The news Chiisai brought on their arrival caused immediate action. Though the information was already out of date, it was the only constructive lead they had. Shizune marked down each word spoken from Chiisai, taking careful notes on the location of the hideout the man had been at three months ago. She also recorded everything concerning Kabuto and his special concoctions he sold on the black market to fund their extensive experiments. The list of poisons and drugs Chiisai retrieved from the dreamer could be tracked if they ever came across any.
Lady Tsunade dispatched a team, and who else would lead but Hatake Kakashi. It was a four day mission, and Chiisai had the responsibility of giving him the physical layout of the hideout while in the dream world. With her seeping information into Kakashi's mind, the plan was sure to run smoothly.
And even better, the Iwagakure ambassador left Konoha the day of Chiisai and Kakashi's arrival. The Stone ninja seemed satisfied with the Hokage's terms, putting her at unease. Their sudden change of mood could only mean trouble in the coming weeks, and Tomo's reports from her espionage only supported it.
So the next morning, Kakashi restocked his backpack for yet another journey. Chiisai sat silent on the couch listening to the zips of pockets and the clangs of weapons from the bedroom.
She hadn't told him about Itachi. The identity he portrayed nowadays was nothing of his former self, and confessing to Kakashi that they had sat together like old times wouldn't make sense. And why should she tell Kakashi anyway? Itachi didn't even answer any of her questions, not even the ones about whether or not her powers should be resealed. The only bit of knowledge he bestowed on her concerned consequences derived from her feelings...
If her emotions got out of hand they could bleed into everyone's dreams, subconsciously driving them to act on how she felt. It was possible for her to have minions without even knowing it. And if she wanted minions, well, that could easily be arranged too. Hell, with her abilities, Chiisai could pretty much do whatever she wanted as long as she had her chakra under control.
Just another reason why she was sealed- it was too dangerous, Itachi had said. And considering what happened with her mother…
In some ways, she should thank her parents. Their years of psychological and physical abuse made her appreciate the simplest of kind acts and despise most forms of malice, putting her in the farthest reaches of a villainess persona. It also left her with confidence the size of a grain of rice, which may have more disadvantages than she first thought. Chiisai barely believed in herself nowadays even knowing the good that had come from her abilities, and realizing she defeated her father only left her haunted by his final words…
He had known that she was sealed twice. And he had laughed in her face before taking the information to his grave. She could practically hear him mocking her…Oh, naïve Small Crow. When will you ever learn? You can never trust a ninja, not even the Uchiha pacifist. Wasn't he the one you cherished most as a friend? He's deceived you and sealed away your precious memories. I wonder how long your boyfriend will last before he betrays you as well…
"Your recent depression makes me question whether I should leave so soon."
His voice startled her from the internal battle. Kakashi stood by the bookshelf with bag in hand and worry in his eye. Chiisai turned her face away from him and replied, "I'm not depressed, stupid." Her feet sunk into the cushion as she brought her knees up to her chest. "There's just a lot on my mind."
The backpack slumped to the floor. Kakashi retrieved a book from the shelf and trudged towards her. "This is about yesterday morning…when you woke up."
"Getting into people's heads has that effect on you. You wouldn't understand." It wasn't necessarily the truth, but it wasn't a lie either.
The jonin moved closer, but she flinched away from him. No, she wasn't afraid of him. It was something else, something he couldn't quite place. When Chiisai pulled back as their thighs brushed, he said, "You've been avoiding physical contact since we got back to Konoha. There's obviously something wrong." He didn't admit how hard it was to sleep on the couch without her last night. Apparently giving her space hadn't helped like he thought it would.
Swallowing, she rebuffed, "I'll get over it."
He shook his head, his fingers turning white against the book in hand. Her broodings had turned her into a female Sasuke. "I can't help unless I know what it is, Chiisai." His intense eye barreled through her sternum and straight to her heart. "…I'm waiting," she muttered.
"Waiting." It was a statement and a question, a way to fill up the silence while insisting she continue. With head down, her hair covered her eyes as she admitted solemnly, "I'm waiting for everything to fall apart…I'm sure you've thought the same thing."
Kakashi paused to consider her words. Sighing, the ninja placed the book on the table and leaned back into the couch. "Eh, I can't deny it. The way both of our lives have been it's hard to believe anything good is in store for us." He glanced down at the hair hiding her like a veil. His finger twisted around a strand as Kakashi continued, "For all we know, this could very well end in disaster."
