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“-but first, I’m executing the current Five Kage inside the Infinite Tsukuyomi.”
Kakashi swore internally. Not this again. “What did you just say, Sasuke?” He responded, disbelieving. He barely heard Sasuke talking about ‘putting the Biju under his control’. He raised his eyes skyward, and took a deep breath. Minato-sensei, if I ever put you through even a fraction of this, I am so sorry . He turned his attention back to his wayward student, and began to walk towards him.
Sasuke barely had time to say what else he was going to do, before he felt a sharp pain on the top of his head. He whirled around, only to come face-to-face with his teacher’s disappointed stare, his hand raised in a fist, obviously the source of the unexpected pain. If he’d thought Kakashi was good at shaming them into submission with one eye, both eyes was so much worse .
Kakashi could see the fight leave the Last Uchiha (truly, this time), the longer they maintained eye contact. “Sasuke,” He started, his voice carrying an undertone of a parent being disappointed in their child’s behavior. "What did we just finish doing?" He asked.
"Fighting… Kaguya…?" Sasuke responded, visibly confused by the question. "Kakashi-sensei, did you hit your head and I didn't notice?"
Kakashi raised an eyebrow, and Sasuke looked away briefly, uncomfortable. "What was she trying to do?" He continued, pointedly not answering Sasuke's question.
"..." Sasuke looked back up, narrowing his eyes, trying to figure out what Kakashi's point was, most likely. When Kakashi's expression didn't change, Sasuke scowled at him. "... trying to destroy humanity?"
Kakashi hummed noncommittally. That wasn't exactly the answer he wanted, but he could make it work. "And the other one? What did they admit to doing?"
Sasuke's scowl deepened.
Kakashi hummed again in response. Good, he's figuring out where I'm going with this. The only question is, will it take?
Sasuke attempted to glare his teacher into submission for a moment. Kakashi was as impressed as ever, that was to say, not at all. Recognizing his loss, he answered. "Manipulating humanity for their own goals."
Kakashi smiled at his student. It was unlikely he appreciated that reaction, but it told him he'd answered correctly, at least. "And that is…?" He prompted.
Sasuke made a frustrated noise. "Will you get to the point already?!"
Kakashi's smile was turning into a smirk, and he knew it. From Sasuke's scowl, so did he. "Actually the idea is to lead you to the point, rather than making it for you. You seem to learn better that way."
Sasuke made another, louder noise of frustration. Kakashi was very aware that the only reason his student hadn't tried to punch him yet was because the boy was exhausted. Of course, he could tell himself that the Uchiha held some level of fondness for his Jōnin-sensei, but Kakashi wasn't in the habit of fooling himself. He hadn't done much to earn any fondness. Kami-sama knew how he'd earned it from the other two.
Sasuke groaned again, probably remembering that he never got anywhere unless he humored his teacher. Besides, Kakashi knew the boy was the curious type, who wouldn't give up until he got the answers he wanted. His expression told Kakashi that whatever his point was, he now had Sasuke wanting to know.
"It's a bad thing." Sasuke answered, his tone the slow drawl of impatience he often got when he felt his teammates (or teacher) were being exceptionally slow. Suffice to say all three of them were very familiar with it, though Kakashi had rarely had it aimed at himself.
"Correct." Kakashi answered, favoring him with a closed-eye smile, one that Sasuke recognized, judging by his wide eyes and the satisfied quirk of his lips. He gave his student a moment to savor his small victory.
After a moment, Sasuke seemed to remember that he was trying to get something out of the gray-haired man and narrowed his eyes once more. Whether he knew it or not, the slight smile was still present on his expression, much to Kakashi's joy. "And….?" The younger man prompted.
Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "And," he echoed. "What does your 'plan', that involves leaving the Five Nations leaderless, and enslaving the Bijuu, clearly involve?"
Sasuke blinked once, twice, three times. He stared uncomprehendingly at the older man for a moment, processing the question.
