Chapter 20: Internal Crisis

Fortunately for Konoha, the uncertainty surrounding the next Hokage was more of "when" rather than "who." Since the end of the Third Great Ninja War, Hiruzen had done everything to groom Minato to become his successor. And as with everything else, Minato excelled at all of the tasks that had been thrown his way and quickly became an expert at navigating the landmine named politics.

By the end of the first year, Minato was more than ready to take the helm. In fact, he was more prepared than any of his predecessors before him: Hiruzen, who had taken the seat when the Second Hokage appointed him with his last words and Tobirama, who wasn't expecting his older brother to meet an early death.

The elders resisted, citing dozens of non-reasons of why Minato wasn't ready.

Hiruzen backed down from the verbal fight. Minato quietly left the council room, head slightly dipped in disappointment.

Another year passed. And then another. By the end of the fourth year, hushed whispers questioned whether Hiruzen even had intended to step down in the first place. The rumor mill churned viciously, full of mockery at Hiruzen's pretense of grooming the next generation and strewn barbs of how he was secretly power hungry. Sympathy was on Minato's side, although he never paid much heed.

During those years, Minato diligently completed both his diplomatic and shinobi duties without a word of complaint. Yet those around him could make out the creases in his forehead, the weariness in his smile, and the bags underneath his usually bright eyes. For the sake of his health, everyone knew that Minato needed to make a choice between being a shinobi or a politician.

And just when Hiruzen showed the slightest intent of finally handing over the position, the village was wrought in chaos once more as the issue of the disappearance of the Uchiha children became the village's current focus. With a more urgent issue pressing on their minds, the notion of welcoming a new leader was tabled for another time.

Even by the time the issue had been mostly resolved, Minato as the Fourth Hokage wasn't a topic that was discussed again. The war hero eventually returned to his duties as a full-time shinobi, no longer dabbling in the administrative aspects of Konoha other than to serve as a representative on Konoha's full council.

In the aftermath of Hiruzen's unexpected death, many began to wonder if Hiruzen had chosen to pass on the position back then if their former Hokage would still be alive today. The attack on Konoha's higher council was deliberate; that much was confirmed even with limited information. Despite the myriad of speculations that floated around the village, everything still remained a mere speculation.

Who? Why? How? All of those questions remained unanswered.

In one afternoon, everything changed. Moments ago, Minato had been gearing up to embark on a S-ranked mission, and then the next, he received orders that he was fully relieved from his shinobi duties to act as interim Hokage before the Fire Daimyo inevitably confirmed his appointment. Although Minato had spent years preparing himself for this moment, the last thing he ever expected was to be thrusted into a whirlwind of chaos.

Four assassinations. Homura. Koharu. Danzo. Hiruzen.

The perpetrator was still on the loose. And that was assuming that there was only one of them.

The motive? Still unclear.

The forensics report for Homura and Koharu's deaths had just been issued, but even knowing that one died by strangulation and the other by the slit of the throat did nothing to help with their investigation. It didn't tell them anything they already didn't know – it was a murder. A cold-blooded murder. A premeditated murder because whoever did it knew about the council meeting and planned for the two elders to show up.

Every fact seemed to point to multiple enemies, but Minato didn't rule out the possibility that it could have been single-handedly completed by someone highly skilled.

And no matter which angle Minato examined, it seemed that there was only one person who really fit the description.

Shinobis from other nations wouldn't have a reason to kill the Konoha elders; even those that did, their grudge dated back to the Second Great Ninja War. By now, they were either dead or past their prime. Neither of the conditions seemed to fit what the enemy had done today and that was why Minato was convinced that it had to be one of their own.

If Minato trusted that it wasn't an insider job, then a quick perusal came up with only one name.

Okami.

Compared to other Konoha shinobi defects, his description was surprisingly bare, simply because no one knew of his true identity. Everything that was known about him came from one singular encounter with a team of chunin on a mission gone wrong, recalled by a traumatized nine year old.

Jiraiya's vast informant network managed to pick up a few pieces here and there, but most of it was trivial. The only potentially useful information they received was the strong possibility that Okami was once a Konoha shinobi.

However, the biggest question still remained.

Why?

