Over the next two days, Hateno Village's guards were seen more actively patrolling the street, searching homes and combing the woods—reckless, given the Iwa scouts probably lurking nearby.
The Konoha ninja noticed the change in behavior and Watanabe-san was seen heading to the Maeda clan to get to the bottom of it. Based on his anger when he returned, the Maeda head had clearly failed to disclose the presence of Ayana to Konoha. Watanabe had reassured the Konoha ninja that it was an internal affair and had no bearing on their duties. Still, he had assigned two ninja to monitor the comings and goings of the civilian guard.
Kakashi and Obito feigned ignorance, kept their head down and stuck to their tasks without getting involved in the discussions on the matter. One of the Konoha ninja even started a betting pool, whereby whoever had the closest guess would win the pot. Fortunately, nobody pushed the two children to join, them being kids and all. That didn't stop Obito from laughing at some of the theories when he and Kakashi were patrolling alone that morning.
"My favorite guess is that the Maeda clan head's wife lost her cat, one that is also descendent from the original Tora," Obito cackled.
"There is no original Tora, that demon-spawn defies mortality," Kakashi said, marveling at how the 'Capture Tora' mission has been running for over twenty years. He wondered how many genin had developed an aversion to cats because of her. Still, recalling his genin team's struggle in capturing her always brought a smile to his face.
He was fortunate that Obito was well-connected with the granny population of Konoha and was able to finish that mission with relative ease. He'd been enraged at the time, hating that the Uchiha could track the cat despite his own training. Now, he's relieved he never got scratched by the beast.
"She wasn't too bad," Obito said.
"Don't the Uchiha clan have an affinity for cats?" Kakashi asked. "It doesn't count."
"Wha..what? Where'd you hear that? No we don't," Obito's confusion was as plain as day.
"Then what about all the cats around the compound?" Kakashi asked. In his childhood he had on multiple occasions gone into the Uchiha compound to fetch Obito. He distinctly remembered seeing a lot of cats wandering around. He also recalled Itachi being overly fond of cats.
"They just like to hang around because everyone feeds them," Obito said, still giving Kakashi a weird look.
Kakashi made a noise of acceptance, I guess I just read more into it than there was.
"Anyway, do you think Ayana-san made it to the outpost safely?" Obito asked.
"We should find out soon," Kakashi replied.
Just as he said that a comrade approached them, "Hey kiddos. You can finish your patrol; Watanabe-san wants to talk to you."
"Do you know why?" Obito asked curiously.
The man shrugged his shoulders, "No idea. Fair warning though, he seemed annoyed."
"Isn't that his default?" Kakashi asked dryly.
The man chuckled, "Fair point. I have to go, don't keep him waiting."
After the man jumped away, Obito turned to Kakashi, "You don't think he knows?"
"There's a good chance he got word from the outpost," Kakashi said as they took to the roofs and headed to their barracks.
"That means she's safe!" Obito exclaimed with excitement.
"If so, it's time to face the explosive tag," Kakashi said.
"I'm good with fire," Obito replied without worry, flashing his teammate a cocky smile.
It was a quick roof-jump until they arrived at their barracks and found Watanabe-san waiting for them inside, with only Obito's temporary captain, Furuya, by his side. Both seemed agitated, Watanabe more so than Furuya.
"You can leave now, Furuya-san," Watanabe dismissed the man once he spied the two children approaching them.
"I'm the captain. If you're taking them off my team, I should know what this is about," Furya insisted, clearly a point the man had already made if the frustrated sigh from Watanabe was any indication.
"Well, Sarutobi-san doesn't seem to think so," Watanabe waved him away. Furuya's eyes narrowed, but decided it wasn't worth a fight and stalked angrily out of the room.
Kakashi fought off a smirk; he couldn't stand the self-important man and was happy to see him knocked down a peg. Obito, however, shuffled his weight from foot to foot, clearly uncomfortable with seeing his temporary captain so summarily kicked out of the room.
Now that they were all alone, Watanabe stared the two boys down, "Do you know who Uzumaki Ayana is?"
Straight to the point it is, Kakashi appreciated skipping the small talk.
Seeing no reason to lie, as the man clearly knew they were involved, Kakashi took the lead, "She's a medic."
