A/N: Again I am a bit late, hopefully the next weeks aren't as stressful and I'll have more time on my hands!

To start with, I would like to thank Be-Mindful for the continued support as my beta reader, you're really, really awesome at editing! (I actually checked the file you send me back at 4:20 in the morning - ahh the time lag.)

Also thanks to those who favored and follow! You guys make me all bubbly :D

Music: "Song 2" of the Little Big Planet OST.

- Chapter 8 -

Reverberations

Kakashi's eyes shot open the second the first ray of sun touched his back.

With his face awkwardly pressed into the rough material of the hospital pillow, the silver haired jonin found his left arm uselessly dangling off the bedside. Due to the uncomfortable position most of his body had fallen asleep and it was strange how not only his hand seemed to be detached from his body, but his mind as well.

With a low grumble droning up his throat, Kakashi raised his hand in front of his face to shield his eyes against the light. In consideration of the throbbing pain behind his temples, it was the only sensible action.

'Something's … wrong' Kakashi decided.

With some effort he shifted his focus on his body, or rather the random assortment of sluggish limbs that still refused to properly cooperate. His growing frustration quickly won over any noteworthy progress.

His heavy chest rose … and fell.

It took almost all of his strength to concentrate on the simple task of taking a breath and pushing the air out of his lungs. Aside from that, his heart kept thrashing around a little helplessly — like a fish out of water. Probably why he felt like someone who had been trampled down by overly eager genin. And while the pain from yesterday was gone, this total depletion was worse than any hangover he had ever suffered in Kurenai's care.

Closing his left eye, Kakashi shifted his gaze to the still open window. It slightly swayed back and forth in the morning breeze, allowing for the bird calls to fill the room with a disturbing amount of serenity and peace.

Forcefully reminded of his first morning as a guardian, Kakashi inwardly grumbled, 'Again with those birds…'

Though muffled at first, the sounds started to reach his brain and stir his spirits. And suddenly everything became much clearer.

The mission, the encounter on his way back, the strange connection to his ward… and that today, he would return home and tickle all the mysteries out of Fuu — literally if necessary.

The numb sensation in his arm started to fade once Kakashi had managed to carefully place it next to his body. Regarding it with knitted brows, he suddenly remembered that he had outstretched his hand to stop someone…

'… fine soon … take care … … Fuu.'

The words entered his mind together with a sudden, piercing pain.

Not wasting another second, Kakashi broke free from the tight grasp of his covers. His muscles trembled under the sudden weight of his legs once he finally succeeded in clumsily swinging them over the side of the bed. For a solid five seconds the jonin shakily forced himself to remain on his feet, before he overbalanced and fell back onto the bed — clinging to the edge of the mattress to maintain a sitting posture.

'Anemic' Kakashi reminded himself, though he doubted that this was the only cause for his qualms.

His lungs burned in the cool morning air as he attempted to breath through his nose. He had trouble controlling the sudden rush of adrenaline and somehow the quickening of his pulse finally broke him out of his stupor.

Someone had visited him in the night.

Someone had crept up on him, yet again. In his sleep.

With a groan on his lips, Kakashi gripped his head, trying to scratch on the surface of that elusive memory. It was hard to fight back the headache and focus on what had actually happened.

The first thing he remembered was a set of green eyes. Two orbs shining as if they were made of freshly cut grass, showing the raw emotions hidden beneath. Not even Fuu gave away so much of her inner self. And after being surrounded by shinobi for so long, Kakashi could hardly remember the last time he had last seen such an honest expression.

Utter disbelief. Sparks of anger. Pain as fresh and pure as untouched snow.

All of this buried into the paleness of a face that was blemished with a dark smear around the tightly pressed lips. If not for his active Sharingan, Kakashi would probably not have seen the contours of her face — the resemblance.

Because it sure was remarkable that Futaba, as a guardian spirit, bore such a likeness to the child she was protecting.

'You will be fine soon, Hatake. So take care of Fuu.'

