Tick! Tock!
Kakashi sighed. The repetitive sound was really starting to bore him now. He shot at a sideways glance at the clock, hanging high above on the wall. It filled the awkward silence of the occupied room, one of the larger conference rooms in the Hokage Residence. The central heating whirred on, tirelessly keeping the temperature of the room at a comfortable warmth to combat the autumnal chill of the outside. Unfortunately, it was also a dangerous heat, one that made Kakashi feel drowsy and leaving him unable to think straight. His eyelids were beginning to droop.
A sharp pain forced his eyes to shoot open. Kakashi winced in response. He rubbed his side, feeling the patch of skin, that had no doubt been bruised from the force of the elbow, under his clothes. He looked to his side, confused as to why he had been attacked so suddenly, only to find the glaring face of Shizune in his personal space. She shot her eyes to the side, motioning him to pay attention to what was happening. He grimaced as he returned his attention to the room's proceedings.
Four figures sat around the circular table, all in comfortable plush chairs that Kakashi envied. Directly in front of him, with her back turned to him, was the curvy frame of the person he was tasked with guarding closely. The refreshing scent of her long, golden locks drifted into his nose, reminding Kakashi of his recent stay in the hospital. But it wasn't the smell of sterilised surgical equipment that crossed his mind, it was actually the memories of the soft pillows that he was given to rest on. It seemed that the only times of peace and quiet that Kakashi had these days, came from his stays in the Leaf hospital.
On her left, the small, grey-haired stature of the Tsuchikage was completely still; Kakashi couldn't tell if he was even breathing after seeing no movement from the user of the legendary Kekkai Tota. Standing behind his left shoulder, a giant loomed, casting an even bigger shadow in the artificially lit room. Over his right shoulder, the slim figure of his granddaughter leaned against the back of his chair, a smirk plastered on her face.
Continuing around the table, the bulky Raikage sat across from the Hokage. He wrapped his knuckles against the mahogany tabletop impatiently, the look on his face reflecting his actions. Behind him, his two advisors stood proudly with their arms crossed. The large sword strapped to Darui's back worried Kakashi. But he could still carry on calmly, knowing that the jonin was less likely to start swinging it wildly due to his personality. He reminded Kakashi of Shikamaru in a way, that lackadaisical nature hiding their dangerous, tactical minds.
'Shikamaru' the name rang in the back of his head. Ever since Kurenai had visited him in the hospital, Kakashi had wondered about how he should proceed the next time that he saw the, now, rogue shinobi. He knew that Kurenai believed that he wasn't truly gone, but Shizune did make an excellent argument. If he wanted to, Shikamaru could probably play Kakashi for a fool.
Thinking of the student of his late comrade, Kakashi hadn't noticed that he'd been absentmindedly staring at the last person sat at the table. Deep, auburn hairs neatly spiked atop the Kazekage's head, below them his calculative eyes watched the others carefully. Stood behind him protectively, was his older brother. When he noticed Kakashi staring at him, Gaara gave the jonin a curt nod. Yet when he looked in his eyes, Kakashi thought that he saw a glimmer of the wrath that Gaara had infamously been know for before he had become Kazekage, when he was just a weapon for the Hidden Sand, cursed with carrying the One Tail inside him. His experience reminded Kakashi of the hardships that his former pupil had to endure.
Slam!
"Where are they? They should have gotten here by now!" The Raikage banged the table, looking around for answers. Tsunade craned her neck to meet Kakashi's eyes, hoping for an explanation. All he could do was shrug, much to her annoyance.
Shizune stepped forward. "We haven't heard anything from the Hidden Mist about the Mizukage returning there" she announced to the Raikage.
"And it's not like the Mizukage to be late" The Kazekage spoke. His voice was stern, not a hint of panic within his tone even as his eyes seemed to calculate the possibilities of the Mizukage's whereabouts. He drew everyone's attention with his serious face, always so perfectly put together.
The Tsuchikage finally made a sound, clearing his throat. "The youngster is right" he grumbled. "Therefore, we should carry on with this summit, with the assumption that the Mizukage and her entourage will not be joining us" he suggested.
Kakashi scanned the table. The three other Kage nodded in agreement. He noted that the Raikage and the Hokage both still seemed to be hesitant to move on without the Mizukage, but he could see their senses of duty taking over as they began their discussion.
