Chapter Text
“Love does not begin and end the way we seem to think it does. Love is a battle, love is a war; love is a growing up.” – James Baldwin
Kakashi stands in the Hokage’s office, Kushina, and Rin beside him—all of them looking appropriately serious. Minato-sensei rests his head upon his clenched hands. Obito is standing next to him looking extremely worried. And for good reason, this is probably the most delicate and significant mission anyone has ever had to undertake since the end of the war.
“The Akatsuki sent us this request to help pull off a coup in Kirigakure for the Mizukage’s seat,” Minato-sensei says. “The rebels are headed by Terumi Mei and Momochi Zabuza. They also have the support of many of the lower caste groups of Kirigakure. We’ve also received word that the Daimyo of the Land of Water is supportive of them as well. The ‘Bloody Mist’ reputation is doing the Land of Water no favours right about now.”
Kakashi blinks. The Akatsuki? He wasn’t aware Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan were facilitating rebellions, but in hindsight, it should have been obvious that this would be a cause close to their heart given their own origins in claiming power. And if the Akatsuki were working with them, then the rebels must be better than their predecessors. The Momochi Zabuza he had once faced is almost a distant memory now; he can’t even remember the details of it clearly.
“They’ve got one of the seven swordsmen leading them and a kunoichi with two kekkei-genkai.” Rin points out sensibly. “Why do they need Konoha’s help?”
“As you know, there have been plenty of coup attempts for the Mizukage seat previously. And they’ve all failed. They want to ensure this one goes off perfectly. And it’s definitely not going to be an easy mission. Yagura, the Mizukage, is a jinchuuriki with complete mastery over his bijuu. In addition, Kirigakure is in possession of the six-tailed bijuu as well, though the jinchuuriki is unknown. They also have other formidable ninja on their side such as Hoshigaki Kisame, Hozuki Mangetsu, and Ameyuri Ringo.”
Kakashi sighs. Fortunately, he’s managed to mostly recover from the Kakuzu mission (his seal has maximised his chakra regeneration and healing capabilities to new heights), but he’ll have to be very careful on this mission. He was looking forward to chilling out a bit too.
“If this mission goes well, we could have a permanent ally in Kirigakure,” Minato-sensei says soberly. “That’s why I’m sending you three over there. You’re three of my best shinobi, well-suited to make sure this mission is a success. Obito—” Obito twitches at his name being called. “Can you tell me why these three are particularly suited for this mission?”
Kakashi meets Obito’s eyes, curious at his answer. Obito startles and then turns away, reddening.
Cute.
“Yes, sensei.” Obito begins seriously. “Kushina-san, being a jinchuuriki herself, with her adamantine sealing chains and amazing skill with fuinjutsu, is absolutely perfect for taking on Yagura and the rokubi jinchuuriki. Those two will likely be the biggest powerhouses, and she can help subdue them.
Rin, being the medical ninja and genjutsu-specialist, can provide medical support for the team as well as help in infiltration. In this kind of mission, a medical ninja is paramount to ensure that there aren’t any losses to the team.
And Kakashi will be the combat heavy hitter of the team. With his mastery of Hiraishin and his kenjutsu, he’ll be able to take on multiple threats, counter their silent killing technique, and also stand toe-to-toe with the swordsmen. As a diplomatic giant with connections to the Akatsuki, he’ll be a trustworthy liaison with the rebels who will hopefully form the new government in Kiri.”
That is…an extremely accurate assessment, with careful consideration of their skillsets and the political ramifications. Kakashi himself hadn’t considered how his connections to the Akatsuki could benefit the mission, but Obito had. He’s really grown up, Kakashi thinks. A worthy successor to the Hokage. He looks around him. Rin is looking at Obito with a proud and fond expression on her face. Obito looks back at her, rubbing the back of his head bashfully at her obvious pride.
Ah, it is very likely that they are together now. There’s no real reason for them not to be. He and Rin haven’t crossed paths all that much, so he doesn’t expect her lingering childhood crush to still be remaining. The two of them have been attached at the hip since they were five years old, and it would only be too easy to fall in love with Obito the way that he is now. Kakashi hides a smile behind his mask, remembering Obito’s earnest request to be friends.
“At the same time, Hokage-sama, I think there’s one crucial part missing in this team,” Obito interjects boldly.
