Warnings: Language, adult situations
Summary: Post-Fourth Shinobi War, Konoha and all the other ninja villages set about restoring the peace. Unfortunately, on a mission gone wrong, Kakashi and Yamato have to deal with issues that have roots in the distant past.
Comments: Replies to reviews will be made at the end of each chapter. As per usual. The chapter is longer than the last one. Yay!
So... the latest Naruto... (sigh) It's not making me feel better about X (the unnameable person who I can't speak of). In fact, now I hate the Uchiha more than ever. No one can justify killing someone like Minato. This is all for LOVE?! THIS IS BULLCRAP! ARGH! I HATE LOVE! This is one reason why I was an aromantic all those years in university. (foams and flails) This is just the kind of thing that spawns stuff like Twilight and The Adjustment Bureau. Because love is all that matters and love can justify the craziest of things.
Well. Ok. So this isn't healthy love. This is more like obsession... but I still want to hit something. (sigh) I really want to hear Kakashi's view on this. I'm worried that in all the battle stuff, we won't hear his side. Like why Rin had to die. Etc. Etc. Etc. Not that I really care per se, but I'd like to see Kakashi's reaction to Obito a bit more.
AND WE HAVE TO WAIT 2 WEEKS! GYAAAHHHH! Two weeks to see them duke it out – if we are lucky enough not to just have panels of smoke and et cetera. (sigh)
And don't even get me started on Bleach.
OK. Onward to the story...
(Reading this with the Gladiator Soundtrack may help with atmosphere even more, since I wrote this chappie listening to it.)
Please review! Constructive criticism welcome!
Naruto Shippuuden:
Reverberations
Chapter 9
Taking a Dog by the Ears
"One track, one mind, one race to win
One start, one heart, one life to live
Oh! Oh! Oh! Like a streak of light
Oh! Oh! Oh! Watch the world fly by
Oh! Oh! Oh! Rev your engine up
Everybody's racing at the speed of love"
- "Speed of Love" by Owl City
Cl-cl-click-clickclick-clickcl-cla-clackcla-cla-cl-cl-clack –
A distant memory, so bright, undimmed by time. So deep, welling up with the clatter of the unwieldy bits of wooden chimes. Suddenly, he is there on that bright day. His master's hand on his shoulder – a wide smile.
And he's saying... gently scolding...
"You've a bad habit..."
The wooden chimes outside the inn, a common sight in this part of Rice Country, clicked-clacked against each other ominously in the grey wind.
Clack-clack-cl-cl-cli-click-clack-clackclack-cl-cliclicli-clack –
"You've a bad habit, Orochimaru-sama..."
It intruded on his thoughts. That memory. Today of all days... He turned to listen to the chimes. He frowned.
Ominous news on a grey wind.
-0-0-0-
Kakashi, placing himself under a Henge no Jutsu, sprinted down the road, keeping his pace casual, yet hurried. He hoped he looked less like a ninja on the hunt and more like a farmer in a rush. He hoped. Once he neared the city limits, he slowed down. Overhead, clouds scurried, already the wind brought with it a scent of faraway rain, now steadily drawing closer. The grey-haired Jounin glanced at Pakkun who sighed.
"Yeah, I know. Could be a problem. But we sent Bisuke on ahead. Should be around here somewhere."
As if on cue, there was a tremendous cracking sound far in the distance, echoing down the main street before them. A dog's howl faded away on the wind.
"That'd be him," Pakkun turned to Kakashi pointing a paw. "Sounds like that Yamato of yours is in trouble."
"He's not mine," Kakashi replied and poked his head down an alleyway. "Don't know this city as much as I would like... Using the rooftops may be out of the question, unfortunately..."
"Ah... if it's crowds you are worried about," Pakkun sniffed the air. "The storm's taking care of that."
Kakashi looked back out the alleyway. Pakkun was right. As usual. Up and down the street, there was a resounding noise of metal grating and wood shutters closing as doors and windows were barricaded, heralding the sudden onset of the sweeping rain. People rushed indoors, squeezing onto low stoops, huddling in the pubs, peering out the windows apprehensively, chatting companionably.
"Better get inside, dearie," said an old lady squeezing past the grey-haired nin with a pack of garbage and collected cardboard on her back and underneath her scrawny arms. "It's going to be a rough one. Been stewing all weekend long, you see – Not that that is going to stop you young hooligans from your usual nonsense. You know what I'm talking about, eh? You hear about the ninja brawl which has broken out in the central park? Someone was fool enough to pick a fight with Otochikyuu-sama... What's the world coming to I wonder? People just can't mind their own business nowadays..."
"Ahhh... yeah..." Kakashi scratched his head and cursed Yamato again (this time not so nicely). The old lady scurried off, and Kakashi sighed loudly.
Tsunade's going to have my head for this. Secretive. In-out. Assassination. What part of this don't they get? Kakashi resisted the urge to bang his head against the alley wall. Let's just hope Yamato is going up against one of the accomplices. If it really is Otochikyuu himself...
Running up the side of the building's wall, Kakashi carefully hopped across the roofs of the armouries, foundries, the jewel setters and the tool shops towards the direction of the cracking sound. Cracking sound. The sound of shuddering, growth – the rustle. It wasn't a bad sound. It was the sound of Yamato's jutsu. Five minutes ago, the idiot was alive. Let's hope he keeps it that way. Pakkun seemed to have an idea where Bisuke was already, scent or no, so Kakashi began to feel a bit hopeful. Making their way over blackened roofs and apartment buildings, they began to draw closer to what appeared to be a large forest parkland in the middle of the city. The small pug dog raised a paw.
Kakashi stopped, tamped down his chakra, formed a shadow clone and sent it out. Time to figure out what was really happening.
