She'd been feeling uncomfortable almost all day.
After their appointment, Kushina and Minato had picked up food and brought it home only to find Iruka wasn't there. With a heavy heart and a full belly, they flopped onto the couch and watch movies. Occasionally, she'd go to the bathroom but the tightness around her sides didn't let go. The doctor had suggested that maybe she would start feeling false labours or other weird pains and feelings. The cure was to wait about an hour to see if they got worse or better.
They weren't getting any worse which was good but they weren't going their way.
Even grumpy and upset, she still somehow managed to fall asleep against Minato's welcoming shoulder somewhere in the evening.
"Kushina."
She grumbled but Minato was sliding out from under her head slowly. "Come on, let's go to bed."
A hazy nod later and she was being helped to her feet. But as she slowly stood, the tightness around her tummy suddenly spasmed and the familiar sensation of liquids being tilted out of her body came a thousand times heavier than any period.
"Oh shit," She said automatically as she and Minato watched as the floor was covered in water.
As quickly as her water broke, Kushina suddenly felt a wave of squeezing aches and froze up with a gasp.
Blinking away the shock, Minato carefully guided her back to the couch. She was trying to take in deep breaths as she said half-hopefully, "Maybe they're just false contractions?"
That at least made Minato chuckle as he started to make a call, "I heavily doubt these are Braxton Hicks contractions, love."
As soon as Minato turned away and started talking on the phone, Kushina silently swore and pushed away scared tears she didn't want him to see. It was happening, she could feel everything inside her aching and there was a small voice at the back of her mind that chuckled happily at her misery. Blocking that side out, she took a deep breath and steeled herself.
"Okay, thank you. See you." The call ended and her husband turned back to her with a supportive hand and smile. "She'll be here in a few minutes."
He was being so sweet and supportive with his hopeful smile. But another contraction hit and pretty much his entire face and presence was not longer helpful. In fact, she wanted to punch him in his pretty, gratingly calm face.
The cold feeling behind him that Iruka had felt once before was so much stronger this time. It made his blood curdle. The guidebook fell from his trembling fingers. His insides shook. The only part of him that didn't shake was his mind. There was nothing in his head, he couldn't think to even run.
There was an entire forest in front of him. He could run. He wasn't trapped but his body wouldn't move, as if knowing more than Iruka did that it would be useless. It felt like this was the end and the heart seared in panic. This was the moment where she took him and used his body like a husk. She would banish his soul and he would be gone. He didn't want to die.
His lung finally pulled for air but he wasn't breathing, there was just the feeling of choking on something. Coughing and sputtering, he recalled this happening once before. He remembered being face-to-face with her, his head feeling dizzy and suddenly he was falling into the river.
But this time his fingers couldn't lessen the feeling of something being in his throat.
He wheezed.
He clawed at his throat.
Please.
And there was a cold feeling on his neck and it froze him.
Feeling like a pinched nerve was finally let go, he was pulled from his body and it went limp. Before it could fall back onto the ground, the head stopped just before the ground as if caught.
If anyone from the house would have looked out the window at that moment, they would have seen Iruka's body floating high in the trees, his head tilted down and a dark arm reaching down from the leaves high above to grip the neck.
The flames gave off steady light, flickering lightly over his features and it took Kakashi a moment to realise that he'd only ever remembered the man in front of him in pieces and feelings.
Stronger fingers were flipping a page of his novel, worn but reliable without any signs of burns. His usual dark shirt was freshly pressed and tucked into his navy cargo pants as if he'd just sat down to relax after work. It was just like every time Kakashi would come back home from school, so happy to find his dad home. Kakashi knew that he would smell like shampoo with a hint of the smoke he'd tried to wash out after work.
"Dad?"
Sakumo didn't even look up from his book and simply commanded, "Sit."
For a second, Kakashi didn't even register what he'd heard. He was unbelieving of what he was seeing until his mind caught up and he was kicked into gear, automatically moving to sit across from the older man in his usual seat. He felt like he was five again, eager to make his dad proud. It was like nothing had changed.
As tense as Kakashi was, Sakumo kept on reading without ever looking up and Kakashi was so thankful of the soothing quiet that he missed so much. Just the presence across from him was enough to ease everything away.
He was five again. He'd just come back from school where he'd played with Genma, Anko, Obito and the others. He'd just watched his dad make supper with the bell peppers that Obito's parents had brought over from next door. They were full and Kakashi would be reading his own book like his dad was across from him.
But Obito was dead. The house next door had burned down many years ago only to be rebuilt soon after. His dad had hidden himself away ever since and Kakashi had been the one to start cooking. And then his dad didn't come to the dinner table one night.
Then his dad was suddenly gone.
He didn't know spirits could cry but there were tears in his eyes. He remembered every single time he'd come home and wished his dad was there to help him, to guide him. All the years of missing him. All the ache and he was sitting right there.
He couldn't help the tears spilling down his face uncontrollably. He felt terribly embarrassed for a moment but his father didn't look up from his book once. He didn't tell Kakashi to leave either, they simply sat together for a long while as Sakumo read and Kakashi tried to control his emotions. It was comforting.
A loud whine escaped Kushina's throat as another contraction hit and Minato hurried from the kitchen with more ice chips. As soon as he walked into the room though, the hot wall of air that surrounded Kushina made the ice already start to melt.
"Ice," He quickly set the glass down on the coffee table in front of her as she gripped the couch and breathed out slowly. He was worried, of course he was. The love of his life was in so much pain and he felt responsible. He wasn't about to let that show though. He focused on their plans instead.
He had to make this place safe, for Kushina and their unborn baby. The days upon weeks of worrying had him prepared though. The windows were already salted and nailed shut. They had spent hours and hours renewing her seals, making sure they had control over everything that could go wrong. Things always went wrong.
Her loud cries of pain echoed from down in the basement and he hurried back up with his arms full.
In his head, he had already numbered everything step by step.
The circles and glyphs were the first step. Then it was bringing everything inside that Tsunade would need. Once everyone was inside, they'd start the protection rite and then everything should be fine.
He just needed something that was Iruka's.
There was a knock on the door and the couple froze. They both looked up from what Minato had been drawing onto the floor with chalk, fear and uncertainty reflected between them.
Grabbing his courage, Minato stood and headed for the door even though Kushina hissed his name in protest. They both were thinking the same thing: what if it was her in disguise? But Minato was prepared to protect the people he loved.
Through the glass of the door, he could see someone with blonde hair and scrubs and a man standing behind them.
Tsunade met his eyes when he opened the door, she stretched out her hand for him to take as if knowing his thoughts and Jiraiya did the same.
Feeling their warm hands and the life that pulsed in them, he was reassured that this wasn't a trick and that they were who they seemed.
With a nod, he let them in and Tsunade immediately hurried to the living room with a loud greeting. "Kushina! Started without me?"
Jiraiya grinned and clapped his shoulder. "Ready to be a dad?"
"Sorry," He heard Kushina say meekly through a hiss as he locked the front door again.
With a hum, Minato led Jiraiya to the living room as he said, "As I'll ever be."
"Let's see how far along you are." Tsunade already had Kushina in a different to check Kushina's diameter and he waited nervously by the sidelines.
The look of surprise and her face going pale told him his concern was valid.
"You're already eight centimeters." The whole room went quiet before Tsunade asked, "Have you been timing contractions?"
"Um," Kushina nodded and bit her lip. "Four minutes apart, maybe less."
"Okay," Tsunade set about pulling things from her bag and Minato knew that they didn't have much time at all. Which was good. The shorter the labour, the better.
Jiraiya had already pulled aside the coffee table for them to work on the circle, asking, "What else do you need?"
"Water?" Tsunade asked before Minato could get a word out and Jiraiya was off.
That left Minato with his own job. He needed something that was Iruka's, something he used daily or one of his hairs or something like that.
Tsunade and Kushina were a bit too busy to notice Minato slipping upstairs to the bathroom. It didn't take long to find a brush that hair brown hair stuck in its bristles but he paused in the hallway on the way back down.
