Kakashi was running.
He didn't know if he was running to something or from something. He didn't even know where he was running or even why. Everything around him was pitch black. He was running as fast as his legs could take him, because he was scared.
Tears were streaming down his face. He couldn't explain why. He felt so small, so vulnerable. He kept running and running with no end in sight. He shouted, but there was no sound. He wiped tears from his eyes but there was no one to comfort him. He looked around but there was nothing to see.
"Do you realize what you just said?!" A voice suddenly shouted in the distance. It echoed all around him. It almost sounded like…
Kakashi's own voice vibrated in his head as he heard himself reply. "Yeah.."
His voice sounded young, arrogant. Foolish. It danced around in his mind as he continued to run. The familiar voices were scaring him, he wanted so desperately to get away from them.
His voice echoed close behind him, it was following him. "The two of us are going to complete this mission."
The boy replied to Kakashi, his childish voice wrought with fear and and anger. "And Rin? What about Rin!?"
Obito. The other voice was Obito.
Kakashi stopped running and fell to his knees. "Obito!" He tried to scream but his own voice was mute. He slammed his fists on the ground when he heard his voice again, replying to the boy.
"Rin comes later."
Kakashi wanted to curl into a ball. The voices were surrounding him now. He didn't know what to do. He still couldn't see a thing. His whole entire body was shaking with sobs. "Obito! Rin!"
Suddenly Kakashi found himself standing in a wooded area. Obito was there. He was standing in front of him, his eyes furious. Kakashi tried to reach out to him but his body wouldn't move. He tried calling to him but his voice didn't exist. He heard his younger self speak again. "The enemy wants to find out what we're up to. They won't kill her right away."
Kakashi stood and started to run again. He blindly tried to claw his way to the surface of this hell. He felt like he was drowning. Obito glared at him in his mind. He started to speak but his words spun around and got scrambled inside Kakashi's head. He screamed, the pain nearly unbearable.
Everything suddenly rushed forward. Obito was gone. In his place, was Naruto. Kakashi's little Naruto. They were still in the wooded area from Kakashi's past, his feet wouldn't carry him away. He was stuck in the memories that he tried so hard to forget, so hard to run away from. Naruto was standing in Obito's place. He reached into his pocket, pulling something out and then showing it to Kakashi. "Remember that lesson you taught us, Kakashi-sensei?" He smiled, his goofy smile that Kakashi loved so much. He opened his hand to reveal two shiny bells.
"You taught us a very important lesson that day, and I still remember it!" Naruto tossed the bells in the air and caught them. They rang beautifully. Kakashi just stood there and watched Naruto. He itched so badly to hug the kid. He wanted so badly to speak to him. "Those who break the rules are considered scum," He recounted. "But those who leave their friends behind are worse than scum!"
Naruto threw the bells in the air but when they came back down, Naruto wasn't there to catch them. They fell to the ground with a loud clang as Naruto's words echoed in Kakashi's mind. In Naruto's place was Obito, crumpled on the ground and crying. The bells rolled away from Obito and stopped near Kakashi's feet. Obito glanced at them and then up to Kakashi. His right eye was missing.
"Worse than scum!"
Everything went pitch black again. The ground beneath Kakashi gave way and he was falling. Forever it seemed, until he came to an abrupt stop, floating before a scene from his past. His eyes widened in shock.
It was Naruto. Seven, no more than eight years old. A group of people were surrounding him, adults and children alike. They were throwing rocks at him, a boy even ran up and kicked him after his own mother told him to do so. Naruto was crying, hunched in a ball on the ground.
The Kakashi from the past was sitting there. Just sitting and observing from a distance. He never made an attempt to intervene. He watched as the boy was bullied and attacked, too interested in his book to even care.
Kakashi screamed but no one listened to his mute voice. "Stop! Stop hurting him! Do something you fool!" But he just sat there.
He shouted and and squirmed inside his head, reaching out to the small boy but never touching him, his body shaking with sobs. "Stop it, stop it please."
He could hear Naruto crying in his head. Voices invaded his mind, there was no room to breathe. They were the voices of Naruto's torture.
"Demon freak!"
"Loser!"
"Why don't you die already!"
Kakashi choked as the air left his lungs. His body was burning. Flashes of Obito and Naruto's faces kept invading his head. There was no escape.
"Worse than scum…"
Kakashi woke with a start, someone was shaking him. He instinctively gasped for air as the memories of his all too real nightmare flooded his mind. He sat up quickly, immediately regretting it as his head spun and the room went upside down. His eyes lost focus and he panicked, trying to scramble to his feet. A pair of rough hands grabbed his shoulders and held him down.
