"Forgive your enemies, but never forget their names." ~ John F. Kennedy

Chapter Six: Apologies

"So, how did it go?" Kakashi asked, reclining against the doorway to the bedroom.

"You're an idiot," Kabuto snapped.

Kakashi appeared rather taken aback. "Excuse me?"

"You. Are. An. Idiot. Can I make myself any more clear?"

"I think I'd rather you didn't," Kakashi said, frowning. "Why am I, as you say, an idiot?"

"Why did you have a bunch of kids babysit me while you ran off doing whatever it is you do when you aren't here?"

Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "Why not?"

"Most people in this village despise me," Kabuto said slowly, as though this should be obvious. "They were no exception."

Kakashi frowned again. "Oh?"

"I have at least four bruises that I did not possess prior to their visit. And they nearly starved me."

Kakashi frowned. "Did you ask for food?"

"Of course I did," Kabuto snapped. "They beat me."

"I see," Kakashi said understandingly. "They humiliated you."

"Perhaps you misunderstand," Kabuto said. "They did not humiliate me, they maltreated me."

Kakashi stroked his chin thoughtfully. "I'll talk to Shikamaru."

Kabuto blinked. "Why?"

"Because I left him in charge," Kakashi replied. "Why, do you have a different story now?"

Kabuto shook his head. "No, I just find it amusing that you would put someone like him in charge."

"And why is that?"

Kabuto shrugged. "He seemed rather disinterested with the proceedings."

"You seem rather disinterested all the time," Kakashi pointed out.

"What sort of qualification does he have to replace you?" Kabuto demanded.

"Well, he's been a chunin for awhile now," Kakashi said.

"Really? He seemed somewhat immature," Kabuto commented, a bit snidely.

"I guess that thought might occur to one if they were being beat up by said chunin despite an obvious inability to fight back," Kakashi acknowledged.

"Oh, Shikamaru didn't attack me," Kabuto said dismissively.

Kakashi blinked. "Well, then who did?"

"The blonde and her obnoxious friend."

"Ino and Kiba?" Kakashi asked.

Kabuto shrugged.

Kakashi sighed. "Well, then I'll go talk to them."

"And leave me here alone?" Kabuto scoffed.

"You're right…" Kakashi mused. "Well, get in the wheelchair."

"Absolutely not," Kabuto said, folding his arms.

"Don't make this difficult," Kakashi said, "If you're going to complain about your babysitters you're going to have to live with the consequences."

"I am not getting in a wheelchair," Kabuto hissed, not thrilled with the prospect of another roving tour of Konoha. "I'll be fine. I can walk now."

"Yes, all the way to the window and back; I'm so proud." Kakashi rolled his eye. "Now get in the wheelchair and let's go."

Kabuto gripped his bed sheets. "Make me."

Kakashi shrugged and reached over Kabuto, grasping Kabuto's right shoulder with his right hand. Kabuto whirled his head around and sank his teeth into Kakashi's forearm.

Kakashi shook his head. "Seriously? How old are you, two?"

"Old enough to walk and not need a stroller," Kabuto replied. "I swear, if you wheel me out there in that thing, I'll, I'll-"

"You'll what?" Kakashi replied, sounding bemused.

"I'll kill myself," Kabuto retorted. "Try and stop me."

"I'll be sure to do that," Kakashi said. "Now get in the wheelchair. And don't make me tie you up, please."

Kabuto shook his head and clung to the bed. Kakashi sighed and stepped closer. Kabuto bared his teeth. Kakashi paused for a moment, before flipping the mattress over decisively. Kabuto landed flat on the floor, the mattress smothering him. "Ow," he grunted. "That's another bruise to add to my collection."

"You'll survive," Kakashi said, picking the mattress up off of the youth. "Either get in the wheelchair or I'll carry you around Konohagakure, and then you'll really look like an invalid."

Kabuto narrowed his eyes, glancing up at the Konoha Jounin. "You wouldn't."

"Yes, actually, I would," Kakashi replied.

"I'm not getting in the wheelchair," Kabuto said, his eyes daring Kakashi to try anything.

Kakashi shrugged and bent down, hefting Kabuto 'damsel in distress' style. Kabuto looked away. "I'll get in the wheelchair," he muttered.

"Too late," Kakashi said, moving for the door.

"No! No, I'll get in the wheelchair, I promise!"

"I just said it was too late for that," Kakashi stated firmly.

