Teacher's gaiden
After the Fourth and Kushina's death, Kakashi had put as much distance as needed from Naruto. A part of him was afraid to see the fox instead of the kid; another part, to see just much Minato and Kushina to handle. (They were gone as everyone he loved, bodies in deep pools of blood).
Thirteen years later, everything changede.
Kakashi was doing a rutinal round one morning. From roof to roof and taking small breaks from time to time. It was on one of those breaks when he saw from his perch on a roof something that made him grow wary:
The blonde hair of the kid being touched by a big hand of an unseen man, Kakashi had to change his position to see better, the normal crowd of people on the street being an annoyances to see the man correctly. All he could see was a mop of brown wavy hair and that in itself was unnerving.
Naruto was a stupid kid, if rumors had anything to say, resourceful and a prankster he might be, a judge of character he wasn't. An adult approaching him and making a such friendly act was probably a ruse. Kakashi hengeg to look as a pretty bland citizen of Konoha going in his daily life, normal clothes and straight brown hair. Nothing that would drive attention to him.
He got near them and passed near them just a meter away, then he stopped outside a shop, making himself look as a person watching the offers in the vitral. His ears tuning out everything but the conversation of Naruto and the man even if they were behind them he could listen to their conversation.
"Iruka-sensei sounds like a nice teacher, I hope you aren't giving him any trouble" the man had a smooth voice, one easy to hear and be swayed by. It was not strange that a ninja in training failed for a trick like that. The perfect amicable voice that any Ninja wanted in his arsenal. The man had ropped Minato's son in a leash of lies and Naruto was bouncing inside it.
Kakashi just narrowed his eyes as he heard the boy happy tone, and from the vitral glass Kakashi could see the form of his target and Naruto.
"Haha, sometimes" Naruto had on his arms a lot of office material; the man hands were totally empty.
Kakshi clenched a fist. His mind racing with hate. His sensei kid wasn't a mule for a complete stranger with shady intentions. The foreigner was probably a spy wanting to get near to Naruto and take the Kyube.
The two began to walk again and moved away, Naruto talking about his essay of the Hokages in the most happy voice ever as the man walked calmly with the measured calmness of a saint.
Kakashi followed them until a person greeted the man by a courteous "Dr. Aizen", then the ninja decided to change his plan. He returned to finish his rounds and decided to investigate everything later.
The Office of Outsiders was the first place Kakashi went to search information of the mysterious man.
"Dr. Aizen? Yes, I have his forms and results in the next room. Isn't this nice? Such a nice Doctor working in our village?" the clerk eyes were shinning as she talked "He is a really nice guy. Before proceeding, can you lend me your carne?"
Kakashi showed his carne and the woman vanished for fifteen minutes before appearing again with some folders.
He was surprised that the man was so well remembered in the office, he had expected the man to be a crafty spy, difficult to remember even with a mask of perfect kindness. But he trusted his hooned gut feeling and began to read the yellow folders as soon as he sat at a table.
Sosuke Aizen, a forgneir of a destroyed village. He had enough medical skills to be granted a permit to work in the Hospital along with three of his apprentices. Two of them had been denied entrance and have to go to an unknown place, not even sending a letter in all the time since their rejection.
Foreigners in Konoha were always keep on a weekly watch the first four months, Sosuke Aizen wasn't different in that regard. His supervisor had pointed out the man skills in medicine and his good people skills. An "important new asset for the Civil Hospital".
If there was something Konoha needed were doctors that worked in the non-ninja population. The pay in Ninja affairs was better and chances of being killed in one of the two civilians hospitals was bigger that one might expect. There was not enough man-power to watch out those places so cooky ninjas that didn't want to go to the corresponding facilities would sometimes...be triggered and things went bad for civilians doctors.
In the last ten years six doctors had meet their fate in their patients hands.
There were other reasons for the shortage of civilians doctors, but Kakashi had never peered on them.
Kakashi looked at the photo of Aizen again, he had his lips in a thin line and his brown eyes were smart behind those glasses. Kakashi felt mad only watching that face, brown hair so unlike his sensei and sharp features that didn't had anything of the Fourth Hokage softness. If Kakashi remembered the smile on Aizen full lips he could not see any trace of his master small and soft smile.
Sosuke Aizen was so much of untrustworthy man as Minato had been trustworthy.
A few days later, Kakashi found himself spying Naruto, specially when around Aizen.
Naruto was like a little duck, following the foreigner at all places, carrying things and imitating the man formality.
Kakashi knew that Naruto was a very informal speaker, calling people old and ugly without meaning fully the insult, but every time the ninja found Minato's kid around Aizen, the boy would say Mister or Miss. It was sickening how much Naruto bended his nature to appease the foreigner.
