Stripped Bare

Hey everyone! The update is finally here! I know a lot of you thought I'd abandoned this fic but that's not the case. I've just been really super busy as well as having an increasing lack of inspiration for this story. Don't worry, I'll finish it, but the words don't come as easily as they used to so the chapters take longer to write.

This chapter has a lot of violence so its definitely not for the young or faint of heart. As always, I don't own Naruto or any of its characters and make zero money off writing this story.

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Stripped Bare-Chapter 23

Kakashi took in the scene before him: tables full of sharpened medical instruments and beakers full of assorted liquids were arranged in the center of the room. Two girls dressed in nurses outfits that seemed better suited to bedroom role play were staring at him blankly, their lack of surprise proving that they were more of Iyashii's walking dead. A dark haired man in a lab coat hovered over some cots at the far end of the room but it was what was on the cots that really had Kakashi's attention.

Four women lay motionless, all with IVs piercing their arms, but rather than a clear solution, something far more sinister was being pumped into their veins. The liquid was a soft shimmering green, no doubt liquid chakra somehow condensed down and mixed with other chemicals. This must be the treatment that drained out the free will of a woman and replaced her soul with the program to obey every command of her master.

There was a girl he didn't recognize, but he could clearly pick out Tsurenai, Miyabi and Sakura. Seeing her like that, helpless when she was normally so strong and capable, only threw wood on the fire of his already burning rage.

He stormed into the room with only one thought. He had to get that needle out of Sakura's arm and get her out of here. He only hoped he wasn't too late and that Sakura's personality remained intact when she opened her eyes...if she opened her eyes.

The man in the lab coat turned as he finished his inspection, only to come face to face with the furious shinobi. His eyes bulged behind the magnifying lenses of his glasses as he gasped in surprise. His shock quickly turned to terror when his eyes looked past Kakashi to see the bloody remains of his master just beyond the door.

"Who are you?" the doctor whimpered, voice growing high and thin with panic. He had nowhere to run with the silver haired man standing between him and the door and his eyes darted around nervously as he searched for a way out.

"I'm the guy you don't want to piss off," Kakashi seethed, advancing slowly on the frightened man. "And since you've gotten my partner involved in your filthy operation, I'm feeling pretty pissed off."

His prey made a pitiful attempt to grab at scalpel on a nearby tray, but Kakashi easily grabbed his wrist painfully tight.

"Girls! Help me!" he wailed, squirming futilely in the shinobi's grasp.

In response to his cries, dull eyes turned from their tasks to fix on the intruder. One picked up a pair of medical scissors and the other an especially large scalpel. Both woman moved toward him quickly with brandished weapons, but their faces conveyed no more emotion than when he had first entered the room.

Kakashi's grip changed from the doctor's wrist to his throat as he slammed him up against the wall with one hand. The first girl that came at him, a pretty blonde, received a kick to the stomach that had her small form reeling backward. She hit her head on the corner of the center island holding various beakers of mysterious liquids and did not get back up. The second he was able to stun with a half powered punch to her flawless face, making her drop her scissors as she instinctively clutched her bleeding nose as she turned away from him. A strike to the back of her neck had the brunette dropping to the floor like a stone, as motionless as the first girl.

Kakashi turned his attention back to his captive and stopped his struggles by tightening his grip on his throat. The shinobi was barely containing his rage, resisting tearing this man's heart right out of his chest only because the deranged doctor still had information to give. As soon as Kakashi found out what he needed to know, the man was as good as dead.

He drew the kunai from his pouch that had so recently killed the master of the estate, his eyes narrowing dangerously as he pressed the blade to the doctor's throat. The man began to wheeze and whimper, eyes wide behind glass lenses as he stuttered out pleas for his life to be spared.

Ignoring his pathetic sniveling, Kakashi spoke, voice cold and hard but trembling every so slightly with the anger that was threatening to boil over. "You are going to get those IVs out of those girls right now and begin the treatment that reverses whatever sick thing you're doing to them."

The doctor's eyes darted toward the cots where the unconscious women lay. "B-but...there is n-no treatment. The process is p-permanent."

The whimpering man suddenly doubled over as Kakashi punched him hard in the gut. He gasped and chocked as he tried to recover from having the wind so violently knocked out of him, but Kakashi soon had him by the throat again and slammed him back up against the wall.

"Don't fuck with me!" the shinobi hissed venomously, his mismatched eyes burning with furious flames. "I'll spill your guts all over the floor right fucking now if you don't come up with an antidote for your twisted little treatment."

Until now, the doctor had been avoiding looking directly into Kakashi's gaze, no doubt frightened by his strange red and black eye. But now he looked his captor straight in the face, voice high and thin and desperate as he cried out hysterically. "The chakra infusion into the bloodstream is non-reversible! Once the process is complete and the program implanted, the old information-the personality-is erased! There's no way to get it back!"