"Kakashi-senpai, Kakashi-senpai!" Tenzō knelt in front of Kakashi and and shook him slightly, trying to get his attention. "You're okay, just relax. You are safe." He placed two fingers on Kakashi's forehead and the Jounin's muscles relaxed immediately, his eyes coming back into focus. He looked at Tenzō.
"What's going on?" He asked blearily.
"You fell unconscious last night," Sakura replied. Kakashi looked at her, she looked better than she had last night. She was kneeling next to Kakashi, her eyes worried. "I had to tend to your wounds before they became more serious." She forced a smile. "You were having a nightmare, it could be because of the stress. We were really worried."
Kakashi groaned. He rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, a nightmare..." He looked at them both and tried a smile. "I'm sorry if I startled you. I am okay."
Sakura smiled back. "Good, I'm glad, sensei."
Kakashi nodded. "How is he?"
Her smiled wavered and she glanced to the other end of the room. Kakashi followed her gaze as it rested on the boy. He shivered and his heart dropped as he recounted the nightmare and visions flashed in his head. The Jounin resisted the urge to crawl over to him and wrap him in a hug.
He was breathing. Kakashi could tell right away by just looking at him. His chest rose and fell unevenly, a rasping sound escaped his lungs with each exhale. His skin was yellowish and soaked in sweat. The bandages on his chest and around his stomach were fairly new, and not much blood had soaked through them yet.
Tenzō broke the ominous silence. "It was touch and go last night but he's made it this long. He is a fighter after all."
Kakashi couldn't help but smile behind his mask. "Of course he is. He's Naruto Uzumaki, future Hokage and most unpredictable ninja of the Hidden Leaf!" Those words earned him a surprised look from the others.
Sakura looked up, a glint in her eye. "That's right, sensei." She said, her voice upbeat.
Kakashi chuckled to himself and glanced at Naruto. "You'll pull through this, Naruto. You always do."
He paused, furrowing his brow, and glanced around the room. "Oh?"
"What is it?" Tenzō sat back and eyed the Jounin questioningly.
"Where is Sai?"
"Oh, right." Tenzō stood. "I sent him ahead. He's the fastest of us all and I thought he could get word to Konoha and the Hokage before nightfall about our situation. Naruto needs medical attention right away." He paused, looking at the blonde boy sleeping. "I requested Sai to also send a few members of the Anbu as protection in case we ran into another complication, or if anyone decided to try for Naruto again on our way back. If we leave soon we could possibly run into them about half the way. The added protection would be-"
"On our way back?" Kakashi asked abruptly. "How are we going to get back, Naruto is in no condition to travel."
"We have to try. He has to hold out for that long, until we get to Konoha. It's his best chance. He'll be dead within a day if we just sit and wait."
Kakashi clenched the blanket in his fists. He shook his head. "There has to be another way. We can't risk-"
"There is no other way, Kakashi-senpai. If we want to have a chance to save Naruto's life, this is the only way. He's barely holding on at it is, we have to do something."
Kakashi sat there for a few moments as he gazed out of the window. It was sunny. Only a few clouds hung around in the sky. "Naruto…"
"Right." He finally agreed. There was no other way.
"Kaka-sensei?"
He looked at the pink haired girl, her big green eyes gazing at him. "Yes, Sakura?"
"Can you promise me something?"
"O-Oh?"
"Promise me that Naruto will be okay. Promise me that he's going to make it through this and be his old self again soon." Her voice wavered, a tear fell. She looked down.
"Ah-" Kakashi didn't know how to respond. He reached out and put his hand under her chin and lifted it slightly. "I promise," He heard himself say. "I promise I will protect Naruto with my life." He spoke more to himself than he did to Sakura, in the end.
Kakashi stood and stretched. He looked around the room and rubbed his tired eye. "Well, Tenzō, Sakura, what are you waiting for? Let's get ready to go. I can handle Naruto, you all take care of the rest." He looked at the frail boy. "I'll protect you with my life, Naruto. Just as you would do for me. Just as you have already done."
Several minutes and a few food pills later, the team was ready to head off. Sakura and Tenzō carried what they could of the remaining supplies while Kakashi carried Naruto in his arms. Tenzō would take the lead and Sakura would head the rear. Two of Kakashi's clones would take the left and right flank while Kakashi and Naruto had the middle. The Jounin had his Sharingan readily available if it was needed. They headed out after making sure there were no chakra signals near them.
