Disclaimer: Again, I don't own anything or anybody except Tomoko, her family, and Nagareboshi Cafe. Any concepts/ideas mentioned in this fanfiction that seem to be borrowed from another media/piece of continuity — note that I don't mean to plagiarize anything or anybody in any way! This fanfic was made for entertainment purposes, not for pissing off others! So yeah!

The theme for this chapter is Naruto Shippuden's 5th opening, Hotaru no Hikari. The original works just fine, but I did find a good piano cover done by Fonzi M on YouTube. Since this song was played for the opening during the original airing of Kakashi Gaiden, I found that this was suitable.

An alternative song I've found that works (since I listened to it while writing), is Armed and Ready by Casey Lee Williams and Jeff Williams from the RWBY Volume 4 Soundtrack. If the original doesn't work for you, I'll point you towards the Orchestral Battle Arrange version done by Jeremiah George — both are fitting for the atmosphere of this chapter.

And sure, even though most of the original song is in Yang's point of view towards her sister, Ruby, I took from a lot of the first half of the song for inspiration. Not to mention, said first half could be seen from Kakashi's point of view towards Tomoko during Kannabi, which is why I wrote him like this.

Please enjoy!

Chapter 43: Trusting In Each Other

There was always a saying that Namikaze Minato never really liked adhering to.

Specifically, the idea that "the ends justify the means."

Now, the "means" could really include anything. And it was that clause of "anything" that made him wary.

Especially when it came to war and his students' eventual involvement.

"You're sending my students out to Kannabi Bridge?!"

The Third Hokage didn't even wince when Minato blurted out the words, instead nodding with his eyebrows furrowed in a frown.

"But…Hokage-sama…" Minato trailed off, his head lowered as he tried to formulate his response. "You should realize more than anyone that Kannabi Bridge was the catalyst of everything in Tomoko's memories. That if things go the way they did in those…those images…" he tried not to choke at the thought.

"The village will be thrown into chaos with an enemy that could potentially outlive us looming on the horizon, yes," Hiruzen finished softly. Minato looked up at that moment, and it was obvious that the Third Hokage looked conflicted. "I understand your feelings, Minato, but the Third Shinobi World War is still at a head. We can't spare anyone else on the effort right now, and Tomoko's same memories showed that destroying the bridge will be our best chance at winning this war."

"But…" Minato trailed off again. "Hokage-sama, I understand your reasoning and in any other case, would back your judgement full-heartedly. But once again, I can't fully agree."

The Hokage sighed. "Is it because of your students?"

Minato nodded.

Hiruzen's gaze was almost piercing despite the glint of sadness in it. "Minato, you should know as much as I do that you can't keep protecting them forever. They have to head out to the world at one point."

"But I don't want them dying when it happens, Hokage-sama," Minato hung his head to hide a sigh. "The things we both saw from Tomoko's memories alone were hard enough to believe. But the main thing that worries me the most is that my team is involved in them. And that in those memories, those visions, if we could call them that much, I couldn't help them. I couldn't be there to save them. And that's what terrifies me."

Minato never thought he could ever be so open in front of his superior in his life.

But it was true. Even with the Bingo Book recently giving him the moniker of "Yellow Flash," that didn't change the fact that the other him in those visions was always too late. As if despite his speed and power, he wasn't fast enough to save them. His kids. His teammates.

It was as if those same memories and visions were mocking him after the fall of his original Genin team under Jiraiya-sensei.

Hiruzen had gone silent again.

"What's even stranger is the fact that in those visions, Hokage-sama, is that Tomoko — no, Tomoko-chan — wasn't even in them. She had these memories, and yet she's not in any of them. So things could very well change from what we saw," Minato didn't even know WHY he was rambling now. But a part of him felt like he had to get it out. "The mission could fail, and my students would've gone out for nothing, and then…and then…"

The image of a bleeding, comatose Kushina went through his mind. Minato tried not to shiver.

"Minato," he stopped as soon as he heard his name. The Jounin looked up only to see the Hokage stare at him with grim determination. "I understand your concerns, and can even sympathize considering my previous role as a teacher. Standing with this knowledge in mind is difficult. However…" Hiruzen sighed. "Your students will have to face this threat. We can't spare any other forces in the war, even with the Hoshino Family raising morale, because we've lost much despite their influence. Consider this as a final bout of clearing the water, where we will truly see how much we can trust these…'visions.'" The Hokage's eyes then narrowed in a frown again. "You understand this, don't you?"

