Escalation
Nervously, Minato paced back and forth in his office, his thoughts revolving around the missing Kakashi. Every possible place the silver-haired ninja usually retreated to had been searched in vain. There was no sign of Kakashi. The uncertainty gnawed at Minato, his worry growing with each passing minute. Desperately, he searched for a solution, a clue, anything that could help him. But his thoughts seemed to be running in circles, the worry simply too overwhelming. Deep down, he knew he needed to remain calm, but the thought of Kakashi wouldn’t leave him alone.
An ANBU appeared in the office and knelt before Minato. Instantly, Minato stopped and turned to the ANBU. "Any news?" he asked urgently.
For a moment, there was silence as the ANBU felt Minato's anxiety. He lowered his head and shook it regretfully. "We've searched the entire village, but we couldn't find any trace of him," he reported in a subdued voice.
Minato slammed his fist on the desk. "Damn it! He can't just have vanished off the face of the earth. I want you to search everything again, even in the Forest of Death. Turn every stone!" he ordered sharply. The ANBU nodded curtly and disappeared in a puff of smoke.
Frustrated, Minato leaned against his desk and rubbed his tired face. Regret gnawed at him. Kakashi had been behaving strangely for some time, and every time he had dismissed his concerns. If he had paid more attention to Kakashi, he might have found out what was going on. But now it was too late. Kakashi was gone, and Minato feared the worst.
A knock at the door pulled Minato from his grim thoughts. For a moment, he hesitated before responding. "Come in!" he called tiredly, sinking wearily into his chair. The door opened and Shikaku Nara entered, his worried expression speaking volumes. Slowly, he walked further into the room and stood in front of the desk. Minato directed his gaze at Shikaku. "What can I do for you?" he asked, his voice heavy with worry.
Shikaku crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow. "I should be asking you that question," he began. "I heard what happened. Your ANBU guard is worried about you. How can I help?"
Minato shrugged helplessly and sank back in his chair. "I've thought through everything and searched every place Kakashi might be, but there's no trace of him," he explained desperately.
"I understand," Shikaku murmured, thinking for a moment before a reassuring smile touched his lips. "Let's go over everything calmly. Tell me everything that was unusual in the last few days. Maybe we'll find a clue we've overlooked."
Minato nodded gratefully and smiled slightly. Maybe with Shikaku's help, they could take a step forward. He didn't want to leave any stone unturned, and if anyone could come up with an idea, it was Shikaku. Gradually, Minato recounted everything: Kakashi's strange behavior recently and how he had even put an ANBU under a genjutsu.
A thoughtful silence settled in as Shikaku's expression gradually darkened. He took a deep breath before speaking. "You mentioned Danzo's threat to me the other day. Have you ever considered that he might have something to do with this?"
Minato raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Kakashi clearly disappeared on his own. If Danzo had kidnapped him, my ANBU would have noticed."
Shikaku shook his head. "I don't mean he's directly responsible for the disappearance. But maybe he has something to do with Kakashi's behavior. What if Danzo has already carried out his threat and is now somehow connected to Kakashi?”
Minato's eyes widened as the realization dawned on him and he grasped the significance. "You mean Kakashi could be on his way to Danzo? But he would have reported to me if something had happened."
"He's probably trying to protect you," Shikaku explained. "Kakashi suffered greatly from your death. It wouldn't surprise me if he blamed himself for your and Kushina's fate. Maybe that's why he withdrew, to not burden you further and to resolve everything on his own."
Minato sank exhausted into his chair. "He doesn't stand a chance against Danzo," he muttered in horror. After a brief moment of silence, he sprang to his feet and raised his hand. An ANBU agent appeared next to Shikaku. "Summon all the ANBU immediately and head to Danzo. Waste no time!" The agent disappeared in the next moment, and Minato set himself in motion, determined to leave nothing to chance.
Shikaku looked at Minato, confused. "What are you planning?" he asked, his voice tinged with concern.
"I'm going to save my son!" Minato said resolutely as he left the office. He wouldn't allow Kakashi to sacrifice himself, if that was indeed the case. All the pieces of the puzzle had finally come together, and Minato blamed himself for not noticing sooner. Now it might already be too late.
***********
Kakashi took a deep breath, carefully pulling his headband over his left eye to remain incognito. With determination, he stepped forward and approached the two Root agents guarding the entrance to the headquarters. The agents immediately sensed the tension as Kakashi calmly drew closer. "What do you want here, Hatake?" one of the guards asked sharply.
"Stay calm," Kakashi said, raising his hands in a placating gesture. "I need to speak with Danzo. I have important information that might interest him." He lied smoothly and confidently, carefully assessing the situation.
The two Root agents exchanged a quick glance and nodded to each other. One of them disappeared immediately, while the other looked at Kakashi and said, "Wait here. Danzo will come if he's interested."
Kakashi nodded in agreement and stood quietly, patiently waiting. Minutes passed, and the agent watched him warily from a distance. Finally, after what seemed like an endless wait, Danzo appeared, his mere presence intimidating.
