Life So Reckless, Tragedy Endless
Not long after I finished texting Naruto, Itachi knocks on the door to my room. I open it to see him in a semi-casual outfit: black pants and a hoodie of his favorite band, Avenged Sevenfold hoodie (specifically a black one with the cover of Nightmare on the front and the songs from the album on the back).
“Nice to see I don’t need to change. Naruto said he would come.”
”Yeah, we’re just going to that sandwich shop in town, no need to overdress. It’ll be nice to see Naruto again though, it’s been a while for me.”
”It has. I wish I could’ve had him over more recently. Should I tell him we’re about to leave?”
“Up to you. We’re gonna pick Kakashi up first since he’s closer so you could just tell Naruto when we leave to pick him up from Kakashi’s.”
”Alright. That works.”
S: Hey, Itachi and I are gonna pick you up after we go get Kakashi. We’re just going to that sandwich place in town so you don’t need to dress up any particular way.
Around a minute goes by and before my brother and I get in his car. Itachi connects his phone to the aux of his car and opens his music app. A few seconds later, music starts to flow through the speakers.
“Hey, what song is this? It doesn’t sound like what you normally listen to.”
”It’s called Requiem, and yes it does. It’s an Avenged Sevenfold song.”
“Oh, I feel like you’ve told me about this song once or twice. But I can tell now from the voice. I swear, you listen to them so much it rubs off on me.”
”Heh. They’re good, of course I listen to them often.”
”Yeah, yeah. Actually, what language is that? The lyrics are in English and something else I can’t understand.”
”Latin. Requiem means rest in Latin.”
”Ah.”
The rest of the car ride, was quiet. Only the sound of Itachi’s music holding the silence at bay. Around 10 minutes later, we pulled into the parking lot of a decently large apartment complex and my brother pulled his phone out of his pocket to text his partner. Out steps the familiar man with his mask and silver hair, giving us a wave as he walks to the car.
”Yo. I’m sorry that I made you wait. I almost forgot something.”
”It’s alright Kakashi, Sasuke was busy too. What did you almost forget?”
”Today is the anniversary of Obito’s death. I went to the graveyard like I always do every year. I know it’s dumb but it’s just a tradition now. I miss him still.”
”Hey babe, it’s okay. It’s not stupid at all. You two were close, served together, that’s something that bonds those in service for life. It wasn’t your fault. It isn’t your fault.” Itachi tells Kakashi, trying to reassure his boyfriend.
Kakashi quickly, yet solemnly responds, ”I know. I feel like I’m insufficient though. He saved my life from enemy soldiers several times and I can’t even get him out of a building before it collapsed.”
”That’s survivor’s guilt. I bet he would’ve thought the exact same thing if your roles were reversed.”
”Enough on that, love. We should get going, no?”
”Alright. Just so you know, Sasuke wanted to bring Naruto too so we’re gonna go pick him up before we go eat.”
”Oh!” Kakashi exclaims in surprise. “I haven’t seen him in a while. Captain Namikaze has had me on a lot of solo missions so I’ve been busy with them and paperwork.”
”Really? Woulda figured you’d work with Gai or Tenzo.” Itachi says, seeming surprised at the description.
”Captain has me chasing down the ex-Sannin - Orochimaru.”
”How’s that going?”
”About how you’d expect.”
”Nothing?”
”No, couple leads. I’ve found a few of his labs. There stuff he does in there makes me wish Sarutobi would’ve just executed him when he had the chance.”
I finally speak up after letting the other two talk how they wanted without interruption: ”Wait. We had a chance to assassinate Orochimaru. The master assassin, political manipulator, and the most brutal, inhumane scientist, Orochimaru?”
”That’s the guy. But assassinate isn’t the right word, it would’ve been an execution. Hiruzen found one of his labs below Konoha, Orochimaru present and performing an experiment. That bastard let him walk out - exiled him - but still. I was on patrol that night when he was leaving. We’d heard through comms what Sarutobi let happen. I thought it was better for the nation to try to stop them, so I entered combat with the Sannin. He obviously wiped the floor with me, we were both younger. I didn’t have the experience, and his body hadn’t declined much yet.”
