CHAPTER SEVEN: Divergence at Kiri

Growing up surrounded by the forest, Kakashi has always felt more comfortable traveling long distances by jumping from tree to tree rather than just by running. So the great trees of The Land of Fire are a welcome sight after weeks of seeing nothing but rock and sand. But more important than his own personal comfort is that their pace drastically picks up as the branches provide better leverage than a flat or mountainous terrain ever could.

A day into traveling through the Land of Fire and they stop for the night to set up camp. It's a routine that Kakashi has done his entire life but for some reason that he can't quite put his finger on, it feels different with Nise. Almost domestic; or what he thinks domestic might feel like.

Without a word, Nise goes to set up their tent and Kakashi goes to start making their food for the night. And it's a relief to be able to make a fire to cook their food over instead of having to make do with sandwiches or cold stew. Iwa was openly hostile so making a fire there would have been nothing but a beacon for unwanted attention and even though Suna was now friendly territory, they hadn't made any fires while traveling through it. And since there's nothing like the sense of security that being in one's own land brings, Kakashi makes sure to make their fire larger than normal.

When they've finished eating they sit across the fire from one another in a comfortable silence, the noise of the surrounding wildlife providing a calming backdrop.

Or calming for him at least, Kakashi thinks as he glances over at Nise. The man has been nervously shifting all night and Kakashi has to fight back a smile at how obvious the redhead can be sometimes. In some ways, Nise is painfully easy to read.

He figures he's let the man squirm long enough. If he lets Nise stew in his thoughts for any longer then he'll be proving Genma and Asuma right when they say he's a bastard. Kakashi likes to think he walks the line between enervating and asshole quite well. "Something on your mind?" he asks.

"Ah, well. It's stupid. It's nothing really," Nise says, not meeting his eyes.

"You're worried about Tobi showing up," Kakashi says and Nise looks up in surprise. "It's obvious you're wary of the man. He must be pretty formidable if he's got you squirming at just the thought of him."

Nise gives a self-deprecating smile and looks down at his clasped hands in his lap. "He could destroy the world," he says softly.

Kakashi leans back and thinks that over. Sure, the man's time-space jutsu sounded like a pain in the ass, but he wouldn't call it world-ending. And Tobi might be pulling Akatsuki's strings but, at the end of the day, they were just missing-nin. Missing-nin who would no doubt not be amused to learn they were being manipulated. And with Nise's unrelenting determination to protect the bijuu, he doubted Tobi would ever even get his hands on them all. "That's not an easy feat," he says casually.

Nise lets out a harsh laugh. "But he could do it."

"And how would he? Destroy the world, I mean."

Nise stares at him but he doesn't say anything, his attention focused elsewhere; seeing something Kakashi can't. The light of the fire reflects off his eyes, giving them an inhuman glow.

"There's something other than the bijuu then?" Kakashi asks, cautiously throwing out some of his vague suspicions. He might have accepted that Nise can't tell him everything, but he still wants to know.

"...Yes," Nise says slowly, reluctantly, but Kakashi doesn't begrudge him for it. He waits; Nise will tell him what he can.

"He's not Madara Uchiha," Nise says, frowning. "But...he can bring him back. Reanimate him somehow. I don't really know how though." He shakes his head in frustration. "I don't know if the bijuus give him the ability to do it, or if he already has the ability and is just biding his time, or if it's actually someone else who does it for him, or—" he runs his hands over his face. "Together with— together they can definitely destroy the world."

Kakashi can practically taste the anxiety rolling off the redhead. "Then it's not Tobi you're worried about. It's what him and his friends will do."

"Well, I wouldn't call them fri—"

"If you ask me, Tobi is the one who should be worried about you. Akatsuki doesn't know about him so he's on his own right now. But you're not. You have Tsunade-sama who is a Sannin and commands the strongest hidden village in the Elemental Countries. You have Jiraiya-sama who is as good as an entire village on his own. And once Gaara becomes Kazekage and settles in I imagine he will happily aid you. He doesn't hide his admiration for you very well."

