Chapter 21

Two Steps Back

Kakashi stared up at the faces of the shinobi gathered around him and rubbed at his temple, trying to comprehend what they were saying. From his vantage point, sitting on the ground with his back up against a tree, he watched Aoba and Raidou avoid his gaze, while Genma smirked and Iruka shuffled from foot to foot. He sighed.

"Tell me again why exactly you thought it was an acceptable idea to head back toward where we just managed to escape from?"

Iruka rubbed at the back of his head and let out a nervous chuckle. "Well – you see...we – ummm..."

Genma, meanwhile, rolled his eyes at the Academy Teacher's sudden inability to form a complete sentence and removed the ever present senbon from between his teeth. "It's simple, Kakashi - it was either bring you back – or watch you die."

Kakashi closed his eyes and shook his head. "Then you chose wrong."

"WHAT!?!" Iruka – obviously over his problem with speaking – took on a tone of utter disbelief. "How can you even think that Kakashi?!?"

He opened his eyes and fixed a hard stare at the chunin while shifting against the tree in an attempt to find a position that didn't hurt. "I didn't think I'd need to remind any of you that it would be better for everyone if I didn't fall back into Orochimaru's hands."

Iruka clenched his fists in anger. "Why do you assume you're going to end up back in his hands?"

"Think it through logically, Iruka. We are in the enemy's territory, probably outnumbered, and – quite frankly – outclassed."

Genma chuckled. "Thanks for the vote of confidence, kid."

Kakashi shifted his gaze to the jonin and frowned. "It has nothing to do with you, Genma. It wouldn't matter who was with us this time."

Genma's eyes narrowed. "What's different than any other time we've pulled your ass out of the fire, hmm?"

Kakashi took a deep breath before whispering his answer. "This time it's personal."

Iruka shook his head at him. "What's that even mean Kakashi? What makes this time personal?"

A new voice called out to them from somewhere in the trees, causing a chill to climb up his spine. "Come now – Kakashi. Why not tell them the truth?"

Kakashi snarled. "Kabuto..."

The others shifted into defensive stances in an instant – trying to find where the disembodied voice was coming from. Kabuto chuckled before speaking again – the voice seeming to come from a different location this time.

"I know you find Lord Orochimaru's hospitality lacking, Kakashi...but surely your Grandfather's attention is a better option than death."

Kakashi cringed at the comment – and saw more than one pair of eyes shift to his face in confusion. "I would choose death over that Snake-bastard's attention any day of the week!"

Iruka's quiet voice was tinged with something more than confusion. "What does he mean by your Grandfather's attention, Kakashi?"

"Later, Iruka!" He'd nearly growled the words, causing the younger man to tense.

Kabuto's chiding voice echoed through the clearing once more. "Now, now, Kakashi...there's no reason to be so upset. After all – your Grandfather misses you so much that he sent me to bring you home."

"Then you've made a wasted trip, Kabuto...because there's no way in hell I'm going back there!"

"You act like you have a choice..." Kabuto's voice sounded much closer now – but even with his sharingan activated he couldn't locate the bastard..

Kakashi painfully pushed himself up to his feet – determined not to be lying down for this. He placed one of the borrowed kunai into the palm of his hand as he harshly warned his fellow shinobi. "Watch yourselves – this bastard took out five ANBU last time we met."

Genma stepped closer to his side. "Kakashi – what the hell is he talking about?"

"It doesn't matter Genma – because I'd rather kill myself than go back there." To emphasize the point, Kakashi shifted the blade of the kunai to press against his own jugular vein.

"Kakashi! What are you doing?" Iruka's near-hysterical voice almost made him laugh.

Kabuto's voice, however, was laced with something far deadlier. "Think about what you are doing, Kakashi. If you kill yourself, you have forfeited your comrades' lives as well – because you know I will not be allowed to let them escape if I can't bring you back alive."

Genma snarled at that. "You can try, asshole. But we won't be so easy to take down!"

A moment later, Aoba and Raidou fell to their knees with painful gasps. Kakashi shifted his gaze to where the two men were lying with their hands grasped around their lower legs. Less than a moment later and Genma fell as well...an apparent victim of Kabuto's chakra blades. How had Kabuto managed to reach them without being seen? Dammit – he obviously was stronger than the last time the two met.

The laughter echoed in the clearing once more. "Oh yes – you weren't easy to take down at all, Genma."

"Dammit! Kabuto, leave them alone!" Kakashi knew he sounded desperate – but he couldn't help it.

