The door creaked open for the… Kakashi had lost count of how many visitors he had received that day. One? No, Itachi dropped by after Deidara… so does that make two then, Kakashi's mind reasoned. By the time the entrance opened again, Kakashi had no intention to look up into the guest's face. If something unpleasant was about to happen, it was not like he could say no.

Besides, one day gone without torment would be extremely peculiar in Akatsuki's lair; it could mean either him or all of the Akatsuki's members were already dead.

Padded footsteps approached him. Kakashi stayed put in his bonds.

"Kakashi-sensei, we meet again, un."

Deidara… it was Deidara again. He had not had enough fun just now? Was he here for round two?

Kakashi flicked an uninterested eye open. He saw Deidara's smirk but found no vigour to say something smart as retaliation to his mere present. He told himself he did not mind people doing things to him but if he could prevent that from happening, he would be happy to do so. Only, currently, the drugs were taking a toll on him… Kakashi knew his body was tiring at a rather high rate yet he could hardly feel the prickling sensation across his chest, a souvenir of Sasori's puppet's whip-like tail. The drugs were supposed to enhance his sense of touch… but to him, everything was dulling.

He was not complaining though.

"Well Kakashi-sensei, it seems that I finally have gotten the official permit to be with you here. Itachi had gone out for some Jinchuuriki hunt," Deidara looked pointedly at the other man, "if you want to know."

The chains chinked slightly.

"Jinchuuriki…" Kakashi mumbled lowly, "Kyuubi's Jinchuuriki?"

Deidara leaned deeper into Kakashi and whispered into his ear, along with all the warm breath he could manage to expire with one word, "Yes."

The mop of silver fringes drooped right onto his shoulder.

"What the –"

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Lush grass indented at the light steps of a dark haired man. He glided gracefully between tree trunks, the sunray warming his elusive body. Just when the ground was about to turn muddy, the man hopped onto a sturdy branch and forge forward.

His footprints ended.

"Itachi," a voice called from behind, "the source said the Jinchuuriki will be around here, but you can't really trust that guy. Besides," Kisame said as he tugged securely at Samehada, "you need to reserve energy for our captive."

Itachi stopped and cast his keen eyes around, scouting for his target. His partner landed neatly beside him.

"Perhaps," the younger one replied nonchalantly, "but reliable or not, we have to keep moving. Leader won't be pleased if we tardy too much."

"Yeah, can't agree more on that."

Itachi buttoned his cloak up to his neck and bend his knee a fraction, "Let's go."

And the two figures vanished in a wink of an eye.

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"Oh crap."

Deidara backed away, the wilting form hung lifelessly before him. He peeked below the other man's bangs, trying to determine the cause for his sudden… stillness. Itachi had warned him to keep Kakashi intact. As of now, Deidara was as sure as hell that he would not be keeping his head on top of his shoulders for long. How long would it take the prodigy to capture a Jinchuuriki? He had only so much time…

Reaching a hand out, Deidara cupped the older man's cheeks; they were already flushed with beads of sweat trailing down the façade. Heat contacted his skin. Kakashi's temperature was abnormal.

"Fever?"

He tapped lightly at Kakashi's face.

"Hey, wake up."

The chains jingled when Deidara shook him by his shoulders. "You have got to be kidding me."

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"Kisame, Naruto-kun is –"

"– not alone. I'll take care of the rest."

Without another word, the taller one of the pair jumped leftwards into the bushes. Itachi's pace resumed with ferocity as he go nearer and nearer to his assigned Jinchuuriki. It had been almost two years since he last saw the kid. He wondered if he had grown. He wondered if his younger brother had grown as much as Naruto. He would just have to make assumptions since it was unlikely that Sasuke was going to appear in front of him anytime soon.

"Uchiha Itachi!"

A ball of chakra charged at high speed towards his way. Two forms donning orange overall were supporting it with their palms.

How nostalgic. Sasuke used to charge at him with a ball of chakra in his palm as well. How rash these two dunderheads could be.

"Oodama Rasengan!"

Sasuke's was called Chidori, Itachi recalled.

A blast erupted. Whirlwind clouded the scene and trees were uprooted at the impressive impact. And no one was in sight.

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"Tsk, Itachi is going to have my blood for this, un."

Deidara unbuttoned his cloak and threw it carelessly on the ground. Focusing chakra in his palm, he seared the thick chains binding Kakashi's wrists and thighs with absurd ease and caught the falling body with his free arm by the waist. He doubted Kakashi was staging an act – that was such a lowly method of escaping – but a shinobi will care nothing of class. If he could escape, by all means, he would, even if he had to resort to the lamest, most atrocious method.

But there was not a shred of deception in Kakashi's condition, unless he was an excellent actor, that is.

He laid the body on the cloak and pulled both arms above the head. Smudging explosive clay around the wrists, he held him still as the clay was allowed to harden.

If Leader saw Kakashi unbound on the ground, Deidara was sure he was going to be slain anyway.

The man below him stirred and he shot a fuzzy eye at the blonde. The latter tightened his grip and even used his body weight to hold Kakashi down. Better safe than sorry…

And he noticed the purplish streaks on the pale chest. None were healing and the skin around them was beginning to peel off. Kakashi drifted away as Deidara traced the lines with his lean index finger.

"I expect you to be tougher than this, un."

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"Do you understand now, the gap between our strength and combat experience?"

"Shut up!"

Itachi closed his eyes. He had not much time and he better made his intentions clear. The sooner he got it done, the better. Then Madara would not have another reason to "assault" him. He was getting nauseous of it.

"I do not have the time to fool around at the moment, Naruto-kun."

"Great, 'cause neither do I. Where did you take Kakashi-sensei?"

Itachi stared at the young boy again. So Konoha dispatched their priceless Jinchuuriki for a mere Jonin? The Hokage, whoever he was, must be getting senile. It made Akatsuki's job a whole lot easier, like now, where Naruto was all alone at his mercy.

"Kakashi-san is held in our lair. Where, I cannot tell. Rest assured that once we are done, we'll let him go."

Naruto forced himself to get up onto his knees. The marks on his face deepened and the fangs were getting more prominent. The Kyuubi chakra was leaking.

"You bastard…"

"When everything is done, Kakashi-san will be released back to Konoha." Itachi turned his heels. Before leaving a disgruntled Naruto behind, he looked back a fraction, "You have my word."