"He's not here."
"I can see that. Is he off today?"
"I really don't see where I would be the one to advise you of his schedule. If he doesn't tell you, maybe you should take that as a hint," Hide sniffed.
"I'm just asking about the staffing at the desk. You're getting a little touchy over a simple question, aren't you?"
"Hatake, nobody wants to see you or tell you anything. Ask whatever you want, but I don't have a single answer for you."
"That's not very professional."
"Says the professional thug."
Kakashi turned his head slightly sideways, admittedly a little surprised at the increasing level of disrespect and gall, even in private. Was it time to take the gloves off to deal with this guy?
The door opened behind him and Ebisu sauntered in, eying them both suspiciously before he took a set of forms to fill out at the wall counter, silent in his usual aloof, critical manner.
"I merely asked about the staffing today," he tried again, banking on the presence of a witness to force Hide to behave.
"No clue. My partner is out at the moment with an appointment. It's personal, so I'm not inclined – or required – to share the details with you," he said, smugly flaunting his insider knowledge.
"Yeah, he's at his interview," Ebisu volunteered, annoyed with Hide's snarky attitude and vaguely disliking Kakashi's loitering as well. Maybe if the copy-nin's questions were answered, he'd move along, because he certainly didn't seem to be turning anything in.
Ebisu's semi-annual mission requirement was enough of a pain to deal with already. He didn't need these guys adding to his vexation, just when he was about to close out and be done with it for the duration.
"For what?"
"He's seeing if there's a position for him at the Academy. That's going backwards, if you ask me. But, I've heard that he's still got issues that keep him out of the field, so maybe it's just as well," the bespectacled sensei grumbled.
Hide frowned and Kakashi leaned over his desk in victory.
"So he's getting a new job. That's good news. Now I won't have to lift a finger to subtract you from the equation," Kakashi said with coldly satisfied venom.
"Is that some kind of threat?" Hide snapped. "Maybe that equation is a little different than you think. People exist outside of their job site. There's nothing you can do about that."
"You think not? I exist outside of my working hours, too. You'd do well to remember that from now on. But, hey, you have yourself a really, really great rest of the day here all by yourself. And thanks, Ebisu-sensei," Kakashi nodded to the staring men and left abruptly, a specific path in mind just right for an 'accidental' meeting.
"Well," Ebisu said, eyebrows raised at the closing door. "That's quite an accomplishment."
"How so?" Hide asked irritably.
"Say what he will, that was an obvious threat. He's not one to let his poker face slip when it isn't to his advantage. You must really rub him the wrong way."
"He's spoiled. He thinks everybody's afraid to cross him. Maybe they are. But I've done it before and if I need to I'll do it again. He can't do a thing about it, no matter how provoked he thinks he is."
Ebisu gave a doubtful smile and shook his head, going back to his paperwork and deciding it was time to mind his own business. This guy was picking the wrong person to battle. A Hatake grudge was nothing to sneer at, and unless Kakashi was engaging in some complex subterfuge by merely appearing to be threatening this desk jockey, this was a major clash between them. There was no issue Ebisu could imagine that would be worth getting into a real beef with that jounin over.
He sure as hell wouldn't be crowing about it to just anybody that happened to listen.
A man could get himself in some really deep shit that way.
xxxx
Strangely pleased and unreasonably encouraged, Iruka clutched the Academy employment packet to his breast and headed for home on autopilot, totally absorbed in the moment. It felt like a weight was being lifted from his shoulders. He shouldn't hope so grandly, but he couldn't help thinking that he'd finally gotten a hand on at least one of the reins of his life. Tomorrow Hide would say discouraging things, and he'd have to break the news to a displeased Ibiki right at the deadline...but, damn it, if this went the way it looked like it was going, he was about to break away, and it was exhilarating to think that he might soon be spending much if not all of his time without feeling their foul breath down his neck.
Naruto would be glad to hear it; his chest swelled with the anticipation of sharing the news with him. He stopped for a second, to consider whether he might be around town today, and if so, where.
"You look like you're having a good day," a familiar voice observed in a reserved, muted tone.
He swallowed hard as his brief flight of joy crashed in a flurry of sudden distress.
"Ah..K-Ka-Kakashi," he finally managed, flustered and frozen in his guilty tracks.
"Guess seeing my face put an end to that. We're not getting anywhere this way, Iruka. They're not going to stop if we keep letting them succeed."
Iruka wanted to tell him about his conditional acceptance at the Academy. He wanted to apologize for putting him off and avoiding him. Except that, it was all he could do stand there and pretend he was fine, losing in his fight against the tide of unreasoning panic. Every fiber of his being told him to run.
Kakashi's eye narrowed.
"I thought so. This is just like before. Don't you remember?"
Iruka shook his head slowly, warring within, barely able to make that non-verbal response.
"Fucking hell. They didn't back off one bit. They went at you harder." Kakashi took a deep breath and decided to commit to his next action. The good thing was, he knew what kind of tinkering he was dealing with now. The bad thing was, they knew he knew, and this time, it might not be so easy to reverse.
He moved forward, not at all surprised that Iruka automatically retreated.
"I'm going to help you, all right? You won't understand right away but you will soon. You can trust me."
"No, I..." Iruka stepped back faster, hands coming up defensively, confused, his precious papers falling unnoticed. "Stop!"
Before he could react further, he was in Kakashi's entry hall, the blinding fear of being trapped crushing the breath out of him.
"Take it easy. I'm going to make everything all right."
Iruka was reduced to gasping protests, hyperventilation starving him for air. Kakashi was split in two minds, between helping Iruka and pounding Hide and Ibiki until they resembled the piles of shit they truly were.
The Sharingan worked as efficiently as it had before. They were obviously aware of his ability to remove their jutsu and hadn't taken any measures against it. Which inferred that the level of suffering that this created for Iruka meant nothing to them, so long as they'd had him trapped in their influence for a while again. If Iruka stayed under their thumb, he assumed they'd just keep re-applying it every time he removed it. The wear and tear from their carelessness was more evident now. Little by little, they were disrupting his self-awareness, and some of his hard-won stability was showing signs of coming apart. He tried not to look beyond his task, but it was impossible not to notice the acute level of anxiety and guilt the man was laboring under.
