The second re-written and beta-ed chapter. :)

Last time I forgot: I do not own Naruto.

Kakashi tried to relax as Tsunade had suggested, but not even reading his 'Icha-Icha' books brought him his inner peace. As he left his apartment, Gai caught him, and fired 'youthful' questions at him. Why he would need help, or if he's going to get old and stuff like that.

"Damn it," Kakashi cursed under his breath. "Damn it, I'm not getting old."

He headed straight for the training grounds and picked out a suitable tree to hide. He looked around to make sure he was alone and sighed contently as he was sure he had his peace. That damned green-spandex-freak was dogging him the whole morning.

'How should I relax if he's jumping on my nerves like that?!' he thought annoyed. 'I'm not old; I just turn 30 this year. Tsunade is over fifty and is still fighting. So what? That idiot! He is nine months older than me!'

He was enraged and growled silently.

'He's mostly around the village, rarely on those far-away-risking-your-ass-missions she always sends me on. I just arrived that morning and she sent me away immediately. No wonder I'm exhausted.'

He fished his little orange book out of his back-pouch and started to read.

He only managed to read two pages as he heard that voice again.

'Man, he's really a pain in the ass,' he groaned inwardly and put his book away. 'And here we go again.'

Kakashi rolled his eye and jumped one branch higher to get out of sight. Gai was walking up to the tree, looking for him.

'Why can't he just let me be?' the copy Nin thought irritated, but rescue came unexpected.

"Gai-sensei!" Lee called out. He jogged up to his former sensei and waved.

"Lee! What are you doing here?" Gai asked surprised.

"I was looking for you for some training," he flashed him a smile.

"Lee, I admire your youthful love for training! To answer your question, I was looking for my eternal rival! He still owes me some answers, and I planned on challenging him to a little race around the village."

"What questions, Gai-sensei?"

"Why he wasn't able to carry that woman anymore. She was everything else but heavy."

"Sakura-san told me that Kakashi-sensei was out on missions during the last weeks without a break. Maybe that had worn him out," Lee said and then shrugged.

"On missions? How many?" Gai asked and looked at his favorite team member expectantly.

"Thirty-five during the last two months."

"WHAT? I only had twenty!" Gai cried out. "Lee, I have to train! Run with me, my youthful comrade! Five hundred rounds around the village!"

"Five hundred?" Lee asked and cocked a brow.

"Yes! You're right! Eight hundred laps!" Gai exclaimed and Lee saluted.

"HAI SENSEI!"

And they both sped off.

'Saved,' Kakashi exhaled audibly, before he jumped out of the tree and sat down in the grass.

The sunshine was wonderful, and he really felt the exhaustion in his limbs. So he stretched out and placed the book as cover over his face. Shortly after he was fast asleep. He had slept for several hours, but then he woke because someone neared him.

"Kakashi?" Sakura asked cautiously.

"Hmm?" he mumbled back, before he sat up again.

"Tsunade-shisho sends me. She told me to inform you about that Kiri-nin's condition." He curtly nodded.

"She had a liver collapse this morning. Tsunade-shisho was able to fix it again; she had a parasite. Slowly we're working off the list. I didn't think it possible for one person to accumulate so many illnesses," Sakura rubbed her eyes tiredly.

"Due to a lack of medical treatment, I suspect?" he asked.

"Yeah," Sakura nodded and hid a yawn. "I think she hasn't been treated by a medic for ages. It seems she was on the run for quite a time. The pack she carried… but who am I telling this... You've been the one to bring her. A photograph and a few coins, nothing more. Even without a mission I carry more around with me."

"Not more?" Kakashi asked surprised but Sakura shook her head.

"No," she said. "Sad, isn't it? I mean, Kirigakure has strong Shinobi; Zabuza or Kisame, only to name two of them. Somehow she reminds me of Haku."

"How's that?" he asked surprised.

