Chapter Text
What if this cursed hand
Were thicker than itself with brother's blood,
Is there not rain enough in the sweet heavens
To wash it white as snow? Whereto serves mercy
But to confront the visage of offence?
And what's in prayer but this twofold force,
To be forestalled ere we come to fall,
Or pardon'd being down? then I'll look up;
My fault is past. But, O, what form of prayer
Can serve my turn? Forgive me my foul murder?
–William Shakespeare
Hamlet , Act 3 Scene 3
—------------------------------
To say he was tired would be an understatement. Kakashi was exhausted . His first C-rank mission with his genin team had ended in disaster. The only silver lining was that somehow, Naruto had been able to reign in the Kyuubi’s power and prevent it from going on a rampage. But that was barely any consolation when his other charges had been far too close to death for his liking. When he felt the Kyuubi’s corrosive chakra on the bridge, Kakashi assumed the worst. He saw Sasuke’s still body, and Naruto coated in a mass of burning chakra. What else was he supposed to think?
He was proud of them, really he was. This mission was far beyond what any of them should’ve been able to handle. Hell, even he’d been rusty. He was a bit ashamed at how much of a drop Zabuza had gotten on him. In his defense, he wasn’t used to worrying about a group of genin when fighting an A or S-ranked opponent. He’d been lucky his students had stepped up when they did, or else their mission may have ended very differently.
The Copy Ninja glanced over at his three students, who looked just as worn out as he felt. Only Naruto was free of obvious injuries, probably thanks to the Kyuubi’s healing abilities. Sasuke was clearly in pain, but gritting his teeth to avoid looking weak, and Sakura was hovering around him like a mother-hen, while simultaneously trying to be over-friendly with Naruto to show that she wasn’t afraid of him.
He could at least appreciate that they were taking the revelation that their teammate housed a demon in stride. They didn’t even put up a fight when he told them it was an S-rank secret. That alone showed him how tired they were. Still, despite their nonchalant attitudes, Naruto was rattled. The normal chatter Kakashi had come to expect on missions was replaced by a heavy silence. Naruto would glance at his teammates occasionally, looking unsure, but he remained uncharacteristically pensive. Kakashi imagined he had a lot of emotions to sort through, so he let the boy keep to himself.
Their progress was much slower than he would’ve liked, but there was no reason to hurry back. Particularly with multiple injuries, chakra exhaustion, and the mental fog that would inevitably follow a first brush with death. Even if the kids hadn’t been the ones to deliver the final blow, they all seemed to be carrying the weight of Zabuza and Haku’s deaths with them. Not surprisingly, Sasuke was the most stoic, but even he would scrunch up his face in thought from time to time. For Sasuke, he was probably thinking more about how close he’d come to dying than anything else. He’d been out cold during the battle’s climax, but he’d also jumped in front of an attack for a comrade. Kakashi hadn’t expected that from the young Uchiha, and it seemed that Sasuke hadn’t expected it from himself either. At least his lessons on teamwork seemed to have stuck a little.
All of them let out a collective sigh of relief as the village gates finally came into view. Unconsciously, their pace picked up a little as the sight gave them a bit of a morale boost. It was nearly sunset, and well beyond when they were supposed to be back. He’d sent word to the village so they knew Team 7 was still alive, but he knew that wouldn’t erase the worry. Konoha’s jinchuuriki had been sent out of the village for the first time ever and it had ended in a mess. They’d be lucky to get anything other than D-rank missions for the rest of their lives. It had been hard enough to convince the council to let Naruto go, and now they’d never let Kakashi hear the end of it when he relayed the events to them.
As they crossed into the village, Kakashi could feel his team getting ready to disperse. He held up a hand, stopping them in their tracks. Naruto was already turned in the direction of Ichiraku, and he pouted when Kakashi held him back.
“I want all of you to go to the hospital for an assessment.” He ignored their groans of protest. “You all sustained serious injuries and pushed yourselves far beyond anything you’ve done before.” He pointed toward the hospital. “No arguments.”
Naruto grumbled something very unkind, while Sasuke glowered at him. Sakura at least had the grace to say “yes, sensei”, but he could read through the fake smile plastered on her face. She was just as ready to ring his neck as the boys were. His cool expression remained as he waved them off again.
“I’ll know if you don’t go,” he threatened. “If even one of you skips out on this, I’ll have all of you cleaning litter boxes on D-ranks from now until I retire.”
Maybe it was overkill, but they got the message. He watched his team stalk off toward the hospital, lingering just long enough to make sure they did as they were told. Sakura had to grab Naruto by the collar to keep him from wandering, but they did make it to the hospital in one piece. They’d thank him someday. Maybe.
Kakashi sighed and rubbed at his temples. He wanted to go home and take a hot bath with a good book, but he had duties to attend to first. The Sandaime would no doubt be waiting to hear how their simple C-rank escort mission went so wrong, and he needed to report his concerns about Naruto’s seal. He’d be in deep shit if he waited to give his mission report.
