A/N: Well, I guess I took quite a long while to get this up again. But anyway, here it is. Thanks everyone for your reviews in the last chapter. I supposed the next chapter will be the last. Enjoy!
Chapter 26: Deep Contemplations
Mizuki chuckled as he watched the younger man slipped off into unconsciousness. It does seem to him that the concoction was doing its work. Trailing a cold hand down the chunin's tanned cheek, he cupped the young face and leaned down, whispering venomously.
"You are mine, Iruka."
He flipped the kunai in his hand and the grin on his lips grew as he slipped it into Iruka's shirt collar. He dragged down the weapon, parting the navy blue shirt neatly down the middle. His anticipation grew as the cloth fell apart and the tempting, tanned flesh was revealed to him. He chuckled low in his throat.
Finally. Finally, he will get what he had always wanted. Finally, he could show Hatake who's the more superior one and who would be the one to finally claim Iruka. Sure, Iruka is unconscious now and most probably wouldn't be responding much during their first time together. But he would have plenty of time after this to make up for it and have the younger man witness every single of their love-making. Right now, all that matters was to show Iruka who he truly belongs to.
The kunai came to a stop at the waistband of Iruka's pants. Mizuki set the weapon down beside him and got to work in removing the other chunin's pants. His hands trembled from the excitement as he unclasped the hook and began to pull down the zipper.
A deep growl was all the warning he got before his attention was viciously snapped away from his task at hand. His world flipped and he found himself staring at the early dawn sky and the face of a big, angry dog, instead of the delectable chunin he had been obsessed with previously. Before he even had time to comprehend the situation, two sets of jaws clamped down firmly on his wrists; one on each side to prevent retaliation, making him growl out in pain.
He turned his head and caught sight of the unresponsive body of Iruka being dragged away by a few other dogs and the canines crowded around the unconscious academy sensei, fussing over him with soft whimpers and nudging. He growled in anger and his fingers touched the kunai which was lying next to him on the ground. He tore his hand out of the canine's jaws, the adrenaline coursing through him making him forget about the pain temporarily. He swiped the weapon viciously at the dog above him and let out a sardonic laugh when the ninken backed away slightly.
Then unexpectedly, the dogs relinquished their holds on him. Before he could even mock any of the ninken, he was roughly hauled to his feet and shoved against a tree; the force of the impact knocking the breath out of him. He groaned and opened his shut eyes to find himself staring into a hard, grey eye and a wildly whirling sharingan.
Mizuki felt his blood run cold when he found himself staring at Kakashi. Under the dim moonlight, the red sharingan looked even more uncanny than usual and the killing intent that radiated through the eye hung thick in the air. The adrenaline began to wear thin when fear gripped him at the intense gaze that the other man was giving him. The copy nin looked like he was on the verge of a killing rampage as he pushed his kunai firmly against the chunin's throat.
A growl ripped from the throat and when Kakashi spoke, it held the underlying promise of pain and torture – that is if Mizuki gets out of this alive.
"I've warned you to lay your hands off Iruka. I told you if you ever touch my boyfriend again, I will not hesitate to eliminate you." The mismatched eyes narrowed into murderous slits. "But apparently, you did not take my words for it."
The blade cut into Mizuki's throat, breaking skin and a thin line of blood formed against the pale flesh. Kakashi turned his head slightly and took in Iruka's state of undress and the rage that coursed through him threatened to blind his senses and he could feel the impulse to kill the man before him rising.
Pakkun stood next to the academy teacher, sniffing the man that was out cold. He caught the scent of something unfamiliar and immediately turned towards his master, alarm in his usually doleful eyes.
"Boss, there's some form of substance in his body!"
Kakashi tensed. He turned back to the chunin and his grip on the kunai tightened.
"What did you give him?" The silent tone held an edge of hardness and danger.
