Leaves in the Wind
Chapter Eleven: Look Before You Leap
Morning for the Harogami Kuro twins started before the sun began its own morning. At three o' clock, Harogami One passed by Umino Iruka's room, carrying a tray packed with gauzes and medical creams. At 3:02, Harogami Two passed by the Chuunin's room, carrying empty bowls and cups. At 3:03, they both bid Matsuhara Tekki a good morning, and at 3:05, both vanished from Konoha. An alert was raised when the two were discovered missing at about six AM. This, however, quickly escalated into an alarm when Kakashi was gently prodded awake by the sun rays streaming in Iruka's hospital window. The staff conducted a thorough search under order of Hatake Kakashi and Matsuhara Tekki, and by noon, the Team One shinobi were gathering at the hospital for a meeting concerning two Konohagakure missing nin.
An hour and a half later, the sound of a shutting door and scuffling feet brought Iruka out of deep, dreamless sleep. His eyes cracked open to allow light to enter, and upon adjusting to that, he rolled over and looked upon Team One. He sat up, sniffing and crinkling his nose in disgust. His eyes landed on Asuma, who casually sat in the visitor's chair, cigarette in the corner of his mouth. The man was smoking in the hospital… Along side Asuma was Genma, Nakura, Kurenai, Kakashi, and Amaya. His eyes narrowed in irritation and suspicion. Without dignity, he demanded, "What the hell is going on? Why are you all here?"
"Eh, concerned co-workers?" Asuma ventured around his cigarette.
As his senses came back to him, Iruka's anger gradually faded but had not yet disappeared. "Try again."
"Sorry," The man shrugged. "Didn't think that far ahead."
Kakashi shot an unreadable look to Asuma. "Harogami Kuro and… Harogami Kuro are both missing," he muttered. The Jounin's voice made Iruka turn his gaze. Kakashi looked tired and almost stressed, yet he still leaned against the window with his arms crossed as if it were a normal day. "They left Konoha at approximately 3:15 this morning."
The Chuunin blinked. "What?"
Nakura lifted a hand and waved slightly to steal the Chuunin's attention away from Kakashi. "Apparently, those two were plotting against Kakashi-sama. Kakashi might have threatened their mission by staying in your room last night." She looked oddly jealous. "They're missing nin now. It seems as though you and Kakashi were -or still are- the targets."
"…What?"
Amaya met gazes with Iruka when the Chuunin looked over to her in disbelief.
"Amaya-chan explained it to me last night," Kakashi offered. "I came to the hospital to look after you. Had an interesting confrontation with Harogami Kuro number One last night."
This information, Iruka was having a hard time digesting. "Why?"
The silver-haired ninja merely shrugged. "They were in cahoots with Kekemoro Suien. That's all we know as of this moment. We have ANBU and hunter nins looking for them at the moment, but they've remained elusive for the past few hours."
Kurenai shifted slightly at her position against the wall near Kakashi. "We've been commissioned to keep watch until further notice."
"And," Asuma cut in, "that's translated to 'we'll be stalking you until further notice'." Genma laughed at this comment from beside Asuma.
Nakura crossed her arms and shot a barely concealed scowl to her copy nin senior. "Kakashi-san has the pleasure of being your personal body guard."
"Don't let it get to you." Asuma spoke as he stood up. "They're obviously crazy bastards who decided to have fun with an unsuspecting Chuunin. We've got this covered, though." He nodded to Genma and the others before he walked out the door.
Iruka's eyes fell into his lap where his hands were starting to wring each other. "…Kuro-kun…."
"I'll be seeing you around, Iruka-sensei." Kurenai left as well. Nakura followed in a poof of smoke, leaving Amaya and Kakashi to linger with the injured man.
Amaya shifted uncomfortably. "I've agreed to stay in Konoha until the situation is under control. It'll help keep worry down, since the Harogami brothers haven't been located yet." The girl offered a smile and she tried an optimistic approach, "Kakashi-kun believes that they are the source of your bird problems. Which means that as soon as they're taken care of, you won't have to worry anymore."
