Chapter 37

Ibiki woke early – about six. He usually woke with the sun, but he knew his father would be awake and having an early breakfast. It was the one time he knew he could have his father to himself. Kakashi and Mother were usually awake.

"You want some coffee?" Akihiro asked.

Ibiki shook his head. He never drank coffee, but for some reason his father always asked.

"I thought you might want to talk this morning," Akihiro said. "How are you handling all this?"

"It's weird," Ibiki said. "Kakashi was always one of the strongest ninjas I knew. He's like a child now."

"He is a child, son. You are one too. I think you kids forget that."

"But we're not kids," Ibiki said. "Kids don't kill people. I'm not sure what they do exactly, but I know they're not Jounins and torture victims."

His father cringed as he looked at Ibiki's uncovered head.

"Yeah, I can say it now," Ibiki said. "I have to get better so I can do all my duties. If I don't learn to face it I'll never move forward."

"You seem to be doing fine," Akihiro said. "I haven't seen your friend that you call The Interrogator around much. Where has he been?"

"I haven't needed him," Ibiki said. "He tries to let me stay out as much as he can. He was around for Kakashi in the hospital. His chakra is really strong, and he thought that Kakashi could feel him."

"From what Kakashi said later he did feel his chakra," Akihiro said.

"I'm glad," Ibiki said. "He probably wouldn't admit it, but Kakashi is important to him too."

"What are Mother and I to The Interrogator?" Akihiro asked.

"Comrades, I guess. He's never really said anything about you."

Akihiro thought he might be able to finally ask a question he'd been avoiding until he thought Ibiki could handle the conversation.

"Where do you go when you leave us?" he asked.

Suddenly The Interrogator was present. "Don't ask him that – ever," he said.

"He's my son," Akihiro said. "I respect what you're doing for him, but I am the authority here."

They locked eyes, and Akihiro wondered how he'd deal with this if The Interrogator really wanted to quarrel with him. He had an intimidating presence.

"Very well," The Interrogator said. "But asking him that causes him pain. I can answer; he can't."

"Why is that?" Akihiro asked.

"Because he's fragile. I think he always will be."

"Where does he go then?" Akihiro asked.

"Why is it important for you to know?" The Interrogator asked. "There is a reason he doesn't tell anyone where he hides."

"And that is?"

"He needs somewhere to hide that's just his own. That's why I'm here, because you threatened that."

"Will it hurt him for me to know?" Akihiro asked.

"No, but he thinks it will. He's not well. Sometimes he crawls into a dark place and just curls into a ball. He hasn't done that much lately. I don't know why it bothers him so much to be asked; it just does."

"I never thanked you for taking care of him," Akihiro said.

"There's no need," The Interrogator said. "Helping and protecting my comrades is what I was created for."

"And what about you?" Akihiro asked. "What do you want out of life? It has to be more than just to protect one young boy."

"Wouldn't that be enough?" The Interrogator asked.

"I'm going to do things Ibiki never could now," The Interrogator said. "I don't know what he could have been, but he'll never be much more than adequate without me."

"You could be underestimating him," Akihiro said.

"Perhaps. You don't see him when he's hiding though. The way Kakashi was last night is comparable. He doesn't seem to remember it when he's awake."

"So there are times when you're here and he doesn't know what's happening?" Akihiro asked.

"Yes, and there are times he does know. I don't really think either of us are completely in control of that situation."

"You didn't answer my question," Akihiro said. "What is it you're trying to do, besides look after Ibiki?"

"What I saw out there showed me how strong the mind is, and how weak," the Interrogator said. "I'm in a unique position to help the village. I can turn Ibiki's pain into Konoha's strength."

"The Uchihas won't let you rise very far in the police ranks," Akihiro said.

"I won't give them much of a choice. Even they have to recognize talent and determination, and I'll be the best."

"How do you know you'll be the best?" Akihiro asked.

"Because that's what I was created for."

The Interrogator poured himself a cup of coffee and took a long drink. "I think Ibiki is ready to come back," he said. "You just frightened him."

