Edited: 25/04/2011
Another huge thank you to all my reviewers.
StarsOfYaoi: we're already at the tenth chapter, huh? Time sure flies by.
A quick note before you read… I'm moving slowly because this is the pace I'm comfortable with. This fic has quickly shifted away from the canon storyline as more chapters were released, and while it will converge with the manga for a while, soon enough it will definitely break away from what is going on in the manga.
You probably already realised this in regards to Itachi and the Uchiha, but a lot of other things won't be seen here –such as Naruto's Sage mode, Pein, Konan…– while other things might still be mentioned or fused within the plot.
I still hope that with all the thought I put into writing this, you will still follow me in this bumpy ride.
Note: I do not know the names of Yondaime's teammates, so I just invented them. Nothing big.
…–…–…–…–…–…–…
Rating: M
Warnings: yaoi, boy x boy relationship, angst, torture, and such. Mental as well. Flames will be used to warm up food.
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Masashi Kishimoto does.
"Talking"
'Thinking'
–Flashbacks, memories, dreams–
…–…–…–…–…–…–…
Winter Release
Chapter 10: Darkness
Underneath him, the ground was trembling and then shaking and then rumbling, as if the entire world was vibrating, and the vibrations reverberated through his body, in and out.
It was growing stronger, and his heard was tuning itself with the rumbling sound as it grew louder and louder and closer–
Humming and thumping and…
He could barely think above all the noise, and then he was being lifted in the air as if by a bubble of chakra, and the light dimmed away slightly, and…
And that's when the pain really began.
…–…
Jiraiya knew instantly that something was wrong.
The white haired Sannin had been fighting against Hoshigaki Kisame for a long white, trying to keep the man at bay –that chakra eating sword would surely be too much of a trouble if it got close enough to Naruto to start sucking on Kyuubi's chakra, after all– but then, all of sudden, the man stopped attacking and stilled.
Since the Toad sennin had been certain that Naruto's speed would keep him away from Itachi long enough to get to Iwagakure, he had been able to concentrate his attention solely on the swordsman… but that had ended up being a mistake.
The moment the battle against the Shark–man had turned more violent, Jiraiya had lost sight of his apprentice; he had tried to search for the teen's chakra the moment he felt it move away towards Iwa, but Kisame hadn't allowed him to move.
The Akatsuki member hadn't wanted to let him go without spilling blood first, and Jiraiya had no intention to let that happen.
And now, strangely, Kisame had stopped attacking, his sword lodged deeply into the ground, and was looking at Jiraiya with a toothy smirk; it felt so malicious that Jiraiya backed away from the other man, suddenly feeling like something was wrong.
"Seems like we've succeeded in acquiring the Jinchuuriki this time," he taunted, smirk growing even larger.
At that, Jiraiya froze, spreading his senses in search of Naruto.
He couldn't feel the teen's chakra anywhere, which meant that either Naruto had reached Iwagakure's protection, or…
"What…" the weight in his guts was growing stronger, but Jiraiya didn't allow himself to be controlled by worry. Maybe the man was just trying to get him to lower his defences…
"You underestimated Itachi–san's speed, Jiraiya–sama," Kisame chuckled, shaking his head. "Not even the vessel can match it… Naruto is in our hands now".
Neither of the men had noticed that somewhere during their fight, the dark clouds above them had finally gathered together, releasing a soft, cool rain on their heads.
As they stopped, clothes already starting to get wet, a thunder echoed in the distance, almost ominous.
Jiraiya gritted his teeth, ready to take off and search for Naruto (he shouldn't have let him out of his sight in the first place…) but then a shape emerged from the forest, and he froze.
No, that was not possible…
Itachi walked calmly towards Kisame, his face as usual blank, but what had shocked Jiraiya was the limp form hanging under one of Itachi's arms –Naruto.
The blond was bleeding from a wound on his chest, the red liquid dripping over Itachi's arm and onto the ground, and Naruto was obviously unconscious, his chakra reserves very low.
Itachi's crimson eyes fixed on the Sannin, who was too stunned to make a move. He couldn't believe that the Uchiha had been faster than Naruto…
"In the end, you have lost," Itachi murmured quietly.
Jiraiya's eyes, that had been staring at the motionless form of Naruto, noticing how the wound on his chest was already healing thanks to Kyuubi's influence, snapped on the elder Uchiha, glaring at him.
He felt a rush of disgust towards Itachi, as the man was holding onto the teen without care, apparently not bothered by the blood that was flowing from the gaping wound.
If anything, it looked like Naruto was a mere object in the eyes of the Uchiha man.
The Uchiha quickly lost interest in the white haired sennin and returned his attention on the unconscious body he was carrying, eyes narrowing slightly as he stared down at him.
"What a waste… he had been growing," he murmured, so softly neither of the other men heard him. despite his words, the tone was still emotionless.
Finally snapping out of his reverie, Jiraiya attacked the Akatsuki.
