Chapter 38

Of Life and Death

Orochimaru leaned against the wall, with his arms folded loosely in front of him, and his ankles crossed. His attention was firmly in place on the body of his Grandson as the young man tried to fight off the full activation of the curse marks. There were several times over the past hour when Kakashi had almost succeeded in regaining his control over the transformation, but the addition of another drop of the acid mixture to his already damaged back was all that was needed to shake that control loose.

Orochimaru watched Kakashi slowly give himself over to the darkness of the curse mark, and to him it was a thing of beauty. The way the man's muscles flowed under his pale skin – how the pained screams gave way to delightfully low growls – and now, he was being treated to the sight of the dark swirls of the combined marks traveling across Kakashi's flesh – tinting his skin a deep gray as it went. Orochimaru smiled and ran his tongue over his lips while the young man's hair seemingly crawled past his neck. When that hair pushed onto the plane of Kakashi's broad shoulders and pressed into the raw remains of the seals which had been burnt away, the lithe body tensed and hisses of pain pushed beyond Kakashi's lips.

Orochimaru pushed himself off the wall and walked to his Grandson's side. To his surprise, even in such a state as he was, Kakashi turned his head to meet his eyes with a challenging glare. Of course, that glare was with an eye that now matched his own amber orbs. Orochimaru reached out and carefully pushed Kakashi's hair away from the open wounds. The glare from his Grandson turned into a look of uncertainty. Orochimaru smiled at the boy and turned to lift a jar of salve off the nearest table. Then he returned his attention back to Kakashi's injury and began to rub a generous amount of the healing agent onto the damaged skin. Kakashi's eye tracked what he was doing, and Orochimaru chuckled when the growl that emitted from the jonin's throat morphed into something closer to a sigh of relief.

He continued to smooth the ointment onto the area, and slowly – moment by moment – he felt the tensed muscles under his fingers relax. Soon, Kakashi's breathing had evened out, and the lid over his single yellow eye closed. Orochimaru continued his ministrations until he was sure the man was in a light doze. He stepped back and set the jar of salve back where it belonged, and then used a clean cloth to wipe the excess off his fingertips. Kakashi, meanwhile, continued to sleep, and to Orochimaru's delight, the transformation remained in place – even with the boy in such a relaxed state.

He moved back to Kakashi's side and slid his hand through his Grandson's long hair – reveling in the feel of it sliding between his fingers. The only reaction from Kakashi was the slight twitch in his shoulders before the young man settled back into his restful state. Orochimaru smiled widely – baring his sharp fangs. All that was left to make Kakashi his completely was to bring him to the final stage...and without that meddlesome chunin around to remind his Grandson of his misplaced loyalty to Konoha, that final stage was assured.

-- --

He woke to the sound of running water...but not like that of a forest stream...no – it was the sound of water hitting a metal basin. Something about that seemed wrong – but he couldn't quite figure out why. Now that he started to think about it – there was a lot he couldn't quite figure out...like where he was...and why he couldn't seem to recall where he'd been before this moment.

Footsteps let him know someone was headed his way, and he struggled to open his eyes to see who was there, but his lids felt far too heavy. The chakra signature felt familiar – like he'd been around it for a long time – so he waited to see what the approaching person would do.

"Ah – so you're finally starting to wake, Kasan. I was beginning to think that perhaps we had worn you out too much."

That voice...he had definitely heard that voice before...which made sense if the chakra felt familiar too. But he just couldn't remember where he'd heard it...and trying to place it was starting to cause a burning pressure in his mind – not quite a headache...but painful all the same. He pushed a sigh through his mouth and forced his eyes open. He was greeted by the sight of a dark-haired man leaning over him, reaching toward him. A small section of his mind screamed for him to move away from that pale hand – but the man's words soothed his fears.

"Let me help you sit up, Kasan. Then we'll find you somewhere better to rest."

The pressure in his head increased when he was lifted into a sitting positions. He turned until he could meet the man's face. He pushed words from a throat the seemed raw and tender.

"Who is Kasan?"

A smile stretched across the pale man's face, and a strange gleam shone in his deep yellow eyes. "That would be you, my boy. You are Kasan."

