E.H.

…I know…I know… You can tar and feather me after you read this chapter! I will even stand before the vat of hot tar and under the pail of feathers. It's been such a long wait that I'm feeling rather sheepish and well…horrible for not updating sooner. I promise, it wasn't intentional. Life slam-dunked in my lap with a whole slew of interesting new turns. I am working through the ups and downs of starting a new job; my first year anniversary with my husband was on Sunday (Yahoo!); and I took a much needed vacation with family. Then to top it all off…I had writer's block. Which sucked. If it weren't for that man I mentioned earlier giving me some really great ideas…I couldn't have gotten this written. I hope this is well worth the wait though! Without any further ado or blathering…

Rated T for Violence
Scent Metamorphosis:
Change

Kakashi had taken several solo missions throughout his career. The hardest ones always ended with him injured on his floor, licking his wounds instead of dealing with hospitals. He'd rarely come across missions that became botched so badly. The current mission was a horrible mess. All he'd been asked to do was to help some high-to-do cross the border through River Country to deliver a treaty message from Iwagakure to Konohagakure and back. Everything had gone smoothly…at first. It'd taken a turn for the worse when his mission's objective became no longer necessary. The messenger he'd been assigned to escort wandered out of Kakashi's sight for a 'bathroom break'. He tried to warn the man to stay within earshot. The fool wandered out of sight and just far enough that when a highly trained group of nin attacked, he only had a moment to notice that something wasn't right. His assignment was murdered easily. He'd followed the scream. Hence his predicament. Kakashi was by no means an amateur by any standards. He fought off the group of unknown shinobi. Then another wave came down upon him. It wasn't until half way through the third wave that it occurred to him they didn't want him dead. In fact, they didn't even seem to care about any scrolls the messenger had. They were after him.

Exhausted and out of energy, Kakashi stumbled over dead bodies into the thicket and leaned heavily upon a tree. He cursed his luck as he tried to fight the paralysis agent they'd coated their weapons with. It wasn't poisonous enough to kill him; but it sure as hell was slowing him down. Even with his sharingan. He felt an odd, almost out of place tingle move slowly up his spine. He turned too slow and watched with blurred vision as figures emerged from the undergrowth. He raised his arm with kunai in hand. His arm had to have weights attached for him to move so slowly. A laugh sounded from somewhere to his right that was garbled as though it was underwater.

"Finally. We have our hands on the famous Copy Ninja." Kakashi frowned and opened his mouth to retort when pain exploded throughout the back of his head. The only thing he could think of was why the hell couldn't the paralysis agent dull pain too?

…..

Sakura opened the door to the Hokage's office. She had an armful of reports that Tsunade needed to look over. As she stepped inside, she paused as a loud smashing sound met her ears. Her vision snapped to the Hokage's desk with shock. Normally she'd suspect a certain blonde knucklehead would be the cause of such an outburst and flying out the wall by now. She was stunned in silence when she saw that it was Shikamaru instead, standing before the older woman.

"What do you mean we've lost contact with Hatake?!"

"A squad was sent out from Wind to meet up with them. When they didn't meet at the rendezvous, they followed the pathway back and came across the messenger's body. Hatake Kakashi was nowhere to be seen. Wind is questioning if it wasn't entirely…accidental."

"Kakashi-sensei wouldn't do that! He'd never betray our village!" Sakura blurted before she could think. Both sets of eyes snapped to her. She bowed her head apologetically at Tsunade before meeting Shikamaru's gaze. "You know he's one of the best Konoha has to offer, Shikamaru! Surely you can convince Temari-san of this!"

"It's not Temari that needs convincing, Sakura. It's not even Gaara. It's the council there. If they call Gaara to act, he'll have to listen." Shikamaru sighed and rubbed his neck.

"Damnit!" Tsunade slammed her palms against the desk again before shoving away from the splintering wood to look out the window. She clasped her hands behind her back and glared outside the tower. "This wasn't supposed to be so damned complicated!"

