Chapter 13: Gambling Odds

Rin was a horrible spy.

It wasn't that he was incapable of sneaking around or escaping notice when he wanted to. No, Kakashi was certain that wasn't the issue. There was simply a lack of subtlety in everything the other man did. He likely wouldn't know what it was if someone hit him in the face with it and even then, the point would be missed.

This wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Nothing in being a shinobi absolutely demanded subtlety, even if it was an asset to have. However, anyone could have spotted the shockingly red hair and the soft blue cloth perched in the tree branches. Orange was the only colour that would have been more obvious against the green leaves, yet Rin was high enough that most didn't even think to look up at the legs dangling feet above their heads.

Hyuuga Hiashi's patience should be infamous after spending the entire morning in his office while a random jounin kept watch from his yard.

Of course, there was still the question of why. Possible motives to this situations had managed to evade Kakashi thus far but never had he been known to give up so easily. But it wasn't as if Hyuuga Hiashi was doing anything more exciting than paperwork.

Most of his theories thus far had to do with Hiashi's position in the Council. Surveillance of Council members would traditionally mean Rin was relaying information back out of the village but the only person who had come to visit him was apparently a businesswoman from one of the minor nations. A plausible reason for concern. Kakashi didn't think it was a likely one. There was the chance Rin wanted an in with or blackmail over the Council. Better conditions for Naruto could be argued for that way or perhaps even closer familial ties.

Except that didn't seem likely either.

Rin was the sort of person who would charge into a meeting and demand those things outright.

A spike in chakra prepared him for Rin's arrival moments before he flickered into existence. "Eh, Kakashi? Why are you here?"

"I was taking a walk and decided to stop and admire Hiashi's flowers," Kakashi drawled. His shoulders rolled back as he shifted into a more comfortable perch and then he continued, "Wouldn't you agree?"

Rin stifled a laugh. "There aren't any flowers."

Someone was still sitting in the tree on the other side of the fence, bits of red and blue visible through the branches, and seemingly oblivious to the other Rin currently sitting beside him. They were identical down to their chakra signatures. Interesting; Kage Bunshin wasn't a jutsu Rin should know, even if knowledge occasionally leaked from the village.

But which one was the original?

"Aren't there? Maa, maybe it was his patience then." The corners of his eyes crinkled with his amusement which only grew with the flare of Hiashi's chakra. There was a rough, angry edge to it normally reserved for council meetings or particularly stupid subordinates. Kakashi glanced towards the side of the house. The window was wide open and their voices were being carried by the slight breeze, rather than suppressed by it. "And what brought you to the Hyuuga compound?"

"I - enjoy the view?"

Ah, it seemed he had overlooked the most important reason as to why Rin was a horrible spy.

It would be difficult to mistake his tells for anything other than what they were. Rin looked away from both Kakashi and the Hyuuga compound, his shoulders hunched to make him look smaller and induce less suspicion. A plea for Kakashi not to push the subject if he had ever seen one and it screamed of guilt.

Kakashi nodded. Pushing now would get him nowhere and so he would let it drop, at least for the moment. "It is a nice view. Perhaps I should start taking my afternoon naps here."

There was a grateful glance in his direction but Rin stayed stubbornly silent. That in itself was enough to cause concern. Rin was prone to being exceptionally articulate and his grin was almost as common to see as his voice was to hear. Yet neither of those appeared now, even though Kakashi had given him a wide opening to do just that.

Perhaps it was their location. It didn't appear as if Rin was too concerned about what Hiashi was doing in his personal office but appearances could be deceiving.

If that were really the case, however, Kakashi needed to rethink everything he knew about the Uzumaki, right from the beginning. He'd been caught off guard initially, yes. It had been a mixture of that red hair and Rin's hair, both wanting him to draw the conclusion that Rin could be trusted. But he didn't think that was the case. He was far too skilled to base this tentative trust on traits that came from people he used to know and that had been real anger a few nights ago.

"Tell me something about yourself," Kakashi requested when the silence had begun to drag on for too long.

Rin nearly fell off of the branch in surprise and he reached down to steady himself, glancing over at Kakashi with a bewildered look on his face. "What - why?"

"So suspicious. I simply want to get to know you better, Rin-kun."

"Okay," Rin said and then agreed again, "Alright. Well, what do you want to know?"

Kakashi hummed, pausing in insincere consideration. "Anything would be appreciated but I am most interested in your deep, dark secrets."

