The methane containers were heavy. And he had to ensure not to make any noise when he moved them, which was tricky, given that the sound of metal on stone carried far in these damn caves. Taking a few fortifying breaths, thinking his achy back would need an extra long and caring massage after all of this, Kakashi bent down again to…

"Pssst, Kakashi!"

Startled, Kakashi yelped and almost dropped the container he was handling. "Goddammit, Sasuke!" his heart hammering in his throat, he glared at the black haired Uchiha poking his head in, "how did you get here so fast?"

"We were looking for you when your dogs found us," Sasuke shrugged nonchalantly.

Sasuke stepped into the cave, took a good look around, spotted the methane tanks and narrowed his eyes.

"Is that what I think it is?"

"Yeah," Kakashi grinned. "But let's do it better this time. No turning red and…" he gestured at Sasuke, "wings and stuff, okay?"

"Tch," Sasuke huffed. "I needed to defend myself."

Kakashi nodded. "That's it, isn't it. But this time, we both know that neither of us has a reason to kill the other. Frankly, I always considered myself a friend of the Uchihas."

"Oh yeah?" Sasuke looked him over from head to toe, wrinkling his nose disdainfully. "You certainly profited from my clan's powers."

"I have no Sharingan anymore, Sasuke," Kakashi shrugged as if he didn't feel the loss much too acutely. "I think they wanted to render me temporarily powerless. These feel like my old eyes."

He wiggled his eyebrows and blinked his eyelids. After hours of using the new set of eyes in the dim lights down here, he had gotten used to them. His eyesight wasn't exactly perfect, but he'd take slightly blurry over blind anytime.

"No more Sharingan? That's not good," Sasuke grumbled. "I'm not in good shape either. The serum makes me weak and my chakra control is unpredictable."

"How many soldiers did you bring?"

"Only thirty."

Kakashi sighed. There were several hundred oni masks.

"We didn't think we needed to fight anyone, we only came to extract and rescue you," Sasuke bristled.

"Is the Mizukage with you?"

"Yeah," Sasuke pulled a face, "horrible woman. She's waiting outside."

"Hm," Kakashi tapped a finger against his nose, thinking. Thirty. Thirty Shinobi from two villages who weren't used to fighting together.

"Extraction and rescue is no option," he finally said. "It took me long enough to find this damn place again."

"What Jutsu do they use to hide it?" Sasuke asked, sounding mildly interested. "Some special barrier jutsu we don't know?"

"I have not the faintest clue," Kakashi shook his head. Not the faintest clue about many things. "How long have I been gone?"

"You left for the Capital nine days ago," Sasuke informed him stiffly. "Konoha was attacked on the second day. They didn't get Sarada like they planned to."

Kakashi nodded, relieved. At least that part of the plan had gone right.

Sasuke appeared angry. "These are the guys who attacked Konoha before?"

Kakashi nodded, gritting his teeth.

"Do you know why they came last year? Not for Sarada, she wasn't in the village back then."

Ah, that was the question, wasn't it. Kakashi looked up to the cave ceiling. If he had followed Obito to the door he was guarding in his mind, he would understand by now why he knew so much about resurrected Rin's past. Why had he hesitated?

Too easy to answer that: because he was a coward. Because he knew he wouldn't like what would be revealed. It was as simple as that.

"What do you advise?" Sasuke asked when he didn't answer. "Do we engage the enemy?"

"We will have to," Kakashi sighed. "We can use empty caves as hiding places and only attack individuals and small groups stealthily. If we are careful, we can keep our presence hidden until Konoha sends more troops."

Sasuke nodded slowly.

"Go inform the Mizukage," Kakashi ordered. "I'll wait here. I need you to help me with this stuff afterwards, the tanks are super heavy."

Sasuke nodded again. Something seemed to bother him though.

"So… how did you get in here if the place is so well hidden?" Sasuke asked with a frown.

"Ah," Kakashi pulled an apologetic face. "Well. That wasn't exactly planned. The serum we injected Rin with contained a tracker, but it did not activate. Instead they… hm, kidnapped me."

"Huh," Sasuke shook his head. "How embarrassing. And they haven't realized you're missing yet? Or… do they just let you walk around because you convinced them you're on their side?"

At least he didn't think he was on their side.

"I don't think I was ever supposed to be able to get out of the Genjutsu they dumped me into by myself."

"Genjutsu?" Sasuke tilted his head and looked him over again. "You look fine."

It's almost like I knew what was going to happen, Kakashi thought.