Nise's shoulders relax and he gives a small smile. "And what about the infamous CopyCat Ninja? Will he be by my side?"

Kakashi pulls out his book and hides behind it. "I'm not sure you can afford him."

Nise's bright laugh chases away the chill of the night more effectively than the fire ever could.

Kakashi lowers his book and rubs at the back of his neck where his seal is now inked on his skin. It was odd, knowing that they would be able to be at each other's side in a second if they were hurt. And he would have left it at that, but when Nise had placed the seal on him a few nights ago Nise had quietly offered to add in an extra design: "I can make it so we can call for each other even when we aren't injured. If we ever get separated, one of us can always call for the other."

Kakashi had nodded and Nise had added a few more strokes. He still isn't sure why he had agreed so readily.

But no matter what happened tomorrow they would be fine. They've made dozens of plans and prepared for dozens of different outcomes. Even if Tobi did show up in Kiri, they would be alright.

Still, with an ability like Tobi's, his Kamui would have probably been helpful. Nise hadn't said anything more about his Kamui, but Kakashi knew they would have been able to make more effective plans if he was able to reliable use it. He had never bothered to train and develop the technique before, using it just once was exhausting, but maybe he should start to. Any little bit he could contribute to help prevent the destruction of the world, to ease Nise's worry, would be worth it.


Three days later and they've set up camp a few miles from the front gates of Kiri. Even though it was still early in the afternoon they had agreed that it was best to get as much rest as they could before entering the hidden village, just in case. While Nise seemed unconcerned with meeting with the Mizukage and more worried about possibly running into Tobi, Kakashi was more weary about how the infamous Mizukage would receive them. After all, Nise said he wasn't sure if Kiri had gained the nickname The Bloody Mist before or after Tobi had put the jinchuuriki under a genjutsu. And Kakashi had a gut feeling that they wouldn't be able to leave Kiri without a fight.

But even though Kakashi knows he should be resting, he lies on his back, eyes closed, and can't find sleep. There's just too much going around his head. And even though he's already decided he won't question Nise anymore, he can't just ignore a puzzle.

The familial love for Jiraiya and Tsunade, the undeniable Uzumaki heritage, the bijuu chakra in his seals, the thirteen year mission, knowing about his Kamui, the ability to calm bijuu, the intimate knowledge of the Akatsuki, the affection for Suna's jinchuuriki… there were just so many puzzle pieces and while he knows they all go together he can't seem to get them to fit properly. He's missing the piece that connects everything. He can almost see it, the bigger picture, but every time he grabs for it, it slips through his fingers.

Kakashi thinks of the distant look on Nise's face when he talked about Tobi and thinks that maybe he already has all the pieces he needs. Maybe he just needs to look at them differently. Flip them over. Look underneath.

He didn't care about all of this a few weeks ago. He had trusted Tsunade enough to trust Nise from the beginning so he hadn't been concerned with figuring out every single truth about the man, had only been concerned with figuring out what the wrongness was. But now he wants to know everything, wants to know everything about Nise. And he, irrationally, wants Nise to trust him without explanation. Wants Nise to tell him everything.

It shouldn't be this frustrating. It's not personal. Nise has some sort of bond with Tsunade and Jiraiya that can't be faked so it makes sense that they would know everything about him. There's no reason for Nise to just spill everything about himself to him. Nise's words from so long ago resonate in his head: I have no obligation to satisfy your curiosity. It stings that it's true.

But there is something else that's keeping him awake: it feels like every sense he has is tuned towards the man lying next to him. He is just so aware of Nise.

They've been sleeping next to each other in some form or another for a while now, long enough for Kakashi to confidently say that Nise wasn't a peaceful sleeper by any stretch of the imagination. He was constantly tossing and turning throughout the night but his gentle snoring and solid presence had always been a pleasant background. But for the past week it's like he's hyperaware of just how much space separates them at night. Conscious of every breath the redhead takes.

Kakashi pauses at that thought. He hasn't heard Nise move in a while and he doesn't hear any snoring. It's too quiet.

