Tragedy's Child
Storyline: Sasuke is a boy who has witnessed death of an incomparable measure. Stuck in a chasm full of dead bodies for six hours, he isn't about to let anyone into his life anymore.
But he is strangely attached to a certain officer who saves him. And because of this officer, Sasuke might have a second chance. That is if, he is even willing to take up the offer.
Through even the dark times, Sasuke must struggle to find his confidence again.
Note From Author: Ok, people – this is my first fic. I'd appreciate it if you gave me no flames. But of course, I accept a good bout of advice.
This story contains Kakasasu and then Narusasu and Itasasu as well as other pairings in the later parts. That's because in the first part of the story, it begins when Sasuke is only five! But there is a time skip, of course – and we go to when he's fourteen.
Please enjoy and R & R.
Death Chasm"They were all killed," Izumo said darkly.
"Hmph," was all Kotetsu replied with.
Hatake Kakashi paid no attention to his two partners' speculation of the situation, of the crime. He was much more interested in the puzzle Uchiha Itachi had left behind, after succeeding in wiping out each and every member of his clan.
I have left my brother in the earth of death. Find him if you can, regret it if you cannot.
Approximately half an hour ago, the police force had received an urgent call from an Uchiha member, Uchiha Obito, Kakashi's best friend. In a last struggle, he pleaded desperately for the police's assistance in stopping Uchiha Itachi from wiping out the Uchiha clan.
Unfortunately, by the time the police arrived, the three-acre complex home only to those of the Uchiha clan was nothing more than a new cemetery.
Kakashi had been gruesomely disgusted by the many dead bodies on the floor, some with gunshots in them, some killed with a slash of a sword. He had heard that Uchiha Itachi was a prominent swordsman. It was no surprise to find that he had taken the job of slashing up each and every one of his clan. His father and mother had died by his blade, too. Kakashi had seen those obvious red gashes on the couple's dead bodies.
The ambulance had been called in and so had the rescue team and the five teams from the police force. Three acres was a long stretch of land. There had to be survivors.
There just had to.
The Uchiha clan itself comprised of at least two hundred members, solely of the pure Uchiha blood, one of the oldest and most powerful clans in Japan.
So far, there were no survivors.
However, written in the blood of Uchiha Fugaku, Uchiha Itachi's father and head of the Uchiha clan, on the wall of the clan-leader's room was a note.
I have left my brother in the earth of death. Find him if you can, regret it if you cannot.
Uchiha Itachi was noted to have a younger brother.
Kakashi had met Itachi before, but never his brother, who was usually studying at a prestigious school, never coming home till late at night.
"Enough of the whining, Izumo," Kakashi said curtly to his team. "We have survivors to find."
Izumo flashed his torch lazily at a pile of dead bodies. "Face it, Kakashi. There's no one left alive."
"The murderer wrote something on the wall," Kakashi reminded him. "His brother is here, somewhere."
"In the 'earth of death'," Izumo repeated. "Which part of the word 'death' do you not understand?"
Although subordinates like Izumo and Kotetsu were not permitted to speak so rudely and openly to their captain, Kakashi did not particularly care about the formalities. We're all only human. Where's the difference? I can't see it. I will only believe something when I see it with my own two eyes. Hell, that old fag Leonardo better understand.
Leornado Fache (I couldn't resist it! I mean, I hate the guy from Da Vinci Code!) was the head of the police, the overall captain who only took orders from the government and the vice-chairman, Hebi Orochimaru, a man Kakashi never liked. Neither did Kakashi like Leonardo Fache, who had a habit of being extremely snobbish and reinforcing his rule upon his lesser subordinates. Even elite captains like Kakashi, who had accomplished dozens of assignments, did not even receive a shred of his respect.
An old dog, that Leonardo Fache is. And so is that Hebi man.
Pushing his thoughts away from his superiors, Kakashi focused on the task at hand.
"Our job is to find survivors," Kakashi reminded Izumo calmly and patiently. Izumo had a hell of an attitude but Kakashi was still firm friends with him and Kotetsu. "Until the superiors lift the order, who cannot defy it or stop this. And you are aware, Izumo, that Uchiha Itachi did mention that we should 'find his brother if we could and regret it if we cannot'. We shall not leave a living person alive in this cemetery."
