Amnesia

Rosebunse: I decided to add more creepy because of your suggestion, but I thought you were thinking more predatory/pedophile creepy, this is obsessed/possessive creepy.
Guest: Yeah, I think writers are emotional sadists.
00-night-eyes-00: I so appreciate that fact you read so many of my stories. ^_^
Prescripto13: Indeed. Shikamaru is rarely wrong.
Nimbafuu: Oh, I love to hear things like that! I’m so glad. I hope I continue to please! I also think that chapter was pretty good. The sex scene and Sasuke meeting them all . . . Thank you!
xXMiyakoXSasukeXx: Yeah, I don’t think my mother, whom I live with, knows what it is. I just assured her that there’s weirdos at every anime conventions (she had to drive me one day because I was sick). Well, I’m not sure how old you are, but you have to show ID and be over 18 to even register. I think it’s odd, as steamy as this genre is, you rarely see any full frontal nudity. I, at least, don’t partially care to look at ‘it’ so that’s understandable, but it’s still sort of a porn convention. ^_^ Really, there wasn’t a whole lot out in the open, but some of the panels were definitely not for the young. I went to a BDSM talk and one on writing Yaoi which was hilarious, informative, and had great pictures! I overheard that this one was rather small and that it was taken over by a new company so it wasn’t the greatest Yaoi convention. Maybe next year my tissues will be for nosebleeds, not because I had a cold.
Nazrita: With Kiba and Akamaru’s ability to smell the power of chakra, I thought they’d be the perfect ones to confirm that Sasuke isn’t faking.
adicctioncr-lovespn: Thank you!
ReaperninHiro: Thank you. Oh, Sasuke and Kakashi, what will their fate be . . . We shall see . . .

----------

Kakashi growled at the knocking on the door. He wasn’t about to pounce on the young Uchiha, but he was eyeing him rather than watching him as Sasuke sat on the floor focusing his chakra; he was far from being able to try the Chidori, but he’d started preparing him for it.

His one open eye darted from the sable hair to the shut eyelids to the perfectly formed nose to the thin, soft lips, the thin cheeks then back to the long lashed eyelids. Every feature so perfect, not a blemish, not a scar. So young and perfect. His hair was getting longer and the signature duckbutt was wilting. Whenever he opened those eyes, they were so much wider than Kakashi remembered them. So full of innocence. Kakashi’s heart ached even though he was in the same room with him. This was the last thing Kakashi deserved: such a lovely, innocent, young man.

But the damn knocking on the door broke him out of his examination.

Sasuke opened his eyes, but didn’t move while Kakashi answered the door. What the hell is ANBU doing letting anyone knock on this door? Kakashi inwardly grumbled as he opened the door. First it was Naruto and Sakura, this time it was Kiba and Hinata.

“Thought we’d visit Sasuke,” Kiba said. Hinata stood at his elbow as shy as ever and Akamaru sat next to his master.

Kakashi took a deep breath. Having them on their side might help. Kakashi opened the door further and ushered them in, he even nodded to the oversized dog to give him permission as well. Sasuke stood up, happy to see them.

“Weird seeing you smiling,” Kiba said.

“I’ve been told I never had a reason to before.” Sasuke knelt to pet Akamaru who was being very affectionate, licking his face and rubbing up against him and turning onto his back for a belly rub.

Kakashi wanted to make Sasuke look that happy, but he knew his ninken would never be as affectionate as Akamaru was being right now. That brought them to mind; he’d been neglecting them since Sasuke woke up. He’d have to summon them and probably introduce—or reintroduce—them to Sasuke. And he wanted to that dog right now.

Kakashi listened as they talked. Sasuke never really knew these two or really any of his classmates or their exploits, so he thought it was safe for him to hear tales from their team. At least this was a diversion to their monotonous day. He was glad Sasuke never once stared at Hinata’s ample bosom or looked at Kiba in a way to make him jealous. He was jealous anyway, but not to the point of wanting to rip Kiba’s lungs out. Akamaru looked over at him when his jealousy peaked, but it wasn’t a threatening look, more of a ‘what are angry about?’ look.

