Author's Note: First of all, thank you for supporting the story so far. The kind words in the reviews really have me motivated to drop another chapter. And since I have the entire first arc written and in the editing stage, that is very possible. So, here's the second chapter of our first arc in the story. We're focusing on the frantic and fast paced action of an escape and pursuit. Once again we're in Kakashi's POV, but expect that to change in the next chapter, because Rin will be taking the spotlight. And from there, we'll include Kushina, Minato, and other characters as things unfold. I'm not sure I'll ever write a third person omniscient chapter, as I prefer the limited scope of a single POV per chapter. Anyway, I hope you enjoy!

Human

Rin's Capture Arc

Chapter 2

Kakashi

Breathe, he told himself. Just breathe, that's the key.

Mist ninja had pursued them from the cave mouth at once, and Kakashi had discovered that Rin had not taken to the trees. He ran beside her slow, staggering gait.

"What are you doing?" Kakashi asked. "We are being pursued by a platoon of enemy ninja and you're running on the ground. Without chakra. We are ninja of the Leaf, we have an advantage in the trees."

Rin glared at him. "I told you," she panted out, "I can't do anything. They did something to me. I can't use my chakra."

"Can't use your- why didn't you say something?" Kakashi asked.

"I tried! You wouldn't listen." Rin stumbled and nearly ran headlong into a tree.

Kakashi pivoted and steadied her. "You're going to be okay. Keep running, I'll buy us time."

He turned and headed back towards their pursuers, slapping explosive notes on tree trunks as he went.

With ten remote chakra-detonated bombs in place, Kakashi changed direction and leapt for the trees.

Less than a minute later, Kakashi saw two Mist ninja break from the tree line. He pulsed his chakra, turned, and ran back towards Rin.

The explosion shook the trees, birds shot into the sky.

There was precious little time. Kakashi didn't dare stop to see if their pursuers were dead. He ran until his lungs burned and his legs felt like they would give out.

Three days. Three days with no rest. Kakashi was spent. He stopped running, and leaned against a tree, drinking in deep, gasping breaths.

Five minutes rest he could spare.

Except… there were more pursuers. Kakashi heard them before he saw them, and slipped into the shadows that the tree branches provided him.

He dug a hand into a provisions pouch, and dug out a small pill. It was a food pill, designed to stimulate the body into producing more chakra. Use in situations like this almost always resulted in chakra exhaustion and hospital visits, but Kakashi needed more energy if he was going to fight.

He swallowed the pill, and shot off after Rin.

As his body produced more energy, his speed increased and he caught up to Rin in a matter of moments.

She looked dead on her feet, face red and skin clammy. She was gasping for a breath that would jot fill her lungs, and she was clutching at a stitch in her side.

"They're still in pursuit," Kakashi said.

Rin didn't answer, choosing instead to focus on breathing and keeping her feet moving.

He kept pace with her and pulled a ration bar from a pocket, then he unhooked his canteen from his belt loop.

"Stop. Catch your breath. Eat and drink. I'll slow them with a genjutsu. It will buy you maybe ten minutes to rest."

Rin took two more feeble steps, and then fell to her knees, and wretched. Bile spattered the forest floor. Kakashi placed the food and drink at her side.

He moved fifteen paces away, and began weaving the hand seals for his illusion. A simple visual distortion that would make it appear that their trail went off in a different direction. The wider the area of effect, the more chakra it would cost him, but the longer it would buy them.

He weighed his options for the briefest moment before pumping as much chakra as he could into the genjutsu.

He expanded the range until he was sweating from the exertion. His strength had never been in his chakra capacity, and the borrowed energy from the food pill was faster to flicker out.

He fell back, panting. He had two more pills. If he took them both he would end up in a coma, but if this kept up he likely would have no choice. He hoped Pakkun was making record time back to the village. If Pakkun had been held up... Kakashi didn't want to think about it.

His eyes were so heavy...

He fought against unconsciousness as his body screamed that it needed rest. Instead, he popped another food pill into his mouth and swallowed it down.

Chakra flared within him once again. He wondered if Rin should have one, but reasoned that in her current state of mind, it was not a good idea.

"Can you keep walking?" Kakashi asked Rin.

"Yeah," She said. She sounded so small. So defeated

"Let's get a move on," Kakashi said.

He wanted to sit, to sleep, to do anything but run.

They had to keep going, Kakashi told himself. Rest was a death sentence. It became a mantra in his mind. Keep running. Keep running. Keep running.

If the ninja from The Village Hidden in the Mist caught up to them, then they were done for. He had used far too much chakra to risk pitched battle while operating on food pills. Flight was their only option, and even then there was the very real possibility of them being overcome before they were safely in Konoha.

