Working on this chapter, I was watching the anime and I was reminded that this was first episode I ever saw of Naruto. I didn't watch much, just a scene. It was on Cartoon Network/Adult Swim and it was the scene where Lee is walking down the corridor. I remember seeing that, not knowing what was going on. I either stayed or flipped back to where Tsunade is examining Lee. I had seen the wall scroll of the three with Kakashi in a shop where I bought my other anime stuff and asked what that was from because it seemed to be getting popular. I didn't start reading or watching it for some time. I think I started doing both during the hiatus between Naruto and Naruto Shippuden. I seem to remember watching Shippuden week to week since the first episode or at least I started during the first ten episodes. I'd caught up with everything by that point.
Want to know the reason I started watching it? I'm a fan of Crispin Freemen and was watching several anime just because he was in them. He plays Itachi and Ebisu. It's a good thing he played Itachi and Itachi's introduction wasn't for a while because I did not like the series or Ebisu at all. Until the Land of Waves. I was waiting to see Itachi. I got hooked on the series as I waited for him.
In the manga, the time between Sasuke and Kakashi waking up and Sasuke's rooftop fight with Naruto seem to be the same day. I could be wrong, but it looks that way. In the anime, of course, there's an entire filler arc. I'm making it more than a day, but no stupid filler arc.
I'm also posting a shorter chapter because I know I haven't updated in a while, but I wanted to give you something. I've actually been working on the sequel to Scars. It's coming along nicely. So forgive me if my other stories have slowed down.
Sasuke opened his eyes to see a blurry, sunlit ceiling. He felt horrible, as if he'd been asleep far too long. His back hurt from lying on it; normally, he slept on his side. He sat up. His head was whirling, body aching.
He heard something, but his ears felt numb. His mind utterly blank, eyes unfocused.
Suddenly, someone was hugging him. He looked at the person. Kakashi? No, he saw pink hair. And then she said his name. Sakura. She was crying.
His vision cleared as he tried to look at her, but her head was against his.
"Sasuke, you—" Naruto said.
Sasuke couldn't summon the strength to push Sakura away or even look at Naruto. His mind wouldn't work properly. He couldn't wonder why Sakura crying. Where was he? What happened? Nothing. He wanted to go back to that peaceful darkness. Away from the bright sunlight and Naruto's voice and Sakura's sobs. He didn't close his eyes, but his mind shut back down. He didn't even realize why he wanted that darkness back. The horror of his memories. Instead, his mind shut back down.
xxxxx
Kakashi felt hungover. Head swimming, mouth dry, eyes blurry, body aching from not moving in a week. And he woke up to Gai making a fuss, but not over him for once.
"Humph, you were beaten by only two enemies?" Tsunade scolded him. "I thought you were a genus."
"Sorry . . . to . . . disappoint you."
"Forget about this idiot!" Gai insisted. "Please take a look at my student, Lee!"
They left.
Guess Jiraiya found her.
He lay back down. He felt like shit. Like all pain, he couldn't remember just how terrible Itachi's genjutsu was, just that it was agonizing. He put his hands over the ghosts of the sword thrusts. He wondered if anything he did when Itachi was under his command had something to do with Itachi's cruelty.
Gai had been in his room and only concerned with Tsunade seeing Lee so he must have fought off Itachi and Kisame. He wasn't jealous of feel inferior to Gai; Kakashi was skilled against almost all types of opponents, but rarely went up against a Sharingan while Gai had a lot of experience fighting a Sharingan. Gai was uniquely skilled in fighting a Sharingan. Kakashi went up against a true Sharingan with his barrowed one and wasn't surprised he lost. He was at peace with the idea Gai could defeat or at least be a threat to someone who Kakashi could not.
He didn't know how long he'd been unconscious, but it must have been sometime if Naruto and Jiraiya tracked Tsunade down and convinced her to return and become Hokage.
He looked around. He was disappointed that Sasuke wasn't here when he woke up. Maybe Naruto brought Tsunade straight here without telling Sasuke or Sakura. Surely, Sasuke would want to see him when he woke up. The idea of Sasuke being here while he was unconscious wasn't as nice an idea as him being here as he woke. He was tempted to leave the hospital and look for Sasuke, but he was too tired. He'd been asleep for days, but his body was unprepared to move, his muscles atrophied.
Nevertheless, he needed to know what's been happening. He forced himself to sit up again—his head swimming—then stand. His muscles screamed. He staggard to the door. Naruto was likely to come back this way. He opened the door and waited. Sure enough, Naruto was leaving through this way.
"Naruto."
Naruto jumped in surprise.
"Come talk to me. I need to know what's been going on."
Naruto brightened. It wasn't often people asked him to talk.
