((I apologize again for the length of time this took. I have lots of ideas running around my head and just start typing new things. It's a terrible thing to do to you guys, but I really appreciate your patience and interest in this story. Cue me bowing continuously in thanks))
This is a backwards skip again to show what happened on the day Itachi escaped and I give up on changing Kakuzu's talking to bold, no clue why I did it in the first place, but thanks for sticking with me!
Things hadn't gotten any easier. The days that he was captive in this room were suffocating. Kakuzu didn't help. He only made things worse. Every night and every day he was here, breaking Kakashi down and it was awful. No matter what he would come and harass him until he fell unconscious. It was horrible. Why couldn't he just kill him or something like that? Instead it was just the constant sex and resting. Kakashi wasn't sure what he was going to do anymore. It was maddening. It was the same, constantly. Kakuzu came to the room, abused him and then left. Hinata and Neji would come and take care of him and then leave. Kakuzu wouldn't even make it pleasurable anymore. It was simply being used until the vampire was sated. It was an endless cycle that simply repeated constantly. He was at the end of his rope.
The sound of the door made him groan and simply move his face against the blankets to see what was happening. He was amazed to see that it was Neji and Hinata instead of the vampire that plagued him. "W-what are you two doing here so early?"
"W-we're right on time Kakashi," Hinata replied gently as she walked over and set the bowl of water down and lightly pulled him so he was sitting up and facing them. The amount of bite marks lining his body made the two of them give the silver prince looks of pity.
"That bad this time huh?" He asked nearly lifelessly. The two Hyugas shook their heads as Hinata gently took his hands. It would seem that he was losing track of time now. The small window only helped so much.
"You can't take this much longer Kakashi. Your body can't take this kind of abuse constantly like this. It isn't good and soon your body will not be able to handle it. I'm concerned that you aren't going to last," the young woman explained gently as she looked him over. When she looked at his face, a soft gasp escaped her. He looked so sad. "I'm sorry Kakashi."
"No, what you said is true. I don't think I'll last too much longer either. It's….we should definitely go ahead with the plan that we came up with before. Any way we can...I'd appreciate it if we could go ahead and get me out of here," he said, shaking his head slightly. It was a last resort but he was starting to feel truly hopeless. Especially since he knew that he was the reason Itachi was still being held captive. It was a horrible feeling and he hated knowing that he was the reason Itachi was being tortured.
"Are you sure that you want to do that?" Neji asked as he stepped closer to the pair. He understood why Kakashi would want to do this but it seemed like a bad idea. There were so many things that could go wrong and he was concerned that any number of them could happen. If they faked his death and got him out, someone might find out that he was alive. Or they could find out it was them that helped. So many variables made this a horrible plan, but Neji understood why he would want to do it. The kind of marks and damage they saw every day on Kakashi was enough to help them understand. "If you are quite sure, we will help you now. But we have to set things up so you will have to be patient for a few more days. For that I do apologize."
"A few days isn't so bad," Kakashi tried to joke. Hinata gave him a soft look of sorrow as she patted his hand. "Don't worry. Everything will work out, Hinata. I'm sure of it. Don't look so sad."
"You are quite hopeful despite your situation. It's truly inspiring Kakashi. I admire it," the princess said gently as she set about treating his current injuries.
"I can only be hopeful because it is all I have. I can only hope that things will go well and my lover will be alright after this and you two will not be found out," Kakashi explained as he shook his head. It was definitely not going to be easy to pull this off, but he was hopeful. If it failed, then they may all end up dead. "Thank you both for taking care of me like this and for being so kind to me."
"It is hard not to be kind to someone in this situation," Neji replied as he looked at the injured man.
"Is that supposed to mean that you wouldn't be kind to me if I wasn't in this situation?" Kakashi teased as he looked up at the other man with a faint smile.
"No, I would likely treat you the same actually. More that….others would be more kind because of your situation," Neji answered with a slight nod.
