Chapter 10 Insane

Ino was a case study in contradictions. For all her bravado and loud chatter, she was a terrified woman. She sat with Sakura overlooking Lake Uchia and worked to get up the guts to say what needed to be said.

"It's about last night," she said. "I sort of remember some of it, and I need to know what happened."

"I don't think much happened, short of some random sleaze kissing you. We stopped him from taking you home, but I think you need to be more careful about who you drink around. You invited Sai to take your virginity, by the way."

"I did what?" Ino's neck snapped around toward Sakura.

"Yeah. Fortunately he's not the type to do that."

"Remember when Ten-ten asked me how I could feel so calloused about men, and I said I'd talk about it when I was ready?"

"Yeah," Sakura said. "Do you need to talk?"

"I can't imagine life without Choji, but I'm scared to death to be with him at the same time."

"Why? He's one of the sweetest guys I know. I don't do sweet, but he's not a bad catch."

"He doesn't know some things about me. I'm afraid he'd be disgusted with me if he knew."

"I doubt it. He has a really big heart."

"Sakura when I was young my uncle did…things to me. It was awful, and I'm afraid if I tell Choji he'll hate me."

"Oh Ino," Sakura said as her friend started to cry. "I'm so sorry. I had no idea."

She wondered if she hadn't been so obsessed with Saskue she might have seen what was going on with her friend.

"Did anyone know?"

"I told Asuma, eventually. He turned my uncle in."

"I remember an uncle dying of pneumonia. Was that him?"

"Yeah, but the pneumonia story was a cover-up. When Ibiki interrogated him, he "accidentally" used too much chakra and killed him. It took him a week to die – horribly."

"Ibiki killed your uncle?"

"It was never proven, but it seems obvious to me, and I'll always love him for it."

"Ino, Choji really loves you. Talk to him. Look, don't try to pick up random guys to fix things. That won't work. You don't want that; you want Choji. Something really bad could have happened last night."

"I know. I'm really glad you guys were there."

"That's what friends are for," Sakura said.

When Choji got home that night he found a not on his door. "Choji, we need to talk. Love, Ino."

His heart jumped. Maybe she was going to remove the one obstacle between them. He had bought an engagement ring a year ago when he realized how much he loved her. He was just waiting for her to be done with the seduction missions. He didn't judge her for her choices, but he couldn't handle the thought of another man putting his hands on his precious, precious Ino.

If he had to wait until she was 40 and her crow's feet and graying hair made her ineligible for those missions, he would do it.

Kakashi woke up to a pounding headache. His body hurt in too many places to count. He hoped Sakura could use some more chakra soon. He had grown spoiled; it was good to have a medic-nin on tap. She had thoughtfully placed a wet rag over his eyes.

He groaned loudly, and a glass of water was placed in his hand.

"Thanks Honey," he said.

"Your welcome, Darling," a deep voice said.

He pulled off the wet rag and squinted against the light.

"Jiryiah? What are you doing here? Turn off that light." He closed his eyes. He hated hangovers, and hangovers after injuries were just adding insult to, well, injury.

He heard the lamp switch and opened his eyes experimentally. Jiryiah tossed him his headband, which he tied over the Sharingan.

He didn't bother with the mask around Jiryiah. There was no point to wearing a mask around a man who'd already seen though most of the other masks he wore on his soul.

"I needed to talk to you about some things. Sakura actually locked the door, unlike a Jounin I know. I had to find an alternate route inside. It's a good thing the chakra traps around here recognized me."

"You know about those? I thought I hid those traps pretty well. My friends just think I don't bother to lock the doors."

"I know better. I felt my chakra being scanned the first time I ever approached your doorway. Impressive."

"I have them keyed to people I want in here. Anyone else would feel a sudden compulsion to go buy yogurt. You only compliment me when you want something. Why are you here?"

Jiryiah grinned. "What, you don't trust your old uncle?"

"I trust you about as far as I can throw you, which isn't very far right now. And you know I never thought of you as an uncle. You're more like a pesky older brother who won't go away and talks way too much."

"Yes, well, your pesky older brother wants to talk then?"

"Now? Can't we do this later? I just got my ass kicked by a human tank, and I almost bled to death last night."

"Yeah, I noticed you looked worse than usual, and that takes some doing. What happened?"