"I'll remember not to do that again," Akihiro said. He saw when his son returned. There was a certain softening of the face and a more child-like look.

Ibiki looked at the coffee with distaste and put it on the table. He smacked his lips and ran his tongue across them. "I hate coffee," he said.

"Apparently your friend likes it. I'm sorry if I bothered you."

"It's ok Dad. Let's talk about something else though."

"Fair enough," his father said.

Mother came into the room, her eyes still misty with sleep.

"Good morning," Akihiro said. He knew this was the end of his time with Ibiki for the day. With Kakashi requiring so much attention he had learned to balance his time so that both boys could have access to him, but Ibiki was only really talkative with him in the morning.

"Mmmph," she muttered.

Akihiro couldn't help but smile. After all these years she's still adorable in the morning, he thought. He remembered what she had looked like – all those years ago – when he rescued her during his mission. Her face had changed, and her body had sagged, but all he saw when he looked at her was the one who had shared his life for so long.

"What are you looking at?" she asked.

"Just you," Akihiro said. "You're most beautiful in the morning."

"Oh hush," she said, but she smiled and brushed a bit of hair behind her ear. "What are you after?"

"Nothing," Akihiro said. "Well, maybe something later."

She giggled.

"You two are weird," Ibiki said.

"You'll understand when you get older," Akihiro said. He kissed his wife.

"Gross," Ibiki said. He went back to his bedroom.

Kakashi was awake and sitting up in bed, rubbing his eyes. "Sorry about last night," he said.

"Don't worry about it," Ibiki said. "You've seen me at my worst. It's only fair."

Kakashi got some cereal and began to eat, trying to avoid Akihiro and Mother's eyes.

"Oh, sweetie, your face is swollen." She went to the kitchen and came back with some old teabags. "I keep these in the fridge," she said. She put one under each eye. "Hold them there, and they'll take down the swelling."

"How did you know about that?" Kakashi asked.

"I try to reuse everything," she said. "Teabags are good for all kinds of things. They deodorize the fridge, feed roses. I've been taking care of my family for a long time. If I didn't learn a few useful things in my life it would be surprising."

Kakashi held the bags under his eyes. Akihiro read the paper while Mother cleaned up the breakfast dishes.

"Is that better?" she asked after a while.

"It's better," Kakashi said. "Last night won't happen again."

Mother kissed his forehead. "Sometimes kids just need a good cry. Why don't you take the day off and go play with your friends?"

"Play?" he asked.

"You know," she said, "do things boys your age do."

"I'm training with Gai later," Kakashi said. "We've been working on my tai-jutsu, and I'm going to help him with some gen-jutsus. We think we could both be better."

"That's not what I meant," she said. "You little ninjas never just let yourself go. Be a child today."

Kakashi saw that Akihiro was watching them talk over the paper.

"It's not a bad idea," he said. "Go do something relaxing today."

"I'll try," Kakashi said.

Kakashi wandered, just looking around for kids playing. I'm not sure what I'm supposed to be doing, he thought.

There was a playground near the academy, and he stopped and watched the kids over the fence. A group of civilian children caught his attention. There were four of them in a sandbox, and he watched as they talked, shoveled sand, and built a small building out of sand.

He could hear them from the fence. "It's a castle," a blonde girl said. He guessed she was about 5 or so.

"No, it's the Hokage tower," a dark-haired boy said.

A red-headed child stood and kicked the building down. "Now it's nothing," he said.

The girl squealed and hit the ginger kid in the shoulder. He began to cry, and an adult came over and soothed him.

Is that what Mother was talking about? Kakashi wondered. She can't really mean for me to do things like that.

The kids started a game that involved them chasing each other. There seemed to be some rules to it, but Kakashi couldn't tell what they were. It looked like they were just being stupid.

I'm not doing that kind of stuff, he thought.

He walked away, thinking. I could be training, or reading, or any amount of useful things.

He didn't want to let Mother down, but he really had no idea what he was supposed to do.