Their pace was almost civilian.

Deep down, Kakashi knew the Mist ninja would catch them, and he would have to fight soon. He was ready to die to protect Rin, who was in no position to fight right now. If he was being honest with himself, neither was he. Their mission was nothing short of a disaster, even if they had discovered an enemy outpost.

They kept up their slow pace for fifteen minutes.

For thirty minutes.

An hour.

Two.

He heard the whistling of the air before he sensed danger, and barely managed to get out of the way of a barrage of shuriken.

"Hurry!" Kakashi ordered. He pivoted around, lifting the headband from over his left eye as he did so. Using the Sharingan to scan behind them quickly. He could see the chakra of their pursuers closing fast. 'Dammit, they're going to catch us. We aren't able to move fast enough like this. One last fight, then. "Rin! They're going to catch us! You keep going and I'll buy you as much time as I can. Leaf ninja should find you soon. I sent Pakkun to find Minato-sensei. He'll get you home."

Rin slid to a halt, defiantly facing Kakashi. "I already told you," she said, gasping for breath. "I can't go back to the village. They did something to me. I'll hurt someone."

Kakashi grimaced. "No. You won't. No matter what, you won't. I believe in your strength."

"You aren't listening!" Rin shouted.

"I heard you," Kakashi said, sparing her a brief glance. "But I know you, Rin. You're kind and gentle, and most importantly you're loyal to the Leaf Village. You won't hurt them."

Rin shook her head, blinking back tears. "What if I do? We can't take that risk, Kakashi. You have to kill me or give me back, and you have to do it now!"

"Never!" He declared.

Before Kakashi or Rin had time to argue any further, one of the Mist ninja was upon them. Kakashi slid his tanto from its sheath. With blinding speed, Kakashi parried the kunai that cascaded from above them. When the falling projectiles ceased, Kakashi turned to Rin once more. "We don't have time to fight about this, Rin. I promised Obito that I would protect you. And what's more than that, I couldn't bear it if you were hurt."

"Kakashi," Rin whispered, a sad smile ghosting across her features. He thought that maybe, just maybe, she looked determined.

"If you're so worried that you'll hurt someone, tell Minato-sensei before you reach the walls of the village." Kakashi turned away from her now, and was ready to face the Mist ninja. "Rin, you have to go now. I promise that I will catch up to you."

He heard her retreating footsteps, and let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. Things had definitely not gone according to plan, and Kakashi could not help but feel that today was much like the disastrous battle near the Kannabi Bridge. The same battle that had claimed the life if their teammate, Obito. The same battle that was considered the Leaf Village's greatest military victory during the last war. However, he was determined not to make the same mistake he had made during that mission.

'Those who abandon their comrades are worse than trash!' Obito had said.

Nobody would die today.

Four pursuing shinobi were upon him now, and Kakashi watched them each in turn as they surrounded him. This fight had to end quickly, for both his sake and Rin's.

"Kill him quick. Then we go after the girl." One of the Mist shinobi said.

So that's their leader, Kakashi thought. I'll make sure he doesn't survive long enough to reorganize the pursuit.

Two of the Mist ninja closed with Kakashi, each wielding a katana. Three strokes and three parries later, Kakashi was retreating slightly to reassess the battle. They were skilled with kenjutsu, that much was very clear, but Kakashi had the advantage of the Sharingan. The combatants rushed forward again, and the steel of katanas flashed in the afternoon sun.

Kakashi ducked and blocked each of their cuts with his tanto. He pulled a kunai into his offhand. An extra blade for defending himself, or for attacking if he had the chance.

If this drags on, they'll overpower me. I'm not even close to one-hundred percent.

Kakashi's thoughts were cut short by another attack, this time from all four of the Mist shinobi.

Four blades impaled the silver haired Jōnin before he could react. Kakashi slumped to the ground weakly, broken and bleeding. A chuckle of amusement passed between the Mist ninja. "How pathetic," the leader sneered.

"Pathetic, am I?" Kakashi asked from directly behind the leader of the Mist ninja. "If I'm pathetic, you must be something much worse than that." With that, Kakashi drove his kunai into the leader's heart. The Mist ninja slumped to the ground, blood pooling around him. That's the leader down. If I can disengage quickly, Rin and I might have a chance to gain enough distance to shake their pursuit.

"What!?" One of the other attackers exclaimed.

"How!?" Demanded another.

Kakashi smiled at them underneath his mask. "I used the substitution technique. It's a ninja's bread and butter in a fight where he is outnumbered." He indicated the log that had been impaled in his stead. "I'm just surprised you fell for my trick so easily. Jōnin level ninja are supposed to be the shinobi elite. But you aren't at that level, are you?"