Kakashi's attention landed discreetly upon Iruka, who didn't seem to be listening but eventually nodded. The Jounin spoke, "You'll be checked out at four pm today, and I'll take you back to my apartment where you can finish recovering."
Iruka leaned his head back, staring at the blank ceiling. His fidgeting hands had stilled. "They could have made their move. At any moment…I could have been asleep, the medicine could have been fake, the soup could have been-" Want this? This poison? Haha, well, if that's what you want. "-poisoned. They could have easily…" A wave of sickness gripped Iruka.
"But they didn't." Amaya pointed out. "Which means that they don't want you dead."
"What the hell would they want with me alive?" Iruka suddenly demanded heatedly, hands twisting in the covers once again.
"You're an Academy sensei," Kakashi murmured, looking away from Iruka and out the window. "You know all about forbidden jutsu." This made a stiff, tense silence seize the room. "You have average abilities, average looks, average popularity, no living family or lovers, and a regular, stable life. Konoha Shinobi and students would miss you, but other than that, you're the perfect candidate for someone who's running an illegal summon or ritual."
"Well…" Amaya attempted to soften the blow, "That's the theory, anyway."
---
For the third time in Kakashi's life, he was graced with a very drunk, very unstable sensei. Iruka had stepped foot in Kakashi's apartment, walked directly towards the cabinets, produced a bottle of sake, and shamelessly downed it on his own. He had no desire to be sober at the moment. If it was his choice, he'd gladly stay intoxicated for at least another week. Iruka stated this to Kakashi as the Jounin pulled off his sandals at the door, then took another long gulp.
Kakashi watched his Chuunin friend pull out another bottle of alcohol and smack it down on the kitchen table. Only then did Kakashi vaguely wonder when he'd collected all of the sake in his house. Asuma's name came to mind. He walked over and fiddled with the air-conditioning monitor, and then pulled off his vest, tossing it on his couch. "You're going to die of a bad liver, Iruka-san."
"Oh well." Iruka raised his glass cheerfully. "Kanpai!"
"Aiya…" Kakashi turned to find Iruka guzzling another glass in the kitchen. He glanced around his apartment to be sure that it wasn't tampered with. The Shinobi deemed it safe, and he sat down on the couch, pulling his bare feet up onto the cushion. "I went to check out your apartment, Iruka-san. The living room has been cleared out and the wall was repaired. However, they're still ripping out the water damaged flooring."
"I see." The Chuunin was balancing his tiny glass on the palm of his hand. "Easy come easy go, Kakashi-kun."
Not with the name again… It was as if Iruka had been hit with a brick. Perhaps he should have stopped him before the man got at the cabinets? He was supposed to be taking care of Iruka… "Sit down before you fall over, Iruka-san." That was a safe compensation.
"Iruka-sensei." Iruka chided, placing his cup down on the table. He missed the chair on several attempts and finally sat on the floor. "Not Iruka-san. It's so impersonal. We're friends, aren't we?"
The Jounin blinked, at first attempting to make sense of what Iruka had just said. He stood up and walked over to the man, staring down. "Yes, Iruka-sensei." He took the glass from the Chuunin, along with the sake he'd managed to root out from places Kakashi didn't even know existed. He stashed them away. "I'm supposed to be taking care of you, not letting you get smashed."
"Kakashiiii! I wasn't finished with that!" Kakashi's companion turned a baleful eye on the Jounin, silently pleading for another cup.
The Jounin stared back. He couldn't stand the look on the Chuunin's face, so he glanced away. "No."
Iruka struggled to get to his feet, and Kakashi soon found himself being used as a crutch, the sensei having draped an arm over his shoulders. "Please?"
Kakashi shook his head, meekly attempting to pry the sensei away.
"Idiot…" Iruka slid away, trudging over to the couch and collapsing on it face down. There was muffled comment, probably about Kakashi being a stubborn bastard and not giving a poor man his sake. The Chuunin then fell silent.
