•Shackles of Time•

Chapter 3: Questions

Kakashi POV

"alright, great job for completing your mission!" I said in a cheery tone as I clapped my hands once to gain their attention.

Naruto scowled "missions my ass, more like chores" he muttered as he pouted with arms crossed in a defiant manner. I eye smiled.

"maybe we can get higher ranked missions if you talked with the hokage" I stated, knowing he will refuse. The option having been brought up the past three days multiple times but maybe this time...

"no we won't"

Yeah, hope is pointless.

I have been trying to get him to meet with hokage-sama after the second day they started acting out of character, and who am I to say I know their character, it was just impossible to change over the course of one minute. We just need to get him and sasuke, who seemed closer to him yet still held a certain distance as if going any closer would be treason, to talk with the third and maybe explain the shit that they have been pulling these past few days.

They suddenly seemed so different that someone who hasn't noticed would be blind, even sakura has picked up on their sudden change. He and the third had talked about it and came to an agreement.

"you needed to see me, kakashi?" asked the aged hokage as he took a blow from his pipe. His form leaning on the table with tree corpses still littering it, he didn't mind them though, opting to focus on the masked pridogy in front of them to get his mind off the retched paperwork even for just a few minutes.

The jounin bowed "hai, hokage-sama, it is about my two male students. Naruto uzumaki and sasuke uchiha" he stated. The hokage raised a brow in curiosity and carefully hidden worry at the mention of the boy he considered a grandson and their last loyal uchiha.

"speak"

"hai, I have observed a certain... change in their attitude that warrants some concern as their sensei, their friendship seems to have strengthened and they exhibit habits that resembles those who have been... in war"

The third's eyebrows furrowed "war? how so?" he questioned.

"for example, when caught off guard, which surprisingly happens rarely now, their hands almost immediately reach down to their kunai pouch as if expecting an enemy in konoha. There are also times when their eyes harden, blocking any emotion even to me. They are always, although discreetly, searching for something like anyone can come and slit their throats at any moment. They are now more attentive and wary of their surroundings, sometimes they are surprised by seemingly random actions by either me or sakura and give unusual reactions to certain everyday actions" explained kakashi.

"hmm" the hokage hummed in thought "what do you think triggered this change?" was the question he decided to ask amongst multiple ones swirling in his mind.

Kakashi shrugged "I don't know just yet but I remember it started when we were having our team photo, sasuke passed out while naruto threw up blood although after that they seemed fine except for the change in attitude" he said recalling that it was right after the camera man took the picture, as if the flash was some kind of switch.

"I... see" was all the sandaime could say, not finding any reason on why the boys would suddenly act differently after a seemingly normal pictorial.

"why do you think they started exhibiting such behaviour, now?"

"I don't know myself" sighed kakashi.