Chapter 33
Izumi pressed the headphone into her ear. "Shikaku. I don't know if my Susanno can get past the barrier locking the Hokage in. I might be able to back him up, provide some assistance, but this is also the perfect opportunity. If he dies now..."
But letting the Hokage die seemed so excessive.
"Leave him to his fate." Izumi flinched. There was no hesitation. "I can't let him go on. Shikamaru has a mate outside of Konoha, and now that everyone knows he will be sent to the breeding grounds according to the council's rules. I won't let them torture my son."
Izumi nodded. "Do I go after Danzo?"
"Afraid not. You'd have no back up. We're dealing with the Sand right now. We'll settle for the old man. There is one thing you can do though."
"Yeah?"
"Assassinate the other Elders."
Izumi grinned sharply. "That I can do. But I need to check on my kid first, alright?"
"Of course. Good luck."
.::.
Sakura grimaced. So many people were asleep after that genjutsu and the Hokage had been kidnapped and imprisoned by Orochimaru. This was bad. This was really bad. And Gaara looked like he was losing his mind.
Gaara's sensei and Genma were facing it off, but she had no idea what she was supposed to do.
"Fine, Temari, you take Gaara and heal his wounds," the Sand ninja ordered. "Kankuro, go find his Omega and bring him to Gaara. He seems to calm Gaara down. If any luck the Omega will be asleep nearby."
Sakura flinched. They were after Lee.
"You really think you're going to win this?" Genma scowled.
But Sakura could see he was sweating. That made her heart beat twice as hard.
"Go!" the Sand jonin barked.
The Sand genin dashed off. Genma growled lowly, the Beta inching for a blade. "Sakura, I'm sorry, but the Chunin Exam is over. I need you to be brave now and protect Konoha."
"In other words I'm supposed to go and take down Gaara then? Our match continues." Sakura whined. "Oh no..."
"Just be careful. It's the real thing now. Not a match-"
"I'm just a rookie! What am I meant to do out there by myself?" Sakura cried.
There was possibly a whole army lingering around the arena for all she knew. The moment she stepped out of here alone could be her end.
"Go put a squad together then. No more than four."
"R-Right!" Sakura hurried off, sprinting to go find her team.
Thankfully, wherever Guy was, Kakashi was usually nearby. She just followed the green blur darting about beating up Sand ninja. She found Kakashi fast asleep, along with Naruto, Ino, Choji, Shikamaru and Lee. It was a goldmine of people. The problem was an ANBU was approaching Sasuke who tensed up, kunai ready. Yeah, that didn't make any sense, the ANBU should all be with the Hokage-
"What the hell do you want with me, you faker?" Sasuke growled, taking a stance.
Sakura paused. She recognised that stance, but where did she-
Sasuke's chakra gathered in his hand, lightning sparking from it brightly. Chidori. Kakashi sensei's chidori. That's what they had been doing all this time, Kakashi sensei had been teaching Sasuke chidori.
"I'm here to pick you up, Sasuke." The voice of that ANBU sounded familiar, but again Sakura couldn't think where or why.
No instead she charge and with a battle cry she threw a punch. The fake ANBU easily dodged it and reached out to hit Sakura with a hand flaring with chakra.
"Sakura, move!" Sasuke yelled.
A hand snatched the fake ANBU's wrist though before it could hit her. Kakashi sensei shoved the fake ANBU back and dragged Sakura back to Sasuke's side by her shirt.
Sakura startled, staring wide eyed at Kakashi sensei. "You're awake!" she gasped.
"Get rid of that chidori, Sasuke," Kakashi sensei ordered. "You're in close quarters with too many people around. It could hit someone."
Sasuke grimaced. "I could handle it." But he still dismissed the chidori despite that complaint.
"As for you," Kakashi sensei growled. "Don't you dare touch my students again otherwise I'll tear you apart."
The ANBU stared straight at Kakashi sensei. Kakashi sensei who had been slumped in his seat one moment, now stood protectively before them.
"I shouldn't be surprised you're awake, Kakashi. I have to admit I thought your pregnancy had weakened you considerably, but apparently it hasn't really dulled your senses all that much." That voice was frustratingly familiar. But where had she heard it from?
"I was only pretending to be asleep," Kakashi admitted. "I'm trying to be careful, but I don't have much choice anymore. Now Sakura, did Genma send you up here?"
"He told me to find a team and go after Gaara." Sakura grimaced.
"That's a terrible idea!" Kakashi groaned, but his eyes hadn't once left the fake ANBU. "We're in the middle of an invasion. Who knows how many ninjas there are between you and Gaara's squad?"
"I know, right? He wanted me to go alone before!"
Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Because that's reasonable during an invasion. Who knows how many people are in the forest right now?"
The fake ANBU chuckled.
"Okay, new orders," Kakashi said firmly. "Wake up the kids and get yourselves to safety. Wait, in fact-"
Kakashi went through hand seals in a flash and immediately Pakkun appeared in a puff of smoke. "Pakkun, take all the pups to the Hatake Estate."
"Estate?" Sakura gasped.
"Yeah, good idea." Pakkun nodded. "Hardly anyone has access due to the seals around it."
Kakashi smiled. "Exactly. Go on, you two."
"I'm not leaving you here to fight alone." Sasuke scowled.
Sakura frowned. "And what about you, Kakashi sensei?"
"I think Kabuto and I are due a chat." Kakashi tilted his head. "And besides, Sasuke, I need you to protect your team. This is an invasion, and as you said before we don't know how many people are here. There could be multiple enemy units between you and the Hatake Estate. I need you to make sure your team gets there safely. You wouldn't want our teammates to die because you wouldn't help them now would you?"
Sasuke glowered. "You manipulative bastard."
Sakura gasped. "Wait, did you say Kabuto?"
Kabuto chuckled. "I'm afraid I have no time to sit down for some tea, Kakashi. Unless you think a pregnant Omega can actually stop me from taking Sasuke?"
Kakashi's gaze hardened, and his pupils sharpened. "You really don't want to know how far I'd go for these pups."
Was he getting ready to go feral? Sakura shied away, but startled when a long chain darted past her and Pakkun. It fastened tight around Kakashi, binding his arms to his sides, as a man in an orange mask appeared behind him, tugging the chain to pull Kakashi up against him.
Wait. A masked man-
"You're not going to do anything, Kakashi." The voice was deep, deep and harsh.
"You-" Kakashi gasped.
"Kakashi!" Pakkun barked, leaping at the masked man.
Guy sensei was there two, spinning a kick at the masked man's head. But at the last second the man disappeared into a swirl, taking Kakashi sensei along with him.
All in the span of seconds.
Sakura trembled. "Kakashi sensei..." she whispered weakly.
"Shit!" Sasuke paled.
"Dammit!" Guy cursed. "Bring my friend back, you fiend!"
Kabuto retreated back a few steps. "That was... Ah, not good. But he's gone now, so I'll just be taking Sasuke before he decides to come back-"
A sword cut clean through the palm of his hand when he reached out, earning a pained snarl. Izumi dropped down beside Sasuke, sword dripping with blood, and she levelled Kabuto with the most iciest look Sakura had ever seen in her life. Sakura couldn't help but tremble.
"Izumi!" Sasuke whirled round to face her.
She grabbed him and yanked him close to her side. He squirmed, protesting, but she ignored him and glared at Kabuto with an even more murderous look than before. Sakura sat down when she realised she was swaying, her hands shaking before her.
Sakura hadn't been this terrified since she felt Orochimaru's murderous intent.
"I gave Orochimaru a bruising," Izumi said coldly. "Imagine what I'll do to you."
Kabuto stumbled back, and in that moment Izumi was gone, right along with Sasuke.
"Take him to the Hatake Estate!" Pakkun yelled.
Kabuto began to run off- Sakura had no idea what direction Izumi and Sasuke had just went off in, so how did Kabuto?- but Guy sensei was in the way, punching him straight into the ground, crashing Kabuto right through into the next floor. Guy was glowing with green energy, and his pupils were sharp.
"He's taken Kakashi again!" Guy spat. "All because these guys distracted us. Dammit!"
That was the moment Guy twitched and his head locked on to where Lee was lying out cold. Sakura followed his gaze nervously, her Alpha pup whimpering, and spotted Kankuro reaching for Lee. He froze when all eyes were on him.
"Um..."
"You aren't about to abduct my pup after my best friend was just kidnapped, are you?" Guy growled, his Alpha's scent full of anger and smothering them all. "Because I might have a few words for you about that."
"Nope!" Kankuro yelped.
Sakura had never seen someone retreat so fast.
"Calm down!" Pakkun snapped. "Kakashi wouldn't want you to get feral in the middle of a battlefield."
Guy growled lowly. "He was just kidnapped by that masked man again. It was a miracle we got him back last time!"
"We'll just have to go after him again once the current situation is dealt with." Pakkun frowned.
"But he's pregnant-" Guy said weakly.
"And Kakashi believes this Alpha won't try to hurt him. He hasn't so far, even during their visits-"
Visits? Sakura grimaced at the thought. This guy has been visiting Kakashi sensei while he was pregnant?
