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◆ AUTHOR'S NOTES:

This is an AU, where canon will be there when I see it fits. The timeline will be different and plot points have changed, but some things remain the same.

Basically, this is what happens when Kakashi raises three kids on his own. And those three kids just so happen to be destined for greatness.

Thanks to Ummmmmmmnothanks on Tumblr for the story idea!

The cover image belongs to Sandorclegane on Tumblr!

And huge thanks to Rhavia for being my Beta Reader!

That's all, enjoy!

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ʙʏ sᴜɴғʟᴏᴡᴇʀ sᴋιᴇs

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ＡＧＡＩＮＳＴ ＴＨＥ ＧＲＡＩＮ

✥.✥.✥

"He plants trees to benefit another generation."
- Caecilius Statius

✥.✥.✥

For the first time in a long time, Kakashi Hatake didn't know what was going to happen next.

He was standing in the long, curved hallway of the Hokage Tower, sporting the standard dark grey ANBU uniform, veiled in a shadow. His shocking grey hair was dirtied and windswept, and despite the late time of night a sheen of sweat coated his well-toned body. Lifting up the porcelain mask that concealed his face, Kakashi swiped the back of his gloved hand across his forehead, hoping that the mid-summer heat wave rolling through Fire wouldn't last much longer.

It was long past dusk, and the streets below had finally quieted down as most people were beginning to turn in for the night. In the distance, the sounds of the bustling Yakan district, where most of the bars and late-night shops were located, could still be heard. Kakashi didn't spend much time in that part of town – too boisterous and full of drunks for his liking – but right about then, downing a bottle of chilled sake had never sounded better.

'This is going to be the start of another damn war.'

It was a grim thought to have, no matter how briefly it crossed his mind. Interestingly enough, neither fear nor panic rippled through his body at the prospect of his village going into battle with another nation – whereas any sane person would at least be distressed to some degree. After all, who enjoyed being at war?

Konohagakure was still recovering from the Third Shinobi War, and that had ended years ago; victory didn't fix destroyed infrastructure or repair the economy. Recovering from war was a long and tedious process; the fact that Konoha won only meant that they were slightly better off than those who had lost.

In hindsight, Kakashi's lack of emotion concerning the topic probably said more about his character than he'd care to admit. Perhaps it was because it wouldn't be the first war he had been a part of, hell, not even the second – which was rather disheartening considering that he wasn't even twenty years of age. Or perhaps it was true what people said about him, that Kakashi Hatake was cold-hearted and even the terrors of war weren't enough to elicit feeling from him.

Kakashi liked to think that wasn't true. But he'd never been all too great at self-introspection, either. Though it wasn't like he ever took the whispers that came from the village rumor-mill to heart, anyway. Gossip was nothing more than petty lies people made up to make themselves feel better or tear someone else down, and Kakashi had no penchant for either of those things.

"Tsk," he clicked his tongue, knowing better than to dwell on the idea of war for long; whenever he brooded over his dark thoughts too much, he ended up with a headache and a sour taste in his mouth.

'Nothing has been declared yet,' he told himself, eyes glancing up toward the ceiling. There were no call-to-arms as of now, and perhaps, if he was allowed, he could help keep it that way.

Kakashi sighed, shaking his head softly. Whatever was to come – war or not – it would be nothing new. Not to him, nor to the village in which he had been born and raised. Kakashi Hatake was a shinobi of the Leaf, and he had pledged to lay down his life it meant the survival of Konohagakure. So no, the idea of going to war once more didn't scare him. If anything, he was upset that the peacetime hadn't lasted longer. There were still too many things to do before the world around him fell into chaos once more.

Beginning to taste the faintest trace of nickel in the back of his molars, Kakashi halted himself from pondering the future of Konoha any more that night. It sure didn't help that he was utterly sleep deprived. Compartmentalizing all his thoughts on possible inter-village war, Kakashi saved them to be picked over at a later time – ideally when he wasn't so tired or hungry.

So for now, the Leaf shinobi focused his remaining energy on what he did know to be true.

'One thousand, seven hundred and forty-three dead.'

That was it. That was what he knew. Nearly a fifth of Konoha's population was gone, decimated in a blink of the eye. All it had taken was a single act of pure evil.