"I can't explain, it's just a feeling. Tsunade-shisho let me read some of Jiraiya's notes, and it's sounding like the same devotion. Maybe I'm just a little overworked and talk too much crap." She managed a tired smile.

"Thank you, Sakura. Are you finished with working for today?"

"Yes. I was just on my way back home. I thought that the chance of meeting you here would be high. See you around, Kakashi."

"See you," he muttered and rubbed his eyes.

Somehow he felt the urge to visit her. Just to make sure that she wasn't a threat, or so he told himself.
He shook his head and tried to get rid of this train of thought. Said Kunoichi was still unconscious, and what would he say if she wasn't? It wasn't his business; his job was to bring her, and that he did. Kakashi decided against a visit; this day as well as the other and the day after.
But the third day he had no other choice, as he found out on his way through the streets. Shizune stopped him, as he turned around the corner to visit his favorite bookstore.

"Ah, Kakashi-san. Tsunade-sama wants to speak with you," she said politely and waited if he would try to refuse.

"About that Kiri-nin, I guess," she answered the unspoken question. "She's in her office."

And without a word he walked past her.

"He and his manners…" she mumbled to herself.

Kakashi entered the Hokage-tower and walked up to the Godaime's office. After a curt knock on the door he opened and stepped in.

"I can't remember that I've called you in," she grumbled from behind the huge mountain of paperwork on her desk.

"You wanted to talk to me?" he asked.

"Yes, I do," she replied and stood up. "The Kunoichi woke up a few hours ago. She said she wanted to talk to you. First I thought about refusing since she isn't in a situation to make demands, but she's still too weak for interrogation and maybe she was instructed to speak with you. Jiraiya trusted you," she said and shrugged.

"As you wish," he said and turned again.

"Kakashi…"she called out as he reached the door. "Don't rough her up."

He looked at her for a long moment and then he gave a curt nod. Tsunade looked at him indifferently and then mimicked his movement, before she sat down again.

As he walked through the streets towards the hospital he wondered what would wait for him. He didn't know anything about the things Jiraiya did. They had talked, yes, but he never stuck his nose in his private matters.

The ANBU were still standing next to the door and nodded towards him as he approached. Kakashi knocked and then entered the room. He heard no reply, and wasn't surprised. As he slowly opened the curtains that surrounded the bed he found her looking out of the window. She still looked ill, but her skin color slowly reached a normal level. Someone had combed her hair and fixed it into a ponytail. It nearly had the same color as his, though it was a little brighter, whiter, than his. As she noticed she wasn't alone anymore she slowly turned her head. Her eyes were closed again, but as she opened them, he looked into lavender colored irises. Somewhat fascinating, he thought.

"You're Hatake Kakashi?" he could hear that it strained her to talk.

He nodded and remained at the stilt of her bed. "You wanted to talk to me?" he asked brusque.

She nodded and it took her a few moments before she spoke again. She licked her dry lips and closed her eyes, concentrating.

"There's a scroll, a blue one, hidden in my pack. Read it, it's important," she slowly opened her eyes again.

"Do they plan something?" he asked, and she nodded weakly.

"And what?" he asked harshly.

"Assassination," she mumbled.

"Who? The Godaime?"

"Hai. As well as you, and Morino…" her voice got calmer by the minute.

"Ibiki?" again she nodded.

He stood there, unsure whether he should believe her or not. But his inner voice told him that she spoke the truth. Her silent plea pulled him out of his thoughts.

"Please don't send me back," she whispered, tears welling up her eyes."It'll be my death."

"It's not up to me to decide that. At the moment you'll stay where you are. Everything else is up to the Hokage."

She sighed and slowly nodded again. "I know," she mumbled, and he stood up.

"I'll tell our Godaime about that scroll."

He turned to leave and as he had reached the door he turned back around and looked at her.

"I haven't asked your name."

She faintly smiled. "Honoka. Sakae Honoka."

He nodded and left, those lavender eyes still present in his mind.