Chapter Twenty-One

Kakashi forced himself to hold still. The chances of escape were too slim, not to mention contrary to his mission. For a second, he considered giving an early signal, but the conversation he had just overheard stilled his hand.

There was also the issue of Shisui and the fact that the three had been expecting him.

Ko pressed the kunai harder against Kakashi's neck. "What were you doing here?"

"Wait," Shisui said. "He –"

"I came with Shisui," Kakashi cut in, meeting the boy's eyes for a second and hoping he wasn't placing his trust in the wrong person. He then looked straight up at the shinobi towering over him and carefully picked his next words. "I want to be a part of this."

Ko narrowed his eyes. "Why?"

Kakashi thought quickly, rearranging plans and lining up a logical cover story in his head to get him through this unexpected turn of events. He had never anticipated actually talking with their targets, but it was too late to turn back now.

"Because I'm loyal to Konoha and Sandaime's leading it into destruction," Kakashi said, adding a measure of force behind his words. "My teammate was killed in battle and we weren't even allowed to avenge her. We were ordered to retreat."

He knew he had said the right thing when Ko's grip on his shoulder eased and the hostility faded from his expression.

"We've all been there, kiddo," he said. The kunai didn't move, but it was no longer a threat. He glanced over his shoulder. "You know him, Nobuki?"

The medic nodded. "In passing. I didn't know he was acquainted with Shisui though."

"We met through Obito," Shisui said and Kakashi breathed a silent sigh of relief. Whatever Shisui was here for, he didn't see Kakashi as an enemy.

Nobuki regarded him thoughtfully. "Your third team member was the girl… Rin's cousin?"

"Midori," Kakashi murmured with a nod. The bitterness wasn't hard to express, but he didn't know if it was enough to convince them. Silence stretched.

It was a woman's voice that eventually broke it. "There's no point talking about it out here." Kakashi looked up to see Suzu leaning in the doorway, dressed in a simple kimono and her hair loose over her shoulders. She stared back at him, but said nothing.

"Shisui," Nobuki said. "You have word from Fugaku?"

The boy nodded, though a frown creased his expression.

"Let's go inside."

Suzu disappeared behind the doors and Nobuki trailed after her. Ko stepped back and nodded for Kakashi and Shisui to follow suit.

The house was small but elegantly structured with cedar wood frames and white walls. The main room was furnished with two translucent windows and a sliding door that opened into the garden.

As they settled onto the tatami floor, Kakashi positioned himself with his back to the single hallway leading to the entrance. If he attacked now, he could catch his targets off guard and force them out into the garden, then over the walls of Suiranso's premises. Beyond it lay the forest at the foot of the mountain where the Goat and Buffalo had laid their trap.

The timing was right. But he didn't move.

Nobuki sat down across the room and gave Ko a brief look that made the large shinobi take a seat close to Kakashi. Suzu motioned for Shisui to sit in front of her and an expectant silence filled the room.

"Fugaku-sama told me to give you this," Shisui said, pulling out a thin scroll from his pouch and handing it to Suzu.

She took it, but kept her eyes fixed on the young Uchiha. He held her gaze without fidgeting, his expression almost blank save for the small frown tightening his lips.

Kakashi repressed his surprise to a slow breath, acutely aware of Nobuki's eyes on him.

Uchiha Fugaku. It was little wonder Shisui referred to him in the highest honorific. After the untimely death of the previous Clan Head a year ago, Fugaku – as his first born son – had taken over the position. To hear his name under these circumstances was as alarming as learning of Danzo's involvement. Just how deep had this plot moved?

As soon as the question surfaced in Kakashi's mind, a second possibility rose, supplemented by what he had overheard just moments ago. Had it gone too deep?

The scroll rustled as Suzu finally drew it open. Her expression didn't change as she read its contents. Then she sighed quietly and closed her eyes.

"What?" Ko growled.

The kunoichi tossed the scroll to Nobuki, who caught it and read out loud, "The Uchiha Clan is devoted to ending the war in the quickest possible means with the least amount of casualties from Konoha – whatever such methods may entail. We do not, however, desire to usurp the authority of the Hokage."

"What the hell does that mean?" Ko said. "Is he in or out?"

