Fanning the Flames

Chapter Fifty-Two

It had been three days since the copy-nin was rushed to the hospital, and the tense, angry atmosphere in the tower was about to drive Ibiki mad. “Fine,” he bellowed as he stormed out of his office. “I'm going to visit him. Everyone happy now?”

“It doesn't fix what you did,” Bear growled as he passed.

“You seem to have a particular interest in my private life, shinobi. Why, pray tell, does any of this concern you?”

“Senpai is important to me . . . to a lot of us in ANBU. He's been there for us when no one else has. If he leaves Konoha we'll follow.” Bear's earnest warning sent the interrogator into a rage.

“So, you're telling me you're about to commit treason?”

“I doubt any place senpai settles would see it that way.”

Ibiki slammed his fist into the wall next to the masked man's head. It only annoyed him further when Bear didn't even flinch. He pulled his hand out of the crater he'd made and headed down the stairs.

His sense of irritation multiplied a hundredfold as he approached the copy-nin's hospital room. He shoved the door open without knocking and strode inside, only to have his jaw unhinge in shock at the sight that met his eyes.

Instead of one man in the bed there were two. He blinked to clear his vision, but in the topsy turvy world he found himself in it did no good. Apparently the latest obstacle to his sanity was to be the sight of a smirking Uchiha Itachi cradling the copy-nin's son while a maskless Kakashi dozed against his shoulder. What confused him even further was the rage he felt when a strong hand reached out to card through the jounin's tangled locks in a gesture that was entirely too possessive for the scarred man's comfort.

“Ah, Hatake-san. It's wonderful to see you again.” Itachi's rich tenor seemed to jolt the interrogator from his stupor.

“Why are you here, traitor?” Ibiki demanded. “If you harm him . . .”

“Don't be ridiculous,” the Otokage chided. “I would never hurt the father of my child.”

“What?” the interrogator asked stupidly.

“Stop teasing him 'tachi. It isn't nice,” a groggy Kakashi insisted peevishly. “It's good to see you Morino-san. What brings you here?” He pushed himself into a sitting position and ran a nervous hand through his silvery mane.

“I thought I should check on you. Apparently I was right. Harboring a traitor is a serious offense. Sick or not, I'm afraid I'll have to take you both into custody.” Ibiki pulled a set of chakra draining cuffs from his pocket and moved to snap them on the copy-nin. As he fastened the first cuff it struck him how terribly thin the jounin was.

“You do realize I won't let you take him?” The last Uchiha rose from the bed, sightless eyes unerringly rising to meet the interrogator's. “You really don't want to fight me, do you?”

“Enough,” Kakashi barked. “Itachi you'll need to watch Obito while I go with Morino-san.”

“Nonsense,” the Otokage decided with a chuckle. He unfastened the cuffs and settled the copy-nin more comfortably on the bed before turning back to a gob-smacked Ibiki.

“You did not just do that,” the torture master growled.

Hinata heard the raised voices and scurried down the hall. She threw open the door to see the Otokage tussling with Ibiki. The fell hard against the wall and she found her voice. “What the hell do you think you're doing?”

“I'm trying to take these two into custody,” Ibiki explained as he attempted to reach around her and latch onto the Uchiha again. “Harboring a dangerous fugitive is a capital offense.”

“My apologies, Otokage-sama.” Hinata bowed formally. “I'm afraid Morino-san has recently suffered a memory loss. He doesn't realize that you are now our ally.”

Itachi perched on the edge of the bed and pulled the copy-nin tight against his side. “I believe he's jealous, senpai.”

“It's not funny,” Kakashi whispered. “It hurts. Please stop tormenting me.”

“Everyone out,” Hinata insisted. “Hatake-san, are you in pain?”

“Just my heart.”

“You're a bastard,” the Hyuuga heir snapped at the Otokage. “And you,” she rounded on the interrogator. “Don't come back until you remember your obligations.”

