Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own Naruto or any characters in this story; it belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.
Chapter 17: Kakashi's New Mission
Hiruzen let out a breath and rubbed his temple briefly before regaining his composure.
"Neko." He spoke, and instantly, a masked and lithe figure appeared and knelt before him. "Go to the Hyūga compound and inform them that Hiashi's daughter was injured during training and that she is recuperating in the hospital should Hiashi wish to see her."
"Hai." The ANBU answered before disappearing.
Hiruzen stared at the spot where the ANBU member had been for a brief moment before glancing upwards towards the group of Jonin that had come into his office a couple of minutes ago. They gave him a brief explanation of what had happened, but it was clear that much was still a mystery of what had caused the unfortunate event.
"Thank you for your service, Jonin. You are all dismissed." Hiruzen directed his words at a group of Jonin, who all were lined up in attention after reporting the things from their perspective except for Kakashi, who had barely spoken. The copy ninja, who stood with his blonde student hanging from his back, merely made a comment or two when directly addressed by Hiruzen, but it was clear that he wouldn't elaborate until they were completely alone.
It was unspoken but all the Jonin knew they were to leave while Kakashi stayed behind. Asuma was about to speak but closed his mouth before he uttered a word Hiruzen spoke again.
"It should go without saying that this matter still falls under the law of secrecy, and any and all indiscretions will be punished accordingly." The air instantly filled with killer intent so potent that lesser shinobi might have crumbled in its presence. Each Jonin saw the look on their leader's face. It wasn't the face of the often-amicable old man. It was the face of a man who had gone into battle far more times than all of them put together and came out victorious.
"Hai Hokage-Sama." The group of Jonin answered robotically in unison and with the slightest trace of fear in some voices before leaving the room.
After the last Jonin left, Hiruzen stared at Kakashi dead in the eye for a few seconds before he stood up. "Come with me, Kakashi."
Kakashi didn't say anything but followed Hiruzen as they exited the office. They walked down a set of stairs and eventually arrived at the door Hiruzen opened and stepped inside. Kakashi followed and looked around the room before he concluded that this was the Hokage's residence inside the Hokage's Mansion. This wasn't something new to him; he knew that Minato had opted out of living here for obvious reasons, but it seemed that the third had decided to do so. The room was luxurious, as expected, but held the appearance that time had taken its toll on it just like with the Hokage. They took their sandals off before they moved into a room with a bed. Hiruzen wordlessly extended his hand towards the bed, and Kakashi understood. He got close enough and laid down the blonde who he had still been carrying.
Hiruzen studied the unconscious form of Naruto. "I assume you have more details you didn't want to reveal." The old Kage said without taking his eyes off Naruto.
Kakashi didn't respond immediately; he was still confused about all that had transpired in the last hour. "I do."
Hiruzen simply gave a silent nod and Kakashi took that as his queue to begin. The copy ninja started by telling him how he had felt something was off and went to Naruto's apartment only to find him missing and how he used his ninken to track him down.
"When I found him, he was thrashing wildly," Kakashi said monotonously. "He seemed to be fighting for control."
"I see," Hiruzen said before letting out a tired sigh. He then sat in a chair that was close by. "By the reports of your fellow Jonin, I presume you used the Sharingan to calm him down."
Kakashi nodded in response. "It was... strange. When I uncovered my eye and looked at him, he seemed to finally lose control of himself. He charged at me, but I stopped him and put him under a genjutsu but..." Kakashi stopped. He had a hard time coming up with the words necessary to explain what happened. "Well, I've never experienced anything like it when putting someone under a genjutsu. One moment, I looked into his eye, and the next, I appeared in a dark corridor."
Hiruzen lifted a curious grey eyebrow but didn't interrupt.
"It looked like a sewer. It had multiple connecting corridors that...I think the connecting corridors held his memories. I heard his voice coming out from the corridors but from when he was much younger. From a time when I was still in ANBU, and I found him in the streets. I also heard..." Kakashi stopped before he continued. Hearing her voice was truly the most perplexing of all that had happened during the last couple of hours.
"You heard what?" Hiruzen asked curiously, seeing how Kakashi had stopped his explanation.
"Your voice, Hokage-Sama." It wasn't a lie, but he would be lying if he hadn't omitted a critical piece of information. He didn't know why he did it, but his conscience seemed to agree. To be honest, Kakashi still had trouble believing that he had heard that voice at all. Not to mention, it felt wrong for him to share in a sense.