"So you decided to play heroes. Without. Informing. Anyone," the man was not amused.
"Is she safe?" Obito asked, desperate for any news on the woman's condition.
Watanabe's scowl lightened briefly, "She's fine. Hatake's dogs were able to deliver her safely to the outpost and our healers treated her for fatigue."
"Thank Konoha," Obito smiled in relief and turned to Kakashi with a fist bump raised. Kakashi hesitated for a moment before he returned the gesture, also relieved to know their mission was a success. It was bold to celebrate in front of the clearly angry outpost leader, but his desire to strengthen his relationship with Obito won out. Even if the other boy had no diplomatic tact.
"Celebrate now. But when Hateno connects the dots—it'll be your heads on the line," the man interrupted their jubilation.
"Does Hateno know we were involved?" Kakashi asked, eyebrows raised in an unspoken challenge.
"Well, no," Watanabe admitted. "But that does not mean they won't find out in the future. Not to mention the risk you took! What if you were caught in the act? Do you know what the consequences of that would be?"
"So, we were supposed to just let her suffer?" Obito asked incredulously. "We knew what we were doing. We didn't tell anyone because we know it would look bad for Konoha. If we were caught, you would have told Maeda we were just kids and didn't know any better."
Watanabe sighed in frustration, "You know what, I don't care. It's not my problem. Sarutobi Shigeru-san has recalled you to the outpost. He can deal with the two of you while I clean up your mess here."
"But we didn't leave a mess," Kakashi replied as he put his hands in his pockets. "Nobody knows."
"For now," Watanabe reminded him.
"Kids. Being. Kids. Watanabe-san," Kakashi reiterated, shrugging his shoulders without a care. "Besides, what can the Maeda say? Oh yes, we know Ayana. We were abusing her despite knowing Konoha's close ties with the Uzumaki. Maybe those stupid kids didn't know what they were doing but could you give her back to us so that we can abuse her some more, please?"
Watanabe started to massage his forehead and Kakashi knew he won that round. "Just go. I don't have anyone available to escort you. Make sure you take the long road from deep inside Konoha territory and try not to cause any more trouble."
Kakashi began walking out, but Obito refused to move. "Watanabe-san, I'm sorry we made trouble for you, but I won't apologize for rescuing Ayana-san. We're ninja, we take risks every day and I would do it all again, no matter what. Thank you for taking care of us while we were here." Obito gave the man a short bow and joined Kakashi.
Kakashi hid a smirk. Obito's bluntness had disarmed Watanabe better than any diplomacy.
CWC_CWC_CWC_CWC_CWC
Kakashi and Obito stood side by side, heads bowed down in respect. In front of them stood captain of the outpost Sarutobi Shigeru and strategy advisor Nara Shikaku. Kakashi wasn't sure if the other leaders of the outpost were on a mission or were otherwise busy with tasks and didn't have the time to berate two young boys. Regardless, Kakashi felt fortunate to have only these two to contend with.
Silence stretched after their obligatory bows. Obito shuffled, unable to endure the quiet. Kakashi remained statue-still, the perfect soldier. They needed to convey that they had taken the matter seriously and were confident in their actions. Obito's fidgeting wasn't helping.
"Ummm…" Obito spoke up hesitantly after the silence stretched for a minute. He was never comfortable with silence.
"We're just waiting for Noburo-san," Shigeru said, answering the unspoken question.
"Noburo-san is coming?" Obito asked with a squeak, face going pale.
Kakashi noted the minuscule tightening of Shigeru's shoulder as he nodded in confirmation. The battle for top leadership position seemed to be raging more than ever now that the war appeared to be nearing its end. This is when legends and names are made. Kakashi should know; the Kannabi Bridge battle was the main turning point in making him renown in Konoha and beyond.
Kakashi was brought out of his musings when Noburo finally arrived, "Apologies for the delay."
"It's fine," Shikaku replied as the man briskly joined them, sparing Obito a glare as he passed them while completely ignoring Kakashi. Obito gulped in worry and gave Kakashi a look that screamed help.
"We are very disappointed with both of you," Shikaku started the conversation before the other two can begin their fight to assert control. "Fortunately, you managed to pull off the rescue, but had you failed, or had Hateno gotten even an inkling as to what you were planning, you could have cost us an important ally."