"Well, I am glad to hear that you wouldn't treat me differently," Kakashi reapplied as he gave the younger man a gentle smile. After a moment, the smile fell and he shook his head. "This poison or what ever it is...I'll have to use it at a later time once I have it. Or if possible...it needs to be a slow acting one. That way they won't be able to trace it back to you two."
"You are correct," Neji replied as he looked down and shook his head. "I have an idea of what poison to use, but you will have to be very careful. It will make your body shut down completely. It simulates death nearly completely. It will be very effective, but you won't be able to move for quite some time after using it. It's basically a strong paralytic that mimics passing on."
"Sounds perfect. What's the catch?" The silver prince asked as he looked at the two of them.
"If your will to live is not strong enough or your body gives out completely...you will die," Hinata answered as she gently released Kakashi's hand. "It will take us a few days to gather things and make it, but as soon as we have it, you will know."
"Thank you both," the older prince said as he gave them a soft, sad smile. At the rate he'd been abused, his body might not make it if he did use this poison and that scared him. The funny thing was, it didn't scare him as much as he thought it would. To know that he may not make it after using this poison should have terrified him, but it didn't. "I appreciate both of your kindness to me for doing this."
"Don't forget that you're helping us get away from this place in return," Neji reminded as he helped Hinata treat the wounds lining Kakashi's body. Once they were finished, the silver haired prince thanked them again before laying down to try and recover some energy. He stayed that way until there was a loud pounding on the door.
"What?" He asked weakly. It wasn't like he could open the door anyway. There was no answer as the door opened and a strange person with silver hair and purple eyes walked in with food. He looked up at them and sighed quietly. "Who are you? Why are you bringing food instead of Kakuzu or the other two?"
"My name is Hidan," the man answered as he looked over Kakashi and frowned deeply. "What's so good about you?"
"I don't know what you mean or are talking about," the prince replied as he moved to sit up.
"You look pathetic and weak. So what does Kakuzu see in you?" Hidan said with a slight growl. He stepped closer to the other and looked over the injured prince. For a moment, he simply stared at him and then shook his head as he dropped the food in Kakashi's lap. "Whatever, here's your damn food."
Looking at the pile of food now resting on his lap, Kakashi sighed and shook his head. This was likely going to make things a hell of a lot worse for him. A gentle sigh escaped him as he shook his head. "Thanks for the food I suppose."
"Don't expect me to be nice to you. This is the only time I'll be nice," Hidan mumbled as he turned and left. As soon as the door closed again and locked, Kakashi sat and stared at the door. He looked at the food that was scattered in his lap over the thin pants he wore. It wasn't like he even ate now, but the man could have at least tried to put it somewhere so he could eat it.
"Not sure how that was nice, but thanks for the warning," The prince said sadly as he stared at his lap and shook his head. He supposed that it was best to just get up and make a mess rather than sitting there with food on him much longer. With a small amount of hesitation and annoyance, Kakashi stood, spilling the ruined food all over the ground. He stripped and shivered as he looked around the room for a moment and then sat on the bed again. There wasn't any food on it, so he didn't need to worry. Without much thought, he curled up and pulled the large blanket over himself and fell asleep quickly.
The sound of the door opening and an annoyed growl woke Kakashi. He blinked a few times as he looked over the large vampire in the doorway. "Don't blame me for the mess."
"Why shouldn't I?" Kakuzu growled as he looked over him quietly.
"The person that brought it was rude and dumped it in my lap. So, I didn't feel like trying to salvage it. Not that I was eating anyway," Kakashi explained as he looked over the vampire again. "What do you want now?"
"What do you think I want?" Kakuzu growled as he moved and caged Kakashi on the bed. "I am taking what I always want from you."
"Then get it over with so I can sleep. It's not like you've put in any effort of making me feel anything when you do," the prince replied as he stared up at him. "Besides, how long do you think you can keep this up before it kills me?"
"Kill you? What are you talking about?" Kakuzu mumbled as he started to move the blanket so he could see the pale body beneath him. "You not eating is what's causing these problems. If you would do that and be good then you wouldn't be in danger of dying."
