The hall in the ground led nearly straight down at first with steep carved stairs, then at a forty-five-degree angle. One of Suna's ANBU captains guided the train of people into the depths with another ANBU member directly behind Kakashi. After his line of sight, trailing shortly on their heels, was the two shinobi dragging Akane's unconscious body with her sandals tapping across the stone walkway.
As the entrance disappeared from view, the hall became inky black. After a quick adjustment to the lack of light, Kakashi noted that the darkness was not quite so thick anymore. The further they went, the stronger the lights along the walls became. He noted he could see his hands and feet again in the low yellow glimmer.
Both Konoha-nin had been stripped of their gear, all the way to the few clothes on their back. Itachi's little trick had knocked Kakashi out, but it lasted a mere ten minutes before he woke to find his arms and legs bound by chakra string. His forehead protector was replaced by a black fabric that the sand shinobi tied forcefully around his Sharingan, feeling as though it was cutting off circulation in his temple. He assumed that was the cause of the irksome headache he had now. At least, Akane was unconscious during the in-processing after they were arrested. Kakashi could only imagine the trouble that would have stemmed from her being aware of the shake-down—ahem- interrogation process. He had not been so lucky.
With emotions high, no direct leadership filling the Kazekage's roll so soon after his abduction, ANBU squads were free to act out. One of the captains—thankfully not the one leading them currently—had taken it upon themselves to get a few licks in on Kakashi while he was bound. All the while, demanding to know where their Kazekage was taken to, as if Kakashi was in on the plan from the start. Consequently, Kakashi was sporting a black eye, new gash on his cheek, and he sure a busted lip. It was safe to expect future hands-on interrogations if the leadership vacuum was filled with someone having limited professionalism. He just worried about Akane's health and, let's be honest, concerned that her mouth would make things worse.
At that point, the tunnel was wide enough for the ANBU subordinate to come alongside him, still holding a blade to the base of Kakashi's skull. Along the edges of the wall were iron bars creating square cages. Aside from a cell here and there hosting a chakra bound prisoner, most of the blocks were empty. Guards were posted every four to six cells, armed and watchful as the group trudged deeper through the tunnel.
"I don't know what to think of you anymore, Hatake," came a voice in front of him, full of disdain as if he'd just tasted spoiled food. "You really have fallen."
"I wouldn't expect you to understand my choices," he answered flatly to the ANBU captain. Kakashi spared a quick glance over his shoulder at Akane who looked to be coming around. Her eyes cracked open, head lifted, then went limp again. "At the same time, I can't blame you for what you think of me."
"You're right. I don't understand and, at this point, I couldn't give a damn." The captain stopped at a prison door and opened it. Kakashi calmly walked in, knowing there was no use in fighting. It wasn't like Akane was in the condition to escape and both were tied with chakra suppressing strings.
As Kakashi stepped inside, the door behind him slammed shut. Blinking, he spun around to look out of the bars; startled that they were taking Akane away from him and instead, down the hall.
"What are you doing?" he asked the ANBU captain who locked and sealed the door. The man looked up to meet Kakashi's gaze.
"You thought we were going to let her in with you?" A humorless laugh left him. "Yeah, right."
"She needs medical attention. You can't take her into a different cell without anyone keeping an eye on her condition."
The man merely shrugged.
"If she dies, she dies. Not my problem," he walked away, "After all, it's you that Konoha wants."
He began to disappear into the dark hallway with only the soft tread of footfalls and the dragging from Akane's sandals in front of him.
"Akatsuki aren't going to take Gaara far," Kakashi called out to the back of the ANBU with his voice echoing in the silent hall.
It was a stretch of a plan, but Kakashi was willing to try if it meant keeping ANBU's attention. It seemed to work so far as the captain stopped and half faced him.
"Do you know where they're taking the Kazekage?"
"Information comes with a price," was Kakashi's unmoving response.
There was a small pause before the captain whistled to the two shinobi dragging the kunoichi away. Both halted, giving each other a wary glance, but returned to their supervisor.
"Where are they taking the Kage, Hatake?"
"They can't travel far," Kakashi offered, keeping his attention on the captain to show his sincerity for the situation. "The only logical place would be in River Country, at the most, 15 miles in. They wouldn't take Gaara too far across distance. As for the base, I'm not sure, but if you go now then the trail may still be warm."
The captain turned to one of the men, holding Akane's arm and nodded. The shinobi released Akane and strode back down the hall that they had come from, no doubt to get a few teams together to search. Kakashi watched expectantly as the captain turned back to him.
"Alright. If we find no proof of what you just said, then you would have… inconveniently died of old wounds before your friends from Konoha could arrive. Clear, Hatake?"
Kakashi said nothing but looked to Akane who summoned enough strength to meet his eyes before being turned around and pulled away.
"Oi-You aren't taking her away!"
"Relax," the captain said as he opened the cell next to Kakashi. The remaining shinobi tossed Akane inside where she fell hard to the cold grimy floor. "If she dies, you'll at least be able to watch."
After they slammed the door shut and sealed it, they promptly left the prison level, leaving Kakashi and Akane alone in dim silence. The closest guard was three cells down from Kakashi while on the other end, the tunnel curved, and he couldn't see anyone else. He was grateful that they didn't have someone posted directly in front of their prison.
Shakily, Akane pushed herself to her hands and knees, taking more effort than needed for the action. Wobbly at first, she hauled her exhausted body to the shared corner of the back of the cell, hoping the walls and bars would keep her weak body upright. Kakashi followed her from his side of the bars and kneeled to her level watching as plumes of breath dispersed into the air above their heads.
"Some fun we keep getting into, huh?" Akane attempted at a joke, but Kakashi said nothing; only pushing his tied hands through the bars to brush some hair from her cold damp forehead to check her temperature. Her skin was warmer than he expected but not on fire as a fever would have been. Still, he wouldn't have been surprised if she had a small fever and he just couldn't tell. "You know, I never had this much trouble until I met you."
It was Kakashi's turn to reply. "You? I'm a criminal on the run with an insane kunoichi who can't seem to find time to drop the sarcasm."
"It's a talent of mine, Sparky. Just like yours is being cool and collected with pretty hair." Her voice was only a murmur, clearly still dazed as her eyes started to drift closed.
"Hey," he started in a slight alarm and shook her shoulder. "Hey, Akane, you can't fall asleep."