Kakashi slowly lifted his head from his hands. To him it was obvious that the skinny figure, wrapped in those baggy clothes, could only have been that mysterious person protecting his ward from the shadows. The woman of whom he had caught a glimpse that one time he had examined Fuu with his Sharingan. Well, admittedly one of the times he had used this technique on her.

When given the chance Kakashi had actually quite regularly observed the blur around his little ward. Sometimes he would see a shadow, sometimes no more than a shimmer.

To see her in the flesh was a first. A disturbing first, to be honest.

Was her visit in the night her attempt to get in touch? Or was she just checking on him, making sure whether or not he would even live long enough to warrant such actions?

And what about that blood on her face? The pain?

Casting all suspicions aside, and despite the opportunity at hand, Futaba had proven to pose no immediate threat — otherwise Kakashi would be quite dead by now. For all he knew Futaba meant him no harm. Even though she had opted for knocking him out instead of having a nice little chat…

A prickling sensation announced Kakashi's irritation before it fully captured his attention. There was a stale bitterness in his mouth and he couldn't help but swallow noisily.

Regardless of Futaba's little leniency towards his life, Kakashi felt … used. There was no better word for it. Evidently the so called guardian spirit could not cope with the dangers the little girl had to face. She even pushed it on him to prove that the child was innocent…

Releasing the air in his lungs with a deep sigh, Kakashi's shoulders slouched slightly. All of this was progressing at a speed that slightly overwhelmed him — and it was rather close to its escalation. With so many aspects still left in the dark, the jonin felt like each step could be the last.

Kakashi had to fight his body's instinctive response at the thought of his own powerlessness. He made himself loosen the grip on the covers and raised one hand to angrily rub at his face; fingers skimming along the hem of his mask.

Everything was in place and yet—

The pattering of feet neared his door and Kakashi lifted his head just in time to meet the tense expression of the nurse in the door to his room.

For a split second Kakashi had been worried that Gai would check up on him again. Another speech about how to make better use of one's youth, rather than wasting it inside a hospital bed, would probably instant kill the jonin.

However he found that he didn't particularly prefer the cautious look upon the nurse's face, nor the way she raised her hands. It appeared as if she already wanted to appease him before actually delivering the news.

"Good morning, Hatake-san, I hope that you're feeling better today."

It came out as an awkward half-question and on the side of his bed Kakashi grew tense.

"I was asked to inform you that there was an incident involving your ward. She is currently being treated in the emergency department. Yuhi-san took her there and requested your presence."

Kakashi's voice was frighteningly low when he asked, "Which room?"

"Second floor, room 207."

So much for the escalation…

The second Kakashi teleported with his body flicker technique to the room, Kurenai's head shot up.

He could tell without further inquiring that, whatever was wrong with Fuu, was not severe, but yet again inexplicable. Usually the kunoichi would calmly state the most shocking news; give all the information at hand before allowing her emotions to surface. More than once Kakashi had witnessed from afar how her facade had cracked once she thought to be alone.

This time however the kunoichi's red eyes conveyed everything she had to tell.

Confusion and worry.

"I am so sorry, Kakashi! When I woke up today, Fuu was covered in … burns. Her whole body was pink and at first I thought she might have a really bad fever. I just - I tried to cool her down and then transported her here as quickly as I could. Fuu— she… she was talking about you and wanted to know where you were, how you were … That - I have no idea how that happened!" Kurenai started, taking a deep breath that drew on Kakashi's patience much more than he expected.

Urging his friend to get to the point would hardly lead up to the desired result. So instead he gave her tense shoulder a reassuring squeeze and seized the moment, in which the kunoichi gathered herself, to examine the surroundings.

Four ANBU.

Altogether one more than yesterday. And judging by their chakra signatures, Kakashi knew none of them had been assigned for an ordinary surveying mission. Their talents were far too precious for jobs that required intimidation techniques and a certain readiness when it came to inflicting as much pain as possible.

