Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Naruto: A Second Chance

The courtyard of the Academy bustled with activity. Instructors guided their young students in both martial and mental exercises. Older students sat around in their cliques, watching outsiders with a mocking, silent contempt. The old groundskeeper made his way around the perimeter of the tall stone walls, checking for cracks and holes in the aging facade. As he rapped his wooden walking stick along the ground, he heard quite the loud commotion, louder than the typical white noise of a full yard of activity. He looked to his right and saw a crowd of students gathered in a close circle. He knew it meant some extracurricular activity was afoot and quickly made off for the nearest instructor, never taking his eyes off the rapidly developing conflict. The groundskeeper took one last look at the crowd before entering the main building.

Konohamaru Sarutobi threw the other child to the ground, dust kicking up around the two, shrouding them from the gathered crowd. The crowd cheered Konohamaru’s name and the other child tried to get up. The Honorable Grandson kicked the boy down,

“Don’t ever talk about me like that again!” The Grandson yelled, tears in his eyes. The child coughed, gritting his teeth,

“All I’m saying is, if you didn’t want your grandfather to die, why didn’t you help him?”. The boy stood up, still coughing. He wiped his mouth, “You’re only mad because I have a point. You’re so worked up about him, yet you couldn’t bring yourself to die with him.” The student exhaled sharply, “But don’t worry, I’ll make sure you’re not too far behind him.” The boy squared his feet, retrieved a kunai knife from his pocket and charged at the frightened Grandson. Before the moment of impact, a firm hand grabbed the child’s arm, imprisoning it in an iron grip.

“Enough!” yelled Iruka. “There is a time and a place to practice your taijutsu, however you should never practice it on a fellow student while brandishing a weapon! Honorable Grandson! A representative of the Sarutobi clan and a descendent of the Third Lord Hokage should conduct himself with more dignity!” Iruka turned to the other child, “And you, Tobu! You may be new to the Hidden Leaf Village, but that does mean we will turn a blind eye to your actions!”

Iruka dragged the two aggressors away from the crowd of students. He scolded the two students as the three approached the academy. The sandals of the two children squeaked on the polished wooden floor as they tried to escape the firm grasp of their infuriated teacher. The pale beige walls, which usually welcomed the kids into a learning environment, now spelled out hours of boredom and torture in the form of dreaded detention. 

“I’m sorry. Who exactly is this kid? Not the Third’s grandson, the other one?” asked the Fifth Hokage. Due to the nature of the fight and its opponents, Iruka found it necessary to report it to Lady Tsunade. 

“Ah, Tobu, you remember him. He showed up at our gates maybe three or so years ago, and couldn't have been more than eight or nine years old. And his clothes… they were covered in- ” Iruka was interrupted. 

“Right, him.” Tsunade interjected. Her head sank and she rubbed her temples, “And what exactly were they fighting about?” 

“Uh, it seems that Tobu made some remarks about the death of the Third Lord Hokage. According to Konohamaru, he stated that the Grandson should have died while fighting alongside the Third Lord Hokage. Naturally, this angered the Grandson.” 

“And what do you plan on doing about this? I mean why are you wasting my time with a squabble between two fourteen year olds?” 

“Ah...ummm. Well, they’re both in detention for the next few hours.” Iruka explained, sweat forming on his brow. Tsunade paused, her eyes closed and her brow furrowed in thought.

I’m sick and tired of dealing with unruly genin, Lady Tsunade thought. She clucked her teeth and stood up, grabbing her robe from its place hanging on the back of her chair, 

“I don’t have time for this, I’ll take care of Konohamaru. Let him see to Tobu…” Iruka’s eyes grew.

A man walked through the decaying streets of Konoha. He had not been seen in many months and was drawing the eyes of the few villagers still remaining in the crippled city. They knew him well, but they had never seen him in such a poor state. He may have been a jonin, but did not wear the accompanying vest nor a ninja headband. He strode past the village gate, left open and unguarded, and towards the training grounds, wearing nothing but the plain black undersuit he wore with his now-absent traditional vest.

Kakashi Hatake approached the training grounds. There, he saw a solitary boy, tied to one of the three wooden posts. The boy struggled on the ropes, cursing the name of Iruka and the Honorable Grandson.

Every fiber of his being told Kakashi to run away, to return to his quiet home and hide from reality, as he had done for the past three years. The deaths of Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha, and Jiraiya the Gallant, and the disappearance of Sakura Haruno, proved to be the final straw for Kakashi. He forced himself into a life of solitude and reclusion, refusing to form any more bonds.  He did not accept any missions and he did not have any visitors. He did not even leave his home to purchase food, only relying on what he had left in his cupboards. He hoped to wither away and die from malnutrition, and his constitution suffered for it. His ribs and jawbones formed harsh edges on his skin, his hair had grown past his shoulders, and he had a noticeably sunken posture. His chakra reserves had dwindled to that of a genin, and simply walking to the training grounds had rendered him out of breath. 

Kakashi eyed the young genin. 

He looks like Obito , he thought. This only made him more apprehensive. But he was asked by the Fifth Hokage to reprimand the young student, and he didn’t have the heart to tell her no, not after the trauma they had shared over the years. He caught his breath and started towards the young genin.

Tobu pulled and yanked on the ropes, 

“Come on! Detention ended three hours ago! What am I doing out here?!” He yelled, hoping Iruka was nearby to hear him. Instead he noticed the dark figure in the tree line. It was tall and lean, emanating an intimidating presence. “Hey! HEY! Who are you?! Iruka! Help me!” Tobu screamed. The dark figure performed a flurry of hand signs too fast for Tobu to see, and knelt down on the ground. Blinding blue light sparked out of the figure’s hand, followed by a loud screeching noise nearly deafened the young ninja.

In the blink of an eye, the figure disappeared in a cloud of dust and pebbles. Tobu could feel the rush of air strike his face, and Kakashi Hatake held the fabled Lightning Blade as close as he could to the genin’s face. Too close 

“AH SHIT!” Tobu shook his head back and forth, trying to keep the lightning from arcing onto his face again. “WHO ARE YOU? WHAT DO YOU WANT??”, the boy screamed.

“I’m Kakashi Hatake, and I want you to keep your hands off your fellow students.” Kakashi droned as he snuffed out the Lightning Blade. Tobu stopped his flailing and looked incredulously at the jonin in front of him. 

“Wha-? I’ve heard of you! WHY’RE YOU GOING AROUND ATTACKING KIDS?!” Tobu screamed and began flailing again, this time against his restraints in an effort to get some payback against the stinking old man. Kakashi leaned up and turned to face away from the boy.

“Like I said, keep your hands to yourself. You do that, and we’ll never have to see each other again.” Kakashi turned slightly around towards Tobu, “And given your screeching, I’d welcome that.” The sensei turned and started towards the treeline, back to his apartment. Tobu leaned back against his restraints, scrunching his burning nose.

“HEY! Who’s coming to let me go?! HEEEEY!!”, the kid screamed at the fading figure. Kakashi wasn’t worried, he knew someone would come to untie him. Eventually.

Tsunade slammed her fist on the desk, nearly cracking the age-old Hokage’s desk, and disturbing the piles of paperwork and stationary around the Kage’s office. 

“I told you not to hurt the child!” She growled. Kakashi, unimpressed by the Hokage’s rage, grumbled.

“Ugh, it’s just a burn. And it’s not like he’s the one you’re looking for. No harm done”, the jonin growled, shrugging. Tsunade sighed and cooled down a bit, and turned towards the window overlooking the village. 

“You don’t know that! We have to pursue every avenue. Any child in that academy could be the key to restoring our former strength. Everyone’s gone, Kakashi. Might Guy, the Nara clan, the Akimichi clan, the Yamanaka clan. Not to mention all the regular citizens running for the safety of the other villages after we failed to protect our own. Our military might is at an all time low. We are eternally lucky the Hyuga clan stuck around but we can't rely on their protection forever! Finding a once-in-a-generation shinobi is the only way to restore the village.” Tsunade sighed, her eyes beginning to tear up. The recent events in the village have taken a great toll on her already poor mental health. Kakashi furrowed his brow.

“No.” He barked. Tsunade spun around, half shocked, half enraged. “It’s the easiest way, not the only way. And you and I both know the easy way out just leads you right back to where you started. Either way, Lord Jiraiya spent years on one child, and even he failed, there’s no way we can do it just by skimming over every genin you find.”  

“But we don’t have a choice. We can’t protect the village on our own. I’m too old and you’re…” Tsunade trailed off, her sorrow threatening to overtake her, "Yesterday... Yesterday was three years to the day... three years since..."

Kakashi furrowed his brow, he regretted not realizing that sooner. He had lost track of the days, months, and years a long time ago. The anniversary obviously weighed on his old friend and, if just for her sake, he wished he could have remembered. He sighed, not having the energy to hate himself more than he already did. The copy ninja turned and walked towards the door,

“Our mistakes have dug our graves, and now we have to lay in it.” With one hand on the doorknob, we turned back to Tsunade, “We can’t bring them back.” He needed to hear it himself, he just hoped she’d listen.

Chapter Text

“Tch! Who does he think he is?!”, Tsunade groaned as soon as Kakashi shut the door behind him. This is all his fault anyway , she thought. She knew it wasn’t true, she didn’t know who to blame anymore. One of them, all of them, the whole village, the whole system? Who was to blame for letting Sasuke fall so low that he’d give his body to the Leaf’s worst enemy? Who was to blame for allowing Naruto and Jiraiya to leave the village to chase after him. Jiraiya …, Tsunade thought.

She turned away from her desk and towards the window overlooking the village. She hung her head, hoping it would somehow make the darkest thoughts simply fall out of her head and into the wind. It never worked. 

She swung her head up now, fighting tears. Grown women shouldn’t cry , she thought, even over something like this.

Her mind settled and her gaze fell to the children in the courtyard below, practicing taijutsu. One of them has to be down there, NEEDS to be down there. The next big thing, the next savior of the Leaf, she pondered, After everything that happened, even for the people who didn’t like Naruto or Sasuke, they saw my weakness as a leader when I let this happen under my watch. That’s why I need to find this next great prodigy, to show the village I can truly lead. I need to do everything in my power to find them. Nothing can be off the table, no matter how cruel or vile it may make me look. I need to save this village…

“Shizune!”Tsunade calls. The door on the other end of the room opens and an obedient head pokes into the room.

“Yes ma’am?”Shizune asks. Tsunade’s eyes narrowed on the training students below.

“Help me prepare an announcement.” Tsunade replied.

Kakashi turned his head over on his pillow. Had he been asleep? He didn’t remember sleeping, but he didn’t remember being awake either. He glanced over at his inactive alarm clock. 3:02 it read. AM or PM?, the copy ninja wondered. With the thick curtains over his windows, he couldn’t tell. 

Not that he cared either way. Day or night, he’d stay in the comfort of his dark, empty home. Day or night, he’d never go out there and risk meeting one of them . How’ve you been?, they’d ask. How’re you holding up? they’d ask, pretending to care. Pretending that they’d help if he gave an honest answer. No… no, they wouldn't even bother asking at this point, he thought.

Look at me, he sighed, sounding like a dejected teenage boy. He rolled over on his bed, ready to get back to that beautiful limbo between sleep and consciousness. 

He felt his head get heavier on his pillow. He felt the far-too-hot air in his apartment settle. Whatever passed for sleep these days washed over him. He wondered if he’d have a good dream or a nightmare. His memories of the past rendered even the most pleasant memories into horrible nightmares. His childhood with his father. His time with Minato, Obito, and Rin. His time training Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura. 

Night after night, for the last three years, they’d wash over his mind, just as vivid as the day they were forced upon him. Tormenting him. Eating away at his mind. Slowly killing him.

  Tonight though, maybe tonight would be easy? It was about time for things to slow down in his head. Soon, he felt that might be happening. He lay, motionless, undisturbed for the first time in what felt like forever. Time felt fluid. Hours could have passed. Weeks could have passed.

Is this what peace felt like? Is this what death felt like?

“Chunin exams?”, a distant voice said from the street outside. Kakashi’s eyes bolted open. Was he hearing things now? Is that what this is coming to?

“Yeah! Lady Tsunade wants a fresh batch of chunin so she can promote some older guys to jonin!”, another voice outside said. No, Kakashi wasn’t hearing things. He stayed deathly still in bed, straining every muscle in his body to better hear the conversation outside. “I heard they’re announcing it in a few hours, we should get moving!”, the second voice continued, and it sounded like the pair was walking away.

The outside conversation was over, but Kakashi still lay dormant. 

Fear.

Dread.

Terror.

What did this mean?

Were they going to ask him to help?

Would he be able to say no?

Could he say no?

Did he have a choice?

Kakashi slapped the palm of his hand over his eyes. Calm down. One step at a time. He stood up, briefly dizzy from his time spent lounging. I’ll go out on my own and see what this is about. It’ll stay in my control and it’ll all be ok. He had no idea how wrong he was.

This is a terrible idea, isn’t it? , Lady Tsunade thought, Or is it a good idea because I don’t have any other choice? . The Hokage sat back down at her desk, sweat beading on her brow, and held her hands over her face, thinking and trying not to break down. Kakashi barged into the Hokage office. 

“What exactly are you doing?” he barked at Tsunade. Pretending to be far too busy with paperwork, she barely bothered to glance up at the interruption.

“Odd seeing you outdoors without having to be coerced out. Is this about the Chunin exams?”, she replied with a sigh. She knew it was and didn’t bother waiting for a response, “I’m speeding up the training process. The village is at risk. We need more talented shinobi. Orochimaru has been out there doing who knows what for the past three years. So whatever he’s planning is big and we need to be ready for it.”, Kakashi’s brow furrowed,

“And you’re preparing by putting children on the frontlines?!”

“I don’t recall saying I was doing that. You’re overreacting, old friend. I’m promoting some of them to chunin so I can then promote some of the older, more trained chunin to jonin level.”

“Before they’re ready. You want to throw them out there to the wolves, don’t you?! ” Kakashi grumbled, his breathing rapidly accelerating. Tsunade returned his gaze with a cool, reassuring, but firm one of her own,

“I know you have some experience with that… And I can assure you that isn’t what’s happening.” She paused for a moment, surveying Kakashi’s mood, before continuing, “What I don’t know is why you’re acting like you care all of a sudden? The first time in forever you’ve come out of your hole willingly and it's to come bitch at me about something you haven't shown any inkling of care for in the last three years?” Tsunade barked. If looks could kill, Kakashi’s narrowing glare would've obliterated the Fifth. She calmed a little and continued, “Like it or not, that’s what we’re doing. And I say ‘we’ because you’re helping too. I need you for this.” she said as she handed him a packet of papers. Kakashi didn’t even look at it, 

“Who told you I was helping?” he said, scowling. Tsunade scowled right back, still holding the papers, with stone cold eyes.

“Kakashi, you are still a jonin. You still serve this village, you still serve me . OK? I’ve been paying the rent on your building so you could sulk in peace.” Kakashi realized he had stopped trying to muster up the energy to care about something like rent. It had slipped his mind months ago. He didn’t even want to guess how far behind he was. A part of him was grateful for her assistance. A part of him wished she’d let him rot. 

Tsunade stood up at her desk, meeting Kakashi at eye level, “You’ve been locked up in your house long enough.” She pushed the papers into Kakashi’s chest and he instinctively held them there, “It’s time to get up. It’s time for all of us to get up.”

Kakashi was too embarrassed, and angry, to answer. He simply looked down at the papers as Tsunade took a breath and sat back down. They were dossiers for three very particular genin. He sighed, resigning to his fate.

“Tobu, Konohamaru Sarutobi, and Hanabi Hyūga? That’s my new Team 7?” Kakashi asked. Tsunade replied as she fixed her desk,

“Yes, I want them trained and ready for the chunin exams. They’ve been instructed to meet you on the village outskirts, at your favorite spot. So get going, please.” Kakashi ignored her plead,

“You know the two boys hate each other? Weren’t they fighting the other day?” Tsunade huffed, folded her fingers together on her desk, met Kakashi’s equally unimpressed eye contact, and gave the most professional answer she could,

“Well, hopefully that’ll help them push each other during their training.”

Yeah, that worked out so well last time , Kakashi thought.

“And you still trust me to train genin? After everything that’s happened? After everything we’ve screwed up?”, he asked. It was a horrible thing to say and Kakashi swore he could feel the venom dripping from his words. He already knew this was hard for her. Harder than it would be for him. Why was he trying to make it harder? 

Tsunade froze for a moment, her mind gazing back to a place she begged it to never look at again. He sure was putting her on the spot. He knew she blamed herself for what happened, possibly more so than he did himself.. And now he was asking if, by giving this order, she was prepared to shoulder that responsibility again should something similar happen. She gazed around the room, mouth agape, looking for an answer her mind wouldn’t conjure. Finally, her head sank down and her eyes settled to the floor under her desk.

“I don’t suppose I have a choice”, she mumbled, barely audible. Maybe not, but maybe I can make this a choice , Kakashi thought. 

“What if I fail them? Send them back to the Academy?”, he asked. Kakashi’s pettiness snapped Tsunade out of her stupor, and her head snapped up in turn, meeting Kakashi’s dead gaze.

“No, I’m not putting up with that. I know the Third did but we need to be ready for war. I won’t have you holding that up by failing every team I give you out of spite. You train the ki-”, Tsunade paused for a moment, “You train the genin I give you.”, Tsunade replied. She softened her voice, “You owe me, and I don’t mean in money.”

Produce a kage-level shinobi good enough to make Konoha seem safe again, Kakashi assumed she meant. Still a bit indignant, he turned without giving her an answer, and left her office. Tsunade knew it was his own way of getting back at her. She had to admit, it worked. 

Kakashi approached the edge of the tree line. He could already hear his three newest trainees bickering. How they’ve already found something to argue about is beyond him.

“Fucking kids.” Kakashi sighed. 

He reached the edge of the treeline. Before him was the clearing that housed the Memorial Stone he was so familiar with. Sat around it were three figures that couldn’t be more alien to him.

Tobu, no clan, no family, and judging by Konohamaru’s glare and Hanabi’s vacant expression, no friends either. Arriving at the village, barely a boy, on the day of it all went to hell, covered in blood and with the angriest expression anyone had ever seen.

Konohamaru Sarutobi, grandson of the Third Hokage, swore up and down he’d surpass Naruto, before and after the kid was dead. He looked tired, but he wasn’t letting it show. Kakashi wondered what he'd do if he pushed himself too far.

And Hanabi Hyūga, the princess of the Leaf’s Hyūga clan. Ever since Naruto died, her older sister, Hinata, has been holed up in her room. Hanabi spent most of her time there with her, so Kakashi guessed she wouldn’t be too happy about being assigned to a team. That much was obvious though, by the way she sulked off to the side as the two boys were practically about to kill each other. 

Kakashi sighed again, “I guess I have my work cut out for me.”

Chapter Text

“Looks like your buddy isn’t coming. What’s it been, three hours?”, Tobu groaned from his tree-top perch, picking a fight to ease the boredom. The evening summer sun baked his skin. A thin layer of sweat covered his skin and seeped into his clothes, which delighted the annoying bugs that Tobu was sure numbered in the hundreds. He was sure he smelled like a dumpster. He covered his face with cupped palms and sighed, wanting nothing more than to go home, take a shower, and lay down. 

“He’s not my buddy! He’s our Sensei! Besides, he’s always late. It’s his thing.”, Konohamaru shouted from the next tree over. Hanabi laid her back against the cool dirt of the shaded forest floor, her head propped up against the tree in between the two bickering boys. She was enjoying the afternoon song of the crickets and the birds, but that was long gone, thanks to the blithering baboons surrounding her. Tobu huffed, smacked his hands into his lap, and slumped down, defeated, against the tree trunk,

“Couldn’t think up a more convenient ‘thing’? Carry a stick around? Smoke or, I don't know, not waste everyone’s time? Asshole. I should kick his butt for what he did earlier.”, he said, rubbing his still-raw nose.

“HEY!”, Konohamaru yelled as he leapt out of his tree, nearly landing on Hanabi as she sat on the ground, trying to mind her own business. She scowled and swept the dirt off her robes, laying her head back against the tree and trying to eke out just a sliver of peace and quiet. “Don’t insult Kakashi like that! If you insult him, you may as well be insulting the whole village, especially me!”

“Well yeah, I already insult you so what’s your point?” Tobu replied dryly. Konohamaru grew even angrier.

“Kakashi would totally kick your ass anyway!”, the Grandson retorted.

“Oh yeah, just like I routinely kick your ass?”

“Why don’t you come down here and put your money where your mouth is!”, the Grandson yelled. Tobu grinned,

“Now that I can get behind.”. He dropped to the ground, kicking up dust in poor Hanabi’s face, who finally decided to speak up.

“Will you two just knock it off! All your crying will just make Kakashi not want to train us!”, the Hyuga princess cried. Konohamaru instantly calmed down, the pleading of his longtime friend filling his veins with ice water. Tobu was less impressed. He half-turned from his approach to Konohamaru with a befuddled look on his,

“What the hell’s your problem?” Konohamaru’s rage roared back into action. He raised his fist and charged at his sneering squadmate.  

Konohamaru’s fist was grabbed mid-swing. He turned to face his new assailant and was instead confronted with the cold right eye of Kakashi Hatake. 

“Second time today?”, the copy ninja asked. Konohamaru was rendered speechless, but Tobu crossed his arms and sneered,

“That was yesterday, old man.”, he scoffed. Now it was Kakashi’s turn to be speechless,

“Oh, that’s right… I suppose I may have overslept!.” he said with a feigned smile. Tobu scoffed, rolled his eyes, and actually rolled his entire head back. 

“For fuck’s sake, this is our Sensei?”, he muttered under his breath. Kakashi’s smile quickly vanished and his eyes narrowed,

“How’s your nose, kid?”, he growled. Tobu’s breath caught in his throat and he felt a chill run up his spine.

“Uh, fi-fine. Fine, sir.”, Tobu blurted out. Kakashi released Konohamaru’s arm, the boy taking the opportunity to fall in next to Tobu and Hanabi, who had finally given up on that whole notion of peace and quiet.

“Just ‘Kakashi’ will do.”, Kakashi said as he eyed his newest batch of unwanted and unwilling students. Something immediately stood out to him and he brought a quizzical finger up to his face. “Say, aren’t you guys a little old to be genin?”, he asked. Konohamaru’s blood boiled, Tobu’s face betrayed his impatience, but Hanabi remained cool and collected. She knew they all had a damn good reason to be a little behind in life. 

“It’s been a rough couple of years, Kakashi.”, she explained, “Not a whole lot of interest in training for the future.”. Kakashi let his face give away his sadness,

“Yeah, it really has… How’s Hinata?”. Hanabi’s face grew a hard and frigid glare. It was far too late for stupid questions. Tobu leaned forward, his puzzled expression intercepting the glare,

“Hinata who? Is someone going to help me out here or no?”. Hanabi’s glare grew colder and harder and her eyes drew back from the group. Konohamaru balled his fists and his face filled with fury,

“I’m gonna help you into an early grave if you don’t shut up!”, he said, curtly. 

“What the hell’s you guys’ problem? I was just asking a question. I’m not from here, remember stupid?”, Tobu teased. As Konohamaru struggled to hold back his rage, Kakashi let out a clap of his hands, breaking the tension the way only a master educator knew.

“Ok! I can sense a lot of hostility here! So, why don’t we do some sparring to let off some steam and let me get an idea where we are skill-wise?”, he said, his tone letting everyone know that he wasn’t really asking. Because I am not dealing with this stupid bickering for a second longer , he thought to himself.

The group walked away from the treeline and towards the middle of the clearing. The students formed a semi-circle around their sensei, who put up two fingers for everyone to see. 

“I have two very simple rules for this sparring session. One: the two weakest of you will spar first, and the winner will spar the third and strongest member of our little bunch.”, Kakashi said. A sly grin decorated his face, “And I already know which one of you is the strongest, so go ahead and step aside.”, he finished. Tobu grew a smug grin, relaxed his hands on his hips, and began to saunter off to the side,

“Well, I’ll just go hang out over here. Good luck gu-”, he started before he was interrupted. 

“Hanabi! Why don’t you go relax while these two idiots tire themselves out? I’ll trust you to sort out the winner!”, Kakashi said, the grin on his face somehow even bigger. Hanabi, also grinning, traded places with a, perhaps for the first time ever, completely speechless Tobu.

“WHA-? What do you mean she’s the strongest?!”, Tobu shouted, finally finding his trademark frustrated tone. 

“Beat Konohamaru, and maybe you’ll see!”, Kakashi replied, losing his patience with someone equally bone-headed as him.

“Yeah, and I can promise that’s not happening.”, Konohamaru confidently stated. 

“And rule number two: No ninjutsu or genjutsu, I don’t want anyone getting torn apart or worse. We’re sticking to hand-to-hand sparring today, only taijutsu.”, Kakashi finished.

“Ha! You’re screwed!”, Tobu pointed a belittling finger and a shit-eating grin at Konohamaru, who froze in shock. The Grandson knew Tobu was stronger than him and more naturally gifted at taijutsu. 

As Konohamaru and Tobu squared off a few paces apart from each other, Kakashi took the opportunity to finally get a good look at the latter. Tobu really did look a lot like Obito. 

Soft and unkempt black hair fell haphazardly over his head, parts of it nearly coming down to his eyebrows. His typical bored or impatient expression betrayed a face that clearly wouldn’t look unusual if it were decorated with a warm smile or a thoughtful gaze. His eyes were a focused blue hue that communicated neither purpose nor drive, but instead simply didn’t know where to settle their gaze.

He was about a hair shorter than Konohamaru, who was himself a hair shorter than Hanabi, the tallest of the three, much to the boys’ chagrin. Hanabi knew her height was the least she had over them. 

Konohamaru leaned back into a tight fighting stance, ready to absorb a tactless, head-on charge attack he had seen countless times. Tobu took no stance at all, instead standing stock straight, waiting for the go-ahead. Is that a lack of training or a lack of respect?, Kakashi wondered.

“Alright boys, keep it above the belt and below the knees. And I don’t feel like taking anyone to the hospital today, so take it easy.”, Kakashi instructed. 

“Like they’ll listen…”, Hanabi muttered from his side. Yeah, well, at least I said something, Kakashi thought to himself. He brought held his arm out and above his head, fingers straight, and shouted,

“Begin!”, as he pulled his arm down.

Finally!, Tobu thought and, as expected, charged head-on at Konohamaru. Konohamaru stepped to the left at the last second, letting Tobu stumble past him. Tobu, his back to Konohamaru and his balance completely thrown off, swung a wild back-handed fist with his left arm which Konohamaru caught with one hand and grabbed the back of Tobu’s neck with the other. The Grandson swept his leg under Tobu’s, throwing the other boy to the ground and smashing him face-first into the dirt, knocking the wind clean out of him. Tobu let out a painful and angry grimace.

“Ok, fuck you!”, he yelled. Konohamaru, reveling in his first martial victory in a while, didn’t catch Tobu bending his elbow and planting it, rather firmly, into Konohamru’s belly. Konohamaru belted out a groan that made even Kakashi feel sick to his stomach and fell to the ground opposite Tobu, the both of them laying and groaning for a bit. 

And here I thought I was in for some entertainment… , Kakashi thought to himself, sitting with his legs crossed and picking at the rocks and bugs in the dirt surrounding him.

“Kakashi…” Hanabi said from her place standing above him, “What are we doing here?”. Kakashi's eyes darted, confused, from side to side, figuratively looking for an answer. 

“Uhh, being trained… by me.” Kakashi stated, but more so asked. Hanabi scowled and shook her head,

“No, I mean ‘what are we doing here’? We both know Tsunade wants to get the village back up to full strength as soon as possible. But, what’s the point? Everyone’s leaving. And if it weren’t for my family staying and pledging to help with the depleted military, more would be leaving.” Kakashi looked up from his idle boredom and gave Hanabi a questioning look, I guess we know she’s the mature one. Reminds me of Sakura. I wonder how she’s doing, if she’s ok, if she’s even alive. Kakashi thought. Hanabi continued despite the boys’ wheezing and groaning, “We both know Tsunade is looking for her next big thing. And I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the heir to an ancient family, the grandson of the late Hokage, and our mysterious newcomer are all on the same team, being trained by the top Sensei in the Leaf.”

Top? Gimme a break… Kakashi thought. “Thank you for sharing, Hanabi. I’m sure Lady Tsunade has a plan. For now, let’s just follow orders.” he said, barely managing to spew out the typical bullshit he had been trained to spew as a leader and as a teacher. He leaned further back into the grass, propping himself up on his elbows and looked up into the bronze sky. 

Hanabi continued, “It sounds like she’s grasping at straws and hoping one of them will sort this out for her. I know I’m not the straw that’ll save the village. Do you think it’s one of them?”. Kakashi brought his gaze down from the setting sun and onto the two boys, weakly pulling themselves off the ground, ready for round 2.

“What in the world gives you that idea?” Kakashi said plainly. Konohamaru stood up straight and brushed the dirt off his clothes. I need to end this quickly. He just shook off the best move I’ve got up my sleeve! he thought. Tobu likewise stood up, wiping blood from his protesting nose. Ow… he thought. “Come on! This is boring! We don’t have all day!” Kakashi’s voice echoed from the treeline. 

Both boys ignored the old man and began to circle around each other, daring the other to make the first move. Tobu, undisciplined as he was, once again initiated the melee. He started with another flat out charge and Konohamaru tried the same side-step again, but Tobu was ready for it. He held out a bent elbow that caught around Konohamaru’s neck. Tobu hooked around the Grandson’s body and held him in a standing headlock. Konohamaru struggled, not used to such a thought out attack from Tobu. He felt the blood swelling in his forehead and behind his eyes before shooting his elbow back, returning the rib shot from their first grapple. Tobu choked and stumbled back and Konohamaru spun around, his strong Sarutobi body quickly gaining back its strength. The Grandson advanced on Tobu and prepared to throw a strong left hook. Tobu dodged the left hook and retaliated by swinging his right fist across his body like a mace, catching nothing but air. Konohamaru capitalized with a quick jab of his palm into Tobu’s shoulder, knocking him off balance and followed up with a right hook directly to Tobu’s bleeding nose. He finished the stunned boy off with a forward kick to the stomach. Tobu tumbled backwards, head over heels, until he landed on his back, his head slamming into the deceptively dense dirt. He felt a piercing headache coming on.

Konohamaru cautiously approached Tobu’s prone figure, anticipating the boy’s second wind, which he knew all too well. When Tobu continued to lay still, Konohamaru finally allowed himself to savor a rare victory. Holy shit, I did it! I beat him!, he thought. The Grandson knelt in front of his foe and Kakashi was getting ready to call the fight, when Tobu’s head sprang up from the dirt, blood peppering his face. Grinding teeth and furious eyes betrayed his rage. Still laying on his back, he raised his right leg and sent two swift kicks into Konohamaru’s gut and a final high kick into Konohamaru’s chin. Konohamaru stumbled back, giving Tobu enough time to spring to his feet and charge at his opponent. He wrapped his arms around Konohamaru and pile drove him into the ground, knocking the Grandson out cold. That’s the difference, kiddo. Tobu looks like he’s been in far more real rights. He knows that laying on your back doesn’t mean the end of the fight, Kakashi thought from his spot on the treeline. 

With a strained groan betraying his age, Kakashi rose to his feet and approached Tobu and Konohamaru. Tobu was standing over Konohamru’s unconscious figure, arms tense at his side, still ready for a fight. Kakashi placed a hand on Tobu’s shoulder, 

“I think you got him, son.” Tobu jumped to the side, startled by the sudden touch. “Woah! Calm down, buddy. You’re ok. We’re just sparing.”, Kakashi reassured his student. Tobu stared daggers into Kakashi, who could only notice the surely broken nose which looked used to the abuse. Tobu and Kakashi held there, locked in intense eye contact. You’re ok…you’re ok… , Kakashi repeated in his head, hoping his gaze carried the same thoughts to Tobu’s trembling mind. After a moment that felt like a lifetime, Tobu seemed to understand and his breathing calmed, his gaze now turning to Konohamaru, still unconscious.

“Is, uh…”, Tobu began between breaths, “Is he ok?”, a small part of him wondering for a moment whether or not he’d be in trouble if, now that they’re teammates instead of classmates, he seriously hurt the Grandson. An even smaller part of him actually did hope he was ok. Kakashi said nothing but knelt at Konohamaru’s side and lightly patted the side of his face. After some more forceful pats that almost became a smack, Konohamaru woke with a start. 

“Hey, buddy! Looks like you didn’t do so well!”, Kakashi gleefully said. Konohamaru let out a deflated sigh in reply. “You ok?”, Kakashi asked.

“Yep.”, Konohamaru replied and rose to his feet, glaring at Tobu the whole time. “Why didn’t you stop the fight when I knocked him down the first time?!”, Konohamaru yelled, fury burning in his eyes and his fists balled. Kakashi, his tone unwavering, replied,

“Do you think your real enemies will just stop once you’ve put them on their back? You need to learn that the fight is over when the fight is actually over. That’s why you lost.” 

“But we’re just sparring!”, Konohamaru swiftly retorted.

“And one day you won’t just be sparring…” Kakashi said, his voice low but not softened in the slightest. A chill ran down everyone’s spine, even Hanabi’s as she watched from the treeline with her arms folded. He knows Tsunade is going to throw us to the wolves if we become strong enough, if he trains us well enough. Then why did he accept this job? , she wondered. The air remained still and tense for a long while before Kakashi’s eyes softened. “And until then, why don’t you step aside and take a seat? Let’s see how well your buddy Tobu does against the heir to the Hyuga throne!”, Kakashi said with a sunny tone and an even glowier smile. Konohamaru trudged off to the treeline with a confused but exhausted expression. Still processing what his Sensei just said, Tobu gave Kakashi a questioning glare which was returned with a beaming smile that silently screamed “nothing to see here!”

Konohamaru reached the treeline where Hanabi was still standing and plopped down on the ground next to her feet. 

Be careful. He fights dirty.” He warned.

“I’ve got something for him.” Hanabi said as she walked off towards the center of the clearing. Konohamaru’s sulking head shot up in surprise,

“You’re gonna do the-”

“Yep.” Hanabi cut him off and continued walking.

Hanabi made it to Kakashi and Tobu and stood opposite the latter, wasting no time getting ready for a spar. Kakashi looked to his left, at Hanabi. She gave an affirming nod as her hair blew in the idle breeze, contrasting her cold, steely eyes. Kakashi looked to his right, at Tobu. He wiped the blood from under his nose and leaned forward into a running stance, giving a matching nod. Kakashi raised his eyebrows and gave a “you sure?” expression, which Tobu returned with a mockingly exaggerated nod. Kakashi replied with a resigned shrug and raised his right hand above his head for the second time. 

“Begin!”, he shouted and waved his hand down. Hanabi shot into a traditional stance, her left shoulder pointing towards her target and her left arm out forward with her palm facing upwards. Her right arm stayed at her side with her fist balled. Tobu, once again, opened with a bold-faced charge, his left hand raised in a fist. Seriously?? , thought Kakashi, Konohamaru, and Hanabi. Hanabi didn’t let her amused shock affect her stance. Tobu grunted as he charged, letting his desire to win and win big drive his fight. His even-tempered opponent waited for him to get close enough when her left hand shot across her body and grabbed Tobu’s charging punch. She planted her right palm into his sternum, turned around, and flipped the poor boy over her shoulder, slamming him into the ground. As Tobu recoiled from the gargantuan impact, Hanabi stood over him and placed her knifed right hand right over his heart. Konohamaru’s eyes widened in joy and Kakashi’s did likewise, but in fear. 

“Hey, that might be-”, Kakaashi managed to get out before Hanabi sent a one-inch punch directly into Tobu’s heart with her entire body weight. Tobu felt as if a horse, no, a dozen horses ran head-on into his chest. He swore he felt a few ribs crack. “ a bit much”, Kakashi finished. He jogged over to the two as Hanabi stepped over the out-cold Tobu. “Did you have to do all that??”, he asked Hanabi, who replied with a careless shrug. Kakashi rolled his eyes and knelt over Tobu. 

Sweat immediately beaded over his brow. An immense amount of chakra filled the air around the boy. Kakashi felt like he was a thousand feet underwater with a twenty ton boulder on his chest. He quickly felt a pounding headache coming on and his lone exposed eye felt like it was about to pop out of its socket. What on Earth is this? , he thought to himself. He felt Tobu’s chest for a pulse and nearly gasped aloud at what he felt. His heart was beating so fast it felt like it was about to burst! But here he was, lying peacefully on the ground like nothing was happening. What the hell is this?? , Kakashi frantically wondered. He pulled the mask from over his Sharingan, letting it see the light for the first time in three years. It felt sore and raw and the headache that now fully enveloped his face wasn’t helping. He furiously searched over Tobu’s chakra network, trying to find something, anything that would tell him what was happening. What he saw shook him to his core.

With two fearful eyes, he turned to Hanabi and Konohamaru standing over him,

“We need to get this boy to a hospital. NOW!” 

Chapter Text

Chapter 4

Tobu sat in his hospital bed, listening to the bustle and chatter from outside his room. His hands kneaded the starchy white sheets covering his legs and the chemical odor permeating the air didn’t make the bleak, colorless room feel at all comforting. Rays of sunlight shone harsly through the borderline non-functional curtains. The right side of Tobu’s face felt as if it were cooking, but even so, he sat deathly still.

He felt as if he and his bed were in the middle of a dark field, surrounded by a heavy fog, obscuring from him the truth as to whatever the hell was going on. As the conversation outside grew more heated, he felt the threatening fog closing in, ready to suffocate him. He sat slumped in the bed, eyes down as he ran his fingers over the new vertical scar over his breastbone, still raw and red from the procedure. His head swam, wondering if the scar would ever fade. He wondered if this great fog would ever be lifted.

“I’m going in…No, it’s fine, I’ll speak to it alone.”, Tobu heard a firm feminine voice from the other side of the thick wooden door. Lady Tsunade Senju, I assume , he thought. He sat up in the bed and wiped the dejected look off his face, hoping a neutral expression would help get him some answers. 

The door opened and the Fifth Hokage herself strode in with a look on her face almost as tense as Tobu’s. She barely paid him a glance before she turned back towards the door and shut it, leaving the two of them isolated from the rest of the hospital. Before the door shut all the way, Tobu spotted two armed guards on either side of the door. His heart leapt into his mouth. He wondered who’s protection they were for. 

With the door shut, Tsunade turned around and finally faced Tobu. Her jaw was clenched and her eyes radiated with mixture of terror and fury. With her back planted on the door, she reached down with one hand and slammed the deadbolt shut, never releasing the hold her stare had on Tobu. The two sat like this for a while, locked in eye contact. Tobu began to crumble, he sweat as if he had run twenty miles and his breathing reflected so too. Meanwhile, Tsunade stood, frozen and steadfast. 

A few more moments were enough to break Tobu. He needed answers.

“What happened? What did you do to me? What did you find?!”, the words tumbled from him with little control before he forced himself to stop despite having about a thousand more questions. Tsunade finally released her sharp eye contact with Tobu only to gaze down at the angry scar over his chest,

“Yeah. We found something .”

3 days earlier

Kakashi kicked open the door to the Leaf Hospital, not checking to see if Konohamaru and Hanabi kept up with him. He carried Tobu in his arms up to the front desk of the hospital lobby. Burgundy paint peeled off the aging stone walls and the generic hospital paintings on the wall were as ineffective as ever at calming people’s nerves. Kakashi has been here too many times. 

“Fetch Lady Tsunade.”, he said, urgency and panic ruling his voice. The front desk attendant began to reply,

“Uh, I’ll have to see some identif-”

“ Now! ”, Kakashi cut him off. The attendant let out an exacerbated gasp and scampered out the still open front door. Kakashi set Tobu down on the bed of the first open room he could find. I need to see this again. What the hell is going on? , he thought to himself. He pulled his Leaf headband up from over his Sharingan eye and peered deep into Tobu’s unconscious body. The boy’s chakra network unfolded before Kakashi, not looking that much different from anyone else’s. It was only after careful examination that Kakashi confirmed what he saw on the training field. Instead of flowing continuously throughout his body, Tobu’s chakra was flowing directly out of his heart and in time with his still rapid heartbeat. His heart directly produces chakra?! How could no one have known about this? I’ve never heard of anyone ever having such an ability! And more, he’s even got- , Kakashi’s thoughts were interrupted as Lady Tsunade burst into the room.  

“You’ve had them for a couple of hours and one of them is already in the hospital? What’s going on? What’s the situation?!”, Tsunade rushed to Tobu’s side, pulling her sleeves up and surveying the boy’s body. Finding no clear wounds, she looked up questioningly at Kakashi. She was met with the most terrified gaze she had ever seen from the man. It struck her with the same abject terror.

“Kakashi…”, she began. She finally saw his eyes actually focus on her’s, “Whatever it is, I’m here. We can save him.”

“You have no idea what it is. Wait until you see him.” he replied, his voice shaking like an autumn tree. “Tsunade, he has two hearts…”

3 hours later

Kakashi sat, downtrodden, next to yet another hospital room door where he sat three years ago. He sat so still the very beat of his heart rocked him back and forth, as it did then. He couldn’t stop his mind from dredging up those unwanted memories. He wished he would forget all of it.

He wished he could forget how Naruto’s blood felt as it dried and hardened over his palms. It took days to wash off, just like Rin’s did. He wished he could forget the idle conversation of the people that had no idea his world was falling apart. This time, though, the room was deathly quiet. No, nothing would distract him from the future he absolutely knew was coming. He wished he could forget how the room spun and his knees gave out when he heard the worst news of his life. Naruto Uzumaki and Jiraiya the Gallant were dead. Saukra Haruno had gone missing and no search party could be dispatched in all the chaos. She was as good as gone too.

In that moment, and perhaps for the rest of his life, he felt like the smallest man in the world. He wished he could disappear from the world. This was the final straw for him. He wished he could give up on life and go away. He didn’t bother considering the consequences. He had been through enough, didn’t he deserve to give up?

The door to Tobu’s room opened, stirring Kakashi from his rampant memoires. He jumped out his chair, ready for another round of bad news. His consequence for giving life another try. Tsunade strode out, pulling her gloves and mask off, with a frustrated huff,

“He’s stabilized. It didn’t even take that long, I just wanted to make sure he was ok.” She tossed the gloves and mask into the nearby waste bin and met Kakashi’s concerned gaze with her eyes that clearly wanted to get to the bottom of this.

“Two hearts you said? You’re certain? That’s never occurred naturally, not as far as I’m aware of.” she asked. Kakashi’s shoulders finally eased in relief,

“Yes, my Sharingan eyes might not be able to see organs as well as your surgical equipment, but I saw two heart beats, in tandem. I know it. I saw the chakra flowing directly from his heart, not generating naturally like you or I.” he replied. Tsunade huffed again and placed her hands on her hips, her head rolling on her shoulders as she gauged their next move.

“I’m not sure if I can believe that. I trust you of course, but I don’t see how two hearts is even possible, much less both of them directly generating chakra on their own. How could no one have seen that in the three years he’s been with us. There had to have been a sign… We’ll do exploratory surgery. If you’re right and we find something, it’ll go a long way to explaining what the hell just happened.” She started down the hallway to begin prepping a surgery room. Kakashi’s brow furrowed,

“Shouldn’t we ask him if he’s okay with this?”. Tsunade turned halfway to face him,

“We would if we could. He’s not waking up.” Kakashi’s blood ran cold. Tsuande could feel his reaction even on the opposite end of the hallway, “Don’t worry. There’s nothing wrong. He’s stable, just not able to wake up for now. It could be a while, a couple days or maybe a week, but whatever happened to him clearly took its toll. He needs rest.” She turned and resumed her march down the hallway, “But right now, we need answers. His consent is going to have to wait. He can hate me if he wants. I might just be saving his life.” She turned out of the hallway, leaving Kakashi standing alone, with what felt like the weight of a mountain on his shoulders. 

Kakashi ran his fingers through his unkempt hair as he entered the hospital lobby, the attendant giving him a fearful, knowing side-eye. He found Konohamaru sitting alone, head down and his hands folded in his lap, eyes heavy after hours of waiting for any news. Kakahi’s hand ran down to the back of his neck and he peered around the waiting room for his third student.

“Where’s Hanabi?”, he asked with a soft, exhausted voice. He hadn’t been awake that long but the days’ events were weighing on him. 

Konohamaru jumped back to life and his head sprang up,

“Uh, she left a while ago. Guess she thought we were done for the day after what happened. I don’t know, she didn’t even say anything to me. Bitch…”, he finished quietly, fingers rubbing his scowling eyes. Kakashi’s hand plopped from his neck down to his side, giving Konohamaru a sly grin,

“Calm down kiddo. But yeah, she’s right, we may as well be done for the day.”, he turned towards the glass door of the hospital and placed one hand on the knob before turning to face Konohamaru again, “Go home. Stay there, or at least don’t come here or to the Academy, until I contact you. Same goes for Hanabi if you see her before I do.” Konohamaru’s neck craned to watch the copy ninja open the door and begin to leave,

“What happened? Is everything ok with Tobu?”, he asked. Kakashi took a step back and gave his student a serious look,

“I don’t know buddy. I don’t know.”, before he finally left the doorway and walked home, towards the setting sun. 

Present Day

Tobu’s eyes burned with hot tears and a blazing scowl,

“ Something?! You sliced me the fuck open and all you can say is you found something?! ”, he screamed. He heard the guards on the outside of the room try to wrench open the door, but Tsunade’s grip tightened over the doorknob. Her own expression grew even more fiery,

“That… ‘something’... is two hearts, enlarged veins and lungs, reinforced skin, muscle fibers, and bones, and so much more that I don’t even want to think about.” She explained each “something”, separating them with a pregnant pause, her voice shaking the whole time. Whether it was fear or absolute dumbfoundedness, even she couldn’t tell. “The reason you passed out was the sudden strain of your body suddenly having two hearts going at once and the fact they weren’t pumping in unison, thanks to Hanabi giving you an impromptu jumpstart. They’re working together just fine now though, so there shouldn't be any more arrests.”, she continued.

Tobu felt fear coursing through his veins like a terrible, acidic poison. Terrified tears spilled down the cheeks that were still wet with furious tears not moments ago. His hands gripped the bed sheets at his side with such force his nails threatened to draw blood on his palms. His shoulders shook from the oncoming sobs and from the shock.

“So what exactly am I?”, were all the words his crumbling mind could form. The words left his mouth almost unconsciously, his mind wildly grasping out for answers. Tsunade drew a deep breath in,

“You carry genetic markers that clearly show you were created artificially. You weren’t born of a mother, you were created in a damn test tube. I don’t know what exactly you are, but I’m not even sure I can call you human.” Tsunade’s words sink in, pushing themselves into Tobu’s brain like ice picks.

Genetic markers? Created artificially? Not even human? , the thoughts screamed in his head like a kettle threatening to boil over. He looked down at his hands and could almost physically see his perception of reality falling through them like grains of sand. Tsunade continued, her words sounding to Tobu like nothing but a muffled echo, “Furthermore, we tested the blood soaking the clothes you arrived in three years ago. We kept them in storage. It’s the blood of Orochimaru, our greatest enemy. You’ve heard of him?”

“Yeah, I have.”, was all Tobu could croak out.

“You damn well should have. He may as well be your father. He’s the only one with the skill set and knowledge to do this in the Sound Village, where he, and I suppose you, are from.” Tsunade finished. Orochimaru, my father? My father, the most dangerous terrorist who’s ever lived? , Tobu’s thoughts raced pigeons caught in a gale.

The word “father” echoed in Tobu’s mind relentlessly until it was all he could hear.

Father

Father

Father

Father

Father

“Hey. Look at me.” Tsunade’s words managed to pierce Tobu’s speeding mind. He shook with fear. Would they kick him out of the village given that he was a creation of their enemy. Would they kill him? Tobu feared for his life greatly as he met Tsunade’s eyes. Her eyes hunted for any sense of recognition in his. Any sign that he already knew this and has instead been concealing it for the past three years.

She found nothing.

She almost let out a sigh of relief, but she caught herself, “That’s all I got for you. I’m going to leave you alone now. Kakashi will be here soon to escort you out, but until then, you are to remain in this room. Do you understand?” Tobu nodded and his bottom lip began to quiver, relieved. Relieved that he was safe, for now, and that he had a direction, however unclear it was, to go in. “Good. Remember: You. Stay. Put.” she finished. She turned the doorknob, her hand never having left it throughout their conversation, opened it and wordlessly strode through. She closed it behind her and stood stoically still next to the two guards flanking her. “Go home you two.” she said.

“Ma’am?” one of them replied.

“He’s not a spy and he’s definitely not a danger to anyone. He’s just as fucking lost as the rest of us.” Tsuande said and began walking down the hall towards the stairs, ready to be done with the Leaf Hospital for the day. As she marched away, she heard the first wrenching sobs coming from Tobu’s room.

They didn’t stop for hours. 

The Next Morning

“Unbelievable”, Kakashi sighed as Tsunade finished explaining all of her findings from Tobu’s surgery. They leaned on either side of Tobu’s hospital room, Kakashi looking through the thin glass window of the door at the sleeping boy. “So, he’s the genetically altered ‘son’ of Orochimaru? Can we really even call him that? He was created in a lab and he doesn’t even have any memory of the Sound Village nor the rotten bastard who created him. Speaking of which, how can we even be sure he isn’t a Sound Village spy?”. Tsunade shook her head,

“He isn’t. If only you saw the look in his eyes, Kakashi.” She turned towards the door, looking through the same window as Kakashi, and brought her hand to her forehead as she still leaned on the wall with that elbow. “He was just as scared as he was…”, she said, yesterday's confrontation with Tobu still clearly disturbing her. Got it, change the subject , Kakashi thought.

“What I want to know is: how’d he wind up covered in Orochimaru’s blood? What was that untrained eight or nine year old boy capable of to wound him like that? What kind of power lies within him?” Tsunade sighed, more questions clearly not helping her,

“I don’t know. But it might explain where he's been all these years. Perhaps whatever Tobu did put him out of action for a while.” Kakashi saw she certainly needed a break, he shrugged,

“Alright, well, we’re obviously not getting any answers now so let’s stop with the questions.” He shoved off the wall and placed one hand on the doorknob. He stood directly in front of the door, almost in Tsunade’s face, blocking her off from the problem plaguing her most in the world. “It’s a great big village. I’m sure there are other, less stressful things you can deal with right now. Let me take care of this for now.”, he said, putting on his best “soft and supportive” voice. “Get some rest. I hear that ‘surgery’ stuff is kinda rough”, he finished with a sly grin. She stepped back and ,finally, let out a laugh, her first positive emotion in days.

“Yeah, I know.”, she said, rubbing the back of her head. She began trudging down the hallway, “Take care of him. Out of all of us, I’m sure he’s having the roughest time.”

“I’m sure he is. Poor kid.”, Kakashi mumbled to himself. He began to turn the doorknob. Do this right, will you? , he said to himself, hoping just that would propel him to victory. 

Tobu groggily opened his eyes and barely made out Kakashi Hatake standing over his bed.

“Gah! What the fuck?!”, he exclaimed, bolting upright and pinning his back against the headboard. Kakashi didn’t react, but simply replied with,

“Awake?”

“Seeing as how you’re skulking over my bed, no, I must be in a nightmare. A terrible, terrible nightmare.”, said Tobu, breathing still elevated from his startling visitor. 

“Awake enough to have a sense of humor, huh? Get dressed. Tsunade’s precise enough with her instruments that you should be ready to go on your own two feet.” 

“Oh, cool, I get cut open without my consent and all I get is one good night's rest before getting the boot.”, Tobu groaned. Kakshi got a bit more serious,

“Listen: I know you’re scared. You heard alot of crazy things yesterday and nothing will be the same after you step out of this room. But I promise you, life will go on. This doesn’t have to change absolutely everything about you. Hell, a whole lot less is going to change than you might think.” Tobu didn’t want to let Kakashi see how much his words truly eased his mind,

“Yeah, ok, can you wait outside while I change, old wise one?” Kakashi let out an unimpressed giggle under his breath,

“Take your time buddy.”

Tobu finished throwing on his clothes, not bothering to press out any wrinkles. He stood in front of the door as Kakashi’s words echoed in his mind. Nothing will be the same after you step out of this room… , over and over again, all he could think about. His hand gripped the doorknob and began to gently shake.

He didn’t want things to change. Sure, “things” weren’t great. No friends, no family, no past except the one coldly laid out for him, one he had no choice but to accept. To accept and let perhaps everything about his life be upended. What would replace his typical “get up, go to school, go home, repeat” routine? Would he be poked, prodded, and studied? Would he be given extra training and turned into a weapon for the village? Would the village even let him stay? Either way, he wasn’t going to have a choice in the matter. That’s right , he thought. He had no choice but to walk out of this room, thereby accepting the events of the past two days. He was held hostage by a room that had no interest in holding him there. The shaking got more violent.

Two hard knocks on the door got his attention, breaking him out of his stupor.

“Hey, buddy. You ok in there?” Kakashi’s muffled voice came from the other side of the door. Tobu let out a defeated sigh, 

“Yeah, um, I’m ok. Just gimme a minute.” He knew he needed alot more than a minute. Hell, he didn’t know if he could ever see himself opening the door and confronting what’s on the other side. He heard Kakashi shift his weight on the other side,

“I know it’s scary kiddo. Everything will change…” Tears very suddenly began to well up in Tobu’s eyes, surprising even him. He couldn’t remember the last time he cried. He couldn’t remember if he had ever cried. Kakashi tried to continue, “And-”, before Tobu quietly interrupted him with a soft quiver,

“I don’t know if I want that to happen.” His voice was barely audible through the thick wooden door, but Kakashi heard the boy’s pain as clear as if he were looking him in the eye. He sighed,

“No one wants that to happen, Tobu. It just does. It’s a part of life. It doesn’t have to be all bad but it does have to happen.”

“Why? What did I do?”

“Nothing, buddy. Life just shakes us up sometimes. It’s out of our control.” Kakashi thought back to all the things life ever did to him. Some of it was his fault. Some of it wasn’t. He had trouble separating it. He heard Tobu sniffle,

“What we can control is how we react. It’ll be easy to hole yourself up and ignore what happened.”, Kakashi continued. He thought of his own situation, I can’t try and convince this kid to pick himself up while I can’t do it myself. I need to do better too, he thought “It’s easy. I know it is. But we can’t. We need to get up. We need to accept what happened. And we need to embrace what’s coming, good or bad. We need to control what’s there for us to control. You can do this, Tobu.” Kakashi finished. We can do this, he thought to himself. 

Tobu’s shaking stopped. His breathing calmed. His tears dried. Control, he thought, I can control this. I can take this, one day at a time.

He took a deep breath in.

He held on tight to the door.

And he opened it with his own two hands.

Chapter Text

As Tobu pulled the door open, Kakashi crashed through the doorway and fell onto his back next to his student.

“I was leaning on the door.”, Kakashi said, flatly. Tobu, tears dried in the levity of the moment, replied,

“Yeah, I can tell.”, with a smiling but equally flat tone. Kakashi extended an arm up for Tobu, silently asking for help. Tobu regarded his teacher for a moment then assisted him to his feet and he grabbed his freshly packed backpack, slinging it over his shoulder.

“Wow, you don’t weigh much of anything, do you?”, Tobu commented. Kakashi feigned a grieving sigh,

“First, you make fun of me for falling over. Now, you comment on my declining physique? You should be kinder to elderly people such as myself.” Tobu laughed, amused by Kakashi’s wistful tone,

“You’re barely thirty, aren’t you?”. The Copy Ninja let out an exaggerated, offended gasp and brought the back of his hand to his forehead as if he were about to pass out from the sheer audacity of his pupil’s words.

“Don’t you know never to comment on a Jonin’s age?!”, he cried. Long, luscious eyelashes seemed to sprout from his over-exaggerated teary eyes. Tobu just stared dully at his extremely odd teacher, before replying with a flat,

“Can I leave now?”. Kakashi, thoroughly bummed that his act didn’t faze the young boy, dropped it immediately. He dried the alligator tears from his eyes and brought his hands to his hips,

“Yeah, let’s go! I’ll walk you home.”

“No, that’s fine. I’m well aware of where I live.” Tobu refused and walked past Kakashi, into the hallway, and down the stairs to the hospital lobby. Kakashi followed closely behind,

“C’mon, I know everything about Konohamaru and Hanabi. It’s you I know almost nothing about.”

“Yeah, and what you do know is that I’m a freak.”, Tobu said under his breath. He glanced back to see if Kakashi heard him or not. He either did and chose to ignore it or he actually didn’t. “Huh, speaking of which, what happened to those two after I croaked?”, he finally asked. 

“Hmm, Konohamaru waited around for a while. And Hanabi practically went straight home.”, Kakashi answered. 

“Kinda shitty she just went home, right? Seeing as how it’s her fault I’m even in this mess.”, Tobu laughed incredulously.

“Don’t blame her. She had no way of knowing this would happen… and she’s going through her own stuff right.”, Kakashi assured his student. The pair entered the hospital lobby and approached the entrance. Tobu laughed sarcastically,

“Yeah, I bet.” He put his hand on the door and looked back at his pursuing teacher, “Look, do you really need to follow me home?”. Kakashi looked down at this pupil and swore he was the spitting image of himself almost eighteen years ago. That same look in his eye Minato always told him about. The look of someone pleading to be left alone but silently begging for help. He may look like Obito, but he’s got alot more in common with me… I can’t fuck this up, Kakashi thought to himself. Kakashi defiantly placed his hands on his hips,

“Yes, I do. It’s a sensei’s duty to know everything he can about his beloved students”, he said with a smug smile. Tobu huffed,

“Fine. At least you’ll know which room to clean out in case this bullshit happens again”, he said, motioning towards the hospital and hoisting his backpack up. Kakashi felt a sickening pang in his gut at such a morbid statement. 

Tobu walked his normal route home, except now he had Kakashi in tow. He looked around at the dilapidated streets of the Leaf Village. Buildings sat empty and decaying. The street was littered with trash and debris, both man-made and otherwise. The pair was practically the only people in the street and any stray stranger they saw gave them a cautious berth.

“Hey teach…”, Tobu blurted out. Kakashi’s brow furrowed in befuddlement,

“Wha-what’d you call me??”. Tobu ignored his question,

“I always hear people say this dump used to be a much better place. What did it used to be like? And why’s it like that nowadays?” Kakashi sighed. I suppose I was gonna have to tell this story sooner or later. He isn’t from here after all, Kakashi thought to himself. He drew in a big breath to tell the story in full,

“This used to be a great village. Tons of people lived here and we all did our part to take care of the place. 

Three years ago, there was another team of genin, much like you guys. Naruto Uzumaki was the bonehead and he was good friends with our very own bonehead, Konohamaru. Sasuke Uchiha was the brooding loner of the bunch. He went through alot of stuff as a kid and swore he’d get revenge on the guy he thought was responsible. And Sakura Haruno was the level headed one, at least on the outside she was. Getting her riled up was never good for your health. 

Naruto even had his own teacher on the side, Jiraiya the Gallant, one of the three Legendary Sannin, like Lady Tsunade and… your father, Orochimaru himself. He taught him a bunch of stuff his worthless teacher didn’t have time to show him. Those three and their teacher did almost everything together. Training, missions, more training, more missions. Naruto and Sasuke fought alot, but Sasuke was alot more serious about what he wanted out of shinobi training. He wanted to get stronger by any means necessary. 

That’s when Orochimaru came knocking. Told Sasuke he could give him power even beyond his wildest dreams, all he had to do was let Orochimaru have his body, and his Sharingan eyes, which is what he really wanted. And Sasuke actually considered it. Because his stupid teacher wasn’t there for him enough. Sure, he tried. Talked him down a few times but it was never enough. 

Sasuke left. And before anyone could realize, Orochimaru had taken over his body, and the Sharingan eyes he wanted so badly. 

When Naruto and Jiraiya found out, they went after the damn monster. Their teacher could’ve gone too, but he was feeling far too sorry for himself. The idiot just lay in his room wallowing in his failure. Still, with all his power and knowledge, and now two brand new Sharingan eyes, Orochimaru was unstoppable. 

He killed Naruto and Jiraiya, just like that. By the time the dust settled, Sakura was gone too. She just disappeared before our eyes. No one knows what happened to her.

When the rest of the village found out Tsuande lost her Sannin partner and three of the most hopeful shinobi prospects thanks to her and her Jonin’s negligence, they lost a great deal of confidence in the Leaf Village. One by one, they left along with much of the civilian population. Until only the Hyuuga remained. They helped found this village so I guess they’re sticking it out to the end. You arrived at our gate only a few days after all that went down.

So that’s how the Leaf Village became the sorry that it’s in now, buddy.”, Kakashi finished. Tobu laughed,

“Yeesh! So all of this is thanks to Tsunade and that sorry teacher of theirs. What idiot was captaining that band of morons?! I bet he left or he was executed on the spot when they saw how much he screwed up! Otherwise he’d probably never show his face in public ever again!” Tobu’s words mercilessly stabbed Kakashi. He was right, this was all Kakashi’s fault. Even an outsider like Tobu could see that. And from an unbiased view, Kakashi knew he deserved to die for how much he screwed up. He stopped in his tracks,

“Me, Tobu. It was me. I was their teacher.” Even after years and reciting the story dozens of times, it still always found a way to spring fresh tears into Kakashi’s eyes. 

It was Tobu’s turn to stop dead in his tracks in profound shock. He turned around slowly, hands white-knuckling the straps of his backpack, fully expecting to be greeted with rage from his teacher. Instead, he saw Kakashi on the edge of shameful tears.

“I’m-I’m real sorry, sir. I… I didn’t know.”, Tobu gasped out. Kakashi’s eyes stay casted down, trying to avoid revealing the depths of his grief.

“I didn’t expect you to. You aren’t from around here.”, Kakashi replied, voice quivering. 

“So…so you’ve been hiding away all these years since I got here. And now Tsunade’s got you training us?”

“Yes, but I promise, I promise you with everything I have left, I won’t make the same mistakes again. I’m trying my best, I just need you guys to give me a chance.”, Kakashi bowed his head down further. Tobu’s hands fell to his side and he balled his fists. His fearful eyes hardened into a scowl,

“Fine. But you have one more thing to apologize for!”, he replied firmly. Kakashi’s eyes shot up to meet Tobu’s, “He is not my father. I don’t even remember ever meeting the rat bastard. And one day, I’m gonna kill the motherfucker for everything he’s done to you, to me, and to everyone. I know that Sasuke guy went nuts over his revenge, but that’s not gonna happen to me. You’ve learned from your mistakes and you won’t send me down the wrong path. I won’t let you. And I won’t let you fuck this up.” Kakashi looked into Tobu’s eyes and saw resolve he hadn’t seen in three years. He knew now, he couldn’t fail his students. They wouldn’t let him.

Kakashi admired Tobu’s determined gaze for a moment before the boy said, “We’re here.” It took the Copy Ninja a moment to process before he replied,

“W-What?”

“We’re here.”, Tobu repeated, “My apartment?” Kakashi hadn’t realized, but during their conversation, the pair had actually been making their way into what used to be the wealthier side of the Leaf Village. With most of the rich families having left long ago, this side of town was mostly abandoned, but their extravagant homes still remained. Kakashi could never afford to be on this side of town much, but seeing all the empty houses was as haunting as it was his own childhood neighborhood.

“Um, which one is yours exactly?”, Kakashi asked, not even entertaining the idea that Tobu lived in such extravagant circumstances. Tobu’s brow furrowed and the thumbed the nearest building with his left hand and replied,

“This one?”, in a most sarcastic tone. Kakashi looked to where Tobu was pointing.

