Trapped Dolphin 9/?
Fandom: Naruto
Title: Trapped Dolphin (9b/?)
Pairing: Kakashi/Iruka
Rating: NC17! for this chapter, NC17 overall
Warning: Truckloads of Angst, Suicidal tendencies, and at times too much cheese. Read at your own risk.
Summary/ Teaser: “This isn’t a joke, Iruka sensei. I WILL kill you,” Kakashi warned. It was quite chilling to hear Kakashi utter those words. Iruka never imagined for an instant in his life that he would feel the wrath of Konoha’s legendary copy nin..."
“The food’s not bad. Looks like they’re not so stingy after all,” Iruka commented as they began to eat together. They used the small side table to place their trays on and sat on the bed next to each other, Iruka thankful for the little blessing of Kakashi agreeing to wear his pants again.
“Naturally, they finally got what they wanted,” Kakashi said.
“Think of it this way, at least we get to rest a little before we return to Konoha,” Iruka said.
“It’s not like the mission was all that taxing. A team of genins could’ve done the job,” Kakashi said.
“Let’s just be thankful that we did not face any real danger, and we can all go safely home without a scratch on our bodies,” Iruka said.
“I’m just saying, it was soOo anti-climactic,” Kakashi said.
“Better than a mission helping in a farm,” Iruka said with a chuckle.
“Oh, the noisy brat told you about that?” Kakashi asked.
“Yes, *Naruto* told me about it, and how they failed miserably to see what’s under your mask. You should have heard all their expectations, it was so hilarious,” Iruka said with that same sparkle in his eyes every time it was about the blonde-haired boy.
‘Again,’ Kakashi thought with a tinge of jealously. ‘When it’s all about Naruto, he gets so… so… happy,’ he thought. Then, the cogs inside his head started turning and he leaned closer to Iruka. “And… what about you?” Kakashi said. “You’ve seen what’s under my mask. Was I up to your expectations?” he said, taking a slow sip from his cup.
Iruka dared not to turn his head to look at Kakashi. He knew just how close Kakashi was leaning towards him. If he turned his head, his face would be a few inches away from the jounin’s. Even after what they just did, he found the close proximity of the other man to be unnerving. “No,” he replied with conviction.
“Wh-?!” Kakashi was caught off guard and nearly choked on his drink. Oh, now Iruka’s just being cute. “Your so mean,” Kakashi said.
“And you!” Iruka blurted out, as if realization just struck him at that very moment. “Where’d you hide my hairtie again?” Iruka said, brushing off strands of hair that fell to his face.
“I’m not saying a word. I like your hair that way, makes you look more seductive,” Kakashi said.
“Oh no, don’t tell me you have a hair fetish?” Iruka’s face threatened to lose all color.
“What if I do, huh?” Kakashi teased, reaching out to twirl a lock of Iruka’s hair.
Iruka blushed and stood up immediately. “I’m looking for that hairtie right now,” Iruka said.
Kakashi had to laugh at how comical Iruka looked blushing and embarrassed as he sifting through the almost endless pockets in Kakashi’s vest on the floor. He finished his meal and stood up to get dressed. “You finished with that?” he asked Iruka who was still busy looking through the vest.
“Nope. You keep two… oh wait, three volumes of Icha-Icha in your vest?” Iruka asked.
“Hey, those are survival supplies! Now, can I have it back? It’s not there, you know,” Kakashi said.
“Fine, there,” Iruka said, handing the vest to Kakashi.
“Don’t worry, I won’t attack you anymore tonight. At least not until after I meet with the clan leader,” he said, flashing another devious smirk at Iruka before covering his face with his mask.
“Not gonna happen so just go ahead and meet with him. You’re making the client wait!” Iruka said, literally pushing Kakashi out of the door, and shutting it in his face. He turned around to look for his own clothes scattered all over the room, and noticed that Kakashi had left his hip pouch on the floor. Iruka trudged to the said pouch and picked it up. He failed to realize it was open and the contents came spilling out. There were very few standard issue items, such as a couple of bottles of antidotes, a healing balm, and a roll of bandage. Other than that, the pouch was mostly filled with useless stuff… an alarming number of official Icha-icha merchandise such as keychains, button pins, and several collectible cards of the book’s characters in rather obscene poses. There was also a filthy paper shuriken, a wallet designed as a dog head with its tongue sticking out, a couple of suspicious-looking candies that might have been stored in the pouch for too long, a hair tie…
“Ah! Found it!” Iruka said in triumph as he picked the hairtie up. He immediately pulled his hair back and tied it. It was then that he noticed something glint from under all those stuff. He pushed the cards and keychains aside and just stared at the glinting metal. He felt like all the blood was draining from his face, and he couldn’t move.
