A/N: Once again I'm dealing with emotions here so please be aware of this. I just want to give Yamato a hug sometimes *sighs*
CHAPTER 8
Raidou grabbed Naruto before he could take off. "Naruto, wait we can't rush in. Yamato's not…not himself" Raidou didn't want to explain any further about Yamato. "You and I will head there together, Genma you notify the others of Yamato's location with the other Naruto clones and meet us there. Be careful, Naruto lets go".
Kakashi felt Naruto's chakra and turned to see a clone approach him fast. "Kakashi Sensei we've found Yamato Taichou you're not too far from him but his underground" it hurriedly explained. Kakashi sighed with relief but knew it was just the beginning but they'd found him, "Lead the way Naruto, thank you" he and Pakkun made haste towards the location. Kakashi had an uneasy sensation but he just wanted Yamato back in his arms to love and hold with Iruka.
"Iruka Sensei, Gai Sensei" shouted the Naruto clone trying to get his attention. Iruka was focused on his task and could only think of Yamato, it took him a while to register the other chakra signature. "Naruto, what are you doing here?" "We've located Yamato Taichou, I've already told Kakashi sensei his on his way there". "Naruto…I…thank you, please, take me too him". Iruka was soaked to the bone, cold and tired searching all evening for his lover, this one piece of news that they'd located him warmed him up immediately and he felt his energy renew. He just wanted to take Yamato home, where he belonged with him and Kakashi.
Naruto and Raidou headed for the underground chamber and Raidou soon realised where they were going. He had heard the rumours but thought it had been destroyed. "Naruto, how much do you know about Yamato's pass?" Raidou asked stopping Naruto before they got any nearer to the location. "Do you know how he got the wood release technique?" Naruto looked at Raidou a little confused. "Yamato Taichou was one of Orochimaru's experiments. What's that got to do with us finding him?"
"I think where were heading was his hideout and where Yamato was found as a little boy. We need to be careful, the other chakra signature you felt could be anyone or anything… and we don't want to hurt Yamato" Raidou finished watching Naruto clench his fists and holding onto his emotions. "Got it" Naruto said through gritted teeth and they moved again.
Kakashi was the first to the location. "Kakashi…" Pakkun approached him with a piece of Yamato's shirt sleeve "there's blood but not too much". Kakashi couldn't wait any longer, he knew Yamato must have entered the chambers there was some more blood and fresh mud at its entrance. "This place, what is it?" Pakkun asked not liking the energy he was feeling. The Naruto clone filled in the bit of information Raidou had supplied and it all fell into place for Kakashi. "Yama…to" he whispered steadying himself as he felt the world spin. Pakkun immediately picked up Yamato's scent in one of the chambers and they rushed further in knowing he was close "Yamato..." Kakashi whispered again.
Yamato's head seared with pain he didn't know where he was any more or how long he had been out of it. He could finally make out the edge of the leering face in the darkness that surrounded him…No. How could it be? Orochimaru? The Sanin was dead! He knew he was going mad. "What's the matter lab rat?" said the sneering voice again. Yamato was sweating even though he was cold, his arm was still bleeding and his heart was racing. He clenched his fists to feel the pain, somewhere inside of him there was still some life, he was still holding on, but how could this be real?
The Irony he thought. HE was a part of ANBU, the Shadows of the Shinobi system and now here he was being chased by a shadow, a nightmare from his past and he had let it devour him and spit him back out. Maybe I am crazy but I can't keep running away from this, driving the ones I love further away from me and causing them pain. "Kakashi…Iruka…" their names a whisper on his lips as he closed his eyes thinking of them. He thought he could feel them; does he embrace the happiness he once knew, should he live or just die? He was confused, he hurt all over but his heart ached the greatest for the two he wanted to hold. He breathed deep and slow and searched for the shadow of Orochimaru. He resolved to end whatever it was that was consuming him, whether it be Orochimaru, Madara, Tobi or Kabuto. He heard the hissing voice again sending shivers through his spine, "You are mine, for my use, don't think you can fight me" it sniggered and then it came for him fangs bearing. Yamato stood his ground and dodged determined to fight this thing, whether this was a mental or physical fight he wasn't sure, Orochimaru was dead, his remaining string of sense told him that but he fought it.
