Drowning in Freedom

Chapter 1: The Missing Years

A/N: Hey guys! Thank you so much for reading part 2 of Amaya's and Kakashi's story. If you have not read "Don't Walk Away" the first part... than THIS IS YOUR WARNING TO READ THAT FIRST. If you have already read that, then I hope you enjoy the first chapter of Drowning in Freedom :)

Disclaimers:

1.) I do not have any rights over the Naruto characters, but I do have any ownership of my OC's used, (Primarily Amaya)

2.) There may be strong language throughout this story, so here is your caution warning.

3.) Since writing fanfiction is not a true profession that I can get paid for (even though I wish it was), I am doing this for fun with hopes that my readers have fun alongside me. I don't edit my chapters, even though I know that I should, so before someone comes at me saying that I have grammar mistakes or I use a lot of the same phrasing... I KNOW. I'm not saying this to be mean, but ifthat is the one review you leave saying that I messed up "x" word in "y" paragraph, then well... I don't know what to tell you... other than I do this for fun...

And on those notes... I hope you like this chapter!

"The secret to happiness is freedom… And the secret of freedom is courage"

-Thucydides

Trash and debris litter the floor of the Hatake manor. Rain was pattering against the windows and water was seeped in through cracks in the roof. The summer season had just begun, but the rainy weather made Konoha feel as if it was the beginning of spring instead. Kakashi laid in his bed, eyes closed, listening to the sound of rain against the window. Every so often he would feel a drop of water hit his body, but he made no move to get up and correct the problem. The only bucket that was catching water in the house was in the kitchen. He never ate much anymore, and didn't have a care if the rest of his house went to shit, but he couldn't let his mother's kitchen be torn apart with his irrational tendencies.

His ninkin were scattered on the bed and floor, trying to avoid the massive amounts of beer cans that were left smashed or half full in his room. With Naruto off training with Jiraiya and Sakura with the fifth, there had been little to do except to stay at home and deal with his inner demons. Every so often Kakashi would find the will to get out of bed and go train, but never did he seek outside help. Gai was the only one that still came around the house, even with Kakashi's lackadaisical attitude. Opening his eyes to look at his dirty ceiling fan, Kakashi scratched his jaw. With people coming to see him less and less as the weeks went by, he didn't feel the need to wear his mask much anymore. With that logic, he started to let his appearance start to go downhill.

The nin's facial hair indicated that he hadn't shaved in about two weeks and the bags under his eyes made him look older than what he really was. The deepness and darkness of the bags under his eyes showed just how much Kakashi dreads sleeping. Looking out at the storm that was brewing outside, Kakashi let his mind wander. He hated falling asleep because his dreams were filled with only one thing. It had been almost two and a half years since she left, and Kakashi was still feeling the after affects mentally. He nearly escaped death. When the Anbu found him in a pool of his own blood, they brought him straight to the hokage and Tsunade proceeded to work on him for thirty-seven hours straight.

Amaya, out of sheer luck, or because she planned it that way, missed Kakashi's heart by a simple two millimeters. He nearly escaped death, and Tsunade had never seen a stab wound like the one that Kakashi had received. Tsunade could see that Kakashi's cells, on the structural level, were damaged as well. Amaya's water blade distorted the cells so much that they didn't have any DNA to replicate with again. Not only that, but at two points of the surgery she thought that she had lost the man on the operating table. She knew that he had given up the will to live, but she wasn't ready to let her friend go. Even to this day, Tsunade never got the whole story about what went down between the two of them in that forest. The hokage always wondered from that point on if she had made the right decision to make Kakashi go out and try to stop Amaya from committing treason against the village by leaving.

When he woke up in that hospital room, expecting to never wake up again, he had to come to terms with a reality that he wasn't prepared to face. Amaya had left him for dead. She had left him and proceeded to become a traitor of Konoha. That was another reason why Kakashi, even after his physical wounds healed and he could go back on missions, he only took the easy ones—unfit for a jonin of his level. Tsunade never said anything about him taking D and C-ranked missions, but the unspoken truth was that those missions had less of a chance for Kakashi to stumble upon Amaya. That was when he vowed to himself to get stronger, because he was going to be the one to bring Amaya back to the village—even if he had to bring her back in a body bag.