"Neither," Suzu replied. "He agrees with taking a harder line in the war tactics, but refuses to get his hands dirty."

"What I want to know," Nobuki said slowly, "is whether this is his individual will… or the general consensus of the Uchiha Clan."

"Fugaku-sama always acts in the best interest of both the Clan and Konoha," Shisui said.

"No," Nobuki replied. "He'll always choose the Clan over Konoha. He's just biding his time with these pointless missives, waiting to see how viable our success is and whether we'll promise him the seat as the next Hokage. He wouldn't think twice about killing Sandaime if it means bringing the Uchiha back to glory."

"Kill… Sandaime?" Shisui's expression froze in disbelief.

Kakashi took his cue and widened his eyes. Whatever the younger boy knew about this plot, he clearly hadn't known about the assassination, so it was best to play along.

Ko hummed in amusement. "Fugaku didn't tell you anything, huh?"

Shisui just shook his head.

"How are you going to do that?" Kakashi asked, adding a tone of awe to his voice.

"A distraction," Ko said. "Or at least, that was the plan. Suzu, I thought you said you had a deal with the Mists."

"I did," she hissed. With her eyes narrowed and lips pulled thin, Kakashi could finally see the resemblance to the first photo he had seen of her. "Are we really going to discuss this in front of these kids? We have an agreement with Fugaku about Shisui being a silent messenger, but I don't trust this new boy."

"So? We'll just kill him if he acts up," Ko said.

"I believe he'll be a valuable asset," Nobuki said, his eyes never leaving Kakashi. "If he's being honest."

Kakashi shrugged. "Suspicion is good, but I'm not your enemy," he said, parroting the words Nobuki had spoken to him the first time they had met.

The medic blinked, then gave a surprised bark of laughter. "Alright, I'll trust you for now." To Suzu, he said, "Let's talk openly. It's not like we have a lot of time. If he's a spy, we'll deal with him like Ko said."

"Fine," Suzu huffed. She turned to Ko. "I did have an agreement with the Mists. In exchange for leading them to the Sanbi they'd give me one chance to use it to my advantage."

"And what were you going to use it for?" Ko asked with a smirk. "To cleave a mountain so you could build your retirement home? The way you disappeared like that, we thought you'd died or washed your hands of this world for good."

"You wish. I was planning to wipe Konoha from the face of the planet."

Ko snorted.

"Why?" Kakashi asked.

She stared at him with eyes that expressed nothing. They were dead, as if the light in her very being had been lost.

"To avenge my sister," Suzu said. Her voice was soft, but the muscles jumped along her jaw. "She was all I had left and Sandaime abandoned her to the Rocks. I'll never forgive that traitor. He promised to protect the Village, but all he's ever done was prioritize politics and diplomacy over the lives that actually matter."

Revenge. Kakashi couldn't say he was unfamiliar with the emotion, but it was the first time he was seeing it up close and directed at a person he had thought everyone respected. Kakashi himself had never questioned the Hokage's actions or his wisdom. If loss had made Suzu change the way she saw Konoha, was that also what drove Ko and Nobuki?

"Good thing you convinced her otherwise, Nobuki," Ko said.

Suzu shrugged. "Personally sending him to hell sounded just as good."

"To answer your question, Hatake," Nobuki said, "we were going to draw out Sandaime using the Sanbi as bait and then kill him under the cover of chaos."

It sounded like too simple a plan to Kakashi, but then again, he had never seen the scale of destruction the Tailed Beasts could supposedly cause.

"What went wrong with the plan?" he asked.

He didn't ask why the Mists were suddenly not cooperating. None of the three had actually mentioned that fact outright, which meant Nobuki was waiting for him to walk right into their trap and reveal he had information he shouldn't have.

"They don't have the beast under control," Suzu said after a pause. "Or so they say. They've had four years to subdue it. I find it hard to believe they haven't found a decent Jinchuuriki."

"Have you seen it?" Ko asked.

"Not since they captured it. Missing-nin or not, they don't let outsiders into their Village."

"But if we don't have their support, how are you going to kill the Hokage?" Kakashi asked.

"The old fashioned way," Ko replied with a shrug. "We're shinobi. Killing is what we do best. Besides, we haven't completely ruled out Danzo-sama's support, right?"

