The sea-infested foam was thick and moist. Kakashi blinked hard as the salty mist stung his eyes as he fended off his drug-induced slumber. On a gondola rowed by two men, his wrists were handcuffed by thick chains. Said chains were connected and ran down to fetter his ankles. Both outlets were managed by a noose-like ring that was rung around his neck. Escape was nearly impossible.
The child's mismatching eyes were glued on the fairly build man before him. They were fiery with stubbornness and disdain. They screamed, "Damn you, you bastard."
The bulky man stared right back at him, not a word emerging from his lips.
Kakashi turned his attention to the atmosphere. There wasn't much, just screens and screens of white smog and endless water. He had nothing to listen to but the continuous sound of shifting water and the dinging of his chains. He had not realized it before, but his left ear was thudding with an ache. "Where're you taking me?"
When he noticed the monstrous man's eyes peering ahead, he shifted around. And his eyes enlarged as he saw a prison.
##
It was truly terrible. Kakashi glanced about him; there were chain gangs along the gates, digging trenches. The signified expression of forlorn and withdrawal in tact with the children's faces kept on as if it were a broken film camera. Each the same as the previous.
He was snapped out of his trance when a young girl around his age slammed into him, her arms wrapped around his head. She stood a few inches taller than he. Kakashi blushed as his face was crushed in her breasts. She was crying and hugged him tightly.
Kakashi stared up at her with wide eyes, then awkwardly looked around. "Uh..?"
"Help us! Please!" she sobbed.
The Leaf Jonin opened his mouth to say something, but closed it soon after, finding himself speechless. How does one respond to this? He was never one to comfort, and this definitely wasn't the place.
"Mariko," an elder boy dashed toward the two. He ripped Mariko from Kakashi's arms-more or less-and held her in defense. "Stop running from me! And you, don't grab my sister or I'll kick your ass!"
Kakashi put his hands up. "My fault. Sorry." he apologized, knowing not why.
Mariko hid in her brother's chest, sobbing harder. Kakashi looked about them, making sure the guards hadn't noticed the scene. From what he saw, a fist to the face wasn't exactly what he wanted at the moment.
"Um, any idea what's going on here?" Kakashi asked.
"Who knows? We were just walking from the store when...when..." The girl continued sobbing.
The brother held her closer. "Don't talk to him, Sis. He's Leaf; I can tell by his accent." he said bitterly.
"I take it you two are from the Fishing Village?" the Jonin's brow twitched, holding back a grimace.
The brother snorted. "What's it to ya?"
"I could ask you the same question." Kakashi knew the village chose to avoid the Ninja World, but who said anything about discrimination?
Out of nowhere, the elder boy threw a punch to the Jonin's stomach. But Kakashi caught his fist and twisted it behind his back. Then he shoved him off with a hard kick in the butt. Mariko watched in horror. A small circle formed.
Face reddening, the overprotective brother spun around and lashed out another fist. Again, the Jonin dodged, snatched his wrist, and slid under his spread legs. In a split second, he was flipped onto his back.
"Okay," Kakashi said, standing over his opponent. "I think we both need to just calm down-"
Another punch!
"Whoa!" Kakashi dodged. A minute in a labor camp and he's already got fists being thrown at him.
He evaded ten more punches, each intended for his skull. He saw them in slow motion as they whooshed past his face. The one way fight continued for another minute until a trio of guards caught notice. They scurried over. Kakashi noticed them, consequently failing to see the fist charging toward his stomach. He saw what looked like veins and couldn't breathe for a second, so he arched over.
"Stop! You two, break it up!" the first guard brushed off the Jonin, who fell down.
"You," the second pointed at the brother, "are coming with us. The warden with decide your punishment later."
The third grabbed the brother, ignoring Mariko's screaming and howling. The other kids held her back as she struggled. The guard and the brother were gone, climbing the flight of stairs leading to a tall skyscraper.
Kakashi got to his feet and looked around. All the kids were staring at him as if he were an alien. The appalled glares he received were dehumanizing-made him feel like something worth less than trash. He cocked an eyebrow.
"And you, Leaf ninja," said the first guard, "are to be punished here."
The second and strongest guard picked up the boy. He slammed him on his back on the hard ground. Kakashi flinched. Really? A few days or so ago, he was attacked in the Fishing, arrested for no apparent reason, beaten to a bloody pulp by money-obsessed gangsters, and sent off to this godforsaken place. Really?!
The monstrous one jammed his foot down on Kakashi's wrist with his knee was drilled into his chest. No surprise his breath hadn't returned. He could barely move.
The leader of the trio strolled over casually with a ravenous cleaver. "You really thought you could waltz in here without anyone noticing, eh Leaf?"