Reluctantly, Kakashi dragged himself toward Hokage tower. He ignored the rare greeting that old classmates would shout his way, too tired to expend energy on talking to them. He was allowed into the tower with no fuss, and only groaned a little bit as he climbed the stairs to the Hokage’s office. He didn’t even have to wait, since apparently the Sandaime had been expecting him. The two ANBU guarding the door opened it before he could even knock.
The familiar sight of the Hokage’s office greeted him. The old man’s desk was stacked with papers, as always, and he was busy scribbling something on an official looking document. Shikaku Nara was leaning over the desk, pointing something out and muttering something that Kakashi didn’t quite catch. Both of them looked up as Kakashi entered, and the Sandaime waved him in. He finished writing as the door closed behind Kakashi, then set his pen down and folded his hands under his chin. The Sandaime regarded Kakashi carefully, and Shikaku gave him a sympathetic look.
“Well, from your report it sounds like this was quite the eventful first C-ranked mission for your team,” The Hokage started.
Kakashi nodded, laughing dryly. “You could say that.” He sighed, glancing upwards at nothing in particular. “But they handled themselves well, all things considered.”
The Sandaime hummed in response. Kakashi took that as his cue to continue. Even though much of this had been in his previous reports, he relayed the events of the mission to the man in front of him. The Hokage, and occasionally Shikaku, would ask a question, but mostly they just listened. Unsurprisingly, their main concern was the state of Naruto’s seal.
“So, the apparent death of his teammate pushed Naruto to use the fox’s chakra.” The old man shook his head. “I am concerned about what this means for the seal.”
Shikaku was thoughtful. “From what I recall, most jinchuuriki are able to use the powers of the Tailed Beast sealed within them. At least, to some extent. I remember a few incidents with Kushina and that temper of hers.”
Kakashi snorted at that comment. That was putting it lightly. He was fairly certain he remembered the Red Hot Habanero almost leveling half the market district when Minato-sensei accidentally said something offensive on their first date.
“Regardless, I would like to inspect the seal,” the Hokage insisted. “The cat, or rather the fox, is out of the bag, so we should be able to ask Naruto to cooperate.”
Kakashi was very tempted to remind the Sandaime that the words “Naruto” and “cooperate” could never be used in a sentence unless the word “doesn’t” was in between them. But even Naruto had been shaken by what had happened. He might be scared enough to let the Hokage and his team inspect the seal. Naruto might have his share of flaws, but he was a good kid. He wouldn’t want the demon fox to get loose.
“He was able to let go of the beast’s chakra all on his own,” Kakashi mused.
The old man smiled, looking grandfatherly. Even if Kakashi didn’t appreciate how the Hokage handled Naruto’s upbringing, it was obvious he did care about the boy. He wanted what was best for Naruto.
“I’ll summon him to my office tomorrow,” the Sandaime decided. “We’ll need to–”
Whatever else the Hokage was going to say was cut off. There was a quiet tapping at the window, the sound of something hard clicking against the glass. Instinctively, Kakashi found himself taking up a defensive position, scanning the room for threats. He noticed both of his companions doing the same. As was expected for shinobi of their caliber. Although, it would be shocking to find out an enemy not only got past their defenses, but had also gotten to the Hokage’s window undetected. Still, they all knew better than to let their guards down.
The three of them looked to the window, where a black mess of feathers was perched on the windowsill and tapping its beak against the glass. The bird cawed as it noticed the three of them acknowledging it, but it didn’t stop its tapping. Kakashi felt himself relaxing, and Shikaku was doing the same. They were getting too paranoid, getting so worked up over a bird.
“I’ll shoo it away,” Shikaku offered, stepping toward the window.
“No. Let it in,” the Sandaime replied firmly. His expression was strangely serious.
Kakashi glanced at Shikaku, who shrugged in response, but neither of them were going to question the Hokage. Shikaku reached over to the window, opening it enough for the crow to fly in. The bird flew in frantic circles overhead, cawing almost manically. Kakashi started contemplating if it would be overkill to use his chidori on a bird, or if it would be worth it to stop the obnoxious sound.
The crow took another lap, before exploding into a mess of feathers and a flash of red. Both Kakashi and Shikaku drew their weapons. Shikaku took up a position in front of the Hokage’s desk, ready to defend him, while Kakashi lifted his headband to ready his Sharingan. He winced at the prospect of using it again so soon, but he didn’t have a choice. If it came down to it, he’d defend the village and the Hokage until his chakra fizzled out.
As the feathers cleared, they revealed a kneeling figure, dressed in dark clothes. “Forgive the intrusion, Lord Third.”
Kakashi felt his blood run cold. It couldn’t be. Why now? Why here? Why had he come back? And more importantly, what exactly was Kakashi going to do about it? He wasn’t under the illusion that they’d be evenly matched. Still, it was his duty to defend the Leaf, so he lunged forward, shuriken drawn. Shikaku was doing the same.
“Stop!” The Hokage’s voice boomed. “Stay your weapons!”
Kakashi froze in his tracks, shuriken still raised to strike. He attempted to dispel any genjutsu, but didn’t find any. The kneeling figure hadn’t moved, or made any motions to attack.