"That's stupid," she mumbled but cracked her eyes open. "I'm tired."
"You have a concussion. You can rest when I'm sure you're alright."
"Your concern is touching—"
"Akane!" he snapped, making her flinch and wake up a little more. Seeing her startled, he closed his eyes and sighed, feeling her gaze boring into him. "Just stop."
Instead of taking offense, as he half expected her to, she blinked slowly, then tilted her head against the bar between them. Any spunk she had dwindled to nothing, reaffirming it was a farce to how she really felt.
"Sorry."
He inhaled deeply, then leaned against the stone wall and slid until he was seated. In a wasted effort to get comfortable, he brought his legs up and rested his arms over his bent knees. Now that he wasn't moving, the strain on his body was making itself known. His back was tight as if his muscles were cramped and twisted in a knot, compressing his spine. There was a heaviness in his limbs similar to if he had weights tying them down and every muscle ached in some way. Then there was the relentless hammering at his temple where the black fabric squeezed. The overuse of his Sharingan was evident in the agony that pulsed behind his eye and around to the side of his head. Even with the chakra strings, he could feel the vessels inside flex taunt and stressed from extensive use against the many opponents he faced and hours of battle. Fortunately, and miraculously, he was able to walk away with moderate cuts and bruises. Whether that was a reflection of his own skills or if Akatsuki wasn't out for his death, he couldn't be sure. But if Itachi had offered the chance to discuss future collaboration between them, then it could have been the latter.
"You're hurt."
Kakashi pulled himself from his internal complaining and inclined his head to look at Akane. She was still leaning against the bars, but her gaze was firmly locked on his face. She looked exhausted herself. Soot and dried blood were caked to her cheeks, a steady line of maroon flaked from her hairline to her jaw and then to the collar of her shirt, the likely source of her concussion. Other superficial injuries layered her arms, and he could see burns on the exposed skin of her shoulder where a blast had ripped her shirt. But it wasn't the external injuries that had him worried. Having to use her technique so frequently had taken its toll on her body. The evidence was witnessing her vomit blood from overdoing it after inflicting harm on Hidan.
"Yeah? So are you," he returned. "Do you feel there's any injury that needs immediate attention?"
A huff of air left her, he guessed she tried to scoff but it came out too weak. "Even if there was, it's not like it matters."
He hated that she was right. With the chakra strings on and the ANBU not caring if they lived or died, they were far from getting humane treatment. He toyed with the idea of her getting free like she had in his apartment so that she could heal, but knew if the guards noticed it, they'd be back to square one. Unless they made an escape. But then again, that left the issue of Itachi reaching out.
He said he'd return for an answer. Kakashi assumed he left them to be arrested so he knew where to find the pair. Not to mention, being locked up made it a certainty that Kakashi couldn't interfere with the demon extraction. A win-win. Sunagakure was unknowingly doing Akatsuki a favor by holding the pair until Itachi was ready to deal with them. Regardless, it wouldn't do any good to break out and miss the opportunity to discuss Akatsuki's proposition.
A bump on his shoulder pulled him back from his musings, noticing that Akane's head was leaning against him, and her eyes closed.
"Hey," he shrugged his shoulder as his brows knitted together. "Stay awake, Akane."
Her head lifted, eyes still drooping, but with great effort she managed to shake herself awake.
"I need a nap."
"You need to stay awake."
"I woke up after going unconscious once already," she argued blandly. "I'm sure I'm fine."
"You're probably right, but I want to make sure. Even if you do doze off, you can expect me to wake you up regularly to ask you questions. Or you can stay awake for another few hours until I'm comfortable with you sleeping uninterrupted."
"Those both sound terrible. What did I do to deserve that?"
"Got yourself a concussion."
"I understand that. But this seems unnecessary."
"It's standard procedure for a concussion," he repeated dryly. What wasn't she getting from this?
"… You're right." Her head dipped against the bar. No more debate. No more fight.
She's just tired, he tried to reaffirm, but he was growing more concerned with the influx of her energy levels. There wasn't anything he could do about it, and he hated feeling helpless. She was right beside him and he could do nothing for her.
Trying to stave off his anxiety, Kakashi decided to bring up a new topic to Akane, if only to keep her talking.
"I'm thinking that we made quite the impression on Akatsuki."
"You could say that again. It'd be nice if the next meeting was on friendly terms." She was making an effort to converse, but her words were slow to leave her lips.
"They probably will be in the next two days or so," he responded nonchalantly, knowing it would pique her interest.
"That's oddly specific." Her head lifted enough to stare at him, trying to discern if he was joking. "Did I miss something?"
"A lot actually."
Akane frowned but didn't say anything else as she leaned against the bar and waited for him to explain.
"Itachi and Kisame showed up right before Sunagakure's forces. Kisame took Gaara, and Itachi told us to think about whether we're willing to join Akatsuki. He'll meet us in a few days to get our answer."
"Itachi? I did miss a lot… So, how do you think they'll take it when we reject their offer?"
"And what? Live on our own, on the run from Akatsuki and all the Shinobi Countries?"
"It could be just the two of us. Like…. Mud on a toad. That's a saying, right?"
At this Kakashi chuckled. "I can't say I've heard of if prior to being in this prison cell."
"Maybe I got that wrong."
"Wouldn't surprise me. You seem a little delirious."
Akane quirked her lips, eyes half-lidded as she looked at a spot on the ground. Eventually, the quiet between them continued, the soft drip of water from an uneven rivet of the wall plopping into a puddle that had formed a few feet from Akane. When Kakashi glanced at her, he could see the far-off look in her eyes and her faint smile was no longer existent. He was about to ask what she was thinking about when she spoke first.
"I think I messed up."
The phrase did little for Kakashi's nerves as they suddenly spiked. "Er… what do you mean?"
"I didn't think this through. I'm an idiot."
"…That doesn't answer my question. What're you referring to?"
Her eyes closed and her head dipped a little lower. He was afraid she had fallen asleep but her hand coming to her face showed she was just thinking. The palm splayed across her right eye, fingers softly hovering over the gash.
"Itachi… Did he only want to talk to you?"
"He didn't specify," Kakashi answered slowly, not sure what she was getting at. "But I assume he meant both of us. It was Itachi that gave you back to me. He's the one that caught you off the building."
"That's… surprising." The way she said it made it sound like she was talking to herself more than him.
