Chapter Text
Once in a while, Yamato thought, it was nice to get out of Konoha for a bit. He was not usually a fan of diplomatic missions, but he’d spent far too much time trapped in a hospital room, undergoing test after test, after the war. Definitely his least favorite things in the world: needles and test tubes, paper-thin hospital gowns and cold metal tables.
He preferred this.
This was a festively decorated town hall filled with so called important people milling about in their fancy clothes, chatting and chuckling over expensive drinks. Yamato was standing next to the Rokudaime Hokage, Hatake Kakashi, who, for the occasion, was actually wearing his robes and headgear instead of his usual uniform. Or maybe not instead of. For all Yamato knew, Kakashi was wearing the uniform under the robes, ready to throw them off and throw himself into battle.
Yamato took a sip from his glass. The alcohol burned his throat on the way down, but he liked the way it warmed his stomach. He shouldn’t drink too much, he knew, since he was on duty. However, drinking nothing at all would surely make him suspicious to some people. There were always some people. As an Anbu bodyguard you walked a fine line.
Yamato was dressed in a councilor’s robes. While his true mission was protecting the Hokage, everyone else was led to believe that he was one of Hatake Kakashi’s trusted advisors. A war veteran who had retired from active duty. Hence the outfit, which, needless to say, wasn’t to his taste. His face felt naked and exposed without his hitai ate.
In the whole room, there was only one war veteran who really was retired: Maito Gai, currently engaged in conversation with a young woman wearing an elegant kimono. Kakashi was to Gai’s right, talking to the woman’s husband, the owner of most of what little fertile land there was on the island. And Yamato stood next to Kakashi, drinking and smiling politely whenever the conversation called for it. Truth be told, he wasn’t really involved in the talking. He listened, of course, but he was far more interested in everything else that was going on around them.
While Kakashi was making polite small talk, Gai was loud, speaking animatedly, gesturing wildly and drawing the attention of everyone who happened to be near them. Gai-san was distracting and more than once Yamato caught himself shooting a glance in his direction. Because he’d insisted, Gai-san was wearing his jounin uniform, the green abomination, complete with vest and one orange legwarmer. His right leg was still in a cast - as it would be, Kakashi had told Yamato, for the foreseeable future, but that had not kept Gai from accompanying them in his wheelchair.
Why Kakashi had allowed it, Yamato could not have said. Though perhaps it was simply because the mission was as low risk as a diplomatic mission could possibly be and was therefore a great opportunity to make Gai-san to feel useful despite his injury without jeopardizing his health.
As for the mission, it seemed like a simple and straightforward matter. The Rokudaime Hokage had been invited to Kuzushima village for trade negotiations. The village was located on a small island and mostly cut off from the rest of the world. It had no military force or political power to speak of. They needed Konoha; Konoha did not need them. This was obvious to everyone involved.
They’d be fools to try anything, Kakashi-senpai had said back on the ship. Still, better safe than sorry.
Over the years, this had become their rule. Hatake Kakashi, who always promised to bring his squad members back alive from every mission, was a careful man. A lot of the things Yamato knew, he had learned from his senpai.
Peals of laughter came from the left. Yamato looked over and saw the woman covering her mouth with one hand, the fine embroidery on her wide sleeve catching the light, rippling as she shook with laughter. Gai-san was beaming triumphantly.
“You are something else,” she said and leaned forward to touch Gai-san’s shoulder.
Yamato sighed. He felt a pang of annoyance, the first hint of a headache somewhere behind his temples. As much as he respected Gai-san as a shinobi, his eccentric personality was often too much for Yamato, who liked the quiet, and hated the way Gai always seemed to barge in whenever he was talking to his senpai.
Kakashi, he realized, was looking at Gai too, the corners of his eyes crinkling with what might have been a smile.
“Excuse me?” All three of them looked up. One of the village elders was approaching. He had a vague smile on his face, a shifty smile, Yamato thought, and unconsciously adjusted his stance. The old man made a beeline for Kakashi-senpai, ignoring both Yamato and Gai. “Rokudaime-sama?”
Up close, he looked a little sweaty, a shiny forehead under neatly parted grey hair and large, pleading eyes. Yamato only vaguely remembered him from their initial meeting. During those talks, the old man had been quiet, leaving the discussion to the younger men at the table. He was, Yamato estimated, in his late sixties. Of sound mind but not in great shape physically. His shoulders slightly stooped, he walked with a plain wooden cane. Yamato couldn't detect any obvious threat.
“Shitano-san wasn’t it?” The expression on Kakashi’s face hadn’t changed, but there was a sharpness to his eyes now that hadn’t been there before.
“I’m honored that you remember my name, Hokage-sama,” Shitano said, bowing awkwardly. “If you would excuse us,” he said, turning to the landowner and his wife. “There is something I would like to discuss with the Hokage.”
“Of course, Shitano-sama!” The two bowed as well and retreated a little too hastily for Yamato’s taste. He didn’t need to look at his senpai to know that they were thinking the same thing. This felt off.
“What is it you want to discuss?” Kakashi asked, his tone the epitome of friendly.
“Oh…” Shitano’s gaze fell first on Yamato, then slid over to Gai. It was a meaningful look, one that carried a very clear message, namely that he would like them to leave, but when they and Kakashi pointedly ignored it, Shitano turned his attention back to the Hokage.
“First of all, I cannot tell you how happy you have made me. That someone like the great sixth Hokage Hatake Kakashi would even bother to come to such a small, insignificant place like this! We are truly honored.”
“Thank you,” Kakashi-senpai replied. “I’m expecting great things to come of this. A trade agreement and an alliance that will benefit both our villages. I am not here out of charity; I believe that there is much Kuzushima can do for Konoha.”
The old man nodded, his watery eyes brimming with an emotion Yamato couldn’t quite read. “Your words touch me deeply, Hokage-sama. You really are an exceptional man.” He took a deep breath and slid his hand into his pocket. Yamato tensed, readying himself.
“That’s why I want to give you this as a token of my eternal gratitude.” Shitano took out a small wooden box about the size of his hand. It was plain, polished oak and he opened it and took out a dark blue gem. They all watched in silence as Shitano put away the box. He took the gem in both hands and offered it to Kakashi.
Why not leave it in the box, Yamato wondered abstractly.
Kakashi made no move to take the gem from the old man. “This is incredibly generous, but I can’t accept your present. We came here to negotiate; personal gifts are not--”
“Hokage-sama, please,” Shitano interrupted, his voice plaintive. “We both know my village doesn’t have much wealth, not in terms of material goods. This. This is a token of our loyalty. Please don’t reject it.”
He looked pathetic, a trembling old man feebly offering what little he had, holding the gem in his age-spotted hands. Yamato was still tense; something about this didn’t feel right. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Kakashi move, saw him reach for the gem with something like grudging resignation.
It was when his senpai’s fingertips were about to touch the gem that Yamato felt it, a jolt of chakra, burning with malicious intensity, coming from the thing in Shitano’s hands. He heard Gai-san shout, but he was already moving, shoving himself between Kakashi and the old man, trying to get the gem away from Kakashi. Gai came from the other side, lunging out of his wheelchair, knocking into them, Yamato and Kakashi, their fingers tangled around that pulsing energy.
Pain pried Yamato’s skull open, a blinding white heat filling his mind.
The last thing he saw was Kakashi falling; his last thought: Forgive me. I've failed you, Senpai.