The worst part was when Kiba’s stories made Sasuke laugh. At least Kakashi could watch the boy laugh. Hinata just sat there watching the two boys petting Akamaru with Sasuke.

The difference between this meeting and the one with Naruto and Sakura was so pronounced Kakashi had to smile at it. He was so jealous now that he was glad Naruto and Sakura had been pushed away; the Uchiha was his. Neither Kiba or Hinata sought after Sasuke the way the rest of Team Seven did.

“Are you training yet?” Kiba asked Sasuke.

“A little. Muscle memory is allowing me to relearn quickly, but we don’t leave the house very often.”

“I never got to spar with you after we graduated the academy,” Kiba said with a smile. “I can’t wait to train with you.”

Kakashi didn’t want Kiba laying a finger on Sasuke.

“Maybe you can even give Hinata a challenge when she uses her Byakugan,” Kiba laughed. Hinata blushed.

Finally, they left with a wave to Kakashi. Kakashi locked the door. Sasuke looked pleased and relaxed as he sat on the sofa.

“Did I not have friends before?” Sasuke asked.

“Just Naruto. I don’t think he ever counted Sakura or me as friends. He was a loner.”

Sasuke hugged himself as much from his lonely thoughts as from Kakashi’s use of the third person. “Please stopping calling the old me ‘him.’ It disturbs me. And it gets confusing.”

“But you’re not the same person.”

“Call him something else.”

“You are so very different. He was more like a son while you’re my lover. But you’re more innocent like a son should be while he was an arrogant, sometimes evil bastard. I don’t know what I should call him.” He thought for a moment. “That girl, she called the group he made Taka. His last summon was a hawk. We’ll call him ‘Taka.’ Taka doesn’t mean anything to you, does it?”

“No.”

“Taka, then.”

Sasuke nodded and returned his lonesome thoughts for a moment. “I don’t like going outside with all those other people, but I liked having Kiba and Hinata around. The fact they knew me, but we weren’t friends makes me feel lonely. I don’t want to be alone.”

Kakashi crouched in front of him and put a hand on his cheek. “You won’t be again. I won’t leave you for a second.”

“You don’t like them?” Sasuke was as observant as ever.

“I don’t like anyone getting near you.”

“Why?”

“I don’t want to lose you, to your memories or to anyone else.”

“You won’t.”

“I’m afraid if you meet more people, you’ll fall more in love with someone else, someone younger, someone more deserving of you.”

“I don’t think I can love anyone else. I’m sure I loved you before. It’s the only thing I seem to remember.”

“Good. As long as you love only me.” Kakashi felt he could be honest with Sasuke right now without scaring him. “I only want you to look at me. I know that’s silly, not possible, but I’m jealous of you Sasuke. I love you so much. If I lost you again, I couldn’t live with it.”

“Even if I remember, I won’t leave you, I promise.”

“If you remember, you won’t have a choice; you’ll be killed. But you won’t die alone.”

“Don’t say that.”

“I can’t live if I fail you again.”

Sasuke hugged him. “You’re being too fatalistic.”

“Maybe. I’m a shinobi. I’ve lost everyone else who mattered to me.”

Sasuke realized he wasn’t the only one who was afraid of being alone.

-----

Tsunade rarely came to see them. Kakashi hoped every time she arrived that it was tell him that Sasuke as being pardoned. He invited her in and showed her to a chair. Sasuke stood unsure near the hall to the bedroom.

“Sit, Sasuke,” Tsunade said.

Sasuke sat on the sofa and Kakashi joined him without being told.

“We want to see how Sasuke might be accepted in the village. We’re going to let out a rumor that Sasuke’s awake and has potentially permanent amnesia.”

“The truth then,” Kakashi said.

“Yes. We’ll see how that information is received. Then I want you to take him out as himself and see what the people’s reaction is. Not far. I don’t want to purposely draw attention to him, but I want to gage people’s reaction to him.”

“I don’t think the civilians will be a problem,” Kakashi said, “but the shinobi, especially those who were there . . .”

Sasuke looked at him. There? He looked down, knowing no one would tell him what Kakashi was talking about.

