Author Note: Hey all of you wonderful readers that I do so worship so much! Things are getting a bit rough with school on our end, so we apologize for the terribly long wait you had to endure for this next chapter. However, I think you will find that it is probably worth the while.

I went back and did some reading, and discovered that there are some (nearly irrelevant) background facts about our non-cannon characters that have been around since their creation, but have not and probably will not ever get specific mention in the story. They were interesting, so I decided to throw them into a short author note. If you're not interested, you can skip ahead to the rest of the chapter, there is no other information in the author note.

Hashimoto Yasuo- He's left handed. (Some of you know him as Hiroshi Yasuo. I recently changed it to a real surname and edited those chapters.)

Matsuhara Tekki- He has a collection of chopsticks that fill an entire bedroom wall.

Kazahaya Isamu- Had a twin that died (stillborn).

Harogami Kuro (elder)- Has an interest in botany.

Harogami Kuro (younger)- Enjoys steaming hot baths.

Both Harogami Kuro- Have read Icha Icha Paradise 56 times.

Without further adieu, enjoy!

---

Leaves in the Wind

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Scarred

The door to Kakashi's apartment creaked as it was cautiously nudged open a few inches. Brown eyes flashed in the darkness, and the door opened far enough for Yasuo to slip in. He didn't sense anything malicious in the area, but the boy remained cautious nevertheless. The door clicked shut behind the black haired ten-year-old boy that had been following him from the Karaoke bar. Yasuo's hand reached to the side, flicked the switch, and the living room and kitchen area was illuminated by a low yellow artificial light. "He's not here," the boy said breathlessly, glancing around in near desperation. Yasuo had been preparing himself to accept that Isamu might not have come back, but it was steadily growing harder to admit.

Yasuo felt a sudden pang of undeniable guilt. He had left him there. There hadn't been anything he could have done for Isamu, but the fact remained that he had left him behind in attempt to complete their self-assigned mission. The boy briskly crossed the living room and froze in the hallway. The distinct smell of blood hit his nose. "Isamu…" He ran ahead and pushed open the door to the room. "Isamu-sensei?" Yasuo half pleaded, turning on the light.

Relief and horror struck both Yasuo and Tekki at the sight of Isamu's ripped skin. His uniform had been shredded in multiple places. His shirt was all but gone. He lie on his back, eyes closed, mouth partly open, lips red-black with fresh and dried blood. This was not how Isamu was supposed to look. He was supposed to be in the kitchen, making tea in that stupid kimono he always wore, teasing Yasuo about his skills.

Tekki was already by Isamu's side before Yasuo had time to react. The med nin quickly scanned over the body, expertly taking in every wound and checking vital signs. "He's still alive. I need whatever first aid Hatake has in this dump. Get it now, boy!" As Yasuo disappeared and frantic clattering and shifting from the bathroom erupted, Tekki immediately began critical aid measures.

Shallow breathing slowly returned to Isamu as the green glow from Tekki's hand began to pull together deep wounds. Dangerous blood loss was brought to a halt, and the faint, irregular heartbeat began to regain strength.

"Here," the Chuunin had returned from the bathroom, and he kneeled down next to Tekki. He set down the first aid kit that he had found, and Tekki immediately recognized it as the one he had given to Kakashi when the man had refused to return to the hospital for further treatment. Apparently, the kit was left untouched by human hands, damn him.

The boy's face was deeply etched with worry. "Oh, god, Isamu-sensei?" he asked futilely, peering down at the battered man. There was no response to his plea. Yasuo's fingers dug into the knees of his pants as he leaned forward. This was his fault. There had to have been something that he could have done, something he didn't think of.

"Kazahaya, you moron…" Tekki's hands pulled back and the healing glow faded away. The rest could be done manually. He quickly worked to set everything up, pulling out needle and thread, antibiotic and gauze. "You didn't just want to see me," his mutters were low but defined. "You were going to get me out. Familial ties don't mean anything; they get in the way. Your father should have taught you that." The med nin turned to Yasuo. "Get me a bucket of warm water. I need his skin clean." He was already starting to peel away the fabric he'd missed adorning Isamu's torso.

Yasuo did as he was told. He quickly returned with some clean dishcloth towels and a large bowl of water. A thin layer of steam wafted upward when the cool air touched down. The boy stared at Isamu, a slight frown tugging at his lips.

"I'm going to need your help with this. He's dead weight." Tekki paused in his work, turned his head, and fixed Yasuo with an analytical stare. "Get used to it. If you want to be a serious Shinobi, you're going to be seeing plenty of lacerated skin. You'll be taking care of teammates. This man is your teacher. Show some respect and help."