Kakashi raises his eyebrows at the almost insubordinate response, but Minato-sensei just smiles.
“Elaborate, Obito.”
“One of the known ways of subduing a tailed beast is the sharingan. While I’m certain Kushina-san is more than capable of handling one tailed beast, we also need to factor the six-tails. I think I should also be a part of this mission, given that I have a fully developed sharingan which would definitely be useful.”
Minato-sensei nods. “Those are all very good points, Obito. Astutely analyzed.” Obito grins proudly. “You’re right. I think you would make a good addition to this team. I’m assigning you to this mission as well.”
Obito squints comically at that and then squawks like an outraged chicken. “Hey! That was another test, wasn’t it sensei? You were planning on assigning me to this all along!”
“Obito!” Rin reproaches, sounding like she’s doing this for the thousandth time.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about, Obito,” Sensei says serenely.
Kakashi laughs under his breath and then tries to cover it up with a cough when Obito’s attention lands on him.
“Well, that’s settled then!” Kushina says cheerfully. “The four of us are going on this mission. We’ve never done a mission together. This might be fun, ya know!”
“I don’t think ‘fun’ is the best way to describe pulling off a coup in one of the world’s most ruthless villages, Kushina-san.” Kakashi says dryly.
“Don’t be such a spoilsport, Kakashi!” both Kushina and Obito say at the same time, in the same decibel, making Kakashi feel glad that he doesn’t have heightened hearing in addition to his sensitive nose.
“Ahem,” The four of them turn to face their Hokage. “Now onto the actual mission. Given that we’ll need a reason for you all to be there, the four of you will be going under the pretence of renewing a peace and trade treaty between Konoha and Kiri. You’ll need this,” he says, holding out a scroll with the Konoha insignia on it. Kushina takes it from him. “Of course, the treaty is only an excuse to get the four of you into Kiri to facilitate the coup from within. Kakashi and Obito—as one of the heroes who ended the last war and the next Hokage, I expect you to be perfect diplomats on this mission.”
Kakashi and Obito both nod in unison. “Yes, sir.”
“In addition, you’ll also need these.”
Minato-sensei holds out four red scrolls, each one covered with black clouds. Kakashi feels a rush of fierce pride looking at them, tangible proof of what Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan are accomplishing.
“Each of you will keep this. It’s to show the rebel faction that we’re allies with the Akatsuki. Be careful not to lose them. You will be meeting them in an inn near Nadeshiko village in the Land of Water. There, you will make plans and strategize on how to provide support,” Minato-sensei says, sounding every inch the military leader that he is.
Kakashi notices a slight flush on Kushina’s cheeks. Oh, maybe she’s into that kind of—don’t even go there, Kakashi.
“The leader of this mission will be Obito.”
Obito startles. “Me? Sensei, are you sure about this? By seniority it should be Kushina…”
Kushina laughs, bell-like and full. “Obito! You’re going to be Hokage. Seniority doesn’t mean anything there. Don’t worry though. I’ll help you out if you need anything.” She winks at him.
Minato-sensei nods. “That’s right, Obito. Consider this part of your training and experience. When you pull this off, this will be a feather in your cap that nobody will be able to deny.”
“When,” sensei says, not “if”. And Obito has caught that phrasing as well if the look of pleased confidence on his face is anything to go by.
“The four of you are my best shinobi. I’m counting on you all.”
The four of them stand to attention seriously. “Right!”
Once they’re dismissed, they decide to go back to their respective homes to pack up their essentials and reconvene at the village gate. Kakashi changes into black pants (bandage wrappings underneath) with a utility belt, a sleeveless black shirt (mesh armour underneath) that also has a mask attached, arm guards (of lightning conductive material of course), and a grey haori jacket with the Hatake clan insignia on the sleeves and the Uzumaki spiral on the back. He attaches the Kodachi on his hip and takes his all-purpose mission scroll into his utility belt. He’s ready.
(He’d never worn anything other than a uniform after Obito and Rin’s deaths previously. It had been a good way to fold into himself, get washed out in the greys of an anbu armour and the greens of a flak jacket, to stop being Hatake Kakashi and fashion himself into a deadly tool. At least as a tool, he had some worth and use, could execute what he was entrusted with, quite literally. Hatake Kakashi could not protect but the Hound could kill, without fail.
But now, he has a legacy, he has people to protect. It only makes sense to reflect that.)
