Standard disclaimer applies.

xXx-----xXx

Chapter 4


Yasuo woke up to see the sleeping face of Arune beside him. For the past five years this was the face he woke up next to and wished to wake up next to for the rest of his life. The only thing that had kept him from keeping Arune his legally was that stupid five year marriage rule that applied to the spouses of shinobi. Unfortunately for Yasuo that was the case since Arune was married to Kakashi before he went on that mission that cost him his life.

But as of today, his five year waiting period was over. He could finally be the only man allowed in Arune's life and he would take utter speed to make it true. For the past month or so Yasuo had been planning the largest wedding Konoha had ever seen. But alas he had to cut down many of his ideas because Arune didn't want such a lavish affair. But Yasuo had already picked out the venue, the dress, the menu and every other detail so that all Arune had to do was dress up and come say the vows.

When Yasuo had mentioned the wedding to Arune, she was a bit startled. She had lived with the man for five years and considered herself to be his wife. So she questioned him and he told her a makeshift truth.

--

Flash back

"Arune, it's true that I love you and it's true that I'm the father of Shourai. I honestly didn't want you living with the guilt that I wasn't married to you. You don't remember our past together and I didn't want to make you remember all of the horrific things that happened to us.

The truth is that I wasn't allowed to marry you. In Konoha there is a rule that applies to all spouses of shinobi. I was married once long before you ever came into my life. The woman I was wed to was nearly 12 years older than I and an alliance of my fathers. She was a shinobi and I had only met her twice in our married life. It was odd for a married person to be wed and not know their spouse but the truth was that my marriage with her wasn't even consummated.

Five years ago, she had died in a mission. Konoha shinobi law states that I couldn't remarry for five years since she was a shinobi. In the time that she left me, you and I fell in love. I wanted to be by your side forever and had already applied for divorce with her. Truth was I loved you and would never have loved her. Shourai is proof of my love and now that I can marry you, I wish to do so as soon as possible," said Yasuo in his explanation.

That said Arune had smiled and asked him if he needed any help with the wedding preparation but Yasuo had declined her offer.

End Flash back

--

Now Yasuo sat at the breakfast table looking over his wedding planner and making sure everything was alright. Yasuo had planned a lavish wedding and Arune didn't even have to lift a finger. He had hired the best designer in all of Fire Country and gotten them to make a beautifully detailed white gown for Arune. Yasuo have even gone through the pain of getting Shourai an outfit for the wedding.

Although he didn't like the boy at all, there was no way he would make the mistake of leaving the child out of the wedding. Arune would not be able to marry without having her little boy with her and Yasuo had made sure that the little bugger had been taken off the mission roster until after the wedding.

"But the best part will be that while Arune and I are off on our honeymoon, the little misfit would be sent to a permanent boarding school for delinquent ninjas. The bastard wouldn't even have a chance to ruin the wedding and the marriage. And if Arune misses the creep at all then I'll just give her another, more perfect son for her," Yasuo chuckled to himself.

Yasuo got up and went to the field where the wedding would be taken place later that evening.

The venue was set up and the seats were arranged. As soon as afternoon would come, the wedding events would begin.

xXx

Arune sat on her bed and looked out the window. Today was to be her wedding day.

She was slightly anticipating it but also dreading it. Ironically when Yasuo had told her that they weren't really married, she felt that she had the world's burden lifted off of her shoulder. She wouldn't have to live with the possessive man nor would she have to behave as his wife. The past five years were only spent with the crazed man because she believed that her son needed a father. But every time she saw Shourai's face after spending the day 'training' with Yasuo, she noticed that the boy was happier before her went to train than when he came back. Plus the physical blows on the four and a half year old were devastating to any mother. But Yasuo had always stopped her from healing them, saying that it would make his skin thicker to any such future attacks.

She had always been skeptical about the relationship shared between the two but she wouldn't ever get any response out of her son when she asked if everything was alright.

But as she looked out of the window and saw the wedding venue, she grew even more reluctant to marry Yasuo.

He had never treated her fairly, always forcing her to have sex with him. She would always have to meet his requirements. Never was she allowed out of the house without him. She wasn't even allowed to greet her son back from missions at the gate. Nor was she allowed to spend time with the other women her age, especially if it required going outside of the house.

Kurenai would come and bring her son with her to play with Shourai. It helped that the two boys got along and were on the same team. The red-eyed woman was a wonderful addition to Arune's list of friends. Together the two would spend time cooking up new menus and meals. They would talk about the latest in fashion and even discuss the current gossip of the town.

But sometimes it seemed to Arune that Kurenai knew Arune's real past. The widow of Asuma was definitely more knowledgeable about Arune's past than she let on. Sometimes she would even pull out some random event that Arune remembered only a little. But after talking to Kurenai, Arune would remember every explicit detail.

Kurenai was a good friend and she was also an exceptional teacher since she was the one who helped Shourai learn to communicate through Genjustu.

Shourai's genjutsu wasn't the normal type. It was gifted with the ability to express emotion through the images one saw. The situations that the young boy placed people in allowed them to understand his point of view completely.

