Chapter 7
The Gods Must Be Crazy
Wolf spent the better part of the next three days cataloging everything about the small room he'd been left in. During that first day, the aide...Boudachi...returned to affix a patch over his sharingan eye using some kind of chakra-enhanced substance that stuck it in place. Wolf tried to avoid having the thing attached to his face, but with the help of two other guards, the job was done.
Boudachi's expression showed he wasn't necessarily comfortable doing the task, but Wolf noted how the man had done it all the same. All he could hope for was that the piece of hard leather wouldn't be impossible to remove once he escaped. Still – he found the application of the patch to be a somewhat elegant counter to his sharingan – and vastly better than the threat to physically remove it that other enemies had given him over the years.
The second day brought the aide back – this time with food and drink – and a new set of chakra dampening chains to replace the ones on the bed. This set was firmly affixed to a ring in the ceiling and the length of chain had enough play in it to allow Wolf the ability to walk from the bed to the small bathroom set aside in the corner. The cuffs on his ankles and wrists were removed only after a collar was placed snuggly around his neck, and it was obvious, from the wave of extreme disorientation Wolf felt, that this collar was a far stronger chakra dampener then his previous restraints. The ends of the collar met seamlessly around his neck and made the thought of breaking loose of the contraption die as quickly as it had entered his mind. The chain was rigged up on some type of hidden track system within the ceiling which meant that – no matter where he went within the room – the chain constantly adjusted to never allow him any additional slack. His hopes of wrapping the chain around an enemy's neck disappeared from his ever-shortening list of possibilities.
He cursed his captors silently for apparently taking his abilities into account when designing this room. Still, the fact the he was no longer tied to the bed and was able to move about the room gave him a little hope. Although he was still physically exhausted and his injuries were by no means fully healed, he was at least able to get blood circulating to parts of his body which had been neglected during the past weeks of captivity.
He woke on the third day to find Boudachi enter the room with an armful of clean clothing. Wolf noted it consisted of nothing more than a dark gray yukata and a bath towel. The aide pointed toward the far corner of the room where there was a drain in the floor and Wolf narrowed his eyes. Boudachi merely sighed and placed the bundle on the edge of the bed. Wolf tried to lunge at the man – but the chain attached to his collar froze him in place. He growled, but the aide merely shrugged and pointed toward the clothing.
"You'll enjoy the change of clothing more if you shower first." He pointed to the far corner again. "Step over there and the water will flow – step out, and it will stop. Or don't bother – and remain stinking up your own room. It matters little to me."
With that, the aide turned and left. Wolf scowled after him, but had to agree with his logic. His own clothes were torn and bloodied, and the thought of clean clothing against his skin helped make his mind up. He knew others were still observing him – he felt the presence of their chakra even now – but the promise of being clean again, without the agony of his last forced cleansing, was too much to resist – even for him.
Besides – he'd use the act to do a more thorough check of that section of the room – not to mention the collar around his neck. With that thought firmly in mind – he walked to the corner – the chain no longer frozen in place – and removed the remnants of clothing. He was never one to be ashamed of his body – even though he preferred to wear a mask – and he knew his form was defined enough to cause most people to become more than a bit distracted – regardless of gender. It was an edge that he'd used to his advantage more then once during past captivities. After all – it only took a moment of distraction from those watching to allow him to attack – or at least attempt escape.
Of course – with the set up of this particular prison – that advantage was more or less negated. Still, he wasn't about to let that keep him from enjoying the shower. He stepped over to the drain – and as Boudachi promised – a stream of pleasantly warm water fell from directly above him. Upon closer inspection, Wolf saw a shower head embedded into the ceiling. The plumbing supplying the water was no where to be seen – reinforcing his thought that he was being watched. How else would they know when he was under the shower or not?
The complexity of his prison was distressing. It seemed as though they had thought of every possible way he might try to escape and countered it beforehand. But Wolf wasn't known as a genius for nothing...and he was patient when he needed to be. Eventually he would find something they hadn't planned for – and when he did – he'd act. Until then, he'd bide his time and rest – knowing he'd need all his strength to escape when the opportunity finally arose.
