Chapter 4
It had been a week since Sasuke's apartment was set on fire. The week had gotten better with Sasuke now being around Kakashi twenty-four seven. It was annoying at times for both parties, but they understood it was what was needed for Sasuke to be kept safe. The rest of the week had gone well. They would sleep during the day and then train at night. It was always light training for Kakashi didn't want to irritate any of Sasuke's injuries. His arm was getting better and Kakashi was feeling confident that within another week Sasuke would be cleared for missions. Kakashi didn't know how long Sasuke would be able to tolerate having to be watched all the time, but if Kakashi was being honest he didn't know how long he could do this for. Kakashi knew this wasn't Sasuke's fault, but that didn't make it easier. Kakashi was constantly having to be on point and on the lookout. He couldn't let himself relax for more than a few minutes at a time. He had to worry about Orochimaru coming back plus other villagers and ninja attacking Sasuke. It wasn't Sasuke's fault in any way, shape or form, but it just wasn't easy to constantly have to watch out for enemies. Kakashi knew though, no matter how tired he was Sasuke was going through worse. Sasuke had to live with the fear of never knowing when something was going to happen. He didn't know who he could trust and he had to deal with the pain of the curse seal. The seal hadn't been acting up in the last couple of days and both Kakashi and Sasuke were relieved that Orochimaru had needed to take a break. It also gave them a rough idea of how long he can continue causing pain through the curse seal. Kakashi and Sasuke were heading back to Kakashi's place to get some sleep. They had been training all night and they both could feel the toll of being awake all night.
Sasuke and Kakashi went about the routine that they had developed in the past week. Kakashi would go and get changed and let Sasuke shower first. Once Sasuke was done Kakashi would take his turn while Sasuke made them something to eat. Once they were done eating they each went into their own room to get some sleep.
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Shikamaru was on his way back home. It was past midnight and he was just getting back into the village after a long mission. The mission was easy all he had to do was deliver a scroll so Tsunade sent him on his own. It was nice to be on his own for a change. He could go at his own pace and do whatever he wanted without having to deal with other people. Though, he was tired from the long journey and he was looking forward to being back at home in his bed. He was walking down the street just about to pass by an alleyway when he heard voices. They were coming from the alley and normally Shikamaru wouldn't care, but he heard the word Sasuke and it made him stop in his tracks. Shikamaru made sure he pressed his back against the wall so no one in the alley could see him.
"I saw the Uchiha the other night with Kakashi. Looks like he's keeping a close eye on him."
"I can't believe he survived that fire. Someone must have gotten him out."
"I heard it was two ninja that got him out. That Shikamaru and Neji guy. It was just dumb luck they came by."
"So what do we do about it?"
"I say we go after him again."
Shikamaru could tell that there were five different men in the alley. He also figured it had to be the same five that attacked Sasuke. He needed to be able to see who they were so he could tell Kakashi and Tsunade about them.
"Kakashi is always around him and now Jiraiya is back in the village. He seems like he's looking out for him to."
"So what? Once the Uchiha is dead it won't matter. I say we kill him this time."
"Danzou got new laws for him now. Let's get him in jail then, the prisoners will take care of him."
"They would just love to have his ass in jail. Nice young thirteen year old boy to play with. The thing won't last a week."
"So then how do we get him in jail?"
"It's only a matter of time before he breaks a law."
"Any extra trouble though and Danzou could blame him. I saw we have some fun."
Shikamaru slowly turned his head around the corner to try and get a better look at who was taking. He saw the five of them standing around in a circle and he noticed the ANBU masks. Shikamaru did his best to take a quick look at the masks he could see and then he moved back to his spot. He heard them continue talking so he figured he hadn't been spotted. He turned around so he could walk towards the Hokage Tower, but he felt hands grabbing him and one going over his mouth. He was dragged into the alley where the five men stood. One was behind him covering up his mouth and holding him, while the other four were standing in front of him.
"Well well well, look who we have here." The man with the wolf mask said.
"Looks like tonight is our lucky night." The man with the lion mask said.
"Shikamaru didn't you ever learn not to listen to other people's conversations?" the man behind him said as he moved his hand away from Shikamaru's mouth.
"Didn't you ever learn not to try and burn a fellow comrade alive?" Shikamaru spat out. He wasn't going to show these men any fear. Shikamaru knew they weren't just going to let him go, but that didn't mean Shikamaru was going to play nice with them.
"You shouldn't care about him. He's nothing but garbage. He'll run to Orochimaru and be his personal bitch while the rest of us have to clean up after him. You should be trying to kill him just like the rest of this village. You have a duty to keep the village safe and as long as that thing is alive it never will be." The man with the snake mask said.
"He's not a thing, he's a person. He's a fellow comrade that has a psycho after him. You should be trying to defend him not hurt him. He's thirteen years old and you tried to kill him. It's not his fault that Orochimaru is after him."
"It is his fault. He should have died with the rest of his disgusting family. It's his fault he lived and now, because of that Konoha has to worry about the Sound and Orochimaru attacking. Innocent lives should not have to be killed because of him." the man with the wolf mask said.
"He is innocent. He hasn't done anything wrong. He's fought for Konoha and has protected these people just like the rest of us. It's not his fault he survived a massacre. How can you hate him so much when he's done nothing wrong?"
"He's breathing that's what he has done wrong." The man with the bird mask said.
"You won't get away with this."
"We already have. Who are you going to tell that gives a dam? Danzou is our leader we answer to him. Tsunade can't do shit about what we do." The man behind him said.
"You won't get away with it. I'll tell every single person that will listen. Someone will do something about you. Kakashi and Jiraiya won't let you get away with this. You're stupid to go up against either of them."
"Looks like you need a lesson about keeping your mouth shut. What do you think boys?" the man with the wolf mask said.
"I think he needs to learn who is in charge." The man in the lion mask said.
