"Okay, no need to be so rough, I'm walking where you want me to go, see?" Kakashi grumbled with a voice so hoarse he barely recognized it as his own, making sure to use the next opportunity to put his foot out sideways so that one of the Oni masks who flanked him tripped over it.

It gave him great satisfaction even if more immediate mistreatment followed. It wasn't like these men didn't know he wasn't much affected by pain, but it also didn't stop them from afflicting it often.

Sadists.

Oh well, he had decimated them greatly before. And he planned to do it again, first chance he got. His intent had to be obvious, no wonder they were a little skittish. He would kill them all: For what Sakura had had to go through. For Konoha. For the future.

Karin was unusually quiet, looking spooked and defeated as she shuffled along beside him. The Oni masks had bound their limbs tightly in ways that made it impossible to use hand seals. Kakashi was moulding chakra anyway. It took him longer than usual in his fevered state, but it also gave him something useful to do on their wet, miserable journey into the mountains.

"Is there anything else you can tell me about what we're up against," he whispered to Karin when there was an opportunity to exchange a few hasty words. "Something I could use to our advantage?"

"Will Sasuke come and rescue me?" she asked, sounding weepy but hopeful.

"You can't really hope that," Kakashi frowned, taken aback, "it may sound a little harsh, but Sasuke is not interested in you."

"I know," Karin said with a little sob. "No need to rub it in."

"There are many other men in the world," Kakashi tried to comfort her, "I'm sure you'll eventually meet someone who falls in love with you."

"Nobody falls in love with me! I'm a crazy freak. Should have that head of mine checked when I was younger. It wasn't like I didn't know that… that… that I'm not normal."

"Pffft," Kakashi said, "do you think I am normal? I'm pretty sure I won't pass the psychological checks they're adding to the physical examination."

Hm, did Hokages have to take physicals? Maybe that promotion would solve that problem...

"You seem pretty normal to me," Karin said, looking him over with a frown.

"It's called functional, it's most often good enough," he replied with a shrug, before Oni masks came their way to drive them apart.

The vegetation was beginning to change around them. The forest got denser, the trees shorter and the crispness of the air told him they were steadily gaining altitude. These surroundings seemed vaguely familiar, like a nagging something in the back of your head he couldn't fully place. He felt so light-headed that thinking straight seemed an almost impossible feat, but he had to force his brain into action before they got closer to their final destination.

"You know where they're taking us, right?" Kakashi asked Karin.

Karin nodded.

"Did I come to your rescue there once before?"

Another nod.

"So I goddamn met Rin already… and didn't remember until recently? That's seriously worrying."

Karin threw him a questioning look. He must be talking gibberish in her ears.

"That much about being normal," Kakashi murmured. It would be a lie to claim he wasn't massively concerned. Deliberately sealing memories was one thing, at least he was in control of that, but simply having random things erased…

"I bet it's connected to the Mangekyo," Kakashi continued musing, trying to put together the few things he had learned about this affliction. "Use that damn thing too much and bam, wipe out some memories instead."

Memories related to what? If Sasuke had forgotten both Karin and Sakura…

"Are you not feeling well? It helps if you bite me," Karin said. "Do you want to?"

She came a little closer.

"Thanks, but no," Kakashi said with a shudder. Her arms were scarred from bite marks, he had seen it during one of their short rests, one on top of the other, as if hundreds of people had used her. "Karin, was a guy with glasses and ash-grey hair there too? Kabuto? I think you've met him."

"Oh, I've met him," Karin said and there was anger in her voice, "he is the one who did experiments on us for Orochimaru. But I have not seen him since the war. His luck."

Kabuto had been Tobi's chief scientist for quite some time - and by extension Madara's puppet. Kabuto was also the one "helping" Sasuke with blood experiments. Uchiha blood… Kakashi shuddered again.

Any hint of Madara's shadow always brought a chill over him. Normal… could anyone be normal who had lived through that ancestors insanity? The Goddess' appearance and attempts to destroy them all?

He was so preoccupied with memories and shivering in the cold wind, he only realized they were halting when he almost bumped into the guy in front of him. It had gotten quite dark, but Kakashi could see the bones of giant creatures jutting up like pillars around them, tokens of times long gone.

