Kakashi and Itachi stood at a training ground as they sized the other up. It had been a gruling day where Kakashi had pushed the boy to his limits, both physically and mentally. It was rare that kakashi went out of his way to train the boy, small words of passing wisdom and beating wayward men of Fugaku's was more Kakashi's style. It had been important though to fully break the boy before approaching this particular topic. Kakashi's unofficial mentorship had resulted in identifying Itachi's main weakness, one that was bound to get the boy killed quite quickly if things continued. If Kakashi was to breach the topic he needed Itachi at his worst, at his most desperate. For he had learned that Itachi's greatest fault to date was that he took what said mentor taught far too seriously.
The boy was panting and clearly in pain but he stood tall as he spat blood onto the ground. "I won't be scum, and I won't be less than scum. But if I have to choose I will be scum," argued the boy.
Kakashi had tried to convey the importance of protecting ones teammates even if you had to abandon the mission. He had tried to prevent the loss of life and spare Itachi from as much death as possible. The mission was important and the primary objective and anyone who would abandon their village to downfall as scum, but anyone who would abandon their comrades in arms were far worse. He was proud of Itachi's internalization of the matter but concerned about the execution.
Kakashi sighed, "You cannot keep throwing yourself in front of your teammates when they cannot block an attack. You are going to get yourself killed."
Therein lied the problem.
It had been a moment of pride and horror when Kakashi had broken into the Hokage quarters and realized just how self-less Itachi was being on his missions. When the boy had made such a drastic turn from his father's teachings Kakashi was not sure how to take it. Fugaku had undoubtedly carved and molded his son to be his carbon copy. To hear that such a young boy had taken such a dramatic mental leap from that selfish way of thinking was enlightening as well as a bit scary. It could have repercussions throughout time if Itachi continued to change his clan but those were all unknowns. What he did know was that if this continued Fukagu would be knocking on his door late at night with the body of his dead son in his hands.
He did not know how to convey the importance of this because Kakshi still struggled with self value himself. He never wanted to see a dead comrade again so he only took solo missions that he would likely not come back from as a form of self punishment and to prevent someone else with more worth from dying. With that thought every dead friend flashed the face of Obito and Rin in his mind. Them bleeding and broken because he was not strong enough. He had not been a good teammate, he had been worse than scum. Kakashi could not focus on that now though, he needed to make sure this brat survived to the end of the year. "What happens if you die Itachi?"
The boys upper lip stiffened once he realizes the fight was over. Kakashi was done chasing his across the village and honing his skill. Now it was the mental training Kakashi was more known for, "My teammates will live and they can complete the mission."
Kakashi shook his head, "And your mother? How important do you think the mission is to her when the Hokage comes to her house with questions about how she would like your body destroyed?"
Itachi's eyes flickered to the side briefly but he remained firm. Instead he focused on evening his breathing and permitting his mind to clear. Itachi knew Kakashi was a master stagiest and was teaching him something important. This was not a simple 'do not get yourself killed on missions' lecture other people may get. Eventually he started again "My father-"
"-Is not apart of this. You will become your own man and must make your own decisions. Do not try to argue his points when I know how much you hate his methods and philosophies." This time Kakashi left no room for false arguments. This would not become a debate on Fugaku's role as a clan leader or duty. Kakashi was ready to fuck everything related to duty if it meant another kid was sacrificed. Progeny or not Itachi was a child and should not be in the front lines of war.
Eventually Itachi looked back at him and sighed in what could only be described as complete defeat, "I don't know how else to do it."
The fatigue that overwhelmed the pre-teen's body was palpable.
Kakashi caught himself blinking as the vulnerability came through. After a few more seconds he asked his question, "Do what?"
The smaller hands that were slowly becoming more muscular clenched. They did not release when Itachi stated, "Protect her. She wants to be a ninja and she is going to get hurt. I keep seeing her on mission ever since she was attacked."
The pit of Kakashi's stomach immediately dropped as he heard all the words come together. It was as if they were a mess and jumbled, he needed to put them together but when he did the picture was to awful for him to comprehend. It was only because of him now knowing the connection of Itachi and Sakura that he knew what child Itachi was speaking of. He could not form the words to ask more though, his heart had literally stopped.