"Tsunade-sama, I'm volunteering to go and retrieve Kakashi-sensei."

"Sakura, do you really think it's a good idea to just go guns blazing—"

"I'll assign you a team, Sakura. Do whatever you feel necessary. If it turns out that bloody bastard did something entirely stupid, I have a feeling that you'll be the only one able to successfully bring him back here." Tsunade stated, turning to look at her apprentice.

"When can we leave?" Sakura ignored the annoyed look from Shikamaru.

"As soon as you assemble Kiba, Hinata, and Neji. They are the best tracking ninja I have available at the moment. Here…" Tsunade grabbed a scroll and scribbled out hastily the command from her for the mission. "Show this. It will help silence any issues that they may have."

"Hai!" Sakura took the scroll and bowed. She turned and headed for the door. She paused and looked back. "And Naruto…?"

"I think we both know what's for the best. But then again, we know him best. Try to discourage him the best you can."

"Got it."

….

"All right. We'll make camp here for the night." Neji stated as they came to an easily defendable grotto in the woods near the borderline of Fire Country. Naruto dropped his pack and flopped down on his back in the mossy bed.

"Ahhhh…" He breathed and shook his head. "Ne, Neji! Why are you such a hard-ass about traveling?"

Neji rolled his eyes and started to prep the camp-site. "Because, caution is a ninja's best friend."

"This is also the most recent path that we could pick up of Kakashi-sensei's scent." Kiba added with a grunt as he and Akamaru sat as well. Hinata shifted nervously with flickering glances at the Kyuubi holder.

Sakura ignored them all and stood off to the side, preparing her own bed roll and camping area. She was working on autopilot as her brain buzzed and whirred with so much information. The piece that kept bothering her the most about her thoughts was the way her heart had stopped when Tsunade and Shikamaru had mentioned Kakashi's disappearance. Something in her had wound up so tightly that she could scarcely breathe. She hadn't felt something like this for anyone else; not even when Sasuke-kun left. She frowned as she thought over the worry and insomnia that had seemed to creep over here for the past three days straight. Naruto kept asking her if she was all right, but she'd shrug it off and pretend to be pissed off at him. Or she'd take whatever he was asking the wrong way on purpose just to snap or bark at him in order for him to leave her alone. She glanced up as the other female in their group approached. Hinata crouched down beside her with a soft smile that was as nervous as it was kind.

"A-are you doing okay, Sakura-chan?"

Sakura couldn't play the same game on Hinata that she could on Naruto. She smiled at the girl and shrugged. "What would you feel like if this were Kurenai-sensei?"

"…lost. A-and scared. Angry. L-lots of things, I'm sure. I-I know he's not a traitor, Sakura-chan. K-Kakashi-sensei isn't that kind of person."

"I know that; Naruto knows that. But…what if—"

"I-If you begin to think like that, then you've lost hope. Hope is the one thing as ninja…we can't lose." Hinata glanced over at the loud-mouthed blonde who'd started up an argument with Kiba. Sakura followed her gaze and nodded.

"You're right."

"Just don't k-keep it all to yourself, Sakura-chan." Hinata touched Sakura's shoulder lightly before rising. Sakura turned.

"Hey, Hinata…why don't you set up your sleeping roll next to mine? I can't imagine snoring boys can be too grand to sleep next to."

Hinata stifled a giggle behind her hand before nodding. The dark haired teen headed for her bed roll and travel pack. Sakura sighed and sat back, a little more content. The upside was she and Hinata could at least start to work on a friendship. They'd always been…friendly acquaintances; nothing more. It was something Sakura regretted. Not being able to get to know the girl better. She'd be remedying that.

…..