The procedure left Iruka just as distraught as before, but at least Kakashi was ready for it. He had no intention of leaving quietly this time. The opposing team was unrelenting and still advancing, if only slightly; in order to be effective, he would have to be more aggressive as well.
The smaller nin was still twisting in his grasp. He hadn't regained his composure at all. Kakashi was worried about letting him go; he tried pulling him closer and got kicked for his attempt.
"That's the way, don't hold back. You can let it out, whatever it is. Scream. Cry. Bite. Yell. Call me names."
Iruka kicked again, followed by a flurry of uncoordinated, almost hysterical blows, his eyes closed, his most prominent expression one of pain. His pathetic attack ran out of steam in short order, ending in collapse against the very person he was assaulting.
This isn't going to work in the long run, Kakashi frowned, supporting his wilting partner. He can't take much more of this. I can't wait to let him figure it out on his own. It's too dangerous.
"You..." Iruka gasped.
"Take it easy."
Iruka clasped his head in his hands, groaning in frustration and regret that he didn't make it home before running into this man.
"Take me home, you prick," he managed, all pride abandoned in asking for help.
"You don't need to be alone and you're safer here. We're going to work through this."
"I don't give a fuck what you think. You can't keep me here!"
"I can and I'm afraid I will. We can't keep leaving this shit half-cocked, Iruka. They're taking advantage of my respect for you. I let you work things out at your pace, and they jump in and sabotage everything. Do you remember now? That we've been through this before?"
Iruka pulled back and managed to get away into a chair, never mind that Kakashi moved to tower over him in near reach.
"What did you see this time?" he forced himself to ask, eyes averted, breath held in fear of the answer.
Kakashi swallowed but decided not to pull any punches.
"I see the toll this is taking on you. I see that you can't keep going through this over and over."
"What else?"
"I see how hard this is on you. How isolated it makes you feel. The tremendous stress they're putting you through. How worried and upset you are."
"And?"
"And what? That's about it. I'm sorry this is so difficult for you, but I don't know of any other method that's safe. I was just trying to remove the jutsu. I made it a point to stay in bounds; that's what I did last time as well. I know it's still an invasive procedure but I do limit the scope. If there's something more that you want me to know about what you're thinking or things that have happened to you, you're going to have to tell me yourself."
Iruka tried to rise, thinking that maybe, if he just started moving, his feet would cooperate and his determination to be home behind a locked door would be sufficient to make that wish a reality.
"No, Iruka. I can't let you."
Kakashi not only blocked his way, thwarting his attempt to head for the door, but pulled him across the room in the opposite direction.
"Idiot!"
"We're going to have a long conversation, so we're going to get comfortable first."
For the first time, Iruka realized what he was missing.
"Damn it! My papers..."
"I got them. They're on the table."
"They're important."
"I saw what they are and I agree. It's a smart move on your part. But you're going to need some back-up if you want a fair shot at proving yourself. A move like that won't get you out of their clutches completely. You'll need to opt out of collateral Mission Desk duty and steer clear of Hide."
"Kakashi, stop."
"Nope. I'm through being patient. I'm not hiding or laying low or wearing kid gloves any longer. So listen up. We know each other. You know how I am. So I don't expect you to freak out when I tell you to get on your back and be quiet. We're going to share this futon and you're going to calm down and we're going to talk about what just happened." He gave Iruka a push; he hoped for a smooth transition, for the dark-eyed nin to gently topple back and wait for Kakashi to make his next move.
But Iruka's hands came up and he resisted, though he did sit, somewhat gingerly, on the edge of the futon.
Kakashi sighed; Iruka's eyes were a little too wide. His body language was mixed. Rushing at him was not going to work; instead of letting go, he was tensing up more.
So rather than stand over him, or sit next to him, Kakashi got down on one knee in front of him, slowly, contemplating his next move.
Iruka's expression changed as their relative heights swapped. Looking down at him, the younger man's resistance softened a little.
"Just a few minutes ago I felt like I was finally getting a handle on things. Like I was getting to some kind of normal. Then you come along and show me I'm totally fucked up again. Now I feel like..."
"I'm sorry. But you need to see the truth even if it's ugly. And it isn't ugly because of me. You understand that, right?"
"Maybe I should be grateful. You're just trying to help. But I just...I get so angry at you. Angrier than I do at anyone."
"We've always fought things out."
"This is different. I can't explain."
"If you want me to, I could look deeper and..."
"No! Fuck, no! Don't do any of that shit in my head anymore! Stay out! I mean it!"
He was halfway to his feet and moving; Kakashi intercepted him again and landed them both on the padded surface as softly as he could, talking fast.
"You don't hate me. You're only afraid of me when they implant that emotion in your head. You miss me when I'm gone. You know I'm on your side. Come on. Don't fight this. Let me help. I want you to stay here with me, starting now. We'll watch each other's back. That feeling you had, about getting things under control and being normal? We can make it happen for real."
"Kakashi..."
"This will work. Iruka, you know as well I do that you belong here with me."
Iruka swallowed and stared and the difference from their past relationship hit him all at once. It wasn't 'you belong to me', the possessive bragging full of his partner's self-appointed superiority.
He said with me.
It touched him, and made his Even side flare up in a flush of seething resistance.
He stared, leaving all the mixed feelings and the mountain of evidence for and against unsaid.
"So you'll stay?"
"No, I…I won't. And anyway, I don't know if I can just up and do that, Kakashi. There are still restrictions I have to meet."
"Would you, though? Those things aside?"
"A few minutes ago, you caught me off-guard and terrified me. Then you jerked me off the street, manhandled me, without my consent, and used that eye to violate my privacy. Then you...then you haul me all around here, all full of yourself, going on about how you feel everything ought to be, how you – you – are all out of patience. And you somehow expect that it'll make me swoon at the offer of living with you? You want a final answer right now? This minute? For real?"
