Chapter 11

Kakashi slid to a halt at the edge of the cliff face, the waterfall being much more raging and deadly than he had first anticipated. The spray of the water tickled what was visible of his face, despite him being so far away from the water surface. His shoulder ached a little at the sudden dead weight he was holding, his breath coming in laboured pants at the pure exertion he had just pushed himself through. Blood pulsed ridiculously fast through his veins, making him feel a little light headed as he assessed his situation.

Ritsuka dangled unconsciously from his quivering fingertips, safely caught in his possession. Pulling her up had not been as hard as it should have been, with her weight being so deathly low.

Kakashi rolled onto his back as he lifted Ritsuka carefully onto his chest, scared to make too much movement and have the whole cliff face suddenly crumple to pieces, that seemed to be how the girl's luck worked. Once she was safely in his arms, he rolled her onto his other side, searching for her pulse and temperature. Her lips were turning a horrid shade of blue, her body shivering uncontrollably. Her pulse was faint, but still erratic and here eyes danced behind their lids as she continued to dream.

Kakashi didn't waste another second as he removed his jumper and placed it on Ritsuka, her limp body responding to his touches at last. Rubbing her arms, he tried his best to return some heat to her before he took the long walk back. He was grateful for the sun beginning to peak over the horizon, a sign that the creatures will be less of a risk.

Ritsuka began to moan as she slurred some words in her sleep, her eyes clamping shut in pain as she spoke. She pushed herself away from Kakashi a couple of times, before flopping against him gently, as if to finally surrender under his cast iron hold. Her arms began to circle round him tightly as her body convulsed, but now with tears.

It had been a strange and scary morning.

An ice cold glass of water over his face and a kick to his testicles in some kind of cruel joke would have been much preferred to this kind of wake up.

Kakashi managed to free himself from the tangle of limbs that held him prisoner, shaking his head as he lifted his beloved burden from the cold ground. Now to get back alive...

It was much colder in the forest, now being in the shade, but he didn't mind it so much since his jumper was in some seriously good use. He sighed lightly as he pushed on through the thick darkness, his senses alert for company.

Ritsuka tossed and turned in his arms, causing him to stumble a few times, but he didn't seem to mind. He kind of enjoyed touching her, enjoying the body he'd been desperately trying to avoid contact with. Ever since she had been found, he had wanted to do nothing more than to ravage her stupid, until her lips were red and open, panting that she told him over and over again that she didn't want him to stop, and he would gladly give her what she asked and ravage her some more.

He missed her sounds, the strangled cries when he touched her expertly in places that made him blush, her angry growls when he pulled away teasingly, before pulling his hair aggressively, and smiling sweetly back at him. The way she would know exactly what to do, or what things he was in the mood for, just by seeing him it would seem.

He missed the simple things, missed just sliding into bed, to feel her heat and love when he had spent the day, week, or even month doing a horrid mission that had him wishing he were dead. He missed her reassurances that she would make everything better, and how she actually did...

His grip tightened on the loose clothing she wore, his eyes stinging again. He really needed to get a hold of himself.

His attention was captured again at the sound of his name on Ritsuka's lips. Her eyes opened heavily, her hands pulling at him as she clung to him for dear life.

"Shhh." He hushed her, rocking her struggling body slightly as he continued to walk. "You're alright now."

"No!" she exclaimed, trying and failing to sit up. "He was here! It was him! I'm sure I saw..." Kakashi stopped abruptly, his eyes sharp and full of pent up rage. He placed Ritsuka carefully on her feet so that he could look directly into her eyes. He needed to know what happened right now, before he ran off blindly to kill a certain prick...

"Who was here?" His voice shook with rage, but he spoke slowly and clearly like he was under some deep stress, and was slowly failing to keep it locked up. That's when Ritsuka stopped fidgeting suddenly, Kakashi's bare chest becoming quite apparent, a blush rising dangerously to her cheeks before her mind went crazy with images, certain memories being rather more intimate than anything she had remembered before.

