SALVATION

Chapter 6

After the Kages had agreed to reanimate Kakashi, Orochimaru had explained the jutsu in more detail. Different to the Edo-Tensei it didn't require a living sacrifice but only a DNA-sample, something that had belonged to the person you wish to revive and a large amount of chakra. It was only possible with the combined chakra of at least five Kages. Even though A had disliked the idea of spending his chakra on the revival of the Silver Reaper, he had eventually given in.

Tsunade had assured everyone that a DNA-sample of Kakashi was still in the hospital, so this wouldn't be a problem. The more problematic part was to find something that had belonged to the young Hatake.

At first, you'd think that there were lots of things but when you actually tried to find something it turned out that there was basically nothing left from the child. Kakashi never had something that he had kept with him all time or that you could call his. The summoning scroll of the hounds, that Jiraiya suggested, belonged to the Hatake clan, not the silver-haired boy personally. The tanto he had inherited from his father long ago, had been lost when Hanzo had captured him and was never found.

The entire way to Konoha, the shinobi tried to think of something. A had been so annoyed that he had cursed the Hatake the entire way. He couldn't wrap his head around the fact that such a famous war hero had nothing.

It was only when they had arrived in Konoha, that Orochimaru remembered.

The Snake Sannin hastily walked up to the blond Hokage and told him: "Hokage-sama, I know what we can use! If you'd excuse me, I'm going to get it and meet you in the office."

Without waiting he left the group and walked straight towards the Hatake's house. For a moment he stopped in front of said house, hesitating to enter, before he steeled himself and went inside. Hastily, he stepped inside Kakashi's room and looked around attentively.

"If I remember correctly...", he muttered and pushed the child's bed from its place.

Kneeling, the Sannin touched the floor, looking for the small hole that would loosen one of the wooden boards.

Smiling, he whispered: "Found it." and pulled one of the boards up.

Beneath it was a small empty hole, only big enough for a small box. The Snake Sannin carefully took out the box. Taking a deep breath, he hesitantly opened it and was met with an incredibly old looking and tattered book and a faded square paper, which had to be a photograph a long time ago.

'Icha Icha Paradise', he read out silently after dusting the tattered book and looked then at the faded photograph. 'The edges are burnt, and it has rips all over. You can't even make out the people on it, only that there were four of them. There's a little bit of silver and pink and blonde and black but no one should be able to identify the people. I can't use the book because the volume hadn't been released when Kakashi died and Jiraiya would no doubt become suspicious.'

The Snake Sannin put the photo carefully away and hid the book again.

'Let's go,' he thought grimly and walked towards the Hokage office.

"You've got to be kidding me, Minato. You can't possibly be serious about this."

Fugaku leaned stoically against the huge double doors of the Hokage office, his dark eyes watching the blond attentively.

Minato was aware that for the other Kage this must look like an act of defiance, but he couldn't bring himself to blame the Uchiha. Although he would have preferred it that he'd do it when no one else was around. After all, the Uchiha Clan Head would be directly affected by what was to come.

"We'll talk later," he tried to push the Uchiha Clan Head away and continue to lead his visitors and the Sannin - Orochimaru had joined them outside again - into his office.