This chapter was painful to write. Literally. I cut my finger open on a piece of glass and its finally healing. So, I'm trying to catch up on the story... I'll hopefully get a new chapter in sooner. Next one will be violent.


It had only been a few hours since Kakashi left his home, although those hours were the most painful he'd ever lived. His chest was aching from both loss and anxiety. Every possible scenario of Itachi's impeding death forcefully ran through Kakashi's mind. And every ending of each tragic story left the Copy nin grabbing for his heart in some skewd attempt to hold it together. He wasn't ready to be left alone again, not when he finally let himself be loved.

Sasori led Deidara, Tobi, and Kakashi through the dark forest. They scaled the tree tops at high velocities and stopped for nothing. Kakashi, surprisingly, was at his best. Sasori could only imagine why. The Copy nin shot through the night, anticipating every move with intense focus in an effort to block out the disturbing images of Itachi. It wasn't until Kakashi broke down and lost focus as well as his footing, effectively shattering a tree with the crash, did Sasori make him slow down for his own safety.

Despite the minor set back, the four reached the safehouse in record time. They were in the Land Hidden in the Waterfall, one of the few lands that actually was hidden and one of the Akatsuki's hideouts. Sasori led them around the village, avoiding any human contact, and into a small cave behind a waterfall. Kakashi would be safe here. They hoped...

Sasori got some supplies they kept buried in a metal box outside the cave. He rolled out a few blankets and made Kakashi lay down, then sent Deidara and Tobi to set traps. Kakashi lay nearly comatose when Sasori treated the cuts and bruises he got when he crashed into the tree. He just stared broodingly at the cave wall. Sasori wasn't the best at sympathy, but he tried to cheer the Copy nin up anyway. He put a reassuring hand on Kakashi's shoulder. "Orochimaru can't win this. He's stupid for trying." The words sounded cold and calculated, even to Sasori. This was going to be harder than he thought. "Don't worry. Everything will go back to the way it was once this is over." That was a little better.

Kakashi glanced at him out of the corner of his eye. "Sasori?"

Sasori smiled. "Yes, Kashi?"

Kakashi's voice was almost empty and hopeless. "If Orochimaru finds me, don't let Itachi come after me."

The smile faded almost as quickly as it appeared. 'Damn.' Sasori sighed. "Orochimaru can't find you if he's dead."


Konan led a team of Kisame, Hidan, and Kakuzu to the Land of Sound. They were given the much desired task of killing Orochimaru. They didn't waste time getting to the ambush point. They couldn't risk the sannin getting his decrepit hands on Kakashi.

Orochimaru sat comfortably in a horse drawn carriage next to Kabuto, who was obediently attending to his every whim. The sannin thought it was adorable how the boy almost worshipped him, even if Kabuto would never let down his resentful demeanor. The Sound 4 surrounded the small carriage, but apparently didn't notice the Akatsuki lurking in the trees. Actually, they didn't seem to notice anything. Jirobo and Tayuya were arguing. Sakon and Kidomaru were chatting amongst themselves. This was going to be easy.

Too easy. Konan ordered the others to surround the carriage. She wasn't going to take any chances. Hidan dove out of a tree, soaring above the carriage, and rained down exploding kunai. The kunai encircled the group, trapping them in a wall of fire. Hidan stood impedingly in front of the group, twerling his scythe mockingly. Kisame took his side, though he wasn't so eager to flaunt his arrogance. Kisame drew the samehade, standing like a lion ready to devour its prey.

But the prey didn't move. The enemy made no effort to defend themselves or attack. Suddenly, they were staring at the pale white face of Orochimaru, smiling vehemently as he now stood on the black carriage. They were laughing. It was an eery ambiance of an off-key, manic choir, something only heard in a bad dream.

It spoke. "Aww... Poor Akatsuki." Then it laughed. "Did you honestly think I'd be this predictable?" And it sighed. "Honestly, I'm disappointed. I didn't think you'd be this easy to fool."

Kisame and Hidan stood dumbfounded. Hidan tried to retort some foul mouthed reply, but the laughing was getting louder. Soon the flames engulfed the entire carriage, the holograms included.

Konan and Kakuzu had already left. Hidan and Kisame followed.


"What if you're wrong?"

Sasori couldn't answer. But he didn't have to.

"Yes, Sasori. What if?" The voice incinerated the calming aura Sasori had tried so hard to create. The ghostly white figure remained in the shadows, but Sasori easily recognized him by his minions.

