Fallen Leaves (Formerly Kakashi: No Regrets)

-00-night-eyes-00-: I’m glad you like it now! It’s one of my personal favs!
DarkAngelJudas: ^_^
Prescripto13: Thank you.

I’m giving up an early night’s sleep to give you guys a chapter tonight. I expect reviews.

----------

Safely away from Konoha, Sasuke subdued the Kyuubi and kept Naruto asleep.

“We’ll take turns carrying him,” Sasuke said. “We’re going all the way to Mountain Graveyard, Madara’s main base.”

“You could just ask Madara to come get us,” Kakashi said.

“I could.” Sasuke pulled Naruto over his shoulders to carry him combat style. “But we have other preparations to make. And we will stop somewhere for yogurt on the way, so stop glaring, Suigetsu.”

-----

Kakashi was the one carrying Naruto when they arrived. Madara was waiting for them. It seemed rather pitiful that the once great Akatsuki was reduced to just Madara and Zetsu.

“Your last Jinchuriki,” Sasuke announced as Kakashi dropped the body of his unconscious former student.

As he spoke, the genjutsu on Naruto was lifted. Kakashi pulled Naruto up and restrained him.

“Very good, Sasuke,” Madara said. “My faith in you was well placed. Bring him.”

Madara led them to the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path. Naruto struggled, but Kakashi held him fast.

“How does it work?” Sasuke asked with a bit of awe in his voice.

Madara looked at him, seeing his younger brother, seeing a young heir, seeing family. Suigetsu, Kakashi, and Naruto saw that Sasuke had changed; he’d wrapped himself in an innocence that they all knew Sasuke had lost long ago. And Madara had fallen for it. They left Kakashi to hold Naruto and Suigetsu to stand by to cut off his legs if he ran while Madara explained everything about the statue, how to use it, and how he intended to use it. Naruto began to understand.

Kakashi crouched, pulling Naruto down to his knees with him. Kakashi held him tightly to his chest. “I know you’re a sage now,” Kakashi whispered. “But I wouldn’t try it here. Sasuke will turn the Kyuubi against you if you do.”

“Why are you doing this, sensei?”

“I follow Sasuke’s orders. Nothing else.”

“Why?”

“Konoha’s taken everything from us; they took Itachi from us. Sasuke is all I have left. We’ve also both sworn that what happened to Itachi will never happen again.”

“You’ve left no one for it to happen to. Who are you protecting?”

“No one. It’s all about revenge.”

Sasuke and Madara came closer again as they walked around the cavern. “Is Zetsu able to help? Is it just you now?”

“No, it’s just me. But you could take your brother’s place.”

“Kakashi is powerful, he could help as well. He’s completely loyal to me. We have Orochimaru’s ring.”

“That will work.”

“I would suggest Suigetsu as well, but he may be more useful as a guard. Tell me more about Zetsu; he has very strange abilities. Am I right in thinking—” They walked off again.

“What’s going to happen to me?” Naruto asked.

“Madara’s planning on sucking the Kyuubi from your body and fusing it with the other bijuu and recreate the Ten-Tailed Beast.”

Naruto dropped his voice to a bare whisper. “Sasuke promised Kyuubi.”

“Keep quiet.”

Sasuke was chuckling. He and Madara looked rather chummy. Madara was expounding about something that Sasuke seemed to take a deep interest in.

Naruto couldn’t stop struggling a little in Kakashi’s grasp.

“Stop it or Sasuke will put you out again.”

“I wish he would. I’ve failed everything. I’ve failed to save him. I’ve failed to become Hokage. I’ve failed to protect the village. I don’t want to see the end coming.”

“You won’t,” Kakashi whispered into his ear.

That seemed almost kind. For a moment, it felt good to be in Kakashi’s arms. It was the closest he’d been to anyone in a very long time. Kakashi had almost been like a father to him for a few short months. The moment of peace died quickly.

Sasuke and Madara were really looking like family. Sasuke looked almost like an equal, though he was careful to look to Madara as an elder. It made Naruto’s stomach clinch. I’m going to die. He never knew fear like that he felt as he watched Sasuke.

“Please Kakashi-sensei, please, let me go.”

“No.”

“Please.”

Kakashi didn’t answer him.

The Uchiha came toward them. Sasuke looked fascinated by what Madara was telling him.

“—I’ll deal with that soon. I’ll find her and get them back.”

“You know where she might be?”

“In Ame, I’m sure. She won’t abandon her village or country.”

“Will you seal the Kyuubi first?”

“Maybe I should retrieve them first.”