"There's no sign of enemy presence." Tenzō announced to the group behind him. They had been out for an hour now, traveling through the trees, trying to draw the least amount of attention to themselves as they possibly could while still remaining on high alert. Kakashi had thought that Naruto might have been a little heavy for him to carry along the way but the boy was surprisingly light, only worrying Kakashi even more. They were making decent time despite Kakashi keeping his pace to a tolerable speed. He worried about injuring Naruto even more if they rushed carelessly.
In the few hours that had past the team ran into no complications, but Kakashi knew it wasn't going to last long. Hell, he was surprised it lasted as long as it did. Sensing danger, he came to an abrupt stop and landed on the ground softly. He sat Naruto on the ground and carefully looked him over. His two clones vanished with puffs of white smoke as Sakura and Tenzō came up on his sides.
Sakura landed light on her feet and quickly made her way beside the Jounin. "What is it, Kakashi-sensei? Is something wrong with Naruto?" Her eyes were tense with worry.
"We've got company, Sakura. Stay on your guard." Kakashi informed her. Sakura's eyes widened and she looked over to Tenzō.
He nodded and studied his surroundings, counting. "I count six." He said. "We can't split up, that's just not going to work if they're after Naruto. A diversion tactic just isn't an option." Tenzō looked around, sensing all of the chakra that was surrounding them. "Shit"
"This is not good," Kakashi breathed. "We're outnumbered. I didn't expect this many so soon." His eyes shifted from side to side. "These one's are impatient." He stood and took a deep breath. "Sakura, I want you beside Naruto at all times. Do not leave his side no matter what, okay?" He glanced at Sakura and then at Naruto. "if the situation gets dire, do not try to help. Take Naruto and get out, run as fast as you can and don't stop until you get to Konoha, no matter what." His voice was stern, quiet.
Sakura looked at her sensei, her expression that of distress. "Kaka-sensei, I'm not going to abandon you-"
Kakashi glared at Sakura, his eyes suddenly ice cold. Sakura had never seen him like that. She took a step back in shock. "You will do as your told. That's an order." He said, cooly.
"Y-Yes sir!" She said as she ran over to Naruto. She got down on her knees and gathered the boy close to her. Kakashi suddenly apparated in front of her and Tenzō to her left side. They were both standing defensively.
A voice came from the thicket closest to Kakashi. "So, you sensed our chakra?" It was a woman, she was standing behind a tree but Kakashi could see her face slightly as she sneered at him. "No matter. We'll make quick work of you."
Suddenly a kunai from the opposite direction came flying at Kakashi's head. The jounin didn't even wince. He quickly lifted his arm up and deflected the attack with his own blade. A loud clang! and the blade smashed into a tree nearby, nearly cutting clean through it. A few tense moments afterward, several more kunai flew at him in different directions. He managed to block most of them but one grazed his side and he staggered. "So fast!" More came flying at him before he could recover.
"Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!" Tenzō shouted. A huge rock wall began to form around the group. It blocked the blades as they all sunk into it. The rock wall jutsu suddenly expanded outward, at a speed that would destroy anything in it's path. A few ninja from above jumped as the trees were knocked down by the force of the wall. They all landed on the ground before the group of four. Now all six ninja were visible.
"Kakashi-senpai?" Tenzō questioned. "Are you alright?!
"I'm okay," He said as he clutched his side. The wound wasn't too deep. He would be fine.
The woman took off toward Kakashi, "Lightning Style: Charged strike!" She shouted. Her arms and feet were suddenly glowing with an electrical chakra charge.
Her speed increased drastically, catching Kakashi and Tenzō off guard.
Kakashi jumped and defended against the constant barrage of punches and kicks. She was moving so fast, he had no chance for an offensive attack. He jumped up, landed on a tree branch and shot himself up and away from her. Now was his chance, Kakashi wielded his Chidori as the woman jumped after him. She closed in on him faster than he anticipated. He didn't have time to redirect before she was right up on him. Kakashi spun around mid-jump only to realize that the woman was weaving a jutsu with only one hand. "What the hell?!" He was caught by surprise. "That's impossible!"
She smiled. Kakashi shifted his body, "Lightning Blade!"
Tenzō looked on as Kakashi battled up in the trees. The woman was a formidable opponent, giving Kakashi a tough time by herself. Tenzō wondered if they would be able to handle all of them. He turned around and glanced at Sakura. "Get ready to move, Sakura," He spoke lowly, glaring at one of the men when he took a step forward, smiling evilly.
Sakura nodded and gathered Naruto up in her arms, ready to sprint when given the signal. She looked up and watched her sensei as he was hit with a blast that came from nowhere. "Kakashi-sensei!" She shouted.
