Chapter 4

Kakashi- Orginal Kakashi

Kakashi Two- Who Narumi met in Kurama attack

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Narumi disappeared on Tuesday.

Kakashi stares at the blank walls of his tiny apartment and wonders just when everything went to shit. He'd taken that mission to the Land of Tea(It's a small country near the Land of Fire) for a short reprieve of those blue eyes, of being wrapped around Narumi's finger. Just a few days to himself, that's all, and yet…

Two days in, he'd been over his freedom. It was a simple mission that needn't be rushed, but Kakashi found himself itching to be back in Konoha, back where the little blonde was always in reach, was always ready to be held by him, was always ready to steal his attention. He'd missed Narumi more than he remembers ever missing anything before, so he'd hurried through his tasks (still completed them to perfection, of course) and got home as fast as possible.

And when came home find's that she was gone, Minato-sensei had entrusted Narumi into Obito's care for a few hours. Obito, who has a short attention span and isn't used to watching over somebody as slippery as Narumi.

But he can't find it in himself to blame his… friend? He can't, because Kakashi is the one who'd left the village and got away from Narumi, who was precious to him, who deserved every ounce of attention Kakashi had. No, it's not Obito's fault that Narumi disappeared. After all, Narumi likes to wander, and it only takes her a moment to escape the confines of Minato-sensei's home. He's done it enough times that Kakashi just expects it.

But Narumi disappeared on Tuesday, and Kakashi looked for three days straight, looked until he passed out from chakra exhaustion and lack of sleep, searched until he literally could not. The Nine-Tailed Fox had been dealt with, Minato-sensei told him when he woke, and then went on to tell him that Kushina had been the fox's Jinchuriki. Kushina Uzumaki, who likes ramen and loves knitting (despite being extremely awful at it).

But as shocked as he was, it actually explained things, like how she rarely suffered from chakra exhaustion, and how Narumi was born with those strange markings on her cheeks (like whiskers, his mind has whispered more than once).

It all comes down to this: Kakashi is the person that Narumi trusts most outside of his parents, and Kakashi, for all of his talents, can't even save his most precious person. He has no idea where the little daughter of his sensei has disappeared to, but he does know this: Narumi is no longer inside the village. She's not in the woods surrounding the village. And now, six days after her disappearance, Narumi Namikaze, daughter of the Fourth Hokage, could be anywhere.

How can he ever face them again? How can he look Minato and Kushina in the eyes, knowing he failed them? How can he look his teammates in the eyes, knowing that he couldn't even protect the person who means more to him than life itself? How will they ever trust him to watch their backs when he couldn't even locate the girl who shines brighter than the sun itself?

How can he live with himself unless he dedicates all of his energy to finding the girl he lost?

Kakashi stands, legs still shaking from the complete and utter exhaustion of his chakra days before. He knows where to find his sensei and Kushina, knows because Narumi's mother has been unwell since the fox escaped, and from what he understands, she will never be at full capacity again.

He doesn't think they will turn him away, though, despite his utter failure. Minato-sensei has always been too kind to him, and Kushina even more. They trusted him and he failed.

But he will make it up to them if it's the last thing he ever does. He will, because he won't be able to live with himself if he can't find Narumi.

The streets are quiet this early in the morning. There's still dew on the grass and the sun isn't quite risen, but he needs to tell them, he wants to offer them some peace of mind, even if it's just a little.

Everyone is mourning.

Everybody thinks she died in the panic. Even Obito and Rin believe Narumi was so frightened when the fox escaped that he fled the village, that something or someone got to her either in the forest or outside the gates. Maybe even the fox ate him.

But Kakashi knows better. Narumi is shy, but animals, even ones as big and hateful as the demon fox, do not scare her. No, if she's not just lost outside of the village, somebody has taken her, and Kakashi will die a thousand deaths before he stops searching. If he ever stops searching.

He reaches the door to Kushina's hospital room through sheer determination. His body wasn't ready for the strain he's put on it, but he has to do this. He has to make this promise, and he can't afford to waste time on a proper recovery because by then it will carry no meaning.

"Kakashi." The door clicks shut. Sensei stands in front of him with haunted eyes and a sad look on his face. "You should be resting. Did you walk all the way here?"

"Sensei, I'm-"

"Kakashi… Don't apologize." Minato crouches, resting one hand on Kakashi's shoulder. "It isn't your fault, okay? I have… I have a lot of enemies, and the circumstances were all too easy to be taken advantage of."

