A/N: Okay so I am looking for some inspiration. So if you know of a good Angsty Sasuke story please let me know. Also if there is a story you would like me to write review or PM me and I will see what I can do.
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Chapter 7
Shikaku opened the front door to his house and guided his son in. Shikamaru hadn't said anything after leaving the hospital and Shikaku knew that his son was having a hard time with all of this. For the past nine days Shikamaru would have been worried about Sasuke and his Sensei. For nine days he wouldn't have known if either of them were dead or alive. To make it worse he wouldn't have known if Shikaku was alive still. Everyone that could have done something to end Danzou tyrant was away in the mission. People that could or couldn't have come back alive. The past nine days for his son must have been the most horrible days of his life so far and Shikaku was going to be there for his son. Shikamaru was pacing around the living room when Shikaku spoke.
"Sit down son." Shikaku said gently.
Shikamaru looked at his father and it was like the first time that he even realised that he was back in his home and not in the hospital. Shikamaru went and sat down in the chair while his father sat down on the couch.
"I know these past nine days have been hard on you. I need you to remember though, that no matter what happens I will always be here for you."
"He looked so bad. I know Sasuke doesn't show a lot of people who he is, but the past couple of weeks have been really different. We talked about things I never would have expected to with him. I saw him differently. I always knew he was smart, but I didn't realise just how smart he was. I always thought he was just smart with ninja stuff, but he's also smart about everything else. I've never had those conversations with people my age before. They never could keep up or understand what I was saying, but Sasuke got it. He could keep up and add to the conversation. Sasuke is smart and he's skilled and now he will have memory problems and he can't walk. They took everything that is Sasuke and took it away from him. Now he has to fight to get it back and it's not fair. None of this is fair. How much is one person supposed to take and how much more can he take before he just gives up?"
"I know none of this is fair to Sasuke or to you. You and Sasuke were never close until this started to happen. Even through all of the pain something positive and good has come from this. I don't think either one of you would trade your friendship to avoid any of this. I know you don't want that and I'm sure Sasuke doesn't either. He's going to be frustrated and confused for a little while, but remember he will make a full recovery. It will take time, but he will get back to who he is. This does need to end soon and I'm sure Tsunade-Sama is working on a plan for that to happen. The best thing you can do for Sasuke is to be there for him. To help support him, because he is going to need all the support he can get until he is healthy again."
"Something um… something happened that first night you went away for the mission. Something before the ANBU and Danzou attacked us."
Shikaku was confused he thought that Shikamaru had told them everything that happened. Shikamaru was looking down and not looking at him which usually means he's afraid of how his father would react.
"Shikamaru, son, you can tell me anything and I promise I won't be upset. What happened?"
Shikamaru didn't know how his father would react to this. They had never talked about girls or sex before. It just was never something that came up in conversation. Not only that Shikaku knew that Shikamaru was smart and if he had questions he would know how to find the answers. It didn't help that he was only thirteen and just starting to get interested about sex. Shikamaru never thought in a million years that he would ever be interested in a guy much less Sasuke, but he was. He didn't regret kissing Sasuke and he was really hoping he would be able to get the chance to do it again. He didn't know how Sasuke would feel about him after what he just went through, but he wanted to speak to him about it once he could.
"Son its' okay you can tell me. What happened before the ninja attacked you?"
"Sasuke and I we were upstairs in his bedroom. We were just lying on the bed talking about normal things. We talked about our teammates and missions. I told him how he showed his emotions while he was fighting. He denied having emotions and I was joking around saying I saw him smile and I could make him laugh. He dared me to try and we started tickling each other. It seems so juvenile to be rolling around on a bed laughing and tickling each other. I don't really know what happened, but I ended up on top of him and I didn't even think I just…I… I kissed him."
Shikamaru said the last part in a whisper he really didn't know how his father would react to this. His father wasn't very happy about them being around each other after Shikamaru was put into the hospital. He was okay with them being friends now, but this was a little more than friendly. Shikamaru didn't know how his father would feel about his only son quite possibly being gay for an Uchiha no less. Shikaku had a feeling this is where Shikamaru was going based on the story he just told. In all honest he was fine with his son being gay. All he wanted was for Shikamaru to be happy. He wasn't too happy that he liked Sasuke in that way, but it wasn't Sasuke's fault. Sasuke was an Uchiha and he had enemies just, because of his last name, but that wasn't Sasuke's fault. It would just mean that Shikamaru could have more enemies just because he is with Sasuke in a romantic relationship.
"What did Sasuke do?"
"He kissed me back and we talked about it afterwards and he was fine with it. Well he actually said that if he didn't want me to I wouldn't be conscious. Father look, I didn't expect it to happen I don't even know what came over me. Since Sasuke was in the hospital we had started talking and then I ended up in the hospital and we got closer. It just happened."
"Shikamaru it's okay. I don't care if you like boys or girls I just want you happy. If you like Sasuke than you like him I'm okay with it and so will your mother. You are thirteen and all of this must be confusing for you, but you will figure it out. This is confusing for everyone your age. I was confused when I first started to like women. I didn't know what to do or how to do any of it. I can't tell you how Sasuke feels or what he thinks about it, but I'm sure he is just as confused as you are. You need to talk to him about it and see where he stands. If you both want to figure this out together than go for it. If that is the decision you wish to make I will support you, but you need to be careful. Sasuke has many enemies from different villages only because of his last name and because he is the last of a powerful Clan. Those two reasons alone is why he has so many enemies and enemies he doesn't even know he has. Those enemies could turn on you if it gets out that you two are together. If you are going to make a grown up decision then you need to think like one and calculate all the factors good and bad. I will support you regardless of your decision just make sure it is one you won't regret."
"How will I know what one is the right decision?"
"When you need to make it you'll know. Now you need to get some sleep and so do I. Tomorrow after we have showered and ate something we can go to the hospital to see Sasuke. You need to take care of yourself so when Sasuke needs you, you will be ready."
"I haven't slept for the past nine days. I've been so scared that he would die just waiting for someone to rescue him. Now he's safe, but I'm still scared he's going to die. He's so injured and when he wakes up he's going to be in so much pain. He's not going to understand what is going on."
"Kakashi is there with him. If Sasuke wakes up in the night Kakashi will be there to make sure he is okay. You heard Tsunade she doesn't expect him to be waking up for a few days still. Sasuke is in good hands now. Come on son you need sleep you'll feel better once you do."
Shikaku got up and helped his son up. He guided Shikamaru up the stairs and into his bedroom. Shikaku gave Shikamaru a hug before Shikamaru went into his room and his father went down to his bedroom. They both desperately needed sleep and Shikaku was hoping Shikamaru would be able to sleep. Shikamaru got changed into his sleeping clothes and crawled into bed. The only thing he could think about was the last time he slept with Sasuke curled up in his arms. Shikamaru was hoping that they could be together, but he wasn't going to pretend like what happened wasn't going to change Sasuke. Sasuke had been through something traumatizing and it was going to take a bit before he was back to his normal self. Shikamaru closed his eyes and was surprised at how fast he fell asleep.