“His demeanor is so different now,” Kakashi continued. “I think it will convince a few people that he’s changed. Most people will remember that he never smiled or anything other than that disinterest expression or a smirk. They’re not the same person, they’ll see that.”

“I’m not the one you need to convince, Kakashi.”

“Tell me who I need to convince. I’ll convince them one by one.”

“Pretty sentiment, but we’ll just let the rumor run for now then the two of you will test the waters. Your ANBU guard trusts Sasuke.” Kakashi tensed; had they been spying on them inside the house? “They’ve only seen you when you’ve left the house—” Kakashi relaxed “—but they feel it’s not an act. When you go out undisguised, they will step in if they have to.”

Sasuke hunched in on himself. “I don’t like this.”

“We can’t keep you locked up here for the rest of your life,” Tsunade said.

“Why not?” Sasuke looked up into Tsunade’s eyes and asked the question with so much sincerely, Tsunade needed a moment to find an adequate answer. She’d never really known Sasuke before, but this one was so much like a child at times, like now.

“Kakashi can’t stay here all the time; the two of you will need to make a living and for that you have to leave the house. You’re inherently talented; it’s one of the reasons—very few reasons—the others are even entertaining keeping you alive.”

Sasuke recoiled a little and Tsunade regretted the way she phrased it. “Listen, this is the only way I can get the rest of the council to agree to pardon you. If the village can accept you, then they are willing to let you live for now.”

“For now?” Kakashi asked.

“I don’t know how long until they accept the memory loss is permanent, but it’s a delay of execution.”

Kakashi was disturbed. “The Uchiha were one of the wealthiest clans in the world, we can just live off that. Let him stay hidden here.”

“The loss of Sasuke’s talents is one thing; the loss of yours on top of that . . .”

“So we have until the council decides I’ve had a long enough vacation.”

“Ah.” Tsunade looked genuinely sorry and ashamed.

Kakashi looked at Sasuke and saw the same amount of concern over his impending death as he always saw: none.

“I’m sorry; I’m doing what I can.” Tsunade stood.

Kakashi also stood and escorted her to the door. “Thank you, Tsunade-sama.”

Sasuke stood and bowed and repeated, “Thank you, Tsunade-sama.”

Kakashi smiled. This wasn’t the old Sasuke; they would see and they would let him live.

Tsunade nodded and left.

“Aren’t you scared?” Kakashi asked, concerned over the lack of emotion talk of his death conjured.

“I don’t want to die, but I’ll have no choice but to accept it. I don’t know how I should feel.”

“Taka never seemed to have emotions beyond anger. He rarely knew fear.”

Sasuke looked down. He still didn’t like it, Kakashi saying ‘he’ even if he was also calling him Taka. The more Kakashi mention the man he used to be, the more it bothered Sasuke. And what kind of monster was he? He closed in on himself.

Kakashi saw how troubled his young lover was now. He knelt in front of him and looked up into his black eyes. “Don’t worry; I’ll do everything in my power to protect you.”

Sasuke looked into the one grey eye he loved so much and he questioned if it was worth it to live. He would be haunted for the rest of his life by ‘him.’ And he was beginning to question what Kakashi felt about him and ‘Taka.’ If he lost Kakashi there would be absolutely no reason to live. That thought scared him. He started to cry and Kakashi pulled him to him so they were both on their knees. Sasuke let all his confusion and fears pour out onto Kakashi’s shoulder.

Kakashi didn’t know how long it took before Sasuke finished. He kind of liked having Sasuke in his arms like this and the show of trust that crying showed, but he didn’t like the fact his love was crying. Sasuke pulled away and started wiping away his tears.

Kakashi pulled down his mask and took Sasuke’s cheek in his hand to raise his head and look at him. “I’ve never seen you cry before. You still look lovely.” He kissed the tears still falling down his face. Kakashi gave him a smile. “Let’s get you cleaned up.”

Sasuke nodded. He did feel better, but his fears didn’t go away.

-----

The rumor spread like a flame among dry leaves. Luckily, the rumor didn’t include where the Uchiha was living now. Only so many shinobi had the ability to detect Sasuke and less than a dozen knew Sasuke well enough to recognize his presence. Kiba and Hinata were already on the Uchiha’s side and the only other was Neji. Neji was about to hunt him down by orders of his clan, but Hinata stopped him, she having been given the same order as her cousin.