Dark, threatening bile churned in Minato's stomach.

The Hokage was serious.

He would still have to separate from his students, leaving them to deal with a threat on their own, even when knowing that so much could happen.

In the end, the Jounin forced himself to bow his head and nod.

"…Alright," he choked out quietly.

Things would have to change when the war was over.

Regrouping after an initial supply run near some of the front-line posts in the Land of Fire felt slow. Quiet, but slow.

Kakashi wasn't sure of what to make of it. Even when Team Minato was altogether, taking a few minutes to relax in an open forest clearing. Rin was checking her medical supplies, Minato-sensei was polishing one of his personal kunai, and Obito was using eye-drops.

It was supposed to be a small break, but he couldn't shake off the slight bit of nervousness running through him.

Some piano would really be nice right now...

Kakashi ended up lightly rubbing the star covering the back of his right hand. The cool metal was nice to the touch, and helped with the nerves a bit.

"Well," Minato-sensei then jumped off his makeshift rock seat, shouldering his backpack. "I guess it's about time we set out now."

Kakashi glanced at his teammates, and Obito and Rin looked up to nod in his direction.

"Yes, sir!" They replied in unison.

The walk out of the grass and towards the borders of the tall forest was again quiet. Surprisingly, Obito didn't seem to say much, just trailing behind Rin with a solemn face.

Kakashi could've sworn the Uchiha was glancing in his direction every once in awhile with sweat rolling down his cheek.

And then the quiet was interrupted with Rin's surprised shout. "Oh!" she said, hitting her fist into her palm with her brown eyes widening with recognition.

"…Huh?" Kakashi found himself stopping short of taking another step, turning around to blink. "What is it, Rin?" He didn't miss how Minato-sensei and Obito stopped to glance at the medic too.

"I almost completely forgot!" Rin went through her apron pockets with raised eyebrows before sparkles started to show in her eyes. Her light pink Wayfinder stood out on her left wrist while she continued to fumble with her pockets. "We still need to give Kakashi his Jounin presents!"

Obito froze.

Minato-sensei, for the first time that day, broke out into a small smile.

"…You really don't have to, Rin," Kakashi said, scratching his cheek. "You could do it any other day…"

"Of course not!" The medic pouted, finally pulling out what appeared to be a medicinal pack from her apron with exaggerated flourish. "I've been working with the others in our old Academy class and Tomoko-chan in giving you something to commemorate today! Don't just wave it off!"

"Alright, alright," Kakashi raised his hands in surrender with a shrug. "I won't stop you then."

Minato-sensei was outright chuckling now. "Well, I'll start then," he said, raising a tri-pronged kunai similar to his personal weapons in the air. "A custom-made, special kunai. It's a weird shape, but it should be easy to use." The Jounin then tossed the weapon in Kakashi's direction, with Kakashi catching it with practiced ease.

"Thanks, sensei," he replied, turning the kunai over for a quick look. Kakashi didn't miss the intricate fuinjutsu work in the handle, making sure to trace the markings with his thumb before stashing it into his pack.

Rin then beamed before presenting her present to him. "Here, a personalized med pack. I customized it so it's easier to use."

"…Thank you, Rin," Kakashi said quietly, taking the gift with gentle care. The small lucky charm on the front cover stood out in the sunlight when he looked at it, and he found himself smiling. It didn't feel right to fake the joy he was feeling, because this was a special day.

He was finally a Jounin. A ninja on equal footing to Minato-sensei. To Uncle Judai back in his prime. And…

And he was technically an equal to Dad. The former White Fang.

So then why was he nervous?

But the medic was still on a roll with the gifts, because she rounded on the last member of Team Minato with an expectant eye. "Obito, did you remember to bring Kakashi something?"

The Uchiha had apparently started whistling when Rin turned on him, and thus yelped. "U-Uhhh…"

Rin narrowed her eyes at him. "Don't tell me you forgot, Obito."

Obito traced circles in the grass beneath his sandal while twiddling his thumbs. "N-No!" he started loudly, attempting to puff his chest out. If the Uchiha was trying to sound confident, his distant gaze said otherwise. "I-I didn't forget, Rin…" Obito then trailed off.

Rin didn't miss a beat and relaxed her shoulders to look at her teammate with a softer gaze. "Then what is it, Obito?" she said quietly.

Kakashi waited silently with Minato-sensei. It didn't feel right to say anything.

