Enough of This

Chapter One: Rain And Water

All she knew as stumbled and lifted a hand to form a hand sign was the pain. The mind numbing, excruciating pain, spread from her right shoulder to her left hip. She felt her own blood gushing from the wound, but paid no mind to it, only following her most basic instinct. The instinct to run. To flee and save her own life. She surged the chakra into her body and closed her eyes and as she disappeared she heard his laugh follow her.

Her feet hit the ground as she appeared in the rich forests surrounding Konohagakure, her home village. Her feet hit the ground and her legs, too weak to hold her up, gave out instantly. She met the ground with a solid thump, though the fall was somewhat cushioned by the rotting leaves and mulch on the ground.

She starred at the darkness in front of her eyes and wondered at the slight dampness she felt on her back. Was it raining or had her blood somehow gotten on her back? A few minutes later it was confirmed that it was raining as the heavens opened up and let loose their fury. All she could do was lay there on her belly with the blazing pain and feel her blood slowly soak into the forest floor, as it was being pelted by an angry rain.

"It's as if they're berating me." she thought. "But for running or for getting caught?"

She closed her eyes.

Kakashi was leaping from branch to branch, thinking. He had been spending most of his time away on S-rank missions since the village was short handed. He didn't mind as such, he just wished it didn't take so much time. Believe it or not he actually did have other things he could be doing. Coasting along he peered about the trees around him, lazily casting out his senses in search of any other ninja.

A few minutes passed and Kakashi lightly landed on the lower branch of a large tree. Leaning out, he looked at the ground below, frowning. What was a ninja doing lying on their belly in the middle of a forest when it was starting to rain? Upon a closer looked Kakashi noticed that the ninja was female, and didn't look to be too much older than Sakura. She was slim, in black and it looked like she was bleeding. A bloody Rain Village headband lay a few feet away from her, shining in the rain and light. Kakashi's frown deepened. The Rain Village? That was strange. They and Konoha were supposed to be allies. Hopping lightly to the ground, Kakashi stepped closer, ready to teleport to the Hokage's tower if anything should prove to be amiss.

Nothing seemed to be wrong; in fact the girl seemed to be unconscious. She made no attempt to move Anything, just lay there. Kakashi briefly wondered if she was dead, with the reek of blood on her, but he could see her breathing when he bent close to her. Becoming more and more convinced that this was no rain ninja; Kakashi reached out and turned her onto her back, hissing as he did so.

The entire stretch of ground she had been laying on was covered in blood. Her blood. Not really giving it that much thought Kakashi scooped up the girl in his arms. Even if she did prove to be an enemy shinobi, taking her to the village was really his only option. The laws were clear about this sort of thing. And any information she might have could be vital to the Rain Village if they were planning to attack.

He took a step away and picked up the Rain headband as an after thought.

The closer Kakashi came to his home the less he began to believe that the girl he had found was actually from the Rain Village. For one, what rain ninja could come this close to Konoha, wounded? For another, the look of her face was oddly familiar as if he had seen it before, though not really looked, like she had been a face in a crowd.

The Rain headband troubled him also. It didn't look as if she had ever worn a headband, her hair didn't fall the right way. If a ninja wore a headband long enough, their hair began to fall like they were wearing one even in they weren't. Her dark, thick hair fell directly across her forehead. Perversely she had tan lines on her bloody hands from wearing gloves, very much like his own. Only Anbu ever wore those types of gloves. Or ex-Anbu, in his case.

When he came to The point in the streets, leaping from roof-top to roof-top, he swerved, heading instead, towards his own apartment. He had a feeling he had in fact picked up one of his own comrades, doing some spy work. Her wounds couldn't be too bad that he couldn't help a little until she could get better care, and until then he needed to see a certain Torture and Interrogation expert about one of his disciples.

Ibiki was in a meeting when Kakashi went to see him, so instead he waited outside the man's office, leaning against the wall negligently, his arms crossed over his chest. After waiting a while he took out Make-out Violence and began to read.

When the door to the T&I specialist's office opened, Kakashi whipped his book back into its pouch and watched Tsunade-sama exit. She gave a start on seeing Kakashi, but said nothing as she walked down the corridor and out of sight. Kakashi watched her go before he said anything. He stood up straight and addressed Morino Ibiki, who was standing in the doorway to his office.

"I think you've lost something," the copy-nin said cheerfully.

Ibiki frowned at the other Jonin. "Excuse me?"

"I've just got back form a mission," Kakashi went on, walking forward giving Ibiki no other choice than to permit him into his office. That or let the shorter man run into his chest. "And I found the most peculiar thing in the woods." Ibiki's office was a dark room, with only one small window, and the walls lined with file cabinets. Kakashi stopped to lean against the other man's desk. "I think it might belong to you."

Still frowning, the other man shut his door at this. "Again, excuse me?"

"A Rain ninja," Kakashi clarified.

Ibiki drew himself up and folded his arms across his impressive chest. "Why would you think a Rain Ninja belonged to me?"