Kakashi regarded him, choosing his words a little more carefully. Still, this was not completely right. Iruka knew of the jutsu yet still blamed him as the source of the fear his presence triggered. These experiences were leaving emotional aftereffects that transcended the jutsu. A low-grade poison that would take time and trust to dissipate.
"I don't mean it that way. I'm not trying to force a commitment. I just want to understand where you're coming from."
"Before I ran into you out there I thought I knew where the hell I was and where I was going, but now? I'm a mess again!"
"Don't think like that, Iruka. That's what they want. They're messing you up. I'm trying to fix it. Not the other way around."
Iruka didn't respond. Kakashi felt a little of the tension go out of the body trapped beneath him, the ebb of adrenaline allowing his exhaustion to gain some ground.
"You could stay just for tonight. Rest. I'll get us some dinner. I'll seal the perimeter and bring in the ninken to keep watch. You can let go and relax completely for one night. I think you need it."
Iruka pushed up, and Kakashi yielded, letting him sit up, getting out of his way as he rose with great effort and a grim frown.
"I can't. I can't afford to risk pissing off the powers that be this close to securing that job at the Academy. I need to keep up my reputation as a solid citizen. That's got to be my priority right now."
"You don't have to leave right this minute to do that."
"I do. I'm tired. I'm uncomfortable with the way things are. And right now I don't have the energy to spare to hash all this out with you. This has to wait. I'm gonna go."
Kakashi hated the sound of that. He hated to let Iruka go. He hated the situation, his own inability to fix their problems, Iruka's refusal to deal with this rationally and listen to the facts. But most of all, he hated the ease with which Iruka could walk away instead of staying the night. There was a time when that was an issue, when Iruka fought for more time together and Kakashi had to enforce nights apart to maintain his space. And now his natural preference had become the opposite.
These swapped roles gave Kakashi a more sympathetic understanding of how hard the relationship must have been on Iruka in the past. Not that the insight was of much help right now.
He caught Iruka's hand anyway, holding on to keep him there at least another minute or two.
"I want you to know something. You've already got a home here. Anytime you need a place to go, make this the first place you think of. Okay? You'll be safe. I've adjusted the security and you don't need me here to get in. Come stay when I'm on a mission if you just want to get your head around it. Come see me for any reason, at any time. Understand?"
Iruka's face was a mask of guilt, desperation and defensive resistance. Whatever part of that he absorbed, he was clearly itching to get away before contemplating it fully, trying to prevent himself from being drawn back into the conversation.
Some form of fear was still the overriding motivation preventing Iruka from staying in his presence for any length of time. Kakashi bit into his lip under the mask, struggling to get to the source of it. It was beyond the scope of Hide's jutsu, and it didn't fit with the naked landscape of Iruka's psyche that he'd witnessed during the reversal of his Root commitments.
And the gentler his approach, the stronger the negative reaction. Iruka dealt with his more aggressive, no-nonsense style with equally powerful words and attitude. They might not agree, there might be angry words and they would always clash somewhat, but it was a familiar and more comfortable clash, a fight within bounds.
Iruka took back his hand, retrieved his papers and nearly made it out the door before swaying perilously backwards.
Kakashi caught him smoothly, supporting him until he was steady again. He'd conceded the battle to keep him here; but there was no way he was going to let him go alone in this condition.
"Don't say it!" Iruka cried. "I told you! I'm not staying!"
"I didn't stop you. Did I? Look, you're determined to get home. Is it a problem if I help you get there?"
"You don't have to do that."
"I'll just tag along. Just in case. It's better if it's me there to help you than if some ANBU has to come swooping down if you feel faint again. Right?"
Iruka swallowed and cursed his fragility. What he needed right now, desperately, was to get home, put all this out of his head, get a grip, and go through these papers and complete them properly. Tomorrow's second interview was crucial, and he needed to have his shit together and be fully prepared.
Kakashi's offer did seem genuine.
"If you insist."
"I do. Please. It's more for my peace of mind than anything. Indulge me."
"Yeah. All right." Iruka didn't meet the lone eye, both embarrassed and grateful for the magnanimous, self-effacing spin the copy-nin was putting on this.
"Mind if I take your arm? Just at first?"
"Ah..."
"Any time, Iruka." Kakashi helped him through the door, scanning the street, relieved to find it empty. "Keep what I said in mind. Any time you need me, anytime you want to come over, just do it."
He was even more relieved to see Iruka nod, and feel the slight pressure of the body leaning against him.
"I don't want to push you away," Iruka said, so quietly that Kakashi held his breath to hear more clearly. "I just have to, sometimes."
"I'd like it if you could explain that to me. Sooner than later. You understand that working at the Academy may not be enough to get Moreno to call off his dog. You'll need to stay on the defensive. And I'm still going to be there to watch your back."
"I don't need that kind of talk right now! God, for once, let me do something with a clear mind! I want to concentrate on getting my position locked in. I need to make a solid impression. I don't want you slinking around everywhere I go. I can't afford to be jumping at shadows!"
"Calm down. I'm sorry. I won't say another word about it. I didn't mean to upset you again."
Heads buzzing and mouths closed, they made their way down the quiet street.
xxxx
"Genma-kun," Jeninki sang out, melodic and teary, preparing for the jutsu that would result in their final physical interactions. "I adore you, Genma-kun, how could I come to be so attached in such a small fragment of time? I can't let you go just like that. I need to put you here, close in my heart, and hold you there forever. That's my way. I'm a romantic and my affection is as benevolent as it is eternal. I'm going to use my powers to give you all the pleasure and passion that a sound human body can endure; and then I'll give you relief from that damaged mortal husk of yours. It won't mean anything to you after I'm through; but it will always mean a great deal to me."
It felt good to proclaim his intentions and get the feelings out there in words. It was medicinal to give vent to his turmoil, and it would be cleansing to make good on these claims, to demonstrate and express his passion.