Iruka's door was slightly ajar, the room dark beyond. Pressing the door open and flicking on the light, he found the room clean. There was no sign of Iruka and hopefully the boy was far, far away.
The bed he helped set up was where they'd put it. The old chest they gave him to store clothing in was one that he and Kushina had found at a thrift store as their first piece of furniture they bought together for their first apartment. A small bedside table held an old music player and elastics.
The bookshelf had a handful of books on it that they'd passed down to Iruka and a few that had been brought with him from the old Umino household. Along with the books, there were a few small trophies and medals from past soccer tournaments. A few baubles and trinkets were stacked along too like seashells and rocks. There weren't any pictures or frames except one that was kept on the highest shelf.
Minato had only ever glanced at it and seen a baby Iruka and his parents against a studio background with similar grins. Maybe that was a good one.
Taking the small frame and pulling out the worn picture, he noticed how the room was oddly bare. There were no touches of personality, no signs that showed the bright, happy teenager he'd gotten to know more this past year. It felt very empty and Minato knew deep down that this wasn't the only sign that something was off. He saw the same signs of depression in Kushina often and in himself sometimes.
He felt like a failure. They should have kept Iruka as far away from them as possible. If they'd only gotten to the police department sooner. If only they'd been more careful with the necklace. If only they hadn't dropped it.
Iruka seeing the binding ritual had been unavoidable after that but maybe he'd be living the life of a normal teenager with another foster family by now regardless if they'd kept away. They could have gone their separate ways.
The more Minato had thought about it though, he wondered if any of them would have turned out any better. He and Kushina wouldn't have had the chance to experience being parents the best and the worst parts, the excitement of pregnancy and the angsty teenager years all at once. They wouldn't have gotten to know the silly, dorky mess that was Iruka Umino who was such a good kid. He couldn't have asked for a better foster son and he wished that he could go back and time to change how things played out.
There were so many things that they could have done differently.
But he couldn't think of a moment after they signed the foster papers that he regretted.
Reeling in his regrets and fears, Minato was spurred on by all the memories they'd made and time they'd spent together. He put the picture back and reached for the music player on Iruka's bedside table, the same one he'd showed Iruka how to power on without batteries. As he turned to leave, he noticed a small patch of writing on the chalkboard wall that looked out of place.
The writing on it mainly was Iruka's familiar chicken scratch writing but there was a small section by the door that read 'Kakashi is here.'
Looking back at the room, Minato wondered if the Hatake boy's soul was floating around somewhere nearby. Hopefully, if he wasn't somewhere nearby, he was with Iruka instead. At least they had a few people to trust.
Voices downstairs got louder and he hurried back down the stairs. Tsunade's arms were locked under Kushina's tight grip as she said soothing words.
The fire was going against the dark outside and the cold lights of the house. Minato had only just stepped into the living room when a cry roar from Kushina's throat, morphing into a familiar and terrifying shriek that had everyone flinching. Lights flickering, the screaming waned into panting from Kushina who was sweating bullets, trying to keep everything under control.
Tension was starting to thicken the air around them, the room hotter than ever.
This was it. The protection circle was almost done but now he needed to focus on helping Kushina keep everything under control.
In case they needed to work on plan B, they needed to keep her powers happy and sedated. The birth was already starting to wake him up, the burden she'd been carrying since birth and the same one that killed her mother in childbirth.
"Minato, get her some water." Tsunade ordered but he noticed how she shared a look with Jiraiya on his way out. Pressing open the faucet, the loud shriek from before rang out louder and louder until it curled down into a deep roar. The house shook with its force and the lights flickered until they suddenly gave out. Dropping the glass, he rushed back with a spell at ready to find everything dying down again, Kushina panting with her head leaned down while the other two adults were ashen. Minato hadn't been through anything like this either. No one had prepared them for this or the way Kushina's very essence was starting to bubble up from her pores.
The red, burning aura eventually seeped back down as Kushina breathed and panted back to normal.
Putting his hands on her shoulders, she looked up at him and gave a tired smile.
"I'm okay." She faintly assured and he squeezed, kissing her sweaty forehead.
"We should finish the circle-"
A distant knocking silenced everyone. Even the fire's dim light stopped crackling loudly. As if holding their breaths, they waited and waited to hear for that sound again to see if it was real.
And it was.
An ominous, slow tapping from somewhere in the house echoed to them.
Carefully, Minato stepped out into the hall to follow the noise and he looked straight through the doorway of the kitchen to find the source. The eerie tapping was coming from the backdoor where they could see the vague outline of a person through the frosted window.
The fire crackled softly between the two men. Another page was flipped in the quiet living room.
They hadn't spoken a word but it felt like home more than ever. Staring into the flames, he listened and just savour the moment together. It felt like a hole in his memories and heart had been filled after so long but there were thoughts brewing in his head.
"Dad?" The silence finally broke and Sakumo still didn't look up but he hummed in acknowledgement. "Have you been here this whole time?"
There was quiet for a bit and Kakashi looked to find his dad lost in thought, eyes no longer scanning pages and hands still.
With a deep breath, Sakumo finally spoke in his warm, deep voice. "Well, I felt after I did what I did that I'd left everything a mess."
Their eyes met and Sakumo slowly explained, "There were people who I needed to talk to. I owed you that much."
Kakashi didn't know what mental illness felt like or the sadness that his dad had been going through. His eyes had been blinded by awe when he was a kid but he could see that pain now. There was a deep, unshakeable sadness that was just visible in Sakumo's regret.
And he knew that it had to do with the fire next door.
As a firefighter, he knew his dad wouldn't flinch at just anything. The flames must have been deadly by the time the truck got there but the locals weren't as sharp. The rumours had started quickly about the firefighters not even trying to save the Uchiha's under Sakumo's orders. It had weighed down on his father's secretly decaying mental health. It was not trying that hurt him the most even though it would have killed him to do so. Kakashi knew deep down that regret was what ultimately killed his father.
"I wasn't a great father and I know I let you down."
But before Sakumo could talk anymore, Kakashi broke in, "You were great."
Stunned silence followed so Kakashi continued, "And I'm proud of you, dad."
Breathing in those words, Sakumo seemed to lose that hard exterior for a moment. His aloof demeanor faded away to surprise until it melted into a thankful smile.
"Thank you, son. I'm glad to hear that." Were the soft words that followed and Sakumo closed his book and deliberately put it aside. "So, tell me what you've been up to."
Just as surprised, Kakashi shifted and grinned in embarrassment.
"Where do you want me to start?"
There was barely any light outside to make it out, but there was clearly someone or something at the back door. The tapping had stopped. Whoever it was didn't move an inch the entire time and Minato waited with bated breath.
It was completely silent until another contraction hit and Kushina gasped.
The shadow's head twitched suddenly and finally a voice on the other side of the door spoke.
"Kushina? Is everything okay?"
Everyone's eyes went wide at hearing Iruka's voice and Jiraiya quickly snapped, "That's not him."
"Kushina?" The voice came again, concerned.
Reaching out with the edge of his senses, he felt the cold energy spilling from the door like dry ice and didn't dare to push further forward with it. It felt like he would have been sucked in as if the person on the other side was a black hole.
A loud bang slammed against the door and made everyone jolt. Another one shook the door in its frame. It was at the third one where the glass cracked. It went quiet again.
"Kushina?" Iruka's voice sounded scared this time and even though it pulled at their hearts, they didn't move.
"Minato?" The person was pleading now and Minato's paternal instincts were screaming to protect Kushina and help this person at the same time. Struggling with the panic building up, he was taken over the edge when the figure continued on, "Minato? There's something out here."
And he knew that wasn't their Iruka, the boy who had too much pride to ask for help.
Slowly, he motioned to Jiraiya who took up the chalk and continued the markings that Minato had almost finished. Hands shaking and nerves strung high, Minato pulled on his energy and started mumbling the incantation under his breath to begin the protection spell.
