Atonement

Chapter 15

7 months.

That's how long Anko or anyone in Konoha hadn't seen Kakashi.

When the silver-haired boy had returned from his first deployment, Anko had thought it was over. That he wouldn't have to leave again. That he would stay with her. That he would have time to recover from the terrors he had seen. That he would have a childhood again.

Back then she hadn't known that time was a gift given by the gods. She hadn't known that it was as rare as a rain storm during a drought.

Many said ignorance was a gift and Anko couldn't agree more. Because when reality started to catch up to them, she learned how precious time really was. And all it took to make her realise was one single messenger bird telling Kakashi to meet in the Hokage office.

~Flashback~

Kakashi was still crying silently  for all the lives he had taken for his village when a messenger bird landed next to them. 

If Anko had known what news the bird brought she wouldn't have hesitated to kill it. 

"Kakashi-kun, isn't that a messenger bird from the Hokage?" asked Anko reluctantly. She hated to interrupt Kakashi, he deserved to let it all out in peace. 

Quickly, the time traveler wiped his tears away and forced his emotions aside again. The bird Anko mentioned turned out to really be from the hokage and had a small scroll on his leg. Reluctantly, even though he tried hard to not to show it, he grabbed the scroll and glanced over it. The message wasn't long, it only told him to come to the Hokage office immediately, but the timing of the message made Kakashi sick. Couldn't he get just a moment to rest? 

'How stupid of me.' He inwardly face palmed. 'I'm here to atone, I shouldn't ask for a rest.'

"I have to go to the Hokage, Anko," Kakashi said quietly to the purple-haired girl that still hung on to him. 

"What? Why?" she asked curiously. Something about that scroll made her stomach churn and most of the time her instincts were correct. 

Kakashi forced a reassuring smile on his lip and patted her hair gently, while wiggling out of her hug. She didn't need to know that he'd probably be send out soon again. 

"I don't know. Hokage-sama probably wants to get my report now, since I didn't stay long enough to give it to him earlier," he said calmly. 

"Oh."

A small blush grazed Anko's cheeks. He really did keep his promise. 

"I'll come too," she said determined. There was no way in hell that she would let her best friend out of her eyes for even a second now that he was back. 

"You're sure? It could take a while."

Kakashi didn't want to tell Anko that he didn't want her to come. Whatever the Hokage wanted to tell him was probably concerning the war and Anko didn't need to be involved with it anymore than she already was. However, Anko was oblivious to Kakashi's silent wish.

"Yep."

Now it was really hard to keep the small fake smile on his face. Nonetheless, he took Anko's hand and they walked together to the Hokage office. 

Kakashi wasn't surprised to see the three Sannin in the Hokage office but what let his alarm bells ring, was the fact that Danzo was also there. Wherever Danzo was a disaster wasn't far. The time traveler couldn't believe that he had forgotten the threat that Danzo was to Konoha and swore to deal with the man as soon as possible.