Chapter 4

Unanswered Questions

Kabuto approached Lord Orochimaru's chamber with trepidation. He'd received the report back regarding Kakashi's ceremony, and now had to deliver the news that he knew might put his Lord in a most foul mood.

Well…no sense putting it off.

He strode forward and was almost to the door, when Sasuke stepped out of the shadows, looking – in Kabuto's opinion – rather silly in the sound village garb Orochimaru preferred. Still, the youth was a bit intimidating as he blocked the path to the door. In addition, Kabuto hadn't sensed the boy's presence at all. It was obvious that he was learning Orochimaru's lessons quickly.

Kabuto did his best to hide his surprise. His tone was thick with sarcasm. "Sasuke Uchiha. How good to see you."

Sasuke showed no response to the taunting. "Lord Orochimaru sent me to see what was taking you so long."

Kabuto frowned. "So, then you know what I was doing?"

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "Of course."

Kabuto cocked his head to one side, trying to read the younger man's emotions. "And it didn't upset you?"

"Why would it?"

Kabuto blinked. "He was your team leader."

Sasuke's face remained impassive. "That was a lifetime ago."

Kabuto nodded. "I see. Then let's not keep Lord Orochimaru waiting."

Sasuke wordlessly pushed the door open and stepped to the side so Kabuto could enter first. Lord Orochimaru's voice greeted them as they moved closer to his chair.

"Ah, Kabuto, you've arrived at last. Thank you Sasuke for your assistance."

Sasuke stepped forward from the shadows next to Orochimaru's chair. "As you commanded."

Kabuto narrowed his eyes at the Uchiha. He hadn't realized the brat was already proficient in the shadow walking jutsu. He'd need to update his records…again.

Lord Orochimaru interrupted his chain of thoughts and cut straight to the point. "Tell me. What character have they marked that Konoha pest with?"

Kabuto shifted his attention back to Orochimaru, took a calming breath, and pushed his glasses back into place.

"Knowledge."

Orochimaru chuckled. "Ah, that would make sense . . . and will be easily countered."

Kabuto cleared his throat. "My Lord. He was also sealed with a second character."

The air bristled with barely contained anger as Orochimaru narrowed his gaze and leaned forward. "What did you say?"

Kabuto swallowed and presented Lord Orochimaru with the data gathered at great risk by his operative. "My Lord, Kakashi Hatake was sealed with 'knowledge' and with 'fate.'"

Lord Orochimaru tipped his head back and laughed cruelly. He glanced to his side to look at Sasuke.

"Perhaps I was too hasty in choosing the student over the teacher."

Kabuto watched Sasuke's fists clench as he snarled his response. "He is not an Uchiha."

Orochimaru smiled. "True, boy. Besides, all this does is make the game more interesting." He chuckled again. "And it gives me a means of fulfilling my current vessel's desires at the same time."

Kabuto and Sasuke each glanced at Orochimaru in confusion. Orochimaru stood and walked into the light. Kabuto saw that the transformation from the vessel was nearly completed. All that remained of the vessel's previous form, under the bandages still covering the Snake Lord, was a shock of silvery-white hair on his head. Orochimaru turned that head toward Sasuke.

Orochimaru's tone was condescending. "I thought for certain that you would have figured it out by now, Sasuke. Ah, but I forget…the people who would have told you such things are gone, thanks to Itachi."

Sasuke stepped forward, his face showing his frustration and anger. "Enough with the riddles. What does your current body have to do with Kakashi?"

Kabuto grinned, having put the pieces together at last. "Of course!" He gestured toward Orochimaru. "This body is from the offshoot branch of the Uchiha clan. I should have recognized it before."

Orochimaru leveled his gaze at Kabuto. "Yes. You should have."

Kabuto swallowed hard. He turned his gaze away from Orochimaru and focused on Sasuke while he finished explaining his theory. "This body is from the Hatake clan…Kakashi's clan. It is a very distant offshoot of the Uchiha."

Sasuke finished the thought. "Which is why Kakashi can control the sharingan although he wasn't born with it."

Kabuto nodded. "Although it is not complete, and wears on him much sooner than it does for you or Itachi."

Orochimaru returned to his seat and took over the discussion. "I had earmarked this clan early on for other skills it possessed, and acquired subjects from the branch quite some time ago." He smiled and ran his tongue over his lips. "Although a few managed to slip through my fingers."

Sasuke's gaze narrowed. "Kakashi."

Kabuto thought he saw a flicker of emotion pass over the boy's face as the name passed his lips.

Orochimaru continued. "Yes…although had he possessed the sharingan at that point, I would have made chase of the runt."