The woman hit Kakashi hard. She had somehow managed to dodge his lightning blade with ease. Using Kakashi's weight against him, she grabbed him by the wrist and shifted so she could swing him around. In Kakashi's moment of weakness she placed her hand on his chest. "Chakra Control Jutsu!"
Kakashi felt something he had never experienced before. He was suddenly and completely drained, all physical strength was gone. His entire body started to tingle and itch. He gasped, unable to move or shift his own weight as he was falling to the ground quickly. He felt the woman's hand grasping his wrist but it felt foreign to him. Everything felt foreign to him suddenly, and he started to wonder where he even was. It all ended in a matter of seconds. The woman punched Kakashi in his stomach with her charged attack, and Kakashi fell hard. "What is this feeling..?"
The Jounin fell to the ground after receiving a direct hit from the woman's charged jutsu. His body hitting hard as he yelped in pain. He was going numb, his field of vision blurring. He clutched his stomach and squeezed his eyes shut, willing the pain to go away. It felt like he was struck by a bolt of lightening. The woman landed next to him. She placed a kunai against his throat and smiled. "By the way, my name is Yurami. It's nice to meet you, Hatake Kakashi." She laughed innocently. "Although honestly you're quite the disappointment. How you ever managed to defeat my brother is a mystery I'll never know."
Yurami grabbed Kakashi by his hair and forced him to sit up, she placed the kunai in her hand directly above the Jounin's heart. She lifted to strike the finishing blow as Kakashi looked on in horror, unable to move or get away.
"Wood Release: Binding Technique!" She yelled as large pillars of wood rose from the ground right below her. They quickly surrounded the woman and wrapped around her, completely constricting her movements. A few of the ninja gasped and stepped backward. She dropped the knife and started to struggle.
"What's this?" Despite the woman's current position, she burst out laughing. "A wood-style user!? How interesting." She struggled against the hold. "It's no use!" She snarled. "The demon boy is ours!" The ninja recollected themselves and advanced toward Tenzō and Sakura. Kakashi was finally able to steady himself and get onto his knees. The pain was too much and he was afraid if he stood he would lose consciousness quickly.
Yurami started laughing maniacally. "Not so fast, Hatake Kakashi." She clenched her fist despite being bound and Kakashi suddenly screamed out in pain. Tenzō looked on, confused and shocked. He concentrated his jutsu and it tightened around her body, causing her to wince and release her hold on Kakashi.
Kakashi took the moment of reprieve and looked over to Sakura, regret and anguish in his eyes as he shouted, his voice hoarse. "Sakura, go! Get out of here! Now!"
Too late.
Tenzō was too distracted in capturing the woman that he didn't even take notice when one of the ninja slipped past his eyes. Sakura was at the mercy of the enemy's kunai as Kakashi looked on in horror.
"No!" He shouted, trying to stand on his feet. He lost balance and fell on his side. "Sakura!"
"Let my sister go," The enemy ninja gripped Sakura tightly behind her neck as he pressed the blade against her throat, drawing blood. Tenzō looked over to Kakashi, seeking direction but when he saw the state he was in, he quickly obliged. He released his jutsu and the woman fell to the ground, landing on her feet. Tenzō cursed aloud and looked at Naruto helplessly. Two of the men grabbed Tenzō and relieved him of his weapons.
Yurami picked up her kunai and grabbed Kakashi by his hair, lifting the man to his knees again. "We came for the demon boy, Kakashi Hatake, but killing you would be a nice bonus for our father. His son avenged. Kakashi of the Sharingan defeated." She laughed as she lifted the blade to strike. Her knife came down on Kakashi and he closed his eyes.
"Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura shouted.
A flash of white blinded her. A red streak blurred Sakura's vision as she screamed. The knife was suddenly gone from her throat with no explanation. She heard a crunching sound all around her, almost like the sound of bones being crushed beneath a heavy weight. The wind suddenly picked up, and Sakura had to shield her eyes from the rising dust. It cleared quickly, the wind picking up at an unnatural speed. Sakura concentrated chakra to her feet so she wouldn't get blown away. "What's going on?!" She shouted to Tenzō. He didn't reply, his mouth hung open in shock.
She chanced a look and gasped at what she saw. Sakura did a doubletake as she looked down at the ground near her feet. She actually thought her eyes were deceiving her but upon realization of what was going on, she realized that they weren't. Naruto wasn't with her anymore.
There stood Naruto. Well, it wasn't exactly Naruto. It was the boy's beast. He was standing in front of his sensei protectively, his bloody palm stretched out in front of him. Imbedded in his palm was a knife. The same knife the woman had wielded just moments before, with the intent to stab Kakashi in his heart and end his life. The woman seemed frozen, her eyes wide in shock. "Wh- what is this?!"
