Hello! This is chapter 9 Of The Wandering Woman, I hope you do enjoy and I thank the reviews for their feed back and lovely thoughts.
Also, there will be the mixing of herbal remedies in this chappie and I don't actually know if they would work in conjunction with each other. As mentioned in a previous chapter, Hop is a sedative and White willow is a pain reliever and fever reducer. Also know that Kakashi is suffering infection, so please be gentle with me! I am no professional, I just do a small amount of research and manipulate the information for my needs.
Please enjoy!
EDIT 1/12/2015: This story now has a beta and with this note, what you are reading is the beta'd version. All betaing has been done by bleeding-roses 16
Akiko stares at the open eye in disbelief, either his immune system is insanely strong or his shinobi instincts were more powerful than she thought, because he just can't be awake.
Placing the water skin down, Akiko cautiously made her way to Kakashi. Making no sudden movements, she can just see faint shifts of the blanket as the muscles beneath them twitch with her approach. Arriving by his head, she stares at the single grey eye and seeing it causes her to bite her lip in silent pain.
Kakashi is awake but his eye is unseeing and unfocused and as it began to move, Akiko knew with a startling clarity that he was seeing something that she couldn't. And from the pained expression on his face, she can guess it's a painful memory.
"O..Obi...N...o..." Akiko clenches her jaw at the broken words and the anguished tone in his voice because now she knows what he is seeing. Even though it had been years since she had seen 'Naruto', there were some scenes that she couldn't help but remember.
Akiko knows that he is seeing the death of his best friend, Obito, the bright eyed Uchiha with a heart of gold and she knows that his wounds are still raw from losing Rin and Minato. Him, stuck in these fever induced illusions was not something that would be healthy for his mind or his emotional state once he recovered.
She carefully maked her way back to the tea cup that she had just set aside and once more goes through her herbs, searching for a sedative.
"...S...rry...C..n't...tect...R-r...in..." Akiko can feel her heart tighten in pain from the apology to a dead man and the confession of his self-claimed crimes because she had seen what happened and none of it was his fault. She quickens her search to put them both out of agony because even if she hadn't been there and experienced it, the pain in Kakashi's voice invokes a strong emphatic reaction from her and it reminds her of Sayuri's death.
She finds the correct one with ease and opens it quickly. Taking four small triangular shaped leaves, she drops them into the tea cup. Grabbing a single stick of cinnamon, Akiko stirs the herbal remedy that she had created. Resting the cinnamon stick on a spare section of cloth from the open package, Akiko takes the cup to Kakashi.
His eye is still swivelling, glassy with unshed tears and enough pain to make her own eyes well up.
Gently placing the cup down, Akiko steadily reaches towards Kakashi to elevate him so that he can drink the tea. His head snaps to towards her and his muscles tense, ready for an attack. Akiko stops, realizing that she had stopped humming. One calming breath and she begins again and Akiko watches as he relaxes, still caught up in the sight only he could see.
Snaking one arm to the furthest shoulder away from her, Akiko gently lifts Kakashi's body and feels a small sense of relief when he didn't react to the contact. With one hand on his shoulder the other reaches of the tea where all the leaves and bark have sunk to the bottom.
Gently pressing the cup to his lips, Akiko watches as his eye pins her in an intense stare, the other remains closed on instinct. Tipping it, some of the water dribbles from the corners of his lips but most of it Kakashi drinks. When the cup is nearly empty, she pulls it away again and sets it on the table once more.
Turning back to the man, Akiko gently rests his head back on the pillow before releasing him. And as she moves to get up, her wrist is once again caught in an unexpected grip. Looking back at Kakashi, Akiko stoped her futile attempt to pull her arm free when she catches his silent pleading look asking her to stay and Akiko isn't sure if he is seeing her or if he's seeing Rin.
Somehow, the thought that he sees Rin hurts.
Releasing a soft sigh, Akiko sits back down on the small wooden stool and continues to hum with Kakashi not letting go of her wrist. She can see him relax slightly because she wasn't moving away but staying with him. Nor does Kakashi look away, his gaze no longer pleading but focused just above her face.
There is a soft tugging from Kakashi as he attempts to pull her closer. With a furrowed brow, Akiko scoots forward and leans closer to him when the tugging doesn't stop.
Suddenly her wrist is released and a hand shoots past her ear and for a second, Akiko thought that he would attempt to kill her but her worries are dissipated when Kakashi's hand breaks the fragile twine used to keep her hair up and it tumbles down her shoulder.
Akiko, frozen in shock, watches mutely as Kakashi tangles his hand in her hair and grabs it. His eye still hazy and still delirious.
"...pretty..." he mumbles, his gaze fixed on her hair.
Soon after, Akiko can see him slipping off to sleep with his eye lid becoming heavy and the grip relaxing. When he falls asleep, his hand is still holding her hair and she doesn't fight the soft smile as she gently untangles his fingers before placing his arm back on the bed.
Keeping the soft smile, Akiko quietly moves away from his bed side and back to the small table containing her bag and the various salves and medicinal herbs. Gently re-wrapping her cloth packs, she packs them away again but not before leaving another piece of white Willow bark for future use should Kakashi wake again.
Though she had been curious about the various characters of Naruto, she didn't intend to be around when Kakashi would next regain both consciousness and coherent thought for she did not wish to be remembered, nor found.
Forcing her thoughts to take a different turn, Akiko examines the various salves that had been, most likely left by the old woman. They were made of various herbs, some that she recognized and others she hadn't. Separating them into two piles, Akiko makes the mental note that the next time she comes across Eiko, she will ask about the salves.
'Perhaps,' Akiko thinks to herself as she removes a set of spare clothes from her bag, 'I will create a store house of medicinal herbs and should anyone ever need it, they will be available for use. But perhaps once I find my ache, this could come to fruition.'
