Disclaimer: Naruto does not in any way belong to me, it's the property of Kishimoto, etc.
Notes: Written for the Naruto Fic Festival 2013 over on ao3, for Akatsuki210.
jack o' lanterns in july
[ 2 - rival ]
"You're late," Kakashi snaps. Shinobi do not show their emotions, so it's not his annoyance that prompts Kakashi to berate the Uchiha. Rather, it is the lack of discipline. If Minato won't tell him, it's up to Kakashi to correct his teammate's behaviour.
"I apologize," Itachi replies, apparently unconcerned by Kakashi's words. "It won't happen again."
"That's it? No excuses?" Kakashi demands.
Itachi shrugs. "I was speaking with tou-san."
Kakashi stiffens. "Those who don't follow the rules are trash."
Minato steps between them, chuckling. "Hey, Kakashi, it's just once... Itachi said it won't happen again, right?"
"That's right."
Kakashi narrows his eyes; Itachi stares back.
"A-anyway," Rin breaks in. "It's an important day! Congratulations on your promotion, Kakashi!"
"Here, Kakashi." Minato holds up one of his signature three-pronged kunai. He's never let Kakashi handle one before. "It's a little heavy, but once you get used to it, it's easy to use!"
"Thanks, sensei." Kakashi hefts it, testing the weight, then tucks it away.
"And this is from me!" Rin grins and hands him a small pouch. It's packed quite full and is surprisingly heavy as well. "It's a personalized medical bag," she explains.
"Thanks," Kakashi repeats, strapping it to his belt. He turns to look at Itachi expectantly, but the other boy just stares at him.
What the hell is he looking at, anyway? He still hasn't activated his Sharingan, despite being thirteen years old. What do those dark eyes see?
"I don't have anything," Itachi says, his gaze leaving Kakashi to scan the field around them.
"You said you had something when I reminded you, Itachi!" Rin says.
"I lost it," Itachi answers, shrugging. "I'll find a replacement when we return."
That carefree attitude really pisses Kakashi off. How can this useless boy, who flinches from killing their enemies and probably wouldn't have made chuunin if Konoha wasn't desperate for soldiers, somehow manage to embody the shinobi principles that Kakashi struggles to uphold? He's stoic in most situations, except for the part where he doesn't like killing. He's probably as smart as Kakashi, though he doesn't often show it.
It makes him furious because Itachi could probably be Kakashi's equal if he bothered trying. Instead he does the bare minimum - though he does it with efficiency - and nothing more.
"The Uchiha are all elite shinobi, aren't they...?" Kakashi asks. "That's what I thought, but..."
Itachi walks past him. "That assertion doesn't make sense. It would be impossible for every member of any family to have the same level of skill. Shouldn't we continue towards the border, commander?" He glances back at Kakashi.
Kakashi clenches his hands into fists and opens his mouth to retort but their teacher speaks first.
"Uh, right," Minato says, unfurling the map of Grass Country. "Here's your objective..."
Kakashi isn't used to failure. His Chidori should have been a perfect counter to any earth jutsu the Iwa nin were able to bring to bear, but without Minato's intervention, he probably would have lost his arm.
And now Minato wants them to fall back? Kakashi will not be the reason that this mission fails.
"I'm fine!" he insists. Rin's healed most of the damage, though his shoulder still feels stiff. He can still do this, though.
"You're not," Itachi says. "If sensei hadn't intervened, you would have been seriously injured. You can't see an enemy's counterattack, that jutsu is too fast."
Kakashi glares at him. How can he say that? He doesn't have the Sharingan, he shouldn't be able to dissect Kakashi's techniques like that!
"Itachi's right, Kakashi. But," Minato adds, turning to fix Itachi with a severe look, "you have to stop hesitating, Itachi. It was only a clone this time, but if you don't have the initiative to strike first and strike to kill, you endanger not only yourself, but also your teammates."
Itachi bows his head. "Yes, sensei."
Rin gets kidnapped by Iwa nin after they part ways with Minato. It's unfortunate, but Kakashi knows what they have to do.
"The two of us will resume the mission," he tells Itachi.
"That is unacceptable," Itachi replies. "Rin's safety takes precedence over the mission's completion."
"The Iwa nin want to know our objective," Kakashi says. "They won't kill her yet. Besides, she's a medic. Even if she's a prisoner, she should be treated well."
"She's a girl," Itachi says. "They can do plenty of horrible things to her without killing her."
Kakashi snaps. "Those who don't follow the rules are trash," he says coldly. "The mission is our highest priority."