Faster than he’d ever seen the old man move (save for the Kyuubi attack all those years ago), Kakashi watched the Hokage run through the hand signs to put up a silencing barrier. It would prevent anyone from eavesdropping. Even the windows seemed to go dark, obscuring the village below. Kakashi was utterly lost, and for once, it appeared that Shikaku was too. As was the way with the Nara, he looked like he was running a million scenarios through his mind, but he stayed still as ordered.
Once again, the Hokage motioned for them to stand down. He was reluctant, but he wasn’t going to disobey, so Kakashi put his shuriken away. He didn’t take his eyes off the still figure in front of him, nor did he cover his Sharingan.
Just as Kakashi started to wonder if he was the victim of a cruel joke or misunderstanding, the Sandaime broke the silence. “Itachi. What is the meaning of this?”
Even though he’d known, because he’d recognized the figure in front of him, it was still a shock to hear the Hokage say that name. And even more so to hear him say it so nonchalantly. Yet for some reason, the Hokage was looking down at the rogue Uchiha, the clan killer, with no trace of contempt or fear.
“Forgive me, Lord Hokage. I know that this is not conventional, but I’m afraid I had no other choice.” The rogue ninja’s head remained bowed.
And yes, that was the voice of Itachi Uchiha. His former comrade. His current student’s older brother. The murdering piece of shit–
“Tell me what is so important, then,” the Sandaime demanded, breaking Kakashi out of his thoughts.
Kakashi’s mind was running in overdrive. He couldn’t tear his gaze from the boy, no the young man, in front of him. He didn’t know what he was expecting, that murdering his entire clan would make him look different maybe, but it didn’t. Of course he looked older, and his body held a wariness that could only come with years of hardship, but he still looked far too much like the kid that Kakashi had taken under his wing. The kid that had run missions with him, and had his back. The kid that had killed his family and his clan–
Itachi spoke again, his voice heavy. “I’m afraid I’ve been compromised.” He looked up, and Kakashi was taken aback by what he saw.
He took back what he said about Itachi looking the same, because apparently he’d missed an important detail. He was missing an eye. No, not just an eye. The right side of his face was bloodied and there was a gaping hole where the eye should’ve been. This was just a clone, no doubt, but it likely reflected what was happening with the original. Kakashi took in the rest of the rogue nin’s appearance. His clothes were torn and singed. And so was his hair. An angry redness was slowly creeping up his arm, and across the damaged side of his face. Kakashi couldn’t help but shudder at the thought of what was happening to the original to cause his gradually worsening appearance.
Either the clone couldn’t feel pain or Itachi was remaining expertly stoic, because he didn’t react beyond the occasional twitch of his fingers. “I don’t have much time, but I had to relay what I discovered,” Itachi said ominously. “First off, the Kyuubi attack was no accident, as suspected.”
The Sandaime swore. “Continue,” he commanded.
Itachi nodded, the redness continuing to spread across his face. Kakashi realized they were burns. “The leader of the Akatsuki, the real leader, has a Sharingan. He calls himself Madara Uchiha, but that is not his real identity.”
Kakashi resisted the urge to point out that of course it wasn’t, because Madara Uchiha had been dead for a long time. But he kept his mouth shut, his fists clenching at his side. He might not be a Nara, but he was coming up with at least a dozen different theories about what was going on.
“I nearly discovered his identity, but evidently I was not careful enough,” Itachi continued. “I don’t know who he really is, but he’s definitely Uchiha. He’s not from the clan, though. Or, maybe he hasn’t been part of it for a long time.” His remaining eye became briefly unfocused, but it didn’t last, and he seemed to come back to himself. “He controlled the Kyuubi and commanded it to attack.”
“How did you come by this information?” Shikaku asked. Even out of his depth, he was still a Nara and knew what questions to ask.
Itachi’s remaining eye flitted over to Shikaku, then back to the Hokage, who nodded. Permission given, he continued. “I saw a memory. He released the Kyuubi from Kushina Uzumaki, and orchestrated its release into the village.” He winced as the burns continued to creep up his skin. “Unfortunately, I wasn’t as subtle as I meant to be, and he took it quite…personally.”
Once again, Itachi’s remaining eye became unfocused. He seemed to be struggling to maintain the clone, its form starting to twitch. The Hokage seemed to pick up on the clone’s instability. “What else?”
Itachi’s focus returned again. “Their objective is to capture all of the jinchuuriki. The fake Madara appears to have a way to remove the Tailed Beast from its host. The reason is unclear, but I imagine having access to that much power would open many doors to them.”
Kakashi tensed. It went unspoken that a jinchuuriki could not survive having their Tailed Beast removed. And if they were hunting all of the Tailed Beasts, Naruto would be on their radar. No…he wouldn’t let it happen. He didn’t know who the group was that Itachi was talking about, but based on their expressions, both Shikaku and the Sandaime did. And it looked like they were bad news.
“Do they currently have any in their possession?” The Hokage pressed.
“Not directly, but I do suspect that the fake Madara has some level of influence over the Mizukage and his Tailed Beast.” Itachi’s right hand spasmed violently, but he held it down with his other hand. “They were planning to start taking the jinchuuriki within the next few years. All of the preparations were nearly complete to start collecting them.”
