Anko moaned in his ear. He grabbed her hair and pulled as her legs wrapped around his waist, drawing him closer to her and deeper inside. He had a consistent rhythm now, almost instinctual. He focused on the sounds she made, the way she gripped the back of his neck, and how she quivered and grew silent when she was close to her climax.

Kakashi fought against Orochimaru's haunting laugh echoing in his mind too. You have always failed to protect those you care about and this will be no different. He looked down at Anko, her eyes glazed from pleasure, and her mouth curled in the shyest smile he'd ever seen from her. He allowed himself a grimace underneath his mask that quickly faded.

If Orochimaru came for you, could I protect you? The thought was troublesome. He cared about Anko and trusted her enough to be this vulnerable with her, but he'd never presumed that she needed his protection or desired it. That wasn't what this was. They were escapes for each other and nothing more. At least, that's what he told himself.

"What's with that sad puppy expression on your face?" She was looking at him now, half frowning and smiling.

"What's with the innocent schoolgirl act?" Kakashi retorted dryly. Anko shot up in the bed, moving off of his chest.

Folding her arms, she said, "Don't get a big head, Kakashi." He could almost laugh at how flustered she sounded, such a contrast to her usual abrasively confident self. He reached out and caressed her cheek, staring into her eyes.

"Thank you."

This made her blush deeply and then look away. "Kakashi," she whispered. "Please."

He saw Rin, smiling through bloody teeth. He could feel her heart in his hand. Kakashi, please...

"I'm sorry," he said. He tried to stop his hand from shaking. When he couldn't, Anko touched him gently and the tremors slowed. They stared at each other for a few moments, in silence.

Then Anko whispered, "You're okay." She leaned in slowly to kiss him, closing her eyes tight as she pulled down his mask. He felt himself slip and his walls be temporarily breached. He'd almost fallen completely. Then, he heard a knock on the door.

He pulled his mask up as he rose to his feet. Glancing back at Anko, he said, "Expecting someone else?"

"No, I wouldn't surprise you with a third," the kunoichi said, sarcasm dripping from her voice. Kakashi rolled his eyes and watched her crawl past him out into the living room then walked towards her front door, slipping her robe on. She turned the knob and pulled on the handle. The soft light of the sun filtered through dark clouds crept into the room along with a chilly wind. After a brief pause, Anko turned. "It's for you," she said.

Cautiously, he got out of the bed and stepped into his pants and undergarments. He took Anko's place at the door and his eyes widened slightly. Yugao and Sugaru stood against the railing in their cloaks and masks, the only signs of their identity to Kakashi's keen eye were Yugao's purple hair falling on the base of her neck and the bugs that scurried up the Aburame operative's sleeves.

"What are you doing here? How did you find me?"

"A friend," Sugaru signed. Kakashi saw a tiny bug crawl out of his sandal and then fly slowly back to its master.

How long had it been there, tracking my movements? Kakashi thought. Could he have been tracked to the police headquarters and then below ground to Orochimaru? It landed on Sugaru's hand and crawl back up his sleeve.

"S-sorry," Yugao said softly. "Lord Hokage wants to meet Team Ro as soon as possible and we needed you..." Kakashi thought he saw her head dip as if she were looking away, forgetting she had her mask on.

What was that about? "Fine, just give me a second." He gently closed the door and gathered his clothes out of the living room. Anko watched him from the kitchen, lowering a glass of orange juice from her mouth.

"What's going on?"

"Something classified." Kakashi quickly put on his ANBU uniform and headed towards the door. He threw his cloak over his shoulder and closed it around his body. He turned to Anko as he lifted his mask to his face. Softly, he said, "I'll see you later."

He led the team across the Konoha rooftops, breathing in the crisp and icy air. Yugao came up on his right and looked over at him.

"Captain Kakashi..." she started.

"You have a question?" His flat voice usually caused people to shy away from him but Yugao braved the storm.

"That was Orochimaru's former student, right?"

"Anko," Kakashi answered. "What about her?" Of course, he already knew where the line of questioning led back to.

"She..." Yugao paused. "Seems nice."

"Not particularly," Kakashi replied, purposefully adding dry sarcasm to his voice.

Quietly, Yugao said, "Oh," then dropped back to her position behind him. He spared her a glance then brought his eyes forward. He didn't need a Sharingan to see what was going on. Since she'd been appointed to the ANBU Black Ops, Yugao had been a distant shadow of his, watching him from the corners and taking time to speak to him, whether she kept it cordial or attempted to ask him questions about his strategies or techniques. She'd admitted once when she caught him visiting Obito and Rin's graves that she looked up to him as a shinobi.

