Chapter 11

The Best Laid Plans

Wolf had spent half the day struggling to keep the small amount of chakra he'd managed to siphon past the collar from being detected. His body and mind were still recovering from the after effects of his ordeal, and the less than stellar healing he'd received along the way, so it took all of his concentration to perform the task. When he felt a handful of his hair grasped and his head slammed forcefully into the wall, he was surprised to say the least.

"Who the hell do you think you are, Kakashi Hatake? Hmmm?"

Kurogane's hot breath blew past Wolf's nose and, for a moment, he thought the madman had figured out what he was doing. But the next words from his mouth removed that thought.

"What is so special about you that your Hokage would send not one – but two teams to find your sorry ass?"

The man tightened his grip on Wolf's hair, eliciting a growl from his lips. His mind raced. The Hokage sent teams after him? Why? He'd been gone too long...she should have followed protocol and declared him dead.

Wolf pushed words through his teeth at the same time he used his arms and feet to remove Kurogane's grip from his hair and kick himself free. "She wouldn't."

The chain attached to Wolf's collar predictably began to lift toward the ceiling while Kurogane struggled to stop himself from hurtling across the room. Wolf lifted his left hand up to that chain and, after forming the most basic of hand signs...one he'd learned back in his Academy days... released the chakra he'd hoarded. The energy danced along his fingertips and formed a small chakra blade which he deftly used to sever the connection between the collar and the chain.

Wolf's hopes that the chakra dampening properties of the collar came from the chain disappeared when he felt no change in his reserves, but that didn't stop him from taking advantage of the situation he'd created. He dove past his uncle and ran at top speed out of the room – fighting back the urge to take the time to kill Kurogane. He'd come back to do that job once he'd recovered his full chakra – right now he needed to escape.

His mind went back to his journey from the ship, and he mentally replayed the steps until he could reverse them and map out his escape route. He knew he was seven doors away from the courtyard – and then from there he'd need to find a way out of the village. But first he needed to get the hell out of the building.

Wolf vaguely heard Kurogane's roar of anger behind him, but he pushed it out of his mind and moved his feet faster – wishing he'd had a chance to store up a bit more chakra before he'd made his move. But he hadn't – so there was none to spare to speed his flight. He had to depend only on his natural strengths.

His bare feet slapped against the wooden floors of the dark hallway and he'd counted three doors before the first group of guards was encountered. Wolf didn't bother slowing down – and used his momentum to bowl over the first two men before ducking under the kunai of the third man and grabbing the fourth man to use as a human shield against the final guard's drawn katana. The sound of the blade plunging into his 'shield' was pushed from Wolf's mind in an instant, as he calculated the exact duck and spin combination he needed to perform to leave the clutch of wounded guards behind. It would have been easier with his sharingan uncovered, but the patch made that a moot point – and besides – he wasn't considered a genius for nothing.

Wolf executed that combination with a skill born of hundreds of such moves, and soon he was charging once more toward his freedom. The fourth door sailed by, and the fifth was nearly reached when he felt a gathering of far too familiar chakra from the hallway behind him. The hairs on the back of his neck raised as his only warning of what was to come, and he threw himself down onto the floor just as a bolt of blue-white chakra sailed through the group of guards behind him and continued through where he'd just been standing.

"Shit!" This changed things. He knew Kurogane was insane...but for the man to unleash a lightning jutsu of that level in the confines of the hallway...through his own men... "Shit!"

Wolf didn't wait for the smoke or screams to end before he scampered back to his feet and continued his escape. He'd dealt with this type of insanity before...and things never ended well. He made it past the fifth and sixth doors before another group attempted to stop him. Wolf growled and readied himself for another physical combat, but this time the guards were more prepared.