"Kasan..." He ran the name across his mind and found it did feel vaguely familiar...but something about seemed somehow wrong. He glanced down at his dark gray hands and flexed the fingers, trying to clear the fog from his brain at the same time.

"Ah – don't worry about your memory right now, my pet...I'll explain it all to you soon enough."

Kasan placed one hand on the man's arm. "But...who are you?"

Again a smile graced the man's face. "That much I can share with you now. I am your Grandfather, of course."

Kasan frowned. His Grandfather? It rang true to his mind...so perhaps that was why the chakra and voice sounded so familiar to him. He allowed himself to relax a touch, and lifted his hand to his forehead – trying in vain to rub the building pressure away.

"Do you have a headache, Kasan?" The man's voice held something more than just the concern of a Grandfather to his Grandson, but again – Kasan couldn't figure out just what it might be.

"There's a pressure – behind my eyes. It aches."

His Grandfather chuckled lightly and placed one of his hands against Kasan's cheek. "Close your left eye, my boy...the pain should lessen."

Kasan did as he was told and was pleased to find that the ache did actually decrease greatly. "Why would my eye cause me pain?"

The dark-haired man retrieved a dark strip of cloth off a table and wrapped it around Kasan's head in such a way that it covered his left eye. Kasan placed one hand gingerly against that smooth fabric, somehow feeling comforted by its presence – as though he'd always worn it this way.

"Do not worry yourself about it, Kasan. That eye of yours is well worth any trouble it may cause you. In fact, it is coveted by many in the Five Countries – myself included."

Kasan frowned as he tried to remember what was so special about it. He let his hand trace down his cheek – following the raised edges of what could only be an old scar. Again – that feeling of familiarity encompassed him, and yet it still didn't feel quite right. His Grandfather's voice interrupted his thoughts once more.

"Come Kasan. It's time for me to show you to your room where you can rest until morning. Then we'll talk more."

Kasan obediently did as his Grandfather instructed and, with the man's help, rose to standing. A wave of dizziness nearly ended the journey before it began, but his Grandfather held him steady until it passed. Kasan placed a small smile of gratitude on his lips, and proceeded to walk out of the room and down the hall toward wherever it was the other was leading him.

-- --

While Shizune tended to his injuries, Iruka kept a careful eye on what was going on across the room. Genma had already been released from his chains and was sitting next to him – having been the first to receive the healing touch of the medical-ninja. That left Kabuto hanging on the wall in the cuffs that Iruka once occupied.

After all he had done, the white-haired youth had the nerve to be smiling smugly while being questioned by both Jiraiya and Ibiki. It made Iruka's blood boil that the worm could act in such a way in front of two of Konoha's most powerful shinobi.

"Iruka-sensei, please calm down. Your chakra is spiking erratically, and it's making your healing go slower than it should. If you keep it up, I'll have no choice but to sedate you until I'm finished."

Shizune's stern voice caused Iruka to blush. "Sorry, Shizune. It's just....he's the only one who knows where Kakashi is...and, well..."

The medic smiled sadly at him. "I know Iruka. But if you don't let me finish healing you, then you won't be much help when we find him, right?"

Iruka sighed. "Yes Ma'am. I'll be good."

Shizune chuckled and went back to working on his injuries. A few moments later found Iruka glancing back over to where Ibiki was still grilling Kabuto. He didn't want to think of what might happen if they couldn't get the bastard to cooperate. He started rubbing at the scar tissue on his wrist and chewing on his lower lip as frustration settled in once more.

A low chuckle next to him caught Iruka's attention. "What's so funny, Genma?"

"Just wondering how long it'll be before you rub through your wrist."

Iruka blinked in confusion then looked down at where his fingers were still running over the brand on his wrist. He frowned and pulled his hand away from the damaged wrist. "Nervous habit I guess."

"Heh – I suppose we all have our ways of dealing with the stress." Genma smiled – the senbon Shizune provided him dancing between his teeth.