Kakashi walked over, and peered over the couch. "Iruka-san?"
"….Mm?"
"Just making sure you were ok." He paused. For the first time in his life, he felt truly unsure of his assessment. "Are you ok?"
Iruka didn't answer at first. When he did chance speaking, it was only to utter a mournful, "Kuro-kun…"
Kakashi's gaze fell away from Iruka. "Right. You just stay there. If you need me, I'll be in the shower. Just knock, Ok?"
No response was given.
Kakashi disappeared into his room, shutting the door behind him.
---
Iruka was well aware that when drunk, sometimes things are said or seen that really never existed in the first place. As a result, he wasn't necessarily worried when a bird that had landed on Kakashi's windowsill started speaking to him. Its beak didn't move, but it was looking at him with purpose. Hello Iruka-kun!
"Kuro-san?" The man squinted. It looked like a normal crow… The Chuunin twisted around, placing his chin on the arm rest.
Yes! How are you? Are you doing well?
He blinked heavily. "Yeah, yeah. Is this henge?"
No.
"G'jutsu?" He slurred. The blush in his cheeks made the school teacher look quite comical.
No. The bird hopped on the window sill, tilting its head to one direction and the back. Where is Kakashi-sama?
"Shower." Iruka said nonchalantly. He sat up and stumbled over to the window. His fingers curled around the handle, but it didn't budge. It took a long moment for him to figure out it was locked. He struggled and then opened the window to allow the crow entry. It landed on his head. "Why are you here? They're looking for you, you know."
Yes. I wanted to visit, that's all. It's talons shifted, digging through Iruka's hair to graze the scalp.
The man didn't seem to notice, and if he did, he didn't care. "Where is Kuro-kun?"
Oh, around. He's somewhere. The crow paused and looked in the direction of the shower. It's head twitched and ruffled its feathers nervously. So then, they're looking for us? Why?
"You want to do something to me and Kakashi."
The bird scooted forward on Iruka's head, pecking at the man's hitae-ate once. With, maybe. To, not necessarily. It looked back up. Small apartment.
"I don't know…I like it…"
You shouldn't drink so much, Iruka-san. The bird scolded him. How are your wounds? You seem well. No dreams?
Iruka shook his head.
It pains me, but that must be changed soon. Don't worry; Kuro and I will help you. We'll always be in your shadow.
"Why thank you, Kuro-kun."
We're still in Konoha, Iruka-san! We shall visit when we can.
"They're looking for you," Iruka reminded the bird.
Henge.
"Ah, that's right." Iruka yawned heavily and his eyelids closed half way as he sat on the armrest of the couch. "Do you want something to eat?"
The bird's feathers suddenly fluttered and shifted when the sound of the shower turned off. Oh, no. I need to go now. The man felt the bird peck at his scalp. See ya! Say hello to Amaya-chan for me, ne?
"Of course. Goodbye, Kuro-kun." The Chuunin watched as a crow fluttered over to the sill, turned to glance back at him, then took flight. A few feathers wafted lazily to the floor. Iruka fell backwards into the couch and buried his face in the cushion. Well, now he could stop worrying so much.
The door to Kakashi's room opened up a few minutes later and a lazy Jounin strolled out with damp locks framing his face and neck. He wore the Jounin uniform without the gloves, shoes, and vest. "Hey, Iruka-san." He shook his head quickly, spraying water droplets around him. "Were you talking to yourself again?" He placed his hands on the couch and looked down at his friend. A draft of wind ran through the living room and Kakashi lifted his head to the window. His critical eye immediately spotted three black feathers that had drifted to the floor. "Shit…" The window was quickly shut and locked. "Iruka-san. Answer me." He stared out the window, searching for any sign of disturbance.
"No, I was talking to a friend." Two weakened arms were thrust around the Jounin as he was enveloped in a hug. "I'm glad to know they're safe."
