A/N: Wow! It's been a long time since I last updated this. I don't know how many people still read it actually. Enjoy the chapter and I'd love to hear your feedback!
Chapter Four: Out Of The Frying Pan, Into The Fire
The next morning dawned bright and cold. Sunlight streamed through a gap between the drab, faded curtains, awaking the exhausted medic more effectively than the sounds outside her door as the other guests began to stir. With wakefulness came a pounding headache. Rubbing sleep from her bleary eyes Sakura climbed gingerly out of bed, reluctant to surrender the comfort of her covers. She did not have the luxury of nursing her hangover. She sensed that she had overstayed her welcome at the little inn. Peeling back one of the mouldy curtains she scanned the road outside, half-expecting to see a platoon of battle-hardened ANBU. The road was deserted.
Sakura shook her head. She was being paranoid, she told herself. She had not seen hide or hair of a single tracker for the last twelve hours. It was possible that the rain had obscured both her tracks and scent. However, she couldn't shake the nagging sensation that she was endangering herself by staying here.
Striding over to the tiny sink, Sakura drank a glass of water which took the edge off her nausea and decided that would have to do. Ready to leave, she picked up her rucksack with dismay; it was completely soaked from the thorough drenching it received the night before. However there was nothing to be done about it now. Sighing heavily, Sakura gave the room one last sweeping glance and left.
Halfway down the narrow, rickety staircase, the medic paused. Standing at the very bottom and blocking her way, was the man from the night before. Itsuo. A wave of irritation swept over her. That man got under her skin without even trying and coupled with a splitting headache and a short fuse, Sakura was only moments from punching him squarely in the gut. Yet whispered words of caution flittered through her mind as she hoisted her rucksack a little higher and continued down the steps. She needed to maintain a low profile. Picking a fight in an inn would draw unnecessary attention.
"Well?" she asked with a hint of venom upon reaching the bottom step. Her eyes flickered with anger and frown lines creased her brow. She paused, expecting an answer but none came. "Are you going to move aside?" She prompted.
Itsuo's lip twitched into what could almost be a smile. "Of course," he replied smoothly. "After you".
Sakura scowled but found she had nothing to say, so she swept past him into the bar. Itsuo followed.
"I told you, you're not coming with me," she reminded the dark-haired man, trying vainly to keep her temper under control. Her fingers tightened on the straps of her rucksack.
"I know," he replied unconcernedly. "But there's nothing wrong with breakfast, is there?"
Sakura's eyes narrowed. What game was he playing? She opened her mouth to argue but suddenly realised how hungry she was. She wasn't going to win any races on an empty stomach and it was highly improbable that she'd find anything better to eat on the road.
"Fine," she said grudgingly.
Several minutes later Sakura sidled into a seat opposite the dark-haired man. She saw that he had selected a bowl of miso soup which looked very meagre next to her towering plate of eggs and bacon. Acutely aware that it had been an entire day since she last ate, the girl began to devour the bacon with some enthusiasm.
Itsuo remained silent throughout the affair for which Sakura was grateful. She found his company irritating but as she was currently preoccupied with eating her breakfast, she found him rather easy to ignore. She didn't understand what his fascination in her was, why he continued to pry into her life and disrupt it further by attempting to accompany her. He had no idea where she was headed or what she was running from. In short, he didn't know what he was getting himself into nor did he seem to care. She didn't know what to make of him; one minute he was all politeness and charm and the next he was an irritating jerk. She wasn't sure which was worse.
"How are you feeling?"
She shrugged her shoulders in a non-committal way and carried on wolfing down her bacon.
"I apologise if I was a little forward last night," he continued, unperturbed by her silence. Sakura almost choked on her bacon. He was actually apologising. "I think my request was a little ill-timed," he continued. "You seemed... distracted". His eyes searched her face attentively, as though hoping to find answers.
"It doesn't matter," Sakura said. "The answer would have been the same. I prefer to travel alone."
"Hmm," he said speculatively.
"What?" She replied slightly irritated.
Itsuo stared at her appraisingly for one long moment. "Travelling alone does have its merits of course but I think a person in your position would be ill advised to do so."
"A person in my-," she countered angrily. "What are you talking about?"
