Interlude X: Kakashi

"Sai," Kakashi started, urging the young boy to take a seat, "it's good to see you."

The young boy stared up at him, wide-eyed and suspicious. Saru shut the door as he left, his job of collecting and delivering Sai to him now finished with.

"How have you been?" Kakashi asked, clasping his hands together to rest them on the desk in front of him. "Have you been adjusting to your new lifestyle?"

Sai gave him a strange look, his head tilted to the side like a confused puppy. Kakashi acknowledged that Sai was still a child, that the transition Root was going through was probably confusing for him, but Kakashi also wasn't stupid. Sai, even if it had only been a few years so far, had grown up with Danzō and his teachings. Sai was smarter than his age would have others think and he knew damn well that Sai understood what he asked.

"Yes," Sai answered slowly, his eyes tracking Kakashi's face. "My brother and I are doing well with the restrictions you've put in place."

Kakashi fought against the urge to twitch, annoyance flaring as he realized he had forgotten about Sai's brother . Not his biological one, true, but the older boy had nurtured Sai in an environment that discouraged such emotions. Kakashi took a second to fish through all the files he had read, both in the future and in the past, and he finally found the name he was looking for. "I'm glad Shin is helping you adjust to your new circumstances."

"He says that we're allowed to love now," Sai said, his dark eyes hopeful. "Is that true?"

Kakashi hated the fact that any child felt the need to ask if he was allowed to love. He was tired of being angry at Danzō's cruel actions. Yet it seemed every time Kakashi turned his back, he found something new to be pissed off about. "It's encouraged for you to express how you feel," Kakashi confirmed, giving the boy an encouraging nod. "To that effect, there is something that has come to my attention."

"Yes, Danzō-sama?" Sai asked, curiosity bleeding into his voice.

"I have recently learned your last name," Kakashi confessed. "You have two cousins who I'm sure would love to get to know you."

"I have more family?" Sai burst out, shock written on his young features.

"You belong to the Uchiha clan," Kakashi told him, his voice growing sorrowful without his say. "After the recent tragedy, you are one of three Uchiha left in Konoha."

Sai looked shocked, his young mind trying to wrap itself around the details Kakashi had chosen to share. First shock, then devastation. "My clan is gone?" Sai asked, his voice growing small and weak.

"No," Kakashi was quick to stress the word. "Your clan might be smaller than it used to be, but you still have a family. Uchiha Izumi and Uchiha Sasuke yet live on."

"Can I meet them?" Sai asked after a moment, uncertainty causing him to hesitate. "Do they want to meet me?"

"They would love to meet you," Kakashi reassured him, his eyes softening at Sai's unsure attitude. "I think you should go grab your brother and then I will take you two to meet your relatives."

"Thank you, Danzō-sama!" Sai exclaimed, hopping out of his seat and rushing towards the door. He flung the door open, excitement clear as he raced his way down the hall and out of view.

Kakashi let out a heavy breath, weary of the conversation to follow. None of them had ever met Shin, long gone by the time Sai became a part of their lives. Sai had shared stories, of course, telling them Shin acted much like Naruto. It would be a refreshing attitude compared to the glum looks they all had been carrying for the past several weeks.

"He's so different," Orochimaru's voice drifted in from the shadow, Sakura taking a few steps out of the hidden passageway that let out into Kakashi's office.

"He hasn't been forced to lose himself in apathy," Kakashi explained, turning fully to face his student. Kakashi raised a skeptical eyebrow at Sakura's outfit, a smile twitching on his lips at the image she made.

Though she'd only returned to them a few days ago, Sakura had been aggressively making her presence as different from Orochimaru's as she could manage. Ignoring the creams and darker purples the man had seemingly preferred, Sakura had scrounged up as many bright colors as she could. Kakashi had seen her in some new yukata every day so far, always colorful and with a busy pattern. Today's outfit was a darker turquoise with golden yellow accents. She wore the shoes she had arrived her in, all of her clothing in a pristine brilliance.

