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As Lightningscar pointed out I haven't mentioned the time this story will take place. It take place after the battle with Orchimaru on the bridge. It will mostly folllwo the time line up until the Pain Ark. I will add in my own little changes here and there.
It will be a while before you find out what happened to Naruto to make him think that Kakashi would kill him. TRUST ME IT WILL BE WORTH IT
Six months earlier
One Moment Can Change Everything
To an unsuspecting outsider the sight of five Ninja inside the Hoakge's office wouldn't look strange at all. To that person this scene would've looked like just another normal meeting between Ninja. Tsuande was speaking at the moment, explaining to them that the threat from the organisation known as the Akatsuki was growing.
The four people I the room that included Kakashi, Yamato, Sakura and Naruto Listened intently to the powerful women's words without interruption. The fifth member of their team wasn't present this time. "Root business" he'd said.
As she spoke Sakura fidgeted at the mention of the name, after all the organization members were criminal ninja wanted for numerous crimes and wanted to capture and kill her friend and teammate Naruto.
But one person in the office wasn't behaving normally and everyone noticed. Especially a certain copy-cat ninja.
The silver-haired 'nin paid little attention to what the blonde woman said, he already knew about the ever-growing threat posed. As his superior continued her speech, his attention drifted towards his sixteen year old student's recent behaviour. At the moment the blonde ninja stood quietly while Tsuande addressed everyone. If you walked in at that moment, you'd think the blonde was just being a normal respectful ninja, quietly listening to the Hokage's new instructions.
That's what troubled the four - five if you counted Tsuande sitting in the chair - people standing in the office, it's also what made this particular meeting unusual to say the least. Even before Uzumaki Naruto's life as a ninja began he'd never in his life been quite, respectful, still or obedient.
At first Kakashi thought his student might feeling a little depressed, who wouldn't be after all that happened just a few days ago? But it just didn't seem possible for someone with Naruto's happy-go-lucky attitude to just suddenly look so sad and defeated.
His sensei couldn't understand what happened to that bubbly, little ninja that constantly begged to train with him or teach him a new jutsu. Ever since Team 7 failed to bring Sasuke back for a second time, the blonde imp wasn't himself. It didn't suit him to look so depressed. His troubled thoughts were suddenly broken by Tsuande's voice. "So that's why you'll be trained by Kakashi and Yamato to learn a new Jutsu." Damn he'd been so wrapped up in his own thoughts the briefing was almost over.
Kakashi watched the boy's reaction, anticipating Naruto to start rejoicing and demanding that they begin training now. But the blonde hardly said anything he looked shocked and a little happier. But even that show of emotion didn't last long, and he soon fell back into his sad mood.
Kakashi couldn't take it anymore and broke the silence. "Didn't you here what Tsuande-Samma just said?" he asked checking to see if Naruto realised that he'd finally get to train.
Naruto finally turned his gaze to face Kakashi, but when he spoke it didn't sound like him at all. "Hi, I heard what ba-chan said sensei. I'll see you at the training grounds in the morning."
The jounin couldn't belive his ears, it appeared that not even the prospect of learning a new ultimate jutsu could cheer him up. If anything the news only seemed to make the blonde even more unhappy for some reason.
"Very well, Naruto and Sakura, you two are dismissed. I still need to go over a few things with Kakashi and Yamato." She explained before ushering them out the door.
As Naruto left the room with Sakura Kakashi's gaze followed his student worriedly. once the door closed Tsunade got down to business could speak to the two elite-jouin on their own.
Tsunade looked at Kakashi she'd noticed that his attention lay elsewhere during her pep talk. "What's wrong Kakashi?"
Kakashi looked up suddenly apparently the smart woman knew something was wrong. "Hokage-Samma?"
"Is something bothering you?" She asked again.
"What makes you say that?" Kakashi asked his superior.
The blonde woman folded her arms before she spoke again. "Being on time, no lame excuse and you've been in this room for about half an hour now and you haven't pulled out one of your perverted books yet."
In his head the jounin could feel his brain slightly nudging him to tell her his worries about training Naruto right now, but forced them down when he realised he didn't have enough proof to back up his concerns.
"Ma, I'm fine thanks I better get ready, I still have to find a way of explaining chakra natures to Naruto before tomorrow." He said lazily.