Shikamaru knew they were going to attack, but he wasn't going to make it easy for them. He head butted the man behind him and hit him right on his chin. He fought against the man's hold around him and did everything he could to get out. As the men in front of him came towards him he kicked out and landed a blow to the man wearing the lion mask. It wasn't enough though, they were ANBU and Shikamaru was not only out-numbered, but he was out skilled. They were on him and Shikamaru couldn't even keep track of where the blows were coming. The punches and kicks were all over him and he was all too soon taken down to the ground. Shikamaru knew this was how Sasuke had felt when he was attacked in his own home. He could hear his ribs breaking as the sound echoed through the alley walls. He tried to scream out for help, but he just couldn't get enough air into his lungs to do it. He was losing the fight to stay awake and after yet another blow to the head the darkness took over.
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Shikamaru could feel the darkness surrounding his mind slowly fading away. With the darkness fading away the pain was slowly appearing. Shikamaru let out a groan as his body felt the full force of the pain. Slowly he opened his eyes to find a blinding light around him. He squinted his eyes and placed an open hand over them to try and block out the bright light. He vaguely heard movement off to the right side of him and then the blinding light was gone. He slowly put his hand down and tried to open his eyes more. He was able to get them half way open and he tried to look around. He looked to the right and saw Asuma standing by the blind in the room. He had opened it slightly to let some of the morning sun shine through the room. Shikamaru very quickly realised that he was in a hospital room. Asuma moved closer to the bed and leaned against it.
"How are you feeling?" Asuma asked softly.
"I don't know." Shikamaru's voice was rough with pain.
"What hurts?" Asuma asked softly again.
"Everything. My head hurts the most right now."
"You took a lot of hits to the head. It's ten in the morning if you're wondering. Do you remember what happened?"
"I don't… how did I get here?"
"You brought yourself here. You were attacked and you came into the hospital late last night. Tsunade was called down when the other medics saw the state that you were in. I was also called down. You've been out since four this morning. Do you remember anything about last night?"
"I don't know. Everything just hurts right now. My head is killing me."
"I'm going to page Tsunade-Sama to come down and look you over. She should still be here."
Asuma hit the nurse button and waited. Tsunade wanted him to call her when Shikamaru woke up. She wanted to know what happened and to see what his pain level he was in. It would also be easier for her to explain to him about his injuries. After a few minutes Tsunade came into the room to see Shikamaru awake. She went over to the bed on the opposite side that Asuma was on.
"Shikamaru, how are you feeling?"
"Confused and in pain."
"On a scale of one to ten, ten being the highest what level is your pain?"
"Seven."
"Okay I can give you something for the pain."
"What kind of pain medication?" Asuma asked.
"I can give him a small dose of morphine to ease the pain."
"Wouldn't you need parental permission?" Asuma asked.
"His mother is away visiting some family in another village. His father isn't due back until later on today from his mission. You can give permission for pain medication in his parents' place. He is also thirteen and a Chounin so he can make this decision. Would you like some pain medication Shikamaru?"
"I don't know. It hurts too much to think."
Shikamaru moved his hands to his head to try and stop the pounding. Asuma placed a gentle hand on his right shoulder as he spoke.
"Okay why don't we try a low dose of morphine? Just a small amount to take the edge off."
"We can do that. It won't put him to sleep, but it will make the pain lessen significantly." Tsunade said.
Tsunade went over to the medical cabinet and retrieved what she needed. With the needle ready she went over to Shikamaru and injected the morphine into his system. She then discarded the needle into the safety bin before she turned her attention back to Shikamaru.
"Shikamaru you will be in pain for a good few days. Each day that passes the pain will lessen and within a week you will be back to normal. Your head and ribs will hurt the most. You took significant damage to your brain from the punches and kicks. You'll be having some headaches for a little while. You had six broken ribs. I've healed them and the small internal bleeding that you had. You'll be able to go home in a few days. Do you have any questions?"
"Sasuke… where is he?"
"He's at Kakashi's place. Why?" Asuma said.
"It was them."
"Them who?" Tsunade asked.
"The five men that attacked him, they attacked me." Shikamaru's voice was a little slow from the morphine, but Asuma and Tsunade didn't care. They just needed to know what happened.
"You need to try your best to remember what happened Shikamaru." Tsunade said.
"I was on my way home from the mission. I heard someone say Sasuke's name in an alley. I hid around the corner of the alley entrance to hear what they were talking about. There were five of them. They were talking about what happened to Sasuke saying that they were going to take care of him. They want to try and get him in jail. They said the prisoners would love to play with him. The one brought up Kakashi and Jiraiya, but they said they didn't care about them. I went to look to see if I could see their faces. They were all ANBU. I thought they didn't see me, so I went to leave but I was grabbed. They said horrible things about him. They called him a thing and said it was his fault that he survived the massacre. They said that innocent lives shouldn't have to be killed for him. I tried to get them to understand that this wasn't Sasuke's fault. That he was innocent in this. They didn't care they said that Danzou was in charge of them. That no one can stop them, but Danzou. They want him in jail so the other inmates can kill him. They knew that Neji and I were the ones that got him out of the fire. I told them that I would tell anyone that would listen that it was them. They said they were going to teach me a lesson in being quit. Then they started to attack me. It goes fuzzy after that."
"Do you remember the masks?" Tsunade asked.
"I only saw four of them. The one that seemed to be in charge was a wolf mask. There was a lion, a snake and a bird. The fifth was behind me the whole time I never saw his."
"That's good we can find the fifth through the other four." Asuma said trying to sound encouraging.
"Sasuke and Neji they aren't safe. They could go after either one of them next." Shikamaru said.
"I'll inform Neji and the rest of the group to stay alert and to watch out for them." Tsunade said.