Even the most gruesome of battles from the Second and Third Wars hadn't ended with such a high body count. And the fact that it all happened in a short period of time, just one night, why, that was unheard of.

While war may not have scared the Copy Ninja, the idea that something was strong enough to wipe out one of their most elite clans so easily, and without any resistance, terrified him. Only the bijū were said to have that much power and lust for destruction, and Kakashi was sure that the only tailed beast anywhere near Konoha was still adequately sealed away – though he made a note to check on the village's young jinchūriki soon, hoping that he hadn't gotten into too much trouble while Kakashi had been away. 'But that'd just be wishful thinking,' he told himself, remembering that not too long ago, an entire town block had been spray painted with crude images, and only one boy in all of Konoha had the audacity to pull off a stunt like that.

With a heavy sigh, Kakashi looked out the large window from where he stood and licked at his chapped lips. Since his return back to Konoha just an hour ago, he had been curious how much the rest of the village knew about the incident. It wasn't as if they could hide the fact that all the Uchiha were gone from the public, but the Hokage and his council would undoubtedly hold back details regardless, like who had done it – if they knew who the culprit was. Surely the village shinobi knew more than the civilians, but there still had to have been an explanation given to the public so there was no widespread hysteria; genocide and panic always walked hand-in-hand.

'Now I just need to be told the specifics of what happened,' he mused. At least, that's what he presumed the reason for his summoning back to Konoha was. Why else would they have pulled him out of Kumo so hastily if not to put him on a new mission?

Kakashi checked the clock on the wall and frowned. It wasn't like the Hokage to keep someone waiting so long, especially when he had personally requested them. Usually, it was Kakashi who was late for meetings, having to apologize for his tardiness with some off-hand excuse. Tonight, however, he had been standing in wait for nearly forty minutes. He hoped that the Hokage and council elders hadn't forgotten about him already. Of course, there was the chance that they hadn't expected him to make it back to the village so soon. Just to be safe, Kakashi flexed his chakra every so often, that way his presence would be known to those on the inside.

The hallway in which he stood was softly lit, the lanterns that hung from the ceiling having been dimmed for the night. With his back pressed against the oak paneled walls and his arms lightly crossed over his armor-plated chest, the ninja pondered what his new job would be going forward. To lead a team after the perpetrator of the attack? Infiltrate whatever village led the strike? Even aiding Ibiki in T&I was a possibility – though Kakashi didn't see himself as the type for interrogating. He had never been taken a liking for mind games, though he understood the value of employing such techniques.

While Kakashi preferred missions that were quick to complete with a clear objective, Kakashi knew that there were too many factors on the table to think that things would be clean cut. This was a one-of-a-kind situation, and each move would need to be tactful and well-planned. The Hokage would try to avoid the start of a Fourth Shinobi War as much as possible, as resources were still highly limited. Kakashi ran his fingers across his scalp – which only reminded him how much he was in need of a shower. No matter how tired he may have felt at the time, he would be ready to fulfill the mission assigned to him by the Hokage. The urge to go home and sleep would just have to be put on hold.

He smiled beneath his mask for a small moment. If he ended up being put on a team with Gai and his loud personality, that would surely be enough to keep Kakashi awake for the mission's duration. He then wondered what the current tally was regarding the duo's ever on-going challenges. Kakashi was pretty sure that after their last race, he was up by two. Gai, with no doubt, would already have another test of "Eternal Youth!' planned for their next meet.

While he idly continued to wait, Kakashi thought about reaching for his new copy of Icha Icha Paradise, which had taken up residence within the inner-breast pocket of his flak jacket since its purchase. Some – mostly Iruka and Kurenai – called him perverted for enjoying it so much, but Kakashi found the book to be somewhat engaging and have a decent plotline – of course, the smut didn't hurt either.

However, he followed his better judgment and left the orange covered book alone; he knew that now was not an appropriate time for such readings. Kakashi would just have to wait until he returned to his apartment to finish the last chapter and find out if sweet Mami-chan chose to be with the successful and smart Tadashi or the handsome and rebellious Jurou. After all, it wouldn't look well if the Hokage himself caught him reading an erotic novella right outside of his office.

