Questionable Loyalty

CHAPTER 13







Kakashi did spend the next several days at a nearby onsen, more for appearance’s sake, rather than trying to relax, since no amount of soaking in hot mineral water and good food could have a better effect than what Pein had done to him at the end of their mental conversation. The full mind-meld had left him breathless and blissfully serene – the closest thing to happy he had been for months now.



The inn next to the hot springs was nice – clean and with well-trained staff, not to mention the excellent food – and under other circumstances Kakashi would’ve enjoyed his stay there more. However, the fact that he had to spend that time alone was depressing and slowly sapped his good mood. Towards the end of his stay the old worries returned, and now there was a new one even.



Iruka. The young Chuunin was constantly on his mind. Kakashi faced a dilemma – seduce the young man, find everything they needed to know about Naruto from him or look for another way to achieve that goal. Seducing him would be an efficient way, Kakashi knew that. Even if Iruka was a Chuunin, he was still rather inexperienced when it came to the plotting and intrigues spun by the higher-ranked nins. He had spent most of his life in the village, teaching children, and whatever missions he had taken had been particularly complex, even if they had been dangerous. Even if he spent some of his time serving in the mission room and as Tsunade’s assistant, Kakashi knew that there was a big difference between reading reports and going on the actual missions. Simply put, Iruka had been sheltered from the real world his whole life, and that made him an excellent target.



On the other hand, if he went through with the plan, if he seduced and bedded the young man, Pein would be hurt. He wouldn’t show it, he’d appreciate the information found that way, but he would be hurt, and knowing him he’d believe that it was his responsibility that Kakashi had done that. For all his ruthlessness, the Akatsuki leader was attached to his employees, he cherished them and cared for them, or at least, for most of them, as if they were his own family. Kakashi smiled at the memory of watching Pein lecturing Itachi about goading Deidara… only to round on the blonde afterwards and give him a similar lecture. In the end Kakashi had almost expected him to tell them to kiss and make up. Sometimes he acted more like a harried single mother with a whole litter of children rather than the heartless leader of a brutal rebel organization. It was most amusing.



The second option was to simply take things slower with the Chuunin, become his friend, a good, close, trusted friend, and then use that friendship against him. That plan several large holes in it, however. As sheltered and inexperienced Iruka was, he was no fool, and most of all, he was a professional. Kakashi knew that he, personally, would never let his tongue loose around his friends about classified missions, not even in front of Gai. It was safe to assume that Iruka was the same, and considering just how close to the Hokage he was, Kakashi was sure that he knew how to be discrete and keep his mouth shut. There was no guarantee that Iruka would ever talk to him under such circumstances. The other plan also offered no guarantees, but a man ruled by his heart or by his genitals, at least, was prone to make mistakes.



Then there was the fact that their time was slowly running out. Sooner or later, the other Hiden Villages would sense the danger they were in and unite against them, and regardless of Pein’s power, Amegakure simply couldn’t stand on its own against such a unified force. The bijuu were almost gathered and that had already made everyone quite nervous and suspicious. Akatsuki would need the Kyuubi very, very soon and it was up to Kakashi to provide it. He had to act now and produce results quickly.



Decision made, the Jounin pulled the folded towel off his forehead and sharply rose from the hot pool, determined to leave the Onsen that same day and return to Konoha. He had work to do. He had remember why he did what he did.







For the next several several weeks after talking with the man in the tea house, Kakashi walked around Amegakure and spoke with many people, hearing the same story repeated over and over again, with various degrees of adoration for the “Great Pein-sama”. Along with the story of his coming to power he also learned countless tales of horrific abuse, violence, poverty, disease, famine, loss… Some of those tales made him come close to actually lose control over his stomach, despite the years of experience he had as Jounin.



However, if anything, all those tales simply served to confuse him more – how could a man who so clearly cared for his people, who obviously possessed a strong sense of justice – considering Ame’s current judicial system – how could such a man be capable at the same time of acts so monstrous. And why that man was leading Akatsuki? What was the organization’s true goal?



All those questions kept him awake at night and he grew more and more restless as the days went by without seeing any sign of Kisame or any other Akatsuki agent for that matter. They seemed to have simply vanished in thin air. So, naturally, he was quite surprised to wake up one morning and find the large Mist nin simply standing in his room and watching him. How had he gotten in without Kakashi sensing him? Admittedly, he had fallen asleep in the wee hours of the morning, after tossing and turning all night, but he couldn’t have been that exhausted… could he?



Kisame looked at the bruised circle around Kakashi’s uncovered eye and smiled sardonically.