Kabuto nodded. "So, his clan knew he escaped and likely felt betrayed by him."

Orochimaru smiled. "Which made a chance for revenge an enticing offer, and this body therefore a willing vessel."

Kabuto wondered if Orochimaru had known the Akatsuki would go after Kakashi from the start. Or if this turn of events was just a lucky coincidence. "So then, over the years you've already learned the extent of the Hatake clan's natural gifts?"

Orochimaru sighed. "The clan's gifts were easy to chart. However, Kakashi Hatake, it seems, has other talents beyond those of his clan."

Kabuto frowned. It wasn't often Orochimaru admitted he was unprepared. "So will your research prove valuable, my Lord?"

Orochimaru steepled his fingers and glared dangerously at Kabuto. "My research is always valuable, Kabuto…although I will admit that it has its weaknesses where Kakashi Hatake is concerned. Still, I have enough data to make encounters with him a bit less chancy."

Orochimaru grinned, the look causing a bead of sweat to form on Kabuto's brow. "What are your orders, my Lord?"

The smile left Orochimaru's face. "If at all possible, we need to capture Kakashi Hatake alive."

Kabuto wasn't sure he'd heard him correctly. "Alive, my Lord?"

Orochimaru slid his tongue across his lips. "Oh yes. Kakashi Hatake will prove to be a most interesting test subject…don't you think? And you know how I prefer my test subjects to squirm when I begin to work on them."

Kabuto pushed his glasses up. "Yes, my Lord. I'll spread the word at once."

Itachi watched as Kakashi led one after another successful missions into the numerous villages. His expansive knowledge went far beyond the lands of Konoha, and in no time at all, the Akatsuki was more than two-thirds of the way to their goals. Perhaps this would be easier for Itachi to take if the man still wore his mask. Within the darkness of these caves, it turned out, Kakashi resembled Itachi's father in a most disturbing way. It reminded him on a daily basis of the cleansing he'd performed prior to joining the Akatsuki.

Kisame approached from the shadows. "Itachi, the latest task brought you someone to play with."

Itachi's curiosity was peaked, although he kept his expression neutral. "How so?"

"Kakashi swears this person knows the whereabouts of three scrolls that should be attained by the Akatsuki if at all possible."

"And how would Kakashi know this?"

Kisame chuckled. "He was hired as escort when the scrolls were first discovered by this person. I'm beginning to think our Ninth has worked for every village on this continent at one point or another."

Itachi shrugged. "It would not surprise me."

"Are you up for the game, Itachi?"

Itachi realized that if he wanted to know more about the guarded Kakashi Hatake, perhaps he should ask those who had interacted with him over the years. If he happened to learn the location of the scrolls as well, then that was all the better.

"Lead the way, Kisame."

Itachi was not expecting this person to be a young, beautiful woman, but to his surprise it was. That opened up a world of illusions he would be able to use within his Tsukuyomi to break the woman's mind down. She fell under his spell instantly, and in less than half a day within the spirit realm he had the location of the hidden scrolls…and the beginnings of an understanding of the mysterious Kakashi.

From that point on, Itachi made certain he traveled with Kakashi's team. Anytime someone in a village or town seemed to acknowledge Kakashi, they would receive a visit from Itachi shortly after. Within a week, Itachi started to see what Kakashi was made of. After a few more weeks, he began to link the various pieces together. Still, there were larger chunks of the puzzle still missing. Why was Kakashi able to harness the Uchiha bloodline skills? Why was he continually sent on back to back missions with no time spent within Konoha unless it was mission related since he first took up the headband?

The ironic part was that the only two people who would be able to answer these questions were the Third Hokage and, of course, Kakashi. That left Itachi with only one choice…Kakashi.

He arranged to meet the man after the latest Akatsuki gathering. Kakashi Hatake walked toward him looking far too much like Itachi's father in the shadows of the hall. Itachi pushed down his uneasy feelings while Kakashi addressed him with a lazy smile.

"Itachi Uchiha, what's on your mind?"

Itachi considered many different ways to answer Kakashi's question, but finally settled on the straight forward approach.

"Who are you, Kakashi Hatake?"

The man laughed aloud, setting Itachi further on edge. "What's so funny, Hatake?"

Kakashi leaned against the wall, looked up at the ceiling, and crossed his arms. "If you had asked me that question six months ago, I could have answered you easily by saying I am a shinobi of Konoha."

Itachi narrowed his eyes. "And now?"

Kakashi met his eyes. "Now all I can say is that I don't know who I am. But that I do know who I am not." He sighed. "What do you want me to say, Itachi? I am still learning who I am day by day, thanks to you."