While the first two threw their shurikens in his direction, causing him to dodge and twist in an attempt to keep the damage to a minimum, the next two performed a series of hand signs which he was unable to watch fully because of the physical attack. When the first man released his jutsu Wolf watched through narrowed eyes while the floor was coated in a slick substance. Without any extra chakra to channel into his feet, he was at the mercy of physics when his feet slipped under him. Wolf tried to use the action in his favor by diving toward the waiting shinobi, hoping to knock them off their feet, but that was when the second man's jutsu was released. Wolf was caught in a chakra net that constricted around his body from one breath to the next. He skidded beyond the seventh door before coming to an ungraceful stop at the entrance to the courtyard. He saw the rain falling just beyond the entrance and cursed his luck.

Wolf didn't waste any additional time feeling sorry for himself. He'd seen an opportunity and grabbed it. It wasn't his first failed escape attempt – and with luck it wouldn't be his last. What concerned him more at the moment was the palpable wave of killing intent that wafted through the hallway. He hadn't felt anything this extreme since facing down three S-classed felons out for his blood ten years ago. He still bore a ragged scar across his back from that encounter.

Wolf twisted in his bindings until he was facing where Kurogane stormed toward him, the man's hands alight with the familiar glow of lightning-based chakra. He braced himself for what was likely to be a killing blow, and placed a small smile on his lips...at least the bastard wouldn't be able to use him as a breeder any longer.

Kurogane's palm slammed into Wolf's chest and released a burst of electricity at the contact. Wolf's muscles tensed and his back arched – as much as his restraints would allow – before a scream tore from his throat, his eyes rolled back in his head, and the world faded to black.

-- --


Boudachi never in a million years would have thought his report from their contacts in the Raikage's office to Lord Kurogane would have ended this way. He walked into the main house from the courtyard, shaking the rain from his cloak, and gaped at the mess. There were bodies scattered throughout the hall and the floor near the entrance was covered in a thick grayish substance. Kakashi was on that floor, covered in some type of net, and had Lord Kurogane standing over his unmoving body. Kurogane's hand was aglow in the crackling blue-white light that Boudachi knew was the man's chakra – and the look in his eyes as he lifted that hand into the air for another strike made Boudachi's blood run cold. He stepped into the hallway and moved as close to his employer as he felt was safe.

"Lord Kurogane – I don't think there's any chance of Kakashi escaping now."

He tried to keep his voice calm and soothing, but the silver-haired man ignored him as he bent down and slammed his palm into the prisoner's chest. Kakashi's body jerked violently while the blue-white energy raced along his body. After countless moments, Kurogane's hand still hadn't moved from the younger man's chest. Boudachi furrowed his brow. If this kept up much longer he doubted Kakashi would live.

Boudachi moved another step closer and Kurogane tipped his head toward him – a wild look was in the man's gray eyes. "My Lord – if you keep this up your plans for reviving the Hatake Clan will never be successful."

Kurogane's lips stretched into a mockery of a smile. "Those plans have already been successful – he's not needed anymore."

Boudachi's eyes went wide at the logic. He felt his heart race as he tried to find the words to stop the violent attack on Kakashi. "Lord Kurogane, although the woman have conceived, there's no guarantee yet that the fetuses will be viable."

Kurogane's smile switched to a frown and a look of doubt crossed the man's eyes. Boudachi sighed in relief when the man's hand was removed from Kakashi's chest and the blue-white light faded away. Kurogane stood up to his full height and stared hard at Boudachi.

"Explain yourself, Boudachi."

"Your method of impregnating the 'volunteers' is untested, my Lord. We can't be sure the pregnancies will go full term yet. In fact, two of the women have already gone into the first signs of distress. Your medics believe they will miscarry by week's end."

Kurogane's eyes went wide and his breath caught in his throat. "Why – why would that happen?"

Boudachi closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He was about to walk a very fine line and he needed to make sure he worded this just right. "Lord Kurogane, the medic's feel that it may have to do with the cocktail of drugs used to...motivate...your nephew."

