He lent on the wall by his door with a thud.
Climbing those stairs a bit too much work…maybe he should have taken the offer to go to the hospital...
No, just thinking about that made him feel ten times worse. The quick healing from a medical ninja would do him for now, all he needed was some sleep.
He opened his door slightly, reaching his hand in, grabbing an invisible wire which gave a tinkle as he unhooked it. Not much of a burglar alarm, but it warned him if one of his team tried to get a sneak peak behind his mask.
The light flickered on slowly as he moved towards his bed, taking his dirty and now bloodied jacket off, letting it fall to the floor, the messiness standing out against in his pristine room.
He pulled down is mask, breathing in fresh air, a nice change to the iron smell of coughed up blood.
He took out his copy of Icha Icha Paradise from his back pocket before sitting down. He set it to his bedside table and lowered himself shakily down onto the bed sighing to the pleasure of relaxing his tired body…
…He heard them from a mile away, he just sat waiting, not wanting to move, but he knew that when the knock came, he'd have to answer, he always had too.
Pulling up his mask with a sigh and heaved himself from the bed with a small grunt he shuffled to the door feeling a hot sensation to his side and leg.
"Sakura" He said softly trying to hide the look of pain from the burning sensation of the freshly opened wounds.
The look on the pretty face sent him waves of guilt.
"Sensei…I-I was sent to check up on you and provide further healing" She said, eyes darting towards the floor as her teacher numbly watched her.
"Thank you Sakura, but I was healed earlier" He replied, starting to slowly close the door.
"Tsunade sensei said you had some wounds that needed stitching"
Yes, the Hokage knew very well that he couldn't turn down medical help if she sent Sakura, Just ignoring the painful and deep wounds wouldn't make them go away, he knew that.
Nodding, he moved slightly, giving Sakura just enough room to squeeze past.
He heard her set the medical kit on the table as he shut the door with a click.
There was a short silence as he picked up the jacket, it suddenly feeling out of place. He turned to Sakura and smiled at the nervous young student.
"I've been told you've been doing extremely well, much faster then expected" He said to try and clear the awkward silence, it didn't work, instead he pulled a chair out from his small breakfast table and placed it down next to Sakura.
He held onto the chair and lowered himself, breathing out to steady himself, Tsunade Sama was right to have not let this go, she knew what he was like, he would have left the unreachable wounds and they would have gotten worse, he would be then sent to hospital, despite the argument he would have cooked up.
Another long pause and Sakura hesitantly placed a hand on his shoulder "kakashi sensei?"
He nodded "hai...hai...gomen" He sat up, Sakura's hand helping him stay that way.
He took off his gloves dropping them to the floor and after a few breaths to steady him, he found the ends of his top and started peeling back the material, slick with fresh blood.
Sakura inhaled sharply, not only at the bloody mess, but at the man before her.
His slender but muscular body, tensing under the labored breathing, beautiful scars mapped out stories on his chest, it was like a piece of art.
She slowly reached out her hand wanting desperately to trace a finger down him and follow the story..
He looked up at the wide eyed girl and Sakura looked down towards the floor, but a slender…gentle and strong hand was placed under her chin and lifted her head softly to look at his face…
…his face…her eyes widened as he slowly pulled down his mask…