"The Mountains' Graveyard," he whispered. This was it. This was where Madara had hidden, from where he had unleashed his evilness onto the world with the help of hapless Obito.

There was a shimmering in the air to all sides, slight, but definitely a barrier of sorts. He would have liked to walk towards it to touch it - was it possibly a camouflage barrier? That would explain why this place had never been found - but he could not move, he was wedged in by warriors from all sides. They were facing the entrance to a cave, which was illuminated by warm artificial light, waiting.

A shadow appeared on the cave wall, unnaturally large and thin at first, then steadily shrinking as the person came closer to the entrance.

He recognized her just from the way she walked.

Something happened to Kakashi's stomach, something he had no power over, part of the reason why it greatly disturbed him.

It felt like a swarm of angry bees was set free in there. He gasped for air, his sore throat hurting in the cold air like someone was slicing it with a knife. The warriors before him parted ways to let her through, in utter silence, bowing their heads to her in deference.

She was taller than he remembered. Of course. She had continued growing, had become a woman. Her hair was longer, her face slimmer. Her eyes…

Those are not her eyes, Kakashi managed to think through a haze.

"Look who's come to visit me," she said slowly when she stood right in front of him, cocking her head to the side a little as she looked him up and down.

"Rin," Kakashi croaked, the dizziness in his head increasing to a hurricane of confusion as he gazed into her eyes.

Genjutsu. Be careful, dammit.

But he was entirely defenseless. Had he not moulded chakra to… it was like all the strength was sucked right out of him.

"Look at the state of you," Rin laughed gently. "You could never quite help it, couldn't you? Getting injured, not taking enough care of yourself. But I was always there to patch you up, lucky you."

She gestured to her men and someone untied his hands. She gave a few sharp orders, he couldn't quite hear through the roaring in his head.

"Come," Rin said and took his hand to pull him forward. Hers was ice cold - or his burning hot. "Come."

He went with her, into the cave.

###

Sakura knocked and upon hearing a muffled invitation to come in, entered. Tsunade was bowed over some files on her desk, peering at them at close range as if she had gone myopic.

"Shishou, it's me."

"Oh, Sakura! What are you doing out of bed?" Tsunade sprang up from her chair and came around her desk to grab Sakura's shoulders, glancing into her eyes with motherly concern.

"I need to speak to you urgently," Sakura said.

She could barely walk, her legs were wobbly like jelly, but Tsunade's office was only a flight of stairs away from her bedroom and urgent things needed urgent attention. Besides, a change of scenery was much appreciated. It was gloomy weather, with rain showers pelting against the windows, but the familiar shapes of buildings visible outside were comforting.

Whatever happened, Konoha endured.

"Sit down, sit down," Tsunade said and gesticulated hectically towards Shizune, who poked her head in behind them. A chair with a cushion was quickly fetched and Sakura ushered into it.

"Tea?" Tsunade asked but didn't wait for an answer, she had already signalled to Shizune again before she plopped back down into her own chair. There were extra large piles of loose paper on the Hokage's desk today, looking very precarious in their tottering height.

"I would have come to see you soon," Tsunade said, sounding apologetical, "but I was a little preoccupied the last few days. So many things to put in order. How are you doing?"

"I'm here about Kakashi... Sensei," Sakura said, stumbling over the honorific. Why had she even felt compelled to use it? She was sure Tsunade knew that they were not just teacher and student any longer.

"Oh, don't fret," Tsunade chuckled, "it's normal for him to make everyone around him worry, he'll be back soon."

"But… but there's a price on his head!" Sakura blurted out. "You sent Ino-Shika-Cho after him! The Fire Daimyo came here in person!"

"Yes," Tsunade nodded grimly, "luckily, Kakashi wasn't here at that time or I would have ripped his head off. You know how horrible it is to deal with the political leadership of this country?"

"He didn't do anything wrong!" Sakura explained, "I was there to witness it all. It was Mrs. Nohara who bullied him."

Tsunade chuckled again. "Bullied him? I wish I could have seen that."

Sakura stared at the Hokage, her head reeling. Tsunade thought this was funny? All the worry she had felt over the last few days balled itself together in the pit of her stomach. She felt ready to throw up.

"Oh, come on, Sakura, no need to stare at me like that. Kakashi should know better than to tick off people with connections - but I guess he couldn't help himself, sometimes he is looking for trouble."

