Aurora's View:
I woke up to someone holding me, carrying me down an unfamiliar hallway. I looked up, seeing it was a man with an owl mask. I struggled, quickly figuring out he had my hands tied together. At least they weren't behind my back.
"Let me go!" I struggled, getting myself out of his hold, but finding myself caught by the masked man from earlier; his mask was a rabbit. The grip he had on my upper arm hurt as he pulled me along. I felt tears running down my face, not from fear but from the pain in my arm. I didn't make it easy and refused to move my feet.
"Hush now." Danzō barked. I glared at him and stomped on the rabbit-masked man's foot. He didn't let go like I hoped he would, instead picking me up and throwing me back over his shoulder. "That's enough…" The old man's one eye was full of rage.
"I won't join you! You can't make me!" I yelled at him, no longer caring how loud I was. Dad said I had a loud voice when I yelled, so both the old man and his helper winced at the volume. "LET ME GO!" I watched a window behind him shatter.
"My...what talent you have." Danzō seemed pleased I'd broken a window, rubbing at his left ear. "You have no idea what power you hold, what potential you still have. I'm here to help you harness it, but if you fight me, I'll have no choice but to use...unconventional methods." I have no idea what he meant by that, but it didn't sound good. "Take her to the sealing room. Her mark needs adjusting…" With that, the owl masked man and Danzō walked back the way we came to get something, while we went off the other way.
"What does he want with me?" I kicked the man holding me in the chest, but he didn't flinch. "Hey! I'm talking to you!" I yelled again, which made him grab me by my obi and held me up by it.
"You're an annoying brat...what he wants with you, I don't know, but I'd rather silence you right here." I glared into the dark eyes of the mask. "Be quiet before I make you…" He threw me into a room, landing hard on the concrete floor.
I wiped my mouth, seeing blood from where my lip had split. I looked up as the man closed the door, locking it from the outside. Now that I was alone, I could try to find a way out. I was scared...but I knew I had to try.
I looked around the strange room, seeing it looked like a doctors office. Only, unlike Sakura-chan's office, it was dark and creepy. The table had weird brown spots all over it and was ripped by the foot rest. There were also large black straps attached to the bed to keep people from moving to much. That's when I realized the brown spots were dried, old blood.
"No…" I struggled to get out of my hand bindings, needing my hands free. They were too tight, not even putting my foot on the ropes and pulling would break the knot. The medical tools were missing, so there wasn't anything sharp for me to cut them. I sighed, looking up at the ceiling to see if there was anything there to escape. Even the vents in this room were welded to the ceiling, preventing any escape. I felt the room get colder as I realised, I was doomed…
Kakashi's View:
Tsunade was quick to respond, sending her best team with Pakkun. However, they weren't here to help, they were here to stop me. Pakkun was back on my shoulder, sneering at the ANBU that had promised him they would help.
"Senpai...we can't go off and kill him..." Tenzō started but I cut him off.
"If you won't help me get her back, that just means you're in my way. Get out of my way…" It was a threat, one I hoped he wouldn't push me to do. Bull growled next to me, ready to charge through the line of ANBU. Tenzō's team couldn't stop me, even if he tried.
"In that case...what choice is there." Tenzō made his two subordinates stand down. "Fine, but we can't charge in, guns blazing." He was trying to talk me down. "We need a plan."
"Tearing him from limb to limb is my plan…" Tenzō shook his head.
"I know the layout better than you do, I will go in." He was an idiot if he thought I was going to stand back and wait outside like a good boy. "Tiger and Lion, you two will go right up to his front door. Kakashi, you know where the sealing room is, that's where Aurora will be taken. You and I will sneak there while Danzō's men are distracted."
"Pakkun, you and the rest will wait out here and back up the other two. Make sure no one escapes…" I told my hounds. They all growled in acknowledgement, but Bull wouldn't leave my side. "Bull, go." He whined, but finally relented.
Aurora's View:
I laid on the floor, staring at the wall with my back to the door. I didn't want to give up, but I was trapped. The room was ice cold from me, a thin sheet of ice covered the floor and walls. I hoped it was enough to keep the door shut, but sadly it wasn't. I jumped when the door opened, seeing the shadow of the psychotic old man cast on the wall. This time, two more men joined him and all five of them cornered me in the room.
