Kindling

Ok, Kakashi thought, ok that – he didn’t know enough history to know what to do with that. Still, “Alright” the Hatake said slowly “alright, I’ll look into that and do what I can, um, could take a bit and if I have to have that-“ “Him” Kagami hissed from the door “-him, have to have him, it could take a bit but I’ll work on it, ok?” there was nothing but silence from the sarcophagus and Kakashi swallowed hard, wondering exactly how alive Madara was in there and what kind of air he had because – nope, not going to think about that, Kakashi couldn’t let him out to destroy the whole museum or Konoha entirely (Kakashi had to live here!) and so there was nothing he could do about it, not yet anyway. Unnerved the Hatake backed away from the sarcophagus and past the watching guard statues, trying to ignore the turning stone heads as he did until he bumped into Kagami’s horse, “So” he asked, trying to ignore his rough voice “you know who Tobirama is?” Kagami snorted and grabbed at Kakashi, hauling him up onto the horse sideways, spurring away and not speaking until they were at least a hall away from the recreation of the tomb. “To an extent, he was before my time but I read most of his books and he had a singularly brilliant mind. His brother was Hashirama” ah, Kakashi knew that name, it would be hard not to know the name of one of the founders of Konoha “but when you look into it it was Tobirama that did most of the work, Hashirama was the outward face of the regime and the diplomat but it was Tobirama that designed the infrastructure and the first electrical grid as well as the plumbing and – well, you get the idea, I always thought it was a travesty he was forgotten from the records of our history.”

The Uchiha sighed deeply “But he died relatively young under uncertain circumstances in Kumo and Madara attacked shortly after so it was rather forgotten; it's odd though, now that I think about it, Madara was a devoted part of the village for a long time and was away on a long diplomatic mission as high nobility when Tobirama went missing and when he came back from his mission he was insane with rage and trying to rip the village apart and no one even knows why, what had flipped.” And now what Madara screamed for was Tobirama, huh, confusing; shaking his head Kakashi set that aside, “Do we know where Tobirama was buried? It wasn’t in Kumo right? ‘Cuz I don’t know how to get to Kumo to dig up a body that I don’t know where was buried.” Kagami snorted a bit, shrugging, “I am not sure, there are some records that indicate that his body was repatriated to Konoha after everything died down, but it would have been little more than bones at that point and I never saw anything about where his body was placed after it was brought back.” No, but, Kakashi still might be in the books to get into the old Senju crypts; Minato had taken him there a few times when he was younger as part of his duties as mayor and Kakashi had never been told he had been taken off the list so. Still, it might be best to find out why Madara wanted the Senju before he brought another corpse to the museum even if it was there. Hmm something to do tomorrow, for now –

“Kagami, this whole ‘locking everyone in every night’, how do you feel about it?” Kakashi asked lazily kicking his legs careful of the horse as he pulled out his book. Ahead of him Kagami twitched slightly, his dark red sheened eyes fixed forward as they road the rounds, “I think that that has always been the policy in the museum ever since this started, Danzo implemented it,” (Kakashi didn’t miss the strange twist to Kagami’s voice on the old guard’s name) “it keeps the museum clean and orderly and if any of us are outside the radius of the Urn at sunrise we turn to ash so –“ “You don’t like it.” It wasn’t a question and Kagami stilled as Kakashi hummed and flipped a page “I hadn’t realized Danzo was here so long, over fifty four years is a long time even if he looks old enough to be eighty.” At that the Uchiha snorted and relaxed a bit, clearly he had been expecting some sort of retribution which didn’t bode well all things considered; clearly Kakashi had a lot of research to do.

