Hopelessly

No evil dooms us hopelessly except the evil we love, and desire to continue in, and make no effort to escape from. –George Eliot

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Suigetsu brought Kakashi in with his hands bound with a rigid metal bar keeping his hands far enough apart to prevent him making hand signs. Sasuke lounged in the throne Madara had prepared for himself. Suigetsu pushed Kakashi to his knees.

“You are one of the few I expected to still be alive,” Sasuke said. “I somehow knew you wouldn’t off yourself as so many others did.”

Kakashi had considered it, but needed to take this last chance. “Sasuke—”

“I know what you’d say. It’s useless now. My revenge is finished and I have no reason to be merciful.”

“Then you have no reason to be cruel.”

“Don’t even try to appeal to my higher nature; Konoha killed that off when they ordered my clan eliminated by my brother, a child.” Rage boiled up briefly at the end, but Sasuke quickly controlled it. Konoha was less than a shadow of its former self. The shinobi world was less than a shadow. He was actually getting tired of being angry all the time.

“I have one condition to letting you live,” Sasuke continued. “Kneel there and beg Itachi for forgiveness for trading his life for your peace.”

It wasn’t hard to bow his head and honestly say: “I offer my sincerest apology for what my village did at the expense of your clan and your brother. I beg Itachi’s forgiveness. And yours. Konoha is guilty for it all.”

Sasuke was silent for moment. “You are the first one to do that sincerely and so readily. I believe you. Now for the reason I had you brought in. I heard you were briefly named Hokage after Danzou and before the Fifth regained consciousness. I name you as Hokage.”

Kakashi was shocked speechless.

“You will be my puppet in Konoha. I have something of an understanding with Gaara; he keeps his position and I don’t level his village if he acknowledges my authority. That woman from Kiri keeps her position under a similar agreement, but I’ll have Suigetsu there to ensure my influence. I’ll replace the other two in the next few days. Do you accept my offer?”

“I never wanted to be Hokage.”

“If you don’t take it, I’ll put an outsider in Konoha. Maybe even bloodthirsty Suigetsu here. Want to take that chance?”

“In that case, I’ll take the position.”

“Good. I have the uniform here somewhere. I’ll find it and give it to you later.”

Kakashi saw that Sasuke was staring intently at his covered eye. He remembered how disdainful Sasuke was of him, a non-Uchiha, having this Sharingan eye. He feared Sasuke would pluck out that eye. Or worse, make him remove it himself.

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I stopped here ‘cause I wanted a vote. How many are sadistic and want a little eye-gouging and who wants Kakashi to keep Obito’s eye? I’m curious. I know what I’m doing, but maybe I can be swayed.