He meets his teammates at the village gates and then, they set off. They travel East to go to the small harbour where a non-descript boat will take them through the treacherous water to an island right off the edge of Land of Water territory. From there, they’ll change into henges and water-walk their way in the mist to the designated meeting place. As they glide through the trees, Kakashi takes a moment to observe his teammates. Obito and Kushina both look determined and excited, while Rin looks a bit nervous. Kakashi hasn't worked with her much, but she must be a talented medic-nin with impressive genjutsu abilities going by Obito’s assessment. The fact that she is assigned to such a high-profile mission also speaks for itself. Kushina is a force of nature of course, and he knows they’re indeed very fortunate to have her along on this. As for Obito…
Kakashi narrows his eyes, thinking back to what he saw the day before. Obito had used Kamui to sneak up on Naruto. He hadn’t known that Obito was in possession of the Mangekyo Sharingan. Kakashi supposed the net positive to the world was greater with Obito possessing the Mangekyo, especially given the terrifying capabilities of Kamui. But…the only way he could have gotten it was to witness the death of someone he loved. Kakashi’s heart aches, feeling a little sad for Obito’s lost innocence. He had hoped to avoid that kind of tragedy by ending the war early.
Obito notices Kakashi staring as they leap through trees. “What is it?” he asks defensively.
“Nothing. I was just wondering…about what you said before. Can your sharingan really suppress a bijuu?”
Obito grins softly. “To be honest, I’m not sure. I’ve never tried it. But my sharingan is powerful even for an Uchiha, so there’s no reason that it shouldn’t be possible.”
“Bragging, are we, crybaby?”
“You—quit calling me that already!” he whines. “I haven’t been a crybaby for a long time now!”
“Now that’s a lie if I’ve ever heard one, Obito!” Rin laughs. “You were crying over seeing Tora’s new kittens last week.”
“You’re such a traitor. Seriously, Rin. You’re supposed to say ‘Yep! Obito’s gotten so cool now.’”
“Expecting your girlfriend to lie for you isn’t very Hokage-like, Obito,” Kakashi says wryly.
At that, Obito nearly slips off a branch and falls into the abyss below. He catches himself at the last minute and leaps to the next branch, glaring at him, while Rin and Kushina both laugh loudly. Somehow, Kakashi feels like he’s out of the loop.
“Rin’s not my girlfriend!” Obito yells. “Where’d you get that idea anyway? We’re just friends!”
“I— you both are extremely close. And you were so obvious about…how you felt when we were kids,” Kakashi says helplessly.
Obito groans and Rin continues to laugh.
“To be fair, we did try to make a go of it, when we were around fourteen,” Rin says cheerfully. “I probably should never have agreed because I never saw him that way and he only thought he saw me that way. Eventually, we decided we were better off as friends.”
Obito nods vigorously in agreement.
Kakashi’s eyes widen. He’d somehow not expected this. He’d always thought that with him being out of the equation of the variables that made up Team Minato, Rin would be far more likely to see Obito for who he is: kind, brave, infinitely loyal, with a heart made up of such pure gold that Kakashi thinks he must have been forged through alchemy. Didn’t Madara say he had chosen Obito for his plans simply because his love was so fierce that it would transform into an equally proportional hatred? All in all, Obito is a much better choice than Kakashi, and he’d sort of taken it for granted that Rin would of course see that, that they would start dating, get married, have ten alternating brown and black-haired children, Obito becoming Hokage, and Rin becoming Head of the Hospital eventually.
But of course, people are more than the ideas you have of them. Wasn’t that Obito’s mistake in the first place? It occurs to Kakashi now that maybe he hasn’t exactly been fair in his assumptions of these two either. They’re not the same people Kakashi once knew, and even the people Kakashi once knew were only captured in snapshots, filtered through the uncomplicated lens of nostalgia and pain.
Maybe he can get to know them as people now, with his years of healing supporting him. He’s not the same eight-year-old boy who first came here. And these are not the grey-tinged memories of people he once knew. Kakashi could do with more friends in his own age group anyway.
The four of them change into henges once they reach the harbour at the edge of the Land of Fire, where they’ll be leaving to enter Land of Water territory. Since they’ll be meeting the rebels first, it would be best to maintain a low cover in case anything gets back to Yagura. From there, it’s just a half a day’s journey by steamboat to the island they will be meeting Zabuza and Mei in. Kakashi himself is curious at how well the two of them are working together.