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Kakashi had been sleeping off and on as the night went on. Kakashi was beyond exhausted, but he was also afraid of what might happen to Sasuke if he fell asleep. He had slept for a couple of hours, when he was awoken when a nurse came in to check on Sasuke. His fever had gone down so they removed the cooling blankets and just kept a normal top sheet on him. The nurse checked his vitals and gave Kakashi a small smile before she turned to leave. Kakashi looked over at Sasuke and then fell back asleep. That's how it went every two hours. Kakashi knew he was going to be tired tomorrow, but he didn't care. Sasuke had spent nine days terrified and in pain the least Kakashi could do was be there for when he woke up. Kakashi knew that Sasuke would be confused and disorientated when he woke up. For all he knew he was still where he was held for the past nine days or even worse in the hole. Kakashi didn't know if Sasuke was conscious or not when they buried him alive, but he was praying that he wasn't. Sasuke had dirt under his fingernails though, so the chances of Sasuke not being conscious were slim.
Kakashi had managed to get some sleep between the nurses coming and going and his worries for Sasuke. Some sleep was better than nothing and Kakashi was very used to going many days without sleep. It was the life of a ninja after all. Kakashi was happy to see that Sasuke's fever had gone down once again. Over the course of the night it had fluctuated up and down all night long. The nurse had to take the cooling blankets off and then put them back on a few hours later. Sasuke's body was having a hard time keeping his body temperature in control which was made worse by the fever. Sasuke's body had been through a server trauma and it was going to take some time before his body was fully healed and back to normal. Sasuke hadn't moved an inch all night, but Kakashi didn't expect him to. Tsunade had said she didn't expect him to be awake for a few days and Kakashi believed her. Sasuke's body was exhausted and in survival mode. He needed the rest to recover enough to handle being awake. Kakashi knew once Sasuke was awake he would be in for a world of pain and nightmares. Kakashi wasn't going to leave Sasuke's side no matter what. He would be there through the nightmares, the pain, the emotions and the physical therapy. He was not going to let Sasuke give up no matter what. Even if that meant that Kakashi had to fight for him. Kakashi wasn't going to let Sasuke call it quits. It was just after ten in the morning when Shikaku and Shikamaru entered the room. Kakashi was still lying down on the cot when they walked in. They were about to leave when Kakashi spoke.
"I'm awake. I've been up for a couple hours now."
Kakashi got up and sat down on the edge of the cot. Shikaku came over to join him as Shikamaru went to Sasuke's beside. Shikamaru took a seat in the chair next to Sasuke's bed and held onto Sasuke's left hand. Sasuke still looked horrible and over the course of the night you could see the bruising more. He didn't have the cooling blankets on, but the oxygen mask was still helping him breathe.
"How is he doing?" Shikamaru asked Kakashi.
"He hasn't woken up yet or even moved. The nurses checked on him every two hours last night and this morning. His fever has gone up and down all night so he's had the cooling blankets on and off him all night long. They think it's the infection that is causing his body to have trouble keeping a normal core temperature. They will speak to Tsunade about it when they see her this morning or afternoon. I'm sure he will be fine it's just something they need to keep an eye on. How are you both doing?"
"We got some sleep last night and showered and ate this morning. How are you? Do you need anything?" Shikaku asked Kakashi.
"I'm fine."
"Do you want to go home and shower and change clothes? We can stay with Sasuke."
"I'm sure Iruka will be by later when the others hear about this. I can get him to bring me some clothes and I can shower here. There's a shower in the bathroom. I'm not leaving him."
"Everyone has been really worried about him. We tried to think of a plan, but there really wasn't anything we could do. That ANBU didn't even want to tell Tsunade-Sama. There was no way we would even get into the prison let alone find where Asuma and Sasuke were being held." Shikamaru said.
"It's a damn good thing you didn't. You all trying to get into the prison would have been foolish. There was no way you could have gone in safely and we would still be trying to find you all. A group of kids going into an adult prison would have only ended with more of you in the hospital. It would have been foolish and reckless and those are two things I would never have associated with you." Kakashi said.
"I know, but all I could think about was them being in there. I knew Asuma would be able to handle it, but they wouldn't have done much to him. All their attention was focused on Sasuke in that house and I knew they would be doing horrible things to him. I stood by the front gates every day all day long until the front guards made me leave, just waiting for you guys to come back. Every day that went by I thought we would find him dead. Then when a week had gone by and Asuma didn't get released I didn't know what to think. As each day went by the group got more and more restless and if you hadn't gotten back in the next day or two, I think we would have risked it."
"You were all put in an unbelievably hard position. It's not a position any of you should have had to be in. We should have known better than to leave you all. We should have thought it out better and left Tsunade-Sama or Jiraiya behind here just in case Danzou didn't do what he said he would. We left you open for an attack and that was exactly what Danzou wanted." Shikaku said.
"We took a risk. A risk that maybe we were too early to take. We should have tried something else first before we left Sasuke unprotected by a higher authority. We were reckless and not thinking clearly. I let my emotions get in the way of clear thinking. Trying to keep Sasuke safe from Orochimaru and I left him open for an attack from inside of Konoha. I should have known that Danzou wouldn't stand by what he said. We were too rash and Sasuke is the one that paid for it." Kakashi said.
"It's not your fault Kakashi. We all agreed that Orochimaru needed to be taken care of. We had no reason to think Danzou would go against his word. He wanted Orochimaru dead just as much as we did. By Orochimaru being dead then the village could have gone back to normal. We all did what we thought was best for Sasuke and the village." Shikaku said.
"What do we do now? Orochimaru is still alive and now Danzou can't be trusted. How are we going to kill Orochimaru when Tsunade-Sama can't leave the village?" Shikamaru said.
"I honestly don't know what we are going to do about Orochimaru. We didn't even come close to killing him. We need someone stronger." Kakashi said.
"There's no one in this village strong enough for Orochimaru." Shikaku said.
"So where does that leave us?" Shikamaru asked.
"Between a rock and a hard place. We can't get the village back to normal with Orochimaru still alive and a threat. Which means we can't get Danzou to leave Sasuke alone. Even if we did kill Orochimaru there was no guarantee that Danzou and his ANBU would leave Sasuke alone, but the threat would be gone. The situation is just as bad as it was when we left ten days ago. Except now Sasuke is in critical condition." Kakashi said.
"What about from another village. Orochimaru is a threat to every village isn't there someone from a different village that would be strong enough?" Shikamaru asked.
"Not like. Realistically the only people that might stand a chance against Orochimaru would be another S-Class criminal. It's not exactly like the village keeps in contact with S-Class criminals." Shikaku said.
"So we just what wait? Hope that Orochimaru angers another S-Class criminal and kills him?" Shikamaru said.
"No we come up with a new plan. This isn't the first time Konoha has come across a strong enemy. We just need to think properly and come up with a plan to bring Orochimaru down. It's just going to take a longer time to do it, but hopefully it will be affective." Kakashi said.
"It's too bad Sasuke's brother isn't here." Shikamaru said.
That had Kakashi surprised. Shikamaru wasn't there when the others found out about Sasuke's brother being alive. He shouldn't have known about it unless the others told him, because Kakashi seriously doubted that Sasuke would have.
"How do you know about Itachi?" Kakashi asked.
"Sasuke told me when I was in the hospital."
"He just brought him up?" Kakashi asked confused and shocked.
"Not really. I was talking about how I was an only child compared to other families in my Clan that had multiple kids. I told him I was glad that I was an only child, because then I wouldn't have been annoyed by a younger sibling. I also said that growing up I always wondered what it would be like to have an older brother. He brought up Itachi. I didn't even know he had an older brother. I could tell from the way he spoke about him that Itachi was very protective of him and seemed like a great brother until he killed the Clan. We didn't talk about it much, because I could see that it was still painful for him to talk about. Was it a problem that we talk about it?"