"Give me a good reason to try and preserve myself then," Kakashi countered as he moved to sit against the headboard with his knees against his chest. "Why should I eat if this is going to be my continued existence?"
"Itachi," was the one word answer that the vampire replied as he moved to bite his neck with a low groan. He was right. That was the one reason that he was thinking about not completely dying, but he wasn't sure how much longer he would last either way. "You don't want him to know that you died like this do you? Wouldn't it be his fault then?"
"It wouldn't be his fault, but I'll think it over," Kakashi replied weakly. After that, everything went by in a haze. It had happened so many times now that it was easier to block out the pain and horrid feelings. The next thing he knew, Kakashi was being woken up by the door closing and locking. He sighed sadly and curled up beneath the blanket to try and warm himself more. Maybe he should ask for another blanket and some clothes just so he could stay warm?
The sound of the door unlocking once again drew Kakashi's attention and he looked at it with a small frown. Hopefully it was just Hinata and Neji. However, his hope was wrong. It was the man from yesterday. Hidan? That was it right? "W-what do you want now?"
"Just bringing your food," Hidan answered as he stepped closer and looked over the prince with the same condescending look from the previous day. "You really don't seem all that great. Especially since Kakuzu is so obsessed with you."
"I-I don't know why he is. Personally, I'd prefer it if he wasn't. It would be nice," Kakashi said with a slight tone of sarcasm. The feeling of hot porridge falling over his head made the prince gasp and whimper as he closed his eyes.
"Maybe you just need to be less attractive," Hidan mumbled as he pulled Kakashi's face up to look at his eyes. "Yeah, that sounds like a good idea."
"If you h-hurt me much more, he'll be upset," Kakashi said slowly as he tried not to shake. It was hot and hurt his head, but he couldn't do anything without much help right now. He'd have to wait for Neji and Hinata to even take a bath which frustrated him even more. "J-just go away."
"Just go away," the other mocked as he shook his head. "Pathetic. This is what he chooses when he could have an actual partner that is as strong as him? Why? What's so much better about you?"
"Probably the talking and your attitude," Kakashi replied with a small groan. What was he supposed to do? Looking up again, he frowned deeper when he noticed the man still staring at him. "J-Just leave me alone."
"Fine," Hidan nearly growled. "But first, I have some adjustments to make."
"What?" Kakashi mumbled before he was suddenly slapped across the face. He groaned as he fell off the bed, gripping his cheek. "What is wrong with you?"
"I'm going to make sure he doesn't want you, ever again," the man replied as he raised his hand again and punched the prince this time. Kakahsi whimpered as he fell against the floor, shaking. "You won't even fight back?"
"I have no reason or energy to. S-so just leave me alone," the prince said with a soft shake of his head. If this was going to be how things went from now on, he wasn't going to last the next few days he had to wait for Hinata and Neji to help him. "Please, just leave me alone."
"I won't leave you alone. Not until you lose his favor. Then and only then will I leave you alone," Hidan replied as he glared at the other on the ground. For a moment all Kakashi could do was look at the ground and try to calm himself down. He felt more scared and helpless than he had yesterday. "Don't worry, I'll be back tomorrow and the day after that and the day after that."
"J-just go," the prince mumbled as he trembled and curled up. What was he going to do? The sounds of the door opening and closing again made Kakashi look up quietly before whimpering and resting his face on his hands. He stayed like that for hours until the door opened again.
"Kakashi, what are you doing on the ground?" Came Neji's voice. After a moment, he felt hands on his body as he was lifted. Hinata and Neji stood, pulling Kakashi to his feet. "What happened? Why are you hurt like this? It's-it's different."
"H-his name is Hidan. He-he came here yesterday for the first time. A-and he wants Kakuzu. I don't know why or what's happening. He-he's going to kill me," Kakashi explained as he tried to stop the tears.
"Hush, hush," Hinata said gently as she lightly pulled him towards the bathroom. They needed to bath him to start. And find out what all injuries he had. "What has he done to you?"