"I should have been here," he says, trying to make Minato understand.

The Hokage shakes his head. "You were on a mission. You even got back early. What happened happened, and-"

"And I'm not going to stop looking," Kakashi interrupts. "She's alive out there, sensei. I will find her, I swear to you. If it's the last thing I do, I'm going to bring Narumi home. I don't care what anybody thinks, she's not dead."

The silence between them is almost palpable.

"I don't think she's dead either," his sensei finally replies.

Something heavy breaks away from Kakashi's chest, and now it's a little easier to breathe, except for some reason he's hyperventilating, and-

Hot tears pool in his vision, making Sensei's face blurry, and then he's being hugged and he'd forgotten how nice it was to be cared for, but he doesn't deserve this-

(Kakashi falls apart right there in that hallway, but Minato-sensei is pretty good at putting people back together. It only serves to solidify his decision-he will find Narumi, no matter what.)

Kakashi pov

On the first anniversary of Narumi's disappearance (and Kushina's declining health), Kakashi happens to be out of the village on an A-ranked mission in Kirigakure to deal with one of Konoha's missing-nin-not a very powerful one, but one who knew enough to steal a valuable scroll from the Hokage's personal library. He has already dealt with the perpetrator when the date finally occurs to him.

He has to stop his steady pace back home and sit against a tree with his head between his knees in the hopes that he won't throw up the ration bar he'd choked down for breakfast. One year. It's been one year, and Kakashi hasn't seen nor heard of Sensei's daughter. One year and he hasn't gotten a single whiff of the girl's scent. And no matter how long it takes to find her, Kakashi will never stop searching for her.

Three hundred and sixty-five days. Fifty-two weeks. Twelve months.

And Narumi is nowhere to be found.

Where are you, Narumi-chan? Are you safe? Are you healthy? Can you see the sky?

His chest constricts and hot tears flow down his cheeks, soaking his mask and leaving salty trails in the limited amount of visible skin on his face.

Father

If you've been watching over me… I'm sorry. I'm sorry for the thing I became. I'm sorry for thinking badly of you, and for disappointing you… I'm sorry that I couldn't make you smile. But if you can bring yourself to do one last thing for me…

Watch over her.

Kakashi rises to his feet, taking a deep breath in. The dead can't do his work for him, and so he must be stronger, better. He will find Narumi. He has to believe he will, for why else is he even living? Narumi, whose soul is so bright, so pure, so beautiful, is not lost forever.

Whatever is happening to her, whatever she's going through, Kakashi will track her down.

It takes him half a day longer to get home than he'd anticipated, but Kakashi realizes he hasn't truly felt at home here since Narumi's disappearance. Recognizing the thing inside of him that hasn't felt right since then feels more like a kunai to the gut than an awareness he's only now reaching.

Everything has been wrong since that day.

Why had losing Narumi turned his whole world upside down?

Two years dedicated to his happiness is why. Two years making him smile, two years smiling because of her.

I was happy.

The thought just about breaks him.

He was happy. Watching over Narumi, caring for her, had made him happy. Had brought him joy.

He can hardly stand to look the Hokage in the eye whilst giving his report.

"Kakashi," Minato says softly, voice laced with concern and understanding.

"Yes, Hokage-Sama?" He pointedly keeps his eyes on the wall just behind Minato's left shoulder.

"I want…" He clears his throat, sitting up straighter. "You are now on leave for the next three weeks. You are not to take any missions or cover any shifts. Starting now, until midnight on the twenty-seventh, you are released from active duty. If I hear even a suspicion that you are not resting, I will send Maito Gai to keep you from working using any means necessary, do I make myself clear?"

Kakashi breathes out the affirmative. He is dismissed. He breaks down the second he slips through the window of his apartment.

I'm sorry I failed you, sensei.

*Timeskip

Three months after Narumi turns five, Kakashi two leaves her. He's not Narumi's Kakashi, not exactly, but Narumi is loved by him-at least she thinks so-and when he leaves, it hurts.

But she's a big girl now, and she promised Kakashi that she would take care of herself. She promised because Kakashi had looked so sad that he had to go. He'd been getting sicker every day, always coughing, always pale. He won't really be surprised if he stopped breathing before he ever reaches his home, wherever that is.

Does he even have a home?

