Author's Notes: Sorry for the long wait! Life has been hectic! Anyways, enjoy!

Disclaimer: I OWN NOTHING!

Chapter 2

It doesn't feel good, Kakashi decided as his chest expanded to let in air into his lungs. It doesn't feel good at all, he insisted as air is slowly let out through his nose. He looked over at each of the three adults seated on three chairs in his room. He quickly averted his eyes when theirs snapped up to meet his. Their guilt-ridden gazes and equally morose demeanors were enough to make him largely uncomfortable. He didn't understand what they wanted from him as none of them had spoken about anything important as of yet.

"Ano," Kakashi almost winced when he felt their gazes lock onto him with even greater intensity, if that were even possible.

"Yes? Do you need anything?" The woman, the only one who's spoken to him so far, asked almost pleadingly. Kakashi bit his lip and refused to fidget as they seemed to hold their breaths collectively. Did he maybe… remember something? Minato found himself wondering, hoping and fearing all at once. His eyes lit up without his knowledge and he watched as Kakashi seemed to struggle for the right words, something Minato was used to seeing. Seeing something familiar made his nerves relax just the slightest bit.

Kakashi brought his eyes up to pass over each of their faces, untrustingly, Jiraiya absently noted and was sure the two others could see it as clear as the light of day, "I was wondering," Kakashi continued slowly, hesitantly, "Don't you have… um, anything better to do than stay here?"

Jiraiya heard the silent question loud and clear. Minato seemed to as well for he just barely looked away for a fraction of a second almost in resignation and silent, bitter acceptance. Kushina, he wasn't sure about; the woman was as hard to read as ever, despite being so expressive all the time.

"Nope! You're stuck with us forever, dattebane!" Kushina exclaimed cheerily, not sounding the slightest bit deterred. Jiraiya silently applauded her for the feat neither he nor his student could manage given the current circumstances. The determined exclamation, however, made their charge go paler than he already was. 'Stuck' and 'forever' were both words Kakashi didn't want to hear in the same sentence.

"She doesn't really mean it, y'know. She just means we're going to look out for you," Minato, as hopeless as he seemed, as beaten as he seemed, as different as he seemed, still had but one thing both of the others lacked. He knew Kakashi better than anyone alive. He knew his likes, dislikes, reactions, expressions. He knew what to say and when to say it. A fact he didn't realize, but Jiraiya just now finally did.

Given the sliver of relief on Kakashi's face and the smug look that currently adorned Kushina's face, Jiraiya understood another thing. Kushina knew Minato better than anyone. She knew exactly what to say to get him moving, acting, although he might never realize what he's done, or what he's been unknowingly forced to do, until he's already done it, or maybe even much, much after that.

If there's a plan… Jiraiya thought as he glanced at Kushina, it might be starting to work. Kakashi opened his mouth, as if he was going to say something else. Jiraiya kept his mouth shut, but he could hear the little gears working in Kakashi's brain, cooking up something to say, or maybe figuring out what to say and how to say it.

Minato gave him a long sideways glance when he suddenly, sharply gasped, in horror or something else, as if he were seeing a man long thought dead, which wasn't too far off the mark. Jiraiya almost saw Sakumo. Just for a moment, he thought he had. He blinked a couple of times and successfully banished any moisture from his eyes.

In that moment, Jiraiya remembered why he hadn't sought out Kakashi after Sakumo's deed was done. He remembered why he was too glad to leave the village for any mission he was allowed to take. He remembered why he promised himself not to linger after Konoha won the war (because in Jiraiya's eyes, it was impossible for the war to end in any other way), and why he deliberately broke a promise made to a friend long dead.

He stood up, startling Kakashi out of whatever he was thinking of. Minato and Kushina gave him identically inquisitive, slightly warning looks. He sighed heavily, gave the other two a vaguely apologetic glance before ignoring the bedridden boy completely and stomping out of the room before anyone could say anything to stop him. He shut the door gently behind him and lightly massaged his temples.

I'm sorry, Sakumo… I can't do this. Jiraiya walked away with vigor. His hasty steps clicked on the tiles heavily. It wasn't a foreign feeling, the one that passed through his body in that moment. Jiraiya had always known that, for all his talk about bravery and courage, friendship and a world of peace, Jiraiya was a coward, deep down in his heart.

Because when push came to shove, running away was what Jiraiya did best.

-oOo-

The only thing that stopped Kushina from shouting out to Jiraiya before the man could get three steps closer to the door was Kakashi. She didn't want to give him any more reason to fear her, and even she knew she could be scary when she got angry, something she was feeling in that moment in spades.

How could Jiraiya not see what she could? Jiraiya was vital during a time like this. They needed him. Kakashi needed him. And all he did was get up and scurry away like a mouse escaping a cat's paw… except there weren't any cats Kushina could see, but the mouse was still scurrying away in fear and sharp apprehension, scampering for a way out, a hole he could hide in for as long as was needed, as long as the danger remained.