“Sasuke’s different. Don’t let anyone hurt him. He’s so innocent now. I met him. Kiba saw through his disguise and we became friends.”

Neji frowned at her, but he’d become close to her and her father in the last few years. “Where is he? I want to see how different he is.”

She knew it would be foolish to ask him to promise not to tell anyone else, so she just told him; Neji would find out soon on his own anyway. “He’s living in Kakashi-sensei’s house.”

Kakashi checked the window before he opened the door, afraid of what angry mob might have found them. Neji, looking as expressionless and unflappable as Sasuke ever did. Kakashi opened the door.

“I want to see for myself if the Uchiha has changed.”

Hello, to you too. Kakashi let him in. He would seriously need to speak to their ANBU guard.

Sasuke had insisted on doing more around the house and was now washing dishes. Neji was a little surprised to see Sasuke doing such a domestic task. Sasuke hadn’t heard the knocking over the water and the clinking of dishes and continued with his chore.

Neji activated his Byakugan. The darkness he’d seen in Sasuke before was gone. He was taken aback. Sasuke had always been dark, even before Orochimaru gave him that curse mark; but now, there was nothing.

“Hinata-sama was right.”

At the sound of Neji’s voice, Sasuke turned, startled to see someone other than Kakashi in the house.

“What do you see?” Kakashi asked.

“He was filled with darkness and his chakra was cold and dark, its color was dark purple, almost black. It’s lavender now. I sense no darkness. He’s not the same at all. I’d be prepared to swear he wasn’t Sasuke. I’ll report that to my clan. They wanted him hunted down and killed. I’ll placate them; this isn’t the man who murdered members of our clan.”

Sasuke’s expression dropped. Kakashi grimaced; Sasuke didn’t need to know what he did.

“I appreciate your help, Neji-kun,” Kakashi said. “I assure you, he isn’t the same man.”

“Hinata-sama does not have the insight I do, but she has good intuition; she agrees.” Neji eyed Sasuke again. “Is there no way to tell if the amnesia is permanent?”

“No,” Kakashi admitted. “But nothing is even familiar to him,” he lied; Kakashi would never tell anyone about the love Sasuke felt sure he felt before. “I don’t think he’ll remember. Itachi means nothing to him, neither does his clan.”

Neji nodded. The importance of the clan was something the Uchiha and Hyuuga had always had in common and if Sasuke felt nothing for the clan he’d wanted to avenge and revive, then his memories were certainly lost. “Forgive the intrusion. Make sure he doesn’t remember.”

“I will do my utmost.” Kakashi showed Neji out and sighed.

“I murdered members of his family? Of Hinata’s family?” Sasuke could see they were related.

“I wouldn’t call it ‘murder.’”

“Wha—” Sasuke stopped himself; he promised to stop asking.

“It was a battle. Taka killed a lot of people, but I don’t believe you can be judged for something you don’t remember doing.”

“What if I went somewhere else where they don’t recognize me?”

“I don’t think such a place exists. At least not where anyone would allow you to live. If nothing else, they’ll have to keep an eye on you, just in case.”

As much as never leaving this house appealed to Sasuke, he truly realized how much a prisoner he was and always would be. He wanted to ask why this was happening to him, but there was a reason: he used to be someone else who probably deserved this. But it didn’t seem fair. He wanted to convince Kakashi to just let the elders kill him, but he knew Kakashi loved him too much and such talk would probably make him angry. He sighed.

“I have no choice but to do what you tell me and hope people will leave me alone.”

“Hai. But so far, people have believed you. We’ll get through this.”

Sasuke nodded.

-----

The night before they were to test the waters, Sasuke practically clung to Kakashi. Caressing and kissing Sasuke to soothe him started to arouse them both. Sasuke pressed his body hard against Kakashi’s as they kissed. They only parted that evening to strip.

