A/N I have tried to extensively research as many of my stories aspects as possible but the generation before Naruto is quite a mystery still and it is harder to get it all into perspective. I will try my best to get it right but please feel free to tell if I'm wrong and I'll correct it as best as I can. As for the characters I apologise in advance should they appear OOC. Other than that, thanks for reading.
Thank you to DREAMER1084 and Missy Morningstar for the review. XD
Pain of a new day
Chapter 2
Kakashi had been forced to take the child back with him to the bland hospital room he had awoken in. Well what served as the hospital these days. Sakura, Neji and Shikamaru, last of the Rookie 9 sat huddled together in the corner.
"So does our little saviour get a name?" He knew the question would strike a nerve. Giving something a name was like giving it an identity, a hope for a future. "Well I suppose Nameless does have a mysteriousness about it. I'm sure Iruka would have loved to teach it that way." Kakashi continued to muse, seeming to be completely innocent about the whole thing. In reality he was hoping to have some people that would grow to care for the child so that he wouldn't have to watch them go through with phase two. Iruka was also a sore topic for the ex-pupils of the now dead Shinobi. Iruka was a sore topic for everyone, surprisingly even those from other villages, but most especially Kakashi.
The three Shinobi looked utterly defeated, but other than that they ignored Kakashi. They had made up their minds and nothing he could say would persuade them otherwise.
"Tell me, what is his purpose, other than to fight Sasuke of course. Who's to say he won't fail like he did the first time." Kakashi asked after a long pause. He had been looking at the miniature Naruto as he had asked truly only interested in the answer but he was sure his words had only served to cause more pain, but then again that was all he ever accomplished in his life . . . pain.
"Sensei, there is no limit to the amount of times the jutsu can be performed, as long as you have the chakra, it can be done over and over again. Even if – even if he fails, we'll only try again until we succeed." Sakura's explanation was distant, lifeless. Did they not realise that Sasuke would only be fooled once. The moment this little hybrid stepped onto the battle field, Sasuke would start learning. If they attempted it a second time, well then Sasuke wouldn't let them try it a third. Who was to say that they'd even have the needed chakra to do this a second time? For all they knew Sasuke would kill half their forces on a whim. Kakashi now fully understood that they weren't hiding from Sasuke like they had all thought. He knew where they were. He'd just been toying with them. Giving them false hope for his own enjoyment.
Yet, they would go that far? Wasn't once enough? Kakashi knew now that he wouldn't be able to go along with this. Once, maybe, he'd live with one time if it did the job. Over and over though? That wasn't something he'd be willing to do. He didn't know how but somehow he was going to save Naruto. 'I failed you once Naruto, I'm not doing it again.' The thought was one of conviction, he'd find a way, no matter what. Just like Naruto. Once, twice, six million times if that's what it took. He needed to find a way and desperately.
With a sigh Kakashi set the baby on the bed, saying, "Get some sleep you three."
The three shuffled out of the room, not even glancing his way. Did they really think they had the heart to do this, Shinobi of the Leaf Village raised to believe in the Will of Fire? They were greatly mistaken and they would only realise it when it was too late.
So Kakashi would have to take matters into his own hands. He had to protect this child. The only problem now was how? He knew so many Justus but sometimes, they were all useless. He loathed the idea of going against his Village, but when it was for their own good then he had to do it. There was another way, there always was. Sasuke was not without weakness. He had to have something. After all, he was the only Uchiha left. The rest of them had been killed off years ago. So what that it had been by another Uchiha?
Kakashi realised with a sad half smile that this was probably what Itachi had felt like when faced with the decision of killing his clan or losing his brother. In the end, he had chosen one person's life over that of his entire clan. Granted, the clan would have died either way but if not for Itachi's selfishness, Sasuke would not be as he was today. If Obito hadn't attacked the Leaf, the people would never have begun to fear the Uchiha. If they had never begun to fear the Uchiha then the Uchiha would have never been killed. If, if, if, if, if . . . . . So many of them. All of it useless and a waste of time to pander about.
