video | 003

[ura_no_ura]

[Video]

[ When the video first goes on, the screen is covered by a glove-covered hand, but after a slight shaky moment as it's set down on some sort of ledge, the hand retreats, revealing Kakashi standing outside. A few trees, still droopy with melting snow, can be seen in the background. Those familiar with the terrain might recognize it to be near Flame Building. ]

Hello, Luceti.

[ Kakashi dips his head in greeting, since he's addressing all of Luceti. ]

My name is Hatake Kakashi. Some of you may be familiar with me. For those of you who aren't, I'm a shinobi from a village called Konohagakure -- or Konoha for short -- in a country called "Fire Country." I am also the Commander of the Third Division, which is primarily a short-to-mid-range combat division, of the Allied Shinobi Forces. Many of you may be acquainted with or might recognize my comrades, amongst whom include Uzumaki Naruto, Nara Shikamaru, and Rock Lee. [ The names Kakashi lists aren't at random, but selected based on his observations of how recognizable those names would be. ]

The reason why I reach out to all of you today is simple. While things in Luceti currently are peaceful, and it appears we have nothing to worry about, the ever-present threat of the Malnosso and the Third Party remains. Kidnappings still occur, with seemingly no conceivable way to stop or fight them. Should there be an attack on the enclosure, at present, there is no organized force that can fight in concert to protect the enclosure and ensure the safety of civilians who might not be able to fight back. While some of us may be used to working together due to missions and drafts, as far as I am aware, no formal training or maneuvers are ever held to ensure all parties working together are using the best tactics and strategy. And from what I know, there are no formal safety measures in place to protect civilians or evacuate them to safer ground should a fight break out, as it did a few months ago.

On behalf of Konohagakure and Fire Country, by order of Namikaze Minato, the Yondaime Hokage-sama, I would like to formally extend an invitation to anyone who has military training, unique or magical powers, or immense skill in battle strategy, espionage and intelligence-gathering, field medicine, hacking, or other specialized skills to join us in forming an alliance. This alliance would not only give those of us from different worlds a chance to meet and discuss our shared interests in protecting Luceti's inhabitants, but would also give us the opportunity to learn and adapt how to fight with and against those with different training or powers. By conducting shared training sessions, maneuvers, disaster simulations, and taking missions together, we can share resources and power, as well as develop strategy.

As for who's in charge... seeing as we're all from different worlds, it would make much more sense for us to establish a council of leaders from different worlds. We invite leaders from other worlds who might have similar shared interests to contact us, and open a line of dialogue.

We look forward to hearing from you all.

[ Speech finished, Kakashi bows to the camera again, then reaches out and turns off the feed. ]


[Action | Flame Building | Afternoon ]

[ Yup, that sure is Kakashi walking vertically up the side of a wall. Just strolling along like it's no big deal. ]


[ Text | Filtered 100% to fellow ninja, written in extremely formal language ]

By order of Yondaime Hokage-sama, the Konohagakure Jounin Exams will soon be held for all qualified Chuunin. If you are interested in participating, a sign-up form has been placed on the door of Yondaime-sama's place of residence. Direct any questions you might have to Hatake Kakashi.

[ Text | Filtered 100% to Shikamaru ]

Shikamaru, I've nominated you for jounin promotion to Yondaime. Though we've decided to hold jounin exams, I've requested a special exception for you. However, if you would like to take the exams in the interest of fairness, you are still welcome to do so. - Kakashi

[ Text | Filtered 100% to Naruto ]

Naruto, I just wanted to let you know that I nominated you for jounin promotion. However, because you are still genin, it will be necessary for you to take the exam. - Kakashi

[ Text | Filtered 100% to Sakura ]

Sakura, I've nominated you for jounin promotion. Usually, this means immediate promotion, but because your peers don't have anyone to nominate them, we've decided to hold exams this year. Let me know if you would like to compete in them. - Kakashi

KONOHA JOUNIN EXAMS	LUCETI ALLIANCE DISCUSSION		ACTION
Kushina & Lee Kushina & Kakashi Kushina & Ino Kushina & Minato Temari Sakura Sasuke Lee Neji Naruto Ino Mikoto Shikamaru	Aang Adela Billy Bones Deadpool Eleytheria Elizabeth Gai Ginia Ikki Iroh Jean Johanna Karla Kirk	Law Loki Luke Masaomi Minato Peggy Riku Rogue Saleh Saori Steve Teddy Thor Vegeta Yuffie	Erwin Lea Sasame Trunks

((ooc: Since this is a call for discussion, feel free to thread-jack and hold your own conversations throughout the post. Kakashi will try his best to answer all comments. Also, feel free to comment on this post even it's super late. As long as we're within the 3 month bracket, we're cool!))

