Apathy stained her voice as she said, "I don't know why he turned on the village, but he gave information on his missions."
"This is a serious revelation. We have no idea what secrets have been exposed. Whatever you know needs to be said right now."
Chiisai didn't meet his gaze. "What secrets my father had were buried with him 10 years ago."
In a flash, Ibiki grabbed her by the collar, hoisting her three feet in the air. "I will not let you stand between the safety of this village. You will tell me, even if I have to get Inoichi to pry inside your head," he warned.
She stared down at him, contemplating Ibiki's actions with a look of indifference. "You're like my father, except he never distinguished friend from foe. In the end, everyone became his enemy. The torture you'll put me through will seem insignificant compared to what he did to me."
She wore her expression as dark and cold as his eyes. The silence hung like death on the battlefield. Slowly, he loosened his hold, letting her land on the floor.
His footsteps were the only noise in the room as strode toward the door. "I know you're hiding something, and I will find out what it is. I always do."
He came in fifteen minutes later. Behind him followed Inoichi. She lifted her head, ready to face the inevitable. She was no match for them. Struggling would be pointless. Outsmarting them was a joke. Her power had been sealed off, but not her memories.
"Remain seated," Inoichi instructed.
She obeyed. The closer they came, the faster her heart beat. This really was it. But if they found out about who helped the Third seal her powers… Well, it was too late already. He could take care of himself.
Glancing down at her hands, Chiisai spoke. "I guess it's hard having to do these things all the time. Torturing people, looking into their minds…I bet it took a while for you both to sleep soundly at night. You lay there and try to convince yourself you're doing it for the village, that what you're doing is justifiable though it makes you a monster. Sacrifice is hard, isn't it?"
They didn't respond. She felt their presence as if they were the Hokage Monument towering over the village. Inoichi placed his hand on her head, his fingers curling all the way around. They were going to find out everything. Then once all information was drained out of her, she would turn into a liability….And then would be erased from existence.
"Close your eyes."
Taking a deep breath, Chiisai took one last look at the room. Would she die in here, in this room that sucked up all hope behind its walls? Her eyes closed, and she at once noticed how light his touch was. She expected it would weigh her down, like his hand would crush what little courage she felt in her heart.
The woman braced herself for what was to come, but suddenly the room echoed with the sound of kunai's clashing. It reverberated off the walls, making her think of birds clawing against cages. There were grunts, and gasps of air, and the thud of metal sinking into flesh. A body fell.
"Chiisai."
His voice startled her, making her blink in surprise. Instead of Inoichi, Kakashi stood before her. Her eyes darted downward where Ibiki had fallen. In his chest was a gaping hole. She covered her mouth, her eyes unable to tear away from the sight before her.
"You-you killed him."
"He's not real." The man reached for her, but she drew back in the chair. For a moment, his eyes were filled with pain.
"Are you going to kill me?"
Blinking down at her, he responded calmly, "No, but I need you to come with me."
Shaking her head, she replied, "You're going to have to used your Sharingan for that."
Kakashi paused. "I can't use it right now, but that doesn't mean I can't bring you with me."
She frowned up at him. His hands were now a flurry of handsigns, and before she realized it, she fell under his genjutsu.
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
The next time she opened her eyes, she found herself lying on the ground. It was dark, and the shadows seemed to rise before her, flitting in and out like smoke from a burning candle.
She sat up quickly, drawing her knees in. One of the shadows slunk closer, and for a second she thought she in a nightmare.
"Chiisai," the shadow spoke.
Kakashi emerged out of the darkness, his face weary. Blood stained his vest. He stopped a few feet from her, noticing her anxiety. He sighed before plopping down on the ground. "You're father," he spoke while rummaging through a pocket, "does not make things easy."
She watched him pull out a first aid kit. Her memory opened up like a music box, pouring out the notes of her dreams. Grabbing her head, she asked, "You have the wrong person if you think my father is alive."
He lifted his pant leg, where a gash ran above his knee. Without looking at Chiisai, he said, "You know what I'm talking about, but you're too scared to admit it."
She could see him when she closed her eyes. Handing her a book, carrying her down a hall, his face full of her fresh sneeze…
"You remember, don't you?"
Her black eyes gaped at him. She shifted away, her voice small in the darkness as he sutured his wound. "Maybe you should enlighten me, because I have no idea."
