Kakashi scratched the back of his head and smiled sheepishly. "Sorry," he said. "I just wanted to come over."
"Is it that bad?" Sakumo asked. "Are people being cruel to you because of me?"
"No," Kakashi said. "It's weird, but almost everyone has been cool." He hadn't lied to his father very often. There hadn't been much need. He felt like he'd be lying to him a lot more now.
"Have your teammates been helpful?"
"Too helpful," Kakashi asked. "I need comrades, not weepy children. Rin is worried, and Obito got all emotional."
He didn't know why it touched him when Gai cried, even though it made him uncomfortable, but when Obito cried it disgusted him.
Probably because Gai is strong and Obito's a little pussy, he thought.
"They care about you," Sakumo said.
They're obnoxious, Kakashi thought. "Obito thinks you're a hero," he said.
"Did he really say that?" Sakumo asked. "Don't tell me that if it's not true. Does one villager really think I did the right thing?"
Kakashi felt pity for his father. He wished he could believe he'd done the right thing, but Sakumo hadn't seen the scars on Ibiki's head.
"Obito did say that," Kakashi said. "I think a lot of us know you're a good person. I don't think less of you. It was just a bad decision."
One hell of a bad decision though, Kakashi thought.
"That's not what you can to tell me, is it," Sakumo said.
"Not really," Kakashi said. "I just wanted to come over. Everything is off kilter right now, and I wanted to be home for awhile. Is this still my home?"
Sakumo cleared his throat, and when he spoke his voice trembled. "It will always be your home son, no matter what. I'm sorry you can't be here, but you'll always be here in my heart."
Kakashi decided to get to the point. "Did you hear that they brought back Ibiki?"
"I'm glad," Sakumo said. "At least he didn't die because of me."
"He's ok physically," Kakashi said. "He's really fucked up in the head though. I never really liked him, but it's hard to see him like this."
"I know you've seen worse things on the battlefield," Sakumo said. "Just the things you could tell me about were horrible, especially for a kid. Why does this bother you so much?"
"Do I really have to say it?" Kakashi said.
"No," Sakumo said. "I know why it's hard for you. It's because of me, isn't it? I'm sorry you have my burden."
"But it's there now," Kakashi said. "The Hatakes won't be remembered for this. I'll be the strongest ninja in this village, and they won't think of this when they hear our clan name. I promise."
Sakumo put his hand on Kakashi's shoulder, squeezing it. "And I think you can actually pull it off," he said. "Don't worry about my reputation. Just take care of yourself. You're all I have now."
"That's not true," Kakashi said. "You have Tsume and Oji-Jiraiya. I think you actually have the Hokage – sort of. I heard he's the one fighting to keep me from being punished."
"People want to punish you?" Sakumo asked.
Fuck, Kakashi thought. I didn't mean to tell him about that. He'd meant to spare him the dirty details and just talk with him, but he needed to confide in someone, anyone, and it had just slipped out.
I'd better get my guard up, Kakashi thought, or I'll be telling him that Ibiki threatened him next if I don't do what he wants. He was going to give in to Ibiki. He didn't need his father worrying about him. He had the feeling that Ibiki wouldn't hurt his father if he complied. It was an instinct, but his instincts tended to be spot on.
"Son?" Sakumo asked. "What happened?
"There are some people who think I should be demoted. It won't happen. I have strong friends, politically. Asuma is a big influence on his dad, and Kurenai and Gai are respected around the village. Anko isn't really, but people are scared of her. Even Obito is useful here. It's not much to have that Uchiha on my side, but he is an Uchiha. That's something. They don't tend to support non-Uchihas."
"You'll be ok," Sakumo said. "You've always been strong."
"I know," Kakashi said. He'd just realized it himself. He'd overcome everything in his life that he needed to conquer, and this would be no different. It wasn't a good feeling. He would leave his father behind while he moved forward. He didn't want to, but it was going to happen.
"How are things between you and Ibiki then?" Sakumo asked.
"We worked things out. He wants me to stay at his place."
"Why you?" Sakumo asked. "You two were never close."
