This was hastily edited. I'll fix any mistakes later when my brain isn't mush. (school is bad kids)
Chapter summary: The Kannabi Bridge mission takes a very different route.
Kushina grits her teeth and shuffles the papers around on Minato's desk, grumbling.
Minato lay on the couch, face down still in full Jounin uniform and Hokage uniform on.
He hasn't moved an inch since he stumbled in.
She strolls over and pulls off his shoes and the Hokage uniform and carefully manoeuvres him onto his back.
The last thing she needs is Minato to die of asphyxiation because he passed out face down on the couch.
She strips him of his Jounin vest and feels a weight settle in her chest when her husband doesn't even twitch.
Minato is a happy and easily excitable person by nature, but Minato is also Hokage. Minato is also a shinobi and for him to run himself into the ground to the extent that he doesn't even wake as Kushina manhandles him sends alarm bells ringing.
The Third Shinobi War is taking its toll on everyone and the Hokage is absolutely no exception.
The war has allowed for many actions to be excused including and not limited to Orochimaru's Mokuton experiments. She can't help but wonder what other horrendous activities have been overlooked while Konoha fights to keep its head above the water.
Kushina presses two fingers to Minato's neck out of ingrained paranoia having grown up a soldier than actual worry Minato might be seriously ill. If there was something seriously wrong, he wouldn't have ignored it.
She finds a steady pulse under her fingers and lets the tense muscles in her shoulders relax slightly.
She debates letting him rest on the couch and risk a sore neck when he wakes up or moving him to their bed and eventually decides the latter.
Kushina pulls Minato into a bridal carry, making sure his head doesn't roll backwards and trots off down the hall.
Minato is taller than her but physical strength has never been something Kushina has lacked. Minato is faster than her and beats her in agility every time, but he's never won an arm wrestle against her and as far as Kushina is concerned, he never will.
She chuckles absently to herself as the memory of Minato's pout upon loosing again rekindles in her mind.
She lays him down on the bed and hushes him when he finally stirs. She pulls the blanket over him and runs a hand through his hair.
The Kannabi bridge mission cannot be delayed any longer, and they've delayed it long enough due to their awfully low man power. Konoha needs leverage in the war and they need it now.
Almost all Jounin have been deposited on the front lines aside from the few exceptions such as herself and Minato who fleets between front lines and Konoha as much as he can.
Although she hasn't been on a mission in a long time, she knows a few pre-teen Chuunin who can help her out.
Tenzou slams his hands together in familiar seals and plants his hands into the ground, the chakra moulds with almost no prompting twisting and churning in all the ways he wants, it's refreshing to have control over something that's so useful.
A wooden dome rises from the ground, curving around himself and Obito in a protective barrier.
Kakashi slams his newest jutsu, the raikiri through the wood – still not strong enough – and Tenzou leaps backwards and lands in a crouch.
He wills a vine from the earth and it curls around Kakashi's waist, slowing him for a moment.
Obito's hands form seals next to him quickly, he holds up his hand, coming close to his lips and heaves out a breath.
Fire tears through his mouth and Tenzou quickly shuts out his sympathy for the grass.
Obito glances at him and they nod in unison. They back up against each other, tensed ready for the next attack.
Rin charges from the left, kunai gripped in her hand and her face pulled into a fierce growl.
Tenzou jumps in the air, avoiding the kunai and runs around to Rin's back as she faces Obito. The two of them share swift and efficient blows and sometimes it's nice to just watch two shinobi fight without the looming threat of evisceration.
Tenzou grins rolls away from Kakashi's attack from behind. Obito will have to wait.
Kakashi blocks Tenzou's strike with a kunai of his own.
Kakashi kicks out, aiming for ribs. Tenzou pushes himself to the side not quite quick enough and Kakashi's foot grazes him enough to knock off his momentum.
He catches himself and barely manages to dodge the flurry of punches that come his way. He ducks under another kick and brings his fist up.
Tenzou's punch hits air as Kakashi jumps to the side. Tenzou twists, not daring to have his back to Kakashi for more than a few seconds.
The two face each other, breaths coming out in short, exhilarated bursts.
Kakashi leaps back, hands already smashing familiar seals together as he's in the air.