'An awfully wary precaution' Kakashi thought and pushed aside the nascent feeling of irritation.

After all, who knew better than him just how serviceable such skills could become? Nonetheless he disliked the fact that they were now aimed at his ward. It was an explicit warning — for him.

Kurenai took a deep breath and clenched her hands to shaking fists. She seemed to have some difficulty controlling herself and it dawned on Kakashi then that it might be Fuu's share of confusion that affected her. The thought unsettled him enough to take the wind out of his sails. It would be hard to prove anything at all, if Fuu's powers turned into a double-edged sword.

Even though he had come to terms with them, it didn't mean others would be as tolerant. Surely not everyone would think of the ability to trigger certain emotions as harmless…

But right now Kakashi needed to see Fuu. With his own eyes.

He wanted to assure himself that she'd be fine. And as chance would have it, the door to the examination room opened in that moment. The nurse who now stepped outside quickly scanned the corridor before fixing her hazel eyes on Kurenai.

"I finished the pre-examination, you may now enter and wait with her for a medical-nin to arrive. I applied some soothing ointment that should ease the pain. However I ask you to refrain from moving or touching her. That'll be all from my side."

"Thank you" Kurenai murmured and turned to Kakashi who prompted her to go inside with a quick nod.

They were immediately greeted by the sharp smell of herbal balm. Like most examination rooms this one was divided into six sections to give the patients some privacy.

With reluctant steps Kakashi followed Kurenai past the empty booths.

There was only one other person inside the room besides them a Fuu's cat like presence. It was a civilian that gently whispered to her visible baby bump. She was distracted enough to miss the entrance of the shinobi duo and they in turn were far too eager to see Fuu.

Kakashi came to a halt when Kurenai suddenly stopped. In her current state she probably didn't even realize that her position prevented him from taking a proper look at his ward. Judging by what little he could see of Kurenai's profile, Kakashi was able to tell just how guilty she felt about the turn of events.

Taking a deep and shaky breath she finally whispering, "How are you, Fuu-chan?"

Some rustling, followed by a low squeak of the gurney, gave away the presence of the child. Kakashi inclined his head to see her shapeless shadow, projected by the early morning light onto the curtains surrounding her section.

"I'm fine Kurenai. The nurse put something on the red parts. Look it's sticky and smells funny" Fuu spoke with a gentle voice that showed her intention to calm the woman standing at the end of her gurney. "How is Hatake-sama?"

"Oh, he's actually-" finally realizing that she had been blocking his way, Kurenai stepped aside and pulled on Kakashi's sleeve to bring him forward "-here."

"Yo" was his lazy response to the surprise on his ward's face. "Who decided to wrap you up as a present?"

Next to him Kurenai blinked a little owlishly. Almost as if she was unsure whether she had gotten him wrong there. After a quick recovery, however, the kunoichi opened her mouth to properly scold him for this insensitive remark just as a soft giggle stopped her.

Confident of his victory Kakashi rewarded the furled eyebrows of the kunoichi with a blank stare, aiming to drive her mad, before he turned back to Fuu.

The little girl was indeed covered with a blanket from head to toe, hence the weird shape of her shadow on the curtains. With the white fabric hugging her tightly the little girl looked however more like a caterpillar — ready to pop out of his cocoon anytime. Although her face was still of a glaring pink color, her gentle smile still made it through somehow. A hairlip held back some lose strands of hair that would otherwise come in contact with the glistening ointment covering her face.

Some of the tension left Kakashi's shoulders only to uncomfortably settle in his stomach.

'How in kami's name did she even get burned?'

"The nurse told me that I am not allowed to move and that I need to be kept warm" Fuu explained in a voice reserved for reciting rules; the slight pout however showed that she was rather uncomfortable. It took his ward some more pondering before her indisposition took a back seat in her mind and by raising her head, the blanket loosened enough to reveal more of the pinkish skin. "How are you, Hatake-sama? … You look tired."