Itachi's body had a mind of its own. Before he was aware of what he was doing, Itachi found his feet carrying him across the rooftops of various buildings in Konoha with no particular destination in mind. Only when Itachi found himself staring at the familiar glass double doors to the hospital did Itachi finally register what had happened.

Itachi had fled from the scene.

The only two people who knew of his presence wouldn't spill his secret. One was dead. The other was missing and also someone that a Konoha shinobi would kill before interrogating.

As long as they didn't find him at the scene, no one would even know he had ever been there.

While Konoha's leadership sought to investigate the Third Hokage's death with minimal clues, there was Itachi, running away from the scene despite having all of the answers they desperately searched for.

A coward.

What was he even scared of? The ramifications of turning Kakashi in? The way the village will perceive him for being unable to protect their Hokage?

Or perhaps…putting all of his trust and faith in the village only to be disappointed in the end?

Everyone knew that Minato would become their next Hokage. While Itachi held a great degree of respect for his prowess on the battlefield, he knew next to nothing about him. What kind of leader would he be? A kind and benevolent leader who turned a blind eye in hopes of retaining "peace?" Or one that sought to take action, regardless of the consequences?

Itachi didn't know, but so far from the whispers floating around the hospital, it seemed that Minato leaned towards the latter category.

"Does anyone in your clan know that Izumi Uchiha is still alive?" Minato asked as he embedded yet another seal next to her bed. His appearance was sudden; Itachi expected him to be too occupied with trying to catch Okami to bother with the Uchiha's problems. Instead, Minato had surprised him by showing up at the hospital, arranging Izumi a private room in the wing of the hospital reserved for Anbu personnel, and setting up protective seals all over the room.

If Itachi was a bit braver, he might have asked Minato what he was doing. As of now, Itachi was still too wracked with his own inner turmoil to face him, so he kept his mouth firmly shut.

Itachi shook his head. "Only Shisui and I know. As far as the Uchiha clan is concerned, Izumi died three years ago."

"Good." Itachi watched as Minato squatted down to inspect the corner of the room. "I already made the arrangements. All medical personnel who are aware of her existence have been ordered to keep quiet. My student will take over as her primary doctor from this point forward. Unfortunately, I don't have any men I can spare to guard her, but these seals should keep any intruders out."

"What is going on? Is there someone else who is after her?" According to Yamato's explanation, Danzo wanted Izumi gone so she couldn't testify against Danzo. But now that Danzo was dead, there wasn't any reason why Izumi would still be in danger.

Right?

"I don't know. You know that I was recently thrown into this position and I haven't had much time to make sense of everything quite yet, but as far as I'm aware, Orochimaru has escaped. There's a possibility that he'll want to retrieve her to continue with his experiments. I'm just taking all precautions to ensure nothing else goes wrong."

Definitely one to take action. Itachi didn't know why he was so surprised; Minato was known for being the spearhead of almost every Konoha initiative. Maybe under Hiruzen's leadership he had grown too comfortable in accepting complacency.

Minato stood up, brushing his hands together. "Alright, I think I got every part of this room. I have the seal set to allow you and Shisui to enter without triggering the traps. I prefer that you keep quiet about her presence here, at least until I get a better handle on the situation; however, there is another close family member that will want to know that she's safe, do let me know."

Itachi shook his head. "That won't be necessary. Thank you."

Minato glanced at the clock on the wall. "Alright, I'm afraid that I have to get going. My student, Rin, should be here in about fifteen minutes to check up on Izumi's condition. I'll see you later."

Minato had taken three steps towards the door when Itachi's impulsive "Wait!" stopped him to his tracks. Only when Minato stopped walking did Itachi realize what he had done. Was it too late to back out now? What did he even hope to accomplish with this?

Minato stared at him expectantly. The same sort of kindness that Hiruzen had also shone in Minato's eyes, yet within his, Itachi could also see determination in the form of a small pit of fire. One that would grow, the flames reaching higher and higher whenever Minato hardened his resolve.

"If you knew that someone close to you was the one behind everything, would you turn a blind eye to their activities?"

