Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Naruto characters or its story line, I just obsess over it.
Rated M: for mature content.
A/N: I forgot to add this in the first chapter because I'm noob. There are spoilers to the Kakashi Gaiden, and possibly further. I'm sorry this wasn't in the first chapter, please forgive me, I didn't mean to. Also, since FF dot net does not like the asterisk separators please be aware that there is a break in between the memory sequence and present time in the first chapter. Any feedback is highly appreciated. Thank you, and now on to the fic.
Forgotten Memoirs ch2 – Reunion
After the Mission
Kakashi groggily opened his eyes. The young boy's brain hurt, his body hurt, and he could swear even his spleen hurt.
Taking in his surroundings, the first thing he saw was the obsidian darkness that came with the night. His mind turned to panic, because the last thing he remembered was being surrounded by enemy ninja, his body flaring in pain as he summoned chakra to his hand.
He remembered the vague sensation of a kunai leaving his hand, seeing it lodge itself cleanly into a stone ninja's throat. The chirping sounds of his Raikiri coming into place, then darkness. Utter and complete.
Everything was peaceful, compared to the harshness that had only transpired what seemed to be seconds ago.
"Am I dead?" Kakashi groaned out. Something came to rest on his head. The familiar presence of the person who knew him best filled the area. The fleeting comfort disappearing in an instant as the youth remembered where he was last.
"The enemy!" Kakashi shouted as he sprang up, all the notion of staying alive rushing into him.
"I took care of them," The deep familiar voice said beside him. The image of his sensei finally locked onto place as his vision focused in the moonlight. "The kunai I gave to you had a special Jutsu connected to it, I was immediately alerted to when it was thrown."
"Sensei…" Kakashi started, "Where's Rin?" He asked in a panic, remembering that he would fulfill his promise to his teammate no matter the consequence.
"She's fine, and she's safe," The blond Jounin said, pointing towards the Kunoichi in question, "I heard it all from Rin."
Kakashi stared in the direction that his Sensei pointed to, his panic level dropping as he observed his teammate. Obito, in all his musing, would have thought Rin was beautiful in the moonlight. At that thought, Kakashi could feel his left eye, his friend's left eye, start to tear up.
"I did this," He squeaked out, trying his best to use the most neutral tone that he could, knowing full well that emotion was running rampant in him.
The young shinobi's sensei also knew of the emotion coming out of his young charge, his hand gently ruffling the boy's unruly hair, as if to comfort him. "I'm sorry Kakashi that this happened, that I was unable to help." The older man stated truthfully.
"The mission given to us was my responsibility," Kakashi chocked out, his Sharigan letting tears flow freely out of it, "I am the one to blame."
The one known as Konoha's Yellow Flash, stared at his pupil. So obviously upset, because he had never seen his student cry, not since the elder Hatake had passed away. Crying was crying, even if it was only coming out of one eye.
"Kakashi…you have to understand that these things happen, it doesn't help that we're in a war, but it's one of the risks that comes with being a ninja." He said, hoping his words were getting to his student. "I think Obito knew that, maybe that's why he did what he-"
"You're right sensei," Kakashi interrupted, desperately wanting to stop his Sensei's words. Any more comfort and he was sure to break down. Breaking down was not an option to the young shinobi. He wiped the tear stain from his face, something completely foreign to the White Fang's son. The youth stood from his spot, "Let's go…we have a mission to complete."
"Kakashi…You and Rin should go back to the village," The Yellow Flash said, the deep prickling of fear setting into his system. The fear that he would lose his other two students, "You've both been through enough, go home and rest."
"I refuse," Kakashi replied, "I'm completing this mission at all costs, for Obito's sake, backing out now would be like we're mocking his death," When silence rang out the youth continued, "Obito completed my Jutsu, it's only fair I complete the mission that all of us set out to do."
The Jounin nodded his approval, glad that the semblances of his student, both of his students, were returning to normal.
"You're right," chimed in another voice.
"I'm glad you agree Rin," Kakashi said to the Kunoichi who appeared next to him and their Sensei, "Because I'd have taken you with me if you had refused,"
The blond Jounin stared at his charge once again, confused…needless to say that this was not the Kakashi he was used to.
