Chapter 2 - Melded

Sakura, please…

Kakashi sounded absolutely miserable and she smirked happily. Their trip back to the village had been highly entertaining – for her at least. She had thought of the sappiest, most ridiculous romantic movie she could think of and replayed every scene over and over. To her surprise, it took the Copy Ninja longer to break than she would have thought. She almost gave up but a small sigh through her mind had only strengthened her resolve and he had been pleading pathetically with her for the past hour to stop. Which she naturally ignored.

I can't believe how horrible you are.

"What was that, taichou? Of course I can replay the scene where they are reunited. It's definitely my favourite too." She grinned fiercely.

Sakura, no… he whimpered inside her mind pitifully.

She burst out laughing as the gates came into view. Sakura had to admit, she thought this was going to be unbearable for her but she was actually enjoying torturing her old sensei.

Why?

She shrugged and scratched her chin thoughtfully. "Maybe it's kind of amusing seeing you so powerless for once?"

Why? He asked again, sounding a little indignant this time.

"Well," she began, lowering her voice as she approached the tall wooden gates that marked the end of her journey. "I'm always so used to being second best when I'm around you. Now you're having to count on me instead of the other way around."

Kakashi didn't reply. Perhaps he wasn't all that thrilled with their current situation.

As she strolled through the village, she waved merrily at people she recognised and stopped by the Yamanaka flower shop. Ino would have to understand something about this jutsu and if she took the blonde with her, she wouldn't have to repeat herself when she told Tsunade about everything.

As she stepped into the cool building, she heard a small bell tinkling in the depths of the shop. She took a deep breath in and instantly felt a wave of calm happiness wash over her. The scents of roses, hyacinths, jasmine and a whole cascade of blooms flowed through her and she let out a small, delighted sigh. She suddenly flashed onto the memory of her and Ino playing flower arranging while Mr and Mrs Yamanaka read through orders and tidied up after the two girls. A melancholic smile spread across her face.

Cute memory.

The smile faded.

"Forehead!"

Sakura rounded on her best friend as she came strolling out of the back, a huge bunch of vibrant pink lilies spilling from her arms.

"Pig," she snapped back with a growl.

I seriously don't understand this friendship.

Sakura rolled her eyes and decided to ignore him.

"Here to buy yourself some flowers and pretend a secret boyfriend sent them to you again? I'm sure Sasuke will fall for it this time." The blonde gave her such a wicked grin that the blood began to pound in Sakura's head.

"Ino!" She hissed with fury, fists clenched.

'Shut it you PIG!' Inner-Sakura screeched.

What the hell was that?

Out loud, Sakura snapped, "No Pig, I need you to come to the Hokage with me."

Ino gave her a confused look over the top of the flowers as she stuffed them in a jar of water. "Why?" She asked, carefully picking at the leaves.

"Trust me, I'm only going to keep the composure needed to explain this once," Sakura replied, placing her hands on her hips.

Ino raised an eyebrow but took off her apron. She flipped the sign on the shop door to 'closed' and strolled into the street.

"Come on then, Forehead; I haven't got all day."

Tutting impatiently, Sakura followed her towards the Hokage tower.

"I was wondering when you would show up," Tsunade considered her with a stern eye and Sakura squirmed uncomfortably. She hadn't done anything wrong but her master always managed to make her feel like she was getting scolded.

When Sakura didn't say anything, Tsunade folded her arms and raised an eyebrow. "So, let's have it. Why is Ino here? Though more importantly, why did Kakashi show up in my hospital unconscious along with an unknown person?"

Oops

"Uh, that guy was an enemy. Sorry I probably should have sent word but I got pretty distracted." Sakura realised she was mumbling.

"I assumed as much, he's in custody."

Nobody spoke for a few seconds before Tsunade let out a particularly vehement sigh. "Honestly Sakura, just come out with it."