It felt like a cold stone had dropped into Kakashi's gut. Erased? Then he was too late. Sakura's personality had been wiped away like unwanted scribbles on a chalkboard. In its place, an unfeeling, non thinking imposter resided, having Sakura's visage, but nothing more. The woman he loved was as good as dead.

Torn by emotions of heart wrenching grief and black anger, Kakashi didn't say another word as he slit the doctor's throat. He did it slowly, showing no mercy as the man's terrified scream turned to thick gurgling sounds as hot blood flowed from the wound, splattering Kakashi's clothes and the stone floor.

Tears pricked Kakashi's eyes, threatening to fall and mingle with crimson liquid, but the sudden presence of a strong and familiar chakra told him grieving would have to wait. He spun around, using the doctor's body as a shield the second he heard the high pitched sound of shuriken cutting through the air. Twin thumps told Kakashi that both weapons had lodged themselves in the doctor's back, who was by now already dead.

"Kakashi Hatake," a smooth voice chuckled as the lifeless body was dropped to the floor. "I would inquire as to why the man of a thousand jutsu has come to slaughter my current employer, but I think I already know the answer."

Standing before Kakashi with an arrogant smile was the man with yellow eyes, the one they had spent the better part of their mission trying to track down. He didn't seem at all affected by the carnage around him, and showed no fear at being confronted by the notoriously powerful Copy Ninja.

"Your employer and his quack doctor got what they deserved," Kakashi growled, voice low and dangerous like a wild animal. "And you'll be next."

His opponent's smirk stayed in place, amused by Kakashi's confidence.

"You know, I can't go easy on you after you killed my employer. This was the best job I've ever had and now I'm afraid I'll have to find a new one. I can't forgive you for that."

His voice was pleasant, gentlemanly, even as he spoke threatening words. Kakashi tensed in anger, knowing that he would have been disgusted enough to refuse a mission like this, let alone take it voluntarily. And yet this man seemed to find nothing wrong in killing young women off while preserving their bodies to become sex toys for the corrupt upper class.

"Iyashii must have paid you pretty well to make all your trouble worthwhile," Kakashi spat, his eyes following the other man's every move as Kudou casually walked over to the table full of instruments. His finger absently ran over the rim of an empty glass beaker before drawing a clean kunai from his hip pouch as Kakashi did the same. The Copy nin positioned himself nearer to the girls, keeping the room's central island between himself and his opponent. With Iyashii dead, there was no incentive for Kudou to keep the girls alive. Kakashi didn't want to give him the chance to injure one of them in an attempt to get him to leave himself open to attack. He knew fighting in such a confined space would be difficult, especially with four women on one end that he couldn't risk harming. He would have liked to lead his opponent into the more open area of the mansion's interior above them, but that would mean risking a fight in the narrow spiraling staircase, which would be even more dangerous.

"The pay was fantastic," Kudou admitted with a smile. "But it wasn't just about the money. I was paid to watch strippers every night, paid to receive lap dances, paid to fuck them."

Kakashi tensed ever so slightly, pausing for just the briefest of moments as his opponent's comment cut him deep. This man had been inside Sakura in a way that the Copy ninja had wanted just for himself, only he had forced her. Had raped her! And with some strange drug, had made her enjoy it. That alone was enough reason to hunt this man down to the ends of the earth and make sure his death was slow and painful.

Though his wince was slight, Kudou saw it, his unmemorable features twisting into a cruel smirk. "That's right. I sample all the goods before I bring them here, even your precious partner. Her pussy was still good and tight, unlike some of the others girls that are all stretched out in their line of work, and yet she still begged for my cock like a slut. I wouldn't mind having her again, and this time I'll make her suck my-"

The jeering words were too much for Kakashi. Red seeped over his vision as he remembered hearing Sakura moan for this man, remembered hearing the wet slap of flesh as her enemy pounded into her at breakneck speed. With a cry of anger he threw his kunai, aiming for his opponent's head, but his anger made him impulsive and reckless and his weapon missed its mark. That hardly seemed to matter however when Kakashi vaulted the table, nimble feet avoiding Bunsen burners and chemical cocktails as he rushed his enemy. Kudou sprang away, laughing darkly at having evoked such a response in the stoic ninja.

"What's the matter, Hatake?" he taunted, dodging a punch from the Konoha shinobi before spinning to block a kunai with one of his own. "You couldn't honestly expect to keep her all to yourself when it was her job to seek me out and fuck me."

The steel of their blades ground against each other, as each man tried to overpower the other. Kakashi was absolutely enraged by his opponent's remarks and was further angered by the fact that the yellow eyed man seemed to enjoy infuriating him and rubbing his conquest of Sakura in his face. He seemed to be toying with him, playing a game. Judging from the smile on his face, Kakashi guessed Kudou wasn't even fighting him seriously.