"What's going on? What has you worried?"
"It's… I know…" Her head tilted back against the wall, her eyes staring straight at the ceiling. "I'm a liability. There's a chance you'll be offered a position and I won't be."
"I don't understand what you're getting at. Even if they don't offer you a place, I can still try to negotiate it."
Akane snorted. "You expect to negotiate with Akatsuki?"
"I don't see why not," Kakashi defended, frown pulling at his lips. "It's a justified argument."
"Unless Itachi says otherwise."
"Why would he?"
Akane closed her eyes and exhaled deeply. Kakashi's frown only grew, though he tried to not rush her into answering. Arguing in their current condition was not ideal in the least.
"The Uchiha Massacre."
His heart lurched.
Her head leaned against the bar again, drunkenly rolling into the cold steel.
"What… about it?"
"The story about his reason was a cover up… Someone higher ranked sanctioned the killing and… he took the blame. He was following orders."
Kakashi didn't dare breathe, afraid any sudden movement would startle sense back into her and keep her from explaining. Was he finally learning the truth of the corruption that stained Konoha's reputation?
"Sarutobi knew who allowed it but didn't do anything to punish them. He said he failed to solve the problem that led to the massacre... He's not evil like they say."
Kakashi risked looking at Akane, hoping it wouldn't deter her. Sweat was beading across her forehead, wetting the dried blood. He lifted a hand to feel her skin, flaking pieces of the blood from her temple in the process. To his chagrin, her temperature had increased, a small fever taking root.
"Who's not evil? Itachi?"
She nodded.
"Do you know why they wanted the clan eliminated?"
"To prevent a civil war. But I don't know what that meant."
It suddenly clicked into place. The spying of the clan, the suspicion they were behind the nine-tail's release. Now that he thought about it, the clues and hints were lining up to verify her story. All those years ago, when he heard of Itachi killing his clan, he thought it was his own self-centered hate that made him blind to the signs that Itachi was a traitor, but in reality, that wasn't the case. Itachi was merely following orders, not betraying the village. He never was bothered by the spying of his family—not in the way one would expect. Instead, he did as was expected as if he secretly was searching for his own answers about the clan.
Beside him, Akane's head lulled against his shoulder, but he didn't have the heart to stir her awake. The selfish part of him wanted her to keep talking, to reveal more of what she knew in her delirious state. But he wasn't heartless. If a fever was starting, forcing her to stay awake was only going to make it worse. Instead, he decided to let her rest, feeling that a coma was not a likely outcome from her concussion.
"Get some sleep," he assured, letting his hand fall to his side of the bars and pushed his shoulder toward her a little more. "I'll keep watch."
She didn't answer, already slumbering against him.
The news was jolting, and he realized why she was concerned about Itachi's return. If she knew his secret on the Uchiha Massacre—that he wasn't doing it out of a test of strength but because he followed orders—it could impact his standing in Akatsuki. Doubt would spread like fire on whether he was a spy or not. Was Akane in danger from him?
If she was, what would Kakashi do?
If he wanted to protect her, that could cause Akatsuki to retract their offer. If he didn't, he wouldn't be able to live with himself if she was killed.
Kakashi leaned against the wall and stared at the ceiling.
"I wish you brought this up sooner," he muttered to himself, knowing she didn't hear him.
The cavern's ceiling loomed high overhead of the Akatsuki with two shimmering in their holograms. It was quiet as the last two of the members sauntered in to see the giant statue in place with their fellow comrades gathered throughout the cave.
"Itachi, Kisame," Pein's hologram addressed. "How many are there?"
"Four teams from Sunagakure and there's already a team coming from Konoha," Itachi reported while Deidara snorted in the background.
"Really? It'll take Konoha a few days just to reach the country. What a waste of time for them, un."
"Not like it matters that much but it'll take us two days to separate the Demon from the boy. Konoha will be too late to interfere," Sasori added.
"Fuck, I'll stay behind and have some fun with them when we finished."
"Enough, Hidan," Pein ordered coldly. "You already made a mess of the plans. If you had any sense, you'd remain silent." Pein's holographic figure shifted to address the group. "Who still needs time before your chakra reserves are replenished?"
A hushed pause filled the room, as no one was willing to dispute or admit that their chakra was low. Even though the two teams had fought extensively the night prior, they weren't going to admit their shortcomings out loud in front of Leader or the group.
"Very well. Tonight, we will begin the extraction."
Itachi realized that despite no one openly admitting to their lower chakra levels, Leader must have sensed they still needed more time.
"Regarding the events last night," he continued, the topic causing Hidan and Deidara to flinch. "I want an explanation."
When Deidara was suddenly rendered mute, Sasori took it upon himself to explain his younger partner's faults. "Hatake Kakashi and Nori Akane were already on site and fighting the one-tail when we arrived. Apparently, they had an assignment that dealt with the Kage."
"So, Hatake interfered with another mission? Even as a missing-nin?"
Sasori picked his next words carefully, focusing only on facts. "They claimed that they were there to kill the vessel for the mission. The fight we had was merely who could get to the demon first."
It was Konan's turn to question the members. "Did you not think to strike a deal with him? Allow us to extract the tailed beast and then you'd return the vessel's corpse, so their mission objectives were met?"
Deidara was sweating beside Sasori who remained unaffected by the questions. "Deidara was inclined to fight them. We didn't bother to talk for long."
"Hey—don't blame me! You were chatting it up with that kunoichi!"
"I was having a conversation about techniques. Nothing more."
"Yeah, right! You complimented her!"
"Enough," Pein interrupted. Deidara promptly shut his mouth. "And what of Hidan and Kakuzu? While your free time is allotted for you to do as you want, there is a distinct rule that you are forbidden to do anything that will compromise Akatsuki's goals."
"We weren't there to interfere," Kakuzu attempted, "We were trying to collect the demon before Deidara's team."
"And what would possess you to make that decision without my permission?"
"…. Money."
"What was that?"
"It was a bet, sir."
Through the holographic image, Pein's eyes narrowed. "I will have a punishment decided after the extraction of the tailed beast. Until then, Itachi and Kisame," both men looked to their leader, "as soon as we finish, get the answer from Hatake and Nori."
A nod from Itachi showed he understood.
"Just give us the word and we'll be on our way, Leader-sama," Kisame grinned sinisterly.