Fidgeting slightly, Sakura explained the mission as best she could, but froze when she came to the part about realising it was Kakashi's voice she had been hearing. She suddenly felt incredibly uncomfortable about the entire situation. She wasn't sure why but an intense bout of embarrassment flooded through her and her cheeks flushed.

"Well, umm…"

Just tell them.

I'm trying!

What's the problem?

"I don't know!" She ground out, irritable, "you're inside me and it's awkward!"

Silence fell around the room and Sakura placed her head in her hands, mortified.

Kakashi was the first one to speak. Sort of.

Interesting choice of words. He sounded almost as humiliated as she was. Almost – no one in the world was more embarrassed than she was in that moment.

Want a bet?

She groaned loudly before removing her hands and carefully placing them on her lap. Clearing her throat softly, she looked up at the perplexed expressions on the faces of the two blondes in the room.

Deciding it was pointless beating around the bush, she took a deep breath and spoke.

"Somehow, Kakashi's consciousness is inside my mind."

Nobody replied. Tsunade blinked at her, expression unreadable. She turned to Ino who to Sakura's horror, looked fit to burst.

"What?" She growled.

"S-So, what you're saying is –" Ino brought her fist up to her curved lips and bit back a smile – "Kakashi-sensei is in your mind, listening to us right now?"

"Yes…" Sakura glared at her. This wasn't funny! The expression on Sakura's face must have been too much for Ino. She let out a snort of laughter before bending double in hysterics.

"Well," Tsunade rubbed over her brow, ignoring the younger kunoichi's outburst of mirth, "that explains why you brought Ino along."

The blonde turned to the Fifth Hokage, wiping tears from her eyes, eyebrows raised in question.

"Have you heard of anything like this?"

Realisation dawned on Ino and she shook her head. "No, sorry. My Dad would have been the one to ask. I don't remember him ever mentioning anything like this."

Tsunade nodded, before glancing at Sakura. "We'll do some digging. Ibiki will be interviewing the man you sent back as soon as he wakes. He can start by seeing what he knows about this jutsu."

Sakura agreed. Surely that was as good a place to start as any.

Interview. That's one word for it.

"Shut up," Sakura retorted.

Tsunade raised an eyebrow thoughtfully and turned to Ino.

"Do you think you could use your mind-meld jutsu to see if anything clicks? Perhaps your consciousness could force Kakashi's out?"

Sakura turned hopeful eyes to her best friend.

Ino shrugged, "I can give it a go."

Figuring Kakashi's conscious might not be able to travel far, they decided to experiment in the hospital room where his body lay. The machines he was hooked up to were beeping mournfully and Sakura scowled at him.

This isn't exactly my fault, Kakashi pointed out to her.

Obviously she knew that. It was disquieting to see him there. She knew he was ok – she knew better than anyone – but she couldn't shake the feeling of discomfort. She ran a hand through her hair thoughtfully. Was it bothering her that this might not work? It was a possibility of course. There would be other things to try though, right? Surely they would find some way to get Kakashi back into his body. Or else he'll spend the rest of his life flouncing through her mind while his body went to waste in this bed.

Sakura… are you worried?

"No!" She made a disgruntled sound and Ino raised an eyebrow questioningly.

Kakashi was quiet for a moment, but when he spoke, Sakura could sense something different. An almost warmer quality to his voice.

Its ok, Sakura-chan. We'll figure this out. I'll be out of your head and back to my old self in no time.

The smallest of smiles flickered over her lips before she turned determinedly to her friend.

"Right, Pig; don't mess this up!"

Ino snorted in response. "The only way this won't work is if you do something stupid."

Sakura glared.

"Just get on with it," Tsunade said impatiently.

"Here we go…" Ino made the seals and Sakura felt the moment her friends mind crashed over hers. She let out a gasp but remained rooted to the spot, no longer able to move. She knew Ino had grown a lot stronger since Sakura had fallen victim to this jutsu during their chunnin battle, but so had she. Sensing the jutsu, Sakura knew if she really wanted to, she could throw the chakra back out.

