In the Absence
Summary: When Sasuke doesn't return from a simple task, Kakashi sets out to find him, only to find him unconscious and severely dehydrated in the desert. What happens to the student and teacher? EXTRA FLUFFY Parental KakaSasu!
A/N hello faithful readers! This one is EXTRA FLUFFY! Just so you know. And the plotline sucks. You are warned. Har har.
Enjoy!
"Ugh! It is TOO HOT in this village!" Naruto moaned loudly, leaning back against a large boulder buried deep in the sandy ground below. He shuffled his feet around impatiently, trying to make pictures out of it.
"Sensei, why are we out here? There's no enemy ninja anywhere, and there's sand in my shoes." Sakura added, bending down to take it off and shake the dust out..
"Quit complaining guys. You know we were sent here for complete this mission for the Hidden Sand. Most of their elite squads are out on missions for the Kazekage, so they are depending on us to protect this entrance. Thankfully, since it's one of the less common entrances, this is only a C rank mission, so we shouldn't have much trouble." Kakashi sighed in annoyance. Why couldn't these two be as quiet and Sasuke?
"By the way, where's Sasuke with our stuff? He was supposed to be bringing us some more water!" Naruto growled in annoyance."I'm thirsty!"
"I'm sure he's fine! He probably just lost his way trying to go find that spring. I'm sure he'll be back in no time!" Kakashi dismissed with a laugh. "Now you two, it'll be getting dark fairly soon. Start getting the tents ready."
Naruto groaned, but he and Sakura together began unpacking the tents. As they did, Kakashi couldn't help but worry. 'It's been hours now, Sasuke… where are you?'
It didn't take too long for the two genin to set up their campsite. Kakashi lit a fire with his fire style jutsu, and Naruto and Sakura were quick to part into their separate tents to change and lay out their sleeping rolls. After Naruto came out, Kakashi took his turn in the tent the three guys were sharing. When he returned, however, he was not wearing his pajamas.
"Sensei… it's getting dark. He's still not back." Sakura said some time later, noting the sun was already beginning to set in the sky.
"Maybe he got scared and ran off with his tail between his legs." Naruto snickered, holding a hand to cover his wildly grinning mouth.
"Pretty sure that's not the case, Naruto." Kakashi sweatdropped, running a hand through his silver hair. "I'll go out and look for him. Can you guys hold down the fort while I'm gone?"
"Yes sensei." Sakura said simply.
"You bet!" Naruto saluted to him.
"Very well." Kakashi straightened his jacket. "I'll be back." And with that he took off into the desert. As he ran further, sand blew wildly, stinging at his visible eye and pelting his face. "Ugh… a sandstorm. This isn't good. Visibility is near zero in this. Sasuke could have easily got lost." He thought out loud.
'Only one way to find out...' Kakashi bit his thumb, drawing blood, and his hands danced as he formed quick, multiple handsigns. "Summoning jutsu!" He yelled, slamming his hand into the sand. A puff of air rose from the ground, and from the center of it, a brown dog with a cape appeared.
"Pakkun! I need you to track Sasuke's scent!" Kakashi said urgently.
"Kakashi, this sandstorm is terrible! Why is Sasuke's out here?" Pakkun grumbled, sniffing the air for a hint of his scent. He always seemed to be on the crabbier side, but nevertheless, had never let his master down in dire situations.
"That's just it. I think he got lost. And in this heat, running around for hours with no water could be devastating."
"I see." Pakkun began sniffing around everywhere he could, but let a growl of frustration out soon after. "Kakashi… I can't find his scent anywhere. Are you sure this is where he went?"
"Yes… I'm sure." He sighs. "Oh great… Sasuke, where did you go?"
"Nothing left to do but search." Pakkun shrugs, and Kakashi nods in agreement, before the two begin the hunt for the missing student.
Morning came faster than expected, and before Kakashi and Pakkun knew it, they were out and about again. The sandstorm was gone, but Sasuke's scent was still nowhere to be found. Kakashi began to fear the worst.