"I think I need to head back to Orochimaru's base," Sakura responded with a non-sequitur, glowering as her own words. "There's more information there that we need. There are probably several correspondences that could help us understand the political climate we weren't aware of during this time."

"Also?" Kakashi added, knowing full well that while the reasoning Sakura gave was sound and true, it wasn't what she was truly after.

"Also I'll be able to dig through his notes to try and figure out how to get myself a new body," Sakura grumbled, sneering as she flicked Orochimaru's long black hair out of her face. "I can't stand to stay in his skin longer than I have to. If I can figure out how to get a new body, we can all at least get bodies that look vaguely like we should."

Kakashi sighed, loving the sound of that particular argument, but he couldn't help but point out, "I can serve us better as Danzō. Becoming an unknown shinobi with uncertain loyalties isn't going to help us. Being Orochimaru won't help us politically, so feel free to find yourself something more comfortable to wear, but Danzō is a necessary evil. Once we actually manage to do something to prevent the war, I'll gladly accept whatever empty husk you feel like gifting me."

Sakura snorted loudly at his phrasing, a choked cackle escaping her throat. She opened her mouth to respond, but quickly shut it, her eyes narrowing as she tilted her head. "Sai and Shin are on their way," Sakura informed him. She spun around, briskly making her way back into the darkness and to the hidden entrance. She paused, looking over her shoulder, her glowing eyes peering at him from the shadows. "I'll speak to Sasuke and see what he thinks. Good luck with the family reunion." With that parting shot, Sakura disappeared, his office silent for only a second before a child and a young preteen shoved themselves into the spot in front of his desk.

"Let's go meet my family!" Sai begged loudly, wide eyes exhilarated.

Shin grinned down at Sai, obviously excited for his younger brother, but he sent a suspicious frown Kakashi's way, clearly not trusting his intentions. If Kakashi had been Danzō for real, he would completely understand Shin's hesitation to trust anything he said. Seeing as Kakashi was himself and his motives were altruistic, he simply gave an empty smile in return, standing from his seat and making his way out of his office, the two younger boys trailing after him.

Saru fell in line as they went, quiet as he took his place on Kakashi's left. In the grand scheme of things, Danzō's rather impressive home wasn't that far off from the Uchiha compound. Sort of morbid to think about, but the truth nonetheless. Kakashi could sense Fū following along behind them, the man keeping his distance as he blended in with the crowd around them.

"What are they like?" Sai asked as he picked up his pace, his small legs having to work double-time to keep up with Kakashi's longer stride.

Kakashi made a conscious effort to slow down, letting both Sai and Shin catch up with him. Kakashi kept the more sedate pace, humming as they made their way down the road. "Uchiha Izumi is your cousin by blood. Her mother was your aunt. Her younger charge is Uchiha Sasuke. He was the youngest son of the now-deceased clan head; cousins in the sense that you are of the same clan."

"Danzō-sama," Sai spoke, his demeanor tentative as he looked down at the ground as they meandered down the road. "What were my parents' names?"

Kakashi scolded himself internally for not telling the young boy already, his mind distracted by the many thoughts that had been holding his attention lately. "Your father's name was Uchiha Hibiki and your mother's name was Saitō Yua."

"What did they do?" Shin questioned, curious about his younger brother's origins.

"I'm afraid that's not a question I know the answer to. I'm sure Izumi knows much more about your clan; she can probably tell you," Kakashi answered with a shrug. "Speak her name and she will appear; Uchiha-chan, how are you doing today?"

"Danzō-san," Sasuke greeted with a small bow, dark circles under his eyes. He was wearing a simple civilian outfit of a dark shirt and a pair of pants, the new kunoichi outfit Kakashi had purchased nowhere in sight. His clothes were rumpled and just slightly askew, his appearance only adding to the tired look he was currently sporting. "I apologize for my abysmal appearance; Sasu-kun was up most of the night."

