A Marriage Inconvenienced (ch 17)
Title: A Marriage Inconvenienced
Rating: T for innuendo
Chapter 15: Recollection
Word Count: 4,500
Summary: The math was simple: Him plus Her equaled genius. It's really a pity he forgot to mention it.
Hey look! It's a flashback! 8O
Chapter Seventeen
Recollection
She was haunting him.
Throughout the week Sakura was there, even when he assigned missions or he sat in boring meetings. Kakashi tried to focus on his work, but in the silence of his office he would hear the echo of her whisper.
“Not even you can compare to perfection.”
What could he possibly say in response? Kakashi could all too well remember the forceful pull of Tsukuyomi and the illusion it crafted. He could still remember Itachi’s sword as it dug at his insides. It was still vivid in his mind, fiercer that some of the memories from the previous week. It would be so easy to twist the powerful illusion into something else. To Sakura, nine years of her life had vanished into nothing. Who was he nine years ago? Tsunade had not returned to the village. He had just participated in Gai’s bet with the llama. He had yet to meet a genin team worthy of his attention. Sakura was still a timid girl with a strong crush and long hair. Naruto was hyperactive and unfocused student. Sasuke had yet to discover his Sharingan or the depths of shady politics.
Kakashi ran a hand through his hair as he watched the sun come up in the horizon from his living room window. A daydream played in his head as he imagined a scene from that time.
He would pay his respects at the memorial for the day and make his way down the village street. There was Sakura, clutching a bento as she made her way down the street with Ino, her hair pulled back in a red ribbon. He would turn the corner and see Gai racing down the street, three exhausted genin trailing behind him. Gai would give a loud cry of hello, causing a startled woman to drop her basket of fruit. He would help her with it and she would graciously give him an apple as a thank you. The apple would be shined against his jonin vest as he continued to make his way to Hokage Tower. A wail to his left would cause him to turn his head to see a ball of yellow racing by. Naruto would be holding up his unbuckled trousers as he hurried down the street.. Kakashi would chuckle to himself and turn around, just in time to see Asuma coming out of a restaurant.
The daydream clogged in his brain. Asuma would still be alive.
No wonder Sakura had withdrawn from missions and retreated to the quiet research department of the hospital. Kakashi’s daydream made his heart beat faster and he tried not to further indulge his thoughts.
Irritated with himself, he walked over to the dining table to look at the maps scattered on top. There were colored lines crossing the surface of the map, indicating trade routes from past missions. His finger traced a thick red line that went from Water Country along the border of fire to Sound. Kakashi’s finger paused at a village where the red line met vibrant green one.
His eye widened in realization.
Two Years Ago…
As villages go, the town wasn’t in bad shape. It had escaped the devastation which had plagued other nearby towns that had been destroyed in the wake of the great bijuu war. The only real problem that Kakashi could see was that the village had grown too fast, too soon, and there were too many people packed into the existing homes. It gave the town a seedy look; the garbage was piled on street corners with no where else to go. The outskirts of the town were filled with men hammering away as they built new homes for the inhabitants. The men had dirt smudged on their faces, a sign that there was a limited water supply. However, there were several stores, a village leader and a sense of stability.
The troop of unified ninja had passed through several areas that were in chaos due to a power struggle and there was no one willing to take the position of leadership. It was because of this that his “small” mission assigned to him by Tsunade was taking so long. Seven months in the journey and they had only made it a third of the way through. At this rate, Kakashi would be lucky to return to Konoha in three years. The farthest village was at the end of the list and several of them were thinking about adding a visit to Iron Country.
Still, there was nothing that could be done about the sluggish pace of their travels. They could pass by the ruined villages without giving a hand, but that defeated the entire purpose of their mission. Returning stability to every nation was part of their mission. Every rickety town brought about a few weeks of building, and a discussion with the villagers. Kakashi’s favorite days were when he was leaving and he could see the tiny towns bursting with promise. It was the only reason he never mentioned the feeling of homesickness that had begun to creep inside of him.
Too many wars, battles, and lost lives had made him sensitive to his latent fears. He had always suffered from restless sleep after a long departure, worrying that his village would be gone when he returned. Before those fears had always vanished upon waking, paranoid thoughts that slipped in to his sleep like an unwanted specter. But that had changed after the one time he woke up and the village really had been destroyed. Even though he knew that they were entering a golden time of peace, his rationality failed to quell his long-standing anxiety. Kakashi knew that he needed to see a familiar face to shake the feeling, even for a little while.
The other ninjas had balked at his slight detour when he proposed it, but Kakashi knew they would give in. Disobedience was a rare occasion. His approach was always the same; aim for the mind and heart, and then practice a bit of patience. The effects of his words were not instantaneous, but it usually worked. He was successful once more, and thus they had finally arrived in a village that was not in need of their aid.
After eating dinner with his several of his companions, Kakashi broke away from them with a mission of his own. He walked down the village street, ducking in every bar, tavern and inn. None of them seemed like the place when he was looking for. Perplexed, he decided to ask a local. He passed by a group of middle-aged women carrying brown satchels, but approached a man carrying a bag of groceries whose his face smudged with dirt.
“Excuse me,” Kakashi said as he caught up with the stranger. “Where can I find the best local bar?”
“Down that way, second building to your left,” the man directed. “It’s by the bakery.”
