What's up Danger?
Chapter 9: What’s up Danger?
The forest was warm as Kinoe rested on a large shaded tree branch. There were birds chirping, leaves rustling in the wind, and the light footsteps of his target approaching with his guards.
If this were any other day Kinoe might be resting after a training session. He would let his chakra flow so he could subtly control the tree branches around him to shade him for an afternoon nap. Maybe even raise some roots to soften the soil under him so the surface he laid on would be softer. It was rare Kinoe got a chance to rest away from ROOT, to have time to himself. The weather was perfect, and birds were chirping, but he had a mission.
The Hokage was to die in this clearing.
Kinoe made visual contact with his squad and they jumped down to surround the Hokage simultaneously. Years of training leaving them well in sync no matter what member of ROOT they worked with.
*Enter badass fight sequence…(I’m sorry I know how to write fight scenes I just didn’t want to waste time typing up a fight you can watch a video to on YouTube.)*
The lightning chakra inches from his face stole the breath out of his lungs. Kinoe considered using his mokuton to knock the imposter off and attempt to escape. Just as he was about to will the element to his aide, the lightning was retracted. He stared up in awe and fear at the false Hokage, the other let out a quiet chuckle before clearing his throat.
“Get out of here.”
Kinoe physically jolted in shock at the words. Of all the things his enemies have ever said to him, none of them had ordered him to escape.
A masked face, and silver hair was haloed by the sun behind him, a familiar and foreign figure loomed over the young ROOT agent. He couldn’t shake the feeling he knew this imposter. The four words were repeated twice more before he jumped to cover.
He watched as the guards came over to the white haired nin he fought.
Kakashi hadn’t expected his fight with Tenzo to go so well. As per his memory the younger Shinobi was shocked by Sarutobi and Kakashi’s bait and switch. What Kakashi hadn’t predicted was how angry he would get at the familiar words from his squad as Tenzo got away.
“What are you doing?! We have to go after that guy!”
The anger that flashed through him was white hot, his eyes blood red as he faced the Jounin.
“No one touches him.”
Kakashi watched as all three of them fought the urge to step further away from him, were they any lesser than the ANBU elite who guarded the Hokage, he had no doubt they would have showed actual fear.
“Yes Captain.”
The words were delivered immediately and the squad dispersed. Kakashi went through the motions as he remembered them. Meeting with the Hokage, planning out how they would proceed now that the man knew Sarutobi was on to him.
“You should start stepping away from this mission Kakashi.”
The words were unexpected and threw Kakashi back into awareness with their suddenness.
“I don’t understand.”
The older man sat in his chair, hat placed on the desk in front of him. They had been discussing this for hours, and Kakashi was shocked to see the soft concerned look directed at him.
“You have barely heard a word I’ve spoken since you returned.”
Kakashi was about to argue subtly and prove the man wrong by reiterating what had been discussed but with a raise of his hand Sarutobi silenced him.
“Naruto has been entrusted to you Kakashi, and it is obvious he occupies your thoughts. It is for the best if you don’t get too involved in this mission and leave Naruto vulnerable.”
That flash of anger Kakashi felt had returned, it was one of the few times he could remember being genuinely angered by the older man.
“Lord Hokage, I advise you not to use Naruto against me when it comes to missions. I am the best suited for this role, I am already inside ROOT. Naruto doesn’t keep me from fulfilling any of my duties.”
The Hokage let out a long deep sigh as he got ready to argue his point, Kakashi beat him to it this time.
“Would you dare tell a Shinobi parent they were not fit for a mission now, simply because they had a child?”
Kakashi was met with an exasperated look from the Hokage, and he considered making more of an argument for himself before the older man sighed and shook his head.
“With all my years I should know better than to talk sense to a stubborn Shinobi of the Leaf.”
Kakashi stood up, hands in his pockets.
“You can go for today Kakashi. I must get back to my daily duties.”