Kakashi's ears perked up when he felt the departure of several chakra signatures from inside the office, most likely ANBU who had just been given mission orders. If he recalled correctly, Squirrel, Bear, and Raccoon were currently on the Hokage's personal guard duty this rotation. Kakashi stood a little straighter, his senses heightened.

'Finally,' he thought as he heard footsteps, followed by the sound of the heavy wooden office doors swinging open. An old man wearing glasses and simple robes poked his head out, looking up and down the hallway before his eyes landed on Kakashi. The old man didn't bother to smile.

"Hatake," Homura Mitokado said, not in greeting but rather a simple indication to follow him inside.

Kakashi didn't say anything in return; neither of the men had ever been amicable towards one another over the years, and tonight certainly wouldn't change that. He pushed himself away from the wall and silently trailed behind Homura into the office.

Immediately, Kakashi noticed that he was the only active shinobi present – no ANBU were hiding in the corners or outside on the window's ledge. He had thought that there'd at least be a fellow jōnin at the meeting with him, but alas, it looked to be a private appointment between him and the council.

'A solo mission then,' Kakashi figured. If he were to be put on a team, said teammates would have been present as well. It looked like his next challenge with Gai would have to wait a bit longer.

Homura stepped back and took his place next to the old lady, Koharu Utatane, who was giving Kakashi a look that he could only classify as a scowl. To be frank, he wasn't going to be all that saddened when those two finally kicked the bucket. Since his very first mission assignment, all those two was did was complain about one thing or another. Never did he see them actually make an effort to instate the change they wanted to see. If they hadn't been his teammates back in the day, Kakashi was sure the Hokage wouldn't bother keeping them around. He sure as hell wouldn't if he was in the Sandaime's position.

The sound of shifting robes and a tap of wood collected Kakashi's attention. Standing by the window on the other side of the room was someone that immediately made the hairs on his neck stand on end. Someone who made Koharu and Homura look trustworthy in comparison and really question the Hokage's better judgment when it came to his choice of council members.

It was Danzō Shimura, a man whom Kakashi had never been able to understand. A man whose virtues were so radical that he would be willing to destroy Konoha if it meant he could rebuild it from the ground up, instilling the archaic ideals he thought best for the village. Danzō was a man who somehow managed to remain on the council despite having views so drastically different from the Hokage. He was one of the few men that Kakashi feared.

The feeling of regret racked through Kakashi's body – as it did every time he saw the old, crippled shinobi – as he thought back to when he had been convinced to work under Danzō. That was a time of poor judgment in his life. He had tried to tell himself that it wasn't his fault, that there had been so much going on that it had been easy to sway him over, that he had been young and naïve…

'Doesn't make it right,' he vehemently thought, 'Some things can't be forgiven.'

Kakashi was grateful that he had enough sense to realize how wrong Danzō was and had stopped himself from making one mistake that would have cost him everything.

"Kakashi," called a voice, bringing the white-haired ninja away from his thoughts. He turned to the speaker, his body releasing the tension it had taken on from the sight of Danzō. "Thank you for waiting. I'm glad to see that you managed to come back on such short notice. I know the journey must not have been pleasant in such hot weather."

Sitting behind his desk, with the most massive stack of paperwork Kakashi had seen so far, was Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Sandaime Hokage of Konohagakure. An old reed pipe hung from the corner of his mouth, with plumes of pungent smoke swirling out from the end.

Kakashi noted the dark and heavy bags beneath his eyes, making the old man look especially feeble and frail. It was clear that he had not slept in quite some time – probably not since the massacre. The ordeal must have been taking an incredible toll on the Hokage, and Kakashi prayed to the gods that the aftermath wouldn't bring the end of him.

Konoha needed its Hokage now more than ever.

Kakashi stepped toward the desk and kneeled to show honor, uncovering his face and placing the ANBU mask at his side; he met the Sandaime's gaze and gave a curt nod before averting his eyes toward the floorboards. "I came as soon as the messenger raven reached me. I apologize for not being here sooner."

"Nonsense, Kakashi," spouted the Hokage, a cloud of grey smoke filling the air between them. "I'd be hard to find another shinobi who could have made the journey in the time you did!"

Kakashi remained humbly quiet, but he didn't disagree with the statement.

