Chapter Seventy-One:
"Izami, I want you to stay put. You got it?" Izami glared at Sasuke.
"Hey, I'm not going to stay here while you guys fight." Sasuke looked back at her with a hard look.
"Naruto, Sakura, you two go on ahead. I'll stay behind with Izami, and jump in if you guys need the back up." Naruto and Sakura both nodded, and quickly went after Kabuto, who was watching with veiled interest. Izami watched the other two run off towards Kabuto, and then glared at Sasuke.
"Sasuke, seriously, what the hell is your problem? How long have you known me, and you're treating me like some weak, little kid that can't defend themselves!"
"I have no problem. You haven't slept. I haven't seen you eaten anything, not that you ate very much in the first place, but still. The point is, you know just as well as I do that Kabuto is going to be a tough person to fight. Being weak, and a liability isn't going to help matters. You'll just be a drag on the rest of us, and none of us can afford to cover for you!" Izami's jaw clenched, her eyes narrowing more.
"Who the hell died, and said you get to boss me around? And where the hell was I when this decision was being made? Look, I don't know what the hell got into your head, but you better get it out, and fast. I'm not some property of yours that you-"
"Hey, don't put words into my mouth! I never said that!"
"You act like it, and that is just as bad." Sasuke stared at Izami, and then sighed heavily. His angered expression was replaced by a much calmer expression.
"Look, whatever. We need to calm down." Izami clenched her jaw again, but said nothing as both her and Sasuke turned to look at the battle before them.
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"This is going nowhere. Fast. I'm going in." Izami glanced at Sasuke, frowning slightly.
"And what about me?" Sasuke cut her a look, causing her to frown again." Fine. I'll stay here, but if something happens, I'm coming down there, and helping out." Sasuke sighed heavily.
"Fine. Do whatever you want, but don't you dare come in until you have no other choice, you got it?" Izami scowled.
"What the hell ever. Just go. Now." Sasuke didn't need to be told twice. He ran ahead, and began helping the others while Izami waited at her spot, ready for anything that might happen.
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Izami watched, muscles tensed, her sense ready for a fight as her eyes watched intently at the happenings in front of her. She hadn't seen the original Team Seven fight together much, and to see how flawless their teamwork was together was something that amused and amazed her in equal amounts. Where one was weak, another easily made up for that weakness.
However, the fight was wearing on all of them, Izami could easily see that. It was when Kabuto suddenly disappeared that Izami stood straighter, her muscles painfully tensed up. Fear, excitement, anger, and anticipation shot through her system.
"Long time no see, Izami-chan." Kabuto chuckled mockingly behind Izami. She could feel her back tensing up almost too painfully at the sound of his voice. Her throat went dry, and her muscles practically twitched with anticipation."Preparing to fight me, are you? How...Stupid." Izami reached for her weapons bag, but Kabuto had acted much faster than she did. His leg swung out, kicking her legs from under her, causing her jaw to hit the ground hard. Izami grunted as her jaw made her teeth collide painfully together. Her whole body spasmed in pain. She squeezed her eyes together tightly to stop the tears from spilling over her eyes.
"Izami!" Sasuke yelled out, but she couldn't bring herself to look at him. Instead, she rose to her feet shakily, and faced Kabuto, her hand had quickly whipped out a kunai.
"This ends now." She growled out, jaw clenched. Kabuto merely smirked, and lowered his dark red robe.
"You can try if you want. It won't end pretty for one of us. " He spoke with an air of arrogance that just set Izami off more as she rushed towards him, weapon poised, and ready to attack.
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"They've already left?" Wabisuke's tone was soft, almost saddened as he spoke to Kakashi, who was trying to keep a very hyper-active Hitomu busy.
"Yes. It was urgent." Kakashi spoke through a grunt, trying to pry a suddenly clingy little boy off his leg.
"I see." Wabisuke looked at the toddler with ear length, black colored, curly hair tug on Kakashi's pant leg, and smiled in amusement." Hey you." Hitomu gasped slightly, and looked at Wabisuke with wide, dark grey eyes. He quickly tried to hide behind Kakashi's leg." What's your name?" The toddler looked at him, and eyed him slightly.
"Hitomu Chia." Wabisuke stared at the kid for a moment, and then looked at Kakashi with a tight-lipped smile.
"Sasuke-san's kid?"
"Yeah. I'm watching Hitomu-kun for him and Izami-chan while they're out getting Kabuto-san." Wabisuke nodded, and looked back at the kid, who was eyeing him, as if he had seen him somewhere else. Wabisuke swallowed hard, and then returned his attention to Kakashi.
"How was Izami-chan doing before they went off? I imagine she wasn't doing so well."
"No. Not entirely good, but not entirely bad either. You can understand if her emotions were varying from one to end to the other." Wabisuke nodded slightly.
"Oh yes. I'm sure." Wabisuke's eyes flickered back to Hitomu, who seemed to have lost interest in Wabisuke, and returned to tugging on Kakashi's pants.
"Hungray." He pouted out." Hungray, Akashi-sana." Kakashi looked down at Hitomu, who was scowling at Kakashi.
"There's that sandwich you didn't finish earlier."
