Chapter Text
Ever since the encounter with the masked member of the Akatsuki, Kakashi couldn’t shake off the strange feeling. Once their eyes had met, and he’d noticed the other’s Sharingan staring back at him, the silver-haired shinobi felt a chill run down his spine. There had been something dangerous yet intriguing in that stare.
Even back in Konoha, Kakashi felt observed. As if that watchful red eye was glaring at him every day, especially when he was alone. The Hatake kept silent about his worries, writing them off as paranoia. Sakura’s theory about the enemy’s intangibility being similar to Kakashi’s Kamui was worrying enough. The silver-haired man didn’t dare to think of it any further.
With Tenzo’s assistance in leading Team Seven, Kakashi would sometimes be allowed to take on solo missions again. He wasn’t always needed in watching over Naruto, Sakura and Sai. Kakashi felt that perhaps he could finally get rid of his worries if he just saw for himself there wasn’t anyone actually following him.
He was on his way to the Land of Waves, thinking back to Team Seven’s first real mission back when the kids were still all under his care. Kakashi wasn’t sure whether he was fond of the memory. It had been too dangerous for them. But then again, the Hatake had been sent on much worse missions back when he’d been a child. He reminisced of those times for a while before a particularly painful memory flashed through his mind.
The dark cave, Rin caught by two Iwa ninja. Seeing it all happen with just one eye, the stone walls shaking and collapsing. Obito pushing him out of the way of falling rocks… Kakashi shuddered, looking at his right hand. How he’d thought about holding Obito’s hand back then, about promising they’d save him somehow. But in the end, Obito had simply gifted him the Sharingan and asked to live on for him.
Kakashi’s heart hurt even deeper once he remembered the way his hand had pierced Rin’s chest barely a year later. The broken promise never stopped haunting him. No matter what, it always found a way to remind the Hatake of his sins.
He wasn’t given much time to contemplate over the past and regrets. A rustling among the leaves above him caught Kakashi’s attention and he whipped his head around to scan his surroundings. His visible eye fell onto the familiar black cloak with red clouds and then on the orange mask with a swirl.
“You,” he growled and one of his hands flew towards his pocket in search of a kunai knife. The other one twitched to reach for his headband. To stare with one Sharingan at another once more.
“Quite rare to find you alone outside of the village, Kakashi.”
The man who now called himself Uchiha Madara was standing on the branch almost directly above the Konoha shinobi. His hands were hidden in the long sleeves of his robes, posing no threat for now. But no one who adapted such a name could be considered harmless. Kakashi narrowed his eye and decided to reveal his Sharingan before any fight would begin.
“What do you want? Naruto’s safe in Konoha. We won’t let you capture any more Jinchuuriki.”
The masked man jumped down to stare at Kakashi at the same level. He made no move to attack or even take a fighting stance. The silver-haired man narrowed his eyes, watching him carefully. He knew with the enemy’s power of intangibility, he couldn’t do much alone. ‘Madara’ had avoided their attacks effortlessly before.
“How typical of you Konoha shinobi to immediately think of nothing but fighting. Perhaps I am here to simply talk.”
“What makes you think I’d be willing to talk to you?”
The Akatsuki member shrugged, his hands becoming visible with the movement of his arms. Kakashi caught the sight of open hands wearing gloves. He gripped his kunai tighter. Just because the enemy’s hands were empty, it didn’t mean he couldn’t attack. There was still the possibility of the other forming hand signs.
“Because I want you,” the masked man spoke with a dangerous tone. “I would have use for you.”
Kakashi scoffed. He knew he shouldn’t entertain him. The implication was ridiculous enough.
“In Akatsuki? Why would I ever want to join you?”
“I didn’t say the Akatsuki want you,” ‘Madara’ dismissed such thoughts with a wave of the hand. The silver-haired man hated how close he was to flinching with each of his movements. “The Akatsuki become weaker and weaker with each day. Soon they’ll be of no use to me anymore.”
“And you want to use me just like you’re using them,” Kakashi lowered his tone. “I’m loyal to Konoha. I will never betray my village. Especially not for someone like you.”
“Your loyalty is misplaced,” there was a hint of amusement in the masked man’s voice. “I know more about you than you think, Hatake Kakashi. Your resolve isn’t as unwavering as you want it to be.”
“We’re done here.” The silver-haired man didn’t want to hear any more of it and finally threw the kunai at the Akatsuki member. Just as he’d expected, it didn’t even graze him. But it was meant to be more of a signal than a real attack.
Kakashi knew he couldn’t just turn his back on an enemy. He wanted to leave, though and knew if he kept talking, it would encourage the masked man to continue the conversation. He took two steps back, thinking of the road he’d been taking before.