But he was a little sad that he'd never know what the reply would be if the intended recipient of this honest, unmasked declaration were to hear it while conscious.
And with that, Jeninki began to shed his traveling clothes, morphing his face into a likeness of the scarred shinobi that his Genma was so taken with. His first jutsu would permanently wipe away a select span of recent memory to avoid any lingering suspicion or terror; a second would temporarily retard those formidable ninja skills and disorient him enough to make him safely pliable. Only then would he fully heal and revive his unconscious patient, so that he might give and receive pleasure without impediments, and in the process, reap his own reward.
Xxxx
Raidou looked back in the direction of Konoha, swallowing hard. Despite his determination, it ate at him to be breaking the rules. Maybe no one would ever realize it; if he was careful, and kept his excursions to just a couple of days at a time, he could keep playing them off as recreational, just some small game hunting and exercise in his off time. But he knew full well that if he picked up anything that smacked of a good lead, he'd be faced with a hard decision, and right now his choice would be to pursue that lead no matter how long it took, without stopping to go back and beg for official permission.
As a first offense they'd be highly unlikely to classify him as missing-nin right off.
He hoped.
He sent up another bird and followed its tiny shadow. Gen's messengers were now in his care, and the loyal little creatures knew his chakra signature well. If he kept taking them out and letting them search, he might capitalize on their ability to hone in on the tiniest hint of his presence.
He was more than a day out and still moving away from the village at top speed. Soon he'd have to decide whether to turn back and resume this on another journey, or forge ahead and risk getting back even later than last time. So far, he'd had no pushback from anyone when he came back in through the gates, and he hoped that meant he was staying under the radar. The last thing he wanted was to be called to account for his excursions and to have to try to lie about it.
But the bird made a sudden veer to the right, and all rumination was tossed aside. Raidou was hot on the trail, fiercely hoping that this wasn't another false positive.
After another hour of high-speed travel, the bird lit, Raidou just a moment behind.
He knew this place. He had been here, too, when they fought the rogues with the fire-style jutsu. The burnt vegetation was just now slowly starting to recover.
The bird, clinging to the side of a blackened oak, pecked for a moment before flitting to Raidou's shoulder, a sign that it was no longer on target. It had found the source of the chakra.
The old senbon, blackened and embedded deeply into the charred trunk of the tree, was barely visible. Raidou's shoulders slumped at the false positive, but at least it did prove what an excellent tool these birds were for searching.
It was best to get out of here. They'd had this battle by chance, while on another pursuit, because this was a problem area to keep clear of undesirables. It was in no-man's land, offered good cover, the terrain made for easily defensible perimeters and it had a decent view of several highly-traveled paths, perfect for robberies and hijacking shipments.
As if on cue, three men materialized around him, and the fight to escape with his life was on. Had it only been the three, he might have slipped their net.
But by the time the rest of the band joined in, his chances went from slim to none. He caved to their numbers, standing in surrender while watching furtively for his opportunity to escape.
"Leaf," growled the closest man, smacking him hard in the forehead next to the metal protector.
"Ugly motherfucker, ain't he?"
They snickered and Raidou took a step back, pulling the release on the net cage on the side of his backpack and setting the rest of the little birds free.
"Them birdies are gonna signal his mates. You and you. Go kill 'em."
Two of the men complied immediately, taking off at a dead run, slinging projectiles into the sky. Raidou shook his head.
"They'll never get all of them. They won't flock. They're smarter than that. You'll have company here in no time."
"So you are alone, eh? Scouting?"
Rai looked them squarely in the eyes, one after another.
"I'm looking for a missing man. One of our own. I have no business with any of you."
"Well. That makes this easy, then." The man who spoke nodded, and as Rai realized it was not to him but to someone behind him, a hard blow to the back of his head pitched him face-first into darkness.
"Tie him tight in case he wakes up. Let's take him and go before those damned birds lead anyone back here."
Xxxxx
Dawn marked the end of a long night of fruitless tossing and turning. The forms were triple-checked, his newest, cleanest uniform was laid out, and the bags under his eyes were going to require a jutsu or he might be mistaken for an errant raccoon.
No breakfast was best for his fluttering stomach, and he used his revived field stealth methods to silence the telltale rumbling. Seemed silly to have to resort to survival skills just to effect civilized manners, but there it was.
When he took his place to wait in the office, he used the same skill set to present himself as a suitably composed, capable candidate.
"Iruka. Iruka-sensei again soon, I suppose." Ebisu held out a hand as Iruka rose and they shook firmly until the bespectacled man motioned for him to return to his seat.
"Ebisu-sensei," Iruka responded, nodding, on edge, fully aware of just how disdainful this man could be.
"You seem to be at ease here, just like the old days; after your great accomplishments, I'm surprised. Surprised that you'd even consider coming back. And frankly, even more surprised that they asked me to run this interview on you. I'm not sure what the point is, really. We both know you're about as over-qualified as a man can be, both in terms of teaching experience and field skills. I've watched your career over the years. I guess my only reservation is whether you really remember how mundane this duty can be. And I have been directed to evaluate whether you have any issues that might impact your effectiveness as an instructor."
Ebisu spoke with a startlingly frank and respectful tone. It made it easier to respond thoughtfully and stay upbeat.
"I do remember how it was. How maddening it can be if you don't maintain the right attitude. But I believe that I still have that positive attitude. It was second nature to me then, and I'm sure that it will be again."
"The Academy hasn't been receiving the same kind of autonomy and support it did when you were teaching. There are new challenges beyond the curriculum. A lot of shortcuts and shorthand that, in my opinion, erode the quality of the program. It's one of those things no one wants to talk about. But frankly, once they started bringing in washouts and such as staff to save money on personnel, the downward spiral has been unprecedented. Mediocre teachers, field operatives with performance issues, men being disciplined off of mission duty – all of them got detailed in without regard to the impact on the programs. As you can imagine, lots of disagreements developed, and instead of flushing out the problem, nearly all of the established, able, talented, appropriate teaching staff was disciplined by being sent back into active duty. You'd almost think it was purposeful, to get more capable personnel on the front line, and get some mileage out of the less promising characters. That may sound like smart personnel management but it's penny-wise and pound foolish. I think it shows now, it really does."
