The next morning, Kohaku and Hisahito stood above the cavern that led down into the caves, steeling their nerves for what was to come.
It was Kohaku that descended first, climbing down the rope that had been left by the team that had come before them. It was easier to climb down, since it was nearly impossible to tell just how deep it went at first glance.
Down at the bottom of the cavern, there was little light even from above; nothing more than a crack of silver far above their heads. It was not an issue for Kohaku, who had adjusted to using his other senses to navigate, but Hisahito had to rely on a flashlight to keep from bumping into every wall.
"Can you sense their chakra signatures?" Kohaku asked, already sensing for Kakashi's. For a moment, he thought he caught a flicker of it, but it was gone almost as soon as he had sensed it.
"No, but it's entirely possible that they're too far away or they've depleted their chakra. Which way do you think they went?" Hisahito glanced at Kohaku, squinting at him in the dark as he waited for his input.
Kohaku ignored the anxiety gnawing at his insides, instead focusing on his instincts and the flash of Kakashi's chakra that he had just barely sensed. "This path." He replied after a moment, nodding towards the darker path, which veered downwards, away from the light.
"Are you ready for this?" Hisahito asked, sounding nervous for the first time since they had departed.
"I have to be ready. There's no turning back now; I can't abandon everyone when we've come so far already." Kohaku told himself that it was going to be alright, but knew that there was little chance of things going according to plan.
Either way, it was time for him to face his fears.
Hisahito nodded in agreement. "Then let's get going." He took the lead at first, gulping as he began the descent into the caves.
Kohaku quickly overtook him, shivering at the cold, damp air that drifted in from the depths of the caves. Hisahito was at a disadvantage down here, and Kohaku knew that it would be better if he stayed farther back, despite his own fear.
The pair made their way through the caves, taking sudden turns every time Kohaku's instincts told him the direction they needed to go. It was like a maze, and chances were that it would be near impossible for them to find their way back.
It felt like hours before they finally caught the thick scent of blood from somewhere nearby. The scent muddled Kohaku's nose, and he couldn't quite pinpoint which direction it came from. They discovered the reason why when Hisahito flicked on the flashlight.
Blood was splattered everywhere, still drying. There was no body left to be discovered; just shards of bone and puddles of blood and flesh scattered across the ground and walls of the caves.
Hisahito dropped the flashlight, leaned over and threw up. He retched up the light breakfast they had eaten before leaving their makeshift camp, unable to handle the sight without knowing whether or not his sister was the one splattered across the cave.
Kohaku hardly reacted, having expected something like this to greet them already. A soft sigh escaped his lips as he tried to decipher who the remains belonged to, relieved to find that they belonged to a shinobi he didn't know. Guilt hit him like a kunai to the gut when he realized how awful it was that he was relieved that it had been someone else who had suffered this fate.
"It's not Hisayo-sensei or Kakashi…" Kohaku said quietly, hoping that it would at least bring him some comfort to know that there was still a chance that they were both alive.
However, seeing this scene was enough for Kohaku to realize that the chances of Hisayo and Kakashi still being alive were very, very slim. This was a massacre, and they hadn't stood a chance of surviving against this creature, whatever it was.
A chill ran down Kohaku's spine as he patted Hisahito's back gently. He felt as though they were being watched, but could not sense the presence of anyone but Hisahito.
"Hisahito-sensei, keep it together. We need to keep moving." Kohaku helped him straighten up, eyes narrowed as he glanced around at the area illuminated by the light of the flashlight.
There was another flash of chakra, which Kohaku recognized as Kakashi's. But before Kohaku could point it out, there was a bloodcurdling scream that sounded hauntingly familiar. It was Hisayo, there was no doubt about it.
Before Kohaku could stop him, Hisahito bolted down the passage that the scream had come from, unaware of the strange rumbling that came from above.
As Kohaku tried to catch up to him, loose rocks began to scatter down from above, filling up the passage that his teacher had just vanished down. Before he knew it, the passage was blocked, and they were trapped.
It was then that he sensed the presence above him, likely in a cave that ran above the one he was currently. It was a dark presence, a murky sort of chakra that he couldn't quite identify. It was nothing like a tailed beast's chakra, as he had sensed the Kyuubi's chakra once or twice before when he'd been around Kushina, but it had the feeling of a monster of some sort.
Then it was gone, and Kohaku could no longer track which way it had gone. Frustrated, Kohaku turned down the only other path available to him, sensing for Kakashi's chakra, which was very faint now, but steady enough that he could tell that Kakashi had likely not suffered any mortal wounds.