Despite attempting to remain purposefully vague, both of them knew what Itachi was referring to. Still, that knowledge wasn't enough to make Minato falter in his answer. He spoke so confidently and smoothly, like it was a question where he had made up his mind a long time ago.

"The Hokage is someone that is acknowledged by the people of Konoha. Consequently, the people also entrust their faith to the Hokage to do the right things, to make the correct judgments. However often, there is no right or wrong when it comes to making decisions; what is right for one may not necessarily be right for another. But I do believe that a Hokage should be able to make a decision, free of emotional factors. That is what makes a leader fair.

"So to answer your question, no I wouldn't. It wouldn't matter if that person was my student or my best friend or Kushina or Naruto…everyone should be scrutinized under the same set of standards. Although, I would certainly do my best to prevent any people that are close to me from going down the wrong path."

"What would you do if that someone has already gone down that wrong path already?"

"I would do everything in my power to stop them."

"Even if it means killing them?"

Minato nodded. "Even if it means killing them." Minato shot him a small smile. "You're still young, Itachi. As you grow older, you'll begin to realize that the world isn't all that black and white as it seems. As a shinobi, there will be times you'll be forced to make a difficult decision. As the Hokage, I will choose the village every time."

Would he? Outwardly, Itachi nodded and thanked Minato for entertaining his question. Yet on the inside, Itachi still held onto his lingering doubts. It was much easier to say than do. If only Itachi had the time to wait and see what Minato would do before deciding if he was someone he could trust…

But he didn't.

By then, would there even be a point in turning in Kakashi? In that time frame, who knows how many more people Kakashi would have killed?

Yet Itachi couldn't completely condemn Kakashi for what he had done, considering Itachi himself helped him in killing Danzo. He helped him by standing aside while he murdered the Third Hokage. If Itachi had been in Kakashi's position, killing off Danzo wouldn't have been his first move. Of course, he would have tried to reach out to the Hokage for help…and inevitably end up disappointed. And then what would Itachi have done? Would he have decided to take matters into his own hands and take care of it himself like Kakashi had done? Or would he have sat idly by, acting no better than the Third Hokage?

Minato brought up a good point. What is wrong? What is right?

Was it wrong for Itachi to keep silent on what he had seen?

Was it wrong for Itachi to have participated in killing Danzo?

Was it wrong for Itachi to not trust the Hokage?

His fist curled up into a tight ball, nails digging uncomfortably into the base of his palm. Itachi tipped his head backwards, keeping the tears that threatened to spill at bay. He sucked in a deep breath, the bottom of his jaw quivering uncontrollably, teeth knocking against each other.

Why him? Why did Kakashi's sole existence make Itachi question everything that he once believed in?

What was wrong and what was right?

"Izumi, did I do the right thing?"

Too bad she wasn't awake to give him a proper answer.

The only person who could relate to a fraction of the internal crisis that Itachi was experiencing was Shisui, but even then, he didn't participate in killing Danzo. He didn't stand idly by and watched Hiruzen die. The only thing he did wrong was trust Kakashi, but even without Kakashi's interference, they would have continued to investigate the missing Uchiha children themselves.

Unfortunately, Shisui didn't have an answer for him either. His cousin, the person that Itachi always trusted to have an answer, was at a loss too.

The moon hung high and bright in the sky, shining a beam of light down upon the two of them, who sat side by side at the base a flat rock. The sound of the roaring water crashing down upon the rocks poured into their ears, yet the noise did little to drown out all of the doubts in their minds. Itachi pulled his knees close to him, wrapping his arms around his legs and resting the bottom of his chin against his kneecaps.

Goosebumps formed all over his arms as the scene of Kakashi ruthlessly killing Hiruzen in one move played through his mind again. Itachi squeezed his eyes shut in a futile attempt to rid his mind of that scene, but his brain took it one step further – comparing that awful image to the first time he met Kakashi. To the time he watched Kakashi kill the Fire Daimyo.

And that reminded him all over again that he was the one who killed Tenma too. For simply being in the way was his explanation.

Itachi scowled in frustration. He hated that Kakashi had gotten into his head. He hated all of the self-doubts that were sprouting as a result.

"The Hokage should have never left the kidnapping case alone," Shisui whispered quietly. "I hate to say this, but I would have done the same thing. Take matters into my own hands if I see that it's not being done."

