AN: There was a chapter missing! I want to thank Frosyphus who brought it to my attention. I don't know how it happened or why. Maybe it happened when I was editing this fic with my beta. However the chapter in particular is very, very important for the develiopment of Sasuke and Naruto relationship so I would recomend to everything to go and read it if you haven't in the past. I have uploaded it as CHAPTER 5. It's 10,000 words and I hope you enjoy it.
I want to give credit to the wonderful people who put time and effort to improve the quality of this chapter. Ashe Dragon, like always, you were so incredibly quick with your edits. It means a lot. You pointed out my most frequent mistakes and I feel I know where to look for next time. Thank you for your help, my friend! And Jjpdn, who is super patient and had fantastic ideas to improve/clarify many messy scenes, plus a wicked sense of humor. I had a lot of fun reading your comments and suggestions. You are awesome!
BEFORE THE CHAPTER!
I am going to make a quick recollection of events to make things easier if you have forgotten something. Naruto and Sasuke come from the past during the battle in the bridge (Zabuza arch). They go back to Konoha and stay there for two months, but leave before the Chunin exams start and just before the foreign ninja arrive. Naruto and Sasuke leave two Kage Clones in their place. Two weeks later, Naruto's clone seeks out Gaara and Sasuke's the Hokage.
The Hokage is afraid Sasuke will reveal the truth about his clan demise if he sends people after them, so he sends Jiraya (who he can trust) to bring the boys back, and tells everybody Naruto and Sasuke are gone on a mission with Jiraiya. Naruto and Sasuke spent several weeks traveling. They take a break and stay in a nice merchant village famous for its onsen. They get back to the road looking for Itachi. Jiraya finds them, but Naruto emotionally blackmailed him to let them go their own way.
They go back to the merchant village, where Itachi finds them. They spent several weeks training. In that time, unknown to them, Orochimary attacks Konoha and kills the Sandaime. Kakashi begins to suspect that Sandaime lied to him about Naruto and Sasuke's whereabouts, but cannot go looking for them until a new Hokage is picked. At this point, it's been half a year since they left Konoha and about eight month have passed since Naruto and Sasuke arrived in this universe.
Danzo captures Gaara during the Konoha's assault. Later, he is named Hokage. Kakashi finds him and asks for leave to find his missing students (while keeping the pretense that they are away on a mission assigned to them by the Sandaime). Danzo authorizes him to leave but sends his ANBU to shadow him with orders to kill Sasuke and retrieve Naruto at any cost, even dispatching Kakashi. That day, Gaara escapes using the transportation jutsu Naruto had given him. Naruto and Sasuke had to find Tsunade and persuade her to help Gaara. Sasuke has a small encounter with Orochimaru.
Tsuande agrees to help. She helps Gaara and is told the truth about Itachi. She apologized to him for her inaction and what it cost him. Gaara recovers and warns Naruto that Danzo has sent people after him. They make a plan to find proof about Danzo's wrongdoings so that Tsunade can present it to the Daimo, who then can intercede with the Clan Heads to oust him. Naruto decides that they need Nagato's help for this, as he is very likely to have some proof, given Danzo dealings with Hanzo.
Naruto, Sasuke and Itachi travelled to Amegakure. Tsunade and Gaara have to stay behind for a while so that Gaara can fully recover. Another couple of months have gone by at this point.
Naruto persuades Nagato to help with their plan. Konan suggests using the Akatsuki as spies to gather enough proof. The boys settled down in Amegakure and explored the city. Naruto and Nagato form a strong friendship and Sasuke is a bit jelous. Itachi tells him not to worry, because Naruto is in love with him. Before Sasuke can adress Naruto about this, they are alerted that Obito is crossing the country barriers.
Konan lays trap for Obito. She and Naruto fight him while Sasuke and Itachi fight Zetsu. Itachi kills Kisame. Itachi locks Zetsu away by using his Susanoo's sword. Obito is captured and they decide to use Sishui's genjutsu to make sure he cannot hurt anybody ever again, unless it's to defend himself from a direct attack. The only threat left is Danzo. Deidara and Sasori had infiltrated Kumogakure to find proof. Sasuke begins working for Konan. Gaara and Tsunade arrive in Amegakure. Three months have gone by since they arrived to Amegakure, approximately.
Sasuke confronts Naruto about his feelings. They become a couple. They explore their relationship. Itachi spends most of his time with Tsunade in the hospital, reading books to kids who are sick and just talking to some patients. Naruto is working to rebuild the manor upper floors with Nagato and Gaara. Sasuke and Konan are working together; they have scientists working for them who invent things like dishwashers and game-boys and come up with ways to sell them worldwide. Another three more months go by.
