Chapter Three: Mission Report/ The Fairy
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Shortly after turning in the acquired scroll to Anbu's main office, Foxy was dismissed. It was the middle of the night, but Danzo himself always made himself available when it came time for mission reports. The man had serious trust issues. Not for the first time, Kakashi wondered about the right eye that was always covered in a bandage. He had his suspicions, but the old man's paranoia made it difficult to investigate — and Kakashi didn't care that much.
It had been some time since Foxy was dismissed and Kakashi was starting to become irritated in his crouched, submissive position, with his hands flat on the floor. He could stand with a sweep of his sword and destroy a would-be attack, but he'd lose at least .3 seconds in the act. It was better than having to give-up his weapons at the door. That was the old tradition.
"Fang," Danzo finally said, after setting aside the scroll. He'd read over it a couple of times, must have been interesting. He'd already dismissed his personal guard. It was just the two of them.
"Sir?" Kakashi answered.
"How did Foxy do?" Danzo asked. His dark eye had a malicious glint in it. Did he enjoy torturing his operatives? Kakashi knew the answer was an affirmative. Sadistic bastard. He sincerely hoped he was there one day when the monster finally met his bloody end.
"She succeeded in her mission, Sir," Kakashi answered.
"I am aware." Danzo gestured vaguely towards the scroll behind him. "I am referring to her seduction act— does she need more lessons?"
Lessons meant Danzo and his closest goons raping her —-teaching her — different techniques. Kakashi remembered those lessons. He'd been fourteen when he'd been through the training. He was grateful for the mask he wore. The hatred twisting his face would have been too obvious. "I believe Lion has taken his job as tutor very seriously."
Lion was Genma Hayate. When they realized Danzo's interest in Foxy, he'd volunteered for the role after quietly discussing the situation to Foxy. She'd been desperate that the "teacher" be someone she was vaguely familiar with. They were extremely familiar these days.
"Yes, how unusual he volunteered," Danzo murmured. "It's difficult for me to track his progress since he's been reassigned on protection detail. You could teach her far more techniques." He smiled, a cruel sneer of his thin lips. "You were always the top student."
"Pass." Kakashi was also the top Anbu operative, though Shisui Uchiha gave him a run for his money some days. He had the ability to say no sometimes — as much as anyone dared. Less he find himself poisoned in his sleep.
"Shame." Danzo gestured for Kakashi to stand. "Why don't you stretch your legs? We have to discuss your next assignment."
Kakashi stood slowly, keeping his hands at his sides — non-threatening. He watched as the old man paced, arms behind his back, a smug expression always on his face.
"Lord Third — he chose foolishly to resume the mantle of Hokage after the death of his successor," Danzo explained. "You are friends with his son — you need to rekindle your connection. It may be that Hiruzen needs encouragement to realize his time of leadership is at an end. You are aware of the turmoil in the Uchiha district?"
"No, Sir," Kakashi answered. Wasn't there always turmoil in the Uchiha district? And exactly who did Danzo think should be the Hokage? Minato had been a great Hokage — though his tenure was short lived. His sacrifice had saved the village and countless lives. "I would image Lord Fugaku Uchiha was disappointed that he wasn't considered to replace Lord Fourth."
"Disappointed is putting it mildly. I've had our two Uchiha members keeping close tabs on the workings of their family." Danzo sat on the edge of his desk, folded his arms over his chest and stared back on Kakashi dispassionately. "Your assignment — get close to Asuma Sarutobi and therefor HIruzen. What is happening with the jinchuriki? The child has been at the academy since the age of three, but I do not think he acquired his father's vast intellect."
"You want me to spy on Asuma and Lord Third?" Kakashi clarified. That wouldn't be a terrible assignment. Maybe he wouldn't even have to kill or seduce anyone. Would't that be a nice change of pace?
Danzo nodded. "The cousins have convinced their clan that they are serving as spies against Konoha, when in fact they are my eyes into the Uchiha's machinations. I'll need you on the Sarutobi project."
Kakashi narrowed his eyes. "Sir? You are being surprisingly forthcoming with this information."