-0-0-0-
"What's your name, cutie?" asked the bright-eyed young man, ruffling his long brown hair back as he looked down at the two shinobi in disguise.
"You talking to me?" Sai smiled, eyes widening in faux surprise. He turned to Neji. "You hear that? I'm cute."
Neji ran his hand down his face and sighed. "Hey... that's not something to – never mind." He glanced upward, assessing their prey now turned opponent.
Sai's eyes narrowed suddenly. "Yeah. I know we promised everyone not to go all out – but if we don't..."
"You think –" Neji stopped, giving Sai a meaningful look. ...the others were caught too?
"Don't know..."
An impatient strum of the shamisen interrupted them. Sai and Neji turned to their opponent who glared down at them. Sliding down the wall's piping easily, the young man in the black and blue kimono stood up to face them head on.
"I'm still here you know – and you still didn't tell me your name!"
"He seems really fixated on you." Neji smirked. "Going to be very disappointed soon. You going to tell him – or should I?"
"What's your name?" Sai, ignoring Neji, gave Hanamaru another cat-like smile.
"Hanamaru. A proud shinobi of Hidden Sound."
"Hidden Sound?" Sai flicked away non-existent dirt from nails. "Is that even a real ninja village?"
Hanamaru's face hardened and then slowly began to turn pink.
"Way I heard it," Sai continued. "It was barely able to send any representatives to the last Chuunin Exam... Well, that's to be expected of a half-baked project of Konoha's leftover."
The wood neck of the shamisen creaked ominously as Hanamaru's face turned bright red with rage. His shoulders began to shake.
"Idiot..." Neji sweat-dropped. "Let's not get him too excited."
"What? We all know this is true." There was no stopping Sai now. "Everyone knows that Orochimaru was little better than some creepy, deluded paedophile who couldn't get some – so he left to make his own harem in another country."
"How – what – how could you – do you even know what you're saying – what do you know about –" Hanamaru's handsome face twisted with anger, now bright purple, his words barely incoherent. "What kind of sick propaganda is that? Orochimaru-sama was a brilliant man! He picked only the best to follow him. And out of the best, Otochikyuu was the most amazing!"
"So they brainwash in Sound as well... how interesting. I'll be sure to include that in my report."
"Sai."
"Listen, you. Hanamaru –" Sai's eyes rose to meet his. Hanamaru stepped back at the dead look in them. "I met that oh so brilliant man in person before the last war started. I even saw the best of the best which you spoke of. Out of all the specimens he collected, you should know of him. Uchiha Sasuke. A psychopathic dickwad if there ever was one. But then, you know what the books say: birds of feather flock together."
"Sai..." Neji blinked, turning to look at Sai's pale face, now set in stony determination.
"Those kinds of people need to be watched – not worshipped. Otherwise, they begin to think they are gods and, in reality, become monsters."
"Otochikyuu isn't a monster!" Hanamaru's fists tightened. "He is a man of honour."
"Perhaps," Sai shrugged. "But anyone following Orochimaru is either crazy, deluded, a fool or just as twisted as that man. Well. I'm not here to start a fight. This is just a short visit." Here, he turned to Neji. "We have no intention to fight. Right?"
"That's right," Neji's eyes narrowed as he turned back to a speechless Hanamaru. "Let us pass and we'll forget we ever met."
"Where do you get off being so high and mighty," Hanamaru glared, getting his voice back. "We almost the same age!"
"You're still a child," Neji frowned. "I can see it in your eyes. But if you want to do battle, then we will meet your honour with honour."
"Buunshin no jutsu!" Hanamaru cried, his fingers formed the seal.
Sai was already leaping forward, his short katana descending to strike across the young man's chest. It cut through Hanamaru – and the young man disappeared.
"Not real... so he's been watching us all along... Creepy," Sai muttered.
"To your left, two meters beyond the wall," Neji nodded, the tell-tale veins of the Hyuuga spreading away from his eyes as the Byakugan activated. "Back!"
Thr-thr-thr-thruum. Some sort of weird strumming reverberated through the air, amplifying in sound. Shaking the ground. Rattling the bricks. The air hummed with tension. Leaping backward and up, Neji and Sai narrowly missed a massive explosion of brick and wood as the walls burst inward on where they had been standing.
"Some kind of sound jutsu," Neji frowned. "As to be expected."
"Probably wind based," agreed Sai. "Troublesome."
Whipping out his scroll, Sai summoned his bird, three of his favourite lions and twenty-five snakes.
"You get closer and distract him," Sai suggested. "The snakes can eventually tie him down – and then –"
"Hakke Hyaku Nijuuhachi Shou."
"Precisely."
"Let's do it."
-0-0-0-
On the far side of the central park, the name of which continues to escape everyone's memory to this day, Yamato and Bisuke had finally discovered an empty warehouse ordinarily used to store the park maintenance equipment. He had sent a second clone in to have a look around – for some reason, Genma's chakra scent had ended at the door.
Why the hell was Genma going into a maintenance equipment building? Yamato shook his head. What was he thinking?
-0-0-0-
"When do you think your friends will figure out where you are?" asked the girl.
"Huh?"
"Your friends. I assume you didn't come here alone. You Konoha shinobi never do. You guys tend to run in packs, right?"
"Interesting way of putting it..." Genma leaned back against the door and shrugged. "I guess, they'll show up. Eventually."
"I love a party," the girl smiled. "The more, the merrier."
Genma thought of their trip to Rice Country. The journey that had felt like it had lasted forever. The rain. Yamato's and Kakashi's arguments. The conflicts. Neji and Sai's awkwardness. His own inability to laugh it all off thanks to that unresolved thing with Raidou. Raidou.
