Kakashi's shock to have walked into a trap lasted exactly three seconds. Then, annoyance took over. At himself for being too stupid these last few days - or had it been months? And at his life that had, the realization stung considerably, rushed towards this confrontation without him realizing anything until it was too late.

There was little that he hated more than feeling forced into a situation.

The way he saw it, Sasuke and him were currently left with two options: They could run and hope they would be able to make it out in one piece - or they could stand and fight and hope they didn't die too quickly.

But of course, Kakashi had never run away from a fight in his entire life and he didn't plan to start doing it now. Stand and fight it was. Maybe there was time to reflect about life choices later?

"Thank you for bringing the last of the Uchihas to us, we would never have been able to achieve this by ourselves," Rin sneered.

Kakashi recognized her as "evil" Rin, the one who had never even tried to hide her murderous tendencies. It was also the Rin most eager to hurt people. But maybe they both were eager. Nobody lived through what they had and didn't come out of it fully deranged.

As far as showdowns went, this one was probably going to be just as epic as the Madara-Obito-Kaguya showdown had been. For all of Kakashi's reluctance to accept praise for his military achievements, he also wouldn't want to miss a decisive battle.

And at the moment, he was itching for a fight. Badly.

"What is this place," Sasuke demanded to know, brushing the hair away from his face so that his Rinnegan could be put to full use. He turned his head in all directions, switching on his Mangekyo Sharingan as well. Kakashi felt the chakra rise in the room. The eyes glared down at them with unhidden hatred. He didn't know whether they were sentient beings, a protection system for the God Tree or something else entirely.

"A place of birth, a place of death," the 'nice' Rin said. She even managed a sweet smile that made Kakashi see the girl she had once been behind the woman she had become.

"Our birth, your death," Evil Rin snickered.

"Oh yeah?" Sasuke scoffed. "You're not the first to wish me dead. Nor are you the most powerful I ever faced. Don't expect any leniency from me later."

"Arrogant," the first Rin murmured, pulling a face. "Annoying. In short, Uchiha."

"You!" the other Rin pointed at Kakashi, "come here."

"Hm?" Kakashi tilted his head. Now for the good part.

"Come here," she repeated, her tone more commanding.

She switched on her Mangekyo Sharingan for emphasis. Kakashi felt the pull of the Genjutsu like a hand that clenched around his throat and tried to drag him forward.

"No," he said and planted his feet down more firmly. No. No. He would not budge.

"Come here!" she yelled, pulling much more strongly. Pain exploded in his head but he stood his ground, gritting his teeth, waiting for it to pass.

"It's not possible," Kabuto murmured behind her. "How can he…?"

"Did you mess up again?" Nice Rin hissed at him.

The pressure lessened. Ah, but Kakashi felt satisfied. It had worked! He had purged the word that had the power to unlock him and turn him into a red puppet from his head, had chased it away with virtual fire and determination. The Curse Mark was deactivated. All the rooms in his head were clean, full of sunshine and suffused with cherry blossom scent.

He grinned broadly and winked at the people before him, resisting a rude gesture for the moment. No need to escalate already. It was good that they were just standing around talking. Wasn't reinforcement coming? Maybe they wouldn't die after all.

"Who allowed you to use my family's eyes?" Sasuke ground out, his voice shaking with anger.

"We just took them, boy," Evil Rin snapped. "We were denied our birthright for too long by the likes of you!"

"I'll rip them out of your heads," Sasuke vowed, "and I'll bury them with their rightful owners, sprinkling the ashes of your dead bodies on top."

The Rins laughed and it seemed like the whole cave shook from it. "Poor, delusional Uchiha. Do you know how many eyes we have in our possession? So many people were in your clan once! Now there's only you. How pitiful and pathetic."

"Sasuke," Kakashi cautioned the young Uchiha when a growl broke from his chest. Don't be rash, Sasuke. Listen to me. Sasuke stilled, breathing heavily but calming himself. Trusting him? Better late than never.

"Wrong, of course," Nice Rin said, "there isn't only you. There's now also your daughter. But she's something else entirely, isn't she? We've been waiting for her for so long."