"Soon I would get my headband, believe it!" Naruto looked up to Aizen, his eyes searching approbation from the man and Kakashi decided he had to cut their relationship. But first he did some reconoziment over Aizen "students".
"The A is for Apple, the B is for Beatle, the C is for Castle"
Kakashi decided to spy on the female apprentice of Aizen first, a busty orange haired girl. She was a beauty and her smile was bright with the happiness of a dreamer. She was singing a strange song as she walked the way home.
"Oh, Uryu! I'm glad to see you! Going to work already?" The girl greeted a raven haired man walking in the opposite direction.
"Yes. My shift is in another half hour" Ishida eyes briefly went up to the roofs, to the place that Kakashi had hided himself. At that angle the boy wouldn't see him, but Kakashi still noted the fact as strange.
"Miaw" a cat jumped near Kakashi and went down short after, the kid gaze following the white cat with interest "Isn't that Ponio? The neighbor cat?"
"Yes! I'm going to catch it! Good to see you Uryu!" The girl chased after the cat and the boy smiled softly to himself before returning his travel.
Even then, Kakashi put Aizen in the list of constant vigilance.
The man was dangerous, and it was Kakashi duty to protect his sensei son.
He walked to the Hokage Office and filled out a solitude.
"Kakashi, my friend" Mighto Guy said as he approached Kakashi "It's odd seeing my amazing rival requesting anything, it's good that you, my rival, is taking new approach for his work!"
"How is the investigation going?" Kakashi deviated the theme.
"No sign of the Hyuga. Neither us or the hunters have found any trace that he left Konoha" Migtho rested his chin on his hand before talking again "His defection on the middle of the night was unexpected, but isn't the first Hyuga of the Branch family to do it"
Kakashi nodded in aknoweledgement. Even with the more free life that being a ninja gave in comparison to being a servant, it was still stressful and full of grieve, things like runaways happened at least once every four year.
Finally, the Hokage took notice of Kakashi words and send for the group of foreigners to be called, on. The one that Kakashi decided to pick up to get answers was the raven haired one, Uryu Ishida.
The boy looked sharp, enough to take a deal and sell Aizen.
"Since when do you know Mr. Aizen?" He said behind a white ANBU mask.
"I know Dr. Aizen since I was a teen" the boy said without losing a beat and Kakashi hummed. That wasn't the answer he wanted.
"Where do you say you are from?"
"A civilian town that was called Karakura"
"What happened to it?"
"There was a war between two factions and Karakura was catch on the cross fire" the boy's eyebrows lowered but he didn't elaborate further.
"Is Aizen from Karakura too?"
"Yes, Dr. Aizen is from there" the teen sighed the answer and his eyes travelled to the wall. Almost as if he was nervous, but there wasn't any flinch when Kakashi got near to intimidate him.
"From which Ninja village are you?" Kakashi bluffed expecting a reaction like denying or fear, instead the teen blinked in confusion.
Kakashi felt a flare of riatsu and recognized it as a signal that the Hokage wanted to talk with him. There were a lot of things Kakashi expected, but having Aizen and his gang released wasn't one of them.
"Neither he or his aides had the looks of a someone trained in the ninja arts" the Hokage said as he gazed at the carved faces in the mountains "There are very few talented doctors willing to work in the civilian hospital or know how to treat people with almost not chakra reserves"
The explication was as hollow as Kakashi expected.
The news of Naruto beating a traitorous chunin arrived one morning and Kakashi would have sprint to ask the Hokage to not put the kid on his squad, instead Kakashi noted it would be futile and he had already a plan for the day.
Kakashi had planned to bug the doctor house and later scare the man out of Naruto life. What he had not accounted in the first step of his plan, was that a blue haired man was resting on the roof of the house, his face full with ire and looking as someone that wanted to kill.
Grimmjow something, the oldest apprentice of Aizen and according to the supervisor was the bodyguard of the group forced in nursery to have his papers accepted.
"Who are you?" The foreigner snarled after Kakashi jumped to the neighbor's roof, the ninja had observed the man quitely for a while. Everything of the blue haired man screamed lack of restraint and Kakashi was sure he would get juicy information for him "If you wanna inside, you gotta bring an order or some shit like that"
"No one said I did" Kakashi smiled and the man's hand closed in strong fists. Aizen had expected his house being invaded that much was clear. Now Kakashi just needed to incite a fight and have the man's group on trial finally. He decided to push Grimmjow buttons "You aren't very sharp, are you?"
Grimmjow eyes widened but before he could jump to where Kakashi was he halted and his eyes looked at his left, he almost looked as he was hearing someone and his blue eyes were piercing the empty spot with something akin to fear. Kakashi surveyed the area with his visible eye trying to figure out why the air felt heavier. Nothing looked out of place to be a gengutsu, but he still made the sign to make "Kai" and whispered the words.
