A Hole in One's Heart [Kakashi Hatake]

Chapter 42: Crazy Sand Elders

This was a lot of the anime... But, most of this mission will have to be following the original pretty closely. Enjoy!

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     We were running through the trees, and Naruto kept running ahead, unable to keep in formation. I could see just how worried he was for Gaara, and I glanced over at Sakura. I could tell that she was thinking the same thing.

     "Naruto, I know you're in a hurry but quit breaking formation." 'Sakura, I don't think that that's going to do anything to calm him down...'

     "I know, but-"

     Kakashi cut Naruto off, "Don't lose your cool. Master Jiraiya taught you better than that, didn't he?"

     I decided to join into the conversation because, obviously, neither of my comrades knew how to keep Naruto from doing something rash. "Naruto, if we break formation and are ambushed, we'll never make it to the Sand in time. If you want to help save Gaara, keep in line." Naruto sighed and got back into formation, and Kakashi sent me a one eyed smile in thanks.

     As we ran, I sensed all around us. Over the last two and a half years, my sensory abilities have greatly increased. I can even sense people who are attempting to hide their chakra signatures most of the time. So that is why I felt Temari's chakra up ahead long before we could see her.

     "Kakashi, Temari is up ahead on the road. Should we tell her what has happened?"

     "Definitely, she has every right to know. To do anything else would be cruel."

     Sakura called out to her as we approached, "Temari!" We dropped out of the trees onto the road behind her.

     Kakashi looked at her sadly, "You may want to accompany us."

     "Why?"

     "Because we are on a mission to the Sand Village, unfortunately the Kazekage has been taken by the Akatsuki, and we have been sent to help the Sand recover him." Way to break the news gently, Kakashi.

     She blanched, fear for her younger brother coursing through her, "Gaara! You mean he's been..." Kakashi nodded.

     "We're two and a half days out from the Sand; we should hurry."

     Temari looked at Kakashi in agreement, "Right." And with that, we jumped back up into the trees and sprinted off towards the Village Hidden in the Sand.

     From my position in the back of the group, I watched as Naruto leapt ahead of Sakura, breaking formation again.

     Sakura chastised him, "Naruto, will you come on already?! Stop getting ahead of us."

     "I can't take this anymore!" The young jinchuriki was no longer able to hold in his inner turmoil. "I know why they're after Gaara and me; it's not like it's a mystery or anything. You know too, don't you, Sakura?" She looked over at him sadly. "There's no point hiding it, the spirit of the Nine-tailed Fox is sealed away inside of me." Kakashi stared off into the distance, and I was positive that he was thinking about the Fourth Hokage, the hero of a father that Naruto didn't even know that he had. I wanted to tell him so badly, but the Third believed that this knowledge could put Naruto at risk, and I would follow his wishes even after his death.

     I looked over at Sakura, I could see the guilt written over her face for how she had treated Naruto in the past.

     "Gaara and I are the same," Naruto clutched his jacket over where his seal resides while he spoke. "We both have monsters locked up inside of us. That's what these bastards are after, and that's the worst part about it! To them we're just monsters; that's all those bastards see! It's a means to an end!" Naruto stopped gesturing madly and put his head down and spoke quietly, "Everything about us is exactly the same, and he had to fend for himself a lot longer than I ever did. And now he's a target of the Akatsuki! With everything we have in common, why should his life be so full of misery all the time?!" I could hear the emotion seeping through his voice, and a salty droplet of water struck my face. Naruto was moved to tears by Gaara's struggles. "Why is it always him?! That's why I've gotta hurry, I don't have a second to waste! This time will be different; I'm gonna be there to save him!"