Chapter 14

Past and Present

Wolf pushed open the door to another room and paused to breathe the scents in. A low growl escaped his lips when he smelled the foul stench he'd come to associate with Akuma. He stepped farther into the room and focused on the other odors present. There was an antiseptic layer under everything which confirmed his initial thoughts that this was a medical wing of the complex. In addition, he smelled fear...and death.

Had someone beat him to the kill? Wolf frowned and took another deep breath...no – Akuma's scent was too fresh – and the smells of death seemed far older.

He walked to the back of the room and was drawn to one of the beds lining the wall. Again he felt the scents were familiar – and he closed his eye to help block out his other senses while trying to place it. A cold chill ran down his spine as visions of his drug-induced breeding session jumped to the front of his mind. He snapped his eye open. So – his task was made easier as it appeared his loose ends were now traveling together.

Wolf noticed a few of Locust's beetles crawling across the bedsheets and he turned to see the man crossing to his side.

"Were you kept in this room, Wolf?"

"No."

Locust recalled his beetles, and after a moment of silence where Wolf guessed the man was communicating with those insects, he asked the question that Wolf knew was coming.

"They found a chakra was here not long ago which is very close to your own. Why would that be?"

Wolf scowled. "How many distinct signatures did they find?"

Locust conferred in silence. "Two."

Wolf frowned. He knew he'd been 'serviced' by at least six women. What of the other four?

The 'medic' stepped forward with a chart clutched in his hand. The scar across his nose crinkled while his brow was creased. His brown eyes looked from the papers in his hand to Wolf and then back again. Wolf let his annoyance show clearly in his visible eye.

"What do you want, medic?"

The man's face reddened in something other than anger while he replied, pushing the chart into Wolf's hand. "This details the results of the 'Hatake Breeding Program' up to this morning. Of the six initial fertilizations, only two have remained viable. These two were being carefully monitored to ensure the fetuses remained stable."

Wolf flipped through the chart and then tossed it in a trash bin. With a bit of difficulty, thanks to his splinted arm, he made the symbols needed to provide a small burst of fire and efficiently destroyed the records. He turned back and saw the 'medic' glaring at him. Wolf raised his eyebrows.

"What's your problem, Sensei?"

"Are these the 'loose ends' you were talking about?"

Wolf narrowed his eyes. "So what if they are?"

The teacher's eyes went wide and he turned redder still. "What were you planning to do if they had been here?"

"That's not your concern."

The teacher narrowed his eyes and grabbed Wolf's shirt in his fists. "What kind of animal are you? Those are your children we're talking about!"

Wolf felt the rage boil up within him – and from one breath to the next, he'd released himself from the fool's grasp and pinned the man to the wall with his splinted arm under the teacher's chin – while his other hand held the blade of a kunai pushed against the tan neck. He narrowed his eye and growled.

"I was nothing but a sperm donor...and they are nothing but walking incubators...something I intend to correct!"

He pushed the blade against the skin until a thin trickle of blood could be seen. "And you will not keep me from that task."

The teacher's eyes widened to impossibly wide proportions, and his hands tried to push Wolf away. Crow's voice in his ear kept Wolf from continuing the blade's movement.

"Wolf – let him go!"

He kept the fool pinned to the wall and pushed the blade in a bit more. "I told you all to stay out of my way."

Crow moved into his peripheral view and crossed his arms. "Fine...but you're going to have to submit the paperwork on why the Hokage's hand-picked support personnel didn't make it back to the village."

The teacher shifted his desperate gaze toward Crow. "WHAT!?!"

Wolf scowled and dropped the man to the floor. "He's just lucky I don't like to do paperwork."

He turned and walked out of the room.

-- --

Tsunade leaned back in the chair across from Ibiki and ran her hands through her hair. She turned her gaze from the thick folders scattered across the man's desk to the interrogator. She didn't have to say a word before Ibiki sighed and walked over to a cabinet against the far wall. The man withdrew two small cups and a bottle of premium sake. He came back to the desk and filled the cups before setting the bottle down and claiming the second chair at the desk. He handed one of the cups to Tsunade and then took the other for himself. She stared into the clear liquid for a moment before downing it in one gulp and then reaching for the bottle to refill it.

