The Last Prayer

Part 23 :: The Threshold

KAKASHI

'...I fucked up,' Kakashi's simple thoughtfully expresses.

Standing at attention with his fellow Jōnin-sensei before their Hokage's desk, Kakashi couldn't help but recall his ever-lengthening list of miscalculations. Avoiding thoughts of his failures to Rin, to his Sensei, to Obito, his perceptible mind fast forwards to his neglect of Sakura and Naruto.

'Naruto-kun and Sakura-chan may not contribute to the village as much as Sasuke can, but that's okay,' he thought. Kakashi knew he could still form a team around Sasuke. The last Uchiha would elevate his teammates, in turn, they will do their absolute best to keep up. If one died in the process, such is the life of a ninja. If not, they will always grow stronger with Sasuke as the bar.

Considering Naruto is at the heart of this matter, Kakashi saw fit to bring a clone for this meeting, if only to offer his opinion. Watching the clone lazily stand next to Hiruzen's chair, Kakashi couldn't figure out how the amiable blond completely blindsided him. The bored blue-eyed blond may be his sensei's son, but, it was evident early on he was no ninja; not in the truest sense of the dark word. Naruto was simply too bright, too optimistic, too good for the heinous deeds a ninja is meant to do.

Many children hear stories of saving princesses or protecting towns, however, Kakashi knew that was the shallow end of their world, and for most of his life, he's operated in the deep, dark, murky depths of death and survival. Rather than saving lives, ninja serve countries better by taking lives; politicians, merchant princes, tycoons, feudal lords, warlords... innocent or not.

'Anything for the mission...' his mind voiced.

Naruto does not represent the full depth a ninja must struggle with. For this deeply damaging way-of-life, a shinobi must be a little dead inside and Kakashi was content with Naruto not embodying that motto. If it meant preserving that ray of hope within the boy for as long as possible, he's certain his peaceful and caring sensei would approve.

'Because even if Naruto can't bear the worst of a shinobi's struggles, the world still need ninjas like him,' Kakashi believes. Shinobi like Naruto and Sakura are the future dark-horses like Kakashi and Sasuke will protect. It's the best way broken shinobi like them can contribute.

Still, as the contemplative Hiruzen turns from the heedful window in his office, and takes a seat, Kakashi thinks, yet again, 'I fucked up.'

As Sarutobi observes the five Jōnin-sensei standing at attention before him with elbows on his paper stacked desk and hands fastened together by interlaced fingers, Hiruzen doesn't initiate security protocol just yet. Guy, Kakashi, Asuma, Kurenai, and Yari all await their Kage's directive over Naruto's red chakra cloak witnessed not more than two and a half hours ago.

"Appearance only regulates mere scraps of what is truly underneath," Hiruzen's wise and airy voice starts. As he continues, however, the sudden shift to a commanding tone is quickly evident to every Jōnin in the room. "It is why we teach our own to always search underneath the underneath, so we are never unduly surprised."

Despite the clone of Naruto yawning, Hiruzen's piercing eyes land sternly on Kakashi, and ignoring the urge to swallow his embarrassment as a Jōnin-sensei, he, yet again, thinks to himself, 'I really fucked up.'

"As you all may have guessed," Hiruzen addresses his captains of education. "I risked everyone's lives to answer one question; Could Naruto-kun retain control under extreme distress? I agree the answer to that question shouldn't have such high potential for loss, however, I've been blessed with the fortune of observing this young man beside me grow up since his birth."