"We can't give up now, Kakashi! Keep it together!" Pakkun encourages his master, dashing off in a different direction to try and find a new scent. Kakashi called his students name, but to his dismay, there was nothing in return.
"Wherever he went, it was far." Kakashi thought out loud. The two continued to search feverishly. Kakashi found himself chugging his water in the heat. He was sweating badly, even if he was at a stand still. What was worse, Kakashi knew Sasuke was out of water when he began the trip. Already it had been over 24 hours. He could be severely dehydrated just from the desert heat.
"Kakashi!" Pakkun snapped him out of his thoughts. "I picked up on his scent! But it is faint. He is very very far away. It will take a lot of concentration to not lose it." Kakashi's heart raced when he heard the news.
'Please be okay…' he thought to himself as he followed his small dog out further into the dry heat of the unforgiving desert.
It took the entire rest of the day and night to finally get some feedback from Pakkun. "We're close." He stated simply. It had taken long enough. It was already well into the afternoon. It's been three days and no site of Sasuke. Not to mention, he wasn't even sure what was going on with Naruto and Sakura. He didn't expect to be away from them so long. He was beginning to get worried, and worst of all, he was almost out of water. Wiping away the sweat, he pressed on with Pakkun, until finally, the tiny dog came to a halt.
"He's just up ahead." He said, panting heavily from the vigorous running in the heat.
"Thank you Pakkun. You did well." Kakashi said, quickly thanking his dog. He knew he could handle the rest on his own, so he dismissed the grumpy pet, who vanished in a puff of white smoke.
Kakashi took cautious steps forward, and squinting his eye, he could faintly make out a silhouette of someone on the ground. "Sasuke?" He called out. No answer. "Sasuke!"
The sensei rushed over to his student and immediately gasped at what he saw. Sasuke was unconscious, panting heavily with sweat running down his face, and his clothing soaked with it. He weakly clung to his canteen, which was bone dry, the cap abandoned beside it. He had taken off his headband and thrown it a few inches away from his head. His hair had beads of sand clinging to the strands, and he looked like a mess.
"Sasuke! Are you alright?" Kakashi asked worriedly, quickly kneeling down beside his student. He put a gloved hand to his forehead, and immediately shot it back.
'He's burning up!' The jonin panicked, and instantly feared the worst. He felt for a pulse and was thankful that although weak, it was there.
"Come on Sasuke, we have got to get you out of this sun!" Kakashi quickly gathered his student into his arms, abandoning the canteen in the panic, before dashing off. Upon running, he discovered this was the exact path they had previously taken to get to the Sand Village, and with great relief knew there was an oasis nearby. He clutched Sasuke tighter as the boy moaned into his vest. "It's gonna be okay, Sasuke. You're gonna be okay." Kakashi didn't know if he was reassuring himself or his student at this point, but he didn't really care. All that mattered was keeping his student alive.
By the time he finally reached the random pool of untouched water, Sasuke was not looking good. He was still sweating badly, and he was burning to the touch. His visible skin was red with severe sunburn, and he was very dehydrated. Kakashi knew it was a race against time.
He immediately dropped to the ground beside the water, and lowered his mask, sipping at the water. He was relieved to find that it was safe to drink. He wasted no time splashing the water against his student in an attempt to cool him off. Sasuke moaned and shifted slightly, but didn't wake up. Kakashi next took out his water bottle, and opened Sasuke's lips, letting him drink the remainder of the purified water he had left. Sasuke coughed a lot up, but managed some down. Kakashi immediately filled it back up with the oasis water, too fearful of the raven boy's condition to care about parasites.
The small amount of water was all Sasuke needed to bring himself back to consciousness.
A loud groan escapes his lips, and in his delirious state, all he can make out is a blur of white from his sensei's hair. He goes into a series of coughing fits, and its only after Kakashi gently rubs his shoulder that he finally settles.
"...Kashi…" He whispers helplessly, tears beginning to run down his cheeks. He flinches as they run down his sunburned cheeks.