"I will go and inform Kakashi and Sasuke about what happened and who the men were. From the sounds of it they seem like they are going to try and start something with Sasuke. If they want him in jail there is only two ways to do it. The first is to get Sasuke to break his new laws and the other would be to cause too much havoc in Konoha. Danzou could place him in jail to make the havoc within the village stop. The problem is the ANBU had a valid point; Danzou is in charge of them and if he doesn't take action against them there isn't anything we can do." Asuma said.
"This situation is getting out of hand very quickly. It's only going to get worse it seems." Tsunade let out a sigh, "Shikamaru you are safe here. You need to just sleep and try not to worry. Asuma I want you to go and inform Kakashi and Sasuke. I want you to then round everyone up and meet me and Jiraiya in training ground three."
"Yes Tsunade-Sama."
"Shikamaru when your father returns I will inform him of what has happened. He should be back later on this afternoon. For now just rest and I will handle everything else." Tsunade said.
"Can I see Sasuke?" Shikamaru was barely awake, but he wanted to make sure he was alright for himself.
"I'll speak to Kakashi and see what he says. I'm sure he won't have a problem with it." Asuma said.
"Okay that's enough for now. Shikamaru you need to sleep in order to heal. I'll come by and check on you later."
"Ok"
Shikamaru already had his eyes closed. The pain medication was making him even more tired than he already was. Tsunade and Asuma left the hospital room and went about gathering the ninja. Asuma headed over to Kakashi's first so he could inform him of what happened. It was just before eleven in the morning when Asuma knocked on Kakashi's front door. He knew that Kakashi had been staying up all night and sleeping during the day. He had been doing it so Sasuke wasn't alone and at risk of Orochimaru attacking him. Asuma knew it was going to take a toll on Kakashi and he was going to make sure he kept a close eye on Kakashi and make sure he wasn't getting burnt out. After a few minutes Kakashi opened the door to see Asuma on the other side. Asuma could tell that Kakashi had barely slept. He looked exhausted and Asuma was only able to see part of his face.
"You look like hell." Asuma said
"Asuma, please tell me this can wait." Exhaustion was clear in Kakashi's voice.
"I'm sorry it can't. Something has happened and Tsunade needs to speak with all of us."
Kakashi let out a sigh and he stepped back to let Asuma inside. Kakashi went over to the couch and sat down. Asuma sat down on the other side of the couch.
"What happened?"
"Shikamaru was attacked last night. He was on his way home from a mission late last night. He was walking home when he heard someone mention Sasuke's name. It was the five men that attacked Sasuke and set his apartment on fire. Shikamaru heard them talking about getting Sasuke in jail. They seemed to really like the idea of the other inmates playing with him."
"Playing?"
"That's what they said. I think you and I both know what that truly means and what would happen to a thirteen year old in prison. They want to get him in jail so he is killed by the inmates. Shikamaru said they mentioned your name and Jiraiya. They weren't concerned at all about either of you. They believe that only Danzou can stop them and that neither of you two will be able to. Shikamaru went to leave but they caught him and they attacked him. Shikamaru said they called Sasuke a thing and said he should have died the night his family did. They said everything was his fault and innocent lives shouldn't die, because of him."
"Sasuke's life is innocent."
"I know. Shikamaru doesn't remember much, but he brought himself to the hospital. He just woke up about an hour ago."
"How is he?"
"He took a lot of blows. His head and ribs hurt the worse right now. He had six broken ribs and he will be getting headache for a few weeks. Tsunade said he can leave the hospital in a couple of days. He won't be able to do any missions for two weeks though most likely."
"Are his parents with him?"
"His mother is away visiting family. His father is on his way back from a mission. He should be here in a few hours. He's going to be pissed and looking for blood when he finds out what happened."
"You think he might blame Sasuke?"
"I can't see him doing that. Shikaku knows that this isn't Sasuke's fault. Shikamaru has been talking to him about what happened to Sasuke and from the impression I got from Shikamaru. I think Shikaku is on our side."
"Did he see who they were?"
"He did. They also said that they could only be stopped by Danzou and they knew that Danzou wasn't going to do anything to protect Sasuke."
"Danzou doesn't have to do anything. I'll take care of them. They aren't worried about me then they are about to find out how wrong they are."
"Tsunade wants to have everyone meet at training ground three. She wants to inform everyone of what happened and probably go over safety measures."
"Okay, that's a good idea. The others need to understand how serious this situation is getting."
"How are you holding up? You're not looking so good Kakashi."
"I'm fine. I'm just tired. Constantly having to be on point all the time. It's hard to just rest and relax. Training all night and sleeping for a few hours during the day it's starting to take a toll on me. I don't know how Sasuke is able to keep doing this. He's only sleeping a few hours in the day. He's training at night and he's having nightmares. He's not talking about them, but I know he is. He's paranoid and constantly watching his back no matter where we are. He's hiding from me how he is actually doing with everything. I don't know if he's doing it, because he doesn't want me to know. Or if he's doing it, because he doesn't want to bother me with it."
"He's blaming himself for all of this." Asuma summed up.
"He hasn't said it out loud, but he is. I think he's worried that I'll resent him for everything and turn my back on him. He's keeping everything to himself and I don't want him to be doing that. I want him to feel like he can open up to me and tell me how he feels. Last week we talked about what happened the night the Clan was killed. We talked about his brother and how their relationship was growing up. He expressed how he thought there might be more to that night then he was being told."
"That's good that he talked about that with you. I don't think he has told anyone about what happened that night."
"It is good that he finally spoke about it, but that's the problem. It took him five years to talk about it. I don't want him to feel like he can't talk to me about what is currently happening. I need to figure out how to get him to open up to me."
"I'm sure he will Kakashi. If there is ever a time that you need a break though, let me know and I'll keep an eye on him."
"Thank-you Asuma."
"We're in this together Kakashi don't forget that. Shikamaru did say he wanted to see Sasuke."