Before the Chunin exams, Kakashi thinks his students are on a mission with Jiraya. He begins to suspect differently, but then the Hokage dies and he has to wait until Danzo is named Hokage before he can interrogate Jiraya about it. Jiraya admits that Sasuke and Naruto left on their own, and warns Kakashi they are stronger than he thinks. Kakashi ignores him and leaves to find them. He spends about eight to nine months searching for them before he arrives in Amegakure. At this point, Sasuke, Naruto and Itachi had been living in Amegakure for about half a year. They had been in the current universe for a year and a half, give or take a few weeks.
In present time, Sasuke was close to 13 and Naruto was 12. Now Sasuke is 14 and Naruto will turn 14 in a couple of months (I believe Naruto was 14 about to turn 15 at the beginning of Shippuden and Sasuke was 15, so they are just a bit younger than that). In their real age, they were 17 at the end of the war and lived together for 3 years. So Naruto was 20-21 when they arrived, now he is 22-23. Sasuke was 21 and now he is 23-24. It's hard to keep track, but I think as an approximation those ages are what we should keep in mind.
TO THE CHAPTER NOW...
Chapter 28.
For someone who prided himself in his intellect, Kakashi was becoming very used to second guessing himself. Most of the choices he had made since the beginning of his quest had been motivated by emotions, not logic. Following an S-rate criminal, a man globally known to have slaughtered his whole family at age thirteen, into enemy territory, based only on the man's strangely convenient offer to take him to his missing students, might very well prove to be the biggest mistake of his life. Kakashi just didn't know what else he could do.
His intuition told him that there was something else at play here; something more than what could be seen at first sight. Something he had been missing the whole time. Since his intuition had kept him alive through many perilous situations in the past, Kakashi was inclined to listen to it.
At the moment, his intuition was the only thing stopping him from trying to kill the man running just a step or two ahead of him. However, this feeling did not prevent Kakashi from questioning the wisdom of his own decision or from trying to get as many answers as he could. Even if these answers originated from a very unreliable source.
"Where did you say they are again?"
They were both moving forward through the countryside at a fast pace, which was not ideal for conversation, but the Uchiha replied to him without missing a beat. "They are in Amegakure Capital."
"And what have they been doing there, exactly?"
"Considering the time, I imagine they are both currently at work."
"At work?"
"Yes."
"At work, as in having a job?" Kakashi had trouble imagining that.
"Yes."
It had soon become obvious that even though the Uchiha was amiable enough to indulge Kakashi in his questioning, the man was also a master in the art of saying something without actually revealing anything at all.
"What kind of job two genin who did not complete their training could do?"
"I believe Naruto is currently doing some construction work, while Sasuke is a lot more private about his affairs. You will have to ask him yourself if you want to know, but be aware that he might choose not to answer." The man was still unfailingly polite, and yet, his voice also carried a hint of a warning.
Kakashi would be damned if he was lectured on how to deal with his student by the monster responsible for maiming him in the first place – emotionally, if not physically. "I find it very difficult to believe that Sasuke, and by default Naruto, would choose to share anything with you."
"Believe me, so did I." Kakashi had not expected the Uchiha to agree with him. "However, there are some exonerating circumstances… that Sasuke took into consideration. He is more forgiving than I deserve." The man sounded sincere enough, almost hesitant, but they both had received the same training and Kakashi knew better than to take him at his word.
"Circumstances you have yet to share with me."
"I understand your frustration," he said, apologetically. "However, it will be better for you if you hear the story from someone you care about."
This hit a nerve. Kakashi narrowed his eyes, displeased at his own reaction. He should not feel ashamed by the implication that he cared , but some habits die hard and ANBU lessons tended to stick with you, a fact the Uchiha knew intimately well.
Sighing, Kakashi let go of that train of thought and focused on a new angle. "If it's true that you care for them at all, why did you allow them to remain here? You know what they both are." A Jinchuriki and the last carrier of the most powerful bloodline in history, excluding present company. "You cannot think Amekagure is a safe place for either of them."
The Uchiha chuckled as a response, looking uncharacteristically amused as he spoke, "I am afraid both Naruto and my brother are far too stubborn to be allowed to do anything." He paused. "They are not the boys you remember." His voice was gentle, and Kakashi might even go as far as to believe that the warning was kindly given, but the man hadn't seen his brother since the day he left him, unconscious and traumatized, surrounded by the ghost of their dead family members, five years ago. Kakashi was reluctant to take his advice and he was still far from convinced that there could be an explanation to account for his monstrous actions on that day. "Besides, living here has been good for them. They are both happy."
Kakashi did not hide his irritation at that statement. "Happiness is not worth their safety."
"I used to believe that," the man said, sounding almost regretful. He did not elaborate on the matter. Kakashi tried to study his features to get a better reading on the man who had been his teammate once upon a time. It was a difficult feat, as they both were sprinting forward at a fast pace, and he could only observe his profile. He reminded himself that appearances were deceitful. No matter how sincere he looked, he should never trust him. "Either way, it does not matter now. They are both plenty capable of protecting themselves."
"Even from Hanzo and his men?"