"No not at all. I'm just surprised that Sasuke even said anything about him. He doesn't like to talk about his brother. They had a great relationship when he was younger and you're right Itachi was very protective of Sasuke. Everyone knew it to so no one not even ANBU would dare to cross Itachi. He was very powerful, he still is but I don't see him being an option. We don't know why he killed the Clan or what his plans for Sasuke are. It would be too risky and dangerous to bring Itachi into this. We don't know what affect it would have on Sasuke." Kakashi said.
The conversation was interrupted by a nurse coming into the room to check on Sasuke. She gave them all a sweet smile as she checked Sasuke's vital signs. She didn't say anything, none of them had all night. They just smiled and wrote down the vitals on a clipboard and then left. It was like that every two hours and Kakashi had at one point wanted to snap at the nurse for not telling him anything. Sasuke didn't have any parents so Kakashi was the closest thing to one that he had. He wanted to know how he was doing.
"How is he?" Kakashi asked.
"Tsunade-Sama should be in soon to discuss his condition." The nurse replied.
"Why can't you tell me?" Kakashi asked annoyed.
"It's not my place. No news is good news Kakashi-San. If something was terribly wrong someone would have told you throughout the night. Tsunade-Sama has not been called in so that right there should tell you everything you need to know until she does come in. There are people outside looking to see Sasuke. There's a whole group of them. If you'd like I can have them come in a few at a time."
"Children?"
"Yes and Iruka-San. Gai-San and Asuma-San as well."
"You can send them in."
"Very well. I will be back to check on him in a couple of hours once again."
"Why the frequent checks?" Shikamaru asked the nurse before she could leave.
"It's just a precaution that's all. Sasuke is in critical condition and with his infection it's important to be ahead of any complications. By checking his vitals every two hours it lets us know if a problem is starting to arise so we can get ahead of it before it gets too bad. Really though if something had happened I would have told you and Tsunade-Sama would have been brought down. I know this is hard, but you all need to just relax."
"Thank-you I'm sure we haven't been easy on you." Kakashi said.
"You are worried none of us can blame you for that. Once Tsunade-Sama is here I will make sure she is updated and comes to speak to you. I'll send in a few at a time, but I just want you to understand that Sasuke is unconscious. He can't hear what you are saying, but he is sensitive to loud noises and strong chakra emotions. If he gets stressed out his heart monitor will react to it. If you see his heart rate going up or beating differently you need to remove the source of the stress. Any added stress to his heart can be deadly in his condition. I will warn the others, but if you see his heart rate monitor going off course then remove the person right away."
"I will. I don't want Sasuke to be in anymore pain than he already is. If the others are upsetting him by their noises or chakra then I will remove them." Kakashi said.
"As long as you understand the seriousness of this."
"We do." Kakashi said.
"Good I will bring the others in a few at a time."
The nurse left the room and the others just looked at Sasuke's heart monitor. They didn't know that he was sensitive to chakra and loud noises. They just assumed that he was fine and just asleep. It never even occurred to them that Sasuke might have affects from other people.
"I didn't even think about that. I knew he had the heart monitor, but I thought it was to monitor his heart rate and that was it. I completely forgot that Sasuke was so sensitive to chakra." Kakashi said.
"I didn't know that." Shikamaru said.
"Sasuke has strong senses, but certain emotions in chakra he's very sensitive to. It's mainly anger that bothers him the most. The darker the chakra the more it affects him." Kakashi said.
"That has to be difficult to handle in the field out on missions." Shikaku said.
"I can be. Sasuke has gotten good at adjusting to it, but if the chakra is very dark he has a hard time. It's almost like a panic attack he can't move or breathe. I'm not sure if he has always had it or if it's just since the night his Clan was killed. I've never really spoken to him about it."
"You've never asked?" Shikamaru asked.
"Sasuke isn't exactly open about a lot of things. I knew what was causing it and I did my best to stop it early on when one was coming on. When he is feeling better I'll speak to him about it."
The door opened and in walked Iruka, Naruto and Sakura. They all took in Sasuke's appearance for the first time in ten days. Kakashi knew that Sasuke looked horrible, but he also knew that his injuries were just as bad as they looked. There really wasn't any comforting words he could say to make this better for them. Iruka came over to Kakashi and Shikaku and sat down on the cot on the other side of Kakashi. Iruka placed a comforting hand on Kakashi's shoulders for a few seconds before he removed it.
"He looks horrible." Naruto whispered.
"He will make a full recovery it's just going to take some time." Kakashi said.
"What are his injuries?" Sakura asked.
"He has some bruising and cuts. The main injuries are his jaw, it was broken. Tsunade has healed it, but it will be very painful for the next few weeks. So when he is awake don't ask him a lot of questions and make him talk. It will hurt to move his mouth. He has a skull fracture so when he awakes up until it is fully healed he will have a few problems with memory and confusion. Some days will be worse than others and as it heals his brain will improve. His spine is the worst. He has some pinched nerves along his C9 vertebrae that had damaged his nerves to his legs. He will need physical therapy to help reteach his body how to walk. It will be a long process, but he will make a full recovery by the end of it." Kakashi explained.
"He can't walk." Sakura said softly.
"He can't right now. When he wakes up he will need to heal before he will be able to go through physical therapy. With the therapy he will be able to walk again. It's going to take some time, but like I said he will make a full recovery. That is what is important to remember." Kakashi said trying to sound encouraging.
"Do you know who did this to him?" Iruka asked.
"We don't know anything yet. We won't know more until Sasuke is wake and responsive. When he wakes up he won't be able to handle questions until his mind has healed a little. We don't really know what he was conscious for and what he wasn't conscious for. There's really no telling how deep the trauma will go."
"Where did you find him?" Naruto asked.
The room was quiet for a few minutes and Naruto, Sakura and Iruka knew that it wasn't going to be a good answer. They knew Sasuke was in jail, but the quietness before an answer came had them all on edge.
"We found him buried alive just outside of the prison." Shikamaru said softly when the others didn't talk.
The silence that followed Shikamaru's answer was deafening. Kakashi knew the others would have a hard time getting passed what had happened to Sasuke. It wasn't something that was easy to understand or to digest for anyone let alone someone their age. Shikamaru was taking this very well, but Kakashi knew that he was just as terrified as the rest of them. Shikamaru and Sasuke had gotten close since Sasuke was in that fire. Sasuke had showed that by speaking to Shikamaru about his brother. They had become friends and for the first time Kakashi could actually say that Sasuke had a friend, a true friend. Kakashi was hoping that their new found friendship would survive all of this trauma Sasuke had just gone through.
"They buried him alive?" Naruto said quietly.
"How is he going to get past all of this? He's been almost burned alive and now they buried him alive. How is he going to handle all of this?" Sakura said.
"We don't know what Sasuke was conscious for or not. He might not have been conscious when they buried him. We truly won't know more until he is awake and responsive." Kakashi said.
"What do you mean by responsive?" Naruto asked.
"Naruto, Sasuke has a skull fracture. There are many side effects from having a serious injury like that. There is no telling what side effects Sasuke will have until he is awake and able to function. When Sasuke first wakes up he will be confused and might not be able to answer questions. His mind might not function properly with the skull fracture. We really will have more answers when Sasuke is awake and able to understand the questions that are asked." Iruka answered.
"What kind of side effects could there be?" Sakura asked.
"It's a long list and he might not have any or he might have all of them. There's memory problems, confusion, dizziness, vomiting, nose bleeds, bruising under his eyes, convulsions, difficulty with balance, headaches, drowsiness, nauseous, stiff neck and irritability. Like I said though, he could get all of them he could get none of them. Tsunade can't tell the seriousness of the skull fracture until he is awake and able to answer her questions." Kakashi said.
