Chapter 23: Recovery

...

I woke feeling like death. Yeah, this was definitely chakra exhaustion. I scraped together enough strength to run a diagnostic jutsu which revealed that I'd contracted a serious cold while unconscious. Normally it would have been a non-issue because of the healing chakra I constantly cycled through my body. But with no chakra to cycle, I was defenseless against even common ailments. Maybe I shouldn't have pushed it so far. Not that I'd had much choice.

I blinked away the sleep from my eyes to reveal a familiar ceiling of white tiles.

Hospital. Yes, I was in the hospital. Which was good, but how had I gotten here? Where were Naruto and Gaara?

I didn't recall much after the fight.

I must have fallen asleep.

Or passed out.

Same thing.

"Kiyo-sama!"

"Huh, Karin?" I croaked softly, my mouth dry. I was aware of her chakra, panicked and erratic as she leaped to my bedside. Then something soft and warm pressed against my lips.

"Please take my chakra!" said Karin as she pressed her wrist against my face. "Please! You can't die! If you die…"

"I'm not going to die," I said, pushing her arm away. Even that small movement required far too much effort. "I'm alright, Karin. Just tired."

Karin shook her head.

"If you die…" she repeated, her voice wavering. She glanced over at Haku, who approached us from where he'd been sitting beside the window. His chakra wasn't panicked like Karin's, but it was sharp and battle-ready.

"Kiyo-sama, is there anything you require for your recovery?" he asked.

I frowned at the tension surrounding both of them.

Normally it would be better to wait for my chakra reserves to recover a little more, but they seemed so worried that I cycled the small amount of chakra I had left to heal my cold. The room swayed as I very nearly passed out again, but I managed to remain conscious.

"Just rest and sleep now," I said cautiously. "I've already healed my cold. Are you two alright? Has…something happened?"

Obviously the invasion had happened, but they were both as tense as condemned prisoners awaiting execution.

Haku nodded.

"The Third Hokage is dead," he said with careful neutrality.

Oh. Right. I'd known that this was coming, and yet…

The Hokage was responsible for the murder of my entire clan, the exile of my eldest brother, and the largely untended trauma Sasuke and I had endured for much of our childhood. I wasn't sure what I felt for him, whether it was contempt or hatred or disgust.

Maybe it was disappointment.

Everyone wanted their leaders to know what to do, to have all the answers. But it didn't work like that. The Hokage had been human, and he'd made human mistakes. He'd trusted his childhood friend. He'd hoped that clearer heads would prevail. He'd wanted things to work out. He shouldn't have, they hadn't, and it didn't. Maybe everything seemed so clear to me because I already knew the future. Maybe from his perspective things hadn't seemed so terrible.

It didn't matter.

The results were the same.

My family was dead. My brothers were broken.

"Sasuke-sama is currently attending the funeral," Haku continued. "He has not left your side since your arrival in the hospital, but his position as clan-head compelled his presence. Sasuke-sama requested that we look after you."

Well, that explained why Sasuke wasn't here. There were plenty of important and ceremonial functions he'd been excused from due to his youth, but now that he was a Konoha ninja, he would be required to show face at things like this. The other rookies would likely be there as well since they were all clan heirs. Naruto too because of his special relationship with the Hokage. But why would Karin and Haku be so…

Oh…

They were both foreign ninja who had recently been granted residency by a now former Hokage. They had no idea who would replace the Third and if their situation would remain favorable. If someone like Danzo took power, they could easily wind up as prisoners or experiments. Their only real allies were Sasuke, Naruto, and me. And I was the only one who had actively advocated for them.

Also, if I died while under their care, they would fail at the first and only mission given to them by Sasuke, their clan head. While Sasuke would never lash out at them, they didn't know him the way I did. From their perspective, their fate must have seemed exceptionally precarious.

"Oh…" I said softly. I wanted to reassure them. Tsunade was coming. She wouldn't hurt them, and I wouldn't allow anyone else to hurt them either. But what could I say without revealing the future?

"There is…more," Haku continued hesitantly.

"More?" I asked when he did not immediately elaborate.

Haku straightened and looked down. Karin wrung her hands.

"During the invasion, Lee, Naruto, and I went to aid Sasuke-sama in his pursuit of Gaara," said Haku. His voice shifted into the detached cadence of a mission briefing while his chakra rippled with anxiety. "As we pursued him, we were overtaken by a group of nine Sound jounin. I remained behind to deal with them. Once I was done, I continued onward and-"

"You fought nine Sound jounin by yourself?!" I asked in a strangled cry. "Are you hurt? Have you been treated?"