'I can't let this happen, I won't let Naruto be taken away from me! I already watched my student die without being able to do anything, I won't let my apprentice die as well!'
With this thought clear in mind, Jiraiya formed his own Rasengan in one hand, but his assault was stopped again by Kisame, who absorbed it with his Samehada, taking advantage of the sennin's rage.
Itachi merely stared at both of them emotionlessly, not even moving from his position, his eyes moving from Naruto back to Jiraiya, almost as if wondering why the man had lost his rationality because of the Jinchuuriki.
Jiraiya gritted his teeth at the loss of chakra, and had no time to counterattack, as a blow from the swordsman caught him in the jaw, sending him flying away.
Kisame swung Samehada again, this time aiming to cut the closest limb he could reach, and Jiraiya spun in midair, twisting away and managing to avoid getting his arm chopped off by the still wrapped up sword.
Using this moment of distraction to their advantage, Kisame and Itachi performed a few quick seals. With rain now copiously pouring on them –the light downpour turning into a storm– the two Akatsuki members disappeared from the battle field without a trace.
Shocked, Jiraiya took a step forwards, stretching his senses out, but there was nothing to feel anymore –Akatsuki was gone, and so was Naruto.
Left completely alone in the meadow, chakra depleted severely and body slumped in shock, Jiraiya's eyes focused on the pool of blood on the ground that he knew belonged to Naruto.
The Sannin was completely at a loss; he'd failed to protect Naruto from the organization, and now the chances he had of getting Naruto back were equal to nothing.
He had failed, utterly and completely, and the worst was, the feeling was not foreign to him.
When Orochimaru had betrayed the village, leaving in his quest for immortality, and then later on when Yondaime, despite his opposition, had sacrificed his life for the village, Jiraiya had felt the same deep, painful void in his chest.
He had closed his heart away after that, trying not to let others get close enough to hurt, but with Naruto, it had been impossible, and now…
Naruto had made Jiraiya feel like he was finally getting a chance to redeem himself for his failures, and instead he had failed again.
Once again, despite how much he was admired for his strength, Jiraiya had allowed someone he cared for be harmed, and the thought hurt more than it ever had.
He hadn't been able to take Orochimaru back, nor to make him stop craving immortality, and many had died to offer him bodies to live in.
He hadn't been able to stop Yondaime from giving up his life with the ultimate seal during the fight with Kyuubi, leaving Naruto an orphan.
He had thought that maybe… maybe by training Naruto and making him strong, he would redeem himself for his past sins, but instead he'd been foolish enough to let the Akatsuki take away the blond.
Naruto was lost to them.
'What would you say to me now… Minato…' he thought, gritting his teeth in despair.
He was ready to give up.
Standing still in the storm, ready to mourn that one more soul he had lost, Jiraiya closed his eyes and clenched his fists in anger.
How could he cope? How could he atone to his mistakes when every time he tried to, he only managed to do worse?
Jiraiya felt tears come up to his eyes, but refused to let them fall, and as he remained there, unconsciously giving up…
A long–lost memory nudged at the back of his mind, and Jiraiya's eyes fluttered open in recognition; unwanted, the memory of his very first day as a teacher filled his brain –he had been nothing but a Jounin, and yet already a Sannin in the eye of the world…
And then…
–Start Flashback–
Jiraiya glared onwards, standing as straight as a pole in front of what he would have to call his team for the future to come.
He didn't like the idea of training a bunch of hyper boys fresh of academy, and he really wasn't up to the challenge, either; however, his own sensei had insisted for him to comply. Jiraiya knew that with wars and whatnot, Konohagakure was in dire need of well trained, valiant shinobi, and the Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, had requested him to take a team, too.
After all, despite his tendencies to spy on naked women bathing and his fondness on well–written porn, his sensei trusted him and was sure of his skills.
Still, it wasn't fair of his sensei to be using him to pick up three Genin when his best friend Orochimaru was still a free Jounin. It wasn't fair.
Jiraiya was inwardly pouting at the obvious preference that Sarutobi–sensei had for the other teen, but there again, Orochimaru always had an obvious dislike towards children.
It wouldn't be past him to end up lashing out at whoever was unlucky enough to get him as an instructor out of sudden irritation.
Jiraiya shrugged; Orochimaru had been spouting evil stuff when Sarutobi had 'delicately' suggested they should become instructors, and Jiraiya had been too busy daydreaming about the book he was going to write to pay attention.
Yes, he was going to be a writer, and one day, he would be known everywhere as the best writer in the Five Countries –then he would get money, fame and babes.
Still, Orochimaru kept himself as far from Genin kids as he could, Tsunade really didn't care about them… and that left Jiraiya to take the brunt of his own sensei's demands. Stupid teammates… stupid sensei…
The three kids in front of him didn't seem like much; the girl looked bored (and was munching on a long leaf), the first of the two boys was yawning (looking like he would gladly go back to bed than stay there) and the last of the trio was staring at him with unnerving blue eyes.
