"I get to deal with Orochimaru and what I feel for him because after two more years of this I don't know if I'll still hate him or not! And you want me to add on the stress of finding out if Kakashi hates me? You want me to write to him? No thank you, I have enough shit on my plate for decades. I don't need to add that to the pile."
...
Shirokumo is starring at me in shock. He didn't move a single millimeter from when I started ranting all the way to the end. He sat there with a dumbstruck look on his face and listened.
"I... uh... wow." He finally says after a long silence. "I honestly don't know what to do with any of that."
"Me neither and that's the fucking problem." I harshly spit out. "So why don't you fuck off for a bit. I'm not in a talking mood anymore, come back when I've cooled down."
I get out of my bed and stomp over to the exit. On my way there I pick up a inconspicuous crate.
"Where are you going to go?" Shirokumo asks me. He's concerned for me, I can hear it in his voice. I know he is, of course he is after everything I said.
"I'm going to go blow some shit up." I fling the door open. "Who knows, maybe Kabuto will stumble into the training field and accidentally be caught up in the boom. I fucking wish. Oh better yet I can catch him with the Jiongu and then test some of my ideas for the sealing process for the sword. They're just barely formed thoughts right now so I'm sure they'll fail in miraculously horrendous ways, I don't even know how to make a seal do a tenth of what would be needed for the simplest idea. It's the perfect solution, he dies and I progress."
I slam the door shut behind me leaving Shirokumo all alone in my room.
"Alvarcus wasn't ready. He wasn't ready for Konoha to turn on him. I pushed Tsunade too far and her reaction hurt him, hurt my summoner." Shirokumo leaps down from his web and lands on the floor without a sound.
"I hurt my summoner. I knew he'd take it poorly but how could I possibly expect this? No, this has been a long time coming. Like a festering wound Alvarcus has slowly been getting worse. He's slipping, he's descending into madness and it's consuming him.
At this rate he'll never be able to use the Spider's Sage Mode, the madness will tear him apart. I need to do something to stop it. I need to somehow make amends, to start to patch up the wound. But how? How can I possibly give him something positive to counterbalance all of those negative things? How?"
...
Konoha, Kakashi's Apartment
Kakashi is laying down on his bed. He's not underneath the sheets. He's not even in pajamas. He's in full mission gear while staring blankly up at the ceiling. This isn't anything new to him, he's had nights like these since he was barely a teenager.
But the reason behind these nights has changed. Now there is another one to add to his impressive list of things that keep him from blissful sleep. It's his gennin, all three of them. He has never gotten over the loss of Sakura, but what truly worries him now are the other two. They've changed so much from the little that he's seen. They've grown under the tutelage of a Sannin.
Especially Alvarcus.
Kakashi doesn't know if it's a good thing or not. The teachings of a Sannin could do wonders, and it's paying off physically for both of them. Two people taking down eight is an impressive feat regardless of who it is. It's even more impressive the closer in skill level they are but even Kakashi isn't sure how far Alvarcus and Sasuke were pushed during their battle. But mentally? How have they changed mentally? Sasuke seemed much more subdued, he actually differed to Alvarcus without a fight. He's relying on his friend more than before. While Alvarcus –
POOF
Kakashi instantaneously spawns a shadow clone in his closet then uses the kawarmi to swap places with it. Someone had the balls to try and get into his home. They're going to die but he wants to see who it is first.
"Kakashi." A white spider address his shadow clone. "I need a moment of your time."
"Oh?" The Kakashi-clone quips back to him. "You know I've been specifically ordered by the Hokage to take you out and if you managed to escape I am to immediately inform her of everything that happened. I have no idea what you did but you've royally pissed her off. Why should I give you a damn second?"
"I'm here for Alvarcus. Kakashi please." Shirokumo asks.
"Fine, drop the letter then go. Just this once I'll let you leave alive, should you come back I'll kill you." The clone promises as Kakashi is readying himself to use the Chidori should the situation call for it. If Shirokumo makes one aggressive move, whether it is a comment or an action, Kakashi will act.
"You misunderstand, I'm not here on behalf of Alvarcus I'm here for Alvarcus." Shirokumo starts to explain. "It's just... well... he..."
"Spit it out." The clone growls out. "Don't waste my time. I'm feeling a little... twitchy. Things die when I get twitchy."
"The reason he hasn't written you is because he's afraid that you'll write back saying you hate him now. I came here to see how you really feel about him and to possibly bring back a letter to Alvarcus should you react favorably. If not then I'll forget this interaction ever happened."
"What?" Kakashi's clone evenly says.
"You heard me." Shirokumo turns to the closet where the real Kakashi is. "So, how about it? Will you write your student a letter? Do you hate him or do you have faith in him still? Kakashi, how do you feel about Alvarcus now?"
"You want to know how I feel about him?" Kakashi steps out of the closet. "YOU WANT TO KNOW HOW I FEEL ABOUT HIM!? I'LL TELL YOU HOW I FEEL ABOUT HIM!"
...
The Next Morning, Outside a Training Field in Otogakure
Four people are standing outside of a closed door. Three of them won't enter it because of an emotion that they don't normally feel: fear. They're scared of what could happen to themselves should they confront the beast that's hidden himself inside. The fourth however is not afraid, rather than feeling fear he is scared. Not of the beast that's inside the room but for the beast.
Because the beast that's locked himself in a training field has a name. That name is Alvarcus.
"How long has this been going on?" Sasuke asks the Sound Three, not really caring who answers him.
A low rumble resonates outwards from the room, it's so impressive that the floor outside shakes because of it.
"It started late last night." Kidomaru hesitantly provides with both of his eyes locked onto the door. It's as if he's afraid that by merely speaking the beast within will lunge outward and attack. But the beast stays in his hole so Kidomaru continues. "The tremors were so strong that it shook my bed and woke me up. I'm a notoriously light sleeper."
"You mean that the one we just felt was a light tremor?" Sasuke asks for clarification as his concern for his friend skyrockets higher.
"Yes. I have no idea what he's doing in there but it's devastating." Sakon, the most composed of the Sound Three says once it becomes apparent that the other two won't speak. "At first I thought he might be practicing a new jutsu but it doesn't feel right. There seems to be a certain delay between each tremor. Even then sometimes there are no tremors. It has me... nervous. None of us have the bravery to go in there, we've never been this close to the door since it started. That's why we got you. Sasuke you're the only hope to calm him down."
"Testing seal configuration number three hundred forty seven." A faint voice makes its way through the door.
"EVERYONE DOWN!" Jirobo shouts as he dives for the ground.
The rest of the group collapse and protectively cover their heads. Each and every one of them brace for the incoming tremor. They stay down for a solid thirty seconds just waiting for the inevitable hit, but it never comes. There is no huge ground shaking tremor, there is no all encompassing explosion, there's not even a burst of fire.
"Well fuck me." The faint voice quietly comes through the door again. "Guess that means it's time to stop."
"He's coming out!" Kidomaru squeaks. "Do we flee? Do we wait? What do we do?!"
"Run! Definitely run!" Jirobo barks out in fear.
"Agreed!" Sakon, Kidomaru and Jirobo all leap to their feet with every intention of fleeing for their lives.
They don't make it a single step away before the door swings open to reveal the beast within.
"Oh. Hello everyone." Alvarcus calmly says as he steps out.
...
if you want to read ahead of the public release you can join my p atreon :
p atreon.com/CarriePoppins