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Kashi's story is a story of pain, loss, and finding yourself once again. You
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see, Kakashi from a very young age understood the cost of war, of honor, of
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failure. He was once an idealistic young boy who faced the harsh reality of dishonor that culminated in the loss of
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his father. This scarred him and he carried these scars with him well into his time as a genine into his time as a
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member of team Mino and ultimately until the loss of his friends Obito and Ren.
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These two deaths, well, one death only compounded upon him. He lost track of
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the meaning and value of life, which led him down a very dark path as a member of the Anboo. Down a route of
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desensitization in an unhealthy way of coping. Death couldn't hurt anymore if
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you killed so much that life had no meaning. Minato sought to break Kakashi from this path. But in the end, the
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death of Mito and Kusha left Kakashi in a dark pit with no light. This lasted
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until Hirozen pulled him out of the onboo, seeking to give him a new lease on life. But Kakashi wasn't the only
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person to ever suffer loss. This is a story about two people very much in need
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of love, finding each other and learning that loneliness can be cured through the genuine care of another person. This is
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the tale of Kakashi raising Naruto. Welcome to the Amagi. Before we begin, only 25% of our viewers are subscribed.
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So, if you're a fan of the video, please like and double check if you are subscribed. And with that out of the way, let's get into the video. That
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night was fresh in his mind. He'd always thought of it. Kakashi couldn't stop thinking about it. It was his new
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dwelling place in his own mind. That cold blackness in the sky. The sudden flashes, screams, and roars. The
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inability to do anything. Helplessness. That's what it was. As Kakashi had been
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dealing with the loss of Obito, he'd thrown himself into his work. Rene, as overzealous as ever, continued to find
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herself the damsel in distress. She was a sweet girl with a fiery heart who wanted nothing more than to serve her
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village. She possessed the will of fire to a ludicrous degree, possessing bravery that bordered the line between
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heroism and stupidity. This caused Kakashi no end of trouble. He had promised Obito sworn to him that he'd
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protect Rene. No matter what, he'd protect her, and he did until that one
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day. Once more, Kakashi and Rene were sent behind enemy lines. And just as before, Rene had been captured. Unlike
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other times, though, she was indeed worse for wear. When Kakashi found her, she was unconscious. There was blood and
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she looked sick. They had done something to her. What it was, he couldn't be sure. But it made his blood boil.
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Despite the fact that their mission had not yet been completed, Kakashi opted to abort. Rene wasn't looking good, and he
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had long since learned that what was most important was the health of your team. Kakashi might have failed the
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mission if he tried to do it alone. It was going to take a lot of jury rigging just to make it work. It was truly a
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twoman mission, as the mission required two people to perform a certain action at the same time. Something that would
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have been difficult to do with only one. By the looks of Rene, though, her pale complexion, the appearance of blood and
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wounds, sweat from strain and stress, he knew she likely couldn't go on. The best
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course of action was swift extraction. If the mission would fail either way, he'd rather it fail with no loss of life
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rather than with the needless death of others. And in this way, he would save the one he promised Obito he would
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protect. So, Kakashi rushed off, carrying Rene over his shoulder. Eventually, she managed to come too. She
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was sore, a little sick, but she quickly regained her ability to move. She insisted that they complete their
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mission. But considering that Kakashi's Shahingan was picking up some strange signals from her, a second chakra he
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couldn't pinpoint, he wanted to get her out of there. He had no idea what those shinobi had done to her. But if there
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were indeed two lives here, one was hers and the other was inside of her, Kakashi had to prioritize extraction. The two of
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them ran for quite some time before the Kittyin realized she was gone. Despite their head start, it didn't take long
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for the others to catch up. Rene was still slow due to whatever traumatic experience she had to endure.
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Eventually, they caught up with them and Kakashi had to fight them off. Rene was in no position to fight, so he commanded
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her to stay behind him, raising his forehead protector to expose the sharing gun given to him by Obito. He knew that
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there was no better time to use it. Obito had given this to him with a promise. In exchange for Kakashi vowing
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to protect Rene, Obito gave Kakashi this eye. But even with his great foresight, he couldn't have known what was coming
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next. As he rushed forward with his Chidori, Rene, without warning, threw herself in the way. Kakashi had no time
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to stop. By the time he'd perceived and begun evasive maneuvers, he'd already pierced her heart. Everything after that
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was a blur. Kakashi couldn't remember what happened. All he knew was that everyone was dead, and he walked home
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with a Mongeko Sharing. To this day, Kakashi questioned why she did that. He came to realize that she was under a
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seal. She couldn't end her own life or talk about it. But she had been forced to become the genturiki of the three
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tales against her will. This is why he picked up a second chakra from her. But why did she need to kill herself? If
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they had known, they could have sealed the three tales properly without her needing to die. Maybe she knew something he didn't. Whatever it was, she was
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dead. And she forced Kakashi to be the one to kill her. As if his trauma wasn't enough already. She had scarred him for
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life once more. After this, Kakashi threw himself into his work, becoming more and more ruthless. People called
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him a friend killer, saying that he was just like the Uchiah, that he had stolen their Sharing, and he had further killed
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Rein to awaken his Mongeko in some twisted attempt to include himself into the curse of the Uchia. Kakashi never
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explained it to them. He never defended himself. After all, he already felt responsible, and maybe this was his own
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way of trying to punish himself by letting others slander him. He failed to protect Rene and had brought dishonor to
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his name, something he had explained to Mato during one of their talks. Mino heard the word dishonor and saw the look
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in his students eye. While he never showed it visibly, Mino was about to descend into panic. For certain if he
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didn't do something, Kakashi might go the path of his father and end his own life. That's why Mito gave him a special
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mission. He wanted to restore the meaning of life to Kakashi by letting him trail Kusha. Kusha being pregnant
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was in that lovely liinal space between conception and birth where life and its beginnings were laid bare. A mysterious
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miraculous time where the life of something innocent was about to be born. This wasn't just the origin of new life
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but also the origin of all people currently living. Nobody remembered anything before a certain time in their
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life. But this time was special. The moments when you were in your mother's womb. It was a time celebrated,
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surrounded by love. He wanted Kakashi to understand that though things were bleak now, the same love, the same value, the
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same specialness that the unborn baby was being treated with was what Kakashi deserved. Kakashi was surrounded by love
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and he needed to allow himself to be open to it. But the fear of loss had closed him off. Kakashi wouldn't allow
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himself to open up. And the one time Minato told him to give it a shot, Kakashi was once more scarred. Convinced
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that life deserved a fifth shot, Kakashi opened his heart again. But that so happened to be the day of Naruto's
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birth. And I'm sure you all remember what happened. Kakashi certainly did. The day the Ninetales escaped from
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Kusha. The day Mito died. The darkest day in Konoha's history. The most tragic
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moment in the history of the village. Just so happened to be the day Kakashi let his defenses down once again. Now he
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might never recover. He fought hard, seeking to find Mino and Kusha. To find the baby if it yet lived, to give his
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very life in defense of the ones he cared for. But alas, village law, orders passed on from Hirozen, who was acting
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in place of Minoto until Mino could return, had forbidden him from taking place in the battle for the village,
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despite him being one of the most capable of stopping the beast. The same was true of the Uchiah. They had the
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best chance of stopping it. But failure to trust them led to the destruction of nearly everything. And in the end, the
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Uchiah were still blamed despite never actually getting a fair shake. With the death of the Hokage and the death of the
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woman Kakashi had taken on as a mother figure, Kakashi's heart was like, "No, I'm done." and checked out permanently.
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He went back to his old habits of killing the feeling by killing everything he could to erase the depression. He put himself into a state
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of inability to care. But you see, Hisen was a wise man, and he understood that Kakashi's brutality was not coming from
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a place of someone without a heart, but from a place of someone who did have a heart. Kakashi was trying to kill his
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heart. Most of the time in the onboo, they brought on people who had no heart. But Kakashi was one of the few brought
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on who managed to sneak his heart past customs and was now trying to kill it in order to fit the mold and end his own
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pain. But Hisin refused to let him do this, which is why he pulled him back from active duty for a while. Instead,
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he called him into his office, and that's where Kakashi was now. "What orders do you have for me?" Kakashi
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asked, ready to return to killing and serving the village the best he could. "I have a special kind of order. one
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that doesn't require you leaving the village. Kakashi already seemed skeptical. What kind of mission could be
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important and be done within the village? Unless, of course, there was secret descent behind the scenes and
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Hirozen needed someone assassinated. The longer he thought on this, the more unlikely he felt it was. Hi wasn't that
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kind of man. Even when he found out that Danzo was trying to have him killed, instead of killing Danzo in return, he
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just let him go without even a slap on the wrist. Hi was too lenient and so it seemed unlikely that anything he was
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asked to do here would change the current course of the village. What are your orders? Kakashi asked. What I want
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you to do is watch a very special person for me. Guard them if you will. Kakashi
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was intrigued. Who will I be guarding? Is the daimo coming? Hi shook his head.
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No, I want you to watch over Naruto. Kakashi's entire demeanor shuts down immediately. No, he said. Here raised a
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brow. No. Are you refusing an order from your commanding officer? Sir, with all due respect, my abilities are beyond
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simple babysitting. Ask someone else to do it. Sadly, I cannot. Naruto is young,
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inexperienced, and lacks the power to protect himself, and because of that, a fear has arisen that he might come under
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the target of others. I'm certain that you're familiar with the events of the Huga affair. Kakashi nodded. The ays of
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the Huga clan, Hinata, was targeted by emissaries of the village hidden in the clouds. Hiashi killed the offending
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shinobi attempting to escape with his daughter and in return Kumo asked for blood. Hizashi offered his life up to
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protect his brother. Hirozen seemed to grow a bit distracted as he thought deeply on his failures. Yep, that's the
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one he said simply trying to push his own self-consciousness from his mind. Well, anyway, you realize the danger
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that could be posed to Naruto. The Ninetailes is one of, if not the most powerful tailed beast in the world. Any
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village would love to get their hands on the Ninetailes's power and take it for themselves. We cannot allow that. To
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that end, I'm asking that you please watch Naruto should anyone ever come for him. Kakashi seemed nervous in his
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expression, and Hisan understood why. Deep down, Naruto represented all of the pain and suffering that Kakashi had gone
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through and was going to be a continual reminder of everything he had lost. As mean as it sounded, Hien was trying his
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best to put Kakashi into this position. You see, Hirozen knew that if he forced Kakashi back into it, Kakashi would be
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faced with his own pain every day and it would be unpleasant. But despite that, it offered him a chance forward. If
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Kakashi wished to really complete his mission, he would need to accept that things were different now. Things had
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changed, and Kakashi had to change, too. If he refused, it would be unhealthy. He needed to accept that his friends were
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gone, but had no reason to close off his heart forever. To enter a self-destructive cycle of killing and
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being killed just to numb the pain. I know you can do this, Kakashi. Hi said.
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Don't let me down. Kakashi looked down for a moment and then offered a bit of a bow to accept the mission. As you wish,
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he said. Kakashi then left the Hokag's office and began his search for the person he was supposed to watch. He
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eventually found him. Naruto Usuzamaki, son of Kusha and Minato. Though he could
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never know that Naruto could never know the circumstances of his own birth or who his parents really were for fear of
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what he might become. Naruto was a loose cannon and his power could and would destroy the village if nobody kept a
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tight lid on it. So maybe there was another reason why Kakashi was chosen for this. Kakashi would not let anyone
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reveal the truth to him. Like it or not, Naruto was now Kakashi's responsibility. And if Kakashi didn't want to be blamed
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for the total destruction of the village, he needed to stay on his toes. Maybe Hiazen was right to choose
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Kakashi. After all, if anyone could protect Naruto, it was him. And so Kakashi would sort of just hang outside
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on the opposite roof, keeping his eye on Naruto. For the most part, Naruto wasn't getting in any trouble. Looking in, he
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saw the boy doing his own thing, such as looking through his toy box for anything he might wish to play with. He tended to
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play quite a bit. This kept going for quite some time. Kakashi happened to notice how alone Naruto always seemed to
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be. There were no friends coming to visit him or anything. At first, Kakashi assumed that Naruto didn't really mind.
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But then a certain night came where a heavy downpour and thunderstorm came over Konoha. It wasn't a very good night
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for Kakashi as he had to remain on that rooftop to keep a watch on Naruto. The most he got was a waterproof hooded
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cloak. He remained in the elements. Despite this, he was a trooper. He didn't complain. His job wasn't to
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complain. It was to faithfully carry out the mission. Kakashi sat there as the thunder overhead roared across the black
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skies at midnight. Despite the time, Naruto was still awake. Normally, he'd be asleep by this time, but the young
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boy kept his eyes glued to the window from his bed. There was a flash of lightning striking very close by.
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Kakashi didn't flinch, though. Loud sounds and close calls were common on the battlefield. But Naruto, on the
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other hand, was a different sort. The sound and flash, despite Naruto being safe, caused him to fall out of bed
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backwards. For a second, Kakashi almost contemplated going over there for fear that he could have broken his neck, but
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he saw movement, insinuating that Naruto was okay. He continued watching and found that Naruto was now frantically
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searching through his toy box. Coming back to the bed, he covered himself in a blanket and held tightly to his chest an
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old doll that Hisan had brought to him. That doll was secretly a handme-down from Kusha's time as a child. Something
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that they had collected when Mito and Kusha had passed away. His had often brought toys to Naruto that his parents
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used to own in hopes that they would give him some sort of connection. Despite this doll being considered a
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girl's toy, Naruto really seemed to love it. Every so often, as it looked like Naruto might be close to crying, Kakashi
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seemed to notice that Naruto would sniff the doll. If he didn't know any better, he might assume one of three things.
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One, the doll was scented. Two, Naruto was just weird. Or three, and most likely considering the age of the doll
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and who owned it previously, Naruto was attempting to bring himself comfort subconsciously, and the doll would
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likely have the scent of Kusha on it. Likely, Naruto deep down knew that this doll was special. And due to this, he
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held it close as a treasure to him for times of comfort. It was at about 3:00 a.m. the storm finally passed. And by
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this point, Naruto already seemed to be half asleep, his head bobbing. Eventually, he collapsed forward in bed,
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falling asleep. Kakashi let out a sigh. Naruto was probably safe right now. He
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thought a bit about Naruto and what he had to go through and began to wonder if Mito knew Naruto would suffer when he
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sealed the Ninetales into him. As the days and months passed by, Kakashi continued to follow Naruto, even to the
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academy. There were kids there, but none seemed to want anything to do with him. Kakashi found it strange. As per the
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order of Hirozen, none of these kids were supposed to know that Naruto was the Ninetailes Ginguriki. So why was he
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being treated this way? Possibly because parents had told their kids or was it that Naruto simply didn't want to make
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friends or even couldn't? Considering how much time Naruto spent sitting on the swing by himself, Kakashi assumed it
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was not Naruto's fault. He seemed to try being outgoing, but nobody really seemed to show an interest in him, save for one
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girl, the ays of the Huga clan's main branch, Hinata Huga. The reason being
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how Naruto had at one time rescued her from the hands of bullies. Naruto didn't have friends, but this didn't mean he
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wasn't a kind boy deep down. Seeing bullies make fun of her by Byakugan, Naruto was quick to intervene, even
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getting beaten up. Despite that, she said nothing, and Naruto said nothing either. He literally stopped them from
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bullying her for no other reason than the kindness of his heart. It was in this way that Kakashi realized how
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similar to Mino Naruto truly was. It was awe inspiring to say the least. But why
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was it that the little Huga girl remained so distant? It was obvious that she liked him and wanted to be his
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friend. So why hide? Was she too nervous? Was she too shy? Kakashi began to question why he was getting so
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involved in schoolyard politics. He assumed that the boring nature of this job had left his mind craving literally
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anything to break the monotony. And so it seemed he had begun to treat this like some sort of baby soap opera.
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Kakashi couldn't help but get drawn in by the drama. After all, it seemed like such a cleaner version of his favorite
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novels. He loved it. But not everything was going to remain boring forever. One day on his way home from school, Naruto
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would stumble into something that shouldn't have happened. Now, it wasn't Naruto's fault what happened to him, but
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nobody else would see it that way. And the actions taken on this particular day were the remnants of the toxic hatred
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that couldn't simply be defeated by an order from the Hokag. It was a day Kakashi would never forget because it
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was the end of something old and the beginning of something new. As Naruto was walking home one day, he heard a
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voice call out to him. Stopping, he looked around and began to follow the voice down some random alleyway. "What's
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he doing?" Kakashi wondered. As Naruto traveled down that alleyway, there was a sudden ruckus that began. Kakashi began
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to wonder what had happened. Had he run into a dog, some rabid animal, perhaps a pitbull trained for fighting and
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abandoned? Kakashi rushed over with his kunai ready, prepared to kill whatever animal could be assaulting the boy. That
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was until he saw not the eyes of some beast, but the hateful eyes of men. A group of men had taken it upon
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themselves to try and rid Konoha of the greatest threat that ever came upon it, Naruto. Kakashi saw one of them pull a
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knife from behind their back. "Hey!" he shouted, drawing their attention as he threw a shuriken, knocking the knife
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from the man's hand. The group of men, terrified at seeing a real Onu agent, turned tail and ran, making their way
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out of the alley in the opposite direction before promptly scattering. There were so many of them. They knew that by scattering, Kakashi would be
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unable to catch all of them. They'd be wrong about that as Kakashi immediately summoned shadow clones to give chase.
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Each of the men was brought to justice, which was a good thing. But all the same, they had really messed up Naruto.
