Н‘¾Ð‘¯Ð‘¬Ð‘Μ Ð‘»Ð‘¯Ð‘¬ Н‘¾Ð‘°Ð‘Μ𝑫 Н‘©Ð‘³Ð‘¶Ð‘¾Ð‘º €¢Ð’Ƒ𝒙Н’Ƒ• I’ll always be here

AN: The picture above is what I imagined Akashi looks like.

They were running for a while, when Akashi sensed something. Someone was near them. The chakra was familiar, but it took him a few moments to pinpoint the exact person who it belonged to.

Temari.

“Kakashi, Temari is off to the right”. He spoke up, making the other three members nod.

_

After a few minutes of jumping from tree to tree, they caught up to her.

Kakashi had broke the news of Gaara’s kidnapping to her and she grit her teeth in reply, looking off to the side. “It’ll take about two and a half days to get to Suna from here… Let’s hurry”. Kakashi told her and the five of them resumed their way to Suna.

_

Night had already fallen when Naruto had broken off from their unit and jumped a little ahead of them. “Naruto! I told you earlier not to disrupt the unit…”. Sakura reprimanded him. She had indeed told him the same thing earlier, before they met up with Temari.

Akashi remained silent, quietly following after them.

“I don’t like it!” He heard Naruto’s heightened tone. “Even I know why they’re after people like… Akashi, Gaara and me”. He had stumbled a bit at Akashi’s name, but easily continued after that. “You know it already, don’t you Sakura… That Akashi and I have the Nine-Tails sealed inside of us?” Temari was taken aback at the confession. Sakura didn’t look that surprised and Kakashi remained expressionless.

Naruto gripped the area over his heart and Akashi almost did the same. “The three of us have monsters inside us. That’s what they’re after!” He stepped atop a branch and the layer of wood broke from the force he used. “That’s what I don’t like! They only see us as monsters!” He screamed out. Akashi took a deep breath at his words. It was true… people saw them as monsters because they were afraid of the real monsters inside of them.

Naruto exclaimed that he had no time to lose and that he had to go rescue Gaara. The rest of them followed after him.

_

The blond was up ahead, with Akashi right behind him, when Sakura went over to them.

“You two… you’ve met him before, haven’t you? Uchiha Itachi…”. Naruto grit his teeth at the mention of the man and Akashi felt a fragment of anger at that name. Uchiha Itachi… He had indeed met him once before and not under good circumstances. He was also the one who revealed the name of the chains Akashi had awakened.

“And he’s after you two…”. She glanced between Naruto and Akashi. “I didn’t just train over these past two and a half years. I got into Tsunade’s library and did outside investigations the best I could”. She continued, facing forwards. “And now… what was bothering me finally makes sense now!” She exclaimed.

“The person Sasuke wants to kill… is his own older brother Uchiha Itachi, right…?” Naruto’s eyes widened the moment she asked the question. It was as if he didn’t know about that. As if this was some new revelation to him.

“Bingo”. She and Naruto peered at the redhead who spoke up from behind them. “Took you long enough to figure it out”. The blond’s eyes narrowed.

“You knew?!” He asked, but Akashi didn’t reply. “Why didn’t you tell me?!” Another question was aimed at him and he shrugged his shoulders.

“It didn’t come up”. He honestly replied. It really never came up in their previous conversations so he made no move to speak of it at all.

“It didn’t come up?! What else haven’t you told me?!” He demanded and Akashi glanced at him through his mask.

“Watch your tone”. The blond’s eyes widen in surprise. Disbelief etched clear on his features. He didn’t expect that. Not at all. “I haven’t told you a lot of things… and I have no plans on ever telling you”. Without another word, he slowed down his pace to match that of their squad leader.

The man cast a look at him, before facing forward again. “Is something the matter?” He asked, not looking at the redhead.

“Not really”. He replied and Kakashi raised his brows at his words. What? The boy was so confusing sometimes…

On the other hand…

Akashi stayed silent as they ran through the forest, the only thought in his mind was…

Sasuke.

That name plagued him ever since that fateful night he left the village in search of power. Ever since he left them…

Ever since he left him…

It wasn’t so long ago that he saw him last…

Only five months have passed since that mission…

The mission on which he had encountered him…

…

His ANBU squad was separated because of an ambush. His arm was around Shinya’s shoulders and the other one was putting pressure on the gaping wound on his side. “Damn it!” He growled out, before gasping immediately after that, blood seeping through his fingers.

“Don’t move! How many times did I tell you this?!” He was pulled forward and settled against a tree. Shinya lowered him on the ground and sighed. “You’re always so careless…”. He cast a glance at the injury. “Can you stop the bleeding now? We managed to get away from them, so you should be safe now”. Shinya crouched in front of him and reached a hand forward, moving a single strand of crimson hair to the side. “Why is this one always like this?” He huffed when he watched it fall back into its previous position.