Kakashi could clearly see when the answer had occurred to the boy by his expression. His eyes widened in shock, then narrowed, then widened again, this time with poorly-disguised distress. As Kakashi had hoped, realizing how similar a path he was aiming for to a foe they had all nearly died to defeat was not a pleasant thought to the teenager.
Sasuke glanced around briefly. Naruto was standing where he had been when Minato-sensei had faded, watching them in shock, but too far away to really process the conversation. Sakura was maintaining a respectful distance, the way any of them had when Kakashi had pulled one of the three aside for a quiet talk, though Kakashi supposed Naruto could be doing the same. The Sage could clearly hear every word, as close as he was, but he'd at least turned his head to give them some semblance of privacy.
Seeing that they had as much privacy as they reasonably could, Sasuke allowed his mask to crack slightly. Kakashi could suddenly see the scared, vulnerable child beneath the cold exterior Sasuke had hidden behind for so long. Kakashi longed to embrace the boy, as he knew all too well how little physical affection he'd received growing up, but he also knew that was the fastest way to make Sasuke close off again. Kakashi would be damned if he ruined this display of trust.
"What else can I do?" Sasuke asked, a plaintive note to his voice. A child, looking to one of the only adult influences he had left for guidance. That was the overwhelming impression Kakashi was getting.
"Come home." Kakashi answered simply. Before Sasuke could reject the idea out of hand, he continued. "I know it seems like you have nothing left tying you to the Leaf, especially now that Itachi is gone. Think about it this way, though. Now you're free to decide your own purpose, and make your own ties. You pursued revenge for so long, but now the people who put that path in motion for you are gone too. Danzō. Madara. Even the ones you didn't know about, like that Zetsu person." Kakashi pointed out. "Your revenge is complete. No need to look for more reasons to pursue that path." He knelt slightly to be on eye level with his student. "You still have friends who care about you, don't forget that like I did." Here, he glanced pointedly at Naruto.
Sasuke maintained eye contact with his teacher, only looking away to follow his gaze to Naruto. He looked back, and Kakashi could see the mask cracking further. "I lost everyone…" he started, "how can I know it won't happen again? I… I don't think I could take that."
Kakashi started to reach out, then stopped himself. Sasuke glanced at his hand, then back at him, but made no other moves. Tentatively, Kakashi placed his hand on Sasuke's shoulder. The teenager accepted the gesture, even seeming to lean into it, though Kakashi was fairly certain he was imagining that. "It's terrifying. The idea of opening up again, of letting people back in when they could leave you too. When you're sure they will leave you. I know." He offered.
Sasuke's eyes widened again momentarily in surprise, as if he'd forgotten that his sensei had been where he was. He'd lost his parents, both teammates, and his teacher, all before he even turned 15. "You did, though." He responded slowly. "You opened back up, and then I…"
Kakashi squeezed his shoulder slightly. "You got lost in the same darkness I was. I'm sorry, Sasuke. Sorry I didn't see that sooner. In that, I failed you." He admitted.
Sasuke shook his head. "You didn't. You were… you were someone I trusted, even if I didn't know why. Don't think I don't remember those baskets of fresh fruits and vegetables someone would leave for me." He countered, a soft smile returning to his face. It faded shortly after. "I'm a missing nin now. I abandoned everyone I knew. I was selfish , only thinking of easing my own pain, not what I'd cause others."
Kakashi offered a smile of his own. "You'd be surprised what a little politicking can accomplish. Especially in light of the fact that you and Naruto just saved the world." He responded, amusement lacing his voice. "Maybe a long-term undercover mission to find out the truth behind the massacre?" He suggested. "Of course, no one was told, since Danzō was involved. No paper trail either."
Sasuke looked startled. "The Hokage would go for that?" He asked, disbelieving.
"I think she could be convinced." Kakashi answered. "But she has to be alive for that." He pointed out.
"...." Sasuke didn't respond for a moment. After a minute of silent thought, he scowled and shook his head. "...I doubt she'd listen to me." He said bitterly.
"She'll listen to me." Kakashi answered, calm and certain.
"You? But-.." Sasuke stared at Kakashi. "Why? Why would you do that for me?" He asked.