Obito kicked a pebble. "T-Thing is, I'm not sure if I should give it, Rin… especially after what Tomoko-chan did for all of us. I mean... " He tugged at the navy blue, orange-edged star pinned to his jacket nervously, frowning all the while. "She gave us all something so great, and…welp, I'm not sure if my gift would be…" Obito then stopped talking.

Oh.

Kakashi didn't miss the tone of insecurity in his teammate's voice, glancing down at his right hand. His own silver star shined back at him almost mournfully, a clear reminder of that deed.

Heck, Kakashi had a feeling even Minato-sensei didn't know the full extent of Tomoko's plans up until that moment, considering his fish-like face the morning before when the stars all came to them.

Measuring up to that kind of thing was hard, but...

The new Jounin shook his head before taking a step closer towards the Uchiha, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Obito, you don't have to push yourself. Tomoko's…" Kakashi paused, finding his throat dry at the thought of the girl. "Tomoko's different," he settled for finally, pushing the thoughts out of his head. "And the fact that you got me something was nice, so you don't have to feel 'uncool' or something for not shaping up or anything. You're my teammate, and the gesture's appreciated."

Obito finally looked up, and his eyes were wide with bits of tears. "O-Oh," was all he said, then turned around to lift his goggles and wipe at his eyes with his left sleeve.

Oh great.

"…I didn't see anything, okay Obito?" Kakashi said finally. Then he glanced at the other two in the vicinity. "Right, sensei, Rin?"

Minato-sensei was holding back full-blown laughter now. "Yep, nothing at all."

Rin's bright smile was hard to miss as she nodded eagerly.

Obito turned back with a shaky grin in return. "I-It was just dust in my goggles, so it's fine! No worries!" He then raised a hand, and Kakashi shrugged before doing the same to bump fists.

No use making his teammate uncomfortable.

"A-Anyways," Obito fumbled with his pants pockets before light returned to his eyes. "Here!" The last thing Kakashi was expecting to see from his teammate were gloves similar to the long sleeves he was currently wearing, only covering the entire hand and extending past the elbow with the dark blue material. The main difference from his current gear, however, was the padded armor, with the palms having palpable cushions for blocking any injuries and the entire forearm being covered with the same metal guards. Overall, the gloves appeared to be high quality, almost too fancy for Obito's budget range.

Kakashi made sure to take the gloves gingerly, turning them over once or twice to take in all the details.

"T-They can still conduct chakra, y'know," Obito mumbled, looking away with a pink face. "It took a while gathering the money for those, but Jim-san was really nice on giving a discount, so…."

"They're great," Kakashi said immediately.

Obito yelped, his voice raising an octave. "Wh-What?"

Minato and Rin glanced at each other with warm smiles.

"They're great," Kakashi repeated, pulling off his left sleeve to slip on the left glove while stashing the right into his backpack. Flexing his fingers felt almost natural with the glove on, and the Jounin found himself rolling his eyes in good nature. "I'll use this then. I think my other arm is good, but I'll keep it around in case of anything."

That Wayfinder stole his right hand already.

Kakashi then made sure to look at his teammate with a visible grin, even with his mask factored into the situation. "Thanks, Obito."

Obito flushed a pleased red before nodding. "Y-Yeah! Uh, you're welcome." The Uchiha then rubbed the back of his head, muttering, "I thought it wasn't going to work."

"It did, so you're fine," Kakashi sniped back, lightly punching the Uchiha's shoulder. "Quit worrying about it."

"Wh-Who said I was worrying?!" Obito retorted.

Rin then started to giggle.

Yep. Being with his team felt good.

Minato made sure to steady his hands when spreading out the map on a nearby rock. It was just any other map, dictating how much each village had progressed in the war so far, but considering its eerie similarities with another map that another him carried, he had every reason to feel nervous.

This mission would change everything, whether for the better or for the worst.

Minato was hoping it would be for the better.

"Anyways team, the mission," Minato made sure to clear his throat. "You all know how Iwagakure has been fighting with Kusagakure around this line, right?" He made sure to point at the line in question, frowning at the bright red color against the beige background. If his students noticed it, they didn't say anything, instead nodding.

Things seemed to be lining up with Tomoko's memories a bit too much for his comfort right now.

"Our enemy will be Iwagakure shinobi, and they have the advantage in numbers." Minato held back the lump in his throat just to keep a steady voice. This situation wasn't pretty, no matter how you looked at it. "From Hokage-sama's information, they have apparently a thousand ninja set up at the front lines, advancing further than we initially expected."