"Naruto heard Sakura talking in her sleep. Apparently I'm so sexy being with me when she's awake isn't enough. He came after me, we were both drunk and I couldn't mold chakra. He's been working out a lot, and he's getting pretty good with physical attacks. That's never been my strong point, and he kicked my ass. I ended up getting my shoulder impaled on a rock."

"How do you feel about that?" Jiryiah asked.

"No. We are not doing that – period. End of discussion."

"We aren't doing what?" Jiryiah had a confused look Kakashi was sure he was faking.

"We're not having a talk about my feelings. You're such a girl, Jiryiah. No, you're like an older version of Naruto, always wanting to talk about friends and feelings. It's not necessary."

"I'm the only one you've talked to about anything serious since Sakumo died, aren't I? You have to let it out, or you'll end up like Anko. She's a bomb just waiting to go off and kill us all."

"I talk to Asuma."

"No, you and Asuma bullshit. Is there anyone you trust?"

"Not really. I just can't; it's not in me."

Jiryiah looked sad. "You don't even trust me after all these years?"

"I trust you as much as anyone. You've seen me without my mask; that should tell you something. I just don't like touchy-feely conversations."

"Emotions aren't a bad thing, Kakashi. They're what make us human. I know you didn't teach your students this crap you're spewing."

"I told them what I thought they needed to hear, and that was positive things to help them. I'm just having a bad day."

"You're having a bad day like I'm bald, boy. You alternately talk about the power of friendship and teamwork and then about being alone and not needing people. I don't think you know what you want."

"I don't see the need to discuss this. I'm 28 years old, that's old enough to figure my own life out, and if not it's probably too late to start worrying about it now."

"I have concerns," Jiryiah said. "I know I'm being nosy, but I practically raised you. I feel that I have a right to take an interest."

"Fine," Kakashi said. "You'll get it out of me eventually anyway. Sometimes I see you with this look that I know means you want to talk about deep things, and I think I'll talk about the weather or chicks or something, and the next thing I know we're talking about something deep like that shit that happened with Akiko."

"What does Akiko have to do with this?"

"Nothing, that just a random situation I wouldn't want to talk about. I was using an example to make a point."

"Or, you've been thinking about her," Jiryiah said.

"Some, but it doesn't hurt so much since Sakura came along."

"You never did tell me what happened between you two."

"Kurenai, of all people told me to stop by her house because she had something she needed to tell me. I just knew she was going to try to seduce me, and then I'd have to let her down gently. I didn't know Asuma very well then, but I've never been the cheating type – too much work.

So she told me she was out drinking with Akiko, who told her she was only dating me so she could get a baby with the White Chakra. I called Kurenai a liar and stormed out. That Kurenai is one classy lady. She never held that against me.

So a couple nights later, Akiko and I were in bed, and I went to get a condom.

She said to me, "you don't need that."

And I said, "I'm not taking any chances. I'm not ready to be a father yet."

I turned around for just a few seconds, and when I turned back she had gotten the condom and was poking a hole in it with a needle. We had a huge fight, and I told her what Kurenai had said. She said it was all true, and that I was a self-obsessed asshole. Only my body and genetic material were worth getting."

"And?" Jiryiah said when he stopped talking. He purposely pushed aside thoughts of using this in his next book. His nephew's pain was off limits.

"And I kicked her out, and she died a week later in battle, and I was glad to be rid of her."

"What does all this have to do with Sakura?" Jiryiah asked.

"Who said it has anything to do with Sakura?"

"When's the last time you thought about Akiko?" Jiryiah asked.

"I don't know. It's been years, why?"

"All of a sudden you start a new relationship with a girl who doesn't seem to be like the usual sluts you get with, and you're thinking about the worst liar you ever dated. You think this is a coincidence?"

"Maybe not. I was worried about Sakura being like Akiko, but I proved to myself she's not."

"How?"

"It was my name she was screaming Saturday and not Saskue's." He wasn't about to explain his "no sex" conversation. He knew Jiryiah wouldn't approve. It had shown him that she was interested in more than one part of him, though.

"The Uchia boy? You were worried about him?"

"Yeah, some." He was lying, but he wanted to turn the conversation somewhere else.