"Yessir." Yasuo nodded, set down the bowl, and helped Tekki shift Isamu's body so that the med nin could wipe the wounds clean. Tekki gave the occasional order as he worked, and the Chuunin responded accordingly, helping to shift limbs and clean up the slices. At some points, Isamu's skin had slipped out of place to spill more blood to the sheets, and Tekki would have to quickly stitch up the wound. He helped work off Isamu's pants so he could get a few slices on his legs. As Tekki worked on sewing, Yasuo worked on cleaning and bandaging what was left behind.

The battered man made no sound nor did he move during their ministrations. The heartbeat remained faint and his breathing light. "I need clean water, Yasuo." Tekki was preparing to flip the man onto his stomach.

Yasuo took the bowl filled with swishing pink water and left the room. He came back with fresh water and a fresh set of towels, then set it down next to Tekki. They both worked together to ease Isamu to his side and then to his stomach.

Tekki abruptly drew back, inhaling sharply. "What the hell? What is this?"

It certainly wasn't unusual to see scars adorning every part of a Shinobi's body, but rarely did he see scars intentionally inflicted. That was the only explanation. People just didn't have multiple marks of past laceration that formed a bird on their backs. There, the head, two curved and two straight lines forming the head and neck. There were at least twelve smaller cuts for each wing. Eight lengthy scars marred the small of Isamu's back to end just above his buttocks.

Yasuo's eyes widened slightly, but instead of drawing back like Tekki, he leaned forward to study it closer. After analyzing the bird scaring, he sat back on his feet again. "They're really old scars," he murmured and grabbed a fresh washcloth. He dipped it in the water and then rang it out. Yasuo pressed it to an open wound to stop some of the blood flow. For some reason, it didn't surprise Yasuo that Isamu would have some marking like this. He was too strange not to.

"Yes, I know they're old scars," Tekki muttered darkly at the boy. He gestured to the bird pattern with distain in the movement. "This mark had special meaning on the inner circle of the Kazahaya clan. I doubt even Isamu understands the significance. Not many still do. -Damn it, boy! Be careful! Dab lightly!"

Yasuo drew his hand back at the scolding and his head lowered slightly. It was always so hard to be around Tekki… He dabbed lightly and then set the cloth down, applying some antibiotic cream before covering the wound with a large bandage. "What do they mean?" Yasuo asked softly.

"The Bird Wings were used to mark people called 'oracle sacrifices', those who most strongly carried the spirit of our ancestor in them. These men and women were contained, exploited, and later killed to ensure survival of the rest of the clan…. The Kazahaya believed whoever carried our ancestor with them would bring misfortune on all. Some doom and gloom fairy-tale like that." Tekki examined Yasuo's work critically. "When children of clan decent reached the age of five, they would be tested. I myself never was, as the tradition was discarded in my parent's day. After family members outside the inner Kazahaya ring were excluded, I suppose the practice continued among the intermediates."

"Huhn…" Yasuo didn't understand much of what Tekki had just said. In truth, he was more focused on the task at hand, though he stored away Tekki's words to report to Kakashi and Iruka later. Perhaps they could make some use of the story. He moved to another slice in Isamu's back. "Sensei…" Yasuo started shortly, "is he related to you? By blood?"

"So he claimed," the med nin grunted. "He possesses the ability to use jutsu capable only for those with our bloodline limit." Tekki cocked an eyebrow as the flesh beneath their hands shivered. A soft groan escaped the man's thin lips. "It's alright. Keep working, boy."

Yasuo nodded and continued with his task, gaining in confidence as Tekki's scolding died. "And claiming that relation is how he gained the trust and loyalty of the Harogami Twins." He paused as Isamu shuddered again, and then he taped down the bandage. "The brothers said that they've never met Sensei in person. Is that the same for you?"

"Of course. If I'd seen the bastard, ANBU would have been all over him by now."

Another shutter escalated into a sharp breath. "Y-ya-su-o- kun?"

Tekki grunted. "Ah, wonderful, he lives…"

Yasuo's eyes lit up and he leaned forward to look Isamu in the face. His heart leapt and he internally cried for joy. "Yeah, it's me. Yasuo." He smiled and went back to his work. "Don't move so much, we've just stitched you up."

"Yasuo…suo-kun…you're alright?"

"Of course I'm ok," Yasuo said brightly, relief and exhaustion both held in his voice. "Matsuhara-san is here too." He cleaned up another mark. "It's you I'm worried about."