His shoulders dropped in bewilderment and his eyes grew even larger than dinner plates. Tobu was pointing out a particularly gorgeous multi-story facade that didn’t seem to have any signs of disrepair. I’m stuck in a studio and they threw the new kid in a mansion all by himself?!, Kakashi screamed internally. Tobu read his teacher expression like a book,

“Yeah, I know. From what I understand the day I showed up, some rich couple had just gotten done moving out so they threw me in here.” Kakashi’s puzzled expression remained.

“Alone?”, he asked.

“Well, they had caretakers show up every now and again to make sure I wasn’t eating the paint off the wall or swallowing my own tongue, but they stopped showing up at some point.”, Tobu replied. 

“How old were you when they stopped showing up?”, Kakashi asked. Tobu shrugged,

“I don’t know. I seem to have forgotten my passport and all my memories on my nightstand or somethin’ back in the Sound Village. I don’t know when my birthday is or how old I am. Only that I’m roughly Konohamaru’s age. We're twelve and a half now, so my caretakers stopped showing up when I was maybe ten?” Geez Tsunade. Letting a young kid live alone like that? Seems you picked up a thing or two from the Third, Kakashi thought. “Oh, just wait until you see what I’ve done with the place!”, Tobu exclaimed as he jumped up the porch steps to the front door. Having been one himself, Kakashi wondered what a parent-less, friendless kid living on his own could’ve possibly accomplished in the realm of interior decorating, not picking up on Tobu’s sarcasm. Tobu opened the door and pranced inside, not bothering to shut it behind him. Seems heart surgery didn’t slow him down at all , Kakashi thought. 

As he climbed the porch steps, he saw the exterior of the house wasn’t as well-preserved as he thought. The railing bordering the porch was peeling and cracked, revealing water-logged wood hiding under the paint. Flecks of gentle green moss dotted the facade. The wooden slats of the exterior were warping off the walls, leaving fist-sized gaps in some places. Kakashi knew as well as anyone, twelve year old boys living alone weren’t very good at keeping a tidy home. 

“The fuck’re you doin’ out there? Come on in!”, Tobu hollered from inside the home. Kakashi sighed, expecting the interior to not look much better than the exterior.

He was disappointingly right.

Tobu hadn’t bothered to turn on the lights or open any windows, but in the stuffy darkness, Kakashi could still make out the typical mess a child leaves behind. Dirty clothes and empty food containers littered the floor. The kitchen was a mess of paper plates, empty cups, and the stove looked like it hadn’t been scrubbed in a lifetime. He didn’t dare open the fridge.

 It wasn’t clear exactly where Tobu had run off to, so Kakashi helped himself to a tour of the house. He immediately found Tobu’s bedroom off the main living room and kitchen. He could hear the boy through the door, making about as much noise as he possibly could.

“Be out in second!”, Tobu yelled as he fumbled with what Kakashi could only assume was a mountain of debris. He gave an exhausted,

“Uh-huh.”, in reply and continued exploring the house. There were numerous other rooms branching off from the three he already identified, but they were all entirely empty. And immaculately clean! , Kakashi noticed. The entire house was nearly devoid of furniture, save for a couch in the living room and surely a bed, but these extra rooms were completely spotless. The bare wooden floors had not a spec on them and covers still hung over the windows in some rooms. It seemed Tobu didn’t even bother venturing into these parts of his own home. 

The lack of furniture didn’t bother Kakashi. And, somehow, the disrepair and untidiness didn’t bother him either. However, something was bothering him. No toys? No books? No magazines?, Kakashi looked up and down the house, but he didn’t find anything a normal kid would do for fun. He made his way back to the living room, several questions in tow.

He found Tobu sitting on the couch, barefoot and in a fresh change of clothes. He was kicking his feet while eating out of a cup of yogurt. He seemed to be in a much better mood with a visitor over. 

“Hey! ‘What’s mine is yours’ and all that!”, Tobu beamed. Kakshi frowned,

So, do you have any books or action figures? Anything like that?”. Tobu pulled the spoonful of yogurt out of his mouth,

“Okay, I didn’t really mean it like that. Even if I did have any, they wouldn't actually yours.”

“So you don’t have any? What do you do for fun? What do you do in your freetime?” Tobu shrugged,

“I don’t know. I just kinda hang out. Wait for stuff to happen.” Kakashi huffed in disbelief and eyed Tobu’s yogurt,

“Where’d you even get that?”. It was Tobu’s turn to frown,

“I didn’t steal it if that’s what you’re wondering!”. He gave a smug smile, “I bought it with the monthly allowance I get straight from the Hokage!”. Now he dropped his grin in favor of an unamused glare, “Weird how they give me an allowance but still make me pay rent. They could just take the rent out, then give me my allowance. But no, that would make life far too easy.” Kakashi watched Tobu complain about rent with an amused, sympathetic grin. We’re in pretty similar boats, kid. He really is in a better mood. I’m glad I insisted on coming over , he thought. Tobu huffed, “Oh geez, I don’t get paid for another day or two and this was my last snack!” Kakashi giggled, remembering his own “day-before-payday” ordeals,

“We’ll find you something, buddy. And we’ll find you something to do that beats layin’ around all day.”

“Eh, I’m fine. I had some books once but they disappeared. I think someone broke in and stole them." Tobu replied.

“And that didn’t bother you?”, Kakashi asked. Tobu shrugged,

“Not really. I never found out who it was and I didn’t really like any of the books. No reason crying over it.” Huh, maybe he’s not as hot headed as I thought. , Kakashi thought. He squatted in front of the couch, getting eye-level to Tobu.

“If you’re so cool about everything, why do you get in so many fights?”, he asked. Tobu’s eyes snapped to Kakashi. Tobu didn’t answer for a while, hoping Kakashi would continue the question so he could find a way to cleverly deflect. When he didn’t, the boy let out a hard sigh,

“I-I don’t know man. He just pisses me off. Everything is ‘Naruto’ this, ‘Grandad’ that. He’s always whining about something. It pisses me off!”. Kakashi took a deep breath and look introspectively around the room, pretending to be deep in thought and hoping it would rub off on Tobu.

“Did it ever occur to you that maybe he has some good reasons to whine? Orochimauru killed the Third Hokage, his Grandad, and Naruto.” Tobu’s face flushed a deep red. Both in embarrassment at being in the wrong and in rage. Rage at the unfairness of it all.

“Yeah, well I’ve never even had anyone in life anyone could kill. And you don’t see me crying about it, do you?” 

“You’re right. Instead, you just hang out in this dump and sulk, all alone. Don’t you?”, Kakashi retorted. What’s that saying about the glass house? , Kakashi thought, praying Tobu wouldn’t call his bluff. The boy only had one response,

“It's not a dump…”

Nonetheless, the boy was so overcome with rage and shame that all he could think to do was flop his head on the back of the couch’s headrest, his glare burning holes into the ceiling. 

“Whatever…” the boy mumbled. Kakashi looked around the room again, this time actually in deep thought. This kid’s more like me than I thought. I can’t just try and pick him apart for the same issues I have. I can’t help him with his attitude until I help myself. But I can… I can show him something, Kakashi thought. 

“Hey, buddy.” Kakashi said, softly.

“What?”, Tobu replied, almost inaudibly, already not interested in what Kakashi had to say.

“How about I show you something? Something about chakra?” Tobu’s head shot up the headrest, eyes about as wide as they could be.

“About chakra ?” he asked, dumbfounded. Kakashi grinned,

“Yeah! You’ve had access to chakra for a full day now and we still don’t know your chakra nature. What’re we waiting for?!”.

Chapter Text

“Hurry up then! We don’t have all day.”, said Kakashi, walking out of Tobu’s front door, hands in his pockets. Tobu practically threw himself out the door and down the patio steps, tripping over himself and throwing his shoes on, trying to catch up to his teacher.

“Where are we going?”, Tobu asked, excited and out of breath.

“Back to the training ground.”, Kakashi replied. All the enthusiasm drained from Tobu,

“Oh, cool. Let’s immediately go back to the place I died .” Kakashi laughed,

  “You didn’t die, buddy. Quite the opposite, in fact. Your dual hearts were beating one after the other, not at the same time like they are now. It was overwhelming your chakra network and that's what knocked you out. We think that Hanabi’s one-inch punch started an uncontrolled jumpstart of your second heart.” Tobu frowned,

“Still want to get an apology out of that girl.” Kakashi replied with a sly grin,

“Yeah, good luck getting it out of that one.” Tobu thought for a moment,

“Hey, so is that why Tsunade had to do surgery on me? To make my hearts beat at the same time?”

“No, actually that part was done without surgery. Some simple medicines and medical ninjutsu was enough to get your hearts beating in tandem. The surgery was strictly exploratory. She needed to open you up and see what was going on inside you.” Kakashi looked down at Tobu’s continual frown. Didn’t quite understand it from Tsunade, huh? Well, I guess that is what I’m here for , he thought. “I know you’re mad she did the surgery without asking. But we didn’t know what on Earth was going on. For all we knew, something inside you was still killing you. She saved your life once, doing the surgery could’ve very well saved your life again . And it probably will in the future. Maybe cut her some slack.” Tobu’s frown softened and his shoulders lost their tension. Kakashi allowed himself a little pride in calming his students' worries. 

As the pair made their way towards the village gates, the very gates a bloodsoaked Tobu stood at three years ago, he began to realize the sorry state of the place. Thanks to Kakashi’s story yesterday, the signs of dilapidation were revealed before his very eyes, despite being in plain sight the whole time. 

Before they walked through the gates leading to the training grounds, Tobu turned and looked back at the village before him. Closest thing I have to a home and it’s in the sorriest state it’s ever been in. What can I do to help? Do I even want to help? Should I even care? , he thought to himself.

“What’s the matter?”, Kakashi asked. Tobu stood and thought for a moment longer,

“...nothing. I’m comin’”.

The training ground was just as peaceful as the last time Tobu had seen it, face up, on his back and preparing for a crushing blow to the chest. He shivered at the memory.

He surely wasn’t shivering from the weather. It was another muggy summer evening. The sun was beginning to set, but there was no trademark orange glow of a sunset. Instead, clouds were beginning to gather in the sky. It better not start raining while we’re out here , Kakashi thought. A cool breeze blew waves over the ankle high grass. At least it feels kinda nice out here, he continued. 

“So why’re we all the way out here to do this?”, Tobu asked. Kakashi placed his hands on his hips,

“Well, to be honest, I’m not exactly sure how this will go. You are quite different after all.” That’s comforting , Tobu thought. “Plus, it’s easier to do this away from prying eyes.” 

“How do we do this?”, Tobu asked. He imagined convoluted ceremonies in his head, grand spectacles and near-impossible trials all to divine the innate chakra affinity of a single shinobi. He was very nervous for what he imagined to be a very tough road ahead.  Kakashi smiled,

“That’s easy!” He pulled out a deck of plain beige paper cards, “ These are Litmus Papers! We shinobi use them to easily ascertain someone's chakra affinity. You are aware of chakra affinity, right?”

Tobu’s clueless eyes widened,

“Uh, yeah, sure. Refresh me anyway.” Kakashi gave a knowing grin,

Right. Well, every shinobi is naturally attuned to one form of nature transformation. It’s a specific nature that a shinobi is just naturally talented at using, simple as that. These papers reveal which nature that is.” That’s it? , Tobu thought, dumbfounded at the simplicity. “Observe…” Kakashi took one of the papers between his pointer and middle finger, holding it out with his arm extended. He allowed a few drops of chakra to flow into the paper and it crumbled before their very eyes.

“Woah! What’s that mean?”, Tobu asked. Kakashi put the crumbled paper into his pocket,

“It means I’m attuned to lightning. You saw my trademark Lightning Blade the day we met, remember?” Tobu’s eyes narrowed,

“Yeah, more like I felt it. Jerk.”, he grumbled. Kakashi bashfully rubbed the back of his neck,

“Sorry about that, kiddo! You’ll have to forgive me.” 

“Whatever.”, Tobu replied smugly, “So, what else can happen to the paper?” Kakashi pulled out a fresh card and handed it to Tobu, who held it between his fingers just like his teacher did. 

“For fire, it’ll burn, naturally. For wind, it’ll tear in half. For water, it’ll get wet, of all things. And for earth, it’ll turn to… well, earth. Simple enough.” Tobu held the paper in his fingers for a moment before turning it over in his hand,

“Well, how do I get it to do any of those things?” Right, he’s never actually used his chakra before. , Kakashi thought. 

You need to let some of your chakra flow into the paper.” Tobu’s face grew even more puzzled. “Don’t worry about how to do it. Just let it flow. Imagine your very life force flowing into the paper. Visualize it. Focus.”, Kakashi continued. 

Tobu’s brow furrowed and he focused on the paper with all his might. His head began to pound and his hand began to shake. Kakashi was afraid he might burst a blood vessel. He was about to tell the boy to stop when suddenly he cried out,

“Kakashi! Look!”. Kakashi turned his eyes to the paper to see it’s edges slowly folding in on themselves. 

“Huh? Lightning? Just like me!” Kakashi said in disbelief. Tobu cheered and hoisted the paper as high as he could. Kakashi caught it as it fluttered in the wind. 

“Cool! So what now? Can I use lightning ninjutsu?”, Tobu asked, heart still pounding with joy.

“Well yes, but it’ll take some time. You’ll need practice but I’m sure you’ll be as good as me one day.” Tobu frowned,

“What? Can’t you just hand me off a jutsu? I saw them do it at the Academy all the time.”

“Really? They were handing off ninjutsu to you guys? Untrained students?”

“Yeah, but none of the teachers ever handed one off to me. No one bothered training me.” Tobu replied, his tone getting more and more dejected. The Academy’s standards have surely dropped. So desperate to find their next greatest hero, Kakashi thought. He sighed,

“I suppose we can try handing a lightning ninjutsu off to you.” Kakashi had to admit, he was a little curious to see what would happen when someone with Tobu’s mutation got a hold of ninjutsu. 

“Wait! Why don’t we also try doing one for a nature that isn’t my affinity? I wanna see what happens!”, Tobu blurted out. Kakashi cocked his head,

“Generally, it’s hard, but not impossible, for a shinobi to use a nature transformation they aren’t attuned for. Ok, we’ll try it. But let’s not let our curiosity get the better of us. I’ll be keeping a close eye on you.” Tobu hollered and jumped for joy. “Ok, ok calm down!”, Kakashi continued, “Stand next to me. Now make a ring in your right hand with your index finger and your thumb.” Tobu gave it a shot but he didn’t like how it felt. 

“Is it ok if I do it with my other hand? I’m not super comfortable with my right hand.”, Tobu asked. Kakashi cocked his brow,

“Left-handed? Sure, do it with your left hand. I’m going to do a simple fire release. Then, I’m going to bring my hand in front of yours with the fire and I want you to grab hold of it with your chakra. Try and imagine that same life force from before reaching out and grabbing the fire.” Tobu squared his feet and held his fingers in a ring like Kakashi showed him. Kakashi did the same and took a deep breath. He placed the ring over his mouth and leaned his head back,closing his eyes. He stood motionless for a moment before snapping his eyes open and releasing all the breath in his lungs in one swift blow. 

A geyser of flame spewed from the ring Kakashi made with his fingers. He regarded the geyser for a moment before leaning over his right arm to place the geyser in front of Tobu’s left hand. He held it in front of Tobu’s left hand for a moment before shouting over the rushing flame,

“You got it?”. Tobu was so shocked he could only nod in response but barely managed to reply,

“Yeah, I think so!” Kakashi nodded and slowly pulled his hand back to his side. 

However, as soon as Tobu was in full command of the cone of fire before him, it vanished as soon as it appeared. 

“Huh? W-what happened?”, the boy asked, dumbfounded. Kakashi sighed. He couldn’t help but be disappointed in the result,

“You aren’t attuned to fire transformations. What did you think would happen?” Tobu stood silently, sadness conquering his face. Kakashi couldn’t help but feel gutted for his student. He gave the boy a reassuring slap on the back,

“Come on. Stand up straight. Let’s try something you’re actually attuned for.” Hope returned to Tobu’s face. He looked up at his teacher with anticipation. “How about I let you hold on to a Lightning Blade for a second or two?” Tobu practically jumped into orbit with joy,

“Holy crap! Yes! Yes, yes yes! Let’s do it!”

“Hold on now! I need you to be really careful. This is an S-Rank jutsu and it could do some real damage if we’re too reckless.” This is extremely dangerous. But I’ve got to admit: I’m extremely curious , Kakashi thought. 

“I’m gonna go from not being able to use chakra one day to holding on to an S-Rank jutsu the next!”, Tobu cheered to himself.

“Well, it’s actually been three days.” And what was he doing in the Academy if he couldn’t use any chakra? , Kakashi thought. He couldn’t believe he hadn’t questioned that earlier. Tobu was impressed with his smart-ass teacher.

“Can we get on with this?”, he asked flatly. 

“Right! Hold your hand out, your left hand in your case, with your palm facing up and your fingers bent out. Imagine you’re holding an invisible ball. Now hold on to your wrist with your other hand, the Lightning Blade is heavier than you might think.” Tobu held his hand out like Kakashi instructed. He was so excited, he could practically see the Lightning Blade sparking in his hand already. He imagined how the arcs of lightning would tickle his hand. He imagined how powerful the weight of it would feel in his hand. 

Kakashi performed the hand signs of his trademark Lightning Blade. Tobu wondered how on Earth anyone was supposed to memorize that many hand signs for just one ninjutsu. Much less the armory of jutsu a good shinobi was supposed to remember on command.  

Kakashi’s hand sat motionless for a moment. Tobu eyed it wearily, constantly bracing. For what? He wasn’t sure. He had never even really seen jutsu up close, much less an S-Rank jutsu created by the legendary Copy Ninja. Tobu’s mind ran rampant with ideas. What would it look like? What would it sound like? Would it be loud? Would it be hot?

A silent flash of light interrupted his thoughts. It was the brightest flash Tobu had ever seen. 

In the next moment, an ear-piercing screech and a small shockwave knocked Tobu onto his backside. The boy looked up at his teacher in trepidation. Kakashi Hatake was holding a real-like Lightning Blade in his right hand like it was nothing. The jutsu that cut a lightning bolt in half! And it’s right in front of me!, Tobu thought, still not knowing whether to be terrified or excited.

Kakashi got down on one knee in front of Tobu, who sat forward on his knees.

“Remember, it’s heavier than it looks. If you don’t think you can handle it, just let go and it will dissolve, I promise. Give it a try!”, his teacher reassured him. Tobu held out his shaking left hand and held it under his teacher’s right. Kakashi eyed his student for a moment before slowly moving his hand away from the Lightning Blade, holding it in place so Tobu’s chakra could grab a hold of it. 

The lightning chakra immediately responded to Tobu’s affinity, very differently than the fire chakra. Tobu shouted in fear as the Lightning Blade took hold. He felt the sensation of a tight claw gripping his hand as the full weight of the blade settled on his hand. Tobu’s fear quickly calmed, the weight going some way to comfort the boy. The weight was less like that of a heavy boulder and more like that of a sturdy hammer in the hand. The weight was a comfort, not a burden. Despite not being its creator, the Lightning Blade felt right in Tobu’s hand. 

Tingly arcs of lightning shot out from the bright, plasmic core of the blade, kissing Tobu’s fingers. He balled his fist and the blade morphed around his knuckles, forming into a pike. He stretched his hand back open and the blade took its original shape again. Tobu never felt more attuned to anything in his life. The Lightning Blade fit in his palm just right, like a glove he never even knew existed but was always there.

Holding his left wrist with his right hand, Tobu managed to stand on his wobbly feet. Kakashi rose with him, ready to catch the boy if the weight was too much. Tobu settled on his feet and looked at his teacher for confirmation. 

“You got it! Nice going Tobu!”, Kakashi praised his student. Tobu balled his fist in joy and let the warmth of his success flow through his body. In response, the Lightning Blade surged even brighter and larger in his balled fist. Interesting. Not only can he already hold onto an S-Rank jutsu, but he can amplify the thing with his own chakra?, Kakashi wondered.

Tobu loved this feeling. The sensation of power flowing through him, like a rushing river after a heavy rainfall. He took things a step further. He raised his arm up above his head, bending his elbow and pumping his fist in the air. The Lightning Blade surged to an even greater size. Even Kakashi took a cautious step back. The wind began to pick up around the pair and chakra began to visibly swirl around Tobu’s fist. 

“Alright buddy! Let’s slow down!”, Kakashi urged nervously. Tobu ignored his teacher, balling his fist even tighter. He never wanted to let go of this feeling. The sensation of the chakra flowing in his veins felt like finally taking a breath out of a brand new set of lungs. He felt in control, like he had finally woken from a long dream and he could see what was really going on. 

Kakashi looked up into the sky above the rampant Lightning Blade. Dark clouds began to swirl into a cone above the boy. How?! No genin should be able to affect the weather with their chakra! That’s Kage-level stuff. This needs to stop., Kakashi thought. 

“Tobu! You need to let go! Let go or-”, Kakashi was interrupted by the hair on his arms and neck standing on end. He heard an unearthly rumble above his head. Tobu’s Lighting Blade continued to surge into blinding brightness and strength. Kakashi looked up at the growing cone of clouds and then down at the hair on his arms. Static electricity is gathering above the Lightning Blade? If he keeps pumping it full of chakra… , Kakashi’s mind ran rampant, only the worst possibilities filling his head. 

In the blink of an eye, Kakashi saw a flash of light from the tip of the conical cloud. 

“Tobu! Get down!”, Kakashi screamed. He ran into his student and tackled him to the ground. The Lightning Blade lingered in the air for a moment before a bolt of lightning came down from the sky and crashed into it, detonating the S-Rank jutsu, producing a sphere of superheated plasma where the teacher-student pair was standing not a moment ago. 

Kakashi shielded his student with his body. 

“You ok?”, the Copy Ninja asked, breathing heavily.

“Yeah, I’m ok.”, Tobu replied, words and body shaking. The pair stood up and looked at the ten-foot wide crater that had appeared from the detonation. “Wha-what happened?”, Tobu asked, still shaking. Kakashi balled his fist in anger,

“What happened was you got reckless, like I warned you not to do. We are not doing that again until you learn to control yourself and we are not training again until you can learn to follow instructions, period. Am I clear?”. Kakashi looked down at his student. Tobu, wracked with fear, couldn’t even reply. He stood staring at the crater, envisioning what would’ve happened had Kakashi not pushed him out of the way. The potential consequences of his recklessness was heavy. Not the comforting heavy of lightning chakra. This was heavy like a crushing boulder.

Kakashi sighed and looked off into the distance. I don’t need to berate him. He’s clearly shaken up enough to learn his lesson and the responsibility is on me. This never should’ve gone this far., Kakashi thought. He sighed again and shut his aching eyes for a moment. 

Tobu broke the silence.

“Uh, hey. Boss?”, Tobu asked. 

“Yeah?”, Kakashi replied. Tobu pointed at his teacher's back. Kakashi cocked his brow and turned his head over his shoulder. His nose was immediately flooded with choking smoke. The entire back of his vest was charred to a crisp from the heat of the explosion. Kakashi couldn’t help but laugh,

“I guess I need a new vest. It was about time.” He was still giggling as he unclipped his vest and let the ruined thing fall to the ground. 

The pair surveyed the crater for another moment before it was Kakashi’s turn to clear the air.

“So, how did the lightning chakra feel in your hand?”, he asked. Tobu gulped,

“It felt… right. I felt like I could actually hold on to it.”, he replied, voice still shaky. Kakashi put his hands on his hips and turned to face his student,

“Well, then I think we can help each other.”                  

Chapter Text

*One Month Later*

Tobu awoke to someone pounding on the doorframe of his bedroom. He assumed he must still be dreaming and rolled over, denying the knocking of the presence it desired.  

Instead it continued, this time louder and more urgent. Tobu groaned, throwing his blanket off the bed in anger and onto the floor where it lay amongst the empty potato chip bags and dirty laundry. 

He wiped the sleep from his eyes and squinted at the doorway. There stood Kakashi Hatake, because of course it was him bothering Tobu so early in the morning. He eyed his teacher and asked with a deadpan tone,

“Why are you in my home?”. Kakashi pushed off the doorframe and stood upright,

“I need you to wake Hanabi up. We have a meeting with the Hokage.” Tobu’s expression stayed as flat as ever,

“So, you came from one end of the village to the other, just to tell me to go back to the side you came from to get Hanabi?”, he huffed. Kakashi smiled,

“Yes, because if I made you go get Konohamaru, which is what I’m doing, you’d end up killing each other before you got to the Hokage Mansion.” Tobu huffed,

“Yeah, fair enough.”, he admitted. The boy hopped out of bed and began slipping his shoes on.

“Hurry up. We don’t want to be late for this one!”, Kakashi excused himself. “This one”? , Tobu wondered, What’s so special about this meeting? . He stood up from the floor and stretched his whole body out, joints popping as he groaned like an old man. Sore muscles rippled and poked from under his skin, all the result of a hard month of training. Yeah, all that training and I still can’t use any of my chakra on my own , he complained. As his fellow teammates made smooth progress in both body and mind, Tobu only saw improvement in the former. He still couldn’t muster a simple lightning transformation. He threw on whatever clothes passed for clean and stalked out the door. 

It was so early in the morning that the sun had yet to rise and Tobu’s breath still hung in the cold air, as the cool night-time fog did the same by his feet. Beams of moonlight shone through the trees behind the mansion. Tobu stood with his hands in his pockets, motionless, in front of the main gate of the Hyuga estate, waiting for Hanabi to saunter out with that trademark air of self-importance. He side-eyed the gate guard, who returned the same unimpressed glare right back at the boy. 

“Do they encourage you to be a dick? Or are you like that on your own?”, Tobu sneered. The gate guard growled and gripped his spear tighter, the wood splintering under his iron grip. “Got it.”, Tobu muttered. 

The massive wooden gate jolted to life and slowly began cranking open. The fog billowed out of the way of the massive gate to reveal Hanabi and the Hyuga elders flanking her, like ghostly spirits. They were about fifty feet away, but Tobu could still make out the concerned and worried expressions on the elders’ faces. They clearly had their reservations about letting their precious princess walk out with a foreigner. 

Between the new light of the rising sun and the persistent fog, the Hyuga compound and it’s inhabitants seemed almost ethereal to Tobu. He could somewhat imagine an otherworldly glow surrounding these heavenly beings. He was almost starstruck by their elegance and he almost regretted being so rude to everyone when he arrived. 

Almost.

Hanabi began her elegant stride toward Tobu and out of the compound. The elders gave the boy a fiery glare and he returned it with a sarcastically-beaming smile and wave. The Hyuga princess stood in front of her teammate and looked slightly down at him. She was still a hair taller than both of her teammates and it still bothered the both of them. 

“What are you doing here?”, she asked, her voice as steady and ice-cold as it always was. Her hair was done up in an extravagant bun and she wore probably the most ornamental nightgown Tobu had ever seen. Not that he had ever really seen a girl's nightgown before. 

“Uh, um, Kakashi said we have a meeting with the Hokage. Like, right now.”, he stuttered. Hanabi huffed and turned to her elders, giving them a dismissive wave of the hand. They all bowed their heads and returned to the mansion, the gate beginning to close behind them. 

“Let’s get going then. Right now.”, Hanabi muttered sarcastically. She expertly united the bun and let her hair fall over her shoulders. Between her soft bangs perfectly framing her face and the glow of the moonlight, she might have been the prettiest girl Tobu had ever seen. He blushed. He never really thought about girls that way, but it was hard not to in this case. Hanabi glanced down at the boy and, even in the darkness, she noticed his blushing.

“Come with me. I’ll need to purchase a more appropriate change of clothes for the day before we arrive at the Hokage mansion.”, she ordered Tobu. She strode past him, not bothering to check if we was following behind her. 

“Yeah, ‘good morning’, and all that.”, Tobu muttered, shrugging in frustration. He stood and watched the gate close all the way and gave one final look at the gate guard, who was still staring at a hole in the side of Tobu’s head. The boy smiled and flashed the guard a cheeky middle finger from his hip before turning and following Hanabi, which he was unusually content with.   

Kakashi approached Konohamaru’s apartment building. It was similar to his own, simple, plain, and endearingly run-down. Before Kakashi could reach the stairwell, he could hear what sounded like someone pounding on the wall of the building.

He rounded the corner to see young Konohamaru slamming his fists repeatedly into the brick facade of the apartment complex. Sweat poured down his face and fatigue weighed heavily on his visibly sagging shoulders.

“Ever wonder if someone here is trying to sleep?”, Kakashi asked. Konohamaru barely paused his workout but replied,

“Yeah, until I found out barely anyone lives in this complex anymore. And I don’t care what they think anyway. Just like this village. Barely anyone’s left and I couldn’t care less about them.” Kakashi tried his best not to take it personally,

“Well, that’s nice to know.” He let out a tired sigh, watching his breath rise in the early morning chill. He wiped his face, hoping to find some early-morning patience under the bits of sleep in his eyes. Teenage angst this early in the morning was never healthy. “What’re you training so early in the morning for?”, he asked. Konohamaru groaned at the annoying question and slammed his fist into the wall harder. As opposed to Tobu’s understated, toned physique, Konohamaru had grown into a lean statue-esque young man. And Tobu still tops him in taijutsu, somehow , Kakashi thought. 

“Never went to bed. I finished training with the team and I’ve been out here since.”, Konohamaru replied, face growing redder by the second.

“All night?”, Kakashi asked, shocked by the boy’s endurance. Konohamaru growled,

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Because I need more training.”, Konohamaru grew angrier still and his fists began to bleed, splashing bright red blood against the aging brown of the brick building.

“You never let yourself take a rest, do you?”, Kakashi sighed. Konohamaru finally paused, his grimace dropping for a moment. A wave of exhaustion flooded his body and the overwhelming urge to lie down began to overtake him. 

Before he could succumb, he snapped out of the trance, even angrier than before. Angry he could let himself rest, angry at his teacher for persuading him so, angriest at his teammates for excelling so far ahead of him. He let out a scream and slammed his fist into the wall as hard as he could. A sickening crack rang out and the boy doubled over in pain, holding his right hand against his stomach. 

“Woah!”, Kakashi gasped, running over to aid his student. Konohamaru lay on the ground and wheezed in pain as Kakashi peeled his arm away for a closer look, “That’s definitely broken, buddy. Come on, I’ll take you to the hospital.”

“ NO! We've spent enough time there with Tobu’s stupid condition. I’ll be fine!”, Konohamaru screamed.

“That’s not his fault! And you just broke your hand with your ridiculous over-training. That’s entirely your fault and now it’s your responsibility, as well as mine as your teacher, to take care of it so it doesn’t affect the rest of Team 7’s training!”, Kakashi reprimanded his student. Konohamaru groaned and sighed, fighting back tears of pain and anger. He couldn’t stand to stop training for even a minute. He couldn’t risk not improving. “Weren’t you protecting your hand with chakra?”.

“I ran out… about 6 hours ago.”, Konohamaru painfully wheezed. Kakashi couldn’t take it anymore.

 “Why do you feel the need to push yourself so far…?!”, he exclaimed, begging his student for an answer. Konohamaru could barely speak, hiding his face in the dirt,

“Naruto… the village…”. Kakashi’s shoulder dropped, feeling barely half the weight Konohamaru must’ve been feeling for the past three years. His mentor, the hopeful Hokage and future protector of the Leaf, had been murdered. And now, he must’ve thought it was his responsibility to step up to that same mantle. 

Kakashi sighed. He didn’t know what to say.

“Come on buddy… After we get you to the hospital, we have a meeting with the Hokage.” Konohamaru finally looked up from the dirt and his fearful eyes met Kakashi’s. “And I’m afraid it’s probably bad news…”      

Tobu and Hanabi stood in the middle of the Leaf village’s most luxurious boutique. Hanabi was looking over a simple robe much like the ones she wore to training while Tobu stood, unsure of what to do with himself. He was rarely ever on this side of town and he certainly never had a reason to be in a boutique. Still, he was shocked to find he wasn’t nearly as uncomfortable as he thought he’d be. He thought he’d be bored. He thought he’d be restless. Instead, he was content. This is…nice? Why is this nice? , he wondered. Something about perusing around a clothing store with a girl was nice, even if it was the weird girl he’d only met last month. Something about it put his mind at ease. Something about it made him feel normal.

Tobu sat on the ground in front of the Hokage Mansion while Hanabi stood, not wanting to get dirt on her brand-new training robe. Tobu was clicking his shoes together in boredom when Kakashi and Konohamaru emerged from down the road, a cast covering the latter’s right hand. Tobu laughed,

“What, did you already lose a fight this early in the morning?” Konohamaru’s blood began to boil.

“Enough! Both of you: I don’t want any fighting! Just for today, be civil with each other.”, Kakashi snapped. Tobu rolled his eyes, Konohamaru reluctantly cooled down, Hanabi wasn’t even listening, and after a full month of putting up with this, Kakashi didn’t even have to look to know what their reactions were.

What he was looking at was the new team of students and their teacher approaching from the other side of the road. “Team 3…”, he sighed. Neji Hyuga and his team of triplet soldiers halted before Team 7. Neji turned to his troupe and yelled,

“ At attention!” , at a volume far too high for the morning. Team 7, except Hanabi of course, covered their aching ears. Three sets of heels clacked together in unison and the students of Team 3 stood straight up as a board. Neji regarded his students for a moment before turning on his heel and approaching Kakashi, fists balled. Kakashi slowly beckoned his students with one arm, pulling them behind him. Neji stood in Kakashi’s face, almost nose to nose despite their height difference, Neji being still somewhat shorter. Neji’s jaw was clenched and his eyes threatened to burn Kakashi away.

Kakashi was entirely unfazed.

Neji growled,

“Kakashi Hatake. I was disgusted to learn you would be the one training the princess of the Hyuga clan, the one good clan left in the Leaf village. A failure such as you should have his shinobi credentials stripped! I will be watching you, and at the first sign that you’re corrupting young Hanabi, I won’t hesitate to report you directly to the Hokage and have you exiled!”. Kakashi didn’t see the prodigy of the Hyuga Branch House nor did he see the youngest jonin of the last generation. Instead, he saw the angry seventeen year old he had known for most of his life. 

“Neji Hyuga. Need I remind the princess who tried to murder her sister in front of the whole village?”, Kakashi droned. Neji’s fists balled even tighter and his teeth began to audibly grit. Kakashi placed his palm on the boy’s chest and gently, but firmly, pushed him away. Neji stumbled back, never letting the anger in his face fade. Kakashi stayed firm. “Don’t confuse my old age nor my past mistakes with incompetence. Speak to me like that again, and you’ll get more than words.”, he warned Neji. He could almost see the steam rising from Neji’s ears. The young Hyuga teacher turned and stormed off to his team. He clicked his tongue and the troupe marched off into the Hokage Mansion.

Tobu peeked at Team 3 from around Kakashi’s back.

“Y’know, you’re not that old.”, he remarked. Kakashi stared down Neji’s team as they disappeared into the mansion before he turned to his own team, trying his best not to find out what expression Hanabi held on her face. 

“That’s Team 3. This goes for every team and all of the time, but no…fighting… Understood?”, Kakashi waited for each of his students’ trademark nonchalant response, “Even if they are weirdos.”. 

Tobu burst out laughing.

Team 7 entered the foyer of the Hokage Mansion, where Team 3 and a handful of other teams were already waiting. Judging by the bustling conversations taking place all around them, Kakashi guessed no one else had any better idea what this meeting would be about. He surveyed the room for a moment. 

He barely recognized any of the other teachers and students, only Neji and a handful of other jonin. I guess that’s what mass exodus and spending three years locked in your house does to you, he thought, This village might as well be as foreign to me as it is to Tobu.  

Kakashi wondered if that would still be the case had he handled the past few years a bit better. At this point in his life, he knew grieving over the past was pointless. But that didn’t stop him from grieving over Obito, Rin, Minato, and even his father for most of his adult life. And now, he had Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, and Jiraiya to grieve over. 

He imagined the myriad of his lost friends and family as a dead bouquet of flowers, always sitting, rotting, on his dining room table. Waiting for him to get home so they could remind him they were still dead, still rotting. He didn’t know what to do with the bouquet. 

Throw it out? And dishonor their memory? Dishonor the mistakes that led to their death? Mistakes he was responsible for?

Or keep it around? Leave it there for every houseguest to gawk at? Sure, it would make his life easier to not carry that around, to let go of the rot. But did he deserve easy?

Sometimes, he did wish he could go back and change everything. Keep his father from killing himself. Keep Obito, Rin, and Minato alive. Keep Sasuke back and make sure the old Team 7 made it out ok. 

He wondered what his life would be like today if that happened. He turned his head to his pain-in-the-ass team. Hanabi couldn’t look more at home in the crowd, Konohamaru picked at his still-drying cast, and Tobu anxiously shuffled his feet. Would they still be around? Who would be guiding them?

As if on queue to snap him out of his trance, Kakashi felt someone tugging on his sleeve. He looked down and saw Tobu trying to get his attention,

“Hey, boss? I think this thing is starting.”     

Tsunade Senju strode up to the top of the stairs that overlooked the foyer. Dressed in her trademark green and beige robes, she stood out amongst the finely-aged mahogany furniture and dark-brown walls of the mansion. 

Even from the bottom of the stairs, Kakashi could vividly see the bags under her eyes and the way her shoulders sagged with fatigue. The Fifth Hokage had stood strong for the last three and half years of struggle, what could be weighing down on her this much now?

Tsunade stood straight up, squared her shoudlers, and began to speak in her usual commanding tone,

“I regret to announce that this years’ official Chunin exams, announced earlier last month, are cancelled.” Kakashi’s eyes widened and dozens of other voices around the room gasped in shock. Tsunade grimaced and gripped the railing of the stairs until her knuckles went white, as if each gasp sent a knife straight through her heart. She continued, “All teams already formed are to remain in training and will return for official exams next year. However, the Leaf Village will hold an impromptu, unofficial Chunin exam without the support and presence of the other villages. For this, three teams have been selected. The rest are to continue their training until next year.” Confusion continued to sweep the room. Questions were thrown back and forth between student and teacher, neither satisfied with the other. The air began to physically feel thicker as the crowd waited for Lady Tsunade to announce the three teams. “And those teams are…”, Tsunade began. The room fell completely silent. Not a single muscle moved an inch. Kakashi had never heard any part of the Leaf Village remain this silent in his entire life. “Team 14!”, Tsunade listed the first team. Kakashi saw what he could only assume was Team 14 jumping for joy across the room. He didn’t recognize any of them. “Team 3!”, Tsunade listed the second team. This time, not a peep was heard. Neji clearly ran a tight ship, and a rather joy-less one. “And…”, Tsunade sighed and hung her head. Kakashi didn’t think the tension in the room could get any thicker but he was proven wrong with every passing second. “...Team 7…”, Tsunade listed Team Kakashi as the third eligible team as if it physically pained her.

Out of every shocked teacher and student, Kakashi may have been the most shocked. Out of all the teams in the village, was his team really the third best? As the other teams cast their infuriated gaze towards Kakashi and his students, they made sure to make their doubts known.

“What?! Them?!”, Kakashi heard them yelling.

“They haven’t even been on a single mission yet!

“Kakashi shouldn’t even have a team of his own to begin with!” The Copy Ninja felt the endless wave of seemingly every single team berating him and his students. 

“Of course it’d be them! 

“The Hyuga Princess, the Honorable Grandson, and the genetic freak!” 

“Nepotism!” 

“They haven’t done a single thing to prove themselves.” 

“That boy can’t even cast a single jutsu and the Grandson is injured!” 

“How are they any better than any of the other teams, who’s training has now gone to waste?!” 

Konohamaru and Hanabi held their composure, but Tobu was beginning to crack under the endless torment. 

He cautiously looked around the room, seeing only seething gazes and harsh ridicule wherever his eyes fell. His heart rate and his breathing skyrocketed as he wished for nothing more than this ordeal to end. He gripped Kakashi’s shirt sleeve even harder,

“Kakashi, they’re yelling at us.”, he pleaded, voice shaking. Kakashi looked down at his withering student.

I have to get them out of here… , he thought.

Kakashi returned his eyes to the Hokage, he returned the eye contact. Kakashi gave her a harsh glare, silently pleading for reprieve.

“ Enough!”, Tsunade bellowed. In an instant, the crowd fell silent. Team 7 endured a few more fiery scowls before all eyes returned to the Hokage. “This is not up for debate! My decision is final! Teams 14, 3, and 7, are to report to my office, immediately. The rest of you are dismissed!’, she commanded. Teams 14 and 3 quickly made their way up the stairs and into the Hokage’s office, completely ignored by the crowd. Instead, every other team was busy thoroughly impressing their hatred for Team 7 on their way out. Kakashi held his students close as numerous teachers purposely bumped their shoulders into him. He took every strike for his students, and he remained entirely stoic. 

As the foyer finally emptied out, Team 7 stood alone in the silent hall. Kakashi stood, still as a statue, stewing in his anger, arms still holding his students close to his side. Konohamaru and Hanabi fumed alongside their teacher, while Tobu continued his death-grip on Kakashi’s sleeve, hand shaking and tears threatening to spill down his cheeks. 

“What did all that mean, Kakashi?’, he whimpered. Kakashi closed his eyes and let out a long sigh, before kneeling down to eye-level with his students. 

“Are you guys okay?”, he asked. The trio nodded, Tobu finally calming down. Konohamaru knew he really could’ve capitalized on a prime opportunity to make fun of his shaken teammate, but he decided not to. “Good. And, Tobu, I don’t know. All I know is: we’re going to confront everything as a team. We’re not going to let anyone ruin our training or anything the future holds for us. Got it?”, Kakashi asked. The trio nodded again, Tobu smiling. Kakashi sighed again, before standing up, “Okay, let’s go see what Lady Tsunade has for us!”            

Chapter Text

Kakashi pulled the door to Tsunade’s office open, just in time for Team 14 to come barreling out. Kakashi pressed himself against the doorframe, letting out an,

“Oh, excuse me.”, in apology. They were gone so fast, he didn’t even get a chance to see what they looked like. He shook his head before beckoning his students into the room.

Team 3 already stood across from Lady Tsunade’s desk, where she sat with both hands cupping her face. She appeared even more stressed out than she did just moments before in the foyer. “So, what was all that about?”, Kakashi asked, his students lined up behind him. Tsunade slammed her palms on the table in frustration.

“The other damned villages decided not to acknowledge our announcement to host the Chunin Exams. The Leaf Village isn’t ‘meaningful’ enough to them anymore.”, she moaned, rolling her eyes. Kakashi raised his brow,

“Well, that does make sense. We all know the exams are just a show of power after all.”. Tsunade continued,

“And, on top of that, we don’t have the funds to host a fully-fledged exam of our own. So, we have to continue with this half-assed shit-show on our own.”, she cursed. Tobu jokingly shielded his ears from the bad words. “In any event, I have a mission for you, Team 7. Your first mission and it’s an A-Rank joint mission between yourselves and Team 3.” Tsunade gestured towards Team 3. Neji didn’t bother turning to greet his new teammates but his triplet students did. They were each of identical build and height, and each wore a hood that came down over their face, partially covering it and rendering them even more indistinguishable. Long blonde hair poked out from under each of their hoods and Kakashi couldn’t tell if any of them were a boy or a girl.

“Neji, what’s with the hoods?”, he asked. Neji grumbled,

“My team has completed an adequate number of missions with such efficiency that we have quite the reputation. I conceal their identities so my enemy can’t differentiate their unique fighting styles.”

“Cool, and do they get a say in that?”, Kakashi asked, eyeing the triplets. Neji finally turned with a scowl that was ready to burn down the mansion itself. Tsunade hurriedly interjected,

“Should the two of you complete this mission with your trademark ‘efficiency’, we will continue with our silly little chunin exam. Team 14 is already on a C-Rank mission on their own and the same goes for them. And, hey, if you don’t then we don’t have to do this and we get to save a little money.” Both teachers turned back to Tsunade with perplexed expressions. She shrugged and tossed a folder onto her desk,putting on her best "do as I say or else" smile, “Here’s your assignment! Now, please, get out of my office.”

Teams 7 and 3 stood by the Leaf’s main gate, readying themselves for the mission ahead. Neji lectured his team, it was clear this wasn’t their first time. Kakashi eyed them wearily as he squatted next to his own team, elbow resting on his knees. All four of them were equally bored waiting on Team 3. Tobu held open the folder containing the mission briefing before dropping it on the ground in frustration,

“What does all that mean again? I wasn’t paying attention.” Kakashi sighed and scooped the folder out of the dirt and slipped it into his vest,

“It’s a Sand Village contract. We have been ordered to recon a rouge-nin camp and deliver any intel we get to Tsunade, who will then deliver it to the Sand Village.” He raised a suspicious brow to his team, “We’re all familiar with the term ‘recon’, correct?”. Hanabi’s and Konohamaru’s faces remained blank. Tobu shrugged,

“Get in, break shit, get out?”. Kakashi facepalmed and let out a sigh with nearly thirty years of bubbling impatience behind it,

“No, buddy. Quite the opposite. We are to avoid conflict and simply gather any and all information we can. Got it?”

“I guess.”, Tobu replied sarcastically, not comforting Kakashi at all. He sighed again and glanced over his team. One can’t use jutsu, one has a busted wing, and one can’t be bothered to care. Yeah, we better avoid conflict, he thought. He glanced back over at Team 3. Meanwhile, they look ready to take on the world. Did I go wrong as a teacher, once again? Hanabi interrupted his thoughts.

“We’re working for the Sand Village?”, she asked, disappointed. Kakashi turned back to his team, “No, it’s a contract mission. They sent it out and we accepted it. It’s basically paying for our chunin exam after all.” Tobu interjected,

“Why does the Sand Village want to know about these guys?”, he asked. Kakashi shook his head dismissively,

“Not our concern. We complete the mission we’ve been assigned and we all go home safe and sound.”

The Hyuga Princess rolled her eyes before they settled on Konohamaru, who was shoving various supplies into a backpack. 

“Are you almost done?”, she asked, not bothering to hide her impatience. Konohamaru scowled at her for a moment before slinging the backpack over his shoulder.

“Yeah, we’re all ready. I’ll go coordinate with Neji. I think I’m the only one here, besides Hanabi, that he actually likes.”, he said. Tobu sneered at the Sarutobi boy as he walked off. It wasn’t his fault Neji was a total ass the one time they’d ever met.

“I will go as well.”, Hanabi replied and the two walked off towards Team 3, leaving Tobu and Kakashi alone. 

Kakashi’s fingers rubbed at his temples, the stress of the upcoming mission was bringing on a headache. Dealing with the physical consequences of taking a three year “break” from his training and having to shepard three untrained students on a potentially dangerous mission and having to deal with the up-start Neji trying to push him around was making his shoulders feel like they were made of pure metal.

“Hey, boss?”, he heard Tobu ask.

“Yeah?”, he shot back, pain in his voice.

“I’m worried…”, Tobu replied. Kakashi snapped out of his headache wallowing and turned to his student, confused. He was proud to see Tobu wasn’t afraid to show his more timid side around him, but he was still quite apprehensive about dealing with that side. He still walked on eggshells, afraid to say or do the wrong thing. Afraid of another Sasuke.

“Of what, buddy?”, he asked Tobu. Tobu sighed,

“I still can’t use chakra. What if I really need to during this mission and I still can’t?”, the boy stammered out, fearing overtaking his voice. Kakashi’s mood softened.

“Look at me.”, he said. Tobu turned to his teacher. While Kakashi was squatting like this, they were almost eye-level. The Copy Ninja could see the fear festering behind his students’ eyes. “You have three very strong and capable teammates, as well as a whole ‘nother team to support us now. You can rely on us, that’s what we’re here for.”, he assured his student. Tobu huffed in frustration,

“But what about them? Can they really rely on me ? When I can’t even use a single jutsu?” Kakashi could see that this wasn’t the first time Tobu had agonized over such a question. Tobu was clearly very selfless and team-oriented. Those eggshells were starting to look even more delicate.

“Yes, they can, Tobu. We’re a team. And teams cover each other's weaknesses. I don’t think anyone here can hit as hard as you. You remember that tree from last week? You got so frustrated that you couldn’t climb it with chakra control. So you punched it as hard as you could and you knocked it over like it was a twig!”, Kakashi gushed. Tobu sniffled and wiped his nose.

“Yeah, I remember.”, he replied, smiling. Kakashi smiled back,

“That’s the weakness we have that you cover. That’s why you’re a valuable member of this team. You’ll get the whole ‘chakra’ thing down one day, but it doesn’t need to be today. Ok?” Tobu huffed again, this time with acceptance,

“Yeah, ok.” Kakashi wasn’t totally satisfied that his student was comfortable. He remembered something from their last month of training.

“You still got those cables I gave you?”, he asked. Tobu pulled a spool of thin, white cables out of his pocket.

“Yeah, but they don’t work. I can’t seem to do anything with them.”, he replied. He stretched a length of the cable out between his hands, grasping both ends between his thumbs. He focused, as hard as he could, just as he had been practicing for what felt like forever. But, as always, to no avail. Kakashi could barely watch. He felt like such a failure, both as an educator and as a mentor. He reached out and took the length of the cable out of Tobu’s hands.

“Remember, the cable acts as an easy medium for lightning to travel across. Even I still use them for my Lightning Beast Tracking Fang.”, Kakashi said as he held the cable in his hand. In an instant, a bolt of lightning exploded across the cable and a brilliant hum pierced the air. Kakashi handed the cable back to Tobu, letting him get familiar with the feeling. Tobu held the cable in his hands like a precious stone, the glow of the lightning reflecting off his wide eyes. Soon, the bolt of lightning calmly faded into nothingness. 

Hey, at least he’s got better control over his chakra. Hopefully, we won’t have a repeat of the training ground incident… , Kakashi thought. Tobu thought of a question.

“Hey, you mentioned before that water is also a good medium. Why can’t we use that for training too?”, he asked. Kakashi cocked his head in thought. 

“Well, I suppose we could, but cables are much more practical. It’d be hard to have a ball of water just sitting in your back pocket! And, either way, water just isn’t as good. You can do all sorts of things with cables. Create tripwires, set traps, you can even lasso your target and shock them with your chakra through the cable. With water, you can’t do as much. Unless you and your opponent are underwater, in which case there are far more important things to do than casting jutsu.”, Kakashi replied.

“What if it’s raining? Could you bounce a lightning jutsu between raindrops, or something? That’d be so cool!”, Tobu asked excitedly. Kakashi shrugged,

“I’m not sure if that’s ever been done, but it would require an immense amount of chakra control.” Tobu huffed,

“Yeah, you’re right. I can’t even muster up anything with this stupid cable.” He stabbed the spool back into his pocket. Kakashi gave a sympathetic smile,

“You’ll get it one day. It doesn’t need to be today. Today , I just need you to be strong and I need you to be brave. Can you do that?”. Tobu sighed and gave a resolute nod in reply.

I have to be strong and brave. I don’t have a choice , he thought. Kakashi slapped his palms onto his knees and pushed himself up, “Alright! Let’s go join the others!”   

“And how does this thing work?”, Tobu asked. He looked across the dirt road where Kakashi stood, one hand over his neck. He saw his teacher flex his hand before he heard his voice crackle into his ear, as if he were standing directly next to him.

“ It’s called a ‘two-way radio’. It lets us talk to each other over long distances without having to yell.”, Kakashi said over the radio.

“Huh, ok then.”, Tobu replied. He looked over to Konohamaru, who was down the road with the others, taking a break and conversing with Team 3. They had been walking for about four hours when they decided to take a break and confirm their radios were working. “And does everyone here have one?” He looked back to Kakashi, who already had his hand over the microphone,

“ Yep, sorta. You guys can talk to me and to each other, Team 3 can do the same, and then me and Neji can talk to each other. It doesn’t let you guys talk to Team 3 or Neji, that way everything stays clear and succinct. Make sense?”  

“Yeah, yeah, I suppose.”, replied Tobu. He had stopped listening after he heard “yep”. He looked back at Konohamaru and got a devilish idea. He depressed the button on the microphone over his neck. “Hey, Konohamaru!”, he called. Konohamaru looked away from his conversation and down the road at the teammate calling after him. He sighed,

“ Yeah, Tobu? ”. 

“You stink! I can smell you from all the way down here!”, Tobu teased. Konohamaru let out an angry yell and ripped the radio right out of his ear. Hanabi, along with the other members of Team 3, gawked at him as if he had four eyes. When the tantrum was finished, Tobu saw Neji peer down the road at him and Kakashi, scowling. He brought one hand over his microphone and Tobu could barely make out his mouth forming words in the distance. Kakashi sighed and likewise clicked the button on his microphone.

“Yeah, you’re right. Let’s get moving.”, he replied. “Neji wants us to get going.”, he explained to Tobu, sounding about as out-of-patience as he physically could. The boy sighed,

“Jeez, where in our orders did it say we weren’t allowed to have any fun?”, he remarked. Kakashi placed his hands on his hips with authority.

“He’s got a reason to be so tense. This isn’t anything new to anyone here, but this mission will be your first. And it’s an A-Rank mission at that. These things get serious, and dangerous. I want you to stay on your toes.”, he warned his student. Tobu groaned, tired of how serious everyone was being,

“Yeah, I guess. How hard could this thing get?”.     

“Ok! That’s a whole lotta of people!”, Tobu whisper-yelled from his prone position next to his teammates. All four of them lay atop a hill overlooking the camp of rogue shinobi. The sky was the clearest and brightest anyone could imagine, allowing a clear view of the more than fifteen shinobi occupying the camp. Their leader was nowhere in sight.

“Yep, it sure is. Definitely going to have to steer clear of contact here.”, Kakashi calmly replied. 

“And where did Team 3 go again?”, Tobu dumbly asked. Konohamaru huffed and pounded his fist into the dirt, hurting the broken wrist.

“Idiot! They went to get a closer look while we kept watch from up here!”, he growled at Tobu. 

“Okay okay, geez! How am I supposed to get these things when you people don’t include me?”, Tobu asked, frustrated. Konohamaru rolled onto his back, gazing into the sky, bored out of his mind. 

“It’s not my fault you aren’t from the Leaf Village. Nobody knows you. Maybe if you were nicer, we’d all want to include you.”, the Grandson groaned. Tobu cupped his face in one hand and played with dirt and rocks with the other, impatience ruling him.

“I don’t have to be nice to anyone .”, he mumbled. Kakashi and Hanabi sighed in unison.

“Hush!”, cried the Copy Ninja, “Konohamaru: you should include your teammates in the briefing, no matter your opinion of them, especially on a dangerous mission. And Tobu: you do have to be nice to people if you expect to be accepted in the Leaf Village.” The pair scowled at each other. Tobu stuck his tongue out at Konohamaru, who replied with gaping disbelief that said “ Half of that was for you! ”. 

Hours seemed to go by and not a hair of Team 3 was sighted. Kakashi and Hanabi remained in their prone position while Tobu and Konohamaru were innovating in new ways to piss each other off. Hanabi remained as steady as ever, but Kakashi was growing restless. He sighed and grabbed his radio,

“Team 3, radio check.” After a moment of silence, he got a reply.

“ Team 3 is still moving into position, Team 7. Remain in yours for further contact. ”, Neji’s voice crackled over the radio. Kakashi rolled his eyes and shook his head. His eyes turned to the Hyuga Princess lying next to him.

“Is this how he’s been? Since everything happened?”, he dared to ask. He heard Hanabi take a deep breath and reply,

“Yes, the past few years have been hard on him. He takes it upon himself to live up to the dead.” Not unlike the burden we’re forcing on you three right now , Kakashi thought to himself. He put the binoculars down and turned to look her in the eye.

“Look, what I said the other day, about… what he did to your sister. I apologize. I know it’s a sensitive matter and I was just trying to look tough.”, Kakashi apologized. Hanabi returned his gaze and smirked,

“Apology accepted, but it’s not really a ‘sensitive matter’. The family is perfectly aware of what he did and why. He was all but ostracised from family matters, even more so than a branch member already is. But he's working his way back into the family's favor. It’s part of the reason he’s been so hard on himself.” 

“You talk to him alot?”, Kakashi asked. She sighed,

“Enough to see how much the state of the village weighs on him. And how angry he’s gotten.” Kakashi knew they were on a mission, an important one at that, and that he shouldn’t let anything distract him. But he couldn’t help but let Hanabi’s words weigh on him. It was partially his fault after all.

He heard a shout behind him and turned to confront the noise. He was greeted with the ever-familiar sight of Tobu and Konohamaru wrestling.

“Hey, could you two keep it down?”, he barked. The two released their grapple on each other and immediately started blaming each other. Kakashi, mercifully, didn’t get a chance to hear their words as the radio in his ear crackled to life.

“ Team 7, we have a situation. Meet us at the bottom of the hill. ”, Neji relayed over the radio.

“Confirmed. What’s going on, Team 3?”, Kakashi replied.

He heard what Neji said next, but he didn’t want to believe it.   

“Why’s he so tense all of a sudden?”, Tobu asked, frustrated.

“Stop bugging him and I suspect we’ll find out!”, Hanabi hushed him. Team 7 hurriedly followed their teacher, who was frantically stalking through the forest towards the rendezvous point. Kakashi shoved a tree branch out of his way to reveal Team 3, hunkered down in cover, trying their best to become one with the forest floor. They looked just as tense as Kakashi. Even through their veils, the triplets of Team 3 were clearly shaken.

“It’s true, isn’t it?”, Kakashi asked, out of breath. Neji simply handed him his binoculars.

“Right there, by the largest hut.”, he mumbled, voice shaking. Kakashi snatched the binoculars out of Neji’s hand and fit them over his eyes, peering over the area Neji indicated. 

“Oh no…”, he gasped, all hope in his body audibly evaporating with his words. 

“What? What is it?”, Tobu nagged. Kakashi shoved the binoculars in front of his students' eyes, not wanting to look at the sight before him any longer. As Tobu’s eyes focused, he saw a collection of haphazardly put-together huts in a semi-circle. Surrounding a campfire in the center of the semi-circle were a collection of particularly mean-looking men, but one stuck out. A gargantuan man, more than eight feet tall, clad in heavy, primitive looking metal plates.

“ That is Bōheki, Bōheki of the Armor.”, Kakashi breathlessly explained. Konohamaru’s eyes widened and he balled the only fist not lying in a cast. Tobu’s brow furrowed,

“Ok? What’s his deal?”

“His ‘deal’ is that he’s an A-Rank bounty in the Bingo Book!”, Neji growled. Neji’s anger turned Tobu’s confusion into frustration,

“Bingo Book? What the hell does that mean?” Kakashi placed a tempered hand on the boy's shoulder.

“It means he’s a very dangerous criminal with a bounty on his head. A-Rank means he’s one of the most dangerous criminal in the world. Bōheki has been tearing up the countryside for the last year or so. No less than five hunter squads have gone missing in his domain.”, he explained. Tobu, perplexed, returned to the binoculars.

“So why is he here? And why did they send us here?, he asked. Kakashi huffed,

“He’s not supposed to be here. We’re far outside of his territory, this isn’t Tsunade’s fault. But it does mean he’s getting bolder. He’s closing in…” Neji shifted his weight onto his heels, as if he were about to pounce.

“We need to take care of him.”, his daring words doing nothing to mask his terror.

“ We do not! ”, Kakashi snapped.

“What about that bounty you mentioned? Don’t we need the money?”, Tobu asked. He seemed to jump at the opportunity to help the Leaf Village. “Kakashi, we can take him!”, he pleaded.

 “Not on our own!”, Kakashi snapped. His scowl turned back to Neji, “Our mission is to collect intel and that’s precisely what we’re going to do. We are going to retreat, give our intel to Tsunade, and let the Sand Village take care of this.” Kakashi and Neji exchanged death glares for a moment, before the latter relented. Tobu seemed to physically deflate. Konohamaru simply stared blankly towards the camp, his thoughts imperceivable through his piercing gaze.  

“Very well.”, Neji growled, before looking up at the setting sun, “It’s getting dark. Let’s make camp. If we’re running like cowards, let’s not do it in the dark.” Kakashi ignored the smart-ass comment and held out his arm to block Tobu, who was not being nearly as level-headed.

As night fell over the Land of Fire, Teams 7 and 3 set up camp. They set up their sleeping arrangements on either side of a cautiously small campfire. Team 3’s triplets all slept closest to the fire, while Neji slept behind them, back facing the forest. Kakashi let his students pick where they wanted to sleep and he likewise chose to spend his night on the most comfortable tree branch he could find, overlooking every member of the camp. 

Team 3 fell asleep almost instantly, a trait of their trademark efficiency. Hanabi lay on her back with her hands over her stomach, the picture of grace. Konohmamaru lay on his side, atleast for a while, before he began tossing and turning relentlessly. Kakashi wondered if the Sarutobi boy ever got a good night's rest.

Kakashi glanced over at Tobu, who lay on his back with his knees bent. He was playing with the cable Kakashi had given him, rolling it and bending it over his fingers. Kakashi smiled, his heart warming, despite his distance from the campfire. He was instantly reminded of his own childhood, however brief, and his struggles with grasping chakra control. But he was more reminded of Naruto, the boy who would throw himself through a wall if it meant mastering a new jutsu. Kakashi couldn’t help but wonder how far Naruto would've gone if he had been allowed to live. If I were a better teacher , he thought. He wondered, as he did every lonely night, about far too many things. Where was Sakura? Where was the Nine-Tailed Fox? What could’ve been?

But tonight, for the first time, he truly wondered if he was becoming a better teacher. For all their flaws and fuck-ups, he had rarely seen a team as dedicated and level-headed as his own. He had rarely seen anyone as hard-working as Konohamaru, as thoughtful as Tobu, and as even-keeled as Hanabi. Even in the stillness of night, Konohamaru couldn’t lie still, mind no doubt occupied by thoughts of training. Tobu lay stubbornly contemplating his chakra. And Hanabi lay completely still, a beacon of serenity for her team. Kakashi couldn’t help but allow himself to be a little proud.

Even through his drooping eyelids, Kakashi continued to watch his student fiddle with the cable.

Even through the flaming orange sparks of the dying campfire, Kakashi could almost swear he saw a brilliant, blue spark.

Chapter Text

Kakashi awoke to just about the worst thing he could imagine given their current situation. Konohamaru was yelling as if both their lives depended on it. As it turned out, it truly did.

“Kakashi! Kakashi! Wake up! Please, wake up!”, the Grandson shouted. Kakashi’s eyes shot open, then immediately slammed shut again, the morning sunlight stabbing his eyes. He groaned and shielded his face with his hand.

“What? What’s going on?”, he groggily asked. Konohamaru’s answer instantly woke him up,

“Team 3 is gone!”. Kakashi bolted upright, momentarily forgetting he was balancing on a tree branch in his sleep. He swung his arms out to regain his balance, but it was too late. His stomach dropped as he slid over the edge of the tree branch. He had no time to reach out for a handhold or save his fall with ninjutsu before he slammed hard into the earth, directly on his right shoulder. He let out a pained groan. Wet grass and dirt clung to his vest and the morning dew splashed onto his face. He felt white, hot pain bolt through his shoulder. He knew he fractured something, at the very least. 

Tobu had managed to wake himself up in all the commotion. While Kakashi moaned in pain, he strode up to his teacher’s side. He had only one question,

“Why are we falling out of trees so early in the morning?”. Konohamaru’s head snapped to his teammate, his face turning red. He felt the seconds passing like hours, the urgency of the situation weighing on his back like a gargantuan mountain. The best team in the Leaf just went missing and the best man for the job may have just broken his shoulder out of sheer clumsiness. 

“Because! Team 3 is gone! Can’t you see that?!”, the Grandson shouted at Tobu. Tobu turned his head towards Team 3’s camp and replied,

“Oh.”, about as dryly as he could manage. 