"If the former Konoha-nin refuse at any given point, I trust you will kill them," Pein ordered. "No use wasting our time any longer for Hatake and his companion."
It took great effort for Akane to wake up from her slumber. As if she was deep underwater and the pressure was keeping her down in the cold depths. The only way to break the surface was to physically haul herself out and when she finally was able to open her eyes, all she wanted to do was fall back asleep. Eventually, after minutes of urging to wake up, Akane managed to take in her surroundings as her vision cleared.
She was in a dark cell with a few lights that lit the hall outside the bars. She couldn't tell what time of day it was, though wouldn't be surprised if she'd only slept for a couple hours. Judging by the drowsiness and how she felt as if she'd woken in an entirely new year, however, it was safe to say it was longer than mere hours. It helped that the world didn't feel like it was spinning anymore.
Blinking slowly, she began to recall the events that led to her being locked away until she noticed a weight was settled against the top of her head.
I'm really out of it, she concluded as she recognized her 'pillow' was actually a shoulder and Kakashi was slumbering with his cheek leaning against her.
Akane had to resist the urge to turn her head to look at him, finding that he was basically sleeping on top of her was something she wanted to visually take in. When he exhaled softly, the air tickled the messy strands of hair around her bangs, and the warmth emanating from him was alluring. If the bars weren't there, she felt she would be shamelessly snuggling closer, for that alone.
The torn sleeve of hers and bare shoulder that was singed with burns felt hot. But not in a way that helped her body temperature. It was a seared type of pain that had her skin inflamed and angry as it blistered. She felt disgusted with the blood, sweat, and grime stuck to her. Not to mention when she had vomited, it seemed to drag out an ickiness from her insides that she felt lingered on her outward person. Poor Kakashi was probably too tired to care about how bad she stunk. If she had to guess, he stayed up for as long as he could to make sure she didn't die in her sleep.
At the thought, she mentally rolled her eyes, not wanting to risk the extra movement waking him. He worried too much. As if she'd die from a concussion in her sleep.
Then again, with my luck...
Psh, yeah right. She planned to go out in a blaze of glory one day. Not sure how, but in her sleep was not how she wanted to end her time on earth.
"What I wouldn't give for a hot cup of tea," Kakashi's rasping voice mumbled, startling Akane who was unaware that he was even awake.
After recovering from her jolt, Akane relaxed, "I'll pass on the tea. Some food sounds amazing though."
"What would you eat, if you weren't here in prison with me?"
Akane couldn't help a small smile forming, somehow liking the way he asked that question. "Something warm and savory. Comfort food. What about you?"
"Easy. Salt-broiled saury and miso soup with eggplant."
Akane's smile grew. "I admire a man that knows what he wants."
"It's a favorite of mine."
"Favorite? That's bad karma. You don't order your favorite meal in prison. Only those slotted for execution do that."
"Do you think we'd still be here if that was the case?"
Akane tilted her head slightly, not quite able to look Kakashi in the eye as she could only see his chest, collarbone and neck. "You sound like we're still in this cell by choice."
"I was under the impression that's exactly what it was."
"Ah, I see. So… why are we still here?"
"To receive a message and for you to recover," Kakashi reminded, finally lifting his head from hers. Akane followed suit, meeting his gaze through the bars.
While leaning on him—or really, sleeping—Akane hadn't been bothered by their proximity. But as their eyes met, she felt a new heat rising within her as she resisted fidgeting, suddenly self-conscious.
"How are you feeling today?"
"Today?" Akane queried, as he leaned to put a hand through the bars to check her forehead. She didn't pull away, trying to focus her attention on his chin. "How do you know what time it is?"
"The guards' shift change," he answered easily, his hand moving from her forehead to her cheek, then to her hairline. Lifting her hair carefully, he tried to examine the gash under the clumped locks that were caked together with dried blood and sand.
"Well, how is it doctor? Am I going to live?"
Kakashi's dark eye met hers, impossible to know what he was thinking. Akane mentally berated herself for bringing his attention back to her face but made an effort to keep her expression neutral. She couldn't tell what he was contemplating but the slow blink and distant gleam confirmed he was inside his own thoughts about something while he stared at her.
Finally, after the prolonged passing of a few seconds, he removed his hand, poked her cheek, and offered an eye crinkle. "Unfortunately for you, you're stuck with me a little longer until the next attempt on your life."
"Yippy." Again, his sentence sent a wave of warmth through her.
The following two days passed relatively fast for Akane, but for Kakashi, it was dragging slowly. That was mostly due to Akane sleeping the better part of the day and night as her fever finished flushing through her system. The reason why Kakashi knew the fever was the culprit was due to Temari showing up, with one arm bandaged and hanging in a sling, and Akane never waking up to their conversation.
Apparently, the disgust of his actions extended to Gaara's siblings-shocking—although, that wasn't the topic of discussion. After the barrage of insults and explanations of how disappointed she was in him, each comment hitting its mark unbeknownst to her, Temari revealed that they had found the trail to River Country thanks to him. Of course, that was then followed with demands to know why he took the mission to assassinate Gaara instead of rejecting it, then why he betrayed his village and team, and finally why the woman was that important to risk his career over. All of which Kakashi answered vaguely or dismissed with a question of his own.
It quickly became apparent that she wasn't going to get responses by leaning on familiarity with the man, so being the hot-headed woman with her brother in danger, she called on her interrogator to give a try.
Seeing as they had previously attempted to break Kakashi's walls of defense before throwing him in prison, the session lasted a short while before they moved on to Akane. That only proved to be more frustrating for the units as her insults and sarcasm were the only things leaving her mouth. A wasted effort, even with torture sprinkled in.
When she returned to the cell, there were a couple new injuries that had Kakashi frowning at. Knowing it was par for the course didn't do much to hold his defensiveness, though he found himself regaining control of his emotions when she returned to their corner and slumped down.
"I thought I ordered a deep tissue massage," she rolled her shoulders trying to ease the tension. "Apparently, they heard acupuncture."
The bland attempt at a joke was enough to stave off his anger for the time being. If she was teasing, it meant she was ok.
On the bright side, that was the end of the torture for them. Or at least, the physical aspect of it. By the early hours of the third day, a new presence arrived at their cell doors, eager for their own answers.
The echo of voices reached them from the hall, followed by shuffles of feet across the grimy stone floors as they got closer. Coming from the direction that led to the entrance of the underground prison, was an entourage of Suna shinobi and one Lady Hokage.
