A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed, favorited,and followed this story!
To Pinksakura200: Actually, the Akimichi, Nara, Yamanaka, Aburame, and Inuzuka do NOT have Bloodlines, just secret clan techniques called "Hiden" (I think that's the name for it). Before I started this story I researched the Bloodlines, and I was really surprised to discover that the before-mentioned Clans' abilities were not Bloodlines, but just special techniques they savagely guard from outsiders. Here's a list of Bloodlines if you're interested:
Mokuton (Wood Release), Meiton (Dark Release), Hyōton (Ice Release), Bakuton (Explosion Release), Enton (Blaze Release), Sharingan/ Mangekyo Sharingan, Byakugan, Futton (Boil Release), Shōton (Crystal Release), Jinton (Dust Release), Kurama Clan Genjutsu Bloodline, Yōton (Lava Release), Jiton (Magnet Release), Ranmaru's Kekkei Genkai, Rinha Clan Kekkei Genkai, Rinnegan, Shakuton (Scorch Release), Shikotsumyaku (Dead Bone Pulse), Kōton (Steel Release), Ranton (Storm Release), and Jinton (Swift Release). Oh, and Minato's Flash Bloodline, but that's of my creation. :)
Also, just for reference, Onoki's abilities are a Kekkei Tota (I think that's what it's called, correct me if I'm wrong.), not a Kekkei Genkai.
Chapter Fourteen: The Reality of Hatred
"AAAAAHHHH! I'm late!"
Obito burst through his bedroom door like a startled bird fleeing it's perch, hopping down stairs on one foot as he pulled his pants on and holding a ration bar between his teeth. Mikoto poked her head out of the kitchen and rolled her eyes skyward as she watched her cousin make his way down the stairs, still trying to get dressed.
"You idiot, you're going to fal—"
Obito yelped as he lost his balance, tumbling down six steps before skidding to a halt at Mikoto's feet. Obito peered up at his cousin through orange-tinted goggles and grinned sheepishly.
"Heh heh... I'm kinda running late today..." he mumbled, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly.
Mikoto put her hands on her hips, her eyebrows raising incredulously. "Right. And you were never late to the Academy."
"Ah wasm'f lafe!" Obito protested through a mouthful of ration bar. ...every day, he finished mentally.
Mikoto gave a long-suffering sigh. "Try not to make a habit of it. Have a good day."
Obito nearly choked on his breakfast, swallowed it with difficulty, and stared at his cousin, surprised. Although her tone was slightly annoyed, her good-day was... sincere.
His parents "Have a good day."s were never sincere.
Unsure of how to react, Obito merely waved awkwardly, hurrying out the door.
XXXXXXXXXX
Obito ran up to Training Ground Two, a gigantic smile on his face. He was almost there,— only five minutes late!— almost to his first official team meeting! No more Academy mishaps to haunt him, no more Uchiha superiors to nag him, no more bullies to pick on him, he was going to make a good impression—!
Obito tripped over a tree root and crashed through the last pieces of foliage, landing in the training ground with a loud oof. A pair of black ninja sandals stopped in front of him, merely an inch from his face. The Uchiha looked up to see Kakashi glaring coolly at him, an expressionless look in his black eyes.
"Hn." the Hatake said. "Dobe."
Obito's face flushed with rage. "Teme!" he snapped, scrambling to his feet.
A small cough interrupted the upcoming argument before it could manifest. Obito's angry blush became one of embarrassment as he looked up to see Minato watching the two boys— Rin was standing awkwardly at his right side— one blonde eyebrow raised.
"I'm glad you finally made it, Obito." his Sensei said, kindly but slightly chidingly. "Try to arrive on time from now on, all right?"
A guilty feeling rose in Obito as he took in Minato's words and he dropped his gaze to the ground. "Er... Sorry Sensei. I will."
