Kakashi lay in bed for a while, simply contemplating Shizune's comment on how Tsunade loved him. It was very confusing to the jounin: why would Tsunade love him? And if she did love him, she sure had a strange way of showing it…Shizune had insisted on keeping him overnight for observation, and Kakashi was edgy. If Tsunade came in, it would be very awkward…
"Kakashi?"
Kakashi pretended to be asleep. Speak of the devil and she comes for you…
"I know you're awake."
Kakashi sighed and sat up. "What?"
Tsunade sat down next to Kakashi and reached out, taking him into her arms in a surprisingly tender embrace. "Talk to me."
"What's there to say?"
But despite his hard, bitter tone, Tsunade could feel Kakashi getting comfortable against her chest. Heh…maybe he does have a soft spot somewhere…
"What's wrong?" Tsunade asked. "I know something's wrong, otherwise you'd be…yourself, I guess. But Shizune told me you were…a little off-"
"Stop trying to put things mildly."
Tsunade sighed. "The Akatsuki all got away," she said. "Katsuyu isn't very fast, or good at tracking…but to her credit, she did very well in trying, and I couldn't have asked more of her than to try. As far as I know, Deidara and Kakuza are still somewhere below the Tower, and the rest of them are running back to their hideout."
Kakashi nodded. That much he had gotten from Kurenai and Asuma.
"How do those wounds feel?"
"Shizune healed most of them," Kakashi said softly. Tsunade nodded and picked up Kakashi's broken wrist, and slowly began unwrapping the bandages to check the wrist.
"Tell me what happened."
Kakashi didn't move as Tsunade gently turned is wrist, examining the faint bruises that remained. "Do I have to?"
"Yes."
Kakashi sighed. "How much detail do you want?"
"If you're really uncomfortable, I don't need much," Tsunade said. "But as much as you can give."
Kakashi gave another shuddering sigh and began. "After Itachi took me, he went back to the Akatsuki's hideout and back to his room. He kind of threw me around for a while, telling me to shut up and stay put, he wasn't in the mood to deal with me now. So I tried to get out of his way, but he kicked me again and then he got…really aggressive, how about, and then Hidan came in…he said he heard a lot of noise. He picked me up, took me to his room, and took care of me."
"He cleaned out your wounds, gave you something to eat and drink?"
Kakashi nodded. "Hai…he treated me better than anyone else there…everyone else just tried to kick me."
Tsunade exhaled and pulled Kakashi into her arms again. "You poor thing…"
"I don't need sympathy."
"But you're getting it."
Kakashi exhaled slowly. "I guess I could live."
Tsunade smiled. "I guess you could. You're tough; you've been through worse than this."
Kakashi nodded. "But not so close together…and Itachi…"
Tsunade sighed. "Oh, Itachi…believe it or not, he used to be cute. Should have seen him when he was a little kid-really cute."
"What changed?"
"Well, some of the ladies didn't think anything changed," Tsunade said dryly. "They still thought he was attractive, no matter what name you put to it."
Kakashi smiled. "Yeah, I seem to remember him as an older version of Sasuke…"
"Hey-cute, powerful, and hot? I'd like him."
"Wait until you hear about his personality."
"See, that's what always confused me," Tsunade said slowly. "He had all the attention, but he didn't care. He had such a great life, but he seemed to take it for granted. His parents loved him, but it was like he refused to love…his little brother was such an awesome kid, but he thought of him merely as an annoyance. But Sasuke was the closest to him…and Itachi still hated him. He turned him into what he is today…"
Kakashi shivered. "I don't understand," he whispered. "Itachi…always seemed perfectly fine. He passed every single insanity test he ever took…"
"Yes, but his numbers were going down," Tsunade offered. "He used to pass with flying colors; when he ran away, he was barely passing at all."
An impish grin overtook Kakashi's face. "How about my numbers?"
"Let me tell you something," Tsunade said, slowly and in the dead kind of tone that made Kakashi sometimes wonder if Tsunade was going to kill him. "Ibiki thought you never cared. I always thought you were flat out crazy. And even old man Sarutobi thought you were a little off balance. But you had 'special circumstances' so we let you off the hook when you failed six tests in a row. Your numbers have stabilized since, but we still consider you dangerous."
Kakashi couldn't help it; he burst out in laughter and fell over backwards.
"And why is that so funny?!"
Kakashi shook his head. "I have no idea," he gasped, coughing through his spasms of laughing. "God, now I know why you think I'm crazy!"
Tsunade sighed and poked him in the stomach. Kakashi's laughter slowly died down, but he was still coughing.
"Are you okay?"
"Not really."
Tsunade sighed. She had known she couldn't get a straight answer from him, but still…
"Moving on…"
Kakashi sat up, shaking his hair out of his face. "What?"
"Did you get any information of any sort?"
Kakashi thought back. What did he find out…? Anything?
Kakashi snapped back to Tsunade. "Yeah…they've got plans for a bijuu called they kept referring to as Katsu…"
Tsunade's eyes widened. "You're sure it was Katsu?"