"That's not really what I came to talk about, though," Jiryiah said. "I've been noticing some symptoms of Jounin Psychosis for a while now. It didn't seem that bad, so I didn't interfere. I try not to intrude in your life."

"Like hell you don't," Kakashi said. "Sometimes you still treat me like I'm a teenager who needs a good lecture."

"Well, I interfere a lot less than I'd like to. Sometimes you just seem to go off to this other place, and your face blanks out. Did you know that?"

"It happens. No Jounin is sane; you know that. I'm just thinking. Sometimes I hear voices from the past."

"Sakura's a nice girl, and she doesn't deserve to be here when you lose it and kill her thinking she's a Sound Nin or something."

"I'd never do that."

"It's happened before to a Hyunga, before you were born. Do you still hear Obito's voice in your eye?"

"He gives me good advice," Kakashi said defensively.

"You're telling me an imaginary voice in your eye gives you good advice, and you don't think that's a problem?"

"It's not imaginary, it's a ghost. It started after he died, so it can't have anything to do with Jounin Psychosis. He told me to date Sakura. That's the best advice anyone's ever given me."

"Really, what exactly did he tell you?"

"His exact words were, "If you don't hit that, I know you're gay." Obito was never subtle."

Jiryiah laughed in spite of himself. "No, he never was."

"Ok, so it's weird, but it's nothing that would ever hurt Sakura. She understands what she's getting into."

"Really, did you tell her about the voice in your head?"

"Not yet, but I will, when it's time."

Jiryiah shook his head. "I'm watching out for you, kid. I know you think you're all grown up and don't need anyone, but I'm always here. If it gets to be too much, or you start having random violent thoughts, come find me, ok?"

"I think I can promise you that. I would do anything to avoid hurting the people I love."

That night he found out about Sakura's living situation.

"What do you mean you're sleeping in Naruto's living room? I have a whole apartment here."

"I wasn't invited."

"I wouldn't have thought you'd need an invite. If you want to be formal, I'm inviting you then."

She squealed happily and went to get her things. Kakashi looked around his apartment, savoring the last bits of bachelorhood.

Two weeks later, Sakura came home from work and practically burst in the door in her excitement. Kakashi had been on a mission for days, and he should have gotten home today. She had a nice dinner and a nicer evening planned.

"Hey," she yelled as she came in. "I hope you're hungry."

She didn't hear an answer. "Kakashi, are you here?"

She heard a mumbled answer from the kitchen, and went in, chattering happily as she went. "I have some chicken, and I thought I'd make a stir-fry, and…"

She stopped. He sat at the table with his head face down on the table-top.

"Kakashi, what are you doing?"

He raised his head, and his normal eye was bloodshot. "I'm thinking. What's it look like I'm doing?"

"Why? What's going on?"

"S-rank mission," he said. "Can't talk about it."

"It went bad?" she asked.

"Really bad. I can't say anything else though. Shut up."

"Shut up?" she asked, surprised. He didn't talk to her like that.

"Not you, Obito. He won't stop talking."

"Isn't Obito your friend that died?" She was really confused now.

"Yeah, but he won't shut up. He's freaking out about something that happened on the mission. I thought I could drown him out, but it's not working."

"I think you need to go to bed. Is there anything I can do?"

"Can you stop a ghost from crying? Because I can't."

"Kakashi, I think something's wrong here," she said. "I want to check you out."

"I'm not injured. I just need some time to think."

"Sure, you and the voice in your head."

"Eye," he said. "The voice is in my eye, and it's not a voice; it's a ghost. There's a major difference. That's where he lives now. He's lived there for a long time. He's usually not so loud though."

Sakura was afraid. She had no idea what was happening to Kakashi.

She remembered Jiryiah telling her he was there to help, and decided to ask him a few things. She found him after checking several bathhouses, pubs, and whorehouses.

He was at one of the classier tea-houses, chatting up a waitress, but he lost interest in the server as soon as Sakura said, "I need your help, Jiriah-sama. There's something wrong with Kakashi. I know you're his uncle, and his sister and Gai don't know about us yet. You're the only person I could think of."

"What's wrong?" he asked, but he had a bad feeling he knew. Jounin Psychosis was probably rearing its ugly head. He had a small talent for foreseeing, and he had known Kakashi's crisis would be soon. He had tried to warn Kakashi, but the kid was stubborn.