"No." Kakashi sighed, and shook his head.
"Then you're not really hungry. I don't have that much here."
"Hungray." Wabisuke couldn't help but smirk slightly." Hungray Akashi-sana."
"Go get the sandwich."
"No." Hitomu pouted again, and then sat on the ground, arms crossed, and eyes closed in displeasure. Wabisuke laughed slightly.
"It wouldn't be so funny if you had to deal with him. He's been like that since Sasuke-san and Izami-chan left."
"He just misses his mother and father. I don't think both of them have been apart from him this long before."
"It's always been one or the other with him." Kakashi agreed, nodding his head slightly as he looked back at Hitomu, who was still scowling at Kakashi with his arms crossed. Wabisuke was quiet for a moment as he looked at Kakashi and Hitomu. He then looked at Hitomu.
Sure, he mostly took after Sasuke with his hair color, eye color, and skin complexion, but Wabisuke also noticed more of Izami in her son than Sasuke, at least when it came to attitude and expressions. Those he, no question about it, got from Izami. Wabisuke quickly looked away from Hitomu, and back at Kakashi, who seemed to be in another place as he looked away from the little boy.
"If...If you need a break for your own time, I could always watch the kid for you." Wabisuke asked, clearing his throat. Kakashi shook his head slightly, and gave Wabisuke a surprised expression.
"You sure? I mean, if I really needed that much of a break, I could always ask someone else. Besides, Hitomu-kun doesn't take very well to strangers. I don't want much of a hassle on you."
"I wouldn't mind at all. Besides, I'd like to see my old friend's kid myself. It's likely the last chance I'll have." Kakashi was quiet a moment, and then sighed, nodding slightly.
"You can watch him if you like while I take a nap. Just don't go out of the house. I'd rather not have to search the entire village for you two when I wake up." Wabisuke nodded slightly, and smiled down at Hitomu, who gave him a scared expression as Kakashi stood up, and began walking to his room. Hitomu gasped slightly, stood up, and quickly grabbed at Kakashi's pant leg.
"Akashi-sana?" Hitomu almost looked panicked, as if Kakashi were leaving the little toddler with a monster that was going to eat him." You going?"
"I'm going to sleep for a bit. Why don't you play with Wabisuke-san? He's very nice." Hitomu looked over his shoulder at Wabisuke, eyeing him, and then shook his head as he looked at Kakashi.
"He scary. I ant you. I sleep it you?"
"No. I need some private time. Wabisuke-san's not scary. Play with him and you'll see." Kakashi removed Hitomu's hand from his leg, and then left the room.
"I'm not so scary. Come here, I'll show you a neat trick." Wabisuke smiled at the toddler, who just gasped slightly, and shook his head.
"You feel scary. I no ant play it you." Wabisuke paused slightly, tilting his head slightly, a confused expression.
"I feel scary?" He repeated slowly. Hitomu nodded fastly.
"You feel scary. I no ant you here." Hitomu repeated, his body visibly tensing up. Wabisuke paused again, unsure of how to react.
A natural sensory type. Pretty advanced too if he could already feel out another's charka at this age. He'll grow up to be pretty damn talented. Just like his father and mother. Can't decide if this is a good thing or not. Wonder how father, and Kabuto-san will react to this news.
"Hey, want me to show you a neat, little trick." Wabisuke asked, smiling again at the boy, hoping to relax the boy, and hope to gain just a sliver of his trust. The boy relaxed slightly, and eyed him again.
"Hat is it?"
"It's a neat little trick. Want me to show it to you?" Hitomu still eyed him." It's a little trick. It's like what your mother and father do."
"No leave the house. Akashi-sana said that. He no search the village."
"We'll go to the back yard. It's not leaving the house."
"Hat is it?"
"An amazing tick. While your mother and father are away, I'll teach you this neat little trick, and then you can show your mother and father when they get back. They'll be so much more prouder of you than they already are." Wabisuke's grin seemed to widen out slightly. Hitomu seemed to completely relax, and broke out into a toothy grin.
"Hat is it? Hat is it?" Wabisuke laughed slightly, amused, and surprised the boy wasn't bouncing on his feet from the way he looked so excited.
"It's a trick called sensory skills. Want me to teach you?"
"Yeah! Yeah!" Hitomu nodded fast, and began to walk towards the back door. After he was a few feet away, he paused, and looked at Wabisuke." Abeski-san coming?"
"Yeah. I'm coming." Wabisuke smiled, and stood on his feet, quickly following after the small child, who was smiling widely. Wbaisuke smirked to himself.
This'll be interesting. He thought to himself, smirking widely.
As the door closed behind Wabisuke, and the toddler, Kakashi's visible eye narrowed slightly.
"This doesn't feel right." Kakashi whispered to himself." This just doesn't set right with me. Something's up. I'll keep quiet though until things become clearer. Not going to jump to conclusions right away." He was reasoning with himself, trying to fight his other senses that were telling him to voice up." Yeah, just keep up watching. Can't get too suspicious too soon." With that said, he closed his bedroom door, and laid down on his bed." Izami-chan, you better come home safely." Was his last voiced thought before rolling over on his side, and falling asleep quickly.