"Yesterday...he came and talked to me. I...today he...he beat me and poured porridge over my head. I-I don't know what to do, but he said he'll come back again tomorrow and after that," Kakashi explained as he trembled. He didn't know what else to do or say right now. Instead, he broke down and felt the tears begin. Kakashi shook his head and tried to keep the sobs quiet. Hinata gently rubbed his back and hugged the prince as she shook her head. "I-...he said he's going to hurt me until Kakuzu loses interest in me."
"Really?" Neji asked as he tried not to growl. How could these people be more horrid? He frowned deeply and shook his head as they started to fill the tub. "Hinata...stay here. I...I'm going to go report this. It may actually help for getting him out of here. If they find out that there was another person coming here that threatened Kakashi, it will work for us to be able to get him out."
"T-that's a good idea Neji," the princess said gently as she looked at Kakashi for his opinion. He nodded and looked at the tub.
"As much as I hate the idea of involving another person, this will work very well actually," Kakashi said gently as he moved some to get into the tub. Hinata made sure the water was a good temperature as he did and nodded. "Thank you for the help. I am really sorry that you both are going through these things with me."
"Nonsense," Neji nearly hissed as he looked at the other prince. For a moment, he shook his head and then gently helped Kakashi along with Hinata. Once the man was settled in the tub, Neji and Hinata set about washing him quickly. They rinsed the porridge out of his hair before allowing him the opportunity to wash himself before allowing him to rinse off. "Finished?"
"Yes, I am. Thank you both. I would...like to get out now," Kakashi answered as he stood slowly with help. After a moment, the prince took a deep breath and waited until he had the other's hands to use in order to set out of the tub. After a moment, Neji let go of the prince's hand and offered him a towel. Kakashi took the towel and dried himself off before giving the others a small smile. "Thank you both for helping me."
"It's our pleasure to help someone in need," Hinata said with a small smile. For a moment they stood like that before Neji let go and walked to the room. "I'll help you get dressed if you're alright with that?"
"I wouldn't want anyone else doing so," the silver prince replied as he hummed quietly. "Okay, maybe one other person actually."
Hinata blushed darkly and giggled at that. "I am sure he wouldn't mind keeping you out of them as well."
"Wow," the prince laughed as he shook his head. He wasn't sure what to say to the princess because he had never expected to hear something like that from her. He smiled as he listened to her still giggling. "You're not wrong."
"I….I see," Hinata said, blushing even more as she tried to calm down some more.
"Thank you Hinata. I appreciate you making this enjoyable for me," Kakashi said with a soft smile at the girl. She nodded and simply started helping him get dressed before taking him out of the bathroom. Neji had changed the sheets and blankets so things were now clean. "Thank you Neji."
"My pleasure," Neji replied as he helped Hinata take Kakashi to the bed so he could lay back down. "Hinata will come back with something for you to eat as well as something for the pain."
"I will try to be quick," Hinata said with a small bow before she left. Once the door closed, Neji turned to Kakashi and took a deep breath.
"What's the matter?" Kakashi asked as he looked at the other. It wasn't like him to make that kind of noise, so the silver prince was concerned. "Neji, what's wrong?"
"I have what you asked for, but it will be better to wait a few more days to use it. If Hidan is going to keep coming here to see you, then it's to our advantage. Especially if he is as ruthless as you believe. He'll be the perfect scapegoat. No one would think of anything else if he was constantly coming here," the Hyuga explained as he took another breath. After that, he held up a small vial for Kakashi to take. "Keep it hidden."
"Thank you Neji. I'll try to wait, but I'm not sure how much more I can take from another person aside from Kakuzu. He may actually beat me to death," Kakashi warned as he tried not to shake at the thought. He would try using his magic, but Kakuzu said he would know and Itachi would be hurt for that. He didn't want anything worse happening to his lover so there went that idea. Not to mention, he was far too exhausted to try it.
"Are you serious?" Neji asked as he looked over the other prince. He knew these mercenaries were ruthless, but to beat an important captive to death was just idiotic. "I...I suppose I shall leave it to your discretion then."
