Notes:

As always, both chapter 15 and 16 have been uploaded in one go! Please remember to check 15 out first!

Hope you enjoy!

Chapter 16: Escape

Something was wrong. It was getting clearer by the second that something was majorly wrong. Had she screwed up? Maybe the charm she cast hadn't worked as it should? It was already clear the spells she used didn't work as well as they did with her own wand. So there was a perfectly good chance it didn't stick.

How did she know something was wrong? Well, that was quite easy. The patterns she had found had completely changed. She had gotten a rough idea of when she was getting food, giving her an opportunity to figure out what was morning, afternoon and night.

It had all changed however. Either she lost track of time, or they switched up her mealtimes, majorly. And she hadn't 'seen' her guard again. The entire time she had been here, it had been the same one, but the next morning he had been replaced. The biggest change however, was the most obvious one. They didn't turn the lights on when they brought her meals.

Hermione narrowed down her options to either waiting it out and see what would happen, and break out the next time they came to collect her tray. And honestly, waiting it out wasn't really an option either. Who knew how long she would be waiting. There weren't a lot of other things she could do, were there? Well, she could apparate away, but she needed to get to Teddy first. And from what she had seen, it seemed like there was some sort of barrier surrounding him.

The now familiar clang sounded, indicating that someone was coming to see her. She didn't think it was any food this time around, it had only been a short while since she had eaten. As the lights turned on, she braced herself. This definitely wasn't normal. Instead of the usual guard, there were now three of them walking towards her cell. What now?

They opened her cell, two of them stepping inside, as the third stayed back. Not a word was spoken as they signalled her to stand up and turn around. She didn't do as they asked, she wasn't an idiot. Turning her back on someone like them? Yeah, that's not going to happen, she thought, as she stood her ground. Her decision of standing her ground might not have been the best one, as the two guards in her cell took on an attacking stance.

One swiftly reached out and grabbed her arm, pulling her towards him as he turned her around. The second one produced a bag and pulled it over her head, ensuring she didn't see anything.

"Let me go!" she shrieked while trying to twist free from their grasp. "You're hurting me! LET GO!"

She heard them talk to each other, but couldn't discern what they were talking about - they were talking too fast. With a quick, hard pull she stumbled backwards. An arm was thrown around her neck, cutting off her air supply. She tried to pull the arm away, but it wouldn't budge.

"Pleas-" she couldn't even get a single word out. The lack of oxygen made her light-headed and she felt the strength in her hands lessen. "D-don't," she tried to say, but lost consciousness shortly after.

When Hermione woke up she was in another room, sitting in a chair. She was surprised to find herself just sitting there. They didn't even strapped her to the chair. Did they really think she wouldn't be able to break out? She scoffed at the thought. The only thing stopping her at the moment was Teddy. But as soon as she found out where exactly he was, they were leaving.

Slightly moving her wrist, she felt for the wand she had hidden in her sleeve. Merlin's beard. We're they idiots? They had no idea who they were dealing with, did they? Wait. They had no idea who she was. Would that mean the Hokage didn't know about this?

She glanced around the room as she sat there. There was another chair in front of her, behind a table. To her right was a door and to her left a screen.

She braced herself as she heard movement from behind the door, anxiously waiting to see what would happen. As the door opened, her eyes widened in shock. There was no way. Was he behind this? Or was he here to save her? What the hell was happening?

"You know, boss. I was expecting a bit more excitement when you summoned us," Pakkun grumbled as he stifled a yawn.

The silver-haired teen glanced to the side, before focusing his attention back to the road he was watching. "You could've easily swapped places with any of the others, Pakkun. They offered, you refused. So stop whining."

"You're right, kid, but then I couldn't ask you the question I've been meaning to ask you."

"Ask me what?"

Pakkun stayed quiet, causing Kakashi to turn his head to the pug. Kakashi didn't push the pug for an answer. After all these years he learned to just wait it out. He didn't have to wait long before he spoke, though.

"Have you met someone?"

"Have I- What?"

"Have you met someone?" Pakkun repeated.

"Where is this coming from? You've never asked me this before."

Pakkun looked at him, his eyes unreadable. He then came a bit closer, before sniffing Kakashi. The silver-haired teen frowned at this behaviour. Pakkun knew what he smelled like, didn't he? So what was this about?

"Your smell is different. It's still you, obviously, but there's another scent as well."

"Pakkun, you do realise that I've been travelling with a team? Of course there are different scents." Kakashi deflected.

"Don't act like I'm an idiot, brat." The pug replied with a flat voice. "You know exactly what I'm talking about. So. Anyone I know?"

Kakashi rolled his eyes at his ninken, of course he would notice. He should've taken a quick shower at the Anbu facility before heading out, to wash her scent away. It's not like they had touched, but scents linger. He should've known the pug would notice.

"No. No one you know."

"Hm, you sure about that? It smells somewhat familiar."

Kakashi stayed silent after that, not giving any more information. He'd already given him too much information by not denying he met someone. Why did everyone seem to think they were together?