Kakashi remembered to show surprise. "Danzo-sama?"

Nobuki shook his head. "He made it clear that we're on our own."

"But will he interfere?" Suzu asked. "Refusing support and actively trying to stop us are two different things. I don't trust his word. You can never tell what that man's thinking."

Nobuki shrugged and said, "He'll listen to us in the end."

"Why…" Kakashi trailed off, leaving the question hanging.

"He's going to be the next Hokage."

"Has he agreed?"

"He will," Nobuki replied. "No one else cares as much for the wellbeing of the Village and has the determination to do whatever it takes to win the war. He's the only one who has the iron will and intelligence to lead us like a Hokage should."

Kakashi frowned. "But will he really agree to watch Sandaime die? They were comrades."

"He knows it's for the best."

"Hell," Ko muttered, "he was the one to suggest it."

"What?" For a second, Kakashi forgot about acting. He stared at Ko, facts, conjectures and disorientation suddenly tumbling into a tangled mess in his mind. He had wanted to know how the three had convinced Danzo to join them – but had it, in fact, been the other way around? Then why deny them the help when they needed it most?

Suzu asked just that.

"He said to wait," Nobuki said.

"Wait?" she snapped. "I've waited years. You've been suffering for even longer, and it's not like Ko's got a whole lot of time to waste. You want to wait even longer?"

"You know I don't. And we won't. We'll work with what we have."

"How many is that?" Kakashi asked.

"50 give or take."

Kakashi glanced at Shisui, who was quietly following the conversation. "What about the larger clans? Without the Uchiha's support we'll have to deal with the entire Konoha Police Force."

"We're prepared to," Ko said. "This isn't about being careful, this is about doing what's right."

"There's no point in doing anything if it won't even succeed," Kakashi argued. "We need to at least convince Danzo-sama. Or else, even if we do succeed, we'll be executed for treason."

"That's fine," Ko said. Kakashi gave him a disbelieving look. "Our lives are a cheap price to pay if it means uniting the Village."

"Our lives were never important," Nobuki said. "We're doing this to try and save as many people from dying pointlessly, and as long as Sandaime's the commander, they will. They deserve a better future."

"Damn right," Ko said. "I have a year old son and I'll be damned if he has to grow up in this shithole of a world. I have nothing against Sandaime, but if Danzo-sama's able to end the war and make Konoha a safer place, I'll gladly commit treason."

Kakashi was at a loss for words. Suddenly the lines between objective judgement, duty, and sympathy were blurred beyond comprehension. He recognized, that unlike Suzu, Nobuki was fighting for the people of Konoha and Ko for the future of its children. He couldn't brush off those sentiments as easily as Suzu's motive – they lived inside of himself as well.

Unbidden, Midori's voice echoed in the back of his head, as bright and determined as the day they had made that promise.

I want to protect the children of Konoha…make sure they can grow up without being afraid of the war.

Kakashi clenched his teeth. What was he doing trying to kill people who shared her will?

"Hatake."

He looked up to see Nobuki watching him and swore silently. His guard had slipped at the worst possible time. Not even a trace of conflict, uncertainty or any other wavering emotion had a place in this situation.

The question that followed was quietly spoken – simple, incidental even – and devastating. Kakashi knew in that instant that his cover was blown.

"What are you fighting for?"

Kakashi opened his mouth, but nothing came out. As if drawn by Midori's voice, his team's words came back to him.

It's what we fight for.

To protect the future of Konoha and its people.

To protect the children.

To protect my comrades.

They dragged him, unwilling, into his thoughts. Kakashi remembered the flat answer he had given that day like a leaden weight in his chest. He hadn't known the words to the feelings back then. He had hardly been aware of anything beyond his father's last words, even if they had amounted to the same thing. But he understood now. He had his answer.

He fought for his team – for their dreams and their hopes.

For a second, no matter how irrational he knew the thought to be, he couldn't help but wonder if Midori would still be alive if the war had ended earlier. If the countless people he had seen in memorial portraits over the years would still be surrounded by their friends and family. If only Sandaime –

Kakashi smothered the thought before it could take root. It was pointless thinking about the past. What mattered now was stopping these three. He didn't want to kill them. They – Ko, Nobuki, Kakashi, Obito, Minato and so many others in the Village – were all fighting for the same thing. They shared a common goal.