"Fine, if you're not going to tell me, I won't push you anyway you both know how important this training is for Naruto. He needs this chance to grow stronger not just for protection but it will be a huge confidence boost as well. We can't afford another slip up the next time we might not be so lucky, dismissed." She said finally before returning to sign papers.
After they both walked out the office The sliver haired nin walked right next to Yamato, finally pulling out his new green book, as they walked out the Hokage's office. As they walked in silence nether one speaking.
It was Yamato the broke the silence first he knew Kakashi enough to know that something was on his mind. "You've been unusually quite lately Kakashi-senpai, what's wrong?"
Kakashi stopped reading and put his concerns to him, hoping that the wood user could shed some light on the boy's behaviour. "I just wish I knew what he's thinking. Whenever I try to ask him he shuts off completely, it's just not like him at all." He stated.
"When you say he I take it we are talking about Naruto right?"
The older nin nodded before continuing where he'd left off. "Hai, I don't know what's wrong with him. Ever since they came back from there last mission he's not been himself."
"He's a teenager; they all go through mood swings from time to time. Apart from you of course you skipped that part and went straight to adulthood." Yamato suggested gently. He understood Kakashi's worries but he didn't know Naruto that well so didn't share his concerns.
The sliver-nin shook his head rejecting the idea that hormones were to blame. Whatever was bothering his young student it didn't have anything to do with his age "A few weeks ago if I'd told him that I was going to personally train him to learn a new jutsu I'd be in the hospital right now with broken ribs." He explained.
Yamato hesitated before he spoke again, there was one other possible reason for the blonde's change in behaviour. "He could still be feeling guilty about what happened on the bridge. Especially about Sakura and... Sasuke."
The jounin hissed under his breath when the ravens name came up. He couldn't belive it when he found out that his former pupil tried to murder his own comrades. He'd hoped that Sasuke would see sense and return to his home instead of containing his path of revenge.
Before Kakashi left the hospital Yamato told him what happened when they went to meet the informant at the bridge. He wasn't surprised when he heard that Naruto lost control over the Nine-tailed fox and sprouted four tails. After what he'd witnessed during the mission to rescue Gaara. The experienced jounin knew it was only a matter of time before he lost control again, unfortunately it was sooner than later.
"Yamato, this is Naruto we're talking about. Sasuke has always brought out his strongest emotions, even before he left the village. The fox knows better than anyone that Naruto considers his failure to bring back Sasuke his biggest mistake." The sliver-haired explained calmly. Yamato may be an excellent ANBU captain with an unblemished record but that didn't mean he knew everything about the teen.
"He shouldn't never have been on that mission senpai, you and I both know it. He could have killed someone, hell he nearly did!" Yamato cried remembering the awful sight of the Kyuubi's chakra tails hitting Sakura and destroying the bridge as if it was a tooth-pick.
Kakashi sighed and shut his little green book the blonde gave him. "He would have gone no matter what we told him and we would've never been able to keep that sort of information from him. Naruto will do anything to bring Sasuke back he's trained so hard under Jiraiya's care to achieve this ambition. Could you deny him the chance to achieve it?"
The wood user looked at his superior. "When you say it like that no. But I still think letting him go was a huge risk."
"Yamato he is a ninja his whole life is a risk." Kakashi reminded him sarcastically.
"But him more so than normal, every time he leaves the village he risks his and are safety. The seal gets weaker everyday and everyday Naruto risks losing control and next time he could die or kill others."
Kakashi couldn't help but feel slightly exasperated with the wood-user's harsh judgement and decided to put him in his place. "Yamato, you haven't met the real Naruto yet. Trust me during his training his own true power will shine through. Then you'll see why Tsuande and myself believe that by the end of this training he'll not only surpass me, but the fourth as we'll. I also plan on telling Naruto that myself." With that said Kakashi walked faster towards his home.
Back at his home after, reading some more of his book, Kakashi sat on his bed ,with his legs crossed, while he looked at his old team photo with both fondness and sorrow. The picture still held many fond memories. He sighed quietly to himself while he reflected on today's events. Sadly his chat with Yamato only helped increase his worries rather than quell them.
Deep down he knew that would happen, besides Yamato only met Naruto recently sure the he'd read every file and mission report about his student, but that didn't tell you everything about a person. "Naruto's sunshine personality is far too complex to put down in writing. You need to see him for yourself to really get to know him." He thought.
The ANBU captain didn't know his student the same way he did.
Kakashi couldn't help but wonder if he should speak to someone more familiar with the blonde. "Maybe Iruka might be the best person to speak to, after all, he knows Naruto better than anyone else in the village." He said out loud.