Isamu laughed much to Tekki's annoyance. "S-silly…Yasuo-kun. I can feel no pain. I'm…just tired…"

Tekki took his shot at information gathering. "What the hell happened to you? Did you-?"

"Kuro…Kuro-kun is very much alive, Tekki-san…" A smile graced his face, one that didn't look so crazed; it seemed like a normal, friendly grin. "And so…are both of you…good…"

"Oh god, Isamu-sensei…." Yasuo sniffed and rubbed at his nose with the back of his hand. He let out a nervous half-laugh at the man's friendly gesture. "I was so sure Kuro-san'd kill you once you passed out."

"Oh. Well…he may think he did, but… Kuro-kun's chimes were silent this night…" Isamu craned his head to aim that gentle smile at him. "I am pleased," a strained breath, "that this lesson went…well…."

"Isamu-sensei," Yasuo placed a wet cloth to the man's back. "Have I ever expressed my opinions on how twisted your lessons are?"

---

Strong light, unrestricted by the cotton curtains, lit the bodies tangled in wrinkled sheets. As the hours since the rise of the sun passed, the light shifted and eventually, the brightest of rays shone over the eyelids of a slumbering shinobi. Seconds became minutes. Finally, Iruka turned on his side, roused to a state of half-alertness. He automatically plucked Kakashi's arm off his waist, placing it at the man's side. The Jounin grunted, and Iruka slid away, attempting to escape without waking his companion.

His foot brushed against a wrinkled mass of inside out cloth. Here was his shirt where Kakashi had thrown it a few feet away from the bed. Iruka slung it over his shoulder and he crouched before his dresser, opening a drawer to forage for clean clothing.

Kakashi's ear pricked up at the sound of soft footsteps in the room. His fingers twitched and grazed cold air where a warm body had once been. The Jounin's grey and red eyes cracked open to let in a shred of light, revealing the vacant space beside him. "'Ruka?" Kakashi murmured groggily. He sat up on his right elbow and blinked heavily, rubbing his eyes with his left arm. The Jounin immediately spotted Iruka at the dresser. He let out a sigh and fell back to the sheets, watching his partner shift through clothing. "Wha timesit?" The pounding light was much more glaring than he was used to.

"10:45." Iruka closed the drawer and opened another. He pulled a shirt out of this one before turning and glancing back at Kakashi. "Er- my…band should be on the futon, somewhere…."

The Jounin mumbled incoherently and closed his eyes, bringing a hand to his face to block out the sunrays that slipped through his lids. "Right…" His other hand felt around the sheets and he grabbed a strip of cloth. He held it up. "Here."

Iruka returned to the futon, catching his band as he delivered a kiss. "You want anything?"

Kakashi's hand slipped away and his eyes snapped open. Iruka saw a deft thought process that was quickly followed by a grin. "Ask that question again."

The teacher's eyes narrowed. "….Do you want anything?"

The Jounin reached forward and brushed his fingers against Iruka's cheek, collecting a light blush. "Mm. Nah." He sat up and threw the sheets to the side.

Light blush became deep flush. Iruka rose, jamming his shirt over his head. He glanced once at his window and the look stayed there. "There are times I'd love to know just what you're thinking. Now is not one of them."

Kakashi laughed and pulled himself to his feet, tugging on the knees of his pants to straighten the wrinkled fabric. He glanced around the room, scratching the back of his neck. His belongings were somewhere around here… The Jounin noticed Iruka staring at the window.

A warm body suddenly pressed against Iruka's back and a head hung over his shoulder. "What're you looking at?"

"An empty window."

Kakashi's arms snaked around Iruka's waist, gave a short squeeze, and then his warmth disappeared as he continued his hunt for his clothing. "Aha!" He plucked the black shirt from out of a pile of sheets.

Iruka laughed, stepping towards the window. The skies over Konoha, at least this morning, were clear. The energy beginning to surge through his body and the empty vast blue outside renewed his enthusiasm. He had no work and no students this morning. Regardless of the threats Sensei and his minions posed, Iruka finally felt ready and alert for whatever the day would spring on them. It was almost embarrassing how physical contact with another person could initiate a good mood…But if it woke him up, so be it.

A brilliant golden butterfly fluttered past the window and the Chuunin watched it rise and fall on the breezes. Its wings were the same color of the eyes that haunted both dreams and waking hours. Yet, its fragile beauty remained untainted in his mind. "I'll be visiting Yasuo-kun later, after I stop by the Missions Office." He let the unspoken question hang in the air.

