Aftermath

After Aoshi fainted, Kakashi quickly ran over to Tetsuo and smacked him on the back of the head so he fell down to the ground as well.

"Akiho, we have to get him to the Hospital. You coming with?" Kakashi ran over and wrapped the kid in a large blanket before picking him up. Before he was fully wrapped he took a look at the injuries. They were much worse than anticipated. The only way that jutsu could cause injuries like this, is if a weak body is placed in the exact centre of the technique. Any kind of movement to the side would greatly weaken the effect but because he was betrayed in such a fashion, it truly wasn't this kid's fault. In fact, Kakashi was rather impressed with his performance overall.

Akiho nodded and Kakashi summoned a large dog which could fit a few bodies on top. He strapped the fainted Tetsuo to the back. He had a bunch of small cuts which needed to be taken care of as well.

Soon they reached the hospital and the boy was taken into the emergency room. Kakashi looked at the one who betrayed his teammate with absolute disgust. If he had anything to say on the matter, that scum would get no second chances. He wouldn't have the option to go back to the academy or anything. A person like that could never be trusted on a mission or in daily life.

A while later as the situation had calmed down, and the most critical treatment had been applied, he looked over to the girl who was completely distraught. "Akiho." She looked at him with tears running down her face, this while clinging to the side of Aoshi's hospital bed.

"I will get his father and aunt. Keep him company, will you?" She nodded and got back to just looking at Aoshi's burnt face. Despite having been treated already, his body would take time to heal properly. His face looked very red and had plenty of blisters. The parts with third degree burns were gone though, so he would be fine.

Suddenly she remembered something and before Kakashi could leave she yelled out "Get Higurashi Tenten as well. He needs her here.."

And then Kakashi left to find the boy's family to explain what happened.

Since he had read his file, he knew about the father. He went over to the border control and yelled out "Rokushō Ashiro, Where is he?" A couple of Yamanakas begrudgingly pointed to a corner where a man was sleeping. Kakashi noticed that it was a rather...bloated man, with a crazed look about him. Filthy nest-like hair, gaunt skeletal face, a grey skin which couldn't be a good sign. He poured a glass of water over the man's head.

"WHAT!? Who!?" and then he met eyes with Kakashi and cowed instantly. Kakashi was a known face after all. "What do you want with me, Hatake-san?" He reeked of alcohol and smelled like he hadn't bathed for a month. This man was not one he wanted to be around for long.

"Your son is in the emergency unit at the hospital, he-" But the disgusting green-haired man just waved him off. "I don't care about that brat. He can do whatever he wants, he just keeps nagging me anyway."

Kakashi sighed at the man. He didn't like showing emotions, but seeing these kinds of disgusting fathers wasn't really making it easy on him. "He's in a temporary coma from chakra exhaustion so he can't-" But he was interrupted again. "Didn't you hear me!? I don't care! Now leave me alone.."

And the man went back to trying to sleep. Kakashi would have gotten this man fired right this second if he wasn't afraid the young boy would be homeless in that case. Stupid clan laws would prevent him from officially moving in with his aunt. He did, however, give up on this disgusting father and instead ran over to Kurenai's house.

Kakashi knocked on the door and a second later, the beautiful young woman, who was among his best friends, opened. Her face lit up in a smile at first and Kakashi could smell the lovely meal currently being prepared.

"Kakashi! What a lovely surprise! What brings you here? Did little Ao-kun surprise you?" Kakashi felt terrible now. He had to take away his friend's smile, and he might as well just rip the band-aid off.

"Aoshi is in the emergency room, I'm going around to get his loved ones." Every ounce of happiness fell from her face and panic shone through very clearly.

Kurenai grabbed Kakashi's shoulders immediately and, without thinking, half-yelled out "Is he going to be alright!?"

Seeing her panic, Kakashi was quick to inject a bit of calmness. "Yes. He'll be fine. Go to the hospital and see him, I'll go get some Tenten kid and see you there to explain what happened." She nodded and ran out of the house towards the hospital.

Kakashi had the calmness in his mind to realise that she probably left something on. He went in and turned the oven and the stove off, and put the cooking food to the side before he walked out and placed a seal on the door since he didn't have a key.

Then he ran over to the shop with the same name as that kid. Higurashi's Weapon shop.

He entered the door and was greeted by a faintly familiar older man "Ah, the legendary Hatake Kakashi. What brings you to my store?" The man was seemingly rather cheerful, for the moment.

"I need to speak with Higurashi Tenten, I assume she's here?" The man raised an eyebrow, confused as to why this grown man who wasn't her team leader wanted to see his daughter. "What's this about?"

Kakashi sighed. "I was told she was rather close to Rokushō Aoshi." The store owner nodded. "Yes, he's been working here for years. They've always been tight. Why?"

"He's in the emergency room and I was tol-" The man in front of Kakashi reacted instantly as he was told and started yelling to the back room "Tenten! Come on out here right now. We have to go!"