Kakashi gave his thanks and made his way down the street. He found the bar easily enough. There were several people gathered at the exit talking amongst each other. Kakashi stepped inside, the smoke and pungent alcohol hitting his nose before he had stepped through the doorway. It was an unremarkable building, nothing beautiful to attract the attention of travelers. Kakashi scouted the tavern and quickly found his target.
He made his way over to the man behind the counter, ignoring the intense gaze from the side. “Give me the bottle with your highest alcohol percentage.”
The bartender hesitated before he reached behind him and pulled out a glass bottle. “Be careful with this stuff. It could knock out a bull with one sip.” He pulled out a couple of glasses, popped in some ice, and pushed it across the counter.
“Perfect,” Kakashi muttered when he took a whiff of the alcohol. He picked up the cups and made his way to a corner booth where a beautiful woman was sitting alone.
“Hello there,” he said as he slid a cup across the table so it stopped in front of a woman with dark hair. She had a vicious look on her face when she noticed that Kakashi was speaking to her. He popped open the bottle and poured her a glass. “Mind if I keep a lovely lady company?”
“Get lost pervert,” said the female in an icy tone. “If I wanted company I would already have some.”
“Mmmm…” Kakashi poured himself his own glass and tugged down his mask. He knocked back the liquid in his cup with a dramatic motion. His mouth grew numb as the drink hit his system. “Damn, that is strong,” he said thickly as he sat down at the booth.
“I said for you to get lost!”
“I have gotten lost before, lost on the road of life.” Kakashi gave a roguish smile. “At least, I think I have used that excuse on you before. It’s hard for me to remember. It’s been so long since I last saw you, Sasuke.”
He placed a piece of ice in his mouth as he watched the henge out of the corner of his eye. “You really ought to try that drink,” he said as he crunched on the ice. “It’s fantastic. Nice and smooth.”
“I’ll pass,” replied Sasuke, still in his female form. “Tell me, did you know I was wearing a henge before or after you came over? Or do you hit on all of your former students?”
Kakashi shrugged as poured himself another glass. “Before, of course. You’re wearing a headband to indicate you’re a kunoichi to scare off the civilians. However, that is a modification of Naruto’s sexy jutsu you are using instead of a normal henge, so your breasts are on the larger side. If you were a real woman you would be wearing mesh and binding to give the appropriate amount of support.
“Couple those facts with your petulant attitude, and I knew it was you right away. And you’ll be happy to know that you are the first of my beloved former students I have approached. Although…” Kakashi rubbed his chin. “I suppose it’s only a matter of time before I get around to the other two now that everyone has grown up.”
The unexpected admission gave Sasuke pause as a brief look of astonishment crossed his female face. “Are you…” He couldn’t seem to finish the sentence and Sasuke cleared his throat. “Do you like men as well?”
Kakashi gave a little chuckle as he watched Sasuke’s eyes open in genuine curiosity. “There’s many a man who enjoy a little anal stimulation,” Kakashi responded blithely. Small alarm bells went off in his head, but he ignored them and leaned in closer. “I like your hair.” He raised his hand with an intention to curl a lock between his fingers.
Sasuke immediately dropped the henge and the pretty woman vanished back into the sullen teenager. “Why are you here, Kakashi?”
“I’m not here for you…just came by to say hello.” He saw Sasuke frown. “What?”
“Tsk. I’ve only had the henge dropped for a minute and there’s already a woman approaching.”
“Woe is you,” responded Kakashi in a dry tone. A shadow cast over him as a familiar person stepped next to the table.
“Is that you, Kashi?” Kasumi was leaning over him with a broad smile on her face. “Oh, it is you!”
“Hello, Beautiful,” he murmured as she slid into his lap.
“I’m so surprised to see you! After our last tiff, I didn’t think you would talk to me again.” Her cheeks were very pink and Kakashi knew she had been hitting the alcohol for quite sometime. “Who is your guest, Kashi?”
“That’s Sasuke,” Kakashi replied as he wrapped his arms around her waist. “He doesn’t want his drink.”
“You don’t?” asked Kasumi in horror. She wiggled in Kakashi’s lap as she reached across the table for the glass. “I’ll take it then.” She took heavy swig from the cup, her eyes widening as its contents emptied down her throat. She tossed her head back with her eyes closed, savoring the sensation.
“You don’t know what you are missing,” she said with a lick of her lips. “This is the best.” Kasumi gave a giggle at winked at Kakashi.
“I thought you would like it,” Kakashi said.
Kasumi gave him a coy smile and then turned back to Sasuke. “Don’t be a spoilsport, take a little sip.” She poured some in the glass and waved it in front of him.
“No.” Sasuke had a look of distaste on his lips his eyes followed her errant hand.
“Just one!” Kasumi reached forward to force the liquid down Sasuke’s throat and he grabbed her arm in defense.
“I don’t know what you…” Sasuke stopped mid-sentence and blinked rapidly. Kakashi saw the Sharingan fade away to dark brown, before the eyes crossed and Sasuke slumped forward on the table with a heavy thud.
“Is he out?” asked Kakashi.
Kasumi crawled off of his lap and gave him a frown. “Of course he is out. I’m not a genin.” She tugged at a loose strand of her violet hair and pinned in back in place. “Do you want some help?”
“That would be appreciated. I drank quite a bit myself.” He tugged at Sasuke’s arm and snapped on the handcuffs. “How long will he be out?”
“For ten minutes or so. Do you want me to knock him out more?”
“No, that’s just enough.” He gave a swallow. “I want you to come with us.”
Kasumi gave him a look of disbelief. “What? Aren’t you on that mission to return the bijuu? I thought Ao was with you.”