"My… deep, dark secrets?" It took a moment for Rin to regain his bearings but when he did, he laughed, warm and deep. "You should at least ask me out to dinner before you ask me to tell you things like that."

"Ah, my apologies then. Do the drinks I bought you count?"

"Definitely not," Rin fired back with a hint of a smile playing on his face.

"If you tell me now, I'll buy you dinner tonight then."

Rin hesitated, weighing his options, and then snorted. "With the team? You always treat them after a mission. I love Naruto and all but going out for ramen with three preteens wouldn't really be my idea of a romantic, post-secret telling date."

Now, there was something Kakashi hadn't heard Rin say before. It was the last piece he needed to do away with his suspicions for all that they'd lingered in the back of his mind for the last couple months.

Maybe if it had said more more obviously, there would have still been reason to worry. But that wasn't what had happened. It had been as nonchalant as saying the sky was blue.

"You love Naruto then?" Kakashi asked.

Rin stilled as his expressions were carefully wiped from his face. As if the very idea of loving someone came as a shock to him. It didn't sit right on the Uzumaki, neither the expression or the idea of him being shocked at the emotion. There were only two types of people who were uncomfortable with love. The first being those who had never been properly taught what love was like and the second being those who had been hurt by love.

There was no denying Kakashi belonged to the latter. He just didn't know which Rin belonged to, if this was his reaction to loving Naruto. Both, maybe. Just what had Rin lived through before coming to Konoha?

"I do," Rin confirmed and warmth seeped into his voice as he continued. "I hadn't really thought about it before but of course I do. He's like the kid brother I thought I'd never have."

"If only the sentiment was returned. He considers you as more of a bizarre uncle with no sense of how to act in public," Kakashi said lightly in order to keep attention away from where his thoughts had gone.

"No sense of-" Rin cut himself off, his voice strangled. "If I don't know how to act in public, what are you exactly?"

Kakashi beamed, the corners of his eyes crinkling. "His extremely talented sensei, of course."

Rin laughed it wasn't just warm but real, a note of joy hanging in the cheerful sound, then he leaned over. It wasn't more than an inch or two but it was enough for their shoulders to brush together in a familiar motion, more automatic than purposeful. Then Rin froze, even his breath catching.

It was as if a switch had been flipped. Rin moved away, the few inches between them not a message to keep his distance but a careful buffer as Rin's hands clenched on the bark of the tree branch. The cheerful conversation of two teenagers filled their ears as they walked along the path below the tree branches. This wasn't just something Rin had experienced then. There was something seriously wrong to the point where Rin was more familiar with hostile contact than friendly contact.

"You're allowed to lean on others," Kakashi murmured. "It doesn't make you weak."

"What makes you think I need anyone's help?" Rin snapped. He refused to look at Kakashi, saving his sudden anger for the side of the Hyuuga compound but there was still unmistakable tension in his jaw.

"I wonder."

A glare was directed at him, holding more hurt than anger as bright blue eyes dared him to make light of the matter. "Tell me."

"Not all injuries are of the body, Rin-kun. Carrying your skeletons on your back only sets you up to falter under their weight and as that weight grows, it becomes obvious to those around you."

"But-"

Kakashi cut him off with a soft hum. "You don't have to forget. Just allow them to be put aside from time to time, so the load can get lighter."

The anger drained out of Rin, his grip on the bark loosening and his head hung. Kakashi could almost see the gears working in Rin's mind while he processed what Kakashi had said. And eventually it came to a stop, the tension bled out of his shoulders as if a large weight had just been lifted from him. It likely had been.

However, it had taken Kakashi the better part of a decade to allow himself to come to those same conclusions.

That didn't account for the hand clasped around his wrist, warm and startling. Rin squeezed it slightly to grab his attention, as if he didn't already have it, and then jumped to the ground. Without years of training, Kakashi almost certainly would have stumbled on the landing but he managed it, even as Rin continued to tug him down the path. There was no stopping him now. Not when that hand was pulling Kakashi firmly out of his comfort zone. Not that he was doing precious little to stop it.

They must have made for a strange sight as Rin wordlessly dragged through from the Hyuuga compound and Kakashi took the opportunity to beam at strangers. Their bewildered expressions were too amusing to resist.

And he knew where they were headed.

"Naruto-kun!" Rin shouted once they reached the bridge, the sounds of bickering reaching their ears. "I want to make a bet with you."

