Disclaimer: I own nothing but the general plot and OCs
I'm sorry updates are slow so far this year, with moving country and working full time in a somewhat unstable job and studying online - plus no wifi for almost a month now I'm dying save me my studies are dying too - and also an inconsistent muse... well this shit just isn't writing as easily as it used to.
But! Fear not, because even when I'm not writing the actual chapters I'm usually planning bits and bobs for the story. I've especially been trying to figure out just how powerful I want Sonaru to be. Like I don't wanna OP her, but that's kind of what needs to be done for any character in the thick of it by the climax of Naruto. Also I feel obliged to give the female characters of Naruto some more oomph and as the main change in Naruto, either directly or due to knock on effects that's gotta be due to Sonaru, which isn't easy if she doesn't have enough oomph herself.
So it's a surprisingly hard balancing act of not too powerful too early to never be challenged enough, but not underpowered enough that some victories seem too unrealistic. (Unrealistic she says, in a world filled with magical chakra superhuman killers)
Anywho, a bit of an explainey chapter so sorry about that. Also one more chap from Kakashi pov and then we'll see how Sonaru gets on with crazy science bitches.
As always no beta, and very little editing so forgive me my mistakes.
Thank you so much for awesome reviews, as well as favs and follows! Let me know what works, or what doesn't work for you, as well as any prompts for scenes you'd like to see.
Chapter 48 - Big Wheel Keeps On Turning
Frustration and impatience burned low in Kakashi's stomach as the days moved by one by one with barely anything to show for it. They woke early and worked late, snatching sleep where they could get it as they sifted arduously through paperwork and records and the faintest hint of a lead, which always seemed to dissipate into nothing before long.
The search into the missing children was going nowhere and yet looking all the more damning as Genma came across family after family who had the same story; always a child below the age of ten, and usually below the Academy age, all just disappeared one day. Sometimes off the street, sometimes out of their home, sometimes seemingly between one second and the next as the parent looked away for just a minute, sometimes they were gone for hours before anyone noticed they weren't there anymore.
And yet despite all these stories, they couldn't find a single record of these children having ever existed. No birth records, or school records, any photos of them were missing too. It was only the lingering scents on the most recent children's clothing that provided solid proof there was ever a real child in the first place.
The families all living in the poorer areas of the civilian districts lived with the resigned and terrible knowledge that their child could one day disappear - usually about 8-12 children every year just gone.
It was harrowing to know that someone (probably many people) inside Konoha was responsible for this, and had been for over a decade. Genma's face lined with weary disgust the more the numbers racked up.
It was also incredibly frustrating to discover that a good section of the paperwork they could have checked through, to provide evidence of things not matching up, would have been kept in the Uchiha district. Kakashi had swept the place years ago alongside his fellow Anbu, and he distinctly remembered there being a significant amount more than what could currently be found in the archives of the remnants of the Uchiha Police Force.
At some point, probably during the transition from the Uchiha district to the archives, the paperwork was taken and it had been too long ago to accurately point fingers.
But despite the similarities that cropped up between Subaru's disappearance and the other children, there were just as many differences. Above all, it was obvious that the techniques for kidnapping the poorer children simply wouldn't work for an assumed wealthy civilian child - not without a lot of attention being broadcasted onto the mystery, which seemed to be the exact opposite of what the kidnapper(s) wanted.
"If we work off the idea that wealthier families have also been affected, and that the numbers for wealthy children are also high, we would be looking at recorded deaths to cover up their disappearances. But we would also hear if every year that number of wealthy children were dying in Konoha," Kakashi had commented as he brainstormed out loud.
"Not if they were Genin corps, or some of the younger Chūnin corps members. The fatality rate for civilian kids in those two are pretty damn high," Tenzō pointed out, catching everyone's attention, "well if I was going to take a noticeable number of children whose families would definitely have the influence to raise a fuss, I'd target the children who were likely to die anyway. It would be easy to steal up to ten kids a year from the corps."
"You're working under the assumption that they would want children with shinobi training, which might not be the case," Kakashi played devil's advocate.
"None of the poorer children taken so far have been over the age eleven- that's Academy age. Clearly shinobi training is a factor here, somehow," Genma added.
"Aa, true. But if deaths are being faked for wealthier children, that still doesn't match with Su-chan's case. She wasn't in the corps and it was a clear kidnapping."
"Except we don't know that. If they took her under the assumption she was a civilian, they wouldn't have accounted for Hatake Kakashi on the trail as quickly as you were. For all we know, the fact that they lost you was due to their paranoid over cautious planning, and not that they expected someone of your tracking abilities to follow them. They could have been planning for a fake death which was no longer viable because of you," Genma argued.