"Which means they're getting too close to the Land of Fire," Kakashi interrupted quietly. "Considering how Kusagakure is close to us, we should've intercepted them sooner."

Right on point, Kakashi. We should've intercepted sooner, if not for our dwindling numbers.

Minato already hated the fact that the Hokage had no one else to spare.

Was it really all the Hokage could do?

Was there anything he could do? Here and now?

"Since they're coming in so quickly…" Rin put a hand to her chin while looking down at the map. "That means they have an efficient system for supplying those reinforcements."

"Feeding a thousand guys isn't easy after all." Obito continued, hanging his head. "That means they have a supply run."

"I say the bridge," Kakashi pointed at a small rectangle a few inches past the original red line of focus on the map. "Kannabi Bridge. It's the only one in the area with the area to cover that much in supplies in such short time. That means…" the new Jounin shook his head solemnly. "This is an infiltration mission."

Good job for noticing it, Obito, Kakashi.

Minato couldn't be any more proud of his team. The lump in his throat was already starting to disappear.

Maybe they can do it. A small voice said in his brain.

The Jounin immediately shook his head to rid himself of the thought, much to the palpable confusion of his students around him.

Don't say that yet. You don't know how they will do. That same trust led to…

Obito's bloodied face under the boulder flashed through his mind, and Minato shivered.

"Sensei?" His Obito said, and the eerie likeness in voice alone made Minato's nerves stand on end.

I don't want them to die.

"I'm fine, Obito," Minato said shortly, smiling dryly. "Just a stray thought." He then cleared his throat. "Back to the subject though. Team Kakashi."

The trio tensed.

"Your mission is an important one. Albeit difficult too. Kakashi was right that Kannabi Bridge is the center of everything, and your mission is focused specifically on destroying it. Sneak into the heart of enemy territory, destroy Kannabi Bridge to sabotage the enemy's supply lines, and then promptly evacuate." Minato took a breath before reaching back into his weapons pouch, pulling out a few black balls. If he didn't know any better, they would've been any regular food ration pills. But with their weight and his students' wide eyes, it said more than enough.

Concentrated explosives, with more than enough power to blow Kannabi Bridge into pieces.

Minato then took Kakashi's frozen left hand to deposit the small things into his palm, closing his fingers over them with his own. "You'll be in charge of these, Kakashi. You're the leader of your team now."

Kakashi's eyes widened before narrowing to a solemn gaze, nodding before stashing the explosives into his weapons pouch. Then he glanced at Obito and Rin. The two Chunin stared resolutely back, and Minato didn't miss the understanding pass through them.

Team Kakashi looked back up at him, and Minato's heart leapt in his chest.

"Yes, sir!" They all said, nodding their heads.

Minato had to hide the urge to smile or even cry.

They're already growing up…

Obito knelt forward, eyebrows furrowed. "What about you, sensei?"

"I'll be facing the enemy head on, providing enough distraction for you three to get through unscathed." Minato made sure to check his wording for the sake of not showing his fear.

Hopefully. The same small voice in his head added morbidly.

"Anyways, Kakashi will be in charge for this mission, but we'll still be together as Team Minato up until we reach the border." Minato put one hand out towards the center for a team push. "Once that happens, the mission starts."

Obito, Rin, and Kakashi all put their hands together on top of his. Minato made sure to memorize the feeling of their combined warmth.

"Yes, sir." They repeated.

Mission Start.

The trek into what Obito could vaguely describe as "Forest-and-Big-Mushroom-Land" was quiet and foreboding. A good analogy to the surrounding atmosphere would be sitting in a room alone with the asshat Fugaku, and Obito hated the feeling.

The only thing keeping him steady in reality was the feeling of his team.

Team Minato, soon to be Team Kakashi when Minato-sensei would set off. This wasn't the first time Minato-sensei had to leave them, but this mission was different.

Kakashi would officially be leader, and for once, Obito didn't mind one bit.

They were ready. At least, he hoped they were.

Kakashi was actually leading the group with quiet steps, and Obito strangely felt comfortable. If not comfortable, then normal. Normal at least, considering the tension in the air.

The large mushrooms sprouting from the trunks of the various trees didn't help that much though.

Then, Kakashi stopped, twitching once before extending his right hand. His silver Wayfinder glowed with the motion. Obito made sure to stop behind Minato-sensei, with Rin doing the same behind him.

Their leader had noticed someone.

