Chapter 2

Questions

Alone at her desk, she contemplated the setting sun. Something felt wrong, very wrong. This wasn't even about the suspiciously large amount of money that she'd won the night before. No, it was a look she'd seen in a certain shinobi's eyes, as she'd watched him set out on an urgent mission. It was a look that she'd never seen him wear before, and hoped never to see again. Of course, had she been there on that night eleven years ago, she would have seen that very same expression. And if she had been there, maybe, just maybe, a terrible tragedy could have been avoided.


Finally Kakashi understood this group's intentions. If they'd simply wanted to kill him in order to delete his name out of Frost's Bingo Book, then there would've been no way to dissuade them. When out for glory, the Copy-Ninja's enemies were renowned for their determination. In those situations, they would keep fighting until every last one of them was dead. But this was different. Kitai Iyoku had a personal score to settle. That meant that he wasn't blinded by pride and was instead influenced by the pursuit of what he felt to be justice. Justice was a subjective concept at best. Kakashi knew that someone's view of right and wrong could easily be changed, which gave him something to work with at least.

"I'm sorry for your loss," the Jonin began simply, "but how can you be so sure that I was the one who killed your father?"

Kakashi knew that he didn't have to do this. There were at least fifty different strategies in his mind for eliminating the group of ninja in front of him. But murder had never been the Copy-Ninja's first resort. He'd rather it didn't have to come to that. First, the Jonin wanted to find out more about the man whom he'd been accused of murdering. As he strongly suspected that there was more to this group's vengeance than met the eye.

Kitai's voice was cold. "Because I was there when my father gave his dying wish. He told me to avenge his murder by bringing about your death. But I am going to do one better and eliminate the Copy-Ninja within the territory of his own village. Thus humiliating Konoha as well. It was fortunate that you have such an utter fool for a friend. By deciding not to lead us to you, he in fact only led you to us."

Just as Kakashi had thought, this child was yet to learn the golden rule of assassination: never start a conversation with your target.

The Copy-Ninja kept his tone casual, even as the young man took a step towards him. "But unless you knew about both of our missions beforehand, this only worked out in your favour by pure chance."

Of course it was clear that this had all been a part of the group's plan from the beginning, but acting as if he was ignorant made them more likely to reveal their mechanism. And even though it was carefully concealed, Kakashi could discern a smugness in the leader's voice.

"As you are about to die, Copy-Ninja, I'll tell you this. It was we who requested the mission completed by your comrade. And it was no mere coincidence that he overheard our plans, or that his route back from the mission crossed our path and the path you are taking to your current assignment. Thus he was able to inform you of our objective, and you sought us out yourself."

So far, this was as Kakashi had predicted. But he didn't have all the answers yet. "In that case, can I assume that you're responsible for my current mission as well?"

The kid smirked slightly. "Far from it. We have simply found a way of tracking the assignments sent to Konoha. But that particular mission was genuine, and we know as little about it as you do. Our only involvement in that was to cause the scroll to be given to the Hokage two days later than it arrived. This gave your friend enough time to complete his task and be on his way back to the village by the time you embarked."

Kakashi had to admit that he was a little surprised by this. Firstly that they had managed to infiltrate Konoha's missions' office. And secondly that his current mission to the Land of Frost had not been set up by this band of Frost ninja. But he didn't have time to delay them for too long with his questioning. They had to either have returned willingly to Frost – after abandoning their revenge – or all be dead by the time Guy arrived. Because one thing that Kakashi would not allow was for his friend to get caught up in this mess.

Then, all complacency fell away from Kitai's face. It seemed that the young leader had finally realised that his task had been interrupted. His tone was bitter. "You cannot escape death with words, Kakashi Hatake. What use were words to my father when they brought him back to us dead and laid him at my mother's feet? Eleven years have passed, and I still hear her crying in my dreams every night. After you murdered my father, she too gave up on life and eventually ended her own sorrow. She locked herself inside our house and burnt the entire estate to the ground. At first I blamed myself, but had my father not been killed, my mother would have had no need to take her own life. If it weren't for you, both my parents would still be alive. There is no way that I can let you live."

