Chapter 5: Times Change, So Do Friends
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The silence of the woods was interrupted by the sound of a book flipping. Ishida stood underneath an old oak tree. His fire red hair blowing with the wind. Birds chirped and crickets did what they did best. A smile crossed the boy's face.
"Kakashi, I know your not that easily delt with!" the smile faded as he pulled out a knife. The book flew up into the air and the blade pierced the many papges. In an instant it turned into nothing more than a cloud of wasted chakra. "And yet I fell for it!" His face was filled with rage as he yelled into the air.
His breathing began to get heavy, then in a calm voice he laughed. And laughed, and laughed. "I guess it's a good thing I saw beyond this point. You'll still come to me, you'll still come to me." Out of his pocket, Ishida pulled a medical mask. After slipping it on he removed the cylinder from his back. When he opened it all the birds stopped in mid chirp. All the crickets silenced.
The cap came unscrewed, inside was a black powder. Pluck! he pulled a small handful of flowers and dropped them in. The result was much better than he had thought. "Soon, soon I say. You'll come."
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Student and teacher sat in silence. The air conditioning unit could made the only sound in the entire library. Finally Kakashi stood up and cleared his throat. "Naruto, I guess Il-" he was cut off from a medical ninja rushing through the library doors. Naruto snapped to attention and looked at him. Sweat ran down his face, and worried look sat upon it.
"Hatake Kakashi, Uzumaki Naruto, I have come with news about Haruno Sakura."
"What is it!" Naruto demanded.
"She falls ill. She asks for you."
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Sakura, with the help of Tsunade, sat up in her bed. She couldn't wait for Naruto and Kakashi to arrive. "What shall I tell them?"
"Tell them nothing, let me talk with them before they come in." Sakura was weak and merely nodded. Her head felt light and her lungs hurt. Outside she could hear children playing. People walked about and birds sang amongst themselves. Then the calm peaceful sounds of Konoha were interrupted by a noisey running.
Soon enough the two of them could hear Naruto's voice outside. He was arguing with someone, then Kakashi's voice trying to explain to the nurse about Naruto. Then a dark figure appeared outside the door. Naruto's spikey hair could be pointed out.
The door swung open and he smiled when he saw the girl sitting up. "Sakura-chan! I thought you were sick?"
"I am, but I feel better now."
Tsunade stood up and grabbed Naruto's shoulder, "Come on Naruto, let's have a talk." But Naruto didn't budge. He wanted to be with Sakura. To make sure she was okay. Kakashi popped his head in. Sakura smiled and so did Naruto.
Kakashi's eye showed a smile as he saw Sakura, "Good to see you up. How do you feel?"
She didn't get a chance to answer as Tsunade walked up to him with a worried and strict face. In a low voice she told him, "I need to speak with you and Naruto. But your student refuses to move!"
"Leave him. I'll tell him later." He turned back out the door and Tsunade followed. Naruto turned around just for an instant as the door shut. Then his attention was back on his friend.
The chair skidded across the floor as he took a seat. Sakura let out a little giggle as his bottom hit the floor. Naruto couldn't help but laugh at himself.
Outside the door, Kakashi's heart nearly stopped.
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Rubbing the back of his head and putting on a smile, the jounin asked the Hokage, "So has Sakura come down with? A cold perhaps?"
Tsunade smiled and then her face went back to a grim expression. "I haven't told her everything about it, but she has a pretty good idea. I'll tell you what I know. Please, take a seat."
"I'll stand."
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"So, what's the matter with you?" the blonde inquired.
"Well, so far all I know is that it's in my lungs. But I'm fine, nothing serious!" her voice went to a squeak at the last part. Naruto starred at her questioningly.
"Are you sure?" he laid a hand on the bed next to her's. Sakura looked down and folded her hands in her lap.
Her voice was worried and sad, "No, I'm quite sure it's something more."
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Kakashi hit the chair with all color once again rushed from his face. His back slouched and he rubbed his head. This time in confusion. Tsunade stood before him. She already knew what was wrong with Sakura, but she felt like telling him, that she was hearing it for the first time.