"I see," Hiruzen said as he took off his hat and laid it on a desk. "Well, we do know a few things about how the mind operates, thanks to the Yamanaka clan. Unfortunately, we know little about how the mental space of a Jinchuriki operates, much less what happens when the Sharingan interreacts with a Jinchuriki, but it seems to have a similar effect to Saiko Denshin jutsu: (Psycho Mind transmission jutsu)." Hiruzen said thoughtfully.
Kakashi then continued to retell everything that had happened, from hearing a scream and arriving at a room where he saw Naruto wrapped around a pool of orange chakra to speaking to the Kyūbi.
"You spoke to it?" Asked a surprised Hiruzen.
"Yes. It taunted me and said he would destroy the village once it broke the seal."
Hiruzen hummed in response before an unnerving silence fell upon the room.
"Well, we should not trust the words of such beast, but a little precaution never goes amiss," Hiruzen said as he stood up. He opened a drawer and took out a piece of paper and an ink brush before drawing on it.
Kakashi half paid attention as the Hokage's hand moved nimbly across the paper. His mind was stuck on the last words the Kyūbi had spoken to him.
'There is nothing he can hide from me, even the darkest thoughts he hides from himself. It's ironic that you would believe so highly in someone who resents you so deeply.'
What the Hokage said is true. They shouldn't take the words of the Kyūbi as truth, but why would he say that?
"What happened to his clothes?" Hiruzen's voice brought him out of his internal conflict.
"He tore them himself whilst struggling to control himself," Kakashi answered as the morbid image of Naruto tearing into his own skin filled his mind.
"Sadly, I'm sure he has at least one other orange jacket in his closet." The Hokage said as he approached the unconscious boy and removed said jacket. Hiruzen then lifted the black shirt the blonde wore underneath and put the paper near Naruto's sternum.
For the first time, Kakashi noticed that the paper had the kanji reveal written on it. As soon as the paper settled across Naruto's skin, a spiral shape began forming in Naruto's belly.
"Is that?"
"The seal," Hiruzen responded. "A Hakke fūin formed by two Shishō fūin (four trigrams seal)."
Kakashi observed the complex set of kanji with admiration. It was a genuinely complex seal, far beyond his understanding, and it was his Sensei's work. His last work.
"Notice how four symbols from one seal don't completely overlap with the other? It allows the Kyūbi's chakra to slowly leak into Naruto. I suspect Minato did it so Naruto's body became accustomed to the Kyūbi's chakra."
"Is that what happened?" Kakashi asked.
"No, at least I don't think so. The seal is designed to allow only the tiniest of drops to mix with Naruto's chakra; otherwise, it would overwhelm him regularly. Naruto's extremely high chakra reserves work to delude the Kyūbi's foul chakra on a constant basis. Think of a drop of poison being dropped into a bucket of water. It's a similar concept."
Kakashi took in the explanation of the man called the professor. "So, Naruto's chakra is constantly suppressing the influence of Kyūbi?" Kakashi asked, and Hiruzen nodded.
"What would happen if Naruto suffered from chakra exhaustion?" Kakashi retorted with the slightest hint of panic in his voice.
Hiruzen frowned at the question. "I guess it wouldn't be too different from what happened tonight, but considering Naruto's reserve, reaching that level of chakra exhaustion would be extremely difficult. We are not talking about a mild case of chakra exhaustion. He would definitely lose consciousness before reaching those critical levels. His reserves are too big for him to spend them so quickly."
"What else could have happened?"
Hiruzen didn't answer immediately as he focused on Naruto's seal. "Hard to say since we don't know everything, but from what we know from previous Jinchuriki, the Kyūbi's chakra reacts strongly when the Jinchuriki goes through a large emotional shock or is close to death. I remember a particularly nasty incident which landed Minato in the hospital."
"It reacts to emotions?"
"Negative ones, to be precise. Fear, rage, hatred." Hiruzen answered before he fell silent and continued to inspect Naruto's seal.
Kakashi's worry grew in the silence of the room as he stared at Naruto while he mentally replayed the Kyūbi's words.
"Don't worry, Kakashi," Hiruzen said suddenly. "I've watched Naruto grow up, and I know the will he has and what he has endured. His will may dent or even bend, but it would never break."
"You said you were worried about Naruto when you appointed me his Sensei," Kakashi answered quietly.