Kakashi could put two and two together that Itachi was spying on this organization. He was smart enough to figure that out. What he couldn’t figure out was why, and how the Uchiha massacre fit in. Itachi had slaughtered his whole clan, save for his younger brother…right? No, he definitely had. Kakashi had seen the carnage first hand. But why would a homicidal traitor act as a spy for the village? And more importantly, why would anyone trust him with such a task? How had this arrangement been made?
While he was musing, Kakashi missed something Itachi said, but apparently it wasn’t particularly coherent, because the Hokage was trying to get him to clarify. He tried to ask more questions, but the clone seemed to be losing its grip on reality.
Itachi was muttering incoherently, until he suddenly stopped and looked sharply at the Hokage. “Please tell me…is my brother ok? I need to know before I–” he cut himself off with a pained expression.
Had Kakashi ever seen that much emotion on the Uchiha prodigy’s face before? He couldn’t recall.
The Sandaime motioned to Kakashi, and Itachi’s remaining eye fixed on him. His throat felt dry, but he answered. “He’s fine. He just got back from his first C-rank mission…that turned out to be a little bit more than C-rank. He activated his Sharingan.”
“You’re his sensei then?”
Kakashi nodded. He didn’t know what kind of reaction he expected from Itachi, but relief was not it. Yet it was painted all over his face, albeit briefly, before the usual stoic mask was replaced.
“That’s good.” Itachi glanced up at his former teammate. “Please keep looking out for him.”
“I will.” Kakashi didn’t even have to think before he responded.
The clone’s form seemed to flicker in front of them. It was obvious that they were running out of time. And Itachi seemed to know it too. He looked up at the Sandaime again and bowed his head in respect.
“I’m sorry that I have failed you.”
Itachi couldn’t see the expression that crossed the old man’s face, but Kakashi could. Regret. Pain. And an immense guilt. “No, my boy. The only failure in this room is me. You’ve done more than you ever should have been asked to do.” His expression remained pained. “Where are you? I can send a team to try and extract you.”
“No, it’s too late for that.” Itachi shook his head.
They all knew that was most likely the case, but it probably would have weighed too heavily on the old man’s conscience not to offer.
The redness had never ceased, and now seemed to be almost consuming the figure in front of them. The clone was losing the battle to stay present, and Itachi had a far off look in his eye. He seemed to stare past them, looking at something else entirely.
“I’m sorry, Sasuke.” It was the last thing the clone of Itachi Uchiha managed to say before it disappeared from existence in a flurry of feathers and fire. A single black feather floated to the ground, landing where Itachi had knelt just moments before.
Kakashi was stunned into silence, and he found himself holding his breath. So many questions were running through his head. Why? How? From what Kakashi figured, either Itachi hadn’t actually been the one to kill his clan, but he’d taken the fall for it, or he had killed them but was still being trusted as an undercover agent. He wasn’t sure which option made him feel worse. Either way, the Sandaime clearly had not been the least bit concerned about the rogue ninja’s presence. He hadn’t raised any alarms, or taken up any kind of defensive position. He’d even kept Kakashi and Shikaku from attacking. Whatever arrangement had been made with Itachi was clearly long standing. And Kakashi wanted to know more.
It wasn’t like he would’ve considered Itachi a friend in those days, partly because Kakashi was loath to consider anyone a friend back then, and partly because the Uchiha prodigy had never seemed too keen to form any kind of friendships anyway. But they had been teammates. There had been a certain level of trust and understanding between the two of them that was inevitable with a team like theirs. Their team had fit well together.
There were two versions of Itachi Uchiha in his head; one was his young but stoic teammate, who loved his brother above all else, and the other was a cold-blooded murderer that wiped his clan from exisistance. He couldn’t seem to match the two versions as the same person. It had never sat right with him that Itachi had just “snapped” and murdered his family out of the blue. Even seeing the carnage with his own eyes and hearing Lord Danzo’s explanation had never made it seem more real. Itachi never hesitated to kill if a mission required it, but he’d never shown any indication that he enjoyed it. If anything he seemed to find it distasteful. And while Kakashi knew the bullheaded Fugaku never went easy on his son, Itachi had never expressed any ill-will toward his family. Maybe he’d just hidden it well, but Kakashi had never gotten that sense from his younger teammate. It had taken him too long to come to terms with what Itachi had done to his clan, and now he found himself questioning it all over again.
Apparently, he wasn’t the only one. Shikaku was deep in thought, staring at the Sandaime with a heavy frown on his face. He tapped a finger irritably on the desk, waiting for an explanation. The Hokage didn’t respond right away, pulling his pipe from a desk drawer with a sigh. He lit the pipe, taking a few puffs. Kakashi recognized the action as a stress response. The old man was probably thinking just as hard as they were, deciding what to tell them and what to keep to himself.
He took another puff. “I suppose you’re wanting an explanation,” the Hokage said simply. “And that just ordering you both to forget this conversation would be a useless endeavor.”
“That is an understatement,” Shikaku replied. His tone was respectful, but his voice was tight.
Another puff. “It goes without saying that this is an S-ranked secret, which I am only choosing to share because both of you have my trust and respect. I believe you both deserve an explanation for what you just witnessed. However, if the information hadn’t been revealed this way it likely never would have been revealed at all.”