"I helped his parents while he was gone, and his mother is really sick in the head. She sees me as a son, and Ibiki is afraid he'll be too messed up to take care of her. He wants me to do it if he can't."
"I'm glad you found a family out there," Sakumo said. "I know Jiraiya can't be with you much, and you need people who can be there for you when you need it."
They heard a knock at the door, and Kakashi assumed his henge again. When Sakumo answered the door, the Anbu that had come saw him and Jiraiya inside.
"Jiraiya-sama, the Hokage needs to speak to you."
"Um…" Kakashi looked toward his father. He hadn't planned on something like this.
Sakumo shrugged. "Don't look at me. This is what happens when you play tricks." He smiled. It was good to see him smile.
Kakashi left with the ANBU. I am in so much trouble, he thought.
He thought about bolting, but he didn't want to get his uncle in trouble. When they reached the Hokage's office, he waited until the ANBU was gone and dropped the henge.
"Kakashi?" Sandaime asked. "What are you doing? I've never known you to play pranks."
"I wasn't playing a prank," Kakashi said. "I thought that if I went to my house in disguise he would talk to me. He doesn't want people seeing us together, but I thought that since Jiraiya visits him I might get away with it."
"No son should have to deal with something like this," Sakumo said. "I hope you know I'm doing what I can for you."
"I do, Hokage-sama," Kakashi said.
"Put the henge back on so people in the lobby don't see you," the Hokage said. "What you're doing is wise, even if it's harsh. I'll keep your secret."
Kakashi assumed the henge and left. When he was sure no one was watching he slipped into a bathroom and assumed his own form again. He went to the Morenos. He had things to take care of.
Mother Moreno was frantically cleaning an already spotless house, and even though Akihiro was apparently calm Kakashi noticed that he kept picking up things that obviously belonged to Ibiki. A picture of Ibiki with his team was in his hands, and he rubbed the frame with his thumb.
"Mother, calm down," he said. "Ibiki is probably very stressed, and we need to be calm for him."
"I'm going to make dango," she said. "It's his favorite." She went to the kitchen.
"She's happiest when she's cooking for people she loves," Akihiro said.
"I feel like I'm intruding," Kakashi said, "but Ibiki asked me to stay with you."
"It would be best," Akihiro said. "He told me that he's concerned about his mental health. I'm not concerned about myself, but I don't want Mother to be alone. She… has fits at times. You haven't been around long enough, but you'll see. There are times when she has to be restrained physically."
"Why?" Kakashi asked.
"There's a history of mental illness on her side of the family. I never cared. When you love someone enough things like that won't keep you apart, but sometimes she gets violent. She sees things. Ibiki hasn't shown any signs of it, but I worry about him."
Kakashi kept Ibiki's secret. He could have told Akihiro; perhaps he should have, but he didn't want to risk Ibiki taking revenge on his own father.
I can handle Ibiki, Kakashi thought. Physically he was Ibiki's equal, and he hadn't been tortured for a month. The only thing that really concerned him was Ibiki's mental state. He'd seen people do extraordinary things when they were worked up.
I need to stay here to protect the Morenos too, Kakashi thought. I need to help this whole family.
He had put most of his things in a rented storage shed, but he moved the few belongings he'd brought with him to a corner. He didn't want Ibiki to feel like he was an intruder.
He could tell when Ibiki got back because his mother screeched, "my baby!"
Kakashi peeked out the door just enough to get a look, and Ibiki was obviously uncomfortable with the attention.
"What did they do to you?" she asked.
Ibiki ran his hand over his head self-consciously. "It looks worst than it is," he said. "It was just some surface wounds."
Kakashi hoped the old woman would believe him. He didn't like seeing her in pain.
"Mother, why don't you go check on the food?" Akihiro asked quietly.
When she left he greeted his son with more dignified warmth. "I'm glad you're home son. It hasn't been the same without you."
"It's hard to believe it's real," Ibiki says. "This feels like a dream – like the other was real and I'll wake up with them…never mind."
"It's ok son," Akihiro said. "I've seen a lot in my lifetime. You can tell me."