If relationships did end in disaster, maybe love was really a myth. Chiisai stared down at the coffee table where Dreaming of Love rested. The book never ventured far from her line of sight it seemed. It had been with her since the night she was attacked in the alley, which felt like a lifetime ago. Kakashi had gotten her a new one each time the previous novel met some form of demise. But here it still sat like Kakashi and Chiisai, refusing to disappear. It was a book that wouldn't let go of her.
Eyes remaining on the novel, Chiisai said, "I thought it would end terribly in the beginning. When Lady Tsunade assigned this mission I hated the thought of you. I hated how someone like you knew my secret. Whenever I saw you, your nightmares hit me and it was difficult to block out." Shaking her head, she continued, "Every time I looked at you all I saw was pain. And the fact that you were so accommodating to me made it worse." Her voice dropped to a whisper, afraid to hear the words she spoke. "But after that seizure…Before long I wanted you around. You helped me…You helped me a lot."
"You still think it will end that way?"
She nodded, "I'm thinking a 90% chance of disaster. But the 10% is a pretty solid 10%."
Kakashi raised an eyebrow at her estimation. Little hope was better than none. "I've dealt with worse odds," he replied.
Chiisai tilted her head to him, finally making eye contact. "What are you saying?"
Taking her hand, he explained, "The people you come to treasure in this life are the ones you want with you the most. Even if it does end in disaster…"
She tensed at the contact. The touch somehow soothed her mind and erased her discomfort, putting her in the position to cover her feelings. Rolling her eyes, she said, "You're being sappy again."
Kakashi gently squeezed her hand before she could remove it from his. "Don't you think it's the truth?"
She opened her mouth, closed it, and sighed. After a brief moment, the corner of her lips turned up as she found a compromise. "It's a sappy truth."
"…It nice to see you smile." He leaned closer and asked, "Should I say things like that more often?"
"Pfft." She half-teased, "You wouldn't want to ruin your reputation as an aloof shinobi."
"Yes, we can't have that." He patted her hand and added, "Very thoughtful of you."
The depressed mood lessened into a tolerant awkwardness. Chiisai shifted in the seat as the rays of daylight spilled through the window. Finally breaking the silence, she said, "I think I've held you long enough to satisfy your habitual lateness."
"Trying to get rid of me, are you?" Shaking his head, the ninja stood up and said, "I hope you don't mind if I steal one of your books. It's a long way to the hideout."
"Not that one!" She yanked Dreaming of Love out of his hands. Realizing her sudden action, she calmed enough to explain, "I haven't finished it yet."
He glanced down at the romance novel, suspicious of her words. "That's surprising. It's always with you though."
Like he could say anything with him and Icha Icha. Hugging the book to her chest, she replied sternly, "I want to savor the read." She gripped the book like it was a key to her heart. Kakashi glanced over the title again. Pointing at the novel, he said, "Oi, this was the one I suggested…"
Eyes widening, Chiisai dropped the book and braced her palms into his back, shoving him to the exit. "Leave!"
Raising a brow at her change of mood, he went on. "And then I bought it for you again after-"
"Why are you so annoying?" Putting her full force into it, Chiisai managed to push him out the door as she yelled, "Get out!" Her forehead pressed into the wood while catching her breath. She didn't understand why she had so much adrenaline pumping through her.
There was a knock and Kakashi's voice filled her ears. "I forgot something."
Last time he forgot something before a mission… Squeezing her eyes shut, Chiisai replied, "I'll kiss you after the mission's over!"
She could have sworn she heard a smirk on the other side of the door. "Kind gesture," Kakashi said lazily, "but I was talking about my backpack."
"Oh." Raking a hand through her hair, Chiisai opened the door. He strolled in, eyeing her flushed cheeks. Snatching his backpack up, Kakashi turned back to her and said, "Well…If you're going to wait to kiss me then I expect you to be at the main gate when I return." His eye peered down at her expectantly. Rolling her eyes once more, she scoffed, "God, you're bossy."
The woman walked him back to the door as he went on to say, "And don't forget to wash the dishes. I don't want the house to smell like when I got back last time. Your cleaning skills still need improvement."
His sudden snarkiness was almost too much to bear. Hand tightening on the handle, she glared, "I hate you."
Grinning with his eye, Kakashi ruffled Chiisai's hair (sending the strands up with static) and said, "You know you love me." He blinked down at her sudden reaction, assessing the extent of her frozen posture. He hadn't forgotten the night at the festival, and he knew the message had gotten across to her. Slowly, Kakashi bent down and rearranged her unruly bangs. She didn't stop him, and it was likely she didn't have the mindset to notice what he was doing. Brushing his masked lips to her forehead, he whispered, "Bye, Chiisai."