"Sure," Kakashi nodded, wrestling with his shirt and then grabbing his mask and hitae-ate. He simply held those in his hand. "I'll come." The Jounin reached towards the ceiling, stretching to the point where he rose on his toes, and then relaxed. Kakashi had slept very heavily last night, and he felt refreshed for it.

Iruka flashed a bright grin, eyes crinkled happily. He brushed past Kakashi, contact with the Jounin lingering for a few moments, and vanished out the door. "But first! Lunch."

Kakashi followed. He stopped in the bathroom for a few minutes, and before Iruka knew it, he popped up behind him, tapping him on the shoulder. The Chuunin jumped and whirled around to find the sly grin on his face. "You're in a good mood today."

"I'm always in a good mood." The man brandished a carrot at Kakashi. He turned back to the cutting board and set the vegetable in place. "And you seem expectant." It was chopped into miniscule pieces five seconds later.

Kakashi watched this through a single grey eye. He'd tied his hitae-ate around his head again, but left the mask off. It was interesting, feeling the cool air against bare skin every once in a while. As Iruka's knife flicked along the carrot, Kakashi leaned forward and stole a piece before his finger could be chopped off. He ate it. "Not expectant, just observant."

"I wish I could say you were a bad influence on my students but…" Chop, chop, chop, chop. "Sorry, it's ramen again…"

Kakashi left his side to sit at the kitchen table. "S'no problem." Ramen, vegetables, bread, the occasional fruit, it was all Kakashi's diet. He was used to it after a while, and he liked it much more than the bland nutrient tablets he got on long missions. Pakkun often found the time to harass him about his diet. "So I'm not a bad influence on your students? I'm nearly disappointed."

"If you were," Iruka craned his neck to glance behind him at Kakashi, "you wouldn't be here." He reached out for a few stalks of celery. "However, Yasuo-kun wasn't so brash until you started hanging around."

"Oh, is that so?" Kakashi scratched his chin thoughtfully. "Well, I suppose according to what Asuma-san has said about him, he has grown a bit more…extreme."

The Chuunin flipped a piece of celery into the air, catching it in his mouth. "Mm. You're all corrupting him. Even Isamu-san."

Both shinobi perked up and looked towards the door before there was a soft knock. They felt Yasuo's presence. "Speak of the devil," Kakashi murmured, pulling on his mask and fixing it in his usual manner.

Iruka finished with another celery stalk before setting down his knife, wiping his hands on a towel and crossing through the living room to open the door. He paused in his greeting. Yasuo's expression was a look Iruka had seen at the Academy all too often, and it never boded well. "Yasuo-kun…."

The teenager had a very guilty and almost nervous look on his face. Before saying anything, he bowed apologetically. This was not a good sign. "I'm really sorry, Iruka-sensei, but don't be mad at me. It wasn't my idea."

Kakashi perked up at this unusual greeting. He, too, walked over to the door.

"What idea would this be?" Iruka murmured gently.

Yasuo's eyes fell to his fidgeting hands. "Uh, well, you see…" He shifted his weight. "We kinda…"

"You what?" Kakashi aided.

"Matsuhara Tekki is at the apartment… And he's kinda being searched for."

Now, Iruka understood why he, himself, had not been alerted of this development. However, the fact that Kakashi had not been informed unnerved him. What bothered him even furthermore was the fact that somehow, he had been expecting this. "At Kakashi's apartment…." Iruka sighed. "Why is he there?"

Yasuo scratched at his head. "He's taking care of Isamu-sensei…"

Good mood rapidly vanishing. Iruka ushered the boy inside, shutting the door behind him. "Isamu-san was injured?"

"Massacred…"

Kakashi's arms folded across his chest in thought and probably cautious concern of the situation. "By birds or the Harogami brothers?"

"Harogami… the younger one."

The Jounin's eye trained upon the boy. "And where was the older?"

"I was…" Yasuo looked away from Iruka, "kinda handling him…"

Iruka inhaled deeply, exhaling a few seconds longer. "Isamu-san had you go visit Tekki knowing he was a high security level prisoner during Ibiki's team's watch, coincidentally at the same time the Harogami brothers were attempting to…" Free or kill? "Yasuo-kun…."

"I…" Yasuo chanced looking up at his former teacher. "I honestly didn't have a clue the Harogami Brothers would be there." It had been very stupid of him; he knew it, but still…. "It…sort of turned out for the better anyway, but the problem is that Isamu-sensei is still very weak and we need to hide Tekki-san someplace…"

"Hide him?" Kakashi shook his head. "Let's give him back."

"No, no we can't." Yasuo shook his head. "The Harogami brothers will just come for him again. It was hell getting him back out of that place. It was like a rat in the corner."