Without even skipping a beat, Minato-sensei ran over to a nearby log, glancing it over before deeming it a suitable hiding place before motioning to the others. Obito made sure to push his legs forward after Kakashi's signal so that Rin was covered.

Once they all were properly hidden, Minato-sensei placed an index finger on the ground. Then, he grunted. "Careful out here, everyone," he said quietly. "There's about twenty enemies around here. I'm suspecting Shadow Clones."

So there's probably one or two bastards around here then. Obito's head finished.

Not the most apt of descriptions, but it worked.

"…You should probably take the lead, sensei," Kakashi added quietly. "I'll back you up."

HUH?

Obito tried not to make that much noise when turning to his teammate, but still found himself gaping. He didn't miss Rin's wide-eyed gaze in Kakashi's direction either. "Wh-Why, Kakashi?" he started, keeping his shock to a minimum for the sake of keeping their cover. "I would've thought you would want to lead considering you're, uh, a Jounin now."

Especially considering your badly-hidden excitement when you first heard about it from Hokage-sama a few months back… His mind added.

Kakashi shook his head before glancing down at his right hand. As if on cue, the silver Wayfinder on the back of his palm sparkled in the forest lighting. "Uncle Judai's test and training showed me otherwise. If I have the chance, I would prefer if I could conceal my greatest weapons until I really need to use them. And it feels like the ninja we're dealing with is a pushover."

If Minato-sensei was proud, he didn't give off any indication of it. The only slightest hint to what may be pride in the young Jounin was the glint in his blue eyes, and Obito buried the slight bit of jealousy down into his gut. It wasn't the time to get pissed over this. The Uchiha was honestly proud that Kakashi wasn't being an ass about it.

Tomoko-chan had really done a number on the original Academy jerk he had once known.

Thank you, Tomoko-chan! Obito internally prayed.

Back in Nagareboshi Cafe, a certain pianist sneezed.

Hoshino Hikari made sure to hold back a laugh before offering a tissue.

"Alright then," Minato-sensei said finally, twirling the same tri-pronged kunai. "I'll approach first. You three cover my back."

"Yes, sir," Kakashi, Obito, and Rin said in unison.

With a cloud of dust, they charged.

The Iwa shinobi didn't even see them coming.

Obito, Rin, and Kakashi made sure to quickly dispatch of most of the Shadow Clones with a mix of Fire Jutsu, poisoned senbon, and taijutsu, before Minato-sensei moved in.

The final sign that everything was over was a loud "Wha—?!" and a wet SLASH.

Even though everything had gone over without too much trouble, Obito was still grateful Minato-sensei took it upon himself to dispose of the body.

Looking at a headless corpse still gave him the creeps, despite having four years to get used to things.

War was never fun.

Night fell pretty quickly with the incoming horde of bright stars in the sky serving as their signal, so Rin wasn't surprised when Minato-sensei called for them to make camp.

Even if Kakashi was pouting somewhat at the somewhat slow progress. They had yet to reach the border, and the medic had a lingering feeling he wanted to at least make two-thirds of the way before setting up for the night. Buuuut considering they had made half, Rin settled for it.

Any peace would be appreciated.

It was when they had split food rations over a few candles she brought that Obito yelled.

"Heeeeeeeyyy!"

Rin tried not to jump, and proceeded to juggle the food pills in her hands before glancing at him. "O-Obito?"

"What was that for?" Kakashi added dryly, having pulled his mask down to chew on the pills with quiet exasperation. Rin tried not to gawk at his (handsome) face to instead focus on what he was saying. "Did you get more dust in your eye or something?"

"Not that!" To Rin's surprise, Obito's jacket was missing a certain something, and she soon found herself looking at the Uchiha's Wayfinder, blinking. "I was just looking over Tomoko-chan's gift, and it looks like she wrote something on the back of the Leaf symbol!" The Uchiha was grinning, eyes skimming over the back before reading it aloud. "Don't be reckless, and work together with your team, Obito-kun. It's okay to cry, just remember where you are — wait, what?" The Uchiha then flushed red as his Wayfinder found its way in the air from his fumbling. "T-Tomoko-channnn! Don't just end it with a smiley face!"

Rin then untangled the knot forming the bracelet on her left wrist to hide her giggles, grabbing the star in her palm to turn it over. "…It looks like she wrote something for me too. It's her handwriting, at least." Rin made sure to read it to herself before the heat started flooding her face.

Watch out for invisible ninja, and be sure to take care of Obito and Kakashi for me. :) You got this, Rin-chan! Miss you lots!