“He is,” replied Kakashi as tossed Sasuke over his shoulder. “The mission has been going slowly. There is no one who can heal on our team. Everyone is a fighter. When we go to devastated villages, there are a lot of sick people. We need a medic and you are suited for the task.” He walked out onto the street, leading her to the inn where he was staying.
“Even if I was suited for the task, the Mizukage wouldn’t allow it. I’m too important for their medical community to go gallivanting about with you. She doesn’t like you and I know she will refuse.”
“I’ve already wrote a letter to her and she said it would be okay for a year. We need a medic that can keep up and you can replenish your chakra faster than most. We’ll pick up another medic in Earth when we get there.” Kakashi blinked. “Mei hates me?”
“You stole all of her jutsu!” Kasumi said as she held open the inn door.
“Mmm… that was years ago. She has mastery over her kekkei genkai now anyway.” He grunted as he went up the stairs to his room.
Kasumi snorted. “You have no idea how difficult it is to establish oneself as a kunoichi. The Mizukage worked very hard on those jutsu. Her kekkei genkai were difficult to master and many of her less talented family members died because they were too impatient. Over half of them end up drowning because they fill their lungs with water. Those jutsu were the only thing she had in her arsenal at the time and you snatched it away from her in seconds.”
“You say that like it’s a bad thing.” Kakashi placed Sasuke’s sluggish form in the chair. He gave Sasuke a hard poke in the eye, but he didn’t react.
“A Leaf ninja showing off water-jutsu? It is appalling.”
Kakashi gave her a smug grin. “Yet, it is the very thing that attracted you to me.”
Kasumi scowled. “Don’t act so smug. And I’m not going with you on the mission.”
“It will be fun. We can sing songs with Killer Bee and have sex in Ao’s sleeping bag.”
A small smile danced on her lips. “I don’t think he would like that very much.”
“No, I don’t imagine he would,” Kakashi replied as he tied a cloth across Sasuke’s eyes. “Can you watch the door? I would rather talk to Saskuke alone.”
“That’s fine with me.” Kasumi sniffed in disdain. “But I haven’t agreed to go with you!”
Kakashi shook his head as the door closed with a snap, knowing that she was had already made up her mind to join him. He heard Sasuke’s breathing increase as he tied Sasuke to the chair. Kakashi sat on the bed waiting for Sasuke to finish waking up. A pleasant buzz was still lingering in his head from his earlier consumption.
“Are you awake, Sasuke?”
“What did you do to me?” his former student rasped.
Kakashi chuckled. “That was most people call a hangover.” He pressed a glass of water to Sasuke’s lips. “Drink.”
Sasuke opened his mouth, drips of water dribbling from his lips. “I didn’t even have a sip.”
“No,” Kakashi said as he cheerfully recalled the comical vision of Sasuke’s eyes crossing before he passed out. “However, you touched Kasumi’s arm. Therefore you are now experiencing the worst hangover known to man. I’ve seen some people attempt to fight with broken backs, but I’ve never seen them get up from a hangover.”
A frown appeared. “I don’t understand.”
“Kasumi is a medical ninja. She told me that her chakra reserves were so low as a child that her teacher told her the best she could was work in the hospital. She didn’t have enough chakra reserves to survive a mission. So she grew up, studied at the hospital, and then you know what she did? She performed an experiment on herself in order to change it. Do you remember Chouji?”
“Yeah, the fat kid.”
Kakashi rolled his eyes. “I’ve forgotten how long you have been gone. Chouji is not fat. He derives a great deal of chakra from food and stores it up for later use. Kasumi does the same thing from alcohol. Her liver functions as some sort of refinery; she just needs some sort of foodstuff to create some in her body. Do you know how many things you can make alcohol from? She sent it through her blood to her skin and when you touched her that was enough to knock you out cold.
“But I didn’t want to talk to you about that. I wanted to talk to you about what an idiot you are. What were you thinking?”
“That’s none of you business, Kakashi.”
“None of my business?” he asked in a raised voice, taking sadistic pleasure as Sasuke winced in pain. “You were my student and you tossed that in my face. People gave you opportunity people gave you to escape without repercussion and you refused.”
“What was I supposed to do? Konoha killed my family and they manipulated my brother.”
“I wasn’t talking about the time you were twelve. If I couldn’t have done anything about it, I certainly don’t expect that you could have either. No, I am talking about right here and right now. Grow up. Get over your resentment, get over your grief and start living your life. Stop wasting the Uchiha name. You have already sullied it, so fix it and make something of yourself.”
Sasuke’s voice was very terse. “As if you’d understand what I’m going through.”
“Stop acting entitled. You think you are the only one who has had their entire family killed off? Think of Haru. What about Kimimaro? You want more names? I can give you an entire list of them. We are ninja and we fight. The Great Wars went on for years and you are far from the only person to experience grief.”
Sasuke strained against his bonds, a snarl on his lips. “You’ve never lost everything. You act like you’ve come so far, but I know that you’ve never had a family. Pathetic.”
Kakashi took another drink from his glass as he observed his former student. Sasuke had his head raised in defiance, with stiff shoulders, a classic pose of stubbornness and self-righteousness. Sasuke turned his head to the side as he sensed Kakashi lean in closer. Kakashi raised a hand and gave a hard flick at Sasuke’s ear.
Sasuke swore. “Dammit, Kakashi!”