Kurenai's lips thinned to a straight line, signaling that she would love to huff about the obvious difference in their respective conditions. Much to Kakashi's surprise, however, she bit back on the minor insult she had already prepared and ready for him to hear.

"Thankfully they refrained from gift-wrapping me" Kakashi perceived somewhat flatly, keeping up his unfazed air. "However I really am curious just how you managed to end up like this? I doubt that eating too many strawberries would actually cause a mutation of the like… But I am sure that if anyone could prove me wrong on this matter, it'll be you. At least you got the color right. Maybe next time you could focus a bit more on the yellow dots, you know the seeds. That would be pretty awesome."

"Strawberries? Seeds?!" This time Kurenai could not keep herself from smacking Kakashi on the back of his head. "Take this serious for once, you damn wannabe-guardian! Fuu's hurt and all you do is think up weird comparisons! That — does — not — help — at — all!"

"Riiight" Kakashi rejoined with unconcealed sarcasm while easily avoiding her fists that aimed for him during every small pause of her last sentence. "Because making a big fuss like this, usually turns out to be so much more effective."

"Now, now, children, stop fighting! Move out of the way!"

To suddenly be addressed as children froze both shinobi quite nicely. Both slowly turned to the person who had just entered the room and even Fuu perked up to see who disturbed their little spat.

It turned out to be an elder Iryo, who now mumbled something inaudible while flipping through the papers of his clipboard. In passing, he did neither register the two dumbfounded expressions on their faces nor did he take any notice of the weird mummy appearance of his patient.

Fuu watched him intently with her green eyes as the man sat down on the stool in front of her. He scratched his rather prominent nose that covered up most of his face; finally lifting his head with a deep growl that made Fuu jump. The old medic took a closer look at his patient and his wrinkled face furrowed even more.

It must have been around this moment that Fuu decided to be properly scared. Wide eyed and stiff as a poker, she paled instantly. Kakashi, who himself had recovered from his own surprise, silently hoped for Fuu to at least remember how to breath — ideally soon.

"You're a weird one, alright" the medic observed with his deep voice as he removed the blanket with surprising gentleness. The first impression had clearly raised different expectations. "My… indeed a little strawberry, aren't ya?"

Now that Kakashi saw the full extent of Fuu's burns he instantly lost his will to lift the mood. His insecurity of how to handle the situation was replaced by the burning anger which he had suppressed just moments ago. He felt the heat build up inside of him.

Why was it that this girl had to be hurt? Wasn't it enough that she was only two steps shy from being arrested as a criminal?

Kakashi's teeth started hurting from how they were constantly clenched to keep his anger to himself.

Five ANBU, just great.

Kurenai's hand on his arm stopped Kakashi from whatever action his body had opted to take, reminding him gently that there was a time and place for everything, just not now.

He was well aware that pressure and tension were the two factors that should never rule his mind. They gave him a limit and this time, once he reached it, Fuu would either be acquitted of the charges held against her, or find herself in a narrow room with glaring lights and eyes. Ready to take her apart if necessary.

'I take it that you will provide the evidence of that girl's innocence within the next week' reminded him the low voice of the Third from the back of his head.

"Right that helps" breathed Kakashi so quietly that Kurenai could not catch the self-irony.

The old medic had ignored the two shinobi so far to concentrate on the tense frame in front of him. Slowly, so that the child could follow his movements, he lifted his hand and traced the red streaks on her skin.

They felt hot to the touch and his little patient flinched involuntarily. Indeed Burns. With a wondering blink the medic lifted his eyes from the arms and legs, scarred with a crossfire of fine red lines, to the pale face of the girl.

It were those two symmetrical burns on her forehead that caught his attention. On the whiteness of her skin they shone like a pair of dark poppies while covering the space between her thin brows to the hairline. They were slightly further apart than her eyes and now meeting their lush green, the medic found her staring at him intently. It was obvious that she was in pain and he tried to give her a reassuring smile that would not scare her any further.