Perhaps the answer would come to him when he wasn't thinking on it. Instead he decided to give looking at Sasuke's Immortality seal another look. He lifted the standard issue hospital shirt with one hand and uncovered his Sharingan with the other.
The moment he looked at it, the complexities become much clearer. It was one seal placed on top of another and another and another. The order had to be meticulous, since one wrong placement and it wouldn't work. Orochimaru's Immortality had seemed to concentrate on his soul, his spiritual energy. Sasuke seemed to have included Orochimaru's seal into this one, so that meant his spiritual energy was now fine but his body? Sasuke had said that he did not need to find a new one. One seal seemed to be orientated around time. Sasuke had frozen his body in a state of timelessness, perhaps. It's how it appeared the seal worked. He would never age. It was like a permanent version of a Youth Jutsu . . . . . but that didn't necessarily mean that he was invincible. As far as he could tell he was still able to die. A stab through the heart? A broken neck. All still viable options. Which meant it applied to Sasuke as well. Could this be the Uchiha's biggest mistake yet?
Kakashi tilted his head as he continued to study the seal. His eyes widened when he looked at the seal as a whole, rather than the individual seals it had been made up of. Could the Uchiha really have been so careless? Was he finally losing it to a point where he made such drastic mistakes, or had he just not seen what Kakashi had, no doubt having been the creator of such a seal? One tended to lose perspective when one stared at something for too long. New eyes always saw more and what Kakashi was seeing was the solution to every single one of his problems, not just the child. His mind was racing with possibilities. He could be wrong, really he could, but he doubted it. These days he was rarely incorrect in his analysis of jutsus. He'd become more than an expert on it. The times necessitated it.
Kakashi covered the Sharingan and let the shirt flutter back down into place. He had a bigger problem now than when he had started. He needed help but who was he supposed to go to it for. Normally, he didn't need advice from an outside source, he could make decisions on his own just fine, but this wasn't about him anymore. This wasn't even about the Leaf Village. This was about all the Shinobi and that was a heavier responsibility than what he'd ever given Naruto credit for.
Having really no other acceptable choice, Kakashi once again found himself holding the sleeping Naruto and walking out the door. He knew who he needed. Tsunade, one of the three Legendary Shinobi and former Hokage of the Leaf Village. She had been forced to give up the title of the Fifth Hokage when that one rather useful jutsu she had crippled her. After using the Creation Rebirth far too many times than was safe, her body had been pushed beyond its limits. Now she spent her time training new medical-nin as best she could, never again able to wield chakra.
Kakashi wondered only briefly if she was even awake. He hoped so since he didn't want to wake her but knew he had to. Looking down at the little Naruto Kakashi couldn't help the fact that it only served to tighten his resolve. Perhaps if he had ignored him like all the others, then he'd be okay with it, but his failed mission was still too fresh. Another thought occurred to him, one that often floated into his mind if wasn't careful to keep it at bay. Naruto was Minato-sensei's son. He owed his Sensei this much, since he'd done such a poor job so far.
He was polite enough to knock and wait for the gruff reply that would either tell him to piss off or to enter, with that always unspoken 'at your own risk' tagged on to the end. Tsunade was a changed woman, a broken woman, much like Kakashi. He couldn't imagine living through what the Sanin had and then still trying to make a difference.
Instead the door was opened and Lady Tsunade stood in front of him, almost like she'd been expecting him.
"So that's him is it?" she asked looking at Naruto. "Yes." Kakashi replied.
"Well it's not often you come to me these days, what do you want brat?" Tsunade asked, blunt as always. If she thought it was odd that he had the child she said nothing about it. When one really thought about it, it really wasn't all that odd to see Kakashi holding a child and looking completely at ease about it at the same time. It was just something he would do.
"Shall we take this inside? Wouldn't want to catch a cold out here." Tsunade rolled her eyes at his cheerful smile and rather poor excuse, already knowing that the more he pretended the more upset he was about something. She shifted so that he could enter, her eyes following the baby Naruto as he passed.