Something gently touches his covered cheek and it takes everything he has to not flinch away. It slowly traces along his jawline and it's only when it works it way up to gently touch the bottom part of the scar over his left eye that he realizes it's a finger.

The finger traces along the edge of his mask and that's a little too much for him so his hand shoots out and grabs a wrist. He opens his right eye to see Nise leaning over him, wide-eyed and horrified. For a frozen moment, they stare at each other, neither of them say anything.

Kakashi's eyes travel down to take in Nise's bare arm, his wrist still held firmly in his grip. Without his ANBU arm guards and gloves on, the seals on his forearm that are normally hidden are on display. He's only seen glimpses of them before and he's never seen them this close before. Now that he knows what they're sealing they almost don't look complex enough. Kakashi opens his left eye.

"I—"

Kakashi ignores Nise and shifts his grip, slowly running two fingers over the ink on the back of Nise's hand. The contrast of their skin tones is strangely appealing but he ignores it in favor of the mesmerizing seals. He carefully traces the intricate designs and follows them as they go up Nise's wrist and onto his forearm. He has no idea what he's doing or why he's doing it but the impressive blush on Nise's face is encouraging.

Kakashi pauses at the crease of Nise's elbow, the skin impossibly soft. It's minute, but there's a small jagged line there. A broken seal. Kakashi traces it over and over.

"There are no cages or chains in me," Nise whispers.

Kakashi doesn't say anything, just continues to trace the seals, up the rest of Nise's arm and then down his other arm. Nise doesn't move the entire time, barely breathes, and Kakashi suddenly wishes that Nise wasn't still wearing his undershirt. The seals probably continue onto his chest and Kakashi desperately wants to see them as well. Wants to memorize them.

He traces the ink on Nise's left shoulder for the third time, right where the kunai had gone through, and withdraws his hand. He closes his left eye. "Go to bed," he says.

Nise nods frantically and all but dives under his blanket.


Sneaking into Kiri is almost too easy given their extreme and paranoid isolationism policies. And once inside, the villagers were more than helpful in pointing them towards their Kage. Nise hadn't been willing to question their good luck, so he and Kakashi had followed an overly friendly blacksmith as he happily guided them straight to the Mizukage's tower.

Yagura had been alone in his office, innocuously sitting at his desk and filling out paperwork.

The jinchuuriki had been hostile at first and had almost called for his ANBU guard but once Nise had held out his arm, covered in Isobu's chakra, Yagura had become more receptive to talking to them, even if he did still seem wary.

But it seemed that their luck was finite and reaching the Mizukage so easily had apparently used it all up. Obito, on the other hand, had an abundance of luck; putting him in the right place at the right time. Yagura had been reaching out to take Nise's hand when Obito suddenly warped into the room.

Isobu jerks her chakra back into Nise so harshly that his chakra coils burn. She buries herself so deep into his seal that Nise feels nauseous at her disappearance.

Obito stares at them, one sharingan eye shining brightly and appearing as nonplussed as they are, before throwing a fire jutsu at them.

Nise knocks the Mizukage's desk on its side and ducks behind it with Kakashi. He curses as it looks like Obito isn't even going to try to pretend to be Tobi. Apparently he isn't thrilled about finding them talking to one of his puppets.

"Remember, just keep him distracted! I'll call for you when I'm done," Nise whispers to Kakashi before they have to jump away from each other, the desk giving way to Obito's flames.

"I'll take care of Kakashi. You kill the redhead," Obito says calmly.

Nise curses again as Yagura, cloaked in two tails, jumps at him, lost to Obito's genjutsu. Nise braces himself and, careful to not use any chakra, catches one of Yagura's outstretched arms by the forearm. He sees the look of shock on Yagura's face for only a second before he heaves the jinchuuriki over his head and out through the window.

Nise's hand is burnt to a crisp, white bone poking through, but it's already starting to heal as he leaps out the window after them.

Stop healing me! he yells in his head. Obito will feel your chakra!