All at once, the figure's image suddenly snapped straight and grew taller. Jiraiya was suddenly thrown across the room and into the dining room. Minato almost went to help him when the backdoor suddenly burst open with a burst of air, glass shattering everywhere. There in the doorway, Minato saw almost nothing but darkness. He had to protect Kushina.
He only caught a glimpse of a jaw in the dark before sprinting to the others.
With shaking hands, he grabbed the burning hot chalk Jiraiya had dropped to finish what he'd started as quick as possible.
There weren't any footsteps or noises. The presence was so strong that they could feel it getting closer and even though Tsunade tried to comfort Kushina through her whimpers, they were still shaking with fear and anxiety.
Then they saw it. And it was exactly what they expected and worse.
His dark hair still up in a ponytail, Iruka looked like he'd been thrown around like a doll. His hoodie hung from his shoulders loosely, one sneaker gone with his face scratched and dirty. But what scared them to the bone wasn't the way his eyes looked like a lifeless frog's. It wasn't the way they still moved to snap right to them. It was the dark aura surrounding his entire being or what was left of him.
And Minato could tell that his soul was gone. His fingers gripped the chalk tightly, knowing that he still had two more markings to write but that there wasn't enough time.
Before he could even make the next stroke, the stick was thrown from his fingers and it skittered off into the darkness of the dining room. Everyone else behind him was frozen solid on the carefully drawn lines and Minato curled his fingers into a fist tightly. He slowly pulled himself up, facing the form of his foster son that didn't once even twitch. But his eyes weren't on Minato. The eyes casted in dust stared just passed his shoulder where Minato knew Kushina was gripping Tsunade's arms.
Finally, he set off the spell he'd been holding, runes suddenly burning themselves into the wood behind him. The warmth of his own powers at his back told him that the temporary barrier was in place but it wouldn't hold for long.
Iruka's eyes went straight to his and the whole room burst into flames but Minato's reflexes kicked in at the last second. Wind rushed around them like a whirlwind and pushed the blast back. The walls around them were up in flames in half a second, burning so hot and quick that the paint was already peeling off everything. The ash it created filled the air with smoke and touched everything. It was blinding.
Outlined by fire and breathing deeply, Kushina was gripping Tsunade's arms as blood dripped down her legs from under her dress. Her eyes were screwed shut but Tsunade was glancing in controlled panic from the haggard Minato standing in front of them and the figure he was protecting them from.
From far across the room, an ash-covered Iruka stood taller than normal and unshaken by the energy spent.
"Iruka!" Minato called but the body of Iruka pulled a frighteningly wide grin that was far from human.
"Iruka's not here right now." A cracked voice uttered that was in no way Iruka's and it sent shivers down Minato's spine, like nails on a board.
The only warning Minato got as to what was going to happen next was the white film over Iruka's eyes suddenly melted away to black, lidless voids.
A flash of that same energy lashed out viciously like a whip and latched itself onto the father's arm. He could feel it sucking the strength out of him and he tried to wrench it back but it pulled back harder and slid him forward a step.
A hissing breath filled the air, drowning out the crackling flames snakes its way to his ears and he felt himself involuntarily falter again. It spoke so softly into his ear, lulling his brain down into a state of weariness that was hard to shake off. It made him want to sleep so badly. So tired.
"Minato!" Kushina.
With a gasp, he caught himself and finally wrenched his hand away.
It was a moment of freedom and hope until a sudden, unexpected blast at his side threw him off his feet.
"Minato!"
He crashed through glass and wood before bouncing and skidding to a stop.
Kakashi looked up. He'd felt something in the air.
It had been harsh, gone as quickly at it came.
Sakumo cleared his throat and Kakashi looked to him, noticing the curious look on his face.
"Did you feel that?"
Sakumo blinked and looked around the room before shaking his head slowly. "No. What did you feel?"
Thinking it over, Kakashi didn't really have a good explanation because he realised that his dad didn't have what he did.
"Like a snap." He mused softly and Sakumo set aside his book slowly.
With a shared look, Kakashi continued on, "Coming from next door."
There was something going on. He knew he had to go over there and find out. He didn't know what he'd do but he could at least try to help, no matter how terrifying the spirit and demon involved were.
It was so nice here though.
"Your grandfather used to have it to." Sakumo gave a knowing smile.
It had always been just the two of them. Sakumo and his father had been estranged before the stroke that killed him as far as Kakashi knew. It had been before his birth though, a sensitive subject.
"You should go."
As much as Kakashi knew he was needed elsewhere, he wanted to stay so badly. It was so calm and forgiving to be with his dad again. But Sakumo was smiling at him sadly, already knowing as well as Kakashi did that there were more important things right now.
They'd talked about school, the small jobs he'd had, Tsunade, his confusion about what to do next and Sakumo had listened with an open mind. He hadn't said anything about his sexuality and didn't feel like he needed to bring it up. He'd put away the memory of his father in a sad, respectful corner for so long that he didn't want to feel anything but that respect and the tenderness.
So, he stood from his seat on the couch.
Heading to the kitchen, he hesitated in the doorway. It suddenly felt like he was really there, a pit in his stomach telling him to hold onto this as long as possible before it was gone for good.
He looked back to find Sakumo still in his chair, book in hand and a sad smile on his face. "I'm grateful we had time to talk, Kakashi."
Words equally as genuine, Kakashi said as he turned back to the kitchen, "Me too, dad."
"Thank you, Kakashi." Were the whispers of words he heard and the light flickering into the kitchen was suddenly snuffed out. It left him in the cold, dark reality of the world and he knew that was it.
Without looking back, he let go of a tension he'd been holding inside him and he suddenly felt the air around him like an ice bath. He reflexively shivered against its brutal edge and knew that it was coming from next door, feeling it emanating from a source in that direction. The urgency of the situation fell on him. Something was happening and he knew that this was the moment they'd all been dreading.
Iruka. He had to find him. Imagining being by the other teen's side, he snapped and found himself nowhere near where he wanted to be.
He was standing at the edge of town. A sign said 'Welcome to Konoha in dark green bubbly lettering right at the base of Hagoromo's statue. Surrounded by trees and nothing else.
He was alone.
It made no sense.
This wasn't right.
He was further than where he wanted to be.
And it felt like he couldn't feel the aura as much anymore. Maybe it was trying to force him back, keep him away.
He couldn't let it win. He had to get over there.
Someone else, he had to try someone else who wasn't so close to the spirit. The reminder of what was inside Kushina forced him to think of someone else.
Minato.
Wrenched forward, he was thrown through the forest towards the heart of the cold but cold turned into fear that spiralled into terror and he quickly stopped before he could get any closer.
He was thrown instead into grass and dirt just in time and he steadied against the bubbling hysteria in his soul. Standing in his neighbours' lawn, he could now see what he'd almost thrown himself into.
The house was in flames, the second floor was billowing smoke and fire. The home's white paint was either curling away from the heat or covered black from the smoke. A hole in the living room window blew out impenetrable smoke but he could sense that was where things were happening because he could feel two sources to this terrifying feeling in the air.
One was cold and dark, pulling at his very soul like a black hole that wanted to consume him while the other was the complete opposite and a million times more. He'd only glimpsed that one once, briefly and in such a small quantity but he knew what it was. This was the demon and its power, endless and all-powerful. It didn't consume, it destroyed.
And it was growing stronger.
A figure on the ground shifted and he hurried to Minato who stood on shaky legs.
"Minato," He called out and the head of blond hair looked up to him with bleary, confused eyes.
"Kakashi?" Minato panted out painfully. His shirt and pants were ripped, muddy ad covered in ash. He looked like he'd been thrown out the front window, the reason why the rail between the tall white columns was smashed to pieces.
"It's happening, isn't it?" He pressed as Minato looked back at the burning home.
"She's here. She's going to try and take Kushina." Minato ground out, trying desperately to come up with some sort of plan. "Iruka's gone."
Kakashi didn't know exactly what Minato had seen but his hesitation spoke volumes. He couldn't agree with that statement though. "I don't think so."
