Divided Loyalty

A/N: This is a sequel to my story Questionable Loyalty. While I hope that it’ll be read by people who read the first fic, I also hope, a little bit, that some new people might begin to read this one too. Since I doubt that many (no people? :D) people might be tempted to go back and read all the 60 (sixty DX) chapters of Questionable Loyalty, I decided to try and summarize it so that I can try and explain the concept of this current fic.

In Questionable Loyalty Kakashi was captured by Kisame and Itachi and brought to Amegakure. Once there, Pein struggled to recruit him to work for Akatsuki, explaining his goals. That didn’t work out all that well until Itachi told Kakashi of his secret – the true reasons behind the Uchiha massacre. Kakashi was properly horrified that the ruling class of Konoha was capable of such monstrosity and agreed to help. In the mean time, the relationship between him and Pein-Nagato began to develop and they slowly fell in love – two very lonely people, sharing similar pasts of loss. (Konan, before you asked, was poisoned by Madara before the start of the story, because he deemed her influence on Nagato unhealthy.)

Kakashi’s assistance to Akatsuki consisted of, initially, discovering medical information about Naruto’s seal, and later oni taking him out of Konoha to deliver him to Akatsuki. To that end, once he returned to Konoha, he seduced Iruka so that he can obtain the password to Naruto’s medical files.

Later, despite his doubts and guilt because of lingering loyalty to Minato and his feelings for Iruka, he lead Naruto out of Konoha, supposedly to deliver him to Nagato, only to discover that Madara has purposefully revealed his treason to the Hokage by sending her an incriminating tape of Kakashi having sex with Nagato (and Itachi and Kisame too. I am kinky, okay?). His motives for doing so were similar to his motives to kill Konan – Kakashi managed to convince Nagato that practically nuking a city filled with civilian population would lead to the Hidden Villages uniting against him and Ame, rather than bringing about world peace. Instead he proposes attacking the Villages military bases and operations.

So Kakashi was captured, imprisoned, tortured and raped by furious ANBU operatives. Nagato discovered that his lover was captured and attacks Konoha, the events unfolding similarly to the manga. Naruto and Nagato fight, Naruto won, managed to convince Nagato to abandon his ways. Nagato returned to life those he had killed (save Jiraiya) but rather than dying he transferred his soul completely into Yahiko’s body. Him, Naruto and Iruka manage to rescue Kakashi from his prison and he fled with the Jounin, who was severely injured. In the meantime, Minato waoke up in the forest where the fight between Nagato and Naruto took place, released from the seal after Kyuubi almost escaped when Naruto lost control.

That’s about it.

CHAPTER 1


The man hadn’t bothered to prepare him all that well before he shoved himself in his body, too fast, too harsh and too clumsy to actually bring any pleasure to Nagato. That suited him just fine – he was bent over, on his hands and knees, on the dirty sheets of a bed in an old, decrepit motel in the outskirts of one of the many nameless cities he and Kakashi had been drifting through for the past eighteen months. The man on top of him grunted like a hog as he pounded away, his stubby fingers clutching at his slim hips hard enough to bruise. Nagato winced and closed his eyes, trying to block the intense discomfort and ignore the unpleasant smell of cheap beer that was on his partner’s breath.

His client was a middle-aged civilian with a balding spot and the beginnings of a paunch, dressed in the white shirt, dark tie and pants of a middle-class salary-man. That was the type Nagato preferred – not particularly fit, with enough money to pay for his services. He might’ve lost the larger portion of his power, but Yahiko’s body was strong and well-built, and even if Taijutsu had never been Nagato’s strong point, he was more than capable of fighting off a client like that, should he decide to cause trouble.

The man on top of him was moaning as if someone was killing him, his thrusting becoming fast and erratic and Nagato resisted the urge to roll his eyes in annoyance as a particularly hard jab pushed his face into the headboard. He was going to be very sore once this was over.

“Yes, oh, yes!” the client grunted and Nagato felt him spasming on top of him, then collapsing on his back. His hands gave out under the heavy weight and he fell over, grunting with annoyance as he tried to crawl away from under the other man. Finally, the client got the presence of mind to roll over and reach for his wallet, handing him several bills.

“Here’s the rest of your fee. You’re pretty good.”

‘Am I supposed to be flattered by this or something?’ Nagato wondered but only smiled lasciviously at the man.

“Thank you.”

“Do always work that corner? I’ll come by next week again.”

Nagato nodded and looked away – there was no need to tell his guy that neither he, nor Kakashi would be in this city by the end of this week. He got up from the bed and headed for the bathroom.

“I’ll take a shower if you don’t mind.”

“Go ahead.” The man mumbled sleepily.

The bathroom door closed behind Nagato and he glanced at his disheveled reflection in the cracked mirror – pale face with dark circles around his tired blue eyes, the scars of the piercings carefully concealed with make up, his usual shock of ginger-hair dyed to a less conspicuous dark-blond colour. His body was covered in bruises, some bright and dark, others a mottled greenish-yellow colour. Being a red-head, Yahiko had always bruised easily, there was no reason for this to change just because Nagato inhabited that body now.