"Minato-sensei what would you tell me to do?" He asked himself. Slowly he gazed down at the picture again and reminced about a time in his life, that would've undoubtably changed both his and Naruto's life.
Flashback:
The night of the Nine-tails attack he'd first found out about Minato sensei's death he'd been distraught to say the least. For a second time in his life he'd lost another father and just like last time, he'd been powerless to stop it from happening. But in the midst of his grief Kakashi took comfort from the fact that, unlike the last time his teacher died a hero protecting everyone precious to him. Not Soon after his teachers funeral two ninja came to his house and informed him that he'd been summoned by the Sandaime.
It came no surprise to him that the old man regained his title once Minato died.
Once the door closed and they were alone the old man walked up to him and put his hand on his shoulder. "I know this past week has been hard for you. Minato's death hit you the hardest but I hear you've been very composed despite all of this."
"You sent for me." Kakashi said a little too harshly than he meant to sound. He didn't need anyone's pity least of all the Sandamie.
The old man nodded before turning round and went to a nearby cot he didn't notice before. he watched as Hiruzen slowly picked up something and turned round to face him. There in his arms he held a baby."I sent for you to remind you that all is not lost, I'm sure you're aware their son Naruto survived."
How could he not know, he was one of the few that knew about Kushina's pregnancy and didn't want to know about the child in fear of the feeling it might stir. That whole week Kakashi's heart had been filled with nothing but grief and despair, a small ray of hope began to bloom his chest. But no matter how much he tried to pretend the child didn't exist, he still felt a small rat of hope when he saw the little bundle in Sartoubi's arms.
"Minato's dying wish was Naruto be regarded as a hero." The third explained looking down at the child with sympathy.
The young jounin's head snapped up at this. He may only still be a young man but even he knew that Minato's last request fell on deaf ears. "But no one will. As I made my way here I heard at least five groups plotting to kill him. Why Can't we just tell them that he's Minato's child that might smooth things over."
"No!" The aging man snapped causing the little boy in his arms to whimper. The third noticed and softened his voice. "The child would be in even more danger from Minato's enemies, at the moment it's better that they don't know."
"But where is he going to go now that both his parents are dead?" Kakashi asked worried about that child's future.
The old man smiled for the first time since they'd spoken. "That's why I summoned you here. I want you to take Naruto and raise him as your son I know your young but with a little help from me you'll do fine. Besides I think your teacher would approve."
The room went completely silent while the copy-ninja tried to make sense of the request. "I can't look after a child! I'm still a kid myself. What would everyone think if they saw me buying baby cloths and pushing a child round the village. Not to mention changing nappies no way!."
Before he could make his escape a sudden whimper stopped the teen in his tracks. Slowly Kakashi walked a little closer towards to look at the small defenceless little boy wrapped in nothing but a blanket. He was startled at what he saw. As soon as he saw the blonde hair and piercing blue eye's it was like looking at a little clone of his dead sensei.
Out of nowhere Kakashi felt a sharp stabbing pain in his chest and he found himself struggling to breathe. He knew it he wasn't really injured but his mind made it feel worse than any physical injury he'd sustained in his short life span.
Every time he so much as glanced at him the knife in his heart dug deeper.
"No I can't take him. It hurts too much to look at him." He eventually managed to choke out.
"Kakashi, I know it hurts now, but in time that pain will fade and in its place you'll feel love like you can't even imagine. The elders already plan to dump him in some orphanage until he turns five." He spat angrily that anyone could blame a baby for the disaster.
"But isn't Jiraiya-Samma his god father couldn't he?"
Hiruzen shook his head regretfully at he looked down at the small infant. "Unfortunately Jiraiya refused, he said a new threat has emerged a group called the Akatuski, he seems to think gathering intelligence about them is more important."
Even though his chest still ached terribly Kakashi could still hear the criticism in the old mans words, though he didn't dare voice his theory."I'm guessing you don't think it's important Third." He could just about imagine the heated exchange between Jiraiya and Sarutobi. Even thought they were student and teacher the two of them didn't always see eye to eye.
"That's why you are my last resort." The third said to Kakashi.
"I don't care I can't even look at him. How can you expect me to look after him?" He replied still clutching his aching chest with his fist.