To this day, he refused to believe that she was a traitor, even though his updated bingo book said otherwise. Amaya had a choice, and she chose to leave him behind. This went beyond being a traitor to the village, this was personal. The ninkin moved out of the way when Kakashi decided that it was time to get up and see if there was anything in the kitchen to eat. It was reflex at this point—not hunger. He had to eat to stay alive. Also, everything tasted bland and nothing seemed to hold the same merit as before. Rolling out of bed, the nin's hair was even more of a mess than it typically was. He clumsily, in a hungover state, made his way to the kitchen. He stumbled through the doorway, catching himself before he knocked the bucket filled with water from the leaking roof.

He made a note to change it later, but right now he couldn't be bothered with it. Opening cabinets, Kakashi didn't come across anything edible except some rice that was a few days passed its expiration date. Kakashi plugged in his rice cooker and dumped the small amount of rice into the cooker. He added water and closed the lid. Taking a step back he yawned and scratched his bare chest, opting to only wear baggy sweatpants on a day like today. Or really, most days in general. Without thinking about it, Kakashi let his fingers trace over the scar just over his heart. The one that Amaya had so generously left him. His fingers lingered over the indentation as he bowed his head and looked at the filthy floor.

The nin knew that there was something up with Amaya the night that their fight went down, he just didn't have proof that he could present. He wanted to see her again, just for the sheer fact that he wanted the truth from her. However, whenever he thought he was ready to see the kunoichi again, his heart seemed to scream in protest, as if it was a defense against the thing that hurt it the most. He wanted to hear her side of the story, and to hear those fated words again. Without any curse on her, without any distractions, he needed to hear that Amaya didn't love him anymore. If she could look him in the eye and say that to him, without any remorse, he knew that her words during the fight about her loving him was a ploy, he would believe it.

If it really was all a ploy, if she really did become a traitor to the village, Kakashi wanted to be the one to put an end to her life. He wanted to be the one to thrust his chidori into her heart and make her feel what it felt like when she tore his own heart out and broke it. Kakashi ran a hand down his face and picked his head back up to check on the expired rice. It still had a long way to go, but his whole body came to a defensive stance when he heard a knock on the door. At first, he thought he was hallucinating, but then the knock came again, this time with more force behind it. He knew that it couldn't have been Gai, the man never knocked. For it to be anyone else, that was also impossible. Everyone had given up on him, just like Amaya.

The knocking didn't let up and it was almost like someone was about to kick down the door if he didn't get to answer it fast enough. Shuffling towards the sound, Kakashi finally opened it, revealing a fuming blonde in front of him. With a hard look on her face, Tsunade pushed Kakashi to the side and walked into his house, taking stock of the disgusting living conditions, he was in. She had never seen Kakashi fallen this low and knew that these past two years had been hard on him, but she had yet to see what his house had turned into since he was discharged. A part of her didn't want to know and that was why she didn't stop by—but now she wished she had sooner. However, when Kakashi closed his front door leaving the two of them together, her resolve came back to her and she found her fighting spirit again.

"It's been two and a half years now, Kakashi… You need to start cleaning up your act here," Tsunade sighed, placing her hands on her hips.

Kakashi just looked at the blonde with a lack of interest and stood there, not bothering with answering her statement. The two could do this all day, but it wouldn't change a fact as to how Kakashi was feeling. If two years hadn't changed what he thought, what did expect now. Tsunade turns away from the man and looks at the rice cooker that was on. The blonde couldn't help but think that at least Kakashi had some semblance of upkeep, at least he was eating.

"You know, Naruto is coming back in a couple of days and I think it would be beneficial to not only him but you as well if you try to look like the sensei that that kid remembers."

The white-haired nin gave Tsunade a curt laugh in reply, "It doesn't even matter anymore, Lady Tsunade."

Tsunade didn't like the tone that Kakashi was taking with her. She didn't care that she had a higher rank than he did, she was never about that. This was more about pride and principle than it was being the hokage. Kakashi needed some tough love to kick his ass back in gear.

"You're not the only one who is depressed about Amaya leaving. You're not the only one who has thought about that night again and again, every day for the past two years!" Tsunade yelled, calling Kakashi out on his behavior.

Kakashi clenched his fists and let a deep breath out, one that was restraining himself for making matters even worse. He knew that Tsunade wouldn't hesitate to pry into is life more than she already had, and that was the last thing that he needed. He needed the peace and quiet because being around people, any people, just made him feel like he was about to throw up. Like he wasn't good anymore, that he was tainted somehow. The scar that Amaya left wasn't just a physical one, it was a mental one as well. Tsunade scratched her head, feeling that she may have taken her comeback a little too far.

"You know, if you are struggling with depression, I am always here to help—"

"The only help that I need is to get answers from the woman who stabbed me in the chest!"