Kakashi heard the groan coming from ahead, "Yamato…" Kakashi and Pakkun said in unison increasing their pace. "Earth Flow Spears" shouted Yamato, spears appearing from the underground chamber walls piercing into the Naruto clone dispersing it as Kakashi and Pakkun dodged the spears in time. "Yamato-kun, where here to help, watch your moves boy" Pakkun barked. Kakashi took a look at his lover, he wasn't in this realm, his eyes were dilated and vacant. Yamato was fighting some unknown demon where Kakashi couldn't reach him. Yamato screamed grabbing his abdomen and sent a smothering binding technique at Pakkun capturing him. "Pakkun! You ok?" Kakashi noticed a fresh wound where Yamato was holding is abdomen. What had caused it?
"I'm fine, just stop him before he squeezes me" Pakkun replied suspended in mid-air his paws flaying bound by branches. "Yamato, Yama listen to me." Kakashi tried getting his voice through to his lover approaching him with caution. Yamato ducked avoiding his imaginary enemy and sent more earth flow spears through the chamber. "Tenzou!" Yamato froze, turned and formed a world of tree wall at the mouth of the chamber preventing Gai and Iruka from entering who had just arrived and Kakashi saw the shock on his other lovers face before they were engulfed in a wave of trees. Iruka, Gai! Are you both ok?" He heard explosions on the other side "IRUKA!" Silence.
Suddenly he heard rustling "We're fine babe, just get me Yamato back in one piece, please" the voice replied begging, rasp and broken. He let out the breath he was holding hearing Iruka and Gai were fine he set his focus back on Yamato who was still fighting, his arms sending tendrils in every direction. "Shit, I have to use it" he thought. As he activated his sharingan he saw a faint shadow of energy just beyond Yamato's reach, what was that? He saw it go for Yamato and slash his arm. He felt the ground below him shake and Yamato came at him with a water release tearing torrent. He dodged it in time and Yamato hit the wall. Kakashi grabbed Yamato's arm noticing the fresh wound and restrained him. Whatever this energy was it was causing Yamato damage. He had to stop it but first he had to get through to Yamato. "Yamato…Yamato, come back to me" he pleaded into Yamato's ear. "Whatever it is you're fighting, I can help but you need to come back to me, to Iruka". Yamato froze; he screamed in anguish, the howl going through Kakashi's blood.
Kakashi let go in shock as Yamato lashed out and Kakashi found himself caught in Yamato's Tree Binding Flourishing Burial Technique as the branches wrapped around him and tightened slowly leaving his head exposed. "Kakashi, Yamato!" he could hear Iruka's shout from the other side as they struggled to get through the forest.
Kakashi tried once more "Yamato, listen to me. Yamato I…I love you, Iruka loves you. We can fight this Yamato, come back to us. Please, come back to us…Yamato, please" Kakashi watched his lover fight his demons and felt the branches tighten.
"This is it" he thought, I'd rather die in your arms then by your hands, but if this was how fate had intended it to be, then it would be. I can't save him Iruka, I'm no use to either of you, I'm sorry. He felt the branches tighten again and drag him slowly into the ground. He had given up hope, he didn't want to live without Yamato, he couldn't live without Yamato or Iruka. He gazed at Yamato's deep black vacant eyes, anticipating the burial remembering the same eyes that used to look up at him and glimmer when they were kids in ANBU. The same soft eyes that were so full of love and care. The eyes that melted his heart and brightened his world with a just a single look. He couldn't look at them anymore; he wanted his last memories of his lover to be happy memories and closed his own eyes resigning himself to fate.