Author's Notes: Hello! This is the last part of 'Hide and Seek'. You don't need to read 'Hide and Seek' to understand this, but it's definitely recommended, but you must read 'Game Over' before you continue with this. With that said, enjoy!

Disclaimer: I OWN NOTHING!

Chapter 1

Kakashi's mind was nothing but a blank slate, a white canvas waiting to be painted by bright colors of orange and yellow, the more sedate colors of blue and green, and maybe just a touch of normalcy.

He felt odd, seeing all these people claiming to have known him, really really known him, while he didn't remember ever catching a glimpse of their faces or their features or what made them them.

Just like he didn't remember his own face, his own features nor what made him him.

He didn't like it, but he didn't have to. Things spiraled out of his control long ago, so, so long ago that Kakashi couldn't even remember when that had started.

And no matter what others said, no matter how many times they told him he had to try to remember things -the important things his mind decided were tedious and too insignificant to remember- Kakashi just… didn't want to. He didn't want to think about anything at all if he could help it. Because thinking would mean remembering. Remembering would mean going down memory lane. And going down that particular lane meant walking hand-in-hand with memories of a Snake he'd rather forget.

He screwed his eyes shut, but he couldn't sleep no matter how hard he tried. Then, he decided that that wasn't such a bad thing. Nightmares could only get to him in his sleep. If he didn't sleep, no bad dreams would plague his mind.

He opened his eyes with a jolt after that thought and only closed them for the occasional blink.

With the door of the room closed and nothing in sight except for the bed he was on, Kakashi temporarily forgot where he was and was convinced that it was all a dream, he wasn't really back to anywhere close to what he used to call home, he was still with him, and he should have known, he should have known, because escaping that man is impossible, and it was definitely one of his cruel jokes, done for his own amusement, and God-how-could-I-be-so-stupi-

The sound of the door banging hard against the wall forced him back to now. The sight of long hair greeted his eyes, their blazing red color seemed closer to a pure black in the surrounding darkness, and Kakashi's whimper almost didn't pass through his throat to Kushina's ears, but it did, and Kushina was moving closer to him with a confident gait and a concerned twinkle in her eyes.

Kakashi was vaguely reminded of a similar stride, and he unconsciously inched away from the perceived danger, even as Kushina's hand lightly brushed his forehead worriedly. He clenched his fists tightly, gripping the white blankets of the hospital bed strongly, and forced his eyes closed even as his mind went into overdrive and thoughts shot through his brain faster than he could fully fathom or even form them.

"Are you in any pain?" Kushina asked as Kakashi's breaths came out in shallow pants, "Tell me where it hurts," Kushina put it gently, but Kakashi's continued pants didn't ease any. She wondered where the nurses would be at this time, but she was too afraid to leave Kakashi in his condition, unaware that it was she who had provoked it in the first place.

"Kakashi, tell me what's wrong, dattebane," Kushina's mouth thinned into a straight line and she drifted closer to the six-year-old. Her tone came out rougher than she had aimed for, and she winced as Kakashi visibly shuddered. Her eyes darted towards the door, looking for anyone who might have a vague idea of what was to be done, but her words didn't seem to affect Jiraiya nor Minato, and they're both nowhere in sight. The nurses were not on their rounds either.

Kushina felt a tightness bind her soul and chain it down as the first edges of desperation started seeping through her bones and into her blood, through her body and into her head, so drastically so that the only thought running through her mind was of how utterly useless she was.

"Kakashi," And her voice didn't break, but it faltered, the beginnings of a sob and she knew it, "Please, please, calm down, dattebane. You're fine, see?" Kushina backed away from him to hide her face with her hands, massaging her temple as she did so and forcing the tears back before they could be fully created.

Kakashi was looking at her from under his silvery bangs when she was away from him. His expression, so distrustful and utterly panic-stricken, broke Kushina's heart into millions of tiny little pieces.

She glued the pieces back together as fast as she could, and her own troubled thoughts made themselves known on her face for a split moment before she regained control.

She attempted a smile that didn't seem all that bad, not crooked, not half-forced, not seeming to be fake, and she blinked once, twice as Kakashi's expression turned less distrusting as his eyes got used to the light, or lack thereof, and he couldn't see golden eyes that were as cold as a snake's, eyes that seemed to look right past him and into his soul.

He saw worry and millions of different emotions Kakashi couldn't quite make out warring in deep blue eyes, not golden. He saw hair, which was a lighter color than black, and this close, Kakashi could tell it was longer than the black hair he was used to seeing.

And, perhaps, most importantly, he saw a person who was not him, and right now, that was all that mattered.