“You deserved it. I’m going out of my way, out of my mission and trying to give you honest advice and you act like the same little arrogant turd I saw when you were thirteen. Of all those people who lost their families, do you know what happened to them? Well, do you? Because I’ve done my fair amount of research on the subject.”
“No.”
“When there was a mass slaughter of a family line, do you know how many carried on their name to future generations? One.”
This information seemed to interest Sasuke. “I don’t understand.”
“In all of the other families, the survivors self-imploded. Some committed suicide, others had a sense of misplaced martyrdom. There were alcoholics, avengers, and emotionally handicapped hermits. Except for one pair…. my family.”
Sasuke frowned. “I know your father grew up in Konoha.”
“True,” replied Kakashi. “The massacre goes back two generations. Do you want to hear the story or am I wasting my time?”
“I’m listening,” replied Sasuke through clenched teeth.
Kakashi took a deep breath and then started his story.
“My family is originally from Lightening Country. The hidden villages had already been established, but were still in its infancy. My ancestors were elite even among the geniuses. There were many favorable traits in my clan, every thing short of a kekkei genkai. Some argued the clan was better off because it didn’t carry the heavy stigmata that a bloodline limit had.
“They were in every branch of the government, held every possible position in the village. That was our gift, you see. Our chakra was able to adapt to any element. Mastery was easy to attain if you started young enough and there was someone proficient in every element.
“It made them valuable and prominent and most of all, arrogant. It wasn’t hard to figure out they were planning a coup- it was in their mannerisms and their strut. So before they could do anything to destroy the young government of Cloud, the word was given out to kill them off in the dead of night.”
Kakashi took a drink from a glass of water. He had never spoken of his family’s past to anyone and he was surprised to see his hand trembling as he brought the cup to his lips. The truth of his shameful history was a closely guarded secret and he doubted there were a handful of people who knew of it. However, the story was having a desired effect on Sasuke, who was listing in respectful silence.
“In the early dawn hours, they struck and most of them were wiped out before the sun had risen. However, the Raikage could not reconcile with killing off an entire clan, even if it was to protect the village. To ease his conscience he brought the two youngest members of the clan before him. It was a twin boy and girl about the age of seven. They were not genin yet, but they had enough knowledge of jutsus and clan secrets. He gave them a mandate; he would spare their lives but they would have to leave the village and seek out their fortunes elsewhere.” Kakashi licked his lips, imagining that cold winter’s day in his mind. “Having no family left and betrayed by their country, the twins were escorted out of the village.
“The brother and sister planned for future revenge and sought to make themselves stronger. They journeyed away from Lightning and one day they came across a wagon in a ditch. They found a wealthy man and although they could have stolen his valuable objects, they assisted him from the mud trap. The twins had little use for baubles, having learned that it was family they craved the most. The man thanked them for their assistances and proceeded to tell them stories of his own family. Finding comfort in his words, the twins escorted the man through his journey until they reached his destination. It was then that they learned their new acquaintance was the daimyo of Fire Country. The Lord welcomed them to his home for their assistance in his travels.
“Grateful for the invitation, they obliged and became guards to the immense Ehime Estate. They were there for several years and during the time, the heir grew fond of the sister and they married. The brother, my grandfather, was dissatisfied with being a guard. Seeing the look in his sister’s eyes made him realize he wanted happiness more than revenge. And as an adult he could understand the entitlement that his clan held was precisely the thing that brought about their downfall. So he went to Konoha to carve out his own destiny and to find his family with an oath engraved in his mind and heart, to be loyal to his new family.
“Konoha is my home. It is my family in a way some people will never understand. I will protect them; I will die for them because I live for them. As such, they will care I’m dead. Can you say the same?”
There was a long silence, broken only by the soft taps of Kasumi’s heels as she paced the hallway.
“Find meaning in your life, not your past. You should find a wife and have some kids. I don’t want you to be another mark in my statistics.”
“I could say the same thing to you, Kakashi,” said Sasuke in a soft voice.
“Hmmm... I’m thinking about it. Give me a couple of years and I might be ready to do something about it.”
Sasuke squirmed in his chair. “How do I know you aren’t lying to me? This story seems too convenient.”
“Go see for yourself. Lightning Country still has the remains of the compound just outside Cloud. I’ve been there myself. It’s not much, but you’ll know what it is.”
There was a heavy knock on the door. Kasumi poked her head in.
“Kashi, it’s getting rather late. I think you need to wrap it up soon if you want to depart in the morning.”
Kakashi nodded. “Give me a few more minutes.” Kasumi shut the door, leaving them alone once more.
“I’m going to let you go. I just have one more thing to ask you, Sasuke…”
Kakashi was interrupted from his memories by a real knock on his door. It was different from Lee’s timid knocks that usually came at the dead of night. The map from his hand fluttered onto the floor as he went to check on the visitor. His adrenaline spiked as he opened the door and noticed Kasumi was standing behind Yamato.
“Has he been spotted?”
Yamato gave a grim smile. “He was spotted in a town along Grass earlier in the week. He’s probably in the country now. Kasumi warned Naruto already so he is on alert.”
Kakashi cursed internally as he slipped his pocket in search of a scroll. “Was it the small village along the mountain line?”
Kasumi’s eyes widened. “Yes. How did you know that?”
Kakashi gave a grim smile as he snapped the seal in his pocket. “I’m afraid you’re going to have to cancel my meeting with Shizune,” he said in response. Kakashi vanished in a poof of smoke, tugged a scroll from his pocket, and transported himself to the border. It was time to face Sasuke.