Itachi continued, "I let the Hokage know but I was so tired from my mission, I could barely protect her and they could have killed her. They would have killed her."
Kakashi's mind continued to real. Someone had attacked his daughter and Itachi had defended her. He had been having nightmares and flashbacks about it since and was protecting everyone as if it was her. He should have been concerned for the attachment the Uchiha heir had to his pink haired little bookworm but all he could feel was gratitude. Gratitude for the boy who was there for what Kakashi was to chicken shit to do it himself.
Kakashi closed his one uncovered eye and permitted himself to breathe, "This girl, she is safe?"
Itachi nodded his head in confirmation.
After a deep breathe where he concealed his worry from the boy who knew nothing of his internal stress Kakashi manipulated the situation to his advantage. "Then why the fuck are you putting yourself in an asinine level of needless danger again? You think someone else will protect her like that if you are dead? Stop being reckless and be smart. Change the circumstances to your advantage and make sure that you are around to protect the people you care about. Do not let anyone get in your way and find a better way to protect people, to protect her."
Kakashi watched the eyes of the maturing boy widen. In an instant Itachi's eyes had hardened again and he turned on his heels. It was a slow walk that was full of awareness and wonder on how to apply Kakashi's words to his life. After a few steps Itachi turned back around and made a very determined statement, "I don't like her…she is just…well, she is a brat but she is my brat."
Kakashi felt the denial rolling off the child like water. Pakuun had been right and Itachi had developed feelings for his pink haired little spawn. And trust his kid to somehow be targeted by enemy ninja. Kakashi did not comment or challenge the Uchiha heir though because his own revelations were too much. He could not properly mentor the boy in this moment. Kakashi was to caught up in the revelation of losing something he never knew he wanted to pay much attention to where Itachi went the rest of the night.
Fuck this, he needed to go home and check on his plant.
Itachi and his team quickly dispatched another Snow ninja as they came towards the room where the mission would either fail or succeed. He had been impressed by the female ninja's strength and wit at this point. She had been clever in her rouse and response to the situation. To take on twenty or so ninja without the use of chakra would be more than difficult though. While they each had a part to play that could cost their lives Itachi found himself both fearful for this woman and expectantly waiting to see her on the other side. It was an odd response to say the least. There was also something about her that was familiar that also had him questioning this visceral need to make sure she was safe.
At first he thought her to be one of his past lovers but dismissed it. He could think of none that carried themselves with Cat's confidence. Her gracefulness was impressive and had him wondering how she had developed such movement. He wished he could gather what she looked like. At this point he doubted that her hair was even the original black they all believed it to be now that he knew she could morph the basic aspects of her physical appearance.
Without a word to his team they moved to the door and pushed it open slightly. When no response was given and no alarm sounded they moved forward more. With their own speed they moved quickly and saw what lay before them. Ninja's were scattered everywhere and blood splatters covered the walls. In the middle was Memori but with dirty blonde hair. She was covered in cuts, panting with overwhelming fatigue and it seemed she had bruises already forming on her shoulders. Her puffy clothing was wrapped with a tie behind her as she remained in an undershirt and leggings. Breathing heavily she continued to wrap her thigh in medical gauze, "Most are just unconscious, not dead. I will keep the area clear. You have 10 minutes max before I need to leave due to the poison in the kunia. I will need to be off the radius of the suppression jutsu to counter it. If I am unconscious you will need to carry me out and wake me by any means necessary in order to heal myself. If I have the poison longer than 14 minutes you will not be able to resuscitate me."
Weasel nodded, he would make it ten minutes. "If we are separated, we will meet at the cattle ranch. Third stall."
And with that, they were gone.