The only evidence to his claim was a feeling in his chest and a location. He had to go there and find out. "And I think I know where he is."
The ground started to slowly shake and the fire grew stronger as a scream cut through the air. It was a reminder that Iruka's soul wasn't the only thing at stake.
What would they even do with Iruka's soul and her inside his body if they even found Iruka to begin with? What were Minato's plans? How would they protect Kushina? What would happen to her powers?
"Kakashi." Minato was staring right at him, hands curled in determination as the fire behind him cast flickering shadows over his frown. "If you can find him, bring him back. It should be safe by then. Please."
The soon to be father quickly turned and stalked back to the house that was spewing flames and smoke as Kakashi called out, "What are you going to do?"
"Plan B."
Minato quickly sprinted to the house as an ear-piercing cry of pain rang out and that was the last time Kakashi would ever see him.
"Shit." Kakashi swore to himself and quickly thought of being away from this mess, being instead by the side of someone he cared deeply about.
Like coming out of water, he emerged by the statue again and everything was quiet again.
There was no yelling or fires, only the leaves crackling from the night breeze.
Old Hagoromo's statue was only a few feet away, off to the side of the road and surrounded with rocks and pebbles. Kakashi started to move closer, keeping his eyes out for anything out of place. He was unconsciously looking for Iruka's physical form; his dark hair and casual clothes. Nothing was out of the ordinary though. The trees were the same and the sky above was covered the night sky in dark clouds. It was the same sight that he'd passed by time and time again his whole life.
The statue was the same too. On a tall slab of rectangular marble, Hagoromo was holding his horse's lead, walking beside it in an old military uniform that looked to be hundreds of years old. A sword was sheathed at his side and his face was stern. Kakashi could see upon closer inspection that he looked to be a lot older than from afar. His face was lined and weary even though the elements had begun to slowly eat away at the metal statue over time. On the other side of town, he knew that the other brother was sitting upon a similar horse in the same uniform with his sword drawn.
He wondered if what he'd learned in class was just the surface of the story. Were they involved with spirits and magic too? If so, was the war that they fought in much more than what had been written down?
Maybe it had been written down. He thought about the secret basement in his house and wondered if there was something there. What if there were other houses in Konoha that had basements like that?
There were more important things to think about right now though.
Iruka.
Scanning the trees around him, he tried to find anything that caught his eye but there was nothing that stood out. He moved back into the street and tried to see beyond what was humanly possible, through his spirit vision but that wasn't getting anywhere either.
With a sigh of frustration, he wondered if he'd been wrong in thinking Iruka's soul was still here. Regret turned him inward and he scolded himself briefly for no keeping an eye on him.
He didn't want to think about Iruka being gone. It didn't feel right. It felt like there was something missing when he considered it.
Hope tugged on his heart and told him he was wrong.
That magnetic pull was still there. The more he thought of Iruka and his being, he felt that connection even more and it suddenly became more than just a gut feeling.
He could sense something. It was like a current of warm air motioning him forward and he followed it instinctually, letting it guide him back to the statue.
This was it. It had to be. There was something here he wasn't seeing.
Reaching out, he ran his hands just a few inches over the edges of the slab to try and feel anything. It was only when he moved right over the plaque of Hagoromo's name, where his ashes were supposedly hiding, that he felt a rough pull. It sucked his hand right in and he struggled to pull it back. He managed to rip it away but he knew now what he'd been looking for.
Glancing around, he wondered if there was anything he could use as a lifeline or an anchor and then he realised he was a ghost and couldn't touch anything. Not that it would have mattered anyway by the looks of it. It was something on the ethereal side.
He pulled together his courage instead and dove in head first.
Screaming surrounded him instantly as he fell forward and rolled. When he ground to a stop, it was quiet again. Everything was dark around him.
It was like an abyss of nothing other than a night above him that shone down like a spotlight, the way he'd came.
For the first time in days, he felt what cold really felt like on his skin. It was icy and sharp, nipping at his cheeks and fingers. Dark dread was pooling in his gut but he focused on that warm pull of air and how it ushered him forward.
So, surrounded by black and nothing, he started forward with his feelings for Iruka in his heart and the need to find him in his hands.
The ceiling crumbled down and rained burning hot pieces of wood and ash as Minato surged through the front door only to stop short. The house was so hot, it was suffocating.
He stepped quickly over the collapsing pieces and hurried through smoke, trying to cover himself from inhaling it. Just as he found the living room doorway, he saw his temporary shield falling from another slam of fists. It flickered and fell away just as Kushina let out another cry.
And Minato was able to witness the most beautiful and terrifying thing he'd ever seen.
Tsunade pulled her hands quickly out from under Kushina's dress with a mess of flesh and liquids just as his wife let out a shocked cry. He could see her knees trembling from the effort as she leaned her hands on Tsunade's shoulders. The older woman was quickly wiping the squishy ball with quick hands, crouched just in front of Kushina who was letting out weak cry of surprise.
Terrifying was the teenager standing between Minato and the scene.
But before Minato could get any closer or do anything, he felt a wall slam into him, throwing him tumbling back against the stairwell.
He got to his knees just in time to see a familiar wall of protection rising up. It was all the way up by the time he got up.
"Kushina!" He called, clamming his fists desperately to get to his family.
From across the room, he saw Tsunade shakily get to her feet and Kushina stand in front of her, protecting her and their baby.
Kushina was pale and sickly looking. The pool of blood under her didn't look good and he knew that they didn't have many options.
A pale, young hand reached out to her, preparing to take hold of her.
It was cut short very quickly by someone slamming into Iruka's side. Jiraiya's heavy body threw Iruka's small, uninhabited body to the side. It gave Minato enough time to slam himself against his wall again and again until it started to fizzle out.
Rolling with black energy, the teenage body was lifted in the air slowly and set down on its feet like a doll. Head snapping to Jiraiya, the prophet had no time. He clutched at his throat, gasping for air as Iruka's black hole eyes watched him suffocate.
As Jiraiya floated above the floor and gasped for breath, the dark entity turned its attention back to its target. Minato struggled to try and break down the wall, frantically trying to get involved and to stop this.
He didn't know how though. He didn't have time to write a more permanent protection circle. He couldn't kill Iruka even if he wanted to. He wasn't as young as he used to be, full of limitless potential. He was older now, less powerful even if he had what Iruka lacked: control. But this wasn't Iruka. This was a spirit as ancient as the town itself, one with little conscious left but an endless drive to consume only one source. It knew how to use a body's powers.
And after being trapped in a locket for almost a hundred years, it was ravenous to take more. And Kushina was weak. She had so much to deal with. She'd just given birth. Her body was failing itself. The seals holding Kurama at bay would only last for so long; the power she held that she couldn't use but could keep hidden away. They hoped that she would've taken the demon to her grave and end this curse. But life had other plans and now they had a baby.
And now they had plan B.
Across the room from each other, the couple shared a look and Kushina held back tears as she blindly reached for their baby. Taking him from Tsunade, she broke eye contact for a moment to see her son's face for the first time.
The sweet baby's big cheeks were caked in white and red goop. His face was all scrunched up and angry, his skin purpled and flushed. The nose was a cute button and Kushina wanted to boop him so bad that she teared up. And then he cried, his first sound and she was in love.
He was perfect.
She looked up to Minato again, tears streaming down her cheeks and his face reflected hers. They were parents.
Holding up his hand, Kushina watched as Minato pulled out his pocket knife and drew blood. He had just enough power to do what had to be done.
"Kurama," Kushina's whisper shook the room and suddenly everything was red, summoning the beast they feared to awake from his slumber.
A low, earth moving rumble filled the air and everyone froze as a deep, echoing voice asked, "Yes?"
The room settled once again and Kushina finally gave the beast the answer it had been looking for, "We accept your deal."
It was so quiet.
It was just darkness and his own breath. At least he could see himself against everything that science class taught him. Maybe he was bioluminescent now.