“You don’t see that as a problem, you knucklehead?!”, Konohamaru shot back. Tobu frowned and sassily crossed his arms,

“I don’t know why name calling is necessary. And maybe they just went home on their own?”. 

“Without letting us know first? Or packing up their camp?”, Konohamaru retorted.

“No.”, Kakashi interjected, staggering to his feet. “The most likely explanation is probably the worst one possible.”. His students stared at him with apprehension. “They went after Bōheki on their own…”, Kakashi surmised, “Which would explain why Hanabi is also missing.” Konohamaru and Tobu bolted around, finally noticing their third teammate’s bedroll lay empty. Konohamaru was embarrassed that such a crucial bit of intel went over his head in his panic. Tobu, on the other hand, knew she liked to wander off on her own after dealing with her clothes shopping. 

Konohamaru slapped his palms over his forehead, his arm cast thumping onto his head. The impact didn’t seem to bother him.

“What are we going to do?”, he wheezed, the stress of the mornings’ events overtaking him. Kakashi stretched his aching shoulder and saw an excellent teaching opportunity.

“Well, what do you think we should do?”, he quizzed his students. He was aware of the urgency of Team 3’s situation, but he thought of Naruto’s erratic antics in the heat of panic, and he knew he needed to calm everyone’s head before they rushed in to help. Konohamaru paced around in circles, while Tobu simply watched him like a bored cat watching a clueless mouse. 

“Uh, umm…. We could get to the overlook from yesterday. Get eyes on them! See what’s going on!”, the Grandson suggested. It wasn’t a horrible idea. In fact, it was just the one Kakashi was hoping his students would propose. He held back a grin, his reply coming just as he had planned.

“We don’t have time. That would be the safest option, yes, but we run the risk of Team 3 getting captured, or worse, while we frolic about on the hillside. We need to act, and we need to act now .”, Kakashi beamed, maybe a little too proud of himself. Tobu grinned too, it sounded like they’d finally get some action. I know that look… , Kakashi thought. “Grab your bags, just the essentials. We find them and we pull them out. We’re not here for a fight and we’re definitely not here for Bōheki’s bounty.”, Kakashi ordered. Tobu rolled his eyes and swiped up his bag from the ground. His thumb traced over the steel cable in his pocket.

Team 7 crept out of the treeline surrounding Bōheki’s camp. The camp was completely silent and unmoving in the early morning sunlight. Kakashi couldn’t see any footprints in the morning dew, nor could he see any signs of a fight. Konohamaru inched closer to his teacher, nudging his ribs with his elbow. Kakashi looked down at him, raising his brow. Konohamaru stuttered,

“Kakashi… Bōheki… you know what he’s capable of… what he did…”. His voice shook under the weight of that memory. Kakashi sighed and placed a firm hand on the boy’s shoulder.

“I do, buddy. We’re going to be ok.”, he reassured his student before returning his watchful eye to the bandit camp. 

Only when he focused his eyes did Kakashi finally spot one of the triplets sitting, legs crossed, holding his hands above his head in the Rat sign. Almost too late, he realized what the boy was doing.

“Grab on to me!”, Kakashi whisper-yelled to his students. Tobu and Konohamaru both grabbed a hold of his shoulder. As the triplet brought the Rat sign down and over his chest, Kakashi connected to his students’ chakra networks, shielding them from the incoming genjutsu attack. The hair on Kakashi’s neck stood on end and he turned his head to the left, making eye contact with Tobu, who returned it, afraid. The sheer depth of Tobu’s chakra still unsettled the Copy Ninja. 

“What’s going on??”, Tobu asked. Kakashi caught his breath,

“Team 3 just confirmed my worst fear.” Kakashi felt a rush of foreign chakra crash over him like a rouge wave. Unlike Tobu’s chakra, this felt sharp, refined. It was definitely the boy, and he was definitely very skilled with genjutsu.

When the wave of chakra subsided, Kakashi sprang to his feet and cried, “Follow me!”. The trio sprinted after the lone triplet and Kakashi dropped to his knees, grabbing the boy by his shoulder and shaking him out of his focus. “What the hell are you guys doing?!”, he yelled into the boy’s face. Even through the veil covering the boy’s face, he could see his startled eyes shoot open. 

“Ah! Uh… what?”, the boy stammered dumbly. Kakashi shook his shoulders again.

“What is Team 3 doing?!”, he demanded an answer. The boy finally found some composure.

“Master Neji said we were going to bring in Bōheki of the Armor, regardless of your orders. He sent me in the front to put the camp under a genjutsu while he and my brothers went to draw him out and subdue him.”, he stammered out, eyes darting from left to right, trying his very best not to look into the fiery eyes of Kakashi Hatake. 

A thunderous crack followed by a furious roar from the other side of the camp shattered to morning air. Heavy rain clouds quickly smothered the sky and fat drops of rain began peppering Kakashi’s face. Someone with very poor chakra control used a lightning transformation so powerful it changed the weather. Someone like a genin with a very insubordinate teacher. 

Kakashi growled,

“Damn it!”, and let go of the triplet, who fell onto his back in the dirt. He stood over the boy, his chest rapidly rising and falling, seething in disbelieving rage. He saw the boy tense up, terror filling the eyes that were no stranger to the sight of a looming, angry superior.

Quickly, Kakashi’s rationale caught up to him, his ragged breathing softening. It isn’t his fault… , he thought to himself. He closed his eyes and let the fury flood out of him with a heavy sigh. He knelt down in front of the boy, eye level, with a softer expression.

“Your Master Neji is in grave danger. Where were they going to draw Bōheki out? Can you take us there?”, he said, urgently. The triplet’s eyes darted from Kakashi to his students. They were the only chance he had.

He shot from his back and onto his hands and knees, springing onto his feet and into a thumping sprint towards the treeline.

“Yes! Follow me!”, he shouted. Kakashi bolted into a sprint after the triplet while Tobu and Konohamaru did the same. Their shoes left deep imprints in the muddy forest floor as the rain only got heavier.

Foliage whipped across Team 7’s faces, cutting their skin and drawing blood. The heavy rain soaked into their clothes, weighing them down until just lifting their legs to step over a tree root was utterly arduous. Tobu felt the stamina being sapped from his entire body. It felt exactly like he felt after Hanabi punched him in the chest. It felt like dying.

After what might have actually been an eternity, the trees broke. Before Team 7 and the lone triplet, lay an open field dotted by tall, thick trees. About thirty feet away, the remaining two triplets were engaging the massive Bōheki of the Armor. One fought up-close with taijutsu while the other waited for an opening before unleashing a hail of lethal ninjutsu. So that’s what Neji was doing by concealing their identity. They each have particular skill-sets and those veils make it impossible to tell who’s who. One uses taijutsu, one uses ninjutsu, and the one we found uses genjutsu. , Kakashi mused, Neji… Where is Neji?! . His eyes darted from right and then to the left, where he found Neji kneeling next to the treeline, kneeling next to the prone body of Hanabi. Tobu and Konohamaru followed their teacher's gaze, before all three of them sprinted towards the pair, while the genjutsu triplet looked on at his brothers in horror. 

His brothers were fighting for their lives and only barely holding their own. Bōheki, who looked even bigger and more menacing than the day prior, twice as tall as Kakashi, swung heavy fists at the boys and only seemed to get angrier as each one came so close to annihilating his brothers. Both of his fists lay at the end of two tree-trunk sized arms so long they hung by his knees. Those fists were bigger than any of the triplet’s entire body and his skin rippled with thick muscle. His gray armor glinted in the sunlight, but it did nothing to hide its crude construction. Long, stringy black hair fell over the brute’s shoulder and two teeth, like razor sharp tusks, protruded from his bottom lip. Bōheki of the Armor was truly more ogre than man.

Kakashi fell to his knees before Hanabi, right hand reaching out to check her pulse, before it was slapped away by Neji. Kakashi's neck jerked to meet Neji’s furious expression.

       “You didn’t train her on genjutsu resistance, did you, fool?!”, Neji sneered. Kakashi took a moment to incredulously process Neji’s words, before retorting,

“And you didn’t bother to check that before haphazardly unleashing genjutsu, did you? Had Konohamaru woke us up merely a moment later, we’d be under that genjutsu too and we wouldn’t be here to rescue you from this disaster you’ve caused!” He had so much more to scream in the idiotic Neji’s face, but his anxiety began to boil over as he felt each risky second pass that the other two triplets barely held off Bōheki on their own. “Get out there and help your students! We’ll wake Hanabi up and figure out an escape plan.” He shouted before leaning over Hanabi to try and begin breaking the genjutsu over her.

“ No !”, Neji shouted, pushing Kakashi away from the Princess with all his might. Kakashi fell on his backside in the mud, disbelief flashing over his face. “My duty is to my family first!”, Neji shouted fiercely, “ I will watch over the Princess.”. Again, Kakashi wanted to scream in Neji’s face, but he heard the exhausted cries of the triplets and held his tongue. There was no time to waste. The genjutsu triplet had already joined his siblings in fighting off Bōheki.

“Fine.”, he affirmed, “Team 7 will clean up Neji Hyuga’s mess.”. He rose to his feet and looked over Tobu and Konohamaru. Both looked back with equal parts determination and apprehension. It’s now or never. We have to fight like a real team of shinobi , he thought. “We’ve got this, guys.”, he assured them, his voice cool and strong as steel. His students replied with eager nods and the trio sprinted into battle, leaving Neji to nurse his ego.

Team 7’s shoes squelched into the ground as their feet pounded into the dirt, quickly turning into mud in the pouring rain. Plan… plan… we need a plan! , Kakashi wracked his brain for a proper plan-of-attack. We need to move quickly or Bōheki could manage to kill one of the triplets. But we can’t just charge in! I can’t risk my own students , his mind continued to swim, What’s the simplest solution?! His inaction felt like a metal ball in his stomach. He had to act now and he could only think of one thing. Once we was finally in ear-shot of the triplets over the deafening rain, he shouted at the top of his lungs,

“Get to the treeline! Now! We’ll cover you!”. All three triplets looked away from Bōheki for just a moment and towards the sound of Kakashi’s voice.

It was a moment one of them didn’t have to spare.

Bōheki seized the moment, heaving his monstrous fist over his head and slamming it on top of the taijutsu triplet. The poor boy never saw it coming. He didn’t even have time to scream. Even over the rain storm, everyone could hear the sickening crack of bones. Kakashi could only hope it was a painless death. He briefly wondered if the boy’s sudden death was his fault. If he had even more blood on his hands. As Bōheki lifted his fist from the horrible crater where the boy once stood, Kakash shook his head andi cast those doubts from his mind. Mourning could wait. 

Tobu, on the other hand, stopped dead in his tracks, nearly falling over as his shoes suctioned into the knee-deep mud. It took a few moments to fully process what he had seen. He just watched another human being die. A human being trained and skilled just like him. A human being just as mortal as him. The true reality of how dangerous a mission was finally crashed over him. He suddenly felt like the world itself might collapse around him. He fell to his knees in horror, shaking like a leaf and not from the ice-cold rain. 

Konohamaru watched his teammate sink to the ground. He felt bad, but this wasn’t the first time he’d seen death. This wasn’t even the first time he’d seen Bōheki dish out death before. He clasped his lone, unbroken fist over his heart, silently vowing to avenge the slain triplet and everyone else Bōheki had taken from him. 

Bōheki lifted the triplet’s body out of the crater by his foot, the body dangling from the monster’s grasp like a silk ribbon. Bōheki looked over his kill before tossing it at the feet of Team 7. 

“Another…”, Bōheki croaked with an animalistic grin. Kakashi felt his body vibrate with the thunderous sound of Bōheki’s voice. 

“Get… to the treeline…”, Kakashi repeated with a scowl, trying his best to keep his composure. The two remaining triplets finally complied and sprinted after Neji, still sulking over Hanabi’s unconscious figure. 

Maybe I can scare him off? , Kakashi wondered. He placed one hand over the mask covering his left eye, I don’t know how long I could withstand it. I’m still not at full strength. He took a deep breath before pulling the mask down, revealing the glowing scarlet Sharingan eye. He immediately felt chakra being pulled from his body by the greedy red eye.

Bōheki guffawed at the sight.

“Huh, so it is you?”, his voice thundered, “Kakashi Hatake, Kakashi of the Hidden Leaf, the Copy Ninja, Son of the White Fang?” Kakashi didn’t respond, it was nothing he hadn’t heard before. “You better put that Sharingan eye away, old man. I’m not afraid of you. You been gone a long time. And look at you! So skinny! I could snap you like a twig…”, Bōheki mocked Kakashi. Bōheki turned his eyes to the two students flanking Kakashi. He paid no mind to Tobu, who was still transfixed in shock at the corpse lying before him. 

Then, his eyes fell over Konohamaru Sarutobi, who was already glaring in return. Bōheki grinned, baring his yellow, oversized teeth. 

“I remember you…”, he grumbled, “You got caught in my ambush all those years ago. You ran . That was your family, wasn’t it. Running for their lives from their precious Leaf Village?” Konohamaru got angrier and angrier with every word. “And who was that man who tried to defend you? ‘Asuda’? ‘Asuta’?”, Bōheki mocked, bringing a sarcastically quizzical finger to his chin. Konohamaru clenched his fists, even under the cast,

“His name was ‘Asuma Sarutobi’. He was my uncle and you murdered him.”, he growled. Bōheki lt out a sinister laugh,

“That’s right… I did, didn’t I? Do you remember how he died? I do! I remember how he cowered in fear before the end. I remember how he died like a dog!”, Bōheki let out a guttural laugh, reveling in the memory of ending the Leaf jonin. 

Konohamaru seethed, roaring with anger, and charged at Bōheki.

“No! Stay back!”, Kakashi cried, but it was no use. Konohamaru tried to summon a Rasengan with his right, unbroken hand, but without the use of his left, he could only muster a miniscule sphere. It wouldn’t matter however, as Bōheki laughed, reaching out with his hulking right arm and simply plucking the Grandson off the ground and into his grasp. He held the boy aloft and grinned,

“I wonder if you’ll squish just as good as your uncle did.” Konohamaru felt immense pressure building around his ribcage. His rage continued to boil, writhing in Bōheki’s iron grasp, hoping his willpower alone would break the brute’s grip.

“Let him go!”, Kakashi yelled, a Lightning Blade sparking and shrieking to life in his hand.

The howl of the Lightning Blade was almost enough to break Tobu out of his spell. Nearly all sound ceased around the boy as he continued to stare into the face of the dead triplet. As the rain soaked into the veil covering his face, Tobu could almost make out the boy’s hollow eyes. He silently begged for any sign of life to return to them. But they cruelly continued their lifeless gaze into the sky, like two mundane, white stones.

“Tobu, wake up!”, Kakashi’s muffled voice pierced his daze. His horrified face turned to meet his teachers’. “Back me up!”, yelled the Copy Ninja, before charging with his Lightning Blade at the distracted Bōheki. What the hell am I supposed to do…? , Tobu silently whimpered.

Between the Sharingan and the Lightning Blade, Kakashi could feel his chakra reaching its limit. This fight must end quickly , he thought. As he got within striking distance of Bōheki, he reared the Lightning Blade behind his head and plunged it into the bastard’s thigh, punching through the armor and into bare flesh. 

Bōheki howled into the sky, releasing his imprisonment over Konohamaru. Kakashi recoiled from the strike, reaching out and grabbing Konohamaru by the collar and began dragging the boy away from the enraged monster. In return, Bōheki swung his fist as hard as he could in a wide arc. Kakashi was just barely fast enough on his retreat. Bōheki’s fight just barely managed to miss him, only catching the Copy Ninja’s vest in his massive swing. The vest seemed to explode on impact from the force off Kakashi's back, leaving him in just his black under-suit. Damnit! , he cursed, All my tools, scattered in the rain…

Tobu watched his teammates stumble to his side as Bōheki recovered from the Lightning Blade. Kakashi quickly jumped to his feet.

“Konohamaru, I need you to throw a smoke bomb! It’ll cover our retreat.”, he ordered. Konohamaru, still reeling from the crush, reached into his pouch to retrieve a smoke bomb. Instead, anything he pulled out was revealed to be soaked and ruined. No! The rain ruined them! , Kakashi realized. He looked up at Tobu,

“Do you have anything?”. Tobu, still standing motionless, checked his pockets, which only held the single coil of steel cable. He pulled it out, remembering Kakashi’s Lightning Beast Tracking Fang. 

“Here!”, he cried, trying to hand the cable over to Kakashi. Before he had the chance to hand it over, Bōheki finally regained his composure. The brute charged at the group, who all jumped away in different directions, surrounding Bōheki. He looked to his left, at Tobu laying on his back, and saw a perfect opportunity to cut a weak link. Before Kakashi could step in, Bōheki launched a deadly fist at Tobu. The boy’s fighting instincts kicked in, overriding his fear, and he lifted his knees up, bracing himself for the strike. 

To everyone’s shock, he managed to catch the punch with his legs. Tobu’s knees shook under the effort and he felt his reinforced femurs straining under Bōheki’s monstrous strength. He gritted his teeth and groaned with immense effort and sweat joined the raindrops pouring down his face. With all his might, Tobu pushed his legs forward, overpowering Bōheki, sending the surprised bandit stumbling backwards. Tobu scrambled to his feet, but Bōheki quickly recovered. He reared back for another punch, while Tobu braced himself. He leaned forward and put all his weight behind his shoulder, bracing and pushing back against the punch at the moment of impact. Bōheki recoiled and stumbled back again, this time truly shocked. No one, no one had ever deflected one of his punches, much less twice. 

“Who are you, boy?”, Bōheki grumbled. Tobu simply glared back. Just like in every one of his schoolyard fights, one good hit was enough to melt away the nerves. I’m ready , he thought, I’m ready to fight. He looked down to see the deceased triplet’s Leaf headband lying at his feet. He bent down and picked it up. 

“My name is Tobu.”, his voice was as steady as the steel in his hands, “And I am a shinobi of the Leaf Village.” He took a deep breath and placed the headband around his forehead, tying it as tight as he could. It felt right. He felt powerful.                         

Chapter Text

Bōheki let out a horrible, cackling laugh,

“So, you’re yet another shinobi from the puny Leaf Village. And what magic tricks do you have up your sleeves? Do you really think they’ll help?” Tobu’s brow furrowed deeper. Bōheki was right, even if he could use ninjutsu, his chances of surviving to buy his teammates enough time to retreat were slim. Get my hands on Kakashi’s chakra, then hold this bastard off while they get away. Easy. , Tobu formulated a plan in his head. He gripped the steel cables in his hands. He hooked the spool around his fingers, the top of the spool covering his knuckles, making it easier to carry them in the chaos. They were the perfect tool for handing off chakra. He just needed to get to Kakashi alive. Easier said than done.

  Tobu put his hands up in a boxing position, cables covering his right fist like a glove. 

“Why don’t you come closer and see? I’ll give you a taste of the future of the Leaf!”, he taunted Bōheki. The brute tilted his head quizzically, dumbfounded.

“So bold… I like it… Very well, here I come!”, he grunted. Bōheki leaned forward and began a hard charge directly for Tobu, his gigantic arms swinging at his side as if they were completely weightless. 

Seeing this massive bear of a man charge towards him, the fearlessness Tobu was feeling immediately fled his body. He didn’t know what he was doing. He didn’t have chakra. He couldn’t stand up to this monster of a man. He briefly considered running, saving himself. As fear threatened to compromise his plan, Kakashi’s words flooded his mind. We’re a team. And teams cover each other’s weaknesses ., he remembered. No one else can hold off Bōheki. That’s the weakness I need to cover. That’s my place on this team!, he decided. Tobu felt the familiar warm courage flood his veins once more.

As Bōheki reached out a long arm to grab him, Tobu stepped out of the way of the charge, twisted his torso, and delivered a spinning kick to Bōheki’s back as the barbarian stumbled by, sending him crashing to the ground with a furious grunt. Thanks Konohamaru! , Tobu silently thanked his teammate, remembering the tactic he had used on him. As Bōheki stumbled, Tobu closed in, fists still raised. Bōheki regained his balance and swung haphazardly around, massive fists coming straight for Tobu. The boy deftly stepped back and out of the way, before taking another confident step forward and cracking Bōheki in the ribs with a forceful punch. The monster reared back and howled in pain, before lunging forward to try and grab his assailant. Tobu jumped to his right at the last second, narrowly avoiding the grab. Tobu expected the brute to fall to the ground, but Bōheki kept his balance and swept around to try and grab him again, catching Tobu off-guard. He barely managed to catch Bōheki’s monstrous paw, as wide as he was tall, as it reached for him. He dug his heels into the mud and he wrestled against Bōheki’s palm as it surged forward after him. His heels finally gained leverage in the mud and he used all his strength and body-weight to wrench Bōheki’s wrist, spraining it. 

Bōheki howled again and pulled his hand back, hard and quick enough that he dragged Tobu with it. He stumbled forward as Bōheki hunched over his screaming wrist. He looked up and saw his chance. As Bōheki straightened up, Tobu leapt onto his chest, standing on brute’s thighs and hooking his hands under his infamous armor. 

“I think you rely too much on this armor!”, Tobu shouted and began pulling the armor away with all his weight. He pulled and pulled, leaning so far back that his back and legs were completely straight. Finally and with a loud bang, the breastplate snapped away from Bōheki’s chest, leaving only his pauldrons and greaves remaining, exposing him to the pouring rain. Bōheki roared with anger and, with nothing to brace himself, Tobu tumbled off of Bōheki’s chest and into the mud.

Immediately, he sprang to his feet, tossing the breastplate aside and charging in for another attack on the staggered brute. With every fiber of his being, he launched an upper-cut into Bōheki’s stomach. The bandit lurched forward with a sickening grunt and splashed into the mud, motionless. I actually took him down! , Tobu cheered. But he knew it wasn’t over.  

Once Bōheki was stuck in the mud, Tobu began a full-tilt sprint after Kakashi, who was still recovering from jumping away from Bōheki. He began un-spooling the wire as he ran, shoes sinking deeper into the mud, so he could throw the length at Kakashi to catch. He could already feel the enraged Bōheki dragging himself to his feet. 

“Kakashi! Catch!”, Tobu reared his hand behind his head and launched the end of the cable after Kakashi, letting the spool run over his knuckles. 

Kakashi turned his head, barely hearing his student over the roar of the heavy rain. In the faint light that barely pierced through the clouds, he could see the glint of the steel cable sailing towards him. Still on his knees, he leaned forward and extended his arm to catch it, raindrops dripping off his finger tips. All his focus was on the cable, his Sharigan eye tracking it through the rain. He never saw it coming.

Just as the cable was about to fall gracefully into his hand, a boulder-sized fist closed over Tobu’s figure, like an uncaring god plucking out their victim and dragging them down into hell. Kakashi could not comprehend what he was seeing. He could only watch as Bōheki pulled Tobu away, the cable whipping in the rain-soaked air. Tobu let out a blood-curdling scream and Kakashi realized he was about to watch one of his students die.

Again .

Bōheki raised the boy over his head, raising his arm and twisting his body around, and slammed Tobu into the ground behind him with a thunderous crash. All hope left the Copy Ninja. He watched Tobu’s motionless body sink into the mud. Every second that Tobu didn’t move crawled past, only to painfully herald another second that seemed to confirm Kakashi’s worst fear. He had failed. He lets his head sink in shame. 

He almost doesn’t process the signature, bizzare sound of a Rasengan spiraling to life next to him. He slowly looked over to see a seething Konohamaru, on one knee, grinding his teeth in anger and effort, conjuring the biggest Rasengan he possibly could. His cast had melted off in the rain and, through the pain, his broken hand flexed over the other and the Rasengan spiraled to life. I can’t let him die alone , Kakashi resigned, the familiar cold dread washing over him, like a blanket mercifully draped over a dead body. He opened his right hand and a Lightning Blade sparked to life. He gave a sullen nod to Konohamaru, who nodded in reply, the blue Rasengan lighting up his rageful snarl in the dark rain.

The pair rose to their feet as Bōheki continued to lord over Tobu’s broken body. 

“ Hey! ’, Konohamaru screamed. Bōheki slowly turned around to face the steadfast pair. “Our turn!”, the Grandson snarled. Bōheki laughed and took a single step towards them, before a thundering force crashed into him, shaking the very air in the clearing. 

Bōheki fell to one knee while chakra splashed over his back and rose up, dissipating into the air. 

Hanabi Hyuga stood over Tobu’s corpse, one arm extended with her palm out. She recovered from the genjutsu? Just in time! , Kakashi thought, hope beginning to crawl its way back into his heart. He placed his free hand over the radio transmitter resting on his neck and pushed the button.

“Hanabi, how does Tobu look?”, he spoke into his microphone. As Bōheki recovered from Hanabi’s attack, Kakashi saw her kneel over him and place her palm on his forehead. She remained still for a moment before her hand rose to her neck. 

“ I’m not sure. He’s not moving. ”, Kakashi heard her voice crackle through the rain. Damnit! , Kakashi cursed. He saw Bōheki starting to rise to his feet. Time was running out. He pressed the radio button again.

“Can you use the 64 Palms?”, he asked urgently. Hanabi replied immediately,

“Yes, of course. Distract him and I can put him down”. 

“Got it!”, Kakashi affirmed. He placed a reassuring hand on Konohamaru’s shoulder and looked him in the eye. “Together!”, he yelled through the rain. 

Bōheki struggled to his feet, his strength only just beginning to fail him. He spun around to face his newest combatant, but was dumbfounded to see she had vanished into thin air. He spun around again, enraged, to face Kakashi and Konohamaru. 

“I’m getting real sick of this, White Fang!”, he screamed. With great effort, he brought both behemoth fists above his head, took a deep, heaving breath, and swung them down to slam into Kakashi and Konohamaru. The pair jumped away just in time, leaping in opposite directions away from the impact. In unison, they ran to both of Bōheki’s exposed flanks while the brute was recovering from the massive attack. At once, they both plunged their respective jutsu’s into the hardened muscle of Bōheki’s chest. Kakashi’s second Lightning Blade of the day ran deep into Bōheki’s flesh, while the wild force of Konohamaru’s Rasengan bounced and repelled against his effort like two matching magnets. Konohamaru gritted his teeth and pushed his Rasengan forward as hard as he could. He clasped his broken hand over the wrist propelling the Rasengan. It ached and protested, it felt like it might explode from the chakra flow, but Konohamaru continued to push into Bōheki’s ribs. 

With a great explosion, Konohamaru’s Rasengan collapsed, sending all the barely-contained force both into Bōheki and Konohamaru, breaking his other hand. Kakashi pulled his Lightning Blade from Bōheki’s rib and let it dissipate. As he pulled it out, the brute howled with pain and stumbled away from the devastating two-pronged attack. The two ducked out of the way, knowing what was coming next. 

As if appearing from nowhere, Hanabi stepped around the reeling Bōheki. She set her feet apart and bent her knees. Her face had a stone-hard scowl, never flinching as the rain ran down over her forehead and into the pure white eyes of the Byakugan. The veins around her eye sockets bulged and she took a strong step toward her target, ready to pounce. She let out a steady breath and muttered,

“Gentle Fist: Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms.” She extended the pointer and middle finger of both of her fists and readied her attack. She stabbed her pointed fingers into each of Bōheki’s pressure points. “Two palms! Four palms! Eight palms!”, she cried with each strike. Every impact into Bōheki’s body recoiled him back as if he were being struck by mountain-sized boulders. He back-peddaled, tripping over his own feet, only being kept upright by the sheer force of Hanabi’s assault. “Sixteen palms! Thirty-two palms!”, Hanabi continued, leaving Bōheki no time to breath and no chance to counter-attack. She braced herself for the final attack and put all her weight into the final strike. “Sixty-four palms!”, she finished with the last devastating strike of the Gentle Fist. The blow landed with such concussive force that Bōheki was knocked back into the treeline and slammed his back into the hard wood of an oak tree.

Hanabi advanced with deadly speed and jabbed her fist into Bōheki’s face, ready for his next move. She could hear Kakashi and Konohamaru approaching from behind to back her up. All she had to do was make sure he didn’t go anywhere while they readied an escape. Somehow, that monster of a man was still conscious, and the first thing out of his mouth was another of his trademark hearty laughs. 

“The Sixty-Four Palms?”, his voice rumbled, “Congratulations! I may not use chakra, but you did succeed in immobilizing me! Looks like I’m in a rough spot.” Hanabi’s brow furrowed, still catching her breath from the strenuous attack. “Too bad I don’t need to move much to do this !”, Bōheki yelled as he darted his hand out, grabbing the panicked Hanabi by the waist, spinning her around, and pinning her against his chest in a head-lock. 

“ No! ”, Kakashi yelled, nearly tripping over his own feet in shock. Him and Konohamaru froze in place, not risking a single movement that might provoke the monster before them. About thirty feet separated Bōheki from the pair. Kakashi knew neither of them were fast enough to close that distance before Bōheki snapped Hanabi’s neck like a pencil. 

“Now, White Fang, I need something from you, you need something from me. Hows’ about we strike a deal?”, Bōheki smugly muttered. 

“Oh yeah? And what did you have in mind?”, Kakashi asked, voice shaky. Bōheki belted out a giddy laugh, the genius of his plan dawning upon him.

“You all come quietly with me. You get to live, I get to live, and I get to sell you back to the Leaf Village for a nice profit. How does that sound?”, he asked, clearly rhetorically. Kakashi didn’t fall for Bōheki’s ruse for even a second. Even if the Leaf Village could afford to buy us back, there’s no way he’d let us walk away alive! , he thought. His mind swam, frantically looking for options but only finding dead ends. Konohamaru looked like he was on the verge of a panic attack and Kakashi felt like he was right behind him. What the hell do I do?!” , they both trembled. 

Tobu slowly opened his eyes. Fat raindrops splashed into his pupils and he scrunched his nose in discomfort. He let out a wheezing breath and felt pain wash over his being. An all-consuming, all-encompassing pain that didn’t begin or end at any one point on his body. Mud and blood caked his face. His wet jet black hair clung to his face. His eyes felt hot and swollen. He was having trouble keeping the left one open and the rain did nothing to cool the pain.  He tried to sit up and felt all his ribs simultaneously protesting with white, hot anger. In the muddy pain, he felt the briefest sense of self-pity before his mind cast itself back to the day's events.

He had no idea how much time had passed. The last thing he remembered was being thrown into the mud. He remembered the white flash of the impact and he remembered everything going dark. He remembered the helpless feeling of being tossed through the air. 

The team… , he wondered. He had no idea if they were alive or not. Don’t be stupid. They’re obviously alive. And they need your help. , he thought to himself, willing himself to get up through the pain. His hands still stuck in the mud, he pushed through the aching, searing pain and finally sat up. He couldn’t feel any broken bones, but he was bruised and bloodied in several places. He brought one knee up and bent the other, verifying both his legs still worked. The rain ran over his face, but it did little to wash away the bloody mud stuck to his face. 

He freed his left hand from the mud and brought it up to wipe his face, only for every hair on his neck to stand on end. Arcing across his the bruised fingers of his left hand were several bright blue, almost white, bolts of lightning. Enveloping his hand was a gauntlet of humming lightning chakra. The brilliant glow shone into his eyes and he almost needed to squint from its brilliance. He freed his right hand to see it was likewise glowing with a lightning transformation. 

Tobu’s mouth hung agape and his eyes were even wider than dinner plates. As he stretched and flexed his radiating hand, the remaining length of the steel cable fell from between his fingers like a silk ribbon and joined the rest of the spool in the mud. Still, the chakra remained blanketing his hand, never wavering.

Suddenly, he remembered something from the moments before Bōheki grabbed him. Kakashi never caught the cable… , he remembered. He took a moment to process the realization before it clicked and he shouted,

“This is my chakra!”. His voice wasn’t carried far in the pouring rain, but that didn’t stop excitement from bursting forth in his heart and drowning out the pain of his wounds. He leapt to his feet and his eyes scanned over the rained-out clearing. He quickly spotted Kakashi and Konohamaru, then Bōheki holding Hanabi hostage. All the excitement he felt was quickly replaced with dread. Without a second thought, he took off sprinting to aid his team.

Kakashi stood as still as he could, primitively hoping that imitating a statue would stave off provoking the beast before him. Konohamaru did the same, but he felt his nerve wavering. They couldn’t just stand there forever. Hanabi gasped for air under Bōheki’s iron grip, clawing at his massive fore-arms, naively trying to gain any purchase from the monster. 

Suddenly, Bōheki’s smug expression turned to one of disbelief. He loosened his grip on Hanabi, letting her fall into a coughing fit into the mud, before his expression changed again. This time, horror bent his face and his breathing turned rapid and shallow. Kakashi squinted, struggling to see what Hanabi may have done to the poor guy. 

He saw that Bōheki’s eyes had turned to something behind him and Konohamaru. As he realized this, he began to hear squashing footsteps approaching from behind him. He assumed the worst. Reinforcements, another bandit camp, whatever it was, it wasn’t good news for Team 7. 

Kakashi turned to see what looked like a dead body walking upright. Beaten, broken, bruised, covered almost entirely head to toe in a sickeningly familiar mix of blood and mud. The figure’s eyes were nearly swollen shut, but as soon as they met Kakashi’s, recognition sparked across his face. Kakashi’s eyes widened as if they had just spotted a ghost and they may as well have. Were it not for those eyes, and the Leaf headband, Kakashi would have no trouble believing he was looking at a genuine monster. Before him, somehow, stood Tobu. 

Almost completely forgetting about Bōheki, Kakashi turned to face his newly living student. He reached out for him and croaked,

“Tobu…?”. Slowly and painfully, the boy reached out and brushed Kakashi’s hand away.

“Later… Right now, I need you to hand me a Lightning Blade. I know how to end this.”, he replied, breathlessly. Kakashi began to stutter out a reply, but, just about ready to believe anything, summoned a Lightning Blade into his hand. He reached out as Tobu placed his left hand over his own and let the Lightning Blade transfer over to the boy.  

Tobu let the jutsu settle in his hand, the same warm glow of lightning chakra he felt the month before washing over him. This time, he wasn’t going to let it grow out of control. This time, he had to get it right. He let the Lightning Blade oscillate and spin in his hand, silently striking a deal with the jutsu. Help me out here… , he begged before bringing his left hand out, fingers splayed apart, reaching out and letting it face Bōheki.

For his part, Bōheki was in utter disbelief. He began clawing at his face in terror, trying to shield his eyes from their horrid sight. He screamed,

“I killed you! I saw it! You were dead! What are you?!”. Tobu simply shut one eye over and lined Bōheki up in his sight, as if he were aiming a slingshot at a clay pot. 

“You won’t make it! He’s too far away! He’ll grab Hanabi and kill her before you can get to him!”, Konohamaru pleaded with his teammate. Tobu never faltered in his focus.

“Just trust me.”, he steadily muttered. He let all distractions fade away and solely focused on his targets. The Lightning Blade, the raindrops, and Bōheki of the Armor. He visualized what he wanted and tried his best to manifest it into reality.

I know. I’ll call it: “Lightning Style: Split Cloud Spear”. , he thought to himself.

As a large raindrop splashed onto his index finger, he released the Lightning Blade and hoped for the best. 

Instantly and rather painfully, Tobu’s arm recoiled back as the jutsu shot out into the air towards Bōheki. It sailed through the air for about a meter before it cracked, dissipating into a surging wave, a lightshow of what looked to be a million different bolts of lightning, each finding their targets. The bolts arced through the air and into each individual raindrop as they fell to the ground. They bounced from raindrop to raindrop, again and again, closing in on Bōheki.

During what was already an unbelievable day, Kakashi was once again left stunned in disbelief. He remembered just a few days ago, when the boy had asked him if such as thing as this was even possible. What if it’s raining? Could you bounce a lightning jutsu between raindrops, or something? That’d be so cool! , Tobu’s words rang in Kakashi’s ears. 

At the time, he dismissed it as a wild fantasy. But now, he knew not to doubt Tobu anymore. That boy… , he thought, is a force of fucking nature! . 

As the bolts sailed through the rain and closed in on the howling Bōheki, they collapsed back into a Lightning Blade and crashed into his exposed chest. He screeched in pain and stumbled back, grasping his burning chest.

“ Get him! Go get him! Get him on the ground! ”, Tobu yelled and began charging after the staggered Bōheki. Hanabi scrambled to her feet and at once Kakashi and Konohamaru took off in kind. At the same time, Hanabi and Tobu slammed their shoulders into Bōheki’s stomach, knocking the titan back, but not enough. In the next instant, Kakashi and Konohamaru caught up and did the same. As one, Team 7 pushed and wrestled their weight into Bōheki. As one, they surged forward until the brute finally keeled over onto his back. Tobu climbed onto his sternum and angrily delivered a concussive knock-out blow directly to Bōheki’s disgusting nose. 

The exhausted monster, stripped of his armor, finally fell silent, unconscious. Team 7 rolled away from his body. Kakashi rose to his feet, Konohamaru and Hanabi struggled to their knees, and Tobu lay on his back in the mud, limbs splayed out. All were breathing hard, worn out, beaten up, but alive. 

Chapter Text

Neji Hyuga sat atop Bōheki’s unconscious body, a petulant scowl twisting his face. His hands rested on his knees and his stare burned a burrow into the dirt beneath him. He faced toward the treeline, away from Team 7, his cousin, and his Team 3. Especially Team 3. The two surviving members knelt beside their fallen brother, each doing their best, and failing, to choke back quiet sobs. 

Team 7 paid the sulking Neji no regard, especially Hanabi, instead staying quiet and standing a respectful distance away as Team 3 said their final goodbyes. They had each removed their veils, wordlessly abandoning the doctrine of their absent teacher. Even the broken face of the fallen triplet hailed the sky, uncovered, as it finally broke through the dark rain clouds.

Tobu stared, unblinkingly, into the eyes of the late triplet. Those eyes repaid the courtesy. Thin, shoulder-length, platinum blonde hair fell from the boy's effeminate face into the mud beneath him. The face didn’t have a single sharp edge to it and were it not for the blood seeping into his eyes or out of his mouth, Tobu could’ve swore he was looking at an angel. 

In his silent stupor, he felt a pang of nausea ripple through his stomach and turned away, becoming the first person since the fight ended to pay Neji and Bōheki any attention.

“Is he…?”, he began to ask, adjusting the headband he still wore on his forehead. Kakashi, knowing damn well Tobu wasn’t asking about the triplet, replied.

“No, he sure is out cold though.”, he answered, also turning away from the all-too familiar sight before him. “I guess we will be collecting on that bounty after all.” He sarcastically hoped Neji was satisfied with himself. Konohamaru also turned and asked,

“Well, how’re we going to do that? The Leaf Village probably can’t afford to pay it out and the Sand Village is a while away.” Kakashi sighed in reply, granting the problem before them some presence in his mind. His eyes sank into Neji’s back, who still refused to acknowledge anyone but himself. Forget that , he thought before turning on his heels and striding towards the mourning triplets. He stopped before them and knelt beside them, placing a supportive hand on one of their shoulders.

“Do you guys want to stay here a while longer?”, he asked, softly. One of them caught their breath and sniffling reply,

“Yes, we do.”. Kakashi gave another soft reply,

“Ok…”, before standing back up and weaving a series of hand signs. Before their very eyes, a great and noble looking hawk sprang to life on Kakashi’s wrist, holding a rolled up piece of parchment in its razor sharp talon. “I’m going to send a message to the Sand Village’s Bounty Office so they can come pick Bōheki up. Can you keep an eye on him while they’re on the way?”, Kakashi gracefully requested. Both triplets replied with sullen nods. Kakashi felt a little bad asking for a favor after everything that happened, but the job had to be done. 

He scrawled a short letter into the parchment, noting their location and the situation, before addressing it to the Bounty Office and sending the hawk on its way. As the sound of the heavy flaps of the hawks' wings faded into the sky, Kakashi once again turned his gaze downwards to the triplets. You should apologize , he told himself. It was partially his fault. He provided the distraction Bōheki needed to strike. 

“I’m sorry.”, he silently mouthed the words under his mask, not daring to let them come to life. They didn’t taste right in his mouth. He decided there was enough sorrow for today. “Good luck guys…”, he sighed before turning and leaving the triplets to their peace.

As Kakashi walked back to rejoin Team 7, he saw Hanabi still staring at the triplets, her bottom lip only just beginning to quiver and her infamously steady brow beginning to bend. He turned to stop in front of her, blocking her view of the body.

“It’s not your fault.”, he reassured her. Her eyes slammed hard shut, trapping the solitary tear that threatened to escape her grasp and fall down her stoic face. “ I neglected to train you in genjutsu resistance and Neji made a stupid decision. None of that is on you.”, he continued.

After a second, her eyelids slowly opened and she returned his gaze, her lip just barely remaining motionless. He patted her on the shoulder and turned to walk away, sighing. He had to learn to be content not being able to solve every problem everyday. Needless death would bother her for the rest of her life, just like it would for him. Not much he could do about that now. 

In contrast to Hanabi’s face, Kakashi saw Konohamaru’s stood as still as stone. He remembered this wasn’t his first time dealing with death. Tobu also stood fast, but it was clear to Kakashi that he was barely holding himself together. He approached the pair and was immediately inundated with questions.

“So, what’s the plan?”, Konohamaru asked.

“What’s going to happen to them? After all this?”, Tobu asked a second later, his gaze returning to the grieving triplets. Kakashi sighed,

“They are going to stay here and watch over Bōheki until the Sand’s Bounty Office arrives. Should only be a few hours. They can keep him under a genjutsu until then.” Tobu looked unsatisfied, so Kakashi continued, “As for what will happen to Team 3: it’s obviously not up to me. But teams that lose one of their members usually get disbanded, especially when it’s a student.” As Kakashi watched the answer sink into Tobu’s mind, he let it sink into his own. Yet another asset to the Leaf Village is gone… because of me , he thought. He bashed himself for being so self-deprecating, but he couldn’t help it. Old habits die hard and, cruelly, the unhealthiet ones die the hardest. 

 Kakashi let out another deep sigh as Hanabi finally joined her teammates. Seeing all of their faces looking up at his, Kakashi could finally see through the grief and sorrow of the day. At least they were all alive and safe. 

“The mission… was it a success?”, Hanabi asked. Kakashi was relieved to hear her speaking after the state he found her in earlier. He shrugged,

“Not really. We were only sent here for simple reconnaissance.” He saw three pairs of shoulders drop in unison. “ But , it wasn’t a total failure. Without their leader, that bandit camp will likely scatter. The Leaf countryside is going to be much safer because of us.”, he finished. Tobu finally spoke up with a question,

“So, isn’t that a success?”. Kakashi shook his head,

“It’s hard to say. We’ll know more when we debrief Lady Tsunade. Things aren’t so black and white in this business, buddy.” That was enough to push Tobu nearly over the edge. He spun around, not allowing his team to see the frustration building on his face. He frantically ran his fingers through his hair as he grappled with a thousand rampant thoughts at once. Ironically, it was becoming clear just how unclear being a shinobi was. In just his first mission, he had been betrayed by another team, watched a fellow shinobi die, and now he was being told it may have been all for naught. 

Pointless death, ridiculous bureaucracy, and ambiguity were the tools of the trade for a modern shinobi. Kakashi knew there was nothing “modern” about that set of tools. He watched his student grapple with the reality of his new life. Yet another thing he couldn’t help with. 

“C’mon guys, we should head back to camp. We’re going to pack up and head home. There’s nothing left for us here.”, he ordered his team. 

Konohamaru fell out immediately and headed through the trees towards their camp. Tobu let his hands sink down over his face until the tips of his fingers covered his mouth, still awash in thought. 

“Son of a bitch…”, he muttered, breathlessly, and followed Konohamaru. He let heavy, careless footprints bruise the earth beneath him in his frustration. Kakashi saw Hanabi glance over to her cousin, still sulking over Bōheki. He decided to move on with his other students. They had a lot to talk about.

Team 7 watched as the massive wooden gates of the Leaf Village groaned open. 

“Let’s meet with the Hokage quickly and then we can all go home. I’ll let you guys have the week off. I know it’s been a hard couple of days.”, Kakashi declared. The prospect of having a full week off of training would usually exhilarate the students, but Kakashi watched as not a single joyful expression flashed across any of their faces. Not any expression, of any kind, for that matter. They were still a bit numb, and exhausted, from the mission. 

Team 7 made their way down the main road to the Hokage Mansion. Kakashi was relieved to feel the familiar cobblestone street of the Leaf Village beneath his feet. It had been years since he was away from the Village for so long. He had never imagined he’d ever get homesick, but here he was.

What was less familiar was the ornate horse-drawn carriage sitting outside the mansion. Two heavy draft horses stood in front of the huge wooden box, a luxurious mix of ebony and mahogany wood. On the door of the carriage, Kakashi spied the symbol of the Sand Village. Dignitaries? Merchants? The Kazekage? , he wondered. Outside the carriage, a tall and slender man in a rather sharp black suit and holding a wooden clipboard to his side spoke to Lady Tsunade. She seemed to be stressfully pleading with the man, her face turning bright red as she was beginning to raise her voice. As Team 7 got closer, she noticed them approaching and gave them a relieved look as if they were her brave saviors.

“Look! There they are! So can you get out of my hair now?”, she asked sarcastically. The man flicked her an irritated side-eye before, much to Kakashi’s shock and concern, began approaching them . Close up, Kakashi noted the man’s dark olive complexion, no doubt from years spent under the harsh Sand Village sun. He also noticed the Sand’s symbol embroidered on his tie. Whoever the man was, he was from money.

The man halted before Kakashi and quickly looked him over.

“Kakashi Hatake of Team 7?”, he asked with a sharp, all-business inflection. Kakashi ushered his students behind him with a protective elbow.

“Uh, yeah? How may I help you?”, he cautiously asked. The man cocked a well-trimmed eyebrow and looked over his clipboard before giving a small bow. 

“I am Kenzo of the Sand Village Bounty Office. I stand here today to award you, and your constituents, the lump sum of twenty million ryō for the successful capture of the A-Rank criminal known as ‘Bōheki of the Armor’.”, he replied. 

“ Twenty million?! ”, the genin shouted in disbelief. For his part, Kakashi was also stunned. It had been a while since he had checked the Bingo Book, but he never expected Bōheki’s bounty to rise so high. 

Kenzo placed a gloved fist over his lips and politely cleared his throat before continuing,

“The aforementioned lump sum has been divided between the four of you, five million each of course, and delivered to your places of residence. Thank you very much and have a wonderful afternoon.” Then, just as quickly as he arrived, Kenzo climbed onto his carriage and rode off towards the man gate. Tobu gave a quiet gasp and nearly tripped over himself as the thundering hooves of the draft horses passed them. Amused, Kakashi realized this may be the first time Tobu had ever seen a horse. 

Team 7 stood in stunned silence for a moment before Konohamaru spoke up.

“ Five million ?”, he asked under his breath. “Does that mean we’re rich?”, he asked again. Kakashi turned to meet the still red-faced and infuriated face of Lady Tsunade. He sighed, letting his shoulders drop and his hands sink deeper into his pockets.

“For now.”, he sighed again.    

“You’re calling that a mission failure?!”, Konohamaru asked, raising his voice as high as he figured Lady Tsunade would tolerate. “We ended the threat of the bandit camp and we captured their leader, the same guy who murdered Uncle Asuma!” Tsunade scowled and rapped her fingers on the table, barely tolerating the verbal tirade. When the boy finally quieted down, she gave him a sarcastic moment before taking her turn.

“You done?”, she asked. Konohamaru clenched his fists in anger. “It’s a mission failure because the whole point in your mission was to survey the bandit camp, not break in and take them down. The Sand Village had an entire task force and a carefully-laid plan for just such a move and now the time and money they used to organize that has been wasted.” Konohamaru rolled his eyes and Tsunade shifted to try and appease the boy, and his teammates as a whole. “Besides, there’s no way they’d pay for the mission and Bōheki’s bounty. It was one or the other, just be glad it was the latter, cause that paid a whole lot more.” Konohamaru seemed to cool down, but the silent Kakashi didn’t let it go that easily.

“That doesn’t settle things. What’s going to happen to Team 3? And Team 14?”, he asked, remembering Tobu’s question. Tsunade sighed,

“Team 14 is gone. Their C-Rank mission went sour. We don’t have the details yet…” Abject shock wracked every member of Team 7. Just like that, an entire team died, wiped out. As quickly as they had appeared, before they could ever get to know them, they were gone. After a quiet, mournful moment, Tsunade continued, “As for Team 3… Hell, Kakashi, the triplets lost a brother and their parents lost a son. They packed their bags and left, just like everyōne else has. They had immense potential and now the actions of one of my top Jonin has ruined that. Were it not for the fact that Neji is an immense asset to this village and Hyuga family’s support, I’d have him charged for criminal negligence and tossed in prison.” Hanabi stepped forward and her regal voice rang out like a soothing tuning fork over the tense room.

“I assure you that the Hyuga family takes the situation very seriously and that he will be thoroughly addressed for his actions.”, she said to Tsunade. Kakashi raised an eyebrow. He never realized just how well-trained and well-suited she was for the throne of the Hyuga bloodline. Caring for Hinata clearly worked wonders on her emotional development. He wished her other teammates would pick up on her maturity.

“Thank you, Hanabi. As always, I find myself relying on your family for stability and support.”, Tsunade gracefully replied without a hint of a condescending tone. She genuinely considered Hanabi to be a diplomat and a leader. She met Kakashi’s eyes again before continuing, “There’s another issue…”. She leaned down to a drawer on her desk, pulled it open, and retrieved a blank check before placing it on her desk, facing Team 7. “The purpose of your mission was to pay for the Chunin Exams. However, since your mission was ‘technically’ a failure and you guys are the only remaining team, we have a bit of a funding problem.”

It dawned on Kakashi that, very suddenly, they were, at least according to Lady Tsunade, the only remaining team worth assessing for Chunin promotion. With what amounted to a zero percent mission success rate, Kakashi knew the reason behind their consideration wasn’t a result of their merit. He turned to look at Tobu, who’s eyes were scanning the paper check, and he knew the actual reason. It made him sick to his stomach. 

“What do you need from us?”, he asked. Lady Tsunade sighed before replying,

“I propose that you guys donate Bōheki’s bounty to the village to pay for your Chunin Exam. It’ll pay for just about everything, except the written portion which I don’t think is necessary anyway, and it’s the only way I can secure you guys a chance at a formal promotion.”. Kakashi didn’t hesitate.

“Absolutely. Take my share.”, he declared. Hanabi came second,

“And mine too. I have no need for the money.”. Konohamaru held his hands on his hips and nodded. He hadn’t even thought about the money at all. Tobu nervously rubbed the back of his head, considering the heaping pile of meat, candy, and soda he could buy with all that money, before letting his hand fall to his side and slap his leg in resignation.

“Fine! Take mine too!”, he belted out before he could consider it any longer. Tsunade eyed the boy’s headband with suspicion.  

Kakashi grabbed Lady Tsunade’s pen and filled out the check. Then, as one team, they signed it. Kakashi couldn’t remember the last time he felt so proud.

“Now, there is one more thing I need to talk to you about, Kakashi.”, Tsunade said. “The rest of you can leave the room. Enjoy your time off.” The three genin looked up at their teacher, who nodded in affirmation, before quietly leaving the room.

“What else is going on?”, Kakashi asked nervously. He could tell it was likely bad news from the way Tsunade was dodging his gaze. She placed both her palms flat on the table and let out a heavy sigh.

“I want… I will be placing Tobu under the partial custody of another instructor.”, she replied. Kakashi could scarcely believe his own ears.

“ What ?”, he asked with thick, disbelieving words.

“Kakashi, he’s not moving fast enough.”, Tsunade rattled out a quick reply, trying to out-run Kakashi’s rapid anger. “I know you care about him, but I read the report. An entire month of training and someone like him should’ve been able to squash Bōheki like a bug.” She spoke quickly, but it made Kakashi grow even angrier.

“He’s moving as fast as he needs to! He created an entire ninjutsu on his own, the youngest shinobi in history to do so! What more do you want from him?!”, he raised his voice. 

“ More , Kakashi! I want more ! You saw his clothes soaked in blood, Orochimaru’s blood. He damn near killed the bastard when he was eight years old . Imagine what he could do now if we just push him a little further.”, Tsunade yelled in reply. Kakashi could not believe what he was hearing. “Orochimaru could attack any day. He could attack tomorrow and we have nothing to stop him. Tobu hurt him badly enough, as a child , to put a stop to his plans for the last three years. We need him to do it again and to put a stop to him for good.”, she continued. Kakashi's eyes felt heavy. He forced himself to resign to the situation. He saw there was no talking her out of this. No protecting Tobu, or any of his students, from the reality of the shinobi. They would be soldiers. They would be weapons. Even if they weren’t old enough to drink yet. This was the reality of the world they made for themselves. He had no one to blame but the occupants of the room they both stood in. 

This is our fault… my fault… , he thought to himself.  

“He’s still a ‘child’...”, he replied quietly. Regret flashed over Tsunade’s face. Kakashi simply stared into her eyes, looking more like he was looking directly into her hollow soul. “Who do you have in mind as this other ‘instructor’?”, he asked sullenly. She sighed and slumped back into her chair, ready for another verbal pounding after her answer.

“Danzo Shimura…”, she replied. Kakashi furrowed his brow as if he were in immense pain. He slammed his eyes shut from the world and turned his head away, ready to be sick. He let his eyes dip to the floor before replying,

“Tsunade… what are you doing?”. Her answer seemed to hurt her almost as much as it hurt Kakashi.

“I know… You know what he’s capable of. What kind of power he can pull out of a shinobi”, she replied. Kakashi remembered his days in Danzo’s Anbu. 

“Power… that’s what we’re calling it?”, he muttered. He tried to muster up the strength to recant Lady Tsunade’s orders, but the sickness in his stomach fought back with equal strength. 

“We need this, Kakashi. Don’t hold him back too…” she assured him. 

Don’t hold him back… Don’t push him too far…, he agonized. It made his head spin. Dizzily, he turned on his heels and stumbled for the door. He didn’t bother replying or bidding farewell to Tsunade. 

He simply opened the door and walked through, feeling his whole world crumble before him.

Again.

* The Next Day*

Kakashi and Tobu stood outside the Anbu Headquarters. Danzo’s personal training grounds, his playground as Kakashi knew it. He held his hands in his pockets, shamefully hiding his shaking wrists from Tobu. He knew what Tobu was about to go through and it still made him sick to stomach that he was allowing it. 

“Boss, who exactly is this guy?”, Tobu asked, nervously tugging on his headband. Kakashi felt his own anxiety being reflected back at him in Tobu’s tone. The boy was afraid and Kakashi couldn’t help. He had broken bones, torn muscles, been pushed to his absolute limit, and still, this felt almost as bad.

“Danzo Shimura.”, Kakashi choked out a reply, “Leader of the Anbu Black Ops and the secretive Root Program. He’s also one of my former instructors. He’s a good teacher.”. He nearly coughed up those last four words. Any hope that he could keep himself together nearly shattered as Tobu asked,

“Why am I training under him now?”. Kakashi sighed and let out a fake, pathetic laugh,

“You’re special, kiddo. You have the potential to become the most powerful shinobi the world has ever seen! It only makes sense we should be giving you all the training you can handle.” His words made him feel fake, disgusting even. He looked down and saw they had no effect on Tobu. The boy looked back up at him, still not understanding. He sighed again, “It’s only three days out of the week. The rest, you'll be with me and the others.”, he finished. 

        He didn’t seem to like it, but he seemed to understand, for the most part. Still, he had another question,

“Why can’t I just stay with you?”. Kakashi began to stutter out an answer, but found no words to deludedly spew forth. He stood for a moment, silent.

Before he could muster up an answer, the front door to the headquarters cracked open and the bandaged figure of Danzo Shimura strode out. Kakashi was about as happy to see him as we would be to see a fire-breathing dragon. He approached slowly and steadily, like a bear stalking a deer. 

Pain piled on top of pain as Kakashi pushed Tobu out of his hiding spot behind his back. Every muscle and fiber in his body screamed at him to not allow this. 

Danzo stopped a few paces away from the pair and let his raspy, sleazy voice known to the world.

“The bio-mutant known as Tobu, I presume?”, he croaked.

“Bio-mutant?”, Tobu asked, voice shaking.

“He’s a human boy .”, Kakashi growled, “And he’s here for his first three day training session. I trust you’ll take good care of him.”, trying to convey a thousand curses behind relatively kind words. 

Danzo briefly flashed a scowl at Kakashi before returning his trademark, creeping gaze to Tobu.

“Why don’t you head inside, boy? I’ll join you in just a moment.”, he said to Tobu. The boy again looked to Kakashi, begging for guidance. Kakashi tried to scream “I’m sorry” through his eyes before nudging the boy forward. 

Tobu nervously walked past the pair, stopping before the door and slowly opening it and closing it behind him. 

Once the door was fully shut, Danzo finally turned to Kakashi and took a step closer.

“Kakashi Hatake, it’s been too lo-”, he tried to say before Kakashi shot his hand out, clasping it over Danzo’s chin and mouth before wrenching him closer until their foreheads nearly touched.

“I remember what you do here, Danzo. Believe me when I say: If you hurt that boy, not even Tsunade will be able to protect you from me. Do I make myself clear?”, he growled, trying to physically push his words through Danzo’s thick skull. 

He shoved Danzo away and the old man stumbled backwards a step before regaining his composure, looking none too pleased. He straightened his robe before regarding Kakashi’s rage for a moment.

“I’ll have him back at sunrise, the day after tomorrow. Good day, sir.”, was all he muttered before he slithered back into his cave.

Kakashi returned home.

The next three days each passed like years.      

Chapter Text

Tobu trudged through the streets of Konoha, alone. His shoulders sagged, his hands rested in his pockets, and the setting sun lit the bags under his eyes in a warm glow. All he could think about after three long days of Danzo’s mentorship was his comfortable bed at home.

He certainly didn’t want to think about Danzo’s training. The complete opposite of Kakashi, Danzo was tough, impatient, and the things he showed Tobu scared the poor boy. By the end of the first day, he had resolved to block everything out and just push through until he could get back to Team 7, get back to Kakashi.

It hadn’t dawned on him that such three-day ordeals would persist every week until the Chunin Exams were over, at least. Three days of what felt like cruelty. Was it cruelty? Who was he to judge? He couldn’t remember anything from beyond three years ago. He had no experiences to gauge anything with. Who was he to claim Danzo’s training method was any more valid than Kakashi?

Kakashi… Kakashi wasn’t there when Danzo released him.

He didn’t want to think about that right now. Right now, he was solely focused on keeping his eyes shut on his long march home.

As he turned the corner onto the main street, deserted as it was at this hour, he spied what looked like a comic book stand. He stood in front of it for a moment. He hadn’t been gone very long, but the familiar sight of a comic book stand filled his heart with something it had never felt. He struggled to place it, only getting lost in its warmth. 

Suddenly, he spotted a particular comic, tucked away, like it was hidden from view behind the rest of the stand, “Hoshi and the Great Escape!”. On the cover, stood a particularly heroic, and angry, looking man in front of a monstrous bear. The cover was very exciting, but reading the title sparked a memory from the back of his head. 

He carefully picked the comic up from its hiding place and thumbed through the first couple of pages. Yeah, this is it! , he thought. He remembered someone gushing about it, about how much they wanted it and how it was out of stock everywhere they looked. He remembered a certain date coming up. 

He looked around and, seeing no one, reached into his pocket and placed a handful of ryō on the wooden stand. He didn’t bother checking how much, he was ready to get home. 

He held the comic book at this side and tugged at his headband, trying his best to keep his eyes open on his walk home. He barely had the energy to keep his head up and it wasn’t until he saw a pair of legs and shoes that he noticed someone was standing in his way.

He wrenched his heavy neck up to see Neji Hyuga standing in front of him, scowling down at him. Even in the setting sun, Tobu could see the same angry, petulant expression twisting his face that he saw in the forest. 

“Can I… help you, Neji?”, Tobu asked with slow, groggy words. Neji simply reached out with his index finger, placed it on Tobu’s headband, and jabbed it forward. The boy stumbled back with an annoyed grunt before adjusting it back on his forehead. 

“That… is not your Leaf headband.”, Neji growled. 

“I know that…”, Tobu replied wearily. Neji stood deathly still a moment longer, before Tobu started to grow impatient, wanting nothing more than to lay his sleepy head down. “What do you waaaaaaant?”, he moaned. 

In an instant, Neji jumped forward in a flash, pushing the boy hard in the chest and knocking him to the ground. Tobu’s back hit the cobblestone road hard and the air was knocked from his lungs, leaving him wheezing, trying to catch his breath. He shielded his face from the sun with the same arm that clutched the comic book. Neji stepped forward and snatched the book from his hand, tossing it to the side. “Hoshi and the Great Escape!” skipped across the stone road, contorting the pages and peppering them with dirt and dust.

“Wait…”, Tobu groaned, turning to his side to reach out for the book, before Neji brutally kicked him directly on the nose. Tobu yelped from the sudden blow, cupping both palms over his nose, instantly feeling blood pool between his fingers. Neji stood over Tobu, leaning down and snatching the boy’s shirt collar, pulling his head up off the ground. 

“I want that headband back!”, Neji snarled. Tobu pulled one hand away from his nose, blood spilling down his face like snot pouring out of the nose of a neglected child. He held the hand in front of his face, trying to shield him from his surprise attacker. 

“The headband?! It isn’t even yours!”, he replied, his fearful voice shaking like a leaf. His heavy, scared breathing shook his chest as Neji’s scowl grew deeper. The Hyuga snarled again before swatting Tobu’s hand away from his face. He stood straight up and before Tobu could react, he stomped his foot into the boy’s face, again directly on the nose. 

Tobu let out a guttural, sobbing scream full of searing pain. Neji let the boy write for a moment, before leaning down and cupping his palm over Tobu’s mouth, ceasing his screaming. Tobu’s tearful eyes bulged in horror as Neji squeezed his palm tighter, choking the sobs out of the boy’s lungs.

“It’s… mine …”, he growled. He released his grip over Tobu’s mouth, giving him a chance to surrender. 

“I want to keep it!”, Tobu frantically shouted. Neji’s breath hitched in his throat. “I want to keep it.”, the boy repeated, “To honor his memory. I’ll fight for him…”. Tobu meant every word of what he said. He picked up the triplet’s headband with the full intention of fulfilling the legacy of the deceased. For the first time in his life, he felt a true purpose when he lifted that headband out of the mud and he’d give anything to hold on to that.

For a moment, Neji and Tobu sat still, only the sound of hard breathing filling the air. Neji absorbed Tobu’s words, trying his best to understand them. The headband gave him purpose? The death of one of his students filled him with reason? The disbandment of Team 3 gave this rat motivation?

Neji’s eyes darted back and forth in frantic rage. His fists balled until his nails cut into the skin of his palm. He gritted his teeth and let out a seething growl, pushing Tobu’s head hard into the dirt. Tobu let out a horrified wail before Neji pulled his elbow back and plunged his fist into the boy’s face. Tobu choked out a painful gasp as blood was pushed back into his nose. He was given no time to recover before another hard blow landed on his face. And another. And another. And another. And another. 

Blow after blow landed on Tobu’s bloody face. With each punch, Neji grunted louder and louder and he seemed to grow angrier and angrier.

Tobu felt his teeth cutting into his lips. He felt Neji’s knuckle bruising into the bone around his eye socket. More than the physical pain, it was those targeted physical sensations that hurt him the most. The sensation of his face being ripped apart. 

With each blow, he felt his consciousness coldly sailing away. His swollen eyes began to sink shut when a strong pair of hands clutched Neji by the shoulders, ripping him away from Tobu and tossing him to the ground. 