"He said something went really wrong on a mission and he couldn't talk about it, and then he started talking about Uchia Obito living in his eye. I think he's having an argument with Obito right now."

"Ok, let me settle up here and I'll head over to his place." He hoped it wasn't about to be a full-blown episode, but it had the makings of a long night.

When they got to the apartment, Kakashi was playing with a kunai in the kitchen. He twirled it absently on his finger and stared at it with one bloodshot eye that was usually blue.

His Sharingan leaked tears that crept out from under his headband. Sakura thought it was disturbing to see one eye cry and the other eye tearless.

"Is the Sharingan eye ok?" Jiryiah asked. "It doesn't usually do that."

"Obito's crying," Kakashi said and laughed. It was a high-pitched laugh, and Sakura didn't like the sound of it. He sounded more than a little hysterical. "He always was over-emotional. I keep telling him bad things happen on missions. He won't hear it though.

It was my fault, just like with Obito. I can't believe I failed him like that. I don't deserve to live."

"What was your fault, Kakashi?" Jiryiah asked.

Kakashi shook his head. "S-rank mission. I can't say anything until tomorrow. The mission's still continuing. My part's finished, so I was sent home."

"I don't know what to do," she whispered to Jiryiah.

"Let's get him in bed. He said he can talk about it tomorrow. We'll just have to wait until then. I'll stay here with you two."

"I can handle it," she said. "You don't have to stay. There's just the couch."

"I'm concerned that he might try to hurt you," Jiryiah said. "I think he's having a psychotic episode, and those can be extremely dangerous."

"Tsunade-sama told me about the Jounin Psychosis when we started dating. Do you think this is what's happening?"

"I think it might be happening. I have an idea. Asuma is usually a calming influence."

He turned to Kakashi. "Do you want to talk to Asuma? I'll go get him."

Kakashi met Jiryiah's eyes. "That won't do any good. His ghost can't fit in my eye with Obito."

"Noni?" Jiryiah asked. He had no response to that.

"You'd have to find his ghost first, and I don't know if it's still with the corpse or not. It doesn't matter though, because I don't have any room left in my eye."

Sakura gasped.

"What, Sakura? You have an idea?" Jiryiah asked.

"He was on that mission with Asuma and now he's talking about Asuma's ghost. You don't think Asuma's dead, do you?"

"Kakashi, did something happen to Asuma?" Jiryiah asked.

He groaned and laid his head on his arms, hiding his face from view. "S-class mission. I can't talk about it anymore, seriously."

Sakura helped him into bed. He went without much fuss, and fell asleep quickly.

She went into the kitchen and sat at the table. She picked up the kunai Kakashi had been fiddling with and played with it a bit. She and Jiryiah sat in tired silence.

"He and Asuma were really close. This might have brought him to a breaking point," Jiryiah said. "We'll need to get him to the psych ward tomorrow and have the psych-nins look him over. I've seen these episodes before, and if the person gets through it, they're usually ok until the next one."

"The next one?" Sakura asked. "You mean this will happen again?"

"Yes, it's just part of the massive chakra usage and the constant proximity to death Jounins face. The chakra usage can cause psychotic breaks eventually, but it's different than a usual psychotic break. Some Jounin's have one before they're 30, and then again several times in their lives. It's generally set off by an extremely stressful event. He should be ok with treatment, but it will take awhile. Once they have one break though, they are susceptible to more later in life.

Sometimes you get a situation like Hitachi's or Orochimaru's though. Ninjas don't always come back from a psychotic break."

"You mean he could end up like Itachi or Orochimaru? You can't be serious."

Jiryiah took one of her hands in his own. His massive gnarled hand engulfed her smaller one. "Unfortunately I am serious. Itachi, Orochimaru, and Kakashi have some disturbing similarities. All three of them were Ninjas dedicated to serving their village. Itachi and Orochimaru were very good people when they were younger. All three of them took the idea of duty to an obsession, and none of them knew when to stop.

I don't know why Itachi snapped, but with Orochimaru one of his students died, and he lost it completely. He began to believe that he could find immortality and help Konoha ninjas live forever. It just got worse from there, and eventually he ended up like he was when you knew of him.