To her surprise, Ibiki matched her drink for drink until half the bottle was gone. Only then did the two turn their attention back to the disturbing records laid out across the wood surface. She shuddered when her eyes took in the photo of Gai lying in a pool of blood at the base of the Hokage Monument. She pushed it aside and read the details of his injuries – from the broken bones – to the ruptured lung – to gouges in his arms made, according to the report, by Wolf's fingers as he struggled to break free of Gai's hold.

She took another drink and found more photos of similar scenes...some less severe – a few as bad...and one...one that was far worse. She wasn't able to tell who the shinobi was under all the wounds and blood. She lifted her head to see Ibiki's haunted eyes and she had the sinking feeling she knew who it was after all.

As though reading her mind, Ibiki's deep voice filled the silent room. "I was in the hospital for three weeks on life support after that little encounter with Wolf."

Tsunade knew her eyes went wide at the implication. "Why didn't the Third Hokage imprison Kakashi after this?"

Ibiki drank another cup down and reached for the bottle. She noticed his hand shook a bit while he refilled the drink. "It wasn't Kakashi." He met her eyes and she would have sworn she saw a touch of fear there. "It was Wolf."

Tsunade narrowed her gaze. "Don't give me that line, Ibiki. He could have killed you!"

The man ran a hand over the back of his neck. "But he didn't Hokage – and that's what mattered at the time."

She shook her head. "I never knew the brat had gotten this bad."

Ibiki chuckled darkly. "He didn't make it easy for any of us by being so much of a damned loner. None of us noticed the signs until it was too late."

He leaned forward and pulled another folder out from under the stack, flipping it open to a detailed analysis of Kakashi's Wolf persona. He stuck one thick finger to a particularly intriguing entry.

"Kakashi was sent on an un-classed ANBU mission shortly after the Kyuubi was sealed into Naruto. At the time – he was the only available operative with the skill-set needed to infiltrate the target's base. What none of us realized at that time was that he was sent into a situation where he was vastly outnumbered and outclassed. And at the time - the death of the Fourth made him more mentally unstable than we could have known. "

He paused to drink deeply again. "We were all so preoccupied with recovering from the Beast's attack, and the loss of the Fourth Hokage, that it was weeks before any of us recognized that Kakashi wasn't back yet. Once we could afford the manpower to mount a retrieval, we headed out – figuring we'd only be bringing back proof of his death."

Tsunade looked over the report while Ibiki continued to speak, flipping through the papers until she came across a photo of Kakashi when he was finally brought home. She couldn't help but shiver at the wild, savage expression on Kakashi's face.

"He was found in the lower room of the enemy's hideout. He was undernourished – nearly starved – and he was crouched in a corner like a wild beast – covered in blood and other bodily matter that's better left unsaid. There were chains on his wrists and ankles, and more cuts and bruises than I'd ever seen in all my time in T&I."

Ibiki placed his hand on the photo she was fixated on. "Lady Tsunade – he was only fourteen – just shy of fifteen – when that photo was taken. What they did to him – I still don't know the full extent of – but he survived it by becoming his ANBU persona – body and soul. We had to spend months trying to find Kakashi within the recesses of his mind. And there were many times when we almost gave up."

Tsunade looked up into the face of the man she'd come to consider unbreakable. "What kept you from doing it, Ibiki?"

The man smiled – as much as he could with the scars criss-crossing his face. "Because even at his worst – Wolf still didn't kill anyone from Konoha."

She frowned. "Was that because of his own free will, Ibiki? Or because someone was there to stop him?"

"Until that final day, I'd have thought like you do...that it was because of others being there. But the night he attacked me, there was no one else there. He had my life in his hand. But when his eyes locked on mine, he seemed lost and frightened – not homicidal. In that moment when my life hang in the balance he held back the final blow and collapsed with a heart-rending scream. He took me in his arms – brought me to the hospital – and turned himself over to the Police Force until the Yamanaka family could find a way to help him."

Tsunade whistled through her teeth. "How could he have been allowed to return to duty after that?"

Ibiki shrugged. "Times were different after the Fourth was gone. We had lost so many of our force that we couldn't afford not to have the Copy-ninja in the field. But he was not allowed on solo missions again for nearly a full year – and was required to check-in with T&I after every mission."