Then he finally saw a something on the horizon that quickly came at him, faster than the speed he was walking at. It was a door and he was at its doorstep in seconds. The dark wood stared him in the face until he gripped a cold, metal knob and turned it open to no avail but the cold traveled through him. It felt like eyes were watching him and he looked over his shoulder to see her.
And the dark shadow came into view, the spirit that had created this illusion and was keeping Iruka there.
It started moving and Kakashi tugged at the door but it didn't budge. Pulling harder, it gave slightly only to slam back shut like on a spring. She was inching closer and closer with every second Kakashi struggled like an oncoming panic attack. Frantically, he pulled again and again until he finally got it nudged open and slipped inside as it slammed shut behind him.
Rolling onto his back quickly, he found that the door was gone and that he was staring at a tree.
The grass under him was soft and inviting. Nighttime had crickets calling to each other and the warm breeze that was brushing against his skin felt so real. Slowly getting to his feet, Kakashi realised where he was, the place he'd been going to almost every day for the passed few weeks. Stepping next to the tree, he felt the doorway pushing back at him but his sight moved beyond the tree, to the grass. There he found a welcoming sight.
All the tense anxiety and fear melted away in the first few steps. He slowly sat down into the grass next to Iruka. He'd forgotten the affection he felt for Iruka but now it was stronger than ever. Brown hair was pulled up, his lashes dark against his cheeks and his mouth slightly open as he breathed deeply, Iruka looked at peace for the first time in a long time.
"Hey," He said softly and Iruka's sleeping face twitched.
Dark eyes uncovered and met Kakashi's smile.
"Kakashi." He heard on Iruka's lips.
As much as he didn't want to disturb, he urged softly, "You need to come with me."
With a frown, Iruka asked languidly, "Why?"
"I need your help."
That sparked a side of Iruka beyond the sleepy fog. "Where are we going?"
"I'm bringing you home."
Iruka blinked, watching him closely for a few seconds. Then a sad wave came over him. "It's happening, isn't it?"
"I think so."
Despite the deep sadness that came over them, Iruka gathered himself and nodded, "Okay."
But his arms shook as he sat up. His head wavered as if dizzy and his legs were weak under him, sending him into Kakashi's helpful arms.
"Feel so tired." Iruka said apologetically with a weak laugh.
"Don't worry about it." He helped Iruka's arm around his shoulders and helped him to stand properly even if he leaned heavily against Kakashi.
"Tried getting out." He heard Iruka say as they moved back to the tree slowly. "Couldn't find a way out. Don't have my powers like this either." Iruka chuckled and patted Kakashi's shoulder. "Good thing you're pretty and good with souls."
The direct flirting did a number on Kakashi's chest and he squeezed Iruka closer. He noticed the pink on his cheeks reflected on Iruka's. God, he was too sweet.
"You better not make it a habit of getting stuck like this." He teased in return. "This pretty face might not come get you."
"Kakashi," The whine he got tapered off as they neared the tree, the mood falling dark.
"Ready?" He asked, seeing how Iruka had stiffened and gone serious suddenly. It seemed like the getting in was the easy part. If Iruka's attempts had all failed, he wondered what lay ahead. The confidence in Iruka now that Kakashi was there told him that there was more hope now.
Iruka nodded, gripping the shoulder of his sweater as he watched Kakashi move his hand closer. He didn't know what was beyond this door but he braced anyway, expecting to start running immediately.
Against the energy pressing him back, he forced his way through until his hand disappeared into it. Quickly, he slipped inside with Iruka's waist in his arm.
On the other side, there was light and they saw a body on the ground as clear as day. It was in an alley out in the middle of a busy city by the sounds of it. The way they came was a brick wall and they were watching a mass of onlookers at the mouth of the alley, chatting loudly and snapping pictures.
Meanwhile, new people in matching uniforms were cleaning up and taking pictures of the crime scene. There were no words exchanged and Kakashi only got a glimpse of the splatter but he could tell that the body's face had been blown off.
Disgusted and grossed out, he held Iruka closer and saw how he was purposefully looking away, as if he knew what was there. It dawned on him that this scene was familiar to Iruka not only from the attempts made to get out.
He turned them to the rest of the alley only to find two more bodies and more detectives. A shotgun was strewn onto the ground, marked by a little yellow and black evidence number. They looked like they would be normal people but the van beyond them said otherwise.
A white logoed van at the back of the alley was a clue that he was right. Officers were looking into the van and blocking his view but Kakashi moved them through the people and saw that the van was full of plastic tubs. One had been opened and he could see inside what looked like hundreds upon thousands of rings, necklaces, bracelets and more. They all looked beyond expensive to Kakashi's untrained eye and jewel smugglers came to mind.
He moved to the tubs again and tried to feel for anything different like he had at the statue. There was no sucking feeling like he had felt before but there was a familiar uneasy feeling coming from somewhere inside the van.
Following that feeling, he dragged them into the back of the van without a complaint from Iruka and tried to let his hands guide him as they phased right through the bins. Ignoring the weird feeling and everything in front of his eyes, that aura was getting stronger by the moment. Then he unexpectedly found the source and it pulled them through into a different view.
It was another familiar room. This time, he knew people in there too. Kushina and Minato were sitting at a table looking as normal as ever but Kushina's belly wasn't bulging with pregnancy like Kakashi knew her. She was surprisingly very thin, holding Minato's hand as an officer across the table from them was saying something. A sharp breath next to him had him checking up on partner to find Iruka staring not at the couple but on the other side of the table with shocked eyes.
"They didn't get very far with it thankfully. I could tell as soon as I sensed it, Ikkaku did too." That last part left the room quiet and sad. Kushina reached across the table to hold the officer's hand, exchanging sad smiles.
"I didn't get this far." Iruka whispered softly and he pulled Iruka closer, feeling Iruka gripping him as hard as a lifeboat.
"We saw Iruka in the lobby. How's he holding up?" Minato asked and the woman across from them shifted in her seat, thankful for the slight change of topic.
"I don't know. He's so quiet now, it's scary. I don't know how to talk to him anymore." Quiet time passed over them until she suddenly straightened up and moved to the door. "I should go get your things then. I'll be right back."
The couple nodded and watched her go before turning to share an astounded look.
"Do you think it's sunk in yet?" Kushina asked.
"Not at all." There was quiet again.
Kushina finally asked, "Do you think they'll be okay?"
"They'll need time."
"Of course. We should make them something, bring them food."
"Good idea."
"Maybe even invite them over for dinner sometime." Kushina's hopeful smile was infectious and Minato squeezed her hand. "When they're ready."
They nodded just as they watched the officer return with a transparent, plastic bag filled with an assortment of jewelry from the smuggler's van. She placed the bag on the table for the couple to see and they gratefully pulled it closer, "Thank you, Kohari."
"No problem. Let me know if anything looks promising that maybe we could pass on to Hiruzen or something that you two could use." Her implications were acknowledged as they studied the jewels through the bag, pressing the plastic to move them around.
Kushina suddenly frowned, trying to get a better look at one of them. She looked up with her hands on the closure, "Can I?"
Kohari frowned but obliged, opening the bag. "Here."
She pulled open the plastic and fished around for the piece Kushina had motioned to, pulling it out and laying it flat on her palm for Kushina to see. It was a thin, silver necklace with an oval-shaped gem circled by small diamonds. The purple glimmered beautifully but Kushina looked uneasy.
From her pocket, she pulled out a pair of thick gloves meant for keeping warm in the cold outside and slipped them on to take the necklace in her own hands and study it more closely.
"I don't like this." She murmured as she shifted it in her heavily gloved hand. They watched her study, the air becoming more uneasy as time went on.
"Kushina?" Minato asked in concern.
"What else is in there?" She finally asked, a confused frown on her face.
"Well," Kohari checked her watch before closing the bag. "I don't have much more time and here's a lot in here but maybe you can bring them home and try to figure them out."
"Sure, we can do that." Minato said and they started to pack everything up.
As they filed out of the room, Iruka squeezed his shoulder urgently. "Follow them."