"Preparation is winning," he said in his Sensei tone of voice. As if that explained anything.

###

"... it is strange how little we know about the Hatakes," Tsunade mused as they walked on the street side by side. "The Clan has always been small, quiet and inconspicuous. Also reliable. Very strong warriors. With a tendency to get depressed, unfortunately. Kakashi's grandfather also committed suicide. We don't have any detailed records about the great-grandfather, but he died young too."

Sakura shuddered despite the mild temperatures. A history of depression? And Konoha had never even tried to help Kakashi with his multiple traumas. Sad and angry at the same time, she watched as Tsunade set Tonton down and gave her pet a little pat on the backside.

"Time for some exercise," the Godaime Hokage told the pig, "you can walk the rest of the way."

"Oink, oink," Tonton complained and scuttled forward moodily.

"I'm planning to open up a restaurant here in Konoha," Tsunade said, looking at Sakura as if he wasn't quite sure whether that was a good idea.

"Oh!" Sakura smiled at her Shishou. "I'm glad to hear it. It means you'll be around."

Tsunade smiled, looking relieved. "Nice of you to say this. Frankly, I think I made a horrible mess of things before I left. I shouldn't have dumped it all on Kakashi's shoulders."

Sakura remained quiet. From what she had heard from everyone, Kakashi was very well respected as Hokage even though there were rumors about his unseemly deep ties to the Noharas. But he also seemed to work much too hard, neglecting to eat, hardly sleeping.

"I also suspected him of being a traitor. I will have to apologize to him once he's back."

Once he's back. The mantra. Everybody used the phrase all the time: 'We need to do this and that… once he's back'. It had to be a wonderful feeling to be so central to people's lives. Or extremely exhausting. Kakashi probably needed a very long vacation... once he was back.

"This is where Kakashi grew up," the Godaime Hokage said, pointing at the house appearing in front of them. They were in the outskirts of Konoha, a part that had not gotten destroyed during Pain's assault. There were considerable distances between the sparse buildings here, with trees and bushes claiming back the space that had been taken from them when Konoha had first been constructed. With a pang, Sakura noticed that the house looked abandoned and desolate, with a yard full of weeds and a roof with broken tiles.

"He lived here alone?" Sakura whispered. In such a big house? Poor little Kakashi. How lonely he must have been.

"After he ran away from the orphanage, he returned to this place. It's where he used to live with his father," Tsunade nodded. "I guess he had his ninken?"

"Yes, we kept him company," a deep voice said behind them. "Not that he showed much gratitude, the snotty brad."

Tonton squeaked in delight and the two women swiveled around, to behold the small dog behind them.

"Pakkun!"

"Yo," the dog lifted his right paw in a greeting.

"Tell me Kakashi sent you!" Tsunade exclaimed.

"Yeah," Pakkun said and walked forward towards the door. "He's in a bit of trouble but nothing he cannot handle. His words, not mine."

"Oh thank god he's okay," Tsunade sighed.

Pakkun grumbled something and hopped up onto the veranda of the Hatake house. "I have a message for the woman who uses my shampoo," the pug said gravely, fixating her with his eyes.

"Oh," Sakura felt her heart pick up speed, "what is it?"

"It's…," the dog shuddered.

"Did something bad happen to him?" Oh god, no.

"No need to be alarmed," Pakkun grumbled, "it's just too corny for me to repeat easily."

"Oh," Sakura said again, sinking down to sit next to him. "I see."

"Bend forward," Pakkun said. She did. "More."

Moving his snout close to Sakura's ears, he cleared his voice. "My most beloved Sakura," he intoned in a whisper, "I am sorry I had to leave the village. I am sorry I left you alone. I am sorry I kept secrets from you. I am sorry I went missing. But I promise that I will end this, once and for all. And when I'm back, I will…"

Pakkun shuddered again. Sakura lifted her head, her eyes wide. "What? What did he say?"

"Don't pressure me," Pakkun snapped. "Or I'm going to be sick. He said very disturbing things. It involves you and him doing… well. Animal-like behavior, that's what he insinuated. I refuse to repeat it, actually. You can imagine yourself what he might have said."

"Oh," Sakura felt herself blush.

"Did the others find him?" Tsunade asked the dog, lifting Tonton up onto the veranda. The pig instantly sidled up to Pakkun and cuddled itself against him.

"Yes, Sasuke must be with him by now."

Pakkun licked Tonton across the head, once, twice.