Still standing, Kakashi practically picked Sasuke up. Kakashi let Sasuke dominate the kiss while Kakashi caressed between his ass cheeks. The rarely touched flesh was so sensitive it made Sasuke fully hard and Kakashi felt his entrance relax and gap a little, begging for attention.

Kakashi finally laid Sasuke on the bed and nudged him onto his stomach. Kakashi got behind him and manipulated his body so Sasuke was on his knees with his chest against the bed. He ran his hands over Sasuke’s ass cheeks then attacked the base of his spine with his mouth, kissing that patch of nerve endings. He ran his hands down Sasuke’s beautiful back. Sasuke spread his knees a little further apart. Kakashi easily pressed a finger into Sasuke’s body.

“Kakashi, please, make love to me.”

Kakashi laid his body over his smaller lover. Sasuke probably had one more growth spurt coming his way, but he’d never match Kakashi’s nigh on six feet. He put his hands on Sasuke’s chest and abdomen, relishing his body heat and the small tendrils of chakra that bled from every shinobi. He kissed and ran his teeth over the skin of Sasuke’s neck. He didn’t dare bite him, fearful someone would see the mark. He bit at Sasuke’s hair instead, tasting the thick, black strands.

“I love you.” Kakashi’s voice was low and rumbling. Sasuke shuttered.

Kakashi reached for the lube and lubed himself. He stuck two slick fingers inside his lover for good measure, then his cock easily penetrated him. Sasuke was still tight, he just had an incredible ability to relax and open himself up. Once the head was inside him, Sasuke tightened up and scraped the lube from Kakashi’s length as Kakashi pressed in.

“You’re heaven, Sasuke,” Kakashi whispered behind Sasuke’s ear.

“Feels so good,” Sasuke sighed.

Kakashi rocked and Sasuke pushed back against him. With Kakashi pressed against him, Sasuke’s efforts were futile. He realized this and gave up. Kakashi knew from Sasuke’s motions that he wanted it faster and harder so he leaned back and slid his hands around Sasuke’s body to grab his hips and properly fucked him.

Sasuke gasped and moaned as his prostate was struck repeatedly. He twisted his hips as much as he could, varying the sensation for Kakashi. Kakashi leaned down, but not to lay his weight on Sasuke, rather he grabbed Sasuke’s shoulders and used them as leverage. An inch from his hair, Kakashi whispered, “Sasuke. Sasuke.”

“Ahh, fuck. Kakashi,” he whined.

Kakashi reach around and pulled at Sasuke’s erection until he cam with a shuttering groan. Kakashi was another minute behind him. Sated, he remain sheathed in Sasuke’s warm body and embraced him tightly and kissed his neck.

“I love you and I won’t let any harm come to you, ever. Do you trust me?”

“Yes.”

Kakashi kissed his cheek and pulled his body from Sasuke’s and lay down next to him. Lying face to face, Kakashi ran a finger over Sasuke’s cheek.

“You’re finally beginning to grow a beard. It’s going to be pathetic,” Kakashi laughed. “But I think it’ll look good on you.” Sasuke smiled a little and Kakashi continued to run the back of his finger over Sasuke’s lips. On the third pass, Kakashi said, “I love you.” He then ran his fingertip down the length of Sasuke’s straight, regal nose.

Kakashi really hated love. Even with the object of his adoration right here in front of him—touching him—his heart ached. And why couldn’t he stop looking at him? No wonder he’d avoided falling in love for so long. If Sasuke left his side for even a moment, Kakashi worried the pain might debilitate him.

The jealousy wasn’t good either. Now he was wondering if it wasn’t Orochimaru, if Sasuke had loved someone and had a lover. Maybe it was Kabuto and the white hair was why Sasuke thought he loved Kakashi before. No, if he remembered anyone at all it would be Itachi. Which means he probably didn’t ‘remember’ loving Kakashi. He hoped Sasuke would never regain his memories for another reason now: fear of remembering someone he loved or realizing he never loved Kakashi before.

Sasuke could read some of the emotions in Kakashi’s eye. Love, anger, fear. Sasuke shut his eyes. Part of him wanted to run away from Kakashi because Kakashi loved him so much and would no doubt be hurt when—and Sasuke was becoming convinced it would be ‘when’ not ‘if’—he died. He also wanted to get away from Konoha and the ghost of the man he once was. Sleep, and death, were good ways to run away.