Nise jumps from rooftop to rooftop and heads towards the screaming civilians and rising dust cloud that indicate where Yagura has landed. He jumps down onto the streets to see a furious Yagura digging themselves out of the side of a building, three tails wildly waving. Civilians run fleeing around them and he sees two Iwa ANBU running towards their Kage but he ignores them as Yagura screams in outrage and props their jaw open. Chakra starts to gather in front of their mouth and condenses into a ball.

Nise doesn't hesitate as he rushes straight at them. He knows exactly how long it takes to perform that technique in that state of mind and even running without the help of chakra he knows he'll make it in time. Just as the Beast Ball is fully formed, he grabs Yagura with his good hand by one of their flailing tails and flings them further away.

He runs after them, wincing as they land in an explosion, and hopes that this is far enough. Hopes that Kakashi is distracting enough that Obito won't be able to feel it when he uses his chakra.

They're waiting for him when he gets there and they're furious. Their chakra cloak is gone and they've transformed into a solid mass of red and black chakra, three tails whipping behind them. The infamous mist that saturates Kiri only makes them look that much more ominous.

Yagura runs straight towards him and it takes all of Nise's willpower to not defend himself. He can feel the bijuu working hard inside of him to choke his chakra coils, trying to restrain his chakra flow. Their chakra wants to automatically start healing him and they can't have Obito notice his chakra. Revealing his abilities to Obito was the worst possible scenario. He would most likely warp away to analyze and prepare a counterattack and Nise couldn't afford for him to alter his plans into something he couldn't predict. Nise would be forced to kill him right then and there but there was no telling what back up plans the Uchiha had tucked away.

It's easy to ignore the pain in his hand as gathers a small amount of his chakra into it. He grits his teeth from the effort it takes to pull just his chakra and none of the bijuu's. Their chakras are so mixed together that he can barely tell whose is whose anymore and his poor chakra control makes it hard for him to separate them. The bijuu choking his coils only makes it that much harder.

Yagura slams into Nise, claws digging into his chest, and the force of the impact is too much, forcing the air out of Nise's lungs and knocking him over onto his back. Nise's flesh easily gives way and as Yagura puts their full weight down on him, he feels a few bones in his chest crack. Nise lifts a shaky hand up and touches Yagura's side with his fingers, pushing his chakra into them and disrupting both Yagura and Isobu's chakra flows.

With nothing protecting his chest but his ANBU flak jacket, the claws hurt like a bitch and Nise's vision starts to go black as they yank their claws out of his chest.

When it is safe we will heal you, Gyuuki assures and Nise has only a moment to think about how inconvenient it is to not be able to heal oneself before he passes out.


Kakashi just barely blocks Tobi's fist when he feels a tug in the back of his head. He jumps back and relief floods through him at Nise's call. If anything, Nise had been underselling just how much of a pain in the ass Tobi's ability was. Kakashi scoffs as he remembers Nise's insistent preaching of 'Don't attack, just distract'. It's all he can do just to not get himself killed.

Tobi jumps back into the far right corner of the room and the explosives Kakashi had set up a few minutes ago when he was thrown into that corner go off. As Tobi warps away as to avoid the explosion and the crumbling wall, Kakashi both hopes and dreads that he will appear in the destroyed office again. If Tobi decides to go after Nise and the Mizukage they're screwed.

There's a ripple in the air to his right and Kakashi throws a handful of shuriken as Tobi's body starts to form.

Kakashi thanks anything that is listening that they had planned for Tobi, that Nise had gone over the man's abilities in exhaustive detail. Just in case.

The shuriken have just passed harmlessly through Tobi's head when his shadow clone charges from the other side with a Chidori. His clone's jutsu and arm phase through the masked man as well, but Kakashi had been hoping for that. His shadow clone keeps going forward and then stops so he's standing in Tobi. With Tobi forced to stay intangible, he can't follow him. Kakashi quickly throws up a earth wall to hide what he's doing and activates the seal on the back of his neck.

His stomach clenches in protest and he feels like he's going to throw up but the sensation disappears as quickly as it comes and then he's standing on the outskirts of Kiri. He takes an unsteady step forward, rapidly blinks to clear his hazy vision, and looks around for Nise; they need to get out of here as soon as possible. He pauses when he realizes what he's looking at and his stomach protests again as he realizes the redhead hadn't intentionally called for him.