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Kakashi looked down to see Naruto laying among the trash and garbage, his body torn and bloody, bruised from the
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attack. He lay in a puddle of water among the refues of the trash cans, as if his life were meaningless, as if his
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existence meant nothing. Kakashi's anger was kindled against the people of the village. In this moment, this boy wasn't
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some monster, but a mere child who didn't understand why nobody loved him. "Is something wrong with me?" Naruto had
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often questioned. "Did I do something wrong? Am I ugly? Is it because I have yellow hair?" Naruto questioned all of
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these things in the past and had done so much to change their minds. This Kakashi stood witness to. Naruto had been sure
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to brush his teeth, to shower good, to comb his hair and dress as best he could. There was even a woman across the
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street from his apartment that he decided to bring flowers to in hopes of making a friend. Perhaps due to that woman's age, Naruto was hoping that she
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could take the place of a mother. Perhaps this was Naruto's pitch at being adopted. Perhaps Naruto was simply
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auditioning to prove he could be a good son. After all, who could deny the charm of a suave 5-year-old with flowers? It
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was adorable. But upon presenting his best to the woman, she swatted the flowers away, tossing them as if they
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were some sort of offense to her. Naruto's heart shattered when he saw that. All the while Kakashi was
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watching. She cursed him, spat upon him, told him that it would have been better if he'd never been born. By the looks of
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those around him who had gathered to watch him fail at seeking a friend, they all judged him, saying that he was
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harassing the woman because he was a perverted little demon. After that, Naruto never tried to befriend an adult
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again. And now they'd taken it a step too far. The young boy who had sought only to be accepted and loved now lay
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broken in the mud and water, his wounds dirtied by the garbage around. Nobody cared. He could be dying here, and the
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only ones who would know would be Kakashi and the angels that came to scoop up his little soul. No, Kakashi
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wouldn't let it end here. This was his job. This was his mission. Screw those people. Screw the evil hearts around.
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Perhaps they had let the pain caused by the Ninetailes corrupt them. And if they felt pain, maybe that was okay. But what
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wasn't okay was for them to treat Naruto this way, a mere child in emotional and now physical pain, left to die due to
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their neglect and anger that he did not deserve. Kakashi pulled Naruto up from the ground, pulling the boy's limp body
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into his embrace. Turning around, he leapt from the scene, heading toward the only place he knew Naruto could rest
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without feeling the eye-filled gaze of those around him, home. Entering the apartment, he laid the boy down upon the
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bed and looked him over. He was wounded. His face was bloody and bruised by the fists of hatred. Kakashi couldn't leave
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it like this. He knew that if he were not careful, infection would set in and it could lead to Naruto's untimely
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passing. But Kakashi had some medical skill. Learning the basics of field medicine from Rene during their time
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under Mito, Kakashi put his skills to work, grabbing gauze, bandages, and rags. He filled the bowl with warm water
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and prepared to use it on Naruto. But the moment he re-entered the room, he saw Naruto was no longer on the bed. He
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was in the corner clutching tight the doll he'd often used for comfort. He heard sniffling and saw tears. "Please
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don't kill me," Naruto said, his big blue eyes filled with pleading. "I don't know what I did, but I'm sorry. Please,
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I don't want to die." Kakashi knelt down and put his things on the ground. "I'm not going to hurt you," he said. "But
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this obviously didn't get through to Naruto." Kakashi crawled a bit closer to the boy only to see him shaking violently with fear. Kakashi reached out
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his hand to calm Naruto, but Naruto probably saw this like some claw of a monster. Kakashi pulled his hand away
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from Naruto. "I'm not here to hurt you," Kakashi said. "Then why are you wearing a ski mask?" Naruto said. "You look like
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a murderer." Kakashi couldn't argue with that. He did look like a murderer, but maybe that's because he was. Kakashi
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during his time in the Onboo had killed many people. A lot of people who had been a threat, but were neutralized,
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seeking quarter. Kakashi ended their lives as easily as a man snuffing out the flame of a candle. Kakashi was a
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murderer, so Naruto's guess was right. But all the same, Kakashi was not here to kill him. He was here to protect the
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boy. He wanted to bring Naruto peace and to calm him. So Kakashi reached up with his gloved hand and gripped the mask
22:55
around his face. He slowly pulled it down to expose his viz. "Maybe this is better," he asked, showing his gentle
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smile. Naruto looked at it out of the corner of his eye. Kakashi held out his hand in a non-threatening way. "Don't
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worry, I wish to help you." It was clear that Naruto had trust issues, and he had every right to, but this was something
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Naruto needed, so Kakashi hoped Naruto would take it, else Kakashi might have to sedate Naruto to clean his wounds. He
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really didn't want to have to do that. Naruto had been through so much and despite how young he was, Kakashi feared
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that any more terror might cause the boy to have a heart attack. His heart was already pounding so fast that Kakashi's
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sharing gun could see in it his chakra. Naruto looked at Kakashi's exposed face and then down at his hand. He noticed
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the supplies that Kakashi had. He reached out his hand and took it. Kakashi was happy. Don't be afraid,
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Naruto. You'll be okay. Sitting Naruto up on his bed, Kakashi began to examine him for wounds. Finding every
23:51
laceration, he cleaned it off with water to remove any dirt or grime before applying alcohol. It wasn't pleasant for
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Naruto, who seemed to choke back tears. "You're being very brave," Kakashi said. Thankfully, none of the lacerations were
24:04
deep enough to merit stitches. Once he had Naruto all cleaned up, he got Naruto a new outfit and gave him privacy to
24:10
change into it. "Are you okay?" Kakashi asked. He checked Naruto's pupils for dilation. Thankfully, it seemed he did
24:16
not have a concussion. "You okay?" Kakashi asked again. Naruto nodded slowly. "Just sleepy?" he said with a
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bit of a slur. "I bet you are. You've had a very tiring day." Naruto looked over at Kakashi for a moment. "Who are
24:30
you?" he asked. It was a simple, flat question. Kakashi remembered that he never really did introduce himself. "My
24:37
name is Kakashi." "Kakashi Hate. I'm an Onbu agent sent here to protect you." "To protect me?" Naruto asked. Kakashi
24:45
knew he couldn't really explain it to him, but he knew the boy would seek some sort of answer. So Kakashi gave it to him, even if it was a little vague. Mr.
24:52
Hien told me you were always alone, and he said he was afraid that you'd get into trouble. He told me to watch you
24:58
and make sure you were okay. Are you okay? Naruto nodded. Kakashi smiled and
25:03
then raised his mask. Then my job here is done. He stood and ready to leave. Before he could go, Naruto reached out.
25:10
Wait. Kakashi looked back. Yes. Where are you going? Naruto asked. Back to my
25:16
post. Please don't leave me, he said. Kakashi stopped, caught a little off
25:21
guard. You don't have to worry. I won't be far. I'll always be nearby to protect
25:26
you. Please. I don't want to be alone again, Naruto said as new tears seem to take up residence in the corners of his
25:32
eye. Are you afraid that those men will come back? You don't have to be. I caught them. No, I'm not afraid of that,
25:38
Naruto said. Then what are you scared of? I don't want to go back to being alone. Not tonight. Please don't go. He
25:46
was slowly getting more and more worked up. He sounded like one more sentence might cause him to burst into tears.
25:52
Kakashi looked down upon him with compassion. His heart now demanded that he do as the boy pleaded. After all, he
25:58
was Kakashi's charge, and Kakashi was here to serve him. If Naruto begged him to stay with him, how could Kakashi
26:04
refuse? He was here to look after the well-being of the boy. And perhaps that extended beyond the physical limitations
26:10
and into the emotional ones. Pulling his mask down, he knelt by the bed again. All right, I'll stay over for the night
26:17
just to make sure you're comfortable. But tomorrow morning, I need to go. Okay, deal. Naruto nodded. Deal. During
26:23
this time, Kakashi remained nearby as Naruto rested. He closed the blinds as the overcast skies descended into a
26:30
depressing gray. The day coming to an end, night rolling in. "Are you hungry, Naruto?" Kakashi asked. Naruto shook his
26:37
head. Oh, come now. Kakashi said. You can't be like that. You got to eat. If
26:42
you don't eat, you'll get sick. So, tell me, if there was anything you'd like to eat right now, what would it be? I want
26:48
ramen. Shin black bone broth. Kakashi chuckled. Awfully specific for someone
26:55
not hungry. Naruto offered a smile. Kakashi went and made two bowls of ramen, bringing one to Naruto and
27:02
keeping the other for himself. They ate together and exchanged stories. Naruto would pull out a journal that contained
27:08
all the dreams he could remember upon waking up. Quite a few were bad dreams. One saw him trapped in a void of liinal
27:14
spaces, each room the size of a warehouse. Another dream saw him being chased by a monster through the village
27:21
at night only for his legs to keep going out from under him or his speed being incredibly decreased. Sometimes both. A
27:28
couple dreams saw him falling far distances from really high or being smothered by something like being buried
27:34
alive. But bad dreams weren't the only ones Naruto had. Sometimes he had dreams where he was a superhero. This dream was
27:41
recurring and it was the dream Naruto was most excited about Kakashi reading about. It saw him as some superpowered
27:47
ninja with the ability to fly and shoot infinitely regenerating shuriken that were magical and always hit whatever
27:52
they were aiming for. He said that he always fought a villain that held the village captive in fear and that he
27:58
always defeated it and everyone would cheer his name and celebrate. He said it was his favorite dream besides the one
28:04
on the next page. Kakashi flipped the page and read about it. This dream was also recurring, though it seemed to be
28:10
less frequent compared to the others. In this dream, he dreamed that he was in the arms of someone very special to him
28:15
who he could only assume was his mother. She would rock him back and forth and smother him with hugs. Kakashi was no
28:22
psychologist, but it seemed a recurring theme of Naruto's dreams was loneliness and the desire to be loved. And why
28:28
wouldn't it be? Naruto was all alone. These dreams broke Kakashi's heart. As
28:34
the night passed, he looked at Naruto as the boy slept soundly. The doll clenched close in his arms. Kakashi stayed close
28:40
that night, not leaving the side of the bed until the sun rose. As per their deal, Kakashi knew he could now leave.
28:47
Looking over at Naruto's face one more time to make sure he was okay, he determined that Naruto's wounds would
28:53
heal all by themselves. Standing up, Kakashi prepared to head home to grab a little rest before his next shift
28:58
started. But the strangest feeling took hold of him as he grabbed the door to the apartment. A sort of sadness, a
29:05
feeling of sorrow. So Kakashi walked back in for a moment and grabbed a piece of paper. "Dear Naruto," he wrote. "I
29:11
had so much fun sleeping over with you. You're a really cool dude. Maybe one day we can do it again. If so, I'll be sure
29:18
to bring a new brand of ramen that I'm sure you'll love. I'll also bring some games and movies to enjoy. I'll be sure
29:24
to call every once in a while and we'll write you often. He then signed it. Your friend, Kakashi. He left this on the
29:31
refrigerator for Naruto to read, and then he headed home. The next few days went swell. Naruto had become more
29:37
aware, keeping his eyes out for Kakashi. And now that he knew he was always watching him, he would always get real
29:43
close to the window and make funny faces toward the other roof. This coaxed a chuckle or two out of Kakashi. He would
29:49
wave at Kakashi and Kakashi would wave back. Maybe it would blow his cover a little, but how could he not wave at
29:55
Naruto? All the while below, Hirozen was watching with a smile. Everything was
30:00
going according to plan. Kakashi began doing more than just watching Naruto. He began to hang out with him quite a bit.
30:07
They'd hang around, watch movies, play games, and just enjoy each other's company. This had a profound impact on
30:13
Naruto's life. Now that he always had his guardian angel around, he knew that he'd be safe. And due to having one true
30:20
good friend, he no longer seemed to be upset when others didn't want to be his friend. Adults would snap at him, but
30:26
Naruto let it roll off his back. He didn't have to worry about what others thought. Naruto knew now that his life
30:32
had value. It had meaning, and there would be someone very sad if he were to be gone. So, whenever the cruel
30:39
villagers told him his life was meaningless, and that it would be better if he'd never been born, he would simply
30:44
smile and tell them to kindly go piss themselves. Naruto's life was worthwhile. Someone cared about it, and
30:51
so it was better that he'd been born. His existence seemed to help somebody with a troubled past. Naruto had asked
30:57
in the past about Kakashi's history, but Kakashi always kept a tight lid on it and very rarely talked about it. Naruto
31:04
knew so very little about his best friend, but that was okay. He didn't need to know about him. All he needed to
31:10
know was that he was happy to have him now, and Naruto doubted very seriously that anything Kakashi could have done in
31:16
the past could change his mind. Naruto was that desperate for love, or perhaps
31:21
just that loyal. Either way, Naruto didn't question Kakashi's past. All he knew was that Kakashi had lost all of
31:27
his friends and was lonely now, too. And that was sad. But something that Naruto had always thought about was that if
31:34
every lonely person in the world, and every person desperate for love, attention, and a good friend who would
31:40
appreciate them were to get together in one place, would loneliness not cease to exist? If two people were lonely, then
31:47
they should comfort one another. In doing so, they would no longer be lonely, which was apparently what Naruto
31:53
and Kakashi were doing with each other. Naruto was pleased to have a friend like Kakashi, someone like an uncle, like an
31:59
older brother. While Naruto didn't have a mom or dad, he did have Kakashi, and he had Hirozen. Slowly, little by
32:05
little, Naruto was filling out his family tree, and his mood had soared to new heights to places it had never been
32:11
before. That night, Kakashi came to visit Naruto. It had become a bit of a habit for Kakashi to simply forego the
32:17
rooftop across from Naruto and instead simply have a sleepover. Hi had approved of such a thing, saying it would be good
32:24
for both of them on various levels, and it would also help Kakashi keep a closer eye on him. To that end, during the day
32:30
before his arrival, Kakashi had done something he'd rarely done before, and had bought himself a gaming console.
32:35
Kakashi was not much of a gamer. He didn't care for video games. When your life was continually war to no end,
32:42
there was no need for action. Instead, you tended to try and drown your sorrows and trauma in ways of relaxing,
32:48
preferably the kind that didn't force you to fall asleep. That's why Kakashi had become a bit of a biblophile. He
32:54
enjoyed reading, and the best things he had ever read were the works of a man named Jeriah. Though the novels were a
32:59
bit spicy and went over quite a few things that no kid should ever read, it also included some other story elements
33:05
that Kakashi found to be hilarious. To that end, while he had read many books, the only books he ever seemed to read
33:11
continuously over and over on loop were the Ichaicha novels. It seemed as though these novels were built for someone like
33:17
Kakashi, as the writer seemed to understand the need for an escape, especially when the past continued to
33:22
crawl up from the grave you kept trying to bury it in. It acknowledged the idea of being a shinobi, but it gave newer
33:29
context as the book insinuated being a shinobi wasn't always about fighting. It was also about finding oneself. It
33:35
focused on the Nindo, the ninja way. That was Kakashi's preferred form of entertainment, but he knew he couldn't
33:41
share that with Naruto. Naruto was still a bit too young to know the kinds of things that happened in that book. So,
33:46
he thought of something else better to do with him. That's where this console he was now carrying came into play. A
33:52
nice racing game like Hashiama Kart or Super Minato 64 or Tobyama Party 3 would
33:58
be a blast. And the idea of leaving the console with Naruto for him to enjoy also brought a smile to Kakashi's face.
34:04
This was mostly for Naruto anyway. Entering the apartment of Naruto, he surprised the boy with the new gaming
34:10
console to which Naruto's eyes lit up at the prospect of all the fun they would have. And so with Naruto nearby giving
34:16
moral support, mostly because he wasn't entirely sure how to hook such a system up, Kakashi did most of the technical
34:22
stuff. But once the system was in, they fired it up. Despite Naruto not really playing video games very much, he showed
34:28
himself very capable and seemed to win every match. This surprised Kakashi, whose reaction time was even aided by
34:34
the sharing gun in at least one race. Naruto just seemed to have frame perfect movements, leading to Kakashi's
34:39
suspicion that Naruto had played this before. But the true answer was simply that Naruto was good at video games, and
34:45
Kakashi was not. Kakashi might have had the sharing gun, but that didn't mean his body could react to everything he
34:51
saw. The simple truth was Kakashi needed to get good if he wanted to win. After playing almost all night long, Kakashi
34:57
stretched and yawned. Well, that was fun. I think it's time for bed now. Oh, come on. One more game, Naruto asked.
35:04
Kakashi chuckled and ruffled Naruto's hair. Sorry, kiddo. I'm beat both in and out of the game. I think we can call it
35:10
for now. But hey, you can play as much as you want tomorrow. I'll leave the console here when I leave. That way, we
35:16
can have more fun the next time I stay. When will you come back? Naruto asked. Tomorrow? Kakashi shook his head. No,
35:22
tomorrow will be someone else's turn at guard duty. They'll be outside the window where I used to be. But I'll be back the day after tomorrow. Sound good?
35:29
Naruto seemed a little sad. Tenzo's nice, but he's not as friendly as you. Kakashi offered a new smile. Tenzo's a
35:36
good guy. He's a part of my team. I'm glad he's offered to cover my shift tomorrow. I have chores that I got to do
35:41
back at my house, but hey, it's only 48 hours. Less if you consider that I'll get here sooner, so probably closer to
35:47
like 42 hours from now. So, set a timer or something. It'll help the time go faster. Not to mention, you have my
35:53
phone number. You can always text if you get lonely. Can't promise I'll respond right away, but I'll text back when I
35:58
get the chance. Okay, Naruto said, a bit of sadness in his voice. This brought a bittersweet air to the night. Kakashi
36:05
brushed his teeth beside Naruto, who did the same. He then helped Naruto get into bed there. He covered Naruto up. Naruto
36:11
seemed a little down in the dumps. Will you still be here tomorrow when I wake up? Kakashi shook his head. Probably
36:17
not. I got to get a head start on the day. Then it's goodbye, I guess. Kakashi grabbed the doll Naruto seemed a favor.
36:24
Holding it in his hands, he examined it. In the hem of its skirt, the letters Ku were stitched in. "What did you name
36:30
this little doll?" "Koo," Naruto said, apparently sounding out the letters. "Ku as if they weren't initials." "K, huh?