Kakashi nodded. "Yeah, they said that they were about to move for it, and that this time there were going to be no mistakes…"
"Oh no…no, no, no…"
"What?"
"Kakashi, stay here! Do not move from this room! I'll be back!"
"But-"
"Don't move!"
Kakashi gulped and obeyed.
OOOOOOOOO
Asuma sat on the roof, staring up at the stars. A thin line of smoke rose from his cigarette into the midnight sky, and he was leaning back on his elbows. He was still wearing his jounin uniform, but he didn't especially care. He couldn't sleep anyway.
Movement in the shadows to his left drew his attention sharply.
Asuma jerked his head to the left, targeting the movement, but it was already too late. More movement was behind him, and there was no time to further react. His arms were suddenly twisted up behind his back, he was flipped onto his stomach, and someone's foot was pushing down in the small of his back.
"Oh, look," someone sneered. "We caught a bird by the name of Katsu."
"So, you're after the Swallow," Asuma said. "Well, it certainly is a pleasant surprise to go out for a smoke and end up smoked."
"Ah, yes," Sasori said slowly. "I think I have a flame thrower in here somewhere…"
"No," Itachi said firmly. "Four of you take the Swallow and go. I'll take the rest of you and get Deidara and Kakuza."
Sasori sighed. "Fine, fine. Kisame, that means you. Zetsu and…Hidan. Itachi, that leaves Tobi. Have fun."
Itachi held up his right hand, making a horrible face as well. Sasori stared at the raised finger, sighed, and turned around. "Let's go."
Itachi and Tobi left quickly, heading for the empty-by-night Hokage's Tower. Tobi seemed to know about Itachi's incredible power, and Itachi seemed to know about what an annoyance Tobi could be. So Tobi kept his mouth shut, and Itachi blocked out everything except the mission.
Hopefully they both could make it to the Tower without killing each other.
OOOOOOOOO
Tsunade bolted for Asuma's apartment, knowing full well that she might already be too late. Let's see…Kurenai was in there as well, so they may have been able to hold them off, but if Asuma was on the roof smoking, as he usually was, it was practically hopeless.
Tsunade rushed down the hallway, stopping at door 198. It was closed, and there was only one chakra signature inside; it was Kurenai's. Tsunade sighed, whipped around, and disappeared in a cloud of smoke. She reappeared on the roof and immediately dropped to her hands and knees, searching for a sign of some sort that Asuma had been here.
It smelled like smoke.
A kunai lay on the ground a short distance from where Tsunade was kneeling, and she reached over and grabbed it, checking quickly for any traps. Finding none, she proceeded to examine the kunai closely, and found a piece of paper wound around it. She yanked it free and opened it.
Tsunade, I never thought I would say this soon, but it's over. I'm so sorry. It's been great working for you, and I think you're one of the better Kages we've had. But don't tell anyone I said that; I'll get in trouble. : ) Anyway, the Akatsuki are behind this, and it's too late. Tell Kurenai I love her, and I never forgot her as my life slipped away in the form of a bird-demon. Kurenai, I'm so, so sorry…
Tears stung at Tsunade's eyes, and she shook them from her eyes. Now was not the time. Now, she had to go rescue Asuma, and stop the Akatsuki from removing the demon. Just doing so would kill him, she knew, and it would take three days to do so. But once they started, it was pointless to stop. You would kill the person by attempting to save them…it was so ironic in Tsunade eyes. Another life had slipped through her hands…
Tsunade put her face in her hands and cried.
OOOOOOOOO
Itachi kicked down the door, watching Kakuza's surprised expressions.
"Get up now, we're leaving," Itachi commanded. Deidara glared pointedly at Itachi.
"Oh, come on, you're so pathetic you can't snap these?" Itachi cried, sighing. "I can probably pull them apart with two fingers!"
"Itachi, these chains are thicker than garden hoses," Deidara snapped.
"I'm well aware of that!" Itachi sighed again and picked up the chains. "Fine, I'll do it. Loser."
There was a loud, resounding, crack! And the chains fell apart in Kakuza's lap. The Akatsuki leader stood up, stretched himself out, picked up the ends of the chains, and tried his chakra.
"Nothing yet. Damn, it was supposed to have worn off by now…"
Itachi used a short, concise burst of chakra to severe the chains even shorter, and Kakuza and Deidara nodded their thanks.
"Now let's go," Itachi said impatiently. "We don't have all night. Sooner or later that fool of a Hokage is going to realize we're here, and I don't want to be around when she does!"
"Scared of her?" Kakuza taunted. Itachi shivered.
"Not that kind of scared…scared as in, she creeps me out. She's got the muscles of a man…"
"I find that very sexy in a woman, un," Deidara said slowly.
"No one asked you," Itachi muttered. "Now let's go, you retards!!"
Deidara sighed. "Whatever, un. But don't mock me for my choice of women."
Itachi shivered again, and Tobi, Deidara, and Kakuza began running for the door. With another shiver, Itachi followed them out.
A/N: …I got nothing...review please?