Nise lies on the ground on his back, his ANBU flak jacket shredded with the grey material stained red. The Mizukage is crouched over him with his hands pressing down on Nise's chest, trying to staunch the blood flow. There's no steam coming from the wounds. Nise isn't healing.

Kakashi tenses and prepares to attack, to get the Mizukage away, but before he can do anything Yagura stands up and backs away from Nise, holding his blood-drenched hands out in a sign of peace.

"My mind is my own now," he says, his voice business-like and seemingly unbothered by the events that have transpired in the last ten minutes. "There is a small fishing town four miles west from here. Go to the inn and tell the owner, only the owner, that I have sent you and he will take you to a safe house. Wait for me there. Madara doesn't know about it, he doesn't care about such small towns so you will be safe there." He looks down at Nise with a small frown. "A jinchuuriki will heal from this."

Nise is bleeding out and Kakashi doesn't have time to ask any questions so he grits his teeth, gives a jerky nod and goes to Nise's side, careful to keep Yagura within his sight. He bends down and carefully picks Nise up, momentarily surprised by how light the man is. He can run faster carrying Nise on his back but Kakashi's afraid if he moves him around too much he'll bleed out faster so he settles for carrying Nise in his arms.

"Kakashi-san. Kiri is indebted to you two for releasing us from Madara's genjutsu. Isobu and I are curious as to what else Nise-san has to offer us," Yagura says. He inclines his head and runs off back into his village without a backwards glance.

Kakashi runs west and doesn't look down at Nise's pale face. He pretends he can't feel Nise's warm blood soaking through the front of his flak jacket.


Nise wakes up surrounded by warmth and to the smell of bacon frying. He groans and rolls over, pulling the blankets over his head, and debates if getting out of bed is worth it.

"I don't remember the plan where you let the Mizukage almost kill you."

Nise pulls the blankets down and opens his eyes, squinting at the brightness of the room. An unimpressed Kakashi sits in a chair next to his bed, eyebrow hauntingly raised. Nise groans and sits up, rubbing his bare chest. "Yes, well, it certainly wasn't Plan A."

"No. But Tobi appearing was Plans B-2 through C-3 I believe? We would have had a plan for this eventually. Plan H-5 maybe?"

Nise snorts and catches the undershirt Kakashi throws at him, quickly pulling it on. It doesn't escape his notice that Kakashi isn't wearing a flak jacket anymore and that he doesn't offer him one. They had only brought extra undershirts. "Yeah, no. I can only remember so many plans," he says and rubs his chest again. He's already forgotten the pain Isobu's claws had caused.

Kakashi makes a noncommittal hum. "You were only out for a few hours. The Kazekage is already here and he refuses to talk unless it's to the both of us. He's quite paranoid," Kakashi says lightly, standing up.

Nise nods. "No use in putting this off then," he says, getting up as well. He discretely glances around but he doesn't see any evidence of blood anywhere. He wonders how long Kakashi spent cleaning up.

They head out of the bedroom and into the connecting kitchen where they're met with an odd sight: the Yondaime Mizukage sitting at the kitchen table, eating bacon and eggs.

Yagura stands up at the sight of them and gives a small bow. "Nise-san, I am pleased to see you have made a full recovery."

"Mizukage-sama. I hope we didn't cause too much harm, we had hoped this would go smoother," Nise says, sitting down across the table from him.

"You have released me from Madara's thrall. My office can always be repaired and it was of no consequence to pretend for a few hours more," he says with a dismissive wave of his hand, his voice firm and unrelenting. "My only regret is that I do not believe attacking him would be productive. Now, enough of this small talk. You said you have something for the Sanbi and I?"

"Ah, yes," Nise says. He wouldn't call what they were doing small talk but he's fine with getting straight to business. He's a little caught off guard by the conflicting vibes he's getting from Yagura and he's not too sure how to respond. On one hand, Yagura's stern eyes and stiff posture don't invite any friendliness but on the other hand, Nise doesn't feel any hostility coming from him. Nise wonders how the man managed to somewhat get along with Isobu when she was so sensitive to aloofness.