Chapter 18
Rating: T for innuendo
Chapter 15: Recollection
Word Count: 4,500
Summary: The math was simple: Him plus Her equaled genius. It's really a pity he forgot to mention it.
Hey look! It's a flashback! 8O
Chapter Seventeen
Recollection
She was haunting him.
Throughout the week Sakura was there, even when he assigned missions or he sat in boring meetings. Kakashi tried to focus on his work, but in the silence of his office he would hear the echo of her whisper.
“Not even you can compare to perfection.”
What could he possibly say in response? Kakashi could all too well remember the forceful pull of Tsukuyomi and the illusion it crafted. He could still remember Itachi’s sword as it dug at his insides. It was still vivid in his mind, fiercer that some of the memories from the previous week. It would be so easy to twist the powerful illusion into something else. To Sakura, nine years of her life had vanished into nothing. Who was he nine years ago? Tsunade had not returned to the village. He had just participated in Gai’s bet with the llama. He had yet to meet a genin team worthy of his attention. Sakura was still a timid girl with a strong crush and long hair. Naruto was hyperactive and unfocused student. Sasuke had yet to discover his Sharingan or the depths of shady politics.
Kakashi ran a hand through his hair as he watched the sun come up in the horizon from his living room window. A daydream played in his head as he imagined a scene from that time.
He would pay his respects at the memorial for the day and make his way down the village street. There was Sakura, clutching a bento as she made her way down the street with Ino, her hair pulled back in a red ribbon. He would turn the corner and see Gai racing down the street, three exhausted genin trailing behind him. Gai would give a loud cry of hello, causing a startled woman to drop her basket of fruit. He would help her with it and she would graciously give him an apple as a thank you. The apple would be shined against his jonin vest as he continued to make his way to Hokage Tower. A wail to his left would cause him to turn his head to see a ball of yellow racing by. Naruto would be holding up his unbuckled trousers as he hurried down the street.. Kakashi would chuckle to himself and turn around, just in time to see Asuma coming out of a restaurant.
The daydream clogged in his brain. Asuma would still be alive.
No wonder Sakura had withdrawn from missions and retreated to the quiet research department of the hospital. Kakashi’s daydream made his heart beat faster and he tried not to further indulge his thoughts.
Irritated with himself, he walked over to the dining table to look at the maps scattered on top. There were colored lines crossing the surface of the map, indicating trade routes from past missions. His finger traced a thick red line that went from Water Country along the border of fire to Sound. Kakashi’s finger paused at a village where the red line met vibrant green one.
His eye widened in realization.
Two Years Ago…
As villages go, the town wasn’t in bad shape. It had escaped the devastation which had plagued other nearby towns that had been destroyed in the wake of the great bijuu war. The only real problem that Kakashi could see was that the village had grown too fast, too soon, and there were too many people packed into the existing homes. It gave the town a seedy look; the garbage was piled on street corners with no where else to go. The outskirts of the town were filled with men hammering away as they built new homes for the inhabitants. The men had dirt smudged on their faces, a sign that there was a limited water supply. However, there were several stores, a village leader and a sense of stability.
The troop of unified ninja had passed through several areas that were in chaos due to a power struggle and there was no one willing to take the position of leadership. It was because of this that his “small” mission assigned to him by Tsunade was taking so long. Seven months in the journey and they had only made it a third of the way through. At this rate, Kakashi would be lucky to return to Konoha in three years. The farthest village was at the end of the list and several of them were thinking about adding a visit to Iron Country.
Still, there was nothing that could be done about the sluggish pace of their travels. They could pass by the ruined villages without giving a hand, but that defeated the entire purpose of their mission. Returning stability to every nation was part of their mission. Every rickety town brought about a few weeks of building, and a discussion with the villagers. Kakashi’s favorite days were when he was leaving and he could see the tiny towns bursting with promise. It was the only reason he never mentioned the feeling of homesickness that had begun to creep inside of him.
Too many wars, battles, and lost lives had made him sensitive to his latent fears. He had always suffered from restless sleep after a long departure, worrying that his village would be gone when he returned. Before those fears had always vanished upon waking, paranoid thoughts that slipped in to his sleep like an unwanted specter. But that had changed after the one time he woke up and the village really had been destroyed. Even though he knew that they were entering a golden time of peace, his rationality failed to quell his long-standing anxiety. Kakashi knew that he needed to see a familiar face to shake the feeling, even for a little while.
The other ninjas had balked at his slight detour when he proposed it, but Kakashi knew they would give in. Disobedience was a rare occasion. His approach was always the same; aim for the mind and heart, and then practice a bit of patience. The effects of his words were not instantaneous, but it usually worked. He was successful once more, and thus they had finally arrived in a village that was not in need of their aid.
After eating dinner with his several of his companions, Kakashi broke away from them with a mission of his own. He walked down the village street, ducking in every bar, tavern and inn. None of them seemed like the place when he was looking for. Perplexed, he decided to ask a local. He passed by a group of middle-aged women carrying brown satchels, but approached a man carrying a bag of groceries whose his face smudged with dirt.
“Excuse me,” Kakashi said as he caught up with the stranger. “Where can I find the best local bar?”
“Down that way, second building to your left,” the man directed. “It’s by the bakery.”
Kakashi gave his thanks and made his way down the street. He found the bar easily enough. There were several people gathered at the exit talking amongst each other. Kakashi stepped inside, the smoke and pungent alcohol hitting his nose before he had stepped through the doorway. It was an unremarkable building, nothing beautiful to attract the attention of travelers. Kakashi scouted the tavern and quickly found his target.