They looked like… children. Well, they were children. Jiraiya didn't know how to deal with children! He was a proper adult who didn't know shit about kids, and now he was supposed to train this group of mismatched Genin?
Sarutobi–sensei was crazy. Really.
He sighed in defeat.
"My name is Jiraiya, but you can call me The Genius Hermit of Toads, Handsome Sannin Jiraiya" he muttered half heartedly. "I love women, sake, and I hate wasting my time. My dream is to publish a book for all to read. Now introduce yourselves, brats. I have better ways to keep myself occupied".
Usually, proclaiming his identity for anyone to listen would have been done on a more enthusiast tone, but all in all, he really didn't care much; he had been dragged away from his spyin… from his gathering info at the onsen by Tsunade, and he had been dropped off at the training grounds to see his students, so he really wasn't in a good mood.
At all.
The girl sized him up and down, looking like she couldn't believe this was the Sannin everybody spoke so highly of. He really didn't look like much.
"My name is Tachibana Midori," she munched around her leaf. Her jade eyes narrowed. "I love plants. I hate demanding people. My dream is to successfully create a potion that can heal battle wounds instantly".
Jiraiya observed her carefully; he had heard of the Tachibana, they had moved to Konoha earlier that year from Kusagakure, and they were a clan specialising in plant users.
Sandaime had easily accepted the girl's mother into Konoha's ranks, but the father had heartily refused to be a ninja, preferring to keep himself occupied with preparing vials of potions for the hospital.
The boy in the middle stifled another yawn, and tried to look a little more interested as he pointed at himself, failing miserably.
"I am Yoroi Keitaro. I hate having to wake up early, and I love books. My dream is… well, I want to become a medic–nin," he admitted, fidgeting slightly.
Jiraiya lifted an eyebrow at that; Iryo–nin were usually female, since they had the best chakra control but that didn't mean that it was uncommon for a male to join their ranks. Still, this guy had probably been poke fun of for not wanting to fight, and that was why he was hesitating.
The Sannin shrugged but waved dismissively at the kid, trying to express that he had nothing against his choice in career.
Turning towards the last of the team with a bored look, Jiraiya inwardly sighed. This one was the shortest of the three, and the one who looked the youngest –Jiraiya recalled something Sarutobi–sensei had said about him being a genius and graduating earlier, but he really didn't remember what the man had been onto.
"Last is you, kiddo," Jiraiya drawled out.
"My name is Namikaze Minato," the boy sit up straighter, eyes focused on his new sensei. "I enjoy learning new techniques and I dislike being underestimated for my age".
"And Chibi–chan is the top rookie of our year," Keitaro helpfully supplied, yawning again.
Minato glared at his teammate, lips curling into a disapproving pout at the nickname he was given. Jiraiya shook his head, amused despite himself. "And your dream is…?"
Minato's eyes turned dark for a moment as his face turned serious –the look seemed kind of out of place on such a young kid, but Jiraiya reminded himself that they were in a ninja village. "I want… I want to be able to protect my precious people," he stated carefully, almost as if considering his words before speaking. "I want the village to recognise me, and for that, I want to become the new Hokage".
'That little brat set himself up for a bumpy ride indeed,' Jiraiya smirked.
"You can't be serious about that, Chibi–chan," Keitaro replied, lips curling into a small smile. "You're too young and scrawny to be Hokage…" then, still in a teasing manner, he added "and you look too girly, too!"
Minato's eyes flashed in anger, but he seemed to be above petty brawls, because he did not move from his spot and simply glared at his teammate.
"I might be young now, but I'll grow up, and then… and then you'll see," he stated clearly. "No matter what everybody says… I will become Hokage, and protect this village until I die!"
Jiraiya chuckled at the self–assured tone of the kid. He really had guts, despite his scrawny, girly looks.
"Being a Hokage is boring," Midori muttered, still munching her leaf, glancing uninterestedly at her teammates. "They have too much paperwork".
"I won't be hiding away in an office… I will be in the battlefield, protecting my precious people," Minato replied in the same serious tone.
"It's not that simple, little brat," Jiraiya intervened. "Being a Hokage means you'll have to make many choices you might not like. There might be a time where you'll have to give up and someone will be hurt because of your decisions".
Jiraiya wasn't sure why he wanted to squash down this little kid's hopes –maybe because he really couldn't see him becoming Hokage, or maybe because he just wanted to rile him up a bit– but his words came out a bit too harsh, even to his own ears.
Much to his surprise, Minato's serious gaze returned to him. then, unexpectedly, he smiled.
"I know that the life of a shinobi is a hard one," he replied. "But I'll do my best to protect everybody so that I will never have to make such decision. I have faith in myself, and…" his eyes hardened "I will do anything to achieve my goal".
There was something in his eyes –determination, desire to be acknowledged– that made Jiraiya lean forwards and ruffle his blond hair almost affectionately, smiling down as the little kid protested at that action.