Free of the constant bludgeoning, Tobu’s head rolled on the cobblestone as he gasped for air. After a moment, he recovered and looked up to identify his savior, hoping, praying it was Kakashi.

Instead, he saw the back of Hanabi Hyuga’s head as she stood in Neji’s face, the latter trying his best to sheepishly avoid the fiery glare of the former. Like a flash of lightning, Hanabi slapped Neji across the face, sending the man reeling, palm clutching his cheek. Through the ringing in his ears, Tobu barely heard Hanabi bark,

“Go home.”,to her cousin in the harshest, meanest voice he had ever heard out of her. Neji took a moment to glance past Hanabi’s infernus gaze, sending a piercing glare into Tobu’s bloody eyes, before Hanabi slapped him again, harder. “ Go home! ”, she roared, immediately topping her harshest, meanest voice from a moment earlier. 

Neji turned on his heels and stalked down the road, scurrying into whatever hole Tobu imagined the Hyuga set aside for him. He groaned and, with painful effort, sat up straight, feeling the full pain of Neji’s tirade on his face. He sat, staring into his lap, still processing what just happened, when he heard Hanabi walk up and stand in front of him. He looked up at her silently, only letting out wheezing, tired breaths. 

She bent down with her hand outstretched, reaching out for his headband. He grew horrified, wondering if his trusted teammate had the same goal as her dreadful cousin. He let out a tired grunt in protest and turned his head away from her grasp. She belted him with a light thump on his sore cheek.

“ Ow !”, he protested, before he felt her fingers on the back of his head, in his hair, untying the headband and pulling it away from his forehead. He felt dread flood his body, draining him of any will to resist. She did want to take his headband, just like her cousin. Resigned to his loss, he let his head dip down, trying his best to hide the fresh tears springing into his eyes. 

Hanabi flipped the headband over in her hands a few times before presenting it back in front of Tobu’s sulking face. His beloved, brand-new headband appeared twisted, bent, and crooked, even split in two right down the middle. In his rage, Neji resolved to destroy it instead of taking it back. Tobu’s face was just collateral damage.

Sighing, he took the headband out of Hanabi’s hands and tossed it aside on the ground. It was as good as trash now. So was “Hoshi and the Great Escape!”. He looked over at its resting place a few feet away, at its ruined and filthy pages. He didn’t even bother mentioning it to Hanabi. It was a nice thought and now that’s all it would ever be.

Hanabi reached out a hand towards Tobu. He assumed it was a helping hand to assist him to his feet. He stubbornly pushed it away, he wasn’t quite ready to get up yet. After three exhausting days of training and now a literal beatdown, all he wanted was to sit in the fucking dirt for a second. 

Hanabi kept her hand outstretched, instead sitting down until her knees tucked into her chest. She slipped her hand over Tobu’s face, letting her soft palm cup his bruised cheek. The boy’s eyes widened as far as they physically could. He tried to pull his face away in fear, but as he did, her fingers caressed the hair behind his ear and he froze. He had never felt a touch so soft.

“We’ll get you your own headband…”, she promised, her soothing voice succeeding in calming and accelerating Tobu’s heart. Tobu’s scared eyes softened as he stared into hers. She gazed back as if she were looking at an injured puppy, begging him to stop running so she could pull the thorn out of his paw. Tobu stuttered, trying to break the heavy silence, but out of the thousands of things he wanted to say, he could only muster a few words.

“D-don’t tell Kakashi!”, he gasped out and after another heaving breath, “Or anyone… please.” Hanabi raised an eyebrow,

“Why not?”, she asked with a concerned tone. Tobu struggled to think of a more legitimate reason than the one he was actually thinking of, but came up painfully blank.

“He…he wasn’t th-there…when Danzo let me out…”, he choked, fighting back subdued sobs. Hanabi saw a boy, sad, exhausted, and in pain, let down by the closest thing he had to a father. She ran her thumb over the solitary tear he failed to hold back. She watched his face bend in anguish.

Tobu dragged the palm of his hand over his eyes, trying to wipe away his sadness. Hanabi bent her knees forward until they were touching the ground and settled, sitting on her legs. She sat up straight and pulled Tobu’s face into her chest, her cheek resting on his soft hair.

“As you wish…”, she cooed, wrapping her arms around his back. Tobu sat in shocked catatonia, his arms hanging limply at his side. After a moment in Hanabi’s embrace, his grief subsided and he too wrapped his arms around her, clutching a fist-full of her robes in each hand. She ran her fingers through his hair and he closed his eyes, letting his breathing slow.

They sat like that until night fell over the Leaf Village.

It wasn’t the first time she had touched the boy’s heart.  

Chapter Text

*Three Weeks Later*

The raging sun ruled over the Land of Fire. The birds and the bugs cried out their signature songs. The deer, no longer being tended by the absent Nara clan, roamed aimlessly in the forests surrounding the Leaf Village.
Today, however, the deer couldn’t remain still with all the commotion a certain Team 7 was causing in their usual training grounds. 

Kakashi sat with his legs crossed opposite Hanabi, who knelt in the grass with her eyes screwed shut in effort. 

“Just try your best…”, Kakashi reassured her.

“I have been trying my best.”, Hanabi retorted, blood ready to boil. The echoes of Tobu and Konohamaru’s furious sparring session were not helping her concentration. “If those two could pipe down, this would be much easier.” Kakashi sighed.

“You won’t have that luxury on the battlefield. Work around it. Tune it out. Whatever you have to do, just get the job done.”, he assured her further. Hanabi took a deep breath before her eyes snapped open in an instant, beaming in their signature Hyuga white and surrounded by thick veins. Kakashi felt eye contact and felt a slight wave of nausea crash over him, not enough that he didn’t immediately recover.

“Good job, I certainly felt that. But you’ll need something a bit stronger to have a real effect!”, Kakashi praised his student. Hanabi’s shoulders slumped in defeat. She knew it was unlikely she’d be able to put the Copy Ninja himself under an effective genjutsu, but she couldn’t help but feel defeated. She turned to look at her two teammates, who had long since lost interest in ninjutsu training and had resorted to beating the snot out of each other.

“Maybe genjutsu isn’t my forte. Maybe I’m more like them…”, she bemoaned. Kakashi snorted,

“Are you sure ?”, he asked incredulously. She turned her head to meet his questioning look.

“What makes you think I’m not?”, she asked, his smile slowly crawling onto her face. Kakashi just looked down, plucked a single blade of grass from the ground, and held it in front of their faces.

“Because I’m pretty sure this blade of grass has more smarts than the two of them put together.”, Kakashi smiled. That managed to pull a giggle out of Hanabi. He let go of the blade and it glided away in the breeze, the two of them watching it flutter away before their eyes settled on the other pair. “The Chunin Exams are coming up.”, Kakashi continued.

“Really?!”, Hanabi interrupted with urgency.

“Yes, yes.”, Kakashi assured her, “And when you guys pass, when you’re a proper team, you will be the brains of the group. You’ll need to keep those two brutes on a tight leash if you want success.” Hanabi looked over those two “brutes” as they punched, and kicked, and clawed at each other. Her brutes. Konohamaru had been like a brother to her their entire lives and Tobu… “I know you can figure it out.”, Kakashi’s words interrupted her musing, “Just like I know you can figure out genjutsu.” Hanabi sighed, her eyes settling into the dirt by her feet, her mind wandering.

Suddenly, a sharp cry pierced the air of the training grounds. Kakashi’s head darted to the sparring pair about ten feet away. Instantly, his blood ran cold. Konohamaru’s right fist was somehow being held, suspended in the air, in front of Tobu’s clawed open palm. Konohamaru clutched his wrist with his other hand and wheezed in pain while Tobu grunted and gritted his teeth with effort. Instantly, Kakashi and Hanabi sprang to their feet and ran to the two of them. 

Kakashi stood before the scene and his icy-cold blood threatened to freeze entirely. Konohamaru seemed to barely be able to stand under his own power, instead being held upright by whatever force Tobu was exerting over him. His knees buckled and sweat poured from his quivering brow. As Kakashi watched in horror, the same innate, abject fear washed over him that he felt the moment he laid eyes on Tobu’s second heart. The same primordial terror of seeing something that just didn’t belong in their world. Of seeing a monster. 

Konohamaru finally fell to his knees in pain and Kakashi was finally pulled from his stupor. He grasped a hold over Tobu’s outstretched wrist and he felt a pulling sensation from within his own skin, like his veins were being wrenched out from his own flesh. In an instant, the sensation ceased and Konohamaru let out deep gasps as he could finally breathe, free of the overwhelming pain. Kakashi pulled Tobu’s wrist above his head, as if he were a naughty school child, and pushed him away from Konohamaru. 

“What the hell was that?! Hanabi, make sure Konohamaru’s okay!”, he ordered. Hanabi kneeled over Konohamaru as he caught his breath.

“Nothing seems broken. No permanent damage.”, she claimed, her eyes meeting Tobu’s with the same fear and concern Kakashi was feeling. Kakashi turned to the boy again and demanded an answer,

“I asked you a question! What on Earth was that? Who taught you that?”. Instead of the apprehensive, inexperienced child Kakashi as used to dealing with, he was greeted with a completely different animal. 

“It’s called a ‘Chakra Hold’. With the chakra in my bloodstream, I can exert direct chakra control over someone’s chakra network. Danzo taught it to me.” , Tobu explained, voice steady, free of the fear and confusion he was used to expecting. Kakashi saw a completely different side of Tobu, one that was confident and calculating, almost emotionless. It chilled Kakashi to his core almost as much as seeing the Chakra Hold had. 

“What’s gotten into you?! Why would you use that on a teammate?”, Kakashi asked, almost thoroughly at a loss for words. Tobu’s face remained steady,

“Why wouldn’t I? We’re training and I need to get stronger or I’m no use to anybody, right?”. Tobu burned a hole into Kakashi’s eyes with a fiery glare, daring him into a trap. Kakashi didn’t know it, but he called his bluff. His brow furrowed in horrified concern and his eyes widened almost as much as his stomach flipped. “I need to get stronger or I’m not use to anybody.”, Tobu’s words echoed in his ears, like his nightmares had come to like and were finally here to take him down.

“Wh-...who told you that?”, he asked, his voice quivering. Tobu’s brow bent in anger and his nose scrunched. He wrenched his wrist away from Kakashi’s grip, causing the latter to stumble back a step. He finally lost his temper.

“What do you care?!”, he screamed, letting out a volcanic torrent of pent up frustration, “What do you care what Danzo tells me?! You sent me off to him, you! At least he’s there for me! Where have you been?!”. Kakashi felt the pang of betrayal, the guilty pang of having betrayed someone under your care. He couldn’t bring himself to get angry at the student yelling at his teacher. He knew he had done wrong. He didn’t agree with Tobu being assigned to Danzo’s training. He knew firsthand how tough Danzo was on his students. He knew Tobu was scared. Kakashi was scared too. He was scared Danzo would rush Tobu too quickly and the boy would burn out and end up like Sasuke. 

So Kakashi did the only thing Kakashi knew how to do for the last three years: he hid. He hid himself away from his fears like he always did, only coming out for his daily training sessions. He let his feelings get in the way of caring for his students. 

“I-”, Kakashi tried to stutter out.

“You never came…”, Tobu almost whispered. His face dropped into a grieving scowl, “I’ve been in and out of there four times. And you never came.”. The boy’s voice grew angry and gravely, but it also cracked at the seams. Kakashi took quick, sharp, guilty breaths that did nothing to quell his dizziness or nausea. He was never anything but a failure. He couldn’t be there for a potted plant even if he tried. 

Hanabi saw through the boy’s steady gaze, at the twisting, writhing agony beneath, and her face twisted in turn. She witnessed Tobu’s grief at Kakashi’s absence firsthand and its stabbing throb hurt just as much then as it did now. 

Tobu sighed, “Forget it…”, and stalked past the group, past Konohamaru’s wheezing voice, past Kakashi’s catatonic shame, and past Hanabi’s mournful gaze. “I’ll see you guys tomorrow…”, he muttered as he broke through the treeline. 

* A Few Hours Later*

Hanabi rushed through the Leaf Village, checking every street and alley as they passed. On the cusp of giving up her search, she finally spotted him through the crowd. Standing before the same comic book stand she found weeks earlier, hands in his pockets, Tobu stood alone. A sea of people passed around him, but she could still make out the expression on his face that, on the surface, appeared vacant, but to someone who truly knew him, betrayed his anguish. 

She rushed over to him, her robes flapping with the motion, and clasped her hand on his shoulder. He jumped, but in a moment, his startled face gave way as the shame of his outburst caught up to him. His mouth hung open as searched for the right words.

“You don’t have to apologize.”, Hanabi interrupted his search, “I just want to show you something.” Tobu took a moment to process her words, looking around and realizing he had no real excuse to not oblige her. 

“O-okay.”, he muttered. Hanabi grabbed Tobu by the wrist and pulled him away from the bustling market.

Hanabi pulled Tobu through numerous turns and streets until he began to recognize the Hyuga Compound at the end of the road. The pair stopped in front of the gate that instantly groaned open as the guards recognized their princess. One look at the gate guards scowl and Tobu knew the man recognized him. For that, he allowed himself a chuckle even after such a dark day. 

Tobu looked around the interior of the compound as they crossed through the gate. With its high walls, arches, and polished wood and stone, it looked like a separate village all on its own. Dozens of Hyuga warriors and scholars, all dressed in their trademark robes, dotted the courtyard, each one looking just as healthy and strong as the last. Tobu almost understood why Hanabi thought so highly of herself. If whoever his family was were as regal as these guys, he might act the same way. 

Hanabi pushed open the door to the main hall and pulled Tobu through the maze-like corridors of meticulously polished wood floors and pristinely clean walls. Slowly, the corridors began to narrow until they ended in a hallway with a door at the end. The pair stood in front of the door, Hanabi adopting an anxious look on her face. 

“What is it?”, Tobu asked cautiously from behind her. Her head dipped down for a moment before she slowly raised her free hand and opened the door. Past Hanabi’s figure and through the door, Tobu could see a bedroom, immaculately clean and tidy in sharp contrast to his own.

“I have a visitor.”, Hanabi called out steadily. Tobu craned his head into the room further and spied a lonely, thin girl sitting on the side of her bed, a book in her lap. The girl nodded her head ever so slightly and Hanabi pulled the nervous Tobu into the room. “This is my friend, Tobu!”, Hanabi cheered. Tobu raised a hand and gave a shy wave.

“Hi… there…”, he stuttered. The girl bowed her head gracefully. Tobu noticed her long, but not unkempt, hair and her pale skin.

“Tobu, this is my older sister, Hinata Hyuga.”, Hanabi explained. After an awkward moment of silence, Hanabi began marching around the room, straightening up the most imperceivable of creases in the bed sheets and curtains and tidying up Hinata’s book case. “Is there anything you need from me, sister?”, she asked. Hinata’s thin wrists held aloft an empty mug, silently requesting a cup of tea. “Of course!”, Hanabi affirmed. She took the mug from Hinata and strode out the open door, presumably towards the kitchen. Tobu stood still, paralyzed. Hinata’s eyes settled over his, unmoving. Even through their milky solidity, he could see the inconceivable, contagious amount of pain beneath them. He begged his mind not to, but it couldn’t help but imagine the torture this poor girl had been through. He had heard her name before and known it had some significance, but now, putting a face to the name, he realized why her name always brought sorrow to everyone’s face. 

For a painfully long silence, the two remained locked in each other's painful gaze. Both eyes shared a pain of absence. Tobu mournfully wishing for a past that wasn’t there and Hinata wishing for a past she didn’t have to grieve over. They didn’t need words to speak to each other.

Hanabi stepped back into the room, returned her palm to Tobu’s wrist, and muttered,

“Come on…”, before pulling him out of the room. Tobu held his eyes over Hinata’s until the last moment, finally wrenching them away. He gasped for air as Hanabi led him to the kitchen and he realized he hadn’t breathed the entire time he was in the room. 

Tobu sat on a chair next to the kitchen table, slumped down and his hands in his lap, as Hanabi slowly stirred tea leaves in a clean mug of hot water on the other side of the table. His mouth was agape in confusion and he could only think of one question.

“Why are you showing me this?”, he asked quietly. Hanabi’s focus wasn’t torn away from the tea for a moment as she answered.

“You didn’t know him, but Naruto Uzumaki meant a lot to my sister. When he was killed, she broke inside, almost entirely. She hasn’t said a word since that day three years ago. Nor has she left that room. I’ve been taking care of her every need ever since.”. She gently tapped the wooden spoon on the side of the mug before standing up and turning around to the kitchen counter to wipe it down with a clean cloth. I get it ., thought Tobu.

“So… she’s like Kakashi?”, he asked cautiously. Hanabi placed the spoon in its place on the counter before turning back to Tobu.

“In a way. They both lost something so great that it broke a part of them they’ll never fully get back.”. She sat back down at the table opposite him. “I understand what it’s like to not have someone there for you that you know should be there. It hurts, doesn’t it?”, she asked. Tobu's eyes remained still over his lap.

“Yeah…”, he muttered. 

“Hinata lost the boy she loved the same day that I lost my big sister. I had to grow up without her these last three years. Kakashi… has lost much more than that.”, Hanabi continued. Tobu sniffled,

“I hate him.”, he muttered venomously. Hanabi sighed,

“No you don’t. You’re in pain. Just like Hinata and just like Kakashi. I think he thought he might lose you when Lady Tsunade gave you over to Danzo. It reminded him of the pain of losing Naruto and Sasuke and Sakura. That kind of pain doesn’t go away. I see it in Hinata’s eyes every single day.”. Tobu sighed and sank further into his chair. “I don’t think you need to forgive him right this minute. But take it from me, you’re both in pain. Give it some time, ok?”, she asked. 

Tobu gazed deeply into her eyes for a moment. He saw a beacon of stability, like he had never seen before, and in that moment, he wanted to latch on and never let go.

“Ok…”, he muttered. Hanabi smiled and sat up straight in her chair, before Tobu asked another question. “Why do you care… about how I feel?”, he asked. 

“When I saw you for the first time… I don’t know…”, Hanabi blushed, thinking back on their battle with Bōheki, how strong Tobu was as he pulled himself out of the mud, and of the day she found him, beaten and bloody, in so much pain, inside and out. She drew circles on the table with her index finger, trying her best to muster up the right words. “I think I could see, as different as we are, you were just as lost as I was.” Tobu blushed in return, ducking his head down and trying to hide his growing smile.

“Yeah, we are different.”, he giggled, “You actually know how to keep a clean kitchen!”. The two of them let out a genuine laugh before Hanabi grew a slight frown.

“I am sorry…. about that.”, she apologized, pointing at his chest. Tobu looked down quizzically.

“My… shirt?”, he asked, brazenly confused. Hanabi giggled,

“No! Your heart. I hit you during our first sparring session and kickstarted this whole thing.”

“Oh, it’s not your fault.”, Tobu assured her. He chuckled, “Heh, Kakashi didn’t think I’d ever get an apology out of you.” Thoughts of Kakashi returned to both of their minds and Tobu sighed, letting the weight of the day’s events settle back on his shoulders. 

“Why don’t you lay your head down while I take care of Hinata? Don’t worry, no one else comes to this side of the compound.”, Hanabi said. 

“Yeah, I think I will…”, Tobu sighed groggily. He leaned forward and laid his head on the table as Hanabi returned to Hinata’s room.   

* The Next Day*

“Is he all we’re waiting on?”, Lady Tsunade asked, sitting at her desk with her nose buried in paperwork as her pen scratched away at yet another line begging for a signature. Kakashi turned around and, sure enough, there was one obvious absence from the office.

“Uh, yeah…”, he confirmed sarcastically. Sensing his tone, Tsunade’s head darted up from her task.

“Well… where is he?”, she asked, shaking her head in confusion. Kakashi didn’t answer for a moment, remembering yesterday’s events.

“I… I don’t know…”, he finally confirmed. Lady Tsunade shook her head in exasperation.

“Unbelievable.”, she muttered. Kakashi glanced back at Konohamaru and Hanabi, both staring out the window in boredom, before turning back to Tsunade. He placed both palms on her desk and drew in close.

“I’m worried about him.”, he explained. Tsunade sighed and shook her head in confusion again.

“Ugh, why?”, she moaned. Kakashi thought back to the Chakra Hold and felt the fear crawl back up his spine like a venomous spider in the dead of night.

“He’s moving too fast. He’s learning new things… things even I’ve never seen.”, he whispered.

“Like what?”, Tsunade replied, practically begging him to spit it out. Kakashi looked down to his wrist. He could almost still feel Tobu's phantom strangle-hold over his chakra network. He could still feel the pathways of his chakra circulation being pulled and squeezed, as if they were strings of a lifeless doll. 

It was the most painful, cruel thing Kakashi could imagine someone could do to another shinobi and Danzo came up with it. Kakashi swallowed the boulder in his throat.

“I think Danzo is-”, he was interrupted by the door of the Hokage office creaking open. All eyes turned to see Tobu, head down and eyes averted, creeping into the room. He quietly shut  the door behind him, but didn’t join his teammates. Instead, he shuffled to the wall beside the door and leaned his back against it, eyes still lowered, trying his best to look as small and unnoticeable as he could. The shame of his outburst still felt like an anvil over his chest. 

Kakashi and Konohamaru turned back towards Tsunade, but Hanabi’s eyes lingered on the boy for a moment before also turning. Tsunade’s eyes latched onto Kakashi's, silently asking “ Anything else? ”. The Copy Ninja shook his head.

“Okay!”, Tsunade exclaimed, clapping her hands once and bolting to her feet, “Onto business!”. She scooped up a sheet of paper off her desk and pretended to examine it for a moment. It was clear to Kakashi she had already poured over it dozens of times and this was an anxious show.

“Your Chunin Exams are, finally, funded and finalized!”. Team 7 all sighed in relief, even the sullen Tobu perked his head up a little. “A written exam wasn’t quite in the budget, not that it was necessary. So, for now, it will simply be two stages. The first is classified, you’ll cross that bridge when you get there. The second will be the classic one-on-one battle in the Leaf Arena. Given your lack of fellow genin in the exams, we’ve hand-picked three appropriately-skilled Jonin for you each to face off against, independently. Don’t worry, no one too powerful, I’m not going to make you guys fight Kakashi.” Another quiet sigh of relief from Team 7. “It’s in three days, so make sure you’re prepared!”, Tsunade finished. Three days? So soon… everything is moving so fast… , Kakashi’s mind ran. 

“That’s all I have for you. Now shoo! Get out of my office.”, Tsunade cried. Tobu pulled the door open and rushed out with his two teammates quickly following. Kakashi also turned to leave before Tsunade called his name.

“Kakashi…”, she muttered. He turned to face her. She had the too familiar sullen, serious look on her face. “I need you to keep your head above water. Can you do that, old man?”, she asked, almost teasing him. She was wringing her hands, clearly anticipating an answer. He sighed, mirroring the uncertainty he could feel in her voice. He was just as unsure if he could keep himself together as she was about herself. Neither of them could give a “yes” or “no” answer. He simply replied,

“I’m not an ‘old man’.”, before walking out the door.

As Kakashi walked out the door to the Hokage mansion and into the streets of the Leaf Village, he spied his students, standing in a circle just around the corner. He swore, but couldn’t believe it, he heard… An apology?! , he gasped internally. Hanabi stood next to Tobu, opposite Konohamaru. From the door, he could almost hear Tobu say,

“I’m sorry, Konohamaru… about yesterday.” Konohamaru sighed, bending and flexing the hand Tobu used the Chakra Hold on.

“It’s…uh… it’s ok. I forgive you.”, he replied shyly. Huh , Kakashi thought, They’ve grown up a lot, haven’t they? He approached the trio and asked,

“Everything ok?”. They all nodded in agreement. An awkward silence fell over Team 7. Kakashi looked over Tobu, only to be greeted with the top of the boys’ head. He still wasn’t ready to speak to him, or really even look at him. It hurt, like a knife through the gut, but Kakashi knew he had to understand. Suddenly, he remembered just the thing that might cheer up his students.

“Say, aren’t we all forgetting something?”, he asked, a wild grin growing on his face. Konohamaru groaned, but the other two looked up at him expectantly. “Today… is Konohamaru’s birthday, isn’t it?”, he cheered. The Sarutobi boy groaned again,

“Yep, I’m thirteen finally.” Hanabi smiled and laughed.

“Congratulations! Happy birthday!”, she cheered. Kakashi held up a finger,

“And, since we don’t know when his birthday really is, we can also say it’s Tobu’s birthday too!” Hanabi’s smile doubled in size and Konohamaru groaned for a record third time in a row.

“Ugh, why do I have to share a birthday with him ?!”, he cried. Tobu knew he should be happy, he had never really had a proper birthday before, and that he should be angry over Konohamaru’s comment.

Instead, his head sank even lower.

He remembered “Hoshi and the Great Escape!”.         

Chapter Text

Tobu pulled the leg of his pants over his shoes before standing up to his feet, a twig under his foot snapping as he returned his weight to his feet. As he stood straight up, his eyes rose to the forest before him and his teammates. Trees, taller than any mountain, so tall he had to look straight up and bend his back to see their canopies, lorded over them with only a barbed wire fence separating the trio. Rare flocks of birds flew from tree top to tree top, the only signs of life from the forest. Not one sound emanated from the monolithic trees. No frogs, no insects, no deer, no animal seemed willing to sing their song under the watchful empire of the trees. Instead, they seemed to suck the life and color out of the air around them. A cloak of black fog hung maliciously over the forest floor, obscuring whatever nightmare lay within. Tobu stared into the abyss just long enough to form a question.

“What… is this place?”, he sheepishly asked. Konohamaru huffed, answering to the reality he was trying to ignore.

“The Forest of Death.”, he replied.

“The Forest of- Are you kidding me?”, Tobu spat out, sweat beading on his brow. 

“It’s sometimes used for the Chunin Exams. But the rest of the time, it’s forbidden to enter. Shinobi go missing here…”, Hanabi spoke up, doing an uncharacteristically poor job of hiding her fear. 

“Well, that’s… awesome. Send a bunch of kids in there. Great idea.”, Tobu moaned. He spun around, confirming Team 7 was alone along the treeline. “What exactly are we supposed to do?”, he asked. 

“Team 7, welcome to Stage One of the Chunin Exams! ”, an ecstatic, metallic sounding voice boomed throughout the air. Tobu’s head darted from side to side, hunting for the source of the voice, before Konohamaru nudged him on the shoulder, pointing to a metal box with a mesh cover suspended against the trunk of a tree. 

“The Forest always has a series of loud-speakers set up for the Chunin Exams.”, he explained. Tobu’s rapid breathing slowed and his eyes and ears focused over the speaker hanging over the three of them. 

“For this Stage, you have but one, extremely dangerous task! You must enter the Forest an-” .

“Kakashi?!”, Tobu interrupted the voice. Even through the poor sound quality of the speaker, Team 7 could hear the teacher sigh in disappointment,

“Yes… it’s me. And before you is the first stage of the Chunin Exams. You must enter the fabled Forest of Death and compete in my legendary… Bell Test. ”

“Oh no…”, Konohamaru quietly gasped. Hanabi brought a worried hand over her chest.

“B-Bell Test?”, Tobu asked, dumbfounded. 

“Enter the Forest of Death and collect the Bells to proceed to the next stage…” , Kakashi finished, his voice fading as the series of loud-speakers throughout the Forest fell silent. 

“O-ok?”, Tobu stuttered, confused even further by his teammates' tense expressions. “This should be easy!”, he sarcastically cheered. 

“It’s not…” Konohamaru muttered.

“The Bell Test tasks a group of genin with stealing a pair of bells from a defending Jonin. The Jonin obviously must prevent the genin from retrieving the bells through any means necessary. Not only do you have to defeat the Jonin, you must outsmart and disarm him. Kakashi’s Bell Test is… well-known for its difficulty.”, Hanabi explained. Tobu looked over the faces of his teammates as hope drained from their eyes. He couldn’t believe it. They had come this far, paid a literal fortune, and they were going to let Kakashi’s silly little test get them down? 

With a huge, optimistic grin bending his face, he slung his arms around their shoulders.

“C’mon guys. We got this! We beat Bōheki of the Armor, didn’t we?”, he cheered. Hanabi blushed and a cautious smile broke out over her face, the same smile Konohamaru was trying his best to hide. Tobu released his bear hug over his teammates and strode up to the gate in the barbed wire fence, pulling it open and marching through. “Let’s get this started!”, he yelled from the treeline. Konohamaru and Hanabi exchanged worried, knowing glances. This is going to be much harder than Bōheki , they thought. Nonetheless, they followed Tobu into the Forest of Death.

A few miles into the forest, the thick canopy of tree tops began to block out the light of the sun. Team 7 knew it was almost the middle of the day, but as they knelt against one of the hundreds of wooden monoliths, it was nearly pitch black. 

Tobu leaned over, hands on his knees, exhausted. They had only walked a few miles, but the thick, oppressive air of the Forest of Death made it feel like dozens. A bead of sweat poured from his brow and down his nose before dripping onto the forest floor below. Frustration boiled within him. Where on Earth was Kakashi? He was dying to end their search and finally get some action. 

But, he felt his training kick in. Danzo’s training …, he remembered. Stay calm and analyze the situation. 

“So,”, he gasped in between heaving breaths, “there’s gotta be a reason he’s not attacking us.”. Hanabi shook her head as she stood straight up, hands on her hips.

“He wouldn’t. That’s not the point of the test. We’re supposed to attack him . Not the other way around.”, she explained. 

“So he’s staying hidden deliberately?”, Tobu continued, “Why?”. Konohamaru was likewise kneeling with his hands on his knees, begging the air around him to ease his exhaustion.

“He’s trying to exhaust us.”, he pointed out, nodding his head, “And we’re clearing fucking falling for it.” 

“Well, what’re we supposed to do? We can’t just not get tired! We gotta find him!”, Tobu exclaimed. Hanabi huffed and slumped down to the ground, sitting down and crossing her legs. 

“I didn’t want to have to resort to this so quickly…”, she muttered, settling against the ground. She closed her eyes and brought her hands together, keeping her index and middle fingers out and touching. 

“What’s she-”, Tobu began to ask before he was interrupted. 

“Shut up!”, Konohamaru jabbed. Tobu was about to retaliate when he suddenly felt as if the thick air around him was being drawn in towards Hanabi. He looked down at her and he felt a concentration of chakra bubbling within her. The trademark bulging veins of her Byakugan began pushing through the skin around her eyes and her brow bent in concentration. Tobu had never seen anything like it.

Hanabi’s white Byakugan eyes shot open, followed by an invisible shockwave that Tobu could feel reverberate within his chest. His head shot around the surrounding forest, wondering what the wave would reveal. Hanabi rolled her eyes as the Byakugan faded.

“Of course,”, she huffed, “he’s right above us.” Tobu and Konohamaru’s eyes shot to the trees above them. Sure enough, Kakashi Hatake, one hand propping open a novel, sat atop a tree branch as if he were relaxing on a beach. 

“Y’know, I taught you guys a lot about reconnaissance. But in all that training, you’ve never had to look up .”, he bragged. He licked a finger and turned the page of his novel, completely unbothered by his detection. “I guess that’s on me!”, he finished with a smug smile. Tobu and Konohamaru reared down, ready to launch themselves into the trees for an attack. 

“Guys…”, Hanabi whispered. Konohamaru reached into his pocket for a kunai and Tobu balled his fists tighter.

“Guys! ”, Hanabi whisper-yelled. Finally, the two bolted their heads around. “We need a plan .” Tobu huffed,

“We can figure it out! Right now we need to strike!”, he exclaimed. Hanabi held an authoritative finger aloft and shut him down.

“We cannot win this without a plan. Trust me. We need a plan.”, she growled. Konohamaru replaced the kunai in his pocket.

“She’s right. We need a plan.”, he urged Tobu. Stay calm and analyze the situation , he remembered. 

“Yeah, you’re right.”, Tobu admitted, before kneeling down beside his teammates into a huddle.

I knew she had it in her! , Kakashi thought from his perch.

That’s odd , Kakashi thought. It had been several minutes and still his students hadn’t launched an attack. He leaned over the edge of his perch and peered down where they had been huddled moments ago. Just in time, he saw Tobu, sprinting up the trunk of the massive tree with perfect chakra control. 

Everyday, for nearly two months, he had trained the boy. From not knowing a single ninjutsu technique until now. He had seen him try, fail, get angry, and get back up again, more times than he could count. But he had never seen the intensity in his eyes that he saw now. Tobu wasn’t coming to spar with his teacher, he was coming after him, Kakashi Hatake, the mentor that abandoned him when he was needed the most. Yea, he’s got this… , Kakashi thought somberly. 

Tobu kicked back off the tree trunk, sailing into the air, and landing on the branch opposite Kakashi with a loud thud. The intensity in his eyes hadn’t waned an ounce. The boy that recoiled from him during their first meeting was now burning with rage against him. Kakashi was proud to see Tobu grow so much as shinobi, but it also filled him with an odd pang of mourning. Mourning for the time gone by, but also mourning for everything he knew he could’ve done better. After every mistake he’d made, before and after he’d met Tobu, and the lessons he’d learned, he still wasn’t a good enough teacher. He wished he could’ve been better, if only to see Tobu with a little less hate in his eyes.

Snapping him out of his stupor was the familiar whistle of a kunai flying directly at his head. He snatched it out of the air easily, surprised Tobu didn’t launch yet another head-on charge as he always did, only to finally see the smoke bomb suspended from the back of the kunai. Wow , Kakashi thought, knowing it was too late to even bother trying to toss the smoke bomb away, He’s gotten much smarter . 

The smoke bomb detonated, shrouding the Copy Ninja in billowing plumes of pitch black smoke. I shouldn’t underestimate him , Kakashi thought and reached up to pull down the mask covering his Sharingan. Before he could grip the soft cloth covering his face, he felt Tobu’s shoulder slam into his stomach. Kakashi wretched as Tobu wrapped his arms around him and drove him into the ground. Damn!, he cursed as Tobu leaned up and slammed his fist into the side of his face. He felt the boy’s weight shift as he pulled back for another punch, before the Copy Ninja erupted in a cloud of white smoke, contrasting and mixing with the black smoke surrounding the pair. 

From his new perch on a higher branch of the same tree, Kakashi heard Tobu’s fist slam into the hard wood, missing the face that was there just moments ago. He heard the boy grunt, but it was a grunt of pain, not anger. He could’ve launched any attack after he tackled me, my guard was completely down. Why settle for a punch? , he wondered. He sighed, He’s so angry with me, he just wanted to get a solid hit in. I guess I can’t blame him for that.  

“You don’t get away that easily!”, Tobu growled from behind him. In an instant, he felt Tobu’s arms wrap around his neck and face, squeezing and holding him in place. Kakashi swung his head from side to side, trying to break the boy’s iron grip. He felt the instinct to elbow his attacker in the stomach, but he didn’t want to hurt the kid. His role in the Bell Test was to evade, not attack. Still, Tobu’s aggression wasn’t making that very easy.

Kakashi pulled his hands away from wrenching at Tobu’s grip to weave a series of hand signs. In an instant, Kakashi vanished, replaced by a small bird that deftly flew out of Tobu’s grasp and to the safety of a neighboring tree. The Transformation dissolved as the bird landed and Kakashi reappeared, standing to his feet. Despite this, Tobu’s pursuit didn’t lose any of its fire. The boy caught up to the new tree just as quickly as Kakashi gained his bearings. 

“Stop running! Just fight me! ”, the boy screamed. He threw up his hands, begging for a fight. I get it… , Kakashi realized, This fight isn’t really about the Chunin Exams… Kakashi squared his shoulders, bending one arm and placing it in the small of his back, reaching the other one out with his palm upturned. 

“Come on then, boy.”, he muttered, bracing for the fight Tobu was burning for. I deserve this… , he thought. 

In a flash, Tobu jumped high and into the air, soaring over Kakashi. Kakashi craned his neck to watch the boy as he landed a few feet away, rolling to break his fall. As Tobu came out of the roll, he launched a hooking grab at Kakashi’s ankles. Kakashi expertly dodged, jumping back away from Tobu’s grab, before the boy jumped to his feet, taking advantage of Kakashis’ retreat. He launched a series of jabs and punches after Kakashi’s chest, almost too fast for even the Copy Ninja to react to. When did he get this fast!? , Kakashi wondered as he barely deflected each of Tobu’s strikes, I need my Sharingan!  

At the end of his furious combo, Tobu raised up his leg high and kicked off Kakashi’s chest. The Copy Ninja stumbled back and Tobu used the momentum to jump back, creating enough space for his next move. Kakashi brought a hand over his sore chest and brought the other to his mask, trying again to free his Sharingan. Again, he was interrupted as Tobu knelt and wove a series of hand signs.

“Lightning Style: Split Cloud Spear!”, he cried, gritting his teeth with effort. A ball of lightning erupted from Tobu’s hand before dissipating into four tiny orbs, each with lightning chakra trailing off of them. Each orb hovered around his shoulders and Tobu stood to his feet. 

“ What is that? ”, Kakashi demanded to know.

“It’s the ninjutsu I created against Bōheki. Danzo taught me how to do it on my own.”, Tobu replied. 

“Tobu… what is Danzo doing to you…?”, Kakashi asked, his brow bending in horror. Tobu didn’t answer, his scowl only hardening. Tobu shot his left hand out, pointing at Kakashi. Two of the orbs around his shoulders rushed after Kakashi, closing in on his face. 

With barely any time to spare, Kakashi darted his head out of the way. The orbs rushed past his face, missing my millimeters. As they sailed past his face, Kakashi realized that inside each of the transparent orbs of lightning was a tiny, condensed Lightning Blade. He has way better chakra control than even I do! , Kakashi realized. He recovered just in time to defend against another barrage of attacks from Tobu. The boy rushed after his teacher with another flurry of punches. With each of his heaving punches, the orbs followed Tobu’s fists, acting as extensions of his taijutsu. Instead of dodging two fists, Kakashi now needed to dodge six of them at once. 

Every time he deflected a punch, Kakashi could feel the scaling heat of the orbs burning the hairs on his arms. If just one of these hits me, it could cause serious damage. I’m in real danger… , he realized. He found an opening in Tobu’s assault and managed to jump away, tossing three parachuted kunai to cover his retreat. Kakashi landed and knelt down.

“Wind Style: Gale Palm!”, he muttered before clasping his palms together. A gust of wind rushed out from his palms with deadly force, catching the parachuted kunai as it blew towards Tobu. The boy ducked at the last moment, dodging the gust of wind. The gust blew upwards catching only three of the lightning orbs. Inside the rushing wind, each of the kunai struck the orbs, detonating the paper bombs hiding within the parachutes. Tobu was left with just one lightning orb left. 

The boy stared up at his teacher, the both of them heaving and pouring with sweat. Tobu saw Kakashi’s chest rising and falling harder than he’d ever seen it. That’ll do it. , he thought.

“Move in!”, he cried loudly. Out of seemingly nowhere, Konohamaru sailed through the air, dual wielding two Rasengans, followed closely by a lone shadow clone doing the same. Leaping from tree to tree, the pair of Senjus rushed after Kakashi. 

“What the hell?!”, Kakashi cried, jumping higher into the trees to evade the destructive duo. Tobu was just buying time, tiring me out for a precision strike from his teammates! That means Hanabi is going to strike too. But when? , he wondered. 

Kakashi jumped higher and higher into the treetops, evading Konohamaru and his clone. Tobu chased after him too, launching in his orb whenever the Rasengan twins needed repositioning. 

          As Kakashi got higher and higher, the branches on the trees started to get thinner and thinner. I need to create more space! , he panicked. Once he had a moment to set his feet, wove a few hand signs.

“Earth Style: Mud Platform!”, he gasped. He felt chakra being pulled out of his body. He had climbed so high in the trees that pulling up mud from the ground of the forest required more chakra than he anticipated. 

Before long, half a dozen thin platforms of hardened mud rose up from the forest floor. Each was only big enough for one person to stand on, but they gave Kakashi enough space to operate. No more climbing. Now all I have to do is dodge. Where is Hanabi?, he wondered. In past Bell Tests, he would pick off each genin one-by-one as they foolishly attacked one at a time, as they inevitably did. But now, with Konohamaru assisting Tobu, he knew a trap was being laid out. His only solution was to wait for the right moment and spring the trap back on them. 

Konohamaru, his clone, and Tobu each landed on a platform around Kakashi, forming a semi-circle around the Copy Ninja. Now would be a perfect time for Hanabi to strike from behind! , he realized. He foolishly turned his back on the trio, anticipating Hanabi’s attack, before Tobu and the two Konohamaru’s lunged from the platforms after him. He barely had time to react to the trio’s attack, kneeling down and clasping his palms on the mud platform beneath him.

“Earth Style: Mud Wall!”, he cried, feeling even more chakra being pulled from within. The three platforms Tobu and Konohamaru were standing on moments earlier dissolved into mud once again, rushing towards Kakashi’s platform and forming a tall wall separating him from the trio's attack.

“Move in!”, he heard the three cry, before the mud wall exploded in bits of earth, sending dirt into Kakashi’s face and eyes. He quickly wiped his eyes, just in time to see Hanabi’s Byakugan eyes staring directly into his as she stood on the remains of the Mud Wall. As the veins bulged out from her forehead, Kakashi felt Hanabi’s genjutsu take over him and his knees wobbled. He slammed his eyes shut, siphoning chakra to repel the attack. As the dizziness subsided, he felt the last of his chakra reserves depleted. I used so much chakra jumping up here and then pulling the mud all the way from the forest floor! , Kakashi worried. He realized he might actually lose to his students. He opened his eyes with barely enough time to see Hanabi, with the other three in the air surrounding her, lean forward and put all her weight into a single strike.

“Palm Bottom!”, she cried and slammed her palm directly into Kakashi’s sternum with a thundering force. With no chakra left to defend himself, Kakashi lost his balance from the force of the attack and fell over the side of his platform. Hanabi, Tobu, and the Konohamarus sailed over the Mud Wall after him. Kakashi felt a second wave of genjutsu pull at his mind as he fell. A layered genjutsu? Trick me into thinking I fended it off the first time and leave me defenseless in time for the second wave? , he wondered. 

“I taught you all well…”, he muttered, watching his students fall through the air before him. He didn’t let the encroaching genjutsu keep the pride from swelling within him. Every teacher secretly anticipated the day their pupils grew to over-shadow them. 

As the powerful drowsiness of Hanabi’s genjutsu overpower him, he felt hands ruffling through his vest, plucking the bells from his pocket. Sleep overtook him as he felt a gentle wind jutsu cushion their fall.      

Kakashi pulled his eyes open to see his three students standing victorious over him. To absolutely no surprise, he spied Tobu twirling the bells between his fingers with the most smug grin he’d ever seen on the boy, and he’d seen a fair many. 

“Nice trick…”, he sighed, still feeling exceptionally drowsy.

“Yep! We drove you up into the trees and forced you to use up all your chakra!”, Tobu beamed. He was clearly proud of their success and Kakashi could barely hold back a smile himself. 

“It’s hard to defend yourself when you’re out of chakra and falling through the air.”, Hanabi explained in her trademark monotone. Kakashi shot her a sarcastically disapproving glare and she smirked in return. All three of them could see through his facade and he knew it. I’m so proud of all of you. , Kakashi thought. He raised his arm above him and shot out the thumbs up they were all waiting for,

“Congratulations! You passed the first stage of the Chunin Exams!”

Chapter Text

“I’m worried about him.”, Kakashi admitted.

“Now there’s a nice change of pace…”, Tsunade sarcastically answered while she rifled through her desk. Kakashi stood motionless with his arms crossed, unamused. 

“Danzo is pushing him too fast.”, he continued. 

“Yep and you aren’t pushing him fast enough.”, Tsunade retorted. She emerged from her desk drawer, stuffing scrolls and pens into her pockets. She stood up from her desk and threw her robe around her shoulders, letting it settle around her arms. Kakashi’s expression didn’t change. “We’ve had this conversation before, Kakashi. He needs to get stronger and get stronger quickly.”

“What is Danzo doing to him?”, Kakashi demanded to know.

“I don’t know! Just like I don’t know what you do with the boy: it’s not my job!”, Tsunade exclaimed. She groaned, she let her frustration get the better of her again. She cooled off for a moment before continuing. “I know you know Danzo’s methods. But I can assure you, he’s not a stupid man. He wouldn’t-”

“I’m afraid.”, Kakashi interrupted, clenching his fists until his knuckles turned white. Tsunade was expecting him to continue, but after a moment, she realized that was it. She knew what he was afraid of.

“I know. I am too.”, she replied, her shoulders dropping. She sighed, marching around her desk and towards the door to her office. “Look, after he passes the Chunin Exams, and he will pass, Danzo won’t be able to touch him. And he won’t even be your problem anymore.”, she assured him. That didn’t seem to assuage his doubts. If anything, it made them worse. That’s right. , he realized, They’ll go off on their own if they manage to pass . 

Lady Tsunade pulled the door to her office and turned back after Kakashi.

“Come on. I’ve got to make the announcement soon. We’re going to be late.”, she called out. 

“The locker room’s this way.”, a tall Jonin called out. Team 7 followed the man through the lobby of the Leaf Arena, feeling smaller than any of them ever had in their lives. Dozens of spectators were lined up in the lobby, ready for the show. They shot knowing glances at Team 7 as if the genin were a caged lion being hoisted up for a stage play. 

In stark contrast to the hospital, the halls of the Leaf Arena were wide and long. Much different from the constricting, winding corridors of the Leaf Hospital. Tobu wondered why so many of the buildings in the Leaf Village looked so different if the Village itself was only about a hundred years old. He never knew quite what to expect from the Leaf Village. He wasn’t sure if that excited or unsettled him. 

After a while of walking, Team 7 and their Jonin escort emerged into a massive stone room. At the back of the room stood a gargantuan statue, depicting a pair of arms locked in the Ram hand sign. Above it was a large television screen and a railed walkway that circled the room. The spectators from the lobby lined the walkway, watching Team 7 as they walked towards the center of the room. Tobu spent so much time gazing up at the impossibly high ceiling that he nearly tripped over his own feet. But when he looked down, he realized he actually tripped over a violent-looking crack in the floor. Branching off from it was another crack, and another, and another. He looked around the room and realized the entire room was in a worrying state of damage and disrepair.

“This is the arena they used for the preliminary round of the last Chunin Exams. It would’ve been the precursor to the round we’re about to undergo.”, Hanabi whispered to him. 

“Right…”, Tobu muttered in reply, still perplexed. He wondered what massive duel left this much damage. 

“ Silence! ”, a Jonin on the walkway above them called out. Naturally, a hush fell over the arena. Lady Tsunade emerged to the railing of the walkway over the statue and under the massive screen. Kakashi Hatake and Danzo Shimura stood on either side of her. Kakashi looked down at this team and gave them a reassuring nod. Danzo stared dead ahead. 

“Welcome to the second and final stage of Team 7’s Chunin Examination!”, Tsunade’s authoritative voice boomed throughout the room. “Today, Konohamaru Sarutobi, Hanabi Hyuga, and Tobu will compete in head-to-head matchups with pre-selected Jonin opponents to determine their eligibility to advance to the rank of Chunin.”, she continued. Tobu’s hands shook with excitement. Just a few months ago, he was spending his days getting into fights at the Academy with anyone who would sit still long enough. Now, it seemed like all eyes were on him and his entire future was in his hands. He had never thought about his future much. He always got the feeling that he was just stuck at the Academy until Tsunade came up with something to do with him. 

Now, he started to think he might have a real future. 

“I will now announce the pre-selected Jonin opponents!”, Tsunade continued. She retrieved a clipboard from Shizune, who quickly retreated to the rear again. Tsunade held the clipboard in front of her face in a manner that definitely betrayed her age. That drew a few snickers from the spectators. She tried her best to ignore them.

She called out the first two opponents for Hanabi and Konohamaru. They leapt from the walkway and landed opposite their opponent. Standing across from Hanabi was Kotetsu Hagane and across from Konohamaru was Izumo Kamizuki. Kakashi recognized the both of them and knew his students had their work cut out for them. After a moment, Tsunade announced Tobu’s opponent. 

“And facing off against Tobu will be… Neji Hyuga!”, she called out. Tobu’s knees nearly bucked as Neji landed across from him, staring daggers into his soul. Kakashi’s brow bent in fury. Kotetsu and Izumo were skilled, of course, but Neji was in an entirely separate league and Tsunade knew that. 

“What the hell are you doing?!”, he whisper-yelled at Tsunade. 

“I’m giving him a proper matchup.”, she muttered without turning. 

“I believe it is appropriate…”, Danzo's voice croaked. If looks could kill, Danzo’s head would’ve fallen from his shoulders as Kakashi glared at him. 

Tobu managed to pry his eyes away from Neji’s death stare and looked up to Kakashi for guidance. Instead of finding any shred of reassurance, he saw shaking his head and arguing at Tsunade. He was screwed; even Kakashi knew it. In the corner of his eye, he saw Konohamaru and Hanabi looking over at him with concern. Even Izumo and Kotetsu were shifting their feet in uncertainty. 

In that moment, Tobu wished he could shrink down and disappear into nothing. He felt entirely hopeless. 

Tobu sat in the tunnel leading to the open air of the arena. He fidgeted as he sat on the ground with his back to the wall, his mind running so fast he could barely keep his body still. His heavy breathing, the blinding white light of the sun at the end of the tunnel, and the distant roar of the crowd as it faded into white noise in his ear was an overwhelming cacophony of sensation. He wanted to tear the skin from his body.

He clasped his hands in front of him, desperate to stop their shaking, as Konohamaru came jogging through the light towards him. The young Sarutobi was pretty heavily bruised and beaten, even bleeding in some places. But it didn’t seem to dampen his spirits in the slightest.

“Well, I did pretty good, I think!”, he beamed. Tobu let out a heavy, shaking breath.

“Did you win?”, he gasped. Konohamaru’s sunny smile faded a bit.

“No, but you don’t really need to. Atleast in the normal Exams, as long as you do pretty good against your opponent, you stand a pretty good chance of passing.”, he explained. Tobu leaned his head back and let it thump against the concrete wall, still breathing heavily. Konohamaru sighed, his triumphant smile now completely gone. He looked down both ends of the tunnel, as if a monster would pop out and eat them if he wasn’t careful.

“Look,”, he said, kneeling in front of his teammate, “Neji is really strong.”

“I know that.”, Tobu interrupted. Konohamaru shook his head dismissively.

“No, he’s stronger than you think. He can see everything with his Byakugan. He can see what’s coming before you even throw it at him.”, he replied. Little did Konohamaru know, Tobu knew exactly how strong Neji was, but he wasn’t about to speak up. He still hadn’t told anyone but Hanabi about that day by the comic book stand. 

“Like I said, you don’t really have to win to pass. I don’t know what kind of plan you have but you need to focus on survival . Just make it through the match alive and ok and you’ll probably pass.”, Konohamaru continued. A bit of anger sparked in the pit of Tobu’s stomach. Just survive? , he thought. He nodded solemnly.

“We’ll see how it goes…”, he muttered. The two of them heard the crowd outside roar louder.

“Hanabi must be starting soon. I should go. I wish I could stay and watch but I think I need to get some of this checked out.”, Konohamaru sighed. He walked down into the dark end of the tunnel, towards the hallway to the seating area. Before he fully entered the darkness, he turned back towards Tobu.

“Good luck…”, he called out. Tobu managed to tear his eyes away from their laser-focus on the concrete wall in front of him to meet Konohamaru’s eyes.

“Thanks.”, was all he could think to say. Good wishes were the last thing he expected from Konohamaru, but he certainly wasn’t displeased for it.

Kakashi slowly emerged from the darkness of the tunnel, his footsteps echoing throughout the pitch black. He stood with his hands in his pockets and spied Tobu, sitting against the wall and hunched over, fiddling with something on his wrist. Kakashi cocked his head as he got a better look. Around both of his wrists sat leather bracers. Wrapped around the bracers were some of the bundles of steel cables Kakashi gave him. Kakashi cocked his head as Tobu struggled with the buckles securing the bracers to his wrist.

“What do you need those for? They’re just for training. You can muster your own chakra now, can’t you?”, Kakashi asked. Tobu grunted in frustration, losing his patience with the uncooperative buckles.

“Neji doesn’t know that.”, he muttered, sighing. Kakashi pulled his hands from his pockets and rested them on his waist anxiously. I guess there’s no avoiding it. , he thought. He stared down at his feet as he sheepishly tried giving the boy cautious advice.

“Alright, look, I shouldn’t be telling you this. But, you don’t really have to defeat him. As long as you perform well enough you can-”, he started.

“Yeah, I know .” Tobu interrupted sharply, “‘Just survive’. Konohamaru already told me.” Kakashi looked up at the boy and frowned. His tone of voice told him that the boy was more angry than scared. He’s more angry that someone is doubting him than he is scared for the fight. , he mused. He watched Tobu continue to struggle with the buckles, only growing more frustrated. His nose scrunched and sweat began to bead on his forehead. Attaboy… , Kakashi thought. 

“Just… do your best. Neji’s pretty tough.”, Kakashi assured him. Tobu grunted and jumped to his feet, letting his arms fall to his side. Kakashi could tell how anxious he was. Even in the dark, he could see the boy’s chest rise and fall as he paced around the tunnel. Tobu looked away from Kakashi and down the tunnel after the blinding light of the day, where the crowd noise almost drowned out Hanabi’s match. 

“I know. I know, I know, I know how strong he is! ” Tobu growled, spinning around to meet Kakashi’s confused gaze. “He tried to beat me to fucking death! I know how strong he is!”, he yelled. He grew angrier and angrier with every word he shouted into the echoing darkness. Kakashi’s brow furrowed in concern.

“Wha-... What are you talking about? Where was I?”, he asked, voice shaking. Tobu huffed and rolled his head around his shoulders before returning a steely gaze to Kakashi’s.

“Where do you think?...”, he asked, his voice steady and direct. Kakashi’s eyes grew in horror. I wasn’t there… , he realized in horror. 

“I-I, uh- I’m sorry.”, he sputtered, pushing scratchy words out of his dry throat. Tobu continued to stare him down for a moment before clicking his tongue.

“It doesn’t matter.”, he declared, his voice thick with impatience. He spun back around to gaze down the bright end of the tunnel. Even in Kakashi’s shame and horror, a question sprang into his mind. 

“Tobu, I don’t get it.”, he declared, walking towards the boy until he stood directly next to him, staring down the tunnel with him. “You have… reinforced bones and… hyper-dense muscle fibers. You could squash anyone in the village like a bug. But through all your years in the Academy, all I ever heard about you was how many fights you got into. Why, with everything you are, do you take so much abuse in these fights?”, he dared to ask. 

Tobu’s eyes didn’t move an inch as he stood silently. Kakashi feared he may have asked an insensitive question, before Tobu finally spoke. 

“I didn’t want any of those fights.”, he replied, swallowing hard. “I just wanted to be left alone.” Kakashi’s eyes slowly turned to glance over the boy. “But they just wouldn’t leave me alone. And I didn’t want to hurt anyone.”, he continued, balling his fists tightly. He looked up and his eyes fell over the archway of the dark tunnel. “I didn’t want any of this.”, he muttered mournfully. 

Kakashi struggled to find the words to answer. His shoulders dropped as he absorbed the boy’s words. He knew what it was like to want to be left alone. And he also knew what it was like to secretly beg to be seen. He reached up and placed a gentle hand on the boy’s shoulder. 

“It… gets easier. I promise.”, he said, flatly. Tobu finally turned his eyes up to look at Kakashi.

“Just like it got ‘easier’ for you?”, he retorted. The words stung Kakashi. He had, more or less, been caught in a lie. Before he could sink into more anguish, he thought of a question to lighten the mood.

“Hey, you started a lot of fights with Konohamaru, didn’t you?”, he asked wryly. Tobu struggled to hide a grin and rolled his eyes.

“Yeah, well, him: I wanted to kick his ass.”, he giggled. The pair chuckled and Kakashi was grateful for the levity. As their laughs faded, it was Tobu’s turn to ask an important question.

“Kakashi, are we all going to get split up if we pass?”, Tobu asked cautiously, as if not knowing the answer would coerce it to his favor.

“It all depends.”, Kakashi replied, shrugging, “But, no matter what happens, the bond of a real team never goes away.” Tobu sighed, that seems to quell some of his worries. “Besides, I see the way you look at Hanabi!”, Kakashi teased. He plopped his hand on Tobu’s head and ruffled his hair as if he were his own son. Tobu scowled and groaned.

“Alright! Enough!”, he cried, wrenching his head away from Kakashi’s reach. The pair turned as they heard footsteps approaching from the dark end of the tunnel. Soon enough, Hanabi emerged from the darkness, looking a little disheveled but nonetheless exceptionally proud of herself. 

“Speak of the devil…”, Kakashi muttered with a smile. He turned back to his student and returned his hand to his shoulder. “Good luck!”, Kakashi grinned. Tobu realized that, if Hanabi was here, that meant her match was over and his was soon to start. Cold fear returned to his veins and his hands began to shake again. He nodded in reply and Kakashi walked down the same path Konohamaru had some time earlier. 

Tobu returned to fidgeting with the bracers with shaky hands as Hanabi stood just a few feet apart from him. He sighed again and looked up from his wrists.

“Did you… win?”, he asked incredulously. Hanabi frowned.

“Don’t sound so surprised. It was messy, but yes, I won. I’m going to be a Chunin.”, she retorted, poorly hiding her pride. 

“Great.”, Tobu muttered, once again returning to his bracers. “Then what’re you doing down here? Going to tell me to ‘do good enough’ or ‘just survive’?”, he rudely asked. Hanabi closed the distance between them.

“No.” she began, “I came down here to see you .” Tobu’s head darted up from the bracers, blushing. “And the only thing I’m going to tell you is that you can win .”, she finished. She leaned down, grabbing his wrists in both hands and began to properly fasten the leather bracers to the boy’s wrists. Tobu stared ahead at her, mouth agape, blushing, and dumbfounded, letting her help him without protest. 

“Wha-what makes you think that?”, he asked. She finally pulled the buckles tight against his skin. 

“Because… he knocked you down. And I’ve seen you get back up.”, she whispered, their faces inches apart. “You can do this!”, she encouraged him. Suddenly, she leaned her face forward. In embarrassed terror, Tobu darted his head back and slammed his eyes shut in teenage panic. After a moment that felt like a year, Tobu felt Hanabi’s soft lips press against his cheek. His eyes darted open he clenched his fists so hard he worried he might crack his knuckles. 

After a moment that felt like a century, Hanabi pulled away, almost as red as he was. They stared at each other for a moment. Yeah, now I’m gonna fuckin’ win! , Tobu cheered internally. Between the kiss of a pretty lady and the foolish doubt of his other two teammates, his fear of the fight melted away like butter. 

Suddenly, the crowd outside grew louder and interrupted the steel-thick silence in the tunnel. 

“That’s for you!”, Hanabi cheered. Even through his new-found sense of glowing confidence, performance anxiety crawled up his spine. Hanabi giggled, grabbing his shoulders, spinning him around, and giving him a hearty push towards the light.

“Go! I’ll meet you outside after you win!”, she promised. Tobu stood still, allowing the bellow of the crowd to stoke his jitters. 

“Ok!”, he replied dumbly. It took every fiber of his hyper-dense muscles to push his feet one step after the other.              

Tobu reached the end of the tunnel and let the bright, overwhelming light of the sun overtake him. He shielded his eyes as he crossed the threshold to the arena. As he stepped out of the concrete tunnel the roar of the crowd sharpened until he could almost hear individual voices cheering for the upcoming spectacle. 

The stadium wasn’t full by any means, but there were still more people than Tobu had ever seen in one place. Alongside the sounds, the smells of the arena also overpowered the boy. Even from the floor of the field, he could smell the fresh bread and treats, even the smell of alcohol wafting down from the stadium seating. His stomach would’ve been growling if it wasn’t tied up into knots. 

He took a deep breath and looked around the arena. Among a mixing pattern of dirt patches and spots of grass, stood a tall oak tree off to Tobu’s left. At the foot of the tree, Tobu finally spotted him. Neji Hyuga stood with his back to the tree, with his signature death stare pointing right at Tobu. The boy expected fear to worm its way into his heart, but he never felt its’ ice-cold touch. He remembered how Hanabi knew he could win and the doubting words of Kakashi and Konohamaru. No, he had to win. He had to prove her right and prove them wrong.

He glanced back at the dark tunnel behind him and briefly wondered what would happen if he just ran inside and gave up on the fight. No, he thought, I have to kick this bastard’s ass!

Neji pushed off the trunk of the tree and, never taking his eyes off Tobu's, waltzed out to the middle of the arena. As Neji’s final step struck the dirt, the crowd suddenly fell silent. Tobu looked up and around the stadium, expecting a dragon or something to sail over the edge of the walls. Nonetheless, nothing broke the contrastingly deafening silence. He ran his thumb over the sharp steel cables coiled over the leather bracers covering his wrists. You have a plan, just stick to it. , he assured himself. He closed his eyes and let out a deep breath. Here we go…

Before any moves were made, Neji quickly shut his eyes and rapidly reopened them, revealing his Byakugan eyes. Tobu still stood motionless.

“Interesting…”, Kakashi muttered from his spot in the stadium. 

“What’s that?”, Tsunade asked from the seat next to him. 

“During the first stage, Tobu did everything he could to keep me from pulling my Sharingan. But now, he allows Neji to open the Byakugan?”, Kakashi explained. 

“Maybe it’s nerves?”, Tsunade asked.

“I can assure you, it is not nerves.”, Danzo grumbled from the seat next to Tsunade. Kakashi scowled but he kept his mouth shut. From everything he knew about Tobu, the old man might be right.

In a flash, Tobu charged from the end of the tunnel into Neji’s face, almost faster than Kakashi could track. He keeps surprising me with his speed! , Kakashi thought. Just before Neji could reach out to counter the obvious attack, Tobu dropped to the dirt, sliding along the ground and pulling a paper bomb from his pocket. He unwound a length of steel cable, strung it along the ground, and slammed the paper bomb on top of the cable, securing it to the dirt. That’s step one! , Tobu thought. The boy jumped to his feet and launched a series of attacks at Neji’s face. Three punches and three kicks were all perfectly blocked by the Hyuga prodigy. Neji grabbed the boy by his forehead and shoved Tobu back, sending the boy stumbling.

“Is this the best you can do? This is the future of the Leaf Village?”, Neji snarled. Tobu dusted himself off and set his feet. 

“I’m gonna kick your ass for what you did to me!”, Tobu growled. 

“You won’t be able to land a finger on me! I am the future of this village. I am all the Leaf needs to rise to its former glory!”, Neji shouted, turning to face Tsunade’s seat in the upper stadium. 

Tobu took the opportunity to charge Neji once again, unspooling his cable and setting it under another paper bomb on the ground. He set the second paper bomb just in time for Neji to grab him again and toss his back, again.

“This is pathetic! Fight me properly!”, Neji called out. Tobu rolled off his back and pushed himself off the ground. I can’t keep bluffing him! , he realized. 

“You want a fight? Fine!”, Tobu replied. The boy wove a familiar set of hand signs. Here we go… , thought Kakashi.

“Lightning Style: Split Cloud Spear!”, Tobu growled. The same four lightning orbs Kakashi recognized sprouted out of Tobu’s hands and rested around his shoulders. Tobu threw one of the orbs at Neji, barely missing him, before closing in with a flurry of vicious attacks. 

Kakashi watched Tobu and Neji locked in a taijutsu dance. They flipped and ducked and dodged around each other, neither gaining or losing an edge. True to his word, Neji didn’t allow Tobu to land even a single strike, but Tobu fought back with measured, careful counters. Kakashi could see how far he’d come from the brutish street fighter to now going toe-to-toe with the Leaf’s finest. 