And that was exactly the problem. They agreed with what Kakashi did, to a certain extent. Did that make him good? No, but it didn't make him all that bad either.

"Ignoring a problem doesn't warrant a death sentence," Itachi countered. Although he said it out loud, the person he was trying to convince wasn't Shisui, but rather, himself. However, Itachi found that saying it out loud didn't make the argument any more convincing.

"I was there, Shisui," Itachi quietly confessed, his voice on the verge of cracking. "I was there when Kakashi killed the Third Hokage. He didn't even put up a fight. He simply accepted his death, saying that he wouldn't be able to live peacefully even if he stepped down as the Hokage. Like he really had wronged Kakashi."

Shisui shrugged. "Maybe he did." A pause, and then, "Remember when you dragged me to the cemetery looking for Sakumo and Kakashi's graves?"

Itachi nodded. As it turned out, the son wasn't dead. His status had turned from missing in action to becoming one of Konoha's greatest enemies.

That was only if Itachi turned him in. As of now, only three people were aware of Kakashi's existence. The other four were dead.

"You told me that Inuzuka sensei said that Sakumo Hatake was killed in action. Later, I heard rumors that Sakumo was sent on a suicide mission."

"A suicide mission? Why?"

"Everyone blames him for being the catalyst to the Third Great Ninja War. Sakumo was sent on a top secret mission in Iwa's territory and botched it to save his teammates instead of completing the mission. Ever since, the Hatake clan name has been tarnished. Perhaps, Kakashi still holds some resentment for how his father was treated and to an extent, how he was treated."

"Regardless of his motives," Shisui continued. "From the day he assassinated the Fire Daimyo, he is an enemy of Konoha."

A logical conclusion. One that Itachi could have easily deduced himself, yet the doubts that swarmed in his head continued to cloud his judgment. Even Shisui didn't sound completely convinced, more like he had spoken those words aloud for his benefit.

"Do you really believe that though?"

Silence. That was the question they spent the better part of the hour dancing around because neither of them had a concrete answer. And if they did, it probably wasn't the one that should have been coming out of their mouths as two of Konoha's top shinobis.

"I don't know," Shisui finally confessed. "The Konoha I pledged loyalty to isn't one that so easily turns on their own comrades."

For the first time since Kakashi was four years old, he returned home. Not home to the Anbu Root headquarters, where he spent the majority of his childhood growing up. Not home to the apartment in Iwa, where he spent all of his preteen years as a double agent. Not home to the underground hideout Kakashi dug in the middle of one of the Root's training fields, the only place he found solace.

But home, to the Hatake compound. The place where he was born. The place where he learned how to walk, talk, throw a kunai, and summon his pack. The place that preserved the only fond memories that remained of his father because everywhere else reminded him of the disdained looks and slew of insults thrown their way.

The only thing Kakashi missed about Konoha was the Hatake compound. Surprisingly, in his absence, his childhood home was still standing, albeit the wear caused by the weather was evident.

Still, Kakashi missed it. Despite the fact that there were probably dozens of shinobis on the lookout for him, Kakashi purposefully arranged his meeting location with Tenzo so that he would have an excuse to return to the village. No doubt the younger boy was completely flabbergasted by his request to meet at the Hatake compound, and the first words out of his mouth when they met would probably be, "What the hell are you thinking?"

The problem was, Kakashi wasn't thinking. While working under Danzo, all Kakashi had been taught was to shut off his emotions, to do what was best for the village regardless of what he really felt. Ever since breaking out of Iwa's prison, Kakashi had no qualms about letting emotions rule his decisions. Of course, Kakashi didn't stay under the radar for so long by making a slew of impulsive decisions; he still understood the importance of remaining rational. However, there were times when Kakashi gave into the temptation of just doing whatever he wanted.

Like when he decided to save Yahiko. Like when he decided to spare Itachi. And kind of like now, returning to the wolf's den after assassinating their leader.

As Kakashi predicted, Tenzo wasted no time in confronting Kakashi on why he decided meeting up in Konoha was a good idea. Too bad in doing so, Tenzo interrupted his peaceful nap on the rooftop of the Hatake compound.

