AN: Lady and the Tramp is owned by Walt Disney Productions. I don't intend to make any money off the reference.
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While the Hokage and the Chief of Police were struggling, Kakashi was trying to find words for Dr. Yamanako. He left the doctor's office with a pile of paperwork for himself and Akihiro.
"How did it go?" Akihiro asked.
Kakashi began to sort through the papers. "He asked me a lot of questions, and then we talked about medication and therapy. It took three hours to get all that done. I don't like this. It makes me feel like I'm sick"
"A lot of ninjas have the same problem," Akihiro said. "You aren't' alone."
"We talked about that," Kakashi said. "He said there is some evidence that the First Hokage had some problems himself. Some people think that's what spurred him to build Konoha. He wanted to build a safer place for the children so they didn't see the dead. It was something I've heard that he said before, but I never gave it much thought. It does sound like he had hallucinations too."
"I spoke with the Hokage," Akihiro said. "He's going to deal with the police. I know these things must be heavy on your mind, but try to focus on your work and getting your personal life back in order."
"That's not so easy," Kakashi said.
"I checked with the mission director," Akihiro said. "Your Sensei and Uncle will be back from their mission in about a week or so. I know you're close to them."
"I don't know how I'm going to face Sensei after what happened."
"You'll find a way. Don't let the people you love drift away from you. You need them all, especially now."
"I think my teammate already drifted away from me," Kakashi said. "Or ex-teammate – I guess. I haven't seen Rin around town. I was going to go to the Hokage's office and talk to her mother. She's his assistant."
"Were you and Rin close?" Akihiro asked.
"No. She had a crush on me, but I didn't like her much. She just seemed like a nuisance. I promised Obito I'd protect her, but right after he died she asked Sensei to split us up. She thinks it's her fault he died."
"Are you sure the girl wants you to find her?" Akihiro asked.
"Not really, but I owe Obito. He really loved Rin."
"Do what you feel is honorable, but you need to know that sometimes these sort of things push people apart permanently. She might have painful memories when she sees you."
"It's hard to know what's honorable," Kakashi said. "Sometimes it seems like trying to fix one thing just breaks another."
"True – very true. Don't let it stop you from trying. I do have some better news. You could use a pick-me-up right now. I spoke with your father earlier," Akihiro said.
"Did you? How is he doing?" Kakashi asked eagerly.
"He's fine. He was helping some poor people last night and no one knew where to find him." He handed Kakashi a piece of paper with Sakumo's address. "This is where he's living now. He has the idea that you don't need him, but I cleared that nonsense out of his head. He'll be coming over to visit. I told him to wear the same henge that he did when he came over after you were taken."
"Thank you," Kakashi said, "but is this ok? I don't want to cause your family pain."
Akihiro pinched the bridge of his nose. "Kakashi, you are beginning to make me a bit angry right now. You and your father share a common trait that drives me nuts, and I already had words with him about this today. It's good that you put other people ahead of yourself. You're a ninja, and that's an admirable trait when it's for the good of the village. You both seem to assume you have fewer rights than others at times."
"What?"
"Your father grovels now. I hate seeing it, even in him. You don't seem to think you deserve any help or attention. You've helped enough people. I heard about you on the battlefield. They said you pushed your body to the limits trying to protect other people and take on the most missions. It's ok to have needs, Kakashi."
"I'm used to being the protector," Kakashi said. "I don't know how to need other people."
"That's something we all need to learn," Akihiro said. "I remember when I was younger and I had to leave on missions I would worry about Mother terribly. I had to entrust her to other people, and it was my job to care for her. I finally had to learn that other people had the right and duty to help her too. Other people have the right to care for you."
"So yes," Akihiro said. "This will cause me pain, but I accept that. It usually isn't easy to know what's honorable, but in this case it's clear, and I'll be dammed if I let you go without a father when it's in my power to bring him to you."
"Thank you," Kakashi said. "I don't know how I can ever repay you for all you've done for me."
"There is no debt between family – at least not in my house. It's funny, but when you came here I just wanted you to be something that Mother needed. You've become much more to all of us. You're as much a Morino as any of the rest of us."
"I'll try to be worthy of that," Kakashi said.
Akihiro suddenly grinned, with that same look that Kakashi still occasionally saw on Ibiki's face. He leaned forward and pulled Kakashi's headband off with one hand, tousling his hair roughly with the other. There was a mirror behind him, and Kakashi had a quick glance at himself before he tried to put his hair back in order. He looked like a shaggy silver dog.
