Chpater 5: A Meeting In the Dark

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"We'll ask you again, where is Akira Ishida?" The ANBU were having trouble with their captive. Apparently he had trained himself to resist certain jutsus. This made them depend on his just giving up and telling them. But so far the foriegner was silent. Not even a peep about Ishida.

Yet his mind was full of other things. Sometimes he babble on about the old country of his. Others it would be about his thick headed brother. "Kuzu isn't the sharpest knife in the drawer, if you know what I mean. Why just before we came here, he mouthed off with our new teamate. I guarentee you that he won't stand for that." Misha continued on. The ANBU members had no choice but to listen. Maybe somewhere in there, there would be valuable information.

One of the newer members actually got interested in the stories. He was now asking questions about Kuzu and the rest of the raiding party. "So, who was this new guy?"

"Oh, some old friend of Master Ishida. I haven't quite gotten his name right. I think it's something like... Kakisha. No, that's not right. It's close," he thought for a minute. The other members had gotten tired and let the two talked. They waited outside the room. "Help me out would ya?"

"Sounds close to Kakashi. He was a jounin in our village. But he died a few weeks ago. Kakisha... maybe-"

"Wait! Kakashi! That's it. His name's Kakashi. His was silver. Came out of nowhere. He had this one boy with him. Blonde, shrimp of a kid. Very energetic, let me tell you. Almost got away from me when I tried to catch him."

Now the young member was interested. He had to tell the others, "Hold that thought!" His chair slid and he went to the door.


Naruto sat there. His face, his thoughts, everything had been stunned. "Are- are you sure?"

"The man who landed on you, was the one who attacked me. I'm certain." Sakura reached out her hand and put it on the boy's shoulder. But Naruto didn't move or blink; he was hardly breathing infact. Her hand moved back to her lap. The white sheet was a little wet from her crying. The news had hurt her as well.

In a whisper, the blonde told her, "Kakashi-sensei wouldn't do that," his fingers twiddled and he looked down at his hands. "He just...couldn't." Now his arms lay limp to the side. And silence engulfed the both of them.


The Copy Nin of Konoha was not to be attacked so easily. But when the Dark User was now filled with rage and fear. For no one had ever defied him before. He was use to power. Now this strike had sent him off the edge.

When Ishida leaped forward, Kakashi turned around and met him half way with a kunai. But Ishida knew better. The black chakra formed around his hands. Forcing Kakashi to pull back. He slid back and hit the wall. Pieces of his kunai falling to the ground.

"You made a mistake!" a flash of black, red, and silver. Soon Ishida and Kakashi were running up the walls in the room. Couches and other furniture were being shredded and flipped over. The room was small. Not much room for attacking, or blocking. It was enough for the jounin. He pushed Ishida away as he charged, and jumped out the window. 'Tag,' he thought.

The ground seemed closer than usual. But that only helped Kakashi. For he had his feet on the ground. The grass waved a little. "The trees," he said aloud to himself. It was no time to keep thoughts bottled up inside. For it took too much time up. The silver head was lucky to have moved when he did. Ishdia came flying out of the window. And landed right were Kakashi had been standing. His hand shoved into the ground. Now only his wrist shown.

Kakashi dared to look back. He saw Ishida with his entire hand in the ground. But he wasn't going to let down his guard just yet. He wasn't going to run away either. His legs parted to form a fighting stance. The jounin was just about ready for chidori when... The ground around Ishida's hand insinerated. Now only his hand, glowing with dark chakra, remained in a small crater.

The laugh. Here it came. The one Ishida was infamous for. "Now, this is what I've been waiting for." And it was. Ever since he was boy, he had wanted to fight Kakashi. It was hard when they were friends. For his desire would essencially tear them apart.

The Dark User lifted his arm and got ready for a charge. Just as his eyes caught Kakashi's hands forming a seal. Then he saw something of his former friend, he had never before. Something that would send Ishida into a panic.


Tsunade walked into the room. She hadn't expected such a quiet scene, such a sad feeling in the air. The sanin came into a room with both genins looking down at their hands. Naruto's shoulders slumped. Neither of them had noticed her entrance. She didn't mind, obviously something had happened. Then Sakura's eyes wondered. "Tsunade-sama!" her face flushed just a little bit, as if she were embarressed.

"Am I interrupting something?" Naruto looked up at the Hokage. Without saying a word he stood up. Slowly he made his way to the door. His hopes of finding his teacher, had now dimmed to nothing but a smoldering coal. Tsunade felt an urge to ask questions. But did not, for she knew it was best to leave him alone. After he had shut the door behind, she turned to her own medical student.

"It's about Kakashi-sensei," but Sakura could utter no more words to the sanin. Tsunade already heard the news from the ANBU members that interogated Toshibu Misha.

"I've heard, from our captive, that he's alive. Do you know if this is true?"

"Yes," she had done much crying in the past days. Now she would shed more tears. "Yes, I do. He- he was with that Ishida person. He was part of the raid." Tears and soft sobs made it hard to speak. This was a problem for her. She did not want to cry. 'I can't act like this. Naruto, I have to be strong for you.' The young girl's heart began to feel heavy. Then she noticed that Tsunade had moved to Naruto's seat.

"Sakura, I need you stop. I need you to tell me where you saw him last. Do you know who else saw him?"