Without a formal goodbye Kakashi left.
As he headed home he realized how late into the night it had gotten. He wondered offhandedly how much longer the Hokage himself was going to be in the office if he was claiming to wrap up daily duties once Kakashi left. The teen himself felt mentally drained so he couldn’t imagine how tired the older was, but Kakashi was also excited to set his plans into motion.
Before going straight home Kakashi stopped by the Memorial Stone, losing himself in memories of his own past and the future he knew to come. There was so much more in his head than he wanted to deal with but silently talking to Minato, and Obito helped. Even if at this moment Obit wasn’t technically dead yet.
As he approached home Kakashi noticed his apartment was dark from the outside which made sense since it was nearing two in the morning. He could feel Naruto’s burning chakra stronger than usual but, he tried not to worry about it, and a slightly untrained Iruka’s chakra. Kakashi figured the kid was watching a sleeping Naruto and was a little disappointed he wasn’t able to put Naruto to bed himself. So, he was surprised when he opened the door to his apartment to find Iruka Umino holding a screaming Naruto as he walked franticly in the apartment rocking the baby. Iruka was trying the hush the baby and missed Kakashi coming home completely. He was so distracted Kakashi fell into step behind the young man and purposefully waited until Iruka turned around to let himself be noticed.
“Ah Kakashi! Reiko said you wouldn’t be home until tomorrow!”
“It technically is tomorrow, and you need to train more if I was able to sneak up on you this easily.”
Kakashi kept his voice monotonous as he lifted a still screaming Naruto from Iruka’s arms. Naruto’s wails turned to whimpers when his watery eyes landed on Kakashi making the man smile behind his mask.
“That’s the quietest he’s been in hours.”
He took in Naruto’s puffy eyes, and red swollen cheeks. He could feel the chakra stronger now, what he had first thought was Naruto’s own immense amount of chakra leaking out was actually the nine-tails chakra. Kakashi had never considered the beast capable of trying to manifest when Naruto was so young with Minato-sensei’s seal being so strong in the beginning. He made sure his body language didn’t let the younger Iruka know how scared Kakashi was at that moment.
“Thanks for watching him tonight. You can go home now.”
Iruka looked like he was going to argue but Naruto made a choking sobbing sound that had Iruka stepping away from them.
“Sure, no problem. Let me know if you need me to watch him again, sensei goes easier on me when he knows I’ve been babysitting for you…”
Iruka looked down to the whining Naruto and halted his retreat.
“Are you sure you want me to go? I can watch him a little longer if you want to rest.”
Kakashi wondered if Iruka had been this kind and caring for Naruto during the first timeline.
Kakashi remembered a conflicted Iruka in his timeline when he was assigned as Naruto’s teacher. He knew Iruka was one of the many who suffered great loss during the fox’s outbreak. Kakashi had been enraged by the potential of the younger man holding a grudge against Naruto for saving them all by housing the beast. He had been against the idea of someone like that teaching Naruto then too, but when Iruka helped him save Naruto, Kakashi had a change of heart. He could see the kindness in the man, understood that when it came to Naruto, Kakashi wasn’t the only person with complicated feelings. Kakashi had even encouraged Iruka to take up the mantle of teacher after that. He also learned years later that Iruka was the closest thing Naruto had to family before Team 7.
A large part of Kakashi hoped that Iruka and Naruto would grow as close as they had been in his timeline now that he had changed so many things. Iruka was kind and open with his affections to Naruto where Kakashi had difficulties expressing emotions beyond his mask. Using the fabric that covered his face and neck to cover his heart from the pain of lose he suffered time and again in his own lifetime. As these thoughts took less then seconds to filter through his mind Kakashi shook them away as he zeroed in on the young Iruka still standing in front of him.
The kid looked concerned in his confliction about leaving while Naruto was still obviously distressed about something, but he also had been listening to Naruto cry for a few hours. Kakashi couldn’t blame the kid for wanting to get away and sleep after dealing with Naruto’s powerful lungs.
