Naruto x Digimon

Alive - Team Minato's Digidestined

Chapter 10

Originally Written: Wednesday, November 9, 2022 840AM to 938AM

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One night, after Takashi had gone to sleep, and Grandma Masumi secretly left to visit Obito in the hospital, Gai decided to stay the night with Kakashi at his house. On that night, Kakashi's tiny ball of canine fur spoke in a shy, childlike voice.

"H-hello. I'm Wanyamon." It told Gai, Kakashi and his summons, in a soft spoken voice. "N-nice to meet you."

That was the only thing they got out of the creature. The next day, early in the morning when Takashi left to make his daily report, Wanyamon hopped out of Kakashi's lap. It bounced away, and turned back to Kakashi, looking at it with its wide green eyes. Its tail wagged back and forth. Kakashi's hands reached out to the ball of fur. He sat in the chair in the living room, next to the rug covering up blood filled memories. Gai was in the kitchen, starting breakfast.

"You gotta stand if you wanna catch it, pup." Pakkun said.

Wanyamon hopped further back.

Gai ran out of the kitchen when he heard a loud painful thud and a cry. "Kakashi!"

Kakashi laid on the floor, sprawled in a heap on the wooden floor next to the rug. His limbs were sprawled out in various directions, as though he wasn't quite sure what to do with them. Usually Gai or Takashi carried him wherever he wanted or needed to go.

"He's fine." Pakkun said.

Kakashi slowly checked himself over. His limbs moved stiffly. He jerked as his hands bumped into his limbs unexpectedly, as he tried to get used to his new lack of depth perception. He deemed himself okay, and settled down in a kneeling position. Then he crawled towards the canine creature. It hopped further away with a giggle. Just outside of Kakashi's reach. Kakashi followed slowly, with a frustrated glare. It kept just outside of Kakashi's reach. If it hopped too far away, Kakashi stopped moving, and it hopped back.

Takashi returned to find Kakashi sitting at the kitchen table eating breakfast with Gai. He looked pleased, yet not.

Gai beamed as he handed Takashi a plate. "Kakashi dropped his gift! He got up to get it."

Takashi took a seat in front of his plate at the table and gave him a look of disbelief, "How did that involve him moving rooms?"

"He kept dropping it." Pakkun replied, not looking up from his own food. Gai was strange, but he could cook well. "Sometimes he'd accidentally kick or push it away. Depth perception and all that."

Takashi reached over, and ruffled Kakashi's hair. The boy didn't respond.

Each time Takashi stepped out, Wanyamon did the same. Somehow, it was able to tell when Takashi was returning, and would plop itself back into Kakashi's lap at the perfect time.

"I'm starting to think you don't trust Takashi." Pakkun said one time Takashi stepped out.

Wanyamon took a long look at both Pakkun and Gai. Grandma Masumi was due to visit this day, but not yet. So Wanyamon had hopped out of Kakashi's lap. "He's reporting to the Third Hokage." Wanyamon replied. He looked at them as if daring them to say something.

Gai looked as though he were morally wounded and torn. He took a seat on the floor, kneeling in front of Kakashi. Silent, and slowly, he held his arms out, and then he hugged Kakashi. Kakashi's fingers wiggled by his sides in response. He was more focused on reaching Wanyamon than hugging Gai, so the boy didn't hug his dear rival for long.

"Catch me 'Kashi-kun!" Wanyamon suddenly cheered as though he hadn't said something with implications that would get most shinobi murdered for treason.

As the weeks passed, with Wanyamon, Gai, the ninken and Takashi's encouragement and treatment, Kakashi went from kneeling to standing with some difficulty.

Takashi told Gai that there was nothing physically wrong with Kakashi's limbs. "It's in his head. Your own mind can push you forward or hold you back just as much as your teammates in a squad. He needs something else to focus on. If Pakkun knocking Kakashi's toy out of his hands is that motivating distraction, so be it."

One day in the yard surrounding Kakashi's house, Gai walked next to Kakashi. He held Kakashi's arm to keep him steady as his rival walked, slowly trailing around the blue ball of fur.

