Zetetic

Characters: Minato Namikaze, Kakashi Hatake; no pairings.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

Dual silver edges sliced the air in a neat, precise trajectory, arcing in a whistle towards the enduring oak.

It landed with a deep, hearty thud.

Minato Namikaze, tempered kunai spinning in his right hand, shared a thought with the blue sky. As if in soft agreement, the sun stroked his face with genteel warmth and he wondered and wondered, indecisive, denying the seed of worry taking root.

One of his students didn't show up for training.

Wind, scented by sea salt, scattered the remnants of rotting autumn leaves. The jounin sensei pocketed his kunai and walked.

Minato stopped without apprehension. At the entryway of the abandoned house was an urn of roan-coloured soil holding lit sticks of incense. The ends glowed a sunset scarlet-orange, the smoke rising lazily in a laminar flow.

(…Duty. An offering to a deceased father.)

Stepping around the small obstruction, the blond eased open the weather-beaten doors, the scent of lavender and ylang-ylang incense washing into the adjoined hallway. (The pure intention of the incense chased away the ghosts.) He took note of his position inside the derelict Hatake household before proceeding onwards, sandaled feet gently teasing the floorboards warmed by late autumn sunlight.

Minato investigated the main room, brows gradually furrowing in confusion. Strange. It appeared lived-in, which was impossible, considering how his mysteriously disappearing disciple lived alone in an apartment two neighbourhoods away. (Because incense burns away into ash and the ghosts return too soon.)

Dust motes floated aimlessly around the house. Sweeping past with shinobi stealth, Minato inspected the other rooms as well while he followed the fading imprints of his student's chakra. It acted like a recorded memory of events…

(The spiritual memory uncovered a spike of agitation, deviating from the maintained calm.)

…Leading him to the study, whose entrance was once boarded up securely. Now though, he toed the remnants of the door at his feet, the wood charred and splintered irreparably. A sterile ozone smell lingered – ninjutsu – and the inner light of azure eyes dimmed briefly. With turmoil thoughts, he gave the open, revealed room a cautious once over, spotting the bloodstained lacquered wood floor and the clean, dust-free furniture. So the space was recently cleansed, he noted; even without the obvious lack of dust, the pine scented soap mingling with ozone was telling.

(He never tried to remove the bloodstain though. He didn't have the right tools. The past could not possibly be erased with such simple things like incense, the Raikiri, or detergent.)

Bowing deeply in respect, Minato paused, speaking softly to the deceased, "Maybe you would know where your son went…" before turning away and continued to follow his trail-

-There. A muffled presence was projecting serenity and not the state of distress he initially imagined. He lightly slid the backdoor open to the outside, fall environment. Taking a step, then two, Minato stood unmoving when he spotted his student.

With his back towards him, the boy – no, preteen – was sitting complacently amongst the half-alive shrubs and had a bowl of dried persimmons by his knee. His unclothed feet dangled into the waters of the backyard pond, toes visibly brushing the stems of lily pads

"Hello Minato-sensei."

Minato closed his eyes, glad that the chuunin didn't offer curt apologies, explanations, or excuses. It wasn't necessary, not on this day.

Not on Sakumo Hatake's death day.

The sensei sat down on the porch, leaning against one of the many wooden support beams that stabilized the structure. "Kakashi."

"Hm." He turned his head, dark storm eyes indecipherable as they matched stares. Minato's expression remained serious. After a lengthy pause, Kakashi offered, "Dried persimmon, sensei?"

"No thank you." For normalcy sakes because he knew his student wouldn't like to be coddled, the blond stated softly, "You didn't show up for practice today."

Minato was pleasantly startled when there was no characteristic flash of anger from Kakashi against the prodding and questioning, only genuine truth and maturation. The Hatake said, "I know. I was lost on the road of life."

"Oh?" Elbows on knees, Minato swayed forward, resting his cheek on a hand.

Grey eyes averted downwards, catching the pattern of brown, red, and yellow leaves swaying with the wind. "I'm glad you didn't disappoint, Minato-sensei."

Minato had a feeling he knew what the twelve-year-old meant but he wanted it verbally acknowledged. "What do you mean?"

Kakashi surprised him again because he didn't swallow the next words. "I never understood until it was too late…" A shake of a head. "But you came looking for me. I appreciate that."

The jounin leader dipped his head in acknowledgement – an acknowledgement of his growing unease and Kakashi's strangely liberating remarks. He studied his student pensively. "I'm glad you feel that way." And not shutting everyone out.

The chuunin released a short breath. "Where are Obito and Rin?"