At the mention of Sarada, Kakashi felt a strange mixture of apprehension and excitement rise inside of him. And most importantly, determination. He would give his life to protect her.

It was that realization that gave him the strength he needed.

"Are these creeps talking about some prophecy shit again?" Sasuke asked Kakashi. "I recognize the tone. Tell me I'm wrong!"

"I fear you are right, Sasuke," Kakashi said gravely. Prophecy shit indeed.

"Kill him!" Evil Rin yelled impatiently and her Genjutsu slapped Kakashi right in the face. He sucked in his breath and held it until the onslaught passed.

"See, here is what you got wrong, Rin," Kakashi said when he was sure his voice would be calm. He took a step forward and smiled, "I was never quite as devoted to you as you might have thought."

There was little that he hated more than feeling forced into a situation. So whenever he could, he resisted.

###

≈ approximately 8 years ago ≈

"How… what is… how are you… how are you alive?"

Kakashi felt like the sky had dropped on his head. He could hardly breathe. He had imagined many monstrous entities to be behind the brutal attack on the fishing village in the Land of Water but never...

… never Rin.

Rin was dead. He had killed her. Oh god, he had killed her...

A sob escaped his throat. The memory still held the power to destroy him. He had worked so hard to stow it away but it would never be possible to forget nor to forgive himself.

"Kabuto said you'd find us soon," Gentle Rin smiled at him fondly. "I've missed you so much, Kakashi. Look at how handsome you've become!"

Was it an illusion? A dream? Kakashi pinched his leg. Hard. He flinched. It hurt.

"W… why are there two… two…"

Feelings… so many feelings came rushing in, his throat clamped up. When in shock, the body wanted to simply shut down. Fainting seemed like a good idea. Or throwing up.

"Two of us?" Fierce Rin finished his sentence for him. "Kabuto got a little carried away, I guess? The details were not revealed to us though."

"No, it was our mother," Gentle Rin corrected her identical copy. "She wanted to make sure we'd be the ones to bring the prophecy to fruition. You see, the constellations are very favorable!"

"Two in case you feel like killing one of us again," Fierce Rin smirked.

"I… I… had to… kill…" Kakashi felt an overwhelming urge to apologize. He wanted to fall on his knees, prostrate himself, beg until all his guilt had left his body. He wanted their scorn, their punishment. He wanted them to end his miserable life.

"Oh, but we made you kill us, remember?" Fierce Rin frowned a little. "So hung up about it still, tsk. You didn't have a choice in the matter."

It would be salvation to finally believe that. No choice - no blame. But it was a lie. There was always a choice. The truly awful thing was having to decide and then having to live with the decision.

"Lie down, Kakashi," Gentle Rin said and took his hand, throwing her sister a look that made her shut up. "Not long until you're complete." She stroked his brow, her hand gliding down to his shoulder.

Kakashi's arm suddenly hurt with a fierce, bone-piercing pain and he pulled away hastily.

Gentle Rin laughed. "Are you afraid?"

"Just force him down if necessary," Fierce Rin said impatiently. "He's always been way too slow when you leave him with choices."

"It's because he's a nice person," Gentle Rin said mockingly. "He cares for people. He cares too much. They all do, the Hatakes, don't they? And then they end up dying because their hearts cannot take it anymore."

"What… what are you?" Kakashi pressed out as he let himself be guided to a stone slab in the middle of the cave, meek like a lamb, with a head that felt like it was being hollowed out by something sinister, creeping and deadly.

"We are Rin," the two said in unison. "We were resurrected and nurtured by the love of our people. We are stronger than ever. We will ensure the continuation of our ancient line. And you love us, have you forgotten?"

Love… her? Kakashi shuddered. It might have been possible once but that time was long gone.

"Besides, we have a present for you," Gentle Rin smiled, taking a jar from the folds of her tunic, presenting it to him solemnly.

Eyes.

"Your body has been altered so you can use them more proficiently. You will be glorious again."

The soldier enhancement program, Kakashi realized with a pang. All the Uchiha blood Kabuto had used to experiment on him. His wish… his biggest, fiercest wish. To have a Sharingan again. But… like this? No, he didn't want it that much.