Kakashi smiled under his mask, his visible eye curving. "Because she's not a Rain Ninja."

"She? You've found Akari?"

"Ah. So she is yours. Yes, she's back at my place, she was bleeding rather heavily when I found her so I fixed her up some, but she might need further attention."

"Take me there." Ibiki commanded, exiting his office, clearly expecting Kakashi to follow him. Kakashi did.

Iruka slowly walked up to his apartment with an arm full of scrolls that were waiting to be graded. He waited to see what his students made of basic genjutsu; it was always amusing. He juggled his scrolls from one hand to another and back as he unlocked his door and entered. His door opened with a slight creak making Iruka think of oiling it, and the chunin walked in. The 25-year-old shinobi looked around at his small tidy apartment and sighed. He walked into the kitchen, got down a bowl and poured some milk into it after setting his scrolls down on the table. He picked up the bowl and walked over to his front door, opening it and setting the bowl on the ground just as a very pregnant tabby came out of the shadows.

"Hello, there," Iruka said. Tentatively stroking the animals head, he went back into the apartment and returned with a bowl of fish for the mama cat. "There you go," he told her. "You're all set."

The chunin returned to his home and walked over to pour himself a glass of water before he began grading. His kitchen window was wide open, giving Iruka a clear view of the street below. As he sat down a flash of movement caught his eye. Putting his water down, Iruka moved to look out the window. He took a step back in surprise as he saw a most peculiar scene.

Kakashi-san and Morino Ibiki walked side by side, heading down the street towards more apartments.

That was odd. Very odd, indeed.

Hatake Kakashi kept a very neat apartment. At least that was until you saw his bedroom. Clothes and books and various ninja weaponry were strewn all over the floor and furniture, with one clear path through it all, much like the path a child makes to appease his nagging mother. And in the middle of his soft looking bed lay Ibiki's 17-year-old spy, Suzuki Akari. She was as small as Ibiki remembered from three months ago, with heavy bandages layered on her abdomen. She looked much too thin as well, though her face was the picture of serenity in sleep. Seeing her looking so peaceful in Hatake Kakashi's bed, Ibiki felt an irrational stab of jealousy, though he kept it suppressed.

"This is your Akari?"

The Copy Ninja's question yanked Ibiki out of his thoughts. "Yes," he answered with a curt nod.

Ibiki walked through the little path and over to the bed crouching down to peer at the kunoichi's face. She was paler than usual and breathing shallowly. There was a very thin, nearly invisibly cut high on her left cheek. He put his gloved had to her forehead, and then wrapped it around her neck, checking for fever and pulse. Both were fine even if her pulse was sluggish.

Kakashi watched this, fascinated. He sensed that there was a little more here than just the relationship of a spy and her spy master. It was very odd. Kakashi had never thought that Ibiki was the relationship type. He'd always pegged him as one of those men who preferred a one night stand to someone you'd have to face in the morning. But then Kakashi noted that the bigger man kept his touch impersonal if gentle.

"Hmmmm." Kakashi thought. "Perhaps their relationship isn't sexual. As of now. How very odd. And interesting."

"You'll take her to your place?"

Ibiki nodded curtly again, as he lifted the blankets over Akari taking note of the damage. It would be too much for her wounds if he carried her all the way to his own apartment, so he decided on the teleport jutsu.

Carefully reaching under the covers, Ibiki picked up his disciple. Kakashi once again noted the gentleness in which he handled her. He smiled slightly. This situation would be an interesting one to observe in the coming weeks. Kakashi crossed his arms over his chest, grinning beneath his mask as Morino Ibiki walked out of his bedroom, and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Akari was still lost in a thick veil of pain as she swam into consciousness. Her eyes fluttered open and she gazed dazedly up at a dark grey ceiling. She blinked at it several times; taking note of the fact that the room was dark, no lights on and that was why the ceiling was grey and not white. Someone was also taking a shower someplace close by.

Akari became acutely aware that there was no pain, held still and, frowning, the girl stood up and nearly passed out as a wave of pain overwhelmed her. Gasping for breath, she collapsed back onto the bed. Minutes later, when she had regained her thoughts and her breath, she opened her eyes and took a good look around. The room was clean and tidy, everything in its place. A long black trench coat was tossed over the back of a chair near the door. It was the only thing that seemed to be out of place.

But the only thing that was out of place was so familiar to Akari that she almost forgot the pain and smiled, one word jumping to her mind: Ibiki.

Slower this time, she eased herself up and put her feet over the edge of the bed. They dangled about a foot off the ground. She was just bracing herself for the jump down when the sound of running water stopped. She lifted her head and gazed at the door. Footsteps, slow and heavy, coming closer with each step. The door swung open with a creak and there was Ibiki, retying his bandana over his head.

He stopped when he saw that she was awake, gazing at her until Akari felt herself blushing and getting light-headed. With a grimace she eased her self onto the floor, pressing a hand to her belly. "Ibiki," she murmured in a parody of a greeting. It was then that she passed out again.