Saints and Suffering: A Naruto Fanfiction

Chapter 20- Classroom

Kakashi was none too happy with his drunken guests, but with the Hokage present, he didn't really have any choice in the matter.

The two men both did as they pleased, and Kakashi didn't feel like he had any recourse.

Kakashi went back to bed, but took a quick look at his alarm clock before drifting back off to sleep. It was 2 in the morning, and he had a long day ahead of his tomorrow.

During Yama's absence for his interview, Kakashi had been considering his own position and strength. He found it sorely lacking. His plans were starting to come together, and he had a road map moving forward.

While the two old men were gone, Kakashi went into his bedroom and pulled a locked storage chest out from under his bed. Kakashi focused his chakra for a few seconds before summoning one of his ninja hounds.

A large Saint Bernard poofed into existence, and Kakashi addressed it.

  "Pierre, I need the key."

The dog opened his mouth and dropped a key onto the floor. The key had apparently been hidden there and was of course, covered in dog slobber.

Kakshi didn't seem to mind though. He silently reached over and grabbed the key before wiping it off on his shirt.

Pierre stared at Kakashi with brown, somewhat cloudy eyes. Kakashi put the key onto his nightstand and rubbed the dog's head a few times before bringing his hand back.

The dog had tilted his head and leaned into the familiar touch. As soon as Kakashi had brought his hand away though, Pierre started to paw at him.

Kakashi sighed before reaching back over to pet the dog. However, Pierre rolled onto his stomach to dodge and left his paws in the air.

Kakashi obliged the dog and gave it a quick belly rub. The dog had been his father's companion, and had suffered some a few injuries early in Kakashi's ninja career due to covering for Kakashi's mistakes.

The dog had taken a few too many strong knocks to the head, and was never quite the same since. Kakashi still felt guilty about it, and couldn't really find it in himself to deny the dog anything.

Giving the key to the dog had simply been a sign of trust, and the ninja hounds were somewhat like normal dogs in that a task and a job made them happier than almost anything.

Pierre guarded the key for the child he had watched grow up, and he never let his guard down. Pierre was getting on in years, his eyes and nose declining, his thoughts slowing.

However, the Hatake clan still entrusted him to guard their valuable possessions, and that was enough for the Loyal Hound. Pierre was happy to oblige.

After a few more moments of petting, Pierre whined happily before getting up and jumping onto Kakashi's bed and taking a nap. Kakashi smiled ruefully, but he didn't unsummon the dog.

Pierre deserved every chance at rest he could get.

As the dog snored in the background, Kakashi took the key and unlocked the chest he had brought out. A seal soon spread across the chest, and Kakashi took out a kunai and made a small cut on his hand before placing the bleeding hand onto the locked box.

As soon as his hand was down, the seal disappeared and the box opened.

Kakashi had set the box up to require his blood as well as the key to open; that was how serious he was about protecting its contents.

He took a deep breath and steadied himself before flinging the top up and staring at its contents.

A grey, military style, wool blanket covered what was inside, and Kakashi in a painfully careful manner, pulled the edges back to reveal what the chest held.