Chapter 12
A/N. I'm sorry for a late update, besides my internet connection was bad in this few week i took some times to finally decide to cut the flashback. I plan to put them in separate stories,phew i already arranged the plots, but for now let's back to present ;) Well, as usual, I don't own Naruto, it's belong to Kishimoto.
Kakashi blinked his eyes lazily and stared his ceiling, he got a dream of his past again last night. Their plan about arranged marriage for Naruto's sake that never happened, he failed again, he failed to protect his friend and made her like that. He couldn't save her or Naruto, rather to tell the truth to his student he hid himself away and act as a normal jōnin instructor to him. Nothing wrong with breaking the rule to protect the boy, Kyouna did it too.
Naruto might be forgetting him but it's not wrong to start over, if only he have some of her stubborn side to rebel the council. If only, he rubbed his face. He's a coward, a pathetic coward who always broke his promise and kept running away, he's not a true shinobi like he always wanted to be. He's a trash.
Sighing Kakashi rolled out from his bed, at least he have to finish his work today and then go to visit Kyouna again in hospital, he wished that woman will awake today. He couldn't buy it if she got coma again because she hit her head when they were training a day ago. He will lose her again, like his former teammates and Minato, she was one of his closest childhood friends. Moreover, she shared the same pain with him and even not much, she had her own place in his life, like Gai. Kakashi cringed, no, she had a different role than Gai, no matter what was that, she's also important.
"Okasama!" Kyouna screamed in horror when she saw Keiko stood with a kunai stuck on her chest, right through her heart. She turned to seek another help but she saw the shinshoku and samurai from her group were dead. All of them were died, she was alone. She couldn't protect them, she let her mother died.
"Che, she died." A man who stood behind her mother throw her body to the ground, walked to her and stopped to see the corpse. "So you're survived from our attack. Now, she's dead, you'll follow her little girl." He swung his kunai and dashed to her directions."Die!"
Kyouna shot up from her sleep, she got that nightmare again, that was her worst memory she ever had in life. She felt sick with them because it was too vivid to forget. Of course, who could forget the death of their dearest people, especially their parents. She wiped her sweat and gazed the ceiling in confuse until she realized that a IV was infused to her hand. Hospital? The door slowly sliding open and Kakashi stood there sighing in relief when he saw that girl already opened her eyes and sit on the bed, he decided to step in and greet her. "Ohayo."
Kyouna turned her head and surprised with the owner of the voice. Kakashi stood on the doorway, showing his curving single eye and waived his gloved hand to her. She titled her head towards him and examined the jōnin with narrowed eyes.
"Are you smiling?" She pointed her finger to his masked face. Kakashi laughed, she was act like Kyouna once he knew in his past. That cynical sentence and annoyed look from her eyes she used to teased him.
"You can't see it? Hmm."
"Of course not, you hide it behind your mask." She scowled, her eyebrows furrowed and tapping her chin. "Em..."
"Hatake Kakashi." Kakashi mentioned his name, he just afraid the girl lost her memory again because the hit, Tsunade said they needed to wait for her to wake before finding any damaged with her memory or not, but he just worried.
"Huh?" Kyouna raised an eyebrow at him and rubbed her temple. "What are talking about Bakakashi?" Kakashi sweat dropped, bakakashi was his nickname given by her when they were a kid and gladly used by Obito to tease him. That boy liked that name and frequent used it to call him.
"Are you that genius Kakashi?" Kyouna raised an eyebrow and examined at him in disbelief. "I told you before, don't take yokai lightly. You are baka Kakashi!" She scolded the boy after tended his wound and was in silent for a moment. "Right, you're bakakashi!" Kyouna exclaimed and grinned at him.
He was about to say something before he flinched, that nickname. She called him that, he blinked at the girl, didn't believe in his ears. Kyouna glanced back at him with eyebrows raised at his reaction, her bright blue eyes were sparkling and looked alive. "Kakashi, are you alright?" she snapped her fingers in front of his face. He blinked again.
