Tangled Web

AU-ish story set in Kakashi's youth. Hope you enjoy. Please review and let me know.

I own nothing. Nothing.

Epilogue:

Genma huffed irritably as his father continued to fuss around the hospital room. The man had been cuddly and overbearing ever since Genma had woke and the boy had discovered that he'd been in a coma nearly two weeks ago. He barely remembered the attack except for in an occasional nightmare and ghost of pain in his newest scar. Nice scar too, but his father needed to get back into the game.

"Tousan, you need to go," Genma pointed out as his father tucked him under the covers for the one hundredth time today, "Your team will be waiting for you at the village gate. I'm fine. I'm going to listen to Lady Tsunade and not exert myself except at physical therapy while you are on your mission. Konoha needs you. Go."

"I think I should bow out," Genta blurted as his son concentrated on spinning the senbon in his hand to work flexibility back into his fingers, "I don't like that even Raidou-kun is going on a mission and you will be alone."

"No, Shiranui-kun," Raidou called as he hurried into the room, "My team was kind enough to give me another week off so I'll be here while you are gone. I'll watch over Gen, Sir."

Genta brightened as Genma scowled irritably. He wasn't a baby for crying out loud.

"For heaven's sakes," Genma huffed, looking up from his finger exercises, "I'm only sleeping and eating these days. Even spinning my senbon here is harder than I want to admit to. I don't go outside and no other person can attack me here because of all the new patrols set up by the Hokage. I'm fine and will heal up good as new. You two need to get on with things."

"Gen," Raidou sighed before pausing as Genta waved him into silence.

"Come here, Raidou-kun," the jonin ordered as the boy came and settled on the edge of Genma's bed while Genta sat in a chair and held one of both boys' hands in his larger ones, "Gen-chan, I'm sure this is hard for you to understand since you are young, but you have no idea the agony a parent goes through when they know they can't help their child."

Genma gaped and remained quiet for once as his father looked away, overcome with emotion. The boy squeezed his father's hand to help him feel better. Genta held tight to his son to show his appreciation at the child's efforts to help him calm himself.

"Genma, I watched you growing weaker and go too far for me to reach," Genta continued a moment later, "I also watched the one I see as your older brother here beginning to waste away too and I'd never been more frightened. Can you forgive this old man for being a little fussy now that his boys are getting better again?"

"Sure, Tousan," Genma agreed, squeezing his father's hand again and even allowed the kisses on his forehead from his giddy father, "But you still need to go. I'm here waiting for you so be safe and hurry back."

"Hai, Shiranui-kun," Raidou added, "I think of you like a father too along with the one I lost so long ago. Thank you for including me in your family."

Genta beamed and hugged both of the boys before finally flashing away. Genma leaned back on his pillow in exhaustion.

"God, can he fuss," Genma chuckled as Raidou laughed, "I'm not made of glass. I'm healing and will be fine soon."

"Good," a voice called as the near brothers glanced to see Asuma and Kurenai coming into the room, "Hurry and do so Raidou can rejoin the team and we can go on missions again."

"Asuma!" Raidou bit out as Genma looked horrified, "No, Gen. Asuma's just teasing. He's got a stupid sense of humor and our sensei really did say that we wouldn't have any missions for a week."

"My father would call it dry wit," Kurenai laughed to try and soothe the atmosphere while she handed Genma a box of dango she had brought for a get well present as the boy thanked her.

"My tousan would call it being an asshole," Genma quipped, shoving the senbon into his mouth, as Raidou and Kurenai snickered at Asuma's look of indignation, "Plus, I know for a fact that your team can't go on missions because a certain son of the Hokage is grounded!"

"How did you…in a hospital? You still found out in here? Genma!" Asuma snapped, blushing hard, "Shut up."

"Heard you got caught," Genma chirped as Raidou watched Asuma turn redder in glee, "Not as smooth as one likes to brag, huh, Asuma?"

"Don't you say a word about what I got caught doing," Asuma ordered before growling as Genma pantomimed smoking while Kurenai and Raidou snickered, "Genma!"

"I didn't say a word."

"Did too in your…Genma way!"

"Ahem. May I come in?"

Everyone looked up to see a surprising sight. Kakashi stood stiffly in the door as Genma nodded to give him permission to enter.

"I had a huge argument with Pakkun," Kakashi blurted as the others looked at one another in confusion, "I forced him to tell me the truth about why Ogawa attacked me and I know he's only told me half of the truth."

Raidou stiffened and half rose before calming at the hand Genma placed on his arm. Raidou was more than protective of his friend at the moment and didn't want things brought up to upset the healing youth. Kakashi looked uncomfortable for a moment.

"I'm sorry, Genma," Kakashi continued, "I'm sorry that Ogawa dragged you into the mess he caused. I'm sorry that my teammates accidently set up the chain of events that led to your coma. I'm sorry…I'm sorry that all of what happened upset your father. He's a good man."

"He is," Genma agreed as Raidou beamed at Kakashi in approval, "You are something, Kakashi."

"How so?" the silver-haired boy asked, cocking his head in confusion.

"You always speak straight," Genma hummed with a grin, "Thank you, Kakashi. That is kind of you to say, but I won't accept your apology since none of this is your fault. Ogawa attacked you first and damn near killed you like he almost did to me. Neither of us deserved what happened and it was our comrades that came through for us. I'm glad we both survived that man. I'm also glad that Obito was rescued before he was harmed like you and I were."