Itachi's steps faltered and he looked completely startled for a moment. "You don't know…?" He shook his head. "Of course you don't. I apologize. I should have remembered how little information of Amegakure is available outside of its borders. Hanzo and his men were defeated by the current leadership several years ago," he announced. "They are long gone, all of them."
"Hanzo was defeated?" Kakashi was shocked. The man who had defeated the three Sanin of Konoha could not have been easily beaten. And he had had a huge military at his disposal as head of a Hidden Village. For a shinobi to defeat him, they would have to be immensely powerful. Perhaps even greater than Hashirama Senju himself.
"About twelve years ago, yes." Itachi's tone of voice was entirely too calm and it grated on Kakashi's nerves. Kakashi suppressed his annoyance and focused on this new information, trying to analyze the implications of this event. Twelve years ago was about the time Amekagure had cut all contact with all foreign nations. Isolationism was never a progressive political ideology, quite the opposite.
"How dangerous is this man, exactly?" he asked. How dangerous is this man for Naruto and Sasuke, he meant.
"It could just as easily be a woman, you know."
Kakashi wasn't in the mood for such a petty reprove. "A man, a woman. How dangerous are they?" he inquired once again, heatedly. "If they find out Naruto or Sasuke are here, they-"
"They already know," the Uchiha interrupted him. "Naruto and Sasuke have grown very close to both of them."
Kakashi came to a halt, absolutely started by this revelation. "What?"
"There is a very valid reason that led my brother and Naruto to seek them out, although that explanation should wait until we reach them." It wasn't enough, not this time. Itachi seemed to sense Kakashi's growing impatience, for he spoke again, "I can tell you that there are two of them. Uzumaki Nagato and Konan. They were leaders of a group who opposed Hanzo's ideology. Nagato defeated Danzo in combat and they both assumed control of the country in his stead."
Out of all that information, one small detail stuck out in Kakashi's mind. "Uzumaki?"
"They are cousins," the Uchiha confirmed his suspicions. "Like Naruto, Nagato is also an orphan; so in a way, they have found a family in each other." This was… so far from what Kakashi had been expecting. He supposed, by this point, he should simply prepare himself to expect the unexpected. It was one of the first lessons he tried to teach his students, and yet, it seemed that he had failed to master it. The Uchiha continued, unaware of Kakashi's self-derogatory monologue, "He and Konan grew up together along with another boy, one who was killed by Hanzo."
"I see."
"That memory is still very painful for them," he remarked after a moment of pause, "Please, do not mention it unless they bring it up."
Kakashi could empathize with that feeling, so he acquiesced quietly, "Of course."
They continued running, Kakashi's mind worked at a fast pace. He kept reviewing the facts the Uchiha had provided and it made him worry even more for his students than before. He worried everything he had been told was a lie. He worried it was all true, but it was also a trap. He worried something terrible had happened to them because he had not been there to prevent it. He worried enough that after a few minutes he could help but to ask, "How do you know these people are trustworthy?"
The Uchiha halted his steps and gaped at Kakashi in poorly concealed disbelief. Kakashi understood his incredulity. It was ironic, to say the least, to ask that question to a man he did not trust further than he could throw– and Kakashi doubted he could ever get a hold of the Uchiha to throw him at all –, but there was no else and he desperately needed some sort of reassurance.
The Uchiha seemed to understand this. "They honestly care for each other," he said, picking up his steps to catch up with Kakashi. "There is little Nagato wouldn't do for Naruto, and vice versa. As for Sasuke. He is not as quick to trust as Naruto, but he and Konan have developed a tight friendship." His words were reassuring, even if Kakashi couldn't bring himself to fully believe it. "You'll have a chance to see for yourself soon."
The Uchiha's words were proved to be correct.
Slowly, the landscape had been changing in front of their eyes. It had become tamer, somehow. Green fields of cultivated land still took up most of the space, but in the distance, some large, rectangular buildings could be seen – farmhouses, most likely –, and far behind them…
"What the fuck is that?" It was as if someone had built hundreds, perhaps thousands of Hokage towers and put them together, except that they reached higher, far higher into the sky. Kakashi must've been too absorbed listening to the Uchiha narrative to notice them before, but now he couldn't look away.
"That," the Uhicha answered pointedly, "is Amegakure Capital."
As Kakashi and his companion drew closer to the Capital, the landscape of the city revealed more of its splendor. The high-reaching buildings looked taller, soberer and even more imposing than before. How was it possible, Kakashi marveled in wonder, for a city like this to come to be without the rest of the world leaning of its existence?
There were walls surrounding the city, though not near as high as the buildings, and no guards at all that he could spy. However, Kakashi sensed chakra detectors in the walls. It made it impossible to leave the city unnoticed by whoever had engraved the seals there.