"And the fact that she wasn't in the corps?" He raised his visible brow in Genma's direction, but received no reply as Genma removed his bandana and raked his fingers wearily through his hair.
Kakashi was aware that this investigation was starting to take a toll on Genma, "all of this is nothing but conjecture until we have proof. You know this."
Genma reluctantly nodded, with a grimace, "Yeah, I know."
Taking in the restrained frustration and anger in his friend's form, Kakashi released a sigh, "you're closest to this case, Genma. We still have no proof that these missing children are in any way related to Su-chan. If you go digging through Genin and Chūnin corps deaths over the last ten years on a vague hope you're looking in the right direction, you could waste a lot of time and kick up some secrets best left forgotten in the mean time. Are you sure you want to do this?"
Genma gave a satisfied, if still tired, smirk at the implicit go ahead, "I'll get on it right away."
Gai, on the other hand, had thrown himself into investigating the Fukuda clan with the same ridiculous zeal that he threw himself into everything. Despite this type of work not playing to his strengths, he left no stone unturned with only a small amount of direction from Kakashi.
Any clan that had gotten to the level of wealth and prominence that the Fukudas had were certain to have more than one closet full of skeletons, but unfortunately none in the direction that gave them any information they were looking for.
Kakashi still took careful note of some of the dirty secrets he could use against them at a later date if it was ever called for - there was no use throwing away a potential advantage when it was staring him in the face.
The last place they needed to search was the safe kept in the heart of the Fukuda compound, in the Fukuda Head's personal study. They kept sold copies of their most important documents there, or at least that was what Kakashi had come to understand. In order to do that, they needed to sneak in and out via the child's room without waking him: easy for someone of Kakashi and Tenzō's calibre.
Or at least it should have been, which was why he felt so caught off guard on his way out of the house - with Tenzō waiting just outside - when he realised the boy's breathing had changed to something lighter and quicker. Kakashi froze where he was crouched in the far corner of the ceiling from the boy's bed hidden in the shadow, but the moment he glanced at the bed he saw the wide open eyes trained on him.
There was a prolonged silence as wondered whether to knock the boy out in the hope that he'd pass it all off as a dream the next morning, before the child opened his mouth. Kakashi internally tensed in preparation to cut off a scream or shout as quickly and painlessly as possible.
"So you've finally come crawling out from under the bed, huh," the boy's voice wobbled a little in his false bravado, and his fists clutched at his blanket.
Kakashi tilted his masked face in confusion. What was the kid talking about?
"I told that evil toad of a woman to give me a tuna sandwich to leave under the bed for you, but she didn't fucking believe you existed! So it's not my fault you're hungry, and I-I'm warning you, I have a torch. One beam from this awesome thing and you're a goner. J-just don't eat me."
At this point the smart thing to do was to leave by the window as per his original plan and let anyone the kid told in the morning chalk his words up to tall tales if he was going around already talking about monsters under the bed.
For some reason, instead he found himself replying, "I'm not going to eat you." He disguised his voice, but he was still regretting saying anything the moment the words left his mouth.
"O-oh. You're a vegetarian monster I guess, no wonder you never ate the tuna sandwiches I left you as an offering," the boy sniffled slightly then, and added tremulously, "so you didn't eat my shitty brother? He looked a bit like me, but taller, less handsome and way less charming."
Ah shit, Kakashi really didn't want to get into the mess that was the once Fukuda heir, he wanted to console the boy in front of him, but anything he said would undoubtedly contradict what the child had been told and he couldn't have him blurting out things no one the boy knew would have told him.
"No," he simply replied.
"I thought you might have eaten him, see, because that made more sense to me than some bastard hating him so much they'd... he could be a pretty big jerk but he wasn't so bad. He snuck me pudding on some nights I was in trouble for swearing at Tou-san."
The boy lost his fight with tears and began making far too loud sniffs as his nose ran horrifically. Kakashi almost bolted at the sight.
"S-see Monster-san, someone with social disabilities and an emotional spectrum that runs toward the evil side like you wouldn't understand; I'm crying because out there he's gone, but he's not gone inside me."
"I see." If Tenzō told anyone this kid said Kakashi had social disabilities while thinking he was a monster under his bed, he'd delight in torturing his Kohai.
"But not in an incest way. Only spiritually," he added helpfully. Kakashi almost choked - Tenzō did.
Seeing now, with far too much clarity, why Su-chan had liked this strange child he leapt onto the window sill to leave.
"Wait! Wait Monster-san, I need to ask you something," the child whisper-shouted.