“I would be proud to accompany you. She knows little about me; I could be a unknown factor.”

“I think that is a good idea.”

“I can put Naruto out and Kakashi and Suigetsu can guard him.”

“Do that.”

Naruto tried to look away, but Sasuke’s eyes trapped him and put him to sleep.

“We’re going to retrieve something,” Sasuke told Kakashi. “Watch him and make sure no Konoha rats show up. Kill them if they do.”

“Of course.”

Sasuke smirked at him and then he and Madara were gone. Kakashi laid Naruto out on the stone floor.

“I’ll watch the entrance,” Suigetsu said and walked away.

Kakashi considered Naruto for a moment. His student. He had been proud of Naruto once, hopeful for his future. Did he really feel nothing for Naruto now? No. Not when he reminded Kakashi of Minato. He could never forgive Minato. Never. His blood boiled at the thought. He may have felt some hesitation to kill Sakura, but Naruto was nothing to him anymore. He saw Minato. Minato who had abandoned him. He could forgive Sakumo for leaving him, but not Minato.

He threw a kunai through Naruto’s hair, cutting some of it off, but not drawing blood. That damn blond hair, sky blue eyes, and cheery demeanor . . . He loved Minato. Minato had become a replacement for his father. Whenever Minato praised him or showed confidence in him, he was sure his father would have done the same. He felt loved. He loved and respected Minato. Even after Obito’s death, he believed they had that paternal connection.

But that look. It couldn’t have been his imagination; Minato had abandoned him after Rin’s death. Kakashi hated him so deeply. He had loved him so much that when he his love turned to hate, it was just as intense as his love had been if not more so. It had been the same with Sasuke; if Sasuke hadn’t loved his brother so much, he would never have committed himself so whole heartedly to destroy him. He and Sasuke were exactly alike. They both were betrayed by the person they loved the most. At least Sasuke had reconciled with his beloved brother. Kakashi did not have that luxury. He wanted to kill Naruto to kill Minato by proxy. Kill his son. To kill his brother. Naruto was almost Kakashi’s brother. And all Kakashi wanted was to kill him.

Sasuke, I don’t think you realize just how alike we are.

Kakashi got comfortable and meditated to feel the flow of chakra around him and calm himself. He waited for his lover to return.

-----

It didn’t take long. Two hours later, the pair returned. Madara was wounded, but Sasuke had nothing but a few burns.

“Let’s preserve them and get you patched up,” Sasuke said. “You can rest, then we can seal the Kyuubi.”

“Do you need my help?” Kakashi asked.

“No,” Madara said.

“Stay here,” Sasuke said.

The pair disappeared again. Sasuke returned an hour later alone.

“Madara is resting. When he wakes up, he’ll show us how to use the rings and we’ll seal the Kyuubi.”

Sasuke sat down beside him. They kissed. “Just a little longer,” Sasuke said. “Just a little longer.”

-----

Madara came into the statue room to find Sasuke asleep with his head in Kakashi’s lap. Kakashi was leaning back against the wall. He was a little put off by the display, but that could wait.

“Sasuke.”

Sasuke was standing in seconds—extremely grumpy looking, but awake and standing.

“Let’s get this over with, Zetsu reports shinobi approaching.”

“Do we have time?”

“My . . . Zetsu army can defend us while we work.”

“Very well. Suigetsu!” Sasuke bellowed. The man arrived. “Shinobi approaching. Guard us, but stay to the back as our last line. You’ll have help. Go.”

Suigetsu returned to the entrance while Sasuke and Kakashi put on their rings. Madara went over the process in detail.

But just as Madara was about to move into position, Sasuke lashed out in a vicious attack that took Madara unawares. He was dead before he hit the ground. Sasuke didn’t look in the least perturbed.

“Itachi’s avenged,” Sasuke said. “Bring them in.”

-----

Naruto woke up to find himself securely bound, but not gagged. “Sasuke?” Naruto looked around to see eight people lying on the ground around the statue.

“What are you doing?”

“Undoing the damage. Shut up.”

Sasuke was positioning bodies in front of the statue. Naruto noticed they were breathing. When he was done, he knelt in front of Naruto.

“I need your help, but I don’t trust you or the Kyuubi. It’s less stress for me if you’re aware.” He put Madara’s ring on Naruto’s finger. “Just shut up and do what I tell you, or so help me I will cut your tongue out and cut off your legs. Will you do as you’re told?”

“Will you kill me?”

“No.”

“Will you attack Konoha again?”