Akashi snorted and coughed right after doing that. Blood splattered against his dirty palm. “I don’t know… It was always like that, ever since I can remember…”. The hand which literally held his insides inside, glowed a green light and he sighed in relief. “Finally… One of the enemy ninja did something to the chakra paths in my hand, so I couldn’t heal… but it seems everything is fine now”. He closed his eyes and leaned backwards, focusing on the feeling of his chakra.

Ten minutes passed and the bleeding finally stopped. Shinya reached into his pouch and took out a bandage. “Are you serious? You carry that around with you?” Akashi asked and got a glare in return.

“Be happy I did”. Shinya replied and gestured at the redhead’s shirt. The said boy sighed and grabbed the hem of it, raising it over the wound. Shinya grabbed the middle of the bandage with his teeth and ripped it. “The bleeding may have stopped, but this is still going to hurt”. He warned the younger boy, who nodded in return.

“Just get on with it”. Without another word, Shinya started wrapping the bandage around his waist. Akashi flinched as it touched his sensitive flesh. “Easy! I’m fragile!” The other boy snorted and raised his hand to pinch Akashi’s cheek.

“Fragile? You? Please! You’re anything but that!” Akashi huffed and turned to the side, evading his eyes. Shinya said nothing until he was done with bandaging. “There… That should do it”. He leaned back and sat down, breathing a sigh of relief. “Do you sense anyone nearby?” He glanced at Akashi just in time to see his eyes widen in horror.

“Shit…”. Was the only thing he said, before he jumped to his feet and practically disappeared from in front of him. Shinya followed after him, but wasn’t able to keep up with his speed. He had to catch up with him, he was still weakened from the previous fight!

“Wait!” He yelled after him and watched as his red hair disappeared within the thick tree branches. He pushed through all the leaves and branches, before finding himself in an open field.

Akashi was standing in the middle of the clearing with an unknown boy a few feet in front of him. His raven hair was fluttering in the wind and he, too, stood still.

“Sasuke?” Shinya froze at the mention of that name. Now he knew who he was. Akashi had told him all about him. How he used to be a part of his team. How he had an unusual rivalry with Akashi’s brother. How his brother had massacred his whole clan and only left Sasuke alive.

How Akashi used to be in love with him.

“You… You’ve grown”. The Uchiha said nothing to that. He remained silent… quietly looking at the boy in front of him. Shinya watched as Akashi took a step forward and he felt his own hand twitch at his side. An unidentified feeling washed through his body at the sight of that, but he remained hidden where he was.

“I could say the same”. He had finally replied and Akashi’s breath was knocked out of him at the sound of his voice. It has been so long since he had heard it. Two whole years had passed since their last meeting. “You joined the ANBU”. It wasn’t a question, it sounded more like a statement.

“I have”. They stared at one another for almost a minute, before Akashi spoke up again. “I had nothing else left”. Sasuke’s brow twitched when he heard that.

“Nothing?” He asked and Akashi nodded.

“Nothing… Naruto had left with Jiraiya… Sakura became the Hokage’s apprentice and Kakashi just became too busy”. He glanced at his feet, feeling like he couldn’t look at the other boy.

Shinya’s heart throbbed when he saw the Uchiha approach Akashi.

But, before the hand he had extended could reach the redhead, it was harshly slapped away. Shinya felt a twisted sense of relief fill him up at that scene.

“Stop… I’m not the same boy you saw two years ago…”. Sasuke retracted his hand and let it drop at his side.

“I can see that”. Akashi glanced at him, before taking a step back.

“You are missing ninja”. He said while taking a few more steps back. Sasuke said nothing to that, he just remained in the same place as he was before. “Not bringing you back to Konoha would be counted as treason… I can’t have that”. He reached behind himself and felt the familiar hilt of his blade. “I can’t do the same thing I did last time”. He unsheathed it and pointed it at Sasuke. “Not again…”. He whispered, violet eyes lit aflame.

Sasuke reached for his own blade, which was held at his hip, and pulled it out. He twirled it between his fingers, before pointing it at Akashi. He said nothing as he lunged forward.

But… before they could collide, Sasuke’s blade flew out of his hands and impaled the ground a few feet behind him.

His dark eyes widened when he saw the person in front of him. A boy, who roughly looked older than him, was standing in front of Akashi and a blade was held in his right hand. His other hand was wrapped around Akashi’s wrist, holding back his mid-swung blade.

Feeling outnumbered, Sasuke jumped back and grabbed his blade, before sheathing it. “What’s this? A bodyguard?” Shinya pushed Akashi behind him and growled at the Uchiha. The said boy smirked at that. “Scratch that… A guard dog”. Akashi ripped his wrist free from the harsh grip that held it and glared at Sasuke over Shinya’s shoulder.