They broke apart with a metallic clang of kunai. They were just far enough apart as to be out of range, standing on opposite sides of the small room. Kakashi tried to reign in his anger, knowing his blind range could cause him to make a fatal mistake. His opponent was grinning, and hardly seemed to have broken a sweat. If this was only a fraction of his power, then Kakashi had to finish this before he had the chance to draw on his full potential. He didn't know what this guy was capable of, and in close quarters with Sakura's unconscious body at stake, he really didn't want to find out.

Gripping his right wrist with his left hand, Kakashi began to focus all the chakra in his body to his palm, creating a bright blue ball of energy. It sang like the sound of a thousand birds as it crackled and sparked.

"I'll fucking kill you for touching her," the Copy nin hissed before rushing at his opponent full speed, intent on driving his newly made ball of lighting right through his enemy's chest.

"Oh?" Kudou smirked, making several rapid hand signs before clapping his hands together. When he pulled his hands apart from each other, a blue beam of energy formed between them. The wider he pulled his hands apart, the longer the beam got. Finally, it broke free of his palms and he grasped it with both hands before ducking out of the way of Kakashi's chidori. The Copy nin couldn't stop in time and his attack connected with the wall in front of him, blasting a huge hole in the stone as Kudou leapt around behind him and let his newly formed staff land a strike across his opponents back. Kakashi cried out as he felt white hot pain lance across his shoulder, the smell of burning cloth and flesh filling the air. It appeared Kudou was a lightning elemental user just like him, and had fashioned a staff out of his chakra that could burn through anything it touched.

Kakashi dropped into a roll, narrowly avoiding the next strike. His movements carried him close to the cots and medical equipment where the girls lay. Kudou pursued, light on his feet and dangerously fast. His staff gave him a reach of over six feet, and in the confined space, it left Kakashi with few places to hide.

The enemy shinobi swung the staff again, narrowly missing decapitating Kakashi as he ducked. The swing connected with the medical equipment, sending electrical sparks into the air as the machine shorted out, His staff also grazed the IV bag connected to Sakura, the green liquid gushing from the melted hole and spilling to the floor. If Kakashi wasn't careful, the next attack that missed him could very well hit Sakura or one of the other women. He had to keep his opponent away from them, but Kudou was blocking the only exit from the room to the stairway. For now he would have to try and keep the fight isolated to the room's opposite side.

Kudou saw Kakashi roll away and back up from Sakura's location. "Are you trying to protect your little fuck buddy?" he sneered, allowing himself to be drawn away from the girls as well as he pursued his opponent. "Now that you've killed the boss, I could kill them all now and it wouldn't matter." he chuckled. "But I want to keep them around just in case I get the chance to ride pinky again. She's a little wildcat in bed...but I'm sure you already know that."

Kakashi growled, his anger once again threatening to get the best of him. He rushed his opponent in the small space, faking like he was going to go right but then ducking left to land a solid punch to Kudou's chest. The enemy stumbled backwards but recovered quickly, lashing out with his staff and grazing Kakashi's arm.

More pain laced through the Copy Nin's body as a hole was burnt in the sleeve of his shirt and the flesh beneath was seared, leaving a nasty second degree burn.

Kakashi vaulted the center island and ducked just before Kudou spun the staff to build up momentum and brought it in a sweeping arc across the table. If Kakashi had been standing, he would have been neatly cut in two. Glass and chemicals went flying as beakers were shattered, their contents covering the floor in a dangerous mixture of colors. One clear liquid met one that was slightly green, forming a chemical reaction that began to bubble and fizz as the newly formed acid began to eat a hole through the floor.

Their fighting arena had just gotten a lot more dangerous, and Kakashi had to be careful not to slip on the wet floor, or get covered in the potentially toxic chemicals.

Kudou cautiously walked around to the other side of the island, expecting to find his opponent crouched and waiting for him. But he was nowhere to be seen.

The soft squelch of sandals taking a step through liquid was the only warning he got. The yellow eyed man ducked instinctively, narrowly missing the chakra enhanced punch that would have crushed his skull. Still following through with his punch, Kakashi couldn't react fast enough as Kudou struck with a kick to his thigh, sending him stumbling to the floor.

Kakashi found himself backed into a corner, his enemy looking down at him smugly.

"Pity," Kudou said with a shake of his head. "I would have though a legend like yourself would have presented more of a challenge."

He raised his staff, preparing to bring it down in a fatal strike through the heart, but Kakashi rolled to the side at the last second and the staff struck the chemical covered floor instead. Flames immediately leapt to life as the lightning staff ignited the flammable chemicals, the center island catching fire as well.

Kudou staggered back in surprise and Kakashi took the opportunity to spring to his feet, grabbing one of the few intact beakers off the table before it was completely consumed with flames. The Copy Nin lunged forward, tossing the contents of the beaker into his opponents face.