"You'd think that," he mumbled.
-0-0-0-
Yamato's clone looked around the dim room. High in the tall walls, small narrow windows would normally let in intermittent streams of sunlight. Not today. Behind him, the wind blew, rattling the windows and the door creaked warningly. Large droplets were starting to drop. The leaves, turning upward, welcomed the rain.
Inside, it was dry. Rakes, rotors and other strange foliage cutting tools hung on the walls. There were gunny sacks, a stack of compost and various seats for the workers now empty. A few cots had been step up in one corner, he supposed, for naps. Genma lay on one. Beside him, sat a pretty girl with a tin whistle in her hands. Both seemed to be asleep.
Yamato's eyebrow twitched.
He's having a nap? You've gotta be kidding –
Three kunai whipped through the air soundlessly, impaling him in the back. His wood clone reeled away and fell lifelessly with a clatter onto the ground.
-0-0-0-
Chi-chingchingchingching-chichi-tli-tling –
There is something about the sound of chimes which stills the mind and resonates within him. Perhaps it was because the earliest memory Otochikyuu has is the sound of several metal toys hanging above his crib and his mother's soft voice. That was before she had died. Before his father returned.
And after that... Long after that, he had found the person he could tie his heart to, truly.
"You've a bad habit..."
Sasayama City, thanks to his encouragement, as thanks to his mentor, grew, exporting not only metal sheets for other countries, but also providing high quality workmanship in weaponry, utensils, tools and home furniture. Including wind chimes.
Tli-tlingtlingtingting-ching-ch-ch-tchi-tching-tingting-tling-tchingchichichi-chiing –
More than decoration, they carry news. From the north, Tenki sends warning. Just waking after some kind of a genjutsu attack. Foreign shinobi were on the move in the vicinity. The attacker had already left – but there are raised chakra levels to the west. And before him. From the east, Mei Li sends a summons. Shinobi captured in genjutsu. Come quickly.
Otochikyuu smiled to himself, pushing down his worry. Like his old master, he also made sure to pick the best of the best. Tenki, for some reason, hasn't been killed. Which means that the target aren't my apprentices. Great news. Even if I die, my dreams will carry on. He wondered if that was how Orochimaru-sama felt before he died, knowing that the memory and legacy would carry on, making him immortal in a different kind of way. A far cry compared to the feelings of my youth, revelling in independence and loneliness, seeing weakness in companionship and community...
"You've a bad habit, Orochimaru-sama..." I said it back then. "You've a bad habit, Orochimaru-sama, of picking up strays. They are nothing but garbage."
That memory. He had smiled then. Orochimaru had smiled and leaned forward to squeeze his shoulder. He had said...
"Look again, Otochi-kun. Look until you see what I see."
"What do you see?" The young Otochi looked down, confused, at the courtyard of children and youths practising their arts. "What do you see?"
Orochimaru's lips quirked upward.
"Potential."
The wind chimes rattled, clacked and klinged. Otochikyuu picked up his pace and burst through park, noticing that it had emptied in record time. The storm was now upon them. People streamed out, huddling under blankets, bags, umbrellas (for those who had been pessimistic) and other picnic furniture. Going home. He could feel it. The foreign chakra of a shinobi. And Mei Li. The warehouse appeared through the trees. Otochikyuu drew out his kunai.
Tenki... Mei Li... Hanamaru... Be safe.
-0-0-0-
Neji dropped off the bird and landed back into the long alley. For the first time in this very messed up mission, although he was blatantly going against the mission directives, Neji felt like he was finally doing something right. Finally enjoying himself. Dodging incoming kunai and shuriken easily, Neji's eyes picked up his enemy's chakra signature easily within the smoke. Darting forward, Neji's fingers folded automatically into the usual form for Gentle Fist.
The smoke was thick – but not thick enough to obscure Neji's vision. Right, left, up, down, Neji's arms and feet flew at the shamisen player. Hanamaru eased left, right, down and up, evading most of his blows. Neji smirked as one of his hands finally hit one of the shamisen player's arms. His eyes could already see the bunch of tenketsus close. Definitely fractured.
Drawing back a bit, Hanamaru cursed. Switching hands, he began to play again. The ground, earth and the buildings vibrated warningly. Neji leapt upward – but then found himself caught in a strange wind jutsu.
"Kaze Kago no Jutsu!" Hanamaru yelled.
Neji grunted. No matter what he did, he couldn't seem to move! For some reason, the wind tunnel he was trapped in completely ripped away any chakra he expelled. Glancing upwards, he tried to find Sai. His partner was nowhere to be found. Activating his eyes again, Neji looked around – and then braced himself as Hanamaru, slinging his shamisen over his shoulder deftly, formed a bunch of seals.
"Kaze KaiDori no Jutsu!"
A large, formless shape began to take form – dust and particles and pieces of wood and stone – it was a massive wind in the shape of bird. Already he could feel the force of its wings buffeting him. Bracing himself, Neji prepared to be blown backwards –
It hit him. Punching backwards through several walls, Neji eventually slammed against a tree, coughing up blood, the Hyuuga Jounin struggled to his feet, realizing that the force had literally blown him right out of the town. From head to foot, he was bruised and cut from the small stones and wood – but not seriously enough to stop him, he knew. By covering his body with the kaiten whirl, he had been able to protect himself against any serious damage. If it had been anyone else, Neji sighed. They'd have been incapacitated. That's one hell of a jutsu. Where is that idiot?
As he watched the nameless ninja rise, Hanamaru blinked and then, frowning, raced forward down the path of destruction his wind bird had caused. No normal shinobi could stand after a powerful attack like that! Otochikyuu-sensei himself said it was a lethal force... This guy must be... strong... It wouldn't be good if he interfered with Sensei...