"He's the brother of a murderer," Kotetsu said hotly. "Who says he won't do the same as Itachi? Revenge will possibly be his goal in the future."
"Revenge or not, this brother of Itachi's is definitely one of utter importance, for Itachi to leave him alive," Kakashi said. "Besides, witnesses of the should be interrogated and asked of what they saw."
"Hmph," Kotetsu was not the least fazed. "I still believe there aren't any survivors."
At that moment, Kakashi's radio buzzed. He held the walkie-talkie to his mouth and said, "Captain Hatake Kakashi reporting."
"Kakashi? This is Rescue Team. 1's captain, Sarutobi Asuma. Kakashi, there's a boy buried alive."
Sarutobi Asuma was the Rescue Team. 1's captain and he was a very respected rescue officer. For one, he had saved many lives with his witty, quick thinking.
At that moment, Asuma knew perfectly well that the police were checking on the ground. He took it to his pleasure to search under the ground. Perhaps something could be found.
He ordered his team to begin a search underneath.
For ten long minutes, he observed the massacre. Dead bodies lay all over the place.
That Itachi went too far.
Right now, their priority was to find survivors. And he remembered a writing on the wall, Uchiha Itachi's parting message.
I have left my brother in the earth of death. Find him if you can, regret it if you cannot.
The 'earth' of death. It could possibly refer to the underground.
Then again, Asuma didn't remember any underground chambers beneath the three-acre Uchiha Complex.
But it didn't hurt to try, did it?
And he was rewarded.
Yuuhi Kurenai, his personal right-hand man, or rather, in this case, woman, called out to him in a desperate, despairing tone.
"Asuma! Asuma! You won't believe this! There's a boy buried inside!"
Kakashi had fled to the scene at once. There, five rescue workers were beginning to dig away the dirt to reveal where the possible survivor of the Uchiha clan was.
He went to Asuma, Izumo and Kotetsu were behind him.
"What's the situation?" he asked the rescue captain.
"Bad," Asuma said. "It seems that there is a cavern underneath and it's been detonated and there's a huge underground chasm. It seems that that brat of an Uchiha has thrown in at least fifteen dead bodies and plus, we detect the breathing of a live person. And it's a young boy. Around five to four. It must be Itachi's younger brother!"
"Five to four?" Kakashi almost choked. "And he's under there?"
Asuma nodded gravely. "Believe it or not, Kakashi. It's true. That boy is stuck and we can't get him out. We've tried searching for entrances into this cavern but they've all been sealed with rocks and the like. And plus, this digging operation is tricky. We cannot pinpoint the boy's exact location. Therefore, if we hit a wrong place, the entire ceiling of the cavern might come down on the boy. Plus, oxygen is at its minimum inside there. Our first priority is to chuck in an oxygen tube."
"That boy's life is in your hands, Asuma," Kakashi said. "Please bring him out safely." Then, he added, "Have you called the ambulance here?"
"Yes, Shizune is on her way," Asuma replied. "There she is."
A petite lady wearing a brown coat over her white paramedic uniform with a silver badge on it approached them. She had dark hair and stressed eyes.
"Please tell me it's not true, Asuma," she spluttered. "A child is trapped in there?"
"Indeed," Kakashi said. "If he comes out alive, we need you to rush him to the hospital immediately, Shizune and provide him with immediate medical attention."
Shizune looked horrified. "Are they getting him out?"
Asuma observed and shouted, "Kurenai! Situation?"
A brown-haired woman, fairly good-looking and young, stepped out of the hole in the ground.
"We've managed to slip the oxygen tube in," she said. "The tricky part starts now. We've tried calling out for the boy and there've been several coughs and cries but nobody replies."
"He's alive!" Kakashi exclaimed. Shizune brightened.
"You will be able to get him out, won't you?" Shizune asked hopefully.
"We could get him out easily," Kurenai said. "If we know his location. For some reason, he's refusing to answer."
"He must be in a real trauma," Izumo said. "That's why he won't answer."
"We have to send someone inside, once we've made the hole big enough," Kurenai said. "It's the only way."
