Fallen Leaves (Formerly Kakashi: No Regrets)

This chapter (and much of the story) moves very fast because this story is not about the action but the emotion of what’s coming. So forgive the quick glazing over of the battles. This is not a terribly long story.

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Once Sasuke’s eyes were uncovered, they were on the move.

Karin was quickly able to identify the ungodly chakra with a little help from Juugo’s birds.

Kisame found himself surrounded.

“So you’re Itachi’s little brother.” He scanned the others. “Little Suigetsu. I was warned you were traveling with Itachi’s brother.” He saw Kakashi, then his Sharingan, then he recognized the headband. “You’re the one, aren’t you? You finally killed him, huh?”

“I didn’t kill him. But we will kill you.”

“You’ll try. I’ll apologize to Itachi after I kill you and his brother.”

For Sasuke, things moved in flashes: water, sharks, Kakashi’s Water Dragon Bullet, Suigetsu merging with the water, Juugo transforming . . . Sasuke activated his Mangekyô. Kisame sensed it, felt the familiar feeling and whirled around, relieved his partner was alive and coming to help him. He met Sasuke’s eyes, still under the illusion created by his own mind that it was Itachi. Then he was trapped in those eyes. Suigetsu chopped him in half.

Kisame’s last word was his partner’s name.

“That was surprisingly easy,” Suigetsu commented.

“He thought I was Itachi and met my eyes. Careless.”

He looked down at the halved corpse and clutched his head and fell to his knees. “Damn you, Kisame,” he hissed in a deeper voice, but still his own. “I told you not to lose focus because of me.”

“Sasuke!” Kakashi yelled.

Sasuke looked up, his eyes wild and the Mangekyô faded to his normal black.

“You alright?”

Sasuke took a moment to orient himself. “Yeah.”

“Let’s get out of here and make camp.”

“Ah.”

-----

Kakashi did not speak to his new teammates at all. He didn’t want to talk with Sasuke about his strange behavior in front of these others, so he flew through the trees silently, but stayed as close as he dared to the young Uchiha.

He, Juugo, and Sasuke said nothing while Suigetsu and Karin argued constantly. And Sasuke let them. It was too silent when they stopped. As long as Juugo didn’t lose control, Sasuke stopped caring. Kakashi was good at ignoring them having had to deal with Naruto, Sakura, and Gai. Their silence was encouraging the other two, but there were times Suigetsu got meditative with a dark smirk and Karin stared at Sasuke.

They made camp at nightfall, running as far as they could before dark, just to put some distance between them and the corpse. Juugo gathered the wood and Sasuke started the fire. Karin and Suigetsu were arguing about something Sasuke didn’t even bother to follow. He and the other two were eating in silence.

Sasuke tossed the last bone from dinner into the fire and watched it sizzle. He was still reeling from Itachi’s death. He agreed to help Suigetsu because he didn’t know what to do himself. Though he was still the leader of this group, he had lost direction and was bowing to desires of his subordinates. But now, he had no idea what to do.

No one heard anything or saw anything until Sasuke leaped up and disappeared. Karin and Suigetsu stopped arguing and looked at the empty place at the fire. Kakashi had raised Itachi’s headband and looked at the empty air then looked around. Sasuke was gone.

“Sasuke?” Suigetsu said.

Karin closed her eyes and searched for his chakra. Nothing. “He’s gone. He’s no where around here.”

“A space-time jutsu,” Kakashi said. “Whoever kidnapped him is very skilled.”

“Kidnapped?” Juugo asked.

“Konoha wants him back and some of them want him dead. He’s also in every village’s bingo book. He’s also an amazingly powerful shinobi; it would be a boon to any village to seduce him to join them.”

“You think he’s alive?” Karin asked.

“I think whoever took him, wants him alive. He grabbed him with no warning; Sasuke barely had time to react at all. If they wanted him dead, they could have killed him just as, if not more, easily as taking him.”

“What should we do?” Suigetsu asked.

“I think all we can do is wait here and hope he’s returned or comes back on his own.”

-----

They waited for two days. Kakashi sent out his hounds, but they found nothing of Sasuke. Pakkun did smell a foreign scent and found the same scent where Kisame died. And Kisame’s body was gone.

“Whoever took Sasuke also took Kisame’s body,” Kakashi said. “Like an ANBU or something, cleaning up.”

“If it’s Kisame’s ally, then they would kill Sasuke, wouldn’t they?” Karin asked.

“Not necessarily. This is Akatsuki we’re talking about. They’ve lost Itachi and Kisame within a week. They may be trying to recruit him, by force or seduction.”

Karin shivered at Kakashi’s choice of words.

They waited. On the second night they sat around the fire, silent, each trying to figure out what they should do to find Sasuke.

Suddenly Sasuke appeared right where he disappeared from. He didn’t seem perturbed at all and sat down as if nothing happened.

