Author Notes: Hello everyone! Thank you again for your wonderful reviews for the previous chapter and enjoy this next one :)
General Warnings: Parody, self-insert, tongue in cheek humour and OOCness. Words in italics are taken directly from the episode.
Chapter Warnings: Spoilers for Naruto Shippuden Episodes 159 (Pein vs. Kakashi).
Kudos: Congrats to ArturoLJ50 & BloodyAyame23aka K (via PM) for correctly guessing the star of this chapter!
Character: Kakashi Hatake
- Chapter Start -
"Obito... this is as far as it goes, me being your eyes. I couldn't even protect Rin. I broke my promise to you. Please, forgive me. Obito... Rin... sensei. I... I guess I'll be joining you now."
Kakashi stopped walking when a thick white mist rolled in to surround him. He looked around, but he couldn't see anything or anyone else.
Where had those three gone - he wanted to follow them, to be with them!
Was this his punishment for not being able to protect Rin, doomed to be apart from them even in death?
A mirthless smile twisted Kakashi's lips, hidden beneath his mask. His death - using the very last of his chakra and stamina to save Chouji from that guided missile - was certainly one befitting a shinobi.
It couldn't have happened at a worse time though.
The Leaf Village was under a devastating attack by the Akatsuki. Lady Tsunade needed all the help she could get... help that Kakashi could no longer provide. He spared a thought for all those he was leaving behind.
Self proclaimed eternal rival and best friend, Maito Gai.
Kakashi's three passionate and talented students, Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura.
Tenzo, Sai, Lady Tsunade, Lord Hiruzen, Asuma, Kurenai, Iruka, Genma, Raido, Aoba, Shikaku, Choza, Inoichi... and so many other sterling shinobi who carried the Will of Fire within themselves.
"Everyone, I leave the future of the Leaf Village in your hands now," Kakashi said softly.
The mist started to clear, allowing him to see he was standing on a path that led to a small hut in the distance. Ignoring the lingering heaviness in his heart, he started for it, hoping he would find his two old teammates waiting for him there.
He was still about a dozen feet away when the door of the hut burst open and two females came charging out.
"It's him, it's Kakashi!" squealed the older one.
"Kakashi-sensei's here, he's really here!" squealed the younger.
Kakashi stopped short and stared at them. Nope, these two weren't Rin or Obito, not by any stretch of the imagination. He took a quick step back and then a couple more as they skidded to an untidy stop right in front of him.
"It's you," sighed the older one rapturously, hands clasped in front of her.
"It's really you," sighed the younger one.
"Who are you two? Where is this place?" Kakashi asked, baffled. He glanced at the hut behind them, hoping to find a more recognisable figure coming out, but no one did.
The two females blinked.
"I think we may have startled him a bit, mother," said the younger one in a loud whisper.
"I think you're right, daughter," said the other.
They both gave Kakashi apologetic bows.
"Sorry about that, love."
"Yeah, we were just so excited!"
"That's uhm... quite alright," Kakashi replied. He reached up to adjust his headband, realised he wasn't wearing it and closed his left eye instead. That was when the two females started squealing again.
"You're every bit as cool and good looking as we knew you'd be!" gushed the mother.
"Even if we still can't see most of your face!" added the daughter.
Kakashi stared at them again.
"Is this the afterlife?" he asked suspiciously.
"That's not important," replied the daughter. "What is important is that we're giving you-"
"We're not giving him anything, remember?" interrupted the mother.
"Oh. Right."
"More's the pity."
"I know, right? It's just like when Gaara... oh. Oopsie."
"Oopsie is right, daughter."
Kakashi's uncovered eye narrowed.
"Gaara? Do you mean the Sand's Kazekage? What about him?"
"Gaara?" asked the mother, making her eyes as round as possible.
"Who's Gaara?" asked the daughter with equally big eyes.
Kakashi sighed and shook his head.
"Never mind. But I am dead, right?" he asked.
They sighed, their shoulders slumping.