He waited for the man's angry response – expecting to be struck down. When there was no hit or comment, Boudachi warily opened his eyes and was shocked by what he saw. Kurogane was on his knees with Kakashi's still, unmoving form in his arms, rocking back and forth and stroking the younger man's hair. Tears were flowing down Kurogane's face when he turned his head toward the guards who were still standing at the ready.

"Undo the jutsu – let him loose, dammit."

The guards looked at each other briefly before they both released their jutsus – eliminating the mess on the floor, and causing the chakra net surrounding Kakashi to vanish into thin air. The young man's arms – no longer pinned to his body – went slack and hit the floor with a thump. It was the only movement the body made.

Kurogane shook the young man gently. "Wake up, Kashi. Come on – wake up...please...I'm not mad at you anymore."

Still – there was no response from the Copy-ninja. Kurogane's voice grew louder and his fear was clear in his tone while he shook the body with more force – causing the silver-haired head in his arms to roll from side to side. "WAKE UP!"

A low groan was heard escaping Kakashi's mouth. Boudachi sighed in relief at the sound. He hated to think of what might have happened if he hadn't returned when he did. Kurogane turned toward him with a glare.

"Why the hell didn't you tell me about the women sooner, hmmm?"

Boudachi somehow knew the man would try to blame him for the botched plan – but he was used to that by now. "The medics only found out about the problems this morning, Lord Kurogane. I told you as soon as I found out."

It looked as though Kurogane was about to curse him out, when more groans from Kakashi stole the man's attention away. Boudachi frowned as the elder Hatake spoke to his nephew in a scolding tone.

"Now don't you ever do that again, Kashi. You scared me half to death." Kurogane pulled Kakashi into his arms, stood and headed back down the hall. "I don't know what I would have done if you left me, nephew."

Boudachi sighed and followed after his employer. If he was extremely lucky, he would be allowed to help settle Kakashi back into the room and would have the opportunity to remove the strip of metal in the collar before anyone else could find it.

-- --


Badger and Bear returned barely an hour after they'd gone with news that they'd managed to catch one of the main house's cleaning staff. They were able to get the detailed whereabouts of the room Kakashi was being held in – plus a better understanding of the situation inside.

Now, as Badger watched Crow discussing the information with Shikamaru, he couldn't help but feel a spark of pride. His only son was growing into one hell of a leader. Bear elbowed him to get his attention.

"You know, Badger, if I didn't know you better, I'd swear you were actually pleased with how that son of yours is turning out."

"Humph. And if I didn't know better, I'd swear you were impressed with what my kid can do."

Bear snorted, but didn't disagree. Badger smiled behind his mask and then stepped forward to listen to his boy in action.

"Kakashi-sensei's escape attempt couldn't have been at a worse time. Because of it – it will be bothersome to get to him – and probably even more troublesome to get him back out again." Shikamaru scratched at the back of his head. "Add to that the fact that he is likely injured and the task is harder still."

Badger frowned behind his mask. Was his boy trying to talk them out of the rescue attempt?

Shikamaru's sigh regained his attention. "Still – we have an advantage in the strength of our teams and that it seems Kurogane is only aware of two out of three of those teams. We can use this to our advantage by blinding them to the actions of the third group."

Crow nodded in agreement. "Teams Shikamaru and Gai will provide the distractions while we complete our objective. Bear – you're on infiltration detail with Rat as your protector."

Crow turned his attention to Badger. "You and Lizard need to find a target for Bear that has better clearance than a cleaner and then act as point to get us in."

Badger nodded once, and Crow continued.

"Mouse, Iruka-sensei – you're with me. Mouse and I will release Wolf and deal with any guards – while Sensei will assess Wolf's condition and prepare him for extraction."

Crow's masked stare settled on Iruka-sensei. "Be prepared to sedate him if necessary."

Badger saw a tremor run through the teacher's shoulders. "I'll be ready, Crow."

Crow nodded and moved his attention to the final member of the Retrieval Team. "Locust, you are on clean up. If we fail to contact you on schedule, you know what to do."

