Chapter 3
Where the hell is Kakashi?
''What happened Obito, Rin? Please, tell me everything." Minato said in a low and desperate voice.
"Yes, sensei. You were hit by a jutsu that knocked you out, and Kakashi took the scroll from you. I think he believed he could take better care of it since you were unconscious. After that, we were chased by five people. It was clear they didn't want to harm you, sensei. It was all about the scroll, so they left you alone. I had the idea to split up to make it harder for them, which, in hindsight, was a foolish decision. Rin and I stayed together the whole time, but before they could harm us, one of them mentioned that they had captured the other boy. They left us, so we tried to find Kakashi, but we failed. We believe they meant him. They not only have the scroll, sensei, but also Kakashi," Obito explained and got tears in his eyes.
Minato just looked at them as if he was seeing a ghost.
He swollowed. ''How long have I been out?“
"You were out for hours, sensei!" Rin answered, her left hand intertwined with Obito's.
''After they left, we came back to find you. You were still unconscious."
Obito looked down at the ground, released Rin's hand, and fell to his knees.
''Damn you, Bakashi!“
He shook his head in disbelief and anger.
''This is all my fault.“
''What are you talking about, Obito? It wasn’t..," but before Rin could say anything else, she was interrupted by the boy on the ground.
''DON‘T YOU DARE TO SAY IT WASN‘T MY FAULT. IF I DIDN‘T COME UP WITH THE PLAN TO SPLIT UP, THAN MAYBE WE..“
Obito began to hyperventilate and it really painted Minato to see him like this so before his student could finish the sentence, he sat on the ground next to the boy, holding him as close as possible.
''I.. I-I'm sorry." Obito managed to get out.
"Sorry? No Obito.. No. You didn't do anything wrong. It isn’t your fault!"
"It is… D-Don’t say it isn’t!"
He shook his head desperately and his breath was coming out only in gasps.
Minato squeezed him gently and placed his hand on his back, rubbing circles on it.
''You need to stop," he whispered calmly, ''focus on my breathing. Obito, did you hear me? I need you to take some deep breaths with me, okay? Can you do that for me?"
Obito forced himself to calm down and to copy his teachers breathing.
Then he slowly looked up into Minato's eyes to read his expression and he received a nod and a smile.
Slowly he stood up and went back to stand next to Rin.
She looked at him with concern in her eyes but before either of them could say anything, Minato placed a hand on their heads.
''Good. And now I want you to listen to me.
Both of you.
Neither of you two is to blame!"
He paused a moment to collect his thoughts.
''No,I have to correct myself. None of you THREE are to blame. You did nothing wrong.
In a mission you are often brought into a situation where you have many different options and as a shinobi you have to make the best decision in the shortest possible time. That's very difficult. Even for a jonin like me.
You don't know what would have happen if you had stayed together.
If you want to blame someone, then blame me.
I am your teacher. I am in charge. I failed and I'm sorry. But I don't have the time right now to think about what I could have done differently.
If you are right and the opponents have Kakashi, then we have to find him as soon as possible. We can sort out everything else later, is that okay for you?"
Both of them noded in determination.
''Very good. Then let’s go and safe Kakashi!“ He grinned even when he actually felt like crying.
—-time skip—-
One week.
They needed one week to find Kakashi and it was one of the worst experiences Minato had ever gone through.
After Minato, Rin and Obito were unsuccessful in finding the young boy, they requested a backup team.
And lord third sent the one person, Minato needed in that moment the most.
Well, the person he needed right now might be Kakashi but neverless he never felt more happiness in seeing his old teacher.
''You’re thinking too hard Minato. I can see smoke coming out of your ears.”Jiraya laughed when he said it so Minato knew not to take offense, but it didn’t change the fact that of all the people on his team, Jiraya should be the one who understand him the most.
So why was he making fun of him?
Minato turned to stare at him. "How dare you-"
"I dare because I understand," Jiraya interrupted. ''I have been in that place, Minato. I’m so much older than you and had my own experiences. Is it hard, I know that. I know what you are feeling. Fear. Guilt. Wondering if other people would look at you and give you the fault.Wondering if they would think you or Kakashi deserved it but don‘t you dare to think about it.
Don‘t you dare to give up hope.Kakashi Hatake is not someone to get down easily, Minato..we aren’t allowed to lose our trust in him.
So I'm joking to make things a little easier.For you.For your students."
There was a break in Jirays’s speech, both men silent.
Minato bowed his head in shame. He should known better. His Sensei always wanted just the best for him.
Sighing, Jiraiya continued. "Believe in your team, who has your back and whose backs you have, Minato. I need you to believe that everything's going to be alright, or you'll destroy yourself," he softly lectured.
Minato thought he would be able to handle it. He thought he could control all of his emotions.
He had become so concentrated on the good things that he had allowed himself to forget that bad things happen too but his sensei is right.
He needed to believe.
He needed to believe in Kakashi.
And then, after a week, they found the first information about Kakashi’s whereabouts.
He can't even remember exactly how everything went. He only remembered that he grabbed Rin and Obito by their hands and ran as fast as he could to the shelter to save Kakashi.He was aware that Jiraya-Sensei followed him and while he and his students were looking for Kakashi, he took care of the opponents.
Minato couldn't care less of what happend to them.
He just wanted to have Kakashi back.
And then they found him.
-flashback ends-