CHAPTER 10

When Kakashi and the others arrived, they weren't happy. They had searched and practically tore the place apart looking for the missing nin that had been spotted in a village not far from Konoho. They arrived to find Gai standing at the gate.

"What happened?" asked Kakashi.

"The boys were training and Lee got hurt, I was worried and I didn't think, I just thought about getting Lee to the hospital, by the time I realized I had left Sasuke alone, he was gone."

Kakashi was angry, but he could relate, he wouldn't focus either if one of his students were hurt.

"The seal?" he asked.

"Broken."

"Do Sakura and Naruto know?".

"Yes."

"Alright I'll summon the dogs and see if they can pick up his trace, Asuma and Gai can you check the borders of the village?" asked kakashi as he gave instructions.

The two men nodded.

"When you find him, do not attempt to take him in unless he is restrained or unconscious. If he wants to fight, make sure that back up is on the way."

Everyone nodded and as they parted in different directions, Kakashi pulled Gai over. "Is Lee alright?"

Gai nodded and Kakashi gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder. Kakashi summoned the dogs and they picked up a scent and raced off.

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Naruto ran into Sakura in the marketplace.

"Any luck?" she asked out of breath.

Naruto shook his head, "lets keep on looking."

They ran off in different directions.

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"Sasuke!" called out Asuma as he searched the outer borders of Konoho, he looked up to Gai who was standing on the top of the wall who just shook his head.

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Iruka joined Kakashi who had followed the dogs to the Uchiha compound and ran up to him. "Tsunade has sent four ANBU to try and track him." He said.

"We better find them before they do, you know they aren't exactly gentle."

There was a bark and the dogs raced out of the compound.

Iruka put a hand on Kakashi's shoulder. "You know there is a good chance he has gone?" he asked.

Kakashi nodded. "I thought he was doing well, he was improving. I don't understand it. I don't understand him."

"Its hard." Acknowledged Iruka.

"I just don't feel like he is gone."

"He broke the seal." Reminded Iruka as they chased the dogs.

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The dogs were running across the field now, Pakkun turned to kakashi, "he is close."

Kakashi wanted to smile, but he knew he didn't know what Sasuke was up to.

Kakashi and Iruka bumped into Sakura and Naruto. "Did you find him?" yelled Naruto.

"We are close." Answered Kakashi and spiked his chakra to inform the others.

"We're coming up to the training grounds, were you gave us the bell test." Said Sakura suddenly.

Kakashi realized that's exactly where they were heading.

When they arrived on the outskirts of the training grounds, kakashi dismissed the dogs after thanking them and was joined by Genma, Anko, Gai and Asuma.

"He is definitely here." Said Kakashi, "we need to go in quietly and don't alert him to our presence. If he could de-activate the tracing seal, he may have deactivated my seal on the curse mark."

Everyone nodded.

They all crept forward quietly and came upon a clearing, ninjas littered the trees as they encircled the area. Iruka was surprised to see Naruto so quiet for once.

Then they spotted him.

He was by Obito's grave, was Kakashi's first thought.

There was a book resting on his chest and he was sitting against the pillar, his face was facing the afternoon sun and it took everyone a second to register what they were seeing.

Sasuke Uchiha, a potential missing-nin, an unstable ninja with a temper, who had been missing for about three hours now. . . .

Was asleep.

They could see the steady rise and fall of his chest. A part of Kakashi warned himself that it could be a trick. Everyone looked at eachother and Kakashi made a hand signal that meant for everyone to stay put. He leapt from the tree and landed on the ground in complete silence. He took a few cautious steps towards the sleeping boy and the silence was broken by a similar sound.

The sound of the air being sliced as an ANBU agent with a sword came flying towards the sleeping boy.

"Stop!" yelled Kakashi.

Sasuke's eyes snapped open and it took him half a second to register the enemy. He dodged the blade that hit the pillar and stumbled to his feet. Another ANBU agent appeared behind him and out of reflex, Sasuke pulled out two shuriken and threw them. The anbu agent looked down at the two shuriken protruding from his leg and shoulder. There was the sound of fist connecting with flesh as the first ANBU on the scene connected with Sasuke's face. The ANBU didn't get a chance to make his next move as Kakashi threw him against the pillar. "What the hell are you doing?!" he yelled.