"But surely there have been protests."
"The Hokage says it's temporary until things get better. That we're overstretched, and it's common knowledge that the budget is in the red. But that's always the case. We've always been overstretched and there's never enough revenue. These bad practices won't solve anything, they'll make it worse. So this is set up to perpetuate itself without intervention. Honestly, Iruka, I have mixed opinions about your application. I think that you would make an impact. Things will happen, changes will be inevitable. I'd like to think they'd all be good, positive things. But I don't know. It seems like the pot is already broken, and you should be careful to understand the situation before you start stirring things up."
"You'd think the specialty leads would be having a fit!"
"It's the opposite,' Ebisu said grimly. "They're doing their evaluations for potential much earlier and pulling out the talent they want years before graduation. Ibiki was down here last week doing a one-on-one with an eight-year-old. Eight. If he decides he wants him that's the end of the story. He'll put him into training through apprenticeship. All the specialties are poaching early and training their own now. Seems like the preference is the younger the better, and now that the Academy standards have declined they have their excuse. And the leads love it. They love it. They've always been impatient to get their hand on fresh blood. You know how much they'd bitch about basic training being too cautious and taking too long."
"What a mess."
"It's infuriating. It's wrong and I've been screaming about it and no one in authority will listen. I really encourage you to think about this career move, Iruka. You will know the meaning of powerlessness here. What little good you can do is like trying to bail out a sinking ship with a thimble. In theory you're doing something positive, but in reality, you're making a fool out of yourself for nothing."
"I thought there was something wrong. I could tell that it must be something systemic."
"There was a time when I thought that teaching was beneath me for the most part, something anyone could do. My consolation was in tutoring Konohamaru to make sure he developed worthy of his heritage. But now that things have come to this, I realize just how spoiled and ignorant I was. This is important. Once it gets off-track, it's not easily repaired. Young people are at great risk going out into the field with this level of preparation. They don't pass tests. They can't promote. But they'll still get missions under the guise of "training" and get sent out anyway."
Iruka stared and nodded, wanting to chime in with outrage, but uncertain as to how he really should respond in the context of the interview.
His reserve reined Ebisu back in as well.
"Well. That is our situation. So it's important that you tell me honestly why you're looking to step down. The fact that the Hokage is amenable already tells me that you aren't mission-worthy."
"Yes. I've received a number of injuries over time that I haven't fully recovered from. My effectiveness in the field is compromised. I'm not able to take missions and I don't know if I ever will be."
"Rumor has it that you've been under observation. Disciplinary? Security?"
"More like…I was observed to see if certain parties were trying to…interact with me. I'm not free to give out any details."
"How is your emotional health?"
"I'm fine."
"You give me your word that I can trust you with this? With the kids, the pressure, the situation?"
"Yes."
"That's good enough for me. We'll skip the usual probation and aide process. If you agree, I'd like to place you in the position you would have been promoted to had you not left to go in the field. I'd like you to supervise the teaching staff and have you assist me as vice-director. It won't preclude you from teaching a few classes of your own, if that's what you're itching to do. But I really need your help with the big picture. You'll be compensated pretty well, I would think, but I'll have to get back to you on that. And I'm going to have to insist on some very long hours. I'm afraid that you wont be able to do shifts at the desk, at least not while we've got such a mess on our hands. What do you say? Do you need time to think about it?"
"Thank you, but I won't need time." Iruka said. "This is a very generous offer. I'm honored. And I accept."
Ebisu rose and shook his hand, head bobbing in approval with a tight smile.
"I'll send up my decision. You'll be hearing from us."
xxx
"No way," Iruka groaned irritably. Hide was leaning against the wall outside the building, obviously waiting for him to come out of his interview. He couldn't even let him have a single free breath of relief and victory first?
"Now, now. I wanted to talk with you and I knew where you were. This just made sense, rather than having to go searching for you later."
"What's the rush? I'll see you at the desk. We can talk then." Iruka managed to keep his tone neutral and resumed his path towards home.
"Well. Actually. I was worried. And rightfully so. He did it to you again, didn't he? And he hurt you this time. I can tell."
Iruka kept moving, walking faster, forcing Hide to trot to catch up.
"Don't want to talk about it? Okay. But you should listen. I'm trying to help you, Iruka. You need help – not a lot, but some – to keep your Root remnants in check. So that it doesn't disrupt your behavior. You might land this position, but if you start exhibiting odd behaviors they'll toss you off the Academy staff like that." He snapped his fingers right in front of the stolid face for emphasis, testing and provoking.
"How do I know your not just fucking with my head to keep control of me?" Iruka growled, irritated with his insistence but mindful of people in the near distance.
"If I wanted control of you I could have total control. You know that. I couldn't hide something so extreme, of course, but if I had total control I wouldn't need to hide it, would I? I just want to see this through. I hate to quit a job half way. You still need a small, reasonable amount of my assistance, and I'm obliged to see that you get it. It's your duty to accept it, really. It's your duty to be as whole and functional as possible. You just need to tell Hatake to stop ripping off the bandage every time I fix it. It's hurting you. He should care about that if he truly cares about you."
"He hasn't hurt me!"
"He has. I can prove it. Here, just face me. Stop." Hide placed his hands on each of Iruka's shoulders and propelled a wave of chakra through his body. "See?"
It was only then, when it let go, that he realized he had been in pain. A low-level, tension-filled, irritating sort of pain that had been buzzing in the background. Confusion displaced his anger.
Hide suppressed a smile, getting the reaction he expected, the reaction he'd engineered, leaving his hands in place to start applying the jutsu again.