“Thanks, but it’s fine. Ah, I can ask them to give you the day off from school tomorrow. I would have been back earlier if I knew you were watching him anyway since you still have Academy classes. Go get some sleep, I’m used to long nights.”
Iruka nodded, not wanting to argue with the revered Kakashi Hatake and left without another word. Kakashi instantly grabbed a bag for Naruto and wrapped the once again wailing baby in a blanket before rushing to the hospital. He needed someone to figure out why or how the nine-tails was leaking chakra through the seal. He summoned Pakkun to report to Sarutobi what was happening and considered sending another speaking summon to the Hyuga compound to get someone with the Byakugan to inspect Naruto. Just as the thought crossed his mind he stopped Pakkun and changed his direction to the only place he could think of where they would be able to figure out what was wrong with Naruto.
He arrived at the Uchiha compound in record time and didn’t bother to hide his presence as he rushed through the gates and passed all the security and guards on his way to the home of Fugaku and Mikoto Uchiha. The clan head was waiting for him in on his porch and waved away the Uchiha who had chased Kakashi to his door.
“It must be serious if you are coming here unannounced at this hour Kakashi.”
Kakashi had already considered activating his own Sharingan to inspect the baby but didn’t want to risk instigating the fox when he was still unused to the full power of his new Kekkei Genkai. He had yet to train with it properly since returning to the past and was deeply regretting that as he stood with a crying jinchuuriki in front of Fugaku Uchiha at two in the morning.
“Naruto has been leaking the nine-tail’s chakra for who knows how long today. I was away on a mission and came home to a confused babysitter and screaming baby. Will you help me?”
It was the closest he had allowed himself to sound frantic in front of anyone who wasn’t Guy, and Fugaku’s tired face was shocked as he activated his own Sharingan to look at Naruto.
“Quickly bring him inside and I will see what we can do.”
Mikoto was waiting just inside the threshold and quietly went back to her room when Fugaku shook his head subtly. Kakashi assumed it was their signal to one another that there was no threat. Both highly skilled shinobi, Kakashi wondered who would be fool enough to attack them aside from their own child years from where they were now.
Fugaku led Kakashi and a still whimpering Naruto down multiple hallways, breezeways, and eventually ended up in a detached bare room.
“I use this space to meditate we should be far enough from the main house that if something goes wrong Mikoto will be able to remove our children from any danger.”
The explanation was given to Kakashi unprompted but he understood why the clan head had taken such precautions.
“I am not the best when it comes to seal work but I will see if I can at least suppress the beast so you can take him to Sarutobi, or perhaps locate Jiraiya to rework the seal.”
Kakashi looked down at Naruto in his arms as he considered the baby going through being put under the influence of the Sharingan, and then forced to experience the pain of resealing the nine-tailed fox in his already fragile and exhausted little body.
He was almost regretting this plan of action.
“I can always accompany you to Hokage-sama if that would be easier for you.”
The genuine offer set Kakashi’s mind in stone. He passed Naruto to Fugaku who sat with his legs crossed on the floor and leveled Naruto to be secure in his lap. Kakashi placed himself in front of them, watching closely as Fugaku closed his eyes, breathing deep and evenly before opening them to reveal his blood red Kekkei Genkai.
Less than a minute went by before the heavy oppressive feeling of the nine-tail’s chakra suddenly disappeared. Fugaku slumped slightly from how he had been sitting, his breathing ragged, as sweat trickled down his face. He reached with shaking hands for the now sleeping baby and Kakashi quickly grabbed Naruto before Fugaku could attempted to hand him over.
The Clan head placed shaking hands to his face, Kakashi feared asking questions to what the man did, or saw. He knew the nine-tails could be overwhelming but Fugaku had seen the beast before, Kakashi didn’t think he would frighten so easily.
“Kakashi we have to talk.”