I had this. I don't know why I didn't post it before. Silly me. Sorry for those who were waiting. And sorry if you have given up on this.

Special thanks to: Quoted, mnemosneme, JakeTheDog33 (it wasn't an illusion. Sorry?), Prescripto13, and VampireDoll666, for their support and reviews!


008. For the Sake of Truth
Nine years old

Kakashi once read that losing one's language meant losing one's humanity. He took it to heart. When killing, always silent, he often reminded himself that he was just a tool.

Minato was both affronted and frightened when his little, disturbingly intelligent student signed to him that he was not a human, once the man had had the heart to scold the small boy for doing that. For doing that in front of poor, innocent Obito. For taking away a life even younger than his own.

The blond grabbed the nine-year-old's arm in a rough, harsh, almost violent hold and demanded to know who had told him something so idiotic.

The boy flinched. He knew, objectively, that his teacher was one of the most dangerous people in the village, but the man spent so much time smiling and being annoyingly childish that this new, sudden side of the adult scared him like nothing ever had before.

Kakashi wasn't the only one who cowered. Both Rin and Obito, as well as the chuunin that had been guarding Konoha's gates were staring at the man. The blond seemed to notice, and he quickly dismissed the genin before jumping to the rooftops, Kakashi's elbow still in his hand.

They arrived at the small chuunin's house, Minato once again commanding the child to know where his idea had come from. Scowling, Kakashi struggled to free his restricted limb, and, after a few frantic seconds, the blond relented, loosening his grasp. Kakashi looked almost betrayed as he ran towards the kitchen, coming back holding a battered book.

The volume was held to the man's nose, so he grabbed it and studied the cover. Philosophy. He opened it, allowing his student to turn the brittle pages until he found what he wanted. The boy pointed at a passage, and Minato read.

Humanity bases on language. What makes us human is our ability to voice out ideas and externalize our feelings. To lose one's language would signify the end of humanity for that individual...

The man almost dropped the book, but he caught himself, tightened his fingers around the binding, and threw it out the window even at the child's angered glance.

"You misunderstood, little man." Blue orbs were much calmer, and his voice held a soothing quality to it. At Kakashi's questioning gaze, he reached to ruffle the boy's iron-colored hair. "The book says that our ability to communicate is what makes us human. Speaking is just one way to communicate. I talk, but you write and sign." Smiling, Minato lowered the black facemask that constantly obscured the tiny face. "We can both make facial expressions."

Kakashi adopted a wide-eyed look of understanding before furrowing his eyebrows, confusion taking over his face, then extending towards his whole body.

Slowly, the boy reached out and grabbed the man's hand holding it in place with his own left hand and tracing familiar patterns with the index finger of his right hand on the man's palm.

D-O-E-S

T-H-A-T

M-E-AN

P-A-K-K-U-N

I-S

A

H-U-M-A-N

T-O-O

?


Hope a bit of angsty innocence can redeem the wait? I have another complete chapter, but there are three more I wanna get straight before I post it.

ALSO! know that Obito will not be dead for this story, or at least a part of it. I'll explain in a couple of chapters. So, basically disregard chapter 5, or see it as a stand-alone piece/altarnate timeline. I don't mind either.