—-10—-
Ever since Kakashi had shown it to her, she wanted to go spend some time at the shrine. She usually meditated in the morning, along with a half hour of light stretching. It prepared her for the day. Since she got to Kakashi's, she had been neglecting her practice and was now feeling the consequences. After telling Sakura where she was going, she headed out.
The afternoon was clear and quiet. The leaves and twigs crunching beneath her feet were the only sounds that punctuated the silence, except for a few birds that could be heard calling off in the distance. She breathed in deep. It smelled like wood and moss and damp earth. It made her smile. She felt at home in this forest. She couldn't say what it was, but it calmed the anxiety in her heart.
When she reached the river, she slipped off her shoes, and stepped into the water. The shock of the cold went straight to her head, clearing away the fog that had begun to envelope her mind. She stood there for several minutes, focusing on the way the water felt against her skin as it passed. It felt good to be rooted to the Earth, with the smooth stones pressing into the soles of her feet. She crouched down near the water and splashed it on her face.
I love you.
Kakashi's voice echoed inside her head, as she patted her face dry with her shirt.
I love you so fucking much, Kyla.
She closed her eyes and tilted her head to the sky, allowing the sun to caress her with it's warmth. He had said it with such conviction. She knew he was drawing it from somewhere deep inside himself. It made her heart pound, just thinking about it. She stepped back onto the bank of the river, and carried her shoes with her until she reached the shrine.
She parted the leaves of the massive tree and stepped inside. Before sitting down, she performed sun salutations to each of the four directions. She sat in front of Buddha, cross-legged. They looked like a reflection of each other. The Buddha statue was almost as big as Kyla was. She glanced at his empty hands, where her necklace used to lay. She felt like she should fill them with something else. She got up to search for something. It wasn't long before she came across some wild violets and ferns. She picked a small bouquet, tied it with a piece of grass, and placed it in Buddha's upturned palms. She kneeled in front of Buddha and completed a series of 7 prostrations before settling in for meditation. She had decided to mediate using mantras. She knew it would be difficult to clear her mind. Mantras at least allowed her to focus on something, instead of trying to focus on nothing. She inhaled deeply through her nose and began to sing. It wasn't long before she entered a meditative state. When she opened her eyes, the sun had started to lower in the sky. She put on her shoes, feeling renewed, and went back to the house.
Kyla grabbed a couple of mochi from the freezer, and went outside to sit on the front stoop. She saw Sano in the distance and called him over.
"Hi," she said, "would you like one?"
She held out the box of light green mochi to him.
"Matcha. My favorite flavor." he said, taking one happily.
She scooted herself over.
"Have a seat."
"How's he doing?" Sano asked, sitting down next to her.
"He's okay. He's asleep right now. The fever has started, but I'm pleased with the way the wound is healing. The poison is definitely being drawn out." she said.
"That's great news."
"Yes. I have a feeling tonight is going to be pivotal. If he can fight out the night, we should be in the clear." she said, taking a bite of her mochi.
"Listen Sano," she began after she finished chewing, "about this morning I.."
"You don't have to explain anything to me," he said, using his hand to brush it aside. "I believe you, even though you looked guilty as hell."
He smiled at her.
"Besides, it's none of my business. I'm not going to judge you either way."
"Thank you," she said. "I just don't want false information to be flying around."
"If you're worried about Naruto, you shouldn't be." Sano said, "He's probably blabbering about it, but the chances that anyone believes him are slim to none."
She felt relieved.
"Kakashi is a pretty big deal around here, right?" she said.
Sano laughed.
"That…is the understatement of the year. I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if he was tapped as the next Hokage. He's a natural genius."
"How well do you know him?" she asked.
"More than most." he said, "but that's not saying too much. People assume they know him, because parts of his past are so public, but no one's heard the story from his own mouth, except for me and the Hokage and probably Iruka. He's largely misunderstood."
Sano reached for another mochi.
"As a kid, he was pretty arrogant and cold, but I don't blame him, he's been through hell and had some serious bouts of depression because of it. A lot of people think he's still the same, but he's not. He's changed a lot. The problem is, is that he's so solitary and aloof sometimes that nobody can tell."
Kyla thought about this for a minute. She wanted to know the past Sano was talking about, but even if she asked him, she didn't know if he would tell her. Besides, she'd rather hear about it from Kakashi himself.
Kyla yawned. The sun was close to setting, filling the sky with hues of orange and pink.
"No one should live in isolation. I'm glad he has you, Sano. And it seems Iruka as well."
"He shuts Iruka out a lot. I know it hurts him; Iruka is a pretty sensitive guy, but I don't think Kakashi does it intentionally. He fears that if he gets close to anyone, he'll lose them. Sadly, it's happened to him too many times. To the point where he feels like he's a curse."
Kyla's heart ached. She didn't know what happened to him, but she was sure it was the reason he left her in the way that he did.
"But… there's something about you." Sano said, shaking a finger at her. "The fact that you're in his house is a miracle. No one has been in there aside from me. Next thing you'll know is you'll be telling me you've seen his face." Sano said, jokingly.
"I have seen his face." Kyla said, matter-of-factly. "I don't allow him to wear his mask."
Sano dropped the remaining half of his mochi on the ground.
"You.. don't allow him… to wear the mask?" Sano slapped his thigh and cracked up.
"If you weren't already married, I'd tell you to unpack your bags and move in, honey. Damn." he hooted.
"That's unbelievable, to the point where I almost don't believe you," he laughed.
She smiled at him.
"It's true."