“Shut up!” He snarled at him, teeth flashing in the dead of night and Sasuke was taken aback at that.

Akashi hadn’t raised his voice at him before… even when they were younger, but he had raised it to defend the boy between them. He glanced at the moss-eyed boy and felt the muscles in his jaw tighten. There was nothing special about him, but… He had managed to hold them both back with a single motion. He had even managed to knock Sasuke’s blade out of his hands, while holding Akashi back.

He was certainly strong… Probably stronger than him.

Casting one last look towards the redhead, Sasuke turned around and left…

Leaving Shinya with a disgruntled Akashi.

He peered back at the angry redhead and a sigh escaped his lips. “I really don’t know what you saw in that shallow boy”. Akashi looked away and grit his teeth. Sasuke… Why did he have to see him now? After all this time? Why now? He had no wish to meet him again…

“Akashi?” He was snapped out of his thoughts once he felt warm skin on the side of his neck. “Hey, you okay?” He heard the worried tone of the boy in front of him. In reply, he covered the hand on the side of his neck with his own.

“I’m fine”. He mumbled, breathing out a sigh.

“You neither sound nor look fine…”. Shinya’s thumb trailed over the underside of his jaw and Akashi felt his chest constrict. His throat felt raw and his eyes burned. Shinya moved closer to him and his other hand slipped to his wrist. The blade slipped from his hand, replaced by fingers which intertwined with his own. “Don’t worry”. Shinya leaned down, connecting their foreheads, and closed his eyes.

“I’m here… I’ll always be here”. He whispered.

In that moment, Akashi could do nothing, but believe him.

…

“Damn it!” He grit his teeth as he remembered that day. He didn’t wish to remember it now! Not paying attention to his surroundings, he didn’t see the breakage on the branch he was about to step on.

“Akashi!” He heard Kakashi yell out at the same time his foot slipped and he pummeled towards the ground. Bracing himself, he extended his hand and one chain burst out from his palm. It wrapped around a single branch and he felt his shoulder pop from its socket when his weight got hung on the chain.

A wince escaped his lips as he slowly dropped to the ground. Once his feet touched it, the chain receded back into his hand and he grabbed his shoulder.

“Akashi?! What happened?!” Kakashi landed beside him and crouched down. He extended his hand forward and Akashi slapped it away.

“I’m fine!” He growled out and a moment later, a crack resounded around them. Akashi had put his shoulder back in place.

“You’re not fine!” He was taken aback when Kakashi raised his voice. “What happened to you?” The man whispered, but Akashi didn’t know how to answer him.

A lot had happened.

The others landed behind Kakashi, confused expressions on their faces.

“I’m fine…”. Not waiting for anyone to say anything, Akashi stood up and jumped atop the nearest branch. “Let’s continue”. Hearing that, the rest of them followed after him.

_

After a while, they reached the deserts of Suna. But, unfortunately, they were caught in a sand storm. Listening to Temari’s advice, they found a nearby cave to wait out the storm. Naruto had turned impatient once again, but before Temari could explain why they took shelter, Akashi spoke up.

“I’ve had missions in the desert before and it’s not nice when you get stuck in the middle of a sand storm… People had died from dehydration in them and you can lose your sense of direction…”, he stopped for a moment and removed his mask, placing it next to his feet, “… so be quiet and wait”. His violet eyes met the baby blue of his brother. Neither one of them looked away.

Kakashi decided to intervene before things could get messy. “Now, now… Calm down, both of you”. Naruto was the first one to look away, huffing and crossing his arms in the process.

“How childish…”. Akashi mumbled and leaned back on the cave wall. Naruto grit his teeth at his words, but didn’t do anything else.

_

They reached Suna a few hours later and were led in by the guards. They were informed that Kankuro was poisoned so they were hurrying to where he was being kept.

The moment they burst through the door of the room Kankuro was in, an old-looking lady glared at Kakashi. “You! Prepare yourself!” She dashed at him and jumped up.

Naruto did a Shadow Clone and managed to block her hit, but she jumped away. “Why are you charging at Kakashi-sensei like that?” The clone asked. “You wrinkled hag!” The real Naruto added and the clone disappeared.

Akashi took of his mask and pulled out his sword. “What’s the meaning of this?” He glanced at the old lady.

“You dared to kill him back then, accursed White Fang of Konoha?” She asked Kakashi. “I’ll finally avenge my son today!” The mood in the room darkened at her words.

White Fang of Konoha? Akashi glanced at Kakashi. That was not one of his titles. Not at all.

“No, wait, I’m-“. Kakashi started, but she interrupted him.