"Maa, you should take a seat," Kakashi advised because he was tired of hearing the incessant drumming of his footsteps as Tenzo paced anxiously around the rooftop. That, and Kakashi didn't know how stable the roof was, after being abandoned for more than a decade.

Thankfully, Tenzo did take his advice and sit down. Unfortunately, that didn't mean peace and quiet for Kakashi; Tenzo still hadn't let it go. Guess Kakashi's earlier nonresponse didn't quite satisfy him.

"Hiding in plain sight is often the safest place," Kakashi drawled, lazily tossing an arm over his eyes to shield him from the rays of sunlight that had begun to break through the clouds. "Listen, I didn't invite you here so you could judge my choices–"

Tenzo wasn't listening. He barrelled right through the second half of Kakashi's statement. "That may have been true while Hiruzen was Hokage, but Minato isn't as easy to fool."

That piqued his interest. "Oh? Minato has been enacted as the Fourth Hokage?"

"Not yet. Since Hiruzen's death was so sudden, the village council appointed him as acting Hokage until the Fire Daimyo officially appoints a new Hokage. Everyone thinks it's going to be him though."

"That's not surprising. It's not like Konoha has any better options." Most of what Kakashi knew about Minato was through the Akatsuki's vast informant network, but most of what came through there consisted of surface level information. Mostly things like his techniques, his prowess, and his war feats. There was nothing to be said about his personality, or what type of leader he would be. Still, Kakashi was willing to take a chance on him.

After all, Kakashi remembered Minato being one of the few younger shinobis that his father admired.

"I guess that's true," Tenzo agreed. "What did you call me here for?"

"To discuss your future."

"My future?" Tenzo repeated. "What about it?"

"Your mission is complete, Tenzo," Kakashi said. "You no longer have to follow me. In fact, you probably shouldn't. All of the credit for killing the four Konoha elders will be pinned onto me. No one will know you had a part in it; you can be reintegrated back into Konoha's regular Anbu Black Ops and live your life as a regular shinobi."

"But–"

Kakashi sensed a very familiar argument incoming, so he put a stop to it before the words could even leave Tenzo's mouth. Last time when Tenzo asked to leave with him, Kakashi was able to refuse because he knew how much of an asset Tenzo would be if he remained by Danzo's side as his spy. This time though, Kakashi didn't know if he had enough resolve to refute him again.

Staying in the village would be for the best. Life as a missing nin wasn't as glamorous as others made it out to be. Constantly on the move, constantly on edge on who he could or couldn't trust, and no permanent home to return to at the end of a long mission.

It was quite a miserable way to live. Tenzo still had a choice. Kakashi didn't.

"Stay in the village, Tenzo. Life is better here."

"If you asked me to stay because you still wanted me to keep an eye on Konoha, I would agree with no hesitation. However, I can't accept staying if there is no reason for me to."

"And what reason do you have to turn your back on the village?" Kakashi countered. "With your Wood Style, you'll still be valuable to them for a long time. Probably long enough for you to fully live out your life as a shinobi and retire."

"And why would I want to stay if all I am is a valuable pawn to Konoha?"

"Following me is no better, Tenzo. Everyone who joins the Akatsuki provides value to the organization, one way or another. You won't be an exception. So why would you want to follow me if you'll be treated the same way?"

"Because you were the only one who treated me like a human. You were the one who taught me everything about shinobi arts before you even knew what I could do. To you, I was just an annoying kid that followed you around, yet you still showed me kindness and treated me like a human rather than a weapon of war. Even if you do end up treating me like a pawn, then I would rather have that than serve a village that hasn't done anything to deserve my loyalty."

"I only did that to get you to stop following me," Kakashi grumbled under his breath. Those words weren't meant for Tenzo's ears, but with how close they were sitting, Tenzo probably heard them anyway.

"If you still respect me as your senpai, then you'll stay in the village. Besides, just because I don't have a mission to assign to you now, doesn't mean I won't in the future. It'll be good to still have eyes on Konoha, anyways."

"Alright," Tenzo conceded with a defeated sigh. At least that was one thing off of Kakashi's agenda of lists of things to do after you assassinated a village's Hokage and completely upended their core leadership.