Minato gave him a quick nod in confirmation before moving on. "Before we go to the Hokage's office for your first D-Rank—" Obito felt excitement bubble up inside of him at these words. "— I want you three to tell me what techniques you already know, and which ones you want to learn. Within reason." the Jönin added as Obito opened his mouth. "You go first Obito." the Yellow Flash finished with a small smile.
"Well, I know Replacement and the normal Clone like everyone at the Academy," Obito started, bouncing on the balls of his feet slightly, "And Cousin Mikoto's been teaching me the Grand Fireball Technique and Uchiha Taijutsu." Obito was very proud of himself for this. Even though most of the Uchiha his age had already activated their Sharingan... That's not my goal anymore, Obito reminded himself. "I want to learn a bunch of cool Elemental-affinity and Genjutsu techniques." the Uchiha finished.
Minato nodded thoughtfully. "All right then. Rin?"
The girl shifted slightly, hands clasped behind her back, tracing designs in the dirt with her foot. "Um... I know Replacement and the Clone like Obito and the Academy Taijutsu..." She ducked her head, almost like she were feeling ashamed. "...I don't know anything else."
"That's all right," Minato said sincerely. "I didn't expect you to know much. What about what you want to learn? You want to become a medic, correct?"
Rin perked up immediately, hair bouncing as she nodded. "Yes Sensei! I would also like to learn Elemental-affinity techniques as well."
Minato grinned then turned to the silent silver-haired member of the team. "Kakashi?"
The Rookie of the Year looked bored. "I know the Replacement and Clone. I also know that I have Raiton affiliation. I can perform the Raiton: Lightning Beast Running, Raiton: Lightning Blast, Raiton: Lightning Ball, and the Demonic Illusions: Hell Viewing Technique. I am also competent in the Hatake forms of Taijutsu and Kenjutsu. I don't care what I learn: I just want to become stronger so I can become a good shinobi."
Arrogant Teme, Obito thought grumpily.
Minato's eyes seemed to darken, becoming slightly haunted, before his expression cleared. "Okay then." he said, studying them all with those calm blue eyes. "There are two mistakes that many Jönin-Senseis make when teaching Genin teams. One: they favorite and nurture one student over the other two, and Two: They have their students specialize in one area— Ninjutsu, Genjutsu, or Taijutsu/Kenjutsu— and only that area. I'm not going to do that. In my past experiences, this is a mistake. Overspecialization is not good. If one of the team members is taken out, it leaves the other two vulnerable to attacks that that member defended against." Minato looked at Rin. "Rin, even though you want to become a medic, I still expect you to learn a variety of offensive Ninjutsu and Taijutsu." He looked at Obito. "Obito, though you may be inclined to learn Genjutsu and slack off on Ninjutsu because you'll eventually activate the Sharingan and be able to copy your enemies' techniques, I'm not letting you do that. You must become strong through your own work, not through copying. All right?" His Sensei's tone wasn't suggesting that he thought Obito wouldn't do the work, and wasn't degrading, so Obito nodded. "Kakashi, even though you wish to become stronger, you have to remember what that strength is for. I may be teaching you how to fight as individuals, but I'm also going to teach you how to fight as a team. Listen well you three," Minato's voice became stern and commanding, demanding their full attention as effectively as a Kage about to give a speech. "In the shinobi world, "Those who abandon their mission are trash..." that's may be true, but those who abandon their comrades are worse than trash." Minato's stare was glacial ice, cold, unbending, and inescapable. "I will make you strong. I will teach you to become a team. In return, I only ask one thing of you: Never abandon your comrades. Ever. Understood?"
Stunned and slightly awed by the burning, single-minded passion in their Sensei's words and eyes, the three Genin nodded.
Minato relaxed, reverting back to his calm, quieter state. "Good. Come on kids. Let's go accept your first mission."
XXXXXXXXXX
Team Minato's first mission was catching Tora the demonic cat. By the end of it, Obito and Kakashi were scratched up and cranky, while a not-mauled Rin calmly stroked the cat's fur. Minato was also unharmed. Then again, Tora knew better than to mess with any members of Team Jiraiya after a fed up Hizashi used Jyukken on her and Minato "accidentally" Flashed the furry terror into a the Inuzuka dog pens.