"Then put down the kunai and give yourself up, Kakashi." Kabuto sounded as though he was whispering into his ear.

Genma's pained voice refocused his attention. "Don't you dare give in to that madman, Hatake! We all knew the risk coming into this...and we're prepared to die if we need to."

Kabuto chuckled again. "How touching! But the question isn't whether you are willing to die, Genma – but rather – is Kakashi willing to let you die when he knows he has the power to keep it from happening?"

Kakashi's breathing was coming harder now. His internal energy was starting to ebb and he had to close his sharingan to keep from using anymore chakra. He leaned heavily against the tree and tried to think of a next move that wouldn't result in the deaths of some of Konoha's finest shinobi...himself included. Before he could manage so much as a glimmer of an idea, Kabuto appeared behind Iruka and placed one glowing hand against the teacher's neck while immobilizing the chunin's arms and legs with chakra wire. The white-haired youth made certain Iruka's body was positioned so none of the injured jonin would have a clear shot at him without injuring the Academy Teacher.

Kakashi's eyes went wide at his enemy's words. "So tell me Kakashi – I can almost see how you could justify in your mind the deaths of the other jonin on a mission...but can you really just stand by and let me kill your brats' Sensei?" Kabuto chuckled. "Are you really so much like your Grandfather after all?"

Kakashi growled, even as he realized the little bastard had won. He slowly lowered his kunai and narrowed his eyes. Iruka's face showed a strange combination of fear and shock. When the chunin spoke his voice was full of emotion.

"Kakashi...is he saying Orochimaru has your Grandfather?"

Kabuto didn't allow him a chance to respond for himself. "More than that, Iruka-sensei...I'm saying Orochimaru is his Grandfather."

Kakashi watched the color fade from Iruka's face and his brown eyes go wide – and he knew in that moment that the chunin would never look at him the same way again. "You've made your point, Kabuto. Let them go... and I'll come willingly."

Again Kabuto chuckled. "Will you? Heh – perhaps you would...but I'm thinking an insurance policy might be in order all the same." He watched Kabuto shift his grip on Iruka's body until his hand pressed against the base of the chunin's ponytail. With a simple surge of chakra pushed into the base of the teacher's skull, Iruka sank into unconsciousness.

"Damn it, Kabuto! Leave him out of it!"

Kabuto shrugged and shifted Iruka's bound body over his shoulder with barely an effort. "It's far too late for that now, Kakashi. Besides – I need to get you back to Lord Orochimaru before you progress beyond Level Four – and using the sensei as an incentive seems to be the best way to motivate you."

Without another word...Kabuto turned and bounded into the night – Iruka's pony-tailed head bobbing against his back. Kakashi clenched his fists and stared down at Genma. The senbon was still lodged firmly between the man's teeth – and a fine sheen of sweat was glistening in the early evening light.

"Goddamn it Kakashi – why the hell didn't you tell us everything up front?" The jonin tried to push himself to standing, but his damaged legs wouldn't hold him and he collapsed back to the ground with a curse.

Across the clearing, Raidou and Aoba weren't doing much better. Kakashi frowned...he couldn't just leave Genma, Raidou and Aoba alone and injured in the middle of Sound territory – especially since Kabuto knew precisely where they were located, and he couldn't rely on the bastard to leave them out of this now. But he also couldn't leave Iruka to his fate alone. He turned his frustration on Genma.

"Dammit! Why the hell couldn't you idiots follow your mission orders?"

The injured jonin chuckled darkly. "Cause some jackass along the way taught us to value our comrades' lives."

Kakashi scowled at him. "Great – you had to pick now to listen to what I've said?"

Before Genma had a chance to respond, Kakashi bit down on his thumb and ran through the signs for a full summoning. It took a lot out of him – but now he was facing his full complement of nin-hounds. He wasted no time handing out his orders.

"Pakkun – head back to Konoha and get a medic team dispatched."

The brown pug nodded and answered in his gruff voice. "Right!"

"The rest of you – protect Genma, Raidou and Aoba until help arrives."

The hounds made sounds of agreement and moved to position themselves in a protective circle around his wounded comrades. Pakkun stared up at him.

"What about you, pup?"

Kakashi glanced down at the pug. "What about me?"

Pakkun growled at the stern tone he'd used. "Kakashi – your smell is off...what the hell have you gotten yourself into this time?"

"It doesn't matter Pakkun – just follow through with your mission."

The pug growled again and nipped at Kakashi's foot – not drawing blood, but definitely making his anger known. "Don't you dare give me that mission crap, pup! Now spill it!"

