Rogue.

Failure

Kakashi used the rooftops to bypass the tangled and crowded village streets in an effort to reach Lady Tsunade's office quicker. He wanted to go check on Sasuke, Naruto and Sakura but first he would make sure Kairi was safe and stable. Once he reached the rooftop of the Hokage tower, he slid open the window which startled the Lady Hokage who was slumped over her desk with her head in her hands, obviously burdened down by the stress of her position. Just another reason Kakashi had never entertained a dream of being Hokage. 

"Kakashi?!" She raised her eyebrows as she turned around, watching him let himself in through the window. 

"Yo."

"What are you doing back?" She seemed flustered as she tried to hide a list of rosters in front of her but he very clearly saw Naruto and Sasuke's pictures amongst the paperwork. 

"We ran into some trouble." He sighed, knowing he was about to be scolded. "Kairi was captured, I got her back but something is wrong with her."

Clearly pissed off now, Tsunade thrusted her fists down on her desk as she lifted herself up from her chair "You took her with you? That was not in the mission briefing I outlined for you!"

Kakashi groaned as he slumped in one of the chairs in front of her desk, dragging a hand down his face. "Yeah yeah, I took her with me, now can we focus on the problem? I have checked her into the hospital but I think you should take a look at her, you know more about Orochimaru than anyone else." 

She looked like she was about to lecture him, but when he let out another, louder groan her face changed into a look of concern. "Tell me everything." 

Kakashi filled her in on the mission from the moment they had gotten to the hideout, explained the maze like layout and the strange white haired man he'd come across that had taken Kairi. He then explained exactly how he'd found her, and that he chose to abandon the mission to get her back to the village. 

"Kabuto... Yes, I've met him." She'd sat back down as he was filling her in and now her head was back in her hands as she thought everything through. "You know, I could really use a drink." 

"It will have to wait." Kakashi gave her a half smile. "Right now you need to attend to her, and I need to check in on the idiot squad." 

Tsunade suddenly lifted her head and began chewing on her lip as if she were wanting to tell him something. She finally let out a sigh and then began to explain that Izumo and Kotetsu had discovered Sakura sleeping outside very early in the morning the other day. She had explained to them that Sasuke was planning on leaving the village, and that he may have knocked her out in his bid to get away. Kakashi couldn't help but feel bad for her, she was so helplessly in love with him and he cast her aside constantly, his only love being for his revenge. He wondered what kept her hanging on so tightly when Sasuke rarely gave her any hope.

 "So, I did the only thing I could think of and asked Shikamaru Nara to gather some of the rookie nine and retrieve him." She drew him back to the conversation with the last thing he wanted to hear right now.

"What did you say?" Kakashi asked as he shot up from his chair, crossing over to her desk and placing his hands down against it. "You mean you sent Genin after Sasuke?" 

"Well, what else could I do?" She asked, in a calm voice as she tried to defuse the situation. "You know the state that this village is in right now.." 

Kakashi groaned as he slumped forwards, there wasn't going to be much use explaining to her why that had been a bad idea when she'd already sent them off. 

"Anyway, I have a contingency plan in place." She stated proudly, sliding three rosters in front of him. 

He gazed at the names and faces, more Genin but powerful ones at least. It seemed Tsunade had sent word to Sunagakure and requested help from the Sand siblings. Naruto had seemed to get through to Gaara, at least a little so it was a hopeful plan, nonetheless it was still three more Genin against Orochimaru's cursed henchmen. They may be strong, but they wouldn't be enough and he felt that in his gut. He thought about Sasuke and Naruto, worried that it would all come to a head with them facing off. He didn't think Naruto would survive it, not with Sasuke's determination... And then there were the rumors, the ones he had unknowingly tested and found true about awaking the next stage of a Sharingan by killing one's best friend.