Chapter 6

Kakashi hated disappointing his father. His stomach churned as he stood with his head bowed, not wanting to see the disappointment on his father's face. Hot tears welled up in his eyes. He blinked them away from behind the silver hair that fell forward over his eyes, forcing them down through sheer force of will. He would not cry. Shinobi didn't cry. He wouldn't disappoint his father any further.

His father sighed heavily. "Kakashi, what has gotten into you recently? I thought you wanted to attend the Academy? Yet I keep getting reports that you're not paying attention in your classes. Even that you're fighting with the other students."

"They started it," slipped out before he could stop it. He clamped his teeth down on his lower lip so he couldn't say anything else as his father's expression darkened.

"Kakashi –" He flinched inwardly at the anger in his father's tone. Sakumo had never struck him and he knew that his father would never harm him but he'd also never been this angry with him before. Kakashi didn't know what to do. Nobody was listening to him. He was frustrated and frightened. He swallowed hard as his father continued. "Tuition for the Academy isn't cheap. If you don't want to attend, perhaps I should pull you out – "

"No!" Kakashi cried, his head snapping up, horrified at the idea. If his father forced him to quit attending the Academy he could never become a shinobi. What would he do then? Being a great shinobi like his father was all he had ever wanted. It would crush him to have that dream yanked away from him.

"Then I expect to not receive any more reports about you not paying attention in class or fighting again. You told me you wanted to apply to the Academy this year. You convinced me you were mature enough to stay home alone while I was on missions. I had thought we were past this type of trouble after your first few weeks. I made allowances for you having difficulty adjusting to the new routine at the Academy. But after this amount of time... I'm beginning to think I may have been wrong in allowing it. I have to leave for a mission in the morning, one that will keep me away from the village for several weeks. You've been asking to stay alone for longer periods of time. I'm wondering if I should be looking for someone to stay with you." His gaze sharpened. "Or can I trust that you can stay out of trouble until I get back?"

Kakashi wanted to cry in despair as he bowed his head again. He couldn't help what was going on. He was bored. He tried to pay attention but it was difficult to keep his mind from wandering when he wasn't learning anything. He didn't go out of his way to start fights but the other students wouldn't leave him alone. And worst of all, no one seemed to care. Not one person listened when he tried to explain.

"Kakashi?" Sakumo prompted as his son remained silent. He expected an answer.

The disappointment in his father's voice cut the deepest of all, an almost physical pain. The tears he had been desperately holding back finally slipped free at the thought of losing his father's trust. He wanted his father to be proud of him yet everything kept going terribly, horribly, undeniably wrong.

"It's not my fault!" Kakashi shouted, his control finally snapping.

"Ka – "

"No! Nobody will listen to me! All everybody does is yell at me! The instructors, even you!" He raised his face, his expression defiant despite the tears that streamed down his cheeks. "Nobody cares!" he howled. Knowing that he had crossed the line, he felt fear rise up within him. His body reflexively going into fight or flight mode, he ran, knowing he could never hope to win against his father in a fight.

A storm was raging outside. Rain fell in torrents, wind whipped through the trees, bending even the mightiest of them. Lightning lit up the sky in brief flashes and thunder boomed. Kakashi didn't pay any heed as he fled. He desperately needed to get away. He plunged headlong into the storm, disappearing almost instantly from view.

Sakumo frowned, silver brows drawing together as he went to the door that Kakashi had left open when he had fled. Kakashi had never been a child who threw tantrums. His behavior was unusual and concerned his father greatly. "Dammit," he muttered as he pulled his sandals on and headed out into the pouring rain after his son. The last thing he wanted was to have to track down and drag home a cranky five-year old during a storm. He had to leave early for an extremely difficult mission in the morning; he didn't have time for this. But it wasn't safe for Kakashi to be out in this weather.

"Dammit!" he swore again as he was instantly drenched the moment he stepped out the front door. There was no sign of Kakashi anywhere. The torrential rains made it impossible to see more than a few feet in front of him. Even his summoned ninja hounds would be no use in this – any trace of scent would be washed away instantly. He splashed through puddles, as he hurried along, heading for the areas Kakashi tended to frequent, hoping to find his son quickly.