It was a kunai. And not just any kunai… his kunai.
He felt the chunks rise up his throat as he picked it up. It looked like any ordinary kunai, but there was no mistaking it. It was his kunai, the very same one he used to slash himself over and over again, and the same kunai he used to defend himself during the test. He didn’t know what to think, what to do, how to react. “What is Kakashi-sensei doing with this?” he thought aloud. “He knew, he knew it was what I used, and I dropped it fighting him… why did he pick it up, why did he keep it? Is this another joke?” he asked himself.
Then, thoughts of what Kakashi said came back to him…
“…I wasn’t joking when I told you I wanted to help you. I like you. Please, you have to trust me on this.”
“Trust… I have to trust him…” he whispered. He decided to place everything back into the pouch. One by one, he returned every item inside the pouch. When everything else was inside, he looked at the kunai in his hand, and hesitated to put it back. The familiar feel of the handle in his hand, the coldness of the metal, it brought back memories… and it made his wounds itch. The urge to see his blood trickling down his arms returned, and Iruka shut his eyes, forcing himself to stop thinking about the sting of a blade cutting across his skin. “I have to trust him,” he repeated, placing the kunai back into the pouch hastily. “But why is it so hard to do that?” he asked himself, clutching the pouch in his hands.
All this time, Iruka saw Kakashi’s sincerity in his actions, his clingy attitude, his teases, even his touches, his kisses. All of them felt so real to him. It was the first time in a long, long while since he felt that someone actually cared for him, since he felt needed, even loved. Suddenly, it was as if Kakashi had assumed a larger part in his life, and it hurt to even think it was all a lie.
He sat there on the floor, unsure of what to do. He thought for a while, and tried to settle his emotions. Finally, he decided. “There must be a logical explanation,” he said. “I have to ask him about this,” he said before he dressed up hastily and left the room in search of Kakashi.
Meanwhile, Kakashi was in a dimly lit room, waiting for the clan leader. It was the same room where they first met the clan leader, and looking around, he noticed for the first time that there were doors leading to a balcony on the other side, much like the ones at their rooms. There were also satin-covered pillows and gold-colored ropes hanging from the ceiling at the place where the clan leader sat previously. It was like a throne, and the said throne was still empty, much to Kakashi’s annoyance. ‘Damn it, I could still be with Iruka right now. I thought the clan leader was the one who needed to talk to me.’ he thought. Then, as if answering Kakashi’s thoughts, the clan leader arrived with a couple of servant girls in tow. Kakashi was alarmed to see them carrying the scroll inside the room. ‘Is something wrong with it?’ Kakashi thought.
“Good evening, how are you enjoying your stay?” the clan leader asked.
“Well enough,” Kakashi replied. “What is it that you want to talk to me about? I’m positive we got the right scroll.”
“Oh yes, yes you did, and we are very thankful for your services,” the clan leader replied. Kakashi’s narrowed his eyes. Something was off. He couldn’t have been brought here, alone, if only to thank him for a job well done. “In fact, we are very grateful you’ve made the job a whole lot easier for us,” the old man said, and in that instant Kakashi’s instincts kicked in and he stood in alarm when the leader took the scroll into his hands.
“What job would that be?” Kakashi asked. If it was just the old man and the two servants, he could take them on, no problem. Iruka and the others were nearby as well.
“Why, finally putting an end to our rival clan, of course,” he said.
It was at that time that Iruka walked in the room with a confused expression on his face. He heard what the leader said, and he sensed something fishy was going on as well, if Kakashi’s elevated chakra was any indication. “What do you mean?” Iruka asked.
“Oh so glad you could join us,” the old man greeted in false amiability. “Very interesting thing, this scroll,” he began, turning the scroll over in his hands. “Our clan has been trying to steal this for a long time now, and thanks to you, we now have the Platino clan treasure in our hands.”