Kakashi turned around in Iruka's arms and stared down. The Chuunin proceeded to burry his face in Kakashi's chest. "Harogami Kuro?"
"Yes."
Kakashi placed his hands on Iruka's arms and pried the man away to stare him in the eye. "Was he here or did a bird come?" He pointed to the feathers still on the ground.
"Bird." Iruka replied sluggishly, tilting forward.
"What did it say to you?"
The Chuunin regarded him with what must have been an attempt at skepticism. "Just wanted to know if I was well."
"Are they still in Konoha?"
"No."
Kakashi stared at Iruka's face, taking in every twitch. "Where are they, then?"
"Somewhere." Iruka murmured airily. He reached out and toyed with locks of damp Jounin hair. "Your hair."
A hand reached up and took his away from the silver locks. The Jounin's eyes narrowed. "You're a terrible, liar, Iruka-san. They're hiding here, aren't they?" His voice became sterner.
"No," said the brunette, staring at his captured hand.
"Iruka-san…" he warned. Kakashi's expression faltered. He led Iruka to the couch and set him down. Iruka was drunk, he didn't know what he was doing. Kakashi had gotten the information he needed anyway.
"Kakashi…?"
"Mm?" He looked down to the speaker.
The man smiled but said no more.
---
Seven o' clock in the evening found Kakashi walking to the hospital. Amaya had finally come back from searching with Team One and the Jounin left her in charge of watching over the slumbering Iruka. She'd scolded him for letting him drink, but that confrontation quickly faded when he walked out the door. Heads turned as he walked in the front doors of Konoha Hospital and approached the front desk. A receptionist looked up from her papers and smiled. "Good evening, Kakashi-sama. Is there someone you came to visit?"
"I need to speak to Matsuhara Tekki."
"Ah, I see." She stood up. "He should be in one of the back rooms checking some stock. Why don't you come with me, Kakashi-sama?" The woman led the way down a long hallway and opened up a door. "Tekki-san, Hatake Kakashi has come to speak to you, do you mind?"
Kakashi walked into the room and the receptionist smiled at him, bowing before leaving to do her own work.
"Ahh, Kakashi-sama." Tekki glanced over his shoulder, setting down the tower of boxes he'd been juggling. "To what reason is the Sharingan no Kakashi paying this sarcastic wit a visit?"
Kakashi got straight to the point. "How familiar were you with the Harogami brothers?"
"Hm, Kuro-kun and Kuro-kun." Tekki's hand lifted to his chin and he looked upward as he recalled memories. "Well, I knew them perhaps better than the rest of the staff. The eldest was more polite than his younger sibling. Although it can be said the younger sibling was slightly smarter than the older."
The Jounin pocketed his hands, openly scrutinizing Tekki's expressions. The med nin didn't seem to care. "What did they do with their free time?"
Tekki's attention turned to a label on a box and he frowned. "Organized stock. Ate lunch. Talked. Sang. Those boys liked to sing. Collect food trays."
"And where did they live? Any friends or family?"
"Lived out in the farther parts of Konoha forest. Near the merchant trails." Tekki pulled out a pen and scribbled something on the box label. He then seemed to change his mind and began to rip the tape off of the flaps. "Far as I know, their parents were killed by missing nin eleven years ago." He folded back the cardboard flaps. "I've dropped by for tea occasionally. They've talked about a few people they were close with. I suppose you could call them 'friends'."
"Do you have any names?"
"Leiko Suzume was closest to them. They had another that I introduced them to. Kazahaya Isamu. If you want information, I'd suggest going to Suzume-chan."
"Where can I find Leiko Suzume?"
Tekki ripped something metallic and unidentifiable from the foam filled container. His expression turned to dismay as a piece broke off and fell behind some heavy shelves. "Dammit…ah, Suzume-chan…Suzume-chan…Where did Suzume-chan live? Hm…Ah-ha!" His golden eyes lit up and he began frantically digging through his pockets, finally withdrawing a slip of paper and scribbling on it with the pen. "Here. You'll find her at this apartment complex. Near that plaza with the most excellent Udon. Kazahaya Isamu's address is on there too."
