Part 4.8: Comrades in Arms
"What the hell happened to you," asked Kakashi nonchalantly, "you get into a fight with a real Azure Beast?" Gai shot him a dirty look but didn't respond as he was concentrating hard on merely standing up. Kakashi had gotten Gai's message half an hour ago and was completely dumbfounded to find him in the Hidden Cloud infirmary. Although Kakashi had to admit, this was the cheeriest place he had been to since setting foot in the village. Odd since it was an infirmary. Kakashi hated how drab this place was; everything was too black, too dark, and far too cloudy even if that was the place's namesake. Kakashi's eye moved towards the window. The sky was horribly black, but the moon shone out surprisingly well tonight, as did the stars. It was a welcome change to the constant storm that usually hung overhead. The glass was heavily fogged, and Kakashi knew the outside was still bitterly cold despite the comforting warmth of the room he was in now. Kakashi stared lazily at Gai as he went through an odd stretching routine, moving from odd pose to odd pose as Kakashi watched on.
"I did not mean to be in this kind of state," said Gai grunting loudly as he pulled his leg straight over his head quickly, "and it was by no accident that I am in this condition." Gai placed his leg down quickly onto the ground, testing out its firmness. Suddenly, his eyes went very wide, and he clutched hard at his stomach as he tried very hard to cover the retching sounds coming from his throat. He quickly swallowed whatever had been in his mouth and took in a slow breath. "According to the doctor," said Gai haggardly, "I was poisoned."
"Poisoned," repeated Kakashi in confusion, "by whom?"
"I wish I knew," growled Gai, "the item was intended to destroy me, but being as I am an amazing Azure Beast, I survived of course. The Hidden Sound have every reason to attack us, and the Hidden Cloud are not fond of us either. Still I did not think they would take it this far. I am sure I was the intended target of an attack of some sort. Something else too," said Gai, his voice turning very grave, "I should have been more cautious. I felt something in the area. It was the same feeling I got whenever those two Hidden Cloud nins were close by, the ones from the hotel incident."
Kakashi's eyes darted away from Gai for a moment as he was trying to place together the feeling himself. Things didn't add up here. 'Why would one of those nins poison Gai,' thought Kakashi, 'Were they under the Raikage's orders? Was this a scheme of his? Is he collaborating with the Sound? Maybe. There's something else I'm missing here. But what?'
All of a sudden, Gai roared loudly and slammed his fists into the bed, shattering it in two. Kakashi took a step back in alarm as Gai breathed harshly like a wounded animal. "I can't believe I could be so stupid!" he roared, "How could I have not seen it from the beginning!" Gai's tantrum was quickly followed by a loud groan as he collapsed to his knees, blood trickling out of his mouth slowly. Kakashi moved to help him but Gai put a hand out to stop him. The blood hit the floor with a loud splatter, but Gai managed to pull himself back into the remains of his bed, draining a vile of viscous, pink liquid on the stand beside it.
"Calm down Gai," said Kakashi indifferently, "you're in no shape to-"
"The nin in red," interrupted Gai, "you remember what Tsunade said when we first came to this country?" Kakashi searched his mind for what Gai was talking about but found himself drawing a blank. "The hotel," said Gai, "remember?"
A light suddenly went off in Kakashi's mind. It was as if every road in his brain had been connected suddenly as all the pieces quickly fit together. He remembered the fight in the hotel, the entire building smashed into a pile of rubble; Tsunade walking out with Naruto in her arms and stating that Naruto and the nin in red did this. Kakashi stared back at Gai with full awareness in his eyes, nodding at him. Gai nodded back, "It's him," he said gravely, "he was trying to take me out of the picture. Hemust hold some kind of grudge againstNaruto. I can't believe I was so stupid. I should have seen this coming."
"Something in this doesn't make sense," said Kakashi, new questions emerging in his mind, "if this nin was a threat to Naruto, why didn't he tell you about it?"
"I don't know," replied Gai, his voice downtrodden now, "I thought I understood him, connected with him somehow. I had hoped I had gotten him to trust me. I've got to find him!" Gai moved his body quickly out of bed only to collapse to his knees as soon as he stepped on the tile floor. His knees hit the ground hard and he let out a grunt of pain as soon as he connected. He was on hands and knees now, crawling desperately towards the door. Kakashi looked down at him as a look of fierce determination was glued on his face. He had seen that look many times, and it was near impossible to stop Gai when he was in that state. Kakashi sighed and grabbed Gai from behind, pulling him back to his feet.
"You're going to stay here and recuperate," he said, throwing Gai back onto what was left of his bed, "I'll find Naruto and bring him back here."
"I cannot allow that," said Gai defiantly, "I must protect my students. I am the Great Azure Beast Maito Gai, I do not let those precious to me down ever!"
"If you really care about your students you wouldn't worry them by putting yourself in more danger than you can handle," said Kakashi quickly. Gai opened his mouth to respond but quickly quieted down, a look of accepted defeat on his face. "I'll find Naruto," said Kakashi, "you just work on recuperating." Kakashi turned around and headed out the door, not wanting to deliberate the matter with Gai any longer. Kakashi placed his hands on the double doors and pushed them open.
"Kakashi," yelled Gai. Kakashi stopped in his tracks but did not turn around. A dead silence hung between them for an eternity as Gai seemed to struggle with his next words, making sounds for different vowels and consonants. Kakashi walked farther out the door. "Thank you," said Gai finally, his words very forced. Kakashi turned his head back at Gai for a moment. He nodded once and headed outside the door.
Kakashi moved into the now empty waiting room. The doctor pretended to be sound asleep at the receptionist desk, but Kakashi saw the flickering of his eyes easily. Kakashi did not stop his pace and walked into the dark hallway. As soon as he was in the darkness, he sprinted swiftly down the hall, making short the distance between himself and the stairwell. He jumped easily from stair to stair without creating a single noise in the air. He landed on the last step hands first and flipped quickly out the doorway into a hard, cold wind that blew wildly around him. Kakashi closed his single eye slightly as the wind made his eye tear.
"Now if I were Naruto," he thought aloud, "where would I-" something familiar wafted past his nostrils in the wind. Kakashi's senses came to life as he inhaled deeply into the cold air that burned his lungs as it went down his throat. "Blood," he said anxiously. His eye drifted from side to side as he examined shapes in the darkness, reaching out with his feelings for any signs of a struggle. Kakashi inhaled again. The thick, copper smell of blood enveloped the air, making it very rich and pungent. "It's not Naruto's," he said, "but I remember this scent." Kakashi moved low to the ground as the wind glided across his back. His single eye searched for any clue of the origin of the scent. Kakashi ran farther from the tower until a metal plink replaced the heavy crunching of the snow under his feet. Kakashi stopped immediately and picked his foot up from the snow. He reached down into the footprint to pull out a small sliver of tattered metal. It had the Leaf insignia on it, and the band around it looked like it had been hastily torn off. Kakashi brought the band close to his own nose and inhaled. It smelled similar to the blood in the air. Kakashi clutched the headband tightly and stowed it away inside his jacket. "The wind's coming from the north," he said, "whatever's going on; it's coming from that direction."
Kakashi moved his stance low to the ground again and ran towards the mountain range that enveloped Hidden Cloud village. The scent grew stronger with every step he took as the rich scent of blood wafted into his nostrils with every breath he inhaled. Then, as he move steadily towards the mountain, a familiar feeling crawled over him, like someone was gripping his spine with an icy hand. "Hiketsu," said Kakashi, stopping immediately and pulling a kunai from his jacket. He pulled his headband up, revealing his Sharingan to examine the shadows around him better. But Hiketsu was nowhere to be seen. Kakashi looked up at the gigantic canyon that encircled Hidden Cloud. The side was craggy, with many varying juts and chinks in it. It would be easy to climb in any case. Kakashi craned his neck upwards, using his nose and other senses to get a bearing on where the feeling was coming from. He quickly flicked his headband back over the Sharingan and grabbed onto a particularly large crag in the wall, pullinghimself up with ease. He pushed off the mountain's side with his feet and began to run up it. He channeled chakra quickly into his feet and pushed vigorously against the mountain's side. As he moved closer up the side, the feeling grew and shaped itself into something different than he had perceived.. 'This isn't Hiketsu,' thought Kakashi, 'but it's so familiar." Kakashi squinted his eye as the winds whipped around him furiously. He strained his ears to search for any sounds, but the howling wind obscured anything in the darkness that had descended upon him in the shadow of the mountain's edge, keeping him from seeing anything save a few feet in front of him.
The feeling grew stronger around him, but it was different from Hiketsu. The force on his spine pressured him much less less. Though the strange feeling radiated from this one, Hiketsu's made him feel like he was suffocating. Kakashi ignored the sensation and pushed onwards, faster and faster, pushing off with the balls of his feet as he propelled himself in giant strides up the mountain. The clouds in front of him became thinner and thinner until he finally came against a brilliantly black sky. The stars shone out better than he had ever seen, and the moon glowed as if it were a second sun. The wind was far less intense here, barely scattering the snow on the ground in small drifts. Kakashi pushed hard off the mountain, forcing his body high into the air past the final crevice of the mountain. He flipped quickly in midair and landed softly on his feet, crunching the snow slightly beneath him. The top of the mountain was a vast desert of white snow, flat in every direction. The lower layer of cloud that was constantly on the village seemed clear here, covering only distant shapes. Still, whatever gave him the feeling, it was close by.
Kakashisilently stalked forward. He moved without sound as every step put him in a few inches of snow. The wind died completely, leaving a very eerie silence in its place. Kakashi inhaled the air slowly as the scent of blood consumed every sense in his body. His single eye drifted back and forth trying to discern the dancing shadows against the moonlight. A single labored breath crossed past his keen ears, and he whipped his body around quickly in its direction. Something moved slowly in the darkness, a mass that Kakashi could not make out. He crept closer to it. The air stank of blood, and the feeling around his spine felt like the coldest wind was drifting though his skin. The shape began to take form in front of him as he moved closer. Other sounds began to accompany the sickly breathing, slow, wet piercing noises followed by something hitting the ground. Kakashi crept forward faster, sacrificing stealth for speed.
Finally the form took complete shape. Kakashi stared at the broad back of a nin dressed in a red, scaly bodysuit. He stood up straight but appeared bent over something he was cradling in his left arm, his right moving back and forth across it. An eerie red light enveloped the entire scene that seemed to be coming from the nin's face. Suddenly, the nin straightened his back and slowly craned his neck around. Kakashi stared in surprise as a glowing red eye stared back at him. The nin appeared in a trance with his eyes very wide and illuminated his entire face which was contorted in a very thoughtful look. Almost like he was in a world of his own. He glared at Kakashi for a moment before returning to the object in his arms, making a quick stroke with his right across whatever he was holding. Something glittered in his right arm. Kakashi looked closely to see a very small, bloody scalpel held there. Kakashi's eyes darted across the scene just as an arm dangled limply down from in front of the nin, blood slowly streaming down it to drip on the snow from the fingertips. Kakashi's eye went wide as he the scene came into full realization. He charged forward now, determined to stop whatever the nin in red was doing. The nin in red stood straight up and whipped his head back towards Kakashi.