Finally, one of the orbs just barely grazed Neji’s face. it exploded, sending a blinding flash of lightning in the Hyuga’s face. Neji’s all-seeing eyes stung in the light and he instinctively shielded them from the blast, as did every member of the audience. No one saw it, but in the flash, Tobu strung up another length of cables with his paper bombs. As he slapped the second paper bomb onto the ground, he looked around in his kneeling position. Ok, almost done! , he thought, the three remaining orbs sputtering over his shoulders. 

The boy turned around just in time to see Neji diving after him, arms outstretched to grab him and teeth clenched in rage. Tobu snatched his arm out, closing his fist around one of the orbs, before turning and slapping the orb into Neji’s face with his closed fist. 

The orb exploded in Tobu’s fist, causing an even bigger explosion to slam into Neji’s face, launching the Jonin away. Tobu quickly grabbed the other two orbs in his hands before charging at the Hyuga man. 

Just before Tobu could land a hit, Neji began spinning on his feet. Suddenly, a semi-circle dome of spinning, glowing blue chakra erupted around Neji, launching dirt and grass around the arena and into Tobu’s face. In the chaos, the boy’s focus was shattered and the orbs began to dissipate in his hands. He opened his palms just as they faded into nothingness. Thinking quickly, he strung up another length of cables under a pair of paper bombs as Neji’s defensive dome continued to spiral. Is that going to be enough?, he wondered.

Neji finally ended his technique and dragged his palm over his chin, still sore from Tobu’s attack. 

“Nice trick…”, he grumbled.

“Same to you, asshole.”, Tobu retorted, out of breath. Neji’s scowl grew even deeper.

“Even still, you don’t have what it takes to lead this village. Naruto defeated me with a single strike. He had what it took and you know what happened to him. I’ll make sure you don’t get half as far as he did.”, Neji growled. He opened his fist and thrust his palm forward. “Eight Trigrams: Vacuum Palm!”, he cried as a torrent of violent air rushed from his palm. “I’m going to end this quickly, runt!”, he cried as the wave of air crashed into Tobu’s chest, sending the boy tumbling into the dirt. 

Tobu rolled onto his stomach and coughed up a cloud of dust. Before he could spring back to his feet, Neji swiftly kicked him in the belly, knocking the boy over onto his back, coughing even more. 

“Does this look familiar?”, Neji asked sadistically, before plunging the sole of his shoe onto Tobu’s nose. So this is what happened while I was being a damn coward… , Kakashi realized. Tobu rolled onto his side, groaning in pain. Come on! Now isn’t the time to roll over and take it! , Kakashi thought. 

“I don’t feel like beating you to a pulp. Just give up!”, Neji cried. Tobu rolled over onto his back, arms outstretched, while Neji stood over him, waiting for the boy to give up. 

“You… arrogant son of a bitch.”, Tobu puffed, still catching his breath. Faster than any eye could see, Tobu’s leg shot up and struck Neji in the groin. Neji shouted and stumbled backwards, hands grasping over a particularly sore spot. Tobu took the opportunity to rise to his feet. “You said I’d never even hit you. I just did it twice!”, Tobu smirked. Neji grit his teeth in pain, but showed no signs of giving up. “You think so little of me, and of everyone, that your ‘all-seeing eyes’ can’t see what’s right in front of them.”, Tobu pointed at the ground and Neji looked down to see a web of cables and paper bombs surrounding him. Tobu raised his hand to his side, “You can see it coming. But that doesn’t mean you can stop it.”, and snapped his fingers. Every paper bomb exploded at once and Tobu formed the “Tiger” hand sign in front of his face, sending lighting chakra into each length of cable. The explosion released the tension in the cables and the lightning chakra charged them with static electricity, sending the cables hurtling through the air towards Neji. 

Neji’s head darted around in shock. How could he have not seen this coming? From a genin no less? He bent his knees, preparing to jump out of the way of the cables rapidly surrounding him. 

“Don’t even think about it!”, he heard Tobu yell and looked up to see the boy dropping in from above, kunai in hand. Tobu had jumped at just the right time to sail over the cables and block Neji’s only path of escape. 

Just as Tobu set them up, the cables sprung around Neji, wrapping and tightening themselves around the Hyuga’s legs and arms, pinning them in place. The nail in the coffin was Tobu landing on Neji’s shoulder, pulling his hair back and pointing the tip of his kunai into Neji’s neck.

“How about you give up?”, Tobu beamed. 

The crowd exploded into raucous applause while Neji seethed in rage. He tugged and pushed against the cables, but they didn’t budge as Tobu held them under his chakra. The boy tossed the kunai aside, standing straight up directly on Neji’s shoulder. Neji gritted his teeth in pain as Tobu’s heels dug into his shoulders. 

“How was that?!”, Tobu cheered back at the crowd. The boy raised his arms in triumph to his adoring crowd. 

“Unbelievable!”, Tsunade gasped. I’ll be damned… , Kakashi laughed. Sitting just feet away from the crowd, he could tell this Exam had become a coronation. Tsunade let out an incredulous laugh.

“And you were worried about him?”, she asked. Kakashi shook his head in prideful disbelief. Not only had he outwitted one of the finest Jonin in the Leaf Village, he subdued him and did it while barely taking a scratch! 

Tobu laughed and let his arms fall to his side. Everything, Tobu’s smug laugh, the cheering of the crowd, the shame of defeat boiled inside Neji. There he stood, restrained, his opponent literally standing over him. He wouldn’t take this shame any longer.

In a surge of anger, he bent his elbows out and pushed with every ounce of strength he had. One by one, the cables began to bend like rubber bands. Finally, Neji exploded free from Tobu’s cables.

“Woah!”, Tobu stammered, losing his balance and falling into the dirt. His Byakugan emerged once again and Neji pulled Tobu up from the dirt.

“You are nothing!”, he growled, sucker punching the boy across the face. He pushed Tobu back and tried to kick him in the stomach, but Tobu caught his leg out of the air.

“I told you to give up, damn it!”, Tobu yelled. 

“ You are the one who should give up! I’m going to defeat you and put you in your place.”, Neji retorted, wrenching his leg from Tobu’s grip. Neij spread his legs and stretched his arms, extending the pointer and middle fingers on each hand. The arena fell deathly silent. Everyone knew what was about to happen. Tobu held his fists out in front of his chest, ready to block the unblockable. 

“Gentle Fist Art: Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms!”, Neji growled. In an instant, Neji jumped forwards and struck Tobu directly in the chest before the boy could see it coming. 

“Two palms! Four palms! Eight palms!”, Neji cried as he repeatedly struck Tobu over and over again. All Hanabi could do from her seat was hold her hands over her face. It pained her to watch her cousin beat the boy down. 

“Sixty-four palms!”, Neji struck the final blow and Tobu sank to his knees in pain. The overbearing silence of the arena fell even quieter.

“You’re done…”, Neji huffed. He began to walk away when Tobu leaned his head up, looking into the sky.

“I’m so tired of this…”, he muttered. He grunted and, to everyone’s extreme shock, pulled his legs under him and stood to his feet. His breathing got heavier.

“I’m so tired of everyone trying to tell me how my life is going to go…”, he whimpered. “I just want…”, he began. “I just want to be left alone! ”, he snarled, his eyes shooting open. A wave of pressure suddenly overtook the arena. Kakashi felt as if he were being pinned to his seat by an unseen force. 

Tobu let out a scream that Kakashi hadn’t heard the likes of in his entire life. 

“Leave me alone! ”, the boy screamed, his voice twisted by the chakra burning through his veins. A purple aura of chakra, tinged with scarlet red, erupted around him. The aura spun and shook, kicking up enough wind to knock some of the spectators on their backs. What sounded like an earthquake boomed around the stadium. Tobu brought his hands up to his ears, shielding them from the immense sounds of his own thunderous heartbeat. The same purple-red chakra enveloped his eyes, sparks of the same colored lightning arcing across his face. Each of his finger tips sprouted a furious jet of magenta chakra. The sky itself grew dark as the aura around Tobu grew stronger and the air took on a magenta glow. It was clearly mid-day and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky, but it very suddenly looked like night fell over the Leaf Village.

Kakashi and Tsunade sprang to their feet.

“What on Earth is this? Are we under attack?!”, Kakashi yelled, his mind flashing back to the assassination of the Third Hokage. He clasped his hands over the railing in front of him as it suddenly felt like the entire stadium itself was being pulled, bent, inwards towards the arena. 

“Hardly…”, Danzo droned, just barely raising his voice enough to be heard over the echoing thunder. “It’s a little something I taught him. Tobu is burning the chakra directly out of his heart.”, Danzo explained. That innate feeling of evil clawed at Kakashi’s mind again. He resisted the urge to strike the old man.

“I need to put a stop to this!”, he cried, stepping to the edge of the stadium to jump over and end the Exam. Before he could, a hand bolted over his chest, stopping him. He looked over to see Tsunade, transfixed by Tobu's chaotic meltdown.

“I need to see this…”, she muttered. Kakashi’s brow screwed in disbelief, but before he could protest, another deafening boom reverberated around the arena. Kakashi looked down to see the aura surrounding Tobu explode forth and dissipate. The boy surged forward and vanished from sight. A magenta glow suddenly burst out in front of Neji and the Hyuga man shrieked, covering his eyes as if he’d just looked directly into the sun.

“What’s happening now?!”, Kakashi frantically asked Danzo.

“His burning chakra rages blindingly bright. There isn’t a Dojutsu in the world who can keep up with him now.”, Danzo joylessly explained.

“That’s impossible!”, Kakashi retorted, pulling out his own Sharingan eye. Sure enough, when Kakashi caught sight of Tobu, it was as if he were looking directly into a pit of blazing fire. He cried out in pain and pulled his mask back over his face. A searing bolt of white-hot pain shot through his eye and penetrated to the back of his skull. He had seen and mastered a thousand jutsu, but even he could never dream up anything as horrific as this. 

The entire stadium was shaking now as Tobu’s violent chakra rocked the air around them. The raging boy pounded fist after fist against Neji’s chest, screaming violently with each strike. Kakashi watched as the boy he’d come to see as his son lost control. He punched, kicked, threw, he even headbutted Neji in abject rage. Neji offered no resistance as he was beaten bloody. Kakashi couldn’t even tell if he was still conscious. 

“We need to put a stop to this!”, Kakashi urged Tsunade again. As if in response, another shockwave rocked the stadium as Tobu raised both his fists over his head and bashed them down across Neji’s head like a hammer. Kakashi was nearly knocked to his feet. 

“You cannot stop this.”, Danzo droned. “This is the power Orochimaru created. This is ‘Bloodstream Chakra’! And now, thanks to me, it belongs to us.”, he declared. Kakashi looked over at Tsunade, who was still entranced by the display before her.

“Bullshit! I’m ending this!”, Kakashi cried, leaping over the railing and down to the field below. His feet crashed into the dirt in time to see Tobu pick up the kunai he threw away earlier. The boy rotated in his hands and showed no signs of cooling down.

“Tobu!”, Kakashi yelled over the deafening thunder crashing around the stadium. The air whipped around him like a tornado and flying dust cut into his skin. Gusts of wind nearly knocked him off his feet and at times, he had to nearly crawl amongst the dirt to keep his balance. The closer he got to the burning cloud of chakra engulfing the two combatants, Kakashi felt as if the whole world, gravity and the earth beneath his feet, were bending and twisting underneath him. It took every ounce of concentration to keep moving and to stay on his feet. He guarded his face from the storm and he could barely make out Tobu flash into Neji’s face. 

“ No! ”, Kakashi cried, but it was no use. The Copy Ninja watched in horror, terror, dread, and everything in between as Tobu, in blinding fury, plunged the kunai directly into Neji’s temple.

Kakashi stopped dead in his tracks, arm outstretched as if there was something he could do. Blood sprayed from Neji’s head and peppered Tobu’s face.

And he saw what he had done.

The chakra burning in his veins cooled instantly. The gale-force winds torturing the arena died down. As quickly as they arose, the magenta hue and the titanic quaking vanished. Replacing the ear-splitting thunder, screams of horror echoed down from the stadium above. Kakashi watched the reality of the situation spread across Tobu’s face. The boy released his grip over the kunai, a splotch of blood crossing his shaking palm. Kakashi knew what it was like. To struggle processing what your eyes were forcing you to see. The blood dripping off your fingers. The life you just took, by mistake of course, but that wouldn’t bring them back.

Tobu stepped back from Neji’s corpse. The dead Hyuga dropped to his knees and slumped over as if he were a sack of corn. Tobu couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t blink. And he couldn’t tear his gaze away from Neji’s lifeless eyes. They pierced into his soul, crying out in rage for the body that no longer could. All sights, sounds, smells ceased. He could only look into those horrific eyes. 

He stood locked in place before he felt Kakashi’s arms hook around his shoulder and pull him away from Neji’s bleeding body. 

“This is an outrage !”, Hiashi Huyga shouted, “One of my own, murdered !”

“I understand your frustration…”, Tsunade could only mutter, trying her very best to steady her breathing. She rested her hands on her desk, attempting to steady herself. Even from the top floor of her office, she could hear the bustling activity of the crowd below. They wanted to know what would happen to the boy just like Hiashi did.

“‘ Frustration ’? I demand action !”, Hiashi yelled. Tsunade gulped down air.

“Kids.. sometimes die in these things, Hiashi…. You know that…”, she wheezed. 

“My nephew didn’t die. He was murdered ! By an outsider! How could you let this happen?! Why didn’t you stop the fight?!”, Hiashi screamed.

“I didn’t see you try and stop it…”, Tsunade retorted. The Hyuga patriarch choked on his words. “Everyone knew Neji fell out of favor with your family. Why do you care so damn much?”, Tsunade finished, her own anger beginning to grow.

 “After everything the Hyuga clan has done to keep this village afloat, I once again demand action!”, he continued. 

“And what, in all my power, would you like me to fucking do?!”, she cursed. 

“I want him exiled. I want him dead !”, Hiashi shouted again. Tsunade shook her head,

“I’m not doing that”, she replied firmly. The door to the Hokage office suddenly burst open. Everyone turned to see Kakashi leading Hanabi by her wrist, tears streaming down her frightened face. 

Hiashi rushed over to the girl and snatched her wrist away from Kakashi. The Copy Ninja threw scorn at Hiashi, but the latter didn’t even look his way. 

“Either you do something about the boy or the Hyuga withdraw their support!” Hiashi declared. Kakashi’s stomach dropped. The largest force of shinobi left in the village was about to walk because of his student. He couldn’t help but feel responsible and that he should’ve felt responsible. Tsunade’s orders be damned; he should’ve broken up the fight. He spied Danzo looming in the back of the room as if he were Tsunade’s shadow. The only emotion on his face was one of impatience. He clearly saw this entire affair was an inconvenience. 

Hanabi tugged on the sleeve of Hiashi's robe, trying her best to voice her protest. She tried to speak but could only vocalize choked sobs. Kakashi felt the crushing guilt threaten to shatter him in a million pieces as he watched the tears roll down her face.

Danzo calmly strode out from the corner of the room and stood next to Hiashi, facing Tsunade.

“The boy has a place in my Root program. Given his… ‘crimes’, I’d say it’s where he belongs.”, he droned. 

“Not good enough!”, Hiashi shouted, “The Hyuga will not reside in the Village as long as that ‘ boy ’ lives!”. Tsunade took a deep breath, blowing air through her teeth. She was still trying her best to calm down. “Make a decision, Tsunade! The Hyuga or the boy!”, Hiashi bellowed, his vocal chords audibly tearing. Tsunade looked up from her desk, at the furious Hiashi, at the sobbing Hanabi, at the indifferent Danzo, and at the guilty Kakashi.

She didn’t have the strength to do what she knew she needed to do.

End of Part 1

Chapter Text

* Five Years Later*

Kakashi sat, alone, in the dimly lit room. Surrounding the bed he sat on were empty chip bags, dirty socks, and candy wrappers. It was mid-day, but the thick curtains remained drawn tightly over the windows as the sunlight tried to claw its way in. The ratty blanket covering the bed made Kakashi’s fingers irritated and itchy. He sighed, absentmindedly looking around for who he knew wasn’t there and was never going to be there. 

He stood up, accidentally kicking a soda can across the room. It plinked its way across the room before frustratingly settling behind the open door. Kakashi sighed again. Just like that, Tobu’s room was no longer exactly the way he left it. Kakashi looked down at his foot, at the new gaping hole in the almost uniform layer of mess across the boy’s floor and his heart began to ache. 

Things always change, don’t they? , he wondered. In his thirty-three years of life, he could never quite get a grasp over that idea. And around me, because of me, things always change for the worse…

Kakashi stepped out onto the dilapidated porch of Tobu’s abandoned home, ducking under the caution tape that surrounded the building. In a feigned show of control, Lady Tsunade had the boy’s house cordoned off for “investigation” five years ago, but never bothered to actually investigate anything. There was nothing to investigate, she knew what caused him to do what he did. Now, there was nothing to do but try and save face, like she always did. 

Kakashi shook his head. He couldn’t rightly blame her for that. “Saving face” was the only reason the village still stood. He didn’t have to like it, but it kept the roof over his head safe and sound. 

Waiting at the end of the home’s short driveway was Konohamaru Sarutobi, sitting on the ground and against the picket fence that wrapped around the house. In the years since the Chunin Exams, his complexion had grown darker and his hair longer. It never ceased to amaze Kakashi how much he looked like his uncle and his grandfather. The boy he once carried to the hospital for his broken hand was now an almost eighteen year old full-blown Jonin, just like his teacher. He wore his Leaf headband and vest proudly and at every opportunity. 

Konohamaru looked out at the street before him, at the crowd walking past the house. Some would stop and gaze towards the empty building and some would walk right by as if it was just an empty building. There were many newcomers to the Leaf Village and, as unbelievable as it was to Kakashi and Konohamaru, some of them had simply never heard of their former teammate. 

Konohamaru eventually turned and saw Kakashi standing on the porch, also looking out over the street.

“I thought I’d find you here…”, he muttered, before nonchalantly turning his eyes back towards the road. Kakashi tried to ignore the fact that the boy had read him like a book.

“What’s going on?”, he asked. Konohamaru stood up off the ground, groaning as he bent his knees.

“Tsunade has another mission for us. Another S-Rank too. What, is that, thirty S-Ranks in the last couple years? That’s gotta be a record!”, Konohamaru rubbed the back of his neck and stretched his back. Kakashi rested his hands in his pockets.

“It’s not, but it’s still a heavy workload.”, he replied, clicking his tongue. Since becoming a Jonin, Konohamaru had been sent on many S-Rank missions alongside Kakashi. The two had garnered their own brand of fame among the Leaf Village for their exploits. 

“Eh, I need the money anyway…”, Konohamaru muttered. Kakashi gave him a surprised look.

“What do you keep spending all your money on?”, he asked, dumbfounded.

“ Food ! I love food. I can’t help it.”, Konohamaru said, defensively. Yeah, that makes sense. , Kakashi thought. When the boy finished stretching and straightened up, he realized Konohamaru was actually starting to outgrow him, despite their age gap.

Kakashi shrugs, feeling older than ever, and steps off the porch.

“Alright, let’s go see what paradise Tsunade wants us to visit today…”, he sighs.

“Hey…um…”, Konohamaru interjects. He casts his eyes down for a moment. “Do you want ask her again?”, he finishes. A cold bolt of anxiety shoots through Kakashi’s stomach. They had asked the same question before every mission and every mission they had gotten the same answer. Kakashi knew they’d probably get the same answer yet again today, but that tiny, spiteful side of him egged him on yet again.

“Yeah, we can.”, he sighed. He placed a hand on his former student, now partner. “We’re going to get him back, I promise.”

As the pair made their way through the bustling streets of the Leaf Village, Kakashi noticed they were passing right by the usually desolate Hyuga Compound. Today however, it seemed that one of the many construction crews recently frequenting the village had begun work over the abandoned site. Over the last five years, construction crews, renovation crews, and everything in between became a common site. Houses and buildings became moderinzed and new businesses were moving in. With all the missions he, Konohamaru, and their constituents had done over the years, the cash flow seemed never ending, at least compared to the years prior. It seemed like the Leaf Village was finally back on its feet. 

Kakashi was glad to see his beloved birthplace returning to its former glory.

Kakashi was pained to know the price that was paid. He felt like he should thank Tsunade for what she did. But it felt so disgusting to imagine shamelessly expressing gratitude after everything that had been lost. He always felt it would be better to just keep his mouth shut.

Kakashi pulled himself up the stairs leading to the Hokage’s office, his knees protesting each step. Konohamaru followed closely behind with none of the same struggle. Upon reaching the top of the stairs, Kakashi could hear a muffled conversation and a voice he’d recognize anywhere. He stood against the door and leaned his ear in closer, straining to steal a word or two from the room beyond. 

A few moments of this were enough to completely drain Konohamaru’s patience. He pushed past his partner, muttering,

“Just open the damn thing!”.

Sure enough, just as Kakashi suspected, Danzo Shimura stood across from Tsunade Senju in the office. The Copy Ninja’s blood began to boil, as it had every time he caught sight of or even just thought about that rat. 

The two glanced back at Kakashi and Konohamaru and the Copy Ninja got a good look at the leader of the Anbu. Kakashi had only seen the man a few times in the last five years and, alongside a ballad of intense questions, he noticed Danzo getting sicker and more frail as the years went by. 

As he stood across the room, the man leaned heavily on a cane for support the folds under his eyes grew nearly all the way to his ears. His grey hair was now almost the same hue as Kakashi’s natural white and it hung low over his cheeks. 

For her part, Lady Tsunade looked as ageless as usual, although Kakashi knew the secret behind that truth. 

“Gentlemen, can I help you?”, Tsunade broke the silence. Kakashi opened his mouth to speak but Konohamaru took charge.

“You got another mission lined up for us?”, he asked. Danzo wordlessly shrunk away from the three, mischievously attempting to slither his way out of the room.

“No, you’ll stay. We’re not done.”, Tsunade barked at him, shutting down his escape attempt with absolute authority. Danzo grumbled something under his breath but no one else in the room caught it. “Uh, yeah actually, I do! I was about to call for you two when I was done here.”, Tsunade continued. 

“What is it?”, Kakashi finally got a word in. Tsunade fished around in her desk drawer for a moment before pulling out a familiar sight of a mission contract.

“S-Rank.”, she answered, before giving the pair a cautious glance, “Are you sure you guys are up for another one?”. Konohamaru shrugged,

“Yeah, I mean, we’ve only done like thirty in the last couple years. What’s one more?”.

“Thirty-five, actually.”, Tsunade responded. She sighed before placing the contract on the table and pushing it across. Kakashi and Konohamaru didn’t bother looking it over. “It’s technically an S-Rank, but we’re considering it above an S-Rank in priority. That’s why I wanted you two. This one’s big.”, she admitted.

“Orochimaru?”, Kakashi interrogated. Tsunade let out an exasperated huff.

“No, Kakashi. And before you ask, no, we haven’t heard anything from his corner yet. All quiet, I promise.”, she assured his barely contained anxious questioning.

 “It’s been eight years ! It doesn’t strike you as odd that we haven’t heard a peep from his?”, he unleashed his tirade of questions despite Tsunade’s attempts to quell the storm.

“I don’t know! Maybe he moved on! Maybe he decided to go terrorize someone else! I’m doing everything I legally can to keep tabs on him and I’ve heard nothing !”, Tsunade burst out, a vein in her forehead threatening to reach out and sock Kakashi in the mouth. Kakashi subtly rolled his eyes, just as a deviant did best, and Tsunade’s breathing finally calmed. “Now can I tell you about this issue. Because, I promise you, it’s worth your time!”, she explained, slapping the contract on the table in front of him. 

“It must be…”, Kakashi muttered sarcastically as both he and Konohamaru signed the contract without a second thought. Tsunade placed her hands on her hips, demanding the attention of the room.

“The Grass Village calls for aid. We don’t know the details yet, you’ll get those on arrival. But this is a major threat and we need to respond. The Grass Village is a major diplomatic power and helping them will go a long way to securing our reputation back.”, she explained. Kakashi frowned,

“There’s no details on what’s going on?”, he asked. Tsunade shook her head.

“Whatever the problem is, they didn’t want to disclose it. I’m assuming they didn’t want to risk the message getting intercepted.”, she replied. 

“Sounds fishy…”, Konohamaru retorted.

“I know, but we need this and you two are the best for the job.”, Tsunade assured the boy. Danzo huffed from his hiding spot in the corner of the room.

“I assure you my Root program would be more than up for the task.”, he croaked. Konohamaru scowled at the man, but Kakashi sensed the perfect opportunity to pounce.

  “Then let us bring him with us.”, he retorted, the words seeming to echo around the room. Tsunade raised her eyebrows. She’d heard the same request dozens of times, but now it seemed like a perfectly valid one. Danzo’s soulless lone eye dragged its way across the room to meet Kakashi’s knowing lone eye. The two singular eyes stared each other down in tense silence, neither backing down, before Danzo finally broke the tension.

“That is my decision to make.”, he muttered.

“It’s actually mine .”, Tsunade reminded him. “I’ve heard of the exploits you’ve put him through.” Kakashi’s brow furrowed in confusion.

“Exploits? What’re you talking about?”, he asked. Tsunade shrugged.

“Danzo, tell Kakashi how many S-Rank missions you’ve put your star pupil through these last few years.”, she ordered. Dazno glared into Tsunade’s soul. If Kakashi didn’t know what a cockroach the man was, he’d have his guard up after a look like that. 

“Two-hundred and eleven.”, Danzo croaked.

In an instant, Kaksahi flew across the room, grabbing Danzo by the collar and slamming him against the wall. 

“ What the hell is wrong with you?! How can you put that kid through that kind of workload?! ”, Kakashi roared. 

“ Kakashi! Stand down!”, Tsunade barked, but her order went unheard. Konohamaru stood bolted to the floor in stunned silence. Danzo grunted in pain.

“Each of those missions are the sole reason this village still stands.”, he wheezed. “That boy had brought in more than enough money and reputation to atone for his crimes.”

“Than why are you making him keep going?!”, Kakashi retorted. 

“I’m not. He wants more missions! It’s his choice.”, Danzo growled. Kakashi’s blood ran cold. He wanted that kind of workload? That was nearly one S-Rank mission a week. One nearly impossible, life-threatening, extremely strenuous mission every single week. Two-hundred and eleven S-Ranks would make him far and away the most accomplished Shinobi in Leaf history, even more so than Jiraiya and Minato. 

It did make sense. The thirty-five he and Konohamaru had done were not nearly enough to explain the rapid regrowth the Leaf Village was experiencing. As much as it horrified the Copy Ninja, he knew Danzo was telling the truth. 

“Put. Him. Down!”, Tsunade barked again. Kakashi’s heart-rate finally quited enough for him to hear her orders. He loosened his grip over Danzo’s collar and let his feet return to the floor. “Now, back away.”, she ordered. Kakashi stepped back and gave her a knowing look.

“You knew?”, he asked breathlessly. Tsunade simply stared back for a moment, unable to admit the truth.

“Danzo.”, she grunted. The toad turned his aching neck to look at her. “He’s ready and he’s going with them.” Danzo sighed angrily,

“Very well…”

Kakashi, Konohamaru, and Danzo approached the Anbu’s Headquarters. Kakashi looked up at the plain-looking building that no average citizen would pay a second look at. But Kakashi knew that anyone who had seen the horrors inside, they would feel the same brooding paralysis that he felt. He hoped the boy inside hadn’t gone through even a fraction of what he had.

“I haven’t got all day…”, Danzo droned, holding the front door open and wielding an unpleasant look on his face. He had thought about this moment for years, but now that it was right in front of him, he wasn’t sure what on Earth he was supposed to do. 

Konohamaru stayed close to Kakashi as the duo walked past Danzo and through the front door.

“He’s in the sparring chamber. Do you need an escort?”, Danzo sleezed, his disgusting voice tinged with an audible grin. Painful memories flooded Kakashi’s mind. He slowly turned his head, knowing full and well what the old man was doing. He scowled as hard as stone at the human insect, his Sharingan eye almost piercing through his mask in sheer, cold anger.

“No. I remember exactly where it is.”, he whispered. He tried his best to not let Danzo’s tricks get to him, but the malice in his veins proved he was failing and the old toad was winning. Reliving these memories as he walked through these halls was the price he had to pay, and Danzo’s punishment to dole out, to get the boy back. Even as the horrific memories rattled his brain, he knew he couldn’t turn back.

Kakashi and Konohamaru looked through the open doorway to the Sparring Chamber. It wasn’t quite what the Copy Ninja remembered. Lying in the basement of the Headquarters, he remembered the entirely stone room was bare of any frivolous decor. Lining the walls were weapon racks filled with kunai, swords, staves, and scrolls. But now, accompanying those racks were rugs, posters, and cubbies housing protective training gear. The dungeon Kakashi remembered was now a proper, modern training facility. 

“What the hell…?”, Kakashi muttered, before Danzo brushed past him impatiently.

“Silence.”, he snapped. It seemed he decided to follow him and Konohamaru anyway. Keeping close tabs on us, no doubt. , Kakashi thought. 

The two rolled their eyes and followed Danzo toward a gaggle of younger Anbu operatives surrounding a pair of their teammates. Each of the pair were wearing traditional bogu armor and wielding shinai swords. Kakashi remembered his days of fierce kenjutsu competition. One of the two combatants was shorter than average in size and build, while the other stood a full head higher than even Kakashi himself. He looked back at the shorter operative. That must be him… , he thought. Even if he couldn’t see his face, just being mere feet away was enough to spike Kakashi’s anxiety. He struggled to remember the boy’s face. He wondered if he would even recognize him. The two gripped their shinai harder and Kakashi held his breath. C’mon, kiddo .

The shorter trainee struck first, lunging forward with a stabbing strike. The taller one instantly stepped back with honed agility, batting the invading shinai aside. He then advanced with his own attack, taking an aggressive step forward and launching an overhead strike down on his opponent. Anticipating the strike, the shorter operative stepped out of the way, readying a low slash to his opponent's stomach. Just before he could strike, the taller operative turned his body to face his shorter teammate. He swung the dull, wooden blade down with such force that the entire crowd watching felt the wind rushing out of the way of the blade. The shorter operative flinched back, bracing himself for a painful strike, as his taller opponent gently laid the shinai on his shoulder, signaling his victory.

Kakashi couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen a kendo match end so quickly, in just two moves. The two operatives stepped back and held their shinai by the center of the blade. Suddenly, the taller Anbu stepped forwards and knelt in front of his teammate, placing a hand on his shoulder. 

“Don’t be too fast.”, he said. Kakashi’s eyes nearly flew out of their sockets. Even muffled by the bogu mask, he recognized that voice. He let out a quiet gasp, realizing he hadn’t breathed since they entered the room, and he saw Konohamaru crane his neck up and forward. “Let your opponent think he’s got you, then counter.”, the taller Anbu finished. Is that really him?? , Kakashi wondered. He darted his head towards Danzo, who simply glanced at him out of the corner of his eye. Sighing, Danzo stepped into the ring.

“Back to your dorms, everyone!”, he barked. Instantly and without hesitation, every Anbu operative began filing past Kakashi and Konohamaru and out the door of the Sparring Chamber. Kakashi remembered there being strict obedience among the Anbu, but nothing to this scale. 

The shorter operative pulled his bogu off and walked off, but as the taller one did the same, Danzo grabbed his shoulder and nudged him towards Kakashi and Konohamaru. 

Even through the slits in the mask, Kakashi could see eye contact. For the first time in five years, their eyes met. 

He stood still for an arduous moment, before turning back towards Danzo hesitantly. Danzo gave a concise nod, before the tall operative turned back. He began taking soft, but measured steps towards Kakashi and Konohamaru, as if he were creeping up on a cornered dog, careful not to agitate it lest it bite. He stopped in front of the pair and Kakashi hear his heavy breathing and he could even begin to make out the contours of his face. 

The tall operative ducked his head down and slowly pulled the bogu off his head. He slowly leaned back up, letting sweaty, jet-black hair sticking to his forehead. Kakashi’s mouth hung agape under his mask and Konohamaru hold back his disbelief.

“Hey guys…”, Tobu huffed, “Long time no see…”

If the Anbu Headquarters went any further underground, Kakashi and Konohamaru’s jaws would be resting firmly on the bottom floor.                

Chapter Text

“Ok, makes sense to me!”, Tobu chirped as he read over the same contract Kakashi and Konohamaru signed earlier that day. He cupped his hand over the bottom of the page and messily scribbled a signature. Just as soon as he could, Danzo quickly snatched the contract out of Tobu’s hands.

“I’ll deliver this to Tsunade. You boys be on your way. I want you back as soon as possible.”, he grumbled. Tobu shrugged,

“You got it.” Danzo crept off and out the door to the Sparring Chamber, already barking orders at some wayward Anbu operative. Kakashi remembered the “eyes in the back of their heads” that every trainee would develop just to steer clear of Danzo Shimura.

Suddenly, all three of them were alone in the oppressive silence. Kakashi struggled to think of something to say as everyone avoided each other’s gaze. About fifteen minutes ago, he could’ve thought of a million, billion questions. But now, his throat closed up over even the most pressing ones. How have you been? What’s it like here? How’re you feeling? None of them breached through the overbearing awkwardness. The only thing he could manage to say was something he might’ve kicked his own ass for.

“So, looks like Team 7 is back, huh?”, he chuckled nervously. A small smile flashed onto Tobu’s face, before Konohamaru had to open his mouth. 

“Missing one vital member…”, he muttered, a tinge of contempt twisting his voice. The awkwardness welcomed itself back into the room now accompanied by the complex fusion of anger and sadness. Kakashi rubbed the back of his head, wishing he had the nerve to elbow Konohamaru for that comment, even if he was telling the truth. Five years ago, he had always leaned on Hanabi Hyuga to pick up the emotional slack that he couldn’t bring to the table anymore. Despite his authority and years of experience, Hanabi was always meant to be their leader. 

Tobu let out a quiet sigh and cast his eyes to his shoes. Kakashi could feel the shame and guilt radiating off of him. He wanted to say something, but he knew it probably wasn’t his place, not anymore. After all, the sniffling kid that once hung off his sleeves was now a lean, towering hulk that accomplished more in five years than Kakashi had in the last twenty and he hadn’t even blown out eighteen candles yet. He wondered how a lifetime could feel like it passed in an instant. How he could feel so old and left-behind, while still feeling Tobu’s hair under his palm like it was just yesterday.

“I.. uh…”, Tobu began to stutter, “I gotta pick up a few things before we leave. You guys can follow me…”. Kakashi solemley nodded and glanced over at Konohamaru, who was still staring daggers in the side of Tobu’s head. Even after five years, Tobu still knew better than to wait for Konohamaru to agree with him, over anything.

As the three walked up the stairs to the ground floor and through the corridors of the Anbu Headquarters, Kakashi noticed that nearly every single Anbu operative that passed by them had something to say to Tobu. 

“You wanna spar later?”

“I got a mission, but afterwards, sure!”

“You know what’s for dinner today?”

“I don’t know. You’d have to ask Shinzo.”

“Hey, Tobu! Nice sparring earlier!”

“Thanks!”

Kakashi cocked his brow and waited until, finally, he could get a word in.

“You’re certainly popular around here. More popular than I was, that’s for sure.”, he remarked. Tobu shrugged,

“I don’t know about that. Some people around here still remember the Copy Ninja.”

“Ugh, I hate that name”, Kakashi grumbled and it was back to more awkward silence, only ever broken by a passing operative that couldn’t be happier to see Tobu.

“Right here.”, Tobu called out as the trio approached an unremarkable door along a hallway full of unremarkable doors. The dorms , Kakashi remembered. He wondered what Tobu’s dorm would look like and he couldn’t have been more surprised. Tobu pushed the door open to reveal a dorm room that could only be described as “immaculate”. Not a single soda can or candy wrapper littered the floor. Instead, the polished, dark wooden floor was free of even a speck of dust. The bed was made in completely straight lines and angles. The bookshelf, thought empty, was completely free of dust and the dresser sat neatly next to it. 

“Ok, just gimme one second”, Tobu muttered. He slipped out of the bogu and was only covered by a black pair of pants. From the doorway, Kakashi glanced over his wide back and broad shoulders. He saw muscles he never even knew existed ripple across the boy’s body, but it’s what he didn’t see that puzzled him. Two hundred and eleven S-Rank missions and not a single “trophy” to show for it ?, he wondered. Despite searching up and down Tobu’s back, Kakashi couldn’t find a single scar. 

Tobu slid the bogu into a dresser drawer before pulling a small trunk out from under the bed. He clicked open the trunk, pulling out standard issue Anbu black under garments and grey armor. 

“No mask?”, Kakashi asked, realizing there wasn’t one in his trunk.

“Don’t need one!”, Tobu replied, pulling the black shirt over his shoulders. “I’m not from here, so there’s no clan or identity to bother keeping a secret.” Something about that made Kakashi quite sad.

After slipping into the uniform and loading his pockets with every ninja tool he could ever need, Tobu pulled a sheathed blade out of the trunk and slung it over his shoulder. Over his right shoulder protruded the hilt of a straight sword in the same style that Kakashi remembered using during his own time in the Anbu. Strangely, at the other end of the sheath, just behind his left hip, another hilt protruded from the sheath. 

“That sheath holds two blades?”, Kakashi asked.

“Hmm? Oh, this?”, Tobu replied, Turning his body before reaching back with his left hand and pulling the second hilt out of the sheath. “It’s a tanto. I had a special sheath made to hold two blades because I’m left-handed. It’s a little awkward but it’s gotten me out of a bind more times than I can count!”, he explained. It suddenly occurred to Kakashi that, in the past five years, Tobu had probably had to kill an untold amount of people on his missions. He wondered how the boy felt after taking his second life. He remembered the anguish and nausea of taking his first life after Rin. He always hoped no one would have to go through that same hell, and now, through no one’s fault but his own, he realized Tobu probably had.

“Alright!”, Tobu cheerfully sighed, snapping shut the last button on his flak jacket, “Let’s get going!”

*The Next Day*

The only sound breaking the serene midnight air was the occasional crack of the dying campfire. Not even birds chirping or bullfrogs croaking reverberated around the trees that surrounded Team 7. Kakashi sat across from Konohamaru with his bedroll tucked over his legs and leaning on his backpack. The boy sat on his roll with his knees tucked up to his chin. 

“I don’t know what to say to him…”, Kakashi quietly admitted.

“I’m not sure I want to say anything to him.”, Konohamaru replied, his head bouncing as he didn’t bother lifting his chin off his knees to speak. Kakashi eyed the boy for a minute, absorbing the potential possibility that Konohamaru might’ve been better off not seeing Tobu ever again.

“We both wanted this, didn’t we?”, he asked. Konohamaru drew in a long breath and let out a longer, solemn sigh.

“I did. But now that he’s here… I don’t know what to think…I’m not even sure why I wanted him to come back…”, he mumbled. Kakashi nodded his head, remembering his own apprehension. “I miss Hanabi…”, he whispered, so low that Kakashi couldn’t tell if he was meant to have heard it. 

“Me too, kiddo.”, he answered anyway, nodding his head in solemn agreement. 

Without uttering even a single sound, Tobu appeared in the light of the campfire from behind Konohamaru.

“All clear.”, he sighed. Konohamaru nearly jumped out of his own skin.

“ Geez! ”, he cried, voice instinctually hushed by the quiet night, “Atleast let us know before creeping back to camp!”. Kakashi held back a chuckle, gazing at the two with knowing eyes. They had, more or less, been getting along during their journey to the Grass Village. He couldn’t tell if it was genuine maturity or the tense awkwardness that had them on their best behavior, but he couldn’t say he missed constantly dragging them away from each other by their shirt collars over some spat. 

Every time he saw how much either of them had grown, he felt a feeling he still couldn’t characterize. It felt like a bucket of ice water being poured over his shoulders or just like the warm, inviting campfire sitting before them. Sometimes the feeling felt like both of those at the same time and sometimes it felt like neither one of them.

Konohamaru and, by their best guess, Tobu were both just months away from turning eighteen, turning into real adults. Eight years ago, when all three of his beloved students were just sniveling brats, he never could’ve imagined that he’d even be able to take them under his wing and see them into adulthood. Of course, one of them was now gone and he wasn’t even around for most of the other’s journey into maturity. Time moves us all along, with or without me. Because of me or not, they’re growing up fast. If I won’t take the credit, why should I assume I need to take the blame? , he wondered.

Tobu slumped down next to the fire, the three forming a semi-circle around the burning sticks and logs. 

“We’re close enough to the Grass Village. I don’t think anyone’s going to attack us here. I think we can drop the patrols.”, Tobu assured Kakashi. The Copy Ninja nodded.

“Right. We should all get some sleep. We’ll probably reach the Grass Village by noon tomorrow.”, he replied. Konohamaru huffed and quickly slumped into his bed roll, rolling onto his side and facing away from his teammates. Tobu lay back on the ground, flat on his back, one leg crossed over the other. He lay his hands over his stomach and closed his eyes. Kakashi sat still, not moving a muscle, staring deeply into the dying campfire. He could tell Konohamaru had fallen into a deep sleep and that Tobu was still dozing. He knew that Anbu would’ve turned him into the lightest sleeper possible.

“Tobu?”, he called out. The boy’s eyes bolted open with a sharp inhale.

“Yeah, boss?”, he whispered. Kakashi’s ears tingled from hearing that nickname after so long. He wasn’t exactly sure why he’d woken the kid up. He did still have a million, billion questions to ask and he still did not have the courage to ask most of them. He asked one of the few questions he could bring himself to articulate.

“What’s that in your hand?”, he asked meekly. He noticed the boy was running his fingers over something in his palm. Tobu extended his forearm up and opened his palm. Kakashi saw what looked like the beginnings of a warm smile dart across the boy’s face, but was quickly quashed by years of no doubt painful conditioning. In his palm sat a little wooden figure, a child’s toy.

“It’s a little wooden horse. Shinzo, from the Anbu, got it for me during one of our missions to the Cloud Village. Danzo doesn’t allow anything like that, but, as a role model, I always try to be a bit nicer to them.”, he explained in a whisper, closing his palm around the toy just as quickly as he opened it, as if the bandaged freak himself could pop out of the dark woods at any moment. Kakashi was impressed, even shocked, at Tobu’s compassion for his fellow operatives. He clearly cares a lot about them… Still, his missions took him all the way to the Cloud Village? , he wondered. He thought of another question.

“Have you really done two hundred and eleven S-Rank missions?”, he asked. Tobu gave a slight nod and he gazed deeply past the treetops and into the night sky.

“And counting.”, he replied. Kakashi let out an incredulous sigh, almost laughing in disbelief.

“ Why ?”, was all he could ask. Tobu sat up in his bedroll, gazing straight ahead and across the campfire, at the gaping hole in their camp. His eyes focused over the patch of dirts where she should’ve been, where she’d be sleeping soundly under his protection. Even for the dozens of his fellow operatives accompanying him over the years, nothing ever filled that hole. Not even a roaring bonfire could warm the freezing absence. Oh… I get it… , Kakashi realized.

“I guess it kept my mind off things…”, Tobu muttered. He let out a shaky sigh. “H-how was she? After I…”, he stuttered. Kakashi answered with merciful readiness.

“She was scared. She was confused. She was young, just like you. She didn’t know what to think. And then she was gone, along with the rest of the Hyuga. It wasn’t up to her, but they left. I don’t know where. No one does.”, he assured his former student. Tobu let out a sharp sigh. Kakashi thought he might cry, remembering the emotional and rash boy of the past. But Tobu’s face didn’t bend an inch. Didn’t betray a single emotion.

“After this, are you gonna go back with the Anbu?”, Kakashi asked another question. He couldn’t even tell if Tobu was breathing.

“They help me keep my mind off things. The training and the missions. And I still need to atone… for what I’ve done.”, Tobu answered. 

“I don’t think you need to atone for anything. You were young.”, Kakashi repeated himself, “I don’t think you should hold that against yourself.”

“ I do .”, Toby snapped, “And I should. And I’m not done yet. I need to do more . To make up for all the damn damage I did.”. The boy spat vitriol into the campfire as Kakashi watched. The Copy Ninja could almost see the pulling back the metaphorical leash at the first sign of expressing any emotion. The Anbu were always meant to be emotionless machines and it pained Kakashi more than he could express to see Tobu desperate for relief from the thoughts tormenting him. 

Tobu huffed out a tense sigh and rolled his eyes. This was clearly something he’d agonized over again and again and he hated talking about it. Kakashi knew the feeling.

“G’night, Kakashi.”, he mumbled and laid back down on his back, closing his eyes and falling asleep with the efficiency only a trained soldier could achieve. Kakashi sat and watched the fire for a moment longer. He wondered if Minato could still be proud of him.

Team 7 heaved their legs through waist-high grass under the abusive midday sun. The trees surrounding them were all doing a resoundingly poor job at shielding them from the boiling heat. Konohamaru groaned loudly and wiped a bead of sweat from his brow.

“Shouldn’t these roads be better maintained?! This is ridiculous!”, he bellowed.

“They don’t call it the ‘Grass Village’ for no reason!”, Kakashi replied with a sly grin as he swung his hips through the grass. But he’s right , he thought, Why hasn’t anyone come out here to clear the road? . 

“Well, there’s gotta be some reason they called us for help. Maybe something’s keeping them from coming out here?”, Tobu reasoned. With everything he’d seen so far, Kakashi knew he shouldn’t have been surprised, but he couldn’t help but be impressed with the boy’s reasoning skills. Clearly his body wasn’t the only thing being trained these last five years. 

Ahead of the group, Tobu swiftly held up a single fist, the universal signal to halt. He ducked down and pointed to his right as a group of rag-tag looking thugs walked past the group and to their left. 

“Ah! You guys go on ahead! I’ve got something stuck in my shoe.”, one of them called as he took a seat in the dirt mere feet from Tobu’s hiding spot. Tobu soundlessly crept up behind the crouching bandit, reaching back with his left hand and pulling the tanto from his sheath. No! Let them pass! , Kakashi wanted to call out, but feared giving away Tobu’s cover. 

Once the rest of the group was out of sight, Tobu pounced on the lone bandit. He covered the man’s mouth and nose with his right hand, plunging the tanto into the man’s throat, pulling it across from right to left, nearly severing the man’s neck. Kaksahi could hear the bandit gargling on the blood rushing out of his neck and the sinew of his throat popping and ripping. The bandit wrenched his face from left to right, but didn’t find any purchase under Tobu’s iron grip. Kakashi couldn’t believe his eyes. In stark contrast to his expectations, Tobu was not afraid of violence in the slightest. He agonized over the hell Danzo must have put him through to get him to his point.

With refined brutality, Tobu pulled tanto free before leaving over the man’s shoulder and forcing the tanto in the thug’s intestines, dragging the blade up through the liver and stomach. He ripped the tanto free just under the rib cage, leaning out of the way and shoving the fresh corpse to the ground. 

Tobu turned to his teammates. Blood soaked the left side of his face. If he didn’t know any better, Kakashi might have thought he was looking at a demon. Tobu peered down the trail and, seeing nothing, ushered his teammates to approach. He dragged the body into the grass, letting it flop into the grass and be hidden from sight.

“Tobu, that was… too much.”, Kakashi’s voice shook. 

“Cutting the throat doesn’t kill them fast enough. They still have time to call for help before they bleed out.”, Tobu explained as if he were describing a cooking recipe. 

“Still, tha-”, Kakashi began before he was interrupted.

“ Yorinobu! Yorinobu, hurry up! ”, voices called out from ahead. Tobu swiftly reached his left hand behind his back to sheath the tanto before reaching his right hand over his shoulder, pulling out the short sword. 

“I only saw about four or five guys go on ahead. Stay here, I’ll take care of the rest.”, he ordered and bolted off before his teammates could protest. Kakashi and Konohamaru stared at each other in disbelief, breathing heavily, eyes occasionally darting down to the pool of blood forming at their feet. How could the kid who only accidentally killed Neji when he was pushed to his absolute breaking point now do so with such cold efficiency?

After about ten minutes, Tobu called out.

“All clear! Come on ahead!”, his voice echoed through the trees. Kakashi and Konohamaru hesitantly forged ahead on the trail. Soon enough, they spied Tobu ahead as he dragged the eviscerated bodies out of the road. He then sat on a nearby log, stripped his blood-soaked armor off, and began wiping both it and his face down with a wet cloth. Konohamaru finally lost his patience, breaking him free of his silence.

“We’re not supposed to just go around killing people!”, he shouted, “Especially not like this! We aren’t animals!”. Tobu stared at his teammate for a moment in disbelief, before shooting to his feet. He marched over to a nearby body and began rifling through his pockets. After a moment, he pulled something from the corpse’s flak jacket and marched over to Konohamaru, jabbing the object into his chest. Konohamaru looked down at the object to see a Sand Village headband with a slash going across the length of the metal. 

“Rouge-nin. Kill on sight, remember?”, Tobu snapped. Konohamaru’s brow furrowed frustrated disbelief. “They were obviously heading towards the Grass Village”, Tobu continued angrily, “Killing them saved a lot of lives. That is what we’re supposed to do.” He looked over to Kakashi, sensing further protest. Instead, Kakashi just looked down and solemnly shook his head. Tobu was right and it sickened him to his core. It sickened him that, due to his own screw ups, the world was in such a state that innocent children like Tobu needed to become killers.

Tobu huffed and marched back to the log, where his sword was leaning. He picked up the sword and gave it a strong swing, flicking the blood off the blade and peppering the grass in front of him with crimson gore. He flipped the sword in his hand before reaching it back over his shoulder and letting it fall into its sheath. Then, he walked off down the trail, without another word. Kakashi's paralytic silence grew even deeper.

“We should be coming up on it now!”, Konohamaru called from further up the road. Kakashi heaved his legs through the thick grass and he didn’t hear a peep from Tobu just feet behind him. He thought about the Grass Village ahead and what they’d have to do once they got there, still having no idea why they called for help. And, even after years of experience camping in the wilderness, he could never get over the thought of a hot meal and a warm, soft bed.

Konohamaru vanished into a particularly thick wall of grass and vines. Kakashi picked up the pace, knowing the Grass Village was on the other side and he was eager to ask them exactly why they hadn’t maintained the roads. He heard a choked gasp from the other side of the harsh thicket and jumped through.

What he saw, his eyes had trouble seeing, his mind had trouble comprehending, his senses had trouble processing. Konohamaru stood motionless at his side and when Tobu finally pushed his way through the wall of foliage, he too stuttered in disbelief. 

Where the majestic Grass Village, the diplomatic center of the shinobi world, once stood, a massive crater now scarred the earth below. No sign of the peaceful village remained. No rubble, no ruins, no trace of the generations of people who called it home.

“Wha-what the hell happened?”, Konohamaru gasped. Kakashi looked away from the horrific sight and his eyes fell over something curious. He bent down and picked up a stone from the edge of the crater just yards in front of them.

“Sharp edges. This happened recently. A few days ago maybe.”, he analyzed.

“‘A few days’ ?”, Konohamaru whispered, desperately racking his brain for an explanation. Tobu plucked the stone out of Kakashi’s hand and turned it over in his palm.

“Scorch marks too. Whoever did this, did so with fire ninjutsu. Incredibly powerful fire ninjutsu.”, he explained with a grim scowl twisting his face. Kakashi’s mind jumped to an impossible explanation. No, it can’t be… , he thought, tossing the idea out.

“‘A few days’…,” Konohamaru reasoned, “That means this happened right as we were leaving the Leaf Village!” Tobu’s scowl grew deeper.

“Someone knew we were coming…”, he began.

“And wanted us to find this…”, Kakashi finished. Konohamaru gasped again, his composure beginning to crack.

“Then-then we should leave, right?!”, he stuttered. Tobu placed a firm hand on Kakashi’s shoulder.

“Konohamaru’s right. If whoever would do this wanted us to be here, then it’s in our best interest to be as far away as humanly possible.”, he explained. Kakashi clenched his fist hard, so hard he could feel his nails digging into his palm. His instincts rooted him in place. Tobu tugged on his shoulder, turning him away from the horrid sight. “There’s nothing we can do here. We need to leave.”, Tobu continued. 

Suddenly, above the crater echoed a wild screech. Kakashi recognized it as his trusty hawk summon. Even as it soared next to the blinding sun, he could see a scroll clenched tightly in its talons. He looked back down to the crater before them.

Whatever was on that scroll simply couldn’t be good news.         

Chapter Text

“This can’t be happening!”, Konohamaru cried, whipping his arms from side to side as he sprinted through the forest. His Sarutobi stamina kept his pace up, meanwhile Kakashi and Tobu were beginning to lag behind.

“Like it or not, it’s happening, Konohamaru!”, Tobu snapped in between heaving gasps.

“It really can’t!”, Konohamaru retorted, turning his head to the side. “Kakashi! You read the letter! This actually can’t be happening. You know why!”. 

“Just focus on getting back as fast as we can!”, Kakashi ordered, rapidly running out of energy and patience. But he’s right, he thought, What the letter said… it can’t be right . 

Soon enough, the forest broke and a tall hill lay before Team 7. Kakashi recognized it as the hill leading to an overlooking cliff to the Leaf Village. After calling down his hawk and reading the letter it held, the team made the three-day journey from the Grass Village back home in just as many hours. 

After hours of flat-out sprinting, he almost had to lean down and climb the steep hill on his hands and knees. He tried to prepare himself for what he might see at the top of the hill. Still pouring over the letter in his mind, it simply could not have been right. Even as he stood next to the decimated remains of an entire village, the words on the parchment in his hands seemed even more baffling. 

Team 7 finally submitted the hill and stood, hands on their aching knees, and looked over the Leaf Village. For the second time in the same day, Kakashi could not believe his wide eyes. 

Dark, splotchy voids, like holes in reality, were splattered on nearly every building and rooftop in the urban area of the village. The splotches undulated and pulsed as they tore away at the structures beneath them. Screams and cries from the people of the Leaf Village echoed out and tortured Kakashi’s ears. It was true… Amaterasu, inextinguishable black flame… That can only mean one thing… , he realized. He turned his head to meet Konohamaru’s eyes. Their horrified faces communicated their understanding. 

“So it is true…”, Konohamaru echoed Kakashi’s thoughts. In an instant, Tobu shot down to one knee. He pulled his sword and tanto off his back, laying them in the grass, and unclipped a leather roll from his belt. He unrolled the leather on the grass, revealing a line of ninja tools neatly sheathed within. He began placing the various tools in the pockets of his grey Anbu vest and greaves with practiced precision. Just like Kakashi had in his childhood, Tobu had clearly trained this maneuver hundreds of times. He watched Tobu’s expression shift, his face almost completely changing shape. His eyes darkened and his jaw clenched into place. Kakashi quickly knelt beside him, silently handing over command of the situation into Tobu’s capable hands. 

“What do you know?”, Tobu asked, his voice low and steady. Kakashi replied as quickly as he could.

“It’s called ‘Amaterasu’, an inextinguishable black flame. It’s a Mangekyo Sharingan technique known only by one man, Itachi Uchiha. Therein lies the problem…”, he explained. Konohamaru turned away from the village and knelt next to his teammates.

“He’s dead. Or atleast missing. He hasn’t been seen in eight years, since Orochimaru killed his little brother and took over his body. He was part of a terrorist cell called the ‘Akatsuki’, but he left to hunt down Orochimaru. We don’t know what happened to him, but he obviously failed.”, Konohamaru finished. 

“Then who’s using the Amaterasu now?”, Tobu asked. Kakashi thought back to the Konoha Crush, Orochimaru’s assassination of the Third Hokage.

“There’s one possibility. During Orochimaru’s attack on the village eight years ago, he used a forbidden jutsu: the Edo Tensei.”, he began. Konohamaru’s fists clenched even harder, remembering his grandfather’s final moments. “He can reanimate the dead. They’re not nearly as strong as they were in life, but they’re nearly immortal and have almost limitless chakra.”

“How can we defeat him?”, Tobu interrupted.

“I’m not sure. The Third Hokage had to use a sealing technique, the ‘Reaper Death Seal’, something even I’d never heard of, and it killed him in the process.”, Kakashi explained. His gaze turned to Konohamaru. His brow was turned slightly in sorrow and he could tell the boy felt like history was repeating itself. Kakashi felt that way more times than he’d like to remember.

“Can you show me how to do it, Copy Ninja?”, Tobu asked, rolling up the empty leather holster and clipping it onto his belt.

“No! Even if I knew how to do it, I’d be the one doing it.”, Kakashi exclaimed.

“We gotta do something.”, Tobu muttered.

“I’m not sure what we can do. The three of us are no match for Itachi, even weakened as he is.”, Kakashi said with a solemn tone.

“We’re gonna have to be.”, Tobu declared.

“You don’t understand! Itachi wiped out his entire clan in a single night when he was just fourteen! He could kill you just by looking at you! We’re not prepared for this!”, Konohamaru retorted.

 “Speak for yourself…”, Tobu rose to his feet with a defiant tone. He held his sword in his right hand, gracefully, but powerfully flicking it through to air. “Someone’s threatening our village. Doesn’t matter who it is, we will fight back. I know who I am. I was made for this.”, his defiant tone withstood. Kakashi could tell it was the kind of purposeful declaration that a young man takes comfort in, in knowing one’s place in the world even if it’s a bloody one. “Follow me!”, he cried, his voice steady, full of determination and confidence. Kakashi had to admit, it was a foolishly inspiring thing to see. 

Team 7 leapt from burning rooftop to rooftop, dodging the black flames of Amaterasu with each jump. Tobu led in front of his teammates as they surged towards the Hokage Mansion.

“Kakashi! Find and secure Lady Tsunade. She’s probably the target. Me and Konohamaru will find this asshole and hold him off as long as we can!”, he ordered.

“Right!”, Kakashi replied sharply. He knew such a plan isolated his former students and put them in grave danger, but he wasn’t about to argue during an emergency of this magnitude. He broke off from the group and looked ahead towards the Mansion. He saw that it was completely untouched by the Amaterasu. Itachi hasn’t reached her yet! Good …, Kakashi thought. 

Tobu and Konohamaru landed on the roof of the Academy, giving them a strong viewpoint over most of the village.

“We should be able to see him from here”, Konohamaru muttered, eyes scanning the burning buildings below. He couldn’t help but let a pang of grief roll over him as he watched his life-long home burn. Most of the village was coated in black fire and he knew there was nothing anyone could do once those terrible flames took hold. 

“There!”, Tobu shouted, pointing out with his sword-arm. Konohamaru’s eyes focused over the area Tobu was pointing to and his worst fear was confirmed. On the main road, just a few hundred feet from the Mansion, the reanimated corpse of Itachi Uchiha marched down the street. 

Still clad in his Akatsuki robes, his pale skin was cracked like sandstone and the sclera of his Sharingan eyes were jet-black. He strode down the cobblestone road with a flat gait and expression, as if he were a dead husk piloted by a sinister puppet master.

“Kakashi was right. This is the Edo Tensei. We’re in trouble.”, Konohamaru confirmed.

“Then we need to get moving.”, Tobu barked, bending his knees and readying to leap from the Academy roof.

“Wait!”, Konohamaru warned, “Just gimme a second!”. He bent down to one knee, closing his eyes and ducking his head almost to his chest. He remained completely still for an agonizing moment. Tobu watched Konohamaru prepare whatever this was and he could still hear the cries of Itachi’s victims echo like shrill notes into his ear. His fists clenched harder and his blood ran cold as he wondered if any of his fellow Anbu were caught in the inextinguishable flames. 

Before Tobu could form any vocal protest, Konohamaru’s eyes shot open with a smug grin. His dark irises changed, bending into orange ovals that stretched across his eyes with dark pupils within and a darker orange splashing around his eye sockets. Tobu felt the air around him bend as if Konohamaru had just turned the key on a hidden safe of limitless chakra. 

“It’s Sage chakra, natural energy from the toads of Mount Myoboku!”, Konohamaru answered the question his teammate was still too stunned to ask. “My grandfather took notes on it from one of his students, Jiraiya, and Kakashi found it and took me there!”, he explained. He rose to his feet with beaming confidence. “Don’t tell me you didn’t learn any cool tricks over the years!”, he teased Tobu. Tobu huffed,

“Nothing like that”. He brought his sword up and leaned it across his shoulder. “I prefer to keep things simple.”, he teased back.

“On that, we can agree.”, Konohamaru laughed, “Let’s go!”

  Tobu and Konohamaru bounced from rooftop to rooftop like dodgeballs, rapidly closing in on Itachi Uchiha. 

“We need a plan!”, Konohamaru shouted as they approached the main street. 

“You drop down to street-level and distract him! I’ll hit him from above and end this quickly!”, he shouted back, leaping high onto a higher building and continuing the charge forward.

“No! He’ll see you coming! That’s not going to work!”, Konohamaru cried, but his words went unheeded. “Damnit!”, he cursed, vaulting over the edge of his building and dropping down to the cobblestone below. 

Konohamaru crept down to the end of the alleyway, letting the unblocked sunlight cross his face. He poked his head out onto main street and looked up the road towards the Hokage Mansion. Patches of Amaterasu flames hung off of buildings like a sinister infestation, dropping onto the streets below like boiling-hot tar. Shattered glass and broken clay and bricks littered the road, peppering the occasional corpse as it burned into nothing. He felt the ground beneath him shake as a tall building across town came tumbling down. Dust hovered in the cramped alleyways and he suppressed the urge to cough. 

The ruthless Amaterasu not only burned life away, but Konohamaru could see it also burned away all remains of life, even the ashes, severing any memories the survivors could hold on to. The Leaf Village was finally back on its feet and rebuilding anew, but now, both the old and the new all burned the same under the unholy black flames. We need to stop this, now! , he thought, turning his head the other way, to the road leading down the main road and to the front gate. 

There, as buildings and rubble crashed around him, the reanimated corpse of Itachi Uchiha marched towards the Hokage Mansion and towards Konohamaru. As soon as Konohamaru could process the sight, Itachi’s wicked red Sharingan eyes caught sight of him. At the last second, Konohamaru ducked out of the way, rolling into the street as the wall he was just standing in front of burst into void-like black fire. 

Konohamaru rose to his feet, dust coating his arms, and squared off with Itachi, who stopped in his tracks. Even from about twenty feet away, Konohamaru could clearly see Itachi’s crimson Sharingan. He’s clearly not even bothering with genjutsu. His sole purpose so far is physical destruction. We need to take a direct approach! , Konohamaru reasoned. 

He held out his left hand, where a pillar of glowing sapphire chakra. The pillar soon bent into the visage of a recurve bow and Konohamaru held it diagonally in front of his chest. He reached his right hand behind him, to the small of his back, channeling chakra directly from the core of his being into a brilliant blue arrow. At the end of the arrow, a small but furious Rasengan spun in the form of an arrowhead.

He flicked the arrow around his waist and expertly nocked it into the bow. He pulled the bowstring back, pointing the churning Rasengan arrow directly at Itachi, who still stood motionless in the street. 

“Rasengan Bowstrike!”, he cried as the Rasengan arrowhead grew stronger, whipping the air around it. He released the string, unleashing the arrow as the chakra bow dissipated. The arrow, despite it’s violent arrowhead, cut through the air with blinding speed, kicking up dust as it flew towards Itachi. 

Suddenly, Konohamaru looked up to see Tobu launching himself from a nearby rooftop, sailing high into the air and holding his sword above his head, ready to plunge it into the undead Uchiha. Konohamaru smiled, his distraction with the Rasengan had worked! Even Itachi’s Sharingan eyes, when weakened by the Edo Tensei, couldn’t look in two places at once. 