She glared at him, outraged by his presumptuous words. She was not some helpless civilian incapable of defending herself. Nor was she an inexperienced genin with no hope of evading or defeating her enemies. This man knew nothing of her, she thought furiously. She groped around her memory for the murky fragments of conversation she could remember from the previous evening. He had been extraordinarily perceptive. He had guessed something of her current situation but he knew nothing for certain except that she was from Konoha. She had a feeling that if she did give into his request, it wouldn't take him long to work out the whole story. The idea of him accompanying her became even more unpleasant, if possible.
"I'd have thought it rather obvious," he said. "You have run away from home and intend to leave the Fire country as soon as possible. Uncommon but definitely not unheard of. The great shinobi nations are known for being very ah... intolerant of traitors, Konoha included. So it is definitely in your best interest to have an ally."
"Maybe," Sakura relented. "But why should that be you?"
"Something you should have asked from the very beginning," Itsuo replied, smiling faintly. "How do you know you can trust me? The answer is you don't. You will have to make that decision yourself."
"I think you just like to complicate matters," she grumbled, prodding her fried egg with a fork. "It would be easier to ignore you. I think you need to work on your powers of persuasion."
"I am alerting you to the dangers of your situation," he disagreed. "There are advantages and disadvantages to having me as an ally. For example, if you were to leave without me I could assist Konoha shinobi in tracking you."
Sakura started, an expression of alarm crossing her face. "Why-," she gasped. "Why would you do that?"
"You have only just met me," he said smoothly. "How can you know what my plans are? If I have any ulterior motives?"
Sakura stared at him, her mind working furiously as she came to her conclusion.
"Well I guess that leaves me no choice," she answered. "I'll just have to kill you".
Uncertain of how he would react to her words, she had unconsciously readied herself for a fight. Nothing however could have prepared her for this.
Itsuo threw back his head and laughed as though she had told a very amusing joke. "I'd like to see you try".
"Don't mock me," she hissed angrily.
Itsuo shook his head, the ghost of a smile still upon his lips. "I wasn't mocking you. It's been so long since anyone has challenged me like that."
Sakura looked rather dubious. She folded her arms huffily, not in the mood to play games. "I thought you were a mercenary?" She asked disinterestedly. "I'd have thought you'd hear statements like that regularly".
"A mercenary?" The amused smile was back. "Something like that."
"You're so cryptic," Sakura replied.
"Does it bother you?"
"It's annoying," she answered.
She scraped the last few fragments of breakfast onto her fork, leaving a clean plate. The chair squeaked as she rose from the table and she deposited her plate onto a stack of dirty dishes. She headed towards the door, trying to feel indifferent to the knowledge that she was being rude by not saying goodbye.
"Sakura," she heard him call. She ignored him. "Sakura!"
She turned slowly. It would be childish to continue the pretence now. "What?" Her voice had a bite of impatience to it.
"You've decided." It wasn't a question.
"Yes," she nodded.
"I'm glad you've decided not to kill me at least. I wouldn't have wanted to hurt you".
She gave a slight smile. "Maybe I'm making a mistake but I don't think you'd betray me to them." She shrugged. "Just a feeling I have."
"I'll only ask you one more time. Will you allow me to accompany you?" Itsuo asked. He doubted her answer had changed but it was worth a try. If her answer was no, he would follow her at a distance. He was determined to locate all those who were disloyal to Danzou and she would lead him to them.
"Nice try but no," Sakura said frostily. "I'm leaving."
She pushed past him, eager to exit the smoky, dusty inn. Without warning a hand shot out to grab her wrist and pulled her away from the door. "Wait," Itsuo's voice breathed in her ear.
"Let go of me," Sakura snarled, attempting to pry his fingers off her skin. He wasn't listening. His entire body was tense, poised for action. His senses tingled as adrenaline pumped through his body. Sakura's angry threats became background noise. His senses strained to detect that tiny flash of energy he'd sensed. It could be a civilian, he reasoned, but that didn't explain why he couldn't sense them now. Maybe he was overreacting but-
Wham! Sakura caught him off guard with a sharp, chakra-enforced elbow to the gut. He collapsed, white spots exploding across his vision as he gasped for breath. Yet even the pain could not distract him from detecting tiny pinpricks of chakra which flared into existence around the inn. They were surrounded.