Far from being moved by the kid's tale, Kakashi was pleased that finally Kitai Iyoku had let slip more than he'd intended. As poignant as his story might have been, there was one obvious flaw. If his father had truly been brought back to him dead, then how had he heard the man's last words? Kakashi had always been able to detect a lie simply from observing the one telling it. However it seemed that, so far, everything the kid had said had been true – at least in his own mind. But that would mean Kitai Iyoku genuinely thought that these two incongruous events had both happened. Now the Copy-Ninja knew for sure that something much larger than this young man's revenge was afoot. And in order to get to the bottom of it, Kakashi would first have to dissuade him from pursuing that revenge. The Jonin didn't want to be forced to kill this kid while there were still so many unanswered questions.

Kakashi kept his voice both calm and stern, even though he knew that time was fast running out for him to wrap things up. "And do you expect that killing me will bring your parents back? After you've completed your life's goal, do you really expect anything other than pain to follow? Any joy that you get from killing me will only fade into emptiness and sorrow. What is it that you hope to achieve?"

For a few seconds, the boy was silent. A look of confusion momentarily clouded his eyes. It seemed that the group around him could sense their leader's hesitation. They lowered their hoods and drew their weapons as if to remind him of his goal. At this the kid straightened up and his pale eyes filled with authority once more. Now that Kakashi could see all of the ninja's faces, he realised that the leader was the only one wearing a Frost headband. This intrigued the Copy-Ninja further. But whatever was going on, one thing was for certain: his words had had an effect on the kid. And so, before Kitai had a chance to answer the question, Kakashi continued with what he hoped would be his final speech.

"I understand all too well how it feels to lose parents at such a young age. And I've watched those I love die in front of me more times than I care to mention. I cannot deny that thoughts of revenge have often crossed my mind. But you can't just throw your life away and abandon those you have left for the pursuit of vengeance. I know that right now only my death will satisfy your thirst for revenge. But when all my loved ones were killed, I found comrades and friends to fight and die for. My only goal is to keep them safe, and that is the purpose for which I now live. And it is also why I cannot let you kill me. I only ask that you try to understand where I'm coming from."

Kakashi looked deep into the young man's pale eyes. And finally the Copy-Ninja saw sorrow in his gaze. Now he knew that he'd gotten through to the kid.

When Kitai spoke, it was in a voice much softer than any he'd used so far. "Every man here has entrusted their life to me. They have allowed me to shape their souls in ways beyond the scope of your imagination. And thus I have turned them into creatures driven by a lust for vengeance so strong that it can never truly be sated. And I have become one of these creatures as well. This is not what my father would have wanted. The history of the Iyoku Clan is stained with the blood of cruel and needless deaths. My father sought to restore our clan's honour in the Land of Frost. But it is too late now. Perhaps I have failed as a leader. But as my final action, I will set right the wrongs I have committed. I see now that there is no honour in revenge, only pain. But I must respect my father's dying wish. Thank you for teaching me a valuable lesson, Kakashi Hatake."

Now Kakashi found himself presented with even more impossible riddles. But this was driven far from the Jonin's mind as he felt a sudden change in Kitai's chakra. He uncovered his Sharingan in time to see the young man's internal energy collect rapidly at the centre point of his Keirakukei. The Copy-ninja knew what was about to come, and still had time to escape the jutsu, but he could not move. Memories that had been lost for so long suddenly came flooding back to him. There was no doubt about it. Now Kakashi knew exactly who Kitai Iyoku's father was. The man whom he'd allegedly killed. That despicable, murderous, treacherous man.

With this revelation, Kakashi found himself rooted to the spot. But at that moment, his survival instincts took over. He leapt backwards in time to distance himself from the impending explosion, just as Kitai completed his jutsu. The Frost ninja had not moved; clearly content to die alongside their leader. Kakashi knew that it was too late for him to escape the blast completely. Still lost in thoughts of eleven years ago, the Copy-Ninja accepted this fact. Then everything went black.


Might Guy was not amused. However much he'd protested that he had an urgent duty to perform, the clerk at the missions' desk had been determined to delay him. Every aspect of his mission report had been deemed insufficient. And after nearly a half-hour of rewriting, the impertinent Chunin had finally agreed to accept it. Of course this may have had something to do with the clerk not wanting to be pushed through the wall of the building. And the Green Beast had made that possibility inescapably clear. He knew that his Eternal Rival would have handled such a situation in a much cooler and more civilised manner. But right now his rival was out there somewhere surrounded by enemies, and so – for once – Guy'd decided to put appearances aside.