"Well then, brats, get up," he told them, pointing at the training grounds. "Let's start with a little test of mine to see if you have what it takes to be ninja of Konoha!"
Minato nodded at him, blue eyes set on the grounds, and his two teammates groaned at the prospect of having to train.
Jiraiya didn't exactly know why, but he was feeling full of energy now.
–End Flashback–
Throughout his life, Minato had proved Jiraiya that his words hadn't been just him showing off.
He had remained faithful to his nindo up until his very last moments of life, fighting to be recognised, and had died to protect his village, but foremost, what he had loved the most in the world –his little baby.
Minato had never faltered, never wavered as he fought with everything life put on his way, and he had showed his own teacher, and later in his life, his students, what it meant to be a shinobi of Konoha.
He had been more than just a shinobi –he had been a hero. Even Jiraiya's.
Clenching his fists and glaring up at the offending rain, Jiraiya allowed rage to bubble up inside him –rage rightfully addressed at himself.
'I can't abandon Naruto when he needs me… Minato would never forgive me if I were to give up just like that, when he kept his word until the moment he died… I wouldn't want a ghost to haunt my sleep because I wasn't a good teacher for his offspring now, would I?'
Straightening his back, Jiraiya's eyes hardened in determination. Minato had been his prized student and now Naruto was in danger, and he would do his best to get him back.
This was just one instance where a student had taught a lesson to his sensei instead of the other way around, and Jiraiya didn't mind admitting that.
'Don't worry, Naruto… I'm coming. Minato, I swear… I won't let you down again'.
…–…–…–…
The day in Konoha had started with a very cold temperature, but despite that, it was a sunny day.
Everything was normal, as it had been for the last two years; Konoha was buzzing with life, citizens working in their shops, walking around in the streets, and from time to time, a shadow flickered on the ground as a shinobi darted from one roof to the other.
Just as usual, the Hokage Tower was the most visited building in the village, and every day Jounin, Chuunin and Genin went in and out reporting or taking on new missions, and in the Hokage office, Tsunade was busy signing off all the paperwork, two guards standing in front of her door to make sure nobody would disturb her.
In fact, Shizune had appointed them to stand there, because she knew that any distraction from her work would be welcomed, and Tsunade really needed to work on those papers, after all.
The busty Hokage glanced up from her desk, covered with papers and scrolls and regulations to read and sigh, when she felt a shudder run down her back.
Confused, she looked around the room, then to the window, to try and understand what had caused her to shiver, but there was nothing out of ordinary anywhere around her.
She didn't want to get behind with her paperwork –Shizune had taken hostage a few of her sake bottles and wouldn't give them back to her unless she was satisfied with the amount of work Tsunade had done during the day– but that sensation…
Unable to shake it away, Tsunade fidgeted, then finally stood up, moving towards the window to take a look at the village.
Even outside of her window everything looked fairly normal, but the weight in her chest was growing heavier, almost as if something was happening and she did not know what.
The last time she had felt this distraught had been when she had met Naruto for the first time, and had made a bet with him, but there again, before that she had only felt such a weird feeling when Orochimaru had betrayed Konoha and placed the cursed seal on young Anko…
What was the meaning of this feeling of hers?
Feeling something wet on her hand, Tsunade looked down and noticed she had cracked the pen she had been using, and the ink was dripping all over her hand, trickling down her wrist and falling down on the floor.
Cursing slightly, at her inattention, Tsunade grabbed a handkerchief and threw the pen on her desk, cursing when it dripped more ink all over her documents.
Taking a deep breath, Tsunade decided her priorities and moved to the bathroom in a hurry to get the ink away from her hand before it got to her clothes –she would deal with getting new copies of those documents later.
She didn't notice the newspaper Shizune had left her on the table rustling slightly in the wind coming from the window as the pen slowly dripped ink right on a small alert on the upper corner of the front page; the alert was for the Weekly Ninja Lottery, declaring the numbers of the jackpot.
If Tsunade had paid attention to the string of numbers before the ink got to them, she would have realised that they matched the ones on the ticket she had bought two days earlier.
In all her life, Tsunade had never been able to make a single lucky win on any game she had tried, and the only times she had, bad things had happened –everybody who knew her was aware of that…
The Legendary Sucker winning at a lottery only meant one thing –a bad omen.
With a soft pop, something green and bouncy landed on top of the Hokage's desk, croaking and knocking down some scrolls as it panicked, looking around.
The moment Tsunade returned from the bathroom, disgruntled at the ugly black spot on her blouse, she noticed the small toad frantically hopping on her table and froze.
Feeling a lump in her throat, Tsunade remained on the door, unable to enter her room as she stared at the toad, not understanding; Jiraiya had sent her a letter not even a week before to reassure Tsunade that their journey was going on well, so why would he send a toad so soon after that…?
Unless he wanted to tell her something bad had happened.
It was childish, but Tsunade had the sudden impulse to run away; if she didn't go into the room, then nothing bad would happen. She wouldn't know, therefore there would be nothing to fear.