"What do we do?" Sakura asked.
"The best thing any of you can do is just stay safe. Orochimaru is still alive and he will probably be coming for Konoha after we tried to kill him. So keep your eyes open and be smart. I will worry about Sasuke's health and well-being. I will have my hands full with Sasuke and this recovery so I need you both to stay smart for me. Keep out of trouble and be safe. When Sasuke is awake and able to handle people you can come and see him, but don't over crowd him. We don't know how any of this will affect him so it's best to just not push him and wait it out. We need to see how he is before we have too many people around him." Kakashi said.
"We'll stay safe Sensei." Sakura said.
"Do you need anything Kakashi?" Iruka asked.
"I could use a change of clothes if you don't mind."
"Not at all. I'm assuming you are going to shower here?"
"I don't want to leave him. Plus if something goes wrong Tsunade will need me to be here. Sasuke doesn't have any parents so the decisions are left to me."
"Have you eaten anything since you got back yesterday?"
"No"
"Okay I'll go and grab you some clean clothes and come back. I'll also explain to the others about Sasuke's condition so you don't have to keep explaining it."
"Thank-you, that would be really helpful." Kakashi said.
Iruka placed a comforting hand on Kakashi's shoulder before he got up.
"We need to give the others a chance to see Sasuke. You guys can come by tomorrow and see him again. Sasuke needs as much rest as he can get." Iruka said.
"If something changes." Naruto started.
"I'll let you know." Kakashi said.
"We'll come by and see him tomorrow." Sakura said.
"Be safe the both of you. I mean it Naruto don't do anything or say anything to anyone." Kakashi said.
"I won't Kakashi-Sensei."
"Let's go you two the others are waiting." Iruka said.
The three of them walked out and it took a good thirty minutes before Asuma, Ino and Chouji walked in. Asuma went straight over to Shikamaru and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. Shikamaru was still holding onto Sasuke's hand.
"He looks horrible." Ino said sadly.
"Remember what Iruka-Sensei said. Sasuke will make a full recovery." Chouji said.
"I know that just doesn't change how bad he looks." Ino said.
"Are you okay?" Shikamaru asked as he looked up to Asuma.
"I'm fine just some bumps and bruises. How are you doing?"
"I'm good. What happened while you were in there?"
"We can talk about that later. Have the three of you eaten this morning?"
"Shikamaru and I did before we came here. Kakashi is refusing to leave." Shikaku said.
"I'm fine." Kakashi said.
"I can go get you something to eat if you want." Asuma said.
"I'm fine. Iruka is going to grab a change of clothes for me. I'm fairly certain he will make me eat something when he comes back."
"How long is he going to be asleep for?" Chouji asked.
"Tsunade said a few days at least." Kakashi answered.
"How are you holding up Shikamaru?" Ino asked.
"I'm fine." Shikamaru answered, but his attention was on Sasuke's still body.
Everyone in the room knew that Shikamaru was not fine. Shikamaru and Sasuke had gotten very close in the short few weeks since the fire happened. They had no idea just how close they had gotten except for Shikaku. Shikamaru was not in the mood to talk about any of this just yet. He needed time to wrap his head around everything that was still unknown. What he really needed was for Sasuke to wake up and be okay, but Shikamaru knew that wasn't going to happen. It was going to be a long time before Sasuke was okay again. Shikamaru was so lost in his own world that he didn't even notice that Ino and Chouji had left and the others came in and gone. Shikamaru was brought out of his daze when Asuma squeezed his shoulder. Shikamaru took his eyes off of Sasuke and looked at the adults in the room. He could see all of their concern on their faces.
"I'm fine." Shikamaru said.
"You are not fine Shikamaru and you don't have to pretend to be." Kakashi said.
"Like you are doing? You won't even leave his side to go home and get changed. So don't tell me how I am feeling." Shikamaru snapped.
"Shikamaru." Shikaku said angrily.
"It's okay." Kakashi said.
"I'm sorry Kakashi-Sensei. I don't know why I just snapped like that."
"Because for the first time in your life someone you care about is in critical condition and you are worried. It's okay to be angry. It's okay to be upset. It's okay to be scared. Most importantly it's okay to not be okay. There has been a lot that has gone on in the last few weeks. Sasuke has been in the hospital, you have been in the hospital and now all of this. No one expects you to be okay with all of this Shikamaru, because we aren't okay with it and we're adults. I'm going to tell you something I told Sasuke that first night in the hospital. You are thirteen years old. It's okay to be just thirteen sometimes and not a ninja." Kakashi said.
"There's something bothering you son, more so than this. What is it?" Shikaku said.
Shikamaru closed his eyes and fought back the tears. He didn't cry in front of anyone especially his sensei, Kakashi and his father. Shikamaru didn't know why this was affecting him so much, but it was. Shikamaru opened his eyes and looked down at Sasuke's hand in his own. His knuckles were bruised and cut up. His fingernails were red and swollen, which meant that he was at one point conscious while he was buried and tried to claw his way out.
"Did Tsunade-Sama ever mention anything about sexual assault?" Shikamaru whispered.
Asuma rubbed a comforting hand up and down Shikamaru's arms. Asuma and Shikaku hadn't even thought about that before Shikamaru mentioned it. They were too busy with all his other injuries to even think about that possibility. They both looked to Kakashi for that answer.
"Tsunade would have checked for any signs of rape. She didn't tell me anything, which means that nothing sexual happened. If it did she would have told me. I don't know what happened in the past nine days, but I don't think Sasuke was around any prisoners."
Shikamaru closed his eyes and gave a distant nod. It was such a relief that Sasuke hadn't been raped or touched by any of the prisoners. Shikamaru knew that Sasuke would be able to get through all of this, but he wouldn't have gotten past being raped. Shikamaru couldn't help the tears that came down his face. It was like everything that had happened in the past few weeks hit him. Asuma switched places with Shikaku.
Shikaku wrapped his arms around Shikamaru from behind and held him close.
"It's okay son." Shikaku whispered into Shikamaru's ear.
It was then that the dam broke and Shikamaru couldn't hold the tears back anymore. Everything that had happened in the past weeks fully hit Shikamaru. The fire, Sasuke almost dying, the CPR, the conversations, the beating he took, the bonding they had, the kiss, the make-out session and now all of this. In the few short weeks Shikamaru had gone from just knowing Sasuke was there to truly caring about him and wanting to be with him. He just wanted Sasuke to wake up and be okay. He wanted to see his mesmerizing eyes looking back at him again. He wanted to feel his lips on his. Shikamaru had no idea if any of that was ever going to be the same after this. Sasuke might never get back to who he used to be and they might never get to have more than those few weeks together.
"What if he's never okay? What if he never gets past this trauma?" Shikamaru said with a hitch in his voice.
"You have to stay positive and have faith that he will. He's not alone in this. He has Kakashi to be there for him and he has you. We are all here for him son and in time he will get better. Don't give up on him." Shikaku said.
"We've become so close in the last few weeks and all I can think about is. What if that's all I get? What if I don't get more than those few weeks to get to know him?"
"You can't think like that Shikamaru. Sasuke is strong and he is stubborn he won't give up. You two have gotten very close in the past few weeks. Sasuke won't want to throw that away any more than you do. He's going to need your friendship now more than ever. You will get a lot more years together to get to know each other." Kakashi said.
"What if he can't get past this?" Shikamaru asked softly.
"He will get past this. It's going to take time and a lot of patience, but he will get past this." Kakashi said trying to sound encouraging.