"Do you mind," he said politely, "I'm trying to create." Slowly, a wicked smile crept across his face, revealing a row of pointed teeth that glistened against the red light of his eyes. Kakashi stopped a few meters from the nin, staring hard into that single red eye. "Would you like to see it?" the nin asked curiously, "it's not done yet, but I'm so excited. I just have to show someone!" He retracted the blade from the scalpel and replaced it inside a small belt around his waist. He reached down slowly and grabbed the dangling arm from the wrist. Suddenly, he spun around, holding his work in front of him like some kind of prize, a hand wrapped around each wrist. Kakashi's eyes snapped open wide in utter horror and shock of what he saw came full force.
Kakashi had seen this nin during the Chuunin exam. She was one of Gai's team; he remembered her name was TenTen. What was in front of him however looked like the remains of horrid battle or experiment. Any piece of clothing she had on was torn apart, leaving her basically naked in the open air. Pieces of skin had been meticulously peeled away from her torso in elaborate patterns of bleeding diamonds and swirls. Muscles were ripped in some of those parts revealing bone that contrasted heavily against the blood that dripped from ever part of her body. Her arms and legs had been broken in several places and hung flaccid from her body. Bone jutted out from the skin to form an elaborate line tracing up her body. Her face was relatively untouched save for two long slashes that came down from the eyes resembling two bloody tears that traced down her neck. Her eyes were still wide open in terror and fear as the expression seemed frozen on her face. Even the blood that dripped from her body seemed to follow along some pattern as it came down off of her.
Kakashi had seen the results of torture and interrogation before, but nothing like this. "Well," said the nin expectantly, "what do you think? I am particularly fond of the face. It's rife with symbolism. The legs were tricky to do, but bone is a hard pallet to work with. You should really see the back, that's where the message is. But I wonder if you truly understand what the artist is trying to convey with this piece? You see something like this really conveys the artist's frustrations against the world that treated him so cruelly, and this may be just a desperate cry for attention," he added sarcastically, laughing at his own joke, "Then again, my works always excite the most beautiful and unrestrained emotions in humanity. Fury, fear, hopelessness, depression, anguish, and sometimes, very rarely, love. Now give me an honest opinion, do you like it? Be brutal."
Kakashi said nothing, but an old fury was rising in him again. He had buried it down deep from before, but the same feeling, same situation, everything reminded him of that time. Even the cold grip around his spine could not keep the tremendous fury from exploding from deep within him. Kakashi concentrated hard, keeping his emotions in check and channeling his chakra through his body. "Drop her," said Kakashi. The nin in red stared at Kakashi for a moment, a slight look of intrigue on his face to compliment the malicious smile on his face.
"Interesting," said the nin. He slowly lowered TenTen to the ground. He looked longingly down at her for a moment before running a single finger across her bloody wounds, his finger stained red with blood. He stood straight up and licked the blood from his hand with a sickly long tongue, sheer ecstasy surrounding his face. "Please don't disturb it. I'm not quite done yet." The nin in red snapped his body back straight into the air. He was quite tall, meeting Kakashi eye to eye. The nin in red allowed a long tongue to slide in and out of his mouth, a wicked smile revealing animal-like fangs glistening off the red light of his eyes.
'Sick, twisted, bastard,' thought Kakashi, 'I've got to finish this quick. She may still be alive, and every second counts.' His eyes swayed down at TenTen for a moment, quickly scanning her body for any signs of life, but found none.
"If you're not going to come," cackled the nin, "I WILL!" The nin leaned his body forward blazed across the snow towards Kakashi, kicking up the white powder behind him in a long trail. Kakashi didn't move, nor showed any signs of dodging. He brought his hands quickly up to his chest and began performing rapid seals, his mind clear and focused as he channeled any anger as chakra to his hands.
"Ninpo," spat Kakashi, "Ice Torrent." In an instant, the snow in front of Kakashi piled up on itself and shot forward like a cannon towards the rapidly approaching nin. The nin let out a loud cackle before bending his knees and pushing hard off the ground in a low bound that shot his body at Kakashi nearly as fast as the snow that rushed underneath him. Kakashi stepped back two paces, giving him just enough room to absorb impact and counter effectively. The nin's attack came as soon as he reached Kakashi in the form of a hard kick that cut through the air in a red line. Kakashi raised his forearm to receive the impact and was greeted with a shockingforce from the toe of the nin's boot. Kakashi reeled from the impact for a moment, but only a moment. He then flexed his elbow outward so that the nin's leg continued on towards his armpit. He tucked the nin's shin under his arm, and jerked it violently around in a semicircle before letting go, sprawling the nin across the ground face first, a mouthful of snow to greet his descent towards the earth. The nin did not stay prone long, pushing himself up off the snow with enough force to get him back to his feet.
Kakashi hadn't expected him to stay down and was already preparing another jutsu, his hands forming rapid seals as the nin rushed forward in a demonic fury, roaring loudly as he charged forward. 'Not enough time' thought Kakashi. The nin was moving too fast, and the jutsu was not close to completion. Kakashi abandoned the seals and stuck both hands in a pouch behind his back, pulling out several metallic shurikens. He threw both his arms out in a wide sweeping motion, flicking the glittering stars off his fingers, cutting through the air as they whistled towards the nin. The nin did not stop his furious charge, but merely jerked his arms up in a cross covering his face. The shurikens cut through the red fabric that encased him like nothing and pierced deeply into his skin. The nin let out a loud laugh before jerking his arms violently outward, and sending the shurikens and long lines of blood flying from his arms towards the snow, but the nin's legs continued to pump furiously across the ground towards Kakashi.
Kakashi reached into his vest quickly and plucked a three-pronged kunai from the inside, clutching it tightly in an outstretched hand. He bent near to the ground and pushed off, cutting in low towards the nin that closed ever steadily towards him. The nin drew closer and closer as the two sprinted towards each other, each figure streaking a long line of snow in their wake. Suddenly, as their distances closed, Kakashi casually flicked up the side of his headband revealing the red Sharingan beneath it. Suddenly, all of the nin's movements were revealed, every step, every tense and pull of his muscles and tendons revealed in a single instance. The nin smiled widely and let out a snarl as he contorted his body in an arc and shot towards Kakashi head first. Kakashi took the impact of the nin's body in his torso, grabbing the nin with his left arm. He threw his right arm, holding the kunai tightly, up into the air before driving it full force towards the nin's back. Suddenly, the nin's right arm contorted oddly across his back, intercepting the kunai's blade through the palm of the nin's hand. The blade pierced through the skin in a single, effortless motion, and the nin's fingers clamped reflexively around the blade. Kakashi tried to pull the blade out, but the nin's grip was vice-like across the point, despite the metal cutting through his skin as small rivers of blood trickled from the nin's palm to roll across his back.
"Just when I was beginning to enjoy myself," said the nin in a bored tone. The nin planted his feet hard against the snowy ground and heaved his body upward, hoisting Kakashi onto his shoulders. However, his every movement was revealed in an instant, and Kakashi used the nin's own force against him, slipping from his grip and letting go of the kunai for a moment. The nin grasped for Kakashi's body, but Kakashi flipped across the nin's shoulders to land feet first on the ground. Kakashi quickly shifted his body back toward's the nin's right arm and pulled it violently behind his back in an elbow lock. He ripped the kunai from the palm of the nin's hand, tearing it outward towards the nin's fingers. The nin roared in pain, but Kakashi did not stop there. He ducked down quickly as the nin snapped his entire body towards Kakashi in a wide, swinging punch. Kakashi fell forward, feeling the air ripple above him as he narrowly avoided the tremendous attack. Kakashi rolled onto his back and grabbed the nin's calf, driving the kunai hard against the higher part of the heel of the nin's boot. Kakashi pushed the kunai hard against the material and cut through the nin's tendon, sending the broken muscle convulsing up the nin's calf and collapsing the nin's right leg. Kakashi rolled quickly once again and slid on his vest across the snow, away from the nin. He dug his hands into the snow and flipped to his feet.
"Still having fun,"asked Kakashi lazily. Kakashi watched as the nin collapsed to his knees, his hands pressuring against the steady flow of blood that streamed from his heel like water. "I cut your Achilles tendon," said Kakashi nonchalantly, "you won't be able to move. I don't know how you're so strong, fast, or how you're related to Hiketsu, but you won't be a problem any longer." Kakashi began channeling his chakra, redoing the jutsu he had tried earlier. The snow slowly began to melt and form into a steady stream of water at his feet. The pool grew steadily larger, the cold crisp air turning hot as steam began to issue from ground. 'That should be enough.' "Give my regards to Hell kid, and tell them I'll be sending your master there soon enough. Ninpo, Dragon Tsunami!" The liquid snow shot up high into the air, binding and twisting in glistening lines and streams that danced lively in the sky. The lines coalesced together in a soundless splash, forming a single great line. Slowly, the front of the gigantic line opened up, revealing a maw filled with watery teeth that reflected the white light of the moon. Gigantic, menacing eyes followed, along with scales, and a two long lines protruding from the water creature's upper lip in a watery mustache. Kakashi focused on the nin for a moment. He was struggling to stand, but his leg was slowly beginning to regain its strength, pushing slowly up against the ground. 'How…never mind. NOW!' Kakashi flicked his hand forward, sending the water creature tearing in front of him like a demonic hurricane, forming its own hostile wind that whipped around Kakashi violently. It approached the nin at blinding speed, opening its great maw wide to welcome new prey. The nin's stared at the creature with a curious expression, one of almost intrigue as a smile slowly curled across his lips.
"How beautiful," said the nin sardonically. The creature hit the nin with the force of a hurricane in a cacophony of cracking bone and torrents of splashing water. The creature carried the remains of the nin screaming towards the mountain's edge, driving itself off the cliff and down back towards the solid earth that would wait for him beneath. Kakashi watched the tail of the creature move out of sight as the feeling of the icy wind through his spine quickly subsided.