He felt fairly confident that he was heading in the right direction. His only hope now was to reach his rival in time to provide the benefit of his youth in a potentially perilous situation. Thoughts of the possible dangers ahead ran through Guy's mind, although they did not daunt him. But then something happened that was enough to instil fear into even Konoha's Most Noble Green Beast.

A deafening noise shook the ground, and all of the surrounding birds launched themselves into the sky. It was clear that up ahead something disastrous had happened. Guy pressed on until, after about ten minutes, he came to a sickening realisation. The air was now rife with the stench of blood and the distinct odour of burnt flesh. The Jonin increased his pace ten-fold, fear gripping his chest. Nothing stirred in the distance, and this only caused Guy's panic to grow. The battle shouldn't have been over yet. Granted he'd taken longer than expected, but surely even his Eternal Rival couldn't wipe out such a large group of enemies in such a short space of time. Although considering the alternative options, Guy severely hoped that this was what had happened.

Then, as he burst through the tree-line, the stench of slaughter intensified to the point that even taking a breath became a nauseating experience. Littering the ground in front of him, Guy saw countless disfigured forms, some completely unrecognisable as human, some still writhing in the final throes of a torturous death. There were two things of which Guy was certain. The first was that these were the remains of the same group he'd encountered earlier. And the second was that it had not been his Eternal Rival who'd killed them. In all the years Guy had known him, he'd never seen Kakashi cause his enemies to suffer this cruelly before death. The Copy-Ninja always carried out his kills with maximum efficiency and minimum pain on the victim's part. And, inspired by this display of humanity, Guy drew a kunai and as he passed each living body he ended the suffering ninja's life as quickly and painlessly as he could.

The Jonin couldn't be sure whether or not he was glad that Kakashi's body was nowhere to be seen among the fallen. He decided that he'd assess his reaction once his friend had been located. It was fairly probable that there'd been an explosion, and all of these enemy ninja had been caught up in it. Guy began to walk out from the discernable epicentre of the blast, all the time scouring the ground for any sign of his Eternal Rival. But as time passed with still no sighting, Guy identified two main possibilities. Either Kakashi had somehow managed to escape the explosion, and even now was on his way back to Konoha, or – and tears rose to Guy's eyes even considering this option – his closest friend's body had passed beyond the point of recognition.

He clenched his fists and willed himself to remain analytical, unaccustomed as he was to suppressing emotion. But as bitter tears clouded his vision, Guy realised that he'd failed. Blinded by grief and the pain of his inadequacy, Guy lost sight of the obstacles in front of him. His foot caught and before he knew what was happening, the Jonin had fallen flat on his face. A moment later however, he thanked the Gods that he had. For as Guy raised his head, he found himself staring straight at the subject of his frantic search, whose body he'd just managed to fall over.

Kakashi was covered in blood. But in the dark Guy couldn't be sure exactly where this blood had come from. He seriously hoped that his rival's inertia was simply due to him being unconscious. It looked as though he'd been blown back by the blast, and although he'd taken the full force of the shockwave, he seemed to have avoided the worst of the scorching conflagration. Kakashi's body lay at the base of a towering pine. But there was a crack through the centre of the trunk, and even now the tree seemed as though it could topple at any moment. Guy had a sinking feeling that it'd been this that had rather harshly broken Kakashi's fall.

The Jonin knelt at his Eternal Rival's side and extended one shaking hand to check for his friend's pulse. He pressed two fingers against Kakashi's neck, trying to ignore the sickening feeling of his friend's blood as it slicked his fingertips. And when finally he felt the weak beat of life in the Copy-Ninja's veins, Guy had no time to indulge in relief. He now had to attend to, or at least try and identify, the worst of Kakashi's injuries.

A deep gash across the Jonin's brow had streaked his silver hair with crimson, and blood was flowing freely down Kakashi's face and neck. This alone would have caused Guy to worry about the potential blood loss that his rival may have suffered. But it was far from his only injury. Both of Kakashi's arms were covered from wrist to shoulder in second and third-degree burns. And Guy noticed – to his horror – that his rival's left leg was bleeding profusely and appeared quite clearly to be broken. Also, by the irregularity of the Jonin's shallow breathing, Guy had to assume that his rival had sustained more than a few cracked ribs.

