Assuming Can Make an Ass Out of U and Me

A little AU story. If you squint you might see some Raidou/Genma and a little Kakashi/Iruka, but you have to squint hard. Not too hard. Just a little hard.

I own nothing. Nothing.

Chapter Four

Kakashi sighed and gestured Kurenai and Gai over to begin the tale. The two listened without interruption and then the green-clad man narrowed his eyes in anger while Kurenai blushed in shame.

"For shame on you all for acting most un-youthful and throwing a comrade away like a used tissue," Gai fussed as Genma swelled in his own indignation, "Why…you might have well have gift wrapped Genma for the strange nin that has caused all this strife. I'm appalled."

"Me too!" Genma huffed, standing behind the man without anyone to be able to even notice, "Thank you, Gai."

"We know, Gai," Raidou groaned, hanging his head in shame, "But this isn't getting us anywhere. Jin-ichi, or whatever his name is, needs to be found. Zumo, you and Ko were on guard duty on August 4. Do you remember Genma coming back from a mission with anyone with him?"

"I do," Kotetsu spoke up as eyes turned to him, "Gen stalked by us with his head down, but there was another nin with Genma. He had a hood, but I remember seeing a band of yellow running across his face. Kind of the way Iruka's scar runs, but the tattoo disappeared into the man's hairline. He had a jonin standard uniform on with the Leaf insignia and when he called out his farewells, Genma turned to nod at the nin so I didn't think anything of it except that I'd never seen one of our shinobi with a tattoo like that."

"I remember," Izumo agreed, "I think I'd remember a yellow line bisecting another shinobi's face, but Konoha is a large village so I thought maybe the nin and I had never crossed paths."

"I don't remember that at all," Genma bit out, trying to rack his mind.

"Jonin?" Gai spoke, "There are only so many jonin since rising to that rank is difficult for many and not sought after but by a few. Rival, you have been forced to memorize all shinobi by Lady Tsunade with that eye of yours once she took over as Hokage since she is using you as a walking, filing cabinet. Does that description match a nin that you know of?"

"No," Kakashi denied, "That mark could have been painted on to disguise the man's true features. Genma would have sensed a henge. Kotetsu, are either you or Izumo good at drawing? Can one of you draw the man you saw with Genma?"

"I can," Izumo volunteered, "Ko draws like a ruptured duck."

"Shut up!" Kotetsu snapped as even Genma had to hide a smile before the chunin froze, looking thoughtful, "Huh."

"What?" Raidou pushed as the chunin looked back up.

"I just remembered another observation I made that makes sense with what we know now. Genma was rubbing his temples, like this," Kotetsu began as he demonstrated the movements, "Like his head was hurting and then he rubbed the back of his neck and grimaced. Gen shook himself and cracked each side of his neck and took off. Just seemed like after mission tension so I didn't think anything of it at the time. I acted a real ass by sticking my nose up and sniffing at him like an idiot."

Genma glanced at Raidou's face as the man first paled and then turned scarlet in rage as he stood from where he had been sitting.

"That mission is when Genma was marked!" Raidou snarled, "That man laid his hands on Gen! I'll kill him!"

"Act like a shinobi," Kakashi drawled as Raidou panted where he stood, "Getting overly emotional won't help us find the culprit who did this to Genma."

"How can you ask me to calm down?" Raidou growled, "Gen is on life support in the hospital because I wasn't there to help him or even notice something was off earlier to stop the curse mark! I could just fall on my katana right now!"

Debating voices began to rise in pitch as the group's discussion turned into a din of arguing. Genma huffed where he stood as he looked in disgust at the shinobi. Now they cared. Now they worked to support him. Disgusting! They only cared because the village was beginning to unravel the true story and see that he…HE was the real victim here.

"You don't really care! You just want to make yourselves feel less guilty just like Iruka said! I hate you! I hate all of you, but Gai and Iruka!" Genma screamed without any to hear him.

Panting in rage the near spirit saw the picture frames on the wall and howled as he raised his fist and punched every single one. One by one the glass burst apart all except for the one of Genma's genin team. That one he left alone. Cries of shock rang out as glass shards shot about at everyone.

"You don't really care," Genma whispered as he slid to the ground while Kakashi jerked his hitai-tae up to glance around.

"What was that?" Anko demanded as she rose with a kunai ready, "An attack?"

"No chakra," Kakashi said, "Perimeter check and look for anything that could have been used to shatter that glass, go."

Shinobi shot off in all directions, but Raidou. Kakashi looked to the frozen jonin.

"Rai?"

"Gen?" Raidou whispered as the near spirit raised his head to stare at the man in surprise, "I…I heard him, Kakashi. I know I did. He sounded…God, he sounded so hurt."

"Sit down, Raidou," Kakashi urged, pulling the man over to a chair, "I'm not sure what you heard, but allow us to confirm that this isn't an attack. Stay here."

Genma blinked as Kakashi disappeared in a blur of movement while Raidou stared at the frames that had fallen to the floor.

"Oh, Gen," Raidou moaned as he stood to pick up a picture of the two of them goofing off for the camera when they were but babes, "What have I done to you? What have I allowed?"

The group reconvened looking shaken as they gazed at Raidou cleaning the mess.

"This wasn't an attack, was it?" Raidou asked as Kakashi nodded, "At least not from a physical being."

"What? Physical being?" Anko blinked.

"Raidou has…he's hearing things," Kakashi supplied as eyebrows raised.

"I know what I'm hearing," Raidou gritted out, "This…this is one of Genma's tantrums when he is breaking. He's hurting and I can…he's here. Gen's here and we're hurting him still."