"Are you certain you don't want to rest first? You've been travelling for days." The voice was unfamiliar to Kakashi but the answer was not.
"I assure you, I'm fine."
A handful of tiny moments passed before Lady Tsunade became visible in the dimly lit hall. Five Suna shinobi were with her, which seemed excessive given the situation. As another disappointed gaze landed on Kakashi, he vaguely wondered if it was part of the act, or if she truly was disappointed in his actions. In the pit of his stomach, he felt the answer was obvious, however was that from being caught or attacking Gaara?
"Hatake Kakashi. How far you've fallen."
"Hello, Lady Tsunade. It's been a while."
She crossed her arms over her chest, a scowl firmly etched in place as she regarded Akane faintly, then returned her focus to Kakashi.
"Your team can go now," she said to the men behind her, not bothering to physically address them.
The leader of the group seemed hesitant, yet he had enough sense to not argue with their ally Hokage. If Kakashi had to guess, Temari was standing in for her brother but allotted Tsunade to have some sway in the village until they could find a solution.
Once the team disappeared down the hall, Kakashi stood and walked closer to the bars, though stopped a few feet away. For some reason, unbeknownst to him, he felt closing the distance wasn't right. Too familiar with the Hokage? Wouldn't be how a criminal would act? Maybe Tsunade would take a step back? He wasn't certain, but he didn't dare breach those last 3 feet.
"This is a first," Tsunade started, scowl and arms still unmoved. "I'm at a loss for words."
"I understand. I'm sure you're disappointed in my actions."
"I am." She turned her gaze to Akane who remained sitting against the wall with her focus entirely on their conversation. "What? No witty comment?"
Realizing the Hokage was talking to her, Akane shrugged. "I have nothing to say. It is what it is."
"Hmm." Seemingly satisfied, she looked back at Kakashi, taking in his full appearance. Tense seconds passed before her arms unraveled and found a place on her hips. "You look different."
"I'm not normally so injured," Kakashi offered.
"No, I mean you look… never mind." Tsunade sighed, pinching her eyes shut before refocusing. "I have to ask… why? Why did you take this mission?"
Kakashi had to consider their situation before answering. While he wanted to be honest, he knew he couldn't be too forthcoming in case someone was eavesdropping. Some of the information was safe to share under the guise of their mission, so he decided to start there.
"We were getting desperate. After you sent agents after us, then to cut off our supply to high-ranking jobs, we were forced to take riskier assignments. If we had a choice, we wouldn't have taken this one."
"My agents cut off your supply of missions? That's not ringing any bells." The way she said it was forced, as if she knew exactly what he meant but didn't want to openly admit it. The tilt of her head and raised brows, however, told him she was being serious and to elaborate. So, he did.
"Don't act like you don't know," he responded, acting insulted at the idea she'd play dumb. "Root was sent to attack us in another country, then threatened contacts to not give us missions at the risk of death."
"Root decided to threaten contacts? I'll have to congratulate them on thinking of a solution to flush you two out." While said in a way that hinted to impressed, her scowl told them she was deeply disturbed by the hidden actions. It confirmed to Kakashi that he was right that she never allowed that. "So, after all that, you ended up getting captured. I figured you'd have a back-up plan to avoid that."
"We weren't expecting nearly all of Akatsuki to show up to fight over the Kazekage. That sort of thing throws a wrench in our escape plans."
"Hm, while I'm disappointed in your actions and betrayal to the villages, I'm at least pleased you had enough sense to not cause further trouble while locked up."
"What do you plan to do now?"
"Not that it's really any of your concern, but I have a team out to retrieve Gaara and another on its way for support."
"… Who are the teams?"
Tsunade's scowl loosened but didn't fully release from the frown. "Team Gai and Team Kakashi." It was miniscule but Kakashi flinched at hearing the names. "I brought Team Gai with me and told Naruto to stay back until I sent word. After a day, he got a little too eager and left the village early. I should have known he wouldn't stay in place. Anyway, Gai's group and one of Suna's are currently looking for the hideout where we suspect Akatsuki have the Kazekage. Yamato's team will be meeting with them when they get here."
Kakashi couldn't help but feel anxiousness filling his chest cavity. He was relieved slightly by the fact that Gai and Naruto weren't with Tsunade on the other side of the bars. Their betrayed faces and determined declarations would only break Kakashi down further. He had a feeling Tsunade knew that and decided to visit him by herself.
When he still didn't say anything. Akane spoke up from the back of the cell. "What'll happen to us?"
"When the mission is complete, you'll be taken back with us to Konoha where you'll receive your punishment. I suspect your time in these cells will be the most comfortable you'll be for a while."
"That's a shame." Akane tilted her head back against the wall and closed her eyes. "And here I was looking forward to talking with Akatsuki."
"Oh?" Tsunade's brow rose. "What makes you say they'd talk to you?"
"… It was a dream I had. Strangest thing."
Tsunade must have known what Akane was getting at before she looked back to Kakashi who gave a faint nod. Sighing, she pinched the bridge of her nose. "I'll have to see if that knock to your head caused some brain damage."
"Maybe it did."
"Don't mind her," Kakashi added, "She's just gotten over a fever."
"Well, I can see you haven't had the best treatment here, but I have no right to dictate how Suna handles their prisoners. You're in their jurisdiction for now until they release you to us. Until then, sit tight." Tsunade made to walk away but paused. She gave a look to both of them, something that seemed sincere though neither could be certain what she meant beneath her obvious sadness. Almost like she was saying goodbye.
Naruto gritted his teeth as he watched the dust from the explosion fall away, revealing a massive cave behind what used to be a boulder. The power behind Sakura's hit stunned everyone as she obliterated the rock with one hit. As they waited for the dust to clear, Granny Chiyo and Sakura stood to his right, Yamato and Sai to his left, while Team Gai took up the second defensive row behind.
As the debris finally settled and they were not greeted by weapons or jutsus, the group carefully tread across the water to the entrance. Eyes adjusting to the dark, two figures were seen waiting for them. One was a bulky figure, hunched and poised while the second was sitting lazily with legs bent and arms relaxed. Naruto took in the opponents before him only to realize that the blond Akatsuki member was not sitting on the ground, but on his friend who lay motionless and prone.
"Gaara!"
"Give him back!"