"Who are you?" he asked, passing the last wall, drawing closer to the dark-haired ninja before him. He noticed the eyes. "Hey – you're from that clan! A Konoha clan!"
"It appears as though you have not yet met one of the Hyuuga," Neji said calmly. "That's unfortunate... for you..."
"Why do you say that?" Hanamaru stepped back.
"If you had met my cousins, they might have shown mercy..." Neji's white eyes seemed like white merciless flames. "But I'm a different type all together."
"That's if you catch me!" taunted Hanamaru, reaching back for his shamisen – when suddenly his arm couldn't move. Looking down, the young man yelled as black twisting snakes looped around his legs, chest and arms. The leather strap holding his instrument snapped suddenly and a pale arm and gloved hand reached over his shoulder to pull it away from his chest, carefully avoiding the snakes.
"I'll take that," Sai smiled, tossing it back into the rubble and then ruthlessly crushing the wooden neck beneath his sandaled foot. "Think I'm cute now?"
Hanamaru, turning his head around, blinked, mouth hung open, as he realized that he was looking at the same person as before. Neji snorted.
"No one in their right mind would think you're cute, especially after you opened your mouth. What took you so long?"
"Thought you were enjoying yourself, so I stepped back a little to let you go for it." Sai shrugged, walking around, hand on his hip. "How was I supposed to know you'd let your closet pervert ass get kicked by some pussy?"
The dark hair was the same, the dead eyes and easy smile... but the clothing was... Otochikyuu-sensei always said clothes don't make the man, but this guy is kinda cool. How does he get away with wearing so little? If he was my teammate, I'd be so distracted... Hanamaru blushed. Then he paused. Sai's last sentence registered.
"I'm not a closet pervert!" Neji's protest clashed with Hanamaru's "I'm not a pussy!"
"Whatever," Sai shrugged. "Let's get this over with. I've got some new intel. About the others," he added meaningfully. Then cocked his head and a small tan dog's head poked out from behind a tree. Long dark ears and a hitae ate across its forehead. One of Kakashi's ninken, obviously. "We need to get moving. Knock him out already."
"They way you say it..."
"And knock him out good," Sai waved a hand. "I don't want him following us to add to the commotion."
Neji leaned forward, one arm back, the other forward and lower. The distance was perfect. He could see it – the picture he always imagined in his inner eye: circles within circles with his prey just beyond the middle.
"Hakke Hyaku Nijuuhachi Shou."
Running forward, Neji's arms flew forward, two fingers pointed and ready to target the tenketsu. Sai stepped back, unwrapped his scroll and waited for his mice and snakes to return.
"Two!"
Neji's fingers met Hanamaru's chest, knocking the young man back a bit.
"Four! Eight!" A few snakes snapped apart and dissolved into the ground and clothing – the rest slithered away. Hanamaru sagged as numbness began to spread throughout his body. His vision had narrowed to a pair of flashing hands – blurred – blackened –
"Sixteen! Thirty-two! Sixty-four!"
Darkness.
-0-0-0-
To this day, Yamato denies that Otochikyuu got the drop on him. "It was my clone," he says to this day. "My clone. That's different. Entirely."
"Huuuhhhh..." Naruto, at this point, normally leans back, eyes narrowed to glare at his third teacher. "So, basically, your clones suck."
"Naruto..."
"Be nice to Yamato-sensei," Sakura hits Naruto and smiles at the brown-haired Jounin. "It's not Yamato's fault he was super weak compared to Otochikyuu! That man was nuts! Anyone who hangs around that snake bastard ends up a little... weird."
"Uhhh..." Kakashi then has to step in to stop before Yamato gets anymore depressed. "That's not really helping..."
The story itself has become a living thing. Others, like Genma, can claim to know the truth but Genma, as many point out, was asleep in a genjutsu with a pretty girl (a fact that he tends to gloss over whenever Raidou is around). Kakashi hadn't arrived yet.
He was late. As usual.
Whipping around, Yamato turned the corner and darted into the warehouse. The girl didn't respond. Neither did Genma. Glancing around anxiously, Yamato snagged his teammate and darted back out the door, evading another round of shuriken and kunai. Throwing his senpai unceremoniously onto a hedge, Yamato summoned another clone, suddenly aware that his other clone faraway must have also disappated... and then...
"Oi... You do realize that this doesn't speak well for your leadership capabilities. Seriously."
"He's unconscious – but I was able to gain one piece of information from the young boy."
"Otochikyu wasn't there?"
"He was... but he's on his way to Sasayama as I speak."
"Kakashi-senpai, you might think it's easy to contain three other Jounin, but for some reason, people don't listen to me anymore."
"Maybe you should speak up loudly – or just be firm. You always had issues with letting people walk all over you."
"I can't believe you are the one telling me that... and I do speak up. I think certain people just blow me off – so everyone else does the same."
"Or it might be the fact that, for all intents and purposes, you are more or less a Jounin on the way to early retirement."
"Never mind that! How can I never mind what you say, Kakashi-senpai! Don't you realize that I – that people depend on you? You have an opportunity to –"
"I didn't ask for people to depend on me."
"Every time you take a team out onto the field, you take that responsibility. What do you think being a captain is? Being a Jounin – hell, being a shinobi of Konoha means?"
"I know what it means, Yamato-sensei. I've known before you were out of your diapers."
"That's an exaggeration. You aren't that old. What's wrong with you, Kakashi-senpai?"
"Yamato... Never mind."
"Have faith in your friends!"
"How can I have faith in people who aren't trustworthy? Who go off and get distracted behind my back?"