So why did he have to kill them?

Kakashi took a breath and met Nobuki's eyes. "I'm no different from you. Everyone in Konoha believes in the same thing. Even the Hokage." He paused, doing away with pretense and glaring at the three. "He may not be perfect, but he doesn't deserve to be killed by the people he's trying to protect. That's not the answer."

Suzu swiveled to face Kakashi and drew a short sword from the sleeve of her kimono. "I told you we couldn't trust him," she growled.

Nobuki put a hand on her shoulder to stop her, but his words were directed at Kakashi. "Killing one man can save hundreds of others," he said. "Are you telling me you don't agree to that?"

No. It made sense. It was logical. It was a fundamental rationale that pervaded the shinobi world.

But Kakashi just couldn't see Obito or Minato agreeing to it. Ever. They believed in the Hokage.

Kakashi leaned forward and placed one hand flat on the floor. "I'm saying it's a foolish plan. It's not worth it."

Nobuki was silent a moment, and then sighed. "I'm disappointed, Hatake. I thought you'd be a little more open to reason."

"I'm not the one being irrational," Kakashi replied. His fingers tensed on the floor, pressing hard against the explosive talisman under his palm. "You're throwing away your lives for nothing!"

Nobuki narrowed his eyes, as if in pain, and released his hold on Suzu. "We'll avenge your death too."

Kakashi activated the talisman an instant before Ko and Suzu moved. He threw himself to the right, but felt their weapons graze his arm before the room was filled with the burst and blinding smoke of the explosion. As he rolled, Kakashi rushed through a set of seals and slammed his hand on the floor. Bolts of electricity erupted inside the room, like a lightning storm flashing in storm clouds.

He heard a shout and the doors to the garden crashed open, followed by the tremor of two sets of feet bounding outside. The third was much closer, manifesting itself in a large shadow lunging at him through the thinning smoke.

Kakashi leapt back to where he had last seen Shisui, even as he withdrew a set of wired kunai he had prepared the night before. He threw the weapons, each fixed with an explosive tag, to form a web from floor to ceiling. The best tactic when fighting a close-range specialist was not letting him get into close range.

Kakashi spun around, not bothering to see the talismans sizzle and detonate within the span of a second. He used that time to locate Shisui, backed up warily against the wall beside the small window, now nothing more than a hollow frame after his lightning had shattered the glass. Kakashi grabbed Shisui's arm and dove through the opening, just as the explosion rocked the room behind them.

The two boys tumbled onto the grass outside and Kakashi briefly pressed a hand against the two cuts in his arm. They were shallow, but they overlapped the burn he had barely healed the day before.

Shisui watched his movements and said, "I can't help. I'm under orders to not interfere in any sort of conflict."

"That's fine," Kakashi replied. As long as the boy wasn't fighting him.

He looked around and then pulled Shisui from the ground and into the closest tree the moment Ko crashed through the wall and leapt after them. Kakashi turned and hurled a burst of air at the other shinobi, not waiting to see its effects before leading the way higher up the tree.

Nobuki shouted something from the other side of the garden and Kakashi looked down to see Ko stop in his tracks. The man shot a glance up at the roof of the house where four ANBU stood in the process of erecting a barrier that would trap them inside. With a snarl, the large man darted toward his team and they leapt over the outer wall of the garden before their path was cut off.

As soon as they disappeared, Kakashi propelled himself from the tree to the roof. Three of the ANBU went up in smoke and with them the barrier. Yuki turned and was silent for a moment as Shisui landed beside Kakashi.

"I thought I told you not to make this a public spectacle," he said.

Kakashi waved the matter aside. "We need them alive. This is more complicated than you thought."

"How so?"

"Suzu has a connection to the Mists. Danzo-sama's also involved." He didn't have to say anything about the Uchiha Clan. The brief silence had told him that Yuki was unaware of Fugaku's involvement and his refusal to address Shisui said he would deal with it later.

"Danzo-sama?" Yuki said. "Of course he's involved. He was the one who tipped us off on the plot."

Kakashi froze and stared. That made no sense. Danzo had been the one to suggest the assassination. He could understand if circumstances had changed to make him warn the three to abort their attempt. But sending the ANBU after them? For what reason?