"Sakura, stop!" he choked, fighting back the pain as she ran past him out into the blazing sunlight.
He watched as burning buildings lit up the sky like huge pyres. His heartbeat quickened as agonised screams rent the air. Dark eyes squinted through the rain. A fleeing body of people surged through the streets, crushing market stalls, pots and people who were knocked over by the sheer force of the crowd. He could smell their fear from here. Ahead, several squads of ANBU emerged from behind buildings, creating a roadblock. They had nowhere to go. He turned away. He did not need to watch to know what happened next. One thing was for sure, his friends were not among them.
Sakura's place was closest, so he struck out across the rooftops, cutting down two unfortunate ANBU who happened to be standing in his way. His shoes clack-clacked over the tiles, almost as though they were counting down the time he had left before he was too late.
The man skidded to a halt outside Sakura's apartment, praying that he wasn't too late. The green shutters lay wide open, revealing a scene of utter devastation. Her room looked as though it had been ransacked. His breath caught in his throat as he suddenly became aware of a dark shape huddled against the wall. A moment later he resumed breathing. That shape was too large to be Sakura and, he noticed her medical kit was missing. She had been alive when she left.
With renewed vigour he exited the building, following her haphazard trail across the rooftops. Loud crashes and yells echoed behind him. It did not take him long to realise the route was taking him straight towards Ino's house. The tension in his gut lessened slightly. She had a better chance of survival with someone to watch her back.
Something in the street below caught his eye. Frowning, he paused and squinted through the sheet of rain to the deserted road below. The house opposite was little more than a ruin, but it was not that which caught his attention. White fingers, already gripping shuriken in one hand, went slack. Only instinct stopped them slipping from his grasp. Noiselessly he slid down the red terracotta tiles and off the roof. He walked over to the house in a dreamlike state; his mind reeling, a sickening sensation in his gut.
He took the last few steps at a run. Reaching down, he gently clasped the hand of a dark-haired figure with exceedingly bushy eyebrows slumped against the wall.
"Gai". He gazed down on his old rival, seemingly lost for words. An oppressive weight lay upon his shoulders. He had rarely felt so helpless.
Gai's hand twitched in his and he started in surprise. His voice had acted like a stimulant to the dying man, for his eyelids fluttered weakly and then opened.
"Kakashi-," Gai said laboriously, as though every syllable was costing him all his remaining strength. Blood bubbled at the corners of his mouth. "You came a little too late".
Tap, tap, tap.
Kakashi 's eyes snapped open, his body tense and alert. The same plain, cream ceiling greeted him like it did every day. It knew nothing of the horrors he had endured; it bore no evidence to show that anything had changed at all. He glanced around cautiously, taking in the haphazard arrangement of clothing around his room, his partially drawn curtains and a plate of last night's dinner on the floor.
Tap, tap, tap.
Bleary-eyed, he stumbled out of bed, realising as he did so that having a visitor was not a good omen. Anyone he would welcome was either dead or a fugitive. He rubbed his chin absent-mindedly, feeling a layer of stubble. He received a shock when he caught sight of himself in the mirror. His hair was a mess, he had dark circles under his eyes and he looked all the worse for the fact that he hadn't showered in days.
Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap.
He sighed deeply and pulled on the mask that had become almost as famous as himself. With an air of hoping to get over it as quickly as possible, he opened the door. He blinked owlishly in the sudden sunlight, just about able to discern the two ANBU standing on his doorstep.
"Hatake Kakashi".
"Yes?" He answered tersely.
"You will meet the Hokage in the interrogation block. Immediately," the left one said from under his mask. Kakashi didn't like his tone. It was commanding and authoritative. He didn't like to be ordered anywhere. He shrugged off the instinct to rebel.
"Right," he answered indifferently. He made to close the door.
"Now," the ANBU member said harshly. "The Hokage will not wait for anyone".
Kakashi sighed. "I will come when ready. The Hokage can wait a few more minutes".