Hiruzen let out a tired sigh, and suddenly, every wrinkle in his face became more prominent, and each white hair seemed to lose more of its color. "I have no worries for Naruto as a Jinchuriki. I worry for Naruto as a person." He said with a solemn face and vulnerable eyes. "Kami knows how much I have failed him, and I fear what my failures were doing to him. To that bright and smiling kid." Hiruzen finished with a sad smile as he stared at Naruto's youthful face.
Kakashi didn't respond and let Hiruzen finish his inspection in silence. It wasn't long until Hiruzen finished.
"From what I can tell, the seal hasn't been compromised in any way, and I do trust my expertise in the subject; however, I would be wise to have a second opinion."
Kakashi could only think of one current Konoha shinobi who was more of an expert in the subject than the Hokage. "Jiraiya-Sama?" he asked, and Hiruzen nodded before returning to the desk and grabbing his hat.
"Let's go Kakashi. Maybe Naruto's companion can shed some light on our doubts."
"What about Naruto?"
"I would imagine that experiencing so much of the Kyūbi's chakra for the first time put his body under a huge amount of stress. He won't be waking up any time soon. I will have someone of my trust examine him and then move him to the hospital."
Kurenai watched with concern as the Iryō-nin's hand glowed in a faint mint-green color over Hinata's uncovered right arm. She came to the hospital with Hinata in tow to check her up. She seemed to be in extreme pain, and thus, the doctor gave her a sedative while she checked on her and began her diagnosis. Her first concern had been the scratches on her face. More than once, the Iryō-nin had asked how she had gotten the injuries, but she had simply answered that it was a training accident, which earned her a suspicious glance. The injuries on her face were merely superficial but outright refused to heal at first. It took a while until the Iryō-nin changed her target and inspected Hinata's arm.
The Iryō-nin let out a tired breath, and the faint light from her hands began to falter before she stopped, swiped her forehead, and turned to face Kurenai.
"Her arm isn't broken, but she does have a bone bruise. I suggest a few days of rest before she returns to her duties. As for her face..." The Iryō-nin frowned, and her face became thoughtful. "The injuries are not serious, but it seems they will take time to heal. I don't expect them to leave any scars as long as she treats them well, but... It's almost as if they were infected or poisoned." She said as she looked at Kurenai with a harsh glare. "Whatever training method gave her those injuries, I suggest you stop it immediately." And without another word, the Iryō-nin exited the room, leaving Kurenai alone with the resting Hinata.
Kurenai took a seat in a nearby chair as she observed Hinata. Her mind couldn't help but wonder as to what had happened. Why was Hinata there? Why was she injured? What caused the Kyūbi's chakra to come out? All questions she couldn't come up with a concrete answer for. As she wondered, her mind flashed back to the feeling of Kyūbi's chakra. It's so intense, all-consuming, and filled with so much bloodlust. Feeling that chakra again brought back so many bad memories, not from the night itself but the aftermath. She didn't experience the attack like the older generation had. She and other shinobi her age were forced to stand down and wait in a secure area as the Kyūbi rampaged through the village. They could only hear the mighty roars of bijū as they waited it out.
What she did experience was the aftermath. Her home was torn down to shreds, and countless lives were lost. She still remembered all the missions that came after. Search squads within the village to find everyone who was unaccounted for. It was the most depressing set of missions she had ever taken. There was nothing to do or fix because what had caused it was already gone. All she had to do was search for bodies of civilians and shinobi, young and old alike, through the rubble. People she had seen, known, or even worked with were all among the fatalities of that day.
She remembered finding a little girl who, at first glance, seemed to lack any severe injuries. She was just lying on the floor of what had been her house, much like Hinata was right now, the only difference being that Hinata was breathing.
Everywhere you went, you would see tears and sorrowful faces. Everyone had lost someone or something. Houses, businesses, friends, family. At the time, she had never seen the village's morale so low, even throughout the war, and years later, it still stood true. Not even the Uchiha massacre dragged down the spirit of Konoha so low and for so long. Even years later, when the village was reconstructed, you could tell that all the pain and sorrow were still there, especially with a reminder of that night walking around the village.
Kurenai lost track of time as her mind wandered until she heard the sound of the door opening, and in came the Hokage along with Kakashi.
"Hokage-Sama." She said as she stood up in attention.
"Rest easy, Kurenai." He answered in his usually friendly tone before his eyes fixed on the bed with Hinata. "How is your student?"