Mizuki let out a cold laughter when he sensed the uneasiness that the copy nin was feeling. He grinned smugly at the older man. "Why? Are you worried?" The chuckled vibrated through the forest grounds. "What if I tell you that it's something to wipe out his memories? Or more specifically, his memories of you?"
The mismatched eyes narrowed into deathly glares. "What did you do to him?"
"Too late to ask now, isn't it? The medication started running through his blood systems ten minutes ago."
There was a minute of silence. None of the ninken dared to move their spots. If anything, they began to inch further away from their master, sensing the rage that was threatening to break out of control.
Kakashi eyed the chunin coldly as he slipped the kunai back into his pouch. "You know what? I don't think I want to bother talking to you anymore." He clenched his fist. "Let's end this."
The night was suddenly brighten up by the intensity of the chakra that flared in the copy nin's hand. The smirk was wiped off from Mizuki's face when Kakashi raised his fist, covered by the blinding illumination of the lightening chakra; ready to plunge it deep into the chunin's chest.
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The shadows flitted quickly from tree to tree. Asuma cursed under his breath as he tried to track down the path which his friend had travelled.
"Really, we all know what the situation is like. And we are all worried about Iruka. But does Kakashi have to run on ahead by himself and leave us stranded like this?" Anko scowled.
The bearded jounin sighed as he pushed off from another branch. Then, something caught his attention and he halted in his steps.
"Asuma?" Raidou raised an eyebrow.
"Damn." Asuma whispered. "That –"
Before the man could continue further, a loud crackling sound could be heard. And then, they could see a faint blue illumination that lighted up an area just ahead of them.
Genma cursed as he took off faster than anyone had seen him done before. Asuma sped past the stunned group and headed towards the spot where the light could be seen.
"Come on, we've got to get there before Kakashi does any irreparable damages."
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Kakashi's control had snapped. The red haze of anger clouded his vision as flashes of his harmed lover invaded his mind. He growled and threw his fully charged chakra fist towards the white-haired chunin.
Only to be halted half way by another hand.
"Cool it, Kakashi!" Asuma bodily dragged the enraged copy nin away from Mizuki. Genma stepped in and apprehended the chunin, stopping any escape attempts.
Kakashi turned to glare at the intruder even as the lightning chakra in his hand began to recede.
"Don't interfere, Asuma." Kakashi spoke in his usual calm tone. But the other jounin had known his friend long enough to detect the warning that lay beneath the sentence.
Asuma grasped the copy nin firmly by the shoulders and eyed him sternly. "This man isn't worth your trouble, Kakashi. Just check on Iruka first." He threw a glance over his shoulder to see Mizuki snarling at Genma who had a firm hold on him. "We will deal with this fiend."
"He's right boss." Pakkun strode up next to his master, just as Raidou and the other jounin reached the clearing. "We need to get Iruka to a medic immediately."
Anko knelt down beside the academy teacher and examined him for any wounds. She hissed when she caught sight of the slash on Iruka's wrist and the multitudes of cuts that laced the tanned body.
"Kakashi, Iruka is injured!"
Asuma cursed when he felt the silver-haired jounin's muscles tensed under his hands. The fury that emanated silently from Kakashi made him cringe. Both of them stood there for a moment; Asuma refusing to relinquish his hold on the other man for fear that he might carry out his threat to kill Mizuki. Not that he was against it, but right then, they needed Mizuki alive to spill out his connections with Orochimaru.
Then, to his relief, the copy nin finally turned away from the white-haired chunin and headed over to where his boyfriend lay unconscious.
Anko stepped aside when Kakashi knelt down beside the chunin. The ninken, which were previously trying to prop the unconscious man into a sitting position, shifted away to leave Kakashi to his privacy. The jounin studied the younger man, sweeping the strands of loose hair away from the tanned face and taking in the sight of the injuries. He reached over and pulled Iruka to his chest before lifting him into his arms. He turned to look at the kunoichi and gave her a curt nod.
"I'm heading back first."