"Daddy…" I heard myself whimper, wanting him right now. I curled into myself, hoping he'd leave me alone. The only thing on my mind was going home and getting away from Danzō.
"He won't be saving you this time...not that he ever wanted you in the first place." Danzō told me as he grabbed me again, tearing the sleeve of my yukata when he grabbed the back of it.
"You're lying…" I glared as he dragged me to the middle of the room, throwing me back to the floor.
"Am I? You know nothing about the truth…" The other four made hand signs and made a sealing pattern appear on the floor under me, pinning me in place. "So I'll enlighten you. Has your father told you the story of how he found you?" He had, but I choose not to respond. "Five ago now, Kakashi found you in a basket in the woods. That basket however had a seal on it. Do you know what the seal was?" No one ever said there was a seal on it. "Hm…" The smirk he had was dark. "That seal would make who ever touched the basket want to protect the contents of the basket. It made them instantly have a maternal instinct, preventing you from being killed."
I put this all together, but it didn't add up. "So?"
"So...the "love" your father thought he felt for you from day one, was nothing more than a jutsu. If it hadn't been for that, you would have been abandoned."
"W-what do you mean?" My mind wasn't keeping up all of the sudden. The world seemed like it was spinning.
"He never loved you. He never would have taken you in without that seal…he may still be under the effects." This feeling...I felt like throwing up. "Now that you know the truth, maybe you'll rethink my offer…"
Kakashi's View:
Tenzō's men entered at the front, confronting the ROOT members at the door. They refused to answer any questions and attacked, quickly getting themselves knocked out. This allowed Tenzō and I to enter from a secret entrance he remembered, one that had never been sealed even after he left. We both noticed a window had been blown out from the inside, my instincts kicking into high gear.
We stuck to the shadows in the rafters of the underground base, watching as ROOT members ran to the front to confront the "intruders." They were still unaware we were here and I knew Tsunade had more backup coming. She had needed another reason to banish him since the councle decided he wasn't a true threat. If this didn't get him arrested, I'd personally make sure he couldn't to this again. The image of him begging for mercy, like all of his victims had, as I torchered him had me itching for him to resist. The things I'd do to him…
Tenzō pulled me out of my murderous thoughts by signaling he saw something. I looked down to see the old fucker carrying a scroll.
Tenzō and I followed as close as we could, but we couldn't get to close just yet. Danzō had more men now, making the plan a little more difficult. We had a small opening, but Tenzō held me off. I glared at him for grabbing the back of my shirt.
"We need to know the reason…" He was right, we needed to figure out what he really wanted, so we missed the opening. This time, I made a move to hover above the door before Tenzō could grab me.
I heard Aurora talking, her voice shaking in fear. That's when Danzō started spouting nonsense about the night I found her and a seal that brainwashed me. If there was any truth, I was unaware of it, but it didn't change the fact the effects would have worn off long ago. A paper seal couldn't hold enough chakra to hypnotise a person for very long.
I see, you are sowing the seeds of doubt into her...He wanted to break her trust in me.
"That's not true!" Aurora was crying, upset by his lies. I watched a dark purple ice spread from under the door, I could only imagine what this was doing to her.
"It is, whether you choose to believe is up to you." He was moving around, glass clinking together. "Hold still." I heard her cry out and couldn't take it anymore. Tenzō tried to stop me as I landed, kicking the door in and pinning on ROOT to the wall with kunai, taking another down with my sharingan.
"Kakashi, right on time." Danzō had been fixing the seal and taking blood from Aurora's arm, for what I don't know. The seal he had under her prevented her ice from getting to them, she couldn't hurt him with her icicles. I know she had tried from looking at the broken ones inside the sealing circle.
"Danzō…" I pulled a reverse summon on my dogs, Bisque rushing in and pinning the other Root down while Bull got between Danzō and Aurora.
Bull barked at Aurora, his way of saying he would protect her.
"You've gone too far this time." Tenzō had now taken cover of the doorway, blocking the hall with a forest of trees. "I knew you were low, but kidnapping children is a new one for you…" Sure, he had child soldiers in the past but none were kidnapped...by him. He brainwashed them, making them come to him instead.
"I don't think she'll go with you this time." Danzō didn't seem to be bothered by the fact he had a giant, gray dog baring his teeth, very close to his face or the sharp objects pressing at his back. If I commanded, Bull would tear his throat out. I really wanted to see him skewered on the ice while Bull tore him up. "She knows the truth…"
"She knows your truth. Your truth is always twisted with lies, making everyone doubt themselves...you're nothing but scum."