"Any news about Itachi and Shisui?"

"The village still doesn't know that you are Okami, so I'm assuming they haven't said anything. Your status in the Bingo Book has been upgraded, but still under Okami."

Huh, that was surprising. Despite forming a semblance of an alliance for the better part of the last three years, those two never completely trusted him. After his identity was revealed, Kakashi figured they would jump at the chance to redeem themselves by pinning everything onto him. Getting him captured would be their way of easing their guilt for doubting the village, even if Konoha deserved to be doubted.

That was what loyal shinobis would do.

Perhaps, Kakashi's impression of them was wrong. Were they not as loyal to the village as he had imagined?

"What are the odds they will talk?" Kakashi mused, not expecting an answer. Even though Kakashi felt their presence sneaking up on him, despite doing their best to erase their chakra signatures, Kakashi was surprised to receive an answer to his question.

"That depends on your answer to our questions."

Kakashi sat upright, catching the three shurikens Itachi hurled at him with his bare fingers. The shurikens sat on his pointer finger, the momentum of their spin slowing down by the second. Neither Uchiha followed up that attack, but their stance was battle-ready.

"What do you want?"

"Why did you point us to investigate Danzo and Orochimaru?"

"I told you, didn't I? You wanted the truth to your missing clan members. I wanted to stop the Rinnegan from being created. You would have been able to investigate much more easily than I could have."

"As if you already didn't have eyes in the village," Shisui responded, jerking the bottom of his chin in Tenzo's direction. "Why us?"

"As Uchihas, the two of you investigating would have been less suspicious. What reason would Cat have to care about missing children?"

"Fine. If Orochimaru and Danzo were our targets, why did you kill the other three?"

"Who said those two were my targets?" Kakashi retorted. "Those two were your targets. As long as Orochimaru isn't experimenting to create the Rinnegan, I don't care what happens to him. If the four village elders don't die, Konoha will continue to ignore its problems and let the rotten core continue to fester until it has infected the entire village. I got rid of the root of the problem. It's time for a change or more will fall victim to Konoha's complacency."

"And why does that matter to you?" Itachi countered with a hint of malice. "This isn't your village anymore."

Kakashi's dark eyes flashed angrily as the accusatory question elicited emotions that he hadn't felt for a long time. "Because I was one of the victims. Tell me, how would you feel if you found out that your village sold you out to the enemy?"

No answer. Just a hint of visible shock on both of their faces, but clearly enough to render both of them completely speechless.

"When I was ten, Konoha sent me to become an undercover spy in Iwa. I accepted the mission because I wanted to clear the Hatake's name. I thought if I was able to do something to end the war, then maybe people would stop blaming my father for starting it," Kakashi began in a low voice. A hint of rage simmered underneath the surface, threatening to spill outwards but Kakashi still maintained enough control to keep his emotions in check.

For now.

"I was captured and thrown into Iwa's cells. For fifty days, they tried every method they could to extract information out of me, but I kept my mouth shut. It would have been so easy to confess and end my misery, but a loyal shinobi doesn't spill their village's secret, so I didn't say a single word. But do you know how Iwa even found out I was a spy?"

Underneath his fabric mask, Kakashi's lips curled up into a vicious smile. "Danzo had an underhanded deal with an Iwa nin and gave up my name for his own gain. What bitter irony is that the village I was so loyal to didn't even respect the basic courtesy of not selling me out?"

By now, the words were flowing freely from his lips. Years and years worth of pent up rage was spilling outwards now that Kakashi had someone to vent to.

"When Konoha's council became aware of my captivity, they decided I wasn't worth saving. It was easier for me to take Konoha's secrets to the grave, rather than to try to break me out and bring me home. They sent someone to finish me off."

His eyes glazed over, vision becoming blurry as Kakashi recalled the bloody field of bodies left in his wake.

"Too bad I killed him before he could kill me."

Emotional confession over, Kakashi smothered the remaining tendrils of anger that seeped within him. Like a light switch, emotions were turned off and level-headedness took its place.

"Now do you understand why I killed them? Undoubtedly, there are other victims like me. Unless you are the one, you wouldn't know about it. The fastest way for change is for new leadership to take over."

