Chapter 28

Love, Torture, and Pain

Love Breeds Sacrifice, Which In Turn Breeds Hatred. Then You Can Know Pain

-Pain

"Whatever you do not go into that form", Yahiko ordered. Yahiko's eyes quickly surveyed the surrounding valley. His eyes scanned every shinobi that was participating in their ambush. His eyes focused on one in particular. A woman with unusually long hair for ANBU. He watched as she scanned the area, but her eyes kept going to a particular area.

" Or person ", Yahiko thought to himself. "That one", he said pointing toward a male shinobi. "And that one", he said pointing to the masked female ANBU that he was observing.

Nagato nodded in response. Knowing exactly what Yahiko wanted. Nagato's panicked face slowly turned into a very determined methodical look.

"Kill the rest, they are unnecessary", Yahiko commanded. His body disappeared into a shadowy mist. He reappeared behind the fake leader who brought the scroll and slit her throat, before she fell to the ground he did the same to one beside her. A man jumped on him from behind but he countered his body weight and rolled on top of them. Yahiko's stretched his arm and punctured the man's heart and lungs three times before moving on to the battle. The more his body disappeared the more bodies were on the ground.

The smell of blood filled Nagato's nostrils. He saw an ANBU woman come straight toward him and disappear , she was soon in front of him. However, instead of landing an attack, he cut her in two. He did some hand seals and issued two shadow clones. As if on cue, he caught an arrow that was aimed for his head, with his chakra he rescinded it to the owner, and an explosion was heard. Smoke, heavy debris, and bodies dropped from the cliff, leaving smoke to cover the current battlefield.

"We should retreat!", screamed one of the masked ANBU. The woman who Yahiko targeted nodded. She sent out a white flare of smoke. She watched as her squadron started to retreat, however, one by one were slashed down as soon as a black shadow was behind them. Her heart started to beat fast as she scanned the area as if looking for something or someone. Then her eyes met with Nagato's eyes. He cocked his head to the side as if staring directly at her. His purple spiral eyes seemed strategically deadly like he already had her name on a grave. It made her freeze with fear. Her arm started to be pulled in the other direction. "LET'S GO NOW", screamed the masked ANBU.

She nodded and was about to take off, with a teleportation justsu, but it didn't work. Even more panic started to set in her veins. She took breaths and tried again. But all of her chakras was depleted and there was nothing that she could do. "RUN", she screamed. They started to but Nagato appeared in front of them.

"I don't think so", said Nagato suddenly behind him. "You are one of the ones Yahiko wants, and I do my best to fulfill his desires", the ANBU's comrade tried to thrust a kunai into his body. However, they weren't quick enough and Nagato grabbed their hand and ripped their soul from their body. The person's mask fell, and he dully looked to the sky.

The man screamed, reminding them that the target was near Nagato. Nagato summoned a coffin-like prison and arms outstretched grabbing the terrified ANBU and pulling him inside.

As planned, the female rushed toward the man trapped in the locked coffin. Nagato captured her with ease as he summoned the earth from beneath her. The female ANBU's hands and feet were entangled in rock chains, laced within Nagato's chakra. He stalked toward the female, his tall frame towering over her.

Within mere minutes Yahiko slaughtered the entire squad of shinobi. His entire body was covered with the blood of the people who he unmercifully slayed. The woman looked in terror as Yahiko was coming her way. The coffin followed him, hovering a few inches above the ground. He bent down to eye level.

He sighed. "I must warn you I am in a very bad mood" he scratched his eyebrow. "So if you will please answer concisely and truthfully, because I may accidentally kill you in the most tortuous way", his baritone voice held a controlled irritation as his voice escaped his lips.

His hand went through his orange hair. The blood on his hands intermingled with the dirt in his hair. It made him look even more hellish to the woman below him.

