Next chapter! People, I am feeling great in this days, the next chapter is in the making! Thank you to my wonderful beta that is always doing a great job and was supporting me these last weeks of terror, thank you so much! Kiss kiss.
DarkAngelJudas I hope you enjoy this one ^^. I am happy to tell you all that this story is now in the community called "Kakashi Uke" :D.
Thank you to all that are reading this story.
Enjoy and Review ^^
"I don't have a home now." The sad voice of the prince freezes Obito, and he hugs the prince tighter. He needs to do something because the kid is dying in his arms, he can feel it; his instincts are telling him that the kid is going to die of sadness very soon.
Obito takes the life of the kid in his hands, because he feels responsible after what he did to him. He is not a bad man; he just wants happiness like everyone else in his country.
He hugs the trembling form of Kakashi, realizing how true his words are: he is alone now, truly alone. Obito kisses his temple at the same time the door of his room opens to reveal his nephew, Sasuke.
Kakashi is resting in his arms, but when he hears footsteps near him, he jumps away from Obito and draws his sword. In a split second, he has the younger Uchiha on the floor, ready to kill him.
Both men stay still after observing the real power of Kakashi. Obito instantly realizes that he could be dead, but the kid allows him to live after what Obito did to him. Sasuke is trembling under the icy stare of those mismatched eyes.
"Kakashi, this is Sasuke," Obito says, trying to be polite and calm, not wanting to startle the guy who has Sasuke's life on the tip of his sword.
Kakashi turns his head and observes Obito for a second, considering his words. They look alike, is what he can see. He moves his sword away from the kid and steps back. Obito runs to his nephew's side and checks for any injuries.
Sasuke looks at his uncle's boyfriend and understands why he chose him; he is powerful and beautiful, and there was no way his uncle is going to let him pass.
"I'm fine," he says, sitting up and looking at the young man who is getting dressed, without any shame, in front of the others. They hear a sniff. Obito looks at his nephew and smiles sadly. They need to help Kakashi find a new life, and help him to find his Iruka.
"This is Sasuke, my little nephew. His brother is going to be around. Come on, you need to eat something," says Obito, protecting his nephew with his arms.
"I'm not hungry," replies Kakashi in a monotone voice. But he turns around and sees them smiling at him.
"Come with us, we have good food here; come," Sasuke moves from his uncle's side and extends his hand at the other. Kakashi looks at the small hand and considers it. Is he going to trust these Uchiha? Or is he going to do… something? He doesn't have a place to be and they look like nice people, just a little bit touchy for his taste.
He looks down and his eyes start to water again. He is tired of being this weak, so he extends his hand and waits for the kid to take it. Sasuke moves and takes the hand. He tugs a little and both kids walk out of the room. Obito follows them smiling, just a kid can understand a kid.
Obito stops and looks around, searching for that dangerous sword, but he couldn't see it. He gets worried; that kid can be a real danger outside where there are Uchiha who love to fight and be the best. He moves faster and runs to the dining room.
He stops and sighs. The kids are at the table, talking quietly about something interesting because they are whispering and looking at him from time to time.
"Yes he is, I know many of his… you know," they giggle together. It is an endearing sight, two kids gossiping and one looking like a young man. How can kids move from mood to mood? That is a mystery.
But he is starting to regret introducing them, as they look like trouble together, but Sasuke can show him around and all, so it's not that bad. He knows the city and has many friends. Maybe he can help Kakashi to feel welcome and more at ease, maybe make him feel part of the family.
"After breakfast we are going out to the bazaar. I want to buy Kakashi some clothes," he says, taking a seat far away from the kids, wanting to give them space.
Sasuke's eyes light up and he smiles, looking at Kakashi with happiness all over his face. The prince looks at him and smiles, not understanding where they are going, but he thinks it sounds interesting. And new clothes sound cool, but he doesn't look at Obito. He just says 'thank you' in a low voice.
The prince starts to pick at his food. Some of it looks like what Iruka gave him in his house, but others just don't look good. The Uchiha look at the prince with surprise because he is touching his food with his hands. They take his food with special sticks that are made just for that; they think food is something precious that needs to be treated with respect and reverence, because it enters the body and becomes part of it. They don't let anything besides sticks touch it, it needs to remain pure.