“Are we, though?” ‘Madara’ tilted his head. “Or are you trying to run away, afraid that I might be telling the truth?”
“You don’t know anything about me,” Kakashi said with an exasperated expression. He’d kept most of his life to himself. Anyone announcing they knew a lot of him was a simple liar. Even people close enough to him, like Gai or Tenzo, didn’t know half of the things he’d been through.
“I know of the deaths in your life. That’s more than enough, is it?”
Kakashi took another step back. He hadn’t expected the conversation to turn that way. Such wounds always felt too fresh, never healing. If the masked man had somehow gotten his hands on this kind of information…
“I’m a shinobi. I’m familiar with death. Numerous people have died from my hand,” the Konoha shinobi recited it like a mantra to ground himself. “I don’t care-”
“Hatake Sakumo.”
Kakashi froze in the spot. His eyes widened and he stared at the masked figure with bewilderment. It had been a long time since someone spoke of his father. It had been a much longer time since someone had mentioned his name instead of calling him the White Fang of Konoha.
“A hero who was criticised by the village you devote yourself to so much. And who was responsible for driving him to suicide, if not Konoha?”
The silver-haired man steeled his resolve and shook the initial feeling of surprise off. His father’s story wasn’t some sort of a secret. Kakashi simply didn’t talk about it on his own. The Akatsuki member noticed it didn’t work as he’d expect it to, perhaps, and continued.
“Nohara Rin. A girl sent to the war much too early, almost abandoned two times to the cruelty of the enemies. And who in Konoha cared for her fate? Who sent backup to save her? Or was it up to other children to do it?”
Rin’s bloodied face appeared before Kakashi’s eyes. He felt a droplet of sweat run down the side of his face to soak up the mask. Whoever he was facing now knew of his team, then.
“Uchiha Obito. Another child, who was used by the shinobi village to fight a war he was no part of. What’s become of him? A carved name on a stone, among hundreds of others, because no one could be bothered to retrieve a body and give him a proper burial.”
“Stop,” Kakashi whispered weakly. Deep down he knew of those transgressions on Konoha’s side. But he’d made peace with them for the sake of loyalty, to calm his heart.
“Namikaze Minato and Uzumaki Kushina. Both died for the village, protecting their newborn son. And what has become of him? How did Konoha treat Uzumaki Naruto, the child of the Fourth Hokage, throughout his childhood?”
The silver-haired man grimaced. Although he hadn’t been one to ostracize his Sensei’s son, he’d never defended him either. He’d simply idly stood by and listened to how everyone had pointed fingers at Naruto, had whispered of him as the monster sealed within him. The people of Konoha had always been cruel. But it was his home. Kakashi couldn’t just turn his back on it.
“That’s enough,” he spoke louder now. “I don’t care how you’ve found these things out. And I don’t care what your plans for me are. I’m not interested.”
Kakashi still had a mission to do. He didn’t have time to spare for chatting with the enemy.
“I assure you, what I’ve got planned for you is much… different.” The masked man reached out to Kakashi, extending his arm in an inviting gesture. “Much better than whatever that wretched village has in store for you.”
“That wretched village, as you called it, is my home. It’s where I belong. Now leave. This conversation is over.”
Despite knowing the basic rules of survival, Kakashi went against his instinct and turned around, walking away. He didn’t want to look at the Akatsuki member anymore. His words left him shaken enough and uneasy. He needed silence, being alone was what always helped him sort his thoughts.
“It’s not quite over yet,” he heard the masked man mutter. “But very well. We’ll continue this sooner or later. You are going to be mine.”
The Konoha shinobi didn’t have to look back to sense the spacetime bend to the other’s will with the use of his Jutsu. A moment later the presence was gone from the forest, and Kakashi was truly alone.
Months passed from that meeting and Kakashi managed to forget about it for his own sake. He hadn't seen ‘Madara’ since then but the feeling of being watched didn’t leave him. But there were far more important things happening around him for the silver-haired man to worry about himself.
Jiraiya’s death in Amegakure and prompt attack of possibly the strongest Akatsuki member, Pain, on Konoha. Kakashi had to put his own life on the front lines and paid the ultimate price for protecting the village he called home. As death peered into his eyes, he thought back to the masked man’s words. Of the questions, whether it was all worth staying loyal to Konoha.
But meeting his father, finally getting to talk to him, temporarily dispelled the doubts. Hatake Sakumo had no regrets, only asking for his son’s forgiveness. Kakashi made peace with that, accepting his own death as well. And yet as he waited for someone to come for him, Rin, Obito, Minato… He was pulled back into the world of the living instead.
Fate wasn’t quite done with him and although his village was in shambles, the silver-haired shinobi swore to continue to protect it. Naruto had saved them all and became the hero, and it eased some of the doubts the masked stranger had planted in Kakashi’s heart.