"Is he the one who ordered them dead?" Kakashi asked.

Yuki shook his head. "That was ANBU's decision."

Kakashi felt a sense of unease, as if he was being tested by more than just Yuki and the Jounin exam.

"You mentioned the Mists," Yuki said. "What about them?"

"They have the Sanbi."

Yuki swore.

"They're more use to us alive," Kakashi insisted again. "I'm changing the mission objective."

"No."

"Are you –"

"No!" Yuki snapped. "Remember the rules of the exam."

"This is more important than that!" Kakashi shouted and leapt down from the roof without another word.

"Hatake!" Yuki called, but the boy didn't even look back. The Uchiha swore again and slammed a fist against the side of his leg in frustration.

"Yuki-san?"

He turned to see Shisui blinking up at him with large, red eyes.

"Stop using that to find out who we are," Yuki growled, nevertheless yanking the mask off to pin the boy with a glare. "What the hell are you doing here anyway?"

Shisui didn't avert his eyes, but his hand curled around the hem of his shirt and gave it a small tug. "Our team's on a mission to a village just across the border and –"

Yuki snorted. "Shisui, kid, I taught you how to frigging walk. You think I can't tell when you're lying?"

Color rose into the boy's cheeks and he ducked his head. "I'm not to tell anyone," he mumbled. "Not even a fellow Uchiha."

"…Fugaku-sama, huh?"

Shisui was silent and Yuki heaved a sigh. He had been aware that the Clan's young leader had taken an interest in Shisui's growth this past year. Quiet, observant, and intuitive beyond his years, the boy was hailed by the entire Clan as its latest genius, of a caliber even above Obito.

He had heard rumors of Fugaku personally training Shisui and tasking him with confidential missions, but had never imagined the Clan Head would take such a risk.

"Just tell me one thing," Yuki said. "Did he agree to the plot?"

Shisui hesitated, and then pulled a thin scroll from his pocket. Wordlessly, he gave it to Yuki. The parchment was crumbled and ripped in places, as if it had been hastily grabbed, but the letter was intact.

Yuki read it twice and narrowed his eyes. Forming a simple seal, he burned the scroll to ashes.

"Yuki-san?"

"What?"

"Will Fugaku-sama always choose the Clan over Konoha?"

Yuki paused and frowned. "Why are you asking that?"

"Because that's what Nobuki-san said. That Fugaku-sama would kill the Hokage if it meant bringing the Uchiha to glory."

Yuki grimaced. Almost every Uchiha would choose the Clan over Konoha. It was in their blood and history. In a sense, he was no different. He could see the logic behind Hatake's desire to capture the traitors alive, but the reason Yuki had denied the request had been more than just adherence to the mission's original objective. He couldn't risk Konoha's Intelligence Division discovering the Uchiha's involvement in the plot, as marginal as it may be.

Agreeing to kill the Hokage, though, was another matter altogether – or so he reasoned with himself. Still, he didn't want to push his own beliefs onto Shisui. That would be no better than what the Clan was doing.

He gave a small sigh and shrugged. "As the Clan Head, Fugaku-sama has the responsibility to put the wellbeing of the Uchiha above everything else. You know that. That's the way things are. But what you need to ask yourself, is how that makes you feel."

Shisui dipped his head in thought. "How I feel?"

"The Uchiha isn't everything. See the world for yourself and make your own decisions. That's all I can say."

The boy took it in silently, and gave a slow nod.

"Now, go back to your team," Yuki said. He could hear people's confused voices approaching from the main building. "And don't say a word about Hatake being here."

"I won't."

With that assurance, Shisui disappeared with his favorite Shunshin body flicker and Yuki took off in the opposite direction where his stubborn examinee had disappeared.

.-.-.-.

Kakashi felt the ground suddenly give in under his feet and jumped up onto the nearest tree. Kicking off the trunk, he stiffened in surprise at the sight of Ko pinned to the ground in the grips of the Goat's Earth technique. Bands of wet mud snaked around his body. They immobilized his limbs and strangled his throat, constricting tighter the more he thrashed.

"Don't kill him!" Kakashi shouted. He was about to physically enforce the order when a movement in the corner of his eyes drew his attention and he froze.