"Screw off." was Kakashi's breathless answer. Short, sweet, and simple as that.
The malicious man smirked and faked offense. "Oh, so scary." He stepped heavily on the thirteen year-old's other wrist, making him wince. "But what's a ninja without a hand?" he teased, kneeling down. "I think you'd be an easy meal."
The cleaver sliced sharply into Kakashi's wrist. His fists balled. The guard rose the knife to his face, observing the fresh red liquid streaming down the blade. "Stupid boy." He rose the weapon mightily. "Now, I'm gonna make an example out of you,Leaf."
"Someday. Not today."
All eyes darted to the warden. A middle-aged man with grey hair and hard brown eyes. He was particularly tall with a slim build. Experience tainted his handsome face with wrinkles.
"But, sir-"
The guards got off Kakashi, and he sat up, rubbing his wrist. "From what I saw, he didn't start the fight. The other dumb-ass did. Besides, a Jonin should be given...special treatment."
Whispers and mumbles arose instantly. Prisoners' and guards' eyebrows shot up and the courtyard erupted in gasps and some disdainful cackles.
"Y-yes sir." said the duo in unison. With a respectful bow, they were gone.
The elder warden smiled and leered at the boy on the floor. Kakashi felt a strange sense of fear that overtook every fiber of his soul. For some reason, he wanted to cry as he gawked at him. Instead, he hid his worry with an impenetrable grimace.
The warden 'hmphed' and left. "Everyone, get back to work!"
Kakashi got his feet again and brushed himself off. He sighed and inspected his wrist. It was crusty and stung. In his peripheral vision, he noticed a small figure staring at him. He eyed a child, appearing around eight or younger.
Before he knew it, the little boy was gone. Kakashi unintentionally brought his hand up to his swollen ear. Ding. He felt something plunged in the skin. "Whatever."
-10 days later-
Kakashi sucked in some of his much needed breath as he lifted a crate that engulfed his person. It was heavy, not only due to its massive size, but because of its contents. Sweat stung the corners of his eyes when he frowned in struggle. Clumsily, he teeter-tottered for balance. The rusty titanium machine parts banged against each other, which caused an awkward shifting of weight. Kakashi, once secure, staggered across the work yard.
Until that moment, the boy noticed how horrible Tengoku truly was. He watched as children of varying ages shook in fear when the guards shot a glare towards them. He watched as some of them casually picked up their tools and continued working as if it were effortless. Their eyes were blank.
"'Ey, get moving!" a guard exclaimed from across the work yard. Kakashi shot a look at the man before following the lemming line of boys.
"You better hurry it up. They'll give you something to stare at for sure!" a fourteen year-old warned as he passed. Kakashi balanced the crate once more before falling into line, but his attention was glued on the tortured children. He frowned.
Kakashi set down the crate with his last burst of energy. Sweat dripped from his chin and spilled down his neck. He bent over for a moment.
He noticed two pairs of leather boots standing in front of him. Rolling his eyes, he glanced up.
"Hey, jungle freak." insulted the taller one.
Kakashi straightened up. Showing no reaction, he turned his back to help the group of boys with the other crates. That's when the shorter man grasped his shoulder, whipping him around.
"You think you're so tough, don'tcha?!" he accused, pushing the boy.
"Don't touch me." Kakashi growled.
Both men laughed at him. The tall one shoved him down while the other kicked dirt in his face. Kakashi urged himself not to engage. He rubbed the dirt that stung his eyes.
"Aw, you crying now, baby boy?" vexed the short one.
"Where's your mommy?"
Kakashi, whose eyes were closed as he scrubbed them with a hand, gave the guards the middle finger. The first one gritted his teeth, reached down, and yanked the boy to his knees by his collar. "Little punk-"
"Hey, you two!" exclaimed another guard from across the yard. "Get back to work! Stop goofing off!"
The men cursed him out under their breaths. "We'll get you later, Leaf trash."
With one last dirt kick to the face, they were gone. Kakashi frowned and cleaned his eyes. He glanced up at the skyscraper and noticed the warden smiling confidently at him.
"Are you really from the Leaf Village?"
Kakashi cocked an eyebrow at the same little boy from a few days before. "Yeah," he answered, suspiciously. "You might as well kick me in the face too. I'm already down here."
The child shook his head. "I don't want to kick you." He took off his pint-sized blue jacket and handed it to Kakashi. "Here. Your eyes are turning kinda red."
Kakashi hesitated, but accepted it. "Thank you."
"I don't mind ninja. I think they're cool, especially Leaf ones like you."
"Thanks, kid."
"Why's that eye a different colour than that one?" asked the Fishing Village child.
"Let's just say it was a gift." Kakashi replied, wiping his eyes.
