Into the Fire

A/N: First, many thanks to everyone who has been following this fic . . . I truly appreciate it!!! I never thought this pairing would make it to 5000 hits, and it’s not even close to the end.

To my reviewers - double thanks!! I enjoy hearing what you think . . . good and bad, and I do listen (muse doesn’t, but I have no control over her whims).

Belladonna_LaMorte - I appreciate your sticking with this. Ibiki/Kakashi squicked me too when I started my first story with the pairing (Matchmaker), but I’d painted Ibiki in such a bad light I’d promised a fic where he was the good guy. Once I got into it I found I actually preferred Ibi/kashi to Kaka/iru (although basically I like kashi with everyone . . . even if I am usually terribly cruel to him). Orochimaru . . . well, that was muse’s idea and since she destroyed my outline I’m not exactly sure what will become of it!

Shadoerunner - Thank you for your kind words. I’ve never written orochimaru before . . . but I try to keep things character driven . . . and that means looking underneath and putting reasons on why the characters act the way they do.


Chapter Nineteen

Kakashi burrowed closer to the enticing warmth, stubbornly ignoring his brain’s insistence that he pay attention, now. Ibiki’s not complaining, he thought with satisfaction, maybe we can sleep in today . . . his train of thought fizzled out when the memories of where and who he was with came rushing back. Just then the sannin turned his head and blinked open sleepy amber eyes. “Good morning pretty.” he whispered, “What’s going through that head of yours?”

“Why me?” the copy-nin managed to croak even as his brain berated him for his graceless response.

“I believe I was the first boy sensei loved.” Orochimaru replied absently, “Although obviously I wasn’t the last. I begged him to stop . . . instead he told me I was special, praised me, taught me things he didn’t teach my teammates. I felt . . . powerful.” The sannin paused briefly, face wrinkling in displeasure before continuing, “When I turned seventeen I walked in on him with another boy. When I asked him to tell me why, sensei merely said I was too old for such things. But I didn’t want to be . . . I didn’t want to give up my place.”

“So you began searching for the immortality jutsu.” Kakashi murmured as understanding hit.

“Indeed . . . along the way though, I realized I had all the power I needed . . . without the pain. In fact, you’d be surprised how enjoyable causing others pain can be. I particularly enjoyed watching sensei die.” he continued blithely, although he maintained careful eye contact with the wary mismatched pair studying him. “I have not shared myself with anyone else.” the sannin continued almost hesitantly, “Until last night, that is . . . we are more alike than you realize Kakashi, your pain reminded me of my own . . . so I made sure the pain stopped. What happened after that I certainly didn’t plan, I didn’t know pleasure like that was even possible.”

“And what happens now?” the copy-nin asked warily.

“We eat breakfast.” Orochimaru said with a sad smile before abruptly changing the subject, “I can’t let you go back, you know. Would you stay here with me? I’d hate to have to get rid of you.”

“No pain?” Kakashi pressed.

“No pain, I swear.” the sannin responded without hesitation.

“Yes,” the copy-nin replied gratefully, “I’ll stay with you.” He tentatively leaned over and placed a chaste kiss on the snake summoner’s lips. “I only recently learned about pleasure.” he murmured, “I am looking forward to exploring it in depth.”

“Ah pretty,” Orochimaru sighed, “there are things we need to discuss first.” He turned away and appeared to study the wall intently before finally continuing. “Tsunade will be coming here.” he whispered, “I know how much she’s hurt you . . . but she also has the power to release your chakra.” the sannin temporized. “In any event, I have what she desires most, and she’ll do whatever I require. Which brings me to the other thing we need to talk about. What do you know about my immortality jutsu?”

“You switch your soul with another’s and take their body . . . the process can be repeated indefinitely.” Kakashi answered flatly, “What does that have to do with me . . . are you planning to take over my body?”

“I had thought about it.” Orochimaru admitted reluctantly, “But that was before I met you. Now, though . . . I want you to choose.”

“Choose what?” the copy-nin asked warily.

“Choose my new body.” the snake summoner replied solemnly, “I want it to be pleasing to you. There are three prepared . . . hopefully one will be to your liking.”

Inuzuka Tsume rapped on the door to the Hokage’s office, tapping her foot impatiently as she waited for admittance. “Ah, Tsume, any signs of Shizune?” Iruka asked from behind his desk when the doors finally opened.

“We tracked her to a glade just outside fire country . . . then we lost her scent. She met with someone there, a man . . . he was headed toward Konoha.” Tsume admitted in defeat, “I’m afraid we lost his track just outside the walls.”

“Any sign of Kakashi?” the Hokage probed.

“What happened, I thought Ibiki was retrieving him?” she asked in confusion.

“He did . . . only someone snatched him out of Ibiki’s house.” the former teacher confided, “We have yet to locate where he’s been taken . . . I thought it was worth a try.”

“Let me grab a bite and clean up, then we’ll try to track them from Morino-san’s.” Tsume suggested confidently, “We should at least be able to point you in the right direction.”

“Genma.” Iruka began as soon as the doors swung shut again, “Go fill Ibiki in on Tsume’s report, see if he has any more information on Shizune’s whereabouts.” The Rokudaime smiled tightly before adding, “You should find him downstairs chatting with Tsunade.”

The honey-haired man shivered at the tone of his lover’s voice, shifting his senbon nervously from side to side before squaring his shoulders and heading for the door. “Oh and Gen,” Iruka’s voice rang out just as his hand grasped the knob, “don’t forget you wanted to ask him about what he and Kakashi have been doing.” The tokubetsu turned a blank face toward his lover, only to be met with a wicked smirk and the same rude hand gesture he’d used earlier, “You remember.”