Or had his home been here, with Narumi, in the middle of the darkest, angriest forest in the Land of Fire? That is how it seemed. Any time they had to leave for supplies, the man had looked uncomfortable-it was only when they were alone, with only the monsters around them, that he looked even a little bit peaceful.

But he'd taught Narumi how to survive without him, had made her understand from the beginning that Kakashi would not be able to stay. He looked so sad, the first time he said it. Like he wanted more than anything to stay with Narumi.

But then he'd promised Narumi, with a smile, that Narumi would never truly be alone.

Yes, yes, you miss the time traveler, I get it.

Narumi doesn't know how she feels about the Ninetails inside her. She knows, on a surface level, why the fox lives inside her, but as for truly understanding what price she's paying… Well, Kakashi two said it was a lifetime commitment and had commented no further.

Later, though, she'd learned that Kakashi Two had made a choice in a dire situation, and Narumi doesn't want that choice to be for anything. So she'll live with the fox, and she won't curse the man who gave it to her. After all, he loves Kakashi, no matter how old he is, or what year he's apparently from, (or how empty he looks).

Say, Mister Fox sir, how come you sound so angry?

She's really glad that Kakashi Two showed her how to talk to the dang thing, though. Otherwise, she'd be really lonely out here, with only the forest as a company.

Brat, you shouldn't ask questions if you can't comprehend the answers. You, humans, are all the same.

She feels the first drop of rain on the tip of her nose, followed by a few more on her head and her shoulders, and then suddenly it's pouring, and she's running, running toward the cave that Kakashi Two had turned into a home for her right after they came to the forest. It's big and quiet, but it protects her when she's resting and shelters her from the weather.

Ne, Mister Kitsune(Kurama ) (She doesn't Know his real Name), do you have a name?

A growl doesn't so much fill her ears as it echoes throughout her head, like when one of her mother's lullabies starts to play on repeat, the memories of months and months ago still fresh enough to fall back on.

Why?

Do you want me to keep calling you "Mister Kitsune"?

The fox, who has way too many tails, stays silent for so long that she almost thinks he's gone to sleep, but just before Narumi devotes her mind to others tasks, it speaks again, voice steady but somehow more gentle.

You may call me Kurama. I am the Nine-Tails, the eldest of the Tailed Beasts, the most intelligent of my kind. I am power, I am Death.

You talk a lot.

The fox slams against its metaphorical cage, but Narumi was forced to sit and learn everything Kakashi Two could teach her about the seal and her inner cage, the sewer of her mind.

She's pretty sure she won't understand most of it until she's older, but she's still glad that Kakashi Two tried to teach her something about the big fuzzball.

She's equally glad that the Things about Nine-Tails isn't the only thing that Kakashi Two decided she needed to know about, and she actually does understand the other things, like walking up trees and walking on water, and Narumi's personal favorite: ninja weapons!

How else is she supposed to eat if she doesn't know how to hunt?

Sure, Kakashi Two had drilled her, mercilessly, until she got all of these things right, but after seeing her own Kakashi train for hours on end, Before, even though she could already do all of the things Kakashi Two was teaching Narumi, she decided these things must be important.

I seem to be running out of supplies.

Naruto stares, disgruntled, at the lack of necessities. It seems in the week since Kakashi Two left, she's been more absent-minded. Kakashi Two had been good about reminding her when she needed certain things, or when she needed to take her clothes to the nearby creek and wash them out, or when it was a good time to dig a new hole for his waste.

She sighs. So I gotta go to one of the smaller villages, right? Kakashi Two said I can't show my face at home until it's absolutely necessary, and I don't think he meant for things like toilet paper and food that doesn't go bad.

The fox-Kurama-only rumbles in response, stretching out on the floor of his cage.

Well. That's that, then.

Moments later, wrapped in a black hood and cloak that's just a little too big, Narumi hurls herself into one of the trees outside her cave, aiming North. Kakashi Two had been very adamant that Narumi learn which direction led where, and how to keep track of them while moving. He'd been adamant that Narumi learn a lot of things.

It didn't turn out to be as hard as she would've thought, either, but a part of her thinks that's because it was someone smart like Kakashi teaching her.

She's really glad Kakashi Two made her learn how to read, otherwise, she'd have lots of trouble finding the right buildings to buy the stuff she needs.

She leaps from tree to tree, reminding herself not to get too carried away. She's not wandering out of the forest for fun, after all. She can't let herself get caught, or who knows what'll happen.