The man laughed; a mocking nasal sound. "Your tardiness is almost as legendary as your supposed great deeds," he sneered. "All I see is a filthy, drunken wreck. I'm surprised you remember your own name".
Kakashi gripped the door frame with such force; it was close to splintering but his demeanour otherwise remained unchanged. This man would never have dared say these things to his face a week or two ago but since Kakashi had fallen in the Hokage's favour, mediocre shinobi appeared emboldened by his disgrace. Malicious rumours were no doubt circulating about him and so far, he appeared to be living up to their expectations. The Hokage would want him to look as if he was past his prime. His skills were diminished and he spent his days drinking himself into an early grave. Well, perhaps the gossipers had got one part right, he thought wryly.
"Well, at least allow this filthy, drunken wreck the courtesy of changing," Kakashi replied, sarcasm dripping through every word.
Only then did he close the door. He stood momentarily with his back to the wall and ran his fingers through his dishevelled hair. He should have expected this, he berated himself silently. He knew his reputation was a smouldering wreck but it was experiencing it he found shocking. He was not used to being disrespected, by anyone.
The silver-haired man stumbled back to his room and after rummaging around for several minutes, found some clothing that was not too creased. He appraised himself in the mirror. It would do. Before he left, he picked up his razor and decided they could wait perhaps another ten minutes. After all, he had a reputation to keep.
The interrogation block was a cheerless building of concrete surrounded by an asphalt compound. Inside, the corridors felt narrow and oppressive. Steel plated doors guarded the entrance to every cell and there were no windows to remind prisoners that there was even a world outside the four walls. It was a dank and dismal place. It was not surprising therefore, that Danzou was in his element.
Kakashi found him in a room off the main interrogation chamber. A one way screen was installed on the left wall, allowing people to observe freely. He glanced at it as he came in but it was dark. Clearly, the room was not in use.
"Hokage-sama," he said in the most respectable tones he could muster. It was customary to bow when greeting the Hokage but Kakashi merely jerked his head irritably. He had not sunk so low as to be completely subservient.
"Kakashi." Danzou's smile was cruel and malicious. "How nice of you to join us".
Kakashi said nothing. No reply he could think of would be well received. He glanced at Neji leaning casually against the control board and wondered whether the rumours were true. Had he sold out his friends for power? Neji's silver grey eyes gave nothing away.
"I will not tolerate tardiness from anyone," he continued harshly. "You seem to be suffering under the delusion that because of who you are, you can arrive at your own leisure. You couldn't be more mistaken".
Danzou's menacing, dark eyes were boring into Kakashi's as though expecting him to yield. He didn't blink.
"I assure you Hokage-sama that that is not the case. My loyalty-"
"Your loyalty is nothing more than cowardice. You dare not oppose me and leaving is no longer an option. Your inaction is predictable. So much for the will of fire," he said, contempt clearly etched on his face.
Cold fury emanated from the copy-cat shinobi but he remained stock still. The slightest clenching of his fist or gritting of his teeth would not go unnoticed by the two men analysing his every move.
"It is you who is mistaken, Hokage-sama," Kakashi replied after a lengthy silence.
Clearly, this was not the reaction Danzou was hoping for.
"I am disappointed in you, Kakashi. I had hoped that these surroundings would have given you a feeling of... perspective".
There was another pause. Kakashi's eyes flickered to the silent Hyuuga, searching his stoic features for an answer. His face was unreadable.
"Am I here to be interrogated then, Hokage-sama?"
Danzou's face cracked into a wide smile, as though the thought of torturing the recalcitrant shinobi would give him no greater pleasure. Kakashi's breath hitched in his throat. Legend or not, he would not escape Konoha alive while the newly erected barrier was still standing. And if the stories were true, it would prove harder to break than the previous one.
"Don't tempt me, Hatake," Danzou growled, clearly amused. "If I had even the slightest suspicion that you had information on the traitors' whereabouts, you would be on the other side of this wall".
Kakashi glanced past Danzou to Neji lounging against the control panel. For the first time the Hyuuga looked uncomfortable.
"In fact," Danzou resumed. "The purpose of this meeting was to establish whether you were fit to return to active duty. So far I haven't been impressed by your attitude, Hatake. I thought that the purification would have put your priorities in perspective but you remain as arrogant as ever".