She was lucky that those were only first-degree burns. Yet in all his years at this hospital he had never seen such a strange pattern. But then again even wars could not tell all tales of misery.

From what the Iryo gathered from the notes on the clipboard, the child had a steady pulse rate, no hypertension and he could tell that her breathing pattern was no reason for actual concern — merely quickened with nervousness. The most important thing was for her to not be in shock. Casting a brief glance to the clock hanging just above the door of the exam room he quickly calculated how much more time it would take for the painkillers to take hold.

The nurse, who had been the first to check the kid before his arrival, had noted that there were more of those red blotches on her chest — just like the blossoming red circles on her forehead. Moving the material of her top a little he found the outlines of another one just above the point where her frail collarbone met the sternum.

'Seimon, Gate of Life' came forward the ever present prayer mill of his medical drill. Motioning for the girl to raise her arms, the old man lifted the shirt and took in the positions of the other burns.

"The report of the last check-up stated that my colleague believed the scars above the main tenketsu were the cause for the apparent lack of chakra. I, for my part, find these circumstances exceptionally interesting since one does not come twice across such a case. However… leaving aside my professional curiosity, I can't ignore what's in front of me. You might not have noticed this so far, but those round burns, those that are slightly more severe in their degree and color, cover the exact points of her Hachimon — the eight inner gates" the old medic spoke up and the wrinkles on his face deepened in a mixture of worry and wonder. "Coincidence? I believe not."

"None of the following check-ups could determine whether this had any consequences for Fuu. Does this mean that this-" Kakashi pointed to the burns on his wards forehead "- will happen more often from now on?"

"No!" Kurenai interrupted as she caught on with the trail of thoughts, avoiding Fuu's worried glance in her direction.

"Woman, a mere no won't stop the possibility from happening. You're a kunoichi, toughen up" the Iryo grunted, quick to grow impatient with Kurenai's behavior. Said kunoichi however thinned her lips once again to a line and swallowed her sharp reply before exchanging looks with Kakashi. The old medic continued, "What I wanted to note- eh!"

In a fit of her rare temper, Fuu had taken it upon herself to pull down her shirt and glare at the old man for insulting Kurenai. The surprise on the medic's face was more than apparent, especially since he had actually believed that this kid was not a brat like all of the other youngsters who ran around these days.

It actually took him some time to comprehend that the girl wasn't all too impressed with his previous statement about her female caretaker.

Kakashi nudged Kurenai since she was the only one who could resolve Fuu's irritation with a simple smile since she happened to be the reason for her 'snapping'.

The gaze of the Iryo met Fuu's adamant emeralds and chewing over a way to clear the tense atmosphere he cleared his throat, "How about you tell me what happened?"

Slowly the girl's eyes softened. She bit her lip, producing a muffled squeak when she realized that furrowing her brows would strain her burned skin. In an attempt to ease the pain she raised her hand to cover the sore spot, but the medic stopped her gently.

"You'll only make it worse, lassie. Just wait for a few more minutes until the pain goes away and I will heal you up nicely. But first I would like to understand how this happened" the voice of the old medic was now a low rumble, sympathetic but stern at the same time.

Next to Kakashi, Kurenai flinched a little and Fuu followed the gaze of the Iryo towards the kunoichi. It took some time for her to catch on with the implication and with an appalled look on her red face, she started shaking her head vehemently.

"Kurenai's got nothing to do with it! I… ." The girl picked at the blanket that still lay around her and her toes curled, showing how uneasy she felt. "I woke up from a bad dream… then suddenly it was very hot and my skin burned."

"Well, that's strange… never heard of someone who got hurt from just a nightmare. What kind of dream was it?"

"It was painful… I believe that I lost something but I don't know what. It was like I gave it away for something else and realized too late … what I've done" Fuu whispered with a forlorn expression.

"And you don't remember anything else?"

The girl again shook her head. "I only asked Futaba to help Hatake-sama."