He made his way over to the man behind the counter, ignoring the intense gaze from the side. “Give me the bottle with your highest alcohol percentage.”
The bartender hesitated before he reached behind him and pulled out a glass bottle. “Be careful with this stuff. It could knock out a bull with one sip.” He pulled out a couple of glasses, popped in some ice, and pushed it across the counter.
“Perfect,” Kakashi muttered when he took a whiff of the alcohol. He picked up the cups and made his way to a corner booth where a beautiful woman was sitting alone.
“Hello there,” he said as he slid a cup across the table so it stopped in front of a woman with dark hair. She had a vicious look on her face when she noticed that Kakashi was speaking to her. He popped open the bottle and poured her a glass. “Mind if I keep a lovely lady company?”
“Get lost pervert,” said the female in an icy tone. “If I wanted company I would already have some.”
“Mmmm…” Kakashi poured himself his own glass and tugged down his mask. He knocked back the liquid in his cup with a dramatic motion. His mouth grew numb as the drink hit his system. “Damn, that is strong,” he said thickly as he sat down at the booth.
“I said for you to get lost!”
“I have gotten lost before, lost on the road of life.” Kakashi gave a roguish smile. “At least, I think I have used that excuse on you before. It’s hard for me to remember. It’s been so long since I last saw you, Sasuke.”
He placed a piece of ice in his mouth as he watched the henge out of the corner of his eye. “You really ought to try that drink,” he said as he crunched on the ice. “It’s fantastic. Nice and smooth.”
“I’ll pass,” replied Sasuke, still in his female form. “Tell me, did you know I was wearing a henge before or after you came over? Or do you hit on all of your former students?”
Kakashi shrugged as poured himself another glass. “Before, of course. You’re wearing a headband to indicate you’re a kunoichi to scare off the civilians. However, that is a modification of Naruto’s sexy jutsu you are using instead of a normal henge, so your breasts are on the larger side. If you were a real woman you would be wearing mesh and binding to give the appropriate amount of support.
“Couple those facts with your petulant attitude, and I knew it was you right away. And you’ll be happy to know that you are the first of my beloved former students I have approached. Although…” Kakashi rubbed his chin. “I suppose it’s only a matter of time before I get around to the other two now that everyone has grown up.”
The unexpected admission gave Sasuke pause as a brief look of astonishment crossed his female face. “Are you…” He couldn’t seem to finish the sentence and Sasuke cleared his throat. “Do you like men as well?”
Kakashi gave a little chuckle as he watched Sasuke’s eyes open in genuine curiosity. “There’s many a man who enjoy a little anal stimulation,” Kakashi responded blithely. Small alarm bells went off in his head, but he ignored them and leaned in closer. “I like your hair.” He raised his hand with an intention to curl a lock between his fingers.
Sasuke immediately dropped the henge and the pretty woman vanished back into the sullen teenager. “Why are you here, Kakashi?”
“I’m not here for you…just came by to say hello.” He saw Sasuke frown. “What?”
“Tsk. I’ve only had the henge dropped for a minute and there’s already a woman approaching.”
“Woe is you,” responded Kakashi in a dry tone. A shadow cast over him as a familiar person stepped next to the table.
“Is that you, Kashi?” Kasumi was leaning over him with a broad smile on her face. “Oh, it is you!”
“Hello, Beautiful,” he murmured as she slid into his lap.
“I’m so surprised to see you! After our last tiff, I didn’t think you would talk to me again.” Her cheeks were very pink and Kakashi knew she had been hitting the alcohol for quite sometime. “Who is your guest, Kashi?”
“That’s Sasuke,” Kakashi replied as he wrapped his arms around her waist. “He doesn’t want his drink.”
“You don’t?” asked Kasumi in horror. She wiggled in Kakashi’s lap as she reached across the table for the glass. “I’ll take it then.” She took heavy swig from the cup, her eyes widening as its contents emptied down her throat. She tossed her head back with her eyes closed, savoring the sensation.
“You don’t know what you are missing,” she said with a lick of her lips. “This is the best.” Kasumi gave a giggle at winked at Kakashi.
“I thought you would like it,” Kakashi said.
Kasumi gave him a coy smile and then turned back to Sasuke. “Don’t be a spoilsport, take a little sip.” She poured some in the glass and waved it in front of him.
“No.” Sasuke had a look of distaste on his lips his eyes followed her errant hand.
“Just one!” Kasumi reached forward to force the liquid down Sasuke’s throat and he grabbed her arm in defense.
“I don’t know what you…” Sasuke stopped mid-sentence and blinked rapidly. Kakashi saw the Sharingan fade away to dark brown, before the eyes crossed and Sasuke slumped forward on the table with a heavy thud.
“Is he out?” asked Kakashi.
Kasumi crawled off of his lap and gave him a frown. “Of course he is out. I’m not a genin.” She tugged at a loose strand of her violet hair and pinned in back in place. “Do you want some help?”
“That would be appreciated. I drank quite a bit myself.” He tugged at Sasuke’s arm and snapped on the handcuffs. “How long will he be out?”
“For ten minutes or so. Do you want me to knock him out more?”
“No, that’s just enough.” He gave a swallow. “I want you to come with us.”
Kasumi gave him a look of disbelief. “What? Aren’t you on that mission to return the bijuu? I thought Ao was with you.”