"Get off him your bastard!"
The shouts from the Konoha group did little to stir the Akatsuki. The blond man only flinched and put his pinky in his ear, twisting it about.
"Tsh, stop your screeching. Are you trying to rupture my hearing?"
"What did you do to him?! Give Gaara back!" Naruto persisted, hands bunching at his sides.
"Why do you want him back? It's just an empty body now."
"W-what?"
"That's right," Deidara smiled cruelly. "The vessel is dead. But that doesn't mean we can't find a use for it."
"Why you—"
Yamato placed a hand on Naturo's shoulders. "Hold on. Don't go charging in blindly."
"But-!"
"We have to be smart about this," Yamato insisted, then glanced back to Gai who stepped to the front of the group with him. "What are you thinking?"
"Well, we know these two are strong, especially if they stayed behind waiting for us."
"Agreed. We may be better off splitting up to attack them."
"Oi!" Deidara interrupted, "What are you whispering about? That's rude, ya know?"
Naruto growled followed by shouting threats at the man.
Chiyo paid the teen no mind as she confronted the two leaders. "I'm here to fight Sasori."
"Right," Yamato agreed, then looked to the others.
"I'm getting Gaara back from that bastard," Naruto chimed in, eyes locked on the bomber whose smile grew.
"Great—I'll be the first to collect two demon vessels then." Deidara threw out his hand to the side and a cloud erupted beside him. As it cleared, the bomber mounted on a giant white bird creation and its tail wrapped around the unmoving body of Gaara.
Sasori's attention pulled in his direction briefly before returning to the group. "Don't be stupid and make another mistake."
Deidara scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Yeah? Don't be so jealous that the fox is coming after me."
The massive bird flapped its wings as it began to lift off the ground.
"Tenten, Lee—stay and help Chiyo," Gai ordered, "The rest of us will go after Gaara."
"Right!" the pair said in unison.
"I can stay and help too," Sakura offered but Yamato shook his head.
"You said it yourself. You only have three syringes. That's enough for each of them. I don't want to risk someone else not having a backup or losing the medic who can extract the poison."
Sakura opened her mouth to argue but knew they didn't have time. She pulled out the three antidotes and handed it to Chiyo, Tenten, and Lee with quick instructions on when to apply it and how long it would be active for.
As Deidara flew out of the cave, the teams split up and went after them, Naruto charging ahead with flaring determination to save Gaara.
This was it. Akane was walking on the razors edge of life and death, except this time, her fight and flight response was tied down.
She was locked in a cage that kept her cornered and vulnerable with chakra strings immobilizing her ability to fight back. On the outside of her cage was a hungry predator who watched her with the patience of a beast that knew he had won. That she wasn't going anywhere and what he did next was entirely his choice.
Uchiha Itachi.
Beside him was Kisame, both in their full Akatsuki attire and no enemies calling alarm from the hall. They had simply walked into the prison as if they had every right to be there. All the more reason for Akane to not venture closer to the door of her cell.
"Hatake Kakashi behind bars," Kisame observed, his gruff voice doing nothing to soothe Akane's nerves, "and it's the two of us to break you out. Two years ago, I would've bet my life we would never be in this position."
"Kisame," Itachi interrupted, "why don't you make sure no one interrupts us."
A toothy grin pulled at his lips as he teetered his massive sword on his shoulder.
"Don't need to tell me twice," Kisame teased and waved a hand over his shoulder. "Have fun you three."
As Kisame's looming figure disappeared down the hall, Kakashi took his time reaching the door to speak to Itachi. Akane's hesitancy to follow wasn't lost on the Uchiha who let his gaze linger on her before addressing his old comrade.
"I see they treated you well," Itachi commented at the sight of Kakashi's black eye and slit cheek that had cut a part of his mask.
"As good as they can. I'm sure you didn't expect anything less," he replied calmly though his tone was far from light.
Itachi glanced in the corner of his eye at Akane, still unmoved. Feeling Kakashi's eyes boring into him, Itachi returned his attention to the shinobi.
"A simple answer isn't going to get you into Akatsuki. I can, however, promise you that it'll get you out of these cells. After that then you'll have to discuss your situation to Leader-san."
"Both of us?" Akane queried.
Itachi was all too eager to return his gaze to the woman. "I'm not going to speak to you if you're insistent on staying at the back of your cell. Come closer if you want to have a discussion."
Akane tsked, her lip lifting to a mild snarl in the process. She didn't outright say it, but it was obvious she didn't want to close the distance. Still, some part of her managed to gather enough control over her nerves to step close enough to him while still maintaining enough space that he couldn't reach her through the bars. Not that it mattered. He wasn't bound by chakra strings. No matter how far she was from him, he could still successfully attack her. Regardless of the cold truth, the meager gap was enough to keep her from shuffling.
If Itachi was displeased that she kept some space between them, he didn't show it. Instead, he regarded her for a passing moment before answering her inquiry. "Were you only expecting the offer to be extended to Kakashi?"
"Well," Akane's brows furrowed, not sure how to word her response. "I've been a missing-nin for years. Why, out of nowhere, would your organization care about me?"
It was a weak excuse to hide her obvious worry that Itachi would silence her. But she couldn't outright admit it. Especially at risk of giving him ideas.
"Your identity was hidden, so of course they wouldn't have considered you."
Kakashi seemed relieved that Itachi wasn't going to murder his teammate, but he wasn't exactly relaxed. "If we agree, is there any way that we wouldn't be sent to go after Naruto?"
Itachi considered him carefully, musing over thoughts that were impossible to distinguish through his expression. "That would be between you and Leader."
Akane didn't add anything to the discussion. Not that she had anything else to say. Her main concern was whether Itachi was going to kill her or not. She hoped it wasn't a ploy to let her drop her guard and then attack her on the way to the base. Then again, she wouldn't put it past them. Doing so would get Kakashi to follow them and they could stage her death to look like some resistance sand team took her out. She says 'they' but she was sure Kisame wasn't secretly plotting her demise. Only Itachi.
It was all speculation at that point. Answers on whether he wanted her silenced weren't going to come until she went along with it.
Kakashi, after considering that his answer wasn't solidifying his place in Akatsuki until he talked to their leader, finally spoke. "Alright. We'll go."
"Do you speak for Nori?" Itachi challenged with a raised brow.