"Futaba?"

While Kurenai took it upon herself to introduce the old man to Fuu's idea of a guardian spirit, Kakashi frowned at his ward. He could not help himself but to feel irritated at the reference to that woman. Even though that request of Fuu would explain quite a lot — all of this would be so much easier if he could just assume that Futaba complied with this child's every wish.

Yet Kakashi wondered why the girl had to end up in the hospital — with burns all over her body. Did that so much-valued spirit know about any of this? Was this the result of her freely wandering around instead of watching her ward as she was supposed to? Was Futaba connected to the main chakra gates of this child?

"You sure are quite mysterious, little one" the old medic grunted in defeat, bringing Kakashi back to the here and now. The silver haired shinobi found himself agreeing with yet another deep sigh. Raising his hands the Iryo formed his hand seals, oblivious to the amazement of his little that patient, who followed his every move with big eyes. The green glow reflected in her eyes. "Well then, let's get started!"

During the healing process Kakashi's eyes strayed from his ward and Kurenai who had inched closer to get a hold of Fuu, who, even though burned and hurting, was still very ticklish.

It was then that Kakashi saw a movement out of the corner of his eye. Knitting his brows together, he watched the back of the pregnant civilian as she left the room without waiting any longer for someone from the hospital staff to attend to her. Swaying in her steps the woman reached the door and threw him a look over her shoulder.

'It's been a long time since I've seen such a convincing henge…' was the only thought flashing through Kakashi's mind before surveying the trees outside the hospital window.

Five ANBU and one female from Root.

'I really need some breathing space.'

Now there was no way around taking Fuu home. Danzo was definitely the last person he'd allow to lay hands on this girl…

In his office Sarutobi Hiruzen put aside the last application which needed to be evaluated before tomorrows mission allocation. Now the only remaining tasks were the usual amount of paperwork, preparing the next council meeting and waiting for the ANBU to return from the hospital.

The Third knew that Kakashi would hardly appreciate the number and selection of men he had sent to watch over the girl — especially after what had happened in the morning.

One of the guards from Yuhi's apartment had returned with the notice saying that the kunoichi was on her way to the hospital, together with the little girl. Apparently Kurenai had only been able to relay the information that something was wrong with Fuu before she dashed off.

If it weren't for the Council members starting to question his decision concerning the little girl, Hiruzen would have never send two of his most … apathetic men.

Monkey and Baku.

Seasoned shinobi, who lived only for the sake of Konoha and were far less likely to fall under the spell of the little girl.

The report of the last night still rested to Hiruzen's right and as he now reached for the paper, the Third couldn't stop the frown from fully capturing his face. After the attack on Kakashi he had expected for something to stir, but Fuu's alleged father probably knew better than to play into the Sandaime's hands.

It was one of those impalpable ideas, probably more a sense of foreboding, that made the Third's muscles tense.

His men had reported that they had only spread out that one time close after midnight — when some dogs had started barking nearby. Other then that it was only Eagle who witnessed the scene of Fuu crying and clinging to her caretaker Yuhi.

For some time now the Third had wondered just how far Fuu would go to behave. To make her break down and cry, it actually needed her guardian to face a near death situation. One more reason why comparing her to other kids her age clearly did neither help in understanding her nor defining her limits.

Feeling a disturbance in the air circulation of his office, Hiruzen looked up and nodded only as Eagle appeared before him, bowing before passing him the clinical record.

"Tell me." The old man's eyes were fixed on the information given but he wanted to hear the news from an eye witness. The ANBU knew what was expected of him. He had been working under the guidance of the Third for quite some time.

Taking his place a few steps away from the desk, Eagle crossed his arms behind his back. "They arrived at the hospital without taking any unnecessary detour. Yuhi-san appeared to be quite worried, not to say flustered, later revealing to Hatake-san that she herself had no idea what had happened or how the girl had acquired those burns. Hatake Kakashi was informed by a nurse on behalf of Yuhi-san. Tiger watched the initial first aid applied and reported that the girl was covered in light burns, first degree. Only the eight circular burns on her chest and forehead were slightly more severe, all in all nothing to worry about."