"Yes, well, you're a smart man, Kakashi Hatake," Danzo said, breaking protocol and using his real name. "Ruthless and smart. If I should find myself with a sudden job promotion, someone needs to be in charge of Anbu. I think that someone should be you."
"I see," Kakashi said. Should he have been flattered? He really didn't care. "Does this mean Crow is no longer on Team Ro?"
"He's not been promoted to Captain yet, but give it a few months and he will be," Danzo assured him. "You're on different assignments."
"And Tenzo?" Kakashi asked, concerned for the other young boy he felt responsible for protecting. Kakashi had taken it upon himself to volunteer for the unsavory sex and murder gig so as to spare the two teens. Unfortunately, he didn't have the right equipment to spare Foxy.
"He has another assignment. Don't worry yourself so much with other Anbu, Fang." Danzo waved his hand at Kakashi in dismissal.
Kakashi was grateful to head home. He stank of death and wanted nothing more than a long, hot shower. He planned to use an entire bottle of soap. Though, even if he slathered on his favorite sandalwood and jasmine scent, he'd always smell the undertones of carnage. He'd summon one of his Ninken to stand guard. He was unable to sleep alone without someone watching his back. And frankly, the only people he trusted completely — were his dogs.
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Kakashi had stood in his shower until all the water ran cold. He'd used the entire bottle of body wash. With his hair damp and plastered about his face, he toweled off and dressed in clean clothes. He thought about putting on pajamas, but it would be sunrise before too long. His mind was restless. Was this the Konoha Minato died to protect? That his father killed himself because it was such an honorable place that he fell short?
Somehow, Kakashi doubted that.
He decided to go and visit his father. He wasn't buried at the village cemetery, wasn't allowed as a suicide. Kakashi had buried his father, with the help of Minato Namikaze, in the family plot. Before the founding of Konoha, the Hatake clan had been farmers — some used their farming equipment as weapons when need be, but they were mostly peaceful. Eventually, a Senju married a Hatake and the first two Hokage were sired.
Kakashi would sometimes stare up at the Hokage monument, knowing he was distantly related to the founder of Konoha. What did it matter? An impressive lineage didn't save him from being treated as disposable fodder for the village.
Anger was always simmering, just below the surface. Frankly, his mask was the only thing that saved him from being tortured from insubordination. But, when he looked at the mirror at his own face — all he saw was his father's depressed visage after he'd give up in a pit of despair.
With Kakashi's nice, cozy apartment back in the village proper, the Hatake family estate had fallen into disrepair. He only came by occasionally to make sure the walls were still standing and the roof hadn't caved in. Occasionally, he'd visit the very full family graveyard.
He'd been prepared to kneel at his father's grave and lament about how he abandoned his young son. With no one there to watch over him, he'd been forced into a very lonely and dangerous job. The words died on his lips as he saw on top of his father's grave — as well as his mother's — an arrangement of white lilies.
Someone had been to his ancestral home while he'd been on his last mission.
Who would have the audacity?
He crouched and picked up the flowers.
They did smell nice and fragrant.
"Who would care?" He whispered aloud. He pricked his thumb and called forth Pakkun.
"What's up boss?" the pug asked. He put his nose to the ground and sniffed. "Hm, someone was here that uses the same shampoo as me! I recognize the scent orange blossoms and lilies!"
Kakashi held the lilies out towards the ninja dog pack leader. "Someone left these on my parents' graves."
"Oh. Well, that was nice of them," Pakkun said, his stumpy tail wagging. "I really love that shampoo. It's been difficult to find lately. Do you think maybe you can pick some up for me?"
"Do you think you can identify who left the flowers?" Kakashi countered. "Give me a clue and I'll get you the shampoo."
Pakkun put his nose back to the ground. "They masked their chakra — just as good as you mask yours." He looked up. "They must have chosen to leave behind this scent for a reason — maybe to let you know they're an ally. I didn't realize you had any friends anymore, Kakashi. Aside from me and the boys that is."