"Yes, but not for long," admitted the mother.
Kakashi's heart skipped a beat.
"Why not?" he asked.
"Because it's not your time to die yet," explained the daughter.
Kakashi frowned. He expected to feel regret, and he did... but overpowering it was a huge sense of relief. Yes, he was still wracked with guilt over his teammates' deaths so many years ago, but he didn't want to die yet. He was still needed.
"I'm glad," he said and meant it.
"So are we!" chorused the two females, grinning at him.
"Alright," Kakashi said and glanced around. "So, when do I get to go back?"
"Oh... not for a while yet, love," said the mother with a suspicious glint in her eyes.
"So... you might as well sit down and wait," added the daughter, also with a glint in her eyes.
"And where do I sit down?" Kakashi asked, cleverly taking another step back in the guise of looking around for a seat.
Undeterred, the two females advanced upon him, holding up twitchy fingers.
"Come with us and see!" they chorused and tried to grab his hands.
Kakashi leaped backwards and eye smiled at them.
"You know what? I think I'll wait right here until it's time to go back."
"Oh, but it's more comfortable in there," protested the mother.
"And I have your favourite food waiting - miso soup with eggplant!" added the daughter.
Kakashi hesitated, but the sight of their twitching fingers weren't doing anything for his peace of mind.
"No, thanks. In fact, I think..." he trailed off when he saw the two females peering over his shoulder, looking dismayed. Glancing behind him, he saw it was getting dark and a light was winking at him in the distance.
"It's time for you to go, Kakashi," said the mother with a heavy sigh.
"Bye, Kakashi-sensei," said the daughter with another sigh,
"Stop thinking about the past so much."
"And start enjoying life more."
"Spend time with your friends and students. And that includes Gai, your best friend and lov-"
"Mother! They're just friends!"
"No, they're more than that!"
"Well, they're also eternal rivals!"
"No, they're also M.F.E.O!"
The daughter wrinkled her nose and turned back to Kakahi who was looking increasingly uncomfortable.
"And stop reading those Icha Icha books!" she told him.
Kakashi gave them his best eye smile.
"It's time for me to go. Thank you," he said and turned around, paying no mind to the mutterings of 'He never admits to anything, does he?' and 'Or promises anything, either!' behind him.
He walked towards the flickering light which turned out to be a campfire. Sitting on one of the rocks with his back facing him was a figure.
"Is that you, Kakashi?" asked a familiar voice, one Kakashi hadn't heard in years. Slowly, he approached the fire.
"Huh. So this is where you were," he said and sat down on another rock.
"Now that we're both here, will you tell me your tale?" asked the man.
"Yeah, but it's a long story," Kakashi replied, "so I want to take my time."
Sakumo Hatake looked at him and smiled.
"Yeah, that's fine."
Kakashi returned the smile, glad to see his father again.
Where to begin," he started.
- o -
The mother and daughter closed the door of the hut behind them and went to sit behind the counter, slumping dejectedly in their seats.
"We didn't get to touch him either," mumbled the mother.
"Oh well," sighed the daughter. "I didn't expect him to when Gaara and Utakata didn't let us."
"But we didn't get to touch his hair," sniffed the mother, "his lovely, silvery hair!"
"And we didn't get to unmask him either, but he wouldn't have let us," said the daughter in a resigned voice, pushing away the bowl of miso soup.
They both shook their heads and looked at the paper taped on the counter.
Oh, it's them!" squealed the mother. "Another two dedicated and talented shinobi who are M.F.E.O!"
The daughter rolled her eyes.
"They're just good friends and partners, mother," she said.
"Nope. M.F.E.O," insisted the mother. "Of course, their leader is going to die first, but we're not gonna rescue him, are we?"
"No way!" agreed the daughter. "Just those two. Together or separately?"
"Together, of course! M.F.E.O, remember?"
The daughter just shook her head, smiling.
- Chapter End -
A/N: Thank you for reading! I'm sure you can guess who those two are so please tell us! :)