I reached out to take his hand, but I didn't even have enough chakra for another diagnostic jutsu.

Haku blinked.

"I am uninjured," he said, bemused. For a moment, his tension eased, and his expression softened. But the moment of calm passed, and his expression hardened once more. "I found Lee. He had taken Temari hostage. We saw the battle between Naruto and Gaara, but by the time we arrived, the fight was over. You and Naruto were unconscious and Sasuke-sama was nowhere to be found. When Temari saw her brother, she tried to fight once more, but Gaara told her that he no longer wished to fight."

I nodded.

That sounded pretty good so far.

But then Haku sank to his knees and pressed his forehead to the floor.

"Upon hearing his desire to no longer fight I…I could not fulfill my purpose," he said at last. "Though they tried to kill you and Sasuke-sama, though they were enemies of Konoha, I could not…kill them. I knew that if they remained prisoners, they would die. So I…let them go."

Karin looked between me and Haku with an expression of utter terror.

Oh, that was…not good.

It was bad enough that I had saved Gaara from Sasuke. But Haku releasing an enemy jinchuuriki in the middle of an invasion was…well, it was treason.

And he'd done it in front of a witness.

I closed my eyes and tried to order my thoughts.

"Nii-chan was nowhere to be found because I sent him away when he tried to kill Gaara," I said at length. "I, too, did not want Gaara to die. I'm glad that you spared him, Haku. I truly am. But this is really dangerous for you. If…when you speak of it, I want you to tell anyone who asks that I did not wish for you to kill anyone. It was a condition of your enlistment, so there should be a record of it with the Hokage's office. You were just acting under my orders, okay? I will accept full responsibility."

As a member of the Uchiha clan, I would face far lighter consequences than a foreigner like Haku. At worst, they might accuse him of sabotage. Of treason. I wasn't sure if I would be able to save him, but that excuse had at least a thin veneer of legitimacy. It was a clause of his enlistment, one that would almost certainly bar him from ever becoming a chunin, but that was better than imprisonment…or execution.

"Kiyo-sama," said Haku. "I am a tool of the Uchiha clan. What use is a tool that only injures the one who uses it? I entered the exams even though I knew you wished to protect me. I released an enemy who tried to kill you. I cannot stand back as you are punished in my place. Please. I wish to offer you my life as payment for my mistakes."

I threw off the blankets and practically fell out of bed in my hurry to kneel beside him on the floor.

"Haku, no!" I shouted. What did Zabuza do to him? Was this really all from being raised as a tool? I put my hands under his chin and lifted his face up so that he could see me. "I'm glad that you are finding your own path and doing what you believe is right. I should have had faith in you when you wanted to enter the exam. I'm happy that you allowed Gaara and Temari to live. I don't want you to die. I don't want you to be hurt. Because you're not just a tool of the Uchiha clan. You're a good person. You're my friend. So please don't say something like that. Don't die…."

A look of pain passed across Haku's face. He was silent for a long moment before he finally nodded. Haku reached up to lay his calloused hand over mine.

"If you wish for me to live, I will live," he said. "But please allow me to accept the consequences of my actions. I do not wish to hurt you more than I already have."

"You haven't hurt me, Haku," I said, letting my hands fall away from his face. He reached up and helped me back into bed. "We won't know what will happen until a new Hokage is appointed. Then we'll see what we can do about…all this."

I was pretty sure that Tsunade wouldn't care, especially since Sand had probably surrendered by now anyway. They would be our allies by the time anyone had the authority to enforce punishments for unsanctioned mercy.

"Do you know-?" Haku began, but he was interrupted by the hospital door sliding open.

I half expected it to be Sasuke, but instead a familiar mop of pink hair appeared with a basket of fruit.

"Sakura?" I asked with surprise.

Shouldn't she be at the funeral? No, probably not. As a member of the genin corps, she didn't have the prestige of a genin with a jounin sensei. She wasn't a clan-heir or even a clan-born ninja, and she had no direct connection to the Hokage either, so she had no real reason to attend.

Sakura held up her basket with a weak smile.

"I wanted to thank you for saving me," she said. "I was at the stadium during the attack. When I woke up, I heard that you were the one who saved us all, but you were injured."

