Freshly stolen grief lies at the edges of Kakashi's eyes as he looks down at the pile of blankets. The ANBU surrounding him are restless-they have watched Minato-sensei and Kushina die with their own eyes and they cannot forgive themselves for letting it happen. Neither can Kakashi, but he tries to not think about it. The scene in front of them is indeed gruesome. Blood was smeared everywhere-Kushina is drenched in it. The Kyuubi seemed to have speared through her body with a shattering force.
Kakashi glances at her prone figure and his hands shake.
To him, Kushina was like a mother. She was part of his father's first and last genin team and had no obligation to him but she had always been there, an unwavering force. From the early hazy days of his childhood-could it be called a childhood?-she had taken care of him after his mother died and his father was too busy in the war. She had brought along Minato afterwards-Kakashi remembers not liking him much at first, since he had always taken up too much of her attention. He had gotten used to him eventually, especially after he had saved Kushina from Kumogakure shinobi.
Now they are both dead, and all that's left of them are two bloody bodies and Uzumaki Naruto, their son. It was much safer to give him his mother's family name for the Yondaime still had many vengeful enemies. Only few can know of his son's existence.
It would be a hard life for him-as an orphan and outcast-but if he's anything like his headstrong parents, he would make it.
Kakashi moves closer to the altar, and he sees Naruto peeking out from his blankets. Naruto's face is covered with flecks of blood, and Minato and Kushina's scents entangle him in a heavy embrace. Kakashi peers at him closer, and his eyes are a startling blue.
Naruto blinks up at him and grins. He dangles a hand out to Kakashi, and Kakashi takes it. Naruto beams, and something inside of Kakashi warms vaguely.
That is until Yugao-san brings news from the battlefield.
Rin is dead.
Kakashi turns away from her, avoiding her gaze. Pity, was it? His eyes fix onto Naruto. He isn't smiling anymore, and gazes up at Kakashi with a kind of blunt curiosity. Kakashi doesn't say anything, not even as it begins to rain.
The Sandiame Hokage approaches Kakashi and lays a hand on his shoulder.
"You should go get checked for injuries sustained during the battle. I will get Naruto to the hospital and Jiraiya will check Minato's seal."
Kakashi nods once, and lets go of Naruto's hand. However, Naruto clings on with surprising strength and blinks up at him forlornly. The rain starts to hit harder and Kakashi tugs out of Naruto's grip as a gust of wind loosens his hold.
"I'll get him somewhere fast so he won't catch a cold." says the Sandaime heavily, and he picks up Naruto and flies into the stony night.
Kakashi is left with all the pieces of himself that won't fit right anymore, and as he stares at the blank stone face of the Yondaime, he realizes that there isn't anyone left that can fix him.