Itachi finally found his voice again. "And you're certain that Minato is the right person for the job?"

Kakashi shrugged. "During that meeting, he was the only one who proposed the idea of sending out a rescue team for me. Maybe that was just his naivety speaking and maybe he has changed, but I'm willing to give him a chance. Something is better than nothing, wouldn't you agree?"

Itachi and Shisui exchanged a look, one that only the two of them could interpret. However, Kakashi had a decent idea of what it was about – they haven't turned him in yet. That was good enough of a sign of what their future intentions would be.

This time, it was Shisui who spoke. "What is your goal? What are you planning to do in the future?"

"The Akatsuki's goal has always been to eradicate corruption by any means necessary. That is what we will continue to be doing in the future. Meanwhile, we are looking to expand our organization so that we touch every corner of the world."

Having these two as permanent allies wasn't a bad idea. The Akatsuki's biggest weakness was their lack of strong shinobis. In the event they ever wanted to fight against one of the five great nations, they still lacked the strength to do so. Hopefully, it wouldn't ever reach that point, but it wouldn't hurt to be prepared just in case. Itachi and Shisui were still young, barely in the initial stages of their prime and already recognized for being highly skilled.

In a few more years, they would become formidable opponents.

Or they could become powerful allies.

"The Akatsuki can help you track down Orochimaru. We have eyes and ears all over the place; no matter where he went off to, I'm confident that we will be able to find him. That is, if you're interested. Otherwise, I have no reason to hunt him down."

Yet, Kakashi tacked on in his mind because he was certain that someone who sought greed to that extent would inevitably do something to end up on the Akatsuki's radar. Itachi and Shisui didn't need to know that though. After what the Sannin had done to the members of their clan, including Shisui's sister and Itachi's best friend, no doubt revenge was on the forefront of their minds.

Correction; it was revenge disguised as justice because the so-called "good" people never did anything in the name of revenge, only in the name of justice.

Whatever they wanted to call it. To Kakashi, there was no distinction between the two.

When Kakashi saw Itachi's hand curl up into a fist, he knew that the boy was close to breaking. The seeds of doubt had long been planted, the events over the course of the last few years had sprouted, and now he just needed a little bit more push before he bought into Kakashi's beliefs.

"Do you really trust Konoha to track down Orochimaru and give him the punishment he deserves? They weren't able to find any evidence that Orochimaru was behind the kidnappings; what makes you think they'll be competent enough to find him when he could be anywhere right now? Besides, I'm sure Minato has his hands full of dozens of other things that Orochimaru is nowhere near the top of his priority."

Kakashi let out a mirthless chuckle. "If you turn me in, I'm pretty sure that I'll be at the top of their priority list. After all, what's a better look for the village? Catching someone who assassinated their Hokage or catching the perpetrator of a case that has already been long closed?"

"Not that I care if you turn me in," Kakashi tacked on. Truthfully, he didn't. If he cared, then Kakashi wouldn't have allowed Itachi to find out his real identity in the first place. What difference did it make if Konoha knew Okami was Kakashi Hatake?

None. They still wouldn't be able to kill him.

Itachi and Shisui were taking too long to make their decision. While Kakashi was bold enough to return to Konoha, even he wasn't willing to push his luck and stay longer than he deemed to be safe. He had gotten what he had come for: his dose of nostalgia and his unexpected heartfelt conversation with Tenzo.

His time was up.

If things went the way Kakashi wanted them to, then there was no reason to return to Konoha again.

Kakashi stood up. He lightly patted Tenzo twice on the head, his form of an awkward good-bye to his former subordinate.

Just as Kakashi was about to disappear into a swirl of leaves, Itachi's voice stopped him.

"What do we have to do?"

The corner of his lips tilted upwards.

A/N: Hi again!

I'm finally back with another chapter - sorry for the long wait! At least I didn't leave off on a massive cliffhanger last time haha. Arc 3 begins! Without spoiling too much, this arc will build up to the finale of the fic. Some new additions to Akatsuki, loose subplots from arc 1 and 2 tying up, dominos tipping...

What do you look forward to reading about in the second half of the fic?

Thank you for reading and until next time!

-MM