Kakashi let out a sigh of relief, allowing his body to relax for a moment before he rushed back towards TenTen. Kakashi knelt down and stared at her. The battle had taken longer than expected. Kakashi felt across her neck, searching desperately for a pulse. "Come on," he said, hoping she could hear him, "Come on. Give me a sign. Please. Anything." A small pulse suddenly beat weakly under Kakashi's fingers. "That's it." Kakashi placed a hand near her mouth and nose, feeling warm breath slowly issue from her mouth. 'I've got to get her to a hospital.' Kakashi channeled chakra to his hands again, concentrating hard to keep the flow precise and even. 'How did Rin do this? Keep a constant flow…' Kakashi flowed his chakra steadily into TenTen's chest. Her heart beat was erratic, the blood loss combined with the cold slowing it down considerably. Kakashi forced his own chakra into the nervous system, sending small shocks to pump her heart stronger. 'She needs blood,' thought Kakashi, 'she's lost too much. I've got to get her out of here.' "Just hang on kid," said Kakashi desperately, "I'mgoing toget you out of here. Gaiwould cry night and day if you died. Let's not make him." Kakashi fumbled with the zipper to his vest for a moment before tearing it down and ripping it off his body. He pulled a kunai from a pocket and began to cut off the top half of his body suit. He ripped it off, leaving his front torso bare in the cold. He gently laid the cloth over TenTen and slowly placed her on top of the vest, zipping her up gently within the confines of the vest and shirt. 'I've got to get her out of here now.'
Kakashi could feel the ominous chill of the wind biting at him again, but he paid it no heed. It was always cold here, but there were more important matters to attend to. He placed his arms underneath TenTen's back and legs, getting ready to cradle her towards his chest. The air seemed to bite harder and harder at Kakashi, chilling every cell in his body. "This isn't right," said Kakashi, "something's wrong. This feels like-"
A torrent of blood erupted from Kakashi's right side, sending surges of agonizing pain through him. Kakashi gritted his teeth hard, feeling something pierce all the way through his back to the front of his body. Kakashi forced his eyes open to look down. His body was shrouding whatever had cut into him, but a thin, dark red sliver stood prominently out of the right, front side of his abdomen. Suddenly, the strip cut right, slicing Kakashi's side outward and sending a semi-circle of blood to stain the snow beside him. Kakashi bit his tongue, forcing any scream of pain back down his lungs, swallowing any blood that had begun to travel up his throat. Kakashi placed his hands against the wound, placing as much pressure as possible against the pulsating gash.
"Really now," came a malicious voice that rang through the air ominously behind Kakashi, "you didn't think it would be that easy to kill a god did you?" Kakashi paid no heed to the nin's words and quickly reached for his vest, pulling out a small scroll. He forced his body to his feet, unraveling the thin twine around the scroll with his thumb and forefinger. He turned quickly and met eye to eye with the nin in red. He was soaking wet, his hair sticking to the sides and back of his head as water dripped noiselessly from every part of his body. A loud laugh resounded from the gnashing, sharp teeth of his face, and his eyes seemed to light his entire body in an intense aura, like a fire had been lit inside of him. The pungent smell of charred flesh wafted over to Kakashi as he stared at the nin. The evil sneer had returned to his lips, but something else slowly grew over his body. Pulsating, black lines crawled snakelike over it, steaming and scarring the flesh as they spread across his torso, burning through his bodysuit to leave an odd design on his chest and shoulders. With every passing second, the feeling of icy shards running through Kakashi's veins intensified, leaving him sapped of any strength at all. "It works so quickly now, fifty percent in under a minute," said the nin, chuckling under his breath, "I do hope you realize the honor you're receiving old man. You're the first foreigner in nearly seven-hundred years to witness the fabled Crimson Bloodline of my 'ancestors'. I'd love to show you how…creative I can be with it, but an artists work is never done, and I'm afraid I can't let you live, no matter how talented you may be.
Kakashi did not respond, but kept his focus. His vision was getting blurry, the short time of blood loss along with the chakra pressure of this nin was eating away at him. The pain was immense, but Kakashi kept his focus. 'I need Tsunade,' he thought, 'I need her to be in the infirmary when I arrive. I can't both save TenTen and kill this one.' He unraveled the scroll quickly with one hand, placing his right thumb under the dripping blood of his side. He threw his left arm across his body, letting the force unravel the scroll in a flurry of thrashing paper. He jabbed his bloody thumb against the first seal and drug it across all the rest. He flicked the scroll back into the air, watching it ravel back into itself. He caught it in-between his fingers, forming a small seal around it. "Go find Tsunade," he whispered, "she should be coming up the path now. Take her to where Gai is. You should remember Gai's scent. Go, and don't worry about me. Just find her and bring her to where Gai is." Kakashi let the scroll fall from his hands as he pulled the three-pronged kunai from the ground. He quickly flowed chakra to his free hand and forced it against his bleeding wound, concentrating the chakra enough so that the cut began to burn and sizzle against his hand. The burning pain lasted a moment before a fresh, cauterized scar appeared where the wound had been.
Kakashi brought his hands together quickly, forming familiar seals and channeling chakra to his right hand. "I'm afraid I can't let you get the upper hand again," said the nin mockingly, "you very well may kill me". The nin flicked an outstretched finger towards Kakashi, pointing at something in his direction. Kakashi kept his concentration on the nin when suddenly something wrapped around his right wrist and pulled him to the ground hard. The same, thin dark-red sliver had reappeared and was pullinghim tightlyto the ground. Kakashi struggled hard against it, but the thin line wrapped tighter, digging hard into his flesh. Kakashi pulled with every muscle in his arm, his skin burning against the sharp twine that had entangled it. The wind cut suddenly in front of him and Kakashi snapped his head back towards the nin in red to see him running blindingly fast at him. Kakashi could barely see his movements, the Sharingan's images had become static and blurred. Kakashi raised his free hand to guard his face. The nin's left foot knocked Kakashi's free arm away while he brought his right knee hard into Kakashi's chin with a shattering crack of bone against bone. Kakashi felt his chin fracture under the hit as the impact sent him sailing away. He landed hard on the snow as he struggled to his feet. Suddenly, he felt his arm jerked back towards the nin as the thin, red sliver jerked hard on his arm, sending him sailing back towards the nin in red. Kakashi quickly kicked his own legs forward, using the momentum of the attack to send a hard kick towards the nin in red. The nin in red rose a single arm towards Kakashi and received the impact on his forearm. He bent his elbow outwards and caught Kakashi's leg under his own arm, copying Kakashi's movements earlier.
"Everything a true artist creates," he said wistfully, "no matter how copied it looks, always has his own unique flair to it." The nin clamped his arm around Kakashi's leg and rose his free arm up in a crook, driving a stiff elbow into Kakashi thigh. Kakashi reeled back in pain as a sharp point drove itself deep into his leg muscles, cutting through tendons and vessels as it finally barely scraped against bone. Convulsions of agony shot through his body like lightningas the nin twisted the invisible point around slowly in his leg, eating away at more muscle and amplifying the quakes of pain in his leg ten fold. The nin in red lifted his elbow off of Kakashi's leg. There was no point there, but a substantial chunk had been taken out of elbow on his bodysuit, revealing bare skin. The nin flicked his hand again and the sliver attacked to his wrist threw him violently across the snowy plain, making him land hard on his back, knocking the wind out of him. Kakashi rolled painfully to his knee, checking the damage. The wound was deep, but it missed any major arteries or veins, leaving the bleeding less substantial. Still, the leg muscle was cut and damaged, and he could barely support himself on it.
'I underestimated him,' thought Kakashi, 'I should have finished him off when I had the chance. But I don't have time anymore, I've got to get TenTen out of here.' Kakashi placed his hand against his bleeding leg and channeled an excess of chakra there, burning the outside of the wound and cauterizing it, leaving another light, scar there. 'That's patchwork at best.' He slowly rose to his feet, pushing the pain from his mind and returning his focus to the task at hand.
He whipped his body towards the nin in red. He held TenTen cradled against his chest, his eyes glaring down longingly at her prone state. "Quite a masterpiece isn't she," asked the nin, "One of my best considering the short amount of time I had to work. I do hope 'The Message' is well received to my audience. I certainly would hate to disappoint him with anything but my best. Still, you never did tell me what you thought of her. At least give me an opinion so that the last vestiges of your life will not be totally wasted." Kakashi reached slowly back into his pouch. He had one trick left, but he needed to distract the nin somehow.
"I think you're a sick, twisted bastard personally," asked Kakashi, trying to keep the nin talking, "but who is your audience anyway?" He pulled two, metallic balls from behind him and squeezed them hard in his fist, igniting them. '10 second timer. 'This has to be precise,' thought Kakashi frantically, 'I've only got one shot.'
The nin laughed under his breath. "A special one is my audience. And I will create a piece so stunning he will be rocked to his core."
'6…5…NOW' Kakashi thrust his arm into the air as hard as he could, sending the two balls flying wildly towards the night sky. '3…2…1' Kakashi flicked his headband down across both his eyes and closed them. The sound of the light wind was overshadowed by a tremendous explosion that rocked the ground he stood on as an intense luminescence showered everything like a second sun. Even with his headband around his eyes, Kakashi could still see an orange light pierce through.
Kakashi heard the sound of the nin's voice roar in pain. "AHH," he screamed, "MY EYES!" Kakashi ran towards the sound of the nin's howling. 'About my height, still carrying TenTen. Right about, here!' Kakashi ducked down and drove his leg out in a wide sweep, connecting successfully with the nin's legs and sweeping him to the ground. Kakashi held out his arms and felt a heavy bundle land in them. He quickly flicked up one side of his headband to see TenTen still unconscious in his arms while the nin in red struggled on the ground, clutching desperately at his face, an expression of rage contorted on his visage. Kakashi wasted no time, but sprinted past the nin in red back towards the edge of the cliff. His leg was barely holding up, and the trek back to Hidden Cloud would no doubt take its toll on his body.
He had wasted too much time already. He focused every last bit of energy into his legs and tore across the snowy field. As he came closer to the edge, a small piece of cloth stood out in the reflection of the moon light, glistening an opaque red into Kakashi's eye. Kakashi bent over quickly and scooped up the red cloth, stuffing it hastily inside the tattered remains of his suit. He picked up speed, forcing his legs to move faster as he pushed frantically off the snow back towards the edge of the cliff. He stepped closer towards the edge, not daring to slow down or look back. Finally, he took a single step off the side. Kakashi allowed gravity to pull his body down, making him parallel with the mountain's side. He gripped TenTen close to his body and kicked his legs hard against the mountain's edge, running down it.
'I won't let anyone die,' thought Kakashi, 'just hang on for a little longer.'
