Chapter 10

Squirming their way out of the Land of Floods took more time than getting there had, but that was normal. The journey back was always longer than the journey there. Everyone was tired, and depending on the results of the mission, sore, chakra depleted, and possibly carrying one or more injured people.

This time, Kakashi reflected, we were lucky.

The border had been shrouded in a curtain of rain like it had been the first time they crossed, going the other direction. It seemed the rain was a permanent weather phenomenon. The grass grew long and lush, but plastered close to the ground. Long reeds of grass hid the puddles – practically ponds – which meant that no one was ever prepared for stepping onto the water. Their feet went straight through, into shockingly cold water.

Bensaku was in the lead by far, his rain cloak swirling around his shoulders with every gust of wind. A flash of lightning appeared over the distant forest, a purple vein of light juxtaposed beside Bensaku's head due to the trick of perspective. Then, three heartbeats later, thunder cracked and rolled over the rain-soaked plains.

Kakashi was far behind with Tenzo, plodding relatively carefully and trying not to get too soaked.

Gai was somewhere in between, drifting between keeping pace with Bensaku and slowing down long enough for Kakashi and Tenzo to get within five strides of him before he sped up again.

Typically, Gai took these weather conditions with enthusiasm. He whipped around, droplets of water running down his mask, and called, "Race you to the outpost!"

Until he'd heard Gai calling, Kakashi had been watching his feet, scanning for pond sized puddles. At the challenge, Kakashi's head snapped up. He tilted his head at Tenzo. "How about it? You want to race me and Gai?" This was the first time he had asked Tenzo to participate. He wasn't sure what the answer would be.

Tenzo almost fell into a puddle. "You – " He recovered his balance and straightened his shoulders. "You're on!"

"We'll race," Kakashi called to Gai. He grinned behind his mask. A three way race. Well, this is new.

"Think you can handle the extra competition?" Bensaku asked.

"I don't know," Gai said thoughtfully. "Young Tenzo isn't very swift. I doubt he will pose a serious challenge for me."

"I meant me," Bensaku retorted, and started running.

Gai comically froze in place, and only reacted when their captain's distant, white-cloaked form disappeared into the trees some 500 yards away in the blink of an eye. "Hey! Benku-taichou…no fair!" He ran desperately, ducking his head.

Kakashi laughed. "Come on. We're going to be left behind." He gestured to Tenzo and took off, gaze pinned on Gai's armored back.

"Wait up, Sempai!"

Kakashi didn't heed Tenzo's call. He was determined to close the gap between him and Gai. At the very least, he could tie for second place, even if Bensaku was long gone – which he suspected the captain would be. He couldn't help the smile on his face, or the laughter that was bubbling up in his chest. He hadn't felt so free in a long time.

Once he burst into the forest, running full-tilt across the tree branches and kicking off of the tree trunks, Kakashi felt Gai's chakra closing the gap with Bensaku's. He could imagine the grin on Gai's face as his friend closed in on the captain.

Tenzo was a mere handful of steps behind him. When Kakashi glanced over his shoulder, he could see Tenzo, a flurry of white rain cloak trying to catch up. Everyone knew that Tenzo would be last, but that hardly seemed to matter in a race like this. It was just about fun.

In a matter of heartbeats Kakashi broke out of the forest, a trip that had taken half an hour the first time through. But then, they had been trying to preserve their chakra and their stamina. Everyone was really ripping it up. Even Tenzo. Tenzo was so close behind him that Kakashi could hear Tenzo's panting.

He won't last much longer, Kakashi thought. And he could see Gai some twenty yards in front of him, racing to the distant white tower of the outpost. Bensaku was several feet ahead, trying to keep his lead. And laughing.

Kakashi had never heard Bensaku laugh like this. It was a carefree, breathless sound. It sounded for all the world as if Bensaku, the stern ANBU captain, had simply caught the giggles.

"You can't catch me!" he roared at Gai.

Gai didn't respond.

Kakashi thought he could see what was coming next.

Gai suddenly blazed with a white aura of chakra, and he doubled his speed.

Yup. That idiot's just opened the first gate. Kakashi shook his head.