Kakashi arrived home just in time to see Gai walking Naruto through his morning pushups (ridiculous, but seemed to help the kid's endless energy so Kakashi didn’t argue) and after gently cuffing his…..partner? (Look, they never really sorted out what they were; at first Kakashi was too traumatized to even think about Gai’s place in his life as anything other than the roommate that kept him from killing himslef regularly or ending up institutionalized. When Kakashi started to recover and see Gai more his feelings changed but he didn’t know what to do about it so instead he pushed for awkward friends and let Gai call him his ‘Eternal Rival’ even if it wasn't quite what he thought he maybe wanted now – and then there was the attack and Kakashi had a baby to raise and – well, nine years later and Gai was still faithfully at his side, unchanging and unfailing and helping raise Naruto as they lived in this odd limbo relationship that Kakashi wasn’t entirely sure wasn’t all in his head and Gai really was fine with what they had. Still, as long as he stayed perhaps it didn’t matter so much.) “Ka-nii!” Naruto shrieked excitedly when he saw Kakashi step in, hand walking over and back-bending to stand and wrap his skinny arms around the Hatake’s waist, still brimming with energy, “how was work? Was it interesting? Can I come sometime? Teacher says I’m not allowed to go to museums because I have too much energy and might mess something up and –“

The familiar lance of anger at Naruto’s teacher flashed through Kakashi and he carefully breathed through it (he no longer had the immunity he used too), smiling down at his pup as the dogs crowded around, Pakkun in the lead, “Sure you can come Naru, it’ll have to be on a non school night but-“ He started, ruffling the fluffy blond hair, “Tonight’s not a school night!” Naruto gasped excitedly all but dancing on the spot and nearly glowing with excitement. Uncertain (there was after all the reanimated body of the man that had nearly wiped Konoha off the map in there after all, not to mention the Forest of Death animals and the Kitsune and-) Kakashi looked at Gai who shrugged, black eyes glinting, “I have to be at work tonight” he offered apologetically and the Hatake grimaced, he couldn’t leave Naruto alone all night (Hiruzen would know and it wouldn’t be right either way) but with Gai’s work they couldn’t exactly argue when he was called in. Maybe….Naruto was a smart kid and, uh, bouncy, he would be ok right? It could be quiet like last night and he could find someone responsible (huh, there had to be a statue of Tsunade Senju somewhere and he had been told enough to think she would do ok) in the museum, he didn’t have to make any changes yet until he knew more about the whole Tobirama thing anyway.

“Alright, ok you can come to work, but if you get tired you have to nap in the office, ok?” Kakashi finally acquiesced with a sigh, rolling his eyes as the blond launched into a victory dance, Gai joining in moments, “Ok, ok, now go get ready for school” Naruto’s face instantly fell and Gai shared a sympathetic look with the child (he too hadn’t learned the traditional way and paid for it in school) “I know pup, but you have to go.” Naruto nodded sadly, Kakashi had already explained to him why school was so important to Kakashi keeping him in the kindest terms he could and the boy got it (he was smarter than his teachers gave him credit for), but he didn’t like it and Kakashi didn’t blame him. With a tiny sigh the boy turned away and trudged off to get ready for school leaving Gai and Kakashi alone, “When do you have to leave?” Kakashi asked with faux boredom, examining his nails and trying not to squirm under that look Gai got some times, “As soon as you get Naruto to school.” He answered softly moving closer as Kakashi shifted and wished for his book, eyes flicking away “Be safe and all that, try to come home soon.” He muttered, rubbing the back of his neck as Gai laughed in that soft way he only did very, very rarely, “I will be, you know me, nothing takes down the Green Beast!” He boasted, teeth glinting in the light as he pointed a thumb at himslef and Kakashi rolled his eyes glad to be back on safe ground as he moved to make breakfast.

Goodbyes with Gai were awkward as ever- Naruto didn’t know about his job, technically Kakashi didn’t either,- and seeing Naruto’s light go out as he entered the school and his shoulders hunched sucked but there was nothing Kakashi could do when Hiruzen had all but threatened him if Naruto went somewhere else and he had the contacts to make it happen too. Teeth grit Kakashi turned away and shoved his hands into his pockets, unwilling to go back and sleep in an empty apartment he turned instead to the library; time to brush up on Konoha’s history and the story of Madara and Tobirama in particular.