"Hey hey hey! Don't cry Sasuke, it's gonna be okay." Kakashi reassured his student, amazed at how broken he seeed. He must've been running without water for a long time. And when he finally settled, he was so dehydrated he couldn't do a thing to save himself. Kakashi splashed more water on Sasuke and took out an old rag from one of the pockets from his vest. He kept in case of a limb being heavily damaged and needing to cut off blood circulation to it. In this case however, he simply needed to get it soaked and rest it on top of Sasuke's forehead to bring down his fever.
"I'm sorry I didn't come sooner." Kakashi whispers with a heavy heart, saddened to see his student in such a horrible condition. "I couldn't find you. Pakkun couldn't track your scent until too late it seems." Kakashi took one of Sasuke's hands as he lifted it weakly into the air, being extra gentle with the sunburn.
"...K-Kashi...sen...sei…" Sasuke moaned again, his head limply falling to the side. He was in so much pain and he was so far out of it, he couldn't even bring himself to say anything else. More tears flooded down his cheeks. "...Kashi…"
Kakashi put a gloved hand to his student's cheeks and used his thumb to stroke away the tears. "Shh… don't speak, Sasuke. Save your energy. You're gonna be fine." The jonin whispers soothingly to him. Sasuke just lets out a small cry of pain, close to the sound of a whimpering dog, and goes silent again.
Kakashi is desperate to do something - ANYTHING - for his student. He was so shaken up and scared and hurt, he couldn't bare the thought of just sitting there next to him doing nothing. He knew he had to get his other students to find them, so they could help bring Sasuke home, so he decided the first thing to do is to summon Pakkun again.
"Already? Don't I ever get a break Kakashi?" Pakkun growled in pure annoyance, scratching at his ear with his back paw.
"Go get Naruto and Sakura immediately." He points to the direction they are in. "Hurry! Time is of the essence!" Pakkun realizes the severity of the situation at last, sniffs the air and then bolts off quickly, wasting no time.
Kakashi returns back to his student, splashing more water onto him. By now, Sasuke is crying softly, his entire body hurting and his mind wanting to shut down on him. "Sasuke… hang in there. Help is on the way, I promise." He whispers, rubbing his student's shoulder gently.
"...hurts… everywhere… hurts… Kashi… h-hurts…" He cries softly, fidgeting in the hot sand in frustration. "...hot…"
Kakashi sighs, well aware of the sun burning their two bodies to a crisp. "I know Sasuke… I know." He wished there was more he could do for his student, but he knows that he needs to stay by the water to keep him cooled down. So he splashes him once more, this time scooping up some water and dripping it onto Sasuke's face. Sasuke makes a noise of relief, which Kakashi mimics as he knows he is alleviating the pain.
"Sasuke, I'm so sorry you are like this. This is all my fault. I know I already apologized… but I can't help but feel that I failed you as a teacher." Kakashi is nearly in tears as he speaks. He can't stand seeing his student in such a terrible condition.
Sasuke reaches a hand up once more for his sensei, and Kakashi takes it, only his student doesn't want his hand. He attempts to pull his teacher down to a hug, which Kakashi instantly realizes and lowers himself to embrace the Uchiha. "...Kashi…" he moans quietly.
"Shh Sasuke… don't speak." He murmurs back, rubbing his hand through the Uchiha's sandy hair. "It's alright. I understand."
Sasuke lies unmoving for a few more seconds, until suddenly, a sharp pain in his chest makes his entire body jolt upright, taking Kakashi's with it, while he gives a sharp hiss of pain. Kakashi immediately backs up as Sasuke begins to scream. It's earsplitting and heartbreaking. The jonin instantly moves in to comfort Sasuke, but he can't hear him over his own cries of agony.
"Sasuke what's wrong?" Kakashi reaches for his student and pulls him into a hug, trying to calm down the Uchiha, who was obviously delirious and in so much pain he can't control himself. He immediately can feel the Uchiha's heart racing in his chest. Kakashi sits down and draws his student into his body, holding him tightly against him as he comforts him the best he can.