It wasn't like that though. Just because he was forced to live with a woman, didn't mean automatically they were together. He suppressed a shiver at the thought. Hermione and him? Honestly, he couldn't see himself with anyone. It was for their best interest. Anyone who got close to him died, so it was better this way. He didn't need anyone else. He was fine on his own.

Kakashi shook his head, it wouldn't do to dwell on this. He had a mission to focus on, it was already taking up way more time than they had initially expected. After their first shift it was clear they wouldn't be able to gather all the necessary information in just six hours. Luckily they would be done after this shift. There were enough issues going on that needed to be addressed.

Flashback (few hours ago)

Kakashi walked towards his team that were gathered around, nodding in greeting. A moment later the ninken appeared as well.

"Good, we're all here. Report."

His team and pack shared their findings on the organisation. It soon became quite clear that the situation was a lot worse than they had first thought. It would take more than just a single observation.

Kakashi split the team and the pack in two. One would rest and write reports on the findings, while the other would scout. Shift changes happened every six hours, to make sure everyone stayed sharp.

To ensure the teams were equally divided, he put two extra dogs with Genma and Yugao. Okay, it might not have been equally divided, but Pakkun and Bull were adamant on staying with him and he knew they would prefer the down time without the others.

He knew Shisui wasn't happy that he didn't get to spend time with Yugao, as he would on other missions. And he knew that the both of them would be perfectly able to keep their focus on the mission, but he wasn't taking any chances. Yeah, the kid wasn't happy, if the vibe he was giving off was anything to go by.

"Shisui, a word?"

He led the Uchiha away from the others, making sure they were out of earshot.

"I don't like this attitude coming from you. Pull yourself together, Shisui."

He saw him flinch, before lowering his head. "Yes sir. My apologies."

Kakashi sighed. "Look, I get that you'd rather spend your time with her, but this is too important to get distracted."

"I know, I know. It's just- I don't know, man." Shisui sighed. "I don't know what it is we're doing and-"

"Don't." Kakashi interrupted. "I'm not the person you should talk to about this."

"Right. And who do you suggest I talk to, senpai? Genma? Tenzou? Both are terrible options in their own way."

Well, he wasn't wrong. While Genma was good with the ladies, he wasn't someone who did relationships. And Tenzou… Yeah, no. That's a whole different level of awkward. He still didn't think he was the right person to talk to about this though. He was no better than either of them.

He wasn't a virgin, he's done enough seduction missions to be anything but. But he wasn't a ladies man like Genma. And he definitely didn't do relationships.

"You're right about that," he agreed.

"Great! And since you've got experience... Senpai, tell me! How do you do it?"

Experience? Why would he think he'd have experience? "I'm no better, Shisui. What makes you think I have experience?"

"Well, you're living with that foreigner, aren't you? The one we picked up in the woods? I had no idea you were someone that liked to move fast, but-"

"Talk to someone else when we get back." Kakashi interrupted the Uchiha once again, ending the conversation. "Until then, I'm keeping you separated as long as I think is needed."

"Of course, I understand." Shisui was smart enough to know when he crossed the line with Kakashi.

"Also, Shisui. If I find out that this thing between you two is compromising your ability to do your job, I am resigning one of you. Consider this a one time warning."

"Yes sir."

"Alright. Let's get back. It's almost time to relieve the others."

End flashback

It turned out it would take at least two full days after the first six-hours shift before they got enough information. Kakashi was satisfied with the amount of info they gathered. They'd definitely be able to formulate a solid plan for the infiltration.

Kakashi was relieved the mission was almost over, meaning he could dismiss the pack, saving him from the questioning looks the pug was giving him. He never did give him any more information about Hermione. He really didn't know how or where to start. But the pug was smart. He'd eventually find out.

Nearing the end of their last shift, Kakashi found his mind wandering again. He thought back to the uneasy feeling he had felt when they left. The mission had successfully distracted him from it, but now that was done, the feeling was back. He still hadn't figured out what it was that made him feel this way and while he would rather just think it was nothing, he knew it wasn't nothing.

Thinking of going back home in turn made him think of Hermione. She'd probably be livid leaning he had disappeared for over a week without saying anything. Not that he'd said anything before if he had a mission. It wasn't any of her business either way, even if she decided it was.

He wondered how the meeting with the Hokage had gone. Kakashi probably wouldn't have to see the Hokage this time around, there wasn't much to report since he hadn't been home. Maybe he'd give a quick report about the language lesson, but even that wouldn't take longer than five minutes.

Looking at his team, he decided they were all set, giving the signal to move out. It would take at least two days to get back home. After a mission like this, he figured they'd get a couple days off again. He could catch up on some reading. He still had to dig up the scrolls the Yondaime had given him. Maybe he could even find something that would explain why his sensei had learned English. He should probably ask the Sandaime about that as well. He could do that after he delivered his report.

Hermione looked at the man in front of her as he stepped into the room. He stayed silent as he assessed her, while she did the same. She didn't know what to make of this, it just didn't add up. If he was involved, surely they would know about her abilities, right? So, what? Did they really think they were that much better than her, that they didn't need to take any precautions?