36:36
That's a very cute name. She's very special to you." "Yeah, I love all my toys, but she's the one that brings me
36:42
the most comfort," he said. "Why?" Kakashi asked. "I don't know," Naruto said. Kakashi knew why, though, and it
36:48
brought a smile to his face. It had been some time since he had thought about Kusha, but the way he viewed her like a
36:54
mother and was now so close to Naruto, it truly did solidify their bond as brotherly. "Well, this doll is very
37:01
special indeed," he said as he handed it over to Naruto. Naruto hugged it tightly as Kakashi tucked him in. "Maybe I'll
37:07
wake you up tomorrow so we can say goodbye before I go. Would you like that?" Naruto nodded. Kakashi pushed
37:13
some of the messy hair out of Naruto's face. "Then that's what I'll do. Good night, Naruto." Naruto let off a small
37:20
smile, just like that of the Mona Lisa. Barely noticeable, quite melancholic, yet proof of a happiness that had taken
37:26
root in spite of the blue spirit he was now taking on. "Good night, big brother. I love you." It felt as though an arrow
37:33
went right through Kakashi's heart when Naruto said that. Kakashi leaned in, kissed Naruto's forehead and said, "Good
37:39
night, little bro." He then closed the door behind him before making his way to the couch where he laid down. Grabbing a
37:44
pillow and a blanket, he proceeded to go to sleep. He was so attached to Naruto now. And despite the fact that this made
37:50
him happy, he couldn't help but fear. He felt so vulnerable now. Every time he opened his heart, something happened. An
37:57
uneasy feeling came over him. A whatif scenario playing out in his mind, reminding him of all the times he failed
38:02
to save the people he loved. Kakashi felt like he felt like bad luck. Anytime he got close enough to someone to admit
38:09
that he loved them, they suffered a horrible fate and scarred Kakashi for life. What if? What if Naruto ended up?
38:16
Kakashi shook his head, trying to push the thought from his mind. As he laid there, he began to fall asleep. The next
38:22
morning, Kakashi awakened. The sun was just rising. He had only gotten about 5 hours of sleep, but that was standard
38:27
for him. His body didn't seem to require more than that. It was recommended by doctors to get anywhere between seven
38:33
minimum to nine maximum hours of sleep a night, but Kakashi seemed to be doing well with this. Shinobi had ways of
38:39
coping. Perhaps he had just trained himself to skip REM sleep and go straight into the third stage of enrem
38:45
quicker. Due to this, he sacrificed vivid memories for more abstract and rare dreams, but in the end, it resulted
38:51
in his body getting what it needed more quickly and in a shorter amount of time, which to him was perfect. Upon waking
38:57
up, he considered not telling Naruto, but then felt as though he should due to his promise. So, after brushing his
39:03
teeth and cleaning up, readying himself for the day, he walked into Naruto's room and gently nudged the boy. Naruto
39:09
turned over to face him and yawned before opening his eyes. "Ikashi," he said with a groggy smile. "Hello,
39:15
Naruto," Kakashi said. "I'm headed off now. I just wanted to tell you to have a good day. Remember, if you ever need me,
39:21
I'm just a phone call away." "Okay." Kakashi ruffled the boy's hair with a smile. He then stood and turned around
39:27
and left the apartment. As he left, though, a man in the distance watched. A tiger striped pattern mask covered his
39:33
face and hid it from view. So, this is the one who bears the ninetailes and where he lives, he said to himself.
39:40
Interesting. Interesting indeed. Kakashi used the day to recover himself. While
39:45
he loved spending time with Naruto, sometimes it was nice to just have time to yourself. He cleaned his apartment,
39:51
made sure to catch up on bills and tax preparedness, and made sure that all the deductibles were put into an envelope
39:56
with the year printed on it. He visited the bank, did a little grocery shopping, and otherwise just did what he needed.
40:02
Naruto never did text and Kakashi assumed that this was because he didn't want to disturb him. Kakashi would spend
40:07
his time at home from that point on and would end up going to bed early that night as he hoped to start his shift to
40:12
watch Naruto early the next day wanting to make sure he caught up on all the sleep he needed. The next day, Kakashi
40:18
got up and at about 3 p.m. decided to head out. He called in an order of food and picked it up. It was his and
40:23
Naruto's favorite meal. This should lift spirits, he said, referring to the time they were separated. Heading to Naruto's
40:29
apartment, he opened the door. Naruto, I'm back, he called out. There was no response. Naruto, it was dark in there,
40:36
like no one had opened the blinds. Don't tell me he's still sleeping. What a lazy bones sleeping into 3 p.m. like this.
40:43
Kakashi would continue to judge if he hadn't been accused of doing the same thing on his days off. Placing the food
40:48
on the table, he switched on the lights. The moment he did so, he looked around and found the living room to be ransacked. "Nar," Kakashi asked with a
40:55
slight bit of panic. Stepping over the messy house, he began to check all of the rooms, finding them empty. Lastly,
41:01
he entered Naruto's bedroom to find it empty as well. All that remained was a broken window where it seemed someone
41:06
had entered or escaped through. Naruto, Kakashi cried out through the window, hoping to get a response. Traveling to
41:12
the roof opposite, he found Tenzo hog tied. Undoing the gag in his mouth, he asked him straight. What's going on?
41:17
There was a guy, Tenzo said. He had a mask. I looked into it and saw a single eye staring back at me. A sharing gun.
41:24
Somehow there's an uchiha out there. You think it was Itachi? Kakashi asked. Tenzo, now completely untied, spoke. No,
41:31
I worked with Itachi, too. There would be no reason to hide his face, nor any reason to change his voice. I felt like
41:37
this was a different guy entirely, but he could be similar. A rogue shinobi. There are no missing Nuiah. Kakashi
41:43
said. It's possible this guy wasn't even anha. Maybe he stole a sharing gun during the war. Whatever it was, that
41:50
was the kind of guy who took Naruto. This was reported to Hirozen who began to suspect that it might have been the
41:55
same one who was responsible for Kusha and Mito's deaths. Then we suspected the Uchiah for nothing, Kakashi said,
42:01
realizing that the coup planned by the Uchia due to their mistreatment was somewhat justifiable now. We need to
42:06
rescue him, Kakashi said. I know, Kakashi, but the issue is we have no leads. We don't know where Naruto is. He
42:13
could be anywhere. Don't you have a way to track him? What about his eight trigram seal? Did you not consider
42:18
adding a tracking seal to it? We didn't put the seal on him. Mito did. And due to the power of the Ninetailes and the
42:24
threat it posed to the village, we didn't want to risk messing up the seal by altering it. Kakashi rubbed his face.
42:30
I know you care for the boy, but you have to think clearly, Kakashi. If you're not level-headed, you'll be of no
42:36
use to us or Naruto. I can't do this again, Lord. Third, Kakashi said. I lost
42:41
my mother before I even had the chance to know her. Then I lost my father, then my team. I've lost so many people and
42:47
had my heart rent open more times than I should be able to survive. I can't lose Naruto. Hi put his hand on Kakashi's
42:54
shoulders. We are working around the clock to find a lead. Kakashi, just be patient. We'll come up with something.
43:00
Go home and rest. Kakashi tried to do just that, but found himself unable to. He couldn't sleep for anything. And so
43:07
he decided to spend his time at Naruto's apartment, as if maybe being there, he might be able to feel better about this,
43:13
but he didn't. Entering Naruto's room, he saw that the doll was left on the bed. Kakashi picked it up and looked
43:19
down at it. Mino, Kusha, please forgive me. I'm trying my best. I'm trying my
43:24
best to protect him. I love him as you would have, but I'm not good enough. You're plenty good. A voice came to him,
43:30
an internal voice, as if the voices of Mito and Kusha were speaking inside of his mind. Was it really their spirits,
43:37
or was it his guilty conscience trying its best to remind Kakashi that he wasn't at fault for this? Either way, it
43:43
didn't help much. You know, yellow is such an unusual hair color. One of the voices inside his head said. Once when
43:49
Kusha was kidnapped, she had pulled bits of her own hair out and left a trail. Kakashi remembered when he heard this
43:54
story from Mito. Perhaps the memory was only coming up now because he was thinking about them. I wonder how
44:00
similar Naruto is to his mother, the voice said. Suddenly, it hit Kakashi like a truck. What if Naruto did start
44:06
leaving a trail of hair to lead him to the enemy's secret layer, raising his forehead protector a bit to expose his
44:11
sharing gun? He looked around. The window seemed to have a single golden hair wrapped around one of the shards of
44:17
glass. There was also a little bit of blood. Somebody nicked themselves on the glass and were bleeding. Following the
44:22
trail out, he wandered the rooftops again and saw more blood and hair making a longer trail. Kakashi's heart began to
44:29
race as he knew there was a chance that he could still find Naruto. Naruto, still in his pajamas, had been carried
44:35
off and was now brought to rest within a cave where he'd been tossed into a cage. Locked up, Naruto stood and walked over
44:41
to the bars. Who are you? Why are you doing this to me? Because you have something I want, and I will have it
44:47
before I'm through with you. My big brother, Kakashi, will save me. You're doomed. You better say your prayers
44:52
because he's going to come and smush you. The masked man laughed a bit. That failure of a shinobi you call a friend.
44:58
Give me a break. Nobody's coming for you, kid. You just got to accept the facts. You're wrong. Kakashi promised
45:04
he'd always protect me. The masked man turned back to face Naruto, his glowing red eye gazing into the boy's soul.
45:11
Naruto felt intimidated by this and took a few steps back. The masked man knelt down and spoke. Kakashi promised you,
45:17
huh? Well, don't expect him to keep it. He's a pathological liar. He makes a lot of promises and they always turn out
45:23
bad. You're not the first person he promised to always protect. And that person is laying dead in a ditch
45:28
somewhere right now because of his failure. In fact, he had promised to protect her, and instead it was his hand
45:34
that killed her. "Kakashi's promises aren't worth the spittle that gets absorbed into his cheesy mask every time
45:39
he makes them." "You're wrong. Kakashi would never lie to me," Naruto said. "Are you so sure?" the masked man asked.
45:45
"He's already lied to you." Naruto seemed confused. "What do you mean?" The man let the moment remain silent to
45:51
bring about a new gravity to his words. "For so many years, you never knew what you were, why you were hated. You don't
45:58
even understand why I want you now. Naruto looked at the man with cautious skepticism. The man continued, "It's
46:04
because sealed within you is the ninetailed demon fox that ravaged the village 5 years ago. The very day of
46:10
your birth, the Ninetailes escaped your mother and went on a rampage. Your father sealed it away at the cost of his
46:17
own life. And now everyone blames you for the damage and death caused by the Ninetales." Naruto seemed confused. "Oh,
46:24
so you don't actually know who your parents are. It seems Kakashi really has told you nothing." Obito paused, letting
46:31
the moment build more anticipation. Your father was the fourth Hokag, Minato Namakazi, and your mother was the
46:38
previous Genturiki, Kusha Usuzamaki. Ku coup? Naruto said, finally realizing
46:44
what the embroidered letters on the hamm of his favorite doll were. Kakashi knew about this, Naruto asked. Everyone knows
46:50
about this. From Hirozen to Kakashi to every villager who gives you the skunk eye. Everyone knows. Everyone but you.
46:57
Kakashi knew the whole time who you were and where you came from because he was a member of your father's genine team.
47:04
Naruto was shocked. No, that's not true. It is. Your Kakashi is probably one of
47:11
the few people who truly knew who Minato Namakazi was. And despite this, Kakashi
47:16
probably could have saved your parents, but instead he let them die. He failed them the same way he failed his
47:22
teammates. You're lying, Naruto shouted. How would you know who my parents are or
47:27
any of this stuff? Naruto asked. The massman then spoke. I know who your parents are because I killed them. I am
47:34
responsible for the life you now live. I stole from you the life you could have had. And now I will take from you the
47:41
only life you know. I will have that nine tales within you. And when I take it from you, I will leave your body to
47:47
rot just the same as I did with your parents. Naruto was overwhelmed as he fell in his rear, staring at the man in
47:53
disbelief. There was too much to process. Naruto didn't know if he even could. All he knew was that he was in
48:00
tremendous pain and he didn't know what to do with it. Kakashi is the reason
48:05
that I live like this. Perhaps that's the only reason he became your friend. The massman said, "He pied you. He
48:13
ruined your life. Maybe that's why he did this. Either way, it's over now. And you can thank him for that." Much like
48:19
with everyone else, he wasn't there. He was unable to stop me from taking you. And now you're mine. Obito stood. I'll
48:27
bring you something to eat soon. You need to be strong so you can survive until I manage to take that ninetailes
48:32
from you. The masked man walked away. Kakashi had made his way to the cave entrance. Looking out, he wondered if
48:38
this was where Naruto was being kept. The trail of hair and blood had led him here. His shuriken holster strapped to
48:44
his leg, tanto on his back, Kakashi slowly began to enter the cave. His shing gun still exposed, he scanned the
48:50
room for any sort of traps. There were a few that he could have stumbled into had he not had his sharing gun active. Most
48:56
of these traps, though, were the noise- makingaking kind, designed not to maim Kakashi, but instead alert the masked
49:01
man that someone had entered his secret layer. Kakashi made his way deeper in and witnessed in the distance a cage
49:07
where Naruto sat, looking at the ground with a sort of thousand-y stare. Naruto,
49:12
Naruto, Kakashi called out, Naruto raised his eyes to meet Kakashi's, Kakashi raised his finger to his lips.
49:19
Shh, I'm here to get you out. Don't make any noise. Kakashi walked over stealthily and pulled out a lockpicking
49:25
kit which would allow him to open the lock on the cage. Sticking in the instruments, he began to press down on the pins before opening the lock. Once
49:31
the lock was off, he opened the cage and scooped Naruto up onto his back. "Let's get out of here," Kakashi said as he
49:37
began to leave the cage. Not long after, the masked man would discover that Naruto had escaped. "Kakashi," he said
49:44
immediately, knowing the only person who could have made it past his traps. In the forest nearby, Kakashi led them off.
49:50
Under cover of night, they knew that they could probably find cover. This was the first thing Kakashi decided to do.
49:56
Sitting Naruto down, he began to look him over. You're not hurt, are you? I saw blood on the glass shards. Was that
50:02
yours? Naruto shook his head. No. Kakashi sighed with relief. That's good. You don't look hurt, but tell me if
50:09
something feels different. Is it true? Naruto asked. Is what true? Kakashi questioned. Naruto looked like he had
50:15
tears building up in his eyes. Did you really know who and what I was all along? Did you really know who my
50:21
parents were? Kakashi let out a troubled sigh and looked down. You did know. You knew all along and you lied to me about
50:28
it. Naruto said slowly getting more and more worked up. Naruto had only ever felt that he had one friend and right
50:34
now he was feeling betrayed by that friend. Naruto, there's a lot of complicated stuff and there are reasons
50:40
why I didn't tell you. Did you only hang out with me because you pied me? No, Kakashi said. Then only because it was a
50:46
job. Was anything real? Were we ever actually friends? Tears began to run down Naruto's cheeks. Kakashi wiped away
50:53
a tear with his thumb as he lovingly held the side of Naruto's head. Yes, Naruto. I can promise you it was real.
51:00
Kakashi began to explain the truth to him. I knew your father. I loved him. He was a pillar to me when I was going
51:06
through a lot of tough times. Friends I'd promised I'd always protect ended up dead because of my failures. I never
51:13
wanted to die so much in my life. But your father got me through it. He gave me a job to protect his pregnant wife.
51:19
And I did so faithfully until the day came that she was to give birth. And the baby she gave birth to was you. But I
51:26
wasn't there. I had been called away on duty. And when I finally got back, the Ninetailes was escaping. I wanted to
51:32
fight it, but I was told her had ordered every Shinobi under a certain age to flee. I tried to buck against the rule,
51:38
but they left me no choice. Even then, I wish I had gone. Maybe I could have saved them," Kakashi said as he looked
51:44
away. "One of my greatest regrets in life. My failure cost the lives of my friends. My failure cost the lives of
51:50
your parents. And my failures are the reason why you're the host of the demon fox who killed them." Kakashi almost
51:56
looked as though he would cry. I am filled with so much shame. It's because of me that your life is hell. And what's
52:02
worse, I wasn't even there for you growing up. I only joined up when Hisen told me about the job. I didn't even
52:08
want it at first. But as I began to ghost you, following you around, I started to understand how important you
52:14
were, and worse, what you didn't have. When you were beaten and left to die, I knew I had to do something. I couldn't
52:20
let my master's son, the child born by the woman I considered a mother, to die. So, I took care of you. And the longer I
52:27
spent with you, the happier I became, the more I began to realize that I was okay and that it was okay to feel again.
52:33
You changed my life, Naruto. So, I promise you, I promise. Everything we did together, all the great times we
52:40
spent, the things we shared, our friendship, it was all real. Every last bit of it. A tear began to trail down
52:46
Kakashi's face. Naruto reached out and wiped it away with his thumb. "I understand, Kakashi. I still love you.
52:53
You're still my big brother." Kakashi hugged Naruto closely. "I love you, little brother," he said. They embraced
52:59
there for a time. That was until a voice spoke from behind. How touching.
53:04
Naruto's eyes were filled with concern as he looked on. Kakashi slowly turned around to see the masked man standing
53:10
there holding a katana. Kakashi pulled his tanto from behind him and pushed Naruto away. Naruto, I need you to run.
53:17
Run where? Anywhere. Just get away from here. I'll hold him off, but I need you to escape. Okay. Naruto nodded. Now go.
53:25
Kakashi shouted. Naruto ran off into the woods. The massman turned to see only for Kakashi to jump between him and
53:31
Naruto. You're not getting past me, Kakashi said. The man scoffed. You say that as if you genuinely believe you can
53:37
stop me. I won't let you touch Naruto, Kakashi said. Then by all means, try and
53:42
stop me. The two began to face off against each other. Their blades clashed. Despite Kakashi's prowess in
53:48
wielding blades like this one, the masked man had an advantage as his blade was longer. Despite these things,
53:53
Kakashi did manage to get through the man's defenses and strike at him, only for his blade and his whole body to
53:59
phase right through him as if it were nothing predictable. As Naruto ran, he stopped and thought about it. What if
54:06
Kakashi can't win? He looked back. What if Kakashi dies? The thought was enough
54:11
to make Naruto want to start crying. He blinked away his tears as his eyes were filled with determination. No, I won't
54:17
let him. I'll protect him. Naruto began running back toward the battle. As Kakashi laid there on the ground, the
54:23
masked man stood above him with his katana. So foolish, Kakashi. It's too bad it has to end this way. You know my
54:31
name, Kakashi questioned. It doesn't matter now. It's just sad that you'll have to die such an anticlimactic death.