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Set struggled to his feet; his eyes burned like they were on fire and a bright whiteness was all he could see. He blinked a few times, trying to readjust his vision. Finally, he channeled chakra to his eyes, rejuvenating and restoring the area within seconds. The white-haired nin and the girl were gone leaving Set alone and slightly frustrated as a cold wind picked up around him. He closed his eyes for a moment concentrating hard and retracting the seal back into its original state, the burns on his flesh healing quickly. "I assumed that bowl-head would be the only interference," he said angrily, "what connections does Naruto have exactly? Ah no matter. One way or another, the message has been sent. Who knows," Set chuckled to himself, "perhaps this piece is better left alive. After all, what's more ironic than having life and praying for death? Still, what was that nin babbling about. My master? Does he mean the Raikage? And who is Hiketsu? Still, that is irrelevant." A wide Cheshire smile grew across Set's face, an excitement washing over him. "He will live to hate me. Every thought of his mind will be consumed with destroying me and eradicating everything associated with me. His fury will burn bright, and as the layers of humanity are slowly peeled away, he will be nothing but a white-hot ball of incandescent rage. What fun. Don't disappoint me Naruto, the play's just beginning, the stage is set, everything is prepared. How amazing this creation will be; the culmination of my life's work, and the beginning of something grand."
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Naruto lay in his bed, his eyes half-closed staring at the world outside his window. The shining, white light of the stars illuminated the patchy, black sky brilliantly for the time of day. The moon stood in the sky at a half-crescent like a second sun, casting a brilliant image upon the ridiculously white ground beneath. Naruto sighed, feeling guilt-ridden and ashamed at his own behavior nearly an hour earlier. He hadn't meant to lash out so rashly against them. He didn't want to drive them away. He just…
Naruto turned his head into the soft pillow beneath his head. After his confrontation with Lee and TenTen he went straight to his room, looking for some kind of solitude with which to sort out the cacophony that was going on in his head. He knew he wouldn't be able to sleep, despite the cozy and comfortable mattress on which he lay. His thoughts revolved around Sasuke and the challenge he made that started this whole mess. '2nd day,' thought Naruto, 'if this test takes three days, why the second day? Why not fight as soon as we found each other? I knew…I wanted to fight him. But I never realized it would be on me so soon.' Naruto turned over again and stared at the ceiling. 'Sasuke. I will defeat you this time. There's no turning back now.'
A rap at the door interrupted Naruto's thoughts. Naruto jumped off his bed and walked slowly towards the door. He pulled it open to reveal Lee on the other side. A jolt of guilt shot through Naruto's chest that left a hot feeling across his body. "I thought I might find you here," said Lee casually, like nothing had happened between them before. Lee walked quickly into the room, not even turning his head to look at Naruto. He didn't seem angry, at least he wasn't expressing it in any way. Naruto didn't look up, he just stared at the ground, still ashamed of how he had been so short with Lee. "Gai-sensei's going to be alright too," said Lee slightly cheerier, "they said he'll beback to his most amazing selfin a few days. To be able to revive himself so quickly, he truly is amazing, eh Naruto?" Naruto looked up for a moment to meet Lee's smiling face. His smile shone brightly against the light of the room and his face seemed to be filled with energy again. Naruto nodded, but said nothing. Lee stretched his arms above his head with a loud groan and laid down on the floor, beginning a quick stretching routine.
"Look Lee," said Naruto, his voice very uneasy, "about earlier. I-"
"Don't worry about it Naruto," replied Lee quickly. Naruto's head shot up. He stared at Lee with a look of shock on his face. Only an hour earlier, Lee had been threatening to attack Naruto if he did not answer his questions. Now he was acting like the whole event never occurred. "I guess you had your reasons for not telling us," continued Lee, "and though I may not agree with your logic behind it, I can respect your privacy. Just remember Naruto, we're a team. We're not here to undermine you in any way. We're just here to support each other in all of our endeavors. You should take advantage of that most fortunate fact. After all, we are strong because we have people to protect. If we lose those precious people, what's the point of being strong? That's something else Gai-sensei taught me, and he's been trying to teach you. You really should start writing down what he says. I can let you borrow a spare notepad if you want."
Naruto stared at Lee in disbelief. The guilt he felt earlier washed away as he laughed aloud at Lee's single-mindedness. 'Always about Gai-sensei and hard work,' thought Naruto, letting loose a loud chuckle, 'that's thickbrows for you.' "Thanks Lee," said Naruto, "still, you're right. You guys should know about this." Naruto's tone turned serious again, and Lee stared at him with a very attentive look. 'Lee was kind enough to forgive me,' thought Naruto, 'he deserves to know about Gai-sensei.' "You know that-"
Once again, a loud rapping at the door interrupted Naruto. Naruto tried to begin again but the knocking grew louder still, almost frenzied. Finally, out of frustration, Naruto stamped towards the door and flung it open. A woman dressed in a white gown stood before him, a very apprehensive look on her face. "What," asked Naruto shortly. The woman said nothing at first, her eyes drifting from left to right as she bit nervously at her bottom lip. "Well," said Naruto impatiently, "what is it?"
"Are you…are you Naruto," she asked, the nervousness making her speech shaky and stuttered. Naruto nodded quickly. The woman looked past him into the room. Lee stood up from the floor and came quickly to the door. "And are you Lee?" she asked again.
"You're from the hospital," exclaimed Lee, "Is Gai-sensei alright?" The woman took a step back away from the two of them but nodded at Lee's question. Lee let out a sigh of relief, but a look of horror slowly crept over him. "How much time has passed since we last spoke Naruto," asked Lee frantically.
"An hour maybe," replied Naruto, "Why?" Lee's eyes grew wide with shock. He pushed Naruto out of the doorway and stood face to face with the nurse. "Hey thickbrows," snapped Naruto, "what's the big idea?"
"TenTen," asked Lee, "Is it about TenTen?" The woman would not meet Lee's eyes, but looked away down the hall, a slight grimace on her face. Lee thrust his arms out quickly and grabbed her by the shoulders, pulling her closer. "What's wrong with her? Is she okay?" The woman did not answer and still refused to meet Lee's eyes. Naruto sat up and stared at Lee with utter confusion.
"Lee what the hell are you talking about," asked Naruto.
"TenTen said she'd meet me back here in an hour," said Lee, his voice soaked with worry and fear, "She's never late. Never. And she made a passionate promise to return to the room in an hour's time."
"Well maybe she's just a little late," reassured Naruto, "I mean, you can't make assumption-"
"No," said the woman in a whisper. Naruto and Lee both turned to her. "She's…you should just come to the infirmary," she finally sputtered out. Tears slowly fell down her cheeks as she pulled herself from Lee's grasp and ran down the hall. A horrid silence fell between the two of them. Naruto and Lee slowly turned towards each other, the same horrified expression on their faces before they both sprinted full blast down the hall.
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Kakashi leaned against the hospital wall, his head drooping towards the floor as he looked at the reflection of the red light against the hospital floor. The room looked far too cheery for his taste, far too white and far too bright. There weren't any windows in the waiting room, and the single red light above the operating doors stood out most against the white backdrop. Red. Kakashi would forever hate that color after today. The bandages wrapped around his leg and waist only reminded him of the recent event. His leg had barely held up as he reached the infirmary, but the medical-nin here seemed to be quite competent in their trade. The muscles were still sore, and the pain refused to subside, but at the very least he could stand again.
Kakashi reached idly inside what was left of his tattered body suit and pulled out the piece of blood red cloth he had pulled from the ground. It was a very odd design. It felt rubbery to the touch, and it clung tightly to his skin, accentuating every movement his hand made. Kakashi ran his thumb against the grain of the segmented, diamond shaped, parts of the odd material. It pricked at his skin, cutting a small slice across his thumb. Kakashi pulled his thumb back as small droplets of blood clung to the material. Kakashi watched intently as the small drops ebbed and bobbed between the segmented joints of the suit only to fall straight to the floor in small splashes. 'Odd material,' thought Kakashi, 'custom made. Blood won't stick to it.' Kakashi looked up towards the ceiling at the brilliant lights that shone overhead. 'He felt so much like Hiketsu. Everything about him. But it wasn't him. Still…' The red light of the hospital turned off with a loud tone, and Kakashi waited for the verdict. The double doors seemed to take forever to open. Finally, the same doctor Kakashi spoke with earlier pushed them aside and strode back out into the waiting room, a very solemn and mournful expression on his face. The doctor sat behind the receptionist's desk as if stunned. His eyes gazed straight ahead, like he was in a trance, and he ran his hands over the whole of his face, rubbing his temples slowly.
"So how is she," asked Kakashi calmly. The doctor did not respond but continued to stare ahead in a blank stare. "I said how is she," said Kakashi more forceful this time. The doctor finally looked up at Kakashi and gave a loud sigh.
"Well," he said in a melancholy tone, "we managed to stop the bleeding. She's in the middle of a transfusion right now as we prepare the necessary jutsus to completely heal her inner organs. The damage to her skin was fairly extensive, but nothing we can't fix. The most of the bones in her legs and arms were completely crushed and reset in a different position, like they were taken apart and put back together mismatched. It'll take time to redo that, but nothing we can't handle. The damage to her circulatory system was massive. I'm surprised we were able to stop the internal bleeding. It's like," the doctor paused for a moment, loosening his collar and wiping the sweat from his brow, "she was cut from the inside out. Veins and arteries with muscle tissue still surrounding them were broken in visible patterns. In fact everything on her was done meticulously in a specific order, like there was a design in mind. I've never seen anything like it in my entire life."
"Will she live," asked Kakashi. The doctor turned away from Kakashi's gaze and stared at the double doors again.
"She's stable if that's what you mean," said the doctor, "but she's in a catatonic state right now. We're hoping she'll snap out of it, but…can't guarantee anything. What kind of monster would have done something like this to a fourteen year old girl?"
"I don't know," replied Kakashi, "but I contacted our Hokage some time ago. She was on her way here with the rest of the delegation from the villages to observe the second exam. I hope she got my message." Kakashi leaned his back against a far wall and looked down at the floor.
"For that girl's sake," said the doctor darkly, "I hope she's skilled."
Kakashi said nothing at first, though he knew the answer to the doctor's question. He looked down at the red cloth in his hand, his thumb still bleeding from the cut received by it. "Doctor," said Kakashi, "have you ever seen anything like this?" Kakashi strode over to the desk and placed the piece of cloth in front of the doctor. The doctor stared at it for a moment and shrugged.
"Nothing I can place," he said, "Where'd you get it?"
"Off our assailant. He was wearing this when I met him." The doctor picked up the strange, red material and ran his finger across it, pulling back quickly when a small cut appeared on his hand. A few droplets from his finger hit the cloth and quickly rolled off to splatter onto the desk. "Blood doesn't stick to it," continued Kakashi, "nothing at all?"
The doctor shook his head and handed the cloth back to Kakashi. "No," said the doctor, pulling out an adhesive strip from the drawer and bending it around his finger, "nothing I've ever seen before. Hey…before I forget…there's something else you should know about the girl." Kakashi leaned closer to the doctor. "We're able to repair all of the damaged muscle, bone, and skin eventually. But there's more to it than that. The damage to her nerve endings was substantial as well, especially her spine. Nerve endings were cut from the inside out there as well. It's…difficult to repair such wounds. I'm…I just…"
"Spit it out," demanded Kakashi as he glared at the doctor. The doctor fidgeted nervously in his seat before standing up and meeting Kakashi eye to eye.