Seven hours later Kakashi had chugged four red-eye coffees, three red bulls, a shitty burrito from the coffee shop and knew a lot more about who to start with on the whole not keeping everyone locked up and was bewildered about the whole Madara/Tobirama thing. There were very few records from that time in Ancient Fire and all he had found was that the end of the Warring Clans period was brought about by Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju with the help of a few careful marriages between clans that led to Konoha; after the village was established things were better recorded but it fell apart again about the time that Tobirama Senju vanished in Kumo and there was no information on why Madara had gone insane on his mission to the Daimyo, only that he had returned in a rage and nearly succeeded in destroying the village. As for Tobirama Senju there was almost nothing about him, only what Kagami Uchiha had written in his day and what little had been added since as they discovered more he had pioneered in the village mostly through signatures on documents; his death was almost completely unexplained as was why he was in Kumo at all, but there was a note that said that his bones had been returned to the Senju so Kakashi was hoping a crypt trip tomorrow would supply him with something more. Hopefully.

Both wired and tired Kakashi leaned on a tree across from the school as Naruto slunk out, head down and eyes wet; biting back the angry snarl that wanted to cross his lips Kakashi just opened his arms for his pup and hugged him tightly as he could until the shaking stopped.  “Ready to go see the museum?” Kakashi asked awkwardly, glad when Naruto brightened, nodding vigorously and remained cheerful all the way through an early dinner and homework and right up to the steps of the museum. Awed the little blond stared up the tall stone steps his jaw dropped and eyes shining and it dimed not at all when Kakashi snuck him into the office to hide with Pakkun and Bull until the lockdown was done. Iruka was the last to leave and Kakashi walked up behind him where he stood at the Tomb of Madara, coughing to alert the man he was there and holding back a snort when the historian still jumped out of his skin, “Oh! Is it that time already? I didn’t realize how late it was getting!” the younger man babbled, Kakashi eyeing him with curiosity, “You study Madara right?” he asked laconically and Iruka shifted awkwardly, looking intimidated as he nodded, “So, tell me about him, like, what were his important relationships? What did he care about? Why did he go mad?”

Iruka shifted again, looking confused, “Um, he was clan leader so he was much loved by his clan and we know he was close to his younger brother before Izuna married into the court of Fire- that was who he was visiting in addition to diplomacy when whatever happened to push him over the edge happened- some things indicate he close to Hashirama Senju when they were younger but it seems like his relationship with the Senju got strained later in life and we’re not sure why. Some argument they had frequently apparently. As for any others…he was a lonely man as far as I can tell, I read one thing that looked like fragments of marriage seal of the day but there has never been strong proof he married or had children or even considered doing so, instead the clan passed to his cousin Hikaku who was Kagami’s ancestor. Does that answer your question?” no, no it didn’t but Kakashi was out of time so he just shrugged instead and held up his keys, “I suppose, but, I have to lock up now so if you could….” “Oh! Right, ok, I’ll get out of your hair, have a good night Kakashi!” and with that Iruka was gone, leaving Kakashi in front of the looming tomb.

With a sigh the Hatake turned away, checking the halls and then heading down for Naruto just as the light started to change, unsurprised to find the child asleep with the dogs and waking both up to take up to the main room with him. “This is amazing!” Naruto whispered, staring around with eyes like dinner plates, “Can we really look around! Please!” Kakashi found a smile cracking his exhaustion as his ward turned to him with eyes like the high-summer sky in August, Pakkun panting cheerfully at his feet. “Soon” the Hatake promised “for now it would be best if you got behind the desk, just in case…” he trailed off as the light started going down and he hustled Naruto behind the desk, Pakkun posted in front of him. This time as the Urn activated Kakashi could almost see it, a wash of strange light flushing over the museum (wait, there was something – something Kakashi was missing) and then the great skeleton was shaking its head, all nine bone tails whipping and then freezing as its empty eye sockets landed on Pakkun and Bull who’s ruffs were bristling along their spines at the sight of the reanimated bijuu. “Wooowwww” a small voice breathed at Kakashi’s hip and he glanced down, wincing but unsurprised to see Naruto had crept up from behind the counter and was standing at his side, looking like it was Christmas and his birthday all at once “this is the coolest thing I have ever seen.”