Bear shivered at that thought. He knew that was the real reason the Aburame was included on this team...they required his particular breed of bugs to be able to get in anywhere needed and eliminate all traces of any fallen ANBU. He truly hoped it wouldn't come to that. He didn't want his last memory of this world to be of Locust's bugs eating him alive.

Crow give him a subtle signal. Badger reached into one of the pouches at his waist and retrieved a spare communication set. He walked over to Shikamaru's side and wordlessly handed it to his boy. Crow explained, while Badger helped to adjust the barely visible contraption around Shikamaru's neck and ear.

"This set is tuned to a very specific wavelength which is keyed to the ANBU radios. Shikamaru – once we have acquired a target for Bear, you will have a count of twenty to start the distractions. Try to keep them away from the west entrance if you can. Once we've completed our mission you'll get the all clear from us or, upon our failure, Locust. At that point fall back to the rendezvous point."

"Right." The boy adjusted the radio once more, then caught Badger's gaze and held it for a moment before speaking, just loud enough for him to hear the words. "Try and stay alive old man. It would be bothersome to explain to mother why you didn't return."

A small smile of recognition crept onto Shikamaru's face. Badger sighed. Sometimes it didn't pay to have a genius for a son.

-- --


Two days into his 'final' task, and Akuma was beginning to realize there was absolutely no way to succeed in the mission. Three of the targets were out of the country – evidently on a tour of the Snow Country for another month. Two were in a high security prison – normally not an issue, but that prison was actually on the far side of Fire Country – and therefore several weeks away. Four more were consorts to the Raikage, while two more were members of the Raikage's personal guard. And of course the final mark was Kurogane's own aide, Boudachi. Logistically, there was no way for him to do this.

Akuma pulled the slim scroll out of his pocket once more and read the teasing words which promised his freedom only if he could perform an impossible task. He should have known that bastard, Kurogane, wouldn't let him off so easy. Obviously this was just another one of the crazy man's games. Akuma crumpled the useless document and tossed it into a garbage bin on his way to a local bar. He needed to think of his next moves and he figured that would be better done over a few bottles of sake.

He'd made it two blocks when a large explosion back toward the Hatake compound shook the ground. Curious despite himself, Akuma changed his direction and followed the steady stream of shinobi heading in that direction.

-- --


Although Gai had wanted nothing less than to join the retrieval team in the glorious task of freeing his Eternal Rival from the villainous hands of his most unimaginably evil uncle, he saw the logic in his being on one of the teams sent to set off diversions. He wasn't the stealthiest of ninja on his best day – but one thing he was exceptionally good at was making a scene!

Gai and Lee were perched in the branches of one of the larger trees bordering the Hatake Compound, ignoring the driving rain around them, and he knew that Ten-ten and Neji were taking up similar positions across the road. The Nara lad was setting up their own positions a bit closer to then main complex. All that was left now was to wait for the signal from Badger and Bear.

Gai's mouth was set in a firm line – although on the inside he was eager for engagement – on the outside he would display nothing but his business face. Every muscle was tensed and ready to spring into action at preciously a twenty count from the time of the signal. Gai licked his lips in anticipation and held back the urge to smile. Gods – how he loved the build up of tension before a well-laid plan was put into action. He spared a quick glance at his team and felt a swell of pride at how focused each one of them was. They were the perfect picture of all that was right with their generation – and he was beyond honored to have been given the opportunity to help mold them into the excellent ninja they were today.

A series of three clicks was heard over his headset, and knowing that his team received the same signal, Gai began the task of counting to twenty...forcing himself to keep the count measured correctly and resisting the urge to rush it. At the count of fifteen he saw Ten-ten unroll the scroll she carried on her back and begin the hand signs needed to bring her impressive arsenal to bear. Meanwhile Neji had activated his Byakugan and was changing his stance so he could use his Trigram combinations for offense or defense as needed.

Gai's gaze shifted to Lee and saw the boy's young muscles tense in anticipation of the most wondrous battle they were about to embark on. Eighteen...nineteen...twenty...