A pause, waiting for both Kakashi and Shikaku to acknowledge. They nodded. He had no doubt this information would’ve never been made available to him if Itachi hadn’t suddenly appeared.
The Sandaime acknowledged their confirmation. “As you may have surmised, Itachi Uchiha has been acting as an undercover agent for the village.” Another puff. “He infiltrated an enemy organization called the Akatsuki and smuggled out valuable intel on behalf of the Leaf. Virtually all we know of the organization is thanks to Itachi.”
Shikaku was thoughtful. “I knew we had a secret informant, but I never would have guessed it was Itachi Uchiha. How did this arrangement come to be?”
The Hokage hummed. “Itachi offered. I don’t know all of the details that lead him to this particular group, but he approached me with the idea before his…departure from the village.”
You mean his exile, Kakashi thought sourly. He was finding himself with more questions than answers.
“What I don’t understand, Lord Hokage,” Shikaku said carefully, “is why a traitor like him would offer such a thing, or why he would be trusted to be truthful.” The Nara clan head was choosing his words very deliberately. There was no obvious accusation, but it was clearly just below the surface.
Apparently, Shikaku had said the right thing, or rather, the wrong thing. The Hokage’s face hardened and he resumed the heavy silence, puffing on his pipe again. He didn’t respond, and Kakashi found himself clenching his fists. The suspense was suffocating.
As the Sandaime exhaled, he replied, “Ask what you really want to ask.”
Ah, so he’d caught on. Of course he had, you didn’t serve as a kage for as many years as he had without learning to read between the lines. Kakashi was tempted to retort that they wouldn’t have to ask if he would just give them a straight answer, but he refrained. He had been lucky enough to be in the Hokage’s good graces since finally agreeing to take on a genin team, but he could easily lose that favor if he didn’t tread carefully.
Shikaku pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration, exhaling harshly. “Alright then. Was Itachi Uchiha actually responsible for the massacre of his clan?”
To Kakashi’s surprise, the blunt question made the old man flinch. He finally lowered his pipe, staring at the smoke as it rose slowly. He wouldn’t look either of his subordinates in the eye. “The answer to your question is not simple, and is perhaps my greatest failure as Hokage.”
Kakashi couldn’t stay quiet any longer. “It should be a yes or no question,” he retorted dryly. That was bordering on insubordination, he knew, but his rising temper was making him bold. The Hokage offered barely any acknowledgement of Kakashi’s attitude. That alone would’ve been a red flag.
The Sandaime sighed heavily. “Yes, Itachi slaughtered the rest of the Uchiha clan.” “But” , was unsaid, though it hung in the air. “He was acting on orders.”
It felt like the breath had been knocked out of Kakashi. When he finally spoke, his voice almost didn’t sound like his own. “Your orders?”
A flash of anger crossed the old man’s face. “Do you think so lowly of me, Kakashi?”
“I don’t know what to think of you anymore,” Kakashi replied through gritted teeth. Screw treading carefully. He needed to know if the man he respected as his leader was capable of such a thing. He didn’t care how or why; giving an order to slaughter one’s own clan, one’s own family could not be justified. He’d done plenty of questionable things during his time with ANBU, and he’d followed orders that he didn’t agree with. He’d never questioned them, or thought too hard about what he was doing. Kakashi wasn’t foolish enough to think that the Hokage never had to make difficult or questionable choices, but this was something else entirely. This was the destruction of an entire clan, a founding clan, at the hands of one of its own. Elders, war veterans, even children. All killed by someone who was functionally a child himself. It was nothing but senseless slaughter.
The Sandaime’s scowl remained. “No, not my orders.”
“But did you know?” Kakashi pressed.
Hands folded under the old man’s chin once again. “Not until after the fact.” His eyes closed. “The Uchiha clan was planning a coup. It would have driven the village into civil war, which would have made us vulnerable to attack from the outside. I didn’t want things to escalate to violence, but repeated peaceful interventions failed. Itachi took on this burden in exchange for his brother’s life.”
“So you let Sasuke be used as leverage?” Kakashi spat. “You know Itachi would have done anything for him.”
That seemed to spark the old man’s temper. “Watch your tone with me, Kakashi. You are walking a very fine line here.”
Shikaku held up a hand to try and calm Kakashi. “Respectfully, Lord Hokage,” his voice was strained, “I believe Kakashi is trying to understand what could have led to such an extreme set of events. As am I,” he added dryly.
“Respectfully,” the Sandaime countered sharply, “I am not obligated to share classified intel. I have already given out far more information than I should have,” he admitted dryly. “I chose to share this information because you both had a right to know after what just occurred. But that is all I will say on the matter.”
A clear dismissal, but Kakashi didn’t want to let it go. Fortunately, Shikaku was still one step ahead of him. “Lord Third, given this information–”
Shikaku was cut off with a wave of the Sandaime’s hand and a tired sigh. “That is all I will say on the matter,” he repeated more forcefully.