Kakashi couldn't believe what was happening. He struggled to get himself away from the woman's grip on him as he looked around. His chest throbbed, as did his head. The numbing was beginning to leave his body, but pain was setting in.
All around them laid the woman's dead comrades. Naruto's beast managed to finish all of them off in a swift move, the chakra faster than Kakashi's Sharingan could keep up with. Even the one who had been standing behind Sakura only moments before was now crushed beneath her, every bone in his body broken.
Everyone seemed frozen in their spots. Not one person dared move, fearing that they would unintentionally gain the attention of the wild beast. Kakashi made a quick assumption that the boy was not in control of the beast and he hastily signaled the other two. Kakashi stood slowly, taking a few steps to the side so he could see Naruto. He noticed that his eyes were glazed over, pupils red with intense anger. He didn't think Naruto was conscious at all. "Naruto…"
Naruto's beast lifted his free hand and before Kakashi knew what was happening, slashed the woman through the chest without hesitation. He snarled at her and grinded his sharp teeth. She gasped and fell backwards onto the ground, dropping the knife. "This power...?!" She shouted.
Poof!
"Shit!" Tenzō muttered. "A shadow clone." He glanced up into the trees and sighed. "She's long gone." He tensed and looked back at the boy. "Hold, we're not out of danger yet." He said as Sakura stood.
The beast looked around at the three remaining people. He snarled and took a few steps toward Tenzō, his eyes fierce. The dense, red chakra coated his entire body as he shook, glaring at him with intense fury.
Tenzō began weaving a jutsu.
"Wait!" Kakashi mouthed, waving at Tenzō. The wood ninja looked at him confused, but he released his jutsu wairly.
Kakashi took a step forward, fighting the pain in his stomach. It was tolerable to a point. "Naruto..?" He asked softly.
In a flash the beast had Kakashi by the throat, the sensei gasped and Tenzō shouted. "Kakashi-senpai! Wood Style: Confinement!" Planks of wood rose from the ground and wrapped around Naruto's arms and legs as the beast shouted in protest. The grip on Kakashi's throat was released and he stood back, dizzy. The beast was completely confined but the wood wouldn't hold for long. "Kakashi-senpai, get away!"
Kakashi coughed, gasping for air, but he didn't move away. He looked up at the struggling boy and breathed, his voice steady. "Hey, buddy. You in there? Can you hear me?" He took a step forward despite Tenzō's warning to stay back.
The Jounin reached his hand out to the boy's face, slowly. He steadied his breathing as he took another step closer. Tenzō gritted his teeth and Sakura looked on, knowing that she could do nothing. Kakashi's hand touched Naruto's face gently. He immediately felt the heat emanating from the boy's skin and resisted the urge to pull away. The beast flinched and growled but didn't make any sudden movements. "Hey, Naruto?" Kakashi tried, looking into his red eyes. "Come back to me."
The beasts eyes widened, and the red seemingly drained from them. He blinked, the color in them shifting to a hazy blue. He looked at his sensei and smiled. "Hey, Kakashi-sensei.. what's going on?" His eyes looked at him tiredly, and Kakashi stroked his cheek.
"It's okay Naruto, you can let go now. Everything is going to be alright, just hang in there." Kakashi looked at the blonde boy, the boy he swore on his life to protect and instead ended up being protected by him again. Naruto nodded lazily and closed his eyes.
"Okay, sensei."
Naruto staggered, his beast chakra began to fade and the cloak that enveloped his body started to dissipate. He stood there for a moment before collapsing backwards into Kakashi's arms. Tenzō and Sakura rushed to his side, their faces twisted in concern as the beast's chakra disappeared completely before their eyes and all that was left was an unconscious Naruto.
"Naruto!" Kakashi shouted. His heart jumped, the pain in his stomach spread throughout his entire body but he was fighting it off, concerning himself with only the boy. He tried to feel for a heartbeat from him, but there was none. His hands shook as he cuddled Naturo close to his chest and sobbed.
Figures from above swooped in on the four. Masked ninja of Konoha, Tenzō realized quickly. He stood back and shouted orders immediately.
Kakashi couldn't hear a damn thing, nor did he even care to. He held Naruto close to him as ninja in black cloaks swarmed. Enemy? Friend? He didn't care. His ears rang and his stomach twisted in pain that had become so excruciating that he realized that he was losing consciousness quickly. Suddenly Naruto was no longer in his arms as he was being whisked away by a masked figure. Kakashi yelled out and reached for the boy but blackness quickly invaded his vision as a pair of heavy arms wrapped around his waist.