"That's generally why you don't try something like that." Iruka placed a finger to his temple, pressing lightly. "Yasuo-kun, Matsuhara-san was involved with the Harogami and their master. He is a traitor and therefore-"

"But Iruka-sensei," Yasuo pleaded, clasped his hands together and looked up to the older Chuunin with the help-your-poor-student expression he had learned so well. "Tekki-san hates them now. The instant they attacked the hospital, he decided he'd never look back. He can help us capture the Kuro brothers. Tekki-san is something they want and something we have. He's coin now."

"It is true…but, Yasuo, you can't ignore the technicalities. In aiding a traitor, by Konoha law, we are traitors ourselves." Iruka scratched at his scar. He turned both critical eyes on the boy and stared at him, tensely silent. "…Hello, Yasuo-kun. You hungry?"

Yasuo blinked at Iruka. "Wha-" Oh, Iruka was pretending he didn't hear any of this. His eyes grew wide and he clung to Iruka's sleeve. "No, no, please Iruka-sensei, please. I can't do this on my own. If they find out, they'll stick him back in a holding room and the brothers will come for him. You can't just leave me, Iruka-sensei! Please help me!"

Iruka placed a hand in the air. "You won't be doing anything on your own." He returned to the sink and his cooking. "You're a ninja, Yasuo-kun. What do you do best?" When no answer came, he supplied matter-of-factly, "Bend the rules."

"Bend the rules?" The boy was lost and obviously too exhausted to think properly. Yasuo looked as though he had collected only minimal hours of rest.

The academy sensei merely sighed softly. "We'll help you; but to a point."

The boy fell silent. However, Iruka couldn't tell if this was a good silence or a bad silence.

"We're going to pretend you didn't tell us anything," Kakashi murmured lowly. He didn't have the patience to wait until the boy placed all of the pieces in order. "Yasuo-kun, when did this happen?"

"When? Oh," Yasuo looked to Kakashi. "It was early last night."

The Jounin gained an interesting mixture of contemplation and concern.

"What's wrong, Kakashi-san?"

"I didn't know about this." He pocketed his hands and moved into the kitchen. The boy tailed after like a lost pup. "It's not very hard to find me if they wanted to."

"I agree…" Iruka nodded, returning to his cooking. "Something's wrong. Ibiki-san wouldn't have waited to seek you out…" Iruka's knife hovered over the last of the unfortunate veggies. "Do you think Sensei may have influenced the men around Tekki-san?"

"It's a possibility," Kakashi looked to Yasuo as if the boy had some information to offer.

He did. "I didn't have any trouble with guards last night. I assumed Isamu-sensei's genjutsu had something to do with that. Or even the Kuro Brothers could have done something. None of them noticed me."

Yasuo was getting better in skill, but he still wasn't quick enough on his feet to outwit Ibiki's men. "Something was definitely going on, but that doesn't explain why I haven't been informed before now."

"Maybe they figured someone who was involved would come to you?" Yasuo offered the idea.

Iruka hummed at that thought. "Possible but not probable." Chop. "Kakashi, perhaps, instead of heading to the Missions Office, we should go to your place for tea today?"

Yasuo crinkled his nose at the word.

"Agreed." Kakashi nodded. "What exactly is Isamu-san's condition?"

"Kuro attacked with intent to kill. Isamu-sensei must have pulled some trick or jutsu to manage escape, but even with that, he's in bad shape. Lacerations, extreme blood loss, and he hasn't said anything about it, but it looks like he was choked pretty badly. The brothers had some kind of…" Yasuo looked at his hands, "metal claws."

Iruka bit his bottom lip. Isamu was strange, but he had nearly the same air as Kakashi- that of someone who was untouchable. To imagine him nearly dead brought unwelcome images of a particular Jounin- "Please, sit down. Food will be done soon."

---

Isamu wanted tea. Tekki wasn't giving it to him.

At the appointed time of arrival, three Shinobi found both men locked in mortal combat; Isamu sparring with his mind and Tekki with his words. Neither man appeared close to finishing.

"If you care so deeply for your patients, you'll give me my tea!"

"You're deaf. It is the only logical explanation for your stupidity."

"How dare you! Do you realize I could just get the damn tea myself?"

"Then why don't you?"

"Because you're in the way!"

"That's a fallacy, you imbecile!"

Iruka flinched as Tekki attempted to wrestle Isamu to the bed. Normally, Tekki would be physically gentle with his patients, but Isamu, being family, didn't seem to warrant the same kind of attention.

"Oh, please don't do that!" Yasuo immediately jumped into the situation. "You'll hurt him, Tekki-san!"