The door to the room opened and in walked Iruka with two bags. It was just after two in the afternoon and they had yet to see Tsunade. They figured that she was still sleeping. She had used up a lot of her chakra healing everyone on the squad during the fight. She also spent a good six hours healing Sasuke last night. Iruka stopped as he walked in the room and noticed the atmosphere in the room.
"I'm sorry I should have knocked. I didn't mean to interrupt."
"It's okay you didn't interrupt anything." Shikaku said.
Shikamaru used his free hand to wipe the tears off from his face. He needed to get himself back under control. He couldn't lose it again in front of everyone. He had to listen to Kakashi when he said that Sasuke would be fine one day. Iruka went over and sat down beside Kakashi on the cot again. He had brought him a bag with some clothes and he brought a bag with some food.
"How about the three of us go and get something to eat for lunch." Asuma said as he got up off the cot.
Asuma was one of the very few that knew about Kakashi and Iruka and he wanted to give them some time alone.
"I think that is a good idea. We haven't eaten since this morning and I think you need a break son." Shikaku said.
"Come on Shikamaru he'll be okay for a couple of hours while we go and eat." Asuma said.
"Ok" Shikamaru said reluctantly.
Shikamaru let go of Sasuke's hand and stood up.
"I'll see you in a little while." Kakashi said.
"Take care of him eh?" Asuma said to Iruka
"I will make sure he showers, changes and eats." Iruka said.
"We'll be back in a couple of hours." Shikaku said.
"I'll be here." Kakashi said.
The three of them walked out and left Iruka and Kakashi alone in the room with Sasuke. Iruka turned to Kakashi.
"How are you holding up?"
"I shouldn't have left him. If I had stayed and let the others go after Orochimaru none of this would have happened."
"You can't blame yourself baby. This isn't your fault. This is all Danzou and those ANBU's fault. They know the difference between right and wrong and they chose to do this to him. He's going to make it, but it's not going to do him any good if you are to run down to get him through this. You need to get proper sleep and food into you."
"I know I have to. I just can't bring myself to leave him."
"I brought you clothes and some food. You're all tense you need a shower to loosen your muscles up. You need some food into you to. Once you have those two things you'll feel a lot better."
Iruka got up and headed into the joining bathroom. He turned on the water for the shower and made it nice and hot to relax Kakashi's muscles. He was about to go back out when he felt Kakashi wrap his arms around him from behind.
"I can sit with him while you are in here." Iruka suggested.
"I need you." Kakashi said into the crook of Iruka's neck.
(Warning Sex Scene)
Iruka reached over to the open bathroom door and closed and locked it. He then turned around to face Kakashi. Iruka brought up a hand to Kakashi's mask and pulled it down.
"Do whatever you need to me. To make you feel better." Iruka said.
Kakashi claimed Iruka's mouth against his own. The kiss was passionate, but also desperate. Kakashi needed Iruka and Iruka was more than willing to give himself to Kakashi time and time again. They had been in a nonofficial relationship for close to six years now. Only a handful of people knew and that was how they liked it. Iruka started to remove Kakashi's clothing and Kakashi did the same to him. Once they were both naked they went into the shower. Kakashi didn't waste any time he grabbed the shampoo in the shower and put some on three of his fingers. He pushed Iruka's back against the shower wall and grabbed his leg to place it on the side of the tub. He continued to kiss him as he inserted one of his fingers. Iruka moaned as Kakashi's finger entered him. It had been a few weeks since they had been able to have sex and Iruka was already rock hard just waiting for it. After a few minutes Kakashi added a second finger and started to scissor Iruka's insides. Kakashi kissed all along Iruka's neck as the water from the shower continued to hit Kakashi's back. Kakashi added his third and final finger inside Iruka. Kakashi started to search for his sweet spot and he knew he found it when Iruka moaned out loud.
"Oh god baby I need you inside of me. Take me baby." Iruka moaned.
Kakashi removed his fingers and grabbed the shampoo bottle once again. He poured some into his hand and started to slick up his hard dick.
"Turn around babe. Give me that sweet ass." Kakashi said.
Iruka turned around and he stuck his ass out towards Kakashi so he would have better access. The hot water hitting his back was only making him more turned on. Kakashi lined himself up to Iruka's entrance and slowly pushed in. Iruka and Kakashi both moaned at the feeling. It had been too long since the last time they had done this. Iruka was still as tight as ever and Kakashi was loving the feeling around his dick.
"You're so tight babe." Kakashi whispered into Iruka's ear.
Iruka moaned at Kakashi's dirty words and he pushed back against Kakashi to get him to move. Kakashi slowly pushed out and then pushed all the way back in. He took it slow for a few minutes to get Iruka to loosen up. Once Kakashi was certain he wouldn't hurt Iruka he started to pound into him hard and deep. Iruka was moaning and whimpering against the cool tile wall. He had missed this with Kakashi and he just couldn't get enough.
"Mmm harder baby. Oh god give it to me." Iruka moaned.
Kakashi groaned at his words and this time he didn't hold back. He slammed into Iruka as hard and as deep as he could get. As he did that he snaked his hand around front and started to jerk Iruka off in time with his thrusts. It didn't take long before both men were cumming and moaning the other's name. Kakashi stayed inside Iruka for a few minutes to catch his breath before he slowly pulled out. Kakashi looked down and he could see some of the shampoo and cum slowly coming out of Iruka's hole. Kakashi started to kiss Iruka's neck as he inserted a finger once again. Iruka moaned at Kakashi's actions.
"You're all dirty now. If it wasn't for the taste of the shampoo I would be licking you clean." Kakashi whispered into Iruka's ears.
Iruka moaned at Kakashi's words and actions. After a few minutes Kakashi removed his finger once he was certain all of his cum was out of Iruka. Iruka turned around and kissed Kakashi on the lips before they went about to take an actual shower. After a good thirty minutes both were washed and cleaned. Kakashi's muscles were no longer tense and sore and he now felt like he could handle the situation once again. Kakashi turned the shower off and grabbed them both a towel. They got out and got dried, but before Kakashi could get his clothes on Iruka had pushed him up against the wall. He dropped his towel and grabbed Kakashi's from his hands.
"There's something I need to do before we get dressed."
"And what would that be?" Kakashi asked with a smirk.
Iruka brought his mouth just centimetres away from Kakashi's as he spoke.
"I haven't tasted you in a long time."
Iruka moved away and went down on his knees. He took gave Kakashi's semi-hard dick a long lick to bring it to full life before he put it all in his mouth. Kakashi moaned as Iruka worked his mouth over his dick. Iruka was very good at giving head. He didn't have any gag reflexes so he could take all of Kakashi's glorious ten inches in his mouth. Kakashi looked down at Iruka and weaved a hand through his hair. He could see that Iruka was getting hard so Kakashi decided to have some fun.
"Play with yourself. Make yourself cum while my dick is down your throat my little cock slut."
Iruka moaned at Kakashi's words. Iruka loved it when Kakashi ordered him around and called him that. Iruka truly was a submissive partner and the more Kakashi ordered him to do the hornier he got. Iruka started to pump his own dick as he took all of Kakashi's in his mouth.
"Mm that's a good little cock slut. It's a shame we don't have any of our toys here. You could be fucking yourself right now for me."
Kakashi's words made Iruka go faster. Kakashi could tell that he was close and so was Kakashi. Kakashi decided that he would take control so he tightened his grip in Iruka's hair and started to thrust into his mouth.
"You like that don't you my little slut."