When he had received the encrypted message two days prior, he had nearly fallen out of the tree he had been perched in. What the letter transcribed, well, it was unbelievable. Impossible, even! The entire Uchiha clan killed? No, he wouldn't believe it.

And that was why he initially assumed the letter to be a trap, sent by the enemy to lure him out. He had been stationed in Kumo for nearly two months, surveying the village for a deep reconnaissance mission after the Hyūga Affair. Though the chances of him having been found out by Cloud-nin seemed unlikely – he was too stealthy to have been caught.

However, it was the red wax seal pressed into the parchment that guaranteed the letter to be legitimate. It bore the Sandaime's personal crest and was even infused with his own chakra so that only a Leaf shinobi would be able to open the letter - protection against any kind of interception. That was something not even the best forgers could fake.

'May the Kami have mercy on us all,' was all Kakashi had thought before he gathered his supplies and fled from his hidden post in the craggy cliffs below the Hidden Cloud Village.

The journey from the Land of Lightning should have taken four days, but he knew the importance of his return and only allowed himself to rest twice, cutting that time in half. However, now that Kakashi was back in his home village, he was beginning to feel the after-effects from pushing his body so hard.

A long, well-deserved nap was most definitely in his future.

"Hokage-sama," Kakashi greeted. "I assume you've called me here to give me the details of the matter."

"How perceptive," scoffed Danzō from across the room, his sight still focused on the darkening horizon. Kakashi knew better than to pay him any mind. The Hokage glared disapprovingly from the corner of his eyes but didn't reprimand the older man. They were all on edge right now, and because of that, everyone was a bit more callous than usual.

"Do you know what village organized the attack?" Kakashi asked, trying not to sound impatient. He wanted to get straight to the facts. The sooner he found out who or what caused this, the quicker he could go out and destroy it. It was all he could think about on his trip back from Kumo.

The Hokage fell deathly silent, and Kakashi was sobered by the somberness that filled the room. So they did know, and clearly, it wasn't good. 'I was right. It'll be the start of the Fourth War for sure.'

Both Homura and Koharu looked at the Sandaime before slowly nodding, as if giving their approval for him to share more details. Danzō didn't turn from the window, but Kakashi saw his shoulders tense.

"This wasn't the doing of another village."

Kakashi froze. Who else would want the Uchiha clan destroyed? His mind raced with possibilities. Perhaps a squadron of missing-nin with a grudge or a large group of mercenaries hired by someone looking for political power? He even thought of the group of rogue ninja based in Ame, though their name currently escaped him.

The Hokage frowned, the crinkles around his eyes deepening. "I'm afraid that the killer was, in fact, a Leaf Shinobi."

Kakashi's uncovered eye widened with shock. An inside job.

Immediately, without looking in his direction, Kakashi felt out for Danzō's chakra signature, to see if there were any sudden changes, any hints of guilt, but he detected nothing. Kakashi's heart was racing and—

Wait. Had the Hokage said killer? As in, only one person was responsible? That couldn't be right. No single shinobi was strong enough to take out a force that large in number. And who in their village could face all of the Uchiha clan alone? Why, they would have had to have a Sharingan of their own even to stand a chance, which would mean…

And right then, Kakashi pieced together the puzzle. If the deed truly was done alone, there was only one person in all of Konoha who would be capable of such an act. His blood ran cold at the realization.

Folding his hands on top of the desk, Hiruzen looked absolutely devastated as he said, "Itachi Uchiha is responsible for the annihilation of his own clan."

Kakashi felt like he was going to be sick.

No, not Itachi. Not the quiet and dedicated boy he was only just beginning to get to know. Not the boy who had risen through the shinobi ranks nearly as fast as Kakashi had. Not the boy who was unquestionably the pride of Konohagakure.

"I-Itachi Uchiha is only a child!" Kakashi croaked, more so to himself than the others present. His brain was desperately trying to grasp at straws that just weren't there. Why would Itachi do it? There had to be a mistake!

Homura scoffed at Kakashi. "Itachi Uchiha was one of the best shinobi this village has ever raised or seen."

Kakashi didn't like how they spoke of him in the past tense, though he understood why. The moment Itachi decided to kill his own family, he could no longer be considered a Leaf shinobi, having betrayed the trust of his village. He would forever be a rogue ninja and enemy of Konoha.