“It won’t work!” Before she could attack once again, and old man stood in front of her.

“Sis, look closer”. Akashi heard him say and the lady’s eyes widened. “He might look the part, but he’s not Konoha’s White Fang”. He added.

“Hi!” Kakashi raised a hand in greeting, a nervous expression on his masked face. Akashi scoffed at the scene.

“And this ‘White Fang’ died ages ago”. That piqued Akash’s interest. So the real White Fang was dead? He glanced at Kakashi. What was his connection with him, since the lady mistook him? A relative? Brother? Father? Akashi didn’t know anything about Kakashi’s personal life, except what he had told him.

“When you received the news about it, you cried and regretted not being able to avenge your son, right?” The old man asked. “Right, sis?” He added.

“Yeah right! I was just playing dumb!” She started laughing, but it was obvious she was lying. Everyone in the room knew it, including her.

The mood was broken when Kankuro started groaning from behind them. Sakura immediately hurried over to him. She ordered everyone, not needed, to leave the room. Since Akashi found that she had the situation under control, he exited the room along with the others.

They set on a bench in the hallway, but Akashi leaned on the wall next to Kakashi.

The old man and woman joined them. Naruto turned to Kakashi and asked him about the White Fang of Konoha. Kakashi stumbled over his words a little, before saying that the man was his father. Akashi listened from the side. So… Kakashi’s father was dead… No wonder he didn’t wish to speak about him.

A few hours later, Sakura had finished with extracting the poison from Kankuro’s body. After that, she had left to gather some herbs to make an antidote for safety measures. A few moments after that, Kankuro had woken up and told Kakashi that he had managed to grab a piece of clothing from one of the men he fought.

The doll with which he fought opened its palm and the material was in its hand. He told Kakashi to track the scent on it. Kakashi took the fabric and stepped away.

He did a hand-sign, nicked his finger and slammed his palm onto the ground. “Summoning Technique!” A puff of smoke appeared in front of him and a pack of eight dogs were there once the smoke cleared. Before he could hand over the piece of fabric, Akashi crouched down.

“Akashi?” The silver-haired man asked, confused as to what the boy was doing. “What are you doing?” Without answering the question, the redhead bit his finger, drawing blood, and slammed it onto the ground.

“Summoning Technique!” He yelled out and a puff of smoke, similar to that of Kakashi, appeared in front of him. Once it cleared away, Kakashi’s eyes widened.

There, right in front of him, stood a pack of wolves.

Akashi reached a hand forward and the whole pack immediately lunged at him. He groaned once his backside met the harsh ground underneath him. “Akashi?!” Kakashi took a step forward, but froze in his tracks when he heard eight simultaneous growls directed at him.

Each of the wolves were standing around Akashi, forming a protective circle. Their fangs were barred, their ears were standing up straight and their tails were curling up at the ends. That was all Kakashi needed to see to know that they would attack him if he moved a muscle.

Akashi tilted his head and one of the bigger wolves nuzzled its snout against his neck. Kakashi watched as the redhead turned his face towards it and touched their noses together. “Hello”. He said to it. The rest of the wolves turned back to him, their postures no longer indicating any hostility.

The biggest and the darkest wolf stood taller than the rest around it. Kakashi could see it reached well above his hips. He guessed that was the pack leader. “Akashi”. Its baritone tone almost sent a shiver down the silver-haired man’s spine.

“Chrono”. He greeted back and waited. The black wolf stalked towards him and Akashi lowered his head. This was totally different than the relationship he himself had with his dog summons, Kakashi noted. The wolves have a hierarchy and the one on top must be respected… at least that was what this looked like to Kakashi. It seems that the wolf, Chrono, accepted Akashi as one of his pack members.

Chrono stopped right in front of him, his golden eyes not looking away from the boy. A moment later, it bent down and jumped at Akashi. The said boy stumbled back and Kakashi’s eyebrows shot up to his hairline. All of the wolves resumed their onslaughter on Akashi, making the poor boy fall to his back. “Okay! Okay! I get it!” He wiggled on the floor and Kakashi could admit, it was amusing.

“Are we needed?” One spotted wolf asked, its tail wagging side to side. Akashi sat up and pushed his disheveled hair back.

“Yeah, I need you to track someone”. At his words, they all stepped away and sat in a line in front of him. Akashi turned to Kakashi and gestured at the piece of fabric in his hands. Noticing what he wanted, he handed it over. Akashi took it in his hands and let each of the wolves smell it. “If you do find him, do not engage, signal back to me”. They nodded and disappeared, the only thing Kakashi heard was the scratching of claws against the ground.

Kakashi took the fabric back and did the same with his dog summons.

After that, Team 7 packed their things and went to the place they were going to stay at.