“What?!” Iruka blurted out, unable to hide his surprise. “Kakashi-sensei!” He called out and looked at Kakashi in alarm and was surprised that he looked calm and composed despite his flaring chakra.
“You’ve been trying to steal it for a long time? Boy, your guys sure are weak. We could’ve done it with blindfolds, with our hands and feet bound, and with a rabid dog tied to our neck,” Kakashi answered, and it visibly irked the old man.
“I don’t think you are in any position to be so cocky,” the clan leader said through gritted teeth.
“Oh I think I can. We stole the treasure from the real owners, and we can take it back just as easily,” Kakashi said.
“Is that so? I’m sorry to shatter your illusions, but I’m afraid there’d be no taking the treasure back. In fact, I don’t think any one of you could ever set foot out of this house alive,” the leader threatened.
“You don’t seem to realize it, but you made a grave mistake when you chose to hire us. No one gets away with tricking Konoha shinobis,” Kakashi said.
“Kakashi-sensei! We should warn Genma-san and Yuiko-san!” Iruka interjected. His heart was pounding so hard; he can’t help but worry about their comrades.
“Your companions? I’m afraid they’re preoccupied as of now. Despite what you think, we DO have skilled fighters in our ranks,” he said, and as if to prove his point, loud noises sounded through the house, like that of breaking glass and of a body being violently thrown to the wall.
“Don’t worry about them, Iruka,” Kakashi said in an attempt to keep Iruka calm. “They can hold their own.”
“I wouldn’t worry about them right now. You see---“
“You’re starting to piss me off, old man,” Kakashi said, and this time there was no jesting in his voice. “Just get on with whatever you’re planning. We all know it’s not gonna work.”
The old man was fuming now. “You want to die so badly? Then I shall grant your wish. Tell me, oh dear ninjas of Konoha…” he said as he peeled the first few inches of the scroll, “…what is it you fear the most?” he asked, and in one swift movement, he unfurled the scroll and the room was filled with a bright light.
“That’s impossible!” Iruka exclaimed. ‘They couldn’t have broken the seal so quickly. Unless, they lied about that too,’ he thought. For a moment, the light blinded Iruka and he did not know what to do. What if they HAD broken the seal, and they were now trapped in an inescapable illusion? ‘It doesn’t matter!’ Iruka thought, ‘I’ve lived in fear all my life, there’s nothing this illusion can show me that will scare me as much,’ he thought.
Seeing the bright light from outside, Yuiko and Genma ran towards the room, having disposed of their opponents. When they reached the room, they could not see anything but white everywhere.
Once the light subsided, the four ninjas were surrounded by guards- and not the ones that can go down with one hit.
“Come, let me show you the meaning of fear!” the old man said.
“Not a chance,” Kakashi scoffed, and in the blink of an eye, he was in front of the clan leader, holding a kunai to his throat. “Now just hand over that scroll and we’ll be going on our way,” he said, his voice low and menacing. The copy-nin was all business now.
For a moment, the clan leader was visibly shaken, but he composed himself. “You think you can kill me with your parlor tricks?” he asked, and with that, the servant girls standing on either side of him whipped out scythes and slashed at Kakashi, taking the ninja by surprise. Kakashi leapt backwards and before his feet even touched the ground, Iruka dashed toward the clan leader. He lunged forward, narrowly escaping two scythes that sliced through the air. The chuunin knocked one girl away with a roundhouse kick and the other with a lunge punch before he reached his hand out to grab the scroll.
Everything happened in mere seconds. Iruka’s fingertips had barely touched the scroll, and Kakashi’s feet had just touched ground when pandemonium erupted in a blur of punches and kicks, blows and strikes enough to fracture bones and send bodies flying everywhere.
The guards came at the four ninjas from every direction. Iruka withdrew his hand immediately when a guard dared to kick him from behind. He whipped around and caught the man’s foot in one hand, twisted it in an uncomfortable angle, and flung the man towards another couple of guards on the attack. The chuunin blocked a punch to his face with his arm and knocked a knife out of a guard’s hand with his other elbow.