"She doesn't have any major injuries, but the injuries on her face..."
"Will take longer to heal?" Hiruzen said as he stole the words from Kurenai, who nodded.
"Hokage-Sama is-"
"Everything is under control, Kurenai," Hiruzen assured her.
"Do we know what caused it?" she asked, then shifted her eyes towards Kakashi.
"Unfortunately, Kakashi wasn't there early enough to fill the gaps in our knowledge. That only leaves two people who can tell us what happened, and Naruto won't be conscious for a time." Kurenai tried to hide her frown as she heard Hiruzen's words. "I'll be brief and let your student rest after we have clarified this whole ordeal." Said Hiruzen and started approaching Hinata, but Kurenai interrupted.
"Please let me Hokage-Sama." She said as she approached Hinata and delicately shook her left shoulder. She would have liked Hinata to rest, but a lot was at stake here. She didn't know how much time had passed since Hinata was sedated, but she figured enough time had passed for her to wake up.
Hinata felt her shoulder move as she awoke. Everything in her mind felt scrambled, and she couldn't seem to hold a thought for more than a fraction of a second. Her eyelids felt heavy, and she struggled to open them when suddenly she felt the right side of her face heat up. In less than a second, the small amount of heat Hinata had felt on the right side of her face blazed up to become an excruciating burning sensation. The sheer amount of pain made any fogginess leave as her eyes blew open, and she sat up. Instinctively, she lifted her right arm to bring it to her right cheek, but as it began to move, another wave of pain hit her nervous system. She flinched in pain as she closed her eyes again. The pain in her arm was bad, but it was the one on the right side of her face that was overwhelming her.
She took several deep breaths as she tried to still her trembling body.
'It's just pain. As a ninja, I need to be able to ignore pain.' She screamed in her mind repeatedly.
It was something that was taught back in the academy. Nothing should ever stop a shinobi from completing a mission. Grief, pain, mourning, and recuperating were all things shinobi would worry about when the mission was done. Although, as far Hinata could think, which wasn't much because of her situation, she wasn't on any mission, yet that phrase was the only thing that kept her from losing consciousness.
It seemed to take forever, but eventually, the pain subsided until it became bearable. It was then that she noticed someone was calling her name. She opened her eyes and found the worried face of her Sensei.
"Hinata, are you okay?" She asked.
It took Hinata a second to make sense of Kurenai's words, but she nodded in response as she tried to suppress a flinch.
Hinata unconsciously moved her eyes around the room as she tried to figure out where she was. It was not long until they landed on an elderly man that she immediately recognized.
"H-Hokage-Sama!" Hinata said in reflex.
"Don't exert yourself, Hinata." The Hokage said as he looked at Hinata with pity in his old eyes.
"Wha…" Hinata was about to ask when she spotted the third and last person. A slender man with broad shoulders, gravity-defying silver hair, and a mask that covered most of his face.
"Yo." The man said as he waved lazily at her. "Hatake Kakashi, nice to meet you."
"N-nice to meet y-" Hinata was about to respond automatically when she stopped to think. 'Hatake Kakashi...' She thought before her eyes widened immensely as the last things she remembered came rushing back.
"What happened?!" Hinata asked, rushed and frantically as she tried to get up, but Kurenai's firm arm stopped her. "Where is Naruto-kun?! Is he alright?!"
Kurenai was at a loss for words on how to answer those questions and how out of character Hinata was acting. Thankfully, the Hokage seemed to know what to do.
Hiruzen lifted his hand, asking for silence. It was such a simple gesture made by an older man, but the authority it radiated was enough that Hinata stopped talking and paid attention to the Hokage. If not for the seriousness of the situation, Hiruzen would have smiled at someone showing such genuine care for Naruto.
"Naruto is safe." He confirmed first, hoping to calm down the young Hyūga. "As for what happened, we are not completely sure. We were hoping that you could shed some light on our doubts." He finished in a calm tone.
Hinata avoided meeting the eyes of Hokage and became apprehensive.
"Hinata." She heard her name again, and this time, she looked up to meet the Hokage's eyes, but it surprised her how she could see the emotions radiating from them. "I can assure you that you aren't in any sort of trouble, but it's essential we understand what transpired so we can assure Naruto's safety as well."
The words and genuine worry the Hokage showed for Naruto were the push she needed to speak.
"Do you remember anything?"