"You're always so serious," Akihiro said. "You're already worthy. We can't let ourselves get pulled down by all this, can we?"
He handed Kakashi his headband back, and while Kakashi tried to wrangle his hair Akihiro moved to the kitchen. Kakashi stood to help him, but Akihiro waved him away. "I can stand just fine," he said. "It's sitting that's difficult. I have a surprise for you."
He brought back a piece of paper. "Anko and your friend Gai came by earlier. She left you something. I thought this might cheer you up."
Dear Kakashi,
Asuma found me and Gai and told us what happened. Don't worry about it getting out though. He just told us and Kurenai, and we're not telling anyone else. Remember what we said in the hospital that day? We still mean it. We're all bound together.
I'll come by later. In case you need to find me I'll be training in field five until noon, and then I'm going to get some lunch. I have a few meetings after that, but I'll be home by eight. If you aren't around by nine I'll come to your place.
XXXOOO
Anko.
(P.S.) Gai made me write Yosh! here, because he's Gai. Sorry about that.
"She…she left me a schedule," Kakashi said.
"Is that good?" Akihiro asked.
"Anko doesn't do schedules," Kakashi said. "I can't find her at all some days."
"She must really care about you then," Akihiro said.
"She does," Kakashi said. "I never know which mood I'm getting, but I like when she's like this."
"Your other friend is…interesting," Akihiro said.
"Oh, Gai? Yeah. He's weird, but he's a good friend."
"What does this mean?" Akihiro asked, holding his arm out and his thumb up.
"Gai does that. I guess it means that everything's going to be ok. Either that or that he's about to do something dumb and awesome."
"Let's hope he meant the first," Akihiro said, "because he told me to make sure you knew he felt that way."
"That's just Gai," Kakashi said.
Kakashi pulled out a bottle of pills and put them on the table. "I'm supposed to start taking these tonight, but I think I'll wait until after I deal with the police. I don't know what jutsus they might use on me, and I don't want to be physically distracted. The side effects can be bad."
"It's probably a good idea," Akihiro said. "Have you had any more problems?"
"No," Kakashi said. "Dr. Yamanaka said until we learn more about my triggers we just have to be careful and observant."
"Let me know if you smell blood again," Akihiro said.
Akihiro pulled the chair out. "Alright boy. Now you can help me."
Kakashi helped him into the seat. "Are you ok? You seem worn out today."
"I had to fight a little ninja last night. Do you have any idea how long it's been since I've done anything like that?"
"I'm sorry, sir."
"It's not your fault. I'm just tired. This old body doesn't like what I did last night, but it's good to know I can still fight if I have to."
A Genin arrived with a summons for Kakashi. "You're needed at the Hokage's office," she said.
"I have to go," Kakashi told Akihiro after the Genin left. "I'm glad we talked."
"Me too kid," Akihiro said. "Try to be home about six if you can. Your father should be here then."
Kakashi thought life might be getting a little better. Anko was in a good mood, which was important, and his friends and family were with him. If he could just get a couple more things in line he would feel all right again.
No you won't, he thought. Don't lie to yourself.
Kakashi decided to be happy for at least a while. He thought about the people who cared for him, and when his eye began to ache a bit he focused on the reason Obito gave him the eye, not on his death.
Rin's mother was staffing the Hokage's receptionist desk, and she smiled when she saw him.
I'm glad she's not mad at me, Kakashi thought. Rin's mother might share her name, but they didn't have much else in common, and she didn't have Rin's warm nature.
"The Hokage is busy right now," she said. "Can we talk a bit?"
"Yes ma'am," Kakashi said.
"Did you talk to Rin before she left the village?" her mother asked.
"I didn't know she had left," Kakashi said. "I wondered why I hadn't seen her. I thought about coming to your house, but she didn't want to talk to me the last time I was with her. Obito's death hit us both hard."
"I know," she said. "She didn't want to talk to any of her friends when she came back. The police questioned her, and she came home and packed her things. She just told me that there was a long-term medical mission leaving in an hour, and that she wouldn't be back for a long time – if ever. She wouldn't say why. She didn't even tell me where she was going."
"I don't know anything," Kakashi said. "I wish I did."
"Let me know if she contacts you," Rin's mother said.
"I will," Kakashi said. "I don't think she'll keep in touch with me. I'm sorry."
The intercom sounded. "I can take another appointment," the Hokage said.
"Go on in," the receptionist said.