If that were the case, however, they were cocky as hell. And it would definitely come back to bite them in the arse, she would make sure of it. She should've known that she couldn't trust anyone here, even if they were kind to her. All they wanted was information. Especially information that was considered important. And not to brag, but her abilities surely would be seen as important.

The man sat down in front of her and placed his hands on the table. The part of his face she could see was unreadable. "Hermione-san," he started with a small nod. "I've been told you weren't completely following the rules the Hokage set for you. Want to explain yourself?"

He sounded off. But, fuck . He was right, of course. She had used magic on one of the guards. She didn't think about what that would mean for her. Not that she wouldn't do it again, if needed. And that also didn't mean she was going to tell him everything he wanted to know.

"I have no idea what you are talking about, Kakashi-san." She replied curtly. "But I do have questions of my own."

"Ah-ah, you don't get to ask any questions," Kakashi said, while waving his finger as if scolding her. "I ask the questions, you answer them."

"I'm not answering any questions until I get answers myself." Hermione said stubbornly.

"Oh, I think you are, Hermione-san. After all, you wouldn't want to see any harm come to that sweet boy of yours, hm?"

Oh no, she thought, not Teddy. "Where is he?" She demanded, standing up. "I want to see him. Now."

Kakashi chuckled at her outburst and leaned back in his chair. He nodded to his right, her left, to the screen. His gaze then moved to the wall behind her. "He's in the room next to us."

She kept her eyes on him a moment longer, quietly seething, before shifting her gaze to the screen as it turned on. It took a moment before the footage became clear, but once it did she had to hold back a sob. There he was, small Teddy. He was being held by another one of those masked Anbu, a knife at his throat.

"If you hurt him," she warned him.

"Then what? You won't talk?" He scoffed. "You weren't going to talk anyways, so might as well give you a little incentive, no?" Kakashi stood up, walked towards the screen and pointed at the boy. "Surely you don't want anything happening to him. He means too much to you. So, it's very simple. Talk, and he won't get hurt. Don't talk and, well, you get the idea."

Hermione moved towards Kakashi, swinging her arm back to throw a punch, which was easily caught by him as he twisted her arm and pulled her towards him. As her back hit his chest, he tightened his grip on her arm, keeping her in place. She bit back a cry as his grip became painful. That wasn't what made her pause, however. Something had been bugging her during the conversation with Kakashi.

There was no spark. There was nothing like the other times they had physically touched. What had changed? But then, his accent was off as well. It didn't sound like him. The words he used were correct, but it didn't sound the same to her. She wasn't sure, but were shinobi able to change into other people? Like the wizards using transfiguration, did they have a way to do that as well? There's one way to find out.

She elbowed him in the stomach, which made him release the tight grip on her arm. She yanked her arm free and reached for her wand. Kakashi seemed confused but intrigued by her actions, as she pointed it towards him. " Revelio," she said, while making the appropriate hand movement . For a moment, nothing happened and Kakashi raised an eyebrow at her attempt.

Hermione started panicking as the seconds ticked by and Kakashi was still standing in front of her. But then... a loud poof was heard and the room was encased in smoke, making her cough. She tried waving the smoke away.

As the smoke cleared, Kakashi no longer stood in front of her. Well, it was pretty clear he hadn't been here at all. In his place stood an Anbu, one she recognised. She'd seen him when that old man Danzo came to visit her.

"What the-," the man looked at his hands in what seemed to be confusion and then turned his attention to her.

"That's what you get for underestimating me, you daft idiot."

Hermione straightened herself. And focused on her breathing. She needed to stay calm now. Next room, huh? She would need to take out the man that held Teddy, without injuring the boy. She could do this.

The man in the room with her lunged for her. In that same moment, she disapparated, narrowly missing him. She appeared behind the man holding Teddy and before he could fully turn, she had cast the Full Body-Bind curse, freezing him in place.

"Mai!" Teddy called out. The glamour she had cast was failing again, she noticed. Blue strands stood out between the brown locks. She'd have to cast it again once they were safe. There was no time to do it now. They needed to get out of here.

"Hey, bud. Let's get going, huh?"

Holding him tight, she turned as the door opened. She smirked at the men storming in, disappearing right in front of him. She'd been there long enough. Time to head back to the house. She needed to get her bag ready. It was clear staying in the village wasn't as safe as she first thought after all.

"Report."

"She has escaped, sir."

The man turned around, looking towards his subordinate.

"How?"

"I- I'm not sure. The room was sealed. She shouldn't have been able to break out. This hasn't happened before."

"And the child?"

The masked man flinched at the tone. "She has taken the child with her, Danzo-sama."

"Do we know where she is now?"

"It seems she appeared a few miles to the north. Still several miles away from the village."

Danzo hummed at that. If she made it back to the village, it could potentially ruin everything he has worked for up until this point. So it was important to gather as much information on her as possible. The dead body they had retrieved could only tell them so much and it would be a hassle if they were to take the others from T&I. She would have to do. And if she wouldn't cooperate. Well, what was one more dead body?