Hinata took a second to think about everything she remembered. "I-I do."
"Good, why don't you start from the beginning?" The Hokage said with a reassuring smile. "What were you and Naruto doing?"
"T-training. We w-were training." Hinata answered, which caused Kakashi and Kurenai to look at each other. It wasn't forbidden or frowned upon for a genin to train with a genin from another team; it was just something that didn't happen.
"That far from the village? Why wouldn't you train on one of your assigned training grounds?" Hiruzen asked with curiosity.
"I-I... W-we..." Hinata stammered out, and to the surprise of the three adults, Hinata started blushing. "B-before we graduated, Naruto-kun showed me that place, and we began training there every day after the academy." She explained as she nervously fidgeted with her hands. "After we graduated, I was worried that we wouldn't see each other, but Naruto-kun suggested we could each train there when we could..."
"So the two of you were bound to meet at some point." Hiruzen finished for Hinata as a smile tugged at his lips. "Am I correct to assume this is how you two met today?" He asked, and Hinata gave a tiny nod.
"And what were you training on?"
"I was training on my Juken, and Naruto-kun was doing an exercise with a leaf Kakashi-Sensei gave him." Hiruzen glanced briefly at Kakashi before returning his eyes to Hinata. "He seemed to be having trouble with the exercise, but he was really excited. Naruto-kun had an idea for a new training method to speed up his training."
"An idea for a new training method?" Hiruzen asked, intrigued.
"H-hai. He thought that since the Kage bunshin jutsu allowed him to get back the memories from his bunshin, he could also get back the experience."
As soon as Hinata mentioned the name of the jutsu, Kurenai's and Hiruzen's eyes widened while the blood drained from Kakashi's face.
'Shit.' Kakashi cursed mentally.
The copy ninja could already tell what Naruto had come up with. It was a genius idea, in Kakashi's opinion. With Naruto's proficiency in the jutsu and his massive reserves, he could cut weeks' worth of training into days, possibly hours. It was also incredibly stupid. It was obvious to Kakashi that this training method would be a death sentence to anyone but his blonde student.
"You taught your genin a kinjutsu?" Kurenai accused harshly in Kakashi's direction. One-half of her didn't believe a genin could learn such an advanced technique, and the other half of her couldn't fathom how Kakashi, of all people, had been so reckless to pass down that knowledge.
The answer to Kurenai's question was a simple no. He hadn't been so reckless to teach Naruto the jutsu, yet he had never investigated how he had learned it. The blonde seemed to want to keep things like that a secret; he had respected that and would continue to do so.
"I had my reasons." Kakashi lied smoothly as he met Kurenai's furious gaze.
Hiruzen turned to study Kakashi. The slight smile he had a few seconds ago had vanished entirely, and now his mouth was a thin line.
"It's not outlawed to pass down such knowledge, but I expected better judgment from you, Kakashi." The Hokage already had a theory on how the Kyūbi's chakra had leaked out. The training method must have been so taxing that it depleted Naruto's chakra to near zero. In truth, the injection of chakra from the Kyūbi was probably the only reason Naruto was alive.
As the adults talked to each other, they missed the confused expression on Hinata's face. She knew that Naruto had learned the jutsu before Kakashi had been assigned as his Sensei. Although it was true that Naruto seemed to have known Kakashi prior, it still confused Hinata. After all, the blonde hadn't told her how he had learned the jutsu. Kakashi might have been the one who had taught him the kinjutsu, but then why would he have disliked Kakashi at first?
The hokage turned back towards Hinata. "I'm sorry for the interruption, dear; please continue." He said in a calm but serious tone. So she did. She told them about how Naruto proved his theory before implementing it and succeeding. She told them how taxing it seemed and how the blonde had to rest once before resuming training. How she had come up with another exercise for Naruto and how she also took a rest until she suddenly woke up. Some parts had been fuzzy in her mind, but there was one thing she remembered as if it had been burned into her mind.
"Naruto-kun e-eyes we-were..." she didn't finish as she shuddered at the vivid image of Naruto while he was influenced by Kyūbi's chakra.
She tried to speak again, but Hiruzen stopped her. "That's enough, Hinata." He said gently. "Before we leave you to rest, I must ask you one more thing. Don't mention the events from tonight to anyone. I informed your father that you were injured while training but haven't disclosed anything else. Should he ask, tell him I'll be pleased to meet with him to discuss the details."