"Lie down, love," Gentle Rin said and pressed against his shoulders demandingly.

"Oh, but wait," Fierce Rin said and stepped closer to sneer at him. "First, we have to make sure he doesn't remember. Apart from the word, that is."

"Ah, yes," Gentle Rin nodded, "I almost forgot."

Their deranged giggles echoed strangely in the cave and Kakashi shivered violently as a reaction. Could you have nightmares without dreaming?

But he knew what to do. Had he not been trained to lock his mind with the Mind Sealing Technique? It was good that Danzo was dead. But some of the things he had taught Kakashi were useful. Very useful. In fact, they were essential. Without them, Kakashi would not have lived to see this day. And without them, Kakashi would be swept up in the whirlwind of insanity that had opened up in front of him.

He would seal his mind. All of it. He would return to Konoha. And when in safety, he would recover all his memories.

And then, he would end this insanity.

###

"How dare you," Evil Rin yelled, "you are a Hatake! You are sworn to protect us, by the blood of your ancestors!"

"What crap is this?" Sasuke murmured, throwing Kakashi a very doubtful look.

"Ancestral crap," Kakashi sighed. "I'm sorry, Sasuke."

Sasuke took a few hasty steps away from him. The eyes in the ceiling followed his every move and Sasuke spat to the floor in disdain.

"I can take you on in addition to them, Kakashi. You've never been a true threat to me anyway. Mediocre skills and all."

Kakashi hated that he could hear the hurt in Sasuke's voice. Everybody had abandoned Sasuke, one person after the other. I will not abandon you, Sasuke. Never! Kakashi thought fiercely.

"I know the Uchihas did a few despicable things in the history of these lands," Sasuke declared. "But I also promised to rectify it. I guess it means killing all of you today. I'm ready."

"Why are we still talking?" Evil Rin snapped. "Fucking kill the demon spawn already."

"I don't know…," Gentle Rin put a hand on her sister's sleeve. "I don't have a good feeling about this…"

"Here," Kabuto said and stepped forward with his little basket full of God Tree berries. "Take them."

"No!" Evil Rin grumbled. Nice Rin quickly pulled her hand back that she had extended towards the berries and looked at her sister questioningly.

"You have to," Kabuto urged them. "You need them to survive."

"The hell I do," Evil Rin slapped his hand away. "If he can be willful, I can be too!" she pointed at Kakashi, anger darkening her features.

"I have a question," Kakashi put up his finger.

"You have no r…"

"I didn't ask for your permission," he interrupted her. "And it's actually a question for Kabuto. What's in it for you? I just don't get it."

Kabuto's face distorted in hatred. Okay, this was personal. And it had always been, had it not? Kabuto hated him.

Was it really like Sakura had suspected? It seemed too banal. Too ridiculous.

"Everybody who has ever thought he could trust Kabuto found himself tricked," Kakashi said to the Rins. "Danzo. Orochimaru. Madara. You know he used to work for Madara? I'm sure you know he was an Uchiha."

"Madara was just a pawn for Grandmother Kaguya's plans!" Evil Rin spat. "He was weak!"

"Kabuto works for our mother, he is very loyal," Nice Rin put a hand on Evil Rin's shoulder again and pressed it lightly, seeking to calm her down. But there was doubt in her eyes.

"I wonder which of you two it is," Kakashi mused, looking from one to the other. Who would suit Kabuto's temperament more? The one who smiled gently and touched lightly or the other whose passion could sweep you up completely?

"You know nothing!" Kabuto exclaimed, his hand reaching for his pouch.

Lightning fast, Kakashi pulled his kunai but Kabuto held no knife.

"You want them for yourself?" Kakashi couldn't help it, he had to laugh. "Do you think your silver hair makes you some adequate replacement for me and the pact?"

"Maybe my silver hair is proof of my birthright, you undeserving bastard!"

Kabuto threw a shining purple berry into his mouth and bit down.

###

≈ approximately 35 years ago ≈

It was on the day his father had asked him "the question". The one that would haunt him for years: "What is worse: Guilt or death?"