The Nara clan head might be willing to let things go, but Kakashi wasn’t feeling quite so forgiving tonight. The revelation was just too much, and the knowledge of the village’s involvement in the Uchiha massacre was making him sick. How could they do such a thing? The village, and the Hokage, was supposed to protect its citizens, not slaughter them in their homes. Kakashi was deciding what to do.
Those who break the rules are scum…
He couldn’t just forget what he’d learned. And he didn’t know what to do with the information. The entire village, really the entire Shinobi world, believed that Itachi Uchiha was a murderer and a traitor. If he was still alive, he would have to spend his entire life on the run and he’d never be able to see his brother again.
His brother. Kakashi’s student.
…but those who abandon their friends are worse than scum.
“What about Sasuke?” Kakashi asked suddenly.
The Sandaime seemed surprised by his question. “He doesn’t know. With the two of you included, the number of people who do know is still in the single digits.”
“That’s not what I meant,” Kakashi continued. “Sasuke’s spent every waking moment since that night planning revenge. It’s all he talks about, all he thinks about. He’s lonely and miserable.”
“Itachi intended to keep him in the dark. His younger brother’s safety was all he asked for.” The Hokage closed his eyes again, lost in thought.
Kakashi scoffed. “You think this is what Itachi wanted? For Sasuke to be so consumed by hatred and vengeance that he can think of nothing else?” He shook his head. “I refuse to believe that.”
“Itachi knew what he was doing,” the Hokage insisted. “He was aware of how Sasuke would see him.”
Bitterly, Kakashi continued, “Then I refuse to accept that. I refuse to accept that a thirteen year old acting on official orders to murder his family would be able to make a sensible decision about what his younger brother should or shouldn’t be told.”
“What would you have me do?” The Hokage narrowed his eyes. “I can’t take back what’s happened. If I could, I would do it in an instant. If you believe nothing else, believe that I never wanted this for Itachi, Sasuke, or the rest of their clan.”
It doesn’t matter what you wanted, Kakashi thought bitterly, but he didn’t voice this particular thought. “Sasuke deserves to know.”
“Kakashi–”
“You don’t have to see him every day, weighed down by this hatred. I do.” He wouldn’t pretend that he hadn’t grown attached to his genin team that he hadn’t even wanted in the first place. They’d started to thaw something in his heart that had been frozen for a very long time. “It’s going to tear him apart.” Kakashi looked away, staring past the Hokage, past the surrounding buildings, toward the direction of the memorial stone. “He’ll never be able to let go of his family’s death, or Itachi, if he stays on this path.”
There was a prolonged silence as Kakashi’s words sank in. He was holding his breath, waiting for an answer. Sasuke had been assigned to his team because there was no one else that could help him learn how to master the Sharingan. Not that Kakashi was a master by any means, but his eye, Obito’s eye, was now one of the few remaining from the once mighty clan. Maybe that made him biased, or foolish, but he didn’t care. He’d already failed his sensei’s son by not being there for him as he grew up all alone, he couldn’t also fail his former teammate’s brother by keeping this information from him. Maybe it wouldn’t change anything, maybe Sasuke would still want his brother dead (although now it seemed someone else had beaten him to it). Regardless of the circumstances, Itachi had still killed his clan, including his parents. Sasuke wouldn’t forget that. But would he forgive it? Kakashi didn’t know, but it shouldn’t be up to them to decide for him.
Finally, the Hokage sighed again. “Given that you, as his jounin instructor, are the closest thing to a legal guardian that Sasuke has left, I will defer to your judgment on this. Bring him to my office and I will tell him.”
It didn’t fix everything, not by a long shot, but it still felt like a massive weight had been lifted off of Kakashi. Even if it was too late to save Itachi, or redeem him, at least Sasuke could be given another choice. That had to count for something. Kakashi nodded numbly, indicating that he understood. He was not looking forward to this conversation. Naruto might be the stubborn hothead on their team, but really Sasuke wasn’t any better, he just liked to pretend to be. The young Uchiha was not going to take this news quietly.
Once Kakashi seemed to be done with his request, Shikaku cleared his throat. The Sandaime’s eyes flitted over to him. He suddenly looked even older than he normally did. “And what would you request of your Hokage, Shikaku?”
Shikaku was always level headed, and not the kind of man to let his emotions blind him. Like all the Nara, every action and every word was precise. So when Kakashi saw his jaw clenched in anger, he was more than a little surprised. If the Hokage was caught off guard as well, he didn’t show it.
“You know I need to report this information to the other clan heads, Hiruzen.”
The informal address almost made Kakashi do a double take. He wasn’t completely clear on if it was meant as disrespect, or to appeal to the longstanding bond between the head of the Nara clan and the Third Hokage.
The Hokage closed his eyes. “I suppose it would be pointless for me to give an order to do no such thing.” It was a statement, not a question.
“It is my right, as head of the Nara clan, to seek counsel with other clan heads regarding any information that could cause significant harm to Konoha’s clans.” Shikaku’s voice was cold. “Given that there was an official order to eliminate one of the village’s founding clans, I would say that counts.”
The old man didn’t argue. Shikaku was right, and going against him would only enrage the other clan heads. In the end, his only reply was, “I understand.” He turned back to Kakashi. “You might as well go get Sasuke. If I don’t tell him now, I have a feeling I am about to become too busy to do so later.”