Before Tobu or the arrow could strike their target, orange, glowing chakra burst forth from around Itachi, taking the form of a skeletal rib cage protecting him with two massive, skeletal arms reaching out from the bone structure. The Susanoo? I’ve only ever heard stories of it! , Konohamaru realized. One arm easily plucked the Bowstrike out of the air and the other reached up and swatted Tobu away as if he were a pesky housefly. 

Tobu tumbled down the road and landed about fifteen feet behind Itachi, who was still facing Konohamaru. He clasped a hand over his chest where the Susanoo impacted him. It was a horrific, burning sensation, almost like the malevolent chakra of the Susanoo itself was cauterizing its way into his very soul. It was almost too painful to breathe, but he knew he didn’t have time to waste. 

He stood to his feet in time to see the undead Itachi slowly turning away from Konohamaru and towards him. Despite the cold, lifeless eyes, Tobu almost felt like they were watching him, studying him. He could feel the eyes process a form of recognition and it made his blood run cold. Forget it! This ends now! , he steeled himself.

Tobu wove a series of hand signs before kneeling down and slamming both his palms against the ground. 

“Earth Style: Tectonic Pull!”, he yelled. A rocky fissure about twelve feet deep opened in the earth in front of him, stretching from his feet, past Itachi, and ending just in front of Konohamaru. The ground shook as dirt and rock rushed away from the fissure as if reality itself knew they needed to move. The reanimated Itachi fell into the fissure as the ground he stood on split from underneath him, making none of the typical human efforts to break his fall. His back slammed into the earth at the bottom of the fissure and he stared straight up into the sky.

Tobu’s teeth clenched, his fist tightening over the hilt of his sword. He shouted to Konohamaru,

“Hit him with something! Pin him down!”. Konohamaru’s mind scrambled, running through dozens of ninjutsu in his mind before settling on the perfect one. He clasped his palm together and focused his chakra into the fissure below him.

“Earth Style: Root Whip!”, he shouted. Dozens of snake-like roots exploded from the dirt walls of the deep fissure, crawling and closing in on Itachi’s prone corpse like centipedes. The roots rapidly targeted Itachi’s wrists and ankles, pinning him against the ground.

With a great shockwave, Tobu leapt from the ground and sailed high into the air. He contorted and stretched his entire body, bending his powerful sword-arm behind his back as far as he could. Konohamaru could see the tip of Tobu’s sword begin to radiate the same strange magenta chakra Kakashi told him so much about. The chakra molded around the sharp edge of the sword and also extended off of the tip, elongating it into almost the length of the legendary Executioner’s Blade. 

Tobu twirled and spun through the air, gathering as much momentum as he could, before falling back down towards the fissure. He slashed the sword across his body, unleashing the sharp edge of the sword and all the chakra stored within directly across the prone Itachi’s neck. 

The impact of the strike and Tobu’s landing kicked up so much dust that Konohamaru had to dive into the fissure to be able to get a look at the aftermath. He saw Tobu standing over the headless, motionless corpse of Itachi. Tobu struck a domineering image as he stood over Itachi’s body, fists still clenched and breathing heavily. 

It can’t have been that easy. , Konohamaru wondered, creeping slowly up to the corpse as if it would bolt upright at any moment. As if it heard the words run through his head, Itachi’s corpse began to stir. Sand-like particles began to materialize from seemingly nowhere, forming over the base of his severed head before solidifying. The particles slowly worked their way up Itachi’s neck as his head was steadily rebuilt from thin air. 

“Shit…”, Tobu muttered. 

“We need to move!”, Konohamaru ordered, but Tobu stood paralyzed in shock as he stared down over Itachi’s reforming head. The sand eventually reached Itachi’s nose and, before they could react, even his Sharingan began to regrow. Konohamaru felt the Sage chakra that coursed through his body begin to tingle, a silent alarm. Tobu still stood over Itachi, staring directly into the rapidly regrowing eyes. Konohamaru suddenly felt every hair on his neck and arms stand on end as the enhanced perception of his Sage chakra began to physically vibrate his body, warning him of the imminent danger.

“ Move! ”, he shouted to Tobu, jumping next to him and shoving him away from Itachi. He suddenly felt an explosion of heat around his arm, wrapping tightly around his wrist and elbow like a boiling, burning hot sleeve. He screamed in pain, stumbling away from Itachi and instinctually waving his arm around to put out the fire, despite knowing there was nothing he could do. The inextinguishable Amaterasu had grabbed hold over him and there was no stopping it. Even through the pain, he felt the gut-wrenching realization of the fact that this immense pain wouldn’t end until his entire body was burned away, from his bones to his ashes to his very soul. It felt like an eternity, but in reality, it was only a few seconds before he heard a voice call out to him.

“ Sit still !”, he heard the voice shout over the churning flames. He felt two palms clap over his arm, holding it still despite his painful writhing. He suddenly felt a sucking, vacuuming sensation over the flames coating his arm. After a moment, he felt the pain subside, much to his shock. He had already resigned his death, but instead he opened his eyes and saw Kakashi gripping his arm and applying a rudimentary healing ninjutsu. His face mask was pulled down, revealing not his typical Sharingan, but the Mangekyo Sharingan he had so rarely used. 

“I can’t use the Kamui too often, so do me a favor and don’t get hit again!”, he chided his former student. Tobu picked himself up off the ground and jogged over to his teammates before looking around wildly.

“Where’d he go?!”, he shouted. The trio all looked around in disbelief to confirm that Itachi was nowhere to be seen. He had somehow broken free of the roots after his head reformed and made his escape, no doubt still marching after the Hokage Mansion. Kakashi’s head bolted over to face Konohamaru.

“Can you fight?”, he asked intensely. Konohamaru looked down at his arm. For the infamous inextinguishable black flame, it didn’t do much physical damage. Instead, it felt like the pain dug down, deep into his veins, like the fire was eating him from the inside out. He clenched his fist and the pain was indescribable, his forearm shaking as he tried his best to keep his composure. 

“Yes!”, he winced. 

“Then we need to move. Quickly! ”, Kakashi answered immediately as the trio leapt out of the fissure and dashed down the road towards the Mansion.     

From their spot on the Leaf’s rooftops, Team 7 easily spotted Itachi, now just a hundred feet from the Hokage Mansion. 

“Lady Tsunade is safe?”, Tobu asked with an urgent voice. Kakashi just barely managed to tear his eye away from the surreal sight of Itachi’s reanimated corpse. He grew up with the man, then grew to fear him as an unstoppable force of nature. Now he learned that, not only was he easily dispatched by the Leaf’s greatest enemy, but his body was being used against them. 

“Yes. She’s in the bunker below the Mansion. A lot of civilians made it there too. They’re all safe for now.”, he answered. 

“That’s great, but we still need to figure out a way to stop the Edo Tensei! We cut his damn head off and it did nothing!”, Konohamaru interjected. Kakashi let out a tense sigh.

“I only saw Orochimaru use it against your grandfather, I never figured out how it worked. He knew how to undo it, but it cost him his life.”, he rambled. Tobu stepped back from the edge of the rooftop.

“Well, we’re not going to figure anything out just standing up here.”, he muttered in frustration. He pulled a stack of paper bombs out of a vest pocket and began tying it to a kunai. Kakashi wondered how it felt to hold one of those after… He shook his head.

“What’re you going to do?”, he asked. Tobu stepped back to the edge of the rooftop and chucked the kunai at Itachi. It flew straight as an arrow, impacting in front of the dead terrorists feet and creating a small explosion. It was no doubt harmless to the likes of Itachi, but it succeeded in distracting him from his goal. Tobu turned back to his teammates and drew his sword.

“You two seem to know the most about this jutsu. I’ll go distract him and you guys figure out some way we can stop him!”, he declared, without an ounce of fear in his heart. He stepped up onto the ledge of the rooftop before Kakashi stopped him, clamping his palm around the boy’s ankle.

“He’ll tear you apart!”, he warned. Tobu turned his shoulders and looked down at his former teacher.

“C’mon, boss! Trust me! You may not like him, but Danzo’s taught me some neat tricks over the years!”, he assured Kakashi. With his left hand, he snatched his tanto out of its sheath, placing it between his teeth with a devilish smile. He blinked his eyes and his irises flashed from their piercing blue to a radiant magenta. Kakashi could feel the chakra fiercely churning within the boy. He pulled his hand back and nodded,

“Good luck! We’ll come up with something, I promise!”.

Tobu landed just feet behind Itachi. Before the undead Akatsuki could react, Tobu knelt down, holding his upturned left palm in front of his chest.

“Wind Style: Viper Gas!”, he yelled. A plume of crimson smoke billowed out of his palm before exploding outward, surrounding the two of them and filling the entire street. Itachi’s head darted from side to side, straining the Sharingan eyes to see anything past the red smoke enveloping him. Good luck! None of your fancy dojutsu can see through the Viper Gas! , Tobu cheered to himself. 

He darted to his feet, charging directly towards Itachi’s vulnerable back. He plunged his sword into the small of Itachi’s back, piercing through his undead torso. It was as ineffective as Tobu figured it would be.

In an instant, Itachi spun around, wrenching the hilt of the sword out of Tobu’s grip and leaving it stuck in his stomach. He jabbed his right hand out, clasping his palm over Tobu’s neck with an iron grip. He gasped for air and pulled at Itachi’s fingers, fighting for any advantage. 

Even through the Viper Gas, Tobu could see Itachi’s emotionless glare and the long, pronounced tear-troughs arcing across his face. He looked tired and it was clear to Tobu that the man had led a horrible life, the cracks on his face and the violation of his corpse being all he had to show for it. He felt sorry for him. He wondered if this is what his “father” had planned for him too. Was Itachi just a stand-in for him? A replacement? If not for him , could he have been friends with Itachi? Instead, here they were: forced to fight each other as pawns. Having that control taken from him made Tobu’s blood boil. It made him hate that fucking snake even more. 

Tobu reached up with his right hand for the Tanto in his teeth, feigning a counter attack. Itachi immediately shut that down, launching his left hand out to catch Tobu’s wrist out of the air. Got you! , Tobu said to himself. He balled up his free left hand as lightning chakra surged between his fingers. A Lightning Blade formed in his fist, but instead of the glowing blue lightning, it was corrupted by Tobu’s Bloodstream chakra. It took on the malevolent magenta color and radiated in horrific, overwhelming power.

“I call it: the Bloodstream Blade!”, he wheezed with a smug smirk. Faster than any eye could see, he swung the Bloodstream Blade across his chest, catching both of Itachi’s arms in the strike. The arms exploded on impact, freeing Tobu from the chokehold. He slashed the Bloodstream Blade back across his body, but Itachi dodged back at the last second, evading the backhand swing to his face.

Itachi rolled back, extending his dodge to gain space from Tobu’s Bloodstream Blade while his arms rapidly began to grow back. “Damnit!”, Tobu cursed, extinguishing the Blade, “He’s still got my sword and his arms are growing back.” He knew Itachi’s limbs would regrow under the power of the Edo Tensei, but it still boiled his blood to see it. 

He dropped his tanto from his teeth into his right hand, its tip glowing with angry magenta chakra, and he brought both his hands up to his face in a boxing stance. I’ve still got to buy Konohamaru and Kakashi enough time to come up with a plan! , he realized. 

Tobu kicked both his feet off the ground, charging Itachi as fast as he could. Even the Sharingan could not keep track of such speed and the Uchiha quickly felt the concussive force of a lethal uppercut reverberate through his jaw and his teeth. Tobu pushed his left fist into Itachi’s bottom jaw, trying to literally punch through his skull. Itachi, caught off guard, stumbled back a step before Tobu jumped forward and slammed the tanto into his right shoulder, twisting the handle to ensure it was good and stuck. With his next move, Tobu let go of the tanto and quickly reached down, pulling the hilt of his sword out of Itachi’s stomach. 

Before Tobu could press his attack, the orange flame of the Susanoo burst to life. The same ribcage flanked by two skeletal arms towered over Tobu, giving him no time to react. Out of sheer instinct, his chakra flowed into his trusty blade and, instead of cleaving right through, the skeletal arms of the Susanoo bounced off Tobu’s blade as if they were made of mundane metal. 

Still, the arms showed no sign of slowing down. Tobu deflected attacks from both arms simultaneously, jumping, ducking, and dodging back as he needed. With every deflection, his rage built, feeling the insatiable itch to go on the offensive. 

As yet another Susanoo fist closed in on him, he groaned through gritted teeth, raising his sword over his hand and splitting it over the fist. His sword, tipped with his burning chakra, cut through the ancient power of the Susanoo like it was hot butter. Even Itachi’s dead eyes lit up in pure shock.

Tobu seized the opportunity, throwing his sword like a spear at the other arm, cutting through it just like the other arm. Both skeletal appendages exploded as Tobu’s unnatural chakra burned them away. With both arms taken care of, he charged directly towards Itachi. His face still crossed in distress, Itachi was unable to counter Tobu’s aggressive charge. The boy hooked his fingers into the middle of the burning-hot Susanoo ribcage, shielding his hands with his chakra and began to pull the bones apart with every fiber of his strength. 

His arms shook as he struggled against the might of the Susanoo, while Itachi simply watched on in what could only be described as a mixture of horror and genuine curiosity. Tobu stared the corpse directly in its dead eyes, knowing exactly who was looking through from the other side. 

“You scared?! Get a good look, asshole! I’m coming for you next!”, he screamed directly to Orochimaru, his teeth clenched in raw effort. Slowly, the bones of the ribcage began to bow and crack, until they suddenly shattered like glass, sending out a powerful shockwave that knocked both Tobu and Itachi to the ground. As Itachi fell, he reached out his right hand and launched a powerful gust of wind at the nearby Leaf water tower. Itachi’s wind jutsu was so powerful and sharp, it sliced through the base of the tall tower like a hot knife through butter. The tower began to lean, groaning a horrific metallic song as it bowed, casting a foreboding shadow across the street Tobu and Itachi laid prone against. 

Tobu had barely enough time to recover from the Susanoo’s explosion to process what was going on. The bulbous crown of the water tower loomed over him as it fell with terrifying speed for something so large. Unlike the simple water tanks atop the Leaf Village Hospital, this recent addition to the Leaf’s skyline must’ve been almost one hundred and fifty feet tall and was absolutely filled to the brim with precious water.

Itachi took the precious few seconds before the water tower crashed into the ground to escape. Tobu weighed his options, before realizing he only really had one. 

He shot his arms out at the last second and caught the gargantuan tower right out of the air.

Much to his surprise, he wasn’t instantly crushed, but his surprise instantly gave way to debilitating pain. He screamed in agony and his vision went dark red under the sheer weight of the tower as its dispassionate mass assaulted his body. At the moment of impact, the corners of his vision went black, nearly overcoming his eyes, the impact itself nearly knocking him unconscious. The monstrous weight of the tower pinned his elbows to the ground, but luckily, his arms were long enough that the metal sphere topping the tower didn’t instantly collapse his chest.          

The tower continued his hollow, metallurgic symphony as the water inside it sloshed around and settled, both sounds equally deafening. As the water finally settled, the tower’s center of gravity made the weight more manageable, but Tobu still laboured under its maw. He could feel multiple blood vessels in his eyes popping, he gritted his teeth so hard that blood began seeping out between them, and he swore he could almost feel his genetically reinforced bones bending under the tower’s oppressive force, something he’d never felt before. 

He arched his head up, looking upside down at the road behind him. Seeing there was no one there, and also no one coming to help, he slowly began heaving the tower over his head, using his pinned arms as levers. It was a dangerous plan that risked shattering every bone in his upper body if it failed and even if it didn’t, his arms would be like jelly for the next few hours, useless in the fight still raging throughout the village.

Still, he had to escape. In a fight against the Leaf’s greatest enemy, he wasn’t going to let a fucking building be his undoing. 

He bent his knees and arched his back for support, his spine protesting in sharp, shooting pain. He pushed his elbows up, allowing the tower to roll off his chest and over his head. His tight muscles shook, only being held taught by the strong bones at their core, and he held his breath under the sheer effort of the push, something he’d immediately regret.     

Tobu pushed and pressed and squeezed every agonizing muscle in his body until all he had to do was let go and the tower fell over his head and safely crashed into the ground above his head. The stem of the tower ripped through the ruined buildings surrounding Tobu, kicking up a cacophony of bricks and roof tiles.

He lay on the ground for a moment, taking deep, heaving gulps of air, letting the aches and pains of his labour course through his body, before remembering Itachi had run off as the tower was falling. He wasn’t sure how long he was stuck under the monolith, be it hours or mere seconds, but he knew he had to get right back into the right. Foolishly, he shot to his feet with reckless disregard for what his body had just been through. 

To say he was “seeing stars” would be an understatement. Tobu watched as the whole damn galaxy danced before his eyes before the lightheadedness overtook him. He took one deep breath before collapsing onto his back. 

Just as soon as his back hit the ground, Tobu felt the strong hand of Kakashi pull him back to his feet.

“Get up! We need to lure Itachi to the Mansion! We have an idea!”, he heard Kakashi yell as his head spun like a top. 

“Uh-wha-”, Tobu began to groan, before Kakashi pulled him forward.

“Just run!”, Kakashi interrupted, pulling the stumbling Tobu down the road towards the Mansion. As he tripped and stumbled, Tobu looked back to confirm an unbelievable outcome, Itachi slowly pushing off the ground and standing to his feet. 

Team 7, out of breath, raced to the front gate of the Mansion.

“Tobu! Here’s the plan: Konohamaru and I will hold Itachi off while you head to the bunker beneath the Mansion and tell Tsunade to summon Lady Katsuyu! Do you understand?”, Kakashi furiously barked out the plan. Tobu held his spinning head in his hands, still dazed from the explosion.

“Who? What?”, he asked dumbly.

“‘Lady Katsuyu’”, Kakashi yelled frantically, “Tell her to summo-”, before he was interrupted by the Mansion’s heavy wooden gate creaking to life. Konohamaru spun around, seeing the gate begin to swing open.

“What the hell is she doing?”, the boy wondered aloud. As the gate fully opened, Tsunade, clad in her armor and headband from the Second Shinobi World War strode through, surrounded by a regiment of Jonin warriors and a handful of Anbu operatives. 

“What the hell?! You’re supposed to be taking shelte-”, Kakashi boiled at the sight.

“I am not hiding in a shelter while my people die, Kakashi, and I am not letting anyone else risk their lives in my stead!”, Tsunade retorted sharply. Under any other circumstances, Kakashi would have admired a leader taking initiative and stepping up. But right now, he felt like his chest was going to burst open. 

Suddenly, the sound of steady, slow footsteps began to echo off the high walls of the Hokage Mansion. Team 7 and Tsunade’s entourage both stared down the road knowingly as the relentless Itachi strode into view. He stopped roughly twenty feet in front of the troupe, the last bastion of resistance in the Leaf Village, and his deadly eyes settled directly over Lady Tsunade. 

Konohamaru didn’t need the heightened perception of his Sage chakra to know what came next.

“Guard the Hokage!”, he yelled frantically. As one, Team 7, the Jonin, and the Anbu operatives all stepped in front of Tsunade, shielding her from an inevitable Amaterasu attack. Kakashi stood at the forefront of the vanguard, next to Tobu and Konohamaru, who were flanked by the rest of Tsunade’s entourage. Tobu held an arm out over the Anbu operative standing next to him. 

A tense standoff ensued as Kakashi stared directly into Itachi’s eyes. It may be Itachi, but he’s being controlled by Orochimaru and that bastard has no interest in genjutsu. I know what’s coming… , Kakashi thought to himself, preparing his Kamui. 

A deafening silence fell over the Leaf Village as the standoff grew longer. No more dying screams, no more collapsing rubble, only tense, thundering heartbeats filled the air.

Suddenly, with her always surprising strength, Lady Tsunade placed a hand on Kakashi’s shoulder and pushed him out of the way as if he were a paper doll. 

“I am done hiding!”, she growled, shoving her way to the front of the guard. She stared down Itachi, fists clenched in ice-cold resolve. Itachi’s eyes settled over Tsunade and Kakashi began to fear the worst. 

However, out of nowhere, a blue aura, so bright it was almost white, began to envelop Itachi’s figure. Every member of the guard tensed in anticipation and some gasped in shock. Itachi’s body fell limp as he stood and from his shoulders appeared an apparition of the man, slowly floating and dissipating into the sky. The Edo Tensei’s being released? His soul is being let go? , Kakashi realized. Sure enough, the “body” of Itachi burst into sand, leaving behind the body of the Edo Tensei’s host, an unrecognizable man. The soul of Itachi Uchiha floated up and into the sky and, for the briefest moment, Kakashi saw recognition form in his face. Itachi’s eyes fell over Tobu and the boy saw him gaze deep into his being. Just before Itachi faded away forever, Tobu saw his face turn in horror and sadness. He wondered what the dead man saw. 

Tsunade approached the body of the host, spying that symbol she would never forget. Adorning the man’s black uniform was a single character: a musical note, the sign of the Sound Village. Tsunade turned to meet the eyes of her guard as they all came to the same terrible conclusion.

For some horrifyingly unknowable reason, with total victory in his hands, Orochimaru, of his own free will, chose to let all of them live.        

Chapter Text

Konohamaru stepped down the rungs of the ladder leading down to the Leaf Village sewer system. He winced with every movement of his arm, still raw from the indiscriminate flames of the Amaterasu. The smell of sewage and stale water began to waft up the passage and he scrunched his nose in disgust. The sound of his shoes stepping on the metal rungs slowly began to echo out more and more as he reached the end of the ladder before he finally stepped down onto the stone floor of the walkway. 

He took a deep breath, immediately regretting it, and surveyed his surroundings. Above him, the concrete walkway eventually rose into brick walls and into an arching ceiling. He peeked over the edge of the walkway to see the river of filthy, stagnant water cutting through the middle of the tunnel. Down the tunnel were several doors, no doubt leading to several other access points to the surface, and bridges to allow anyone as crazy as him to cross the river of shit safely. All in all, it was exactly what anyone imagined when they heard the word “sewer”.

He reached up to his neck and clicked the button over the microphone on his radio.

“Is this thing still gonna work down here?”, he asked.

“ Sure will. I read you loud and clear. ”, Kakashi’s voice buzzed into his ear. He sighed, hoping that if the radio didn’t work it meant they’d make him search a more pleasant smelling place. He clicked the microphone button again.

“So, why don’t you run me through what happened while I was at the hospital that led to me sifting through a damn sewer.”, he groaned. 

“ Ugh, I thought I already explained this …”

* The Previous Day*

Tsunade, Danzo, and Team 7, minus Konohamaru, walked through the ruins of the Leaf Village, surveying the damage, both out of a sense of duty and out of morbid indulgence. Down the road and up the one they just walked, to their left and to their right, were nothing but broken buildings and rubble. Even hours after the attack, dust still hung in the air, making it hard to breathe in some areas of the city.

“It’s almost unbelievable…”, Tsunade’s voice was low and tense, “All that’s left is the Mansion”. She was still clad in her old armor, clearly holding to the idea of taking a more active role in this infant war.

It is a war now, isn’t it ?, Kakashi wondered. 

“Everyone who made it inside is safe, for now.”, he said, attempting in vain to comfort her. She strode wearily up to a collapsed building, running the palm of her hand over its broken facade as if she could feel the memories of its walls pouring into her. She never realized how much she cared for the Leaf Village as a whole until she saw it in ruins. Her shoulders dropped and her head sank. She felt the weight of responsibility heavily, knowing her home would never be the same.

“Did I fail my village…?”, she mumbled thick, mournful words. They hung in the air for a moment before a disgusting vulture began circling over them.

“Perhaps… Perhaps this signals a time for a change in leadership…?”, Danzo wryly grinned. Kakashi snapped his head over to the old man, restraining his anger over such a blatantly power-hungry question. Tobu stood next to Danzo and Kakashi could only imagine what was going through the boy’s mind after hearing that.

“An election is not what this village needs right now!”, he snapped. Danzo didn’t even react to Kakashi’s words, as if they meant nothing to what he said. Kakashi turned his head back to Tsunade. “You, Tsunade, are our leader, right now. What do we do?”, he finished with strong, determined words. Tsunade hated the pressure, but Kakashi knew it’s where she shined the brightest.

Her head snapped up and she spun around, reinvigorated. Her sorrowful frown evolved into a determined scowl.

“What do we know about the attack?”, she demanded. Kakashi held back a prideful smile and answered immediately before Danzo could get a word in. 

“Itachi was obviously reanimated by the Edo Tensei and Orochimaru’s the only man alive who knows how to use it. He’s obviously behind this and what happened to the Grass Village; that couldn’t have been a coincidence.”, he explained. 

“It was completely destroyed?”, Tsunade asked. Kakashi replied with a solemn nod. She brought her hands up to her face, rubbing her temples. “The Grass Village is the bigger question. Why attack, and totally destroy, a village that was on good terms with virtually everyone?”, she asked. Kakashi brought his hands to his hips, formulating ideas. 

“A show of force? A threat? Did he want us to see it?”, theories flew from Kakashi’s trained mind like the loose pages of a book. Tsunade’s eyes perked up at his last theory.

“‘Did he want us to see it?’”, she repeated to herself. Kakashi frowned in confusion. “The contracts…”, her eyes lit up in a horrifying realization. “Isn’t it odd that the village we get an S-Rank urgent contract from suddenly gets destroyed with a single trace just days later?”, she asked. Kakashi’s eyes lit up as he clued in on her idea.

“Could they have been forged or faked somehow? Even so, what does destroying the Grass Village accomplish?”, he continued the train of thought. After a moment of contemplative silence, an unlikely voice piped up.

“He framed us.”, Tobu interjected. Kakashi and Tsunade turned to the boy and Danzo kept a watchful eye over him. “He forged the contracts with the Grass Village so that if we went public with Itachi’s attack, he could use that paper trail to blame what he did to the Grass Village on us. Not only were we actually there, but he has paperwork to prove it. He cut us off from any help while, at the same time, showing us how fucked we are. It’s what I would do.”, he explained, the last words leaving his mouth with disgusted shame. 

Kakashi cocked his brow in surprise, the boy had learned much from his hundreds of missions after all. He turned back to Tsunade and it was clear she believed Tobu’s theory.

“So, we’re on our own…”, she let out a tense sigh. An anxious silence fell over the group as the gravity of the situation set in. They were at war and they were completely alone. If they called for help, the only answer they’d get would be hundreds of angry shinobi blaming them for an atrocity they never committed.  

“Another question,” Tobu broke the silence,”Why did this ‘Itachi’ guy stop at the Mansion? We had no answer for him. He could’ve wiped us all out then and there, but Orochimaru gave up for no reason?”

“He’s saving us for later…”, Tsunade grimly declared. “He didn’t want to kill us all. He just wanted to scare us, show us what he was capable of. I know the bastard, this is just what he’d do. He collected intel and saved the rest of us for later.”, she explained.

“That explains why he didn’t use any genjutsu; he wanted us fighting back at full capacity. I can’t believe this…”, Kakashi realized, letting out an anxious exhale through his teeth. Tobu looked around at the ruined streets and broken buildings looming over him. He had always hated that snake bastard, for his own reasons. Reasons that he wasn’t always clear on. He had no memory of the guy, only that he created him through some messed up experiment and that he somehow escaped that experiment as a child, showing up to the Leaf Village covered in snake blood. He was the reason, those experiments were the reason that Tsunade and everyone he’d grown to care about saw him as something less than human.

But now, as his feet shifted over the twisted cobblestone beneath him, he had yet another reason. He saw Kakashi turn to meet his gaze.

“Whatever you did to Orochimaru eight years ago,”, he began, “He’s recovered. He’s back…” 

Tsunade eyed their pair and her gaze fell over Tobu, the boy’s words from moments ago echoing in her mind. It’s what I would do … She looked over to Danzo, a plan formulating in her head.

“Tobu!”, she started sharply, “I want you to take the Anbu and create a perimeter around the village. Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, no stone unturned and no corner left unchecked. I want to know if that bastard’s making his approach even before he does. Am I understood?”. 

“Yes ma’am.”, Tobu replied with a dutiful nod. A petulant scowl twisted Danzo’s wrinkled face.

“I’ll remind you that the boy and the Anbu are under my co-”, he began before he was sharply cut off by Tsunade.

“I’m turning over command of the Anbu to Tobu.”, she explained unceremoniously. Danzo’s scowl twisted further into disbelieving rage. Even Kakashi and especially Tobu were shocked, but Tsunade explained further before the old man could protest. She looked Danzo straight in the eyes with all the confidence in the world. “Where were you during the attack?”, she asked plainly, assured in her answer. Danzo’s enraged gaze turned down, realising his situation.

“I was…”, he stuttered, “...assisting in the evacuation…”, meekly staring at his feet like a child caught red-handed. Tsunade’s steely, confident gaze nearly burned a hole into Danzo’s forehead. Everyone present knew her reasoning. Danzo was always a coward and he hid like a coward. Of course, she was going to employ more diplomatic tactics.

“Precisely, you’re in no physical state to command the Anbu. Right now, we need that physicality. Tobu will do just fine.”, she explained, finishing with a warm smile for Tobu, which he wasn’t sure how to feel about.

Danzo’s scowl grew colder and his frown turned from dissatisfied to something darker.

“Very well…”, he groaned, before turning away from the group and storming off as angrily as an old, sick man confined to a cane could. Tobu stood for a moment before letting out a tired, embarrassed sigh.

“I should get back to the Mansion, make sure everything’s getting set up over there. I’m sure he’ll have some things for me to catch up on too.”, he rubbed the back of his neck and thumbed over his shoulder at the sulking Danzo. He looked over to Kakashi before shyly muttering, “It was nice seeing you again, boss.” He nodded dutifully to the pair before turning on his heels and marching down the street to catch up to Danzo. Kakashi nodded back and muttered,

“You too, buddy.”

Kakashi and Tsunade watched the pair depart and stood in silence for a moment, before Tsunade nudged the Copy Ninja on the shoulder.

“So, what do you think of him?”, she teased. Kakashi drew in a deep breath. There were about a thousand, no, a million things he wanted to say. 

“He’s…”, Kakashi started. Incredible, terrifying, depressing, powerful, melancholic, different , all spun around in Kakashi’s mind, but he could only form one word on his lips. “Improved.”, he finished. Tsunade let out a sarcastic laugh.

“Yeah! To say the least, he’s ‘improved’.”, she beamed with a nod. “Still…”, she muttered, “That kind of growth, even out of someone like him, it’s out of the ordinary. I’ve seen it before…”. Kakashi felt the air around her change, thickening with contemplation and tension. It brought back a suspicion he had earlier during their walk, one he tried his best to dispel but one his trained and naturally inquisitive mind wouldn’t let go. 

“This is all far too convenient.”, he declared. Tsunade didn’t react, her gaze unchanging as she continued to stare down the road with her arms crossed. “This all happened too quickly.”, he continued, feeling the need to justify his suspicion, “All of this happens at the exact time the three of us are out of the village? Something isn’t adding up.”. Tsunade finally turned, looking deep into his eyes, scrying for the full weight of his words.

“You think there’s a spy in the Leaf Village…”, she finally spoke up, not as a question. She knew what he was thinking and she wasn’t mincing words. Kakashi struggled for an answer, suddenly doubting himself. The village was going through enough, he didn’t want to start pointing fingers.

“That isn’t natural…”, Tsunade mercifully broke Kakashi out of his overthinking, nodding her head towards the departing Tobu. “People, even people like Tobu, don’t grow that fast, and so quickly. I’ve seen it before…”, she lowered her voice, “Orochimaru…”. Kakashi’s eyes widened,

“You’re saying…?”

“His older experiments… before he left the Leaf Village. Even his earliest subjects were unnaturally large and strong, just like Tobu. Something’s been done to that boy. More augmentation and experimentation.” Kakashi’s heart broke for Tobu.  To grow up, constantly seen as something less than human, than be forced to undergo cruel, torturous experiments, all for the sake of making you a more effective weapon. He sighed,

“You think Danzo’s working with Orochimaru? Conducting experiments on his behalf?”, he asked. Tsunade shook her head, letting out a deep sigh through her teeth.

“It’s all science. Danzo could easily replicate it on his own. The spy could obviously be anyone. But, still…”, she ran a hand over her chin, “It is too convenient.”, she admitted. Kakashi anxiously rubbed his forehead,

“We can’t just arrest him, not without any evidence.” Tsundae shook her head again.

“Like it or not, he’s a valuable asset with how delicate things are. If we arrest him and we’re wrong, we risk losing him to another village.”, she affirmed. 

“It’s risky, letting him walk free.”, Kakashi warned. Tsunade shrugged,

“Why do you think I demoted him? He has far less power and now, with our remaining Jonin and Anbu all operating out of the Mansion, he’ll be under close observation. You know you can trust Tobu. First sign that Danzo’s trying anything and that kid’ll shut it right down.” Kakashi let his hands rest on his hips, thinking about Tobu. The alleged augmented training and his close proximity to Danzo. There’s no way …, he thought. “Besides,”, Tsunade continued, “Besides, we’ve taken big risks before. It was a big risk to keep Tobu around over the Hyuga clan.”

Kakashi rubbed the back of his neck bashfully,

“I never really thanked you for that, by the way…”. Tsunade scoffed,

“Hell, you don’t need to thank me! Look how he turned out. That boy’s stronger than every Hyuga combined…”

* Present Day*

Konohamaru ducked under an archway, carefully avoiding the touch of the filthy bricks surrounding him.

“So… Danzo might be a spy?”, he asked, his voice echoing down the dilapidated tunnels of the sewer system.

“ Big ‘might’, but yes. He’s been an ally of the Leaf for decades, but something doesn’t add up, like I said. There’s definitely someone leaking information about us and Danzo’s suspect number one, but we can’t go throwing out accusations. ”, Kakashi’s voice buzzed in his ear.       

“And that’s why you have me searching a damn sewer?”, he asked with potent frustration.

“ Yep, if Danzo’s one thing: it’s intelligent. He wouldn’t be operating a surveillance network out of his everyday office. There has to be some trace of it, whoever’s doing it.” , Kakashi’s static voice replied. Konohamaru huffed, venting his displeasure into the darkness. In the darkness, his eyes spied a surface access ladder. He noted the thick layer of dust and wet, unidentifiable sludge coating every rung of the ladder and came to an infuriating conclusion.

“Kakashi…?”, he called out with a flat but smug tone.

“ Find anything ?”, the Copy Ninja replied.

“Danzo uses a cane, correct?”, Konohamaru asked, wondering when Kakashi would catch on.

“ Yeah? ”, he replied, clearly not catching anything. Konohamaru took a deep, annoyed breath.

“How in the hell would he get down here if he’s confined to a damn cane?!”, Konohamaru shouted.

Kakashi hefted a smoldering bookshelf out of his way and stepped into the ruined remains of what used to be a child’s bedroom. He’s got me there. That’s actually a good point… , he thought to himself. 

“Just keep searching.”, he groaned, “Remember, it might not even be him. And if it is him, we shouldn’t underestimate him. That’s what he’s counting on. Might be counting on.” 

  “ Fucking hell… ”, he heard Konohamaru moan over the radio, obviously unintentionally. “ How's the search up there? ”, the boy asked. Kakashi walked over to the window and pulled the shriveled curtains aside. 

From his spot on the second floor of a burned out home, he could see most of the crumbling village stretch out before him. The flames of the Amaterasu consumed everything, even ashes, but its sheer scorching heat as it sliced throughout the village started dozens of typical fires. The residential neighborhoods of the Leaf Village, the areas hit the hardest, burned for days after the attack. Still, grey smoke and ash mercilessly hung in the air, coupling with the derelict buildings to make the Leaf Village look like an apocalyptic wasteland. When the fires burned their hottest, they lit up the smokey air in a chillingly vibrant amber glow. It was either a brilliant sunset or another corner of the village was being lost. 

Kakashi almost couldn’t believe this was the same collection of houses and roads that used to be his beloved home. Now, the Leaf Village, if you could even call it a “village” anymore, was nothing more than the Hokage Mansion and a handful of neighboring buildings left untouched by utter happenstance.    

  In the following days since starting their covert search for the alleged spy, Kakashi found dozens of charred remains. Some of people he knew and some of people he’d never get to meet. Picking through familiar corpses was a horror he was disgustingly accustomed to, but it was still one he wouldn’t wish on his worst enemy. That’s why he relegated Konohamaru to the dark underground.

“Fine.” he finally replied to Konohamaru’s question. “But, I haven’t found anything.” 

“ I’m starting to wonder about that… ”, Konohamaru thought aloud.

“What do you mean?”, Kakashi asked as he descended the stairs of the ruined building, praying they didn’t give out from all the damage.   

 “ What if the attack wasn’t just to gather intel? What if it was also to destroy evidence? That might explain why he attacked so indiscriminately, to conceal their target in all the chaos. ”, Konohamaru explained. Kakashi let his hand hover over the radio, hesitant to respond. He caught himself overthinking again. After such a devastating blow, the ball was now entirely within Orochimaru’s proverbial court. The Leaf’s military had been sufficiently depleted, so there would be no counter-attack and, with the incriminating S-Rank contracts for the Grass Village adorned by Team 7’s very own signature, there would be no calling for help or accepting new work without getting unwanted attention. There was nothing to do but sight tight and prepare for the snake’s next move. It was sending Kakashi’s antsy mind into ablaze.

“It’s a nice theory, but we need fact’s if we’re going to get anywhere.”, he deflected, but Konohamaru clearly didn’t hear any of it.

“ What about Tobu? ”, the boy asked apprehensively. 

“What about him?”, Kakashi asked in reply, stepping out onto the abandoned streets, thankful that his mask kept the bulk of the ash out of his face.

“ You don’t think he’s mixed up in all this, do you ?”, Konohamaru asked with a tone betraying such a taboo question. 

“No way. It’s Tobu. We know him”, Kakashi shot it down. He approached a burned-out general store. Glass from the shattered windows still littered the street beneath him. He shifted his feets, feeling the shards crumple under his weight, confirming this actually was real. He laid his hand on the charred door to the building. He gently pushed it open, his ears flooded by the moaning of the door’s disfigured hinges. 

“Do we?”, Konohamaru asked with a genuine note in his voice, “It has been five years.”. The door fully opened and the scant light that made it through the ash cloud finally pierced the darkness of the general store. There, behind the shattered glass counter, were three bodies. 

Two adults and a child, clutching each other in terror. Parents shielding their child from a fire that overtook them impossibly fast. Holding each other so tightly only assisted the fire in taking all three of them simultaneously. Kakashi could only pray the smoke took them first.

Their remains weren’t going to be identified, all features torn away by the passionless flames. They could’ve been anyone.

“I mean, you saw what he did to those guys outside the Grass Village… He’s changed. He’s bigger, stronger, faster, and smarter than us. He figured out Orochimaru’s plan without a second thought! He lifted that gigantic water tower with his bare hands and that was after he shattered a damn Susanoo! If Danzo’s so intelligent, do you think he’d just leave open a loose end like that?”, Konohamaru’s voice droned in Kakashi’s ear, muffled by the raging adrenaline. The Copy Ninja stepped away from the horror lying inside the general store. He had finally lost his serve, both for the search and for his former student’s sobering questions.

“Go home, Konohamaru.”, Kakashi finally answered dryly, “We’re not gonna find anything.”    

Chapter Text

Kakashi stood in the lobby of the Hokage Mansion, watching the hustle and bustle of a recovering population surge around him in waves. The air was heavy with movement and activity. Families discussed their future plans, some of the few remaining Leaf Jonin loitered about with nothing to do but wait, and, of course, large groups of children aimlessly migrated about, eking out the most meager amounts of joy in such a hectic environment. He spied a mother, one hand of a rocking crib, trying her best to lull her restless infant to sleep amongst the noisy lobby. Kakashi remembered when Naruto was that size. He wondered what Tobu’s first days were like.  

Bedrolls and cots lined the walls of the lobby, as they did pretty much every wall of the Mansion. The actual walls of the lobby were almost completely blocked out by the massive walls of people. Tsunade’s secretaries were doing as good of a job as they could to get everyone comfortably set up, but it was a horrible situation nonetheless. Some chose to leave altogether, try their luck and start a new life elsewhere. Considering the high likelihood that their homes were now piles of ash, Kakashi couldn’t blame them.

He wove his way through the crowd and up the stairs to the second floor, the nearby guard not hesitating to let him pass. Hooking a left before the end of the hall that led to Tsunade’s office, Kakashi found himself before an open, but crowded door. Several Anbu operatives leaned against the door jamb and the nearby wall as a familiar voice echoed out of the room. Kakashi stood behind the small crowd, easily towering over the young soldiers.

“Remember, check-ins and reports every hour, on the hour, no exceptions. Teams of four, no more, no less, and absolutely no one is to be left on their own.”, Tobu stood in the center of the room, encircled by his subordinates. He was the tallest among them, obviously, and the oldest as he approached eighteen. He was dressed in the same Anbu uniform and armor as the rest of them. Each operative looked to be of varying origins and levels of experience. Some he recognized as being from the Sand Village and some he could clearly see were quite new to the Anbu life. However, each and every one of them looked to Tobu with the same reverence and respect. The young man had clearly carved out a place for himself. Kakashi just wondered what Tobu had to go through to create that.

To his left was a whiteboard, covered with notes and charts, each surely indiscernible in their messiness to anyone except Tobu himself. “You’ll spend two hours in each sector over the course of eight hours.”, Tobu pointed to a small map in the corner of the whiteboard. It depicted the Leaf Village surrounded by a circular grid pattern. “That’s four sectors, Shinzo!”, Tobu teased one of the men.

“C’mon, I knew that!”, a voice replied from the small crowd.

“I’m sure you did…”, Tobu replied sarcastically. “Bring your rations with you but, please, clean up after yourselves. No sleeping, no hunting, no missing your check-ins, and, please, no wandering off.” After a moment of silence, he gave a firm nod, “Alright, that’s it. you all know where to go, so get there!” 

The horde of Anbu operatives quickly shuffled past Kakashi and down the hallway. Some stayed behind to chat with their new leader, who stood with his hands on his hips.

“Can I catch a squirrel?”, a younger boy asked.

“No, buddy. If you want a pet, you'll have to wait until you can adopt one from a proper pet store.”, Tobu replied with graceful patience. Next, another boy approached with a sheet of paper and a quick question.

“You’re ok. You’ll start here…”, Tobu cocked his head to the side and pointed to a spot on the paper. “And you’ll rotate there until you end up there. Got it?”. As the last of the operatives funneled their way out, a girl about the boy’s age presented to him a small bundle of dandelions. Kakashi’s eyes widened with excitement, quickly realizing what he was watching.

 “These…are for you…”, she mumbled, a scarlet blush quickly sweeping across her face. Tobu clumsily clutched the flowers in his palm, clearly unsure what the gesture meant.

“Uh… thank you?”, was all he could reply with before placing the dandelions in a pocket. Kakashi quietly cringed with gritted teeth. Talking to girls obviously wasn’t covered in neither the Academy nor the Anbu. That’s something a father would show him, not a teacher …, he thought to himself. Finally, the last operative reached the end of the hallway, leaving just Tobu and Kakashi alone.

“You seem to be handling this pretty well…”, Kakashi remarked as he strode into the room. Tobu gave a tired grin at seeing his former teacher and dropped the clipboard he was holding onto a nearby desk. He turned and leaned against its wooden frame, crossing his arms. 

“It’s actually kinda easy since there’s no contracts to handle. Really, my only job is to keep that perimeter secure. Once this is all handled and things open up, then I’ll be in trouble.”, he sighed.

“Looking that far ahead, huh?”, Kakashi asked. Tobu gave a sobering look and a slow nod.

“We’re gonna get that asshole. One way or the other…”, he promised. Kakashi hesitated to wonder what “the other” way entailed. He had a lot on his mind to wonder about. There’s so much to talk about., Kakashi thought to himself, So many questions, but I’ve got these ridiculous ones first…  

“Hey, I have a few ques-”, Kakashi started before loud, rapid footsteps began echoing down the hall behind him.

 Suddenly, a young boy, clad in Anbu armor, rushed into the room. The boy was clearly looking for something, eyes darting around the room restlessly, before they finally settled on the back-left corner of the room. The boy rushed over to the corner and he retrieved from the floor a white mask decorated by the face of a fierce bear in orange paint.

Kakashi and Tobu silently watched the boy with nostalgic amusement. The boy, embarrassed, rushed back to the doorway as Tobu called out,

“Don’t trip!”. Kakashi watched the young boy run out of the room before turning back to Tobu, remarking at the fond smile across his face. The Copy Ninja sighed,

“I forgot how young some of these guys can be…”. The smile on Tobu’s face faded in a stressed, displeased look of anxiety. 

“Yeah, that’s something I’m not too happy about. Once things around here calm down, I’m going to try and do something about that.”, he declared with a confident, matter-of-fact tone to his voice and a furrow in his brow that clearly spoke the truth. “Oda…”, Tobu nodded to the empty doorway, “He should be learning how to cook rice or help his mother change his little sister’s diaper.” He leaned against the table, arms still crossed. His content expression from moments ago was long gone. He stared down at his feet and the floor beneath him with pure contempt. “We shouldn’t be teaching him how to kill…”, he muttered with a hint of shame. He played a part in this vicious system he hated so much and that clearly ate away at him.

“You want to make a change?”, Kakashi’s voice sparked to life with poignancy. After everything he’s been through, he still wants to do good in the world. Maybe Konohamaru was wrong? Maybe he hasn’t really changed all that much…, he thought. Tobu’s gaze rose from the floor and met Kakashi’s. They locked eyes for a moment before yet another set of footsteps thundered towards the room. 

A tall Anbu operative with a thin face barged his way into the room, paying no mind to Kakashi as sweat poured from his face. Tobu’s jaw clenched and he pushed off the desk.

“Iori? What’s going on?”, he asked with an authoritative air. The soldier took deep, gasping breaths, bracing himself against the door jamb before he finally found enough air to answer.

“It’s Shinzo! He hasn’t reported in four hours and no one can find him!”, the Anbu heaved in between gasps. Without a second moment, word, or look, Tobu sprang to his feet and marched to the door. He passed through the door and into the hallway as he tightened his gauntlets, not bothering to check if Kakashi and Iori were following him.         

“Iori, you’re a sensory type, correct?”, he demanded to know.

“Yes, sir! But I couldn’t find any sign of his chakra around his assigned post!”, Iori answered immediately. 

“Someone could be masking his chakra!”, Kakashi explained. 

The trio pushed their way through the busy lobby with palpable urgency. Tobu paused before the door and turned to Kakashi.

“Are you with me?”, Tobu asked, voice thick with fervent purpose. 

“Of course!”, the Copy Ninja replied without hesitation.

“Good! I’ll tear this whole fucking country apart if someone hurt any of my men!”

“Tell me everything, everything !”, Tobu ordered as he power-walked up a steep, grassy hill just outside the walls of the village, Kakashi and Iori right behind him, struggling to keep up. 

“We were in a line-formation, only a few feet apart, at the forest’s edge. We were keeping watch like you ordered, but when I looked down the line, Shinzo was gone! I used my sensory abilities as best I could, but there was no sign of his chakra! It’s like he vanished, like he was never even there!”, Iori explained through breathless gasps.

“He vanished ?! That doesn’t make any damn sense!”, Tobu exclaimed, getting angrier and more frantic with each passing second.

“Someone could’ve taken him and masked his chakra signature. But why?”, Kakashi asked, trying to calm Tobu and make sense of the situation.

“I don’t care why!”, Tobu retorted, “I just know that, when I find him, I’ll rip his fucking arms off!”. Kakashi nearly stopped in his tracks. He knew Tobu cared about his fellow operatives, but not to this degree. He watched Tobu as he practically charged up the chill, the veins in his neck threatening to explode beneath his skin and his fists were tightly balled in barely-concealed fury. The boy looked downright unstable. It was a double-edged comfort that Iori didn’t seem afraid of Tobu’s seething rage in the slightest. This anger clearly wasn’t something to be afraid of back at the Anbu headquarters. 

Kakashi could only imagine how, without him and Konohamaru by his side, the Anbu was the closest thing Tobu had to family. Kakashi knew the reprehensible things he’d do to protect his family, if any of them were still alive. He couldn’t say he’d blame Tobu for anything he’d do either. Still, this kind of anger bothered the Copy Ninja. It was the kind that could turn violent very, very quickly.

The trio stopped at the edge of a patch of trees, looking out to an open, hilly field. Iori leaned over, cupping his knees with his palms, absolutely exhausted.

“Here… this is where… we were on watch when he disappeared.”, Iori heaved. Tobu and Kakashi wordlessly began their investigation while Iori collected himself. Trained eyes scanned every leaf, every blade of grass, and every inch of dirt to no avail. There was no sign of a struggle, no trace in the air of a genjutsu, and no residual evidence of anyone using ninjutsu. It was as the sensory ninja claimed, it was like Shinzo had vanished without a trace. Kakashi knew that to claim this individual knew what they were doing would be a heinous understatement.

“Nothing… Absolutely nothing…”, Tobu muttered, a quiet fury twisting his faint words. Kakashi looked up at Tobu from his kneeling position. He could tell Tobu was getting more and more anxious, more and more unstable. He was reminded that, despite seeing how beloved and steadfast he was for the Anbu, he was still just a seventeen year old boy and he was in trouble. 

“We’ll split up,” Kakashi declared, rising to his feet, “Check the trees, check the grass, there must be some sign of where he went.” Tobu’s eyes met Kakashi’s and the boy’s breathing seemed to calm. He ran a shaky hand through his jet black hair, pushing his bangs out of his face.

“That’s… that’s a good idea.”, he said, rubbing his nose nervously. “Iori, go with Kakashi. I’ll check the other side of the forest.” Iori and Kakashi hesitated, knowing it was a bad idea to seperate with an enemy on the loose, but they knew better than to protest. 

Kakashi’s Sharingan eye scanned every inch of the forest floor. He stepped slowly and carefully, absorbing every bit of evidence that he could glean. The sun was beginning to set and a dark shadow began to lord through the treetops. But nothing would be shrouded from the piercing gaze of the Sharingan. That is, Kakashi realized, if there was anything to be shrouded. How can there be absolutely no sign of this kid? , he wondered. He was glad he could calm Tobu down, but now, even he was in need of some cheering up.

“Say, Iori, is it?”, he cautiously asked, turning his head to the operative following close behind him. Iori seemed to flinch, not expecting to be directly acknowledged by a shinobi with the presence of Kakashi Hatake himself. 

“Ah, yes. Yes, sir!”, he stammered. Kakashi let out a quiet laugh. As much as he tried to stay humble, it was always quite amusing to see someone get so nervous around him.

“No need to be so formal. I just wanted to ask: are you guys at the Anbu satisfied with Tobu’s leadership?”, Kakashi asked, trying anything to get his mind off of yet another hopeless search. He knew, however, no amount of questions nor days passing would ever let him forget the smell of burnt flesh. 

“Oh, ah, of course!”, Iori replied excitedly. “Even before he was promoted, we all looked up to Tobu!”

“Really? Why’s that?”, Kakashi asked. 

“Well…”, Iori tried to answer. Kakashi turned his shoulder to look at the young man. 

“Go on.”, he goaded the sixteen year old.

“Tobu’s done a lot for us… Danzo… he was really hard on us. Sometimes cruel.”, Iori almost whispered.

“I remember.”, Kakashi replied solemnly. 

“Tobu tried his best to take care of us.”, Iori continued. “Especially the younger ones like me. Between Danzo and the older Anbu, it was hard for us. But Tobu defended us. He took Danzo’s punishments for us, gave out rations if anyone lost them, he even fought back against the older guys. One by one, he drove out any operative that treated another so poorly. Once he got to be the oldest, he made it clear that that kind of behavior wouldn’t be tolerated. He used his pull with Danzo to get us better and safer equipment and upgraded training facilities. The Anbu wouldn’t be what it is without him, so yeah, we all really respect him.”, Iori finished. Kakashi had to admit, he was quite proud of what his student had managed to accomplish at the Anbu, despite knowing he played little to no part in it. “I guess we should all be thanking you for being such a good teacher to him!”, Iori remarked. Kakashi shook his head dismissively,

“That wasn’t me. I didn’t teach him any of that.” I don’t know that the hell kind of teacher I was… , he thought to himself. At times, I thought that I might have a handle on the whole gig. That obviously turned out to not be true. It’s been eight years and I still don’t know what to think of myself.

“What do you mean?”, Iori asked, “He always said you taught him everything he knew!”. Kakashi’s eyes widened. “He said you were the closest thing he had to a real father…”

Before Kakashi could process a single thing Iori just said, a shrill scream rang out over the countryside. 

Kakashi and Iori reached the source of the scream in no time. They leapt out of the trees where, at the base of a small, grassy hill, Tobu restrained an unknown man, pinning him against the ground.

“Who the hell is that?”, Kakashi frantically asked as he approached. Tobu didn’t tear his eyes off the man for even a second.

“He’s the asshole that took Shinzo!”, he growled, darting his head to the side. Kakashi looked over to see the young Shinzo, unconscious and in the fetal position, laying underneath a group of bushes. He looked unharmed, even asleep, and the man Tobu held against the ground certainly didn’t look like a master shinobi. He was quite thin and wore ragged, old clothes. Wrinkles stretched across his terror-stricken face as Tobu pushed him into the dirt. He looked more like a wandering vagrant than an enemy of the Leaf Village.   

“Something’s not right here…”, Kakashi muttered. The man uttered a shrill yelp as he finally noticed Kakashi and Iori standing over Tobu. Tobu’s boiling anger only grew hotter as the man seemed to call for help. He freed his hands from the man’s collar, clasping them over his face with his strong thumbs digging forcefully into the man’s forehead. The man’s skin began to turn red under the immense pressure as Tobu squeezed his head in wrath. Kakashi saw what was coming.

“Tobu… stop.”, he said far too quietly, paralyzed by the fear of what he was about to witness. Tobu didn’t seem to listen or hear Kakashi’s plea. His breathing grew heavier and faster and his grip strengthened over the man’s skull. He leaned forward, placing all his weight onto the vagrant’s head. Tobu’s own face grew red with fury and he gritted his teeth, spittle flying from his mouth with every ragged breath. The vagrant’s feet kicked at the ground for any hope of freedom.

“Tobu, stop !”, Kakashi finally found his voice, yelling for the boy to cease. He reached out his hand and clutched the boy’s shoulder, but it was too late. As soon as Kakashi laid his hand down, he saw the man’s face collapse in Tobu’s hands. Blood spewed from the vagrant’s lifeless head. Some of it flowed freely from his orifices, gently running down and streamed down into the grass beneath him. The majority of it, however, slashed up onto Tobu’s face. 

His breathing only barely began to calm when thick, crimson drops fell from his cheeks and the tip of his nose. Kakashi could barely bring himself to turn Tobu’s shoulder with his outstretched arm. As Tobu slowly panned to look at his former teacher, a single question entered Kakashi’s horrified mind. 

Have you really changed? , he wondered, as his eyes finally met Tobu’s. The boy’s eyes were wide, but not in fear. He stared back at Kakashi with an animalistic fervor. It wasn’t fear that dilated his pupils and made the adrenaline run wild in his veins, it was a more deep-seated and ingrained emotion. 

It was pure fulfillment. Kakashi didn’t need his Sharingan to see that.

Or were you always like this?  

Chapter Text

Kakashi sat in a chair in the hall of the Leaf Hospital. It didn’t take long for him to realize they were the exact same set of chairs he sat in eight years ago, waiting to learn of Naruto’s grim fate and also the same he sat in five years ago, similarly waiting to hear of Tobu’s. He was glad his more recent trip was a better one, but he couldn’t help but harbor the very human desire to have his cake and eat it too. Why couldn’t Naruto have walked out of the hospital just as Tobu had? Kakashi’s. More than three dozen years of life taught him one likely wouldn’t have happened without the other. Where would Tobu be if Naruto lived? Would he even be alive? Was it even worth thinking about? Kakashi didn’t know how to feel about any of it.Shinzo couldn’t be roused from whatever deep sleep he was placed in. Kakashi, Tobu, and Iori rushed him back to the Village, where they were pleased to learn the hospital had returned to the beginning stages of operation.

The old man’s body, the old man whose guilt in the situation was now indecipherable, was left on the hillside, his body cooking in the midday sun. Kakashi leaned his elbows against his knees, head buried in his palms, trying to forget the events of the last few hours. He had run over them again and again and run through dozens of hair-brained solutions, never reaching a conclusive, concrete conclusion. He sighed in his palms. Over the years, he should’ve learned better than to try and make sense of everything all of the time. The Village was in a very precarious condition, the likes of which had never been seen before, perhaps even in all of shinobi history. It’s only natural some things had to be let go, right?Still, Tobu had killed someone. And possibly, in cold blood. How do you just let that go? Kakashi lifted his face from his palms, facing the wall opposite him.

“Not a word of this reaches Tsunade, understood?”, Kakashi ordered. Tobu sat in the chair beside him, head leaned all the way back and against the wall, staring at the ceiling. Blood still peppered his face and he showed no sign of acknowledging Kakashi’s words. He didn’t look scared or ashamed, not even afraid. He looked bored, maybe even a little angry, like he was losing his patience. Kakashi sighed again. He couldn’t quite decipher what that look meant. But he decided there were enough open worms out and about and it was time to put the can opener down. “She’s got enough on her plate without having to deal with this crap.”, Kakashi finished with a tired groan. “I trust Iori will keep his mouth shut?”, he asked, almost cautiously. Tobu brought his nails up to his face, absentmindedly picking dried blood from underneath them with his thumb.

“He knows to stay quiet. It’s not the first time he’s seen me hurt someone.”, he grumbled. You didn’t “hurt” someone. You killed someone!, Kakashi silently chided his former student. “I know what you’re thinking…”, Tobu started. Kakashi sat up and turned his head to look at Tobu.

“Oh yeah?”, he asked sarcastically.

“‘You didn’t ‘hurt’ someone. You killed someone.’”, he droned in a monotonous, apathetic tone that only a teenager could master. “It’s not the first time I’ve killed someone and it certainly won’t be the last.”, he scoffed. His hand plopped back into his lap and he lowered his head, staring forward at the same spot on the wall as Kakashi. “I’ll kill anyone and as many people as I need to for the sake of the Village.”, he muttered. Kakashi felt his blood pressure spike, his anger and disbelief at Tobu’s words broiling in his chest.

“You didn’t kill that man ‘for the sake of the Village’ though, did you?”, he retorted, turning his head to look directly at Tobu, only to be greeted with the side of the boy’s head. That finally seemed to get through to him. His face grew flushed with frustration and he crossed his arms against his chest.

“I did what I had to.”, he mumbled angrily.

“Just like you did with Neji?!”, Kakashi retorted back loudly, before he could stop himself. His blood instantly ran cold and a chill dug into his spine like the spectre of the Shinigami itself.
Tobu slowly turned to look Kakashi in the eye. Kakashi stared back as the look in Tobu’s eyes went from a boy looking at his surrogate father to one looking at a stranger, even an enemy. Iori’s words rang in his ear. He said you were the closest thing he had to a real father… Kakashi felt let another failure be stacked upon the pile. How high was it at this point? How much higher could he make it go?

“Neji…”, Tobu finally broke seering cold silence, “was a mistake.” Much to Kakashi’s confusion and hesitant relief, Tobu didn’t sound angry. His voice was tinged with a sobering realization, like what he had already repeated what he was saying in his head dozens, maybe hundreds of times. It sounded more like an admission than a retort. “I cost the Village a lot by killing him. I cost the Village the support of the Hyuga clan. Team 7 lost Hanabi because of me. That was the real mistake, that’s what I regret.”, he continued. He looked back down at the floor, mercifully breaking Kakashi from his piercing stare. He leaned forward, placing his elbows on his knees and hanging his head down, releasing a tense sigh through his nose. “Yeah, for a while I felt bad for Neji. I felt bad about cutting his life short. For losing control… But then I realized… Why should a tool feel bad for fulfilling its purpose?”, he asked with a grim, dark note to his voice.
He sat back up in his seat, staring down at his hands, still speckled with blood. “I was created to kill.”, he started. He said such a horrifically horrible thing with the same levity and nonchalance as if it was just an intrinsic fact of the universe, no arguing your way around it.

His voice had such a clarity to it that Kakashi realized this was something that he had gone over in his head, over and over again, and he once again cursed the fact that, because of him, this boy had to go through that realization alone. “Orochimaru created me to kill.”, he continued, turning his head to once again look Kakashi in the eye, “Then, you all taught me how to do it. Tsunade, Danzo, even you. And I don’t hold that against any of you. What else were you supposed to do with the biological weapon sitting right beneath your noses?” He shook his head dismissively, “I don’t lose sleep over the look in Neji’s eyes. I lose sleep over the look in Hanabi’s, over the look in Tsunade’s. I lose sleep over the look in your eyes, Kakashi, when I killed Neji.”

Kakashi felt a specific brand of despair rise up in his gut, the likes of which he thought he left behind half a decade ago. He wanted nothing more than to take this pain, this burden, away from Tobu. But he knew, at this point, the pain was so insurmountable, so potent, it wasn’t even painful anymore to the boy. It was just his reality. This pain was his purpose. Kakashi felt his worst nightmare coming to life before his eyes, alongside the horrifying truth that it had been there for the last five years, just hidden in front of his very eyes. Not that another student would grow to despise him, not that another student would lose their life under his care, but that one of his students had become just like him. Numb to a mountainous pain no human being should ever have to bear.

“I…”, Kakashi finally croaked, his throat growing dry the second he opened his mouth. Even if he could form words, he wouldn’t know what to do with them. Tobu sighed and looked away, rising to his feet.

“I should clean myself up. Don’t need Tsunade asking any questions…”, he mumbled. He stood facing away from Kakashi for a moment. He took a deep breath and with a steady voice said one final word.

“Everything I do, I do for the sake of the Village, no questions asked. But… if someone harms any member of the Anbu, they’re dead, no matter what. End of story.”, then walked off without looking back.

Kakashi sank into his chair under the weight of the world. For the third time in ten years, he wished he was anywhere else in the world than sitting in these damn chairs.

The door to the emergency room finally reopened, rousing Kakashi from his stupor. Lady Tsunade and Tobu strode out, the latter resting his palm anxiously on the back of his neck. It was the ever-familiar look of bad news.

“And you’re sure there’s nothing we can do?”, Tobu asked, with the upward inflection of someone hoping for a miracle. Despite that, Tsunade simply shook her head.

“I’m afraid not", Tobu looked back with the signature expression of someone begging for an explanation. She gave a graceful nod and eased his confusion. “He’s fine.”, she said, “You and young Iori were right, he’s under a genjutsu. A very elaborate genjutsu. Whoever cast it on him is very experienced and very powerful.” Tobu met neither Tsunade’s nor Kakashi’s eyes as the dead old man’s guilt was all but absolved. He wasn’t the kidnapper. There was no reality where he was the kidnapper. Yet still, he was the one lying dead in the grass. Kakashi knew from their earlier conversation that it wasn’t guilt turning Tobu’s face, it was frustration. Frustration at not getting the right result, at letting the actual perpetrator all but get away. The seventeen year old finally spoke up.

“There was no sign of him by the time we found Shinzo…”, he lied. Kakashi’s stomach ached at the bold-faced lie, but he remembered his words from earlier. Not a word of the murder, as it was, was to reach Tsunade. Still, it hurt to tell her nothing and it hurt more to tell her a blatant lie.

“Very well.”, Tsunade sighed, “He probably couldn’t find whatever he was looking for with young Shinzo if he left him there like he did. And he definitely wasn’t from around here. Just keep a better hold over that perimeter in case he comes back.”, she ordered.

“Yes, ma’am.”, Tobu mumbled and walked out of the hospital without any dismissal. Tsunade simply stood with her arms crossed, watching the boy leave.

“You want to tell me what happened out there?”, she asked Kakashi with pointed words. He sighed, running a hand through his hair. Well, no point in lying anymore, he thought.