Tenzou bites his lip and pulls up the wooden dome again, this time he threads a slither more chakra in – this time hopefully not too much to be wasting but not too little to break - the wood bends to his command, smaller this time just enough to curl around Tenzou's body.
The heat hits hard and with enough force that some outer wood pops. This time the wood holds steady and Tenzou invites the lurking grin to his face with endless satisfaction.
He lowers the dome into the ground and ducks underneath a kick. He puts his weight onto his hand and swings his legs out, knocking Kakashi's feet out from under him.
Kakashi catches himself and dodges the next few punches Tenzou throws at him.
Tenzou sends a glance back at Obito who's holding his own against Rin, although not making any more headway that Tenzou is.
Obito senses his eyes, and they exchange a knowing look before quickly jumping to close the gap between them. Pressing their shoulders against each other they form their seals quickly.
They both breathe in, Obito breathes out a fall of fire, brighter and stronger with every time he does it. Tenzou lets a gust of water and the two elements collide.
The hiss of steam echoes through the training ground. Obito and Tenzou dart around the edges of the steam, Rin and Kakashi's chakra easy to pinpoint in the fog. Tenzou is about to charge in to finally land a solid hit on Kakashi when a voice interrupts him.
"Oi, kids!" the voice is familiar and Tenzou whips his head to the source, but keeps his senses tuned on the two chakra signatures buried in the rapidly fading mist.
Kushina appears towards Tenzou's right, bright-eyed and smiling and decked out in her Jounin uniform.
Kakashi and Rin emerge from the mist, Obito coming to stand next to Tenzou pouting.
"We didn't get to follow through with our move!"
Rin smiles, clan markings scrunching up, "we'll finish this off later then!" she says, nudging Kakashi with her arm in her enthusiasm.
Kakashi nods and folds his arms across his chest. "We'll definitely win," he says mildly, but they all can see the enthusiasm.
Kushina chuckles and ruffles Rin's hair, leaving a few strands sticking out at strange angles.
"I thought Minato-sensei was going on a mission with us," Kakashi says.
It would be Tenzou's first real mission with these people not counting the low-level C ranks he's carried out with them over the last six months. He's excited – he could be friends with these people and hopefully a real and important mission with them will cement their relationship with a bit more meaning.
Tenzou doesn't know where the cut off is, when he begins looking at people and deeming them friends. He's not really sure what being 'friends' really entails but Kushina and Minato seem to think it's important.
He glances over at the other Chuunin. Rin seems to like him at least. She smiles at him often like Kushina does, and he's pretty sure Kushina likes him so that must mean Rin does.
Obito yells sometimes but he also yells at Kakashi so maybe that's Obito's way of saying he likes people. And plus, Obito has braided his hair almost every day since he's known him and Obito seemed to really like it so maybe Obito likes him as well.
Kakashi talks to him sometimes, but Tenzou still can't be sure because Kakashi thinks Obito as a friend and he knows that for certain because Rin told him but Kakashi and Obito are always arguing.
He and Kakashi never argue, so he's not sure if Kakashi actually likes him. Then again, he doesn't argue with Rin and he seems to be friends with her.
Tenzou's head hurts. He'll have to try and work the rest out later.
Hopefully they can all become friends but maybe Rin will have to help him, she seems to understand better than him.
Kushina absently twirls the hair in a ponytail and seems to ponder Kakashi's observation.
"Minato's too tired to run this mission, so I'm coming with you instead, you know!" she says.
She grins fiercely at them, thirsty for action.
Tenzou smiles and Obito nudges him, eyes glinting in anticipation and excitement. "Oi, we'll be able to really try out our moves this time, Tenzou!"
Tenzou's heart beats furiously in his chest. It's still ridiculous to think he has a name and people in his life that truly, truly want to be with him.
He can only wish that he'd met Obito sooner.
Kakashi's father killed himself.
He saved his comrades, and yet… people hated him for it.
Tenzou shakes his head and shares a glance with Obito, who looks oddly pretty without his goggles on Tenzou notes absently.
Tenzou glances back behind them at the bundle of Kakashi – a silver mop of tangled hair and he understands a little.