With her sight blury with tears, she stared into her Hokage's eyes. "I'm sorry. I-I last saw him..." now her lip trembled. Her mind recalled the feeling of the blood flowing from her. The light fading and darkness overcoming her vision. The queezy feeling that had a tight grip around her stomach. Sakura could barely control herself. But finally she blurted it out; half shout, half cry, "He attacked me! Naruto too! The last I saw of him he was heading towards the memorial stone. Naruto said he left the village." Now her cries were unstopable, "It wasn't him! He wasn't the same when he was fighting those shinobi. I'm afraid, Kakashi-sensei was only brought back to himself after striking me."

Tsunade said nothing. What could she say. But the sanin had gotten the information that she wanted. And again, silence. Then Tsunade stood up, "Thank-you Sakura. I'll leave you to rest. You may check out before the day is out. But no earlier than noon." The door once again shut.


His blonde hair cushioned his head. The stone of the hospital was cool, for now the trees cast shadows. Thoughts ran through his mind. He needed to find Kakashi. He needed to find his teacher. Not the one that Sakura had seen, fighting blindly during the raid. But the sensei he had known and loved. Before Ishida. The Kakashi before Ishida.
It was like birds. Cheaping histaricly. Then it was lighting. Uncontrolable, at first glance. Actually there was much control. But how would the Dark User know that. Kakashi gripped his wrist. The fight would take forever, with Ishida in the lead, if it continued as it was. Hopefuly, chidori would stop it. Yes, he had thrown the first punch. That was as far as he wanted it to go. Now, it was too late to turn back.

The light flashed in his eyes. He had never seen this side of his 'friend.' The red head didn't know what to do. First all the cards had been in his control. Never would he have predicted this. Now that he realized the danger, the feeling was coming back to him. It was a feeling he hoped he would never have to expierence again. It was something he couldn't control. But there was a threat. And he had no choice but to get rid of it.

Kakashi stood there. He couldn't wait much longer. It was now or never. So the jounin thrust his hand into the ground. Next thing he knew, his feet were moving across the grass and Ishida's figure was growing. Only a couple of feet away, when...

A look of worry. A cry out. A shout. Nothing.

xxx

At first, it was hard to tell what was going on. First it was dull, but as time went by, the pain grew. 'What happened?' Not much came to mind. It was slow. What did happen? The last thing he knew, he was charging at Ishida. When Ishida's face went from anger to... fear. 'No,' had Ishida killed him. No, that wasn't possible. He could feel pain. You weren't expose to when your dead. At least if your not in Hell.

That had to be it. But wasn't there expose to be fire. Flames. Or something. Eternal darkness. He never thought of it that way. Then, something. Some one or something was touching him. A touch to the head. Antoher against the arm. A sigh. Then another yell. It was Ishida's voice. Yet, not quite his. Another's was there as well.

Then slowly, a light. 'I must be alive.' Then, he could open his eyes. And before him, stood the red head. His arms on his hips. Hair ruffed, frustrated, and angry. At who? It was one of the brothers. 'Let's see, short hair, must be Kuzu!' Kakashi couldn't help but wonder why Ishida was angry at him. 'What happened?' He screamed in his mind.

Kuzu pointed. Ishida's eyes followed. Then a half smile. "Kakashi," his eyes narrowed. He walked away. Then Kakashi was able to survey the room. It wasn't the one Ishida and him had destroyed. It must have been one of the many underground rooms. The walls were a tan, fake wood. The rest of the room was lit by several lights in the corners. A TV screen sat against the wall. Then Kakashi noticed a small chair. It was stuffed and kind of short. Then, he saw that he was laying on a bed. Several places on the wall revealed mice in cages.

The jounin sat up. Immediately his hand flew to his head. Kuzu stepped forward, "Ishida didn't like da way I handled ya. Beat ya 'cross the head. Wid dat stick. Broke it, that's went da boss got angry. He was afraid I'd gone and killed ya. But I knew better." Then his back leaned against the wall. Kakashi could have sworn that he saw dust fall.

He threw away the blanket that was on him. His legs whirled around and his placed themselves on the floor. Kuzu had hit him pretty hard. For his vision was a bit blurry still. A warm sensation came to the back of his head. 'Great,' he noticed he most likely had a cuncussion.

"I"m going out. Need some air. Tell Ishida not to worry." To his surprise, Kuzu made no notion to stop him. Instead he opened the door and let the jounin leave.

xxx

Kakashi walked through several hallways before finding himself a way out. Spiders, mice, and other things crawled along the floors. Finally he found the right door. It was almost sticking out like a soar thumb. Light had been shining under the door.

When he turned the knob, it opened! "I guess Ishida doesn't bother to lock his doors." Then a relief came over Kakashi. For the door led outside.

, Into the night air, quickly he moved. His feet scraping the branches. He moved ever so quietly. There was something he had to say. Something he had to do. Before it was too late.


The stars had finally come out. But sleep did not conqure him. For what he had learned that day, kept his mind running and twisting. So did his body. The covers became a mess. It was too much. "Ugh!" Naruto sat up in bed. No sleep would come to him tonight. "Might as well eat something," but as he was moving to the kitchen part of his room, he noticed that the moonlight from the window was disturbed.

The blonde turned around. His feet slipped though and he fell face first on the floor. An almost fear like feeling struck him. The window was now open and a dark figure stood before him. "Are you okay?"

The familiar voice brought out a smile, and Naruto looked up into his sensei's eyes.


Ishida is known as the Dark User. This is because, of course, of his using of the black chakra

Hoped ya like this one.

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