"Let's not mince words," Shigeru added curtly. "Not only Hateno, but it would have caused a domino effect. Other smaller nations would have also abandoned their alliance with us. And right as we finally turned the tide of war! What in the name of the Six Paths were you thinking?"
"We were aware of the risks," Kakashi spoke confidently. "Still, the Uzumaki are Konoha's most trusted allies, and we failed them. Rescuing Ayana-san from the abuse she was facing is the least we can do."
"They just dragged her out and she was begging them to stop!" Obito emphasized, not believing his teammate conveyed the situation properly. "She could barely stand!"
Kakashi was glad to see Obito had regained his nerve. He would need his charisma to seal the deal in reducing their punishment.
"One person, one not even of Konoha, is not worth extending this war and losing more of our own," Shigeru replied.
"The Uzumaki are one of our own," Kakashi cut in. "Or do we wear their symbol just for theatrics?" Kakashi saw Shikaku give a tiny nod in acknowledgment. That small sign was all Kakashi needed to know that he had at least one ally amongst the adults.
"Of course we care about our lost allies," Shigeru said impatiently. "But we're in a war."
"If a person cannot uphold their values at all times, then they are meaningless," Obito retorted heatedly.
"There is a time and place," Noburo was not amused, withering Obito down with a harsh scowl. Obito shrunk back a bit, hurt by the unforgiving treatment his own family was giving him.
Kakashi found it interesting that the man seemed to be angrier at Obito than at him, despite Kakashi clearly being the mind behind their operation. Then again, they were both Uchiha and any actions Obito took would reflect on the entire clan.
"Agreed," Kakashi said, bringing the spotlight back on him. The adults blinked at the unexpected retort while Obito shot him a look of dismayed betrayal. That was, until Kakashi continued, "The time and place were ideal for helping Ayana-san."
"Explain," Shikaku asked, willing to give them the benefit of the doubt.
"There is a reason why I refrained from involving Watanabe-san, or anyone else for that matter," Kakashi said, glad to finally have a proper chance to explain his strategy. "If by any chance we were caught by Hateno, the fact that nobody else knew would have protected Konoha. You would have written the situation off as the actions of naïve children."
"That still doesn –" Shigeru spoke up but Kakashi interrupted him.
"Please Shigeru-san, I'm trying to explain everything," Kakashi refrained from raising his hand to stop the man from talking, forcing himself to keep them at his side to ensure no disrespect was given.
Shigeru seemed torn between wanting to reprimand him for the interruption, but decided to hear him out, waving him to keep going.
"Thank you," Kakashi gave a light bow. "Let's break it down. If Konoha had confronted Hateno directly, forcing them to release Ayana-san, it would've looked like we were bullying a weaker ally. Result? She stays trapped, Konoha seems powerless, and we'd add 'failing the Uzumaki survivors' to our guilt."
And Kushina wouldn't take that quietly—an angry jinchuriki is trouble, but he wisely kept that to himself.
"Option two," he continued, "Make it a village-sanctioned rescue. If caught, Konoha gets accused of betraying allies—worst-case scenario."
"So, you're saying that informing someone would've backfired?" Shigeru asked.
"Exactly." Kakashi nodded. "Option three? Just us getting caught. Konoha writes us off as reckless kids, sweeps it under the rug, maybe negotiates later—but that's back to strong-arming. Instead?" He gestured between himself and Obito. "Two 'stupid' kids succeed. No diplomatic fallout, the Uzumaki clan gets a chance to rebuild, and Konoha keeps its hands clean. Perfect scapegoats. Am I wrong?"
As Kakashi spoke, Obito's nails dug deeper and deeper into the palm of his hands. So much so, that a small trickle of blood ran down his palms. "It's what you taught us the Will of Fire is all about, how is it wrong?" Obito couldn't help but add. "I wouldn't have been able to live with myself if we chose the easy way out and just ignored Ayana-san." He gripped his shirt at the chest, as if clutching his heart. "That's not what being a Konoha shinobi is. That's not the Konoha I love!"
Shikaku smirked, Shigeru's eyes softened but Noburo remained impassive, not giving them a clue to what he was thinking. The man had been silent for most of the conversation, which was unlike him based on what Kakashi had observed. It unnerved him. Then again, he did just lose his brother in the Kannabi Bridge. It made sense that the man was out of it.