"The first, and main, order of business then is…" Tsunade began, taking the lead as the host of the summit.
"The Akatsuki" the four Kage said in unison.
Tsunade grimaced. "I asked you all here so that we can figure out the best way to go about dealing with them"
A screeching of a chair rang across the room as the Raikage stood up quickly, rising to his full, giant figure. "They were your shinobi! You are too soft on them, it's just like last time, with Sasuke Uchiha! And look what happened, he killed Danzo Shimura in cold blood!"
The Hokage lowered her head uncharacteristically. Kakashi knew that the Raikage's words held some sort of truth, but he couldn't forgive his deafening shouting. But before he could step forward, Kakashi felt Shizune's arm across his chest. Her expression told him that he shouldn't interrupt, at least not yet.
Everyone's attention was drawn to the Tsuchikage's voice as he intervened. "I seem to remember that not all of the Akatsuki's members are from the Hidden Leaf" he raised his bushy eyebrows at Kage directly across from him.
It was subtle, but Gaara shot a quick glare at his counterpart from the Hidden Stone. "It's unlike my sister to betray the Sand…" the mood in the room changed, becoming heavier as the reality of the Kazekage's situation was unanimously understood. "… so if I were guessing, I'd say that it was that Nara boy who convinced her to join him" the slight bitterness in his tone reached Kakashi's ears, tugging at his conscience to tell Gaara about his theory concerning Shikamaru's loyalties.
"So the Hidden Leaf and the Hidden Sand have rogue shinobi that they need to deal with" the Raikage crossed his arm over his chest.
"And I'll deal with my sister myself" Gaara said. "But for Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha, we will all have to work together to overcome their power"
The Raikage seemed to understand completely, remembering both times he had witnessed the speed and strength of each of those rogue shinobi. When he had fought him at the last Five Kage summit, Sasuke Uchiha always had a burning need for revenge shining in his dark eyes, one that drove him to fight relentlessly against the Raikage and the Mizukage. And when he tried to stop Naruto from joining the Fourth Great Ninja War, the Raikage remembered being embarrassed by the jinchuriki's speed, which had only gotten faster since that time.
"Kakashi" Gaara turned towards him. "I heard that you encountered Shikamaru and my sister recently"
Kakashi nodded.
"Temari…" his voice faltered for a moment. "… how is she?" he asked.
The strain in his eyes gave everything away to Kakashi. All the stress that came with his position, the weight of everyone's expectations of the young Kazekage and coupled with the intense worry for his older sister must have been suffocating. But what impressed Kakashi, was how Gaara was dealing with that pressure. There wasn't a doubt in Kakashi's mind that Gaara would do whatever it takes to protect the Hidden Sand, but at the same time he had the conviction to attempt to save his sister from the Akatsuki's clutches.
"She seemed strong, and as determined as usual" Kakashi replied, pouring his respect into his words.
Gaara relaxed his shoulders slightly. "Thank you, Kakashi" his lips curled into a small smile.
Behind him, Kankuro seemed displeased with Kakashi's answer. "But you still let her escape with that Nara kid?" he grunted. Kakashi clenched his fist, he hated feeling like he was being accused by the Kazekage's advisor. He was hoping that Shikamaru wasn't tricking him, trusting the goodness that he'd seen from his students' generation. But he couldn't say anything to Gaara and Kankuro; he couldn't give them any false hope that Temari was really working against the Akatsuki. It was too risky.
"Kankuro" Gaara shot a glance at his brother, one word enough to quieten his advisor.
After the extra tension faded, the Kage turned into almost a war meeting, with different tactical approaches being discussed. A plethora of forbidden jutsu, from each of the four hidden villages were suggested, but nothing seemed to inspire any confidence in the four Kage. It all came to the final option that took the summit by surprise.
"The Tailed Beasts?" Tsunade asked, cautiously.
The air felt ice cold when the thought that everyone had in their mind was finally said aloud. Everyone looked at each other grimly, looking for any signs of fear that the monsters provoked.