Nonetheless, Nise holds out his arm, letting Isobu's chakra bubble forth and he can't help but smile at the sensation. The bijuu's chakra should never be hidden away within him, it was such an integral part of him now that it just felt right flowing through him.

Without hesitation, Yagura reaches across the table and firmly grabs his hand and then Nise is standing in the streets of an abandoned village. The wind whistles through the empty streets and mist clouds his vision so he can only see a few feet in front of him.

"She's this way," Yagura says and then they're standing in front of a giant hole in the center of the village. "Down there." Yagura points into the hole.

Nise looks down into the hole but it's so deep that all he can see is darkness. He hears Isobu's melancholy roar coming from somewhere deep within it.

"Oh Isobu," Nise whispers to himself and he hates that he can't just grab her and get her out of here. But her and Yagura have to work that out for themselves. He hadn't released Kurama from his cage and he had only taken away the spikes and loosened the chains for Shukaku. All he can do is give the bijuu their future-memories; the rest they would have to work out with their vessel. Nise jumps into the hole.

Less than a minute later and he pulls himself out of Yagura's seal. They can't have been in there for longer than a few minutes and he braces himself for the lightheadedness he's felt the last two times he's done this but it doesn't come.

Yagura doesn't look any worse for ware but he's staring off into the distance; no doubt talking to Isobu, trying to determine what it was Nise had done to her to make her so much more amiable. "I do not believe it would be wise for me to continue as Mizukage," Yagura says, looking unbothered by what he's saying.

Nise waits for Kakashi to speak up and disagree but the man is leaning against the counter, absorbed in reading his stupid orange book and seemingly oblivious to the conversation. And despite the seriousness of the situation, Nise can't help but be impressed by the sheer apathy such a bold move requires.

"I will have to search for a predecessor who can help reclaim Kiri's former glory. Till then I believe exile is a fitting punishment for me. I have shown inexcusable weakness by allowing myself to be controlled."

"There was no way—"

"I do not say this seeking your sympathy, Nise-san."

Nise nods, then cautiously. "If you would allow me to make a recommendation?"

Yagura raises an eyebrow. "You believe you know Kiri well enough to recommend her a leader?"

"If you would consider Mei Terumi as your successor. I believe she will do well."

Yagura scrunches up his nose in distaste and it makes him look years younger. "The renegade?" he asks, his voice colored with doubt and it's a relief to hear something other than his previous monotone.

"She's looking to change and reform Kiri, to make it so it's no longer known as The Bloody Mist. Her policies will help Kiri thrive and she has the power to back them up."

Yagura frowns but slowly nods. "She will have a lot to change and many will not accept her. Kiri has long become used to brutality and they will see her desire for peace as weakness." Yagura holds up a hand to stop Nise from speaking up. "Still, I have not been deaf to the support she has been gathering in the past months and she has merit in accomplishing even that much. I will speak with her." He inclines his head to Nise. "It is the least I can do."

"Where will you go during this self-imposed exile?" Kakashi suddenly asks, not looking up from his book.

Yagura looks down at his empty plate. "Perhaps I will travel. I have never been to another hidden village before and I would like to see how they live."

"If I may make another suggestion?" Nise asks hesitantly.

Yagura looks up and smirks at him, his mask of indifference long gone. "I dare say you will tell me regardless if I want to hear it."

Nise rubs the back of his neck. "The Raikage's brother, B, he and the Hachibi are able to work well together. You and Isobu already have the beginnings of a bond but I believe you could benefit from at least meeting with them. If you ever desire company, they will welcome you with open arms."

"I will consider," Yagura says as he stands up, his head held high and looking every bit the Mizukage. "Please, Nise-san, Kakashi-san, stay and rest for as long as you need. Madara will not disturb you here."