“Tobu killed a man. Some old man, probably out for a stroll. There’s no way he had anything to do with this. I could’ve stopped him, but I hesitated. He was out of control.”, he replied in a sobering tone and a shake of his head. It was Tsunade’s turn to let out an exhausted sigh, dropping her hands to her hips.

“I trust no one else knows about this.”, she asked. Kakashi’s breath caught in his throat. He didn’t know if he should be surprised or not that she would also want to keep this quiet. She was a cunning leader as much as she was a compassionate old woman.

“Just us three and another one of the Anbu, but Tobu’s assured me he’ll keep quiet.”, Kakashi answered. He rubbed the back of his neck, praying that would ease his worries. It never did. “I just don’t know what to do about it.”, he continued. Tsunade snorted.

“What can we do?”, she asked sarcastically. “Lock him up? We don’t exactly have the manpower to spare for it.” She strode over to the set of chairs and took a seat next to Kakashi, where Tobu was sitting just moments ago. “And besides,”, she continued with a quieter voice, “we raised him to be like this, you, me, and Danzo. He’s nearly an adult, yes, but we’d shoulder most of the blame for this.” Her words wrapped around Tobu’s as they spun and echoed in his head. We… I, raised a killer?, he wondered, Tsunade only served to confirm Tobu’s accusations. He shook his head with eyes clamped shut.

“No, I didn’t teach him this! I never taught him to be this way!”, he exclaimed almost breathlessly, like the extra effort in his words might magically make them true. Tsunade saw right through it. Right through to the truth Kakashi also knew, deep down.

“You taught him how to feel, Kakashi. You taught him how to love. Danzo may have taught him how to use his hands, but you taught him how to use his heart. You and I both know how much that means.”, she impressed the truth onto him. “He is what we made him.”, she proclaimed. “It’s been a bumpy ride and it’ll only get bumpier. But I know, I know, he’ll be the savior of this Village. Even if he has to do it on his own.”

Kakashi knew she was right. He played as big a role as anyone in shaping Tobu to be a killer, perhaps the biggest. It was like Tobu said, he was born to be a killer, coming to the Leaf Village didn’t change that. For him. he escaped one frying pan just to land in another. That was perhaps what disgusted Kakashi the most. The Leaf Village, the capital of the Land of Fire, couldn’t help him. What if that blood-soaked little boy had gone to the Sand Village or the Stone? Would they have done a better job? Would Tobu be living a normal life? Or was his fate sealed, like Kakashi felt his own was at times.

“Danzo is a problem…”, he mumbled, trying to turn the conversation and get his mind off the topic. Tsunade seemed to oblige, adjusting her robe and looking both ways down the hall.

“Have you found anything?”, she asked with a lowered voice. Kakashi let out a silent sigh of relief.

“Nothing. We searched top and bottom, everywhere we legally could. If he had some secret hideout, that attack must’ve partially served to wipe away the evidence”, he replied.

“I must admit, I’m getting more and more suspicious. It seems like he might be the only one who made it out of the attack entirely unscathed.”, Tsunade admitted, rubbing her forehead. “You think it’s time to try something that maybe isn’t legal?”, she asked. The two made loaded eye contact at the same time.

“You’re ok with that?”, Kakashi asked cautiously, trying to hide the fact he was already considering it. Tsunade scoffed.

“Come on! Don’t act like either of us are above it! Do what you need to do, just keep it quiet. Hell, if we’re right, it won’t really matter how we found out.”, she confirmed.

“And what about Tobu and Konohamaru? Something like this’ll take time. They’ll want to know what’s going on and this is something I can only do alone.”, he explained. Tsuande adopted a satisfied grin.

“I have something for them. I already had an assignment for them anyway.”, she replied, pulling two folded sheets of paper from her robes. “Hand it to ‘em, then you disappear. Do what’s necessary and find the truth. No matter what.” Kakashi ran his thumb over the folded sheets. Not only did it obviously represent a mission for his students, but handing it over to them also represented taking on a significant risk on his part. His years of training in espionage and counterintelligence were now about to be used against the trainer himself.

It almost took a second thought.

Chapter Text

“A mission? Now??”, Konohamaru asked, dumbfounded. Lady Tsunade loomed over him as he sat on his assigned cot in the Hokage Mansion, recently converted into a refugee shelter. She dodged and stepped aside for about half a dozen passerbys in the constantly busy halls before Konohamaru finally clutched the envelope she held out for him. He slammed shut the comic book in his hands with a huff.

“Yes. Right now.”, Tsunade replied with a tone only acquired through years of dealing with the petulant attitudes of young adults. 

“What happened to the whole ‘no more contracts’ thing? We not worried about attracting any attention?”, Konohamaru snidely remarked. Tsunade resisted the urge to belt out a loud verbal assault on the young man. It was hard, but she had to remind herself that not only had he lost his grandfather from a very young age, he also lost his mentor and he watched the Village decay just like the rest of them. He felt the same pain she did, only more personal. If she didn’t handle it well, how in the world was he meant to? Out of everyone affected by the events of the last eight years, Konohamaru had the worst of it and he was just a boy. 

A boy staring up at her with all the smug impatience she’d seen so many times from a particular masked shinobi. Resisting the urge was fucking hard.

“This one’s from the inside…”, she replied with gritted teeth, “Straight from me, actually. And it’s urgent, so pack your…”. She looked around his cot. One backpack, already loaded with supplies, and an old steamer trunk full of even older looking comic books. How that survived the very same black flames that took so much from everyone was beyond Tsunade, but if anyone was going to make sure they survived the heat, it was Konohamaru. “...things, and find Tobu, he’s going with you.”. Any semblance of restraint in Konohamaru’s displeasure went out the window and he burst out in complaints.

“Seriously?! I’m stuck with him?? Doesn’t he have a band of misfits to run and a perimeter to keep?”, he moaned.

“ The Anbu can manage just fine with the perimeter on their own.”, she growled, her teeth threatening to crack as he held back her anger. “And don’t sound so ungrateful. You two were practically raised together and now, after all this time, I’m giving you a nice and easy mission to give you the chance to catch up with each other. You should be thanking me.” Konohamaru scoffed,

“We weren’t ‘raised together’...”, he mumbled, disgusted. Tsunade raised her hands to her hips with an unimpressed smirk.

“Oh, give me a break! You two have the same birthday. You’re practically brothers!”, she teased the young man. His head snapped up to meet her gaze.

That was a fact that somehow escaped him throughout the years. For every birthday he spent alone, so did Tobu. For some reason, he felt a pull in his stomach that he couldn’t quite identify. Tsunade sighed,

“Well, hurry up! I need that job done and done quick, especially if you want to get paid.”, she cajoled before finally turning and waltzing back to her office to resume the never ending torrent of paperwork.

You’re practically brothers! Tsunade’s words rang through Konohamaru’s head like a dreaded morning alarm, heralding a reality he wasn’t really ready to accept yet. Lady Tsunade was his elder, she must have been approaching her sixties by now, but did that mean she was really full of worldly wisdom? 

He leaned forward in his cot, chin resting in his palm, fingers running over the coarse paper envelope in his hand. He slid the second envelope out from under the first. Lady Tsunade had handed him two copies, one no doubt meant for Tobu.

He let go of the envelopes and watched as they plopped onto the hardwood floor beneath his feet. His hand went limp, fingers subconsciously tracing rough canvas fabric that was his new ‘home’. He scrunched his nose at the disgusting texture of the cloth as the pads of his fingers ran over the seam of the cot. In the days following the attack, he hadn’t had the chance to process the sobering fact that, save for what was on his back at the moment, almost every worldly possession of his was destroyed in the fires. He wondered how much that loss would hurt, if at all, when he actually had the time to hurt. Like the death of his grandfather, it was such a monumentally huge blow that he wasn’t sure how someone was meant to react. Would it be brutally painful? Would he be upset for just a few days and then back in action? Would it change everything?   

Whatever the case, here he was, assigned the same style of uncomfortable wooden accommodations as everyone else. He looked around the halls of the Mansion and felt a tad bit selfish at his musings over his own losses when there were entire families of children and adults that lost their possessions. They would feel that loss in ways he couldn’t even comprehend. 

Still, this sucked. Every morning he’d remember yet another personal possession that was now even less than ash. His expensive clothes, his trading cards, pictures of his grandfather, even…

He looked to his left and placed his hand over the open lid of the old steamer trunk.

…his own comic book stash. As relieved as he’d be to learn the collection had survived, Konohamaru knew Tobu would be pissed when he found out he’d gone rooting around his old house for his box of comic books. He’s got great taste, that’s for sure. Gotta give him that… , he thought. It looked like they were both missing the same volume of “Hoshi and the Great Escape!”. Hanabi had given him a copy of the missing volume years ago, but it was in such ruined condition that not even an aficionado such as himself couldn’t restore it.

Konohamaru pushed the lid of the truck closed with a satisfying clunk and locked it for safekeeping. He slipped his shoes on with the trademark lethargy of a lazy teenager. 

Tobu stepped out of the hospital room, immediately shutting the door behind him and jamming a key into the lock. As he twisted the key in the lock, he heard someone clear their throat behind him. He turned slowly to see Konohamaru leaning against the wall on the opposite side of the hall, hands in his pocket, chin down but eyes meeting his with a confused, but concerned expression.

“How’s the kid?”, Konohamaru asked, with a note to his voice that actually sounded genuine.

“He’s…uh fine. Awake but not one hundred percent yet.”, Tobu pushed weary words out with great effort. Part of it was how tired he was. Most of it was how vulnerable it felt to have Konohamaru witness just how much he cared about his Anbu. Kakashi seeing it was one thing, but someone that was supposed to be his equal was another. 

“You keep his hospital room locked?”, Konohamaru probed with another question.

“Yeah, whoever captured him is… still out there. Don’t want them having access to him.”, Tobu explained awkwardly. He left out that one vital detail about Shinzo’s kidnapping. He tried to read Konohamaru’s face, but couldn’t glean whether or not he knew or not. Either way, Konohamaru reached into his vest pocket and retrieved a sealed envelope, reaching across the hall to hand it over. 

‘What’s this?”, Tobu asked, running his finger over the thick paper. 

“It’s paper. With words on it. To read.”, Konohamaru answered with dry sarcasm. Tobu huffed and pushed obsidian hair out of his face but didn’t answer, lacking the energy to do so. His eyes scanned down the paper, reading the words as Konohamaru so helpfully pointed out, but scarcely believing their meaning. 

“Is she serious?”, Tobu’s brow turned in disbelief. 

“It is straight from her, so yeah…”, Konohamaru shook his head in matching doubt. 

“Last time we left the Village, we nearly lost it. Now, she wants us to pursue some trafficking rumor out of the Rose Village?”, Tobu scoffed, as if reading the words aloud would make them any less perplexing. 

“Yep… but we are getting paid so we’re going.”, Konohamaru tried to look on the bright side. Tobu scoffed again, pushing the envelope into a pocket on his grey Anbu vest.

“What the hell can we do with money anymore?”, Tobu asked sarcastically. Konohamaru snorted. He’s got a point , he thought. He pushed off the wall, standing up straight.

“You ready to go?”, he beamed with confidence.

“Yeah…”, Tobu replied with feigned enthusiasm, “I’m ready to go.”

“Five years and now you’re the one worried about details?”, Konohamaru remarked with a sly grin. The pair walked down a dirt road in the countryside, flanked on either side by tall trees. The Land of Fire’s harsh sun beat down on the duo and the bugs weren’t making things any more pleasant. Tobu swatted a fly out of his face as he poured over the map in his hands.

“I’ve never been to the Rose Village and I’d like to get there sometime today.”, he mumbled, all of his focus on the map. Konohamaru sighed, arms swinging at his side in a nonchalant posture. He couldn’t quite shake the odd feelings he’d had since the beginning of their journey. They were both nearly adults, so there was no more pointless bickering between the two. But Konohamaru wasn’t sure what was supposed to fill that void. He’d known Tobu for nearly eight years, the majority of his life. Granted, he was off training under the Anbu for five of those, but he couldn’t help but feel like he was supposed to know how to act around him or what to talk about. 

Should he even worry? Tobu murdered Neji. Caused the Hyuga clan to abandon the Village. Hanabi was gone because of him. But, no, Konohamaru knew that wasn’t entirely his fault. Tobu didn’t ask to be created in a lab, have a generator for a heart, nor did he ask to have his memory lost to time. If he had to deal with all that, Konohamaru imagined he’d have some anger problems too.

Still, didn’t he have a right to be angry? He didn’t share the same connection with Hanabi that Tobu did, but he still considered her a dear friend. Kakashi and Tsunade both insisted that Tobu and him had a bond, of some sort. How could that be the case when Tobu caused him so much trouble? 

Maybe they saw something in their wisdom and experience that he didn’t quite understand. Nevertheless, he just didn’t feel any sense of hatred towards Tobu. If anything, the bond Kakashi and Tsunade described felt like it had a dark cloud looming over it, ambiguous with a sense of dread. He wished a bright ray of sunlight, hopefully a bit more graceful than the one currentely beating down on the back of his neck, would shine through that cloud and just fucking tell him what he was supposed to feel. 

“ Wow …”, Konohamaru gasped, a profound wave of majesty washing over him, nearly stealing the words from his throat. Before the pair, at the end of a long road, stood the Rose Village. 

Flanked on either side by green, rolling hills and in the middle of a thick field of eponymous crimson roses, stood a modest wooden city wall. Inside the wall were a collection of humble, but sturdy homes made of wood and thatch. They were simple and clearly constructed with hand-tools, but they did not lack for sophistication and craftsmanship. Most were simple, singles-story dwellings, but two and even three-story buildings dotted the village skyline. 

Quaint cobblestone roads traced their way throughout the village, leaving no home or structure isolated from each other. Even from afar, the pair could spot a well, a schoolhouse, a blacksmith, and even a collection of small farms on the outskirts of the village and against the surrounding wall. 

Behind the village, opposite the road Tobu and Konohamaru stood on, was a winding river, as blue as water could possibly be. It stretched across the hills and grasslands around the village, giving life to its people and the roses that gave them their name. Even further beyond the river, off in the distance, were a collection of tall, snow-capped mountains.

“Oh man, I wish I brought a camera. This place is gorgeous!”, Konohamaru gasped again in pure amazement.

“Yeah, it is…”, even Tobu couldn’t suppress his awe. “Just don’t forget what we’re here for.”, he reminded Konohamaru as he folded the map into a vest pocket. “Children are going missing. We need to find out why.”

“You think he might know anything?”, Konohamaru asked, pointing to a man, just beside the village gate, hammering away at a section of the wooden wall. 

“It’s as good a place to start as any.”, Tobu mumbled as the two made their approach to the village.

As they got closer, the duo’s trained eyes made note of the man’s appearance. If Tobu was built like a tiger, tall, lean, and with rippling muscles, this man was built like a bear. He was also quite tall, but bald and with a fair amount of meat on his bones. His sun-tanned skin was peppered with freckles, no doubt the result of a long career of back-breaking labor under the intense sun. 

“Good morning!”, Konohamaru called out in his most warm and friendly sounding voice. The man stopped his hammering and, one on knee, turned to face the pair. Though Tobu didn’t wear one, the man instantly spotted Konohamaru’s trademark Leaf Headband.

“Leaf shinobi, huh?”, the man grunted in a gruff, heavy voice. Apparentley unimpressed with the sight of the two, he turned and immediately resumed his work on the wall. Tobu crossed his arms, equally unimpressed with the man’s attitude, but kept quiet. Konohamaru, though equally frustrated, brought his hands to his hips and tried to stay more positive. 

“That’s right!”, he affirmed, “We’re following up on some rumors. Some kids have been going missing in this area. Have you heard anything about that?”

“So… you’re following up on ‘rumors’ now, huh?”, the man grumbled, barely audible. Instead, he placed his hammer in the grass and finally stood up to face Tobu and Konohamaru. He wiped his dirty hands on an old rag tucked into his thick leather belt. “Ain’t you Leaf guys ancient history? Thought everyone left that place ages ago? Since when were y’all still kickin’?”, the man snarked with a mocking laugh. A scowl crossed Tobu’s brow and it wasn’t the sun in his face.

“We never stopped…”, he growled, “So why don’t you just answer our one question and you can get back to work.” Konohamaru sighed and rolled his eyes. In all of his more than one hundred missions, Tobu clearly never learned some tact. The man scrunched his nose at Tobu’s comment. Any hostility the man was considering dissolved as his eyes scanned over Tobu’s Anbu uniform and armor. Konohamaru could see why Tobu might have never needed tact. 

He was himself no twig. He wasn’t the tallest, but under his darker Sarutobi complexion lay thick, dense muscle, built off of years of dedicated training. Still, Tobu stood more than a head taller than him and his stature was nothing short of comic book worthy. Pair that with the distinct Anbu uniform and he cast a long shadow.

The old man paused, his words catching in his throat. His back hunched over in the midday sun, his thick leather belt ringed with heavy metal tools felt like a massive shackle over his body as Tobu stared him down.

“Children have been going missing, old man. You really should tell us what you know…”, the boy pressed, no sympathy for the fear his visage struck. The man fumbled over his words once again, unable to just get them out as he felt Tobu’s glare burning his skin.

“If it’s evil-doing you’re looking for, you might try the old tea house on the east end. A gang moved in there not too long ago. They’re common crooks, not kidnappers, but if it’s anyone in the Rose Village, it’s them.”, the old man sputtered. Without a second word, Tobu stormed off through the gate, heading directly towards their first lead. 

“Whu-?”, Konohamaru sputtered in confusion, quickly chasing after Tobu, but not forgetting to throw a “Thanks!”, over his shoulder for the poor old man. Quickly enough, he caught up to Tobu. “There was no need for all that!”, he barked at his teammate. Tobu’s strong stride didn’t break for even a second. The pair walked past several homes and businesses on their way to the east end, each more beautiful than the last. The brilliant weather only made the Rose Village glow even brighter, but Konohamaru had to imagine that even in the darkest of storms, this village would shine bright.

“I don’t have the patience for those kinds of people. Standing in the way when they know exactly what I need for my mission.”, Tobu grumbled. He’d clearly dealt with that breed of people more times than he’d care to remember.

“What, so you just take the ‘bowling ball’ approach to everything? Just plow your way through to the objective?”, Konohamaru grilled.

“It worked, didn't it?”, Tobu retorted. “Besides, isn’t that what that ‘Naruto’ kid used to do? You idolize him so much. Why do you have a problem with me acting the same way?”. Konohamaru stopped in his tracks, his blood running cold as his shoes scuffed against the polished stone road beneath him. It had been years since he’d heard anyone so much as speak that name aloud.

“You… know about him?”, he asked, voice just barely trembling as he clenched his fists. Tobu half-turned around, scarcely realizing the gravity his words had over his teammate. He didn’t seem angry or even sad, just shocked, if anything.

“Yeah… not a lot of people seem to remember him but I’ve heard some things. He was loud, obnoxious, and he threw himself at any and all enemies to the village.”, Tobu chose each word carefully. Konohamaru dropped his eyes, letting out a breath he’d been holding for far too long. He resumed walking, stopping just beside the perplexed Tobu while still keeping his gaze lowered.

“That’s right… and it got both him and his sensei killed.”, he spoke low but with a clear purpose. “Why do you think I’ve always been such a stickler for details?! I lost the closest thing I had to a-”, he realized the word he was about to use. He realized who was standing in front of him, who’s chest he was stabbing his finger against. He realized why he felt so strongly. “...a brother and it was because he ran in, like an idiot, against someone he had no chance of defeating! I get it, I know how strong you are and I know you’ve got that same itch to just put your fucking fist through someone’s face just like me! But if you want to help the Leaf Village, if everything you do is really in service to the Village, then you’ll learn when to be a bit more diplomatic.”, Konohamaru’s tirade wasn’t lost on Tobu. It was the kind of tongue-lashing he hadn’t received in five years. Danzo may have told him what to do, but Team 7, Kakashi, Konohamaru, even Hanabi, made sure he’d know how to do it , the right way. It was a warm feeling, like a blanket being placed over his shoulders, a blanket he didn’t even know had fallen away. He stared down at his teammate, brow bending and the corners of his mouth falling.

Despite the fights and despite the retorts he’d given them, he could never articulate how much that meant to him, even now. Their friendship didn’t begin by choice and it was cut brutally short before it could really begin, but his time with Team 7 was the first time Tobu felt like he really had a role to serve, a place to belong. Even if it was with his childhood rival-in-fists, an ice-queen who wanted nothing to do with any of them, and a retired “old” geezer who never wanted the job to begin with, it was a place to be. It was his place to be. 

Hanabi was gone. He’d accepted that and his role in that a long time ago. But even more than the long, lonely nights, even more than every time he’d manage to bench even more weight, it was right now that he’d wish she could see them: her old teammates still looking out for each other, the only way they knew how.

He brought his hand to Konohamaru’s shoulder. He’d done it so many times before, but this time, it wasn’t to throw him or to hold him still. He was searching for words, but he was stuck. He was trained to find pressure points, not the right thing to say. 

His mouth hung open silently, when another voice suddenly broke the stillness.

“ Oi ! What are you two losers doing in front of our spot?!”, a burly sounding man yelled from the front porch of an older looking store. Tobu and Konohamaru had unknowingly stopped to squabble in front of the tea house the old man mentioned. As always, when it was time to be sarcastic, Tobu could suddenly know exactly what to say.

“You wanna try the diplomatic way with them ?”, he snarked. Konohamaru only grumbled, his scowl growing deeper. Tobu was an asshole, but Konohamaru had to admit, even he could be right.     

Chapter Text

Konohamaru dunked his handkerchief into the cool waters of the Rose Village’s fountain, sitting in the town square. More than a dozen villagers watched from a distance as the two boys, huffing and puffing after a long fight, laid their vests on the ground and relaxed beside the refreshing water. 

Konohamaru yanked the handkerchief from the water, quickly wringing it out and, after pulling his Leaf headband off, wiped his forehead with the wet rag. He sighed in relief as he pulled the rag over his hair before letting it rest on the back of his neck, glancing down into the water at his own reflection, seeing the fresh bruise forming over his cheekbone. 

“That went well…”, he remarked to the mirrored surface. Next to him, Tobu sat on the edge of the fountain. He leaned back, closing his eyes and letting the cool breeze kiss his sweaty black undersuit, his grey vest lying at his feet. 

“Yep… twenty or so people and not one of them had any idea about the rumors.”, he replied with a groan. Konohamaru brought his foot up to the ledge of the fountain and pulled off his shoe, shaking it out and watching a bloody tooth fall against the concrete. 

“Sure did give us the run-around though…”, he mumbled. 

“Looks like neither diplomacy nor the ‘bowling ball’ methods worked.”, Tobu remarked. The Sarutobi slipped his shoe back on and sat beside his teammate.

“That, or maybe they actually didn’t know anything.”, he retorted. Before Tobu could reply, a portly, pale looking man with short blonde hair came running up the road, displaying none of the caution the other villagers were. 

“Now, who’s this?”, Tobu wondered, leaning forward. The man finally reached the duo and began wringing his hands in anticipation.

“Well, I must say, as much as I might want to thank you two for your efforts with the ‘Hidden Lion’ gang…”, the man stuttered nervously.

“The what …?”, Konohamaru mumbled to Tobu.

“I must also lambast you for the ruckus you’ve caused in my peaceful village! And on such a beautiful day, to boot!”, he exclaimed. 

“The ‘ruckus’ ?!”, Konohamaru began to complain before Tobu cut him off.

“‘Your village’? You’re the head of the Rose Village??”, he questioned. Konohamaru had to wonder: how could someone be at all overweight when such a beautiful countryside lay before them? If it were him, he’d be living out in those peaceful hills. 

“Uh, yes!”, the man stuttered, “My name is Lysander and I’m the head of this village!”. He reached out and shook the hands of the equally unimpressed duo.

“ Lysander… ”, the boys muttered in unison. The name was an odd shape in their mouths, befitting the odd man before them. 

“And I must ask you what you’re doing here!”, Lysander continued. 

“We’re looking into some rumors. Some kids have been going missing in the area?”, Tobu asked. Lysander brought a finger to his chin, perplexed. After a moment, a lightbuld seemed to go off in his head.

“Oh! I know of what you speak, but not to worry! The children aren’t ‘going missing’, I can assure you!”, he tried to assuage Tobu and Konohamaru. The latter shook his head,

“Regardless, we’re going to have to follow up to confirm.”. Lysander grunted, begrudgingly going along with Konohamaru’s demand.

“Very well… As I said, these children aren’t ‘going missing’, they’re simply being recruited for the Cloud Village Academy!”, he explained as if it were nothing at all.

“The Cloud Village is recruiting in the Land of Fire?”, Tobu asked in disbelief. 

“Yes! The Leaf Village isn’t up to much these days, so the Cloud Village elected to begin recruitment in lieu of the Leaf! No one must have bothered letting the little Leaf Village know, thus the ‘reports’!”, Lysander explained more, still unconcerned. Konohamaru was angered that Lysander was doubting the Leaf Village in front of them, but suddenly he realized that he’d taken off his Leaf headband to cool off and Tobu didn’t wear one anyway. Lysander didn’t even know they were from the Leaf Village.

“If you’re interested, the recruiters should be at the Takemura household on the edge of town right now! But after that, please, I beg you , leave the Rose Village in peace. We appreciate your brave crime-fighting efforts, but I ask that you return from where you came, please!”, and with that, Lysander turned on his heel and walked off, urging the citizens of the village to do the same. Tobu and Konohamaru were suddenly alone in the village square.    

“Well… that does it, I guess? False reports.”, Konohamaru declared, with a reluctant tone.

“We should still follow up. Lysander could have been lying.”, Tobu retorted quickly. He jumped to his feet and began slipping his vest over his head. Konohamaru did the same, but with a look of confusion crossing his face. “Leave the headband off.”, Tobu ordered, “If the Cloud sees the Leaf is here, it could cause issues.”. Without the identifying headband, the two of them could easily be mistaken as rouge-nin or mercenaries.  

“We’re gonna have to keep our distance. Just confirm what Lysander said and then we go, right?”, Konohamaru asked, slipping his headband into his pocket. Tobu didn’t answer. Konohamaru saw the all-too-familiar look of unrelenting conviction cross his partner’s face and his stomach began to drop. This could easily get ugly. 

Rounding a corner after a series of muddy alleyways, Tobu and Konohamaru began to hear voices. Hugging the wall of a nearby house, they peered around the corner to see three Cloud Village shinobi standing before a modest looking home. All three were clad in the same navy blue garments with accents of burgundy and sported white flak jackets. One man out of the three stood at the front of the three, forming a triangle. He was shorter and thinner, with his two teammates looking like proper bruisers. A recruiter and two bodyguards , Tobu indentified with expert perception.

The recruiter in the front beckoned up the porch step of the home to a weary looking woman, maybe in her mid-thirties. Her dark-brown, straight hair fell down below her shoulders and her eyes looked tired. From their vantage point, Tobu could see a young boy, four or five years old, standing behind her, clutching her waist. 

Neither of the two could make out the individual words, but it was clear whatever conversation the recruiters were having with the woman wasn’t going smoothly. She didn’t want to see her son sent to the Academy, much less a foreign Academy. As Tobu shut his eyes and focused his ears, straining to catch every syllable out of the air, he felt a firm hand clutch his shoulder.

“Ok, we confirmed it! The rumors were just Cloud Village recruiters! We should really leave now!”, Konohamaru urged, frantically trying to avoid the delicate situation he knew was coming. But Tobu could scarcely tear his eyes away from the mother and her child. Both he and Konohamaru knew what was in store for that boy. Getting whisked off to the Academy for an adolescence spent learning three dozen ways to kill people with their mind. Yes, he’d learn valuable skills like reading and arithmetic, but everyone intrinsically knew the Academy existed to grind young children down into soldiers for front lines, wherever they may be.

“You’re really ok with this?”, Tobu asked, daring Konohamaru to affirm. Beyond the two, the recruiters began to act more insistent, stepping up the porch and even propping the door open when it was nearly shut in their face. At this point, even the ever-cautious Konohamaru was beginning to have second-thoughts. He blew a tense sigh through his teeth.

“And what do you want to do, huh?”, he asked sarcastically. “Fight ‘em off? Instigate violence with a foreign envoy?”. 

“No!”, Tobu impatiently snapped back at the ridiculous question. “Just scare them off. ‘Convince’ them to leave the family alone.”. Rendering the entire matter moot, the pair heard the door to the woman’s home slam shut. They turned their gaze back to see the Cloud recruiter holding his wrist in pain, looking quite embarrassed. After a tense moment, he shouted through the door,

“We’ll be back in the morning if you wish to speak again!”. Tobu and Konohamaru knew, as well as the family and the recruiters knew, it wasn’t up to her wishes. Konohamaru yanked insistently on Tobu’s shoulder again.

“What do you want to do?! I’m not agreeing to anything unless you have an actual plan! We cannot afford you losing your temper and causing an international incident!”, he whisper-yelled. Tobu wondered where his partner got the idea of his violent temper. Did he know about the old man? Had Kakashi told him?

His mind ran rampant, frantically searching for a suitable plan that would satisfy Konohamaru’s demands. Truthfully, he didn’t have much of a plan to begin. Shamefully, he had to admit, if he tried to protect the family and things came to a head, he knew he’d resort to blatant violence. He’d risk a political firestorm for the Leaf Village over a family he’d never met and would likely never meet again after today, but it was a conviction he couldn’t shake. He had to protect them. He had to keep an innocent boy out of the Academy. 

What he didn’t have was an answer. Why did he feel this way? But more importantly, he didn’t have an answer for Konohamaru. The Sarutobi shook his head in frustration. He clapsed both hands over Tobu’s , trying to wrestle his partners focus away from his turmoil and onto him.

“Look, we’ll make camp in the hills and we’ll talk. If you and I can come up with a viable and feasible plan to help them out without causing any trouble, then we’ll do it. Understand?”, he declared firmly. Tobu could only nod his head silently. He knew very well what he was supposed to do. But he also knew what he needed to do. 

Much of the evening was spent wordlessly putting together a camp. A campfire, firewood, sleeping bags, and a cooking stove. They found a perfect spot atop a grassy hill overlooking the Rose Village. A tree stood beside their camp, perfectly marking the location. The pair made sure to construct the fire outside the reach of the tree's canopy, so none of the embers would rise up and catch the leaves.  

Konohamaru laid on his bag, head propped up on his backpack, looking out over the dimly lit Rose Village while snacking on a package of crackers. Tobu simply squatted beside the fire with his arms tucked into his stomach, gazing thoughtfully into the fire. In reality, too many thoughts were rolling through his mind to have any sense of coherence. It was like a fog of ideals, billowing around the inside of his head with no hope of any clear idea coming out. His obligation to protect the Leaf Village, his conviction to protect an innocent child from the life he wouldn’t wish on his worst enemy, a life he knew all too well. Even his own dependence on bloody violence that disturbed even himself at times. 

Killing people was his job, his entire purpose in life. Orochimaru created him to be a killer and the Leaf Village made sure the snake’s ambitions came to life. He remembered his promise to Kakashi after they left the hospital all those years ago and it still rang true. Tobu wanted nothing more in life than to rip Orochimaru’s neck clean off his shoulders. The snake wanted a killer and he was going to get one, but not the one he wanted.

Still, something about the life he’d been given bothered Tobu. He hadn’t lied to Kakashi the other day. He truly felt no shame in killing anyone who got in his way. It didn’t bother him. He simply viewed every life he took as the lead-up to finally lopping off his creator's head. Bandits, assassins, criminals, even that poor old man. None of it had any effect on him. That is what bothered him.

He wondered when it would all catch up to him, if it ever would. Be they bad people or even occasionally morally-grey people, he’d taken the lives of many, many individuals. For the lifetime he could actually remember, he considered his only purpose in life to be killing Orochimaru. Nothing he did before that really mattered. He was a weapon for the Leaf Village and their greatest enemy, his target, was the serpent. And like a weapon, he knew, one way or the other, he’d be put down once his purpose was fulfilled. He always assumed killing someone as powerful as Orochimaru wasn’t something he could do without losing his own life. 

But if he could survive, what on Earth would life be like afterwards? He wouldn’t have any real purpose. And with no purpose, he’d just be a plain old killer, nothing more. What would that be like? And how could he confront that? What would it feel like to have no direction, whatsoever, left with just dark red blood on his hands?

“Y’know, I gotta ask…”, Konohamaru broke Tobu out of his daze. He wiped his eyes, trying to clear out the brain fog, and sighed deeply.

“Yeah? What’s that?”, he answered with a groggy voice. Konohamru rolled his head over to look at Tobu.

“You’ve got a whole extra heart that pumps chakra into your blood and that whole ‘enlarged veins’ and ‘reinforced bones and muscle’ thing goin’ on… What's your metabolism like?”, Konohamaru asked what sounded like a genuinely curious question. 

“I don’t understand…?”, Tobu muttered. Konohamaru took a bite out of one of his crackers before answering.

“Like, with all that extra stuff going on in there, do you have to eat as much as regular people? Do you get hungry as often?”. Tobu knew Konohamaru was earnestly curious, but he couldn’t help but be a little ticked off at the questions. He let out a frustrated sigh and shook his head.

“I-I wouldn’t know how often ‘regular people’ get hungry, Konohamaru…”, he grumbled. With that, Konohamaru knew to drop it. He turned his head back to his view of the Rose Village.

“Well then, do you have a plan?”, he asked another question, this time with a far more somber tone. Tobu knew exactly what plan he was talking about. He groaned under his breath.

“All we really need to do is scare them off once or twice. The Land of Fire’s a big place. They’ll want to move on sooner or later. I figure we just spend a few nights in their home and be ready when the Cloud recruiters come back.”, he tried to pass off an excuse for a plan. It was shaky, both he and Konohamaru knew it. But Tobu was right. The idea was straightforward. Executing that idea with inciting a war was the big problem.

Konohamaru rolled his eyes. He could tell Tobu had spent the entire night brooding over the fire and hadn’t dedicated a single instant to formulating a plan. Still, that conviction he saw on Tobu’s face was starting to rub off on him. 

“Fine, we’ll do it, but on one condition.”, Konohamaru sat up and faced Tobu. “We can’t escalate. If the Cloud recruiters resort to anything… extreme, then we need to let it go. If we get in the way, if we pose a threat, things could get political. We’ve already got one war to fight and we don’t need another.” Tobu didn’t look away from the fire, only shifting his feet and giving a nonchalant,

“Agreed…”. Something about that answer made Konohamaru’s blood boil.

“Why do you even care anyway? About this random family?”, he asked, irritated. Tobu didn’t answer for a moment, continuing his staring contest with the embers of the campfire. Slowly, his face began to shift. In stark contrast to the flat, neutral front he put on, Tobu’s face began to look more like it did five years ago. Warm, bright, full of life, despite the circumstances. Konohamaru could tell that the lost little boy, just trying to find a place for himself in his new world, was still in there. He wondered why they ever fought as much as they did. Maybe, both suffering in their own pain, that was the only way they knew how to communicate.

“You remember what it was like in the Academy…”, Tobu finally began. “Twelve years old and they were teaching us every possible way to end a human life. All so they could churn us out and throw us into whatever pointless war came next. Turning kids into chop meat over territorial disputes or grudges so old, no one can remember how they even started. I was created to be a weapon, I’m fine with that and I’m fine to be treated that way, but… Growing up with all those kids in the Anbu… Seeing the monsters the older kids became under all that pressure and hearing all the stories of the ones that didn’t make it. Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura… All gone because they were thrown into a conflict they didn’t even start, one so big they had no hope of understanding. If I can help it, I won’t let another kid be thrown into that system. I know I can’t do much now, with this war with Orochimaru going down, but once it’s over, if I can make it to the other side, I want to change how it all works. I can’t do much until then, but I’m certainly not gonna let it happen right under my nose. I’ll risk war, if that’s what it takes.” 

Konohamaru let his partner’s words sink in. He could feel the care and faith placed behind each and every one of them. He started to believe that maybe Kakashi and Tsunade were right. This was the connection the two of them shared, even when neither of them could properly articulate it. He stood up swiftly, looking down, directly into Tobu’s eyes. In turn, Tobu stood up too, maintaining their locked gaze.

“I don’t like the Academy system either. If things were even a little different, I know Naruto would still be here and so would Sasuke and Sakura. I want to change things too, but I need to make one thing clear!”, he declared. “The Leaf Village has lost a lot because of you! We lost the entire Hygua clan just to keep you around. Hanabi was my friend and I held a great deal of respect for Neji.”. Tobu’s shoulders began to fall as he was reminded of the toll his life had taken on everyone around him. But suddenly, Konohamaru held his hand out for a handshake. “The only way I can follow you down this path is if you promise me you’ll see it to the end! Promise, for Hanabi, that you’ll see this to the end! Honor the sacrifices we’ve made and don’t you dare halfass it, no matter how hard it gets, and I can help you!”

Tobu was dumbfounded. Too dumbfounded to form thoughts, much less words. After all their years of bickering, Konohamaru was the last person Tobu had ever expected to back him up. But honestly, who else would it have been?

He shyly reached out his hand and clasped it over Konohamaru’s. With a firm handshake, their plan, their connection, was solidified and for the first time in their lives, the two finally felt like they might see eye-to-eye.   

Chapter Text

“I’ll do the talking, you just take a seat and try not to scare anyone.”, Konohamaru ordered his partner as the two approached the mother’s house.

“And who put you in charge?”, Tobu asked sarcastically, nonetheless taking a seat on the first step of the single-story home’s porch, his back facing the house. Konohamaru knocked firmly on the front door. It was still early in the morning, but they wanted to beat the Cloud recruiters. Konohamaru hoped he wasn’t waking anyone up and starting off on the wrong foot.

“‘In charge’ of what?”, he returned the sarcasm. “We’re outside the bounds of our contract, remember? By all rights, we should be heading home. But somebody wants to be a hero!”. Tobu simply shrugged.

“You agreed to it…”, he mumbled.

The door suddenly cracked open and the lone eye of the mother peeked around the crack of the door. Konohamaru saw her eye grow wide and fill with fear. He remembered that neither he nor Tobu had Leaf headbands, rendering them unidentifiable. He could only imagine that, after days of being hounded by the Cloud recruiters, the sight of two unmarked shinobi must’ve been terrifying. 

“Wh-who are you?!”, the woman gasped, her voice quivering and her eye darting down over Tobu. Konohamaru’s mouth opened but not a single word could escape. He realized that, in all the worrying about their plan, he hadn’t bothered to figure out what he was going to say once they actually got here.

“We’re brothers…”, Tobu suddenly spoke up over his shoulder. “And we’re here to help.” Konohamaru shifted uncomfortably on his feet, Tobu’s choice of words playing no small part in that. 

“That’s right!”, he finally managed to form words. “We saw those recruiters from the Cloud Village bothering you. We’d like to help, if we can…” The woman opened the door a little more and her face came fully into view. Konohamaru found her to be very pretty, the only blemish to her face being the dark circles under her eyes. They reminded him of the long nights he spent with Kakashi, binoculars in hand, scanning the Anbu Headquarters for any trace of Tobu. Thin, brown hair fell past her shoulders and her eyes clearly once held a bright spark within them.

“Help me?! I don’t even know you! I can tell you aren’t from around here. How can I trust you? To be any better than them ?!”, she whisper-yelled through the doorway. Any reply Konohamaru could think of faltered almost immediately.

“What choice do you have?”, Tobu grumbled. Konohamaru looked back as his teammate stood up, facing the mother in the doorway. “Where we’re from doesn’t matter. We just want to help. We… understand what you’re going through.”. Like a strong lecture, his words were firm but full of purpose. He might have sounded a tad bit intimidating, but Konohamaru could tell he earnestly wanted this woman to let them help her.

Slowly and with a shaky hand, the woman began to pull the door the rest of the way open, revealing her son standing just behind her in the entryway. 

“My name’s Mikoto… I’m not telling you his name. You don’t need to know that to help us, right?”, she sighed. Konohamaru nodded, he could tell she was firm on that front. Mikoto stepped back into the home. “Come inside. I was just making breakfast.”

“So, when did these guys start coming by?”, Konohamaru asked, his hand wrapped around a hot cup of tea. Mikoto took a seat at the table opposite him, Tobu leaning against a wall behind them. The interior of the house was nothing special, clean, modest furnishings adorned the kitchen and living room. It was somewhat dark, only being lit by candles and the occasional ray of sunlight piercing through the morning cloud cover. Warm, but not extremely humid air flowed through the home and its windows freely, giving the space an earthy, pleasant aroma. 

“Three weeks ago. They spotted us in the market during our grocery shopping and said they needed to “examine” my son. I was hesitant, but I didn’t want to cause a scene. After that, they became more and more insistent that my son attend some school off in the Cloud Village.”, Mikoto explained. Her hands rested in her lap and her shoulders were raised in an uncertain tension, still not entirely trusting the two men occupying her kitchen. 

Tobu and Konohamaru eyed each other, both thinking the same thing. Three weeks was a long time for a recruitment drive to sit idle. There was obviously more to the boy than met the eye. Konohamaru leaned in closer to the table, trying to communicate the urgency of his questioning.

“Was there… anything specific they said about your son? After their examination?”, he asked. Mikoto shook her head, trying to recall words that meant nothing to her but now were of utmost importance.

“They said he was a… a ‘sensor-type’?”, she repeated the words of the Cloud recruiters. not understanding the weight behind them. Konohamaru’s brow raised and Tobu pushed off the wall, leaning closer to the conversation. “Is that significant??”, Mikoto stuttered. 

“Sensor-types are rare in the Land of Fire, especially after the Yamanaka clan and Aburame clan fled eight years ago. They’re naturally attuned to the flow of chakra, allowing them to sense it across great distances and even in miniscule quantities. They’re highly sought after for information-gathering and espionage. Recruiting a sensor-type native to the Land of Fire would not only be a victory for the Cloud, it would deprive us of a rare talent.”, Tobu explained. Konohamaru grimaced, his partner lacking an ounce of nuance or compassion for Mikoto’s situation.

“My son will not be a political tool!”, she barked, bolting up out of her chair. Konohamaru held his hand out, trying to calm her.

“Ma’am! We-”, he tried to explain before getting cut off.

“I don’t recall saying he would be.”, Tobu snapped, arms crossed and his brow furrowed. “We don’t want that either. That’s why we’re here.” His eyes trailed off, glancing idly around the room. “We know a thing or two about being political tools. We’re not huge fans of the Academy system. And we’ll stop at nothing to keep your son out of it.”, he continued, carefully dancing around the reality of their identity. For his part, Konohamaru could only pray they could keep that promise without starting a war. 

Konohamaru waltzed into Mikoto’s kitchen, exhausted. He slung his vest off and let it plop onto the table in front of him.

“Feet down…”, he called out to Tobu, who, sure enough, had his feet propped up on the table, fiddling with a splinter he picked up off its rough surface. 

“How’s it look out there?”, he asked, letting his legs slide off the table and onto the floor. 

“Like I said, Tobu, it’s the middle of the night and they’re just recruiters. I doubt they’re gonna kick down the door and try to kidnap the poor kid.”, Konohamaru sighed. 

“It doesn’t hurt to be cautious…”, Tobu muttered in reply. Konohamaru didn’t bother responding. He simply slouched down into a chair opposite his partner, letting his hands rest on his vest as it sat on the table. He leaned his head back on his shoulders, feeling a dreaded headache rapidly approaching.

“So…,” he sighed, trying to fill the silence, “When did you get a hair up your ass about this whole ‘Academy-system’ thing? Why now?”, he asked Tobu. Tobu didn’t look up from his fiddling, simply taking a deep breath before answering.

“I don’t know… I figure… Being the head of the Anbu now, maybe I can make a difference. I’m tired of seeing kids grow up to be weapons…”, he sounded exasperated, like he couldn’t find the proper words to communicate how much this mattered to him. Just like the night before, Konohamaru could practically feel the sincerity in Tobu’s words. 

Konohamaru stretched, feeling his eyelids sink just as the sun had hours ago.

“And how is it? Being the leader of the Anbu? All that extra responsibility must be annoying.”, he asked. Tobu scoffed,

“Are you asking or is Kakashi asking?”, flicking the splinter onto the floor beneath him.

“I suppose we both are.” Konohamaru replied, “I’ve known you even longer than he has, remember?”

“And what, you care about me, or something?”, Tobu retorted sarcastically. 

“ Yeah , I do… We’ve had our fights, but you saved my life against Boheki, all of our lives. Hanabi was the only one to show it, but both of us learned to trust you that day! And… and I’d like to know if I can trust you again, like I did all those years ago.”

“You don’t trust me?”, Tobu’s gaze finally rose from the floor to meet Konohamaru’s.

“I’d like to.”, the latter replied with hard, heavy words. “Kakashi told me what you did to that old man. And we all have our issues with Danzo.” Tobu sighed, his shoulder dropping in what almost looked like sorrow. His eyes fell back down to the floor, now trying their best to avoid Konohamaru’s gaze.

“And… did he tell you what I said… about what I did?”, he muttered.

“Yeah, and it’s bullshit!”, Konohamaru retorted. Tobu’s gaze snapped up in shock at the sudden outburst. “You say you were ‘created to be a killer’ but I know you, Tobu! I know you care about those kids and I know you cared about Team 7. You’re not just a killer! You can be more than that and if we’re going to change anything, I need you to be more than that.”. Konohamru let out the frustration that had been bubbling within him for their entire mission. If Tobu really was a brother to him, he knew he needed to push him to be better, like brothers do. 

For a while, neither of them said anything, the air thick with the awkwardness of late-teenagers finally expressing their feelings. Tobu tried his best to hide a gracious smile, but he failed miserably.

“You’ve gone soft, buddy.”, a suppressed giggle escaping him. Konohamaru rolled his eyes,

“Yeah and so have you. You treat those Anbu kids like you’re their dad or something.” His thoughts lingered on Tobu’s Anbu and eventually, on the topic of Danzo. 

“Tobu…”, Konohamaru’s words grew more serious once again, “Do you know what Danzo’s been up to recently.” It wasn’t exactly subtle, but he couldn’t stand not knowing where Tobu stood with the man. Tobu sighed, shrugging his shoulders.

“He’s been relieved of his command. I’m not really sure. It’s none of my business.”, he answered. 

“You… respect him?”, Konohamaru resisted inserting “trust” into the question. Even he knew, that would be too obvious. Tobu shrugged again,

“Yeah, I do. He’s willing to do… bad things to protect good people, just like I am. I know you don’t see things that way, but we’ve done a lot of good for the Village, even if it’s not obvious at first.”, Tobu gave what Konohamaru could tell was a genuine answer. The Sarutobi ran his thumb over his fingers, dozens of questions and possibilities racing through his head but never amounting to a coherent thought. Do you think he’s a spy for Orochimaru? , he so desperately wanted to ask. Even if Danzo was, there was zero evidence that Tobu was colluding with him. And why would he? Tobu hated Orochimaru possibly more than anyone on the planet. There’s no way Tobu would knowingly cooperate if Danzo was acting as a Sound Village agent. 

Nevertheless, Kakashi ordered Konohamaru to keep Tobu out of the investigation. For now, All he could do was shake his head, drowsiness beginning to overtake him. Rain began to fall against the home’s thatch roof, lulling him to sleep even more.

“I need to sleep.”, Konohamaru sighed as he stood up. “You should too. Mikoto set us up some beds in the living room.”, he called back to Tobu as he stomped down the hall. Tobu said nothing, propping his feet back up on the table once Konohamaru was out of the room. He wasn’t at all tired. Instead, one thought would repeatedly echo in his mind for the next few hours.

Konohamaru cares about me.

Tobu leaned back in his chair, still stubbornly unable to sleep. He rubbed his eyes groggily, wishing he could sleep but still harboring the dutiful obligation to stay awake, just in case. He tilted his head back, closing his eyes and letting his breath slow, just for a minute, before he suddenly felt a presence enter the room. 

His head snapped up, darting left and right, but he couldn’t identify anything. His hand instinctively lowered to the tanto resting at the end of his double-sided sheath, before finally looking down to spot a small boy standing before him, Mikoto’s son no doubt. He looked as unremarkable as any boy his age. A round face, chubby cheeks, and a full head of hair the same shade of brown that his mother sported.

“It’s you…”, Tobu let out a sigh of relief. “What are you doing up so late?”, he asked. The boy didn’t speak a word, only pointing a short arm up to the faucet of the kitchen sink. “You’re thirsty?”, Tobu wondered and the boy nodded. Tobu stood from his chair, grabbing a metal cup from Mitkoto’s cupboard and poured the boy some water. He pulled out a chair opposite him from the table and once the boy was seated with his water, he returned to his own chair. “So… what’s your name?”, Tobu broke the silence. Swallowing a mouthful of water, the boy put his index finger up to his lips.

“I’m not supposed to talk to you.”, he spoke around his finger. 

“Right…”, Tobu scoffed quietly. The boy finished his water, thumping the cup on the table with an expectant look in his eye. “Do… you want some mo-”, Tobu began to ask before the boy finally spoke.

“You look funny.”, he blurted out. Tobu’s brow furrowed.

“Thank you.”, he groaned sarcastically. The boy didn’t seem to catch on.

“Your brother’s blue, like everyone else.”, he continued. “But you…”, Tobu saw the boy’s eyes focus on his own. The boy clearly had a latent understanding of chakra. Tobu could visually see him focusing his chakra, digging deeper into the image of the strange man sitting across from him.

Slowly, Tobu saw the boy’s eyes begin to grow wider with fear, his pupils shrinking as his body’s nervous system kicked into high gear. Whatever he was seeing, whatever he found, was scaring him.

“ You should stop what you’re doing .”, Tobu ordered with no hint of the soft, quiet voice he used with kids. In an instant, Tobu saw the boy’s eyes focus out. He leaned back against his chair, arms pushing out from the table in fright. His little chest rose and fell furiously. 

Wordlessly, Tobu stood from the table, refilling the boy’s cup, placing it in his hands before patting him on the back.

“Go on. Get back to bed.” he told him, leaving the boy no room to refuse. The boy clutched his cup, the chair creaking as he hopped to the floor. He walked down the hallway to his room, hearing Tobu’s footsteps close behind before stopping at the mouth of the hall. 

The boy only turned back once, just as he began to shut his door. He looked up, snatching another glance at the strange sight he’d seen just moments ago.

There, glowering in the hallway, was a smoldering red visage, the figure of what could only be Death itself. The boy pushed his door shut slowly and sheepishly, as if to avoid provoking the beast standing just feet away. Just before the latch shut into the door jamb, he could faintly see the figure’s hand, shaking like a leaf.    

Chapter Text

“They’re here!”, Konohamaru heard a hoarse, restrained whisper and felt his shoulder being shaken. Whatever dream he was having was shattered instantly and he briefly lamented losing the escape from sobering reality. 

His arm instinctively reached out, clashing over the figure that roused him. 

“Didn’t you hear me?! They’re here!”, Tobu repeated a little louder. Konohamaru stole a glance out the window behind his partner. Faint traces of a baby blue sky peaked over the horizon. He shook his head and rubbed his tired eyes.

“It’s barely morning! There’s no way-”, he bemoaned when suddenly his chakra sensed what Tobu was claiming. About a dozen figures amassed just outside the front door, doing such a poor job at masking their chakra that even non-sensors like Tobu and Konohamaru could feel them from a mile away. Konohamaru’s mind instantly flew through the very same line of reasoning that Tobu’s had just moments ago. They weren’t bothering to hide their intentions.

Konohamaru sprang up from his bed, noticing that Tobu had his sword unsheathed, as ready for action as the Cloud shinobi stationed outside were. Suddenly, Mikoto and her son burst into the room, tears staining the boy’s face. He felt the same presence Konohamaru and Tobu had, likely even before them. A tense hush fell over the home, each occupant straining every muscle in their body to listen for the slightest disturbance, each frozen in place. Minutes went by before any of them dared to make a single sound, lest they alert the shinobi waiting in ambush.

“We need to leave. Now! ”, Konohamaru whispered intensely. 

“They’re all around us!”, the boy whimpered, burying his face into Mikoto’s leg. Very quickly, the gravity of the situation set in for the two Leaf shinobi. They had full confidence in their own safety, but today, it wasn’t just about them. 

“I’ll distract ‘em!”, Tobu whispered to Konohamaru. “Make a ruckus. Get them to rush in the front while you take them out the back!”. He began to stalk off towards the front door before Konohamaru quickly clasped his hand over Tobu’s sword hand. “Let go!”, Tobu instinctively protested.

“Leave that with me!”, Konohamaru interrupted. “You remember the plan! We can’t kill any of them. Fight if you must, but leave them alive.” Tobu’s nose crinkled in frustration, but he knew now was not the time to deliberate. He released his sword into Konohamaru’s grip, slinging the leather holster still holding his tanto off his shoulder and shoving it into his partners’ hands.

“Alright then, go! Get somewhere safe and give me a signal so I can find you!”, he groaned. Konohamaru didn’t waste a single second.

He turned to Mikoto and her son, herding them towards the back door. He held his fist over the cold metal of the door knob, turning back to wait for Tobu’s diversion. Tobu marched up to the closed front door, looking as big and as tough as he possibly could. He stood before the door, reared back his leg, and shot his foot forward as hard as he could. The door detonated instantly, exploding into innumerable tiny splinters. 

All the subtlety of an ox! , Konohamaru complained mentally. Through the shattered remains of the door, Konohamaru saw some of the Cloud shinobi stumble back at the sudden curfuffel. Tobu sauntered down the steps of Mikoto’s front porch, dramatically running a hand through his raven hair like a real hero. 

Maybe it’s a good thing I took those comic books off his hands. He’s clearly read way too much of them! , Konohamaru would’ve shouted in frustration if it had not ruined their plan. His ears perked up as he heard the desperate, thundering footsteps of several Cloud shinobi running from the sides of the house to meet whatever monster was waiting at the front.

“Go! Go now!”, Konohamaru thrust the back door of the home open. He rushed with Mikoto and her son, quickly taking off into the fields and forests behind the Rose Village.

“Alright boys, no one’s home! But, you are on my property!”, Tobu teased the horrified Cloud shinobi, his face adorned with a grin that nearly stretched his face to the limit. They all stood miserably huddled together, casting unsure looks at the teammates at their side, each looking more hesitant than the last. “Luckily for you,” Tobu continued his monologue, “I’m not allowed to kill any of you! So, how about this?” He gleefully folded his hands into the small of his back. “I’ll take you all on with my hands behind my back!”

Amber leaves whipped through the evening wind. Konohamaru, Mikoto, and the boy watched over the village on a nearby hilltop, a safe distance from the unfolding cacophony. Konohamaru could barely make out the group of Cloud shinobi in the village below running for their lives, a baying pack of wolves fleeing from the battle rapidly turning against them.

“Your friend… Will he be able to find us up here?”, Mikoto asked, her hair dancing in the wind, arms clutching the boy close to her hip.

“Yes,”, Konohamaru nodded, “It shouldn’t take long.”. He placed his palm to the dirt, releasing a burst of chakra into the ground. A silent seismic quake rolled along the hills and fields of the Rose Village, visible only to chakra users. Konohamaru turned to see the astonishment bubble into the eyes of the young man behind him. He’s pretty good… , the Sarutobi realized. “Unfortunatley,” Konohamaru sighed, “the Cloud recruiters almost certainly spotted the signal. Tobu’ll definitely get here before them, but we’ll have to move immediately.”.

Konohamaru paced nervously on the hilltop, every painfully quiet second passing feeling like it was an eternity. 

“We need an escape plan. Somehow get you guys out of here without the Cloud being able to follow.”, he muttered. Mikoto rose to her feet with steadfast confidence.

“Please, do not think of me as some helpless woman!”, she ordered the younger man. Konohamaru snapped his head back to look at her with a look of perplexed confusion. “There’s a mountain pass to the west! It leads directly out of the Land of Fire and into the Land of Rivers, but no one uses it anymore. If we can get through it unseen, they won’t have the authority to follow.”, she explained. 

“No chance!”, Konohamaru retorted. He had to admit, he was underestimating her. He assumed the entire burden of keeping the two of them safe fell on both his and Tobu’s shoulders, but he now realized that she had made it this far and kept the boy perfectly safe. He couldn’t imagine what untold labors she went through in the passing years to keep her son out of the Academy system. He realized he didn’t know if they were even from the Rose Village to begin with. He knew he should at least give her more credit. 

He wondered what might have happened between her and the Cloud recruiters had the two of them not intervened. Would her escape plan truly work? For his part, Konohamaru’s years of Shinobi training immediately found a tactical flaw in her plan. 

“That might work, but there’s a big problem. If they find you in the pass, you’ll have nowhere to run!”, he explained.

“Than we blow it!”, Tobu’s voice suddenly called up the hill. Konohamaru spun around to see his partner, no worse for wear, finally made it to the rendezvous. “We send them through the pass, then we blow it and create enough rubble to block the entrance. I’m sure none of those Cloud pansies are up for a hike, especially after the flogging I gave them. It’ll give you a nice headstart before they find their way around and by then, you’ll be dust in the wind!”, Tobu explained.

Konohamaru was obviously relieved Tobu made it out safe, but that was a given. He was more relieved that Tobu made it out while also keeping the Cloud recruiters alive, like he promised. There wasn’t so much as a fleck of blood across his grey Anbu vest. Konohamaru sighed and turned back to Mikoto.

“That might be our best bet. It’s not exactly subtle, but we already made plenty of noise down in the village. The best we can do right now is get you and your son as far away as possible as quickly as possible.”, he told her. Mikoto didn’t protest over the plan, instead she seemed to realize the true extent of how far Tobu and Konohamaru would go to keep her and her son safe. It was humbling, it was a little embarrassing, but most of all, it was confusing.

“Why…?”, she wondered aloud. “Why are you two doing all this?”. Konohamaru silently turned back to Tobu, whose expression remained stoically unchanged. 

“Like we said…,”, Konohamaru answered with a grieving smile. “We know a thing or two about being used by the Academy, being used as a tool for violence. We just can’t watch that happen to another kid. Not on our watch!”.

After spending a moment reviewing the plan over a map, Konohamaru stood, gazing over the Rose Village as the sun began to set. A pleasant violet and blaze orange sky filled the streets below. There was still plenty of time for evening errands, but nevertheless, not a single soul meandered throughout the town. The Rose Village was quiet. Far, far too quiet. 

“We’ve got to move. Now.”, Konohamaru called out to his compatriots. Behind him, Tobu slung a small, leather bandolier around the boy’s shoulder, cut and modified from his own belt. He checked to make sure each zipper and buckle was firmly in place, securing the vital survival supplies inside each leather pouch. He finally stood, placing his hands triumphantly on his hips as Konohamaru approached. Mikoto lifted the boy off the ground, hoisting him to her side.

“Well, buddy…”, Tobu looked down at the boy in his mothers arms, “This is where we part ways! Take good care of your mother!”.

“Take care of each other!”, Konohamaru continued. “You don’t need me to tell you this, but this road’s only going to get tougher.”

“It can get as tough as it wants, I’m never giving him up!”, Mikoto retorted smugly, cradling the boy’s head in her free hand. In the glow of the approaching moonlight, Mikoto truly was stunningly beautiful. Konohamaru wondered, even after losing his entire family, what it might be like to start his own one day. 

“We’ll keep our distance as you approach the mountain pass, but we’ll be watching. If they somehow find you two, it’ll be over before they know it! Once you make it through unharmed, we’ll plant these on either side of the entrance…”, Tobu reminded everyone of the plan, pulling from his back pocket a huge stack of explosive tags about the size of a deck of playing cards. He’s been carrying around enough ordinance to level a city like it’s nothing?! , Konohamaru wondered, letting out an astounded snort. Still, such a terrifying fact reassured his heart. Even if things were a bit more murky these days, Tobu truly still was the firebrand, reckless idiot that he’d grown up with. There was nothing this world, nor Danzo for that matter, could do to damper that spirit.

   “Thank you, both of you!”, Mikoto suddenly cried out, placing a grateful hand on both of their shoulders, one after the other. “I can’t thank you enough!”. It suddenly bothered Konohamaru that they had, through omission, lied to Mikoto. They never told her where they were from, worried that it would only spark distrust between them and their motives. Konohamaru looked to his partner, only to find eyes that clearly, much to his own surprise, carried the same grief. It was bothering Tobu as well. 

Silently, Tobu shook his head and Konohamaru understood, remembering their conversation beside the campfire. We’re doing this ourselves, not as Leaf shinobi, they both reassured themselves. 

The mountain pass wasn’t hard to find. At the foot of the mountain range that formed a semi-circle around the Rose Village, a vertical fissure opened up between two tall cliffs, so tall that Tobu and Konohamaru had to crane their heads straight up to see the tops of the cliffs. 

The pair worked quickly, driven by a sense of greater conviction neither of them were accustomed to, but both eagerly welcomed. Konohamaru spent his entire life with only one desire: serve the Leaf Village. But ever since his idol was slain, a quiet nagging gnawed at the back of his mind. What did “serving the Leaf Village” mean anymore? The Village itself, almost in totality, played no small part in Naruto’s death. Driving him and pushing him through a cycle of neglect and abuse, gaslighting the poor kid into trying to be something he wasn’t ready to be, throwing himself into a battle he wasn’t ready for. Was that Village worth serving? Or did things need to change? That desire, that drive, to change his Village was only fully tapped into thanks to Tobu.

Tobu himself also grew up wanting to serve the Village, but what did that mean? What did that ever mean? He was a foreign mutant with no memory, a bastard created in some lab or dank cave by the most mortal enemy of the Village he wanted to help. How could he serve a Village he had no real connection to? That all changed with Team 7, all those years ago. Unwilling as they were, Tobu now had three other people he had a real connection with. 

Now, however, one of them’s gone, connection severed forever. The other two still loved him dearly of course, he wasn’t that naive, but after five years, was that connection still the “same”? On top of that, he had a new group of people he’d connected with. An ever-rotating, but always tight-knit group of outcasts and losers called the Anbu, only kept around thanks to their penchant for taking human life. Konohamaru himself was approaching his eighteenth birthday and so, as was decided at the Academy all those years ago, so was Tobu. Being very nearly an adult, Tobu more and more began to see his Anbu teammates as the younger siblings he’d never had and some even as his own children in a way. He felt a protective instinct the likes of which he’d never known before. But what did that instinct mean for the Village? How could he protect this makeshift family in a system designed to turn them into killing machines, tools for war and espionage?

Anxious reflections raced through Konohamaru’s mind as he stared at his partner on the other side of the pass. He stood, glued to the rock wall with his chakra, his back parallel to the ground several stories below. The wind at this elevation whipped around his, tussling his hair and making it difficult to place the thin explosive tags. Nonetheless, with the stubborn streak his late mentor passed down to him, the last of the paper tags was firmly adhered to the rock. 

Tobu finally met his gaze.

“ You done?! ”, his voice rang through the high winds across the pass. Konohamaru tossed out a thumbs up. Suddenly, Tobu jumped high and into the sky, soaring across the pass and landing at the top of the cliff above Konohamaru. Show off… , Konohamaru groaned internally. 

“Here they come!”, Tobu extended a hand and hoisted Konohamaru atop the cliff. Konohamaru reached into his pack, retrieving his binoculars, and looked out over the rolling plains leading up to the mountains. He easily spotted Mikoto and her son still a few kilometers out, walking with a barely concealed sense of urgency. Quickly, he also spotted packs of Cloud shinobi surrounding the pair, using the low hills as concealment. 

“They’re-!”, Konohamaru shouted.

“I see ‘em! But those two obviously don’t. They have no idea they’re surrounded!”, Tobu quickly affirmed. 