"You may think that, but I never lied. This is the truth, Hatake. The Third wouldn't tell you, but I will." I'd had enough of him and flew at him, kunai slicing open his right cheek. The sneaky bastard found an opening in the ice. He revealed a wall wasn't really a wall, but a doorway to escape.
"You won't stop her from seeking me out again…this time, I made sure of that." I was about to chase after him, but Tenzō reeled me back in.
"Kakashi, we need to go. Reinforcements are on the way..." I really wanted to tell him to shove it, but he was right. Besides, I had damage control to do with Aurora. I'd left my mark on the old fucker anyway. He understood I'd slit him wide open the next time we crossed paths.
Outside, ROOT members were tied up by our ANBU reinforcements. They'd be taken in for questioning and this time the council had no say on if we could or not. Danzō was on the black list now. Tenzō had Aurora, holding her close since she refused to let go. The second he untied her, she's clung to him as if her life depended on it. It hurt though, seeing as every time I tried to come near, she would turn away.
"Aurora, you know that what he said was a lie, right?" I heard him tell her as I talked to another ANBU about what happened inside.
"But...was any of it true? He said it was…" Her words stung, she doubted if I cared for her. I clenched my fists, vowing to rip Danzō's eyes out and feed them to him.
"Hatake-san, Lady Tsunade wants to see you." The one with a bird mask reported to me. "She wants to see your daughter too."
Tenzō came as well to back me up. Well...he mostly came because Aurora wanted him to, refusing to let go of his hand. I understood why she wanted him to go to, Danzō had planted a seed of doubt that he hoped would take root and make her go to him. I planned to squash that plan and tell her the real truth.
I knocked on the Hokage door, hearing an irritated grunt on the other side; Tsunade's way of calling us in. She wasn't alone though, the council was there too, waiting for us to close the door. No wonder Tsunade was in a sour mood.
"Hatake-san…" Homura nodded to me. I have a feeling they were here about what happened.
"Care to tell me what's going on?" I looked at our blonde Hokage, noting that she was biting her thumb nail again. Aurora hid behind Tenzō, the room getting colder than usual.
"Tell me, Kakashi, what happened?" Tsunade's voice was strained, like she was holding back a pent up rage deep within.
"Danzō kidnapped Aurora. I have yet to see what he's done to her." I hadn't checked to see if he made another seal or not. I took a look now, seeing how rough he had been with her. Her white yukata was torn and dirty. Her obi tie was ripped as well, holding together with a few threads. The only thing intact was her mask, but there was a dark spot on it which told me her lip had been bleeding. I wanted to take her in my arms and tell her she was ok, but she didn't want me right now. She still clung to Tenzō, holding his arm tightly.
"He also told Aurora about the night Kakashi-senpai found her. He told her something about a seal on the basket she was found in." Tenzō bowed his head as he spoke, knowing it was out of line and asking to be forgiven.
"Is it true?" I turned my gaze to the old bats on the chairs in front of Tsunade's desk. The looks on their faces told me that for all this time, they had lied to me about what happened.
"Hiruzen didn't want to confuse you at that time. He knew the dark path you were on and wanted to stop you from spiraling." I felt the rage inside of me building again. Koharu moved, revealing that she had the basket under her chair.
She put it up on the desk to show us, carefully turning it over. It was true...there was a seal. The ink was smudged from the rain that night and the middle was empty from being activated.
"Whoever performed this knew what was coming." The old woman told us. I had known this, as well as Tsunade, but it seems she didn't tell the council about Kiri. It had been a good call, looks like Danzō and them were in cahoots.
"Most likely her mother…from what we gathered she had some time to make sure her child was safe." Homura spoke up. "It wasn't meant to be a secret forever, but Hiruzen didn't want to risk you giving her away. He knew of her abilities from the blood we recovered at the scene, you knew of this though."
"So what does Danzō want with her? Where the fu...hell does he come in?" I censored myself, remembering Aurora was here.
"He wanted to protect the village from a possible attack. Danzō wanted to make sure this seal wasn't meant to activate something inside of her..."
"You knew of him sealing her?" Tsunade stood then, a dark shadow casting over her face.