"Well, shit. I never thought I'd see the day." he said, picking up the mochi and wiping it on his shirt.
"I'd rather face his Chidori than ask him to do something like that. The thought is terrifying. I don't know how you convinced him, but I take my hat off to you, Kyla-sama."
He popped the mochi into his mouth.
It was easy, Kyla thought, in surprise. All I had to do was tell him.
"Speaking of which," she sighed, "I need to wake him up for his medicine. Thanks for keeping me company, Sano." she smiled, putting a hand on his shoulder to hoist herself up.
"Anytime." he said.
When she opened the door to Kakashi's bedroom, she felt a wave of heat greet her. The air was filled with it.
"Kakashi," she said loudly, sitting down on the bed beside him.
She shook him and got no response. She grabbed his palm like she did earlier and pressed into it. He shifted, but still didn't wake up. She opened his eyelid gently with two of her fingers.
Dammit! He's unconscious.
—-
She stuck her head out the doorway.
"Sakura!" she called. "I want you to mash up a block of cold tofu and soak a clean cloth in the liquid. Bring it to me immediately. On your way in, call for Sano."
"Yes, Kyla-san." she said.
She returned five minutes later with Sano trailing in behind her.
"I'm having trouble waking him up. He's in pretty deep."
She wrung out the cloth and placed it on his forehead.
"Once he's up, I'll need you to get behind him, Sano, so that he can lean against you in a sitting position."
Sano nodded in understanding.
"I don't think he's going to be able to swallow these pills, but every dose is critical."
Her mind started to race.
What can I do?
"Sakura, hold this."
Sakura placed her hand on Kakashi's forehead as Kyla ran out of the room. She came back with a glass of water and opened the capsules into it, dissolving the powder that was inside.
"Do you work with chakra, Sano? Would it be possible for you to emit a bit of a spark to his chest, to jolt him awake? He's not conscious."
Sano gave her a worried look and she shot one right back that said Focus.
"Y-Yes, I can do that."
Kyla grabbed the cloth off his forehead, and put it into the bowl to soak again.
Sano kneeled beside the bed, built up chakra into his palm, and pressed it against Kakashi's chest. His body convulsed from the shock of it. He opened his eyes.
"Quickly!" Kyla said. "Help me prop him up."
Kyla and Sakura pulled him forward by his arms, while Sano got behind him.
"Kyla." Kakashi said weakly. "You're… so… far away."
"I know sweetheart," she said. "I need you to drink this. It's imperative that you keep it down. It's going to taste terrible, but meditate through it."
She handed him the glass. He moved his arm to drink it, but then put it back down. It looked as if he was struggling with the weight of the glass. His head bobbed.
"Stay with me, Kakashi!"
She lifted his head with her hand. He opened his eyes and looked at her.
"Kyla," he smiled, as if he just noticed her. He looked drunk.
"Okay," she said, addressing Sakura and Sano, trying to keep her composure. "We need to pour this into his mouth. I'll keep control of his head, if you can pour it in small increments, Sakura. Sano, make sure his back is kept straight."
"Ok." Sakura and Sano said at the same time.
Kyla straddled Kakashi, so she was facing him, and took his head in both of her hands. She tilted it back slightly.
"Open your mouth, Kakashi," she said.
He did, but not very wide. Sakura poured it into his mouth. Some of it leaked out onto his chin and dripped down his chest. Kyla shut his mouth with her hand.
"Swallow." she said.
He did, but he gagged, causing his body to convulse. Kyla pressed her palm against his mouth tightly.
"It's terrible, I know. But keep it down. You've only got two more sips."
They repeated the process two more times. He managed to keep it all down. Kyla got off of him.
"Sakura, change his dressing. Use the same formula for the poultice as before."
Sakura left the room immediately.
Kyla wrung out the tofu soaked cloth and placed it on the back of his neck, before getting up and climbing the steps to her things. She came back with a vial of peppermint oil.
"Scootch back a bit Sano, but keep your hands pressed against his back so he doesn't fall."
She tilted the vial into her hand and dabbed the spot with finger. She touched various spots on his spine, adding new oil every time. When she was finished with his spine, she touched his temples, his third eye, and the seven major chakra pools.
She undid the bandage around his wound, just as Sakura was returning. Kyla kneeled on the floor so Sakura could occupy her space and get to work. When she pressed the disinfectant against the wound, Kakashi's eyes shot open and he gasped with pain, before falling unconscious again.
"Support his head with one of your hands, Sano, or he's going to hurt his neck."
He did as he was told.
When Sakura was finished, Kyla instructed them to lay him back down, and position him on his side in the middle of the bed. She covered him with a blanket, up to his waist.
"The peppermint oil is going to make him sweat profusely. It will eliminate the remaining poison. I can't take my eyes off of him for a second. Be on stand by, incase I need you again," she told the two of them.
"Sano, stay close."
They both nodded.
Sakura left the room, but Sano lingered in the doorway. He was worried about losing his best friend, and what that would mean for the future of the Leaf Village.
Kyla lit a stick of mugwort and sage, smudging the smoke around his body and throughout the room, before letting it burn freely in an abalone shell.
"Sano," her voice cracked. "Will you get me a glass of water?" she asked, softly.
He left the room and came back a few seconds later. When he handed her the glass, he saw that tears were rolling down her cheeks. He put a hand on her shoulder to comfort her, and then turned to leave without saying a word. He sensed that she was evoking something powerful. Energy in the room had shifted. When he went to close the door behind him, he heard her start to sing softly. With one final glance, he saw Kyla pulling Kakashi's hand into her lap, before closing the door.