I accepted the basket with murmured thanks, though now that I thought about it, I was a little confused. I'd felt Sakura's chakra in the stadium, but she'd been knocked unconscious by Kabuto's genjutsu. She was a genjutsu type, though. Shouldn't she have been able to break it?

No. Not without a jounin sensei to teach her how. Genjutsu was so rare that only theory was taught at the Academy. Genjutsu breaking obviously hadn't been covered in the genin corps either. By taking her place on Team 7, I'd stolen her chance to grow her skills as a ninja. At this rate, she'd never become a jounin.

"I'm alright," I said. "I just need a bit of rest. What about you?"

Speaking of rest, I stifled a yawn.

"Oh, I'm fine," she said, waving her hand. She glanced between Karin and Haku with what might have been suspicion. "I just wanted to deliver this. Also, I heard that Sasuke-kun was watching over you, but he doesn't seem to be here."

Ah, so her visit wasn't entirely for my sake. Fair enough, I'd also stolen her chance to get close to Sasuke too. I'd have to figure out what to do about that. How would they ever get married if they didn't have a chance to get to know one another?

"He's at the funeral," I said. "By the way, this is Karin and this is Haku. They've shared sake with Nii-chan and are official vassals of the Uchiha clan. They live with us now, and Nii-chan asked them to look after me while he's away. He should be back once the ceremony is over."

Hopefully that would ease some of her suspicion.

But instead of relaxing, Sakura's eyes went wide.

"Shared sake?!" she nearly shouted. "Lives with you?! Kiyo-chan! I want to become a vassal of the Uchiha clan!"

That…was not the reaction I was expecting.

"What?" I asked. "Why?"

"It's for love!" Sakura shouted, leaning uncomfortably close.

Love?

She was just a kid!

No, wait. That wasn't fair. Sakura did love Sasuke. I might not have understood the 'how' or 'why' of Sakura's feelings for my brother. But I couldn't deny that they were there. Still, this was the wrong way to go about it.

"Sakura, becoming a vassal is not a game," I said as gently as I could. "And sharing sake with Nii-chan is not a date. It is a lifelong commitment to uphold the will of the Uchiha clan."

"I know that," she said, though she clearly didn't. "But I don't care. Whatever it takes to be beside Sasuke-kun, I'll do it!"

No.

Just no.

Even if I was willing to entertain the idea for the sake of their future marriage, Sasuke had a multitude of fans among the kunoichi in our class. I didn't want to open the floodgates for potential applicants, certainly not when they were all far too young to understand what they were agreeing to. I also didn't want to think of the potential political ramifications if someone like Ino decided to apply. There was no good ending in that scenario.

"Sakura, I can't-," I began, but Sakura interrupted me.

"Why not?" she asked. "Sasuke-kun already has two other girls as vassals. I won't lose to anyone!"

She glared at Haku and Karin.

"I'm a boy," said Haku with a bland smile.

That seemed to catch Sakura off guard. She did a double-take and then glanced at Karin.

"I'm a girl," said Karin, frowning at Sakura.

Yeah, this introduction could probably have gone a bit better.

"Well, fine, he has another girl as a vassal already," Sakura continued, turning back to me. "Just tell me what I need to do! I can pass any test if it's for love."

"There is no test," I said, stifling another yawn. The small amount of chakra I'd regained was quickly fading. I would pass out soon if I didn't get some rest. "Haku and Karin were special cases. There will be no more vassals."

Sakura looked like she wanted to object further, but Haku placed a hand on her shoulder and gave her a polite smile.

"Thank you for your visit, but Kiyo-sama requires sleep," he said, his pleasant demeanor doing little to soften the abrupt dismissal.

Sakura looked to me as Haku smoothly guided her toward the door.

"We'll talk some other time," I said, not bothering to stifle my next yawn. If I wanted to help Sakura reach her full potential, I'd need to figure out a way to introduce her to Tsunade, but that would have to wait until the Slug Sanin actually arrived in Konoha. Sakura only pouted as Haku all but pushed her outside and closed the door with a snap. I leaned back into the pillows and gave Haku a grateful smile. "Thank you."

Haku nodded.

"Please rest, Kiyo-sama," he said.

That sounded like an excellent idea. And at this point it wasn't entirely optional. So I closed my eyes, and I let my exhaustion carry me to sleep.

…

When I woke again, Haku and Karin were gone. Or, no, Haku was lingering in the hallway. In my room, Sasuke sat waiting on the windowsill with one arm braced casually against his knee. The angle of the light outside indicated that it was midmorning.