Itachi had to trust that this new member could read her body well even without the aid of her chakra to tell her what to do. He would do his best to follow her time frame and get everyone home to safety. Without her part in this he had no doubt they would have half the village on them by now. He charged through the maze of corridors and separated from his team to reduce casualties. They knew where the target was being held but not where the guards were stationed. As the casters of the group him and Monkey were targeting any passersby while Horse went straight for the target. He had placed the majority of the men in a genkai when he felt the fluctuating flare of his comrades chakra. Something was amiss and Horse was in crisis. Rounding on his current mission he sprinted towards his longtime friend.
When he arrived at the cell he realized what had passed. The prisoner was cast in a jutsu and four guards had been stationed in the room. All were attacking him, the prisoner clearly seeing something that was not true. How this was possible was a mystery as the target as believed to be resistant to jutsu's designed to trick the mind. How had they overcome this? Was there faulty information provided to them by their spies? Itachi dispelled the jutsu and the man stopped only to crumble onto the ground in a heap of sobs. He urinated on himself almost immediately and Itachi saw the spasms through the man's entire frame. Clearly they had done something to force the illusion.
His team remained strong though and Horse fought the remaining men now that he was not restricted to less lethal measures. He was smart about his tactics though and limited his jutsu's to that of wind country to help reduce suspicion. Cat had been wise to shift the blame for this mission. It would give them enough time to uproot Danzo and repair any misunderstandings with Sand.
As Itachi grabbed for the prisoner he felt rather than saw a kunai head for the crumpled figure. Itachi's arms were full and he was unable to dodge properly in this small space without putting Horse or the target at risk. Instead he turned his body hoping beyond hope their healer was still breathing. The kunai sliced into him with a defining pain. He could tell from the muscle movement that it was serrated and shredding flesh with each movement. Biting his lip as it seemed to burrow Weasel lifted the man onto his back and moved out of the room with a newfound speed.
Horse was on his feet, feet that were tripping as he realized all feeling in the back left portion of his ride side was fading quickly. Whatever added poison they had used was nothing normal and designed to paralyze. He wondered if it was designed to reach his heart as well or just nerve damage. Thinking as quickly as possible he all but launched the now unconscious man onto Horse and grabbed his friends arm, knowing any more time and he would have dropped him. It was hard enough keeping up a grip of any kind let alone stabilizing his weight on the other shoulder.
With a grunt Horse hefted him higher and kicked open the side door. They were met by Monkey who had put a few more guards to sleep in an effort to keep the bloodshed down. It was best to not have that be to much more. At this point Itachi could only focus on one step in front of the other, his breathing becoming more difficult with each step.
With one last door and twist through a hallway they reached the main entrance where Cat waited. This time she was blocking the door with a desk she had pulled from the side and panting heavily. Her blonde hair was still matted but he could have sworn he saw a dash of red in it that was not blood. In fact it almost looked pink.
Shaking his head and blaming his wounds he gestured to the entire team, "We must scatter. They had additional men in the cell and all are wounded in some way. Mekubi, keep your cover if possible in leaving. Attempt through the vent."
She frowned as she clutched her heart, "But the team…"
Itachi shook his head. He would not sacrifice his teammates any more to keep their Leaf identity a secret. He had worked with Kakashi long enough to know that he was okay with being scum, but he would never be less than scum. He would protect his comrades more than anything. Internally his eyes grew in power, though his mask covered up the swirl. He had developed the second stage of sharingon when he was about fifteen and thought Suichi to be dead. It had been a secret well kept among the clan but black fire was what they needed right now. He did not know how well he could control it in this state though and wanted her out of firing range.
Strange that he was still more concerned about her than two of his oldest friends. Who was this woman to him?
He saw her wanting to argue but she bit her tongue. She was not in charge of this mission and the moment they stepped outside of those doors the team's chakra reserves would be back. He clearly had an idea in mind.
With an internal level of frustration she could not identify Sakura cut in with at least a little help. "There are only three out there but they will notice that wound on your back immediately. Do not pull it out until I am there unless you want to permanently lose mobility in your arm."
Itachi nodded as he recognized her skill in assessment and the injury on his shoulder. She was truly a great ninja.
Sakura turned towards the familiar vent and hosted herself up. Grabbing her clothes she pulled them behind her and crawled as quickly as she could.