Now, it seems there may be something else there. He remembered the way that Rin had looked at him after she'd admitted her feelings to him. Yugao did the same, albeit more stealthily and less frequently. But the pattern was etched into his mind. Slightly averted glances, looking down then up again to catch his eye. And now, asking about Anko...

It was a strange development but not one that Kakashi had time for. There were already too many pieces moving around him. The Hokage was calling him into his office to speak. Could he know about me interrogating Orochimaru? Except it wasn't just him. He was calling the entire team there. Kakashi let his mind rest a bit. There was no way Lord Fugaku would accuse him and punish him in front of his squad. Not unless...

The bug...

Kakashi turned fractionally to Sugaru, trailing behind him. Could he possibly be spying on him for the Hokage too? Captain Hatake turned his gaze forward. He was being paranoid and foolish. Lord Fugaku only trusted members of his clan to carry out these types of missions and Itachi had already admitted that he was his father's spy. Kakashi tried to tell himself that everything was fine but a lifetime of shinobi duties and the cynicism that came with it caused the frantic voice in his mind to stay persistent even if it got quieter.

As they approached the village, Kakashi gave his team a nod. They all appeared inside the Hokage's office, the image of Lord Fugaku sitting in his desk quickly flickering into reality. There were two other figures next to him as well. His advisor, Shikaku Nara, and a familiar and friendly face.

Minato Namikaze dipped his head almost in acknowledgment of the shocked look beneath both of Kakashi's masks. He seemed happy to see him at the very least. So this isn't the trial I was expecting. His heart slowed in his chest, and he took in a deep breath just as Lord Fugaku began to speak.

"Team Ro, I've called upon you because your mission is a sensitive one and one that your leader already completed, just not under these dire circumstances." He paused and looked at Kakashi for a moment then said, "We have reason to believe that the Kyūbi's jinchūriki will be specifically targeted during her pregnancy. Your mission will be to guard Kushina Uzumaki for the remaining months until her child is born."

So, you believe me about that now? Kakashi caught the question before it left his lips and kept his eyes lowered.

"Because of the fragile political climate, we're teetering on the edge towards war. Should that time come within the next nine months, your order above all else is to safeguard the Uzumaki family," the Hokage said.

Kakashi waited for what felt like hours then said, in unison with his two teammates, "Yes, Lord Hokage." Questions burned inside of Kakashi's mind and the fight to keep them there until he could find himself alone with someone he trusted, which at this point, was only his former sensei.

There were a few things that he had to do before they could speak. For one, he needed to organize his two teammates. "The first thing the two of you will need to do is familiarize yourself with the layout of the area. Know every entrance and exit path. Sugaru, be proactive and put some of your scout bugs in the streets so that you're conscious of the foot traffic. Yugao, what's the range of your sensory abilities?"

"Just about nine hundred feet in a specific direction. Three hundred foot radius," she said.

Good, Kakashi thought. "Sugaru, when you scout, find a place with high elevation. Yugao, you'll stay at a mid-level and I'll cover the inside of the house. Take up your positions after you've fully covered the area then we'll debrief and go over our next steps."

"Right," Yugao said with a nod. Team Ro disappeared, leaving the captain alone, only briefly.

"Where are you sending them?" Minato asked, nodding to Yugao and Sugaru zipping over the rooftops.

"To scout the area around the house and get familiar with the terrain," Kakashi replied.

"How'd your snake hunt go?"

"What happens to rats that get bitten by cobras?"

"Death, yet you're still breathing," Minato replied.

"So far. The venom slowly kills," Kakashi said.

"Or it'll try to." The yellow-haired shinobi leaned back against the guard rails, looking at the Hokage Monument. Kakashi watched his distant stare transition into his sensei's more pleasant gaze. "What's the plan now?"

"As long as it stays in its cage, the snake isn't an issue. But the rat scurrying out here..."

"Rat?" Minato asked. "You've ruled out there being multiple rats?"

"I haven't ruled out mischief. Just for now, we only know about one." They just had no idea who Orochimaru's alleged accomplice was. "We need something that can hunt both rats and snakes."

"A weasel," Minato said.

Itachi? Kakashi felt himself freeze at the thought. Itachi had assisted him in getting access to Orochimaru, a venture that had ultimately failed to provide anything usable besides his threat that he was planning to break out. If he could've done it on his own, Kakashi was sure that the Sannin wouldn't have hesitated to use that opportunity to spring on him. He was waiting for someone to free him. Someone from the inside...and the outside? If he was bound to the village in order to help protect Kushina, then that meant other strong ANBU would be getting missions outside. Itachi would be one. If he was aware of the threats from outside, then he could monitor the situation during his mission. But, that was only if he was sent out.