Itachi raises his chin. "I can understand why you think that. I know what happened to your father. And it may be true that those who disobey the rules are trash, but those who abandon their comrades are worse than trash." He walks past Kakashi, away from the river and their objective.
Kakashi stares after him, disbelieving. Who does he think he is? Kakashi is the commander. Itachi is the clan failure. The hierarchy here should be obvious.
He has enough exploding tags to complete the mission on his own. If Itachi distracts the Iwa nin with an ill-fated rescue attempt, that will only make Kakashi's efforts safer.
Teamwork is the most important thing, Minato said before they split up.
Kakashi grinds his teeth and turns back. Itachi's smart enough to plan out the rescue, but he doesn't have the guts to follow through and eliminate threats. If either Rin or Itachi dies and Kakashi isn't there to do anything he-
(He doesn't want to walk up and find them gone, like he did with his father. He should have been able to do something. He can do something, now. He isn't going to let this opportunity go to waste.)
Kakashi stares at Itachi's newly activated Sharingan. They're the same shade of crimson as the blood on Itachi's kunai. Itachi actually killed someone. Itachi killed an enemy to save Kakashi.
His eye throbs, a sharp reminder of their less than ideal predicament. Kakashi presses his hand against it, grimacing at the slickness of the blood on his fingers.
"I'll bandage that with the kit Rin gave you," Itachi says, blinking. His tomoe swirl slowly around his pupils as he performs the first aid.
They make a good team, Kakashi thinks, as they take down the second Iwa nin with brutal efficiency. Is this what Minato was trying to tell them before?
Itachi doesn't follow through. Kakashi's at fault too - he could've easily finished the man when he was vulnerable. By the time they realize their mistake, it's already too late.
The three of them sprint for the mouth of the cave, dodging flying rocks in the rising dust. Or trying to, in Kakashi's case. His vision whites out as the rock slams into the left side of his face; it would hurt under normal circumstances, but coupled with his injury it's almost unbearable.
Itachi turns back, his eyes wide. Kakashi can't remember the last time he saw Itachi lose his composure. The emotion on his face would probably be satisfying under any other circumstances.
Kakashi grunts as Itachi tosses him out of the way, and then he's staring up at the newly-exposed sky, dust settling around them. They've made it.
"... Kakashi? R-rin?"
There's something wrong with Itachi's voice. Forcing himself to sit up makes his head spin alarmingly, but Kakashi ignores it and looks in the direction of his teammate's -his friend's - voice.
"Itachi-!" Rin gasps, rushing to his side.
Kakashi blinks back his tears. This is...
"Rin... you can transplant my Sharingan," Itachi says, breathing slow and laboured. "Tou-san broke the item I'd gotten for Kakashi's promotion... but this is a better gift anyway."
Kakashi flinches. "Don't be stupid," he says. "I don't want a stupid promotion gift! I want my friend."
"Rin, please," Itachi says, ignoring Kakashi's words. "I know you can do it."
"I know it's selfish of me to ask," Itachi says, afterward, "but please finish me."
At his side, Rin sobs. Her eyes had been bright with tears before, but her hands were steady; now she can cry freely.
Kakashi grips Minato's signature kunai; he should be ashamed at how his hand shakes, but he isn't. He raises it over Itachi, trying to ignore the gaping maw where his hard-earned Sharingan should be.
Just as he's about to bring it down, Rin slaps the blade out of his hand.
"Don't!" she cries as the kunai clatters against the dirt. "Just, don't, Kakashi-!"
Minato appears a moment later, his uniform splattered with blood.
Itachi retires from active duty; Minato managed to get him out of the cave, but the left side of his body is mangled beyond help. Even a functioning Sharingan cannot make up for that disadvantage.
Kakashi has his suspicions; the few sessions of physical rehabilitation that he ends up observing when he goes to visit Itachi at the hospital show that Itachi is hardly throwing himself into the work.
He can't begrudge his friend that. Itachi has always been reluctant to kill; for whatever reason, he hates war and he's given a lot more than most shinobi have.
"I'm joining the Intelligence branch," Itachi tells him one day, staring out the window. "My Sharingan will be useful for detecting traps and deciphering codes."
Most importantly, the job shouldn't require Itachi to enter battle.
Kakashi allows his exposed eye to curve upward, conveying a smile. "Congratulations."
"Thank you," Itachi says. "Tou-san doesn't approve, but I think chasing after parental approval is overrated." He stiffens slightly, his eye darting to Kakashi.
"That is... I didn't mean that in an offensive way, Kakashi," he says. "I'm sorry."
Kakashi nods. He's not as touchy about the subject of father these days, and he knows that Itachi's blunt words stem from honesty rather than a desire to hurt. "I know."