A/N: Sorry for the long delay, but politics and I don't go well together and it took me almost a month to hack out a meeting which looked decent enough to pass to my eyes. Hopefully I won't have to address that part of the plot too much in the future...

Disclaimer: Written at the start of chapter 1.

Enjoy the chapter! ^^

Despite the Sandaime's best efforts to keep everything under wraps, the news of the Hatake clan's desertion somehow managed to spread in Konoha like wildfire.

Most of the villagers were happy to say good riddance whenever the White Fang was mentioned. The man was responsible for the war that now loomed over them, and because of him, many would die to mop up his mistake. Whispers of retaliation were already being passed around among the more vengeful ones, and the sight and sound of so many Kunais being dreamily sharpened had many civilians hurry to their homes with pale faces.

Likewise, D-rank missions momentarily diminished as gramps and grannies saved their money to stock up on hair tincture. Living in a shinobi village had taught them many things, one of them being that drunk ninjas could get dangerous if part of yourself resembled that of a well-known enemy. Hence, the white hair that came with old age quickly got hidden behind false colors, and those married with ninja even went so far as to match the carpet with the curtains. Just in case.

But the village's gloomy atmosphere and the tension between its inhabitants were nothing in comparison to what had the Hokage worried.

Shimura Danzo was a dangerous man to cross paths with. He was as merciless in his views as he was in his ways, and Sakumo's departure was sure to send him on a blood feud against the Hatake Clan. This treason also gave him the perfect opportunity to wrestle the Hokage seat out of Hiruzen's grasp, because he needed the position in order to shape the village to his own ideals. Failing that, Sarutobi didn't doubt he would try to push his own decisions on him through the combined support of the Clan Heads. Whatever it may be, the Hokage knew that the upcoming Council meeting would be a hard one for his weary forty-five years old self.

And that was exactly what happened.

After basically telling everyone present that Sakumo's departure was Hiruzen's fault due to his soft heart and pacific ways, Danzo stood up and proposed (demanded with a slammed fist, rather) that an assassination party be sent after the Hatake family.

To him, Konoha had to make an example out of Sakumo to deter anymore shinobi from following him out, as well as keep enemy villages from getting their hands on him. And if Kakashi refused to go back to work under the village's authority, then he would get the same fate as his father. Having one traitor was humiliating enough; two of them was simply intolerable, and would make the village look weak if it couldn't deal with them accordingly. The village had to take action before news of the White Fang's treason reached the ears of their enemies.

The words struck deep. And Hiruzen hated them all the more for being true.

It didn't help that his own advisors heartily approved, and that most Clan Heads were also learning towards Danzo's offer.

The Nara, Akimichi and Yamanaka Clan Heads started throwing ideas around for possible ways to catch the traitor. The Uchiha Clan Head quickly joined them, followed by the Hyuuga Clan Head, and in their attempt to one-up each other, the two rival clans ended up turning the debate into an argument that drew everyone but the Aburame Clan Head into the fray. Danzo looked amused by the turn of events (if one counted the slight uplifting of his lips as such) and settled back in his chair to watch the chaos unfold around the table.

Hiruzen just wanted to palm his face and groan at the absurdity of it all. Instead, he turned a deaf ear to the bickering Councilmen, put his chin in his hands and pondered.

Normally, he would have agreed with Danzo and sent his Hunter-nins after the Hatake Clan head to have him executed. But this was Sakumo they were talking about; the one man who would (and did) go through hell and back to protect the village and his comrades. The White Fang had proven many times in the last war that he could be trusted, and Hiruzen could not, in good conscience, order his execution in cold blood when the Hatake had saved so many lives on the battlefield. It went against everything he stood for.

It also put him in a delicate position.

He refused to believe that the elder Hatake had turned rogue on a whim, like Danzo kept proclaiming. But he could not, as Hokage, let the man go unpunished for deserting Konoha either; it was law (and common sense) that any shinobi turned rogue would be put down to preserve the village's safety. So what could he do to calm the Clan Heads, secure his position as village leader and help Sakumo evade capture all at the same time?

What to do, what to do...

He glanced up when silence befell the room, and narrowed them when he found everyone looking back at him expectantly.

"Your opinion on the case, Hokage-sama?"

Crap.

If he spoke, everyone would think he was playing favoritism and his position as Hokage would be greatly compromised. If he didn't, Konoha as a whole would go after Sakumo's hide, and all chances to find a better solution to this mess would go down the drain. He was at an impasse.

An idea, he thought desperately even as he opened his mouth to speak. I need an idea, and I need it now.

Jiraiya burst into the room at that moment with pressing news about Iwa spies moving through Kusagakure no kuni, and Hiruzen, struck by inspiration, grabbed a nearby ink brush to write flee-on-sight orders on Sakumo and Kakashi's files while everyone was distracted. By some miraculous stroke of double luck, his student also hogged all the attention just long enough for him to slip the papers to his ANBU Commander with mute orders to paste them into the Bingo Book. Danzo didn't notice anything, and when he did, it was already too late.