Sighing once more, Kakashi knotted the thread and finished the stitch. "The seal retaining your abilities broke."
She closed her eyes. "Stop."
"You're in a dream, and your father's behind it."
She glared at him as her voice hardened. "No," she pointed to the ground, "this is real. I don't know how you found out about my abilities, but they're gone, along with my father."
Kakashi rose and took a step toward her, his eye intense. "You do remember. I saw it in your eyes at the library."
"You need to stay away," she replied. Chiisai gripped her head. The memories wouldn't go away. She was a tapestry unraveling, and she couldn't stop it.
"Innocent people are getting hurt. Your father is going to take over every mind in Konoha and place them under his control. He's using your power, and you need to stop him."
She lowered her head as her body sagged. "No, he is dead. I went inside his subconscious. I wanted to change him, but he never woke up again."
"Then you must have unknowingly let him inside your mind." Kuroi had lived inside Chiisai like a parasite for years, it seemed.
Shaking her head, she rebutted, "That's impossible." Her voice softened. "The Third would have noticed it."
Kakashi said, "But he didn't. And now we have to stop him. Together."
A laugh escaped her as she glanced up at him. "That's not a good idea. If what you say is true, then I'm already a lost cause."
"I thought I was a lost cause once. I was lucky enough to have friends who helped me." Kakashi sat down beside her now, and he said, "I see you as my friend too. And I need your help."
She wanted to be right. But his words pierced her, which scared her even more. Trusting Hatake was a risk she couldn't take, no matter how much she desired it. She needed him gone. Her eyes found his, and his face drained of color as she said, "Do you know why you're red in my dreams? The first is because you abandoned Rin, and it resulted in Obito's death. The second is because you later went to rescue her, but it ended with her death- by driving your electrified hand right through her chest."
His eye shown wide, his body frozen at her words.
She stood and turned turned away, not letting him see the tears in her eyes. "You didn't keep your promise to him. You killed the very girl you vowed to protect. You're a liar, and you're nothing but trash." Her words were wrong, and she immediately wanted to take them back. But she couldn't let Hatake get near her.
It had to be done. She needed to get away from him, to stop his lies from seeping into her mind. This was reality. Reality was always bitter and cruel.
His words were full of anguish, cutting into Chiisai's heart as he spoke. "It's true that I'm trash, but those that abandon their comrades are worse than trash. I was that in the past, but that doesn't mean I haven't learned from it." Kakashi stood and grabbed ahold of her wrist, saying, "I won't abandon another comrade, and neither will I abandon you, no matter how much you want me to."
She stood still, her widening eyes hiding in the darkness. Her shoulders began to shake as she tried to keep back the shattering of her heart. "Do you know what it's like to open your eyes not knowing what's reality? Trying to kill yourself to wake up, only to realize too late that you were awake? Everything you think and feel is a lie, and you can't trust yourself with anything." Her voice softened but shook as she added, "I've been abandoned too many times, Kakashi. I can't handle anyone else stepping into my life, how ever real or unreal it is."
Kakashi stood next to her. Gently, he laid his hand on her shoulder as her body trembled with her sobs. She pulled away from him. Her hand met his chest as she yelled, "Stay away!"
The palm of her hand pressed against him. As she yelled, a gust of wind hit Kakashi, pushing him ten feet back. He fell, his eye gaping at Chiisai.
She stared at him. Her teary eyes then traveled to her hand as she stared at it in shock. With a look of horror, she managed to whisper, "I am dreaming."
Before they could move, their surroundings dissolved around them, leaving nothing but grey. The air grew heavy, and Kakashi glanced at Chiisai. Her eyes were constricted, her mouth open as she staggered back. As he tried to reach her, a wall sprung up between them. It was the same barrier around everyone's comatose kinds. It encircled him, alienating him in darkness. He struck the wall with each jutsu, trying to break through. He needed to get to her. He had been so close, but Kuroi had been toying with them this whole time. Kakashi drew a deep breath as he stopped to gather his bearings. He would have to play along with Kuroi's games until he could figure a way out. Mental attacks were needed to win. But his breath caught in his throat as he turned around. His back struck the wall, his logic vanishing at the sight in front of him though he knew it wasn't real. Rin and Obito stood smiling as they said in unison, "Hi Kakashi!"