Iruka couldn't stop moaning as Kakashi took control. He was so turned on and hard he thought he would explode in half. He was so close and Kakashi could tell.
"Cum in your hand. I want to watch you lick it clean." Kakashi ordered.
That was enough for Iruka and he did as he was told. He cam inside his hand so when Kakashi was done he would do as he was told and lick it clean. Kakashi cam a minute later and made sure he pushed it all the way down Iruka's throat. Once he was sucked dry he pulled out of Iruka's mouth.
"Lick your cum off your hand my little slut. Show me just how much you love cum."
Iruka brought his hand up to his mouth and started to lick it clean. He was moaning as he went and Kakashi knew that they would need a sex marathon soon. Once his hand was clean Kakashi pulled him up by the back of the neck and slammed their mouths together. Kakashi put his tongue in Iruka's mouth and he could taste both him and Iruka on his tongue. After a few heated moments he pulled away.
"We need to have a whole night together soon. Before we both explode." Kakashi said.
"Just tell me when and I'll be ready."
"Soon once I know Sasuke will be alright."
"Then we should get dressed before we do anything else."
"We should." Kakashi agreed.
They both got dressed and headed back out into the hospital room. The room was still empty so they hadn't gotten caught at least. They sat down on the cot and Iruka grabbed the bag of food. They both ate and had some small talk while they waited for someone to come in.
(End of Sex Scene)
Asuma, Shikamaru and Shikaku went over to a smaller restaurant just outside of the hospital. Both adults understood that Shikamaru didn't want to be too far from Sasuke, just in case something happened. They decided to go to this restaurant so they could eat and have a talk. They still didn't know what happened to Asuma in the past nine days and Shikamaru was very curious for answers. Asuma also had questions of his own about Shikamaru and Sasuke's relationship that he was searching for his own answers. They sat down in a booth in the back and once their drinks and food order was taken the conversation started.
"So what happened?" Shikamaru asked.
"Not a whole lot. They brought me into the cell and they left me there. The guards would bring me food and water three times a day, but they wouldn't let me out. I tried talking to a few, but they said there was nothing they could do. They couldn't let me out, because it went against Danzou's orders. I was angry and upset, but I understood where they were coming from. That's all that happened in the nine days. The bruising all came from the night they arrested me. These past nine days must have been hell for you Shikamaru."
"It has been really hard not knowing if either of you were alive or dead. I'm glad they didn't do anything to you."
"I have never in my life been so mad then I had been for the past nine days. I kept thinking about poor Sasuke. I didn't know where he was or what they were doing to him. I was worried that they would put him in general population. So many horrible things could have happened to him that he would never have gotten over."
"At least we know that nothing like that happened to him. We don't know what they did to him, but they didn't do that to him at least. Maybe there is a God after all." Shikaku said.
"You and Sasuke seem to be very close Shikamaru." Asuma said.
"We have gotten close in the last few weeks. In the academy I never would have even thought Sasuke and I could have been friends. Now that we are it's weird to think that we could have been friends all along if I had just given him the chance."
"Is it just friendship?" Asuma asked slyly.
"What do you mean?" Shikamaru asked.
"I think someone with your IQ knows what I mean. Do you like Sasuke as more than a friend?"
Shikamaru looked down at the table a very clear sign that he didn't feel comfortable talking about this. Shikaku just looked at Asuma and in that moment Asuma knew something happened between the two teenagers.
"Okay who kissed who first?" Asuma said with a smile on his face.
Shikamaru looked up and looked at Asuma.
"It's not that simple. And I kissed him."
"Way to take initiative. What did Sasuke do?" Asuma said.
"He kissed me back. It's not that simple now though."
"Why?" Asuma asked.
"Seriously? With everything that just happened with Sasuke he might not even remember we kissed. He's got a lot more things to worry about than what we did. He might not even want to be friends with me after this."
"I don't see that happening. Sasuke is going to be messed up for a while, but he will make a full recovery. If you want this friendship to continue make sure Sasuke knows that. If you want something more to continue then make sure Sasuke knows that to. Communication is key Shikamaru." Asuma said.
"Communication eh? We're in trouble, because Sasuke isn't exactly the sharing his feelings kind of guy." Shikamaru said.
"He's been alone most of his life. He hasn't had anyone to truly talk to in close to six years now. It's hard for someone to go from never talking to having someone to talk to. It's going to take some time for Sasuke to get used to having people in his life that care about him. Just be there to help support him and have some patience with him. His emotions are going to be all over the map until he is able to deal with this trauma." Shikaku said.
"I'm not walking away from him. I know he will have mood swings and might even yell at me to leave him alone, but I'm not going to. Regardless of what happens between us I'll always be his friend."
"That's very adult of you and I'm proud of you." Shikaku said.
"Thanks Dad."
Their food came and they kept the conversation to small simple things. They kept the conversation light; because of the seriousness of the situation once they left this restaurant. They sat there just having small talk while they ate and once they were done they had to face reality again.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXX
It was just after ten o'clock at night. Asuma, Shikamaru, Shikaku, and Kakashi were still in Sasuke's hospital room. Iruka had left just after eight o'clock to go home and get some things done. He had to teach tomorrow morning and still had papers he needed to grade and work on. Shikamaru was sitting beside Sasuke once again with Shikaku leaning against the window sill. Asuma was sitting on the cot with Kakashi. The other three were just about to get ready to leave when the room was taken over by a dark murderous chakra. They all immediately went on guard and Sasuke's heart monitor started to go crazy. They couldn't believe that when the hospital room door flew open that it was Itachi standing there. He had dark flames going around his body and his chakra was so strong that the others couldn't move and were having a hard time breathing. He had his Sharingan glowing red and Kakashi knew Itachi was beyond pissed off. Why he wasn't too sure, but he had a feeling he was about to find out. Sasuke's monitor was getting worse by the second and Kakashi needed to take control of this situation.
"Itachi."
Itachi turned his eyes onto Kakashi with a death glare.
"I have fought beside you in ANBU for years those eyes don't scare me. I don't know why you are here, but do you hear that beeping? That's Sasuke's heart monitor and you are making it do that. Your chakra is too dark and too strong for him to handle and it's causing stress on his heart. If you insist on being here then get a grip on yourself or I will put you through that window. I will not let you kill him by your presence." Kakashi was with complete authority and power in his voice.
Kakashi could tell that Itachi was pissed. The whole hospital could tell that he was pissed. The problem Kakashi was having, was Sasuke's heart monitor going ape shit crazy from Itachi's chakra. Itachi looked over at Sasuke's heart monitor and saw that it was going crazy and the heartbeats were erratic. Itachi took a few seconds to take control of his chakra and as such the heart rate monitor started to go back down to normal. Itachi didn't want to hurt Sasuke at all; it was why he had stayed away from him. He had kept an eye on his baby brother over the years. He had watched him grow from a distance. The reason Itachi was even here was, because he felt something very wrong and when he felt like that, it was always about Sasuke. When Itachi reached Konoha and sensed his brother in the hospital he had lost it. Itachi looked over at Kakashi as he spoke.
"Explain"
"Why are you here?" Kakashi asked instead.
"You know why. Now explain how my baby brother is lying in a hospital bed."
"Why do you care?" Asuma asked.
Itachi looked over at him, but completely ignored him. The message was loud and clear the three of them were no threat to Itachi. The only reason he was even talking to Kakashi was, because they had worked together when they were younger. Kakashi figured he would tell Itachi what he was looking for so he would leave without any problems.