"With the help of the Uchiha and Yamanaka clans, we managed to find a way to lock that persona into the far recesses of his mind. I don't think I want to know what he's been through if Wolf's broken loose again."

Tsunade glanced back down at the photos of Ibiki's injuries. "He did this to you when he was fourteen?"

Ibiki frowned. "No. He was eighteen when that happened."

She met his eyes. "How often has Wolf come out?"

He sighed. "It's only been twice. Well – three times if you count this occurrence."

Tsunade pinched the bridge of her nose trying to stop the headache that she knew no amount of sake would mask. "Ibiki – I want an honest answer – do you think you can bring Kakashi back a third time?"

There was silence for a few minutes. It was clear Ibiki was putting some thought into his answer, and Tsunade wasn't sure if that was a good sign...or a bad one.

"Lady Tsunade...I don't know the answer. I'll have no way of knowing until I see him for myself." He frowned again. "But based on Bear's initial report,even if we can bring him back, it won't be easy."

Tsunade leaned back in the chair. "And if you can't bring him back?"

His expression grew grim. "I'm not sure we'll be able to stop him using conventional means."

"Damn that brat!" She leaned forward and narrowed her eyes. "Ibiki Morino – prepare whatever you need to bring with you. You will meet up with the Retrieval Squad and make your assessment of Kakashi Hatake's mental state. If, by your exam, you feel there is no way to safely suppress Wolf's personality, you are authorized and ordered to terminate the ANBU Wolf by any means necessary."

"Yes, Hokage. I'll leave by sunrise."

She nodded, rose, and left Ibiki in his office before he could see the tears in her eyes.

-- --

Crow looked down at Iruka and sighed. He squatted next to him and tried to check the wound on his neck. Iruka flinched and stared wildly at him, his hand pressed against his throat. Great! The last thing he needed was another mentally unstable member of this team. He pushed his mask to the side and slid a senbon between his teeth. He hoped that if he didn't look entirely like his ANBU self that it might put the Academy Teacher at ease.

"Iruka...are you okay?"

The brown eyes narrowed. "Why? Are you afraid of paperwork too?"

Genma cringed. He should have seen that one coming. "Listen 'Ruka, would you rather I just let him slice your throat?"

Iruka's fingers lifted away from his neck, allowing Genma full view of the angry wound that, even now, was weeping fresh blood. "You already did!"

"Shit!" Genma reached in his pouch for a cloth and some antiseptic. He slowly lifted them toward Iruka's neck – keeping focused on the man's eyes. "Let me clean it up, okay?"

Iruka's eyes closed, but he didn't pull away – although Genma felt his muscles tense a bit when he made contact. Once the blood was cleaned off, he was able to get a better look at the damage. He frowned. Wolf had meant business – the angry slash was headed straight for an artery – and Genma didn't want to think about what might have happened if he hadn't interrupted when he did.

Iruka's quiet words made him frown deeper. "He really would have killed me, wouldn't he?"

Genma sighed as he applied a few butterfly closures to pull the skin back together again. Stitches would have to wait for later. "Yeah – he probably would have."

Iruka's eyes opened and Genma saw they were moist with unshed tears. The man's words were barely above a whisper. "I don't think I like Wolf very much."

Genma allowed a small smile to play over his lips. "Yeah – nobody does."

He placed some of the salve along the wound to ease the pain and fight off infection, then he stood and offered his hand to Iruka to help him back up. Once he was on his feet again, the Academy Teacher frowned .

"Genma – I never meant to push him that far." He looked down for a moment and then he snapped his head back up to meet Genma's gaze with a fierce stare. "But I won't let him kill those babies!"

Genma placed a hand on Iruka's shoulder and gently squeezed. "I know, Iruka. And if it's in our power to stop him, we won't let him kill them either."

A faint smile on the Teacher's lips let Genma know that Iruka would be okay. He put his senbon back in its pouch, and slipped his mask back over his face with a sigh. He couldn't quite explain it – but he found it easier to deal with Iruka without his ANBU persona getting in the way – somehow, he felt more human.

He turned to lead the way toward where Wolf headed and found himself hoping that perhaps Iruka would be able to spark some small bit of humanity in Wolf as well – although if the wound on the Teacher's throat was anything to go by – he doubted it very much.