"Dad, I'm afraid. I don't know what they did to me, but I feel weird. It's like something takes over sometimes, and I don't like it."
"Do the doctors know?" Akihiro asked.
"Yes. I don't think they can do much about it. They think my captors were doing some sort of experiments, but they don't know what for."
"Whatever happens, you're my son," Akihiro said.
"Even if I become a monster?"
"Even then," Akihiro said, "but you don't need to think that way. You have family and friends here. You have a brother of sorts now too. It was unexpected, but I think it's a good thing."
"It is," Ibiki said. "I need to talk to him. Have you seen him?"
"He's in your room," Akihiro said. "Go talk. Mother will call you when dinner is ready. Rest if you need to."
Kakashi jumped on the bed and grabbed a text about chakra control, trying to hide his eavesdropping.
When Ibiki came in Kakashi was relieved that he didn't see any trace of the oddities in the hospital room. He didn't remind him of a war-hardened ANBU anymore. He looked sad and worried, which was still weird for Ibiki, but he just looked like a kid having a rough time, not a serial killer.
"I'm glad you're here," Ibiki said.
"I told you I would be."
"About those things I said earlier – I'm sorry. I've been really fucked up in the head. I'd like you to stay, but I won't do anything to your father if you don't want to."
Kakashi looked at the scars on Ibiki's face and head. He suffered so much for Konoha. And his parents did too. I can't just leave him like this. This might be a trick, but I can't take the chance.
"I'll stay. You're family has become important to me quickly."
"You have to do something for me though," Ibiki said. "If something happens and you think I'm going to hurt them, don't let me. I can't stand the thought of hurting them, and sometimes I feel like someone else is taking over."
"I'll do what needs to be done," Kakashi said.
Ibiki looked around the room. "It looks so different in here."
"I tried not to move your things," Kakashi said.
"No, I mean I see things differently now." He pointed to a poster of Godzilla. "Did you know that I spent weeks hunting in thrift stores to find these posters? I wanted my room to look neat. Now it just looks dumb."
"I think it looks cool," Kakashi lied.
"No, it's childish. After what happened this just all looks so stupid." He began to pull down the posters, wadding them up and tossing them in the trash.
"Ibiki don't!" Kakashi said. "You might want them again later."
"No," Ibiki said. "I'm done with that part of my life. I feel like a new person."
"The old one was alright," Kakashi said. Even if he'd never cared for Ibiki he didn't like watching him do whatever it was he was doing to himself.
"The old one was a fool," Ibiki said. "Enough talking. I have to study."
"Why?" Kakashi asked. "The academy can't re-open until the war is over. What are you studying for?"
Ibiki held up a book. It was called Applied Psychology and Interrogation.
"Why are you reading that?" Kakashi asked.
"Let's just say that I've developed an interest."
"Are you sure that's a good idea? It seems like it would just be more traumatic."
Ibiki sat cross-legged on the bed and opened the book. "I'm not going to be held down by what happened. I'm going out to train tomorrow, and I'm going out when we have the offensive next week. If I stop, they win, and I can't have that."
Kakashi was impressed. He thought he'd be a wreck if it happened to him. No, he knew he'd be a wreck. Most people would. He'd heard about people who possessed a rare willpower strong enough to defeat any obstacle; Ibiki must have been one of those people.
"Do you want me to leave you alone to study?" Kakashi asked.
"No, you can stay," Ibiki said. "It feels right you being here."
"Noni?"
"You're not like the others. You're more like me," Ibiki said.
What the fuck is he talking about? Kakashi wondered.
"I don't know what you mean," he said.
"I'll talk about it later," Ibiki said. "I'm tired of talking to people right now. I want to read."
Even with his less intense side showing, Ibiki was a different person. Kakashi didn't remember a time when Ibiki didn't want to prattle on about something to anyone who would listen. He also didn't remember a time when Ibiki cared about studying. He had always achieved mediocre marks in the academy, something Kakashi had reminded him of a time or two when he became too annoying.
Kakashi leaned back in the chair, trying to be more comfortable. His head jerked up as he nodded off for a moment. He rubbed his eyes.