Genma shuddered at the thought, “Ha, ha Ru, very funny.” he replied sarcastically, “I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

Tsunade’s cell was empty, so now Genma was moving from room to room, searching for the whereabouts of the Godaime and her interrogator. Finally, he thought when he heard voices, reaching for the knob and opening it . . . just in time to see the pair he’d been searching for disappear.

Kakashi pressed up tightly against the sannin’s back, grinding his erection into soft cheeks as he bent to whisper in the snake summoner’s ear. “Do we have to talk about this now?” the copy-nin purred, “I wanted to have breakfast.” He easily swept Orochimaru into his arms, striding back to the bed and gracefully depositing his new lover before crawling over the dark haired man and swallowing his erection.

The sannin tried to marshal his thoughts, but every time he got close that wicked tongue distracted him. When a pair of agile fingers slipped inside to rub his prostate Orochimaru gave up the attempt and abandoned himself to the feeling, arching wantonly into the hot mouth avidly devouring him. “Please, please.” he heard himself whine, startled at how needy he sounded.

“Please what?” the copy-nin broke away to whisper, “What do you want?”

“Fill me.” the sannin demanded, morphing into a husky moan as a third finger made its way inside him.

“If it pleases you.” Kakashi husked, easily flipping the snake summoner on his side and lifting one leg onto his shoulder before slowly easing his way into the tight passage. “Sshhh, relax.” the copy-nin soothed as he wrapped an elegant long-fingered hand around the sannin’s pulsing erection, thumb rubbing teasingly just under the head, “I would never hurt you.”

Orochimaru could only whimper and clutch the sheets tightly as the jounin teasingly began a slight rocking motion, the copy-nin’s piercings pressing and rubbing his prostate, sending electric currents rippling up his spine with the slightest movement. “You have no idea how good you feel wrapped around me.” Kakashi groaned as he unconsciously deepened his strokes, “I can’t wait for you to return the favor.”

Amber eyes widened as the sannin twisted to meet his lover’s eyes. “Do you mean that?” he asked in amazement.

“Of course,” the copy-nin purred, “don’t you want to have your wicked way with me?”

“Anything you want.” Orochimaru replied in a daze, leaning forward and capturing plump pnk lips in a long passionate kiss. So intent were the lovers that they never noticed the appearance of a triumphant Tsunade and a shocked Ibiki.
“Kashi?” the interrogator gasped, unable to process the sight of the man he was so enamored with wrapped so intimately around Konoha’s greatest traitor.

“I told you he was a whore.” Tsunade crowed as she wrenched her arm out of the scarred man’s slack grip. “He’ll sleep with anyone.”

Ibiki’s mind was whirling, he couldn’t face the copy-nin now . . . not like this. He quickly made the hand signs and returned to the tower, collapsing onto the hard stone floor of the chamber in front of Genma’s startled eyes.

“Morino-san, what happened?” the honey haired man gasped as he rushed forward to help the interrogator to his feet.

“I need to see the Hokage.” Ibiki gritted out before racing up the stairs, Genma hot on his heels.

“Hokage-sama,” the scarred man began as soon as he burst through the office doors, “I let Tsunade escape and I know where Kakashi is . . . although I wish I didn’t.”

“One thing at a time Ibiki.” Iruka said in an overly calm voice, “Why don’t you start at the beginning . . . would you like a cup of tea? Gen, get Ibiki some tea.” he declared in a no-nonsense tone before turning back to the shell-shocked interrogator. “Ibiki . . .” he crooned, waiting for pained eyes to meet his before continuing, “What did she do?”

“She said she could find Kakashi . . . it was part of the control jutsu, but she needed to access her chakra. I lent her mine instead so I could control the situation.” The scarred man grasped his head in his hands fiercely, as if to wrench the pictures from his mind before continuing. “She said she knew where Kakashi was and she asked if I wanted her to take me there. . . I thought as long as she was chakra blocked we could go, grab ‘kashi and come right back. But . . .” he trailed off, unable to force the words past his suddenly too tight throat.

“Here’s your tea.” Genma supplied helpfully, pushing the fragile cup into the interrogator’s shaking hands.

“Please continue Ibiki.” Iruka urged softly, “You went to get Kakashi and what happened?”

“We appeared in a bedroom, I think it may have been underground. Kakashi was . . . “ the interogator swallowed harshly, “making love to Orochimaru when we arrived. I was . . . upset and let go of Tsunade. The things he was saying, I . . . had to leave and I came back without thinking. I’m so sorry Hokage-sama, I am ready to accept my punishment.”

“Why would I punish you Ibiki?” the Rokudaime wondered, “You were understandably upset by what you saw . . . although I’d urge you not to judge too quickly. Hatake-san is used to coping with this sort of situation, I’m sure he’s just doing what he needs to survive.”

He stood and paced the space in front of his desk, worry furrowing his brow as he turned this new information over in his mind. “Obviously we can’t allow this situation to continue, Hatake-san belongs here in the leaf and Tsunade has more than earned her punishment. Right now though, I’m more worried about you Ibiki.” he declared, coming to a stop in front of the hunched figure and laying a gentle hand on his shoulder. “Please consider staying here and letting us help you forget what you saw.” he offered, motioning Genma over to join them, “Being alone right now will only make things worse.”