Kakashi's mind wondered. First it was focused on Sakura, and only Sakura. Now it went to Ishida. He had something to do with this. But what?
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Just like all those many years ago. He would be chased. In the end everything will go his way. "What now Kakashi? You can't let her die."
"Kakashi, Ishida?" Her soft delicate hands clasped the wooden blocks. She lifted herself up into the treehouse. This is where she would meet her fate. At that time, she had only one intention. She wanted to become friends with Ishida, she didn't want to shove away Kakashi by pushing away his friends. What else would a sister do.
Laughter came from ontop the roof. She would surprise.
Ishida sat across from Kakashi. A smile sat upon his face that wasn't fading. "I hadn't thought of that! Ha, ha, ha!" Kakashi had told him of the time he screwed loose the cap to the salt right before his dad used it. That was back when he still breathed and walked with Kakashi.
Kakashi sensed something was wrong. He wasn't sure what it was, but definately something was out of place. "Ishida, do you feel funny?"
"Funny? No." Just then a head of silver hair popped up from the edge of the treehouse.
The fair face yelled at them, "BOO!" Both boys jumped about three feet. Ishida fell back into a hole. Kakashi sat with a stunned face at his sister. She was cracking up. His heart raced and he shifted over to the hole. Ishida wasn't there anymore.
Panic over came the silver headed boy. 'Ishida! Where are you?'
He didn't want to think anymore about it. It was too painful. Ishida never meant to do what he did. But it had happened. Kakashi was the only person to understand him, he had pushed him away. Nothing he could do would change that. Still he felt he had to talk with the shinobi.
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"Naruto, this illness is more serious than I thought. I'm afraid I may-" but her words were cut off as Tsunade walked back into the room. There was a mirror hanging in the hallway and Sakura noticed a reflection of her sensei leaned back into a chair. His eye was emotionless.
Tsunade put a hand on Naruto's shoulder and spoke calmly to the boy, "Sakura needs her rest. You can come back tomorrow." His blonde hair moved slightly as he nodded yes. Next thing he knew he was out in the hallway and the door closed behind him.
Kakashi sat in the chair. He closed his eyes and thought. Too much was happening for him to keep secrets. Instead of taking Tsunade's advice, he would tell Naruto of Sakura's condition.
A weak smile formed under the mask. "How 'bout some ramen? My treat." This brightened the genin up.
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Naruto's belly was full. It had been a long day, so much had happened and still the sun was up. It was late and dim, but it was still up. Kakashi paid for the food. But instead of leaving he sat with his hands under his chin. In silence the two waited. Then Kakashi took in a deep breath and turned to his student.
"Do you know what's wrong with Sakura?"
"Yes," Kakashi waited, "she has some kind of chest cold."
The breath was released and Kakashi sighed. "I wish it was that simple," he said. Naruto was now confused, "Let me explain. When Ishida came to us in the woods, he did something to Sakura. I'm not sure what. But something got in her lungs. Tsunade guesses some kind of powder. Now that substance is eating away at her life. Ishida is the only person who can cure her."
The genin was speechless. 'Sakura's life is in danger!' Thoughts whirled in and out. Some of them crazy others a possibility. Kakashi sat there. Then he stood up. Naruto did the same, even though he was still a little shocked. Both of them started walking down the streets of Konoha. The sun was setting and a pink hue was taking over the sky. They had reached Naruto's appartment. Kakashi made sure he made it to the door. Right before he hit the bottom step he turned around and spoke, "There is something we can do."
"What?" Naruto wanted to help.
"Now I don't know if you'll agree, but if you do, we'll have to go tonight."
"Okay!"
"Tsunade won't like it. Infact she told me not to do anything until more was learned. To stay put. But I figured you want to get moving." Naruto was growing impatient with his teacher. He tapped the ground with his foot. Finally Kakashi told him, "Pack your things and we can be after Ishida tonight."
Naruto's face lit up and he ran back inside. In a few minutes he came out with a bulging bag. Kakashi wasn't there any more and so he went to wait by the gate.