"My brother has already been reunited with the Eight Tails" the Raikage stated, his voice as gravelly as usual. "So, what I'm suggesting is for each of us capture two of the Tailed Beasts, to use as weapons"
Kakashi couldn't believe that he would propose such an idea. The Hidden Village's had caused so much anguish for innocents for dozens of decades with the Tailed Beasts. And using the Tailed Beasts was dangerous, only a few jinchuriki managed to even hold a conversation with their Tailed Beasts, and Kakashi could only think of two who could cooperate with them, one of which was currently the main reason behind the Raikage's suggestion. So to try and capture them again, and use them as glorified weapons, was too much of a risk to everyone.
In front of him, Tsunade apparently shared his concerns. "We can't do that!" she huffed as she crossed her arms over her chest.
The two of them argued back and forth, the two most stubborn people in the room not giving any ground. Watching them, the Tsuchikage offered his people, hoping to bring the two of them to a compromise and providing his own wise opinions to the different points of their debate. Around the table, the advisors tried their best to keep the two hot-blooded Kage to a more manageable calm. The blond shinobi from the Hidden Cloud, C, was doing everything he could to stop the Raikage from bursting into a rage, whilst simultaneously scolding his companion, Darui, for not lifting a finger to help him. His actions were mirrored by Shizune, who jabbed her finger at Kakashi who continued to lean on the wall whilst she warned Tsunade.
In between them, the Tsuchikage had his hands full dealing with the rowdy argument as well as withstanding all of his granddaughter's snarky comments. Opposite them, Kankuro was adding his own opinion vehemently, but his voice was drowned out in the noise of the room.
"I say we should go through with this plan" the stern voice of Gaara reached everyone's ears. The argument stopped immediately, its place substituted by Tsunade's bewildered face.
"But you know more than anybody that the Tailed Beasts will unlikely be willing to help!" she waved her arms angrily in front of her.
Gaara nodded. "And I know best that they'll hate us for enacting the Raikage's plan. Shukaku didn't let me sleep for years on end. But this isn't about being nice; the Akatsuki won't let us be kind. Therefore, we have to do whatever it takes to overpower Naruto and the Nine Tails, as well as the immense power of Sasuke and his Rinnegan. With the Tailed Beasts under our, at least partial, control, we might just have a chance against the Akatsuki" he explained.
Giving in to his reasoning, Tsunade took a deep breath to calm herself down. "How will we split the seven remaining Tailed Beasts then?" she asked.
Darui cleared his throat. "Well, we already have the Eight Tails, and with our past history with the Two Tails, it makes sense for us to capture it" he said, to everyone's agreement on his suggestion.
"In that case, the Sand will capture the Three Tails, and I'll personally capture the One Tail, since I already know that I'm a suitable match for Shukaku's jinchuriki" Gaara continued.
Ohnoki raised one of his eyebrows. "Why the Three Tails?"
The Kazekage gestured to the Raikage. "The jutsu compatibility of the other Tailed Beasts suits the rest of the Hidden Village's like the Hidden Cloud with the Two Tails for example, and I'm confident that I can find a jinchuriki for the Three Tails in the Hidden Sand" Gaara said.
Nodding to signal their understanding, the rest of the Kage agreed to Gaara's methods. That left the Hidden Leaf and the Hidden Stone to discuss who got which Tailed Beasts. Their discussion dragged on for a little longer but it was eventually agreed that the Hidden Stone would capture the Five Tails and the Seven Tails, whilst the Hidden Leaf went after the Four Tails and the Six Tails.
"Now that's sorted, we'll put our plan into motion as soon as we return back to the Cloud" the Raikage declared, standing up. "But, in the meantime, let's celebrate the first Kage summit since the Fourth Great Ninja War!" his voice boomed.
"That's a great idea!" Tsunade leaped from her chair, always excited at the prospect of partying.
The Tsuchikage interrupted their whooping. "Is now really the time for celebration?" he chided.
His granddaughter chimed in. "But surely it will help with morale!" Kurotsuchi told her grandfather.
He seemed to be stuck in thought for a few seconds. After his short, internal debate he finally gave in. "Okay! Let's go" he gestured to the door.
Both the Hokage and the Raikage led the way out of the door, followed closely by their advisors. Shizune chastised Tsunade constantly, telling her to act more appropriate for the situation. Cee did the same for the Raikage, whilst the Tsuchikage was struggling to maintain his composure as his granddaughter let off a barrage of snide comments about his height and age.
"Kakashi"
Said shinobi turned to the serious voice that spoke his name. Kakashi was surprised to see Gaara just now getting up from his chair. Kankuro looked worried about his younger brother.