The sun had begun to fall when they finally reached the outside of the gates. At his side, the Uchiha gestured for him to stop. Kakashi watched with a mix of trepidation and curiosity as the man formed three summoning seals. Immediately, a crow materialized in the air. The bird cawed a few times, loudly, and then flew away without waiting for instructions.
"It will inform Naruto and Sasuke of our arrival, so they can meet us at once," the Uchiha answered Kakashi's unspoken question. "Naruto will be ecstatic to see you."
Naruto, but not Sasuke. The man had dropped enough hints for Kakashi to question Sasuke's reception of him. What could have happened to drive his student away from the village, to make him give up his ambition of killing his brother?
For some reason, even though he wasn't privy to their motives, this whole time Kakashi had been operating on the idea that it had been Naruto's idea to leave the village and that Sasuke had followed him. Now he began to question this assumption. Kakashi told himself that it no longer mattered. He would find out soon enough — unless the Uchiha killed him first. Kakashi would deserve it too, for walking willingly into what was most likely a trap.
As soon as they crossed the gates, the Uchiha slowed down his speed, adopting civilian standards. Kakashi followed suit without questioning him, wary of his surroundings. Even though they still had a long way to go to reach the city, he soon began seeing people. Mostly it was kids playing in the open fields. Some families here and there, walking together. Some couples. A few lonely walkers.
Kakashi studied them, the way they looked and the way they interacted with others, trying to get a feeling on the state of the country. Most people were wearing new, good-quality clothes, even if the fashion was a bit strange. Kakashi spied rosy-cheeks faces, round bodies and eyes that shone brightly in the fading sunshine. Everybody looked healthy enough. Maybe even happy.
On one occasion, they came across two children playing Frisbee by the riverside. They missed, and the Frisbee came flying their way. The Uchiha caught it. One of the kids came running and the Uchiha gave it back to him. The kid smiled at him, uttering a quick, "thanks," before rushing back to his friend. They clearly didn't know who the Uchiha was, and they didn't seem to recognize Kakashi's forehead protector, either.
Soon after that incident, Kakashi and his companion reached the edge of the fields and they ventured into the city. The further they walked, the more crowded the streets became. People looked a lot busier too. Most people went about their business without paying any mind to others and everybody seemed to move at a faster pace than usual.
There were also far more people in the streets that Kakashi had ever seen together, which made sense considering the logistics of the city, and yet, everybody ignored them. It was a strange feeling. Back at home, everybody recognized Kakashi— for reputation if not personally. Ninjas greeted him by name and civilians looked at him in awe as he walked past them in the streets. Traveling in foreign countries, he had encountered similar reactions. Ninjas identified him at first sight and civilians were immediately wary of him because of his headband.
Here, he felt invisible. It made him feel strange, but it wasn't hard to see the appeal this place would hold for a missing-nin. Kakashi could even see how the anonymity it offered would be a welcome change for both his students, both of whom had long been ostracized in their hometown. For some reason, this thought gave him a bad feeling.
"We'll be there soon," Itachi spoke, startling Kakashi out of his thoughts.
They had been walking through the city for about two hours — although Kakashi had been too entranced by their surroundings to notice darkening sky. Had they used their chakra to climb to the top of a building, and then jump from one building to another, their journey would have been over in just a handful of minutes, but nobody seemed to be doing that. In fact, Kakashi realized after expanding his senses, nobody seemed to be using chakra at all.
Just a few minutes after the Uchiha spoke, the man slowed down his steps and Kakashi followed suit. They had arrived at a massive, round square, very different from the streets and avenues they had walked past up to that moment. Most of the space in the square was taken up by a huge park. The park was surrounded by green, uninviting gates, and several lines of thick, ancient trees with leafy branches hid it from view. In the middle of it, above the treetops, Kakashi spied the roof of what could only be a great house.
"Come on." The Uchiha urged him forward.
They approached the gates. The Uchiha made a strange series of seals with his right hand, bringing it forward against the metal bars, and the gate opened for them.
Together, they crossed the gates. Colorful plants and trees were spread tastefully all around, but Kakashi barely paid them any mind. His whole body felt tense, and his heart was beating so loudly in his chest that Kakashi could count each one of his heartbeats. They walked down the main pathway, which was escorted by sakura trees on both sides, turned to the right and then left.
The mansion came into view. Surprised, Kakashi halted his steps. He looked at the building; he saw white walls, massive windows, a balcony and a wide staircase leading up to the entrance. And at the top of the staircase, he saw-
"Sensei!" A familiar, blond figure rushed toward him. Kakashi was shocked by the strength of the body which clashed against his — he took two steps back to avoid falling—, but the person didn't let go of him. "Sensei, you are here!"
The boy hugged him tightly. He was taller and far stronger than he had been when he left, almost a year and a half ago. But his face had barely changed, and his eyes remained the same shade of blue as before. "Naruto." The name escaped his lips like a prayer. "Naruto." The boy was safe. He was here. Kakashi hadn't been too late, not this time.
