Love Triangle: Kakashi vs. Genma

39 | His Return

Kakashi couldn't help the good mood he kept over the next few weeks. It felt like everything in his life was turning out good. He had a decent job, a wonderful girlfriend, great friends. Speaking of...

"Hey guys. You two seem to be getting along." Kakashi said, shutting his book and turning to face Asuma and Kurenai. He couldn't help but to smirk just slightly. After all the teasing Asuma did to him and [Y/N], yet they were the first to actually make anything official... but the blush on Kurenai's cheeks told him that perhaps that was only true publicly.

"Idiot. Anko just asked me to pick up some rice dumplings for her." Kurenai said, rather defensively. Kakashi wondered where the two had really just come from. Asuma could tell Kurenai was uncomfortable with the direction the conversation was taking and decided to redirect it, facing Kakashi. "What are you doing here aside from catching up on your reading?"

Kakashi shrugged it off. "Ah, I need to buy something to put on a grave. Plus I'm meeting somebody here. I'm just waiting on Sasuke." He turned and out of the corner of his eye glared at the body seated at a table behind him. Just as he had hoped, Asuma and Kurenai took notice of the... visitors. But they responded as though nothing unusual was happening, careful not to tip them off.

"It isn't like you to be waiting on somebody. Is it for, Obito?" Asuma enunciated the name, carefully watching for a reaction from the two seated at the table. Kurenai was now out of the loop. "Obito?"

Kakashi let his head down slightly. "Uh, yeah. Kind of." From the corner of his eyes, he kept watching the two until he heard Sasuke's voice. "Kakashi. It's not like you to show up early. What gives?"

Kakashi noticed the two missing now. "Well, sometimes I do." Sasuke looked up at the restaurant and grunted. "Let's eat somewhere else. I don't have much of a sweet tooth." Kakashi kept his cool and acted as though nothing had just happened. "Hm, is that so?" He glanced to Asuma and Kurenai. They nodded back and took off.

Just as Kakashi was about to turn and start walking with Sasuke, he noticed [Y/N] standing at the corner, having watched the whole thing. She briefly made eye contact with Kakashi before shaking her head and taking off too. Damn it. He didn't want her to know Itachi was here. He sighed, knowing he would need to catch up to them soon.

[Y/N] stayed hidden in the foliage next to the walkway that her brother and Kurenai walked along. She kept up and watched as they came into contact with the two newcomers. She didn't really think they were anything of a problem. Surely it couldn't be... but maybe... She held back a gasp as one removed the hat he wore that covered his face. "Itachi..." she breathed gently, quietly.

Asuma scoffed, unafraid. [Y/N] stayed still, continuing to watch their confrontation. Asuma had a smart mouth on him, begging a fight. [Y/N] rubbed her forehead. Why, Asuma?

Suddenly, the other one with Itachi (Kisame, was it?) pulled the sword off and his back and slammed it to the ground. "This guy is getting on my nerves. Can I kill him?"

"Well, I guess we aren't going anywhere without a fight. Just try not to overdo it. Your moves tend to stand out."

"They're as good as dead."

[Y/N] watched as the fight started and Asuma jumped back from the sword Kisame swung at him. When Kisame tried again, Asuma pulled out his chakra blades and caught the sword just above his head. With the break, Kurenai decided to go for Itachi with her genjutsu. When Kisame finally made a move and got Asuma's arm, [Y/N] decided now was good time to make herself known.

She ran to Asuma, holding gauze from her pouch against the bleed on his arm. Asuma grit his teeth together. He didn't want [Y/N] here, seeing Itachi again. But what's done is done. It's not like they couldn't use the help. "It's about time, Kurenai." He breathed out, watching her jutsu take effect. [Y/N] glanced up to them, seeing what Asuma had started seeing.

The siblings watched as Kurenai seemed to make headway until Itachi reflected the genjutsu back on her, attacking her and kicking her back over the railing and into the water. Asuma's breath caught as he called to her. Kisame recollected Asuma's attention and Asuma was beginning to feel the danger of the situation. His sister and his lover both were here and in danger, but he was struggling to figure out what to do. He was dodging hits from Kisame while [Y/N] ran to try her hand with the Uchiha.

Damn it, damn it! [Y/N]! Little did they know, Kakashi had been approaching the same way [Y/N] had. He watched everything going down. He had almost made it to her when she decided to run out to Asuma. He clenched his fists and watched as she applied gauze to Asuma's arm before going to attack Itachi, who repeated a similar movement and kicked her back over the railing too. She had just sat up with Kurenai when Itachi came up behind them. "You live up to your reputation. However..."

Kakashi quickly created a shadow clone. The clone appeared to help Asuma while Kakashi appeared behind Itachi. "However, this is the end of the line. For you, anyway."

[Y/N] felt chill bumps at the sound of Kakashi's voice, full of malice. Itachi turned slowly. "Kakashi. It's you." The silver haired ninja had already drawn his kunai knife, ready on the offense. He stood and stared down Itachi, while his clone and Kisame had their own spat back on the walkway. [Y/N] listened to Kakashi, realizing that he didn't know it was Itachi at first, back when they were in town. He didn't tell her because he didn't know. That certainly made her less angry at him now.

Just before Kisame started an all-out brawl, Itachi turned back to him. "Kisame, stop it... If you take this man on it won't be without cost. Furthermore, it will take time and the commotion is liable to bring more shinobi running. Your way is inefficient, and unnecessarily risky. Don't lose sight of our goal."

Kakashi's eyes narrowed. "Let's hear it. What is your goal, exactly?"

"We're looking for something and we know it's here."

"And what would that be?"

[Y/N] stared up between her boyfriend and her ex-best friend. Itachi made no move toward Kakashi, nor did he seem interested in what he had to say. Kakashi pulled the kunai he had drawn closer him, ready to fight. "What is this thing you're looking for?"

"My way is more efficient that Kisame's." The only movement he made was to draw shuriken. But the way Kakashi reacted...

Without warning, Itachi's jutsu moved the water to attack. Kakashi was quick to react, summoning a water wall. [Y/N] and Kurenai had missed even the slightest hint of Itachi readying any form of jutsu, but Kakashi had caught it. Barely. [Y/N] watched in horror as a shadow clone came up behind Kakashi and stabbed him in the back with a kunai. Thankfully, "Kakashi" was just a water clone.

The real Kakashi made his way under the water to hand Kurenai a kunai. Just as she turned, Kakashi jumped out of the water. "Get back Kurenai! That one is the shadow clone!" He pushed Kurenai back, his hand just missing [Y/N] to pull her back too. His heart was racing as he realized he hadn't grabbed her back just as Itachi's shadow clone blew up.

"[Y/N]! Kakashi! Kurenai!" Asuma yelled from the walkway before jumping into the water to look for them. They had all just made it to their feet as the displaced water rained down on them. Kakashi grunted and Asuma pulled [Y/N] up, steadying her. "Are you alright?" Kurenai asked toward Kakashi, who had taken the brunt of her blow.

What have they gotten themselves into?