Inner-Sakura let out a triumphant, 'Chaa!'

'Oh, you think so, Forehead?' Ino's voice echoed through her mind. It sounded hollower than Kakashi's somehow, more distant.

'Really? I wonder why that is?'

Must be some effect of the jutsu.

'Kakashi-sensei?'

Hai

'So it didn't work then?'

Guess not.

'Hmm… I wonder if I can manipulate your conscious somehow?'

Try whatever you want.

Oh good God will the two of you shut up.

Sakura hadn't thought it could have gotten any worse, but apparently the combination of her old perverted sensei and her annoying best friend was something not even she could stand up to.

'Oi!'

That was impolite, Sakura-chan.

Help me…

Ino giggled through her mind.

'Ok Kakashi-sensei, I'm going to be a little more forceful now, but I promise I'll try not to hurt you.'

The unmistakeable purr in Ino's voice sent Sakura's teeth on edge and if she could move, she would have smacked her over the head.

I'm sure I'll be fine, Kakashi replied cheerily.

They were doing it on purpose just to torment her, she was sure of it.

There was nothing for a few seconds and then Sakura began to feel a pressure building at her temples. It felt like the start of a really painful migraine, but it was bearable, so she said nothing.

'Just let me know if it gets too bad, Forehead.'

If Sakura had control of her eyes she would have rolled them.

For a few minutes the three of them were silent while Ino worked. There was nothing to really show for her efforts except the steady throbbing in her head.

'Just a little more…'

Sakura was about to tell her to just quit when a blinding flash of pain split through her head. She couldn't cry out or grip her head, but the reflex was so strong her arms actually twitched.

What the hell?! She screeched, but before anyone could give her an answer, a host of images came floating into her mind.

She was sitting in the rain at dusk, staring at the large, bleak memorial stone… Suddenly, the Fourth Hokage's face was looming above her, smiling down merrily as he flicked his blonde hair out of his eyes… a boy of around twelve, looking so forcibly like Sasuke her heart ached, was scowling at her from in front of a brown-haired girl with markings on her face that reminded her a little of the Izunuka clan…

Stop.

With that one firm command, the images blinked out of existence and Ino's conscious was sent packing. So forcibly was she ejected from Sakura's mind that both girls reeled, arms spinning, before landing ungraciously on the hospital floor.

Sakura rubbed a shaking hand across her forehead and started bewildered at the sweat drops.

"What on Earth was that?" She asked.

Ino looked across at her just as shocked.

"Well?" Tsunade was staring between the two of them.

Ino took a deep breath in and let it out slowly. She stood, lazily brushing herself off.

"Kakashi kicked me out," she answered. Her voice was fairly calm, but the way she wasn't meeting anyone's eyes let Sakura know she was actually angry about it.

Sakura folded her arms across her chest and smirked. "Well, what do you expect? You went poking around the memories of an elite jonin. He is Hatake Kakashi, after all."

Why Sakura, I never realised you thought so highly of me.

"Stop acting so smug," she growled.

Ino just turned her nose up in a huff, crossing her arms to mirror Sakura's stance.

"I wasn't doing it on purpose," she grumbled, "I thought it was a way to control his consciousness too."

"Whatever," Sakura shrugged.

Tsunade looked completely unimpressed. "So bottom line; Kakashi is still stuck in there."

Both girls nodded.

"Right," the Hokage spun on her heals and went to the door. She paused with her hand on the handle and turned back to the two kunoichi who were staring sullenly after her.

"This predicament does not leave this room. It doesn't need to get out somehow that our best shinobi is out of action. If anyone asks, he's on a mission. This room is out of bounds to everyone. We'll interrogate the prisoner when he wakes and you two can hit the books."

"Yes, shishou," Sakura replied.

"Wait," Ino flicked her hair over her shoulder. "Why am I involved now? I have a shop to run and missions of my own, Hokage-sama."

Tsunade fixed her with such a look that Sakura actually backed away from her pig-headed friend.

