Something Precious

Chapter Twenty Seven

"In the end he was more of an older brother than a teacher."

Kakashi frowned disapprovingly at something the jounin had said. "The mission should come first, above anything else. It is the rules." he demanded sternly.

Naruto was taken aback by the sudden sternness. He held back the urge to scowl at the boy who was only defending what he believed in. "The rules? So if Obito or Rin or Minato died on a mission because you chose it over them, would you be able to live with that? You wouldn't regret it?" he argued harshly. Kakashi stiffened and got a steeled look in his coal eyes.

"A shinobi's feelings doesn't matter, it is our duty to give our lives for the mission." he paused ". . . and our comrades. . ." he faltered for a moment as he thought of the possibility of loosinf Minato-Sensei, Rin and even Obito. He found the feelings that came with his thought to be undesirable. What am I thinking? Obey the rules, he thought before regaining his strict air. "In the ninja world those who break the rules are scum." he spat with all the confidence he could muster. Naruto had to call on his self control to keep from punching the nieve kid.

"But those who would abandon even one of their comrades are worse than scum." he recited the thing he remembered his Kakashi saying over and over with the same hard tone that Kakashi had used.

Kakashi glared at him. "What would you know about it?" he basically growled. He couldn't look Naruto in the eyes so settled for turning to the sky.

"About rules and comrades? Everything." Naruto replyed sadly. Kakashi froze at the pain in the jounin's usual neutral voice. His eyes hesitatingly went to the blonde who had fixed him with an intense look.

"When you speak of following the rules it goes deeper than just wanting approval, I can tell." Naruto said. "You are thinking of the White Fang am I right?" Kakashi was unable to move, unable to blink or breathe. How could he, tbis person he bearly knew, how could he have known? There was no way, even if he had read his file his father was not mentioned in it so how?

Naruto looked back to the sky like Kakashi had done with a wise look. "Sakumo Hatake. I don't believe his fault lies with when he chose his comrades over his mission - I would have done the same thing." Kakashi's breath stilled, he could do nothing but listen to the blonde's next words. "No, his fault lies with when he chose death over his son." he glanced at Kakashi out of the corner of his eyes before quickly looking away when he saw the anguish and hurt on the boy's visable features.

How dare he? Kakashi thought bitterly. What gave Naruto the right to talk about his father as if he knew anything? "You can't say that. He was a coward for abandoning his mission. He deserved what he got." Kakashi growled. Naruto sat straight and looked at him dead on.

"Stop." he commanded. Kakashi glared at him. "I know you don't mean that."

"I meant every word." Kakashi vowed. Naruto's gaze was stern.

"No you don't. Maybe you think you do but you don't. It hurt you when he left, am I right?"

"No! You don't know anything! He was shunned by the entire village, how could you possibly understand?! He abandoned his mission and that was the price he paid!" Kakashi exclained hysterically, he hardly took note of the fact that he was saying all this to someone he had barely known for more than two weeks.

"I know exactly what that's like." Naruto said truthfully. He saw now just how much pain Kakashi must always be in, to have a father who was seen as scum by his own village, it made sense why Kakashi was as he was now.