Hunting Tora certainly wasn't the glory-filled mission that Obito had been picturing. By the time Team Seven caught the demonic cat, the sun was far past it's peak. The team walked through Konoha's bustling streets, Rin still stroking Tora while Obito held a glaring match with it.
"Stupid cat!" Obito hissed, wrapping a small cut on his forearm in bandages. "It's evil! Let's throw it off the bridge."
"Obito!" Rin gasped, holding the cat to her chest and staring at him, shocked. "You can't do that! She's a sweetheart, she was just scared of us!"
Tora purred smugly at the Uchiha, whose eye twitched.
"I can see why so many of my Clansmen became stuck up Temes after they had to chase this thing..." Obito muttered under his breath. Then the boy flinched slightly, expression darkening, as he once again recalled that his Clansmen were almost all dead.
The team made it to the Fire Daimyo's wife's house— she'd finally bought one in Konoha after the fifty-sixth Tora escape to Konoha's forests. Rumor had it that that was during Jiraiya's time as a Genin.— Kakashi knocking on the door. It was flung open immediately, the... rather large Madame Shijimi appearing in the doorway.
"Oh! You found her!" The Lady swept the struggling Tora into her arms, squeezing the cat so tightly the feline's eyes bulged out of her head. "Oh Tora you poor kitty! Did you get lost again? Thank you so much for finding her!"
"Er... no problem." Obito said, abruptly feeling bad for Tora.
No wonder she ran away... all three Genin thought, sweatdropping.
Madame Shijimi shut the door, the rectangular pane of oak closing with a thud. Obito turned to Minato, a serious expression on his face.
"How many lives does that cat have left?"
Minato seemed to think about it. "Tora has been captured and hugged to death so many times... I don't know."
The team halted at the end of Madame Shijimi's driveway, the three Genin looking at their young Sensei.
"Because hunting Tora took too long," Minato said, glancing at the descending sun, "We don't have time for any training today. Meet me at Training Ground Two tomorrow at nine. All right?"
"Yes Sensei!" the three chorused, Obito enthusiastically, Rin quietly, and Kakashi boredly.
The Genin went one way, Minato the other, and mingled with Konoha's crowds. Obito chattered nonstop to Rin about what he hoped they'd do tomorrow.
"—Sensei will probably show us awesome techniques that make huge explosions!" Obito said excitedly. He liked the idea of explosions. "Or maybe he'll teach us Rasengan!"
Rin was more hesitant, less sure, her eyes on Kakashi's back. "I don't think so Obito." she murmured. "We're not skilled enough for Rasengan. He might not show us until we're Jönin, or he might not teach it to us at all."
Obito frowned. "Yeah. You're right. Still, he's the Yellow Flash! Training is going to be ep—!"
"DOWN!" Kakashi shouted, tackling Obito to the ground just in time for the Uchiha to avoid three kunai to the head.
Obito looked up to see a group of Genin from the year before them standing ten feet away, sneers on their faces.
"Watch it jerks!" the Uchiha yelled at them. "You could've hit me!"
"That was the point, Uchiha" the lead Genin— a boy with dark brown hair, his hitai-ate tied loosely around his neck— sneered.
Obito stared at him, speechless. He wasn't serious, right?
"What's that supposed to mean?" Rin asked, sounding shocked.
They ignored her, eyes only on Obito.
"Your Clan deserved to be Purged, Somaruchi," the second Genin spat.
Red hot rage overwhelmed Obito's senses and he lunged for him, Rin and Kakashi grabbing the Uchiha's arms in order to prevent him from attacking the Genin.
"YOU TAKE THAT BACK!" Obito shouted, black eyes blazing with rage.
The older Genin laughed.
"What ya gonna do, Somaruchi?" the third Genin— the girl— sneered.
Obito recoiled momentarily, shocked by the name, before resuming his enraged efforts to break free of his teammates' holds.