"Nii-chan," I said softly. Sasuke's head snapped up, his eyes searching to meet mine. "I-I'm sorry for what I did. After the fight."

I'd never used my jutsu against him. At least not outside of training. He must be so angry…

"Tch, it's fine," he said, sliding off of the windowsill and approaching my bed. "It's you, so I shouldn't have expected anything else. How long will it be until you're fully recovered?"

I blinked at his dismissive tone. There was still a ripple of irritation in his chakra. I sat up carefully.

"I just need to rest for a few more days," I said. "Nii-chan, about Gaara…"

"I said it's fine," he snapped. I flinched and looked away. Sasuke swore under his breath and sat at the foot of my bed. When he spoke again, his voice was softer. "I shouldn't have tried to kill him in front of you. You were always too gentle for this life. That's why…I want you to quit as a ninja and join the hospital full-time."

"What?" I asked. I'd expected his anger. But I hadn't expected this. "No. I can't…"

"I'm an avenger," he said. "I will protect you. And to do that, I will kill anyone that tries to hurt you. It would be better if you weren't there to see it."

Was this really Sasuke? I knew that the curse mark was affecting him. I'd thought his actions against Gaara were just in the heat of the moment. But there was no battle here, there was no adrenaline, and the curse mark remained sealed on his neck.

So why was he still saying these things?

I swallowed thickly.

I knew why.

The Curse of Hatred.

His hatred was born from love. I'd thought that Sasuke's hatred was for Itachi alone. But I was wrong. His love was for me. His hatred was for anyone and anything that might try to take me away.

"Nii-chan, I want to protect you too," I said. "And to do that, I need to stay by your side."

I'd said as much to Kakashi. But apparently Sasuke needed to hear it too.

"I don't need you to protect me," he said.

Unfair.

He would have died if I hadn't saved him from Gaara.

But I was careful not to voice that thought. He'd already witnessed Naruto's strength in that battle. He didn't need to be reminded of mine too. It would only fuel his dissatisfaction and turn him toward Orochimaru faster.

"Kakashi-sensei taught us the importance of teamwork," I said. "We fought Gaara together, and we won. If any of us had faced him alone, we'd be dead right now. We need each other. We'll grow stronger together."

Sasuke balled his hand into a fist

"Why do you want to keep fighting?" he asked. "You never wanted to be a kunoichi."

Yeah, well things changed.

"I don't want to fight," I admitted. "But I'll do it to protect the ones I care about."

"Tch," Sasuke scoffed. "As the head of the Uchiha clan, I'll have you removed from active duty if you won't leave willingly."

I flinched as though struck.

Technically, as my clan head, he did have that power. While the Hokage was the ultimate authority in Konoha, clans acted as little microcosms within the village, often enacting their own traditions and laws. That was why the Hyuga main family was allowed to keep the branch members as literal slaves.

But this was Sasuke.

"You can't just—," I began, but Sasuke cut me off.

"I can't?" he snarled, activating his Sharingan and staring me down. "I'll do whatever I have to if it means keeping you safe."

I shrank away from his glare, and Sasuke blinked, his Sharingan fading as he looked away, suddenly shamefaced. Sasuke was silent for a long moment. Then he reached into his pocket.

"Kiyo-chan, I—," he began, but he was interrupted by the door banging open.

Sasuke's hand went to his thigh-holster, but he aborted the motion when Naruto poked his head in and looked around.

"Heya, Kiyo-chan, you're awake!" shouted Naruto, apparently completely oblivious to the dark mood he'd just shattered with his arrival. Sasuke relaxed with a scowl. "That's great! I wanted to see you before I left."

"You're leaving?" I asked, glancing at Sasuke. But Sasuke looked just as confused.

"Yeah, the Pervy Sage is taking me on a training trip," said Naruto.

Pervy…Jiraiya. It had to be.

Wait, if this was his journey to find Tsunade, then Itachi was here or he would be soon…

No matter what his true feelings or intentions were, Itachi was coming. Kakashi and Sasuke would be horrifically tortured within Tsukuyomi if I didn't find some way of stopping him. But if Sasuke and Kakashi weren't there to slow Itachi down, Naruto would never stand a chance. And this was also probably my only opportunity to contact Itachi and heal him from whatever illness would kill him.

"You're training with someone?" I asked. If I could convince Naruto to let me tag along, then maybe…

Naruto put his hands behind his head in a relaxed pose.