The other two ANBU appeared but Kakashi didn't have to worry about them as the hiding ninjas from the trees joined the fray. "He attacked my teammate." Said the ANBU.

"That's what you get when you pounce on a ninja who is sleeping." Growled Kakashi.

"Idiot!" yelled Naruto who was being restrained by Iruka who was holding him around the waist. Iruka had his hands full from the looks of it. He had Naruto squirming against him and he had grabbed Sakura's wrists before she could dart off in the direction of Sasuke.

Sasuke looked extremely confused, he saw the adults fighting the ANBU, who seemed intent on getting him. He turned and ran towards the forest when a well placed kick in the ribs from an ANBU sent him flying. He scrambled onto his knees and coughed, trying to get air into his lungs.

"By order of the Hokage, you are under arrest." Said the ANBU.

"What?" growled Sasuke.

The ANBU yanked Sasuke's arm behind his back and pulled him up, Sasuke used the momentum to head butt the man and immediately regretted it when his forehead made contact with the mask. It worked in the sense that the ANBU stumbled back more from the surprise than the actual hit. Sasuke jerked his arm away and managed to make it two steps when Genma wrapped his arms around him. "I've got him!" he yelled. Sasuke began to twist and try get enough leverage to get away from the jounin. He didn't seem to relaise that Genma was not with the ANBU, he was just trying to help.

Naruo put his hands together and after a few motions and a mutter, the clearing was filled with Naruto clones. In the confusion, Genma felt a sharp pain in his groin and released his hold. Sasuke took opportunity of the chaos and darted away.

"Brat." Hissed Genma, recovering.

"ENOUGH!!!"

Everyone froze.

Tsunade stepped forward, "what is the meaning of this?" she said angrily, the question directed at one of the ANBU.

"I was about to apprehend the Uchiha when I was attacked by him." He said pointing at Kakashi.

"More like bring him in pieces." Snarled Iruka.

There was puffs of smoke as Naruto dispelled his clones and Iruka released him and Sakura.

"Mikato, I thought you were above such petty behavior," said the Hokage to the ANBU. "I thought you were professional enough to help, not hinder Kakashi and the others to help and retrieve Sasuke Uchiha without letting your personal issues get in the way."

"I was doing my job." Argued the ANBU, "I was apprehending a fugitive."

"He was asleep!" yelled Naruto.

"How could he be a fugitive if he hasn't even left the village?" asked the Hokage. "Leave. You are now under inspection and I will relive you from active duty till I see fit. GO."

Seeing he wasn't going to win, the ANBU signaled to the other three and they disappeared.

"Where is he?" asked Tsunade.

Genma pointed to where he had seen Sasuke run off to. Tsunade looked to Kakashi.

"I'll fetch him and meet you all at the hospital." He could see that the ANBU had landed a few hard knocks to his friends. Asuma's face was already starting to swell.

Everyone nodded in agreement and Kakasshi flew off into the direction of his frightened student.

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Sasuke ran till he felt like he was going to explode. He couldn't believe what had happened, the Hokage had sent ANBU after him, to kill him!

He wasn't sure where he was going or what he was doing, he just acted on pure instinct. The ground rumbled and kakashi burst through the rocky ground in front of him. Sasuke gave a yell and threw a shuriken. Kakashi easily caught it and flicked it away. He reached forward and grabbed Sasuke who had tried to turn and run. "Sasuke calm down." He said quietly as he held him.

"Get off me!" he yelled in response.

Kakashi sighed and used his weight to flatten his student. Sasuke tried to push himself up but Kakashi was sitting on him securely. "Dammit you're heavy." He said as he tried to get out from underneath him.

"Are you saying I'm fat?" asked Kakashi with a small smile.

"This isn't funny!" yelled Sasuke.

Kakashi shrugged, "yell all you want, but we are staying here till you calm down and are ready to listen."

For the next ten minutes Sasuke yelled, tried to throw Kakashi off him and was just generally a pain in the neck. Kakashi pulled out his book and quietly read while Sasuke had his tantrum.

When Sasuke was still and quiet, Kakashi looked down at him. "Done?"

A sweaty, pale faced nodded.

Kakashi got up and grabbing the back of his shirt, pulled Sasuke up in one move. "To the hospital." Said Kakashi pushing him in that direction.

