"Hey," the other man greets casually, as if he didn't just break into Kakashi's house and then search through the jonin's stuff while he waited for Kakashi to arrive home from training his new team.
Kakashi doesn't give any indication that he registers the foreign presence, not even glancing up from his Icha Icha book. He closes the front door with a light kick and wanders further into his home, flopping onto the couch.
"I came to see you," the other man says happily as he bounds from the kitchen bench to the couch besides Kakashi. He then stares at the jonin intently.
Kakashi sighs and looks over at the man covered in something like white bandages that spiral all across his body, the origin of the swirl coming from the man's eye. The white body is clad in a dark purple cloak, the hood down for now.
"Did you want something, Tobi?" Kakashi deadpans.
The man flails his hands a bit. "Um, so congratulations on getting students."
"I hate children," Kakashi replies.
"That's good," Tobi says in an encouraging manner. "I mean, Uchihas are always awesome and the girl kind of has cool hair, but try to not get attached to the blond."
Kakashi goes back to his book again, uncaring.
"Because, you know; the Eye of the Moon Plan I've told you about," Tobi continues a bit awkwardly. "The blond kind of needs to be murdered."
Kakashi, not for the first time, wonders if he should actually get the man some psychiatric help. He still thinks it's not really his problem if a weird Konoha ninja just decides to dress up when they're off duty, and he's used to the stalking so it's not a problem per se.
However, Tobi has been going on about moons and Goddesses and Biju for a while now. Unfortunately Tobi actually believes the words coming out of his mouth, to the point where he'll leave out a lot of information whenever he talks to Kakashi about it, citing that it's for Kakashi's own good that he doesn't know.
Admittedly the jonin hasn't helped the delusion, because when he was really bored one day he sat Tobi down and explained just how stupid the plan was. And then because Kakashi was really, really bored he spent the rest of the day making a better plan with Tobi. (Kakashi is a genius, so he already has several different routes to world domination in mind.)
The other man promised to use the shared idea as a backup if things went wrong, but apparently he's not the leader of the moon-fetish group.
"You're not murdering my students," Kakashi berates half-heartedly.
"No, no," Tobi says quickly. "Not students as in plural; just one student. I'm only going to torture and slaughter one of them."
His stalkers often talk about killing a lot of the people close to Kakashi, so this is normal. It's not technically a breech of his duty as a Konoha ninja to ignore the man.
A thought occurs to Kakashi then and he lowers his book, turning on the three-seater couch to fully face the other male. "You are a Konoha ninja, aren't you?"
Tobi shrugs. "Grew up here, and then my family moved on… to another place."
Kakashi accepts it easily enough. Even if the man is an enemy, he can't be worse than Orochimaru. Right?
They both hear familiar footsteps outside and Tobi quickly stands, rests his hand on Kakashi's shoulder for a moment, and then sneaks out of the window. Kakashi tucks away his book and quickly pats down the couch to make it look like no one had been sitting there.
He then stops because it's not like he has a reason to hide the other's presense. Tobi broke into his house, this isn't some kind of traitourous rondevouz that they have to keep secret from anyone. Is… is Kakashi getting used to this? Does he think of Tobi as an actual friend?
As Kakashi stares at the couch and has a small mental breakdown, the door swings open and a tall man steps through, his broad shoulders filling the doorway.
"How was your day?" the older man asks, wandering over and flopping onto the couch, much like Kakashi did before.
"Not bad," Kakashi admits, locking away his earlier thoughts into a dark corner of his mind. "Only one stalker today - and Guy. Actually I'm pretty sure he counts as a stalker as well."
Guy, despite the way he acts, actually hasn't seen Kakashi's face and that is a blessing. Partly because a more obsessed Guy is not something he ever wants to see. Mostly because he knows their friendship is genuine.
The other man chuckles and swings an arm around Kakashi's shoulders, dragging in the younger until they were cuddled up on the couch.
"You didn't spot any Root following you around?" the older asks casually. "Danzo needs to pick up his game. I thought he'd be a good protector when I showed him your cute little face but if he's slacking I might have to get someone else." He smirks. "How about the Kazekage?"
"No," Kakashi deadpans instantly. "No, don't even joke about that."
The older laughs again and presses a kiss to Kakashi's hair. "I love you," he says.
"Love you too, Dad," Kakashi responds automatically, but there's genuine emotion in his voice.
And that. That sentence is why Sakumo doesn't regret showing people despite Kakashi's many complaints. If he hadn't taken those steps, then he might not have been alive to hear those words.
"Well if it isn't the failure," Danzo greets. "Have you thrown any more missions lately?"
Sakumo says nothing, not reacting to the insult. It's mild -almost polite- compared to what's being spat at him lately. He gently shifts the sleeping (drugged) child in his arms and hooks a finger in the material of the mask to pull it down.
"Protect him," Sakumo orders.
Danzo is unable to do anything but agree.
"Why?" Orochimaru demands as soon as he can talk again. "There has to be someone better."
Sakumo pauses, one hand still on the door. "I can't trust him with someone better. I chose you because you're a bad person and you're willing to do bad things to keep him safe."
"What more can I give him than a tailed beast?" Sakumo says, more to himself than the other occupant of the room.
"The Kyuubi is locked away," Kushina replies at barely a murmur. She cradles the small child close to her chest and holds him like he'll shatter easily.
"But you can release it," Sakumo points out calmly as if he isn't suggesting that Kushina throw a being of hatred and death into the world. "And you will if Kakashi is ever in danger."
Kushina nods though Sakumo was far from asking politely.
Sakumo relaxes, barely visible, because just a few more people need to be instructed and Kakashi will be safe. He needs to leave, so his son won't be looked at with the same disgust they spit at Sakumo, but he won't be leaving Kakashi alone.
A group of adults find Kakashi near his usual training ground. They move fast and quiet so he assumes high chunin or jonin. They drop out of the trees near him but they don't make any move to attack so Kakashi refrains from stabbing anything.
"Do you enjoy your father's presence?" one ninja asks.
"Yes," Kakashi sounds out, rather confused.
And that's more than enough of an answer. The boy wants his father, so the father must remain. The adults leave swiftly, though one returns and pats Kakashi on the head before disappearing.
No one ever speaks badly of Sakumo after that day.
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A/N: This is stuffed with backstory and I'm sorry that it reads so clunky. Anyway, I made this because so many kept asking about events and how they would change. The actual second chapter is coming soon.
EDIT: Some of you were questioning Sakumo, so hopefully the extra parts tacked on will clear things up instead of making you more confused.
I don't know, should I take the parts down or does it help?