"Will you come for a walk with me?" Gaara asked.
And that's how Kakashi ended up strolling through the streets of the Hidden Leaf Village, keeping pace with Gaara. The streets were filled with the evening rush of the Hidden Leaf, all basking in the reddening light that signal the setting of the sun. Walking through the centre of the village, Kakashi looked around at all the various groups of people. All the couples heading out for their dates, the families enjoying the relative peace that ensued after the Great War, and all the shinobi who'd returned from their dangerous missions to their loved ones. The pleasant sights were enough to put a smile on Kakashi's face. Unfortunately, it was hidden by his mask. Behind them, Kankuro followed close, always on guard but still trying his best to eavesdrop on his brother's conversation with the Copy Ninja.
"The Hidden Leaf Village" Gaara spoke the name carefully. Raising an eyebrow, Kakashi eyed him warily. Gaara took a few moments to take in his surroundings. "It really is a lively place, even without him" he added.
Taking the tone of his words into account, Kakashi decided to tread carefully with this conversation. "Yeah… but it still never feels like it did when he was around" Kakashi admitted.
Gaara hummed in agreement. He waved to some of the girls who had stopped and noticed him. They giggled when he gave them his best smile. Kakashi was impressed, Gaara had really become a fine young man. And Kakashi wasn't blind either, he knew that most of the Hidden Sand's female population fawned over the brooding Kazekage, so it wasn't a surprise to see those of the Hidden Leaf desperate for the attention of the good-looking redhead.
"We have to save them"
Kakashi turned towards Gaara. "I don't even know if that's possible" he argued.
Gaara allowed his soft smile to turn into a smirk. "We still have to try our best, don't we?"
Nothing could have stopped Kakashi from joining Gaara in the infectious laughter they burst out in. Almost hunching over, the two of them must have looked like mad men to Kankuro and the other passers-by. Remembering that they were supposed to be two calm and collected, powerful shinobi, they recomposed themselves and reverting to the seriousness of their discussion.
"I don't know how much longer the rest of them can keep it up, I mean… I'm almost at my breaking point" Gaara took a deep breath, steadying himself.
"I know what you mean, Lady Tsunade seems at her wits end with everything going on right now. But I think you need to give yourself more credit, Gaara, you're the Kazekage for a reason, you know that" Kakashi replied.
"Thank you, Kakashi, this means a lot, but I should go and join the others now; I wouldn't want them to think that I'm some rude youth" he gave Kakashi a stern nod before turning and walking back in the direction they came from.
Now alone in the crowded square, Kakashi decided to continue his walk. He knew that Shizune would chew him out later, but Kakashi was always hesitant about joining the Kage for a meal or, more specifically, a drink.
Going further into the busy streets, Kakashi began to recognise more people in the shops. At a bar, Kurenai laughed with her friend, Anko. In her lap, Mirai seemed mesmerised by the bubbling of her mother's beer. When she noticed Kakashi in the street, Kurenai waved. Turning around, Anko gave Kakashi a big grin and Mirai copied her mother with a beaming smile. Yet when Kakashi responded with his own waving, the bright smile on Kurenai's face quickly became dimmer as she averted her eyes.
Near their table, a mightily large wolf snored. Its owner sat next to him; his cheeks rosy as he drank alone. Worried about him, Kakashi strolled over, taking the seat opposite him.
"Hey! Ka-Kakashi-sensei!" he hiccupped.
"You alright, Kiba?" Kakashi asked.
Kiba threw his arms open, spilling some of his beer in front of Akamaru's nose. "Me? I-I'm ex-ce-lent!" he slurred his pronunciation. Akamaru opened his eyes when he caught the stench of the splattered beer. Without hesitation, he got up and wheeled around to nuzzle against Kakashi's leg affectionately.
"I'm sure you are, Kiba! So, where are the others?" Kakashi raised an eyebrow at the Inuzuka.
Kiba grunted. "Uh… Lee is still out training, Shino is at home; he doesn't really d-drink that much and Sai… I dunno where Sai is" he shrugged dejectedly.
"Maybe you should head home for the night" Kakashi suggested.
The sneer on Kiba's face was enough to make Kakashi lean back. "Wha-What? Why would I… do that? I'm perf-fectly fine!"