He sighed and looked away, moving stiffly towards the shower-stall, ignoring the dark-green spots of mould on the dirty walls. At least the client had worn a condom – he hated the sensation of stale come sliding down his thighs after a trick. The warm water relaxed him a little and soothed the soreness in his muscles but it also reminded him just how exhausted he was.

When he deemed himself sufficiently clean, he turned off the shower and walked out of the bathroom, wrapping a robe around his slender hips, only to discover that his client was fast asleep on the bed. Only a fool fell asleep with a prostitute still present in the room and his wallet within easy access, but this was only fortunate for Nagato. There was something else he wanted from this man and it wasn’t money. In fact, he had counted on him falling asleep like that.

Quietly, Nagato walked up to the bed and looked down at the sleeping man, then slowly, carefully, leaned over him, his blue eyes focusing on his throbbing jugular. Yes, just what he wanted. He had gone for almost a week now with no new blood and dangerous exhaustion had begun to set in.

He was careful, very careful when he closed his mouth over the vein, his teeth creating a pair of small holes, just enough for the precious fluid to seep through. He drank greedily, feeling warmth spreading through his body as it replenished what he had lost for the past week. When he was done he licked them clean and used what little medical jutsu he knew to start the healing. In the morning, the man would feel sore, tired and would have a pair of what appeared to be insect bites on his throat, but otherwise he wouldn’t be worse for wear.

Nagato pulled back and stared down at the man for a few more seconds before he walked to the other side of the bed, dropped the towel and pulled his clothes on. He still had work to do that night.

Ten minutes later he was walking down a barely lit street of a neighbourhood that was about as decrepit as the motel where he had brought his client, his footsteps echoing in the still night. The sky had been heavy with clouds during the day and almost no starlight or moonlight penetrated through the thick cover. He didn’t mind all that much – he was perfectly capable of defending himself from random thugs and the darkness covered his form from the prying eyes of hunter nins. One never knew when they were watching.

Finally, he reached his destination – a small drug store that sold all sorts of medicines without wanting prescription. The bell atop the front door chimed when he opened it and the man behind the counter looked up, squinting at him behind his thick glasses.

“You’re here again.”

Nagato nodded.

“The same?”

Another nod.

Without any more questions, the man took a small box from one of the many shelves behind him and handed it to Nagato.

“Painkillers and muscle-relaxants.” He took the money. Nagato pocketed the box.

“You’ve been buying these for a few weeks now, but you don’t seem like you need such.” The man commented as he was about to leave.

“Is this any of your business?” Nagato asked quietly, turning to look at him. “I don’t pay you to ask me questions.”

The man shrugged.

“I am just concerned. This is pretty powerful stuff – whoever needs it is in serious amount of pain and should see a doctor.”

“Thank you for your advice. I shall take your words into consideration.” Nagato answered with tone so serious that it was obvious that it was fake. The man shrugged again.

“Suit yourself.”

After another trip to a grocery store, Nagato trudged tiredly towards the place he and Kakashi occupied for the moment - a single room on the third floor in a tenant building close by. The place was rundown, filled with people on the verge of homelessness, but as long as he paid the meager rent, the landlord didn’t bother them.

Kakashi’s desperate need for extensive treatment, along with the fact that he had to pay to black market doctors had quickly depleted whatever funds Nagato had. It was very difficult to keep a decent, legal job, considering how often he had to move and just how connected even civilian jobs were in the ninja society. Its tentacles seemed to have permeated every part of civilian life, and considering the fiasco in Konoha, Nagato was one of the most wanted men in the world. It was a matter of time before someone recognized him, or Kakashi, if they stayed in one place for too long. So they drifted, from town to town, as difficult it was to travel with someone in Kakashi’s condition. Kakashi wasn’t capable of working so it fell to Nagato to support them. Unwilling to become a thief, even in these desperate times, he began to do what he had done so many years ago in order to survive.

It still hurt, he realized, it still humiliated him and made him feel like trash, lower than the low, little more than a piece of meat to his clients. What hurt even more though, was the fact that he had gone back to square one, gone back to what he had sworn he’d never become again – a homeless drifter who sold his body to survive. That fact stung terribly.

He climbed up the stairs of the tenant building, ignoring the sounds he heard through the thin walls – moaning, yelling, children crying, a man talking to himself – and tried to unlock the front door as quietly as possible. It was well past 2 a.m., Kakashi was probably asleep by now. Nagato silently tiptoed inside, only to see that his lover was sitting on their bed, the bedside lamp turned on, its yellowish glow illuminating the small room.

“I thought you were sleeping.” Nagato chided gently.

Kakashi gave him a small, sad smile, so unlike the brilliant, warm grins he used to give him.