"I can't tell if he's creating this problem on purpose or if he's not very good at what he's doing. But there's no reason to cause pain, and even less to leave it as a lingering symptom. If I didn't know better, I'd say he's either punishing you, or trying to create false side effects to convince you that what I'm doing is harmful. It's not. It's truly not. If he'd leave it alone so that it can fully develop and support you, you'd see. You'd at least have a chance to make your own judgment and decide for yourself."
"Full of crap as always," Kakashi called out, brash and loud. "Get your hands off of him."
"Is that an order?" Hide sniped back, purposely disobeying, holding on to prevent Iruka's natural inclination to turn and face the approaching jounin.
"What…what the hell…" Iruka managed, now gripped by Kakashi from the back and Hide from the front, instincts vibrating in the drowning volume of their anger and aggression.
"I said get your hands off him!"
"Under what authority?" Hide matched his rising volume of voice and aggression. "I don't think so! Not while you…"
Iruka shook himself out of it. They were still close to the Academy. If Ebisu stepped out and saw this…
"Knock it off!" Iruka snapped, throwing out his arms and pivoting to ward them off, forcing them both to move a step back. "Go fight somewhere else! Leave me alone. Crazy damned jounin sons of bitches!"
With that he gathered all of his chakra and teleported home. It felt like he'd left a third of his guts in transit, and he had to sit on his ass on the floor for a minute to keep from falling down, but he'd made it. Ebisu had not emerged from the building. The closest witnesses had just barely noticed that a disagreement was starting, and if the two of them kept at it after he left, them might not give his presence much notice – after all, who wouldn't vacate if they found themselves in the line of fire between two angry jounin?
He'd punch the first man that followed him here. Then maybe the second one, too, although it would depend on why they followed the first.
Once his breath and the strength in his legs returned, he took to the nearest chair for a while waiting, worrying just a little. He hoped they hadn't kept on fighting. They'd be in trouble – no, scratch that, Kakashi would be in trouble, because the powers that be were pretty much aligned with Hide.
He slapped at his torso, starting to panic at losing his papers, then calmed himself. He'd left them where they belonged, with Ebisu. When those two started in it was hard to keep anything straight. It was almost too much to hope for, that they would come to their senses and simply go mind their own business this time.
Even glowered in darkness, jumping on this opportune moment of turmoil to try a new approach. He released a tiny stream of anger and self-righteousness to infuse in Iruka's emotional stream of presence.
Iruka immediately sat stiffer and clenched his fists. Why was he cowering? He needed to set those two straight. Soon he'd be in the employment of the Academy. No more shifts at the desk. Hide would have no jurisdiction over him. And Kakashi was not his keeper. Their relationship might be viable, but it wasn't going to be like it was before. They were equals or nothing. Kakashi would be committed or cast off. It was time to retake control of his life. This step was the right one and it was going to change everything.
Even observed the change in emotional tone and seethed with satisfaction. Instead of mooning and moaning the focus was on power and action. Subtle, controlled release of his darker nature would allow him to exert his influence without a backlash. He despised the weakling side of him but he had failed to find a way eliminate it while he had such few and fleeting moments of bodily control. It was time to come to better grips with the reality of his situation. He had to sleep with the enemy in order to slip past the guard.
Galled yet satisfied with the confidence he'd engineered in his host, Even fell back to wait. A lot was in the works right now. It was just a matter of waiting and priming the target for the right moment to surge back in.
xxxxxxx
"Not the place for this, kids. Not the place." Tenzo said in irritation. "Senpai, you know better."
"Butt out," Kakashi snapped.
"Ooh, 'senpai', such venom," Hide mocked with a nasty grin. "What will you do? What can you do? Very little, I think."
"Kakashi…"
"I hate this fucker!" Kakashi snarled in Hide's face point-blank. "As much as I've ever hated anyone in my fucking life!"
Tenzo paled and took pause. Kakashi did not get this out of control. No one on this planet was foolish enough to bait him on a good day, and Hide was grinning bigger and nastier than ever. If he didn't act carefully, he feared the consequences.
"Senpai, please. He's clearly not in his right mind. I can see that he's provoked you inexcusably, but we're in clear view of the Academy and there are plenty of innocent people around."
"My mind is fine. He's the insane one. Criminally insane. He's just managed to hide it by indulging in his sick pleasures under the guise of duty."
"Please stop talking. I'm not addressing you. Senpai?"
"I'm not out of control. I know what I'm doing."
"If you're aware of the situation then please stop for the good of everyone. Don't put me in the position of having to try and stop you. I'd hate to end up in traction for the next month."
"I haven't laid a hand on him. And I won't. That isn't necessary with this kind of trash. This is the kind of trash that should take itself out."
Hide's grin waned a bit. He wasn't sure what that meant. A shouting match wasn't going to make him go lay down and die. And Kakashi, while he seemed ready to pop, suddenly had a handle on his anger.
"If all you're going to do is mouth off, we're done here," Hide spat, starting to realize that in order to leave without appearing to be cowed or dominated, he'd best go now before the dispute cooled down. He was on high alert when he turned to go, edgy in that split second of having his back turned while there was still just a wisp of space between them.
But Kakashi didn't attack, and he didn't say anything else. He simply straightened and turned to Tenzo.
"Just a month?" Kakashi asked mildly.
"A conservative estimate, to be sure. If I lived."
"I can't wait to get that guy out of the picture."
"Is it worth getting yourself in trouble over?"
"I'd only be in trouble if I did something wrong. I intend to do everything in the most correct way possible."
"Like shouting and…"
"I got my message across. I knew someone would step in before it went too far. Look, his official assignment harassing Iruka is finished. Once he understands that I won't allow any continuation of that for recreational purposes, I'll leave him be. How much it takes to make him understand is totally up to him."
"I've always thought that Iruka has no idea what a lucky man he is to have someone like you in his corner. Let's go, I'll buy you a cold one."
Kakashi scratched his head. Iruka impressed him as being a lot more irritated than grateful, But he certainly seemed to be standing strong. For once, he didn't think he had to rush over to make sure he was all right. That was kind of a nice, and very unexpected, development.