-- --

Shikamaru watched silently while Crow broke the combined team into three distinct groups – mixing ANBU with chunin and jonin. The first group consisted of Gai, Lee, Izumo, Bear and Lizard, and were given the task of heading toward Konoha and bringing back Ibiki as quickly as possible. The second group contained Kotetsu, Ten-ten, Mouse and Badger, and were being sent to a coastal village to retrieve someone by the name of Chuutetsu – a medic by the sounds of it – and someone Iruka-sensei seemed anxious to confer with regarding Kakashi's splinted arm. The third group held the remainder of the team...himself, Iruka-sensei, Crow, Locust, Wolf, Neji and Raidou. Their task was a little less specific. In fact, Shikamaru only knew that they needed to support Kakashi...no...Wolf in whatever twisted mission was in the man's mind. He still wasn't entirely sure what exactly that might entail...but by the tension Iruka-sensei and Crow were exhibiting, it couldn't be good.

The three groups headed out immediately after being formed, and Shikamaru couldn't help but notice the looks of apprehension that Gai-sensei sent Wolf's way when the spandex-wearing man was certain the other wasn't looking. This was the most subdued he'd ever seen the normally boisterous Gai, and it was enough to set everyone around the man on edge. It likely had to do with what Raidou had filled him in on earlier – and not for the first time, Shikamaru wondered just how much different Wolf must be from Kakashi-sensei to set so many experienced jonin on edge.

His group started off a moment after the others left. Shikamaru was placed in the center of the group – running alongside Iruka-sensei. Behind them were Raidou and Neji, while just in front of them were Crow, Wolf and Locust. They were following a small swarm of Locust's insects – who'd seemed to be locked onto the chakra pattern of their target.

Shikamaru frowned. He never enjoyed going into a situation blind – it made the outcome far too unpredictable for his liking. He shifted his focus to Iruka-sensei. He was favoring his left leg – although he tried not to show it – and the bandages covering that injury were showing more than a bit of blood seeping through them. And then there was the slice across his throat which was currently being held together with butterfly bandages, even though it was obvious the injury needed to be stitched in order to heal effectively.

The Academy Teacher's body language screamed about just how angry and uncomfortable he was with the current situation – and somehow, seeing his former sensei is such a state made Shikamaru that much more uneasy with this leg of the mission. Add to it the fact that Kakashi-sensei didn't seem to recognize him...and Shikamaru's own anxiety was rising steadily higher. Although it was liable to be troublesome, he needed to find out more information if he was going to be able to help in the long run.

"Iruka-sensei, can I ask you a few questions?"

Shikamaru noticed how the older chunin's muscles tensed farther before he turned his head to face him. He also noted how his former sensei winced as that movement pulled across his neck injury. The smile on his face somehow seemed less sincere than normal.

"Ask away, Shikamaru."

"Where are we headed?"

He saw a frown settle on the tanned face for a moment before the fake smile returned. "Wolf has a lead on a few loose ends that he needs to track down before we can head home."

Shikamaru considered the words carefully, taking into account Iruka-sensei's tone and body language before he asked his next question. "Are we going along to help clean up those loose ends – or to keep Wolf from doing just that?"

Iruka-sensei's eyes went wide, and that reaction alone was enough for Shikamaru to know he'd hit the mark. He watched the man's hand shake ever so slightly when he reached up to rub at the back of his neck.

"Shikamaru, I won't lie to you. There's a very good chance this mission will not be pleasant." He glanced toward where the three ANBU members continued racing ahead and then turned back toward him and sighed. "That man wants to erase what happened...but the cost in my opinion would be too high."

Shikamaru was about to ask more, when Wolf appeared between them, startling them both. "Then it's a good thing your opinion doesn't count, medic. Concentrate on staying quiet before you give us all away!"

With that, Wolf returned to the front and Shikamaru and Iruka diligently stayed silent. Still, Shikamaru's mind kept going over Iruka-sensei's words and actions in his mind...and it left him with a most unsettling fear that not everyone would make it out of this one alive. He pushed that thought aside and tried to concentrate on how Wolf and the others moved. The more information he could gather – the better all their chances of survival would be after all.