The streets and pathways of the village were deserted. The heavy rains, furious winds, and plummeting temperatures driving everyone indoors. Sakumo ducked his head against the needle-like rain drops, shielding his eyes with one hand as he tried in vain to catch sight of his son. He pushed his sopping hair back irritably as it plastered over his forehead and into his eyes. He shivered; it was cold and he was already soaked through.

What the hell is Kakashi thinking, running out in this?! Worry was beginning to overshadow his anger. Kakashi was normally a level-headed boy. If he was upset enough to run, then something more serious than a normal child's tantrum was going on.

A large tree limb fell, narrowly missing him. The storm was picking up in intensity. Sakumo felt his earlier irritation melting completely away only to turn to dread. It was getting too dangerous out here, even for someone of Kakashi's skill. Being a talented shinobi wouldn't protect him against the raw power of nature herself.

He wouldn't have been so foolish as to leave the village, Sakumo thought as he failed to find Kakashi in any of the spots he had checked. Not in this! He mentally retraced his steps, making certain he had not overlooked anyplace Kakashi might have run off to. Would he have gone to a friend's house? Sakumo didn't think so, though anything was possible. Kakashi tended to be a loner and Sakumo knew from experience he was more likely to withdraw from others when upset than confide in them. Kakashi spends a lot of time training in the Back Hills. That's the only place left I can think of that he'd go. To go out there in this, though… What has gotten into him!?

Sakumo blew out a frustrated breath as he picked up his pace. The feeling of foreboding that had been hanging over him since the Hokage had assigned him his latest mission intensified. He'd been assigned difficult and dangerous missions before but he had been unable to shake the feeling of unease about this one. Perhaps it had made him a bit short-tempered with Kakashi, he thought guiltily. He'd already been on edge when the Academy instructor had told him about Kakashi's fighting. Maybe it had caused him to blow the incident out of proportion. No, he reprimanded himself sharply, recalling Kakashi's words that no one listened to him, he had definitely blown things out of proportion. Guilt began to gnaw at his heart along with worry. it was his fault his son had run out into this, placing himself in danger. Sakumo would never forgive himself if anything happened to Kakashi.

Please let Kakashi be safe! Sakumo pleaded silently to any deity that might be listening. Sayomi, watch over our boy! A knot of dread twisted in his stomach. The Back Hills was littered with traps and pitfalls. Most Leaf shinobi who trained there knew the locations of them and how to avoid them. But it was dark and with the rain and wind, visibility was zero. It would be all too easy for a young child to stray from the paths and lose his bearings or mistake the location of a trap and trip it accidentally. Many of the traps were designed to capture any who would attempt to sneak around or spy upon the village. Not all were so benign. There were still plenty of traps that could main or kill. Sakumo forced the thought down ruthlessly. He had to stay focused on finding Kakashi, not imagining what could have happened to him.

It was some time later when Sakumo finally found Kakashi, huddled beneath a large tree. Any of his lingering anger evaporated instantly upon finding his son safe. He was sure it would return later. But right now his priority was getting Kakashi inside, dry, and warm.

"D–d-dad?" The boy was shivering violently. He looked terrified but unharmed.

"Are you alright?" Sakumo shouted to be heard above the raging storm as he knelt down in the mud beside his son.

Kakashi nodded. "I – I d-d-don't k-k-know w-w-w-hitch w-way's h-h-home," he stuttered, his teeth chattering.

Sakumo scooped Kakashi up into his arms, holding him tightly for a moment, then settling him on his back. Small arms wrapped around his neck as he rested his cheek against his shoulder. He took a moment to try to orient himself. It was no good. It was too dark to see anything and he wasn't certain exactly where they were or even which direction he had come from. He was not about to tell Kakashi that, however. The boy was frightened enough as it was. Sakumo picked a direction that he thought led back to the village and began walking. Even if he was going the wrong way, eventually they'd come across a landmark.

Surely, they couldn't be that far from the village proper, Sakumo mused. They'd be home soon enough. And then he was going to get to the bottom of Kakashi's behavior. It was unlike him to take off in a fit of pique and he wanted to know what had caused it in this case. And apologize for his own short-temper, he added silently. Right now, lost and in the middle of a storm, was not the time, however.

