Chapter Six

They were moving too slow.

After so long living in war times he'd forgotten how it felt to travel at civilian pace again and it was setting his nerves on edge.

Logically, he knew he was safe, that his comrades were safe, but all the same his senses were in a state of hyper awareness that he was hard pressed to hide from those around him. One glance at Sasuke, proved that he wasn't the only one feeling it either. The raven's right hand twitched slightly at his side, unnoticeable to human eyes, his left hand brushing over the invisible seal storing Kusanagi in his wrist.

A soft glint caught his eye and he fought back a feral grin when he spotted the puddle on the ground.

Maybe it was time for a workout.

They moved past it, only to gasp as twin chains shot out the puddle and wrapped around Kakashi.

"One down." Came a rough voice before the chain tighten and the jounin's body fell to pieces.

Naruto froze.

He knew Kakashi wasn't dead, he could sense the man in the trees watching them, but the images the bloodied clumps of flesh brought to his mind seemed to overlap the scene before him, stalling his thoughts.

"I'm sorry, Naruto," Shikamaru coughed, tan skin and unusual pale color, his lower body mutilated.

"Tell her I'm sorry…"

"Shika-"

His friend gave a grim smile then closed his eyes. Moments later, his corpse was torn apart courtesy a wave of Kaguya's hand.

His lips curled into a feral snarl, ocean blue eyes positively glacial in their intensity.

How dare they?

He felt the chains wrap around him, eerily reminiscent of those that Madara had used to contain him and he jerked, glaring at his captors.

"Two down." One said cockily, but the other hesitated as if spotting the monster lurking in the kitsune's gaze.

That hesitation cost him.

Silent and deadly, Sasuke disappeared from his side, reappearing behind the hesitant shinobi and slitting his throat without a thought.

Blood splashed across Naruto's face, and, as if following a hidden que, he swiftly disabled the second Shinobi, the callous hand around his wrist stilling his blade as it went to copy his lover's.

He glanced up, meeting the worried gaze of his sensei, then calmed. Kakashi stared at him for a moment longer then turned to their prisoner.

"Good job boys. Naruto, next time, try not to freeze up like that okay? What if Sasuke hadn't been there?"

Neither boy bothered to tell him that would never happen, merely nodding at his words.

Seemingly appeased by their response, Kakashi narrowed his eyes at their assailant.

"Gozu, the younger of the Kiri nuke-nin team the Demon Brothers. Tell me, who sent you? What are you after?"

Gozu snorted. "I don't answer to you," he sneered and the former anbu smiled pleasantly, eyes gleaming with malicious intent.

"You do now." He purred and out of the corner of his eye, he saw a slight smirk cross Sasuke's features. He turned to his students.

"Find somewhere up ahead and set up camp. I will catch up later. Sasuke, you're in charge."

The raven nodded, onyx gaze flickering to Naruto then to the others. Gesturing for them to follow him he took off down the path, teammates forming a protective three-point formation around their client. Both Sasuke and Naruto were alert and ready for anything, their eyes taking in their surroundings in a manner that somehow managed to make one look like a bored teenager and the other like an excited child.

His mysterious students had gotten even more intriguing.

He watched them until they were out of sight, then turned to Gozu, who trembled in fear at the darkness in his eyes.

It was a deep abyss that reminded his enemies exactly who he was. The gaze of Konoha's most ruthless Anbu captain.

"You're going to tell me everything I want to know. Even if I have to make you scream to get you to do so."


He couldn't breathe.

Smoke choked off his airways, flames licking every inch of his tanned skin, and his lungs starving for the air they had been so grievously denied.

It had been like this for days? Months? Weeks? Years?

He didn't know.

Time had been a useless concept to hold on to in Madara's care, something to give him hope, but as hours passed that hope had become a twisted ugly thing that sat in his chest in place of his heart. Pain was all he knew, there was no reprieve from it, no chance to breathe.

Still he wouldn't break.

He didn't break as Madara used him, thrusting into him punishingly as he whispered horror after horror in his ear.

He didn't break when the mad man shattered every bone in his body flaying him as they healed.

He didn't break.

He wouldn't.

But…

It was so tempting.

He wanted to sink into the depth of his own mind and curl up in Kyuubi's cage, never to see the light of day again. To fall asleep curled in the fox's warm fur and never wake up.

"Am I boring you, Naruto-kun?" The monster growled softly, jerking him from his yearning, he sneered at him and Madara smirked.

"You'll regret that."

He didn't doubt him.


"Anything?"

Kakashi looked at his oldest student, who sat up in a tree facing the clearing they were camping in watching him with bottomless black eyes,

"They were after Tazuna. A man named Gato sent him and if their rank is any indication this is just the beginning. The next attacker will be a jounin, possibly an S-rank nin."

Sasuke hned, glancing over at one of the tents near Kakashi. A garishly orange tent that blended in strangely well with the orange glow the fire cast on the foliage around them.

Naruto.

Of course.

Speaking of Naruto…Sasuke had killed a man for the kitsune. His first Kill.

"How are you?"

"Hn."

Kakashi frowned. "Sasuke-"

"I'm fine, Kakashi." The raven snapped sharply and the jounin frowned at him.

"You killed a man today."

"You expect me to cry?"

"No but a reaction would be appreciated."

Sasuke stared at him then sighed.

"He was gonna hurt Naruto."

Kakashi blinked at the unexpected reasoning before a strange thought popped into his head.

"You're dating?"

His student smirked and hopped out of his tree, entering the tent beside the orange one.

"Night Sensei."

Kakashi frowned, glancing between the two tents before snorting.

Definitely dating.


Breakfast was a calm affair. Kakashi informed his students of the information…given to him by Gozu then offered them a chance to turn back. He knew his teams limits, knew that Sasuke, and possibly Naruto would be able to continue the mission if they continued but he didn't want to pressure Sakura into going if she didn't feel ready to do so. Predictably the boys agreed to continue, sharing on of their irritating silent conversations, and after a moment's hesitation Sakura agreed.

Now hours later, they were finally at the coast of Nami no Kuni, only a few hours from their destination. Thick mist encased them, fogging their visibility and putting them on extra alert.

A bush moved to their right and Naruto reacted, tossing a kunai into it without a second thought. Kakashi sent him a look and went to investigate, frowning when he found a frightened white rabbit cowering there. A soft whirring sound reached his ears and he tried to focus over Sakura's yelling.

"Naruto, you baka!" Sakura screeched. "You-"

"Duck." Sasuke commanded and they all obey, a large cleaver like blade flying where their heads had just been and lodging itself into a nearby tree. A man landed on the blade only a second later, bandages covering his mouth and cow print arm and leg warmers clothing his large frame.

Team 7 straightened and Kakashi scowled, hand going to his head band.

"Well, well, well. No wonder the demon brother's failed. Sharingan Kakashi."

"Momochi Zabuza, Kirigakure's Akuma no Kiri."

TBC…

Akuma no kiri- Devil of the Mist