"I trust you," Asuma said. "Now, hurry on with it! If there's any problem, contact me. I have to submit a report to headquarters now."
Kurenai nodded and returned to her work. Asuma grabbed his cell phone, walked away and began to talk.
Shizune turned to Kakashi.
"I can't believe this is happening."
Kakashi nodded. "I can't either, but it is."
"If that boy dies…the proud legacy of the Uchiha clan dies along with him…" Shizune trailed off. "Itachi can't be expected to carry on the traditions of the clan…the Uchiha clan was so respected…I can't believe that the Hyuuga clan is going to queen it over everything now…"
"The Hyuuga clan can't," Kakashi assured her. "Hyuuga Hiashi is way too practical. His head is full of salt (No offense, people. I just couldn't resist it) Only his clan members' aren't."
"But…"
"Right now, let's just hope, alright?" Kakashi tried to comfort the paramedic. "The boy isn't necessarily dead. And you might never know there's more than one living person down there."
"Yes…but…"
"Enough of the buts, Shizune," Izumo said, rather sharply. "That boy will live. I promise you."
"Even if he does," Kotetsu looked around the dead bodies. "This realization won't be healthy for him."
"There will be many things he will have to face," Kakashi said quietly. "The desire of suicide…the pain of being left alive…the hurt of having such a brother…all of this…he has to live through it. But that is what will make him special. Right now, we won't talk about this. Right now, we just hope that he can be pulled out safely."
Yuuhi Kurenai had been charged with the job of pulling out a mere toddler from an underground cavern six feet into the ground.
She wondered why she had signed up for this job.
Everyday, she faced the possibility of death. Everyday, she saw people crying out for their broken things and sometimes; rejoice when those they loved were saved.
But this was nothing she had ever come across before.
An entire clan slaughtered.
It was a realization hard to face. And Kurenai had to admit she'd never been prepared for anything of this sort.
She had been a rescue worker for the past six years of her life and never once had she come across a young man who found it interesting to massacre his own clan, to kill those of his own blood – even his parents.
She had just seen the dead bodies of Uchiha Fugaku and Uchiha Mikoto. She needed nothing more to confirm that they had no more chance of returning to this world, of reuniting with their son. Uchiha Itachi had sliced their arteries into half.
"Pull up!" a worker shouted desperately. "That's the hard spot!"
The worker holding the pickaxe immediately jumped away in fright, for fear of making the wall of the cavern fall on the poor soul inside.
Kurenai was already convinced that without a doubt, a boy, a child was in there. She had heard the pathetic crying herself and the soft, painful whimpers.
But not necessarily was there anyone else alive in that cavern.
The cavern had been smartly built. You had to dig up six feet of earth before you came to a hollow part of the earth. Indeed, the cavern was inside. How big it was, Kurenai had no idea. Another rescue team had been assigned the job of digging up six feet of soil somewhere else, along the line of this spot, where the boy was trapped.
If he can't get out, how did he get in? Kurenai only knew one possible reality. There had been a chasm inside the cavern. No escape. There weren't any passageways in the houses of the three-acre complex that led to this spot at all. All the houses had been checked for secret entryways and exits but none were found leading to this cavern underneath.
A chasm. It has to be it. This rescue mission is going to be tough. The way has been blocked.
Just then, a rescue worker disappeared from her line of sight. Alertness returned and she straightened, looking in surprise and asking her assistant about it.
"Langdon," she said in a bark to the American man. "Where is Takaguchi?"
Horrified, shocked and stunned, Robert Langdon turned to look at Kurenai and managed to stutter out, "Miss, he fell into the cavern."
Kurenai was about to scream bloody murder.
"Asuma! Asuma!" Kakashi looked in surprise as the brown-haired woman ran towards them in a flurry of horror.
At once, the three officers, one rescue team captain and one paramedic perked up in surprise.
"What's wrong?" Asuma asked.
"Takaguchi fell into the cavern," Kurenai said curtly, her voice laced with terror.
Asuma raised an eyebrow. "So what? He fell in. It's easy to use rope to get him out, you know."