"Your brother has been having some problems within Konoha. Orochimaru gained interest in Sasuke during the Chounin exams. He gave Sasuke his curse mark and made it clear that he would be back for Sasuke. During the final round Orochimaru attacked Konoha with the help of the Sand. The Third was killed and ever since then Konoha has been divided. Danzou and his ANBU blame Sasuke for the Third's death. He has been harassed and attacked by villagers and ninja since then. A few weeks ago five ANBU attacked him in his home. They hit him over two hundred times, tied him to his bed and then set his home on fire. Shikamaru over here, and Neji were walking by and they got him out. Danzou found out and put the old Uchiha laws back into place. I'm sure you remember them. Sasuke stayed in the hospital for three days that gave me and the other Sensei time to clean the blood off from the Compound. The first night he was in one of the houses. He couldn't handle it and went for a walk. The curse mark had been causing him server pain at night. Orochimaru showed up in the woods and talked to him. The closeness made the pain worse and made the curse seal glow red. Before Orochimaru left he kissed your brother to make a point that he could do what he wanted and Sasuke wouldn't be able to stop him. I found him in the morning and with some help from Tsunade and Jiraiya we were able to get it to stop glowing and hurting him. After that I made sure Sasuke was with me all day and night after a week Shikamaru was attacked by the same ANBU for being on Sasuke's side. He spent four days in the hospital. We decided that we needed to try and kill Orochimaru. Ten days ago a squad that included myself, Tsunade, Jiraiya, Shikaku, Gai and a Hyuuga. We were gone for nine days. I left Sasuke in Asuma's care. On the first night that we were gone Danzou and his ANBU attacked Sasuke, Shikamaru and Asuma. They beat Sasuke before they put chakra cuffs on him and a blindfold. Asuma was arrested and put in a jail cell for nine days. They let Shikamaru go and we still don't know where they put Sasuke. We were gone for nine days and when we got back we got them out right away. That was just last night and he hasn't woken up yet."
Kakashi explained everything as fast and as best as he could. Kakashi knew Itachi didn't want a half assed answer he wanted the full story and now he had it.
"Injuries?" Itachi asked and they could hear the concern and worry in his voice.
"Bruising, cuts, he had broken ribs, a broken jaw, Tsunade was able to heal him. The two main injuries that will give him the most problems are the skull fracture and the damage done to his spine. He has a few pinched nerves and when he is awake and healed he will need to have physical therapy to relearn how to walk again. The skull fracture will give him some problems, as I'm sure you know what the side effects are. The curse seal is still going to be giving him problems and if it's not removed shortly it will have molded with his own chakra completely. When that happens we won't be able to remove it and his life will be shorten drastically."
"And you are doing what about any of this?"
"We are trying to come up with a plan to deal with Orochimaru. The problem is our squad didn't do anything against him. I'm sure Orochimaru is around Konoha waiting to attack Sasuke again. We don't have a plan for Danzou and the ANBU. I killed one of them so there are four left. You know going against Danzou is not that simple. The council is untouchable unless the village overthrows it and that won't happen. We really don't have a plan just yet." Kakashi answered honestly.
There really was no point in lying to Itachi. If he was here he might just help them out and kill Orochimaru for them. Itachi didn't say anything they all could tell he was furious at the situation. He went to move over to Sasuke.
"What are you doing?" Shikamaru said with anger.
Itachi looked at him as if he was some bug flying around.
"It's important for a ninja to learn when to speak and when not to speak."
Itachi went and moved Sasuke's shirt off his left shoulder so he could look at the curse seal.
"What are you doing Itachi?" Kakashi asked this time.
"I will not have my brother branded."
Itachi performed a few hand seals lightning fast and placed his hands on Sasuke's left shoulder over the seal. Sasuke's heart monitor immediately started to go off again and Kakashi was about to put an end to this. Itachi leaned down and started whispering into Sasuke's ear. No one else in the room could hear it, but Sasuke's heart rate started to go back down to normal. Itachi kept his hands on the seal and continued to whisper to Sasuke for a good ten minutes before he pulled away. Kakashi got up and went over to Sasuke.
"What did you do?" Kakashi asked as he looked at the now gone curse mark.
"I told you I will not have my brother branded." Itachi took a few steps back towards the door, but his eyes stayed on Sasuke's still form.
"The curse seal is gone." Kakashi said astounded, though why he had no idea. If Uchiha Itachi was one thing it was un-expecting. Just when you thought you figured him and all his tricks out, he pulls out another rabbit from his hat.
"His body will never remember it was even there."
"What did you say to him to make his heart rate go back to normal?" Shikamaru asked.
"That's a memory only we share. Maybe one day you can ask him and he'll explain it to you. If he tells you that answer then you have earned his complete and utter trust. Not an easy task." Itachi said.
"I don't know why you are here doing this now Itachi, but thank-you. I'm assuming you don't want him to know it was you." Kakashi said.
"I will handle the others. You just get him healthy again."
"I give you my word." Kakashi said.
Itachi went to go back out the door, but before he left he said one last thing.
"When he is able to handle the truth then give him a message for me. Tell him that the truth lies where our secrets were kept."
"And he'll know what that means?" Kakashi asked.
"He'd never forget something like that." Itachi said and then he was gone.
The room was quiet for the longest time it seemed, but in reality it had only been five minutes. Everyone was trying to process what had just happened. Itachi had shown up completely pissed off and out for blood. He removed the curse seal and what was more confusing was how possessive of Sasuke he was. He kept calling him my baby brother and my brother. It was like Itachi had laid claim to Sasuke a long time ago and he wasn't ready to give him to anyone else. Itachi said he would take care of the problem, but they didn't know if he was just talking about Orochimaru or who whole problem. If Kakashi was a betting man he would be betting on the second choice. Kakashi had a feeling that come morning they would be getting a visit from Tsunade. Itachi could hide that it was him, but Kakashi was seriously doubting he would this time. The village was against Sasuke and Itachi would want to make sure that everyone knew to leave him alone. Itachi would make sure no one came after Sasuke in the village again. He was going to install fear into them and Kakashi thought it was exactly what was needed.
"This makes no sense. Itachi killed the Clan and left Sasuke to suffer. Why would he come back and do this?" Shikamaru said.
"There's only one person that knows what truly happened that night and that's Itachi. Itachi does things with a purpose and a reason. Whether or not anyone else understands those reasons is something entirely different. There is a reason why Itachi did what he did. There is a reason why Itachi just removed the curse seal. It can either be for a hateful and negative reason or it can be for a positive and caring reason. Only Sasuke can decide that." Kakashi said.
"At least now the curse mark is gone. Judging by what Itachi just said I'm sure we will get a report about Orochimaru being dead within the next couple of days." Asuma said.
"Shouldn't we report Itachi being in the village?" Shikamaru asked.
"We could, but by the time we get Tsunade down here, he'll already be gone." Shikaku said.
"I'll tell Tsunade tomorrow when she comes to check on Sasuke." Kakashi said.
"She didn't come by today like she said she would." Shikamaru said.
"She used a lot of chakra during our fight with Orochimaru. Plus she spent six hours healing Sasuke. Her body is exhausted. If something was wrong with Sasuke the nurses would have woken her up. She'll be up and moving tomorrow." Kakashi said.
"It's getting late we need to be getting home." Shikaku said.
"I should get going as well. I'll come by tomorrow and see you." Asuma said to Kakashi.
"Of course." Kakashi said back.
"Come on son we need to get back home and you need to get some sleep. We can come back tomorrow and see him." Shikaku said.
