A/N: Just a little bit of a cute fluffy little chapter. Enjoy! R&R
Chapter nine
Kakashi stood calmly in front of Hiruzen in his ANBU uniform with his little follower a step behind him on his right and Kakashi suppressed a sigh as he could feel Tenzo's eyes trained on him. The search was done but now he was stuck with the wood using ten year old who switched sides after an argument Kakashi witnessed between Danzo and Hiruzen and Kakashi was charged with looking after Tenzo in his team, ANBU and being a normal kid which he was far from at this age.
Hiruzen was writing calmly as Kakashi and Tenzo waited to take the paper for Tenzo so he was official and all of that when his door opened and a waft of cold air made him look up and meet the cold eyes of Kalila who had blue rings under her eyes and looking exhausted.
"Report Kalila." Hiruzen asked calmly, sitting back in his chair as Kakashi moved over to the side with Tenzo close behind as flakes of snow fell off of Kalila.
"There is no trace or any other lairs of Orochimaru's out there Hokage-sama, I searched all the way to the boarders and back, it seems like he only had that one lair… Perhaps you should talk to people who knew him better and I can continue the investigation from there." Kalila drawled tiredly as her arms hung at her sides and her posture almost screamed exhaustion and defeat.
"No, that's perfectly fine Kalila. We'll end it here until we come across something. Go home and sleep, keep warm as well, you're not looking to good." Hiruzen expressed and Kakashi snapped out of his musing and put his mask on the side of his head.
"Kalila… Is everything okay?" Kakashi asked, tilting his head slightly with concern. Her frame shifted backwards slightly as she normally did with her movements but it tilted forwards and began to fall forwards, not stopping. Tenzo is the one who reacted, wood shooting out of the ground as her unconscious body leaned against it.
"Kalila-hime!" Hiruzen said with worry as he moved around his desk quickly and felt at her pulse both on her neck and wrist before he took out a thermometer from his draw and placed it in her mouth… She felt colder than she should. "It's barely above zero, no wonder she passed out, not to mention her exhausted state… She must be sick." Hiruzen mused to himself, supporting her small body as the wood retreated to nothing again. Arms wrapped around Kalila as the body was supported away from Hiruzen and Kakashi put her on his back, her ice cold face against his neck to warm her up and he gritted his teeth at how cold it was.
"I'll take her home Hokage-sama if that is okay with you?" Kakashi asked as Hiruzen smiled gently.
"That would be a good idea. Take Tenzo-kun with you and return once she's woken up and feeling a little bit better. Dismissed." Hiruzen said as Kakashi nodded and placed his mask back on his head properly before turning around and walking out, Tenzo following close behind.
"I… appreciate this Kakashi-san." Kalila said softly, moving her head away from his neck slightly as she needed to speak, eyes still drooping tiredly.
"Hime, how many times have I asked to be just Kakashi? Besides, I'm the only one apart from the Hokage who knows where you live." Kakashi said, focusing chakra so he could land on the next branch safely and he felt her cold face press back into his warmth and possibly a slight smile.
"Ne Senpai, is this one of your important people?" Tenzo asked, watching with interest behind his cat mask and Kakashi couldn't help but let a little chuckle out.
"Yes Tenzo, she is." Kakashi replied as he kept his head facing what was coming up as a slight smile touched his lips, landing down in the snow covered field as they ran through it towards her little house. Tenzo pushed the door open and let Kakashi through with Kalila sleeping soundly on his back and the door was closed again but it was just as cold inside.
"Tenzo, light a fire in the fire place please." Kakashi asked as he moved over to where her bed was and put her down on it gently. He took a quick look around as he took off his mask and noticed it was very much like his own apartment at the moment. He placed the back of his fingers against her cheeks that were cold but still warm with the heat she received from him before he removed her white cloak and pulled the blanket over her and turned the lights on.
"Now what senpai?" Tenzo asked as they hovered by her bed, the place was warming up and Kalila was sleeping peacefully, the rings under her eyes fading slightly.
"Please return to Konoha and go to Ichiraku's, order two miso soups and anything you would like to eat and come back here." Kakashi said, sifting some money out of his pocket and handing it to Tenzo as he took off the kid's mask and set it down by his next to Kalila's bed. "Can't go looking like that." Kakashi said with an eye smile as Tenzo looked up at him with amusement in his eyes before he left without another word… He was slowly learning.
"He's a cute kid." Kalila said softly as Kakashi sat down next to her. "I really appreciate this Kakashi."
"It's no problem. You should go back to sleep and rest." Kakashi said softly and Kalila looked up at the ceiling with many mixed emotions running through her eyes like water then an actual tear did fall from the corner of her eye.
"I can't… I keep remembering. I can't even use my ice style without having a full panic attack which is uncalled for and unusual for me, I've never reacted this badly to emotions before." She said softly, her tone still calm but slightly tense at the way she would end her words.