“Nightmares.” He responded softly. Nagato looked away and swallowed. When Kakashi was seated, he looked almost normal. It was when he got up and tried to walk the true extent of the damage became visible.

He put the grocery paper bag on the table in the middle of the room.

“I brought you saury.” Nagato said and offered him a small paper bag filled with grilled pieces of fish. “I know how much you like it.”

Kakashi looked happy, or as happy as he was capable of looking these days, when he saw the treats. He reached and carefully wrapped crooked, stiff fingers around the paper bag, then struggled to open it, as difficult it was. Nagato wanted to help him, more than anything, but he knew that to do so would only make things worse. Kakashi needed to feel at least a little bit independent, even if it was only an illusionary notion. He knew that the former Jounin was deeply depressed over his inability to help with money, not to mention the fact that he could barely wash himself without help, that his stiff fingers couldn’t even handle the buttons of his own shirt.

Finally, he managed to open the bag began to munch on one of the pieces of fish, a look of delight warming his features.

“You like it?” Nagato asked hopefully. Kakashi nodded.

“It’s delicious. Thank you.” Suddenly he looked up. “This is expensive fish, where did you get the money for that?”

Nagato paused in arranging the groceries in the small fridge the room had.

“I got paid tonight. I thought to bring you a little treat.”

“At your job, at the carwasher?”

Nagato nodded without turning back.

“Thank you.” Kakashi said again softly.

More often than not Nagato wondered if his lover actually knew what he did to keep them afloat. He never told him, not once, too ashamed of himself and too afraid of Kakashi’s reaction to confess this to him. However, he knew that the other man was no fool, the trauma he had gone through didn’t change that. He wondered if Kakashi suspected something, but out of love, or gratitude, or some other emotion, chose to look the other way when Nagato came home stiff and sore and with finger-marks on his hips and bitemarks on his neck but with a bag of food in his hands.

Look the other way was only a figure of speech though – when Nagato did come home like that Kakashi always noticed and grew quiet and sad, but not angry. He helped Nagato, as much as he could, to wash, then curled up like a puppy in his arms when they went to bed to sleep.

And after they fled Konoha, sleeping was the only thing they did together in a bed. At first Kakashi had been too hurt physically to be able to take part in anything intimate, and afterwards… Afterwards Nagato was too afraid that he would only hurt him if he tried to touch him this way. Hurting him, making Kakashi fear him was the last thing he wanted, so he refrained from touching him that way, and the other man made no attempt to start anything on his own.

He heard the paperbag rustling – Kakashi must’ve finished the fish. Nagato took out the small box containing a bottle full of pills.

“I brought you your medicine.” He said as he handed the box to Kakashi. “Let me get you a glass of water. He went to the sink and filled a cracked porcelain cup as he listened to Kakashi struggle with the lid. When the bottle was finally uncapped, he returned and gave him the cup, releasing it only after he was sure that his lover’s fingers were safely wrapped around the vessel. He watched Kakashi take a small white pill and reached to caress soft silver hair.

“Go to bed now, love. I’ll join you in a moment.”


Many miles away from that tenant building, two men sat in a makeshift tent in the middle of an improvised camp. Outside, they could hear the sounds of construction work – the rebuilding of Konoha, devastated by Pein’s attack and afterwards by the civil war that had erupted when a large part of the Jounins had rebelled against Danzo, went for twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. The villagers worked in shifts, determined to rebuild their lives, and their homes, once again.

“You’re determined to go then.” Naruto grumbled angrily as he sipped from a cup of tea – it was a watery, bland brew, but that was all they had for the moment, so he had to put up with that.

His father nodded, sitting cross-legged on a pillow across him.

“Yes. I want, no, I need to find him. He was my student, and I am still responsible for him.”

Naruto looked down at the depths of his cup, noting with distaste that the tea was so weak that all the colour it had was a faint yellowish tinge.

“I thought you’d stay to claim the Hokage role.”

Minato reached and put his hand on his son’s shoulder.

“This is your job now. You are ready.”

The young man didn’t become any happier. Minato continued:

“Naruto, I am not abandoning you. I have never abandoned you, not even when I sealed Kyuubi. You know that.”

“Yes… I do. I just…” the younger blonde struggled with the words and Minato scooted closer, hugging him gently.

“Son, you have always made me proud. Especially now, when you led our people in a struggle against tyranny and war-mongering and helped us win that fight.”

“Your advice was invaluable.” Naruto muttered against his father’s shoulder. “I just wished that you’d let the villagers know you’re alive.”

“We’ve spoken about this already. Nothing good would come out of that. It’s time for the new generation to take the reigns. As I said, you are more than capable of doing that.”

Finally Naruto sighed and conceded.

“So you have decided it then. You’ll go after Kakashi?”

Minato nodded gravely.

“Yes. Him, unlike you, I abandoned many years ago. That is one mistake I need to rectify.”