Kakashi shook his head slowly.

"I'll hurt you if you try interfering! This idiot won't stay down when he's clearly in severe need of bed rest." Jab. "I don't give a damn if you were a high level Shinobi, you're still a damn human! LIE DOWN KAZAHAYA!"

Isamu promptly bit Tekki's arm.

Iruka immediately vacated to the kitchen.

Kakashi disappeared with Iruka.

There was shouting from the bedroom as Yasuo tried to make peace, and the two relatives continued to battle. Keeping them under wraps was not going to be an easy task.

In the time it took for Iruka to clean the pile of dishes in Yasuo's sink, the din down the hall had quieted to less enthusiastic insults and finally just to dull sarcastic quips. Tekki emerged with Yasuo in tow, both looking thoroughly harassed.

"He's a lunatic," Tekki muttered darkly. "I never thought he could get worse…but he did."

"Oh, don't say that, Tekki-san. He's just eccentric…" Yasuo stopped defending his sensei when a pointedly blunt glare came from the ex-med nin.

Kakashi had immediately taken to studying the convict, and the Jounin didn't try to hide anything about it. Tekki felt the eyes on him and his attention switched over to the man. "Ah, Kakashi-san." The med nin didn't bother masking his distaste either. "I imagine you ignored that kit I left you."

"Naturally," the Jounin muttered, crossing his arms idly and leaning back against his kitchen table. He noted that his apartment looked significantly more lived in. The pillows on the couch were thrown together and the kitchen did have appropriate disarray to it. It made the entire place seem more comfortable and lively.

Yasuo shifted, uneasy with the tension held between the two ninja. "Ah, well, it's a good thing you didn't, Kakashi-san, because we used every bit of it last night." It was a pathetic attempt at righting the wrong and everyone there knew it.

"Well, he's nearly finished healing. I'd give him eleven more hours until he's completely functional." Tekki's glare switched to the hallway. "If he stays in bed!" The glare swerved back to Kakashi. "Well, are you both going to take me back or not?"

"We aren't here," Kakashi informed.

Yasuo shifted. "No, we're not taking you back."

The man snorted at Kakashi. "Umino, I thought you had more sense than to get involved with this one."

Iruka, as Kakashi had stated, was 'not there'. He leaned against Kakashi's kitchen counter, pointedly 'elsewhere'.

"You leave him alone," Kakashi ordered. Stark silence gripped them. "Don't get me wrong, Matsuhara, I'll give you back to Konoha as soon as I'm through with you. Until then, the only people who know your whereabouts are Isamu-san, Yasuo-kun, and the enemy. If you participate, this will go smoothly and painlessly." The Jounin's arms slipped to his sides as he scooted to sit on his tabletop. "Why hasn't anyone found you here yet?"

"I have no control over my aura anymore," Tekki stated simply. "Isamu-san has kindly masked it for me."

Iruka looked over curiously. "No con-"

"Bloodline. The more powerful family members can control the lesser if they choose to."

"Which also means," Kakashi began, "that Ibiki and friends don't know where Isamu is at." Of course, they would assume that a blood relative or close acquaintance was behind his escape, and the first person they knew where to find was the genjutsu user. Kakashi's eye flickered with concentration. His apartment was little known, but if someone really needed to track a shinobi in Konoha, they could do it. "Are they even looking for you? Have you seen or heard anything suspicious?"

"Hatake-san, I was running to save my ass the entire night. I dealt with a mentally unstable shinobi the rest of it and into the morning. If you want an answer to that, ask the boy."

All eyes turned to Yasuo. He shook his head slowly. There had been nothing alarming, which, in itself, was alarming.

Iruka had decided to come back from 'elsewhere'. "So can the Harogami brothers control you, Tekki-san?"

"To a point…"

The Chuunin's eyes narrowed. "Then why didn't they cover for you in the hospital?"

"Sensei is a vindictive bastard." This, apparently, explained everything, and Tekki left it at that. His glare was leveled on Kakashi's visible eye. "Well?"

The Jounin didn't say anything to Tekki, but turned to Iruka. "I'm going to investigate."

Iruka gave a swift nod in return. He would stay behind and try to calm Tekki down…and deal with Isamu.

"Let me come," Yasuo spoke up. "An extra pair of eyes couldn't hurt."

Kakashi shook his head. "You're just going to slow me down."

"No I won't. I'll be quiet, I'll just listen and if I pick anything else up-"

"No."

"Yasuo-kun held his own against one of the twins," Iruka said. "He is a qualified Chuunin now, Kakashi."