Kudou screamed, dropping his staff as he clawed at his eyes, the chemicals burning and blinding him. Knowing he would never have a better chance than this, Kakashi charged a second Chidori and this time it connected, burning cleanly through Kudou's chest until his crackling fist came out the other side of his body. His heart was gone, vaporized by the attack and Kudou sunk to his knees before collapsing face first into the floor, dead.

But Kakashi didn't have time to celebrate his victory. The fire was spreading, and not only were the remaining beakers in danger of igniting, but several larger containers near Sakura's side of the room held far greater amounts of chemicals. Once the fire reached those containers, there would be one hell of an explosion.

The fire was already too big for Kakashi to contain, engulfing the center island and both the floor and wall on the far side of the room. Using the Chidori twice in such a short period of time had drained enough of his chakra that using his Mangekyo was not an option. Kakashi cursed his bad luck. It wasn't often that he needed to transport a chemical fire to another dimension, but now was definitely one of those times.

He rushed to Sakura, knowing he didn't have a lot of time to get her and her friends out of the building. Once those chemicals blew, it could very well rock the foundation of this mansion and Kakashi didn't want to wait around to see if the building would collapse or not.

He hated how frail and helpless Sakura looked. He didn't know if removing the IV when she was halfway through the procedure would have negative effects or not, but if there was no way to reverse the process once it had been completed, then his best bet was to stop it while he could. For all he knew, it was already too late and none of these girls would ever wake up.

One by one he pulled the IV needle from their veins, working as fast as he could. The fire was growing and the room was filling with acrid smoke, Already, his lungs and eyes were starting to burn. He slung Sakura over on shoulder and Miyabi over the other. He had just picked up the petite woman whose name he didn't know when a beaker on the counter exploded, sending glass shards and chemicals flying. Several drops landed on the skin of Tsunenai's arm, immediately bubbling into nasty looking burns. Another beaker popped like a balloon and Kakashi felt a sting in his arm as a piece of flying glass embedded itself in his skin.

The fire raged hotter and picked up speed, fueled by the new chemicals. The fire was mere feet away from him and Kakashi knew he'd be slowed down by the three women he was carrying. The imminent explosion would happen in minutes, and Kakashi didn't know if he'd make it out of the mansion in time if he was carrying a fourth.

He looked at the purple haired woman, still beautiful in unconsciousness. Duty told him he should save her, but he wasn't willing to risk the lives of the other three for her. She had been cruel, manipulative, and had sold out her fellow dancers. Yet here she was, sharing their fate. He hesitated a moment, torn as to what to do, but then another beaker exploded and Kakashi knew he would be lucky to make it out with three girls, and that they'd all be doomed if he attempted to take her too.

As much as he hated himself for it, Kakashi turned and sprinted from the room, climbing the steps as fast as he could with a girl over each shoulder and one in his arms. He was slowed down considerably, but pushed himself hard. He had to get out of here. He had to do it for the girls he carried. For Sakura, he had to do it for her. And he tried not to think about the fact that even if he did get out in time, she still might never wake up.

He was still in the stairway when the explosion hit, a loud blast that no doubt separated the corpse of the doctor, Kudou, Tsurenai and the two nurses he had disabled into a thousand little pieces and scattered them about the room. The stairs rocked beneath his feet and Kakashi almost lost his balance as heat and fire rushed along the narrow passageway, funneled upwards towards the silver haired man. Kakashi forced his legs to pump harder as the building began to shudder, the fiery explosion gaining behind him.

He reached the top of the steps, emerging into the office and leaping to the side just as the explosive energy spewed out of the passageway, igniting furniture and drapes and carpet. He managed to avoid getting the women he carried or his own body burned, but now the fire was growing around them again, building rapidly with the posh furnishings it could use for fuel.

Kakashi thanked the gods that he was on the first floor. He raced down the hall and into the foyer, all of its grandeur set to come crashing down in moments. He raced by vacant eyed maids, oblivious to the danger they were in. Kakashi gritted his teeth. There were so many girls he wished to save. But there was no hope for them. Even if they got out of the building, the fact remained that they were already dead.

He kicked down the front door, not having the time or extra hand to try unlocking it, and bolted from the mansion. The sun had long since gone down and he hoped the darkness would aid him in making his escape. He ran across the open lawns, but when he got to the wall of hedges, he had to make several trips over, carrying the girls one at a time. He ran past rose gardens and fountains and Dajaku's remains. Kakashi grimaced at the sight. He had smelt the presence of dogs around but he hadn't thought they'd be so vicious. He supposed Dajaku was lucky in the end. His demise by dogs hadn't been nearly as bad as what the Copy nin had planned to do to him.

He could already smell the smoke in the air and looked back to see a soft orange glow tainting the sky. Even if the building didn't collapse, it would be gutted by the flames. The explosion had destroyed all evidence of his fight with Kudou as well as the bodies of Iyashii and Midari and all the equipment used in transforming the women brought there.