Kakashi found that he agreed. He didn’t know what kind of action the clan heads would take, or what they would demand, but it would be messy. The Hokage would undoubtedly become tied up dealing with this mess. And Kakashi didn’t want to wait. It wasn’t that keeping secrets was particularly difficult, considering how much of his life revolved around that particular skill. But a secret like this? It would eat away at him if he knew but Sasuke didn’t. He had enough guilt and regrets already, he didn’t need to add more.
“I’ll go get him,” Kakashi replied, before turning to walk out the door. Shikaku nodded tersely, then followed him out. The Hokage didn’t move, his eyes were closed again and his expression was stoney.
The door closed behind them, and Shikaku and Kakashi shared a look. Shikaku looked exhausted, and Kakashi knew he probably did too. It felt like that conversation had just aged him another decade. They didn’t dare speak of what happened outside of the protective barrier, but they both took a moment to collect their thoughts. No matter what happened or what was decided, something would change. The other clans were unlikely to react well to the knowledge that the village had sanctioned a massacre of the entire Uchiha clan. Regardless of what the other clans had thought about the Uchiha, what had been done to them would rattle all of the other clans. And it should. The realization that the village could not only wipe out an entire clan, but also cover it up, was horrifying. They wouldn’t let it stand.
Shikaku looked back at Kakashi, his eyes full of sympathy. “It will take time to get the other clan heads together.”
Kakashi nodded in understanding. Shikaku was making sure he could get Sasuke here before any actions were taken. They parted ways without any further words, moving in opposite directions as soon as they exited the tower. Both of them could easily sprint and hop rooftops to get to their destinations quickly, but neither of them were inclined to rush. Kakashi had a lot of thinking to do, and Shikaku probably did too.
The Copy Ninja dragged his feet, hands in his pockets and eyes downcast. At least he wouldn’t have to be the one to deliver the news. He just had to get Sasuke to the Hokage…and then be ready to deal with the aftermath. He didn’t know how Sasuke would react. The boy could become violent, or he could shift his thirst for vengeance to those responsible. Kakashi hoped maybe he would be able to let his anger go, but he wasn’t going to hold his breath. Kakashi himself wasn’t exactly an expert at letting things go, and Sasuke was probably even more stubborn than he was. He’d had basically half his life to build up his hatred, and that wouldn’t dissipate so easily.
Absently, Kakashi wondered how long he’d been in the Hokage’s office. It seemed like the conversation hadn’t taken too long, but now the sun was starting to set. It would be dark soon.
Kakashi decided to check the hospital first, guessing how long it would’ve taken his students to get assessed. His hunch turned out to be right. It only took a little bit of asking and throwing his weight around as their jounin instructor to find out where the three genin were waiting. He went up a few flights of stairs, feeling heavier and heavier with each floor. Finally, he turned a corner into a spacious waiting room, and it didn’t take long to spot a familiar pink head of hair.
Sakura was leaning back on one of the uncomfortable plastic chairs, a magazine in her hands. Naruto was sprawled out across three of the seats, eyes closed and mouth wide open. How he managed to sleep in such an uncomfortable spot, Kakashi had no clue. But the snoring and drooling made it clear that Naruto was fast asleep. Sasuke, however, was nowhere to be seen. Kakashi approached his students, making no effort to hide his presence.
Immediately, Sakura looked up and blinked at him. “Kakashi-sensei?” She kicked Naruto, snapping at him to wake up. Naruto did in fact wake up, grunting and grumbling irritably as he wiped drool off of his face.
“Huh? Wah?” Naruto yawned, his eyes still drooping and heavy with sleep. He sat up slowly, taking a second to stretch his arms over his head.
Kakashi noted that Sakura had a few bandages on her arms and face, but otherwise seemed like she didn’t really need much medical intervention. Naruto apparently had a few bandages around his abdomen, which he was lifting his shirt to scratch at. But otherwise, the Kyuubi seemed to have kept him from needing any other care.
“How are you two? Where’s Sasuke?” Kakashi asked, keeping his voice purposefully neutral. He didn’t need to tip off the other two genin that something was going on. It would only make things harder if they started asking questions too.
“Both of us,” Sakura gestured between herself and Naruto, “got released pretty quickly. We’re just waiting for Sasuke, since his injuries were worse. They said he’d be ok, though.”
Naruto mumbled something about how he hadn’t wanted to wait for their third member, but a glare from Sakura shut him up. Kakashi nodded in understanding. That tracked with how the battle had gone. Sasuke and Naruto had taken the worst of the damage from Zabuza’s ward, but Naruto had the Kyuubi’s healing abilities. To be fair, Kakashi was pretty beat up too, but he’d bandaged himself well enough and he didn’t have anyone to make him get checked out further. He’d been through far worse than Zabuza.
“Do you know which room he’s in?”
Sakura nodded, pointing to a hallway across the room. “Down there, third room on the right.” She frowned. “Is everything ok?”
Kakashi smiled at them, even though only one eye was visible. His visible eye crinkled to make it obvious he was smiling. Even though it was forced. “Everything is just fine. I just need to talk to Sasuke about something, that’s all.”