Kakashi's eye switched over to Iruka. That was true; he did keep his head around when he needed it most. He looked back to Yasuo's hopeful gaze.

"I won't get in your way, Kakashi-san."

The Jounin let out a sigh and finally nodded. "I'm not waiting up." And he was gone.

Yasuo dashed out the door.

---

"Kakashi-san!" Yasuo appeared next to the Jounin on a red tiled roof top. The sun beat down upon them from a cloudless sky above. The air was still, yet cool to the touch. It was a welcoming climate to the boy who was breathing heavily with his hands planted on his knees. "God, you're fast." Kakashi ignored Yasuo's comments. He was focused on the building in front of him, a Konoha criminal facility used for the non-ninja felons. They had only held Tekki there that night because it was a closer location to where he was captured, the hospital, and it was a more convenient place for the interrogation team at the moment. When the boy's eyes lifted to Kakashi, he could tell that something was bothering the man. "Yasuo-kun, where did you enter last night?"

The Chuunin's attention switched to the building, but instead of answering, he gasped. A throbbing mass of birds had settled on one half of the building. There they sat in absolute silence, out of sight of everyone on the street below. Yasuo walked to the edge of the roof and scanned with his eyes. "There," he pointed to the center of the collection of birds. "We went in through a maintenance passage."

The Jounin leapt off of the building and landed gracefully on the road below. Yasuo followed, and they both entered through the front door. The lobby of the facility was relatively bare. A row of chairs were set up to the side of a long counter on the opposite wall of the entrance. A man with short black hair sat at the counter, writing something on a pile of papers. With an upward glance to the two entering ninja, he shuffled the papers into a folder and set it to the side. "Can I help you?"

Kakashi spoke, strolling further into the lobby with Yasuo following close at his side. He took note of the two hallways to either side, doors leading into unknown area. "Morino Ibiki. Where is he?"

As though merely uttering his name was a summons to bring forth a demon capable of unearthly tortures, Ibiki appeared with the abruptness of a specter. Where there had been open space beside Kakashi, this creature stood grim faced and dark. The special Jounin was tall and battle worn where no clothing gave protection from analyzing gazes. Ibiki wore no mask to hide the scars marring his face. He really had no need. No one who wanted to live with their sanity in tact dare say anything about him. He was the one who analyzed them with dark eyes that never seemed quite ready to let go of suspicion. This man truly held the name Morino Ibiki, torture master of Konohagakure. "Hatake-san."

"Morino-san," Kakashi returned the greeting. He kept his usual disposition, lazy and vaguely interested. He ignored the boy who had near instinctively decided to stand behind him. "I came to see if you've collected more information from Matsuhara-san."

"So Jin didn't make it. I had sent him to you early this morning," the interrogator murmured lowly. His brows furrowed, eyes narrowed. "Matsuhara Tekki has vanished. The Harogami brothers collected him late last night."

Kakashi grew grim with this information. "Did it seem willing?"

"No." Ibiki raised a brow at Yasuo. "There was a skirmish. One of them lost a lot of blood." His eyes swiveled towards the doors. "The birds have been here since six. I'm sure you noticed them on your way in."

"I did." Kakashi nodded. "They're surrounding the maintenance gate. Is there something up there they're trying to guard against?"

Yasuo shrank back at Ibiki's look. His eyes quickly flickered away to the side, trailing across the simple design in the tile floor.

"Nothing. They went into a fit when my men cleaned the blood, but they've been calm otherwise." The Jounin's intense eyes were locked on Kakashi. He was expecting something from the man; Ibiki instinctively knew there was something Kakashi wasn't telling him.

"Jin," Kakashi began, "I never saw him. Has anyone been sent to find him?"

"They haven't found anything yet." Ibiki's customary frown deepened. "It's unlikely they will." He sighed. "Have you heard anything about the whereabouts of the Harogami?"

"No," the Jounin answered. "You know if I did, I would be after them right now."

The boy behind Kakashi shifted from foot to foot, now observing a hallway to his left. There was a long row of doors on the right side. Perhaps he was speculating what was on the other side.

"You, boy."

Yasuo jumped and his eyes snapped to Ibiki. "Y-yessir?"

"Have you interacted with Harogami Kuro?"

"N-no sir," Yasuo shook his head quickly.

Kakashi looked over his shoulder at the kid. "He's Asuma-san's new lackey. I'm fulfilling a favor. Don't mind him." His attention shifted back. The silent message had been passed.