“He is,” replied Kakashi as tossed Sasuke over his shoulder. “The mission has been going slowly. There is no one who can heal on our team. Everyone is a fighter. When we go to devastated villages, there are a lot of sick people. We need a medic and you are suited for the task.” He walked out onto the street, leading her to the inn where he was staying.
“Even if I was suited for the task, the Mizukage wouldn’t allow it. I’m too important for their medical community to go gallivanting about with you. She doesn’t like you and I know she will refuse.”
“I’ve already wrote a letter to her and she said it would be okay for a year. We need a medic that can keep up and you can replenish your chakra faster than most. We’ll pick up another medic in Earth when we get there.” Kakashi blinked. “Mei hates me?”
“You stole all of her jutsu!” Kasumi said as she held open the inn door.
“Mmm… that was years ago. She has mastery over her kekkei genkai now anyway.” He grunted as he went up the stairs to his room.
Kasumi snorted. “You have no idea how difficult it is to establish oneself as a kunoichi. The Mizukage worked very hard on those jutsu. Her kekkei genkai were difficult to master and many of her less talented family members died because they were too impatient. Over half of them end up drowning because they fill their lungs with water. Those jutsu were the only thing she had in her arsenal at the time and you snatched it away from her in seconds.”
“You say that like it’s a bad thing.” Kakashi placed Sasuke’s sluggish form in the chair. He gave Sasuke a hard poke in the eye, but he didn’t react.
“A Leaf ninja showing off water-jutsu? It is appalling.”
Kakashi gave her a smug grin. “Yet, it is the very thing that attracted you to me.”
Kasumi scowled. “Don’t act so smug. And I’m not going with you on the mission.”
“It will be fun. We can sing songs with Killer Bee and have sex in Ao’s sleeping bag.”
A small smile danced on her lips. “I don’t think he would like that very much.”
“No, I don’t imagine he would,” Kakashi replied as he tied a cloth across Sasuke’s eyes. “Can you watch the door? I would rather talk to Saskuke alone.”
“That’s fine with me.” Kasumi sniffed in disdain. “But I haven’t agreed to go with you!”
Kakashi shook his head as the door closed with a snap, knowing that she was had already made up her mind to join him. He heard Sasuke’s breathing increase as he tied Sasuke to the chair. Kakashi sat on the bed waiting for Sasuke to finish waking up. A pleasant buzz was still lingering in his head from his earlier consumption.
“Are you awake, Sasuke?”
“What did you do to me?” his former student rasped.
Kakashi chuckled. “That was most people call a hangover.” He pressed a glass of water to Sasuke’s lips. “Drink.”
Sasuke opened his mouth, drips of water dribbling from his lips. “I didn’t even have a sip.”
“No,” Kakashi said as he cheerfully recalled the comical vision of Sasuke’s eyes crossing before he passed out. “However, you touched Kasumi’s arm. Therefore you are now experiencing the worst hangover known to man. I’ve seen some people attempt to fight with broken backs, but I’ve never seen them get up from a hangover.”
A frown appeared. “I don’t understand.”
“Kasumi is a medical ninja. She told me that her chakra reserves were so low as a child that her teacher told her the best she could was work in the hospital. She didn’t have enough chakra reserves to survive a mission. So she grew up, studied at the hospital, and then you know what she did? She performed an experiment on herself in order to change it. Do you remember Chouji?”
“Yeah, the fat kid.”
Kakashi rolled his eyes. “I’ve forgotten how long you have been gone. Chouji is not fat. He derives a great deal of chakra from food and stores it up for later use. Kasumi does the same thing from alcohol. Her liver functions as some sort of refinery; she just needs some sort of foodstuff to create some in her body. Do you know how many things you can make alcohol from? She sent it through her blood to her skin and when you touched her that was enough to knock you out cold.
“But I didn’t want to talk to you about that. I wanted to talk to you about what an idiot you are. What were you thinking?”
“That’s none of you business, Kakashi.”
“None of my business?” he asked in a raised voice, taking sadistic pleasure as Sasuke winced in pain. “You were my student and you tossed that in my face. People gave you opportunity people gave you to escape without repercussion and you refused.”
“What was I supposed to do? Konoha killed my family and they manipulated my brother.”
“I wasn’t talking about the time you were twelve. If I couldn’t have done anything about it, I certainly don’t expect that you could have either. No, I am talking about right here and right now. Grow up. Get over your resentment, get over your grief and start living your life. Stop wasting the Uchiha name. You have already sullied it, so fix it and make something of yourself.”
Sasuke’s voice was very terse. “As if you’d understand what I’m going through.”
“Stop acting entitled. You think you are the only one who has had their entire family killed off? Think of Haru. What about Kimimaro? You want more names? I can give you an entire list of them. We are ninja and we fight. The Great Wars went on for years and you are far from the only person to experience grief.”
Sasuke strained against his bonds, a snarl on his lips. “You’ve never lost everything. You act like you’ve come so far, but I know that you’ve never had a family. Pathetic.”
Kakashi took another drink from his glass as he observed his former student. Sasuke had his head raised in defiance, with stiff shoulders, a classic pose of stubbornness and self-righteousness. Sasuke turned his head to the side as he sensed Kakashi lean in closer. Kakashi raised a hand and gave a hard flick at Sasuke’s ear.
Sasuke swore. “Dammit, Kakashi!”