For the first time since Naruto had been born, almost fourteen years ago, Kakashi put aside all his guilt and fears and closing his arms around Naruto hugged him to his chest.
Sasuke's reception of Kakashi was far colder in comparison. The boy had approached them so quietly that Kakashi didn't notice his presence until he and Naruto broke apart their hug. Sasuke had situated himself half a step behind the blonde, like a protective shadow. Even though his arms weren't crossed, Kakashi detected the tension in his muscles. Sasuke was making a conscious effort to remain stolid, but his body betrayed him.
Kakashi stared at the boy, taking note of all the ways in which Sasuke had changed in the last year and a half. He had grown several inches and was still slightly taller than Naruto. His back and shoulders were considerably broader, his hair a tad longer, and his face had lost most of its baby fat. However, it was his eyes that had changed the most. Those eyes of his were still pitch black, but unlike before, when Sasuke had tried so hard to conceal his emotions – only to be met with a modicum of success –, his eyes were now openly bursting with feeling. Ironically, this only made the boy much harder to read than before.
Kakashi swallowed, throat dry without knowing why, and addressed him, "Sasuke. It's good to see you."
The teenager nodded minimally. "Kakashi."
Itachi, who had approached them silently, put a hand on Sasuke's shoulder and chastised his brother, "Be nice." Sasuke lifted his head to the right to meet his brother's eyes. When he looked at Kakashi again, the tension had eased from his body and his lips had curled up into a half smile. He didn't seem any happier about Kakashi's presence, but at least he no longer stood like a guardian dog ready to attack.
It became obvious by their interaction that the Uchiha held great influence over his younger brother, and that the man had managed such a feat in such a short period of time, despite his monstrous actions in the past, could not mean anything good. Kakashi's bad feeling, which had eased after seeing Naruto on the top of the staircase alive and well, returned tenfold.
"Come on," Naruto urged Kakashi up the stairs, oblivious to the tension between the three parties. Sasuke and Itachi followed after them. "I will introduce you to our friends, and we have much to talk about."
Naruto ushered him into the house. The main entrance opened onto a large hall with a massive stairway in the middle. The floors were shining and spotless clean and the walls were tastefully decorated in warm colors. Naruto led him up two flights of stairs. "We have our rooms on the first floor," he explained to Kakashi enthusiastically on the way up. "This floor is mostly for meetings and work. Sasuke and Konan have their office down that corridor." He pointed towards the right. Out of the corner of his eye, Kakashi saw Sasuke stiffen. Naruto didn't notice and continued talking, as he steered Kakashi into a large room that could only be a library. "We are still renovating the upper floors. But we'll have lots of guest rooms when we are done, and – you won't believe it – an indoor swimming pool too!"
Kakashi only listened to him partially, choosing to study the room they had just entered instead. The first thing he noticed was its size: it was massive – judging by its angles, it took up half the space in the second floor, approximately. The windows were also massive, overlooking the courtyard. There were several rounds of bookshelves evenly distributed across the left side of the room, and on the right side, he saw an oval table, a couple of sofas and several armchairs close to the windows.
Through an unspoken agreement, Itachi and Sasuke ignored the chairs around the table and sat down next to each other on one of sofas near the windows, while Naruto picked an armchair in front of Sasuke, leaving Kakashi no choice but to take the seat to his left, which left the oldest Uchiha and he facing each other. It was closer to the man than he felt comfortable. The image of the two brothers sitting together felt so wrong, that it caused his stomach to revolt. However, he knew better than to complain, for now. First he needed answers.
Naruto seemed to have felt Kakashi's darkening mood, because he quieted down and his face morphed into a more serious expression. "I guess you have questions, uh?" he said, timidly. "I'd like you to meet our friends… but I guess maybe we should talk first?"
"Yes," Kakashi answered somberly. "That would be for the best."
Naruto nodded. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. Kakashi tapped his foot on the floor, folding his arms. He saw as Naruto hesitated again, and then shifted his gaze to meet Sasuke's, eyes pleading. The youngest Uchiha sighed theatrically, before locking his eyes on Kakashi.
There was a split of a second just before Sasuke spoke, when Kakashi was hit by a strong premonition: whatever Sasuke had to say, Kakashi was not going to like it; and Sasuke would do nothing to soften the blow.
"My brother slaughtered my family on the orders of the village," the boy confessed in an emotionless voice. "He did so in a misguided effort to prevent war and to preserve my life. After I confirmed my suspicions, I decided to leave Konoha to search for my brother. Naruto opted to come with me."
Oh.
Kakashi was left stunned and cold.
He had been expecting the worst, but the worst didn't even compare to this.
"How did you confirm your suspicions?" He asked as soon as he regained his voice, hoping that Sasuke had not been thorough in his investigation. Kakashi had no desire to rethink everything he knew about his country, especially for something that might turn out to be a lie.