Iruka was about to respond with a comment about jonin and their oral fixations, when Shikaku Nara joined them – sitting on the floor in such a way that Iruka couldn't help but compare him to his son. The elder Nara leaned back with his hands slightly behind him, and his legs stretched out in front of him. His dark hair was pulled back in a similar fashion to how Iruka wore his own hair, and the man was staring at him with his dark eyes in a way that made him think of the steady, unblinking stare of the deer the Nara were famous for tending.

Iruka squirmed a bit under that intense stare. "Is there something I can help you with Shikaku?"

The older man lifted his hand up and lazily scratched at one of the more prominent scars that ran across the surface of his face, all the time keeping his gaze locked on Iruka. "I understand you are the one who pushed for Shikamaru's placement on Asuma Sarutobi's team."

Iruka frowned slightly, wondering what brought this topic up. He rubbed a hand across the back of his neck nervously. "Actually, it's more like I pushed for Asuma to be placed on the latest rendition of Team Ino-Shika-Cho...but yes...I did."

Shikaku tipped his head to the side and continued to silently stare at him for almost a full minute before speaking again. "The choice was surprising."

Iruka's jaw dropped a little at that. "Really? Why surprising? Considering who the jonin candidates were I thought it was the obvious choice."

"The obvious choice was actually Kakashi Hatake."

Iruka scratched at his temple. "Why would you say that?"

Shikaku raised his eyes in surprise. "Because his father was our team leader. Didn't you know that?"

Iruka sighed. "Of course I knew that...but my suggestions had to do with skills and abilities, and who could strengthen the genin's weaknesses while supporting their strengths. Asuma was the only choice to balance the unique combination of skills Shikamaru and the others presented."

Shikaku narrowed his eyes at Iruka – as though he were trying to judge the validity of his words. Iruka shrugged. "Besides – I also knew the only one who could handle the combination of Sasuke and Naruto was Kakashi."

At that comment, a small smile crept across Shikaku's lips. "I think I'd like to play Shoji with you when we return to Konoha, Iruka-sensei."

Iruka's eyes widened at the comment. Before he had a chance to respond, all hell broke loose along the back wall. When he turned to see what was happening, he wished he hadn't.

A strange red glow was surrounding Kabuto – who was no longer being held against the wall...the cuffs that previously held the man were shattered to pieces. Ibiki and Jiraiya were busy dodging a flurry of punches and kicks from the younger man, and Iruka was having a hard time keeping track of the erratic movements of Kabuto. He'd never seen anything like this before. Unlike the transformation he'd witnessed with Kakashi, Kabuto's body showed no outward sign of change at all.

In an instant, Genma, Shizune and Shikaku jumped into action – followed by Iruka a moment later. They ran to the aide of the others, and when they reached them, Iruka had to change his assessment of Kabuto. Where there should have been white surrounding the man's iris, the color was a deep, blood-red. The center of the younger man's eyes looked as though a fire was burning within them, and waves of killing intent flowed off him.

Somehow, this subtle transformation was more frightening than some he'd witnessed over the past month, and Iruka found himself more than a bit uneasy when those inhuman eyes shifted from the others to settle on him. A moment later and Kabuto was in front of him – his hands reaching out to grab onto Iruka's upper arms before he could dodge out of the way.

"Time to die, Sensei!"

A scream of pain was ripped out of Iruka's mouth when he felt Kabuto's fingers sink into his flesh, burning as they went, and he knew the younger man intended to rip his arms off of him. Even as that realization sank into his brain, Iruka watched Ibiki's fingers wrap into Kabuto's hair and pull him away – flinging the man into the far wall. Before Kabuto had a chance to move again, Shizune used her arm-holster to let loose a barrage of senbon while Jiraiya summoned one of his toads to swallow the man whole. No one relaxed their stance until after the Toad-Sannin placed a seal across the mouth of that summon.

Iruka sank to his knees – gasping for air. "What the hell was that?"

Ibiki walked over to kneel by his side, frowning as he looked over Iruka's latest wounds. "We should have known Orochimaru's favorite spy would have been experimented on too. Sorry, Sensei."

Shizune and Genma joined them, and while Iruka watched Jiraiya place the toad into a special scroll for transport, the others tried to remove his shirt without causing him any additional damage. He hissed when the edges of material pulled free of the indentations left behind by Kabuto's fingertips. Ibiki's voice pulled Iruka's mind away from his agony for a moment.