Kabuto looked up at the Jounin, wide-eyed. "You can't be serious."

"I am," Kakashi said.

"No, no, put me down, now! Now, put me down! Down! Put me down! Please!"

Kakashi shrugged and dropped the struggling boy without warning.

For the third time that day, Kabuto hit the floor. At least, that's what Kabuto was expecting. Instead, he landed on the mattress that Kakashi had discarded earlier.

"Now, will you do as you're told?" Kakashi inquired, folding his arms across his chest.

Kabuto sighed. "Yes."

"Tell me you're not going to chastise them with me right here," Kabuto said to Kakashi, glancing between the Jounin and the partners in crime.

"We put him in a wheelchair?" Kiba gasped. "I didn't think I kicked him that hard!"

Kabuto scowled. "I needed the wheelchair before you decided to attack a defenseless, bedridden, hungry patient recovering from surgery. You aren't that strong."

Kakashi blinked. He's been very outspoken lately. A bit unusual, considering what he used to be like…

Kiba, meanwhile, was staring at his feet sheepishly. Ino was "casually" looking in a direction that allowed her to not make eye contact with Kabuto or Kakashi.

"Ah, look at that, a strange development, how odd," Kakashi said. "I must leave for a moment, would you two mind staying with Kabuto for me?" With that, the Jounin poofed away… and reappeared about fifteen feet away, whistling casually and staring at the sky.

Kabuto blinked owlishly. "Strange…development… well, that's one way to put it, I suppose."

Kiba and Ino exchanged glances, and then stepped forward quickly. Kabuto stiffened, not sure what to expect.

Kiba frowned. "What? It's not like we're going to attack you again."

Kabuto raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And how am I supposed to be certain of that fact?"

"Well, we aren't," Ino said.

"That's reassuring," Kabuto snorted. "So what are you doing? Why else would Kakashi conveniently slip away? He's obviously giving you another opportunity to finish the job, since you weren't able to kill me earlier."

Kiba growled. "We're not-"

"Why not?" Kabuto shot back. "I'm your enemy, aren't I?"

"Shut up!" Kiba snarled, collaring Kabuto. "Jeez, could you make it harder on a guy to apologize?"

Kabuto blinked, taken aback. "…apologize?" The concept was completely foreign to him. Why would this Konoha ninja apologize?

Meanwhile, Kakashi's "casual" whistling got louder.

Kiba quickly released Kabuto's shirt. "Anyway, I'm sorry," he said gruffly. "Will you forgive me?"

"I'll think about it," Kabuto said, fully intending to think about this apologizing business.

Kiba stepped back and glanced at Ino.

"I'm still mad at you for taking Sasuke away," Ino told Kabuto, scowling.

Kakashi's whistling increased by several decibels.

Kabuto glanced at the Jounin, wondering what in the world Kakashi was doing. Why was he whistling at such an obnoxious volume?

"But I shouldn't have hurt you," Ino said quickly. "I'm sorry."

Kabuto's head snapped back around. "I'm sorry, what?"

"I'm sorry."

"That's what I said," Kabuto frowned.

"I'm sorry," Ino repeated. "For hurting you."

Kabuto blinked. Again? Another apology? Where were the sudden attacks he'd been expecting? Where was their rage for exposing what they'd done? For whatever reason, this apologizing ritual seemed to make Kiba and Ino feel better, though it simply confused Kabuto. However, he felt that apologies were a vast improvement over being beaten senseless.

Kakashi reappeared behind Kabuto. "Well, I managed to solve that matter."

What matter? You were barely fifteen feet from here! Kabuto thought, shaking his head slightly.

"Glad you were able to handle the matter swiftly," Kiba said, rolling his eyes slightly. "See you around, Kabuto. Get well soon."

Kabuto tilted his head slightly. "Wait, what?"

Ino scowled. "Do you have a hearing problem?"

Kakashi suffered from an unexpected coughing fit.

"Um, hope you feel better soon. Bye-bye!" she waved, heading off.

"Thanks, Kakashi," Kiba said. "I better get going too."

Kakashi nodded, smiling slightly. Kiba took off in roughly the same direction as Ino.

Kabuto sighed. "Can I go back to bed now?"

"Nope," Kakashi replied. "We're going to tour Konoha."

"I grew up here," Kabuto groaned, facepalming.