Nevertheless, his thoughts automatically went to Konan. Then to his children, they were probably captured by now from Hanzo. The only thing that gave him hope is that Konan had years of experience with Hanzo and knew how to manipulate him for everyone's survival and he knew that Hanzo couldn't kill Masaru or Soraya without killing himself. A very bad fail-safe, but one he needed so Nagato wouldn't lose control.

"You won't get any infor-" A man's screams escaped the coffin. Screams of pure agony reached her ears and tears started to form in her eyes. She wanted to cover her ears but she couldn't. Her face scrunched up in emotional agony and tears formed in her eyes, as she did everything in her will to escape the chains. But the more she writhed against them the more tortuous anguish surged through her body.

"Did I say you, I meant your lover", he laughed briefly, but it was a dark laugh. The kind of chuckle one uses when they are about to snap. Yahiko was at his breaking point. Thinking back it was so obvious that this was a trap. Konan and his children were alone. Unprotected. Had this ANBU not underestimated them Nagato would have been killed, and their dreams for a better Amekagure. His anger started to bubble over and the screams of the man inside the floating coffin intensified.

Nagato placed a hand on Yahiko's shoulder. "They are okay, I know it", he whispered. "I understand how you feel, but wait until you get the information we need", a kiss was placed on his cheek.

The woman looked at him fiercely at him but as the minutes passed her stern glare softened. "Now, that I have your attention, I can make this quick if you give me the information I need, both of you can run away together because, I am a hopeless romantic, thanks to my former sensei, but if you should continue this process I will release him, and torture him in ways your training hasn't even covered." He took off her mask to reveal a silent crying face. He then tucked a hair behind her ear. She cowered at his touch and turned away from him. It was then she finally saw the battlefield where her comrades' bodies were strewn across the valley. "Now, who are you"

"We have no name", she said truthfully. "We only serve our Master", she added.

"What does he call you", Yahiko asked motioning to the coffin. "At night when you are together intimately"

"Aki", she whispered clearly uncomfortable giving him what she deemed intimate information.

"Aki, a beautiful name for a beautiful face", said Yahiko as he cupped her chin. "What do you call him?"

"He didn't like being called a name", she answered truthfully.

" Interesting", he thought. "Maybe you two didn't come up with a perfect name yet like yours", in a nurturing manner he brushed off some dust from her uniform.

"Darling, you are making me jealous", teased Nagato., He could sense that it took everything in Yahiko not to kill her. Nagato knew that he was literally counting the ways he could kill, torture, and maim her. He recounted the day Yahiko memorized the human anatomy, and how enthusiastic he was about discovering all the ways a human can survive, even with excruciating pain.

"Right can't have that, now who is your master", the man's screams got even louder.

"There is no point, I will die, either way, I would rather die for my village", she cried out.

"Oh! Are you talking about the justsu placed within you to make you explode if it senses any form of betrayal?", Yahiko questioned. The stunned look on her face gave him the answer that he needed that it was the case.

"I already nullified it", said Nagato. "All you have to do is answer questions, and you and your partner can live safely under Amekagure. After some detailed measurements are taken, I sense you and your partner have been plotting an escape for some time"

"Now, who sent you, like I said I'm not in a good mood", Yahiko demanded.

"Promise me, you will keep him safe, and I will pledge my loyalty to you", Aki pleaded. The screaming ceased and Yahiko nodded.

"Talk", was his simple reply.

"Danzo, Danzo of the Leaf, but this is an unauthorized mission from Konoha, so please spare the village"

"I will spare the village, for now, if you tell me exactly why Danzo wants us dead", replied Yahiko.

"Hanzo and Danzo see you as a mutual threat to their business and to the village, and the girl got too close to one of his targets in Konoha", Yahiko turned his head to the side. "So she will also be a target for extermination", she added.

"You mean Soraya? What targets do you mean?", he asked.

"Danzo looks at any child he thinks has potential and she was popular amongst the children, even I don't know which person it is, but I do know he wants her dead for reasons other than that, but that's all I know", she pleaded.

