Naruto x Digimon
Alive - Team Minato's Digidestined
Chapter 019
Originally Written: Thursday, January 26, 2023 325PM to 407PM
. . . . .
Kakashi Hatake looked across the kitchen table from his teammate and friend, Obito Uchiha. They had a little time before Rin arrived. And then before they'd head to the training grounds. Behind them, in the living room, Kakashi's hounds rested, sleeping in a giant pile with Pakkun at the top. The lights and heat were on, but his house felt cold and dreary. He stared at the cup of tea in front of him. "We can't rely on Minato-sensei."
Obito huffed, "You gotta stop saying that, Bakakashi." Nonetheless, he gave his friend time to gather his thoughts. Kakashi never fully trusted the man. Some days, Obito wished Minato Namikaze left him at Kannabi bridge. Other days, he was grateful the man had saved him.
"The Third may be stepping down soon. Minato-sensei is one of the candidates for the position." Kakashi eventually said.
Obito sputtered and squealed unpleasantly. His fists banged on the table, joshing their tea. "What!? That jerk! He didn't tell us!"
Kakashi looked over to Gabumon, who was sitting in a chair next to him. "Because we aren't supposed to know that." He looked at Obito. "It's not official. It might not even come to anything." Kakashi did dearly wish the Third would step down. Maybe then, Konoha would stop getting into wars that resulted in so many lives lost.
Obito huffed. It'd be a while before he heard anything on the civilian side of things then.
"If he's nominated and elected, that breaks up Team Seven." Kakashi kept looking at Obito.
Obito clenched his fists, "Rin."
"They don't want her as a Jounin. They're just going through the official channels. Nothing but politics." Kakashi spoke in a soft, bitter voice. "Clans get offended when you fly a civilian up through the ranks faster than them. The Third and the Council are still starstruck by her success in Kiri. They want her in Anbu."
"And you?" Obito asked, leaning up against the table.
Kakashi nodded. "They don't know she only survived Kiri with Moonmon's help. Standing next to Minato-sensei, me and Gai, they think she's stronger than she actually is, and can get stronger faster than she actually can. They're going to send her to her death."
"That's technically what you guys signed up for, 'Kashi-kun." Gabumon commented.
Obito's eye glowed red. He looked at Kakashi. Kakashi returned his look with one of concern hidden by boredom. He didn't blame Obito for his reaction to Gabumon. No Shinobi village actually told the next generation of shinobi what they were signing up for. They'd never get any applications from civilian children if they scared them all away. So it was mainly worded as protecting the village or becoming a hero.
A small red-orange bipedal lion, with large silvery-blue eyes, climbed up on Obito's lap. The warmth from its body pooled into Obito's limbs.
Obito breathed heavily. The red in his eye dimmed. "I've got an idea, but I don't know if it'll work."
"Shoot." Kakashi demanded. The 'and I'll tell you' went unsaid.
"If she stays focused on missions like you and Gai, they'll put her in anbu, but what if we try to move her?"
"She'll be mad. She doesn't want anyone to know. If they find out about Moonmon, it won't be pleasant for her or any of us."
"That's why we move her to where she wants to go."
"Konoha Hospital?" Kakashi shook his head. "Tsunade's not here. She's never coming back. And as long as she doesn't, Rin doesn't have a stable placement. The moment she's needed on the field, that's where they'll send her. Shiro, Naginata, Hato and Fara are civilian medics. They can only recommend-"
"-but they have no sway over where a shinobi's put to work. I know." Obito grinned, "Besides, if this works, we may not need Tsunade."
"You've lost me."
"Nonou Yakushi."
"The miko from the orphanage?"
Obito nodded quickly, "She's not just a miko, but a medic nin, not retired. She's a Jounin captain of the medical corps, head of the caretakers stationed there. But…" Obito trailed off.
Something like hope welled in Kakashi's gut. It almost made him nauseous. "Just spit it out already."
"There's something wrong with her. She cares about the kids, I can tell that, but she acts like a human acting like a human." Obito shook his head. "I don't get it. Coronamon says she's a retired Anbu."
The child-like lion sitting on Obito's lap nodded. "I had to digivolve to figure that out. She doesn't work with the Third's Anbu. She works with Danzo's Anbu."
Kakashi pushed his tea away from him. His father always told him something wasn't quite right with that man. He told him to be respectful of him, but to remain out of his way. "Is there really another set of Anbu out there?"
"I still don't get it. Anbu is anbu." Obito shrugged his shoulders. "Konoha's most badass shinobi."
Both Gabumon and Coronamon confirmed.
"No." Kakashi shook his head, "Don't be stupid. We're having a hard enough time keeping Rin away from the Anbu we already know of. We can't keep her away from two sets."
"I'm not! We're running out of ideas and time, Kakashi! She can't walk up to Minato-sensei and say she's not gonna participate in the next Jounin exams. Could he even argue against her participating? But if Nonou Yakushi can keep Rin out of both groups of Anbu, then the risk is worth it. She's dead if we fail." Obito insisted.
"And if they put her with Danzo's anbu instead?" Kakashi glared at him.
Words stuck in Obito's throat, tasting like the blood he remembered pooling in his mouth at Kannabi Bridge. "Then we failed, and we'll have no one to blame but ourselves."