"I don't," Kakashi snapped. "Friends only interfere with completing missions." He rocked back on his heels and dropped the flowers back to the smooth stone marker. "I was out of the village for a week, but these are fresh — no more than two days old."
Pakkun shrugged. "Looks like you have a secret admirer. They don't seem to have any violent intent towards you— I don't smell any blood lust."
"They want something," Kakashi said.
"Maybe they want to be your friend, Kakashi," Pakkun suggested tentatively.
"They'd be disappointed." Kakashi stood, no longer in the mood to talk to his dead parents. It would be a few hours before the florist shop opened. Maybe he'd go by, see if anyone purchased lilies — or if they would even tell him. He might have to use his Sharingan to find out. No matter how sneaky someone thought they were, there was always a trail.
And the Copy Ninja was the best at sussing out trails, no matter how trivial.
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The first time Sakura broke into Naruto's apartment she'd been appalled by the state of the place. It was filthy! She scanned the pantry and the refrigerator — if he didn't have Kurama's healing power the boy would have died of food poisoning. No wonder Iruka took him to have Ramen so much — it was the only time he ate any vegetables.
She'd spent her time cleaning the place. She only had an hour tops before she needed to go. Naruto might be confused, but who would he tell? What would he say? Oh hey — someone cleaned up my pigsty?
With her newly acquired funds, she'd gone grocery shopping afterwards — for herself and the boy. And she got both the black and the red dresses she'd been ogling. She recognized the guard on duty at Naruto's apartment — it was Genma. She hadn't seen him since the first time she took the Chunin exams. She carefully masked her chakra, hit a pressure point in his neck with a precise measure of surgical-grade chakra, and forced him into an unconscious state. Then she broke back into the apartment using earth chakra to forge a key — a skill Sasuke had showed her once before he left.
Naruto was there and stared at her wide-eyed. He didn't recognize her, nor did he see past her Genjutsu — flaming red hair, bright blue eyes, tall and skinny. "Who are you?" Naruto asked, clutching his frog plushie and scampering out of bed. "Are you the fairy that cleaned up my room?"
Sakura nodded and resisted the urge to pinch the boy's cheeks — he was simply adorable! She held out her canvas bag of groceries for him. "I'm a friend of your mama's," she explained. "I'm sorry I couldn't check on you before."
"You—you know my mama?" Naruto's voice was tiny.
Sakura thought back to the alternate dimension she and Naruto had been sent to where they'd met his parents. Her current Genjutsu was in homage to Kushina. "She loves you very much, Naruto."
"Then why did she leave?" Naruto's big cerulean eyes brimmed with tears.
Sakura set down the bag and pulled the boy in for a hug— no one with a heart could resist those tears. "Most of the time, when people that love us leave — it's because they aren't allowed to stay. Life can be hard." She lifted up his chin and smiled at him, wiping away the tears from his whiskered cheeks. "You have to stay strong, Naruto. One day, you'll be Hokage and have more friends than you can possibly imagine."
"I'd settle for two friends — Sakura-chan and Sasuke-jerk," Naruto said, smiling warily.
"They would be lucky to count you as their friend. I'm sure they'll come around," Sakura assured him. "They might have trouble understanding you at first. Though, it looks like Master Iruka and you get along pretty well. I'd say he's been a real big brother to you, wouldn't you say?"
Naruto nodded. "Thank you, mama's fairy friend."
Sakura gestured to the bag. "Can I put that away for you?"
"I'll help!" He set down the frog plushie carefully onto his bed and rushed over. He frowned at the contents.
"It's good for you," Sakura assured him as they started putting up the fruit and vegetables. She did bring a box of cookies too. "I left a list too. You ask your guards to get your groceries. If they ask about payment, tell them the Third Hokage owes your father and to ask him."
Naruto nodded. "You know my dad too?"
Sakura reached down and hugged the little boy again. "You look exactly like him, Naruto. Now, you have a good night sleep and don't give up on Sakura-chan, and Sasuke-jerk."
"I won't, you can believe it!" Naruto promised.