Shikamaru just gave a nod to his father. He knew he had to go, but leaving Sasuke seemed so hard to do. Shikamaru gave Sasuke's hand one last squeeze before he let go. Shikamaru got up and followed his father and Sensei out of the hospital room. Now that he was alone Kakashi grabbed Sasuke's hand and gently stroked his hair. Kakashi was curious as to what Itachi said to Sasuke to get his heart rate back down to normal. The nurse had said that Sasuke couldn't hear them, but he clearly heard whatever it was that Itachi had told him. Kakashi knew he should be reporting Itachi being in Konoha right away, but Kakashi couldn't bring himself to. The others thought Itachi was only going to go after Orochimaru, but Kakashi knew different. Kakashi knew that Itachi was going after the ANBU and Danzou for this as well. As a ninja of Konoha Kakashi should be doing everything in his power to stop Itachi, but this time Kakashi couldn't bring himself to do it. Danzou and those ANBU needed to be stopped and Kakashi knew that he wasn't strong enough to do it. If Itachi wanted to end this for Sasuke than Kakashi would allow it and play stupid. Danzou had thrown Sasuke in jail and put him in the hospital. It's because of Danzou and those ANBU that Sasuke has to go through the trauma and relearn how to walk. Kakashi was not about to die defending them. They were nothing, but scum to Kakashi and if Itachi wanted to solve their problem then so be it. Kakashi continued to stroke Sasuke's hair as he spoke.
"I don't know if you can hear me or not. If you can though I want you to know that you are safe. I know you are in a lot of pain. I know you are confused and I know you are scared. I want you to know that it's okay to be feeling everything that you are feeling. You are not alone in this. I am going to be there every single step of the way. So when you are ready to open those eyes I will be here. I will be here to tell you that you are safe. I will be here to help remove the confusion. I'm not going anywhere no matter how much you scream, cry or tell me to leave. I'm not going anywhere. So you take all the time you need to wake up, because I will be here every day until you are ready to wake up and every day after that. I love you like you were my own son and I will not abandon you. So you just rest up and heal and I'll worry about everything else."
Kakashi stood there just holding Sasuke's hand and stroking his hair for a good three hours before he decided to get some sleep. He needed to be rested for whatever tomorrow was going to bring and for when Sasuke did wake up.
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It was six in the morning when Tsunade stormed through the hospital. She couldn't believe what she had woken up to and now she needed to move fast before the whole village saw it. She had a newspaper in her one hand and her mind was going a mile a minute. She entered Sasuke's hospital room and saw that Kakashi was asleep on the cot. She went over to it and called his name.
"Kakashi wake up."
Kakashi woke up right away thinking that something was wrong with Sasuke. He sat up and looked over at Sasuke to see if he was alright.
"He's fine. That's not the problem."
"What's wrong?" Kakashi asked.
"Orochimaru, Danzou, the council and the four remaining ANBU were killed last night. They were killed then hung by their neck on a line in the village streets where everyone can see them. On them written in blood was a single sentence. 'Leave him alone or you will be next'"
"Do we know who did it?" Kakashi asked even though he already knew.
"Oh this person is more than happy to let us know who he is. Uchiha Itachi afterwards threatened the editor of the paper. He wanted this in the paper."
Tsunade threw the paper down on the bed so Kakashi could read it. Kakashi grabbed it and on the front page was a picture of them all dead and hung out on a line. The title read.
'Exile Returns for Street Justice.'
Uchiha Itachi came into the village late last night with one purpose and one purpose only. He killed Orochimaru, Danzou, our Council and four ANBU. All of whom are responsible for Uchiha Sasuke's current condition in the hospital. This very extravagant display and ownership of the killings puts a very clear message out to the other villagers. Stay away from Uchiha Sasuke or you will be next. Uchiha Itachi has not been in Konoha for six years, ever since he murdered his Clan. What will all of this mean for Uchiha Sasuke who knows? What this reporter does know is that the message is loud and clear. The abuse and harassment the village has put this little Uchiha through has come to an end. Obviously he has been keeping a closer eye on his younger brother than we all thought and based on last night events; Uchiha Itachi is still just as deadly as he was at thirteen. It's my opinion that for the safety of the village that the village leaves Uchiha Sasuke alone or you could very well be the next one hung up on a string. Big brother is clearly watching.
Kakashi put the paper down and he knew he would need to explain what he knew about this.
"It was just after ten o'clock last night when Itachi came storming in here. He was so furious he had chakra flames around him. Asuma, Shikamaru and Shikaku were still here. Itachi's chakra was upsetting Sasuke and his heart rate monitor was going crazy. Itachi wanted to know what had been going on. I told him he had to get control of himself. I told him that his presence was hurting Sasuke. That seemed to get Itachi to calm down enough that Sasuke's heart rate went back to normal. I explained what had been happening and Sasuke's injuries. Itachi was furious at Orochimaru. He didn't know Sasuke had the curse seal and Itachi kept saying he won't have his brother branded. Itachi removed the curse seal. Before he left he said he would take care of it and that I was to take care of Sasuke."
"Why didn't you tell me this last night?" Tsunade was furious with Kakashi. He had known that Itachi was in the village and he didn't report it.
"Because he was gone. We all thought he was going to go after Orochimaru. He was pissed off at Orochimaru and kept talking about him branding Sasuke. I was going to tell you this morning when I saw you. I didn't know he was still in the village or I would have. We honestly thought he was going to go after Orochimaru."
"Once everyone in the village sees this paper it could make them go on a witch hunt for Sasuke."
"You don't believe that any more than I do. The villagers and ninja will not risk Itachi finding out that they did something to Sasuke. You know just as well as I do that the fear is now in the village. They won't want to anger Itachi. Itachi made sure that message would be loud and clear. Everyone is going to avoid any contact with Sasuke for a long time. Eventually this will die down, but the threat will always be in the back of people's mind."
"The ANBU will want to go after him."
"I'm sure they will. It would be stupid for them to. Itachi is far too powerful for our ANBU and you know that. They can try, but it will only result in more dead ANBU. Itachi wanted to make a statement and he did just that."
"The village is going to be in a panic with this. I have ANBU taking the bodies down now, but we now have no council. I have to find a new one and set new laws. The ANBU no longer have a leader which means I either have to do it or assign a new leader for them. With the death of the Third still strong in the village this will only make that worse. Yes the village will be glad for the death of Orochimaru, but the rest will not go over well. I'm glad that Sasuke is now safe, but the damage that this will do to the village could be extreme for a while."
"This will affect the village for a long time. I don't know what I can do to help, but if there is anything I can do to help I will."
"The curse seal is gone?"
"It is. I'm not sure what Itachi did to remove it, but he did."
Tsunade went over to Sasuke and placed her hands over his body. She started to check his body and chakra for anything unusual. After a few minutes she moved away.
"His chakra is back to normal. Whatever Itachi did, it didn't hurt Sasuke. I checked his chart yesterday he is doing as well as to be expected. I will come by later to do a more detail exam of his body. For now I need to take care of this."
Kakashi just gave a nod and Tsunade walked out of the room. Kakashi's mind was going a mile a minute. He didn't expect for Itachi to go this far. He knew that Itachi would go after Orochimaru, Danzou and the ANBU. He didn't expect Itachi to go after the rest of the Council or to string them up like that. Itachi was making a statement and he wasn't going to risk any repercussions against Sasuke for his actions. Within the next few hours the whole village will know about Itachi's actions. This was going to rock the whole village from its core and Kakashi had to be prepared for whatever outcome it would mean for Sasuke.