"I'll wake him up and I'll tell him what happened, but I don't want to tell him what was said about him. He doesn't need to know that."
"I agree."
Kakashi got up and headed into the spare bedroom to wake Sasuke. Kakashi opened the door to find that Sasuke was already awake and sitting on the bed with his knees up to his chest. Kakashi walked into the room and over to the bed.
"What are you doing awake? We've only just got back not even four hours ago."
"I could ask you the same thing."
"I would be asleep, but someone knocked on the door."
"I know I heard. You beat me to answering it. Who was it?"
"It's Asuma and don't change the subject. You should be asleep, even if you heard the door you should be sleeping right now."
"I heard someone at the door and I couldn't get back to sleep. It's not a big deal. What did Asuma want?"
"This conversation is not over Sasuke. Something has happened to Shikamaru."
"Is he okay?"
"He will be. Get dressed and come out into the living room. I'll explain everything then."
"Okay"
Kakashi left the room and closed the door behind him so Sasuke could get dressed. After a few minutes Sasuke came out and joined Asuma and Kakashi in the living room. Sasuke sat down in the chair as he spoke.
"What happened to Shikamaru?" You could hear the concern in Sasuke's voice.
"Long story short he was attacked by the same five men that you were. It was late last night and he was walking home from a mission when he heard your name being mentioned. They attacked him and he was able to get himself to the hospital. He's going to be fine in a couple of weeks and within a few days he'll be out of the hospital." Asuma explained.
"So he's okay?"
"He's fine Sasuke. He's a little banged up, but he'll be back to normal in no time. He was able to see who the men were. They were ANBU that attacked you and he was able to identify four out of the five masks." Kakashi said.
"So now what happens? Does Danzou know?"
"Danzou hasn't been informed by us; whether or not he knows that it was them is still unclear." Kakashi said.
"What like he ordered them to kill me?" Sasuke asked.
"No, but he might have already figured it out and hasn't done or said anything about it." Kakashi said.
"The thing is Sasuke, the ANBU are controlled by Danzou and only he can punish his men. Tsunade doesn't get a say in what happens to them. So even though she knows who they were all she can do is report it to Danzou. She has no say in what happens with ANBU." Asuma explained further.
"But they didn't just attack me. They've attacked Shikamaru now to. I don't understand why Danzou doesn't like me, but he can't ignore what they did to Shikamaru. Can he?"
"We don't know what Danzou will do. He might do just that and ignore what happened. Right now it is best to just trust the people in our group unless I tell you otherwise." Kakashi said.
"Can I see him? I need to apologise."
"Apologise for what Sasuke?" Kakashi asked confused.
"This is my fault. He's hurt and in the hospital, because of what is going on with me. It's my fault he's hurt."
"No it's not. Sasuke I don't know you very well. Realistically I don't think there are five people in this village that know you very well. That's why you need to listen to me when I say that this is not your fault. You didn't ask for any of this to happen to you. You didn't ask for that curse mark. You didn't ask for Orochimaru to gain interest in you. What's going on right now is hard and confusing and painful, but you didn't ask for any of it. This is nowhere near your fault. If you only ever believe one thing that I tell you, you believe that." Asuma said before Kakashi had any chance to jump in.
"He's right Sasuke. You can't be blaming yourself for this. I know it's hard, but you can't give up. If you do then everything that has happened will be all for nothing. You need to fight to win this. You need to stay strong and blame those that are responsible. Those five ANBU know the difference between right and wrong. They are the ones that are in the wrong, not you. We will figure this out." Kakashi said.
"I'd really like to see him if I could." Sasuke said in a soft voice.
"He was asking about you before I left. Kakashi can bring you to the hospital to stay with Shikamaru. I will go and round everyone up to meet Tsunade." Asuma said.
"Meet for what?" Sasuke asked.
"She didn't say, but most likely to go over safety measures. I think you should be there at the meeting though Kakashi." Asuma said.
"Probably should. Will you be alright in the hospital with Pakun Sasuke?"
"Of course."
"Alright let's head out then." Kakashi said.
The three of them got up and headed out the door. Asuma went to start collecting the other ninja and Sasuke and Kakashi headed to the hospital. The walk over was done in silence and Kakashi knew that Sasuke was still blaming himself for what has happened. It had only been a week and Kakashi couldn't believe how much worse this situation has gotten. Kakashi knew Sasuke was going to feel responsible and he knew there really was nothing he could do to change Sasuke's mind about it. Kakashi was exhausted and it had only been a week, but what he couldn't believe was how well Sasuke was holding up. Sasuke had spent most of his life hiding what he truly was feeling and Kakashi knew that he was doing it now. Sasuke was giving the impression that he was fine and holding together, but Kakashi knew otherwise. Kakashi just had to get the truth out of Sasuke somehow. They made it to the hospital and they went up to Shikamaru's room. They opened the door and they couldn't believe the bruises that littered Shikamaru's skin. Sasuke felt his heart drop down to his stomach. He knew this was all his fault. Shikamaru was hurt and it was because of him. Sasuke went over to sit down in the chair beside the bed. Kakashi went over and placed a hand on Sasuke's right shoulder.
"This isn't your fault Sasuke. I know it's hard to believe that right now, but it's true. This is those five men's fault. You need to remember that."
"What if they go after Neji or someone else?"
"We are going to talk to everyone and let them know what is going on. We are going to make sure they are safe and go over some safety procedures."
"And if Danzou doesn't do anything about this?"
"Don't worry about Danzou. Jiraiya and I will handle the five ANBU."
"You go against Danzou and you could end up in jail."
"Danzou isn't stupid enough to try something like that with me or with Jiraiya. I don't want you to worry about this. I'm going to go and meet up with everyone. I'll have Pakun here to keep an eye out again. If something happens he'll come and get me. Nothing will happen to either of you here in the hospital it's just a precaution again."