The prince feels the eyes of the other two at the table, and he tries to keep eating without looking at them. After a moment, the Uchiha start to eat in silence, thinking that Kakashi really is special, because he doesn't keep the normal conduct at the table.
In a moment, Sasuke has a bright idea! He is going to invite Kakashi to play Shang-hai with him. It is a game that the kids in the Uchiha kingdom play, using 2 short sticks of bamboo, one being around 10 cm and other around 15 cm long. They place the first two in the floor forming a cross, one over the other, so the one on the top is balanced at one side. With the long one they hit the upper part of that stick and this one flies up, when it is in the air they hit it with the long one again.
In front of the place where the player is hitting the short bamboo are several other players, where they try to catch the flying stick without crossing one line. The one who catches it moves to a special spot at the front where the other player is. The one who hits the bamboo the first time places his long stick in the ground, perpendicular to it, and the player who catches the bamboo takes his place and shoots the short bamboo, trying to take down the other's long bamboo. If he does it, he wins one point for his team.
Those teams are of two men. If the one who catches the small bamboo makes the other's fall, he is hitting the short bamboo next, and there is the game. They play until they accomplish 2 hours of game time and the winner is the team with the most points.
"Uncle, can we go out and play before go to the bazaar? I want to show Kakashi how to play Shang-hai," says Sasuke excitedly. His uncle can see the true intentions of the boy; he wants a powerful partner like Kakashi on his team. It was just like a good Uchiha, choosing the best to use to his advantage.
"Ok, just be careful... and Kakashi, you'll need different clothes for that. Those that you have on are going to get hot from the sun," Obito says, not looking at the prince directly, but looking at him in his peripheral vision.
Kakashi touches his clothes. They are normal for him, but he can see that they are not like the clothes he uses when he goes out of the water with his men in a trade. In that moment he trembles and opens his eyes big. He gasps, remembering how he abandoned all that. His father must be angry with him now for that.
"Kakashi, are you ok?" asks Sasuke, concerned by his new friend's reaction.
"Y-yes," says the prince, looking around nervously. He knows his father can find him at any moment, and he is scared. Obito, seeing the prince's distress, smiles and claps his hands trying to take him out of that moment.
"So," he says, smiling. "Come on, we need to dress Kakashi for the game!" Grinning, Sasuke also stands up and takes Kakashi's hand in his. The prince looks at him for a second. He is not used to being touched and these people can't stop touching him. He likes that, but at the same time, he feels weird.
They walk together to his uncle's room. There, Obito is searching for some clothes that can fit the prince. Sasuke lets go of the prince's hand to help his uncle choose the best one for the prince to use. They pick one dark shirt with short sleeves and dark shorts. The color is weird for Kakashi because it looks like black, but also dark blue and dark purple... yet when it moves it looks dark green or something.
"Those are my favorites. My dad gave them to me when he went to Cretas, a port far away. I don't know what kind of material it is, but it looks cool, I love the way it changes color with the light," says Obito, handing the clothes to the prince.
Kakashi takes the clothes and starts to take off the last trace of his old home. The Uchiha walk out of the room blushing while Kakashi is changing, because the prince just takes off his clothes without warning. The prince sighs when he feels the soft material of the new clothes on him. They are so different from the others he is used to using. He walks over to grab his weapons, and in that instant, he looks for the first time at the large mirror in Obito's room. It is in the far wall in the room, a beautiful thing with a mark around it that is made of some kind of silvery material. He walks forward to it.
He gasps when he sees the real size of it. It is larger than him and it almost touches the ceiling. He studies it and then he sees something familiar looking at him. For the first time in his life, he sees himself in a full mirror. He stays still, looking at all that is him. He moves his right hand and touches the scar on his monster eye.
The prince closes the eye and looks at himself. He is now a Mi'baroz citizen. He opens it and closes his other eye. Now he is an Uchiha. He opens both and he is nothing. The door of the room opens and Sasuke enters, smiling at his friend who is looking at himself for the first time.
He walks near him and stands at his side. He is smaller than Kakashi, but he stands confident, not like his friend who has lost his entire royal stance. He is slouching with his head low.