Your friend, Tomoko

"…Tomoko-chan…" Rin found herself saying softly.

Minato-sensei interrupted with a soft chuckle. "I think she did this for everybody. I have a message as well." He then cleared his throat. "Try not to be late for anything, Minato-san, and be sure to watch out for Team Kakashi! You're awesome! From Tomoko." Minato then took a breath, small smile breaking out on his face. "That girl…"

Kakashi was already staring at his Wayfinder long after Obito finished fumbling, quiet. The only troubling thing was that with his mask off, Rin could see the entirety of his red face.

"…Kakashi?" Obito started obviously. "What did Tomoko-chan write for you?"

The new Jounin then quickly brought his mask up past his nose, hiding his red cheeks in the process before retying the charm to his right hand again. "…Nothing," he muttered. "Nothing at all."

"Oh, c'mon, Kakashi!" Obito had seemingly gotten over his previous embarrassment to whine. "It can't be any worse than what she wrote for me! And knowing her, she should've saved the best for last! So what is it?"

Despite Kakashi's mask, the red on his face quickly spread to what was visible of his ears. He then coughed into his left fist. "Don't be reckless out there, and come home soon. From Tomoko," he ground out.

That's it?

"…Is that it?" Rin found herself saying incredulously.

Kakashi nodded vigorously.

"Reeeeally?" And was Obito actually…smirking? Huh? "Is that really all there was on it?"

Kakashi nodded again.

Minato-sensei then interrupted with a clearing of his throat, and that was that.

Rin tried to squash the green thing lingering in her stomach at the thought when blowing out the candles for lights out.

Probably wrote an "I love you," on there too for good measure. It added before disappearing with the small flames.

Great.

Kakashi couldn't sleep. Even when the candles were blown out, with Rin and Obito asleep and therefore left unable to question him anymore, his heart couldn't stop pounding.

He tried to monitor his breathing.

Lubdub, lubdub, lubdub, lubdub. His heart went on in his chest.

What was wrong with him?

Even when separated from her, it was like his heart and mind couldn't forget her.

"Kakashi!"

And that…that kiss.

The new Jounin felt his cheeks start to burn. That kiss. Even if it had been a few days, that moment felt like almost yesterday.

Her hand pulling him in, the dirt almost squelching under his stumble, and the feeling of soft lips touching his cheek. His mask was the only barrier between her touch and his skin, and it did NOTHING to help his heart.

And her words. Her last words before letting him go.

"J-Just come back, Kakashi. You, Obito, Rin, Minato-san, everybody. Just…Just come back safe and sound. And then…Th-Think when you come back, we can talk? I-I think…I think what I'm feeling right now might be…might be more than what I've been saying up until now."

And no matter how much his rational mind tried to deny it, there was no mistaking that bright red on her face or her tight grip on his hand.

Tomoko might feel the same.

Kakashi sat up in his sleeping bag to fiddle with the straps tying the Wayfinder to his right hand, letting it come loose for the sake of revealing the message inscribed on the metal Leaf.

Don't be reckless out there, and come home soon.

I love you.

— Tomoko

He made sure to cradle the charm gently in his hand before holding it against his chest.

This mission had to succeed.

Kakashi would make sure of it.

Morning came by too quickly for Minato's liking. Even when he could find sleep, he found himself waking in fits, only able to sleep for an hour or two before relegating himself to night watch for most of the evening.

It was better to watch over his students before letting them go.

Even then, when reaching the bamboo forest that was telling of the border, Minato found himself tense.

He would have to let them go now.

Were they ready?

Would Team Kakashi, his team, be okay on their own?

Heck, would he be in time to save them if they were in trouble?

The same three questions did circles and back-flips in his head.

"Okay," he said finally, facing the three with as much of a serious face as he could muster. "This is where we'll split up. We were lucky enough that the enemy from yesterday was a lone scout, but from here on out, it'll be team battles." Minato took a breath, looking them over.

Obito, Kakashi, Rin.

"Be careful out there," Minato choked out softly, breathing in through his nose for the sake of concealing his fear. "And don't die. All of you, come back safe and alive."

Don't make this the last time I'll see you as a complete team, was left unsaid.

The three ninja glanced at each other before looking up at him with…

Minato's heart froze in his chest.

Resolute smiles. No matter how he looked at it, his team, Team Kakashi was smiling at him.

"Alright, sensei, we'll do our best," Kakashi started, nodding his head. "We'll try to call you if anything happens."