Comically, in spite of the borderline cheating, Gai stayed a step or two out of arm's reach of the captain, seemingly unable to close the gap any further.

Bensaku was still laughing.

Gai wisely closed the first gate before he did any damage.

Kakashi took this opportunity to shoot up behind him and tag him on the shoulder. "Caught you."

"No fair!" Tenzo yelled. "Wait for me!" He sounded strangled from the exertion of running.

"This is a race," Gai called back. "To slow down would defeat the purpose of the exercise."

"Exercise?" Tenzo was visibly unused to burning chakra in this way. He still had plenty of it, but Kakashi could feel the ragged, flame-in-the-wind quality of Tenzo's chakra signature. "This is killing me!"

"Hardly," Bensaku called, his voice carrying easily. "You're doing excellently. Keep it up."

"Taichou," Tenzo cried, "slow down and carry me. I'm tired."

"Not on your life, Tenzo." Bensaku shot even further ahead, making conversation over the distance impossible.

However, Kakashi noted that Bensaku was slowing down over the distance, and judging by the sudden spike in Gai's chakra, Gai saw it too.

Kakashi barely slowed down and grabbed Tenzo's arm, yanking him into equal position, when Gai took off.

"I've got you!" Gai exclaimed.

"Never!" Bensaku burst out laughing again, running hard.

"Get him, Gai!" Kakashi called. He couldn't help himself. He was enjoying himself too much. He pulled Tenzo along, forcing Tenzo to keep up with him, even if Tenzo thought it was impossible.

Tenzo didn't have the breath to complain. He also seemed to realize that for all his hard breathing, he wasn't collapsing. Kakashi felt his chakra firm up, the uncertainty burning away.

Kakashi grinned to himself. He pushed Tenzo a little harder, slowly creeping up on Gai's position.

By this time, they hit the border of the outpost, the grassy lawn indistinguishable from the plains around it except for the little electrical charge that buzzed across Kakashi's skin. The lookouts at the top of the outpost's tower kept watch for everyone approaching and made the decision whether to allow the newcomers through the barrier jutsu. It was an elegant system, one that Kakashi and the rest of his team thankfully didn't have to give a second thought to. He had no idea what would happen if someone unauthorized tried to cross the barrier.

Gai and Bensaku both had slowed even further, the last remnants of their stamina petering out.

Kakashi slapped Tenzo's shoulder and jerked his chin at their teammates, then sped up. Tenzo lost a little ground, but he held himself steady at a couple steps behind Kakashi.

"They're catching up to us!" Bensaku yelled at Gai. "If you've got any more, turn it on now. You're gonna lose your lead."

Gai let out a groan of exertion and ran harder. He still couldn't quite grab Bensaku's elbow. His fingers brushed air.

Bensaku dodged and kept running.

Kakashi closed the gap between him and Gai to six feet. He knew when he was done, though. He wasn't going to get any more speed out of himself.

They made it to the outpost in a loose group.

Bensaku caught himself against the wall of the outpost's main tower, panting and unsteady. He turned around to greet the rest of his team, his posture sagging and his chest heaving. "Whoo." He choked down a chuckle. "Keeping ahead of you is a chore."

Gai half-ran, half-stumbled to the wall as well, slapping his hand against it next. "I almost caught you." His voice was ragged from running, something Kakashi didn't hear often.

Kakashi tagged Gai's shoulder again and then leaned against his friend, unabashedly using Gai as a crutch to keep from falling on his face. "Maa, that was fun."

Tenzo caught up to them, panting and wheezing. He stopped in front of the captain with a lurch, legs shaking.

Bensaku slapped him on the back. "Good job, Tenzo."

Tenzo bent over double, bracing his hands on his knees. "Don't…make me do it again, Taichou. I almost…died fifty yards ago."

Kakashi snorted.

"You need to join me in my training, young Tenzo," Gai said, propping his hands on his hips. "I do twenty laps around Konoha every day – sometimes fifty when I am feeling especially youthful."

"Around K-Konoha?" Tenzo sputtered. "You mean, the whole village?"

"Hai," Kakashi said, nodding. "Every day. Between one and three in the afternoon."

"But that's when it's hottest!" Tenzo straightened with disbelief.