"And I'm sure it's changed since you were here last. For example, look over there, at the finished face of the fifth hokage. And over there, Ichiraku ramen- why don't we get a bowl?" Kakashi wheeled Kabuto's chair into the ramen stand, not giving the boy a chance to protest.

Inside, Kakashi quickly found them a booth, joining Hinata and Chouji. "Hello you two, I brought a friend with me," Kakashi said, gesturing at Kabuto, who was giving the jounin a "What the heck are you saying?" look.

Chouji grinned. "Oh, hi! It's my buddy! Have you been eating well?"

Kabuto blinked several times in rapid succession. "Buddy?" he repeated, unsure of what to make of this development.

Kakashi smirked. "Kabuto, you really need to stop repeating everything people say to you."

"Repeating everything people…?" Kabuto scowled. "Never mind."

Kakashi laughed.

Hinata glanced at Kabuto with a nervous smile. "Um… how are you feeling, Kabuto senpai?"

Kabuto frowned slightly. "Senpai? I'm your enemy. Why would I be your upperclassman?"

"Hinata-chan has no enemies," Kakashi said dismissively.

"But she's a konoha ninja. And a Hyuga. And yet…?"

"She has no enemies," Kakashi insisted.

"Okay, okay, she has no enemies," Kabuto said, then glanced at Hinata. "In answer to your question, I've felt better, but I've also felt worse, and I really don't care right now… so I suppose that today, I feel apathetic."

Chouji extended a bowl of ramen. "I didn't understand a word of that, so just eat. I can understand that."

Kabuto shrugged and accepted the bowl. He was just slurping the first few bites when another person approached the table.

"What, a party and no one invited me?" Shikamaru drawled, wandering over.

Kabuto turned around and glanced up at the chunin. "Oh, it's you. Shougi kid."

"The name's Shikamaru," Shikamaru said, half-lidded eyes glancing at the different members of the group.

"Shikamaru, then," Kabuto acquiesced.

Shikamaru sat, settling down beside Chouji. "How are you feeling?" he asked Kabuto.

"Apathetic," Kabuto responded.

"I was thinking more in terms of the injuries you might have sustained after what happened yesterday," Shikamaru informed him, appearing slightly disgruntled.

"I have at least four bruises, but no broken bones," Kabuto told Shikamaru before returning to his ramen.

"I'm sorry about that," Shikamaru said, accepting a bowl of ramen from Chouji.

"Why?" Kabuto asked. "You didn't do anything."

"But it was my responsibility," Shikamaru replied.

Kabuto shrugged. What was it with these people and apologies? It wasn't as though he'd never been hurt before. In fact, he'd been injured more critically and more frequently during his childhood than at any other time in his life; apparently these Konoha ninja were unused to treating people unethically- prisoners in particular.

"So Kabuto, what was your favorite subject in school?" Chouji asked, trying to make conversation. "Mine was lunch."

"Lunch isn't a subject," Shikamaru reminded Chouji.

"Science," Kabuto answered Chouji, slurping at some more of his ramen.

Chouji blinked. "Really? I would have thought it was reading or something."

"Not everyone who wears glasses enjoys reading," Kabuto told him. "And reading isn't exactly a particular 'subject', either. I do, however, enjoy reading medical journals."

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow. "Really? How did you find time to do that in the past, what with your busy schedule?"

Kabuto gave Shikamaru a look. "Orochimaru didn't baby-sit me, unlike some people I could mention."

Kakashi shrugged apologetically, but said nothing.

"Well, I better get going," Shikamaru said awkwardly, setting down his bowl of half-finished food.

"What? Shikamaru, finish your ramen!" Chouji exclaimed.

"I'm not hungry," Shikamaru told him, turning to leave.

Kakashi stood, and Kabuto expected him to pull the wheelchair away from the table. Instead he said, "I need to talk to Shikamaru for a moment."

"I told you it wasn't his fault," Kabuto interjected, frowning at Kakashi. He didn't want to see what would happen if the one person who supported him was chastised- it would put him in the position of being the reason why Shikamaru was scolded by his superior. The Chunin would blame Kabuto, and Kabuto would end up the worse for wear because of it.

Kakashi paused momentarily, glancing at the recovering "Genin" in surprise. He hadn't expected Kabuto to stick up for Shikamaru. "I'll be back in a minute," he told Hinata. "Don't let this guy fool you into leaving him alone."

Kabuto rolled his eyes. "As if that would ever happen."

