A/N: This chapter is dedicated to Guest, SquareMom, Miss Laury, and Lara500. You guys are so awesome! Seriously, your reviews mean so much to me and they're the best part of my day. Readers like you are one of the best things about writing. I'm pretty excited about these next few chapters, and I hope you all enjoy reading them as much as I enjoy writing them! Hopefully they will answer a few of your questions as well. :)
Kakashi had thought the morning couldn't get any worse.
He'd woken with Naruto's foot in his face. Or, more accurately, shoved up against his cheek and entirely too close to his sensitive nose. Too tired to do anything more than grunt, Kakashi flopped his head to the right. And stared in horror. His fingers were inextricably tangled in the silky golden wave that was Tsunade's hair.
Somehow, she had moved close enough to the edge in the night that her arm and hair draped off the mattress. And, somehow, his hand had found it. Mercifully, Tsunade was still snoring softly, oblivious to his predicament.
This was bad. More than bad. Kakashi tried to swallow, but his throat was too dry. He tried to ease his fingers free of the blonde strands, but they only tightened. He breathed out a silent curse. Why, oh, why, wasn't there a jutsu for untangling hair?
Tsunade mumbled, and abruptly rolled over. Kakashi threw himself forward with her movement, using all his skill to catch himself lightly on the mattress, so that he hovered over Tsunade, his braced legs and left arm straddling her sleeping form without touching her. He didn't even dare to breathe.
This was so bad.
"Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto sat up, staring at him blearily as he scratched his head. Kakashi shook his head violently, but Naruto only squinted. "Why are you on top of Tsunade-baachan?"
Tsunade's eyes flew open, locking on Kakashi's. In that moment, his life flashed before him, and he suddenly realized he wasn't ready to die.
The next few seconds seemed to last an eternity as Tsunade stared at him. She blinked slowly in confusion. "Kakashi, what are you…?" She shot up, scooting back against the remaining pillows, her confusion vanishing in a burst of rage. Kakashi automatically lunged forward to save her hair from being yanked from the roots—and was met with Tsunade's fist to his face.
Thanks to years of dodging shuriken and kunai, Kakashi was able to shift enough that only Tsunade's knuckles grazed his jaw. But the force of it still knocked him to the other side of the bed, and Tsunade yelped in pain as he dragged her hair with him.
Chaos ensued. Tsunade cursing Kakashi with every word ever invented, and coming up with new ones. Kakashi desperately trying to explain while unsuccessfully twisting and tugging his fingers, and Tsunade's curses grew more and more colorful with every pull on her hair. Then Naruto leaped up onto the bed, brandishing a gleaming kunai. "There's only one way to fix this, Tsunade-baachan!"
Tsunade's golden-brown eyes flew wide in horror, and she threw herself back, right into Kakashi's chest, nearly knocking him off the bed. "No! Keep that kunai away from me, Naruto, or you will wish you were never born!"
In spite of the still very-likely possibility that he would die, Kakashi couldn't help a chuckle at the ridiculousness of their situation. "Maa, to think. Two elite ninja can't untangle a bit of hair."
Tsunade swiveled to glare at him, but the twitch of her mouth gave away her own suppressed amusement. "Shut up and get your hand out of my hair."
"Hai, Hokage-sama." Kakashi focused intently on his fingers and carefully loosening Tsunade's blonde strands. Anything to distract from the fact that her shoulder was still pressed against his chest.
Tsunade stiffened. Clearly, she had realized their position too. But she made no attempt to move, perhaps thinking it would be easier for him to detangle them if she was closer. Kakashi swallowed. Though if he were honest, he didn't want her to move away. As they sat in silence, the tension in the room grew so thick he could almost taste it. Naruto had moved away to pack his bag, which didn't help matters in the least.
So, Kakashi fixed all of his attention on the knotted strands. At last, he was able to pull his hand free. "All done, Tsunade-sama."
Tsunade immediately slid off the bed, and smoothed her hair as she cleared her throat. "Good. We need to get going if we're going to get any of Mao's fields done today." She didn't ask how Kakashi's hand had gotten entangled in her hair in the first place, and he accepted the silent agreement. This never happened.
But he wasn't going to forget the feel of her silky hair in his fingers any time soon.