Nise knows that Kakashi knows that they shouldn't stay in Kiri for any longer than absolutely necessary. So when Kakashi agrees to spend the night at the safe house and then leave first thing in the morning, Nise is genuinely shocked but he's not willing to question it since he needs the night to think things over before they move out again. The vague plan that Nise's been working with up till now isn't going to cut it anymore.

Because Obito is aware of him now. Maybe not of who he is specifically, or what he can do, but he definitely knows that Konoha is looking into other country's jinchuuriki and there's no telling what the Uchiha will do with that knowledge. Nise can't afford to take his time with visiting all of the jinchuuriki anymore; he needs to pick up the pace.

You're plan leaves much to be desired, Saiken says and Nise can practically see him looking down his nose at him.

You give him to much credit by calling what he has a plan, Kurama says lazily.

I'm afraid I have to agree kid, Gyuuki says. You really need to come up with a better plan than "pick up the pace."

Please be quiet, Nise thinks as he enters the bedroom.

The safe house Yagura is letting them stay in is small, only meant to house the Mizukage, and therefore only has one bedroom. However, the living room has a large couch that an adult can easily fit and sleep comfortably on. It's only when Nise shuts the bedroom door behind him that he realizes that neither of them have made any move to go to the living room.

Kakashi doesn't even look up at him as he climbs onto the left side of the bed, the side he always sleeps on, and it's probably his relaxed posture that allows Nise to gather his courage. "I'm going to Iwa alone," he says.

Kakashi ignores him as he situates himself against the headboard and pulls out Icha Icha Paradise.

"I mean it Kakashi. I need you to do something else for me."

Kakashi hums but doesn't look up from his book.

"I need you to watch the Akatsuki's movements."

Kakashi blinks and then slowly closes his book and puts it on the bedside table. He folds his hands in his lap and looks at Nise like he's forcing himself to be patient. "No," he says deadpanned. "Jiraiya-sama, who is perhaps the greatest tracking and infiltration ninja in the world, has been tracking them for years, ever since Orochimaru's defection, and even he hasn't had much success with that. What makes you think I will do any better?"

And Nise can't really argue when he puts it like that. But it still doesn't change the fact that he has to know what they're doing, if Obito is making any changes in their plans. "I need to make sure that they don't make any moves against the bijuu and jinchuuriki. I need someone to watch them," he says frustrated. He needs someone on the inside to— He stops that train of thought and the answer is so simple he can't believe he hasn't thought of it before now. "Itachi," he says, ignoring the disgruntled grumbling in his head.

"Itachi? What do you think my wayward subordinate is going to do?"

"Subordinate?" Nise asks, confused.

"Oh," Kakashi leans forward, a gleam in his eye, "You didn't know? I was his ANBU captain for a while."

And Nise didn't know that. He knew Kakashi had been in ANBU before and that it hadn't been a particularly good time in his life, but other than that he knows nothing about those years. But he's already messed so much up already and it's getting so hard to keep track of what he is and isn't supposed to know that it feels like he can't be doing much more damage by saying a few more things. "Itachi can gives us updates."

Kakashi's smile falls and his eye turns serious. "You're going to have to explain a few things there, Nise-chan."

"If we were to ask it of him, I think that Itachi would be willing to tell us about the Akatsuki's movements. The Uchiha Massacre wasn't Itachi's idea, he was ordered to do it in order to prevent a coup. Danzo is the one that ordered it but the Sandaime knew all about it. Itachi did it to protect Konoha and I know he'll try to protect it even now. If we reach out to him and tell him what's going on I'm certain that he will help us."

Kakashi doesn't say anything for a long time and Nise feels awkward just standing at the foot of the bed so he climbs under the covers and sits next to Kakashi.

"So Itachi wasn't responsible for the Uchiha Massacre?" Kakashi finally says.

"Well...no. I mean, yes, he still did it. But he was ordered to. Sandaime was looking for a peaceful resolution but Danzo didn't think they would find one in time before the coup. I doubt we'll ever know how it would have turned out if Itachi had waited but, yes, Itachi did kill his clan and I'm pretty sure Tobi had a hand in helping him. I don't really understand the finer points of it all but I know that Itachi is on Konoha's side."