Comments

[ura_no_ura]

He was acting on Konoha's orders.

[ That's why. ]

[fervidity]

What?

[ura_no_ura]

[ That had been the first thing that had come out of his mouth, that Itachi had done it on Konoha's orders, but Kushina must've been so shocked at the words Itachi massacred the entirety of the Uchiha clan that what came after probably did not register. A slight frown pinches between his brow, and Kakashi sighs again. ]

From what I understand, the Uchihas were planning a coup d'etat that would have made Konoha look weak, which would have triggered another war. As a result, Danzou, the elders, and Sandaime ordered Itachi to carry out the hit.

[fervidity]

[Right, yes, that's entirely it and not the mun being an idiot and forgetting what happened in the thread nope.]

Itachi's still just a kid! How could they do something like that?! Why didn't they just talk to the Uchiha? I know Mikoto would have listened!

[She is so MAD at EVERYTHING. How could the Sandaime allow that?]

[ura_no_ura]

I was five years old the first time I killed a man. Age doesn't really matter very much on the battlefield.

[ Apparently. ]

As for why they didn't talk to the Uchiha, what I was told is that there were talks but somehow they didn't exactly work out.

[fervidity]

That doesn't make it right! [Especially not for Kakashi. Way to break to your surrogate mother you were killing people at five, Kakashi.]

And they didn't have to resort to killing everyone! Making someone kill their own family!!

That's...! That's--

[There are no words.

She thinks of the Uchiha family here. Did Mikoto know? Her voice breaks.]

Who wants to live in a village like that? How is that better than anything here?

[ura_no_ura]

[ Sorry Kushina, he thought you knew. ]

It's not.

[ Better than anything here, he means. Kakashi's voice is quiet, far too quiet. ]

But a village isn't just made up of its leaders. It's also made up of its people. Our leaders... failed the Uchiha.

[fervidity]

[Kakashi's soft voice makes her eyes finally overflow, silent tears finally making their way down her cheeks. She rubs them away roughly, before he can see.]

They didn't just fail the Uchiha.

They failed everyone.

[She thought she was leaving Naruto to a good home, a good village. Not that.

It makes her sick.]

[ura_no_ura]

[ Kakashi can only mutely nod at that, and despite Kushina's efforts to wipe her tears away quickly -- he saw them anyway. Glittering in her eyes.

He looks away from them, out of respect. ]

[fervidity]

[They're a little red when she finally drops her hand and she stares at the ground.]

Does Mikoto remember?

[ura_no_ura]

I don't know... I haven't really spoken to her much...

[fervidity]

Shouldn't you? I know this place is bad too but if Mikoto's been killed then all the more reason to talk to her now. I hope Itachi is, even if--

[Deep breath.]

It wasn't his fault. Does he know that?

[ura_no_ura]

[ Kakashi doesn't has an answer for either question. Not a good one, anyway.

He'd largely not gone out of his way to speak to Mikoto because speaking to her only reminded him more of how much he failed Sasuke. His inability to be a good sensei to Sasuke directly resulted in the boy not only leaving Konoha, but also killing his older brother to avenge his family.

As for Itachi --

Whether or not it was his fault, he still carried out the killing when he didn't have to. And though Kakashi is sympathetic and understands why Itachi did what he did, it was still wrong. ]

He made the choice to follow that order, Kushina-san. That was his decision.

[fervidity]

[That sounds like Minato's line of thought. Not exactly a good thing to pass along to his students.]

He wouldn't have had to if the Sandaime and all those other old, crotchety fools didn't make the order! And if they didn't teach everyone that the village mattered more than the people in it. Minato would have never allowed that.

[This is said to herself, more than Kakashi.]

What was Sandaime thinking?

[ura_no_ura]

[ Kakashi's not sure how she wants him to respond to that, because at the end of the day, Minato wasn't there when it happened.

And neither was Kushina.

He pulls up his mask slowly, covering his face once more.

Doesn't say a word. ]

[fervidity]

[Well she wants something more than silence. She looks up again with a frown and notices his mask is back up.

The smoldering fire of her temper settles to a low burn now because of the expression on his face.]

I don't mean to take it out on you, Kakashi.

[ura_no_ura]

[ Kakashi shakes his head no. ]

It's fine, Kushina-san. You have every right to be angry.

[ He doesn't specify if he means at him, or at Sandaime.