If Kakashi had thought the day couldn't get any worse after the incident that morning, he was wrong. They all stared at the horrible sight that greeted them on the outskirts of the fields. Kakashi tugged his mask higher, but it did nothing to dispel the stench. He estimated the pile of manure to be at least eight feet high, then wondered why he'd bothered. It wasn't going to make the daunting task ahead any better.
Naruto gagged, his blue eyes watering. "I—I think I shouldn't have had breakfast."
Tsunade turned to Kakashi, her stare clearly stating: I will kill you. "We will not speak of this to anyone."
"Agreed." Kakashi was beginning to deeply regret the arrangement he'd made with Mao. He tore his gaze from the fly-buzzing mound, and spotted a two-wheel cart and shovel. "Well... we'd better get started, eh?"
Two hours later, Kakashi panted as he pulled the last cartload of dung up the hill to the field. Sweat dripped down his back and chest, and he'd stripped down to his undershirt long ago. He stopped the cart at the edge of the rice field next to Tsunade, who had pulled her hair back in a high ponytail to keep it out of her face, as well as stripped off her haori and rolled up her pants to stand in the calf-deep water. Her arms were muddied from fingertips to elbows from planting rice sprouts.
In spite of his exhaustion, Kakashi couldn't help a slight grin. All in all, his hokage was quite adorable. A thought which he promptly shoved away with a flicker of guilt. How many times did he have to remind himself he didn't have the right to think such things about Tsunade?
Tsunade straightened, and swiped her forehead with the back of her wrist, leaving behind a smear of... something. "Last load?"
"Hai." Should he say something about her face? The likelihood of Tsunade reacting in violence was high, so he decided against it. Besides, they were both already covered with sweat, dirt, and other questionable substances.
Kakashi's gaze drifted to the back of field, where Naruto and several shadow clones also stood calf-deep in water at the far corner, scattering manure. He groaned inwardly. Once he and Naruto finished fertilizing, they would join Tsunade in planting. Acres upon acres of planting. Kakashi focused back on Tsunade to remind himself why he was doing this. Except she was staring back at him, golden-brown eyes narrowed suspiciously.
"I have something on my face, don't I?" Tsunade lifted a finger before he could answer. "Don't try denying it. I saw it in your eye." She walked toward him, and Kakashi fought a strong urge to back away. "So, you weren't going to say anything? You were just going to let me walk around like this?"
"Ah..." Was this her way of getting revenge for his stupid agreement with Mao?
Tsunade stopped in front of him, and only then did he catch the gleam in her eyes. She was teasing him? "Kakashi-kun, this is what you do when someone has something... unwanted on their face." By her too-sweet tone, he already knew he was in trouble. She leaned in close, studying his face. "Ah, look. You have something right—" her other hand flashed up and smeared mud down his face— "there."
What the—Kakashi staggered back and gagged at the awful smell. Apparently, the mud was mixed with manure, because the stench filled his nose and mouth, and dampness soaked through his mask. Blindly, he somehow made it into the water, and began madly splashing and scrubbing his face.
At last, he washed off every last trace of mud. But his wet and clammy mask clung to his face, and the smell permeated the fabric. Kakashi straightened to stare at Tsunade in disbelief, who was doing a poor job of hiding her amusement.
Tsunade's smirk was more than smug. "Ah, sorry." She didn't sound sorry in the slightest. "Now we're even. Let's get back to work."
She wasn't getting out of this so easily. Two could play at this game. Kakashi tucked his hands behind his back, and began forming signs for a water jutsu. "Maa, I'm afraid we're not even. I never rectified my mistake. You still have a bit of something on your face, do you not? I'll clean it off for you."
Tsunade's eyes widened, but his jutsu was already finished. A blast of water hit Tsunade in the face, and knocked her back into the field. Completely drenched and sitting in the muddied water of the field, Tsunade gaped at him.
He hadn't exactly intended to knock her down, but... Kakashi spread his hands. "There. Now we're even. And both clean, hmm?"
Tsunade's shock quickly morphed into outrage. She shot to her feet, and Kakashi yanked his gaze away from where her wet clothes hugged her curves. She spat, "You—you... brat!"
Brat? Kakashi stilled. Even if she'd meant it in jest, he absolutely did not want her to see him that way. Foolish, stubborn, impertinent; certainly, he was all of those things. And he could live with that. But not a childish brat. He wanted—needed—Tsunade to respect him. To see him as a man, and in many ways, an equal.
Kakashi strode through the water toward Tsunade. Tsunade's eyebrows furrowed, her anger shifting to confusion, but she didn't step back, even when he stopped a mere inch away and said firmly, "Please don't call me that."