"I know that," Gai said. He flashed Tenzo a thumbs up. "Sweat is good for you. It gets out all the body's impurities."

"Along with every ounce of moisture you possess," Tenzo said. "No thanks. I think I'll stick to my treadmill in my living room, with my nice, fresh, air conditioning."

"Nature has air conditioning," Gai said. "It's called wind. And she turns it on when she feels one is worthy."

"Too inconsistent for me," Tenzo said. "I'd rather have comfort." He gestured at the entrance to the outpost. "Speaking of which, I would like to go inside. Get a cup of hot chocolate. Dry off. Take a shower. Get into clean clothing. Take a nap."

"First, we have to report," Bensaku said. "It's important to let the commander know our findings. In advance of a formal report, ANBU control needs to know what to do."

He walked through the front door of the outpost with a dignified air, as if he hadn't just raced his team in a childish game of tag and laughed all the way.

Tenzo hung his head. "How can he get his breath back like that?"

They pushed through the door after the captain, catching up to Bensaku in the hall and trying to act equally as nonchalant when they passed through the security checkpoint with him.

Kakashi thought, looking at Bensaku's back as they followed him down the hall to the commander's office, that their captain was full of surprises.

xXx

Commander Kuma, Bensaku's childhood friend from his genin days, sat behind his desk. As in keeping with his codename, he wore a stylized bear mask. He was built similarly to Bensaku, but he was a bit taller. Kuma was the same height as Gai, but about ten pounds heavier. And it was all muscle.

"Ah, Usagi-taichou," Kuma said formally, nodding at Bensaku. In official settings, Kakashi noticed that they only referred to each other by their animal designations. "You're back. What have you learned? Give me a thumbnail report."

Bensaku bowed. "As you wish, Kuma-shou."

Kakashi, Gai, and Tenzo bowed as well.

"Our information-gathering mission confirms that Rain and Rivers are locked in a civil war over the disputed land designated Floods," Bensaku said.

Kuma nodded. "We expected you would find that. Major devastation?"

"Too much conflict to tell definitively," Bensaku said. "In the area we saw…no. The land appears intact."

"Who's winning?" Kuma asked.

"Judging by the skirmishes we saw, Rivers is currently more powerful than Rain," Bensaku said. "But due to the level of conflict, we were forced to end the mission early. Without backup, Floods is a deathtrap."

"I understand." Kuma nodded.

"We did eliminate two teams of River nin we came into contact with," Bensaku said. "I am not sure how that affects the overall war. Probably not much. We were not seen; our presence remained undetected."

"Very well," Kuma said. "Thank you for the initial report."

Bensaku stepped forward. "Ah…I would also like to note the leadership material of one under my command, Souka. Briefly the team was split during the battle, with myself handling one end of the battlefield and Souka handling the other with his two teammates."

Kakashi froze. He was Souka. The word 'souka' meant 'hunting dog' or 'hound'.

"Souka handled himself well," Bensaku said. "I think he'd be ready soon for a team of his own."

Kuma tilted his head. "Acknowledged. What an honor, Souka. Usagi doesn't hand out compliments easily."

"We all know that, Commander," Tenzo said, sounding as if he were grinning. "Our Taichou is a tough taskmaster."

"It's only natural," Kuma said. "Our sensei was the same way."

Bensaku grunted.

"Was he as vocal as Taichou?" Tenzo asked.

Commander Kuma laughed. "Alright, Toraneko, that's enough picking on Usagi-kun."

Tenzo bowed. "Yes, sir." Toraneko was Tenzo's codename because it meant 'tabby cat'. Either 'tiger' had already been taken, or Tenzo had chosen the name freely. Kakashi didn't know enough about Tenzo to say one way or the other.

Kakashi seized the moment of silence in order to correct Bensaku's report of his supposed valor. "Maa, I don't think I'm worthy of any commendation."

He expected – and received – a look from Bensaku. He ignored it. "I mean, I've only been in ANBU for two years, and I'm not in a position to lead. Look at my medical records. My whole life has been fraught with loss and torment, surrounding the loss of my teammates and sensei. I would be the worst person you could put in charge."

His team was stunned silent.