54:37
But oh well. Live in the spotlight, die in anonymity. If only all of us could be
54:43
so lucky. He went to strike Kakashi down, but instead Naruto, utilizing his tailed beast cloak, jumped onto his back
54:49
and began clawing at his mask, biting the man on the shoulder. The man let out a cry and began to reach back. Gripping
54:55
Naruto by the collar, he threw him against a tree, knocking him silly. That being said, though, Naruto managed to
55:01
rip the man's mask off. He turned back to Kakashi, whose face bore complete and utter surprise. "Obito," the man smiled.
55:09
"In the flesh." "But how did you survive?" Kakashi asked. It's a story
55:14
I've told many times. Too many times. How I survived no longer matters, only
55:20
that I did. What are you doing? Kakashi asked. Cleaning up your mistakes. Obito
55:26
said. I don't understand. Obito then spoke. You failed me. You failed.
55:31
Because of your actions, she's dead now. Gone from me forever. I never had the chance to really tell her how I felt. I
55:38
never got a chance at love because like everything else, you took it from me. I didn't take anything, Obito. I tried to
55:44
preserve it and you failed miserably. Like everything else you do, you failed miserably, Obito shouted. I still don't
55:51
understand. What does this have to do with Naruto? There's a lot you don't understand. Just know that me taking
55:57
this beast will allow me to accomplish the things you've failed. It will let me achieve what I so desire. And what is
56:04
that? Kakashi asked. To have Rene back. But you know what will happen if you take the tailed beast from that boy,
56:09
don't you? Obito nodded. He will die, but I see it as a small price to pay.
56:15
One unwanted child in exchange for a perfect world. Seems like a fair trade to me. He's not unwanted, Kakashi
56:22
yelled. Oh, did I strike a nerve there? Listen, Kakashi. You're the only person
56:27
in the world who actually cares for the life of this twerp. And when I kill you, he will be unwanted. I don't know what's
56:34
happened to you, Obito, but I won't allow you to push your hatred of me onto Naruto. Don't worry. I don't need to
56:41
push my hatred of you onto him. I have enough hatred to go around. Obito began to swing his katana at Kakashi. Kakashi
56:49
blocked and dodged. As he swung his blade at Obito, his blade passed right through without so much as a scratch.
56:55
How Obito did this was the question, though. As Kakashi struck through him again, he noticed that Obito activated
57:01
his Mongeko sharing gun to do it. That's when it hit him. He's using his eye to phase his body through it. He's phasing
57:08
into a different dimension when he does this. That's when Kakashi came up with this plan. If I do that at the same time
57:15
I attack, maybe I can undo his and strike him down. Kakashi kept pushing back against Obito. Obito was very
57:22
strong, and even though he had a large katana, Kakashi was quicker. He went in for another attack. Obito tried to phase
57:28
through, but Kakashi phased the edge of his blade, which allowed it to go through, slicing Obito. Obito dropped
57:35
his weapon and stepped back. Kakashi, still in the movements, came in towards the shocked Obito, ready to finish it.
57:41
Getting a hold of himself, he saw the look in his best friend's face, or what used to be his best friend. He
57:47
hesitated. It was then that Obito took his chance to disarm Kakashi, taking Kakashi's tanto for himself before
57:53
knocking him to the ground. Fool, you should have killed your heart a long time ago. He went to stab Kakashi, but
58:00
before he could, the tip of the blade caught something else. A desperate Naruto, feeling the need to protect his
58:06
brother at all costs, jumped between Kakashi and Obito, catching the blade in his chest. There was a bit of a squeak
58:12
as Naruto stood there, the pain rushing through his body. Don't touch my
58:18
brother. As Naruto fell back, Kakashi in shock caught him. Obito was shocked as
58:23
well, though he recovered quickly. Drat, I needed him alive. Oh well, I guess the
58:28
Ninetailes will regenerate in a couple of years. Obito raised his blade again to finish them off, but Kakashi
58:34
instinctively reached for the nearby katana, grabbed it, and threw it at Obito, using his kamoi to phase it
58:40
through his heart. Obito gasped when he was struck. He stumbled back a bit, looking down at the wound before back at
58:46
Kakashi. "Damn you," he uttered before falling back. Kakashi sat there in shock. That was before he sat up and
58:52
cradled Naruto in his arms. "Naruto," he cried out. "Naruto!" Naruto was crying
58:58
from the pain. Kakashi pulled him up into his arms and rushed off with him. "Just stay with me, Naruto. I'll get you
59:04
help." "Kashi," Naruto uttered with a weak voice. "Kashi, listen to me," he
59:09
pleaded, hoping his last words would be heard. "I'm here, Naruto," Kakashi said as he kept running toward the village.
59:15
"Stop and listen." Kakashi shook his head. No, I can save you. If I die, I
59:22
want to tell you something. Please, he said as tears ran down his cheeks. Kakashi slowed down to a stop. He looked
59:29
down, his eyes filled with worry. You're not going to die. Kashi, Naruto said. I
59:35
just wanted you to know I love you. I forgive you for not telling me the truth. I don't want to be forgiven,
59:42
Naruto. I deserve the pain. I deserve to be hated by you. Naruto shook his head.
59:47
No, no you don't. I forgive you because I love you and I don't want you to hurt.
59:54
Kakashi was crying now. Please, Naruto. I already lost so many. I lost Obito,
59:59
Rene, Mato, Kusha. I can't lose you now as well. Naruto spoke. You won't lose
1:00:05
me. Wherever you are, I'll be there too. I'll live on in your heart. Kakashi
1:00:11
shook his head. No, that's not good enough, he said. I need you here with me. actually with me. He was crying
1:00:18
heavily now. Please don't go. Naruto offered a small smile. Promise me
1:00:23
something, big brother. Kakashi nodded. Anything? Naruto then spoke again.
1:00:28
Promise me that you won't throw away your heart. Huh? Kakashi asked. I know
1:00:34
your heart hurts, but don't throw it away. If you do, then where will I live?
1:00:39
Kakashi hugged Naruto tightly. At this point, Kakashi's shirt was drenched in the boy's blood. Please don't go. I'll
1:00:46
do anything you ask. I'll never close my heart again, but please don't go. Don't make me hurt. Naruto's eyes began to
1:00:52
glaze over a little. He was losing the ability to see now. The light was fading fast. Kashi, I I love you. Kakashi
1:01:01
looked down to see Naruto was no longer crying. Instead, his face bore a sense of fatigue and gentle joy in knowing he
1:01:07
was cared for. The idea that his life meant enough that someone would cry that it was ending. Naruto in those moments
1:01:14
knew his life had value because if it didn't, nobody would miss him. But right now, Kakashi's tears, even though they
1:01:21
hurt, gave Naruto peace and comfort in these final moments. I love you, too, Naruto. Naruto's smile widened a little
1:01:28
bit as he closed his eyes. Goodbye. No, Naruto. Naruto's eyes closed to
1:01:35
darkness. He felt numb, as if he were floating through space without a body. What only seemed like a moment later
1:01:41
though, he saw a bright light. He heard a voice call out to him. Naruto. Naruto.
1:01:46
Naruto smiled. Is this heaven? He opened his eyes to see a brightly lit room. He
1:01:51
blinked a bit. Looking down, he saw the sheets of a bed. His chest was covered in bandages. He wanted to move, but his
1:01:57
chest hurt so much it took his breath away. Looking over, he saw Kakashi sitting there asleep. In the same place
1:02:03
on Naruto's arm was a tube filled with a crimson substance. Naruto sat there for a moment before whispering. Kashi. There
1:02:10
was no response. Kashi, he whispered again. Kakashi's eyes opened. He looked over at Naruto and almost fell out of
1:02:17
his seat. He came over to his side. Naruto. Kakashi, so happy that the boy
1:02:22
was alive, hugged him tightly, causing Naruto to yelp in pain at the added pressure. Sorry, Kakashi said. I'm just
1:02:28
glad you're okay. I thought I died. Naruto said. I thought so, too. But the doctor said that you were just barely
1:02:35
alive. They attributed it to the Ninetailes in you, kickstarting regeneration in an attempt to keep you
1:02:40
alive. As it turns out, if you die, so too does the Ninetailes. And if the Ninetailes dies, well, he doesn't want
1:02:46
to die, so he keeps you alive. I brought you here, and they said that they needed to give you a blood transfusion. Since
1:02:52
you're B positive, and I'm O positive, I offered to give you some of mine, which they took. They said it probably saved
1:02:59
your life. Naruto's eyes glistened with amazement as he heard the miracle that took place that would keep him together
1:03:04
with his best friend. I love you Kashi, Naruto said. I love you too, Naruto.
1:03:09
After this, Naruto would be discharged into Kakashi's care, who would then bring Naruto home and tend to him
1:03:15
personally until he was completely healed. Together, they played their games, watched movies, and enjoyed the
1:03:20
time that they feared they would never have again. It turned out to be one of the better half months of their lives.
1:03:26
But sorrowfully, Kakashi was still broken up by the need to kill his own best friend. His past had crept up on
1:03:32
him and tried to destroy his future, but Naruto stuck close by him and stayed by his side. The years passed and
1:03:38
eventually Naruto would be allowed to graduate from the academy. The moment he did, Kakashi would invite him to join
1:03:44
his new team 7 alongside Sakura and Sasuke. And as they faced the future together, they knew that they would
1:03:50
always have each other's backs. Kakashi stood outside of the academy as he would
1:03:55
often walk Naruto home. However, today was different. Kakashi was ringing his hands with worry. The reason? Naruto was
1:04:02
attempting to take a very important test today. A test that would forever dictate
1:04:08
his future. Failure would lead to death. Or, you know, that's the way Naruto articulated it. The importance of such a
1:04:14
test was in all honesty very small. But all the same, Kakashi didn't want Naruto to be left behind by his class. and he
1:04:21
didn't want Naruto's confidence to take a hit. Due to that, Kakashi and Naruto had been working quite a bit on these
1:04:26
things. They had been studying for the written half and attempting to learn how to use clones. When Kakashi had set up a
1:04:32
faux test, Naruto had passed with flying colors. But Kakashi couldn't be sure that Naruto wouldn't suffer some form of
1:04:38
performance anxiety and fail. It wasn't the end of the world if he did, but it would be hard on Naruto, all things
1:04:44
considered. So, Kakashi silently prayed that Naruto wouldn't fail. As the hands
1:04:49
ticked past 300 p.m. on the clock, students began to be let out in waves. The first wave, the second wave, the
1:04:56
third wave, it seemed a lot of kids had taken the test, and equally the same amount had passed by the looks of their
1:05:01
headbands. But as of yet, there was no Naruto. Kakashi waited, and eventually the other kids would all slowly leave or
1:05:08
be picked up by their parents. It was now about 3:20 p.m. and once again, Kakashi was alone. No Naruto. He began
1:05:16
to wonder where he was. He almost considered going in to ask until eventually he saw a brightly colored kid
1:05:22
whose hair and clothes were so reflective that it would be impossible for him to hide like a true shinobi
1:05:28
would. Walking over, he prepared to ask, but then he saw the look on Naruto's face. Such a melancholic, disappointed
1:05:35
face, head hung low. Kakashi knelt down by Naruto. Naruto avoided eye contact.
1:05:41
Kakashi put his hands on the boy's shoulders. It's okay, Naruto. It was a bad day. You can always take the test
1:05:48
again tomorrow. I don't want to take the test again, he said. Kakashi was shocked by this. His confidence was already
1:05:54
destroyed by the sound of it. Now, Naruto, you don't mean that. I know you dream of being a shinobi and a hokag as
1:06:02
strong as your father. So, surely you'll want to take the test again. Elsewise, you can't be a genine. Naruto shook his
1:06:08
head. Why would I want to take the test again when I passed? Naruto suddenly
1:06:13
raised his head with a smile. He pulled his hand out of his pocket, dragging with it a headband with the metal plate
1:06:19
of the village crest. Kakashi was shocked at first, a little upset at the needless dragging out of the moment for
1:06:25
emotional response before finally offering a smile. "Whatever, it didn't matter. All that mattered was that
1:06:32
Naruto had passed and was happy." "Well, this seems like a good time to celebrate," Kakashi said. "How about we
1:06:37
go out and get something to eat?" Naruto nodded. "Sounds great." And so they decided to head off to get something to
1:06:43
eat together to celebrate Naruto passing his test. Kagashi was pleased. What he hadn't told Naruto was that he had left
1:06:49
the onboo specifically for this moment in hopes of becoming a guiding jonin. He wanted to be the mentor who led Naruto
1:06:56
and taught him everything he knew. He knew that Naruto would learn better from someone he was comfortable with. That
1:07:02
was how Naruto tended to learn. He didn't learn well from others as much as he did Kakashi. And that was likely
1:07:07
because he felt no connection with them and therefore had no initial desire to listen to them in the first place. And
1:07:13
considering that Kakashi knew and was on good terms with two separate Hokag, that
1:07:19
would increase Naruto's chances of becoming a Hokag himself. Kakashi knew he would be the one to help skyrocket
1:07:25
Naruto's shinobi career, to push Naruto further than he could go by himself, and to give him a chance to actually make
1:07:31
it. And so it was then that during their meal, Kakashi broke the joyous news. So,
1:07:37
uh, Naruto, I have news of my own. Naruto looked up from his plate. What is
1:07:42
it? He asked. Kakashi spoke. I, uh, as it turns out, am no longer in the onbu.
1:07:49
Naruto gasped. Don't tell me you were fired. I'm going to chew Hirozen out so hard for this. Kakashi let off a chuckle
1:07:55
and shook his head. No, Naruto. It's not Hirozen. The reason why I'm no longer in the envu is because I voluntarily left.
1:08:03
Naruto was confused. Why in the world would you want to do that? Didn't you like being an onbu? Kakashi nodded. I
1:08:09
did, but I decided there was something else I wanted to do. What's that? Naruto asked. Kakashi smiled under his mask. I
1:08:17
decided to become a standard Joonine so I could take on a genine team of my own, he said, scratching the side of his
1:08:22
head. Naruto looked on in confusion. He didn't speak. Kakashi then drove it
1:08:27
home. Naruto, I've volunteered to be the Jonine for your Genine team. Naruto's
1:08:33
eyes lit up. You mean you're going to be my sensei, too? Kakashi nodded. Of
1:08:38
course, I won't be able to give you any preferential treatment, but Naruto basically jumped over the table into his
1:08:44
arms, tipping Kakashi's chair and causing him to fall over. Kakashi laughed, as did Naruto. They were making
1:08:50
a scene, of course, and likely would soon be asked to leave if they didn't straighten up, but that was okay. They
1:08:56
were both just very excited to be able to go on the same missions together. Returning to their home late that day,
1:09:01
Kakashi helped Naruto get ready for bed before tucking him in. After that, Kakashi would head into the living room
1:09:07
before pulling out the couch into a bed. By this point, Kakashi was just living with Naruto. Now, he did still have his
1:09:13
own apartment, but considering how often they spent the night, it had become almost an every thing. And so, now
1:09:19
Kakashi just had bought a new couch that could pull out into a bed to be comfortable on. The day after this, he
1:09:24
set out early to speak with Hirozen about his team. It was Hirozen who put these teams together, and on special
1:09:29
requests from Kakashi, Hiazen had placed Naruto on Kakashi's team. Not only were Naruto and Kakashi close, but Kakashi
1:09:36
also had the Sharing, which he would be able to use on the Ninetales should it escape or begin to cause an issue. So,
1:09:42
it was perfect. That being said, while Kakashi knew Naruto would be on his team, he was the only one he knew. The
1:09:49
others were, as of yet, a mystery. That was why he was heading to the Hokag's office to find out who else would be on
1:09:56
his team. Upon entering the building, the receptionist told him that Hirozen was currently open for their appointment
1:10:01
and that he could go right in. And so Kakashi would head up to the Hokag's office, knocking first. Hi would call
1:10:07
out to open the door. Kakashi would open up the door to see the kind and beckoning face of the third Hokag.
1:10:13
Kakashi, welcome. Welcome. Come on in. Kakashi would step in, shut the door behind him, offer a slight bow, and take
1:10:20
a seat in front of the Hokage's desk. I'm here to inquire about the team I'm supposed to have. Hi nodded. Of course,
1:10:27
I already have the final two members selected, he said. He gave over the files of them both. Kakashi read the one
1:10:33
containing Sakura. Quite the promising student, he said, but it was the second file that caught his eye. He lifted it
1:10:39
up and opened it. Sasuke Uchiah. Hi sat silent for a moment, just looking at
1:10:45
Kakashi over the tops of his clasped fingers. He was gauging his reaction. Kakashi looked up over the file. "Why
1:10:52
did you choose him for my team?" he asked. "I chose him because of your relationship with Naruto," Hisan said.
1:10:58
Kakashi shook his head. "I don't understand." Hi then spoke. Do you remember all of those years ago when I
1:11:04
put you on security detail to protect Naruto? Kakashi nodded. You remember how I said that my true goal was for the two
1:11:11
of you to become friends? Once more, Kakashi nodded. Hi continued speaking. All along, my goal had been to get you
1:11:19
two to form a relationship and for you to find purpose for caring for somebody else. It worked and you became a highly
1:11:26
responsible guardian. But if I may say, even I was surprised by how well you got Naruto to open up. I always found Naruto
1:11:34
to be quiet and reserved due to the way that others treat him. But now, because of you, he's outgoing and happy. Here
1:11:40
smiled as he spoke. You are very good with children, particularly ones in states like Naruto. I had always known
1:11:47
that your heart was large, but I never knew how well you would do. It's as if you're naturally born with an innate
1:11:53
ability to parent. I sense the reason why you do so well with children in Naruto's position is that you have a
1:11:59
very similar background, and as such, you can truly understand them, understand what they need. Kakashi was
1:12:05
skeptical as he read the file. Here continued, Sasuke is a particularly
1:12:11
tough nut to crack though. Here said, "He has seen a lot, and unlike Naruto,
1:12:17
he was not practically born an orphan, but instead became one." Hi looked down.