All three of his little genin turned to face them at the same time, their argument coming to a halt. Not that it stopped Naruto and Sasuke from looking as if they were seconds from going for each other's throats. Sakura glanced away from him and Rin to look at her teammates, obviously sensing the same possible outcome.

Kakashi still stood by a bit of friendly competition being good for both of them. So long as they didn't end up actually killing each other.

Naruto's gaze locked onto Kakashi's wrist and then Rin slowly unfurled his fingers, allowing Kakashi to tuck both his hands into his pockets. Yet his skin still tingled from the touch. After all, an aversion to friendly contact was already something he knew he shared with Rin.

"Why would you want to bet against me, weirdo?" Naruto muttered.

It wasn't technically a no.

Rin grinned and his enthusiasm was catching. "I'm not going to. I want to bet that you'll become a chunin by the end of next month. Think you can manage it?"

The Chunin Exam. Rin wanted them to enter the Chunin Exam. Kakashi had been considering entering them, of course he had but none of them would make it to the third round at this point. There was still too much for them to learn; he hadn't even taught them how to walk on water yet, nevermind any of the other skills they'd need for this.

But already Naruto's suspicion had morphed into a grin, his features bright with the prospect of a challenge. It didn't matter that he'd have to fail the Exam in order to win the bet. Naruto would gladly try his hardest to lose to Rin. Kakashi sighed. Not sending in their application at this point would only set them back and he could see the interest hidden in Sasuke as well.

Kakashi couldn't bring himself to feel too badly about it.

"I'll be chunin by the end of the week, believe it!" Naruto shouted, making Sakura cringe behind him from the volume of his voice.

Then she frowned, looking hesitantly at Rin. "But, Naruto-kun…"

"What's the problem, Sakura-chan? I can definitely do this!"

Sakura squared her shoulders, not once glancing over at Sasuke for validation as she started. "Naruto-kun, you have to take a public exam in order to become a chunin. They only take place every six months in one of the five major shinobi villages, such as Konoha or Suna. The only other way to become a chunin is through a field promotion during a war."

"What do you mean?"

Sasuke forced out an irritated huff and rolled his eyes. "She's trying to say it can't happen, dobe."

"Hey-!"

And that was his cue to step in, as unfavourable as it sounded. Kakashi glanced over his shoulder and judging by the apologetic shrug he was given by Rin, his long-suffered exasperation shone through. "Maa, as it so happens, Konoha is holding the Chunin Exams next week."

That got their attention.

"Kakashi-sensei, why didn't you tell us?" Naruto whined, the sentiment reflected on his teammates' faces.

"Why? Hm, I figured you would have difficulties with the requirements." Their attention focused on him, waiting diligently for the difficult task they would surely have to complete. Well, Kakashi supposed he had to tell them something. "You have to enter as a three-person team and get permission from your sensei."

One day the three of them were going to attack him in his sleep.

He'd be so proud if they managed to do it without him figuring it out immediately. They'd have to figure out a strategy together and everything if they wanted to do it right, after all. The traps in his house had been set up long before he was a sensei.

"When I win our bet," Rin cut in before the three genin decided one day was today. He sounded far more confident about winning than Kakashi had ever felt about this team, "I want you to move in with me, Naruto-kun."

Naruto's face twisted in confusion, taken aback from the requested prize. "Why would you want that?"

"We're family, aren't we? We're supposed to stick together," Rin informed him and then added, almost an afterthought, "And maybe you could help me with this problem I've been having with my floors recently."

Naruto twitched then laughed too loudly, his guilt nearly rolling off of him in waves. Well, it seemed that was something that ran in the family. Why use subtlety when pulling pranks on long-lost family members was an option?

There wasn't even anything to suggest that Kakashi should have been surprised about these developments. He had known Kushina, after all. The woman who was widely known as the Red Hot-Blooded Habanero due to her temper. The three of them even shared the same wide, cheerful grin, the same easy confidence in what they believed in.

"I get something if you lose, don't I?" Naruto asked, a clear attempt at changing the subject. "I mean, you won't but that's how it works, right?"

Rin nodded. "Of course. You get to decide what it is."

"Then you have to teach me a jutsu from our family!"

"A family jutsu?" Naruto nodded eagerly as Rin considered it. "Well, I was planning on showing you something like that anyways to give you a better chance in the Exam but, if you want to learn it later then-"

"No! I can learn it now, I'll find something else for the bet," Naruto rushed to say, the blood draining from his face.

