A/N: And here's a fic dedicated to DevilishDeity and XxxblackpearlxxX. The fic that I owe you both. Hope you would enjoy it. ^_^ And also dedicated to all those who have been giving me all your encouragements. Many thanks!
Chapter 1: The Attack
At the age of fourteen, Hatake Kakashi is already a hardened shinobi and an ANBU captain. He had seen deaths so many times over that it doesn't bother him anymore. He never knew the meaning of childhood, because he never had any.
He had started out his ninja career at the mere age of five when most kids were still innocently playing around and enjoying their childhood. At six, when children his age were barely able to grasp the concept of life and death, he had already made his first kill. But that was also the time when his father was disgraced and had killed himself.
He never knew what it meant to love after that. He closed himself up to the outside world and refused any forms of attachments. In his views, rules, regulations and the code of shinobi overrule any forms of emotions, bonds and feelings.
But that viewpoint changed on the day he made jounin at the age of twelve. He was the youngest shinobi of his time to have moved up to the rank to that of an elite ninja and that was the first time he was entrusted with the task to lead his team on a mission to hijack the plans of the enemies whom Konoha was in war with at that time.
His teammate, Obito, sacrificed his own life to save him and Rin. Before Obito died, he had imparted a valuable piece of advice to Kakashi, which the latter hold close to his heart.
From then on, Kakashi's views changed. He valued his teammates' and friends' lives above all else. He would do all he can, to ensure their safety and put their well-being above any missions. He carried that ideal to ANBU and kept to it as a tribute to his lost friend, Obito.
But, he had gained and lost so many times over the years, that sometimes, he did not know what matters any longer. What kept him going was his duty towards his village and his responsibility in protecting the Hokage and the people of Konoha. He had lost so many attachments that he never bothered making any new ones again. All he did, was to honor his promise to Obito, and tried not to fail anyone. But, he never went further than that to open up himself and showed his emotions.
Though, he never realized that someone else would come into his life again when he was fourteen, to change him and made him feel more than he wanted to.
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At the age of ten, Umino Iruka is one happy child with loving parents, a few close friends and exceptional results at the academy. He always tries to do well in whatever he was tasked with, so that he could make his parents happy. Though his parents were shinobi, he was never tainted with the ideas of death and blood. At least not at such a young age. He never knew what it meant to kill and protect.
He had a happy childhood, one filled with sweet memories of building sandcastles in the sandbox and playing ninjas with the other children. He aspires to be a great shinobi and make his parents proud of him. He worked hard towards his goals and never worried about what life is all about. He had parents who made his life comfortable and ensured that he is pampered and leads a happy childhood.
He valued the people around him above all else. Bonding, attachments and relationships were things he held close to his heart. He didn't know what it meant by duty and honor, or what it meant to sacrifice for the village. All he wanted is to live his life with the people he loved. His views of the world were one of innocence and purity. He had never seen death, never killed, never hurt another.
He laughed and gave freely. He never holds back his emotions and showed them openly to express how he was feeling. He knew what it was like to love and be loved in return. He had never had the opportunity to care for another deeply, because he was always the receiver of those caring acts.
The only tears he ever shed were because of reprimands that he got from his parents when he did something wrong or when he was being too mischievous and not because he had lost a close one to the callous blade of a kunai. He had warm arms surrounding him every night and never had to go through the agony of being alone. In fact, he never knew what it was like to survive alone.
That is why, he never ever expected that he would lose all things precious to him overnight. He never expected to have to grow up faster than he wanted to. And he never expected that he would meet someone who would change his views of the world.
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It was slightly before midnight when Iruka was stirred from his sleep by a loud roaring sound from outside. Rubbing his eyes sleepily, he yawned. He perked his ears to listen again, vaguely wondering what could cause that kind of noise. Another loud roar made him snapped completely from his sleepy state and jerked out of bed in shock. He ran to the window to see what exactly had caused the din.
His eyes widened in horror at the sight. Beyond the horizon, there was a monstrous figure. It looks like a fox, but which fox has nine-tails? He swallowed dryly as he tried to hide from the view, but wanting to see at the same time. Shinobi were running towards the monster, shouting instructions and getting civilians out of the way. ANBU leapt from rooftop to rooftop, heading towards the chaotic scene. The streets below his house were crowded with fearful bystanders, trying to comprehend what was going on.
Someone burst into his room.
"Iruka, stay away from the window!" A voice said sternly. The boy spun around with eyes wide with fear and looked at the two people standing by his bedroom door. One of them stepped forward and knelt down before him.
"Kaa-sama, what is that?" Ten-year-old Iruka had absolutely no idea that the village was under attack. He scrutinized his mother before him and noticed that she was in full shinobi gear.
"Iruka, your father and I need to go out there to defend the village. You will be a good boy and stay here, alright? We will be back soon." His mother patted his head and smiled. His father came up beside him and clasped his shoulder in a comforting grip.
"No. Bring me with you. I don't want to stay here alone!" Iruka whined.
"No, Iruka." His father said firmly. "I will not allow that."
"But I don't want to stay here alone!" Iruka looked at them pleadingly.
"Iruka!" The kunoichi frowned. "It's dangerous out there. You aren't even a genin yet. Even if you are, it's still too dangerous for you!"
"But mother……"
"No protests. Now be a good boy. You stay here until someone comes and get you to the shelter. I've got to go. See you later, love." The brown-haired kunoichi placed a soft kiss on the tanned forehead and the two shinobi ran out of the room.
"Wait, okaa-sama, otou-sama!" Iruka was not going to listen when he was in so much panic. He ran out of the bedroom after his parents.
But they were gone. They had left through the window in the living area. He gritted his teeth and ran back to his room, quickly putting on his mesh undershirt and then his usual white shirt and shorts. He pulled his hair up into its usual ponytail and went to his cabinet to pull out the kunai and shuriken set which his father had given him as a birthday present the year before. He wasn't allowed to use it until he was a full-fledged shinobi. But right then, he doesn't care.
He ran out towards the door and slipped on his sandals. Then without a backward glance, he sped out of the door and out into the streets below.
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