1:12:22
His particular case is one of intense trauma. While he may have never been hated quite like Naruto, he lost
1:12:30
everything and everyone unexpectedly to someone he loved. He almost died and
1:12:35
witnessed things that no child ever should. He's not been able to overcome it and it's left him broken. The person
1:12:43
I feel most able to help Sasuke pick up the pieces of his life and put them back together is you. After all, it's not the
1:12:51
first time you've had to put a life back together. You seem to have a lot of experience with it, and I'm thinking you
1:12:57
could probably help Sasuke, too. I don't know about that, Kakashi said as he sat the file down on the table. You know who
1:13:04
his brother is, right?" Kakashi asked. "Of course you know. You were the one who told me." Kakashi tacked on. "He's
1:13:11
Itachi's brother. I don't know how wise it is to put me together with Sasuke. After all, Itachi was a part of my team
1:13:17
in the OnBoo before all of this happened. I don't see him so happily joining my team. For all I know, he
1:13:24
blames me for his brother's decision." Here isn't shook his head. I don't think it'll be an issue, and if it is, it
1:13:31
certainly won't be one you can't navigate. Kakashi sighed as he rubbed his face. I know what happened with
1:13:36
Naruto was great, Kakashi said. But I'm afraid you're getting the wrong idea. I'm not some psychiatrist. I'm not a
1:13:43
member of social services. I can't just be the answer to every case you send my way. I recall you being skeptical about
1:13:51
taking up the position to care for Naruto, too, Hisan said. I'm aware of that as well, Kakashi replied. I'm not
1:13:57
questioning this because I don't want to be a part of Sasuke's healing, but I'm simply worried about my ability to
1:14:03
juggle Naruto and Sasuke at the same time. If you don't think you could handle more than one child, you wouldn't
1:14:09
have volunteered to be a mentor to three. I think you can do it, Kakashi. Don't sell yourself short. I believe
1:14:16
that there's nobody that's a better fit for this job than you. If I did, I'd be asking that person to work with Sasuke
1:14:22
instead. Kakashi sighed as he looked down on the file. Are you certain that this is a good idea? Hi nodded. Very
1:14:29
much so. Kakashi took a deep breath and let it out in a sigh. I've long learned to stop doubting you in situations like
1:14:35
these. If you're certain that I'm the best choice, then I'll do it. His smiled. Good. I have faith that you'll
1:14:43
be able to do what is best for Sasuke. The next day, Kakashi got up early and woke Naruto up. The two had breakfast
1:14:49
and got properly dressed. Today, you're going to meet your new teammates. Be sure to be on your best behavior. Can't
1:14:54
you just tell me who will be on my team? Naruto asked, raising his brows a couple times. Kakashi smiled. I can, but try to
1:15:01
keep it cool. Okay. Sounds awesome, Naruto said. The first person on your team will be Sakura Haro. Kakashi said.
1:15:09
Naruto's eyes lit up. Heck yeah. Local babe joins the smash. Kakashi looked at
1:15:14
Naruto out of the corner of his eye. I suggest that you do not make comments like that around her. She may be
1:15:20
attractive by middle school standards, but that doesn't give you the excuse to harass her. Be respectful of her
1:15:26
boundaries and don't call her babe, okay? Naruto sideighed. Way to kill the mood. Anyway, who's the other one? The
1:15:33
other team member will be Sasuke Uchiah. Naruto's eyes widened before he proceeded to roll them. Oh man, we had
1:15:40
to get Sasuke of all people. What? You don't like Sasuke? Kakashi asked? Naruto scoffed. Sasuke is always the most
1:15:47
popular kid in class and he's always so edgy. I can't stand him. Come on now,
1:15:52
don't be that way, Kakashi said. Sasuke's been added to our team for a special reason. And what reason is that?
1:15:58
Naruto asked. Keep this a secret. All right. Kakashi proceeded to tell Naruto why Sasuke was added to the team. Wow,
1:16:05
he's really gone through a lot, hasn't he? I didn't know some of that stuff, Naruto said as he, like Kakashi, was
1:16:11
combing his hair. Yeah, well, don't mention it to him. It sounds like he's in a really tough place, and I can
1:16:17
relate because I've been in a position similar to him. Sometimes it's not easy to keep living when something like what
1:16:23
he's experienced happened. Naruto nodded. Well, I'll try and cut him some slack then. Kakashi smiled and looked at
1:16:29
Naruto. That's the spirit. And so after that, the two left their apartment. They crossed the village quickly before
1:16:35
making it to the academy. Entering in, they found the classroom where they would meet the others. Upon opening the
1:16:41
door, they saw Sasuke sitting there in a chair with a bit of an embarrassed face as Sakura kept pushing closer to him,
1:16:47
talking his ear off, making not so subtle references to how hot she found him. "Looks like it's not me you have to
1:16:52
worry about in regards to harassment," Naruto said. Kakashi cleared his throat loudly, causing the two to finally turn
1:16:58
their attention to him. Sakura sat there beaming like sunshine from ear to ear, and Sasuke's face bore no actual
1:17:06
emotional change. He remained with the same stoic appearance as before. Kakashi pointed to a seat to tell Naruto to go
1:17:13
sit down there. Naruto obliged, walking over and sitting down. Kakashi stood there in front of them all. Well, I
1:17:19
suppose you are all what we're going to call team 7, he said. It's a pleasure to meet you all. My name is Kakashi Hake,
1:17:26
and I'm going to be your sensei from here on out. He pointed to Naruto. That's Naruto. He's not only going to be
1:17:32
a member of our team, but he's also my charge. Before you ask, no, I don't plan
1:17:37
to favor him. I am able to separate work from home life. If he screws up, let me
1:17:42
know. Naruto's happy expression slowly turned to one of embarrassment. Kakashi continued. I think that the best way for
1:17:49
us to come to know each other is to simply tell. I'll ask you questions and you'll answer them. Sound fair? Will we
1:17:55
get to ask you questions, too? Sakura asked. Kakashi nodded. Yes. Since you seem to have volunteered, why don't we
1:18:01
start with you, Miss Sakura? What can you tell us about yourself? Sakura thought about it. I graduated with the
1:18:08
highest GPA in my class, she said. Kakashi nodded in understanding. Oh, a smarty pants. That's interesting. Tell
1:18:14
us about that. Is your intelligence a gift you were born with, or did it come only by hard work? A bit of both, Sakura
1:18:20
said. I always found it easy to understand the things taught here, but that didn't stop me from ravenously devouring any and all information I
1:18:27
could. My favorite subject is biology. I simply like to understand how things work on a cellular level. I don't just
1:18:33
want to know that life exists. I want to know how it exists, maybe even why. Wow,
1:18:38
you sound quite philosophical. You'll be very useful on this team, and I can guarantee that during your time here,
1:18:44
you will learn a many new things. Maybe it'll help you answer the questions you're asking. He then turned to Naruto.
1:18:50
Go ahead and tell them about yourself, Kakashi said. Naruto turned to the others. Well, I'm Naruto. I'm also
1:18:56
apparently the Ninetailes Genturiki. I was really young when I became the host. My parents died on the day of my birth.
1:19:03
When the village was attacked by the tailed beast that was sealed inside my mother to save the village, they sealed the beast inside of me, and I've kept it
1:19:10
at bay ever since. Sakura seemed shocked. Wow, I never knew that about you, Naruto. Is that why people seem to
1:19:16
treat you weirdly? Naruto nodded. It was explained to me that the people simply don't understand what my role in the
1:19:22
village is or what I'm supposed to do. They hate the Ninetailes a lot, and because of that, their feelings seem to
1:19:27
spill over on me a little bit, but I've decided not to be bitter about it. I'm providing a very important service to my
1:19:34
village, and even if they don't understand it, I'll continue doing it because I love my people. Sakura nodded.
1:19:39
Very mature of you, Naruto. I'll be glad to learn more. Kakashi was pleased. It seemed like his team was starting to
1:19:46
mesh well. He looked over. And what about you, Sasuke? What can you tell us about yourself? Sasuke sat there quietly
1:19:53
for a moment. Um, what is it that you'd like to know? Kakashi shrugged. Anything. Sasuke thought for a moment. I
1:20:01
uh I like uh he seemed to stop. Well, I dislike.
1:20:08
Once more, a silence filled the air. Sorry, I just wasn't ready for this. Kakashi realized that it was maybe a bit
1:20:15
worse than Hirozen let on. He spoke kindly. It's okay, Sasuke. I'm sure we'll come to understand more about you
1:20:21
later on. From there on, they moved out. The first thing to do was for them to try and take the bells from Kakashi.
1:20:27
Considering that Naruto was living with Kakashi, he knew that he couldn't exactly say he wouldn't train them
1:20:32
because Naruto would see right through it. So, he took a different approach. Do you see these bells? He said, showing
1:20:38
them to everyone. Each of these bells represents something. A meal. You see, what I plan to do was celebrate our new
1:20:44
team by taking you all out to get something special. a steak maybe," he said with a brow raise. But what kind of
1:20:50
mentor would I be if I didn't make you work for it? So, allow me to explain. The mission here is to test your bonds
1:20:56
and teamwork. You see, these bells will each be one plate of whatever it is you want to eat. But there's only two,
1:21:03
meaning one of you will get nothing. You'll instead have to sit there quietly and watch us all eat without you. Sakura
1:21:09
raised her hand. Is that really fair? You've set it up so that it's impossible for all three of us to succeed. One of
1:21:15
us will inevitably fail, she said. Kakashi pointed towards Sakura. That's dang right. But the test is to see how
1:21:22
well you work together. See, if nobody gets a bell, then we'll go to that restaurant and none of you will be able
1:21:28
to eat. Instead, you'll all sit quietly as I chow down on the most succulent steak imaginable. And I will moan about
1:21:35
it, too. So, one of you will just have to be selfless and take the L so the others can eat. Who takes that L will be
1:21:41
up to you three to decide, but someone will have to take it. Now, let's go. Kakashi dashed into the woods. The team
1:21:48
began to follow after him. As Kakashi moved, he saw the team trying to work together to some degree. Everyone except
1:21:54
Sasuke. Sasuke was trying to succeed by other means. Was it simply that he was selfish? Kakashi wasn't so sure about
1:22:01
that. The truth was Sasuke was somewhat ignoring the team in an effort to get the bells himself. All alone, he was in
1:22:08
hot pursuit of Kakashi. That was until a slip caused a bad fall from a tree.
1:22:14
Sasuke hit the ground with a blood curdling scream. Kakashi stopped, turned around, and saw him laying on the
1:22:19
ground, gripping at his leg. "Oh crap, he just broke his leg," Kakashi said. He suddenly jumped down from the tree and
1:22:25
ran over to Sasuke. "Are you all right?" he asked, kneeling down. "Move your hands. Let me feel it," Kakashi said. As
1:22:31
soon as he began checking the leg, he found no injury at all. "It was a ploy." Sasuke reached out and grabbed the
1:22:37
bells. "Got him," he said. Kakashi sighed. In that moment, Sasuke noticed another Kakashi standing in the trees.
1:22:44
Sasuke looked at this Kakashi as he suddenly poofed into smoke, the bells around his waist going with him. "How
1:22:49
did you know I was faking?" Sasuke asked. "I didn't," Kakashi said. "I thought it was a possibility, but I
1:22:55
didn't expect you to take the low road like that. Honestly, an A tier shinobi technique, but I wasn't born yesterday.
1:23:01
Anything I can do, my shadow clones can do. So, I sent a clone just in case it was a faint. Glad I did. Good job, but
1:23:08
also what an L. Kakashi jumped away, leaving Sasuke alone. From that point on, Sasuke didn't even seem to try. He
1:23:16
didn't move from that spot. Sakura and Naruto both failed because of the lack of help Sasuke was giving them. That
1:23:22
being said, they probably would have failed anyway, but Kakashi had been willing to cut them slack and maybe lay
1:23:27
down a bit if they had all tried their hardest to work together. But now, as the sun was setting, it became obvious
1:23:33
that the test was over. They failed. As the team came back together, he delivered the bad news to them. Well,
1:23:40
team, you failed. And you know what that means? The three of them looked down in shame. Kakashi walked over to Sasuke.
1:23:47
Why did you just give up? Don't you actually want to be a Shinobi? Shinobi don't give up. They keep trying until
1:23:53
they run out of strength. I'm disappointed in you, Sasuke. Sasuke looked away from Kakashi. Kakashi took a
1:23:59
deep breath. I'm not a monster, though. You three have room to improve, sure, but I was impressed with your skills,
1:24:06
and that includes you, Sasuke. You just need to work more at it. As a reward for what you did, I'm going to forego the
1:24:12
punishment and let you all celebrate. Tonight is a joyous night. We're all together now. I'm not going to ruin that
1:24:18
for no good reason. So, just get it all off your mind. We'll try again some
1:24:23
other time, but for now, I just want you to be happy. And so Kakashi took them out to eat, his treat. He got the most
1:24:29
succulent steak in the world. Sakura got some grilled fish with a side of shrimp. Naruto got chicken fingers as always.
1:24:36
Seemed like a waste to go to a wonderful grill like this only to get regular old chicken fingers, but that's what he wanted, so he let him order it. As for
1:24:43
Sasuke, at first he wasn't sure he wanted to order anything at all. Kakashi pushed him, though, and Sasuke ended up
1:24:49
getting a big messy hamburger with all the fixings. Honestly, had Kakashi not gone with the steak, he would have done
1:24:55
that, too. Despite this, Sasuke didn't really seem to eat any of it. Kakashi felt bad. Maybe he had been a bit too
1:25:01
hard on Sasuke. He put his hand on Sasuke's shoulder in a comforting fashion. You don't have to be ashamed,
1:25:07
Sasuke. I failed that test, too, when I first took it, and it took me a long time to get it right, but I did.
1:25:13
Considering your instincts, I see you growing into an even greater Shinobi than I. So, don't let it bother you.
1:25:19
Just decide in your heart not to repeat the mistake and you'll prove you learned something valuable. Despite these words,
1:25:25
Sasuke didn't want to touch his burger. It's okay. You can take it home with you to eat for a snack sometime. Nothing
1:25:31
beats waking up at 3:00 a.m. and having a messy cheeseburger. I'm also going to give you three tomorrow off to get ready
1:25:37
for our next mission. What's our mission? Sakura asked. It's nothing much, just a few chores around the
1:25:42
village. But even if this work is small, it's still important and it helps people. It's a good way for the three of
1:25:48
you to get acclimated, a safe learning environment. Sakura seemed to understand. She took to the idea with
1:25:54
enthusiasm. Naruto less so as he wanted to go kill someone for his first mission, but he seemed to settle with
1:25:59
the idea. And so after this, he let them all go home. Sasuke was the first to leave. Kakashi found it odd, but he let
1:26:06
it slide. Sakura would walk with them a ways and thank Kakashi for the meal, saying she planned to enjoy the rest for
1:26:12
a snack as well. Kakashi gladly waved to her as she left. From there, Naruto and Kakashi walked home. As they did, Naruto
1:26:19
spoked. Sasuke seemed like he really didn't want anything to do with us. Do you think he hates being on our team?
1:26:24
Kakashi shook his head. No, I don't think it's that. I think it's just that he's having trouble acclimating to
1:26:30
relying on others, and the idea of trying it again is causing him anxiety. The last time he trusted someone, it
1:26:36
didn't end well. Naruto understood. I hope there's something we can do to help. The best we can do is remain kind
1:26:42
and prove that he's not wrong to trust us. Sometimes it just takes time to break the ice. But you know what they
1:26:48
say, Koa wasn't built in a day. For the rest of the next day, they just had fun together. Naruto and Kakashi. That is.
1:26:55
They played some games, watched some TV, and just enjoyed their lives. They got to bed early that night in hopes of
1:27:01
waking up early enough to get to work. That day, the team did meet up. Today, they were on garbage collection duty. As
1:27:07
they all worked, Naruto and Sakura turned it into a bit of a game, running about acting like nuts. Sasuke just sort
1:27:14
of stood by himself. His eyes had dark circles under them, and he seemed more than once like he was about to fall
1:27:19
asleep on his feet. Kakashi walked over and gave him a bit of an elbow. Stay up a bit too late last night playing video
1:27:25
games, eh? Sasuke looked at Kakashi for a moment before speaking. Yeah, video games. Kakashi stood there for a moment,
1:27:32
seeing the look on Sasuke's face. He gave a whistle to call the group back. Hey guys," he shouted. Naruto and Sakura
1:27:39
came running. "What's up?" they asked. "I was thinking of taking an early lunch. Maybe we could have a bit of a
1:27:44
siesta as well while we're at it. We don't have much to do today anyway, and the sun's kind of killing me. I
1:27:49
definitely shouldn't have worn all this black." Naruto and Sakura agreed. So, the team all sat down to have a snack.
1:27:56
All except Sasuke, who decided to take his siesta early. Everyone finding their spot under a tree, they began to each of
1:28:02
them saw logs. All the while, Kakashi decided to catch up with his reading. As he sat there, he watched his team rest,
1:28:09
a smile playing across his face. It was then that he heard a sound. It started quietly, heavy breathing followed by a
1:28:16
grunt. Looking over the top of his book, he saw nothing. He returned to his book. Suddenly, the sound returned, followed
1:28:22
by a voice pleading, "No." Sitting up straight, Kakashi put his book down and walked over to his students to see
1:28:28
Sasuke having a bit of an issue. His face was twisted in fear as his breathing continued to quicken. inhaling
1:28:34
and exhaling with intensity. Once more, he pled no. Sasuke was having a nightmare. Kakashi put his hand on
1:28:40
Sasuke's shoulder and gave it a shake. Sasuke. Suddenly, Sasuke's eyes shot open. But in a moment, he gripped
1:28:46
Kakashi's hand and rolled over, wrapping his legs around Kakashi's arm before using his body weight to force Kakashi
1:28:51
to the ground. He pulled a kunai with a loud war cry and raised it up before stopping. At this point, Naruto and
1:28:57
Sakura sat up. Naruto upon seeing the kunai in Sasuke's hand rushed over and tackled Sasuke off of Kakashi. Sasuke
1:29:04
didn't fight back. His face merely twisted in fear as Naruto now threatened his life. Kakashi quickly got up and
1:29:10
pulled Naruto off of him. Naruto, stop, but he tried to kill you. No, he didn't. I accidentally startled him awake. He
1:29:17
responded the way any shinobi would. It was my fault. Naruto stood there trying to calm himself down. All right, fine.