"Yare yare, you look different Kakashi, weren't you just back from Bird country?" She leaning back. "By the way, what am I doing in hospital?" Kyouna looked around the room in confuse, she didn't remember get sick before. Yesterday she was cleaning the house and-, huh? What did she do then? Her face scrunched.
"Kyouna, y-y-you remember me?" Kakashi stammered still in his disbelief look on his face with his visible eye widened at her.
"What are you talking about, Kakashi. Of course, I remember the stupid masked face with that spiky hair. You're always around me for years." She scratched the back of her head, she was completely blanked with his reactions. That man seemed so surprised.
"What? Do you plan to leave again? For how long? I'll against it if you're planning to go for more than a month." Kyouna crossed her hands and pouted, she had enough with Kakashi's long-term missions. Last time he gone they had so much trouble with some ninja and she always ended up in hospital the next day.
"No, no. I just -" Kakashi didn't continue, he pinch his cheek and grimaced in hurts. He pulled his hitae-ate and revealed his sharingan, but Kyouna still there. Sitting on the bed and glaring at him, that wasn't a genjutsu. She opened her mouth to spat but cut by the door that suddenly slided open, the blonde woman with her assistant come in.
"Sizune?" Kyouna blinked her eyes at the newcomers. "And Tsunade-hime? You're back." She exclaimed in excitement, but both Sizune and Tsunade looked surprised. They shared a look to Kakashi and found his expressions was same as them, he was surprise. Tsunade raised her eyebrows and smiled, so finally the girl was back.
"Ah, Kyouna-hime, we're back." She ushered Kakashi away to check her, Kyouna pouted she felt fine but let the medic nin examined her. Tsunade sighed in satisfy, she seemed fine, physically. "So, Kyouna, let's have a talk. Do you recognize me?" She pointed herself.
"You are Tsunade-hime, one of the legendary sannin." Kyouna nodded.
"And you are?"
"Tokugawa Kyouna."
"Who are they?" Tsunade switched her finger to Kakashi and Sizune behind her.
"She's Sizune, a medical-ninja, your apprentice. And that lazy faced guy is Hatake Kakashi, an ANBU captain." Her answer made the sannin smirked.
"Last questions, how old are you?"
"Twenty." Kyouna titled her head, she was absolutely confused with the questions she gave to her.
A grinned showed on her face when Tsunade faced the others, she believed that Kyouna was back with her previous life memories only to make Kakashi frowned in shock. He did understand what was really happened to the girl now, one thing he didn't understand was why should it happened. Being around her since her awakened just like walked with the time machine, a day ago, she was live in the present, but now, she was threw him to three years ago. She lived in the past.
"See, both of you realizes what's happen to her right? She had her memories from three years ago." Tsunade put a serious look on her face and continued. "She loses her current memories again, but it's fixable. I guess, but if it didn't work, all we need to do is tell her everything. And I know who is the most suitable to tell that." She shifted her gaze to Kakashi.
Kakashi put his palm on his face, quite mentally tired with everything happened to him. He might be always brooding about his past but doesn't mean he liked to repeat the whole stories over again. It's feels the same like when Itachi stabbing him with the sword for three days when he caught in Tsukuyomi. That's killing him.
"Three years? What do you mean?" a small voice heard behind them, Kyouna was stared at them with widened eyes. She looked more surprised than before when she still lost her memories and been told that she had been under the seal for three years. That because last time she wasn't the normal Kyouna like he known, but today, the real woman was awake, and Kakashi knew it's not going to be easy.
Kakashi sit on the side of her bed and felt a little hurt at her reactions when he told everything she lost in last three years minus Naruto's stories, he didn't like it too but nothing could done to change what was done. Right what's done is done, Kakashi decided to let her calm for a while because she looked very shocked.
Kyouna wiped her tears, she was unconsciously crying when she heard the stories. She pulled her lips to force a smile, she felt bitter. After all she still messed everything up, if only she was stronger she won't ended up like this and Naruto will...she snapped. Kyouna suddenly jumped and gripped Kakashi's arm in horror when she finally remember about the boy.
"Naruto. How is he? Where is he? Is he still alive? Is he saved?" She frantically asked the man, Kakashi eye softened. Finally, finally, she remembered about Naruto.