Sasuke gave a small nod and Kakashi made the hand seals to summon Pakun. The little dog appeared at the end of the bed once again.
"Boss"
"I need you to stay here and keep an eye on Sasuke and Shikamaru. Something happens come and get me."
Pakun looked around and saw that he was in the hospital again; except this time it was Shikamaru in the bed and Sasuke in the chair.
"You boys really need to hang out someplace other than a hospital sometime." Pakun said
"Behave Pakun and keep them safe."
"You got it boss."
"I'll see you in a little while Sasuke."
"Ya"
Kakashi gave Sasuke's shoulder and gentle squeeze before he left the room. Pakun went and curled up at the end of the bed again and let the quiet take over the room.
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Kakashi went to training ground three to join the rest of the group. He was worried about leaving Sasuke alone in the hospital, but he figured it was better for him there then here. Pakun was with him and he was sure no one would try anything in a hospital full of people. These men have so far only attacked at night and not out in the open. It would be pretty bold to attack during the day in a hospital. Kakashi got to training ground three to find that everyone was there except for Kurenai. Kakashi went over to stand by Asuma and Gai.
"Where's Kurenai?" Kakashi asked.
"She's out on a solo mission. She won't be back for another week at least." Asuma answered.
"Has anyone asked what this is about?" Kakashi asked.
"Naruto has been very vocal about this. The others are annoyed and curious as well, but most of them aren't saying anything." Gai answered.
"Sasuke get to the hospital okay?" Asuma asked.
"He's fine. I left Pakun with them just in case." Kakashi answered.
"Alright now that everyone is here we can begin." Tsunade said.
"But Sasuke isn't here." Naruto said.
"Or Shikamaru." Chouji added.
"Sasuke and Shikamaru are in the hospital right now." Kakashi said.
"What happened?" Sakura asked.
"Are they hurt?" Ino asked.
"Sasuke is fine he's just keeping Shikamaru company and he doesn't need to be here for this." Kakashi said.
"Shikamaru was attacked late last night. He's in the hospital with a few injuries, but he will be fine within a few days." Asuma said.
"Attacked by who?" Chouji asked.
"And why would Sasuke be keeping him company?" Kiba asked surprised that Sasuke would go out of his way to be with Shikamaru.
"Did Shikamaru see who attacked him?" Ino asked.
"Alright everyone calm down. I know you have questions let us explain first and then you can ask your questions." Tsunade said.
"Late last night Shikamaru was on his way home from his mission. He was just about to walk passed an alley when he heard someone say Sasuke's name. You all have been informed of what happened to Sasuke a week ago correct?" Asuma said
"Five men tried to kill him and burnt his home down." Shino answered for everyone.
"Shikamaru and Neji found him and they got him out and to the hospital. Shikamaru told you all to keep an ear out for anyone that was talking about it. So when he heard Sasuke's name being spoken he stayed off to the side of the alley entrance so he could listen to the conversation. It was the same five men that attacked Sasuke and they were talking about what had happened. They mentioned wanting to get Sasuke in jail so he would be killed by the inmates. Shikamaru took the risk in looking into the alley to see who they were. They were five ANBU and he was able to ID four out of the five masks. They caught him and they beat him up to get him to stay quiet. They figured that he would be too afraid to tell anyone." Asuma said.
"They clearly don't know our Shikamaru." Ino said in her teammates defence.
"He brought himself into the hospital and Tsunade-Sama healed him. He told us what he remembered and for now he will be in the hospital for a few days to heal and rest up. He will be fine within a week or two to go back to missions." Asuma finished.
"So why the hell is Sasuke with him?" Kiba asked.
"Sasuke wanted to sit with him and make sure he was alright. Shikamaru was also asking for him." Kakashi said.
"He has some nerve." Tenten said.
"Care to elaborate on that Tenten." Gai said.
"Sasuke, he's got some nerve to be sitting with Shikamaru. It's his fault Shikamaru is even hurt in the first place." Tenten said with anger clear in her voice.
"How is it Sasuke's fault?" Naruto asked ready to defend his friend.
"How is it not? If it wasn't for Sasuke none of this would be happening." Tenten said.
"This is not Sasuke's fault." Neji said.
"How can you say that? Look at what's happening to the village and it's all because of him. If he had died in that fire then this would have ended." Tenten said.
"Are you saying Shikamaru and I made a mistake in saving his life? That we should have just stood by and let him burn to death?" Neji couldn't believe that Tenten would even say something like this. He understood her being upset that one of them was hurt, but to blame Sasuke was unfair.
"I'm saying if he had died this wouldn't be happening. Orochimaru is after him I don't understand why we don't just hand him over. The village would go back to being at peace." Tenten said.
"So that's your solution we just hand Sasuke over to that freak. We should just sacrifice Sasuke for the sake of the village." Naruto was pissed he couldn't believe Tenten would ever suggest that.
"If you want to be Hokage one day Naruto you have to learn to make tough decisions. Sacrificing one to save a whole village isn't a hard decision no matter who it is." Tenten said.
"Sasuke is our teammate and friend we can't just abandon him." Sakura said.
"We're not abandoning him." Neji said immediately.
"Speak for yourself. I'm not getting beat up or killed to protect him. He's a cold hearted bastard who doesn't care. Why should I risk my life to protect him when he wouldn't do the same for me?" Tenten said.
The adults in the group kept quiet for right now. They wanted to see where everyone stood and this conversation was doing just that.
"Sasuke is a fellow comrade we can't turn our backs on him now." Lee said.
"If he's so cold hearted, why is he with Shikamaru right now?" Sakura said.
"He's putting him in even more danger by being around him." Tenten said.
"How can you stand there and say he wouldn't protect you? He saved my life. He risked his own life and almost died to save mine. You don't know a dam thing about him." Naruto said.
"When the hell did that happen?" Kiba asked.