"Don't call him that," Kakashi said quietly, voice angry and cold.
Obito blinked at the Hatake, stopping his struggling in surprise of his usually distant teammate's support.
"You're siding with him?" the first Genin asked, disbelief clear on his face. His expression cleared into an aloof look. "I'd expect nothing less from the traitor's son."
The hands on Obito's right arm relaxed and the Uchiha shot forward, Kakashi at his side, rage clouding their minds. With near identical shouts of wordless anger, Kakashi and Obito tackled the opposing Genin to the ground. Obito kneed Genin-One in the stomach while Kakashi socked Genin-Two a solid hit in the jaw. Obito punched the brown-haired Genin in the face, vision red with rage. The Uchiha could hear Rin and the other girl screaming their teammate's names but he ignored them.
"How dare you insult my Clan!" Obito snarled, fists pounding into the boy again and again and again, punching every bit of the Genin that he could reach.
The brown-haired Genin grabbed the Uchiha's wrist, headbutting him in an attempt to make him reel back. Flesh met the metal of his hitai-ate and the older Genin yelped in pain.
Ha ha, Obito thought angrily.
The Genin recovered and twisted, flipping so Obito was thrown off of him. The spiky haired boy leapt to his feet, taking an Uchiha Taijutsu stance. He ran at the older Genin, evading his blows easily, hitting the older boy with a swift roundabout kick. The older Genin hit the ground hard enough for dust to rise from the road. Obito glanced at Kakashi to see him whaling on his opponent, normally stoic eyes wild with almost a savage light. Obito tackled his opponent again, pinning him, blinded by rage, each thought punctuated by a punch, by a need to make— this— jerk— take— it— back!
"ENOUGH!"
As abrupt as a blink, Minato was there, as was a female Jönin who had to be the other Genin team's Sensei. Minato pulled Obito and Kakashi off of their enemies effortlessly, a hand on each of their shoulders, grip tight in warning. The female Jönin helped her students to their feet. Obito's target had a split lip, a bloody nose, a black eye, and an array of darkening bruises. Kakashi's enemy had two black eyes, a missing tooth, a bruised jaw, a large discoloration on his cheek, and was nursing his left hand. Both Obito and Kakashi were secretly very pleased with themselves. Their Sensei's scarily neutral expression kept them— specifically Obito— from voicing their pleasure however.
"You need to keep a tighter reign on your students, Namikaze," the opposing Genin's Sensei said coolly.
"I apologize for my students' behavior," Minato said politely to the other Jönin. "They will be punished accordingly, I assure you."
The woman sneered at the Yellow Flash like her students had sneered at Obito and Kakashi. "You should clean up your act and keep them in check, Namikaze. At this rate, they could easily get in an accident."
The hands on the boys' shoulders tightened protectively.
"Of course—" Minato said pleasantly, eyes locking with hers, "—if they were in an accident, I would not be happy. In fact, I would be very upset." The female Jönin stiffened at his icy, warning tone, which was unnoticed by the Genin. "I can only hope that they can take care of themselves to avoid any accidents." His voice was still pleasant, still diplomatic, still polite, but somehow it was a snarl. "Speaking of taking care of themselves..." Minato's voice grew innocently sweet. "Your team seems to need to work on their Taijutsu. Seeing as how they were just beaten by rookie Genin fresh from the Academy."
A vein in the female Jönin's temple twitched dangerously. "Of course. I don't think the Hokage needs to be informed of this... little skirmish," she finally choked out, and admitted defeat in the battle of wills, gaze breaking from Minato's unwavering glare. "Come along, team."
Minato watched the Genin team leave, expression relaxing into a look of worry.
"Sensei...?" Rin began cautiously.
Minato's face schooled itself into a smile, though it seemed slightly strained. "Rin, Kakashi, go home. I have to talk to Obito for a second."
"Sensei, I also—" Kakashi began.
"This isn't about what you did. I will speak to all three of you about that tomorrow." Minato said quietly, his disappointment etched into his tone.