"You're lying", stated Nagato. He could always feel when someone was lying or any negative emotions, that was an inherited trait as an Uzumaki. Usually, he didn't take part in Yahiko's methods, but something snapped in him when his daughter's name was mentioned. If all of them were targets that meant his entire family was in danger. That enraged him.

Yahiko rolled his eyes and sighed in irritation. "Loyal to your village until the end I see", he rose and looked down at her with a sour look. "Pity, I did hope that you two could live in happily ever after"

"NO PLEASE!", before she could plead anymore Yahiko snapped his fingers and two shadow dogs were summoned. As the essence of the shadow touched her skin she felt a burning sensation before she felt a bite in her shoulder and her limbs being unmercifully pulled apart.

"I told you", he said over her screams "I'm in a very bad mood", enunciating the last three syllables. The dogs gnawed at her flesh and her blood and guts were outstretched beneath her. There was a final painful cry in the coffin and gallons of blood spilled from it, flowing and mixing with her own.

"No", she cried as she saw her lover's lifeless body fall to the ground.

"You cry for a pathetic man like that", he said. He bent down to her soon-to-be-dead corpse. "He never loved you don't you get it", he caressed her cheek. She choked out a sob, and then blood sputtered out her mouth. "The fact that he gave you a pet name, and he never allowed you to call him one, made it pretty obvious" he sighed. "In your next life, find someone that fully appreciates you"

"Why would you give me this pain", she sputtered out.

"Because Pain is the only way to true peace", he said as the shadow dogs took a bite out of her face. She couldn't scream as a dog took a bite, snathed, and ate her vocal cords.

Kakashi entered the Hokage's office, it was early morning, and the normal hustle and bustle had not started yet. Hiruzen looked up from his paperwork and went back to work.

"You know you can't go on a mission right now, the rule is in place in part because of you", said Hiruzen. "But maybe you can help me with this selection process"

"Is it the Diplomatic Program?", asked Kakashi.

Hiruzen furrowed his brow. "How did you know that", Hiruzen asked.

"You should choose Priya Rui", Kakashi said in his normal nonchalant tone.

"There are so many candidates that qualify for this, with far more experience", he started to argue.

"Exactly, you need more of an idealist, than someone who has baggage of the past, someone who can objectively look at the needs of Konoha and other countries. She's smart, loyal and knows how to get what she wants, but she is also very kind. And after meeting her, I think she is the essence of The Will of Fire", Kakashi stated firmly.

"And you know this how?", Kakashi brought a copy of her school file to Hiruzen, which was provided by Iruka.

"She is very popular in her class, however, her best friends are Naruto and Sasuke. Think about how she is handling this dynamic. The most hated person and the most beloved in the class. She has found a way to avoid the vengeance of any jealous girl and maintains popularity despite being very vocal of being Naruto's friend, a major feat for a seven-year-old"

Hiruzen nodded. "I see, well I give it some more thought"

"No, she's the best, give her first assignment", Kakashi demanded. He wasn't going to allow any age discrimination to be the reason for her not getting the opportunity. If he could handle war at that age, she could learn the skills needed for being a diplomat. "Also, I need temporary guardianship of her, she is sick and in my home"

"How did that happen?", Hiruzen asked in total confusion. "She's an asset!", he exclaimed. She truly was as the Rui were key to fixing the birth rate in their most powerful clans "Why hasn't the orphanage not been taking care of her", he balled a piece of paper and exhaled in disgust.

"It doesn't matter", Kakashi said interrupting the Kage's mini outburst. "She's with me now, well until my next mission, then she can go back", he said in his normal nonchalant tone.

"Well your next mission is with her", Hiruzen corrected. "Along with Might Gai"

"Excuse me, what", he said in shock. "I will not be taking C-level missions",

"B-level then!", Hiruzen exclaimed. "Her first assignment is in Sunagakure and observe the Kazekage, his family, and successors and write a report and discuss with Konoha's council. She will need to be escorted, and since you know her so well, it will make her more comfortable" Kakashi gave him a suspicious look. "Especially, since she is now in the diplomatic program." Hirzuen pushed the files back to him.