Before he could protest, the Hokage rose from his chair and stated that Hatake Sakumo was one of their most powerful shinobi, which meant he was too dangerous to be taken on by anyone else other than him and his students. Konoha also could not afford to lose a single shinobi when it needed every Genin, Chuunin, Jounin and ANBU operative to face the upcoming war; the flee-on-sight orders were placed there exactly to prevent losses on the Leaf's side.

Sarutobi ran his gaze across every Clan Head as he said this, and leaked a bit of killing intent to back his decision. The warning was clear: failure to keep away from Hatake Sakumo would get foolish shinobi uselessly killed, and the Hokage would personally ensure that dire consequences befell those who survived the encounter. A fight between Konoha and its former White Fang was one thing, but an all-out war between three of the five grand nations (maybe even more) was something else altogether. It was also the bigger priority at the moment, and everyone had to remember that.

The Hokage walked out on that note with Jiraiya to go organize his troops for a frontal assault against the Land of Rock on the borders of Fire Country. The Bingo Book got updated right after his departure, and Hiruzen hoped it would be enough to protect father and son for the time being.

The look Danzo threw at his back as everyone else left the room clearly stated that this was far from over.

TT

"Dad," Kakashi piped up from his place on Sakumo's back, two weeks into their new lifestyles. "There's a shinobi camp right ahead of us."

"I know. I smell it too." The elder Hatake stopped on a branch and looked around, on the lookout for patrol squads. "It seems Iwa has finally made it into Fire Country."

Kakashi too was eyeing their surroundings. He drew out a Kunai. "... Do we engage them?"

"No. There are too many of them to make this a quick fight. They would also have time to send notice of our position, and then every shinobi in this forest would be after us."

"Why not pick them out one by one?"

"A good idea, but the absences will be quickly noticed."

"Inside-out sabotage then?"

"It's risky for someone even of my caliber. And no, Kakashi, you're not going behind enemy lines in my stead. Don't even think about it."

Kakashi's hopeful expression turned sour. He crossed his arms. "Hmphf."

Sakumo turned his head to look at him with a raised brow. "... Feeling bloodthirsty, son?"

"... I'm a ninja. I'm a born fighter." Came the grumbled response. "Running away from the enemy feels wrong, even if we have to keep a low profile as missing-nins."

The White Fang smiled at that. Like father, like son. "True. But missing-nin or not, a ninja must also learn to be patient, and believe me, you'll get your fair share of battles soon enough. Besides," he added, standing up again. "Your stealth skills are only high Chuunin level, my boy. A prodigy you may be, but you still lack the experience to cover your tracks well enough for Jounins, ANBU and Hunter-nin to miss them. I'm not letting you off my back until you excel in that area."

That last part closed the subject. Kakashi could protest all he wanted, but the sad fact was, Sakumo was right. Until the young Hatake mastered the art of stealth, letting him travel on foot would spell death for both of them. Hence the piggyback ride from point A to point B whenever they had to move off.

The White Fang felt his son slump forward to wrap his arms around his neck, and almost chuckled at the sulky atmosphere emanating from his back. He took off again, angling right for a long detour around their enemy.

Still, the Iwa camp didn't leave his mind. Konoha had to be unaware of this security breach, otherwise the area would have swarmed with leaf shinobi long before they even got there. For Iwa shinobi to have gone so far unnoticed like this, it meant either the Hidden Leaf had its troops occupied elsewhere, or this infiltration into Fire Country was hours-recent. Sakumo hoped it was the latter, otherwise the village would have a nasty surprise very soon.

He pondered a moment longer and made his decision. "Kakashi."

"Yes?"

"... Have you ever wondered why we Hatakes possess White Chakra?"

TT

Hiruzen stared at the messenger Chuunin kneeling in front of him with shock. "A whole camp, you say?"

"Yes, sir. An Iwa camp was found fifteen miles into Fire Country from Takigakure's borders two days ago. The odd part about it is that all its members, including the guards and patrol squads, are nowhere to be seen, despite footprints on the ground hinting at their presence. Even their medics disappeared."

"... I see. Do you have any ideas as to who or what could possibly have caused this?"

The Chuunin knelt even lower. "We apologize, Hokage-sama. Squad thirty-four is investigating the scene along with Squad twenty-two, and Squad eighteen, nineteen and twenty are combing the forest for trails, but so far no one knows anything."

"Headcount?"

"Estimated to one hundred shinobi, give or take a few missing cots."

That was all the Hokage needed to know. He dismissed the Chuunin with orders to review and tighten security over Konoha's borders, as well as have the troops avoid the place until more information could be found.

He rose from his chair to go look over the village from his office's window. A hand went behind his back while the other rose to hold his pipe pensively. No one knows anything, huh?

There was only one shinobi he knew of who could achieve such a deed and yet never be linked to it. Hatake Sakumo could take down a foe in many ways, and one of them was with White Chakra. Hiruzen wasn't supposed to know this of course, but having a crystal ball had its perks. The Iwa camp was Sakumo's handiwork, he was sure of it.