Itachi watched her leave and he spoke with his team. He knew what they thought and were undoubtedly planning on their own defenses to such an attack. Monkey would body flicker like his life depended on it and Horse would create himself an underground cavern of wood with layers to hopefully prevent damage. Horse would be given the target to make sure Monkey had enough speed.
Monkey moved the desk away and braced himself for a long run. Inhaling deeply they each charged in their respective patterns. Itachi felt the fire light within him and he knew this entire building would be obliterated.
Sakura had barely made it from the building when she saw the flames erupt as if a tube of fire. The heat against her face was blinding and she made sure to send herself healing cells to make sure no burns happened. In complete aww she tried to understand the magnitude of power behind that attack. She had heard of it of course, Kakashi had discussed the second level of sharingon with her as she had healed his eyes after missions. He had never been able to produce the flame but talked about abilities that had manifested in the few people who reached that level. There were rumors in the council of someone having done this but nothing had ever been confirmed. No wonder he had wanted her to run.
Clutching her stomach Sakura remembered her own wounds and the poison in her system. She could not fully heal that now as she needed to maintain her cover and get to the meeting point. The village would be under a ridiculous amount of stress right now and she needed to take advantage of it so she could tend to her teammates uninterrupted. Instead she directed the rest of her energy to maintaining her previous disguise as Megumi and shifting her hair color.
With a deep breath she ran to the shelter once placing her warm clothes back on her. They covered the blood and wounds which was good, the layers providing no indication of the battle she had been in.
Once she reached the shelter Sakura ran to the house manager demanding to know if she was safe and conveying fear. Many others had done the same and she discussed her fear of living in another village out to kill her. Already people were fleeing to the main gates in an attempt to get away and the chaos would at least provide her with a viable escape. They were immediately ordered inside and that the planned execution was stayed, the entire village being on house arrest. She could only surmise it was an attempt to regain control and stop further people from fleeing. Sakura used this time to focus more on her own injuries and poison. She could not dispel it completely but she could direct it to her kidneys, liver and lymph nodes and filter the majority of it.
Pushing herself to the back of the building Sakura crept out the back door and avoided every guard that came her way. She watched as multiple people fled the city in fear, the guards not being able to keep everyone in throughout the pandemonium. She could use this as an alibi, fleeing another war town village after being forced from Sand. She may not be able to use the identity again but it would throw suspicion off of her.
Moving to the stalls Sakura was hoping all the men were present. When she arrived to see a stall keeper in a genjutsu she was surprised at the amount of relief she immediately felt rush her system. In the appropriate stall Monkey rested with his body leaning up against the wooden wall, clothes smoking as if near a flame or immeasurable heat. He looked up to see her but his mask blocked any further ques she could have taken. Almost immediately, like he had been waiting for a friendly face before collapsing, he fell down to the frozen ground.
On instinct she launched herself forward as his fully body weight nearly overwhelmed her. Dropping to her knee she placed him down in a more comfortable position that gave her fully access to his system. Checking his pulse Sakura immediately sensed the exhaustion and realize he must have nearly killed himself with his speed. With her chakra she broke up much of the cortisol in his system and activated his parasympathetic nervous system to assist in getting his body back on track. The most concerning injury were the various muscle tears throughout his legs. In an effort to stay away from the attack he tore through part of his right calf muscle and both thigh muscles. They would need immediately healing if he was to move around on his own. For the next half hour she focused exclusively on the various spots. Sakura managed to heal about two thirds of the injuries when she felt another presence heading directly for their stall. Kunia at the ready she watched as the captain stumbled forward.
Nearly dropping Monkey's leg she was by his side in a heartbeat as she held him up. True to the man she had met along this mission he cared little for his own injuries despite their severity. His eyes had already made contact with Monkey's prone form spread out on the cold ground. She could feel his pulse quicken and the anxiety overcome the pain. Answering his internal questions she stated, "He is tired but no fire caught him. With rest his injuries will be minor but he will not be able to run until I fully heal him."