Sakura smiled and when she snuck out and made her way back to her own apartment, she felt pretty good about herself. Four days into her mission and she'd had some success. But she needed to focus on her primary objective. Hopefully, Kakashi would return— he's been out of the village the whole time. She wondered what sort of missions he was doing for Anbu. Probably some sort of infiltration job. He was always great at detective work. She grinned to herself imagining his reaction when he came across the flowers she left.
Though, he might not notice them. She didn't know how often he visited the place — he had an apartment in the village center. She and Naruto had only been to the Hatake estate once in all their years. Kakashi had invited them over the day before he became Hokage. There was a lot of space and the fields of his ancestral home had been a perfect place to spar as Master Tsunade forbade them from the regular training grounds after Team Seven destroyed one.
She was really excited to meet a younger version of her precious friend. Would he be walking around the village with his head stuck in a porn book? She couldn't meet him at the memorial in the morning — though that's where she knew it would be easiest to cross paths. Why would a visitor to the village from a seaside town visit the war memorial?
She would have to hope the little red dress did the trick. Though, she didn't know what Kakashi's type was. Did he even like women? Surely he did — he read so much porn, but she'd never heard of him dating anyone in all the years they'd worked together.
She would just have to start making a habit of checking out the ninja bars. Eventually, he'd get dragged into one. He was of the age when friends forced you to socialize. And, surely, Kakashi had friends, right? She might have to use Shisui to find out more information about Kakashi. The Uchiha prodigy still had her kerchief and she as certain he'd have questions about his father. It was foolish, but maybe it would gain her favor.
She needed friends in this time if this mission was going to succeed. Itachi was already thirteen. The massacre happened in the middle of summer and that was less than two months away. She didn't know what home would be like if she succeeded, but she could only hope it would be a less painful place for her friends.
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Right after the Fourth Great Ninja War….
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Tomorrow was the big day— against his personal preference — Kakashi Hatake, last of his clan, was about to be named the Sixth Hokage. There was some satisfaction knowing that Danzo's brief tenure as Hokage was being ignored by the history books. The other Kages refused to acknowledge the leader of Konoha's Root organization during the last battle anyway. And while the other leaders had been upset that Sasuke had killed Danzo — Kakashi felt grim satisfaction that the chidori he taught the boy did the trick.
It had been a strange sensation— knowing that the decisions for The Leaf's future would now come down to Kakashi's opinions. On his last day as a regular shinobi, he wanted to spend it with his friends— the ones that were still alive.
It was a cloudy day, the mid-morning's sun peaked behind the fluffy, white clouds. The oppressive heat of summer took a break and it was the perfect weather for a day outside. Kakashi made himself comfortable while perching in a tall tree as the loud-mouthed blond and easily riled up pinkette met on the bridge. They were exactly on time. It didn't take long before Naruto started bad-mouthing Kakashi's tardiness.
"It's fine, Naruto. We should have expected him to be late. It's his special day, remember?" Sakura shifted the picnic basket between her two hands. "I'm just glad to have a day off from surgery. I feel that's all I do since the war."
Naruto held his hand over his heart, possibly thinking back to when low on chakra, Sakura had created an incision and literally pumped his heart to keep him alive. "I can't believe Granny Tsunade banned us from using the training grounds. Where are we supposed to go?"
"It's Lady Tsunade," Sakura chided. "And can you blame her after what we did to them?"
"What did you pack us?" Naruto asked, gesturing towards the picnic basket. "Fruits, vegetables? Other healthy stuff you're always trying to shove down my throat."
Sakura burst out laughing. "I'm not trying to stuff things down your throat—that's Hinata's job!"
Naruto scowled. "You're such a pervert, Sakura-chan."
"I'm the pervert? You literally attacked a goddess with a Harem Jutsu!" Sakura shouted.
Naruto grinned. "And it worked not just on her, but you! I saw that nose bleed! You can thank Konohamaru for that. He saved the world teaching me that Multi-Harem Jutsu!"