'Not even ten years of age and already condemned to a lifetime as a fugitive.' Kakashi was greatly saddened for the young boy, but perhaps it was because he was having a hard time processing the fact that Itachi had committed the vilest act in all of Konoha's history.

"You know better than anyone that age does not determine one's ability to take a life," Koharu droned. Her eyes narrowed dangerously as if she thought Kakashi was going to lash out at any moment. Like Homura, Koharu was also not very fond of him. Not since his father had died.

Kakashi shivered.

"When? How? More importantly, why?" He didn't sound like the seasoned jōnin he was, but more like a distraught genin fresh from the Academy.

'Kami-sama,' he swore to himself. How had he not seen it coming? There had to have been warning signs. He was supposed to see through things like this, underneath the underneath and all that. What did it say about him as a ninja for being so oblivious to Itachi's true nature? The two had been teammates, so if anyone were to have sensed Itachi's true malicious personality, it should have been him.

'Add this to my list of great failures,' he gratingly thought. Apparently, losing his first two teammates wasn't enough; was he destined to be alone?

The Hokage stood and took a deep breath. His eyes were blank as he looked past Kakashi. "It happened sometime between midnight and dawn. The attack was quick and silent, so much that no alarms were raised. It wasn't until the next day when ANBU found the bodies in the streets of the compound."

"What am I to do, Hokage-sama?"

Itachi would no doubt be labeled as an S-rank ninja and had just earned a top spot in every bingo book within the Great Nations. Hunting him down would become a top priority for Konoha.

"There is one detail that I have yet to divulge."

Kakashi's head tilted to the side. What else was there to know? The Uchiha were dead by one of their own. "Sir?"

"Not every Uchiha died in the massacre," said the Hokage in a guarded tone; his eyes reflected a deep sadness. "Itachi's younger brother, Sasuke, was spared the terrible fate that the rest of his clan shared."

Kakashi's stomach filled with twists and knots at the revelation. 'That's right, Itachi has a sibling.' He could remember Itachi speaking of him on a few occasions. He had seemed to be very fond of his baby brother. In fact, when Itachi spoke of the young Sasuke, he would even show a rare smile of his.

Kakashi had never met the boy, but still... He knew that the two must have been close.

"Why would Itachi let him live?" he asked. Why just spare his brother?

"We do not know the answer to that, but what we do know is that Sasuke is now alone in this world. The worst thing imaginable just happened and…" The Hokage paused, at a loss for words.

Kakashi felt an intense force begin to consume the Hokage, one fueled by doubt and shame and sadness. It was a feeling Kakashi knew all too well.

At that moment, he pitied the Sandaime. Putting into words what the young Uchiha was going through wasn't an easy task; Kakashi could only partially sympathize with Sasuke, having lost his own father – though the two were still hardly comparable accounts of loss. He also knew that as the leader of Konoha, Hiruzen Sarutobi must have never felt so ashamed. He had failed not only the Uchiha clan but his entire village, too. For it was his sole duty as Hokage to keep the people of Konoha safe.

Kakashi hated to think it, but perhaps re-taking the position of Hokage from Minato had been the wrong decision. Could it have been that Hiruzen was no longer strong enough to protect his village? Then again, he couldn't think of anyone else who could fill the position better.

Clearing his throat softly, Kakashi gained the Hokage's attention again. "And what is it that I am to do? Go after Itachi? My ninken can start picking up the trail now. I can speak with Tsume, too. The Hyūga would also be ideal for this—"

"The boy sees himself a delegator!" mused Koharu with a sneer, her beady eyes picking Kakashi apart from where she stood. He had to carefully control himself as to not release accidental killing intent toward Koharu – though he wouldn't mind scaring the old hag a bit. It wasn't like she didn't have it coming.

"ANBU squads have already been sent out on reconnaissance missions to track the whereabouts of Itachi. No orders have been made to apprehend him just yet," explained Homura, his voice hoarse from age. He looked to the Hokage and added, "I still don't think that Jiraiya needs to be involved in this matter. He himself is no longer that of the Leaf."

