To Be A Sensei
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It is not until Kakashi gets back from the solo mission he had been assigned that he hears about it- he had finished reporting when Tsunade keeps him from departing and tells him what happened while he was gone.
His team was gone- taken.
"You are not to go after them," Tsunade tells him, looking at him levelly. "That is an order, Hatake. The Village cannot loose an elite jōnin to a half-baked, suicidal rescue mission where we don't even know where the Genin are."
And Kakashi, he offers a perfectly polite, deferential, bow and says evenly. "I understand, Hokage-sama."
"Dismissed." The female Hokage tells him.
Find them, Her gaze orders what she cannot say due to the Council, save them. Bring them back home.
"Understood." He tells her, giving his own wordless promise before he departs.
Kakashi is entirely unsurprised to find that his apartment had been taken over by the other teams and sensei that had worked with his own team before, even the old Academy sensei that Naruto adored was present and the first thing he says is, "Hokage-sama has order me not to pursue."
"But they-!" the young Inuzuka bursts, the Aburame silencing his teammate.
"They are only Genin, not worth losing jōnin over." He tells the boy bluntly, moving to his bed and reaching under it- disrupting the seal there and pulling out a small box. He tucks away a variety of scrolls, hearing Gai's miniature say something about 'unyouthfulness'.
The Nara eyes him and says with utter certainty, "You're going after them."
"They are my team." Kakashi answers, eyes on the adults whom look grim and understanding. This was something that they would do- something the Academy sensei would have done if he still didn't have more students to look after- and they may not know how much the Godaime wants him to do this but cannot order it, but they will not stop him.
What surprises him is that it is the female Hyuuga who stops him when he is about to depart- she is pale-faced and shaking but it isn't from fear, he can hear the undercurrent of fury there when she say, voice level, "Bring them home."
It wasn't something he'd prepared for, when he passed the team. They weren't at war, it was a time of peace- he didn't think he neededto prepare for such an event. But. He was wrong and now- now his genin were gone. And, come hell or high water, Kakashi was going to get them back.
"I will." Kakashi promises.