1:29:25
Sorry. It's okay, Naruto. You did the best thing you thought you could for me. Thank you. Sasuke sat there for a moment
1:29:32
looking at his team. The looks on their faces. It was clear that he was embarrassed. Tears began to form in his
1:29:38
eyes. I didn't mean it's okay, Sasuke, Kagashi said as he drew closer. I know
1:29:44
you didn't mean to. It was my fault. He reached out his hand to Sasuke's shoulder. I should have been more
1:29:49
careful. Sasuke pulled away and stood. Dusting himself off, he spoke. Maybe this just isn't working out, he said. I
1:29:56
don't think I'm ready to be part of a team. Kakashi held at his hand to stop Sasuke. No, don't say that. It's okay.
1:30:02
You just made a small mistake. You're human. We all do it sometimes. I got to
1:30:07
go. Sasuke turned around and began to walk away. Naruto sighed. I really
1:30:12
didn't mean to make that happen. Kakashi nodded. I know, Naruto. Sasuke's just got some wounds that don't want to heal.
1:30:19
It's not your fault. He let Sasuke go for the day. The remaining two worked with their mentor to finish the work
1:30:25
they'd been assigned. Upon completing it, he let them return home. Aren't you coming? Naruto asked. I've got some
1:30:30
things to do tonight, Naruto. Kakashi said. You go on home. I've got my cell. I'll stay in touch. Naruto took a deep
1:30:37
breath. If you see Sasuke, then tell him I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to hurt him. Kakashi smiled. He knows Naruto,
1:30:44
but I'll pass along the message anyway. And with that, the two brothers parted ways. Kakashi would wander the streets
1:30:49
for a little while, deciding to pick up some treats. It was always good to bring a peace offering to a friend in pain.
1:30:55
something they could hold on to to remember that they're cared for. Getting something to eat, he carried the bag with him until he reached Sasuke's
1:31:01
apartment. He knocked on the door a couple of times. There was silence. Nobody answered. He knocked on the door
1:31:07
a couple more times. Waiting there, he began to wonder if maybe Sasuke simply wasn't home. That was until the door's
1:31:13
lock clicked. The door began to slide open, though the swing bar lock remained in place to ensure anyone Sasuke didn't
1:31:19
want in wouldn't be able to come in. He looked at Kakashi silently, not asking anything, just staring through tired
1:31:25
eyes. He was already in his pajamas. Hi, Kakashi said kindly. What are you doing
1:31:30
here? Sasuke asked. I just came to stop by and see how you were doing. I know today was pretty rough, but I wanted to
1:31:36
make sure you were okay. Can I come in? Sasuke was silent for a while longer. Kakashi raised the bag of food he
1:31:42
brought. I brought snacks. Sasuke waited a moment more before closing the door again. Kakashi sighed and turned to
1:31:49
leave when he heard the Ulock being unlatched. He looked back to see Sasuke open the door. Sasuke walked back into
1:31:55
his apartment. Stepping in, Kakashi could see how small it was. There was merely a kitchen, a bathroom, and
1:32:01
basically a bed. It was quaint and cozy. Kakashi had always been the kind to think that big homes were creepy if you
1:32:06
lived by yourself. So, a single bedroom apartment that served as both a bedroom and a living room, while not the best
1:32:12
for entertaining guests, almost made it like a personal paradise. The Sasuke space reminded Kakashi of some vacation
1:32:19
resort, but only properly altered to fit Sasuke's style. Kakashi sat the food
1:32:24
down on the bar in front of the kitchen. Sasuke sat down on his bed. "What are you doing here?" Sasuke asked. "Well, I
1:32:30
was worried about you," he said. "If you're going to ask me to come back to the team, you can just save your breath," Sasuke said. "As I said
1:32:36
earlier, I don't think I'm cut out for a team at the current moment. I'm truly thankful for the opportunity, but I
1:32:41
think I'm just going to stay out of it." Kakashi leaned against the wall and let it a sigh. I think you're making a hasty
1:32:47
decision, he said. I know today was rough, but you don't have to be afraid. Everyone knows it was just a mistake.
1:32:52
Sasuke shook his head. No, it wasn't just a mistake. Kakashi cocked his head. What do you mean? Sasuke sighed. I'm
1:33:00
messed up. Something's wrong with me. I'm a wuss. Kakashi shook his head. No,
1:33:06
you're not. Sasuke nodded. Ever since that stuff happened to me, I just can't shake it. I feel so weak, so powerless.
1:33:14
I don't want to be this way anymore, but I am. I can't sleep some nights. I can barely eat. Kakashi walked over and sat
1:33:20
down on the bed beside Sasuke. I understand what you're going through, Sasuke. A lot more than you probably
1:33:26
think. You're not a wuss. Kakashi looked up at the ceiling. You know, I came to realize things over the course of my
1:33:32
life. Something very strange. Despite the mind being a metaphysical thing,
1:33:38
something without physical form, it can still be hurt. And when it's hurt, the healing process isn't the same as for
1:33:44
the physical. Once the pain in the physical body stops, it begins to heal itself. But the issue with the mind is
1:33:50
that when it's damaged, it doesn't stop hurting for a long time. And even when it does, it doesn't heal the same way.
1:33:56
To be honest, I'd rather take a physical wound over a mental one any day of the week. In fact, give me two physical
1:34:02
wounds. I'd rather not deal with the long healing process of a mental wound. Where's this going? Sasuke asked.
1:34:09
Kakashi looked to him. You're not a wuss, Sasuke. You're strong. You're just hurt. And there's no shame in admitting
1:34:15
that. There's no shame in admitting that something really hurt you. A lot of times there's this stigma that a real
1:34:21
man, real woman, real shinobi, they don't act that way. But the thing is, anyone can act anyway if they're
1:34:27
sufficiently hurt. Let me tell you a story. When I was younger, I was the son of a powerful shinobi named Sakamo. I
1:34:34
looked up to my father and I loved him a lot. But during the course of his career, he did something that he considered to be a mistake. Or at least
1:34:42
everyone else around him considered it a mistake. And in a moment later, his entire career was gone. All of his
1:34:48
prestige, all of the honor and glory he received, it all turned to shame and despair. And due to these things, he
1:34:54
committed suicide. He was my only family member. That means that the person to discover him was me. I recall asking
1:35:02
myself, why? Why was it that he had to die? Why did he kill himself? Did he not
1:35:07
love me? Was I not important? I didn't notice his pain, and he wouldn't show it to me either. I had a hard time moving
1:35:14
past that, but it only got worse from there. I ended up on a team under Lord Forth, and I loved that team. My best
1:35:20
friends were on it. But after a mission, my best friend, Obito Uchiah, was killed. Or so I had thought, leaving me
1:35:27
alone to defend my other friend. I failed her and she ended up dead. She threw herself in front of me and killed
1:35:33
herself on my chidori. Kakashi said. Sasuke was listening closely. Kakashi continued, "It was only after this that
1:35:39
I realized that my best friend wasn't killed. He survived and stayed in hiding for many years until eventually
1:35:46
returning to the village where he tried to kill me. At some point, he had become corrupted and nothing I could say would
1:35:51
change his mind. He tried to kill Naruto and I was forced to kill him. Besides those deaths, I also lost my mentor and
1:35:58
the only woman I had ever viewed as a mother in the Ninetailes attack. And every single one of those, I felt like
1:36:03
it was caused by me. "How did you even survive?" Sasuke asked. "I almost
1:36:08
didn't. But each time one of the people I love died, I found someone else to help me, to talk to. When I lost, I
1:36:15
talked to Mito about it. When I lost Mato, I found Hirozen, who showed me to Naruto, and that helped me heal, too.
1:36:22
The thing is, I discovered that sometimes wounds never go away, but if you talk about them with someone who
1:36:28
understands or someone who cares, it can help tremendously. Sasuke looked down like he was about to cry. "I don't know
1:36:35
how to get past this," he said as tears fell to the ground beneath him. Kakashi put his arm around the boy's shoulders.
1:36:42
"Then let's start from the beginning. Tell me about your troubles." You don't know? Sasuke asked. How is it possible
1:36:48
that anyone doesn't know? Kakashi shook his head. I do know, Sasuke, but I need you to tell me. I need to see it from
1:36:56
your perspective. Then maybe I can help you. Sasuke took a deep breath and swallowed. My life was simple. I had no
1:37:04
idea how it might change. I wasn't even entirely aware of my importance as the son of the clan head until later. I
1:37:11
lived a happy life surrounded by love and care. My mother was the kindest woman. I was always told that I
1:37:17
inherited her heart, filled with love and kindness, capable of such great
1:37:22
compassion. And that was the best way to describe my mother. It was heavenly. I
1:37:27
was sure that such feelings were why I was alive at all. To feel these wonderful feelings, and I guess that
1:37:33
never really left me. My father was a more stern man. Not mean, but stern,
1:37:39
business-minded. He didn't really have much time to play with me. And I rarely saw him make a joke or act in any way
1:37:44
other than the strong man he was. But despite that, he would still care for me, take me out places, let me ride in
1:37:50
his shoulders, and at any time I was weak, he would push me to go beyond. And when it was clear that I couldn't go any
1:37:56
further, he would tell me how proud he was of me and let me rest while finishing the task himself. I admired
1:38:01
his strength so much. He was wise and strong, but sometimes frustrated. I
1:38:06
chocked this up to his job being hard. He used to say that the village wasn't nice enough to us and it upset him. But
1:38:12
even still, he was strong and always went to talk with the Hokag with dignity and grace. He was everything I wanted to
1:38:19
be. Then there was Sasuke stopped for a moment. He looked as though he might gag. Kakashi gave Sasuke a bit of a
1:38:26
squeeze to tell him he was safe before getting the glass of water from his bedside table. He offered it to Sasuke,
1:38:31
allowing him to take a sip. "Thanks," Sasuke said before taking a deep breath and continuing. Then there was Itachi.
1:38:38
Sasuke's gaze traveled up toward the ceiling as he seemed to call back better memories he had once locked away.
1:38:44
"Itachi was." "He was my big brother," Sasuke said with a smile, though it soon faded. "I respected him like I respected
1:38:51
my father, hoping to be just as good as him. If anything, Itachi was my first rival. I tried everything I could to
1:38:58
train so I could one day be better than him." Sasuke said, "I guess some things don't change." Itachi used to carry me
1:39:05
on his shoulders. He used to take me out and tell me what a wonderful little brother I was and how how Kakashi
1:39:13
squeezed a bit more. Sasuke continued, "How much he loved me." Sasuke sat there
1:39:19
silently for a moment before taking another deep breath, then another sip of water. Whenever my father was too busy
1:39:25
to spend time with me, Itachi would volunteer to do it instead. I never could understand how he could do what he
1:39:31
did. Was all of that fake all along? Sasuke asked. Kakashi sighed as he
1:39:37
measured his words. You know, I questioned that too, Kakashi said. I have a bit of a confession to make to
1:39:43
you, Sasuke. Sasuke looked over at Kakashi questioningly. Kakashi then spoke. For quite some time, I knew
1:39:50
Itachi. He was in my onbu team. Sasuke seemed mortified and almost pulled away.
1:39:56
Kakashi could understand, though he had hoped that Sasuke wouldn't close off. It was now that Kakashi had to remind
1:40:02
Sasuke of how hurt he was by Itachi as well. For some time, I lived and died
1:40:07
with Itachi. I taught him so much on both a philosophical and physical level. I never imagined he was capable of what
1:40:15
he did. He never gave any hints. I knew he was capable of great violence, but
1:40:20
that's what the Anbu were. I tried to steer him away from that and to bring him back to the point of kindness, to
1:40:26
realize he didn't have to resort to death to answer every question. On the many times I spoke with him, all he ever
1:40:31
talked about was peace and his hopes to see a world without death, without war. I admired him because of these dreams.
1:40:38
But somewhere down the line, something must have happened to him. That's all I can guess. I have no idea what, though.
1:40:45
One day, he seemed worried. He hadn't been showing up for duty, and when I saw him, he looked as though he might get
1:40:50
sick right in front of me. I'll never forget the look in his eye. It was as if he were standing on the battlefield
1:40:56
despite being in the safety of Konoha's walls. I don't know what got into him, but whatever it was, it must have really
1:41:01
messed him up for him to do what he did. The day after that, I went into work and was told what happened. I could hardly
1:41:07
believe it. I still don't understand how he could do that. But it doesn't change that it happened. Sasuke seemed to
1:41:13
slowly grow a bit more accustomed to this information. Perhaps Kakashi's honesty had calmed him down, or perhaps
1:41:19
he sensed a bit of a similar soul within Kakashi. Whatever it was, Sasuke had let his defenses down and was giving Kakashi
1:41:26
the benefit of the doubt. I stayed at school late that day. I don't know why I did. I think back about it. For some
1:41:32
reason, I just really didn't want to go home. I was having too much fun, so I stayed late. Maybe something was
1:41:38
watching out for you. I've had my own share of unexplained happenings. I can only attribute it to divine protection.
1:41:44
Sasuke nodded. Well, I decided to head home finally. The sun was gone, the moon
1:41:49
was up, and I was sure I would get in trouble for missing dinner, but that was okay. I was just so happy to be alive.
1:41:56
so happy to be me, to live where I lived, to adventure in the village and have fun. But every bit of my
1:42:02
excitement, every drop of my enthusiasm, every ounce of that joy was snuffed out the moment I got to the compound and saw
1:42:09
the darkness. Not a single light was on. It was so strange. The only word I could
1:42:15
think of was, "It felt it felt dead." Sasuke suddenly dropped his water and
1:42:21
bolted toward the nearby trash can where he proceeded to puke. Kakashi was surprised for a moment, but then
1:42:27
remembered just how hard a task it was to remember such events. Kakashi rose from the bed and walked over to Sasuke.
1:42:33
He patted his back and held his hair back to make sure that his vomiting didn't mess it up. He would stop for a moment to breathe before doing it again.
1:42:40
Sasuke's entire body was shaking. Eventually, Sasuke sat back on his knees. Kakashi let Sasuke lean up
1:42:46
against him. "You don't have to talk about it anymore," Kakashi said, deciding to cut him some slack. However,
1:42:52
Sasuke continued anyway. There was so much blood. I I knew something was
1:42:58
wrong. Kakashi was beginning to worry that Sasuke was pushing himself too far. It was true that talking helped, but it
1:43:04
was also true that healing didn't happen all at once. It occurred in small bursts over a span of time. "Maybe we should
1:43:11
take a break," Sasuke. Sasuke shook his head. "No, I'm this far. I feel like I
1:43:16
need to do this." "Are you sure?" Kagashi asked. Sasuke nodded. "Please let me finish." Okay, Kagashi said. He
1:43:24
decided to remain silent from this point on to let Sasuke finish this as quickly as possible. I saw my first dead body
1:43:31
that night. It was maimed, butchered. Part of me wondered how it could ever have been a human. I raced home to tell
1:43:38
my parents, but the moment I made it there, it was so dark. I ran around the back of the house, searching for my
1:43:44
parents' room. As soon as I reached the door, I went to open it, but I stopped. I sensed something. I don't know how I
1:43:50
knew, but I just I knew there was something on the other side of that door. And whatever it was, darkness
1:43:56
followed it. I was sure I was marching to my death. But my fear was that whatever was in there might kill my
1:44:02
parents if I did nothing. Gathering my courage, I opened the door and rushed in with the kunai the teacher had given me
1:44:08
to practice with. Inside, I saw not a monster, but my own brother. He was
1:44:13
standing over my parents. They were killed, their faces frozen in fear.
1:44:19
Sasuke began to cry. "Sasuke, I really think we need to stop," Kakashi said. I
1:44:25
asked what had happened. That's when I saw the truth in his eyes. He was responsible. He cast Sukiomi on me and
1:44:31
forced me to witness his deeds over and over again for what seemed like hours.
1:44:37
Kakashi was stunned. He forced you to watch it on loop with Sukiomi. Kakashi
1:44:42
was astounded. It was no wonder Sasuke was so messed up. Sukiomi was a dangerous genjutsu, one known to have
1:44:49
the capacity to destroy the minds of whoever was cast under it. Sasuke then spoke. "I tried to fight him after I
1:44:56
recovered, but I was no match. He told me to come after him when I awakened my Mongeko, but despite how bad I hate him,
1:45:03
I never want to see him again," Sasuke shouted. Kakashi cradled the crying boy in his arms. Sasuke had just exposed his
1:45:10
greatest weakness to Kakashi. And now Kakashi understood exactly why Sasuke was the way he was. He shushed him,
1:45:17
doing his best to comfort Sasuke. He said, "Listen, disregard what said. You
1:45:22
don't need to carry that on your shoulders. It doesn't matter what any single man does. Nobody escapes justice,
1:45:28
even if they thought they did. Every man dies, and when Itachi does, he'll have to give an account for everything he did
1:45:34
here. Do not burden yourself with it." Kakashi lifted Sasuke up into his arms and carried him over to the bed where he
1:45:41
laid him down in it. He pulled the blanket up and gave him some tissues to blow his nose into. He then grabbed some
1:45:47
fresh water for Sasuke to drink. After using these things, Sasuke laid back, slowly recovering. Kakashi spoke.