"Shhh.. it's okay. It's okay. You're going to be okay…" He whispers, hushing his student and trying to calm him down the best he can. He strokes through his hair and gives words of encouragement to the boy, who trembles and cries weakly in his teacher's arms. Finally, after what seems like forever to Kakashi, Sasuke finally settles. He leans against Kakashi heavily, panting heavily in feverish exhaustion.
"Drink some water, Sasuke." Kakashi offers him from his canteen, which Sasuke gladly accepts.
"My head… is pounding…" He moans quietly, instantly regaining a little strength. Not much, but at least enough to be able to talk better.
"I know Sasuke… I'm sorry you are in this position. I really am." Kakashi pats his head. "But the best thing you can do for yourself right now, is just sleep." His mentor leans back a little more so Sasuke is lying down against him. The prideful Uchiha fidgets a little, but Kakashi shifts him so he is laying right against his chest. Sasuke instantly relaxes when he hears the soft thumping of his teacher's heartbeat.
Kakashi lays completely still, watching his student begin to get drowsy. He runs an open hand down Sasuke's side, which is covered by his shirt so he lacks sunburn. "I promise… we will be out of this mess soon." Kakashi whispers to him. Sasuke takes one last sigh, and his eyes slip shut as he drifts off. The dog loving jonin makes no effort to move for the next few hours. He monitors his student's health right there. Finally, when the cloth on his forehead is dried out, Kakashi finally moves his student to the sand so he can go re-wet it.
"I'm sorry Sasuke. I know you're hurting. I'm doing the best I can do for you." Kakashi sighs heavily, stroking his student's cheeks to get the sand off. He looks up at the sky, and realizes it is nearing nighttime. Stars are beginning to take their place in the sky. Kakashi lies down in the sandy area and pulls Sasuke to his chest, who makes a soft humming noise and settles back into sleep again. He rubs Sasuke's cheek with his hand, trying to relax himself as well as his student enough to fall asleep. He knew it would be a rough night for the both of them, so he does his best to make do.
He is just about asleep when the sound of whimpering jolts him back to reality. He opens his eyes to find Sasuke trembling softly in his arms, crying softly as feverish dreams haunt him. Kakashi hugs him tightly against his chest.
"It's alright Sasuke… it's just a dream." He comforts, kissing him gently on the forehead. Sasuke immediately stills in his grip, then moans as onyx eyes flutter open. Kakashi can immediately see the pain filled inside of them.
"...K-kashi…" He groans in pain, ducking his head into his chest as he attempts to curl his body up into a protective ball. Kakashi works around the limbs to gently rub the Uchiha's back.
"It's alright… it was just a dream." He whispers. Sasuke begins to still in his sensei's arms, and almost immediately, drowsy eyes begin to slip shut.
"Goodnight Sasuke." Kakashi whispers. He pulls his student to his chest, and the both of them drift off to sleep together.
"Kakashi-sensei!" Kakashi is woken up to by the sound of a obnoxious blonde and the blinding sun. He looks down to see his prized student still sleeping soundly in his hold. He smiles to himself.
'I knew they'd be here soon.' He takes Sasuke into his arms and stands up, seeing Naruto and Sakura rushing towards the two of them in the distance. Kakashi looks down at the unconscious boy against his chest, looking weak and in pain, but alive.
"Looks like this is it Sasuke. We're going home. You're gonna be okay."
And Kakashi gives his special student one last kiss on the forehead, before he walks over to meet his two students. Although Sasuke's not completely healed, he is alive, and Kakashi couldn't be happier. After all, a simple dry spell isn't enough to break his everlasting bond between himself and his prized genin.
A/N - yeaaaaah, not too proud of this one. But once I started writing I couldn't just abandon it, so I decided to finish it through to the very end. Then I thought 'well I can't just write a whole one shot and NOT post it… so I did.
Hope it was extra fluffy for parental KakaSasu fans. I tried my best, even though the plot wasn't too good. To be honest, I have no good plots, but I'm desperate to write! Soooo this popped out. Nothing special.
Please read and review!
~SasukeUchihasGuardian