'Coward,' a part of her mind whispered to her.
Refusing to acknowledge it, Tsunade hurried in the room, attracting the creature's attention instantly.
"Tsunade–sama," the toad called out, looking up as he handed her a small sealed scroll.
As the woman grabbed it, hand trembling slightly, the toad suddenly dispelled himself, disappearing from the room without waiting for a reply.
It took Tsunade a while to manage to still her hands enough to open the scroll, dripping some blood on its seal, and once she finished reading the message inside –painfully short– she felt like the world was collapsing on her.
'No… it can't be…'
The Hokage slumped down on the chair, clenching her head in her hands and looking away from the scroll as if ignoring it would make everything just a nightmare, and not the truth.
Unfortunately, when she looked up the scroll was still there, almost mocking her, stepping on her heart and crushing it to pieces.
The door creaked open and Shizune peeked in, her face set in a displeased frown as she noticed her shishou sitting there without working; the woman was about to yell at the Hokage for not respecting their pact, but then she noticed something wrong.
Tsunade was crying, and her tears were rolling down her cheeks and splashing all over her documents.
"Tsunade–sama…?"
The blonde didn't lift her head, but handed Shizune a crumpled scroll with a shaky hand.
Shizune blinked, licking her lips.
A scroll?
Reading the short message inside, Shizune felt her heart constrict in her chest.
'Tsunade. I am sorry. Akatsuki has Naruto. I was not able to stop them, nor protect him. I'm following their traces right now, and they seem to be headed to the plains North of Iwagakure. I might need back up. I will get him back, believe me'.
It wasn't signed, but Shizune knew exactly who had sent it.
Tsunade's body was shaken by silent sobs, and Shizune felt completely useless; she didn't know what to do or say that would ever make this situation better. For the short time she had known Naruto, the teen had carefully crafted a small spot into her heart, and she had considered him like a young brother.
And now, her little brother had been caught, and the chances that he would die were really high –too high.
"Call Kakashi, Seishiro, and Gai".
Tsunade's voice sounded impersonal and empty, and it was all the proof Shizune needed to know that the older woman was not fine.
Yet, she did not speak and simply nodded, rushing out of the room; the moment she shut the door behind her back, Shizune heard a loud noise come from inside the room that made her momentarily freeze, but she swallowed and continued on her way.
Tsunade had asked her to summon the two Jounin and one of the ANBU captains, and that was what she would do.
As she ran out of the Hokage tower, Shizune fervently prayed Kami–sama that Naruto could be rescued before it was too late, and in the Hokage office, standing in front of the broken remains of her desk, with scrolls and documents fluttering around her, Tsunade was fiercely hoping the same.
Naruto had to be rescued.
…–…–…–…
Having a day off, Kakashi decided, wasn't entirely bad.
Walking around the village with his book in one hand with no real direction… it was relaxing.
It had been a while since he had been able to take a day of vacation, as his missions filled up most of his time. Team7 didn't exist anymore, at least for a while, with two of its members currently away from Konoha and the last one training under the Hokage, and Kakashi had resumed taking on high ranked missions instead.
So, having a day for himself was just perfect.
He had planned his day carefully; he would wait for Iruka to finish teaching at the academy, and then he would visit his favourite teacher and spend some deserved time with him.
Early in the morning, he had visited the cemetery and the stone where the names of his teammate and his teacher were carved on, something he did every single day, and now he had a lot of free time to waste.
Often Kakashi wondered whether his name would be on that stone soon as well; he knew that a ninja's life was not supposed to end with a peaceful death by old age, and an example of that was the Third Hokage, who had retired from his position only to have to come back after his successor died to protect the village… only to die in a battle twelve years later.
Still, Kakashi was not in a hurry to die. He had much to live for, and that was enough to make him determined to survive as much as he could.
Sighing softly, Kakashi also wondered if Obito would be proud of him or if he would just scold him for his actions; his blatant favouritism for one of his students had caused all three of them to suffer greatly, and even after two years had gone by, he was still guilty about it.
There was a long way to go if he wanted to make amends for that.
But if there was something Kakashi shared with his dead friend, that was his faith in his team. Obito had once trusted Kakashi with not just his life, but Rin's life too, and then had died, giving Kakashi one priceless, irreplaceable gift –his Sharingan eye.
Kakashi was willingly to do the same. He would put his trust in Naruto, knowing he would never back down… it was his way of ninja.
It was almost scary how much Naruto resembled Obito, if he thought about it; both had been shunned away most of their lives, both had wanted to be acknowledged, both had been unfortunate, but had still fought against hopeless situations…
but unlike Naruto, Obito had never had the chance to fulfil his dream.
He'd never had a fair life because of his clan's demands, and giving one eye to his teammate had been more than just a parting gift –Obito had wanted to show the world that he was more than just a dead last.
Obito had wanted to show his own family that he wasn't afraid of them –Uchiha Obito had died to protect his comrades and had given away his prized Sharingan eye so that someone like Kakashi could be free from his own past as the son of a disgraced ninja.