Kakashi grumbled but Hiruzen's thinking was very logical. But, he couldn't help but feel there was an underlining intention behind placing him in her escorting party. "I will tell her the news"

Hiruzen nodded. "Well that decreases my paperwork, you will be leaving in a month, and I will have your stipend for taking care of the girl as well added to your pay, as you are her foster parent now"

Kakashi furrowed his brows in confusion. " I'm not her parent, I'm just a temporary guardian ", but he left without saying a word and went back to his home.

"You know there it would be a lot more money if you take in all of the Rui's", Hirzuen waited for his response.

"I wanted to take in Naruto, and YOU said I wasn't ready for the responsibility, you want me to take in four?", his level of anger was rising as it was one of the grudges that he had against him as the Hokage. He had literally watched and protected Naruto the best he could since he was conceived, but could not do it properly as he wasn't allowed to take custody, and him being in ANBU.

"Do you really think you were ready? Besides you being Naruto's guardian will be a political mess, and you already caused one with that eye of yours", the Hokage dismissed his arguments.

"Then Iruka-"

"I can't have our best instructor bogged down with someone like Naruto"

" You're a fucking idiot, Iruka loves that boy as his own", Kakashi thought to himself as he didn't want to agitate the man who knew everything about him, Itachi, and the Ruis. Kakashi put his hands in his pockets and cooled down. " I don't have the resources for four girls, and my plate is already full with the current missions I have", he turned away about to leave.

"Kakashi one more thing before you leave", Hiruzen dismissed everyone in the office, and Kakashi watched them leave and closed the door behind them. "One more thing, anyone that ends up getting close to Naruto, dies", he said gently. "Everyone knows it"

Kakashi thought about what he said and glanced around the room thinking. "Then protect the few that do", he said walking out of the room.

Kakashi arrived at his home but was surprised to see the door unlocked. Panic arose from him and he slowly walked in without making a sound. He clutched his kunai but relief flowed through him when he saw another girl with Priya. She wore yellow. Her thick curls were even thicker than Soraya's and longer. In her hair, she had a yellow ribbon that held it back. The color shined brightly with her deep dark umber skin. She turned to him and bowed slightly before attending back to Priya.

"So you're the one that's taking care of Priya, by the way, I'm Hestia", her voice was childlike but it was smooth and rhythmic. Like every syllable was just a second away from going into a deep melodic tune.

"Hestia", Kakashi returned his kunai to his pouch. "That has a nice name to it." It didn't go unnoticed by Hestia.

"One of Soraya's sisters, and Priya's older sister?", he questioned "Yes, I'm just two years year younger than Eulalia and the second oldest"

"Let me guess telepath?", Kakashi asked.

"No", said Hestia in defeat. "It's hard to explain my power, well powers, but, I don't think they are useful"

"Try me", said Kakashi.

"Well, for one I can feel and see vibrations, or energy, it amplified two months ago", Kakashi thought back and remembered that two months ago he, Itachi, and Soraya battled the Janjira and wondered if it had anything to do with that. It did seem like Soraya got power out of nowhere, and from the letters from Itachi, she had not manifested it again.

"Sounds useful to me", said Kakashi. "What else?", as Kakashi could sense that she was hiding something.

Hestia sat pensively in the chair and closed her eyes. "Someone a little taller than you, and older but same hair color", she paused and seemed to be concentrating a little more. "He really liked this chair, he had a notepad, and pen, took notes a lot, but he sat here and watched a little boy when he was sick after he told him about his mother", Hestia opened her eyes when she realized the little boy was Kakashi. She couldn't tell if he was angry or embarrassed as one eye just stared at her. "I uhh can tell things through objects", she said shyly.