-- --
Team Shikamaru was a grouping of three chunin and one jonin...that was the only similarity it held to the old Team Asuma from days gone by. Still, when Raidou joined the group, he found it easy to forget that hewas the jonin – and not Shikamaru. The kid had an uncanny knack for thinking ahead two hundred steps for everything they did. So when he learned that their team was joining Team Gai for this mission, Raidou had to admit he was curious to see how the whiz-kid would handle having Gai's unique enthusiasm thrown into the equation – especially given the kid's bent toward being lackadaisical.
The last time he'd seen Shikamaru in action had been during the interrupted Chunin Exams – where the Third Hokage had offered up his life. Back then, the kid showed a budding potential – but also a decidedly laid back attitude. Raidou hadn't liked him in the least.
But now – Raidou had to admit – Shikamaru was as far removed from the kid in that exam as he could be. Although he still seemed more laid back then most shinobi – with the possible exception of Kakashi Hatake – he now held the hard edge of a seasoned ninja. An unmistakable purpose in his actions and voice that showed the world that he didn't want any more of his precious people taken from him.
You taught him well – Asuma Sarutobi. You should be proud.
Besides – once he'd heard the teams were being sent to backup the retrieval team for Kakashi – how could he turn down the reassignment? After all – Raidou knew Crow was leading that team – and although he technically wasn't supposed to know Crow's identity – it was hard not to notice his roommate, Genma, had left for a mission on the same day the retrieval team headed out.
He couldn't help but want to see the senbon-chewing troublemaker in action. And if they managed to help rescue Kakashi while keeping Lightning from declaring war on Konoha...well, that was just the icing on the cake. He shifted his black sword on his back and smirked, causing the scar-tissue on his left cheek to twitch. He was looking forward to this mission – no doubt about it.
-- --
Kurogane had a smile on his face while he watched his nephew shower. The young man was an excellent example of the Hatake bloodline. So much so – that his plans for the future of the clan would be assured...so long as he could convince the brat to do what he was told.
A frown settled over Kurogane's features. That could be more difficult then it sounded – especially if Kakashi was anything like his father had been. Sakumo Hatake was the most stubborn bastard this world had ever seen – and had been the one man that Kurogane had been unable to sway to his way of thinking.
Kurogane's hand clenched tightly and shattered the sake cup it had been holding. The noise caused the two men at his side to flinch – but to their credit, neither one made a sound. He flung the shards to the floor and scowled.
"That son of a bitch better be more like me if he knows what's good for him."
A voice at his side brought him out of his brooding. "Lord Kurogane. He's trying to loosen the drain."
Kurogane's mood immediately brightened as he returned his full attention to his nephew. He watched with unbridled excitement at the ingenuity of the boy as he worked a piece of the metal drain loose from the stone floor with little more then his fingertips. A grin spread across his face while he watched small streaks of red mix into the water still working its way down that drain.
He noticed Kakashi was very single-minded at his task – ignoring the pain that must have been being caused by the sharp edges of the metal ring digging into his flesh. For the briefest moment – Kurogane contemplated letting him succeed in obtaining the object...he knew he'd enjoy watching what ways the boy might find to use the purloined item. And it might give him a better idea of what his nephew's potential might be.
After all – the drain cover could be used for any number of different purposes – depending on the mindset of the young man. It could be used to free him from his collar – or as a weapon against his captors – maybe even as a means to kill himself...of course that would trulyprove he was Sakumo's kid, now wouldn't it? Kurogane laughed out loud at that thought – and this time the others in the room did make noises of surprise.
He reached over and grabbed hold of the controls for the restraining collar and cranked them violently until the chain pulled Kakashi up toward the ceiling – his feet hovering inches above the floor. The movement had been so sudden that the young man lost his grip on the drain cover and shifted his hands to grab at the collar and chain with bloody fingers to keep from choking as he was dragged toward the bed.
Kurogane studied Kakashi's face...even in this situation...being dragged naked back to the other side of the room...his nephew remained focused, and his movements were far from uncontrolled. Kurogane released the chain once more – causing Kakashi to plummet toward the floor. The young man landed with one knee bent – his muscles tensing at the impact as he leaned forward to steady himself with a hand – his silver hair, still wet from the shower, flopped forward to shield his face from view. He watched Kakashi turn his head, his hair shifting to the side to reveal the leather patch Boudachi affixed over the famous sharingan earlier. His nephew glared toward where they were watching him from – as though he'd known their location all along – faint streaks of blood coloring his neck where his bloodied fingertips kept the chain and collar from choking him.