Ritsuka felt a fire inside burst and scorch her mind as Kakashi harshly pushed her against the bed, his lip dancing with hers in a practised rhythm. His fingers pulled and pushed at her clothing, removing it all rather quickly, his bare chest against hers sending a shiver down her spine, her mouth opening in a crazed swearing fury...

Ritsuka held onto the headboard, her knuckles turning white with the strain. Kakashi's vigorous actions stirring a heat within her that had her begging for more, her toes curling painfully as he slid in and out of her expertly.

Ritsuka sighed softly as she ran her fingers slowly down Kakashi's chest, her lips eventually joining the trail, making Kakashi's skin ripple with goose bumps. His musical laughter filled her heart as she giggled back softly, her eyes sparkling in the little light that was in the room.

Image after image filled her mind as her hands rushed to cover her cheeks.

"What did we do?!" she exclaimed, her blush deepening exponentially. "Can people do that? Why would you...?" she shakily pointed towards his nether regions, her eyes shutting as she looked away in horror.

"Ritsuka! Can we concentrate on the matter at hand please? Who was here?!" Ritsuka felt the first pang of fear of Kakashi. She wasn't afraid that he would hit her or shout at her or anything like that. It was realisation that Kakashi would probably get himself killed trying to rid the earth of Kentaro. That he would probably throw away all sense and logic to do irrational things to the excuse of a man...

"I probably just imagined it." Ritsuka didn't want to lose Kakashi, not now that she was finally beginning to understand who she was.

"You were pretty sure a moment ago." Kakashi knew she was lying. "Please, just tell me. It was Kentaro wasn't it?" Ritsuka looked deep into Kakashi's eyes, searching. What would he do? "I need to know." Ritsuka nodded slowly, her eyes never leaving his. Her fingers locked tightly around his wrists, her fear evident as tears dripped from her chin. She pulled him closer to her, until they were sharing each other's breath.

"Don't!" she coughed out after a few moments, her legs shaking with the effort to stand. "Don't go!" Kakashi stood staring back at Ritsuka, his plans coming together quickly.

"The village isn't too far off..." he whispered as he looked back towards the waterfall, his hair standing on end with the sheer electricity of his excitement. He had beaten Kentaro easily before, Ritsuka didn't need to worry.

"You don't understand! He's ridiculously strong, and can make you believe anything! He'll have you kill yourself, I think he has done it before..." Kakashi smiled sweetly.

"I could have killed him years ago, it was easy enough." He pointed at his left eye which was covered up. "The sharingan can seen his technique so it can't reach me in time." Ritsuka looked at Kakashi in awe and puzzlement. She still wasn't convinced, despite his confidence.

"Kentaro said he couldn't be defeated... that he was the best, and everyone would see eventually see that." Ritsuka cringed as memories of Kentaro's boasts hit her hard. Kakashi laughed mockingly.

"He was always such a big headed fool, but I'm running out of time so you head on back, just head straight ahead of you, and I'll join you in ten." Kakashi twisted his wrists from her grip expertly and jumped up into the nearest tree.

"No! Don't! What if he kills you? What if you're the one being big headed here?" Kakashi stood up from the branch he was resting on and looked back at her angrily.

"He ruined our lives!" Kakashi's outburst had been quite unexpected, and didn't suit his calm and bored exterior. "And now he is trying to do it again. I won't have it! If I turn my back for one second, you'll be gone again and I can't bear to spend much more of my life alone and hurting. Shall you just not sleep for the rest of your life? Or shall we just hope he simply goes away, deciding that he had been wrong and he should change his ways?" Kakashi seemed decided as he disappeared, his cutting tone having a much more devastating effect on the stumbling girl than he had realised.

Ritsuka had to act fast.

Kakashi didn't understand!

....

Kentaro cursed as he hurled the closest rock he could reach into the rushing river ahead. His nostrils flared as he kicked some surrounding stones off into the forest behind, his anger peaking. A couple of creatures flinched as he roared his fury some more, though they made sure to keep their bowed positions. He was deadly when he was angry.

