I sadly, do own Naruto, or else I would have renamed it Kakashi!
White Fang, Lightning's Howl: The Secret of the Hatake Clan
I must grow Stronger
Watching Naruto shoot down the road with Jiraiya bawling at him to slow down, Kakashi sighed.
Sasuke gone. Naruto away.
"Looks like it's just you and me, Sakura," Kakashi said, quietly.
Sakura, wiping tears away, nodded silently. Then, turning around, she paused.
"Ahhh…. Kakashi-sensei." Her voice was firm. "There's something I need to do."
Eh?
He turned to look at her tensed back and clenched fists.
"Well, we'll need to find out first if Tsunade has another mission for us or something…." Kakashi's voice trailed off as he fully realized the ridiculousness of the situation.
HALF of HIS TEAM was GONE.
HALF – GONE!
Once again, he wondered with despair he desperately tried to hide – what went wrong?
"That is something we need to talk about," Tsunade said, suddenly from behind Kakashi.
Kakashi sighed.
In Tsunade's office, Kakashi and Sakura stood before Tsunade's desk. Tsunade put her head outside the door and yelled.
Kotetsu and Izumo appeared suddenly.
"Yes, Hokage-sama!"
"Get this – this – STUFF out of here!"
Tsunade waved her hands at two large stacks of books and paper.
The two chuunins gulped.
"Where to?" asked Izumo.
"Uh…. Drop it off at my house," Tsunade said. "I think I'll do the research tonight when there's more peace and quiet."
"We'll get to it right away," Izumo said. And picking up a huge pile of books and papers, gritted his teeth stoically as he found his way out of the room.
"Serve the Hokage, they said. Great benefits, they said to me. A place of honour and prestige, they said. My ass!" Kotetsui grumbled as he picked up his pile.
"WHAT did you say?" asked Tsunade dangerously.
"Nothing, nothing," Kotetsu said, hastily.
Outside, they could hear the two chuunins talking.
"Well, what did you expect?" Izumo was saying. "Look at what happened to Raido!"
"How many times have we gone between this office and her house?" Kotetsu complained.
"Hmmmm…. Good point…"
"The time and distance added would probably give us a round trip of the world!"
"I think you exaggerate, Kotetsu."
"Well, my back is going to break one of these days – and then where will we be?"
"Just think of the sake we can pick up on our way back."
"Ahhhh…. Good thinking, Izumo."
"Common sense, Kotetsu, get some."
Tsunade shut the door and sighed dramatically.
"Those guys will be the death of me, one of these days."
Walking around behind the desk, Tsunade seated herself and folding her hands, looked at them.
"I've decided to disband Team 7."
"What?" asked Sakura.
"What's left of it."
Kakashi could feel the lead of failure. If he could have stayed with Sakura, he could at least say he was responsible with ONE thing. But it looked less of an option. He bent his head in thought looking at the scuffed desk.
"Forever, Hoakage-sama?"
Tsunade looked at the two of them.
"It depends on you, Kakashi."
Sakura turned her head.
"After all," Tsunade said. "It's a well-known fact that the Copy Ninja is very much a lone dog. Perhaps you feel that teaching doesn't suit you….. Anybody could see that by the harshness of your bell test."
Kakashi didn't answer.
Tsunade turned to Sakura.
"At any rate, Sakura was about to come to me for full-time training."
Kakashi raised his head and looked at Sakura, piercingly.
With surprise.
"It seems ironic that the three Sannins would end up with the three genins of your Team 7." Tsunade mused. "Destiny, perhaps."
"This true, Sakura?" Kakashi asked hesitatingly. "You wish to train…."
"It is best this way, Kakashi-sensei," Sakura said softly. For a moment, she looked teary-eyed, but she clenched her fists in resolve. "I'm sorry I could not be a teammate with you but – I must grow stronger if I wish to help Naruto bring Sasuke back."
"Kakashi-sensei! I'm off! When I come back, I'm going to be so strong, I'll be able to beat you in a fair match!" Naruto yelled.
"Sure, sure," Kakashi smiled. "That is unless I do nothing whole time you are gone – an unlikely prospect."
"The Ero-Sannin will teach me cool jutsus! You'll see! I have to grow stronger if I wish to help Sakura bring Sasuke back!"
I must grow stronger.
They are getting serious, I see. They will be embroiled in a war for the first time in their lives. Fighting Sound. Fighting the Akatsuki. We'll all need to get serious.
I must grow stronger.
A smile grew on his face.
"Sakura," Kakashi said. "If this is the path you must take, then walk it. I am glad for you. It is a great honor to receive training from the Hokage herself."
Sakura, receiving affirmation, smiled back.
Inside, she yelled, "Alright! I'm on the path to greatness! Love will prevail!"
"Errr…. Kakashi-sensei – what will you do?"
They both turned to Tsunade.
"I hope," Kakashi said softly. "I hope that Team 7 will unite again one day. All four of us…. I left ANBU for my own reasons – which hold no bearing for anyone but myself – and found joy in teaching – believe it or not…."
Teaching Sasuke the chidori. Trying to teach the chidori to Naruto.
Force feeding Naruto vegetables. Encouraging Sakura's genjutsu abilities.
Performing the 1,000 Years of Pain Jutsu on Naruto. Scaring Sakura with the vision of a dying Sasuke. Burying Sasuke up to his neck.
Tree climbing without hands. Evading their attempts to take off his mask.
"The bell test was difficult… ehhh… I didn't want to end up with idiots."
"Well, the jury is still out on that one," Tsunade glowered. "Sasuke a traitor, Naruto still hyperactive, Sakura lacking balance…. Sheesh…."
"Well," Kakashi said defensively. "It was my first time…. You try it."
"Anyway," Tsunade said. "It's decided. Sakura will train under me. Kakashi, you will go solo until Naruto gets back."
Walking out of the building, Kakashi and Sakura were silent.
"Maybe we'll see each other, once in a while," Sakura said softly.
Kakashi smiled. She was a tender-hearted girl, already she was tearing up at the idea of parting with another friend.
"Perhaps," he said, eye curving in a smile as he placed a hand on her shoulder and bent low to look her in the eyes.
He wanted no girl crying over him.
Not again.
"What WILL you do?" she asked.
She couldn't imagine him doing anything other than reading, sleeping, looking at the memorial or teaching.
"I've got something to do," Kakashi said vaguely.
I must grow stronger