“The Kyuubi is very impressive.” a voice said from behind them and Naruto whipped around hand fisted in Kakashi’s pants as he stared at Kagami on his horse “The dogs were a good idea Guard, perhaps you could introduce me?” Rolling his eyes a bit Kakashi smirked under his mask and waved a lazy hand at his stunned pup, “Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze Hatake, meet the honorable Kagami Uchiha, head of the Uchiha clan in his day and founder of this museum.” Naruto blinked his huge blue eyes, not appearing to notice Kagami’s sharp look at his middle names that Kakashi answered with a slow blink that revealed nothing, “You made the museum?” Naruto breathed, awed and recapturing Kagami’s attention easily, “This is the coolest place ever!” the blonde cheered and Kagami actually blushed, looking flustered at the earnest wonder in Naruto’s eyes. However any further introduction or dealing with the Kyuubi was put on the back burner when Kakashi heard a spine tingling roar far, far, too close; slowly Kagami’s eyes moved to him with huge, worried eyes, “Guard, you did lock up tonight didn’t you? At least the Forest of Death exhibit?” he asked slowly and Kakashi nodded equally slowly, “I did, I definitely locked all the halls before I got Naruto but –“ wait “the loading dock, I might have missed the loading dock with my focus on the whole living museum thing.”

Kagami swallowed hard, clearly tracking Kakashi’s worried thought, if the loading dock hadn’t been secured then someone could have come in if they knew the gate command which – fuck, who knew when that had been changed last. “Naruto, take my hand and don’t let go” the Hatake snapped, the world already narrowing around him as his training set in “Kagami, try to get the worst exhibits under control or helping look for intruders if possible, Pakkun stay with the Kyuubi, Bull down to the loading dock, Naruto…” he trailed off, what to do? His training told him that for the Forest of Death exhibit to be the first opened the intruders knew the exhibits and the power of the Urn as well as the gate code and all of that leaned to some very specific candidates of who had entered the museum. His first instinct was to discount the old guards given their age but – there had been something off about Danzo from the beginning and the way Kakashi had been hired so quickly; something was off about all of this, not to mention the allusion that he had known more about Kakashi than he should have – ok. Focus, think like a mission, what would Danzo be after? The Urn, clearly, and probably anything valuable he could get his hands on as well to shift the blame if nothing else. So, two objectives: keep Naruto safe and secure the Urn, secondary objective: apprehend Danzo and hope that the Fugaku Uchiha had enough power as police chief to keep him if Sarutobi was in on this too (how else would Danzo have known those things? And they were the right generation so – it was a bit of a jump but Kakashi thought it was supportable).

“Naruto stay with me, don’t leave my side, and remember everything Gai taught you, got it?” the small blonde nodded sharply, face serious and focused as he grabbed the back of Kakashi’s jacket so that they wouldn’t get separated and the Hatake still had his hands free. With one last deep breath and a nod to Kagami Kakashi launched himslef toward the elevator, trying to track the tiger the size of Kagami’s stallion as it leapt over the edge of a balcony and made for them at terrifying speed, more GIANT animals pouring over the stairs and balconies followed by screaming men who’s bones seemed to be exploding out of their skin (don’t think about it). Naruto made a tiny frightened sound and they dove in the elevator, Kakashi slamming the highest floor and doors close, his last glimpse of the Kyuubi planting itself in front of the front doors (huh, maybe it could be worked with) as the elevator closed and the small space filled with soft music and frightened breathing. Quickly Kakashi knelt and grabbed Naruto’s shoulders, “We’re about to go somewhere very scary, ok, I need you to hide as soon as we get in and stay very small and very still no matter what you see ok? It's going to be scary” (whether he found Danzo or had to wake Madara it was going to be scary, he wasn’t honestly sure which one he wanted at this point).