"Right." Anko gritted her teeth as she looked at her abused friend. She watched as Kakashi tightened his grip on the vulnerable chunin and threw a glare towards Mizuki's direction before taking off into the foliage, back the way he came, with his pack of dogs following closely. She stalked over to where Mizuki stood with Genma and Hayate on either side of him and grabbed his collar, brandishing a kunai against his neck.
"If anything happens to Iruka, I'm going to tear you apart and feed you to my snakes!"
No one made any attempt to stop the kunoichi from unleashing her anger. Raidou eyed the chunin solemnly before turning to the rest of his comrades.
"Come on, we've got to head back too. Ibiki is waiting for us."
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Kakashi reached a hand up and brushed away the hair covering his boyfriend's face even as the latter remained in a deep sleep on the hospital bed. He lifted the tanned, bruised hand in his and pressed a masked kiss on the knuckles.
He had always known that Iruka had a place in his heart. But even after they had gotten together, he had never admitted to himself that Iruka had somehow become a part of him. That form of attachment was what he had feared most, and he never got around to giving more of himself than he should as a lover.
And it wasn't until that night that he realized how much he feared Iruka leaving him.
He regretted not letting Iruka know how much the chunin meant to him. Regretted not having put in enough effort into this relationship. He knew of Iruka's insecurities and his uncertainties when it comes to what he is to the jounin. He knew how much Iruka had sacrificed and suffered silently while waiting for him to reciprocate the love interest. He knew that the younger man had never demanded for anything and in fact, was always the giver in this relationship, while he just passively received. He knew just how much Iruka loved him.
But he had never done anything to let the younger man know that everything was alright, that their love was safe; that he in fact loved Iruka, as much as the chunin loved him. He had never gotten around to fulfilling his duties as a boyfriend and gave the younger man the much needed assurance.
And now, the thought of Iruka forgetting about him; the pain of it all, was too much to bear. Even though he knew that there it was likely that Mizuki was lying to him in order to throw him off guard, but still, he couldn't help fearing the smaller percentage of chance that the other chunin could be telling the truth – that he had indeed given something to Iruka to wipe off his memories.
And the fact that the medics had mentioned that there was indeed some forms of intoxicants running in the blood of the chunin did nothing to set his mind at rest.
"Hey love, wake up." Kakashi murmured against the tanned hand as he caressed the sleeping man's cheek tenderly. "You know, you are already a permanent fixture in my life. It will be odd without you around. So, wake up, alright?"
There was no answer. Kakashi fought back the desperation as he pulled down his mask and bent over, kissing the younger man tenderly on the lips.
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Asuma stepped into the quiet hospital room, watching the lone figure sitting by the bedside, bathed in the moonlight. He walked over and leaned against the wall, watching as Kakashi held the chunin's hand and kept vigil by the bedside.
"What did the medics say?"
The copy nin's gaze never left his unresponsive lover. His grip tightened on the tanned hand as he spoke in a quiet voice, trying to push down the anxiety over his boyfriend's state. "They said the injuries aren't anything serious. But there are some chemicals running in his blood and they are running the tests now to find out what it is."
"Sedatives."
Kakashi finally turned away to look at his friend. "What?"
"Sedatives." Asuma repeated and pushed off the wall, walking quietly over to stand next to his friend. "Ibiki certainly did not show any mercy. He broke Mizuki shortly after we handed him over." The jounin ran a hand through his dark hair. "He gave Iruka a high dose of strong sedatives just before we found him."
The jounin's grip on his lover's hand tightened. "What else did he say?"
Asuma casted his gaze out of the window. "According to Ibiki, Mizuki gave Iruka three times the maximum amount that a person should be dosed within a day in a single shot." He sighed. "Ibiki feared it may have already done damage to Iruka. He spoke to the research team a while ago and told them to expedite on the test results as well as to find a cure to clear off the drug in his blood." He eyed the sleeping man on the bed before turning back to his friend. "He has always been a strong person, Kakashi. We will get him back."