Sasuke gave it serious thought. “I’m satisfied.” He looked over at Kakashi.

“Yeah, I’m satisfied.”

“We won’t attack again. At least not anytime soon. I won’t speak to the future, but not for a least a few years. As long as Konoha gives us no reason.”

“Alright, I’ll help you.”

Sasuke cut his bonds. “Do I have to control you or will you just do what I tell you to? This is to stop Madara’s plans once and for all.”

“I’ll do what you want.”

“Stand on that finger of the statue and both of you mimic me.”

All three jumped up to the fingers they were assigned.

“Focus and don’t move. I’ll take the lead, just focus your chakra. Naruto, use your Senjutsu. Don’t use any of the Kyuubi’s chakra; I don’t know how it will affect the statue.”

They watched him and mimicked his hands.

None of them opened their eyes as they worked. Naruto stood completely still and focused his Senjutsu, feeding more and more chakra into the statue, speeding up the process. They didn’t see the bijuu coming out of the statue and entering the shinobi lying on the ground. Hours passed. Luckily it took more time to suck out the bijuu than to put them back into human bodies. Naruto became aware of fighting outside as they finished the fifth bijuu.

“Naruto,” Sasuke said, “channel more of your chakra into this; I know you have more. The more you use, the faster this will go.”

“I don’t think I want this to finish quickly. This is the last time, isn’t it? That I’ll be able to work with you and Kakashi-sensei? We’re enemies as soon as we finish this, aren’t we?”

“Naruto, the army protecting us out there, killing your fellow Konoha shinobi, is strengthened by the bijuu in this statue. The sooner we finish this, the sooner your friends will be safe. Can’t you feel it? Every one of our schoolmates are out there. Including dear Sakura. The longer this takes, the greater the chance that she will die.”

Naruto funneled more chakra into the statue.

They were down to the eighth bjuu.

“Sasuke,” Kakashi said.

“Ah, I know.”

“Use Naruto?”

“No.”

“Send me.”

“No. Just finish this.”

“What’s going on?” Naruto asked.

“The army is very weakened. We’ll be exposed very soon.” Sasuke made a clone. “I’ll destroy the entrance and check on Suigetsu.” The clone left; the other two felt Sasuke’s contribution to the statue diminish. Kakashi’s chakra was also dropping. Only Naruto still had any real chakra left.

“Naruto, use more chakra.” Naruto obeyed Sasuke’s desperate sounding order. If they hadn’t been hurrying this, they would have time to regenerate their chakra as they worked, but that wasn’t possible under the circumstances.

Suigetsu came in; the clone had already been released.

“The entrance is completely collapsed,” Suigetsu reported. “It’ll take at least an hour to break through.”

“Good,” Sasuke said, even though he already knew that from his clone. “Rest for now; we may need you to fight them off as we flee.” Sasuke returned his full attention to the statue.

All three collapsed when they were finished nearly an hour later.

“I’ve got nothing left,” Sasuke gasped.

“Ah,” Kakashi agreed.

“I can’t move,” Naruto admitted.

“But we have to get out of here.” Sasuke stood and approached Naruto. Kakashi got up and stood behind him. “Hokage,” that focused Naruto’s attention, “you’ve now got all nine bijuu. We kidnapped these eight to put the bijuu into them. They’re your responsibility now. Have your people destroy this statue.” He turned to Kakashi. “Let’s get out of here. Suigetsu.”

“Wait, Sasuke!” Naruto yelled after them.

“Don’t try to delay us.”

“Why did you do it?”

“Betray Madara? He was just as responsible for Itachi as Konoha. And who wants to live in the world he imaged? Everyone living in a genjutsu under his control? Even if he let us live outside the jutsu, what would be the fun in that? No one should have that kind of power. Destroy the statue. We don’t have the strength.”

Sasuke looked into Naruto’s eyes. Sasuke was exhausted, but he was searching Naruto’s eyes. He threw a kunai into the ground in front of Naruto.

“I trust you love us too much to send them after us now. You may regret it one day, but you’ll let us go.”

Sasuke turned his back confidently on Naruto. Kakashi also turned away to leave without any fear of Naruto. Naruto picked up the kunai and stared at Sasuke’s back. He knew he should kill him and end all this. But he couldn’t.

The new Jinchuriki began waking up. Naruto knew his duty. He went over to help them.

Sasuke and Kakashi were gone.

TBC

----------
I really got into this idea of Kakashi HATING Minato. I loved it as soon as I hinted at it. And it grew and grew and I LOVED it! It also did make him more like Sasuke. I’m so brilliant!