He was instinctively worried about moving Kakashi's body before his injuries had been fully assessed. But at the same time, Guy absolutely refused to leave Kakashi's side while his friend was so badly injured, and so that essentially ruled out returning to Konoha to get help. This presented the Jonin with something of a conundrum – and he was trying desperately to think of a solution. But every time he looked down at his comrade's wounded body, the sight of his rival's blood drove all other thoughts from Guy's mind.

Then, just as he was beginning to despair, an idea finally revealed itself to Konoha's Green Beast. Guy didn't even allow himself time to bask in the brilliance of his plan, as he gently moved his hand to Kakashi's head wound and ran one finger over the injury. The digit instantly became coated with his rival's blood. Without any further hesitation, Guy went through the series of hand signs that the Copy-Ninja himself had taught him. It was only fitting that Guy should use this technique to aid his rival when he needed it most. After completing the jutsu, Guy slammed his palm into the ground. Instantly the cloud of white smoke showed that the technique had been a success.

And the gruff voice of Kakashi's favoured summon confirmed this. "I hope there's a damn good reason why you're the one summoning me Guy."

The shinobi in question flashed the pug what he felt to be his most charming grin. "Of course! I would never dream of disturbing such a noble canine as yourself unless absolutely necessary. But I'm afraid to say that –"

"The Brat's been injured," Pakkun finished for him.

Guy's grin instantly faded away as he nodded. The summon then noticed his master's body. He let out a soft whimper and moved closer to Kakashi's unconscious form, seemingly inspecting the Copy-Ninja's injuries. The dog then licked some of Kakashi's more serious wounds, cleaning away blood and dirt, before turning back to Guy.

"And I assume you want me to go and fetch a med-team?"

Guy gave his trademark thumbs-up. "Yes! And you can count on me to keep my Eternal Rival safe until you get back."

"Hmm, I hope so."

With that final remark Pakkun bounded off into the distance. He was swallowed up by the darkness within moments. This left Guy alone with his Eternal Rival, and a million unanswered questions. But the only thing that mattered right now was keeping Kakashi safe. It wasn't every day that the Copy-Ninja's life lay entirely in Guy's hands.


"What do you mean he's been injured?" Tsunade cried, her premonitions of disaster seeming more accurate by the second.

"I didn't realise that statement was confusing," Pakkun responded in his usual derisive tone.

Tsunade would have happily skinned the mutt alive then and there, but she had to know what was going on. The pug had burst into her office – interrupting a well-earned glass of saké – and claimed that his master had been injured. And considering that Kakashi shouldn't have even arrived at his destination yet, let alone carried out the mission, this news was surprising to say the least. But the Hokage had been worried about this assignment from the moment she'd seen the kid's chilling, haunted expression. Kakashi had concealed it as soon as he'd noticed her observing his departure, but it had been etched into Tsunade's mind ever since.

"Now look, mutt," she began in her most menacing tone, "if you value that fur coat of yours, you'd better tell me exactly what's going on here."

Annoyingly Pakkun did not seem intimidated. "Okay, I'll tell you exactly what's going on. Just outside of Konoha Territory, there's been some kind of explosion. And all I know is that the Brat's lying there injured and close to bleeding out. So I would suggest finding the nearest med-team and telling them to get their butts over there before it's too late. Or alternatively, if you're quite finished with that saké, you might want to come and treat him yourself."

Tsunade stared at the pug open-mouthed, her anger temporarily put on hold as she waited for what he'd said to sink in. And when it finally did, she started from her chair and was halfway out the door before Pakkun's voice made her pause.

"Shall I assume you want me to lead you there?"

She rolled her eyes. "Obviously."

If Kakashi was in as bad shape as Pakkun made it sound, then she didn't have time to go and drag a med-team out of their beds. She'd just have to do it herself, and hopefully she had enough chakra to handle the extent of his injuries. Now was not the time to try and figure out what had happened. Tsunade's top priority at the moment was to keep the Brat alive. Only after that, would the Hokage be able to ask Kakashi just what the hell he'd been thinking.