Hinata nodded, knowing that it wasn't a request but an order that came directly from the Hokage, but she did have a question.
"Hokage-Sama, wh-what happened?" she asked timidly.
Kurenai tried to speak, but Hiruzen lifted his hand. "All knowledge is useful, but not all knowledge is worth the cost of our thoughts and interpretations. Furthermore, not everyone, even I, has the authority to give out knowledge freely." He said cryptically. After seeing the confused expression on Hinata's face, Hiruzen smiled. "I wish you a swift recovery." He said before he walked towards the exit.
Kakashi gave a brief nod toward Kurenai before turning to Hinata and giving her his best-eye smile. "Hope you get well soon." He said before following the Hokage.
Kakashi closed the door behind him and walked beside the Hokage without saying a word. He was too much lost in thought, and the Hokage seemed to have his own internal dialogue. They didn't walk for too long until the sound of footsteps filled the corridor, and they spotted a figure coming their way. As the figure approached, it immediately stopped as it recognized the Hokage.
"Hokage-Sama." The figure said before he gave a bow. Now that he got a good look at the man, it is evident that it was Hyūga.
"Kō." Greeted Hiruzen naturally. "I presume you were sent to check on Hiashi's daughter?"
"Hai Hokage-Sama." He answered, and Kakashi could read the worry in the usually unexpressive white eyes.
"Don't let me interrupt your duties, but I assure you young Hinata is in fine health. It was a mere training mishapening, but I know Hiashi would like to have known about his daughter's health."
"Thank you, Hokage-Sama," Kō said sincerely before he gave another polite bow and continued on his way.
After that, Kakashi and Hiruzen continued walking their way out of the hospital, and they only stopped until they reached the exit.
"Go rest, Kakashi. I can tell that this whole ordeal has been taxing on you. I'll have Naruto examined and inform you of the diagnosis tomorrow."
Dreams were something Kakashi wasn't accustomed to. Not at all. He had seen and done too many things to have a peaceful dream. Now, nightmares, those he was really familiar with. They had been a constant in his life ever since he was a child and found the bleeding corpse of his father on the hardwood floor of his old house. That had been his first recurrent nightmare until the next tragic event of his life. His mission to destroy Kanabi Bridge, where he had earned his first of many monikers. Kakashi, the hero of the sharingan. Kami how he had despised that nickname. He was no hero. No, the real hero had died crushed by boulders. He simply was something worse than scum who had been willing to abandon one of his teammates once she was captured by the enemy. In that mission, he swore to his dying friend to protect Rin. He hadn't known it then, but that promise would be the reason for one more nightmare added to his growing collection. He had lost count of how many times he had dreamt of Rin's death. Her brown eyes were incredibly wide as he pierced her chest with a jutsu he could only use because of Obito's parting gift. It was such a vivid nightmare that he would wake up still feeling the warm sensation of her blood in his right arm.
Kakashi didn't believe in any superior being, but maybe there was one who had spared him one more nightmare by not seeing his Sensei die. There were no nightmares that forced him to relive it because he hadn't been present. Yet he still thought about it every day he would visit the memorial stone. He knew that there was nothing he could have done to help his Sensei, but his traumatized mind couldn't help but wonder how he had died. Had it been painful and slow like Obito? Or was it swift like Rin's?
So yeah, Kakashi wasn't used to having dreams. That's why he was so surprised that he was currently in one. He was currently watching his old team train in the middle of a forest. Simply training like they had done a thousand times. He had been watching for some time, waiting for something to go wrong and for the nightmare to start, but it didn't. He simply watched a younger version of him, Rin and Obito, trying their hardest to tag Minato. Even though Minato was holding back, he was still too fast for them until the younger version of himself finally managed to graze Minato's left arm after a distraction by Obito and Rin.
"Good, you actually managed to hit me." Minato praised as he examined the torn cloth in his arm.
"Wow! You actually hit Sensei! That's amazing, Kakashi!" Rin said.
"I only grazed him, and he still holding back on us. It's not all that praiseworthy." The younger version of Kakashi answered nonplus.
"Agh, I can do it too!" Obito screamed from where he stood, but a picnic basket was dropped on his head from behind.
"Seems I arrived just in time." Kushina's melodic voice sounded behind Obito.
"Yeah, you did. We're actually about to take a break." Minato answered with a happy smile.
"Kushina!" Rin said as she ran to her side excitedly.