He might have been dead for over fifteen years, but Kakashi still respected his old teammate for that.
"Shikamaru, don't be stubborn, come back! Tell me!"
Kakashi blinked, forcibly shaken out of his thoughts as he looked ahead of him; two teens belonging to Team10 were walking the street in the opposite direction, and looked like they were in the middle of a heated discussion.
One was Sakura's 'rival' in love, Ino, and the other was the first of the Rookie9 that had been promoted to Chuunin, Shikamaru.
The latter was walking in his usual slouched way, openly grimacing at the girl who had latched onto his arm, whining at him.
"You're so troublesome, Ino," he muttered, before spotting Kakashi. "Ohayo, Kakashi–sensei," he muttered, still trying to pull his arm free.
Kakashi scratched his head but cheerfully replied to the greeting, vaguely amused.
Ino barely glanced at Kakashi, waving distractedly at him as he nudged her teammate's side. "Shikamaru! Tell me! You've been seeing someone and it's been a year already, isn't t? Don't I deserve to know as your teammate and friend?"
Feeling the urge to be helpful, Kakashi butted in, "it's been two years, actually" he corrected, waving his finger.
He was kind of grateful that despite how much time passed by, the younger generation could still prove to be amusing to him. He was definitely glad they were such a tight bunch of kids…
Ino halted immediately and turned to stare at him, eyes wide; Shikamaru simply froze.
"Ino, you should know better than to butt into Shikamaru's affairs with the Hyuuga," Kakashi chastised with a smirk that none of the teens could see.
That said, Kakashi felt he had done his daily good deed and wandered away, feeling rather smug and satisfied.
Ino's following screech could be heard up to the top of the Hokage Mountain, "You're going out with Hinata?"
Kakashi chuckled to himself, shaking his head. 'She's so clueless, really…' he trailed out and glanced at the nearby bookstore with interest –maybe he should go in and see if the new 'Icha Icha' book was finally out…
His inner monologue was interrupted when he felt a familiar chakra spike up and a figure sped up from around the corner, pointing towards him.
The silver haired ninja groaned in distaste. Of all days Gai could choose to bother him… he had to pick the only free one Kakashi had?
As the spandex–wearing Green Beast of Konoha came to a stop in front of him, Kakashi suddenly got the feeling that something was not right; Gai's face was serious, and that was enough to drive Kakashi's suspicion up the wall.
"Kakashi, my rival… Hokage–sama has requested our presence," Gai stared right into Kakashi's eyes. He didn't know how to tell the other man what he knew. This was a first for him, and nothing he could say would ever make the situation less serious.
There was nothing to joke about over this.
"Gai, is there something wrong?" Kakashi quickly discarded any notion of having a day off. Gai was only this serious in few cases, and it surely meant something was horribly wrong.
Train derailment kind of wrong.
Gai took a deep breath and decided to just tell Kakashi what was going on bluntly. He wasn't known to be one to skid around matters, after all.
"Kakashi… I am sorry. Akatsuki has Naruto–kun".
Kakashi's grip on his book went lax, but he didn't even realise it; a second later, both Jounin had transported away, the 'Icha Icha' book forgotten on the ground.
…–…–…–…
Tsunade stared at the three men in front of her with grave eyes, looking fierce and determined despite the red tinge around her eyes, clear sign that she had been crying until a moment before the three had entered the room.
Aside from Kakashi and Gai there was another man in the office, dressed in the usual ANBU gear with the mask of a Nezumi hiding his face; the man looked strong, the aura of authority he had around him spoke volumes of his rank within the ANBU.
The man was one of the captains, after all, and the chakra fizzling under his skin was testament of that.
"Hokage–sama," Kakashi intoned, worry clear in his voice, "what happened to Naruto?"
No one noticed the sudden tension in the Nezumi masked ANBU's stance, as the four other people there –Shizune included– were far too concerned over the blond Genin to take notice.
Tsunade licked her lips, glancing at the masked man. "He and Jiraiya were attacked in the proximity of Iwagakure, in the Tsuchi no Kuni. Akatsuki has Naruto now. Jiraiya once said that to perform the extracting jutsu it takes three days, and that Akatsuki have to reunite together in a particular secluded space to start the jutsu".
Kakashi and Gai nodded, looking thoughtful at that.
Tsunade took a deep breath. "Jiraiya warned me right away and asked for assistance, so you have probably around a week to reach Jiraiya in the Earth Country and save Naruto before the extracting jutsu is completed".
"Yes, Hokage–sama," he straightened his back.
Naruto needed him, and he would not back down from this important mission.
"I'll do my best, Hokage–sama," Gai assured, nodding at the woman.
He was fond of the bright blond with so much youthful energy, the one who had helped mending Neji's heart and had helped tracking down the current Hokage, so even Lee had be saved…
Right on cue, Gai frowned, "what about my team?" he wondered out loud.
