A/N: Er... Hi? I'm back. (Awkward laugh). Sorry for the wait (Almost two years. Yeesh.) but I finally got my muse for Naruto back again. Just so you know, I still haven't read the last hundred or so chapters of the manga. Not that what happens there will affect this story anyway...
Enjoy!
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Chapter Twenty-Five: Battles' End
"This had better work, Teme." Obito said, peering through the brush at the Iwa ninja that was casting the Genjutsu.
The Uchiha had traced the chakra source to the ninja's location, his matured Sharingan easily able to see where the enemy was. If not for the gravity of the situation, Obito would have been leaping for joy, grinning like a fool as he celebrated the activation of his revered Kekkei Genkai. As it was, the Uchiha was too busy worrying about the enemy they were going to face to act like his usual loud self. Plus, shouting triumphantly at the sky was a bad idea when near a raging battle.
Obito may be a little bit of an idiot, but he was not stupid.
"It will work." Kakashi said firmly. "You are our best chance to beat this guy, Do—... Obito."
The Uchiha pariah stared at his teammate before grinning wryly. "Heh heh. You used my name. You really are serious about this." Doubt began to gnaw at the black-haired Genin's thoughts and his smile wavered. "But I don't know if—"
"There's no more time. We need to get moving." Kakashi interrupted briskly, eyes focused on the Iwa ninja. "Let's go, Rin."
Obito could only watch tensely as his teammates circled around to the other side of the clearing, movements easily tracked by his swirling crimson eyes. Although they remained unseen by their enemy, the Uchiha could easily see the nervousness on Rin's face and the paleness of her skin. The lifeless image of the girl flashed before his eyes and the Genin flinched, forcibly pushing the memory away.
It wasn't real, Obito, he reminded himself firmly. You can't let yourself be distracted. Not now.
He watched with bated breath as his fellow Genin approached the clearing... and casually walked into the open. Needless to say, the Iwa ninja noticed them immediately. For a moment, the brown-haired man stared at the Konoha ninja in open bewilderment, obviously wondering how stupid the kids could be. He recovered quickly, and gave them a cold smirk.
"Well, well. Aren't you cute little Genin. Are you here to fight me?" he sounded like he was barely holding back a laugh.
"You bet we are!" Kakashi said in a most un-Kakashi-like way. "I could beat you with my eyes closed!"
The Iwa nin smirked, stance casual and unconcerned. He had not even drawn one of his weapons, and looked more ready to laugh than kill the children in front of him. "Well aren't you a cocky little kid." he said, shaking his head.
He still did not attack, or even gather his chakra. The Hatake was doing well at getting the enemy to underestimate the Genin, as planned. Though Obito supposed almost anyone would be underestimated if they acted like a loud, obnoxious idiot—
Wait a minute, Kakashi-baka is acting like me! Obito thought, and just as quickly realized he was counting himself among the idiot category.
Unable to growl or shout at his silver-haired teammate, the Uchiha opted to silently glower at his fellow Genin from his place in the foliage. If Kakashi felt the angry glare being directed at him, he did not show it.
"You don't look that tough." Rin said, voice slightly higher-pitched than normal, but still mocking. "I bet you aren't even a Jönin. If you are, Iwa's standards must be really low these days."
Kakashi nodded in silent agreement, pretending not to notice as the enemy ninja's face grew red with rage. "I think he's more of a half-rate ninja. You know, the kind that's stuck guarding the Village all of the—"
"Katon: Grand Fireball Jutsu!" the brown-haired shouted.
The two Genin dove out of the Katon's path, Obito's wide eyes following the fireball as it obliterated some trees. Okay, so this guy isn't just a strong Genjutsu specialist, the Uchiha thought nervously, forcing his gaze away from the charcoal that was once wood and back to his friends. Both were unharmed, idiot-acts vanishing as they held their weapons firmly in their hands. The Iwa ninja chuckled, not an ounce of humor in his expression.
"You know, you were kinda adorable in your arrogance, little Genin." he said coldly. "But then you decided to insult me and my village. Playtime's over, kiddies."
He rushed forward, too fast for many eyes to follow, but Obito was easily able to track his movements with his Sharingan. The Uchiha watched, nails biting into his palms, as the Jönin lunged at his teammates, the two Genin dodging his strikes and Jutsu with apparent ease. However, Obito could see the terror in Rin's eyes and the slight sweat on Kakashi's brow, and knew his teammates were barely evading the Jönin's attacks.
"He's slower than an old man!" Kakashi said casually to Rin, only the barely heard strain in his voice betraying his struggle to sound smug. "Do you think he is an old man and he uses Genjutsu to cover up his wrinkles?"