They reach the inn where they’re supposed to meet by evening. It is a traveller’s resting spot, and given the reputation of the Land of Water, mostly boasts the seediest of clientele. Obito gives them a serious look before they go inside. “Even though we’re technically allies, we’re dealing with Kirigakure ninja. These people are used to abandoning their comrades if it benefits them, and Momochi Zabuza in particular is known to be somewhat of a loose cannon. Let’s keep our guards up.”
Kushina snorts. “You don’t need to tell me.”
Ah. Kakashi had somehow not taken this into account. Kumo and Kiri were jointly responsible for the destruction of Uzushiogakure.
“Are you alright?” he murmurs at her.
Kushina gives him a self-assured smile. “What sort of ninja would I be if I couldn’t put aside personal grudges?”
They head inside and are immediately assaulted by an atmosphere of oppressive fear mixed with bloodlust. Kakashi rolls his eyes; this must be Zabuza’s unconventional way of signalling that they were there. Sure enough, they trace the source of the bloodlust in a corner booth up the back—partially hidden through a noren— a shirtless, muscled man covered in bandages lazily lounging in a chair, kubikiribōchō by his side, while a beautiful, redhaired woman with a top knot sits in the opposite booth nursing a glass of sake.
Kakashi, Kushina, Rin, and Obito exchange skeptical looks and meet them in the booth.
“Hello,” Obito says brightly. “I don’t suppose you have space for three? We’re exhausted. I’d honestly just like to lie on a canopy of leaves.”
“Of course,” Mei says agreeably but not moving an inch. “We got here some time ago, in the late afternoon. How are the sky and clouds looking now anyway?”
“Quite some time has passed. It’s around sunset now. Even the clouds are red.”
Zabuza snorts and shuffles inside. “What a weird way to announce yourself. You guys couldn’t be more obvious,” he says bluntly. Kakashi is strongly inclined to agree.
Rin meanwhile carefully casts a sound-cancelling genjutsu over the booth. It’s lovely and layered and subtle, both cancelling outside noise and their own conversation should any eavesdroppers dare try to listen.
Obito takes out the scroll covered in red clouds that Minato-sensei gave him and sets it on the table. Mei takes out her own identical scroll and puts it on the table as well. Kushina picks it up and inspects it carefully, running diagnostic chakra through it. She nods at Obito.
“So, you’re looking to depose the Mizukage and want Konoha’s help,” Obito says bluntly.
“That’s right,” Mei says calmly. “Yagura is….not the same man who took up the mantle. Power has corrupted him. Kirigakure is bloodier than ever; we are waging more battles to annex clans into our village, which is of course causing resentment; the slaughter of those with bloodlines is more arbitrary than it ever has been in the past; civil war is almost imminent. Truth be told, Kirigakure is a mess. And it will not survive for another year if Yagura continues.”
Mei takes off the topknot on her head and allows her lustrous hair to fall softly on her shoulders. She runs a manicured hand through her red hair, the lowlight of their booth casting a lovely, dimmed glow through it.
Kakashi shakes his head. What a strange tangent that was.
Obito brings him back to reality. “Konoha is willing to help you out with this mission. That’s why the Hokage sent the best of the best. We will need to….work out a few agreements between Kiri and Konoha once the coup succeeds though.”
Zabuza masked jaw gives off the impression and terror of bared teeth. “What kind of agreements? If you think Kiri’s going to kneel and bend over for a bunch of tree-huggers—"
Mei holds up a hand and Zabuza quiets.
“We would be glad to negotiate a trade and diplomatic alliance with Konoha. It would actually be beneficial for us because Yagura’s current policies are isolating Kiri from any potential allies.”
Obito grins. “That’s excellent. Let’s discuss the plan then. How do you guys want to pull this coup off?”
Zabuza and Mei exchange a look at that, speaking of familiarity and unsaid trust, and then proceed to lay it out. The plan currently is for Zabuza to stage a “defection”, they explain. He will leave the village as a missing-nin and Yagura will come chasing after him to capture him. Zabuza will lead him to the outskirts of Kirigakure, where he will be ambushed. They will lay out the trap carefully there with other powerful ninja overpowering him. If they’re able to overpower Yagura, much of the work will be complete. Most Kiri ninja are loyal to the Kage and Kiri, not Yagura himself.