Weasel nodded and permitted the strong woman to support him fully this time. She carried him with little complaint until placing him with his back up against the stall as a secondary lookout. Almost immediately her hands were checking him and wincing at the shredding on his back. With a frown she stated in a very disappointed manner, "You pulled it out."
Shaking his head he stated, "Enemy ninja did."
Sakura could hear the pain in him and knew the injury would be taking everything out of him. The paralysis was taking further effect based on his slurring. Within moments it would most likely be at his heart with all the blood pumping through his system. He would need all of her chakra just to keep going let alone heal. Making a rash decision and biting her lip she looked in what she could see of his dark eyes through the mask. Standard protocol dictated that unofficial teams can know the identity of others in the group but it was most common for it to only be shared among official teams to keep individuals safe and Anbu status secret. "The statute of Anbu states that you will keep my identity secret. In order to heal this I will need to direct all of my chakra and will most likely pass out afterwards from chakra depletion. If you are to survive this it must happen immediately. I do not have time to find my mask and hood to further conceal my identity."
He looked at her as he registered her statement. She was willing to sacrifice her identity and alias for him. In Anbu very few things were guarded more than ones identity. "I will keep your identity secret and you have my word on that. Though there are many in the village. I may not even know you."
She shook her head in near humor as she ripped part of his shirt off of him in preparation for the procedure, "Given recent circumstances with your clan I highly doubt that."
Before he could respond to her comment her hair, freckles and voice seemed to change instantly. The red tint he saw earlier quickly became clear to him as her small hold on her cell formation must have slipped during her battle. Pink graced his eyes and green eyes met with his mask covered once. The shock that bore down on him was mind numbing and he suddenly realized why she had felt so familiar and why her grace was so palpable.
Cat was Sakura Haruno. His Sakura Haruno.
Within moments she had un-looped her belt and placed it under his mask and between his teeth for what he later learned was to keep him from screaming. She moved forward though and he nearly blacked out with the pain he experienced shortly following that revelation. With one hand she poured a nearby basin of water for one of the animals on him, the chakra infused substance shocked into his body. Briefly he heard her explain his need to be awake to move the process along faster. He took that to mean that normally this was attempted when the patient was sedated. With another burst of pain he nearly bit through the leather in his mouth and could have sworn he heard teeth cracking. To distract him Sakura went into a brief explanation on the procedure. When sleeping or sedated his cells reacted differently and they could not take that risk given his already slow heart. He watched as she pulled black tar like substances through him by the water, having to go through the motion four or five times before the water came out clear.
The sweat across his body was drenching and he felt his whole body want to give in to blackness. He did not though, he remained as conscious as he could as he watched her work. He listened to her mumble apologies and brush his dark hair to the side of his face. She ripped what was left of her shirt and used it to dab the salty substances away. When that was done she moved to hold him, his head falling against her breast with no true ability to hold himself upright in that moment. She cradled him though as she panted as well, her own fatigue taking over.
It was in that instance that he realized just how close to death he had become. He could not comment though as he felt her arm raise to the torn muscle. Her green chakra immediately flowed through him and a sense of almost relief washed over him in direct contrast to what he had just experienced. It was uncomfortable to have his muscles knit together and he knew from his brother's talks that she normally numbed the area first. He felt her energy fluctuate and somehow found it in him to reach up and pull her arm down. She resisted but with her own fatigue it was near impossible against even his swaying strength.
Placing her hand in his own he stated, "You will not survive if you continue. We need you; the village needs you to survive this mission Haruno."
Sakura looked up at him with determination on her face. A small part of him was glad to see that spark in her even in this state. "You are still in danger, the poison is out but if that wound settles I will not be able to repair the scar tissue easily. You could lose permanent mobility."
Itachi took that in as he became beyond grateful for this stubborn little medic before him. He was not ready to retire and he still had men to get out of this village. So he decided to compromise and thank every star available that she had taken on this mission rather than her subordinate. So to her he stated, "Rest, I will wake you in 15 minutes. You will rest though and that is an order. I am able to move enough now that much of the pain from the poison has subsided. You also completed some healing on the wound. We will wait for Horse and the target while you recuperate some strength. We cannot stay much longer but we can give them time."