"Looks too much like Sasuke now." She muttered with a scowl, "I told them this was a fifty-fifty gamble, if not less. The fools. They're all morons if they think that they can keep this up. Not to mention, what if there's too much Sasuke in the boy."
"I'm glad we're on the same page, for once." Kakashi agreed, getting serious to show Lady Tsunade that he meant business.
"What are you planning to do?"
In reply Kakashi lifted his shirt to show the former Hokage the seal Sasuke had left on him. "I've already seen that, I was the one that supervised the medical-nins tending to you."
"Yes, but this just so happens to hold the secret, accidently or not, to time travelling." Kakashi replied, letting the shirt drop again.
"You can't be serious."
"I am, very." Kakashi stated, sounding, looking and meaning those words. Tsunade regarded him like he was a paper bomb about to go off. Her gaze narrowed as she considered his words. Tsunade gave him a sideways look but he didn't respond to it, maintaining his semi bored composure. She looked down at the child, her mouth thinning in anger. "Can you do it?"
"In theory, yes. But you and I both know how much 'in theory' means when put into practise." Kakashi replied with a shrug, "Still I've come to wonder . . . getting there isn't why I'm here. Let's say it's a success. Let's say I can travel as far back as I wanted. I can change things or I can just simply hide, raise Naruto (*wince*) and stop Sasuke and Madara when it becomes necessary."
Tsunade looked amused at his statement and the thought of Kakashi raising a little hyper active devil like Naruto was indeed very amusing but his statement had other implications and this was the reason he was here. He was asking whether he should change everything he could or only the one event that had caused all this mess. Technically they would never be able to solve Madara, not in their life time since Madara's hatred stemmed from a time where they were not around. . . . but they could prepare for him.
There were other things too, like Orochimaru and Obito. It was a hard choice to make and one Tsunade was secretly glad she was not in the position to make. So putting on her best Hokage face and giving her best Hokage answer she forced her eyes to meet Kakashi's uncovered one, "It's up to you Hatake. Ultimately you're the one that has to do it and seeing as you're going to the past whatever I decide won't matter. Do what you feel is right."
Kakashi frowned at her, realising that that answer was a non-answer. As a Shinobi of Konoha, the answer was relatively simply, save those you could no matter what. However changing the past from where ever he landed in it would severely affect the future. A future he didn't know about was a future he couldn't change. Still, a ninja who abandoned his teammates was worse than trash. Something he would never forget.
Looking down at Naruto, so small and innocent was either a mistake or a blessing since it made up his mind. Kakashi looked back up at Tsunade and decided that her answer was perhaps the best one. Do what you feel is right. He'd never been one to rely on his emotions but there was always a first time for everything.
"Just don't get me killed." Tsunade grumbled seeing the resolve in his expression. He grinned his one eyed grin at her before leaving the way he'd come. Most would not have seen that as very helpful, in fact she hadn't said anything he himself hadn't already known, but sometimes it helped to have someone else voice it too.
.0.0.0.
He was back in the room from before, simply because some of his equipment was still there. He had decided that perhaps an hour or two to mentally sort through the complicated jutsu he was about to preform wasn't such a bad idea. He didn't want to make a mistake. That would be entirely counterproductive to his self-set mission. He still didn't know if he was able to go back in time as a separate person or if he would end up in his younger self's body? What was taking Naruto with him? Was he able to do that? Was he able to go back to a time where he didn't exist? Or was he limited to a set amount of years? So many questions that had no answers. Not until he tried the jutsu anyway and if it killed him, he couldn't really say he was all that sorry.
He did not have time to think it through anymore. Someone must have realised that they needed to know where the child was so that they could prepare for tomorrow's phase two. As he sensed the other ninja's approached, he picked up the child, sensing someone right outside the door.
They would never get the chance.