“Are any of you good at handling a bijuu?” Zabuza asks sarcastically.
“You’re speaking to the kyuubi jinchuuriki, muscle-head. For your sake, you’d better hope so,” Kushina answers, smiling sharply.
Zabuza blinks and then stiffens minutely, looking at Kushina with a newfound wariness. Kushina continues to smile in a menacing way.
Kakashi is still skeptical about this. He raises an eyebrow. “What if Yagura decides to not come after you? What if you get caught before you reach the outskirts? And what about the other powerful, loyal mist ninja who are not on board with the coup? Seems like there’s a lot that can go wrong with this plan.”
Terumi Mei grins at him, revealing sharp, canine-like teeth. Damn. “Don’t you worry about that. We’ve prepared for those contingencies. When it comes to the seven swordsmen, the Mizukage deals with them personally because of the value and secrets in the swords. Yagura will definitely come after Zabuza himself.”
Zabuza straightens his pose and puts his hands behind his head, mimicking laziness but actually displaying a predatory danger. He frowns at Kakashi.
“I’m not weak enough to get caught by the mist ANBU. I’d be a poor excuse for a ninja if I can’t even leave my village without notice. But if you have doubts, we can have a little match for you to determine whether I can handle it, White Flash,” he says, locking his hands behind his head, the very impressive muscles of his arms and chest flexing,
Kakashi looks at Zabuza placidly, trying his level best to look as if he isn’t ogling. Another thing that came with this new life was the understanding that Kakashi is very much capable of being attracted to people. His constant state of depression and grief and self-loathing had just dampened those emotions down before. Kakashi is not entirely sure of how to handle this novel knowledge that he can actually like people that way. His gaze is unfortunately drawn downward against his will at Zabuza’s straining muscles. He must be obvious about it because Zabuza just grins at him suggestively, knowing all too well where he’s looking.
“..or we can do something else. Doesn’t have to be a match,” Zabuza murmurs lowly. Kakashi feels a betraying blush heat his cheeks and he sees Mei cough an amused laugh from the corner of his eye.
“Alright, let’s get back to the plan,” Obito interjects. Kakashi shoots him a grateful look, but Obito has a slightly peeved expression on his face. Perhaps from Kakashi’s lack of subtlety. He internally kicks himself. Some genius ninja he is, not even being able to keep a burgeoning crush to himself.
They discuss the details of how the Konoha contingent will aid them in their endeavour. All of them will enter Kiri to meet the Mizukage’s delegation. Mei, being a part of the delegation, will also be there. While they’re there, Zabuza will show Kushina and Kakashi the clearing where the fight will happen. On the second night of the delegation, Zabuza will run off. Kushina and Kakashi will wait in the clearing for the fight to occur. Once they arrive, Kakashi and Kushina will help take Yagura down. Meanwhile, Mei, Obito, and Rin will distract powerful Kiri ninja in the village.
“The jinchuuriki of the six tails is Utakata,” Mei explains. “I’ve sparred with him several times before and always won. Kisame will be….difficult to handle but I’ve got a plan on how to deal with him as well.”
“We’ve also got a lot of ninja on our side to help us out. We’ve given them their cues. Don’t worry about it,” Zabuza says.
Kakashi, Kushina, Obito, and Rin exchange a look. They don’t have a choice but to trust in their plan. And in any case, the four of them should be powerful enough to abort the mission and come back should things take a nosedive.
“We look forward to working with you then,” Rin tells them politely.
After that, Mei’s mood completely changes. She smiles at them cheerfully and claps her hands. “Well! Now that we’ve gotten all the depressing talk out of the way, how about we relax a little? Hmm? Let’s drink a toast to seal the deal on a hopefully long alliance.”
Kushina stretches her arms above her head. “Aaah. That would be great, Mei-san! I’m all stiff from that serious talk, y’know! Kakashi, Zabuza-san! Why don’t you two go get us some alcohol?” she says slyly. Fantastic, so even she noticed. He really will never hear the end of it now.
The annoyed frown lines on Obito’s face meanwhile only get deeper. Strange.
Kakashi goes with Zabuza to the bar where Zabuza quells the bartender into providing them a bottle of Shōchū for free.