The Hokage waved his hand at the implication. "Don't be ridiculous. Jiraiya may not wear our symbol, but his loyalty will always be with Konoha."

Hearing that Jiraiya was helping with this brought some relief to Kakashi. While he and the Sage may not have worked much together, they shared similar ideals. He was someone that Kakashi knew they could trust. Minato had, after all.

Kakashi then began to wonder why his own ANBU squad, Ro, had not been tasked with such mission. Perhaps because Itachi was more familiar with Ro's fighting style and would make any kind of confrontation more difficult. Or was it because Itachi himself had been a part of that team and thus, the entire unit was not to be trusted? Did the Hokage suspect Kakashi to have been involved in the massacre?

The Hokage brought the pipe away from his mouth and held it in his hand, taking a moment to breathe in clean air. "What I want from you, Kakashi, is much greater than simply tracking down Itachi. In fact, this mission will possibly be the greatest challenge you will ever face. It took me a great deal of time deciding that assigning you such a task was the right decision."

Something more difficult than taking down Itachi Uchiha? Kakashi was hard pressed to think what would be more challenging than that. "Anything, Hokage-sama."

"The boy, Sasuke, has developed the Sharingan."

Kakashi shook his head glumly. Of course he had. If there were ever a time, that would have been it. "How much did he see?" Itachi sparing Sasuke's life may just have been a fate far worse than death itself.

"It's hard to say. Since Sasuke was brought to the hospital, he's refused to say a word. The psychological trauma he's going through, well…" the Hokage twirled his pipe, again trying to find the proper wording. "It's simply incalculable. He's currently being closely monitored in a private sector. We've had to sedate him in fear of him lashing out at others or even from hurting himself. The poor child is in a terrible state of suffering right now."

"I can't imagine…" Kakashi said. Finding his own father's body had been one thing, but at least he hadn't been there to witness it happen.

"I'm going to be frank with you, Kakashi." The Hokage's demeanor instantly changed; his stance became stiff and his face serious, losing all traces of melancholy. "As you are now the only other villager with an active Sharingan in Konoha, with the skill to both access and wield its powers, I want you to teach and watch over the boy."

"You want me to… give him lessons?" Kakashi asked with a furrow of his brows. "I'm not really the teaching type, Sir."

"It's more than just that, Kakashi," the Hokage explained. "After all that's happened, the council and I have concluded that Sasuke Uchiha should not be left alone to his own devices in fear that a deep hatred, not only for his brother but for Konoha as a whole, will fester and consume him."

From the side, Homura and Koharu shared a knowing look with one another. Kakashi heard what sounded like a soft grunt from Danzō. Did they already have so little faith in this child?

"He needs guidance and support right now. He cannot be isolated."

The Hokage was referring to the notorious Curse of Hatred that had overpowered so many Uchiha in the past – Itachi very well being one of them. Were they really so worried that a three-year-old was capable of developing such strong, negative emotions that he too would turn on the village?

Kakashi hummed, his mouth pulled into a thin line. "I'm sorry, but I'm still confused as to what you want me to do." If it wasn't lessons, then what else could he offer to help the orphaned Uchiha?

Standing tall, the Hokage looked directly down at the kneeling shinobi before him. "Kakashi Hatake, I am hereby charging you with the responsibility and guardianship of Sasuke Uchiha." Kakashi immediately opened his mouth to say something, but a wrinkled hand was raised to silence the ninja. "You will raise and monitor him until he is deemed an independent adult by the village and able to take care of his own person. You are responsible for making sure that as the last Uchiha of Konoha, he does not turn down a dark path that will jeopardize this village."

"You can't be serious! No, absolutely not!" Kakashi barked, jumping to his feet. His head began to spin. He couldn't be hearing this correctly. Had he accidentally fallen asleep and this was all a dream? By the gods, he hoped that was the only explanation for the ridiculousness that he was hearing.

"I'd watch that tone, Hatake," Koharu snapped. The councilwoman took a step forward and brought her hands out from their tucked positions within the sleeves of her robes. For a moment, he thought that the old woman would attempt to strike him.

Kakashi, to say the least, was speechless; not because he was being passive and didn't care to share his opinions, but because he was genuinely at a loss for words.

'This can't be happening!'