He sighed, slumped, and tilted his head to show he was listening.
"I don't really know how it all works, but could you ask around with all your monster friends about a girl called Sona?"
He could feel an unpleasant jolt shoot through his body and he visibly tensed at the unexpected mention of Su-chan.
"I know girls are fucking useless and gross, but this one is pretty cool. She said she'd see me when I wasn't grounded, but she hasn't shown up. I've looked for her... shit, you probably only take requests for evil doing, but just this once... could you find her and bring her back?"
Kakashi felt a tightening in his throat and he had to pause for a moment before he answered, "what makes you think she needs bringing back?"
"I... I don't. But... I think nighttime is dark so you can imagine your fears with less distraction, and it makes me wonder if she's been hurt by some bastard or they're stopping her from seeing me."
"She matters that much to you?" He rasped. There was a pause, and Kakashi almost left without waiting to hear the reply - when it came the boy's voice was quiet and serious.
"I wish I had more friends, but people are such jerks. If you can just get most people to leave you alone, you're doing good. If you can find even one person you really like, you're lucky. And if that person can also stand you, you're really lucky," he fiddled absently with bracelet Kakashi recognised around his wrist, "Sona is that kind of a friend."
Masami gazed back at Kakashi with eyes that held far to much intelligence and wisdom for a kid his age, and for a second he wondered if the boy was another person living his second life, but a brief glance around the child's room easily disproved that - that well played with toys and typical wear and tear he might expect from a rambunctious boy's actions.
"I'll find her," he promised, and then leapt alongside Tenzō from the windowsill to the roof opposite the clan Head's house. When he turned back, Masami was peering up out of his window to where Kakashi was still visible.
"You should sleep," he awkwardly told the kid.
The boy shrugged, "I think I'll stay up for a bit, Monster-san. If people just sat outside and looked at the stars each night, I'll bet they'd live a lot fucking differently."
Kakashi was seriously done with weirdly wise children for the night, he'd found it strange when Itachi had been in Anbu but at least the boy was a teenager and a shinobi - on top of carrying around that quiet old man air, it was almost expected when the now missing-nin had spouted something strangely perceptive and deep -this kid had none of the same old man aura and so it was even more jarring coming from him.
Perhaps he'd radiated his thoughts too obviously from his body language - not that he'd made an effort to hide them - because Masami grinned: a mischievous chubby cheeked thing.
"I try to make everyone's day a little more surreal."
Well he'd succeeded and Kakashi was not sticking around for the young child to become stranger. Without response, he turned and left the compound, having firmly closed the investigation into the Fukuda clan with nothing to show for it but another promise.
An almost silent snorting noise left Tenzō the moment they were clear of the buildings, and Kakashi cast a dark glare sideways at the young man, "Not a word," he threatened.
The green spandex clan Jōnin entered the Hokage's office with surprisingly little fanfare, dragging his best friend and Eternal Rival with him who slunk in like a disgruntled cat - not that the man would appreciate the comparison if someone told him.
"Ah thank you for fetching him, Gai-san. It would be a shame for such an esteemed member of our shinobi force to be so late as to miss a meeting with their Hokage entirely," Sarutobi pointedly remarked. His tone was light with humorous chastisement, but the fact that he said anything at all was a warning.
The last meeting between Kakashi and the Hokage was an unspoken thing between the two of them - while Sarutobi had not reprimanded Kakashi for his disrespect due to the man's clear distress (and of such a personal nature), it was not by any means forgotten.
He would not have allowed the vast majority of the Elemental Nations residents to speak to him in such a manner without exacting swift consequences, regardless of their distress or cause of it. But he was not only quite fond of Kakashi as Sarutobi Hiruzen the man, as the Sandaime Hokage Kakashi was also the closest he had to a mentee/protege/confidant, and he had hopes that he could pass the hat off to the Jōnin as soon as the man was ready (if not ever entirely willing) - something that was far closer thanks to the influence being a father had had on him.
Still, despite the preferential treatment he gave to the perpetually late man, he would only take a certain amount of disrespect before even Kakashi would be commanded to remember his place.
"Maa, sorry I was helping a puppy return to the little girl it belonged with," he shrugged lazily, hands in pockets.
Sarutobi declined to comment the thinly veiled explanation, and instead proceeded to order Anbu out of the room and activate the security seals in the room. Turning back to Kakashi and Gai, he could see both their eyes were sharper and more alert as looked at him, waiting for him to talk.
"Tomorrow morning every Jōnin-Sensei that has signed up and been assigned a team will meet here to be informed more about their potential Genin. I've asked you to meet with me today, Gai, because you're currently involved in an ongoing investigation. Before you agree to become a Jōnin-Sensei for the team I have in mind and split your duties, I want the situation to be clear."