"I'm glad to hear that you two didn't just impulsively launch this plan," Shigeru began. "It's clear you put a lot of thought into it and took a sensible course of action."
Obito started to smile, hoping to hear more good news.
"However,…"
Obito's face fell.
"Konoha could have launched this plan with only Watanabe-san in the know. He could have pretended he had no idea and had given you more guidance. He also has more experience and while I agree you took the best path, it may not have been," Shigeru said calmly.
"You're clearly smart enough to have thought about this, why didn't you approach at least Watanabe-san?" Shikaku asked.
Kakashi did think about it, but he knew his answer would not be well-received and he chose to give a logical reason instead. "Involving Watanabe-san would've forced him to lie to Hateno directly. If discovered, Konoha's deniability vanishes."
"I want the truth," Noburo said, not buying Kakashi's answer. While it bore some truth, the man knew there was more behind the decision.
The truth? He trusted his own judgment over Watanabe's. But admitting that would brand him a rogue asset—unfit for teamwork. If word got out, he'd become even more of a pariah than he already was.
"Well, if you want the truth," Kakashi said and let out a large sigh, trying his best to sugarcoat it. "I guess, I don't know Watanabe-san. I don't know if he would have agreed with us or trusted us to carry it out. We had one shot."
"You didn't trust the man the Third Hokage trusted to lead the outpost? You don't trust Konoha's chain of command? Is that what you're saying?" Noburo wasn't letting him get away with roundabout answers.
Uchiha Noburo had him trapped.
The silence stretched. Kakashi couldn't admit the truth—that he trusted his own judgment over Watanabe's. Over Konoha's. That after years of war, he'd learned to rely on his instincts, not titles. But saying that out loud would be more than arrogance; it'd be defiant. A shinobi who second-guessed command was a liability. A lone wolf. And if word spread, no team would ever trust him again.
"We didn't think of it like that," Obito spoke up, saving Kakashi from having to reply before the silence could grow uncomfortably long.
Thank you, Obito, Kakashi internally breathed a sigh of relief.
"We just wanted to rescue her, and we didn't have a lot of time to plan," he said as he fiddled with his goggles. "Then Jiraya-sama came in injured, and we wanted to tell Minato-sensei, but he had enough on his mind and had to go back to the frontlines. He had enough to deal with and we didn't want him to be distracted out there."
"Oh, I'm sure you didn't mean it, Obito-kun. Even though you really should have thought about it," Shigeru said, voice a cross between sternness and understanding.
"What happens now?" Kakashi shifted the conversation before Noburo can get on his case again. He really wanted to shut this down as soon as possible.
"Unfortunately, as well-intentioned and thought-out your plan was, it still makes me wary of sending you out again. You have so much more to learn before you can make decisions that would affect the entirety of Konoha," Shikaku explained. "It worked out well this time, which is fortunate. But right now, I don't want any wild cards. I vote to sending them back to the village to cool their heads."
"I agree," Shigeru voted next. Obito slumped his shoulders, knowing what was coming. They both already knew but he still had hope that they may get away with it. "If this wasn't a time of war, your actions would have been commended. Be that as it may, we have too many unknown factors to deal with already."
"I'm with you both but I'd like to add a caveat," Noburo was the last to vote. "They've done a great job here, especially given their age. I say we send them back, yet without making it an official dishonorable discharge. They're still kids, it would be a shame to have this on their public record. This way, it says between us, Watanabe-san, their sensei and the elders."
Kakashi was shocked, given that Noburo was the strictest and least impressed with the whole ordeal. Obito was even more shocked, gaping at Noburo as though he were an alien.
"Is that so?" Shikaku said, giving Noburo a searching look. "Since when are you lenient?"
"These kids have been forced to fight in a war despite their age. I say that's punishment enough. I'd hate for them to also have this follow them around. The children of Konoha have sacrificed enough," Noburo said with a shrug. "Let them go back and let's focus on ending this war once and for all."
Kakashi stifled the urge to mirror Obito's gaping. An Uchiha showing mercy? Unlikely. Noburo's vote reeked of clan politics—something Shikaku seemed to clock too, given the Nara's lingering stare.