On any other time, the sickening sounds of breaking bones and tearing flesh would have made Iruka flinch, but he was busy dodging blows and sharp objects to really be worried about anything else. In a split second, he saw a glimpse of silver hair as it disappeared behind the numerous guards before said guards were sent flying to the opposite wall hard enough to crack concrete and human sculls.
As Iruka defended himself against the guards, he stole quick glances at his comrades just to see how they were faring. The guards were by no means more skilled then any one of them. Simple ninjutsu could take them out, but their sheer number worked well to their favor. Iruka was worried about his companions. He couldn’t help it.
His eyes quickly scanned the scene. He already saw Kakashi and those poor souls who dared to attack him. He now looked for the other two, and found Genma on the other side of the room hauling two men up by their collars and throwing them against the surrounding guards. And near him was Yuiko, and for a moment Iruka was worried about their only female team member. However, as soon as he saw Yuiko knee a guard in the crotch so violently that it could send shivers down any man’s spine, Iruka was convinced he had nothing to worry about but his own hide.
Iruka caught a man’s arm and threw him over his shoulder where he landed right in front of the clan leader. He looked at the old man’s face and found him looking on safely and smiling. ‘What the heck is he smirking for?’ Iruka thought. Sure enough, his guards were losing. Their numbers were dwindling and all four Konoha shinobis were far from exhausted.
Then a scythe swooshed right in front of his face, missing him by a mere inch as he leaned backwards. He almost forgot about those pesky girls and their scythes. He leapt backwards as the servant girls focused their attentions on him once more. They were skilled, probably more so than almost all the guards in the room, and before Iruka knew it, his back met the cold wall that separated the room from the balcony outside. He was cornered. The girls struck again simultaneously and Iruka just barely dodged them. Both servants raised their scythes once more, ready to strike, but was knocked to the side by a guard’s lifeless body thrown at them purposefully.
Iruka looked at the direction where the unexpected help came from, and saw Kakashi giving him a wave. “You needed a hand,” Kakashi managed to call out to Iruka even as he was fighting off several rather feisty guards. Iruka managed to smile a little as he began exchanging blows with guards, as the scythe-wielders were currently incapacitated.
Within moments, every guard left standing was dealt with. The floor was lined with bodies of nameless guards, either unconscious or dead.
“Give up, old man,” Kakashi said, throwing the lifeless body of a guard to the side. “These were just a bunch of lowlifes who can’t even fight. Too bad your illusion didn’t work.”
“Oh? I won’t be too sure of that,” the clan leader said with an ominous grin. Just then, the servant girls stood up somewhat shakily from where they were thrown. One of the girls walked to the old man’s side. “You must have noticed, this whole house is built on top of a cliff,” He said before he snapped his fingers, and the servant beside him pulled one of the ropes hanging from the ceiling. There was a huge explosion from the balcony and Kakashi was horrified when he realized the exposion had been fatally near where Iruka stood.
In that split second, Kakashi’s head whipped to the side, and he saw Iruka being thrown off his feet, the floor below him crumbling into pieces and falling to the river below.
Iruka could have easily regained his balance, or teleported himself to a part of the room that was still in tact had it not been for one of the servants who decided to attack him just as the explosion occured. Everything happened within a fraction of a second that there was no way for Iruka to dodge the girl’s attack. The scythe ripped through vest, shirt, and flesh, and Iruka was sent flying out of the gaping hole made by the blast. Kakashi felt like his heart would stop when he realized Iruka was falling… falling down to the raging river.
He saw it so clearly, every detail, the splash of blood, the glint of the blade, even the look of horror on Iruka’s face, the look of a man facing certain death. It was like everything was happening in agonizingly slow motion.
Kakashi screamed Iruka’s name.
As Iruka fell towards the river, he thought with some detachment, ‘So this is how I’m going to die.’ Then he heard Kakashi call out his name, and before he realized it, his eyes had watered and tears spilled from his eyes and floated upwards like stars twinkling in the black night.
And just before the torrid waters swallowed him up, for a brief moment, he saw an image that he thought was just conjured up by his imagination…of Kakashi jumping out after him, silver hair fluttering wildly in the wind, and a hand oustreched as if reaching for him. Like a savior in a fairytale.
‘It would have been nice,’ he thought with a small smile, before he hit the water and the horrendous force engulfed him in darkness. A cold darkness he might never wake up from.
