Naruto : The System Files

Chapter no.134 Kakashi Hatake

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Kakashi Hatake, the Copy-nin, the man with a thousand techniques, elite jonin of Konoha, slouched his tall, wiry frame a bit more in his seat. He was spreading himself as lazily and with as little dignity as he could in the booth he was currently occupying deep within the confines of "The Kurusai".

A quiet place he liked very much to visit when he needed a drink to recover from his usual bout of lateness.

The man absentmindedly swirled the lukewarm sake left in his cup, his lone right eye observing the liquid sway without really seeing it. With a sigh, the ninja combed a hand through his spiky, gravity-defying white hair, slightly displacing the slanted headband that was covering his left eye.

The alcohol was less attractive than usual. Actually, alcohol had ceased to bring him comfort long ago, but it was still a nasty habit of his to drink some, if only for the numbness it provided. The jonin searched his pouch he wore at all times for his favorite book but stopped.

Even his usual reading had lost its' luster as of late.

Kakashi was used to feeling down, he had been feeling down since the death of his sensei twelve years ago, but nowadays, he had reached a new low.

He knew why of course. When he had learned that his late sensei's child had survived the fateful night of his birth, Kakashi had sworn to himself he would protect the kid at all cost. Having been denied that by the Sandaime, the last Hatake had then made an oath that he would eventually become the boy's jonin-sensei. That had been mercilessly thwarted by circumstances. Being registered already as a potential sensei though, the high command had judged good to give him a team nonetheless.

The cyclops had thrown a very mild tantrum at the Hokage because he was an elite jonin and he could do that, but decisions had been made and it was too late to do anything about it anyway. Warm sake had been more soothing than ever then, even if it had rapidly lost its power over the course of the following two and a half months.

Now his sensei's son was in danger and Kakashi could do nothing about it. The white-haired ninja knew of course. Nothing was official and he had lost access to the special records a few years ago but he knew.

The boy walked with elegance, a grace he didn't possess in the Academy. Surrounded by an aura of danger, twitching, ready. Somebody had been training him and Kakashi had a very good idea who.

Thinking about it, maybe it was better that way. He had been the death of his two teammates, back during the Third Ninja War. He had been unable to prevent his sensei's demise during the Kyuubi incident. Maybe it was better for the boy to be away from him. Away from "Cursed-Kakashi".

But why this disappointment then? Why did it hurt to see the boy, to be unable to approach him, to know he had nothing to do with his life?

Kakashi sighed again and downed the rest of his sake through his facemask. His eye was drawn back to the piece of scroll unfurled on the table in front of him.

Mission orders.

He had to get himself and his team ready to approach the cave of a predator of the worst kind. For a second, he imagined his genin as mice, hunted by a monstrous hawk.

He snorted humorlessly. Good thing one of his nicknames was "Scarecrow". Maybe that would help a little.

"Kakashi, my friend!" A man thundered suddenly in the white-haired jonin's ear though he probably considered it a whisper, drawing him out of his daydream.

"Shut up!" A random drunk hurled at the man, who had not been quiet enough for the patron's taste.

The Copy-nin turned to face his giant mistake of a comrade Maito Gai. Wearing a green, full-body spandex that probably constituted a crime somewhere in the world and sporting a bowl haircut that should not have been allowed over two very bushy eyebrows, the dark-haired man towered above Kakashi, a radiant smile on his face.

The Hatake considered for a moment the one man he was inclined to call a friend. The man did not wait for Kakashi to invite him to sit himself in the same booth.

"So, my hip rival, did you get the mission orders?"

Kakashi sighed and leaned back in his seat. "Yes, Gai, yes. I received the mission orders."

The Hatake immediately silently swore to himself as the other, spandex-clad jonin gazed at him in utter seriousness, eyebrow raised, forehead creased, and all that jazz.

"Should I assume you are not the real Kakashi?"

The last Hatake winced imperceptibly. This routine was another thing he was getting tired of. "Mh, you said something Gai?"

The spandex-clad jonin smirked before fake tears streamed out of his eyes. "So hip and cool, my rival!" He boomed.

"Will. You. Shut up?!"

Gai waved at the irritated drunk apologetically and turned back to Kakashi, his features set into a mask of worries.

"Is everything alright, Kakashi?"

The Copy-nin threw a long, intense, one-eyed look at his fellow jonin. For a second, the white-haired ninja considered telling the man sitting beside him all that was weighing on his heart before he inaudibly scoffed and gave Gai an eye smile.

"Sure Gai. I'm alright."

The towering jonin furrowed his brow before he exhaled a long sigh. "If you say so, Kakashi." The man crossed his arms on his chest. "You know I'd be happy to-"

"Gai."

"Okay. Okay." The man sighed. "We see each other tomorrow then. What time do you want to depart?"

"An opportunity to push my kids a bit. Let's say eight."

"At eight. Very well, I'll inform my genin." Gai said, standing up and throwing a once-over glance at the Hatake. "You know, maybe talking with someone more responsive than a stone would help with whatever is eating you," offered the green-wearing jonin as a farewell.

Kakashi watched dispassionately as his comrade departed before his lone eye fell once again on his half-empty cup. Maybe he had to try something stronger than sake? Maybe he ought to try a shot of those famed Earth Country whisky? There was more alcohol in the amber colored liquor and with a bit of luck, it would help him forget the pain again rather than just dull it.

The Hatake lazily waved toward a waiter who approached him immediately. The advantages of being a well-paying regular, the jonin supposed.

"I'll have a glass of this Earth Country Old Malt that Juntei keeps bragging about."

"Sure sir, right away."

Not a minute later, the waiter was back with a large glass containing not even an inch of amber liquid and presented it to Kakashi. The Hatake sniffed the content and gave a self-satisfied smile.

That would do. That would do perfectly. In a single sip, the whisky disappeared behind the jonin's face mask, burning his throat, spreading fake warmth, numbing his awareness, and killing his brain. Delicious.

"Bring the whole bottle."

"R-right sir, back in a minute."