"That's not the point, Asuma," Kurenai said. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath and said, "There is an underground chasm. And a certain other huge problem."
Leonardo Fache frowned unpleasantly in his French-style (okay, I have nothing against the French. But Dan Brown's story definitely spurred something)) office in Japan. No way the authorities entrusted this assignment to Hatake.
As the superior over Hatake Kakashi, Fache had power over that man. Fache did not like Hatake in the least. Why? Because Hatake was a much better leader than him. Even Fache had to admit that.
Hatake's silent and cool analysis of every situation wound him out of everything Fache tried to chunk to him, to make him lose his position and be fired. Hatake could make people listen to his quiet, humble, soft and kindly words. Bullshit, Fache thought cruelly. That man is nothing more than a stick with ears.
Taken from his fabulous French life in Europe, Fache had been sent to Japan to assist the local police. And yet, he had been one of the DPJC, the French Judicial Police (I do not own the French Judicial Police). This is complete humiliation. I am being demoted.
From a high-ranking captain of the French Judicial Police, he had become the captain of the local police in Japan. And somebody with pride like Fache did not take to such things with much enthusiasm. Therefore, to extract his revenge on Japan needing foreign leaders in their military and civil forces, he abused his power on his subordinates.
Especially Hatake.
Fache picked up the receiver of his phone and dialed a few numbers.
"Konbanwa. Front desk desu. Fache-san desu ka?" (1)
"Megumi-san," Fache said in his rough-accented Japanese. "I have something important for you to do."
"Sore wa nan desu ka, Fache-san?" (2)
"Contact Chairman Hitoshi for me," Fache ordered. "I need to speak with him."
"Hai, wakarimashita, Fache-san." (3)
And with that, Fache put down the receiver in triumph. Watch your back, Hatake. I shall be the one to drag you out of your post.
Kakashi saw the illuminated lighting on Izumo's digital watch. One o' clock. And we discovered this madness at twelve-ten. Almost an hour has passed and they still haven't gotten the boy out.
The rescue team was having a hard time. They had to cautious and impulsive at the same time. Plus, the presence of a chasm did not make things any simpler.
"The chasm proves that the cavern walls are weak," Kurenai had said. "Therefore, impacts of any kind should not be allowed inside the cavern, in case the ceiling falls down on the boy. Plus, we must make the small opening bigger, or else the stronger ones of our workers cannot get in."
"Waves?" Shizune had asked.
"Oh, yes," Kurenai said. "Shockwaves. Sound waves. That kind of impact waves. We must only speak in whispers inside the cavern. A yell might shatter the ceiling. A punch on the wall might kill us all. Extra caution and care must be taken for this particular mission. We are working as fast as we can."
One hour and they've only made that stupid hole five inches wider. Honestly, who's the fat guy who can't get in? Kakashi was in a foul mood. A boy was inside there and the boy had to be taken out. Especially if he's Obito's cousin.
Kakashi felt crestfallen as he was cruelly reminded that Obito was dead. He had even seen his best friend's body in the courtyard behind the clan leader's house.
Obito died protecting Uchiha Fugaku, Kakashi thought to himself. A death worthy of respect, indeed.
"Kakashi?" Shizune called.
"Yes?" Kakashi snapped from his thoughts.
"Fache wants to speak with you," Izumo held out the cell phone to Kakashi.
"What?" Kakashi was startled. Fache?
"Whatever for," Kotetsu raised an eyebrow. "I have no idea." However, his face plainly said, "You better watch your back, old boy."
Kakashi took the cell phone and put it to his ear and walked a good five feet away from his companions.
"Hello? Hatake Kakashi speaking," Kakashi said through the receiver. "Captain Fache?"
"Hatake, you are to abduct this assignment immediately," the unmistakable voice of Leonardo Fache came from the other end of the line.
Kakashi was horrified and shocked. "What, sir? I cannot abduct this assignment. You don't understand. I'm overseeing the rescue team fetch a boy from the underground cavern and that boy is…"
"Vice Chairman Ryoku has already given consent. None of the Uchiha clan have been left alive. You are to abduct the assignment, return here and face punishment for running off alone," Fache meant business. Kakashi was annoyed.