Kurogane returned control of the chain mechanism to his men and leaned back in his chair, hands behind his head, while he thought about the young man in the room. He needed to find some way to convince Kakashi that it would be in his best interest to cooperate...because he would truly hate it if he had to destroy so fine an example of the Hatake clan.
-- --
Lightning country hadn't changed much since the last time Crow had been here – which did nothing to put him at ease. Just like last time – he felt a dozen pair of eyes track their movement from the moment they set foot on the ground. He had Locust send his bugs ahead of them while Bear scanned the area for unfriendly minds...meanwhile Rat and Badger kept an eye out for traps, ambushes and other physical threats. Mouse and Lizard watched warily from the rear guard post while he held the center – Iruka-sensei a constant presence at his side.
The teacher tried his hardest to keep from being a bother to himself or the other ANBU – and for the most part, managed to keep up with the heavy demands placed on him. Even now, Crow had to admit he was impressed with how much Iruka's speed and stamina had improved since the start of the mission. It was as though the man took Kakashi's capture personally, and wasn't going to rest until the Copy-ninja was safely back in Konoha.
Crow smiled behind his mask. Kakashi Hatake was an enigma. A self-professed loner – the man somehow instilled fierce loyalty from nearly everyone he ever interacted with – himself included. He could still recall the very first time he'd met Kakashi. It was long before either of them entered the ANBU – in fact – they were both in the Academy. Crow was eight years old and just starting to master the shuriken...while Kakashi was a six year old wonder who was in line to take part in the next chunin exams.
He wondered then – just as he did now – what it was about the quiet silver-haired brat that made people willing to go that extra mile to pull a miracle out of thin air. He was a natural born leader – and somehow – even in the midst of ANBU, where one was hidden behind the porcelain mask – Kakashi unconsciously drew loyalty from his squads.
Why else would this current retrieval squad be full of such a diverse collection of ANBU. An Abarame, a Nara and a Yamanako – working side by side just to find Wolf and bring him home. It was unheard of – and yet – in this circumstance it seemed appropriate.
"Crow?" Iruka's quiet voice at his side brought his mind back in focus.
"What is it, Iruka-sensei?"
"Why would Lightning risk our treaty like this?" Iruka's voice sounded tight behind his mask. "I mean – they must have known we'd come after him, right?"
Crow shook his head slowly while they continued racing along the path. "This hasn't felt right since the beginning, Iruka. If this was something the Raikage knew about, we would have already encountered resistance."
"Then who has him? If it isn't Lightning – then who the hell has Kakashi?"
Crow turned his head toward Iruka and shrugged. "Don't know. But we can be sure of one thing – they aren't working with the Raikage's authority. And that makes this all the more dangerous – because whoever has Wolf will not want any of us to survive this mission."
They were both silent for quite some time – but Crow knew he needed to say one more thing to the headstrong academy teacher.
"Iruka – remember – whatever happens – you stay clear of the fighting."
Crow saw Iruka tense at his words and nod once. Confident that they were as ready as they could be, Crow returned his attention to his surroundings. They still had at least a half day's travel before they would reach they village that the ship captain said was where Kakashi would have been taken.
-- --
"We must get to Lightning Country before my rival has been stripped of his youthful spirit and forced into a life that would dull his sharp wit." Gai struck a pose at the gates to Konoha – hands on hips, head tipped to the side and angled in such a way that the morning sunlight glinted off his pearly white teeth.
Shikamaru groaned and shoved his hands into his pockets. He wondered – not for the first time – how he'd managed to piss the Hokage off this time. She obviously had it in for him – or she would never have assigned him a joint mission with the spandex-wearing Beast of Konoha.
Of course – his mind gave him a thousand valid reasons whyTsunade had matched the teams for the mission – but Shikamaru decided that, for now at least, he could pretend it was just a punishment for some unknown infraction. Somehow it made it a little easier to bear. He turned his gaze to look at the rest of Team Gai – and watched their reactions to their leader's outburst.
