Chapter 17
Iruka knew he had to do something, or he was going to die; but he couldn't move. He'd been trying to think of ways to escape - focus all his chakra on his limbs and then use the perfect moment and all his strength to shove Gou away, find an opportunity to take the kunai so he had a weapon, get his hands free and cast a jutsu; but Gou was much more powerful than him, and he hadn't been able to do a thing. He really needed someone to help him, but no one would venture this far out of the village if there was no reason to. The only chance he had was if someone just happened to be passing by, returning from a mission. He'd be able to sense them with his echolocation, but it wasn't like he'd be able to contact them and call for help.
Iruka lost track of his thoughts when a burst of déjà vu and restlessness erupted in his brain. He was on the verge of remembering something else, a memory that had been triggered by his last thought; and he hoped it would be something helpful. It had been easier to regain his memories ever since the poison had been extracted from him - unlike the other times where he felt like his mind was fogged, his head was clear; and the memories that were lost were simply in the shadows waiting for him to stumble across them.
Iruka, honey, I'm going to teach you something important. A blade dug deep into Iruka's arm; and Gou slowly twisted it around, grinning psychotically when Iruka gritted his teeth and tried to hold back a cry. It's a very special technique that only you can do. What had his mum been trying to teach him? Some kind of jutsu? No… It had to be something a pre-genin could do; that he, as a pre-genin could do. If you're ever in trouble and there's no one around, this could save your life.
"I see you already have a scar on your face…" Gou said, pulling his bloodied kunai out of Iruka's arm and dragging it along his cheek. "But one is a lonely number. Why don't I give you another one?"
Iruka closed his eyes, flinching as he waited expectantly for the pain; and suddenly he remembered what his mum had taught him - he could see it very clearly in his head. If he could endure what Gou was doing to him for just a little longer, he'd survive. But the technique… He'd only done it a few times when he was a kid, and he hadn't been very good at it - could he really do it now? The throbbing ache and burn in his arm reminded him there was no time to worry about whether he could or not, he just had to do it no matter what; so he cleared his head and listened to the sounds around him - he had to have a calm mind for echolocation to work.
Underneath Gou's voice, he could hear trees gently swaying in the wind, and bushes nearby rustling as bugs and critters moved about; but that wasn't enough - he needed to go deeper and listen even further out. Everywhere else was the same - all he could hear was the normal sounds of the evening in the forest; but despite not finding what he was looking for, he had been able to create a map of the terrain in his head and had figured out exactly where he was. He had to extend his reach further, even if it meant seriously pushing his limits - if his range could reach the village, to just one person, then he could call for help. Kind of. He hoped.
Iruka took a ragged breath and swallowed hard - the pain from Gou's torture was becoming unbearably intense, but he had to block it out if he was going to survive. He was down to his last resort; and there was nothing he could do but endure the pain a little longer, and use the technique his mother taught him. Then he could leave the rest to his comrades, who would definitely come for him.
With his comrades on his mind, Iruka extended the range of his echolocation, trying to get as close to the village as possible no matter how much he could feel it draining him. On the map he'd created in his mind, he had still only covered the forest, but he was close, along the outskirts - he could see the memorial stone. Just a little further and - wait. Was someone there? Iruka focused his senses around the memorial stone; and what had been a muddled shape became a clear image of a man - a shinobi talking to a lost loved one.
"So that's what happened, sensei. I love him, and I would do anything to be with him again; but I don't think that's going to happen. I don't deserve a second chance, anyway, after hurting him like that…"
Iruka's heart throbbed painfully. Why did it have to be him? Why was Kakashi the only one around? Iruka cleared his thoughts - none of that mattered right then. What he had to focus on was the fact that there was someone there who he could contact, who could save him, and quite possibly handle Gou on his own. And that meant it was time to try the next part of his technique.
When Iruka first learnt that he could do echolocation, his mum had taught him all about it, and explained that there were other animals that could also use the echo from their own sound waves to find things and communicate. He learnt that people wouldn't be able to hear his sound waves, except for others who also had echolocation; but his mum had found a way to change that, to make people notice it. Even if Iruka couldn't send a message, he could at least alert someone of his location if he could find them. But he had to have a lot of control of his mind and senses.
Iruka kept Kakashi's location pinpointed in his mind, ignoring everything else; and tried to focus on his sound waves, and started trying to infuse them with chakra. In the memory, his mum had told him that if he could do that, anyone would be able to find him because even though people couldn't sense echolocation, they could sense chakra; and they could follow the trail right to him, like he was a beacon of light. Iruka had barely been able to send chakra waves around the house as a kid, and hadn't practiced since then; and he was struggling, especially trying to send his chakra so far; but he had to keep going - he had no other choice if he wanted to get out of this alive.
He watched Kakashi, who had gone silent at the memorial stone and was wiping at his eyes - had he been crying?; and continued anxiously trying to call him, wondering if his chakra would reach him. Even just a tiny bit would be okay - he just needed Kakashi to sense a little bit of it and follow the trail he'd made. But would he know that it's a distress signal? Iruka dismissed that concern. Even if he didn't know, if Kakashi had meant anything he'd said, Iruka knew that he would come to him if he asked, no matter what.
Suddenly, Iruka lost focus of everything, and was brought back to reality. His body was throbbing and aching all over where he'd been stabbed, cut into, and maimed; and he could feel all the places where blood and sweat had pooled and oozed. He felt weak and dizzy, not just from chakra exhaustion, but also from the blood loss and pain that was making his body tremble in shock; and he knew he had just about reached his limit. He hoped that what he'd done was enough, and that Kakashi would get here soon.
"Hey, sensei, if you tell me where that scroll is, I might let you live."
The words went in one ear and out the other - Iruka had heard what he'd said, but he wasn't comprehending it. It was just noise to him, now; a dull mumble compared to his body's screams. The world around him had disappeared - it hadn't gone black, just invisible; and only he remained. He could only focus on himself after being pulled away from Kakashi; but even then, parts of himself were becoming invisible, too. Was this what happened when someone was getting closer to death?
"Not gonna talk, eh?" Gou smirked. "Well, you asked for it…"
Gou released Iruka, and stood up as he slowly flicked through a series of signs for a jutsu, chuckling to himself. The weightless sensation brought Iruka back to reality; and he studied Gou nervously as he quickly calculated the scenario and also tried to get up, using a nearby tree for support. Why was he suddenly free? He could defend himself now; or run back to the village, get to safety, and call for help. Is that what Gou wanted? Did that mean this was this another trap? Was he going to be poisoned again in battle?
"You can run if you want," Gou taunted knowingly as he finished the last sign for his jutsu, "but you're not going to get very far."
Iruka braced himself, ready to leap away from the attack. He had a plan of escape, but he had to outsmart Gou, or he would be chased; and Gou would definitely be able to catch up to him easily. The longer he waited expectantly for the blow, the more confused he became. Was there no jutsu? Was it just a feint?
Suddenly, Iruka noticed his chest beginning to burn; and he staggered back in shock, staring at Gou in fear as it only got worse with each second that passed. He knew exactly what had happened. Gou's jutsu had taken away the air around him...
And he couldn't breathe.