It was at that moment she realized that neither of the above mentioned were present. She had been so focused on him Sakura had completely forgotten about her other teammates. Steadying her with a hand he stated "Rest, 15 minutes will not destroy me more. You have already saved me from certain death once; permit your body to heal in case you need to do it again."
The small smirk she gave lit him in a way he could not describe. She did not linger there though, as much as he would have loved to squabble with her more it was not the place. Instead he lead her next to their other teammate and positioned her so her head would rest against some compacted hay. Once she was settled Sakura stated, "Fine, but only 15 minutes."
Almost immediately she was unconscious and in a world he hoped that left her at peace. Their journey home would not be easy and that was if they had all their members. Placing his cloak over her form in order to keep her warm he tried to make an impromptu sling for his arm with what was left of his shirt. After a few second he realized the futility of it all due to not being able to reach anything. Instead he slowly made his way to her pack and rummaged around for her mask. He was cold with less clothing on but her identity deserved to be well kept, he would layer himself after she was safe. As he did so he heard a groan from behind him. Turning immediately he looked up as Shisui slowly pushed himself up. Coughing briefly he stated, "So not a ride I want to go on again."
Itachi moved towards his cousin but the man put his hand up, "Give me a minute, I don't think the human body is supposed to move like that."
Itachi ticked his voice in mock condescending manner. There were many things that the ninja did that the human body was not a fan of. In truth he was happy his oldest friend was well enough to speak, "It is your fault, you lingered to long. You are also not supposed to move or walk until healed. Medic's orders."
Eventually Shisui sat up and blinked repeatedly while holding his head. When he finally made eye contact and assessed his surroundings Itachi could see the wheels turning. He looked towards the sleeping figure and then again at his captain. Instead of asking questions the man just slowly grew a smile across his face. Itachi did not need to see it to know it was there. Even from this distance and in an enemy territory it was fucking annoying. Finally the man did everything he had been leading up to. He laughed. It wasn't even a laugh Itachi could punish him for because it was this near giggle that ended as a snicker…like some little school girl turned dirty minded little boy mid event. "Fuck your life man; that is awesome."
Itachi rolled his eyes and rummaged around until he pulled the familiar cat mask. The delicate molding felt comforting in his hands as he remembered seeing her for the first time in the clearing and every interaction since then. He hadn't even bee annoyed when the mission was high jacked by her. From first hearing about Boar's captain on their previous mission he had wanted to work with the woman. When the offer for changed partners had been given he found himself more excited than not. To think that all this time it had been Haruno he had been wanting.
Stupid pink haired brat almost got herself killed trying to save him too.
"You are incorrigible," he stated while turning back around to place the item on her face. The strap went over her head and he heard her mumble briefly. In that moment he recalled carrying her up to her room, also with his cloak on her, when she was just a child. She had spoken in her sleep then too.
With only one arm available to him he went digging through her large packs again in order to find her Anbu mission cloak. It would be rolled tight to prevent anyone from finding it and at the bottom of her case.
Shisui took the moment to laugh again, "I'm just saying, this chick has the best timing. Your childhood rival just helped us ace the mission and probably saved both our asses. And here everyone thought I needed to snag her and ditch my current on and off again girl. You my friend should take this as a message from the gods and marry her while she is unconscious."
Itachi snorted at that. What was the message, take your vitamins or a medic will appear to screw with your life? Finally he found the cloak and looked at his currently living friend, "Do not start something."
Monkey persona came out full force and Itachi remembered why the commanding officers gave him that mask. "Were you or were you not considering having her join our team permanently after just one day on the field with her? I seem to recall you stating to both Horse and I how apt she was and that she fit our dynamics perfectly."
Itachi did not answer that as he fluttered the cloak to find the hood. His eyes remained focused on his task which took more effort with just the one arm.
Shisui smacked the ground to prevent the familiar avoidance from happening, "Were you or were you not developing a more than little crush on Cat?"
He turned immediately, "That is not humorous, she is a subordinate and you cannot develop feelings for someone within a day."