"It was for the village. It wouldn't be the first time Kirigakure has tried to unleash a beast within our walls." The way the old man stared into my eyes pushed me over, he was talking about Rin. I grabbed the old man by the collar and hoisted him out of his chair.
"You have five seconds to explain what the fuck you're saying." I growled.
"Kakashi!" Tsunade called out. "I know he has done us all wrong, but put him down." I slowly complied. "Explain yourself…"
"Danzō came to us with a plan to suppress her chakra until we were sure what she was. We allowed it, making sure everything would be safe. Danzō kept you out of it because of Kakashi. We feared that finding out about the basket would affect his judgement."
"The seal has nothing to do with my feelings towards Aurora. You bastards...you planned all of this behind our backs." I was shaking with rage by this point.
"It wasn't intentional, but we had the village to think of."
"She was a baby!" I yelled. Tsunade slammed her fist down, making the desk crack down the middle.
"You had no right to do this to a child…" She grit her teeth, equally as pissed off as I was. "Tell us where he went, or the two of you will be thrown in jail for contempt against the village. As it is...I should have you thrown in there any way!" Of course, they had no idea where the snake slithered off too...wait.
"Orochimaru…" It hit me that Danzō might be experimenting as well
"His dead." Tsunade spat.
"No...Danzō took Aurora's blood...what if he's experimenting too?" The Hozuki clan abilities were very desired of course, but the Yuki clan was rare. Whatever his intention, it wasn't good.
"Damn that old man…" Tsunade cursed. "The two of you are dismissed...Kakashi, you and Aurora stay." This meant Tenzō had to leave. Aurora wasn't happy about it, but he promised to wait outside.
"If I had known...I would have told you sooner." Tsunade said after everyone left.
"I just don't understand it, why keep that from me in the first place…?" I knew she didn't know either, but it bothered me that the Third had kept this from me.
"On a more pressing matter...Aurora, did he hurt you?" Tsunade knelt down to look her over. Aurora was being quiet again, most likely traumatized from everything. She did nod though. The room was still cold, but she had kept herself from freezing the room. Aurora pulled her mask down for her, showing her how bad the cut was. It looked like she had bit it, but not all the way through. Tsunade placed two fingers near her lip and healed it for her, looking her over once more for any other cuts. Other than a scraped knee, she was ok.
I knelt down beside Tsunade, trying to get her to look at me. "Aurora...please, what's wrong?"
"Is what the old man said true? That...you wouldn't have taken me in if the seal wasn't there?" She had heard everything, much to my displeasure. I would have softened the blow, but she got it all unfiltered.
"No, even without it I would have taken you back with me." However, would I have adopted her? I can't know for sure, but I know now I wouldn't have traded her for anything. "You were an innocent little one then, no one in their right mind would have left you out there." I ruffled her hair, making it stand up. "You wouldn't have been abandoned either." I knew if I didn't take her in, Iruka might still have.
Finally, Aurora accepted that Danzō was lying about my feelings towards her and hugged me tightly.
Tsunade and I found the new seal on her arm, my seal had been removed from over it. It looked the same as the first, but Tsunade found out that it had an unknown component to it now, possibly a remote tracking or activation seal. Unfortunately, it did seem to still be active but it was no longer hindering her chakra. Either way, the intention of the seal wasn't known. As much as Danzō claimed to be doing things for the village, he seemed to cause more trouble than help.
"For now, it's dormant. We'll question his men and see if they have any idea what he wants with her." Tsunade poured herself some sake from a bottle Shizune brought in. I refused her offer, wanting to keep a clear mind if Danzō decided he wasn't done. "Kakashi, I know you want to go after him, but for now, stay away from him."
"If he comes after her again…"
"You have my permission to tear him apart. Just leave some for me." Tsunade smirked. "Just don't go looking for him…"
Iruka had yet to let Aurora go. The second we got home, he had scooped her up and held her. He'd heard of the attack from Yuri, who had apparently run off towards the school after I told her to stay put. Iruka had been looking for us and happened to be checking our house to see if there were clues to where she would've been taken.
"Are you alright?" He was making sure the only thing wrong was her ripped clothes.
"I'm ok…" She was done getting squeezed, but Iruka had been beyond worried and wasn't yet.
"Maa, let's sit, shall we?" He was in for quite the story.