"I don't know how skilled your Hokage is," the doctor continued, "but if she has the same knowledge as us, this girl will be paralyzed from the neck down for the rest of her life." Kakashi's stood in shock for a few moments before his face relaxed. He stared back at the double doors. It was horrifying news, but his horror would be nothing compared to Gai's. He already almost lost one student, he would blame himself for this one.
Kakashi shook his head, his mind going back to his confrontation with the nin in red. 'That sick bastard,' thought Kakashi. "Look," Kakashi said turning back to the doctor, "thanks for telling me the situation, but if you can, try not to tell the bowl-headed nin in there. He's already beating himself up enough. Just don't tell anyone about the paralysis until our Hokage gets a look at her alright?" The doctor nodded solemnly at Kakashi. "Alright. I'm going to see if I can contact Tsunade." Kakashi walked towards the door only for it to almost slam into his face as Naruto and Lee burst through it. The wheezing sound of their lungs and sweat on their heads only added to the intensely frightened looks on their faces.
"TenTen," they both yelled in unison. Naruto rushed towards the double-doors as the doctor slid quickly between them.
"Out of my way," yelled Naruto, trying to push the doctor aside, "I need to see her!"
"She's not awake right now," said the doctor gruffly, his arms struggling to hold Naruto back. "She's got to rest. There's nothing you can help by going in there." Naruto reached out suddenly and pulled hard on the doctor's jacket, bringing him down to Naruto's face.
"Move," growled Naruto through clenched teeth. A look of terror fell on the doctor's face as Kakashi moved forward to remove Naruto from the doctor.
"Naruto," yelled Lee. Naruto snapped his head back at Lee and glared at him, "if the medic states that she is not to be disturbed, it would be most prudent to follow his advice if we care about TenTen's welfare. We must wait." Lee paced over in front of the door and retook his vigil in front of the double door, staring hard at it. Naruto looked over at Lee, and then back to the doctor, relinquishing his grip from the medic's jacket.
"Sorry," said Naruto quickly, "I just-"
"I know how you feel kid," replied the medic, straightening out his jacket. He placed his hand on Naruto's hair and ruffled it reassuringly, "but she's stable for now. She just needs time." The medic looked back up at Kakashi at the last statement. Kakashi nodded slowly at the doctor's words, thankful that he was not spreading the news of TenTen's paralysis. Kakashi watched as Naruto took vigil besides Lee, staring hard at the double doors that their friend lay behind. Kakashi turned on his heel towards the exit when the door opened suddenly again.
Kakashi bowed slightly as Tsunade strode into the room a very exasperated look on her face. "I got your message Kakashi," said Tsunade sharply. Kakashi looked behind her as a dog wearing sunglasses and a small vest trailed in behind her. Kakashi smiled under his mask as he formed a seal, causing the dog to disappear in a small poof of smoke. "What's so urgent Kakashi?"
Kakashi jerked his head towards the double doors but put out an arm to stop Tsunade from moving any farther forward. He leaned in close to her face so that his mouth was right next to her ear. "One of ours was attack by that same nin from before," whispered Kakashi, "from the hotel. If he's Hidden Cloud, then we need-" Tsunade suddenly placed a finger over Kakashi's mask where his lips were. She shook her head slightly and mouthed the words, "not here," as Kakashi heard heavy metallic footsteps coming from the hallway. The heavy thud of boots echoed down the hallway, giving a very ominous approach as the sound grew louder and louder. Finally, a gigantic man strode into the white room. He was cloaked in a long, white, yellow-striped robe with a triangular hat, and he was flanked on either side by two men who bore the symbols of the Hidden Stone and Hidden Mist respectively.
"You should not have departed so quickly Tsunade-san," bellowed a very deep voice from the massive nin, "I worried if the message you received was dire you may have required assistance. You really should have told me what it was." Tsunade bowed deeply to the giant man, though begrudgingly so.
"Your forgiveness Raikage-sama," said Tsunade politely, "I did not mean to be brash." Kakashi's single eye scanned the Raikage quickly, moving up and down the white robe that covered all of him. He was massive to say the least, towering well over everyone else in the room. He bore a long scar on the left side of his face that trailed past his young visage down past the nape of his neck. He looked young respectively for a Kage, probably early thirties at the most. Something about this man seemed oddly familiar to Kakashi, but his memory could not place anything definite. "Ah yes," chimed Tsunade again, "this is one of the Leaf's top Jounins, Hatake Kakashi." Tsunade motioned over to Kakashi who gave a quick bow. The Raikage nodded his head slightly, his eyes now affixed on Kakashi.
"Son of the White Fang of Konoha," said the Raikage, resentment hidden in his voice. He looked down at the tatters that remained of Kakashi's black shirt, "What happened to you?" the Raikage asked. Kakashi had no intention of telling the Raikage what had transpired only an hour before his entrance and did not answer. An awkward silence hung between the two of them until Tsunade thankfully broke it.
"I must be attending to a patient," said Tsunade quickly, "I am sorry for the delay Raiakge-sama." The Raikage nodded at Tsunade's comment, but his eyes were still affixed on Kakashi. His dark eyes moved across Kakashi's face, studying every line and curve there as the pupil of his eyes swayed back and forth. Kakashi diverted his attention back towards Naruto and Lee who were trying hard to sneak in behind Tsunade. Just as she opened the doors, Tsunade turned around and shot them both a hard glare making them recoil backwards. Naruto and Lee plodded towards the couch and sat down. Kakashi returned his attention back towards the Raikage who was still eyeing him. Kakashi was determined to get some answer and he pulled the piece of red cloth from inside his shirt again.
"Raikage-sama," said Kakashi, "would you mind answering a few questions concerning an attack on one of our nin recently?" Kakashi kept his voice cordial and polite as he was treading on very dangerous ground. The Raikage eyed him suspiciously as Kakashi spoke.
"I'm afraid I would," replied the Raikage politely, "I must be showing the representatives from the Hidden Stone and Hidden Mist to their quarters, and I also must be putting the on last touches for the 2nd part of the Chuunin exam tomorrow." Kakashi said nothing, his brain deliberating how hard he could push to get the questions he desperately needed to resolve answered.
"It's alright Raikage-sama," said the representative from the Hidden Stone, "if it's important we can wait." The Hidden Mist representative nodded in agreement. The Raikage smiled cordially, but signs of frustrations appeared subtly on his face, his brow furrowing slightly in anger.
"Very well, Kakashi was it," replied the Raikage, turning back towards Kakashi, "shall we step outside?" Kakashi nodded and followed him out the door.
'I have to careful here,' thought Kakashi, 'he's holding all the cards right now. Our entire clan is under an investigation headed by him, and I doubt he wants to cooperate with the Leaf in any degree. Still, I need answers, and anything I can glean from this would be helpful.'
The Raikage closed the door behind them and leaned against the far wall, crossing his arms impatiently. "What is the problem here exactly," asked the Raikage quickly, "please be brief, I'm very busy."
"Do you recognize this Raikage," asked Kakashi. He reached into the remains of his tattered clothing and pulled out the shred of the nin in red's bodysuit. The Raikage examined the cloth for few moments, his face made of stone as his eyes scanned over the odd, red material.
"The way you asked me that, makes the question seem rhetorical," said the Raikage, his deep voice making every word from his mouth venomous, "should I recognize this?"
"A few days ago one of the Leaf and one of the Cloud were involved in a scuffle that destroyed a hotel," replied Kakashi, "I arrived on the scene late, but I remember the Cloud nin wearing this material."
"As do I," replied the Raikage in an arrogant tone, "this piece of material belongs to one of the Izou clan, specifically Izou Set. Your Hokage and I talked about the matter and the nin was reprimanded. What else needs to be discussed?"
"This same nin attacked one of our own just an hour ago," replied Kakashi darkly, "she suffered severe wounds at the hands of that nin, and I brought her back. I'd like to request a formal charge be brought against the Izou Set for unlawful and unprovoked assault on one of our nins." Kakashi knew he had just crossed the line with that last statement, but he needed to push hard to get a face to face with that nin. Surely then, he could trap the Raikage somehow and bring full charges against him.
The Raikage's expression turned very defiant at Kakashi's words, as Kakashi had expected. "I'd like to see proof of your claims," scoffed the Raikage. Kakashi held out the tattered remains of Set's bodysuit once again. "You could have taken this off him at the hotel. After all, you said yourself that you were there. And a few tattered remains of Set's clothing does not constitute an assault charge, nor does your word."
"I saw him attack our nin. I remember his visage exactly."
"As I said before, the word of Leaf nin carries very little sway in my lands."
"What do you mean exactly?"
"Strange occurrences have been going on in my country since your arrival," began the Raikage, "to begin, a village was slaughtered that just so happened to be on the same route your nin took up here. Also, one of Orochimaru's most prized students was killed by an unknown assailant. The only evidence found was a Leaf forehead protector."
"These events don't prove anything," said Kakashi.
"Neither does your cloth," added the Raikage. He bent his back until he was eye-level with Kakashi. "Your entire clan is under investigation. I suggest you think next time before you plan on accusing any of my nin of misgivings. Show me proof, solid proof, and then maybe I'll consider your request. Keep in mind though nin, I'm here as a mediator, ensuring peace between the Sound and yourself. It is time to throw off the yoke of war, and for once, I should hope the Leaf would not be so violent. Just a thought."
"I'll keep that in mind," replied Kakashi politely, "thank you for your time and understanding Raikage-san." Kakashi walked down the hallway back towards the stairwell, not daring to look behind him as he walked down. 'We're being backed into a corner,' thought Kakashi, 'everything about the way he talked, moved, down to the inflection in his voice reeked of buried hatred. I've got to talk to Tsunade; we need a plan of action. Everything here reeks foul play. Orochimaru, the Raikage, Hiketsu, everything. I've already had too much taken from me already…'
Kakashi watched as what was left of Tiara danced in the flames in front of him. The rain sizzled and smoked against her fiery dance as her horrid body shook and quaked. Kakashi stared in a transient state, his eyes not daring to blink for a moment as the scene unfolded in front of him. The bodies of his comrades lay strewn and butchered around him; arms, legs, torsos, all sinking into the mud as the rain picked up, forming a torrent around them with thunder echoing all around them. The ground was stained with so much blood it looked red, and Kakashi lay motionless in it as it ebbed up against his frozen body. His eyes were frozen on a single man. A single figure strode forward amidst the rain, his figure never wet, like he was merely passing through this world to the next. His spiked, white hair never moved against the torrent, and his cape billowed only slightly against the howling wind. His face fit well with the death that surrounded them, for he himself looked like a pale corpse, dead for hours. His face was horribly white, almost skeleton like, but dignified in an odd manner. But more than anything, his eyes, his horrible eyes, two pale white globes that merely sat in his head, almost like they weren't a part of the body at all. He walked a single step forward, his foot not splashing against the blood that surrounded them. He walked like a specter, moving forward, but never touching anything. Kakashi felt his entire body covered in an icy shroud that choked him harder with ever step the man took towards him. Kakashi crossed his arms across his body, desperately trying to throw off the cold off his body as he crawled backwards away from the man clad in black. His mind couldn't think. His body couldn't move. It was as if the mere sight of this man paralyzed every nerve, every thought of his body with an ice cold grip that held him vice-like and would not relent.