Shisui just laughed again, "Sure you can, but you haven't known her for a day. You have known her since you were kids and slinging mud at each other. And I knew the moment I brought up her wearing male Hyuuga clothing that you were more than a little interested. Don't pretend she has not caught your eye multiple times since being reunited. You would have snapped your own neck with any more force or speed at the idea of her being taken by another. The universe my dear cousin, seems to want you to pay attention to this woman. It does not want to have you push her away again like some petulant child."
Itachi snapped this time and in a way no one would have predicted. Shisui truly thought he was needling his cousin in good humor and Itachi had to much pent up frustration to realize how aggravated by the conversation he really was. But as if lighting had struck them both Itachi hissed out in a venomous manner, "I did not push her, she ran."
The harsh tone had caught his cousin off guard based off of the following silence. Itachi was fine with this as he had been shocked by his own response. In an effort to regain himself Itachi draped the item across her shoulders and tucked her hair behind the hood to remove the last identifiable feature on her. Drawing in a breath he stated calmingly in order to officially clear the air, "I was on a mission, a four month long one and when I returned home I felt the need to see her. When I went to find her I found out she had left the village on a permanent basis. She left to work with Tsunade without a word to me. We may have hated each other half the time but I deserved more than that."
Instead of looking at his cousin Itachi continued to stare down at the slumbering woman. A few seconds passed and Itachi looked up at the one person who knew most of the interaction between them. Looking at him Itachi stated, "She will need to be carried, her exhaustion will put her in danger and that is unacceptable. We will assess injuries as soon as everyone is present."
He knew his cousin and was trying to stage off some perceived insightful comment. In that moment two men came stumbling through the doors and tripping over everything in sight. Horse had a man across his shoulders and was breathing deeply. As soon as they made it to the clearing he dropped the man on the ground as he coughed. "Jutsu infused wooden shelter does not work, even with that many layers".
Monkey tried to move forward but was stopped by the pain in his legs, he grabbed them as if stunned by the hurt he had not felt till attempting to move them. Itachi nodded towards Monkey, "She had not yet finished healing you when I showed." Turning towards his other comrade he listened to the irregular breathing pattern, "You have damage to your lungs."
Horse nodded, "I built enough of them to give us enough time to get away but the smoke still caught us. I covered him with my cloak but I inhaled pretty much everything."
In a totally unprofessional manner that disregarded the seriousness of the situation Monkey whispered, "Guess who Cat is?"
It was purely reactionary when Itachi whipped his cloak into his cousins face. In that sense Sakura truly had the right idea on shutting him up. Standing over the prisoner he stated, "Do we know his injuries?"
Horse, who was staring at the slumbering woman and then back at his two teammates, could not seem to figure out how professional he wanted to be in that moment. Eventually he decided his mission as more important than gossip, "I had to knock him out because he woke up mid run. Whatever they did really screwed him up."
Before Itachi could verbalize a plan Horse turned to his friend mid cough, "Who is she?"
Itachi stood between them instantly to block their visual connection, "She is a member of this team and will likely be the most crucial member from this point forward given our injuries and the state of the target. Assess your immediate pains and injuries so she can focus on them. The moment we are clear we will leave the village and find a more secure location to be. I do not want to be here longer than needed."
Without another word he turned back towards the sleeping woman. In this moment he was happy that men were not given the women's standard half mask so Shisui could not mouth to Yamato the answer. Crouching near her Itachi gently rocked her shoulder back. When he felt her energy stir he stated, "The fifteen minutes have passed."
Her first instinct was to check the weight of her mask on her face. Knowing full well that the captain had looked after her identity in such a manner was comforting beyond words. She pushed herself up as she looked around. Immediately making eye contact with Horse she darted over to him. Her glowing hands were on his chest as she assessed him. Suddenly self-conscious Horse stuttered, "My lungs-"
"Are full of smoke and ash," she countered while gently moving her hands up and down. After a few more seconds she stated, "Normally this could wait but the chakra infused part of it is sticking to your bronchial tubes. I need you to do a very large gulp of air and hold it for 15 seconds. Following this you must release it slowly no matter how hard it is or how badly you want to cough. It will be uncomfortable but not painful."