Arune sighed as she went to retrieve the expensive wedding gown from the closet. The maids were coming in a while and Arune really didn't want their help getting dressed. She would rather be dressed and ready on her own.

It would make her seem as if she had a choice in marrying Yasuo.

xXx

Later that day…

Shourai looked at his mother. She was beautiful in that white gown but there was something missing from her face. A smile.

His mother was dressed and ready but didn't seem to be pleased about this wedding.

The young fair skinned boy trotted over to his mother and sat in her lap. Being almost five gave him the pleasure of treated as a child while being a Shinobi gave him the luxury of being taken seriously.

Shourai picked his mother's chin up and looked her in the eye. Her eyes were bloodshot and it looked as if she had been crying the entire morning. Hugging his mother, he understood what he must do to make her smile again.

He had to stop this wedding.

His mother didn't want to marry this man and Shourai surely didn't want this man to be called his father.

That was because he knew the truth now and was not going to let this Yasuo man get away with playing with his mother's missing memory and emotions.

There was no way Shourai would let Yasuo take the place of his real father; Konoha's Copy Nin, Kakashi Hatake.

Flash back

Shourai sat with his back on the tree. Asuma and he had just finished training with their team and there was about fifteen minutes left before he was required to be home. For a four year old Shourai had a pretty sweet curfew, "Be home by 8 when you're not on missions" was what his mother told him.

Asuma looked at Shourai and noticed that the usually energetic boy was lost in deep thought. Being about three years elder than him, he knew the boy was feeling something rather strong if he wasn't trying to restore his chakra quickly.

"Yo Shourai, what's up with the long face and the lost in thought expression on your face," asked the dark haired, red eyed genin.

Shourai looked Asuma in the eye and silently without words explained his suspicion of Yasuo not being his father.

The connection between these two friends was phenomenal to any outsiders but their teammate Xin Yi would know that they would communicate without words but simply by eye gestures and apparently telepathy.

Xin Yi could understand Shourai only a little but that was enough to know what he wanted and needed from time to time.

Scooting over towards the two boys, Xin Yi listened to Shourai's problems and tried to come up with a solution.

"So what you're saying is that you need to find evidence about your family and to prove that there's something seriously wrong with that bastard called Yasuo. Hell yeah, you need to. But guess what? I'll help and I'm sure that Xin Yi here will help also. I bet I can get Konohamaru-oji-san to let us into the records area. Or we could just steal the keys from him," smiled Asuma. It helped having relatives who worked closely with the Hokage, and to be the great grandson of the Third Hokage.

Later that night, Shourai snuck out of his house after Yasuo fell asleep. He met up with his two teammates in the middle of the town. Once he saw Asuma, who was dangling the keys to the records room in his hands, Shourai asked all of them to put themselves under the transformation jutsu so they could appear as ANBU who had access to the records.

Dressed as ANBU, the three entered the Hokage building with great discretion. They led themselves to the Records room.

Asuma stood in front of the door and tried key after key to unlock the door. While he was bouncing the keys up and down a few moments ago he messed up the order of the keys now misplacing the key that opened this door.

"Asuma, I swear you're such an idiot. Who told you to show off like that, bouncing the keys up and down," said Xin Yi grabbing the keys from the infuriated boy. While reaching for the keys, her hand accidently brushed Asuma's, whose face in turn changed to a pink shade.

Shourai caught this and eyed Asuma, 'We'll be discussing this later.'

Xin Yi was now making a circle on the ground with ground up dust and a matching circle around the lock on the door.

"It's an ancient Chinese spell. It'll help us match the key and the lock," she said. (A/N: that's made up)

The keys that were in the middle of the ground circle were now flying and only one key was heading toward the lock on the door.

Xin Yi grabbed it and turned the key unlocking the door.

Asuma scoffed and called her a showoff before entering.

Thus their search began.

Shourai had searched for his own name, Asuma searched for Arune's name and Xin Yi searched for the time period of Shourai's birth.

After spending nearly two hours in the record room, all three of the kids ran into the same name.

Kakashi Hatake.

Shourai's file listed him as his father. Arune's file listed him as her husband. The time file listed him as an elite jonin.

All that was key now was to look up this Hatake Kakashi's file.

Shinobi file: Hatake, Kakashi

Rank: Jonin

Full Name: Hatake, Kakashi

Birth date: September 16

Birthplace: Konoha

Father: Hatake, Sakumo

Height: 5'11

Blood Type: O

Hair: Silver

Eyes: Black (natural), Left eye: Sharingan (see genin file for more information)

Genin Team: Uchiha Obito, Rin Team Leader: Namikazi, Minato (see Fourth Hokage and Uzamaki Naruto file)

Teaching Genin: Uchiha Sasuke, Haruno Sakura, Uzamaki Naruto (see Fourth Hokage file, Kyuubi file and see Sixth Hokage file)

Marital Status: Married, Neoma Arune (see Shinobi file Neoma Arune)

Offspring: Shourai

Current Status: Missing in Action/ presumed dead

* No body found, no evidence still alive.