"I'll make sure to be careful then," Kakashi promised as he looked over the vial in his hand. Hopefully it wouldn't be too hard to use this, but he was still rather scared. "Thank you for everything."
"You're welcome," the other prince replied before he was quietly helping Kakashi to lay down. Not too long after, the door opened and Hinata walked in with a small plate of food. "Good timing."
"I know he hasn't been eating much so we prepared a smaller plate for you," Hinata explained as she showed Kakashi. There was a small amount of chicken with carrots, potatoes, and bread. "I know you don't have too much of an appetite, but please try to eat as much as you can."
"I will, thank you Hinata," Kakashi replied as he took the plate and looked at it with a small smile. For the first time in weeks, he felt like eating. "I appreciate you both doing this for me."
"It is our pleasure," the princess replied before looking at her cousin. "We have to be going now Kakashi. I wish we could stay longer, but there are things we have to do now."
"I will see you tomorrow then," the silver prince replied as he watched the two of them leave. Slowly, Kakashi ate his food and then looked at the vial. He would have to wait at least a day to use it since Hidan wouldn't return today. "Damn him."
Another day passed just like the rest had with the addition of Hidan coming to mess with him. Kakashi didn't like having to deal with this kind of abuse. Kakuzu's was one thing, but Hidan was brutal. He didn't have a shred of mercy. It was horrible and he was simply beating him to a pulp. Then leaving him alone. It helped that Neji and Hinata were there to help patch him up. He wasn't sure if he should complain about the other man to Kakuzu or not just to keep their plan in tact.
As he lay in bed, Kakashi stared at the door, hoping that he might be left alone for the night. However, that thought quickly disappeared when the door opened. "Can't I be left alone for a night?"
"What good would that do? I wouldn't know what you were up to. It would be distracting," Kakuzu replied as he walked over to the bed and pulled back the covers. "What happened while I was gone? You shouldn't be this bad."
"So you acknowledge that you hurt me pretty badly, but not to this extent?" The silver prince mumbled as he looked up at the vampire and shook his head. "Don't worry about what happened to me."
"Do not tell me what to do. What happened to you and why are you injured this badly?" Kakuzu growled as he stepped closer to Kakashi. The prince looked up and sighed as he moved and stood. "What happened?"
"Well, there is someone else who decided he doesn't like that you want me. He's decided it's his personal mission to make sure I"m as ugly as possible so you don't want me anymore," Kakashi said with a deep frown as he walked towards the bathroom.
"What the hell do you mean there is someone else that's been seeing you?" Kakuzu repeated as he watched Kakashi closely.
"Exactly what I said. He doesn't like me or the fact that you chose me and wants you to choose him instead," Kakashi replied with a deep frown. He wasn't sure why the vampire was having problems understanding what he was saying. "Can I be left alone now?"
"Who is it?" the larger man hissed as he grabbed Kakashi by the neck and pinned him to the wall. The prince groaned and reached up to try and push the hand away. "Tell me, now."
"I don't know his name," Kakashi replied breathlessly. He let out a gasp as he was dropped and Kakuzu glared at him.
"I don't believe you," the vampire growled as he shook his head. "But that's beside the point. You're mine and no one else is allowed to touch you so I will find out who it is soon enough."
"Well…good for you then," the prince mumbled as he tried to clear his throat and breath normally. He groaned as he shivered and coughed. Hopefully that was the end of it.
"You didn't think I'd let you off that easily did you?" The vampire growled before he was stepping closer to the other.
"Don't," Kakashi gasped as he tried to get away. He ran into the wall and whimpered as he put his arms up to cover himself in defense. He was still pretty beat up after all, so he didn't want to be hurt much more.
"You're not in a state that I can do anything anyway," Kakuzu growled as he grabbed the prince's arm and pulled him. He looked over the other's body with a deep frown. "I'll go get some things to use so your body will heal faster. Otherwise it will take weeks."
"Y-you're going to leave me alone?" Kakashi asked, a bit surprised. He didn't expect that at all, but it was good. He wasn't going to be hurt much more for the day. That was really good. For the first time in weeks, he felt relief. Kakuzu was going to leave him alone and that made Kakashi feel so much better than he had in a while.