A few seconds later, a very exhausted Tenten showed up with dirty hair and she looked like she had taken quite a few punches. "What is it, dad?"

The father had already prepared to close up shop by now and grabbed her arm. "Aoshi is in the emergency room, let's go!"

While Tenten had a face full of shock and panic, the two adults shared a look and a nod. The next second, the store was closed and they were running towards the hospital, one with Tenten in his arms.

Soon they jumped in through the window to Aoshi's room. When Tenten saw him there asleep with loads of bandages and the little skin you could see was clearly burn damaged, she jumped out of her father's arms and sat down next to her friend.

"Ao-kun…" She took his hand and held it gently before she turned to see the others in the room.

Kurenai was on the opposite side looking at the strange man who brought them here. Next to Kurenai was the girl who got into Aoshi's team and she looked as broken as Tenten currently felt.

She didn't know who to ask so she looked at her best friend in the world and asked "What happened?"

Kakashi sighed, and began the tale. Eventually reaching the important part, "..and so I had already gotten a hang on the Shimura brat. His clan is specialised in fire ninjutsu so I figured I'd use one he recognized and could run away from. Never in a million years would I assume he'd do what he did." Everyone was quietly listening to what happened. Even Akiho, who knew most of it. She just did not know Kakashi's reasoning.

"When faced with the great fireball jutsu he made a decision. Instead of simply substituting himself to a safe spot in the trees, the disgusting little brat substituted with Aoshi and brought him into the middle of the flames."

The anger levels in the room went up to max and they all started yelling questions and proclamations left and right before Kakashi stopped them and yelled out "I will deal with it!". Substituting with another person only worked on those who weren't trained against it. It was usually something bandits did to sacrifice civilians instead of themselves. New academy graduates usually weren't able to withstand the substitution, and Tetsuo knew this. Kakashi was not going to just let this slide.

All eyes on him, he continued. "Those who sacrifice their teammates are the worst kind of scum. I will go to the Hokage later and make sure he never becomes a ninja. I'd like it if you came along, Kurenai. As the boy's family.'' Nobody missed the fact that his father wasn't here. Kurenai nodded but that was when Akiho interrupted.

"Finish the story sensei.." Her eyes were filled with tears and regret, so Kakashi followed her request.

"Aoshi fell to the ground, I was afraid he might have died. I knew about his weak body. So I had to finish the examination instantly. I sent a water wave into Akiho but wouldn't you know it? Aoshi showed up in front of her."

Akiho picked up where he left off. "Out of nowhere he showed up. I know now that he had sealed away all of his pain receptors and stood in front of me to protect me from the impact. He touched my shoulder." She looked towards Aoshi with clear admiration in her tear filled eyes.

"He took just the amount of chakra he needed and unsealed a large quantity of dirt to take the impact from the water. He knew that if he took more, I'd have fainted..so it's my fault he's in a coma.."

Tears ran down her face as she explained. "If I had the slightest bit more chakra, he could have taken more. He would not have had to use every last scrap of chakra to save me and end up in a coma from chakra exhaustion. His chakra would have started healing him by now if it wasn't for the coma!"

Kurenai hugged the girl and whispered "He'll be alright. It's not your fault Akiho, it-" and then Tenten launched out of her seat "No it's that Tetsu-shit's fault. Show me where he is and I'll beat him to a pulp. Ao-kun is the best person I know. He's the least deserving of being sacrificed like that!"

But while they were all mad, the adults knew what was best in this situation. Tenchi calmed down his daughter and told her to just stay by Aoshi's side instead. He'd go grab meals for those who stayed there, while Kakashi and Kurenai would bring the Shimura brat in front of the Hokage.

The two went over to the minor injuries area and found Shimura Tetsuo happily having a conversation with one of the young healer apprentices. Kakashi didn't feel bad about interrupting them.

---

"Shimura Tetsuo, you're coming with me. We have to discuss your graduation with the Hokage." He looked rather confused since he didn't know if he was in trouble or if he was going to be one of the two Kakashi chose to keep in his team. In his mind, he did outperform the other losers after all. Nevertheless, he apologised to the girl and went with the two jounins to the Hokage's tower.

Along the way, he began getting more and more worried. The woman kept glaring at him with a fierceness he didn't think he could possibly deserve. Kakashi was stone cold as he expected of a ninja. Maybe the woman was just having one of 'those' days, he thought. Or maybe she saw him stare at her body before he accepted going with them..no that wouldn't get her this angry.

And suddenly they had arrived outside the Hokage's office. Kakashi walked up to the secretary. "Let Lord Third know that Hatake Kakashi must speak with him urgently."

The secretary nodded and since he was not in a meeting or anything, she entered immediately to tell the Hokage. A second later she waved them in. First the two jounin and then the by now scared fresh graduate.