All three of them had problems with emotional detachment. I have more hope for Kakashi, because he lets at least a few people in, but it could go completely pear-shaped. If it does, you need to get out before you get hurt."

Sakura leaned into the old Sanin's shoulder and finally let loose the tears she'd been holding back. She hadn't wanted to stress Kakashi any more than he was.

"I can't," she said. "I can't leave him, especially now. How could you even say that?"

He rubbed her back gently. He knew how to calm a woman. "He wouldn't want to hurt you, and if he was in his right mind he'd probably tell you to leave himself. I'm not saying go now; just keep your eyes open. Family is usually the ones who die when a Jounin breaks completely. It would be you, me, Gai, Naruto, and Hurricane who would be in the most danger."

She wiped away the tears. "I won't believe it. I'm sorry Jiryiah-sama, but I don't believe he'd ever hurt us."

She buried her head in his chest and sobbed bitterly. "It's ok, child," he murmured. "I'll protect you, even from your foolish little self. That's what Sanins do."

"What the hell is going on in my kitchen, and why are you cuddling my girlfriend, you lecherous old geezer?"

They looked up to see Kakashi frowning in the kitchen doorway. "Sakura, is there something you need to tell me?" Even when he was speaking to Sakura he had his eye on Jiryiah, and Sakura and Jiryiah could both feel killing intent spreading from him like oil on one of Sai's canvases.

"I was just upset because of what happened. I'm sorry Asuma died, Kakashi. I just needed to cry a bit I guess."

"What are you talking about? Asuma's just fine," Kakashi said.

"You told us he was dead," Sakura said. "Or at least you strongly implied it. You kept talking about S-class missions going wrong and Asuma's ghost not fitting in your eye."

"I came home and went to bed. I haven't seen you since before I left for the mission. It was a B-class escort mission, and it was absolutely boring. No one was even slightly injured.

Then I woke up, went for a piss, and found my uncle holding you in a romantic way. Again, what the hell's going on here?"

Jiryiah hoped things weren't about to get out of hand. "What's going on here is you aren't well. You don't remember what happened in here just an hour or so ago, do you? You're having a Jounin Crisis, and we need to get you to the hospital before it gets worse."

"I don't know what the hell you're talking about. I do know you're holding the most precious thing in my life like you have a right to her. She's my treasure. If you did anything to her I'll kill you."

The killing intent had subsided as they had been talking, but now it flared so strongly Sakura and Jiryiah felt like they were in the mental equivalent of an oven.

Jiryiah patted Sakura on the back, keeping his eyes on Kakashi the whole time. He kept his voice at a low calming tone, but made sure he was still loud enough for Kakashi to hear so that he wouldn't be paranoid.

"Report to Tsunade, Sakura," he said. "Don't come back here until I come get you. Stay at Naruto's tonight if I don't come for you."

She looked back at Kakashi. "I can't leave. He needs me."

Jiryiah's voice became authoritative. "This isn't Kakashi's uncle talking, Sakura. I'm telling you as a Sanin of the village. Make a report to Tsunade. That's a direct order. Go now, ninja."

She fled the house, hoping Jiryiah could hold off Kakashi's temper until Tsunade-sama arrived. Even in his worst state, she hoped Kakashi would recognize Tsunade's authority.

Tsunade took immediate action. She sent Anbu with orders for an all Jounin alert, and she ordered all Anbu – active and inactive – to be on highest alert outside Hatake Kakashi's apartment.

She sent Sakura to Naruto's apartment and told her to stay there until sent for. Tsunade usually tried to carry herself with dignity, especially in stressful situations. She felt that it exerted a sense of authority and calm to those around her. Tonight, though, she kicked off her high heels and ran through the village as fast as she could move.

There were no signs of Anbu around his house, but she knew they were in the shadows, waiting for her orders. Various jounin surrounded his apartment with worried looks. None of them tried to stop her as she approached the house; they knew their place.

She stopped at the door and considered her next move. If she just burst in the door, any negotiations Jiryiah might have had would be forfeit. She had a sudden fear that Kakashi might have already killed Jiryiah. Jiryiah was more than a match for him, but if Kakashi managed to catch someone in his Sharingan, they were a dead man.

She knocked on the door in a friendly I-just-came-to-visit kind of manner. "Kakashi, Sakura came by and she's upset. She said you're not feeling well and she wanted me to come see you."