"Here is your order. It's my special." She said proudly as he brought the basket forward.
"Thank you so much, Kushina! I love your food."
"Aww, you are so cute," Kushina said as she hugged Rin.
"Tch. I don't need the food." Obito murmured as he turned, but unfortunately for him, Kushina heard him. After that, they began to argue, saying that he needed to do it only for Obito to talk back until Kushina punched him in the head as the rest of the team watched.
Kakashi couldn't help but compare Obito and Naruto as he watched the dream unfold. They were similar in many ways, so the scene he was watching unfold could have happened if Kushina had been alive.
They were both brash, jokers, hyperactive, cocky, and had a certain disregard for the rules. Additionally, the blonde liked Obito's words about never abandoning a comrade and saving him from Zabuza even when he was outclassed. They certainly shared traits; however, Naruto didn't quite fit the picture. Naruto was harsher, and sometimes it seemed he acted out of bitterness just like he used to when he was young, but to a lesser extent.
After arguing, Kushina forced Obito to sit down with the team, as she joined them.
"I really don't ne-" Obito's complaining was cut short as Kushina shoved an onigiri into his mouth.
"So, how do you like my special?" Kushina asked no one in particular.
"It's as good as always." Answered Minato after taking a bite from his Onigiri.
"Thanks, dear," Kushina said sweetly before she turned to look at Kakashi. His mask was still on, but the Onigiri in his hand was half eaten. "and you, Kakashi, what do you think?"
"It's good." The younger Kakashi answered politely.
"Only good?" Kushina asked with an overly sweet tone.
Before he could say anything and faster than he could believe, Kushina lunged forward. Kakashi prepared himself to be punched in the head just as Obito had been but was surprised when her hand landed softly on his head before ruffling it.
"You need to learn to relax, Kakashi," Kushina said to Kakashi, whose eye was ticking in annoyance.
"I get punched in the head, and you just ruffled Bakashi's hair? That's so unfair."
Before Kushina spoke, the world seemed to dissolve into darkness. Kakashi opened his eyes, and the roof of his apartment came into focus as the sound of his clock ticking filled his ears. Kakashi remained in bed as he stared at the ceiling and reminisced about his dream and, more importantly, about Kushina. If he was being honest, he didn't usually think about her. Not that he hadn't cared for her. He just hadn't been too close to her, or more precisely, he wasn't as close with her as the rest of his team. That was entirely his fault. Ever since finding his father's corpse, he had been reluctant to let people into his life, and the deaths of Obito and Rin had only made him more shielded. He brushed her off even when she tried to console him at Rin's funeral. Well, it was one more regret to a list that seemed to be ever-growing.
The voice he had heard yesterday and in his dream still rang in his head, leading him to question why he had heard her voice. There was no doubt in his mind that it belonged to Kushina, but he couldn't find any explanation as to how. Deciding that there was no use in simply staying in his bed, Kakashi stood up to begin his daily routine, but he would do something different this time.
Almost an hour later, Kakashi walked through the numerous graves that filled Konoha's cemetery. He searched for one grave in particular until he found it. The grave of Kushina Uzumaki.
Kakashi knelt silently in front of the headstone before soaking a piece of cloth he brought with him in a bucket of water. Kakashi started carefully washing the headstone that evidently hadn't been tended in some time. As he washed away all the accumulated dust and grime, he wandered over all his interactions with Kushina. From her bringing meals when they were training to guarding her during her pregnancy.
"I'm sorry." He said before he placed a bouquet of red poppies in front of the grave. After doing that, he stood up and walked towards Rin's and Obito's graves to repeat the same process all over again.
When he finished mourning and tending to Obito's and Rin's graves, he looked down the cemetery to where a set of stairs led to a large monument of a fire symbol. Silently, Kakashi stood up and walked in that direction until he arrived and climbed up the stairs. He stood in front of the monument, and as he did in front of Kushina's resting place, he apologized. He did it because this was his Sensei's resting place.
The Hokages, unlike any other Konoha civilian or shinobi, weren't buried next to their family or loved ones. Instead, they were buried in this elevated section of the cemetery. No one had ever explained why they were buried here, but if he had to guess, it was to symbolize that even in death, they continue to watch over Konoha's population, just like the Hokage monument watched over all of Konoha's living population the Hokages in here watched over all the departed so they may rest peacefully.