Ashamed, the two not-dark-haired Genin nodded cautiously and left. Rin went home, to her family. Kakashi went back to the training grounds. Minato stood before Obito for a long time, as if unsure of what to say.
"What's wrong Sensei?" Obito asked. "If you're worried about those jerks don't be. I could've kicked their butts—"
"No!" Minato said sharply, voice harsh and strained.
Obito looked at him and was shocked by the absolute fear in his Sensei's eyes. Minato gripped the boy's shoulders tightly, focusing all of the Uchiha's attention on him.
"Listen to me Obito," the Yellow Flash said in a whisper, "Do not anger these people. They're dangerous."
Obito's heart beat a little faster. "W-What do you mean?"
Minato bit his lip, as if he were trying to decide what to tell the Uchiha. "A rift has formed between Bloodline Users and "normal" ninja. The "normal" ninja believe that Konoha favors the Bloodline Clans, and a rumor has spread that Bloodline users' abilities are the results of deals with demons."
"What?" Obito asked, voice small and scared even to his own ears. "Why do they think that?"
Minato's eyes became glassy and haunted. "About a year ago, in Kirigakure, a group of masked ninja and "normal" Mist ninja killed all Bloodline Users in Kiri. The masked ninja are a part of an unknown group that has been killing off Bloodline Users for years. We think that they originated in Iwagakure. Before now they haven't been a problem for us but ever since your Clan was killed..."
"T-They're h-here?" Obito stammered, too afraid to register the mention of his Clan's demise.
"They're forming roots," Minato murmured. "Their presence is growing."
"Doesn't the Hokage know this?" Obito demanded. "Why isn't he stopping it?"
"I don't know." Minato said softly, almost to himself. "The Hokage says that he doesn't want to widen the rift between the two groups by supporting the Bloodline Clans..." A suspicious look crossed the Yellow Flash's face before he hid it, glancing at Obito. "Just be careful okay? Don't go anywhere alone, especially at night. Please?"
Normally, Obito would have grumbled about being able to take care of himself, but the fear in his Sensei's eyes stopped him. "Okay." The young Uchiha paused, gut clenching painfully as a sudden thought struck him. "What about you Sensei? You have a Bloodline..."
Minato gave his student a hard, determined smile. "Very few people know what my Bloodline is. Most assume it is just superior sensing abilities. As a result, the Bloodline-haters are split about me. Half of them appreciate what I'm doing for Konoha so want to leave me alone—" "For now." remained unsaid. "—and the other half..." Minato trailed off.
The image of his Sensei lying broken, bloody, and dead in an alleyway entered Obito's mind with terrifying clarity. The Uchiha's face paled and his eyes widened with fear.
Minato gently reached over and ruffled Obito's spiky hair. "Don't worry about me, Obito. I can take care of myself. Go home."
With a final, reassuring smile, he left.
XXXXXXXXXX
The Jönin-led Genin team watched the Somaruchi part ways, barely able to suppress their Killer Intent.
"How can the Hokage let these abominations live?" the brown-haired Genin burst out, watching the Uchiha's retreating back. "How can he let them waltz around like they own Konoha?"
"Times are changing, boy," the Jönin stated, grave and sincere. "The Hokage is helping us Purgers, but he cannot be obvious about it. We can't give the Somaruchi a chance to run after all." Her eyes narrowed into an expression of hate as she watched Namikaze walk away. "The Yellow Flash is one too, after all."
The Genin girl blinked at her, startled. "He is?"
"Yes." their elder grunted. "You're too young to remember, but when the brat first came here, rumors spread that he had demonic powers. They were just rumors back then... but now he can kill armies within seconds. If that isn't demonic, I don't know what is."
"You should have killed him when he was too young to be a threat," the second male Genin said seriously, rubbing his bruised jaw. The jaw Kakashi had punched.