“Why do I have to leave and he gets to stay?” Ibiki whined.

“He's Obito's father. Besides, Kakashi wants him here. All you're doing is upsetting everyone. You'll just have to take this up with him after the baby is born.”

“I don't need to be protected, Hina-chan.” The soft voice had all of them swiveling to look at the copy-nin. He looked almost regal, the placating tone contrasting with the hard set of his jaw and the flinty look in his eyes. “Ibiki, do you remember me yet?”

“I've never forgotten you Hatake-san. You're one of our most accomplished jounin.”

“Aaa. Well, I've retired. So, if there's nothing else you need from me?”

“Out,” Hinata insisted, pushing the interrogator to get him heading toward the door. “Come back when you remember him.”

“I just said,” Ibiki began.

“I heard what you said,” she declared almost contemptuously. “Now you hear what I have to say. Whether you remember it or not, that man in there loves you very much. You've broken his heart, you don't need to turn the pieces and do more damage. It's imperative that he stay calm. You are not calm inducing. So, you are going to go back to your office and I don't want to see you with in a hundred feet of Hatake-san's room unless you're groveling for forgiveness.”

“Now wait just a minute,” the interrogator huffed. “Do you know who I am young lady?”

“Do you know who I am?” Hinata snarked back.

Before he could open his mouth to respond Ibiki found himself shoved out into the hall and the door shut tightly behind him. He turned and glared at the wooden obstruction, tempted to barge back inside and speak his mind. He remembered the hurt look in the copy-nin's eyes, however, and turned away with a sigh.

When he reached his office he immediately summoned an ANBU. “I need you to follow Uchiha Itachi. I want to know where he goes, where he stays, who he sees.”

“The Otokage is an ally,” the masked nin reminded him. “Too close scrutiny will be seen as a lack of trust in our treaty.”

“I don't care,” the interrogator barked. He ran a weary hand over his head and closed his eyes for a moment as he attempted to temper his rising ire. “Look, it's . . . personal. I just want to know what his intentions are regarding Hatake-san.”

“You should ask him then.”

“Are you refusing a direct order?” Ibiki glowered at the man on the other side of his desk.

“I'm going.”

* ^ * ^ *

“So, Fair Hinata, Is Now A Good Time For Our Spar?”

The Hyuuga heiress regarded the green clad jounin for a moment. “Now would be lovely Gai-sensei. I have some frustration to work off.”

All eyes followed the unlikely pair as they left the hospital. Gai kept careful hold on the medic's arm as he rambled on about training and goals. Finally he grew serious. “How Is My Rival Doing?”

“Better, I think,” she replied thoughtfully. “Itachi being here has cheered him up a bit. He's not as lonely as he has been. Still, Ibiki isn't making any effort to get his memories back. I know Kakashi's hurting. It seems so unfair after all he's gone through.”

“My Rival Is Very Good At Keeping Things To Himself,” the taijutsu master agreed. “Still, It Is Good That Obito's Other Parent Is Here To Help Out.”

“I'm not so sure about that,” Hinata muttered. “Uchiha-sama and Ibiki almost came to blows in his room today. The Otokage is always very polite, but he gives me the shivers. Just knowing what he did to his family . . . well, I find it hard to trust him.”

“His Clan And Yours Are Much Alike. Perhaps That Is Why You Find It So Hard To Accept. Still, Your Own Father Voted To Pardon Him. I'm Sure He'd Explain Why If You Asked.”

“I doubt that,” she said bitterly. “Father still thinks of me as a foolish girl. I may be the heir, but Neji is the one he confides in.”

“Because He Loves You,” Gai soothed. “Trust Me, The Whole Matter Is Extremely Disturbing. It Is Not The Sort Of Thing A Man Speaks To A Woman About. Our Job Is To Shelter The Delicate Flowers Of Womanhood.”

“Don't be an ass,” Hinata growled. “I'll show you a delicate flower.”