Atonement

Chapter 21

Kakashi awoke in the comfort of a warm hospital bed.

His tired eyes shifted through the room analysing his surroundings. Partly laying on his hospital bed was Anko and he could distinctly smell the fine touch of salt on her. The dark bags beneath her eyes also indicated that she had been crying recently.

Then close to Anko sat Genma, sleeping peacefully but having his hand around his weapon poach ready to draw a kunai if needed. And on a seemingly uncomfortable plastic chair sat Orochimaru.

Suddenly everything that Kakashi had unconsciously blocked out came back. His capture, the torture, the escape, the fight with the ROOT shinobi and ... his father's death. The image of his father's corps, bloodied and with a stab wound close to his heart, was burnt into his mind and just like the first time, he'd never be able to forget it. 

He had failed in the one purpose he lived for: protecting his precious people.

So what was left for him now since he failed in doing so? 

What was he meant to do? 

How could he go on living when the past started to repeat itself? 

First his father, would Obito be the next one to die? Had all of his training and planning been for nothing? 

How could he even dream of killing Madara when he hadn't even been strong enough to beat Hanzo? 

Numbly, Kakashi hadn't even noticed how his feet had dragged him out of the hospital room. Leaning heavily on the wall, he continued to walk outside. He needed to get out of the building! His breathing had increased and he felt like drowning.

The loud voices in his head overrode everything.

The cries, the screams, the curses.

They had haunted him ever since the Fourth Shinobi World War, but right now they were louder than ever.

The time traveler numbly staggered around Konoha, he was weakened and could barely stand by himself but nothing would stop him from killing the one that should have already been six feet under. His mind had shut off his rationality and his sense of danger so he carelessly wandered into Danzo's quarters. He was ignorant to his naked feet that cut themselves open on the rough ground, leaving behind bloody footprints, as well as to the ROOT shinobi that hid in dark corners and watched him closely. 

Stopping in front of Danzo's house door he stared blankly into the distance. Kakashi could have sworn that through all the pained and angry cries in his mind he had heard the agitated voices of his students begging him to stop. For a moment he hesitated and started to doubt what he was doing but than the anguished cries got louder again and drowned out his student's quiet pleas and he forcefully pushed the wooden door open.

"You're even more stupid than I thought you'd be if you plan on killing Danzo by yourself in your current condition."

Kakashi turned around but nothing in his blank face indicated that he was surprised to see Orochimaru. There was just an eerie emptiness that caused shivers to run down Orochimaru's spine. 

However, despite his blank face, Kakashi had been indeed surprised to see the Snake Sannin. Furthermore he hadn't been able to sense him but now that he thought about it... he still couldn't sense him and ... he couldn't feel his own chakra at all... He probably had fried his chakra coils when using the Mangekyo Sharingan but... he couldn't bring himself to care. 

Coldly, Kakashi turned away from Orochimaru with the intention to continue on his way.

"Are you really giving up Kakashi?" Orochimaru shouted, his voice showing the disappointment and sadness he felt.