An explosion rattled the tree they were perched in – thanks to the explosive mines from Ten-ten's scroll. Her aim – as always – was perfect, even with the rain, and in a matter of moments two dozen shinobi of chunin and jonin level were rushing into the area. Gai allowed a grin to spread across his lips – not one of his usual sunshine and happiness grins...no. This was a smile he reserved for battle – one that he knew could chill the blood of the enemy as he sped in for the kill.

At his signal, Team Gai launched themselves into the fray...making certain to draw the enemy as far from the main complex as possible – without looking like that was what they were doing. On days like this – Gai was deliriously glad to be a Leaf jonin!

-- --


Raidou heard the signal over the headset and counted out for twenty beats – just as he was sure all the others members of this mission were doing. At twenty he moved into action and sent a series of kunai wrapped with explosive tags straight for the doorway of what they'd learned was the barracks for Kurogane's house guard. His aim was true – and his explosions were echoed by what he could only assume was Team Gai's own assault.

By the time the smoke cleared from his deliberately thrown kunai, the guards were streaming out of the building and into the courtyard. A small handful stayed behind and headed into the building instead of away from it – but they'd expected that. He concentrated on those that headed for where he was sitting in a tree and made a series of hand signs he'd learned as a boy from his father. When the last sign was completed he activated the earth jutsu which transformed the muddy ground at the base of the tree into a deep pit of sludge – trapping the majority of the approaching ninja in his quicksand.

Meanwhile, he heard the caws of Aoba's swarm of crows, followed by the screams of other ninja who had the misfortune of meeting up with Kotetsu's conch mace within that swarm or for the more unfortunate, meeting with Shikamaru's deadly shadow sewing technique. It was obvious the other three members of Team Shikamaru had worked together before – and he found it oddly comforting that his own jutsu seemed to work itself seamlessly into their tried and true attacks.

At Shikamaru's signal, the entire team moved back to their first staging area – allowing their enemy a moment of false hope that they held the upper hand. In reality, this was simply a ploy to get those shinobi farther away from the west entrance so that Crow and his team would have a clear exit once they finished the extraction. Raidou pushed himself through the trees at a steady clip until he was at the staging area, and then he concentrated on the next series of planned attacks along with the rest of the team. He allowed the adrenaline of the situation to wrap him, and focused only on his part of the plan – confident the others were doing the same.

-- --


Iruka kept close to Crow as they waited for Badger's signal signifying that Bear's transference jutsu was successful. It came far sooner then he expected, and he had to keep a startled gasp from escaping his lips when he heard the clicks come over his headset. He tried to calm his heartbeat down and remind himself that this was no different then the scenarios he taught back at the Academy – that he knew what needed to be done – but as they moved forward into the inner hallways of the compound, he was having a very hard time convincing his brain of that fact.

He, Crow, Mouse and Badger kept to the shadows, while the body Bear had taken over calmly walked down the hall toward where their informant had told them Kakashi was being held. The closer they got, the stranger things became – at least from Iruka's point of view. He noticed scorch marks on the walls – and what could only be blood stains on the floor. He swallowed back the worry that it might be Kakashi's blood and concentrated on the here and now. At a signal from Crow, Iruka pushed himself flat against the wall. A moment later he heard the distinct sound of explosions on the other side of the compound. His heart raced when he recognized this was it – this was really happening.

Doors throughout the hallway opened and a stream of shinobi ran out to see what was going on. Iruka's breath caught in his throat when Crow and the others flowed into action. None of the enemy ninja likely knew what was happening until it was too late...Crow's senbon found their marks flawlessly – the poison coating the needles ending the victim's lives before they hit the floor. Badger's shadow strangulation technique was similarly silent – although the victim's suffered a small bit longer. Mouse's katana was so skillfully wielded that organs were pierced in quick succession and his movements were frighteningly fluid – like a dancer's. In less then a minute, all opposition was erased.