"Are you a cyborg?"
"What?" Kakashi frowned.
"A cyborg. Does it shoot lasers?"
"I'm not a cyborg, kid." This kid was really starting to grow on him. And they just met! He stood and gave the child his jacket back. "Thanks again."
"You're welcome." said the boy. "What's your name?"
"Kakashi...Hatake."
"I'm Kaizu Shigemura."
##
Kushina continued to zoom through the endless screens of green and brown. The violent wind brushed through her hair. Leaping at the speed of a hawk pursuing game, she displayed his nickname once more. An entity of red soaring through green.
Her amethyst eyes searched her surroundings as she passed, determined to gather the smallest clues of finding his student. But nothing turned up. It was as if the boy had disappeared from the face of the earth. The sun was setting at a rapid pace. The jinchuriki grimaced in irritation, but she kept moving. She HAD to find her nephew. Nothing was going stop her.
Then, she noticed that she had reached the Fishing Village. There was a group of villagers crowded around a port. Some yelled and raged, others snorted and held their noses high. 'This must be where Koki was assigned to,' he thought. She scurried toward the crowd.
Shoving past a few people, she noticed a sudden rush of chakra shocked her. She shivered. 'What the hell was that?'
"I hope that little sorcerer gets what he deserves!" exclaimed one woman. Many agreed with her with nods and further snorts. A policeman was waving his hands frantically, trying to calm the riot. "I assure you, he will pay for his crimes."
"I want to see some lynching!" roared the crowd.
"THAT'S NOT GOOD ENOUGH!" one man shouted from a distance.
"I WANNA SEE BLOOD!" yelled another.
"That little monster has to be lynched!"
"People, please!" Policeman ordered. "The sorcerer will has been sent to Heaven for rehabilitation. He, just like the others, will be set straight."
Kushina frowned and inched closer. "Heaven?" she muttered slowly. 'Does he mean death?' She took another step forward, but stuttered when her foot hit something with a dink. Her clear violet eyes shot to her feet. There was a necklace with an amulet reflecting the sunlight into his eyes. Kushina knelt down to retrieve it. Automatically, she knew whose it was.
"Damn." She cursed. She flipped over the circular amulet. It was a Triskele Shield from one of those Celtic visions she heard about; the three branches were positioned in such a way as to make the symbol appear that it is in constant forward motion. It was made of a pure silver. Dirt attached to the thick, black thread and it left an imprint in the sand. 'Koki...' she thought, her frown creased more and she enclosed her palm over it. 'Why can't you just listen...?'
"Damnation!" the crowd began to chant. "Damnation! Damnation!"
'Could it be..?' She tuned out the chanting, and instead continued to stare at the villagers in disgust. The wave of chakra that startled her-if her observation was correct-was lightening-based. Unstable and perplexed. It had to be him. It had to be.
-3 days later; 11:27 p.m.-
It was dark, but it was not the nighttime Kakashi knew. Crickets did not sing, stars did not shine, the moon did not navigate the direction to home.
It was fairly frigid on Taro Island during the dark hours. Ocean mist hung low on the abysmal seawater like a famished serpent in search of food. Trading ships occasionally oozed past the small landmass without observation. Like it was a ghost island.
Inside Tengoku, the enslaved children were locked in the dirtiest cabin without blankets or pillows. The dusty stench of wood and dirt and sweat mingled through the tight air and it was pitch black. All the children were fast asleep from a long day's work. Except one.
"Hatake," Kaizu tugged on Kakashi's shirt. "I'm cold."
The Jonin turned over and the younger boy snuggled into his chest. Kakashi, surprised by this, froze for a while before wrapping his arm around the child. "Try to sleep, Kaizu."
"I can't." was the response.
Kakashi sighed and rubbed the young child's head like his mother had once vaguely done to him. He closed his eyes. "Well, you have to try."
"Can you tell me a story?" asked Kaizu.
"No." Kaizu made a wincing sound and buried his face in Kakashi's shirt. Kakashi groaned. "A...story?"
"Like a bedtime story."
"I don't know."
"Please? My mama used to always tell me stories, always about the zodiac and other things. Please, Hatake, I'll go right to sleep." begged Kaizu. "Don't you know any stories?"
Kakashi swallowed down his sudden shyness. "Um, okay." he agreed. Kaizu's face lit up like a campfire on a dark night. He positioned closer to his supposedly big brother's body for warmth and comfort. Kakashi thought hard in search for a story that didn't end in tragedy. One without violence. Ah, yes...
