AN: Been too long since I've had a chance to do anything with I'll be posting every few days hopefully. Reviews would be nice, but if you don't give any I'll plow through the story however I like.
"speak"
'thought'
The Decision
If Kakashi did not have a mask on, it would have been obvious to any observer that his jaws were dropped as low as it could go. As it was, only the most observant would be able to tell he was in shock due to his widened eyes. Konoha, his home, was in ruins. The once proud front gate which normally welcomed the returning leaf shinobi's looked like a sardine can that had been opened with a hammer. The giant doors were unhinged, and lay flat on the ground as if it had been trampled by some great beast.
Through the destroyed gates, Kakashi could see into the normally peaceful village. It was in complete and total chaos, people were running about screaming as homes and buildings that still stood burned. Those trapped under rubble were crying out for help, the few ninjas that normally kept order were either dead or dying. As the shock of seeing his beloved village in this state wore off, Kakashi shifted the sleeping baby in his arms as he surveyed the damage.
Coming to a decision, he raced towards the fallen gates, intent on heading straight for the Hokage's office. If anyone would have answers, then his blonde sensei would. But as he passed the fallen gates, he noticed a survivor. Slowing down, and coming to a halt before the dying man, he placed the young wizard in his arms on the ground. Gently as he could, Kakashi set the dying man into a more comfortable position, and surveyed his wrecked body. From his caved in side, he could see that the man had sustained multiple fractures to his ribs, but that was not the fatal injury. Both of his legs had been torn off, in an extremely violent manner, as if shorn off by the teeth of some huge beast.
Ripping the sleeves from his shirt, Kakashi began to bind the bleeding stump of the guard. "What happened here?" The legless man gritted his teeth against the pain and answered in a trembling voice.
"Kyuubi, it came through the front gates. We didn't stand a chance." The man coughed and continued hacking until blood stained the hand covering his mouth. Taking another deep breath, he continued, "Nearly every shinobi who went against it died. We finally managed to injure it enough to make it retreat."
The man fell into another violent coughing fit. Kakashi eased a flask of water towards the dying mans lips. Taking in deep gulps, the man gave a croaking laugh. "I'm going to die aren't I?" His laugh changed into sobbing as he clutched at his chest. "Kakashi, make sure you guys get it. Kill it! Kill it!" With his final hysterical proclamation, the wounded ninja gave one last shuddering breath and stopped breathing altogether. Shaking his head at the lost of life, Kakashi moved back to the bundle in front of the dead man.
Curious green eyes stared back at him as he reached down to pick up baby Harry. Kakashi gave a sad chuckle as he clutched the precious bundle closer to himself, "You choose a bad time to come to Konoha." Removing his gaze from the staring baby, he took off once again towards his destination.
As he arrived towards the normally heavily guarded tower, he found it completely abandoned. Fearing the worst, he raced up the stairs faster then he ever had. Rounding the corner at the top of the stairs, he continued his mad dash down the hallway towards the Hokage's office. Skidding to a halt in front of the oaken door, he gave a mighty kick that slammed the unlocked doors into the wall behind it. The sight of the Fourth calmly drinking sake met his eyes. Letting out a breath he did not know he was holding, he allowed his tense body to relax a bit.
The Yodiame looked up from his drink at his former student. "Oh, it's you Kakashi." The voice usually filled with passion and fire was dull and lifeless. Alarmed, Kakashi took a closer look at his former sensei. Eyes that once held hope and happiness had dimmed to black unseeing orbs.
"Hokage-sama, what's going on?" Kakashi demanded. A blank stare was his only answer. Something was very wrong.
"She's dead." Blinking at the 4th's answer Kakashi hesitated before asking.
"Who's dead sensei?"
"Kushina," whispered the lifeless Hokage, "Kushina is dead." His voice had raised and cracked at his last statement. Kakashi went into shock, Kushina, kind and gentle Kushina was dead?
"Your son, did he…?" The blank stare held the answer Kakashi did not want to hear.
As the silver haired man grieved silently, a spine chilling roar echoed through the village. It seemed the Kyuubi had recovered enough to continue its assault. "Hokage-sama, you need to do something. You're the only one who can!"
Staring at his student, the Yodiame gave a bitter laugh. "Maybe I could have, but now…..There is no suitable candidate to hold the Kyubbi's soul."
The silver haired jounin shook his head, "There has to be a way. You always told us that there is no problem that can't be solved. You taught us to never give up!" His raised voice startled the baby in his arms. The green eyed infant gave a gurgle and struggled against Kakashi's grip. The Yodiame looked up at the noise, and for the first time since their meeting, Kakashi could see his eyes returning to focus.