Kakashi lost track of time as he mourned, and the sun continued to move across Konoha's clear sky. He remained unmoving like a statue with his eyes closed and his head slightly tilted down as he remembered his late Sensei. It wasn't until there was a slight breeze that carried with it the harsh scent of tobacco filled his sharp nostrils.
"Hokage-Sama." Kakashi greeted without turning or opening his eyes.
"I knew I would find you here, Kakashi," Hiruzen said as he walked until he was side by side with Kakashi.
Hiruzen let Kakashi mourn in peace for a few more minutes until the copy ninja lifted his head and opened his eye.
"He is no sort of danger," commented Hiruzen. "He suffered from a severe case of chakra exhaustion, and his body was put under a tremendous amount of stress. It would have killed everyone else in the village but he will be fine."
"I'm glad." Said Kakashi sincerely, who felt like his shoulders had just gotten lighter. "For how long?"
"They said he won't regain consciousness for two or three days. After he wakes up, we will see how healthy he is before he returns to your team."
Kakashi nodded and didn't speak for some time until he suddenly asked. "So Naruto has a wind affinity?" Hiruzen asked with curiosity as he turned to climb down the set of white stairs.
"And a secondary water affinity," Kakashi said as he shoved his hands in his pockets and turned to follow the Hokage.
"Can I ask you why you are teaching a genin about elemental affinities?" There was no harshness or skepticism in Hiruze's tone; there was just genuine curiosity.
"I promised him I would," Kakashi said, and the answer, although not the most detailed, seemed to satisfy Hiruzen.
"And what are you planning on teaching him?"
Hiruzen saw Kakashi look at the sky in thought as they walked. "I... haven't thought about it. I didn't expect him to be done cutting the leaf any time soon."
"But you surely have something in mind." Kakashi didn't answer immediately, which caused Hiruzen to chuckle. "I can't believe that the man who has copied over one thousand jutsu has never copied a Fūton technique." Kakashi turned with his single visible eye wide, but before he could ask, Hiruzen spoke as well. "While I read your report on your mission to Nami no Kuni, it struck me as odd that the Kirigakure no Jutsu put you at such a disadvantage; now I know why."
Kakashi could only scratch his head, feeling a little embarrassed.
"I'm sure you remember the location of my private library, the one you broke into all those years ago. You can find some scrolls that may be helpful in order to keep your promise to Naruto." Hiruzen finished with a smile.
"I... Thank you, Hokage-Sama."
Hiruzen just nodded, and they continued to walk silently until they reached the exit to the cemetery.
"If it's not too much of a bother would you mind answering me but one more question?" Hiruzen said as he turned to face Kakashi.
"Not at all Hokage-Sama."
Hiruzen closed his eyes before asking. "What do you think I should tell Naruto?"
Although Kakashi didn't expect the question, he couldn't say he was that surprised by it. Naruto would most likely remember something, even if just a bit, and after this incident, it was imprudent to keep the knowledge from Naruto. Kakashi turned to look at the sky for a few seconds before lowering his head and looking at the fire monument at the end of the cemetery before turning to look at Kushina's grave.
Hiruzen followed Kakashi's gaze until his old yet sharp eyes spotted a headstone with a bouquet of red flowers.
"The truth Hokage-Sama."
Hiruzen hummed in acknowledgment. "Yes, the truth does sound appropriate." He said with a little melancholic voice before he turned towards Kakashi. "Jonin Hatake Kakashi..." He began in a commanding tone, which caused Kakashi to turn and straighten his posture. "I hereby assign you to debrief Genin Uzumaki Naruto on any and all information pertinent to him."
"Hokage-Sama," Kakashi said as he was cut off guard, but Hiruzen didn't let himself be interrupted.
"There is no deadline to your mission. You should relay the information at the time your judgment believes it best. Do I make myself understood?"
Few people could brag about seeing Kakashi speechless, and even fewer could say they were the ones who caused it.
Hiruzen lifted a questioning eyebrow, seeing that Kakashi didn't respond.
"Hai Hokage-Sama," Kakashi said as he composed himself enough to answer.
"Good," Hiruzen said before turning and resuming his walk, leaving the shellshock Kakashi standing alone.
"Why me?" Kakashi wasn't one to question his superiors about a mission, but he needed to know why the Hokage was giving him this responsibility.
Hiruzen stopped in his tracks but didn't turn to face Kakashi.
"Because sometimes the messenger is as important as the message itself."
Author's notes: