Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Protection ❯ Prologue ( Chapter 1 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Reason. Most people live without it.
They are born and they live, often stupidly, and then they die, often without
reason. These are the sort that drink their life away, the sort that when
they're at their lowest they realize they don't have anyone to bring them back
up. Kakashi pitied these sort of people but at the same time; he often found he
envied them. They didn't realize that their life meant nothing after they died
until it was too late, and by then all they could do was wish they had done
something to leave a mark on this world. Wish that they could do it all
over so that their life, and death, hadn't been meaningless. The difference
between him and these people was that he had realized it much sooner; at the age
of 13. He had realized a month after Obito died that the living forget the dead
and are only forced to remember by the legacy they left behind, by the things
they did while living. He'd lived hoping that he could make an impact on the
world, that he could make everyone remember the man who had given his life to
protect the people he loved. Now staring death in the face he only hoped that
when he died they would remember the lives he saved instead of the ones he
ended. Kakashi had always thought he was better than those who wasted away their
lives partying and having fun because he was striving towards something. He was
going somewhere, he was going to make sure that his life held meaning and that
because of that; all those who died to save him would be remembered as well.
But, he was wrong. They weren't to be pitied, but to be envied. They got to
live life, not run through it with a hand always close to their sword.
They didn't have to live with the deaths, or even the knowledge that they could
die just as easily as the ones they killed, that their life could be just as
easily forgotten as the people they had just erased from history.
He remembered the fear that had driven him in his childhood; the fear of
being forgotten, of just disappearing without anyone to care for him as Obito
had so easily cared for everyone. But what was the use of that fear when no one
was left to forget him? When he was the only one left to remember?
Everyone has that moment in their lives where they wish they could go back
and change something, do something with their life, be someone else.
Sometimes…Kakashi wished he could have been one of those people he'd spent half
a lifetime pitying. He wished he hadn't been so blind when he'd met Obito. He
wished that he'd protected Rin better. He wished that he'd been a better
teacher, someone to look up to. He wished…he wished a lot of things.
Distantly he could here gravel falling, and if he weren't so numb, he would
feel the stinging bite of it as it hit his face and mauled body. All he could
feel was anger, anger so strong he was numb with it. But the worst of it was
that he could do nothing about this anger. He wanted to punch something, kill
something, but he couldn't. He was paralyzed, the whole of his left side
crushed; under some stupid pile of rubble too. It was a role reversal, and he
would've laughed at the irony except that he knew that Madara had probably done
it this way on purpose. He only wished that the blasted rock had fallen to his
right, then at least he wouldn't have to die without Obito next to him, seeing
everything he was seeing in his last moments.
He could already feel his life falling away from him, he knew he was going to
die. Once again he was the last remaining member of his team...
He saw the blood , saw the bodies but felt the horror last. His stomach
dropped out, his heart rose into his throat, his head pounded and he fell back
away from the scene. He was too late; too late to stop him from hurting her. He
had known, she had known! ...So why? But no, he didn't need to ask that question;
he already knew the answer. That look on her face when she'd tried to kill
Sasuke; he'd known right then and there she'd never be able to kill him. And so
had she. He was just fooling himself to think that he could save her. If he was
honest with himself; he could admit that she'd been dead for a long time, and
the only one keeping her there had been Naruto.
The lighting in that place had been horrible and cast shadows on her pallid
face making it gaunt and sickly looking. Her eyes...so blank. Smiling, she had
been smiling, a tight sad smile frozen on her face in a death brought on because
she'd loved too deeply. She'd died willingly; had accepted her fate as soon as
she saw he'd come for her.
He couldn't think, couldn't breath and only blinked when he heard Naruto's
cry from behind him. His own dam broke only after his student fell next to her,
voice cracking and arms shaking, rocking her gently. Seeing him this way, so
broken...he slid down the wall, head in his hands, and shook with the weight of
his heart in his chest. He would look back on this day, when it was all over,
and know that this was the day both Naruto and himself had truly broken.
Her death was the catalyst, it pushed Naruto over the edge. And Sasuke...Sasuke
didn't stand a chance against his rage. Naruto's prediction that they'd both die
together or not at all was made without truly knowing just how far he would be
pushed. He hadn't factored in Sakura dieing; but even if he had he still
wouldn't have been able to deal with it any better than he did. Kakashi was glad
for this, but also regretful that he couldn't stop it before it started.
Sasuke was dead. Sakura was dead. And Naruto...Naruto might as well be
dead.
He couldn't remember how long ago it had happened, but he could never forget
that feeling. That sickening taste that it left in your mouth, the way it dried
your throat, stung your eyes...Naruto had given up, the seal had broken and with
it so did his own will to survive. He and Naruto had come to rely on each other,
if only so they wouldn't have to be alone now that everyone was dead. They were
both pushed forward, not by revenge, but by the need to rid the world of a man
that would never stop until everything was gone. Madara Uchiha. Now that
Naruto's seal was broken, two three hours ago maybe, he had no desire to outlive
his loved ones again. Besides, it was a somewhat happy death knowing that Madara
had been dealt with. And even if he wished he could have been the one to do it;
he knew that Naruto was the only one who could.
His fingers tingled once and then went numb, his vision was blurring around
the edges but he could still see the clouds in the sky; it felt odd dying when it
was so bright and cheery out. He supposed that it wasn't all that odd though; he
had been on missions before where he'd had to kill someone in the middle of
their own daughters birthday party. So why would he expect for the world to stop
and suddenly become dark and gloomy just so he could die a little theatrically?
His lips twisted up into a smile at that thought, sending pain shooting from the side of his face. He could hear Obito mocking him already.
Pfft! Who would have thought the great Hatake Kakashi would be such a drama
queen? Ha ha...
"I suppose I'll be seeing you soon Obito..."
"Don't think your so lucky fool." Naruto?
Ah, let me congratulate you Kakashi; you've truly gone insane now. As if
hearing my voice in your head now and then wasn't enough!
He remained calm outwardly but inwardly cursed and cringed and screamed in
frustration. Why couldn't he just die happily knowing he would meet his loved
ones again? What idiot thought it would be funny to force him to stay alive long
enough to see his former students body desecrated and turned into the thing that
Naruto had been fighting against his whole life?
He sighed. "Kyuubi."
He couldn't see it, but the Kyuubi nodded towards him in a silent
acknowledgement of his role as desecrater. "Kakashi."
Kakashi felt something slip from between his lips and coughed around the
words he had wanted to say, bearing with the pain until it passed into numb
grayness. Kyuubi watched impatiently from beside him for a few moments until the
coughing subsided and then knelt down.
"I know what you're thinking human," he said, his voice not entirely Naruto's
but a merging of them both. It was highly...disturbing. "and no, I am not
free."
Wait what?
Kakashi looked up at him lazily, covering up his surprise, "Now why would I
be thinking about you when I could be thinking about what a beautiful day it is,
or replaying icha icha scenes through my head? Actually, I think I'll do that
second one right now..."
The Kyuubi didn't look at him; but instead kneeled down beside him. He felt
nothing but numbness but it seemed as if he was drawing something on his arm. He
shut his eyes, focusing on the movement of those fingers, trying to form a
picture in his mind of what he was drawing. It...was that...a seal?
"I have no time for your humor human, this body won't host me for much longer
without its soul."
If Kakashi could move he would have jerked away from the bloody fingers that
were slowly spreading strange symbols down his arm. Was he trying to take over
his body? Kakashi giggled. Wait...that doesn't make any sense; he's dying too.
Wow, blood loss really makes you dizzy.
"...and that would be so horrible because?"
"Because things could be different. And different means me being alive-even
if it is within this confounded host."
Kakashi blinked, confused. How could things possibly be different when the
only one that had any ability left to fix things was the one that had once
completely destroyed it all? He was tired of this, and he didn't exactly like
the feel of having strange symbols drawn into his flesh with chakra infused
blood...
"Can't you stop this and leave an old man to die in peace?" It was odd how
his voice sounded so far away, when it was coming from his own body.
At that the Kyuubi did laugh, "You are not old human, I am old.
You do not know the meaning of 'old' when you stand next to me. And it is
because I am this old that I will not die suffocated in this fetid carcass like
a prisoner."
"You are a prisoner, and for a good reason. A reason thats preventing me from
trusting you, especially since you took over my former pupils body." Kakashi
supplied.
The Kyuubi ignored him and focused on his work. The markings were becoming
more and more noticeably uncomfortable-even though Kakashi still couldn't feel
his body. It was an odd feeling, almost like he wasn't really feeling anything
at all, but he just knew he was. He rolled his eyes skyward again,
feeling like it was the only way to get away from whatever the Kyuubi was doing
with his body. He hoped he was dead before he found out honestly.
"You do not seem as grateful as I thought you would be, human. Do you not
realize what I'm offering?"
Kakashi made no effort to move or even acknowledge that he'd heard him. With
the last of the markings finished he barely could hear him. "Wha-what did
you do to me?"
"If you accept...then I'm separating your soul from your body and placing it
under my control."
He was confused. So confused and...very, very tired. But the thing was; he was
curious. He wanted, needed to know what all of this was about because it seemed
almost as if--as if the Kyuubi was offering him a way to change things.
"Accep-accept what?" he couldn't tell if he'd even said it or not; he felt as
if he were floating disconnected from everything.
"My bargain of course." a fanged grin and red eyes stared down into his own,
"I save your life, and in return, you go back...and save mine."
It took a moment for Kakashi to process this, but when he did it took all he
had just to get his lips to move.
"...and how will I do that? Save Naruto from Madara?" he closed his eyes, and
his next words were barely a whisper, "I wasn't strong enough then and I'm not
strong enough now. I'd fail before I'd even started..."
"You won't fail."
Anger rose up, and he couldn't stop himself from speaking his mind."But how
do you know that! Everything could turn out the exactly the same way and all I
would have gotten out of it was the torture of watching everyone die all over
again..."
He heard the growl and saw the viscous snarl on the face of the once innocent
Hokage hopeful and faltered in his anger. He didn't want to see Naruto like
this...he wanted the little, overly energetic, ramen eating fanatic back. He
didn't want to see this...thing wearing Naruto's face any longer. And even though
he'd come to trust and lean on Naruto...he didn't want to see him broken any
longer either.
"You won't fail, human. I have my ways so just shut up and decide
already!" he looked thoughtfully at Kakashi and then grumbled, "oh, how I wish I
could just do this myself and be rid of you entirely."
Kakashi didn't hear the words over the rushing roar in his ears, and was
acutely aware of how fast his vision was blurring. He'd crashed back to earth
from his high and could feel everything. He understood what the fox was
offering him, but couldn't quite believe it. Was it a trick? Was it all a dream?
A way to torment him using false hopes and wishes? He didn't know, and he didn't
really care right now either. He was cold and his breathing was shallow, and
right then, he just couldn't think anymore. He'd made a decision; and once
Hatake Kakashi made up his mind, it took a hell of a lot to change it.
"What do I have to do?" he strangled out.
The answering grin was so Naruto like that it only further solidified
Kakashi's decision. Kakashi was going to do what he'd been trying to do his
entire life; he was going to change things. He was going to make sure that all
those deaths would not be without meaning-in fact, he'd make sure that they
never happened at all. This didn't mean that those deaths would be forgotten
however, because Kakashi would never forget them or how hard they fought. If
this really worked, and wasn't a hallucination or a trick, then he would make
sure that he fought just as hard as they did. He wouldn't give up this time, and
he wouldn't be a coward. He could still feel his fear, deep down there, but
oddly enough...it didn't matter as much to him anymore. It didn't bother him that
no one would know just how much he'd sacrificed for Konoha, because being
forgotten was a small price to pay for protecting loved ones and getting second
chances.
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