"Once upon a time, there was a bear. He lived in the forest and sometimes took trips to the mountaintop. He liked eating candy and sugary foods like any other cub. But he wasn't a normal bear. Unlike his brothers and sisters who were stained completely in reds and blues and yellows, he had nothing but his beady eyes and fur white as snow. Consequently, he was teased and harassed for it. See, every year, God gives each bear a specific color according to its destiny in life. But since he was plain, his mom and dad grew worried about their child's impurity. They concluded that the Lord deemed him unworthy of salvation and whatnot. In result, he grew grouchy and rather selfish. He was no longer cheerful and carefree like his siblings.
"He then began to fancy bossing the others around to bring him food so he wouldn't have to move an inch. If he was unsatisfied, he would throw a huge tantrum. He knew he was spoiled, but there were several other more spoiled bears around. In addition, he didn't understand why he was so boring to the others. He wasn't bored of himself, so why were the others avoiding him? He greeted every bear that crossed him, but only received a glare in response. He was overall confused. So, as usual, he walked to the mountains on a cloudy day."
Kaizu sneezed into Kakashi's shirt before awaiting the next part of the story. The Leaf Jonin ignored the snot staining his clothes and continued. In fact, he almost laughed when Kaizu looked up at him with an apologetic gleam in his eyes. He carried on in a whisper.
"Anyway, the colourless bear climbed the tallest mountain in the universe. He had long claws for digging and climbing whereas the others had perfectly manicured nails. None of them liked getting dirty, but this specific bear was different, after all. Wind was started to push and sway the mountain. Rocks tumbled downhill and lightning began to flash in all directions. But the white bear felt this crave to fit in with his family and be granted salvation for his bad ways. He knew he had something inside like a hidden treasure. It was his destiny to find it himself. Despite the crude remarks that he was never any good, he pushed on and on until he was at the very top.
"The grey clouds aligned in parallel columns when suddenly a barrage of the brightest stars encircled the sky. The bear had no idea what was happening and he grew afraid. That's when he heard the Lord's voice, 'You have redeemed yourself, young one.' The bear shook in his fur.
"'My Lord, I have climbed the most treacherous mountain in the world to seek your acceptance. Please, bless me with a gift.' The holy spirit thought hard, squinting at the small bear.
"'I will give you color, but you must vow.'
"'Vow to what, my Lord?'
"'You must vow to treat others as you wish to be treated. No more ordering your siblings around like slaves.'
"'I swear to do better, I vow on my life. Please, I dearly wish to be as playful as my siblings.' said the bear.
"Then, as promised, God granted the white bear his colour. But he wasn't betrothed just one color, he was given all the colors instead. He had red for willpower, orange for stability,yellow for happiness, green for responsibility, pink for love, and blue for compassion. A combination of what each of his siblings had obtained. The only difference was that he also had purple as a symbol of the promise. The Lord took him in his hands and sat him down on a fluffy cloud where everyone could see his gifts. From then on, he was known as the Rainbow that made the grey skies go away. From then on, he was treasured as a miracle years and years past."
Kakashi knew how cheesy his story was, but he knew Kaizu wouldn't mind. It was a bedtime story anyway, which meant no weapons or fighting. He heard a soft snoring underneath him. He felt a light push and pull of air brushing against his skin and clothes. He glanced down at Kaizu to see that he had dozed off. Kakashi rested his head on his arm and patted the small child's head. "The end."
He remembered how he had once fallen asleep to Dad's stories at bedtime. Usually, the stories would categorize in a tough mission or fierce battle.
Sakumo would say, "One day, son, you'll see things that even I haven't."
"What do you mean?" asked a wide-eyed Kakashi.
Dad chuckled and smoothed his four year-old son's head. He was reclined in the boy's single bed, resting on his elbow. Dressed in his boxers and an old white T-shirt, the White Fang cherished his son's enthusiasm and wonder. The child was too jumpy sometimes. "When the day comes, you'll do something great. You'll do something that maybe the Hokage can't."
"The Hokage? Am I gonna be higher than that? What's higher than a kage? Do I have to wear those weird hat thingys?" Kakashi rushed, making his father smile.
"Whoa, whoa. Slow down, Koki." said Dad. "When the day comes. But right now, it's time for you to go to sleep."
The four year-old nodded. "Okay."
"Night, son-" Sakumo sat up when Kakashi suddenly threw himself into his swallowing arms. His face was buried in Sakumo's chest, to his surprise. The man laughed and hugged his small son.
"I love you, Daddy." the child mumbled.
"Love you too, Koki." That's when a feeling of dread devoured Sakumo. He felt...unexplainably grievous. Like this was his last time embracing his baby son. Kakashi would start school soon. He forced another smile and tucked Kakashi in. "Good night, son."
"Night, Daddy."
Kakashi closed his eyes and fell into a dreamless sleep.