Iruka's eyes went wide behind his mask. It wasn't that he'd never witnessed death before...after all he was a Leaf shinobi – and had taken lives himself during the many missions of his career. But this – this was different. This was not the act of taking a life during a combat mission...this was something more...this was where every movement was made with the explicit purpose of ending a life...this – this was ANBU.

Now Iruka understood why the masks were so important to the ANBU members. If anyone back in the village knew what it meant to be ANBU they would never be able to look these people in the eye again without fearing what they were capable of. Hell – he was starting to wonder if he'd be able to look these people in the eye again when this mission was finished.

Crow's concerned voice brought him back to the present. "Iruka – are you injured?"

Iruka blinked. Crow was worried about him being injured? He resisted the urge to laugh hysterically and whispered his response to the team leader.

"No, Crow – I'm fine. That was just more...intense...then I was prepared for. It won't happen again."

"Good." He signaled for the group to move out.

Iruka followed the others until they reached the door their informant marked as Kakashi's room. He held his breath while the others took up position. In Iruka's mind, he went over all the various possibilities. Kakashi might no longer be held here – he could have been moved after his escape attempt. He could be inside but in no shape to travel...hell – he could even be dead. Iruka pushed that last thought out of his head...no...he refused to go there.

Crow motioned for the body Bear was using to go first. The door was opened and the borrowed body walked through – and promptly gave the all clear. Crow signaled for Badger and Mouse to move in and then motioned for Iruka to follow him through the door. Iruka swallowed the lump in his throat and moved into the room – unsure what he'd see.

Crow and Mouse were already working at the chains that were holding Kakashi in place on the bed, while Badger was standing next to the borrowed body as though waiting for something to happen. A moment later the body blinked in confusion and Badger moved into action, sending his shadow up the man's body to end his life with practiced ease. Iruka held back a shiver and returned his focus to Kakashi.

"Iruka – check him over." Crow's voice sounded strained.

He moved toward the bed and saw what caused Crow's concern. Kakashi's right arm looked like it had recently been broken and was patched together by a genin with little or no medical training. He had cuts and bruising over much of his body, and his skin smelled like he'd been hit by lightning. Iruka looked up toward Kakashi's face and noticed how pale the man was. His entire face was the shade of pale cream.

Iruka blinked. His entire face? He blinked again and stretched one hand up to set along the bare skin of Kakashi's jawline. Holy crap...they took his mask? He took a closer look at the Copy-ninja's face – trying to figure out why on earth Kakashi needed to cover it up.

"Iruka – did you find something wrong?" Mouse's voice in his ear caused Iruka to blush with the realization he was being distracted from his job. He tried to cover it up.

"I was just trying to figure out what they put on his eye." He relaxed slightly when Mouse's attention moved to the patch over Kakashi's sharingan.

"Looks like a chakra seal. Shouldn't be to difficult to remove once we've gotten home." Mouse chuckled. "Sure that's all you were looking at, Sensei?"

Iruka felt the heat rise in his face again and was glad he chose to keep his mask on. He tried to change the topic once more. "Can you get this collar off of him? I can treat these contusions better without it."

Mouse moved his attention to the collar. "Hmmm...can you hold him up in a sitting position?"

Iruka nodded and lifted Kakashi toward him until Mouse had a better view of the collar's latch. "Crow – let me borrow one of your senbon...preferably not one with poison."

Crow supplied the requested needle and watched while Mouse worked at the latch. Meanwhile Iruka concentrated on the man leaning into his body. Kakashi's breathing was still steady...making no change at all with the switch in position. So at least he could rule out broken ribs.

There was a slight click behind Kakashi's neck and the metal collar was lifted away by Mouse. They lowered Kakashi back to the bed and Iruka quickly took the opportunity to apply a salve to the angry bruising and scrapes circling his neck. He was about to place more on the injured skin when Kakashi's hand darted out and grabbed his wrist. Iruka's eyes went wide as he stared into Kakashi's dark gray eye. When the man spoke it sounded raw – but the words were clear.