Kakashi didn't say anything but his gaze landing on her was heavy. Like a boulder slowly lowering over her shoulders inch by inch and compressing her spine.
"I'll hear what the offer is," she replied, forcing a shrug.
Nodding, Itachi pulled out keys, which Akane's imagination conjured how he got them, and unlocked the cell doors. Pulling out a kunai, he sliced through their chakra bindings until they were standing in the hall, fully free.
"It'll be a few hours of travel to the base. We won't be slowing down until we cross the border and are certain no enemies are in pursuit." Itachi turned away and headed down the hall. "If you can't keep up then you're on your own."
Akane rolled her eyes, feeling a little cynical as her fear and nerves thrummed beneath her skin. She could feel the rush of chakra return with the bindings off, which didn't do much to calm her restlessness. "I have a concussion, not a broken leg."
Itachi stopped and glanced over his shoulder at her. Akane then realized her mistake and promptly bit her tongue to keep from agitating the man.
"Her sarcasm will take a little while to get used to," Kakashi quickly explained to Itachi, not sure if the Uchiha was annoyed by her retort or not.
After a tense second passed, Itachi faced forward and continued leading the way out as Kakashi tossed a pointed glare in her direction. Akane grimaced and mouthed 'sorry' as they fell in step behind him.
The halls were eerily quiet, even as the three made their way to the exit, the other prisoners were keen to not draw attention to themselves. One would think that because there was a breakout occurring, it would incite some burst of energy from the long-term residents. Something that would stimulate the miniscule hope of convincing the three former Konoha-nin to release them too. But nothing. No one stirred. It left a sinking feeling in Akane's stomach that those red clouds were more than just a symbol to fear in the free world.
Eventually, the view of steep stairs leading to the surface came into view ahead of them. At the base of the stairs was a dark streak across the floor, as if someone took an ink brush and drew a sloppy line down the center of the walkway. Then the streak followed around the corner to another hall away from them. As they got closer, Akane realized it was blood smeared across the floor, and at the end of the scarlet rainbow was likely a body.
She flexed her fingers at her side, mentally preparing herself for a fight she assumed waited for them between here and the walls.
"I'm guessing we won't be stopping to get our gear before we leave?" she inquired, thoughts drifting to her swords, mask, and valuable scrolls.
"Your equipment is replaceable," Itachi countered, stopping at the base of the stairs, then turned to face the pair.
"Yeah, I figured as much," she muttered to herself.
Itachi's dark gaze shifted from her to Kakashi, head tilting slightly as he evaluated his old comrade. "Go meet with Kisame outside. We'll be there shortly."
Kakashi didn't move except for his brows furrowing. "And why can't we all go up together?"
"Because I want to discuss something with Nori."
The kunoichi jerked her eyes to Itachi who wasn't paying any attention to her. For the first time, his undivided focus was solely on Kakashi, waiting to see what he would do next. He stood between Itachi and Akane, muscles taunt beneath his black shirt as he remained planted to his spot. The atmosphere was rapidly becoming thick as tension filled the space between them.
"Anything you say to her can be said with me here."
"Are you that dependent on the woman that you can't leave her alone for a few minutes?" The jab was meant to insult and deflate the bristled man, but it failed to dissuade him.
"Do you think I'd trust you and obey your commands just because you let us out of the cell?"
Understanding that conflict wasn't going to help their situation, Akane put a hand on Kakashi's forearm, breaking his glare from the Uchiha.
"It's fine. It won't be long. Right?" She looked to Itachi to confirm, and after a passing second, he gave a single nod.
Kakashi was not convinced but had enough sense to know it wasn't going to help anyone to stay there and argue. Akane no longer had chakra strings binding her and if she felt it was needed, she could use her technique to defend herself. She had proven herself capable before.
"Alright." He didn't say anything further, only tossed a warning glare at Itachi as he started up the stairway, not rushing in the least to put distance between them.
The tension that was between Itachi and Kakashi shifted and grew, now brimming through the hall that Akane stood in. The Uchiha stepped closer to her, and it took effort to not take a retreating step back. Just as he closed the distance, his hand lashed out from beneath the cloak and grabbed her wrist, tugging her behind him as they followed the bloody path to the next hall.
Akane wanted to protest, to pull away and demand to know if he was moving her to a new spot to dispose of her, but all she did was stumble after him with her voice locked in her throat. Coming to a stop beside what she realized was two bodies piled on top of each other, he turned to face her, tugging her closer a step before releasing her wrist. They were out of sight from the main hall now and out of earshot from other prisoners. Only Itachi, her, and two corpses with hardly three feet of space between them.
"What are your intentions, Nori?"
Akane blinked as a storm of emotions swirled in her head. Alarm, confusion, curiosity, apprehension, fear. Each one trying to overshadow the last, wreaking havoc on her adrenaline.
"I don't know what you're referring to."
"Everything."
In the dimly lit hall, the narrowing of his eyes was reminiscent of a dragon in its lair, the flickering lights playing with the shadows and reflecting like fire off his crimson.
Akane swallowed, unintentionally taking the needed step away to add space. His hand was quick to return to her wrist to keep her from retreating further.
"I'm just…" What was she supposed to say? What was he trying to get at? "…doing what I can to survive."
It was the only thing that came to mind that summed up everything. Survival. A simple concept that complicated her life events into the bundle of knots it was today. Too twisted and layered to unravel.
"Why is Kakashi a missing-nin?"
Akane was growing aggressively nervous, terrified she would say the wrong thing and that would be the end of it. But still, the question was odd even if Itachi was just trying to get her to slip up.
"What do you mean? Why would your leader invite him if he didn't know why he was a missing-nin?"
"What the books say and what really happened are two different things, Nori. You would know that."
The fact that Itachi hadn't slit her throat yet was a miniscule amount of relief, although she wasn't foolish to not consider that he was getting answers before he permanently silenced her. Even if that was the case, she was able to inhale deeply, letting the air fill her chest and ground her in place.
"It is as it says. After our conflict in Suna last summer, he dragged me to Konoha and snuck me into the village. Then was found out and given an opportunity to turn me in. But you know his answer to that, and now we're here."
"Does he know?"
There was no elaboration needed.
Does he know the truth?
Well….
"He knows enough about there being corruption in the village and I had information on it. But he's unaware of the events that sparked it. He doesn't know it involves you or the clan," she lied, eyes not moving from his, voice level.