"Perhaps but you haven't had to deal with the death of a loved one before now." Kakashi said, lying down on the ground next to her, his arm as a pillow tucked under his head.
"It's exactly like how you use to be with your Chidori…" Kalila said as she turned her head to look at him and he was looking down in remembrance, sadness and regret showing in his eye. "I understand you cannot help me with this as our experience is different…"
"What attack was it and what does it remind you of?" Kakashi asked, meeting her eyes once again as she watched him carefully and gritted her teeth.
"Ice style: Ice spear jutsu… I used it without thinking when I tried to save Kushina-sensei but it didn't do anything but wear down all of my chakra so I was useless." Kalila explained, eyelids drooped with the memory as she shivered slightly and gritted her teeth further and clenched her fingers.
"Are you still cold?" Kakashi asked and she looked at him defiantly before Kakashi sat up, clipping off his arm guards and chest guard and sliding in besides Kalila who shifted to the other side of her bed with defiance still in her eyes. Kakashi watched with amusement as he reached one hand against her cheek and she closed her eyes with relief and leaned into it. He used it to lure her closer as she followed the warmth with content on her face and he could pull her against him and her eyes shot open and she glared up at him with little furrowed brows.
"Even though it was a tough time when you used that jutsu, you need to remember why you learned it or tried to use it… It was used to try to protect a loved one when you had no other choice. All jutsu is out there to harm another person to protect our loved ones but it's experiences where it didn't work and had a nasty outcome that we think we'll fail again… I separate all thoughts and emotions from my mission so I can accomplish it and not fail when it comes to my Chidori, it just did the purpose it was invented for on the wrong person." Kakashi sighed sadly as he stared up at the ceiling and froze with wide eyes when he felt a cold weight against his chest and legs tangle themselves around his own and carefully looked down to see Kalila sleeping soundly and cuddled as close as she could next to him, sapping his heat away.
"Um… Kalila?" Kakashi called, shaking her shoulders gently but she just hummed and squirmed closer to him and Kakashi jumped with a gasp as her hand snaked its way up and cradled his neck and Kakashi sighed, relaxing as much as he could… He didn't want to just push her away since she wasn't feeling well and if her temperature drops, she could literally freeze to death but he wasn't comfortable in this position either. He wondered how much longer Tenzo would be so he could wake her up with the smell of food, it always worked with Kushina…
There was nothing else interesting to look at around her house and he had nothing on his mind either so he decided to watch Kalila in case her condition worsened. He was surprised to see her cheeks slightly flushed but she didn't have a temperature or was hotter than usual for her but it was nice seeing her with a natural skin colour for once and not looking like a dead zombie who had walked out of a freezer and then had make up done so she seemed alive. Her body was so relaxed against his it looked like the first proper sleep she was getting for a while… He knew he himself hadn't been sleeping properly since his first jonin mission, perhaps even before that and it just went downhill from there with his losses but the dream had changed since their little skirmish with Danzo.
Instead of his hand through Rin's chest… Recently it had turned into Kalila but he knew it was his mind's stress that he could loose the last piece to his past, which was Kalila. Even though they never knew each other before the death of their Senseis, they could relate to each other strangely easily, Kalila was simple and spoke her mind and so was he but he bottled up his emotions while she didn't experience intense emotions. His right hand would wake up numb and ice cold like he really did plunge it through Kalila and a few times he wondered if he was sleeping differently, turning his hand numb and subconsciously making his mind think of Kalila, therefore mix with his nightmares about killing Rin?
"I'm back senpai, how is Kalila-san doing?" Tenzo asked by the door as he removed his shoes and cloak before walking into the kitchen and putting the food down.
"Ah, she's been sleeping soundly since just after you left. What took so long?" Kakashi asked, turning his head to watch the kid pulling out the takeout boxes from a bag on the counter in the kitchen.
"Ichiraku's was packed and then there was a snow storm before I left the restaurant and I decided since I didn't know the route back very well I waited it out. It was the more logical thing to do." Tenzo said as he walked over with the takeout boxes and chopsticks, sitting next to the bed and waited expectantly.
"Hime, time to wake up." Kakashi called firmly as he shifted his body and shook her awake gently by her shoulders. Dazed but rested eyes opened slowly as she nudged his chest slightly for more warmth and she looked up at Kakashi and then Tenzo, registering in her eyes where she was as she sat up and wiped her tired eyes but they had a spark back to them and her skin wasn't so cold anymore.
"I apologise for falling asleep Kakashi-san, especially on you, I hope I didn't make you too uncomfortable or cold?" Kalila asked down at him and Kakashi eye smiled as he threw the blanket from his warmth around her shoulders and she sighed silently with the contact of warmth.