Sasori grinned. "You don't have a chance against the entire Akatsuki, Orochimaru, even with your prized body guards." He was lying through his teeth. He had no idea if they were coming.

Orochimaru laughed openly. He clearly caught the bluff. "I don't need to fight the entire Akatsuki. I just need to kill you." As if on que, Sakon and Kidomaru threw a bound and gagged Tobi and Deidara through the waterfall. The two Akatsuki members crashed on the hard, rock floor. Tobi was unconcious, seeming to be asleep in Kidomaru's prized spider webs, but Deidara was desperately trying to break free. His muffled profanities would've made Hidan blush if they could've been heard.

Orochimaru laughed again, enjoying every second of Sasori's shocked expression. "You see Sasori? It was that easy. And you're that pathetic. All I needed to do was find your precious hideout. It'd only take a fool like Jiraiya and a silly rumor to convince Pein that he needed to hide his most prized possesion. And you all fell right into my trap." The sannin gave a slight nod to his minions and they sprang into action, ever obedient like the mindless sheep they are. Kidomaru was the first to attack, arrogant as he is. He attempted to bound Master Sasori in a spider web, but only managed to trap a puppet. Sasori raised two more puppets to aid in his efforts of protecting Kakashi. The two were cornered against the cave wall, Sasori and his puppets standing protectively in front of the Copy nin. Jirobo hurled a boulder at a puppet, shattering the doll into pieces, only to have Sasori raise another. Jirobo threw two more boulders, crushing the puppets and giving Ukon just enough time to seperate from Sakon and enter Master Sasori. Ukon attacked the only living cells he could, Sasori's heart. The puppet master screamed in pain, holding his wooden hands over his chest as he struggled to breath. Kidomaru used the oppurtunity to bind Sasori in webs, including his mouth and nose. He wove the webs around Sasori's body, crushing the puppet master's wooden body.

Kakashi pushed Sasori out of the way, and before a second had passed he activated the lightening blade with every amount of chakra he had and sent Kidomaru flying into the cave wall. He then turned his attention to Sakon, allowing the chakra to cover his hand as he prepared to strike. He glanced at his comrade, writhing on the ground in agony. "Ukon. Leave Sasori's body or witness your brother's death."

Ukon did as he was told, but managed to distract Kakashi enough for Orochimaru to use the snake authority spell. Kakashi was trapped in the coils of the snakes emerging from Orochimaru's arms. The sannin tightened the hold, eventually suffocating the Copy nin and knocking him unconscious.

Tayuya lifted the demon flute to her lips. "Shall I, Lord Orochimaru?"

Kabuto walked through the cave entrance and took Orochimaru's side. "There's no time. The others will be here soon." He glanced disdainfully at the fallen Akatsuki members. "We can dispose of them later."

Tayuya sighed dissappointedly and lowered her flute.

"Lord Orochimaru?" Sakon's voice was layered with sorrow as he gazed at Kidomaru, lying limp on the ground.

The sannin nudged Kidomaru with his foot, but he was unresponsive.

"He's dead alright," Tayuya scoffed. "That's what he gets for messing around."

Sakon glared at her but said nothing.

"He can be replaced," Orochimaru replied. Not a hint of remorse was heard. "Let's go."

Jirobo threw Kakashi carelessly over his shoulder and followed his comrades, leaving Kidomaru behind.


"They have Kakashi?"

"Yes, Leader-sama. I'm sorry." Sasori humbled himself infront of Pein. He was grief-stricken, for both Kakashi and Itachi.

Itachi stood despondently in the corner. He was livid, to say the least. His black eyebrows furrowed into a scowl to compliment his glaring eyes. "I'm going after him."

Pein grabbed the Uchiha's arm before he could even take a step. "Don't be stupid. Orochimaru's counting on you to go. He'd rather have your sharingan than Kakashi's."

"I don't care!" Itachi retorted, trying to break free of his leader's grasp.

Pein pushed Itachi up against the wall. "Let me handle this. We can get him back. They're not going to kill him."

"They're going to torture him!" Itachi was showing true fear now, the most emotion any of his friends had seen from him.

Konan released Pein's grip on Itachi, trying to calm the situation. "It's best if we have a plan. If we go barging into the Sound village, someone will be killed."

Itachi knew she was right, even if he didn't want to admit it.

Konan put a comforting hand on Itachi's shoulder. "Kakashi can take care of himself for now."