Chapter 15

One Door opens...While Another Closes

Danzo paced the small space between the bars of his cell and growled low in his throat. This latest twist was far from acceptable, but it would do nothing more than delay the inevitable. He would get out of this prison...and he would track down the bastards who had the nerve to turn his plan around on him! Who did they think they were? Choosing to discredit him and his ROOT forces while stealing away in the early morning hours with that Hatake brat! He would make certain none of them lived to see their escape as anything more than a delay of the inevitable. If it took him the rest of his days, he would choke the life out of Kakashi Hatake himself and show them all that the boy was never worth the loyalty they showed him.

Danzo smirked at that thought, his hands twitching at the imagined pleasure of sliding his fingers around the pale neck of Sakumo's son until his lips turned blue and the lack of air did him in. Ah, yes. It would all be worth it in the end. If he couldn't have that genius under his control, then he would make certain no one else did either...particularly such a rogue band as the Akatsuki.

The key turning in the cell door's lock roused him from his thoughts. Danzo turned his gaze toward the emotionless masked-man standing before him and frowned. "You're late."

The man went down on one knee and bowed his head. "The ANBU guards proved to be more diligent than expected, Lord Danzo."

Danzo walked toward the opened door and paused just next to his liberator. "You have disappointed me."

With that single phrase uttered, the ROOT member's head lowered farther and Danzo walked into the corridor where two more members of his elite force awaited him. The quiet sound of a body hitting the floor, followed by the faint smell of acrid smoke told him that the operative who had freed him from his captivity followed the ROOT protocol to the letter once his disappointment was voiced. By the time the Konoha elite arrived, all they would find would be the ashen remains of that operative.

Kakashi leaned his back against the trunk of the tree, pulled his knees in, and closed his eyes. He hadn't gone more than fifteen hundred yards from where the others were staying, and he was feeling exhausted. The wounds on his legs were burning, and there was a tightness in his chest that worried him more than a bit. A fine sweat covered his skin, and when a cool breeze rustled the leaves of the tree it also sent a chill through to his bones. It was nearly impossible for him to remember what he'd felt like just one short month ago. Back then, he'd been nearly unstoppable as a member of the Akatsuki. He'd had his health, his strength, his chakra...and what he'd thought had been a clear purpose. Now, nothing was so clear. His beliefs had been turned on end once more. His purpose stripped from him as his mind grappled with the fact that what Itachi had imprinted over his true memories were lies.

Kakashi groaned and stretched his legs out in front of him. He'd meant to walk out to the edge of the southern quadrant of the patrol area to meet up with Kensei, but halfway there his body rebelled, and now here he was trying to catch his breath even as he attempted to sort through his chaotic thoughts. Kakashi tipped his head back until he could see into the canopy of leaves and he chuckled. Who would have ever thought that this would happen the infamous Copy-ninja? Certainly not him!

"Do you really think you should be out here on your own Kakashi-sensei?"

The sound of Iruka's voice caused Kakashi's muscles to tense more than he wanted to admit. He frowned. He hadn't heard the teacher's approach, and thanks to the chakra seals, he hadn't sensed it either. Kakashi turned his head until Iruka came into view. The chunin looked like he'd just climbed out of bed with the way his chestnut hair was half in and half out of its normal fastener. Kakashi tried his best to cover his uneasiness at being caught unaware by abusing the man.

"Is that an invitation to rejoin you in your bed, Sensei?"

A wash of red colored Iruka's cheeks, and the man's mouth pulled down into a frown. "That's not funny, Kakashi! I don't know why I even bothered to check up on you. You're obviously just fine!"

Iruka started to turn around and storm off toward the house when Kakashi let a noisy stream of air out through his teeth, causing the man to pause and turn back toward him. "Sorry Iruka. Sometimes it just comes out before I can stop it."

Iruka turned back toward him and narrowed his eyes, as though trying to see if he was kidding him again. "It's okay, Kakashi. I imagine this can't be too easy to take, huh?"

Kakashi raised his eyebrows and motioned for the man to take a seat. "What makes you say that?"