9a / 10
Title: Trapped Dolphin (9b/?)
Pairing: Kakashi/Iruka
Rating: NC17! for this chapter, NC17 overall
Warning: Truckloads of Angst, Suicidal tendencies, and at times too much cheese. Read at your own risk.
Summary/ Teaser: “This isn’t a joke, Iruka sensei. I WILL kill you,” Kakashi warned. It was quite chilling to hear Kakashi utter those words. Iruka never imagined for an instant in his life that he would feel the wrath of Konoha’s legendary copy nin..."
“The food’s not bad. Looks like they’re not so stingy after all,” Iruka commented as they began to eat together. They used the small side table to place their trays on and sat on the bed next to each other, Iruka thankful for the little blessing of Kakashi agreeing to wear his pants again.
“Naturally, they finally got what they wanted,” Kakashi said.
“Think of it this way, at least we get to rest a little before we return to Konoha,” Iruka said.
“It’s not like the mission was all that taxing. A team of genins could’ve done the job,” Kakashi said.
“Let’s just be thankful that we did not face any real danger, and we can all go safely home without a scratch on our bodies,” Iruka said.
“I’m just saying, it was soOo anti-climactic,” Kakashi said.
“Better than a mission helping in a farm,” Iruka said with a chuckle.
“Oh, the noisy brat told you about that?” Kakashi asked.
“Yes, *Naruto* told me about it, and how they failed miserably to see what’s under your mask. You should have heard all their expectations, it was so hilarious,” Iruka said with that same sparkle in his eyes every time it was about the blonde-haired boy.
‘Again,’ Kakashi thought with a tinge of jealously. ‘When it’s all about Naruto, he gets so… so… happy,’ he thought. Then, the cogs inside his head started turning and he leaned closer to Iruka. “And… what about you?” Kakashi said. “You’ve seen what’s under my mask. Was I up to your expectations?” he said, taking a slow sip from his cup.
Iruka dared not to turn his head to look at Kakashi. He knew just how close Kakashi was leaning towards him. If he turned his head, his face would be a few inches away from the jounin’s. Even after what they just did, he found the close proximity of the other man to be unnerving. “No,” he replied with conviction.
“Wh-?!” Kakashi was caught off guard and nearly choked on his drink. Oh, now Iruka’s just being cute. “Your so mean,” Kakashi said.
“And you!” Iruka blurted out, as if realization just struck him at that very moment. “Where’d you hide my hairtie again?” Iruka said, brushing off strands of hair that fell to his face.
“I’m not saying a word. I like your hair that way, makes you look more seductive,” Kakashi said.
“Oh no, don’t tell me you have a hair fetish?” Iruka’s face threatened to lose all color.
“What if I do, huh?” Kakashi teased, reaching out to twirl a lock of Iruka’s hair.
Iruka blushed and stood up immediately. “I’m looking for that hairtie right now,” Iruka said.
Kakashi had to laugh at how comical Iruka looked blushing and embarrassed as he sifting through the almost endless pockets in Kakashi’s vest on the floor. He finished his meal and stood up to get dressed. “You finished with that?” he asked Iruka who was still busy looking through the vest.
“Nope. You keep two… oh wait, three volumes of Icha-Icha in your vest?” Iruka asked.
“Hey, those are survival supplies! Now, can I have it back? It’s not there, you know,” Kakashi said.
“Fine, there,” Iruka said, handing the vest to Kakashi.
“Don’t worry, I won’t attack you anymore tonight. At least not until after I meet with the clan leader,” he said, flashing another devious smirk at Iruka before covering his face with his mask.
“Not gonna happen so just go ahead and meet with him. You’re making the client wait!” Iruka said, literally pushing Kakashi out of the door, and shutting it in his face. He turned around to look for his own clothes scattered all over the room, and noticed that Kakashi had left his hip pouch on the floor. Iruka trudged to the said pouch and picked it up. He failed to realize it was open and the contents came spilling out. There were very few standard issue items, such as a couple of bottles of antidotes, a healing balm, and a roll of bandage. Other than that, the pouch was mostly filled with useless stuff… an alarming number of official Icha-icha merchandise such as keychains, button pins, and several collectible cards of the book’s characters in rather obscene poses. There was also a filthy paper shuriken, a wallet designed as a dog head with its tongue sticking out, a couple of suspicious-looking candies that might have been stored in the pouch for too long, a hair tie…
“Ah! Found it!” Iruka said in triumph as he picked the hairtie up. He immediately pulled his hair back and tied it. It was then that he noticed something glint from under all those stuff. He pushed the cards and keychains aside and just stared at the glinting metal. He felt like all the blood was draining from his face, and he couldn’t move.