Naruto scoffed. “Why does he get special treatment?” He pouted.
Sakura crossed her arms. “Well, he is the best ninja in our class! If anyone should get special treatment, it’s him!”
Kakashi resisted the urge to groan at Sakura’s defense. Her crush on the young Uchiha was really holding her back from being a better ninja. With her intelligence and chakra control, she could be a force to be reckoned with. Unfortunately, she was more interested in sucking up to Sasuke than becoming a competent shinobi.
“No, no, it’s nothing like that.” Kakashi tried to placate Naruto. “I’m afraid it’s nothing that either of you would find terribly interesting.” That was probably a lie, considering that the information Sasuke was about to learn could change the village. But the other genin didn’t need to know that. At least, not now. If Sasuke wanted to tell them, Kakashi wouldn’t stop him, even if the Hokage didn’t approve. It was his family, afterall.
Naruto seemed at least somewhat convinced, judging by how his expression became drowsy again. He no longer seemed particularly interested in what Kakashi had to say, and that was just fine. Sakura shot Naruto a very irritated look. Kakashi just waved them off as he made his way toward the hallway that Sakura had pointed out. He had his hand extended over his shoulder as they parted, remaining as casual as possible despite how his heart rate was starting to pick up.
As Sakura said, Sasuke was being tended to in a nearby room. With a quick knock, Kakashi poked his head in. A medical ninja was looking him over, letting the green aura around her hands spread over the injured genin. Sasuke grimaced, but didn’t move. He already had a few bandages around his bare torso, as well as his arms and face. Kakashi couldn’t help but think how lucky they were that Haku hadn’t really wanted to kill his genin team. Sasuke nodded in recognition, and Kakashi took that as permission to fully enter the room. The medic nin glanced up at him, but didn’t stop her work.
“How are you doing?” He asked casually. Kakashi genuinely wanted to make sure his student was ok, but he also wanted to get a feel for how much more time the healer needed.
“Fine.”
Of course, Kakashi should have expected such a clipped response. Instead of pressing the boy for more, he turned to the medic nin. “I’m his jounin instructor,” he explained. “How are his injuries?”
She glanced up at Kakashi, still working. “He’ll live. But he will need time to recover.”
Kakashi nodded. That wasn’t unexpected. Sasuke looked miffed at the prospect of being benched, but he didn’t argue. “Glad to hear. Do you know how much longer you’ll need? I have something I need to discuss with my student.”
The medical nin’s hands stopped glowing, and she leaned back in her chair. “Lucky for you, that was the last thing I needed to do.” She stood up. “I would like him to stay for another 10-15 minutes to make sure everything stays set, but after that he’s free to go.” She nodded to Kakashi and Sasuke, before leaving them alone.
Sasuke turned to his instructor, his face expressionless, but he couldn’t hide the curiosity in his eyes. Kakashi sat down, occupying the seat where the medic nin had been prior. Sasuke threw his shirt back on, wincing as his injuries were pulled with the movement. He glanced back at Kakashi expectantly, raising an eyebrow as if to say, “well?”
Kakashi took a moment to rest his head in his hands, sighing heavily and collecting his thoughts. When he looked back up, Sasuke seemed a little surprised, but he didn’t comment on his sensei’s odd behavior. With his mouth feeling dry, Kakashi began, “I need to take you to speak to the Hokage.”
“Why?” Sasuke asked simply.
“I can’t say more until you get there.” He debated adding anything else. It felt like he should at least warn Sasuke that the topic would be heavy. “It’s…about your brother.”
That got Sasuke’s attention. A dozen different expressions flashed across the boy’s face, ultimately landing in a deep scowl. His fists clenched at his side. “What about him? Has he been spotted near the village?” Sasuke looked ready to jump into action, despite his injuries.
Kakashi took a page out of Naruto’s book and rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. Maybe he shouldn’t have said that much. Now Sasuke was going to be on edge, and asking a lot of questions. “Ah, I can’t tell you anything else right now. Not here.” He hoped Sasuke understood what Kakashi was trying to say. They weren’t exactly in a secure location.
Sasuke frowned, but nodded. He stood up, wincing again, but staying on his feet. Kakashi was going to remind him that the medic nin wanted him to wait for a while, but he knew it was a moot point. No one could get Sasuke to do something he didn’t want to, not even Kakashi. So Kakashi just followed his student out of the room. They stopped to check in with Naruto and Sakura, and it went pretty much exactly like Kakashi expected. Naruto was irritated with Kakashi’s apparent favoritism toward Sasuke, and Sakura was batting her eyelashes to try and get Sasuke to invite her along. Fortunately, both of them backed off following a stern look from Kakashi. The three genin walked out together, Kakashi in tow, and then they all went their separate ways. Naruto grinned as he took off toward Ichiraku, and Sakura made one last futile attempt to get Sasuke’s attention before she shuffled home. Then it was just Sasuke and Kakashi, walking silently toward Hokage tower. Kakashi glanced at his student, wondering how different he would be after he learned the truth about his brother and his clan.
Well, there was only one way to find out.