She was withering slowly inside, she could feel it. She wasn't losing hope, and never would she. However, she could not fight this battle alone. She wasn't half as important as Jiraiya, who knew Sakumo before he fell into pieces that were far too tiny, far too broken to be put together again, and Kushina had no doubt in her mind that, at one point in time, his knowledge of who and what Sakumo was would be imperative. Her presence was not as essential as Minato's, who knew Kakashi for what he was, what he used to be, and who knew how to stick the pieces Kakashi's been forced into before it was too late to do anything.

As she glanced at Minato, she could see nothing but a passive mask glued onto his face so perfectly that she had to look away. Minato absently ran a hand through his hair several times over, the only indication of his slowly burning frustration, and maybe, Kushina thought as she watched the slight shaking of his hand, just a twinge of disappointment.

A low growl got Kushina out of her thoughts. Minato blinked a few times in confusion. The growl rumbled across the room again. Kushina looked around before her eyes fell onto the only squirming figure in the room, "Are you hungry, dattebane?" Kushina vaguely wondered where all the nurses were at. Weren't they supposed to be coming every few hours to check in on patients? I don't think any have come lately, dattebane… Kushina thought and filed away that observation for later consideration, "I'll go get some ramen! It's the best, I promise, dattebane!" Kakashi didn't complain, and neither did Minato, so Kushina nodded to herself and was out of the door before anyone could protest.

Two gone… one to go… Kakashi thought almost in relief. Kakashi looked over at Minato. He didn't seem too dangerous, and Kakashi… he remembered something. The blonde man may never come and get me. He thought back when he had first decided to run away from him. He watched this blonde man from under his bangs. Is it possible… that that blonde man… is this one? Kakashi didn't know. He couldn't remember any other defining features about the blonde man he always hoped would come for him, even though in some traitorous part of his mind, he had always had the belief that nobody would ever come for him.

Minato looked away from the door, and his eyes moved to meet Kakashi's. The boy shook his head quickly and didn't meet the other's gaze, "So…" Now that they were alone, Minato didn't really know what to say. Kushina was always there to fill the silences that stretched too long, "I haven't introduced myself yet," Minato said. Re-introduced would be more like it. He ignored the thought and skillfully kept his face as easygoing as he could, "I'm Namikaze Minato. I'm your Sensei,"

"Oh," Kakashi took his statement in. A thoughtful expression colored his face. Minato let him have a moment of peace. Better and safer would only be with the blonde. He rubbed his forehead as a memory came crashing down like a wild wave on a beach's shore. I-I don't want to remember.

"Are you okay?" The man, supposedly his teacher, is much closer now. Kakashi nodded briskly once.

"I'm fine," Kakashi said, just to implement his nod with actual, vocal proof. His idea of vocal proof didn't seem to be the evidence the blonde was looking for. Minato nodded once and smiled a smile that was a mockery of his usual vibrant smiles. He leaned back in the chair the redhead used to occupy. Neither knew what else to say. Kakashi felt a strike of déjà vu as he looked at the blonde. Just for a moment, he thought he saw silver hair; long, long strands tied up to frame a kind, warm face. In the next, he could see the short-cropped blonde hair and a face tinged with worry and lines that crisscrossed and clashed all over.

He shook his head again and lightly touched his forehead as a sudden dizziness overtook him. Minato didn't ask this time, and Kakashi didn't bother to give him any reassurance.

-oOo-

He had seen the signs, of course. He wasn't named the Professor for nothing, after all. He had seen all the warning signs. He knew it would happen sooner or later. Orochimaru had been growing more and more distant every day. He had been withdrawing into himself, locking himself up into what he now knew to be his lab.

A knock made the Sandaime sigh heavily. However, as Hokage, he had to answer with a firm, "Come in," The newest arrival didn't hesitate. The door opened slowly, though, and in came his last remaining loyal male student. Sarutobi had a moment to be slightly surprised that no boisterous exclamation came after his entrance, or even before it. Then, he remembered one of his more prominent failures. As Hokage, every one inside his village was his responsibility. Each old man's well-being down to the tiniest infant's was his business. He had failed the last remaining Hatake in more than one sense.

"Got a mission for me?" Jiraiya asked with all the seriousness he had ever seen him display. A solemn sort of calm had taken over his student's expressively loud person, and Hiruzen did not like it. Konoha was short-handed, of course. In times of war, all villages usually would be. However, Hiruzen now faced a tough situation. A decision had to be made spontaneously. Hiruzen had to choose between doing what was right and what was easy.

The Third Hokage would choose what was easy to do in a situation like this. However, Sarutobi Hiruzen was done making mistakes and adding more failures to his list.

He put down the paper he was holding in his hands and adjusted the pipe forever present in his mouth before meeting his student's eyes unwaveringly.

Author's Notes: Sorry for the slight cliffhanger! XD I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please let me know what you thought!

A Response to the Reviews on Chapter 1:

Tobi Uchiha-chan: Thanks for the review! I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

Until next time!