"I hate him, I hate him, I HATE HIM!!" Kentaro had thrown all sensibility to the wind as he kicked and punched at a nearby tree. "I want him dead! Do you understand me?! You pathetic fucks!! I WANT HIM DEAD!! Bring me his heart before I remove yours! I don't care how you do it, JUST DO IT!!" more tantrums and inanimate objects were thrown as the two creatures left swiftly, their orders having been given.

The tallest and more bulky of the two stood on a nearby rock as he looked at his fellow command. He snorted and cleared his groggy throat, the attention of the party immediately on him.

"Our orders are to return with Hatake Kakashi's heart." His gravelly voice shook the earth as he spoke. "He is the silver haired shinobi who slaughtered our less evolved brothers, and whoever acquires him shall do with him what he will. Am I understood?" the earpiercing cry that left the creatures filled and choked the air, sending birds into the sky in their massive flocks. "We go now!"

The massive group noisily picked up their weapons, came to some kind of formation, and headed out into the thick forests, their thunderous stomping leaving deep wholes in the earth's surface.

.....

Kakashi kneeled down at the edge of the cliff, his senses picking up his surroundings. Kentaro must have been downstream or at the base of the waterfall, since he had pulled Ritsuka over the edge.

Kakashi's mind filled with memories of lonely nights, worried searches and constant regretting. He couldn't forget what one man had done to him, no matter if he had what he had been searching for back in his arms. He shouldn't have had to be searching! She should have been home. With him. Home, where they could have brought up their child together. Home where he could have held her hand when she worried about being too motherly and over bearing, talked to her about how he worried he would be the worst dad due to his past, argued over whether to put their son in a normal school or the ninja academy, talked over plans to move into a bigger house to extend their family, had plentiful hugs and kisses with the odd spout of sex...

His eyes scanned the thick green of the riverside, the spray unfortunately obscuring his vision slightly. He had to get down there, unspotted. He had to destroy all that had brought him to his knees and kept him there...

He was filing through his options as he continued to scan around, plans and ideas coming to him quickly despite being preoccupied in his inner rant, when he heard the blood curdling cry of the creatures. The sun was full in the sky, so it had been quite unexpected....

Kakashi stood from his position, his bare and very pale chest almost shining in the sun rays. He had been so caught up in revenge that he hadn't planned for anything going wrong or getting in the way. His frustration coursed through him, making him tense. He had to make sure to warn the others of a possible attack, which was his duty, and he knew that, but he also knew that once he walked away from this, he might not get another opportunity to kill his sole tormenter.

And then it hit him.

How could have been so selfish and blind?!

Thoughts and images of Ritsuka being taken, impaled, beaten, scared, lost, broken, and maybe even forced to leave against her will rushed through his mind, his legs taking control as he sped off in the direction he had came in. He hoped against hope that she was alright, and didn't hate him...

....

Ritsuka stumbled through the thickets, curses leaving her as she tripped and fell countless times, her hands and knees scraping and re-scraping with each incident. She could feel her healing wounds tear in places, all Sakura's work seeming to be ruined so quickly. She couldn't think about the rage she would have to endure when she returned, she had to stop Kakashi, though she was beginning to doubt she was ever going to catch up with him.

Ritsuka stopped dead as she heard the war cry of the black creatures echo amongst the trees, her heart skipping a couple of beats. She so didn't need this right now.

Fear pushed her on as she wobbled and staggered ahead, her legs proving to be against her immensely.

Time was of the essence, and she had wasted enough of it already.

Another installment successfully published! Yas!

So i hope everyone is still enjoying the story line... i know it may seem a bit boring so far but things are going to pick up i hope!

Well i hope to be updating more often as well, so i hope to not be keeping you waiting for too long guys!

i seem to be doing a lot of hoping hehe!

Thanks for your patience and support! XD

peace!