Kakashi's eyes slid to the older brother – could he be the creator of such a story? – but the Uchiha's body was stiff, his face closed and his eyes gave nothing away.
"Sarutobi himself confirmed it after I confronted him in his office," Sasuke stated calmly, destroying Kakashi's hopes. "Granted, he only told me because he wanted to stop us from leaving Konoha and failed to realize we had left weeks before. All along, he was talking to my clone." Kakashi closed his eyes, eyelids heavy. That was a very clever plan for a genin but it also meant that it had taken Kakashi even longer than he thought to realize that there was something wrong with his students. "Danzo was the one who gave the order but the Hokage suspected what was going on, choosing to do nothing and to let it happen."
That didn't sound at all like Hiruzen.
"Why?" Why would the Hokage allow such an atrocity against the most outstanding clan of Konoha? From Danzo, he could believe it — he had vague memories of the day Danzo had tried to assassinate the Third, a chime which the Hokage had let slide, to Kakashi's puzzlement — but Hiruzen's heart had always been in the right place. Kakashi's own sensei had admired the man deeply, determined to follow in his footsteps.
What could lead a good man to stand up for such an evil act?
"You are aware of the suspicions my clan was under after the Nine-Tails attack." Itachi's voice was soft, startling Kakashi out of his thoughts, but with a bite of steel to it. "My appointment to ANBU was a ploy for the Hokage and Danzo to gain access to first-hand information about the clan's movements and goals."
Kakashi had a flashback of an eleven years old Itachi walking into the surveillance room. He had not been surprised at all by what he saw, and had straight-out told Kakashi that the Uchiha were aware of the situation. Realization hit Kakashi, eight and a half years too late. "You were a double-spy."
The Uchiha nodded in confirmation. "Indeed." His eyes fell on his brother's, but Sasuke did not react; he continued staring at Kakashi, silent and expectant, as if reaching for his very soul. Kakashi couldn't bring himself to hold his gaze.
Itachi spoke again, "For several years, the Hokage's attempts to reach a peaceful solution were met without success. Unknown to me, Danzo coveted the sharingan and worked tirelessly to sabotage any truce the clan and the village might have reached. After twelve years of an unresolved, silent conflict, both parties were ready to act."
It wasn't hard to imagine what happened after that. "And you did it," Kakashi said to himself, voice barely a whisper. "Danzo gave you the order, and you executed it." Would Kakashi have done the same thing? He hoped not. But should he have? The consequences of a coup d'etat were unpredictable at the best of times. The blood of the innocent would have watered the streets of the village independently of which side emerged victorious.
Itachi remained quiet, accepting the criticism without offering any defense for his actions. His brother did not. "Konaha would never have accepted an Uchiha as the Hokage. Even if the uprising succeeded and we took over, the Hyuga hated that were better than them and the Nara, the Yamanaka and the Akimichi were too loyal to the Senju to follow an Uchiha willingly. The Aburame and the Inuzuka might have, but Civil War would have been inevitable. Tensions between Konoha and Kumogakure and Sunagakure were still high at the time. Any show of internal turmoil could easily have led to another World War. My brother acted to prevent that." It was all true. Every word of it. But how many times had Sasuke told himself the same story to rationalize Itachi's actions in order to forgive him? How many times did he, still?
"I believed-" the older Uchiha hesitated for just a second, before sitting again, "I believed, at the time – especially after Shusui's death, that there was nothing I could do to stop the uprising. And I knew Danzo would carry out the deed no matter what. He wanted no Uchiha survivors. But Sasuke was innocent; he knew nothing of the coup or of the village's politics. I begged Danzo to spare his life and he agreed, on one condition."
"That you were the one to do it, and the one to take the blame," Kakashi deduced with ease. It was the perfect scheme. Danzo had gained access to the perfect weapon and the perfect alibi, all at once. Kakashi did not want to analyze the situation any closer than that. In fact, he would rather forget all he had learned in the last few hours altogether. "Danzo is the Hokage now. If these facts were to become known, it would sink Konoha in chaos."
To his right, Naruto exhaled sharply in surprise. Kakashi had no doubt that his words had disappointed him, but he was only a boy. He knew nothing of the cost of war. "Sensei, you can't mean-"
Kakashi shook his head and ignored him, choosing to address his former ANBU's partner instead. "Rightly or not, you acted to prevent a war. If Sasuke exposes these facts to the world, it will be the equivalent of inviting another."
The Uchiha stared at him analytically, not dismissing but neither seconding Kakashi's statement. However, his eyes moved to his brother when Sasuke stood up abruptly, taking several steps away and turning his back on them. Kakashi watched Itachi hesitate; he watched as his gaze found Naruto's and the teenager seemed to take as permission. Immediately, he stood up and approached Sasuke; he placed himself not even half a step behind the other boy so that their bodies were slightly touching. Naruto's right hand grasped Sasuke's upper arm and Sasuke unclenched his fists, visibly relaxing his shoulders.