"You look good in those. Come on, I'll show you how to play the game. We are going to beat them all," says Sasuke, smirking and looking at Kakashi in the eyes, without fear. The prince looks at those red eyes, and he doesn't understand how they can trust him that much, if he is so different. He doesn't understand the way Uchiha see advantages and improvement, how they value the differences that make them stronger and better.
Uchihas and Underwater people are so different in many ways, which make the mere coexistence between them like a crazy dream. They never interact with each other, because they don't have anything in common or something they need from each other. Life is so different in their societies, what ones see like weakness the others see it like a strength, opposite poles of life.
The prince decides it's better for him to leave his weapons in the house; he thinks that maybe he is not going to need them, he is going to play after all. The prince remembers those plays from some dry land kingdoms and those were not dangerous. He saw kids and adults playing, it was something interesting but he never interacted with them; Kakashi was supposed to be studying and keeping the protocol. So this was the perfect time to try it.
Kakashi is walking with his new sandals, trying to walk normal; he is a fast learner so that it is not going to be a liability in the game, which is something Obito notices and Sasuke is happy about, because they are going to hit hard in the game. Sasuke just knows it!.
They arrive at one area where the kids in the city play that particular game. Obito takes a seat on a bench under a tree, watching the kids surround Kakashi. They are inspecting the new player. With a soft laugh, Obito sees Kakashi look in his direction with pleading eyes, but he just waves at him and smiles.
"Enjoying the kids' play?" a familiar voice asks from behind him.
"Yes, I was." The man chuckles and takes a seat beside Obito, not minding the sharp huff of annoyance.
One player is already hitting. The small stick flies fast and high, but in a flash Kakashi has it in his hand. Sasuke claps his hands and praises him for the first time in his life. Kakashi blushes as he takes the place Sasuke directed him to, and he throws the stick and hits the other.
"Well done Kakashi, Sasuke!" Obito shouts, clapping his hands.
"Who is the player with Sasuke? I never saw him before. That was a nice catch and so is he," Madara says. He just states the obvious, Kakashi is a good-looking male, but when he sees the angry face of Obito, he knows he just said the wrong thing again.
"You like him, like the others. I'm sorry, but this time you can't touch him. This one's mine!" Obito shouts and moves away, walking angrily away from that playboy, who claims to love him but is always dating and going out with others.
Madara sighs, because again Obito is out of his reach. He is on another bench, watching the game with interest and a tiny smile. He looks at the players again, and frowns when he sees the new guy. Yes, he is handsome beyond belief, but he is not Obito, and when Madara sees him waving at Obito, he knows he just found his new enemy.
Obito is trying to cheer up from Madara's stupidity. He wants to forget all about him. He hates Madara when he does that to him, giving him false expectations and talking about others in his face. He knows he is not as good as others, but he doesn't need to be told that all the time.
He is thinking that and trying to forget it while looking at the kids play; he sees how Kakashi hits for the first time, doing a marvelous long short. He is happy because Kakashi is enjoying it all, he can see it in his eyes. They are ready for the last round when he sees the prince looking a little red and swaying. He doesn't think about it, he just runs to his side. Obito arrives where the prince is in time to catch him before the boy hits the ground. Sasuke is beside his uncle, not knowing what to do.
"What is wrong with him, uncle?" he says, trying to keep calm in front of the others and not show his true fears, because fear is something that Uchiha doesn't show. Some players come near to see what is happening.
"He is burning in fever from the sun," mumbles Obito, thinking about all the possibilities. He lifts Kakashi off the ground and moves faster toward his house, thinking that the best they can do is place the prince in cold water.
"Sasuke, let's go," he says quickly, moving away from the place. Sasuke excuses them from the game that was about to end.
Madara observes all. He can see the concern in Obito's face and knows that it's true, he does care for that male and that just won't do in his city. He moves fast and disappears in a black spiral.
Kakashi is mumbling Iruka's name all the way and both Uchiha move faster. When they arrive, Obito walks to the small pond in his house. He enters it with the prince in his arms, and he submerges the prince's body in the cold waters.
"Sasuke, we need sea water. Tell some servants to bring it here and place it in the tub," he tells his nephew.