I haven't really been alone in ages, he thought. Even when Ibiki had been gone either Mother or Akihiro was there. His father had to leave him alone for long periods of time, and he was accustomed to it. It was hard to really think as clearly as he could when he was alone, and he had a lot to think about.

The problem with finding a place to hide was that Konoha clans were territorial. He couldn't go anywhere near the Uchiha compound, and the Hyuugas were so paranoid about anyone discovering their secrets he wouldn't want to hide near them. If he went near the Inuzuka compound the dogs went nuts. They loved him, but he couldn't really go unnoticed with the ninja dogs clamoring for him to pay attention to him. Ninjas weren't supposed to be in the civilian living areas unless they had a reason to be there. That cut out a good three quarters of the city for him.

He pulled the headband up and used his Sharingan to look at places that might be good for hiding. There were a few buildings that looked abandoned, but he could see the shadowy outline of chakra inside. He couldn't make out any details, but the human-shaped blue light showed him that the buildings were occupied.

He needed to find somewhere other ninjas wouldn't want to be, and somewhere civilians didn't really need much.

He was walking past an apartment in one of the poorer neighborhoods approved for ninja habitation when he saw an open washroom. That could work, he thought. He would probably only see a few people at the most, and he could just pretend to be washing laundry.

It was shabby, with a cracked window and a dirty floor. There was about three feet between one of the washers and the wall, and he settled into the space. If he leaned against the wall, it was actually comfortable.

He tried to prioritize his problems. That had always helped in the past. The most important people that I need to take care of are the Morinos. My father has his own life now, and they need me. I have to get this medication and Sharingan thing taken care of. That's second. Anko needs me to be her boyfriend – whatever that means; I'm still not sure. I guess after that would be training.

I can't do anything about the Uchihas except train.

Someone came in and put some laundry in a machine, but Kakashi wasn't found. He heard the knob turn and the washer begin to work. It thumped and hummed, and he welcomed the noise.

He didn't hear anyone else come in, but suddenly CAT was there, squeezing into the space opposite him.

"I usually come here when I want to think, too," he said.

"I'm sorry," Kakashi said. "I'll leave."

"No, you can stay. I like talking to you anyway."

Kakashi couldn't remember ever really talking to CAT much, but he'd always thought he was a nice guy.

"This village is so busy," Kakashi said. "It's like there are people everywhere."

"There are," CAT said. "We're the largest ninja village in the elemental nations."

"Sometimes I wish we were smaller," Kakashi said.

"Yeah, but I wouldn't live anywhere else for anything."

"Me neither," Kakashi said.

They sat quietly chatting, enjoying each other's company as they chatted.

"You don't know who I am, do you?" CAT asked.

"What, you mean when you aren't on duty? I don't' think so."

CAT pulled off the mask. "Do you recognize me now?"

"Yeah," Kakashi said. "You were out there on that hill that looked like a pagoda. Nasty mess. Did the leg heal ok? The last time I saw you it was really banged up."

"It's fine, thanks to you," CAT said. "If you hadn't held off those five Iwa Nins I'd be dead. Three of us would have died."

"I remember," Kakashi said. "That was one hell of a fight."

"Anyway, I wanted to say thank you since then, but we don't really talk much."

"You're welcome. You're my comrade; it was my job."

CAT smiled. "You know, that's why I like you. Saving peoples' lives is just part of the job for you."

Kakashi shrugged. "That's why I'm a Jounin."

CAT put the mask back on. "I have to get back to work, but it was nice to talk with you."

Kakashi sat for awhile after he left, and when it began to grow dark he went home.

Ibiki wasn't there yet.

"How did it go?" Mother asked.

"I took the day off," Kakashi said.

"Did you play with other children?"

"I couldn't figure out how," Kakashi said.

Mother put a slate on the table. "I was afraid that might happen." She handed Kakashi a box filled with different colors of chalk.

"Ibiki used to have problems with his numbers when he was little, so I used this to help him when he got home."

"What's it for?" Kakashi asked.