"Yeah, yeah, he's just some pervy old guy, but he knows some cool jutsu!" said Naruto with a grin. "His name is Jiraiya. He taught me how to summon toads. And he helped me with—" Naruto stopped. "My chakra…Yeah, he helped me with my chakra..."

More like Kurama's chakra. But I couldn't say that.

"Jiraiya?" I asked. "Do you mean the Sanin?"

"The what?" Naruto asked.

"The Sanin are the three ninja who became famous during the war," I explained. "They were teammates who became extraordinarily powerful. Jiraiya was one along with Orochimaru and Tsunade. He's probably the most powerful ninja in Konoha right now. I wouldn't be surprised if he was a contender to be the next Hokage."

Tsunade's name didn't seem to ring any bells, but Sasuke glowered at the mention of Orochimaru.

"What, no way!" Naruto yelped. "Is that pervy old guy really that strong?"

I nodded.

"He's a legend, just like the other Sanin," I said. "If you're going on a trip with him, you'll need to be careful, though. Powerful people can attract powerful enemies."

That was about as close to a warning as I could get, and it wasn't much.

"You don't have to worry about me," said Naruto, carefree and confident. "I'm the future Hokage, so no one—" He stopped, his confidence vanishing in an instant. He looked down at his feet. "I mean, yeah. Sure…"

The Hokage's death was still raw.

I slid out of bed and went to hug Naruto. He stiffened in my arms before relaxing and returning my embrace. He was getting better at the whole 'hug' thing.

"You really are something special, Naruto," I said. "Your fight against Neji was amazing. I knew you would win, and I've never seen anything like your fight against Gaara. I don't know what we would have done without you. If you run into anyone strong on your trip, just do your best, and I know you'll be okay."

Soon he would face Itachi and Kisame. And then Kabuto and Orochimaru. He'd need all the encouragement he could get. Naruto blushed, his face turning a deep crimson as he grinned.

Behind me, Sasuke's chakra burned. He stalked toward the door.

"Nii-chan, where are you going?" I asked, releasing Naruto. Naruto held on for a moment longer before reluctantly letting go.

"Training," Sasuke spat out. He paused in the door. "Stay here until you've recovered. Haku will watch over you while I'm gone."

And then he vanished into the hall.

"What's his problem?" Naruto asked.

"It's…nothing," I said, marshalling a smile. How could I tell him that Sasuke wanted me to quit Team 7?

Haku appeared in the doorway.

"Kiyo-sama," he greeted, bowing. "Naruto, please allow Kiyo-sama to rest. She is still recovering from the battle."

"Huh?" Naruto asked. "Oh, sure. I have to get back to the Pervy Sage anyway. So long Kiyo-chan!"

He waved and turned to the door.

"Well, maybe I could come too!" I said quickly.

"Sasuke-sama wishes for you to rest," said Haku pointedly.

And I was suddenly reminded that, oh yeah, Haku was technically Sasuke's vassal. Not mine.

I nodded slowly.

"I see," I said, returning to bed. "Good luck on your trip, Naruto. Stay safe and listen to your sensei."

"Yeah, alright," said Naruto, waving as he left. I tracked his chakra until he was out of range.

Now I just had to wait.

How would I know when to leave? An hour? Two? Escaping wouldn't be an issue. Not when I had the Hiraishin. But I'd need to time it. Too early, and Haku would pursue me right into a battle with Itachi. That confrontation would only end one way. Haku was good, but he wasn't that good. And if I was too late, I wouldn't be able to save anyone.

I'd just have to make my best guess. The nearest village was a two hour journey by foot. A ninja could cover that distance in a fraction of the time, but Jiraiya and Naruto had no reason to rush. So, an hour? I could claim that I just wanted to meet the great Jiraiya. In the meantime, I could meditate to regain my chakra faster. I had a feeling that I was going to need it.

I glanced at the clock before leaning into my pillows and closing my eyes, feigning sleep. Haku settled into the visitors chair, remaining quiet while I gathered my power.

The seconds ticked by into minutes, and my anxiety grew with each passing moment. I stretched out my senses. Was Itachi in the village yet? My range wasn't that great, but I still reached as far as I could go. I wanted to see him so badly, to know that he was alright.

With my senses stretched out, I should have felt the person opening the door, but there was nothing. I blinked awake and sat up as a pair of ANBU entered the room.

"Uchiha Kiyo, you will come with us," said the bird-masked ANBU.

"What?" I asked. "Who? Why?"

Was it because of Itachi? Was I too late?

