Mine

Truths

Morning arrived far too quickly. Sakura was still deep in sleep when Kakashi quietly rose from the bed. He dressed silently, pausing only to place a gentle kiss on her forehead before leaving her side. The weight of the previous night's events hung heavily over him as he made his way to the Hokage Tower.

As he entered the building, Asuma and Genma greeted him with formal bows. "Welcome back, Hokage-sama," they intoned.

Kakashi waved them off with a tired hand. "Please, enough with the formalities. Asuma, come with me to the office."

Asuma followed Kakashi into the office, closing the door behind them. Kakashi stood in front of the large windows, looking out over the Hidden Leaf Village. The usual peace of the morning did little to soothe him.

"Status update on Uchiha?" Kakashi asked, his voice calm but laced with underlying tension.

Asuma cleared his throat, hesitating before answering. "Recovering. Tsunade had to put him in an induced coma. He was fighting the hospital staff, ranting that he wouldn't submit... that he wouldn't let you..."

"Out with it, Asuma," Kakashi's tone turned sharp, cutting through Asuma's reluctance.

Asuma's voice dropped to a near whisper. "That he wouldn't let you kill Sakura with your bond."

The silence that followed was suffocating. Kakashi inhaled deeply, steadying himself. "How long will he be under?"

Asuma was caught off guard by the question, but answered quickly. "At least a week, maybe longer. You left him in pretty bad shape, Hokage-sama."

Kakashi sank into his chair, his hands steepled in front of him as he pondered the situation. "I had no choice. He challenged me, and I couldn't afford to deny him that. But I couldn't kill him either. Not as the Hokage of this village." He paused, his voice softening. "Asuma, do you think I made the wrong choice by sparing him?"

The unusual vulnerability in Kakashi's voice caused Asuma to hesitate. This wasn't the composed, unflappable leader he was used to. "No, Kakashi, I don't think you chose wrong. But I do believe there will be challenges ahead because of his survival. You know how Sasuke is—he's driven by his convictions. If he wants Sakura, he may not stop. We all remember how relentless he was in his pursuit of revenge."

Kakashi clicked his tongue against his teeth in frustration. He knew Asuma was right. Allowing Sasuke to live would have consequences, but killing him would have had its own set of repercussions. Asuma took a cautious step forward, his expression troubled.

"What did Uchiha mean? Is it what I think it is?" Asuma's voice was barely a whisper, as if he was afraid to even ask.

Kakashi glanced at him, then looked down at his bruised hands, remnants of the previous day's battle. He sighed deeply, the weight of the truth pressing down on him. "I fear it is," he admitted, still unable to meet Asuma's gaze. He felt the energy in the room shift, the atmosphere thickening with concern.

"How did he find out?" Asuma asked, his voice edged with panic. "Those documents are classified. No one of his status should have access to that information."

"It means he broke into the archives," Kakashi replied, his tone grim. "The classified division. I know because I saw it... and so did Sakura, in a nightmare."

Asuma fell silent, processing the implications. The classified division was heavily protected, accessible only by the Hokage. "If you'll excuse me, Asuma, I have somewhere I need to be."

Kakashi left the office without another word, descending to the depths beneath the Hokage Tower. The air grew cooler as he approached the archives, the labyrinthine heart of the village's most guarded secrets. At the end of a long corridor stood a massive iron door. He pulsed his chakra into the seal, and the ANBU on guard bowed as he passed. The door creaked shut behind him, sealing him in momentary darkness before dim lights flickered on, revealing endless rows of shelves.

He moved quickly through the aisles, his steps echoing in the vast, silent space. He reached the 'H' section and rifled through the files, only to find the one labeled Hatake missing. Kakashi clenched the empty space where his and his family's files should have been, crushing the label in his fist as anger surged through him. Sasuke had taken them, and now his darkest secrets were out there—somewhere.

Dread filled Kakashi as he realized the danger of those secrets coming to light. He quickly made his way to the infirmary, his thoughts racing. He needed to ensure that Sasuke was still where he should be. There was too much at stake to leave anything to chance.

Upon arriving at the hospital, Kakashi headed straight for Tsunade's office. He didn't bother knocking as he entered, his voice urgent. "Where is Uchiha?"

Tsunade glanced up, a hint of irritation in her eyes. "Oh, no 'hello Tsunade, how are you?'" But the severity in Kakashi's expression quickly wiped away her sarcasm. "ICU, room 403. I had to put him in a coma, so don't waste your time trying to talk to him."

Without another word, Kakashi turned on his heel and took the stairs up to the fourth floor. He moved swiftly down the corridor, pausing outside Sasuke's room. The faint beeping of the heart monitor inside offered him a small measure of relief. He pushed open the door and stepped in.

Sasuke lay in bed, bandaged and connected to an IV. A seal on his forehead indicated the induced coma. A bouquet of flowers sat untouched on the side table, a stark contrast to the tension in the room.

Kakashi exhaled, relieved to see Sasuke still there. He locked the door behind him and approached the bed. With a precise pulse of chakra, he dispelled the coma seal. Then, he sat down, waiting patiently for Sasuke to wake up. He needed answers—where the stolen files were. Punishment could be decided later. Breaking into the classified archives and stealing information was one of the highest crimes.

Forty-five long minutes passed before Sasuke began to stir. His eyes fluttered open, and when he saw Kakashi sitting beside him, he instinctively tugged at the restraints binding his wrists to the bed. The chakra seals prevented him from breaking free. "Hatake," Sasuke sneered, his voice dripping with disdain. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

The heart monitor beeped frantically, but Kakashi reached over and silenced it, his gaze never leaving Sasuke. "You know why I'm here. You broke the law, Uchiha. Where are they?"

Sasuke's glare hardened, a twisted smirk curling his lips. "You don't know? You should've seen it by now, surely. How do you live with yourself?" He spat at Kakashi, the saliva splattering on the floor between them.

Kakashi sighed, leaning forward in his chair, his face mere inches from Sasuke's. "Where. Are. They?" His voice was cold, each word sharp and deliberate.

Sasuke chuckled darkly. "Afraid someone might uncover your family's dirty little secrets? Your history?"

Kakashi could feel the anger simmering beneath his calm exterior, but he didn't let it show. "I'll find them, one way or another. You're lucky you're still alive. We'll deal with the legalities of your actions once you've recovered."

Without waiting for a response, Kakashi pulsed chakra back into Sasuke's forehead, resealing the coma mark. He reconnected the heart monitor, restoring everything to how it had been before. Then, he left the room, Sasuke slipping back into unconsciousness.

Kakashi's next destination was Sasuke's residence. The missing files had to be somewhere, and he intended to find them.