𝑾𝑯𝑬𝑵 𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑾𝑰𝑵𝑫 𝑩𝑳𝑶𝑾𝑺 •𝒃𝒙𝒃•

The truth hurts

Raising his hand, Akashi grabbed his mask and pulled it off. "Surprise?" His decision about being funny didn't make things better. It made it worse. As Kakashi looked at the boy in front of himself, he wondered. Why did it have to end up like this? ANBU was no place for a child like him.

"Why?" He found himself asking, even as he knew he was the one at fault. If he had never mentioned the ANBU to him, maybe he wouldn't be standing here in front of him. Standing here with the gear that looked too big on him. With a sword that was too long for his body. Then came the mask. Oh how Kakashi hated those masks. When he was a member of the ANBU, it almost became too late for him to take it off.

It almost became a part of him.

Shaking his head, he looked at the boy. "Why?" He repeated, wanting to hear him speak.

Akashi let his hand drop, limply holding the mask in it. "Because I have nothing else". He answered and Kakashi almost laughed at the situation at hand. He almost laughed at how similar he and the boy are. "I have nothing left, I have nobody left... What was I supposed to do?" Akashi asked, lowering his head, finding his feet interesting, all of a sudden.

"Anything! Anything other than this!" The boy flinched as Kakashi raised his voice. "Why do you insist on throwing your life away?! On wasting it like this?!" Akashi took a step back away from the man, a surprised expression on his face. Kakashi had never raised his voice at him. Never. So this came as a shock to him. Tsunade was right. He had overestimated Kakashi.

But, he remembered something. Kakashi had also been in the ANBU when he was young, so why was he yelling at him now? "You're being hypocritical, haven't you also been in the ANBU?! What's so wrong with me wanting the same?!" He argued back, an angry expression taking place. "Huh?! Answer me!" He had expected Kakashi to yell at him again, but the thing he expected least, came out of his mouth instead.

"Your mother wouldn't want this". It was like a blade pierced through Akashi's heart. He couldn't believe this. Kakashi was using his mother against him. He took another step back, face wiped blank. Then, a small chuckle left his lips, before a full-blown laugh followed after. Kakashi watched in silence as the boy in front of him laughed and laughed and laughed.

"I can't believe you've done that... use my mother against me? That's a low blow, sensei". He said once he stopped his laughter. His face was flushed, he grinned and his teeth flashed. "What now? Are you going to use my father too?" He asked and Kakashi decided, that yes... yes he will.

"Neither Kushina... nor Minato would have wanted this". He admitted and saw the grin slip from Akashi's face. The boy stumbled back, almost tripping on his feet. His eyes were blown wide, lips parted open. Kakashi could only imagine how fast his heart was beating.

Akashi felt the grass crunch beneath his feet. The mask slipped from his fingers, falling onto the ground with a soundless 'thud'. He could hear nothing except the harsh ringing in his ears. He could feel his heart thumping inside his chest, his body shaking to the fast-paced beats.

As Kakashi watched the boy's reaction... his heart clenched in pain.

Akashi blinked his eyes, trying to clear the blurriness away. Minato? Minato? Minato? Minato? Minato? Namikaze Minato? Fourth Hokage Minato? How did he not realize this? All the secrecy around the subject of his parents, and the most obvious proof had been right in front of him.

Naruto was almost a spitting image of the man.

His throat felt raw all of a sudden and he swallowed a lump. He threw a barely put together glare towards Kakashi. "You... I knew you fucking knew! You were his fucking student and yet you said nothing!" He screamed at him, voice constantly breaking from all the emotions overwhelming his being. "And this is how I find out?!" He pointed his gloved finger at him.