"How about a summons contract then for the bet?"

Kakashi frowned. It was an interesting suggestion but certainly the technique was a bit advanced for a genin. No, he pushed the assumption away. If Naruto could manage Kage Bunshin than he'd be able to handle a summons contract. "I wasn't aware Uzumakis commonly used summons," he pointed out instead.

"With only the two of us left, I don't think there has to be a set style, do you?" Rin murmured and then he held out his hand, eyes set on his cousin.

Naruto took it without trepidation, the deal set between them.

Kakashi's gaze lazily wandered up to the sky, half-heartedly marking the time. "Ah, it seems we're late. Client-san wanted their dog walked half an hour ago."

The subject wasn't fighting against his restraints. Good. The most recent mix of sedatives and dehydration had been effective then and he could move onto the next round of tests. No more trial and error for something as simple as preventing his subject from moving through restraints. Or around them, was likely a more apt description given the particular separation and joining of molecules involved in the process.

On the other hand, that meant the Hozukis weren't as invulnerable as he'd believed them to be. According to his original estimates, it would have taken at least another month before he'd perfected a proper method of restraint, no matter how tedious it had been. The subject was a failure when it came to the larger project then. It was no problem. There were at least another five experiments he could use these particular skills in, including a cure for Kimimaro's illness if the most recent one wasn't effective.

However, it was a shame that these preemptive measures led to a lack of consciousness in the subject. This Hozuki boy was nothing short of a temperamental spitfire.

"Orochimaru-sama," came a murmur from the door, drawing his attention briefly to the low hum of chakra.

The scalpel was a few degrees off of freezing as an extra precaution. "Shouldn't you be in Konoha, Kabuto-kun?"

"They won't miss me for a couple days. My grandmother fell ill unexpectedly," Kabuto said.

"The subject's heart rate remains steady. An improvement from previous tests," Orochimaru murmured to himself and then he absentmindedly turned his attention towards the spy. "And what encouraged you to risk your position now?"

Kabuto hesitated. Amusing. The careful servant was not a role Kabuto usually went for, not when the boy's own enjoyment of scheming could be at the forefront. Something unexpected must have happened. Likely without an explanation, reasonable or not, and yet Kabuto still felt the need to report directly to him when a missive would have been enough. The story of sick family members only worked for so long when a bit of searching would reveal that Kabuto had never had family to begin with.

Then again, Sarutobi would likely come up with some ridiculous excuse. The need to look into Konoha shinobi had been yet another matter they disagreed on.

His subject's flesh broke under the weight of his scalpel. A little too much give, he might have to fiddle with this combination as well if this continued. Too many sedatives, perhaps, and not enough dehydration. Twelve hours without water might be more effective than the eight he'd currently ordered. And if that was yet another failure then he might just have to accept that as the price he paid to keep the subject restrained. There was so much of the Hozukis' biology he had yet to discover.

"It's Konan," Kabuto finally admitted.

The admission took a moment to place but when Orochimaru did manage to do so, he frowned. "I don't imagine she has much interest in you."

"I doubt she's aware I've infiltrated Konoha. No, she was in direct contact with someone in the village for most of the morning last Tuesday before she concluded her business elsewhere and left the village an hour before the gates closed for the night."

Curious.

Yet nothing short of irritating.

The skin had sealed back together during his brief distraction. There was hardly even a line where he had made the incision despite the subject's current state of dehydration. A factor must have been missed during his research. Perhaps it was their location; there was theoretically enough water in the air to allow the subject limited regenerative abilities but he had dismissed it at an earlier stage. If that were really the case than he would be forced to transfer Hozuki to one of their warmer climate bases.

Of course, such a hypothesis couldn't be proved without significant testing first. The scalpel buried deeper into the subject's flesh with the second cut and the skin was pinned away from the incision. A temporary solution, at best.

"Who did she contact?" Orochimaru mused absently. The spy had a lot of speaking to do if he wanted to convince him this was an important enough situation to risk his cover so close to the Exams. "I doubt she would have left Ame for nothing, not even with the collapse of Pein's rule."

"Uzumaki Rin. It also seems she's taken an interest in the Uchiha boy's teammate."

Naturally. "The jinchuuriki have always been of interest to the Akatsuki."

The incision was closing again. It nearly appeared to be fighting against the measures Orochimaru had already put in place instead of either healing around the pins or forming new skin. Interesting. Was there a pre-set idea of what the subject was meant to look like? Or perhaps there simply wasn't enough water in the subject's body to regenerate new tissue so easily.