“Sasuke?” Suigetsu asked.

“Akatsuki wants us to join them.”

Kakashi couldn’t help but huff with wry humor. “Did you agree?” Sure that Sasuke would never have agreed.

“I did.”

All three of them started.

“They must have been very persuasive.”

“He told me about my brother.” He felt Kakashi’s gaze. Sasuke wouldn’t meet it. “I’ll explain tomorrow. I need to sleep.”

-----

Sasuke told them everything Madara had told him, his own doubts, the reason he believed him, and his new plans. First, the Hachibi, then destroy Konoha.

At the last, he looked at Kakashi. He couldn’t read him.

“Kakashi?”

“I know you want to kill Danzo, Homura, and Koharu, but please Sasuke,” Sasuke was sure he was about to request the rest of the village be spared, “allow me to kill at least one of them.”

Sasuke felt his cheek tighten into a smile.

-----

The two former Konoha shinobi went off together that afternoon. The others let them go, understanding that deciding to attack their own village must be emotionally trying. Sasuke kept his back to Kakashi.

“I thought you’d try to talk me out of it.”

“I’m not here to tell you what to do.”

“I do value your input. You were one of the greatest shinobi of our village, I don’t need a talented lackey, I need someone I can truly rely on and trust.”

“I have no objections.”

“You loved my brother that much? To completely disregard the loyalty you held for your entire life?”

“You asked me when I first came to you if I would even help you destroy Konoha; I said I would. I knew you weren’t serious. But my answer has not changed, especially after hearing why Itachi really did it.”

“You don’t think I should continue with my brother’s wishes? He wanted to protect Konoha.”

“Do you?”

“I remember people smiling and laughing and now it seems like scorn. They have their happiness because my clan died, because my brother sacrificed everything. They may be dead to you, but they are alive at the price of my clan’s and my brother’s lives. To hell with them all!”

“I agree. I knew your brother very well. But I can’t agree with his idealism. I want revenge. They took my lover away from me and all the years we could have had together. I loved him. I never loved anyone else in my life. The village also took my father from me with their scorn. And to an extent, even my friends and my sensei. They’ve killed everyone I have ever loved. And for what? The peace, prosperity, and happiness of the village. But what about my peace, my happiness? They took it all away. The more I’ve thought about it after Itachi’s death, the more disillusioned I became. Like you, the happiness of everyone whose peace and happiness I’ve protected seems like they’re smiling at my pain and grief. And I know they will all breathe a sigh of relieve and even rejoice when they learn Itachi is dead. I hate them just for that.”

“It was Madara who made the Kyuubi attack Konoha, he’s the reason the Forth died. Are you still alright with this?”

“Quite frankly, I will help you destroy Konoha and if I survive, I will kill Madara next.”

“You and I seem to be of one mind on this. But you realize, this means betraying Naruto. Madara assures me he and the other members of Akatsuki will take care of him, but we are still doing nothing to help him, abandoning him to his fate. Are you alright with that?”

That gave Kakashi some pause. Naruto and Sakura. Naruto . . . Minato’s son. Could he condone his sensei’s son’s death? His own student?

“I will not kill him, nor will I capture him. Come what may, but I will not save him.”

“My feelings as well. Let Akatsuki do what they will, Naruto is not our responsibility.”

Sasuke finally turned to look at Kakashi. His eyes were burning with his Sharingan. At first, it didn’t bother Kakashi, but then rage filled those eyes as they looked at him.

Sasuke’s eyes were focused on the headband on Kakashi’s head. He grew furious, pounced, and snatched it off Kakashi’s head.

“How could you?!” Sasuke accused. His voice was deeper. “I told you what they’re like?! How could you join Akatsuki?!”

“Sasuke, get a hold of yourself! You’re the one who joined Akatsuki.”

Sasuke looked confused for a moment. “What? I . . .”

“Sasuke, what’s happening to you? You freaked out after we killed Kisame as well.”

“Kisame was a fool to be distracted by me. I told him not to worry about me, just do his job. It’s not my fault he died. I told him not to fall in love with me.”

“Sasuke!”

The Sharingan faded from Sasuke’s eyes and they looked confused again.

“What are you talking about?”

“I . . . I don’t know.”

“Can you see Itachi’s memories?”

“I don’t know. I feel like I’m being taken over at times. It’s mostly rage and irritation.”

“Strong emotions. There must be some of Itachi’s stronger emotions in the chakra in your eyes.” Kakashi’s heart felt heavy. If Itachi’s anger and irritation could manifest, could something else? What if he could have Itachi back? He tried to suppress his own desire for his dead lover.

“I’ll try to suppress it. I can’t afford to be distracted like that. Like Kisame was.”

-----

Similar to Kakashi and his Raven Part II? Yep. This is the story where I originally had the whole, Sasuke having Itachi’s memories thing. Like usual, I’m not even sure exactly how this story will go.