Lee, as expected, was busily jotting Gai's words into his notebook and looked as though he may break into tears at any moment – his matching green pantsuit and slightly shorter stature making him look like a hand-colored shadow of the taller man. Meanwhile, Ten-ten and Neji were off to the side – Ten-ten with her eyes rolling, and Neji with a disgusted look on his face and his arms crossed in front of his body.
"Perhaps we should run at double speed Gai-sensei – so that we reach Lightning in half the time?" Lee's voice rose to an unnatural squeak at the end of the sentence.
Gai lifted a thumb in the air and spun toward the shorter green-clad youth. "That is a wonderfully spirited idea, Lee. But perhaps triple speed would suit the situation better!"
Ten-ten groaned. "No matter what they say, it's still going to take a week to get there. Why do they always have to do this?"
Neji scowled. "You should accept by now that they will never change, Ten-ten. Let's just hope to get moving before they promise quadruple speed."
Shikamaru pushed down the urge to chuckle at Neji's comment. Instead he placed his hands on his waist and ran through a few simple stretches to wake his muscles up so early in the day. Once he was loosened up, he turned toward his own team and shrugged.
"As troublesome as this may become, we need to get moving now if there's any chance of reaching our goal before it's too late."
Kotetsu Hagane, Izumo Kamizuki, and Raido Namiashi each did a final check of their packs and then nodded to him. Shikamaru turned his attention back to Gai – who was still discussing loudly with his team about how fast they needed to go.
"Once you're done arguing, if it isn't too much of a bother, please catch up to us." Shikamaru and his team headed down the road, leaving a slightly baffled Gai behind them.
"Ahhh – but I can see the spark of youth must have already infected Shikamaru! Come on Team – let's show the young Nara lad just what spirit we have!"
Shikamaru heard Lee's excited agreement and Ten-ten and Neji's cursing. He continued forward hoping that the spandex-clad man was a bit calmer once they reached Lightning. He sighed again and pushed himself a bit faster – trying to convince himself that his eagerness had more to do with wanting this joint venture over with, then his underlying fear of losing Kakashi-sensei like he had Asuma-sensei.
-- --
Wolf sat cross-legged on the bed, yukata tied tightly around his waist and tucked under his body. His eye was focused on the door while his hands lay palm down on top of his knees – the blood from his earlier attempt at dismantling the drain formed a thick crust under his fingernails. His hair – still damp from his shower – fell in a disheveled wave over his left eye and down his neck – soaking into the material of the yukata.
After the failed attempt at acquiring the metal from the drain, his keepers kept tight hold of the chain on his neck. Anytime Wolf started to walk toward the shower area, the chain would freeze in its track – never allowing him anywhere near the area again. He'd turned his attention to the bed – hoping to gain something of use there – but it turned out to be nothing more then a futon mattress rolled out on a stone slab. There were holes in the four corners of the slab where the manacles from his first night here undoubtedly were fastened. Beyond that – there was nothing else in the room, and the chain didn't allow him access to the area near the door.
Wolf was at the mercy of his captor – his uncle – if what the silver-haired man said was to be believed.
There was no denying Kurogane's uncanny similarity to White Fang. From the color of his eyes and hair, to the structure of his body, to the mannerisms he'd shown so far – it was obvious he was related to his father. But if that was so – why hadn't he ever heard of him before?
Wolf growled to himself. He hated not having all the information about a given situation. It made him vulnerable to surprise – and he absolutely hated surprises.
A sound at the door caught his attention. The door was pulled open, and in walked Boudachi in front of Kurogane – who had a handful of young women gathered closely around him – a few of them hanging on his arms possessively. They stepped into the room and gathered around the foot of the bed – all the women staring at him with a barely contained lust. It set Wolf's nerves on edge.
Kurogane stepped closer, bringing the two women still hanging from his arms along with him. Both barely came up to the man's shoulders in height. One looked to be about thirteen – with long dark brown hair and large crystal blue eyes. The other – closer to twenty, if Wolf had to guess – had shorter, wavy red hair and piercing gray eyes. Both had skin the color of pale cream and an undeniable look of the pampered rich. Wolf scowled.