"Sir, you don't understand," Kakashi said. "I didn't –"
"Cut the small talk, Hatake," Fache sneered. "I've had enough of your excuses. Return here at once. And face your punishment like a man. Whoever asked you to run off on this mission alone with only those two dumb jackasses like Izumo and Kotetsu?"
Kakashi was seriously offended. Izumo and Kotetsu were his friends. "Sir, they are not any of that sort," Kakashi said sternly. "They're my friends."
"They're subordinates, lesser beings. Shut the crap and return here at once."
"Sir, I cannot," Kakashi said. "That boy is…"
"Dead! Now get your butt here right now or you'll face worse trouble!"
Fache cut off the line. Kakashi glared at the phone. Damn Fache. Frowning, he dialed some numbers.
"Hello? Hatake Kakashi speaking," he said. "Can you direct me to the Chairman, please? I have an urgent matter to bring to him."
"The Chairman is currently unavailable for anyone."
"This is about the Uchiha massacre and it's urgent," Kakashi said desperately. "Please. Direct me to him. I need his word on this. I'm being threatened by my own captain."
Obviously, the person on the other end of the line was equally horrified. "Threatened by your captain? Which horrific ghost is that?"
"No need for names," Kakashi said. "He's a well-known captain and I wish not to frame him. So, please. Direct me to the Chairman."
"Very well, Hatake-san."
Kakashi smiled and patiently waited.
Chairman Kinomiya Takao had been shifting through old police records when his phone rang. Didn't I personally instruct Mei not to disturb me?
"Yes, Chairman Kinomiya speaking," Kinomiya said over the phone. "May I help you, Mei? Or rather, didn't I say that you were not to disturb me?"
"Chairman Kinomiya, I apologize," Mei said sincerely. "However, Hatake Kakashi, captain of the Japanese Police has requested to speak with you over the phone. I shall direct his line to you, if you may consent."
Kinomiya sighed. "How important is it?"
"He claims that he has been threatened by his own captain," Mei said. "And he says this regards the Uchiha massacre that occurred this evening."
The massacre? Oh, this is urgent. Threatened by his captain…definitely that blasted Fache…
"Okay, Mei," Kinomiya said. "Direct him to me."
There was a click on the other side of the receiver and a familiar voice sounded.
"Hatake Kakashi of the police speaking."
Kinomiya smiled, despite his displeasure of being disturbed. "What's up, Kakashi? What's that old fag of Fache up to?"
"Sir, he declares that I must return to headquarter this instant."
"What!" Kinomiya almost shrieked over the phone. "Who the hell gave him authority like that?"
"Vice Chairman Ryoku, sir."
Damn Ryoku. Always acting on his own, Kinomiya thought gingerly. "Well, Kakashi – I'll call that fag of a captain of yours and give Ryoku a good tipping-off. You continue with the mission and do not abduct it. You know the importance of it and the importance of the role you play."
"Yes, sir."
"Good. How's everything going, by the way?"
"The boy is trapped in an underground cavern full of dead bodies. And there's a chasm and the walls of the cavern are weak. This will take a while."
"You started this, Hatake," Kinomiya said cheerfully. "And you have my fullest support in finishing this."
"I understand, sir."
Kakashi walked back to his companions and chucked the phone into Izumo's hand.
"It was Fache, right?" Kotetsu asked, eying him suspiciously.
Kakashi sighed warily. "Yes. It was."
"What the hell did he want?" Izumo demanded.
"For us to return to headquarters and abduct this assignment," Kakashi said. "Utterly impossible."
"Oh, yes, of course," Izumo said. "But, Kakashi – why did you take this assignment on without informing anybody? This is going to cost us one hell of a reputation…even if we succeed in fully investigation and solving the mystery of this massacre…"
"I know," Kakashi said. "But don't worry. Everything will turn out fine, you see."
"I don't quite buy that," Kotetsu said. "The last time you said that, we almost got fired."
"That was because of Fache's intervention," Kakashi said hotly. "It wasn't part of the plan. Besides, this time, I've got special allowance."
"Oh, yeah? From who? Just who the hell's higher than Fache who gives orders to you?" Izumo said, clearly unbelieving.
Kakashi just grinned.