After she woke from her fevered state, she realized it wasn't a crazy dream she had. Unintentionally, she revealed all she knew about the Uchiha Massacre to Kakashi because she didn't have enough sense to keep her mouth shut. Hating herself for it, and embarrassed for losing grasp of her iron-like control, Akane hadn't brought it up again. Kakashi didn't either. There was enough faith that Kakashi wouldn't treat the information haphazardly and just tell others, so she continued to pretend it was never exposed in the first place.
She only prayed that Itachi didn't see through her lie, though the longer he remained unmoved, fingers still wrapped around her wrist, eyes never leaving hers, she was starting to think her ability to con others was losing its edge.
"Who are you loyal to, Nori?"
Akane blinked, not sure where to even start with that answer. Fortunately, Itachi elaborated.
"Last we met, you wanted to know who was behind the orders. Time has passed and events have changed. Now you're running around with Kakashi who shares a piece of your goal to shine a light on the corruption in Konoha. So, are you loyal to the village still?"
A fresh rise of adrenaline pumped through her system, spiking her nerves so rapidly, she wasn't sure if she physically flinched or not. How was she supposed to answer that question?! Was she loyal? Would her answer deter Akatsuki from believing she could be a valuable member to them? What did Itachi say to the leader when he was asked? He had to have answered a similar question, right?
But try as she did, she couldn't put herself in his shoes because she wasn't him.
"I…" Just talk. Say something. "I don't have a grudge against the village. But I don't have a desire to return either. My only score to settle is to expose and kill the ones responsible for giving the orders behind Sarutobi's back."
"So, it's loyalty to your old mentor."
"Fuck him. It's loyalty to my comrades that were silenced because they learned too much. The same comrades that I'm being charged with murdering as a coverup. I'm loyal to making those corrupted shits pay for that… And I'm loyal to Kakashi. I refuse to let him meet the same fate because he knows someone is pulling the strings in the shadows. The rest is just survival. If that means aligning with Akatsuki, then fine. I have no qualms about that or any other group I could join."
"And when Leader questions you on your motives—"
"I won't say anything about you or your clan."
His gaze was unflinching, even narrowed just slightly, causing Akane to wonder if he thought she was lying. In a desperate attempt to convince him, she took a step forward, letting his elbow bend as she closed the space.
"You're not my enemy and I have no desire to expose you. I've never held ill-intent toward you over anything that was carried out in the past. You simply have your reasons, and I have mine. I gain nothing by revealing anything more."
"And if you keep it vague, if they decide your life isn't worth it?"
"That's a future problem. I've survived this far on my own. I can find a way out again."
"You're arrogant to think you can escape our base if they decide to kill you."
"If you're hinting that I'd sell you out, then you underestimate my intelligence. Doing that would only get us both killed."
The Sharingan prodded over her, piercing her gaze, scanning her features, searching and searching. Then he closed his eyes and when they opened again, they were dark pools. Itachi finally released her wrist, "You'd be wise to keep that in mind if your goal truly is survival."
Akane didn't have anything to say, witty or reassuring. The conversation ended and Itachi knelt to the bodies at their feet as he began to unstrap the kunai pouches from the guards' legs. She had enough sense, as she stood there coming to terms with the change in the Uchiha's demeanor, that he accepted her explanation. Feeling a little bolder at the added space from danger, she decided to make one thing absolutely clear to the man.
"I don't know why you're set on protecting the one who gave you the order. But I would still like to know what happened to cause the events and who allowed it."
Itachi didn't pause as he tossed the first pouch at her, which she caught. "I'm not protecting them. I'm ensuring they are kept in line."
"Meaning what?"
"Meaning if they died, someone else would fill the power vacuum and be free to make moves as they saw fit with the same resources."
Akane mulled over the words, trying to pick out what he left unsaid while he moved to the second corpse. "You mean…. You're blackmailing them?"
"One could put it that way."
Ah, now it makes sense. But… Akane flicked her nail over the leather strap of the pouch. "Have you not been paying attention? What could you keep them from doing? They're still killing innocent people—Aren't you concerned about that?"
"If you're referring to your comrades, it seems you're the common denominator with that."
Akane cringed as her pride took the blow. Her grip on the pouch tightened, digging crescent moons into the leather.
Itachi stood with the second kunai bag in hand and turned to face her, not showing he cared about her ability to handle his blunt words. "I keep them in line with not harming my brother. Anything else they are free to do. I don't care about your companions or the trouble you dragged them into, so long as the one in charge abides by my conditions."
He walked past her toward the exit of the prison, not caring that she was planted in the same spot. Her gaze was locked on the bodies at her feet but unseeing. The blood, the prone positions of one piled over the other, the morbid frozen expressions staring back; they were the farthest things from her mind. All she saw was Kyo's body, Ayumu blaming her, the ANBU relative wishing for her death.
Everything that had transpired was her fault. As much as she wanted to hit Itachi, to make him feel the hurt she felt until he showed remorse, she realized he was correct. It wasn't his responsibility. He had his reasons that benefited him. Why would he care about her or people he never knew?
In any other situation, she would have raged at him, demanded he told her who was behind it all so she could kill them—his own goals be damned. He didn't care about her goals, so why would she care about his? But things had changed. Her objectives shifted and realigned with a new purpose and a new comrade. As much as she wanted to avenge her friend, she couldn't afford to lose sight of the mission at hand. More importantly, risk Kakashi's life in the process.
Tying the strap to her leg, she turned away from the corpses and followed Itachi back to the stairway, ready to reunite with her partner and get out from enemy lines.
Hello lovely readers! Sorry for the delay but I ended up rewriting this chapter three times because it just wasn't going in the direction I wanted. Still not the happiest with it but it got the point across.
Thank you so much for the reviews. As mentioned, the 'Kage Tower' label is probably only a Konoha title, but I was lazy and figured it was easiest to call the one in Suna the same. That's on me for not actually verifying.
As for the events following, I'm sure you can see that there's some canon and a lot of creative liberty I'm taking with it. The rest of the story will start to stray further, but I will try to keep some events the same. I haven't decided on a couple of important characters' fates yet, so that will be fun to figure out down the road. Whoops, I'm rambling again!
Anyway, thank you again for the reviews. I always appreciate it when readers take the time to click that button and offer their thoughts. The same goes for the follows and faves!
Until next time, stay safe!