"Answer me this, Iruka...why was Kabuto so hell-bent on killing you?"

Iruka frowned. "I'm not sure. Up to now I've been used as a method to keep Kakashi in line." He closed his eyes. "Maybe they don't need me for that anymore."

"How astute of you, Sensei." The all too familiar sound of Orochimaru's voice caused him to cringe and snap open his eyes.

Standing in the doorway was Lord Orochimaru – his eyes narrowed and taking in everything around him. Iruka felt his blood run cold when those yellow eyes stared at him. Unlike the madness that had been in Kabuto's eyes, Orochimaru's gaze held the certainty of Iruka's death in them. His mind provided him with the horrific scenes of just how that death might come, and Iruka felt paralyzed by something more than fear.

Everything around him faded away from his consciousness, and Iruka sat there awaiting the death he knew would come for him.

-- --

Orochimaru should have known better than to think Kabuto would have been able to simply kill Iruka Umino. After all, the sensei seemed to have an unnaturally large amount of luck on his side when it came to surviving. He couldn't see Kabuto's body anywhere in the room – which meant there was still a chance the boy could return to his side in the future. After all, he knew Jiraiya's tendencies better than most – and if that man was involved, it was likely that Kabuto was safely sealed away somewhere rather than dead. After all, Jiraiya was notorious for thinking anyone could be saved if given the chance.

He locked eyes with the chunin who continued to cause him so much trouble and, with a single hand sign, let him have a taste of what was in store for him. Orochimaru smiled when the man's brown eyes widened and his mouth hung open in fear and shock. Of course his enjoyment was cut short when Ibiki, Genma and Jiraiya teamed up to attack him. The still recovering jonin's movements were less than smooth and easily blocked. One well placed kick from Orochimaru and the honey-haired man was thrown across the room. The other two, however, required his full attention.

He was intimately familiar with Jiraiya's style of fighting – and as such, found defending against his fellow Sannin rather easy in such tight quarters – especially considering he knew the white-haired fool would be wary of injuring his comrades, while Orochimaru held no such qualms.

Ibiki was another matter. That man knew taijutsu moves that negated the issue of the close quarters, and Orochimaru found himself impressed at the man's ingenuity. He recognized some of the moves from his Grandson's fighting style, and it quickly became obvious the two men must have trained together - frequently. He grinned cruelly at the torture expert when he blocked a move he'd actually witnessed Kakashi use in the past, and the look of surprise in Ibiki's eyes made it clear he wasn't expecting that.

Still – it was two against one – and although Genma was currently lying against the far wall, he was not stupid enough to think the man wouldn't return to the battle as soon as he was able. Orochimaru jumped back just in time to avoid the kunai in Jiraiya's hand and found himself cornered before he knew it. He frowned and prepared to block what could potentially be a crippling blow from Ibiki.

That blow never came – and every person within the room seemed to freeze when Ibiki's fist was caught in the clawed hand of his Grandson. Orochimaru watched with satisfaction as the boy tossed his one-time comrade across the room as though he weighed nothing – those claws shredding Ibiki's skin in the process.

-- --

Kasan couldn't understand why his Grandfather told him to wait outside the room when the bodies lining the halls made it clear someone had breeched the security of the building. Still, he did as he was told and stood just outside the doorway, listening intently to what went on inside. He stretched his awareness out to make certain he'd know if his Grandfather needed him, and waited.

The moment came sooner than he expected – but Kasan moved the instant his Grandfather's chakra spiked erratically. His hand wrapped around the fist that was moments away from striking, and he growled low in his throat while flinging the offending man away like the garbage he was. He was instantly aware of the number of enemies in the room – and placed himself into a crouched position, ready to move in whatever direction was needed to end the battle before it started.

He felt his Grandfather's essence move closer to his back, so he didn't even flinch when the man's hand settled gently on his head, signaling him to stand down. "Well done, Kasan. Well done indeed."

Kasan felt pride from his Grandfather's words and slowly rose to standing – remaining conscious of those around him. "Are you injured, Grandfather?"