"Stop wasting time...they're watching us."

Mouse leaned in. "Where?"

"Upper floor looks into this room. Don't know why they haven't come already."

Crow moved in. "Not complaining about that, Wolf." He turned to Iruka. "Is he okay to move?"

"I think so – but that arm really needs to be treated soon."

Kakashi growled. "It can wait."

Crow chuckled. "Right, boss. Let's get the hell out of here."

They helped Kakashi stand up and quickly found he was too unstable to manage more than few steps on his own. Iruka and Badger took up positions on either side of Kakashi and draped the man's arms over their shoulders. Mouse and Crow drew their katanas and led the way into the hall. Iruka could only hope they'd meet no resistance on the way back out.

-- --


Boudachi heard the explosions and knew what he needed to do. He headed straight for the observation room under the guise of wanting to keep a close eye on the prisoner. It wouldn't be the first time he'd gone there – so there shouldn't be any concern from the others manning the room. He opened the door and was met with the anxious stares from the two men watching over Kakashi.

"Boudachi! What the hell's going on out there? Are we under attack?" The younger of the two guards sounded genuinely concerned.

Boudachi smiled with what he hoped was a convincing expression. "No, no...nothing like that. Lord Kurogane's just giving another lesson, is all."

The two men relaxed noticeably. They were well aware of their Lord's bent toward the extreme when it came to his 'lessons' and they promptly went back to the conversation that Boudachi must have interrupted.

"Anyhow, I'm telling you that I heard two patrols have gone missing."

The second man yawned and scratched his chin. "Probably just hitting the bar is all. Happens all the time."

Boudachi moved behind the men – a position he'd taken in the past to watch them work – and so he knew they'd think nothing of it now. He pulled the two syringes out of his pouch and paused for a moment, wondering if he should go through with this. Just when he was about to change his mind, fate stepped in.

The door to Kakashi's room opened and he watched one of the hall guards step in. The two observers leaned forward.

"Hey – isn't that Benriya? I thought his shift was over."

The door opened again and four men in cloaks and white masks stepped in. "Oh shit!"

Before another word could be formed by either man, Boudachi stuck the needles into their necks and pushed the plungers until the liquid entered their bloodstreams and sent them into a deep sleep. He watched the strangers converge on Kakashi's bed and work to free him of the chains and collar and moved to take him away. Boudachi let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding and then made his way out of the observation room. With luck, he'd be long gone before Lord Kurogane missed him.

He stepped into the hall and went the opposite way he figured the masked men would go. He worked his way back to his room, finished packing up his belongings, and made his way out the east entrance and into the streets toward the harbor. He'd had enough of playing aide to a lunatic. It was time for him to go back home.

-- --


Kurogane was sitting in his study staring at the hands that had almost taken the life of his precious nephew. If Boudachi hadn't stopped him, there was every chance he would have killed the boy. He furrowed his brow and ran his hands through his hair. What the hell had he been thinking?

He took a slow, steady breath – trying to calm his racing heart – when he heard a series of explosions. He ran up to his window and peered outside. Smoke was coming from the north and south sides of the complex and he could hear the sounds of combat beyond the walls. Someone was trying to attack them!

Kurogane frowned – then crossed the room to where his katana was perched on its stand. He gripped the well worn hilt and moved to track down the intruders. He'd quickly put an end to whatever nonsense this was. He really didn't have time to waste on such things when he was busy trying to rebuild his clan, after all.

He thought for a moment about the placements of the smoke and realized where he needed to go...after all – the explosions were likely diversions – and he knew the east side of the compound was watched from the harbor...so that left only one place left for him to check.

Kurogane stepped into the courtyard at the west side of the building and called the closest jonin to join him. Just as he and a dozen of his shinobi took up position, a group of four masked figures stepped into the rain with his nephew held between two of them.

Kurogane leveled his katana at the group and frowned. "I believe you have something that belongs to me."