It was a kunai. And not just any kunai… his kunai.
He felt the chunks rise up his throat as he picked it up. It looked like any ordinary kunai, but there was no mistaking it. It was his kunai, the very same one he used to slash himself over and over again, and the same kunai he used to defend himself during the test. He didn’t know what to think, what to do, how to react. “What is Kakashi-sensei doing with this?” he thought aloud. “He knew, he knew it was what I used, and I dropped it fighting him… why did he pick it up, why did he keep it? Is this another joke?” he asked himself.
Then, thoughts of what Kakashi said came back to him…
“…I wasn’t joking when I told you I wanted to help you. I like you. Please, you have to trust me on this.”
“Trust… I have to trust him…” he whispered. He decided to place everything back into the pouch. One by one, he returned every item inside the pouch. When everything else was inside, he looked at the kunai in his hand, and hesitated to put it back. The familiar feel of the handle in his hand, the coldness of the metal, it brought back memories… and it made his wounds itch. The urge to see his blood trickling down his arms returned, and Iruka shut his eyes, forcing himself to stop thinking about the sting of a blade cutting across his skin. “I have to trust him,” he repeated, placing the kunai back into the pouch hastily. “But why is it so hard to do that?” he asked himself, clutching the pouch in his hands.
All this time, Iruka saw Kakashi’s sincerity in his actions, his clingy attitude, his teases, even his touches, his kisses. All of them felt so real to him. It was the first time in a long, long while since he felt that someone actually cared for him, since he felt needed, even loved. Suddenly, it was as if Kakashi had assumed a larger part in his life, and it hurt to even think it was all a lie.
He sat there on the floor, unsure of what to do. He thought for a while, and tried to settle his emotions. Finally, he decided. “There must be a logical explanation,” he said. “I have to ask him about this,” he said before he dressed up hastily and left the room in search of Kakashi.
Meanwhile, Kakashi was in a dimly lit room, waiting for the clan leader. It was the same room where they first met the clan leader, and looking around, he noticed for the first time that there were doors leading to a balcony on the other side, much like the ones at their rooms. There were also satin-covered pillows and gold-colored ropes hanging from the ceiling at the place where the clan leader sat previously. It was like a throne, and the said throne was still empty, much to Kakashi’s annoyance. ‘Damn it, I could still be with Iruka right now. I thought the clan leader was the one who needed to talk to me.’ he thought. Then, as if answering Kakashi’s thoughts, the clan leader arrived with a couple of servant girls in tow. Kakashi was alarmed to see them carrying the scroll inside the room. ‘Is something wrong with it?’ Kakashi thought.
“Good evening, how are you enjoying your stay?” the clan leader asked.
“Well enough,” Kakashi replied. “What is it that you want to talk to me about? I’m positive we got the right scroll.”
“Oh yes, yes you did, and we are very thankful for your services,” the clan leader replied. Kakashi’s narrowed his eyes. Something was off. He couldn’t have been brought here, alone, if only to thank him for a job well done. “In fact, we are very grateful you’ve made the job a whole lot easier for us,” the old man said, and in that instant Kakashi’s instincts kicked in and he stood in alarm when the leader took the scroll into his hands.
“What job would that be?” Kakashi asked. If it was just the old man and the two servants, he could take them on, no problem. Iruka and the others were nearby as well.
“Why, finally putting an end to our rival clan, of course,” he said.
It was at that time that Iruka walked in the room with a confused expression on his face. He heard what the leader said, and he sensed something fishy was going on as well, if Kakashi’s elevated chakra was any indication. “What do you mean?” Iruka asked.
“Oh so glad you could join us,” the old man greeted in false amiability. “Very interesting thing, this scroll,” he began, turning the scroll over in his hands. “Our clan has been trying to steal this for a long time now, and thanks to you, we now have the Platino clan treasure in our hands.”