There would be no evidence that he was ever there, which was good. The destruction of Iyashii's mansion would not be pinned on Konoha and potentially start unnecessary conflict. There would also be no proof that Houseki's popular leader was involved with something so sick and deranged as the brainwashing and enslaving of young women. He would be remembered as the attractive and charismatic man he made himself appear to be with the help of a henge, not as the fat, disgusting letch he really was. Although Kakashi would have taken great pleasure in tarnishing the politician's name even after his death, it was better this way. His death and burnt down mansion would probably be seen as an accident. Things would be quieter this way and the morale of the locals wouldn't suffer as much.

Kakashi leapt the last wall with Sakura, and then went back over to carry Miyabi and then the girl whose name he did not know. He was outside of Iyashii's estate but still he continued to run in case the authorities that came to put out the fire might search the area. He was halfway down the hill when he spotted a cluster of several large trees with foliage thick enough to hide Kakashi from view if he stood in the center .

He entered the cool thicket, but the temperature had nothing to do with the coldness in the pit of his stomach. The wound on his back throbbed painfully as he lowered the women he carried to the ground, making sure to treat them with care. He sat down next to Sakura's unconscious form. She looked so beautiful, so serene, and he was terrified that this was the only expression she'd ever make again.

If she never woke up she would never laugh, never cry, never roll her eyes with exasperation or narrow them in anger. He'd never hear her sweet voice speak in soft tones of shout with rage or cry out in ecstasy when he finally brought her release. He would never feel her lips press to his in a timid kiss that all too soon became a passionate tangle on tongues. He would never get to tell her how he really felt, even if he knew it wouldn't be something she wanted to hear.

Not for the first time since this mission started, Kakashi felt completely and utterly helpless. He cursed himself for having a thousand jutsu, and not one of them useful enough to awaken his sleeping partner. Even if he had undergone basic medical training, he would be no better off. Hell, he wasn't even sure if this was something Tsunade could fix. And even if she woke up, the true Sakura might already be dead.

Tears pricked Kakashi's eyes as he gathered the pink haired woman into his arms. He held her close, willing with every ounce of his being that she come back to him, that she awaken and give him that beautiful smile just one more time.

The Copy nin was a brave man and seldom showed emotion, but he could no longer hold back. Tears cut wet tracks down his cheeks and soaked into his mask as his body was racked by grief stricken sobs. He buried his face in Sakura's hair, remembering happier times when he had held her the same way, when he had made love to her, when he had comforted her.

His sorrow drained him and now that the adrenaline was gone, he realized how exhausted he was from his fight with Kudou. The burn across his back throbbed painfully, but going to a hospital in town would arouse suspicion and he couldn't leave the women alone. He needed to rest before attempting a return trip to Fuzen Machi, but in his current state, he wasn't sure how he was going to make it back. He wouldn't be able to drag all three unconscious women onto a train, but traveling with them would make things painfully slow.

With no other choice, he laid down on the floor of leaves and grass, refusing to let Sakura go. He still sobbed softly as he let sleep overtake him.

It was the first time in over a decade Kakashi had cried himself to sleep.

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Despite all of Yamato's training and experience, even he was having a hard time keeping up with Naruto as they bounded through the trees. Sai and Sasuke hadn't uttered a word of complaint about the breakneck speed they had maintained for the last four hours, and the leader wasn't sure if it was because they were too proud to admit they were exhausted or if they were just as eager to find Sakura as their blond teammate was. Either way Yamato knew they would have to make camp soon whether Naruto liked it or not. It was dark and the moon shining through the partially cloudy sky was not enough light to adequately illuminate their way.

They had begun their journey after talking with the dancers back at the club and searching Dajaku's room. They were appalled to find sheets of silk on his lavish four post bed. While the room was small, he seemed to have done his best to cram as much overpriced furniture into it as possible. His clothes were all made of fine materials like silk and cashmere, and Yamato had felt a quiet rage as he observed the rags that the performers had been forced to wear while the club owner had more than enough money to provide for them better, but chose to keep his funds to himself.

While going through a chest of drawers, they had come across several letters received from Northern Rock Country outlining a plan for taking girls and making them perfectly obedient sex slaves. Those letters contained all the clues needed to make preparations for their journey. The town Houseki was mentioned more than once and Yamato was fairly certain that was where Sakura had been taken and where Kakashi had followed. With any luck, the four man cell would show up in time to offer assistance to their friends.

Since four Konoha shinobi on a train was bound to draw attention, they decided to travel there on foot. Although it would take longer, it was less likely there would be trouble if their identities were discovered and they were questioned as to where they were going.

If they stopped and rested a few hours, they would be recharged enough to push on and reach their destination by morning. Yamato just hoped that Kakashi had already found Sakura and all their rushing would turn out to be in vain.

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Kakashi awoke feeling stiff and sore. The wounds on his back and arm ached with every breath, but it was nothing compared to the ache he was feeling in his chest. His arms were still wrapped around Sakura's motionless body, her condition seeming to have remained unchanged throughout the night.