Kakashi knew better than to believe the innocent look on Kabuto's face. "Uh-huh. Sure." He wandered off in the direction Shikamaru had departed, glancing back once to see Chouji shoving a second bowl of ramen under Kabuto's nose.

"Shikamaru," Kakashi called after the retreating figure, "Hold up a moment."

The chunin paused, then turned around, sticking his hands in his pockets. "Yeah?"

"I wanted to talk to you about what happened yesterday," Kakashi explained, approaching the Chunin.

"I'm sorry about that, I should have expected that something like that would happen," Shikamaru said, glancing down momentarily before returning his gaze to the Jounin's face.

"You had no way of knowing that they would do what they did," Kakashi replied.

"But I was responsible for them!" Shikamaru argued. "It's my fault."

Kakashi shook his head. "I expected them to act responsibly. You aren't responsible for their immaturity."

"But… he didn't even fight back!" Shikamaru exploded. "He even protected them after what they did to him!"

Kakashi blinked in surprise. "What?"

"He told me that they were not the only ones to blame. He said that he had antagonized them, implying that he was partially at fault," Shikamaru explained.

Kakashi frowned thoughtfully. "He didn't seem very happy with either of them when I had them apologize earlier today."

"That's 'cause he thought you brought him to us so we could, as he put it, 'finish the job'," a voice from behind Kakashi asserted.

Kakashi turned slowly to face Kiba, scowling in confusion. "What?"

"He thought you ran off to your 'strange development' so Ino and I could kill him," Kiba said.

Shikamaru blinked twice before responding. "Oh, that's just great."

"Well, that explains a few things," Kakashi said thoughtfully.

Shikamaru frowned contemplatively. "He really thinks we hate him, doesn't he?"

"Most of the time," came another voice, this one from their right. Three heads whipped around to spot Kabuto, who was being wheeled over by a blushing Hinata.

"He threatened to leave by himself," Hinata offered, "And I didn't want to him to get hurt any more or let him hurt himself, so…"

Kabuto smirked at Kakashi.

Kakashi sighed. "It's all right, Hinata-chan."

Kabuto glanced around the group. "So what is this, a gossip fest? Am I really this interesting?"

Shikamaru shrugged.

"Apparently," Kakashi remarked dryly.

Kiba just grinned. "Have you decided to forgive me yet?"

Kabuto frowned. "Well…"

Kiba glanced at the ground.

"I suppose," Kabuto said after a moment.

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow. "How gracious."

"It's my good deed for the day. Usually I just feed the birds."

Kakashi frowned. "What birds? I don't have any…"

"Oh, just the ones on the windowsill that I can walk to now," Kabuto shot back, smirking.

"You could win a prize for your sarcasm," Kakashi told the "Genin".

"What prize? Pessimist of the year? Or just 'number one smart-aleck'?" Kiba demanded.

"I was thinking more along the lines of 'future ruler of the world,'" Kabuto remarked casually.

Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Before or after your reincarnation?"

"I'm not Buddhist," Kabuto told Kakashi. "I'm planning on only having one life to work with."

"Oh, so you're not Hindu either, then?"

"I'm an agnostic," Kabuto informed him.

Kakashi shrugged. "My condolences."

Kiba frowned. "Is that some sort of terminal disease?"

Kabuto shrugged. "In a sense."

Shikamaru sighed. "I'm surrounded by idiots."

Kabuto and Kakashi glanced at him in consternation. Hinata looked at her hands and blushed harder.

"Male idiots. No offense, Hinata," Shikamaru added after a moment.

Kabuto scowled. "This is what I get for playing Shougi with you? See if I ever challenge you to a game of Go…"

Shikamaru's eyes brightened. "You play Go, too?"

"Not anymore," Kabuto replied, sounding miffed.

Kakashi sighed. "It's going to be a boring four weeks, in that case."

Kabuto glanced at Kakashi. "What?"

"I was planing on having Shikamaru visit a few times these next few weeks to keep you company, since you two seemed to get along… adequately. I guess I was mistaken…"

"I still play Shougi," Kabuto reminded Kakashi.

"Oh, so you enjoy my company?" Shikamaru jabbed.

"We get along… adequately," Kabuto replied with a smirk.

A/N: What's this? Do I detect friendliness? How shocking!

And look! A strange development! I should probably check on it before writing my next chapter... . (This kind of thing happens all too often. Except for the fact that the strange development is usually just a chore or two, which isn't strange, but drags me away from my writing nonetheless...)