"Shishou, with all due respect…"

"It's all good, Sakura," Tsunade smiled, her elated mood only now registering as rather strange with Sakura, "the complaint has been withdrawn."

"What do you mean?"

"There's no price on Kakashi's head any longer," Tsunade shrugged, "the offended party withdrew their official complaint and everybody gets what they want."

Sakura still did not get it. "She threatened us with her personal guard and made it quite clear that she would take Sarada away!"

"Of course," Tsunade snorted, "what did you expect when you left Konoha with that child? The Sharingan is a matter of national security, which makes that little girl a matter of national security. Naturally, everyone concerned with national security was on your trail within seconds."

"And you let that happen," Sakura said bitterly. "You know how dangerous it was?"

"You were the one who gave me the idea," Tsunade shrugged, "I didn't force you to run after Kakashi. But you know… all things considered, I think we have an optimal outcome. I don't think Mrs. Nohara would have shown her hand so soon without this little nudge. It's all for the better of Konoha."

An optimal… what? something dawned on Sakura, something that didn't agree with her stomach even though she had wanted it to happen not too long ago.

"Kakashi agreed to be Hokage," she said flabbergasted. "That's why they dropped the charges. That's why you're in such a good mood!"

Tsunade smiled broadly. "Very good, my smart pupil. Yes, Kakashi has finally agreed to take this office from me. I'm much too soft a person for this job, I've not had a single night in so many months I didn't cry myself to sleep."

Sarada will be safe for a while, Sakura's first thought was, she was promised a normal childhood by that horrible Mrs. Nohara.

"The child can continue living with you and Sasuke," Tsunade said and went back to reading her files.

"But I do no longer want to live with Sasuke," Sakura said sharply.

"Hm," Tsunade said and looked back at her with a slight frown.

"He knows, I told him."

"Hm," Tsunade said again and sighed. "Your old apartment will be done renovating this or next week. You shouldn't make any hasty decisions before that."

"There's nothing hasty about it," Sakura said fervidly, "I made a big mistake when I married Sasuke."

Tsunade sighed again as she folded her hands. "I understand Kakashi's appeal, I really do. If I were younger and I were in the least ready to get involved with a man again, he would be one of my first choices too. He has character! Even Shizune blushes every time she sees him…"

Shizune, who had come in with a tray with two steaming cups giggled embarrassed.

"See? But Sakura, I'm sure you know that Kakashi is not the type to commit and settle down. He's driven by his need to protect Konoha before anything else. That's why he will be a perfect Hokage."

Sakura didn't want to hear such things. Anger laced through her as she looked at her teacher's perfectly youthful face.

"I wonder whether you know him at all," Sakura pressed out. "You've always only seen him as a tool!"

Tsunade furrowed her eyebrows. "That's unfair. He is a very valuable soldier, I'll admit that, but he never behaved like a subordinate and I didn't see him as one. He's… I think of him as a... friend."

"Would a friend be happy about the burden that she's dumping on him?"

"I'm not dumping anything on him," Tsunade said sourly. "He knew he's next in line for years. He'll have to learn how to be more diplomatic, but I'm sure he'll deal well with the tense political situation."

Tense… what?

"Don't worry about it," Tsunade quickly followed up, "it has nothing much to do with Konoha's inhabitants. Only some succession trouble. The current Fire Daimyo has no heir."

"Kakashi shouldn't have to deal with this," Sakura said vehemently, "he deserves an easy life, proctoring Chunin exams, teaching kids, that kind of thing, he's already done so much!"

Tsunade laughed.

"Now I believe you don't know him at all. He could have had all that, like the rest of his generation. He didn't want it. Sakura, you cannot tame the wind. I understand that living with Sasuke is difficult, he's gone through so much. But don't you think the ties between you two are too thick to just cut?"

"It's not because of Kakashi that I want to leave Sasuke," Sakura retorted. "And I don't need your permission. I'm a free person, I can get a divorce anytime I want one!"

"Certainly," Tsunade nodded. "I'm not withholding permission, I'm just giving advice. I don't want you to regret your decision later, that is all. Or you to become as lonely as I am."

"You're not lonely," Sakura said quite shocked, "don't you have all of us?"