Since escaping Orochimaru's experiment tanks, Tenzou has wanted to survive more than he's ever wanted anything.
For so long all he thought about was death. How long it would take him to die like the rest. How he would die. If it would hurt. What the air feel like on his skin. If that would kill him.
But he has people now. And all he can think about is surviving. As long as he is alive with these people, he doesn't think anything could possibly matter more than that.
Minato had told him that bad experiences can force beliefs onto people, and Tenzou and Kakashi have been chewed up and spat out on other sides of the spectrum.
Kakashi feels he needs to follow the rules because his father didn't. And now his father's dead and disgraced.
Obito sighs and flops against Tenzou glancing at Kushina who's looking at them with a strange expression that Tenzou's never seen before.
"Kakashi's trying his best in the way he thinks is right. He's trying…" Tenzou says and hesitates, working his mind around the words that he sometimes just can't reach. "He's trying his best, we've just got… got to be there for each other."
Kushina smiles, but it's small unlike the ones she usually makes. It's no less meaningful however. She looks at him with what Tenzou hopes is approval.
"Yeah," Obito starts and absently plays with a loose strand from his uniform. "I guess that's just what we're all doing, huh?"
Kushina leans back on her hands and regards the two of them for a moment.
"Kakashi needs leadership experience before he gets promoted," she says "as do you two, but it's just as important to be able to work efficiently as a subordinate as it is a captain. But working as a subordinate doesn't just mean doing everything the captain says when you think it's wrong."
She glances over at Rin and Kakashi. "You need to follow rules, but they shouldn't be taken to the extreme. Kakashi is adjusting, and it'll take a while. You're all a team and team work is the most important thing for a shinobi."
Tenzou tilts his head down to look at Obito just as he lifts his head up.
Tenzou can understand that. He knows what it's like to be thrown in the deep end with what feels like no float.
It's been easier because he's had Minato and Kushina helping him. Tenzou's going to be there for Kakashi, and if the determined look on Obito's face says anything about the matter he feels the same.
They're just Chuunin and relatively inexperienced compared to the veteran shinobi they're constantly surrounded by, but they're learning.
They're going to be the greatest team. That's for certain.
Obito shudders involuntarily and follows behind Kakashi across the pond.
Tenzou sticks close behind him, and Rin at the rear.
It's silent and it makes Obito's skin itch.
The bamboo is thick enough that none of them could wrap their arms around the whole way and they're surrounded by them. He glances at a particularly large one across from them and tries not to imagine Iwa shinobi with ten more years' experience waiting for them.
Kakashi stops suddenly and Obito can see his muscles tense even from behind him. He holds out his hand as a sign for them to stop.
Obito's heart beats wildly in his chest, and he forces himself to breathe like Kushina told him to do when he panics.
But of course there's enemy-nin here. With this much coverage it's perfect.
Obito eyes the spot he thought was a good hiding place and can't see anything.
There's a snap and Obito whirls in that direction. A person flickers into existence, grinning wildly and three times the size that Obito will ever be.
Kakashi grunts and Obito spares a glance in his direction. An Iwa-nin with blades in both hands jumps over him and avoids Kakashi's punches as though it's nothing.
"No!" someone yells and that's Tenzou. He spins and locks his eyes on Tenzou who's arm is now wood, locked around the shinobi who's built like a house who also has Rin under one arm.
A cold rage seeps through him, and he's almost surprised, too used to the feeling fear rather than anger.
One glance at Tenzou's face, twisted into a snarl, his dark eyes like a bottomless pit of fury tells Obito all he needs to know.
The man visibly struggles to break out of the wood that has wrapped around him. Tenzou bites his lip, frowning harder.
Obito pulls out a kunai. He's angry, but his Jutsu is useless for this situation. He'll hurt Rin too and he feels the cold irritation turn hot and fierce.
The shinobi breaks out of Tenzou's wood and bares his teeth in what was likely once a nice smile.
The smaller shinobi breaks his combat with Kakashi and lands neatly in front of the larger one.
He tilts his head, wild untamed hair titling to the side as he regards them with morbid curiosity. He makes eye contact with Obito and the grin widens taking on a hysterical edge.