"Yeah. All right. That sounds good."
Heads swiveled and the bystanders quickly pretended they had not been looking as the two tall jounin strolled away peacefully.
Damned right, Kakashi thought with satisfaction. Nobody makes me back down in a contest of wills. And the more people realize it, the better.
xxxxxxxx
"Something's off. Way, way off," Kotetsu said, jumping up from his stool while staring out through the gates.
"What? What is it?" Izumo was up too, squinting, struggling to catch whatever it was that Ko sensing.
"I shouldn't be getting this impression at all." His hands went to his head. "Fuck. It's not possible. It's one. One man and…what the hell is that?"
"Oh…yeah…I feel it now, too. It's coming fast. Should we shut the gate?"
"Yeah, go pull 'em and I'll call in the yellow alert. It's something powerful but its shielded and I could swear there's a man's chakra trace that feels like..."
Too late, the cloud of blinding dust enveloped the men and obliterated the view of the entrance. Izumo ran forward, in a last-ditch effort to close the gate and was thrown back violently, past the guard station and his friend Ko, who was clinging to the rail to avoid losing his own footing.
When the dust settled they staggered forward, to the form stirring slowly in the middle of the road, wrapped in a rough wool blanket and barely able to lift its head.
"That's..!"
"I've got this, go! Sound the alert, get backup!" Kotetsu waved him away as he began cautiously inspecting the man, highly skeptical of his apparent identity.
Yet his face matched the chakra he'd been shocked to detect.
"Genma," he whispered, carefully touching his cold, pale hand.
Genma's open eye rolled and attempted to focus before closing in relief. This was home. He sensed the reality of Ko's chakra, and the vibrant wavelength of the village. He heard his name. Somehow, he had slipped from the endless agony of the hospital and ended up in the middle of the road face down but that fact was nothing compared to the sudden release from the pain. He could breathe. He could hear. How the hell that had happened, he had no idea.
But he could have kissed the dirt in joy. He had no way of knowing if this was just a sudden remission or a dream or what, but it was amazing and awesome. He made it unsteadily to his hands and knees and still there was no sign of any problem other that extreme weakness and hunger.
"Easy, now," Kotetsu warned. "I'm going to need you to stay where you are. Keep both hands visible."
Genma laughed weakly, flopping back down. He gave up on trying to rise, rolling over from under the blanket to a rest flat on his back, extending his arms over his head in welcome surrender. It felt like he was drunk, but he wasn't sure if the cause was emotional or something else. The sun was warming his exposed belly and naked like this, he felt secure that they would be further convinced of his authenticity. Some of his scars and certain physical attributes were well known, and Kotetsu was among some of the more well-versed in that department.
"It's me, Ko."
"Well it sure isn't a casual henge, if it is one. Perfect, right down to the last little detail."
Genma snorted in the surreal humor of the moment.
"And now I'll have to kick your ass for using 'little' to describe my details."
Kotetsu chuckled but still kept up his guard, using a toe to pull the discarded blanket away and flip it over. Nothing but a square of poorly-made cloth, scratchy and worn.
"Clothing is optional now? You were dressed up real nice the last time anyone here saw you."
It brought the situation back into focus, and Gen shook his head, frowning in confusion.
"You don't remember?" Kotetsu asked, turning his head back to catch the sound of someone approaching at high speed. He recognized the pattern and returned his attention fully to Gen.
"I…"
"It's okay. Just wait."
"They'll be here any second," Izumo said, sliding to a stop with his hands on his hips. "Shouldn't we cover some of that up?"
"You guys are hilarious," Gen snorted.
"It's him, isn't it? It fucking is you! That's just…damn, buddy, I can't believe it!" Izumo grinned. "He doesn't even look all that bad!"
"What? I look great, you little twat."
"Stay back, Zoom."
"Oh, come on, I get the procedure, but that's him!"
"Yeah. But you-know-who will probably be first on scene, so keep on task."
"Oh. Thanks. Sorry. You're right."
"I don't know what I did wrong but it must have been a doozey. I'm not heading for the brig, am I?"
The two gatekeepers shared a look, but before they could hazard an answer, Ibiki and two ANBU flashed in. The ANBU pinned his arms and legs to the ground from both sides, and he lifted his head slightly to observe their unnecessary measures.
"You missed an appendage," he said dryly.
"Would you like to be missing an appendage?" Ibiki returned evenly. "Identify yourself."
He made the standard name rank and registration number and shook his head slightly. Should he be so casual? He had to admit he wasn't sure how he came to be in this position. This could be genjutsu, engineered to loosen his tongue. He might be in some sort of interrogation, and they could be using his familiar memories against him.
"Where did you come from? Where have you been?"
"Who are you?" Genma shot back.
"You don't seem that confused. Are you telling me you don't know who I am?"
"Due caution. Prove to me who you are. I won't say a thing until you do."
"Fair enough. What's his condition?"
"Stable and no major injuries," came the answer from behind the porcelain mask. "Transportable."
"Take him into custody. I want him ready for debriefing by the time I get back from the Tower."
The ANBU followed instructions. Ibiki towered over the gatekeepers with his most serious, deadly scowl.
"Other than dispatch, my ANBU, and you two, no one else knows. If this gets out, I'll have you both locked up for insubordination. I'll decide who should know, and when. Until then, not a word. Not to his closest friends, not to anyone. Do I make myself understood?"
"Yes, sir," they said in unison.
"You may not realize this, but it gives me extreme displeasure to have to instruct you two in this way. You should know this. I should be able to simply rely upon you to keep village business confidential. I shouldn't have to remind you, and you should already know the consequences. So I've done you both a tremendous favor by refreshing your understanding of the obligations of this station, and the conduct expected of men on official duty. Now don't fuck it up. If you do, I will make your punishment my own, personal responsibility. Are we even clearer?"
They both nodded, forcing themselves to meet his glare without flinching.
"I'll put this in my report. You just make a classified entry in the gate log that refers to my name only. I'll give you the incident number later."