"Nightmares?" Kakashi asked, though he already knew the answer. Kakashi was probably the best person on Team 7 to understand the strain Sasuke was going through. He knew Sakura had recurring nightmares, but it was different when the dreams were memories. From what Kakashi understood, the younger Sasuke was dreaming about the events that Itachi had wanted him to forget. The young boy would wake up crying and screaming, unable to remember the terror that had hunted him within his dream.

"It's only to be expected," Sasuke sighed, shaking his head. He glanced over at Sai and Shin, his spine straightening as he gave them both a gentle smile. "Hello! I'm Uchiha Izumi. It's a pleasure to meet you. What name do you go by?"

"What name?" Sai asked.

"I've been told you go by the name Sai? I wasn't sure if you prefer that or your birth name?"

"You know my birth name?" Sai asked, astonished.

Sasuke sent Kakashi a chastising look. Kakashi responded with an embarrassed shrug. He'd been distracted by Sakura's plans and his own thoughts. He wasn't trying to be deliberately difficult; not this time anyway.

"Your mother named you Seiichi," Sasuke told him, smiling softly at the small gasp he let out.

"Seiichi," Sai whispered, the name being sounded out on his tongue. A frown quickly formed on his face, his pinched expression getting a concerned look from Shin.

"What is it?" Shin questioned.

"I don't feel like a Seiichi," Sai confessed with a distressed pout. "I feel like a Sai!"

"So we'll call you Sai," Sasuke quickly told him, a wink sent in his direction. "I call Sasuke, Sasu-kun, so I'll call you Sai-kun."

Sai blinked up at him, a soft pink blush coming over his pale features. After a moment, a brilliant smile stole its way onto his face, the sight almost taking Kakashi's breath away. He had seen Sai smile before, both fake and genuine. His genuine smiles were always smaller and less noticeable, the former Root shinobi still trying to fight the conditioning he had grown up in. To see such a blatant show of emotion from him was a treasure that Kakashi wished Naruto and Sakura were here to see. It wasn't that Sasuke didn't care about Sai, it was just that Sai wasn't close to Sasuke like he was with the others. Sasuke had his Team Taka much like the rest of Team 7 had Sai.

"Okay, Izumi-chan!" Sai grinned, clearly pleased.

"You must be Shin-kun," Sasuke addressed Sai's brother, giving him a seemingly genuine smile. Kakashi marveled at the way Sasuke was acting, truly impressed with his skills in subterfuge. If Kakashi couldn't read the little minute details of Sasuke's body language, the way his shoulders weren't relaxed and the way his gaze was just slightly too sharp to be truly friendly, he would fall for the kind, young girl act. "It's wonderful to meet you! Welcome to the Uchiha clan!"

Shin seemed surprised, like he wasn't expecting the warm welcome Sasuke was giving him. "O-Oh! Yeah, uh, you too?" Shin's face flushed immediately after he spoke, his incoherent sentence causing him to grimace in embarrassment.

Sasuke let out a dainty laugh, the airy sound pleasing to the ear. "Don't worry, I'm nervous too. We have so little family nowadays, I wanted to make a good impression on you two."

"You did?" Shin asked, clearly skeptical.

"Of course! I've already kept you from seeing the compound by meeting you outside the gates; follow me," Sasuke explained, inviting them to follow him through the slightly ajar gates.

Sai and Shin made to follow him immediately, only pausing briefly to send an unsure look Kakashi's way.

"Patrol the perimeter with Fū," Kakashi ordered, heading towards the gate as Saru went to follow his orders. "Thank you for welcoming us into your home, Uchiha-chan."

"It's no problem," Sasuke reassured him, his false assurances falling easily from his tongue. "Though I'm not sure what to do about rooms. Sasu-kun's house is the largest in the compound and we're already taking up two of the three bedrooms. I suppose the two of you could share, though it seems unfair to make you share when Sasu-kun and I don't have to."