"MOVE KAKASHI!" screamed Obito from behind him, "GET UP!" Obito's words fell on deaf ears as the man in black stepped closer forward towards Kakashi. Kakashi dared not turn away, his gaze affixed onto the black-clad man. Suddenly, he felt a violent tug pulling him backwards as Obito grabbed him under his arms and drug him violently away. Kakashi allowed himself to stand, walking with Obito as he pulled Kakashi away. Yet still, Kakashi did not look away as the man in black came closer. Obito pulled a kunai from his own belt and flicked it towards the man in black. The man in black made one motion with his left arm and flicked the kunai away with a finger coming ever closer to Kakashi and Obito with every step. "C'mon Kakashi, snap out of it," screamed Obito frantically, "I can't hold this guy off without your help. Please Kakashi. DAMMIT, ON YOUR FEET!" But Kakashi did not respond. He gazed off into the eyes of the man in black, his entire body frozen in fear for knowing that his time would be soon.
Two wet-ripping sounds pierced through the torrent of rain like a knife as black chains sprung from the man in black's chest, pulling Kakashi violently from Obito's grasp. Obito reached out desperately for Kakashi, but a single chain swatted him away. The chains wrapped around Kakashi's entire body, immobilizing him completely. The chains brought Kakashi closer to the man in black, but he did not struggle. The cold feeling around his body intensified with every inch he came closer to the man; it was so strong now it was physically painful, like thousands of icy shards were piercing through Kakashi's skin. The man in black continued to bring him closer until their faces were a mere inch from each other's. The man seemed to stare straight through him, though his eyes gave no indication of sight at all. The man slowly brought both his arms up towards Kakashi's face. He delicately cupped Kakashi's cheeks in his hands. They were soft, but horribly cold to the touch, like someone was pushing ice against Kakashi's face. The man opened his mouth slowly, words flowing out of it. His words were like music to the ears, cold and melancholy, but nonetheless emphatic.
"It was a brilliant struggle," the man in black said softly, "truly brilliant. You struggled against me with all your might, with every fiber of your being. But in the end…a man's strength is worthless. You struggle against it so fervently, so desperate to move upstream against the current. But the river flows on, with you trapped in it. Now your power is gone. Tis a pity. But in admiration for your struggle, I shall tell you destiny's name. I shall tell you the name of the gods. I shall tell you the last name you shall take with you when you leave your mortal coil." The man leaned closer to Kakashi until his mouth was up against Kakashi's ear. "Hiketsu."
As the man in black finished his words, Kakashi's body recoiled in agony as what seemed like thousands of tiny needles burrowed their way under his skin. They traveled into his veins and slowly passed into his chest, piercing and shredding what seemed like every part of his body. 'This is it,' thought Kakashi, 'this is where I die.'
"KONOHA SENPUU!" screamed a voice from behind Hiketsu. Gai flew through the air behind Hiketsu, readying a massive whirlwind kick straight towards his head. Hiketsu raised a single forearm as Gai's leg connected in a loud crunch of bone against bone. However, Gai continued forward, grabbing Hiketsu's forearm and pulling his body towards Hiketsu's head. His legs connected with Hiketsu's face, driving him backwards. The grip of the chains around Kakashi loosened, and his body dropped to the ground in a heap, hitting the muddy floor hard. Kakashi could feel his senses reeling, his mind barely comprehending his situation. Darkness consumed his eyes slowly, until everything faded away. He felt like he was floating on air, like the weight of the world had been lifted off his shoulders as his eyes closed slowly, an image of Gai standing defiantly against Hiketsu imprinted on his eyes before the darkness finally overwhelmed him.
Kakashi's eyes fluttered awake. He felt the soft earth against his back, conforming to his weigh, but it was little comfort. Every part of Kakashi ached with pain, inside and out. It felt like someone had taken him apart and hastily placed him back together. He flexed the muscles of his body systematically, making sure everything worked. 'Where am I,' he thought. Kakashi turned his body towards the sound of a crackling fire filling hitting his ears. He stared at Obito's back, his face watching the flames dance in the fire as he idly stoked it with a stray stick. Kakashi groaned as he stood straight up, attracting Obito's attention. "Oh thank goodness," said Obito with relief, "you're awake. I thought we'd lost you for a second."
"Where are we," groaned Kakashi, "the last thing I remember…" Suddenly, an image of Gai standing down Hiketsu hit him, sending all of his senses on full alert. "GAI," yelled Kakashi, turning in every direction looking for his rival. The area had been cleared out, and the rain had completely stopped, though the branches of trees still dripped with cold water on the ground. They were no longer near the campsite, and the day had slowly grown dark. It was night now, clouds had obscured any light from above, and the fire gleamed brightly in the darkness as a beacon. "Where's Gai," asked Kakashi. Obito's gaze came off of Kakashi and back to the fire, watching the embers burn amidst the wood. "Obito, where's Gai," asked Kakashi again, more forceful this time.
"He bought us the time to escape," said Obito solemnly, not daring to look at Kakashi, "he stalled the man in black and stayed behind to fight him. I don't know what became of him." Kakashi was stunned, every muscle in his body frozen from shock.
'The ANBU, Tiara, and now Gai,' thought Kakashi, 'no. I won't lose anymore.' "We're going back," ordered Kakashi, "we're going to find Gai."
"We can't," said Obito, standing up now, "if we go back now, we'd just be dishonoring Gai's sacrifice."
"Sacrifice my ass," roared Kakashi, "he's not dead yet. He can't be. I won't lose anymore friends!"
"There's nothing we can do," snapped Obito, "we need to get as far away from this place as possible!"
"Weren't you the one that said those who don't take care of their friends are less than trash," Kakashi snapped back, "Follow your own damn advice! We're going back!" Kakashi turned back, looking for the tracks back to the campsite. He felt a hard slap on his shoulder along with a violent pull and found himself face to face with Obito.
"I don't know if you were watching the same fight, frozen as you were," Obito added in a stinging tone, "but we just got slaughtered! This guy is well beyond any level we've ever encountered. And need I remind you that you personally put a hole in his chest, and HE GOT BACK UP! We're not dealing with something we can take! I want to save Gai as much as you, but I will not go on a suicide run with you!"
"Then stay here COWARD," roared Kakashi back, slapping Obito's arm off his shoulder, "I won't let Gai die. I'm going back, and I'm going to kill whatever the hell that thing is." Kakashi turned to leave but Obito grabbed him again. Kakashi slapped Obito's hand off his shoulder and turned full around only for Obito to ram a hard right hand into his face, knocking Kakashi on his back. Kakashi rubbed his face for a moment before snapping his body back at Obito, a raging frustration building in him now. However, any anger Kakashi washed out of him at the sight of Obito. His face was contorted in complete rage, and tears streamed down his face.
"Why," Obito said between clenched teeth, "why is it always you? I saved your ass back there, but you don't give me any gratitude. I train night and day, everyday, and yet your natural talent always surpasses me. I always tried my hardest on the missions, but you were the one who got all the praise. 'The New White Fang of Konoha' following in his dead father's footsteps to become one of the most powerful ninja of all time, while I was shuffled away to the side. My clan doesn't even respect me because the 'White Fang' gets all the glory. Why do you deserve such praise? Why do you get all the attention? Why…why do the women always notice you, love you?" He shook with fury now, staring down at Kakashi like some abhorred thing. "I loved her…but she didn't look at me as anything besides a friend. All she ever thought about was you. Always Kakashi, never Obito. And slowly, my hate for you built even harder." Kakashi stared dumbfounded at Obito, barely recognizing his usually happy, energetic, and playful friend. Here stood instead a man consumed with utter rage and frustration.
"I thought you said you didn't hate me anymore," said Kakashi solemnly.
"I don't hate you," groaned Obito, "I hate myself. I already told you I wasn't strong enough to protect Rin. There's more to it than that though. I blamed you for her death for so long, trying to run from the truth of the matter. I just wanted power. I wanted it so badly I'd do anything to get it." Obito looked deep into Kakashi's eyes, removing his own goggles so he could stare directly at Kakashi. "I have to tell you this now Kakashi, because we may not live long enough for me to have another opportunity. They say under special condition…a person from the Uchiha clan can unleash awesome power within themselves. A new Sharingan, the Magenkyou Sharingan. I wanted that power. I wanted to surpass you at any cost. It didn't matter what it took to do so. I just wanted it so badly. But there was a catch. In order to unlock it, I had to kill that which I loved most, my best friend."
"What are you talking about Obito," said Kakashi, his tone now very concerned over what his friend was saying, "Well, evidently you didn't succeed, because I'm still here."
"No Kakashi," said Obito darkly. He closed his eyes for a moment and slowly opened them again. His Sharingan was activated, but it was different. The tears swirled into each other to form a long string across the pupil that was broad against a blood red. "I did achieve this power…but not through you."
"I don't understa-" Suddenly, everything clicked inside Kakashi's mind, as if every connection in his mind bridged over from one area to the other. From the formless shapes of his thoughts, a truth was slowly beginning to form. He gazed at Obito in disbelief. Obito did not look like himself anymore. His eyes were open wide, and his face seemed so dark and evil.
"No," whispered Kakashi in disbelief, "no, no, I don't believe that. That's not you. You would never do something like that. Never, I can't believe that!" Kakashi shouted louder, hoping that by saying it all the facts of his mind would disappear and everything would return to normal.
"Its true Kakashi," said Obito darkly, "I would do anything to achieve this power. Climb any mountain. Run across any barrier. Kill anyone. Including those I loved most."
"That's not true," screamed Kakashi, shaking his head back and forth, "I refuse to believe that. That's not you. You care more about your comrades than anyone! You would never hurt them! We may have our differences, but…you would never…you can't…IT'S NOT TRUE!"
"It's true Kakashi," said Obito, "In order to achieve this power, I killed Rin." Kakashi stared wide-eyed at Obito. He always had taken Obito's philosophy to heart, ever since that last time with the Fourth. Always place your friends above the mission. Always place your friends above everything else, even yourself. Kakashi looked down at the ground, clasping his hands around his head. 'This can't be happening,' thought Kakashi, 'none of this can be real. Obito is the kindest person I have ever met. He would never do that. He loved Rin. He couldn't kill her. He just couldn't.'