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"Come on Kakashi," Naruto had been waiting for half an hour. The sun was down and the moon lit the sky. Stars blanketed the heavens above. The gening couldn't help but stare up into it. It was so clear that night, it was beautiful.
Footsteps came from the distance and Naruto didn't notice. His heart jumped when a hand fell upon his shoulder. His voice let out a little yip. But to his relief it was just Kakashi, with his pack hanging off of one shoulder. "What took you so long?" He hissed in a whisper.
"Didn't I tell you to wait until an hour after sun down? I'm early." The jounin slipped his pack on all the way. Naruto thought to himself 'No, you didn't.' "Well, let's move. I don't know how long it'll be until Sakura's illness takes it affect." Naruto stood there and watched as his sensei turned into a dark figure walking down the road. Quickly he scurried up to his side.
They were walking till dawn. Finally, when the sky lit up with pinks and golds, did they stop. Naruto sat down leaning against a tree. Kakashi pulled off his pack and shuffled through it. Out he brougt some ready made bowls of ramen. Naruto's hungry eyes lit up. His stomach let out a long, sad growl. A smile crossed underneath Kakashi's mask.
"I'll get a small fire going," Kakashi stood and began to head into the woods when something stopped him. He didn't want to leave Naruto alone. Ishida could be anywhere in these trees. He lived in them for most his life. So the teacher turned to his student and said, "On second thought, this would be a good time for us to scout ahead. If your not too tired?"
The blonde smiled and formed a hand seal, "Kagen no bushin!" It a quick puff of smoke 10 other Narutos sat on the ground. "Oi, we need wood." The shadow clones nodded and soon they were off. Scattered across the surrounding woods. Some picking large branches, others gathering twigs. Naruto rested and soon found his head nodding.
They had walked for many hours, it was only right for him to be tired. Kakashi stood in the road and looked back at the boy. A feel of sympathy overcame him. 'You work so hard for your friends. I'll let you sleep, you deserve it.' Just as he thought that, Naruto's eyes closed and a slight heavy breathing over came him.
"Kishi! Why did you do that?" Kakashi turned and yelled at the silver haired teen in front of him.
But Kishi couldn't help but laugh, "I'm sorry, I couldn't resist. Ha, ha, ha! You should have seen your face!" she wiped away a tear of joy. Then Kishi took a good look at her younger brother's face. Horror and worry sat on it. "Kakashi? What's wrong?"
Kakashi wanted to yell run, but nothing would come out of his mouth. Kishi found herself worried, "Kakashi! What's wrong?" But it was too late. The fatal blow would soon come. Kakashi would have to watch in horror as his best friend turned into a frightened animal.
After about seventeen minutes, the clones returned with enough wood for a baun fire. The minute the wood was placed in a pile, they disappeared into several puffs of smoke.
Kakashi pulled a small pack of matches from his pack. Soon a fire was lit and it's smoke danced in the sky above it. Two thin ribbons of smoke entwined with each other. Twisting in an endless fate to the heavens. The sky was growing more and more blue, as the day grew brighter and brighter.
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The sun sat directly above. It's heat warming the sleeping genin. He felt his eyes open reluctantly. At his feet was steaming bowl of ramen. A pair of chopsticks lay on his lap. Naruto's face brightened up and he smiled as his hands grabbed the chopsticks and the ramen was sliding down his throat. When the last noodle was slurped and the last of the broth swallowed, Naruto took a look around.
The dirt road in front of him was silent. Not a single speck of dust moved. The birds filled the trees with songs of morning. He was leaning against a tree. It was part of a tree line that went along the road for as far as Naruto could see. On the side of the road was a pile of black ash. A smoldering ash could be seen glowing a slight red. Then it went out and joined the darkness. Something was missing. 'Where's Kakashi-sensei?'