* Five year Shinobi MIA law applies

- --

Shourai continued to look into his father's folder. He was dumbfounded in all of his father's achievements. Youngest shinobi ever, well sorry Otousan, not anymore.

His father was amazing and it was too bad his mother didn't remember him.

All three of the genins looked up more information about Arune, Shourai and Kakashi until they came to a conclusion. It was impossible for Hatake Kakashi to be missing or dead and for Arune to lose her memory about him.

It was all Yasuo's plan.

End Flash back

xXx

But there was nothing that they could do now. It was five full years since Kakashi was gone and they had no proof that Yasuo was abusing Arune. Hell Shourai couldn't even step up and say that he was being abused himself.

As everyone sat down into their seats at the wedding, Shourai tried to think of ways to stop the wedding. Sitting next to Hinata and his newly acquired friend, Suki, he couldn't really help his mother in any way. Naruto wasn't able to make it to the wedding and well it wasn't like he had much of a choice because Yasuo had nearly hid the entire thing from him.

As the organ began to play, an idea hit Shourai. His mother began to walk down the aisle and once she reached to the altar she looked at her son. Immediately he engulfed his mother in what was her original wedding scene.

He had read it in the file of the mission they met Yasuo.

Arune saw a marriage registration office in some different land. Following herself inside she saw a masked man and silver hair.

Outside of Arune's head, she had begun clutching it in pain. Whatever was keeping her memory locked was powerful. More powerful than the little four-year old.

Shourai didn't want to see his mother in pain so he stopped the images. Yasuo shot a look at the young boy who had been holding baby Suki tightly to his chest.

Shourai understood that Yasuo knew that Arune had seen something.

"Daughter, are you ok? Do you need a medic? Can you continue?" asked the priest hoping that she would say that she didn't want to continue.

"yes, I'm fine. Let's continue," she replied getting up and leaving her head. She was confused by the images her son had shown her.

"Dearly beloved, We are here to witness the union of this couple, Arune and Yasuo, in holy Matrimony. This beautiful union of marriage binds together the couple till death do them part. For those who witness this union, may you be blessed with happiness. But for those that oppose this union speak now or forever hold your peace," stated the old priest.

The entire audience looked at each other. They all opposed the union but no one was willing to stand up and acknowledge it.

After a few moments Naruto turned and was about to start the vows until Shourai stood up.

"Son, do you oppose this union?" asked the priest.

Shourai shook his head yes then was followed by his team mates in agreement to his opposition.

"Dearly beloved, it seems that the son of the Lady is opposed to this union. Please forgive us but this wedding will not be taking place," priest said with a smirk on his face to Yasuo specifically.

"Shourai, my dear, why don't you want me married? Baby, come and talk to me," said Arune but Shourai simply ran out of the wedding venue in fear of what Yasuo was going to do to him.

"Arune don't worry I'll talk to Shourai and see what is bugging him," said Yasuo running after him.

xXx

Shourai had left the venue and ran to his secret place near the river bank. This was the place no one should be able to find him. It was close to his real father's house and Shourai felt safe there.

But once he approached the area he sensed Yasuo. The man had followed him rather quickly.

Shourai felt himself shake.

Yasuo had placed a blanket of darkness around the area and was now heading toward Shourai.

Oh, this boy will be dead by the end of tonight and no one in this entire world could save him.

Yasuo made a couple of hand seal and place a paralyzing jutsu on the boy.

Shourai was frozen and could sense the hatred and chakra swirling inside Yasuo. The man was really going to kill him today. Shourai felt like an idiot. He should have listened to Shikamaru sensei when he was teaching them how to break away from his Shadow jutsu.

Yasuo leapt toward the boy and used the nearby river to usurp the water into the boy's mouth. He would make it look like the kid drowned himself. Keeping the boy paralyzed, Yasuo dumped the child into the river after hitting his head several times on the rock in the river. Shourai was quickly losing his consciousness.

Yasuo left the scene making sure the little boy couldn't fend off the paralysis. Smiling to himself, he would tell Arune that he never found Shourai.

Shourai noticed that Yasuo left the area. He left him there to die. Shourai could feel the life being sucked out of him as he hit another rock in the river as he floated past his father's house.

But before he closed his eyes forever, Shourai saw a spark of silver come up and grab him out of the water.

Looking up at the covered face and silver hair, Shourai smiled and spoke for the first time before losing consciousness.

"Otou-san"

xXx

A/N: you know you guys love me now that someone is most likely going to come back.

Poor Shourai is now battling for his life as Yasuo nearly killed him. Arune hasn't gotten married to Yasuo. Naruto was doing something important.

Shourai knows who his real father is.

And guess what!

Good News: Kakashi is back.

The next chapter will be the same day but from the view of Kakashi and Naruto. Personally I love Kakashi so I need him back in my life. So damn sexy!

I was planning on holding back Kakashi and prolonging this union but oh well. I figured I might as well give you Kakashi before I give you bad news

Bad News: Only one update per month.

edit: 3/2009