He took a step back while gazing into her shocked eyes. She stared at him, not seeing any emotion within that damned eye of his. He lifted his hand and the movement triggered something within her. Reaching out for him, she said, "Wait, Kaka-"
The smoke cleared, and Kakashi was gone.
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Genma shook his head as the team leader approached. "I shouldn't be surprised. What's your excuse this time?"
Kakashi shrugged and replied, "I saw a sad girl so I held her hand for awhile. Everyone here?"
"Of course everyone's here. We were waiting for you," a quiet voice responded. It was Aburame Muta. Hyuga Tokuma stood beside him, arms crossed with a scold on his face. The two were the prime candidates for infiltration and both had a serious demeanor. They didn't take kindly to jokes or sarcasm, which Genma was well in supply of.
Sighing, Kakashi ordered, "Let's move out."
White powder rose from the ground as the team took off. By the time the snow settled they were already out of sight.
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Tomo sauntered in through the cracked door to find Chiisai sulking on the couch. Her ears flexed but the familiar sounds didn't meet her. The cat asked, "Is he gone already? You all just got back."
"He left this morning." Noticing the disappointment in her voice, Chiisai readjusted and said, "How did you like Shizune's?"
"She's much more hospitable then your pale-haired boyfriend." Hopping up on the back of the couch, Tomo licked her paw before finishing, "And Tonton was surprisingly nice to be around. Her master's travels make me question Lady Hokage's leadership skills."
The book in her hand faltered as Chiisai frowned, "You speak pig?"
The ninneko rolled her eyes. "I know human, so why not? Even Shizune and Lady Tsunade understand her."
"Hmm…I didn't know that." The woman returned to her novel, wishing to escape further conversation. But Tomo didn't notice. After hopping onto Chiisai's stomach, the cat mentioned, "By the way, Tonton wanted me to warn you that her master is having what she calls a "girl's night out" two days from now and she's forcing you to come."
She laid Dreaming of Love on her chest and groaned. Shizune wouldn't take no for an answer, and if Lady Tsunade was coming…
"…I have heard such outings have to do with females being in heat, and they travel in packs as a means of protection." She paused to watch the woman's reaction. "But you already have a mate."
Chiisai's body tensed under Tomo's. Quickly recovering, she muttered, "He's not my mate. He's…I don't know what he is."
Her tail flicked with curiosity. "From what I have seen, he meets all of the qualifications for a human mate. You two act as other mates do in the village."
"It's not that simple." Her fingers sank into Tomo's dark fur as she sat her on the coffee table. "And can you stop saying mate?"
Shaking her head, Tomo sighed, "Things are never simple with you."
Her slippers tapped against the wood while she headed to the kitchen. Chiisai started, "Well, if I have to go you're coming with me."
Licking her chest, the cat responded with false enthusiasm, "Sounds riveting."
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The older man leaned back into his desk and gazed down at the ninja in front of him. "Chiisai has been invaluable to the Leaf. She's helped in ways we will never fully know."
Itachi bowed his head and replied, "Though I agree, I humbly request that you speak with her personally, Lord Third. What she has told me recently has me troubled."
"If what you say is true, then you have every right to be troubled," he nodded worriedly. "Her abilities must be kept under control."
His dark eyes stared at the ground. "Her emotions greatly affect those in the dream world. It's happening more and more," he reported.
Regarding the boy, Hiruzen removed the pipe from his mouth. The Uchiha had taken on too much for someone as young as he, and the Hokage was already regretting the burden he had placed on Itachi's shoulders. "The village is thriving and happy as ever, despite trouble with the police force." Raising an eyebrow, he finished, "Do you believe this is her subconsciously causing it?"
"I do," he nodded.
"And why is that?"
There was a pause, but the truth had to come out eventually. "…Because Chiisai is in love."
"You almost look sad, Itachi. Considering how callous you are it's rather disturbing."
He didn't meet the blue man's eyes but rather stared up at the overcast sky. "You still talk too much."
"Humph." Their feet crunched against the hard snow, the only sound taking up the dull forest. If anyone else were to say that to him he would've shredded him to bits with Samehada. Kisame eyed the back of his comrade and suggested, "You want to stop at the tea shop a couple of kilometers up?"
"I'm not in the mood for tea…" A soft smile formed on his lips as he finished thoughtfully, "…But a cup of milk should do."
END
School has started and I hope everyone had a great break! I kinda lost my way with the story the last few chapters, but I think I got it back now. I'm not really executing this like I would like. Thank you for dealing with me and I'm grateful for the reviews and follows and such! Every little bit helps me greatly!