She didn't get any answer. Please don't let Jiryiah be dead, she thought.

What she saw sent shivers up her back and stopped her at the doorway. Jiryiah was in one of the kitchen chairs. Kakashi was holding him by the collar with one hand, and he held a kunai to the old man's throat with his other hand. The kunai was just an inch from the artery, and both men stared into each other's eyes with intense focus.

Killing intent rolled off of Kakashi, but was noticeably absent from Jiryiah. He spoke to his nephew quietly. "Don't do this. There's other ways, and we can get you help. You know there are people who care about you. It doesn't have to be like this."

Kakashi's back was to Tsunade. She heard him snarl like a dog. When he spoke his voice was full of hate. "Nice try, but I know you're not Jiryiah. I don't know who you are, but you'd better tell me what's going on or I will kill you."

"And how exactly do you know I'm not Jiryiah?" He kept his voice low, and Tsunade heard no fear. She decided to let Jiryiah negotiate. He was good at getting people to do things, and if Kakashi didn't recognize Jiryiah, he might not know her either. Then he would feel surrounded and might do something even more drastic.

She had faith in Jiryiah. The hold Kakashi had wasn't very strong, and the old Sanin probably had a dozen ways to break it - she hoped. He was probably allowing Kakashi to think he had him in check so he could talk to him.

"Your face is wrong," Kakashi said. "It keeps turning into Naruto's face, or Sensei's or Dad's. It's leaking. Who are you?" he shouted.

"It's just Jiryiah. Put down the kunai and let's talk. I want to help you."

Kakashi pressed against the knife against his throat, and a small line of blood leaked under the knife's edge. Jiryiah kicked his feet back, sending the chair backward and his neck away from the knife. He kicked forward, making Kakashi leap back in order to avoid being tripped.

Jiryiah came at him again, and Kakashi jumped out of the way. Kakashi began making furiously fast hand signals, and Tsunade's worst fears for this situation materialized as a Chidori appeared.

He rushed at Jiryiah, who narrowly avoided him. The Chidori passed cleanly through his wall, leaving a gaping hole.

Tsunade needed to get him out of here so the Anbu and Jounins could try to take him, without killing him if possible. She made a move to herd him out of the door, but he outmaneuvered her. She was insulted when she realized he was after Jiryiah instead of her.

He pulled the headband up, and the black specks in his eye started to spin. Jiryiah's face went blank, and he stopped moving. He simply stood there as a Chidori came directly for his heart.

"No!" Tsunade yelled and pushed Jiryiah out of the way, her body tensing for the searing electrical attack she knew was about to end her life.

Kakashi pulled the attack to the right just in time to put another hole in the wall instead of Tsunade's head. The Chidori fizzled, and he blinked in confusion. "Tsunade-sama?"

"Shinobi! Stand at attention!" Tsunade yelled forcefully, hoping his training would take over.

He snapped to attention. "Tsunade-sama, that man wants to kill you!" Kakashi said.

She looked at Jiryiah to see that he was slumped against the wall – completely unconscious. She decided to take a different direction.

"You did a good job subduing him, but we need him alive for interrogation. You need to go to the hospital and see that arm wound tended to."

"What arm wound? I'm fine."

She performed a genjutsu that made him see what she wanted him to see. "Oh, that arm wound. Are you sure I'm not needed?"

"Mission complete, shiobi. Report to the hospital as ordered."

"Hai, Tsunade-sama."

As he turned to leave, she hit him in the back of the head with the flat of her hand, placing just enough chakra in his brain to knock him out without frying his mind. She pulled down the rope from his drapes and tied his hands and legs securely. Then she tied the ropes to each other, effectively keeping him immobile – she hoped. He was a slippery brat when he wanted to be.

She moved to Jiryiah, and did a quick check on his health. She woke him easily.

"Is the kid ok?" he asked.

"Yes, he's fine. He almost got you though."

"Did he? I don't remember anything after he pulled the headband up but red, black, and pain. I can't move," he added. "I don't know what he did, but the brat paralyzed me."

She checked his spine. "He just knocked you out and put a chakra block in the spinal column. Easily taken care of."

She looked at the unconscious ninja. "I need to get him taken care of, but I need to take care of something else important first."