But life had more plans for him and the Hatake had to soon get ready to set out to the Land of Iron. Although Tsunade, the current Hokage, was in a coma, the Kage summit was going to take place nonetheless. Danzo took the position of the temporary head of Konoha and he most likely did not favour Sasuke being a dangerous missing-nin. And so Kakashi, along with Tenzo, accompanied Naruto in his mission to sway the Kages.
Though the encounter with the Raikage bore no fruit, Kakashi saw it in his student’s eyes that his resolve to bring his friend back to Konoha did not waver. Sometimes the silver-haired shinobi envied the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki’s determination. Despite everything, Naruto had never given up on his dream and what he called his Ninja way.
Kakashi was watching over his student sleep as he thought about the things plaguing his heart. Tenzo was nearby, meditating with his eyes closed, though ready to spring into action at any time. The Hatake wanted to ask him what exactly his kouhai thought of their village but in the end, didn’t voice the question. Tenzo was in charge of rebuilding Konoha after Pain’s invasion. Of course, he was devout to serving it.
The silver-haired man huffed with amusement. He’d even given his entire life to the village and that wasn’t enough. He was a bit frustrated with the fact of how deeply the masked Akatsuki member’s words had gotten to him. He should be a loyal shinobi, unquestioning his place in the world. But the truth was, the world kept taking from him, and even as he’d look at his students, they had been taken away from him too.
He wasn’t a perfect teacher. He couldn’t have stopped Sasuke from leaving. He could have helped neither Naruto nor Sakura with developing their Jutsu beyond the basic control. A part of him thought that perhaps that was where he belonged. Just one of the jonin among Konoha ranks, not someone to bring up the future generations.
Both Kakashi and Tenzo were robbed of the temporary peace as a figure appeared sitting on the windowsill next to Naruto’s resting pose. They immediately recognised the threat as the Akatsuki member who was still hiding his face behind the orange mask. Tenzo made sure to separate the blonde Jinchuuriki with a wooden wall and bind the intruder with his Mokuton. Kakashi fired off Raikiri, the blue lightning dancing in the palm of his hand held next to the enemy’s hidden face.
Just like before, the Akatsuki member claimed he was there for nothing more than just talk. He could feel his glare on him as the masked man accentuated that he was there to talk to his student, not Kakashi. Both of Naruto’s guardians didn’t lower their guards, though Tenzo did notice it wasn’t ‘Madara’s real body but some sort of a projection.
The man from Akatsuki spoke of Itachi, painting a side of the story Kakashi hadn’t heard of. He didn’t trust him but the words were directed to Naruto, who took it all in with a shocked face. The masked stranger’s goals seemed to be discouraging the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki in his reckless mission. Yet even painting Sasuke as the ultimate traitor who’d become a criminal in all of the shinobi nations didn’t make Naruto change his mind.
In the end, Kakashi had the idea of silencing him and getting rid of the intruder with the use of Kamui. But as he prepared the Dojutsu, the masked man spoke to him.
“It’s no use. This technique won’t work on me.”
It wasn’t just confidence speaking through him. He was stating a fact and the silver-haired shinobi once more felt uneasiness caused by his words. In the end, Kakashi lowered his hand still sparkling with Raiton. It was sapping off his Chakra too fast and paired with the active Sharingan, he could feel the strength leaving his body.
The Akatsuki member took this opportunity to disappear in a swirling rift in the air. Tenzo’s binds did nothing to stop him. Kakashi disabled his jutsu as the wooden pillars retracted into the damaged rooftop of the inn they’d been staying at.
Naruto was as frustrated as ever, even more set on meeting all the Kages if it meant catching up to Sasuke. They all knew that the missing-nin must’ve arrived at the summit already and Kakashi and Tenzo couldn’t stop the young Jinchuuriki from moving onward.
The silver-haired shinobi left Tenzo to apologise to the owner of the inn, promising to repair the damage Naruto had made with his Rasengan. He was still shaken in a strange way by the meeting. The chilly air of the Iron Country felt perfect for thinking through his feelings rationally.
Kakashi slowly understood what had made him so uneasy was the fact that he was suddenly so… ignored. The words from their last meeting had rung in his head so clearly, a part of him had expected another discussion digging deep into his past once he’d seen the same orange mask.
His pace quickened, each step hastier than the previous one. He wasn’t supposed to occupy his mind like that. The Akatsuki member was their enemy and Kakashi should’ve felt relieved the conversation hadn’t been about him. Yet instead of burying the subject at the back of his mind, the Konoha shinobi thought about the single sentence he’d heard directed towards him.