If there was one thing Kakashi hated more than being fairly helpless and restrained…was cliché. He was doubly thankful for his mask, no matter how stifling hot it was to wear it now. The dank, sweaty, musty scent of the executioner's hood that was placed over his head was bad enough when filtered through his mask. He didn't want to imagine how much worse it'd be without the mask; especially with his heightened sense of smell in the first place. A putrid smell coursed near him through the mask. He cringed mentally and scrunched his nose in the effort to lessen the horrid stench. Why didn't thugs ever bathe? Really? Come on now! It wasn't that hard to jump in a freaking lake and scrub a little! He sighed as the footsteps came to a standstill before him. He mentally groaned.

"Ready to talk?" Growled from somewhere in front of Kakashi. He rolled his eyes. The man's deep, gravely tone was undoubtedly from too many years smoking. If only the smoke on his clothing could cover up the terrible odor he permeated.

"Ready to take my suggestion and bathe?" He countered with his signature smile obvious in his tone. Even if Kakashi hadn't heard it coming, the man was too highly predictable and easy to piss off. The backside of the man's hand crashed into his right cheek. Another bruise to add to his collection! Oh goody! He snorted at the man's attempt to make him 'talk'.

"You really dunno what's good fer ya, do you?"

Kakashi heaved a heavy, disappointed sigh. "Whatever happened to good conversation? Hm? Did it die along with hygiene?" Another hit; Kakashi had to give the idiot credit for that one. It actually hurt more than usual that time.

"Boss's gettin' real mighty tired of your B.S."

"Well fancy that. Looks like I can finally agree with you lousy boys on something."

The man decided it was time to kick Kakashi. The pain wasn't bad enough to make him flinch, but it did cause him to clench his teeth painfully. He relished the moment the man left the room. He leaned his head back and blew out a slow breath to test his ribs. A particular discomfort that made his breath hitch was met his attention. Probably broken. He ignored the flaring throb and leaned back forward on his knees a bit more. Days on his knees definitely wasn't going to be too good for the idea of running. Then again, that was the point. He couldn't really feel his legs much anymore. They were either consistently numb, asleep, or pulsing. He was rather content with numb at the moment. He shifted a little. His restraints were rather intense for mere thugs. The chakra draining cuffs were biting into his wrists and ankles. He sure as hell couldn't wait to get them off. He'd learned the hard way that they were very well crafted. They not only drained one's chakra but if they attempted to use chakra to remove them or fight even slightly, they shot the very same nature of chakra back into one's system in the unfriendly way. To put it lightly, lightening nature really fucking hurt. He could almost sympathize with his victims now. Almost. There was a slight edge of grim satisfaction that came to him knowing that he'd inflicted ten times worse on some really bad people. That alone would bring a small smirk to his lips. He closed his eyes and began reciting from heart his Icha Icha. If he couldn't read it, damnit…he'd still enjoy it in some measure. Especially when cooped up and so-called 'tortured' day in and out. Wasn't much, but hell…he'd take it.

…..

Sakura woke alert. She knew from experience that her senses were reeling. One look around told her that all but Naruto were aware of this as well. Kiba kicked Naruto slightly to wake him. She rose to her feet and crouched with kunai at the ready. It should have been one of the moments in life where it was expected to have happened in slow motion as the men and few scattered women burst from the surrounding forest. Instead of moving in slowed time, it all happened too quickly. As trained shinobi of the Leaf Village…it was shameful really. One moment they were asleep, the next they were attacked. It shouldn't have been this close. None had the time to think or reanalyze what they'd done wrong. They had to counterattack. With Naruto awake, it at least upped their chances by a small margin. Sakura threw herself into the fight with a dedication that would rival most. It seemed like hours passed before they turned the battle on its head. Bodies littered the ground around him. Most dead, as expected of trained ninja. The unconscious laid around Naruto. She would have scolded him normally, but at the moment…she had a strange feeling in her gut. Sakura moved to one of the better conditioned unconscious. She glanced at Neji and Kiba with a very pointed look. They looked at Naruto briefly before nodding at her. Sakura knelt and grabbed the ninja by the scruff of his neck and dragged him away.

"Naruto, you should help me bind this guy up."