"Grateful for the information, Tekki-san." Kakashi accepted the paper and looked down at it, committing the letters to memory. He then pocketed it. "You've been a help."
"Heh heh, I'm only doing it as a favor for Umino. And because those brats kept interrupting my important work with their incessant humming." The med nin winked, waving Kakashi away. Tekki turned his back to privately muse on how he'd get his damn equipment from behind the shelves…
So it was that twenty-six minutes away from Konoha's hospital, Kakashi found himself outside of apartment 203 in the complex right above Moran's Noodles. The aroma of freshly picked flowers escaped through the cracks around the door, and Kakashi almost gagged on the sweetness. Soft singing could be heard on the inside, along with the heavy thud of a dull knife on wood every third beat. The plaque on the door -which looked as though it'd been recently polished- read 'Suzume' in stylized Kanji characters, a red clover preceding the name.
Kakashi raised a hand and knocked three times.
"Kuro-kun! Is that you?" A woman's speech passed through the wood. "The door's open! Try not to step on any of my flowers!" Her voice had a pleasant warmth to it and a sweetness that stuck to the listener as closely as the flower aroma. When she saw that the man who had entered her home was not Kuro-kun or Kuro-kun, she raised her hand and pointed her knife at Kakashi. "Who are you?" Her tone was definitely lacking warmth now. Though oddly, Kakashi noted, it was still somewhat sweet.
Leiko Suzume was pretty but not beautiful. Her stark black hair was shoulder length, her eyes were a muddy brown. Her face was long and narrow and her facial features were small and expressive. Suzume did have a nice build, he'd admit: a lovely thin neck, full bust and probably broad, powerful hips. The woman had one hand on the knife and another in her red apron pocket.
Kakashi grinned at her, placing his hands in the air. "No need to worry, Suzume-san. I'm Hatake Kakashi, Konoha Jounin." He pointed to the uniform. "I've come to ask you a few questions about the Harogami Brothers."
"Aiie!" The Jounin watched as the knife became embedded in the ceiling. "What has happened to them? Are they well?!"
Kakashi gently shut and locked the door behind him, then fully entered the apartment. He minded all of the flower pots and plants that were scattered across the room. "Before I get into that, Suzume-san, I'd like to know when the last time you saw Kuro and Kuro was." His eye had been trained on a particularly colorful plant, but he now looked up to her.
"Are they in danger?!" Apparently, Suzume was not going to be easy to hold a conversation with.
"Suzume-san, please calm down." He paused, a flicker of pity running through his expression. Word of the missing nins apparently had not yet reached all of the civilians. "You might want to sit for this…"
Suzeme was determined. "Did they do something wrong?" She stepped forward in an almost threatening manor. "It was that merchant then! It was the merchant that corrupted them!" She pointed at Kakashi as she defended her friends. "That Suien man!"
The shinobi had opened his mouth to say something, but stopped with Suzume's last words. "Suien came to them?"
"Of course!" The woman picked up the half of a carrot she'd been chopping and waved it in the air animatedly. "I didn't like him but I didn't say anything. Kuro-kun said they'd met when Kuro-kun and Kuro-kun had been out drinking. He presented himself as a merchant at the time. Both boys were enthralled with his tales of travel. I merely kept my mouth shut and stayed polite. But ohh, he was the devil!"
Kakashi closed his eye for a minute and placed his hands in his pockets. "Suzume-san, the Harogami Brothers have been declared missing nin for plotted assassination and other corruption that, as a citizen, you wouldn't fully understand. If there is any information you could offer us-"
"No!" Suzume slammed the unfortunate vegetable half onto the counter. It split and flipped through the air in two directions at once. "My Kuro-kuns would never do such things! We have known each other for many years and they have never once done so much as shop-lift. They are medics that yearn to help people. It is their dream to be the best in Konoha." She fixed Kakashi with a deep, scathing glare. "I have nothing to say that would help. I'm sorry, Kakashi-sama."