Genma snorted in amusement when Raidou suddenly found himself laying on the couch with a cool compress on his forehead.

"I'm fine. I know what I'm speaking about," Raidou huffed, tossing the compress away as he sat up.

"Rai, Genma is in a cursed sleep," Asuma slowly explained in a voice you'd use for a child, "I know that this is very upsetting for you, but Gen isn't here."

"Look," Rai snarled, grabbing one of the picture frames that hadn't fallen apart when it hit the floor, "The glass is gone, but tell me what you see."

"A picture of all of us at the festival last year," Asuma pointed out before stilling and looking closer, "Um…knuckle impressions? There are…there are knuckle impressions pressed into the photo paper. The glass had to have shattered when the picture was…was punched by a fist."

The group converged on Asuma and exclaimed as the truth was revealed.

"He's here with us now," Raidou insisted, "Gen's here and he's upset."

"This isn't good!" Kakashi barked, making the group jump, "I know what that seal is and Gen's in a lot of danger. I've got to tell the Hokage. Izumo, draw that nin you saw, now. Wait here and I'll be back. We're going to find this SOB."

"The seal?" Raidou questioned as Kakashi paused, "What is it?"

"A binding jutsu," Kakashi snapped, "One used to force a soul connection with another to create a mindless slave. This is more than a traitor to Konoha. My hunch is that this is a sociopathic stalker who is obsessed with Genma. Gen is fighting the bind and probably doesn't realize what has been happening to him. He's fled his body so the binding is still incomplete. Keep him here. Talk to him. Don't allow him to wander."

"That'll be so freaking easy since we can't see or hear him," Anko drawled before squawking as Asuma slapped her one in the back of her head.

"Gen?" Raidou called as the near spirit looked to him, "Can you give us a sign? Let us know you're close."

Genma huffed and turned his back. Why should he? Glancing over his shoulder he sighed at the look on the jonin's face. Raidou was frightened and trying to hide the truth.

"Never liked this lamp much anyway," Genma remarked as he shattered the piece with a well-placed jab since he'd figured out that strong emotion could help him with short, quick touching, "Happy, Rai?"

"He's here," Raidou whispered after everybody had recovered from their shock over the exploding lamp, "Thank God. Gen stay with us. Don't leave. We're going to fix all of this and then we are going to prostrate ourselves before you and beg for your forgiveness. I'm so sorry, Gen."

"And I still don't believe you," Genma snapped.

Then the near spirit groaned as shinobi tried to apologize one atop the other and get him to respond while Izumo worked with a paper and pen while Kotetsu threw in his own observations. Raidou watched everything with sad eyes before walking into Genma's bedroom. Genma huffed, but elected to follow the jonin to get away from this noisy group.

"I know you are here," Raidou breathed, sitting on the bed as Genma startled at the words, "You never liked too much emotion like what is happening out there. You…you've always had trust issues, Gen, ever since your mother died. I know you don't believe me and probably hate me right now. I deserve that, Gen, but I won't allow some scumbag to steal your freedom away. I will work the rest of my life, if I must, to show you that I was wrong and beg you to forgive me. I'll make this right once you are well again. I swear it, Gen."

Genma looked down and then back over to the scarred man. Raidou was fingering the dog tags around his neck and looked devastated.

"I can allow you to try, at least," Genma remarked, "I have some manners to allow others to defend their actions. Not like you, Rai, but I'll give you this."

Genma shot his hand out and gently prodded another frame to teeter and fall over on the bedside table. Raidou's head shot up and he gasped before giving a small smile.

"Thank you, Gen," Raidou called, making the other smirk, "I know you. You've giving me a chance that I probably don't deserve. Thank you."

Raidou steeled himself and then bit back a laugh at seeing half the room trying to talk to Genma while Gai raved on and on about "youthful stoutness of heart, dear Comrade" once he stepped back into the room. The near spirit chuckled at the scene. This was too funny. Everyone looked nuts.

"Um?"

The group turned as one to see Ibiki glaring into the room with Kakashi rolling his one visible eye.

"I'm going to ignore what I just saw since I've been informed that Genma seems to be among you in spirit form. I can only assume you were trying to speak with him," Ibiki said as he closed the door behind him, "The Hokage has asked me to lead this investigation since we have to hurry. The curse mark is trying to evade the shielding seal and it seems that Genma's system is growing weaker. Is the drawing done that Hatake mentioned?"

"Yes," Izumo answered, handing the man the notepad, "That is the best I can remember, but I think I've captured a good image of him."

"Good skills at details," Ibiki complimented as he and Kakashi looked over the drawing, "Seems familiar."

"It's Ikko Hashin," Kakashi declared with the sharingan flaring as everyone sat up eagerly at finally knowing the identity of Genma's attacker, "He's disguised himself to a point with more than just the tattoo, but it is Hashin."

"Not good," Ibiki muttered with a tired sigh, "Ikko was taken off active duty for peculiar behaviors noted on his psychological evaluations and he read me the riot act for it like a lunatic. Makes sense that it could be him though. The man is an expert in seals and espionage."

"Where is he now?" Raidou spat.

"The last address I have for him is…shimatta! He lives next door," Ibiki gasped as he stood abruptly, "Of course. If the man is obsessed with Genma then it would stand to reason that he'd be close. Come."

The group stood and followed the tall jonin as they walked to the next apartment.

"No traps or seals that I can see," Kakashi declared, covering his sharingan again, "Ibiki?"

"Doesn't seem right, knowing Ikko," Ibiki snorted, trying the door and finding it unlocked so he entered cautiously and snapped the lights on, "Ah. This isn't good."

To be continued…