He jerked into motion and pulled them into the hallway just in time to see Kushina start to juggle her gloves, the necklace and the bag. As if in slow motion, he saw the necklace fall from her fingers and sail towards the ground.
With a loud crack, the gem inside shattered.
Shards of purple were sent flying across the floor.
And then Kohari suddenly spasmed. She dropped immediately to the ground, her navy police cap falling off and her ponytail fanning out as her eyes went glassy.
Kushina's gasp was soon swallowed up by officers down the hall rushing forward.
"Kohari!" The were soon checking on her but Kakashi wasn't paying any attention to that mess anymore. There was another mess happening with the couple that had been pushed off.
Eyes wide, they stared in shock at the shards. A dark, swirling fog had started to spew from it, unseen by all the normal human who were preoccupied by their co-worker.
Out of the fog, a black, tall figure slowly rose.
It was her.
Both teens gripped each other tightly as the past unfolded before their eyes with a newfound understanding.
Kushina was already whispering things under her breath as Minato held her hand tight. In a harsh whisper of words, she finished the spell and a wave of hot energy blew over them. The ghastly spirit was pushed quickly away, down the hall and out of sight through a wall.
Stunned and confused, the couple held each other tightly as officers were calling emergency staff over. Iruka and Kakashi were left doing the same. After a while of waiting, Iruka looked away from the officers performing CPR on his mother, already knowing the outcome. It wasn't long before paramedics were on the scene with a stretcher only to pronounce the worst. And Kakashi saw a figure at the end of the hall, familiar and warm just like the one pressed against him.
The paramedics started rolling the stretcher away with the body bag on it and Kakashi pulled Iruka's reluctant form along. Minato and Kushina were right behind them and they all watched the paramedics pass through the double doors of the main entrance.
A stunned, frozen Iruka was standing by the door, dark hair falling loose around his face.
"Iruka." Kushina put a hand on the image's shoulder. "You need to come with us, okay?"
There was a dull nod.
Kakashi and the present Iruka watched from down the hall as Minato and Kushina shared a worried look. In the air around them, a sense of dread had built up as if they could tell that the worst was yet to come.
Iruka and Kakashi watched as the three of them moved through the same doors, leaving them alone in the hallway.
It was suddenly quiet and empty now. Their throats were thick with emotion and a better understanding. It was comforting that they at least had each other though.
The door felt like their last gateway. Looking at Iruka, he could see how drained and tired he was. The leaning was heavier now and Kakashi wondered if he could carry Iruka but the young man looked up at him and smirked weakly, "After you?"
Kakashi could tell that he was covering up all sorts of emotions. Squeezing, he asked, "You okay?"
After a moment, Iruka nodded and leaned against him for a bit in an almost hug. "Yeah. So tired though."
Surprised by the fondness coming from Iruka, Kakashi let the moment linger for just a little longer. The outside world seemed so chaotic in comparison to this place. He didn't know what it was but he knew it was the product of a spell that he didn't know, a place that captured and locked away the soul. It was surprising he had been able to get in so easily and get Iruka out this far. He had a feeling his soul was meant for this, his power.
The representation of Iruka's soul against his was a feeling he didn't expect, like it was just natural. It was as if it had always been there in some shape or form but now, he was aware of it.
They had to keep going. The double doors of the police station stood in front of them, a looming gateway.
"Okay," With a shove, he shouldered open the door and pulled Iruka through behind him and it felt like he was pulling through a barrier of sand. It was slow, sucking against his force against finally pulling Iruka stumbling free.
Panting and recovering, they looked around to find they were standing in complete darkness and Kakashi knew they were close.
"Come on," He urged, walking them through the dark and trying to feel out for anything that felt like a way out.
The more they walked though, the more he felt Iruka's weight getting heavier and heavier. Iruka's breaths were getting shorter and shorter, sweat starting to bead on his forehead.
After walking for seemed like hours, he finally saw a glimpse of light on the distance and pushed them faster. "There."
Steadily, the light grew and moved. They stumbled just as they reached it, tripping and catching themselves right under the light's rays. By this time, Iruka was shaking and weak.
"You okay?"
With a gasp of air, Iruka nodded and panted out, "I'm good, I'm good."
As they looked up at the light, catching their breath, Iruka asked, "What do you think is going on out there?"
Kakashi thought of Minato, what he'd said and their house on fire. "Nothing good."
There was just a nod of acknowledgement to that fact.
"Kakashi?"
He looked over and saw umber eyes smiling at him, unforgettable in their sincere sentiment with a hint of tenderness that Kakashi knew he reflected too. Nothing that had happened before to make them feel awkward or weird really mattered anymore. It felt like that was in the past and that they were moving onto better place, a new space to be themselves together no matter anything else. "Thank you."
A wave of gratitude flowed through him and he nodded back. "Ready?"
"Yeah."
Reaching up towards the spotlight above them, he imagined being at Hagoromo's statue, his hand on the grass under it and the trees surrounding them. His eyes closed to the uncomfortable feeling of passing through something like dipping through a thin layer of water and when he opened them again, he was out. The night around him chirped in greeting, welcoming him back to the real world but when he looked beside him, there was no one.
He was alone back at the beginning and for a moment the thought he'd failed.
A feeling in his palm told him that wasn't the case though. Not unlike anchoring himself to the real world, he felt a smooth and round bead in his hand. Brought up to the light, the bead between his fingers felt heavy and inanimate but he could see the swirling within in. Clouds of greys and whites shifted and pulsed within in, Iruka's soul.
Realisation hit him and he quickly cradled it closer to his chest, afraid of dropping it… Well, Iruka.
Fist curled tight, the forest felt so huge around him. It was so much space to lose this precious little bead. He could still feel Iruka there but it was so noticeably faint, like he was sleeping.
Cupping his hands together, Kakashi closed his eyes and thought of being deeper inside Konoha. He thought Minato but there was no signal there he realised when he opened his eyes to the same trees as before. When he thought of Kushina, it was the same static fuzz. The dread was numbing.
He pushed the sad thoughts away though and tried something else.
It felt like such a long time ago that he'd been there but the Uzumaki's kitchen was the room he was most familiar with in their home. He imagined the wooden table he would normally sit in, where he'd seen Iruka talking to spirits. Where he'd eaten food with Minato and Kushina. Where he'd walked through with Iruka.
The kitchen was burned down to nothing but ash and lumps of burned wood. Standing in a mass of burned wood and bricks, Kakashi found that there was almost nothing left of the house except embers and grey smoke that billowed up into the sky. Walls had collapsed with only sharp spikes of wood left standing. The staircase that once wound up to the second floor went up a few feet into nothing. Like a monument in the rubble, the chimney stood almost as tall as the giant trees that surrounded and hung over the land where the home used to be.
There was no one in sight other than what was left and Iruka's soul felt even heavier in his hand.
"You might want to put that where it's supposed to go."
Kakashi froze at that voice and he almost didn't recognize it at first.
Slowly turning, he found a boy with dark hair and orange goggles smirking up at him.
"Hey," The boy greeted cheekily, utterly delighted by Kakashi's shock. "Oh, come on. Don't remember me?"
Faltering with his words, Kakashi didn't know what to say except, "Obito?"
Obito gave a wink. "The one and only."
Still stunned and feeling so overwhelmed by everything going on, Kakashi could manage to ask, "Have you been there this whole time?"
"Of course not. I was alive at some point," The boy grinned wider when he found his words frustrated Kakashi and confused him even more. "But, yeah. I've been around since I died."
Then it clicked that Iruka had been talking to Obito and it all made so much sense.
"Anyway," Obito moved right through Kakashi, leading him towards the front door as he said, "You might want to put that soul where it belongs."
"I'm trying," Kakashi said as they moved through smoke to where the walls by the front door were crumbled away. Just beyond the threshold, the porch was falling apart and mostly burned away but they could start to see beyond the smoke and ashes in the air.