He let out a deep sigh. Kakashi would set some Shinobi on her to gather a bit more information, but there was not much more he could get with her in this displeasing disposition. "Thank you." Kakashi bowed his head. He would never figure out how to handle women. He'd been lucky enough with Amaya-chan.
"And don't try bothering Isamu-kun!"
"Yes, yes," Kakashi rolled his eyes as he left the apartment. The Jounin walked down the hallway and up the stairs. Kazahaya Isamu lived on the floor above Suzume. The metal plate read 'Kazahaya'. Nothing else was outstanding. Kakashi knocked three times and waited patiently.
"Excuse me, sir, but are you looking for someone?" A soft, timid voice wafted down the hallway to take the ninja's attention. A young woman in a cloud patterned kimono stood with a stack of books piled high in her hands. Her raven hair was long, pulled back in a pony tail that landed at her waist. Golden eyes peered through the black bangs that framed pale features. For some reason, something about the woman's appearance bothered Kakashi, but he couldn't quite put his finger on what it was.
Kakashi smiled, trying to seem as minutely intimidating as an advanced shinobi could possibly be. "Oh, yes. I'm looking for Kazahaya Isamu."
"Oh! Well then!" The clatter of sandals on the wooden floor echoed through the hall as she approached, stopping to stand next to Kakashi. She placed one hand on the door knob and said quietly, "Welcome, and good evening to you." She looked down at the door handle and turned it, entering the apartment.
The Jounin followed the room after her.
"Please, sit." She gestured to a couch lining the outer wall. The layout was much the same as Kakashi's apartment, though slightly larger. It was also almost as impersonal, with only an occasional ninja weapon or scroll on the wall.
Kakashi found that he was already quite partial towards Isamu. This was going much smoother than the attempt down stairs. Kakashi was nearly perplexed. "Thank you." He sat down on the couch. His social skills were nil, so instead of attempting to initiate conversation himself, he would wait for her to open on her own terms.
"If I might ask, why is it you've come to join me today?" The one golden-rod eye that wasn't hidden by a curtain of black hair curled upward just as Kakashi's did when he smiled.
Kakashi nodded with a bit of relief. He didn't do well with idle chat or small talk, so getting to the point was a pleasure. "First off, Isamu-sama, do you know the Harogami brothers, Kuro and Kuro?"
"Indeed. We've had tea together before on numerous occasions. They are both very kind." Isamu had moved into her kitchen to prepare some tea. "I assume something's happened. I believe you are the copy-nin Hatake Kakashi, correct? It must be something dangerous if they've involved you."
"It's nothing that you need to worry about, but if you could answer some questions, it would be appreciated." Kakashi eyed her carefully.
"Of course." She smiled, reaching up into a cabinet, pulling out a cutting board. She reaching down into another, pulling out a knife, and then reached into her kimono. Isamu pulled out two large oranges. "Would you like some fruit with your tea? I'm glad I bought an extra." Thus, Isamu was, perhaps, not female.
Kakashi coughed and shook his head, looking quickly looking away. If it weren't for a life time of practice of holding in emotion, he would have cracked up laughing. "No, I'm fine." He leaned forward, placing his elbows on his knees. "When was the last time you've seen the Harogami siblings?"
"Haha, Kakashi-sama?" Kakashi's shifting did not escape Isamu. "Does my kimono bother you?" He laughed. "One would think my name would be a hint. Isamu is a boy's name, after all." Tea ready, he procured the needed dishes and strolled over to the little reed mat by the couch. "I last saw them yesterday. Or, that is, I saw Kuro-kun. He had stopped by for tea, and then he'd left." Kazahaya set the small tray on the coffee table and sat down in the chair across from Kakashi, shifting his kimono as he did so.
"Was there anything unusual about his behavior?" Kakashi asked.
Isamu shook his head, lifting his cup to his pink lips. "Not that I recall. He mentioned his friend Suien, and a patient he was treating that he was particularly fond of but otherwise, nothing."