"We are trustworthy! We are all professionals. We can do a good job. We'll be back in an hour. You can go wait in the glade. In no time at all, this will be over."
"You honestly think you can dig Genma out of what ever trouble he's gotten himself into – AND deal with Otochikyu himself? You're seriously biting more than you can chew, Tenzou."
"It's Yamato. And I'm fi –"
For a moment, Yamato blinked as the memories came flooding in. Then, he banged his head against a tree. Ohhhh... shiiiiit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Damn it! Yamato swore to himself as he darted for cover again. I totally had an argument with Senpai! He's going to kill me... after he kills Otochikyuu and completes the mission on his own and gets covered in glory all over again... And what will I end up doing? More porches and getting drunk on karaoke night... No wait! You're a Jounin! Get a grip.
Biting down hard on his lip, Yamato smacked himself in the face and sank back into the wood of a massive tree. It brought back a memory of himself as a child, finding peace in the comfort of the wood around him. He would come up with a plan. He would show Kakashi-senpai and Tsunade-sama that he hadn't lost his touch. All of my life, I've been a perfect tool for Konoha. I won't stop now just because of some childish argument. I can win this!
Taking a deep breath, Yamato thought through his options. First, Genma. Genma was safe – more or less. In a genjutsu. He needed to snap him out of it. And there was the issue of Otochikyuu. Otochikyuu may have to come first...
Frowning with determination, Yamato eased out of the wood and soundlessly slipped around the side, just in time to see a tall, dark-haired man with long black hair and a flowery long kimono, purple rope belt and leggings disappear into the warehouse. Inching forward, glad that the heavy rain eliminated a lot of noise, Yamato reached the corner of the building. He was soaking now... Don't think about it. Don't think about it... Carefully, Yamato placed his hands on the wood wall of warehouse and slowly surfaced the wood lower down the wall so as not to attract attention.
The tall, dark-haired man approached the bed where the girl still sat. For a moment, he paused. As if in thought. There was a quality in the silence – a slight sigh, then... Otochikyuu bent forward gently, hand on the girl's small shoulder to ease her back onto the bed. A thin tin whistle slipped from her slight fingers and falling on the floor, bounced across the uneven wood planks with dull clinks. A large pale hand with purple nail polish picked it up gently and placed it on the pillow by her head. Sitting down by the girl, Otochikyuu's hand formed the standard seal to release genjutsu. After a moment, the girl stirred with a small gasp.
"Otochikyuu-sensei..." She tried to rise.
"Mei Li," he replied with soft rebuke, pushing her back. "What did I tell you?"
"Sensei –"
"How long have you been under?"
"Less than fifteen hours. I felt it would be better – if he remained asleep until you came. It'll be hours now until he wakes up." She smiled then. "I'm getting stronger. I know it."
"Hm," Otochikyuu leaned forward and rested his hand on her forehead. "No fever... still, I want you to rest while I handle the others."
"But, Sensei –!" The young girl tried to rise. "They are Konoha shinobi – I can –"
"No. Rest." Otochikyuu's voice seemed to hold a smile. "If I can't take care of myself, then what kind of shinobi of Sound am I?" He chuckled then a little mirthlessly. "They are only a few. Mere mice."
With that, he rose and turned suddenly to look in Yamato's direction. Although Yamato was sure he wasn't seen, the Konoha shinobi withdrew carefully, panting a little as he absorbed the strange feeling. It's been a while since I've been confronted with such strong blood lust. Yamato sighed. Too long. I'll just have to make the best of it.
Forming seals quickly, Yamato placed his hands on wooden walls of the shed and said softly, "Keikyoku Mokuton no Jutsu!" Instantly, the inside of the maintenance shed was filled with huge spiky thorns piercing down and inwards from the ground and the walls. Jumping backwards, hiding himself in the bush, Yamato watched as there was a cracking sound and several pieces of wood were forcefully expelled from the building. He couldn't see it very easily – it passed by so fast, but Yamato had a feeling he was dealing with a very experienced wind-natured shinobi. Yamato smirked. All those months of training Naruto were going to finally pay off. He hoped.
Otochikyuu emerged and leaped upward, sending downwards several more of the same attack. Some kind of wind blade, judging by the name. His voice was calm as he pronounced it: "Kaze Mi no Jutsu." Foliage cracked, splintered – debris exploded outward as the force of the wind hit the turf, gouging deeply into the earth. When the shinobi landed, he found himself immediately enmeshed in a wooden cage. Yamato's Mokuton Shichūrō no Jutsu creaked ominously as Otochikyuu's hands finished another group of seals, blasting apart the cage with a tunnel of wind.
Realizing that he was going to get caught up in it, Yamato planted himself firmly into the earth with an Earth technique before beginning another technique. By the time Otochikyuu rode the winds down, Yamato was waiting for him. With Mokuton: Daijurin no Jutsu. As the multiple arms rose up, stabbing, reaching, grabbing, Otochikyuu's dark eyes widened.
"A Wood manipulator," he said, firing off a few more wind blades, allowing the arms to push him back but not ensnare him. "That's rare..."
Otochikyuu suddenly was standing in front of Yamato, his foot coming down at Yamato's head. Blocking the frontal attack with crossed arms, Yamato glared up at the man.
"There's a first time for everything, I guess," he said.
"True..." Otochikyuu smiled and landed a kick in Yamato's side, cracking a few ribs with a reinforcing blast of wind. "But I consider myself a quick learner."
Yamato rolled and ducked backwards avoiding another roundhouse kick. His lengthened wooden arm suddenly wrapped around Otochikyuu's leg, flinging the man several meters through trees and bracken. A few trees creaked and crashed into each other. Yamato hoped that Genma wasn't anywhere near the disaster zone. Then, the Wood user remembered how this was all because... Genma has the patience of a four-year-old... Damn him...