”He let you live?”
”Wasn’t going to. Minato bailed me out of that one. He heard the fighting and got in the way. Forced Orochimaru out of the Village and into hiding temporarily. That was just before we found Tenzo, you’d like him I think.”
”Wow. With all the shit you’ve gone through, it’s obvious why you’re in the Anbu.”
“That was a suggestion from Minato. After Obito and Rin’s deaths, he suggested that I join the Anbu and use my darkness to help the nation. He thought maybe I could find a new life in that.”
”Has it helped?”
”No. I still remember my first mission after joining. It was an assassination. My job was to take down this old man, he was an arms-smuggler helping Amegakure. I entered his house and found him sitting on the floor. He saw the blade in my hand and begged for forgiveness, which I wouldn’t give. After I plunged the blade through his chest, he fell. Dead, no chance of escaping death this time. As I was leaving, I looked back at him. Seeing him with his grey hair and the blade reminded me of my father. How I came back from school one day and found that exact same blade on the floor next to him, blood coating the weapon once again. This time, the blood he shed was his own. In that moment, I was about to take my own life.”
“Oh. I’m… sorry, Kakashi.”
”It wasn’t your fault, don’t apologize. If you don’t mind, could you share one of your stories? You are in the forces, correct?” Kakashi asks me in response, likely trying to lighten the mood for us all, or at least take the attention off of himself and his mental health issues.
“I’m gonna be. I worked with the family company, Izanagi Security Services. Most people don’t know that we do private investigations too, that’s actually how I met Naruto.”
”Yeah?”
”It was a little after his birthday one year. Some big-shot business tycoon named Gatō ordered a hit on a local architect. I was supposed to watch over him and keep him safe while he led the construction of a new bridge. Naruto and his band were there, they volunteered to help build it and they played music during down-time. The assassin showed up on the third morning I was there. You might know him, Zabuza Momochi.”
”Yeah, I know him. One of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist.”
”I fended him off for a while until a crowd gathered, they were hired by that businessman Gatō. In the crowd, there was a person in a dress that stood out. They said their name was Haku and they convinced Zabuza to turn on Gatō. After that was a slaughter of Gatō’s men by the pair before Zabuza left. Haku gave me his contact info, I still keep in touch with her.”
”Wait. Is this Haku a boy or a girl? You’re using both he/him and she/her pronouns for them.” Kakashi questions, seemingly confused.
”They’re AMAB but use he/she/they pronouns, so I use all of them when referring to him.”
”Ohh. That’s cool.”
”Anyways, they’re nice. Since we’re all telling stories, Itachi should talk about his first Anbu mission.”
”Should I wait? We’re almost at your boyfriend’s house.”
”That’s fine. Let me text the dork that we’re almost there.”
”Alright.”
A couple minutes later, we pull up to the curb in front of Naruto’s house and I see him sitting on the porch with his phone out and a typical outfit for him on. He sees us and runs up to the car before getting in next to me, behind Itachi.
“Hey! I missed you Sasuke.”
”I saw you two days ago.”
”I start to miss you as soon as I leave you. Anyways, hi Kakashi! I haven’t seen you in a while.”
”Hello, Naruto. We were just telling stories we’ve had, Sasuke told us about the time you met.”
”Oh! He told you about the bridge thing?”
”Yeah. What story did you tell?”
”My first Anbu mission.”
”You told them about your meeting with Orochimaru?”
”Yeah, but that wasn’t that story. I met him before I was in Anbu.”
”Which one was it then?”
”The arms-dealer.”
”Ohh. By the way, my dad saw you through a window and he wants to talk to you.”
”Okay. I guess we’re waiting a bit for dinner then.”
”It shouldn’t be long. He’s coming out now.”
”Hello, captain Namikaze.”
”Oh please, just call me Minato when we aren’t working.”