Kakashi maintained eye contact for a moment. "I want you to be able to find some form of happiness , Sasuke. If coming back home could make you happy, then I'll do what it takes to make that happen." He hoped Sasuke saw the sincerity in his eyes.
From the shock and disbelief that colored his cute student's expression, he definitely did. "What if I don't find it there?" Sasuke challenged, "and I want to leave again?"
Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "I believe, with Jiraiya-sama's and Danzō's deaths, there is an opening in Konoha's information network that needs to be filled sooner rather than later." He noted idly. "You would be able to come and go, mostly as you pleased."
Sasuke looked, if it was possible, even more stunned. "That… I… you'd…" he was apparently struggling to find the words to respond.
"You don't need to answer now. Just something to consider." Kakashi pointed out. "For now, I think there's something you do need to do." He looked meaningfully at the Bijuu.
Understanding his teacher's direction, Sasuke released the Bijuu from his control.
////////
As Naruto and Sasuke prepared to release the Infinite Tsukuyomi, Hagoromo studied the man known as Hatake Kakashi. His biggest regret as a father was that he could not rein in his elder son and his desire for power. Yet this man, not even the father of Indra's reincarnation, had tempered his murderous impulses with a single conversation. It made him question his choices. Could he have tempered Indra the same way, and avoided the centuries of pain, hatred and death that had followed?
The man seemed aware of his scrutiny, looking over to meet his gaze.
"They both respect you highly." Hagoromo noted.
The Hatake managed a dry chuckle in response. "Somehow, they seem to. Goodness knows I haven't done much to deserve it."
Hagoromo shook his head. "It is easy to focus on our flaws, and overlook our accomplishments. You remain humble, acknowledging where you could have done better, while your students remember all the good you did do for them. Conversely, it is possible to focus on our accomplishments, and overlook our flaws, which was my mistake." He noted, studying the silver-haired man. "You did not allow your losses to blind you, as I did. I neglected to see my sons as their own people, instead seeing them as someone who could carry on my legacy." He admitted. "That flaw allowed hatred to grow in Indra's heart, and lead to the cycle of hatred that plagued his descendents. You were able to quell that hatred in your student, which is no small feat."
Kakashi blinked in response. "I suppose. I don't think it's quite as simple as all of that, though." He sighed. "Sasuke's been through a lot, with no one around to teach him. Instead, most people expected him to live on with no help, something that should never be expected from a child. All I can do now is try to work through the aftermath with him."
Hagoromo knew there was something left unspoken, but he didn't pry. Humans were entitled to their secrets, after all. "So you intend to carry on in the role of mentor, then?"
"If they'll let me, I'd like to." Kakashi agreed, smiling sadly.
"What are you talking about, Kakashi-sensei? Of course we want you to still be our mentor. We learned a lot from you!" Naruto chimed in.
"Definitely. Who knows where we'd be otherwise!" The girl, Sakura, Hagoromo thought her name was, agreed with the blond. Her hand rested on her hip, and she studied their mentor closely.
"Hn." Sasuke added, approaching as well.
"Such vocal words of approval, Sasuke." Kakashi teased Indra's reincarnation.
The dark-haired boy looked away briefly, then back at him, determined. "You got us this far. Like hell we're going to let you back out now." He added.
Kakashi looked like he might cry, wiping his eyes quickly. "Well if you all are certain, I can't think of anything else I'd rather do."
/////
Returning back to Konoha with an infamous missing nin was an ordeal in itself. Sasuke permitted himself to be taken into custody, but only after promises from Naruto and Kakashi that he wouldn't be there long. The trio met with Tsunade in her office.
Tsunade stared them down. "You want me to admit a criminal back into the ranks of active, loyal shinobi?" She asked, clearly skeptical.
Naruto moved to protest, but Kakashi held up a hand, silencing him.
"We do, yes." He answered, making it clear that he intended to fully back Naruto in this.