Tsunade thought about it for a moment; it was a dangerous mission and it would put Kakashi, Gai and the squad of ANBU she had chosen at risk. She couldn't let unprepared ninja to join as well, but she couldn't just send two Jounin and a single ANBU team against Akatsuki either…
Biting down on her lips, she wished for a split second she wasn't the Hokage –then, she could be able to drop everything and rush off to aid Jiraiya… but she couldn't.
She had responsibilities she could not drop at a moment's notice, and she had to honour her position –for Naruto, most of all.
"Neji passed the Jounin exam, right?" she asked the bowl–headed shinobi, who replied with a curt nod. "I think he should go with you. He is a friend of Naruto, he knows about Kyuubi and he has enough experience to be useful".
Gai nodded.
"I trust you to bring Naruto back," Tsunade finished, this time almost a whisper. "Now… go You will have thirty minutes to prepare yourself for this mission".
The Nezumi ANBU nodded, taking off to find his team; under his mask, he was grimacing, eyes filled with hatred.
Gai and Kakashi also nodded, leaving the office as well, both headed to a different place.
Tsunade was left in the office, feeling old and useless, hands trembling as she clenched them on the edge of the table.
She trusted the two Jounin and the ANBU team to take Naruto back, and against all odds, she also trusted Jiraiya, because he cared for Naruto as well.
They would take him back for sure.
…–…–…–…
Kakashi watched helplessly as Iruka's face was filled with anguish.
He could do nothing to cheer his lover up, so he simply held him close, closing his eyes as he felt the trembles shaking Iruka's body against his own.
Before this man had entered his life –entirely by accident, too– Kakashi had never hugged another person, nor had he allowed others to hug him either; even now, after over three years as a couple, it felt strange to hold Iruka without wanting to do something else with him.
Yet, at the same time, it just felt right.
Usually, having feelings for another person was said to be a hindrance for a shinobi, but Kakashi knew that it was not true; the strongest people he'd met, dead or alive, were the ones who'd had someone to protect.
If Iruka was a precious person to him, and he was, Kakashi had no intention to let go of him.
The silver haired Jounin had felt it was his duty to report to Iruka before leaving for his mission, since the Chuunin had always cared for the blond a lot, and he deserved to know… unfortunately he hadn't expected such a strong reaction.
Apparently, Iruka took his role as Naruto's adoptive father of sorts really seriously, and the sight of such a broken hearted Iruka just served to hurt Kakashi even more.
Despite that, he knew he had done the right thing. Iruka deserved to be informed.
"Iruka… trust me, we will take Naruto back. He will be fine," he tried to reassure the distressed man, hands gently massaging the back of his neck.
Shaking his head and pressing his forehead against Kakashi's chest, Iruka could only nod, taking what comfort he could and leaving his complete trust in his lover.
It took him a while to control his trembling and his rage –because he was furious, angered at both Jiraiya for not protecting Naruto and at the Akatsuki for daring to harm his little Naruto– but when he managed to finally calm down, he became aware of the fact that Kakashi was still holding him close.
He had to believe in Kakashi. He had to. He would take Naruto back, but he had to have faith in him.
Staring up at the man he had come to cherish so much, Iruka narrowed his eyes and made sure Kakashi was looking at him. "Bring him back safely. I trust you to do it, Kakashi".
The silver haired Jounin nodded seriously before pulling his mask down, locking lips with Iruka in a slow kiss, trying to convey his feelings through it.
Then, parting from his lover, he offered him a cheerful smile and waved goodbye. 'I'll never let someone I care for die ever again,' he promised himself.
Iruka looked at the floor with a depressed face, feeling useless. He had known better than to ask Kakashi to let him join the rescue party, since he was just a Chuunin and in no way a match for Akatsuki, but that made him feel even more worthless.
He wanted to help Naruto, but he would have to leave everything to Kakashi.
'I hope you are ok, Naruto…'
…–…–…–…
Pain.
For him there was no conscious thought, no sanity, no reprise… nothing else existed but pain.
Sheer, unyielding pain.
It started all of sudden, so he didn't even have time to prepare himself, no time to brace his mind or his body against such a terrible onslaught. It was stronger than any he had ever experienced before, strong and so overwhelming that even the pain he'd felt under Tsukiyomi was nothing in comparison.
Devastating pain that grasped his mind in a bind and clutched at it with steely claws.
Blinding him, choking him and constricting around his lungs until he could no longer breathe, his mind trying to run from the never ending pain but finding no escape.
It stretched through his entire frame, reaching towards every single part of him –from his twitching fingers, nails digging into his hands, breaking the skin, to his muscles and his legs, ready to snap; he was shaking and soon his shaking turned to a seizure, but no matter the jolts washing over him, he still couldn't move an inch away from the spot he was on.
Too much –that pain was too much
A part of him realised that he was screaming. The voice sounded too raw and broken and high pitched to be his, but it was his own all the same.