“Asking you if you slept well seems a bit redundant.”



Kakashi resisted the urge to yawn and grumbled:



“What do you want?”



Kisame leaned back against the wall and spread his hands in a placating gesture:



“Pein-sama wishes to speak with you.” He gave the man on the bed a once-over. “After you shower and have something to eat. You’re going to be having a serious conversation, I assume, so it’d be good for you to have your wits about you.”



“So, your… Leader” Kakashi spat the word derisively “finally decided to grace me with his presence and explain why I’m here?”



The large man’s golden eyes narrowed threateningly:



“Do use more respectful tone and language when you meet him. He really dislikes bad manners.”



‘As if I care what my jailor likes or dislikes…’ Kakashi thought sullenly but refrained from voicing his opinion.



“Very well. I’ll go and meet him.” He said, paused and then asked “Where?”



Kisame grinned with genuine mirth at him.



“I’ll wait for you down in the kitchen and when you’re done eating I’ll bring you to Pein-sama.” And with that, he left.



After a short hesitation Kakashi left the warmth of his bed and went to the bathroom. While he washed and showered he wondered about Kisame had told him, apprehension slowly building. He was no fool, he had begun to suspect days ago why he was treated more like a guest and less like a prisoner… and why this Pein was allowing him to roam around his village.



When he went down to the kitchen he was treated with a sight that he had imagined earlier and then had dismissed as an absurd thought – the large nin was cooking something at the stove, having wrapped a flowerly housewife apron around his massive frame. The garment apparently wasn’t made for someone of his size… or of his gender, for that matter.



Kakashi stared at him for a few moments, then pointed and asked:



“Don’t you have one that goes with your uniform?”



“No.” Kisame answered without turning around, apparently well-aware what Kakashi was talking about. “Only our underwear was custom made like that.”



That produced another strange mental image. Kakashu rubbed his eye and muttered:



“I’m sorry I asked.”



He sat behind the table and watched the huge man cook – he seemed comfortable in that environment, apparently having done this many times before.



“I can cook for myself, you know. At least I’d be sure it isn’t poisoned or drugged.” The Jounin groused.



“It’s for Itachi-san, actually.” Was the calm answer.



“You cook for him?” Kakashi asked. When he got no answer he continued “I assume you were the one who wore the wedding gown then.”



The large man paused, stiffened and slowly turned around. His usually amiable expression was replaced with a frosty, furious look.



“Be careful, Kakashi-san. You are threading on dangerous ground.”



Kakashi wasn’t about to back down, suddenly feeling sick of this entire charade.



“I have been held in the headquarters in the most dangerous organization that has threatened the status quo between the Hidden villages in decades. Of course I AM threading on a dangerous ground.”



He stood up, went to the fridge and opened it, grabbing the first thing he saw inside – a large green apple and turned to Kisame.



“And I am sick of this. Of all of this. Weren’t you going to be taking me to your boss?”



The amiable expression was back in Kisame’s face, but his eyes glinted dangerously.



“After I am done cooking this and find someone to bring it to my partner.” He turned back to the stove. “And get something more substantial than an apple.”



About half an hour later, Kisame finally told him he was ready to bring him to Pein. Kakashi silently followed him out of the kitchen and into the elevator. The Mist nin pressed the button for the floor Kakashi’s room was on and the doors closed. They rode in silence and when they arrived, the large man led him to a portion of empty wall in one of the side corridors. Several hand-seals later, a panel opened and Kakashi saw a similar elevator, or what he assumed was an elevator – as there were no buttons on any of the walls. They got in and Kisame took out a plaque from an inner pocket and fitted in the wall, then his hands gathered for more seals. Several glowing symbols appeared on the plaque and the elevator began to move. When it finally stopped, Kakashi estimated that they were at the top, or almost at the top, of the huge tower. The double doors of the elevator opened with a slight hiss and Kisame led him through a doorless corridor, their steps echoing through the empty space. Bright lights were situated at even differences, illuminating the polished dark stone which covered the walls, floor and ceiling. At the end of it, there was another double door which opened at their approached. Kisame stopped at the threshold and gestured to Kakashi to go in. Afterwards, he stepped back and the doors closed behind the jounin’s back.



Kakashi looked forward and realized that he was in a large, almost empty hall, its entire walls covered with glass, giving a panoramic view of the sprawling village around them. At the far end of it, there was a desk that looked like a solid block of polished steel, and behind it sat the red-head who had so easily dealt with him all those days ago.



When Kakashi slowly approached him, Pein leaned back in his high-backed chair and asked:



“So… How do you find Amegakure no Sato, Kakashi-san?”