"I am nothing but loyal to-,"
"Unfortunately, your loyalty remains in question. On the night of the purification you were not where you were supposed to be. Some of your friends were part of the insurgence. It would not surprise me to learn that you defied your orders that night in order to help them escape".
"Hokage-sama, I-"
"This is your final chance, Hatake." Danzou continued. "I want your full unwavering loyalty. You must cut ties with those false allies who never gave you a thought when fleeing the village. You must obey every order without question".
"My loyalty is yours," he lied smoothly. "I will do whatever my Hokage commands of me".
"Good," Danzou's smile was twisted. "I'm sure you'll do your village proud".
He turned and stared at the blank screen. "Forgive me for not taking you at your word alone, Hatake," his crooked fingers inched towards a button on the control panel, "but considering your history I require some insurance".
A lone light bulb flickered into existence in the room beyond illuminating a pale figure bound to a chair. Kakashi's eyes widened with shock and recognition. The lies he was about to voice stuck in his throat. So this is how you would coerce me, is it?
The prisoner looked thin and underfed. This person hadn't washed in days. Dirt and blood smeared the prisoner's sparrow-like arms and legs. A thick mantle of hair covered a beaten, dejected face. Next to them, Kakashi felt very well groomed indeed.
He turned his gaze away from the pitiful sight. Danzou gave him an intense calculating look, trying hard to conceal an intense look of satisfaction on his face. Neji looked definitely uncomfortable. His silver eyes were downcast.
"If you value this pathetic traitor's life, you will do everything I command without question," Danzou's authoritative tones cut through Kakashi like a knife. "Don't forget, a shinobi who cannot obey their Hokage is less than worthless".
Sakura skidded to a halt, causing a plume of dirt to rise into the air. A single man in a white mask stood at the corner of the track, silently observing her. Shock and fear were the fuel to her adrenaline and she was off before the dust cloud had begun to settle. There was no doubt within her mind that this was a scout. She had to reach him before he alerted the rest of his squad to her presence. She couldn't believe that they had tracked her this far.
A hand jerked her backwards and she almost went sprawling. "Itsuo," she snarled. "What are you doing?"
"Saving your life," he said grimly.
"I don't need your help!" She yanked her hand out of his grasp and continued up the track.
Deep mud-filled holes littered the dirt trail as Sakura continued along the path to the forest. Nimbly she dodged them all and it was only upon the perimeter of the forest that Itsuo caught up with her again.
"Don't," he breathed softly, one arm wrapped firmly around her waist. His warm breath tickled her ear and his large, pale hands felt steady and self-assured. Sakura instinctively shrank away from the closeness of their bodies. "There are more of them up ahead. This one is a decoy".
"How do you know?" she whispered back.
"Close your eyes," he murmured. "Focus on even the tiniest pin-prick of chakra".
She tilted her head up to see his face with a dubious expression.
"No harm will come to you while I'm here," he promised.
Sakura grimaced inwardly. If only it was that easy. Yet some part of her felt reassured by his presence, she almost felt safe. Almost as though coming to an unconscious decision, she let go of her fears and closed her eyes.
Darkness. She could sense nothing but the slow, steady life flow of the plants, the trees and if she concentrated harder, even the insects that lived beneath the soil. It was chakra in its most basic form; not the kind that could easily be manipulated and, right now that was the only kind Sakura cared about. A flash of light blinded her vision but as soon as it appeared, it vanished. Her face screwed up with concentration as she tried to identify its source. Chakra could be stored, manipulated or transferred but it never vanished completely.
There! She sensed the tiny pin-prick of chakra Itsuo was talking about. It was almost completely suppressed. Sakura marvelled at the skill that would require. Now she could sense more of them. Four in all. So Itsuo had been telling the truth after all. She opened her eyes slowly.
"You were right," she breathed. "There's four of them waiting to ambush us in a clearing up ahead".
"Impressive," Itsuo smiled his ironic smile. "But I think you'll find there's six".
"This doesn't mean I trust you".
"Of course not," he said seriously. "But if you want to escape this encounter alive then I'm afraid you're going to have to".