Tsunade blinked. "Don't call you... what?"
"A brat." Kakashi held her gaze, and his resolve. "I don't want you to see me that way."
Tsunade lifted her chin, and she, too, kept her eyes locked on his. "How do you want me to see you, then?"
Kakashi's heart thudded. That question was too dangerous, and one he could never answer truthfully. And Tsunade was too close. Idiot. He swallowed, and averted his gaze from hers. She still had a smear of mud on her forehead, so he reached up and carefully wiped it off with his thumb. "Maa, looks like I missed a spot."
Something flickered in Tsunade's eyes, but she stepped back, expression unreadable. "Enough talking. We need to get back to work, or we'll never finish."
"Hai." Kakashi was beginning to hate that word.
Yet, he couldn't keep his gaze from lingering on Tsunade as she turned back to the sprouts, her question tumbling through his mind.
And he couldn't help but wonder if she felt something too.
Tsunade cursed under her breath—in a very un-hokage-like way—as she jammed sprouts into the mud, back aching from constantly bending over.
That Kakashi. He always brought out the worst in her. First, she'd woken to find his fingers entangled in her hair. Then he'd had the nerve to blast her with a water jutsu after she'd just wanted to have a bit of fun with him.
But, as she straightened and pressed a muddy hand to her lower back for a moment of relief, she had to admit that wasn't quite true. Certainly, he often pulled unwanted emotions to the surface, but giving in to them was all her. She glanced at Kakashi, steadily planting a few yards away, pants rolled up to the knee, silver hair flopping over his headband. He didn't look up, and a flicker of disappointment annoyed her.
Tsunade scowled, redirecting her curses at herself. Stupid, stupid. She'd only wanted to tease him, because... Fine. She'd done it because she'd needed a distraction. When Kakashi had stood on the bank of the field, sleeveless shirt plastered to his toned chest, and his bare, muscular arms gleaming with sweat—her stomach had done a strange, fluttery-thing. The next thing she knew, she'd panicked and used the nearest thing for a distraction.
Though she had to admit, Kakashi's reaction to a face full of mud—and manure—had been rather hilarious.
But the intensity in his gaze after she'd called him a brat... Tsunade's face grew hot. She'd thought she saw something—but, no. He'd avoided her question and turned away. No doubt remembering his someone back in Konoha.
Or the fact that she was his hokage and twenty-plus years older, as she should have.
Tsunade sighed. Who was she fooling? She might be attracted to Kakashi, and may have enjoyed the feel of his fingers running through her hair, but it didn't change the fact that even if he felt the same for her, those feelings came from a lie. He'd never seen the true Tsunade. The face she kept hidden. If he saw her, truly saw her, those feelings would go away.
Tsunade closed her eyes, a familiar ache expanding in her chest. It wouldn't be real. And she wouldn't—couldn't—give her heart to something that wasn't real. She detested her true face, but it was part of her nonetheless. Resolve of steel closed around Tsunade's heart. Enough. It was time to rid herself of these feelings for Kakashi, once and for all.
A rumble shook the ground, followed by crashes and screams.
Tsunade spun toward the town behind them, gaze immediately fixing on the plume of smoke rising above the rooftops. She froze, familiar dread creeping over her. A huge snake rose above the rubble, tongue flickering.
Orochimaru.
Tsunade sprang out of the field, only pausing long enough to strap on her heels, and shout to an already-moving Kakashi and Naruto, "To the village, now!"
Fury boiled through Tsunade's veins as she ran. How dare he. Was this what Orochimaru had meant by finding another way to get his arms healed? To blackmail her by attacking one of the Land of Fire's villages? Something about it didn't feel right, but she didn't have time to figure it out now. She had to stop the serpent before more innocent people were hurt.
Kakashi and Naruto had caught up, and ran on either side of her. Naruto panted, "What's going on, Tsunade-baachan?"
If only she knew. "I'm not sure, but that looks like the same snake Orochimaru used to destroy the castle before you and Jiraiya found me."
Naruto clenched his muddy fists. "That creep! Why would he attack these people?"
Tsunade exchanged a brief, grim glance with Kakashi. "I don't know. But we'll take him out first, then ask questions."
"You bet we will, Tsunade-baachan!" Naruto's blue eyes blazed. "Believe it!"