"Shut up and lay down already. You should be resting," the vampire hissed as he turned and left.
As much as he wanted to ignore the orders, Kakashi just lay down and closed his eyes. He stayed like that for a few more hours until the door opened again. He looked up curiously and smiled as the prince and princess walked in. "Good afternoon you two."
"Hello Kakashi," Neji said without hesitation. He stepped closer and frowned when he saw the multitude of bruises covering the other's body. "What is this?"
"H-Hidan. He did all of this and Kakuzu actually left me alone," Kakashi explained before getting up. "He told me to rest and he left. Although he also said he was going to get some things to help me heal faster. But he didn't come back so I figured he forgot about it."
"T-that would explain why h-he gave me these," Hinata said, holding up a small basket full of ointments and oils. "We can put them on and see how they help."
"I'm amazed that he actually did it," Kakashi said slowly. He hadn't expected the vampire to actually care about healing his body. "Well...let's get started on patching me up a little bit, yeah?"
"It will take quite some time to get all of them," Neji mumbled with a small frown. He didn't understand why either of those men felt the need to beat Kakashi so badly. Especially if they expected him to get better and be there for the next beating. It made very little sense to the prince. "I'll handle the difficult ones. Hinata, take care of his back and arms."
"Alright," the princess replied as she set the basket down so they could get to work. Despite his tolerance for pain, Kakashi found himself hissing and groaning with some of the touches to his body. Hidan had really done a number on him. It was horrible. He hated this. Once they were finished, Hinata stepped back and went to get some clothes. "Here we go. You should really stop wandering around without clothes."
"I can't help it. They get torn off either way or something happens to them, so it's relatively pointless," the silver prince explained with an apologetic smile. He truthfully didn't see a point since they were always taken from him. "I mean...if you want me to wear them so you don't see anything Hinata, I don't mind."
"I-I would like that actually. It is a little awkward to have you wandering around naked all the time like that," Hinata replied as she tried to stop blushing. Neji glanced at her and shook his head with a small smile. She really was easily embarrassed. "Plus….Neji shouldn't see other men naked."
"Other men?" Kakashi said with a small frown of confusion. He didn't understand for a moment. "Oh, other men. You...you are in a relationship with someone. Got it. Sorry about that."
"It's not that big of a deal. I have him and I won't stray simply because I've seen another man naked. But Hinata has a point, it is inappropriate," Neji said with a smile before he was taking the clothes from Hinata to help Kakashi dress. It would be better for him to wear something for the time being. "Just try to remember that for the next time."
"Next time," Kakashi mumbled before shaking his head. Truthfully, he wasn't sure if there would be a next time. But that was something to think about later on. "I'll try to remember that for the next time."
"Good," Hinata said with a smile. She was glad that the other was going to remember that. "Thank you."
"There's no reason to thank me, Hinata. It's the least I can do for you after everything the two of you have done. Anyway, I appreciate your help. Both of you," he added before he was giving the pair of them a smile. "By the way, how is Itachi? Have you two seen him?"
"Yes, he's okay. They are brutal with him, but he is healed everyday so that they can torture him constantly. It's barbaric, but he is still putting up with it because they continue threatening you," Neji explained as he looked down with a shake of his head. It was horrible seeing how they used the two of them against each other.
Listening to Neji made Kakashi's heart drop. He didn't like this. Knowing that Itachi was still being tortured like that was horrible. He wanted to help him get away, but there wasn't much else he could think of to help him get away. Only the stupid plan to use poison in order to get away. But that wasn't the best plan considering the condition of his body. At the moment, it was his only plan though and that made him a bit upset too.
"Kakashi?" Hinata said again as she waited for the other to look up.
"Sorry about that, I was a bit distracted with my thoughts," the silver prince explained with an apologetic smile. It was obvious that the two of them were still very worried about him and this plan of his. "Did you ask me something?"