Casting another glance at the man lying still on the bed, a peaceful expression once more on his face, Akiko moves to the door feeling a small sense of relief that his sleep will be undisturbed by his past regrets.
X
Akiko ambled into the quiet shop, but finding it empty she leaves a note for Eiko in the doorway of the kitchen with the small brush and a serviette left abandoned on one of the tables.
She leaves through a back door and stops to listen. Slowly Akiko becomes aware of all the noise around her.
There is the sound of the wind rushing though the tree leaves, rustling them. The birds sing and their wings slapping against each other reach her ears. There is the faint sound of bells mingling with the wind and Akiko knows it is one of the birds that has flown away. The insects make their own unique sounds, varied and many, each in its own language. And quietly under all this, there is the sound of rushing water, of a stream flowing.
Akiko follows her ears, making her way to the water that she heard.
X
The closer she gets, the louder the sound of running water becomes.
Akiko arrives at a clearing, a small area that appears to have been cleared by human hands but that does nothing to dull the beauty.
The sunlight glistens on the water and it flows, the light is reflected like diamonds on snow. The trees are as green as those in Forest country in the spring. With bird song in the air, it reminds her more than ever how long it has been since she had been with her family.
She stands there in silence taking it all in, this peace and calm, the stillness and certainty.
Suddenly a bird shoots by her ear, causing Akiko to jerk away from it. She blinks before shaking her head and continues her way to the stream. Placing her one of her sets of dry clothes on a conveniently positioned rock, Akiko strips out of her blood crusted clothes until she is only in her under garments.
The water is warm, something rare when bathing in streams. Walking calmly in, Akiko dunks her head under the water letting the current stream it's many fingers through her hair and clean it of some of the dirt she could not reach.
The blood comes of easy from her skin as the water simply washes it away however it is the shirt that causes the most grief as when the blood dried, some of it had been absorbed by the fabric itself. Much of the deep red had faded to a light pink by the time she had given up scrubbing.
Setting her wet clothes on the same rock as her dry ones, Akiko spends longer in the water. Clearing her mind and leaving it blank and open for the sense of peace that envelops her almost immediately.
But Kakashi invades her thoughts soon afterwards. Akiko knows that he is still haunted by his demons and the ghosts of his past but what she wonders is if anyone knows the extent? She wonders if there is anyone to help him, she wonders if Kakashi would even accept the help offered or would refuse the help in some miss-guided form of penance?
Releasing a weary sigh at the heaviness of her thoughts, Akiko makes her way out of the stream. Absently noting that her fingers have become wrinkly from her time in the water.
The sun is still high in the sky and Akiko has no worries of arriving on time. She had left Eiko a note about her whereabouts and Kakashi would still be asleep utill tomorrow with the amount of tea mixed with Hops and Willow bark she had given him.
As Akiko makes the short trek back to the tea shop and her hair dries under the sun, her stomach decides that is time to remind her that she hadn't eaten since, what was most likely, yesterday afternoon.
The sounds of laughter reach her first, when she arrives at the back door of the Tea house she opens it as quietly as she can. The sight that greets her only lowers her personal opinion of Fumiko.
Fumiko is dressed beautifully, that Akiko will admit. Her black hair and pale skin are a splendid contrast to each other. The high cheek bones she has only highlights her eyes. Though Fumiko is a beautiful woman, she is plastering herself at the arms of two men.
Both middle-aged with browned skin and wrinkled hands from being under the sun for so long. Laughing loudly with the smell of alcohol burning her nose, Akiko could see their wandering hands on Fumiko, who seems to pay no mind to them, and the lust in their eyes. Something that makes Akiko uncomfortable.
'Most likely farmers or travellers.' Akiko observes with an objective mind.
Akiko can see the moment that Fumiko notices her, from the way she lifts her head slightly higher, her voice and tongue say exaggerated praise and her arms widen as if to say 'Look here, I have these men at my fingertips. Who do you have?'
Akiko snorts and moves away from the scene and makes her way back upstairs.
'I don't need men to make me feel needed.' she answers the silent challenge both in her head and with her actions.
X
Akiko places the clothes with a slightly wet slop on the edges of the table, letting them dry. The air in the room feels warm but not yet stuffy and with no intention of letting it become so, she moves to the window and opens it a crack. Letting the fresh air flow in but muffling the sounds of downstairs as much as possible.
She feels his temperature and notes that it is higher than before. Akiko knows that in order for Kakashi to get better, his fever needs to break. Something that would not be pleasant for either of them. During that period, Akiko isn't sure if he will suffer hallucinations or flash backs from his past, but there is a forbidding feeling that lingers in the back of her mind telling her that it will hurt.
Her stomach growls again and Akiko feels the pain of hunger again, walking long steps to her bag, she fishes out a small sack of nuts gathered off various trees and plants as well as markets.
Chewing absently, Akiko's thoughts turn to the coming two days and the items she will need to break the fever and for Kakashi to survive. She would need cold water, multiple wash clothes, cups for Kakashi to drink and maybe some rope to keep him restrained in case of a...violent reaction.
In this day and age, technology and medical supplies are limited to hidden villages or large towns. For small villages and out, in the middle of nowhere pits stops like this tea shop, there was little chance of someone surviving an infection.
Rubbing her face in fatigue, Akiko places the nut bag down and opens the door. Taking a deep breath, she steels her intent and walks with determined steps to brave the useless and frivolous actions of Fumiko and she hopes to evade the potentially grabby hands of the two men.
And that is the end of chapter 9! It's a bit shorter than the last one but it works.
Please let me know your thought and keep in mind that this is completely unbeta'd!
I hope you enjoyed it!