"I know. Somaruchi become more dangerous as they grow older." the elder preached. She placed a hand on the second boy's head, ruffling his hair. "Don't worry about all that, my students. Konoha will soon rectify it's mistake. The Somaruchi scum will be Purged, and with their deaths, this world's corruption will cease." The Jönin smiled, face softening. "But that's enough talk of those abominations. Let's go get some Ramen, hmm?"
The team headed to the Ramen stand, all signs of their dangerous views vanishing like shadows.
XXXXXXXXXX
Kakashi Hatake did not want to go home. What was the point? There was no one there waiting for him. His mother passed away when he was three, his father at the beginning of the war. Kakashi spent as little time as possible in his orphanage-funded apartment. It was not a home. Instead, the silver haired Genin trained until he ran out of energy, stumbling home when he could no longer continue. A part of Kakashi knew it wasn't healthy to work himself like this, but what else could he do?
...At least now he didn't have to worry about being beaten up on the way home.
Kakashi couldn't remember when the hate-mobs had begun exactly— maybe three months after the war started?— but, one day, people had become angry at him. They'd throw bottles and the occasionally kunai, yell at him across the streets, even just come out and attack him at times. Why? Because he was the son of the man who had started the Third Shinobi War. The man who had disobeyed orders, and died not in a noble mission, but in a stupid side-scuffle that had ended in disaster. People couldn't take out their anger on the Iwa or Kumo ninja who'd killed their loved ones. They couldn't vent their rage on the White Fang. So they were left with one target: the White Fang's son.
It didn't help that— even at the ages eight, nine, and ten— Kakashi already looked so much like his father.
Kakashi had taken the verbal and physical assaults in silence, a part of him feeling that the angered people needed someone to blame. That he deserved to pay for his father's mistake. That he was the son of a traitor, like so many people claimed.
Kakashi had thought that the hatred would never stop, never end. However, one day, a few months ago, the Sandaime had asked Kakashi to come to his office. There, bluntly and to the point, Sarutobi had asked if people were giving Kakashi trouble. Kakashi had been reluctant to answer, but he would not lie to his leader. So he told Sarutobi everything. The Sandaime had smiled at him— though his eyes had held enraged fire— and thanked the boy for telling him the truth. Then Sarutobi had told him that was all, and Kakashi had left.
After that, no one had physically harmed Kakashi again.
Kakashi still wondered who had told the Sandaime of his predicament. Who had cared, despite the fact that his father was the fallen-from-grace White Fang. The Genin didn't know what he would do, if he found out who it was. The shinobi part of him would tell the person to mind their own business, despite how much better his life had become. The boy part of him would thank the person, maybe give him a hug.
Kakashi hated the boy. The boy was weak. The boy was a child. The boy had no place in him. He was a shinobi. An adult, in many people's eyes. Kakashi wanted the boy who had cried at his father's funeral gone. He was a shinobi. He had to be strong.
He had to be the perfect ninja, because of his father's mistakes. It was his only chance to redeem the Hatake name. His only chance to detach himself from his father's legacy and prove that he wasn't his father. That he was loyal to the Leaf, and would be a real legend. Today, with the other Genin team, old scars had been reopened. And he, Kakashi, had lost his head, and attacked. Kakashi supposed that he could explain all of this to Minato tomorrow during the inevitable lecture, but he knew his Sensei wouldn't understand.
No one would ever understand.
Kakashi flung the final kunai at the target, hitting the bull's eye in the exact center. He stared at it, hand clenching and unclenching, before finally balling into a fist. He sighed, eyes closing for a moment, then walked forward to retrieve his weapons. He picked them out of the target one by one, careful not to nick the blades. The Hatake went still for a moment before resuming his work. He was no sensor, but he was good enough to sense the presence that was lingering in the trees. The person was either trying to hide— and failing miserably— or didn't care that he could sense them.
Probably the Dobe, Kakashi thought, annoyed.
Kakashi plucked the last kunai from the target before turning. "I know you're there. Come out."
Five shuriken flew from the trees in response. Kakashi cartwheeled to the side, avoiding the projectiles and landed on his feet, not even bothering to unsheathe a weapon.