On the other side of the clearing, the Buffalo came to a skidding stop in the snow with Suzu's knife buried in his shoulder. Her kimono was in disarray and drenched in blood on one side where she was missing an arm. The Buffalo grabbed her remaining wrist before she could escape and drove his katana through her neck.

In the same moment, Nobuki shot out from the snow behind the ANBU, catching him in an unguarded moment with no way to defend himself. The medic's hands were alight with chakra and Kakashi knew just how much damage he could do with one touch.

Without another thought, he launched himself in their direction, his hands already coming together in a set of seals. He expanded his lungs and blasted a gust of wind at them that knocked all three off their feet. It was too late though. Suzu's body crumbled lifelessly. Nobuki's fingers rammed against the Buffalo's back. The ANBU, even amid the gales, twisted around and slashed his blade across Nobuki's chest and neck.

The wind died down and the Buffalo made another lunge, only to collapse like a dead weight into the snow. Nobuki stumbled to his feet, clutching his throat, and fled.

Kakashi cursed and dropped to his knees beside the Buffalo. The ANBU's body convulsed violently as he gasped for breath. Kakashi threw off the mask to find the shinobi's face grey from lack of oxygen. His mouth was gaping open, but the panic in his eyes told Kakashi he wasn't getting the air he needed.

Before Kakashi could think about how to save him, the Goat shoved him out of the way and heaved the Buffalo onto his back.

"I'll keep him alive," the Goat said. "You take care of the target."

With a start, Kakashi looked back to where he had last seen Ko. The man lay in the middle of a pool of mud, face-down and unmoving.

"I told you not to kill him," Kakashi snapped, feeling something constrict in his chest.

"It was too late for that," the Goat bit back. "Go!"

Kakashi gritted his teeth and leapt after Nobuki, stopping only for a moment to check Suzu's body for a pulse. He found none. Clenching his fists, he kept moving, easily tracking the flecks of blood that marked the trampled snow and following its iron scent.

It wasn't long before he caught up. Nobuki limped along the forest floor and Kakashi saw he was also bleeding from several wounds on both his legs. Kakashi vaulted overhead and landed directly in Nobuki's path.

The medic stopped and leaned heavily against a tree. His hand was pressed against his throat, but the feeble glow of chakra faltered and disappeared. His breaths came as wheezes and blood trailed down his chin. He stared at Kakashi and his lips curled into a grimace.

"ANBU, huh?" he murmured. "I didn't think of that. Thought you were just a spy."

"I'm neither," Kakashi replied. "I don't want to kill you. Surrender."

Nobuki gave a laugh that was nothing more than a soft huff. "They'll kill me anyway. It's too late now."

"Why did you do this?" Kakashi asked. He still didn't understand what Nobuki's motive was. "You're a medic. Your job is to save lives."

"Save lives?" He laughed again. "You can't save a dead person and that's all they brought home. Every single time." He shook his head slowly. "Can you imagine how many people died under my hands? The hopelessness of knowing there's nothing you can do? You don't understand what it's like to be pouring chakra into a body… and then feeling their heart stop like it's your own death."

Kakashi did know. He remembered the terrifying stillness that had taken over Midori when she had died. He knew that helplessness. He understood what Nobuki, Ko, and even Suzu were trying to do. If he had nothing holding him back, it would have been easy to take their side. But something did – something stopped him.

"I've felt so many people die, I sometimes forget what I'm meant to be doing," Nobuki went on. "For years. I couldn't stand it anymore. I couldn't stand knowing that all the medics, my subordinates – children like Rin and Asuka – would grow up feeling this way. There's no hope in this war. Something had to be done." He looked up and his eyes were haunted. "Tell me, if you were in our shoes, what would you have done?"

Kakashi grasped desperately at the something that held him back. The will, so similar to Nobuki's, and yet so different. In a world of grey where nothing felt right anymore, it felt like the one thing that could guide him.

"I would have believed in my team," he said at last. "And they believe in Konoha the way it is now."

"Belief? There's nothing as unreliable as that," Nobuki responded absently. His head hung low. "When you have no one left to believe in, you'll understand what I mean."

Nobuki pushed off the tree and took a step forward, then another.