"He's fine, Kyona." Kakashi ruffled her hair and continued. "The good news is, he's now a ninja and he's in my genin team. He saw you when you're still lost your memory, but he didn't remember anything about you."
"Eh? Why?"
"Inoichi-san found a seal in his memory, did you remember when did you put it to him?"
Kyouna's eyes narrowed, seal, she never put any seal to Naruto. All she did remember were she agreed to lent her soul and removed from the memory of one of her dearest people. "That was the deal, but I don't know that they choose Naruto over you."
"What do you mean?"
"The deal was I lent them my soul and agreed to removed from one of my dearest people's memories, I put you in my mind but then suddenly Naruto ran to me and called me. I was worrying him and didn't realize thought about him when I sealed the demon."
Kyouna covered her face with her hands in distress, that what was happened, it's all her fault. "Maybe because of that he chose Naruto as the sacrifice. It's my entire fault. In the end, I put him in danger, I'm a horrible mother. I'm the worst." She started crying again.
Kakashi put his hand on her shoulder and awkwardly pulled her closer to his chest. He didn't know what to say to calm the girl but maybe a hug could make her calm, Kakashi winced when she cried even harder in his arms but he said nothing and unconsciously began running his hand through her black hair. He never been this closed to her before, he might had carry her, hold her hand but wrapped her to his was his first time and Kyouna was too sad to send him a punch for reward.
Few minutes later finally the girl stopped crying, she sniffling and broke out from Kakashi. He examined the girl carefully, afraid that she was hurt because of him. "Are you okay?" He asked Kyouna, she nodded and wiped her tears with the back of her hand.
"Sorry, your flak jacket's wet."
"You have bigger problem, but you worry about my jacket? That's so not you." Kakashi rolled his eye, Kyouna scowled in reply but didn't argue. He was right, she had bigger problem than to worry about his jacket. But she wasn't sure how to fix everything she messed, where should she started? Kyouna rubbed her forehead.
"I don't have any power to undo the seal, besides, I don't know if the seal can be undo or not. It was originally placed by them, their powers were beyond mine."
"When I caught you, I met a pair of samurai who told me what was happen and said that you'll be unconscious for several times. Maybe if you ask them, you will find how to undo the seal."
Kyouna shook her head. "Kariya and Kojima are my demons, I can't summon them without my power."
"Demons? They looked like humans."
"They were samurai who died in betrayal and became a demon. I made a deal with them, if they helped me sealed the demon they'll get my power. Borrowing my power meant borrowed my sould, that's why I was unconscious. Fortunately they weren't the strongest like the dragons so I won't die. But now my power hasn't back yet, I couldn't do anything." Kyouna waived her hand "Now tell me everything about Naruto when I…um, I was sleeping. You took care of him right? Can I meet him?" Her eyes stared at him hopefully.
"Tell you everything? Jeez…it's going to take some times, you know." Kakashi sighed but obeyed her request, he was torn between relief and guilt at this conversation. He sure Kyouna will kill him right away when she found out that he broke his promise to protect the boy.
Naruto walked tiredly with Kiba that afternoon, they were sending to escort a delivery mission of Kachō fūgetsu to Habotangai, where it will be display in an exhibition. A strange teacup that said a very valuable treasure and worth enough to buy a mountain or two. The creator, Shin'emon always put them in danger just to protect his own interests. In the end, the teacup was destroyed, but that damn man simply decided to make another pot before the exhibition, much for Kiba and Naruto's dismay and suffered.
"I really hate that man!" Kiba gritted his teeth remember the world-famous potter who was obsessed with his work. "We should teach him something, at least our gatsuga will clear his brain." He clenched his fist and Akamaru barking in agreement.
"Yeah, he's the worst." Naruto stretched his arms. "However the mission is done, I'm going to celebrate it with ramen Ichiraku. Yosh!"
"You're always eats ramen, no wonder you become idiot."