Rays of pale morning light filtered through the trees, painting the leaf strewn ground with dappled shadows. The other girls lay just where he had left them, comatose as well, and with a heavy heart, Kakashi pulled Sakura's form into his lap, gloved hands pushing the hair away from her tranquil face.

He could feel her heart beating steadily, could feel her chest expand with every breath. Never had the Copy nin felt so frustrated. She was alive, unlike so many friends whom he'd seen pierced through the heart or crushed or blown to pieces. Yet he didn't know if this was better or worse. There was no finality, just the aching, gnawing unknown. Would she wake up or would she be a sleeping doll forever.

"Sakura," he whispered, tears once again beginning to form as he lowered his head to kiss soft pink lips. "Please, Sakura. Come back to me."

He held her tightly, crushing her against him as if he could wake her up by sheer desperation.

"Ow, Kakashi. You're squishing me."

The silver haired man closed his eyes. Now he was officially delusional. He could hear her voice. It was soft and weak, but it was definitely Sakura. His mind was playing cruel tricks on him.

"Kakashi," the voice said again, and this time, his name was accompanied by a small shove against his chest.

His eyes snapped open and he looked down to find two beautiful green eyes blinking at him.

"Sakura?" he whispered, afraid to believe what he was seeing. He wouldn't be able to take this if it was an illusion or a trick.

"It looks like I'm not a doll after all," she smiled. "I'm assuming I have you to thank?"

It was no trick. By some miracle, Sakura had awoken and Kakashi couldn't refrain from wrapping his arms even tighter around her in a crushing hug.

However, the action seemed to cause Sakura to panic. She gasped and suddenly pushed him away, scrambling out of his lap and onto the grass. Although she was still weak, she struggled to assume a fighting stance, but when she realized it was Kakashi facing her with a look of confusion, she deflated, dropping her hands from their defensive position.

"I'm sorry," she said sheepishly. "I just...after what that yellow eyed bastard did to me, being touched is..."

She trailed off, eyes cast downward as she wrapped her arms around herself as if warding off a chill, but they both knew it had nothing to do with the cool morning air.

"I know what he did to you," Kakashi said softly, wanting to take her into his arms and comfort her, but unsure if that was the right thing to do. "I know he drugged you and controlled you. I'm sorry about everything I said. I had no right to judge you like that without knowing what had really gone on in that room."

Sakura said nothing, still looking at the ground.

"You don't have to worry about him anymore," Kakashi continued. "He's dead. They all are."

Sakura raised her head slowly. "All of them?"

"All of them," Kakashi confirmed. "Iyashii, Kudou, Midari and Dajaku. You and the girls don't have to worry about them anymore."

The kunoichi nodded silently, taking in the news before sitting down, still too exhausted to stand for long. To Kakashi's surprise, a smile spread over her lips.

"You didn't even leave one of them alive for me?"

The Copy nin chuckled. He knew Sakura had never been fond of bloodshed, but he could understand why she would want the pleasure of killing these men herself. It wasn't just revenge for herself, but for her friends and every other woman who had suffered at their hands.

"Sorry," he said softly. "You were a little incapacitated at the time, but none of their deaths were pleasant if that makes you feel any better."

Sakura nodded again. She didn't need further details. She had seen what Kakashi was capable of. She had no doubt that whatever he had done to the group of treacherous men was the stuff nightmares were made of. He was a notorious assassin, a deadly killer, and right now, despite his dirty and bedraggled appearance, he was the most beautiful thing in the world.

She pried her eyes away before he noticed she was staring and surveyed the area around her. They were surrounded by trees, but it didn't seem like a forest.

"Where are we?" she asked. She could smell smoke in the air, the acrid kind that came from the burning of synthetic materials, not the woodsy scent of burning trees.

"We're near the base of the hill where Iyashii's mansion was. We've been here since last night"

Where his mansion was? She supposed that explained the smoke.

"But we're still so close. Don't you think it would be better for us to get further away?" she asked.

"I couldn't make it very far carrying all three of you," Kakashi replied, gesturing to a spot over her shoulder.

She turned to find two unconscious women that had been behind her. One she recognized. One she didn't.

"Miyabi!" she gasped, the medic in her kicking in as she immediately stood and raced to the slender girl's side. The kunoichi looked over her friend's unconscious features, worry creasing her brow. She reached out to touch her but hesitated, turning back to Kakashi.

"You said you were carrying three of us," she said softly. "Where's Tsurenai?"

The Copy nin shook his head sadly.

"The place was on fire, and I barely made it out with the three of you. If I had tried to carry her too, none of us would have made it."

Sakura was silent a moment and then nodded in acceptance. She supposed it could be considered karma that the diva would fall victim to the very same fate she had sentenced other girls to. It was unfortunate she had to die, but Sakura couldn't help but wonder that if the purple haired woman were still alive, if she would be able to keep from strangling the traitor on the spot. Perhaps it was for the best that she burned along with the mansion.