"Good," Tsunade nodded. "And did he find the Mountains' Graveyard like he planned?"

"Yes," Pakkun confirmed. "Took him a while though. And he needs more soldiers."

"I will go!" Sakura jumped to her feet. "I have to, please…"

"No," Tsunade replied and pulled her back down. "You know why."

"But I…"

"You need to rest," Tsunade said sternly. "Or you'll jeopardize the baby. I doubt that Kakashi will be pleased if you do."

"Baby?" Pakkun's ears perked up. "As in… baby?" He began sniffing Sakura from all sides. "A baby," he repeated to himself, sounding puzzled and a little disturbed. "How very unusual."

"What do you mean?" Sakura grabbed the dog by an ear and pulled him closer, making him whelp. Tonton joined him by squeaking loudly in protest.

"Let go, woman! Consider my dignity!"

But of course. If anyone knew about the Hatakes it was the ninken. The connection between ninja summons and their human masters were very deep and often went back to ancient times.

"How many generations of Hatakes have you served?" Sakura asked him, her voice suddenly shrill and tense. "What do you know? How is their fate related to Kaguya? You must tell me everything!"

"Well," Pakkun repliedm studying her face with an expression Sakura suddenly didn't like at all, "now that you carry his baby, I guess you're entitled to know."

###

"Where exactly are we going?" Sasuke asked halfway down the steep tunnel.

"The God Tree Cave."

"God Tree…?"

"Shhh," Kakashi put a finger to his lips but quickly put his hand back onto the tottering methane tank. "I will fill you in as we walk."

Kakashi told Sasuke what he knew. Which wasn't much.

"Berries?" Sasuke huffed. "Fuck. And what did Kabuto do with them?"

"I don't know," Kakashi admitted. "He put them into a little basket, as if he meant to take it to someone."

"Rin?" Sasuke guessed. "She just got a recharge after you injected her with the serum. I guess we're screwed. Hey, where's the doctor? Did he die?"

"No. He's gone home."

"What?!"

"Shhhhhh," Kakashi hissed again. "We will have to cope without him. I have several vials of the serum left. And I hope you brought the other ingredient?"

"Yeah, I did," Sasuke said. "But do you really think it's a good idea to stick needles with random substances into people?"

Kakashi shrugged. "It's what Kabuto was doing to both of us. And it's not random substances. We have three different types: Sakura's serum, Uchiha blood and Uzumaki essence. Eventually we will find the right mix to get the effects we want."

"I don't think I want to ever feel something like it again." Sasuke shuddered. "I thought I was going to be ripped apart from the inside."

"What Kabuto injected you with was just highly concentrated," Kakashi explained. "But there is no doubt that the combination of Uchiha blood and Uzumaki toxin is the key to stopping the Rins."

"Is that what you want to do? Stop them?"

Kakashi frowned at Sasuke, coming to a halt.

"What are you suggesting?"

"Oh, come on," Sasuke's voice turned several degrees colder. "I might be deficient in many things when it comes to human relationships but I have eyes. I see the way you look at her. The Nohara girl."

"Oh yeah? And what way would that be?"

"Like you want to wrap her up in cotton and stow her away, out of harm's way."

Kakashi wanted to get angry at Sasuke's impertinence, but to his alarm, he failed to muster that kind of emotion. Instead, he felt sadness.

Rin was the enemy and a prime threat to everything he had sworn to protect. There was no way he could let them live after this. But… could he kill them? With a shudder, Kakashi forced his mind away from that horrible feeling of guilt that wanted to swallow him at the mere thought. That image of his hand ripping a hole into her body, shattering her heart, her ribs, her spine…

"You are right," he admitted quietly. "I am not sure I can kill her… them… again. It already almost undid me the first time."

"Then let me do it," Sasuke said coldly. "I'm not as sentimental as you are. But if you interfere…swear, Hatake Kakashi. If you interfere, I will have to kill you too."

###

"I refuse to believe it," Sakura said into the silence after Pakkun was done, her voice shaking. But could she? Refuse? Would that be enough to kick those bloodline curses and prophecies in the ass? Was it enough to discontinue what had started such a long time ago?

Don't look at me like this! Sakura wanted to shout at Tsunade, Tonton and Kakashi's dog. So full of pity, as if she was the one getting royally screwed over by fate in each and every generation.

"And you couldn't have said anything before today?" Tsunade asked the dog sharply, barely masking her own shock.

