Chapter 7: Invoking Memories
"Kakashi-sensei, do you remember this?" Naruto waved two bells in front of the bored jounin.
"No. What?"
"These are the bells that you used to test us on teamwork when we first became genin. And then, you used it again when Naruto returned from his training with Jiraiya-sama." Sakura explained patiently, as she crossed her arms and stood in front of Kakashi, who was lounging under a tree.
"Oh?"
"Oh? Is that all you can say?" Naruto shouted incredulously. "We are trying to help you remember. At least show some enthusiasm, will you?"
Kakashi blinked. "I am."
Sakura shook her head exasperatedly as Naruto raved on about Kakashi's lack of interest in what they were doing. This isn't doing any good. Her team leader isn't showing any progress. His condition is worse than anyone of them had thought. She frowned. She can only hope that Tsunade had managed to come up with some form of cure which will help in the jounin's situation.
Genma and Asuma came up behind them.
"Asuma-sensei, Genma-san." Sakura greeted quietly. Both of them nodded as they turned to watch Naruto scowling at the bored jounin.
"Any improvements?" Asuma frowned. Sakura shook her head sadly.
"No. We've been at it the entire morning and afternoon. We've brought him to all our training grounds, re-enact all the memorable training scenes, told him about all the missions that we've been on together. And he still can't recall anything."
Genma fiddled with his senbon thoughtfully. "Where's Yamato?"
"Tsunade-sama called for him. He's over at her office now." Sakura sighed. "Do any of you know how things are with Iruka-sensei though? We don't dare to ask him, in case we say something wrong."
"He's through a rough patch. Kakashi doesn't remember him and don't seem too enthusiastic about wanting to remember him. And he's been treating Iruka pretty callously. Giving him a cold shoulder and pretending that Iruka doesn't exist are just some of the not so heartless things that he did." Genma snorted, a little irritated at the way his friend was treating the academy teacher.
"Well, I think that's all for today, kids. It's getting late. Let's head out for dinner. We need to bring Kakashi somewhere else later." Asuma called. Sakura nodded. Naruto pouted and slipped the bells back into his pouch. Kakashi groaned.
"Spare me, will you?"
"Not a chance, sensei. Come on, you are buying us ramen." Naruto grinned and tugged at the jounin's arm, getting him to move.
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Kakashi glanced at the people around the table and was thinking that his day just gotten longer. Anko grinned at him across the table, apparently all hostility that she once had for him were gone.
"Alright. So what now? I just went through hell, trying to understand what two teens were trying to say about their trainings with me and after that, I'm being forced to buy that two brats ramen. Am I supposed to buy dango now?"
Genma snickered. He had to admit he was a little dizzy with Naruto's narrations over dinner at Ichiraku. Everything had went well with Sakura's description initially, until Naruto decided to butt in with his two-cents worth, making the easy to understand statements become a roller-coaster ride that immediately threw the jounin into confusion.
"Nobody is asking you to buy dango, Kakashi. Rather, Anko is going to buy you dango." Asuma snorted.
"That's surprising." Kakashi said coolly, as a plate of dango was placed before him.
"Go on, eat it!" Anko urged. Kakashi eyed her strangely.
"I don't eat sweet stuff."
"Bingo!" Anko jumped from her seat.
"What?" Kakashi glared.
"Do you remember, Kakashi? Do you? The first time when we met, was at this dango shop. I was with Kurenai, you were with Asuma. I bought all of you dango, but you refused to eat it. And when I asked, you said the exact same thing."
"Oh?" Kakashi raised an eyebrow.
Anko frowned at the answer. But at least Kakashi wasn't as grumpy as he was when they visited him in the hospital the last time.
"Yeah. So do you or do you not remember?"
Kakashi sighed exasperatedly. "Sorry. But I really can't recall anything. If it makes you feel better, I appreciate that you are making the effort to help me."
"Never mind." Anko slumped back into her seat disappointedly. "Take your time. I'm sure you will remember somehow."