Ibiki's gaze flashed to Yasuo for a long moment then back to Kakashi. He knew the boy was lying; however…he wasn't in the mood to deal with the technicalities that would follow both torture and the inevitable. Morino knew Kakashi was very much involved with the boy who was most assuredly involved with Tekki's disappearance in one way or another. "There's nothing else for you here."

Kakashi nodded his head and turned towards Yasuo. "Go," he ushered the boy out of the building before him. The door shut behind them both. "Satisfied you came?" the Jounin muttered.

"Mm-" Yasuo coughed and nodded. "Yeah."

His elder snorted. He took an abrupt turn down the side alley of the building.

"Wait, what are we doing?" Yasuo asked, watching Kakashi press his foot to the wall and start to walk up. The boy padded after him. "I thought-"

"Stop that," Kakashi commanded. "You're no good at it yet." At Yasuo's obedient silence, he continued. "I said we were coming here to investigate, did I not?"

"Yes."

"And why do you think I brought you along?" Hatake Kakashi stepped up onto the roof and stared across the roof to the congregation of avian life.

"Because Iruka vouched for me?" Yasuo murmured.

"Well, that was a part of it, but no." Kakashi pointed to the birds. "I want you to take me on the exact path you and Isamu-san traveled last night."

"In broad daylight?" The boy asked skeptically.

"You are a ninja, are you not?"

Yasuo sighed. How many times had he heard that question?

---

Isamu lowered his gaze to the floor. With the Academy teacher indisposed thanks to some odorless, tasteless, virtually undetectable sleep agent added to his tea, Tekki found it time to harass Isamu with more needless questions. Questions he really didn't want to answer. "Really Tekki-san, I should be resting."

"We both know a half an hour is sufficient for clansmen like yourself."

"Ahh, but why did you have to knock out Iruka-san?"

"Because he doesn't need to be hearing any of this." Tekki sat down on the futon, staring at a highly disheveled Isamu. "Are you the one behind this, Kazahaya?"

Isamu blinked owlishly. "What? Behind all of this? Haha, well that's certainly absurd."

"Is it? You're a master of genjutsu, you bear the marks of the oracle sacrifice on your back. You have the right connections; you've been abroad for five years before returning to Konoha. Tell me, how absurd is it that you'd be the one?"

"Because of my condition! Tekki-san, you should well understand that." Isamu slid further under the covers, obscuring the lower half of his face with the blanket. "And what reason would I have to torture Iruka-san and kill innocent people?"

"Kazahaya never need a valid reason. Our minds are too warped."

Golden eyes narrowed beneath thin brows as Isamu's expression changed from stark disbelieve to concern. "Tekki-san…there's no escaping the Devil's mark. We can only live with our burdens. Look at the fate of the Uchiha clan. Power begets misery only."

"Why do you bear that mark, Kazahaya? Are you the oracle sacrifice?"

"If I said 'no', would you believe me?" The former Jounin grinned half-heartedly. "I tested positive."

"Which means you are the anomaly. The central power of the clan." Tekki raised a brow. "Which should also mean you could control me, both Harogami and this Sensei."

The ensuing silence was broken by Isamu's voice. "Possibly…"

The atmosphere in the room suddenly became much heavier, both men tensed and alert. Tekki's golden eyes glittered dangerously as he forced Isamu to meet them. "Then why have you let this continue?"

"I…" Isamu bit his thin, pink and broken lip. "I can't…answer that…"

"You should also know what this man's plans are. For the oracle sacrifice, invading his mind would be easier than a simple henge. Do you?"

"No. I can't…I've tried but I can't access his mind. I don't know why and I don't know how."

"But you can stop him," Tekki countered roughly.

Isamu broke their connection and completely vanished under the covers. "I don't know."

Tekki's frown deepened. "You could have stopped those birds attacking the hospital. Right now, you could shut off the minds of both Harogami. Why don't you?"

"I can't interfere. It's not my…place…Tekki-san!"

He was roughly jerked off the futon, face to face with the irate convict. "Not your place! Konoha is your home! Even as a former Shinobi, your duty is to protect your village at the cost of your life! How the hell is it 'not your place'? After so long, do you still consider that desolate breeding ground of the damned to be your home?"

"T-"

"You've let my patients die, god damn it! Innocent civilians -children!- have died when you could have stopped them! You could have stopped me from making a mistake! DAMN IT, Kazahaya!" Tekki slammed him down on the futon, glowering down at him. "You heard about the Takigakure nin. And what about Umino? What use are you, Isamu! WHAT USE! What twisted fantasy are you indulging in this time!"

Isamu closed his eyes tightly, blocking out the heat of his cousin's glare. "I would…really like some tea…."