They neared Lord Mao's village, so Tsunade gave her orders. "I will take the snake. Both of you get the villagers to safety. And keep an eye out for Orochimaru or his lacky, Kabuto."
"Hai." Kakashi and Naruto said in unison, though Kakashi's eye narrowed. But he, too, knew she was the best option to take out the snake.
They separated at the village wall, and Tsunade leapt from rooftop to rooftop, keeping a sharp lookout for the snake. Moments later, the massive head rose above the buildings again, its flat black eyes fixing on her.
Tsunade jumped to a higher roof, and paused. The snake was definitely coming for her now, heedlessly smashing buildings out of the way. The terrified screams and cries below cut into her chest. She needed to take the serpent out quickly. Tsunade crouched. She couldn't use chakra, so she'd have to time her attack perfectly. She marked her next landing spot on a taller building, and waited for the snake to get closer.
The snake reared its head and dove for her, mouth open. Tsunade sprang off the shingles, and landed on her selected spot just long enough to launch herself into the air, high above the snake's diamond head.
Tsunade plummeted straight for the snake with a shout, and brought her fist down with all her strength. Her punch smashed the snake right between its flat black eyes, crushing through the scales to the bone. The snake's head hit the ground so hard the street split down the center, and the reptile vanished in a puff of summoning smoke.
Tsunade landed next to the fissure in a cloud of dust, and staggered. She grimaced. That attack had taken more out of her than she'd thought. Or maybe she was still getting used to the draining effects of the chakra seal.
Gradually, she became of aware of the people around her, staring in awe. Others were running among the rubble, crying for loved ones. Tsunade shook herself. What was she doing? The snake might be gone, but her other skills were needed. The snake had only attacked for a few minutes before she'd knocked it out, but the destruction it had caused was immense.
Tsunade organized the available people into search-and-rescue parties, and had others set up a temporary medical center for emergencies until the village's medics arrived. It didn't take long for the wounded to start arriving. Most people had gotten by with minor scrapes and cuts, but a few were life-threatening.
Tsunade knelt by one, a small boy with crushed legs and a gashed arm. She exhaled shakily. Using chakra to heal would feed the chakra seal, essentially shortening the time she had left, but when had that stopped her before? She focused on releasing a small amount of chakra and keeping the seal quarantined as much as possible, but she still felt it strengthening, growing, as she healed the boy's legs and arm.
More people on the verge of death kept arriving. Tsunade ignored the warning ringing in her head, and continued healing. If she didn't, they would die. So, really, there was no option. Some of the wounded were brought by Kakashi and Naruto, and the village medics came at last to help, but Tsunade blocked them out, using all of her concentration to heal and keep the chakra seal at bay.
Two hours later, she finished the last one; a man with jagged metal pieces puncturing his shoulder. After thanking Tsunade profusely, he stumbled away with help from his wife.
Tsunade sat back, exhausted, hands dangling limply between her knees.
A shadow fell over her, but Tsunade didn't have the strength to look up. Something soft and familiar fell around her shoulders, and she glanced dully at the worn hem of her green haori.
"I fetched your coat, Tsunade-baachan." Naruto crouched next to her, gaze darkening with worry. "Are you all right?"
"Thank you, Naruto-kun," Tsunade forced out. The last thing she needed was Naruto worrying about her. "I just need to rest a bit, then I'll be fine. Where—where's Kakashi-san?"
"Eh..." Naruto squinted. "I think he said he was going to get something you'd want."
Tsunade closed her eyes. Good. He wasn't here, then. She could rest for a moment, then surely, she'd be fine by the time he returned.
Sure enough, a few minutes later she sensed Kakashi's presence approaching. Except, if anything, she felt even worse. But she lifted her aching head, and focused on the figure—no, two figures—walking toward her. Kakashi led a pale Lord Mao by the arm, who looked like he wanted to be anywhere but here. How had Kakashi gotten that cockroach out of his hole?
Kakashi shoved Mao forward. "Maa, I think you'll want to speak with this fellow, Tsunade-sama. He—" He stopped, staring at Tsunade. His pale eyebrow lowered, and he took a half-step toward her. "Are you all right?"
Tsunade held up a hand. "I'm fine." Only then did she notice a few fine wrinkles marring the back of her hand. Blast it all. Somehow, she summoned the strength to push to her feet. "Why did you bring this fool here?"