Fache sipped his coffee, basking in the warmth of his triumph. You're finished, Hatake. Taking up an assignment without consent is a serious offense…
Just then, the phone rang. Fache picked it up. "Leonardo Fache speaking. Who is it?"
"This is Chairman Kinomiya Takao."
The Chairman himself? Oh, this is wonderful!
Fache grinned as he spoke, "What may I do for you tonight, sir? Another assignment? Even at this hour? Surely I can manage."
"I'm not asking for a favor, Leonardo. I just wish to interrogate. Did you give orders for Kakashi to return to headquarters?"
Fache frowned. "Why, sir, I did, sir. Vice Chairman Ryoku consented so."
"Vice Chairman Ryoku does not play a part in this. Could you kindly share with me why you were so eager to kick Kakashi out of the mission?"
Fache froze. "Not kick out, sir. It's for his safety, sir."
"Kakashi told me you were threatening him. Is that true?"
Damn Hatake. How dare he say such things against me! "Of course not, sir. I would never dream of abusing my power over subordinates.
"Unfortunately, Captain Fache, I happen to trust Kakashi over you. I assigned him a very special task tonight. And that assignment will not be hindered."
Assignment? I thought Kakashi was doing an unregistered assignment? Fache frowned. "Sir, I beg your pardon but I do not recall my subordinate taking on an unregistered mission. As soon as Uchiha Obito, a friend of his, called to ask for aid, he was off like a shot with two other officers. And Collet, my French right-hand man, informed me that they were doing an unregistered assignment that had not been particularly entrusted to them. Am I missing something?"
"Your French-whoever must've gotten the wrong information, then. Of course, I do not blame him. You see, Uchiha Obito's call was a recorded one. The original call came several minutes earlier and when I listened, I realized the seriousness of the situation. Seeing that Uchiha Obito was Kakashi's friend, I felt that Kakashi should be entrusted this mission. Therefore, I telephoned him and personally assigned him this task, while he was hearing the recorded call. Now, you see, this is not an unregistered assignment. It was properly entrusted to Kakashi."
Fache was speechless. "I beg you pardon, sir. I must've upset you greatly."
"You disappoint me, Fache. And your standards are dropping. The French Judicial Police are much better than this, are they not? Or do you need a holiday?"
"I'm fine, sir, thank you," Fache spluttered. "Um, well, goodbye."
"Goodbye, Leonardo."
Fache put down the receiver, burning with embarrassment and rage.
How dare Hatake play me out like this!
"Serious situation, sir!" Kurenai ran over to Asuma for the fifth time in an hour. "The wall inside there is softer than we expected!"
Asuma was looking very impatient and nervous. Obviously, the fate of the boy also concerned him – or rather, it affected his reputation.
"Where the hell is he, anyway?" Izumo asked.
"Deep inside the cavern," Kurenai said. "We've already spent two hours widening the hole as securely as we can. And we've lowered in oxygen supply devices to circulate oxygen inside the cavern. But we can't get the boy out! We still cannot pinpoint his location! He refuses to talk!"
"How about getting a psychologist down there?" Kakashi suggested.
"There aren't any psychologists arriving until morning," Shizune said. "Psychologists are big shots who only work at the air-conditioned hospital. Maybe I could help?"
Kurenai shook her head. "Only those with the proper training can lower themselves into such a fragile cavern. One wrong move, one wrong shout and the whole cavern might fall into the boy."
"But he's still alive, right?" Kotetsu asked.
"Yes, he's still crying faintly," Kurenai said. "But it's getting softer and softer. And the cavern is full of dead bodies. Some of the workers are already dragging it out. And another rescue team has dug into the cavern from a different place and they're hurling out dead bodies."
"Get him out, quick," Kakashi said. "That boy is the last of his clan. That boy is our last hope of ever finding out why Uchiha Itachi did this."
End of Chapter 1: Death Chasm
– Good evening. This is the front desk. Mr. Fache?
– What is it, Mr. Fache?
– I understand.
There you are, folks. My first chapter. Sorry if it's wordy here and there.
It's a little boring in the front…but I promise the next chapter will be more exciting! Once again, please R & R!