Kakashi tried to not stagger back to his bed and sit down. "So, to start, how long have I been asleep?"
"Um, like twelve, thirteen days?"
"That long?"
"Yeah. Gai said Itachi attacked you the same day he came after me."
"He came after you? How did he find you?"
"I'm not sure. We stopped in the next town and Pervy Sage left me at the inn to perv on some girl."
Well, that sounds like Jiraiya.
"I was practicing my chakra and someone knocks on the door. I open it and at first, I thought it was Sasuke, but he was too tall. He had the Sharingan though. There was another guy with him. They said they were there to kidnap me. But then, Sasuke ran in."
Ahhh, shit.
"I've never seen Sasuke so angry. He used the Chidori and ran at Itachi."
Hope blossomed in Kakashi's soul. Maybe—just maybe—Sasuke killed Itachi that day with his Chidori.
"Itachi grabbed Sasuke's wrist, I guess. The Chidori hit the wall and destroyed it. Itachi broke Sasuke's wrist. But then, Jiraiya finally showed up."
Kakashi was filled with relief. Jiraiya must have killed Itachi and Kisame.
"Sasuke told Jiraiya to stay out of it and he did. Itachi beat the crap out of Sasuke. I wanted to help, but Sasuke yelled for me to stay out of it too. Then Itachi grabbed him and did something. Sasuke was screaming. And then he passed out."
Fuck.
"Jiraiya finally stepped in, and they retreated. Gai blundered in and he brought Sasuke back to the village while we went looking for Tsunade. He told us Itachi knocked you out, something like what he did to Sasuke."
"How is he?"
Naruto's face fell. "Baa-chan woke him up first. He doesn't look good. His eyes were really blank, but he sat up. I left Sakura with him to being Tsunade to you and Lee."
"Where is he?"
"Two rooms away." Naruto gestured in the proper direction.
"Thank you, Naruto. I do want to hear about your adventures, but I'm exhausted."
"No problem! You and Sasuke should rest up! I have something I want to show you that Pervy Sage taught me."
"Okay. Once I'm able to leave, we'll have a training session, and you can show off your new move."
"Hehe," Naruto giggled with a large grin. He hurried out.
Kakashi just lay back without swinging around to lie properly. Fuuuuuck.
Time was running out. What could he do?
xxxxx
Once visiting hours ended, Kakashi staggered out of bed. The wall helped him make it two rooms down the hall. He opened the door to see no one else in the room but Sasuke. His black hair stark against his pallid skin. A chair was sitting at Sasuke's bedside, no doubt having been used by Sakura all day. And every day before since Sasuke ended up here.
Kakashi struggled to stand up without any sign of weakness even though Sasuke was asleep. He walked to Sasuke's bedside and moved the chair aside.
"Sasuke," Kakashi whispered.
The boy didn't move. He was acting strong for someone sound asleep. He sat down on the bed.
"I'm sorry, Sasuke. If I had been stronger, I could have prevented this. I should have chidoried that asshole rather than try to get information. I should have killed him for you. But then again, you would have never forgiven me. Not sure if I could have lived with that." He turned to look at Sasuke's face. He didn't look peaceful; he looked ill. "I love you," he whispered. "I couldn't bear it if you hated me."
He put his hand on Sasuke's arm. Sasuke twitched. "Sasuke?"
Sasuke took a deep breath and his eyes eased open. Kakashi was wearing his mask, but he smiled so that his eyes made those happy little rainbows, trying to greet him with reassurance. They were both taken out by Itachi with the same genjutsu. At least Itachi hadn't killed either of them. He'd like to think Sasuke would really want revenge if Itachi killed Kakashi too.
"Kakashi."
"I'm glad you're awake."
"You were asleep too."
"Yeah."
"I came to your apartment. You were asleep. The other jounin were with you. Another came in and mentioned Itachi."
Kakashi twisted more on the bed so he could lean over Sasuke and brush his bangs back. "Yeah. Got me in a genjutsu. Tortured me. I barely survived that. I remained conscious for a minute or two after that, but that was the worst genjutsu I ever experienced."
"Yeah. Same." Tears started to seep from his eyes.
Kakashi pulled Sasuke's shoulder to make him sit up. He took him into his arms and Sasuke started to cry into his chest and grab onto him. In this moment, Sasuke was just a child to him. Kakashi held him tight and let him cry. He wanted to tell him that he would protect and defend him, but Itachi had already proven that Kakashi could not. At least he could comfort him.
"He made me watch," Sasuke sobbed. "He made me watch him kill them. Again and again."
The blood rushed from Kakashi's head. How could he? He clutched him tighter. Sasuke cried until he went limp, falling back to sleep. Kakashi held him a little longer before easing him back down to the bed. He brushed his bangs for a minute before hobbling back to his own room.