Everything remained the same, except that Grimmjow had dropped his battle stance and was not even facing Kakashi.
"I have things to do" the man spatted the words and jumped to the ground, making a spin to couch the falling. A normal Ninja would have just made the jump and fall on his two feets instead of leaving the enemy with the chance of attacking during the spin.
It could still be a ploy.
Two weeks later, away from his vigilance of Aizen, the ninja had a new brand problem.
Kakashi didn't want to reprove his sensei son, but the boy and his team were selfish and arrogant, a failure to work as a unit or even in pairs. Naruto was strapped on a pole while his two team mates ate without any concern for him. To be fair Sasuke glanced from his bento to the other boy almost every three seconds, but that wasn't enough.
"What should we do?" Sakura asked softly as she faced Sasuke "There are only two bells...but we are supposed to work as a team..."
"I have a plan!" Naruto screamed happily, face red and grin wide, it was like a light bulb was over his head "It's like Aizen said!"
Kakashi narrowed his eyes, he expected Naruto friendship with the foreigner being gone already, the man keeping to himself after the whole ordeal.
"Who?" Sakura asked with concern "Is he a ninja?"
"Nop, he is a doctor...he is pretty smart too. We had only enough money for a bowl of ramen, and he just took another plate and we both ate..'Split and conquer' he said, and later something like 'that from one can become two' and... Something about ramen..I" Naruto faltered "I had a plan...believe it!"
"So, we take a bell and cut it in three?" Sakura understood the plan that Naruto had forgotten in his babbling "Can we do that?"
"He didn't said anything against that" Sasuke faced his two team mates for the first time "If every other test is the same, then there must be an answer for two bells and three ninjas teams"
"Yes!" Sakura grinned in agreement "Naruto, well done!"
Kakashi didn't expect the girl to acknowledge Naruto or Sasuke being so eager to risk his chances on a ridiculous idea as the one that Naruto proposed. It was still not enough to give them a pass.
"Why aren't you eating, Sasuke? We should eat to have energy?" Sakura asked softly.
Sasuke gave Naruto a resigned look and offered his bento "You need energy too"
There was a small silence and Kakashi decided it was the perfect moment to scare the kids. They would get paler than paper before Kakashi informed them they had passed.
A few days later, Kakashi henged himself before entering the foreigner's office at the Hospital. The doctor had a warm aura around him, even the dark rings under his eyes didn't made his face lose any kindness. Too perfect. People probably crawled at the man elegance and beauty, marvelling at the perfect work of art he portrayed himself to be.
But Kakashi wasn't a fool. His fingernails had blood of wolf's dressed as sheep long before Aizen had his first time.
"Mr. Haduka?" Aizen checked his folder "I didn't expect you until tomorrow. But I have time, please, take a seat"
The ninja sat down in the cold chair in front of the desk and looked careful at the doctor hands, they were strong and the right one had more calluses than the left. The pattern was familiar.. Negative point for the "doctor", practicing sword play was definitely not a skill required to heal patients.
"What seems to be the problem?"
"You are a liar...doctor"
"Excuse me?" Aizen eyes narrowed, as if he was offended and wasn't just caught out on his act "You..."
Aizen couldn't finish his sentence before Kakashi had a pointy kunai against his throat. His brown eyes hardened behind the glasses but there was not a trace of fear in them. Aizen didn't said anything, he was aware of the danger he was in but had too much pride to beg or ask questions that wouldn't be answered.
In the corner of his eyes Kakashi catched a nurse running away from the door. Kakashi wanted to kill the deceiver, the man that dared to talk with Naruto as a father, but knew that the murder of a such respected doctor would be investigated. Someone would be punished for it and Naruto...
" Fuc.." The blue haired bodyguard and two other men stood at the door frame, watching the scene carefully, and in the case of Aizen's friend, utter surprise.
Kakashi ran away, leaving only smoke behind. He barely catched the man mocking smile.
...
"Our first mission outside Konoha!" Naruto almost screamed at the doors gates.
Kakashi smiled, soon they would match outside of Konoha in a bodyguard mission of a builder of bridges. It would be a nice change of environment.
"You seem happier than usual" Sakura commented cheerfully "And Sosuke looks happy too!"
"I just saw Aizen in passing! He wished me luck! Sakura, you should meet him! He is great!"
Kakashi mood soured fastly but only Sasuke noticed. A few minutes later, they parted from Konoha without knowing they would face a deathly enemy.
...
Very well, break is over, so I probably will not update for a while...Or never, you know how we writers of FF are and our thing for unfinished fics. Sorry.
Anyway, thanks for reading and have a good week.