“You deserved it. I’m going out of my way, out of my mission and trying to give you honest advice and you act like the same little arrogant turd I saw when you were thirteen. Of all those people who lost their families, do you know what happened to them? Well, do you? Because I’ve done my fair amount of research on the subject.”
“No.”
“When there was a mass slaughter of a family line, do you know how many carried on their name to future generations? One.”
This information seemed to interest Sasuke. “I don’t understand.”
“In all of the other families, the survivors self-imploded. Some committed suicide, others had a sense of misplaced martyrdom. There were alcoholics, avengers, and emotionally handicapped hermits. Except for one pair…. my family.”
Sasuke frowned. “I know your father grew up in Konoha.”
“True,” replied Kakashi. “The massacre goes back two generations. Do you want to hear the story or am I wasting my time?”
“I’m listening,” replied Sasuke through clenched teeth.
Kakashi took a deep breath and then started his story.
“My family is originally from Lightening Country. The hidden villages had already been established, but were still in its infancy. My ancestors were elite even among the geniuses. There were many favorable traits in my clan, every thing short of a kekkei genkai. Some argued the clan was better off because it didn’t carry the heavy stigmata that a bloodline limit had.
“They were in every branch of the government, held every possible position in the village. That was our gift, you see. Our chakra was able to adapt to any element. Mastery was easy to attain if you started young enough and there was someone proficient in every element.
“It made them valuable and prominent and most of all, arrogant. It wasn’t hard to figure out they were planning a coup- it was in their mannerisms and their strut. So before they could do anything to destroy the young government of Cloud, the word was given out to kill them off in the dead of night.”
Kakashi took a drink from a glass of water. He had never spoken of his family’s past to anyone and he was surprised to see his hand trembling as he brought the cup to his lips. The truth of his shameful history was a closely guarded secret and he doubted there were a handful of people who knew of it. However, the story was having a desired effect on Sasuke, who was listing in respectful silence.
“In the early dawn hours, they struck and most of them were wiped out before the sun had risen. However, the Raikage could not reconcile with killing off an entire clan, even if it was to protect the village. To ease his conscience he brought the two youngest members of the clan before him. It was a twin boy and girl about the age of seven. They were not genin yet, but they had enough knowledge of jutsus and clan secrets. He gave them a mandate; he would spare their lives but they would have to leave the village and seek out their fortunes elsewhere.” Kakashi licked his lips, imagining that cold winter’s day in his mind. “Having no family left and betrayed by their country, the twins were escorted out of the village.
“The brother and sister planned for future revenge and sought to make themselves stronger. They journeyed away from Lightning and one day they came across a wagon in a ditch. They found a wealthy man and although they could have stolen his valuable objects, they assisted him from the mud trap. The twins had little use for baubles, having learned that it was family they craved the most. The man thanked them for their assistances and proceeded to tell them stories of his own family. Finding comfort in his words, the twins escorted the man through his journey until they reached his destination. It was then that they learned their new acquaintance was the daimyo of Fire Country. The Lord welcomed them to his home for their assistance in his travels.
“Grateful for the invitation, they obliged and became guards to the immense Ehime Estate. They were there for several years and during the time, the heir grew fond of the sister and they married. The brother, my grandfather, was dissatisfied with being a guard. Seeing the look in his sister’s eyes made him realize he wanted happiness more than revenge. And as an adult he could understand the entitlement that his clan held was precisely the thing that brought about their downfall. So he went to Konoha to carve out his own destiny and to find his family with an oath engraved in his mind and heart, to be loyal to his new family.
“Konoha is my home. It is my family in a way some people will never understand. I will protect them; I will die for them because I live for them. As such, they will care I’m dead. Can you say the same?”
There was a long silence, broken only by the soft taps of Kasumi’s heels as she paced the hallway.
“Find meaning in your life, not your past. You should find a wife and have some kids. I don’t want you to be another mark in my statistics.”
“I could say the same thing to you, Kakashi,” said Sasuke in a soft voice.
“Hmmm... I’m thinking about it. Give me a couple of years and I might be ready to do something about it.”
Sasuke squirmed in his chair. “How do I know you aren’t lying to me? This story seems too convenient.”
“Go see for yourself. Lightning Country still has the remains of the compound just outside Cloud. I’ve been there myself. It’s not much, but you’ll know what it is.”
There was a heavy knock on the door. Kasumi poked her head in.
“Kashi, it’s getting rather late. I think you need to wrap it up soon if you want to depart in the morning.”
Kakashi nodded. “Give me a few more minutes.” Kasumi shut the door, leaving them alone once more.
“I’m going to let you go. I just have one more thing to ask you, Sasuke…”
Kakashi was interrupted from his memories by a real knock on his door. It was different from Lee’s timid knocks that usually came at the dead of night. The map from his hand fluttered onto the floor as he went to check on the visitor. His adrenaline spiked as he opened the door and noticed Kasumi was standing behind Yamato.
“Has he been spotted?”
Yamato gave a grim smile. “He was spotted in a town along Grass earlier in the week. He’s probably in the country now. Kasumi warned Naruto already so he is on alert.”
Kakashi cursed internally as he slipped his pocket in search of a scroll. “Was it the small village along the mountain line?”
Kasumi’s eyes widened. “Yes. How did you know that?”
Kakashi gave a grim smile as he snapped the seal in his pocket. “I’m afraid you’re going to have to cancel my meeting with Shizune,” he said in response. Kakashi vanished in a poof of smoke, tugged a scroll from his pocket, and transported himself to the border. It was time to face Sasuke.
Chapter 18