"On a mission." Sakura said.
"Just because he saved your life once on a mission doesn't mean he would do the same for any of us. The guy is a cold hearted bastard. I'm not risking my life to save his. He's not worth my loyalty." Tenten said.
"Alright enough. First of all Tenten, Sasuke is a Shinobi of Konoha that right there is enough to earn your loyalty. You won't defend him fine. What about the rest of you? Where do you stand? I'm not having this conversation and wasting my time if you don't care." Tsunade said.
"I'm standing by Sasuke." Naruto said.
"Me to." Sakura said.
"I stand by my decision to save him. Sasuke might not be my friend, but he's earned my respect and loyalty." Neji said.
"He's earned mine." Lee said.
"Not mine." Tenten said.
"That covers Kakashi's and Gai's team. What about the rest of you?" Tsunade asked.
"Chouji and me will stand by Shikamaru's decision." Ino said.
"Sasuke's a good ninja. If Shikamaru is willing to put his life on the line for him then so are we." Chouji said.
"I can't stand him, but I'm not gonna turn my back on him." Kiba said.
"Me to." Hinata whispered.
"I stand by my comrades." Shino said.
"Tenten you can leave. You don't want to defend your fellow comrade then I have nothing to say to you." Tsunade said.
"Fine by me."
Tenten took off and left the remaining ninja there in the training grounds.
"For those of you that do not know, this is Jiraiya. He will be here in the village until Orochimaru is taken care of. He is the other Sanin and you will show him respect." Tsunade said.
"The village is only going to get worse. The longer this goes on for the more restless the village will get and the more they will take action into their own hands. Right now the village is still suffering the loss of the Third. The Third's death is what pushed some of these villagers and ninjas to go against Sasuke. They blame him for Orochimaru coming into Konoha and for the Third's death. I want to make this very clear. This is not Sasuke's fault. You cannot blame him for the choices that others have made." Jiraiya said.
"So what's the plan?" Naruto asked.
"Right now the best thing you guys can do is stay safe." Kakashi said.
"What? We're not going to go after these guys?" Naruto said.
"The men were ANBU. They are trained killers. You guys need to stay smart and stay safe. The rest of us will handle these ANBU." Asuma said.
"You all need to keep your eyes open and your ears open. Be smart don't get into a fight with any ANBU. The best thing you can do is to stay away from any ANBU, but especially the ones with a wolf mask, lion mask, bird mask or a snake mask. These men are the ones that attacked Shikamaru and Sasuke. There is one other ANBU, but we don't know what mask he has. Sasuke needs your support right now. Clearly these ANBU are not above going after someone who stands by Sasuke. They aren't worried about any consequences for their actions. Trust this group and only this group unless one of us says otherwise. This will get worse and Sasuke will need the support whether he acts like it or not." Tsunade said.
"Sasuke does not do well with emotions you all know that. He blames himself for what is happening and for what happened to Shikamaru. If any of you get hurt he will blame himself then as well. Sasuke isn't one for conversations and he isn't one to express how he is feeling about something. It's only been a week and so far five ANBU have tried to kill him and Orochimaru made an appearance. He's barely slept in the past week and he's trying to show that he's okay when he isn't. Remember that when you speak with him. He might be short with you and he will be easily annoyed the longer he goes not sleeping well. Have some patience with him, learn how to read his moods and tells. That will help you be able to read his mood better." Kakashi said.
"Orochimaru approached him?" Neji asked.
"He did the night he was released from the hospital. Orochimaru just talked to him about what he can offer. He has not been back since, but it has put Sasuke on edge and made him a little paranoid." Kakashi answered.
"The bottom line is you all need to be careful. Be smart about what you say and to whom you say it to." Gai said.
"We don't want you to be paranoid and on edge, but you need to pay attention when you are out. These men clearly have no problems attacking anyone regardless of their ranking or age. Be careful." Jiraiya said.
"So that's it? All we do is keep a look out and deal with Sasuke's moods." Kiba said.
"You could try being nice Kiba." Asuma said.
"Nobody said I had to like him to protect him." Kiba said back.
"That actually brings up a very good point. You not only need to remember, but accept the fact that Neji and Sasuke are the strongest out of all of you. You can argue whatever you'd like, but that's the truth. They have the strongest skills out of all of you. So you need to realise that. These men caused serious damage to Sasuke and almost killed him. They will not hesitate to kill you. You don't have to like Sasuke, but you do have to accept his skill level over yours." Kakashi said.
"All of you need to be smart and let whatever you feel towards Sasuke go for right now. He has enough problems right now he doesn't need any extra from any of you. He needs to know that you have his back in this." Tsunade said.
"We'll be smart Tsunade-Sama." Sakura said.
"Why is Orochimaru after Sasuke?" Ino asked.
"Orochimaru is looking to obtain the Sharingan. There are only two Sharingan users left alive in the world, Sasuke and his older brother Itachi." Jiraiya was interrupted by Lee.
"Brother? I thought they all died?"
"They don't know?" Jiraiya asked the adults.
"Only Naruto knew that he had an older brother." Kakashi said.
"We don't talk about Sasuke's family especially around him. It's still a very sore subject for him." Tsunade said.
"His brother is alive?" Ino asked.
"Sasuke's older brother is the one that killed the Clan. He is still alive and an S-Class criminal. He's incredibly powerful;, he's too powerful for Orochimaru so that's why he has turned his attention to Sasuke." Kakashi said.
"Sasuke is strong for his age, but he's not strong enough to defeat Orochimaru. Orochimaru wants the Sharingan so he can copy unlimited techniques. He can obtain the Sharingan one of two ways; he can cut Sasuke's eyes out and implant them into himself. Or he can take over Sasuke's body by doing a seal that will kill Sasuke, but allow Orochimaru to use his body as his own. Either way if Orochimaru gets his hands on the Sharingan it won't end well for this world." Jiraiya said.