I…what…why…this…WHAT THE HELL?' Kakashi charged at Obito, knocking him to the ground. Kakashi pinned him between his legs and threw a hard left to his face, knocking square against Obito's cheek. He pulled back his left and hit Obito again, and again, and again. But Obito did not struggle, he just stared up at Kakashi through eyes that looked more demonic than human. By the time Kakashi stopped hitting Obito, blood was pouring from his face and lips, dribbling down past his chin.
"If this power is so great," said Kakashi, "why didn't you use it before. At least some good would have come of it."
"This power comes with a price Kakashi," replied Obito darkly, "for every use, it consumes more than chakra. The Magenkyou devours who you are. It devours your soul itself as fuel, and turns you into something you're not. I only used it once, and I have never felt the same. So you see Kakashi, even when I was willing to sacrifice absolutely everything for power, it still wanted more. More sacrifices for more power until I was sacrificing bits of myself. Such a path to power is a vicious one." Kakashi stared down at Obito, his own eyes tearing. Everything had come at him so fast, it was impossible to comprehend it all. He pulled back his arm to deliver another shot to Obito's face when a loud thump beside him distracted his attention.
A shadow moved and swayed in the darkness, coming closer to the fire. It stumbled in its steps, but came closer, groaning loudly as it came. Slowly, Gai revealed himself to Kakashi and Obito. He was barely recognizable, blood covered his entire face, dripping from his nose, mouth, and eyes. His black hair was soaked in blood and dirt, matting it oddly against his head. Cuts, bruises, and still bleeding wounds littered his body as he meandered forward. He gave one last breath of air before collapsing to the ground in front of them, landing face first in a pile of slush.
"Gai," yelled Kakashi, forgetting about Obito and running to Gai's side. He turned him over gingerly and propped his head up. "What happened Gai," asked Kakashi fervently, "what happened to you?"
"Too…strong," muttered Gai, "Couldn't even…lay a finger on him…wasn't even trying…so powerful. I've never…never." His eyes grew very wide, and he pulled Kakashi closer to him, some strength returning to his face. "You have to run," he croaked, "he'll find you…you have to run…run!" Gai's face suddenly contorted in terror as he looked in the distance towards Obito. Kakashi could feel the icy hands begin to close around him, gripping every part of his body in a vice-like hold. Kakashi slowly turned his head in the direction Gai was staring to see Hiketsu standing before them, almost as if he appeared out of thin air. Obito stood up quickly and backed up against a tree while Kakashi and Gai stared at him in horror. Fear was welling up in Kakashi again, he could feel his senses reeling, his mind caving in, just like before. His eyes drifted over to Obito. His entire body shook horribly as he stared wide-eyed at the man in front of him. Kakashi looked down at Gai, who was still mouthing the word "run."
Kakashi stared at both of his friends as a new emotion began to well inside of him. A fury, anger like he had never felt before began to burn. The icy needles were still pricking at his skin, but a horrid ferocity blazed inside of him, setting fire to every emotion. "Not anymore," said Kakashi, "I won't lose anymore. Never again!" Kakashi laid Gai down flat on the ground at stood defiantly before Hiketsu. "I won't let you," Kakashi roared, "I'm going to destroy you! And when you get back up, I'll destroy you again! And again, and again, and again, and I won't stop until you're dead!" Hiketsu slowly swayed his body towards Kakashi.
"What passion," said Hiketsu coolly, "Even against an overwhelming might you struggle fervently. Your effort is commendable…but futile." The blaze of rage consumed Kakashi, filling every part of his body with white hot fury. Kakashi pushed all the pain, the suffering, the sorrow this man had caused into his right arm as a massive Chidori crackled to life, lighting up the forest like a second, white hot sun. Kakashi stared straight at Hiketsu, who made little motion against the power Kakashi displayed. Kakashi forced his legs forward, driving the screaming Chidori straight towards Hiketsu, the lightning crackling and burning the air around them. Hiketsu stared with idle curiosity at Kakashi's attack not making the slightest movement to counter. Kakashi continued forward; his arm burned horribly from the detonation of the chakra, but he no longer cared. All Kakashi cared about was the total and utter destruction of this man.
Kakashi's hand reached forward, trying to bury itself in Hiketsu's face. Hiketsu's hand blurred past Kakashi's eyes, catching Kakashi's outstretched arm by the crook of his elbow and held him in place, inches from his face. Kakashi pushed with every muscle in his body, fighting against Hiketsu's considerable strength and iron grip on his arm. He could feel the bone begin to crack against his arm as Hiketsu put more pressure there, but he did not withdraw. He didn't care if it took every muscle snapping, bone breaking, every nerve overwhelmed with pain, he would destroy this man.
"You see," said Hiketsu nonchalantly, "a man's strength is nothing, despite how impressive it is. Futile in the end."
"SHUT-UP!" screamed Kakashi. Suddenly, he thrust his left arm out and concentrated all his remaining chakra there, igniting it immediately into another screaming Chidori. He brought his left arm up incredibly fast towards Hiketsu's head and made contact with it. He drove his left arm across, the Chidori burning and disintegrating bone and flesh as it came through. Kakashi felt the pressure on his right hand lapse, and he brought the still ignited Chidori straight into Hiketsu's remaining head. The two Chidoris screamed in unison as they destroyed everything in their path, scorching blood, flesh, and bone and turning it into a sick smelling smoke that permeated the air. Kakashi jumped back for a moment, the Chidoris still ignited on either of his hands. Hiketsu's head was nothing more than a smoldering crater now as his body swayed and began to collapse towards the ground.
"NOT YET!" roared Kakashi, charging across the slush quickly again, holding either Chidori out to his sides. He brought his right hand straight into the wavering corpse's chest, cauterizing every internal organ and piece of muscle within Hiketsu's ribcage. He brought his left arm across Hiketsu's shoulder, separating his arm from his body in one quick swing. At the bottom of the swing, Kakashi brought the Chidori across Hiketsu's waist, cutting his body in half and spilling burnt viscera across the ground. Kakashi's mind was consumed in rage, and he continued to cut the corpse to shreds, ripping and tearing at every piece of flesh attached to Hiketsu's body. Blood stained Kakashi's entire body, covering his face in the dark, red liquid, but he didn't care. He brought his Chidoris to the ground now, driving them in rapid succession into the torso of the corpse, grinding and burning all that was left of Hiketsu's body. His skin on his hands visibly burned from the prolonged igniting, but the pain did not even faze Kakashi. His mind set at its task, tearing and clawing at every muscle, every tissue, and every cell of the corpse in front of him.
Kakashi didn't know how much time had passed since he started to attack Hiketsu, but finally, when his chakra was depleted and the Chidoris had stopped, all that was left was a pile of blood and entrails. Strips of flesh, organs, and blood littered the landscape, staining the earth a blood red to contrast against the snow and mud on the ground. Kakashi breathed haggardly as he sat on his knees, pounding away at the pieces of Hiketsu with his hands. The skin on his hands was burnt heavily, scarred and scratched in areas from the Chidori's prolonged use. Finally, Kakashi stepped back and surveyed what was left of Hiketsu. He allowed the fatigue his body felt to overwhelm him and he collapsed onto his back, staring up at the night sky. "It's over," Kakashi said aloud, "it has to be. I can't go on. He has to be dead." Kakashi pulled his body up with a groan and sat on his haunches. He looked behind him at Obito who had remained against the tree the entire time. He had a look of sheer horror plastered on his face, but Kakashi wasn't sure if it was from Hiketsu or himself. He turned to Gai. Gai looked unconscious, his eyes closed on his face, but he was breathing, the slow heaving of his chest a sure sign of it.
Kakashi could feel fatigue rip at every muscle in his body. His arms no longer supported any weight, and his legs wobbled underneath him. Kakashi stared at the pile that was Hiketsu, the sweat from his forehead stinging at his eyes. Kakashi felt a feeling welling up inside of him, a feeling of peace hitting every muscle in his body as he stared at the steaming pile of viscera. "Finally," he said, "it's done." A spot of blood from the pile dripped onto the ground. Kakashi watched idly as the blood dripped slowly onto the ground, forming a small pool. Slowly, the rest of the pile began to join in, all the parts of Hiketsu dripping with blood onto the ground like the pitter-patter of rain on a roof. The pile slowly became more viscous, liquid like until it formed a gigantic pool of blood beneath it.
Kakashi gazed into the blood, watching it spread across the earth. Then, a small bump began to form in the middle of the pool. The blood began collecting around it, more and more, piling up on itself, growing taller by the second. A shape came out of it, the details of a face, hands, legs, and an entire body growing from the pile of blood. The blood began to change from a deep red, to a pink, to a ghostly white as flesh began to form, propped up by bones that formed underneath. Kakashi watched in horror as a naked Hiketsu reformed in front of them, the same sickly pale skin, covering a bony, yet muscular exterior. Hiketsu wiped some of the extra blood off his body with a free hand and placed the palms of his hands to the center of his chest. A dark light swarmed around him as the same black cloak and armor that had covered him earlier reappeared in front of Kakashi. Finally, Hiketsu opened his eyes, revealing the horribly white globes that sat lifelessly in his head.
Kakashi looked on in terror, his body and mind both reeling from the anguish he had gone through and the realization of the futility of his struggle. A laugh bubbled up inside his throat, passing quietly through his mouth. Then, he laughed harder, until he was in hysterics. "You don't die," laughed Kakashi, "you just don't die. WHY WON'T YOU DIE?" Hiketsu turned towards him, an oddly solemn look on his bony face.
"If only you knew the irony of your words," he spoke in a cool manner. He strode towards Kakashi, every step reverberating like a drum off the ground in Kakashi's mind. Kakashi shook his head hard, removing any fear and doubt from his mind.
"I can't give up yet," yelled Kakashi defiantly, "there's too many people counting on me. I can't stop yet. I won't lose!" Hiketsu's hand shot out and surrounded Kakashi's entire skull with his long, bony fingers. Kakashi pulled a kunai from his vest and began stabbing furiously at Hiketsu's arms with what strength he had left.