"Don't." Kakashi raised a kunai in warning. "Don't die for nothing."

Nobuki smiled briefly, looking exhausted and relieved all at once. "I suppose you're right. Will you keep watch over Konoha for us then? And when we meet again in the next life, let us know if belief was enough to save the Village we loved."

Kakashi wanted to tell him to live and watch over it himself. The words were on his tongue when a faint streak of white sliced through Nobuki's neck. Out of reflex, Kakashi jerked back from the blood. But his eyes followed the medic's head as it rolled off the body, his hitai-ate cut loose and fluttering in the air for a second before falling into the red snow.

A heartbeat passed. Then two.

Before any of the facts could settle in his mind, Kakashi lunged forward, over Nobuki's decapitated remains, and threw himself at the ANBU who stood there. With a snarl, he swung down his kunai and felt it clash against the short sword Yuki held.

A sword he hadn't seen in over five years and had never expected to see again – a sword that had just killed the man he had wanted to save.

"Why?!" Kakashi shouted. "Why did you kill him?"

"You know why," Yuki replied.

"He had no fight left in him."

"Exactly. He was prepared to die. He would have died regardless."

Kakashi's hands shook with anger or anguish, he couldn't tell which. His searched furiously for words and found none.

"There's no saving a man with that kind of resolve, Hatake. You should know that." Yuki lowered their locked blades and stepped back. "Much less one who tried to betray the Village."

Kakashi made no reply. Too many thoughts and emotions were wreaking havoc in his mind, stiffening his muscles and choking his breath. He knew it had been useless. He knew Nobuki would have made Kakashi kill him. He even understood that Yuki had acted in part to save him from killing a fellow Leaf. Yet none of that made any of this alright. None of it made sense. Least of all why it made him feel like something was being crushed inside his chest.

He realized he was glaring at the sword in Yuki's hand. It was the only thing that kept him grounded.

"Why is that…" he began to ask, only to find he could barely push words through the constriction in his throat.

"I saw you throwing it away years ago," Yuki replied. He spoke quietly, with none of the mockery or jest that usually sharpened his tongue. His even voice was almost soothing against Kakashi's frayed nerves. "I picked it out of the dump that day and kept it safe. I thought it was about time you took it back. This is the White Fang's legacy."

Not Sakumo's or your father's – the White Fang's. A legend who would never have forgiven anyone who turned their backs on the Village. He knew why Yuki had used it to kill Nobuki.

With his teeth still clenched, Kakashi turned back to the medic's body and couldn't help but feel like he had failed on so many levels.

As if to override the thought, Yuki said, "The mission's a success. Your exam continues. An agent from the assessment team is on standby in Kouzan. He'll be here soon to hear your verbal report."

The exam. He had almost forgotten about it.

"What about the Buffalo?" he asked.

"He'll live. I called for a medic and the Goat's got enough medical knowledge to keep him alive until they arrive."

Kakashi nodded. "Shisui?"

Yuki sighed and sheathed the short sword. "I have a favor to ask," he said, lifting his mask. Kakashi shifted to look up at him. "Don't tell anyone he was here. Not even the ANBU. No one can know the Uchiha was involved. I'll deal with Fugaku-sama."

Kakashi was silent for a moment. He almost thought he could laugh. Now he knew why Yuki had refused to let the traitors live. A small part of him wanted to rave and accuse the ANBU of hypocrisy, but he couldn't. Not when he himself suddenly felt a wave of relief. The dead couldn't harm anyone. No accusations would be turned to Obito and his family.

He sighed and closed his eyes, then gave a nod.

His limbs were heavy. Not just his limbs – everything felt heavy. He hardly heard Yuki say he was going to check on the Buffalo. It was quiet. He didn't know how long he stood there, staring at Nobuki's head before he bent down and closed the shinobi's eyes. He reached out to the damaged forehead protector, but curled his fingers in and straightened without touching it.

"I'm sorry."

He didn't know whether he was apologizing for being unable to save Nobuki and his team – or for feeling their deaths were ultimately inevitable.

Kakashi turned away. The taste of bile filled his mouth.

A/N: Thank you all for being so patient, and an extra huge thank-glomp to those people who helped me push through with this! You know who you are :)

.LinSetsu.