"Kakashi, hand over that child." Staring at his blonde teacher, he hesitated before handing over his young charge. Holding the silent child in one hand, the Hokage made a number of one handed seals. His eyes glowed briefly, and he stared down at the child held in his hands. A smile crept up the frowning face of the Hokage, "Yes, I see it now. Kami has granted me a way for revenge." His eyes dimmed back to normal, and the Yodiame stood up still holding the infant wizard in one arm. "Kakashi, join your comrades on the field of combat. Tell them I will be there soon and to not give up hope." Glad to see his old sensei back, Kakashi gave a sharp nod of his head and disappeared with a poof of smoke.
The 4th cleared away the table with a swipe of his hands and place the raven haired baby down on the table. "I don't know where Kakashi found you, but you must be sent here by Kami." Staring down at the baby, the Yodiame hesitated for a moment. What right did he have to ruin this child's life? But he had no choice. It was between his beloved village and an infant child's life. "I hope when you are older and you learn the truth, you can find it in your heart to forgive me." With his own guilt pushed into the back of his heart, he pulled out a kunai and sliced his hand.
Allowing the crimson liquid to drip towards his finger, he performed numerous seals with his hands. As his hands blurred between hundreds of seals, the blood on his hands began to glow. Finishing with a final dragon seal, he began to trace a circular pattern with his blood on the young wizard's stomach, starting from his belly button and moving outwards. After completing the seal on Harry's stomach, he picked up the curiously silent child. He stared down at the open eyes of the baby's, and for brief moment, he thought he saw understanding and acceptance. 'No doubt the comforting thoughts of a guilty man' Hearing the screams of agony coming from the shinobi fighting the Kyuubi, he raced towards the battlefield.
Kakashi was blinded in one eye. His left eye had been crushed and he could feel liquids running down his face. His left arm had been broken too, but at the moment he didn't really care. Obito was dying. The lower half of his body had been crushed by a stray slap of the demon's tail. Concentrating to keep conscience, he crawled over to his long time friend. "Obito, hang on, I'll get a medical-nin."
A rasping laugh escaped his friend's lips. "Don't bother Kakashi, I'm screwed as it is, and you can barely keep awake let alone go get help." His Sharigan eyes moved over to the ruined eye of Kakashi's. "Damn, you look ugly as ever." Kakashi managed to smile under his mask even through the tears in his one good eye.
"Don't worry, you'll make it. Rin will come and heal you." Coughing, the dying Uchiha gave a hollow laugh.
"No she won't; she bought it back when that fox first showed up." Kakashi was devastated by the news, and for the first time, Kakashi wept openly since the death of his suicidal father. "Huh, you can't cry with only one eye Kakashi." The dying Obito moved his hands together and made six seals, two of which Kakashi could not identify. "This is a move of my own, so you better appreciate it." Obito put his left hand to his left eye, and out popped his eye. He shoved the orb into Kakashi's ruined socket. Performing three seals with his free hand, the hand covering Kakashi's face glowed with heat.
"Obito, what did you do?" Kakashi asked in shock.
"Gave you something to remember me by." Smiling up at his companion, Obito began coughing again. "Damn it Kakashi, take off your damn mask" Complying with his dying companions wish, Kakashi pulled down the fabric obscuring his face. "Heh. At least I can die knowing what you really look like." Obito looked up sadly at Kakashi and murmered faintly, "Don't grieve too hard Kakashi. We all have to die some day." With his last words of wisdom, Obito Uchiha departed the land of the living.
As the Kyubbi continued his rampage through the hidden leaf village, nothing stood in his way. "I will destroy this pitiful village!" roared the maniacal demon. His statement was punctuated by a huge explosion of smoke towards his left. Turning his insane eyes to the clearing mist, he saw a giant frog with a yellow haired human riding upon it.
"I won't let you Kyubbi. I'll make sure you never destroy anything ever again!" With a roar of rage, the nine tailed fox charged at his amphibian riding opponent. As he approached the mounted human, he saw the shadow of the death god floating behind the Yodiame. A huge hand erupted from the chest of the 4th, and as it passed through the raging Kyubbi's chest, a bone chilling laugh was let loose from the death god's mouth.
Kyubbi could feel his very soul being tugged out of his body, and he could do nothing as he was paralyzed by the death god's hold on his body, "You cannot hope to hold my soul in your pitiful body human! When your life is ended by the death god, my soul will burst from your pathetic body and return to my own! Nothing will stop me from having my vengeance!"
"I know." Smirking up at the confused look in the Kyubbi's eyes, he held up the helpless infant in his grip. "That is why he will hold your soul, and when this child's life is claimed by death, so will your immortal soul!"
"NOOOOO!" With a final tug, the demon's soul was free from its body, and as it passed through the Hokage's body, he formed three seals over the body of the raven haired baby. The seal on the child's stomach glowed and the green eyed baby gave a wail of pain. His final task done, the Yodiame fell face first next to the container of the demon. With his vision fading and his breath failing the Hokage took one last look at the unconscious baby.
"I'm sorry my young friend, you have a tough and terrible journey ahead of you, but if you succeed, your power will exceed any other in the mortal world." The sadistic grin of the death god filled his vision, and the youngest hokage of konoha knew no more.