"I was asking if you're sure you want to do that? It-it's really dangerous and we don't want anything to happen to you," the princess explained timidly.
"You're both very kind for your concern, but I'm sure about this. I'll just have to be careful about how I do it," Kakashi answered with a small, sad smile. "I did tell Kakuzu that I was being hurt by someone else, but I didn't give the name. I'm not sure if that will cause problems later, but I thought it was a good idea at the time."
"That may work to our advantage more since he would go into some sort of rage to figure out who was hurting you, but I would also be dangerous because they might suspect Hinata and me," Neji said slowly as he thought about their options now. "I am not sure if I can be of much help now, but please try to let us know your plans if possible."
"I'll be sure to do that, if possible," the silver prince promised as he gave the pair a reassuring smile. After another brief conversation about Kakashi's treatment, the Hyugas left with gentle goodbyes. Kakashi gave them small waves before laying down and staring at the ceiling. He wasn't sure how much longer he would last now.
Three days later, Kakashi was staring at a mirror, horrified with how beaten he was. It looked horrible. How was he supposed to reassure Neji and Hinata now? They were going to be so worried over him. He sighed quietly and shook his head as he moved to go lay down again instead of staring at a mirror like it would fix anything. Groaning, the prince fell into the bed and covered himself as he started to cry into the pillow. He really missed his family and Itachi. He wished he could see all of them and explain why he was going to go through with that plan, but there was no chance to. Maybe Itachi knew, but hopefully they hadn't shared his decision with them. "I'm sorry that I'm so weak and-and that I might not see you all again. But this is the best I can do. It-it's stupid, but at least I'll be away from here."
That night, Kakuzu actually treated him gently since he was so beat up. Perhaps it was his way of apologizing for not being able to stop the person that was hurting him? Or something along those lines. He wasn't sure, but it was kind of nice in a way. His last night there wasn't going to be filled with horrible pain like usual.
The next morning, Kakashi was woken when Kakuzu got up and took him to the bathroom. He had a bath ready and even washed Kakashi before drying him completely. After dressing him, he was gently placed back in the bed and tucked in. "Rest so you can recover."
"I'll certainly try, but I make no guarantees," Kakashi replied sarcastically. The vampire gave him a quick glare before leaving with a loud thud from the door closing. Kakashi stayed put for a few minutes. He took a deep breath and sat up, going to the loose floorboard and pulling it up so he could get the poison. Taking it back with him, he sat in the bed and pulled the covers back up.
Kakashi looked at the vial Neji had given him several days ago. Thinking about what he was about to do should have terrified him. But, it didn't. Truthfully, he felt at peace. With this he would hopefully escape and be free in one way or another. The only part that made him hesitate was the possibility of not waking up. If he died here, who would help Hinata and Neji? Would Itachi be upset with him? Would his lover be able to escape? Or would all of this simply cause more problems? The questions continued moving through his mind until he heard the door open. Hidan was right on time. That was the only good thing that came from the bastard's need to hurt the prince. He always came an hour after Kakuzu left. At least the vampire didn't know it was Hidan still, otherwise the idiot would already be dead. He was sure that the plan would still be able to work, but the interference from Hidan put a huge what if into the mix that Kakashi didn't like. Without the other noticing, Kakashi downed the liquid before turning to look at the other. "What do you want now?"
"Simple, it's time for your morning beating isn't it?" Hidan replied with a smirk. Without hesitation, Hidan was stalking towards the bed and grabbing Kakashi by the collar of the shirt he was wearing. "I see they weren't able to get rid of the bruises this time. That's good. I'm finally starting to make some progress."
"I'm sure it is," Kakashi replied with a bored tone before groaning as Hidan started to punch him relentlessly. It was painful, but soon, he was going numb. It probably should have scared him, but it didn't. He knew it was because of the poison, but he didn't expect it to make him go numb like that. At some point, the mercenary noticed his lack of reaction and stopped for a moment, shaking Kakashi. "Hey, what the hell is going on? It's no fun if you play dead like that."