When is the last time I got any real sleep? He wondered. It had been at least since before the news about his father. No, it was longer than that. He hadn't had much time to sleep during his mission.
"I'll trade you places," Ibiki said. "You look like you haven't slept in weeks."
He moved to the chair and let Kakashi have the bed. "I don't think I have," Kakashi said. "I'll see about getting a bunk bed tomorrow."
"Good idea," Ibiki said. "I call top bunk." He smiled a bit, and Kakashi had a bit of hope that the old Ibiki was showing, but he frowned again and turned to his book.
He heard a knock and Asuma's voice. "Can I see Ibiki?" Asuma asked.
"I'll see if he's accepting visitors," Akihiro said. He poked his head in the door. "Are you feeling up to seeing people yet?"
"Not really," Ibiki said. "I'll go out tomorrow. I don't want to talk to anyone tonight."
Ibiki and Asuma had been good friends, and Kakashi wondered why he didn't want to see his partner in crime.
"I thought you'd want to see Asuma," Kakashi said.
"I don't want him to see this," Ibiki said, pointing to his head. "He's going to look at me weird, or he won't look at me. It's going to suck either way."
Kakashi looked around the room and found a headband. He tied it around Ibiki's head, forming a make-shift cap. "There," he said. "It's not so bad now. The face scars are kind of macho. Chicks did scars. You won't be able to keep them off you."
Ibiki went to the bathroom to look in the mirror. "It's not too bad," he said. "I still don't want to see anyone today. I want to think for awhile."
Kakashi thought things might actually be getting better for him. He still didn't sleep soundly, but he at least got a bit of rest. He woke when Ibiki crawled into bed beside him, and he moved over so they'd both have some space. Maybe having a brother is a good thing, he thought.
He woke up suddenly in the middle of the night, battle ready. He could feel something in the room, a strong presence. He'd felt it on the battlefield before. When a ninja felt in danger they sometimes shifted all of their focus into a killing intent. It wasn't even purposeful at times; it was more of an instinct.
He felt it now, as if someone was pouring raw energy into the room. He moved his hand slowly under his pillow, where he kept a kunai, and he waited to hear what the intruder was doing.
"They just kept cutting," Ibiki said quietly behind him. "They just kept cutting and drilling and healing me."
Kakashi rolled onto his other side to face Ibiki. He knew now that Ibiki was projecting the killing intent.
"When they used the drill smoke actually came up from my skull," Ibiki said. "They had a mirror so I could watch them work."
Kakashi didn't know what he needed to do. Ibiki didn't seem like he wanted to hurt him, so he decided to listen. If he was talking then he probably needed to get it out.
"I dreamed I was there," Ibiki said. "Is this real, or is that? Talk to me. I need to hear someone else's voice. The ones in my head are loud right now."
He turned toward Kakashi. "You understand, don't you Inu?"
Why did he use my ANBU name? Kakashi wondered.
"I do understand a little," Kakashi said. "I saw some bad things in ANBU. When you said we're not like the others, did you mean because I know what it means to have seen how ugly missions can get?"
"That's what Ibiki meant." Ibiki said.
"Noni? Who are you then?" Kakashi asked. He saw the same intensity in those eyes as he had in the hospital.
"I am the Interrogator," Ibiki said, his smile anything but friendly.
"What's going to happen to Ibiki then?" Kakashi asked.
"He's here. He made me when he was with the Rock Ninjas. I'm going to serve Konoha like he never could. I'm going to protect him by being strong and unyielding, and you're going to help me."
"I'm going to help Ibiki," Kakashi said.
"That's good enough," the Interrogator said. He laughed. "You look afraid, kashi-kun. Are you afraid?"
"I'm afraid for Ibiki," Kakashi said. "I'm afraid for his parents." And I'm fucking terrified that I have to sleep next to this tonight.
"You don't have to worry," the Interrogator said. "I'm not going to hurt Konoha ninjas or citizens unless I'm ordered to. That would be letting my tormentors win. I'm going to take all this back to them on the battlefield."