He slowly forced his hands to let go of the white sheets as he hesitantly looked up at the new arrival. He noted the slight easing of her shoulders with a sort of confusion and incomprehension.

"You probably don't remember me, huh, dattebane?" Kushina asked, a small sad smile tugging at her lips even as she fought to keep her expression neutral.

"I'm," Kakashi started with little to no hesitation, and he was almost unsure of what to say, "I'm sorry," He said finally after some time had passed. Kushina's face colored with surprise, and it's her turn not to understand.

"Sorry? You shouldn't be sorry, dattebane," Kushina denied with a definite shake of her head, "It's not your fault. If anything," Kushina sighed softly. Her eyes darted to the door, where she didn't see Minato nor Jiraiya, not yet, "I'm the one who should be sorry," She was. She felt guilty every day. She felt guilty because although Jiraiya helped Orochimaru, and although Minato was the one to leave Kakashi on his own, it was Kushina who didn't notice the young boy's absence before it was too late.

She was in the same village, and Kushina… she should have noticed, but she didn't. Through her eyes, that made her a greater contributor. She was the one who had actively provoked Kakashi's current condition, and the worst of it all? She never even realized that until just a few minutes ago as she sat with Jiraiya and Minato, each dwelling in self-pity, self-doubt and just the least bit of denial, even though neither knew it yet.

Kushina was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't notice as the silence stretched between them. She gave Kakashi a reassuring smile he didn't attempt to react to. Kushina vaguely wondered if maybe Kakashi forgot how to express himself through visible emotions too before she remembered. Little squirt… he didn't show his emotions before either. That thought made Kushina more comfortable, well… at least some part of him… still remembers something.

-oOo-

Minato knew it was only a matter of time. Both of them were too strung up. Both of them were too wrapped up in their own troubling thoughts. It was only a matter of time before one of them finally burst and got the two of them acting already.

But, Minato, no matter what he thought, didn't want to be the person to burst, the person to get the two of them acting, nor the person to face Kakashi first.

"We failed that kid, didn't we, Minato?" Jiraiya commented, his wry tone made Minato think that he was talking to himself, even as he called his name. Jiraiya evidently didn't expect an answer as he continued talking, "What would Sakumo say?" Jiraiya snorted and let out a heavy, long-suffering sigh, "He'd be cursing us right now, you know? He'd be wishing us dead," The chuckle Jiraiya let out is halfway broken and halfway hysterical that it made Minato's stomach turn and his throat clog up tightly.

"And we'd deserve it," Minato added, almost too quietly for Jiraiya to hear, but the older man heard, and he nodded in agreement, "But…" Would he do it? Would he? "What he'd say is not important right now, is it?" Minato paused, unsure of himself for the first time in years, "What would Sakumo-san do?" Minato pressed on regardless. He needed this, no matter how much he didn't want it.

"He doesn't exactly do well under pressure," Jiraiya replied finally, "You know what I mean,"

But, Minato, no matter what he wanted, had to be the person to burst, the person to the two of them acting, and the person to face Kakashi first… because if he didn't do it now, Minato was afraid he'd never do it.

"No," Minato said with a shake of his head, "You're wrong. He wouldn't give up. Not on Kakashi. He wouldn't," Minato insisted, even as his heart pumped blood faster through his veins, and even as his own heartbeat became the only thing he could hear over his own breathing, "We shouldn't sit back and do nothing either. Kushina is right," Minato said. The words tumbled out of his mouth before he could stop them, and frankly, Minato wasn't totally sure he would block them if he could, "We messed up pretty badly… but that's not important. We have to fix this. For Kakashi,"

Jiraiya didn't answer, but he didn't have to. Minato understood regardless, and the two shared a nod, each promising himself something that was entirely different from the other, even as their goals met up to be identical.

-oOo-

He decided he'd leave him for now. He had no chance to get him back presently, and even he could tell when his skills were far outmatched. He didn't want to completely pulverize his chances, so he'd wait.

He was a patient man, even though many people would disagree. He knew himself better than everyone, even better than Old Sarutobi-sensei claimed to know him. He knew he could hide in the shadows for as long as it was necessary, and hide he would until the time was right.

He couldn't wait to get the prize at the end of the game, but if a little patience was needed to achieve his goals… well, Orochimaru always knew that the best things come to those who wait.

Author's Notes: Thanks for reading! Please let me know what you thought of this chapter!

A Response to the Reviews on Epilogue of 'Game Over':

Aelin Nicolo Winchester: I'm glad you found the story great, and I hope you continue to enjoy it! :D

JigokuShoujosRevenge: Thanks! You have no idea how much it means to me that you're interested in this story, even though it's been a long time XD So, thank you so, so much for your support! Hope you enjoyed the first chapter!

Until next time!