The light of day was slowly staining the sky a lighter shade of blue just above the treeline. In the grass and gravel that led up to the house, two cars were parked in the driveway. The first car, Minato's, had taken a big of beating from the heat coming from the house's fire but the other was far enough away that it was unscathed.
Kakashi's heart dropped when he saw Tsunade's car and the thought that she had been involved in this but it jumped back up again when he saw her standing by the car, looking off towards the treeline with Jiraiya in the car. The initial moment of panic gone, he followed her gaze to the edge of the forest until he saw the body that was propped up against one of the trees. Through a process of elimination, he guessed that the dark hair belonged to Iruka and he hoped he wasn't too late.
Minato and Kushina were nowhere in sight.
With his heart heavy and hands full, he took the long walk through the grass towards the body. It led him just next to an ash-covered Tsunade and he saw her dirty hands, as if she'd tried to wash them without water. She looked beyond the frazzled and tired of four back to back work shifts. She was actually starting to look her age.
She was staring at Iruka's body, analysing it from afar for any movement at all and he wondered what she was going to do.
In the car over her shoulder, he could see Jiraiya's slumped form against the backseat. In his arms was a bundle of cloth, just like a baby.
They both looked like they'd seen hell and back.
Kakashi wondered what they'd seen but he was happier that they were safe and alive than anything.
The bead in his hands reminded him that there was someone else he had to see safe again and even though he didn't want to, his feet led him closer and closer to where Iruka's body had been dragged and propped up against a tree.
At a closer glance, he could see that what had looked like bruises were actually patches of ash from the fire. His clothes were relatively okay except for a few tears and grime on them. The body's breath came out soft and steady, as if it were sleeping and it reminded Kakashi of himself in the hospital.
Glancing down at the bead, there was a moment where he didn't know what to do with it. When he moved it closer to its rightful body, he could feel it start to pulse in his fingers, bigger and brighter with every inch forward. He watched as it glowed in his fingers as if waking from a sleep finally, urging him to move closer towards its body until it was suddenly sucked in.
For a moment, he thought he'd dropped it.
Eyes snapped open. Iruka gasped and coughed, curling in on his side and almost throwing up into the ground. Relief fell on his shoulders for a second and Kakashi looked to see Tsunade taking a deep breath, still watching.
The coughs trickled away as Iruka shakily got to his knees. Kakashi backed away a bit to give him space but saw Iruka's first reaction to his home and it broke his heart.
First, there was shock. It lingered into the way Iruka looked at the yard and saw Tsunade near her car. Tsunade simply looked away and that was the answer that had Iruka crumble a little more. Eyes watered and Kakashi didn't know what else to do but follow Tsunade's lead. There was a loud sniff though and a sudden quiet that made Kakashi look back.
Iruka had pulled in all his emotions and was now completely blank, standing on his feet and seeing the car. The side door was open and Jiraiya had woken up at some point, watching Iruka closely.
They all were, as if looking for any abnormalities.
Kakashi hadn't seen what the others did but judging by their trepidation, it must have been bad.
A baby's piercing cry suddenly cut through the air, high-pitched and wailing.
Jiraiya jerked and tried to soothe the bundle in his arms. "Shh, shhh. It's okay, kiddo."
Struggling between caring for the baby and keeping an eye on Iruka, Tsunade gave up her walls and moved to the car. "Here, let me."
Both teens watched numbly as she rocked the baby and Jiraiya went into the seat next to him for something the kid could eat. They were mumbling low to each other about the baby's care when Iruka asked what they'd all been dreading.
"What happened?" The quiet question was heard loud and clear, slowing everyone down.
Jiraiya was the one who spoke up. "They made a deal."
The simple answer wasn't enough though. Everyone was quiet, waiting for him to explain more but the older man swallowed hard, trying to find his words.
"They made a deal with Kurama, the Uzumaki's demon for her to be gone." He finally said. "And for the demon to be sealed inside their son. All in exchange for themselves. Plan B."
"And now Kurama will be stronger than ever." Tsunade said with an empty tone, the implications falling on them like rocks.
The trees above rustled with a wind that brought the morning with it.
They were all quiet for a very long time. Questions about how this deal was struck and its consequences hung in the air but it seemed that not even Jiraiya knew those answers. He seemed just as in the dark as the rest of them.
The only people who had a clue to any of this were dead or gone.
There hadn't been any bodies left. The house was burned to the ground for the most part and the people left were in shambles.
A baby, one teenager, two adults and a spirit. All of them orphans.
Noise from the driveway turned all their attention up.
A car, sleek and black pulled up from the road and while Jiraiya and Tsunade looked relieved, Iruka was confused.
Door swinging open, a very old man with graying hair and dark shades stepped out in a pristine white shirt and red tie. When he flipped them up, they could see his eyes narrowed and studying everything deeply, the house, Iruka and then the baby.
Instead of saying anything, he let out a deep grumble. "I see."
Jiraiya moved in and they shared a surprising hug before Jiraiya said, "Thanks for coming."
"Is that the boy?" Tsunade nodded and brought the baby forward, sleeping and tired from crying. Hiruzen tucked his sunglasses in his shirt pocket and placed a steady hand on the baby's forehead for a moment.
If they had been normal people, Kakashi and Iruka wouldn't have seen the flare of energy that suddenly swept over the baby like a beacon. It faded just as quickly and the older man sighed deeply, pulling his hand away.
"He'll be contained for a very long time with that kind of magic."
That seemed to calm everyone's nerves down from where they'd been but all eyes turned to the one furthest from the group. Kakashi saw Hiruzen's eyes flick to him for a second and he knew that this man had experience seeing through reality. It didn't make them any less nervous though when he motioned to Iruka. "Come here, boy."
Doubt was in Iruka's every hesitant move but he followed orders until he was within arms reach. Just as with the baby, a hand went to Iruka's head and scanned through him.
Tense and waiting, everyone held their breaths until Hiruzen's shoulders fell. With sympathetic and understanding warm in his eyes and tone, he finally said, "He's okay."
It was as if he could see how Iruka was clearly not okay on most levels and the teen looked down and away, trying to hide from his discerning eyes that could read his very soul. The others deflated into relief as their restless night took a hold of them.
"We should go home." Tsunade suggested with a weary smile and gave the baby back to Jiraiya as Hiruzen went back to his car. Before Tsunade got in the driver's seat, she saw how Iruka hadn't moved and how his eyes were trained on the remains of what was his home for a little while. Kakashi stood just beside him to give as much moral support as much he could. He was starting to feel worn out though. His soul felt like it was slowly fading away and he almost didn't realise when Tsunade walked up to them.
"Iruka." Kakashi saw her put a gentle hand on his shoulder and her a tense smile was blurry. "You can take a shower at my place. Sleep in Kakashi's room a bit if you like."
"What's going to happen now?" Kakashi couldn't see Iruka's face, how it was turned to Tsunade. He wanted to see Iruka's face but Tsunade was talking to him and Kakashi's consciousness was slowly starting to fade again.
"The baby is going with Hiruzen. He knows a few places that could foster him back in Kuma." Her words were starting to sound like they were far away.
"Technically you're not eighteen yet. You still have time left in the system and Hiruzen was hoping you'd go with them."
The long pause was so difficult to keep awake for. "You are legally the baby's brother."
Kakashi's vision was fading in on itself. Iruka's hair and Tsunade's face outlined by the rising sun were slowly fading away and he wish he could stay longer.
They didn't see Kakashi fading. The last words he heard before fading away were from Iruka, as clear as a bell.
"They planned to name him Naruto."
For Kakashi, the world came back to him all of a sudden and in a whirlwind of sensations and feelings.
He saw first. There was a ceiling above him, white and pristine.
The next thing that came back was feeling and it was very clear that he was laying down on a bed. His arms, legs and just everything were too tired to move. His chest felt heavy and weird but then he became very aware of the thing down his throat, coming out of his mouth.
It went so far down and he started to panic. Where was he? What was going on? What was in his throat? He was choking on it, he felt like he couldn't breathe.
