Naruto x Digimon

Alive - Team Minato's Digidestined

Chapter 037

Song: SLANDER - Walk On Water ft. RØRY & Dylan Matthew (Love Is Gone pt. 2)

Originally Written: Monday, March 27, 2023 905AM to 312PM

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A few days later, Obito was still nowhere to be found, but both Rin and Fugaku told Kakashi he was okay and recovering. Fugaku was extremely angry with them, but he maintained his composure. Despite whatever that was the other day, Gai still followed Kakashi like he always did when he was available. Gai's teammates dropped off food and snacks for him, making sure there was enough for his eternal rival as well.

Since Gai's declaration, Kakashi couldn't help but wonder what Gai actually meant when he said that. He wasn't about to ask though. He didn't think he'd like the answer. The declaration already threw him for a loop in a way he didn't like. He came home, hoping for a break from The Fourth Hokage sending him to his death all the time, and got that instead.

"Fun." Kakashi murmured.

"Did you say something, eternal rival?"

Kakashi slowly looked at Gai. And now his friend was upset with him. How he missed that, he didn't know. He shook his head and looked back down at his book. "No. Sorry."

Gai nodded

He had read many books over the years, but usually for educational purposes. Tale of the Gutsy Ninja filled him with something that made him feel less like a tool and more like a human.

Gai waited for him as they split ways at the Hokage Tower. He saw him even as he entered the window, scaring the mission desk workers. He looked out the window, waiting to see if Gai had left, but his friend had not. Kakashi nodded though he wouldn't see and carried on his way.

He was let into The Hokage's Office the moment he was seen. Minato Namikaze looked up at him, pausing in the action of writing on some important documents. Kakashi stepped forward, even as tension filled the air. Anbu outside moved as The Fourth Hokage raised a hand in a single symbol. Only very specific anbu knew the hand sign, for it was one specific to him. It gave a simple order; guard. Kakashi could easily see the anbu engaging in every stealth tactic they knew and he taught many of them to keep an eye on Gai.

"What do you need, Kakashi?" Minato asked, giving him his undivided attention.

The older he got, the less he understood about his sensei. But he realized one thing. One thing that Grandma Masumi had tried to get him to see. A Team is not a Team, if they cannot communicate nor trust their commander. Team Seven was missing a member. Despite the risk, their enemy would eventually pick them off one by one without them.

Kakashi swallowed thickly. "Permission to speak freely, Lord Hokage?" He didn't worry about protection or security. Anything he could think of Minato had already done, and perfected far beyond anything he could have done. Minato was one of the people who taught him, afterall.

Minato's lips turned downwards in confusion ever so slightly as he nodded, tilting his head slightly to the side. He took no time to reply. "Granted."

"Lord Hokage, I firmly believe someone poisoned Obito Uchiha's grandmother, Masumi Uchiha." He couldn't reveal it, but neither could he ignore the evidence any of their digimon were giving them. He'd work around it, if he must. "The one responsible is targeting Obito."

The room filled with an intense, strained silence. Silence that Kakashi didn't know how to react to. He blinked, feeling the current buzz of his latest alcohol binge start to wear off. When the buzz wore off, he thought too much. It slowed down his actions, and people got hurt as a result. He forced his eyes to remain open, and his hands to stay by his sides.

"I trust you're gathering more evidence than a claim, Kakashi."

"Yes sir." Kakashi straightened his back. The Hokage couldn't do much in a game of 'he said, she said'. Not against who the evidence was pointing to. So, he had no choice but to gather it.

Minato was looking at him, examining him. The silence continued. "Is there anything else you wish to say?"

Kakashi fumbled with his digivice in his pocket like he did when he was younger. He imagined sparkles of what Gabumon called data were swirling around him. Just like they did when he was younger. "Permission to speak as Kakashi, Lord Hokage."

Minato responded with a look of further confusion. Grandma Masumi was looking more and more right. She wasn't right since he joined Anbu. She pledged herself and her clan to him, Too lost in his grief, and floundering on the only path he believed he existed, he left her to hang out to die. Gai wasn't part of a major clan. He didn't truly realize what he had said the other day, yet he had said it. And Kakashi left him as well. Or tried to. It was his blessing that Gai was so much more stubborn than he could ever be.

In trying to walk his path alone, with the least amount of pain for others, he was slowly taking himself out. And that would hurt more than walking a different path. A path alongside those who pledged themselves to him, and those he pledged himself to.

He wasn't sure when he had pulled it out, but he was now looking at his Digivice. The Fourth Hokage had seen it many times, but no one else in this building. Why had he taken it out? He stared at the blank screen. His hands were cupped around the device, as if hiding it from view. He nodded as if to convince himself, even though the action made him slightly lightheaded. He took a deep breath.

A team needed communication to work. If Minato was unable to, or refused to then he, Rin and Obito needed to be the ones to speak.

"I…Kakashi Hatake, son of Sakumo Hatake, do not like being Anbu…" He could barely hear himself speak over the sound of his racing, thumping heart. "When can I retire from this…hell?"

He debated on saying more. He didn't want other Anbu to die for him. To protect him in Konoha's name. In the guise of misguided, jaded teamwork. There was only so much he could do or take. One time would be all it took for his terrible luck to overcome his skill. Someone stronger, faster, smarter than him to overpower him. Did Konoha's will of fire mean that absolutely everyone who could fight, needed to die for Konoha? He remained silent.

Minato bowed his head low. Kakashi wasn't sure if that meant he couldn't look at him any more. He's certain that's what it would mean if Sarutobi Hiruzen was in the seat. But now, he didn't know. He saw his sensei the most out of his other teammates and friends, and yet, he could safely say he didn't know the man anymore.

"Forgive me." Minato spoke low, whispering in his hands. Most people wouldn't, couldn't hear him, but Kakashi's hearing allowed him to. "I'm so sorry. I'll make this right."

Kakashi remained still, unsure of what he meant. He waited for Minato to look up.

Eventually the man did, his blue eyes glistening with unshed tears. A confident, decided, yet strained smile. "Kakashi Hatake, Son of Sakumo Hatake."

"Yes sir." Kakashi stood straight as he could, even though he knew he was wobbling on his feet.

"I've got one last mission for you as Hound." Minato folded his hands, and placed them on the desk. "Do you accept?"

Kakashi swallowed thickly. "Yes sir."

"Then, you and your team are assigned to guard Kushina Uzumaki." Minato didn't even hand him a mission scroll as he slowly walked him through the mission parameters and instructions. "Understood?" He said when he finished.

Kakashi stared at him as though he grew a second head. He blinked a few times as the instructions ran through his mind. "Understood."

Minato smiled. "Excellent. You start in the morning."