When Kakashi finally returned home, it was late in the night. He'd already let the dogs in and they quietly picked their way around the house to avoid waking up its second, much younger resident. Quietly closing the door behind him, he sets his weapon pouch on the small table next to the door. He pauses as his eyes become adjusted to the dark. It seems Kanami wasnt in her room, but on the couch. Nor was she asleep, but instead curled into herself. He recognizes the subtle shake in her shoulders.
Sighing, he walks over to the couch. "The dream again?" He asks quietly. She nods into the couch cushions. Letting out a muffled sniff, she sits up slowly. Kakashi couldnt help but grow worried as he noticed the dark circles under her eyes becoming slowly darker. Wrinkles from lack of sleep made their way across her face in the darkness of the room. His little insomniac needed some help. She rubs her eyes as she turns to face him and crosses her legs.
Her voice is hoarce and sleepy. "It was worse this time..." She mumbles. "This time we went to the hospital..." Kakashi frowns.
When Kanami's mother had died, it wasnt by bleeding out on the cold wooden floor of her home in the Uchiha compound. Instead, she had survived long enough to be taken to the hospital. She had been bandaged, treated, and left for God to make his decision. Unfortunatly, she was too weak to carry on. The image flashes vividly into Kakashi's mind.
Pale hands stroke the head of a dark haired girl. Kanami.
She had long since fallen asleep beside her ill mother who watched her with sad acceptance in her eyes. She knew she wouldn't make it.
Beside Kakashi stood his wife; Kanami's aunt. Unbeknownst to him, she wouldn't stay with him much longer after that night. Dark eyes shifted to him. He could see the light in them dying. Her movements slowed and her breathing became ragged. The heart monitor beside the bed let out slower and slower beeps. Slowly, her mouth opens and she manages a single sentence.
She says to them, just above a whisper "Protect her...". The heart monitor flat-lines.
Letting out a sigh that seemed to have been repressed for years, he holds up his arms.
"C'mere..." He says quietly. Leaning forward, Kanami wraps her arms around him and buries her face in his flak jacket. It smelled like dogs.
Warm hands rub her back as she sniffs. Nights like this happened a lot nowadays. But this time was slightly different. She didn't tell him; because she didn't know how to- but there had also been animals in this dream. A snake, a dead raven and a fox. She didn't know what she meant, but she wanted to see if they came back. Admittedly, no matter how morbid it seemed the animals each brought comfort to her during that dream... Even the dead raven...
Even still she wished her nightmares would end. Some nights she woke up screaming, her body shaking so horridly Kakashi was scared he would have to take her to the hospital.
The dogs, as if sensing her emotional distress, clamber their way onto the couch and crowd around her. One of them worms their way into her lap and stretches up to lick her face. She smiles, pulling away from her uncle and pulling the dog closer.
"Hi, Pakkun..." She says. Scratching behind his ears, she watches as he curls up on her lap.
Kakashi leans on the arm of the chair. He knew she wasn't sleeping any time soon.
"So. How did your exam go today?" He asks. Though, he already knew the answer.
"I passed." She says with a small smile. "My headband is dark blue..." The small flush of pink that rose to her face made Kakashi smile slightly. She was proud of herself... Something he was sure she didn't feel often.
"Well I don't know why I asked. You did have the best teacher in all of Konoha teaching you." Kanami snorts. "Yep. The best teacher and the best Uncle."