Sasuke nods and runs inside the house. Obito can feel the prince relax in his arms. He is colder now. Obito has kept Kakashi with his head out of the water, but he decides to immerse him fully. He does it slowly because he doesn't want the prince to drown; he is not sure, but he knows Mi'baroz citizens are underwater people so he thinks Kakashi can get breathe under it and be just fine.
Kakashi is breathing unsteadily for a moment, but he starts to relax. They stay in the water several minutes; he can't understand what Kakashi is saying now, he only hears some noises that came from his mouth, but he is certain he is calling for that Iruka guy. Obito sighs and starts to cry in frustration because of all that he is feeling. He tries to suppress a sob but he fails.
"Is he ok, uncle?" Sasuke asks worriedly, because he hears his uncle crying and he knows his uncle only cries when something is really bad.
Obito tries to laugh and says that he is better before asking Sasuke about the water. The boy tells him that it is ready. Obito starts out of the water with the prince, taking it slow, because he doesn't want him to get stressed. Kakashi moves a little when they are out, but he is too weak to do more. Obito moves with the prince to the wooden tub they have outside of his house, Sasuke following them closely concerned for his friend; he doesn't understand why he needed salty water, but he trusts his uncle with his life.
Kakashi looks less flushed now, but he keeps mumbling Iruka's name and has his eyes closed. Sasuke helps his uncle place the prince in the salty water, and when the head of the prince goes in the water, he tries to take it out, but his uncle tells him that it is ok. They stay out of the water looking at the prince. Obito starts to talk about the prince with Sasuke, because he needs to know more about him.
Sasuke learns more about the prince and about the city he is from. They only know old legends about the underwater society, things that border on unreal now that they had seen Kakashi; the legends say they are ugly people with voices like thunder and can't live on dry land, but all that is a lie to them now, because the prince is nothing like that. Obito tells him all that he knows by now, and about the name the prince was calling.
"We need to help him, uncle. He can't live with us here, he needs to be with his people," says Sasuke. He wants his friend to be happy like him, to be with his family and have a good life with the people that love him. He believes everyone deserves the same thing. But he doesn't know how far from the truth he is.
Obito takes his wet clothes off and moves in the water to check on the prince's condition; he doesn't want the other water to contaminate the sea water. Sasuke runs into the house for towels. Obito moves under the prince and places him between his legs, resting him on his chest. He can feel that Kakashi is colder now, and he smiles; it is working, Kakashi is going to be fine. He places the prince's head on his shoulder and takes it out of the water to check him better.
"So he is the beauty that you were talking about," says Itachi, smirking at his uncle. "You know, Madara was beyond mad and asking who he was."
"Yes, he is the one I was talking about. His name is Kakashi, and I really don't want to talk about Madara right now," Obito says with a small smile.
"He doesn't look good to me. What happened?" Itachi kneels near the edge of the tub and touches the prince's forehead. At that moment, Kakashi opens his eyes and tries to move away, but Obito doesn't let him. He murmurs at his ear and the prince shivers involuntarily.
Itachi smiles, thinking his uncle is seducing the man. He stays there observing the beauty. His eyes are beautiful, he thinks, and his hair has a rather nice color.
Kakashi relaxes when Obito tells him what happened to him and who the new stranger is. Kakashi sits in the tub, a little unsteady, but he tries to regain his dignity.
"Hello, my name is Kakashi," he says to the lean male. Itachi sees how splendid his uncle's one is.
"Hello, I'm Itachi. Obito is my uncle and Sasuke is my brother." Itachi smiles. He needs to have a good relationship with his new uncle after all.
Sasuke is there with the towels, and when he sees his brother he hugs him. Obito asks them to help Kakashi out and take him to his chambers. He tells Kakashi that he needs to rest before they can go out to the bazaar.
Itachi wraps the prince up in the towel and they walk into the house. Itachi helps steady the prince, because he is a little dizzy; Kakashi lets him help him, because he is starting to trust this family. Sasuke gives his uncle a towel and runs to catch up with his friend and brother. While they walk, Kakashi asks Sasuke who won the game in the end. Sasuke grins and tells him that they did. Kakashi smiles, feeling proud of himself for the first time.