Later, much later, Kakashi would begin to understand why guilt was far worse than death and why it had killed his father. That day, he just wanted to make his father proud, giving him the answers he thought his beloved parent wanted to hear.

After dinner, his father took him by the hand and opened up the trap door that led down to the cellar. Kakashi had been down there only a few times before. He would never admit it but he was a little scared of how the shadows danced in the candle light. They looked like ghosts to him and he was very afraid of them.

"Come," his father smiled up at him, halfway down the steps already, "I have to show you something really important."

Kakashi nodded, bit his lip, took a deep breath and walked down the stairs with shaking knees.

The air in the basement was stale and there was so much dust that Kakashi had to sneeze three times.

"It's here," his father said, his steps taking him to a wooden chest that was stowed away in the far corner. Sakumo opened it with a key he pulled from around his neck and took out two scrolls.

At that point, Kakashi's heart was beating very fast.

"Kakashi," Sakumo said solemnly, "you are old enough to learn about the two pacts we Hatakes are compelled to honor. It's time."

"Pacts, papa?" Kakashi swallowed hard. This was so exciting! Some of the kids at school boasted about their families' pacts. He had always felt a little slighted since the Hatakes were such a small, unimportant Clan.

"Because we once saved the Inuzuka Clan from extinction, we are the only other Clan in the Land of Fire who can call on the loyalty of dogs in situations of need," Sakumo began. "It is written down in this scroll."

Dogs? Kakashi began to fidget happily. He loved dogs!

"You have to earn their trust," his father told him, "but they will come to your help in your darkest hour."

"What… what does that mean?" Kakashi suppressed a shudder. He didn't like dark things.

"Ah, just a figure of speech," his father smiled gently, "it means that they will know when you need them and then they will come for the first time."

"Okay, father!" Kakashi nodded eagerly. He would take good care of the Ninken! As far as he knew, dogs really liked it when you scratched behind their ears. Or rubbed their bellies.

"Good," Sakumo said and then he sighed.

Sighed so heavily that Kakashi's good mood disappeared instantly.

"What is it, Papa?" he asked.

"Oh, nothing," his father said. But Kakashi knew his dad only said that so that he would stop asking questions but whenever his father seemed so sad, he… he had to do something. Kakashi stepped forward and took his father's hand in his, pressing it for comfort.

His father smiled down at him. But he was still sad, Kakashi could see it. It was like something was wearing him down, day by day, something he did not share with his son.

"There's a second pact," his father finally said after staring into the empty air for a bit, "It is very old. Thousands of years, in fact."

"Thousands of…?" Kakashi's eyes grew big. He had never even imagined a time that long ago!

"Yes," his father nodded. "Very old. So old that the details of how it came to pass… the details are not known to me. But - we are pledged to protect the descendants of a specific family line. With our lives."

Kakashi understood the concept of protection. He felt that he wanted to protect certain people. Like his father. Or that girl that he liked a little. Also the small boy that got beaten up by the bullies, the baker's son with the limp.

"In turn, they help us with the continuation of our line."

Kakashi nodded again. It was clear. Line meant family. Continuing a line meant having a family of one's own.

"We…," his father seemed a little embarrassed and faltered. Ah! Kakashi grinned. Did it have to do with babies?

"I understand," Kakashi said knowingly.

"No, you don't," his father shouted and Kakashi almost ducked because of the suppressed anger in his father's voice. Had Might Guy lied about how babies were made?! Kakashi stared at his father and swallowed hard. But his father's anger had already dissipated again.

"I'm sorry, son. But it's a curse. We can only have children with one of Nakushita's daughters."

"Are they…," Kakashi could imagine one reason why his father would be so upset. "Are they… very ugly?" he burst out.

"No!" His father looked quite taken aback by that suggestion, "of course not."

Kakashi realized too late he had just suggested that his mother may have been ugly. That drove tears into his eyes. He never asked his father about his mother. Because he had done it once and it had hurt his father so much, he had sworn never to give in to his curiosity again. Of course his mother wasn't ugly. She must have been the most beautiful woman in the world.

"No, his father said again more softly, ruffling Kakashi's hair a little. "They're not ugly and we have to be grateful. But you know…," he sighed again, heavily. "Matters of the heart cannot be regulated by a pact. Love cannot be forced. It's…"

His voice trailed off.

