have any other medic teams available…."
Shizune felt tears in her eyes, "We can't do that to him…"
"We have no choice."
The small clearing, often used for training was nearly silent, save for the light footfalls of a shinobi without a hidden agenda. His motives were blatantly known, warning on comers to not disturb him in his commonplace quest to visit the ghosts of his past.
Mis-matched eyes roved over the cenotaph countless times before the man crouched low, and closed his eyes. His thoughts wandered to the faces of his current team, and teams of the past. He recalled the people he'd lost and he recalled the people in his life that had shaped the man he was. The people that had truly given a damn for the well-being of others when he'd been so anal and focused on the rules and regulations. He sighed and ran his hand through his hair before lowering his head band to hide the still iris of his Sharingan. Slate blue slid through the names again, forcing the man to push back the memories threatening to stretch free from the depths of his overfull sub-conscious.
Calloused fingers reached outward and ran along the names carved into the grey marble. He smiled at the stone. "I miss you all." Kakashi's head hung as silent tears fell, wetting the grass below him.
He'd learned so long ago that emotion was just a hindrance in the field, but he'd also learned that crying, even if alone, helped to cleanse the blood from ones soul, if only a minute amount. For now, he cried tears of longing and tears that said the words Kakashi couldn't seem to form;
I'm so alone…
Sakura turned on her heel, her hand fleeing from the storage pouch at her hip, shuriken flying in the direction of the targeted man from across the field. She turned again, leaping into the air dodging the attack aimed at her from her blonde teammate, senbon flying at him in retaliation.
Blue eyes sparkled with the heat of adrenaline, the chemical pounding in his veins. "Aye, Sakura-chan, quit playing dirty will yah? I'd like to win at least once today."
Sakura smiled at him when her feet hit the ground again, declaring their match over. "You usually do win, I up my game a little and you complain like your thirteen again." She brushed her fingers through her hair, pulling the pink tendrils into a messy pony-tail. Her eyes focusing on the black hawk flying overhead, "Shit."
Naruto's eyes rolled, "We just got back!"
"Let's go, you dope." Sakura said, zipping up the red vest she'd become accustomed to wearing.
Naruto scratched his chin before lacing his fingers behind his head, "Whataya think it's for?" He said watching as the hawk cawed and swooped low in front of them before lifting into the air again, flying along the horizon it's onyx feathers standing out against the reds and oranges of the unsetting low in the sky.
"Well it's S-ranked." Sakura answered watching the bird's graceful movements. "Great." Beryl eyes looked up to the Hokage Tower, the opened bay windows of the Hokage's office were lit with pale yellow lights, giving Tsunade just enough light to accurately sort through mission reports sent directly to her.
Naruto hissed, "Granny is trying to kill us, isn't she?"
Sakura laughed, "At this point, probably."
They made their way up to the top floor of the tower; silently moving through the winding corridors. The silence was a comfortable presence as they approached, because they knew that saying something you'd regret before an S-ranked mission could haunt you for the rest of your life."
Naruto's fist lightly rapped on the wooden door.
"Enter." Tsunade called through the door.
They went into the office and took their positions next to Kakashi, who stood silently slouching. Sakura bowed her head, "You requested us, Lady Tsunade." A dark pink brow cocked wondering why she'd send them out so soon after getting them home.
Honey eyes dimmed and Sakura's heart sank. Something was wrong. "Cell Seven. Hatake Kakashi, Haruno Sakura, and Uzumaki Naruto." Tsunade held up the scroll closed with a black seal. "You all just returned from a mission in the Land of Water; can you handle one so soon?"
"Hai." They answered in unison. Ready to take anything she had to throw at them.
Kakashi caught the scroll that was tossed his way; His brows rose, "Land of Stone; Kusagakure?"
Tsunade inclined her head, "Yes. Kakashi, please open and read your requirements." Kakashi turned for the door with a nod.
"No, here."
He stopped and turned back around as he broke the seal and unrolled the small scroll.
"S-rank mission; consisting of a three-man platoon, at least two Jounin required and/or a Medic. Objective: Infiltrate enemy territory in Earth Country, gather information on certain landmarks from the Third Shinobi War, including, but not limited to, Ao Point, Chishio Fields…K-Kannabi…Bridge…." He exhaled like someone had just landed a nasty kick to his stomach. His could feel his breathing becoming more labored as realization sunk in.
Sakura and Naruto watched as Kakashi's hands trembled and the visible points of his skin grew pale and clammy.
Kakashi's head shook, "Hokage-sama…" He breathed, his chest tightening with a true fear he'd felt only twice before.
Tsunade said nothing and simply looked at him and back at the team he was to lead. "You will leave immediately and send no reply until the job is done. Understood?"
The Kyuubi vessel and Medic both nodded with a "Hai."