"You will not ask questions," said the ANBU, stepping forward. His voice was completely devoid of emotion. "You will accompany us now."

This wasn't right.

Itachi was after Naruto. Orochimaru was after Tsunade. ANBU shouldn't need to protect me from anyone.

"Kiyo-sama requires rest," said Haku, sliding between me and the ANBU. "On whose authority do you interfere with her medical care?"

The ANBU reached back, grasping the hilt of his short sword.

"Stand aside," he said.

"I will not," said Haku, shifting into a protective stance. "If you wish to take her, I will be your opponent."

"Haku, please stop," I said. I wasn't sure what was happening, but I needed to deescalate this quickly. This was ANBU.

"Kiyo-sama, please run," said Haku lowly as his chakra sharpened.

Run? Run where?

"He is not necessary," said the other ANBU. "Just kill him and take the girl."

What?!

"Run!" shouted Haku. And they moved, their attacks blindingly fast as Haku held them off.

Kakashi!

He was a former ANBU. He'd know what to do. He could stop this.

I'd be right back. I just needed to get Kakashi.

I Hiraishined to Kakashi's side.

"Kakashi-sensei!" I shouted. "It's Haku, he's—"

But I stopped.

Because Kakashi was lying unconscious in his bed surrounded by Kurenai, Asuma, and Guy.

Oh.

Oh no.

I turned to Guy.

"Haku is in trouble!" I shouted. "Please save him!"

And before he could respond, I slapped my palm against his chest and sent him to Haku's side.

With that taken care of, I turned back to Kakashi, my hands glowing green and sinking into his body. I was too late. How could I be too late?

It only took a moment to identify the problem. There. I could still feel Itachi's chakra residue in Kakashi's mind, in the way his chakra and spirit remained laced in agony. It wasn't like the imprint of a normal genjutsu. This went deeper, gouging so severely that it seemed reach the victim's soul. I knew firsthand how unstoppable it was, and I swallowed thickly. With pain this profound, the mind would be forced to shut down rather than bear it any longer.

I wondered briefly at the irony of a pacifist like Itachi having a technique dedicated solely to creating a world of inhuman suffering. Then again, he hadn't used it to hurt me. Maybe it was just an ability to create a personal reality, and the torture theme was incidental to the life he lived.

How sad.

But that didn't change the fact that Kakashi was now in a torture-induced coma. If I couldn't pull him out of this, he would never wake. At least not until Tsunade arrived. But Tsunade had managed to reverse it. How? This wasn't physical healing. It wasn't even chakra healing. This was healing that had to happen on a spiritual level, and something like that was well beyond anything I'd read about. It certainly wasn't on the medic exam.

It didn't matter.

All that mattered was the fact that Kakashi was lying broken before my eyes. I had to do something.

I closed my eyes and focused my chakra. His chakra met mine, writhing away like a wounded animal. It was rough, like the ragged skin on a scraped knee. But there was no skin to mend, no blood vessels to patch. There was nothing but energy.

And emotion.

What emotion could heal suffering?

What feeling would sooth pain?

I thought about that moment when Zabuza had first hit us with Killing Intent and Kakashi had turned to reassure us. It was a momentary action, but in that moment when I'd felt that I was about to die, Kakashi had given me the hope that everything would work out.

He'd made me believe that things would be fine.

I took that feeling, and I layered it over his chakra like a bandage, smoothing down the rough edges Tsukuyomi had carved into his soul. It was a challenge at first. Kakashi's chakra didn't want to cooperate. It flinched from my touch, but slowly, surely, it quieted and stilled. I continued to work, allowing Positive Intent to flow through his spirit as I thought of our training, of Kakashi's belief in us, of how he had always fought to protect us. Each of these memories, these emotions, and these feelings, I gave back to him until I felt dizzy.

"Mah, mah, what's my cute little genin doing here?"

My head snapped up so quickly it almost gave me whiplash.

Because Kakashi was sitting up, looking exhausted and weak but still very much conscious. I reached out to grasp at the fabric of his sleeve and swallowed hard. For a moment I didn't trust myself to speak, but he was still looking at me with a half-lidded eye.

"You were hurt," I said, and I sniffed. He reached up with his free hand and ruffled my hair.

"It's a good thing I have the brightest young medic on my team, then," he said.

It was only then that I noticed something alarming.

Sasuke wasn't here.

And if he wasn't here…

Then he was searching for Naruto.

And Itachi.

…