"Yes, Hokage-sama!" Gai beamed, his excitement and enthusiasm for gaining his own Genin team evident.
"The showing this year has been disappointing from the Academy students. While most students passed their Academy test, enough to fill ten teams, of those who passed two teams are fully expected to fail their Genin tests and require returning to the Academy, and six more are expected to fail, get sent to the Genin corps and become Chūnin corps at best.
"Leaving only two teams with any potential. This means that we have been able to be highly selective with which two Jōnin are most suitable to bring the most out of the remaining two teams. You are one of them.
"I want to make it clear to you, as someone who has never taught before, not to go into teaching a Genin team under the common misconception that only Genin considered eventual top Jōnin potential get the privilege of a Jōnin-Sensei," this, Sarutobi knew, would be news to both men in the room.
"There are many specialisations that do not require traditional Jōnin level shinobi skills, but are still incredibly important to Konoha. Sometimes those Genin showing such potential are given to a Jōnin-Sensei in a team and sometimes they are given an apprenticeship.
"I want to give you a Hyūga prodigy of the branch family - Hyūga Neji. He has incredible potential, given his disadvantages, and a branch member vastly outperforming any main family member could result in the shift I need to reduce the Hyūga divide. This has become a top priority now that we only have a single Uchiha; the most influential clan in Konoha cannot be as limited as it is if we are to regain our strength to pre-Kyūbi attack.
"The obvious issue is, of course, that many of the techniques he needs you will not be able to teach him. The less obvious issue is his attitude. He is, from all observations, a bitter, cynical and pessimistic boy - I need not explain why - and I believe he is sabotaging his own true potential because of this. Added to the lack of competition he has had in class from his peers, and his progress will remain stymied until properly motivated. That is where you come in as his sensei.
"The second student is a Kunoichi, who I believe will be capable of working well with the Hyūga, due to her hard working nature. She is the daughter of a black smith and a budding weapons mistress: Yakin Tenten. I don't think you will have many problems with her as long as you ensure she maintains a strong work ethic and passion for honing her skills," here the Sandaime paused to clear his throat and puff on his pipe as he assessed how the two men in front of him were receiving his words so far.
Gai had not lost even an edge of his enthusiasm, and in direct contrast, Kakashi was slumped against the wall with his nose in a book - not appearing to pay any attention at all to someone less observant and knowledgable of Kakashi's quirks than Sarutobi.
"Hai, Hokage-sama! I look forward to filling my students with Flames of Youth until they are Exploding with the Passion of Hard Work! I can assist both my Eternal Rival and my students!" Gai boomed, his grin somehow managing to widen even further.
"It's the last student I need you to understand about before you commit yourself to anything, Gai-san: Rock Lee." For some reason Gai's eyes seemed to light up with fire and Kakashi slumped even further against the wall as though he wished to become one with it.
"Now normally, had there been any more potential in this bout of Genin hopefuls, Rock Lee would not be given the chance I am allowing. Due to a medical condition that will be included in his file, he is entirely unable to use chakra outside of his body. His coils are not functional. Exceptions might have been made for him if he showed himself to be particularly skilled in a more intellectual shinobi discipline, but he doesn't stand out there either. On top of this he is a civilian without the extra physical training clans provide their children, which has left him at the usual disadvantage.
"His Academy tutors held little hope for him from the beginning, and this has reflected in the attention they paid his form in taijutsu, shuriken and kunai throwing. However, for the boy to reach his last year in the Academy despite these major disadvantages, shows an impressive amount of Will and dedication.
"His stamina was tested, and it was found to be equally impressive for an Academy student. He has passed his written test, weapons throwing test - despite a badly learned form- and just scraped his taijutsu test. Before I allowed him to pass without requiring ninjutsu I required him to submit to a medical exam; his musculature showed itself to be particularly impressive and well formed for his age and training levels - more akin to a child from a taijutsu focussed clan. Based upon this information, I'm giving him one chance. Just one.
"I want you to test him, not necessarily for his skill, but his potential. I believe he has a lot of potential in taijutsu with the right training, but as our expert it is up to you to come to the final conclusion. Keep in mind, Gai-san, that if you pass this boy he will need to keep up with his team's progress; I don't want them slowed down by him playing catch up, even if that means extra training between the two of you. If you see true worth in Rock Lee tomorrow, I would like you to teach the boy everything you know. If not, the boy is to be dropped from the shinobi programme entirely.