"For now just keep your eyes and ears open. Is there any questions?" Tsunade asked.
No one spoke up so Tsunade spoke.
"Get out of here and don't talk about this around other people."
"If you are going to visit Shikamaru do it later on tonight. Give Sasuke and Shikamaru some time together. And do not talk to Sasuke about his brother." Kakashi said.
The others all nodded and headed off in the direction of the village.
"Well that could have gone worse." Asuma said.
"I didn't expect Tenten to act like that I must say." Gai said.
"At least it was only one of them to react like that." Kakashi said.
"I'm curious to see how it would have went if Sasuke had ended up on my team like he was supposed to." Gai said.
"What?" Kakashi asked.
"Sasuke was supposed to be on my team instead of Neji, but the council denied Iruka's request. He would have graduated at eleven, but they denied it." Gai explained.
"No one told me that." Kakashi said.
"There is a lot that the council doesn't speak about." Tsunade said.
"On the bright side we now know four out of the five ANBU that attacked both Shikamaru and Sasuke. We know where those young ones stand and we've warned them. Considering everything so far I think we're getting somewhere." Jiraiya said.
"Baby steps." Tsunade said.
"What do you need from us my Lady?" Gai asked.
"Right now, nothing. Keep doing what you are doing. Jiraiya and I will deal with these ANBU. Keep an eye on your students and when missions come I'll make sure your squads are the first ones to go out." Tsunade said.
"Yes Hokage-Sama. If that is all I have a training session with my squad." Gai said.
"Yes you are all dismissed and thank-you." Tsunade said.
Gai gave a bow to Tsunade and then disappeared into the trees. Kakashi and Asuma started to make their way out of the training grounds.
"Where are you going Kakashi?"
"To the hospital to make sure Sasuke is safe."
"You need to be going home and getting some sleep." Asuma said with concern in his voice.
"I'm fine."
Asuma stopped and gently grabbed Kakashi's arm to get him to stop.
"You're not fine, you're exhausted. You aren't any help to Sasuke if you're burnt out. You need to take care of yourself to Kakashi. Sasuke is safe at the hospital. If something happens Pakun is there and can come get you. Go home and get some sleep. They need some time alone together anyways." Asuma said.
"Sasuke is the one that needs sleep. I've been through this before with multiple missions I'll be fine."
"You've barely slept in the past week. You're not used to being awake all night either. Go home, get some food into you and get some sleep. Leave Sasuke and Shikamaru alone to talk. You can't protect Sasuke if you're too worn out."
Kakashi let out a sigh he didn't want to admit that Asuma was right, but he was. He was exhausted from being awake all night. He did need some decent food and some sleep. His body needed a chance to catch up. Pakun was with Sasuke in the hospital if something happened he will know about it.
"You're right. I'll go home and get some food and sleep. Sasuke will be safe with Pakun guarding him. I'm going to need the energy for tonight."
"Good go home. Shikaku will be back in Konoha soon and then he'll be at the hospital. Get some rest while you can Kakashi."
"Are you sure Shikaku won't take his anger out on Sasuke?"
"He's a good man. He would never do anything to hurt a child. Sasuke's a ninja, but at the end of the day he's a thirteen year old boy. He won't hurt him." Asuma assured Kakashi.
"Ok I'm going home."
"Good. I'll probably see you later at the hospital."
"Alright"
"Good night old friend."
"Have a good day Asuma."
Asuma just smiled as Kakashi headed off in the direction of his home. Asuma figured he would go home and get some things done as well. He wanted to give Sasuke and Shikamaru some privacy so they could talk. Asuma knew there was a reason why Shikamaru wanted to see Sasuke and he figured it would be best if he wasn't there for it. He would stop by later once he heard that Shikaku was back in the village.
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Sasuke sat in the plastic hospital chair for the past three hours. He was sitting sideways with his legs curled up to his chest; his head was resting on the back. All he could do was stare at Shikamaru who was sleeping peacefully on the bed. The bruises on his face were dark and each time Sasuke saw one he felt horrible. Sasuke knew that this was his fault and no one could tell him otherwise. Sasuke knew he couldn't leave, but at the same time if he did then at least no one else would get hurt. This havoc in Konoha was all because of him, if he wasn't here then neither would the havoc. Sasuke was lost in his own mind that he didn't notice Shikamaru had woken up. Shikamaru wasn't surprised to see Sasuke there in the chair. Shikamaru hadn't seen Sasuke since that day in the hospital so he took a few minutes to look at him. He still had some bruising on his face and arms. His left arm wasn't covered anymore and Shikamaru could see his skin was healing very well. There were only a few spots that were still red. Shikamaru could see the exhaustion in his face and it looked like Sasuke hadn't been sleeping all week.
"You look like hell." Shikamaru said with a clear voice.
Sasuke snapped out of his thoughts with the sound of Shikamaru's voice.
"Clearly you haven't looked in a mirror." Sasuke said with a tired voice.
"That bad?"
"Enough to make your parents freak out when they see you."
"Is my dad back from his mission?" Shikamaru asked.
"No it's just two in the afternoon though, so I'm sure he'll be back soon. What about your mom?"
"She's away visiting her family."
Sasuke just gave a nod to that and Shikamaru could see he was working up the courage to say something. Shikamaru knew what he was going to say and he wasn't going to hear any of it. This wasn't his fault at all.
"Look Shikamaru…"
"Don't even say it Sasuke. This is not your fault."
"This is my fault. This is all on me and I'm sorry you got dragged into this."
"I didn't get dragged into anything Sasuke. I made the choice to go into that fire and I don't regret it for a second. I'm on your side Sasuke through thick and thin."
"Being on my side is hazardous to your health."
"We really should stop meeting like this." Shikamaru joked.
"You shouldn't have risked trying to identify them."