"Noted", he said as he turned to the kitchen to make himself some coffee. "Would you like some tea?" Hestia hesitated still wiping the brow of her sister. "It's a simple virus, there is nothing that you can do with her, might as well converse with me while you are skipping school"

"I'm not skipping", she said defensively. "I have an excused absence, I take my education and training very seriously", her voice rising. Kakashi was reminded of Soraya's affinity toward knowledge. The thirst for knowledge was a consistent strand he found so far in this family. However, all had different motivations for doing so.

"I meant no harm by it", he said. He exhaled. Maybe his communication skills needed some work. He had no idea how to talk to children, especially pre-teens girls.

"I actually like school very much", she softly said staring into her teacup. "Although, everyone is better at it than I am, look at Priya, even Talise is in the top of her class, despite not even trying, and let's not talk about Masaru, he didn't even try he had to be homeschooled because he annoyed the teachers so much, at least that's what my mom said", Hestia got deflated at the mention of her mother and Kakashi knew exactly why. If Soraya's parents were murdered then it made sense that their parents were murdered as well, but he didn't have the information about what exactly happened. Nonetheless, he knew he needed to turn this conversation around.

"I enjoyed school when I was younger", he said as he placed the teacup by her. "Even after my mother died, it got annoying when my father died though, I preferred training and missions after that, good thing my team was there, I grew a lot with them outside of academics", he reminisced. " I guess we are all orphans ", he chuckled to himself at the thought.

"Yes, I never thought I could be so strong!", exclaimed Hestia "But my ninjutsu is horrible,", she deflated again.

"Ninjutsu is not necessarily needed to be a good shinobi, if you train hard and push your limits, I don't see why you can't become a strong kounchi", He brought up his headband and opened his eye to reveal his Sharingan to scan her. "You have immense spiritual pressure, and your body can't handle it yet", he sipped his tea as he leaned against the wall and put his headband right back over his eye. "It will literally rip your body apart", he added.

"Really?", she asked her eyes hopeful.

"I actually have a friend that's Jounin level, that strictly uses taijutsu, and he's stronger than I am", Kakashi said sipping his coffee. "But if you tell him I said that, I will deny it"

"Say what exactly", teased drinking her tea.

"Exactly", said Kakashi pointing his finger at her in a gleeful manner.

Hestia simply smiled and kept drinking her tea. Kakashi thought back to what she initially said about her power, something in him wanted to actually test it out. "Hestia would you like to do some training"

She furrowed her brow in suspicion, also she didn't want to stray too far from her sister. Kakashi held out his hand for her to touch him and she cautiously took it. Unlike most of her sisters, she couldn't really read the room or have an insight into people's actual intentions. Hestia was perfectly okay with that. She liked that people could surprise her. Additionally, she was no stranger to Kakashi's reputation, if this could get her ahead from the bottom of the class, she was going to do it. Nevertheless...

"What about Priya?", she asked.

"I will leave a clone, and her shadows will be here soon anyway", he said referring to Naruto and Sasuke. " Hopefully, they won't bicker and wake her ", he thought. Her fever was still high and she still needed to be monitored

"Fine, let's do it!", exclaimed Hestia full of enthusiasm.

Minutes later they arrived at the training ground. "Wear this", Kakashi gave her a blindfold.

"Why?", she asked

"You can't rely on everything you see.", he stated. "Plus I don't think you will need them". Hestia hesitantly put them on and Kakashi could smell the slight fear she had, but she swallowed and started to get ready. "Aren't you going to go in a defensive stance?", he asked.

"Um sure", Hestia didn't realize that it was spar training, as they rarely did that in the academy for their year, it was mostly getting attuned to their chakra. Unlike, her sister she had trouble with almost everything. Nevertheless, she got into a basic defensive stance.

She felt a hard tap on her left shoulder. And she tried to swat his hand but she was too slow."Did you not sense me?", he asked.

"No, I didn't realize that I was supposed to", she answered.

"I thought you can sense vibrations?", he asked. "Or do you not have control over it just yet?"

"No I see them all the time,", she countered.

"What if you didn't need your eyes, or what if you didn't have them?", he asked. "Have you ever sensed something beyond what you can see", he further inquired. She thought back before she answered him.