The aging Hokage looked at the boy on the ground unable to fathom how he could turn down his request. "Foolish brat, mark my words Kakashi one day, maybe not tomorrow or the next day, but in a few months or years you will look back to this moment and realise what a mistake you made. But by then it will be too late to change it." The old man turned to comfort the now crying baby.
While Sarutobi comforted the boy in his arms Kakashi slowly picked up his mask and quietly left the room, as he walked down the corridor he broke into a sprint to get away from the crying child, but no matter how fast he ran he couldn't get the child's face from his mind. Before he made it home he could feel his eyes burning and something wet traveling down his face soaking his face mask.
End of flashback
As the silver-haired nin reflected on Sarutobi's words and wondered if he'd made the right decision, soon after that meeting he'd absorbed himself in his work with ANBU so he didn't get the chance to reflect on his decision. Looking back now the silver-haired nin knew it would have been impossible for him to have adopt Naruto back then, not when it caused him so much pain.
But the third was right about one thing as the years past the dagger in his heart stopped hurting. Kakashi often wondered if he'd been chosen to mentor Naruto to help heal his old wounds for good. If that was the reason, it worked he found himself caring for Naruto a little more than he should at times, but it didn't mean the boy couldn't get under his skin at times. But all the same he still cared for him.
Just then he began to wonder if being Naruto's guardian would've been that bad. The silver-haired nin shook his head sharply reminded of the pain once more. "I couldn't even look at him without that stabbing feeling. How could I look after him when it hurts so much?" He questioned himself quietly.
At the moment he could truthfully say the he didn't regret his choice. "So far so good, right third?" He called out loud making a mental note to visit the old man's grave so he could relay his message personally.
"Naruto didn't need him anyway" he thought. Sure the kid didn't have the best childhood, nether did he. But even without his influence it hadn't stopped him from growing into a strong and fine young man. Deep down he knew it was just an excuse he'd have given anything to go back to that scared boy and tell him to take the child in his arms.
With that thought in mind he decided he needed to try and be there for Naruto a little more even if it was a small influence. "Maybe I should talk him again tomorrow." Kakashi thought before turning his bedside light off and falling asleep.
"I might even arrive early for a change, maybe."
The next morning, when Kakashi went to meet Naruto at the training grounds. He couldn't belive his senses when he saw none other than Naruto, jumping around like a hyper-active child. He was only slightly surprised to see not only Yamato but Sakura and Sai also at the training grounds."They properly wanted to give him support, after all they are his teammates." He thought as the blonde finally noticed his presence.
"Kakashi-sensei! You're late and don't bother giving me one of your lame excuses!" yelled the impatient teen.
For a moment Kakashi wondered if the blonde teen in front of him was an imposter, but as soon as he started demanding ramen, training and jumping all over him there was no mistake.
"Naruto, before I explain the training I want to talk you." Kakashi said quietly gearing up to ask the boy his question.
The blonde's happy face quickly turned into a frustrated pout. "Hurry up and ask me so we can get started already, I've waited years for this." He cried impatiently.
Kakashi sighed he'd been dreading this moment since he woke up, but now that Sakura and Sai were her maybe Naruto might open up more than if he'd asked in private. "I just wanted to ask is something bothering you?"
The blonde looked confused not seeing the reason for asking him the same question he did yesterday. What Naruto didn't see was Sakura and Sai throw him curious glances confirming the jounin's earlier theory. Even if the pale ninja hadn't been present during the meeting yesterday even he noticed the change. "Looks like they both noticed to."
"No, why do you say that?" Naruto asked, oblivious to his teammates concerned stares.
"Well yesterday you looked like you'd given up on brining Sasuke home, but today it's as if nothing happened." Kakashi answered cautiously worried how his student would react.
Naruto didn't seem fazed by his sensei's accusations, instead he just gave one of his trade mark foxy grins before throwing his hands behind his head. "Nothing's wrong sensei your just getting senile in your old age, I'm fine honest. Besides I don't give up or go back on my word that's my nido after all." He replied before finishing his speech with a good guy pose.
His sensei smiled, it felt refreshing seeing his student revitalised and ready for anything once more. Suddenly he stopped smiling when he realised what else the blonde said before resisting his nindo. "Oi, you little brat I'm not that old." he stated angrily throwing daggers at the young ninja.
Naruto just smirked at the look on his teachers face. "Maybe your right, Captain Yamato acts older than you." He said casually, earning himself another set if death glears, this time from Yamato.