Time seemed not to pass, because world, time and space mattered nothing as the throbbing pain spread through him again and again, as it thorns were pushed through his skin and then burning oil was added through the wounds and then even more…
It felt like his insides were being pulled out, it felt like his brain was being smashed against a wall… nothing mattered but the pain.
It was so great that soon there could be no comparison to it –nothing in this world could ever hurt like this–
He screamed. He screamed and screamed and screamed, until his throat was ripped raw, until his lungs constricted so much that he could barely breathe in.
No, it was too much, too much–
'Stop…'
Nowhere to run. Nowhere to escape from this pain… there was no way to ignore it, no hope, nothing, and it hurt so damn much that his brain could only shut down to be able to survive without him going mad.
And yet, he was still conscious.
Maybe it was the shock forcing his body to be alert, maybe the pain was just too much for him to pass out, but there was no comforting, welcoming darkness waiting for him behind his eyelids.
He couldn't pass out and be spared that torture, that unyielding pain, not even after his brain had turned into mashed nothingness…
He was still awake.
He didn't want to give them the satisfaction of seeing him give up and admit defeat… not even against all odds.
He didn't want to die in his sleep… it would not be fair; he was already far too gone to be saved, he knew this and had accepted his death.
At the point he was at, he would even welcome it, because with such pain tormenting him, nothing would be better than for all of it to end…
Stop–
Stop it, make it stop
It shattered through his defences, trying to break him, trying to corrupt him, wanting him to submit, to give up his mind, his soul…
Until nothing was left.
And still he would not die without looking straight up at death itself in his last moments. He wanted to be able to see the end, because he was not afraid of it anymore. Not after this.
He had wanted the respect that he felt he deserved, and he'd never had it –fleeting thoughts belonging to the time before the pain, forcing him to acknowledge that this was where he would cease to exist.
Every cell of his body screamed for it to end, for something to give him a merciful end, but it still didn't stop.
Hot tears burned down his cheeks, his screams echoing continuously in the air, the anguish radiating from his body dancing in waves around him, almost visible and tangible in the darkness, as if his mind was scattering itself around.
It still didn't stop–
No matter how much he begged for the pain to end, it just didn't–
And yet, he still clung to consciousness. He was going to die, and he wanted to do it by showing his enemies that he would do it like a shinobi, without begging, without letting himself go to the darkness.
Crying, screaming… there was pain, and there was plenty of it, but his screams were never pleas to be spared; he didn't beg to be saved, he didn't beg for the pain to end. There was no God up there to listen to his prayers, and he didn't frankly care.
The part of him that were not concentrating on the pain slowly floated away, thinking of all his precious people that he would not be able to see ever again.
Iruka–sensei, Tsunade obaa–chan, Ero–sennin, Sakura, Sasuke… his promises, his words, his desires…
His body was slowly starting to feel numb. Aside from the pain, he could barely feel the world around him, covered with some sort of haze…
Was it the end?
He was dying…?
Not a Hokage. Not even a Chuunin.
He was nothing, Naruto was nothing, his mind was nothing –pain
How long until the torture ended?
How long since he'd started bleeding from the corner of his eyes, from his mouth, tears and sweat and blood mixing together… how long since he'd been screaming to the heavens?
Seconds. Minutes. Hours. Days. Weeks…?
Just make it–
He just wanted for it to stop.
Pouring out of his pores, for the first time in his life Naruto felt real resentment.
What a way to end his life, levitating, dripping blood, crying and screaming, unable to make it end, feeling the very essence of his life being pulled out of his body, a fierce tugging at his stomach, his heart louder and louder, with a pain burning him alive.
Maddening.
Skin melting, eyes aflame, veins burning up, organs melting together, vomit and bile and blood rushing out from his lips, his body twisting in midair, nothing else just that overwhelming pain…
And the voices.
Murmurs at first, growing louder and louder, vibrating through him as he couldn't really hear it –his ears were bleeding, they could hear no more– resonating through his heart, calming and hympnotic–
Blind eyes in the dark widened.
At a subliminal level, he felt his seal start to change. It was fading, the ripple on his skin drawing a pained gurgle from him, like a teardrop of pain in the ocean he was in.
Through his dazed mind, through his fright and the pain and the shock and the horror, he felt the demon leash forwards, called out by a force that was ripping Naruto apart.
One last agonized cry, hopeless, frantic–
Creeping through him. Death.
Finally, his mind edged into nothingness, and a single last thought fluttered to the surface of his conscious, right before he let himself go.
'I'm sorry…'
And then there was nothing…
… but silence.
No pain, nothing.
Only a comforting darkness, and he welcomed it.
…–…–…–…–…–…–…
StarsOfYaoi: Yondaime when he was not Yondaime. Cheers.
If you drop a review, I shall love you forever. And they do help in making me update faster, too :D
Ah, right… an important difference. 'Sannin' means 'three people', and it is a title that Jiraiya, Orochimaru and Tsunade were given because of their unique strength. 'sennin' is, instead, a word for 'hermit'.