Naruto followed and frowned. "What're we doin' with him?"

"Interrogation when he comes to. No one just attacks Konohagakure nin without knowing what they're up against. And they were too organized and well concealed for us to know they were here until they were on top of our campsite."

Several snaps filled the air. She closed her eyes and grabbed Naruto's arm to keep him from looking.

"What—?"

"Don't. You know protocol as a ninja."

"…of course I know proto—" Naruto yanked free and spun to look at the two men that stood over the now freshly dead men. "What do you think you're doing?!"

"Naruto! If we don't kill them now, they'll hunt us down later!"

Naruto turned to glare at her. "You're a medic ninja! And you can just…just condone them killing people like that?!"

"WE'RE NINJA! It's what we do! Don't forget that!" She barked back and spun on her heel, dragging the last living man away from the campsite. Naruto stared after the pink haired teen before looking at the other female teen.

"Hinata-chan…you don't…agree with this do you?"

"O-of…c-course not. B-But…w-we are…n-n-ninja…"

"If you can't handle killing, maybe you shouldn't pursue this career any longer." Neji stated with a slight sigh. "It's not like we enjoy killing, Naruto. But we do what we must to protect our own."

"Gah! I don't get any of you!" Naruto still stormed off after Sakura. He found her not too far from camp tying the man up to a trunk. He sighed and slunk over to her side. He began to help her regardless of his own feelings. "Why?"

"Why what?" Sakura half-snapped.

"Why did you try to keep me from seeing them do that?"

Sakura stilled and looked at the blonde like he'd asked her why he could breathe air. "Because, Naruto. I know how much you hate death. I was just being courteous to your ridiculous desire to save everyone. Not everyone can be saved."

Naruto looked like she'd slapped him. "Would you say that about Sasuke?"

"What! Of course not! Sasuke-kun is not beyond saving! I believe he can come back home just like you do!"

"What if one of them were Sasuke today, Sakura?"

Sakura blinked and looked away. She blinked away tears at the thought and let her anger take over. "Just shut up and help me, would you?!"

"Okay, okay!" Naruto grumped under his breath; it earned him a smack from the girl beside him. Once their task was complete, they waited for the man to wake up. It took a good hour before he began to stir. With a groan, he opened his eyes and looked at the five teens standing around him.

"It would be in your best interest to tell us everything we want to know." Neji stated before the man had a chance to formulate a complaint. "See this girl here, she's a highly trained medic and the apprentice to Tsunade, one of the three legendary sannin. She's well versed in pain."

Sakura cracked her knuckles loudly as though to prove his point. The man glanced at her and then back. He snorted and laughed derisively. "Nothing but a bunch of kids came out to find their precious Copy Ninja? That's pretty fucked up. I'd think the 'Lady Tsunade' would be a little more lenient with her jounin then this."

Naruto stood up straighter. "What do you mean by th—aaah! Sakura!" He watched in horror as said pinkette reached over and snapped the man's wrist. She held his wrist at a painful angle away from where it should have been connected while healing the bones to set in place so that he'd have a disfigured hand. The man screamed and tried to struggle in vain.

"Now, let's try that again, shall we?" She smiled in a way that made all three boys shudder in fright.

"Tell us everything. What do you mean by finding our 'Copy Ninja'? Do you happen to know where he is?" Neji continued.

"I-I-I'm just a g-grunt worker…I only—"

"Wrong answer." Sakura snapped his radius and his ulna. His scream echoed loudly around them. He hung his head and tried to keep from crying. "I'm going to count to five. One…two…three…four…"

"Okay! Okay! He-he's in a cave. Th-the boss's got 'im all tied up and stuff. H-he's been drainin' his energy for days! I-it's not like he tells me his plans or nothin'!"