"Draw a picture," she said, "something silly."

"Why?" Kakashi asked.

"Because it's fun. Just do it because it's fun to do."

He rolled a piece of light blue chalk in his hand. "What do you want me to draw?"

"Anything you want – just not something military."

He drew Pakkun, but it was badly done. "Let me do it again," he said. "It's not right."

He reached for the eraser, but Mother put her hand over his. "It doesn't have to be right," she said. "That's the point."

"Why would I want to do something and not do it right?" Kakashi asked.

"I'll try," she said. She drew a simple flower and put a smiling face in the middle. "See, it's silly, but I like it because we're having fun together."

He took the green chalk and drew Gai. It wasn't good, but he tried not to care. "Is this right?" he asked.

"It's lovely," Mother said.

They drew together, and she finally saw Kakashi unwind a little. When Ibiki came home he hid the chalk and board quickly.

"I'll keep it for another time," Mother whispered, winking at him.

She went to her room, and when she came out again she had dressed to go out. "Where are you going?" Ibiki asked.

"I need to have a chat with the Hokage," she said. They'd seen that look before. She was determined, and that meant that something was about to happen.

Mother went to the Hokage tower. "I'd like to see the Hokage," she said.

"Do you have an appointment?" the receptionist asked.

Mother didn't like the woman. She was cold and severe. "I don't need an appointment."

"Who are you then?" the receptionist asked.

"A mother who wants to have a word with him about how our children are being raised in this town."

The receptionist looked back to her book. "I can set you up for next Thursday at 3:15 PM."

Mother slammed her hands on the desk. "You'll tell him I want to see him now, young lady, or there will be hell to pay."

Rin was used to dealing with angry ninjas, and she wasn't intimidated.

"What's the problem out here?" the Hokage asked.

"Nothing, Hokage-sama," Rin said. "This woman is setting up an appointment for next week. I was about to explain to her how busy you are."

"You look familiar," Sandaime said. "Do I know you?"

"You know my husband, Morino Akihiro," she said, "but that's not why I'm here. I'm a Konoha mother with some things I want to talk to you about."

"I'm sorry, Hokage-sama," Rin said. "I'll take care of this." She stood and took Mother's elbow.

"No, Rin," the Hokage said. "Come in ma'am," he said. "I have time for the mothers of Konoha. Tell me what's on your mind."

"That will come to no good," Rin muttered to herself as they entered the office.

He showed Mother to a chair. "Would you like some tea?"

"No thank you," she said.

"What's on your mind then?" he asked.

"I had to teach a seven year old boy how to play today," she said. "He had no idea what the word even meant. He's been sick and hurting because this village used him like an adult. I want to know what you're going to do about how our children are being raised here."

"What child are you talking about specifically?" the Hokage asked.

"Hatake Kakashi," she said. "Do you know the poor boy was confused when I told him that sometimes children just did things that were silly? He has no idea what it means to be a child."

"It's something that's crossed my mind," he said. "Now that the war is over we're reopening the academy."

"And what about the ones that are ruined?" she asked.

"They aren't ruined," the Hokage said.

"You don't know what's it like." she said. "I look at two of Konoha's children who will never be whole because they were used like tools before they were even old enough to serve in the ninja corps. Kakashi can't even cope with normal life now, and Ibiki is…I don't know what he is."

"I knew he had problems," the Hokage said. "I understood he was getting help for them."

"He is," she said. "I just wanted you to know what's happening in our village."

"I appreciate you coming by," the Hokage said. "I'd like to come visit the boys if you don't mind."

"I would like that," she said, "but I'd also like to know how we're going to help the others who were in this position."

"I'll look into it," the Hokage said.

He showed Mother out gently. When he turned to Rin he allowed himself to show the anger he was feeling. "You will never treat another Konoha citizen who wants to see me like that again."

"Yes, Hokage-sama," Rin said, her cheeks burning.

"I want you to make a list of all the ninjas who were in battle that were under the ages of 16. Mrs. Morino has brought a real problem to my attention."