"Wouldn't that decision fall back to the Hokage?" Shigeru pressed.
"Our outpost, our call," Shikaku said, though his tilted head betrayed calculation. After a pause, he conceded: "Fine, Noburo-san. Your suggestion stands."
Shigeru's frown deepened, but he folded. The man clearly knew there was more to Noburo's forgiveness, but with Shikaku going ahead, he went along with it as well.
Lucky? Hardly. Kakashi's instincts screamed of ulterior motives. Noburo wanted no public stain on the Uchiha name—that much was obvious. But Shikaku's compliance? That was the real puzzle.
"Tomorrow morning, we have a group of ninja going back with some of the injured," Shigeru informed them. "You'll return with them. Make sure you reflect on your actions deeply."
"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" Obito said as he smiled as wide as a cheshire cat. The hidden political interplay sailed completely over his head. Beaming, Obito rushed forward and thrust out his hand. Shigeru accepted his hand and nearly laughed when Obito began shaking his hand up and down animatedly. Noburo sighed in exasperation, the casual display was unbecoming of an Uchiha.
"I hope you know how lucky you are," Shigeru wanted to impress on them the seriousness of the situation.
What are they playing at?
"We learned our lesson, I promise," Obito nodded and then turned to Kakashi with a grin, "Right, Kakashi?"
Kakashi startled out of his internal thoughts and bowed deeply, "Yes, thank you for your leniency."
"Alright get out of here, we're busy," Shikaku waved them away.
"Before that, I'd like to talk to you alone, Obito," Noburo stated.
Shikaku's eyes narrowed, "Clansman to clansman, is that it?"
"Is that wrong?" Noburo gave the Nara a bored look. "I'll be back in ten minutes tops."
The man began walking towards the door, flicking his head towards the door when he passed Obito. His teammate gave a haphazard bow to the rest of the room before he rushed after him. In his nervous rush, Obito tripped on his feet and fell to the floor. He blushed heavily as Noburo sighed loudly, a whispered mutter of annoyance passing his lips. Obito quickly pushed himself back up on his feet and they both left the room.
Kakashi gave Shikaku a meaningful glance, conveying his confusion at the whole ordeal. Shikaku faintly frowned but shook his head, 'let it go', he seemed to say. Not wanting to overstay his welcome, Kakashi offered a final polite bow before leaving the office too.
He was curious about what Noburo wanted to discuss with his teammate, but knew he couldn't spy on them or anything. Instead, he decided to wait for Obito outside the Tower. Noburo had said he'd only be away for ten minutes. He could wait that long and gain some insight on the conversation based on Obito's mood.
Better yet, maybe Obito would share the conversation, but he doubted that would be the case. Despite being the black sheep of the clan and constantly mocked by his clansmen, Obito had a lot of pride in the Uchiha name. He wouldn't share any internal matters with the clan and had always kept his complaints to himself.
Kakashi found a wall to recline against as he waited for his teammate to reemerge. He mentally replayed the confrontation, trying to glean hints.
"Hatake," a voice called to him after a handful of minutes had passed. An unfamiliar ninja emerged from the tower and walked towards him. "We're short on explosive tags. Head over to the sealing team and help them prepare more tags."
"Oh? Whose orders?" Kakashi pitched his voice lighter, masking suspicion with boyish curiosity.
"Noburo-sama, don't keep them waiting," the man replied with a hint of disdain and made his way back inside.
Kakashi frowned but had no choice except to follow the order. Typical Uchiha clan posturing. But Shikaku's cooperation? That was the real puzzle.
CWC_CWC_CWC_CWC_CWC
Helping the sealing team kept him busy for the rest of the day. Fortunately, his status as the Yellow Flash's student was a large boon in his welcome. The team was relieved to have some additional help and trusted him immediately; knowing that one of Konoha's best seal's experts was his teacher. The ninja in charge checked his first tag, found no mistakes and gratefully left him to work in peace.
When he realized how big the shortage was, he even created a shadow clone to help. Konoha was pushing hard, and every ninja kept tags on hand. The sudden increase in fighting forced the sealing team to fall behind on the demand.
"You know the Shadow Clone jutsu?" one of the ninja asked with awe. He was still a teenager and Kakashi assumed he was one of those chosen to specialize in sealing and not combat.