"Sounds like it's your lucky day. See, you're going to show us how to get to this cave." Sakura stated. The man shook his head. Sakura sighed before she snapped his other wrist and reset it. He whimpered and quite possibly wept. "You don't get the luxury of saying 'no'. This 'Copy Ninja' that you so kindly locked up…is not only my sensei…but his as well." Sakura motioned to Naruto. "If you think I'm mean when I'm angry, just wait. For your sake, I hope Kakashi-sensei is safe and unharmed."

…..

Few things in life ever truly struck Kakashi as monumental. Even now, it didn't seem too big of a deal to him. Maybe because he didn't really mind dying. After all, he'd finally get to see Rin and Obito again. Then again, it's not like he wouldn't die without regrets either. Oh no. Regrets and Hatake Kakashi were best friends. For instance, never letting his students especially one in particular know how much he loved them and cared for them. They were brats, but they were his special brats. Sasuke was misguided and lost; he wanted to see him find his way before he died. Naruto was like sunshine on a stormy day; he wanted to see the knucklehead become Hokage and surpass his father. And Sakura…he wasn't sure what he wanted to see for her, but he just wanted to see her warm genuine smile once more. Maybe that's why he was cursed. He was a sick old bastard with a weird fetish for little girls. It made him sick and laugh in disgust at himself. Okay, so maybe it wasn't a fetish for little girls…but it was definitely a very soft spot for one little pink haired one. He glared up at the ceiling that loomed above him. He reeked.

He could smell himself. He could only take solace in the fact that his captor smelled even worse. At least Kakashi didn't have the choice to bathe. Ugly, smelly ass did have the option but chose not to. Through the hood came a new scent. His head lulled forward as he frowned from under the excess fabric. It was…familiar and yet…not. What was this unique scent? He couldn't really picture it well or even describe it much. At least, not past the overwhelming sense of change he got from it. A loud commotion broke out from outside his holding…room, cell? Whatever it was. He tried to sit up taller but failed. He sighed heavily and just gave into the annoying game of 'wait it out'. It took a long time for the commotion to die out. He could hear some shuffling. Wherever he was, it really was well insulated to dull even his sense of hearing. The screech of the iron door opening made him cringe. It was always so loud and eardrum splitting to hear. The smell he'd picked up on earlier flooded in suddenly in such a quick and steady rush. I drew closer to him quickly. He felt his restraints suddenly slacken and he couldn't fight the sigh of relief as whoever it was drew the binding farther from him.

"Found him! He's in here!"

He…he knew that voice. "S-Sakura?" He croaked with hardly any breath.

"I'm right here, Kakashi-sensei." He felt her gloved hands reached to remove the hood. He closed his eyes and fought down the rising joy and excitement that it was her to come to his rescue.

"You have no idea how happy I am to hear your voice." He admitted softly. She chuckled lightly.

"I'll be sure to keep that in my short list of Kakashi-sensei admissions."

"You have a list?" He mused, content with the small redundant blather that kept her from asking the questions he really didn't want to answer right now.

"Have to. They're so rare and far between that I can't forget them all now, can I?" He opened his eyes against the harsh light and winced. Once they adjusted, he looked at the halo of glow surrounding her. He felt all the more like the dirty old man as he wondered if he'd ever seen anything as beautiful as that before.

"I can't walk at the moment. I've been kept sitting like this for Kami knows how long. Who else came with you?" He looked over as his question was answered by four more teenagers entering the room. The most significant addition was Naruto. The blonde rushed over and began to ask the questions he'd dreaded to hear in rapid succession. After a bit, he demanded the blonde help him walk. It would be one hell of a long walk to Konoha, but he was just all too happy that his brats had been the ones to find him. Especially his bratty blossom. He owed them Ichiraku Ramen for sure this time…even if it meant he'd have to pay.

I actually feel really great about this. Maybe I shouldn't, but I really feel like this one turned out really interestingly. The next one will the end of the three shot and Scent Metamorphosis. I still have a listy to get through. So if I haven't written yours yet, it'll be a coming my loves! I promise!

Let me know what you think! Thank you my darlings!

Erika Hearken