The moody Uchiha twisted his neck to meet the blond's gaze and their eyes locked. They spoke no words, and yet, Kakashi felt like an unwelcome spectator of a conversation taking place which he couldn't hear. How had this come to happen? Sasuke was only fourteen years old; Naruto was even younger than that. They were too old to share that type of connection.
They stayed like that for approximately half a minute, simply staring at each other's eyes. Then, by silent agreement, Naruto took two steps back and Sasuke turned to look at Kakashi. "I wonder if you'd be saying the same thing if it were your family who had been betrayed and murdered." His voice was cold as ice, but also strangely calm; it was the look on his eyes that almost made Kakashi rethink his previous statement. Dark and yet knowing, it was an expression which did not belong on the eyes of someone so young.
"Sasuke, I didn't mean-" Kakashi tried to apologize. Even though he did not regret the intent of his words, he should have found a kinder way to explain it.
"Of course you did," the teenager interrupted him waving his hand dismissively, as though Kakashi's apology were inconsequential. "I already knew you would choose to cover Danzo's crimes rather than endanger your precious Konoha." Next to him, Naruto lowered his gaze on the ground as if ashamed on Kakashi's behalf.
"Making the truth about that night known won't bring your family back. It's too late for that," Kakashi defended himself. As a jounin of Konoha, he had sworn to protect its citizens against all threats. He had a duty to the living.
"The truth won't bring your sensei or your old teammate back, either," the teenager answered back.
Kakashi was too angry to play games. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
"It means that the Council's suspicions were right. The night the Kyuubi attacked Konoha, fourteen years ago, someone was controlling it. The same person that betrayed the Fourth Hokage and led him to his death."
Kakashi's heart stopped in shock. That couldn't be true. Naruto took a step forward, grabbing Sasuke's wrist. "Sasuke, please."
The Uchiha lowered his eyes for a moment. "Sorry," he apologized to Naruto. Kakashi barely paid them any mind.
It couldn't be true.
Did Naruto know…?
How could Sasuke…?
Was Itachi involved…?
"Who?"
For a moment, none of them spoke. "It's not what you think," Naruto answered finally. The boy took a few steps in Kakashi's direction, but stopped himself when Kakashi abruptly rose to his feet. He was still several inches taller than either of them, since Itachi remained seated, and was not afraid to use his height to his advantage.
"Who?" he demanded once more.
Startlingly, neither Naruto or Sasuke were intimidated by Kakashi. Sasuke rolled his eyes disdainfully and took back the seat next to his brother, while Naruto sighed deeply. "Listen, it's not what you think, okay? He was lied to. He was manipulated by someone older and more cunning, and he regrets it." Sasuke seemed to take objection to this and, a few moments, Naruto grudgingly rectified, "Okay, so, it's a work in progress. But he is coming to regret it and he is doing much better than he was. He speaks to me and he's even nice, sometimes. He is a good person," he remarked, insistently.
Kakashi barely heard him.
"Who?" he demanded for the third time.
The answer he heard next turned the blood in his veins to ice. "Your old teammate," Kakashi's one eye locked on to Sasuke' as he spoke, "Obito Uchiha. That's who."
That could not be true. Obito's eye burned on Kakashi's left socket while memories assaulted him. Kakashi had been there when the rocks had crashed half of Obito's body, he had listened to his last words and had accepted his last gift, swearing to himself that from that moment on, he would adopt Obito's will as his own.
Obito was dead; Kakashi had seen him die. Even if he wasn't, if for some miracle he had managed to survive the ordeal – and Kakashi could not think of any way for him to have achieved that; Obito was dead, dead, dead –, Obito would have never attacked the village he had loved so much; he would have never harmed the sensei he adored so deeply.
There were lies… Cruel lies made up by a petty boy with a grudge. Kakashi lifted his gaze searching for Naruto's, expecting to find confirmation for his conjecture on the boy's face and expression… but all he found there was sorrow, sorrow and a good dose of pity.
Kakashi's strength left him; his legs gave up and he fell to the ground. "It can't be." Nobody answered him. For several minutes, Kakashi tried to make sense of the revelations which had been unveiled before him. Without fail, he always reached the same conclusion. "It can't be."
Finally, the older Uchiha seemed to take pity on him. He grabbed Kakashi by his left arm and, with Naruto's help, pushed him up and moved him to the armchair. He signaled for Naruto to take a seat next to him before taking his previous seat in front of them. "It might be easier for you to understand, if we explain it from the beginning."
Not waiting for Kakashi's approval, the older Uchiha began his tale.
It turned out the beginning did not mean the night of the attack on Konoha, or even the years leading up to it. The beginning dated back to the last battle between Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju, when the former of the two managed to escape the outcome of that fight with his life. Deserted by his clan and banned from his village, he vowed to have his revenge. Everything that came after that could be linked to that moment.