He listened intently and did as she instructed. As he finally released the breath he felt what seemed like slime climbing through his system and dissipate into black smoke from his mouth. Her hands pumped the same green color but seemed to be drawing runes on his back. Eventually all the air was gone and he took another deep breath in. Smiling he looked towards her, "You are a god send."
She smiled herself, "It would have dissipated on its own but it would have taken a few weeks which we do not have time for."
Turning towards the captain he asked her to assess herself. She looked down at her ow body and stated, "The poison in me is still present but localized to different parts of my body. Given my medical nature my system is naturally healing it. I also have a tolerance to many poisons because of my work with it in the past. I will be fully healed with no added difficulties within 3 hours. My reserves are still low though."
He nodded an indicated towards Monkey, "He will need healing before we leave, then you are to rest further."
She visibly frowned, "Monkey's needs are painful but he can be carried. Yours could jeopardize you entire shinobi career. You need immediate healing."
Inwardly he balked at how she was standing up to him. It seemed her argumentative nature was not just towards his daily identity. With an arm pointed he stated, "We will compromise. Heal him first and any chakra you have to spare will be used on me. I will not have my teammates injured when I at least can move and defend myself."
Her mouth and nose scrunched up in annoyance but she could hardly argue with him. Scooting over to the stationary ninja she resumed her work on his last leg. Not moving her gaze from her position she referenced the target, "Injuries?"
Horse stated a very clear, "Mental." Afterwards he pulled out a kunia as if not sure what to do with his hands.
She nodded as she determined he was also not able to be helped at this time. A few more minutes passed in silence until Monkey stated "Are you dating anyone?"
Immediately her eyes shot up to him in wonderment, "Excuse me?" Her chakra flickered briefly but not enough to impact treatment.
"Not me, I promise. You would run circles around me." In what she could only describe as a playful manner he flippantly stated, "I just have this cousin who is kind of a bastard but could really use someone like you to make him more fun. I think you two are perfect for each other. He has a thing for stubborn medics too."
She heard a kunia drop to the ground behind the noise being followed by a "Goddess be damned, no way," from Horse. She turned to see him standing there still as a board while he processed something beyond her current compression. Turning back towards her patient and secretly hoping the captain would intervene she stated, "I'm good, my family would probably kill him anyways. If you like your cousin I would keep him away from me."
This did not deter him one bit as he pressed her further, "Let's just say he is fine with a good old fashioned fight and is a good ninja on top of it."
She sighed, "If your cousin has a death wish then sure, have him figure out who I am then track down my family and start something. It won't matter though, my father was very clear on who he thinks I should be with."
This caught everyone off guard. As far as they were aware Kakashi did not think anyone was good enough for his daughter. In fact, he had all these standards and beat downs that no one had even begun to match. It had become somewhat of a legend the type of pain he inflicted on people. Before the Uchiha's had just thought him going mad and not able to be contained but now that the connection with Sakura was clear they realized it was only with eligible men within her dating range he attacked. Horse was the one to speak up this time, "Engaged are you?"
She huffed angrily, "No, he up and chose one person who meets his standard like two years ago and won't let it go. He compares everyone to them. It is maddening to the point of turning you gray. I think everyone else is just amusement to him and he likes to keep them guessing."
Cat lightly tapped Monkey's form and swayed slightly as the chakra drain hit her. She still had more to give though and turned towards the captain. Behind her she heard Monkey stand and jump a few times on both of his feet. The captain maintained direct eye contact with her and that is when she realized her mistake. The son-of-a-bitch never had any intention of letting her heal him before they left.
She was immediately caught in a blackout jutsu as she saw the red swirls cast her into a deep sleep. Her last conscious memory was of a man catching her with one arm and holding her to his defined body tightly, as if afraid he would break her.
Firevixen73- So you all motivated me, Itachi learned who she was based on all your outstanding votes that he learn who Cat was first. And how do you like the little twist about Kakashi at the end? I had to re-write it like 4 x to try and convey it correctly. Love you all!