"Nani?!" He yelled to Kiba, the Inuzuka boy shrugged and walked to Ichiraku's direction. Scowling Naruto started to follow his friend, he was too hungry to argue with him. A large portion of pork miso ramen could be perfect to celebrate the day, although Kiba insult his diet habit that boy came along with him to eat ramen.
"Oy, Naruto. I haven't seen your team had training again." Kiba asked the boy when he gave a slice of his pork to Akamaru, Naruto drank his soup and ordered the second bowl before replied.
"Uh-huh. Sakura was busy with her medical training with Tsunade-baachan, and ero-sennin still haven't back."
"You can't slack off idiot, or you will never get stronger."
"Urusai. I know that, but I don't have any particular training without partner or sensei."
"Where's Kakashi-sensei?"
"I haven't meet him again lately." Naruto dug his second ramen and slurped his noodle. "Last time I met him when we have a boring mission in shrine. He has gone for whole day and I ended up training with shinshoku before he back and abort the mission."
"I overheard something about Kakashi-sensei when Kurenai-sensei talked with Asuma-sensei and Genma-sensei." Kiba stared his bowl tried to remember. "They said he was sent for a personal mission."
"Huh? Personal mission? I haven't heard about that."
"I don't know, I remember Genma-sensei said 'the princess is back he'll get busy'."
"The princess?" Naruto muttered to himself.
"Kyou…na?" Kakashi carefully called the girl who looked like ready to explode, her grip to the blanket gotten harder. She ducked her head and bit her lower lip to suppress her emotions. She was in urge to punch something or someone, but that wasn't because Kakashi's explanations or her anger to him. That because today she got too much information about the result of her hastily action three years ago, that's angered the council and they were set Kakashi apart from Naruto.
They're ignoring her last request, although she already sent her testament to Sandaime and saved a copy in Kakashi's study. She sacrificed herself to protect the village and asked nothing except giving her custody of Naruto to Kakashi, but they still didn't grant it. She should remember that dealing with the council was hard.
"Ugh, Kakashi. Just kill me." She whispered, losen her grip and put a palm on her face. "I don't deserve to survive after all I've done to him. I made his life more miserable."
"Then you knew I made it worse, I broke the promise, I'm not at his side when you're gone."
"That's the council's decisions."
"Oh so, you broke the rules once for saved him. I didn't expect this reaction from you."
"What did you expect then?"
Kakashi shrugged and answered flatly. "You went rage calling me a trash and kill me."
"I won't." Kyouna shook her head. "Because breaking the rules wasn't fit to you, and now I'm not strong enough to kill you."
"Then I won't kill you too."
"Eh? Why? You're an assassin that an easy quest to kill someone." Kakashi chuckled at that, she wasn't pay attentions to his stories except about Naruto.
"I was. As I told you, now I'm a regular jōnin and Naruto's sensei. Beside you wish me to kill my own friend? That's ridiculous, I won't grant that though you begging on me with that teary eyes." Kakashi gave her a half mocked replied, it worked because Kyouna rubbed her swollen eyes with her hands and pouted.
"I'm done crying." Kyouna stopped rubbing her eyes. "It won't change anything. Man…it's suck. In the end, I always be the useless one and ruined everything." She's sighing heavily and back to stare her blanket again in thought until a daisy caught her eyes. Kakashi threwn it there, he knew her enough to realize that she was lost in her thought again.
"Cheer up, you will disappoint the visitors." Kakashi stared the door for a second before he scowled and spat. "Come in you source of chaos." Kyouna followed his gaze and widened her eyes when the door slided open and all the faces she knew appear with broad smile on their faces.
Kurenai, Asuma, Genma, and Gai showed up with a bouquet of flowers and a full basket of fruits on their hand. Kurenai marched in and hugged her friend, she was very glad to see her again. Three years they've been told not to put a high hopes through her, she could be died anytime, but now she's here, alive. Hokage released the news to Genma as her goei shōtai that Kyouna was able to have a visit.
"Well, hello sleeping princess, okaeri." Genma grinned and offered his bouquet to her, Kyouna blinked at them from Kurenai's shoulder before she smiled and nodded to them as Kurenai released her hug.
"Hai. Tadaima."