For a while, there was no time to think or even check to see if a tree had crushed his unconscious teammate or the girl. Yamato's world narrowed to Otochikyuu's hands and feet – to the man's keen eyes and quick blades. Dodging wind blade after wind blade, Yamato sent his forests upward, always catching and then losing. The man himself seemed to be made of wind. Even worse, he could also see that Otochikyuu was clearly far from beaten or remotely tired. Yamato sighed as he caught a quick breather behind his Mokujōheki technique.
"Now that I come to think of it," Otochikyuu said conversationally, putting his foot forcefully through the roof of the small wooden shelter. "I remember Orochimaru-sama mentioning a failed experiment concerning the DNA of the Shodai Hokage... You wouldn't happen to know about something like that, would you? Unless you are in fact descended from the Senju clan..."
"It's not something I'd want to talk about with you," Yamato gritted out, rolling away as the wood creaked ominously and eventually caved in.
"Touchy."
"Let's just say that it's a past I would rather forget."
"Hmmm..." Otochikyuu paused for a minute to consider the panting shinobi before him. "But wouldn't you say that we are as much a product of our past as we are of our present?"
Yamato sighed. Seriously? He wants to philosophize now?
"So what are you trying to say?" Yamato scowled.
"Perhaps that in running away from the past," Otochikyuu put a hand on his hip and flipped over a bit of wood idly with his foot. "You present a target on your back. An eternal weakness you are afraid to face."
"I don't have a target on my back."
"Hm. Really?" Otochikyuu laughed. "I'm not the one who is winded here."
"Hey!"
"Just saying. And am I not merciful? I'm even letting you take a break!"
The brown-haired Jounin gritted his teeth and glared at the Sound nin.
"I'm not weak."
"I never said you were," Otochikyuu smirked. "But obviously you think you are. By running away, you affirm it. Ah, this is how reality is made, right?"
Yamato lunged forward only to be blown back, slashed across the torso by a large blade of wind. Blood gushed, blown away staining the grass and broken bushes. Coughing and cursing, Yamato fell to his knees.
-0-0-0-
"So, what's the news?" Neji asked as he finished tying up Hanamaru and following his teammate and the dog back through the brush. "Something bad happening?"
"This is Guruko," Sai tipped his head with a smile. "He's got some interesting things to say..."
"Well," the small dog said. "Kakashi sent me to check out this town. I knew that the kid, what's his name..."
"Hanamaru."
"Yeah, him." Guruko sniffed. "He was obviously someone connected to the man Kakashi is hunting. But what I thought was interesting was the other rumour I heard in town."
"Which was?"
"Otochikyuu has not only left for Sasayama City – but there is rumour of a foreign shinobi in Sasayama City – having a fight with Otochikyuu."
"What? Wait... What?" Neji frowned. "How's this possible?"
"I know. These people have some way to send messages very quickly to each other. I don't like it. Doesn't seem natural."
"The city does have higher technology than usual for a shinobi base..." Sai mused. "I guess that's why Otochikyuu has made it his command centre. Interesting, isn't it? So, as we speak, either Genma or Yamato or some random shinobi is fighting with our target."
"Not Kakashi?" Neji asked.
"Well, the last of my mice returned. The young ninja up north was neutralized by Kakashi-sensei," Sai nodded. "I bet he went back to the grove, found Yamato's buunshin and is probably headed to Sasayama City. Otherwise, we'd hear about two foreign shinobi. Right?"
"What makes you think he didn't rush this way?"
"Yamato-sensei may be fighting Otochikyuu in the city..." Sai said, deadpan. "Think about that for a few minutes."
"Right, yes," Neji sighed. "This mission has gone beyond out of control."
"Well, that's typical of most missions I'm on."
"I wonder why," Neji said dryly. "So basically now we head to Sasayama City where everything is going to go down in one big bang instead of the quiet assassination everyone wanted?"
"More or less. Exciting, isn't it?"
"I can't wait."
-0-0-0-
"It's a pity," Otochikyuu sighed, raising his hand, air swirling about him. "I usually consider myself to be a man who offers second chances. Unfortunately, there's too much at stake here – this land's progress can't afford to be hindered by you."
Before Yamato could get anything out – something useless to the effect that he actually had nothing against Rice Country progressing – suddenly the blade of wind blew apart under a heavy blow. Followed by a short blast and a puff of a disappated Shadow Clone. Yamato found himself slammed up against a tree, rather painfully. His nose was inexplicably buried in a long mane of grey hair.
"Ugh – agh – ack – blugh!"
"Sorry," Kakashi said breathlessly. "Touch and go there. But I made it."
"Kakashi-senpai..." Yamato coughed. "You need to cut your hair. For real!"
"That's all you have to say?" Kakashi glared at his friend and teammate. "'You need to cut your hair'? What about some thanks or something? You nearly died!"
"At least I would have died with some kind of self-respect instead of –"
"We are not going into this right now."
"Kakashi-senpai!"
"I mean it. We first have to get out of here alive – then we can argue it out when we return home."
"We can't go home!" Yamato blurted out aghast. "The mission isn't even near done!"
"Look at you!" Kakashi rounded on the brown-haired nin, pointing at the blood running down from the corners of his mouth, the large slash mark which bisected his flak jacket wide open – running from left shoulder to right hip. "And Genma – where's he?"
"Sleeping under the effects of a genjutsu, I think," Yamato stared around hazily as if expecting the senbon's body to appear somewhere out of the earth.
"You guys..." Kakashi sweat-dropped. "I can't leave you for five minutes, can I?"
"Actually, we were at the grove longer than that..."