Kakashi also scared him sometimes. Sometimes he felt smothered.

-----

Time to venture outside undisguised. Sasuke had been wearing mostly new civilian clothes, but he sometimes wore some of Kakashi’s shirts around the house even if they were too big for him. But today Kakashi was far more cautious about Sasuke’s wardrobe. Everyone was used to seeing the young Sasuke wearing either blue or black shirts and white shorts: none of that—especially the white shorts. More recently it was gray or white shirts which Sasuke kept open over his chest with that rope belt and concealing blue wrap. Those were most definitely not options. What could the boy wear so he wouldn’t stand out or make people fear he was the same Sasuke from before? Being non-descript was normally very easy for shinobi in Konoha: just wear a uniform. Not an option this time. Or maybe the uniform without the vest and pouches? Kakashi sent a shadow clone to fetch the dark blue shirt and pants in Sasuke’s size.

Sasuke liked it; the clothes were warm and concealing, except for the target like swirl over his spine. But he didn’t like leaving the house. He felt exposed without the transformation jutsu. Even Kakashi’s presence wasn’t helping. After some training he learned that the feeling he was getting all the time were the members of ANBU around the house. Those presences didn’t help either, but Sasuke was certain that if they were absent, he’d be cowering. Their’s and Kakashi’s presences were like a bubble of home surrounding him.

He hunched his shoulders a little and couldn’t help looking around as if someone might attack him, but his expression wasn’t challenging or threatening, it was meek and scared shitless.

Only Tsunade and ANBU knew they were going out today, so the young Uchiha’s presence was quite a shock to people. There were audible gasps and mutterings as Kakashi led the sixteen year old toward the market.

Kakashi was trying to act normal, except he didn’t even carry his book today and he wasn’t silly enough to pretend he wasn’t looking out for Sasuke. In actually, he was disturbed. He’d only known one person to ever walk around in those clothes without vest or pouches: Minato. He didn’t need reminders of the dead today, of someone he loved like a father and had lost.

It went pretty well actually. Kakashi could see the way people were looking at Sasuke: they couldn’t believe he’d be so timid, afraid of being looked at. No one attacked him, no one even approached him. Maybe they could get through this.

They made it to a shop at the beginning of the market district. Kakashi purchased some supplies and gave Sasuke the smaller bag. The way Sasuke clutched it, Kakashi knew he wanted to crawl inside it.

On their way home, there were a lot more people loitering around. It was pretty clear now that Sasuke was living in Kakashi’s home and so people who wanted to get a look at Sasuke and had heard he was out and about staked out their route home.

Kakashi sighed. Sasuke’s eyes grew wider and he was really trying to hide behind the paper bag. Kakashi didn’t look like he was examining the people they passed, but he did. It was almost all fear and wonder. He was right: the civilians were afraid, but not angry. The few shinobi he saw were angry, but no one attacked. Who could attack a boy with wide, fearful eyes like that? And with his sensei—the Copy-ninja—right next to him?

They finally made it home and Kakashi quickly put the supplies away and then checked on Sasuke who’d collapsed on the sofa when they came home.

“That went well,” Kakashi said. “It will get easier, I promise.” But he didn’t like how many pairs of eyes had looked at Sasuke. “Come on, let me make love to you. It’ll relax you and take your mind off things.”

Sasuke nodded and followed Kakashi to the bedroom. Kakashi lay Sasuke down, still fully clothed and hiked up his shirt. He kissed and licked at the damp skin; Sasuke had been in a cold sweat since before they left the house. His fear of the outside and other people were approaching phobic levels. Kakashi didn’t dwell on that, but turned his attention to tasting that salty skin. He cursed shinobi deodorant, he wanted to smell him. He could smell his fear in every pore, but his own scent was dampened by the unscented deodorant.

Sasuke was calming down from being outside, but he was becoming aroused especially as Kakashi tongue fucked his navel.

His control of chakra and ability to sense it had been growing and now he felt something.

“Stop, Kakashi. Someone’s coming.”