The burning hatred brightens. He spins the Kunai in his hand and throws it as hard as he can. The shinobi ignites a smoke bomb but isn't quick enough to avoid the kunai.
It hits his arm, embedding deep into flesh and he sends one last look at Obito that's eerily devoid of emotion before they disappear.
The anger simmers down to a lingering frustration and dread takes over. Obito balls his fists and squeezes his eyes shut because they lost Rin.
Tenzou rubs a hand over his face and shudders so hard it jolts Obito into action.
Tenzou watched all those kids die. And this probably feels like it's happening all over again, just when he's found people who care.
He leans over and wraps an arm around Tenzou's shoulders and lets him work through the emotions at his own pace.
Obito glances up at Kakashi who's face is blank as usual. A part of Obito wants to yell at him, punch him anything to make Kakashi at least look like he's feeling something.
But that won't help. The night before, Obito had promised himself that he'd be there for his team. He understands Kakashi a little more now, and Kushina thinks he'll come out of this rut eventually but he'll need his team to do it.
Obito will save Kakashi, he will save Rin.
Obito knows he's not brave, not yet at least. And he may not be brave enough to fight Jounin but he's brave enough to fight Kakashi's demons. And he's brave enough to fight Tenzou's too.
They'll save Rin.
And they'll be the best damn team Konoha has ever seen.
"We can't leave her, Kakashi." Obito says and has to physically restrain himself from punching Kakashi in the face.
Kakashi's face is still blank, but there's a rotted out hollowness in his eyes that definitely wasn't there before.
Kakashi opens his mouth but Obito interrupts, "I see your point, alright? And you're probably right, but if Rin dies, none of us will be able to live with ourselves."
He pauses, lets Kakashi digest that information and then continues, "and plus, we're the first friends Tenzou's ever had, and now he faces the death of one within what, six months of knowing her? After watching all those kids die while alone in that tank?"
Obito knows it's a low blow, to try and guilt him into agreeing but he means every word.
Tenzou's been too quiet since Rin was kidnapped, and he feels himself suffering by proxy.
"I think your dad was a hero, Kakashi. He protected his comrades. There is nothing braver than that. Those who break the rules a trash, but those who abandon their comrades are worse than trash."
Obito tries to hide the surprise of his own words, unsure of where they are coming from but he can't fault how much he agrees with it.
Tenzou's head jerks up, and he looks up with wide eyes. He looks at Kakashi and sighs as though everything is too much.
"Kakashi," he says and pauses, Obito nods him along. "I know this goes against what you believe in, but Rin… Rin is a special friend and I don't… I can't just let her die."
He pauses and looks down at his feet and shuffles the dirt. "The completion of this mission is important, but I want to complete it with all of us."
Obito nods and smiles hard enough his cheeks hurt. Tenzou's come along way just in the time they've known each other. He still doesn't talk much, which makes his words all the more meaningful when he does.
Kakashi visibly falters, and Obito can feel the panic mounting. He quickly leans forward and grabs both of Kakashi's shoulders and looks him in the eyes.
"Breathe Kakashi," he says and feels Tenzou's presence at their sides, a comforting rock.
Obito feels out of his depth. He hasn't tried to comfort anyone in longer than he can remember. He doesn't know what he's doing. He can't imagine what's going through Kakashi's head. He's used to being the black sheep, to being ignored, glared at but he knows this is a little different. He has to try though.
As much as he wants to yell at Kakashi, punch him, scream sense into him – it won't work. He said he was going to fight Kakashi's demons, so this is where it starts.
Kakashi squeezes his eyes shut, frowning hard and heaves in a breath that's far too shallow to do much. Obito keeps his hands on Kakashi's shoulders and Tenzou stays close to his side.
After a few moments he opens his eyes and looks at Obito – for once really looks – and nods. There's as much determination in his eyes as there is sadness, but that's okay. It'll get better.
They'll save Rin. Obito will make sure of it.
I was originally planning to write the whole Kannabi bridge in one chapter but it got very long.
I'm not that great at action scenes, but the only way to get better is to write them I guess! Please be patient with me!
Anyway, I'm in the middle of exams so I don't know when the next chapter will happen!
Comment to make a flower grow :D