"We were going to try capture him during his next visit!" Guy punched another man through a wall. "Now Team Ro and I won't have a chance-"
"We'll get Kakashi back, but first we have to protect his home. If we focus on him right now and leave the pups he'll only be upset," Pakkun insisted. "You know that."
"Of course I do! But still if Kakashi's hurt, I'll make that masked guy pay!"
"Duh," Pakkun scoffed. "Now, c'mon, Alpha pup, let's wake the others up."
Sakrua nodded shakily. "R-Right." She crawled her way towards Naruto's slumped form, and prayed nobody would spot her. She knew that he couldn't handle a fight like this. Sakura wasn't strong enough yet.
Kakashi sensei had just been kidnapped of all people. Everything was going so wrong and Sakura had no idea how to help. All she could do was try wake people up instead.
.::.
Kakashi saw the world of grey around them and cursed as Mr. Kidnapper forced him to sit on the ground. He didn't remove the chains binding his arms to his sides, and no matter how much Kakashi squirmed, the chains didn't budge, they remained tightly secured.
"I sometimes forget how much of a self sacrificing fool you are." Mr. Kidnapper knelt before him, and growled lowly. "What were you thinking?"
"An enemy was trying to take one of my pack." Kakashi scowled. "What did you expect me to do? Wave Sasuke goodbye? 'Oh cheerio, Sasuke, have fun with Orochimaru, I'll see you next week!' Seriously? Now let me go-"
"So you can get yourself hurt out of some misguided attempt to protect Konoha? In your condition?" Mr. Kidnapper huffed. "I told you I'd protect you even if you wouldn't appreciate it."
"You're dragging me away when everyone I care about is in danger. Like it or not I'm a ninja of Konoha. And there's nothing you can do about it!"
Mr. Kidnapper snorted. "Nothing? I think we've done this song and dance before, Kakashi. I proved that I could keep you as my prisoner back in the inn. Sure, back then you were injured and in your heat, but right now you're fifteen weeks pregnant and mine."
Kakashi shivered. But Kakashi hardened his resolve nevertheless and shook his head. "I'm not yours. I don't belong to you. I belong to Konoha-"
"Perhaps for now," Mr. Kidnapper agreed icily. "But I'll teach you better."
Kakashi tensed. What the hell was that supposed to mean?
"This world is hell, Kakashi. You know it, I know it, most children even know it." Mr. Kidnapper stared at Kakashi's stomach. "And it won't be any different for our baby. Konoha will tear them apart, just as they have done to countless children whose names are carved on mass graves. But I'm going to change all that."
Kakashi frowned. Yes, so many children have died, but this new generation could change that. It didn't have to be like that anymore.
"Yes, we've suffered a lot of wars," Kakashi agreed. "But with each generation we pass our will down to, the more peaceful this world can become-"
"I'll call bullshit on that one."
"And why is that exactly?" Kakashi scowled.
"The first Hokage's era was full of wars. Countless people continued to die, and even now, after all these generations, we still make the same, stupid mistakes and take the lives of people over and over again. Everyone and everything always suffers. This world is hell."
"But good things come around all the time!" Kakashi insisted.
"Perhaps," Mr. Kidnapper said dismissively. "But then the cycle repeats. Think about your life, all the happy moments, all turning to despair. I won't let that continue, not for you or our baby. I will protect you both, even if you don't like it."
"Yeah, I really don't like this particular brand of 'protection'," Kakashi admitted.
"I didn't think you would." Mr. Kidnapper cupped his cheeks, brushing them with his thumbs. Kakashi startled when a familiar red swirled into the dark eye. "Shh," Mr. Kidnapper hushed. "Don't think too hard on it. You won't remember my Sharingan anyway. Right now all I want you to do is sleep."
Kakashi's head grew fuzzy and everything quickly went dark.
He dreamt of Obito, an older one with scars on his face, and an older Rin with a fuzzy figure by her side on a dinner date. Obito boasted about how he had finally found Rin's mate. Rin giggled, smiling warmly. Kakashi couldn't help but make cheeky comments as Rin's mate laughed.
Then of course Guy flopped in through the window and demanded a challenge.
Obito scowled, saying they were in the middle of a date, but Guy complained about how Kakashi had just gotten back from a mission and that Obito was hogging Kakashi. Kakashi groaned. The bunch of morons. Rin huffed, and reminded them that they had that dinner date with Kakashi's parents, and that Sakumo would be disappointed in Obito if he arrived late with Kakashi.
So of course Obito, being the fanboy he is, made sure to arrive extra early with flowers and chocolates. Kakashi teased him, telling his mother how Obito was trying to steal her husband, making Obito panic and stammer.
Kakashi laughed and kissed Obito.
It was a perfect date.