Obito relaxes in the salty water for a moment, thinking about his life. He is not young and if he wants to have a family, he needs to marry soon. He sighs, depressed, because nobody wants him for real, and since Madara tried to catch him, no one tries to be near him anymore. His life is over. He moves out of the water and wraps the towel around his hips.
He walks in the house and finds the three males chatting on the bed. He stays in the doorway, looking at the three young males talking, sitting on his bed. Observing that the prince is wearing some of his clothes, he smiles, looking at the prince, who is more relaxed and his eyes are less sad now. Who knows? Maybe, just maybe, he can make it without that Iruka and live with them. He knows the prince doesn't want to return to his home, but Kakashi can't live by himself on land, now he knows for sure. He needs to be near water and take care of his body temperature, his body is strong but not that strong.
The three males are talking about the game. Sasuke is talking excitedly about how Kakashi had the best catch in the game. Kakashi is telling them that it was not that great, and Itachi is listening to all of it with interest. Obito loves his family and he would do anything to make them happy.
He does love the young prince, and he wants him to be happy like the rest of his family, he thinks of him like his little brother now.
"I thought you were resting," he says, walking in. The prince blushes because Obito doesn't have a shirt on. Itachi smiles and moves from the bed, thinking his uncle wants time alone with his boyfriend.
"Sorry, uncle. We were talking about the game," says Sasuke. "Rest a little, Kakashi. After that, we are going to the bazaar. You are going to like it." He hugs the prince and runs out of the room with his brother behind him.
"Rest, Kakashi," Itachi says, winking at him. The prince stays in bed trying to be calm, but Obito's presence is unnerving for him. He still remembers what Obito did to him. He looks at the bed, not wanting to look at the Uchiha.
"I'm going out. Kakashi, rest." Obito kisses him on the hair and walks out.
Kakashi touches his head. He is not used to all that touching, but he is starting to like it. He smiles, lying down on the bed, touching the clothes Sasuke give him to wear. They are soft and smell nice. He closes his eyes and sleeps peacefully.
"No, he is not."
"But I saw you with him. You were naked, uncle. Come on, you were happy with him yesterday. What happened?"
"He never was mine, he belongs to someone else," is what Obito says, sipping at his herbal tea.
"Are you telling me that Madara wants to kill something because of nothing?" Itachi was frustrated because his boss was mad after he saw his uncle, and was trying to find out about the new stranger in town.
"Don't worry about Madara; he is not our main concern. We need to help Kakashi. He can't stay like this any longer. He needs to be with his people and his home. We need to find this Iruka guy somehow," Obito tells him with a serious expression.
"But we can't go search under all the sea for a guy that we don't know about." The two stay there, looking at their tea. That is so true, they can't go search that way. They don't have the technology for that... but there must be a way they can help Kakashi.
It is late afternoon when Kakashi is up and ready to go out to the bazaar. He feels a little uncomfortable because of the clothes he is wearing, but at the same time, he feels safe because it lets him have his weapons with him. Obito doesn't know that and Kakashi doesn't tell him.
He is wearing some nice trousers that match with a long sleeved shirt made of fabric in the color of the deep sea, with silver lines that swirl like waves. It is long, covering his entire body and reaching his knees, perfect to hide his weapons without problem. He feels a little hot in it, but Obito keeps giving him cold water every time he feels a little hotter than he can manage. He is grateful for that; Obito is a nice Uchiha, once he keeps his hands to himself.
Kakashi is looking around at all the colors and lights. He tries to touch one, but Sasuke stops him telling him that it could burn him. He doesn't understand that but he obeys; after all, this is not his world.
The Bazaar is festive and bright, full of life, with new smells and noises, some of them reminding him of other lands where he used to go. There are some kinds of stalls with a lot of things in them, some of which are unknown to him. In others are games; in those they start to enjoy the playing. Naturally Kakashi is good in some, more to the delight of the family, because they are winning, and that is good for their family name.
They are playing in one that has some kind of glass bottles and he is supposed to use a ring to enter in the mouth of the bottle. Itachi tries first to show Kakashi how to do it. He enters just one of the three shots, and he wins some grey sticks that smell strong to Kakashi.
They look at him expectantly, knowing he is going to do great. Kakashi feels reassured with them at his side, having never felt that support in his life. He is starting to have fans that are watching him play all kind of games. Some are trying to catch his attention to steal him from Obito and his nephews, but they are protecting him.