At least the rejection of foreign material - the pins, in this situation - had been previously predicted. It would just be a matter of testing if that only applied to metal or if the same reaction would be achieved with other materials as well.

"No," Kabuto admitted. "The girl. Haruno Sakura."

That managed to catch his attention. There were plans for the Uchiha boy and he wasn't about to let Konan come between them. "She is insignificant, is she not?"

"She is. Her relationship with the Uchiha is shaky at best and she displays no unusual abilities herself. I believe she approached Konan first, however their conversation sparked Konan's interest enough that Akatsuki sources in the area have been asked to give periodic updates on the girl."

"And the Uzumaki?" The bloody scalpel was placed on the tray, only for him to pick up the freshly sanitized scissors. Perhaps he could force the subject to regenerate new tissue by removing a piece of skin entirely. "I was unaware anyone other than Konoha's jinchuuriki was operating under that name."

Kabuto hummed, soft and knowing. "He only arrived in Konoha two months ago. I thought it practical to avoid him."

"Due to ANBU supervision, yes. You've always been too unwilling to accept data you haven't gathered directly."

"I apologize, Orochimaru-sama, but-"

"But? I doubt this Uzumaki has been isolated and asking questions is the reason you were sent to Konoha, was it not? It would be such a shame if you were suddenly found incapable of doing your job after years of such loyal service." The scissors were set back down, still just as pristine as they had been moments before, and Orochimaru turned to stare at his spymaster, waiting to see what he would do.

Kabuto only managed to hide his gaze, head bowed in false submission, for a matter of moments. They were inconsequential in the long term but it certainly gave the impression of what Kabuto believed Orochimaru wanted to see out of his subordinates.

As if he would miss the silent challenge there when their eyes finally met. Interesting. That hadn't been present when Kabuto had left for Konoha, at least not without a scalpel in one hand and a subject restrained for further testing. Something in Konoha must have influenced this or else it had been lying in wait. More data would be required to come to a conclusion on that but Orochimaru couldn't exactly say he was displeased by this development. Amused was more accurate.

"Is there something you wish to say, Kabuto-kun?" he asked.

His foolish spymaster took his blatant amusement as a challenge and stood a little taller. "Orochimaru-sama, I was simply wondering if you should go ahead with the plan. Your hold over Otogakure is still new and with the tenuous situation in Ame, Iwa and Kumo may not stick to their pre-established alliances."

Ah, the flagrant musings of a newly proud shinobi.

One with no eye for strategy either.

Orochimaru's finger tapped against the metal tray once, twice, and then once again. The sudden show of backbone was a quality that would be interesting to grow, however he still needed his shinobi loyal. That would be unattainable if he allowed his subordinates to so openly question his plans.

The snake in the corner of the room lifted its head in a silent question. It had been dozing there, drawn to the relative warmth underneath the table that the rest of the room lacked. His gaze flickered back over to Kabuto and then the snake moved with startling accuracy, its thick coils tightening around the spy's leg. That would have been enough to show his displeasure but neither was he about to deny anyone a little bit of fun.

And if the little spy wished to become more powerful, he would have to learn that there were consequences to each of his presumptions.

"And who do you think Iwa and Kumo would back instead?"

Kabuto swallowed. His gaze was pinned to the snake's head as it slowed to a stop around his shoulders. "Nobody."

A smirk tugged at the corners of Orochimaru's lips. "Correct. It would take a lot more than this for them to come to Konoha's aid. However, I'm… curious as to your previous reasoning."

"I-"

"Hm?"

Kabuto's breathing faltered as the snake's coils tightened around him. There would be bruises almost as soon as the pressure was relieved. Nothing damaging but they would linger well into the weeks ahead without the care Kabuto was certain to administer to himself.

Another tap. Two, one, two.

The coils loosened and then the snake moved over Kabuto's shoulder to retreat back underneath the table, the impressive length of its body following after it for several seconds. It took just as long for Kabuto's legs to give out underneath him and he was brought down to one knee. There was a touch of green to his fingertips, almost unnoticeable. As if Orochimaru was so unobservant to miss these changes in his ward. Then Kabuto stood again, his legs shaking but his back tall.

"I'm waiting, Kabuto-kun."

"It's irrelevant, Orochimaru-sama," the spy murmured. "I shouldn't have questioned your judgement in this matter."