"It was fine once I got use to it but it was worth it to see you get better so quickly. Tenzo brought us food." Kakashi said as Tenzo handed him the box and he sat it carefully on Kalila's lap and he took his own.
"It was thoughtful and brave of you to face this snow storm for us Tenzo-kun." Kalila said with a small smile of gratitude and Tenzo stared at her with something close to awe and Kakashi smiled under his mask, taking the chance to slip his mask down and down his food, it was all gone by the time they tucked into their own food and noticed Kakashi still sitting there.
"I'll never know how it is humanly possible to eat so fast senpai." Tenzo expressed with amusement as Kalila held up his empty box and looked into it with confusion. Kalila gave up and turned back to her food with Kakashi noticing it wasn't steaming anymore but Tenzo's still was and he scowled slightly. Kakashi sat quietly, looking around her house again as he rubbed at his left side… It was burning up annoyingly as the skin warmed up again and Kalila noticed and stared at him with slight worry before she reached over and ran her hand just above his clothed skin he was scratching at as the burn calmed down and returned to the same temperature he was and Kakashi looked at Kalila questioningly.
"Kushina and Minato use to complain about the after effects of cuddling with me or when they had fevers so I learned to do that, it's just a little bit of my chakra sitting just under your top layer of skin cells and it cools it down until it reaches the same temperature as your body. Again I apologise." Kalila said, her head ducking slightly as she had the blanket over her head like a hood and Kakashi eye smiled.
"It was no problem Kalila. Rest up so after this storm we can go and see the Hokage. He looked like he wanted to talk to all of us further." Kakashi said, taking their empty boxes from them and went to run a luke warm bath for her as she instructed when she heard the running water as she laid down, closing her eyes as she got a little more rest from being exhausted from her mission.
The silence in the little house was comfortable for all of them surprisingly as Kakashi and Tenzo sat quietly in the main part while Kalila was in the bathroom getting cleaned up and refreshed to go back to see the Hokage. Kalila came out of the bathroom in her regular white kimono looking refreshed and a lot better than she did walking into Hiruzen's office that morning as her skin had more of a colour to it as well as a slight glow as she brushed out her white waist length hair.
"Shall we go?" Kalila asked as she threw her hairbrush back into the bathroom and headed over to the door, sitting down to put her shoes on before she pulled her white cloak around her shoulders, Kakashi and Tenzo following. The walked out into the cold calmly as they made their way back through the grassy lands, the forest and then the rest of the village, children running around in the cold day, having snowball fights.
There was a shout and then Kakashi's head jerked forwards as snow fell from the back of his head and everything seemed to still completely and go eerily quiet as Kakashi turned around and looked at the children who all were in varying states of worry and seemed like they were about to cry.
"I'm really sorry Shinobi-san, the snowball was mean for my friend but she ducked and it hit you and I'm so sorry." The little girl cried out as some tears fell down her face. Kalila watched with sympathy and wondered how Kakashi would react to this when she got an idea, holding her hand out as a snowball formed in her hand, she jumped back and threw the snowball as it hit Kakashi on the back of his head and this time he turned around faster, a hand to his head to see Kalila still in the air and in the throwing position as she landed.
Kakashi couldn't believe what just happened as he rubbed the snow from his hair and noticed Kalila's eyes were sharp yet they looked playful like a cats and Kakashi deemed this a challenge, bending down and gathering snow into a ball. He packed it tight as Kalila stood calmly, waiting for it challengingly as he threw it at her with shinobi speed but she just ducked down and the snowball hit Tenzo dead on in the face and fell… The kid wasn't impressed.
"SHINOBI SNOWBALL FIGHT!" The kids called with laughter as Kalila charged first, forming two snow balls with her kekkei genkai and simultaneously threw one at Kakashi and Tenzo as they both dodged and gathered their own snow. The kids chose sides out of the three shinobi and soon enough, a full on snowball war was going on.
Everyone was laughing, including Kakashi and Tenzo as Kalila had a smile on her face, which dropped now and again as she got focused into the battle. A rogue snowball was thrown and hit a jonin and Kakashi knew this jonin wasn't the fun loving type as they told the kids to run and they all got dragged to the Hokage's office where they sat outside like naughty children while the jonin explained everything before he walked out but not before telling them to go into the office. They walked in with their heads down, trying not to laugh or smile as they lined up and looked up at the Hokage's harsh and scolding face before it broke into a smile and he laughed hard as the three of them laughed while Kalila had a smile on her face, her eyes full of mirth and humour.
"This is the most amusing thing that has happened all day… Three ANBU level shinobi getting into a snowball fight with a bunch of kids before getting scolded by a jonin." Hiruzen laughed, as there were smiles on all three faces. It was down to business after that as Tenzo was handed his papers and Kakashi was given a mission while Kalila was given time off for the time being and they all went their separate ways for the time being.