But why did the White Fang target the whole camp? Sarutobi could understand if it was one or two dozen shinobi (Sakumo had a lot of enemies and Kakashi needed the practice), but taking down all one hundred of them? It just didn't make any sense.

The Sandaime felt a headache coming and pinched the bridge of his nose. Another drag of pipe and a ring of smoke later, the Hokage sat back in his chair and sighed. His gaze wandered to the ceiling and stayed there, lost and uncomprehending.

"What are you thinking about, Sakumo?" he murmured into the empty room.

TT

"What are you thinking about, dad?"

Sakumo stopped staring ahead and looked down at his son, the latter comfortably nestled in his arms. They sat at the crook of a thick branch high up in a tree; they would pass the night there and resume their travel at dawn. "Hokage-sama."

Kakashi cocked an eyebrow. "Why?"

"It's been a week since we took down the Iwa camp. A patrol must have long discovered the place by now."

"But there's more to it, isn't there?" the boy pressed.

"... Yes, there is." Sakumo sighed. "The Sandaime has an impressive memory. He knows each and every Hidden Leaf shinobi that are under his command, from the weakest Genin of the year to the most powerful ANBU. Unfortunately, he is also very familiar with my skills, and though I could never confirm it, I believe he knows about the hidden ability of the Hatake Clan's White Chakra."

Kakashi frowned for a moment, before his eyes widened. "... He knows you did this, doesn't he?"

Sakumo nodded gravely. "Most likely."

"... Damn."

A heavy hand fell onto his head and ruffled his hair. "Hey, it's not over for us yet. We're still alive and free, are we not?"

"... Yeah." Kakashi cast a wary glance at their surroundings before a yawn overtook him, leaving him sleepy-eyed and somewhat grumpy. "And I intend to stay that way for the rest of my life, thank you very much."

Sakumo chuckled.

A little hand gripped his vest tightly. "That goes for you too, dad. Keep on living by my side, okay?"

"Now, that's something I can't promise you, because life has the bad habit of throwing trouble at me when I least expect it." the White Fang joked, trying to ease the lump suddenly stuck in his throat. "But I promise to try."

"Not good enough. Swear it." Kakashi stared at him in the eye with something hot and fierce and burning, and Sakumo's breath hitched, unable to look away. "You promised not to leave me behind, but you'll break that promise if you die of anything other than old age. Oaths can't be bent or broken. Swear it, dad."

The White Fang swallowed. An oath was very serious business and not something to be taken lightly. Ever. "... You're asking the impossible of me, son. I have no pride left, remember?"

Kakashi stilled. He broke eye contact to look down at his hands, suddenly looking very unsure of himself. Sakumo blinked at his scalp. "... Kakashi?"

"You... You really have no pride left? None at all?"

"None, unfortunately."

A pause.

"... Does that mean you're not proud of me anymore, either?" came the small voice.

Sakumo's eyes went wide. "What? No! Of course I'm proud of you, son! I've never..." he trailed off. Kakashi looked at him uncertainly.

Only to jump when his dad burst into laugher. "Hey!"

The White Fang ignored his son's indignant squawks and kept laughing, palming his face with his free hand. I'm such an idiot, he thought.

And he was. Sakumo knew he had fallen hard when disgrace had socked him in the head, but he never thought the following concussion had left him this much affected. How could he have been so blind as to not see what was right under his nose all this time?

You were right, Sandaime-sama. Children are, and will always be, the true holders of the Will of Fire.

"I swear it," he snorted out a good minute later, wiping at his eyes which wouldn't stop crying, "I swear to you, my son, that I will live by your side no matter what. You'll be stuck with me for the rest of your life, through good and bad times, and when I die of old age I will come back to keep you company with my soul, so that you will never be alone. Hatake Kakashi, do you accept my oath?"

It was Kakashi's turn to stare. That fiery spark in his eyes was gone, and they shone with a glint of something the elder man couldn't quite put his finger on.

His voice trembled as he spoke, "Yes. Yes, Hatake Sakumo, I accept your oath, and will hold you to your words for as long as I live. Thank you... father."

The watched the sun slowly set and listened to the cricket's soothing night chorale. The younger Hatake was quick to fall asleep, safe in the knowledge that no matter what, they would always be together from now on. Sakumo kept an ear out for trouble and watched him rest with a smile, feeling much more at ease than he had in a very long time.

When he was sure that the bundle in his arms was deeply, truly asleep, he leaned down to kiss his snowy head and murmured, "No. Thank you, Kakashi... my son, and the pride of my life."

A/N: Ah, little Kakashi, how I love thee. *hugs*

Seeing as I have not found any info on the abilities of White Chakra, I decided to give it one rather than let it stand as one of the defining traits of the Hatake Clan. Kakashi's heritage is something his father unfortunately took to his grave in the manga, so that's gonna be one of the first changes in my story. But I won't be uncovering that secret for a good while, so you'll have to ponder until then XD

Until next chapter, guys! Don't hesitate to leave a review if you like the story so far! ^^

AF