"I don't expect you to understand," Tsunade sounded bitter. "But there's no position lonelier than this one. - But no need to discuss my mental state any longer. Sakura, since you're here, I'd rather discuss hospital business with you."

"Oh no, Shishou!" Sakura said with a sinking feeling, "you're not going to leave Konoha altogether, are you?"

"I'll be back," Tsunade said simply, "but I will take a long vacation."

"How… how long?" Sakura asked.

Tsunade shrugged. "Months. Years."

"But Shishou," Sakura said, "I need to go on a research trip too, urgently!"

"Why? Because of that conference you told me about? I'm sure it can wait."

"To… there's... it's because…"

Dammit.

"Because… it's to find a cure, Shishou, for… a… genetic…"

"Out with it," Tsunade said with a frown, "a genetic what? Disease? Who… don't tell me… oh shit!"

"It's not my secret to share, Hokage-sama, but Sasuke is really sick. It's something to do with the Uchiha bloodline and I…"

"Did you think you need to shoulder this alone?" Tsunade exclaimed. "I will help you, of course! Let's work on it together! I'll postpone my vacation."

"That's very kind of you," Sakura said, feeling like a great weight was lifted from her shoulders. If Tsunade was with her, they would be successful for sure.

"We'll have time to sort out all the aspects of the succession."

"But Kakashi isn't…"

"Not with Kakashi. I'm talking about you. You taking over as director for Konoha's hospital from me."

Air was suddenly short.

"But I'm not...!"

"Nonsense," Tsunade interrupted her, "you are ready and capable. There's nobody else."

I'm not ready! Sakura wanted to shout.

But maybe that didn't matter. Kakashi had agreed to be Hokage even though she knew how much he

###

It was like floating on very soft, gentle clouds.

It was like he didn't need to worry anymore, never again.

His violent past, the uncertain future, what did it matter?

Genjutsu.

But not the kind that tormented. Why should he even struggle against it?

Because it's Genjutsu.

The room he was in was underground, a laboratory of sorts. Maybe he had been here before, maybe not.

Rin was very gentle, when last time, she had hurt him. She stroked his head, she stroked his face, she told him to get well and to forget all that troubled him.

He could have, but it that itself troubled him.

"Rin, let me help you," he managed to say at one stage, but she laughed it away like it was nonsense.

She was very beautiful, like she had always been, but her beauty made him feel very guilty instead of happy.

"You must have suffered so much," he said, feeling a sadness that could have drowned him.

"It's behind me," she lied.

It wasn't true. There were lines on her face that spoke of horrible things in the past, lines he wanted to erase with his thumb but could not.

"Come back to Konoha with me," he urged her, "please."

"Konoha?" she said, her face turning angry. "That place needs to be destroyed."

"No, Rin," he said, "Rin, it's your home! We thought you were dead. You're always welcome there, I promise."

"You haven't changed one bit," she said, a strange gleam coming into her eyes.

"I'm going to be Hokage, Rin," he confided in her, "it scares me, but I'll do it."

"For Konoha?" she scoffed.

"For everyone who needs me to," he replied, trying to sit up. Why did this bed feel like it was holding him back.

Release, he thought, release!

There was a wall, he realized, behind them. The Uchiha clan symbol was on top of it and underneath… eyes. Countless eyes, individually suspended in fluid inside built-in labelled glass containers.

"What is this, Rin," Kakashi frowned with a sinking feeling.

"What do you think it is," she replied snippily. "It's activated Sharingans."

Kakashi felt sick all of a sudden.

So many.

Obito… what have you done?

"Did you get eyes from here?" he asked her.

"Didn't you too?" she asked back, gently moving her fingers over his brow. "Mangekyo Sharingan… it's so beautiful."

"They're… they're not ours to take," Kakashi choked, "Rin, what happened to you?"

"What happened to me? I don't know, Kakashi," she laughed bitterly, "I don't know. I woke up here, all alone. Deep down in the earth here and there was nobody, nobody there to tell me where I was - or that I was still alive."

"Do you… do you want to show me?" he asked.

Rin shrugged.

"I can show you alright," she said viciously, "but I'm not sure I can let you go after I show you."

"I'll take the risk," Kakashi said. "Rin. I'm here to help you, don't you understand?"