"Knowing you may well be committing to this, are you willing to become a Jōnin-Sensei - can you become a Jōnin-Sensei?" The Hokage held his palm up the moment Gai opened his mouth, "please discuss this with Kakashi first."
Sarutobi was surprised by how quickly Kakashi replied, "This is important, Gai - you know it is, it's the future. I still have Tenzō and Genma to help me, and if I need you, I'll let you know."
Gai's eyes watered, touched, before he burst out, "My Eternal Rival! Such Youthful Words!"
Tears ran down the dramatic man's face while he belted out his emotions, and in the pause from taking a breath to belt more words out, Kakashi's bored drawl cut through the moment as he glanced up from his book, "Maa, did you say something?"
"Argh, Kakashi you are still so Hip and Cool!"
Sarutobi could feel a challenge monologue coming on and swiftly cut the Taijutsu Master off, "Thank you, that will be all, Gai."
"Hai, Hokage-Sama! I will not fail you in bringing the spark of my Genin's Springtime Youth in a roaring blaze of flames!" The man bowed respectfully and left.
There was ringing silence for a few seconds afterward, before Kakashi tucked his book away gave an apologetic bow, "I humbly apologise for the disrespect I gave you last time we spoke Hokage-sama."
"Rise, Kakashi. I understand; I took no offence. I only kept you behind to request that by the end of next week you return to give me a verbal report on your progress so far."
"Hai, Sarutobi-sama," Kakashi eye smiled, still sounding mildly apologetic. He knew though, that half of what should go into that report was never going to reach the old man's ears. Not until it was already too late to prevent Kakashi from doing whatever he deemed necessary to get Su-chan back, regardless of how many powerful toes he stepped on.
Sarutobi smiled a kindly smile, "Let me know if you require any further assistance in the investigation."
They bid each other goodbye, and even after he'd left Kakashi didn't give any outward sign of the lack of genuine regret - the apathy - he felt at his previous disrespect toward the Hokage. Despite almost all the impressions he gave off, Kakashi didn't actually have much loyalty toward the hierarchy within Konoha. He had once, but that had died a little alongside Obito, and then even more when Minato-Sensei was killed. He had maintained obedience afterward because there had been nothing else in his life at the time that he'd valued, and so nothing to disobey for.
But Kakashi had already shown his tolerance for treason when Danzō almost convinced him to aid in the assassination of the Sandaime. He'd learned at the time that the current Hokage was not the weak liability to Konoha that Danzō was portraying him as, and though Kakashi had since given no indication of anything but loyalty to Sarutobi, the underlying values that had allowed Kakashi to plan the Hokage's death were still there.
Things were different now, of course. He had a personal relationship with the man that didn't exist before. He was fond of him, and vice versa. He had a level of understanding and trust and respect with Sarutobi that he hadn't at that age. But he also had a far clearer understanding of the man's true weaknesses and flaws. He had a family that he cared about immeasurably more. He had crucial knowledge he could never share with the old man. He was more confident in his own judgement as a shinobi. Politically, he was far more powerful now on his own merits.
So despite his sincere sounding apology he was not genuine, because ever since he had heard exactly what was likely to come in the future from Su-chan's mouth, and had loosely calculated the changes Konoha needed to implement if it wanted to survive (but more importantly the changes he needed to implement if he wanted his family to survive), Sarutobi had quickly become evident in his mind as an obstacle. The man was too weary, too complacent, too forgiving and not forgiving enough at all the wrong times. Sarutobi was someone who could ostensibly maintain the status quo all while power and control slipped through his tired fingers.
Konoha needed a maverick. Kakashi didn't want to be that maverick (Kami did he not want to be that person) but he wouldn't hesitate if he was the best option and it was needed. If that required the permanent retirement of Hiruzen and all his advisors... well that was what Kakashi was best at.
Would you like to see Gai's meeting of his Genin at some point, as a canon omake sort of scene? If yes, it won't go like canon. If no, assume it goes pretty much exactly like canon.
I'm pretty sure the line about Kakashi showing tolerance for treason is a line I read in another fanfic a little while ago, but I'm not sure. I'm sorry I can't remember who wrote it or what the story was called if that's the case - but props to them because clearly it has stuck in my mind since I saw it.
I didn't initially plan on Kakashi having anything to do with Sarutobi stepping down/dying, but that last part just came out of nowhere and now I'm considering it. Do you guys want to see some slightly dark & ruthless but pragmatic Kakashi actually plan that and be like "sorry but he's a liability," or maybe just take advantage of a convenient situation and do a Scar to Mufasa (without the preplanning death situation part) and decided "nah, you're good. I could save you but I won't."
Yes? No?