"Hatake," Danzo greeted him with a curt nod. "What brings you to me?"
Kakashi took another deep breath before speaking. "I need to discuss something with you in private."
Danzo scrutinized Kakashi intensely before a faint grin appeared on his face. "You're not here just to talk," he began, slowly circling Kakashi. Immediately, Kakashi noticed the shift in atmosphere; the Root agents tensed up. Kakashi bit his lip, never taking his eyes off Danzo.
"I'll ask you again: What do you want here?" Danzo asked sharply, his voice cutting through the tension like a knife.
Kakashi did not avert his gaze and looked at him with determination. His resolve was unwavering; he wanted to hold Danzo accountable. "I want to fight you and defeat you," he declared firmly. "You must be punished for sending my father to his death and threatening my family." With these words, he reached for his headband, ready for the fight.
Before Kakashi could grab his headband, he was suddenly ensnared by tree roots that bound his hands behind his back and pinned him to the ground. His gaze shifted to the side, where a boy stood next to Danzo, forming hand signs. Kakashi recognized him immediately. It was the same boy he had seen shortly after Minato's death, when Danzo had manipulated him and briefly brought him to his side. After the assassination attempt on the Third Hokage, Kakashi had let the boy go; his jutsu was too valuable for the village.
But his attention returned to Danzo, who stood before him, looking down at him coldly. "You didn't really think you could just come here and attack me. I didn't think you were this naive," he said coolly and turned away. The bindings around Kakashi tightened, cutting into his skin. He bit his lip to suppress a pained groan. "It's a shame to lose such a talented shinobi, but you brought this on yourself. You should have just cooperated."
The roots that had held him to the ground vanished, and two Root agents grabbed him, forcing him to his knees. Squinting, Kakashi looked up at Danzo and glared at him angrily. "You didn't really think I'd betray Minato-sensei and become your puppet! I won't let you get away with this.”
Danzo turned back to Kakashi, regarding him with blatant indifference. "What could you possibly accomplish? Let's end this now. If I kill you, your sensei will step down on his own."
A Root agent drew his sword and approached Kakashi menacingly. Kakashi swallowed hard, but his gaze remained resolute. Even though he couldn't think of a way out, he held onto his courage. He realized he had acted rashly, but he hadn't expected Danzo to simply kill him. Perhaps he really had been too naive.
Before the Root agent could get any closer, a cold but familiar voice rang out: "Release Kakashi immediately! This is your only warning!"
Kakashi's gaze shifted to Minato, and he saw the anger in his eyes. Minato took a few steps closer, ready to intervene at any moment. Danzo appeared unimpressed and relaxed as he looked at Minato. "What are you doing here? You have no business here. This is my concern."
"That's not right!" Minato retorted, fixing Danzo with an icy glare. "I will not stand by and watch you execute my son!"
Kakashi's eyes widened in surprise – Minato considered him his son. A warmth he hadn't felt in a long time spread through him. Perhaps he should have spoken to Minato from the beginning.
Danzo snorted angrily. "He came here and threatened me. I can't just let that go."
Minato's eyes narrowed into thin slits. "We can sort that out later, but first, you will release Kakashi!" he said with a calm but determined voice.
Kakashi watched intently as Danzo stared at Minato for what felt like an eternity. The Root agents visibly tensed, and Minato's Anbu began to emerge from their cover, while Kakashi remained restrained. The tension around them was palpable.
Finally, Danzo broke the silence. "Fine," he said reluctantly, "but this isn't over." He gave a brief signal to his Root agents, and the bindings around Kakashi loosened. Kakashi immediately struggled to his feet and slowly walked towards Minato. Their eyes met for the first time, and Kakashi couldn't help but feel a sense of relief.
Just as Kakashi was about to take another step, a sudden sharp pain pierced through him, and he froze instantly. Minato's eyes widened in horror as he kept his gaze fixed on Kakashi. In that moment, time seemed to stand still. Slowly, Kakashi lowered his gaze and saw a sword protruding from his chest, blood gushing from the wound. The next moment, his body jerked as the sword was pulled out. He stumbled briefly but managed to stay on his feet. Unable to react, he stared at his wound, watching the blood soak his sweater.
Kakashi's visible eye slowly traveled upward and met Minato's shocked gaze. Gradually, his vision began to blur, and he staggered, threatening to lose his balance and fall forward. Before he could hit the ground, Minato was at his side, catching him. "Kakashi?!" he whispered desperately.
Out of the corner of his eye, Kakashi noticed Minato's Anbu coming out of their cover and surrounding Danzo, who held the bloody sword and stared impassively at Kakashi and Minato. Danzo made no move to resist, and the Root agents remained still and silent.
All of this seemed to pass by Kakashi as his vision blurred further, and darkness slowly enveloped him. He felt Minato's grip tighten. His gaze traveled upward to meet Minato's eyes. Tears glistened in the Hokage's deep blue eyes.
"Don't worry, everything will be alright," Minato whispered before unconsciousness overtook Kakashi.