"Kakashi, I—"

"Don't even start with me… because I know… I know after all these years that you know something that I don't… and for some reason you can't bring yourself to tell me."

"My knowledge may but Amaya in danger and I don't want to risk what she is doing—"

"That's goddamn bullshit if I have ever heard it. You don't even know what the fuck she is doing. The last report that came in said that she was in the Akatsuki, the very thing that she fought so hard against… was the thing that she became. If she is out there, acting like a traitor, than I hope she dies as one!"

"I would be careful of what you wish for, Kakashi. I have a feeling that she may be back at Konoha sooner, rather than later. Life is fleeting and even I wouldn't wish death on my worst enemy."

Kakashi gritted his teeth and turned his head to the side, refusing to look at the hokage. She knew that Kakashi didn't want death upon Amaya, he just needed some closure. Tsunade knew that he thought he received it when Amaya stabbed her water blade through his chest, but now that he was given a second chance at life, the man didn't know what to do with it.

"I'll give you a few days to clean up this mess and settle back into old habits before I assign team Kakashi on new missions. I will also have Sakura join the team again once Naruto arrives, with all the training this next generation has done, I think it is finally time they can put it to good use."

With that being said, Tsunade paused for a moment to see if Kakashi had any comments of questions for her. Instead, he stayed rooted in the same position, making Tsunade take this as a clear ending to their conversation. She turned and started to see herself out. As the blonde passed Kakashi she took a moment to stand next to him and bestow some parting words on the man.

"You know Kakashi… leaving this village… leaving you… I can tell you, I know, that it wasn't easy on Amaya either."

"It could have been… it could have been easy if that woman wasn't rash and talked to me. Instead, here you and I are trying to act buddy-buddy with each other as she runs around being a wanted fugitive. There would be nothing I could do if I came across her, Lady Tsunade. My hand would be forced… and I would have to kill her, due to my allegiance to this village." suddenly responding to Tsunade's words with a new fire lit in his eyes.

Tsunade licked her lips and let out a slow stream of air from her mouth. She looked down at the floor, before she started to move, leaving Kakashi alone in the darkness of his house again. However, she didn't part before whispering some advice to the man and offering a sad smile.

"You may not have a think you can do something when it comes to the rules, but you always have a choice Kakashi. What it looks like to me, is that the choice that you're going to make is to either kill Amaya the next time you see her, or let her explain her side of the story—for better, or for worse."

Kisame launched a punch towards Amaya's face and she cleanly sidestepped the action, placing her palm up and deflecting the momentum Kisame had, downwards. The shark-skinned male believed in onset, rapid training like this. At the beginning it was a lot to get used to, but now, it was almost as if she could read his movements beforehand. The male used his other hand to try and strike the side of Amaya's face but without any effort, moved her arm upwards, countering Kisame once again. However, Amaya quickly jumped backwards, placing distance between her and Kisame. He pulled his sword out and started to charge at her. Without wasting a minute, Amaya pulled out her own, the well-known kubikiribocho, or as it is more notably known as the executioner's blade.

It was the blade that the demon of the hidden mist or better known as Zabuza wielded it before Amaya went on a journey with Kisame to hunt it down. After the past two and a half years, the man charging at her was still insanely unpredictable, but she now knew how to defend against him. She didn't hesitate and activated her kekkei genkai. Her usual two water blades now joining and forming around the sword the held in her hands. The water moved and made the edges of the sword sharper. Not only that, but with her chakra moving across the blade, it could be used as a great defensive weapon as well. Even if the training was hard to the point where she came close to death more times than she could count, she now had a shot of doing what needed to be done.

Kisame had taken up the role of her teacher, something that she never thought would come to fruition. Itachi, on the other hand, had finally spoken the truth about his clan, how the elders of Konoha made him do what he did. The two of them started to develop a sort of kinship together that Kisame never could really understand. He would make fun of the pair each time, and then Itachi would always say something dryly. This only resulted in Kisame stroking his ego and saying that the only reason why the two of them were still alive was because he felt bad killing children and picking on people that were terminally ill.

"Would you two stop it before someone gets hurt?" Itachi said, instantly making Amaya come out of her fighting position.