"Those burns would be nothing to worry about, if there was a reason for them" the Hokage disagreed while his eyes grazed upon the upright posture of the bird ANBU. The Third once again returned his attention to the report in his hands. "The… medic noted that the eight different burns covered her chakra gates. I find it just as curious as him. Is this a sign that the girl tries to awaken her chakra?"

"I addressed the older iryo later in private and he assured me that this girl had no chakra at all — hence rendering her unable to self inflict the burns. He assured me that he has no idea what else, besides chakra, could cause what you may find in his report, Lord Hokage. Since yesterday the girl has been under our watch and I highly doubt that Yuhi-san is responsible for getting her hurt. Aside from the kunoichi there was nobody else."

'Older Iryo… no it can't be. He would come to me for information first' Hiruzen decided as he felt a name on the tip of his tongue.

Putting aside the paper, the Third inclined his head, "Why wasn't she hospitalized?"

"Hatake-san himself pressed on taking her home. Since the girl was healed and the medics could neither find the source nor voice a reason to keep her overnight, Hatake-san left with his ward" Eagle informed without showing any emotion or opinion in his voice. The eyes behind the mask were calm, yet thoughtful.

Hiruzen leant back in his chair, hiding his own worried expression in the shadow of his hat.

"I want three guards to remain on their posts tonight, it would probably be best if you assigned Monkey and Baku with the morning watch. Whatever disturbances may catch your attention, one always has to remain near the Hatake residence" Hiruzen ordered with a stern expression and raised his head to take one last look at the ANBU before dismissing him with a short flick of his fingers.

How much longer would he be able to conceal this little project with Kakashi?

The Council would question his lax security precautions, not to mention the way Danzo would react once the news of the mysterious chakra-less girl reached his ears...

"So you really have no idea why that happened do you?"

Both Kakashi and Fuu were on their way back home, heavily loaded with grocery bags to fill the empty fridge. Up to this point Kakashi had refrained from broaching the subject of the burns again.

"I wish I knew." Fuu hugged the brown paper back tighter. "I am sorry for making Kurenai worry. She's so nice to me and I really do like her."

Stopping in his tracks Kakashi turned around to stare down at little figure who walked right into his legs. With a crackle and muffled squeak the dark mop of hair stumbled back and instinctively secured the bag before raising her green eyes to the frown of her guardian.

Fuu's face, now again of a natural paleness, displaying confusion and slight nervousness. Inclining her head to one side did not help her in understanding why Kakashi would be irritated. So she mulled over the last words.

"Oh, I — of course I have to apologize to you too, Hatake-sama! I hope that I am not burdening you too much" Fuu stammered and the panic in her eyes became quite apparent. Kakashi could see his own reflection in the light green as he towered above her like a menacing shadow. "And I … like you too …"

With her lasts words a blush had crept on her face. Narrowing her eyes to slits in a vain attempt at avoiding his reaction, Fuu pressed her shrinking body against the groceries. Not wanting to give in to her adorable portrayal of insecurity, Kakashi felt a stab of pain — both in his chest and backbone since he tried to stop himself from bending down to soothe her.

"Huh? So you do actually care about me!"

"Yes, of course! I was really, really worried when you returned hurt from the mission yesterday!" Still deeply affected Fuu had almost cried the words. "I do care very much about you, Hatake-sama!"

Kakashi started to feel uncomfortable in his skin for continuing, "And you'd do anything to not be a burden to me?"

"But of course. Everything that's in my power to do … so please?"

"Only if you promise me one last thing."

"A new rule?"

"A favor I'd say" Kakashi considered, speaking slowly while reducing his powerful aura along with his height as he crouched down to her eye level. Fuu straightened herself with determination on her face; ready to make up for whatever she had done wrong. "If asking Futaba for favors does end up with you in the hospital, I'd rather you refrain from taking such risks. Because you really got me worried there, Fuu."