"I made a promise," Kakashi answered to the glare, "I will complete all the missions given to me," And I'll never lose another friend again. The youth declared to his team, and to himself as he started to march into the forest, hell bent on doing what his mind had stated, "That's a promise of a lifetime."
x
The two shinobi waited patiently in their Hokage's office. One standing in perfect attention, the years of strict tutelage bringing him to do what came naturally. Sometimes it was more out of habit than it was anything else. The young Chuunin could not even begin to think of slouching in the presence of others. Serving in front of the Sandaime had that effect on people.
The other shinobi; however, stood slacked. Shoulders crouched, his appearance stating nothing about him. Years of training spent being on guard, often because his life depended on such vigilance. Sometimes it was nice to relax. However being summoned by your ninja leader at such a late hour meant something was in store for you. And most likely they were a potentially dangerous brand of something. So, relaxing was out of the question for the Jounin Sensei.
Relaxing being out of the question because of the circumstances that Kakashi was finding himself under. Normally a meeting at this time indicated a high level mission, a mission that could not wait to be properly filed and issued to the masses. These types of situations were normal for the Copy-ninja. However, there was another shinobi involved in the current circumstances. Said shinobi being Umino Iruka.
The gray haired man looked over at his fellow villager, noticing the tense nerves of the other. This was probably the first time Iruka was summoned to the new Hokage at this late of an hour. What with the rigid state he carried himself, the steeled reserves in his brown eyes, and the intense calm he was trying to project out of his expression. Everything about the Chuunin teacher screamed that he was nervousness. How could Kakashi not feel worried for his comrade?
Plus Naruto would kill me if I ever let anything happen to Iruka while he was in my care. Kakashi added to himself silently.
A few moments later the Godaime of Konoha silently entered her office, quickly followed by her assistant.
"I'm sorry about calling you two in at this hour," The blond said as she seated herself in her desk chair, "But recent news has come to my attention, and withholding this from our allies could prove very devastating for our village." She said mono toned, as if this were nothing more than an idle chat with someone she had not seen in a long time.
She gave her assistant a small nod, and at that the dark haired woman placed a scroll taken from her pouch onto the Godaime's desk.
"I need you both to deliver this scroll to one of our fellow Konoha shinobi," She continued, "The problem is that we have no idea where this particular person is."
"Tsunade, I don't mean to be rude," Iruka said, trying to be as polite as possible, rumors of their leaders temper was a legend in itself. "But what could I possibly contribute to this mission, I'm a teacher…not a tracker," The Chuunin stated simply.
"Yes, usually we would have sent someone else like Kakashi," Her eyes picked up a surprisingly delighted smirk as she paused, "However the ninja you will be tracking is highly unusual, in fact he's the maverick of all ninjas, and that's putting it lightly," She said, her plotting grin becoming more and more evident.
Under such a grin, Iruka did all he could to not gulp his fears. While Kakashi just scoffed at the implications. Underneath the underneath, how ridiculous.
"The reason why the village is sending the both of you on this mission, besides the obvious level of your skills," She continued smirking, aiming the last statement at Kakashi, whose only reaction was to roll his eyes, "Is because you both know this ninja like no other in this village." She said happily.
"Huh?" Iruka stared dumbfounded at the older woman. "Who would Kakashi and myself both know that well? We barely know each other at all…"
"You're not serious are you?" Kakashi asked, his eye turning into his trademark smile, after all, he couldn't bring himself to laugh at the naive Chuunin.
That however did not stop the Hokage from gagging on her laughter, "Tsunada-sama!" Her polite assistant said in a scolding voice.
"I can't help it Shizune," She said as she finally stifled her mirth, "It's obvious where this ninja gets his lack of common sense from," Tsunade said with a grin.
"Alright, now that we know of the mission," Kakashi said, only to save his new team mate from any more embarrassment, "Do you know where Naruto and Jiraiya traveled last?"
Irukas' eyes widened with understanding, "You mean we're being…you're not joking are you?" He questioned his leader, his eyes already lighting up at the opportunity at hand.
"I mean every word I've said so far, However…" She trailed off, the serious edge taking hold in the Hokage's voice, the voice of a leader, "It is imperative that you get this scroll to those two, this is an S classed mission and I expect nothing else but succeeding from the two of you."
"I agree," Said Kakashi, "But there's only one thing missing, we need a third member."