Ino stuttered, "y-yes, Hokage-sama."

Without another word, the Godaime left the room.

Ino turned to Sakura, a grin plastered over her face.

"What?" Sakura asked suspiciously.

"I guess Kakashi-sensei will be joining us tonight?"

"Wh-NO!"

Sakura had completely forgotten. After months of being accused of still having feelings for Sasuke (which she totally did NOT), Sakura had agreed to prove it by letting Ino set her up with some ANBU Captain she knew. Tonight was the big night and Ino had set up a sort of triple date. Mostly because Sakura was a coward and partly because Hinata was also a coward. Humiliatingly, Sakura had considered cancelling once she heard that Naruto was coming along, but Ino had stamped out all efforts at protest and Sakura had consented once again.

Now though, her sensei was going to be there. Well, kind of. Enough that there was no chance in hell the date was going to go anywhere now. Not that she had decided it was going to. Though, if she was honest, it had been a while since she had –

NO. Dear Kami no; I do not need to know where that train of thought was going. Stop it now.

"Shit, umm…"

The latest movie she had seen had been about this couple who had to run away from home….

Ino was staring at her bemused.

Sakura shook her head and sighed. "You really can't expect me to go now?"

"Yes I can," Ino said sternly, with an expression that said quite clearly that she was going to get her way. "Obviously there will be very limited hanky panky –"

"Ino!"

Shut her up!

"- but you can still meet the guy. He's nice, Sakura, and a captain in the freakin' ANBU! You cannot pass this up."

So in other words, a complete head case.

"You were an ANBU captain once," Sakura pointed out, feeling suddenly defensive of her date.

I feel your point only strengthens my argument, Kakashi countered.

Before she could reply, a strange sensation of dread washed over her and the distorted image of a body with a huge gash through its chest flashed red in her mind.

She gasped. "What was that?"

Kakashi was silent.

Ino was looking at her concerned so Sakura composed herself and explained quickly what she had seen.

"Hmm…" Ino placed her hands on her hips and pondered. "There is like, a rumour, I guess, in the clan. That sometimes we can intersect with another's mind so completely when we cast any mind jutsu that we get these sort of, shadow memories, if you will. It's never happened to me though."

"So this was one of Kakashi's memories?"

Ino shrugged. "It's possible. It doesn't last long after we've separated. A day or two, maybe."

Sakura bit her lip thoughtfully. "Do you think they'll be stronger the longer we're connected?"

Sakura could almost feel Kakashi glaring intently at Ino through her eyes.

"Honestly, this is completely new. I have no idea."

A frustrated sigh blew through Sakura's mind and she echoed it in agreement.

"Ok, guess we'll just have to deal with it for now."

Ino suddenly laughed.

Sakura raised her eyebrow, suspicious once again.

"I just realised – you came back from a mission and you have a date tonight." The girl was absolutely gleeful and Sakura couldn't understand it.

"So?"

"So, you don't want to turn up to a date all dirty and stinking, do you?"

"Of course not," Sakura snapped, "I do own a shower, actually."

Ino just continued to grin at her.

Uh, Sakura, calm down.

"What? I am c- FUCK!"

As the realisation crashed around her Sakura felt her cheeks flaming and her mouth dropped open, aghast. Ino had lost it completely; she had never seen the girl laugh so hard.

This wasn't funny! This was absolutely horrifying!

Apparently she would be showering with her eyes closed until this ordeal was over. It wasn't just that though; how was she supposed to get dressed? She had a giant mirror in her room she was going to have to avoid looking at. How the hell had she landed herself in this situation?

Now, now, Sakura-chan, she felt the laughter as his teasing voice slid through her mind, I promise I won't peek.

"Pervert!" Sakura screeched in response.

She didn't think it was possible, but Ino started laughing even harder.

"You're both deplorable people," she grumbled.

AN - Hope everyone enjoyed it! As always, come and find me on facebook! (The Silver Scarecrow)

TSS