"It's finished," whispered Hiketsu, "Eyes of the Death-" The sound of an explosion rocked Kakashi's ears like bomb had gone off right next to him. Hiketsu's hand lost its grip and Kakashi fell with his arm. Kakashi removed Hiketsu's hand from his face and found himself holding the smoldering remains of Hiketsu's arm. A strange, black flame engulfed it, burning the flesh in an odorless black smoke. Kakashi threw the arm away and watched as Hiketsu backpedaled away form Kakashi, his attention turned past him. Kakashi looked to his right to see Obito striding forward. His eyes bore the same, all encompassing swirl, and the veins of his eyes were prominent, joining the circles of his pupils. Obito gritted his teeth hard, grimacing as he opened his eyes wide again. Another massive burst of flame appeared on Hiketsu's other arm, blasting it off from the shoulder. Hiketsu roared in pain as the black flame slowly engulfed his body in a massive black smoke. Hiketsu fell to one knee, seeming to look up at Obito. Obito gritted his teeth harder, but seemed to be struggling with another blast of the black flame. A dark chain sprouted from Hiketsu's empty arm socket and slammed through Obito's torso, coming out the other end in a fury of clanking metal and ripping flesh. Obito groaned in pain, blood issuing slowly from his mouth. He fell to a knee as well, gripping at the chain in his stomach. Suddenly, he snapped his head back up and roared furiously at Hiketsu, another gigantic blast striking Hiketsu in his midsection, burning a hole straight through it. The flesh dripped from Hiketsu's face as the pressure of the flame continued to burn him alive, but he refused to stop. Another chain burst forth from the remains of his torso, striking Obito straight through his chest to join its comrade on the other side of Obito's body. Obito spat out a massive river of blood, but he refused to fall as well.
"Obito," yelled Kakashi. Kakashi pushed off the ground hard, moving himself onto tired legs as he made his way towards his friend. Obito shot up an arm to hold Kakashi back as he screwed his eyes in concentration at what remained of Hiketsu. He forced himself to stand again, his eyes staring madly at Hiketsu. He gave one last furious roar as the rest of Hiketsu's body exploded into horrid black smoke, the dark flame eating away at everything it touched. Hiketsu fell back to the ground unmoving as the black flame consumed every part of him. Obito gazed off at Hiketsu's burnt corpse and smiled broadly at his handiwork. His legs buckled beneath him and gave way, forcing him to his knees. Kakashi sprinted forward with what strength he had left. "Obito…c'mon we have to get out of here. We need to get you and Gai to a doctor." Obito craned his neck slowly until he was face to face with Kakashi, the same wry grin on his face.
"Not me Kakashi," Obito croaked haggardly, "I won't be going with you."
"Nonsense," said Kakashi. He pulled out a kunai and began cutting at the chains with what little strength was left in his arms. "We're going back to the Leaf. You and Gai are going to get patched up, and we're going to get over this whole experience." Obito let out a broken and destroyed laugh that quickly descended into a coughing fit spilling blood on his knees.
"What would await me at the Leaf Kakashi," asked Obito, "I killed our precious comrade. I would be tried and executed for my crimes. I would bring shame to my clan and die a dishonorable death. So what's the point Kakashi?" Kakashi did not answer at first, his eyes wavering across Obito's wounds. He gave up trying to cut the black metal and placed his hands around the chains to pull them out of Obito. Obito's hands met his and pushed them away, the wry grin never leaving his face.
"No one," stammered Kakashi, "no one would have to know about that. It's just you and me. I can't…I can't lose anymore friends! I've lost too much! Even if we've had our differences, you're still my best friend! Even after all you've done…I can't lose you!"
"No Kakashi," replied Obito softly, "we can't be friends anymore. I'm the equivalent of a traitor, and even if you never told anyone, I can't live in that lie anymore." Kakashi stared at Obito in disbelief. Tears were beginning to well down both of their faces, wetting the dried blood on both of them. "The Leaf needs you. You're the White Fang of Konoha. And if you haven't noticed Kakashi," laughed Obito weakly, "I'm dieing. He got me pretty good. But that's alright. This is where I'm going to die, and that's fine. For once," he coughed loudly, more blood erupting from his mouth, but he never stopped smiling. Tears streamed down his face to fill in with the pool of blood beneath him, but he didn't stop smiling. "For one shining moment, I protected you with my power. For once, her death wasn't meaningless. I wonder…will I see her again? Do you think she'll forgive me Kakashi?" He looked up at his friend with desperate eyes, but Kakashi could say nothing. Obito's body began to slip downward, but Kakashi caught his friend in his arms, propping him up with all the strength of his arms. Obito laughed loudly again, "No, she probably won't. But that's alright, I don't deserve forgiveness." Obito looked up desperately at Kakashi. He reached his own arms up to Kakashi's face, his fingernails grasping at the mask Kakashi always wore as he pulled it down revealing Kakashi's entire face. "You really are too damn good looking for your own good," laughed Obito. He moved his arms back to Kakashi's face, feeling the side of his friend's cheek with one bloody hand. "I…I would have given anything…" Obito's voice grew steadily softer. Kakashi gripped his friend closer to him, his own eyes blurry with tears. "…anything…for even one moment…to be…like…you." Obito's hand slowly fell from his face to hit the ground with a splash as his eyelids began to close steadily on his smiling face. He gave one last breath before Kakashi's friend grew forever silent.
Kakashi shook Obito's body. "Obito c'mon," he said desperately, "you can't die Obito. Please don't die. Please…Dammit! Don't die you bastard! GET UP!" The chains around Obito's body suddenly clanked to life and pulled Obito's lifeless corpse from Kakashi's grasp. Kakashi watched in horror as Hiketsu pulled Obito's body into his own arms. The burnt skin on his body slowly reformed, covering the bones and muscles that lied beneath them. In a manner of seconds he was completely resurrected, cradling Obito's lifeless frame in his arms. "GIVE HIM BACK YOU SON OF A BITCH!" roared Kakashi as he charged unwieldy towards Hiketsu. His knees buckled under the stress and he fell at Hiketsu's feet. Kakashi clawed at Hiketsu's boots pushing himself up. He clamped on Hiketsu's cape and pulled himself up with all his might. He locked his legs into place, forcing himself to stand face to face with Hiketsu. "I won't let you take him," said Kakashi, "you've taken too much from me. I won't let you take him too!" Hiketsu's eyes gave no indication of him staring back, and his face remained the same cold, expressionless state it had begun with.
"I know of such anguish struggler," Hiketsu said softly, "yet I feel nothing for your plight. Such emotions were removed from me a long time ago. However," Hiketsu shot a single arm out, grabbing Kakashi by the throat and hoisting him in the air. Kakashi clawed at Hiketsu's hand as he felt his lungs burn and struggle for air. "I will honor your friend's last request as a reward for your struggle." Hiketsu withdrew a single long finger from the grip around Kakashi's neck and moved it up to Kakashi's left eye. The lack of oxygen coupled with his fatigue was too much, and darkness began to consume Kakashi once again.
"I think he's coming to," came an unfamiliar, deep voice from in front of Kakashi. "You awake in there?" Kakashi blinked his eyes awake, squinting hard at the bright light in front of him.
"Where am I," he groaned. Kakashi's entire body ached with pain, and the left side of his face stung horribly.
"Extraordinary," came the deep voice again. An old medical nin came into view wearing a surgical mask over his face. He pulled Kakashi's left eye open with his thumb and forefinger and stuck a small flashlight in his eyes. "Absolutely amazing." Kakashi swatted the medic away, sitting himself up as his eyes adjusted to the room. He lay on a cold, steel table in the middle of a bright circular room. Windows showed a crystal, clear blue sky with patches of white, puffy clouds floating aimlessly in the air. Next to him, the medic was staring at him intently. He pulled down his mask revealing a small, grey beard and mustache. He picked up a pad of paper and scribbled something down on it quickly. Kakashi looked to his right to see another medic, a woman, staring intently at the left side of his face, a look of great curiosity plastered to it. The room seemed familiar somehow, but everything looked different to Kakashi. Vague images seemed to surround the two medical nin, like a blurry afterimage. He could almost see the chakra swirling around them. Kakashi brought up his hand and rubbed his left eye with the palm of his hand only for the medic to swat his arm back down.
"Don't touch it!" he said emphatically, "This is one of the most amazing things I've ever seen. Tell me, how did you do it?"
"Do what," snapped Kakashi, "what the hell are you talking about? Where am I? Where's Gai, and Obito?"
"The bowlhead's in the next room," said the doctor nonchalantly, "he was in worse shape than you, but he'll pull through. As for the Uchiha, we'd like to ask you the same question. After all," the doctor chuckled while pointing to the left side of Kakashi's face. Kakashi screwed his face in confusion. What was this man talking about anyway? "You mean," said the doctor in disbelief, "you don't know?"
"KNOW WHAT?" yelled Kakashi, "I'm tired of this guessing game. Where's Obito and where the hell am I?"
"Calm down, calm down," said the medic passively, "you're in Konoha. We sent reinforcements to your encampment, but we found you on the way, both of you."
"What about Obito," asked Kakashi fervently, "did anyone else survive?"
"We didn't see the Uchiha at all," replied the medic solemnly, "and besides you two, no one else survived. Quite a scene of carnage I might add. What happened there? You get ambushed by a horde of Cloud ANBU? Looks like the work of fifty maybe sixty nin at most. So…" The medic waited for an answer, his pen pressed tightly against his notepad. Kakashi opened his mouth to speak, but quickly shut it again. He wanted to tell him, everyone about Hiketsu, the nin that would not die not matter how many times they struck him down. He wanted to tell them about how they had valiantly fought this man off, only to be struck down by him so easily. But would he really believe that? Could he really believe that one nin was able to take down an entire Leaf squadron like nothing? They might think he was just delirious.
"Yeah," said Kakashi lazily, "we were ambushed. They killed most of the ANBU off, but we barely survived. I failed as commander and my friends suffered the consequences. Obito…died…saving my life."
"Well then," said the nin, clicking his pen loudly against his shirt, "you might want to explain this." He took a mirror off the far wall and passed it to Kakashi. Kakashi took it reluctantly and held it to his face. His face looked basically the same, save for a long scar across his left eye…which now held a three-tear Sharingan. Kakashi's eyes went wide from shock as he felt the left side of his face to see if it was real.
"I…I don't believe it," whispered Kakashi.
"Yeah, it's quite a piece of handiwork," chuckled the nin, "I don't know how they were able to attach an Uchiha organ to your body without it rejecting your blood. Uchiha eyes generally only work with Uchiha blood, but this one. Wow. It's quite impressive how they reattached the nerve endings. I don't know anyone who's successfully done this. Please, if it wasn't you, who did this to you?"
Kakashi stammered with an answer, but found his tongue too heavy to speak. He brought his hand up again, feeling over the left side of his face. His eyelid blinked reactively as Kakashi's finger came closer to the eye. But it was there. A three-teared Sharingan lay in his left eye socket. "I don't know."
'…I won't let them take anyone else from me ever again.'
Sorry this took so long to get out. Finals were coming around the corner from my last update so I hadn't been working on the story for some time. Its Summer now, so I don't have any excuse for not updating regularly. A good part of the next chapter is done so I'll probably upload that sometime next week. Thanks to everyone who's stuck to the story and thanks everyone for reviewing.
indigonitelite.