"Of course not," the dog huffed. "It's the nature of the pact. It's a secret agreement. You, Slug Princess, can count yourself lucky that I'm a bit confused due to the recent…," his eyes fixated on Sakura's belly, "... development. Or you would never have learnt."

"Does Kakashi know?"

The question had to be asked. Sakura braced herself for the answer, tensing up so much her limbs began to shake.

Pakkun titled his head to the side pensively. "He does. But I think he chose to forget."

"But he killed her! He killed her!" Sakura shouted.

Pakkun nodded. "That should never have happened."

"But it did," Sakura yelled, "it did. Does it not prove that he doesn't act according to… some…"

"Please calm yourself," Tsunade said, grabbing both of Sakura's hands. "You are right to fight this, Sakura. And you should until there is nothing left to fight."

Damn the Ōtsutsuki Clan for all eternity. Sakura gritted her teeth. Pitiful? Hagoromo's daughter, Nakushita, had been pitiful, was that what Pakkun had said? Pffft. Sakura glared at the Ninken. Could anyone bat their wet eyelids at them and get them to whine at their feet?

"Kakashi's mother was a descendant of Hagoromo's daughter?" Tsunade asked. "Are you sure?"

Pakkun pulled a face. "Of course."

They will insist on their right, Pakkun had said. Their right?! What did they think the Hatakes were? Better sex-slaves? No ancestor could determine something like this for all of their descendants, however much he had been in love! Seething, Sakura gritted her teeth.

"And they have started to need Uzumaki and Uchiha blood to procreate," Tsunade repeated some of the information they had received as if to check its validity.

"Yes," Pakkun grumbled moodily. "Don't make me repeat myself. There are fewer and fewer children from the joint union. The female line has become… unfertile."

"I think I'm going to be sick," Sakura murmured and barely had time to bend forward before her stomach emptied itself violently.

"There, there," Tsunade murmured as she patted Sakura's back while she retched and rechted.

"I'm definitely not a descendant of Nakushita," Sakura finally pressed out, wiping her mouth with her sleeve. "This child breaks the pattern."

"Mhm," Pakkun said, coming closer and licking over Sakura's hand once, twice. "I am feeling cautiously optimistic that that's a good thing. Maybe it's time…"

A protector in every generation. Just one. To ensure the continuation of Nakushita's line through the ages. To keep the Uzumaki's and the Uchiha's at bay - the descendants of Nakushita's most horrible enemies: her own brothers.

But why had Kakashi been able to kill the descendant he was bound to protect? Why the experiments with Uchiha blood? Why Kabuto? Was the Uchiha illness really a defensive mechanism, like Kakashi had told her? Goddammit. So that the sister's clan could no longer use it.

"I will return to Kakashi now," Pakkun said, sounding much gentler than usual. "He will be delighted to hear…"

"No, don't tell him. Don't. I forbid it." Sakura sounded surprisingly sure of herself for someone so shaken.

If he comes back to me… I want to tell him myself. And if he doesn't… he should never know.

###

They reached the cave, drenched in cold sweat, panting from the exertion of walking soundlessly with something so heavy between them.

"Careful," Kakashi whispered, feeling a tensening in the air.

"Holy fuck," Sasuke breathed, looking up at the eyes and then focusing on the white ghost tree.

"They can sense you," Kakashi said. "Shit."

Okay, it was time. He could not put it off any longer.

"Sasuke, I will briefly have to close my eyes. I will be right back. Just don't walk any further, do you hear me? There's some kind of defensive mechanism protecting the tree."

Sasuke nodded.

Obito, Kakashi thought. Where did you go? I'm ready for the truth.

He wasn't. But he needed to know.

A touch of air against his skin. A house. The Uchiha compound.

"Have you finally come?" Obito said and opened the door.

A few heartbeats later, Kakashi staggered and almost fell, leaning against the cave wall for support.

"Are you going to swoon?" Sasuke asked him full of disdain, extending a hand to steady him.

"I'd prefer to," Kakashi groaned, remembering… conversations, feelings, promises. Promises he could not keep. He would betray her. He had to.

"Hey, by the way: I signed the papers. If we get out of here alive, I won't stand in your way," Sasuke said, studying his face closely. "Why are you so pale?"

"You need to get out of here," Kakashi pressed out. "Right now. Gather everyone you can find. Run. As far away as possible. It's a trap."

"Too late," a cold voice said from across the room.

The two Rins stepped forward. Behind them, Kabuto appeared.

And all around them, the eyes slowly opened.