Kakashi dropped out of the window, not fast enough to miss being spotted by Might Guy. "Hay Kakashi, what are you doing down there, my ultimate rival?" Guy yelled down at him, enthusiastic but not quite as much as he used to be. Guy dropped down next to him, his eyes determined. They flickered to the still sleeping baby and that determination grew.
"Say, Kakashi, you're not really the mother-hen type. Why don't you hand over that cute little future Shinobi to me. I'll take good care of him." Guy said with an extra helping of 'nice guy'.
"Huh, did you say something?" Kakashi asked, his visible eye going wide with dopy innocence, an expression that he knew Guy hated.
"Kakashi!" Guy predictably ranted and Kakashi used it as his opportunity to slip away. Not this time Guy, no more games. It was somewhat of a heart sore to see Guy so perky once more. It had been a while and the man must have been using it as a mask to hide how he truly felt about the situation. After all, Guy was the one that had pulled Kakashi out of ANBU all those years ago.
Kakashi dashed towards his apartment. He was careful, constantly conscious of the child he was carrying. He also had to be careful to cover his tracks. He was actually grateful that most of the Shinobi had been in that room, so that meant most of them were utterly exhausted. He also supposed that most of the people who were sent after him would know to go to his apartment. Oh well, couldn't be helped.
He entered his apartment through a secret door had had installed years ago to avoid using the usual entrances that could be booby trapped. It never hurt to be a little creative especially when one was a ninja such as he was and one had a reputation like his.
Kakashi began to pull on a new set of clothes, gathering up weapons and stuffing them into the various places that he stored weapons on his person, more than he usually took since he didn't plan on coming back. He had no idea what he would need, but as a Shinobi he had to be prepared. He could pop out anywhere since he hadn't exactly ironed out a way to control where he was going.
He froze as he reached for a kunai. He could feel several Chakra signals heading for his apartment. He glanced at the child, asleep on his bed and still wrapped in Naruto's jacket. There was no more time. He had to start now. He picked up the child, using chakra wire to carefully attach the sleeping baby to his chest. He needed his hands free after all. The door burst open just as he was finishing the knots. The paper bomb seal he'd placed there exploded, sending a few of them flying backwards. He was sorry that they were hurt but where he was going, it didn't matter.
"Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura burst through the door. "So Shikamaru was right. You're going to take him." Her shoulders were shaking and her face was wild with both panic and something else, something dangerously close to insanity. Just one more reason why he had to do this.
"I told you it was too suspicious. Sasuke got to him. The only Shinobi found alive without a scratch on him. We should have left him there." Shikamaru stated angrily, perhaps angry that he thought his suspicions were confirmed.
"Please don't pretend that you actually care about what I, the potential traitor, will do to the child. You only care about the plan you have laid out for him." Kakashi stated calmly, slowly gathering his chakra.
"He's building his chakra, get ready." Neji stated getting into a defensive crouch. Fighting against these three, seeing the hope slowly ebbing away from their eyes as they watched him, knowing they could hardly beat him . . . the Council sure was cruel.
"I only want to save him, to save everyone." Kakashi said sadly, his eyes seeking Sakura's green ones. She was the last of his genin team, his student, so why didn't she realise that she knew him better than this. A small voice, one that Kakashi hardly allowed himself to listen to told him that how could she know anything about him when he never let anyone get close enough?
"I've never known you to be so sentimental sensei." Sakura replied getting into a fighting stance as well, her fingers lighting up with green chakra. They'd never make it in time. They were all too tired and way out of their league.
His Sharingan had already processed the information he had learned from Sasuke's seal and had come up with the solution he sought after. His hands moved through the hand signs quickly, a blur of motion that surprisingly consisted of hand signs he'd seen during the creation of this miniature Naruto.
"I'll see you on the road of life." Kakashi said in farewell, the saying far more truthful than the other times he had used it, before he felt himself being tugged away. The almost violent tug was enough to wake the little Naruto who immediately started to cry. His last image was of Sakura falling to her knees looking utterly defeated and Neji and Shikamaru lunging for him. Too late.
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