A chuckle met his ear. "No, my boy. Thanks to you...I am unharmed."

"What have you done to him, you bastard!" The tall, white-haired man who was in battle with his Grandfather was pointing at Kasan in disbelief.

When he moved to take a step closer – Kasan crouched and growled low in his throat. "Back off!"

The man stopped his movement and his eyes went wide. "Don't you know me, Kakashi?"

Kasan took a moment to look around him – trying to figure out who the man was talking to. When it was obvious there was no one else in the area the man was facing, Kasan narrowed his eyes. "My name is Kasan – and no – I don't know you."

Again, he heard a soft chuckling from his Grandfather. He wondered what was making him react in such a way. But he didn't concern himself with it for long – as the one he had thrown away earlier was slowly crossing back to their side of the room. The man's face was heavily scarred, and his dark eyes showed he wasn't someone to underestimate. He had one hand firmly grasped around the shredded skin that Kasan's claws had left during their encounter, and when the man spoke, it was obvious he was in pain.

"Your name is Kakashi Hatake...no matter what that bastard told you...and you are most certainly not Orochimaru's property."

His Grandfather's voice came from behind him. "Can you be so sure, Ibiki? After all – even Jiraiya there cannot deny the family bond between the boy and myself."

Kasan felt a sharp pain in his head and he closed his eye against it. These names...he knew them...he knew they were important to him. But was it because they were his Grandfather's enemies? Or was there something more?

He felt the shift in chakra in front of him and snapped his eye open, while flawlessly blocking the strike that came at him from the white-haired man...Jiraiya. They stood locked together – Jiraiya's arm resting against Kasan's, while his leg blocked an attempted sweeping kick from the man. A moment passed with their eyes locked before Kasan pushed the other away from him.

It felt like a move he had made against this man hundreds of times before, and that confused Kasan. If this was his enemy, did that mean they had battled that much before? A flash of memory ran through his mind – of Jiraiya being pushed back just like now – only it was followed by the older man smiling broadly and giving him a thumbs up...as though congratulating him on his form. Kasan frowned and shook his head clear of the image.

He took a step backward when another scene forced its way into his mind. This time, Jiraiya was standing next to him with his hand on Kasan's shoulder while they were staring at some kind of stone with carved names on it. He couldn't have been more than thirteen years old. A pair of goggles leaned at the base of the memorial stone. Kasan felt tears slide free of his covered eye at the memory, and the pain in his head doubled.

He lifted one hand to cover his left eye and fell to his knees. A hiss from behind him showed his Grandfather's opinion of such a show of weakness. Kasan pushed the uneasy feeling back once more and forced himself to stand tall. The look on the other men's faces confused him more – all he saw was concern reflected back at him.

His Grandfather's voice gave him something to focus on again. "This has gone on long enough. Kasan – finish them."

He could feel the blood-lust flowing from the man behind him, and Kasan allowed it to fill his veins as well. He narrowed his eye and crouched low...preparing to launch himself at the throat of the man who was identified as Jiraiya. Just as he was about to sink his claws into the skin of his target, Kasan felt every muscle in his body freeze in place. He growled and struggled to move within the grip of whatever was holding him tight.

"It's over, Kakashi. Stop fighting us." Ibiki's words confirmed Kasan's thoughts that they were responsible for stopping his attack, and made him struggle twice as hard.

"You're right, Ibiki – it is over." His Grandfather's voice now came from just behind Ibiki, and Kasan just managed to turn his head so he could see what was going on.

The man was standing behind yet another shinobi who had been kneeling on the floor up to this point. His Grandfather held the sharp point of his kunai pressed firmly against a tan throat. "Release my pet now – or Iruka-sensei dies."

The young dark-haired man struggled in his Grandfather's grasp. "Don't do it! Just kill him already! Don't worry about me!"

Kasan felt a jolt of memory run through him...a similar scene to this came to mind where this man was begging him to kill his Grandfather. He stopped struggling against whatever it was that held him and closed his eye. A wave of dizziness threatened to make him sick – and he tried desperately to understand what was going on. None of it made sense...none of it.

"Trust your friends, Kashi. They've always pulled you through before...let them do it this time."