Ibiki flashed away. At some point, one of the ANBU had taken the blanket. Only a slightly disturbed area of dirt gave any indication that something had occurred.
Inspired by Ibiki's warning, Kotetsu used an erasure jutsu to thoroughly scrub the area of remnant chakra.
Izumo watched, seated on his stool, triple checking the area. No onlookers, no one approaching. It would be a bitch if someone had seen something and the two of them were made to suffer for someone else's wagging tongue.
"He's not going to be having any fun for a while," Ko said in a hushed aside as he took his own stool.
"He's for shit-sure better off than he was before, though."
"Mmm," Kotetsu agreed. "Well, and he's never been one to mind much when things get rough. Did you notice how much worse he's gotten? He looks like a frickin' crazy quilt now. Those huge scars on his hips are new. That was the last area of his body that was pretty much untouched. Now it's the worst."
"Hope they don't give him any more."
"Don't hold your breath. If they were going to go easy on him, I doubt there'd be a gag order. I mean, he did leave without permission, and he's not spouting any explanations right off the bat. It's their job to be suspicious."
"I know." Uncomfortable, Izumo trudged out to check the gate himself and double-checked to make sure they had erased any sign of the altercation. If the debriefing was lengthy, they'd be forced to deceive others with feigned ignorance anytime the subject came up. It was cruel enough being ordered to say nothing and leave Raidou to live in hell any longer than necessary. But to have to lie to his face...
He looked back at Kotetsu. His partner gave him a nod of sympathy and understanding. Of course they were thinking the same thing; he shook his head and returned to slide his stool just a little closer, close enough to reach over and give Ko's forearm an affectionate, firm squeeze under counter, out of view.
"It's a totally unique situation," Kotetsu said. "and I bet it's quite a story. Don't think too much about it, all right? We may never know the facts. But I don't think it's anything we'll ever have to worry about."
"That's good. Because if something like that ever happened to you, and no one told me you were all right, I'd..."
"Stop. I know." Ko pressed a hand over the one gripping his forearm, making meaningful contact for a moment before letting go and pointedly moving away and apart. "Believe me, I know."
They sat in peaceful silence; and as usual, it only lasted for a few moments.
"Hey, wait," Izumo said suspiciously. "How come you know so damned much about which of his scars are new?"
xxxx
Danzou struggled with this decision. That alone was a bad sign. Answers and plans came to him easily; but he supposed that this was not so much an indication of a lack of inspiration on his part as a result of his dwindling resources. The one to carry this out had to be trustworthy and borne to silence without a doubt. They also had to be stable, capable, discerning and focused.
He considered whether he should take care of it personally. The adage about getting a job done right by doing it yourself was true enough. But he resisted the idea of putting his neck even further out on the line. It was one thing to have an operative get caught; they had other spheres of activity and plausible stories abounded. But if he was discovered taking someone against their will, enemy or not, the suspicions were already there, and it would be a heavy burden to prove otherwise.
Jeninki's mental state was unreliable. As time went on, that would only worsen. So he could not be allowed to become impatient and try to do this himself; and there could be no further delay.
His old staffers were largely unavailable. The oath might keep them silent but it was highly unusual to call them in to conference.
So he'd balanced his pros and cons, and though he wasn't 100% convinced that this was the right move, he'd just have to go forward and see where this course of action took him.
He opened the door at the precise time and his chosen operative stood before him, not knocking because he already knew he'd been detected, both from within and without.
"The ANBU monitor is on duty. He is using sensory intrusion, located at 3 o'clock just outside the main gate," Sai said. He spoke at a normal volume, effectively blanketing his speech with a jutsu that disrupted the sound waves after 5 feet of travel through the air.
"That again. Yes, they've been very persistent. All of our conversation here today must be masked. We have serious business to attend to."
"Yes, Lord Danzou."
"In case he's made more headway improving his skills, I will instruct you while we engage in a normal session. Go to the table and prepare yourself."
Sai's oath and allegiance moved him promptly down the hall, ignoring the tiny twinge of resistance and discomfort again, willing it away. He'd resolved to keep his mind clear. He would stop ruminating on things that were mandatory by his Lord's will. It only caused fruitless doubt and a disruptive feeling similar to standing too close to a dangerous precipice. This conscious effort to return to obedience was loyalty mixed with self-preservation; it aligned with his oath and he expected it to improve his ability to perform.
Danzou's hands were on him as soon as he was in ready position, mechanical and without force of passion, only causing mild pain as they twisted around his throat. Their heads came close and even though they were using an unbreakable method to block sound, his master breathed heavily into his ear with the details of his assignment.
His master was treating him as his own again, trusting him with dangerous secrets and relying upon him for his unique Root-bred abilities.
By the time he acknowledged the assignment and was fully versed in its complexities, they were nearly through with the activities typical of the brief version of their usual session. Danzou was still distracted but gave slightly more attention to what he was doing once the assignment was given. When his master was satisfied enough to declare a finish and began to move away, Sai inexplicably dared to stop him.
"Lord Danzou, he has witnessed the aftermath of many sessions. It may appear odd if too many of the usual regions of my body are undamaged."
"But you heal before you…oh, I see. His method is that style of sensory. So you think that he detects all of that as well?"
"Most likely. His reaction to my appearance can be detected and he is scanning to that level both on the way in and on the way out. Although, he is not always there."
"Troublesome. If his capability is that strong, he might develop to the point where he can see clearly within the training room. On your stomach, then, I'll just do this again from the top without all the distraction. It's not a problem now that I've been restored. In fact, it's good for me, really, get a longer workout now and then. Are you ready?"
"Yes, Lord Danzou. It is a privilege to be the instrument of your health and welfare."
"Yes. That you are. But before we start, you've given me an idea. I have one more little task for you to take care of, while you're at it."
And when Munasawagi saw Sai leave, he winced at the increase in muted pain, almost outraged at how badly the young man was abused this time, no matter that he seemed to be a willing participant.