"Listen, I'll deal with Otochikyuu. You bandage yourself up and find Genma. Get out of here."
"What about you?'
"You're seriously asking me that at a time like this?" Kakashi glared. "I'm far fresher than you. Get going."
With that, Kakashi darted forward, kunai in hand, leaving Yamato behind with a small medpack in his hands. Quickly bandaging himself, Yamato scrambled through the bracken. Eventually, beyond the now damaged beyond all repair warehouse, Yamato found the hedge. Genma had slid off onto the other side. Clearing away leaves from the pale face, Yamato pressed his forefingers against Genma's neck. He was still breathing – his heart still pumping. Releasing him from his genjutsu didn't wake up the Special Jounin. Of course not, Yamato thought sourly to himself, That'd be too easy, wouldn't it? Great...
Dragging Genma with him further to the edge of the park, Yamato waited, trying his hardest not to black out. From the sounds of it, Kakashi and Otochikyuu were going at it full force. He was pretty sure neither were holding back. Damn them... proficient bastards... After a moment, Yamato took a two medical pills and a soldier pill. The last thing Kakashi-senpai needs is two unconscious teammates on his hands. I need to be ready to provide back up at a moments notice.
He could hear the ninken barking, the rumble of earth and the spray of water. Kakashi's Chidori crackled and there was a resounding boom. Crawling away from Genma's body, Yamato peered through the foliage. Kakashi and Otochikyuu seemed to be evenly matched, trading blows in the air, among the trees. Quite a few trees were cracked from the force of their bodies thrown against them.
Kakashi's Sharingan had been revealed – and he seemed to be able to tell from which direction the wind blades were coming. Which means they are chakra infused, Yamato sighed. Which explains the punch they have when they hit you. I wonder...
Otochikyuu and Kakashi separated after a few breathless moments of taijutsu and then, forming a large tornado, the Sound Nin charged at Kakashi – only to slam into at a sudden wall of wood. A large stake of wood instantaneously struck through his abdomen and Otochikyuu pulled back, hand to his side as blood spread outward.
Got it in time, Yamato smiled to himself. Never saw that coming did he... heh heh heh...
"Oi, Yamato," Kakashi glared. "I said to stay put."
"Where's the word of thanks now, Kakashi-senpai?" Yamato poked his head out from behind a tree, struggling to his feet.
"I'll be more thankful if you don't get further injured – or dead."
"Such consideration," Yamato limped out from behind a tree. "But I'm not dead yet. I'm a Jounin of Konoha. The last thing I can do is go running home like a scaredy cat."
"Hmmm... This is where you quote your nindo or something, right?"
"Shut up," Yamato said tiredly. "People with no nindo have no right to criticize. Listen, if we join up together, we can take him down in no time."
"Just like old times," Kakashi smiled.
"Yeah." Yamato nodded, eyes hard with determination. "Just like old times."
Otochikyuu's laugh cut their conversation short.
"Touching. But it's impossible that men like you can defeat me."
"That pride of yours is unbecoming," Yamato glared. "You haven't seen us fight together."
"No," Otochikyuu said. "I'm sure you two do well. You seem to have some kind of bond between you – that much is clear – but even more than a bond, your pasts are intertwined. Can't you see it? Your eyes are the same. Two men with targets on their backs."
"I've had a target on my back since I was three years old," Kakashi shrugged. "What's new?"
"Um..." Yamato began, realizing what Otochikyuu meant. He sighed. "Never mind. Let's just kick his ass so we can go back home."
"And I just said that it's impossible," Otochikyuu's hands were already flashing in a long series of complicated seals. "You two cannot understand your weakness because it lies in memory – but perhaps..." Here he laughed. "You just need to have a new set of eyes on the whole situation." His hands rested in Dragon. "Oto Inpu no Tsurigane Hijutsu!"
The ground rumbled – Kakashi and Yamato stepped back as a great wind picked up and from the ground rose something they had never seen before. It came slowly up out of nothingness and the earth – an ancient-looking row of what looked like antique terracotta animals. The zodiac, Kakashi recalled later, decorative and oddly grotesque, lining the top of a lintel which held a row of heavy looking iron bells ranging from small to large from left to right. This lintel stood on top of an even large lintel. Like a large door, it rose higher and higher out of the ground. The sides of the door, the right and left posts were blank-faced statues exactly identical, their arms upraised to hold the top post from which also hung more bells. Empty faces on ambiguous bodies lightly decorated. But the bells were different. The bells hanging from the top post were even larger than the bells above them, each richly carved with characters and archaic symbols. Water ran down them, glistening and impervious.
Otochikyuu clapped his hands together and the bells began to sway – their chimes swelling out on the air – shaking the earth and reverberating. The ground beneath their feet began to crack, but Kakashi and Yamato stood firm. The Sound shinobi opposite them nodded, satisfied. Instead of dying out, the sound seemed to amplify until their very bodies seemed to be caught in the tension of the sound.
All around them, there was an echo – building up. The thousands of wind chimes all around the city, clattered in the wind and rain.
"Kakashi –" Pakkun showed up suddenly, grabbing onto a piece of rock, his feet flying out behind him. "I don't think I can hold out much longer. The rest have left. Guruko's on his way with Sai and Neji too."
"Thanks, Pakkun," Kakashi yelled back at his dog. "You'd better get out of here!"
"Good luck, kid!"
Pakkun disappeared in a puff of smoke. Yamato was skidding back, his body shuddering underneath the force of the sound. Kakashi leaned forward to grab his arm – his hand closed over Yamato's arm – he was trying to say something – but the blood in his body seemed to be vibrating so loudly – he couldn't hear anything – there was only the thrum of sound – there was only the sound of rain – there was only him – there was only Yamato –
-0-0-0-
He woke up in his bed. There was nothing but silence – and he lay there for a moment, trying to remember what had happened. It was nothing. Just a dream. A bad dream. He leaned back and sighed. Sensei had told him that it would be like this for a long time.