"Sasuke I don't care what happened. I don't regret what I did at all. This is not your fault and you need to stop blaming yourself."
"Konoha is divided because of me."
"Konoha is divided because of Orochimaru. He's to blame for this. Those ANBU are the ones to blame for what happened to me and to you. You're going to hate this word but you're the victim in this…"
"I'm not a victim." Sasuke said strongly.
"You hate that word I get that, but it's true. This isn't your fault; this is far from your fault. You need to remember that no matter what anyone says. I'm not mad at you. I'm mad at them and I wish there was something I can do about all of this."
"Kakashi and everyone I guess were meeting up in the training ground to go over a few things. I guess Tsunade wanted to go over safety measures with them. I'm sure Tsunade and Kakashi will do something about the ANBU."
"I'm sure they already have a plan for it. You haven't been sleeping." Shikamaru said with confidence.
"You're starting to sound like Kakashi."
"That's because it's true."
"I'm fine. You should be more worried about yourself and not me."
"I can do both. Why aren't you sleeping?"
Shikamaru hit the button on the bed that would make the head of the bed go up so he was half sitting up.
"I'm sleeping."
"Sasuke" Shikamaru warned.
"Just let it go Shikamaru."
"Why won't you talk about this?"
"Because if I start talking about this, then I won't be able to fool myself into believing everything will be okay. I can't talk about this yet, that small hope is all I have right now."
Shikamaru could understand where Sasuke was coming from. If he was in Sasuke's position he wouldn't want to fully accept the depth of this situation. If Shikamaru thought about it he would be having a hard time trying to get his head into the game. Sasuke was just trying to save his sanity and stay alert if that meant he couldn't talk about it right now then Shikamaru was alright with that. Shikamaru moved the blankets back off the empty side of the bed before he spoke.
"Get up here."
"What?" Sasuke looked at Shikamaru with a confused face.
"I said get up here."
"Why?"
"Because you're still injured and sitting like that is not going to help. Plus you need to sleep. Now get your ass up here."
"I'm not sitting up there with you."
"Are you really going to argue with an injured man?"
"Did you seriously just play that card?"
"Yup, now stop being so troublesome and get up here."
Sasuke let out a sigh; he knew Shikamaru was not going to let this go. He uncurled himself and got up. He went to sit on the bed and placed his back against the back of the bed that was slightly raised. Shikamaru threw the covers back over Sasuke and laid down beside him.
"Someone sees us like this we will never hear the end of it." Sasuke said.
"Since when do you care about what people think?"
"I don't."
"Well then shut up. I'm tired."
"Hn"
Sasuke closed his eyes just like Shikamaru did and he tried to just get his body to relax.
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Kakashi came into the hospital just after five o'clock at night. He hadn't planned on sleeping that long, but there wasn't anything he could do about this now. Kakashi had gotten home and made something decent to eat before he went to bed. He couldn't believe when he woke up just after four in the afternoon. The first thought that went through Kakashi's mind was Sasuke. He had left him at the hospital earlier that morning and he didn't know if he was even still there. Kakashi knew that Pakun was with him and he would have come to get him if something happened. Kakashi had to admit he felt better now that he had slept for a good amount of time. It was what he needed, but he felt bad that Sasuke had been sitting at the hospital all day. Kakashi went over to Shikamaru's room and was surprised to find Shikaku standing outside of the room looking in.
Kakashi went up to him and looked inside the room. He couldn't help the warm feeling that spread through his chest at the sight in the room. Pakun was asleep on the end of the bed and Sasuke and Shikamaru were asleep in the bed. Shikamaru's head was on Sasuke's shoulder and Sasuke's head was on top of Shikamaru's head. Kakashi couldn't help the smile that was on his face at the sight.
"I came back into the village and Tsunade informed me of what happened. On my way over here I was so mad at Sasuke. All my anger was towards him and how my son is hurt, because of him. When I got here I was ready for blood and then I saw this. I've been standing here for two hours and they haven't even moved. The second my eyes landed on them all that anger just disappeared."
"I know this is hard for you to see. Shikamaru is your only child and he's your son, to see him hurt is incredibly hard for any father. This is not Sasuke's fault though. You can't blame him for this, that's not fair to him. Those ANBU are the ones that attacked your son and Sasuke. They are the ones to blame for all of this."
"And I know that. Shikamaru obviously cares about Sasuke on some level. When he told me about the fire, it was clear that he didn't regret his decision. Even after I lectured him about going into a burning building. He has good morals and he will always stand by them, even if I don't agree. I stand by my son's decision. So what are we doing about these ANBU?"
"Tsunade and Jiraiya are working on it. Shikamaru was able to identify four of the five masks. I'm not sure how much Tsunade has told you, but they weren't worried about consequences for their actions. They seem to think Danzou will approve of everything they do. They want Sasuke in jail so the prisoners can kill him."
"So what's the plan? How do we end this?"
"I have no idea. To be honest I'm just trying to take this one day at a time. Orochimaru needs to be killed, but that's not a simple task."
"He's a Sanin. It would take a large squad to even try and kill him."
"We would have to be careful and make sure to leave if we can't kill him."
"Couldn't we get a squad together and try it? If we can't kill him then we retreat and regroup."
"I'll speak to Tsunade about it. Jiraiya is in the village he might be able to handle Orochimaru with a squad."
"I want in that squad."
"I know. I need to go. The Sharingan will be extremely helpful against him, but I don't want to leave Sasuke alone."
"Isn't there someone else that can watch him?"
"Asuma might be able to stay with him. I'd have to speak to him and we need to run this by Tsunade."
"Then we need to do that. The sooner Orochimaru is taken care of then the sooner the village should go back to order."
"Should we wake them?"
"Let them sleep. This conversation can wait until later."
Kakashi walked into the room followed by Shikaku. They sat down in the chairs that were in the room and waited for when the two young ninja would wake up.