“I have an idea!”, Konohamaru called out. He sat on the ground with his legs crossed, clasping his palms together and interlaced his fingers in the snake sign. He slammed his eyes shut tight, focusing as much senjutsu chakra as he could into his body. Suddenly, he felt a strong hand on his shoulder and a new, bizarre form of chakra began flowing into his body. He didn’t have to open his eyes to know it was Tobu. Konohamary held back a wince. Tobu’s artificial chakra created a hot, burning sensation as it flowed through Konohamaru’s natural chakra network, mixing with the nature energy he was conjuring out of the earth below him. It felt like he’d drunk the strongest, most potent energy drink on the planet! He felt his heart tighten in his chest and his head pound painfully. Was this what chakra felt like for Tobu?

“Earth Style: Mud Maze!”, he growled through gritted teeth. Across the hill, surrounding every pack of Cloud village hunters, a rolling, writhing network of mud walls exploded from the earth beneath them, encircling and trapping them within. Every time they found a potential escape route, the mud maze shifted, changing completely and leaving them back at square one, leaving them incapable of capturing the fleeing family. 

After what felt like an eternity to Konohamaru, Mikoto and the boy finally made it a safe distance through the entrance of the pass. Sweat poured from Konohamaru’s grimacing face. The sheer effort of keeping the mud maze up as an ever-changing, oscillating labyrinth caused him to nearly black out. Finally, he turned his index and middle fingers up, forming the ram sign. He reached out with his chakra, triggering the closest explosive tag to detonate. 

One by one, like a string of fireworks, each tag exploded in a thunderous report. Each explosion lit up the night sky, illuminating the dumbfounded Cloud shinobi below. Each burst echoed off the mountains around them, cascading into a gargantuan roar that filled the air. In the wake of each explosion, a torrent of stone and dust fell, heralding larger boulders after them, slowly creating a wall of rock at the mouth of the pass. The ground shook violently as the gigantic boulders crashed into the ground. 

As the dust and the noise finally settled, Konohamaru carefully peaked down over the edge of the cliff. Where the open mountain pass once stood, there was now a sheer wall of boulders and stones, leading far too high for any typical shinobi to scale quickly enough. Below, curses and the frustrated cries of the Cloud recruiters replaced the echoing explosions. The majority of them either sat in the dirt, defeated, while some simply walked away, entirely done with the situation. Some made their way up to the newly-formed wall, surveying its height. None of them seemed to glean anything that inspired confidence and they soon joined the comrades in their retreat. 

Konohamaru shakily rose to his feet, turning to see Tobu gazing down into the mountain pass. He joined his teammates, peering down to see Mikoto and the boy staring back up at them. Konohamaru raised his hand, waving in farewell and Mikoto replied with an affirming nod before turning and continuing down the trail to the Land of Rivers and to destinations unknown. Tobu and Konohamaru stood atop the cliffs until the pair below fell out of sight. The moon had risen directly overhead and the only noise in the air was a chorus of crickets. The two felt many things, but a strong sense of finality wasn’t one of them. Is that really it? , the pair of them thought. The family was out of harm's way and the Cloud recruiters were sent packing. Still, Tobu and Konohamaru could only stand still and feel something akin to emptiness. 

Neither of them could quite spell it out, but it was the ambiguity of it all that bothered them. For all they knew, Mikoto and the boy could get themselves into trouble the very next day and no one would be there to help them. They had helped, to be sure, but they couldn’t solve the entire problem. Not on their own and certainly not in just a few days' time. The change they wanted to see, the change they hoped started today, would take time and the helping hands of hundreds, maybe thousands of people. In the meantime, kids would continue to suffer and there was nothing they could do about that. 

“We should head home. If we move now, we can make it back by morning.”, Konohamaru mumbled. Tobu remained silent for a moment, before answering with something Konohamaru would remember for the rest of his life.

“They’ll be ok.”, he replied with a steady, calm voice, his eyes still locked into the pass below. “She’s smart and the kid’s smart. They trusted us to get them out of trouble. Now, we have to trust them to stay out of it. Even if we can’t know for sure, we have to trust, that’s the only way we can create real change. We can’t lead the way if we’re constantly checking over our shoulder to make sure the road stays clear. We need to trust…”

Konohamaru wouldn’t admit it, but it set his worries at ease. Typical for Tobu, it sounded like something out of a cheesy comic book, but that didn’t make it incorrect. We need to trust… , Konohamaru ran the words through his head. At the very least, he could try.

Tobu suddenly shrugged sarcastically.

“Hell, I cut up my vest for the kid. The least he could to is keep it safe!”, he laughed, looking down to his grey Anbu vest, now missing most of its pouches. Konohamaru laughed too, still processing the events of the past few hours. He searched for something to say and only one thing really came to mind.

“Y’know, there’s something I need to tell you…”

Mikoto swept her hair out of her tired eyes. Her son rested his head on her shoulder, fast asleep as she carried him on her back. The tall cliffs on either side of them acted as barriers for the hard winds and weather of the mountains and, thanks to the two strangers who saved her son from a horrific future, she even felt safe between their goliath visage. 

“ You stole my comic books?! ”, she heard a horrified, enraged yell reverberate throughout the mountains, the voice unmistakable. She giggled, those two may have been battle-hardened warriors, but they were obviously still kids at heart. She silently thanked any deity that would listen that, despite the torture and pain those two young men had been through, they still chose to be heroes.  

Chapter Text

The Leaf Village sat in a quiet, foggy morning. Not a single soul was present to greet Tobu and Konohamaru as they passed through the blackened, charcoaled gates of the village, everyone having taken refuge in the Hokage Mansion. Their shoes scuffed against the abandoned streets, every step kicking up a tiny cloud of ash and dust. The faint smoky smell of ash still hovered in the air, made even worse in the morning humidity. The pair couldn’t wait for the cooler autumn season. It took real, physical effort for Konohamaru to ignore the deathly silence permeating the streets he so vividly remembered being full of friends and family. The Rose Village may have been a nice escape, but now, it only served as a painful reminder of what life used to look like, to sound like.  

A faint shadow in the sky caught Tobu’s eye. He gazed up to spot the flapping wing of Danzo’s raven familiar. He held his arm aloft and the raven suddenly dove out of its patrol to gracefully land on his wrist. Tied to its talon was a rolled up piece of paper, a note from Danzo. Tobu read over it quickly before huffing.

“I better get back to the Anbu. I guess I’ve been gone too long.”, he bemoaned. He shoved the scroll into his pocket and turned to walk away. “You can deliver the contract to Tsunade. I’ll see you later.”

“What about your half of the payment?”, Konohamaru asked. Tobu sighed, before stopping and turning back to his teammate.

“Keep it…”, he shrugged. “Staying was my idea anyway. So, you can have my half.” Konohamaru didn’t quite know what to say. He didn’t exactly need the money, but such an act of selfless grace was unlike Tobu, at least in his eyes. Between watching him ruthlessly massacre a contingent of rouge-nin in the Grass Village to now having seen his protective tendencies with Mikoto and her son, Konohamaru sure had learned a lot about Tobu in the past few weeks.

“Thanks…”, he mumbled, nodding slightly as he squinted against the rising sun. With that, Tobu turned and resumed his walk to the soon-to-be repaired Anbu headquarters, falling out of sight within a few moments. Neither of them knew it at the time, but that was the last “normal” conversation they’d share for a long, long time.

The Hokage Mansion finally came into view. For whatever reason, there wasn’t the usual group of people loitering around the entrance. Konohamaru stopped in his tracks, brow furrowing. That is odd …, he wondered. Was everyone staying inside for some odd reason?

“Mister!”, he heard a small voice call out from his left. His head darted over, peering into the dark, shadowed alleyway. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he could just make out a little boy peering around the corner. “Mister! C’mere!”, the boy called out again. Konohamaru looked over the mansion for a second before stepping into the alley like the boy said.

“Is there something I can help you with? Where is everyone?”, Konohamaru asked. Instead of answering either question, the boy simply shook his head.

“Follow me!”, he whispered, before turning around a series of further alleyways, Konohamaru reluctantly following until the two found a manhole cover. The boy struggled with the heavy, metal cover until Konohamaru instinctively helped out. Only after the cover was lifted and the boy hopped down onto the ladder did Konohamaru wonder what they were doing there. He looked around, wondering if he was being pranked, before sighing and following the boy down the manhole and into the sewer system.

Turn after turn, the boy led Konohamaru through the rank sewers. 

“Kid, are you finally gonna tell me what we’re doing down here?!”, Konohamaru began to lose his patience. Before he could insist for an answer, the boy sped his walk into a run, vanishing into the darkness ahead, stomping footsteps echoing off the concrete walls. Konohamaru stopped, every instinct he had suddenly fired off like alarm bells in his head. This had to be a trap. But why? And who? What could possibly be going on in the Leaf Village.

Before he could take another step, an impossibly strong hand grabbed him by the back of the neck, slamming him into the wall to his right. He let out a loud grunt, the wind flying out of his lungs. He instinctively brought his index and ring fingers together to counter attack with a shadow clone. With lightning quick speed, his assailant's other hand clasped over his own, preventing him from completing the hand sign. Konohamaru wrenched his neck against his attacker's grip, to no avail. He was completely at their mercy, whoever they were.

“Konohamaru…Oh, it’s you…”, he heard a familiar, feminine voice. The iron grip over the back of his neck loosened and he darted around to view his attacker, only to see Lady Tsunade Senju herself. 

“Lady Hokage?! What in the hell is going on?!”, he yelled, his voice booming throughout the sewer tunnels. Only after the echoes died down did he take the chance to get a good look at her face. Her eyes were turned down, with dark circles underneath them. Her face sported unfamiliar wrinkles and sunken-in cheeks, her ageless transformation jutsu clearly beginning to waver.

“Tobu… please… Please tell me Tobu’s with you…”, she huffed in between heavy, tired breaths.

“No, he went off to the Anbu headquarters. What’s going on? ”, he asked again, only getting more and more anxious. 

“Konohamaru… I’m sorry…”, she gasped with exhaustion. “The village… the village is lost.”

Konohamaru stood, arms crossed, in a dark, wide-open section of the sewer system, a junction for two tunnels that joined before separating down the network. A few stray piece of luggage and back packs littered the area, but aside from that, it looked like everyone just decided to suddenly hang out in the sewers for a change. Around him, maybe two dozen Leaf citizens huddled against the cold stone walls, a fraction of the refugees from the mansion. To his right, Lady Tsunade poured over what looked to be an old map of the tunnels, not having much luck deciphering whatever she was looking for. 

“Can you just explain exactly what’s going on? Please?”, Konohamaru begged for answers. “Why are you all down here? Where’s everyone else? Where’s Kakashi?”.

“Sit down.”, was the only answer he got. Groaning, he sat against the mossy, slightly wet concrete floor. Before he could look back up at Tsunade, the map was dropped into his lap. “How well do you know these tunnels?”, she asked.

“Pretty well, I guess? Kakashi had me search them for… survivors after the Itachi attack.”, he answered, confused. “What’s going on?”, he repeated. Tsunade brought her hands to her hips and her head dropped low on her shoulders. Her sleepless exhaustion was palpable.

“It’s been a long couple of days, so I’ll take it slow. After the attack, Kakashi and I were suspicious of Danzo, to say the least. He vanished before the attack and reappeared seemingly unharmed. It was also clear that Orochimaru was tipped off that the three of you would be out of town for the Grass Village mission. It was the perfect time for an attack and it was the only time for an attack. So, when he couldn’t find anything through legitimate means, like your search of these tunnels, I ordered Kakashi to break into Danzo’s office. I don’t know what he found, he never made it out. He was obviously captured and it set Danzo off. Before I knew it, Danzo somehow retook command of the Anbu, ordering them to arrest myself, Kakashi, and really anyone they could get their hands on. A few shinobi managed to warn me quickly enough and together we got as many civilians out of the mansion as we could, and down here to hide. They tried to go back for more, and rescue Kakashi, but they never came back. Not a single shinobi has made it out. We’ve just been hiding down here, trying to make sense of this map and find a way out of the village.”

Konohamaru’s heart thundered in his chest. Kakashi was captured? Danzo staged a coup? How could any of this be happening? 

“And now…”, Tsunade continued. “Danzo has Tobu. I don’t know what that old bastard is doing in there but my best guess is that that’s exactly what he’s been holding up in the mansion for.” She brought her palms to her face in shame. Konohamaru saw the rare sight of dejection in the Hokage. “I somehow didn’t see this coming. The signs were obvious. I knew something wasn’t right with that man. And now, I’m just hiding down here. I’ve failed everyone…”, she barely held back her tears. He wondered how on Earth she had kept it together these past few days, these past few years. She’d lost so much, but she’d somehow stayed strong. The village had been through so much, lost so much, but it was still standing thanks to her. Konohamaru shook his head.

“No.”, he disagreed. “You got as many people to safety as you could and then you stuck with them. You did exactly what a Hokage should do.”, he reassured her. Tsunade let out a heavy sigh, raising her head back up to its proper height. 

“You’re gonna make a great Hokage one day…”, she mumbled sarcastically. Konohamaru guffawed.

“No chance! I’m no politician. For now, I’ll draw you guys an escape route. And then, I’m gonna go break this siege and take Danzo down!” Tsunade shook her head.

“No! You can’t! Danzo may be old, but he’s strong. And there’s more than two dozen Anbu under his command. You can’t risk it!”, she protested. 

“‘Risk’ what? What do we have to lose? Once you guys are out of here, you can move on, start something new. But I am not leaving Kakashi here! I’m not losing him too!”, Konohamaru jumped to his feet, his emotions taking over him. Tsunade’s eyes widened. She realized why he felt so strongly. He didn’t want to lose another family member, another grandfather, another Asuma, another Naruto. His breathing finally settled.

“Besides, Tobu’s not going to go along with whatever Danzo had planned. Tobu has a plan, a plan for the future! To change the way things work around here. He won’t throw that away for that old man! Who knows, he could have the entire situation settled by now!”, he reasoned. It was a real possibility, but Tsunade knew. She knew what Tobu would do for the sake of his Anbu. She didn’t even want to think of the possibilities, nor the depth of Danzo’s treachery, but it made her stomach turn.     

  “Konohamaru, think about this. We don’t even know if Kakashi is alive. I don’t want to leave him behind either, but be reasonable! He could be dead for all we know. And if you go in after him, you could be next!”, she tried to reason back, knowing in her heart that it would never work. She saw his face harden with a conviction she hadn’t seen in a long time, but one she’d seen so many times. 

“I could have been ‘next’ on any of the missions you’ve sent me on over the years, the missions you sent me on for the sake of the village! Kakashi could have been next and so could Tobu! We gladly put our neck on the line for the sake of the village, so you’re crazy to think I won’t put it back if it means saving their lives!”, his voice was resolute and strong. He clearly wasn’t ever going to change his mind. She could see the man he’d grown into. How much he reminded her of Dan, of Jirayia, and of Naruto. If she couldn’t be happy for any other reason in life, she knew she could be happy that Konohamaru Sarutobi turned out ok.

“Ok, Konohamaru. This is your choice.”, she nodded her head, giving up on changing his mind. “You don’t want to lose any one else. I get that. But don’t you dare forget that I’ve lost people too, so you get those two out and you all come back safe. Don’t make me go through that again!”, she ordered the young man. Konohamaru laughed,

“Don’t worry! I’ll come back for sure. And when I do, I’ll make sure you’ll get plenty of answers out of ol’ Danzo!”.

Night finally began to take hold over the besieged Leaf Village. The cold quiet gripping the village streets took on a far more sinister note for Konohamaru. Before, it reminded him that things had changed, people were gone. Now, he felt that everything could be done and dusted, within the next few hours, depending on him and perhaps him alone. 

He sat on the second floor of a burned-out home, peeking through the shattered window at the Hokage Mansion. Ash peppered his face, a commonly unavoidable mark of traveling in the ruins of the city. With only his right eye peeking out at the mansion, remaining deathly still, his eyes rose to the infant moon. It’s been long enough. They should be out of the village. , he wondered, thinking of Tsunade and the escaped villagers. He wanted them far away from the village if he screwed this up. The Leaf Village may have already fallen, but he was going to make sure they weren’t going down with it. 

His sage chakra heightened his chakra. The darkness of twilight might have obscured the vision of any typical shinobi, but gifted with senjutsu chakra, Konohamaru could see as clear as day. He crept out of the ruined building, careful not to knock over any of the loose debris and rubble left over, and crossed the street without any issues. Also thanks to his sage chakra, he could sense the presence of any potential Anbu patrols. Oddly though, he couldn’t see or sense a single one. Does Danzo really have no one guarding the mansion? Does he think no one would try to break in or is something else going on? On top of that, why are the Anbu going along with this? Kakashi told me they’re more loyal to Tobu than to Danzo. And what did they do to the rank-and-file Leaf shinobi? , dozens of questions poured into Konohamaru’s mind as he reached the side of the mansion. He found one of the many basement windows, sitting almost flush with the ground. Propping it open, it was just big enough for him to squeeze through if he sucked in some air.

As his hands and feet struck the floor of the mansion’s basement, it was as if someone turned out the lights on his very senses. His senjutsu-enhanced vision faded to that of typical eyesight and he lost his heightened sensory abilities as if a switch was suddenly flipped. What the hell?! , he thought. He placed his palm against the floor. Even through concrete or stone, he was nonetheless typically able to channel sage chakra. However, not a single drop of it sprang from the earth below and into his body. A chakra-suppression field? That’s why Danzo didn’t bother posting any guards! No shinobi is crazy enough to break in alone, much less without any chakra! , he realized. No shinobi except me, of course!

The young Sarutobi crept cautiously through the corridors of the mansion’s basement. Power had been cut to the building and the only available illumination was the stray beams of moonlight through the egress windows. If I was Danzo, I’d definitely keep prisoners in the basement. But he knows I’d assume that! Then, is he arrogant enough to leave them down here anyway? Either way, without sensory abilities, I couldn’t tell where anyone was even if they were two feet in front of me! It’s gonna take a while, but I’ll have to search room-by-room. , he realized. Only now, in the depths of the lion’s nest, was the full weight of the situation hitting him. Kakashi’s life hung in the balance, so did Tobu’s, and so did dozens of civilians, the whole village really. And now, here he was, lost in total darkness with no idea where to go. 

Konohamaru wasn’t sure how long he’d been creeping around in the dark. He kept his back to the left-hand wall, hands out to guide his progress, when his fingers suddenly found their way around a brass door handle. That’s the door to the stairwell, I know it! , he realized. Maybe a better plan would be to secure an effective exit, then go back for Kakashi and the others. He carefully turned the door handle, pushing the door open, wincing at every creek and groan. The old wooden stairs of the mansion’s basement weren’t much kinder, quietly protesting under each of his careful footsteps, no matter how lightly he placed them. 

Despite the noise, he made it up to the ground floor without any issues. Carefully peeking through the stairwell door, he could see the lobby of the mansion and the clear glass front doors. He pushed the door further open, looking up at the balcony across the room and the stairs on either side of it, seeing no one on watch. Is there even anyone here? , he wondered. A thought crossed his mind. It was quite possible that Danzo covertly sequestered away in the night, along with everyone he was there to save, with Tsunade being none the wiser. He could very well be wasting valuable time creeping around, as Danzo got away scott-free. No! I have to focus on what’s in front of me. Just get that door open and get back to searching! , he strengthened his will. 

With deliberate but quick steps, he began to cross the dark, empty lobby of the mansion. Suddenly and as if from thin air, a masked figure sprang in front of him. Even in the dark, Konohamaru could tell he was Anbu, sporting the traditional white mask with the visage of a scarlet dragon across the left cheek and two tall, pointed ears atop the crown. He could also clearly tell who it was. 

“Tobu?!”, Konohamaru gasped. No one in the Anbu was that tall, nor did anyone cast quite a presence. “What the hell’s going o-”, he began to ask before Tobu stabbed his palm out, wrapping his fingers around Konohamaru’s neck and easily lifting him up off the ground. “ Wh-what are you doing?! ”, Konohamaru croaked through Tobu’s steel vice grip. With a cruel, wordless answer, Tobu stomped across the lobby, stopping just before the balcony. Without a moment’s pause, Tobu effortlessly raised his arm, and poor Konohamaru, above his head. He tried to break out of the grapple, but only succeeded in uselessly twisting in Tobu’s grip. Konohamaru had barely a moment to process what was about to happen before he was sent crashing face first through the very floor of the mansion. He felt the wooden panels of the floor splinter painfully through his vest and into the flesh of his ribs. The sheer power of the impact was so impossibly violent, so incredibly loud that Konohamaru’s ears instantly rang terribly. 

He crashed through the wooden floor of the ground floor before landing on his stomach, ribs slamming into the concrete ground of the basement, the air flying from his lungs painfully and the wooden splinters jamming even deeper. He sat still for a moment, in the dust and the fear, processing the fact that he was still alive and still conscious. Once he regained the ability to breathe on his own, he tried to get his elbows under him and prop his chest up, to no avail. His sternum sank back down to the cold stone, pain shooting across his chest and neck like bolts of lightning. His only salvation was to gracelessly roll and slump over onto his back, feeling the tiny splinters impaling his ribs bend and snap off in his skin. Every inch he moved irritated the wooden daggers in his flesh. He helplessly writhed in pain, feeling the shattered remnants of his collar bone quite literally grind against each other. He looked up at the hole he’d just flown through to see that Tobu was gone. He had no idea where his partner, former partner, had gone, but this much he knew was true.

    Tobu was working with Danzo, on whatever sinister scheme he had planned. And now, they knew he was here, and to make matters worse, if they could get any worse, his collar bone was now surely broken. Was everything Tobu said to him in the Rose Village a lie? Or worse, was it the truth and Danzo was the key to Tobu’s plan to make a change? In all those five years of training, of isolation, who knew what kind of indoctrination or brainwashing Danzo had over him? Now, it was all lost.

Tears, both of pain and of dejection, began to well in his eyes. He struggled to push out every wheezing breath and the powdered dust that used to be the floorboards floating in the air wasn’t helping. He was stuck, in the dark, with no idea where Kakashi or any of the civilians were being kept, with Danzo and Tobu no doubt hot on his trail and, even if he could struggle to his feet, he had nowhere to go. I’m sorry, Lady Tsunade… Kakashi… , the words rang like bells in his mind, just as strong as the ones in his ears. I’m so sorry… That’s it…

Konohamaru Sarutobi had failed.

Chapter Text

It could have been minutes or hours. Konohamaru’s pain-addled mind struggled to process the rampant flow of raw emotion and sensory input. Time crawled to a halt, each second passing by like a rouge droplet of water through a coffee filter. He lay stiff as a board, lest the pain in his collar worsen, staring up at the hole in the ceiling he’d just been propelled through. At any moment, he knew Danzo and Tobu would poke their heads down, ready to end his life and any hope the remaining Leaf prisoners had at a future. 

It was only when his breathing began to slow and the ringing in his ears began to subside, the faint fingers of unconsciousness prying at the corners of his vision like the legs of a spider, did he hear a voice calling out to him. The voice was frantic and relentless, but barely audible. 

Konohamaru rolled his head to the left, his neck muscles painfully twisting at the broken bones in his chest. Wincing through the white-hot pain, he searched for the source of the voice. It was the first time he’d bothered to look around his new abode, his new coffin. It was a dark, unfurnished space, the hole in the ceiling being the only notable feature. He didn’t even see a door.

His eyes frantically tried to pierce the darkness, until he finally caught sight of the face of Kakashi Hatake, hair white as the moon. 

“Konohamaru, wake up!”, Kakashi’s panicked voice pierced through his brain-fog. “I need to treat you!”. Kakashi grasped Konohamaru's shoulders, pulling his vest off and painfully patting his chest down. Konohamaru felt his teacher place a palm against his collarbone.

“It’s no use… We can’t use chakra here…”, he tried to wheeze before he suddenly felt the pain vacuum from his chest. It was medical ninjutsu alright, but how was that possible with the suppression field in place? 

“I can open the first of the Eight Inner Gates! It gives me access to a pool of chakra that the suppression field can’t negate.”, Kakashi explained. Konohamaru felt the medical ninjutsu in his chest subside, but thankfully none of the pain returned. “That’s all of it, I’m afraid.”, Kakashi revealed before he began picking the bits of splintered wood out of Konohamaru’s sides. “You’re stable. Your collarbone is definitely broken, but you’ll be able to move and it’ll be mostly painless.”

“‘Mostly’, huh?”, Konohamaru smirked. He instinctively looked up at the hole, still unoccupied. “So, what exactly did you find out that led to this whole mess?”, he asked. Kakashi sighed, helping Konohamaru sit up under his own power. 

“It’s a long story”, he began.

“Yeah, I’ve heard plenty of those today…”, Konohamaru mumbled.

“Right after you two left for the Rose Village, I began keeping a closer eye on Danzo. I found out that during all those renovations to the Anbu Headquarters Tobu asked him to carry out, Danzo found the time to build a hidden bunker under the Hokage Mansion. That’s where he was during Itachi’s attack.”, Kakashi explained.

“Hiding like a fucking rat!”, Konohamaru seethed.

“That’s not all. When I found my way into the bunker, I found his base of operations. That’s why we didn’t find anything in the ruins or the sewer, he was set up right under our noses. Worst of all, I found correspondence with Orochimaru!”, Kakashi revealed.

“That son of a bitch!”

“We were right! He worked with Orochimaru to work out the perfect timing for the Itachi attack. He forged the mission contract and he came up with the idea to wipe out the Grass Village, all to keep us quiet until he came up with his next move!”

“But, why? What does he gain from this?”

“Orochimaru’s agreed to let him become the Sixth Hokage once we were all out of the way. This was all a power move!”

“Unbelieveable!”, Konohamaru groaned. But it wasn’t. Over the years, Danzo was an invaluable asset to Leaf Intelligence, a necessary evil. He transformed their Anbu squad into the most effective black ops unit the world had ever seen. Still, everyone knew he was a power-hungry rodent. 

Konohamaru struggled to his feet, feeling a certain degree of discomfort in his chest, but very little pain. Kakashi stood with him.

“What about Tobu? DId you find anything about him?”, Konohamaru asked anxiously.

Kakashi shook his head,

“Nothing in those letters led me to believe he was involved.” Konohamaru scoffed, pointing to the hole in the ceiling.

“Then, explain that!”, he exclaimed, letting his frustration get the better of him.

“You think it’s a mere coincidence that the room you just so happened to land in was the same room they threw me in?”, Kakashi asked. Konohamaru hadn’t thought of that. It was quite odd and he couldn’t come up with a good answer. “I’m telling you Konohamaru: I don’t think he’s involved with this. He’s smart and he’s resourceful. You know him. I’m sure he has a plan. You need to trust your partner. Trust that I trust him!”, Kakashi urged his student. Konohamaru thought back to Tobu’s words outside the Rose Village. We need to trust…

“Fine…!”, Konohamaru sighed. “How’d they get the drop on you anyway? Danzo’s practically on his deathbed, isn’t he?”. 

“That brings up two more issues. They got the drop on me because Danzo used the Anbu as his own personal foot-soldiers.”, Kakashi explained.

“How’d he get them back on his side? I thought you told me they preferred Tobu?”

“He’s got them all under a genjutsu, somehow. They’ll do anything he says, including taking out all the remaining Leaf shinobi. When they cornered me in the bunker, Danzo knew I wouldn’t fight back. I know how much Tobu cares about each and every one of them. I didn’t know what was going on and if I so much as hurt one of them…”, Kakashi trailed off, gazing down at his feet. Konohamaru frowned. His teacher clearly cared about his students, perhaps a bit too much, but he couldn’t blame him. Tobu’s students were one of the few bright spots in his life.   

“Ok, I get it.”, Konohamaru sighed. “What was the second thing?” Kakashi looked up from the floor before gesturing to the walls around the room.

“Well, here’s a question. Do you see a door in this room?”, he asked. As he’d noted earlier, Konohamaru did, in fact, never manage to spot a door leading in or out of the room he’d been flung into. “It’s right there!”, Kakashi revealed, pointing to an inconspicuous spot along the wooden wall. “That’s where it used to be…”

“I don’t understand…?”, Konohamaru mumbled. 

“Someone sealed over the door. With a wood-style ninjutsu!”. Konohamaru’s eyed widened.

“How’s that possible?”, he gasped.

“It shouldn’t be. Only two people are ever known to have mastered wood-style ninjutsu before: Lord Hashirama, the First Hokage, and an old friend of mine, Yamato. Lord Hashirama could utilize it naturally, but my friend Yamato had to have the Lord First’s DNA implanted into him as a child in order to allow him to use it. Just like Tobu, he was an experiment of none other than Orochimaru himself, however he was born naturally. Now, I know for a fact that Yamato has moved on to another village and the Lord First is long dead, which can only mean one thing…”

“Either Danzo or Tobu have had the Lord First’s DNA implanted into them?”

 “Precisely! It’s unlikely for it to be Tobu. The experiments done to Yamato killed all other test subjects but him. There’s no way Danzo would risk that. Instead, I think Danzo did it to himself, into that arm he prefers to keep hidden so much, either to bolster his own power or perhaps to cure his illness. It clearly didn’t work, but it did give him the same power as the ‘God of Shinobi’. Danzo may be terminally ill, but that arm of his makes him extremely dangerous!”, Kakashi revealed his findings. Konohamaru could feel the anxious clock ticking in his head, every second passing by was another second the Leaf Village could be stolen from them forever.   

  “What the hell are we supposed to do??”, he gasped in panic. He paced around the room nervously, in stark contrast to Kakashi’s composure.

“It’s very simple. There’s no way we’re getting the hostages out of here from under Danzo, Tobu, and the Anbu’s noses, especially when at least one of them knows we’re here. So… we confront them directly.”, Kakashi explained. 

“With no chakra? And my fucked up chest?”, Konohamaru scoffed.

“Tobu is still on our side, I know this. We just need to find out what Danzo’s done to him and we undo it. Then, Danzo will effectively be left all on his own.”

“But we…. we can’t…. we-”, Konohamaru’s breathing grew heavier and heavier and a new pain sparked in his chest, different from his broken collarbone. He clutched his chest, nearly doubling over from the pain and the pressure.

“Konohamaru!”, Kakashi barked, interrupting his students' rapid spiral. “I promise you, we are not losing anyone today.”

“How… can you even say that??”, Konohamaru replied in between gasping breaths.

“Because, I know you’re afraid of losing another person you love. I’m afraid too.”, Kakashi admitted. “But we’re getting everyone out of here, end of story. If it’s not within my power to do so, I will find the power. We are going to find Tobu. And we are going to get the hell out of here.”

Konohamaru’s breathing slowed.

“You’re sure we can get to the Office through the Library?”, Konohamaru whispered, peeking out around a tall bookshelf and into the dark Leaf LIbrary.

“Please, the layout of the Mansion hasn’t changed in nearly a hundred years. I’m sure that I’m sure.”, Kakashi reassured him.

“And once we’re there, we can finally find out what the hell’s happening!”, Konohamaru replied, stepping out from the bookshelves and into the main area of the Library. Despite the total darkness, Konohamaru could fully make out the layout of the Library. Both walls had tall, wooden bookshelves rising up nearly to the ceiling, where they were each crowned with a balcony. Along the balconies were several doors leading to study rooms. He didn’t even want to consider the ambush possibilities the study rooms possessed. Better to just keep quiet and keep moving.

In the middle of the Library was a wide space, split into two walkways by a column of wooden tables, stretching from one end of the room to the other. The librarian's desk rested at the opposite end of the room, at the end of the column of tables. Being more of a muscle-head, Konohamaru rarely spent any time here and was quite unfamiliar with the area. Kakashi too was unfamiliar with the space, he never got his books from the library. Both of their heads sat on a swivel as they attempted to make their way past the column of tables and into the next room. 

Konohamaru’s hand faintly brushed a nearby table for support when the bright flame of a metal lantern sparked to life in the balcony above them and to their right.

“What a fine place to begin the final event, now that the main participants are here!”, Danzo’s sinister voice boomed throughout the room. He stood atop the balcony, lantern barely lighting his wrinkled face, with Tobu silently standing guard next to him, still clad in his Anbu mask.

“Damnit!”, Konohamaru cursed.

“It’s fine.”, Kakashi calmed him. “We can end this now!”. He stepped forward in the fire light, staring fearlessly up at the Leaf’s new enemies. “What’s the idea here, Danzo? Take control of a village that barely exists anymore?”, he called out. Danzo let out an amused snort and a smug smirk grew across his face.

“Fool… My ambitions have moved on from this backwater. My goal now lies with the Sound Village.”, his voice dripped with malcontent. 

“You want to join forces with Orochimaru? Take over the ninja world? I saw your letters! It won’t work!”, Kakashi growled. Danzo shook his head dismissively.

“I’ve fooled you all and the Sannin himself, it seems. I do not wish to join the Sound Village. I wish to take it for myself. I know of what the Snake possesses. He hoards enough power and technology to revolutionize the ninja world. Enough to truly bring an end to the ceaseless power struggle between our nations.”

“And how does wiping out the Leaf Village fit into all this. Seems pretty counterintuitive to me!”, Konohamaru yelled furiously.

“Because, young man, I’m building the ultimate weapon to take down the Serpent himself.”, Danzo clasped a hand over Tobu’s shoulder, who didn’t react. “Severing the burdensome bonds of his countrymen will be the catalyst to his ascension to power. Although, admittedly, the results have been…”, Danzo’s lone eye tossed a displeased scowl at Tobu, “...fruitless. No matter. There are still two paths to victory. And it is now, Kakashi Hatake, as my former protege, I will extend you and the beloved Grandson the offer of joining us. With your Sharingan and the Grandon’s martial might, the traitorous Orochimaru will be no match for-”

“Fuck. You.”, Konohamaru and Kakashi belted out in unison. Danzo clenched his teeth together in frustration, sucking in a deep breath through his nose. 

“Very well. If you will not be a part of the solution, then you will be a part of the process.”, he mumbled sinister words.

“What have you done to him?”, Kakashi shouted at Danzo. “Son, what’s he done to you!?”, Kakashi screamed at Tobu. Neither shifted even an inch.

“Boy…”, Danzo croaked. Tobu’s masked face shifted, turning to Danzo’s attention. “It’s time for plan B.” Tobu suddenly leapt from the balcony, landing on the floor of the Library with a thunderous boom. “Show them the next step in your evolution!”, Danzo belted out, almost with a hint of enraptured thrill. Tobu stood from the landing place, slowly bringing his hand over his Anbu mask.

He lifted it up cautiously, letting the straps over his head come free. The world would be afraid of what it saw. And he, afraid of what he would now see. 

The Anbu mask dropped to the floor with a foreboding, weighty thump. A dark bandage covered Tobu’s eyes, wrapped around his head.

It can’t be…, Kakashi realized in heart-stopping horror. As if in slow-motion, he watched Tobu reach behind his head, pulling the bandage free from around his face. It too fell to the floor, with a certain grace and elegance not befitting the moment. 

Tobu’s eyes were screwed shut, every muscle in his face delaying the inevitable. 

“Show them…”, Danzo growled from above. Tobu flinched, barely holding back a choked sob. Slowly, he pulled his eyelids open, greeting a new world. 

He stared into the wooden floor, realizing the sensory overload of every immaculate detail. His gaze rose, shaking, terrified to meet that of his teammates. 

Kakashi couldn’t believe his eyes. At that moment, he even wished he could rip them out. 

“No… no!”, he cried out with a terror he’d rarely ever felt. His knees nearly buckled at the sight. 

“How’s that even possible?!”, Konohamaru shouted in disbelief, stepping back in abject fear. 

Shining in each of Tobu’s eye sockets were a pair of blazing-red Sharingan.   

Chapter Text

“How is that even fucking possible?!”, Konohamaru howled. His hands raked through his brown hair while Kakashi simply stood frozen in terror. Tobu stared at his former teammates, a mournful expression unchanging.

“I stole countless Sharingan eyes during the downfall of the Uchiha. From the very beginning of his training, I planned to implant into Tobu two of his very own eyes. It was only when I saw the level of his dedication to the Leaf Village, that my plan advanced further, to that of the Mangekyo Sharingan. As you understand Kakashi, a Mangekyo is only obtained after a Sharingan user undergoes great emotional strife. Given his dedication, I had hoped watching the slaughter of the Leaf’s few remaining shinobi would be a sight palpable enough to awaken the true potential in those eyes. However, now it seems more… desperate measures are in order…”, Danzo monologued. Kakashi’s brow furrowed, remembering what Danzo mumbled just moments ago. We’re going to be part of the ‘process’?, he remembered, before realizing what he meant.

“Bullshit, Danzo! It’ll never work! Tobu would never-”, Kakashi shouted up at Danzo before he was interrupted by the sound of metal sliding against leather. He looked down as Tobu slowly and somberly pulled his straight sword out of the sheath on his back. Tobu’s red eyes were locked onto the floor, lest they see a sight that might break him. 

“I’m sorry, Kakashi. This is my fault. I wasn’t strong enough… I’m sorry… I need to do this…”, he whimpered shaky words. Kakashi had seen Tobu cry. He had heard the boy's wails upon learning the truth of his creation. He’d seen the look of confusion and horror on his face after he accidentally killed Neji. But nothing, absolutely nothing, compared to what he was seeing now. Harsh shadows, cast on his face by the lamp light above him, painted the very picture of unadulterated sorrow. 

“No… no… don’t do this…”, Kakashi begged. Countless times, he’d started down his own worst nightmare. Every time, he’d begged for it to end, to be woken up and revealed that it was all a meaningless dream. The nightmares never ended. This time, however, he knew how to make it end. 

Kakashi bent one knee, kneeling down until both knees touched the ground, calmly placing his hands in his lap. He gave himself up. Kakashi led a life of perseverance, of gritty toughness that would always pull through and make it out ok. He wasn’t always strong enough. After his father died, after Obito, and Rin, Minato, Naruto, and Jiraiya all died, he fell. He’d lay on the ground for a bit, be it days, months, or sometimes years, but he’d get back up. He’d move on, never forgetting, but rebuilding a new life. He knew there was a breaking point, something so horrible that it sent him to a place he couldn’t get back up from. He didn’t know quite where that point was, figuring that if he just kept going, he’d never have to confront that idea.

This was the breaking point. He really has broken you… hasn’t he?, Kakashi’s heart grew heavy as stone.

“Tobu…I won’t fight you. If this is what you must do, then do it.”, he conceded. He ducked his head down, exposing his neck for an attack. He assuredly resigned himself to death. Tobu was stronger than him, but he knew, potentially killing a student wasn’t something he could come back from. This needed to be the end of the line.

Kakashi felt a strong hand clasp the collar of his combat vest, wrenching him up off the ground and onto his feet. He turned to his left to see Konohamaru with a vicious scowl across his back. He jammed a kunai into Kakashi’s hand, taking one for himself too. 

“I don’t believe a single damn word either of you just said!”, he roared. “You said it yourself: Tobu’s still on our side and he’s obviously doing this for a reason. We need to find out why!”, he screamed in Kakashi’s shocked face. “And you!”, he turned to Tobu. “You don’t ‘need’ to do any of this! After everything we’ve been through, everything you’ve told me, I won’t believe for a single second that you’d throw it away for an aging relic like Danzo!”

Tobu remained silent. His gloomy eyes lifted up to meet theirs, where they became a steely-eyed glare. 

“I’ll end it. Quickly. For the both of you.”, he muttered. He hoisted his blade out from his chest, pointing it directly at his former teammates, who raised their kunai in kind.

“Fine then! We’ll make it quick for you too! If we die, we die as a team. As Team 7! And on our feet!”, Konohamaru taunted. He’s right, Kakashi realized. It’s my duty to do this. I have to die on my feet. For everyone I’ve lost, I won’t spit on their grave by giving up!

“Finally!”, Danzo mockingly cheered. “I was growing impatient!”. He opened the little door of the lantern, exposing the flame within. He held his other arm aloft, releasing wind chakra around the room. The wind caught the flame of the lantern, spreading violently about the Library in a fiery torrent. In what seemed like a single instant, every bookshelf was alight with scalding-hot flames, forming a ring of fire around the trio below. Shit! Without water or chakra, there’s no way to put out this flame. We need to end this quickly or the entire mansion will be engulfed, Kakashi worried. His eyes met Tobu’s Sharingan and he felt his own twitch under its mask cover.

Tobu surged forward, heading directly for Kakashi. The Copy Ninja’s body reacted instinctively, his mind still not ready for the fight ahead. Not quick enough, the tip of Tobu’s blade nicked his cheek, springing forth a droplet of blood that landed directly on Tobu’s face. The boy retreated as the crimson tear ran down his forehead, just in time to dodge a haymaker strike from the flanking Konohamaru. Tobu shifted his weight, pulling his sword up to block another strike, this time from the Sarutobi’s kunai. With Tobu distracted, Kakashi lunged forward, attempting to grab the boy’s sword and disarm him. As if Kakashi’s arm was nothing but a twig, Tobu effortlessly retorted with a backhanded jab, the ceramic plate of his glove striking his former teacher right on the mouth. 

Kakashi stumbled back from the strike, but before Tobu could pursue the advantage, Konohamaru advanced from behind. Tobu felt a chill run up his spine. It was his first time feeling the precognition of his Sharingan eyes. He ducked his head down just in time to avoid a grapple from behind, instead responding with his own grab, pulling Konohamaru over his shoulder and slamming him into the ground ahead of him. Tobu attempted to land another downward strike, but Konohamaru deftly rolled out of the way and onto his feet, Tobu’s punch landing a booming strike onto the wooden floor. 

Kakashi found his hand resting against a table for support as he regained his balance. On the table was a single, smoldering book. His eyes… he’s likely not used to them yet!, he realized. Kakashi ripped out a handful of burning pages from the book, ignorant to the scalding pain in his hands, and tossed forth a bouquet of ashen paper at Tobu. Tobu’s new eyes bounced from page to page, trying in vain to filter the matrix of sensory information at a speed his brain was not accustomed to. 

What he couldn’t process was Kakashi’s fist, flying directly at his face with no time to react. Tobu stumbled back, one hand clutching his aching nose. Kakashi and Konohamaru regrouped, kunai still in hand.

“Enough, boy! They haven’t a single drop of chakra! I taught you a thousand ways to vaporize this village in an instant. Use them!”, Danzo screeched in frustration from the balcony. Wordlessly, Tobu slowly shut his eyes, bringing the hilt of his sword in front of his nose and raising his free hand up to its razor-sharp tip. Konohamaru and Kakashi cautiously widened their stance, ready for anything coming their way. 

In a flash, Tobu slashed his free hand down across the blade, raising the hilt above his head. Blood splashed from his palm, coating the blade in a layer of thick crimson. 

“Tobu!”, Kakashi instinctively called out for his injured student, despite the circumstances. Without answering, Tobu flicked the sword down to his side in a violent flourish. As the blade reached the end of its journey, the blood coating its edge ignited in a glowing, pink flame, burning so brightly that it out-shone the roaring inferno surrounding Tobu.

“The ‘Bloodstream Saber’... peculiar choice…”, Danzo croaked from above, his critique falling unanswered. 

In the blink of an eye, Tobu vanished, reappearing merely a foot in front of Konohamaru and Kakashi, his vibrant blade raised high above his head. With barely any time to react, the defending duo held their kunai out in a guard stance, ready to block the neon sword as one. Tobu brought his sword down over his head with rich force, clashing into his assailants kunai, sending a torrent of sparks to the left and right as the churning chakra of the Bloodstream Saber chewed through the kunai’s mundane metal like a chainsaw.

“Why are you doing this?! Just give me an answer!”, Kakashi yelled over the hellish firestorm. Tobu still refused to speak, instead withdrawing from the clash and quickly sent a horizontal chop across their heads. Just in time, the duo ducked, rolling out in either direction to flank Tobu. The boy took a step back, centering his sword in a neutral stance, ready to deflect whomever attacked first. 

With his immense strength, Konohamaru sent one of the thick wooden tables flying directly at Tobu, who, with a flick of his sword, sliced the furniture in half and it fell harmlessly to the floor. Kakashi tried to take advantage of the distraction, but Tobu’s new eyes alerted him to the flanking maneuver. The boy squared his feet, jabbing his bloodied palm into the smoke, clasping his iron grip over Kakashi’s throat. He lifted Kakashi up as effortlessly as he had Konohamaru just hours earlier. 

“Put him down!”, the Sarutobi cried, mindlessly charging Tobu’s rear. “Seeing” it coming, Tobu sent a blind kick behind him, striking a painful blow to Konohamaru’s sore chest. Konohamaru fell to the floor and doubled over in blinding pain, meanwhile Tobu flicked Kakashi across the room like a playing card, sending him crashing through a charred bookshelf. The shelves crashed and collided together, falling to the floor in a ring around Kakashi. 

Tobu turned up to face Danzo, where he was met with an unimpressed glare. He turned back to Konohamaru and, seeing the Sarutobi was properly disabled, leapt across the room, landing atop one of the newly-fallen bookshelves. In silence, he lorded over his prone teacher as the former struggled to his feet. Kakashi coughed up ash, holding the shoulder that just crashed through solid oak. He turned to meet Tobu’s gaze, still coughing. 

“The last time we fought like this…”, Kakashi sucked in air. “The Forest of Death… all those years ago. You remember, don’t you?” He stood up straight, despite the pain, and fearlessly gazed up at his student. “You’ve grown so much since then. You’re so strong, stronger than me, stronger than any kid really needs to be. But you feel trapped, I can tell. I’ve been there. And I can help you, Tobu, I can. I promise. But… but I need you to talk to me, son”. After a moment of silence, Kakashi could see Tobu’s stone-cold facade begin to crack. 

Tobu thrust his sword out in front of him, extending his free hand over the blade. An impossibly long lance of bloodstream chakra shot out, flying directly at Kakashi. The Copy Ninja bent his knees and rolled out of the way, the lance only grazing his shoulder. He felt the burning chakra spark like lightning throughout his veins, sending arcs of pain into his arm. This is the same aberrant chakra we saw at the Chunin Exams five years ago! He must have perfected it since then!”, Kakashi remembered. 

Kakashi looked back up, but Tobu had vanished. He darted his head around, quickly spotting the boy standing atop the opposite side of the ring of collapsed bookshelves.

“You can’t help me, Kakashi.”, Tobu finally broke his silence, leaping into the pit of splintered wood and fire, lunging at Kakashi. He ducked down and slashed at Kakashi’s stomach, the blade slicing through the Copy Ninja’s vest and opening a deep gash across Kakashi’s gut. Kakashi collapsed to one knee in pain, one hand clutching his stomach, where blood began seeping out of his flak jacket. With his free wrist, he barely managed to parry a plunging attack from Tobu.

“How can you say that?! When you won’t even tell me why you’re doing this!”, he winced through the pain. Tobu struggled, pushing down against Kakashi’s block.

“You couldn’t even help yourself! Why should I trust you to help me?! The only reason I ended up with Danzo is because you couldn’t help me!”, Tobu growled. Distracted, not even his new Sharingan could see Kakashi’s leg sweep coming. His back crashed into the ground and Kakashi quickly latched onto the collar of his Anbu vest.

“That was out of my control!”, he retorted.

“Oh, of course. It’s always out of your control, isn’t it!?”, Tobu groaned, springing his head up and slamming his forehead against Kakashi’s headband. Kakashi shuffled back as Tobu stood to his feet, regaining a hold of his blazing sword. “You were always too late! Always! Neji nearly killed me and it took Hanabi to put a stop to it! Danzo put me through hell during the Chunin Exams and where were you?!”

Kakashi’s brow furrowed, taking in his words as he lay against the ground. He could understand Tobu’s distrust. He wouldn’t trust himself either, not after all of his failures. Maybe he didn’t have any right to demand the truth from Tobu. No!, Kakashi realized. Now isn’t the time for wallowing, not with everything at stake! Tobu’s right. I haven't been perfect, I have made mistakes. But Team 7, all of them, showed me I could always come back from my mistakes. It’s time to put their efforts to good use!  

“Say whatever you want, son! I won’t stop until you let me help you. Or, until you kill me like Danzo wants you to! And we both know, you could’ve done that ten times over already!”, Kakashi taunted Tobu as he rose to one knee, one hand still clutching his seeping chest wound. Behind the both of them, Konohamaru finally managed to clamber over the burning bookshelves before falling into the makeshift arean, still clutching his chest. 

“He’s right!”, Konohamaru wheezed. “And after what you told me in the Rose Village, I won’t believe for a second that you’d betray the village, or us, for anything that old bastard wants! You told me to ‘trust’, didn’t you? Well, I trust that you wouldn’t kill us, you wouldn’t do any of this if it weren’t for a good reason! So tell us why! Trust us!”, he cried. 

Tobu ducked his head, mulling over his teammate’s words in his head, his palm wringing the hilt of his sword. After a moment, he slammed his eyes shut painfully, shaking his head.

“It’s not possible. It’s pointless.”, he muttered, almost inaudible over the roar of the blaze. The balcony on the opposite side of the room from Danzo suddenly collapsed, kicking up an even thicker cloud of ash and smoke. We have to end this quickly! But how?!, Kakashi panicked. Before they knew it, the entire building would come down around their heads and whatever disagreement the three had would be null and void. 

With all of his worries, Kakashi didn’t notice Tobu spring in front of him, blade raised high above his head. Before he could bring it down onto the hapless Kakashi, Konohamaru jumped into action.

“Damnit! I’ve had enough of this!”, he bellowed, jumping to Tobu’s flank. As Tobu brought the blade down to chest level, Konohamaru lunged forward with an all-out punch, putting all of his weight into a single blow. Instead of Tobu’s face or stomach, the blow was aimed at the sword in his hands. Typically, a horrendously bad idea. Any normal strike would glance off the tempered steel of an Anbu’s short sword, but this was no normal attack. This punch was fueled by more than just muscle. 

Konohamaru’s knuckles stuck the flat end of the blade, the pink bloodstream chakra dancing along his fist causing painful burns, but nothing would halt his assault. His attack continued forth, plowing into the hand-crafted, time-tested design of the blade, halting for nothing. Not even Tobu’s Sharingan eyes could see it coming and even if they could, nothing would stop it. 

Konohamaru’s fist pushed through the blade. It shattered like glass.  

Chapter Text

The metal shards of shattered steel bounced off the ground, sitting uselessly before their owner. Konohamaru stepped back, never taking his eyes off of Tobu, and a shocked hush fell over the trio, only the crackle and howl of the fire was heard. Tobu wordlessly dropped the useless hilt, turning to face Konohamaru, fists clenched impossibly tight as his red eyes scowled down his brother.

“I know you…”, Konohamaru answered the look, raising his fists for a fight. “I know what language you speak.” He squared his feet. “I know how to figure this out.” Kakashi tried to stand, but the pain in his stomach was too overwhelming and thick drops of blood fell from the cut across his belly. “Sit this once out, Kakashi! I’ll take it from here…”, Konohamaru advised his teacher. 

Before anyone could take another breath, Tobu flashed forward, burying his left fist into Konohamaru’s stomach. Konohamaru doubled over, a wave of pain and nausea washing over him. With his free hand, Tobu grabbed a fistfull of Konohamaru’s hair, wrenching his head back and slamming him into the floor below. 

Before Tobu could press the attack, Konohamaru deftly slipped a kunai out of his vest pocket and plunged it into Tobu’s upper thigh. Tobu yelped in pain, releasing Konohamaru and stumbling back, both hands clutching the metal in his leg. Konohamaru jumped to his feet, struggling to stand up straight with the ache in his collar bone. Now they’re both hurt, but this still isn’t in Konohamaru’s favor, Kakashi thought. 

Tobu grit his teeth, growling as he pulled the kunai from his leg, letting it fall to the ground. Konohamaru already had his fists back up when their eyes met. 

“That was for earlier…”, he taunted his brother. All confliction in Tobu’s eyes was gone, replaced by a seething rage. His teeth clenched and his fists shook with anger. I’m not sure this is helping, Kakashi figured.

Tobu flew into a rage, flipping a nearby table into the air, sending it flying towards Konohamaru. The Sarutobi needed all of his focus to catch the furniture out of the air, leaving him helpless to a devastating right hook. Konohamaru stumbled back in a daze, unable to see a back kick coming right for the middle of his chest. He felt the full force of Tobu’s kick strike the raw, broken bones of his collar, but still had the awareness to grapple Tobu’s leg. 

Tobu tried to break his leg free of his brother’s grasp, pulling his foot inward. Konohamaru followed the pull, using the momentum to send his fist right into Tobu’s nose. It was Tobu’s turn to stumble backwards with Konohamaru following suit, still groaning in pain. Tobu didn’t stay down for long, sending an elbow behind him which found Konohamaru’s belly. He replied with a spinning strike, another right hook. Konohamaru stumbled back again, this time falling to one knee.

Konohamaru’s got no chakra and a broken bone. He’s no match for Tobu, not even in a fist fight!, Kakashi realized. He propped himself up on a table with one arm, the other still clutching his stomach wound. He looked up at the balcony, where Danzo still stood, arms crossed and an ever-growing frown. What’s he got to gain from Tobu killing us? This isn’t some power play anymore! He looked back to Tobu and Konohamaru. The former advanced on the latter, grabbing him by the collar of his vest and landing three strong blows into Konohamaru’s nose before the Sarutobi fell back onto the floor. Why does he want Tobu to kill his teammates? Besides the Anbu, we’re his closest friends. The wheels turned in his head, quickly falling into place. His eyes grew impossibly wide in horror. 

The back of Konohamaru’s head struck the wooden floor, blood pouring from a freshly broken nose. He could see the roof above beginning to catch fire, threatening to engulf the entire Mansion. Tobu stood over him, blocking out the smoky, yellow flames lighting the Library. Tobu leaned down to continue his onslaught, before Konohamaru jolted up, slamming his forehead, metal headband and all, into Tobu’s face. Tobu stuttered back, feeling his teeth cut into his lips. Blood began to flow from his mouth. He spat out the metallic taste, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, as Konohamaru staggered to his feet. 

Tobu suddenly began to weave hand signs, taking advantage of the chakra suppression field, before a pair of hands lunged forward and clasped over his. Konohamaru shoved Tobu’s hands back, punching him in the face with his own fist. 

“You never used chakra, in any of our fights…”, Konohamaru sputtered, blood and spit flying from his mouth. Tobu’s eyes grew wide, in horror and in rage. With a wailing howl, he shoved free of Konohamaru’s grasp, before sending a flurry of blows into his chest and face. The Sarutobi lurched back, defenseless to Tobu’s assault. Blow after blow, kick after punch, struck Konohamaru. Blood and spittle flew from his mouth as his head rolled after each strike. Tobu grunted and howled with each attack, growing more and more agitated and forceful. No! This is just like Neji! This can’t happen again!, he realized, trying his best to stand on his own. 

Konohamaru’s legs finally gave out. His back struck the floor yet again. The burning bookshelf behind Kakashi suddenly crumbled, burying the Copy Ninja in smoldering wood. Between the wound in his stomach and the weight of the wreckage, any attempt to pull himself free was in vain. No! Damn it! No!, try as he might, Kakashi could only watch as Tobu approached the prone Konohamaru. 

The Sarutobi coughed up a mouthful of blood, eyes falling on his attacker, his brother. 

“You gonna kill me now?”, he wheezed. Tobu stopped on his tracks, standing directly over his victim. “You… always fought me fair and square, no chakra and no tricks. Except for that time in the training field!”, Konohamaru still managed a smile through the gasping pain, remembering better times. Along with his broken nose, his right eye was now swollen shut, blood trickling out of it, and several infant bruises were quickly forming along his cheekbones. “You always fought me with your hands, like a brother. But now, you want to actually kill me? And for what? For some old geezer?”. Tobu took a retreating step, like a wounded animal realizing he was outmatched. Konohamaru just barely managed to prop up his elbows underneath him, leaning on his arms. “As long as I can remember, I’ve been trying to keep up with you. You were always stronger, bigger, and faster. But as long as I kept hitting you, none of that mattered. Boheki, the Chunin Exams, even against Itachi, I was always just trying and failing to keep up.” He leaned forward, painfully sitting up under his own power. “We all were, me and Kakashi. Hell, even Hanabi, just trying to keep up.”

Konohamaru bent his knees, lurching forward until he could begin to stand up on his own. Tobu took even more steps back, his face growing more and more anxious. Kakashi grunted and gasped, still trying to free himself from the wreckage. 

“Why don’t you let us keep trying?”, Konohamaru shook his head somberly. “Whatever this is, whatever’s going on, just let us help you. Let us try. I promise you, even after all this…” Konohamaru motioned around the burning room, “... we still want to help you…” 

Kakashi finally managed to free one of his arms and rapidly freed the others. He sprang to his feet, still clutching his stomach, as Tobu’s eyes darted to meet his. Tobu’s face was twisted in horror and conflict. It reminded Kakashi of that day in the hospital room, so many years ago. He knew what needed to be said wasn’t something words could communicate. 

With his open hand, he pulled down the left side of his face mask, freeing the red Sharingan from its cover. Without any chakra to feed off of, the Sharignan quickly began sapping Kakashi’s life force and his knees began to grow unsteady. 

Nonetheless, as Tobu’s Sharingan fell over Kakashi’s, the message was clear.

We are still here. And we are still your family.

Tobu’s face dropped, his eyes dropping to the floor in silence. All the rage and anger seemed to leave his body. His fists opened and his breathing slowed.

“Oh, enough of this!”, Danzo suddenly barked from the balcony above. His voice could barely be heard over the fire, but Kakashi and Konohamaru both turned their heads up. “If you won’t do what’s necessary, I will do it for you!”. He raised a hand above his head, snapping his fingers. In the blink of an eye, a small figure appeared beside Tobu’s right shoulder, who still stared into the floor. The figure wore an Anbu mask and uniform, but quickly removed the mask, letting it fall to the floor. Getting a good look at the figure’s face, Kakashi realized who it was. That’s Shinzo, the Anbu boy who got lost on patrol a few weeks ago!, he realized. 

Shinzo’s once bright blue eyes seemed to be darkened somehow and they stared up into the back of Tobu’s head. Shinzo stood bolt upright, back straight as an arrow, eyes unblinking. Tobu didn’t even react to the boy, as if his beloved understudy was nothing but a stone on the ground. 

“Kill him…”, Danzo’s voice boomed over the inferno engulfing the room although it wasn’t clear to whom. As if to answer, Shinzo mindlessly drew his Anbu short sword from his back and lifted it above his head, where it barely rose to Tobu’s shoulder. No… No, Danzo, you can’t do this!, Kakashi realized what was about to happen. His eyes darted to Konohamaru, who stood transfixed at the scene before him. With such a disfigured face, Kakashi couldn’t read Konohamaru’s expression. He began to hear his own heartbeat, thundering in his ear, as the Sharingan, with no chakra to feed off of, slowly took its toll on his life force. He knew he should cover it up, but he didn’t dare move a muscle.

Fulfilling Kakashi’s greatest fear, the dazed Shinzo began to bring the blade down onto Tobu. Despite their height difference, the blade would surely slash open Tobu’s neck and Kakashi wasn’t sure he would even stop the younger boy, but he was wrong.
Just before Shinzo’s blade could meet flesh, Tobu’s right wrist shot up, guarding his flank. Shinzo’s sword instead bit into the ceramic armor of Tobu’s wrist guard. Tobu parryed the strike, thrusting his arm forward and snapping his palm over Shinzo’s face, covering his eyes. Tobu jerked his left arm, freeing the tanto from his double-sided sheath, letting it fall into his hand. With a skilled flourish, Tobu gripped the tanto, swinging it around. Before Kakashi could call out, Tobu plunged the dagger into Shinzo’s neck. 

Above, Danzo drew in a sharp breath, inhaling no small amount of smoke. He coughed, but no croaking fit would tear his eyes away from the scene before him. A geyser of blood sprayed from Shinzo’s neck, splashing onto Tobu. Tiny drops of blood spread across Tobu’s face, like a shattered glass window seeing directly through to his fracturing soul. Shinzo’s legs immediately gave out, a torrent of blood rushing down his neck and onto the floor, taking the small boy’s life with it. 

Tobu held Shinzo, lowering him to the ground with a grace no one in the room had ever seen from him. He cradled the boy, finally releasing his hand from over his eyes, but even Sharingan could see any life in the empty, glassy eyes of the boy below. Shinzo didn’t make a single sound as the life left his body, not a single groan or gurgle. Instead, his arms fell limp, thumping onto the floor lifelessly. Tobu knew the boy was gone even before he sliced his neck open. He was very clearly under a genjutsu, he had been since Tobu found him on the outskirts of the village walls. The poor kid was dead the moment Tobu picked him up out of the grass. 

A wooden beam from the ceiling fell, crashing through the floor and into the basement below. Kakashi and Konohamaru instinctively flinched, but Tobu didn’t move an inch, staring unblinking and unbreathing.

He was as still and quiet as the dead body in his arms. 

“Finally…”, Danzo almost moaned from the floor above. At Danzo’s words, Tobu let Shinzo’s lifeless body slip from his arms, rolling onto the floor in front of him. Tobu’s outstretched arms were coated in blood, a different shade than any he’d ever seen. Even as the flames licked at the corners of his vision, the crimson coating his arms was the most horrifying thing he’d ever seen. Around the boy’s neck, amidst the blood and ruined flesh, was a little wooden horse. His lip began to quiver and he tried to rise to his feet. 

Suddenly, it felt as if a worm began crawling about behind his eyes, trying to free itself from a spherical prison. The crawling grew painful and then it grew unbearable. With a shrieking cry, Tobu’s bloody hands covered his face and his back arched in agony. He fell back to his knees and his covered face bent up towards the burning ceiling as he wailed in excruciation. Kakashi knew exactly what was happening.

He rushed forth to hold his son, when a sudden gust of wind knocked both him and Konohamaru to their feet, courtesy of Danzo.

“Leave him be! He is about to become more powerful than anyone in history. I will not have you interfere!”, Danzo raged. Tobu continued to howl in pain, swinging his face from side to side as if to free his eyes from the parasite, but it was to no avail. This was a pain Kakashi knew there was no escaping. 

Finally, Tobu’s cries ceased and he leaned forward, palms still covering his eyes. He hunched forward, only moving with the rise and fall of his heavy breathing. Kakashi and Konohamaru struggled to their feet, hesitant to approach the cornered beast.

Tobu’s hands slowly fell from his eyes, leaving a stain of gore across his face. Still, he didn’t look up from his lap. Kakashi stood still, his Sharingan’s drain on his energy becoming too much. With a pained groan, he finally resolved to cover his eyes with his other palm.

Konohamaru approached his brother, arm outstretched, but he got no response from Tobu.

“Behold… The Mangekyo Sharingan!”, Danzo announced from above.  

“Tobu…”, Konohamaru whimpered in fear, approaching his brother cautiously. Tobu didn’t make a noise or even move a muscle. Konohamaru reached out a hand, trying to be a calming presence in the calamity of blood and fire. 

Tobu’s head suddenly jolted up, his new eyes meeting Konohamaru’s. Where the accursed red three-tomoe Sharingan, there was now something far more horrific. Tobu’s sclera were jet-black, giving way to the typical red iris, which was now intersected by three, thick black lines each equidistant from each other. The trio of lines led across his iris and into onyx-black pupils that grew so dark they almost became purple at their core, a faint trace of his artificially hued chakra.

Konohamaru knelt down, in horror as in compassion. Despite his wounds, he didn’t see Tobu as an enemy, he wasn’t sure he ever had. Tobu looked up at him, like a frightened little brother looking up at his elder, tearfully begging for the pain to stop. Arm still coated in blood, he reached out for Konohamaru with two hands as the former reached back. Tobu’s face began to twist in despair and a sob worked its way up his throat. He clasped two strong hands over both of Konohamaru’s sleeves, pulling himself close. He looked up at his brother, cursed eyes growing intensely wide.

“Help…me…”