"I see." Kakashi let out a sigh. "What do you know about Suien? Did Kuro speak of him much?"
"He told me Suien-san was an outsider. A ninja from Takigakure; I have not seen nor heard of that village for many years. I'm sure if you were to ask the average citizen of Konoha, they wouldn't even know what you were talking about. But yes, he did often mention Suien. He likes to hear stories. Both of them do."
"Are Kuro and Kuro easily…influenced?" They seemed very childlike in nature with singing and hearing stories as their primary interest.
The young man set his cup down and turned it. "Oh, yes. As long as they think it's in the interest of the people, then they will join any cause that they could possibly be of aid in."
"What did they consider a cause in the interest of people?"
"Of that, I am unsure." Isamu glanced up at Kakashi, eye radiating concern. "Though I've known Kuro-kun and Kuro-kun for three years, I don't know much about their ideals. They always talk about others, not themselves."
This was rather discouraging to Kakashi. He stood up and bowed his head to him. "Thank you for your time, Isamu-san. I'm afraid I'll have to take my leave now."
"Of course. Goodbye, Kakashi-sama. I am pleased I was able to meet you, though not so much with the circumstances." Isamu stood as well and saw the Jounin out the door, waving cheerfully as he left.
The Jounin sighed and pocketed his hands as the door clicked shut behind him. He began to walked gracefully and silently, nearly mimicking a cat that prowled fence tops. The floor boards behind him creaked, but he continued at his usual pace. Something in the back of his mind had been nagging at him. He made the first step down the stairwell when he was stopped cold in his tracks.
"Kakashi-san." Came the familiar, tentative whisper.
The addressed Jounin turned around.
One of the Kuros stood with his arm out and leaning against a wall. He was wearing a mesh shirt, a kunai pouch strapped to his belt, and chime earrings. His ensnared, ivory ponytail threaded through and knotted around a wind chime at the end. It curiously seemed to make no noise, though the metal pieces knocked together when it moved. Three vicious, horizontal scars decorated his left cheek, which was once hidden under a white sheet with the medical nin uniform. It was almost difficult making a connection with this Kuro to the white clad, soft spoken man from the hospital. "Hello, Kakashi-san! Were you visiting Kazahaya? He's nice, isn't he?"
"Harogami Kuro, just the man I was looking for." Kakashi shifted his foot to the side slightly. "You look different without that med nin facade."
"You missed me that much, Kakashi-san?" Kuro laughed, taking his hand back from the wall and placing his fists on his hips. "I was just coming to have tea with Kazahaya, but it seems maybe I'll have some fun with you instead. You'd like that, wouldn't you?"
Kakashi's eye flickered to the hallway of doors and back to Kuro. There were civilians here. If a fight were to break out, he would have to be extremely careful.
"Mm. Would you rather we take it outside."
Kakashi's eyes narrowed and he contemplated the situation. "Yes."
Kuro's golden eyes flashed. "Then, let us go." A blast of wind punched Kakashi in the gut, knocking him back. Another hit him, further pelting him to the giant window at the end of the hall. A few more inches and he would have been sent flying through the glass. Kuro himself had vanished but his aura was still traceable.
Kakashi looked upwards. Kuro was on the roof. He threw the window open and flipped upwards. As his feet made a solid landing on tile, wind gushed at him from every side. It tore at the man's uniform and sliced into his skin. Kakashi leapt to the side as a funnel of rippling air shot by his side. That attack had been meant to kill.
Kakashi's opponent beckoned him forward. "There are so many jutsus in this world. So many to learn and master." His signature lilting laugh followed the Jounin as he moved. "Show me what you've learned. I'm curious to see the better of those one thousand skills of yours."
Kakashi lifted his hitae-ate, exposing the long, vertical scar over his left eye. The red iris of the Shiringan greeted Kuro, the glint seemed almost hungry. The Jounin wasted no time; he feigned to the left and then disappeared, reappearing behind Kuro and slamming his elbow down upon his neck.