Kakashi couldn't stop a small snigger from escaping at the teens comment. "Coming from you, I'll take that as a complement. Just out of interest how old did you think I was?" He asked.
The blonde stopped grinning taken off guard little. He'd never actually stopped to think about it before. "Hmm, you know I've never really thought about it up until now. Age is something girls worry about anyway."
Now Sakura started growling.
His sensei chuckled amused that the blonde had somehow manged to paint a target on his head. "Why don't you guess." The jounin urged he couldn't be sure but he swore he could hear both Sakura and Yamato's heart stop.
It didn't take long the blonde to come up with his answer and to the jounin's surprise came up with a good reason for his guess. "I think your age is twenty-two. Bushy brow sensei is always calling you young, hip and cool so I guess you couldn't be that old."
Sakura giggled, being a medical ninja and Tsuande's assistant ment she knew everyone's age including her teachers. "Actually he's..."
"That's the right answer Naruto, I'll buy you a bowl of ramen when we've finished training." The sliver haired nin lied playfully rubbing the Naruto's spikes before ether Yamato, Sai or Sakura could correct him.
The blonde's eyes grew wide with happiness before he started jumping around celebrating his victory.
Yamato snorted knowing full well that his former mentor was lying. "He wishes." He thought suspecting the blonde was just sucking up for a free meal. With that thought in mind he came over to join in the conversation. "If you think Kakashi-senpai is that young I wonder how old you think I am. If you get my age right I'll also get you a bowl of ramen?" Yamato asked hoping the boy would take the hint and guess wrong on purpose.
Naruto all most squealed with delight at the ANBU captains offer. This time it took longer for the blonde to answer. He stood there for a while thinking hard as he tried to work it out, free ramen was on the line so he couldn't mess up. But when the blonde finally came up with his answer it wasn't the one the wood user was hoping for. "I've got it your thirty, right?" The blonde answered confidently.
With that Kakashi and Sakura burst out laughing, while the enraged wood user lunged forward trying to grab the teen. thankfully the blonde sensed the killing intent and anticipating the ANBU captains reaction Naruto raced up the nearest tree in a bid to get away from his attacker. "What's the big deal, Captain Yamato? Are you older than that?" He yelled down fleeing for his life.
"No I'm not!" He yelled in resort as he pursued the blonde up a tree as he tried in vain to strangle the jinchuriki. "Come back here you little shit! You're going to pay for that remark if it's the last thing I do!" The ANBU captain yelled.
Meanwhile on the ground Sakura continued to laugh at the chase scene, while Kakashi was trying not to pass out from laughing so much. He'd teased Yamato endlessly when they worked together in ANBU, but his very own student had delivered the best torment possible. "Leave it to Naruto to almost kill me with laughter." The jounin thought as he tried to regain his composer.
"Well how the hell was I supposed to know that? You act like a grumpy middle-aged man half the time." The blonde called back when Yamato told him his real age.
"Run Naruto he's right behind that branch." The pink-haired warned giving Naruto enough time to jump out of one of Yamato's wood clones reach.
"Thanks Sakura-chan." He called before taking off again.
Sai eventually sat down beside a tree and continued to draw in his book, seemingly not bothered by the events going on around him. Unlike the rest of his team he didn't see what was so funny about guessing someone's age wrong or Yamato's reason for wanting Naruto dead.
Eventually Kakashi was able to catch his breath back enough to stand up and give his student some friendly advice. "I'd keep moving if I were you Naruto, Yamato didn't take your honesty that well. Oh by the way Ramen's on me tonight have as much as you want." He called.
"Nani Whose side are you on senpai?" Yamato yelled madly waving his fist in the air at his superior.
"Ma, that would be my precious student." Kakashi answered lazily making no attempt to help Yamato with his capture in the slightest. He smiled as he watched Naruto continue to evade Yamato attempts to punish him. "That's why your called the number-one-unpredictable-hyper-active-knucklehead- ninja."
He sat down and pulled out his book and waited for things to calm down. As he read he could feel his worries slowly disappear.
What the jounin couldn't know was that his instinct was right, but it would be months before the truth would come out and when it did he will forever remember this day and think "Why didn't I see it."
I can't apologise enough for updating so late, it took so long to write this chapter not too mention plan the remaining ones to come. Belive me I will explain in later chapters. So far Ive planned up to chapter 24. Know do you see why Ive waited to update. I also have other fabfictions that I plan to write while doing this one. I'll let you know soon what they will be.