Kakashi's shoulders sagged under the pug's intense stare, and he glanced between Pakkun and Genma – who was being exceptionally quiet at the moment...making it clear he wasn't about to help him out. He sighed.

"Fine – Orochimaru is involved." He watched Pakkun shiver and ruffle his fur at mention of the snake.

"That explains the foul odor."

Kakashi ignored the comment and continued. "These fools tried breaking me free and now they need your help to survive while I go back and try to keep Iruka Umino from becoming another statistic. Okay?"

Pakkun's face scrunched more than normal – a look of obvious confusion settled behind those folds of skin. "Umino? The brats' Academy Teacher?"

Kakashi nodded. "That's the one."

Pakkun shook his head and then met Kakashi's gaze. "You and me are gonna have a little chat when this is all over, kid."

"I'll count the moments, Pakkun. Now move out!"

The pug snorted and then sped off in the direction of Konoha. Kakashi sighed. At least there'd be help coming for Genma and the others...that was something.

"Kakashi..."

He glanced down at the jonin. "What?"

"Be careful."

"Heh – little late for that warning, don't you think, Genma?" He smiled sadly at the man and then bounded off in the direction Kabuto had taken Iruka. All he could hope for at this point was to find some way to free the man from his grandfather's clutches. At least then he'd feel like he'd accomplished something useful.

-- --

Orochimaru stared down at the unconscious body lying in a heap at his feet. Brown hair was half in and half out of its ponytail – cascading loosely about the head, making it impossible to see the man's face. The uniform and vest marked him as a Konoha chunin – and he was bound tightly in chakra wire. Orochimaru narrowed his eyes at Kabuto...this was most definitely not who he'd sent his aide to fetch. He leaned forward in his seat, hands on his knees and his lips pulled back to reveal his fangs along with his displeasure. He allowed his irritation to color every word that passed his lips as he waved one hand idly at the chunin.

"What is this Kabuto?"

His aide pushed his wire-rimmed glasses up his nose calmly – but Orochimaru could smell the young man's fear in the air...the scent causing him to narrow his eyes further in anticipation of Kabuto's explanation. Still – the man hid that fear well as he responded with a steady voice.

"Kakashi proved to be a bit more stubborn than expected, my Lord."

Orochimaru allowed his stare to intensify and his displeasure to seep into the air around him. "So you decided to bring me a chunin instead?"

Kabuto swallowed deeply and frowned at his comment. "No, my Lord – this..." He nudged the bound man with his foot until the man was turned onto his back. "...is simply the incentive needed to ensure Kakashi's cooperation."

Orochimaru took a closer look at the captive and frowned. The man was, overall, nothing special...rather plain in fact. Of average height and build, the only noticeable feature was the long, straight scar that stretched across the tan face. He turned an icy glare toward Kabuto.

"And why – pray tell – would the Copy-ninja care if we have such a dull specimen?"

Kabuto smirked in such a way that Orochimaru's interest was actually piqued. "He was the Academy Sensei for Kakashi Hatake's current genin team...including Sasuke Uchiha."

Now that held his interest. "Ah – yes...Sasuke...I can see why this one might be important after all. I imagine the two sensei have spent hours discussing the boy's...potential."

He shifted his gaze back to the man at his feet. His serpentine tongue shot out of his mouth and traced the tanned jawline, causing the man to twitch in his sleep. Pulling that tongue back into his mouth, and licking his lips in the process, Orochimaru met Kabuto's eyes once more.

"Make sure to store our guest somewhere that Kakashi will be able to view him easily. After all – the incentive will only work as long as it is visible to my grandson."

A frown settled over Kabuto's face. "Simply stored, my Lord?"

Orochimaru caught a familiar glint in the white-haired man's eyes and allowed a satisfied smirk to cross his lips. Ah – yes – this was part of why he enjoyed having Kabuto at his side...he had a very unique view on even the simplest of tasks.

He sat back in his seat, placing his hands on the arms of the chair before smiling down on his pet. "You have a point, Kabuto...perhaps we should hold off storing him until you've had the opportunity to properly display the chunin first. Just try to keep yourself from going too far with your creativity. The man's usefulness only remains as long as Kakashi feels he is whole enough to save."

Kabuto's mouth turned up in an evil grin as he bowed low. "I'll do my best, my Lord."

Orochimaru watched Kabuto heft the chunin onto his shoulder with ease and head out of the room. He hated to admit it – even to himself – but he couldn't wait to see what creative method his apprentice would find to make sure Iruka Umino's body was the first thing Kakashi saw upon returning to the lair.