"We'll show you!" the Mist ninja who had refrained from speaking before roared. Kakashi's attacker raised his katana and darted forward. They exchanged a flurry of blows, Kakashi using the advantage the Sharingan gave him to block his strikes before they were fully executed. His preemptive counter attacks only served to make the Mist ninja more angry. Kakashi's blocks stayed true even as the attacks became more erratic and less disciplined. Kakashi slipped inside his enemy's guard.

The Mist ninja backed away after Kakashi landed a grazing blow, and the two circled each other before leaping forward once more. Kakashi user scored a killing blow against the Mist ninja, successfully getting within his guard after a particularly wild strike. The second dispatched Mist shinobi slumped to the ground like the first, just as lifeless as his commander. That leaves two.

Kakashi turned to the remaining two ninja. There will be more coming to back them up soon. I have to end this quickly, or disengage them entirely.

Kakashi didn't have time to deliberate, however. The Mist ninja, sensing that closing with Kakashi in melee combat was likely to prove futile, began forming hand seals for a ninjutsu attack. Glancing between the two, Kakashi realized that they were going to use different techniques. Clever. I can't copy both attacks at the same time. I'll have to come up with something else.

"Water Style!" Both Mist shinobi declared.

"Gunshot!"

"Tearing Torrent."

The water jutsu projectiles fired towards him closed quickly. Kakashi grimaced. Their jutsu were closing fast, and at this short range he'd be unable to dodge them without using ninjutsu of his own. Which was doable, but he was already so exhausted that using a technique was likely suicidal at this point.

With a speed far greater than his adversaries, Kakashi's hands blurred for a moment, as he focused his chakra for a jutsu of his own. "Earth Style: Hiding Like a Mole Technique." Kakashi slipped beneath the dirt road just before the onslaught from the Mist ninja reached him.

That was too close.

Water rushed over the path, flooding the area, impacting trees, splintering wood, and knocking several large boulders aside. The flooded area drained slowly, and the rampant destruction caused by the onslaught of water based projectiles became apparent.

"He's gone," one of the Mist shinobi declared.

"We killed him?" the other asked.

"I don't think so," the first replied. "But it looks like we've eliminated him for now."

A hand shot up from beneath the two Mist ninja, grabbing one of them by the ankle. They both let out less than masculine shouts of surprise at the sight of a disembodied arm rising from the earth. "Eliminate me?" Kakashi mocked as he rose from the ground, and pulled the Mist ninja under the earth in one movement. "Hardly. You were firing those attacks like blind and deaf Genin."

With a shout of anger, the still standing Mist shinobi swung his katana wildly at Kakashi, who leapt away from the attack. Kakashi narrowed his eyes at the Mist ninja. "I think it's time we end this." He made a set of hand seals and clapped his left hand on his right forearm. "Chidori!"

A visible wave of chakra filled the newly created clearing. Bolts of electricity shot from the swirling energy gathering in Kakashi's hand, growing more frequent and powerful by the second. The Mist ninja backed away, eyes wide with fear, looking for an escape. Sensing his enemy's desire to flee, Kakashi chuckled darkly. "There's no place for you to run. This ends now!"

Kakashi ran forward, right hand cocked back in preparation to strike. It's an all or nothing strike. If I don't end this fight now, I'm done for. I won't have enough chakra for another attack.

From his right there was movement, and then Kakashi watched in horror as Rin bounded into his line of attack, successfully placing herself between Kakashi and the Mist ninja. She had her eyes closed and her arms spread wide, as if she were welcoming death. Kakashi was moving too fast, he was too close.

"Rin!"

No. No! No! No! No!

Kakashi dispersed the chakra he'd gathered for his finishing blow and twisted his upper body as fast as he could. The result was that his still dissipating Chidori grazed her right arm and his back slammed into her torso, sending them both tumbling to the ground in a painful heap of flailing limbs and dust.

He was completely drained, but the adrenaline from the battle kept him awake. He glowered at Rin.

If looks could kill...

"Jumping in front of me like that and attempting to use my attack to kill yourself? I can't believe you! What the hell were you thinking?" Kakashi demanded as he regained his footing, spinning around and ready to defend against an oncoming attack. The Mist ninja, however, had taken their chance at Rin's interference and fled. Kakashi relaxed slightly and took in Rin's bedraggled appearance. His Chidori had done significant damage to her arm, despite the grazing blow, and it hung loosely at her side, dripping blood onto the dirt.