“What?!” Iruka blurted out, unable to hide his surprise. “Kakashi-sensei!” He called out and looked at Kakashi in alarm and was surprised that he looked calm and composed despite his flaring chakra.
“You’ve been trying to steal it for a long time? Boy, your guys sure are weak. We could’ve done it with blindfolds, with our hands and feet bound, and with a rabid dog tied to our neck,” Kakashi answered, and it visibly irked the old man.
“I don’t think you are in any position to be so cocky,” the clan leader said through gritted teeth.
“Oh I think I can. We stole the treasure from the real owners, and we can take it back just as easily,” Kakashi said.
“Is that so? I’m sorry to shatter your illusions, but I’m afraid there’d be no taking the treasure back. In fact, I don’t think any one of you could ever set foot out of this house alive,” the leader threatened.
“You don’t seem to realize it, but you made a grave mistake when you chose to hire us. No one gets away with tricking Konoha shinobis,” Kakashi said.
“Kakashi-sensei! We should warn Genma-san and Yuiko-san!” Iruka interjected. His heart was pounding so hard; he can’t help but worry about their comrades.
“Your companions? I’m afraid they’re preoccupied as of now. Despite what you think, we DO have skilled fighters in our ranks,” he said, and as if to prove his point, loud noises sounded through the house, like that of breaking glass and of a body being violently thrown to the wall.
“Don’t worry about them, Iruka,” Kakashi said in an attempt to keep Iruka calm. “They can hold their own.”
“I wouldn’t worry about them right now. You see---“
“You’re starting to piss me off, old man,” Kakashi said, and this time there was no jesting in his voice. “Just get on with whatever you’re planning. We all know it’s not gonna work.”
The old man was fuming now. “You want to die so badly? Then I shall grant your wish. Tell me, oh dear ninjas of Konoha…” he said as he peeled the first few inches of the scroll, “…what is it you fear the most?” he asked, and in one swift movement, he unfurled the scroll and the room was filled with a bright light.
“That’s impossible!” Iruka exclaimed. ‘They couldn’t have broken the seal so quickly. Unless, they lied about that too,’ he thought. For a moment, the light blinded Iruka and he did not know what to do. What if they HAD broken the seal, and they were now trapped in an inescapable illusion? ‘It doesn’t matter!’ Iruka thought, ‘I’ve lived in fear all my life, there’s nothing this illusion can show me that will scare me as much,’ he thought.
Seeing the bright light from outside, Yuiko and Genma ran towards the room, having disposed of their opponents. When they reached the room, they could not see anything but white everywhere.
Once the light subsided, the four ninjas were surrounded by guards- and not the ones that can go down with one hit.
“Come, let me show you the meaning of fear!” the old man said.
“Not a chance,” Kakashi scoffed, and in the blink of an eye, he was in front of the clan leader, holding a kunai to his throat. “Now just hand over that scroll and we’ll be going on our way,” he said, his voice low and menacing. The copy-nin was all business now.
For a moment, the clan leader was visibly shaken, but he composed himself. “You think you can kill me with your parlor tricks?” he asked, and with that, the servant girls standing on either side of him whipped out scythes and slashed at Kakashi, taking the ninja by surprise. Kakashi leapt backwards and before his feet even touched the ground, Iruka dashed toward the clan leader. He lunged forward, narrowly escaping two scythes that sliced through the air. The chuunin knocked one girl away with a roundhouse kick and the other with a lunge punch before he reached his hand out to grab the scroll.
Everything happened in mere seconds. Iruka’s fingertips had barely touched the scroll, and Kakashi’s feet had just touched ground when pandemonium erupted in a blur of punches and kicks, blows and strikes enough to fracture bones and send bodies flying everywhere.
The guards came at the four ninjas from every direction. Iruka withdrew his hand immediately when a guard dared to kick him from behind. He whipped around and caught the man’s foot in one hand, twisted it in an uncomfortable angle, and flung the man towards another couple of guards on the attack. The chuunin blocked a punch to his face with his arm and knocked a knife out of a guard’s hand with his other elbow.