She let her chakra dissipate back into the air and flicked the blade so the excess water would come off of it. Infusing chakra into the wrapping at the end of the hilt, Amaya made a wrapping and attached the bade to her back. Nevertheless, Kisame didn't heed Itachi's words and still ran forward with his hidden mist sword ready to eat her chakra and claw out a hunk of flesh. With quick thinking, however, Amaya was able to move to the side and when she did so, she grabbed Kisame's cloke, spinning him around to face the other direction. She moved a few steps away, just as Kisame swung his blade backwards, trying to hit her—or at least let his blade get a taste of her chakra. When Kisame seemed like he wasn't going to try and take another swing at her, Amaya casually walked towards Itachi, which pissed Kisame off.

"You better watch yourself Amaya-chan… Just because you're stronger doesn't mean you're any better."

"Kisame, stop it. You should be mindful at the power that Amaya has amassed in these short years. If you're not careful, it would be an easy victory for her."

"An easy victory of what… what are they calling you these days?" Kisame licked his lips and bared his teeth at Amaya.

"…" Amaya knew this was a trap, everything was a trap with this man.

"Yeah… isn't it something stupid… like faceless dragon of Konoha? Like what kind of name is that? You aren't even from Konoha—"

"Be mindful of where she came from Kisame. I would if I were you… it's only a matter of time before Amaya doesn't hesitate anymore and tries to kill you."

Amaya looked over at Itachi who was watching her closely. She knew that he couldn't see her through her Anbu mask, even if it was worn and cracked, having seen better days, but it was still unnerving how much the Uchiha noticed. He had noticed that she still has issues killing blindly, that she hesitates before dealing the final blow to someone, no matter who it is. It was always something that had stayed with her. Kisame couldn't beat it out of her. With Itachi's words failing to be answered, the two of them stared in the same direction as he was. If she was still the same jonin that was living carefree in the village she would have given no thoughts to the direction they were looking at. But, she knew better than that. From the way the wind blew her hair off of her face, and the way the air smelled, she knew that they were looking in the direction of the village hidden in the sand.

Pushing back her hair, opting after all of this time to leave it down, almost creating a mane that framed her mask when she fought, she took a look at the deteriorating Akatsuki cloak that she wore. Even though she wasn't an official member who wore a special ring, the rest of the members had allowed her to come into the organization, especially after hearing how she was the closest person to ever kill Kakashi Hatake-the copycat nin. Kisame was actually the one who broke the news to her, saying that her ex-lover wasn't dead. At first, she thought the man was playing her, trying to use this trick for training, but she had went to the boarders of Konoha to see Kakashi out and about, escorting some actor and crew somewhere.

At first she couldn't believe what she had seen, and thought it was all a lie before. It took her everything she had not to appear in front of the man and ask him a million questions. However, the one time that she almost made a move to go to him, Itachi placed a hand on her shoulder and held her back. She knew that Kakashi needed to think of her as a villain, just as Sasuke did with Itachi. Amaya let the wind touch the nape of her neck before letting it fall around her shoulders, exposing a design on top of the curse mark she had received on her shoulder. It took Itachi four days to seal along with a month of bed-rest, but he was able to place a seal on top of the curse mark, cutting off any connection that Amaya had with Danzo.

Itachi didn't know how to take off the original curse mark, but his seal was better than nothing. This allowed her to live her life and gather the information that she could go back to the hokage with. She would rather die than tell Danzo a single thing that had happened to her while she was out in the field, working on his "mission" he assigned to her. Sighing, Amaya watched the horizon and knew that Itachi also placed defensive measures into his seal as well. The only thing he told Amaya, was how to take the seal off, when the time was right.

"You shouldn't have ditched practice like that, Amaya-chan" Kisame said, taking his blade off his back as he held it up to her neck. She heard the blade purr in excitement by being so close to her sweet tasting chakra. Amaya's face and body didn't hold any emotion in it as Kisame threatened her once more, however, Amaya did make sure that she had enough room to move out of the way, in the event that Kisame had the idea to take her head off.

"It's time for us to go and would you two please stop acting like children? Its tiresome and we have enough to deal with," Itachi spoke, impatience written on his voice.

Kisame scoffed and placed his blade on his back once more knowing full well that they still had time before they needed to leave. But as Itachi voiced they were going to be on the move, Kisame turned his head and flashed Amaya a smile filled with sharp teeth, making the hair on the back of her neck stand straight up. The shark-skinned male knew how his smiles affected Amaya, and when he saw her body tense, just the smallest amount, he left out a laugh. The male didn't say anything more, and instead, closes the distance choosing to walk right next to Itachi.

Amaya sighed and followed behind, keeping her distance from the two. She didn't trust Kisame. She was sure that if she lowered her guard, he wouldn't hesitate to call it training and try to decapitate her just so her blade could feast off of her chakra.