Shaking her head to clear such thoughts, she turned back to the woman that currently needed her help. Kakashi smiled as Sakura was suddenly in her element, asking him dozens of questions pertaining to their conditions and answering them as best he could.

How long had the girls been off the drug? Had they shown any signs of life since being rescued? Had he managed to learn what was in the drug they were being administered? Did Midari say anything about a remedy?

Kakashi winced at the last question, but although he told her the doctor had claimed effects were irreversible, Sakura refused to accept that answer.

"I woke up after being on the drug several hours. Perhaps if the process is incomplete, there's a chance for recovery."

Kakashi watched as she immediately began pushing her chakra into her friend's body, assessing the damage that had been done. He didn't want to point out that Sakura had only been treated for a few hours. Miyabi could have been under Midari's care for nearly a week. There was a good chance that there wasn't enough of her personality to salvage, that her brain had been nearly wiped clean and restoring her was impossible. He knew that even if he did say what he was thinking, Sakura wouldn't give up. She would try to heal her friend until she was on the verge of death herself due to chakra exhaustion.

The medic frowned thoughtfully after finishing her examination. She moved over to where the unfamiliar girl lay and repeated the process.

"Her damage isn't nearly as extensive," Sakura announced. "If I can heal her first, maybe she can tell me something that will help with Miyabi."

She set to work, disregarding the fact that until moments ago, she had been unconscious as well and was still weak thanks to the drug.

The work would be painstaking. She had to detoxify the cells of her brain, repairing the damage that had been done. She could only work on a handful of cells at a time, ensuring that the process would take hours. Sakura found that large areas hadn't been affected at all, and she could guess they were parts of the brain that handled speech and coordination. These areas would need to stay intact. It was the areas controlling judgment, critical thinking and personality that were the most affected.

Kakashi knew there was little more he could do to help. He jumped up into the trees, perching on a high branch and blending into the leaves. He could see both Sakura below him and the surrounding area in all directions. He could see smoke still rising from the mansion, although now it was only a slow smolder. It must have burned through the night. By now local authorities would be at the scene, but if they got near Kakashi's position while conducting their investigation, the shinobi would see them coming.

Hours passed and they had no trouble. Sakura continued to heal the unknown girl and her partner acted as lookout. Nobody came near the trees. Groups of villagers from the town walked by, hoping to get a peek at what all the commotion was about, but all ignored the cluster of trees and their temporary residents...all except an oddly familiar group of four people, making their way swiftly around the side of the hill.

A smile formed beneath Kakashi's mask. It appeared Tsunade hadn't been satisfied with their performance on the mission and had sent backup...and though the group she sent consisted of a demon-possessed impulsive loudmouth, an arrogant and brooding man with a superiority complex, a socially impaired, emotionally void artist, and a failed scientific experiment who more often than not served as a babysitter on these types of missions, Kakashi had never been more thrilled to see them.

XXXXX

The four man squad found their friends looking a little worse for wear, but alive. Sakura greeted them with a grateful smile, confessing she was so happy to see them, but because she was in the process of healing, she couldn't get up and give them the warm embraces she thought they deserved. Naruto didn't seem to mind, coming up behind her and giving her a crushing hug anyway. Ordinarily, Sakura would have been aggravated by such behavior, but she was so happy to see her blond haired friend that she welcomed his affection even though she was trying to concentrate on healing.

Kakashi filled them in on everything that had happened as Sakura continued to work on mending the poisoned brain cells within the mystery girl. Naruto showed his outrage at what had been done to Sakura and her friends, threatening to beat the hell out of the offenders until Kakashi tactfully told him that those involved were already dead. His teammates were equally disturbed by the story, but weren't quite so vocal about it.

Another two hours went by and Sakura continued to work on her patient with unwavering determination while the newly arrived shinobi took turns keeping watch from the tree tops while another scouted the area and kept the rest posted on what was happening at the mansion. Kakashi didn't leave Sakura's side, sitting and watching her work from a short distance.

Yamato returned from his scouting what remained of Iyashii's estate. Apparently, authorities weren't even bothering to search the area, already calling the fire a freak accident. They didn't have to worry about anybody coming to look for them.

"We should still get back to Fuzen Machi as soon as possible," Kakashi replied. "These girls need better care than what we can give them here."

It was true that if anybody could heal Miyabi and her friend, Sakura could. However, she would be better equipped to do it in a place with actual beds and medical equipment. With the additional men on their team, they could make it back to the club easily now that Kakashi wouldn't have to carry three people on his own.

"Sakura," Kakashi said gently. "We should go. You can resume healing her when we make camp in several hours."

Sakura didn't even look at him, continuing to push her chakra into the unconscious girl's body. "Several hours might be too late," she said stubbornly. "I've almost finished restoring her brain and then I have to flush out the rest of her body so..."

