Chapter 165 The trump card

"Shikamaru really scares me sometimes," Naruto muttered, rolling up Ino's report and lighting it on fire. The glittering paper flashed before his eyes, then disappeared without even a trace of ash floating onto the carpeted floor.

"Yeah," Sasuke grunted in agreement, chewing on a green-wrapped matcha chocolate bar.

He propped his head up on one arm and rested his feet on Sakura's legs.

Sakura was massaging his ankle, soothing the pain, rubbing the tense tendons almost unconsciously.

He didn't tell her that it made him feel good, just like Naruto didn't tell her that he'd overloaded his chakra circuits and Sakura had insisted on giving him an energy healing once they got home.

Naruto leaned against her tiredly, resting his cheek against her broad shoulder, wondering what would happen to them without her.

"You might get stuck in a corner and won't be able to get out," Kyuubi scoffed nonchalantly.

"Why do I have a feeling tomorrow is going to be terrible?" Naruto asked the others in the room.

"Because Orochimaru is still lurking in the dark, Danzo's Root members may be hiding in the backyard, and you will be facing off against a mentally unstable Jinchuriki tomorrow." Sakura kindly reminded.

"Well, that's really reassuring when you say that," Naruto complained, stretching and leaning his back against her.

"You have a plan, right?" Sasuke asked.

"No," Naruto admitted nonchalantly.

"Ugh," Sasuke grunted in disgust.

Sakura laughed, freed one hand, and put it into Naruto's hair, gently scratching his scalp. Naruto closed his eyes and hummed comfortably.

"Stay safe, okay?"

"It doesn't guarantee safety." Naruto retorted. "It only guarantees survival."

Sakura gave his hair a warning tug.

"Oh, okay. I'll be careful. Is that ok?"

"No."

"Really."

As they were still chatting in the living room, there was a gentle knock on the door and they both looked up.

"You don't have to knock, Sensei," Sakura said to the person at the door, which then slid open.

Kakashi walked in, followed by Urushi, Puck, and Bisque.

"You brats should have gone to bed a long time ago," he chided, Biscuit diving into Sakura's arms while Urushi lazily lay in Naruto's lap.

Puck walked straight towards Sasuke, whimpering and whispering until Sasuke rolled over so that he was comfortable on his chest.

"Can't sleep," Sasuke mumbled, scratching the ninja dog behind the ears.

"Hmm," Kakashi hummed, sitting cross-legged between Sakura and Sasuke.

The large window on the opposite wall was opened a crack to let in the cool evening breeze, and Kakashi noted with pride that the window was also carefully booby-trapped - a wire trap under the sill would provide a "surprise" to anyone foolish enough to set foot there.

Sakura leaned against Kakashi, the three of them looking like a set of shaky dominoes.

Sasuke, not wanting to be left out, turned around as well and rested his head on Kakashi's thigh.

Kakashi smiled beneath his mask and gently stroked Sakura's back with one hand, giving her a reassuring touch.

She hummed in contentment, pressing her cheek against his shirt, and Naruto adjusted his position so that his spine wouldn't hit her ribs.

Once they were all settled and the other ninja dogs had started to arrive in the room, Kakashi reached into his pocket and pulled out a book that was very different from the novel he usually carried.

"Incomplete History of Known Blood Limits". Classification Level 4: ANBU Restrictions.

"So," Kakashi murmured, thumbing through the worn, dark cover. "Where were we at?"

"The chapter about the Hidden Cloud Village, Lightning Release," Sasuke replied. "Page 64."

Kakashi nodded and flipped to the correct place, running his eyes over the text until he found a familiar paragraph and began reading aloud.

---

Half an hour later, they were all asleep.

Kakashi paused gently so as not to wake them up with the sudden silence and waved to Blue and Sooty as he put the book back in his pocket.

Both ninja dogs stood up and walked over to him, nuzzling his hands and breathing quietly.

He made a familiar set of gestures and they all nodded and took their places behind and to the sides of him.

Blue used its large body to support Sakura and Naruto, while Sou-Hei curled up and became Sasuke's pillow.

Kakashi stood for a moment, looking at their sleeping faces, marveling at how strong and close they had become in such a short time.

They've been through so much, grown so much, gained so much power that it frightened him at times. Their deep bond to each other; from Sasuke's steadfast yet subtle devotion to Naruto, to Sakura's fierce resolve between them, gave them strengths that children their age shouldn't have.

Maybe it's time for Kakashi to grow up too.

After all, how can he be considered a qualified teacher if he can't keep up with his students?

---

Puck followed him out of the room, carefully climbing off Sasuke's chest and jogging to catch up with him.

"Boss, you look terrible." Parker complained when they were far enough away from the kids to make sure they couldn't hear him. "We have a mission?"

"That's about right." He murmured and continued walking forward.

He paused in front of the door to the basement vault, a heavy, leaded, sacred wooden door, stronger than titanium, sealed with a blood seal.

Kakashi reached his hand towards the empty space in the center of the Hatake clan crest and pressed his own chakra mark against the texture just below his palm.

The seal recognized his identity and the locks opened one by one until the door slowly opened under its own weight.

He walked slowly down the stairs, not turning on any of the lights on the walls, past the treasures; a huge golden scroll engraved with the Sand Village family crest, a decorative flagwood-style weapon worth more than Kakashi's annual salary, and an ancient potion and poison jar set that would make Tsunade cry with envy - all of which were won from gambling with Kakashi's favorite female ninja.

He came to the far end of the room, where there was a hidden wall, hidden in the gap between two other walls, creating an optical illusion.

Puck slowed down when he realized where Kakashi was going.

"Boss? I thought you said you wouldn't open that thing again."

“There are a lot of things I said I wouldn’t do again,” he whispered, running his hand along the wall at eye level.

Dust and plaster fell away, and with each rub, more of the lozenge-shaped diamond pattern was revealed, the symbol of his family.

"I said I wouldn't let anyone get close to me again. I said I wouldn't be responsible for someone else's life again. I said I wouldn't go against the wishes of the village or the Hokage." As his bare skin brushed the clan emblem for the last time, it began to glow softly, waiting for orders. "But I found that I'm a bit of a liar."

Kakashi paused, staring at this long-neglected ancient emblem, its light flickering like a candle in the wind.

"This is dangerous, Boss," Parker gruffly admitted. "With all due respect, but—it's time."

Kakashi gasped in surprise.

"Are you sure?"

Parker nodded, whimpered, and sat down, raising his front paws.

Kakashi obediently bent down and picked it up, while Puck placed both paws on his shoulders comfortingly.

"We will always be your people," it grumbled, then looked directly at the shimmering seal that guarded the oldest part of the Hatake Mansion. "It is time for us to share your burden."