Laughter from your opponent was not the sign of a good hit. "Dear me! Did I neglect to mention I can feel no pain?" Kuro grabbed Kakashi's leg and yanked, flipping away from the copy-nin as Kakashi instantly righted himself. Another wind blast hit the Jounin from behind. "I'd prefer long range, if you would."
Kakashi stumbled forward with the hit, but managed to twist around on one foot and form a circle with his thumb and first finger. He blew and fire screamed forward, engulfing Kuro. Shockingly, the ninja didn't bother to dodge.
The med nin formed a complicated seal, then inhaled a lungful of smoke. He grinned, released his hands and exhaled. In an instant, the flames were smothered by thick, black smog that rolled across the roof, obscuring Kuro from view. "You saw my chimes, correct? Kakashi-sama, did you know that wind chimes can be used to tell fortunes?" Kuro's laughter echoed in Kakashi's head. "Well, my chimes foretell a special sort of future. They will only sound when it is time for someone to die." The laughter increased dramatically. "I don't hear them chiming yet. You're very lucky."
Kakashi braced himself to take a blow from any angle as the thick smoke enveloped him. In this situation, Kuro wouldn't be able to see him either, so that was some consolation. He listened closely. There was a swish in the air from behind him and he leapt upward, shooting out of the smoke cloud and landing to the side of it. He still couldn't locate his enemy.
A thin tendril of smog followed Kakashi and it was now hastily coiling up his body, suffocating skin as it went along. It seeped in through the holes between each individual thread to reach the flesh underneath. It took Kakashi a total of ten seconds to notice it and by then, it had already covered his legs.
A soft voice cried out, and a high-speed air missile rocketed toward Kakashi from behind. He jumped to the side, dodging the air and attempting to shake off the smog. He formed a quick series of seals and a bust of wind sprang forth from his hands. It was a perfect duplicate of the blows he'd collected in the hallway. The smog was shoved off of the roof top.
Kuro grinned at him, ponytail whipping out behind him, the noiseless chime attached to its end. "Clever." The man pointed with his slender, pale finger. "But you should realize that the smog has not left your body. Instead, particles have entered it, and these particles will slowly begin to clog your chakra lines." Apparently, Kuro couldn't hold in his enjoyment. The air around Kakashi stilled. "And I imagine you'll start to feel it soon."
Kakashi glanced down at his legs. He couldn't see the smog anymore. "Shit." He looked up. We'll, he'd have to use his Chakara while he still could. "Katon Housenka no Jutsu!" A series of fireballs careened towards Kuro. As the flame was suffocated by wind jutsu, three kunai shout through and pinned Kuro square in the chest.
"Oh my. This is an inconvenience." With a short, dejected sigh, Kuro removed the kunai, carelessly tossing them back at Kakashi, a gust of wind acting as thrust for each one. He chanced a glance at his torso and decided maybe a frown would be appropriate, though he didn't quite feel like it. "Mm. It can be ignored, for now." Kuro squealed in delight as one of the kunai struck Kakashi's leg.
The Jounin wrenched it out and pocketed it. He stepped forward and flinched; however, what had worried him was not the blood oozing to the ground, but the fact that he could feel his Chakara waning. Kakashi disappeared in a puff of smoke and appeared to the side of Kuro, sweeping out his legs. Kakashi placed his hand on the ground and in mid-roundhouse, flipped and landed his left leg in Kuro's stomach. The Jounin landed with one foot on either side of his prey, then swept a kunai across Kuro's neck.
The screech of metal clashing against metal shot through the air as Kakashi successfully sliced through a large lead pipe. An explosive tag was set directly above the fresh incision along with a note that read, "I just hate to cut this short, but I've a patient to tend to!" Because, of course, Harogami Kuro was a very busy man.
Kakashi leapt backwards protecting his body from the brunt of the explosion. The roof where the pipe once was had given out. He didn't have time for that. Iruka was in danger.