Kakashi smiled down, his heart light at hearing their banter. Before Sasuke left on his redemption journey, the four of them had a reunion on their old training grounds. Instead of the classic bell test, Kakashi had given each of them a single bell — the goal was for one person to acquire all four bells. The poor field had been obliterated by earth smashing, water dragons, childoris, and rasengans. Team Seven had been banned from the training grounds ever since.
He leapt down easily and joined the two on the bridge. His knees creaked slightly from the excursion. He'd have to work on his chakra control as he got older, didn't want to injury himself doing simple exercises. "Sorry, I'm late. I got lost on the path."
Sakura rolled her eyes. "Whatever." She held out the basket. "I packed this before leaving the house with some ice, so it should be okay for a few hours. How far did you want to go for the picnic?"
"It's not too far," Kakashi promised. "It's just outside of the village proper." He started to walk, hands in his pockets and felt the two fall into step behind him. Then they fell into step flanking him. "I thought we could visit my ancestral home," he explained. "There are some large fields we could spar in. The Hatakes were known for their farming before Konoha was founded."
"Your ancestral home?" Sakura hooked her elbow through his and hugged him against her playfully. "That's so cool! Were the Hatakes a big clan?"
"I had always wondered why your parents named you Scarecrow," Naruto grumbled. "Sakura-chan, you never walk with me like that!"
Sakura leaned past Kakashi and waggled eyebrows at Naruto. "That's what Hinata is for!" She started to laugh as Naruto's cheeks flamed. "And your dad named you after a character in a book and my parents named me for a tree," Sakura pointed out. "All names have meaning." She smiled up at Kakashi and the sight lifted his spirits. "Thank you for sharing this with us. Are you sure you don't want to invite some more of your friends?"
Kakashi didn't inform her that they were his only friends. "I wanted to share this with you two only, my precious teammates and former students." Yamato, Yugao, and he were both so scarred from their time in Anbu together that outside of missions, they avoided one another. Guy was exhausting. Kurenai made him think of Asuma. And everyone else was dead. Maybe he could have invited Shizune or Shikamaru — but he'd be spending enough time with them at the Hokage office over the next few years.
"Are you two interested in a little history lesson?" Kakashi asked.
Naruto groaned and Sakura disentangled her arm from his and moved to Naruto's side where she bumped shoulders with him playfully. "Yes, Kakashi, we'd love to hear about your clan's history," Sakura answered for the both of them.
Kakashi cleared his throat and did his best impression of Iruka. "The Hatake clan was once prominent in the Hidden Leaf. It was the marriage of the Senju leader to a Hatake princess that led to the birth of the First and Second Hokages." He looked over at the two younger shinobi and was met with equally unimpressed expressions. "I was always impressed with Hokage Tobirama Senju — don't you think the the similarities are striking?" He gestured towards his unruly silver hair.
"That's hard to say," Naruto said. "We can't really tell what you actually look like."
"Yeah, take off your mask and we'll let you know if you look like Lord Tobirama or not," Sakura added.
"Ha. You two never give up," Kakashi said with a chuckle.
"You'll cave eventually," Sakura promised.
The gardens and crops were long overrun with weeds and wildflowers, but the buildings were still impressive— a collection of gray stones and thick wood. He imagined in their glory days the estate would have rivaled the Hyuga clan's dwellings. He pushed past the elaborately engraved wooden gate and led them to his childhood home.
"What's this?" Sakura asked, tracing her fingers over the engraved image of a pair of wolves hidden amongst tall trees with rows of wheat fields in the foreground.
"Family crest," Kakashi answered. His old home was two stories, had eight bedrooms and four baths, a huge kitchen, two dens, a library and a basement. It had been the principle residence for the clan chief for generations.
"You grew up in a castle?" Naruto asked, his voice awed. He shielded his eyes with his hand to peer towards the top floor. "It's pretty tall."
"Yeah, they even used to host festivals and dances in the courtyard," Kakashi explained. "Or so my dad used to tell me. By the time I came around, it was just me and my parents. A plague had swept through the clan towards the middle of the Second War. My father was the sole survivor. He met my mother, they had me, and she died shortly after giving birth to a stillborn son."