Kakashi listened silently as Itachi began to expand his tale. With his heart set on revenge, Madara had wandered the world for decades, searching for people who could be persuaded to assist him in his quest. More often than not, those people were mere puppets, poor souls whose families had become collateral damage in Konoha's conflicts against other nations, and whose resentment had been exploited and redirected by Madara for his own ends.
Obito had been one of those people, although the details of how that had come to pass were still blurry. They knew that an old Madara had rescued him and nurtured him back to health, and then something had happened to make him turn his back to his village forever. Unfortunately, he had been just one of many.
The amount of people who held a grudge toward Konoha startled Kakashi. It turned out that most of that hate was justified too. In his eagerness to protect the village, Danzo Himura had been plotting, lying and murdering since the demise of the Second Hokage. The annihilation of the Uchiha clan was only the most visible of his crimes. Meanwhile, his interference on foreign affairs had torn up entire countries in Civil War.
Danzo had provided indispensable aid to Hanzo in order to support his tyrannical rule of Amegakure. He had rented men and resources to the Fourth Mizukage during what was known as the darkest time in Kirigakure. He had kidnapped orphans in his own village and lent them to Orochimaru to conduct his experiments. He had gone as far as to kidnap and torture Sunagakure's jinchuriki a year ago; a fact that, if it were to be known, it would bring war upon the whole country.
"Once we have collected enough proof of these facts, Tsunade-hime had agreed to present them to the Lord of the Fire Country," Itachi finished his explanation. "We hope that he can use his authority to share this information with the villagers and quietly demote Danzo, while keeping most of it a secret from any foreign country."
It was a solid strategy. Tsunade's presence would give the plan enough legitimacy to persuade the most stubborn of Konoha's clan. Kakashi should be feeling far more invested in the plan than he was at the moment; after all, he had just discovered that the Hokage he had voted into office was an international criminal and the worst sort of scum. But his heart wasn't in it.
It had taken him an extraordinary amount of self-discipline to remain sitting and to listen quietly while Itachi disclosed to him all the condemning information he had gathered. Kakashi should care more about it; as a jounin of Konoha it was his duty to care, but now that all the information had been put on the table, he could only focus on one thing.
"Where is Obito?"
Naruto and Itachi exchanged a look full of silent communication. The Uchiha answered him, "He is in one of the rooms in the basement. His sharingan had been neutralized and Nagato's guards guard him day and night."
"I visit him every day," Naruto added quickly. "I bring him dinner and we talk. He's really much better."
"I want to see him."
His demand was met with more silence. Kakashi saw as Itachi and Naruto met each other's gaze again; then Naruto turned towards Sasuke. It seemed that the two Uchiha would put the decision in the blonde's hands. Kakashi was not in the right mindset at the moment to question why.
"I am not sure if that's a good idea, sensei," Naruto's voice was hesitant. "He is still very angry…"
Kakashi had no time for such bullshit. "I want to see him now."
"Okay." Naruto looked pained, as if he had just agreed against his better judgment. If the circumstances were different, Kakashi would rejoice that he still holds some modicum of power over his student. As it was he really couldn't care less. "Just… Don't take anything he says to heart, okay? He might not react well to seeing you."
Obito had been his teammate. If anyone knew him, it was Kakashi. Naruto could save his good intentions. He was just a boy. "Let me worry about that."
"No," his other student contradicted him, walking up to stand by Naruto's side. "You need to listen. Obito hates your guts. He's gonna be pissed to see you. You need to prepare yourself for that." Sasuke did not seem to be speaking for Kakashi's sake, but for Naruto's, who was visibly distressed.
Perhaps that was the reason why Kakashi took his warning seriously. "Take me to him," he repeated once again, and prepared himself for the worst.
That's all for today. What do you think of Kakashi's reaction? It was a huge shock for him. Too many revelations at once, in a sense. I really enjoyed his early scenes with Itachi. I was surprised by how much I enjoy writing those two characters together. They have similar life experiences in a sense, and they have a common past, since Kakashi was Itachi's ANBU captain for about two years. I love that season in the anime. I even read the especials in the manga! It's not filler guys, it comes from Kisimoto himself.
On the other hand, it's painful to write Kakashi 'cos I am always questioning myself. I am not as familiar with him as with the boys. I always say that writing Sasuke comes naturally with me, but it is the opposite with Kakashi. You know how much I hate to make my characters OCC, so any pointers that you can give me will be greatly appreciated.
I have mostly finished the next chapter, and be happy, because it's the longest one to date. I just sent it to my beta so that she can look it over. Please, let me know your opinion and what you think about Kakashi's reactions, first, to seeing Naruto, and then, to the bombshell they dropped on him. Plus Itachi. Am I the only one who sees a future camaraderie growing between those two?
As always, looking forward to your comments. It's what keeps this story alive and distracts me from my original work, but I love them, and it's worth it. See you soon, guys. And in the meanwhile, take care and stay safe.
Love,
Anzu