"I see," Kuma said slowly. "Your humility is refreshing, Souka…however, I trust the words of your captain."

"Souka protected Umigame and Toraneko with his life," Bensaku said. "That is what being a captain is all about. I believe him to be excellent leadership material."

Umigame was Gai's codename, meaning 'sea turtle'.

"I let Umigame be captured," Kakashi corrected.

"And then you did your dead level best to rescue him," Bensaku said.

Kakashi was becoming increasingly agitated. He suppressed the temptation to shift around, knowing that if he appeared restless, he would be taken less seriously. Reporting was all about poise.

"And anyway, it's my responsibility, for splitting the team without any warning," Bensaku added, pressing his advantage. "If anything had happened, it wouldn't have been your fault."

I don't want to leave my team. I just got here. You need to give me some more time. Kakashi knew that if he actually said that in front of Commander Kuma, it would be hopeless. He had to appeal to his superiors with logic. "Regardless of fault, whenever something occurs that is a normal job hazard, I go into psychiatric treatment for six months. Minimum. I would always be taking time off, especially if I were the captain at the time that injuries and deaths occurred. If I blame myself already, when the weight of responsibility isn't mine, how am I going to fare when the responsibility is? I'm a good teammate. Nothing more. Putting me in command would ruin me."

Kakashi's heart pounded at baring himself so completely, but he needed to make a strong impression. Bensaku's comments to Gai flashed through his mind: He'll have his own team soon. That's just the way it is. He couldn't stand to be separated from these people he'd just laughed with and played with. Exposed his softer side with. Shared his insecurities with.

Kuma studied him in silence before finally saying, "I don't make those kinds of decisions, Souka. I'm only the commander of this outpost. But I will make a note of recommendation that will be added to your file. My name does have some weight in those kinds of things. If you feel you're not ready for promotion, I will note it and send it to ANBU command."

Kakashi bowed. "Thank you."

xXx

They left the office in a hushed group.

When they were one hallway down, Bensaku let loose his frustrations. "What the hell, Hatake?"

"I was just telling the truth," Kakashi said.

"You made me look like an idiot in front of my friend!"

Kakashi was set back on his heels. He hadn't remotely considered that. "I…I'm sorry."

"Forget it." Bensaku instantly swallowed his anger and squared his shoulders. "So where are we going now? The mess hall?"

"I am kind of hungry," Gai said. "We burned a lot of chakra out there."

Bensaku didn't answer.

Don't punish me for not wanting to leave, Kakashi almost blurted.

"You should tell us about your sensei sometime, Taichou," Tenzo said suddenly, changing the subject in an obvious attempt to weather Bensaku's churning tides.

"No."

"Why not?" Tenzo asked.

"Because that crap's for history books," Bensaku said.

"Oh…" Tenzo nodded knowingly. "So you didn't like your sensei, did you?"

"Shut up."

"Wow, are you cranky," Tenzo said. "Does the topic of your sensei hurt that bad?"

"It has nothing to do with my sensei, Tenzo," Bensaku said. "Just drop it."

No, it has to do with me, and ruining your good mood, Kakashi thought. He didn't know what else to do. He'd said he was sorry.

"Kuma-shou seems to like your sensei, though," Tenzo said.

Kakashi grew concerned that this conversation would end with a larger than usual blow-up. "Ah, Tenzo…"

"Is there some big, bad secret about your sensei that only you know?" Tenzo asked.

Bensaku stopped mid-stride and turned around. "Stop being such a little kid."

"How am I being a little kid?" Tenzo protested.

"You're poking your nose in where it doesn't belong, and you're refusing to take 'no' for an answer," Bensaku said. He faced forward and started walking again.

"That just sounds like our job description," Tenzo protested, hot on Bensaku's heels. "I think it's more childish to not answer an honest question asked by a beloved teammate."

Bensaku froze. Everyone behind him stopped. For a moment, there was dead silence.

"When you get to be my age, you've long left childishness behind," Bensaku said finally. His voice was oddly flat.

Kakashi felt a pang. That was a sentiment he could understand. But he was deeply confused. How had he set off Bensaku? Was it really making him look foolish? Because that doesn't seem like the Taichou's style at all. And this talk about leaving childishness behind…that seemed to be about something else. Was it a smokescreen, or did it genuinely have to do with something Kakashi had reminded him of?

