S a n k o f a
(n.) (phr.) "To go back and fetch it";
we must look back to the past so that we may understand how we became what we are, and move forward to a better future.
The first thing Kakashi felt was a searing pain as his muscles tensed on impulse, aggravating his shattered bones. Every sound entered his brain ten times louder than it should have, adding to his dizziness, and he was suddenly hyper aware of his own stuttering heartbeat and ragged breathing, the chittering of birds, and somebody wheezing in and out beside him.
He didn't dare open his eyes. It would only worsen his headache and alert whoever it was by him that he was awake. He discreetly clenched his teeth, feeling around his mouth with his tongue and tasting copper. His throat felt as if it was filling with thick, sticky honey and snakes and venom and sand all at the same time as he hungrily tried to drink up air while keeping a steady rhythm to his breathing.
Ignoring his injuries for now, he tried to take note of what was happening around him despite it feeling like his brain was replaced with pollen, drawing in bees that stung him every time he tried to think. The next feeling that settled in after the pain, was confusion. Everything felt fuzzy and he couldn't seem to piece together the events that lead up to where he was now. He wasn't even sure of where he was himself. But by the smell of familiar plants and trees, he knew he was in Konoha. That just disgruntled the man even more.
Reluctantly, he opened his right eye only to be blinded by the sun. He quickly shut it again, struggling weakly to prop himself up on his elbows so he wasn't staring directly at the sky. At least the position of the sun told him it was around noon, being straight above him.
When he moved, he distinctly felt the form beside him tense. He did the same, stiffening as he sat up straighter. He winced and a pained groan involuntarily escaped his lips. Grabbing at his head with one hand and propping himself up with the other, he slowly turned towards the other body laid down next to him. His eyes squinting in pain widened slightly at the sight. "Gen...ma?"
Slowly, the identity of the man registered with his sluggish brain. Connecting the dots, he faintly recalled being in combat with Genma, fighting somebody together. But who? His mood had brightened at seeing a familiar face, but quickly became resentful as he cursed his lack of knowledge, and how utterly weak he felt without it. He tried to speak again, but a dry squeaky noise emitted from his throat instead and it scratched at his insides like sandpaper. He let himself collapse onto the ground again, on his side this time and facing his comrade. Genma had his eyes closed.
He tried to speak again, for reassurance this time. He wasn't really sure if it was more for Genma's sake or his own. He wasn't too aware of his own injuries, but Genma had a deep slash running down his left shoulder to his elbow, where some bone had been sticking out in an awkward direction. The rest of him was cut up too, but the all of the more serious wounds were just below his neck. Like somebody has been trying to slice his head clean off. Genma looked small. Vulnerable. It scared him. "S'okay," he decided the reassurance was for Genma, "S'just us here. Clearing. In Konoha. You think a training ground?"
He got a pained groan in response and he watched Genma's knuckles turn white, gripping tightly at handfuls of grass. When he started to tear up the dirt, Kakashi gently snaked an arm toward his friend, taking his hand in his own. Something twisted in his stomach as he watched Genma's tan fingers frantically run across his hand, finding every new and old tear in his skin and chip in his finger nails. It twisted harder when he didn't see the years-old callouses on his hands, but pale, thin fingers instead that spoke of youth. Clearly Genma was not going to identify him through his scars.
"S'me, Kakashi."
Genma shook his head in disbelief, making a small noise as he eased into a sitting position and took a few long, slow blinks to adjust to the light. He stared at Kakashi for a second, who sat quietly next to him. When had he sat up again? Then the silver haired boy watched as Genma's snapped senbon fell out his mouth, which was suddenly wide open. Kakashi tilted his head in a silently question but Genma just continued to gawk at him. "You're alive."
Kakashi hummed dismissively and tried to stand up. They could do this later. Right now they needed to get somewhere safer than a random clearing. When he stumbled, Genma caught him and hugged him awkwardly. "I thought I was the only one left. . ." He croaked out.
Kakashi forced himself to relax in his hold, because he knew he couldn't offer verbal comfort. This was the best he could do. He didn't know what happened to them exactly, but he knew conflict and blood and Genma, so he would cling to that knowledge with all he could.
When Kakashi looked up again, the sun was no longer glaring down at the top of his head. It had shifted behind a cloud and was considerably closer to the west now, telling him it was sometime in the afternoon. He pulled away from his friend and gingerly placed a hand on Genma's shoulder to steady himself as he tried to stand up again. He had tried a couple of times now, failing and falling back into a painful heap on the ground, and he noticed it was not his injuries that were making it hard; it was his height. Or rather what he expected his height to be. For some reason he had shorter limbs and less chakra, and— though it took him a while to register in his delirious state —Genma was the same. It was like they shrunk while they were unconscious, and it was a rather annoying thought. They'd have to readjust to their new sizes before they'd be any use in battle. Kakashi decided to push the thought away, remembering they had possible enemies to worry about. So with a last burst of strength, he stood up straight, pulling Genma up with him. He recovered from his slight shock and was now only suffering from a few scratches and cuts, as well as the gash in his arm. Kakashi was in a similar state, and once they stood up they both found themselves leaning into each other for support.
And so, with one another as their crutch, they slowly limped their way back to Genma's apartment.