"That could be true." Rin said, wheezing slightly as she dodged a Katon. "He must be getting senile in his old age. After all, we were easily able to break free of his Genjutsu, and we're just 'little Genin'."
The Iwa ninja's expression grew taught with rage. "I'll show you how powerful my Genjutsu is!" His hands blurred into an array of signs, but Obito could see each one clearly, each symbol almost engraving itself into his memory. "Demonic Illusions: Living Nightmare."
Kakashi and Rin froze, expressions going blank as their arms fell limply to their sides. The Iwa ninja's smirk was back in place. "Stupid brats. Now you get to die." he hissed, hands rising to his lips.
"Hey!" Obito shouted, stepping out of cover.
The brown-haired man paused, staring at the new kid with contempt. "What is this? Attack of the—"
"Demonic Illusions: Living Nightmare!"
The Iwa nin froze, eyes glazing. Obito watched him warily for a moment, then punched the air in triumph. "Yes! First try!"
He glanced at his friends, hand raised for a high five, then almost slapped himself for not realizing they had not been released yet. He stepped towards Rin, shivering as he observed her unmoving frame, and winced as his eyes seemed to pulse. Obito grimaced, rubbing his eyes and deactivating his Sharingan.
I must have left them active for too long. Weird. I still have lots of chakra left. I'll have to ask Cousin Mikoto when I return to Konoha.
The Uchiha quickly woke Rin and Kakashi, and all three looked at the oblivious Iwa Jönin in their midst. It was the brown-haired girl of the group who voice the silent question they shared first.
"What should we do with him n—?"
Before she could finish, Kakashi unsheathed White Fang, and calmly slit the Jönin's throat. Rin muffled a shriek, and Obito gaped at the silver-haired boy in shock.
"K-Kakashi-baka? What did you just—"
"He was an enemy and we are at war." the Hatake said flatly.
"But we— But he was—" Rin's voice was barely above a whisper as she stared at the now-dead Jönin with round eyes.
"He was an enemy." Kakashi repeated. "We are ninja. We could not just let him go. Especially since he had such a powerful technique at his disposal." Black eyes flicked towards where the battle between Suna and Iwa was raging. "With his death, any ninja still under his illusion will be free now. Quick action was necessary to save lives."
The prodigy looked down at his blood-covered blade and twitched, fingers clenching so hard around the hilt they were white. Obito looked at his teammate— his friend— and wondered if the boy had ever killed before.
"Kakashi..."
"We should go back to the spot where Sensei left us." the silver-haired Genin said coolly, and left the clearing without another word.
Unable to think of anything to say, Rin and Obito followed.
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With the skill of an acrobat, Minato back-flipped, swerving out of the way of a gigantic claw of chakra. Fox-Kushina shrieked in rage, quickly growing frustrated in their game of cat and mouse, but the Yellow Flash was more hopeful than he had been when the battle first began. In a phase of recklessness and blind stupidity, the blonde-haired Jönin had tested the transformed Jinchuuriki, stopping at points to see if Fox-Kushina would strike him down given the chance.
Every time, every single time, the claws swiping towards him would slam into the ground next to him, or the charging Fox would skid on its heels in order to avoid hitting him like a bull. That only proved one thing in Minato's mind: Kushina was in there, and she was still fighting. The Jönin was almost calm as he faced the enraged Jinchuuriki, focused but filled with hope as he spoke rapidly to his friend.
"Hear my voice, Kushina. I'm here. I'm okay. Please, listen to me! Come back!"
Fox-Kushina roared, the sound less violent than before, but lunged at him. Minato did not move and the Jinchuuriki screeched to a halt right in front of him, swaying and moaning in confusion. The Yellow Flash hesitated, knowing that his sensei and teammates would be slapping him silly for his recklessness, but did not back away like he had been for the past half hour. Instead, he looked into unrecognizable black eyes, reached out, and gently touched the chakra-Fox's face. The chakra burned his skin and he hissed in pain, drawing from his reserves to heal his palm. As the green chakra coated his hand, the Fox flinched, fighting with itself. The Kyuubi wanted to get away from the energy it felt, but the human trapped inside leaned into the touch.
"Kushina." Minato whispered, unafraid of the demonic figure in front of him. "Come back."
Black eyes closed, and the Fox began to shrink. One by one, the tails faded as if they had never existed, harsh red chakra vanishing to reveal burnt pale skin. Like flames waving in the wind Kushina's fiery red hair appeared, falling limp towards the ground right before its owner.