"You could always move in with me," Kakashi offered, liking the idea the more he thought about it. The younger Sasuke had needed time to mourn his clan, but Kakashi doubted staying in the place where your entire family was murdered was anything resembling a good idea. If he had Sasuke living under the same roof as him, they could interact and plan without anyone seeing them doing so. Besides, it wouldn't look too strange for such young kids to move in with their chosen guardian; others would be suspicious, but they couldn't stop him now that the paperwork had been filed.

"You would be willing to let us move in?" Sasuke asked, his mind clearly at work. His eyes narrowed briefly, a sign he was thinking about Kakashi's suggestion, before they returned to their normal state, realization in his gaze. "I'm sure it would do Sasu-kun and me some good to get away from the compound."

"Talk it over with Sasuke," Kakashi told him, pleased. "If he agrees, we can have you all settled in my home within a few days."

"Sai, Shin, feel free to head inside and explore a little. Sasu-kun should be in his bedroom if you want to introduce yourselves. I need to speak with Danzō-san for a moment," Sasuke said, ushering Sai and Shin into the door they had just stopped in front of. The two boys shared a nervous look before heading inside, the front door closing behind them.

"What is it?" Kakashi asked as soon as it was closed, worry lining his voice.

"I got a letter last night," Sasuke started, his lips pursing in anxious annoyance. His frown was awkward looking on Izumi's soft features. "It was addressed to Izumi from her sensei, wondering how she was doing and assuring her that she could join their team training any time she feels comfortable."

"Oh shit," Kakashi muttered, his eyebrows raising. This was another problem to tackle, he quickly realized. This was also the most likely reason Sasuke had been acting so seamlessly not like himself. If others expected Izumi to be normal, Sasuke's usual attitude wouldn't cut it. The trauma could account for some of the personality changes, but from what Kakashi understood, Izumi was far more kind than Sasuke tended to be. "Who's your sensei?"

"Mimura Hamaki," Sasuke sounded out the name, a perturbed frown on his face. "Do you know him?"

"He's been a jōnin since before the third war," Kakashi informed him, searching his brain for any information on the man he could find. "He was one of four shinobi in his battalion to survive an assault by Iwagakure; he and his comrades were later saved by Minato."

"So we at least know he's competent," Sasuke grumbled, upset.

"He never stood out to me, but I know his favorite weapon is his old tantō. If nothing else, he should be a good sensei for any kenjutsu practice you want to get in." Mimura wasn't some type of Kenjutsu master, he wouldn't be able to teach Sasuke as efficiently as Orochimaru had, but his skills were formidable enough that once Sasuke became used to his new body and his skills started to show, no one would be too suspicious at his talent with a blade.

"I'll need it," Sasuke admitted, rolling his shoulders. "I've been doing basic exercises whenever I can and I'm as comfortable in this body as I'm going to get. Chakra exercises are a bit slower to progress, but I am improving. I'll need several more months to get accustomed to how this body channels chakra, but I should be on par with myself at this age; I might even be better if I can successfully apply tricks I learned when I was an older teen."

"Danzō is old, but if I have to give him any credit, he kept in shape. I've been training in my downtime as well. I'm not willing to throw down with anyone any time soon, but I'm positive I can hold my own," Kakashi admitted, a sardonic smile on his face. "Do you know who Izumi's teammates are?"

"A Kamano Saisu and a Mozuku? Do those names ring any bells?"

"Kamano and a group of others tried to assist me against the Deva Path when Pein attacked the village. Tried being the keyword. If Mozuku is who I'm thinking of, he was a part of the Torture and Interrogation Force." Kamano was a barely remembered face in a sea of Konoha shinobi and Mozuku was only memorable because he was extremely efficient at mental torture techniques. The Yamanaka had been so impressed with him when he was only a genin that they sponsored his rise in the ranks and recommended him for the Torture and Interrogation Force. Sasuke sure had found an interesting team to be forced on.