His headband was back in its place, covering the Sharingan. Very few people were aware of the fact he’d developed the Mangekyo Sharingan, let alone knew of its effects. Kakashi wondered if the masked man truly could be Uchiha Madara. But even someone so powerful from the Uchiha clan couldn’t be immune to every Dojutsu a Sharingan user could possess. Each Mangekyo was different, after all.
Kakashi shuddered at the idea of having been watched for so long, the masked stranger even knew how to counter Kamui. He wasn’t worth anyone’s attention. If anyone wanted him dead, they’d surely have found a way sooner. The Akatsuki member had mentioned having plans for him, however…
The silver-haired shinobi immediately spun around hearing the snow crunch behind him. He wasn’t as slow as the previous time, now instantly throwing a kunai towards the target and uncovering his Sharingan to be fully ready for a fight.
And just like last time, the knife flew through the black cape, hitting the tree bark behind the masked figure.
“You truly never learn that someone wants to simply talk, do you?”
“You’ve already said all you wanted to say,” Kakashi growled, his grey and red eyes glaring at the hole in the orange mask, into the hidden Sharingan.
“To Uzumaki Naruto, yes. But I believe I’ve said so before: our conversation isn’t over, Hatake Kakashi.”
“You’re too persistent,” the silver-haired man huffed. With no physical attacks working against the enemy, he had to go through the set of his skills in his mind, trying to find something that would damage the intangible figure.
“The war is coming, Kakashi,” the masked stranger reached towards him with one hand. It was empty, inviting. “You’re not going to let the shinobi villages use you again, are you?”
“No one is using me. I’m serving Konoha out of my own will.”
“The illusion of free will they’ve seeded into you is laughable. I know the truth. Your will consists of nothing but fear, broken promises and a mountain of regrets, all piled on your shoulders.”
Kakashi wouldn’t let himself get caught off guard again. Even if the words hurt, he would just grit his teeth through it. He thought of a way to test whether the man in front of him was truly just a projection that couldn’t be harmed. Instead of turning away, he stepped towards the Akatsuki member.
“And you expect me to believe that you don’t see me as a tool? That you won’t use me for your stupid war?”
“You have a much better potential than a simple tool,” the response was immediate. The masked man tilted his head forwards slightly, staring at Kakashi, trying to read his intentions. “I’ve already proven that I know much more about you than anyone in Konoha.”
“It makes me wonder why someone who claims to be the Uchiha Madara would bother with me. Just what exactly do you want from me?”
Kakashi was soon close enough to take the stranger’s offer, to grab his hand into his own. He needed to make him think that was what he wanted to do. He hadn’t gotten into any battle that day yet and the one time he’d activated Chidori hadn’t used too much of his Chakra. The only problem was the uncovered Sharingan that continuously sapped off his life force.
“You downplay yourself,” the masked man chuckled. “I know both of your wide repertoire of techniques as well as your intelligence. However, I can think of other ways you’d be useful to me as well…”
The way the tone of his voice dropped at the last sentence made a cold shiver run down Kakashi’s spine. He carefully lifted his hand to touch the stranger. He didn’t miss the way the gloved fingers tensed, indicating he truly wanted to grab him. It was enough of the proof for him that the body had to be tangible.
Not even a second later the Konoha shinobi was slicing through the black fabric with a shuriken held in his other hand. Or that’d been the original plan, yet the weapon still phased through the glove like it wasn’t there.
“Do you really expect me to trust you when you have no trust for me?” The masked stranger narrowed his eye. Kakashi caught a glimpse of another shape in the Sharingan, his intangibility truly being connected to the Dojutsu.
“I won’t waste my time on someone who isn’t even willing to meet me face-to-face,” the silver-haired man quipped.
“Is that what you want, then?” The Akatsuki member scoffed. “I believe I’m done playing games as well, then.”
Kakashi realised he was in a predicament much too late when the air around him began swirling. No Jutsu, no matter how quick, could get him out of the trap at that point. He felt the invisible force pull on his entire body, sucking him into a rift, towards the masked stranger.
For a moment, he saw nothing but darkness. A moment later, he was spat out in a completely different place. It was cold and grey, and there was not a trace of the snow of the Country of Iron. As far as he could see were just impossibly huge, concrete pillars. The air was still and instead of the azure blue sky, he saw darkness hanging above his head. That kind of a void couldn’t belong to the normal world.
He wasn’t alone there. After assessing the surroundings for a moment, his eyes fell back onto the man wearing the black robes with a red cloud pattern. Even with the distance between them, Kakashi just knew he was now real. No more illusions, projections, clones or whatever else he’d been using to communicate thus far.
“Let’s talk the way you want,” the masked man spoke, his voice now laced with anticipation. “But you have no choice anymore. You are mine, Kakashi.”