Suddenly, the ground gave way beneath his feet. With a curse and a burst of chakra, he attempted to jump back to solid ground. It was no good, the entire area - weakened by the sudden torrent - had broken loose. They began to fall, hitting the ground hard and tumbling down a steep slope. The unexpected motion dislodged Kakashi from his perch on his father's back. It was only his lightening quick reflexes that allowed Sakumo to snag the back of Kakashi's collar and pull him against his chest, shielding him as best he could with his own body as they rolled in their uncontrolled descent.

After what seemed an eternity but couldn't have been more than a few seconds at most, they came to an abrupt halt. Sakumo felt agony flare in his left leg at the force with which his momentum was stopped by it impacting the earth. He had landed in an awkward position, all of his weight had come down on the one leg that was twisted beneath him. Breathing heavily, he managed to carefully roll off the injured limb and back into a sitting position without shifting it too much in the process. He'd broken out in a cold sweat, making him even more uncomfortable. He closed his eyes and gritted his teeth against the pain as he took stock of their situation.

He was battered and bruised and was certain he'd be feeling it later. His shoulder ached and his head throbbed dully. His leg was definitely broken, he didn't need to be a medical ninja to tell that much. That was among the least of his worries at the moment. Kakashi was limp and unresponsive in his arms. He pulled the mask from Kakashi's face and leaned in close. Relief flooded him as he felt warm breath on his cheek. A quick check assured him that his son seemed relatively unharmed. His breathing was steady and his pulse was strong. Sakumo couldn't find any indication of broken bones; he was in no immediate danger.

In spite of the howling wind, Sakumo could hear the churning rush of water nearby. They must be very close to the river. It was dumb luck they hadn't fallen into the river itself. And damn lucky. After this storm, it would have meant certain death as the waters surged, swollen from the heavy rain and made even more treacherous from extra debris being carried by the strong current. At least, he thought ruefully, he knew where they were now. Not that the knowledge did them a whole lot of good if he couldn't get them back to the village.

Sakumo considered his options. There was no way he could walk. Even if he could splint his broken leg, he'd be unable to carry his son and leaving him behind wasn't an option. There was nothing in the immediate area he could use as a crutch, either. They could attempt to wait until a search party found them. When he didn't show up for his assignment, someone was sure to come looking. That wouldn't be until the morning at least and it was just after nightfall. It was cold and there was no shelter. He also had no idea how badly Kakashi was hurt. He couldn't risk waiting that long.

Biting the pad of his thumb, he wove the proper hand signs and placed his hand on the ground. A moment later a large, shaggy white dog appeared. "I really hope there's a good reason for dragging me out in this," Taro, his summoned ninja hound said, his tone disgruntled as he was instantly drenched.

Sakumo bit back a sarcastic response. He was in pain and didn't have the energy to argue with his summoning. He got right to the point. "I need you to go back to the village and bring back help. Follow the river, it'll lead you back."

The hound seemed to notice their disheveled condition for the first time. He nosed at Kakashi's limp hand. "What happened?"

"The ground gave way at the top of the hill. My damn leg's broken and I have no idea how badly Kakashi's hurt. Just hurry. Please."

"On it!" The hound took off into the pouring rain.

As Taro's large white form disappeared from view, Sakumo gathered Kakashi to him, cradling his son against his chest. He hunched over despite the protests from his battered body, trying to shield him as much as possible from the pelting rain and lend him what warmth he could. He hoped help arrived soon.

The feeling of someone trying to pull Kakashi away from him roused Sakumo. He hadn't even realized he'd been slipping in and out of consciousness for the past half hour; the cold and the shock of his injuries were taking their toll. Reflexively, he clung to his son, clutching the small limp body to him as if his life depended on it.

"Sakumo!" someone shouted in his ear to be heard over the howling wind. "Let us take Kakashi! We need to get both of you to the hospital right away!"

"Kakashi…" he murmured. His mind felt slow and sluggish. "He's hurt…"

"We know. Come on, now. Let him go so we can treat him. We've got to get both of you out of this weather!"

It took the medical ninja a few more moments to convince the dazed man to release the boy he clung to so possessively. Without knowing the nature and extent of the boy's injuries, they couldn't risk trying to take him by force. Finally seeming to recognize them, Sakumo allowed them to take Kakashi from him. His head fell back and he closed his eyes, allowing blackness to claim him.