"Don't worry, sensei," Obito added, flexing an arm to show off his muscle. "We trained for this. Go out and beat those enemy shinobi to a pulp!"

"I'll make sure to keep these two in line if and when anything happens," Rin smiled gently, looking at him with warm eyes. "So you can work out as much as you want, Minato-sensei."

We got this. Their eyes seemed to say.

Minato held his breath for the sake of holding back tears, allowing himself a nod. "…Alright then."

I have to trust in them now.

He raised a hand.

"Scatter!"

Soon enough, what was left of their presence in the clearing was the slightest imprint of a sandal in the dirt and dust clouds, which helped wipe that mark away.

A few days later, a routine had set in for Team Kakashi.

Check the map, gather and check supplies along the way, and avoid enemy traps to keep moving forward.

Heck, avoiding the enemy traps seemed almost like child's play. Kakashi made sure to check over the recent discovery of a bamboo sword pitfall with Obito and Rin before nimbly jumping over it.

Well-made, but somewhat obvious.

It was only when he was looking over the map while his teammates rested that he paused.

"…Hey, Rin," he started, adjusting the paper in his hands for a closer look.

The medic looked up from her work of reorganizing her pack, blinking. "What is it, Kakashi?" He didn't miss how Obito blinked from his work of reapplying eye-drops, nearly missing with one while doing so.

"Do we really have to follow this route?" Kakashi made sure to point at the blue line outlined on the map in question, and Rin put down her work to lean over his shoulder. "It seems a bit…outlandish?" Sue him for language. He wasn't really sure how else to put it.

"Uh, Kakashi," Obito interrupted, recapping his eyedrops in the process. "This is an infiltration mission, y'know."

"I get it," he responded flatly, flapping the map in the air for emphasis. "The thing is, this mission has been going too smoothly. And from Uncle Judai and Dad's advice, that's a sign that something's going to go wrong any moment now. Not to mention the fact that this information is a bit outdated." Kakashi tapped the map with his right knuckles. "Judging by the scent around here, the team that reported on this area hasn't come back in a while. I believe it might've been a week or more, judging by how weak it is."

"…That seems a bit too paranoid if you ask me, Kakashi," Rin mumbled. When he glanced at her, she just raised her hands in surrender. "But if you want to change things up, go ahead! You are the leader!"

Kakashi had a strange feeling Rin was upset. But this was a mission, so he decided to address the thought at a later date. "I think we should take this route." For emphasis, Kakashi then spread the map out on the ground to point at a green line on the map that went westward instead of the original east, darting through some different shapes, fairly new due to his quick scribbling. "It's still forest, so we'll still have cover. It's just not the bamboo we've been maneuvering through, but considering the timing, we'll encounter fewer enemies this way."

Rin glanced it over before nodding minutely.

Surprisingly, Obito shook his head. "Uh, not to be rude, Kakashi, but isn't that a bit…" The Uchiha paused, raising an index finger in the air to articulate his thought. "Isn't that a bit reckless to even assume?"

Kakashi raised an eyebrow at him.

Obito raised his hands in the air while fumbling with his eye drops. "I-I mean, I know you're leader and all, but we have a mission! Shouldn't we follow the route we've been doing originally?"

Kakashi sighed. "I get your point, Obito, but it's not just my gut feeling talking here. The scent around this area also says that a lot of Iwagakure has been lurking around in the distance. I'm not sure how much, but considering we encountered only a single scout when Minato-sensei was still with us, his teammates should still be around..."

He had to hold back a shiver. The scout may have been killed easily, but they had The Yellow Flash with them back then. Now, the team was alone, and with the possibility of facing two ninja with enough probable skill to kill them, or even more so based on how the battle would go.

"The fact that Minato-sensei took it upon himself to handle it showed that the enemy is at least experienced Jounin. And I'm still a new Jounin if anything. I could fight them off, but…" Kakashi then gulped.

The White Light Chakra Saber on his back seemed heavier if anything now with the thoughts swirling in his head.

Was this how Dad felt when he took on that failed mission, so many years ago?

Kakashi wasn't sure.

But.

This was his mission. This was his chance to show himself.

At least, that was what his past self would say.

But after all this time, all these years with Dad, Uncle Judai, Aunt Hikari, and Tomoko, it wasn't just about him anymore.

There was more risk in here than any other mission he had ever taken.

He couldn't fail.

Team Kakashi couldn't fail.

Kakashi took a deep breath before looking at his team with resolute eyes.