When Kakashi didn't answer, Hidan frowned deeper as he looked at the other's face and then eyes. Realizing they were unfocused, he frowned and dropped the other on the bed. He needed to get out of there if the prince had actually passed out from the beating.
"I see, he wasn't lying," Kakuzu said from the doorway, making Hidan freeze in fear. "So you're the one that was doing this and causing more problems?"
"Shit, Kakuzu. Hey man, it's not what it looks like, honest. This is all a misunderstanding," Hidan tried to defend as he held up his hands in an innocent gesture.
"Quite the misunderstanding considering you were caught red handed," Kakuzu growled as he stepped forward and grabbed Hidan by the throat. "So, tell me, why were you leaving so soon? Ordinarily you stay for quite some time from the look of Kakashi's face. Why the change of heart?"
"H-he's not moving. Makes it boring," Hidan answered as he tried to pry Kakuzu's hand off of his throat. "Come on man, let go."
"What do you mean he's not moving?" the vampire hissed before throwing Hidan into a corner of the room as he rushed to Kakashi. He felt the prince's throat and wrist and opened his eyes before standing. "Hidan, you will die today."
"Kakuzu, come on. He wasn't supposed to die, that was an accident. It was just supposed to disfigure him. This...this isn't what I meant to do. You gotta believe me," the other mercenary tried to defend before he was punched in the face, breaking his nose. After that, Hidan gasped and choked on the blood pouring from his nose. "Fuck Kakuzu, what's wrong with you?"
"I said you would die and I meant it," the taller replied as he glared down at Hidan. "Now die."
"Shit!" Hidan managed to hiss before running into the hallway, spilling blood everywhere as he went. Kakuzu was right behind him, yelling about killing him. The pair ran around the whole castle like that. Kakuzu continued attempting to hit Hidan which resulted in multiple things exploding from the magic he used in each attempt.
Despite the chaos going on, Neji and Hinata managed to get upstairs to the room. When they found Kakashi, Neji felt his pulse and checked for breathing. He had done it then and that was what caused all of that chaos. "Hinata, we have to get him out of here before it wears off."
"W-what should we do? Where should we take him?" She asked slowly as she looked around the room. There was blood everywhere but it wasn't Kakashi's which was good, but it would be difficult to get him out without being questioned. After some debating, the two of them got Kakashi's body so that Neji was carrying him on his back as they started towards the lower rooms. From there, it would be easier to get Kakashi out and somewhere safe when they had a better opportunity. Due to the chaos that Kakuzu had created, most of the guards were currently elsewhere in the castle which made getting to their safe room easy. It was good. Once there, They placed Kakashi on the bed and covered him for the time being. "I'll see if they have a plan to get us out of here that we can act on soon."
"That would be really nice," Hinata said with a soft smile. She wanted to be out and safe sooner rather than later. Now that they had Kakashi out of Kakuzu's room they should be able to get away easier. However, they wouldn't know the outcome of their plan for another day or so. "Do you think he will be alright?"
"I don't know. His body was rather weak from everything that happened so it is possible that he may not survive this," Neji answered as he shook his head sadly. He hoped that wouldn't be the case, but this plan had much room for error before Hidan's involvement. "For now, we just have to focus on getting ready to leave when we know the plan."
"Yes Neji," the princess replied as she went to the door. After sticking her head out, she carefully slipped from the room. Neji watched her before gently turning and uncovered Kakashi's face so he might be able to breathe if he woke up.
"Please be okay Kakashi," Neji whispered as he stood to pace in thought before walking out of the room and locking it. After the chaos that Hidan and Kakuzu caused, the whole castle was on alert and clean up duty. Neji and Hinata were helping quite a bit when the leader of the Akatsuki suddenly appeared and seemed to be upset. He yelled at the other two for sometime. The only words Neji caught were, "Itachi," and "gone." Itachi had escaped during the chaos? A sigh of relief escaped the prince before going to help Hinata prepare some food. Despite their plan not being thought out well, both princes were now out of danger. Or that's what neji hoped. He wasn't sure where Itachi was, but he hoped he was alright.