As he struggled to cough, he realised that he couldn't really move at all, he was pinned down and there was a beeping going off somewhere. Gagging and choking, he couldn't breathe.
There was someone next to him suddenly and they were saying things to him that he couldn't hear at first over the panic and the blood rushing through his ears.
Hands were on him, touching his shoulder gently. Then he could hear a little. "Kakashi, can you hear me?"
He couldn't speak even if he wanted to but he managed a squawk from somewhere in his throat.
"Good, good. You've been intubated and it's helping you breathe, okay?"
The panic slowly faded with their words. He was in a hospital. This was it. This was real.
The calmer he felt, the easier it was to forget about breathing. Whatever the nurse did had calmed him down greatly. He focused more on what the nurse was doing instead of his body as they went about the room out of sight. A few others had trickled in and greeted him with happy faces.
"Seems like extubating is a go." The first nurse told the other people before another person came into view.
"Hello, Kakashi. I'll be your doctor for today." She joked. "We had to intubate you a few weeks ago because your lungs were starting to get a bit tired. You've been under for a pretty long time so we're going to take the tube out and see if you can breathe on your own again."
Her explanations were so soothing and he wasn't in the right mind to understand that she'd said weeks. The people around him were so nice. He didn't know what they were touching on his face and around his mouth but they were very nice about it. He only gagged a few times and suddenly his throat was free even though they insisted on an air mask.
The whole process left him tired and weak. It was only when he woke up again that he realised he'd slept.
"Hey," A familiar voice said as he came to and Tsunade sounded too soft to be herself.
A hiss was all he could manage, "Hey."
"Welcome back." Her words were so caring and warm. He felt safe.
The hospital was a nice place when he had his own private room. A lot of self-examination told him that his body was a wreck. Doctors came in and told him things about what had happened to him and he vaguely listened. The lost had gotten so long that at some point he just couldn't remember any more.
His leg had been broken but was healing well, a minor fracture. His body was numb from the medications he'd been getting to keep him alive and well. There was a perpetual fog hanging around but there was one piece of news that he retained and sat on for the next month that he was awake and healing in the hospital.
It was spring.
While he'd been in a coma, fall and winter had both come and gone. Now, the world outside his hospital window bloomed with colours and warmth. And yet he felt terribly empty inside. It was like he just didn't know how to process any of it.
Gai had come to visit with smiles and food from outside even though Kakashi thought the hospital food was actually pretty good. What surprised him was when everyone else showed up. Anko, Genma and the rest of their group all showed up one day with a small pile of books and homework and they fell into conversations about school and their plans for the future. It was like they'd forgotten completely what had happened.
The only hint he got that anything before he woke up wasn't a dream was Gai and Anko lingering behind. They told him about how the whole school was in denial about most things, how the student body would rather believe that Kakashi had selflessly stood up for a friend. And then they went back to their slow lives like nothing had ever happened.
Tsunade would join the three of them some days for walks around the hospital with Kakashi in a wheelchair for the first few times. Most days, it was just him and Tsunade eating dinner in his room as if it were their kitchen back home.
He took tests without any time limit, the nurses that didn't know him before called him by name and he'd mastered the art of towel bathing.
Life seemed to go on.
The topic of colleges came up in conversation and it turns out that only a handful of their classmates were going. Most had elected to stay and work for the family business or within the community in general. Anko leaving for Kuma wasn't a surprise to anyone and neither was Genma staying to work on family's farm. What surprised everyone though, was something Kakashi only heard about weeks after he'd woken up and not even from Gai himself.
It had been brought up in conversation about gym class or something and the word scholarship popped up. Out of the confusion that followed, Kakashi managed to ask, "Wait. What?"
World renowned Dai Academy of Athletics over in Kuma had offered Gai a full ride track scholarship for the next year. The mind-blowing part of it all was that Gai had been considering not taking the offer. He wasn't really great with change and Kakashi knew that moving to the big city all alone was a major feat for him. So, without really thinking about it, he offered to go with Gai.
Life was a weird thing. He didn't know what he would do once he got to Kuma. He supposed he would get a job. College and university were still an option that Tsunade suggested when he brought it up to her. They looked online for an apartment to share and Kakashi found that it was something to look forward to.
It distracted him from the thoughts and memories that resurfaced almost every minute of the day.
He finally got to go home in June, just in time for graduation. He said goodbye to the clean, sterile room and got in Tsunade's car.
As she talked about the state of his truck and suggested selling it for strap, they drove through Konoha and passed through the long stretches of road towards home. The town was getting hotter with summer coming in and he was already sweating in the passenger seat. Heat was rolling in against the air conditioner and the run reflected against the road, causing watery shimmering on the pave ahead.
They drove passed the elementary school and the bakery across from it out into the more wooded area they lived in. The gas station was still selling fruits and other essentials. The road just kept on going towards home and Kakashi unconsciously kept his eyes on his side of the road, waiting for a driveway to look down. A few minutes later and he saw the nostalgic sight of a closed gate and the long walk towards the neighbour's, a for sale sign at the road breaking the nostalgia. When they passed by, Kakashi caught glimpses of pristine white and saw how the plantation-style house looked untouched. He thought he had just imagined it but Tsunade saw his confusion.
"That house just won't die, no matter how much you throw at it." She smirked.
Suspiciously, Kakashi asked, "It's an energy thing, right?"
"A very old one." Tsunade nodded with a far-off gaze and they turned into their own driveway.
Home was just as he remembered, untouched and perfect. They dropped into the kitchen and ordered food for the night while planning what to make for the week. As they spoke, Kakashi's gaze stayed to the living room with its cold fireplace.
His room had been untouched and he was so glad to finally get to lay in his own bed. His own clothes, his own books and even his shampoo were all welcoming him back. Despite the bruises and scars he'd acquired, everything felt like it was back to normal. The only read indicator that anything had happened was the scar that cut through his eyebrow all the way down passed his cheekbone. His eye had been just barely missed according to the doctors and the gang thought he looked even cooler that way but when he looked at himself, he could only see the past.
His mind and heart were heavy when he went to bed that first night home. His body had been so tired that he passed out but his soul wasn't as held down.
For the first time since waking up, he looked down at his own body and left the room. This time though, he could feel the link between his soul and body like a harness. The further he went away, the more he could feel a strain on the connection.
The neighbouring house wasn't that far.
The home looked like it hadn't been touched in years and stood tall and unscathed. The powers imbued into it must have been ingrained into the very structure because when he went inside, there was nothing. The walls were blank. The furniture was gone and the kitchen was empty of even counters. Upstairs, the rooms were just as bare and Kakashi felt like there was nothing left there.
There was nothing physical left to show that anyone had been there.
It was as if they hadn't existed at all.
It was as if Iruka had never existed.
Later, Kakashi would try to blink to Iruka and find that he would only get so far before the connection would spring him right back. He eventually stopped trying and was too hesitant to try once he and Gai moved to Kuma. It didn't feel right to spy on people no matter how much he wanted to see them.
Eventually, he would start to forget about the year, the things leading up to his car crash and the things his soul saw. He would meet new people and find new interests. The life he had in Konoha became a fond memory of warm summers and the people he grew up with, the people that shaped him.
There were a few people though who he would always remember no matter what even though he moved on with his life and didn't think about them every day.
Kushina and Minato had been like a mother, father, sister and brother all at once to him. Their story and the people they were at the end followed him in his life as a moral compass. They gave meaning to the word family and love.
And Iruka.
The boy next door.
His first love.
He could never say that out loud. It was often too much to even think about. It had taken him a month to fall in love with Iruka but years to forget him. He would see him in every single thing he did for weeks. Songs would sing his name and he couldn't look at a starry sky without aching.
For a log time, he tried to forget and move on. Eventually it worked.
But that night, the first night he came home, he sat in the grass of an empty field with a single tree only a few blocks away. The stars above glittered and the moon was shining off above the trees.
That night his soul sat alone and he remembered the time they had together.
Not How I Imagined Starting Senior Year
Hope you enjoyed reading as much as I did writing
Epilogue coming soon!