"I always know when Tailse is going to prank me, but it's always when she's yards away", she grumbled.

Kakashi wiggled his nose, as he picked up another female scent, which had an underlining scent of rosemary. The person was slowly backing away. "Noted", was his simple statement. It was Talise.

"AHHHH I see what you are doing, your saying rely on my power", she nodded in understanding. Hestia opened half of her blindfold and peaked one eye out. "But how do I do that", she questioned.

Kakashi shrugged. "The Rui's are very much unfamiliar territory even for me" He didn't want to add that he rarely inquired of their clan because of their safety. Choosing rather to gain knowledge through reading. One of these days he would have to go to The Land of Whirpools to see if there was any information in the ruins. "But I do know that it takes years for one to obtain senjutsu, and your clan seems to be born with it", he exhaled. "All I can do is guide you, but try to think back to how you caught your sister", Hestia nodded and put her blindfold back on.

When she put the blindfold back on all she saw was black. Then, suddenly, she saw flashes of colors like vapor. Kakashi was impressed that she dodged her strike, but then he tripped her. "Ow", she yelped.

"That was a good job", It was a good job for someone at her grade level to dodge one of his attacks. On the actual battlefield, she would have died. However, He was also practicing positive reinforcement, something that Gai told him to read about. Unlike in his generation, there wasn't a desperate need for child soldiers, so harshness wasn't needed. His father, thankfully, wasn't as harsh to him as other shinobi clans to their offspring. But that didn't mean he couldn't teach her properly. "Permission to fix your stance", he asked.

"Umm Sure", Kakashi removed her blind for a moment and started to adjust her posture and explaining to her why and how different stances were needed and when. Hestia nodded listening intently to his every word. He pushed her shoulders back and fixed her hands.

"Relax", he commanded gently. She took a deep breath and exhaled.

"Ready", she put the blindfold back and Kakashi smiled as they resumed training.

The sun was starting to set and everyone bone and muscle that was in Hestia's body seemed to ache. Kakashi watched from a nearby tree branch as one knee fell to the ground. They only stopped once for lunch, but she was in such a hurry to continue. After a few deep breaths, she got back up and got right back into a defensive stance. However, moments later she fell to her knees and was about to fall over but Kakashi caught her before she fully collapsed.

"I think we are done for today", he stated.

"But I have to improve", she said in between pants. " Priya is only a grade below me now ", she thought. " And Talise is second only behind her, and I have to take care of Eulalia"

"You have your entire life to improve", he said putting her on his back.

"I'm so exhausted" She sighed. "My body is in so much pain", she groaned. Kakashi started to silently walk home with Hestia in tow, as he already knew that she wouldn't make it to the orphanage, because of how hard she worked during their session.

"Pain is essential to growth", he finally said. He thought back to all the times that he trained with the former Kage and teammates. How hard he, Obito, and Rin trained during the war, all the wounds, scars, and their eventual deaths. "Pain is a sign that we fought to live another day, the question is if you can withstand it"

"We should do this again", Kakashi waved his head in uncertainty but gave into her. This was a spur-of-the-moment thing, and kids weren't really his specialty. Killing, Espionage, slight torture, and having chronic nightmares about Rin's death-that was his comfort zone. But this brought a different pace. And he silently liked it.

"Fine, but I won't go easy on you", he firmly stated. The truth was he really wasn't. The Academy didn't usually teach girls to their full potential, even separating them for different lessons in certain arenas. Instead, he would push her to her limits to ensure that she wouldn't die on missions. He could tell she had the mental fortitude and like her sister The Will of Fire was very present.

"I can, I'm willing to do anything to help my sisters", Kakashi smiled under his mask at the comment. "No matter the pain, or how much I suffer", she whispered as she dozed off on his back. Kakashi heard the slight snoring and silently prayed that her suffering would be at a minimum during her lifetime.

Notes:

Very emotional chapter because you are starting to see a beginning of a family form and the beginning of the End of another.