"I know." Kakashi whispered hoarsely as he stroked the side of his chunin's face. "I know."
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Iruka cringed in fear as Mizuki stalked over to him with a predatory look in his eyes. There was no one around to hear his pleas and to render him the help that he needs. He was all alone. No allies, no friends and no Kakashi.
The last thought almost made his heart stop thumping. He couldn't bear the thought of being taken away from Kakashi. Somehow, just the mere thought of that was enough to constrict his throat and make breathing more difficult than it already is.
Mizuki leered at him as he flipped a kunai in his hand. Slowly approaching the younger chunin, the white-haired man pulled out a syringe from his pocket. Iruka tensed when the pale hand reached out for him. And when Mizuki stabbed the needle into his arm, all he could hear was the painful scream that tore from his throat even as he desperately tried to fight back.
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The loud scream that tore through the air rudely cut off the medic-nin who was explaining Iruka's condition to Ibiki, Kakashi, Asuma and the rest of their friends. Following the anguish cry, a loud clatter sounded as the distinct noise of metal hitting concrete rang out clear through the hospital room's door.
Alarm struck Kakashi and he turned around, flinging the door open as he ran into the room and towards the bed where his boyfriend lay. A nurse stood stiffly against a wall as her eyes widened in shock at the unstable man on the bed. An array of hospital equipment lay on the floor beside an overturned metal tray.
Kakashi grabbed the chunin's flailing arms and tried to press the younger man down. Iruka appeared to be teetering between the edge of consciousness and unconsciousness, all the while muttering incoherently.
The jounin pulled his boyfriend close and cradled him against his chest even as he fought down the constriction in his chest at the distressed state of the chunin. He ran his fingers through the long, brown hair soothingly and wiped the sweat off the brow.
"It's alright, Iruka. I'm here, you are safe." Kakashi whispered and tightened his grip on the struggling chunin. "Please love, open your eyes and look at me."
"No, let me go. Mizuki, let me go!" Iruka pushed feebly at the jounin's shoulder, trying to get away from the touch.
The medic stepped forward with the startled nurse close behind him. He took the syringe from the lady and gently, he reached for one of Iruka's arms and injected the serum into his blood.
Kakashi held the younger man until he went limp in his arms. He glanced up at the medic, who merely shook his head and motioned for him to follow outside. Sighing, Kakashi tucked Iruka back into bed, placing a soft kiss on the tanned forehead before following after the medic-nin.
Anko glanced up the moment the two men exited from the room. She strode up to Kakashi and grabbed the older man with a worried look in her eyes.
"How's Iruka?"
"We've given him a mild sedative to set his mind at rest. He's asleep now." The medic-nin answered as he turned to look at the silver-haired jounin beside him with a grave look.
"The instability and hallucinations will continue for a while. These are the side effects of those strong sedatives which he had been given previously." The medic-nin shook his head tiredly. "It's a wonder he even managed to pull through with the dose he was given. But at least, it's a good sign that he is showing some response. It proves that the cure which we have given him is doing its work. Give him another two days and I believe the drugs will clear out of his body. By then, he should be able to reach full consciousness."
Kakashi nodded slowly, not really registering what the medic-nin was saying. His eye kept straying over to the door where his lover lay beyond.
"We will continue to observe him during this period and the nurses will give him a small amount of mild sedatives to keep his mind calm. The sedative will not harm his body; it is mainly there to ensure that his mind doesn't run rampant while he is still in a state of sub-consciousness."
Asuma nodded and thank the doctor as the man walked away. He turned to look at his friend and clamped a hand down on the shoulder.
"Since Iruka is sleeping now, I think you should go back and get some rest, Kakashi. You've been here for the last three days. You need your sleep."
"I'm fine." The jounin shrugged off the hand and started back into Iruka's room. "I will stay with him for a while more."
Asuma stared after his friend helplessly as Kakashi stepped into the room and closed the door behind him. He turned to look at Genma who mirrored his own defeated look at being unable to convince their friend to take better care of himself. The bearded jounin ruffled his hair in frustration.