The younger of the two tipped her head up to look into Kurogane's face. "He doesn't look like he wants to do this, Lord Kurogane."
Wolf arched his eyebrow at that comment. Just what was going on now?
Kurogane smiled brightly at the young woman, then turned his gaze to lock with Wolf. "He's just shy, I'm sure he'll warm up to you over time, Youki."
"Hmmm...he is cute though, isn't he? So this is your nephew?" The red-head was clearly undressing him with her eyes.
Kurogane laughed. "I'm sorry, Narabu – where are my manners?"
The man stepped away from the group of women and waved an arm dramatically toward where Wolf was still calmly sitting. "May I present my nephew – Kakashi – my only living relative – heir and Saviour of the Hatake Clan."
The gathering of women all clapped their hands and batted their eyelashes in Wolf's direction, making cooing sounds that caused the ANBU captain's stomach to clench. He wasn't in the habit of being put on display like a hunk of meat – and he'd be damned if it was going to start now.
"I am no Saviour – Kurogane. Especially not yours." Wolf put just enough of an edge into his voice that every single woman fell silent.
Kurogane's face transformed into a fierce mask. "You are whatever I tell you that you are!"
Wolf narrowed his gaze. "That line never worked for White Fang – what makes you think it would work for you?"
He watched all calm leave Kurogane, and remained still as the older man's face flushed in anger. "Your father was a fool! Because of him our clan was nearly wiped out. Because of him – you are here!"
Wolf raised his eyebrows again. "I have no loyalty to your clan. Why don't you fulfill the role of Saviour of the Hatakes yourself – and leave me out of this?"
Kurogane's mouth pulled into a twisted grin. "If it was that easy, do you really think I would have gone to such trouble to bring you home, Kakashi? Your fatherhad the Raikage and the daimyou label me criminally insane...do you know what treatments they do, for the good of the Village, to occupants of the Asylum that are deemed criminally insane?"
Wolf closed his eye as the reason for his capture was finally made clear. When he met Kurogane's gaze again he made certain to choose his words carefully. "I will not be the surrogate for your manhood."
Kurogane snarled. "You act as though you have a choice."
Wolf remained calm. "There is always a choice."
Kurogane's eyes narrowed dangerously – an odd counterpoint to the insane grin creeping across his face. "What are you going to do, Kakashi? Castrate yourself so you're more like me?"
Wolf tipped his head to the side. "If I have to – yes."
Silence hung in the room for a solid minute before Kurogane's maniacal laughter rang out. "I don't doubt you'd do that at all, Kakashi. Heh – but don't make any hasty decisions quite yet, nephew. We still have time, after all."
Wolf watched Kurogane turn and walk out of the room – the now silent women following meekly in his wake. When they were gone, Wolf shifted his gaze to the only person remaining in the room with him. Boudachi's stance showed he was ill at ease with his role in this fiasco, but his words proved where his loyalties lay.
"It would have been easier for everyone if you'd just agreed with the man. Now we'll have to do this the hard way." Boudachi sighed. "How are your fingers doing, by the way?"
Wolf smiled coldly. "Why don't you just step closer and see for yourself?"
The aide smiled back. "I value my neck more than that, Copy-ninja. I hope you enjoyed your time of limited freedom – I'm afraid it may be awhile before you have such a luxury again."
Wolf said nothing and watched the man shake his head and walk out the door. A moment later, eight guards stepped into the room, and Wolf readied himself for a fight. He may be outnumbered and chained to the ceiling, but he'd make them regret trying to make him a breeder for a dying clan.
When the others were within arms reach, the sudden jerk of his collar toward the ceiling was not unexpected. Wolf fought the urge to grasp the chain to stop the choking from the collar, and instead struck at the nearest guard with hands and feet, landing more than one solid hit before his windpipe threatened to shut off his air. The remaining guards promptly secured his flailing limbs and lowered him back to the bed, where the manacles from earlier were replaced onto his ankles and wrists.
Wolf growled when more than one of the men took the opportunity to deliver their own punishing blows to his unprotected body before they left him alone to ponder what his uncle would do next. He wondered which gods he pissed off to warrant such a bizarre twist in his fate.