Him? As a glorified babysitter? Wouldn't someone like Ebisu be more suited for the job? Hell, they couldn't have picked a less qualified person! Kakashi couldn't even think of the last time he was around a child. The youngest person he had known and talked to as of recently was Itachi and, well, things clearly hadn't turned out great there.

"Hokage-sama," Kakashi began tentatively, "there must be some other option. You must realize that I of all people am not a proper fit to be charged with a child. Why not put him in the orphanage? Surely he could still be monitored easily enough there."

At that, Danzō turned and Kakashi saw the old man's face, bandaged and donning his ever-present grimace. "No," he said sternly, "That's not an option."

Kakashi raised an eyebrow. It wasn't like Danzō to be so protective over someone, especially a child from a clan that he had always openly disliked. He made a mental note of Danzō's reaction just then – suspicion was never a bad thing when regarding the Shimura elder.

Rolling his eyes and acting far too high and mighty, Homura murmured, "Still a brat, I see. Struggling to adhere to the orders of his Hokage."

Koharu nodded, acting as though Kakashi wasn't standing in the same room as them. "Perhaps he's right, though. How can we trust him with such an important job? After all, he couldn't even keep his own teammates alive."

Kakashi was instantly standing in front of the two council members, having moved so quickly that the air around him hadn't even shifted. Koharu breathed in sharply while Homura had protectively held out his arm in a defensive position. Kakashi didn't realize that his hand had unbuckled the kunai pouch on his thigh until he felt a firm grasp on his left shoulder.

The Hokage was behind Kakashi, holding him back from taking another step toward Koharu and Homura. "I strongly advise that you sit back down before anyone here makes a regrettable decision," he whispered calmly, though his voice still carried an air of intimidation. When Kakashi didn't show any signs of moving, he added more harshly, "Now, Hatake!"

It took another moment of Kakashi slowing his breathing before he calmed down enough to back away. He immediately felt embarrassed for being baited so easily and letting his emotions take over like that. With stony eyes, he gave a small bow to Koharu and Homura. "Please excuse my outburst." It had been an empty apology.

Homura hesitantly lowered his arm, but before they could reply – most likely with something sharp and punishing – the Hokage spoke up, "Please, let me and Kakashi have the room. We can continue our meeting once I finish speaking with him."

The two elders looked like birds whose feathers had been ruffled, insulted that such a request was being made. Koharu licked her lips, ready to speak her mind, but one sharp look from the Hokage was enough to send them on their way out of the office. Homura placed a hand on his old teammate's shoulders, whispering in hushed voices as they disappeared into the hallway. Danzō, too, slowly made his exit, though with far less protest. Nonetheless, Kakashi carefully watched him go.

The man was a snake, constantly coiled but ready to bite.

When it was just the two left in the room, Kakashi turned to the Hokage and apologized. He had broken the most basic of shinobi rules with his eruption. A good ninja never let their emotions show. And despite what he may have personally thought of Homura and Koharu, they were on the council and outranked him. If Kakashi were any lesser of a ninja, he would have just lost his hitai-ate.

"I don't know what came over me," he pled, bowing deeply with his head nearly touching the floor. "Forgive me, Hokage-sama."

The Hokage brushed off his plea and settled back in behind his desk. "Both Koharu-san and Homura-san often speak out of line. Not that I wish for you to gut them, that I couldn't excuse, but they should know that just because they are on this council, they do not have the right to speak so cruelly."

Kakashi bent down and picked up his mask from the floor, turning it over in his hands. He hadn't personally chosen the dog moniker, but he wouldn't lie and say that he wasn't happy that was the one he was given. "What of my ANBU duties?" He was surprised by how hollow his voice sounded.

For the past five years, working within the ANBU had been Kakashi's life. It was where he had thrived and grown as a shinobi. It was with the ANBU where he became a captain of his own team – the youngest to do so in all of Konoha's history! With ANBU, Kakashi had gained the respect and admiration of a village, despite his clan name carrying bad memories for many.

ANBU was what filled the gap in his life after the death of Rin. It was what gave him the motivation to become stronger after the fall of his sensei.

"You are being relieved of your position from the ANBU force," the Hokage said. The words felt like daggers of ice in Kakashi's chest. "This is a direct order. There will be no say against it."