Sasuke moved slowly. "I didn't do anything to have fucking ANBU after me." He said.

"You got rid of the tracing seal, that's suspicious. Don't swear." Said Akkashi casually.

"I just wanted to be on my own." He said.

"That wasn't a decision you had a right to make."

"Its my fucking life." Growled Sasuke.

"Which you were determined to mess up. Don't swear."

"Well fuck you." Said Sasuke coming to a standstill.

"You're too young and not really my type."

Sasuke blushed but tried to hide it with a scowl. Kakashi prodded him to get him moving. "For the third time, don't swear."

Sasuke glared at him and slowly and deliberately said, "fuck."

Kakashi rolled his eyes. "Sasuke, I don't want to discipline you now, there are a lot of worried people at the hospital who want to check you're okay."

"You sure they don't want to just kill me?" snarled Sasuke.

Kakashi scratched his head, "no, don't think so."

"Just get fucking lost." Said Sasuke and moved in the opposite direction.

Kakahsi sighed. This kid was obviously trying his patience, patience he did not have. Could he sit in a tree for hours without moving and oserve a target? Yes. Could he patiently deal with a brat? No.

"I told you to stop swearing." Reminded Kakashi.

"What more could you do to me?" asked Sasuke. "I don't have any privacy, I have you and all those dum teachers helping me for some reason and when it actually seems like I'm getting somewhere, the village that wants to "help" me sends ANBU to kill me!"

Kakashi smiled.

"What?"

"We'll always be there for you Sasuke. All us "dum" teachers."

"Not when you get killed on a mission."

"SO perhaps you should work hard at being an exceptional ninja so you can save us old ninja's."

Sasuke rubbed absentmindedly at his cursed mark. He seemed to not know what to say.

"What made you stay?" asked Kakashi.

Sasuke shrugged in response. The motion seemed painful and he grimaced. Kakashi stopped him and lifted his arm, at some point in the attack, Sasuke had been cut with a sword across the shoulder. "We can have that sorted out in the hospital." Reassured Kakashi.

The hospital soon came in sight and just before they entered, Kakashi placed a hand on Sasuke shoulder. "I'm proud of you." He said. Sasuke wasn't sure why he was proud but it was nice to hear it anyway.

"Thanks." He said glancing down.

When they got inside, Sasuke was wisked away for inspection and Kakashi went to check on his friends, beside a few bruises and stitches and the odd cracked rib, everyone was alright.

Kakashi spoke to Tsunade and found out that the ANBU agent who was determined to hurt Sasuke had once been humiliated by an Uchiha about ten years ago and had never let it go.

Kakashi had suggested he pay the man a visit when Tsuande had given him strict orders not to even think about it. Kakashi passed some nurses who were wrestling with Naruto.

"Whats he done now?" he quietly asked Iruka.

"Tried to make ramen with the hospital equipment."

"Aah."

"Enough dobe."

Naruto immediately froze and looked at Sasuke who had appeared with a doctor. He was just wearing his pants and his bare torso was covered in ugly bruises and his shoulder was wrapped with clean bandages.

"Lets go get some food." Suggested Sasuke to Naruto. Naruto jumped up and with a wave goodbye to the relieved and exhausted nurses, darted down the hall towards the food place.

Sasuke slowly followed and seemed to remember southing, "Are you coming Sakura?" She stood there amazed then gave a quick nodded and quickly followed. She fell in step with Sasuke and they walked along.

Genma moved to forward to follow Sasuke and Kakashi put his arm out to stop him, He can go on his own, I trust him."

Sasuke looked startled then gave a small grin and started walking down the corridor in time with Sakura and started talking to Sakura, "I always thought you would make a good nurse…" They couldn't hear anymore as the two turned a corner.

Tsunade turned to Kakashi. "I am amazed."

"That was Sasuke? He seems like a new kid." Said Shizune.

"Nah, just the kid he never had a chance to be before." Said Kakashi with a smile.

How was that? Drama, fluff, angst!! Haha please tell me what you think, it seems like it's the end right? Sasuke is becoming well adjusted and so on ….. well get ready for more angst and life threatening decisions and situations! Itachi is on the way as is Oorichumaru…. Oh how do you all feel about Itachi being a badass good guy? Please check out my angsty one shot and review! Love them reviews  Cheers all