Tenzo appeared not to notice the gravity of the captain's response. "How old are you, Sensei?"

"Never mind."

Kakashi knew something was wrong. Bensaku hadn't bothered to snap at Tenzo for calling him 'Sensei'. He wanted to signal that to Tenzo somehow, but he didn't know how.

Tenzo rolled along unchecked. "You can't be that old," he said comfortingly. "I can't hear your bones creak."

"Bones…creak?" Bensaku said the words with a special kind of enunciation.

Kakashi wanted to back away from this situation, fast.

"Yeah," Tenzo said. "The really old people, their bones creak. You can hear 'em from a mile away. That's why you don't see old people in ANBU."

Gai looked amazed. "I didn't know that. Is Benku-taichou close to retiring?"

Bensaku blew up. "That's it! Two hundred laps before bedtime, Maito! I mean it!" He stormed down the hall at a pace that dared anyone to follow him.

No one was brave enough.

Gai turned to look at Kakashi piteously. "What'd I do, Kashi? I don't understand."

"Oh, well." Kakashi sighed. "It's okay." He dropped an arm around Gai's shoulders. "I'll stay while you do those laps."

Tenzo stood in the middle of the hall and watched Bensaku disappear through a set of double doors. "I really thought he would get mad at me."

"Did you want him to?" Kakashi asked.

Tenzo shrugged. "I don't know. I just expected it. I was prodding him pretty hard." He turned to face them. "For him to go off on you, Gai-sempai…I don't know. That's kind of weird."

"I certainly don't understand it," Gai said. "I was simply asking a question."

"Bensaku-taichou read an implication into your inquiry, Gai," Kakashi said. "He thought you were saying that he was old, his bones creaked, and that he ought to retire." At least he knew the answer to Gai's question, even if he didn't know why he'd made their team leader so angry.

Gai was bewildered. "I didn't say any of that."

"That's what an implication is," Kakashi said. "It's something you don't say but you mean." Wait. Is that what I did with Bensaku? What did he think I meant? He searched over his words, but he couldn't figure out anything that stood out as being so offensive that Bensaku would fly off the handle at everybody. He'd have to think about it more.

Gai was silent for a moment. Then he ventured, "If you mean it…why don't you say it?"

That was the heart of the problem between him and Gai right now. Kakashi sighed. "I don't know." I wish I did. Why don't I just say I love you? Why doesn't Tenzo show his interest for the Taichou in some healthy way? Why doesn't Bensaku just admit that he wants Tenzo to look at him in a light besides Taichou or father?

"If you always said what you mean, where would be the fun?" Tenzo said, sounding as though he wanted to fill the uncomfortable silence that followed after Kakashi's statement.

"Spoken like a true ANBU," Kakashi said lightly.

"Why, thank you, Sempai." Tenzo bowed.

Kakashi clapped a hand on Gai's shoulder. "Maa, I guess you better do those laps. It's getting dark."

"How are you going to pass the time while Gai-sempai is doing laps around the outpost if you can't read your Icha Icha, Sempai?" Tenzo asked.

Kakashi cringed. He'd forgotten.

"I could bring you guys something from the mess hall and hang out with you and stuff," Tenzo said, looking away and trying to generally look casual.

Kakashi smiled. "Sure."

Tenzo brightened. "Great. I'll be right back with something to eat. What do you want, Sempai, Gai-sempai?"

"Anything will do," Gai said kindly. "I'm just really hungry from doing all that running."

Kakashi scratched his temple. "Yeah…it'll take you much longer to do those laps now that you're low on chakra. You'll be relying on your physical strength and speed alone."

"You think Benku-taichou forgot that when he sentenced Gai-sempai to the 200 laps?" Tenzo asked.

Gai tilted his head ruefully. "I think that is a distinct possibility."

In Bensaku's mood, Kakashi wasn't so sure. Maa, I really screwed things up. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and trudged back out into the cold and wet with Gai, while Tenzo parted ways to go to the mess hall.

Was it so wrong not to want to lose what he'd gained with his team?