Kakashi just stared at the paper; his hands still shaking. Memories of the bridge flooded his thoughts, these words that had been exchanged, and the lives that had been lost.
…Those who break the rules and regulations are scum, that's true, but those who leave their fellows behind are even lower than that…
The hand to his side clenched tightly before releasing, the trembles still present. He could feel the sweat on his brow, and the color lost from his cheeks. He looked up at Tsunade again, "Immediately…got it." He nodded to her and handed the scroll to Sakura before leaving the room, leaving a cloud of smoke billowing through the still air.
Sakura and Naruto both nodded their goodbyes and left the room through the window, heading to the roof of the tower.
Naruto rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, "Please tell me you saw Kakashi shuddering too."
Sakura's beryl eyes looked to the blonde's blue ones then away. "Yeah…Kannabi Bridge, doesn't it sound familiar to you?"
He shrugged, "I guess so," His eyes shooting upward in thought, "Iruka-sensei would know."
Sakura nodded knowing that they'd have enough time to check into the location without worrying about being late.
They jumped from roof-top to roof-top until they came to the academy; Iruka just leaving.
"Hey Iruka-sensei!" Naruto called out.
Iruka turned around and looked up, smiling at the duo, "Well, hello Sakura-chan, Naruto-kun. What are you two up to?"
They landed next to the academy teacher will a dull thud, "Getting ready for a mission; we were wondering if you knew about a place called Kannabi Bridge?"
Iruka's eyes grew wide, "You're going on a mission to Kannabi Bridge…Alone?"
"No Kakashi's going with us, and that's what we wanted to ask you about, actually, because he had some really weird reaction when he read where we were headed." Naruto answered.
Iruka shook his head, "Kannabi Bridge, you're sure?"
"Yeah, why?"
"Do you remember the story I told you all about, the one with two heroes, and one of those heroes ended up with his name on the Third Ninja War memorial and the KIA cenotaph?"
Sakura nodded, "I think so, An Uchiha boy died, right?"
Iruka sighed and closed his eyes, "'Each with their own Sharingan', does that ring a bell?"
Sakura's eyes widened, "I remember it now, the two boys that saved their teammate in…Kusagakure…at Kannabi Bridge. Shit," Sakura hissed, "Kakashi was the surviving boy…." She closed her eyes and hung her head.
Naruto's chin rested against his chest, "Kakashi fought at the bridge."
"And lost his best-friend and teammate the day after his birthday; the day after he became a Jounin. Don't push him on this mission, don't ask questions, just get it done and get him out of there." Iruka gave them one last smile, "And good luck."
"Thanks sensei."
"Yeah…"
Kakashi's head hung, his chin resting against his chest as his eyes glued themselves to one name on the cenotaph,
…Uchiha Obito…
"Did you see this coming, Obito?" He smiled weakly at the grey marble, "I always imagined we'd meet again when my time came…not like this."
Kakashi looked up as the rain fell around him, "It scares me. I don't think I'm strong enough to face this yet, to go back there. To face you." He swallowed hard, "I broke my promise…Rin is dead …I just wasn't strong enough for the both of us."
Kakashi's fingers slipped into the holster at his leg and pulled free the specialized kunai that Minato had given him those twenty years ago. "I'm a Jounin now, I have my own team, cell 7," He smiled again; "It's like looking at the past. What would you say if you could see me now? Hmm, Obito?"
Kakashi sighed sorrowfully, and turned to leave, "Until next time," The Jounin whispered to the stone.
He left with a heavy mind and a silent mouth; enjoying the quiet just a little longer. Kannabi Bridge, he'd never thought he'd have to face that demon again. It made him wonder what exactly was left of it, and if the cave where the incident had happened was still a pile of rocks? Had ANBU ever retrieved Obito's crushed body? If he had only listened to Obito in the first place, he'd still have the friend that made him see what being a ninja really meant.
Kakashi was wearily coming to terms with the mission when he reached the gates, his comrades waiting more patiently than usual.
"You ready to go, sensei?" Naruto buzzed as he hopped from his perch atop the wall.
Kakashi watched him with feigned interest. No insults? No scolding on his tardiness?
Sakura rubbed the back of her neck, "We should really get going, and get done." She didn't want to make it blatant that they knew why he was so upset, but she knew that he was picking up on their strange behavior.
Deciding it better not to ask, Kakashi nodded, "Let's go."
They left, taking off with a running start as they bounded through the trees, and through the night.
Kakashi shook his head as they moved forward; his past was growing ever closer, and the memory of the incident he wasn't willing to relive started to seep into his thoughts.
What remained of Kannabi Bridge?
This is going to be a longer fic, and I hope that I can pull it off. I hope you enjoy it, and I promise the next chapter will be of better quality, but this begged to be written.
-regas