Naruto was up on his feet. There wasn't a sign around of his sensei. He got worried and his mouth grew dry. 'Why hadn't I noticed before? I shouldn't have fallen asleep!' "Kakashi-sesnsei!" He yelled into the woods. Nothing moved. Not a sound of twig, or branch. Nothing but birds. "Kakashi-sensei!" This time he yelled a little louder. But nothing. Then, before he knew it, Kakashi landed beside him. This startled the boy and he fell to the ground. His sensei stood in front of him. His kunai in hand.
"Naruto, what's wrong?" his voice was anxious and filled with worry and fear. "Naruto?"
"I'm alright. I thought something happened to you!" Kakashi let out a deep breath he didn't know he was holding. Naruto stood up as Kakashi put away his kunai. "I"m sorry."
"Don't be," Kakashi went over to the packs that were sitting next to were Naruto had slept. He picked up the trash from the ramen bowls and stuffed them back in the pack. "Let's get moving. Ishida isn't going to find himself." Naruto picked up his pack and began to trott along.
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The day was growing hot. Sweat ran down his face. Not even the cool shadows of the tree could make him feel better. "I wish I had stayed up North." Ishida mumbled to himself as he lept from branch to branch. That's when he noticed a small stream of smoke in the air. A sly smile crossed his face. 'So they are looking for me.' "Well, well, why don't I just pay them a visit." He head towards the smoke. Then stopped.
"Silence is the key." He began again, this time quieter. No one would know he was there, even if he was right behind them in the bushes.
When he finally reached the source of the smoke he laughed to himself. Before him was a small fire, and a young blonde boy sleeping against a tree. A bowl had been placed before him. 'Wait! That's the same boy that was with Kakashi at the treehouse!' Now was his chance to strike Kakashi even harder. Ishida prepared to move when, the boy's eyes opened.
Ishida waited as the blonde slurped down the soup. Then a look of worry crossed his face. Ishida had a chance to attack, but instead he waited. The boy became more anxious and stood up. Then began to call Kakashi's name. Darting out of the woods behind the boy Kakashi lept into the air and fell next to him.
Ishida lost interest and looked away. "Now that I have them, what shall I do?" His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of footsteps. Kakashi and the boy had begun to move on. He decided to follow close and not loose them.
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They had been walking for about 30 minutes. Kakashi had decided the road not safe and so they moved into the trees. Now Kakashi stood on a branch and Naruto kept looking around. "Kakashi-sensei, do you have any idea where Ishida is?"
"Yes, I do." Now Naruto was confused.
"Then why don't we just attack already."
"Because, it's his call now. We can't do anything until he attacks."
"Why not?"
"Naruto, do you want to fight a enemy that knows exactly where you are, knows what you might do next, has a better advantage at being the prey? Well, do you?"
Naruto stopped fidgeting and thought about it. "No I don't. But I also don't want Sakura-chan to die!"
"I don't either. For now let's just wait. He'll come. Infact he's already here." Indeed he was. But do to his lack of interest, he heard nothing. Ishida sat amongst some branches. He was thinking about how to attack. To attack Kakashi dierectly, or give him the satisfaction of watching his student die. Yes, that would do. Nothing wold pain Kakashi more than to see his best friend kill one of his students. A calm laugh slipped out of his throat.
Both of them stood in silence. Kakashi's fingers touched the cold metal edges of his kunai. He would be ready. But would Naruto? "Stay close to me!" Naruto had wandered a little and was now about 10 meters away from Kakashi. The blonde headed genin jumped back to his sensei's side.
Then curiousity took the best of him. "Kakashi-sensei, tell me what happened between you and Ishida?"
Kakahsi sighed and couldn't help but smile. "Didn't I tel you in time I would tell?" another sigh eminated from the tired jounin, "I guess it's only fair you know what's going on." Just then a loud clap of thunder rumbled over the woods. Rain began to poor on their heads. The unruly silver hair was tamed and it plastered against Kakashi's head. Naruto's blonde hair drooped and fell to the front, covering his eyes a little. He wiped back his hair and it went to the sides.
Naruto got ready to ask again, but was cut off. Something had caught his eye. In the dark forest he noticed a slight shimmer. It was metal! Before he knew it a flash of red ran by him. Blood flew into the air as Naruto grabbed his arm. "Kakashi-sensei!" He didn't need to say more a clash of metal made sparks fly behind him.