Definitely Obito, Kakashi grumbled mentally. "That's stupid, even for you, Dobe."
"Who are you calling Dobe!" a loud, female voice shouted.
Kakashi's attacker emerged from the trees and the prodigy groaned.
Anko!
Anko Mitarashi was the Dobe Runner Up, only beating Obito by three points in the Genin Exam. She wore a dark purple t-shirt with mesh long sleeves underneath, a black almost-mini skirt with mesh legging covering her legs. Her hair was up in a spiky black ponytail, her bangs framing her face in loose spikes. Anko was loud, brash, and overconfident, well known for beating up boys for a variety of offenses at the Academy. Kakashi had no idea how she'd ended up on Orochimaru of the Sannin's team. Then again, Obito had ended up on the Yellow Flash's. Apparently the higher ups couldn't make another team of prodigies like Team Jiraiya.
"What do you want, Anko?" Kakashi asked tiredly. Please don't let her want to be my rival. Obito and that weird Gai kid both want that role already...
"I was just wondering what you were up to Doggie." Anko said with a wide smirk.
Kakashi refused to let his eye twitch in irritation. "I think you're mistaking me for an Inuzuka."
"Nope." Anko said, hanging by her knees from a tree branch at the edge of the training ground. "You Hatake's have the ninja-dog contract don't you?"
Kakashi's eyes narrowed. "Yes." he said stiffly. "How do you know that?"
Anko snorted. "I heard it around."
"Right." Kakashi said neutrally, throwing more kunai at the target. Maybe if I ignore her she'll go away...
"Soooooo... what are you doing?" Anko asked, her obnoxious voice disturbing Kakashi's inner peace.
"Training." Kakashi said through gritted teeth. What does it look like?
"That's no fun," Anko scoffed. "I'm all for training, sure, but you gotta have a life too!"
"Why don't you go and live your life then?" Kakashi asked sarcastically. And leave me alone!
Anko thought about it for half a second. "Nah. I'm comfy right here." She swung up onto the tree branch, settling with her back to the trunk with her left leg swinging in the air.
Kakashi breathed slowly through his nose, returning to his target practice. A Shinobi must not attack a fellow Leaf Ninja because they are being annoying. A Shinobi must not attack a fellow Leaf Ninja because they are being annoying. A Shinobi must not—
"Why do you wear a mask?" Anko asked, as if to remind him that she was still there.
Kakashi growled softly. "Why are you annoying me?"
Anko stuck her tongue out at him. "Cause I feel like it."
She leapt down from her perch, sauntering up to him, invading his personal bubble space. Kakashi stepped back instinctively, annoyance growing. Anko smirked and— with surprising speed— made a grab for his mask. Kakashi leapt away from her, glaring since she couldn't see him scowl.
Anko grinned, clapped once, and turned on her heel, skipping into the forest. "This is the start of a beautiful friendship! I'm gonna figure you out Stick-in-the-mud!"
Kakashi stared as her retreating figure disappeared into the shadows, speechless.
What the …?
Words finally came to his mind and he spoke. "She's crazy."
Why did she want to "figure him out"?
XXXXXXXXXX
Danzo listened with rapt attention as the Purger reported to him. The Hokage nodded sagely, eyes closing, almost in defeat.
"Thank you for telling me this. You may go."
The ninja nodded and left.
Danzo sat quietly for a moment, contemplating what he'd just heard. So, Namikaze was wondering why Danzo wasn't helping the Somaruchi hmm...?
"Namikaze is already becoming suspicious," Danzo said aloud, seemingly to nothing. "Watch him, and if his curiosity rises... distract him."
"Yes, Hokage-sama," the three Root ninja positioned on the ceiling stated.
They vanished without a trace.
XXXXXXXXXX
A/N: Okay... I'll admit I creeped myself out with the "All Somaruchi must die! Let's go get Ramen!" part. I was just trying to show that the Purgers think they're in the right, and aren't bothered at all with the idea of mass genocide. O.O'
Next chapter will be called "Flames"