That voice...it was so familiar. A wave of recognition washed over him. "Father?"

And just like that, he stood before Sakumo Hatake within his mind once more. He knew who he was...and he felt ashamed that he could have ever forgotten something so basic.

"Hey – give yourself a break kid. Orochimaru isn't some rank amateur when it comes to manipulation."

Kakashi sighed. "I doubt you would have caved to his will."

Sakumo laughed at him – although there was no humor in it. "Nope – instead I just killed myself. Now pull yourself together and get even for the both of us!"

Kakashi smiled at his father as he faded from his mind. Opening his eye, he knew in an instant that he was caught in one of Shikaku Nara's paralysis jutsus. He made sure to meet Ibiki's stare steadily even as he merged his chakra into the workings of that jutsu – something he and the leader of the Nara clan had practiced for months in his ANBU days. Once the hold was weakened, Kakashi smiled and moved into action before anyone knew what was happening.

In a flash, he took up position behind Orochimaru and drove the claws of his left hand into the Sannin's wrist – pulling the kunai away from the chunin in the process. Meanwhile, he pooled his chakra into his right palm and angled it through the bastard's back so it wouldn't hit Iruka once it was pushed through to the other side – destroying vital organs in its wake. He felt the muscles of the man spasm at the intrusion, and held him tight within his grip. He leaned in toward Orochimaru's ear.

"It almost worked, Grandfather. But you'll never own me...any more than you owned my father." He pushed the Chidori up a bit more, pulling a pained scream from the Sannin's mouth. "Any more than your ever owned my mother, you bastard!"

After a moment, he felt Orochimaru's body shudder violently. But before the man gave up his life he managed to turn his head enough to stare into Kakashi's eye. Blood-tinged lips pulled into a smile. "I may not have owned you boy, but I'll at least have the satisfaction of taking you with me in death. After all, I've told you before...you cannot live without me, Grandson."

With that, Orochimaru's eyes rolled back, he spasmed once more, and then he went slack in Kakashi's grip. Kakashi was brought to his knees with that dead weight, his breathing coming much harder than he expected. He pulled his hand free of the Sannin's body and sat back on his heels.

Kakashi had one last thing he needed to do before this was over. He closed his eye and found his center – just as he had the last time he'd conversed with Sakumo. With more effort than he'd ever imagined, Kakashi regained control of the curse marks and forced them back into dormancy. When he was finished, his entire body was shaking and he was covered in a cold sweat. He opened his eye and took a moment to look around at the room full of shocked faces.

Not surprisingly, Iruka was the first one at his side – followed shortly by Shizune and Genma. The others remained standing but stepped closer all the same.

"Kakashi-sensei..." The chunin didn't seem to know what to say.

"What's wrong Iruka? Did you prefer me the other way?"

The telltale blush crept up Iruka's neck and Kakashi couldn't help but smile. But his joy was short-lived when a searing pain ran through his chest. He leaned his head back while all his muscles tensed and he fell sideways to the floor. He managed to push a few words out of lips that didn't want to listen to him.

"Looks like the bastard may have been right after all, eh, Sensei?"

Kakashi was vaguely aware of the others rushing around him as the darkness covered his senses. He had to admit, he hadn't expected to go out like this...but at least he was surrounded by the people he held precious to him. He let the silence pull under – only wishing he might have seen Konoha one last time.

-- --

Shizune watched Kakashi start to convulse and knew she had very little time. Trying her best to still her shaking hands, she reached into her medical pouch for the syringe she'd added to her supplies at the last moment. It held the final treatment that she and Kakashi had created using Orochimaru's severed limb – and if it worked, then maybe, just maybe, the Copy Ninja would live to see another day.

She exposed the needle and pushed the plunger until the thick gray liquid seeped through the tip. Without hesitation, Shizune placed the needle into the artery of Kakashi's neck and made sure every speck of the fluid was emptied out of the syringe. Once finished, she pushed his hair away from his eyes and smiled sadly. She sighed. Why was it that nothing ever went smoothly where Kakashi Hatake was concerned. With that, Shizune sat back to watch. Only time would tell if it would work the way she and Kakashi had hoped or not.