Her sentence remained unfinished as she collapsed forward. The hours of exerting herself while she had only just recovered was taking its toll. She had almost used up her chakra supply and it left her weak and shaky.

Naruto dropped from the trees where he had been watching the surrounding area to see his friend slumped over. He called her name worriedly and was set to charge to her side but Yamato placed a hand on his shoulder, stopping him silently as Kakashi beat the whiskered man to it. The masked man placed a hand on her back as he asked if she was all right, his voice laced with concern.

"I'm fine," she said, trying to shrug him off. "I just need to finish the procedure and-"

"You aren't finishing anything," the silver haired shinobi said sternly. "You've worked too hard as it is. You need to rest." He turned to the four people who had been watching their exchange with concern. "Yamato, Naruto, you'll be carrying the girls. Sasuke, you've got point and Sai will watch our backs. We need to move as fast as we can. I want to be back in Fuzen Machi by nightfall."

His team nodded and Naruto walked over to pick up the girl Sakura had been healing and gently hoisted her over his shoulder as Yamato did the same with Miyabi. The medic tried to get to her feet and insist on continuing her healing procedure, but her knees buckled. Kakashi caught her easily. "Sakura," he chastised sternly. "You're too weak to even stand. There's no way in hell I'm letting you use any more chakra until you've rested."

He turned to his team and ordered them to make preparations for their departure. Sakura went to protest again but he hushed her with his fingers to her lips. "I almost lost you once," he said softly. "I'll be damned if I let you slip away again."

Her expression softened as he brushed tangled pink strands away from her face. All the other members of their team had their backs turned, talking about the most direct route to take back home. It was only by chance that Sasuke happened to glance over his shoulder and catch Kakashi's tender gesture. His eyes immediately narrowed as he evaluated what he saw. Anybody who knew the Copy nin at all would see that such an action was quite out of character, especially towards Sakura. It didn't take a genius to see something had changed between them. He turned around before they could catch him looking, focusing on Yamato's directions since he would be leading the team.

Even though she didn't like it, Kakashi carried Sakura piggyback style, stating that if she was too weak to stand, she certainly wouldn't be able to maintain the grueling speed they would be setting. She grumbled her protests, her pride objecting to having to be carried, but knowing there was no winning out against Kakashi. He could be just as stubborn as herself when he wanted to be. And in all honesty, she rather liked the feel of his strong hands gripping her thighs to support her. She wrapped her arms around his neck, breathing in his scent. It now carried strong hints of smoke and blood, but his underlying smell remained and she found that it calmed her, gave her sense of security in a way she couldn't really explain.

They set out immediately, moving quickly and silently with Sasuke taking the lead, the three men and their female cargo in the middle and Sai bringing up the rear. The town of Houseki was quickly left behind as they traveled along the outskirts to avoid being seen and then moved into the open country. There was a high chance they would run into bandits and perhaps even some rogue shinobi, but they were hardly a threat considering the elite group of Konoha ninja all traveling together.

Kakashi winced every now and then at the pressure of Sakura's body against the tender burn on his back, but fought through it. There was no time to worry about the wound now. His biggest concern was getting Sakura back to the club where she could rest properly, although knowing her, the second they arrived she'd get back to healing.

The weight and warmth of her against him was comforting, and he thanked the gods above that she was still alive after all that had happened. But now that she had awoken, it presented him with a dilemma. He was very much in love with her, more than he had been with anybody in his whole life. Their mission was rapidly drawing to a close and soon they would return to Konoha and their normal lives. Hana would be gone and so would the nights of dancing as a creature of beauty and lust. She wouldn't need him anymore, wouldn't need him to teach her about sex and all of its pleasures, wouldn't need the comfort of his body or soft encouraging words spoken breathlessly as he made her forget all that she hated. Their partnership was over, and while she had stolen his heart during the months they were together, he had no idea how she really felt.

She was young and beautiful, strong and talented and could do a hell of a lot better than a dirty old man who was far past his prime. Although it would kill him to do so, Kakashi was considering keeping his feelings to himself and letting her go. It was unfair to put her in such a position if he confessed his love to her. She deserved someone her own age, someone unbroken with less scars. It was becoming clear to Kakashi what he would have to do.

He would have to live with the burden of loving someone he couldn't have, but for now as they raced over the landscape, the wind rushing in his ears, he would enjoy her while he could. He'd savor the feel of her against him, the way her small form molded to his back. Her even breaths told him she had fallen asleep, taking his advice and getting much needed rest. He knew it was both selfish and unlikely, but he couldn't help but hope that it was him she was dreaming of.

XXXXX

And there you have it! Once again, I'm sorry this took so long but life was really hectic for a while. I'm guessing the next chapter will come out sometime in the summer because I'm about to get really busy again with school projects and such.

This part was really hard to write because of all the climatic events so I would really appreciate everyone's feedback. I don't usually write stories with a lot of suspense.