Orders
A Twisted Truth Tale
by Nelarun
Naruto (c) Kishimoto
Sakumo stared at the orders and looked at the Hokage who was staring out across the village. "My lord?"
"Is there a problem, Shinobi-san."
Sakumo straightened slightly at the tone of mild admonishment and shook his head. "No problem, my lord."
"Then do your village proud."
oOo
There was no good solution to this. Sakumo stood in the pounding rain, listening to his teammates struggling to breathe properly. He could offer his team mates a quick death, seal their bodies away and destroy the bridge, completing the mission, but not his orders. He could get his ninken to reverse summon his team mates to the Hospital, and take out the bridge on his own; again completing the mission but not his orders. He could leave his team mates here with one of the ninken trained in healing and take out the bridge; completing the mission but not his orders. Honestly, Sakumo didn't understand what the biggest problem was. If he left the bridge, Iwa would continue arming their forces. If he destroyed the bridge Iwa would simply rebuild it using a simple doton, take it as a personal affront and the cold war would turn hot. "Sakumo-"
His gaze flicked to his team mates. He could kill them, sneak into the village and steal his son away; completing neither the mission nor his orders. He could kill them, destroy the bridge, sneak into the village and steal his son; completing the mission but not his orders. Sakumo really didn't understand why he had been thrown under the wagon like this. Had he offended someone somewhere? Had he caused the Daimyo distress? The Hokage distress? Had he somehow offended one of the gods?
"Alpha-sama," he whispered and a few moments later a dog, the dog, appeared before him; a white metal circlet forged by a Hatake ages past was nestled on his head. "Please... my son is young and what I am about to do may destroy him."
"We made a pact with the Hatake in the early days of the Warring States, Sakumo. Your son will know his pack." Sakumo nodded slightly.
"Then may I request your aid?"
oOo
Sakumo's ninken were the key to their mission success, and so they had to go. Really, deep down Sakumo didn't even mind – his team mates were injured, they would die if he didn't do this and he didn't want to do that – Nashi's wife had just had a little girl! - and so this sacrifice was an easy one to bear. His team mates watched as two of the dogs took human form, three became near giants: six feet at the shoulder; and then they were being picked up and set on their backs, anchored by the human shaped ninken. "Get them to Konoha!" Sakumo hissed to his dogs and they took off, ignoring the shouts of his team mates who called for Sakumo to not be a fool and shouted for the dogs to taken them back. As he ran, with the dogs, their cries turned from 'fool' to 'coward'.
Sakumo bore it because it he had no other choice. Orders were orders.
I'm sorry.
oOo
Sakumo knew it was coming, but it didn't make it any easier. Kakashi was confused now and starting to distance himself from the entire situation, distancing himself from Sakumo. He expected it, and yet he hadn't factored in the pain that came with it. Not that be blamed the child of course. Kakashi was a boy who wasn't sure of what he should do. Villagers were saying one thing but Sakumo was family. So like a dog who sat and refused to move when many people called for him to come, Kakashi withdrew and Sakumo allowed him to. (Even if it destroyed him).
oOo
Hara-kiri, the act of stomach cutting, atonement. It was not an act used by Shinobi; when Shinobi wanted to atone for past actions they took a suicide mission. If they came back with the mission complete, their sins were forgotten. And yet that would be against orders. Sakumo didn't mind so much that he would end this play with hara-kiri. Hahaue was of Samurai stock after all, as had been his Masako. All Hatake men married of Iron women. All Hatake men... Sakumo caressed the blade. Kakashi wasn't due back until this afternoon. He would be dead by then – no second to ease his passing. No Shinobi would stand there and he refused to ask one of his Samurai kin to act a role in this disrespectful play. It would be long, it would be painful and it would be according to his orders.
Sakumo wondered briefly if Kakashi would discover his marriage contract to Onaga Tomoe, wondered if the Onaga would follow through, their reluctance evident; he wondered if his brother-by-law, Mifune, would enforce the contract... Sakumo blinked once, took a deep breath as he looked out the open doors to the cold forges where his clan had once tempered lightning into ores, and white chakra into blades. He looked at the training grounds where his father had taught him and his brothers the Hatake forms, where he had begun to pass those same forms onto Kakashi. He looked at the sky – the same one he had stared at after his father or uncle had beaten him to the ground again. The same one he had enjoyed cloud watching with Masako. He tore his gaze away from the outside world and returned to the blade in his hands.
Kakashi would hate him.
That was the idea.
oOo
He didn't hesitate, taking a deep breath and stabbed himself, violently jerking the blade to the left before he removed the blade and waited for death to claim him. Never let it be said that Hatake Sakumo was not a loyal Shinobi of Konoha. (Bitterly, he knew that it would be said otherwise).
Orders were more important than life, more important than mission, team mates, personal well being. More important than pride.
Orders, after all, were orders.
A/N: This is a two-parter, look out for the follow up TTT 'Truth' featuring little!Kakashi and Sannin!Orochimaru. It should be up soonishly