The younger man settled in front of him and smiled. "Hmmm...let me think about it for a second. Kakashi Hatake...genius shinobi...Copy-ninja...teacher of troubled teens...and most recently, missing-nin and Akatsuki member." The chunin scratched at his head. "Did I miss anything?"

Kakashi scowled and crossed his arms dejectedly. "How about Killer of Annoying Sensei?"

Iruka chuckled. "Very funny Kakashi. So, add to all that your current physical state, and those chakra seals, and I imagine you are probably a bit out of sorts."

Kakashi sighed and closed his eyes, feeling wearier than he had in years. "You don't say."

"Kakashi, all I'm saying is that I understand if you are...well...you know..."

Kakashi kept his eyes closed, trying not to let the teacher's sudden silence pull him deeper into his despair. "What do you mean, Iruka? Do you mean you understand if I'm a bit unstable? A bit off my rocker? A few cards short of a full deck?"

"Ah...perhaps the Sensei meant he understood if you were a bit melodramatic, Brother." A new voice entered the conversation which caused Kakashi to snap his eye open in apprehension.

Standing before Kakashi, with one dark-nailed hand firmly grasped around Iruka's neck, while the other was placed across the Sensei's mouth, was Zetsu. A strange look was settled in the plant-man's eyes and it caused Kakashi's heart to race. "What are you doing here, Zetsu?"

The darker half of the man chuckled. "Is that any way to greet us after so long, Brother?"

Kakashi chuckled darkly, making no move from his current position. "What's wrong, Zetsu? Were you expecting me to jump up and throw my arms around you in relief? I'm sorry, but after everything that's happened, I'm afraid I don't have the energy for that right now."

Zetsu's mantle rustled at his words, and Kakashi noticed the darker half's fingers dig into Iruka's neck a bit more, causing the chunin to struggle to draw in a breath. Only now did Kakashi notice the vine-like protrusions keeping Iruka's arms planted firmly to his sides, and he realized that his own well-being wasn't the only thing at stake.

"Perhaps we can entice you to rejoin us all the same, Brother. After all, if you don't, I might have to spend time getting to know your companion here a bit more." Zetsu pulled his lips back on both sides of his face to reveal a row of sharp teeth as he bent his head toward the chunin's face and drew his tongue up the man's cheek.

"His taste intrigues me. It reminds me of ink, paper...and...mmmm...children." Iruka let out a most unmanly squeak from behind Zetsu's hand and his eyes went wide.

Kakashi glared at the Akatsuki member and wished fervently that he had access to his chakra so he could push a Chidori right through that smug face. But he didn't. And as far as Zetsu knew, he was still firmly ensconced in the Akatsuki's goals, so maybe he could use that to his advantage, and keep Iruka from becoming the carnivore-plant's latest meal.

He slowly pushed himself up to standing with the help of the tree, and placed his hands into his pockets. "Mah...I always thought Orochimaru was the one with a thing for kids, Zetsu. So why don't you just let the sensei go and we can head back to where the others are surely waiting? I imagine by now the time-line is a bit behind schedule, right?"

Zetsu tipped his head slightly and narrowed his eyes at Kakashi. "You are still concerned about the Akatsuki's goals?"

Kakashi shrugged. "Why wouldn't I?"

"You continue to surprise us, Brother."

Kakashi pulled one hand out and scratched at the back of his head. "I am curious though, Zetsu. How did you actually track me down?"

Another grin stretched across the Akatsuki member's face. "We didn't, Kakashi."

He raised his eyebrows at that. "Oh? Then your rescue is nothing more than just a wild coincidence?"

Zetsu released his hold on Iruka and pushed the chunin to the ground between them. "We tracked this one."

Kakashi narrowed his gaze. "Why? How could you know he was even with me?"

Zetsu's mantle fluttered. Kakashi knew it was his version of chuckling. "Simple. Itachi learned of it from another paper-pusher in Konoha and shared the information with us. Once the knowledge was there, it was child's play to locate the man's chakra."