Gentle hands fell upon his forearm. "I'm so sorry, Kakashi." Sakura squeezed him and he felt a surge of healing chakra travel up his arm to the tension headache that had started to form in his neck. "Do you come here often?"
"After Dad's death, I stayed away for a decade. But after Obito and Rin were lost, and especially after Minato passed — I started coming by occasionally." Kakashi sighed, and looked over at Naruto. "Your dad really was something special. He was the only adult that ever looked out for me — as much as one could in the middle of a war."
Sakura's hand slipped down his forearm and she took his hand, threading their fingers together. Kakashi thought to pull his hand back, but he let it slide. It was different than the playful hooking elbows with him earlier. He remembered a young Sakura and Sasuke holding hands — chasing off together on missions. It didn't have to mean anything other than comfort. He squeezed her hand back.
"Let's have the grand tour, Lord Sixth," Sakura said, smiling up at him. "Which room was yours? And which tree did you used to hide in as a kid?"
Kakashi grinned. "What makes you think I used to hide in a tree?"
Naruto groaned. And Sakura rolled her eyes. "Oh please! You're always hiding in trees. You think we didn't know you were watching us for a good thirty minutes on the bridge this morning?"
Kakashi blinked in surprise. "I had masked my chakra."
"I have a technique where I can channel my chakra through the earth and map out things. I could see you plain as day in that tree. You're lucky you didn't open a book to start reading or Naruto would have shaken you out." She squeezed his hand once more and then released her grip. "And Naruto is a freaking Sage! Of course he noticed you!"
Kakashi felt oddly discombobulated without the anchor. "I'll be sure to not keep you two waiting then."
"You keep doing you, Kakashi. You always show up at the right time when it matters," Sakura gave him a knowing look —referencing the many times he showed up in the knick of time to save her life. "So, tour, then picnic, then training?"
"Tour, training, then picnic," Kakashi suggested. "I wanted to show you guys something I've been working on to replace the chidori."
"Oh? What?" Naruto asked, eager to watch a new jutsu.
"Well, I saw Madara doing it. Purple lightning," Kakashi explained. "I can channel it with a sword too, but I prefer not having to depend on any particular weapon." He took a deep breath to steady himself. "Let's go say hi to my parents. Their graves are over there," he said, gesturing to a small clearing by the trees to the south.
Sakura lifted the lid to her picnic basket and pulled out a small bouquet of gardenia blossoms. "I brought this for our picnic, Ino insisted, but I think we should give them to your parents."
Kakashi stuck his hands back into his pockets and nodded. They knelt down at the memorial stones — side by side. "So my Mom asked that my brother be buried with her," he explained. "So this is it — my family."
Sakura set the flowers across the stones and Naruto stared at the letters of their names, his lips pursed thoughtfully. "I guess it doesn't matter how old you get — once you're an orphan — you're always an orphan."
Kakashi could feel the depression setting in with that thought. It was a sentiment he shared with Naruto.
"You're wrong. Your parents may be gone, but you have a family," Sakura said quietly. She gestured between the three of them. "We're a family. I'll be your friend, your sister, your mother, your healer. Whatever you guys need. I'm here for you."
"What about Sasuke?" Naruto asked.
Sakura shrugged. "I'll be here for him too." She smiled at them, her lips trembled but her eyes were confident. "That's my ninja way. You are the reason I want to establish the mental health clinic." She straightened the flowers on Sakumo's grave. "No one should ever feel so alone and beyond hope that they take their own life."
"As Hokage, I vow to always value the individual more than the ideals," Kakashi said. "That's my ninja way." He traced his fingers over his father's name. "That was Dad's way, but he was crushed by the judgment of others. Obito was right — he was a true hero."
"And so are you, Kakashi Hatake," Sakura said, reaching over and squeezing his knee. "So are you."
"So, how about you show us this purple lightning?" Naruto suggested. He stood and brushed his hands over the top of his thighs. "And why don't you invite the Ninken? They should get to celebrate your last day as a regular shinobi."
"I agree about inviting the ninja dogs," Sakura said. "But there's nothing regular about Kakashi Sensei."
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