"Home. We finished training two hours ago."

"You waited for me?"

If Minato didn't know any better, he would have perceived that cadence in his student's voice as humour. But Kakashi never teased, so he ignored his observation. "I did."

Melancholy wormed its way into the conversation. There was nervous energy in the air when Kakashi shifted, reining in his chakra with iron control. He hesitated before stating softly, "You know, I've been watching and waiting for a long time too, Minato-sensei."

The sensei listened. The student continued.

"And the only time I'm allowed to speak is the day where I'm forgiving, not repenting." This time, the twisted humour was unmistakeable when grey eyes regarded him once more. "Which is today."

"Kakashi…" Minato slowly rose from his sitting position. "Your father-"

"Seppuku. I've accepted that," he said frankly with a hint of regret. "I know you don't understand yet, Minato-sensei, but that's alright. Let me explain."

The blond took a step back and nodded.

"Throughout the years, even when given the chance to speak, I didn't know what to say – how to properly broach the topic." Kakashi continued conversationally, "But you found me today. I am happy to see you, sensei, because I finally thought through my existence and purpose and know what to do..."

Crossed arms in subconscious defence did not belay Minato's softening expression. "Kakashi…Even if I didn't find you today, there is still tomorrow, or did you expect me to turn you away without hearing you out?"

He shook his head in a negative gesture. "No, I know you will listen, but it won't be like the current situation." He hunched his shoulders, legs kicking out, and watched the ripple of movement along the surface of the pond. "It's me for three hundred and sixty-four days. Then it's me for one day. Tomorrow will be too late."

Minato tensed. "What do you mean?"

"You know, I was so tired when I first arrived. All the subterfuge and missions and skirmishes from the war…" Picking himself up slowly, Kakashi stood on the water through careful chakra manipulation. He faced him, eyes an unreadable, stilted grey. "And I've spent all that time here silent. Thinking. Regretting. Planning. Wondering. Before finally deciding…"

"I think I'm ready to hope again." A breath of secret laughter mingled between his lips. "To help you change the world."

A confused echo of the words was repeated in the private courtyard. Minato tried to comprehend what he was saying. "Help me change the world?"

"Of course. I'm only a messenger." Kakashi stared at him unerringly. "I've always believed that you're the one with infinite potential, honoured Minato-sensei, Yondaime Hokage-sama, just like Naruto Uzumaki. So prove me right because I don't like being wrong."

Yondaime. Uzumaki. Heavily guarded secrets that only he and the Third knew about. Minato said coolly, "You presume too much, Kakashi. I'm not the Yondaime, nor will I ever be."

Minato frowned when Kakashi did not falter from the admonishment. Instead, he seemed more amused and drained as he pointed out the lie. "Truly?"

It was wartime and his intuition guided the unease into distrust. He felt threatened against this unknown. How could Kakashi know of these secrets and intentionally refute him? Only two possible scenarios existed; either this wasn't his student or he never knew him in the first place (a spy)…

…If this was truly his student, the boy would understand his paranoia but the necessary actions taken against a spy, actions he would have to use against him, would shatter their fragile trust (because their trust cannot withstand the duress of such accusations). But if he had a choice, he would take this painful personal loss over the devastating loss of Konoha and the lives of her citizens.

And it appeared this choice now stood before him. Kakashi pocketed his hands laxly. Go ahead.

In a quick release, Minato threw a kunai at the (please be) imposter with a Hiraishin seal attached. Barely an eighth of a second later, Minato tackled him onto the hard ground with a kunai against his jugular.

Through gritted teeth, Minato asked harshly, "Who are you?"

The boy never struggled, never fought back even though his instincts must have screamed. He stated simply in a voice devoid of inflection, "Kakashi Hatake. Shinobi of Konohagakure. Registration number 009720. Minato Namikaze's ex-student. Ex-ANBU Captain. Ex-jounin sensei. The second Rokudaime Hokage out of necessity because of betrayal and desperate wartime measures."

"You-" Minato pressed his weapon into skin as he said coldly (urgently), "That is all nonsense. Don't lie."

Undeniably strong and focused live wire chakra often associated with a skilled user of the lightning element was released into the charged confrontation. It was so Kakashi yet not. Minato hesitated.

"I'm from the future, Minato-sensei, and am here because of the enemy." Kakashi, one eye a tempestuous grey and the other tinged an eerie blood scarlet, gripped the hand that pressed the kunai ever closer to his throat. The touch was pleading. "Please believe me."

(The ground absorbed blood before it gave way.)

End

~Phoenyxx