1:45:53
"Sasuke, the things you bear on your shoulders are greater than the things most have to. You're far stronger than
1:45:59
you give yourself credit for. I want you to know that your feelings are valid. I understand them. I was where you are now
1:46:06
and I promise that things will get better. You just got to believe. Okay. Sasuke nodded. Kakashi touched his head
1:46:14
to Sasuke's for a moment. And in that moment, he understood what it was that Hisen had sent him here to do. There was
1:46:20
good reason for him to be in Sasuke's life. And now he knew what it was. He was to help Sasuke. But the thing was he
1:46:27
needed Sasuke to make this decision himself. So after putting the food he brought into the fridge for Sasuke,
1:46:32
Kakashi prepared to leave. Is there anything else you need, Sasuke? Sasuke shook his head. He seemed so tired. I
1:46:40
think I'm going to crash, Sasuke said. Kakashi nodded. Well, if you need anything for any reason, I put my number
1:46:47
in your contacts. Please don't hesitate to reach out if you do. Don't forget about how strong you are, okay? Sasuke
1:46:53
nodded in response. Kakashi then spoke. And about the team, if you don't want to
1:46:59
come back, I won't force you to. I'll respect your decision. However, I do want to let you know that me, Sakura,
1:47:06
and Naruto all care for you. Sometimes the worst thing we can do in a situation like this is cut ourselves off from our
1:47:12
friends. But anyway, regardless of what you decide, I will always be here for you. Whatever you choose, know that I
1:47:19
care about you and I'll be here for you no matter what. Sasuke let off a slight smile. From there, Kakashi let him rest.
1:47:26
It was quite late when he got home, but Naruto was up regardless. Naruto stood and ran over to him. How'd it go? Is he
1:47:32
coming back? Naruto asked. Kakashi shrugged. I don't know. Sasuke is in a tough point in his life. He'll have to
1:47:38
make that decision himself. From there, they went to bed. They had a big day planned. Another mission. The next day,
1:47:44
they set out early and met up with Sakura. Sakura was a bit disappointed to see that Sasuke wasn't there. Sasuke
1:47:51
needs time to figure some things out. The best we can do is be there for him. Maybe he'll leave the team, but maybe
1:47:56
one day he'll come back. I guess we'll just have to wait and see. Kakashi said. Maybe that day is today," Naruto said.
1:48:03
He raised his finger and pointed. Kakashi turned around to see Sasuke standing there with a soft smile on his
1:48:09
face. Kakashi smiled upon seeing him there. "We're glad to have you back, Sasuke." Sasuke's smile turned into a
1:48:15
grin. "It's good to be back, Kakashi sensei." Kakashi stood under the hot
1:48:21
sun. The ultraviolet rays today were ultraviolet. Looking to his side, he saw
1:48:27
the shade of a tree beside him. Feeling like he was about to have the most embarrassing sunburn shape on his face.
1:48:33
He decided to step into it. Despite that, he watched as his team continued to clean up the garbage. They raced.
1:48:39
They turned it into a game. And thankfully, this time Sasuke had joined in. This brought a smile to Kakashi's
1:48:45
face. Sasuke was doing it. He was healing. He had made that decision not to close off. And because of that, the
1:48:52
wounds on his heart were at the very least being salved by the joy of friends. The more that Kakashi stood
1:48:58
there, the more he began to feel like this was a family. He had family in these children, little brothers and a
1:49:04
little sister. Looking at Sakura, he saw how joyous she was. There was no trauma
1:49:09
in her story, and for that, he was glad. He didn't know if he could handle doing this again. If anything, her having a
1:49:15
good life actually helped Kakashi out as she was very attentive. She was surrounded by people who had trauma, and
1:49:21
despite not having any herself, she was understanding. Sometimes they said that a person who's never experienced trauma
1:49:28
should never say, "I understand because they couldn't." And indeed that was true. The worst thing you could do was
1:49:34
trivialize someone's pain. But this didn't mean you couldn't try to understand. Sometimes the desire to
1:49:41
understand was as good as understanding itself. An admission of ignorance to a face through regret was a word from the
1:49:48
heart that told those around them that how they felt was valid, but that it did hurt that they couldn't help. That open
1:49:54
heart, that desire to know and care, that was one of the most important parts of helping someone else out. Sakura had
1:50:01
always said she wished to be a doctor when she grew up. And now Kakashi knew she would be a perfect one because her
1:50:08
care did not stop at the skin, but continued deep into her heart. She tried to salve all wounds, even the ones
1:50:14
unseen and untouchable. And sometimes that's all anyone ever really needed, just to know that someone cares enough
1:50:21
to try. cares enough to sit still and listen, not always trying to solve it, but letting that person vent as long as
1:50:28
they wanted. Sakura had a heart that opened to all, and that was what made her great. And Naruto, where Sakura
1:50:35
failed and couldn't help, Naruto could. The longer he thought about it, Kakashi began to question it. Did herin just
1:50:41
assign us all to group therapy? If the old Buzzard had, then maybe it displayed a hidden wisdom. Kakashi had always
1:50:48
liked to think he was a wise man. It may not have been humble, no, but Kakashi always did think that he himself had
1:50:55
wisdom. But whatever wisdom Kakashi possessed, pald in comparison to Hirozen. While Hirozen might not have
1:51:02
been a very effective Hokag, he was an effective man when it came to the matters of the heart. And for that
1:51:08
reason, he could forgive his mistakes. This team had been together for a good few weeks, and as it stood, everything
1:51:14
proceeded perfectly. After having attempted the bell test a second time, the team worked perfectly to the point
1:51:20
Kakashi actually had to try to keep the bells away from them. And that said a lot about their potential. With this,
1:51:26
Kakashi had a surprise for them. As the day came to a close and the group emptied their trash bags for the final
1:51:32
time, Kakashi called them to him. Listen up team. I just wanted to tell you how impressed I am with your work. And
1:51:38
because of how much you've grown, I've got a surprise for you. Each of the students seemed to be excited as to what
1:51:44
Kakashi might say next, especially Naruto. Tomorrow, we're going to be getting our first out of village
1:51:50
mission. Naruto seemed to celebrate already, not even knowing what the mission was. Tomorrow, we're going to be
1:51:57
guiding a man back to his village. Kakashi said, "Bandits are a possibility, which is why we've been hired to protect him." Naruto, Sasuke,
1:52:04
and Sakura understood, and so they all proceeded home. Naruto and Kakashi
1:52:09
reached their now shared apartment. There they began to pack their bags. Naruto was so excited that he was
1:52:15
packing everything he thought he might need. Clothes, toilet paper, rations, water, a gaming console, cash. He was
1:52:21
writing a list of things on a piece of paper to ensure he had everything packed up and didn't forget anything. He was so
1:52:27
excited that he even added the list itself to the list and folded it neatly before placing it in a bag. "All right,
1:52:34
our first mission. I'm so excited," he said. Kakashi watched Naruto bouncing around. He truly was a rowdy young man.
1:52:41
It was so common for young Shinobi to become excited about going to perform a mission like this. It was better than
1:52:47
the other option. In some cases, Shinobi feared leaving the village for a mission, which was valid. Generally,
1:52:53
those Shinobi were pessimists who already believed they might not come back. This made Kakashi wonder if such a
1:53:00
feeling was good for a shinobi. To be afraid of what could go wrong during every mission. Kakashi had seen
1:53:06
successful shinobi who were like that, but it was hardly an easy life for them. He was just glad that Naruto was not
1:53:12
like that because he wasn't sure how to handle it other than trying to reassure him that it would be okay. The next day,
1:53:18
they rose bright and early. After having a rather large breakfast, the two began to leave for the gate where they would
1:53:24
meet up with the rest of their team and their charge. There, they saw a man. He had rather spiky hair, a bandana of some
1:53:31
sort wrapped around his forehead and a large scar on his chin. You must be Mr. Kakashi Hate. The third Hokagen told me
1:53:39
all about you. I'm very impressed. It's a pleasure to meet you, he said, extending his hand. Kakashi took it and
1:53:45
shook it. The pleasure is mine, he said. Looking back, he spoke. This is my young charge, Naruto Usuzamaki. Naruto, this
1:53:53
man's name is Kaisa. He's from the land of waves. He was here on a very important business trip for his
1:53:58
father-in-law to gather supplies to repair the bridge in his village. He requested our assistance to protect him
1:54:03
as he heads back home. Naruto shook the man's hand. "I'm pleased to meet you, Mr. Kaisa." The man shook Naruto's hand.
1:54:10
"Such a well-mannered young man. Your teacher must be proud." "I am indeed," Kakashi said. At about that time, Sakura
1:54:18
showed up and Kakashi introduced her to the object of their mission. As they stood there, Kakashi looked around.
1:54:23
"Where's Sasuke?" he asked. Waiting a bit longer, he pulled out his phone. I hope he didn't forget. But just as he
1:54:30
started to dial Sasuke's number, Naruto tugged on Kakashi's sleeve. "There he is." Sasuke was walking down the road
1:54:36
toward them. Upon getting to them, Kakashi spoke. "You know, it's quite rude to make our client wait," he said.
1:54:43
Sasuke looked like 40 mi a bad road. "You okay?" Kakashi asked. Sasuke
1:54:48
nodded. "I just didn't sleep well last night." Kakashi nodded. "Sorry to hear that." As he looked at the boy, he began
1:54:55
to think. Did he really relapse? He seemed so happy yesterday. Are you fit
1:55:00
to go on this mission? Kakashi asked. If not, there's no shame. It's best to speak up now before we go, else you
1:55:06
might slow us down if he can't. I'm fine to go. There's no need to worry, Sasuke said. Kakashi decided to trust his
1:55:12
student and hoped that he knew his limits. Then let's go. The trio began to guide Kaisa back to his home village.
1:55:18
For a time, they walked, stopping off only to sleep. There, Kakashi kept his guard. He watched his students rest and
1:55:25
saw that they were all sleeping well, even Sasuke. Maybe it was just a set of nightmares he had last night. That's
1:55:31
probably it, he thought. But as the morning came, Kakashi began waking the group up. Sasuke was a bit harder to
1:55:37
wake. He managed to get him up, but somehow Sasuke seemed even worse for wear than before. It was almost as if he
1:55:44
wasn't sleeping at all. Something wasn't right, and Kakashi's sixth sense was tingling about it. But he didn't press
1:55:51
it. So far, there hadn't been any issues. Likely, if there were any bandits, simply seeing four shinobi was
1:55:57
enough to keep them away. Whatever it was, they would likely be at the land of waves by the end of the day, and there
1:56:03
they could probably rest. Then was simply the return trip, and they could all take a week off if need be.
1:56:09
Regardless, they began to move. "There it is, the land of waves," Kaisa said. The village had really grown since the
1:56:15
formation of this bridge. There had been a time when organized crime ruled this town. But with Kaisa's help, they had
1:56:22
overthrown that corruption and had led to Kaisa being installed as a leading member of the village council. Since
1:56:28
then, they had been so profitable in their work that the village had grown to become quite a bit more extravagant. It
1:56:34
was beautiful, all things considered, and Kakashi thought it might do them good to stay in the village for a day to
1:56:39
enjoy all it had to offer. Looking back at his team, he spoke. What do you guys say we go out on the town tonight? Maybe
1:56:45
I can even spring to get you three each a souvenir. Naruto and Sakura seemed to react to Kakashi's words with
1:56:51
excitement, but Sasuke was silent. Sasuke, what about you? Kakashi asked, trying to get his attention. Sasuke ran
1:56:58
his hand through his hair for a moment and then stopped. He displayed a grimace. Kakashi caught sight of it.
1:57:04
Sasuke. The whole group looked back at him. "Are you okay?" Kakashi asked. "It it hurts?" Sasuke said at that point, he
1:57:11
fell to his knees and collapsed. "Sasuke," Kakashi shouted. The entire team was mortified, Kaisa included, who
1:57:18
was one of the first to Sasuke's side. Checking him over, Kaisa spoke. "He has a fever." Kakashi was confused. "Had
1:57:24
Sasuke been sick this whole time?" Kakashi walked over and picked Sasuke up. "We need a place to rest," he said.
1:57:30
"You can stay at my house tonight. We'll call a doctor for him." "Thank you. This means a lot to me," he told Kaisa. With
1:57:36
a hint of worry still in his eyes, Kaisa offered a smile. It's okay. It's the least I can do. Leading them to his
1:57:42
house, he stepped in. At about this time, Tsunami, the wife of Kaisa, was making her way over with concern on her
1:57:48
face. Oh dear, poor thing looks very sick. What happened? She asked. Not sure. He may have been fighting a fever
1:57:55
for a while. He just collapsed. We needed to get him somewhere safe quickly. I hope you don't mind, my love,
1:58:01
he said. It's okay. I want to do whatever I can to help him. Would you mind calling Dr. Nuke? Tsunami nodded as
1:58:08
she went for the phone. Kakashi brought Sasuke to the guest room where he laid him out on the bed. Is he going to be
1:58:13
all right? Inari asked. Kakashi looked over. I'm sure he will be. Now go run off. I don't know if he's contagious,
1:58:20
and I don't want you getting sick, too. Inari nodded and left. After some time passed, the doctor came over to check up
1:58:26
on Sasuke. Looking him over, he knew it was a form of infection, but he couldn't place it. I can run more tests on him,
1:58:33
but it'll take more time. How much time? Kakashi asked. Probably about a week or
1:58:39
so. Things work slowly in this village, despite the look of fortune. I don't know if we can stay that long. The
1:58:45
doctor seemed to nod. I can prescribe some antibiotics. That should help him
1:58:50
deal with some of the symptoms, but when you get back to your village, I highly recommend getting some blood work done
1:58:57
to ensure he's still okay. Kakashi nodded. After the doctor left, Kakashi sat down by Sasuke. Sasuke looked up at
1:59:04
Kakashi weakly. "I'm sorry, master," he said. "Why did you hide this? You could
1:59:10
have died." Sasuke shook his head. "I wanted to come, too. I didn't want to
1:59:15
disappoint you. I know it was dangerous, but I didn't want to be left behind."
1:59:20
Kagashi had a hard time being upset at Sasuke. After all, it seemed as though Sasuke also seemed to view his team as a
1:59:27
family now, which was good. After so much suffering, he finally had decided to give them a chance and had opened his
1:59:34
heart to them. It's okay. Just try to rest. We'll be heading back to Konoha soon, and you'll go to the doctor for a
1:59:39
checkup. Okay. Leaving the room so Sasuke could sleep, he was met by Naruto, who was standing outside of the
1:59:45
door. "Is everything all right?" Naruto asked with concern on his face. Kakashi smiled. Sasuke is okay. He just caught
1:59:52
the flu or something. He'll be back up again in a couple days. The next day, they prepared to leave the village.
1:59:58
Naruto volunteered to carry Kakashi's bag while Sakura volunteered to carry Sasuke's. The reason that they did this
2:00:04
was because Kakashi was going to carry Sasuke piggyback style all the way to Konoha. Try to rest Sasuke. We'll be
2:00:11
back at Konoha likely by tomorrow afternoon. Sasuke nodded slowly. He rested as they walked. Nobody said
2:00:18
anything, but everyone was nervous for Sasuke. He seemed sick, bad, and nobody
2:00:23
knew why. They walked all through the day, taking time to stop every so often to cool off Sasuke's fever and give him
2:00:29
his next dose of antibiotics. They kept going, taking time to sleep as well. Eventually, making it back to Konoha,
2:00:36
Kakashi discharged his team and let them go their own separate way. Carrying Sasuke to the doctor's office, they
2:00:42
proceeded to check him over, but their conclusions were the same as Dr. Nuke's. They did not know why he was sick and
2:00:48
decided to take some blood, which Sasuke very much did not like. But being the trooper he was, he didn't fight back.
2:00:54
Nor did he make any sounds. He simply looked away. They said that they'd likely be able to have an answer back in
2:01:00
a couple days and told Sasuke to simply stay on his meds the way that he'd been told by the previous doctor and to get
2:01:06
lots of bed rest. And so Kakashi took Sasuke back to the boy's apartment to rest. There he lay him down. Are you
2:01:13
going to be okay on your own? Kakashi asked. Sasuke nodded. I think after a nap I can probably get up and get
2:01:20
something to eat. Would you like me to prepare some meals that are easy to put together? Sasuke nodded. And so Kakashi
2:01:26
began to cook up a couple cans of soup. Soups were the best food for when you were sick, especially if they had
2:01:32
chicken in them. Once he had finished, he looked back. I have it in the fridge. Just hit it with the microwave when
2:01:37
you're ready to eat. Okay. Sasuke nodded. Kakashi turned off the light. I'll be by to check on you tomorrow. And
2:01:44
with that, Kakashi left. Walking out, he couldn't help but worry for Sasuke. It was unusual how sick he really had
2:01:50
gotten. Whatever illness he contracted, it was completely wiping him out. He stopped by the Hokag's office to talk
2:01:57
with Hirozen. There, he reported that the mission was successful, much to Hirin's joy. However, as the Kag sat
2:02:03
there, he sensed that Kakashi was troubled. "Are you okay?" he asked him. Kakashi nodded. "Yeah, I'm just
2:02:10
worried." "Why?" His asked. "Well, when we went out on mission, Sasuke wasn't
2:02:16
himself. By the time we got to the land of waves, he collapsed from exhaustion. We called the doctor and they said he
2:02:22
was fighting some sort of infection. I brought him back here to be tested, but they don't know what's wrong yet. I see.
2:02:28
Hi said. I can't help but feel worried. Even though I know it's probably just a bad case of the flu, I can't take my
2:02:34
mind off of him. I doubt I'm going to be able to sleep tonight. Hi began to smile again. Kakashi looked up questioningly.
2:02:41
Hi then spoke. You don't yet understand just how proud of you I am. What do you
2:02:46
mean? Kakashi asked her and spoke. You've more than become a mentor to these children. You've turned them into
2:02:52
a real family. You care for Sasuke like a father does. And the way you've cared for Naruto, you basically raised him.