Kakashi pinches the bridge of his nose and looks up. "How do you even know about all of this? Nevermind, don't answer that," he says with a sigh, his eyebrows furrowed in consternation.

A silence settles between them and Nise is reluctant to break it; he doesn't want to keep lying to the man. "So, will you go to him?" he asks and as Kakashi's silence stretches on a ball of anxiety starts to form in his stomach. "You've trusted me about everything so far. Trust me when I say Itachi is on our side," Nise says. He's not sure about the relationship between Kakashi and Itachi but he knows Kakashi has the best chance of getting to Itachi.

"You are asking a lot of me."

"I know." Nise puts a hand on Kakashi's clothed cheek and turns his head so that he can look into his grey eye. "Please believe me when I say that I want to tell you everything."

Kakashi stares at him, his eye searching Nise's own for something, and their intensity is almost too much.

"I don't want to have to keep hiding how I know things but I can't tell you," Nise says because this moment feels vital. He feels like if he says the wrong thing here he'll ruin everything.

Kakashi smiles. "You don't have to," he says softly.

"But I do, Kakashi. If you knew you—"

"You're not from here," Kakashi says.

"Well, no, but—"

"I mean your not from this time."

Nise pauses and stares wide-eyed at Kakashi; there's no way he knows.

"It's one of the only answers that makes sense," Kakashi says, turning fully to face him. "You're close with two thirds of the Sannin but it's obvious that you haven't seen either of them in a long time. Jiraiya was the more obvious; when you first met, he kept double checking with you after everything he said, as if gauging your reaction. He obviously trusts you but he doesn't really know you. At least not anymore. You had to spend an entire night locked away in a room with him in order for him to truly relax around you. After word spreads about what your doing for the jinchuuriki there will be few who will question the story you three are spinning. But its not completely true is it?"

Kakashi leans forward and they're so close that Nise can feel the heat radiating off of Kakashi's body.

"Jiraiya didn't know you so there is no way you have been keeping in contact with him for thirteen years. But I can't explain the fact that they trust you. Thirteen years ago the Sannin were in their late 30's. There's no way they would have trusted a child. You would have been around nine, maybe ten?"

Kakashi's hand slowly comes up and tucks a strand of hair behind Nise's ear, his fingers lingering over his neck and Nise is starting to think that his lungs just don't want to work whenever Kakashi touches him. When Kakashi gently cups his cheek Nise's worries that he might actually pass out from lack of oxygen.

"Uzushio was destroyed over thirty years ago," Kakashi continues, his voice barely more than a whisper. "And while there were those who escaped, Kushina-san was the only Uzumaki. With the regard that you hold Naruto in, something must have prevented you from coming to him sooner. And I doubt a mission, no matter how important, would have kept you from at least watching over him. The only explanation is that you just weren't here for those thirteen years."

"But you know too much about the bijuu, about Akatsuki. You just know too much; enough to fill a lifetime. At first I thought it was a mind-transfer jutsu, where you just took the information from other's mind, but…you're too sincere to have second hand emotions." Kakashi gives a smile so sad it makes Nise's heart ache. "You already know what happens don't you? You're not from this time." Kakashi brings his other hand up and cradles Nise's face. "I don't know how Tsunade-sama, Jiraiya-sama, the bijuu or Uzushio fit into it all, I don't have all the pieces yet, but I think I'm getting close. So you don't have to tell me anything Nise. I want you to, but you don't have to. I'll figure it on my own."

It should sound like a threat, but Kakashi's calloused hands are warm against his cheeks and the look in his eye is so unbearably soft and understanding that Nise's heart feels like it's in his throat. It feels like Kakashi is the one who is being laid bare, not him. He wants so badly to share his life with someone and he can't think of anyone better than Kakashi.

Nise brings a hand up and puts it over one of Kakashi's. He pushes it harder against his cheek and tries to memorize the feeling. "Hurry up then," he whispers. "I'm tired of being alone."


This story is also posted on AO3 and I usually update on there before I update on here. /works/14892684/chapters/34491243