"We all need to come back. We all need to finish this mission, safe and sound, because we have people waiting for us. So if that means going on a different path and avoiding enemies, then that's the deal."

A long pause followed.

Obito then exhaled shakily, his eyedrops now stashed away in his pack. "Well," he started. "I-I can't argue with that." Even with his grin, Kakashi couldn't miss the honest relief showing in his eyes along with the slight bits of fear. Then, the Uchiha opened his palms for a clear viewing, and even with the long sleeves covering them, Kakashi could see the amount of sweat seeping into the cloth. Ack.

Obito then laughed shakily, clutching his hands as soon as Kakashi and Rin got to see the damage. "My hands…they just…they just keep shaking and sweating, and I keep feeling scared despite what we've all gone through, so less fights might be for the better. I-I…I just want to get back home safe too."

There was a breath. "…There's nothing wrong with that, Obito," Rin interrupted quietly, putting a hand over one of his extended ones. "We're on our own this time with no one but each other. Of course we'd be scared."

Surprisingly, Obito did nothing to deny the thought and nodded, hanging his head.

Team Minato has come a long way since the first few days.

Kakashi held out his own hand to cover both of his teammates' firmly. "So, is that plan good with you two?"

Rin and Obito then raised their heads to lock eyes with him. At that moment, Kakashi wasn't really sure what was going through their heads. Heck, it was the first time in a while that their eyes were so deep when looking at him.

But they were together. They were a team. And they were connected enough to where Kakashi could make out one single thing.

Let's do this.

Their Wayfinders almost glowed at the realization.

Pink. Blue. Silver.

"Alright then," Kakashi smiled widely, pressing their hands together. "Team Kakashi, heading out!"

"Right!" Obito and Rin replied firmly.

And then they ran off towards the west.

In a deeper part of the bamboo forest towards the east, Taiseki and Kakkō from Iwagakure found themselves confused. Their original mission involved them protecting the area around the borders leading up to Kannabi Bridge, and they had made sure to check the threat via sending Mahiru to scout.

But it had been a week, and Mahiru was nowhere to be found.

Kakkō was the one who brought up the possibility of Mahiru being killed. Taiseki wasn't sure, but made sure to raise his hackles when traveling with the other man towards Mahiru's original location.

But they had found dead end after dead end.

If there were traces of any enemy, they had done well in covering their tracks.

There wasn't a presence, a footprint, heck, even a noise that said anything.

All that was possibly left of Mahiru when they reached him was a few drops of blood left on some of the surrounding mushrooms.

"Who could've taken out Mahiru…?" Kakkō found himself asking, only able to watch as Taiseki swiped at the blood with his finger, sniffing it.

"This blood is a week old. Don't think we have the supplies to clarify it, but I'm sure this is Mahiru's." Taiseki then brought his hands together, taking a few moments to pray.

Kakkō cursed under his breath before slamming his fist into the mushroom behind him. The consequent breaking of the mushroom's shaft and its tumbling to the ground below did nothing to quell his anger. "We're Iwagakure shinobi! Pride of the Tsuchikage! We should be better than this! So who in all fucks got away with this?!"

Unknown to him and Taiseki, their answer was already long gone.

The Yellow Flash was on his way towards the front lines, and Team Kakashi were on the way to Kannabi Bridge as scheduled.

In another world, in another time, Team Kakashi, Kakkō, and Taiseki were meant to meet in battle at this moment.

But this was different.

Things were already starting to change.

Author's Notes: So. The first half of Kannabi. A lot of you may be wondering about all the changes put in at this point, but I can't say much since we're not done. I will say though, that everything in Kannabi from here and to the next chapter was planned from the near beginning of Civilian Pianist, with the real Josh and Leo helping me with its eventual execution, shown here.

This is also why Tomoko doesn't even have a point of view in this chapter, because I wanted to focus on what she's done and how she's changed things with her family up to this point, without her saying anything. Heck, an essential part of her character is how she feels like she hasn't done much to change anything, but as a certain swordsman from Catch Your Breath fame can attest to, even the smallest of actions create the largest ripples.

Team Kakashi may have gotten away for now, but it's war. What matters is seeing how things will go from here.

Nonetheless, I have to thank you all again. Since the publishing of Chapter 42 and July 31, 2017, CP has had 815 reviews, 1,381 followers, 1,145 favorites, AND 306,497 hits! It's thanks to you all that I've come so far! You guys are amazing.

This is Writer-and-Artist27 signing out to write Chapter 44~!