On any other time, the sickening sounds of breaking bones and tearing flesh would have made Iruka flinch, but he was busy dodging blows and sharp objects to really be worried about anything else. In a split second, he saw a glimpse of silver hair as it disappeared behind the numerous guards before said guards were sent flying to the opposite wall hard enough to crack concrete and human sculls.
As Iruka defended himself against the guards, he stole quick glances at his comrades just to see how they were faring. The guards were by no means more skilled then any one of them. Simple ninjutsu could take them out, but their sheer number worked well to their favor. Iruka was worried about his companions. He couldn’t help it.
His eyes quickly scanned the scene. He already saw Kakashi and those poor souls who dared to attack him. He now looked for the other two, and found Genma on the other side of the room hauling two men up by their collars and throwing them against the surrounding guards. And near him was Yuiko, and for a moment Iruka was worried about their only female team member. However, as soon as he saw Yuiko knee a guard in the crotch so violently that it could send shivers down any man’s spine, Iruka was convinced he had nothing to worry about but his own hide.
Iruka caught a man’s arm and threw him over his shoulder where he landed right in front of the clan leader. He looked at the old man’s face and found him looking on safely and smiling. ‘What the heck is he smirking for?’ Iruka thought. Sure enough, his guards were losing. Their numbers were dwindling and all four Konoha shinobis were far from exhausted.
Then a scythe swooshed right in front of his face, missing him by a mere inch as he leaned backwards. He almost forgot about those pesky girls and their scythes. He leapt backwards as the servant girls focused their attentions on him once more. They were skilled, probably more so than almost all the guards in the room, and before Iruka knew it, his back met the cold wall that separated the room from the balcony outside. He was cornered. The girls struck again simultaneously and Iruka just barely dodged them. Both servants raised their scythes once more, ready to strike, but was knocked to the side by a guard’s lifeless body thrown at them purposefully.
Iruka looked at the direction where the unexpected help came from, and saw Kakashi giving him a wave. “You needed a hand,” Kakashi managed to call out to Iruka even as he was fighting off several rather feisty guards. Iruka managed to smile a little as he began exchanging blows with guards, as the scythe-wielders were currently incapacitated.
Within moments, every guard left standing was dealt with. The floor was lined with bodies of nameless guards, either unconscious or dead.
“Give up, old man,” Kakashi said, throwing the lifeless body of a guard to the side. “These were just a bunch of lowlifes who can’t even fight. Too bad your illusion didn’t work.”
“Oh? I won’t be too sure of that,” the clan leader said with an ominous grin. Just then, the servant girls stood up somewhat shakily from where they were thrown. One of the girls walked to the old man’s side. “You must have noticed, this whole house is built on top of a cliff,” He said before he snapped his fingers, and the servant beside him pulled one of the ropes hanging from the ceiling. There was a huge explosion from the balcony and Kakashi was horrified when he realized the exposion had been fatally near where Iruka stood.
In that split second, Kakashi’s head whipped to the side, and he saw Iruka being thrown off his feet, the floor below him crumbling into pieces and falling to the river below.
Iruka could have easily regained his balance, or teleported himself to a part of the room that was still in tact had it not been for one of the servants who decided to attack him just as the explosion occured. Everything happened within a fraction of a second that there was no way for Iruka to dodge the girl’s attack. The scythe ripped through vest, shirt, and flesh, and Iruka was sent flying out of the gaping hole made by the blast. Kakashi felt like his heart would stop when he realized Iruka was falling… falling down to the raging river.
He saw it so clearly, every detail, the splash of blood, the glint of the blade, even the look of horror on Iruka’s face, the look of a man facing certain death. It was like everything was happening in agonizingly slow motion.
Kakashi screamed Iruka’s name.
As Iruka fell towards the river, he thought with some detachment, ‘So this is how I’m going to die.’ Then he heard Kakashi call out his name, and before he realized it, his eyes had watered and tears spilled from his eyes and floated upwards like stars twinkling in the black night.
And just before the torrid waters swallowed him up, for a brief moment, he saw an image that he thought was just conjured up by his imagination…of Kakashi jumping out after him, silver hair fluttering wildly in the wind, and a hand oustreched as if reaching for him. Like a savior in a fairytale.
‘It would have been nice,’ he thought with a small smile, before he hit the water and the horrendous force engulfed him in darkness. A cold darkness he might never wake up from.
9a / 10