"What's that?" Jiryiah asked.

She sat on the floor by him. "I almost lost you just then. I just wanted you to know, I read your books."

"Books? Plural?"

"Yes, all of them. They're wonderful, and don't you ever quit writing. That's an order from the Hokage."

"You can give me orders anytime," he leered.

She kissed him fully on the mouth. "I intend to."

Kakashi woke up in a dark cell, chained to a hospital bed. He recognized the holding cell of one of Konoha's interrogation rooms. There was an Anbu standing near him, with his sword drawn and ready.

"Did I hurt anyone?" Kakashi asked.

The Anbu said nothing, but Kakashi hadn't expected him to. The Dog Anbu pushed a button and a nurse entered after a few minutes. "Hey, honey, I don't expect you'd let me loose, would you?" He gave her the full Hatake-masked-but-still-cute-as-hell smile.

He knew better, but he wanted to do something, and bothering nurses was fun.

"You know better, Hatake-san. Tsunade-sama left orders to be alerted as soon as you wake up. She'll be around as soon as she can."

When she came in, Sakura was with her, and it made Kakashi cringe to see that she had been crying because of him.

"Hey," she said awkwardly.

"I'm so sorry you got caught up in that," he said.

Tsunade stayed silent and watched the interaction.

"It's alright. No one was hurt and I know you'll be better after you get some medicine and treatment. I love you."

"I love you too, Sakura."

"Do you remember what happened?" Tsunade asked.

"I do, but it's like it happened to someone else. For some reason I thought Asuma was dead and Jiryiah was this monster about to attack the village. I feel ok now, though. What did you do?"

"There are chakra barriers in parts of your brain. They will stay until the anti-psychotics kick in, and then they'll dissolve."

"Anti-psychotics? Don't I have a say in this?" He didn't like other people making decisions for him.

"No," Tsunade said. "You don't. You're a finely tuned weapon, Kakashi. One that almost got turned against its wielder's today. If Jiryiah and I hadn't been there, you would have probably killed a lot of people. We need about 24 hours to make sure everything's going to work properly, and then we can unbind you and let you go home. Report to my office after that for reassignment.

"Reassignment?"

"You obviously can't take high-level missions anymore. Jounin is a lifetime title, but I'm going to find you something less stressful."

She finished explaining his treatment and left.

He was left with Sakura and the Anbu, who remained at attention. He obviously still considered Kakashi a threat.

"Sakura," Kakashi said. "You know I love you, right?"

"Yes, I know," she said.

"Then understand when I say you need to find a new place to live."

"You…you're breaking up with me? Why? What did I do?"

"What did you do? Are you crazy? You didn't do anything. If it had been you instead of Jiryiah in that room today, you wouldn't have been able to escape me. You'd be dead right now. We don't know what's going to happen."

"I see, so you're trying to spare me, is that it?" She crossed her arms and glared at him.

"Yes, I am. What's the problem with that?"

"You think you're really noble, don't you?" Sakura came closer to him. He could feel her anger.

"Um…what?"

"Sweet little Sakura needs to be protected from the big, bad wolf. I'll have you know, I thought this out before we started dating. I know you're bat-shit crazy. I just don't care."

"You could get hurt – or killed."

"I doubt it. When things got bad I went straight for help. That's the difference between you and Itachi and Orochimaru. They didn't have anyone they'd let help them, and you do. Use us as a lifeline if you need to, but don't you dare try to get rid of me out of some misplaced sense of honor. If I do get hurt or killed, it's my choices that lead to that, and I take that chance knowingly."

"You're a treasure, Sakura."

"So you keep telling me."

She smirked. "Sakura, that's an evil smile."

She kissed him just the way he liked until his body responded, needing her. She glanced at his erection and chuckled. "That's to remind you of why you need to get well and come home."

She turned toward the door. "This is what you get for annoying me," she said.

Kakashi realized what she was doing. "Hey, come back here! That's not funny Sakura. You can't start the motor and just leave the engine running. Sakura! Come on. The Anbu guy can turn around! Don't do this."

She peeked back in the door. "That's for treating me like a child. Bye bye sweetie, get well soon." She blew him a kiss and closed the door.

"Ahhh!" He yelled in frustration.

The Anbu snickered. "Oh shut up," Kakashi said.