"Sayuri! Wake up! Can you hear me? Sayuri!" I opened my eyes.
"Why all the fuss?" I asked, laughing weakly.
"How do you feel?" Kamujin asked.
I paused a moment. "Tired." Kamujin laughed.
"That's to be expected. You used too much chakra." I sat up.
"What about Mina? Is she okay?" Kamujin smiled.
"She's fine. You can both go home, if you wish." I nodded, and stood. I headed home with Mina. As soon as my head hit the pillow, I fell asleep.
I awoke a few hours later, aware that someone was in my room. I reach for the kunai on my bedside table slowly, trying to remain unseen in the dark room. Once I had the kunai, I leapt out of bed and held it to the intruder's throat.
"Kakashi, I thought you would have learnt by now. Don't try to sneak up on me, I may not react well." He chuckled, taking the kunai and placing it back on my bedside table.
"You'd never hurt me. Besides, I wanted to know why you were at home. It's not like you." I sighed.
"I used too much chakra today. Mina went on a rampage, and I tried a jutsu I haven't perfected yet. It used more chakra than I expected." Kakashi laughed, and pulled me close.
"That's something Naruto is more likely to do. I'm glad you're okay."
I hugged him, and murmured, "Why are you here?" For a moment he remained silent, and I thought he wouldn't answer.
Finally, he said, "I missed you." He pulled away and sat on my bed, nervous. "I-I want you to move in with me," he finally mumbled. I couldn't believe my ears. "It's okay if you don't want to, I just thought…" I grinned, nodding.
"I'd love to." He sighed with relief, and I laughed. "What, did you really think I'd say no?" He nodded, and I giggled. "Why would I say no? I love you." It was Kakashi's turn to stare. I blushed, and looked down, glad he couldn't see it. He put his fingers under my chin and tilted my head up.
"I love you too," he murmured, kissing me. Eventually, he stood. "It's late, I should go." He vanished before I could say anything. Sighing happily, I fell back against my pillow. Life was looking good. No way would it last.
The next few weeks proved uneventful. I would train with Mina in the morning, helping her to communicate with the demon she shared her body with. In the afternoon, Gaara would teach her about earth style jutsu. After two months in the Hidden Sand village, I decided it was time to go back to the Hidden Leaf village. Travel to the Hidden Leaf village was fast, both of us eager to see people we missed. We made camp in a cave on the first night, sheltering from a sandstorm.
Sitting around a small fire with Mina, I broached the subject of Ren's crush on her. "So," I said, breaking the silence. "How did you like the people of the Hidden Sand village?" Mina laughed.
"Is this your way of asking if I like your brother?"
"I was getting there," I said indignantly. Mina giggled.
"He is pretty cute. Should I have gone on a date with him?" It was my turn to laugh.
"You'll get the chance soon enough. He and his teammates are participating in this year's Chunin exams. You'll get to see him then. Actually, you may get to see him sooner. He's arriving in the Hidden Leaf village early to get in some special training."
Mina giggled, and before I knew it, we were both on the ground, laughing so hard we couldn't breathe. Eventually we sat up, breathless. "We should get some sleep," I finally managed to say. Mina nodded, and I banked our fire. I rolled over, and fell asleep thinking of Kakashi.
We rose early the next morning and made great progress crossing the border into the Land of Fire sooner than expected. I decided we should rest for a day, so we visited Tanzaku Town. While there, we shopped for a while, and trained at a dojo, before spending the night in the hotel. We arrived at the Hidden Leaf village late morning the next day. I checked in with Tsunade, while Mina ran off to tell her family she was home and find her friends.
After checking in, I headed to the training field in search of Kakashi, Naruto and Sakura. However, I changed my mind and decided to walk around the forest outside the village first, and changed direction. Outside the village walls I leapt into a tree, listening to the forest. I hung upside down from a branch, enjoying the view of the sky below my feet. Eventually I resumed my search for my friends, but was unable to find them. Disheartened, I decided to make the best of the day by training Mina that afternoon. After lunch I found her with a group of friends on the training field, practicing. I sat in a nearby tree and watched, unnoticed by Mina and her friends.
"You're poisoning her mind too. Why can't you leave this village in peace?"
I laughed. "Sasuke, the only one whose mind has been poisoned is you. You've let your jealousy and hate consume you." I ducked, his kunai thudding into the tree trunk where my head had been. "Are we really going to do this now?" I sighed. A second kunai burying itself in the tree trunk next to my head was his answer. I sighed, and leapt to the ground.
"Mina!" I called, sounding bored. "Would you mind clearing a space and backing up? Things are going to get messy." Mina looked ready to refuse, but changed her mind when she saw Sasuke. Her friends weren't so eager to move, until Sasuke threw a fistful of shuriken at me.
I deflected them away from Mina and her friends, blocking one with my shoulder. I pulled the shuriken out of my arm and threw it to the ground, furious. "I don't care if you attack me. Frankly, it's getting a little boring. But I do care if you attack innocent bystanders. Especially members of your own village!"
I darted forwards, claws extended. I slashed at him, only to find that he'd gotten behind me. I leapt away, but I wasn't fast enough to avoid his strike. I snarled as blood began to flow from the cut on my back. Hearing gasps, I realised Mina and her friends were still here, watching. I was distracted, and Sasuke hit me again, slashing my chest.
Pissed off, I backed away gathering and focusing my chakra. "Water style, Water Blade jutsu!" Water pooled in my hand, forming a blade. I slashed at Sasuke, who dodged. He wasn't fast enough and the blade sliced his chest, from his left shoulder to the bottom of his rib cage on the right side of his torso. He yelled in pain and I grinned, my bloodlust taking over for a moment. He glared at me, furious, and activated his sharingan. Hurriedly I closed my eyes. He took the chance and leapt at me, knocking me to the ground. I slashed blindly, desperate.
I felt his weight removed from me and scrabbled backwards. Wary, I opened my eyes. Kakashi had Sasuke pinned to a tree by the throat, his feet dangling above the ground. I sat up, catching my breath. "Are you okay?" Mina asked, worried. I nodded. "I'm sorry, I would have helped, but I couldn't keep up," she mumbled. I shook my head.
"No, I'm glad you didn't get involved. Are your friends okay?" Mina nodded, and I sighed with relief. Looking up, I realised Kakashi still had Sasuke by the throat.
"Stop!" I shrieked, limping over to Kakashi. "He can't breathe!" As I watched, Sasuke's face slowly turned purple. I grabbed Kakashi's arm and tried to pull him away. Distracted, he shook me off, and I hit the tree, hard. I fell to the ground, gasping. The wound on my back had torn open further. Kakashi saw what he had done, and dropped Sasuke. He knelt beside me, repeating over and over,
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to, are you okay?"
Catching my breath, I coughed, "I'm alright. Damn, I'm so sick of going to the hospital."
Kakashi chuckled. "But you're so good at it." I smiled, and groaned. Kakashi picked me up, a worried look on his face.
"What about Sasuke?" I mumbled. Kakashi nodded.
"Mina!" he called. "Can I get you and a friend to help Sasuke get to the hospital?" She nodded, and gestured to one of her friends. I watched the sky over head as Kakashi carried me to the hospital, blood loss making me dizzy.
"Not again," Tsunade sighed when she saw Kakashi carrying me into the hospital. "What was it this time?" she asked, just as Sasuke limped into the hospital, supported by Mina and a blonde I didn't know. "Oh, for the love of..!" I giggled at Tsunade's reaction, light-headed.
"Out!" she yelled, shooing Kakashi, Mina and the blonde out the door. "What am I going to do with the two of you?" she exclaimed, exasperated.