2:02:59
You're everything Mito could have dreamed for. I Kakashi questioned. Here
2:03:05
nodded. When Mito passed away, it was his wish that Naruto be taken care of and respected by the village. Sadly, I
2:03:12
failed to provide half of that wish. However, I could not have made a better choice to care for his son than his own
2:03:19
student. You may be shaped into a weapon by this village under my command, but your heart is as true and as golden as
2:03:26
it ever has been. I could be no more proud of you than I am. Kakashi sighed
2:03:31
and smiled. Thank you, Lord Third. That means a lot to me. After their meeting, Kakashi returned home to spend some time
2:03:38
with Naruto. Sasuke, on the other hand, was still in his home asleep. He had some kooky dreams. Fever dreams were the
2:03:46
best description because that's what they were. But by 8:00 p.m., he woke up. He was starting to feel even worse, and
2:03:52
he didn't know why. His head was aching. It felt like his brain was boiling in his skull. "Maybe I just need something
2:03:58
to eat," he said. Heated up some soup and ate it at the bar. After that, he began to feel a little energy return, so
2:04:05
he decided to take a quick shower to wash the stench of outside off of him. Brushing his teeth, he went to rinse.
2:04:11
But as he did so, he was overcome with a sudden pain. He let out a cry as he reached for his head. He almost fell to
2:04:18
his knees. He took a moment to breathe, but suddenly the pain returned in full force. Falling back, Sasuke gripped at
2:04:25
his skull, crying out in agony. It was as though his brain was trying to crawl out of his head, like his eyes were
2:04:31
about to explode, like his eardrums were about to rip apart and spill out the contents of his head onto the floor. The
2:04:38
pain was so great that he actually began to cry. Eventually, the pain subsided though. Hardly able to think straight,
2:04:44
he began to rise to his feet again. Peering into the mirror, he noticed something. His eyes were different. They
2:04:50
were rene drew closer to the mirror to examine them. How? He questioned as he
2:04:55
looked at them. It was at about this time that he noticed a shadow outside of his window. The sound of broken glass
2:05:01
echoed through the apartment. Kakashi laid there on the pullout couch, looking up at the ceiling. Turning to look at
2:05:06
the clock, it said 3:00 a.m. Normally, he was long gone by now, dead to the world. Naruto currently was, but Kakashi
2:05:13
was wide awake. He couldn't stop thinking about Sasuke, wondering if he'd eaten anything since he left, wondering
2:05:19
if he were even still alive. Perhaps his mind was just rushing due to the attachment he'd developed for the boy.
2:05:25
But all the same, he couldn't help but worry. A part of him wished he were staying with him tonight, if only to make sure he was okay. Kakashi rose from
2:05:32
his bed and rubbed his face. Looking around at the dark of night, he knew he would not be able to sleep, so he
2:05:38
climbed out of bed, grabbed his gear, and prepared to leave the apartment. He stopped for a moment to look in at
2:05:43
Naruto, who was sound asleep. Kakashi would grab his keys and head toward the door. Unlocking it, he stepped out
2:05:49
quietly before turning around and locking it again. As he walked outside, he saw rain. The skies had opened up,
2:05:55
and now it was raining. The flashing of lights and the sound of thunder tearing across the sky. This was the perfect
2:06:01
weather for sleeping, but not tonight. One might say he was getting too attached to his apprentices, but he
2:06:07
couldn't help it. With everything they'd been through, he couldn't not care. Forgoing the umbrella, Kakashi simply
2:06:12
walked through the rain towards Sasuke's house. Upon getting there, he pulled out the keys. Sliding them into the door, he
2:06:18
twisted the keys until he heard the latch click. Opening the door up, he stepped into darkness. Closing the door
2:06:23
behind him, he could see Sasuke's bed from here. It was empty. Looking into the dark bathroom for a moment, he
2:06:29
didn't see anyone in there. Walking into the living room, he called out, "Sasuke." There was no answer. He walked
2:06:34
a little deeper. "Sas," it was then that he saw the busted window. Walking to it, he began to panic. Stepping out into it,
2:06:41
he called out, "Sasuke." From behind him, a black shadow with red piercing eyes appeared. "It's no use," a dark
2:06:48
voice spoke. "He's not here." Kakashi looked back and saw it. In a moment, he
2:06:54
was on the figure, throwing him against the wall. The figure struggled and managed to push Kakashi back. Kakashi
2:06:59
attempted to get to the figure again, but the figure grabbed the bedside lamp and attempted to smash it against Kakashi's skull. Kakashi raised an arm
2:07:07
quickly enough to catch it. Striking at the figure again, he felt his knuckles hit teeth, causing the head of whoever
2:07:12
was there to smash against the wall. Soon after, Kakashi hit him with a right hook, putting the intruder on the floor.
2:07:18
Stepping over him, he went to the light switch and flipped it. As soon as he did so, he saw a man laying there trying to
2:07:23
shake off the strikes and wiping the blood from his lip with his black and crimson cloak. "Itachi," Kakashi said,
2:07:29
lifting him up by the collar, he threw Itachi onto the bed and prepared to choke him out. "What did you do with Sasuke?" he demanded. Obviously tired of
2:07:36
this, Itachi gripped Kakashi's wrist and wrapped his legs around it in a fashion that reminded Kakashi of Sasuke. He then
2:07:42
rolled Kakashi off of him and assumed control of the situation. "Enough," Itachi said. "I came to figure out where
2:07:48
he was, too." afraid that someone's going to steal what's yours?" Kakashi demanded, his tone spitting bile in
2:07:54
judgment upon the murderer. "Perhaps," Itachi said. "Regardless of my motives, my brother's missing, and I'm searching
2:07:59
for him as well." Kakashi seemed to slowly stop resisting, causing Itachi to ease up, letting Kakashi sit. "So,
2:08:06
you're searching for Sasuke, too?" Kakashi said. Itachi nodded. "My brother has gone missing, and that disturbs me."
2:08:12
"If you didn't take him, then who did?" Kakashi asked. "I can't be certain. I have my suspicions, but I don't know for
2:08:18
sure. I've sent my crows out to ascertain the truth, but they've yet to return. You have suspects? Kakashi
2:08:23
asked. Itachi nodded. A few, but I won't know for sure until my crows return. Kakashi sat up. I don't know what your
2:08:30
game is, but I won't let you hurt Sasuke under any circumstances. Itachi simply said nothing. Standing, he walked to the
2:08:37
window. How has Sasuke been? He asked. Like, you care at all. He's been a wreck ever since what you did to him that
2:08:43
night. What you did to your clan? Has he become a good shinobi? Itachi asked. He's barely able to become a shinobi at
2:08:50
all. He's been struggling with the baggage you put on him. I don't know what your ploy was that night to awaken
2:08:55
the monkey or something. All you succeeded in doing was ruining his life. I can never forgive you for that. Itachi
2:09:01
looked over his shoulder for a moment. What makes you think I want your forgiveness? Itachi asked. I guess
2:09:06
remorse is something too hard to expect from a reprobate like yourself. Itachi remained silent. It was then that a crow
2:09:13
returned. Itachi took it and looked into its eyes with his sharing gun. It's Sasuke. He's not too far from here.
2:09:19
Kakashi rose from the bed. Itachi looked back. Can you swallow your rage long enough for one last mission together?
2:09:25
Just long enough to rescue Sasuke. After that, your goose is cooked. Together, the two rushed out into the rain again.
2:09:31
Itachi led Kakashi to a location beyond the trees beyond Hokag Rock. Together,
2:09:37
they slipped into the darkness, entering what seemed to be an abandoned military site that wasn't so abandoned. "This is
2:09:43
an old root base." "You know about it?" Itachi asked. Kakashi nodded. I spent a
2:09:49
little time in Route. That was until the head of it asked me to assassinate the Hokag. After that, the group was shut
2:09:54
down. You would like to think so. No, it's still going, just behind the scenes. Together, they snuck deeper,
2:10:01
moving past the guards. The deeper they went, the more narrow the pathways. By that time, the two root agents guarding
2:10:08
this particular door had no way of knowing what was coming next. Within a moment, Kakashi and Itachi appeared
2:10:13
behind them and put them to sleep. Opening the door, they stepped in and saw Sasuke chained to the walls, barely
2:10:19
off the floor by his knees, dangling by his arms. He was not in good shape. "Sasuke," Kakashi said as he rushed to
2:10:25
Sasuke's side, pulling his chin up, he could tell something was wrong. "Are you okay, Master? My eyes. It's It's so
2:10:34
dark." Kakashi could see that Sasuke's eyes were gone. "What happened to you?" Kakashi asked. my sickness. It was
2:10:41
caused from the awakening of the renegon. The renegon? Kakashi questioned. How is that possible? It was
2:10:48
then that another voice spoke. It was possible because I made it so. Danzo
2:10:53
Shimura stepped in, flanked by a few guards. Well, what do we have here? Two
2:10:58
traitors to the leaf. What did you do to Sasuke? Kakashi demanded. I did what was
2:11:04
required. You see, we came to realize something not long ago. Well, after the
2:11:09
Uchiah were massacred, we came into contact with the Uchiah stone tablet, a hidden monument that they did not want
2:11:15
us to see. It said that it was possible to create the renegon by mixing the power of the sage of six paths
2:11:22
reincarnated sons together. Through our studies, we managed to identify at least one pair, Hashiama Senju and Moa Uchiah.
2:11:31
Thanks to our cuttingedge science, we managed to detail what their chakra signatures were. Hashiama was easy, but
2:11:38
Moa not so much. However, thanks to some experiments that Lord did after Moa's
2:11:45
passing, we managed to get a sample of his DNA. With it, we cracked the entire
2:11:51
sequence. Since then, we've been searching through DNA and chakra samples for those who could match our databases.
2:11:57
And wouldn't you know, Sasuke Uchiah, the last Uchiah, just so happened to ping. And so mixed into his
2:12:04
vaccinations, we included Hashiama Sanenju's cells. And as it appears, our
2:12:09
efforts to create the last possible renegon since the extinguishing of the Uchia clan have been a success. As a
2:12:16
treasure of the leaf, they have been reclaimed for future generations. A tool to ensure Konoha remains the strongest
2:12:22
village in the world. Kakashi was appalled. I knew you were a total basket case, but I didn't know you were this
2:12:28
bad, Kakashi said. You would be surprised," Itachi said. "Who who said that?" Sasuke asked. Itachi looked at
2:12:35
Kakashi and shook his head. They continued to focus on Danzo and his agents. Danzo smiled. "Now we're
2:12:42
finished with him. Finished with all of you. But before you go, we'll need you to serve Konoha one final time. Word
2:12:49
cannot spread of what we're doing here. And so you two must be destroyed." Danzo
2:12:54
pressed his hand forward. Kill them. From there, the best agents the onbu had, a professional kill squad, moved to
2:13:01
attack them. Kakashi, readyying himself for the worst, lifted his sash off of his sharing and pulled the kunai out.
2:13:07
Itachi pulled out a katana and stepped forward. In this moment, Kakashi returned to his old self, remembering
2:13:14
the monster he used to be. Looking back, he was glad that Sasuke could not see right now, as what he was about to do
2:13:20
was going to be terrifying. Kakashi dodged into an attack and dragged his kunai across his opponent's throat. As
2:13:26
the second one came in, he used Kamoi to literally teleport his head clean off. "Your special assassination squad's
2:13:32
disappointing," Kakashi said as he continued. "I guess they're only good for killing you if your back is turned."
2:13:38
All the while, Itachi stood there, no stance, no anything. He had simply set his blade of fire with a Matarasu. With
2:13:45
each attack that connected to the enemy, they were set up in a blaze of fire. the others nearby. He began casting Sukiom
2:13:51
on to force them to relive their worst fears over and over again on loop. They screamed and fell to the ground, their
2:13:58
minds shattered under their own weight. Suddenly, Itachi Susano appeared and skewered many of the Shinobi with the
2:14:04
blade of Tatsuka. All those pierced were drawn in. The remaining members of the assassination squad were quickly
2:14:10
polished off. Danzo turned to run. Itachi looked back at Kakashi. Free Sasuke and get him out. I'll meet up
2:14:16
with you soon. Kakashi nodded and cut Sasuke free. Putting him upon his shoulders, he began to carry him out.
2:14:22
Itachi went the other direction, chasing after Danzo. There was something burning in his eyes, and it wasn't a Matarasu.
2:14:29
"You betrayed our deal," he said. "Now come back here and pay the piper." Kakashi watched as Itachi chased him,
2:14:35
electing to go the other direction, back toward the entrance. During this time, he ran into many route agents, each one
2:14:41
coming to attack Kagashi. carrying Sasuke, he could hardly do anything about it, so he only had one option. He
2:14:47
began to spam Kamoi. The agents screamed as limbs and entire parts of their body were torn off by the ocular space-time
2:14:54
jutsu. Anyone Kakashi looked at almost seemed to implode upon themselves. Kakashi had never truly realized how
2:15:01
terrifying this technique was until he was using it. Reaching the ladder, he told Sasuke to hold on tight. He began
2:15:08
to climb. Once he was outside, he found a place to hide. The rain still fell, but they were safe from it. Looking
2:15:14
Sasuke over, Kakashi spoke. Are you all right? Sasuke was silent for a moment.
2:15:19
"Sasuke," Kakashi asked. "That was Itachi in there, wasn't it?" Kakashi
2:15:24
didn't want to answer. A few moments passed. Kakashi finally acknowledged it. "Yes." Sasuke began to shiver, but not
2:15:32
from the cold. "Is he going to kill me?" Kakashi shook his head. "I wouldn't let him. Is he here to steal my eyes?" I
2:15:39
don't know, Kakashi said. Regardless of what he's here for, I won't let him hurt you. Okay, promise. Kakashi nodded.
2:15:46
Cross my heart. They waited there for quite some time. Suddenly, the hatch opened. Kakashi got into a defensive
2:15:53
stance. Out of it came Itachi, however, despite this, Kakashi's defensive stance
2:15:58
did not change. Standing there on the hill above Kakashi, Itachi held out his hand. Within them were two renegon eyes.
2:16:05
Kakashi was confused. Itachi pushed forward. Take them, Kakashi stepped forward. Why? Why don't you take them
2:16:12
for yourself? Itachi was silent for a moment. Because they don't belong to me. Itachi, Sasuke called out. Itachi looked
2:16:19
over to his brother. He turned away for a moment and prepared to leave. His mission accomplished. But Sasuke then
2:16:25
spoke again. "Please, Itachi, wait." Itachi turned back and looked at him. "Yes, why did you do this?" he asked.
2:16:33
"Why did you rescue me? Why did you spare me? Even with these renegon, am I still not worth killing? Itachi took a
2:16:40
deep breath and let it out as a sigh. Looking back at the hatch, knowing that man would never bother them again, he
2:16:46
spoke. I never did want to kill you to begin with. Itachi began to explain everything to Sasuke. That man, he
2:16:53
forced my hand. He said it would happen anyway, and if I wasn't the one to do it, he'd kill you as well. The only way
2:16:59
I could save you was by doing what he commanded. Tears ran down his cheeks. Why did nobody say anything? There was
2:17:06
nothing they could say. Not without incurring the wrath of the village. Not without starting a civil war. I knew
2:17:12
these things, so I specifically asked to keep them secret, and in return, I would help the village from outside. Sasuke
2:17:19
couldn't believe it. Was this Hisin's fault? Itachi shook his head. No. Danzo
2:17:25
moved against Hiazen's wishes and then was retired and put under house arrest. Despite that, it didn't seem to stop
2:17:31
him. Hi should have executed him," Sasuke said. Itachi nodded. "Perhaps, but Hien has always been lenient. He
2:17:38
seeks to preserve life. He's an odd case of a pacifist holding the office of a warrior. In a way, I guess he's like I
2:17:45
was, but in the end, Hirozen did what he could, and so did I." Sasuke held his head in his hands. He wasn't sure what
2:17:52
to think of it, what to do. Itachi knelt down. Sasuke, I know what I've done to
2:17:58
you. I can never ask anything of you, but I want to say sometimes we have to bear a heavy burden, even if we don't
2:18:04
want to. Mine was what I did, and yours must be letting go of the hatred that it instills in you. Konoha is a village
2:18:12
with flaws, but it's still a good village, and it can only get better with the right leadership. It needs you,
2:18:18
Sasuke. So, if there's only one thing I can ever ask of you, let it be this. Let go of your pain and remember your
2:18:25
blessings. This is the village where your friends live, where Kakashi lives. The current generation will not last
2:18:31
forever, so just let go. I killed the men responsible for our clan's destruction. Let it go. Itachi then
2:18:38
stood. Looking back at Kakashi, he spoke. Take care of him. Kakashi nodded. And with that, Itachi was gone. A couple
2:18:45
days later, Naruto and Sakura were allowed to visit Sasuke in the hospital, bringing flowers and chocolates and all
2:18:51
the other cliche things that you'd expect from children. They entered the room. "Sasuke," they asked. He didn't
2:18:57
respond. "He's had a hard few days," Kakashi said. "He's deep in thought. It might be best to leave him be." Naruto
2:19:04
looked at Kakashi and then back to Sasuke. Walking over, he put the box of chocolate on the bed. "I know what it's
2:19:10
like to be confused, Sasuke. To feel anger welling up in you. If you ever need to talk, I'm here." And in that
2:19:17
moment, Sasuke turned to look at Naruto, his ringed lavender eyes filled with kindness and joy. Thank you, Naruto.
2:19:24
Naruto smiled as did Kakashi. And as Kakashi watched on, he got the sense that everything was going to be okay.
2:19:32
There was a light in Sasuke's eyes that had not been there in quite some time. And that light was hope. Their little
2:19:39
family would recover and walk out of this stronger than ever. Of that, Kakashi had no doubt.
2:19:47
And that's where I'm going to tack on a fang. This story needed to reach a good conclusion. And I feel as though it has.
2:19:54
The battles that are the hardest to fight are the ones inside of us that nobody can see. And on some occasions
2:20:00
through anger or pride, all we can do is make such battles harder for others. This is why empathy is so important. You
2:20:07
never know what someone is going through. You never really know the whole story until someone tells it to you. And
2:20:12
when they do, it could change your entire stance on a situation. I guess Sasuke experienced that today. But what
2:20:19
about you? What are your thoughts on this? Let us know in the comments below. Be sure to remember to like, subscribe,
2:20:25
and ring the bell to be notified when more videos like this drop. And here's some other videos I think you might
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enjoy in the meantime. Anyway, until next time, peace out.