Kakashi's set jaw said he didn't believe her. But, thankfully, he let it drop, though it was likely just because Mao was present. "Maa, I think Mao may have some answers as to why Orochimaru's snake attacked."
Mao's beady gaze slid away, and Tsunade knew Kakashi's hunch had been correct. Good thing he'd had the sense to act on it, as she'd completely forgotten. She sighed. Not the best trait in a hokage. She gestured to a nearby empty building. "Then let's interrogate him. I, for one, would like some answers."
Naruto crossed his arms and glared. "Me too."
Tsunade let the others go first, so they wouldn't see her hobbling like an old woman, then slowly followed. She clenched her teeth. How much time had Orochimaru's stunt taken from her? She was more certain than ever he was behind the chakra-feeding seal, but couldn't connect it with his snake attacking Mao's village. What was his plan?
Tsunade focused on Mao as Kakashi shoved him into an empty chair. Perhaps Mao would provide answers, if she could get through this without falling on her face. Right now, that wasn't a strong possibility.
"Don't move," Kakashi said flatly to Mao. Then he nodded to Tsunade, and stepped past her to watch from the doorway.
Tsunade fixed her gaze on the fidgeting Mao. "Why was Orochimaru's serpent here?"
Mao's eyes narrowed at her, as if he sensed her braced knees were the only thing keeping her upright. He sneered. "How did a drunken, broke gambler who's so top-heavy she can barely stand become hokage? You'll have to—"
Lightning crackled, and Kakashi moved past Tsunade so fast his presence was no more than a whisper. Lightning-infused chakra—his Chidori—smashed into the wall next to Mao's face. Mao screamed, but Kakashi's other hand kept him firmly pinned in his chair until his Chidori vanished. Mao stared at the smoking crater next to his head, mouth frozen open.
The stench of burning hair filled the room, and in spite of everything, Tsunade was tempted to laugh at the missing side of Mao's mustache. Then the room spun, and she steadied herself with a hand against the wall. Kakashi leaned in close to Mao, murmuring something so low only the lord could hear it. Not that Tsunade could focus on anything with fuzzy black swarming in and out of her vision.
A small, warm hand grasped her arm, and Naruto peered up at her, eyebrows furrowed. "Tsunade-baachan? Is something wrong?"
Tsunade tried to smile down at him, though it probably came out more as a twisted grimace. "No. I'm... just a little dizzy. It's nothing to worry about, Naruto."
Kakashi straightened away from Mao, and faced Tsunade. His gray gaze was hard, but it softened apologetically when he looked at her. "Maa, I'm sorry, Tsunade-sama. But he was annoying me. Please, continue."
"It's fine." Tsunade blinked, and her vision cleared a little. If wasn't for the fact that she could barely stand, she would have done far worse. And Naruto's hand was still on her arm, steadying her. She glared at Mao, and he quivered like jelly. "Answer my question."
"Orochimaru... he used the snake as a distraction." Mao's mouth pinched. "To take something valuable from me."
Tsunade narrowed her eyes. "Take what, exactly?"
Mao swallowed. "Many years ago, I found a boy named Zabuki with an unusual kekkei genki. So, I took him in and raised him until he grew into a powerful shinobi. I planned to keep him hidden until I could use him for a... future purpose." He spat. "Somehow, this Orochimaru found out about him."
Tsunade fought to hold her temper in. It was all too easy to see through Mao's lies. Kidnapping and imprisonment were capital offenses. "And what is this kekkei genki?"
Mao's eyes glowed hot. "Zabuki... is very special. He has the ability to manipulate the iron in his body. He can expand it and make it into weapons, among other things. Such a power is unstoppable."
"And now Orochimaru has him!" Naruto shouted furiously, stepping in front of Tsunade. "What were you thinking?"
Tsunade met Kakashi's hard gaze, a heaviness in her chest. Whatever Orochimaru had in store for Zabuki couldn't be good. But first, she had to deal with Mao. She turned back, and stumbled as a wave of dizziness hit her.
"Tsunade-sama?" Kakashi's concerned voice grew closer. "Are you all right?"
Tsunade closed her eyes. If she just rested for a moment... no, she needed to answer Kakashi, tell him she was fine. But blackness swept over her, and her traitorous legs gave out.
Someone's warm arms caught her, surrounding her with the comforting scent of pine and metal as Kakashi and Naruto called her name frantically. But though she tried, she couldn't answer. Instead, she gave in completely to the darkness.