Minato caught Kushina before she could fully collapse, falling to his knees with her held securely in his arms. Crimson eyes fluttered closed, then opened, revealing familiar violet orbs. The Kunoichi blinked slowly, eyes focusing on the figure holding her, and she spoke in a raspy, tired voice.
"Minato...?"
"I'm here." he told her, smiling gently.
Her eyes shut, then opened again, filled with tears. "You died. I saw you die."
"It wasn't real." the Yellow Flash told her. "It was a Genjutsu."
She did not seem to hear him. A steadily-healing hand reached up, cupping his cheek. "You died because of me. You'd been stabbed but I ripped the kunai out like an idiot and you bled to death in my arms. It was all my fault." Her voice cracked even as her hand continued to smooth small circled on his cheek.
Minato let her touch him, let her feel the warmth of life within him and the steady pulse of a heartbeat beneath his skin. She needed to see he was real, that he was not dead, that what had happened was never her fault.
"It was not real, Kushina. Don't hold onto this. You're fine, I'm fine. You did not even hurt anyone when—"
"Do you know what the worst part was?" the red-haired girl asked, faintly, still oblivious to all he was saying. "I was so upset— so angry at myself— that I let the Kyuubi out. I let him take over, and it didn't matter who he hurt. It didn't matter, because the man I loved was gone."
An odd feeling settled in Minato's stomach, and he stared at his best friend wordlessly. When he finally found his voice, it came out quiet and strange. "K-Kushina...?"
The Kunoichi sat up, taking his face in both hands, and kissed him on the lips. The blonde-haired Jönin froze for a second before closing his eyes, leaning into the kiss. It tasted like strawberries from her chap-stick and salt from her tears. Minato did not care, however, lost in the sense of calm and pure rightness of the moment.
They stayed like that for a long moment before the blonde-haired Jönin pulled away.
"I have to get back to my team," he said softly. Then he smiled. "Rain check for Ichiraku's when you get back?"
"Yeah." Kushina said with a grin.
They held hands for a moment, fingers laced together as one, and then he was gone.
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The trip back to Konoha was thankfully uneventful. It was a good thing too, considering a stampeding herd of cows could have snuck up on Minato right then. He was lost in a whirlwind of emotions, confusion and happiness being the most prominent of the bunch. He was proud of his team for defeating a Jönin, worried about how Kakashi was handling his first kill, concerned about whether Kushina would get into trouble for losing control, and oddly happy and confused about his feeling for the Uzumaki.
Kushina was his best friend alongside Hizashi, always had been, but now that Minato thought about it, her crush on him had been embarrassingly obvious. How had he not noticed her shy smiles and subtle hints? Kushina was never shy or subtle. Maybe that was why he missed it? Even more confusing was his own feelings for his friend. He loved her, always had, but when had friend-love become love-love? For what else could the warm feeling Minato felt within his chest be other than that kind of love? The Yellow Flash felt a moment of panic when he realized he had not said 'I love you' back to Kushina, but quickly squashed his worry. He would tell her when they went on their date after her return. The 'rain check' at Ichiraku's was a date, right?
No wonder I've never dated before, Minato thought. This is all so confusing.
"Minato-Sensei?" Rin's soft voice penetrated the haze surrounding the Jönin and he focused, smiling at the girl.
"Yes, Rin?"
"You said that there was something you wanted to teach us on the way back from the mission, remember?" the Kunoichi reminded him hesitantly.
Memory was quick to return, and the Jönin resisted the urge to grimace. I was going to teach them something else, but after today... I don't think I have a choice."Thank you, Rin." She blushed. The blonde-haired Jönin reached into one of his many pockets, taking out three pieces of paper. Kakashi's distant eyes grew alert, brightening with interest.
"You already think they are ready for that, Sensei?" he asked, most of his surprised expression hidden by his mask.
Obito's head turned from Kakashi to his sensei and back again, a question mark practically visible over his head. "What are you talking about? What are we ready for?"
Rather than string the excitable Uchiha along, Minato got straight to the point. "I believe that you're ready to learn your Elemental affinities."
Predictably, Obito whooped, leaping into the air with a large grin on his face. Rin bit her lip, opening her mouth, but Minato held up a hand before she could comment. "Let me rephrase that. You are ready to learn what your Elemental affinities are, not most of the techniques that come with them. A few of the Elemental Jutsu are D-Ranked, and you will learn those, but most others are still outside of your capabilities."
Obito drooped slightly but Rin just looked relieved.
"Why are you testing us now if we can't learn as much, Sensei?" she questioned.
