DXD: The Grumpy Mechanic

"

Masanari gave the Third a deadpan look, then switched back to Naruto. "Go on, kid, remember our deal next time an old man decides to use you in his schemes.

Now go hide under your bed for the next few weeks. "

Naruto gasped. "How the heck did you know I was gonna do that!?" The silence, somehow, was even worse this time.

"I mean I'm not… Gah! You suck! Old man, where's Crow? Crow! I need to go home, quick, where is that bird guy!?"

The Third chuckled. "Crow.

"

Shisui of the Body Flicker body flickered into the room in a flicker of movement.

"Crow, CROW, quick we gotta get aWAAAaaaaaayyy…"

The door opened and closed with an echoing afterimage.

And in the quiet that followed, Masanari Hanzo looked between the Hokage and Hound and spoke first. "I'm guessing my rescuer's visible for a reason?"

The Third's fingers twitched. Scan Perimeter.

Refresh Sound Muffling Technique, recast Loose Lips Technique on all three, perimeter secure, all access ways covered by team, handsign Owl to check for Byakugan spies, none reported. "Clear.

"

The Third looked at the civilian that had just nearly died, by what may well have been poison, possibly ordered by the only man in Konoha that had ever defied the Hokage's will and lived to do it again. Maybe.

"Now, Mister Masanari, you may speak freely. "

"Alright then. " Masanari Hanzo looked from the Hokage to Hound and said.

"Hatake Kakashi, right?"

If he wasn't already, Hound might have frozen. "Well now, you're quite informed, sir.

"

"Not really. You're the one who saved my life after Kurama's rampage, sniffed me out of the wreckage.

I recognized your dog. "

Hound twitched between relaxed and tense. The man had finally said something that was actually reasonable, but then went and called the Kyuubi by… its name? It really had a proper name? "Ah, you don't need to thank me for that, I was just doing my duty as a Konoha ninja.

"

"Nevertheless, I am thankful for both today and back then, even if I wasn't at the time. "

That was quite the disclosure, was it a peace offering? A secret for a secret? He could work with that. He raised his hand to his mask.

"… By your leave, then, Lord Third?" The point you wanted to make was for me, wasn't it?

"Granted. "

Hatake Kakashi took off his mask to reveal… another mask! "Yo. "

Masanari's lips twitched like when you were the only one in on some inside joke or- "An illusion ninjutsu like the Loose Lips, right?"

That… Kakashi just… he had no words. Briefly, but still.

"I'm starting to see why Crow frets over you so much. "

The man's expression shuttered.

"Please don't hold Shisui's latest actions against him," the Third spoke now, and what actions were those? "He was only acting out my will. "

Brazenly, Masanari had the gall to turn openly disappointed. "And that's supposed to be better? Instead of just one kid's social blunder, now it's moral failure for him, moral failure for you, moral failure for whoever got his way over you, failure of leadership if you actually meant it when you said this isn't the sort of village you're trying to run, moral failure for Konoha as a whole, policy failure on top of that, operational failure for literally everyone involved, a complete and utter waste of time, and for what? A little heartbreak and a lot of panic for me by putting me at even more risk of tragic suicide in the near future? In what world does 'just following orders' ever make anything better?"

Kakashi crossed his arms and leaned against the wall with deceptive casualness. He'd have the man by the throat if not for the Hokage's signal not to.

"Ma, that's a bit harsh, don't you think?"

"I have literally nothing left to give that you haven't already ransacked. " That… "What more could you possibly want from me?" That… really was the core of the issue, wasn't it? He was wrong though.

He still had his mind.

The Third did not reply.

And as the quiet stretched, Masanari's disappointment curdled into a resignation so deep and raw that Kakashi felt like someone had just died. The man slumped in his bed, looking blankly at the ceiling, grim and silent.

The Third glanced at Kakashi. "Summon Doctor Hirano back, please.

"

Kakashi signalled to his team, who made short work of escorting the earlier medic into the room in the space of two minutes spent in complete silence.

"Mister Masanari. " Healer Hirano bravely broke the tension, as was her assigned role.

"The last results are in. We can go over them now, unless you've changed your mind and would rather rest?"

Masanari's gaze passed over all three of them with that same resigned air, before he settled on the woman and proceeded to pretend like the Hokage and Kakashi didn't exist. "No, go ahead.

Anything that can get me discharged as soon as possible. "

"Very well. The first major issue is your kidneys.

" The healer talked Masanari through the same report she gave the Hokage earlier. It took several minutes, during which the man managed to rebuild some of his composure, to his small credit.

The Third motioned to Kakashi to join him to the side and wrapped them in another muffling jutsu while that was going on. "I think we might have to revisit the matter of the staff at Naruto's former orphanage, since they clearly have lost their touch if they lied about Naruto's competence and mislabelled him as word blind.

"

"You suspect sabotage as well?"

"After what we just saw? Definitely. "

Kakashi had to agree, Naruto had been haphazard throughout everything, but still learned the letters and managed to read many of the words on that book after a single instruction session. Lasting less than ten minutes.

"Should I begin immediately?"

"No, I think I'll have young Hawk use it to unwind. " Good luck, Itachi.

"I have a different mission for you. "

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

◆ Consider joining my PATREON to have a

early access of 10+ chapters.

https://www.patreon.com/DEVIL_DIKTATOR

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~