Tsunade's gaze moved to him, clearly stunned. Kakashi supposed he could understand. He'd always quietly supported Naruto, and now he was speaking up where he hadn't before. Tsunade was silent for a moment, likely weighing the value of his support. Naruto was a war hero, son of the Yellow Flash and the Kyuubi Jinchuriki. The added support of Kakashi, who was the last living student of the Yellow Flash, son of the White Fang, and a living legend in his own right, soon to be Sixth Hokage, was equally as heavy.
Finally, Tsunade spoke. "And what do you propose?"
Kakashi answered easily. "A long-term undercover mission. To find out why Uchiha Itachi slaughtered his clan, one of the founding clans of the village, and fled. Something he was successful in doing, might I add."
Tsunade's eyes widened. The destruction of one of the two founding clans of Konohagakure had left many other clans uneasy. If the Uchiha weren't safe, after all, who was ? Having that information made Sasuke a threat to Konoha's leadership. She narrowed her eyes at Kakashi. His last sentence implied that Uchiha Sasuke had shared his discovery with his Jōnin sensei. While it would be simple to execute Sasuke as a traitor, this meant that the truth wouldn't die with him. Moreover, Kakashi would have no motivation to keep quiet about it with his student's death. Further, such an act would turn Naruto and Sakura against her as well. Sakura was the most vulnerable of the three of them, but she was also Tsunade's protege. If the three of them visibly turned against her, who knew what would happen.
Kakashi knew that they'd won when Tsunade sighed heavily. "You are Minato's student after all, Kakashi." She admitted. "Just what do you intend to do with this information?" She asked.
"That depends on Sasuke. If he wants to make the crimes of certain Elders public, that's what will happen. Of course, should anything happen to him in the meantime, he did tell me what he found, as I'm sure you assumed, and I will not hesitate to bring it to light myself." Kakashi answered.
Naruto and Sakura stared at their sensei. Intellectually, they'd both known he was a force to be reckoned with, but he toned it down so often with them that him showing how dangerous he could be was startling. At least, that's where Kakashi assumed their thoughts went.
Kakashi had promised Sasuke he'd make things happen, and he hadn't learned politics from likely the most feared Kage since Hashirama for nothing. Namikaze Minato had been a clanless nobody, who had risen to become Hokage over Orochimaru of the Legendary Sannin, simply on the force of who he was and what he could do. Things like what he was known for generated political clout, and with no clan to share it with, he'd been able to do with it as he saw fit. He'd taught Kakashi the same from age 7 on, including Rin and Obito in the lessons when they joined the squad. Had Rin survived, Kakashi had no doubt she would have become even more formidable than Tsunade.
So Kakashi deciding to use his own considerable clout, and adding it to Naruto's, meant that they had the legacy of the Fourth Hokage at their backs. Senju or not, Tsunade couldn't stand against that, especially now that she'd decided on Kakashi as her successor. A vengeful Last Hatake with the Hokage hat would be merciless in seeing his student avenged, should she attempt that route. Standing at Naruto's side here also gave him permission, from one of the few living adults he respected fully, to push forward. There was no way she didn't know all of this, which was why she'd bowed to their demands now. They'd get what they wanted, with or without her.
//////
It took a few months, and mandatory therapy, but finally Sasuke was able to step out into the light of day once more. When he did, Kakashi was waiting for him.
"Kakashi?" Sasuke asked tentatively.
"Yes, Sasuke?" His teacher answered.
"Naruto and Sakura?"
"Waiting for you at home. Lady Hokage insisted that, for at least a year, you reside with your teammates, to keep an eye on you. Neither protested too vehemently." Kakashi explained.
Sasuke wasn't even sure he could honestly say he minded. It was a small price to pay for his freedom and his life. "And my status?"
"A returned undercover agent, naturally. Since the only action you took against Konoha was against Danzō, who was a guilty party in your brother's betrayal, your status as a missing nin has been revoked. Though it will take some time before you are back on the active duty roster."
"I think I can deal with that." Sasuke answered, drawing to a halt in front of his teacher.
"Oh, and Sasuke?" Kakashi spoke quietly.
"Aa?"
"Welcome home."