"Hn," Kakashi grunted in agreement before bowing and leaving as quickly as he arrived.

"If that doesn't beat all," Asuma snorted, "Hell is freezing a little because Kakashi Hatake just made a social call."

"Gen?" Raidou questioned as his friend glanced at him, "Are you okay? You've grown paler."

"Happens when I run out of steam lately. I'm actually really tired," Genma admitted as Raidou stood to shoo the others from the room, "Asuma, don't tease Kakashi, please. That took a lot of courage for him to do. Emotions are hard for him."

"Got it," Asuma answered, "I'll never mention it to him."

"That was nice of Kakashi-san," Kurenai complimented as she walked to the door, "He's not a bad fellow despite his cold attitude. Kakashi-san puts up with Obito and Gai so he's got a soft spot that he hides."

Raidou lowered the head of Genma's bed a bit and closed the curtains on the windows so his friend could rest once his teammates had left. Genma snorted as his friend playfully snatched the senbon from his mouth to lay on the bedside table before he grew serious again.

"You lied to my tousan, Rai," Genma accused as Raidou froze in the seat he had sat in, "Your team can't do missions because of Asuma, but you were taken off of active duty until you gained ten more pounds. Tousan and I know the truth."

"I just didn't want to concern him. You didn't see how upset he was when you were in the coma," Raidou sighed as he fisted his hands in anger.

"Talk to me, Rai," Genma insisted as his friend looked away for a moment, "I'll refuse my medication if you don't."

"Don't you dare," Raidou snapped as his friend gave him an encouraging smile, "You tease. You only said that to get me to talk. Fine."

Genma waited patiently as his friend tried to get his thoughts together.

"Gen, seeing you in that alley covered in blood…the image won't leave my dreams. I was terrified when I found you and then the next I knew you were in a coma and a machine was breathing for you and I couldn't do anything. I couldn't help you. I didn't want to leave you, but I wanted to find who hurt you and…it was the first time I wanted to kill someone without feeling a touch of remorse."

"I'd have been the same if our roles were reversed, Rai," Genma pointed out as his friend nodded.

"I was really scared, Gen," Raidou voiced, looking ashamed, "I'd never seen you still like that…I was horrified. I know that being shinobi means that there is no certainties, but we've always been one another's rock so to feel mine slipping away…it was so hard, Gen."

Genma frowned as he watched his friend pale. He had known that Raidou had been bottling his emotions.

"Rai, if either of us have to leave the other then the one who leaves first has to wait around for the other to catch up," Genma urged as Raidou looked to him in surprise, "Then, we'll go to heaven together, side by side. That is a promise that I make to you because that is the best we can do for one another since we are shinobi, okay?"

Raidou shuddered, but eventually nodded. No more words were needed on this subject. There were no guarantees in a nin's life and the two understood that enough to accept the truth of the matter.

"I'm cold," Genma complained, curling irritably under the covers a moment later, "Get up here and keep me warm, Rai."

"Don't you kick me again and be careful of your IV," Raidou fussed as he crawled up beside the younger before both looked up to see Genta entering, "Shiranui-kun?"

"Mission canceled," the jonin grinned out, handing Genma a scroll which the boy immediately opened, "See? I'm not fibbing, Gen-chan. Mission was a dud and I came back to my two, favorite boys."

"To watch us sleep?" Genma teased as his father grinned wider, "You are so weird, Tousan."

"You are pale," Genta hissed before glancing to Raidou, "Both of you are pale. What is wrong?"

"Nothing, Tousan," Ganma soothed, "Rai and I were talking about his fibbing and now we are tired. He's keeping me warm."

"Ah," Genta hummed, grabbing up a blanket he'd brought from home, "No more fibs, Rai-chan, and we are going to be talking about a proper diet for you both. You and Gen-chan are too thin and we are going to do something about that, ne?"

"Hai, Shiranui-kun," Raidou agreed as he and Genma were tucked under the second blanket while the scroll was tossed to the bedside table, "I just didn't want to worry anyone."

"Allow me to worry," Genta insisted, reaching to stroke his son's hair to settle the grumpy boy who didn't like to be fussed over, "Parents have to have a certain level of worry in our lives or we will explode."

"Hn," Genma snorted before humming softly at the petting, "Feels good."

"Works like a charm," Genta bragged a moment later when Raidou grinned at him once Genma dropped off to sleep, "Sleep, Rai-chan, and dream good dreams. Life isn't certain, but Gen-chan is still with us. All there is to do is your best."

"Stop…Gen-chan," Genma grumbled as he rolled against Raidou, "Not baby."

Genta snorted softly and watched as Raidou eased into sleep looking a lot less troubled than he'd looked in quite a while. A hand on his shoulder made him glance up to see Minato.

"They don't understand," Genta whispered to the smiling blonde, "They will always be our babies, won't they?"

Minato thought back to his team and nodded. Yes. His precious students were like having his own children.

"Hai, Genta-san," Minato agreed, "No matter how old they get, ne?"

"Ne."

The end.

Thank you for all that read and reviewed. I have enjoyed writing this and hearing from everyone. Please let me know if you liked my Naruto-based stories and if you wish me to continue in that fandom.

You are all appreciated and unique in your viewpoints and ideas.

Love,

Me