Itachi scowled. "That provides me nothing of value, Kakashi Hatake."

"Ah, so you want to know what helped to form who I am, is that it?"

Itachi nodded once.

Kakashi closed his eyes, and for a moment, Itachi thought he wasn't going to say anything more. But those mismatched eyes opened…although they seemed a bit unfocused, and the man spoke softly into the darkened hall.

"Are you aware of what happened to the Hatake clan, Itachi?"

"Only that it disappeared before I was born."

A sad smile pulled at Kakashi's lips. "That's right. After all, I was only three when it all happened."

His gaze grew more distant. "Members of my clan had been disappearing without explanation for the better part of two years – most while out on missions. By the time the pattern was discovered it was too late.

Kakashi could still remember it like it was yesterday . . .

His father, Sakumo Hatake – the White Fang of Konoha, was out of the village with Jiraiya and some others on one mission or another. Kakashi and his mother were meeting other members of the clan for a picnic. He could still hear her voice…

"Kakashi! Don't forget to feed the pups before we go."

He remembered being upset with her for thinking he'd forget something so important.

"I'm already doin' it, Mama!"

"Of course you are, Baby."

Kakashi remembered meeting her dark brown eyes with his fists perched on his hips. "Stop callin' me a baby! I'm almost four!"

His mother smiled warmly as she bent down and kissed him on the forehead before he could dodge it. "I know, sweet Kashi. But you'll always be my baby."

He rubbed at his forehead, frowning at her while they made their way out of their house. They went out of the compound with a dozen other families, and made their way to a clearing far outside the village walls. Once there, Kakashi helped his mother set up a blanket near the others and then was shooed away so that the grown-ups could chat.

Kakashi saw where the others his age were playing games by the stream, but he had no interest in such things. Instead, he moved into the tree-line, took out his practice kunai, and started throwing at the nearest tree just like his father had shown him. After all, when his father returned, he wanted to show him how good he'd gotten. That way he'd be willing to show him something new!

Kakashi was lost in thought when he heard the first screams . . .

By the time the three year old scrambled back to the clearing, all that was left were a handful of crying kids and two or three adults. The others were either dead, dying or being carried away by a group of gray-masked men.

"Kashi!" His mother's terrified voice caught his attention just in time for him to see one of the attackers coming straight at him. "Kashi – run!"

She threw herself between him and the unknown man. "Run!"

The man grabbed hold of his mother by her neck, and with a violent twisting motion, he threw her to the side. Kakashi heard a bone-jarring snap…and watched as she crumpled to the ground.

"Mama!"

The three-year old felt his eyes burn with tears, but he held onto his mother's last words and he ran…narrowly escaping his attacker's grasp time and time again. He used the practice kunai which was still clutched in his hand to fend off one or another hand reaching for him – just like his father had taught him – and he bolted deep into the forest trying the best he could to reach the safety of the Konoha gates.

By the time he got there he was breathless and bleeding. It took the guards a moment to realize what he was trying to tell them. But once they did, they scrambled for the clearing. Kakashi, seemingly forgotten, followed in their wake. But it was over before they got there. The better part of the once strong Hatake clan had been wiped out – or taken – and no one knew who did it…or why.

Kakashi made his way through the chaos to his mother's side. He curled up beside her cooling body and cried, until one of the guards pried him away. He was taken to the hospital until his father returned to Konoha weeks later…kept under guard, just in case anyone else tried to obtain him.

Kakashi learned, earlier than most, of death and the safety of the walls of Konoha. It was the first in a long line of losses he'd experience.

Itachi frowned. "Should I feel some sort of pity for you now, Kakashi?"

Kakashi looked confused. "Pity? No. I was simply trying to answer your question."

Itachi narrowed his eyes as the man moved closer to him. "Itachi, is there some reason that you are trying so hard to learn about me?"

He tried to move away, but Kakashi's hand against the wall stopped him. "You've taken to traveling with me. You've found your way back to every person who so much as acknowledged me. So tell me, Itachi…have you learned all my secrets yet?"

Itachi met Kakashi's gaze. His blood boiled in his veins at how easily read he was by the man. Even his father was never able to tell so much about his thoughts. Perhaps that was part of it. He forced himself to calm down.

"Are you admitting that you have secrets, Kakashi Hatake?"

Kakashi pushed himself off the wall and sighed, his gaze remaining steady. "Everyone has secrets Itachi. Some are better left unknown."

Itachi glared at the man. "And who makes that decision, Kakashi?"

Kakashi narrowed his eyes. "I believe we're done." He turned and walked away.

Itachi watched him leave…the unanswered question hanging in the air.