The three males are known to be a strong family, all orphans that take care of themselves, a close family with a fine position in their city. Sasuke is full of prizes by now and is feeling proud for having Kakashi in his family, but he wants to win in this one too.
Kakashi throws the first ring and hits the mark. Obito pats him on the shoulder and Kakashi smiles at him shyly. Sasuke is looking at the biggest prizes on display, choosing what he wants. Kakashi does the next shoot and it is a nice one, right in place. Itachi makes a sound of joy and Kakashi smiles more. He likes all this attention.
He is about to do the last shot when he feels something change in the wind. He looks around and sees Madara walking toward them, and he moves into a defensive stance, but Obito stops him.
"Don't worry about him, keep playing." Kakashi looks one last time at the newcomer who has a weird mask on his face that makes him uncomfortable, but he focuses because he wants to give a big prize to Sasuke.
"So this is your new interest, Obito," says the dark voice of Madara. Obito tries to ignore him, because he really doesn't want to talk with him. Kakashi does a perfect shot and he wins the big prize. "Perfect indeed," Madara says.
"I warn you, Madara, leave him alone." Obito tries to be quiet, not wanting to disturb the guys who are admiring the big mirror the prince won for them. Kakashi is in a trance, looking at the mirror in awe; both brothers are tickling him to take him out of it.
"I don't want him, Obito. I told you before who I want, and I'm starting to get angry with you for refusing me. You are going to be mine, Obito, like it or not." Madara moves closer to Obito in a way that makes him fear for his life.
Madara is the strongest of them in the city; no one messes with him and lives. Obito knows he can't fight him, but he is not going down willingly. He faces Madara. He sees the mask but knows the real face under it. He's known it since he was a child, when he was in love with him, but now he is not so sure.
"Madara, I don't care. Besides I'm with my family now, and you can wait until I finish having fun," Obito tells him with a smile. Kakashi sees Madara move close to Obito through the mirror and turns around, walking to them, touching Obito's hand and tugging a little. Itachi is looking on with his brother near him. He knows better than try to interfere with them.
Obito looks at him and smiles reassuringly at the royal kid who is trying to protect him. He knows the prince has big potential in his body, but he is sure Kakashi can't win against Madara.
"I'm going, they are waiting for me," Obito says not looking back, but Kakashi does look and frowns at the masked male. Madara is boiling with anger when he sees them, Obito with the other man, walking hand in hand. He is going to wait for another time, but no more.
Kakashi doesn't let go of Obito's hand the rest of the time they are in the festival, which makes Obito happy that he is winning the prince's heart. They eat some sweets that almost kill the prince; he is not used to eating something sweet and it is too much for him. It is so funny see the faces the prince does at the strong flavor.
They buy some clothes for Kakashi, all in the color of the ocean; it is either the prince's favorite color or the one which catches his attention. Kakashi is embarrassed because he can't buy his own things and the Uchiha are taking care of him like he is part of the family. But at the same time, he wants this dream to last forever. He is hurting, his heart is bleeding with pain, but this familiar love is helping to soothe his wound. They all choose the best for him, the best forms that go well with his body they are thinking in him.
It is in that moment when Kakashi looks around at the Uchihas, seeing them for real; he can see families with small children running around and playing with lights, and people talking happily. He knows markets well, but never saw something like this with people that are so happy and festive. They are there for fun, not for business alone. They are all enjoying their family time. How different the Uchiha are from Mi'baroz, he thinks. Maybe that is why my father loved my mother.
It is late when they return home. It is dark but they are all fine, since Uchiha can see in the dark. They enter the house and are greeted by the servants, who take all of the prizes Sasuke and Itachi have, and the clothes Kakashi has in bags; the prince smiles to them because he is getting used to people not having fear of him or looking at him with distaste.
All take seats in the garden, looking at the sky and enjoying the cold of the night.
"You are from far away, Kakashi?" Itachi comments.
"I am not from there anymore."
A hard knock at the main door attracts all their attention. Obito and Itachi stand and walk to see who is at the main house that late in the night. They order Sasuke and Kakashi to stay where they are.
"Who is it?" calls Obito.
Continue…