"Just what I need," Sasuke snorted, his eyes rolling. "A hot head and a sadist."

"Should be a familiar scene," Kakashi joked, shooting Sasuke a sarcastic grin when the younger man gave a sharp cackle.

"I'm telling Sakura you said that," Sasuke laughed, shaking his head.

"Danzō-sama," a soft voice interrupted them, Fū appearing suddenly. "I apologize for intruding on Uchiha clan grounds, but the Hokage has requested your presence."

Kakashi shared a sharp look with Sasuke, neither of them having any clue what the Hokage could want. Danzō had been ordered to not get into trouble. As far as Kakashi had seen, he'd been following that order. Root had been disbanded and Kakashi had shut down many of the shadier deals that Danzō had been juggling before Kakashi took over. What exactly could the Hokage wish to speak to him about?

"It's not a problem," Sasuke told the quiet Yamanaka, a solemn look on his face. "You should go see what the Sandaime wants. Feel free to return later; Sasu-kun and I have prepared shabu shabu for dinner tonight."

"Thank you for your invitation, Uchiha-chan," Kakashi nodded, adopting a much more formal tone. He turned, gesturing for Fū to follow along as they made their way off the Uchiha clan grounds.

"Did Hiruzen say what he wished to speak with me about?" Kakashi asked as Saru joined them at the gates.

"No, Danzō-sama," Saru answered his question, the masked man falling in line as they hurriedly made their way to the Hokage Tower.

"I want both of you to stay outside of the office," Kakashi stressed, their pace augmented by the chakra they were channeling into their leaps. "I'll flare my chakra if I have any need for you."

"Of course, Danzō-sama," Fū answered in tandem with Saru, both of them as unemotional as ever.

Kakashi made a note to check on their progress, worried about their still present unquestioning loyalty. It benefited Kakashi now, sure, but it didn't mean he was comfortable using it to his advantage. Kakashi was immediately waved through by Sarutobi's secretary, no words exchanged. Saru and Fū stayed back as he entered the Hokage's office, his gruff Danzō mask firmly in place as he took a seat across from the Sandaime.

"What do you need from me, Hiruzen?" Kakashi asked, adopting an affronted tone as he questioned the serious man in front of him.

"After your recent actions, I had hoped that I would no longer require your services," the Hokage admitted gravely, a dark look passing over his face. "However, I am not willing to put the safety of the village at risk. Do you know anything that can be associated with the words 'red dawn'? A secret sect somewhere? An organization perhaps?"

Immediately the red clouds that patterned that Akatsuki uniform came to mind, his heart skipping a beat at the image. "Red dawn?" Kakashi asked, forcibly keeping his clam.

"I recently received a missive from the Kazekage," Sarutobi shared, a troubled frown on his face. "The man wishes to meet with me to discuss the subject of a 'red dawn', whatever that means. He let slip that he is visiting several other villages to discuss the exact same topic. Do you have any idea what he's referring to?"

Kakashi made sure to put forth a thoughtful face, his mind in turmoil underneath the fake vision of calm. Itachi wouldn't have been inducted into the Akatsuki yet, so any information from him would be nonexistent. It could be that Sarutobi already had an idea of what 'red dawn' was referencing, but he simply wanted to either confirm his suspicions or learn what his old friend knew about the situation.

"From what I understand, they are a mercenary group," Kakashi shared, catching himself before he could say more. The group hadn't gone after any of the jinchūriki and their partners yet, so there was no reason for Kakashi to imply anything of the sort had happened. It would inevitably get back to the Hokage if he implied one thing and then it only happened afterward. Better to start vague and build up to the truth.

On the one hand, bringing attention to Obito and Madara's plans could only help them prevent the future they came from; that wasn't necessarily a good thing, however. It could turn out far worse if the people and villages involved weren't of a single mind. On the other hand, Kakashi had a sinking suspicion he knew where Naruto had been this entire time.

How the teen convinced the Kazekage about the threat the Akatsuki posed, he could only guess.