The Hokage leaned back in his chair and put his hands behind his neck. He stretched, and Kakashi heard a distinct "pop".
"I'm too old to be sitting here doing so much paperwork," he said. "I guess we might be called the Leaf because of how many trees we kill for paper."
Kakashi forced himself to chuckle politely at the humorless joke.
"I spoke with the Chief of Police earlier," Sarutobi said. "You know that they want to interrogate you?"
"I know," Kakashi said. "I'm ready to get this over with. I have enough things to do without worrying about the police."
"I told him not to proceed without orders, but he's barely under my control," the Hokage said. "I have an inside source who informed me that you're the talk of their clan right now. The Uchihas say they want justice, but I bet a few of them just want you dead. My source says that they plan on taking your eye by force if you're found guilty. I'm afraid the Chief of Police has a personal grudge."
"Surely he isn't like that," Kakashi said.
"He's one of those people who think that because he has justice at heart he has the right to dispense it. I'm going to be at your interrogation myself. I want to do this soon, before the police act on their own. Be ready tomorrow morning. I'll contact you with an exact time after I speak with the Chief of Police."
The Hokage asked him about his time with Dr. Yamanako. "Once I start taking the medicine I can't take missions outside the village until we know how it will affect me," Kakashi said. "I'll be ready for missions as soon as I can be."
"I know you will," the Hokage said. "Be wise when you try to recover. You push yourself to the point of breaking, and I think that would be especially bad right now. We're not at war, and the village isn't in danger. We need you for the long-run, so focus on getting well."
When the Hokage released him Kakashi wanted to find something to distract himself. According to Anko's letter she would probably be in meetings about now, and Gai would be training with his team for the rest of the day. Kakashi had never known any ninja to train as much as Gai.
He didn't know how to feel about Rin. She was his responsibility, but now she'd taken herself away from him. I'm sorry Obito, he thought. She doesn't want me to protect her.
He decided to get lunch, and he found Asuma and Kurenai eating ramen together. Kakashi stood back, watching them be silly together. Asuma took the end of a noodle that Kurenai was trying to eat and put the end in his mouth. They slurped the noodle until their mouths met. Kurenai giggled.*
I wonder if Anko and I will ever be like that. Kakashi thought. He didn't think so, and he didn't really want Anko to be cute. He liked Kurenai, but he always wanted Anko to be wild and free.
He sat by Asuma and ordered a bowl of pork ramen. "What's up, lovebirds?" he asked.
Kurenai leapt off her stool and hugged him from behind, almost knocking him off the stool. "I'm glad to see you," she said.
Asuma rolled his eyes. "Where have you been, Baka? You're not easy to find sometimes."
"I just had a lot to do today."
"You always have a lot to do," Kurenai said.
Kakashi shrugged. "I'm a Jounin. "I'm in charge of organizing missions sometimes, and you wouldn't believe the paperwork that goes with the job. It's insane."
He didn't tell them about the police. There wasn't any reason to worry them.
"Did Anko and Gai find you?" Asuma asked.
"They left me a note at home," Kakashi said.
The ramen came, and Kakashi turned his attention to his food. If living at the Morinos had taught him something, it was that good food deserved respect.
When they were finished Kurenai whispered, "come outside. We have something to show you."
They went around to the back of the building. "Why all the secrecy?" Kakashi asked.
"If my Dad finds out, he'll kill me," Kurenai said. "See this?" she said, pointing to a simple gold chain around her neck. She pulled the chain, and it slid out from under her shirt. A small gold ring hung from it.
"I have one too," Asuma said, touching a chain that ran under his own shirt. He held Kurenai's hand. "We're engaged."
"Can you do that?" Kakashi asked.
"If we don't tell anyone," Asuma said. "When we get old enough we're going to get married."
Kurenai giggled.
"You're eight!" Kakashi said. "There's no way you can keep this a secret for ten years."
"It will be fun to try," Kurenai said, and she blushed brightly.
Kakashi wished them well, even though he wasn't really sure what they were doing. It didn't make sense to plan something ten years away.
He could see them ending up like Akihiro and Mother someday.
What will Anko and I be like? He wondered. Not like that – that was for sure. He couldn't picture Anko at home cooking for him, and there was no way she'd ever be cuddly in public. That mental picture of Anko as a wolf among dogs formed in his head again.
I like her better as a wolf anyway, he thought. Anko should never be tamed.
His day was looking better. I get to see Dad, and I know when Anko will be home today. This is going to be a good day.