Her first instinct was to apologize — again. However Fuu swallowed the words and gave her answer much thought, "If it could save you again, I don't know if I'll be able to keep that promise."

"You were burnt. Your whole body was pink. It must have hurt."

"..."

"Since when have you become such a stubborn child?"

"Well, just try to be more careful next time" the four year old rejoined with an unimpressed air that was in no way inferior to that of her guardian, before ducking below his outstretched hand that he had extended to flick her forehead.

Dumbfounded Kakashi stared at the empty space she had occupied until then; his visible eye widening. He would probably never get used to the way this little girl caught him off guard — both with her words and that obvious affection. With her four years of life experience Fuu was way more talented to get him off his high horse than most of his friends.

Catching up with the girl's short legs the elite ninja decided to ungrudgingly ignore the fact that she was already regretting her cheeky attitude. It amused the silver haired shinobi enough to forget for a moment the presence of the ANBU following them and the short time he had left to prove his point — her innocence.

"Is this some kind of rebellious stage I should be made aware of?"

Two red spots appeared on Fuu's cheek. This time however they were no reason for worry. Even though the old medic had not abstained from lecturing both shinobi about how they should keep an eye on the girl, the man knew his deal and now there was not a trace left of the burns.

'Why burns?' wondered Kakashi and bent down to relieve the girl of the grocery bag that was about to slide down her arms.

Fuu however avoided his hand with an almost graceful half circle dance. "It's fine. I'll carry it, Hatake-sama!"

"Sure… however I find that it's too much of food waste to make you walk on and spill all the items on the street. I am definitely not paying that much for teaching you a lesson! Be a good girl and let me carry it — oi! don't start running away! — … You may have the key in exchange" Kakashi offered, trying to make it sound as promising as he could.

Fuu stopped and stared at the tinkling metal that shone silvery in the midday sun. Slowly her eyes sank to the contents of the bag and she furrowed her fine brows. Kakashi pondered a little before he sighed, finally making sense of her.

"So you've got the strawberries in your bag" he clarified.

"Maybe?"

"Now don't you start with that cheeky attitude, brat" Kakashi grumbled in the light of such sassy behavior. While it was definitely refreshing, the elite ninja wasn't sure whether he liked it now that he found himself confronted with it.

"…"

"I'll guard your strawberries with my life" he muttered surrendering to her cute pout and curled the fingers of his hand, pleading silently with her to pass the brown paper bag to him. They would need them that afternoon as rewards since the copy-cat ninja did not plan to go easy on his ward.

Maybe even more so after she started with that attitude on him.

Giving him a wistful sigh, Fuu handed over the groceries and received the key in return. The next time Kakashi looked down at his ward, she was hugging the piece of metal close to her heart, her gentle smile back in place and as warm as ever.

In defiance of all the worries and haunting thoughts, the contentment of his ward with this silly little thing managed to pass onto the silver haired shinobi who felt the corners of his mouth twitching.

NoBirdWithintheCage: Thanks so much for your review! :)

I really have to keep myself in check so that I don't throw all of Futaba's abilities at you, they are preying on my mind! But I can at least say, that once the 'guardian spirit' detaches herself for an introduction it will get pretty interesting. Especially since Kakashi is not overly fond of her :D

Besides that I am glad that I was able to convey Kakashi's wish to push Fuu away. I always worry that he's way too fond and out of character with her! xD ahh

All your questions shall be answered with each upcoming chapter :) I hope you enjoyed this one!

/... / Oh my, I get the feeling that I am trying to get everyone hospitalized :D But I promise that this was the last hospital scene for some time! In the next chapter Kakashi will prepare for Fuu's training. I am curious who turns out be more exhausted – physically and mentally...

Also, thank you all for reading this chapter and I can promise you that there will be some fun and fluff in the next chapter! Until then :)