The truth is this:

If he hadn't failed to protect Rin, Minato and Kushina would have never died, and the Uchiha Massacre would've never happened. And the knowledge of that fact is Kakashi's burden to carry. ]

[fervidity]

It's not fine.

[None of it was. Not the Sandaime, not the Uchiha, not Itachi or Mikoto or Sasuke. Not the system that they had lived by. Kushina almost feels lucky compared to what the Uchiha had to go through.

What a terrible fate.

Slowly, she reaches for a hand and holds it in both of hers.]

For as long as we're here, I'll do whatever I can so nobody has to lose someone like that. The only way is for everyone to go back home.

[ura_no_ura]

[ Kakashi's eye snaps up at Kushina's words, surprised. He hadn't expected her to say that, especially now that she has a second chance at life. ]

But if we all go home... You and Minato-sensei will...

[ He trails off.

Can't even bring himself to say it. ]

[fervidity]

[He doesn't really need to.

She just squeezes his hand and looks at him in determination.]

We all have to go home eventually.

[Though it hurts thinking about it.

And then a smile.]

But I am happy I got to spend more time with you and Naruto and Minato. With Mikoto. I was able to meet everyone's friends and make some of my own. That's more than I could ask for.

1/2

[ura_no_ura]

[ There is so much more you could ask for, Kakashi wants to say, but he doesn't. Can't, because if he opens his mouth, he's afraid of what will come out. There's an ache in his chest that goes all the way right through him and closes up his throat, making it hard to get in a breath. Making it hard to look at her, too, with her beautiful smile and her soft, small hands around his own.

Here in Luceti, she has a second chance to live. A second chance to do all the things she never could before, to watch Naruto continue to grow and thrive and enjoy the time they have together. Feel the sun on her skin, the wind in her hair, cook delicious meals and come home to Minato smiling back at her. All the things she should have had, but couldn't, because Obito took it away and it's all Kakashi's fault that she's dead back there and can't go home with them. And maybe it's not so bad here, even with all the horrible experimentation and drafts and a war that isn't their own, because at least here, she's alive.

Here, Kakashi doesn't have to stand in front of her grave or Minato's, or get down onto his knees to clean off her headstone and feel the coldness of the ground below. The cold ground she didn't deserve to be in at all, because Kushina is, and always was, so warm.

A tremor travels through his arm and right into his hand, and for a moment it's almost as though Kakashi might rip his hand out of hers. ]

[ura_no_ura]

[ But instead, he yanks her forward instead against his chest and wraps his arms around her, bending his head down to bury his face in the curve of her neck the way he might've when he was just eight years old and screaming awake at night with the memory of his father's guts sliding through his fingers.

Burying his face so she can't see his, and so he doesn't have to look her in the eye for another second, because if he does, he might just lose it. ]

[fervidity]

[It's been longer than she remembers that Kakashi is the one to hold onto her, so she's wide-eyed with her arms frozen in air.

She already knows he's probably having wretched thoughts she wouldn't approve of. As much as she despised his nightmares and tried to chase them away by holding onto him and rocking him gently until he went back to sleep. Her arms move around him.

But like she had when he was eight, she reaches up and flattens his silver hair against his head with her hand, letting him hold her for however long he needs without judgement or questions.

Her voice is soft, gentle.]

... This feels familiar... [Her arms tighten around him a little.]

I'm still here, Kakashi.

[She's still hoping she'll stay here for a while, despite everything else, for the people.]

[ura_no_ura]

[ I'm still here, she says, but she's only here because here is Luceti, and not home. But if they go back, if they all return, then here might as well never have happened at all. Here is this place that exists in a vacuum outside of reality, outside of their own world, and should he return one day, it'll be as though he was never here at all.

And Minato and Kushina would still be in the ground, instead of walking above it.

His arms tighten and he slowly inhales, breathing in the familiar scent of Kushina, mixed in with Minato's and Naruto's. The scent of a happy family that only exists here. ]

We don't have to go home.

[ Kakashi's voice sounds hoarse when he finally speaks. So quietly, she would've missed it if not for their close proximity. ]

Not all of us.

[fervidity]

[Kushina's brow furrows. She knows for her, it wouldn't be going home. A part of her thinks of their little house with the flowers in front and the hand carved 'Uzumaki' sign is her home because that's where Minato and Naruto are. A part of her knows that it's not. Home would have been in Konoha with everyone. It took her years to consider it, but it was.]

We do.

All of us.

And I want you to watch over Naruto when that happens, like an older brother, understand? Otherwise, I'll find a way to give you a scolding you'll never forget.