"I will let him stay here for one more night. We will make sure he goes home for some rest and food tomorrow, Genma. Even if we have to use force to do it."
Genma sighed and nodded in acknowledgement.
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Iruka wasn't sure where he was. Everywhere was a daze. He couldn't even seem to remember what had happened that had put him in such a state.
There was however, a soft lulling voice that was soothing his frayed nerves. Someone was mumbling beside his ears, but he could sense no presence around him. The voice was achingly familiar, but he could not recall where he had heard it before.
Despite his dull state however, he was still thankful that his instincts were still sharp enough to trust. It was strange. But something told him he could trust that voice. The urge to follow that soft voice was compelling and he found himself drifting with the flow to wherever it took him.
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Kurenai sat in the chair by the bedside, watching the tanned chunin worriedly. Anko paced around the small room, occasionally looking out of the window to calm her nerves. Izumo and Kotetsu sat on the empty bed beside Iruka's and waited silently. Hayate and Yugao exchanged worried glances every now and then as they leaned against the wall nearest to the bed.
The door slid open and Raidou stepped into the room.
"How is he?"
"The same." Kurenai sighed as she turned to regard the scarred man. "So, you guys finally managed to get Kakashi home?"
"Yes." Raidou shook his head in exasperation. "But we only managed to convince him to change into some fresh clothes and grab some food before he returns to camp here again tonight." The jounin sighed. "He's so damn stubborn. His health is going to take a toll if he keeps up with this."
"I can understand how Kakashi is feeling." Anko stood at the foot of the bed and folded her arms, staring at the bedridden man. "The medic said three days ago that Iruka will take the most two days to regain full consciousness. But he isn't even showing any response now."
The group was silent after the kunoichi's statement. Worry was beginning to eat into them at the lack of Iruka's responsiveness and they were beginning to doubt their own faith that the chunin would even wake up.
The unexpected soft whimpering that cut into the silent air snapped all of them out of their deep thoughts. The shinobi looked at each other uncertainly before turning their heads hesitantly towards the motionless chunin lying on the white, hospital bed.
Kurenai clasped a hand over her mouth when the once motionless body began to stir slightly. The others stared on in shock until another whimper tore through the atmosphere in the room.
"Get the medic!" Raidou hurried over to the chunin's bedside while Izumo and Kotetsu sprinted from the room. Anko was sitting on Iruka's bed in an instant, clasping on to the weak hand. Hayate and Yugao stood at the end of the bed, waiting expectantly.
"Iruka, can you hear us?" Kurenai brushed the strands of stray hair from the chunin's face. "Iruka, come on, open your eyes."
There was no response except for the occasional flexing of fingers. Then slowly, the unfocused brown eyes began to blink open. But the sunlight that pierced into the room caused the chunin to immediately shut his eyes again.
"Too bright." Iruka whispered hoarsely.
"Oh my god, Iruka! You are finally awake!" Anko reign in her control to not throw herself at the injured chunin then. Raidou heaved a sigh of relief as he settled himself down on the edge of the bed.
"You got us real worried there, kid."
"I….." Iruka coughed dryly as he tried to open his eyes again. "Where am I?"
"The hospital." Hayate walked tentatively towards his friend and studied the pale face. "How are you feeling?"
"Wha… What am I doing here?" Iruka finally managed to get his eyes opened long enough to stare at the vague images of his friends.
"Looks like the medication is making your mind a little fuzzy." Raidou smiled. "It's alright, Iruka. We will explain later. Just try to relax now. The medic is on his way to check on you."
"Right." Iruka muttered, struggling to keep his eyes open. It was getting harder and harder. Something was lulling him back into the hazy state that he came from. Slowly, his eyes slipped close and the last thing he heard before he drifted off into another slumber was another group bursting into the room, though he couldn't for a minute figure out what they were talking about.
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