Iruka struggled against the vines binding him until he was more or less upright on his knees. Kakashi watched the chunin shake his head in disbelief. "No! There's no way my friends would ever tell anyone willingly!"

Zetsu shifted his focus toward the chunin. "Did you hear me say anything about it being willingly given?"

Shit...that could only mean one thing. Itachi had used his sharingan on someone close to Iruka. Kakashi only hoped that Itachi hadn't permanently damaged whoever he'd managed to interrogate. Meanwhile, he still needed to find some way to keep Iruka safe while stalling the Akatsuki member long enough for Kensei or one of the others to show up.

"So, Zetsu, I'm touched that you all finally decided to come find me, but there are a few loose ends to tie up before we can go back, don't you think?"

The Akatsuki member's golden eyes flashed with something close to joy as his gaze swept over the kneeling chunin. "I agree, Kakashi. Shall we start with him?"

"What?!" Iruka's eyes went wide and he fell backward trying to put distance between himself and Zetsu as the Akatsuki member took two steps toward him.

Kakashi quickly stepped between them and tried to defuse the sudden blood-lust that he saw within Zetsu's eyes. "Ah, that wasn't quite what I was talking about."

The darker side actually snarled at him. "What other loose ends could there be that truly matter, Kakashi?"

The points along the edges of Zetsu's mantle glistened in the light with something Kakashi could only guess was some sort of toxin, and he knew instinctively that he'd likely just saved Iruka from a rather painful death. He tried to spur his genius mind into high gear to come up with something...anything...that might change the Akatsuki member's wish to kill the sensei.

"The seals, Zetsu. What about the seals?"

That caused the plant-man to pause and tip his head, his lighter side finally taking over the conversation. "What about the seals, Kakashi?"

Internally, Kakashi sighed in relief that his bait was taken. Now he just needed to reel him in. "Only the person who set them can release them, Zetsu. So, it wouldn't be helpful if you killed him before he could do the task."

Zetsu narrowed his eyes and stepped around Kakashi to glance down at the bound man. "Do you expect me to believe that a set of seals strong enough to keep your chakra in check were placed by this...chunin?"

Kakashi turned around in time to see Iruka's face turn bright red in the telltale signs of his growing anger. "Hey! What the hell is that supposed to mean!?"

Kakashi scratched at the back of his head while shooting an imploring look at the chunin to try and keep him from undoing what he was trying to do. Iruka's eyes met his, and by the flash of embarrassment that he read in those dark orbs, Kakashi was at least sure his unspoken message had gotten through.

Fortunately, Zetsu must not have picked up on their shared communication, because the Akatsuki member's only response to Iruka's outburst was to deliver a well-placed kick into Iruka's side. Kakashi fought back the urge to react to the distinct sound of the chunin's cracking ribs, and hoped that his plan wouldn't end up backfiring before it even began.

"Zetsu...if you break him now, I doubt he'll be able to release the seals all that easily."

Kakashi forced himself to remain unaffected as Zetsu spun to glare at him. "You honestly expect us to believe this man set those seals on you?"

Kakashi shrugged. "Believe what you like...but I doubt Pein will appreciate it if we can't get these damn seals released anytime soon."

Kakashi kept his expression schooled into a look of indifference as he watched Zetsu's gaze shift from him over to where Iruka lay glaring back at them. "You make a valid argument, Brother. We will take him with us for now."

Zetsu turned back to face him. "For his sake, Kakashi, he better not fail at this task. Get him standing and I will prepare for our departure."

Okay, so maybe Kakashi hadn't quite thought this plan through far enough ahead. But as he carefully pulled Iruka up to his feet, he took solace in the fact that at least he'd kept the chunin from being killed outright. With luck, an opportunity would present itself soon where he and Iruka might yet break free of the Akatsuki's hold.

Zetsu's hands soon gripped Kakashi and Iruka's arms and he enclosed them all within a plant shell just before his jutsu pulled them deep into the floor of the forest. Kakashi closed his eyes and hoped his mind would find some way out of this mess for both himself and Iruka...before it was too late.