The Hunt

He was dead.
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Kakashi found Iruka two days later. He was sprawled in the shadows of the dense foliage of the forest floor. He found his lover lying in a pool of his own blood, staring up at him with unseeing eyes. He heard a cry, an inhuman sound, as he feel to his knees beside Iruka. He futilely pressed his hands against the gaping wound in Iruka’s chest and chocked back a sob as he tried to breathe through his suddenly constricted chest. He felt for a pulse in Iruka’s neck with his blood soaked fingers but he already knew the answer to his search when he looked down into the deadly pale face of his lover.

Iruka was dead.

He had been too late.

Kakashi broke. He screamed as he felt his sharingan eye begin to spin dangerously beneath his haite. As he bent down to pick Iruka up into his arms he stared into the surrounding trees with a murderous look in his visible eye as killing intent rolled off of him in waves. His fury could not be tamed as a red haze began to cover his vision and he gripped the stone cold body tightly in his arms. Then he came back to himself, if only just a little bit and glanced down at Iruka. He felt that unfamiliar tightening in his chest as fell to his knees and cradled Iruka’s body tightly against his chest. He couldn’t hold back the scalding tears anymore as they spilled over his face. He sobbed until his throat felt raw and his body was trembling. All he could think was I never got to say goodbye…

I never said I love you…

Kakashi held Iruka’s body closer to him and gently kissed his forehead as he closed his eyes. He tried to think of something, anything, that could make this event less life shattering, less final. All he could think of were the words that his sensei said to him so many times as a child when he would be ostracized because of his strength.

“It’s only over when you give up. Nothing ends as long as your resolve stays firm.”

Kakashi would not give up, could not give up. He had resolve in spades and he was going to use every bit of it to get his Iruka, his love, back. He held Iruka’s body closer to his own as he stood and began his flight through the trees. Maybe if he could get Iruka back to Konoha…back to the medics, they could do something. He hoped with hope beyond hope that the medics could do something.
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Kakashi made it back to Konoha in record time. He made it back in less than a day by exhausting himself with as many jutsu’s as possible to make the trip faster. Kotetsu and Izumo scrambled to their feet as they saw him pass through to gate but stumbled back in horror when they saw Iruka’s body held tightly against the others chest. They looked up at Kakashi who looked ragged and worn from the quick trip but mentally and physically exhausting trip. They wondered if he had too been injured but neither of them could know he was suffering from a shattered heart.
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There was darkness…nothing but darkness and the smell of…dirt…of earth, where in the world is this?
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Kakashi found Iruka taken from his arms, none too gently, by the head medic and himself shoved into a room at the hospital and strapped to the bed. He struggled, he wanted to stay with Iruka. But the first time he broke through to steel bonds he found himself pinned by Morino Ibiki and sannin strength chakra blockers strapped to his ankles and wrists.

He was strapped like that, with nutrients and liquids being shoved into his system via iv‘s, for three hours. The medics left him and he was once again faced with the scary countenance of Morino Ibiki. He was briefed on the situation and given specific instructions not to bother the medics with Iruka but he could stay at the hospital as long as he did not collapse from exhaustion.

“ You can stay here, Hatake, I know how important this Umino-sensei is to you but the first time anyone sees you waver I am having ANBU escort you home, understood?” Kakashi watched Ibiki as he spoke to him slowly, as if he was a child. All he could do was nod in affirmation and stand slowly. He followed carefully behind Ibiki as he was led to the ICU room Iruka was being treated in.

That was how Kakashi, Hatake Kakashi, the great copy-nin found himself banned from the ICU room and left to pace outside in the hallway like a father in waiting. He waited like that for what seemed like hours with medics scurrying in and out and even the occasional jutsu master walking in then back out with puzzled looks on their faces. This continued until the head medic walked slowly out of the room with his head bowed. He only looked up when Kakashi grabbed him by the shoulders and demanded to know what the hell was going on. The medic looked up at Kakashi with a grim expression before he bowed his head again and said the words that Kakashi never wanted to hear.

“I’m sorry, Hatake-san, there was nothing we could do because-” Kakashi cut the medic off with harsh squeeze of his hands on the medics shoulders and a snap of bone as he growled and pushed the medic away.

“ You’re fucking kidding me, there was nothing you could do? I brought him in, you should be able to do fucking some-” Then Kakashi was cut off by a harsh slap from the medic and looked up into his eyes. His one visible eye showed clear shock.

“ If you would shut up, Hatake-san, I would tell you the reason. Would you like to know the reason?” Kakashi just nodded dumbly as he watched to medics face shift from livid anger to confusion, the same type of confusion he had seen on the jutsu masters face, why are they all confused? “ All right then, Hatake-san, I will tell you. We could not do anything to help Umino san for one simple reason.” The medic took a deep breath and look Kakashi strait in the eye before continuing. “ That is not Umino-san, Kakashi-san.”
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I thought I was dead.
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Kakashi literally stumbled backwards as he heard the words the medic had to say. What? What did he mean? Not Iruka? He tried to voice his words but could only get crackles to come out. He stumbled back again but felt strong hands grip his shoulders before he could fall to the floor. He startled slightly and then struggled to focus as he head Ibiki’s smooth voice flow from behind him.

“ Explain what you mean by this not being Umino-sensei.” The medic jumped and looked scared enough to faint right then and there when he saw that is was the Morino Ibiki who was questioning him. He looked like a fish out of water before he finally managed to begin stuttering out a response.

“Unn…unnooo…” The medic took a deep breath before he started speaking again and then told Ibiki everything he knew in a rush. “When Kakashi-san brought in Umino-san I noticed something off but we rushed him to ICU anyway. Well we worked on him for a few hours before I called in the jutsu masters and they saw what I thought I had seen. They saw that this body is a fake. It’s a very good fake. The same down to every scar so they must have someone with a very superior jutsu. The only way that we could tell that it is fake are a couple minute details. There was sword calluses on his hands and as far as anyone knows Umino san never handled a sword. There was also an abnormality in his blood, a certain chemical that shouldn’t be there that absolutely ruled out that this could be a real body. But I can tell you that this is not Umino-san and that…” The medic took another deep breath before he finished and the words that he said sent that hope beyond hope back into Kakashi’s resolve. “ That our Umino-san may still be alive.”

Iruka might still be alive.
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I’m Alive.
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“It’s only over when you give up. Nothing ends as long as your resolve stays firm.”