Naruto faintly heard his sensei's voice over the rain. "Find cover!" He jumped down out of the trees. His landing was softened by all the foliage on the forest floor. As soon as he hit the ground he headed for the roots of the larger trees. He heard several clashes of metal above him. Each one getting closer and closer. Finally he found some roots big enough and ducked under.
"Face it Kakashi! I killed her and I can kill you! It doesn't matter to me anymore," Ishida pushed his kunai harder against Kakashi's when they clashed. His face filled with mad rage. But his voice calm and emotionless. "Come on, you know you want to kill me. To feel all that anger and hate just flow from your kunai to my heart." He began to laugh as the two shinobi danced amongst the trees. The rain made it hard for Kakashi to grip with his feet.
But slipping would mean death. No, not with Ishida. It would mean more torement and torture. He couldn't die, he couldn't weaken. If he did, Ishida would have a chance to strike Naruto. A rage built up inside of the jounin. Ishida was just playing with him. Like a cat does with a mouse before killing it.
"Ishida, have you forgotten? I beat you in everything. Including life!" Ishida paused as he jumped back from another clash with the kunai. Kakashi had strike him where it hurt the most. The realization that he wasn't wanted. The fact that in life he was nothing more than a useless piece of trash. This greatly angered the red head.
Kakashi kept a grim face on. He knew he had hit his mark. Ishida would fill with rage. But that was what he wanted. He needed to keep Ishida from becoming afraid. From becoming that frightened animal.
The two fought on into the rain. Clashing together and getting closer to Naruto's hideout. But with each strike Ishida got closer to hitting Kakashi. Kakashi had trouble just trying to block him. Right now he didn't care about getting a strike in the flesh.
Ishida pushed harder than ever on the kunai. The jounin hit his back against a tree as Ishida's kunai struck his own. Now water ran down their faces. Anger scarred their faces. Ishida smiled at the sight of his former friend. "You know, times change."
"So do friends," with that Kakashi pushed Ishida back and jumped down to a lower branch. But the red headed foe wasn't giving up. His feet left the branch he was on and he landed next to Kakashi. This time he was too fast for him. Ishida had Kakashi pinned and a kunai on the edge of his heart.
"Now tell me, have I beaten you yet?" his evil laugh rang through Kakashi's ears. He wasn't going to die and leave Naruto alone with Ishida.
Kakashi put a hand on the Ishida's kunai, "Not yet!" he pointed the kunai up and fell to the branch. His leg swung around and kicked Ishida's feet from underneath him. The red head fell back off the tree. He hit the ground hard. His head ached and his back felt worse.
'I'm a fool to let him do this.' Ishida stood up, ignoring the pain. That's when he noticed the orange suit beneath the trees.
Naruto looked up and tried to see his sensei. Nothing was visible in the rain. It had grown darker which made it hard to distinguish what was what. Out of nowhere a searing pain entered his right shoulder. He felt the weight of another person hit him and drive something in.
"Aaah!" the pain was immense. He felt back against the roots. In the same place as before Ishida struck Naruto. The wound widened a little. Blood poured out and down the boy's arm. Ishida removed the kunai and stood back. "What did you do to Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto yelled and then fell back again as a wave of pain over came him.
"You won't be seeing him anymore. As I thought, his student is even more weak."
"No! Your wrong!" Naruto pulled out a kunai with his left hand. Tears ran down his face. But Ishida didn't notice as they mixed with the rain. "Kakashi-sensei!" there was no answer as before.
Ishida laughed at him. This was too much for Naruto, he charged. Ishida smiled, this was what he wanted. Behind his back he readied his kunai. Naruto was inches from Ishida's flesh when...
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Next chapter will be up soon. Probably in a day or two. Please let me know if you don't like something about the story. Don't worry, what happened between Kakashi and Ishida will be revealed in the next chapter.
Next chapter of The Day I Wouldn't Forget You: Tested Nights
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