Minato met each of their gazes with his own, blue eyes dark and grave. "On this mission, we ended up in a war zone. It should not have happened. I should not have left you. If Obito had not activated his Sharingan, you three would have died. Because of the war, Jönin Sensei have been teaching Genin Elemental Jutsu earlier than they normally would so they might defend themselves. However, most of these Genin do not have the reserves to perform most of the techniques, and can easily die from chakra exhaustion. That being said, I did not want to reveal your Elemental affinities to you until your reserves were larger... but now I feel that I have no choice. You need to be stronger, so what happened today will never happen again."
You do not have the luxury of learning at a nice pace as it is done in peace time. You need to learn fast, and grow strong quickly in order to survive, not only outside of Konoha... but inside it too. I could have lost you because I was too wary of teaching you too much too quickly. What a foolish notion that was. I realize that now.
Minato held out the papers to Rin and Obito, and watched in silence at they each took one. The two Genin concentrated on the papers in their hands, blue chakra gathering around the white sheets. Obito's paper burned to ash. Most of Rin's crumbled, a small corner becoming wet.
"Excellent!" Minato said, managing to smile. "Obito, your affiliation is Fire. Rin, yours is Earth, with a secondary affiliation to Water."
"You got two affinities? Cool!" Obito crowed.
Rin turned a new shade of pink and fiddled with her hitai-ate nervously.
"Now that you know, we will focus on increasing your arsenal of Elemental techniques." Minato told them, lifting his gaze to see Konoha coming into view. The sight that once brought happiness to his heart only made him grimace now. "We'll begin training tomorrow."
At his side, Obito grew quiet, watching the guards at the gate with nervous eyes. Rin and Kakashi shifted position slightly, flanking their teammate. Minato closed his eyes before clearing his expression, observing his surrounding with a detached gaze.
This is why you three need to learn so quickly. Konoha has become as dangerous as enemy territory to us.
It hurt to think that a village that had once been united had been divided into 'us' and 'them'. Even worse, however, was that Minato was beginning to accept it. Yet here he was, going to report to the leader of 'them' like nothing was wrong.
The Jönin could not help but wonder how long it would be until his village collapsed.
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Kakashi waited outside his apartment building, looking around in annoyance. After giving his report alongside his teammates, the Genin had returned home to find a representative from the orphanage who ran the apartments in which he lived. Unsympathetic towards the tired, crabby, distraught Genin in front of her, the woman had bluntly told him that he would be getting a neighbor, who would be arriving at the seven o'clock. Some ignorant bigot had decided Kakashi would be the one to show the new guy around, tell him the rules, and answer any questions he might have.
Kakashi wanted to pull his hair out. Out of all the shinobi in the building, he had to be the one stuck with this job? The silver-haired boy could not even bear to call this a mission. Shinobi had not given him this mission, a civilian had. Ones that he did not have an ounce of respect for to boot. The Genin did not want to show some random teenaged ninja around, one who would probably question why a 'little kid' like him was living by himself or scowl because his guide was the traitor's son.
The Genin flinched slightly, hands clenching as he recalled his father's 'dishonorable' demise once more. Kakashi had not yet given himself time to process what he had seen and thought during the Nightmare Genjutsu, refused to give himself time to think about the man he had killed.
The stoic boy looked at his fingers, cursing them for trembling, and jumped a foot when the door to the apartment building opened. He clenched his teeth and schooled his expression before looking up, a bored greeting on his lips... only to freeze, mouth open with shock.
"Hey Kakashi." his seventeen year-old Sensei said with a small, sad grin. "It looks like we're neighbors."
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A/N: Again, sorry for the way-too-long wait. After receiving some awesome reviews and re-reading The Flash, I realized that I wanted to finish writing this story. My problem was that I had blank spots between where I am now in the story and where I want to be, and I didn't have the motivation to fill in those spots leading up to... well, you'll see soon. Hopefully my motivation stays with me this time.
Also, sorry if this chapter and the fights were a bit lackluster. I was at the point where I just wanted to get past this mission and move on. I was stuck here for so long that I finally gave up on writing an epic chapter and instead wrote one that was a weird mix of filler-plot. Stuff in it had to happen, but I also felt like I was adding in useless stuff. Its pretty much a mash-up of scenes I want to get out of the way in order to move on. Ugh. I also may have unintentionally made that Iwa ninja a little bit like a cartoon villain, but whatever. He served his purpose. :P I just wanted to get this chapter over with! Next chapter things will start moving along again. (Finally)
Finally, don't expect too much romance, if there is any more. I have discovered that I can't write romance to save my life, and I'm not going to try to (yet).
The next chapter is mostly complete, so it should not be nearly as long of a wait this time.
Please review! Let me know you are still interested in this story!