"If the weasel leaves the forest, then he'll know to look out for rats in the field."

Minato paused and looked over the area, then placed his finger on the guard rail and held it for a few seconds. "Alright, we're alone now. If you want to drop the code now, we can."

"That's fine," Kakashi said with a sigh.

"I'll tell you straight then. I believe that there is another war on the horizon. Kumogakure has pushed to the very border of the neutral zone as if they're awaiting an order from their Kage. Our scouts have counted at least two hundred shinobi. It's just small enough to technically as an escort so they're toeing the line but, the Raikage allegedly hasn't been seen on the field."

"So where is he? Relaxing back home?"

"Doubtful. He's likely antsy. I've fought Lord Ā many times and one thing I've learned is he typically isn't cautious. But with this, he's taking great care to avoid creating an international incident," Minato said.

Kakashi thought for a moment. "The numbers of his invasion force and the fact that he's still at home...he's baiting us."

The Yellow Flash nodded. "That's what I think. He's waiting to be provoked by us so he can launch a full-scale invasion of Hi no Kuni. Whether it be an altercation between a team patrolling the border or something. He just can't risk being the one breaking our truce."

"Do you think that Lord Fourth is planning to provoke him?" Kakashi asked.

Minato shook his head. "From everything I've seen, the Hokage is working towards having a response ready in case the Raikage decides to abandon caution and attack. More than likely, that'll mean sending me directly to the front lines."

"It should be over rather quickly then," Kakashi said. Minato had earned a flee-on-sight order during the last war. He was the fastest shinobi alive and could easily handle a small army.

"I'm not too sure. It's been some years since I've faced Lord Ā. He could have developed new jutsu in that time so there's no guarantee it'll be an easy fight."

"I see," Kakashi replied. The boy in him still held his sensei in high regard, but he knew that his former teacher was as humble as he was powerful. Kakashi wasn't worried about a potential battle between Konoha and Kumo. Either the Hokage or Minato-sensei would be able to end it quickly. His main concern was being charged with protecting Kushina from any threats from Orochimaru while they were both away. He'd grown out of overconfidence in his abilities. Even while out on ANBU missions when his enemies had defeated themselves with their own fear when they saw his Sharingan, he never assumed victory. He just tried to be decisive in taking it.

But, Orochimaru would never fear him. Even constrained to a machine where the difference between life and death was Kakashi's will and a switch, the Sannin had threatened, insulted, and mocked him. If he were somehow to be freed from his prison with accomplices invading from the outside, Kakashi had strong doubts about fulfilling his mission. I'll do all that I can to protect them but...

"You're anxious?" Minato asked.

Kakashi sighed. "Just a bit. It's...him. He's a Sannin, making him at least as strong as your sensei, Lord Jiraiya. At best, I'd be able to buy some time but defeating him..."

"Your mission isn't to defeat him," Minato said. "It's to protect Kushina and Naruto. That may mean making a tactical retreat with them."

True. "But how will I be able to get away from him fast enough with them both?" He thought of creating a diversion that would open up an opportunity to use the Lightning Blade. If he could get a direct hit on Orochimaru, it didn't matter how much stronger he was. A good plan and a hell of a lot of luck.

"I may have a way." Minato pulled out one of his special kunai, the three-prongs spiking out like steel fangs. The sealing inscription on the yellow hilt wrapping seemed to be a bit different to Kakashi, though. It'd been inscribed into his Sharingan since the day he'd used it to summon his sensei all those years ago.

"That jutsu? But, how?"

"I've been working on modifications to the seal to make it more easily accessible to specific people's chakra signatures," Minato said. "I'll explain a bit more later but the teleportation will essentially allow you to reverse summon yourself and another person to one of three safe houses on the outskirts of Konoha. But, Kakashi, should you find yourself in a situation where they've captured Kushina, your sole priority should be keeping Naruto safe."

"If they get her, then they have access to the Kyūbi."

Minato looked over at him, his face a blank canvas. "I'll get to her before anything happens. Just ensure that you escape with Naruto."

There was something his sensei wasn't saying, Kakashi knew. As freely as they were speaking, he didn't expect him to be so coy and ambiguous with his reasoning. Whatever he was holding back had to be important information. Perhaps because Naruto was a child, leaving him to save Kushina would be too hard a choice to make, even for Kakashi. He couldn't imagine that anyone would ask him to do that. That didn't explain Minato-sensei would make his decision for him. He always put the good of the village over his personal feelings yet letting the jinchūriki be captured wasn't in that category. Unless...

Kakashi gasped. There was no way. He tried to think of something in code to say, then let the words stumble out of his mouth. "The fox has a pup..."

Minato looked at him. Then, he smiled, somewhat sadly.