"Can you teach me?" another ninja asked, clasping her hands in a pleading gesture. "That would be soooo useful."
"Me too," the first asked as well.
"It can be dangerous if you don't have a large enough chakra pool," Kakashi stated. He didn't want to be responsible for the sealing team going out of commission due to a series of chakra depletion.
"Ono-san, Shiranui-san, and I can learn" the leader rattled off the names. "The rest of you are still not ready."
Shiranui? Kakashi wondered as another man joined them. He bore a striking resemblance to Genma. A relative, perhaps?
"I can do it!" the teenager cried in anguish.
"Try again in a few years, Kaito-chan!" the female ninja who asked to be taught laughed.
"Aww man," the teenager pouted as he went back to his work.
That was how Kakashi found himself teaching the Shadow Clone jutsu to three others, marveling at the surrealism of the moment. As they tried to master the jutsu, he went back to writing tags and would offer tips when they'd ask.
Shiranui mastered it fastest—under an hour. No surprise, given Genma's own knack for seals. "Thanks, this should really help us in the future," the man said gratefully as his clone walked back to the man's bench and began working on some seals.
"No problem," Kakashi replied, placing a finished tag onto his pile. "If you don't mind me asking—are you related to Genma?"
"He's my nephew," the man confirmed. "That's right, you were in the same class at the academy."
"Yes, does he know sealing?" Kakashi asked curiously. He always thought that Genma learned sealing from his sensei after he had become the Fourth.
"I taught him the basics, but I don't know if he's keeping at it," the man said. "Best get back to it, lots of exploding tags to create. Thanks again."
Filing away that piece of information for later, Kakashi went back to the task at hand. The other two eventually learned the jutsu and their output saw a sizable spike.
He wasn't surprised they all learned it in a day. The Shadow Clone wasn't a hard jutsu to master, but a hard one to use safely. That alone was enough to earn it 'forbidden' status. Splitting your chakra to create them was the real danger. Creating too much could deplete a person's chakra stores suddenly. This would not only lead to chakra exhaustion but could also result in a heart attack if one wasn't careful. A ninja had to have either great control and knowledge of their limitations, or insane chakra pools like Naruto.
It was also a nice change of pace to teach adults. Genins were much more exhausting. With adult ninja, he just gave them direction and let them be. In the past, he had written down so many ninjutsu for his colleagues to learn and to expand the village's knowledge, but he was never directly involved in any training.
By the time the clock neared midnight, Kakashi accepted he wouldn't see Obito before departure. Whatever Noburo said would have to wait for Konoha.
The sealing team finally stopped, needing rest to replenish their chakra. Even though you need chakra to activate a seal, you also needed chakra to draw them. Every tag absorbed a fragment of the creator's chakra. Despite exploding tags being among the simplest and least chakra-intensive seals to create the number of tags they drew would wear down most ninja. They were finally dismissed, but despite their fatigue they left in good spirits now that they were much closer to closing the gap.
The leader clapped him on the back, grin tired but genuine. "Minato-san taught you well. Konoha should make the Shadow Clone jutsu a must for sealing experts from now on. It's so useful! If you ever thought about expanding your sealing knowledge, you know where to find me."
"I appreciate that," Kakashi bowed lightly before heading to his tent to pack up.
Rolling his stiff shoulders, Kakashi let the earlier irritation fade. However Noburo had intended this, the outcome—three sealers now doubling their output—was undeniable. For all his distrust of the current command, tonight proved he could still serve Konoha's future—one tag, one technique at a time.
Author's Notes:
I realize that there is some confusion with Kakashi's childhood timeline as to when he joined Team Minato. There was some inconsistency so now it's unclear. For me, I decided to go with Kakashi never being Minato's only student. In the anime, there was a point when the Third asked Minato to look out for Kakashi as part of his team. Before then, Kakashi was shuffled around.
As for their ages, I am assuming they are all the same age and in the following older:
Rin is the oldest, born the November a year before the boys.
Obito is the second oldest, born in February the next year.
Kakashi is the youngest, born in September the same year as Obito.
I hope that's clear for everyone :D Let me know if you have a different theory as to how this part of Kakashi's life played out.