Kakashi raised his head and concentrated. Sasuke was right. Kakashi got up and went to the front door, pulling up his mask as he went. Sasuke pulled his shirt down and followed Kakashi.

Kakashi went to the window near the door and eased the curtain back a little and looked out. About seven shinobi stood at the edge of the property, chunin and Jounin. Two were crouched, checking the traps that Kakashi had spread around his home, the rest stood behind them.

“Sasuke, get behind the sofa and stay down.”

Sasuke was frightened and obeyed.

Kakashi let out a strong killing aura that hit Sasuke so hard he thought his heart might stop. The ANBU around the house tensed. The two Jounin examining the traps stood. One of the chunin fell backward. From their reactions, Kakashi knew who the dangerous shinobi were in that group. They all looked at the window and saw the Copy-nin through the gap in the curtains. His gray eye was threatening. Then above him ANBU appeared on the roof like gargoyles, crouched and ready to attack. The shinobi looked at the masked ANBU and back at Kakashi’s eye then backed away. The Uchiha’s security was too formidable.

Kakashi waited until the men were far enough away before he closed the curtain and went to the sofa where Sasuke was cowering. Cowering! An Uchiha! Kakashi looked down at him softly, not out of love or a desire to comfort him, but because Kakashi was amused and glad that the old Sasuke was truly dead. Sasuke would never cower from a murderous aura, not since he was thirteen.

“They’re gone. They won’t mess with me and your ANBU guard. Sorry if I scared you.”

“They want to kill me.”

“I don’t know. They might have just been curious.”

“You wouldn’t have scared them off like that if you thought they were just curious.”

“I’d do it to protect you from a mosquito. It’s still early. Do you want to continue or are you hungry or anything?” He wanted to ravish him, but didn’t think Sasuke would be receptive after he felt that aura come from him.

“I just want to go to bed.”

Aware that he’d scared Sasuke, Kakashi asked, “Do you want me to join you?” Sasuke obviously didn’t want Kakashi to join him, but didn’t know how to answer. “Come on,” Kakashi held out a hand to him. “Let’s get you to bed; I’ll just read nearby for while.”

Sasuke curled up under the blanket and Kakashi sat by the window. Before Sasuke could fall asleep, Kakashi said, “You know that aura I gave off? You once gave off a worse aura, maybe more than once. I felt it when you tried to kill me. What you felt, it paled in comparison to what a true murderous aura is. That’s why they fear you. Some of us felt yours before.”

“How many people did I kill?”

“Maybe a thousand.”

Sasuke sat up with his eyes wide. “A thousand?”

“You weren’t . . . I don’t think Taka was sane. All he wanted to do was kill us all. I lost him a long time ago to grief and revenge and rage. I won’t lose you like I lost him.”

“Why are you telling me this now?”

“As frightened as you were of me just now, I was far more frightened of you a few months ago.”

“I don’t want to kill anyone.”

“You’re too innocent to be a shinobi anymore. Don’t tell Tsunade; it’ll make things harder for you.”

“How many people have you killed?”

“Maybe two hundred. Five hundred. I don’t know.”

Sasuke considered Kakashi’s guilt. “Did you have anything to do with my family’s death?”

“None. I was friends with your cousin and I knew your older brother. If I had known the truth . . . I found out shortly after he—Taka, did. But there’s no one left to blame for their deaths. He killed them already.”

“Don’t you fear me remembering? Why are you saying so much?”

“Your memories are gone and they’re not coming back. Taka’s dead. Get some sleep; I’ll keep you safe. I’m sorry I scared you.”

“I’ve never—I mean I haven’t felt something like that.”

“The first time Taka felt a powerful aura, he told me he threw up and was paralyzed. He could produce an aura that strong I’m sure. I could probably make civilians puke, but to make someone like him collapse? Very few could do that. The one who did that to him was his sensei after me.”

“No matter what, I’ll be a prisoner the rest of my life, won’t I?”

“Probably.”

Sasuke lay down and snuggled deeper into the mattress. He didn’t want to leave the house, but he now also wanted to run away. He was surrounded by killers. He once was a killer. His lover was killer.