Kohaku's fear came back in waves as he realized that he was alone now, just as he had been all those years ago. But...with a single purpose in mind, he forced himself forward, not giving himself enough to talk himself out of moving forward.
It grew colder and colder the farther he went, but Kakashi's chakra signature grew stronger, and he knew he was headed in the right direction.
This deep, there was not even a speck of light coming down from the surface, and Kohaku had to rely on his instincts. Paranoia was beginning to set in, and at every branch in the caves he came to, he thought he felt the presence of the creature, ready to lunge at him the moment he let his guard down.
But the moment he thrust his naginata in the direction he thought the creature was waiting in, his blade met nothing but air or stone. Already, he was beginning to doubt his senses, wondering if he was imagining all this, or if something really was down here.
It frustrated Kohaku to no end that he was already doubting his sanity again. He had the inescapable truth that he was not losing his mind etched deeply into his back in the form of deep scars from the creature that roamed in these caves, and yet, he could not help but doubt every one of his senses.
"Kakashi?" Kohaku called into the cold silence when he heard the faint sound of breathing. He sensed Kakashi's chakra signature coming from the same direction, but he wanted to be sure.
"Kohaku…?" The bewilderment in his voice was mixed with immeasurable relief. "What are you doing down here?" His voice was weak, but Kohaku could tell that it was more from chakra depletion than an actual injury.
"I came to find you." Kohaku replied, making a beeline for Kakashi when he realized that it really was him.
He crouched down next to Kakashi, immediately checking him for injuries. When he found nothing more than a few cuts, he let out a sigh of relief.
"You were right." Kakashi said softly, leaning forward to wrap his arms around Kohaku, perhaps more tightly than he meant to.
"I'm sorry it took me so long." Kohaku said softly, returning the desperate hug. "Can you walk?"
"Yes." Kakashi replied, not yet letting go of Kohaku. "I overused my Sharingan, so I won't be much use in a fight right now."
"Don't worry about that." Kohaku said, helping him up carefully. "You won't need to. Once we find Hisahito-sensei and Hisayo-sensei and the other survivors, we'll be getting out of here."
"I think...Hisayo-san and I are the only ones left. I heard her scream not long ago." Kakashi replied, allowing Kohaku to help him up.
As they set off, Kohaku began to search for Hisayo and Hisahito's chakra signatures, relieved to find that Hisahito's, at least, was still as strong as before. It wouldn't be difficult to find him, provided they could find the right cave to go through.
"Lean on me, Kakashi." Kohaku said softly as they walked, slipping one arm around his waist gently when he heard his footsteps faltering with exhaustion. He slowed his pace to accommodate Kakashi's exhaustion, relieved when he did as he asked.
"Why did you come back down here?" Kakashi asked softly after a while.
"I already told you. I came to find you. I heard that contact had been lost." Kohaku paused briefly to figure out which path to take when they came to a fork. He continued a moment, voice growing softer, "I know that I can survive down here, and...I can't risk losing you or Hisayo-sensei. You are both very important to me, though perhaps in different ways."
"What do you mean by that?" Kakashi rested his head against Kohaku's shoulder, leaning most of his weight into him.
"I mean that I lo-" Kohaku was cut off when a great weight crashed into him, sending both of them tumbling to the ground.
Kohaku was up in an instant, standing protectively over Kakashi. He lunged with his naginata at the faintest sound, managing to nick whatever had crashed into them.
But a moment later, he was toppled again, pinned by what he sensed were massive paws, which tugged at his chest plate, as if trying to remove it so that it could get to his vital areas.
He struggled against it, trying to maneuver his naginata in a way that would aid his defense, finding that it was near impossible to use it effectively.
As if to stop his struggling, the creature, which Kohaku realized was the same one that had been stalking them, plunged its head down and sank its fangs deep into Kohaku's shoulder, where his shoulder met his neck.
A strangled cry escaped his throat as he struggled more desperately against the creature, his eyes squeezing shut when he heard the straps of his chestplate snap.
The creature swiped the chest plate away and slammed its paw down onto Kohaku's chest, digging its razor-sharp claws in the space between his upper ribs.
Terror seized Kohaku and for a moment, he stopped struggling, a strangled gasp escaping his lips as the creature's claws punctured his lung.
This was it, wasn't it? Kohaku was going to die here, in a place far beyond the light of the sun, without ever even having the chance to tell Kakashi how he felt, and there was nothing he could do to change this.
Was this really the end for him?