“I’m kind of honoured you know, that the White Flash himself was checking me out. I feel like a catch,” Zabuza tells him, amused, as they wait.
Kakashi blushes and wonders if it’s tantamount to treason to disappear with a shunshin.
“It wasn’t….really a come-on or anything. Sorry if you felt uncomfortable.”
Zabuza huffs. “Would I be having this conversation with you if I was uncomfortable?”
“I don’t know. We are supposed to be helping you out with a super dangerous mission, the failure of which can have a lot of geopolitical ramifications. So maybe I’m not convinced you’re flirting with me out of the goodness of your heart.” Kakashi says frankly.
“Wow, right for the jugular. You just broke my heart.”
“I didn’t know Kiri ninja had hearts.”
Zabuza snorts. “Gotta admit, walked right into that one.”
Kakashi smiles despite himself. “You did.”
The bartender puts the Shōchū bottle on the table fearfully and shuffles along. Kakashi picks up the bottle but before he can head back to their table, Zabuza puts a hand on his shoulder.
“You know…once this is over and the mission is successful, we ought to hang out—you, me, and Mei.”
Kakashi’s eyes widen. “You, me and—wait, are you two together?”
Zabuza—miraculously—gets two splotches of red on his cheeks. “Kind of—sort of, yeah. I mean, we haven’t really called it anything but it’s hard to pull off an operation like this without getting close in some way.”
“Um…wouldn’t I be interfering?”
Zabuza grins. He lifts his arm knowingly and runs a hand through Kakashi’s hair, allowing for a copious view of his arm muscles. Fuck, since when did he go for muscle-heads?
“You definitely wouldn’t. Between the two of us, you’re Mei’s type too. And I could tell that she was your type, unless I got that wrong.”
Kakashi coughs. “No, you didn’t. I guess I’m pretty obvious. But…I don’t think this is a good idea.”
Zabuza nods. “Alright. No problem with that. Just think about it. Even prodigies who end wars need a bit of fun now and then.”
Kakashi hysterically thinks of his dogs, of cuddling with them after a long day, bathing them, and feeling their soft fur against his cheek when he needs a cuddle. For the longest time, that’s been his idea of fun—the most constant, eternal idea of joy. To think of anything else, particularly in a moment like this is—too much.
Back in the booth, Kushina takes a first drink of the Shōchū to test it out, and once in the clear, they all drink and toast to a successful alliance. They head their separate ways after a little while, and the Konoha contingent decides to rest up at an inn before they go to Kirigakure.
The next morning, as they continue their journey to Kirigakure, Obito flashes him considering and concerned looks. Kakashi looks back, puzzled, but Obito just swivels his head to pretend as if he wasn’t looking.
The fog gets thicker and more potent with chakra the closer they get to Kiri, and Kakashi gets a brilliant idea. This jutsu would come in handy now more than ever. Wind Style: Lightning Whirlwind. He blows out a gust of wind, which turns into a spiralling whirlwind. He moulds lightning chakra in his hands and imbues the wind with it, and allows it to swirl through the mist, carrying water vapours and chakra into the sky.
Once he’s done, Obito looks at him confusedly. “What was that for? You’re wasting chakra.”
Kakashi smiles cryptically. “Don’t worry. This will come in handy soon.”
Once they reach Kiri, they’re met at the entrance by the contingent who will be taking them to meet the Mizukage. The contingent is made up of Terumi Mei (who is a consummate actor), Hozuki Mangetsu, and a young man with black hair and a yukata that leaves little to imagination. Kakashi honestly doesn’t know how he and Mei manage to bare so much skin with Kiri’s cold and icy weather.
Terumi Mei and Hozuki Mangetsu introduce themselves as if their reputations don’t precede them.
“I’m Utakata,” the young man says. Ah, the rokubi jinchuuriki. They’ll have to be very careful with him.
As they walk to the Mizukage tower, Kushina holds Obito and him back just a little bit behind the rest of the group.
“We might be in a little bit trouble,” she tells them grimly.
“What do you mean?” Kakashi and Obito ask in tandem.
“That man—you heard his name, Utakata? The one Mei-san said is the rokubi jinchuuriki? Well, either old furball is getting on in his years and going blind, or Utakata isn’t a jinchuuriki. It’s either somebody else or the Mist no longer has possession of the six-tails,” Kushina says grimly.