Kakashi sheathed his tanto, holstered his kunai, covered his Sharingan, and tried to control his shivering. It was exhaustion from this mission, it was anger at Rin, it was fear that they would die, regret that he'd nearly killed her.

"I can't go back to the village as I am now." Her eyes were full of unshed tears.

Kakashi glared at her, angry and confused and hurt all at once. "So you would use me to end your own life, without any thought as to how that would make me feel? Why are you so ready to give up? You know as well as I do that Sensei will be able to help you. Hell, Rin, I told you as much."

She lowered her head. "It doesn't matter. He can't undo what was done to me. I'm a monster now. The masked man said so himself. And only a monster could endure so much pain."

Pain? What pain? What exactly had they done to her?

Kakashi's anger blunted in an instant. He took three shaky steps toward her, so that they were inches apart, and took her still good hand in his. He traced a gentle circle over the back of her hand with his thumb.

"No, you're not. No matter what has happened, you are no monster. Minato-sensei can, and will, help you. All we have to do is evade our pursuers for a little while longer. Once we cross into frequently patrolled territory, their continued pursuit would guarantee their deaths. Rin, I need you to do this with me. Please. Let's find a solution that isn't your death."

She raised her head, and for a long time she said nothing, staring at him with teary eyes and a pained expression. Eventually, she spoke. "If I go with you, you have to promise me that I won't go within ten miles of the village until Minato-sensei finds out why I feel like my whole body is on fire when I use chakra."

Kakashi nodded, relieved that she was at least willing to try. "Of course. I can promise you that. Now let's get a move on. There's a lot of ground to cover and I don't doubt that those Mist ninja will be back for us once they regroup with their allies." Rin nodded, and gave him a thumbs up, but the accompanying smile did not reach her eyes. Kakashi was unsure if anything he could say would comfort her at this point. That was something Obito had always been better at than him, and he wished dearly that their teammate was still with them now.

But Obito could never be with them again. A sorrow they both had to bear. In his stead, Kakashi vowed to keep Rin safe. And now she was in more need than ever before. Truthfully, Kakashi was terrified that he'd fail, especially considering how exhausted he already was.

Together they set off once again towards Konoha, staggering along as fast as they could. It wasn't an impressive look. Kakashi was exhausted and Rin was both injured and mentally drained. It would have to do, of course. Any faster and they'd both inevitably collapse and wind up dead.

They kept it up as long as they could.

Which was longer than he thought.

They had been on the run together for half a day. It was pitch dark, and Kakashi kept crashing through thorny bushes. He could barely keep his eyes open.

"We need to stop," Kakashi said, slowing his pace and coming to a stop against a tree.

Rin shook her head and stepped past him. "No."

Kakashi grunted and caught her good hand. "Both of us are exhausted. Beyond exhausted.. If we push ourselves any more we could end up past saving. I've exhausted my chakra on two food pills today. Any more jutsu from me and I'm gambling with my life."

"And if we stop those ninja from the Mist village might catch us. We're in no condition to fight them." Rin's voice cracked, thick with emotion. She was right. They weren't going to elude them forever. He was spent, she was… well Kakashi didn't know what was wrong with Rin.

It was probably worse than exhausted.

"I told you earlier that Pakkun is heading back to the village. Sensei doesn't need travel time. Once he knows we're in trouble, we'll be safe.

"When was that?" Asked Rin.

"Maybe six, seven hours ago," Kakashi said. "I infiltrated the base before midday, and we have been on the run since. But I spent days tracking you, so we are at least a full day from Konoha."

"We have to survive out here for another eighteen hours?" Rin said. "We're going to die!"

Kakashi shrugged. "We may encounter those Mist ninja again, but I don't think we will die. For now, we should find a place to hide - and to rest."

Rin spun in a circle, examining their immediate surroundings in the darkness. "Where? There isn't anywhere to hide here."

"No," Kakashi agreed. "We'll have to keep looking. But that should be the objective. If we can find a defensible spot, we may be able to hold for a few hours of rest."

"Let's go, then," Rin said gravely.

The farther they went in search of shelter, the harder Kakashi found it to stay upright and moving. His eyes were so heavy. It would be so easy to just drift off to sleep. . .

He was on his knees, the ground looked so comfortable.

Kakashi knew he was down for the count. He tried to get to his feet, but it was no good. Instead, he settled for calling out to his teammate before unconsciousness took him

Rin...

Author's Note: If you enjoyed, do me a solid, drop a review, hit favorite/follow, and stay tuned for chapter three. I'd love to break twenty reviews, favorites, and follows. That would be incredible! Also, let me know how you feel about the fight sequences, as they are the things I've had the most trouble with so far. I plan to include several more in the next chapters, so I can really hammer home the necessary practice.