"You should move out," his Sensei said. "There are too many ghosts in that house. There is a block of apartments right around the corner from Kushina and my apartment. You could come for dinner every night."
"I'm fine. Really, Sensei."
That's what he had said, but even now, in the darkness of the early morning hours, he knew it wasn't true. The house spoke to him. How many secrets did it hold from all those years? It was impossible to guess.
There was a creak. Kakashi jumped up, grabbing a kunai and throwing open his door, he looked down the hallway. Nothing. Nobody. No. Wait. Someone was crying. Carefully approaching the door at the far end, Kakashi paused. It was his parent's room. His father's blood stains were still on the floor, he supposed. Back stiff, he drew back the door. At first, he could see nothing – but then he saw her. A beautiful girl, kneeling in the middle of the room. It was his mother. Bent over his father.
"You couldn't save him, could you?" She looked up at him, then. "We were so happy together. You never could make him happy though, could you."
"You couldn't save any of us," Rin said softly in his ear, walking passed him to stand on the veranda, back to him, looking out on the empty, wild garden.
There was a hole where her heart had been. He had stolen her heart. Literally. On the field of battle. In the rain. He looked up at her again, mouth trying to say something – anything – an apology – and blinked at the sight of Obito holding her hand, looking up at the moon.
"He never could. He always promised – promises, promises, promises. What do they say about them, Kakashi? Aren't they always meant to be broken? But then, you could always say words so easily, couldn't you?"
"Shhh... I loved him," Rin said softly. "Even if he was a failure at everything else, at least he was always mine."
"Rin..." he choked out.
"Don't even say her name!"
Those words were a slap to the face. Their eyes met. Obito's eyes seemed to suck out any warmth left in him. Black holes entirely empty of light, of hope. Only despair. Only anger. Only accusation.
"Are you boys fighting again?"
It was his Sensei.
"Sensei!" Kakashi whipped around in relief. "You were..."
Minato's blue eyes were dull.
"... right..."
Blood tricked down his sensei's chin and radiating outward from his chest, a large chest wound. They said it had happened from that time with the Kyuubi. No. No. That hasn't happened yet – what – no – wait... This isn't... this isn't...
"You shouldn't fight with each other – what did I tell you guys about teamwork? Geez, you guys never listen, do you?"
"Sensei..."
Kakashi was backing up now against the wall, knees shaking, eyes wide and unseeing, hands clutching his head, his long hair, draping down over his eyes, falling over his shoulders. His father. A spitting image of his father. His father.
He remembered it. A fire. In the dark. An empty world of stones and nothing else. A gentle, patient face waiting for him. Free of burdens. Understanding. Forgiving. Accepting.
Father...
"I'm proud you are my father," he had said. And his father had smiled. Had thanked him. He could hear his father's voice even now. Time to wake up, Kakashi. Time to face the music.
Kakashi opened his eyes.
Nothing but a blur of green, grey and black. There were tears running down his face – no – it wasn't warm, but cold. It was the rain. The grey dissolved – resolved – dissolved – and then he could make it out. Grey and in front of it – various shades of white. Surrounded by black. He blinked. It was round. A face. It was Sai. Sai was looking down at him, dark eyes wide.
"Yamato-sensei? Are you OK? I think you hit your head... Here, take this." Sai pressed a pill into his palm and turned away to talk to someone. Kakashi blinked and turned his head slowly as the fuzzy world came into sharper focus. "He's come to, Neji. How's Genma-san? He awake yet? What about Kakashi-sensei?"
Kyeheheheheheheh. Okay... So, um. Cliffie... but not really. You guys can guess what happened, right? What do you think? Laughable or incredibly original or just interesting? Let me know! Review!
Rosebunse: Yes... I did... Gotta have the angst.
Taishorin: Thanks for your encouragement and words of support. I'm glad that you are enjoying my reading of Kakashi. The recent manga chapters are indeed very interesting - and every week I know my story is in danger of being ret-conned like a boss. But that's ok. You gotta take a chance sometimes. I feel like Kakashi will have to deal with a lot of guilt... all over again.
The You of Yesterday: Agreed on the awesomeness that is Kakashi. All-rounders are my favourite. I feel they are so dependable. Problem is... Kakashi is so dependable, to a certain extent, I feel like others around him take him for granted. They kinda expect him to do his thing all the time - and he plugs along and does it. In those moments where you see Tsunade grieve for him when he died during the Pain Arc, you see some kind of awareness in ONE individual that someone great had died... Well... I hope that he deals with his new issues in the recent manga chapters on his own and that Naruto won't come in and save the day all by himself. I'd like to see Kakashi make peace with the past. It was the recent manga chapters which inspired this fic and inspired the idea of how Kakashi would avoid duties as a Hokage because of guilt and other things. Yep.
Perscripto13: Wow! (blushes) I'm so glad you enjoyed those little moments. I'm trying to play on the concept of sound - but I didn't even realize what I had done in this particular. So embarassing... sometimes I write these things too fast and too late at night/early in the morning - but when I read reviews like yours, I feel like it was worth the time and effort! Have you ever read "Krapp's Last Tape" by Samuel Beckett? It's a short modern play. So amazing. There is a sentence about silence which is so amazing... I used a bunch of it in one of my earliest fanfics called "Cold". Ever since then (and also bumping in with Miyazaki's works of art and already being interested in soundtracks), I have become mesmerized with the alternations of sound and silence. "Reverberations", I hope, will continue to carry out this theme.