"Yes, I've had someone in mind for this mission, seeing that the information in this scroll could cause you all complications during travel, a medical ninja might be the best option for a third, and-"
"And, with that being said," Kakashi interrupted as he, ignoring the death glare from said interrupted Hokage, cocked his head up to glare at an offending piece of ceiling, "You can come out of your Genjutsu Sakura."
"Sakura?" The other three adults in the room exclaimed as an embarrassed teenage girl with pink hair lowered her jutsu.
"I thought I was careful with my chakra concealment too," She said guiltily as she dropped to the floor, her now long hair falling into place. "How long did you know Kakash-Sensei?" She asked with the informal name of her teacher.
"Ever since you entered the room with Tsunade," Although guessing from the old bats expression, she had no idea her apprentice was spying. He thought happily, "Normally I probably wouldn't have noticed that level of concealment mixed with your Genjutsu skills. However, you are, or were, my student after all," Kakashi turned his happy eye grin to his now blushing student, "I could sense your chakra from a mile away, no matter how concealed it is."
"I see," The teenage girl said, beaming at her teacher, "I don't know if I should feel special, or scared," Sakura said with a small giggle.
Kakashi, being the ever observant person that he is, moved to whisper into the girl's ear, "I don't think you should be laughing at this moment," he said as he pointed to a now fuming Hokage.
"How long were you listening?" Tsunade scathed out, "And I don't just mean the conversation in this office."
Sakura gave a small yelp, which showed a lot about her character because most would be pleading for their lives at this point, "Um…I only started tailing you after I saw you walking here from the academy, I'm sorry Sensei…I got curious," she said, trying not to further infuriate her master.
Oh my Crackers! Tsunade-Sensei is going to kill me! Inner Sakura raged, while the outer Sakura whimpered and retreated into the shadow of the Copy-Nin.
Iruka and Shizune stared at the Sensei's and student before them, their actions earning a sweat drop for their determination.
"Well now that we've established that Sakura has gained the skills necessary for spying," Kakashi said as he proudly and affectionately messed with her hair, and yes Kakashi did that for his female student too, "Can we get onto business?"
"Yes, we still have to decide a third member for this mission Tsunade-Sama," Shizune agreed.
"I think we've found our third member already," Kakashi beamed as he pointed to Sakura at the blank glares he was receiving.
"Me!" Sakura all but screeched in surprise.
Never had she gotten this much attention from her Jounin-Sensei. She knew it wasn't his fault that he didn't have much to work with because she had mastered the basics way before meeting him. So, she never held it against the gray haired man for paying more attention to her team mates. Everyone had to master the basics before moving on to the advanced techniques, it was the way of teamwork, every moving at the same pace. However by the time her two teammates had mastered the basics, or never in Narutos' case, they had started to go their separate ways.
Still the recognition she was getting from Kakashi was almost overwhelming, she would have cried for joy if she was sure no one could see. She had longed to be recognized by her Sensei.
As for the reasons why Kakashi was being so affectionate, could you blame a guy for missing his team, especially since he had basically lost his whole team to stronger ninjas.
"I highly doubt Sakura is ready for a mission of this level Kakashi," Tsunade said sternly.
"I, of course disagree," The Copy-Nin retaliated, "Sakura was on my team after all, I can tell how hard she's been training with you, plus she knows Naruto just as well as I or Iruka," He stopped and gave Tsunade his trademark grin, causing everyone else in the room to break in a sweat, "Also, if you were her master for two years, I wouldn't put it past you to teach her medical-jutsu."
Tsunade resisted the urge to slam her fist into the Copy-Nin's face, "Fine have it your way," She said through gritted teeth, "I'm retiring for the night, Shizune can fill you in on the rest of the mission specs." Tsunade said as she exited the room. Which was code for, "I'm done dealing with you lot, now that I have a head ache, I'm going to go get some strong Sake."
"That…could have gone better," Iruka squeaked out, although his heart was beating hard. The prospects of the mission raised his spirits.
x
A/N: Concerning the way how I addressed suffixes for this fic. I intentionally left out the constant spam of –san, -chan, etc. Why? It's because I am not from Japan, so I just feel weird adding it. In other words, I don't go out calling people "name-chan." So I left it out.
Granted I've added certain phrases because it feels appropriate. A student from the Naruto universe not calling their teacher Sensei is just wrong. If this bothers you, I'm sorry.