Kakashi stared at her. So she wasn't going to kill him like she tried to at the hospital? Well, that's a good sign. He decided he should be nice too.
"Well, you can have the dango. I will pay for it."
Anko stared at him as though he had just grown another head. Asuma's hand paused in the middle of raising the teacup to his mouth. Genma blinked.
"Kakashi, you remembered something, don't you?" Anko whispered.
Kakashi looked at the other three occupants of the table. "No."
"But, you just said you would buy Anko the dango." Asuma slowly placed the cup back on the table.
"And that's what you say every time you did something that made her furious or upset." Genma flicked his senbon.
"But not once has it come to pass." Anko snorted.
Kakashi fidgeted uncomfortably under the intense gazes. He reached into his pocket and pulled out some cash, slamming it down on the table.
"Enjoy yourself. I'm going back."
"So soon?" Genma raised an eyebrow.
"I've been out the entire day and I'm tired. I haven't even taken my medicine yet. And I'm sure I don't want to deal with Tsunade-sama if she finds out." Kakashi muttered. With that, he slipped out of the shop.
Anko blinked. "Do you think we manage to stir something in him?"
"I don't know. I just hope that we will get back our old Kakashi soon. I'm just so not used to this one with moods that changes faster than the weather." Asuma grumbled.
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Asuma stared blankly at the ceiling. Beside him, Genma was slumped in the couch tiredly. Raidou came out from the kitchen with tea and cookies.
"Come on now. Tea time." Raidou muttered and arranged the plates and cups on the coffee table. A knock sounded. Raidou looked up and grumbled under his breath as he went to open the door.
"Yamato. Just in time. Come in." Raidou retreated from the front door, leaving his guest to close it for him.
"So how are things?" Asuma asked as the ex-ANBU walked into the living room. Yamato shook his head tiredly.
"Not too optimistic. We were barely out for a few hours when he complained about a headache. And then he started getting grouchy. It was like bringing a volcano out for a walk." Yamato sank into the couch. "I have to keep apologizing, because he would snap at every single person who gets on his nerves. And it's always over the most trivial matters."
"That so isn't like Kakashi." Genma muttered. "It's almost a month. But his mood swings are getting more frequent instead of lesser, did you realize? Just yesterday, I brought him to the training field where Gai and his team are training and he didn't even so much give a second glance. When Gai tried talking to him, Kakashi practically ignored him. And you know that man and how persistent he is. Eventually, Kakashi got so irritated that he almost got into a fight with Gai."
"At least you guys got to go out with him." Asuma yawned. "Every time I tried asking him out, he would say that he is tired. And he would leave me sitting in his living room for hours while he napped. I never knew Kakashi to be such a cat. Man, the number of hours he sleeps a day can rival a bear hibernating in winter. But when he wakes up though, his mood would be better and pretty much like his old self. And we would eat and talk about things."
"Oh great, you managed to escape an inferno Kakashi." Genma muttered. "Lucky you."
Asuma shrugged. "I guess. He doesn't even react strongly when we talk about Iruka, which is a good thing. Though, the only expression he gives me is a blank one. I think he is trying to recall what I'm talking about."
"Sounds to me that Kakashi is suffering from split personality." Raidou stretched himself. "One moment, he's all heated up and agitated and after a sleep, he will be much his normal self."
"Something is wrong somewhere." Asuma frowned. "And I thought Tsunade-sama said that she would change his medicine for him, so that it won't have such major side effects."
"I think she did." Yamato picked up his tea and took a drink. "I saw her the other day and was asking her about it, because I simply think senpai is getting a little too edgy. She said she had left instructions with the medic-nin on the types of medicine to be prescribed to him after Kakashi had been discharged."
"Then what is wrong?" Genma raised an eyebrow. "Our encounters and Asuma's are a little different. The reactions are too extreme for any normal person."
Asuma sighed. "We will have to talk to Tsunade-sama soon. Before things get worse."
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