Kakashi didn't respond immediately, but he didn't try to argue against the mandate. There was no trace of emotion on his face as he let the weight of his new duty sink in. This was his mission now, and there would be no negotiating otherwise. Kakashi had accepted long ago that as a ninja, there would always be jobs that he would have to take, no matter how unappealing they were.

"I've already informed Shikaku of your assignment transition, but the ANBU Commander will require the return of your mask as soon as you can."

Kakashi dolefully wondered how much time would pass until another would wear his mask. Who would be so eager to take his place."Yes… Hokage-sama," he finally said with a slight bow of his head, his voice barely above a whisper now.

'How can he do this to me?' was all he could think, as he painstakingly traced the red markings of his dog mask one last time before placing it on top of the Hokage's desk. The world that he had spent so much time building was being torn down around him, and he couldn't do anything to stop it. Was his skill not valuable enough to the ANBU for his keep?

"Good," the Hokage said with a resounding clap of his hands, showing the first smile of his that night. Kakashi didn't know how the Hokage was so oblivious to the devastation he was going through, or worse, how he just didn't care. He liked to believe that his village leader wasn't that heartless.

"We will introduce you to the boy first thing tomorrow morning. I'll have someone meet you out front of the hospital. For obvious security purposes, we're keeping his current location secret."

Kakashi nodded, having never felt so empty inside. The Hokage's words barely registered in his head.

"Oh, and Kakashi?" added the Hokage, the faintest smirk tugging on his lips. "Try and make sure you don't leave any of those filthy novels you're so fond of lying about. That's the last thing Sasuke needs to see right now."

And with those final orders, Kakashi was dismissed.

When Kakashi stepped out of the office, he quickly used the last of his remaining energy on a jutsu to teleport him to his apartment. He lazily kicked off his shoes, flung his vest onto the table and stripped his body of the dirty uniform that he had been wearing for the past two days. The metal plating of his armor had stuck to his skin with sweat, and Kakashi was relieved at the feeling of fresh air hitting his skin when he tore away the last of it.

He was too tired to shower or eat.

Stumbling to the couch, he dropped down and stared up at the ceiling, his mind reeling. No longer did he worry about the idea of Konoha going to war; for now, all he could think of was how his life as a Leaf shinobi was ruined.

He tugged at the mask covering the lower half of his face and took several deep breaths of fresh air, trying to still his rapidly beating heart.

"Fuck," he sighed, rubbing his hands against his tired eyes and down his cheeks. "Fuck, fuck, fuck!"

This wasn't what he had expected to happen tonight. This wasn't what he had ever wanted. A kid? He was supposed to be in charge of a kid? Hell, Kakashi never even wanted to lead a genin team much less raise one in his own home! How old did the Hokage say Sasuke was? Three?

A cold panic rushed through him as he wondered if this meant he was going to have to change diapers. Maybe he should just run away and become a rogue-nin, too.

"What am I thinking?" he groaned. There was no way he would ever abandon Konoha, no matter how angry or frustrated he may have been.

Turning onto his side, with his eyes growing heavy with sleep, Kakashi looked around his small apartment, taking note of everything that would have to change if he was to have a small child live with him from now on. There was the broken stove which needed a new gas valve, the fact that Kakashi only owned a single set of cutlery, the fridge which remained barren most of the time, all the sharp and dangerous weapons lying about because he was too lazy to put away… Yeah, there were going to be some significant changes in his lifestyle, and he wasn't looking forward to them. Not one bit.

'A god damn Uchiha living with me,' he thought blankly. 'Is this what karma's supposed to be?'

And with that final thought, Kakashi Hatake allowed the inky darkness of sleep to take him, with the image of an old friend haunting his dreams.

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◆ AUTHOR'S NOTES:

So you may have noticed that the massacre has happened a few years earlier than it did in canon. Like I said, the timeline in this story is different and solely because it helps fit my story. That's it. Next time, we'll get to see lil' Sasuke and Kakashi interact for the first time. Also, this will probably end up being one of the longest chapters I write.

Again, huge thanks to Rhavia, who was gracious enough to beta read for me and help make this into an actual comprehensible chapter! Much appreciated!

Until Next Time...
Sunflower Skies🌻

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