Naruto nodded hugging Kakashi very fast and then tucking himself behind the Hatake as the door opened with a soft ding and they stepped out into the dim corridor where muffled roaring could be heard. Warily Kakashi approached the tomb, eyes peeled for Danzo as he stepped in and looked around in the dim light, gently pushing Naruto away to hide in the many shadowed nooks of the space and ignoring the way the Tengu’s heads turned to follow him but seemed to discount Naruto which was the important thing. “Danzo!” the Hatake yelled, edging into the space where the sarcophagus was and unsurprised to hear it go silent at the sound “I know you are in here, I know you are after the Urn and working with Sarutobi, you might as well come out – you already know what I am capable of!” Kakashi inched past the sarcophagus and felt his stomach drop when he saw the Urn was gone, whipping around looking for Danzo only to freeze when he saw the man in the doorway to the inner room, Urn tucked under his arm and a grim, vindictive look on his face. “You know so much and yet you never thought to look into my background” the old man hissed “You have slipped Hatake, you should have been warier, you know how valuable those bloodlines were, you should have realized how much these eyes are, no my fault you missed it.”

Kakashi’s eyes narrowed, flicking to the patch as a horrible thought hit, “You – you’re going to try and implant one of them in your own head.” He whispered, horrified, both at the idea and the possible power given he didn’t know what Madara’s eyes could do beyond just reviving the dead. Danzo smirked, meanly and turned for the front of the tomb, running with speed he shouldn’t have had and slamming the gates before Kakashi could so much as twitch – not that chasing Danzo was his plan, there was only one person that could help them now and he was right here in this room. Slowly, swallowing hard the Hatake turned to the sarcophagus, licking his lips and hoping Naruto was well hidden, “Um, Lord Madara? I don’t know what you can hear but some evil asshole just stole your eyes and you’re the only one that knows how they work and – look, if I let you out will you not kill us all? Please? We need to get your eyes back and honestly I need some info if I am going to deal with the Tobirama thing so – “

A pause and Kakashi glanced at the locked gates, ok, fuck, out of time, he was going to have to make a calculated risk decision; with that in mind the Hatake raced to the sarcophagus and started ripping off seal cloths and paper chains, feeling something….strange rip under his fingers as he did, like fabric made of static electricity and it was with deep trepidation that he peeled off the last seal. There was a single breath of silence and then the lid of the sarcophagus flew into the air and across the room as if it wasn’t six feet by two feet of solid black granite (holy shit), cracking the wall as it slammed into it and making Naruto squeak audibly; slowly Kakashi’s eyes flicked back to the open sarcophagus when a wrapped mummy was slowly sitting up, wrapped head turning to look at Kakashi. (There were two times in Kakashi’s life to date that had burned into his memory indelibly as moments when the fear overwhelmed everything else; the mission he lost Obito and Rin, the night he got the call about Minato and Kushina, and he was now sure that this moment with a mummy radiating power and unadulterated menace turned his head to look at Kakashi after tossing solid rock across the room. Yeah. This was going to be nightmare fuel no matter how it turned out.)

Slowly wrapped hands rose to the head and the bandages fell down under pulling fingers, a great spill of black hair falling everywhere as the fabric fell down and a handsome, feline featured face with sweeping cheekbones and a strong jaw was revealed, the only bandaging remaining over his eyes as his mouth opened and a great plum of dust was coughed out, followed by a rough, grating, low voice muttering “You would not believe how dusty it was in there.”