Kakashi came over and sat on the bed. He brushed Sasuke’s hair back from his forehead. “I could never run after you and chase you like Naruto. All I can do is protect you. I tried before but you still left. If I had stayed with you that night . . . I could never chase you. Since I can’t chase you, I need to keep you. Sleep.”

Sasuke finally drifted off.

-----

They had to go outside again. Sasuke still walked like a frightened child, hunched and trying to hide against Kakashi’s side. He had felt Kakashi’s aura and had sensed hostility, but he was now more attuned to his surroundings. He could feel it all around him. And with the same animal-like senses, the shinobi around him felt his fear and looked at him like prey, which he could feel and made him even more terrified.

He was clutching the paper bag again as if it could shield him. Even though it meant leaving Kakashi’s side, Sasuke stopped when he felt hostility ahead of them. Kakashi looked as bored as ever, but he left carrying the bags to Sasuke so as to keep his hands free. He was not unaware of the three shinobi ahead of him, but he acted like he was.

When the three men made their presence known, Kakashi stopped and sighed. Fuck, two were Jounin. A women came up and tried to talk her friend out of attacking them, but he wouldn’t listen. She was either just afraid of the famous Copy-nin or she feared Sasuke was faking and was a spectacular actor. Or maybe she thought he really was innocent now.

Kakashi stepped in front of Sasuke to shield him. As the men closed the distance, Kakashi relaxed into a ready, lazy-looking posture. He took in his surroundings and was surprised to sense Naruto and Sakura nearby. Raido was there too, but no one moved to support him, no one came to Sasuke’s defence.

Sasuke was petrified. He knew that he was supposed to be able to kill, but he was frozen with fear. And no one did anything, no one wanted to help him or Kakashi. Sasuke looked at the only people he recognized beside Kakashi—Naruto and Sakura—but they didn’t do anything either. Several others looked at them too expecting them to act, but they did nothing. Sasuke gave them a pleading look. It turned sad when Naruto looked away and Sakura looked down. If they hoped he’d regret his cold treatment of them, they succeeded.

Sasuke looked back at Kakashi just as the three men attacked. They didn’t stand a chance. Kakashi wasn’t playing games: he pulled his headband up and brought out his Chidori first thing out of the gate. The Chidori hound went for the second man and the first was stopped dead by Kakashi’s elbow in his nose. Kakashi had moved so swiftly, the man didn’t see him approach and spin. The third man got half a dozen kunai off, but Kakashi had his own kunai out and deflected them all. None were aimed at the Copy-ninja, they were aimed at Sasuke.

Sasuke stumbled back and landed on his ass amid a few kunai. Still, no one thought to help.

The first man was out of commission with a mild concussion and a broken nose that was gushing blood. The second man tried to get up with electricity from the medium level Chidori still making his muscles twitch. The third man was still unharmed.

“Sasuke?” Kakashi asked without looking back at him.

“I’m-m-m okay,” Sasuke stuttered. If they weren’t in the middle of a fight, Kakashi would have been charmed by Sasuke stuttering.

“I don’t want to escalate this any further,” Kakashi warned the third man. ANBU knew Kakashi wanted to handle this, but they were waiting to move in at the first sign he had his hands full. Three appeared on the rooftops, but no one gave the three masked men any mind.

The second man made it to his feet and Kakashi put him back down with shuriken to the metal headband. The third man weighed his chances; Kakashi was on top of his game. He stood down.

Kakashi turned and knelt in front of Sasuke to check on him.

“I’m alright,” Sasuke assured him.

Sasuke looked up and saw the third man attacking. He didn’t think, his body moved on its own: he grabbed a kunai from the ground and threw it at the man with perfect aim and nailed him in the shoulder before Kakashi could turn. He looked back at Sasuke and saw the Sharingan blazing in his eyes. But to his relief, there was none of the old Sasuke behind the red eyes.

The shinobi with the wounded shoulder stared at those red eyes with fear and ran away. ANBU grabbed him before he could get far. The three shinobi would answer for violence in the streets.

“Let’s get you home,” Kakashi said as he helped Sasuke stand. He sent a disappointed glace at his other former students.