"Here," he then said and handed Kakashi the second scroll, "be careful when you touch it, it's ancient."

Reverently, Kakashi unrolled the parchment and looked at the writing inside. He could read, of course, but the words made no sense to him. Even after he had read them ten times.

"What is this, father?" he asked finally, in an attempt to mask his failing, pointing at the very bottom of the scroll, where there were markings as fine as cobwebs. It looked like more words.

His father bent down and frowned, lifting his candle in order to see better.

"Hm," he said slowly. "I'm not sure."

After staring for a while, he took the scroll back from Kakashi and rolled it up again carefully.

"We sometimes write in very tiny letters at school," Kakashi mused, "when we pass secret messages to each other."

"You shouldn't pass secret messages to each other," Sakumo chuckled, "if the teachers catch you, you will be punished."

"They won't catch me!" Kakashi assured him. "And if they do, it will make them laugh. We always make sure to put a greeting for them in there."

"A greeting?"

"Yes!" Kakashi grinned. "The other day, I wrote 'If you read this, you're dumb' and then, in tiny letters: 'Unless you also read this. Then you're smart'!"

It felt very good to laugh together with his father. The sound of their voices chased away the shadows for a moment, from his father's face and from the walls. It was all that mattered to Kakashi on that day. Pleasing his father. Chasing away his sorrows.

It was many, many years later until Kakashi even remembered the basement with the scrolls. It was then he also understood what his father had meant when he had called the pact "a curse".

But he was not like his father.

###

"What the fuck?" Sasuke yelled, grabbing Kakashi's flak jacket and pulling him backwards so that he stumbled, "is that snake related to you?!"

No way, Kakashi wanted to shout but he only managed a grunt when Sasuke slammed him against the cave wall, pinning him down with an elbow to the throat.

"What. Is. Going. On!" Sasuke hissed close to his face.

Kakashi had believed he had understood it all, now that he had unlocked all his memories, but did he really?

The two Rins had thrown themselves on Kabuto, Kakashi saw from the corner of his eyes, but the berry seemed to augment Kabuto's powers and he transformed, growing bigger and bigger, sprouting wings, fangs and several heads. The Rins scrambled away from him and Kabuto laughed, a deep, grating, satisfied laughter.

"I have always been the most powerful!" he roared.

Sasuke let go of Kakashi, looking at Kabuto's altered appearance with disgust.

"He gets uglier every time he does something to his body," he observed.

Word. So ugly it was a travesty.

The eyes above them blinked agitatedly. No bolts of lightning this time?

"You!" Kabuto's growl echoed loudly, "are mine!"

He plucked one of the Rin's from the ground like she weighed nothing and put her into one of his fanged mouths, pinning her in place.

"My sister! Let her go!" the Rin left on the ground shouted, throwing a barrage of shuriken at the monster. Was it Evil Rin? It looked like it.

"Do you think we can stall long enough until the reinforcement arrives?" Kakashi asked Sasuke who stared at the scene before them with a half open mouth.

"Did he just put her into his mouth?!" Sasuke asked.

"He's not chewing," Kakashi observed with a shrug.

"This is so fucked up," Sasuke shook his head in disbelief.

"Do something!" Rin shouted at Kakashi, "you are our Protector!"

"Is that the ancestral crap you were referring to?" Sasuke snickered. "Man, at times, I might have envied you, but this! This!"

He pointed with his finger and laughed.

"It's not funny at all," Kakashi pressed out. "But your chance to get out of here, Sasuke. They believe that the Uchihas have only one goal in life: to end their line. That is why they have only one goal in life too: end the Uchihas."

He was too embarrassed to tell Sasuke about the other goal they had. To procreate. With a Hatake. With him - because there was no other Hatake alive. Both their lines were facing extinction. Desperate times, desperate measures. He didn't want to think too hard about how closely they were related to him.

Quite likely that he would end two ancient lines at the same time today. Seriously. And all he had really wanted was a quiet, comfortable life - with the woman he loved.

Sakura, he thought, as he raced forward into the cave, forgive me. Please, forgive me.