"Kiba, I'm serious! I think you need to go home and go to bed" Kakashi reiterated.
His territorial aggression faltered, and in its place a clouding depression weighed on Kiba, as his shoulders hunched. "No! I don't wanna! I-I can't go back!" his head dropped.
His uncharacteristic action worried Kakashi. "Kiba? Is everything okay?" he asked.
"No! It's not okay! Every time, I'm always too weak!" he raised his voice, drawing wary looks from the other patrons.
"Kiba, please calm down! You are not weak" a delicate hand on his shoulder instantly drew a hitch in breath from the drunken shinobi. "Come on, I'll walk you home" the woman's voice softly touched Kiba's ear.
Next to Kakashi, a small girl giggled playfully as she stroked Akamaru's fur. Kakashi joined her, scratching behind his ear, clearly a sweet spot for the loyal hound.
"I-I'm sorry… Kurenai-sensei" he mumbled.
She tutted. "It's fine, Kiba" she turned him to walk away. Looking over her shoulder, she called out. "Mirai! Akamaru! Come on, let's go!" she shot Kakashi an apologetic look, before leaving with Kiba leaning on her shoulder and Mirai chasing Akamaru around her mother's legs. Kakashi left the tip for Kiba's order, winking at the waitress before he took off.
His feet had begun to hurt with all the nonstop walking and standing around. It seemed as if his injuries still weren't fully healed. A flickering light caught his eye, accompanied by a peaceful humming of machinery. Reading the name on the front, Kakashi didn't even try to stop the smile blossoming under his mask.
Ichiraku Ramen.
The mischievous grin and the bright smile of two of his former students popped into his mind. Even the proud smirk of the one he lost first appeared after them. The bliss of nostalgia tugged at Kakashi's heart, pulling his strings like a puppet and dragging him towards the empty stool at the countertop.
One of the first things that hit him was the fragrance. The beautiful perfume of freshly cooked food, sustenance that could warm even the evillest bastard's heart and make them grin sillily.
Inside, he greeted the chef and his daughter. After he had ordered a steaming bowl of fresh ramen, he wasted no time in digging into his meal with vigorous intent. He slurped away happily, groaning at the smooth taste of the noodles in broth.
"Hey there, Kakashi" he spun around to see a pale face smiling kindly at him.
Recognising him, Kakashi patted the seat next to him. "Oh! Hey Sai! Take a seat!" he gestured.
Giving him a nod, Sai took the stool next to Kakashi. He ordered the same thing as him and gladly dug into the beloved meal.
"So, how come you're out by yourself?" Kakashi asked. He was aware of Sai's desire to be around his friends.
Sai's smile slightly wavered for an instant. "I find it easier to be alone whilst I paint these days" he answered.
Kakashi thought about asking more, but the look in Sai's eyes told him to drop the subject. It was a familiar look, one that Kakashi saw everyday in the mirror. Looking closer, Kakashi was worried that his long thought-out theories were starting to take shape of reality. That same look, that he and Sai shared in their eyes, could also be found on one other person. Yamato. The constant guilt that haunted each of the last remaining members of the cursed Team 7. Kakashi snorted. It was funny, to a certain extent. Three shinobi, all ex-ANBU Black Ops, couldn't help but dwell on their past failures to save their friends and instead were helpless as those friends went on to wreak havoc on the entire world.
They sat in silence for some time, enjoying their food and the company of loneliness. It was amazing how similar they were. Only a few differences separated those who operated in the ANBU Black Ops, but the similarities were strangely worrying. Both Kakashi and Sai enjoyed being around their friends, but they also liked their time alone with their hobbies. Sai's art and Kakashi's reading were both their coping mechanisms for their dark pasts.
Breaking him out of his train of thought, his bowl began shaking violently. Then Kakashi realised that the entire world was shuddering. Crockery fell to the ground, shattering on impact and creating a dystopian melody that deafened Kakashi.
"What's going on?" the chef's daughter, Ayame, screamed.
Kakashi put the broken pieces together. "It's… an earthquake!" he had to shout over the rumbling.
A/N- So, how'd you like it? I know this one is a little short but I'm quite enjoying writing Kakashi. The next one will be a lemon so I'll leave the identity of the girl to your imagination. Anyways, I'll see you next time.
Yours truly,
Signing off