Takashi didn't return from his early morning meeting with the Third Hokage. Instead it was the loud Kushina Uzumaki who met them. They only knew something was wrong because Wanyamon dropped to the grass mid bounce like it was a wet rag. Kakashi stared at Wanyamon.

"Uzumaki-san!" Gai spoke in the usual whisper he used around Kakashi lately. "Are you alright? What is the matter?"

"Shiro sent me." Kushina Uzumaki leaned on her thighs, breathing heavily. "I'll watch Kakashi-kun. You-you need to go to the Hokage's office, Gai. T-tell the receptionist that Minato sent for you, not Shiro."

Gai took off in a sharp sprint. He left the start of a trail of dust in his wake. Kakashi stared at Wanyamon. Kushina slowly recovered. She picked up Wanyamon for Kakashi. She smiled as she raised Wanyamon and turned towards him.

"May I toss him to you?"

Kakashi nodded. The two engaged in a casual game of a catch. Kakashi caught Wanyamon every time, determined not to drop him.

"Kakashi-kun."

Kakashi caught Wanyamon. He looked at Kushina, her hair hung limp around her face. It seemed to have a personality of its own, but one that matched Kushina. That's what his father said about it anyway.

"I'll warn you first, so you know. The war is intensifying, despite your team's efforts. Kannabi bridge only slowed down the escalation."

Kakashi tossed Wanyamon back to her. She leaned over to catch it. Many things Kakashi threw or put down veered to the right. Everyone did their best to get him to straighten out his aim.

"I won't be able to visit you as much." She tossed Wanyamon back. "I'm wanted on the field too, dattebane."

"Too?" Pakkun asked. Around him, Kakashi's other dogs barked or growled.

Kakashi dropped Wanyamon. It squeaked like a dog's toy as it hit the grass.

"Too." She replied. "Did Takashi tell you or Gai why he was meeting with the Third? Was he allowed to?"

"No." Pakkun replied. "I'm not going to like what you're going to say next, am I?"

One of Kakashi's pups pushed Wanyamon back to Kakashi. Wanyamon rolled like a ball. Its fur matted up ever so slightly.

"Sorry, 'ttebane" She ducked her head. "Minato needs to be back on the field with a team. His team." She explained. "But!" She waved her hands, "If Shiro, Gai and his team can make a case, Gai may be allowed to temporarily join Team Seven. To help you and Rin."

Wanyamon bumped into Kakashi's foot. Rin hadn't come to see him. Takashi was frustrated with her. Grandma Masumi was furious. Whenever someone mentioned Rin, Grandma Masumi's eyes would turn red for just a moment. Gai went to see Rin, but hadn't brought her back with him. Gai told him she was doing okay and wished him well. For Gai, the word 'okay' meant 'struggling'. Kakashi bent down and picked up Wanyamon. His ninken growled and barked in protest, not happy with the predicament Konoha had placed their pack leader in.

Kushina rubbed the back of her neck while looking at the ground. "Shiro's a good medic, but he's a civilian. He's got no say over treatment or placement of Shinobi besides saying whether they're medically cleared for training or fighting."

"...I'll be ready." Kakashi whispered. His throat protested. He hadn't really spoken in weeks. He remained standing even though his legs wobbled.

He uncovered his bandaged eye when he was medically cleared to do so. He covered it with his headband as civilian medic Takashi Shirogane revealed he was finally cleared to tell him that Obito Uchiha had survived, and was currently in Konoha's hospital recovering.

He finally accepted Rin's hug and apology when she told him that the Uchiha Clan weren't allowing anyone who wasn't Uchiha to see Obito. She explained that it had devastated her, but that was no excuse to not visit him. Kakashi was in the same boat.

Kakashi remained standing when he stood in between Rin and Gai, standing before Minato Namikaze.

"Two bells, three people. You know what to do." Two bells hung from his hands. The chill in his sensei's eyes belied the confident smirk on his lips.